#once again not a meta just venting

[daenerys-targaryen]

x

I know the asoiaf fandom has it in their heads that magic is bad evil vile the dragons destruction death but I mean you guys do know that without dragons and Daenerys, the world is literally fucked right? The Others would be 100% unstoppable if it weren’t for Daenerys and her dragons. You’re actively wishing on your faves downfall if you really truly believe that Dany has a single evil bone in her body because without her, without her magic, without her dragons, without her resources, your faves will die.

"But Dany plans on ruling the 7K! which means she is public enemy #1 to all of House Stark because House Stark DESERVES to be independent!!!"

You see this is their immediate argument because they do know that without dany, her dragons and resources their faves will die, but they only care about the fact that since ‘the north must be independent’ -> and ‘dany wants to rule the seven kingdoms’ = dany is bad and must be vilified to the furthest extent.

If you understand daenerys character at all (most don’t), you’d know that Dany has only ever viewed the throne and ruling as something that is her duty as the last living Targaryen. It was not something she wanted. This was something that was thrust upon her when she was sold into a position of power she didn’t want and when all her remaining family members were murdered and killed, leaving her the very last. When Viserys died, she took it upon herself to do what he could not. Again, being 14 years old with no education, dany didn’t really understand the true horrors of what that meant until things were already set in motion. When pregnant with Rhaego, she doesn’t think of herself as sitting on the throne but sets that destiny on her son so that he will rule. Then, when Drogo and Rhaego die, who else would that responsibility have gone to? Once Drogo is gone, Daenerys views the remaining khalassar who chose to follow her as her responsibility; how could she not? How could she look into their eyes an abandon them?

Throughout the series, the crown is heavy on Daenerys shoulders. She would rather sit with her girls and eat fruit by the pool, but thankfully another key aspect of Daenerys character is that she is incredibly selfless. Thankfully, she does rule because not only does she have the heart to rule, but she also has the intelligence and cunning to do so. She's good at it. Not perfect by any means, but she's not awful like the fandom tries to make her out to be. In A Dance With Dragons, “For every [petitioners] two she sent off [from her court] smiling, one left red-eyed or muttering.” 2/3 in favor is a pretty good track record if you ask me 🤷🏼‍♀️

She would love to live happily as a common woman with Daario, even saying that if he asked her to, she would give up her crown for him. But in that same vein, her desire to rest and just be a 15 year old girl is overshadowed by her sense of duty. Not only does she believe is it her duty as the last Targaryen to rule, but it's her sense of duty to protect those who can't protect themselves that motivates her rule. With all of that being said, Daenerys main mission right now is not the seven kingdoms, her goal is not the long night and she has a lot of work ahead of her in Essos.

If Daenerys were just power hungry who wanted to rule the seven kingdoms with an iron fist, she would have left essos and taken it upon herself to do just that in the second book. She would have done anything she could to get to the seven kingdoms and take down her enemies. Just how Viserys would have allowed an entire army and their horses too to rape her to get his throne. But again, she chose to remain in essos as there is still work to be done and people to protect and save.

What is sad is just like in the show, Daenerys will go North and defeat the others and save the world (because it’s her destiny), but these same people who NEED HER AND HER RESOURCES TO SURVIVE THE LONG NIGHT will once again toss her to the side once they have no use for her and vilify her every chance they get because the North Must Be Free! But they don’t even understand Danys motives on why she’s ruling.

Daenerys gets the short end of the stick by not only genuinely being a good person and hero, but also because the very fans of the people she will save twist her into a villain who needs to be destroyed. It’s so messed up. It’s so sad considering at the end of the day, Daenerys is just a 15-year-old girl who’s suffered more than Jesus who has a good heart but these people who claim to be fans of the Honorable House Stark would rather her be crazy and die than anything else simply because they’re threatened by her. Not very honorable if you ask me.

I mean, if you hate her and want her to die just say it? You don’t have to twist her and vilify her to justify your wanting her removed from the story. But I understand that it’s just a way for you to save face from wishing a horrible death upon an ex-child bride who’s just trying to abolish slavery.

[dapper-nahrwhale]

Hmmm. Having a predicament and I am curious to see what I should do cuz like:

So one of my players will not be available to play in the next session of our fairy tale ttrpg game. Not a big problem, but we have had this planned for weeks as it was one of the only times all 6 people are avalible to play. Now, we could just catch them up later.

But last session I thought it was about time to reveal some big plot things to the players (ie their world is not real, they are characters in a book, the world has just been destroyed and now they have to figure out what to do next as a group, they believe everyone they know to be dead, they arent but they dont know that yet, there are wars going on abt things they dont even know abt yet). And we couldn't play the week after the big stuff, so now we can finally play.

But I dont want to leave anyone out of these big things, as I am going to be revealing even more stuff abt how the world works now and going thru some individual character story arcs with them. I could just put off doing those things till later, not that big a problem usually. But I have also been doing that since the very first session.

And also everyone is really really eager and wanting to play again, and this is not the first time someone has had to miss a game, actually we havent had all 6 players there for a session together since the first one, and that was 5 months ago. Every other time I put off revealing the big things, but now I already did, and cant really put any more filler in it for them (and last session when the world got destroyed, I had anticipated all players to be there, and 2 couldn't make it at the last minute and I went through with my plans anyways, and caught up the others later in individual sessions. And that worked out well enough, it was just alot to do, and now that things are more serious I anticipate ill be doing that for everyone who misses a session, because things are going to be moving at a much faster pace now.)

And I am also very very tired of planning out things for them, and then having half the players be there, and having to come up with new things and not being able to continue or create any bigger plot points, and now seeing as we are in the bigger plot things going on, I kinda really would like everyone to be there from now on. But also. I do not anticipate being able to get everyone there for any session, as it has been an impossible feat for the entire campaign.

I AM going to be consulting with the group to see what they would like to do as a whole, but you know. I am curious to see what other people would do tbh.

[itsclydebitches]

Things I Adore About Diamond Dog Trent (in Chronological Order):

Intense confusion over Beard barking that becomes Roy scaring the shit out of him (again) as he slams the door

"Oh, I'm in." IMMEDIATE. NO HESITATION. 100% COMMITMENT. Keep in mind that he's just been told they share their "most initiate thoughts, feelings and experiences" like oh, I don't know... the fact that you're gay? But Trent is Ted's The Lasso Way's #1 Fanboy so he's feeling safe and validated, baby!!

This is very much enhanced by the return of the rainbow mug

30 seconds into his new membership and Trent has gotten used to the barking enough that he can manage an awkward little wave of acknowledgement. 10/10 very cute

Subtle eye-narrowing of judgment at Ted right after Beard's "Unbelievable." They really are on the same wavelength this episode I'm digging it

"Can I just talk whenever?" OH I'M SORRY, IS TRENT "BRINGING THE HEAT" CRIMM POLITELY REQUESTING PERMISSION TO ASK POINTED, PERSONAL QUESTIONS? We love us some character development, yes we do

Teeny tiny smile when Higgins agrees with him. He's! So! Proud! Of! Himself! And he should be!!

