#nitpicker-in-chief

[hale-nathan]

Trump Weird News - NITPICKER-IN-CHIEF

Tim Walz: 24 Yr. Soldier Carried Weapons Of War And Held Rank of Command Sergeant Major While Country Was At War - Never Shot At

JD Vance: 4 Yr. Marine Carried Weapons Of War And Held Rank of Corporal While Country Was At War - Never Shot At

NITPICKS: Berates Rival For, At Gun Control Rally, Inferring Carrying Gun In Active War Theater (“We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at”). Also, Receiving Highest Rank Recognition After Retiring, As Is Usual, At The Next Lower Rank. While His Boss Is A Draft Dodger!

[mayasdeluca]

Now that I’ve (semi) slept on it, that future of Andy and Maya has to be what, at least 15 years later for Pru to be old enough to be a firefighter? I’m sorry but you’re telling me that Maya is still just a Captain at that point? The same Maya they had surrounded by fire about to lose everything? Still that close to the line of fire? What exactly was the purpose of the cliffhanger then? I get being a Captain takes you less out of those situations but there’s no way Maya Bishop wouldn’t be at least a Chief by that point in time. Especially as a mother of 3. (If we are to take their dreams as reality, who even knows anymore)

[maburito]

So.....my parents started watching the Avatar's last Airbender netflix adaptation and I watched it with them by curiosity while explaining what the original is and all.

And like....there are some good points? And there are some really good moments that I appreciate a lot. Like how Iroh gets called out on the fact that he killed innocent people during the siege of ba sing se and isn't a nice old man who did nothing wrong like the animated version wrongfully did. That and there are some emotional moments that really really worked and even brought a tear to my eye. It's enjoyable and easy to watch and I like that it got my parents into this universe coz I know they'd never watch the animated version unfortunately.

But man!! A lot of the changes they make are not great!!! They declawed Katara AND Azula!! Katara used to be so angry !!! Now she's so hesitant and sad and struggle! She barely fights in it she runs more! And fuck Azula is so non threatening, she's been turned into a wet kitten. And while it looks like she might get a redemption arc it's just a bit harder to root when this doesn't feel like the real Azula.

And worst, so far from episode 1 to 4, they're guiltripping Aang so so much about running away from his responsibilities. Which would make sense....if he was running away???! This version of Aang is not ignoring his responsibilities, from the first episode he's trying to put a stop the fire nation!!! Like this kid already feels so guilty and you have Kyoshi AND Bumi!!! Shitting on him for not being there in the last 100 years!!! Leave this kid alone he's 12! Did the people who write this show hate Aang???

[threewaysdivided]

New Desktop Dash, No Bueno

Okay so, new dash layout on desktop.

As seems to be a common reaction: not a fan.

Let's talk about some of the issues:

1. Really visually cluttered

The new sidebar crowds out the dashboard content and the bright blue popup notifications (now at the side AND top) and create-post bar pull your eyes in different directions. There is no space for the eye to rest on anymore - it's all noise. The end result is that everything flattens - there's no focal point anymore.

It's also pretty overwhelming - even for someone like me - so I can't imagine it would be very user-friendly to someone who was photosensitive or struggled with visual overload (especially when paired with the high-contrast 'true blue' default site palette and animated icons for the changes-on-tumblr/staff-picks/trending buttons).

2. The activity pop-up now covers dashboard content

This is really bad from a usability standpoint. In the old layout the activity pop-up used to drop down over the recommended blogs sidebar. Now it actively gets in the way of looking at core content. The dash is why we are here, burying it like this is baffling.

The search bar now drops down over the recommended blogs banner instead, but where the old design had non-critical space on each side of the dashboard to visually allow both features to pop in, this new layout is way worse for efficiency. And for what? Having a rarely-used former drop-down menu now permanently active? The old banner with quick-links for the key use-features (notes, messages, askbox) made much more design sense.

It also means that the activity pop-up gets now completely covered by the blog pop-up that opens when you click the notification, so double demerit there. 0/10.

3. It's harder to navigate to the activity page, and the new page-stretch means you can't see new notes without scrolling down

That first bit is kind of a nitpick but cramming the 'See everything' link down at the bottom of a browser window isn't a great navigation choice. (Again, the visual signifiers and eye-direction in this new design are incredibly poor.)

That the main activity page now requires you to scroll to even see the top note due to the new display ratio is really egregious. It makes another key site feature just slightly less convenient and accessible in a very irritating way. Bad choice.

4. The new ratio pushes the Radar and Main Sponsored slot completely off-screen

This one is directed the tumblr staff: that's also a bad choice, guys. That's your main ad-slot for people loading into Tumblr so hiding it is going to hurt both your ad-impressions and your ability to promote the ad-free option. The new layout ratio also means that the in-dash ads are going to be a lot more invasively screen-filling - and let's be real most users will either add-block or leave before purchasing ad-free. I have no idea what the new layout is trying to achieve but if ad optimisation is the goal then this ain't it, chief.

To be honest I cannot comprehend the rationale for this change. I guess it's visually a bit more like Twitter... but that site is currently being demolished from the inside by poor management decisions so maybe it's not the best aesthetic to be aping.

Well then, what do?

Okay so, new dash bad. And so, in true Tumblr spirit: we complain. However, to get results we must deploy the art of kvetching productively.

If you want the old dash back (or at least, a better new-dash design that corrects some of these big weaknesses) what you should do is head over to https://www.tumblr.com/support and lodge a feedback ticket pointing out the problems. The more users who do that, the more likely you are to see an effective response.

Remember, tagging @staff and @support in posts won't fix this. There's no guarantee they'll see it among the notes barrage.

Also: please don't be rude or abusive when you lodge tickets. Whoever is manning those blogs and inboxes probably isn't the person who forced through this change. Save an intern, be polite.

Go forth in disgruntlement to keep this hellhole a hellhome.

[thetravelerwrites]

Margaret and Rourke (Part 2)

Rating: Mature  Relationships: Female Human/Male Orc  Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Lovers, Interspecies Romance, Orcs, Older Man/Younger Woman Content Warnings: Mentions of Sexual Assault, Mentions of Physical Violence, Mentions of Torture, References to Sexual Assault Resulting in Pregnancy  Series:  Part 18 of Shelter Forest: The Towns  Words: 4,238

Margaret finds herself on the receiving end of Rourke's affections.

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INVOLVES DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.

The first couple of days were strange for you, since you weren’t expected to work at first. Catherine had taken you to the stronghold’s medicine woman almost immediately after your arrival, who suggested you rest for a few days before trying to take on your share of the work. You wanted to help out, though, but it was difficult to find anything to do, since cleaning and tidying was the responsibility of the individual and there were no dedicated maids or butlers. If something needed cleaning, someone cleaned it, and there was no muss, no fuss about it. But you knew helping hands were always needed everywhere, and you wanted to help wherever possible.

Once they discovered you’d worked in the kitchens in addition to scullery tasks at the manor, however, they asked if you’d be willing to help with the cooking, since that required hands at any time of the day, and cooking for an entire stronghold needed even more hands than cooking for a manor. The stronghold had a similar population as the town outside of it, but the numbers were growing steadily as people from Willowridge took shelter inside the stronghold in preparation for the invasion by the Count. The townspeople brought with them food from their own larders to supplement the stronghold’s stock, so they didn’t run out before the conflict was over. That, of course, meant the kitchen was busy constantly.

