#it is so bad most consider it satire

[lady-hibiscus]

why did satan make me so pretty? (2024)

ebony dark'ness dementia raven way in all her glory

[lacking-hydration]

that postal movie is so inconsistently ok

[rozcdust]

I don’t speak to whores

Pairing: Bonten x AroAce!GN!Reader

Genre: Crack, SMAU

Word count: 500ish

Warnings: Canon divergent, profanity, ooc, whore behaviour, NO ROMANCE, just reader bullying Bonten

masterlist

The breakfast passed with Kazutora stubbornly trying to get to know Kakucho better - no matter the man’s valiant attempts of evading Kazutora’s curiosity - the latter was a relentless chatterbox in hours even Sanzu would find ungodly early to try and speak.

By ungodly early, Kakucho means before 1 p.m.

He picked up on the fact that Kazutora was apparently an early bird, the habit of waking up at 6 a.m. sharp still heavily instilled in him, even if it has been nearly a decade since he got out of prison - today was an exception, considering the events of last night exhausted everyone present, but still.

Kazutora clearly perfected the art of being both a talker and an excellent listener, with a soothing smile and perfectly placed nods whenever the conversation demanded it, bright, amber eyes shining with more life than Kakucho has personally seen in years.

It probably said something depressing about his joyless excuse of a life.

Kazutora’s optimism and genuine desire to get to know him made Kakucho feel exceedingly small. Kazutora, even while knowing his background, seemed kind, gentle, lithe shoulders perfectly relaxed even in the company of a wanted criminal, silky smooth hair cascading down his back, back slightly slouched so his collar bones were revealed, showing off the end of his tattoo.

You seemed to ignore the conversation between the two men entirely, only offering brief, sarcastic commentary upon request, busy braiding and unbraiding a small section of Kazutora’s hair as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

The coffee was better than anything Kakucho has tasted before.

“So yeah, y/n loves to trash Fight Club, but they rewatch that damn fucking movie at least once every other month.” Kazutora smiled at your scowling face, only a roll of your eyes indicating your true annoyance as you proclaimed Kazutora a traitorous bastard, letting go of his hair only to take hold of it again.

“It is a homoerotic, satirical movie mocking toxic masculinity, and then dudebros salivate over Tyler Durden and call him an alpha male. That man is a peacock*. I’m not admitting I like that shit publicly.”

“I think Ran likes that movie, actually.” Kakucho remarks, tilting his head - he’s pretty sure Ran told him about it before.

You snort, shaking your head.

“Of course he does.” You clicked your tongue, “He doesn’t get it. Next you're gonna tell me he loves Clockwork Orange too."

“Y/n is a bit of a movie snob.” Kazutora took your hand into his - he glances up at you, silently asking your permission - upon a slight nod of your head, he smiled, planting a soft kiss on your wrist.

Such an innocent little gesture.

It has Kakucho's chest aching.

"I don't think he does." Kakucho tilts his head, scratching his cheek, "He mentioned how he hated the main character."

Your quirk an eyebrow, sipping your coffee.

"Well. Maybe he isn't a hopeless dumb bitch."

"He truly isn't that bad."

You choked on your drink, glaring at the scarred man - he shrunk under your gaze.

"Get out of my house."

a/n: i'm alive. shockingly.

Taglist (i need to start a new one so please do say if you wish to be tagged):

@rinsie @r-xochitl @7rkx @sunahyejin @yamaguccitadashi @minoozi @trashmemebitch @sup-zfam @xashiui @hana-patata @erza-uzumaki @sh4nn @sisnot @kneeapartman @anahryal @reiners-milkbiddies @satsuri3su @aretheea @bluerskiees @winterv-black @astropheia @requiem-of-a-fool @kunikya

(rest of taglist in the comments, so sorry if i tagged anyone twice!)

[reignpage]

this might be a bit on the nose, especially if we’re considering their Eden au personas

but canon only, if the jjk men (and boys if you want) were actors, which genres do you think they’d each dominate or be known for? like who’s the scream king, the rom com lead, slapstick comedy vet, or the dude who’s somehow on every reality show? Other genres can be included too sports dramas, k/c/jdramas, documentaries etc etc

gojo: jack of all trades

he's a romcom king, really sells the guy next door/best friend vibe

he does the scream really well for horror (would deffo be a Ghostface that everyone makes edits over)

he'll do reality shows and steal the show every damn time cause he's just so funny and reactive

geto: psychological thrillers

could really fuck people up

one of those very mysterious actors that everyone just has to have in their films because of the fans

choso: indie/artsy drama

think young timothee chalamet

lots of angst

very relatable and makes one think

toji: action/comedy/satire

very Jason Statham/Vin Diesel

type to do whatever for money

has a clause that he can't be beat like vin diesel and the rock

nanami: documentaries/period piece dramas

he has the voice for docs about politics and climate change

he's also very good at those gut wrenching dramas

think pride and prejudice hand scene

sukuna: horror

bad guy usually

think Bill Skarsgard

he can transform into the most monstrous creatures and people are subconsciously afraid of him