Copying Beard's pointing. It reminds me of him subtly flipping Jamie off but also kinda pretending like it's a coincidence. Trent wants to be included so, so badly and he's someone who displays that by mimicking the actions of those around him. Something, something, Isaac's study of body language

The fact that for once Trent isn't holding his notebook and doesn't stop to grab it. He has a good handle now on what can and cannot go into his book. "Don't print that" is a running gag he no longer needs

A more meta-y take, but I love that Trent's first meeting is the perfect example of what the Diamond Dogs are meant to be accomplishing. It's not just a place to vent or get platitudes (though it's that too), but rather to receive the honest, sometimes hard-hitting advice so you can make better and more informed decisions. Ted went in looking for sympathy and got a doozy of a wake-up call instead, which I think highlights the group's purpose for Trent far better than many other meetings might have

You can see Trent open his mouth a little bit while the others are howling like he wants to join in (because he does HE DOES) but doesn't quite have the courage yet. It's only when the others quiet down - when he's not 'imposing' on 'their' thing - that he lets out that little *woof!* of his own

The woof. Yes, that gets its own bullet point

[little-cereal-draws]

Details I noticed in Nimona pt 2

In the opening narration, when we first see Gloreth in the scrolls there are words behind her that read "Salva nos" which translates to "save us." When she stabs the monster there are words that read "mori" which translates to "Death."

One of the newspapers on Ballister's innocence wall reads "Black Heart Out There"

When Nimona bangs on the tower door you can see her shadow under the door

The first time we see the circular saw in the tower it's off. Then it turns on just so Nimona can lean on it. Then it's off again

Nimona wears a black pair of glasses when she asks Ballister about the job while reading the newspaper. She drops them on the table but wears them again as an otter after the second fight at the Institute

When Ballister is screaming "Murder him, murder her, murder everyone!" Nimona sees Ambrosius first. She looks between Bal and him a few times before Bal notices

Back at their hideout, when Bal looks over the couch to see Nimona cooking, he looks around like 'uhhh...' a few times

The item Nimona classified as most deadly was a HUMONGOUS chainsaw. The chainsaw gets moved around the tower a bit but ends the movie on a top shelf in the alcove

In the top left of Nimona's updated murder wall, there's a drawing she did of a design for Ballister's arm. It's shooting fire and is labeled, "Literal firearm." Next to it is a self portrait she did

When Nimona suggests maybe there's nothing outside the wall before they go to the market, Ballister blinks and actually considers it for a second before deciding that's wrong

Nimona's right (our left) fang is bigger than the other

The sign in the subway projecting the train arrival times said that the C to Marketplace arrived in one minute, the Q to Castle Cross arrives in six minutes, and the 6 to Victory Ave. arrived in ten minutes

When Ballister tries to convince Nimona it's "easier to be a girl" during their subway ride, there's a poster behind him that says, "Put Your Faith in the Institue." I love how unsubtle they were with their subtext in this movie lol

When they go up into the subway air vents to escape Ambroisus, Nimona beats her chest once in gorilla form

The highlights in the squire's eyes are pentagons. I know ppl have done metas abt what the eye highlights mean but idk how pentagons fit into there

While trying to stuff the squire's unconscious body into their trunk, Ballister drops him. On his head

The bandage that Bal uses to heal Nimona's knee is the bottom of his cape, we see him tear it off while she's talking. Also the bandage has increasing amounts of blood on it as he wraps it. It's still not very much but it does increase the longer it's on there

After coming back to the tower from the second fight at the Institute, Nimona almost hits Bal in the face with the door but he catches it at the last second

On top of the wooden case where the Director was hiding Ballister's real sword is a huge old book. It's in a glass case that she rests her hands on while talking to "Ambrosius." Again, I love how obvious they were being with this movie; she's hiding the weapon that she used to kill, frame, and exclude people to preserve oppressive tradition under smth that looks exactly like a medieval Bible. They were not subtle lol

When "Ambrosius" dies, there's blood on his armor and the sword. Not very much but you can see it

One of the citizens watching the news about the Director's confession is an old lady. She's got a couch, a tv stand, and two framed pictures of chickens on her wall. That's it; the rest of the room, like behind the TV (which is in the middle of the room for some reason??), is completely empty. I just thought her chicken pictures were funny lol

When Bal and Ambrosius are arguing in the Antlered Serpent, Bal says, "You know what? You are so full of-" And then he gets cut off by the waiter, so we'll never get to hear him finish that sentence

Also in that scene, there's a portrait of the Queen behind Ambrosius but nothing behind Ballister. Again, they're using the environment/background to show where characters' loyalties lie

Nimona's got a little pink and white circle on the bottom of her boots. You can see it when she wakes up on the couch and when she jumps off the balcony in the Director's office. I can't get a good image of it but I'm guessing it's some kind of logo

In the flashback with Gloreth, Nimona is pretty shy and reserved until she can use her shapeshifting. Then she's chatty, she's fully engaged in the games, and she just looks so much happier. She knew she could trust Gloreth and wasn't worried about hiding a key part of her identity. She shapeshifted and then she was free (ignore me crying)

When Nimona turns into the big shadow monster at the climax, the initial transformation destroys the well where she met Gloreth. I'm sure there's some symbolism in there but I'm leaving that for someone else to figure out lol

When Todd crashed his hoverscooter, he went all the way through the billboard. I thought he just hit it but no, he made a giant hole

When Ballister shows up to the city for the final sequence, the "A New Era of Heros" billboard is burning behind his right (our left) shoulder. Again there's probably symbolism in there but I'm leaving it to someone else

When Bal's sword hits the ground after he drops it off Gloreth's statue, it turns off. It's the first time in the movie where it hasn't been glowing. It really drove home that he's done with the Institute. He's not carrying it, it's not even on. He's helping Nimona

Ambrosius tries to carry an unconscious/severely injured person off the wall as Nimona's flying at it but he puts the person's full weight on his injured shoulder. Bc he's big brain like that

The scene where Bal and Ambrosius kiss is actually on top of the wall. Maybe that was obvious, but it took me forever to realize. They've turned it into a park and have made it accessible to the public. Also it looks over the entire Kingdom and it's HUGE! I've seen people worrying about how they fit all those people in the walls but it's actually ginormous

pt 1, pt 3, pt 4, pt 5

[drconstellation]

The Altar of Eccles Cakes

(updated 21 Oct 2023, for Grain Offerings example) (updated 21 Nov 2023, for link to First Temptation)

The mysterious plate of Eccles cakes. Are they really to "calm people down?' And why do they just ...disappear? They must be there for a reason?

Yes, they certainly are. They are just the first course of a fascinating meal on offer in S2.

So far, most of the meta around the Eccles cakes has focused on the meaning of their name. Eccles is an old name for church. We could view it as Aziraphale trying to calm Crowley down. They are also known as "squashed fly cakes." The white outside and the black inside could be seen as a metaphor relating to Gabriel. Or it hints at the Roger the Stunt Fly, that contain Gabriel's memories, flying around the book shop, who's purpose we don't find out about until the end. There is even a link to the 1650 Sorry Dance that Aziraphale mentioned, in that were banned by Oliver Cromwell for being pagan! (Did I get that right? I've not kept the post link.)

[Edit: They also represent the First Temptation as Jesus fasts in the wilderness for 40 days before the Entry into Jerusalem at the start of the Passion narratives, where bread was made from stones.]

Take another look at the blocking in this shot. The dark horse statue, representing Crowley - even wearing his sunglasses! - has the placating plate of Eccles cakes placed before it, in supplication. Yeah, it didn't work this time, but it's the thought that counts. What we have here is Aziraphale making an Sin offering to the altar of Crowley, to ask for atonement in advance for what he has done (taking Gabriel in.)

Once you frame it in that reference, you realize its not the only altar offering made during S2. It also adds a bit more depth to some of the other scenes, where they have all been mentioned already in some way, but it certainly helps to explain the Eccles cakes!

Firstly, we need to mention the main types of altar offering that are made:

Burnt offerings - for general atonement of sins and for expression of devotion to God. It could be a bull, a ram, goat, or a bird in the form of a dove or pigeon. Such as this magnificent example in the Job minisode.

