#if you have the energy to yap. you have the energy to contribute to a solution by your own will.

[diegogtratty]

Been seeing a specific type of post popping up about this community more lately. Specifically, talking about how some things are overdone to death.

So I have to ask. Not why these things are overdone, no. But why some feel the need to ruin other people's parties, purely for sticking to what they like.

If the problem is that you hate that stuff, maybe consider, I dunno, letting them be? They make that stuff because they like it? Who would've thought?

If the problem is that they're not making stuff you like, recognize that people have different preferences, and consider making or commissioning it yourself?

I wholeheartedly mean that last point incredibly hard. Being in a niche community, with niche preferences, does make it plenty difficult to find stuff you'll enjoy, I get that all too well. But that doesn't mean I'll complain until stuff magically spawns upon my screen.

Often times for niche stuff, someone has to be the first person to make something happen, because otherwise, who knows if someone else will.

And not just making it once, no. Rather, make multiple things, big or small in scope. Write the concept or story down. Draw or edit it out briefly. Get the idea out there.

But above all, be persistent. Outlive. Survive. Just because it isn't popular on your first post, it doesn't mean that you should give up trying. Especially if it's something you're genuinely passionate about.

[ovokthen]

Megaman 9 yapping

The story of the 9th Rockman game was short and simple, but the idea behind it was always so peculiar to me. To recap, there is now a 4th law of robotic which gives them expiration date - this encourages scientists to create newer and more efficient model while saving energy and resources from maintaining old and outdated ones. However, it proves to be a problem because the robots in Rockman have "souls" akin to that of a human, which causes them to rebel and bring destruction humanity.

This is a story that touches on ethnics and certain area of philosophy, but particularly, I'm interested in how those elements affects the robots' psychology. In the game, after defeating 8 robot masters, you would get a cutscene showing how Wily manipulated them into joining his side and how he eventually reprogram them to be destructive. However, the robots still wanted to be of use to the humans until the end:

Dr. Wily: "Just because you reached some arbitrary expiration date doesn't mean you should be scrapped! You're all still quite useful! You have a right to live! I'm going to help you. Together we'll show the world how useful you all still can be!" Robot: "Hmm… perhaps you're right. We still want to be of use to people. Can you repair us?"

All in all, their usefulness dictates whether they deserved to live or not. Before I made this post, I thought Dr Wily was going to talk about how they shouldn't be scrapped because they have souls, but after rereading the script, I realized he just reverted back to talking about their usefulness. The robots don't seem to mind at all. It is as if they were programmed to think of way, or at least were conditioned to think that way due to their environment. If I, a human, were to be born along side my peers then before I even reach old age, I was suddenly told "The new is generation is better than you at art, so you need to be executed", then I would most likely lose all of my reasons and start going berserk as well. This is what happened in Hitoshi Ariga's manga: The 4th law get administered as usual, Dr Wily said the same thing, but he didn't reprogram them or manipulate them, he only offered to get rid of their expiration date. In the end, it was up to the robot themselves to decide whether they would revolt or not (and all of them did).

Hitoshi Ariga's interpretation is more believable than it is in the game, but it's hard for me to believe that all 100% of them would turn from obedient robots to war machines just like that. Once again, If I was suddenly told that my life was cut short because someone was better, I would be mad, but that is with the assumption that I am a human. The 9th numbers and robots, even though they have emotion and "souls" similar to that of a human, they are not human; It is similar to comparing the life of a dog and a cat. Of course, we haven't discovered any species that have a level of intelligence and emotional capability similar to human, so it is impossible to tell, but I think there would be a noticeable amount of conflict that comes from being a robot (a species that is meant to die and be improved upon) that has a human mind (a species that wants a fulfilling life).

Assuming there was a robot who wanted to live (as in Hitoshi Ariga's interpretation), but also believe that their life was taken for granted (as in the game version), there would a difficult character arc whether they were mind controlled by Dr Wily or not. Let's say it is Hitoshi Ariga's version where the robots act on their own, this character would follow the other 9th numbers in the revolution to get rid of the 4th law, but I doubt they would contribute that much because they feel indebted to the humans. They are incapable of helping those around them in the revolution, but at the same time they aren't willing to turn themselves in and end their life quickly. This also leads to another problem. Let's say they couldn't care less whether they die or not, but if they are close to the other 9th numbers, it would be a problem if they just gave in because that would mean their friend/sibling could potential die because of their listlessness. If there was a dilemma like that, it's either you lose yourself and join your siblings in exterminating human, or you run away from both the 9th numbers and the human and delay the inevitable.

[youremyheaven]

Omg rahu-ketu post😳

I was actually discussing my struggles around having prominent swati in my chart and staying grounded in my own reality on a forum fairly recently.

I have a very rich inner world which I essentially live in most of the time, and sometimes I feel like I miss out of my own life because I’m so detached. Limerence is also a big struggle for me, I find it much easier to centre myself in the energy of someone else than to be responsible for my own reality, which I guess comes from the things you talked about like rahu being a shadow planet and the mythology of rahu and obsession.

I also spend a large amount of time on social media and playing games 😶‍🌫️ I’ve tried to make uses of the positives by channeling my imagination into something tangible like art, but I have a hard time actually putting in the work to develop skills since I’m so distracted all the time. I think I’ve spent too much time in my head and now I’ve forgotten how to be in my body lol (my ADHD isn’t helping either💀)

Swati I think is especially a difficult nak because the libra/venus influence is only enabling rahu’s indulgence, unlike saturn or to a lesser extent mercury.

Aside from my personal whinings- the thing you said about occult/astro kind of intrigued me. All of my close family (incl. grandparents, uncles, etc) have atleast one rahu or ketu nak in their big 3, usually being ardra, mula or swati.

My mother’s side has lots of psychics and we have a dream interpretation system that gets passed down the family, whilst my father’s side has many tarot readers. My dad himself is an occultist who is interested in Thelema, astral projection, etc. There’s some interest in astrology on both sides but not particularly in depth and my parents usually end asking me about the transits. Oh yeah and I guess I had that one psychic dream last November that came true the morning after.

In general, my family has a history of very eccentric characters who occasionally got exiled or imprisoned or some crazy shit 😭 I feel like that’s just average Eastern European family lore though. Do you think such isolation is nodal? I think it is but there might be other planetary influence.

That’s enough yapping for today though. Interested to see your post on the positives❤️

Your observation about Swati is spot on

I do think Nodal influence+ well placed/strong Rahu & Ketu are necessary for learning and immersing yourself in the occult. Someone who cannot channel it well will remain ignorant of it no matter how much they read or study it. In some ways the Nodes can be understood as layers of the subconscious and the unconscious. The nodes represent karma (Ketu does) and our unconscious mind is our accumulated karma, if we remain ignorant of it, we will let it guide all our actions and lead us to self destruction. Therefore to have strong/well placed Nodes means you're aware of the different layers of your mind as a result of which you can understand the different layers of reality. Nodal influence creates a fog/veil that cannot be lifted until we gain true gnosis. This is why Nodal people get lost in addictive substances/pass times/people/ interests because their own reality feels foggy/veiled to them so they can only access it from other things. Obviously this is another form of Maya or illusion and that's why even these natives struggle with it. You hate the thing even as you indulge in it because on some level you realise that you're losing yourself to it.

Immersing yourself in the occult requires a certain discipline and consistency that can be hard for Nodal natives (malefic influenced, badly placed etc) to master unless it's well aspected but those who do master it are able to perceive reality and understand the esoteric realm in a truly sublime way. It's rare and magnetic.

I do think Nodal influence can contribute to being exiled/imprisoned/being isolated. There is a reason why 5/6 Nodal nakshatras all belong to the Shudra caste which is the lowest. These natives live lives that are "unusual" or different from the norm. They are "detached" because their life experiences already set them apart from others. They don't belong to the mainstream because they've been put in circumstances where they've been deprived of what is "normal".

Like I said in my post, what is "unusual" can vary a lot and can mean sooo many different things. Majority of the "child star gone wild" type celebrities have heavy Nodal influence. Why? because it's "unusual" for a child to be working or attaining fame and wealth or for their family to use them for the same. When you're deprived of anything ordinary or real, you depend on substances/unhealthy relationships/habits etc to feel centred. This is why after a point these stars "go rogue or wild". They amass a lot of wealth/fame but ultimately they're unable to benefit from it or enjoy it. This is also unusual as these are things typically understood as blessings. Being in a position where you can't connect to or relate to others is a very Nodal experience. That's why a lot of people with these placements are so introverted and withdrawn. If you're a famous child actor, you can't quite go to school and connect to the experiences of other people your age so you feel "isolated". Being imprisoned/exiled is another such experience. It permanently alters you and you don't know how to connect to others who haven't been through it.

I do think isolation is a big theme in the lives of Nodal people. It can be literal or emotional. But it's also obviously influenced by the rest of the chart. Heavy 12h placements also make a native experience the same themes to some extent.