[dedicatedfollower467]

okay unpopular opinion but i don't think the colour of magic is actually a bad book.

i think it's a pretty decent book, actually! it's funny, it's weird, it's a loving-yet-vicious parody of a genre that i have enjoyed for most of my life, and it is a genuinely enjoyable read! yeah, there's some underlying sexism, racism, and ableism that isn't so much fun, but most of the time it's honestly trying to critique the sexist, racist, and ableist pulp fantasy conventions of the era in which it was written, even if it doesn't always do that super well.

it's just that terry pratchett wrote so many phenomenal books over the course of his life. like genuinely life-changing, spectacular masterpieces of writing and satire and fantasy. stuff that could and should be considered among the highest echelons of english literature.

colour of magic isn't a bad book. it's just nowhere near as good as some of pterry's other books.

but that isn't a fair comparison to make of ANY book, imo, even if it is something else he wrote.

[saintwyfe]

࿐ ˚ . ✦ PROVE IT. jude bellingham

summary. a night out, gone lewd

cw. slightly toxic relationship, implied infidelity, cursing, alcohol consumption, nsfw [!!!]

wc. 1682

most relationships, or at least the ones we see today, always have that overprotective boyfriend and free-spirited girlfriend dynamic.

as much as you hated it, you were the jealous, possessive one in the relationship. always ordering him around, issuing the ‘don’t do that"s and the ‘why are you looking at her like that?"s.

at one point in the relationship, the roles were reversed. he’d always be the one kissing up on you in public, clinging his arms tightly around your waist to let the men in the room know you were his, and only his. it’s crazy how times have changed now, huh?

“i’m gonna go grab a drink. you care for one?” he ducked, hovering over your ear, before taking a last sip from his bottle.

you nodded your head. “i’m fine for now, thanks,” you replied, quickly adjusting the collar of his top. he nodded, and with that, he drifted towards the bar. you glanced off at him during his departure before scanning the rest of the club, filled with young people dancing to bouncy music. 

to be honest, clubbing wasn’t your thing. maybe with the right group of people, it wouldn’t be that bad, but you're stranded for now. introverted you thought it was a somewhat-good idea to sway to the beat of the music while scrolling through instagram to not seem awkward. contrary to your plan, it did. and now, you were in the corner of the nightclub, pulling down your tiny cocktail dress that’d been riding up your thighs to some corny pop song. better than being stuck at home, right?

your eyes strayed from your bright phone screen for a second to check up on your boyfriend, just to make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble. and funny enough, you saw just that: his smiling, tall figure leaned up against the bar, giggling next to some short, dark-haired girl. your mouth dropped. you didn’t even want to hear the end of it.

in a fit of rage, you marched toward the entrance of the place, uber already pulled up on your phone. nothing else crossed your mind. just the image of him next to her. some skanky girl in a tacky, sequined dress. even thinking about it makes your fists ball up. to add to that, you looked ridiculous pacing the sidewalk bordering the club, getting glances from passersby as you waited for your uber, which at this point was a few minutes away.

your phone immediately buzzed after you found the location of your driver.

where are you?

i can’t find you

seen 2m ago

y/n?

i left

find your own way home

seen just now

thankfully, your uber had pulled up just in time. pulling the handle of the black sedan, you were ready to plunk down in the back seat and just sob. 

“y/n?!” the club door scraped the pavement, a wave of loud music following a breeze of air hitting your skin. fuck. maybe if you just got in quick enough—

“where are you going?” he was quick to shout from behind you, his warm hand stationed upon yours on the car’s handle.

“home,” you replied, turning your head to face him from behind you. “i’m going home. just have fun by yourself, alright?”

he shook his head, scoffing. “are you serious?”

considering him looking so taken aback compared to your aloof face—it’s almost laughable knowing that he was just cozying up with another woman back at the bar. did he seriously think you didn’t know? like you didn’t just see that flirty interaction between the two?

you huff out a laugh. “jude, you’re seriously so funny,” you mocked, squinting up at the puzzled individual. 

“what are you talking about? what the fuck’s gotten into you?” he spat.