Aziraphale certainly devoted himself to the sin of gluttony on that occasion. (hang on, that didn't come out the right way, did it...?) But he was still devoted to God, despite his nocturnal conversation with Crowley while they waited out the storm in the cellar.

Grain offerings - a voluntary expression of devotion to God. This was grain prepared in different way, but always seasoned, unsweetened and unleavened. Recall at Gomorrah Lot offered to prepare the visiting angels unleavened bread as part of a meal.

Originally when I wrote this post I didn't think I had any Grain offering examples, but a few days later as I was writing my post on The Ineffable Ducks I realized where the missing S2 Grain offering was - in S2E1, when Crowley yells at the Azerbaijani spies in St James Park. The ducks are usually offered bread, which is leavened with yeast, so technically not quite correct, but when you review all the instances of feeding the ducks crumbs or bread crumbs it certainly fits. Unless you are Crowley, and you'd rather have the current state of quiet "frozen peas" between Heaven and Hell. See my Ineffable Ducks post for an elaboration.

Peace offering - This could be cattle, sheep or goat without defect, but the main purpose to was consecrate a meal between two or more parties before God and share that meal in a fellowship of peace and commitment to each other's future prosperity.

You know where we see one of these? At the eldritch ball!

I did see a nice meta about the vol-au-vents recently, mainly about their name, but I don't seem to have saved it, and can't find it again. They are usually filled with chicken (a bird) and the eldritch ball is ostensibly the shopkeepers monthly meeting, after all, where they are there to talk about their mutual prosperity in the future. Just so happens its also an opportunity for Aziraphale to talk to Crowley about their future...oh, and Nina and Maggie's, as well, of course!

Sin offering - atonement or unintentional sin. It would have the elements of a Burnt offering, as well as a Peace offering, but not be shared. These are what the plate of Eccles cakes are, so they were never meant to be eaten. They were an olive branch to Crowley regarding Gabriel, but he turned it down. So they softly and suddenly vanish away, never to be met with again.*

There is one more altar offering that needs to mentioned, another Sin offering. The one Crowley consumed in Elspeth's place in The Resurrectionists minisode in 1832 Edinburgh - the laudanum.

It pretty clear to most observers that Crowley did a good and "kind deed" for Elspeth here, which angered Hell in the process and then he was dragged forcibly downstairs to be duly punished for it. There is a post here from atlas-hope that suggests this is a parallel of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, drinking the cup of God's wrath to absolve Christians of their sins. They point out the laudanum is even poured into a goblet. Crumbs, that's a hefty bit of spiritual lifting, dear demon. What were you thinking, Anthony J. Crowley? It might cast that conversation you had with the carpenter back on the mountain in a new light, or least make us look back twice at it. (Plenty of time for contemplation before S3 arrives...)

Remember, a Sin offering has elements of both a Burnt offering and a Peace offering: a giant Crowley gets Elspeth to promise to devote the rest of her life to being "properly good, not just pretendy good" and the money Aziraphale is forced to donate to her ensures her future prosperity. Sounds like a win-win situation there, Elspeth!

[*OK, if you don't get the ref, its from the Hunting of the Snark. The Snark represents happiness, a most elusive thing to find, and more often than not its a fruitless search, and you find the terrible Boojum instead. During the third verse the Baker recounts the lecture his uncle gives him about how to hunt the Snark, and to be aware of his fate if he is unlucky enough to encounter a Boojum. It kind of fits in with S2, I feel.]

[x-for-a-y]

re: my last post (again) here are my thoughts on what kind of reasonable lasting or short-term effects being goners would have on the doatk cast in a post-canon revival setting:

jake: i already headcanon him as being disabled, something akin to chronic fatigue or insomnia or POTS. so getting all the wires out... either his preexisting conditions make recovery harder or the lasting effects themselves are mainly just exacerbating his old issues. but regardless. rollator jake real guptill: the main thing he'd have to deal with is just being fucking Out Of It. getting used to having direct, normal control over his body again. like in the long-term he'll be alright it's just going to be a rough first few days being back in his body edmund: this would be easier to determine if he were less ambiguously human from the get-go so. fuck it. heightened allergen sensitivity acquired star warriors: kirby bounces back fine, he just needs a few days to relax some, and his friends like bandana dee notice he's more tired & give him some help & kindness. meta knight also probably could use some time off but he's not going to give himself any, & his crew certainly can't get him to, so eventually dedede's the one who buckles down and makes sure all his buddies are feeling well again demo: she's fine. i don't have anything else to say hamood: now on one hand that's a fucked up transformation. on the other hand that's a lot more to clearly get reset back to normal. & on the other hand he's, what, 5? i think he does end up with slightly out-of-whack proportions from all this- his wings in particular turn out on the side of too large -but it'd probably take another 8 years for stuff like corrective surgery or just physical therapy & shit to be considered at: unfortunately i never watched this show so while the long-term effects are pretty up in the air i don't think the short-term effects are any worse than what can be covered in, like, a couple episode's time. like maybe jake needs a good pep talk or two from people to feel comfortable in his body again & finn has to learn to not run away from his issues. something like that kebian + will: will goes home and vents a little about the experience to his partner(s? i don't watch all his stuff). kebin, meanwhile, only turns to a bit of introspection out of competitiveness for what ian does, and thinks to himself that maybe the wall is a little fucked up then goes no further; ian takes up yoga/other mindfulness-focused athletics in order to feel more at home in his body. korone: probably spends the first few days aching like a motherfucker, the sort of full-body soreness you only get from like climbing a mountain or a way-too-intense workout. once it stops hurting to breathe she probably goes back to gaming just to keep her mind off stuff & maybe picks up streaming again not long after but it's at least a couple weeks before she's at base physical performance again. morty: dude i don't know. i think it makes the most sense for him to fuck off & resume a lifestyle of peaceful hedonism & self-care. no way he's going to start being introspective about stuff until he's like. 40. i don't watch the show dreem himself i have nothing to say about but, going with the assumption that the puppet, me, & you are all versions of the same person: physically i can just say they deal with generally reduced stamina, mentally meanwhile. for their own health & safety they log the fuck off most places and try to enjoy the music they like without getting bogged down in the awkwardly online social kinds of things and then. i don't know, some kingdom hearts shit happens to it- it spends time offline & otherwise with friends trying to figure out its own emotions -and it regrows a heart/soul. mozart: he got hit with the hypermobility beam! oh shit! knee braces wrist braces a brace for the spine, you name it he uses it. bonus roommate: two dimensional in the adam ruins everything animated insert way. yeah it's fucked up. yeah he'll never fully be, like, a regular human.

[visualtaehyun]

When I started getting interested in Thai not even a year ago, I certainly didn't expect to be reading poetry at this point but here we are now:

มิ่งมิตร (ming mit) - the poem from Be My Favorite EP.11

It's part of a book of poems called ขอบฟ้าขลิบทอง (horizon trimmed in gold) and the author's pen name is อุชเชนี (Eugenie). Since 2017, the year after her passing, there's been a literary contest dedicated to her, the Eugenie Awards (website is in Thai).

I've copied over the entire thing from the end of the episode + the translation from the subs + included screenshots with the exact lines (unless it just shows Pear reading, unrelated to the line).

In Pear's recital there's two lines missing/left out that I tried to translate (=*) to the best of my *cough* limited *cough* abilities.

Anything marked in red is either an annotation of mine or where I felt the translation needed clarification.

I ran out of time so make of all of this what you will. I might come back to this post with some comments or meta before Friday.

