#it’s a slog but if you have someone to watch it with it’s very fun

[untraceable-ace]

Highly encourage y’all to go watch the Disney movie Black Hole (1979) easily one of the weirdest fucking movies I’ve ever watched

[tornioduva]

A thought on Botw's items

So, first of all, if you were left dissatisfied and somewhat angry by Totk, go watch this wonderful video and enjoy your catharsis:

So, after watching this my mind started to fix upon this godforsaken series again and, a thought about how the wild saga handles things and why.

Now, i'm not a seasoned game designer, i don't know shit on how to deliver these massive projects, and i'll admit i haven't done proper research like in interviews, manuals, artbook, ecc., this is all very much a stream of consciousness.

What i reflected on is how many of us struggled to really bite deep with criticism into the structural exploration systems of this games, because it apparently "works", and in a somewhat elegant and cohesive way. It's much more difficult to critique the decision of adding shrines, of the dungeons, of the pad tools, of the rewards, because it easily justifies itself with the various "time limits, sacrifices needed to be made, streamlined exploration" and so on; it's much easier instead to go to the throat of the story, or characters, or the durability, because it's a much more direct frustration i think.

But then again, thinking about Botw: was giving the player all of their tools right away really the only right decision?

I honestly think that having the player roam around hyrule, letting them explore and find obstacles for which the tools are required, and then giving them said tools, would've been much better. You would accumulate small frustrations here and there, places to return to, for which you would use those pins in the map, and then you'd have the satisfaction of having finally found the solution to your troubles and a unique reward from wherever you might've taken them.

"Sure", you might say, "but then all the major dungeon and "story areas" should take into accoutn wether you have them or not". ....Yes. what's the problem in that? maybe a character, like one of the descendant could say something along the lines of "if only we had a way to freeze the water to resolve this issue that i feel might be present in the divina beast" or similar, that way the beasts would be centered around fleshing out one mechanic. i guess that might make them a bit more monotonous, but i think not; they are already kind short and boring, they might as well be a a dungeon designed around fleshing out just one of your tools in a satisfying way.

That to me would've resolved a good amount of issues i have with it with the game already, because part of the joy of exploring, at least in the first like 10 to 20 hours, would've been the anticipation of finding a tool and to finally use it! and i'd have something more memorable to remember while roaming around than just pretty sunsets.

Also, this would resolve the B I G issue i have with the intro of both of this game, of it being an unskippable slog. If you remove all of the tutorial aspect out of it, and outsource it to a later, further away area of the game, you can reduce all the time the plateau takes out of you to like, an introduction to combat, crafting, effects and that's it, you're free after that.

plus i always found stupid that the game won't let you have the paraglider before finishing it. like, just leave the tutorial there if someone wants it, but le me find the paraglider as an object and then let me go down, it's not an essential item, just a convenient one; plus, if players went around hyrule without the paraglider, you could just remind them in other ways later on that they might find one on the plateau, or let them find another one in other areas of the game. that could've been fun: "where did you find the glider? here? really? wow, these devs really thought of everything, i found it there instead, and mike down south".

i dunno, i just don't want to think about botw as the only correct way of doing this kind of game.

[utilitycaster]

Feel free to ignore this if you didnt mean it literally, but as someone who only managed to watch around episode 64 and would like to still finish the campaign somehow I was very interested when you said youd be down to write a guide of which episodes to watch and which to skip for campaign 3... either way I always love your meta, have a good day!

Did this here - just pick up from the Errands and Air Ashari section!

That list is pretty general and anyone could use it, but, for example, knowing someone's personal preferences and how long they're willing to take to catch up is helpful. Like, as mentioned, you could probably read recaps of 66-68 and get everything you need to know (Keyleth's injuries, further horrifying ramifications of the Vanguard's actions, tons of great lore, Ashton meets a drag queen seamstress, Chetney gets a cursed sword, Fearne makes a deal with a hot paladin of Asmodeus, fun combat, even more lore, Matt calling a flower "perineum" by accident) and there's no conversations or scenes that I'd say are must-watch, but I did enjoy that arc a lot, so if you're worried about time read a recap (I keep saying that but it's true - I do NOT advocate skipping and not reading recaps) but if you have the time and just were getting hung up on episodes that dragged a bit If you're a big fan of Laudna, I'd say don't skip to the Delilah part of 77, but if you're not, you definitely can. Stuff like that.

Really, my feeling is "between episode 25-episode 38 is a slog for the most part and if you got stuck there I want to let you know you can safely skip around with this list of key points/highlights amid the mire, but after that, while there's individual episodes that aren't my favorites, a lot of it is pretty fun and even the parts that drag on don't last for episodes on end."

[isekai-crow]

2024 Winter Anime Lineup (Master Post?)

First post for a new blog where I'm going to try and record my opinions, break downs, comparisons, and various degrees of squees about anime!

The lineup for this year's Winter isn't as packed as the 2023 Fall season was, but that's always the case. It sure is still causing my To Watch List to keep getting longer... but more importantly because it's so lacking in big name shows one of my most anticipated shows gets to shine...

SOLO LEVELING

俺だけレベルアップな件

LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!

I'M SO EXCITED FOR MY SHADOW BOY TO FINALLY ARRIVE!!!

also, holy CRAP look at all this TRADITIONAL FANTASY!!! There is even a decent selection of non harem Isekai this round too! And a lot of awesome sequels/continuations!

Anyways, here's what's on my to watch list for this season! I'll be posting about them in their own or other threads as I figure out how I want to set this blog up. My reasons for WHY I'm watching what I'm watching

Definitely Will Watch!

Solo Leveling / 俺だけレベルアップな件

Apothecary Diaries /薬屋のひとりごと(Continued)

Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) / ダンジョン飯

The Villains Day Off / 休日のわるものさん

Undead Unluck / アンデッドアンラック(Continued)

Fire Hunter (Hikari no Ou) 2nd Season / 火狩りの王

High Hopes / Might Drop / Taking My Time

Sasaki and Peeps / 佐々木とぴーちゃん

The Witch and the Beast / 魔女と野獣

Doctor Elise / 外科医エリゼ

Cherry Magic (THIS ENGLISH TITLE LMAO) / 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい (DEF WATCHING THIS ONE NOW)

Shangri-La Frontier / シャングリラフロンティア　(Continued)

Beyond Journey's End / 葬送のフリーレン (Continued)

Gonna Give Them A Few Episodes

Mashle Season 2

Fluffy Paradise / Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade Suru Tame ni, Ganbattemasu (I'm doing my best in another world to pet fluffy creatures)

Ishura

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic / 治癒魔法の間違った使い方

Blue Exorcist / Ao no Exorcist (OUT OF LEFT FIELD THIS ONE)

Delusional Monthly Magazine / Gekkan Mousou Kagaku

This is already insanely long, so the second half of this essay about what I think is below ↓↓↓↓

DEFINITE WATCH LIST

SOLO LEVELING - I've been waiting for the solo leveling anime since BEFORE the anime was ever announced, re-reading the webcomic/manhwa multiple times and just HOPING someone would animate these gorgeous shadows. It is a very well done power fantasy with only squints of romance, and while I'm sad it's been localized to Japan (and all the fuckery that comes with of Korean erasure), I got to see the first two episodes at the World Premiere and I. Am. So. Hype.

APOTHECARY DIARIES existed completely outside of my head space, and my initial response at the premise was, Raven of the Inner Palace? I wasn't actually expecting much from it and then the first few episodes BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER and now I'm obsessed.

DUNGEON MESHI is one of those manga I've heard about, but tried reading and it was too slow paced for me (I say, currently slogging through The Boat Arc (TM) of Hunter x Hunter), but the anime gives it life and I think I'll enjoy this alot. I love cooking anime and fantasy, so this will be fun!

KYUJITSU NO WARUMONOSAN is just straight up Crow Bait. That curly bowl cut, the gap moe of a villain who loves cute things, and voiced by fricken Shintarou Asanuma!!! (I know him as Samatoki from HypMic, other's will know him from the "Fucking Bullshit" song from Carole and Tuesday, and a host of other roles) Also, all the pretty sentei / power ranger boys!!! I'm so hype, in the most relaxed chill way for this.

UNDEAD UNLUCK is so weird in that it involves a lot of random sexualization, but it doesn't make me uncomfortable like Seven Deadly Sin's random gropping did, maybe because there is actual implied consent involved. Fuuko and Andy are Poly and I love them for it. And the world building is TOP NOTCH.

FIRE HUNTER - If you haven't seen season one, you are missing out. A darkly beautiful post-post apocolyptic alternate Japan-esque world, from the POV of a young girl, and a young genius boy having to let himself be manipulated by capitalism to survive, and gods? a magic system? but so soft that it's barely there even while being a full on fantasy story.

High Hopes or Taking My Time

SASAKI AND PEEPS- What a weird little show that has the weirdest combination of isekai, the most "this is fine." salaryman, and a fricken' CHUNIBYO BIRB. I've already watched the first episode and it feels like there are two magic systems going on and its a bit confusing, so we will see how this plays out!

WITCH AND BEAST - I keep wanting to call this Beauty and the Beast, because the beast is a rad bad ass looking lady, and the witch is certainly one of the most beautiful undertakers I've ever seen. I think he carries his boyfriend around in his coffin backpack, so I'm hype to see WTF is up with that >o>

DOCTOR ELISE - Why do manhwa I read keep randomly popping up as anime??? This is a vilainess turned good story, and supposedly the market is full of these, but none of them are the good ones I've read, so I did a double take of happiness when I saw this. THIS ONE IS GOOD. An spoiled princess gets killed, is reborn in Korea and becomes a doctor, only to be killed by Airplane-kun, and winds up back in her old body where she decides to become a doctor again! The prince is even not your typical icy asshole! (although maybe he is a little at the beginning..)

CHERRY MAGIC - THIS FRICKEN ENGLISH TITLE GOOD LORDS ABOVE. I'm dying. I'm also excited to see this one play out and I'll be hiding behind a pillow giggling like a mad lad while I do. It's been a while since there's been a good BL that's not SAD (looking at YOU Given and Banana Fish, but avoids eye contact with Sasaki and Miyano) so hopefully it doesn't dip into that territory. Going into this one mostly blind as to the premise apart from the obvious Gap-Moe with the love interest.

SHANGRI-LA - I started watching this on a whim as the Fall season started to wind down, and found it to be a good potato chip to have on in the background. I'll probably continue watching it, but not weekly.

FRIEREN - This is what I watch when Jujutsu Kaisen hurts too much to keep going. I'm only a few episodes in, so it'll be slow going, but I think it's about to pick up it's pacing a little where I'm at, and it'll be good comfort food to have.