Catherine was also working in the kitchens, which was something she had started doing part time after she was married to Chief Akjan so that she’d have something to do during the day. It allowed you to spend a lot of time with her, even more so than in the estate since, despite sharing a room, the two of you worked in different parts of the mansion and ate meals at different times of the day, so you’d only get to see her in the evening after your shifts were over. You hadn’t had the chance to spend this much time with her since before she was able to walk, and it was delightful to have more of a relationship with her than a few minutes of conversation over a late, hastily eaten dinner and a goodnight kiss before bed.

You were worried that the Chief might have taken advantage of her while she was here, capitalizing on her circumstances to use her for his own pleasure, but she assured you that wasn’t the case. She told you all about what happened when the Count left her here, from the fake harem to the deal she’d worked out with the Chief, and you were relieved to hear that she had been treated so well during her stay. You hoped such grace would be afforded to you, too, as another unwanted mouth to feed.

The stronghold was… wonderful. It was hard not to worry that it would work the same way as the estate, since that was all you were familiar with, but it couldn’t have been more different. There was no hierarchy to report to, no competition amongst the workers, no one hovering over you to nitpick your work. Even if you made a mistake, it wasn’t a huge deal that resulted in punishment; it was merely something to be cleaned up, learned from, and forgotten. Not having to constantly crouch over to protect yourself allowed you to stand up straighter and take a deeper breath for the first time in… decades.

And before you knew it, a month had passed in what seemed like no time at all.

You saw Rourke more often than you had expected. He seemed to magically appear whenever you needed to haul something heavy, like buckets of water or bags of grain. He always seemed ready with a cup of water or a carefully cut piece of fruit or a special medicine he’d gotten from somewhere, telling you you looked too thin and that you should look after yourself more. Perhaps it’s because you’d spent five days straight with him, but he seemed to have attached himself to you like a duckling. Though it wasn’t something you were used to, you found that you didn’t hate the attention.

A few weeks after you arrived, he invited you to eat a meal with him. The evening meal was taken in the longhouse on the hill, but most people opted to have breakfast and lunch there, too, since the kitchen was always open. It was only a handful of people who made their own meals in their own homes. At first, you simply thought he wanted to sit next to you during the meal, since he was one of the ones who ate meals exclusively in the dining longhouse, but it turns out he had something else planned. 

There was a meadow on the far side of the stronghold where the sheep and goats grazed. It was late in the year and there weren’t many flowers left, and though the first snow hadn’t fallen yet, it was quite chilly out. Rourke had spread out a blanket in the meadow and set down a basket and bag he’d brought with him as you watched in bemusement, clutching your shawl close. 

“What’s all this?” You asked him, smiling shyly. 

He grinned back at you. “I just wanted to do something nice for you. I can’t imagine it’s been easy for you to get accustomed to this place.” 

“It hasn’t been so bad, actually,” You said, sitting in the spot on the blanket he had offered you. “Everyone has been so kind and welcoming.” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” He said, sitting next to you with his legs crossed and pulling food out of the basket. He’d packed fruit and bread rolls stuffed with meat. “Do you not have a winter coat, Ms. Margaret? The weather is crisp at the moment, but it’s due to get quite cold in the next few weeks. I can’t stand the idea of you shuddering in the cold.” 

“Oh,” You said, looking down at your worn shawl. “No, I don’t have a coat. I never left the manor before, so I’d never needed one until now, I suppose.”

“Hmm,” He hummed, handing her a plate of fruit and bread, along with a little bit of soft cheese he managed to scrounge up from somewhere. “We’ll have to do something about that.” 

“I’ll just buy one when I have a chance,” You insisted, taking the plate from him. “I still have a little money left from working at the estate.” 

“Eh, let’s wait on that. I’m sure my daughter has something she may be able to give you. She’s quite a bit taller than you, so we’ll have to cut it down a little. I’ll ask her.” 

“Oh!” You replied, excited. “That would be terribly kind of her.”

“She’s a good girl,” He said fondly, and then sobered, staring at you as if contemplating something. 

“What’s the matter?” 

“I actually wanted to talk to you about something,” He said. “I don’t know how open you’ll be to it, and it’s probably much too soon… We’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks, after all…” 

It’s not like him to be this round-about, you thought in concern. He’s normally so straightforward. I wonder what’s troubling him.  

“What is it you wanted to talk about?” You asked him.

“I…” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, sat up straight, and looked you directly in the eye. “I wanted to ask your permission to court you.” 

Your eyes widened in surprise and you were speechless. You had definitely not been expecting this.

“When I first saw you,” He continued after you were silent for a while. “You were like a little bird in the snow with a wounded wing, and all I wanted to do was scoop you up in my arms and make a little nest for you and take care of you.” He looked off into the distance and laughed. “Is it strange to say that? Orc women would find that offensive; they hate the idea of being taken care of. I don’t know if it’s the same for humans, but I just wanted to tell you how I felt when I saw you.” He turned back to look at you, his face sober and serious. “I just… thought you were the most precious thing I’d ever laid my eyes on.” 

“Oh…” You breathed, holding a hand to your mouth. You’d never heard anyone say that, and certainly not to you, but they were the sweetest words you’d ever heard in your entire life.

“I know you don’t trust me yet,” He said somberly. “We’ve not known each other for long, and you’ve been wronged a lot. I know that. But I’ll work hard to become someone you can trust. I just didn’t feel like I could wait for that moment. You’re such a lovely woman that I was worried any of those other louts would snatch you up from under my nose if I waited for too long.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at the absurd thought of hordes of men lined up to court you, though it was also horrifying in its own way. 

“You don’t have to give me an answer now,” He said reassuringly. “And I won’t be angry if you say no. I just wanted to make you aware of my intentions. Honestly…” He chuckled and shook his head, and you thought you saw a blush creep up his neck. “Honestly, I wanted to marry you from the moment I saw you, but… you’d been hurt,” He lifted a hand to touch your cheek lightly where the bruising had been, almost completely gone by this point. “And you were skittish, like a doe. I didn’t want to do anything that would frighten you.” 

You smiled anxiously and nodded.. “I… would like some time to think about it… and I’d like to talk to Catherine before I give you an answer.” 

“Of course, of course,” He assured you. “Please, take all the time you need. I’ll always be here.” 

Your smile widened a little. “The food looks delicious, thank you. I’m starving.” 

He grinned. “Who am I to keep a lady waiting? Dig in.” 

Rourke took his mission to woo you quite seriously. While he was still careful to not overstep his bounds, he became more affectionate with your permission, giving you pecks on the cheek or forehead, or escorting you around the stronghold with your arm in his. A week after his confession, he presented you with a beautiful pale blue winter coat, just as he promised, but unlike what he told you, which was that the coat was a hand-me-down from his daughter, it was clear to you that the coat was brand-new and had been custom made specifically for you. He made much ado about how it was just some old thing that he got from his daughter, and you couldn’t help but smile at his efforts to appeal to you.

Catherine noticed it the next day and asked you about it while the two of you were hauling water to the kitchens. 

“Where did you get this pretty coat?” She asked you.

“Oh,” You replied, blushing. “It was a gift. From Rourke.”

“Rourke? The orc who rescued you?”

You nodded and smiled shyly, feeling your blush deepen and creep down your neck.

“Why did Rourke give you a coat?”

Your heart jumped in your throat, half excited and half anxious. “He’s… taken a liking to me.” You laughed and shrugged up your shoulders self-consciously.

Catherine smiled slowly. “Really? He told you that?”