Disclaimer: I'm a learner of Thai, not a native speaker, so feel free to correct me on anything 🙏

มิ่งมิตร เธอมีสิทธิ์ที่จะล่องแม่น้ำรื่น Dear Friend, You have the right to sail along and glide (along a river)

ที่จะบุกดงดำกลางค่ำคืน ที่จะชื่นใจหลายกับสายลม To venture into the woods in the dead of night To revel in the joy of a gentle breeze's sway

ที่จะร่ำเพลงเกี่ยวโลมเรียวข้าว ที่จะยิ้มกับดาวพราวผสม To sing your song with the harvested rice To grin (smile) at the stars above shining bright

ที่จะเหม่อมองหญ้าน้ำตาพรม ที่จะขมขื่นลึกโลกหมึกมน To gaze upon the grass with tears in your eyes To absorb as much bitterness as desired (To be deeply bitter, the world inky unmoving)

ที่จะแล่นเริงเล่นเช่นหงษ์ร่อน ที่จะถอนใจทอดกับยอดสน To be cheerful as a swan soaring free To vent it out with the top of the pine tree

ที่จะหว่านสุขไว้กลางใจฅน ที่จะทนทุกข์เข้มเต็มหัวใจ To plant glee in the hearts of people To take in (endure) as much misery (suffering, one of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism) as you're able

ที่จะเกลาทางกู้สู่ฅนยาก ที่จะจากผมนิ่มปิ้มเส้นไหม *To smooth the path to recovery for someone poor (a way out of being poor) *To leave (?) hair soft almost like silken threads

ที่จะหาญผสานท้านัยน์ตาใคร ที่จะให้สิ่งสิ้นเธอจินต์จง *To boldly unite, to defy the eyes of others *To let things end as you envision

ที่จะอยู่เพื่อฅนที่เธอรัก ที่จะหักพาลแพรกแหลกเป็นผง To live for someone you love dearest To battle until your body turns into ashes (no mention of what turns to dust here as a result of bending, fighting, breaking)

ที่จะมุ่งจุดหมายปรายทะนง ที่จะคงธรรมเที่ยงเคียงโลกา To achieve what you strongly desire To pursue fairness (dharma, justice, truth, virtue) for humankind

เพื่อโค้งเคียวเรียวเดือนและเพื่อนโพ้น เพือไผ่โอนพลิ้วพ้อล้อภูผา For the sickle, the crescent moon, your dear friends For the swaying bamboo trees and the mountains

เพื่อเรืองข้าวพราวแพร้วทั่วแนวนา เพื่อขอบฟ้าขลิบทองรองอรุณ For the abundant rice in the paddy to remain For the golden skyline to come once again (For the horizon trimmed in gold to cradle/prop up the dawn)

[fix-me-sixteen]

it is i, @the-way-astray, this is my main. that blog's still where all the interesting stuff is. i am trying to take this blog more seriously, but before i can, i have to clear out all my likes. so it may take a while.

hello, i'm stria, i use she/her pronouns. what else is there to say to about me. oh. i love the number sixteen.

banner and profile picture are both art of fitz vacker from kotlc by @/lemontarto (once again, thank you so much, absolutely devouring your style)

assorted tags i'll use, for my various purposes:

#insane post: posts that make me insane (basically analysis/meta)

#good post: posts with a good take

#wholesome post

#lh post: funny/chaotic posts

#useful post: post with useful advice

#fandom post: a post about fandom behavior in general

#story post: posts about a person's backstory, stories, or information in general

#inapplicable post: posts that don't apply to me/i disagree with but i like them/think they're good so i want them on my blog anyway

#interactive post

fandom tags formatted #[media] and character tags formatted #[character's first name] [character's last name] and #[media] [character's first name]

#SIXTEEN MENTION: a post that mentions the number sixteen

#four mention: a post that mentions the number four (which i love too)

#FAVORITE

#stria's parental issues: i vent about my parents. sorry y'all

#stria speaks: i speak (aka my own original post and not a reblog)

#legends: for posts about awesome famous people

#recommendations: usually books, sometimes other media

#polls

#animals (#cats, #snakes, #dogs, etc.)

#tumblr things

#art

#music

#writing

#news

#personal

#political

#my secret fandom: stuff about my other main's media

#PARALLELS/CYCLES/SYMBOLISM/FORESHADOWING: a post containing any one of those literary devices (usually thg)

other random shit about me:

main fandom is kotlc, i have an entire sideblog dedicated to it (@the-way-astray). if i really love something from there, i'll reblog it here. however, i also have a shit ton of posts about other fandoms saved that i need to reblog somewhere so. expect other fandoms, soon, too.

because of the mess i am now stuck in*, i don't use the like feature of tumblr anymore. it just gets too hectic for me, because when i enjoy a post, that usually means i want to be able to find it again, which is frustratingly not possible with the like feature. if i enjoy your post, it's pretty much going to be only reblogs. if i like your post, it was an accident. sorry. honestly tumblr should just hide the button from me so i don't have the temptation anymore.

i cannot reblog a post without saying something in the tags. as i said above, when i enjoy a post, i want to be able to find it again. so that's usually the reason.

i swear and use all-caps with no warning. if you desperately want that to change, tell me.

*if you aren't aware, i spent basically an entire week just cleaning out the likes of my old main because there were too many, and i still have hundreds more to sort through, it's part of the reason why i made this new main, so i'd have a place to put all my non-kotlc related liked posts.

[lavender-teardroplettes]

You should do Miguel and Si hcs (Weathering Feelings VN)

Since idk how many people have played it I’ll suggest doing so before reading this post since it’ll contain spoilers!

Hcs under the cut!:

This one’s a little more interesting than most to me due to the nature of the game and Miguel looking at the PLAYER and less so the stand-in he has for you in game, gets a little meta in the best ways in my opinion. UwU

Si would find the general idea for the game really cute assuming the download page is a little different from the irl itch page and doesn't include any spoilers. It would be neat if the moment he downloads it the page is gone since it's meant for him and no one else. (though this is an open mc headcanon even if it wasn't Si, I just think it's a neat idea). While he knows games aren't the same as getting real therapy, sometimes it's nice to harmlessly vent to a game just to get it out.

I think he'd play a "normal" route where he wouldn't notice anything off about the game just yet, not hitting the right flags right away and putting the game down for a day or two before booting it up again to try and get a new route with one of the other Doctors before going back to try and do a better route with Dr. Nubloso....only to get him again even after picking different answers. Weird...but he thinks "maybe I have to hit a flag first and clear his route first." He does better the second time around, but now things are getting...weird, and he notices that the game sprite seems to be looking directly at him.

Once he gets to the part where things get really weird and Dr. Nubloso starts talking about going into the game files before the route ends, Si gets really spooked and closes the game again. He's surprised and a little shocked at the change of pace in the story, but he also can't help but be a little curious about what would happen if he did delete the file. It's also around 2-3 am at that point of time, so he also thinks that maybe he fell asleep or misread something in his sleepy state. He sleeps on it, opens the game again, and plays through one more time to make sure, once again giving different answers, and once more getting the Cloudy Day therapist.

Once he confirms the weird ending and the request of deleting the file, Si looks around in the game files before finding it. His curiosity gets the better of him after a little debate with himself, and he does. Now....When he boots up the game again he is NOT expecting to see Miguel at all, and he certainly wasn't expecting to be talked to directly. He almost yelps and turns off the game again, but something pulls his attention to the new development and tells him to stop and hear him out. Maybe he's overacting and this is just really good...specific writing? So he plays on, almost exhausting each available line of dialogue Miguel has for him, even replaying them a few times before Miguel acknowledges what he's doing and gives him the whole 'oh, you're testing me and my loyalty' speech. And...he has to admit, he does feel a little bad for the character by that time....that is until he hits the nsfw route and gets WAY MORE flustered than he should've been. And yes....he played both routes. ovo

By the end of it, he gets the ending where Miguel resolves to break out of the game for him, and he's left confused when all that loads after is a glitched screen. He does some more digging in the files and finds some "easter eggs" from Miguel, getting flustered at two of the special pictures hidden in the files. Curiouser, Si- seemingly out of a whim- decided to read the game's script...and his stomach drops when he notices little notes hidden in the game's files from Miguel- even down to the nsfw scenes. Before he can really react or fully process that this could be real, there's a knocking at his door..... Miguel came to find him just like he said he would. :)

That's all I really have for now since it's been a hot minute since I thought about how this would work given what we have with the current demo, but as you can see it's a really fun premise to play with!