[glossysoap]

Besides tue point that covid has left many people literally disabled and unable to maintain a regime needed to loose weight. And there are so many diseases that keep you from exercising. Including mental health. Bes8des the point that everybody should be allowed to exist in their body regardless. I for example have hashimoto and even with my doc knowing it took ages to realise that the hormone I need is produces but I can't absorb it. Hence pretty much uncontrolled weight gain even though on paper I live on a kalorien deficit for years now. So no it's not sinple or black and white and I am struggling to see anything loveable in myself. And the fics do help on that front

tw fatphobia

at first i thought this was the fatphobic anon but after reading it, it’s clearly not. ily anon. i kinda used this as an open letter to the fatphobic anon that i recently reblogged so just know that none of this is aimed at you, anon.

see exactly. there’s so many factors to weight loss and what contributes to that, that it’s not just a black and white situation.

i love the point you made about covid because that’s so true!! not only can you become disabled as a result of it, and gyms and such also became inaccessible due to close proximity to others. and the symptoms of long covid are no joke! those disabilities that some ppl have gained from covid never went away, that goes for lung and heart conditions that they gained as a result.

and don’t even get me started on PCOS and hashimoto’s. i’m like 99% sure i have either of those, maybe both, whatever. and the way that no diet works truly drives me insane.

and if you know me, you know fatphobia is personal because i’m obviously fat but i’ve also had a record number of fatphobic comments sent my way this year, and many of it by an ex friend no less.

i’ve heard that fat people shouldn’t hike, don’t go to gyms, just stay in your house. oh, but i thought we were lazy? i thought we should work out? i thought we should be at the gym?

i’ve heard that fat people shouldn’t wear work out clothes or anything like that. anything remotely tight. i’ve heard people say “well just lose weight” when fat people bring up reasonable criticisms over the lack of sizing in any clothing.

bitch, do you just want us to be naked? do you want us to wear a plastic bag? and what if a fat person is actually working towards losing weight, what then? do they not deserve to wear clothes while they do it? and even if they’re not working towards losing weight, what the fuck do you want fat people to wear? nothing? i’m so serious.

god forbid something is catered to fat people. god forbid you skinny people feel a bit excluded because someone mentions stretch marks (which skinny people have too actually!) or a fat ass or plush hips. literally go cry me a river. everything is catered to you in the world, literally everything. you are the model standard. you are the mannequin in all the stores. you are the sizes that every store carries.

you’ll be just fine if a fic isn’t catered to you.

and you’ll be just fine if someone’s fat. it doesn’t affect you in any way. no, no matter what you say, it doesn’t. you’re not “concerned for their health” because then you’d be going around yapping in any skinny person’s ear that vapes or drinks alcohol or energy drinks or does drugs. oh but you’re not, are you?

you’ll be fine. the world will keep spinning if a fic isn’t catered to you. you’ll be fine if people are fat.

the world will keep spinning.

also, military men love fat ppl 👍

[crushingcasanova]

Pros and Cons of being with me! >_<

Pros

Cute fashion sense

nerdy

can contribute in intellectual conversation

can act and do other performative arts

sweet lover + romantic at heart

will brag about you a lot

can write + somewhat paint, you will be a muse

Very devoted and loyal

silly and is on tumblr

can and will make you jewelry

loves to send physical love letters and such

likes to give gifts

can sing semi decently

knows a lot of fandoms and stuffs so common interests are likely

Loves to listen to yapping but can also yap

Also okay with just existing in the same space with no obligation for talking (parallel play)

good relationship with family + friends

can articulate emotions and thoughts and introspect

emotionally and self aware

sweet friend (according to sol)

very supportive and cares deeply about close people

Has a plan for the future + goals

Motivated academically

doesn't mind deep convos or revealing personal lore

Communicative + open about issues

Loves taking notes and learning about darlings, usually in a shrine format (which you can see)

Will allow you to make choices about outfits, what to do, daily life, etc and values your opinion a lot

Possessive but not overbearingly so

Can adapt to any and all love types

Ambiamorous + willing to let you explore other partners within reason / with boundaries

Cons

shy

chronically online

swaps from formal to cute to chill to low energy to high energy a lot

Not good at leading conversation

Recovering people pleaser but doing okay at it

Follower, not as much of a leader (unless out of necessity) 

Sometimes a bit reserved + closed off, would rather listen than overshare sometimes

Very careful about the perception of self in the eyes of others

Physically needs to know everything + every thought you have

Keeps busy a lot with games / painting / other media 

Spontaneous plans irl tend to spring out of nowhere

Keeps self small + is afraid in pressuring social settings if not irl

Not great at directly befriending people, awkward

Gets distracted easily

Indecisive at times

Can be clingy

Not great at comforting at all

Possible adhd / untested but def has some issues 

[yennas-stuff]

The fandom is so lucky to have you! We appreciate having you here and all that you contribute to it ❤️❤️

1. What brought you into the fandom?

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

3. Out of all of SJM’s books, which one means the most to you and why?

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

Keep doing you ❤️

Hi anon!

Thank you, that's so sweet to hear, especially considering most that I do here is post silliness.

1) I got the first acotar book for my birthday from @froggywizzard . So yall can blame her, lol. As soon as I finished the series, I created this account to see more theories and fanarts. I came here because it was difficult to find other eluciens/gwynriels on tiktok.

I also have this overwhelming need to yap about my fixations, and I didn't want to torture people in my real life. I can be a bit annoying once I get obsessed with a topic, lol.

2) Surprisingly or not, it would probably be Elain. I know we don't know much about her personality and thoughts as of now, but from what we know... she's just like me fr. As a people pleaser, someone who has a hard time taking the reins in my own life sometimes, as someone who likes living their simple life, and who always tries to see the positive in every situation... At the same time, I hate when someone takes away my choice and freedom. So, yeah, Elain is my girl.

3) Probably acosf. I haven't read tog or cc yet buuuut, acosf was probably the only acotar book that made me cry multiple times. The Valkyries made this book for me.

4) Elucien!!!! I just love Lucien as an mmc so much. I love their aesthetic, energy, compatibility, and potential for their story. The angst and slowburn is going to be crazy.

And Gwynriel ofc. The healing arc is going to be so good.

I also love the possibility of any gay Eris ship. Azris, Eris x Balthazar. I just can't see Eris as a straight man.

I also love Tamsand, lol. For the drama of it all.

Thank you, Anon! You are a cutie patootie for sending such a nice ask!

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Now Im just thinking about yapper lover talking nonstop about stuff that interest them- that paired with the Ganondorfs and Demise would be interesting-

Ganondorf would have no idea what was going on, but his love is passionate about it, so he will listen and ask questions when necessary. Demise, in all honesty, does not give a singular fuck and just pretends to listen and occasionally does fully listen, which, is better than any other alternative.

I yap when I get overexcited about things. I can ramble on and on about my favorites if the mood hits me. I'll admit, I dont yap much anymore, due to the experiences of those not listening and my work being just talking all day.

************************************************************************

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Reaction: Wind Waker Ganondorf would find a yapper lover endearing. He would genuinely listen, appreciating the passion his lover shows in their interests. He might not always understand the fascination but would respect it.

Internal Monologue: "She speaks with such enthusiasm. It's... refreshing. Though I don't always grasp her interest, I enjoy hearing her speak."

Response: He would occasionally nod, give thoughtful responses, and ask questions to show he is engaged. He might offer insights or anecdotes from his own experiences, adding to the conversation.

Example: When she talks about her latest hobby, he might say, "Your dedication reminds me of my own pursuits. Tell me more about what drives your interest."

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Reaction: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would be a patient listener, finding a yapper lover's enthusiasm intriguing. He would listen attentively, seeing it as a way to understand her better.

Internal Monologue: "Her excitement is palpable. There's much to learn from her passion."

Response: He would actively contribute to the conversation, asking probing questions and offering his own thoughts. He might challenge her ideas to provoke deeper discussion, enjoying the intellectual engagement.

Example: When she shares her thoughts on a new book she's reading, he might respond, "And what do you think the author is truly trying to convey? Have you considered the underlying themes?"

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Reaction: Twilight Princess Ganondorf would initially be taken aback by a yapper lover but would soon find it charming. He would listen with a mix of amusement and genuine interest.

Internal Monologue: "She never stops talking... But there's something captivating about her energy."

Response: He would listen quietly, occasionally contributing with short but meaningful comments. He would enjoy watching her animated expressions and the way she lights up when talking about her interests.

Example: When she excitedly talks about her day, he might say, "Your enthusiasm is contagious. It sounds like you had quite an eventful day."

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Reaction: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would appreciate a yapper lover's passion and energy. He would listen with a smile, finding her constant chatter entertaining.

Internal Monologue: "She talks so much... But I enjoy her spirit."

Response: He would actively engage in the conversation, offering supportive and encouraging comments. He would enjoy teasing her lightly about her endless talking but in a loving manner.

Example: When she talks about a new project she's excited about, he might say, "You have so much energy for this. Tell me more about how you plan to accomplish it."

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Reaction: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would be both amused and fascinated by a yapper lover. He would listen attentively, appreciating the insight into her thoughts and feelings.

Internal Monologue: "She has so much to say... It's intriguing to see what captivates her."

Response: He would listen actively, contributing thoughtful comments and questions. He would enjoy the lively conversation and the connection it fosters between them.

Example: When she talks about her favorite topic, he might respond, "You speak of it with such passion. It's clear it means a great deal to you. What inspired this interest?"

