#nice to see we're getting these at least but still feel so sad and lacking on a real celebration this year...

[arklayraven]

We got a message from Lucifer for og OM HDD 2023 💙

[thezombieprostitute]

Fireflies

Written for Essie’s Summer Lovin’ 300 Follower Celebration.

Prompts: catching fireflies; “who thought a place with mosquitoes was a good idea?”

Summary: Jake helps you kick off your vacation in the best way.

You've been having such a rough few weeks, maybe even few months at work and Jake has been trying so hard to help you out. You finally have some time off coming up and he's been working hard on figuring out all the things you can do, that you need to do, to help you really relax and enjoy the time off.

He's definitely starting you out on the right foot by picking you up from work. You step into the car, give him a kiss, and just collapse into your seat.

“So what's the plan, Jakey?”

“It's a surprise,” he smiles. He hasn't hidden the fact that he'll be taking care of you but he refused to tell you all the ideas he'd come up with.

“Can we get some food first?”

“That actually is part of the plan! Let's go get your favorite fast food.”

“Yes! You're the best, Jakey!” You lean over and kiss him again before buckling up and heading out.

It's about an hour-and-a-half later and you swear Jake is driving to the middle of nowhere. The only reason you're not grumpy is because he got you extra fries without even having to ask if you wanted them. The sun is low in the sky and you haven't seen any signs of civilization for a while.

“Jake, are we lost?”

“Nope,” he answers confidently. “I've got the GPS and I managed to bounce off some...unsanctioned satellites so we can always have a signal.”

“So, where are we going?”

“I told you, it's a surprise!”

You give him a suspicious look but his grin never falters. He takes a left onto what looks more like a path than a road and drives for another twenty minutes or so. At least the scenery is nice. You don't often get to the woods like when you were little. You kinda miss them. The path is taking you through quite the forest and you think it'd be nice to take a walk through them with Jake. Maybe that's what he has planned!

The path ends at a clearing in the woods with a small lake. Jake immediately declares “we're here” and jumps out to start getting things from the trunk of the car. You chuckle at his enthusiasm and step out, taking a look at the area. You and Jake are the only signs of civilization out here. It really is just a lake in a clearing. You know you've told Jake you wanted to get to the woods more, but you'd kinda hoped he'd opt for a cabin or something.

You feel a mosquito bite on your arm and instinctively slap at it. Then another. Then another!

“Jake,” you call to him, “please tell me you brought bug spray!” Jake is walking towards with a cooler and he stops. His expression betrays his answer. “You brought us out to the woods without bug spray?! It's mosquito season and we're right by a body of water!” You're still smacking spots on your arms.

Jake's head drops, “I...I didn't think of that.” He winces and you know he's been bit as well. “I just...this spot is...” he drops the cooler and starts smacking the bugs that are increasing in number with the darkening skies.

“Let's get back in the car,” you suggest. He doesn't argue and makes sure you're safely in before he puts gets in. Within the safety of the car, the swarm of mosquitos dwindles and you're both able to take out the few that make it into the car.

Jake lets out a sad sigh, “they said this place would be best.”

You turn to Jake, “who thought a place with mosquitoes was a good idea?”

“I cross-referenced a bunch of firefly websites with angler forums to find the best places we could go to for fireflies. I wanted you to start your vacation with a little magic and I fucked that up.” He sags in his seat, resting his forehead against the steering wheel.

Your heart flutters at how sad he looks. He really did want to do something nice for you. Something he knew you would love. Taking you to the woods, seeing fireflies. If it weren't for the mosquitos, or the lack of bug spray, it really would've been a wonderful night.

You gently caress his cheek, “hey, you tried. You put in a lot of effort for this and you know I appreciate that.” He turns to you and sees your gentle smile. “We still had a night of good food and even better company.”

“You really mean that?”

“Absolutely,” you assure him with a kiss. “We should probably head home, though.”

Jake nods and buckles in while you do the same and look out the window.

“Jake!” you quietly yell. “Jake! Look! The fireflies!”

Sure enough, the telltale flickers of light are starting up all around the car. You're absolutely giddy with excitement, even tearing up a little. It's been so long since you've seen so many in one place! You stop making coherent statements and just give appreciative noises of delight as you unbuckle and practically bounce around inside the car to look at them from every window.

By the time you calm down, Jake is just staring at you with loving eyes. You grab him for as big a hug as you can get in the vehicle.

“This was the best, Jake! Thank you so much!”

Tagging @alicedopey; @bigtreefest; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @ronearoundblindly

[missezramay]

ted lasso, post-finale thoughts.

I went into the finale thinking yeah, if the writing serves, I can accept any outcome even if it's not exactly what I want. Instead, I was hit with a plethora of mixed emotions I didn't expect to have. Confusion, anger, hurt, annoyance, small bursts of joy in between, and just deep sadness. Almost 20 hours later and I'm still incredibly dissatisfied and processing. For the most part, finales should provide a feeling of celebration and relief. I... don't feel any of that.

I'm just really trying to pinpoint why I'm so sad.

Of course everything inevitably has to come to an end. Of course Ted was always going to reunite with his kid. Of course it's not about winning or losing. Of course Tedbecca can remain platonic if that was always the plan. Of course that's the way life goes, but...

For a show (and this season particularly) that constantly encouraged us to 'believe' and 'hope' in the idea that 'everything will work out', all those 75 minutes did was take me on an unsettling, emotional journey for no concrete reason other than to mess with the audience (the opening scene was just adding salt in the Tedbecca wound I've had since S2). Because everything in a macro sense, "worked out". But the WAY it "worked out" does not sit well with me?? And it's supposed to? For a lot of people (on Reddit/Facebook, lol), it was enough?? Richmond not technically winning and Ted leaving like that without so much as a tear? What am I missing??

When I tell you I'm trying to embrace the good parts, I'm really trying. Yes to KBPR & the women's team, Yes to Colin kissing his fella, Yes to Rebecca & Mae & the guys owning the club, Yes to Roy becoming Manager.

So... why am I still so upset? Hmm, let's see.

The boys' musical number? The cutest. Ted didn't think so.

Nate's apology? Heartbreaking. Ted didn't bat an eyelash.

Rebecca begging twice for Ted to stay? Ted, absolute silence.

Beard staying/getting married in London to his toxic gf? Comic relief, haha, fine. Except Ted wasn't there as Best Man.

Don't even get me started on the huge disservice to the Roy/Keeley/Jamie triangle.

Now listen, I get that he misses Henry & Henry misses his dad. I'm not that cold. A father/son's love is important. It was always the catalyst for this show; for him to work on himself so he can be a better father unlike the one he grew up with. That's fine.

But on this particular week. His last week with his Richmond family. There was NO sense of him being sad to leave them. He can be sad about missing Henry but he can ALSO be sad about leaving. No, he just completely checked out. He let everyone pour out their hearts (Hannah's getting her third Emmy, mark my words) to him, and he just stone-faced the entire time.

THIS DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.

The argument is that he was internally processing, he was overwhelmed, he was trying to distance himself so it would hurt less. Fair points, okay. But this is a television show, moreover, A FINALE. TV characters, while relatable, are heightened versions of ourselves, there so we can better process our emotions and learn to handle things better in our real lives. Ted deserved MORE dialogue and displaying MORE emotion than whatever this was.

We're never going to see him again. We're over here crying along with Rebecca, Nate & Beard, but he didn't sob once. Even though he spent three years building a family with them. I even thought, hey at least he left his legacy with Trent's book but newsflash, he wanted his name taken off that too! Complete erasure.

I just feel so robbed of better moments. Like there were nice moments here and there. But they could've been BETTER. Honestly, Nate & Rebecca's breakdowns were close to perfection, so much love there. But the lack of dialogue and Ted not reciprocating? Broke ME.

I just cannot. understand. this. choice.

Massive sigh. I'm just truly baffled by the way everything wrapped up and not getting the satisfied feeling that one half of the viewership got. Maybe I'm in the minority, but that means something. It carries weight. Also, for a "three-season arc" that was planned well in advance, why all the rewrites and parallels and fakeouts... it's just cruel. But as the theme says (and maybe this was a warning all along), yeah, I guess this might well be it.