You nodded. “He told me recently that he wanted to court me, actually. Well, he said he wanted to start courting me the moment he met me, but he knew I was terrified and needed time. I never knew that a man could treat a woman so well. He's been... a true gentleman.”

Catherine grinned slyly. “Do you like him, too?”

“Yeah… I do,” You admitted. “I was scared to death when I first met him and I didn’t trust him, but he’s been unfailingly kind and gentle. Who would have imagined that an orc could be so gentle? I'd like to accept, but I told him I wanted to talk to you first.” You gazed at Catherine in worry, biting your lip. “Would it bother you if he courts me?”

“Are you kidding?” Catherine replied, setting down her buckets and gathering you into a big hug. “I’m so happy for you, Mama! If he makes you happy, that’s all I can ask for.”

“He does make me happy,” You said, tears of joy gathering in your eyes. “I… I didn’t know a person could be this happy.”

You could tell Catherine didn’t trust Rourke yet, because she watched him like a hawk for several days, for all her attempts to be discreet about it. You strangely found it amusing, but also heartwarming how worried she was for you. Even so, Rourke gave her no reason to be suspicious. In fact, he went out of his way to be sweet to you in very public ways, almost as if he were warning off competition. For instance, three days after speaking with Catherine, Rourke trotted up to you with his hands behind his back, looking pleased with himself

“What’s this?” You asked, scrunching your shoulders shyly as he produced a flower crown from behind his back and placed it on your head. 

“I made it myself. Took some time to get it right, but I think I did very well, considering I’ve never done it before. It’s tradition to gift a flower crown to a maiden you’re courting in the human world, is it not?”  Rourke asked, securing it to your hair.

“Certainly,” You said, giggling. “But that’s during spring. And I’m not a maiden.”

“No?” He said, grinning. “You seem so to my old eyes. A young thing like you is wasted on a crotchety old grump like me.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not true. You’re not a grump by any means at all. Any woman would be lucky to find herself in your favor.”

“I don’t want any woman, though,” He replied, his eyes and tone suddenly tender. “Only you.” 

You tried to hide your blushing behind your hands.

“What a fetching shade of red,” He said, touching your cheek. “Let’s take a rest for a moment, Ms. Margaret.” 

“Actually… Are you free right now?” You asked, pulling your hands away from your face to look at him. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.” 

“I can certainly make myself free,” He said with a grin. “Give me a moment, I’ll be right back.” He jogged off to confer with a younger orc, who rolled his eyes but nodded. Grinning more widely, Rourke returned. “I’m all yours, Ms. Margaret.” 

“Let’s go to the south well,” You said. “There shouldn’t be anyone there this time of day and there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Sounds ominous,” He said with a slight frown. “Nothing bad, I hope.”

“Well…” You shrugged. It was certainly going to be difficult to tell him, but it was necessary. “I’ll tell you about it when we’re alone.”

“Of course, Ms. Margaret, whatever you wish,” Rourke said, following you to the well. 

The south well was the water source for laundry in the stronghold, but since it was nearly sundown, no one was there at the time. There were benches situated around it, as it was a place where people grouped together to gossip over their work. Rourke let you sit first and then sat next to you.

“I talked to Catherine, and she’s very happy for me. She’s been watching you over the last few days, I’m sure you’ve noticed.” 

Rourke laughed heartily. “I certainly have. It’s no bad thing, though. I just hope I met her expectations.” 

“I think you did,” You assured him. “And… I want to accept your proposal.” 

Rourke’s face lit up. “Really! You had me worried! I’m so happy! Thank you, Ms. Margaret!”

He went in to hug you, but you stopped him short by holding up your hands. “But before I do, there’s… something I need to tell you,” You began, wringing your hands a little. “It’s about Catherine’s birth.” 

Rourke tilted his head in confused concern. “Tell me. You can tell me anything.”

“Alright… Hoooo…” You breathed. You began to shiver a little with nervousness. “When… when I was fifteen, the Countess gave birth to twin girls, and the Count was… livid. He was incensed that she couldn’t give him at least one heir. He was shouting and throwing things and he saw me cleaning outside of his office and ordered me to follow him.” You began to tremble harder and tears gathered in your eyes. “He pushed me face forward onto his desk and pulled up my skirts. I didn’t even know what was happening until he ripped my undergarments off of me. I tried to fight him or scream, but he threatened to whip me to death if I didn’t do as he said.” 

The cold horror of realization clouded his face. “Margaret…” 

You couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “I was… devastated. I was an orphan with nary a penny to my name, so the only thing that I had that was mine and mine alone… was stolen from me. I… didn’t know how to go on after. I did my work like a machine and tried my best to avoid the Count, but I felt gutted and was completely terrified. Working in the manor was a nightmare and I was so scared that the Count would do it again, but he didn’t. It was more than two months before I realized… I wasn’t alone anymore.” You touched your stomach to express what you meant. “I tried to hide it for as long as I could, afraid of what the Count would do if he found out, but once Catherine was born a girl, he ignored us. The Countess started to beat and torment me soon after. I suppose she heard the rumors from the staff and thought I’d seduced him and was trying to steal her position, when nothing could be further from the truth. Not that she cared. The Count did nothing to stop her. Indeed, he seemed to find it amusing.” 

“I’ll kill that son of a bitch,” Rourke muttered, his jaw working in agitation. His face was contorted in rage. “Does Catherine know?” 

“I told her before she came here,” You admitted. “She thought her father was a soldier who died before she was born. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.” You looked up with him through the haze of tears. “Are you upset with me?” 

“With you ?” He asked in shock, his expression softening. “Why on earth would I be upset with you ? You didn’t do anything wrong, Margaret. The one who sinned is the disgusting coward who I vow to kill should I ever see him again.” He took your face in his hands and gently kissed your brow. “I will never allow him to touch a hair on your head again. I will take your vengeance against him for you, I promise you. I swear on my honor that he’s a dead man.” 

“I don’t want vengeance,” You said as he pulled you into his arms. “I just want to forget him and be happy.” 

“And you will,” He told you with his lips against your hair. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Do you… still want to marry me?” You asked, starting to completely break down and weep. Now that the whole story was out of you at long last, you couldn’t hide the pain anymore.

“Of course I do,” He assured you softly, his hand in your hair as he held you to him. “There’s nothing I want more than to be your husband and show you what happiness is. That, I also swear.”

You sobbed into his vest, wetting the cloth with your tears, and he held you fast, whispering quiet words of reassurance in your ear. He pulled back and wiped your tears with his long hands, his thumbs caressing your cheeks. He leaned forward and, ever so gently, pressed a soft kiss to your lips. 

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Ms. Margaret,” He said tenderly. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” 

You nodded, sniffling. “I believe you, and… you can just call me Margaret.” 

He smiled softly. “Whatever you wish, Margaret.”

The Count was spotted by a scout stationed at the entrance to Dunmountain. A large group of soldiers were gathered outside of the wall, waiting for orders, and eventually the Count showed himself, commanding the men to attention. The march started a daybreak the same day that Margaret accepted Rourke’s proposal, and a messenger hawk arrived that evening with the message that the Count was on the move. Rourke, as one of Akjan’s most trusted, was one of the first to know, and he informed Margaret. 

“Oh, god,” You breathed, clutching your chest in anxiety. “He’ll kill me.” 

“No, he won’t,” Rourke said firmly, holding your face in his hands. “I swore to protect you, and I’ll keep my promise.”

You nodded, sniffling. “I know. I’m just so scared.” 