Demise (Skyward Sword)

Reaction: Demise would initially be perplexed by a yapper lover but would come to appreciate her enthusiasm. He would listen with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Internal Monologue: "She talks endlessly... But her passion is undeniable."

Response: He would listen more than he talks, occasionally interjecting with questions or comments. He would find her energy infectious and enjoy the liveliness she brings to their interactions.

Example: When she excitedly describes her latest adventure, he might say, "You seem to have a knack for finding excitement. What drives you to seek out these experiences?"

Overall, the Ganondorfs and Demise each have their unique ways of reacting to a yapper lover. They all find her enthusiasm charming and endearing, each engaging in conversation in their own way, whether through active listening, thoughtful contributions, or playful teasing. This dynamic adds a lively and engaging element to their relationships, deepening their connection and understanding of each other.

[gontagokuhara]

OKAY I FORGOR💀 TO MENTION THIS actually idk if I already said this but I LOVE the way you write kokichi? Like kokichi's jesterism clowncore energy is not talked about enough in this fandom, he's not just a lying troll, he can also be a corny little canned-bit filled jokester! He can be your angle! Or yuor devil! But he and Kaede give off such an "annoying little brother"/"exhausted oldest sister" vibe in pointy objects it never fails to make me laugh and also feel feelings!

Also ngl writing my lil (literally >2k) review gave me the energy to do my writing assignment so thank you for indirectly but also directly contributing to me not failing my class LMFAO

hi hello!! first of all thank u again for ur very sweet comments i keep rereading them . actively working on the next chapter and i reread them like an hour ago <3 also you are so me re: the writing thing literally i am writing this long ass response out as a warm up to getting started on the chapter again I SEE U. solidarity u got this class

as always below the cut because i like to yap (no spoilers butttttttt call it a small hint of what's to come next chapter)

ANYWAY !!! im glad people like that choice <3 his general silliness tends to get lost in canon in the midst of such a heavy fraught situation (where his dumbass is instigating fights constantly......) and so i feel it more natural to have it bleed into him in pointy objects you know? his backpack also offers just unreal opportunities for clownery and i can't help myself. i have issues with a lot of canon/fanon portrayals of kokichi so with him (as i do miu, and kiyo, and kaito, etc) i like to do the classic mogul move yoink & twist. i take character that needs fixer-uppering, mash 'em around like playdoh, and make them mostly the same but......better in my humble opinion. i feel like i do that pretty well with kokichi, and hearing those choices are appreciated makes me very happy <3

in that vein the kaede/kokichi dynamic is SOOOO important its one of my favorites ive worked into pointy objects i think. justice for my real protag kaede BUT her biting the dust so early both robbed canon content of what a friendship between them could look like. but it also gives me LOTS of room to pick up their barbie dolls and make them have good moments together. speaking of pointy objects canon, they arrived at camp within about a year of each other, before a lot of the other mainstay demigods began living there full time. gonta, miu, kaede, maki, and kokichi spent a lot of time as the only ones at camp; kids like kirumi/tenko/himiko/angie/kiyo are all summer-only, and full-timers ryoma, kaito, and kiibo came later (ages 14, 16, and within a few months of sonia giving them a soul [roughly the same stretch of time as ryoma's arrival], respectively).

all that lore TO say: kaede and kokichi grew up together in a lot of really important ways, and the dynamic that developed over the years very much is that exhausted older sister/exhausting little brother who are fiercely and kind of unexpectedly protective over one another. i could go on about all of the early full-time campers' dynamics because there's a lot within those five especially that i've like. developed in my brain? but havent fit into the 170k words 💀 the mind palace of spiderwebbing character relationships is very vast for how much has actually made it into the fic.....but wink wonk we WILL see a taste of it this next chapter

and finally, re edits: i did my one BIG edit fest back in may, and since then there haven't been any major changes. that said, i do reread the prior chapters quite often (checking details to make sure new writing doesn't have any discrepancies, getting myself back in the headspace to write shuuichi's voice, etc) and do occasionally find typos or phrasing or sentence flow i like changed, so i do fix those as i see them. that said, i DO know what you're talking about with chapter 3; that was a chapter i did pretty majorly redo in may, and there was definitely some redundant word use and odd sentence structure i went back and corrected. but i haven't made any changes that drastically alter the contents of the story; not more so than i did back in may, at least!

ok this as always got very long but it was as always very fun to answer!!!! thank you again for all your support MWAH MWAH and im sure we'll make contact again soon enough!!

[im-probably-crying-rn-ngl]

Hiiiiii. I have a question. Do you ship George with anyone else other than Max and Alex?

hii anon!! sorry but this is kind of a long post since i have been on a social media hiatus (mutuals, i am going to spend the next 2 days spamming the shit out of your posts, that's a threat AND a promise) and feel like yapping.

first off we have sir lewis hamilton himself. okay so britcedes were my first f1 ship, i am a mercedes fan first, after all. i believe they fulfil a very specific niche in the f1 rpf eco system. their relationship is extremely unique in my opinion.

the age difference, the hero worship, the fact that in terms of career lewis has lived whole lives and more before george and george has so much time ahead of him to live without lewis. it's so sad and beautiful.

britcedes content creators are amazing which def contributed to the brain rot. like gax enjoyers (apparently there are more of us now?? omg so much to catch up on), they are so skilled and work well with whatever crumbs the merc admin, lewis and george toss us. ig i have also been inspired and have a few britcedes wips.

then there is fernando alonso, intially i didn't really get it. i saw glimpses here and there during the 2023 season, of course the new years eve celebrations yeah. but the recent video of them on the private jet?? excuse me?? i am trying to feel normal about it but i can't and i won't. they looked so giddy, pretty and evil and i can't help but say 'he fucked that old man' (alleged). also it gives sugar daddy energy even if the sugar baby is a millionaire himself, hilarious.

of course daniel ricciardo, who is mine and george's favourite guy. george himself ships them together so...like what do you mean he just wears danny's merch when he's going to his parent's house or a merc party?? the most recent danorge fic on ao3 is brilliant btw, read it this morning and it was just perfect characterisation all around (is the author on tumblr?)

um toto wolff, oh no who said that? look it's just a slight fascination rather than actual interest. wait please-

special mention to lando norris (even if i am a landoscar merchant since the beginning) because it would be funny.

i think gax and galex are probs my main george ships tho.

[fantasticnerdluminary]

hello everyone =v= it’s suki! i recently went on a hiatus and came back to see….. this….. :,D

so before i start, here is some positive energy *yap yap*

now, onto the main part of the conversation. i noticed a lot of you anons have been insulting my friend @fantasticnerdluminary.

starting off with this ask from an anon, talking about @fantasticnerdluminary’s “incompetency” as a reader. i would like to say that this is not true. from the pick-a-card readings of theirs as well as past interactions i’ve had, @fantasticnerdluminary is a very talented reader who knows their style when it comes to readings. as the audience, i do understand that you might have personal preferences for certain readers. but please don’t force that on other readers and stop interacting if you don’t like a reader’s reading style. also, please take back your last statement on the “psychiatry ward” insult. i work in an organization related to that field and i absolutely cannot have you insulting all the people there. a lot of the people at a psych ward were born with mental illnesses or developed them due to extremely traumatic experiences. by stating what you just said, you contributed to the stigma around mental health and mental illnesses and also showed your ignorance regarding the struggles of so many people. it’s @fantasticnerdluminary’s choice in whether they want to go or not - and since they don’t plan on going, it’s not in your place to tell them what to do.

perhaps this has to do with difference in age or difference in cultural beliefs, but i did not see any of those posts as sexting. rather, i thought they were funny because they were clearly just flirty jokes. though, i do understand why you may feel uncomfortable by it, so i suggest that you unfollow the platform and stop interacting. insulting someone won’t get you the results you want. also, again, with all the mental stuff. we don’t know if alaeza is mentally unstable. that’s for alaeza to decide. please stop using mental struggles as an insult - it’s absolutely unacceptable.

welp, i guess i’m in no place to say whether you’re projecting your insecurities on readers or not. yes, you do have a right to call them out in a respectful manner if they made you feel uncomfortable. however, you aren’t being respectful right now, which is the problem unfortunately. it’s their choice to be on tumblr, just like you have your choice in insulting others and starting drama under the anon function.

see so i don’t know alaeza that well, but i do know that they’re a kind person from reblogs of posts that i’ve seen. do you know alaeza’s “real” personality? what interactions have you had and how have you reached your conclusion that alaeza is an attention seeker? is it based on actual evidence or is it based on your perceptions of alaeza and your dislike for them?

why though? this has nothing to do with this situation. i’m wondering why this is here…

there was also that post that said “this is why your father doesn’t love you.” excuse me? is this really how you’re supposed to be treating someone because they made you feel uncomfortable? is this really okay? if you have a problem with the reader, only talk to the reader about why you have a problem with them in a respectful way. this is seriously unacceptable. talking about a person’s parent? wow, this is horrendous. i’m really shocked to see how spiteful people can be once they have a reason to be. no matter the situation, don’t insult others using others’ parent(s). you yourself know deep down that you wouldn’t want to hear that from others. leave family and friends alone.

welp, that was it everyone! :) i’m sorry if i offended anyone but i think everyone can agree that a lot of the things i said are rather common sense rather than my personal opinion.