This show has given us so much and the last season flailed for the most part. I don't want to disrespect the show by being negative and cynical (looks like I failed!!) or cast blame on anyone in particular. The cast/crew are amazing people and I'll be grateful for being a part of the journey but I'm just so sad and this feeling sucks and I will never get over it.

Going to miss them. x

[pseudowho]

Hi Haitch!!

How are you? I hope your kids are feeling better from the fever!! I need advice on a situation I'm in. How do you tell a guy that he's being too clingy(?) without hurting his feelings?

I'm currently friends with a guy who used to like me but I friendzoned him so we decided to stay friends. However, he is quite clingy at times online. For eg, he would text me non-stop when I haven't replied to his message or would sometimes touch my shoulders and direct me in the correct direction even though I knew where I was going. There was also a moment where he tried to put his arm around my waist but was unsuccessful since I was carrying a backpack. However, that did not sit right with me. I would admit that I'm a horrible texter(I would reply a few hours after someone messages me), but I did tell him that at the start of our friendship.

Also, ngl, I don't really like it when he touches my shoulders or me since we(more like I) made it clear that we wouldn't be touchy with one and another since it is weird for me since we're not in a relationship(this was happened when I asked him if he liked me) and from my past friendships with guys, they don't really touch their female friends in general. (I'm quite a sheltered kid who doesn't make friends with guys quite often unless my friends introduce me to theirs)

I might be paranoid about his behaviour. I'm not sure, but some things he does just throw me off. I did ask for advice from friends, especially mutual friends who know him, and they said to just cut connections with him. However, I don't want to be mean and do that since he is a nice dude, but sometimes I just dread texting or meeting up with him to study together. I'm not sure if his behaviour is him being clingy or he still likes me(he told me he doesn't anymore) but I'm getting kinda uncomfortable or at least weirded out by his behaviour. I'm really at a loss here. :(

- internally confused anon :°

P.S

I'm sorry for overloading this with you, Haitch! I don't have any older sisters. I could ask for advice on this, and this has been weighing heavily on my mind for quite some time now. :(((

You have, at multiple points in this Ask, used misogynistic, woman-blaming language to diminish the ways in which he is ignoring your blatant wish to not pursue a relationship with him.

"Friendzoned". "Without hurting his feelings". "I'm a horrible texter". "Paranoid". "He is a nice dude".

Aside from the longer-term importance of you increasing your self worth, and not continuing to parrot the fundamentally victim-blaming language of the society you have grown up in (not your fault!!), there's one straight answer here.

Stop trying to protect his feelings. He knows exactly what he's doing. His continued abuse of your personal space and lack of consent relies entirely on your submission, and your wish to not hurt his feelings, and he is taking advantage of that.

He seems to believe that your "No" actually means "Keep trying-- try harder, in fact! Eventually, she will say yes". The sad thing is, you haven't felt confident enough to say "No", because you're prioritising his feelings when he's prioritising getting into your clothes.

Don't protect someone who isn't protecting you. He's not a "nice guy", kiddo.

Get tougher. Call it out directly.

"I told you I don't want you to touch me like that-- if you don't stop, I won't be spending any more time with you."

"If I don't message you back, it's because I don't want to right now, and I don't need your permission or approval to do that. Constant messages while I'm not wanting to talk, is harassment, and I hate it."

And the good old:

"I don't view you romantically, and I won't view you romantically. Stop."

Ghosting him isn't a way out-- it's a sticking plaster over a gaping wound. I implore you to see the way society has conditioned you to believe that it is your job to school the behaviour of boys and men, and I implore you to fight for your own rights.

This may sound harsh, but step back. Be as angry as you should be. I believe you can do this.

None of this is your fault. You've made it clear in every way other than words, and he seems to think you need to paint "NO" across your body in red, for it to count.

Love,

-- Haitch xxx

[tetitous]

OK I think I'm good to give my thoughts about the last 2 episodes now (warning, it's long)

I'm so fucking wilded out by the whole wakfu extraction scene. It was absolutely painful.

I have to applaud the transition between Yugo's old and new VA, it was super clean. I really like his voice, it's so soft and yet you feel it has some power in reserve, though for Valentin Vincent (yes, if you're an ff7 fan you see it, I see it too) to win over Fanny Bloc in my heart he'd need to give me a godlike performance, for now I need to grow used to the change.

I believe I said somewhere some time ago that Eliatrope landing on the WoT could have some drastic repercussions, seems like I was wrong then, I'm okay with that.

Poor Nora, I just- she's only ever done her best, she mourned for a brother who used her like a puppet, how fucking cruel is it that now her powers is what's putting the world in danger and there's nothing she can do about it. Efrim being so devoured by his hunger that he feels hatred for Eliatrope and doesn’t care about even his own twin sister is so sad. He calls Eliatrope an egoist, as if anyone was owed her life force, and he sees nothing but sustenance. I do remember someone saying that you become someone else when you discover what true hunger feels like, it's what him being folded in two over his own stomach reminded me of. I hope there is some way out for them, but I'm not sure that I can be hopeful.

Talking about that, Toross Mordal. He can't forget himself to his own anger, like the others, but his mind still can't prioritize anything else. It's interesting to me that to him Yugo was just a means of sustenance, and yet he showed him more sympathy seemingly than he did to Nora, the central piece to his plan. Does Yugo remind him of someone else? Himself? I also think a lot about the way he's on loop about how Eliatrope "could have kept on feeding his people for centuries", he says it so often, and I wonder if it's meant to parallel Eliatrope's "we're doomed" attitude. They're both on loop about their own situations.

The whole dichotomy between "monster" and "pure" seems to reach some conclusion, that probably being that these two concepts don't really mean anything but "who we feel like we're allowed to demonize or not".

It's very strong with Qilby, who's been labeled as both by people. He's been a blast those last 2 episodes, I wouldn't call it a redemption arc, but an acceptance of his complexity. Yugo was right in s2, Qilby cannot deal with loneliness, and moreso by the void. The one thing he really wants is for things to exist so that he can discover them, to compensate for his lack of connexion. Beyond that he understands that no one can truly get him, and that's okay, he seems to have done some self-reflection if he actually came to that conclusion without much anguish. He's reuniting with the one person who can get it, hopefully at some point some form of compromise can be done so that the White Dimension never becomes a necessity again.

Turns out Lokus WAS a Mechasm after all, interesting to have rebooted the species a little. You can be "worthy" of them, the conditions of this being kind of unclear. Given the parallels between the Eliacube and the Eliasphere, it seems, strangely enough, that both Yugo and Qilby have been deemed worthy. I'm kind of fascinated, I want to understand how they work a bit more, but I don't think we'll be given much answers.

I have so many thoughts about Yugo it's unreal. First I want to comb his hair, he's pretty but haircare isn't on point, tbf that's part of the charm I think. Because I really, really want to be the one to comb his hair. Yeah he's already going up there on the babygirl list. That's powerful.

The fact that Yugo has a mind protection mechanism thanks to the Eliotropes is beautiful to me. They, or at least Oropo, did want someone, anyone, to aknowledge them, and Yugo going from refusing to accept them to giving them a full Persona-style recognition was nice. I want to know more about them, specifically I want to see which aspects of them are their own, and which they originally got from Yugo, because I see them both as some extensions of Yugo and as their own people. To me, the moment you are separated from your "original being", you start to be "you", so something different. Oropo only being one of many actually helps me to appreciate him more. Still an asshole though. Yeah I do believe they're real, otherwise Yugo couldn't have come up with Bouillon, y'know? Let me just have some Yugo chilling with his not-quite-clones from time to time, let me figure out their individual deal.

Amalia is going to pop off, love that for her, curious about what her and Yugo's reunion is going to be like.

We heard nothing from the Percedals, well for now their big arc has been handled I guess, but they'll probably come back for the finale, their friends will need all the help they can get, after all. Actually so much of Eva's personality can be understood through the prism her abandonment issues, but her it doesn't feel like we have reached the point where her arc can be considered close, but her deciding to trust Flopin, trust the people around her, to give them love, really reminds us how far she's come from the person who refused to adress Amalia by anything other than "princess".