He pulled you into an embrace. “I know, darling. Don’t be. I’m right here.” 

You lifted your head from his chest and looked up at him. “How much time do we have before he arrives?” 

“According to the scout, he has at least a few hundred men with him and half as many squires, so they’ll be moving relatively slowly. It takes two weeks for a single person on a horse to get from Dunmountain to here, and longer by carriage, so we may have as much as a month to prepare.” 

“I see,” You said thoughtfully. “Then… can I ask you for a favor?” 

“Of course, anything at all!” Rourke said, excited. You never asked him for anything, so he seemed eager to grant your request.

“Can we get married right away?” You asked. “I don’t want to wait until after the incursion. I’m… scared about what the Count will do. If I’m married, he won’t be able to make me leave with him. And I… I’m worried that something will happen to you. If we… if you… if we’re separated for any reason, I want to hold my head up high as your wife. I want to remember you as my beloved husband and not as an ill-fated lover. Does that sound selfish?” 

Rourke smiled sweetly. “Not at all, my love, I think that’s a reasonable request, and I’m happy to grant it. How soon is right away? Do you mean today? Right now? I’m fine with either.” 

You laughed at his excitement. “Let’s at least tell Catherine and Janiek, and we’ll need to notify the chief, since he’s your superior and he’ll be officiating.” 

“Of course,” He said, holding you in his arms. “That’s a good idea. We should also make an announcement at the next evening meal. Gotta strike while the iron’s hot.” 

“You just want to let the other men know that I’m off limits now, isn’t that why?” You asked him, teasing him for the first time. 

He chuckled. “You caught me.”

Rourke did indeed make the announcement that evening, much to your delight and embarrassment. The next day, Rourke formally introduced you to his daughter, who was the same age as Catherine. You’d seen her out and about in the stronghold frequently, and she often smiled at you in passing, but you’d never spoken to her. You found her a little intimidating, actually. She was boisterous and jolly, the exact opposite of you, so you worried that she’d find you too morose for her father. 

Thankfully, your fears were unfounded, as she seemed to be just as endeared to you as her father was. 

“You’re right, Papa,” She said after your first meeting. She was as tall and thin as her father, and resembled him in many ways. She wore a blacksmith's clothes and had a braid running from the top of her head down to her legs, with the sides of her head shaved intricately.  “She’s such a lovely thing. She reminds me of a little fawn in the wood. Really brings out your instinct to protect, doesn’t she?” 

Rourke laughed. “You’ll have to forgive Janiek, Margaret. She often doesn’t know what she should say and what she shouldn’t. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry about that,” Janiek said, scratching her head and wincing.  

“No, no, it’s fine,” You assured them. “I’m just glad you don’t dislike me.” 

“Now, who on earth could dislike you, Ms. Margaret?” Janiek said, shaking her head. “It’s impossible, you’re too sweet for that.” 

You gave a startled laugh and thanked her for her kind words. Janiek held out her hands, as though she wanted to hold yours, and you placed your hands in hers. 

“I wondered if it would be alright if I called you Mother after you and Papa marry,” Janiek said slowly. “My mama died when I was little and I don’t remember her much. It’s just been me and Papa for the longest time, and I always wondered what having a mama was like. Would you be alright with that?”

“Oh, why, of course you can,” You assured her. “I would be happy if you did.”

“I’m so glad,” Janiek said, pulling you into a hug, though it was a little awkward since she was so tall.

“Oh, we should get Catherine to join us, shouldn’t we?” You asked when she released you. “So that we can all meet each other. We’re to be a family, so all of us should be here.” 

“Ah, you’re right! I’ll go get her, I know where she is,” Janiek said, darting out of the longhouse where the three of you were talking. 

You turned to Rourke. “Do you think she really likes me?” 

“Of course, my love,” Rourke assured you. “Trust me, my Janiek isn’t the type to lie when she dislikes something, just to spare someone’s feelings. If she didn’t like you, you’d know.” 

You giggled. “I’ll trust you on that.” 

Janiek arrived with Catherine in tow, and the four of you shared a meal together, talking about the future. It surprised you how quickly you felt comfortable with the arrangement. It felt so natural, like you were finally in the place you were meant to be. Janiek was very kind to you, and offered to make you a little dagger to keep with you, just in case, and even suggested giving you a few lessons in self defense. You had a sneaking suspicion that Rourke told her about Catherine’s father, and it was her way of supporting you. You found it comforting. 

The wedding was thrown together within the week. A white wool gown was whipped together in no time flat by Akjan’s human “harem,” who had welcomed you with open arms. You’d never felt fellowship with anyone before, so their support and enthusiasm to have a new human sister join their ranks was bolstering. You quite enjoyed having friends for the first time in your life.

The entire stronghold had gathered in the wide field beyond the longhouse and sat on blankets and quilts on the ground. You were led up to the altar by many of the wives of the stronghold, who stood for you in place of your family, since it was tradition for a woman’s entire family to escort her to her groom. Catherine was among them, wearing a pretty new cloak gifted to her by Akjan, and she wiped a tear when she saw you in your gown. 

As the first gentle snow of the season began to fall like feathers around you, you were led to the altar where Rourke stood in full warrior’s regalia complete with a broadsword strapped to his back, looking tall and proud. He also seemed to tear up a little when he saw you, and you had to restrain your own tears as well. 

Akjan married the two of you as the snow fell on you, blessing your union, and he kissed you long and full on the lips when it was finally announced that you were man and wife. Elated, you threw your arms around him without abandon, allowing him to pick you up and spin you around in his delight. Your feet dangled off the ground, but you didn’t care. You’d never felt so safe in all your days.

Since my work is no longer searchable, please do me a favor and reblog this story if you enjoyed it. Help me reach a wider audience! To help me continue creating, please consider buying me a Kofi, becoming a Patron, or donating directly to my PayPal!

Thanks for reading!

My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 4, Match 8: Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu vs. Xie Lian

Submitted kids:

Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu: Zhang Chengling, Gu Xiang, Liang Jiuxiao, arguably also Cao Weining and Gao Xiaolian

Xie Lian: Ban Yue, Pei Xiu, Lang Ying, Lian Qianqiu, Gu Zi, Lang Ying

Propaganda under the cut!

Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu:

1: “Wen Kexing- the man has his entire life planned around an evil revenge plot yet somehow while becoming the Ghost Valley Chief he manages to take Gu Xiang (who must of been a young girl at that point) under his wing. Sure the woman in the unfaithful manor probably helped him out with her, but still she manages to come out of the Ghost Valley probably the least messed up out of anyone. Also he goes total protective dad the second Cao Weining starts courting her, literally nitpicks everything the man does, yet in the end he gives them his support in the marriage and even holds it on his turf, opening up the Ghost Valley to normal (warrior/cultivating) people for their wedding. His positive interactions with Zhang Chengling are to a less extent, especially as the boy is so embroiled in his revenge scheme, but none the less he teaches him and treats him decently especially as the spend more time with each other.

ZZS- He gets tangled up in WKX’s whole revenge plot because he promises to protect and escort the boy, Zhang Chengling, to the safety of one of his martial uncles, and yet before we even hit the halfway point in episodes (at least I think it is) he’s taken the boy under his wing as what is essentially a disciple, even though he is the last member of his sect and was ready to let it die with him. Not to mention the fact that his whole plan was to waste away mostly unnoticed and yet he somehow gets dragged into the biggest drama of the decade and repeatedly puts himself in harms way to save the kid! And he planned on passing over the legacy of his sect to him! His relationship with Gu Xiang is less intense, but if I had to describe how they act it’s a constant back and forth, he annoys teases her and she gets all frustrated. She spends the first couple episodes literally thinking he’s a weird old man, cause their whole relationship is just like that. He’s also much more sympathetic to Cao Weining’s continuous courting struggle though that’s not to say he doesn’t pull a fast one or few on him.”