SUKI

Thanks a lot for writing this and taking out your time to write this. I really appreciate it and I am the luckiest person to get you as my friend. Seeing so many people support me and stand up for me, makes me cry. Thanks a lot dear. I am so so grateful for this.

Dumb bitches should read this for some knowledge.

[saintgeniushero]

I am sick and tired of my husband. And it is pretty obvious he feels the same, but he always hides behind the "I'm autistic" thing, and I tell him "well then, in that case, all I need you to do is to learn/remember this one thing..." and he always says, often laughing, "I can't!". He plays dumb, and he knows it. He thinks it's cute or something. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. Maybe it's laziness to avoid putting in work into improving himself as a person or improving the relationship, but whatever it is, it goes too far. His words and his supposed feelings don't match his actions. Due to the American immigration system, I can't divorce him (an idea I've never thought seriously about because of my beliefs in the concept of marriage, but which he has thrown around before) without jeopardizing everything that I worked all my life to achieve, not to mention defeating the point of marriage. I would have stayed on the fucking work visa, which I EARNED with my literal blood (from my hands, from work) and sweat, instead of switching over to the green card, but obviously one doesn't get married planning that the marriage will end up wrong. I did the common sense thing: A green card guaranteed that I would stay with my love, but it's conditional for 2 years because despite proving to the government that our love was sincere, we still have to prove it again at the end of those 2 years; that the marriage wasn't a sham. And it wasn't. It's not. But it has deteriorated. It's a bad marriage, but it's a real marriage. Here we are still trying to love each other. Today was his birthday and I celebrated it big time. I work as a barista making $16/hr (he gets a salary x3 that, but has thousands of dollars in debt that affect my previously Excellent credit score) but I still said yes to his every whim and spent $250 in gifts, food, cake, etc. I wanted to make the day perfect but he liked nothing, though he said he saw I was trying and appreciated it. We had sex. The marriage is terrible but it's salvageable, but only if he tries! He is not trying. I am. I really am. I'm a barista and not an engineer because I got married to him and got locked out of the job market for 2 years, but instead of looking for a job in my field 24/7, I work 50 hrs a week to contribute to rent and look for jobs instead of resting in my free time. He will say he is trying but I know it's his ego speaking. He would rather distract himself with familiar activities than try new solutions to our usual problems. I don't know how to help him. He has usurped the apartment with his mess and noise. I'm losing it. I need therapy. I've lost focus and intellectual energy, but I am still an extremely motivated hard worker. I just need physical space and silence (or background noise that isn't YouTube videos of dumb people yapping about some nonsense). A STEM job would give me those two things, but my husband demands without helping. I say what I need and I'm told I put up excuses. Where am I supposed to use my laptop? On the floor??? It's not an excuse if your mess taking up all the physical space in the apartment is a real problem! It's 11:16PM right, where am I supposed to go to do work? To a bar? To the stairs in our apartment? In the toilet with my laptop on my lap? My life is like that "Pursuit of Happiness" movie, but I still haven't reached Happiness.

[shreddedparchment]

GUYS! And by guys I don't mean y'all are dudes, I just use it as a blanket term for getting y'all's attention...

My doctor put me on bed rest because as some of you know, I went back to work last week. And while I had so much fun meeting up with people that I haven't seen in a long time (5 months), there is no doubting the stress I was feeling going back to work in retail during a pandemic.

Even with all the precautions, it's a risk and one that I am apprehensive to take. That aside, it's not the reason I was put on bed rest, just a contributing factor.

My mom also decided to go help my grandmother pack her house up which, of course she should go! But that also left me to care for our six cats which, okay, can do. Except cleaning up after six cats and dealing with all of those different personalities (two don't like each other and will fight if they are in the same room and close enough to each other), and sweeping up the mess the kittens make with the litter, and feeding them, and cleaning out their box...takes its toll on my body.

My brother has now taken over their care.

My aunt's passing was also not easy to take and that was also weighing on my mind.

With just everything my body decided to prove to me that I am an idiot and that I cannot make it do anything it doesn't wanna do so, with my hypertension and my endometriosis flaring up in one of the worst flare ups I've had recently, I am given bed rest for the next few days.

The downside? I'm alone until my brother comes home and I can hear the cats being little punks and I'm also hungry and just can't find the energy to get up and make food so, I just ate a huge bag of Limon Lay's chips that was on my bedside table.

When my pelvis pain subsides a little, I may get up and make some tuna or just sleep since I won't have pain to wake me up.

I'm sorry I've been yapping all morning. I'm missing out on holiday pay and I just wanna talk to someone. Thanks for listening, sweets. 💋❤

[letterboxd]

Seeing is Believing.

The relentlessly hellish 1985 war film Come and See has marched to the number two spot on Letterboxd thanks to a stunning restoration, digital availability and pandemic-panic. Aaron Yap surveys the community’s reviews of Elem Klimov’s “mortar-blast of a masterpiece” for insights into its importance—and our psychic states.

War is hell—fundamentally the principle behind every anti-war movie, but there’s arguably never been one that conjures this state of being as convincingly as Elem Klimov’s 1985 Come and See (‘Idi i Smotri’) does. And it’s a hellscape that appears to be wildly resonating with the Letterboxd community—the film has now unseated The Godfather to take second place in our Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films list, just behind Parasite.

For those yet to surrender to this mortar-blast of a masterpiece, Come and See plunges the viewer into the chaos and devastation of the 1943 Nazi invasion of Soviet Belorussia. Based on Klimov and writer Ales Adamovich’s own experiences during World War II, and the accounts of genocide survivors, it’s almost an anti-anti-war film. There are no professional actors. No battle scenes. No digestible history-pedia plot beats. No heroic feats of courage. Our guide into the harrowing void is a fourteen-year-old partisan adolescent named Florya (Aleksey Kravchenko).

Joining a troop of resistance fighters against his mother’s wishes, he embarks on an unnervingly subjective odyssey that leaves him a shrivelled, visibly aged husk by the end. It’s without question one of cinema’s most heart-breaking, unforgettable transformations.

Come and See is not a standard art picture per se. Klimov’s vision contains traces of Andrei Tarkovsky’s poetic, deep-dream sensibilities—many images assume otherworldly, psychedelic qualities that lodge in our mind and occasionally temper the pools of screaming despair around it. But the film is also as immediate as the lacerating scald of a flamethrower to the face. It possesses the grubby, cult-ish midnight-movie energy of something you should probably not be witnessing.

Awareness of the film’s infamous production lore—the plan to hypnotize Kravchenko, the use of live ammunition and real Nazi uniforms—only adds to the whole unshakeably surreal experience. Perhaps only Threads comes close to its singularly nightmarish, nearly unbearable grip.

While the film’s detractors point to a certain misery-porn obviousness (“a Disneyland dark-ride”, writes Nick), the majority of Letterboxd reviewers are unable to deny the sheer, overwhelming, scorched-earth impact of the film:

“It’s just so utterly fucking relentless.” —Andrew

“I am shaken to the core. Come and See is the only war film anyone needs to watch.” —Matt

“It is—through and through—a physical experience. It can be felt all the way to the bone. At a certain point it just stops being a movie, it leaves the screen and begs to become a part of you.” —Anna

“It’s no joyous or action-oriented trip of entertainment: it is authentic horror, flawlessly filmed. Be prepared.” —Edgar

“The most horrifying non-horror horror film of all time.” —Anton

In a more measured take, Mike D’Angelo questions the value of recreating this savage piece of history: “It’s undeniably powerful—so much so that it’s pretty much the sole memory I retained from my first viewing—but enduring it a second time made me more sympathetic toward the ‘some things are too monstrous to function as art’ camp than I’ve generally been in the past.”

Likewise, Robb struggled, preferring a more nuanced depiction: “I don’t want the easy release of thinking that there are strictly good and evil people. I want to know how all-in-all normal people, not monsters, commit monstrously heinous crimes. The alternatives, of just having throat-stomping scenes one after another, feels to me like an evening at the feelies.”

To be clear, Come and See isn’t some underrated, recently unearthed discovery. It was released in the United States in 1987 and officially submitted as the Soviet entry into the Foreign Language Film category of the 58th Academy Awards. It’s been featured on Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” series, and best-of lists from Empire and Sight & Sound magazines.

In Hollywood, the likes of Steven Soderbergh and Roger Deakins have been vocal in their praise of Klimov’s film. “What I saw will stay with me forever; it is a masterpiece not only of filmmaking, but of humanity itself,” Sean Penn once said. Films such as The Thin Red Line, Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan all owe a little something to Come and See in their respective cinematic representations of WWII.

But as we’ve seen in the recent surge of Studio Ghibli viewing—and with Soderbergh’s Contagion back in March—it’s sensible to hypothesize that the combination of increased media availability and a tumultuous socio-political atmosphere can contribute to the most dramatic of Letterboxd activity spikes.

Our data shows a clear correlation between Come and See diary entries and screenings of the stunning Janus Films 2K restoration that appeared in select theaters earlier this year—a big spike, in particular, after the screening at New York’s Film Forum on February 21. And Criterion Collection’s DVD, Blu-ray and digital release—a true revelation for those who’ve only ever watched the film via the 2003 Kino Lorber DVD—has positively pushed the film into the stratosphere, with a huge jump in numbers in late June, and holding steady ever since.