Also not much of Ruel, he's probably going to be torn between his two treasures: his money and his friends needing him, and Ruel is generous in the ways that matter. At least that's my expectations. Kinda wish we had more comic relief moments, but let's be real, it wouldn't have been appropriate atm.

I'm surprisingly normal about the fact eliatropes seem to be able to make their own clothes.

Did I say everything I wanted to say? Ah no, wait

The scene where Ad is being all self-depreciating and Qilby's coming back like "Hey, missed me?" Was hilarious, I actually laughed out loud and I really needed it.

Bro Qilby calling Amalia superficial. On the one hand she does rely a bit too much on appearances, on the other Qilby can talk, he doesn't know her and makes some pretty mean assumptions. Wrong ones at that, because Amalia knows Yugo and loves him beyond appearances, and so does Yugo. The irony of it all isn't lost on me.

Armand had such a wisdom glow up, good for him.

Other thoughts may come up, but that's what I have right now. Can't wait till next week I'm too excited

[alitgblog]

okok finally caught up on litg s9

gonna try to summarize this neatly bc my game didn't save properly and I played volume 10 twice and sped through volume 11

Zeph is hot and thats a problem for me bc I'm so annoyed at the lack of branching and consequences in this game it has manifested into me making up story for fusebox about MC being upset that Stefan keeps acting like nothing is wrong when I personally am still upset casa amor got Chen dumped (ok that was my fault technically but only bc I wanted him to come back to drama). So now I'm like MC should have a summer fling with Zeph, why not

they're so wishy washy about how Kelly and Finn broke up and it just all feels like hearsay all the time. at the end of volume 11 they seem to decide Kelly thought it was all done pretty respectfully but her comments in volume 10 about movie night seem to disagree??? just asking for a little bit of consistency since I gotta track other people's drama other than my own

also so sorry to kelly who is actually interested in zeph and I am less so interested in him and more just annoyed at the bad writing for stefan

the writing has always been stilted and/or cringe but for some reason I notice it especially with Zeph, like it does feel like his dialogue was written by AI unfortunately. And it puts me off his character a lot, except, again, he's hot and so maybe I'm just like hey don't hurt your pretty head trying to think up romantic scenarios, Zeph. Something odd about him too is he doesn't mention any previous connection to Love Island, and I know he's a new character, but at least Henri and Chen talked about their last times on the show.

I'd like to apologize

I don't know what surprise we're getting next volume but for my own storyline I kinda want the guy dumped post casa to come back. like I'd go back to Chen easy. but this is my delusional ass still just hoping we get drama from casa bc they dropped the ball on it again this season. Curious about talent show but considering how they fucked up Mr Love Island I have little hope.

I forgot this meant we'd have to deal with eddie. hes there like Johnny/Nicolas to the point where I almost prefer if it was one of them around but at least his chaos run makes more sense than johnny/Nicolas just randomly deciding to stir shit out of nowhere after leading MC on and the game forcing us to couple with them.

Eddie pls stfu poor Kelly

said this before but if eddie was gonna show up for heart rate challenge why didn't he do a little dance? is it because he sucks as a bombshell??? YEAH. It makes so much more sense to switch him and Zeph, like yeah that would mean we have less time with zeph and more with Eddie, but Zeph could put on a good heart rate challenge performance and Eddie could be way more catty and start shit during movie night than Zeph who wanted to play nice.

I'm so sad to say goodbye to Finn because it felt like he didn't get a good chance (unless MC is pursuing him I guess). but compared to Hamish, who, even if he got dumped here, would've had a lifelong friendship with MC and Natasha and had multiple chances to couple with people, it feels sad to see him go without a good ending. I mean I guess he's got closure with Kat and Kelly, but he felt always stuck in those couples whereas Hamish tried to explore connections with Natasha, Uma, and Melissa. I just think we should've let him punch Eddie in the face after eddie was so mean to Kat and MC.

I've decided to watch the hamish route vicariously through yall and I'll go for wither zeph or Stefan unless something else wild happens until the finale. so yall better tell me what happens it was such a hard decision when the game narrowed it down ��

I also think it would be great if we had chats with characters to decide who we're sticking with. like this season aside from maybe the beginning henri/chen/MC/Melissa thing, it feels like one of the other girls always asks you "who do you want to be chosen by" and then you tell her and that person picks you, but then you never address it or outright reject the other person face to face. it's always just like two sentences or just "a sad look" or a gem scene I'm not paying for.

one positive thing I've seen this last volume though is the mini date with your LI before Zeph's date. like its one of the better scenes they've written that isn't just someone outright saying I like you or just chatting. like its fun, and the only other moment I can think of that's similar that doesn't cost gems is the Hamish eavsdropping scene. now if only this was also tailored to your LI because as someone coupled with Stefan, low key unexpected, but imagine if I had picked Henri??

also a lot more choices this volume were worth 10 gems I think

that being said the amount they're asking for in the heart rate challenge is crazy for literally one scene because MC's outfit is like 14+ gems, then you van go for am extra 10 to see your male LI's outfit, and then another extra 10 for the female LI outfit. and this hardly changes the gameplay or gives you more info 🙃

[vole-mon-amour]

If Larian had more time to develop the game before coming out of early access, Act 3 would be unstoppable. I quite like the city and how much there is to do, even though it falls flat in the end, especially with your companions and romance interests. You can't follow Halsin to the Grove. You can't see what your OC and Astarion do after. You can't see your PC and your companion settling down—there's no actual closure. I talked about that right after I finished my first run, but I still feel that way.

Act 1 is nice, but you're not familiar with the world just yet. Your mission is to venture forth and nothing yet. I don't mind it, but I wouldn't want to linger there.

Act 2, in theory, is very cool. The Underdark, the Shadow Cursed Land. But the lack of sun there and monsters that ambush you want me to run to the city as soon as possible. It was also the reason why I completely skipped the Underdark on my current second run. Not only the area is HUGE, I get lost there very easily and such a dark and grim place makes me feel claustraphobic in a way. I want to get out of there as soon as possible cause its suffocating and contributes to my anxiety after some time in there.

So when I get to see the sunshine again, the lanterns, the city lights, the inn we're staying in, it's all 🥰.

I do wish Larian could improve Act 3 and add more to the city and its content with time. Perhaps with a DLC or something. I saw how Act 3 was the least fav for a lot of people & it makes me sad. In act 3 you can finally romance Halsin. You can finally face Cazador. Plus, we get to interact with Orin and Gortash—to me they're way more exciting than Ketheric. I truly like act 3 even though I can feel how they were lacking time and (maybe) money to make it more exciting and polish it.

[calliethetrekkie]

Star Trek TOS S01E12: The Conscience of the King

Original Thoughts

"It was fine. Not too much to keep me invested compared to others, but still worth a watch. Learning some more Kirk backstory was nice and performed well by William Shatner. The climax and ending are very much tragic. A tyrant caused genocide, then tried to hide and keep that legacy out of his daughter’s touch. But it failed, and that daughter killed the survivors to keep her father from facing retribution. It’s just… sad. They’re both murderers, but clearly loved each other, and the ending where the girl accidentally kills her father is just heartbreaking (even if her reaction dragged a bit too long). Finding out that Kirk survived a freakin’ genocide was also a pretty big reveal. Not the most interesting watch, but still a good one."

(Original Post)

Rewatch Thoughts

I sometimes wonder what was going on in my head back when I did the first watchthrough. I had originally started watching TOS out of pure boredom, so maybe I wasn't giving it as much attention as I should have. I had a feeling that I would enjoy this one far more than the first time... and ho boy was I right~!

This one is... a lot. Like... a looooot. We're dealing with a Shakespearean company, murder, and past genocide. And in the middle of it is Captain James T. Kirk. We find out that he was one of the people who survived said genocide and one of the few witnesses to have seen the man who ordered it. It certainly wasn't a detail about Kirk that I was expecting when I started this show, haha...

This is such an excellent Kirk episode. This is him dealing with a situation that is incredibly personal. One that he thought that he had moved on from until one of the other witnesses involves him and ends up dead. We see Kirk investigating, changing plans and reassigning one of the other witnesses without giving any explanation to Spock or anyone else, and trying to get close to the suspect's daughter Lenore (who is 19... ugh, at least she's of legal age this time...) to find out more. This is Kirk at some of his most methodical. He is a man on a mission, and the looming question throughout is if Kirk is doing this for justice? Or is it out of vengeance? A question that even he doesn't know the answer to.

