#not plot driven

[keferon]

Monster hunter au part 11 (final? I think?)

Did you want to see Drift in a nurse costume?......ahahahahha

Orion: God himself couldn't stop him.

Meanwhile, Ratchet walking into God's room: Polish your glasses and get your robotic liver ready, I've got drinks to share and a great story to tell

Previous

[sindevilslit]

[absolutely-not-my-main-blog]

They put something in Pacific Rim that makes it grow on your brain like a beautiful luminescent hive-minded fungus you can't stop thinking about even if you didn't really like the movie itself that much, and that something is Charlie Day

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

love how Solar Opposites started out as a sitcom about two aliens who can't stand each other, stuck with their teenage clones (whom they also can't stand) & a toddler antichrist (whom they view as a sort of self-sufficient free-roaming hamster?) on a stupid planet they can't stand

and 4 seasons later it's a sitcom about a family of genderqueer aliens, headed by a gay couple in a happy & horny open marriage (with a graphic off-screen sex life, despite their canonical lack of genitalia?) teaching themselves to be okay parents to their 3 kids (whose Sci-Fi Antics now slightly-less-frequently revolve around wreaking havoc on human bystanders, and slightly-more-frequently revolve around alien-clone-sibling-bonding*), to the point that the central plot point becomes "We need to provide our toddler antichrist with a stable home environment."

(also the grumpy alien husband is too busy ingratiating his family with their suburban neighbors to even remember whom or what he dislikes. what is this show)

[stardustedknuckles]

It's looking like there's a growing divide between Campaign watchers and Tlovm watchers in terms of like. We're here for the characters. 12-episode seasons aren't. They can't be. I'm already making peace with everything we'll lose in the Mighty Nein show, and I know I will enjoy it for what it is but I also know that almost nothing that made the story so special will translate to the screen, because turning it into a show automatically means (in this day and age) that plot must be the number one priority. They've already come out and told us it's going to be different, the characters we know and love but new stories.

Because that's how this has to work. And I feel bad for campaign one lovers, because while it is certainly the easier of the two to translate to a big, overarching story, even though it's a more "traditional" high fantasy story with easier archetypal characters, the archetypes and the plot aren't what cemented most people's love for the campaign. So much of the love for critical role is stored in the interpersonal dynamics and the payoff that comes from hundreds of hours of tiny interactions that one day become cornerstones of development and even affect or dictate the plot.

There's no room for that. There's no room for Bard's Lament in a story that cannot afford to remove and replace a main character. A lot of tlovm is for people who have been here for all of campaign one. Most of it, however, isn't. It's for a new crowd. While CR may have creative control, you can bet your ass that there were months and years devoted to figuring out how to map a character-focused love of the show into a plot that hits the right beats to be viable in the show market.

And it worked. Tlovm has consistently high viewing numbers, and its popularity has brought and will continue to bring new people into the universe who have never interacted with CR previously. That's not a bad thing - imagine finishing your favorite show and discovering it has another FIVE HUNDRED HOURS of the equivalent of behind the scenes content. That's incredible for these newcomers. But man, it is in many ways a loss for us.

[zoe-oneesama]

Can we see an episode with your akuma, Enchanted Florist? I would like to see what went down.

The whole point of my self-insert akuma Enchanted Florist is that she's easily triggered. I was working retail when I made her so she's meant to be transformed over any and all inane problems that any person in the customer service field have to deal with, which is why she's a re-occuring villain, like Mr. Pigeon.

If I made an actual episode, or pictured a canon episode in my head, it would barely feature the main cast at all and would just become a montage of Dumb Things that Customers Do that just akumatizes her over and over and over again.

[saintshigaraki]

my reading list currently looks like....2025 edition

orbital by samantha harvey

creation lake by rachel kushner

beach read by emily henry

the safekeep by yael van der wouden

incidents around the house by josh malerdam -- DNF

i who have never known men* by Jacqueline harpman

crying in hmart+ by michelle zuaner

the power by naomi alderman

we used to live here by marcus kliewer

the wedding people by alison espach

the vegetarian* by han kang

chain-gang all-stars by nana kwame adjei-brenyah

earthlings* by sayaka murata

the school for good mothers by jessamine chan

the dangers of smoking in bed* by mariana enriquez

+ = nonfiction, * = translated work

[bogkeep]

i keep running into comments saying the choices you make in pentiment don't matter very much, and i am Certain this is just a tragic case of "does not see character driven storytelling as a valuable form of storytelling" and i should just move on with my life, but... the themes... won't SOMEONE think of the THEMES...!!!

1) if your choices don't matter, then why do i agonize over them so? the story spans 25 years, and the things i say in act I ripples through all the way to act III. words i say can put someone in danger, or convince them to pursue happiness. every character in tassing matters to someone else and partakes in the community in some way, however small. wherever i point for the sword to fall, the void left behind is felt sharply. you're taking part in history.