“i’m sure the girl at the bar would keep you company ‘til you come home, yeah?” you click your tongue, a satirical smile spreading through your lips, before lowering your head into the back seat of the car.

but he had different plans.

you could almost feel your blood start to boil as his legs crept next to yours in the car as well.

you scoffed, throwing your head back. “what the fuck are you do—-”

“you can start driving now, sir,” he interrupted you mid-sentence, and contradicting the way he’d just been speaking to you just a minute ago, he kindly instructs your driver. you could almost feel your eyes rolling to the back of your head to his sudden change in mood.

and, bizarrely enough, he’s silent for the ride. his eyes glared at the road. the only sound was that of the car wheels on the street, the driver not daring to ask any questions. 

“have a good night, mister,” you said to the guy behind the wheel as you shut the car door behind you. jude, who’d already been at the front door of your shared home, was tapping the keypad, eager to come home once and for all.

your heels tapped the pavement of your driveway. his cold gaze locked on you while he held the door open for your entry inside. you, on the other hand, are not daring to speak a word. yet, you couldn’t ignore the adrenaline rush happening inside of you. jude wasn’t the type to go to bed angry, even if it meant handling things in a different way.

“so what is it with you?” he inquired, his voice softer, less hostile than before. “you just think leaving without saying anything would solve anything?”

you jumped a bit, not expecting to exchange words—not at least in the foyer. slowly, you turned around to meet his seething eyes. his hands still grasp the door handle, and he’s anticipating an answer from you.

“i could ask you the same thing, jude,” you stared. “what were you doing with her? hm?”

in an instant, he shook his head, biting his lip to stifle his laugh.

“y/n, did you forget who i am? that i have a public career, and maybe she was just a fan?” all of a sudden, it just hit you. you could just annihilate yourself from the shame you held upon him tonight, but it was in the heat of the moment, and you gave yourself no time to think. and, god, you looked so dumb just accusing him of something so distasteful and unlike him. 

“you think i’d just throw away our relationship for some girl at a club? no. i wouldn’t, y/n,” he added. “you’re mine, and only mine. understand?”

your eyes skimmed the floor, before meeting his dark brown irises. “then prove it.”

at once, his cold eyes turned ravenous.

“you don’t even know what you got yourself into,” he chuckled as he approached your figure. quickly, he locked his hand into your hair and pressed his lips against yours. he didn’t hold back on ambushing your lips. there was still liquor on h​​is tongue, which you could still taste. his arm intertwined around your waist as you began heading upstairs, groans escaping his mouth as you two struggled to find your bedroom.

your back was pressed up against the cold doorframe of your shared room, and he, taking advantage of your state, sought to lace his arms under your thighs. you took notice of the queue and jumped onto them, making it easier for him to spill your body onto the edge of your bed once he’d opened the door. you found yourself giggling once he did, especially with your dress threatening to expose the risque areas of your body. his hands locked your wrists in place, and now you were just docile under his spell. 

his kisses moved from your lips to your neck, leaving hickeys all over. his saliva around each bruise. you were a moaning mess, with his pace almost giving you whiplash. 

his fingers traced your waist, unzipping your dress’s zipper from the sides and finding its way to the wooden floors once it was off. he’s heaving as he’s doing so, almost like a predator finally getting its prey. you hissed once his hands fondled your now exposed breasts, with no warning, whatsoever.

his eagerness doesn’t halt while he’s pulling off your panties. he gives you a quick, sinful glare as his head dips between your thighs. you propped yourself on your elbows while you anticipated what he’d be doing next.

“you’re so wet already, angel,” he purrs against your dribbling cunt. “such a fuckin’ slut for me.”

his tongue wraps around your pussy, giving you no signal or build-up. your back arches from the sudden contact, which quickly leaves you breathless. his eyes linger on you, watching as you go dumb from being tongue-fucked so hungrily. his arms twined around your thighs, leaving you almost powerless against him while he held you in place.

his tongue ran through your slit while his thumb simultaneously found itself toying with your clit. your moans were so loud and pornographic, and you quickly grew your orgasm. 

“fuck, keep going, just like that, baby,” you cried. your hips found themselves grinding against his mouth. you were just growing so impatient, wanting to chase your high so desperately. your hands latched onto the bed sheets to distract yourself before cumming.

his tongue keeps swirling around your clit, your bud puffy and sensitive, while your thighs begin twitching. you could feel tears start to well up in your eyes—you were so close, and he could definitely tell by the way your legs started to tighten and clench around his head.