This won't be the last time we see this kind of personal conflict pop up with Kirk. Obsession next season will do something similar. But this one is much more... real, for lack of a better word. He's composed for the most part, but you can tell that what happened on Tarsus still haunts Kirk. How when presented with the fact that this dictator may be alive, he doesn't want to believe it at first, but the more he looks into it the more he has to do something. He even snaps at Spock, who has realized what's going on and points out his irrational behavior, for getting involved in his personal business despite how it's affecting the ship, and it's thus Spock's job to pry. Even at the end when he stops Riley from killing Kodos, he also makes no move to save him when Lenore accidentally kills her own father. Say what you want about William Shatner as a person and as an actor, but he did a phenomenal job as Kirk here. It's one of his best performances.

Kodos himself is complicated. I don't think anyone will argue that he's a horrible person. He didn't get the name 'Kodos the Executioner' for nothing. You can argue that he was put in a difficult situation with deciding who on Tarsus got food and who didn't... but the fact that he did it based off eugenics theories causes it to not hold water. And regardless, he killed thousands, caused immense trauma for countless others, and was so much of a coward that he faked his death and started over. A chance that none of his victims had. Twenty years later he's a shell of a man, forever haunted by what he did and the constant threat of being discovered. You know what? Good. He brought all of this onto himself, and him evading justice for so long in and of itself is terrible. And the one person he tried to shield from his horrible legacy? Went insane, murdered, and caused his own death. It's sad in a away, even pitiful. But more because of those that Kodos affected, not for Kodos himself.

And Lenore... oh God Lenore. The girl was born after the Tarsus massacre, but still ended up in her father's bloody legacy. A legacy that even he wanted to keep her out of, probably the only decency he's ever shown. But not only did he fail, but she chose to murder the people her father ruined the lives of to save him. Kirk and Riley are the only ones who survived, and that was just barely. It's clear when she confesses that she's not quite mentally stable, and she loses it completely, living in her own world where her father is able to continue with his performances. There's no justifying what she did, but it's just unfortunate to see this girl ruin her own life as she did. An utter tragedy.

Then we have Spock and McCoy. Ah, we're in that part of S1 where we start getting far more with them, and their scenes are a delight. When alarmed about Kirk's bizarre choices, who does Spock go to? McCoy. Mind you, McCoy doesn't take it seriously at first, but it's still nice to see the two talk about Kirk matters. Then as Spock uncovers more and shares it with McCoy, the latter tries to deny it... but it's clear that he realizes exactly what Spock is. And even despite that, when Kirk snaps at Spock, McCoy outright tells him that it's Spock's job. We're gonna be seeing some more tension rise between the two, especially since Galileo Seven is the next episode, but it's still nice to see McCoy defend Spock.

They're both concerned about what Kirk is doing, though ultimately McCoy has to deal with Riley while he's recovering and Spock actually helps Kirk with identifying Kodos. McCoy's also worried about Kirk's mental state and what his actual motive is. Justice or vengeance? Kirk himself has no answer... and he never does reach an answer, I don't think. He didn't get to. I don't know what's worse, finding out that the tyrant who caused you and others so much torment was alive, or watching them die and not being able to see them get either justice or get your own vengeance. He can't even feel glad that Lenore is stopped, since she both lost her mind, and he grew to at least like her despite using her. You get nothing. All that Kirk can do is have Lenore placed in proper care and go on with the knowledge that he's seen Kodos die before his eyes, but never truly have closure. Even as McCoy tries to talk to him at the end, he just stays in Captain Mode and gives orders to continue on. It says all that you need to know.

Like I said, there's a lot here. This episode is a tragedy, full stop. I don't know enough about Shakespeare to read into any of that, but it certainly feels like a Shakespearean tragedy. It's an excellent episode, and I can't believe that I thought it wasn't much of a watch the first time. There is SO MUCH to read into with Kirk, this tidbit of his history, about Kodos and Lenore, and just how horrible and senseless it all feels. So many lives ruined by one man, including his own flesh and blood, despite trying to prevent it. At least he's dead now, for all that's worth.

Original Rating: 3/5 Rewatch Rating: 8/10

[My TOS Reviews]

[TOS S1 Reviews]

[Previous Review] / [Next Review]

[plushietoon]

Heyo howbout 1, 4, and 6?

WarioWare Fan Ask Game!

1. What WarioWare games have you played? (And do you have favorites?)

Well it started with WarioWare Touched, which I was very fixated on despite the fact I never drew fanart of it as a child. (This also goes for Trace Memory/Another Code that I also loved. I know, shameful. Was an absolute fanatic for Ouendan/EBA though) Then I got to buy DIY which was a good time but now I am the sads because I cannot find my copy of it. Then years later I played Gold which really blasted the WarioWare fixation, and bought Smooth Moves around that time. Played some Smooth Moves, though I need to complete it. Tried out Snapped. Bought Get it Together and Move It! because of the fixation, and Switch Online let me play Mega Microgames. I just bought Mega Party Games and realized I have no memory card to store the game data on. Drats. Oh and I bought Game & Wario before the eshop closed, but haven't gotten to playing that. So that and Twisted are the only games I haven't touched.

6. Are there any songs from WarioWare you listen to often?

Would you believe me that I sang Body Rock in a public karaoke event? Sorry you ain't gonna see that because I'm not doxxing myself.

Anyways, yes Body Rock is at least a monthly listen. Though due to using Move It! as a exercise tool, I've been subjected to Megagame Muscles on a near daily basis. That is a silly song.

4. Do you have any personal headcanons or interpretations of the characters? (In relation to design, hobbies, connections to other characters, etc)

I have lots from 6-ish years of this fixation. I hope these headcanons are tasty.

Mona's pets do have their own rooms in the mansion. But the twins' animal buddies don't live in their house. They come and go as they please. ...Also Ana was upset with Kat for forgetting Don.

The ninjas in yellow are the twins' ninja classmates. They are a bit bigger than what the game portrays them to be due to sprite limitations, and they are all older than the kindergartners. The yellow uniforms are the unfortunate standard uniform for rookie Iga clan students. Kat and Ana usually don't wear that uniform except for when they are attending ninja classes. The whole Boneheads scenario was in the middle of the night and only the twins had unique outfits at that point. Also the classmates don't exactly like the twins for Kat and Ana are little but excel in ninjutsu. Plus Ana led them to failure in that boneheads thing...I don't think we're gonna be forgetting that but please understand she is still powerful in her own right.

Totally stealing your idea that Mona and Orb are weird besties. It just sounds nice. Mona gets to teach Orb all the strangeness of humanity and Orb gets to share alien stuff sparingly.

Kat and Ana were friends with Ruffington before Lulu came along. They're still friends but Kat gets miffed that Ruffington chose to go with Lulu. Kat and Lulu have stuff to bicker about, which does include the matter of who Ana hangs around with.

Leo is a smidge older than the twins, like he's 6 and they just turned 5. I admit I am fond of the headcanon that Leo crushes on Ana. I just think he doesn't understand those feelings now and absolutely fails in getting those feelings out by being a bully to the twins. He does understand those feelings better as a teen...It's just that Ana doesn't return the feelings due to the bullying, and not having the same lovey feelings towards him. I kinda want to say the situation is similar to how in Spy x Family, Damien has a crush on Anya, doesn't get it, bullies Anya, and Anya's oblivious to his true feelings despite being a mind reader. In this case, Ana ain't a mind reader and I don't like indulging the whole "he bullies you because he likes you" sort of deal.

5-Volt practically has to act as the parent to the youth of WarioWare due to most of them lacking consistently present parental figures. Mona's parents are often working far from home, Ashley's parents practically abandoned her, 18-Volt's mum (and probs dad by extension) are hands off but still loving, and the twins' parents expect too much out of their toddler daughters by having them live on their own and be professional ninjas. But they visit sometime. Most of the time though, it's 5-Volt (and sometimes Crygor, Mantis, and the cabbies) who step up in being the parents for parenting stuff like meetings, signatures, or parent and kid events. Honestly it seem that only 9-Volt and Penny have consistent parenting...but the other kids just like having the WarioWare crew be their family. The whole crew is just a mixed up, loving family.