[forestenjoyer]

tw leftist meme

this is more of a vent post than anything so be nice and bear with me. i was feeling down earlier so i did some writing to try to get my thoughts straight, and i wrote this.

Every time i feel down, i wonder what it that makes me feel this way. And there are many things. Is it species dysphoria? Sometimes. Is it fear of the future? fear of never living my one life the way i want to? Dread of the increasing amount of people who seemingly hate my kind? Fear for me and the people i love? Climate Anxiety? Loneliness? Yeah, sometimes. But sometimes I can't figure it out, and there is a thought in the back of my mind, and it never goes away. I try to tell myself that some days I'm just not feeling it, and thats true. But sometimes i get upset because i cant really disprove the thought. I'm scared of capitalism, and I'm scared of the way it poisons everything that i love.

When I first heard the thought, i was a social democrat, and it was easy for me to just tell myself that i was being ridiculous. but after time, the thought dawned on me, and everywhere i looked, i saw evidence.

Corporations exist to make a profit. They don't care about us being satisfied unless it's profitable to them. When they get influential enough, people begin to become dependent on them. Once this happens, they can gouge prices for more profit, as they are doing now. What will the government do? Nothing, because more often than not, they have an incentive to support the company. Perhaps the company is a donor, perhaps they are bribed, perhaps the obscene wealth makes them look good by some measurements, or perhaps they themselves are a CEO.

So, right. The government, who is allegedly supposed to take care of us, the people, isn't going to help, as it hasn't. So it's up to us, but say this company provides a vital service and is the only one who does so at any reasonable quality (Google), or has people addicted (Meta, McDonald's), or has so much variety and power that avoiding it is incredibly difficult (Disney, Nestle). If this is the case, which is is, it's very hard to boycott them.and those who advocate for change or participate in attempts to force change are mocked and taunted by bad actors and gullible folk. And by bad actors, I mean people who defend the company because they too own businesses. Landlords, local business owners, and so on. They are middle class twats who have never had to suffer the struggle of a normal person. And yet they LARP as us, calling themselves everyday hardworking folk, but actually own a business or an estate and have never had to confront the fears of tenancy, homelessness, poverty, and so on.

And i despise these people. They pretend to be us, and trivialise our struggle, saying lifes not that hard, and even call us elitists and entitled, and complain about us. And they manipulate and lie like this and act like they suffer while they collect rent from tenants after their third overseas holiday of the year.

And maybe you believe in reform. I did too. But do you ever find yourself asking 'How?' Do you ever grow weary of politicians throwing you and your movement under the bus? Or failing to fulfill their promises? Do you ever catch yourself thinking 'this is hopeless'? What do you do when you hear that, or when others tell you that? A reasonable person would take it in good faith, consider it, and try to find its flaws. And if you really knew that reform was possible, or realistic, you could explain why to yourself. I never could. I would joke around and throw insults because I couldn't argue with it, and everyone else did the same. I thought 'those stupid leftists are so foolish' and said it was ridiculous.

And thats why I caved, After all, if you cant see a way for peaceful protests and voting alone to bring change, and have watched it fail to over and over again, is it not reasonable to turn to the ideas that can give you answers, that being anarchism? The government cannot ignore a riot like it can ignore a peaceful protest. And if the government cannot and will not help us, we will have to help ourselves and each other.

And this is only a small part of it. I hate how it has ruined and weaponised science and strangled art. I hate how it destroys the environment. and i cant stand the way it does so with such self righteousness and entitlement

[defiedlife]

META + love (Aventurine)

send  [ META ] + a word / phrase / person / etc for a headcanon.

Love is such a loaded concept for Aventurine. I cannot stress this enough. Despite everything he's been through, he has so much love to give to others, just as he always has. Let's talk familial first, since that's where it all started—

He's never forgotten where he came from, and for as far back as he can remember (which is nearly as far back as possible; he's got an excellent memory), he has always loved his family, even the father he never met. Even though they're all gone, they're still the most important people in his life, and he loves them vastly more than he loves himself. His mother, father, and older sister will always, always have a special place in his heart. They were his whole world once, and the only source of any type of true love he has ever known. He knows he was deeply loved by them, and they're the main reason he's been able to hold onto the concept of love and believe in it despite all the trauma and tragedy he has survived since then.

He doesn't currently have anyone else he specifically regards as family, but he wishes that he did. He sorely misses his family on a daily basis, and he will always long to have someone in his life to fill that void—not to replace his lost loved ones, but to let him feel that same kind of love again and remind him that it still exists in more places than his memory.

Now, onto platonic love—mainly friendship, since he doesn't definitively have any platonic relationships that go deeper than that. That said, buckle up.

First of all, let me put this out there—no, friends are not "weapons of the Avgins," nor did his parents teach him that. That was a bluff he came up with on the spot, likely to serve two purposes; one, to make himself seem a little less pathetic after openly admitting he never had a formal education, and two (and more importantly), to give anyone observing his conversation with Ratio a reason to believe it to be normal (rather than strange or desperate) that he'd go around Penacony collecting new allies like one might collect coins or marbles.

Weaponizing friendships is, however, both a defensive and offensive technique that he has come to utilize and lean on when necessary. He doesn't take any pride in doing so, but if it's his best course of action to achieve an important goal, he'll go for it—with one caveat.

He will never, ever use another person he cares about in order to advance his schemes if he believes doing so would put them in any real danger. In his plans, the only person in any significant danger will only ever be himself. No one else gets hurt; not if he can help it. No one.

This is because, despite how things might seem on the surface, friendships are genuinely important to him. Yes, he'll make a friend and probably mentally catalogue how knowing this specific person could come in handy in the future, but that's due to force of habit at this point. It's an ingrained nature; one he wishes he could do without, but he can't afford to let that habit go because it helps him survive. If he could, he would, because just like wanting a family again, he craves true friendship. This desire is a little more repressed than his desire for a family, precisely because he does have that bad habit of also seeing friends as potential tools, but it's there nonetheless.

He wants so badly to just have a fun night out with friends, or be able to drop by someone's home to hang out, or have a trusted friend he can confide in and vent to; someone who will actually care if he's sick or hurt or having a bad day. Unfortunately, such relationships are few and far between for him, a result partially of his own making and partly due to his trauma and the awful prejudice and stereotypes surrounding Avgins. He tends to make "friends," but keep most people at arm's length to protect himself, either because he's wary of letting them in, because their attitude towards him is negative from the outset, or both.

Thirdly—romantic love. As with friendship, he craves it. It's a craving he feels down to his very soul, and there's nothing he can do that will permanently quiet it short of actually attaining that love. But it's just a beautiful daydream, or so he often thinks. He will pine and hope and try so hard to gain a person's attention and affection if he's interested, but at the end of the day, deep down, he feels he's unworthy of it.

That's not to say he'd be a bad partner; far from it. He'd be attentive to his partner's needs both physically and emotionally, and so long as he can help it, they'll never want for anything. As a Stoneheart, he has ample funds and means to spoil his s/o, and so he can and will. Attention, gifts, and acts of service are all well within his love language wheelhouse. Just...don't ask him to do anything in the kitchen unless he has clear instructions or a recipe to follow and knows how to properly use all the required ingredients, utensils, and appliances. He did not grow up with any kind of kitchen, and no one ever taught him how to cook or bake. Please forgive him.