“jude, i’m gonna cum—” you yelped, throwing your head back and squeezing your eyes shut. right then, he pulled away, leaving you absent of your climax. 

you gasped, anticipating so heavily to cum, but instead, you were left emptyhanded. you could almost cry then and there.

he coughed up a laugh, almost mocking you. “brats don’t get what they want, at least not without earning it.” he stood up, petting your hair. 

“get on your knees.”

an: ntm on my amateur smut writing

[thousand-winters]

Saiki K is frankly fascinating because it's truly such a "technically this is comedy so while it does satire of anime tropes, it's in a comedic tone" and yet, and YET... the Horrors™️ are hiding underneath.

That said, I've been thinking a lot about that one teacher with the weird face (Iguchi Takumi) because that whole mini arc was so interesting to me.

First there's Saiki's comment about how he hadn't realized how different the exact same things were interpreted depending on the face of the person who says it. They were taking everything the teacher said in the wrong way because of his face. It's actually so interesting with the comparison of Yumehara freaking out about him knowing their names (because they were gonna be his students so he learned them) and the boys at school not only being okay but actively wanting Teruhashi to know personal information about them.

The difference looks make.

Furthermore, I think it was fascinating that he was worried about Nendo specifically, because while he was so off about his relationship with Kuboyasu, Kaido and Hairo, he was right on the money about people bullying him. The other students DO ostracize him and a big part of it isn't even that they consider him dumb, it's his looks. Consider that one episode where he gets a different haircut and people start liking him until they see him being "weird" again.

That he paid attention to Nendo in that sense was very sweet to me because he seemed to be such a caring teacher, even if he was kinda bad at making his students understand him (not aided at all by his face), and Nendo too is very sweet and kind. But due to how they look, most people didn't even give them the time of day.

[merlinmerlot]

Discworld character analysis is a can of worms because frequently, throughtout all the books, there is inconsistent characterization.

In broad strokes a character will remain the same — utterly static, in fact — but in the nitty gritty Pratchett will take whatever name and archetype is necessary and go baby-on-pottery-wheel with it. Satire over persona.

Which is why I cannot fault the fandom characterizing Vetinari as the sees all, omnipotent, always correct, 20 steps ahead 5-year-plan ankh morporkian mastermind. Because there is some textual evidence for it. But dear lord, it is the most boring interpretation possible for him.

Anyways, to further my point that Vetinari's character is simply what you make of it, here's a quote from Men at Arms:

"A great many rulers, good and bad and quite often dead, know what happened; a rare few actually manage, by dint of much effort, to know what’s happening. Lord Vetinari considered both types to lack ambition."

And here's a quote from Jingo:

"After all, you couldn’t plan for every eventuality, because that would involve knowing what was going to happen, and if you knew what was going to happen, you could probably see to it that it didn’t, or at least happened to someone else. So the Patrician never planned. Plans often got in the way."

The first quote implies he plans for the future. the second implies he doesn't bother. what is Really going on here is that Vetinari's Schrödinger's Plan is whatever Pratchett thinks is funnier/cooler in any given moment.

I've lost the plot a little. My main point: Broaden your horizons when it comes to vetinari's characterization! I find it much more fun to view him as a man with a flawed worldview and a capacity for mistakes! It's much more entertaining to see him as frequently not 100% knowing what's going on. This is the man who was so caught up in his big picture, all-men-are-cruel inner monologue that he missed when Leonard mentioned his Plot-bearing submarine! This is the man whose two last ditch efforts in a city he couldn't control were 1. Hiding in his own dungeon and 2. Running off to another country in the aforementioned submarine.

[ravings-of-a-mad-scientist]

Personal Heroes

Historian: My favorite person from history and one of the most influential people ever was Carl von Clausewitz

Military Scientist: Oh, that was literally what I was gonna say.

Political Scientist: That's funny. Well, my personal hero is Niccolò Machiavelli, he was the father of political science, and just got an undeserved bad rap. The whole “Machiavellian” thing came from a book that actually was written as satire, against that kind of thing, I think.

Military Scientist: Ah, yes, Machiavelli is one of my heroes too. He personally considered his writings on military theory, Dell'arte Della Guerra, to be his own greatest work.

Chemist: Well, uh, Fritz Haber invented artificial fertilizer stopping billions from dying of famine… so he must be fine?

Military Scientist: That same process also made bombs cheap, and he literally invented mustard gas.

Physicist: *cautiously* … Einstein?

Military Scientist: Without his recommendation to do so, the US likely wouldn't have invented the Atom Bomb.

Physicist: OH, COME ON!

[byou-shin]

CHARACTER ASKS !! tagged by @vicciouxs („• ֊ •„)

♱་༘࿐ O1 ─ WHICH OC IS THE FIRST AT A MOVIE THEATER OPENING NIGHT FOR A MOVIE THEY'VE BEEN EXCITED FOR?