MAYBES

Mashle Season 2 - The pacing was SUPER WEIRD in the first season that despite all of it's shitting on the properties of she-who-shall-not-be-named, the end of the season kind of fell flat. I wanted to like it more, so I'm hoping Season 2 does that for me.

Fluffy Paradise - I love isekais with an adult in a child's body pretending to be just super smart, and this doesn't feel like it's going to do that, but still looks cute none the less. I'll give it a few episodes, but will quickly drop it if my watch list is too long.

Ishura - Is this what life is like for D&D Characters when they hit level 20? I HOPE SO. I LOVED the Legend of Vox Machina, and hope this has the same sort of vibes, but I'm going in blind!

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic - Love me some fucked up healing magic. Please DO NOT let this be ANYTHING like Redo Healer. I refuse to watch that even those FUCKED UP HEALING MAGIC IS FUN. But this. This I want to see. Please let this also not be a harem. I'm fine with ~vibes~ but please no actual harem that's not actually Poly.

Blue Exorcist - THIS IS TOTALLY OUT OF NOWHERE. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?????? I remember the last season feeling like a disappointment? But can't remember why? Gonna see if this is worth re-watching the seasons from like... a decade ago.

Delusional Monthly Magazine - I watched the PV and had no fucking clue what was happening. Therefore, I will be watching a few episodes to sate my curiosity about WTF OR possibly just get myself even more confused and rage quit. lmao

I've watched the first few episodes of a couple of these, and will be watching a few more tomorrow, so Next Goal: Post a write up or three about what I think!

[blue-grama]

Jesus motherforking shirtballs

Or: I am asking every business journalist to take one (1) gender studies class before I tear my hair out.

This interview came across my dash and it's a lot of fun, particularly Apo's "dad joke" actually being a hilariously cringey pickup line, but one aside by the writer made me wince.

ASDKHGKJ. This is not the first time I've seen an article about BL or gay romance in general speculate that the reason female audiences enjoy gay male romance is because there are no other threatening, icky girls on screen. I find this exceedingly irritating and misogynistic and I'm gonna rant about it. Now, look. Maybe there are women-identifying people out there watching mlm romance because they are threatened by beautiful actresses. Maybe. I haven't met every woman in the world. But this reasoning is, in my opinion, some male-gaze bullshit and needs to be smacked down. A non-exhaustive list of reasons to like mlm romance that AREN'T based on some weird idea of female competitiveness and insecurity: 1. Queer people... exist? Look, the LGBTQ+ community alone isn't the reason KP had huge international success. Just numbers-wise, it was probably watched by more straight people than not. But ignoring that audience makes absolutely no sense, especially because sexuality is fluid and many viewers interested in LGBTQ+ media may be uncertain/exploring. Cultural anthropologist Thomas Baudinette has talked about how many "straight women" exploring BL turned out not to be so straight. It's a thing. (Here on Tumblr the LGBTQ+ audience is THE thing, but there's a lot of selection bias here, obviously.)

2. A good romance is a good romance

In my personal (and admittedly limited) experience, cishet men have a hard time grasping this, but give me a good, swoony romance and IDGAF about the genders involved. I've noticed this is very common among my female-identifying and nonbinary friends, regardless of their sexual attractions in real life. Good chemistry is good chemistry, a good story is a good story, and honestly it's kinda insulting to silo LGBTQ+ romance off as something you need a particular reason to watch, if you're someone who likes watching romance. 3. Female gaze

Look. Mile and Apo are blisteringly hot individuals. It's interesting this article mentions the action sequences and not the inherent appeal of, say, these two humans exploring each other's bodies in front of God and Deutsche Bank:

Perhaps it's a family publication.

But to get a little more thinky about horniness: If you're a female-identifying person interested in men, it can be a tough slog out there. I'm coming from a western perspective, where romance is looked down upon in general. (Asian media seems more willing to look at the romance audience and go "hmm... $$$!" instead of "ugh, girl stuff.") And even when you get romance-driven stories, the male gaze is fucking ubiquitious. I remember having my mind blown some years ago by Outlander -- a show I did not make it through otherwise -- because the wedding episode in the first season has a sex scene in which the camera lingers on the male lead's face. That is some female gaze shit that you just do not see. I just spent a couple minutes checking in with the sex scenes in Bridgerton, probably the biggest romance-genre hit in the U.S. in some time, made explicitely for a female audience in mind, and even there, the camera spends FAR more time on the female leads' faces in sex scenes. Presumably the idea is that the female viewing audience will be inserting themselves into the scene and imagining her pleasure as their own, but ... show me a man's O-face, you cowards.

KP (and BL in general) does that.

I mean, quite literally. But also figuratively - men are posited as objects of desire, and the viewer is the agent desiring them. Taking a straight female as our theoretical viewer: We're so, so socialized to see females as the objects of desire and men as the agents of desire that even media made with straight women in mind parks the camera on the female lead. BL turns that on its head. The female viewer isn't watching a stand-in for herself being desired. She's actively desiring. I hope it's clear that this is miles away from "other girls are threatening." It's about being the one with agency for once.

4. Removal of the burden of one gajillion years of patriarchical bullshit

This is like a trauma response or some shit, istg, but sometimes it's nice to watch a romance not weighed down by 300,000 years of hetero gender relations. How many times have we seen a female character who is just a male fantasy or who starts out great but gets ruined by bad writing and it's like... fuck. Someone has probably written about this a lot more eloquently and intelligently than me, but sometimes it's just like, geez. Leave women out of it. Let us rest. I'm joking a bit, and this entirely elides the fact that non-het relationships can be just as abusive and problematic as a het relationship out there in the real world, but in the realm of fantasy I do think there's an appeal to stripping away at least part of the gender discourse. Especially for a fully escapist show like KP -- personally, I love a good female character, but I did not have any problem with the dearth of them in that series. Don't make me worry, even subconsciously, about the mafia's maternity leave policy, okay?? Contrary to idea that the mlm aspects save some sort of self-insert space for me in that romance, I as a woman-identified person did not want to be anywhere NEAR that hot mess. I wanted a world that touched on exactly zero of my real-life concerns.

Ok, maybe one real-world concern: How to find a small animal vet at an inconvenient hour.

Anyway, like I said at the start, I can't possibly explain everyone's motivations for watching KP or BL or anything, really. The world is a rich tapestry and sexuality is not a simple binary. But boiling it all down to, "women are insecure" ain't it and I would love to see that explanation permanently retired from casual use. EDIT: I forgot the link to the original article.

[mdhwrites]

Going back through TOH's episodes, it strikes me how boring they are. Part of the problem seems to be how criminally unfunny the show is, generally speaking. I can count how many times I've laughed on one hand. In fact I can list them:

There was the "It's been my dream since I was a boy" guy pushing kids off cliffs (Moving Hassle), Luz's "He'll be fine" after throwing Hunter overboard - and then his subsequent re-entry (Hunting Palismen) - and lastly Luz tumbling offscreen in front of Amity after a spider crawls on her face (Grom). That's 3 scenes, 4 jokes if we're being charitable. And sure, maybe my sense of humour is just incompatible with TOH's and I'm being harsh.

But I can't deny that I just feel like there's no rewatch value in TOH? Like it's just... the jokes are so bad to the point it's not fun, it's not entertaining, it's a slog, I see no value in retreading the same ground. And I am a SERIAL rewatcher! This is coming from someone who spends maybe 85% of their time experiencing the same stories! I love seeing well-done media all over again, because even if I know what's going to happen or what they will say, a well-structured joke or a skillfully delivered line is still gonna engage me.

I can't even recommend the show to anyone because I HAVE in the past... and what ends up happening is they watch the first couple episodes, get bored, go "I recognize that you like this, but it's not my thing" and drop it. And I CAN'T BLAME THAT! Because that's how I reacted too when I got into the show! I only stuck with it because it seemed like it was going really interesting places. And it tried to, I think, and failed.

I'm also a very fandom-heavy person so TOH's boring episodes have made it increasingly harder for me to stay within it. Because I'm not rewatching anything, I can see myself in real time as I forget more and more of the plotlines, and even a lot of the characters. It's just... kind of disappointing. It's like I just had a gradual fizzling out of interest. I don't even hate the show, which might be better in some ways - instead I just can't muster enough shits to feel any type of way towards it.

I rambled a bit but I guess my ultimate ask here was: what are your thoughts on whether or not TOH manages to entertain new/old viewers?

So I like S1. I think the characters are what carry it and that they are at their most interesting, EASILY, in S1.

The vast majority of S1, in terms of concepts and executions for plots, is OKAY AT BEST.

This actually just comes down to a simple tonal decision of TOH and also just the fact that a boring world with boring magic creates little to do with bog standard plots and TOH actually has a LOT of bog standard plotting. It is a pretty classic story structurally and takes genuinely very few risks in the structure... Which is okay in theory.

There is nothing wrong with not reinventing the wheel and TOH talks a big game about subverting tropes but no. As a fantasy fan, I can tell you this is EXCEPTIONALLY normal. Like... Insultingly from how much it talks a big game. Especially because if you're going to do classic, you have three options: Shoot the moon, lean into the unique elements of your concept or do it VERY. VERY. WELL.

And remember: They did a body swap episode and it is one of the most hated episodes of the entire show. That's not a good sign.

But this touches on the second problem I brought up: This is a boring world with boring magic. Because TOH's fantasy world is so basic, has little magic and little flair with its magic, it inherently limits what it can do. Now, it doesn't have to be this way but the show made it this way with how little we see of it, how limited it is (like how plant magic is 99% vines), and how often it just blatantly makes one to one comparisons between it and our world with effectively NOTHING altered like how the covens are just jobs, right down to them being introduced through a job fair and a boring one at that.

So when we look at a classic episode concept like the body swap episode, the three plots are... Easily replicated elsewhere. One person gets in trouble in the swap's job because they don't know what they're doing (with the most unique twist of this actually landing them in prison), a classic animal plot where they're taken in by a place that seems cozy and then isn't with literally no changes, and finally... Teenager pisses off bullies and agrees to jump DEAD MAN'S GORGE! But instead of skateboards and people really building it up, its rat beasts.

None of these plots are actually bad, they're go tos for a reason, but... No one is bringing anything special to this. Luz is entirely ignored so her character may as well not matter, Eda is doing NOTHING to add to her plot and King... King is fun for about two minutes leading the bullies and otherwise is just any other character in this situation. It's not bad, I personally enjoy parts of the episode... But it's nothing special. From the second the thing that X character is going to do is revealed, you can guess every step of the plot and they don't even really throw in good jokes in the process. A couple jokes but nothing memorable because everything is weirdly subdued compared to how other shows would be, even in an episode that is definitely trying to be more over the top.