Dribble is the sort of guy who takes a bath every few days while Spitz, as canon states, bathes twice daily. They do not argue over this. Also Dribble is like in his late 20s-early 30s, while Spitz is around his mid to late 30s. I like joking that Dribble could be 28 because of a video I want to make a WarioWare parody out of. But I have to be mindful of the fact that Dribble did teach Wario how to drive...can an 18 year old teach a 15 year old how to drive? ...actually it's possible: this is the world (next to) where babies can drive violently in go karts.

Omni Nom is a friend of Orbulon, not a pet. They both have something to ride on/in. Alien variety can be weird.

I have headcanons found on the cautiouslittleninja ask blog I occasionally return to. Some of them may be outdated by now though. Highlights that I like include Ana having her own secret spots that only she and her animal friends know about, Ana being noted to have eaten mud (and possibly crayons), and Ana is terrified of the concept of Mario due to Wario's tales. 9-Volt's games are about possibly fictitious (to them) tales, so she can't take his word for what a swell fellow Mario is. Just please note I currently do think Ana is plenty powerful in ninjutsu and stuff, it's just the confidence issues and relying a lot on Kat that's a problem.

In speaking of fanmade Ana stuff, I hope to return to writing more entries for the Ana's Diary thing. Yes she kept a diary after the whole blogging thing in the first game. It's a lot less formal compared to the online diary. Kat probably had a peek in there.

Wario still has Hen and he lets the twins care for her from time to time.

Vanessa and Leo would be a formidable duo due to grudges against some of the WarioWare crew but age differences and snobby attitudes might lead to trouble.

I once thought that Cicada wanted to just focus on regular schooling which was why she vanished between rhythm heaven and move it, but it turns out she was training this whole time. I like thinking she's related to Munchy Monk and stuck with him for training. They used to ride trains together.

I feel like I still have more but at this rate I could be talking too much. I hope these are ok.

[faebriel]

okay i got a bit brain buzzy and wrote a little snippet of what i had in mind for rainduo tangled au (original nonnie please do still feel free to chime in if you would like to!! i just needed to get the buzzes out before sleeping)

He just barely hears Nemesis exclain don't! before he jackknifes beneath the water, eyes shut tight against the grime - a hand grips the back of his shirt as bubbles rush past his face, lining it with soaked dirt. He shakes his head with all the force of their own tiny, stupid landslide as he surfaces, kicking against the weight of his hair as it clouds the water beneath him. His fringe lays flat against his face, half-obscuring the dim sight of Nemesis' drenched, anxious expression.

He's sure the look on her face is mirrored against his own. Their time is running out.

"It's too dark," she pants, hand resting on his shoulder, fingers still wound into the fabric of his shirt - as if she's worried he'll dive again. Wise. He's considering it. "You're just going to get yourself hurt. It's not worth it."

He pushes himself back, one long stroke - the space is small enough that he can't quite stretch himself out properly, wrists grazing the jagged rocks. Their tome, then. The light is almost swallowed up entirely, only the slightest escape from the shadows in the belly of the beast, next to imaginary. He swallows, and tastes the filth that lines his throat.

"I'm sorry," he tells her. "This is my fault, it's my fault - it's my fault you're here, it's my fault we're trapped, it's my fault that we're going to - we're going to die here. I'm sorry, Nemesis." The words sit uncomfortably in his mouth. Wasn't it enough to die once? He supposes, at least, now he can judge what's worse - dying alone, or dragging someone with you.

(He wishes he were alone. He wishes he were alone right now, wishes she never found his tower, wishes he never made that stupid deal or saw those stupid lights or thought to leave at all, a trapped bird with lungs full of air because at least a birdcage has that - )

"My name," she cuts him off, voice quiet. He can barely hear it over the soft lapping of the waves. "My name isn't Nemesis."

Soft as it is, it's enough to slow his spiral. Or maybe to derail it. "It's - what?"

"It's not my name. Not my - not my actual name." And this next part, it's too dark for him to see her face anymore, but his mind tries to fill in the gaps - and the slight curl in her voice, as stubborn and sad as it is, sounds like a mournful smile. "It's actually Niki."

Niki.

Two short syllables, and still just enough to snag at the fabric of his mind, a jacket sleeve caught in a doorhandle - like skipping over a familiar melody, echoing on loop until he places the tune, Niki, Niki Niki. He knows this name. He knows this name. He doesn't know how he knows it but he does, better even than his own - the sound feels right in his head, right in his mouth. The syllables are comfortable. The cadence is worn-in, like a favourite pair of boots or a beloved old coat. He blinks with the power of it, a jigsaw piece dropping itself into his mind - into a space he knew was empty, but didn't realise was missing.

It fits perfectly.

Perhaps the lack of oxygen is getting to him.

(He's quite aware that no, it's not, not yet.)

He has no fucking idea what to do with this information.

"It's a nice name," he stammers out.

He tries to picture her round face - probably washed dry of the dark shadows painting around her eyes now, blonde-pink hair lank against her shoulders. Is she still smiling? Perturbed by his silence? Afraid to die? "Thanks."

"Well," he huffs, in a shameless effort to sound nonchalant. Does it stick? He's going to die, does it matter? "My hair is so magical, it glows when I sing."

He imagines, in the brief pause, Nemesis - Niki - squinting at him.

"...huh?"

The sentence hits him then (fucking moron), and propels his heart into double-time.

"I have magic hair," he repeats - more to himself than anything - "and it glows when I - oh, fuck, flower gleam and glow - "

[numetaljackdog]

Pepsi Can Designs Ranked

as you may have noticed i'm very into soda and beverage containers in general, and i've had pepsi on the brain for a few days so here's my ranking of every can design they have listed currently on their website. i'm sure there's been like a million others through the years and years that pepsi has been a thing, but it's just for fun and i'm not gonna make a list that's a full book long

13. Nitro Pepsi Vanilla

really don't care for the color scheme here. i get that it's meant to be the color of vanilla but it's just not the kind of shade i want to see on my soda can, y'know? it's giving pilk. big pilk vibes here. and the spray-paint logo doesn't pop, especially not when it's only the blue without the red. maybe the biggest nail in nitro vanilla's coffin, though, is those big ugly brass-colored block letters. yuck

12. Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry

diet pepsi already has this ugly tin color that doesn't exactly appeal the appetite, and all the additional detail here is like putting a lipstick on a pig. except the lipstick somehow made the pig uglier. the flowing red on the top and the bubble detailing just does not work with this backdrop, and their simplicity really becomes painfully evident when there's nothing else to occupy your eyes

11. Pepsi Caffeine Free

sigh. i wanted to like her, but i just don't. it feels so metallic but in the wrong way, reminding me more of a cavity filling than a winner's medal. this is a case where i actually wish they had used detailing instead of just coating the thing in a (surprisingly rather dull) gold sheen. what might have been...

10. Diet Pepsi

once again, it's just dull. soda is meant to be a fun drink, something that pops out at you in the grocery aisle. i guess maybe if you're drinking diet you may not agree, but either way this just looks like a dog food tin. here, i'm glad they didn't do any detailing, but it still just leaves it looking sad :(

9. Pepsi Zero Sugar Mango

has a lot of the good elements of both classic pepsi zero sugar and pepsi mango, but ends up being less than the sum of its parts. orange works with black since just about anything works with black, but it lacks any real sense of synergy between the colors. don't care for the bubble detailing over the more subtle black background, either; i get that it's there to give some more visual excitement but basically i just wish they'd use some other type of detailing lol

8. Pepsi Zero Sugar Wild Cherry

basically all the same issues as zero sugar mango but i like red and black as a match better than orange and black. moving on!