Link to the rest here!

Xie Lian:

1. “a several centuries old disgraced god who keeps somehow getting mixed up in things that have nothing to do with him and taking in random kids in the process. Got dragged into being a soldier in a war between kingdoms he's not even from? suddenly single dad to these two random kids caught up in between. dealing with a malicious ghost who has been killing brides? boom, now he has a ghost son whose previous guardian was killed by the malicious ghost. psychotic ghost cousin posses the body of a man with a young son and continues being a piece of shit? well i guess your taking care of that kid too now (i know guzi is technically qi rong's kid since he's the one possessing his actual dad but if it weren't for xie lian intervening when he did the kid would be dead so he kinda counts too)”

2. “Xie Lian saves a young LQQ from being kidnapped, returns him home and end up becoming the/his grand tutor(which was NOT his original plan at all). He literally teaches the boy everything for years, raising him to become the best ruler he could ever be. The XL ends up accused for killing his family (because of a lot of different things) what is important is that he was not the perpetrator but he did kill LQQ’s father in an act to save the boy from making a horrible decision/outcome and also dealt with the actual perpetrators but kept it a secret cause he knew it would break LQQ’s heart to learn his dear friend planned to kill him and his entire family. LQQ took this betrayal by XL so hard he buried him after staking him through the heart when he was still alive. 300 years later when XL returns/is revealed LQQ is still not over it to the point he wants a FAIR duel to settle the score. FAIR with the man he still thinks killed his entire family!

Banyue and Pei Su are connected. XL took BY under his wing while he was a soldier in the army. He did his best to protect her and get her fed as she had pretty much no one. He also talked with her about his younger selfs dreams for the future which was so inspiring to her that not only did she remember it over a century later when they meet again in very different circumstances but she also apologized for essentially not being able to live up to the ideals he had accidentally passed on to her. While he didn’t have as much direct contact with Pei Su, the boy was BY’s only friend and so while XL was around he did also interact with the boy. However this all came to an end when in an attempt to save BY (which succeeded) he through himself in between two armies and was trampled when they began to fight. When they meet again (as I previously mentioned) XL takes BY under his safety until he is not safe and then sends her off to a safe place where she reunites with PS, who for all XL doesn’t give the same amount of attention to, XL does actually approve of some of him (not all his actions) and seems to find it cute that PS is courting BY.

XL meets Lang Ying first when he helps the boy burry his proxy sister, LY ends up running off after XL reacted with shock to LY’s uncovered face, but XL keeps a constant search for him. XL next saves him from getting beat up by ghosts and ends up taking him to live with him in the shrine he lives in. He does his best to take care of both LY and Gu Zi at the shrine and keeps his good treatment up even knowing LY’s a ghost it only ends when (spoilers for non book people, feel free to look up if you want to know).

XL takes in GZ mostly as his ghost cousin (whom he arrested) has taken over the body of the boy’s father. While I’m not sure how much this one counts, especially since by the end his cousin ends up caring for GZ, but he still does the best he can to feed and care for the boy as his entire life changes.”

[eljeebee]

Another day, another training.

Lavender is starting to get used to it.

Sleep, wake up early to either Kashvi or Chief Song’s cooking (and on rare occasions, Raul’s cooking), listen to Lakandiwa’s archeology lectures, help with chores, pray and meditate, before heading out with the Seekers.

Now, and again, they stood in the bridge ruins, with the picturesque view of the Belomisia waterfalls, sparring.

Lavender had improved–she casts with a purpose, she swings her hand firmly, her magic attacks Iris with a blast.

And because Lavender improved, the Mage Seeker’s nitpicking lessened. “Very good,” Iris nodded, smirking, before walking off. Mata replaced her.

Mata’s martial arts was upgraded–they’re now doing close quarter combat. Quite unfair to her, Lavender told them. Mata is much heavier than her, and quite frankly, she’s still trying to find the perfect rhythm when it comes to throwing punches and kicks. Not only that, but he’s also a vampire, which means he would always win against her. I was able to subdue Mata when he had just turned. That was prior to receiving Her power, mind you, Iris had said to her, huffing.

And so here she is now, trying to channel her magic to boost her physical strength so that she can win against the Vampire Seeker.

Eventually, they found themselves on the ground, wrestling against each other. Mata had his legs wrapped around her torso, trying to pin her there, and probably twist himself away from her, while Lavender threw a punch that missed. They struggled, trying to throw each other off, and while doing that…Lavender caught the hint of fragrance on him.

It smelled like the flowers in the monastery’s courtyard garden, the scent from the handmade soap in the communal bath, and that same smell from the tea Kashvi always makes her. Not only that, but she also felt the taut thick muscles of his thigh through the dark fabric that Mata wore (which she called their “summer” outfit).

Would Percival have the same muscles as this?

Lavender let out a growl, kicking Mata off her. She immediately backed away, catching her breath. She can’t believe she’s thinking of that damned Asvang!

She looked up and noticed Iris had opened her eyes from her meditation. She heard my thoughts…

To add insult to injury, Mata playfully winked at her.

They definitely heard it…

“You’re doing well, child,” Mata said instead. “But you’ll have to try harder.”

Lavender nodded at him, shaking the thoughts out of her mind. With a grin, she said, “You’re on!”

“You’re back early,” Raul smiled at them as the trio caught up with him. “You must’ve been a fast learner.”

“She is,” Mata agreed.

“Good,” Raul nodded. “I think…that calls for a…reward! I know you miss city food, so I made Philly cheesesteaks!”

Lavender squeaked in delight. “Mr. Raul that sounds so good! I feel like I’m drooling!”

“You have questions,” Mata said.

Lavender blinked. She looked at Iris, who nodded at her. She said, “Ask them and we shall answer.”

And without further ado, Lavender asked, “How come you’re a vampire, Seeker Mata? I–I mean, no offense, it’s just that, the sages told me that both Seekers are spellcasters.”

Mata chuckled, “Speculations. Who else can wield magic similar to theirs?”

“Any person could’ve been a Seeker, Lavender,” Iris said. “And any of those hypothetical chosen ones could have been given the same Seeker Omnipotence. By threads of fate, we were chosen by the Watcher.”

“Of course…” Lavender thought of a joke, chuckling to herself, “So even an alien could be a Seeker?”

“It’s possible,” Iris answered matter-of-factly, “if the Watcher saw an alien and deemed them fitting.”

The spellcaster cleared her throat. “Right. Of course. Ahem. Is it true that you’re as old as the world?”

The Seekers looked at each other.

Mata slowly said, “We have a long history, child. But yes, we are old, as old as the ancient vampires.”

Bright-eyed, Lavender asked, “Are you immortal? I mean, of course you would be, Seeker Mata, but even the vampires that Straud had known died on their own way–from what he told me, by the way.”

Mata smiled at her, “Realistically, a vampire should last long until the world ends. They could only die on some circumstances, such as an attack using a powerful source, such as from our Omnipotence.”

“But why did those vampires die?”

“A tragedy,” Mata looked away.

“I’m sorry.”