And this runs into the inherent tonal issue of TOH: It doesn't want to be an adventure comedy. Those are genres that are commonly really over the top. They hear jump the shark and go "How about a shark jumping ten other sharks in order to finish making a can of tuna for their fire giant overlord?" And the face of this fact, in that the genres it pitches itself as for the first two episodes!

TOH flatly refuses to be silly and over the top. It's characters are very... 'realistic'. I don't mean real, just that they're meant to feel more mature by being more in control. They don't let them interrupt each other for a joke, they don't let a character be potentially OOC for a one off gag like Hop Pop screaming "EAT THE RICH!" or Sprig asking "Have you ever killed a a man, Hop Pop," and I can only think of one time Luz got mad for the sake of a joke and honestly, yelling about the Rusty Smidge barely comes across as a joke because of how genuine the anger feels after a point. Otherwise, stuff that would normally get exaggerated frustration or the like to at least let you laugh at the reaction just... doesn't get one, like how Luz yells about Luzura being killed off but then... Just walks off and is passive aggressive mostly instead of even exasperated. For a drama or romance, this is not a bad approach but for even just an adventure kid's show... It's not great to put it mildly because people meet odd situations with weird levels of nonchalance. Not quite irony poisoned levels but getting there.

It's why TOH is mostly remembered for the romance and drama episodes. Not only do they allow some of the romance scenes to actually include melodrama, they also just fit how the characters act better. It's why Amity has some of the biggest emotions of the series and why Lumity have such great lines between each other because they're actually willing to lean into the sort of genre fiction that they're doing. This is also why S2 works better than S1 because a lot of the pretense of being a comedy adventure gets dropped but like... There's still plenty of boring in S2 with stuff like how Elsewhere Elsewhen takes time travel and includes a couple jokes at the beginning and then is just... horribly bland and barely qualifies as an adventure.

This lack of allowing people to be emotional and jokey also leads to the reliance on comic relief characters. People like Gus, King or Hooty, or S2 Lilith, who the characters can mock in someway, including the writers. Characters who can be the punchline even if it means a lot of people come off a lot meaner than they should, i.e. Luz absolutely rejecting Hooty for the vast majority of the series despite supposedly liking the weird and rejected. That also means that most of the time they're not on screen, either the scene starts getting pretty dry or you have a character suddenly warp to be comic relief, like how Eda gets in some S2 episodes like Elsewhere Elsewhen or Eclipse Lake where suddenly she's MUCH more of a joke than she normally is and also REALLY bad at it too and seeming potentially brain dead for it. Thanks to Them even does this to Amity even though she is probably the last person in the cast to make sense as a sudden clutz.

All of this stuff makes it so that if you go in wanting a kid's show, a fantasy show, ANYTHING that is pitched in the first episode... S1 is going to be just okay to you. I enjoyed it... But I also fell off when I first watched it. I thought the characters were good but none of it stuck with me as actually memorable and I watched until I think Adventure in the Elements. I never was never compelled to come back until Lumity animations (literally THE Little Miss Perfect animatic that is nowadays probably hard to find actually) made me go "I remember this show being neat." And Lumity was what kept me, not because I was generally laughing or calling these episodes something special. In fact, that sense of unsatisfaction is probably why I watched through it faster than Amphibia. No one episode of TOH is really great to watch on its own because... It's just kind of boring, or like half of it is boring because the B plots across the board are SO BLAND. S1 or 2 for that matter since Lumity starts getting boring B plots like with the archives or finding out the author of Azura. Both concepts btw that could have been really interesting setups and instead... If you're not into blushing Amity, get FUUUUUCKED.

That's without getting into REPETITION. Repetition kills comedy so King having one joke for S1 and also taking up like half of the B plots for the first ten episodes means you are going to be in agony eventually anytime someone talks to him because you know where it's going and you have DEFINITELY heard this joke before. And you know, he also gets three repetitive B plots which just hurts the joke even more, even as they try to make twists on it, and hurts the feeling that the show is doing... Anything..

It's just not good. Which is probably why once the characters and the 'subversive/unique' elements of the show both weakened, more and more people left because... Why would you keep watching this then? Those elements are what made up for boring plots with boring execution in a world that didn't allow for more interesting storytelling because it had few ideas and expanded on NONE OF THEM. So of course people pitch it using the elements that say "this isn't like other kids shows/fantasy shows" because if you pitch it to people who like those... They'll just be disappointed eventually and bored quickly. Like i think a lot of people did to be quite honest.

And a lack of creativity, and a lack of genre understanding, isn't something time could have ever fixed.

======+++++======

The short version of proving this point btw is going "Compare Bumi's introductory episode, which is a character giving three trials to prove another's worth, versus when the Bat Queen challenges Luz. One is exceptionally funny, interesting and has genuinely interesting twists while the other is... There. So very there. Painfully just... there. Not even bad, just... There.

Also, yes, comedy is extremely subjective which is why I tried to talk more about how a lot of these premises are boring because that can be a bit more objective.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past.

I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead.

If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[mollywog]

i have regency!lark questions!

how is the writing process different from other fics (for example, canon-compliant or in-Panem AUs)? how much research goes into it?

do you feel immersed in the world that their mannerisms, speech patterns, etc come easily to you? or does it take conscious effort to regency-fy these things? (as a non-native English speaker, this is the thing i am always curious about when reading historical AUs!)

what are your non-fan media recs for someone who knows next to nothing about regency era? (sorry if you shared something like this and i missed it!)

thank you!

Hey!!!

Thank you for the ask @thesunpersists!!

Oof! My husband jokes that the only history I know, I learned from American Girl Doll books, which is some what accurate: I absorb history best when it’s the backdrop of fiction (especially a romance)

A few years back I went on a ‘classic’ author binge. I would read/listen to a book and follow along with the shmoop/cliff notes/spark notes, then finish off by watching any screen adaptations I could find. (I wish I had known about tumblr then *stares wistfully off into the distance*)

With that in mind, I’m not sure I have a full grasp of what each time period is… Regency is more a vibe than a historically accurate set of dates in my mind; An amalgamation of the things I read and watched and very light research… Idk I don’t want to take the fun out of storytelling by getting too caught up in that stuff, which I understand may not be for everyone.

Anyways…

I’ve enjoyed a lot of adaptations of old books. If we’re talking specifically Regency - in addition to the novels, Pride and Prejudice 95, Emma 09, Persuasion 95 are my favorites! I also love Lily James and Matt Smith so Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was fun!

I know you said non fandom but I’m going to mention cwmilton because I adore their Emma FanFiction so so much!

I think War and Peace is technically Regency Era though not set in England. I slogged through the novel and there were parts I enjoyed, but not enough to do it again. Again my love for Lily James and James Norton had me watching the 16 BBC adaptation and enjoyed it for them and the costumes.

I’d like to check out and Tom Jones is on my list thanks to @wildwren and Mr. Malcom’s List is another I hope to read/watch!

I went through Dickens, Brontë, Hardy, Gaskell so if anyone wants to talk adaptations!

Okay. So I’m not sure I’ve answered your questions 😳… so I would say: usually my desire to write a historical AU comes from recently consuming a peice of media from that period - So I’ve already got the vibe fresh in my mind. But also yes - I do think it’s difficult to write and stay in that time periods speaking pattern and vocabulary.

Anyways, feel free to send an ask or DM if you want to talk fics or historical fiction, or adaptations or whatever!!!

[jennilah]

What's your favourite saw movie? And how would you rank all of the saw movies?

I love saw 4 [I know alot of people hate it, but I adore Daniel rigg, therefore it's my comfort movie]

omg what a difficult question LOL but i have attempted to rank them for myself before..

funny, my ranking now is completely different from my first impressions

anyway get ready for another signature long, way overthought answer filled w series spoilers

disclaimer, being low on the list here doesn't mean i dislike the film, actually. there are none I truly dislike, its just I love the top ones so much that it simply pushes every other down

i was just gonna describe my top 3 and then vaguely rank the rest but i think ill describe all of them. so, in LOOSE order of fave to least fave (def not set in stone)

Saw VI: has my favorite scenes with my favorite character, the FBI plot is thrilling, William Easton's game is one of the best, every trap is memorable to iconic, technical things like the cinematography and lighting and set design is mwah chefs kiss. And, its one of the most satisfying films in terms of finally getting answers to mysteries that have been teased for 3 movies straight, and finally seeing Hoffman get his comeuppance. The last moments of that film are some of the hypest shit. I put this one on when I need to see my man and im craving peak soap opera vibes but in all the best ways

Saw X: As much as I love the investigation plotline, I love how this one takes a step back and you truly get to be with John and Amanda all movie, they got to really spend time on the emotion and heart of the film, and again, it has some of the most memorable and exciting sets and traps, as well as some of my favorite player characters. Cecelia, my queen. it also has i think one of my favorite finale scenes of all of them, where we get to see John in a trap himself!!! and the hello Zepp moment being just. perfection. 👌 I put this one on when I want my Saw-watching experience to feel like a sporting event from thrill and great subtle humor, but i also need to be in the mood for the emotional beats bc they hit pretty hard

Saw II: I will sing this film's praises whenever I can. Its a fantastic sequel and I will tell u why. Aside from Saw X this is practically the one other film where John actually gets a spotlight and he eats up every scene. This fuckin guy. One of the funniest films to rewatch after knowing the signature Saw twists- this dude drops so many foreshadowing comments its honestly impressive and comedic. The nerve gas house is also one of my favorite games, and I love seeing Amanda get a spotlight too. You also get a taste for what the franchise has in store when it comes to the camp and soap opera plotline, so as long as you're into that, its one of the most fun Saw films. I watch this one when I want a more lighthearted Saw experience where it really feels like John and Amanda are up to mischief

Saw V: A little on the slower side, I actually appreciate that this one is mostly about providing much-needed answers and backstory. If you hate Hoffman, I get why this one could be a slog, but I adore him so I'm fine. As for Strahm, this one really shocked me. I thought he was gonna be a one-movie type deal just be killed off at the very start, but he SHOCKED me. U get to watch someone survive a trap, a RIGGED one no less, and go from kind of a cocky asshole to the baddest bitch on the scene. He singlehandedly figured out Hoffman's deal and took it upon himself to stop him, procedure be damned. I was rooting for him so hard, man. I also really like the Fatal Five. And the Glass Coffin. Listen, it's pretty obvious why I'll put this one on.