7. Nitro Pepsi

now we're starting to get somewhere. still suffers from some of the problems as vanilla, but that deep blue color is gorgeous, and works nicely as an allusion to the blue of classic pepsi without ripping from it directly. i don't even mind the details as much here, because at least they pop more against the colored background. white against blue is far better than blue against off-white. still don't love the spray-paint style logo, though

6. Pepsi

something to be said for the classics, eh? it's a lovely shade of blue, really, with a tasteful metallic trim and a halfway decent version of the logo. we could complain about the modern lowercase logo, but it's not like many of these other varieties are offering much as an alternative. except...

5. Pepsi Real Sugar

mostly the same as classic, same blue, same logo. obviously the text logo is different, but i'll be honest this is not one of the logos i'm sentimental for. at least it has some swagger though! now let's be real - the big draw here is the slopes at the top. see how they're shorter than the other cans? those are the bony hips of a lady with a harsh, narrow, boyish frame. and we love her for it

4. Pepsi Wild Cherry

(sorry some of these images are kinda fucked up lol, i'm trying to find ones that match the specific designs on the website)

ultimately just pepsi classic with some extra pizzazz. the red flow detail at the top is like an extension of the red in the logo. not too much to say, just a slightly snazzy option

3. Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free

ohh pretty pretty girl. this is what regular caffeine free wishes it could be. a nice delicate pure white background that doesn't need any detailing because it has that tasteful gold trim and elements of the logo. it maybe feels a little overly clean, but not in a sickening way. the design really makes me believe that this drink is gonna be refreshing. what a sweetie :)

2. Pepsi Zero Sugar

call me edgy but i'm just a sucker for darker black palettes. keeping it simple here: just a black can with the logo and some white text telling you what makes it special. it's purposefully low effort. it doesn't need to try any harder because it knows it has already done everything it came to do without breaking a sweat

1 . Pepsi Mango

complimentary colors? how fucking revolutionary!! look at that blue and orange palette - now THAT'S synergy! the bubble detailing is perfect here, although i wish it extended into the orange section. also a problem i have with basically all the fruit variants is that they just kinda slap a jpg of the fruit in the corner of the logo. could have tried to make the mango look like the circular logo or something fun like that. in any case, this is my favorite of all of these; it's bright but not blinding, knows how to use its colors, and just overall strikes a brilliant balance that's appealing in each and every way it needs to be!

that's all! now time to see if tumblr will let me post something with this many images ���� thanks 4 reading!!

[lightlycareless]

OUGH CHAPTER 33,, this ones RICH theres so much here all of y/ns letters,, i wonder how hinata would feel if she actually got to read them?? not that she'd get through all of them before trying to break in there herself to get y/n out i imagine

NAOAKI,, calling y/n cute straight up now?? we're just straight into it there's no denying anything anymore. full on flirting out there-- good for them. and the GRAPE,, feeding her the grape,, im obsessed. hinata turning naoaki away bc of his resemblance to naoya-- i get why girl but also MAN you are missing out on the sweetest man in the world. n also the possibility of the zenin's getting pissy over hinata and naoaki talking to each other?? they are DERANGED for real its unbelievable.

mariya and tatsuro,,, i really do think she COULD tell hitomi i like to think she'd understand. and also backing herself into a corner w lying about to everyone i just can not imagine that ending well at ALL somewhere down the line

THE BOXES FULL OF RECORDS MY GODDD,,, naoya is going to give y/n a HEART ATTACK. its a thoughtful gesture but she is so (understandably!!) put off anything to do with him she just finds it creepy as fuck. it is so funny tho "there has to be another reason for his actions,, but what,," girl,,, hes trying to be nice for once this is not a murder attempt,,

and the idea that naoya's gonna eventually try to ask how she liked the gift oh MAN-- he's already gonna be torn up beyond belief over that last chapter ending (must be why we don't see him this time he's too busy crying) and to see her respond cold to like... what's probably the first real big thoughtful gift he's tried to get her?? devastating. obliterated.

this chapter is driving me insane and up the walls (in a good way) i am SO ready to see whats coming.. ur setting up for somethin big i know it,,,

Hello!!!! I’m glad you liked the bit of… lore I guess? I don’t know how to call it lol regarding Y/N’s letters! I only went through them briefly, in the aspect of what she must write and what not to keep a low profile, but never really showed what she was writing… and boy, was it sad.

Hinata would be very, very sad. Definitely. She’d first be upset, angry, quickly identifying that her letters are to set up a façade that everything is right, when it’s not. She’ll also be able to find some traces of Y/N being genuine whenever she speaks of the twins or her staff… perhaps. But overall, those clues end up being irrelevant to the fact that Y/N is in danger and needs to be taken out of there as soon as possible.

And her not caring for Naoaki…. Hahahahahah it made me laugh and a bit frustrated tbh, but how is she supposed to know?! yet OMG he's RIGHT THERE.

I did think on various occasions that her acting that way with him might’ve been... reckless, like it could’ve raised some red flags from him and be like “Hinata is acting weird” subsequentially, leading the clan to be further vigilant of her. However, Naoaki doesn’t know what’s up with his clan, and his priority is to help Y/N above anything else so… yeah. I wish she would’ve given him the benefit of the doubt and approached him, doing so on any other occasion I think, when she isn’t there for work and isn’t overworked either lol.

But yeah, she’s tired of all she’s been put through and couldn’t care less of engaging with other people as of right now. To Naoaki’s defense… Hinata didn’t talk to anyone else either, so there’s that 🤭

I’m still surprised the Zen’in weren’t lil bitches about it, they probably didn’t consider their interaction to be that important anyway—since their secrets are safely guarded… at least for now. Kind of. Hinata is still not out of their radar. Hmm. They’re probably thinking on how to not get involved in the crisis since they think so little of non-sorcerers lol.

Now onto Mariya…. I just love causing conflicts with her lmao. You could argue that she’s not doing anything… wrong per se, but man, lies and lack of communication can lead to some pretty terrible misunderstandings and that’s the least of the things I want happening between Y/N’s staff 😭 But essentially Mariya is afraid that speaking out loud of this situation might lead other members of the staff overhearing this, rumors begin to circulate around the house, and she loses her job 💀 It’s not that she doesn’t trust Hitomi, but she’d rather keep it hidden from everyone to avoid these risks. (also, the pain of having disappointed her is too much for her to even contemplate 😭 she cares too much for the sisters, and already gone through something like that with Y/N... no, I can't have her suffering 😭😭)

As for Naoaki… that freaking scene with the grape was like omg…………………………………………………… I wanted to go heavier on the subtle implications, but I was like no ma’am, Y/N pulled away from that one and I don’t think Naoaki would insist after seeing her reject his advancements sooooo maybe for another time 😊 This was also a way to show just how… bold the two had become after the whole Naobito/Naoya/Y/N thing went down, had this been before that, Naoaki would’ve never done something like that.

I can imagine Ranta watching the two from some undisclosed corner frantically hoping that Naoya won’t come out and see them lmao.

Finally… the mystery of whatever Naoya was shoving inside his pocket the chapter before is revealed!

Guess he was listening to what Y/N was telling him, however, for him to suddenly go out and buy them implies another motive behind them… or at least that’s what I intended to write 🤭 Naoya is trying something, to be nicer I guess, but without him taking accountability I don’t think there’s going to be any advancements soon. 😫 He’s still out there having some kind of war with Naoaki, when he should be focusing on Y/N and his marriage!!!!! Well, best wishes to him I guess lol.

Now… I won’t say much outside of that hehe because it will be expanded on the next chapter, it's a Naoya-centric one where we'll see what he was doing while this went down, as well as a bit of—

Anyways, thank you so much for tuning in for a new update!! The build up for the next chapter has me at edge, nervous… but excited too and I can’t wait to show you!!! (let the hype be appropriate) But for now, I shall take it easy, I got my birthday to enjoy (and this annoying cold out of the goddamn nowhere!!! To overcome)

Have a wonderful weekend, take care, and hope to see you soon!!!

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 6: Into Rimecleft

Fairly simple episode this time. Feels like it's been a while (been awhile) since the last show. So let's get right to it.

The Good.

Ah, Critical Role and dreams. Is there a better combo out there? Campaign 2 says: NEIN!

We get a nice little action scene to start things off. And we're really starting to build off the groundwork from the last episode, where Craven Edge, frustrated at the Fire Plane creatures' lack of blood, lurched in Pike's direction.