“We are immortal,” Iris said, trying to change the topic, “we will live, if the Watcher wills it to. She has a hold over our souls–our lives. When Her judgement dictates that our lives as Seekers in this earthly realm is finished, then our time here will end. We will join her.”

Lavender hummed. “So, you’re immortal because the Watcher made you so.”

Mata nodded.

“Wow...”

They went quiet for a bit. The rustling of leaves from the blown wind can be heard, the birdsongs enveloped them.

“Is it true, the Watcher is a woman? A Goddess?”

Iris snapped at her. “What spurred this on, child? What are the Sages teaching you? The Watcher, the true Watcher, is a goddess. Omisca is her name, She who gave life to all, She who shared her magic to us, remember that.”

Shit. Lavender hung her head low. “I–I didn’t mean to anger you, Seeker Iris. I know that She is the true Watcher. She is a goddess. I’m sorry. I apologize.”

Mata sighed. Addressing his fellow Seeker, he said, “Iris, you frightened the child.”

Iris exhaled. “I apologize, child. Her name has been sullied countless times, and I am here to remind those who dirtied Her who gave them life.” Her sharpened voice softened. “I know you mean well, Lavender.”

Lavender could only nod.

Mata asked, “I’m curious. Does the Sages worship the Smithsonian god?”

“No,” Lavender shook her head, “They would never. We know our roots, and who is the true god. Ordinary people worship the Smithsonian god, though. It’s the norm for most people.”

“It would be,” Iris looked away. “That’s what he designed it for. To have people question Her and forget…”

“Iris…” Mata mumbled.

“At least your belief in us never wavers. You have been good to us.”

Lavender laid awake in the bedroom. She couldn’t sleep. Her questions to the Seekers bore more questions, and it’s bugging her! What does Seeker Iris mean that the Smithsonian religion was designed? Trying not to let out a frustrated groan, she stood up from her bed, mindful of not waking the others. It was only Chief Song, Lakandiwa, Raul, and Diego who slept.

Kashvi is downstairs, doing her nightly routines, and the Seekers…

She slipped away from the bedroom.

“Sleep eludes you, child?” Mata smiled at her.

“I’m sorry,” Lavender sheepishly said, “Your answers gave me more questions…”

“I know,” Iris chuckled at her (a chuckle from Iris? What a rare sight, Lavender thought). She motioned for her to come. “I wish we could tell more, but we do not want you to become a target.”

“Target…by who?”

“Not now,” Mata shook his head. “You must not know, lest they learn about you.”

The three of them sat on the stone roof of the monastery path walk.

The Seekers conversed at each other, and Lavender didn’t bother to join them.

She pondered, who is this they? Why would she become a target for these people? And who made the Smithsonian religion? Why was it designed to forget Omisca? And what is this tragedy the ancient vampires had suffered from? So many questions…

She sighed, laying down on the stone roof. The Seekers paid her no mind as they discussed something else. Lavender doesn’t even know what they’re talking about anymore.

[dickbaggins]

oH it was a staged death to get her back to Russia (which doesn’t exist in 1985) for spy reprogramming and she killed a guard on her way there! So badass black widow stranger things! Why would Enzo, Ace, and Muffy even have received those very classified documents in the first place?

It’s official, I actually hate the Katya storyline

Zero still did it better

Long long ago soupes made Zero as a joke about the self aggrandized super spy type characters in gta rp and now that the katya storyline is mostly over in igniterp I can safely say that Zero and Two are still better self aggrandized super spies than she ever was and they are joke characters

[votegreen2022]

I’ve really been enjoying HOTD S2 and, while I have my nitpicks, I generally enjoy the way they’ve adapted the characters and given them flaws, boons, arcs !! The Greens in particular going into S2, but Rhaenyra and Daemon — both of whom I didn’t really like, or get — have really stood out to me.

As of Episode 5, chief among my few grievances is Sunfyre :(( … Aegon has become one of my favourite characters and I like him because he is a hot mess and oh so tragic poor baby but I wish there had been more space (outside of a... 5 second clip before he rides off to battle) for his, like, one redeemable quality: SUNFYRE!!!!

How am I, the audience who may or may not know anything about Fire & Blood, supposed to believe that Sunfyre the Golden was the most glorious and beautiful dragon if I didn’t see him until the episode he is maimed!?

Maybe Larys will exposit that information for us at some point idk

[isagrimorie]

i forgot that tilly was asked to be the first officer of discovery in the third season. and, I think how mind-blowing that is. i like discovery a lot but sometimes the writers make truly mind-boggling choices.

i forgot that tilly was just a cadet in s1 and then an ensign.

making her an (acting) first officer, while still an ensign, was a bizarre choice. (harry kim is crying somewhere)

especially since nilsson and rhys take control of the bridge when the command team is out.

unfortunately, the way discovery is configured we don't really know most of the bridge crew.

or, maybe it would have been better if a new character was introduced as their 32nd-century guide and as a temporary XO.

but also, who is the senior staff of discovery? do we know?

i assumed that culber was CMO all this time only to find out from interviews he wasn't the CMO.

stamets can't be the chief engineer since he's science division and he mans the spore drive function and not the whole ship. i assume its jett reno.

who was the head of security when nhan left? is it rhys??? why is booker (who I really like) memory alpha listed the head of security of discovery (season 4)??? he's not starfleet.

i just realized the whole problem why they got tilly as acting first officer is because I don't think any of the writers in seasons 2 to 3 of discovery sat down and solidified the hierarchy on the ship other than captain.

it's so nebulous and it doesn't need to be nebulous.

it's like how inconsistent the ranks are on SNW uniforms.

i know these are nitpicks but these are details that help build out the world. and it's such an easy thing to address too, it's frustrating they don't.

and this is on the discovery writers for not taking the time to iron it out. i understand they want to focus on different people and keep the heroics away from the bridge, other than saru and michael. but that doesn't excuse how lazily they went about it.

anyway this is just a bug bear that I stumbled on when I remembered how tilly was made into acting first officer of discovery. it didn't niggle at me back then but somehow rewatching voyager and a lot of other trek made me realize, I can actually pinpoint the line of command on each show but stumble on it when it comes to discovery seasons 3 and 4.

again, i think this is why season 5 is doing a great job. wilson cruz said that by season 5 he might as well be the CMO, so I'm taking that as canon.

this is what happens when every season and episode is just one story of crisis situations without any standalone downtime episodes.

(this is also a problem for picard s3. it's the single story and 10 episode thing. it ties the hands of writers.)

what i wouldn't give for a discovery episode where the ship is just doing routine maintenance. follow an engineering team down a jeffries tube, watch them have a boring senior staff meeting where all department heads report to michael.

(wait, have we seen discovery do a senior staff meeting scene?)

have rayner sit down and manage personnel.

honestly, i think the trek that does the best in doing personnel, handling extras, and making a realized world is still ds9.

[ego-meliorem-esse]

dude but the whole face family is a mess of mental disorders and shit. At least if you want to nitpick. Australia and Murica are both ADHD, Canada a depressive lil shit, England is autistic and france bipolar as fuck. I'm still figuring out new Zealand so I can make bingo!

What happened to hi hello how are you 🥲

Im fucking kidding lets go

I have many thoughts on this topic. I just wanna say first that i dont really want to talk about specifically what mental disorder or whatnot each of these characters have. I have my personal hc that i keep private just cus ive strayed so far from canon or even the classic hetalia 2014 country stereotyping. They are my blorbos in the purset sense of the word. So, i feel like if i told you “yeahh murica is adhd on legs” i think it would come across as insensitive.