2) and yet, many choices are out of your hands. andreas is a man, not god. did you not converse with illuminata about the restrictions of your circumstances? what choices do women have, besides marriage or the abbey? why do peasants dream of kingship? choices are taken away from you by those with more power. you can't prevent a death from occuring, only point the finger. is it not arrogant to think you alone could change the world? is it not a relief?

3) the Regret: none of the choices are more correct to make than the others, they are simply the choices you made, and the ones you must live with - and you do have to live. sometimes you were not given a choice, and still you must live. time will pass, and you must live.

[revvethasmythh]

Your post about Rashinna made me realise...who are our notable NPCs in Cr3?

Like... Cr1 had Allura, Kima, Gilmore, Cassandra, Jarrett, Kynan, Kaylie, Artagan

And Cr2 had Essek, Yeza, Marion, The Gentleman, Astrid, Yussa, Pumat, Orly, Dairon, Artagan again

But Cr3 has Ira, the Calloways, Liliana, Xandis (I guess if you really want to buff it out you could include the PCs and NPCs from previous campaigns)

But I guess the point still stands. For a campaign that is as long as Vox Machina's streaming time, and almost as long as Mighty Nein's, why have we got so few NPCs that we're attached to?

Yeah, there are some notable NPCs in C3 (those you've mentioned), but significantly fewer than in previous campaigns. I mean, you can see it even with shopkeepers--the only shopkeeper I can really think of by name is Marwa Endalia and she hasn't so much as been mentioned by name since episode 23. That is SUCH a stark difference from the Nein's relationship with Pumat (and just, the variety of random, colorful shopkeepers many of us can still name *sheila bobsnopper my beloved*), and even the Hells' attachment to Xandis feels somewhat surface-level compared to how involved and invested the Nein were in Orly's life (and continued survival).

Tbh, I think the lack of notable C3 NPCs is an unfortunate casualty of the Hells either running to Vox Machina for a lot of things (giving up a potential plot line with Jiana Hexum in favor of one with Pike, Percy, and Vex when Laudna died) or having those NPCs killed off (NOTABLY this happened to Estheross. This also effectively happened to Planerider Ryn, who didn't die, per se, but was completely taken out of commission for like. the whole story). Not staying in any particular place long enough to establish any real roots (missed opportunities for major NPCs in Jrusar, Bassuras and especially in Yios with Kadija Sumal and Vitro Isham to name a couple) also plays a part. C1 and C2 were both much more rooted in their home locations, or locations that eventually became a home for the characters, and we just have none of that in C3. There is no place that feels like Bells Hells' home base the way Emon/Whitestone did for VM or Zadash/Rosohna did for the Nein. Without those integral locations, we lose the connecting NPCs that bring those places to life. In that, a lot of the flaws of C3 become interconnected, imo

[seefasters]

like!!!!!!

[everythingiguess]

Thamepo is just so interesting to me. I enjoy this show a lot and I need to talk about it.

It may seem like a pretty common plot —which could have something to do with the fact that it had been in the works for about 5 years before its actual release- but personally I feel like that's what makes it so enjoyable. You can't really go wrong with this kind of plot if it's handled correctly.

And I actually love all the main characters, which is something I usually have trouble with. In most cases I start liking them a lot but as the show progresses I notice that I don't really know all of them as I would like to.

And that's not the case with Thamepo! It makes me so happy; the fact that the show took its time to let us know each of them individually is one of the best things they could've done. This gave them a strong foundation to tell their story.

I know some people feel frustrated about Thame and Po not having scenes together as much as other bls, which is understandable, but I think that with a show like this it's the right way to go. I feel like it was necessary to focus on establishing the whole story and the environment, otherwise it wouldn't be believable. That includes getting to know all the band members, the people around them and the roles they play in their lives. Now that it's all established, they can focus on Thame and Po's relatioship more, which is what it looks like they're going to do; I remember seeing a clip of the actors talking about how surprised they were fans were so invested in the first half of the show because they thought people would start tuning it for the second part, so I'm guessing it's because that's where we have all the romance.

It's great and I love it because once Thame and Po are in a relationship, their dynamic will be very different from those in other shows; Thame is a popular idol and Po is not and that's a problem. This by itself should let us know that they will have a lot of difficulties and we've been given a glimpse of it in the Pepper-focused episode. Once it all begins, as an audience we'll completely believe in everything that happens because we're now immersed in the story and how everything works for people like the Mars' members. They won't need to explain every single thing to us because we already know and understand their situation.

We know because they took their time with the story, and they've done it so naturally. So of course I love it, and I think a lot of hard work has gone into this series and it shows.

I'm confident that if they hadn't done it like this it would have felt weird, absurd and careless.