Given present circumstances—an out-of-control global pandemic with no discernible end in sight; Nazi sentiment and systemic racism still thriving in plain sight—Come and See’s petrifying apocalyptic wallop may not exactly be comfort viewing, but it does serve as a sobering, industrial-strength reminder that this is definitely not The Good Place and we should be concerned. As Lizzy asks in her ominous review, “What urges could turn men into such beasts?”

The film’s original title is the agreeably pointed Kill Hitler (“I think that’s beautiful” —Muriel). But its current beckoning, lifted from the Book of Revelation, is the more provocatively accessible invitation of the two: once you come and see, you can’t unsee Come and See.

Related content

100 Soviet Union Movies You Must See

Letterboxd Showdown: War Films

The films of Larisa Shepitko

You’re not the same person once the film has finished

Josh’s Complete Criterion Collection list

A list of Criterion DVD-only out-of-print films

A list of Criterion films on Blu-Ray

Films currently available on HBO Max from Janus Films

Follow Aaron Yap on Letterboxd

Images courtesy of the Criterion Collection.

[moderndaybard]

2020 Weekly Ficlet 51/52(? We’ll see?)

Ever At Your Side, Part 7/7 (Chekov) [New Trek/Pokemon Crossover. Because Why not.] 

(Part 1-Kirk; Part 2-Spock; Part 3-Bones; Part 4-Uhura; Part 5-Scotty; Part 6-Sulu)

-

Beginnings:

Starfleet Academy may have been filled with future officers—the best and the brightest in their chosen fields, young men and women who would make the fleet’s tomorrow even more impressive than its today—but they were still young men and women, filled with the hopes, dreams, ambitions, confidence, and energy that comes with that phase of life.

And some were even younger than that…

Pavel Andreievich Chekov had only been at the Academy for a few months, but already the young teen was growing used to the variety of reactions his presence seemed to prompt (the price he paid for starting so young that he’d be graduating at the same age that most people entered the Academy): some seemed impressed, some mystified, some even jealous, and few, if any, seemed capable of carrying on a normal conversation with him (the closest most came was slipping into an ‘older sibling’ sort of dynamic, which he didn’t mind, per se, but it wasn’t the same things  a friend). Frankly, he was just grateful that they’d managed to find a cadet’s uniform that actually fit him, otherwise he knew that he’d be constantly mistaken for someone’s visiting younger brother.

But today was not a day for any of those thoughts: the good or the bad. Today was a day of good weather and no classes or looming projects, so the thirteen-year-old knew exactly how he was going to spend it: with his partner, Kostya.

…

The little Yamper was an absolute ball of energy—as were most young Electric-Types—and raced around his feet, yapping and jumping, as soon as he was released. Pavel grinned at his partner before pulling out Kostya’s favorite toy: a red-and-gold ball already showing tooth marks and electric burns a few weeks after first seeing use. The little Electric-Type dog went nuts, standing on his hind legs, front paws beating at the air before he overbalanced and tumbled onto his back. Kostya scrambled upright, who body trembling and little sparks running through his fur already.

Pavel tossed the toy and Kostya was after it in an instant—fast for his squat, short-limbed build, if slow and clumsy for The Electric-Type, then came racing back, prize clamped proudly in his jaws. But rather than drop it for another throw (or make Pavel wrestle it from him, as he sometimes did), Kostya didn’t stop running, instead launching himself up at his trained while still holding the ball.

Pavel wasn’t quite expecting a full-speed Yamper to the chest, and it caught him off-guard, knocking him to the ground as Kostya barked happily (dropping the ball), then began licking the boy’s face. (There were little static shocks, yes, as the young pokemon was not yet in full control of its abilities, but nothing dangerous: his hair would likely be on end for the rest of the day, little else.)

Laughing, he managed to grab a hold of Kostya and sit up, but he couldn’t help flushing in embarrassment when he saw a group of second- and third-year female cadets walk by, giggling and murmuring ‘aw’ to each other.

(He loved his partner, and loved to play, but he’d also like to be taken seriously…someday…)

------

Meetings:

Pavel’s family was large, loving, and loud—and they weren’t about to let their little prodigy go off to Starfleet Academy (four years early!) without a proper celebratory send-off.

The party was colorful, chaotic, and so quintessentially them, but that almost made it harder on the young teen, with his nerves mounting every moment and no clear words for the storm of emotions he was feeling. This was his home but the Academy—Starfleet—was his dream and was he really ready to trade one for the other so soon? Or what if he failed out and had to come back after everyone was so excited for him, had invested so much in him going?

Before he could really begin spiraling, however, his parents and younger sisters pulled him aside, away from the storm of aunts, uncles, cousins, and individuals who were considered family but may or may not be actual blood relatives. Then, in a quiet corner at last, they handed him a small package.

“From all of us,” his father said with a smile as Pavel unwrapped the small box.

“Yeah!” chirped his youngest sister as he pulled out the red-and-white ball. “We didn’t want you to be lonely without us!”

“Lonely? I was looking forward to the peace and quiet!” he teased, ruffling her hair before releasing his new partner—

“Yamp!” Yamp!”

“I know he’s small now,” his mother hastily broke in, “but that way he won’t be as much trouble in the dorms. And when he’s all grown—”

She didn’t even have to finish, as he was familiar with the line: he could picture the Boltund this Yamper would someday be, mature and impressive and dignified as it paced alongside its trainer (it was a little tricky to picture his adult self—hadn’t even yet settled on whether he would go science or command track—but surely he’d be confident and capable and not at all homesick).

“I love him; he’s perfect,” Pavel declared, and as one the family cluster moved in for a group hug—which Kostya quickly wriggled his way into the middle of, already knowing that this was his family, too.

------

(2009)

Things had been happening quickly since the moment they’d received Vulcan’s first distress call and had been dispatched in the fledgling fleet—hardly the first day that they’d expected, but exactly the sort of situation that they’d been trained for.

But then—

Then the Enterprise, delayed in her launch by a (miraculous) beginner error, arrived not on a battlefield, but a graveyard. Pavel could feel the realization ripple across the bridge that the only surviving members of that year’s graduating class were the ones aboard this single vessel—the flagship, yes, but now it seemed too small, it’s crew far too few to be the only ones alive…

But there was no time to mourn the dead with the fate of a planet—a people—hanging on their next acts, and captain Pike wasted no time in dispatching a crew to the drill while going himself to negotiate (or try to) with the strange Romulans, leaving Lt. Commander Spock in charge.

As he sat in the Navigator’s seat, Chekov did everything in his power not to squirm or fidget as adrenaline and tension mounted without release. He focused on the feed they were getting from Kirk and Sulu, wondering if this vibrating energy begging for an outlet was how Kostya felt all the time. (It certainly would explain the Yamper’s constant running, jumping, and otherwise frantic movements.) Still, there was nothing to do but put all his focus on not seeming like an antsy child.

Then, then—there was something he could do! “I can do that!” The cry tore from him without thought; without waiting for permission, he sprang from the navigator’s seat and launched himself full-speed from the bridge, entirely focused on being helpful, on being useful, on contributing (on saving two of his classmates—two of the few that’d learned to treat him the same as the rest of their peers, and not simply as ‘the gifted kid’.)

Kostya had been dashing after him from the moment he’d gone into motion, but as fast as the Electric-Type was for his size and build, his legs were too short and his paws didn’t have the best traction on the ship’s slick flooring. He tried to keep pace with his racing trainer, but ultimately fell further and further behind. Still, he kept trying, even as he skittered around corners and slammed into walls, a surprisingly determined expression on the normally-silly face, as if the Pokemon knew the intensity and stakes of the moment.

Chekov felt bad for running ahead of his loyal partner, but lives were on the line and he could help and he did help! Only…Only, moments later, when he tried to help again, he—

Failed.

Suddenly, the word was so much worse than a flunked test (that could probably be retaken or else made up for) or even the idea of not being enough, of having to go back home—he’d failed, and now someone was dead because of him.

(Spock’s mother was dead and Chekov was terrified to even imagine what that loss felt like, and it was his fault, he was to blame: he’d caught Sulu and Kirk, mid free-fall, so why couldn’t he have caught her and saved her, too? Had—had he killed her? Of course he had: her blood was on his hands, why had he thought he belonged in Starfleet…)

In the ensuing chaos, no one looked for him for a while; no one noticed him ducking into an alcove just around the corner from the transporter room, shaky legs unable to carry him much further.

No one saw the exhausted, stumbling Yamper, ears drooping, worm his way into his trainer’s arms and gently lick at the silent tears, offering what comfort he could—they both had tried so hard, only to fail today.

Could they do better tomorrow?