But on the other hand, in the past 2 years that ive been in group therapy on and off, i have come to be comfortable with talking about mental disorders and dont find it as triggering or offensive as i know some people do. Which is also very valid. People deal with things the best they can and when youre in the trenches of ocd, having a weirdo (me ✊😎) say a fictional character is going through it, it might not sit right. So i wanna keep this as non triggering as possible.

As almost everything i hc, this is something I’ve looked over. And i do agree to a point. Alfred is definitely someone who exhibits traits like excessive talking, impulsiveness, interrupting conversations, difficulty focusing at something that he finds little interest in etc etc. He is easily distracted and tends to find certain people boring. But he also does not have time management skills and he does not forget tasks and plans. Could this be adhd? Sure. Does it have to be? Of course not. So i tend to leave it up in the air. Some people might find comfort in interpreting it as adhd and some would rather stay clear. Both viewpoints equally valid.

I truly dont know about Jack or Arthur. Eleanor too. Honestly i dont really try to make up disorders for them. One thing i dislike is the labeling. If someone, even a silly character, does show traits of some disorder, id rather not have it outright mentioned. It can be cristal clear that Matt has a full on depressive episode, but let me figure that one out myself, chief. I am all in favour of making these fuckers complex and give them shit to shovel, but the moment we start throwing mental disorder labels around, i think the focus strays. But again, only my preference. To someone else, its a comfort.

However, as he is my knight of the highest order, my highest ranking babygirl, my worst punching bag: Matt is depressed as shit. He functions but, God, at what cost?

Does he have depression? Probably. Will i ever make a serious post about his depression specifically? Probably not.

Francois though. He has no disorders, no hardships or difficulties. Makes it easier for me to actively and effectively hate. We are currently negotiating a stalemate, as ive, just today, heard Sous le ciel de Paris after forgetting that song existed. Good fucking song tho. Willing to negotiate the terms of Francois’ surrender.

[jimintomystery]

DS9: "Explorers"

Following 800-year-old Bajoran schematics, Commander Sisko attempts to build a spaceship to prove that the Bajorans achieved interstellar travel in the 16th century. Meanwhile, Doctor Bashir becomes anxious when the valedictorian of his class at Starfleet Medical visits Deep Space Nine.

The lightship is a fun idea, and it's consistent with various lines that suggest Bajor was once centuries ahead of human technology. That being said, the premise is a little half-baked. Sisko goes to great lengths to demonstrate that the Bajorans could have sailed these vessels to Cardassia, but this episode can't even explain how he got his rig out of the cargo bay.

Sisko's adventure is reminiscent of the 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition, which recreated a hypothetical pre-Columbian voyage from Peru to Polynesia. However, Sisko doesn't have time for a years-long sublight journey from Bajor to Cardassia. His more modest flight plan, then, is to travel from Deep Space Nine to the Denorios belt. Except, uh, the station is positioned near the wormhole, which is in the Denorios belt. So that'd be more like if the Kon-Tiki just circled around the Galapagos Islands a couple of times and called it good.

Nitpicks aside, this is a solid episode for character development. It's delightful to see Sisko so enthralled with Bajoran history, especially when you know where this is headed. All the scenes with Jake are perfect father-son bonding. Even B-plot, which I find a bit stupid, has a turning point in the friendship between Bashir and Chief O'Brien.

OK, back to nitpicking. "Explorers" makes a game effort to build a story from the bits and pieces of earlier Bashir character development (he sought out the unassuming assignment on DS9, he slowly grows on O'Brien, he sure digs chicks, he's brilliant but "only" a salutatorian, and the stupid preganglionic fiber anecdote). What the character needs, though, is fresh meat, not a casserole made of three-year-old leftovers. You can tell the B-plot is bankrupt because the writers can't come up with an angle for Doctor Lense except to suggest that maybe she's in love with Bashir. (???) This just reheats Bashir's hangups about Lieutenant Dax, and makes the story about him trying to get a pretty girl to notice him. But he was already hooking up with a pretty girl at the beginning of the story! Ugh, I need a shot of O'Brien's Scotch.

[xplrvibes]

malia calling him a boy, she knows his frontal lobe has not developed yet lol

I think this take is hilarious for a few reasons.

But my chief reason is that you're all about calling a man who is in a serious, committed relationship with a girl who he openly supports and promotes on his social media in spite of shit like this an immature man child, while you've got Sam Golbach over there running through women like most people run through sponges, bragging about "ramping up" in his party boy era, and basically trying to creating a bomb cyclone of ghost dolls that he can unwittingly sacrifice his friend to so that he can be the new king of the paranormal.*

One of these things is not like the other.

Also, pretty typical of this fandom, I'd say. Continue to act like Colby's doing some horrible disgusting thing by *checks notes* oh would you look at that? Being in a monogamous relationship with a woman he openly loves and being quite happy to start settling down on his wild ways with her, while shutting those eyes and looking past all the frat boy shit Sam's been up to.

And what's funny is I'm totally going to catch heat for saying that because "don't hate Sam, he hasn't done anything wrong."

Neither has Colby (in fact, I'd say the above signifies serious growth), and yet.

*edited to add: Sam is an adult and can do what he wants as well, and I really don't care what he's up to unless it's hurting himself or others. But the fact that I have had hundreds of asks over the years nitpicking Colby for that behavior and am still getting multiple asks referring to him as a child or an immature boy for the most random reasons while Sam is doing the same stuff and sometimes even more, and it's either crickets or "don't be mean to Sam" is the kind of hypocrisy I feel needs to be highlighted because it illustrates the point we have been saying on here for ages.

[gleefultogo]

bruh what? this person's comment seems like they don't know the idea of what a "healthy" relationship is. because my god, this ain't it chief. I find it laughable that there are tons of pages to go back to that shows rogio is a literal terrible individual and predator for that matter. Like just because they are being forced to bond when neither of them have chemistry either and kargo wanted to kill rogio at one point (which I wish he went through with). But how the fuck is this whole idea "Reasonable and "Favorable", it's really not. If we were to go all the way back, nitpicking every damn page that show's rogio on screen. it's all about him and his self pity. It's never about anyone else. plus it seems he has a boner for any literal male that talks to him, remember the rhov mention page? but then that didn't work out in his favor so he used someone else's vulnerability. Scummy bastard. God I wish he died that original page. the comic would have been like 20% insufferable without him in it. He's a useless character and drives nothing to the story.

[teeth--thief]

Hi. Your previous anonymous speaker, again. I’m reading Midnight in Chernobyl, as I’m fortunate enough to have found a copy. Notes? Thoughts? Thank you, again. I liked your last reply much.

- R

Welcome back R, so glad to see you! I'm happy you liked my reply ♡! I shall continue replying for as long as you'll continue asking.

It's probably the best English language book about the disaster out there. As I've mentioned in my previous post, it does a great job showing the people involved as, well, people, which a lot of other books fail to do. It does repeat certain myths and misinformation, though, mainly when the source is Medvedev, so I guess that's on him. Everything is on him. We (me) hate Medvedev in this household.

> One of my least favourite things it repeats is that there was some kind of a disagreement in the control room. There were calm conversations and the closest thing to an "argument" was when, allegedly, Dyatlov snapped and told Akimov to hurry up because he was taking too long looking over the test program during the beginning of the shift. Nobody reported anything else - if they did, it would have most definitely been used against Dyatlov himself during the trial - and yet, seemingly neither Akimov's nor Toptunov's testimonies said anything about being forced to do anything or getting yelled at by the Deputy Chief Engineer.