The Pope really likes theater arts. He's one of the figures who persistents in preserving Italian dramaturgy after a period of decline. He likes many types of theater arts, especially those related to religious elements and Baroque-style romantic comedies. The Pope will usually come one hour before the theater starts just to take a comfortable position and read a literature book while waiting for the theater to start. Sometimes he even asked the opinions of Cardinals and his favorite priest to choose the right clothes to wear to theatrical events.

♱་༘࿐ O2 ─ WHICH OC IS THE PICKIEST?

He hates nonsense and small talk, his personality tends to be to the point and on the spot, but still very careful on facing things. If he doesn't like something once, it will last forever, even though he had to accept punishment from God, he still won't like that thing. His picky nature will be clearly visible on his face and even if people satirize him, he will become happier and his expression will become sharper. His firm stance sometimes actually makes him look a little arrogant for some parishes. Luckily his beautiful face helped him from beat.

♱་༘࿐ O3 ─ WHICH OC IS THE MOST STUBBORN?

Ayse had to admit to herself that she's a stubborn woman and difficult to advise. She tends not to want to listen to what other people say and prefers to trust her own instincts, which are either good or bad. Her ambition to free her loved ones from misery drives her to continue moving forward no matter who gets in her way. Even though the woman had fallen in love with a terran, she chose a rotten and mortal death.

♱་༘࿐ O4 ─ WHICH OC LOOKS LIKE A PUSHOVER, BUT COULD ACTUALLY KICK SOMEONE'S BUTT?

This lonewolf priest sometimes wondered whether his personality was a good thing, all he knew is how it feels to be rejected. He tends to be unable to refuse requests for help from church ministers. But for a special case from the Pope, whom he considers to be the greatest and most powerful representative of God on earth, he would do it as if his life depends on it. But don't get him wrong, even though he sometimes seems obedient, he won't hesitate to kill anyone he considers a menace.

♱་༘࿐ O5 ─ WHICH OC IS MOST LIKELY TO EXCITEDLY TALK ABOUT HOBBIES?

This cheerful beautiful girl will never stop talking about things she likes. Starting from collecting ancient accessories, painting, holding tea parties, picking flowers, visiting abandoned places and so on. The chatterbox girl also writes all the pretty memories she has in her diary. Sometimes her step-younger brother, Adam, would even pretend to have an agenda with the Church so he could escape from the endless chatter. But even so, a cheerful beautiful girl can get a little lonely sometimes.

I tag : @sewerwolfx @yuauaua @miwksowp @vampirepill and others who want (☆•ヮ•)八(•ヮ•)

[peoplesrazor]

Stop trying to make fetch happen, Lily.

First, you don't just get to decide that, Lily. Sure, you can say, I think of this as a thriller, but you can't just say it is a thriller no matter what genre the creators put it in. It's classified as a Shonen and marketed as such, because that's what the people behind it intended it to be. The quality of the creations, as per your personal standards, doesn't matter, either.

Just call a bad show, a bad show. No need to blame a whole genre. If you didn't do that, you wouldn't have to pretend Spy Family was a different type of show then it is.

This is the same thing as you asking who would call BG and Dragon Age dark fantasy when that's what the people who made and marketed the games called them. You don't have to think of them this way when you engage with the media. You should acknowledge it, however, if you are going to talk about it with any authority.

Secondly, you really should engage with genres you don't necessarily like, more often. The more media you consume, the better you will be at critiquing media in general. It's just learning through exposure and experience. You may even find other things you like.

For instance, to use myself as an example; I'm not particularly fond of gore, even in horror films. I'm not squeamish necessarily, but I do find it's more often done just to be gross for the sake of shock value and I'm usually not shocked. Generally, it's just not an effective way to get my attention the way it's intended.

Yet, I consider the following one of the most enjoyable, fun, interesting, well-done and well-executed sequences in all of cinema. It's an absolute masterpiece. And it's one-hundred percent pure, unadulterated over-the-top, glorious carnage and gore:

As great as that four minute clip is all on it's own, I promise you it is so much better if you've seen the whole film. Sort of my point. Even if you don't like slasher/ teenagers being offed in the woods movies, and I usually don't, you'd miss that glorious scene if you didn't give this film a chance.

By the way, that's not the genre that movie is in either, but you wouldn't know that if you didn't watch it. Despite the fact that they marketed it as a Science Fiction Comedy Horror, if you only saw clips, you are going to think slasher movie. Myself, I consider it more of a satirical deconstruction of the slasher and eldritch horror genres.