I already talked at length about his preferences and what draws him to a potential partner here and here, so I won't go into all of that again so soon.

Lastly, I wanna talk a little about Aventurine and self-love. As hinted at a couple paragraphs ago, he really...has none. He knows he was lovable and beloved once, but that was when he was a little kid and his childhood was as good as it was ever going to get. Even back then, though he was loved, he also kept hearing how special he was; how he was chosen by Gaiathra Triclops and blessed with luck, and how much rested on his shoulders as a result. Ever since then, his self-worth and self-love have taken a rapid nosedive. On many an occasion, he's felt that his luck is all he's worth, and that if his luck is the reason he survives while so many others around him keep suffering or dying, it's not worth much to him even though it's all he has.

Deep down, in his own eyes, he's a murderer, a coward, and a failure who always loses so much more than he ever truly wins. He hides it with flashy, expensive clothing and accessories and puts on a smile, but none of that will take away the pain. He spoils himself with luxury to take the edge off, but it's never enough, and he sometimes wonders if he really deserves to have such nice things when he has no one to share them with.

As I said at the beginning, he has so much love to give, and he desperately wants to give it. He just needs the opportunity. He needs to learn that he's worth more than his luck and not a commodity to be bought and sold. He needs to learn that he's still worth loving in return despite his origins and the person he has become.

[bg-sparrow]

Introduction

Hi! I'm Erica (BG), and I write fan fiction! I've been writing fic since 2004, and you can find me on AO3 and FFN! As you might have gleaned, I predominantly write Back to the Future fanfic, but I have written for many fandoms over the years!

Side Blogs

This is my main blog, but I have side blogs, too.

@juneofdoom - an annual whump challenge I host because some friends were sad another whump challenge wasn't happening, so I made them a list. Obviously it snowballed.

@piratepianist - Moodboard blog. Colors make me happy, and I express that best through moodboards since I can't draw.

@nopinestimeline - a sideblog I made for my version of Evil!Marty

@bgsbracelets - Thanks to the #bttfbff friendship bracelet exchange, I've gotten so into bracelet making that I'm giving my creations their own sideblog while I set up an Etsy store. This is still very under construction, but if you want to see all the fun fandom bracelets I make, give me a follow!

The Heaviest Back to the Future Trilogy Test

The amount of knowledge I've compiled in researching BttF media for a trilogy rewrite is beyond extensive, and I decided to put some of it to use in this BttF quiz that is actually challenging compared to every other BttF quiz I've ever taken. Have a go! Good luck!

Back to the Future Fan Fiction

Series:

The Time Circuits Series - a trilogy rewrite featuring my OC, Emma Brown, as Doc's daughter and Marty's love interest. This sucker took nine years, but, five works and 273,000 words later, it's done!

Once Upon a Time in the West Series - my version of the "stuck in 1885" AU where Marty's depression and association with Buford Tannen are explored. This four-work saga clocks in at 64,000 words and is now complete.

The Boy Who Leapt Through Time Series - my ongoing McFly July drabble collection.

The Meta of Marty McFly - originally made for the June of Doom whump challenge, this series is an ongoing foray into the ridiculous world of self-insert where I brainstorm fic ideas/ vent at/ torment Marty in my imaginary, infinite office building. It's utter nonsense, and that's why I adore it.

Bhagavad Gita Duology - a history-heavy look at Doc's time on the Manhattan Project, the toll it takes on him, and the mysterious "friend" there at every turn. These two completed stories come in at just under 17,000 words, and they are 17,000 of some of my best, IMO.

BG's Back to the Future Drabbles

This AO3 collection houses all of my bite-sized BttF moments from various challenges on Tumblr and Discord.

The Boy Who Leapt Through Time - McFly July 2022

The Man from the Future - Doctober 2022

In a Kingdom Far, Far Away - Friendship February 2023

The Boy Who Leapt Through Time Again - McFly July 2023

The Boy Who Leapt Through Time Yet Again - McFly July 2021

The Man Who Traveled Time - Doctober 2023

Stand There and Bleed - Whumpril 2024

Multi-chapter

Let's Do the Time Warp Again - Marty's past self gets jumped by Biff's gang at the dance, and Marty has no choice but replace himself at the clocktower, creating a time loop.

Sons and Scientists - an AU in which Marty, stranded in 1940s and living with Doc in Los Alamos, gets drafted into service and there's nothing Doc can do about it. This one hurts, guys. I'm warning you.

By Accident or Design - my version of "the duel goes wrong." This one also hurts. A third and final chapter is being entertained but not certain at this time.

Pennies from Heaven - an Elf/BttF crackfic for Discord Secret Santa 2022. I'm not gonna lie, I had a blast with this, and I'm hella proud of how it turned out. Just go with it!

One Shots

A Fracture in the Space-time Continuum - a sickfic/ injury fic with so much Doc and Marty friendship it's a wonder it hasn't exploded yet. Also affectionately refered to as "Broken Leg Marty".

The Manner of Giving - a 5+1 fic in which Marty tries and fails five times to give Doc a gift (and one time he succeeds).

There's a Time and a Place - No Pine Marty's debut one shot, in which he tells the terrorists where to find Doc the night of the DeLorean Reveal.

Midnight Hour - No Pines Marty visits George in the dead of night to convince him to take Lorraine to the dance.

Stuck in the Stuck in 1885 AU - a silly meta glimpse in which two different Martys from two different “stuck in 1885” stories — daryfromthefuture’s “Until I Get Home” and BG Sparrow’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” — are locked in a room together by their authors to air their grievances. Art by Dary!

Survival is Insufficient

Time Trap

Crime Traveller

The Mystery of the Missing McFly

Roleplays with @daryfromthefuture

These beloved fics feature Dary as Marty and myself as Doc in wholesome, angsty friendship/ sick fics. :)

Lean on Me (When You're Not Strong) - The masterpiece that is Doc seeing Marty through scarlet fever in 1885.

I'll Be There For You (Like I've Been There Before) - Marty glitches, objects at Doc and Clara's wedding, and has a heart-to-heart with Doc about his fears for their future.

I'm Only Me When I'm With You - 1955 sickfic!

Collaborations

Friends Through Time(lines): Chapter 6 - Judge Doc Brown is on the verge of retirment when he meets the child genius renting his garage for the last eighteen months.

Stuck Through Time(lines): 1950s - some first-person Marty reflection on what he's going to do now that he's irrevocably stranded in 1955.

History's Gonna Change: Titanic - Doc and Marty somehow prevent a major historical event from happening and have to ensure it does. I picked the Titanic not sinking!

Back to the Future: Discord - a blind writing game irresponsibly played by the members of our Discord server.

Challenge Masterlists

McFly July 2023

McFly July 2021

Sicktember 2023

Doctober 2023

Comfortember 2023

Whumpril 2024

June of Doom 2024

McFly July 2024

August of Whump 2024 (The Blacklist)

Notable Works in Other Fandoms

Pirates of the Caribbean

Principles of Compromise - Rated T, 64K, drama, Sparrabeth

The Captain - Rated G, 8K, pre-canon Norribeth friendship fluff

Unprecedented Youth - Rated G, 10K, humor, found family

Iron Man (MCU)

These are all Pepperony (Tony/Pepper) and all rated T.