It is unclear to me why this kind of narrative persisted even after people realised the operators weren't at fault and that Medvedev had it out for Dyatlov for some reason. Drama is what makes things interesting and it's easier to say "oh, well, the operators did not agree to XYZ, actually" when you don't want to blame them, I suppose. But you might as well be perfect obedient and be innocent and the same time - after all, it's not like any of them were exactly planning making the reactor go boom that night...

> It's not clear why there was a power drop to begin with. Higginbotham says that the SIUR "made a mistake", while Dyatlov and a few others say it was an equipment error. RBMK is a beast of a reactor, reportedly hard to control when the power is low and an inexperienced SIUR, which Toptunov was, would probably have problems keeping up with everything. If it was the case of the SIUR messing up, then it's not as simple as the author presents, you don't just miss one step and it all goes to shit, you actively have to not recognise and/or not be fast enough with your actions. But that's nitpicking, it's not that relevant.

> The fuel channel caps never jumped or at least were never actually SEEN by anyone to have been jumping, my god. Perevozchenko was in the control room when it was "going on". That Chernobyl Guy made a really good (and fun!) video on the topic if anyone's interested. Love that guy, he's doing a great job!

> I'm pretty sure that the description of the control rods and the positive scram effect (and the purely technical, nuclear bits) is not that accurate. I'm going to be very careful with both of these because pure physics is outside of my comfort zone and will actually recommend you do your own research on both of these, if you're interested, from the fear that I might start sounding like Medvedev (without proper education)

Other than that, it's really really good! It includes some relevant pictures, which is always nice (I'm looking at you, Kate Brown's book), it covers a great time duration - from before Prypiat to after Chernobyl. And the author interviewed a ton of people, we have to give him that.

All in all, I absolutely need to reread this book again because my memory of it is a little foggy and I'll report back to you in case something of importance will come up!

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

Godzilla 2014 made me believe cinema was real again.

That is...such a weird title and statement. It started off as “This film made me believe cinema was real again.” which is again, still very weird. But after seeing Fast X yesterday, I REALLY wanted to see this film. I have not rewatched it in some years. It’s been an hour since I watched it.

But yeah, Godzilla 2014. The first film in the Monsterverse. A film that is loved or hated by whoever you talk to. But what are my thoughts on it after not seeing it fully I assume for nearly four years.

I was a bit more critical or so years back. But let me just get straight to the point. Because I won’t make this a detailed review (Turns out, it became detailed, I took an hour and nearing two to finish this) and won’t spoil anything despite the film will be ten years old next years. Despite the concerns of how I would feel when I would watch it. Here’s what I think now about the film...

I FUCKING LOVE THIS FILM.

I SHIT YOU NOT.

(Again, this got detailed, there’s more to read in the keep reading option)

Granted, I totally get the criticisms and nitpicks people have towards this film. But to me, this is likely the BEST start to an American Godzilla franchise. And I feel like since I’m older now. I appreciate this film more so now than when I was younger. Mainly because I think my priorities are different. And also again, a film I saw yesterday just...what I watched yesterday. I also planned on watching Godzilla 2014 sometime, but I felt the time was now because oh my God. I needed this.

Again, I totally get the criticisms towards this film. Let me get straight to the point. I really think some of the advertising did not do this film well. Despite how powerful the promotions were. I legit think some of it needed to be different. Because the expectations were high. But also, the main protagonist, Ford Brody.

In all seriousness, even though he’s a passive protagonist, even though he doesn’t seem like it when I look back at it. While Joe Brody’s performance by Bryan Cranston is undeniably powerful. Especially that emotional scene with him and his wife. But I don’t mind Ford, Aaron Taylor Johnson does a good job. Everyone does a good job with the roles they are given. The best ones I think are Ken Watanabe as Ishiro Serizawa and also again, Bryan.

I feel like maybe the best option to me would’ve been to combine the characters of Joe and Ford into one character. Which may be difficult. Or somehow convince the audience in the promos, “No, this isn’t Godzilla vs Walter White. Please don’t expect that.” Because I legit feel like the roles are pretty good in where they are at. I do agree that maybe give more humanizing moments with Ford despite he’s already a fine character. Maybe moments with him family that’s more akin to something like Roy Scheider’s Chief Martin Brody (Amusing they both have the same last names) from Jaws. Maybe a moment similar to this between Ford and Sam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AiYQtzRD8w

Yet we do have a scene with his family. I’m rambling on, but honestly, none of the human characters are bad.

Maybe Ford could’ve used a character arc to maybe get people invested in his character. But again, none of the characters bothered me. They all do their jobs fine within the story they are in. Now, let’s get to the other parts.

BECAUSE HOLY SHIT. I WISHED I COULD’VE SEEN THIS FILM IN AN IMAX THEATER.

But in all seriousness, with the room I’m sleeping in. It can feel like my own theater room in a way. But seriously, there so much good stuff in this film. Such as the score, its fit so damn well. Even though it may not be the iconic Akira Ifukube theme which they weren’t allowed to use. But it fits damn well with this film.

Let me tell you this and I got to get to this point this. Brian Rogers stressed his and Legendary’s wish was to revive Godzilla in the same fashion Legendary did with Batman. And the influences for Godzilla 2014 were films like Jaws, Alien, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. With Gareth stating he grew up watching Spielberg films and wanted to do the same thing with this. Along with growing up with early 80′s and late 70′s action films. 

Let me tell you this. Despite whatever issues I may have with this film. But it’s not a whole lot. But let me tell you this, I think they managed to actually do that. They actually did it. Because this film is likely in my list of favorite Godzilla films. I now get what I thought they said they were trying to do “The Dark Knight” of Godzilla. Yet that wasn’t an official quote, I took that Legendary quote wrong of them reviving Godzilla the same way they did Batman. But I must say, they did well on that.

I legit felt excited and happy watching this film. Especially at certain epic moments and the more tense moments. Those were good, this is a legitimate good film. Because I’ll say this, it’s fine some people may find this film boring, and complaining about the fights being at nighttime. Or cutting off away from the fights at times. I totally get that. Do I wish some of that was dealt with differently? Absolutely, but I am fucking happy.

I haven’t even talked about Godzilla and the MUTO’s. I’ll always love Godzilla, the portrayal of him, and all that. He’s a presence when he’s on screen and my God, he is done incredible justice. The “Last Samurai” approach to his character works well here. And despite my strange feelings towards them. But I seem to love the MUTO’s more than ever. Or it’s mainly because I love their uniqueness and how different they are. While they aren’t characters like King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, Gigan or the Gryphon from the original screenplay for TriStar’s Godzilla. But that’s okay, they’re so different and have so many elements that make me appreciate them as characters. Kind or...more so than some of their original concepts. That being Rokmutul and Pterodactyl. But fuck, I would’ve loved those guys too. But again, the MUTO’s make more sense.

There’s so much good stuff in this film. The production value, the directing, again, the score and so much other stuff. But I think I’ve rambled long enough. While I could be overpraising it and the Godzilla franchise has been on my mind lately. Including that ridiculous title I wrote for this post.

But alias, I was legit happy watching this film. And again, now that I’m older, I appreciate this film much more. And I’m someone who loves films like Kong Skull Island and Godzilla KOTM 2019.

This is such a good film.