But if someone asked me I'd include the sci-fi comedy horror elements as well. Because, yeah, it's that, too. I just appreciate the deconstruction elements more.

[alvallah]

@tak-byvayet tagged me to list 9 books I’m planning on reading in 2025. Now idk how committed I am to this list because it depends on if I can get my hands on all these but I hope! I will probably be sending my library lots of requests this year.

XALA | Ousmane Sembène

A biting satire about the downfall of a businessman-polygamist who assumes the role of the colonialist in French-speaking Africa.

RADICAL INTIMACY | Sophie K. Rosa

Radical Intimacy explores how the capitalist system shapes our intimate lives, and what we can do about it. Through the topics of self-care, romance and sex, family, home, death and friendship, the book looks at the histories and modern realities of these forms of intimacy, and considers what it might mean for things to be otherwise.

STONE BUTCH BLUES | Leslie Feinberg

A powerful and groundbreaking novel that tells the story of Jess Goldberg, a young butch lesbian coming of age in the 1960s and 70s. Set against the backdrop of the gay and feminist movements, the book explores themes of identity, gender, and the struggle for acceptance and belonging.

THE JAKARTA METHOD | Vincent Bevins

A veteran international correspondent uncovers the highly disturbing history of a mid-1960s “apocalyptic slaughter” in Indonesia, Latin America, and beyond, undertaken as part of America’s aggressively anti-communist foreign policy.

EPITAPH OF A SMALL WINNER (The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas) | Machado de Assis

Regarded as one of the greatest works of Brazilian literature, the book is presented as the memoirs of its protagonist, Brás Cubas, who notes his mistakes and failed romances from beyond the grave.

A MIND SPREAD OUT ON THE GROUND | Alicia Elliott

A bold and profound meditation on trauma, legacy, oppression and racism in North America from an award-winning Haudenosaunee writer. In this urgent and visceral work, Alicia Elliott aptly describes the ongoing effects of personal, intergenerational, and colonial traumas she and so many Native people have experienced.

ANOTHER COUNTRY | James Baldwin

A novel of sexual, racial, political, artistic passions, set in Greenwich Village, Harlem, and France. Stunning for its emotional intensity and sensuality, this book depicts men and women, blacks and whites, stripped of their masks of gender and race by love and hatred at the most elemental and sublime.

BAD FEMINIST | Roxane Gay

A collection of essays examining race, gender and feminism in the United States, paying particular attention to the way media, politics and pop culture shape society's views, and championing a brand of feminism that doesn't always follow the rules.

THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES | Ken Liu

Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection.

Tagging: @fusdoq @molkolsdal @mollymooon @takecarefolks @boredperuvianllamas @kurhanchyk @guillemelgat @wigwamcore @rhubarbspring @hall-der-berge @godzilla-en-mexico @onwaba @nfrtjytj and like anyone else because I’m forgetful and I like seeing what people are reading so I can add to my ridiculously long list…

[salvadorbonaparte]

2024 in Books

Every Book I read in 2024 very briefly reviewed. I'm ignoring re-reads.

The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie (I definitely want to read the rest of the series but I haven't managed to get my hands on it yet)

Death's Country - R.M. Romero (I read this as an ARC, it's a journey to the underworld in free verse)

More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary - M.R. James (I love this guy's ghost stories)

100 Poets: A Little Anthology - John Carey (I read this as an ARC, would have liked more international voices)

Ariadne - Jennifer Saint (Very solid version of Ariadne's story highlighting the lack of agency under the patriarchy)

Cien Microcuentos Chilenos - Juan Armando Epple (Not gonna lie I barely understood anything)

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller (I'm soooo not normal about this one)

The Murderbot Diaries 1-4 - Martha Wells (I'm really enjoying this series but I had to wait for months to get a library loan for the 5th one and now I forgot everything that happened)

Darius the Great is Not Okay & Darius the Great Deserves Better - Adib Khorram (Actually made me cry which tells you what kind of year I'm having)

The Jeeves Collection - P.G. Wodehouse (A 40h long anthology of Jeeves stories read by Stephen Fry what more can you want)

Von der Pampelmuse geküsst - Heinz Erhardt (Funny)

Die Jodelschule und andere dramatische Werke - Loriot (Funny)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (This was truly so cozy)

Poemas Portugueses - Ed. Maria de Fátima Mesquita-Sternal (Good collection of different works)

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - James McBride (Highlight of the Year)

Quality Land - Marc-Uwe Kling (How is his satire so real??)