What to Expect When She's Expecting - 4K, pregnancy fic

Extra Dry, Extra Olive - 2K, Tony returns to the roof

For a Decade - 8K, drunken humor/ fluff

Of Toothpaste and Pancakes - 5K, food fight humor/ fluff

Star Wars (Sequel Trilogy)

A Mercy, Tolerant - Rated T, 1200 words, Reylo AU after TFA

Free Space - Rated T, 5K, Reylo bingo card drabbles

National Treasure - Another Clue (Riley/OC, sequel incomplete) Mary Poppins - Under the Weather (sickfic fluff) Jurassic World - Perignon & Paleobotany (pre-canon Claire/Owen) Copying Beethoven - Vibrations on the Air (Anna/Beethoven) Station Eleven - The Pursuit (Kirsten/Tyler) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - As Promised (Major Character Death) The Blacklist - Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Keenler, Undercover Cruise Fic)

BONUS: Multi-Fandom - FFHQ (currently featuring Pirates of the Caribbean, Iron Man, BBC Sherlock, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, and the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy)

A lot of my older/ other fandom fics on FFN are in the process of being edited for AO3 and will be posted here when that happens!

Thanks for stopping by! And don't be a stranger - feel free to reach out! Have an awesome day! :D

[gemapples]

Rant away my friend

apparently a few people wanted me to vent about the kirby novels so head in hands ig i'm gonna go for it LMAO (this is inspired directly from @desultory-novice 's posts about it)

ALSO IM SORRY IF THIS IS SO DISORGANIZED gonna be honest i forgot a good half of what i wanted to talk about. But Anyways. please note that all of this is entirely My opinion you ofc dont need to agree and despite everything i actually really love and enjoy the kirby novels a lot !!

so okay after hearing her talk about the reason we're likely not getting a magolor epilogue novel and knowing takase's erm.... Infamous reputation regarding how she handles magolor's character that had me thinking a lot and. Wow i'm kind of Really nervous for how this magoland novel will turn out actually because a lot is kind of at stake here when you think about it

takase will either be forced to actually develop magolor's character, or she will just completely scrap everything that happened earlier, remove any mentions of the epilogue and go straight back to square 1 where magolor is -- once again -- the villain of the story. Don't get me wrong i like evil magolor a lot lol i think if done right it can be a very enjoyable portrayal of his character. but there's only So many times you can make a character the antagonist before it just gets straight up exhausting y'know

i think it's ESPECIALLY different in terms of magoland. This might be a cold take idk lmao but merry magoland isn't just some wacky little theme park magolor created out of the blue for no reason. It's something that signifies and sets in stone how he's a changed character. Merry magoland is magolor's dream he's had for a really long time by his own words and truly shows that all he's wanted to do is make people have fun and be happy. if you make him the antagonist in that, that completely just fucks up Everything relating to his character and renders that entire development null and also invalidates all the hardships he's gone through to make that happen

i do think takase's portrayal of magolor is fun! i do enjoy it and i do appreciate how he has a hard time communicating his desires and showing true friendship. i think that's important. one of magolor's most significant flaws is how he has a hard time understanding how friendship is supposed to work and what to do when you have friends. but maybe instead of making him the villain. Over and over and over again you could idk... have him Learn?? and actually Develop from his issues??? i know waddle dee is a completely separate character but for the sake of comparing to another person who has gone through a huge amount of development in the novels -- why can't magolor do the same? why is it constantly so insistent that he be the one causing all the problems for no reason other than haha it's funny (in most cases at least. i know dreamy gear was different and i will give it a giant shoutout for that)

i'm so sorry if i sound too harsh here i literally don't know how to word it otherwise lol i think it's important to emphasize that despite everything i do like seeing magolor's character in the novels. but it just gets to a point where it's Grating to me at times and depending on the scenario is just completely inaccurate. that's why i think magoland is such a huge point for us here with a lot on the line -- if she chooses to not make magolor the antagonist and make it accurate to the game's actions and desires, that will be an essential key for his development and showcase that we're actually making progress with his character. but if she chooses to make him the antagonist again, the potential for him being something more than a villain -- which is RIGHT there -- is completely wiped

afaik magolor and kirby's friendship was also mentioned and i just want to throw out there. merry magoland happened because of kirby. merry magoland happened because of magolor's friends. kirby, meta knight, dedede and bandee are the reason merry magoland exists. so if takase chooses to not acknowledge any mention of that and make magolor go against them all, that also erases the potential of magolor's relationship with other characters as well yknow... the characters he's gone against for this whole time? it also makes no sense whatsoever??

so yeah this is a bit long but there's just a lot to either look forward to or dread about this novel -- or even both lmao -- the more i thought about it. i want to have a decent amount of hope that i could be wrong here, maybe takase will take advantage of what she has to work with game wise and create something truly special. but throughout all of magolor's appearances in the novels... *hand on mirror* it seems like all of his character is constantly scrapped in favor of treating him like some apathetic irredeemable character with no regard for others or understanding friendship. so that's kind of a hard pill to swallow

[jewelzcullen]

My Review of Joker 2

*aka venting my negative feelings about it*

I was skeptical of this film since it was announced and had a very, very bad feeling about it from the beginning. But when I saw the first trailer, I started to have hope that it might not be as bad as I thought and that maybe the creative team knew what they were doing. So, I went into the theater with an open-mind and reserved judgment until I saw the entire film.

Later that night, once the movie had fully settled in my mind, I realized I didn’t like it and hated the way it made me feel afterwards. I was disheartened, depressed, and constantly felt like crying (and did cry a lot). I could never watch Arthur suffer that pain and death ever again. If you liked it, good for you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. But for me personally, I can’t watch Arthur be manipulated and tortured for 2 hours.

To me, this movie is pointless, unnecessary, confusing, repetitive, boring, sickening, depressing, hopeless…

The story (or lack thereof) is terrible and unsatisfying in every way. Arthur is locked up in Arkham, miserable and being constantly abused by guards. Meets Lee, who we find out doesn’t love or care about him underneath his persona. Goes to court to be humiliated and belittled while old characters come back to reiterate the plot of the first movie, point out his flaws and yell at him about how terrible he is. Then, gets beaten and violated by guards. Comes back to court to admit that he’s an unimportant nobody and he hates his life. He’s then found guilty, escapes for 15 minutes and is rejected by his love interest. Goes back to Arkham where he is then stabbed to death and dies all alone in a hallway and no one gives a shit about him. The End.

Oh, and there’s random singing and dancing in between.

Um… WTF???

And I know some people will say, you just don’t understand the deeper meaning. I understand the meta stuff, I get it, nobody cares about Arthur, only Joker and he decided to be himself in the end. That’s fine, but it doesn’t make it a good movie to me. And apparently not to the majority of the general audience who gave it the lowest scores and walked the fuck out.

Side note, I think it’s fair for people to be upset when a movie called “Joker” contains nothing relating to traits of the Joker character- that’s just false advertising and improper use of that title. The first movie contained traits of the typical Joker that I saw in Arthur, so to me it wasn’t being disrespectful to the DC property. The sequel, however, was completely disrespectful.

Also, the argument that nobody cares about seeing Arthur is invalid to me. The first movie was 70% Arthur and Joker only appeared in the last 30 minutes, and most everyone loved that movie. Because it was a great, complex, character study story that mixed both comics material and original elements perfectly.

The main problem for me is that, in my opinion, it contradicts so much of the events in the first movie. Arthur transformed into Joker by the end, fully embracing his dark side. He snapped, he broke, he couldn’t take it anymore. He was done with being stepped on, abused by society and the system. So he stopped trying to fit in and fully embraced this other side of himself, which we saw slowly emerge throughout the film. He evolved into Joker, that’s what I saw, unless I’m interpreting it wrong.