Saw: The OG. What more is there to say. It's original, it's exciting, it redefined a genre whether you wish it did or not, it's got the craziest early 2000's flare, it's got mystery, it's got drama, it's got it all. I put this one on when I want to go back to our ✨roots✨

Saw IV: Initially this was probably my least favorite but now that I can tell Hoffman and Strahm apart, now that I adore both of those characters, now that I know the plot like the back of my hand so I'm not confused by the copious flashbacks and general lack of answers given and new questions asked, I love it just like the others. Rigg is also one of my favorite game-players, he's just so good and wants to save his friends, watching him mentally toil over everything is really exciting. The traps are also fun. And every Strahm scene. (also this movie is filled with really hot men and lots of fanservice for Jennas like me to enjoy, and enjoy even more with shipping goggles on)

Saw III: This one I love for the progression of Amanda and John's complicated dynamic and lore but I also can't rewatch it often because it's so damn sad, and gross. This one is probably the grossest one between the multiple vomit moments and pig vat. Ugh. But, every Amanda scene, my god. My precious girl. I want to scoop her into my arms. I love her so much. This one I've only watched twice, Im due for another stoned midnight rewatch soon.

Saw 3D: They can't make me hate you. I haven't rewatched this one yet, but I'll rewatch moments for a laugh. I like the potential- all the ideas they had, like the original film callbacks and bringing back Lawrence as an apprentice and finally showing someone dying in the damn RBT, and even the furthering of Hoffman's mental downfall which I'd argue started in 5, were intriguing on paper, but the execution was a bit awkward. I like Hoffman's rampage though. Hoffmanator, my problematic fave, really playing into my love for slashers there

Spiral: this was a Scream movie. but, I like Scream. ill rewatch it one day when im in a specific mood i think. maybe

Jigsaw: meh. dont hate it but i have no desire to rewatch. i do think Logan coming back would be the funniest shit ever

[possumsarenice]

I was originally upset with today’s ep, but after watching it? I’m am SO glad he’s back.

I will explain why under the cut but I am very mean to Bloodmoon there so if you’re in the BM cult you should probably just scroll

I’ve said before when Eclipse died last time that I would rather have an entire arc with a mediocre villain the another Eclipse arc, and Ruin was a good palette cleanser! I had some time away from Eclipse and I can handle more of him now. I’m glad Eclipse is back because the few seconds where he disabled the weapons were 800x more entertaining then all the screen the other villains got. Bloodmoon was fun for a little bit, but his entire character is just hyper murder and maybe some personal issues the writers don’t care enough to to even keep consistent (seriously, it start as family issues then turned into being seen as a tool). He’s not smart enough to be the main villain so the only way he could be a top priority is by working under someone, and every time it’s the same dynamic. He’s a pretty shallow character that works for a minor antagonist and just doesn’t fit as a main villain. But they tried, and that just made me stop caring about his character. I have more burnout from Bloodmoon then I do Eclipse. Bloodmoon has become a boring, static character for me. Every episode centering him was an unwatchable slog. I am, so fucking tired of him.

Eclipse has an actual character instead of one singular trait. He has changed over time (and not fit the better). And him going from an almost depressed state to becoming a showman about his plan is interesting! I’ve never been a major Eclipse fan, but I’ve liked his character for awhile. And while I do still think the writers are at risk of running him into the ground, what they’re doing with Bloodmoon is SO much worse that I can’t complain. Please just ANYONE but Bloodmoon or “mysterious murder mastermind” PLEASE JUST ANYTHING BUT THAT

[seeminglyseph]

It is a little wild sometimes seeing Invincible the superhero series being written about as like... "new and innovative" or something... because I did absolutely read the comic in 2010, and there were multiple trade paperbacks at the time.

I mean, I know full well "I read the comic" is a useless phrase because The Boys is also coming out, and the comic for that is just as dated and I avoided it for the most part because I liked DC Comics and didn't want to read Ennis' unhinged gore porn. DC was going through its Dork Dark Age that needed commenting on that is fully lost in commentary now, I feel like a madman trying to explain that now that like... "I mean I think this is around the same time Teen Titans decided to bring back the Wonder Twins, Wendy and Marvin from the old cartoons, including their Wonder Dog, only it turns out the dog was a monster who ravaged and mauled them to a bloody mess. Marvin is killed on the panel, and Wendy is gravely injured and paralyzed from the waist down. She got an Oracle moment in a different book with a more optimistic tone, but that was far from the original intention, or the only Teen Titan killed in a gory and gratuitous way on the pages of Teen Titans. The comic most likely to be picked up by children because of brand identity."

I fully stopped reading DC Comics because of Lian Harper back in the day... like. Then they rebooted the universe so it fully didn't matter but like. It very much confuses me when I hear like... "it's so innovative to see superhero media where it's fucked up."

And like. Clearly, the only superhero media you are consuming is MCU movies or spinoffs. That's the shit that I was pretty sure these comics were commenting on. That's the hell Frank Miller built for us.

Injustice: Gods Among Us came out in 2013. How are we still acting like "Superman but bad" is the most shocking concept. Anthony Starr's acting is fucking stellar and I do enjoy most of Kripke's writing. I did my time in Superhell. But like... I mean the fact that the Seven are a Justice League parody and The Boys have to bed over backwards to try and parody Marvel is like... man, this was written when someone else was on top, and now modern audiences are mixing metaphors because the DC references just aren't relevant unless sexy Harley Quinn is in it.

I have a migraine and maybe no actual point... I don't want to return to the era of pointless gratuitous violence in comics. Like I said, it made me stop reading because any time I even started to get attached to a character, they were brutally murdered or went through something traumatic and changed or left or were sidelined or something. It was just... exhausting and stressful. And paying money to be stressed out and disappointed was like... not fun or interesting. I think a lot of The Boys fans are experiencing that with this most recent season, which feels authentic to the comic experience. (A season four event is very close to a real-life trauma for me, so I'm making a mental health decision to not watch it at the moment. But I am watching fans spiral into disappointed rage. It's interesting...)

Anyway, this has been a rant about Superheros that doesn't really go anywhere. I think I'm gonna go smoke a blunt for this migraine and the stress. I'd suggest people broaden their horizons since like... there's been grimdark superheroes forever, but it's like... it's a mostly miserable slog through various fluids and rushed art and bad plotlines that go nowhere. And most people probably got revealed to be sex pests at a minimum by now because the industry appears to be full of monsters... I'm very tired.

[cer-rata]

I think the only major comicbook death that gave more than it took was Superman's. Partially because it was always obviously a temporary shakeup, but mostly because we got Kon-El and John Henry Irons out of the deal (and that sweet mullet). It didn't derail big blue long term, but it let some interesting stories play out, and honestly reinforced why Clark specifically was important in the first place. 9/10 a great time.

The death of Gwen Stacy was actually pretty interesting from a story perspective. Peter's lives bleeding together and leading to the death of someone he loved is like, his biggest fear and seeing him deal with that was interesting. It really mattered and the ramifications were wide-spread. But it also kind of cemented the trauma porn incline that he's hurtled down since. I'm fine with traumatizing Peter, but for the love of god after a while it becomes a slog. Plus, the way they did it was...strange. It was jarring to see realistic physics suddenly become important in a Spider-Man comic of all places. Like it worked for shock value in the moment but upon further reflection...eh. 6/10

The death of Jason Todd was a mean spirited affair. I'm not even just talking about watching a teenager get the crowbar and blown up. Jim Starlin actively hated Jason, so it wasn't a respectful well measured sendoff. The story was contrived, wildly racist nonsense. And it was a vote! They left the life of a main character and the narrative fallout of that up to a fan vote! Why?!

Unlike the death of Superman, we didn't get a bunch of fun new characters out of the deal, it actively changed the tone of Batman stories for the worse, (in my opinion) along with the killing joke. But I'm going to say it, I think the Killing Joke was better written, gave better future plot hooks, gave us the path to Oracle and actually had ideas, despite the fact that Moore is cursed to have people completely miss his point every time. It treated Babs poorly, and Moore has admitted that was a mistake. But I'd argue the Babs we got because of that completely elevated and ascended the character.

Anyway, Jason came back and has been a mess ever since. No one knows what they want to do with him but he's too popular to shelve. His personality has worse continuity problems than...than...hmm. Let me get back to you. His very presence is often used to call the concept of Batman into question in the most cynical and uncharitable ways. And any growth he has is often gone by his next appearance. They had him do wildly dissonant acts of violence early on, and then pivoted him away from being a villain but then didn't consistently support that. It's maddening! He's like a player at a D&D table who actively exists to poke holes in the tone and logic of the world. Ahhh! 2/10 fix it in the next continuity reboot.

[giantkillerjack]

To give credit to the last of us for its queer rep, it’s not just queer characters who have tragic/bittersweet endings. Literally everyone (siblings, parent and child, heterosexual) queer or not, has tragic endings. The older queer couple gets the best one out of all of them.

I guess? I mean, it is certainly much better than if they were the only characters to die in the storyline. But people were on tumblr talking about how theirs was a happy queer story. And I think it is the misleading discussion around these characters that bothers me even more than the writing. Like if I had watched that episode instead of looking up the plot summary, I would have had a meltdown at the end when they both died because I truly had gotten the impression that it was going to be a happy story.

But now that I've mentioned the writing:

It's nice that they live till their 70s. It's nice that they get 20 beautiful years together. And it's a bit fucked that the writers felt the need to end those 20 long years on-screen with a terminal illness and suicide in the same episode they are introduced. It would have been incredibly easy to just say that those men get to live on past the end of the episode. There are a million reasons those men could have continued living in the story.

But that's the thing about a show like this. I think there is a distinct possibility that this show is actually incapable of writing a satisfying happy ending.

Craig Maizin, the show's writer, gained acclaim recently with Chernobyl, proving that he is apparently excellent at writing a long, horrifying tragedy in which character struggle only to find there is no way out.

(His other main credits are The Hangover sequels and the Scary Movie sequels, most of which I haven't personally seen, so make of that what you will.)

But more than the writer's background, the show itself troubles me. It has this repeated mantra in it that goes, "when you're lost in the darkness, look for the light." Which is a cool phrase.

But I have reason to suspect that this writer genuinely doesn't know how to write the light. I have no reason to believe he does. I hope I am wrong.

But when you write episode after episode after episode that is an endless inescapable slog of tragedy and desperation - and then advertise it to me, a sick queer person actually living through a pandemic and trying to escape disease and poverty - well.

I think a better writer would include moments of light and hope beyond just trauma bonding. Moments that don't end in death.

When my wife writes about characters in awful situations, there are still these moments of genuine loveliness and fun and joy between the characters; these moments remind the reader what is worth actually fighting for, living for. Imagine! Entire chapters in a post-apocalyptic novel in which characters don't undergo a "hacking someone to death with a cleaver" level of trauma!

But the fact that Bill and Frank still had to die even after an earnest attempt to tell a beautiful love story....

I fear that the light the story ends with - if there is any - will be as dim and desaturated as the show itself. And personally, I am at a point in my life where I don't care to see a story like that.

It's fine if you do like it. It doesn't matter to me if you find beauty in a tragic queer love story. There are places for that in this world. But it is tragic. I am sure of that. And I wish I hadn't been seeing posts saying otherwise, ya know?