(Continued on AO3 )

[ducktracy]

150. porky in the north woods (1936)

release date: december 19th, 1936

series: looney tunes

director: frank tashlin

starring: joe dougherty (porky), billy bletcher (jean-baptise), berneice hansell (benny beaver)

i can hardly believe it, but here we are: the final cartoon of 1936! 1936 has been quite a big year. remember beans? he was still a part of this year’s filmography! porky truly rose to stardom, jack king got the boot (along with beans) in favor of frank tashlin... 1937 is a big, big, big year for looney tunes. this is the year i really think the cartoons truly become looney. mel blanc joining the cast is probably the most major contribution, but daffy’s emergence (and petunia’s) and bob clampett’s directorial debut (ub iwerks too, though unfortunately not as notable) are not to be overlooked either. moving on, this is norm mccabe’s first animation credit! norm would animate for bob clampett and eventually take over his unit in 1941, directing a good batch of cartoons until 1943 when he went to fight in the war. a lot of his filmography is composed of wwii propaganda, some much better than others, but i really enjoy his cartoons, especially his daffy shorts.

okay, lots of yapping from me. let me shut up so i can yap some more: inspired by the 1936-1940 radio show renfrew of the mounted, porky runs a wildlife refuge in the north woods, keeping local animals safe from trapping and hunting. however, a burly lumberjack doesn’t take too kindly to porky’s good will, and makes it a point to hunt and trap every animal in sight.

the first 20 seconds of the cartoon is a combination of a pan and still images of signs mounted on the trees. lots of directors (particularly bob clampett) would utilize stills or pans in the opening of the cartoon to take up some time and reduce costs. the signs advertise porky’s game refuge: no trespassing, no shooting, no trapping, no fishing, no fires. eventually, the signs just reduce to “NO”, a plethora of NOs tacked onto various pine trees. wonderful accompaniment of the music as the shots get quicker and the signs grow in size, the climax of the scene revealing porky hammering a giant sign to a tree that reads A THOUSAND TIMES NO. the final sign complete, porky shakes his fists in glory as the local wildlife cheer him on in gratitude and victory.

with the next scene, the peaceful atmosphere of the sanctuary is broken as the familiar thunder of billy bletcher’s laugh fills the screen. tons of beautiful, odd, unconventional camera angles that create an air of mystery and tension. we have no idea what the villain looks like, but right away we can surmise he is indeed a villain as he spits in the faces of the signs. he shoots a rifle at the no shooting sign, throws out a trap by the no trapping sign, casts a line near the no fishing sign, and lighting a fire beneath the no fire sign. we have no idea what he looks like. bletcher’s laugh is wonderfully haunting and truly enhances the mood of the scene.

a lighter mood as we focus in on two beavers engaging in a jolly game of leap frog, giggles provided by the great berneice hansell. stalling’s underscore of “canadian capers” is very fitting and adds an upbeat energy, as well as a nice swingy compliment. just then, the beavers spot an apple hanging from a tree. food! they rejoice, bounding over time the apple and eventually battling over who gets the food, smacking each other with their tails. one beaver smacks the other so hard that the beaver is sent spinning around like a top, curving up a tree trunk and falling to the ground. the cut back to the offending beaver is rather quick, almost too quick, but it adapts to the high energy of the scene.

with the apple all for himself, the beaver reaches for it. unfortunately, the string is attached to a trap covered beneath the snow, and the beaver gets his tail caught in the ferocious iron jaws. crying out in pain and agony, the beaver orders his friend to get help. frank tashlin’s sense of speed is quite tactile and exhilarating as the trapped beaver pushes his friend forward to get help, backgrounds changing constantly as the beaver slides across the landscape. 7 different backgrounds total! suddenly, the beaver stops, thinking, and curses silently. he zooms back to where the trapped beaver is, same sense of urgency and speed. with that, he plucks the apple down from the tree and swallows it whole before zooming back to get help. the cutting and pacing reminds me a lot of the fast cutting in porky’s romance where petunia rushes a forlorn porky back to her house, seeing that he bears chocolates and roses.

speaking of porky, the little beaver enlists in his help. instead of stopping to talk to him, the beaver runs circles around the tree where porky is situated, dragging him into the circle without a break in momentum. porky’s taken back to the scene of the crime, where the tearful, trapped beaver thanks porky for coming to the rescue. porky pries the trap open, reassuring “hold still, benny!”, and the beaver is freed. benny’s tail is crumpled up, but porky doesn’t have time to mend it—“uh oh, another one!” while porky goes to aid the offscreen voice crying for help, benny mopes to the audience “oh, look at my poor tail. i hope it won’t be a permanent wave!” the permanent wave machine was a relatively new invention, actually invented by a black woman named marjorie joyner! invented in 1928, it was still new enough for the joke here to hit.

porky aids other animals who have been victim to the traps, including a rabbit’s crumpled ears and a skunk’s crumpled tail, porky putting a clothespin on his nose to hide the smell (giving another one of his reused “uh oh”s. i KNEW it was in this one!)

tashlin’s love of shadows enhances the mystery behind the brutal trapper as we see a big, bulky shadow march across the ground, past the empty traps. a thick, french accent sneers “ah, so they robbed my traps, eh? what you think of that? i will kill him! he can’t do this to jean-baptise!” bosko the lumberjack also featured a french, villainous lumberjack by the name of pierre instead of jean-baptise. bletcher’s vocals and tashlin’s characterization makes JB a much more menacing villain than pierre.

now, we spot porky’s first aid station for his game refuge. carl stalling’s accompaniment wonderfully compliments this entire cartoon, but this scene especially. a line of injured, crumpled, downtrodden animals trudge inside the refuge, sulking to a minor accompaniment of “little man, you’ve had a busy day”. pan across the exterior of the cabin, and out stroll the rehabilitated animals, tails and ears shining triumphantly from being straightened out, the accompaniment a major key rendition of “tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching”.

inside we view the process behind porky’s handiwork in a wonderfully endearing (and amusing) scene, animated by norm mccabe. porky has benny beaver propped up on a table, placing a cloth over his tail. porky grabs a steaming hot iron and irons it out, wincing sympathetically as benny grimaces, but eventually is fixed up and ready to go. porky’s animation is wonderful, his expressions are clear and he comes off as very fatherly and warm (the “love thy neighbor” sign furthering this. ironically, the same sign would give porky turmoil in porky’s bear facts, where he begrudgingly lets in his starving neighbors after remembering his sign.) carl stalling’s major arrangement of “little man, you’ve had a busy day” is just wonderful and one of my favorite arrangements he’s done in his entire career. the song itself is very endearing and sweet—don’t make the same mistake i did by looking at the comments after trying to identify what song this was, it made me tear up. in all, a lovely, warm atmosphere.

outside, a much harsher scene. jean-baptise makes his way to the refuge as we see his lumbering shadow and thundering voice. the animation of his shadow reflecting over the injured animals is very calculated and lovely. finally, we get a good look at him—essentially, he’s just le commandant from little beau porky! the animals spot his brawny figure and disperse at the sight. jean-baptise marches into the cabin, ready for a confrontation.

porky wraps up ironing a fox’s tail, jean-baptise putting his beefy hands down on the table. ever absentminded, porky places a cloth over his hands and irons them, the scene made even funnier as jean-baptise side eyes the audience. accomplished with his handiwork, porky removes the cloth as we see jean-baptise’s flattened hands. porky doesn’t register what he just did until a second later, gasping as he finally makes eye contact with the threatening jean-baptise.

like the previous two tashlin entries, this cartoon ALSO has a battle scene, animated by volney white. stalling’s underscore of “black coffee”, one of his favorites, compliments the chaos as JB sneaks around the table, eventually cornering porky and pinning him down on top of the table. he irons porky’s tail out, who shudders in pain. porky’s tail now essentially reduced to a long pin, JB balances him by the table and punches him repeatedly like a bunching back. the animation of porky wobbling back and forth is wonderful.

JB throws porky over to the other end of the cabin, his tail getting stuck in the wall. a hot teapot repeatedly scalds porky’s bottom, but JB snags a whip just in time to retrieve his victim and abuse him some more. JB then engages in a one person game of tennis, hitting porky repeatedly with a snow shoe, porky at one turning into a giant ball. the sound effects are all vocal effects, something treg brown would popularize. it would become even more popularized with the BOIP/BEOWIP sound effects provided by bob clampett, used in many a cartoon.

all of the animals observe in horror from the outside, particularly benny beaver. reusing the 7 backgrounds from when the other beaver was hustling across the landscape to warn porky about the trap, benny swings on a moose’s beard (could be an elk, but elks do Not sound like that) and sounding an alarm call. all of the animals of the north woods collaborate: bears come running from their caves, skunks running straight at the audience from a tree, george arliss caricatured turtles marching in lines and beating their chests, beavers flowing out of their dens, you name it.

the animals all unite together and barge into the cabin, underscored by “poet and peasant overture”. the offscreen action of JB getting his, the camera panning rapidly back and forth in front of an exterior shot, was also used in tashlin’s first, porky’s poultry plant. tashlin uses his super quick cuts to convey the exhilaration of the action happening as a beaver launches two beavers into JB via handsaw. JB, now armed with skis, slides down the mountain as the various woodland critters beat up on JB. beavers and turtles beat him with clubs, beavers firing logs while using a gang of moose(s) as bows.

the cutting starts to get a little too quick for tashlin’s own good. as the logs pellet into the back of JB’s head, he knocks his dentures out. there’s a literal split second gag of the dentures biting him on his nose, but the cut is so quick to the next scene that you would never know it happened. the other battle scenes have been just as fast in tashlin’s other cartoons, but this feels particularly snappy, maybe because of the music. it’s still a wonderfully exhilarating scene regardless, just a bit incoherent. benny and his beaver pal trip JB with a rope tied between two trees, with JB crying out “you NASTY man!!!”, quoted from comedian joe penner. JB reaches his demise as he plunges headfirst into the snow, with only the bottoms of his skis sticking out.