When Women Were Dragons - Kelly Barnhill (Highlight of the Year)

Gender Queer: A Memoir - Maia Kobabe (Very affirming to read)

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut (I'm so not normal about this that I'm considering getting a tattoo about it)

Andorra - Max Frisch (A play about antisemitism but in that very Max Frisch way)

Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman - Richard Feynman (I want to study this guy under a microscope but I also learned a lot about education and people skills)

Von Juden Lernen - Mirna Funk (Bad, unfortunately)

House of Leaves - Mark Z Danielewski (I've been reading this on and off for the better half of a decade and I have many thoughts none of them coherent)

Views - Marc-Uwe Kling (One of the most upsetting books I ever read and I mean that positively)

Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (What the fuck is happening but also oh cool)

People Love Dead Jews - Dara Horn (the other really upsetting book I read this year but beautifully written)

It Came From the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror - Ed. Joe Vallese (An anthology so up my alley you'd think it's fake)

Camp Damascus - Chuck Tingle (More upsetting than scary but a really good read)

Stephen Fry in America - Stephen Fry (Very funny and insightful if you've just moved there)

You Like it Darker - Stephen King (I'm still thinking about some of the short stories)

Mother Night - Kurt Vonnegut (Also not normal about this one)

The Song of Roland - Unknown, Trans. Glen Burgess (It sucks that this slaps so much because it's blatant propaganda)

Die Verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum - Heinrich Böll (Worst year to read and watch this tbh but highly recommended)

Herzog Ernst - Unknown (Medieval Fantasy but like actually Medieval)

Willehalm - Wolfram von Eschenbach (Sorry I only partially read this because I got too busy with school)

Bury Your Gays - Chuck Tingle (Better still than Camp Damascus but again more upsetting than scary)

[irregularmelody]

Hi, the following is a 643 word long essay about Null Baldi's Basics. Yes. It's me again in the trenches. I never left. If you desire to read it, enjoy.

Null might be one of the most interesting characters I ever stumbled upon. My fascination with him grew greatly when I sat down to digest what every single encounter and interaction with him meant. However, there's this specific detail that has particularly stolen my attention.

Constructing characters that are meant to interact with you, the player, is, in my opinion, a very delicate piece of work. Because those characters aren't speaking nor interacting with another character in-world, someone who's already set in. They're speaking to you, the one behind the screen, the one who has their hands on the keyboard and mouse.

Those types of interactions tend to feel more intimate because it's you who fills the role of being a character in said world. A blank state meant to be controlled by you and the way it happens must be polished for a pleasant, vivid experience. Otherwise, it will ruin your entire product.

Which is why Null is so brilliant to me. His entire nuance, characterization and interactions with the player are masterfully crafted as it should be because Null is a one time event in Classic Remastered. It feels purposeful - lowkey an irony, considering his departure leaves the player with several questions while feeling like that all the same.

Your average “haha, I hate the player” character – no matter how sarcastic it is meant to be – is bland and falls flat as unfunny and unworthy of experiencing them at all. If you do that, AT LEAST give them a proper and good reason why so. Most of the time it's just a “gotcha!” moment from the creator and it's… it's not good. It's not good, stop it.

Then why does Null, a character who at first glance might cross as this exact trope, work? Because he actually has his reasons. His appearances are focused to show and tell in a progressive, seamless narrative towards the player, involving them as the story escalates. It isn't Null coming over to tell you off out of nowhere, far from it.

Pushing the player aside as a figure of ridicule and/or mockery is a proof of utter lack of ability, logical and critical creativity. Especially when those types of characters are born from a metafiction setting.

Null's behavior seen in Classic Remastered stems from frustration, not hatred. In the narrative, it's understandable because the game makes it clear. How? Through his dialogue. With every secret ending achieved, we can feel the sensation of a story going through his dialogue. You, the player, are again and again warned by this mysterious guy who pleads you to leave the game because something bad might happen. It has continuity. His frustration at the sight of failure accumulates as you keep finding him. It does not come out of nowhere.

The player, naturally, is in their right to have an answer as to why. Why must we leave? Why is he the only one who's this much aware? You progress the narrative and Null acts accordingly with it. All of that combined makes his inevitable end hit a lot more harder when you pierce the pieces together.

Null never hated you, he was just looking for you and your safety but the player's unwavering will is stronger than whatever power Null possesses.

Aside from the crushing guilt of being the one responsible for his demise because he warned you and you didn't listen, he warned you and you didn't listen, he warned you and you didn't listen— it's an unique experience, one who tries to submerge you in it and it succeeds. The Baldi's Basics franchise in its entirety might be one of parody and satire but it still introduced a rich and unforgettable tale and character, which demonstrates that Mystman has a finesse for actual competent writing.