And I hope I am wrong about the writer. But I see cracks in the premise. Like in Stranger Things. There was always a promise of light that kept me watching, but it never seemed to come. Instead, the misery and trauma continued to stack and compound for the lead characters, like in TLOU. But... does the writer know how to make that worth it, for us, for the audience - for me? I don't think he does.

I think it very possible that the light isn't really coming for Ellie and Joel in a way that provides catharsis because I have noticed that on shows with no intermittent joy and hope, this is too often the case.

But I do hope I'm wrong. Because if I am right, then a lot of mentally ill fans will leave the experience more depressed than if they hadn't watched it at all.

But for my own part, I'll just continue to skim through the show for monster design ideas. And also I'll say that everyone should watch Infinity Train - ESPECIALLY season 2 of Infinity Train, if they'd like to see a story in which people actually DO find a light that makes the whole journey feel worth it.

[hunter-sylvester]

hey I saw you when I first got into the metal lords fandom but I didn't know you also liked shelter, what do you think Hunters opinion on would Ema be? (not that they have too much in common but i feel like he'd like her) Also, Hunters opinion on spoon?

Hey 🤘

I have been enjoying Shelter, but definitely in a much more casual way than I do Metal Lords.

I haven't really thought that much about how he'd feel about them/how they'd feel about each other, but I like the question. I'll have to base it off of the 4 episodes that are out so far, of course. Which isn't that much so this may change based on what else we see from the characters. (also might contain very very slight spoilers for those episodes idk just a fair warning)

Firstly, I don't disagree that Hunter might like Ema if he actually got to know her a bit. But I feel like on first glance he'd feel somewhat threatened by her.

Like, I think he might feel like she was sort-of invading his territory by being a weird, grumpy, alternative outsider. I also think he'd be a bit jealous of her professionally done temporary tattoos, although he would absolutely never admit that.

(this got kinda long, I'm sorry. I have a lot of opinions about Hunter and how he works/thinks lmao)

With how standoffish to new people both Hunter and Ema are I think it would take something of a 'forced' bonding moment for them to initially get to know one another. Because on first glance, Ema would probably think Hunter is just a massive dick. (Which is fair.) And Hunter would think that Ema is a dick. (He's got the self awareness of a wet rag.)

Basically, I feel like the first few steps of them getting to know each other would be an uphill slog through barbed-wire laden mud. But after that, and once they actually do get to know one another, I think they could make quite good friends in the long run. They're both (basically) canonically queer and I personally view Hunter as gay and Ema as a lesbian. So they could have quite a fun dynamic based on that and all their other quirks combined.

I think he'd dig her art too, he might even ask her to design an album/EP cover for Skullflower. That could be a nice initial way for them to interact in a more open way. Probably after the first mutual "yeah maybe you're okay, actually" moment. I don't think we've had much of a confirmation of Ema's music taste but she might like their music as well. And very very maybe she could even sing a chorus on one of their songs. That might be cool. Although I think it would take some time and personal growth on Hunter's part for him to want/be okay with something like that.

Now, Spoon. Weirdly enough, I watched an interview where Adrian was asked if Spoon and Hunter would be friends and I don't disagree with his answer:

"I think Spoon would give it a shot, I don't know if Hunter would be up for it."

In addition tho, I think if Spoon manages not to accidentally press too many of Hunter's buttons, he would be able to wear him down. (Which sounds terrible, but I mean it more in the sense that I think Hunter just needs a bit of time to get used to people.) Spoon seems quite accepting of Ema's general grumpy-black-cat attitude, so I think he would probably extend a similar patience to Hunter. Which I think is something Hunter needs in people, it's a quality I think Kevin has. Someone who doesn't take the odd snappy comment or what I call "hedgehog moments"* too personally.

*hedgehog moments or 'hedgehogging' is basically when someone feels threatened so they metaphorically curl up and stick their spines out in a reflexive attack to keep themselves safe. (I don't know if it's a term anybody but me and my friends use but it makes sense in my head)

I think Hunter would initially think Spoon is...well...lame as hell, unfortunately. And probably pretty annoying. I think one of the things that might help Hunter see him in a better light would be if Spoon impressed him somehow. Either by getting him in somewhere he's not supposed to be through the Janitorial Offspring Network or something tech related. Like, maybe getting him a download of some unreleased music he couldn't get otherwise. Like once he sees him do some 'cool' illegal shit his tune might change. Other than that I think just the persistent non-judgemental attention would do the trick over time. Spoon seems pretty loyal and like a 'fierce' friend. Which Hunter would appreciate with his abandonment issues and fear of being "invisible" (cough result of parental neglect cough)

Thank you for asking! I enjoyed scribbling my thoughts on this down ^-^ I do hope it's not too long and jumbled (I have adhd, if it's a mess, that's why)

As always, this is just my 2cents based on my interpretation of the character(s)

[shegoesbyjoy]

i've been thinking a lot about why Disco Elysium in particular has touched the core of my being in a way no other piece of media has and i think there are several factors at play here. this is half a review and half me dumping my various thoughts on this game ever since i finished it a couple months ago.

AS A VIDEO GAME ITSELF—i've been trying to identify what exactly it is about certain games that causes them to rise above all the rest that i've played, and i have come to the realization that in all of them, combat is usually one of the least consequential things on that list. i love Hades, have dumped 160+ hrs into it, but despite it being a very combat-heavy game with extremely tight controls that i do find truly satisfying, that is not what kept me playing. it's the characters, the art, the story, the world-building, the music...

similarly, while the combat in Horizon Zero Dawn is really quite fun, what really charmed me about it was its spunky, badass protagonist and fascinating mechanical creature designs, in addition to the story set in a world that captivated me from beginning to end. Night in the Woods took my breath away with its emotional & poignant writing told through a unique & delightful art style. i didn't even finish The Last of Us, but Ellie's moment with the giraffes is ingrained in my brain—and of course i went ahead and watched someone else play through to the end so i could enjoy the rest of the story without having to slog through zombie fights myself. so while i always appreciate well-executed combat in games (and have given up on games that do it too poorly), it's never what keeps my interest.

SO. what happens when you take combat out of a game entirely, and absolutely excel at everything else? you see where this is going.

THE CHOICE OF MEDIUM—the fact that DE's story was told through a video game (as opposed to a book, a show, a movie, etc.) is absolutely crucial, because of your active role in the consumption of said story. i think that's what gives some of its scenes such devastating emotional impact. watching this train wreck of a character that you happen to be playing blurt out the most unhinged responses despite your best attempt to salvage the situation, coming to terms with the awful reality of what's in front of you at the same time Harry does, seeing the immediate results of your choices as well as slowly realizing how your choices affect the story long-term as the pieces start coming together... all of this creates an immersive experience that is unparalleled. the game doesn't take self-insert so seriously that the protagonist ~can be anyone~ (Harry's characterization is, in fact, very strong and well-established) but there's absolutely no way a Disco Elysium book or show would have the same impact as me having to progress the story by fucking around and finding out.

GAME SPOILERS AHEAD—combining these two aspects of DE helps to explain what made the tribunal the MOST TENSE i've ever felt playing a video game. this is essentially as close to combat as you'll get in this game. you've just spent the last 20-30 hours becoming very familiar with the mechanics of the game with regards to the dice rolls. you become accustomed to the fact that most skill checks are white so you can come back to them, and that red checks are comparatively rare. enter the tribunal: suddenly you have several very high stakes red checks in a row. you can't leave. you can't try an individual check again if you fail. the story itself has been alluding to this very moment throughout the game. people are DYING, and the lives of those that remain, including your own, are on the line. your earlier decisions have come to a head.

it was 3 am when i got to this point in the game, and the reality of the situation i found myself in shook off every bit of sleepiness i'd been feeling up to this point—my eyes were wide open and my heart was pounding.

i know many people who play video games derive a lot of satisfaction from perfecting mechanics, learning patterns, or deducing the weaknesses of a difficult boss. for me, this satisfaction gets dwarfed by the frustration of having to spend far too long dealing with it in the first place. triggering a boss battle oddly takes me out of the story, because it feels like a very marked switch from "being the protagonist in the game's world" to "sitting on my couch playing a Video Game", where the same repetitive action of "killing the enemy" becomes my goal, no matter what the game is.

by contrast, the tribunal was very much a continuation of the story with each skill check having immediate results on how that story plays out. no other moment in the game was quite like it, and i had no idea how this sequence of events was going to go, so every action felt extremely fraught. i was on the edge of my seat in a way no other game has gotten me to feel, because the weight of this encounter felt monumental in DE. and of course, this is where you come across an iconic skill check where you find out exactly how much your previous choices matter...

i was so damn nervous during this check i probably would've cried if i failed it lmao

FUCK YOUR EXPECTATIONS—this leads me to the other thing that's got me smitten with this game: the subversion of expectations. dialogue options are never written so transparently as to have a "correct" answer, and trying to stay neutral with my answers got me a well-deserved smack in the head in the form of a brutal burn about the dangers of centrism. we have 3-dimensional characters that make you growl in frustration one moment and your heart swell in the next, descriptions that make you marvel at both the beauty and ugliness of humanity, situations where you feel crushed by sadness and dread then want to cry tears of happiness because despite all of it, there is still magic left in the world. it's also so goddamn funny. this game is fucking hilarious—and what is comedy, what is a punch line but the subversion of an audience's expectations established during the setup?

Disco Elysium is a game that far exceeds the sum of its parts. it excels in its storytelling, its voice acting brings incredible life to said phenomenal writing, its gorgeous painterly art style is visually compelling, its music is flawlessly incorporated to full effect, it's intellectually stimulating and fascinating philosophically, and as a murder mystery (oh yeah that's what this game's premise is, right?) it's just plain fun to reveal clue after clue while pondering theories as to what the heck is going on. these individual components come together to create a multi-dimensional piece of media that's deeply human, yet fantastical and absurd. it's uncomfortably relatable while inspiring empathy for even the most unfamiliar of experiences.

for instance, i have no personal experience with alcoholism or addiction, but boy do i sure know what it's like to have a compulsion to apologize at every opportunity for simply existing—to want to cease existing, period. i don't know what it's like to grow up and live in a post-soviet country yet the experience in-game felt as vivid as ever, inextricable from the story's identity. i felt a pang of pained recognition in Kim's complicated relationship with his race as diaspora, and found myself wishing i had the ability to respond even half as effectively as he did with the Racist Lorry Driver during my own past run-ins with racist assholes. this game has caused me to think more deeply about my own politics, my relationships, the world around me, the power of art, the role of capitalism, beauty, hope... even what it means to be alive.