a triumphant, victorious rendition of “little man, you’ve had a busy day” closes out the cartoon as all of the animals celebrate, with porky inexplicably outside once more and amongst the crowd, shaking his fists. distant sounds of “WHOOPEE!”s break the celebration, and the animals crowd around to find the source. iris out on benny and his buddy using JB’s skis as a seesaw.

i love this cartoon, it’s truly one of my favorite dougherty cartoons and one of my favorite tashlin cartoons. carl stalling’s arrangements shine bright—his repeated use of “little man, you’ve had a busy day” is wonderful and has made me tear up on a number of occasions. tashlin’s camerawork is just phenomenal, especially with JB’s opening scenes as he defies all the signs, the scene furthered in greatness by bletcher’s haunting laugh. the animation is wonderful—volney white’s animation of JB and porky’s battle deserves to be commended, as he animated the entire riff between the two. billy bletcher and berneice hansell rock the cartoon with their vocals. porky doesn’t say much at all, presumably because tashlin got frustrated working with dougherty’s uncontrollable stutter. i wonder if that’s what left a bad impression of porky on him from the start. nevertheless, WATCH THIS CARTOON! it’s lovely, very moody, very exhilarating, and full of energy. it’s a beautiful cartoon that is absolutely worthy of your attention. give it a watch!

link!

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 1, Chapter 6

• Two things happen this chapter: you meet the Queen and (optionally) eat cronuts.

• That's it. That's the chapter.

• Title: The Queen of Hearts.

Alternative Title: The Regina Roast. She can and will roast you if you have even a hair out of place. You will be burned to a crisp by the time she is done.

• Fortunately you'll get the opportunity to roast if you decide to walk back with Drake after cronuts. Even reading it on the YouTube playthroughs was quite satisfying 😅

• You also get cronuts if you pay. Nomnom.

• Me Back Then: Cronuts sounds like a cross between a crow and a nut.

Me Now:..Please stop.

• Throughout Book 1, you have characters who will appreciate you no matter what (the LIs definitely fall into this category), people who will ally with you mainly because you convince them you're worth forging an alliance with, in their individual scenes (the ladies of the court and the press)...and people who keep track of your progress over the course of the book.

• The last category is especially important because it alerts you, the player, to how your MC has performed thus far. Now I have two MCs who interact with everyone in very different ways, so I can actually see this in action and compare notes. The characters that keep track of your overall performance, will not hesitate to point out how you've done in previous occasions (like the first press interview, or the impression you left on King Constantine) and their dialogue will be coded accordingly. At least two people fulfill this role in the first book.

Who are those two people, you may ask? Well, see for yourself:

(The top two screenshots are from my Esther playthrough, and the bottom two from my Persephone one).

Bertrand: In his case, it really comes as no surprise that he takes note of how we've done. He's our sponsor and mentor, after all. And we are representing his house - so if we perform badly it ends up reflecting on their house as well. So if he doesn't keep track of how we're doing, then who will? However, as the social season moves forward and his stress over the house's financial situation takes precedence, he steps back a little in terms of this. By the end of the book he expresses his support and belief for the MC regardless.

Queen Regina: Regina is known for being the torchbearer of stoicism and for destroying you with her snark (as can be seen in her responses to the 'hat' options). But some of the truly interesting insights you can get about her come from a failplay. She also is shown keeping track of the MC's progress. A scene like this one shows her being dismissive of you if you don't impress her...but in the course of the story, this will change. Overall...I find the fact that some of her scenes are coded to reflect the MC's progress in the social season a lot more interesting, because that's something we would expect from Bertrand who is directly guiding us, rather than her.

• So this chapter begins where we left off, with Hana and the MC talking about the upcoming event. A dainty little tea party, where we will meet and talk to the Queen for the first time. You have a choice between stating you love tea parties, or telling Hana tea parties aren't your thing. I highly recommend the second one coz Hana calls a tea cozy "a sweater for your teapot", proving that she can be insanely funny when PB and this fandom actually choose to remember 😂

•

At this juncture, Hana - who loves tea parties - tells us about her childhood experiences with a tea set (there will be a callback to this in her childhood scene in TRH, and it looks and sounds a hundred times more disturbing than what an adult Hana says now. Understandable, because at this point Hana cannot even begin to contemplate how messed up these aspects of her upbringing and childhood was (she is not completely blind to the damage - as can be seen from her piano scene - but she does show signs of normalizing her parents' controlling behaviour and attitude towards her).

• In the limo, Bertrand enquires about our blossoming friendship about Hana - thereby keeping tabs on those we ally with - before moving on to the important business of the day - impressing the Queen.

• Whether you ask what she likes or what she hates, the responses state similar things:

- a great sense of style and fashion

- she favours ladies from Cordonia, and is wary of foreigners (but somehow not 'wary' enough that she will do disgusting things like her husband does).

- has a high regard for protocol and can be very angry when it's disregarded (ergo correct use of titles and positioning yourself behind her are a must)

- doesn't like funny people (in fact, if you do choose the funnier hat options, she stresses that "fools use laughter to cover up their own ignorance")

- is pretty competitive, and the implication is that she likes to put up a good fight with a worthy opponent

• We get down at the venue, which the MC can either call a million dollar picnic (mentioning money and costs like that! classless! says Bertrand) or like something out of the set of Downton Abbey (television! such a travesty! says Bertrand). In any case, we wait alongside the other ladies, arriving just before Regina makes her appearance.

• Since RoE was the series that introduced Cordonia to the Choices audience, there's often going to be that one chapter where you'll find more than one reference to that series. We associate the royal family and Madeleine with the TRR series now, obviously, but back then these were side characters only briefly from RoE. So we obviously had our impressions of them set in stone, and to view them differently, we'd need a completely different lens (more on this later).

• Me Back Then (on seeing Regina): This person yapping about stoicism. Wasn't she the one who threw a hissy fit over her stepson wanting to marry an American in RoE?

Me Now: ...Leo existing is a good enough reason for anyone to have a hissy fit.

• Me Back Then AND Me Now @ Madeleine:

• It's also interesting to see the reactions to Madeleine before and after the announcement of her joining the social season has been made. Before this, Olivia demands we speak of her with respect, using her title and insisting we know her importance, and Kiara and Penelope speak of her in tones of pity. So long as she is not their rival, they look up to her as someone who has been in their place, and won the season. But once it's made clear that she is a suitor as well, Olivia shows the strongest reaction (naturally). The other two express surprise at the news, but are mostly neutral towards her as can be seen from the fact that they casually chat with her in Lythikos.

• Madeleine and Regina were clearly gossiping about us before they came here 🤭

• Regina gets introduced to all the suitors then finally turns to us, and between the Derby and the car ride to here, has learned quite a bit about us - including our first impression from the press and the moniker they've given us:

(Screenshots for 'The American' from the assyrianprincess YouTube channel)

I kinda like this bit because it shows us the flip sides to how we navigate this society, the way we might be expected to please different people whose needs and interests go in opposite directions. If the press, the representative of the people, finds these monikers exciting, interesting and relatable, then Regina makes it clear there is a flip side to those same monikers as well. As I've said earlier, the MC's identity as an anomaly, a foreigner and non-nobolity (yet) is what makes her stand out amongst her competitors, but those same things may also contribute to her struggle to be a part of this country and be accepted by these people.

• The Queen's questions range from discussions on what makes a great leader, the importance of stoicism, and governance. Fairly simple questions, and the answers that she loves the most are the ones that subscribe to both her and the royal family's ideas of 'putting on a brave face for the country'. The alternatives that displease her, are either to crack (hat) jokes, or to subscribe to a worldview that places emphasis on being relatable (charisma, and showing the people that their rulers can be human). So while Regina's not entirely wrong about her ideas of ruling and governance, there is a clear distance between the monarchy and the people that Regina and Liam would genuinely want to serve. This is a distance that Liam will later acknowledge in his portion of the cronut scene.

• The irony is also that eventually, Regina herself will crumble under the weight of all these lofty principles, and discover for herself exactly how impossible they are, once she witnesses Constantine die in front of her own eyes. I find the sequence where the MC comforts Regina in Valtoria to be an inverse of this one, because she blames herself for not living up to her own principles, and the MC has the option to validate her pain and encourage her to let it out. There (especially if you will be Queen soon) the roles are reversed, and the MC's relatability - even if she's done terribly - wins out in the end.

(And she wears the mother of all hats).

• If you don't take two steps back while the Queen is walking, Olivia and Penelope make fun of you, Hana comforts you, and Kiara doesn't say a word. Now this could be because she already had a go at us the last chapter, but I feel like it could also be because she is stepping back and taking note. She recognizes early on that her energies are better focused on networking than on trying to catch the attention of a Prince who already prefers someone else and a court that won't choose her. Remember, the next time we interact with her, we're trying to gain an alliance.

• Liam joins his stepmother and the suitors for a croquet match, where he chooses the MC regardless over any other suitor. Olivia is shocked, and Penelope is the one to speak sensibly about how the Prince has made his choice.