I believe Baldi's Basics Plus will be just as great.

[tgrailwar-zero]

Constantine…

We’ll make you proud.

Right. Onward and upward.

You sat up, and pushed yourself out of bed. It was much, much easier this time. Still a little bit sore, but not as bad as it was before.

You sent out a text that seemed to put together most of your sentiments, before stepping outside.

There was the disorienting feeling of expecting light, but being faced with darkness.

It was still night, but you could hear and see a lot of movement throughout the encampment. Plenty of Solar Cell natives going about, chatting, eating, drinking- though most of them were crowded around a small makeshift theater where a performance was occurring.

It was kabuki theater. There were two actors. An woman with a slight, youthful frame, and a truly hulking, massive man in armor.

It was a performance, that as far as you could tell from coming in halfway through, about a trickster spirit that had heard tale of a contest to become the next emperor. So, the spirit, wanting to become Emperor simply because his stomach growled in hunger at the same time he saw the Emperor indulging in a large feast, got involved. Then came a deluge of witticisms and trickery,

The performance was strongly satirical and comedic, you could tell that much. The weight and volume of the actress' voice, much louder and commanding than her small form belied, conveyed almost all of the dialogue. The man she was accompanied with made large exclamations with clearly practiced timing but never truly spoke a full sentence, and you heard raucous laughter from the crowd. Their movements and dances were powerful and energetic, and the air around the encampment felt electric.

It was a rather involved performance, especially considering there were only two actors. But scenes changed seamlessly, and they both seemed to have enough physical presence that even if one of them switched characters on the fly, you could keep up rather easily. They seemed to be used to this, and employed a great number of tricks of their own that made it seem like there were more than just the two of them on the stage- 'they were just the only ones visible', that was the lie they got the audience to believe, but no- it was just them, you were sure of it.

The performance ended on a cliffhanger. The spirit, disguised as a courtesan, had just snuck into the Imperial Palace… and then the young woman declared that they would finish the show tomorrow night, and the crowd expressed good-natured disappointment. She bowed, the giant man beside her bowed, and then they both stepped off the makeshift stage as the audience continued to clap for a while longer before you saw GIL take the stage.

GIL: "Your attention, everyone! If everything goes well, the Sunbeam Row should be free of curses by tomorrow evening!"

The crowd erupted into cheers.

GIL: "That is purely thanks to your efforts. So, while we will have a larger celebration when we finish this first phase, I figured that a preemptive feast would do good for motivation. Eat well. Drink well. Rest well. Your work continues in the morning, and there's much more after the curses are gone, but we have reached a major milestone."

With that, the crowd dispersed.

[mundifinis]

i know wwdits s5 just ended and most of us are happy about it but like i still feel there is room to critique on how just badly the female characters are written.

literally the first 3 seasons, nadja is quite literally the only main female character. the only other side characters that pop up more than an episode are jenna and charmaine. the only female relationship that nadja has is quite literally with the ghost version of herself and then jenna (but then she dips after the first season).

then season 4 happens and while we get the guide and nadja, the fact it took 4 seasons for there to be another main female character and an actual main female relationship is just horrendous. but even that doesn't make up for how bad the atrocity that is the character marwa.

yes, marwa's character is meant to show how truly fucked up nandor is but if marwa is quite literally the third main female character for that show, i don't think that's the time to fuck up on that representation and use her as a plot device. marwa quite literally has all her autonomy and free-will taken away and then her arc ends with her, a woman of color (and the only one besides guillermo's mother that makes more than one reoccurrence) being turned into a white man. if you were on wwdits twt at least, you know there was a fair amount of (rightful) backlash against that horrendous decision but nothing can change the fact that someone thought that was a good decision and no one in the writer's room felt the need to be like "hey this is a bad idea"

and in season 5, yes the prime focus is on guillermo and nandor and how the former was turned into a vampire and how the latter would react but nadja is still a main character on the show. they could've showed how she connects with the women of little antipaxos or even continue her relationship with the guide from season 4. i know this part does get addressed in the finale but also nadja quite literally says she wants more female friends and the guide is right there and yes it's supposed to be a bit but it quite literally is such an ooc for nadja considering prior the guide, she welcomes most women that she sees and even helps those that are getting treated badly by men.

so nadja treats the guide horribly and ignores her and it's all for the sake of what? the guide getting fed up and locking her (and the other vampires) up so nandor can find about guillermo being a vampire because of course female relationships have to uplift the men in some way.

anyways, that's all. call me reaching. call the lack of female characters to be a satire or whatnot-- i just think that it's a bit fucked up.