A CHANGED PERSON—a realization i came to a while ago while talking to a friend was that almost all of the media i had enjoyed up to that point shared a theme of escapism in one way or another. there have been many moments in my life where i wished to be somewhere else. to be someone else. i immersed myself in stories where the fantasy of it seemed so much better than the reality of my own life. this game forced me to reckon with where i am, who i am. and not only that, it encouraged me to be accepting and loving of the here and now, despite every single flaw i seemed to be obsessed with pointing out. it made it abundantly clear that constantly running away was not a viable way of living, and that flaws were not a reason to give up. "something beautiful is going to happen"—i should very damn well let it.

it's not an exaggeration to say this game has changed me irrevocably, and the fact that this impossible piece of art even exists in this world feels like a miracle. i'm so grateful that i got to experience it.

[yeehawbvby]

Falling Away With You | Ch. 20

Sebastian x F!Reader and M. Rasmodius x F!Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: You have to drink that weird potion from the game that makes you trip out and stuff lol have fun with that sucker

Author’s Note: I know a lot of you are here for Seb, which makes me nervous to say this: For the next few chapters, Seb will be around, but not the main focus like he has kinda been.

I really hope I don’t disappoint, and that y’all enjoy this anyway ^^"

(Also, here is your reminder to see chapter 18 for a visual reference of Ras if you need a refresher, since he's visually based off of a mod in my story!)

Table of Contents + Work Summary

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My dumb ass feels guilty about sorta kinda going behind Seb and Sam’s backs and visiting the tower in the woods on my own. The fact that I’ll be going back again at some point is gnawing away at me.

I knocked out pretty soon after hitting my pillow last night, but I’ve spent the whole day after meeting Magnus moping around. Using snacks and cozy Ghibli movies in bed to cope. Couldn’t be productive even if I wanted to.

It’s just like… I have trust issues, whether it’s not trusting enough or over-trusting. What gives me the right to betray someone else’s trust, y’know?

I’m a monster.

Or, I’m totally making this a bigger deal than it needs to be… Maybe. Ugh.

Maybeee if I just come out and tell them I went there – or at least tell Seb – it won’t be too bad? Yeah? 

I sigh for the upteenth time today, very dramatically. Pausing Howl’s Moving Castle (y’know, maybe watching a movie about a wizard isn’t helping…), I flop my head back down to the pillow, accidentally causing Cannoli to stir next to my feet. Then, I crack my knuckles, and grab my phone from beside me.

< hello 🕺

Sebastian > hello yourself

Sebastian > what’s up

< are you busy rn?

Sebastian > not particularly

Sebastian > miss me already? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

< shut up

< i just wanna talk about something i guess

< it’s not like

< serious or anything

< i don’t think

Sebastian> that’s not at all comforting

Sebastian > wanna come over?

< sure, i’ll head there in a sec

< love u 🖤

Sebastian> gross (love you too 🖤)

_______________

Head fuzzy and pits sweaty from my nerves and the heat, I slog my way over to Seb’s house. I should get, like, a bike or something. Or a car, once I finally have a steady income from crops. I haven’t driven in a while — used to love it, for the small amount of time I was able to.

Then again, there’s like, no roads I could even take to get around town without ruining shit. I wonder how Robin manages to get around with that big ol’ truck of her’s.

“You look like a mess,” Robin immediately points out as I enter the workshop. Rude… but understandable.

I groan, shuffling over to the counter and leaning atop it. “I was up later than usual and now I’m grumpy.” That’ll be my excuse, sure!

She stands up from her custom-made, fancy-ass wooden chair and leans across from me, lowering herself to eye level.

“Everything alright?” she asks, seeing right through me. Reaching out to put a comforting hand on my shoulder, she gives me a soft, lopsided smile. I tend to forget how quickly Robin’s motherly instincts can flick on, considering how much of a little shit she typically is.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, I think,” I nod, “I’m just a big dummy.” “You’re not wrong,” she teases with a cheeky smile.

I laugh in response with a snort. “I’m outta here.”

“Be safe down there,” she sings out as I start my descent to the basement.

“Ughhhhhh–” 

“Is mom being a creep again?” a muffled Seb calls out behind the door, having heard my pained groans.

As I enter, I answer, “When isn’t she at this point?”

“Fuck,” he mutters. 

He was playing something – dunno what – but I’m assuming that was a response to whatever just happened. He clicks a bunch and leans back in his chair, takes off the headphones that were only half-on anyway, and brings his eyes up to me, indicating that he’s quit out of the game. I notice as he gets up that I’m still just awkwardly standing at the door, so I promptly make my way to the sofa, where he joins me.

“So?” he prompts. Shit, right to business.

“So, er…” I fiddle with some of the callus on my hands. Why am I so nervous?

“You went to that tower, yeah?”

I meet his eyes in shock. How the fuck did he know? Unless this new theory, that he can read minds, is true. “Y-yeah.”

“I had a feeling you would,” he smugly grins. This fizzles away my previous worries, but introduces the fear that he’s actually so goddamn perfect because he’s had a backstage pass to my motherfucking brain for the past several months that I’ve known him. 

“And you’re not, like, mad?” I question, trying to push my paranoia aside.

He shakes his head. “I trust that you wouldn’t do anything that you think is unsafe.” I sigh, and lean on his shoulder. He wraps me into a warm cuddle. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

I nod shyly. “I felt so bad for lying to you guys.”

“There are worse things to lie about, kid,” he laughs.

“‘Kid?’ We’re basically the same age,” I protest. As if I’ve never called him “kid” before.

He lightly noogies me, and I frantically flap my hands against his tummy until he stops.

“I had a feeling you were gonna go there yourself,” he claims. “You’re normally too stubborn to give up on something so quickly.” I whine, not liking how easy I am to read, but I don’t defend myself. Because he’s right. 

Only further supporting my theory. 

“Find anything cool?”

“Yeah, actually.” I wonder if I should tell him about all the magic stuff for a sec, before opting out. “The man who lives there is really nice, and his house is gorgeous. Suuuper talented plant-dad,” I enthuse. “He agreed to let me bring Abby over sometime, too. We have plans to meet up again beforehand. Ya know, so we can really win her over without it seeming like some predisposed thing.” 

And so that I can, like, learn magic or about magic or have something to do with magic. 

I look up to check Seb for a reaction, and he’s frowning. “What’s up?”

“Why ‘we’? What does he want with her?” “Long story. It’s nothing creepy,” I promise, “but I’m not sure if he wants me just… telling people his business. So I’d rather not get into it, if that’s okay with you.”

Seb nods, but his features don’t falter as he looks blankly across the room. 

“What’s up?”

He seems to shake away a thought before placing a kiss on my forehead. “It’s nothing, baby,” he tries to assure me.

I don’t believe him.

I groan under my breath, “Sebastiannn.”

“Hm?”

“Seriously,” I pry, “I can tell you’re bothered by something I said. If you are, I wanna fix it, or help, or something.”

“No. Um…” he thinks for a sec, as my eyes scan his face for answers. If there was anything I thought he’d be upset about, it would have been me going to the tower alone. “Fuck, whatever. Yeah.”

I sigh. I’m about to ask him what I said or did, when—

“So you know about all that arcane shit now, yeah?”

My eyes widen again. “Oh my god you are a telepath, aren’t you?”

“What? No,” he shakes his head. “Well… I mean. Yeah, I am, actually.” !!! “But I don’t use it, like, ever.”

My stomach drops.

What if he’s lying to make me feel better?

I push my insecurities aside again. “Then how’d you know?”

Seb leans his head against the top of mine and sighs, playing with the ends of my hair as he speaks. “I went there once when I was younger – had to have been, like, 20 or somethin’ – and met Magnus. Haven’t seen him in ages… it was all too weird for me.” Wow. The last thing I expected to hear was that he actually knows the wizard himself.

He continues, “I didn’t want anyone finding out about it exploiting him somehow, and it also just, like…” He takes a moment to gather his thoughts. “I figured all that fantasy sorta shit is best kept as a genre, and nothing else, ya know? I’ve been into it in games, manga, everything, as an escape from real life for as long as I can remember. The idea of living and experiencing all that stuff firsthand freaked me out. So,” he shrugs slightly, lightly jostling my head. “I just kinda kept it to myself, eventually deciding to abandon it all together. Ghosted Magnus, which obviously was a dick move, but I’d figured if I was needed or anything, he’d reach out. Aaand he never did. So… yeah.”

He puts a big hand on mine, bringing awareness to the fact that I’m clutching onto his black t-shirt so hard. Whoops. I ease up my grip.

“I’m sorry if this, like, triggered anything for you,” I say, looking up to meet the rich indigo of his eyes. “I had no idea anyone knew about him and what he does, really.”

“No, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault,” he reassures me with a dry laugh, “I didn’t think I’d still feel this bitter about that stuff.”

“Do you have bad blood with Magnus or something?” “No, not at all,” Seb rejects. I notice a tiny smile forming on his features – one that I don’t think even he knows is there. “He was a really great friend for the few months that we knew each other.” “Just mourning a loss, then?”

“Yeah,” he sighs with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Something like that.”

A few beats pass before I softly offer, “I can give him your regards when I see him again, if you want. Just for closure if nothing else, y’know?”

He shakes his head as he replies. “Nah, no thanks. I’d rather do it myself if I ever feel like it.”

I slowly nod. “So… would you be against me learning magic?”

Seb doesn’t answer for a little, but I don’t prod. I want to give him time to think. I consider the question, too. I really, really want to get involved in this stuff, if it’s actually, like… in my blood or whatever the fuck. I want to respect Seb’s past, but I haven’t been this eager to learn something new in forever.

He breaks the silence, finally. “Kinda, honestly.” I can feel myself deflate. Fuck me. “But I wouldn’t stop you from trying it.” …Oh?

I raise my eyebrows, a little surprised that he’s so chill about this, given what he’d just told me. “You sure? ‘Cause I’m pretty stoked to do it, honestly,” I confess, not able to keep a grin from forming as I think of what’s to come. “But you’re more important than becoming a wizard or witch or whatever the fuck.”

“I think so,” he responds, scruffing my hair a bit. “If it’s something you want, you should go for it, as long as I don’t have to be directly involved or anything.”

“Of course not. I’d never want to put you in a situation that could hurt you.”

Seb kisses my forehead, muttering something about me being a big sap, then wraps his thumb and forefinger around my chin, bringing my mouth up to his. I ignored his cheeky remark in our texts earlier, but god, I really do miss these lips when I’m not around them. I deepen our kiss and reach up to take his face in my hands, thankful that this went relatively well.

_______________

About a week and a half has passed since I’ve really left the farm. My most recent ~off-campus~ excursion was when I visited the wizard again for a small overview of what I’ll need to do in order to start this weird, magical journey of mine. That was a few days after I met with Seb to apologize for being a sneaky lil’ rascal.