It's a small moment, but what follows two chapters after is Olivia secretly targeting us during her time hosting the court in her estate, and her increasing desperation. Plus Kiara and Penelope being ready to become allies rather than competitors.

There's been news that highlights the MC as a suitor Liam has a preference for, but this is probably the first time the ladies of the court must be openly confronted with it. And of course, Olivia is the hardest hit, and works the most at undermining the MC because her hurt and fears get the better of her.

• The croquet match takes place in two segments: one where Liam gives the MC a run-down of what the game will be like, and the second, where she can actually choose to take the win or allow herself to lose so the Queen will look like the victor. In the middle of these two plays, the Queen gets to slip in another question about governance.

Uh huh, uh huh, so when I make jokes I'm an ignorant fool, and when your niece does it suddenly she's Cordonia's Next Top Stand-up Comedian. Uh huh, sure.

• Either that or maybe she's had to put up with Adeleide's 18+ humour for so long that she's almost grateful that it's her uppity niece delivering the gags instead 💀 💀 At least she can be assume the humour would be PG-13 (provided Madeleine's not drunk, and even then she's not been as risque as Adelaide is when she's sober).

• The Queen purposefully opts to lose the match just to see if the MC is the kind that will play to win, and hates it if you decide to let her win. If you do win, she will alert you that things will only get more complicated for you from here, and she may not hold back next time. Back then it read as perhaps a bit antagonistic back then, but now it reads a little differently to me - more as a reminder to the MC that this social season won't be an easy one for her.

• Regina was definitely testing her in a couple places to see how she handled herself in a couple situations.

• If you win her approval, she praises you for standing out among the rest ("you've proved yourself to be unlike the other ladies in the court, which is no small feat in my eyes"). If not you're...tolerable. But she will still watch out for your progress!

• Here's one of the rare times Liam gets to tell you to your face you performed badly (besides the option at the ball if you offend Penelope), even if he still does make excuses for you. From here on out, he and every other LI will be mostly making excuses for your failures whatever they may be:

• Now that our first meeting with Queen Regina is over, we can now kick back and relax with the rest of the group!

• Drake complains about the finger foods laid out for a tea party (it's a TEA PARTY, Drake. They're not going to be serving cheeseburgers and hotdogs at a TEA PARTY), and two of the MC's three dialogue options come with relationship points ("you WOULD complain about free food" and agreeing with him). The first option seems to be the one I'd imagine a Drake stan would love because there's a slight bit of teasing there, plus Drake shakes his head, smiling, which is a nice shift from the grumpiness and snark of the previous chapters to his attempted friendliness of the Lythikos chapters. It's also a bit of a teaser to the MC's (optional) teasing of Drake later on in the cronut scene.

• ...I could have happily lived out the rest of my life not seeing 'escargot' and 'aioli' side by side in the same sentence.

• The poor MC's mind is blown from the sheer number of people who don't know what a cronut is (Me Back Then was still like WTF is a cronut).

• The highlight for TRR - besides the LIs themselves - are the group scenes. The group had three men who grew up together - or at least in some proximity to each other - and two women who were outsiders. There was a familiarity to their interactions that you wouldn't find so easily in, say, a book like TF where the relationships among the LIs grew alongside their relationship with the MC. I still recall how often people who didn't like the series would mention that the group interactions were a big plus for TRR. The cronut scene really does show you why. Even though it's very centered around whoever the MC wants to be romancing, we get a glimpse of their shared experiences at the palace, coupled with their mutual joy when trying out this new treat. We even get hints from Liam and Maxwell about the old, not-so-stressed-out Bertrand!

• The scenes meant just for the LIs are split into two portions - the first is the romantic one inside the bakery, where the MC can choose who she wants to sit next to and subsequently flirt with (no Maxwell, sorry. Though some of the subtle hints for him becoming an LI will emerge after Chapter 8!):

(Screenshots for Drake's scene from the Ashley Barrus-Gardner YouTube channel)

Each one has a different vibe to it. Liam is clearly smitten and not ashamed of showing it, draping his arm behind her chair. Hana is shy and confused, feeling those first stirrings of love for this woman, unsure of what it could all mean. Drake's is sarcastic and witty, and the MC is at her sparkling, biting best in both Drake portions of this scene.

• Our third RoE reference! Bestien appears at the end of our cronut trip, and when Liam apologizes he smiles and reminds him that his brother has done worse.

• The second LI centric portion allows you to build relationship points rather than romance ones. The MC chooses who to walk back to the palace with, and the LI tells her what has begun to shift for them, thanks to her presence:

Liam: Speaks about this experience as an eye-opener to regular life in Cordonia, is baffled by how little he knows of his own country and people, having lived such a restricted life in the palace. In one option, he openly calls his world the "statesman's bubble". As a commoner, the MC has shown him in this scene glimpses of life outside of his "princely world". He begins to let go of some of his preoccupation with protocol here, telling the MC that perhaps it's not too bad an idea for him to spend more time with her outside of the social season events. This is good buildup to his hot tub scene in Lythikos.

Hana: Is largely very grateful to the MC for keeping her company and sharing this experience with her, as she is lonely and has very few people she knows personally enough to invite her. Both she and the MC speak of their identities as outsiders who stick together because both of them know the pain of assimilating into a culture that you didn't grow up living. I kinda wish more of that aspect was explored, it would have been an exciting route to take for the story!

Drake: Drake doesn't openly speak of what he's learned from the MC or what she's given him like the others do, but the advantage in this scene is that he's begun to thaw towards her. She can choose to tease him relentlessly through the walk back, and he responds positively to it, telling her she is more fun when she's "not pretending to be a princess". As I have mentioned earlier, this helps to set the stage eventually for his friendliess to the MC in Lythikos.

• Overall, you can see why this scene is so popular and remembered so well. Others that are more detailed and extensive and fun have emerged since, but this bit was lovely to read just for those first few sparks between the friends. I knew I wasn't expecting that when I first saw this scene.

• It's now time for Lythikos! The chapters in Olivia's duchy (only 2 really) are fun and packed with a lot of interesting stuff, character development and plot details. I honestly can't wait to jump in.

• It's been at least two years since this series first came out, I think, and what's intriguing to me is how the lens of this whole story, and our view of some of the characters, has changed. I remember coming into this story straight from RoE and TCaTF, and back then I was still looking at everything from a very Leo perspective. Remember, in RoE Leo was the only Cordonian our MC had regular contact with, and therefore we saw this country from his point of view. So Constantine was stuffy but more supportive, Regina was ridiculous in her expectations for protocol, Liam was remembered as "thinking he's smarter" when Leo is away from him but extremely supportive of his decisions when he needs that support. Madeleine was the jealous angry fiancée getting in the way of true love.

Our perspectives have taken such drastic shifts since. When Leo stopped becoming the center of the story and we actually GOT to see and experience Cordonia as readers - suddenly a lot of things made sense. Regina's insistence on stoicism. Liam's pressures and burdens. The fear in the country once Leo abdicates. The stress that Liam, as new Crown Prince, would have to go through transitioning into that kind of role. Suddenly Leo's abdication wasn't a brave thing he did "for love" or "for honesty", but an irresponsible (though necessary) act that had repercussions.

In a perspective that does not center Leo, we see all that Leo misses. Constantine is no longer benign, he is capable of doing the worst things to a suitor under his protection if it means he can get her out of the way. Regina is still uppity and stoic, but can also be someone with incredible foresight, who can read the signs and embrace the change the best she can once she realizes it's coming her way. Liam is a man who was built to love and lead this country, even if he sometimes doubts his own potential. Madeleine is still a horrible human being, BUT not in the "jealous fiancée" way we witnessed in RoE Book 2. In fact, I know those who deeply dislike her, and still feel that she deserved better than what Leo was doing it her, and the rejection she faced from both brothers.

• Regina definitely comes across as cold, distant (and in an initial fail play, even rude) and not exactly interested in you. But she does keep tabs on your progress, and often highlights it before the activity itself can start.

• As I've mentioned earlier, Bertrand and Regina are specifically coded to make us aware of how we're doing. Does anyone else in the book get to do this? One more person, and I will speak of them somewhere along the line.

• Failplays are incredible because there are so many things you see SO DIFFERENTLY until much later. There's a lot you can figure out from the responses to the wrong answers alone.

• ...I need a cronut now.

• Until next time folks!

• The TRR MC and The Saga of Hats - A Short Summary in Nine Pictures:

Persephone was the one saying it, but you can bet Esther was the one thinking it!! 😁😁

• Also thank you Your Majesty for noticing how lovely my head is 😁😁😁

• That's all for this week folks! Hope you're as excited as I am to explore Lythikos!

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• Tally Counts:

Number of Times Drake has Called Esther/Persy by Their First Names: 4 (I missed one scene at the stables in Chapter 5, and this time while challenging the MC to a race back to the palace)

Number of Times Tariq Has Mentioned His Shoes: 1

Number of Times Drake Has Taken A Drink that’s Not Whiskey: 1

Number of Times Someone Has Called A Reigning Monarch 'Your Highness’: 2

Number of Times You Can Leave Hana Shook. SHOOK I TELLS YA: 2

Number of Times We See Penelope’s Angryface: 2

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