[send-me-a-puffalope]

ooooo y’all wanna read my movie Vanessa centric fanfic so bad. ooooo you think it’s so interesting to combine a potential FNAF 2 movie plot with Sister Location ooooooo (this fic is genuinely my pride and joy and I never talk about it enough)

Excerpts for anyone interested under the cut!!! (out of context but yknow)

[ithidunes]

you have no concept for what has just occurred

[sanaserena]

Doffy stretched out a wrist.  “Why don’t you try it?”

You stared at him.  “Are you serious?”  He was suggesting you test seastone on him; he who had devil fruit powers.

The grin on his mouth never once wavered.  “Do I have any reason not to be?”  With that smile, Doffy was always almost serious.

You wound the loose cuff around your finger. “You will be at my mercy.”

“Is that right?”  The corner of his mouth tilted up a fraction higher.  “And what will you do, hmm?”

The bracelet slipped around your hand, heavy against your wrist.  Heavier than your last pair of cuffs.  Your hand wrapped around his, and the cuff slid onto his wrist.

The effect was immediate.  The moment it touched Doffy’s skin, his hand tensed in yours.  Disgust touched his grin as he lost connection with his devil fruit. 

You pushed the cuff to his forearm where you felt the band stretch.

“It has a locking mechanism, or so I’m told,” he said.  “Twist the top half and it will snap the cuff into place. General rule is to do it quickly.”

It took you a few fumbles before you realised what it meant to twist the top half.  The moment you did, the cuff clicked several times and became rigid under your hand, constricting and tightening around Doffy’s forearm. 

Doffy grunted.  “Tight.”

It might be only one cuff.  But the sight of Doffy with even just one arm wrapped in a gilded seastone cuff with a bleeding heart insignia in the centre was appealing.

You slid your hand along his arm, far too aware of the veins that were popping with Doffy’s arm tensed the way it was.

“How does it feel?” you asked, resting your other hand between his legs. 

He flexed his hand.  “Interesting.”  You were sure it was.  It wasn’t often—perhaps never—that someone managed to cuff Doffy in seastone.

“Interesting.”  You leaned in close, the movement catching his attention. 

Suddenly he was no longer focussed on the cuff around his forearm, but on you.  And the way your lips brushed his.  His mouth parted to capture yours in a deeper kiss.

“I take it you like the gift,” he said when you pulled back. 

“I do.” You braced your hands on either side of him and tilted your chin up to look at him.  “I’d like to thank you.  Any preference for your entertainment, Your Majesty?”

Doffy hummed, cupping your face with his hands, and pressing a hard kiss to your lips.  “What do you have in mind?”

You smiled and slipped your head out of his hands.  Catching a hand, you guided him off the table and onto the chair.  He dropped down with his legs spread and you pressed a hand to his stomach. 

“Relax,” you told him, though Doffy was never someone who had to be told twice. 

He leaned back, resting his hands on his thighs.  His face was calm, expecting. 

Your hand slid down his abdomen. “I would strip, but the bandage on my back isn’t very sexy.”

“That’s a shame.”

You kissed him again.  A brief kiss that filled the room.  Your hands smoothed down his chest as you captured his lips in another slow kiss.  Doffy didn’t move his hands.  But his tongue met yours as your next kiss went deeper.

You tugged on the buckle of his pants; it snapped undone.  Doffy was accommodating, lifting his up slightly to allow you to drag them down. 

Breaking away from the kiss, you breathed, “I really, really, really hate your pants.”

~♥~♦~♠~♣~♥~♦~♠~♣~♥~♦~♠~♣~♥~♦~♠~♣~♥~♦~♠~♣~♥~♦~♠~♣~♥~♦~♠~♣~

‘Doffy and reader have a chat’ scene of my ongoing canon (intended) compliant fic, Doffy’s Whore, over on AO3 (Doflamingo X reader and Rosinante X reader pairing; Aokiji X reader endgame - the relationships are a little complicated, see AO3 notes, mind the warnings.)

[cherrymiffis]

where the reader is an F1 driver and people speculate about her sexuality and make up rumors about her with other drivers and she comes out as bisexual...

I also thought she might get involved with some of the pilots after her relationship with her girlfriend ended...

I thought of it as a not very big series, I thought of Lando, Max or Charles as possible romantic couples, I thought about showing her previous relationship like those twitter threads, I think it would be good and also show the development of her relationship with the chosen driver...

things I thought about the reader:

Brazilian nationality 🇧🇷 <3

23 years <3

goddaughter of Rubens Barrichello (could be daughter)<3

I thought of very specific things about the reader's relationships because of the photos I found on Pinterest <3

I just wanted to share this because I'll probably forget it later, I'm not good at writing so if anyone wants to just send me a dm 🫂🫀