I’ve been balls deep in preparing my farm, hoping I can get some more land ready for crop-growing by autumn. I knew that it would be in my best interest to use the sudden hyperfixation as fuel to work. I can only live off of Grandpa’s inheritance for so long.

A few mobile Discord calls with Seb, Sam, and Victor, with strict instructions not to come over until further notice, have been keeping me motivated as well. I always find it easier to get things done when someone other than myself is there to hold me accountable, but get distracted too easily to have someone else physically present.

The downside to this, though, is that I missed a supposedly important town event: some beachy potluck luau… thing. It sounds like it was boring, but I kind of wish I got to experience it for my first year here. I had no idea it even existed until Seb and Sam called me from the party itself, and at that point, I didn’t want to show up covered in soil and empty-handed.

After that, I realized I should touch some grass that isn’t mine, deciding to leave the house at my next possible opportunity.

This morning I received a letter from Magnus, telling me to go see him in his tower at my earliest convenience. I wonder if he could read my mind from all the way over there… 

Coincidence or not, my excitement about all this fancy magic stuff hasn’t fizzled away whatsoever — unfortunately taking precedence in my mind over what I’m now calling Mission: Abominable (Heh, get it? Like, Mission: Impossib– sorry.) — so I made his task my duty for the day. 

Going to Magnus’ house this time is a lot… friendlier on my body than the past two. I still feel that weird connection to it, but it seems like it’s eased up. As if the spirits know I’m mentally locked-in on fulfilling some weird destiny of mine, and decided to cool it with the obnoxious straining. 

I jog up the stairs, my favorite skirt swishing around with each step I take. Noticing his lack of telepathic intrusion as I slowly waltz up to the door, I knock. 

“You home, Magnus?” I call out.

“Yes,” he shouts, verbally, from what sounds like a far room. “One moment, please!’

Upon his confirmation, butterflies float around my tummy. I promptly start fidgeting with the sleeves of my tucked-in henley. 

The flutters are probably just there because I’m excited to learn more about myself, and magic, and whatever.

The door opens in front of me, and Magnus looks a little disheveled. “Apologies for the wait,” he grins, “Please, come in.”

“Everything alright?” I ask, eyes trained on his messy tresses. Noticing this, he reaches up to flatten it all back into place.

“Yes, I was just struggling to find something I’ll be needing today. I’ve acquired it, though!”

“Cool,” I respond. I wonder if that “something” even has anything to do with me… I hope I didn’t interrupt his original plans for the day. “By the way, is it okay that I just sorta… showed up?” I begin to stim with my sleeves again as I speak. "I can give you a call or we can set a date next time, or something.” 

“Don’t worry about that,” he reassures, guiding me over to the cauldron. “I foresaw your arrival.”

“So you can predict the future, too, huh?”

What sorta shit can’t this guy do? I mean, I guess if he’s powerful enough to constantly maintain a magical barrier around the valley, he’s gotta be a strong and talented wizard. But still.

“To a certain degree, yes.” 

“For how long did you know that I’d be coming here the night we met, then?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he muses with his back turned.

He’s setting up a bunch of ingredients on the counter. I peek around him from my place on the opposite side of the pot and see a few crushed leaves of some sort, some flowers that I dunno the name of, mushrooms, bearberries… ooo, I wonder if he’s making a potion today! Excitement brews (Really, I am so sorry for all these puns) within me as I realize that this is all real.

I muffle a laugh. “No shit, that’s why I asked.” 

“Ah, of course. That makes perfect sense.” 

“...So you’re not gonna tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

Fucker, I think, rolling my eyes despite the big dumb smile plastered on me. 

“Language, miss,” he exclaims as he turns to face me, his amusement closely mirroring my own. 

So “shit” is fine, but you draw a line at “fuck?”

“Sure,” Magnus replies. I palm my face, shaking my head, as my body shakes from giggling so hard. “I’m kidding, of course,” he confirms.

“Respectfully, get out of my head,” I sigh. “Seriously, how many of my thoughts have you heard?” 

“No matter!" Ah, great. More ambiguity. “I’m brewing for you today a potion that will help you hone your potential skills,” he explains, mixing his ingredients into the cauldron. It smells funky… hopefully it at least tastes okay.

“It won’t hurt, will it?” I worry out loud, moving closer to his side now.

He peers down at me and shrugs. “Well, no, but you may feel a little nauseous. That’s more of a byproduct of the taste, than the properties of the mixture itself.”

“Ugh. So it’s gonna taste as, like… musky as it smells?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” he grins apologetically. “Fear not, I have a solution!” Magnus leans his stirrer – I haven’t seen the bottom, so I’ve got no idea whether it’s a spoon or not – in my direction. “If you’ll be so kind as to take over, for a moment.”

I take the device from him and continue to mix the elixir. It’s not as… pretty as the one I saw a few nights ago. Just as green, but more bubbly and sloppy than it is shimmery. I wince, trying to imagine what the texture is going to be like.

Magnus rummages through a drawer underneath the surface he was working on before. “Ah-hah!” he whispers.

He spins around, and is now holding a sealed stick of rock candy in his hand. The full display of his ever so slightly crooked teeth, and the way his little mole scrunches underneath his eye crinkles as he beams at me, is just as sweet as the treat he’s holding. This man is precious.

“T-this should make it more bearable,” he prompts. 

His eyes flashed pink for a quick second, and he stuttered for the first time since I’ve met him. Please tell me he didn’t hear me calling him precious. Or… thinking of him as precious? Agh. 

He holds out the treat for me, and we swap places again. I grin down at the candy, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. It feels a little juvenile… like, if you eat your veggies, you’ll get to have some dessert!! I don’t think it’s intended by any means – Magnus has been nothing but pleasant to me, and apparently to Sebastian too. 

And it’s not that I don’t like it... I fucking love rewarding myself with snacks.

Why am I so self-conscious about this? Get it together, lady.

I shyly thank him, fumbling around with the white ribbon that’s neatly tying the candy’s plastic wrapping in place. “Is this gonna be as… chunky as it looks?” I question, scrutinizing the liquid.

“Indeed it is.”

“Gross.”

I look up and see him nodding, a pained look on his face. “Luckily, it should go down quickly, so long as you don’t gag.” 

He smiles again, this time more lopsided and not-so comfortingly. He knows it’s gonna suck. He knows that I know it’s gonna suck. I think he’s slowly realizing that his attempts to dilute my worries are pointless.

I groan, prompting a chuckle from him. “Just think of the candy, (y/n),” he softly encourages. As if he isn’t laughing at my pain right now. 

I nod curtly. “Think of the candy,” I quietly repeat, soothing myself. Glaring at the dumb, bubbly goop in front of me.

Magnus lifts his stirring device – it’s just a long-ass ladle – and pours some of the contents back into the mixture. “It looks like it’s ready!” 

…Good lord. I really don’t do well with big textures. This is going to be a nightmare, if that sludgyness is anything to judge by.

“It looks like it’s disgusting, you mean?”

“If sweets aren’t enough comfort for your psyche, think of the results!” he says while scooping the potion into a small, glass vial. Looks to be about a shot glass or two worth of liquid. 

He hands it over, and while I inspect it, he continues, “Regardless of whether or not you have the capability to create magic, you will be more in tune with nature, which will help in your profession. You should feel less fatigued from hereon as well, and–”

“Ah, that’s right! We don’t even know if I can be a wizard or whatever, yet.” I complain, nose scrunched.

A moment of uncertainty passes, before he breaks the brief silence. “...Think of the candy?” He winces, smiles, and shrugs, his eyebrows upturned.

I take a deep breath in and out. “Think of the candy.”

_______________

“Fucki’g shit, Magnush!”

“I’m sorry, (y/n)! I promise you that I have never heard of a reaction quite like this!”

From the ground beneath him I moan in pain, rock candy hanging out of my mouth, my arms around my stomach and knees tucked to my chest. My eyes are pouring with tears – not of sadness, but of pure agony. 

“It hurtsh sho bad, oh my fucki’g god!” I slowly lean forward, resting my forehead on the surprisingly cool iron of the cauldron.

The potion was just as disgusting as I’d imagined it would be, but that shouldn’t have been my main concern, apparently. I’ve never felt so bloated or crampy in my life. 

Think: worst period cramps you’ve ever had, perhaps with endometriosis, but then cranked up, and also it’s in your stomach too. I have no idea what childbirth feels like, but I can’t imagine this being far off. This is fucking awful.

I’m almost positive that I’m allergic to one of the ingredients he’d used, because neither of us know why else I’d be reacting like this... Unless my body is just that resistant to the arcane.

Magnus, blue-eyed with guilt, hastily drained out his cauldron and began crafting a new tonic upon the realization that I wasn’t just super icked by his concoction. This new one should (hopefully!!) have healing properties. He’s anxiously mixing new ingredients above me with one hand, partially leaned over so that he can keep his left palm comfortingly atop my head.

“I’m sorry, my dear, truly! I’m working as quickly as I can.”

I know he didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but in my pained delirium, I feel so betrayed. I whine out in response, letting the rock candy fall from my mouth and onto the floor where it shatters.

“I’ll clean that up later, I’m sorry,” I sob. 

“That is the absolute least of my worries, (y/n)!”

He murmurs a quiet spell of sorts, gives the mixture one last stir, and softly rubs my head, before going to grab a vial for the new potion.

Wiping away the tears that obstructed my vision, I lean back slightly, swivel to the side, and look up, watching him pour the new elixir. This one is pretty, which hopefully is a good sign: cerulean, thin liquid with specks that resemble a prismatic glitter floating through it.

Magnus kneels in front of me, ready for me to receive the potion. But noticing the self-soothing death-grip I have on the fabric of my no-longer-tucked shirt, he instead takes matters into his own hands.

His blue eyes become rosy as he focuses on my pout, bringing the vial to meet it. I sniffle and open my mouth slightly to wrap my lips around the glass tube, craning my neck as he puts a large hand partially on my face and partially on the side of my head for support.

This potion is a lot colder than the last, and feels slightly fizzy going down. It’s soothing. I’d say it’s almost as sweet as the rock candy I’d destroyed earlier, too. And luckily, the instant it hits my stomach, I feel better…

But now I’m painfully aware of his thumb softly brushing my jawline, the blush on his cheeks, the blush on my cheeks, the faint warmth of his breath, his fingers in my hair, the— 

He pulls his hand and the vial away, smiling. His eyes are their base shade again.

“Better?”

Heat grows up to my ears and down my neck, as I nod. “Much,” I squeak out. 

An uncomfortable pit forms in my stomach as I notice that the ghost of his touch is still lingering on my skin like static.

[ciaossu-imagines]

Hi !

Just passing by to say that I really enjoy your writing! It's always so fun to read. I would like to read even more from you. Would you recommend any of your the other series you write for to me considering that I have read khr and bsd ?