The implication was clear then. Here it's no longer a mere implication.

Getting to hear Ralph Ineson as Kevdak here for the first time is...Mm! A voice like rusted hinges, years of tobacco, and something dangerous awaiting the opportunity to strike. So good. The CRew really lucked out with their guest actors.

Speaking of which, Tony Plana acting as the second Sphinx is a wholly unique but equally joyful addition. While he's just as slow to warm to Vox Machina as Osysa, he brings a different energy that keeps things from getting repetitive. While she was lofty and dismissive, Kammie was more playful. Even when he doesn't see much in the group, his barbs don't cut as deep even before his moment with Scanlan.

I am a little sad we didn't see the whole thinking with portals puzzle from the original stream (which could've looked incredible in a visual medium) however...

Sam Riegel can strike the perfect balance between absolutely head-in-your-hands ridiculous and sincerely, heartbreakingly heartfelt. And it's a skill I have no shortage of envy for. You keep listening to Scanlan's song and expecting it to be too stupid to make you feel for the Sphinxes....but it never is. And that's just amazing. Still waiting for Seasons 2's OST to drop.

I do like the idea of a spell taking a significant amount of time to cast. It uses spells we've seen a million times to make for one hell of a nail-biter. And it's true to the game in some ways. While Plane Shift wasn't one of them, in-game, some spells take minutes, even hours. Or longer. And that can make things tense if you need every second to cast before something gets close enough to eat your face. 

The Grog Umbrasyl fight was hype. We got first blood drawn on a dragon, and as Marisha says in the watch-along, it'd been a hot minute since Grog got to flex. But you can also see really fast why this is a problem. Not only do the rest of Grog's squishier teammates have to get out, but you could also easily see him killing himself fighting Umbrasyl alone to feed Craven Edge.

And then....well, we'll talk about it next episode. 

I liked some of the little things here too. Percy giving Vex his coat, blushing up a storm, and Keyleth's reaction in the background. Likewise, Keyleth suggesting Vax could ask the Matron for help is a nice bit of setup for later things. Even if it is a little funny in hindsight; stream-Keyleth was almost a flat-earth atheist.

It's interesting to see what the cast has done to change up their characters from the stream.

The Bad. (Or at least not great.)

This is another episode that suffers from some poor pacing. After Grog's dream, little happens until they reach the Sphinx's lair. This is frustrating for me.

Remember how I said in the last episode that the time VM is traveling would be a good place for banter? Not just because it makes sense for them to do because they've got nothing else to occupy themselves while they walk, but because it would also help with character and world-building? All that is just as true here as in the last episode. But it'd also help with pacing.

There's a little bit here, but it's mainly bouncing from one two-to-three-sentence conversation to another. We could do more with the time.

Something that could help draw up suspense, for example, is having the crew talk with each other about how hard things have been so far; what's meeting the second Sphinx going to be like? Do they think they can convince them the way they did Osysa? Do they think they have a chance to get the other Vestiges? Do they believe those weapons will be enough to defeat the dragons?

That kind of thing makes for a good through-line for the Chroma Conclave plot that keeps things interesting even when the characters are just traveling and not doing much. The way things are now, it's like the writing team is just killing time until the action starts. And the banter was one of the best parts of the original stream.

I have...mixed feelings about the Sphinx's death. The Kaiju fight helps establish Umbrasyl as the boss of the season. It was also just really cool to watch...

But I can't help but worry this will be the writing CRew's go-to when they need to portray something as a threat or when they want to surprise stream watchers: just kill a character that survived in the original. And...yeah, nah. I'm not into that. I'll admit to being sentimental, and usually, I'll gravitate more toward happy endings than tragic ones, but I can enjoy the latter if it's earned and set up well. This death doesn't bother me as much as Archie's, but it does bother me a little. 

Nitpicks:

This line is...kind of awkward:

Vex'ahlia: Hard to believe we're gonna find a Sphinx in this forsaken place. (shivers) I'm as cold as a corpse, and I'd rather not repeat that experience.

Maybe something like this?

Vex'ahlia: Hard to believe we're gonna find a Sphinx in this forsaken place. (shivers) Wouldn't it be hilarious if I died and was brought back, only to freeze to death out here before we found the damn thing?

And this:

Keyleth: The entire range is eternally cold. Well, except for Pyrah. There's a myth about it, actually. A thousand...

Scanlan: Uh, m-maybe we just save the myth? My balls are ice cubes.

Me (tearing my hair out): AH! Maybe a myth will help take your mind off your balls for once, Scanlan!? Give me my damn lore.

And this line is just...I know it's Scanlan, but what does one have to do with the other??

Mostly a set up episode for what's to come. Overall not bad, could be better. But I think things really start to ramp up in the next batch.

[gudakko]

head full many thoughts

got bored at work so i decided to once again explore the scale of my lack of a social life and it's honestly something amazing every time like objectively i mean

it's something so thorough and coordinated it almost feels orchestrated when it's all completely unintentional

i can't even point my finger at a one specific thing i could chalk it up to because it feels like a perfect collaboration like the stars aligned for it all to happen in the exact way it did, it honestly could be seen as a massive feat that i just can't take credit for even if i wanted

i somehow managed to go a full 24 years without managing to form a single relationship with a physical person and it's mindblowing

sure it just started as lamenting never having gotten to hold hands or kiss someone but it's so much more, it's never having had people to hang out with or like, genuinely physically talk to

[that last one im still reminded of every time im forced to talk to someone for work or whatever im simply not used to talking for more than a couple minutes so my voice just starts sounding weird and my throat easily gets tired]

it didn't help either that i never got to form an emotional attachment to my family so i couldn't even get a taste of that from any of them so it all just left me feeling.. stranded? im genuinely surprised none of this devolved into solipsism cause i could perfectly see that happen with these circumstances

it's not something i worried much about in the past but now that im realizing it it's hard not to think about it and be amazed at how i even got to the point of being functionally a neet with no irl contacts whatsoever

not having experienced close human contact all my life i thought at some point id just stop caring for it but instead i still crave it! yet at the same time it's such an unknown to me that it makes it equally frightening which still makes me pretty torn up about it

do i just resign or do i pursue it? both prospects scare me

if anything while i thought this absolute isolation could mess with my ability to feel certain things it doesn't seem it did, i still like people very much, love them even

i think still being able to feel love is the most reassuring one of all, i can still fall in love a little everyday with random passerbys, someone just being nice to me for no reason and friends, and im happy i can do all of that

i also get depressed, excited, disappointed etc. like other people so i know we're not that different and compatibility shouldn't be an impossibility but at the same time i look at them and feel like something fundamental is missing or just different and that makes me feel like ill never really get to touch them

i don't even know if it's something that can be "fixed" at this stage which just leaves me feeling like im going thru the motions at all times

im not really feeling sad about this right now it's just that lately i can't help but see Everyone go about their life doing things that should be basic common experiences so effortlessly and just wonder how the hell are they doing them like it's the weirdest thing ever to me when it's just

everyday life for people

i know i missed out on so so much already and it doesn't feel fair to say i want all of it now but i also know ill just keep missing out on things at this rate and i just kind of wish i didnt care for them but i do knowing i can't do them

im not a big fan of this pervasive alienation and if i could do everything all over id rather be absolutely clueless about everything but at least living a normal life

[atopearth]

Norn9: Last Era Part 4 - Itsuki Kagami Route

Time for Itsuki! I wonder if seeing things from his perspective will help me like him more since even though I love him as a side character in every route he was involved in, I didn't actually like his own route haha. But I did enjoy their banter (at least in the beginning) because I think it was nice to see how different Mikoto and Itsuki are and how they keep butting heads with each other due to their different views. I'll admit that I'm surprised Itsuki viewed Sakuya as perfect though, I guess it just goes to show that they both saw in each other what they lacked. I still think Itsuki rubs me in the wrong way because he always crosses boundaries with Mikoto that she's uncomfortable with. As for Ron, it's interesting to know that Itsuki actually saw one of Ron's dreams before and it seems like it was of Ron killing someone in his childhood? I can see why Itsuki ended up getting caught by Ron to do what he says since he kept trying to see Ron's dreams. Oh man, that is terrifying to be caught by Ron and shot at in the dream. Personally, I do like seeing things from Itsuki's perspective, especially since it shows nicely how he never really got the chance to tell Masamune about what he found out with Ron, but at the same time, I guess I still don't really feel his feelings for Mikoto?