Aww, thank you so much dear!! That's so nice to hear and I'm so glad you enjoy it! And it flatters me so much that you want to read more of it!

Now, as for recommendations, I will say that every single fandom I write for is one that I would recommend. I write for each of them because I love them and honestly do think they're amazing, in terms of story or character, but there's also caveats to each of them! So I'm just going to do the reasons I think you should check them out and what I think are their downfalls that might make them not your particular thing, just in case anyone else was wondering the same thing!

K PROJECT is definitely a huge one on here, and chances are that if you liked BSD and KHR, you probably will like this one too. It has a pretty art style and a tendency, much like the others, to have very bishie characters and cool uses of powers. The story is solid the entire way through and honestly, everyone will be able to find a character in this large cast of them who they really do love. Add onto that that, for the most part, the K fandom is large for an older anime, and really a very, chill, accepting fandom. Drawbacks: There is more noticeable fanservice in regards to female characters. And it is a big one to get into - on top of a two season anime, there are films, light novels, manga spin-offs (and honestly, Memory of Red is such a love of mine, same with Days of Blue)...I'm not saying that you have to consume all the content, just that there is a lot of it out there, if you do tend to be someone who really does need to read/watch everything for a show you enjoy, and some of it is hard to find.

NANBAKA is one I dearly love. It starts off a lot like KHR did, as a gag comedy series with some action elements and, a lot like KHR, shifts itself into a shounen with comedic elements. Again, much like KHR and BSD, you'll find a cast of very bishie men, and I do like all the female characters introduced so far, who are all smartly written. Again, it's another story with a huge cast of characters, so there really is something for everyone. It's got two seasons of its anime, and the manga isn't wildly ahead of where it's last anime season stopped (though I've only read until 192, where my manga app stopped, though I recently got a source to read further, so I'm planning on doing that), and I do feel you get pretty much the same story either reading or watching. Drawbacks: The first three episodes for sure are a bit of a slog to get through unless you really like gag comedy. Much like the Daily Life Arc in KHR, it's mostly just introducing characters. At episode four, the story for the first season starts to really shape up, but episode seven is pure filler for the most part and always seems really disjointed to me. For episode eight onwards, I was hooked - so hooked I had to go read the manga for more. I will also say that it has a very unique art style and character design, with a lot of very bright colours used, so if a very soft, pretty art style is something you're after, this might not be your cuppa.

WELCOME TO DEMON SCHOOL, IRUMA-KUN! is a more recent fandom of mine but a great one. It's one where I watched the anime first and am now just reading the manga, so I'm warning that most of these opinions are based mostly on the anime, which is three seasons long, so a bit more of a commitment than some of my other fandoms. I don't know how to really explain it, but it has a really nostalgic feel to me. It takes me back to when One Piece, Naruto and Bleach were these major things in anime. I feel like Iruma really has that classic shounen feel to it in some ways. I feel like, if you like shounen overall as a genre, you're going to end up liking this show. Drawbacks: That being said, there are drawbacks. Again, it's a bigger commitment and I do feel like Iruma, the anime at least, does have some serious pacing issues at times. If you are someone sensitive to pacing in your stories and need the story to progress rapidly from one thing to the next, you might not enjoy this one so much.

SERVAMP is one that I do think any fans of KHR and BSD will like. It's got a similar art style, really cool uses of powers, interesting characters, and a solid story. Drawbacks: The anime ended while the manga continued. While the anime was a good adaption of the manga up to the point where the anime ended, it does have a different storyline near the ending, because they just didn't have more material to work with. So, while it's a short anime, easy to watch with only 12 episodes, and is a really good show on its own, I will write about characters as a manga reader, with all the new twists and turns and all the new characters introduced so you might find yourself lost on some things as a strictly only anime person, if you are one.

SAIYUKI has been such a long time fandom of mine. I read the manga, but I think the anime adaptions have mostly been fantastic, though they do censor quite a bit. The characters are insanely easy to connect with and love, the story is well thought out and paced well. You can watch the original starter anime on youtube here. Drawbacks: That being said, there are definite drawbacks. It is an older series, with the art reflecting that. And it's a huge series, with there being multiple parts to it - the original Saiyuki, Saiyuki Gaiden (exploring the character's past lives), Saiyuki Reload, Saiyuki Reload Bast, Saiyuki Ibun (a prequel that explores the story of an important side character)...and another, major drawback, is that, much like Hunter x Hunter for example, I really don't think that there's ever going to be a solid ending for this series.

MYSTIC MESSENGER has so many interesting characters, and unlike some other otome games, the story is so incredibly well-developed, thought through so well, and it really has a way of breaking your heart at moments, with some fantastic character development and story arcs. Drawbacks: It is an otome game, so you do have to like those, and I argue that it's an otome game that takes a shit-ton of commitment to play, more so than any other game I've played.

IKEMEN REVOLUTION has beautiful art, interesting characters, and some of the routes they came out with had such amazing storylines. You will definitely find a favourite character. Drawbacks: It's an otome game, so you do have to enjoy those. Some of the routes can be a little bland, and because it's not getting any new content, there's a chance the person who ends up being your favourite might not ever have a route (FUCKING GIVE ME A BLANC ROUTE!!!)

EYESHIELD 21 is, in my opinion, everything a sports series should be. There's interesting and complex characters, well developed character relationships, exciting moments, moments that break your heart, and you really, really grow connected to some of these characters so easily. It spoiled me on a lot of other sports series, honestly. Like KHR, it really undergoes a fantastic art evolution which is also really interesting to see. Drawbacks: It's a sports manga, so you have to like that sort of thing. Also, I say manga because, while it does have an anime, I do think the anime has to be one of the ugliest I've seen and they did my favourites so dirty.

THE OUTSIDERS is a novel I've loved since grade nine. I love the story, the characters and their relationships with each other, the dynamics between those who were born with privilege and those born in poverty. All around, a fantastically written book. Drawbacks: It's going to break your heart towards the end.

RONIN WARRIORS is a long, long, LONG time love of mine. It's cheesy, it's fun, it's got a good overall story and I love the characters to death. It's easy to find, with the series on YouTube here. Drawbacks: It is an old anime, with the art, voice acting, and animation style reflecting that. I also find that the anime took a bit to get going, and I honestly find myself rewatching the OVA's a lot more than the actual series. I love all three but Gaiden is my favourite, and I probably suggest trying the movie first to see if you connect with the characters, since it takes a lot less time.

KEKKAISHI info. Drawbacks: I really don't think you can get as good a story or as much of an impact without reading the manga, which does take a little bit to really get going. I do remember the first volume being really slow and a bit of a slog to get going, though it's a slog that is well worth it for the story you get in the end and the interesting, complex, realistic characters you get and the amazing powers and power systems you do find in it.

GETBACKERS is a really fun anime. It has these wonderful, fascinating characters with well-developed and interesting relationships among themselves. The story line is really solid and well-paced. The power system is really cool, and in the anime, the fanservice isn't too unbearable. Drawbacks: This is one where I honestly couldn't finish the manga because of the horrific amount of gratitutious fanservice on the part of their female characters, so I do recommend the anime, which can be found here on YouTube. I do warn that it is an older anime, and the art can lean that way at times, though I still personally enjoy it!

BLUSH BLUSH is my go-to relax and forget the world game. It is technically an otome game, though one with a lot of grinding elements and it doesn't really have too much in the way of actual character routes, having more of a general storyline and fun dialogue. Drawbacks: You really do have to enjoy those kinds of games, and some characters and things like the fully voiced DLC and the 18+ DLC that allows you to see the guys naked do cost actual money.

CLASS OF THE TITANS is a really fantastic Canadian cartoon. It's an older one, but I really don't think that impacts it negatively at all, since the art was really unique and well done, the animation still holds up, the characters themselves are wonderful. Also, for Greek mythology nerds, you'll have fun with this series! You can find the first season here! Drawbacks: Worst ending to the series and worst final arc I've ever seen, but that is just my own personal opinions and I know some people who loved it.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is arguably one of my favourite superhero cartoons. It was done by Disney XD, with a fun art style, good voice acting talent, and the fact that it's set in high-school is a definite difference from a lot of the typical superhero cartoons and something that really did work in its favour. It's humorous, the characters are great and they each really do get their moment in the spotlight. Drawbacks: It is a cartoon, not an anime, and that might not appeal to some people, and it might be a bit difficult to find.

There are also some fandoms I love and would honestly love to write for and add to the fandom list on here, but that I'm not sure if there'd be any interest in, so I'm just going to briefly list them here!

DOGS: BULLETS & CARNAGE - fantastic manga, though definitely goes to some dark, dark places and if you're someone who can't really stomach things that are more on the seinen side, I definitely don't recommend viewing it.

BLACK CAT - It's a pretty solid anime, but I really do feel you get a much better story and a much better look at the characters in the manga. However, just watching, it's still really good but again, as with a lot of my other fandoms, this is very much an older one, so the art style does reflect that.

HUNTER X HUNTER - Both as an anime and as a manga, it's a fantastic story, full of fascinating, complex characters and is definitely a shounen classic for a reason. However, much like Saiyuki above, I really don't think we're ever going to get a proper ending for Hunter x Hunter, just my personal opinion, and that is something that might bother some people.

KARNEVAL - It's a really pretty show and manga. The art is gorgeous, and the story is interesting, though I feel some of the characters do fall a bit flat at times.

THE ROYAL TUTOR - Fantastic show, beautiful manga. You're going to find a favourite character with no issues, because they're all unique and charming. However, it can be a little too slice of life or non-action packed for your typical shounen fan.

GANGSTA. - Fantastic show but an amazing manga. That being said, much like Dogs: Bullets & Carnage, it goes into some dark places and does have some things that might go over the line for some people.

PSYCHO-PASS - I cannot say enough good things about this and if you liked the character designs in KHR, you'll likely love these. However, again, it definitely crosses some lines that people might not be able to handle.

THE MIGHTY DUCKS - I love them, but honestly, I'll admit - it's a set of three hockey movies from the 90's, made for kids, so I doubt anyone else still remembers and loves them.

THE COVENANT - Long live the Sons of Ipswich! This is just a really fun movie, full of really pretty guys and some good action scenes, an interesting premise, and it's one of my favourites but...it's corny as hell and I admit that.

DATE WARP is a fun otome game that doesn't take a long time to play, has an interesting story line, and some really, really great characters! However, it is an otome game, so you have to enjoy those, and the art isn't as polished as it is in some other otomes.

SEDUCE ME THE OTOME is another really great otome game, with a sequel game that really, really fleshed out the storyline and characters so well. However, again, it's an otome game so you have to enjoy those and the art is very unique compared to some of the art used in other fandoms.