I'm definitely enjoying Itsuki's perspective much more for the original route. It's straight to the point and honestly, I think seeing Itsuki's worries and thoughts about how he was going to die etc and wanting to engrave himself on Mikoto because he loved her and wanted to be with her but was scared that he won't be able to live to be with her was great. I still don't think their love clicks for me but if I accept that as it is, the drama is nice. After understanding how much Itsuki wants to protect her and have her stay away from the burdens of her powers, I think I can appreciate much more that he wanted Mikoto to stay in the dream forever without having to worry and stress herself out for responsibilities she shouldn't have to bear by herself. Since it was shorter and you actually don't see Mikoto's crying etc as much, Itsuki's route was okay but still not my type haha.

You really have to admire Mikoto's dedication to cooking though. She literally wakes up early to cook and taste test until she makes it good enough for Itsuki like wow! It sucks that she can't be great at cooking everything but I think the fact that she could make so many side dishes in the morning is already great and she really should cut herself some slack. Itsuki getting a job as a private school teacher sounds so scandalously funny haha. I think it was sweet of Itsuki to gently teach the merchant children that he wasn't telling them that they shouldn't follow their parents' paths and succeed their businesses, but instead that they should study various things, broaden their horizons and think for themselves what kind of path they want to take. It was funny to think of Mikoto having retirement blues because it is kinda true! She's been working hard with her barriers her whole life, trying to live up to expectations and protect everyone that she doesn't know how to relax and have a life outside of that. One thing I've been feeling quite sad about is that in the past three routes we've done, none of the heroines have found something they individually want to do and are instead supporting the LI, which isn't bad or wrong but I kind of wished that they could also find something they enjoyed for themselves as well. Mikoto buttoning Itsuki's clothing for him is so cute.

I'm glad we're getting to see Kazuha and her story because I've always been curious considering she died so young, but one thing that bothers me is...is the man she fell in love with Masamune's uncle? Is this his "mistake"? When Kazuha said she should never have fallen for him, and yet she would make the same mistake all over again if given the chance, I think I can understand her feelings. Even though true my crushes back in the day never ended well, and maybe my life would have been happier if I fell in love with someone else, but when I think about the precious memories that are still within my heart to this day albeit a bit hazy, I can't help but think I would like to keep those memories and feelings despite all the pain. It's sad that he was the only one who ever treated Kazuha as a normal girl rather than a seller of dreams even if he had other motives because regardless of his purpose, he helped her realise how nice it could be to be in love and have someone care for her outside of her powers. Itsuki wanting to see Mikoto's parents and sincerely tell them that he'll make Mikoto happy was sweet. It breaks my heart that Kazuha's love could never come to fruition but I'm sure she was happy being able to convey her love, and knowing that he has never forgotten her and even protected Itsuki because of her must have made her think her love was worth it.

After the sadness of Kazuha's story, it's nice to see the guys team up together to help convince Mikoto's parents to give Itsuki and Mikoto's marriage their blessings. I'm really glad Heishi finally got to see Itsuki though, I always felt sad that he never got to see Itsuki before he left. It was pretty funny to see Itsuki have to prove his love for Mikoto to Sakuya but I think the 100 questions they did together was pretty cute. Mikoto running alongside Itsuki is something expected of her, she's not someone to wait on the sidelines watching him suffer to prove his love when this is their relationship so they should show it together. It was really sweet when Itsuki said he was happiest knowing that he got Sakuya's approval, because he is definitely the one who knows and cares about Mikoto the most, which is also why it made me sad when Mikoto was angry at Sakuya for making Itsuki endure those trials when it was obvious that he was trying to help them get Mikoto's parents approval. It was so cool to get to to see Mikoto in a wedding dress and a traditional wedding kimono! I have to agree with Itsuki that the kimono is definitely the better one haha!

Overall, I enjoyed Itsuki's route but I definitely enjoyed exploring Kazuha's story the most. I liked how we finally got to know what happened and how innocent and sweet she was in her own way that led to Masamune's uncle's desire to protect someone she cherished. I liked how we got to see the everyday life of Mikoto and Itsuki, it was sweet seeing how great of a teacher he was and how hardworking Mikoto is as usual. Personally I wasn't too fond of Sunburst but I think that's mainly because of how cliche and predictable everything was rather than its delivery. In fact, I'd say I did enjoy it because I found it fun to see the guys together again and all trying their best to help Itsuki get approval for his marriage to Mikoto, it was so funny when Mikoto's grandpa said Heishi snuck into their house just to tell him how good of a guy Itsuki is lmao. But yeah, I've never been fond of Itsuki's superfluous words even if they are real and genuine and I guess it doesn't help that he's not my type, but I think this route is pretty similar in vibe with the original route so I think those who liked it would really like this after story too. Although cliche, the wedding CGs are definitely the best, I loved those! And despite everything, I am happy for them because they get to live the most "normal" life that they both wanted so it is cute, just not my thing.

[peroxidesoakedrag]

deeply annoyed because i misunderstood a conversation and my mom not only went straight to "no you're wrong i'm right no arguing" instead of vaguely trying to understand where the mistake even came from, she insisted i was wrong when i complained that was a bit much for a misunderstanding

like the onus is on me to correct it when i tried to talk about it and she straight up shut me down

i'm already used to being treated like i'm automatically wrong and useless and horrible but it's obviously tiring

i'm really, really tired

plus i haven't slept enough because i need to be up early tomorrow so i'm dealing with it whilst tired from lack of sleep

if i had to guess, right now my sister and mom are talking about how i'm irrational and get mad at everything because that's how it goes. they refuse to actually understand that i don't like it when people treat me like shit even when i cry my eyes out

one time my sister only laid off me for having trouble remembering things when i joked about it in a group chat with her friends and she started arguing with me in the group chat in front of her friends until i left the groupchat and refused to come back, fully knowing that'd break our dnd table setup

my mom kept insisting i come back because she's ~sad~. i still haven't. because i stand by the fact that she betrayed my trust and she isn't getting it back. i thought i was safe from her berating there. i was wrong, clearly

in the end they probably won't ever understand that i want to be treated fairly instead of like some nuisance they hate. probably because to them that's what i am and i'm just denying reality

they say again and again that they love me and care but if this is what their love looks like, i'd rather not be loved

i don't know. i just needed to vent. i'm so goddamn tired of how this is what my life is

to my mom i'm a worthless idiot who can't decide anything for himself, to my sister i'm a useless monster she's forced to deal with, and to my dad i'm a brat who refuses to forgive him for traumatizing me

that's probably why i couldn't take it when my friend rejected me. it was the one highlight to my days, to go to college and see him and have some hope for love

i can see now that he can still be the highlight, i guess. he's still my one friend. still the one person who listens to me even when i sound a little crazy

it's a pity. but i think i'm moreso able to deal with it now. i just need to remember that we're still friends. he never actually stopped being the one person who gets me. i'm probably one of the few people who get him, too, considering he has some unorthodox interests

so do i but that's also part of why he's the one person who gets me. we even share a few or at least are very willing to listen to the other

plus my type in men is extremely common so if i'm not an unbearable person and keep myself well-groomed i think i'll find somebody someday

honestly if i found somebody and they had a bone to pick with him i'd take it as a red flag and break up though. if a man can't deal with me having a close friend that's bad. if a man doesn't like the one guy who was nice to me through a difficult time in my life that's his problem

i have trouble with interpersonal relationships in general but i know some guidelines to follow when you want to determine if your friend or boyfriend sucks. so. either they Just Don't Get Along in a way that's harmless or something is really suspicious and i'll have to figure it out

i feel calmer already. in the end i'm happy to have a friend. still my light when things are dark but in a platonic soulmate way. no one else gets me like him and i'd like to think i also get him like not many people do

the ole daniel sloss "the idea of us kissing makes me very sad"? i guess? dunno

i'm glad to have found the resolution. really needed it. i do really want to get better even if i'm in an environment that's against it