It wasn’t what Arthur truly wanted, not at all. I loved Arthur, I wanted him to have a good, happy life. But that isn’t what happened at the end of the first movie, that’s the tragedy of it. He became Joker and embraced his inner madness and now saw his life as a comedy... so why does the sequel act like that didn’t happen or held no significance moving forward?

Also, I believe he was somebody else in the last scene of the first movie- either someone else entirely or Arthur had fully evolved into Joker. His disposition, his attitude, the sinister vibe, the dark look in his eyes... completely different from the Arthur we saw at the beginning. And even if he didn’t kill that psychiatrist, the metaphor with the blood on his shoes seems like it represents how he finds murder and mayhem funny now, as he dances away leaving a trail of blood behind him. He seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world, he’s as light as a feather - he’s happy. Maybe not truly happy, but feels some kind of twisted merriment nonetheless.

So then... the sequel starts with Arthur back to square one. We’ve gone back to the beginning of the first movie... why? Why??? Makes no sense to me. I know he would be more subdued due to being locked up in that hellhole for so long, but you’d think eventually something would make him snap and become Joker again.

Why would he lie down and take the abuse when in the previous movie he said he wasn’t going to anymore, so he would never be hurt anymore? Everything just feels so contradictory.

Why would you go the route of character regression and ultimately assassination instead of progressing the character forward, like sequels are supposed to do?

Don’t even get me started on all the unnecessary, excessive abuse he suffers throughout with no revenge or karma or payback. They didn’t need to include all of that, I didn’t need to see him suffer ten times more in this movie.

I also don’t know why Arthur is acting like he doesn’t know who Joker is. Joker is just his confident, unfiltered self- he became Joker before anyone knew who he was, before he was an infamous person. Yes, of course he didn’t purposefully start the movement, that was propelled by the media and the rioters, but he did purposefully become Joker, who was always there inside of him.

Bottom line is, the way Arthur acts in the sequel does not reflect where we left off with him in the previous movie. IMO, I disagree with their choices and don’t believe he would be acting like that after all he’d been through, all he’d done and after everything he’d said in the last act of the first movie.

I was so disappointed that I didn’t get to see more of his Joker side. I didn’t want him to become a heartless, cold-blooded killer (and I’m glad that didn’t happen), but I wanted to see his confidence and theatricality shine through more in his actions and demeanor (not just in his daydreams and delusions).

And then by the end, if they still wanted to go that route, he could’ve decided to go back to being Arthur and passes Joker onto someone else, WITHOUT getting violently and horrifically stabbed. And even if he didn’t really die, as some people speculate, it was still horrific and traumatizing to see him slowly die like that. And to dig the knife further into my heart, I have to listen to Arthur singing “true love will find you in the end” as I just watched the light leave his eyes moments ago 😭💔 Again, devastating and heartbreaking and hopeless... Why the fuck would they do this??

I loved both Arthur and Joker- because they are both him.

Lee was a terrible, underdeveloped character and their relationship was awkward, manipulative, felt so wrong because it was obviously a fallacy from the start, and only made things worse for Arthur in the end. I wouldn’t want to go back and rewatch a relationship that was never real and never meant a damn thing.

Also, the film basically only has two locations: Arkham and the courthouse. Back and forth, back and forth. So lazy and boring, nothing substantial is ever happening 😒

The musical parts didn’t bother me, but they still felt unnecessary, too long and drawn out at times, which made the pace slow even more. I know Arthur has music in him and that’s one of the things I love about him, but I think it was exaggerated too much in this movie. He can use his words just fine, he did it more and more as he became Joker in the first movie. He literally expresses and articulates all of his feelings and frustrations on the Murray show!

And what’s the overall message? Everything is too corrupt and can’t be fixed, nobody cares about Arthur and if you try to fight back against the system, you’ll be punished harsher and beaten into submission. Wow, that’s great. Don’t stand up for yourself and fight back ever again, got it. You won’t receive any good karma for doing it, even better ☹️

The only positives for me were the great acting and beautiful cinematography. Other than that... I feel nothing but contempt for it. I think it’s a $200 million mistake that should never have been made and should never have existed. And in my mind, it doesn’t exist.

This sequel doesn’t feel like a sequel at all to me. It feels like a cruel joke, a prank, a parody. And that’s what I’m gonna view it as if I ever come across it because I can’t see it any other way.

And again, if you’re one of the few that liked it, that’s great, I’m glad you found enjoyment in it. I wish that I could have, too. Instead, I’m just gonna continue to rewatch the first one and believe that Arthur’s story ends right there as “That’s Life” plays and it says “The End.”

[kurakurakura99]

Just read your post on AC6 about how connected you were to your AC. And I just gotta ask how you got that feeling? I've a good amount of posts about this same thing, such a deep connection to your mech, but I never got it. I want that feeling, to truly be one with a 40 ton war machine, yet to me my AC is still just that, a machine.

Even my PvP AC which is getting close to Mark 15 now is still just a tool for me. Like I love that AC and my lastest version is fucking genius imo the love is more like the love I have for my emotional support hammer (yes I have one sue me).

Sorry for venting randomly to you about this but like reading that part on your post about how changing parts on your AC felt wrong during a boss fight made me think about my toughest boss in the game. Not saying the name cause spoilers but it was beating my ass hard. After I realized my build wouldn't work the first thing I did was start changing parts, and even when I used the meta ones nothing worked. In the end like 2 days later I beat the boss, not by swapping back to my original design, but by using a pair or weapons that are entirely overlooked. But even after all that I didn't feel that connection to my AC, a newfound respect for the twin active homing missiles but once again only in the way I would respect a wrench that finally fits onto an annoying bolt.

So like how do you get so close to your AC, how did you get that connection with it? How can I get it?

Find common ground with your mech. its deeply personal, like I said, but I empathize with Capable so much because we are both Objects, means to an end. There is a certain kinship to be found, conceptually, between a person who has been dehumanized as much as I have and a machine. Theres also a measure of...sentimentality? that you have to approach building them with. My girlfriend is baffled by how Capable is put together. I use the DESSERT legs because they got big fucking paws and fat thighs, like I do. I picked her arms soley because they would hit harder with my Pile Bunker (Itself a dubious weapon choice for late game, some may claim) and it had a nice, flat surface to write "Forgiveness" on. Getting a little whimsical with it led to Capable being, frankly, a freaky little mech with weird issues when it came to boosts and mobility. Having something that didn't move like a more optimized design helped really cement her in my mind as a partner and not a tool. AC6 feeling by and large, much easier and accomodating to player expression compared to the rest of the games I've played in the series, makes this much more feasible. Beyond that, even a simple change of language towards your mech helps:I avoid using "It" for Capable, ever, and she is only "my mech" when I'm talking to someone who doesn't know her by name yet and needs the context of what the fuck I'm talking about. Otherwise, She is Capable.

These are tips I guess but. its just something that happens naturally for me so its hard to give anyone tips on how to force it

[thotsforvillainrights]

First of all, I love your writing. Keep up the amazing work! ♡♡♡

My question is~ Can we maybe get a scenario for Re Destro with a pregnant s/o? Maybe a few weeks after the Deika incident soooo a mix of angst and fluff?

Thank youuuu~

(This might not fit for everyone so I apologize ahead of time! Also I'm terrible at anything angst so I'm hoping this doesn't drift too fa into fluff. Thanks Anon btw, I needed some Re-Dadstro requests!)

~Worries and Stresses~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

"Up already? I thought you'd at least be sleeping in for another hour our so." He smiled when your voice broke the early morning silence. "Didn't you hear about the early bird getting the worm?" He replies to you. Rikiya turned from his spot on the couch to get a better look at you. He just couldn't help but to feel that certain kind of pride that comes with seeing you like this. Any day now he would get the chance to meet his little one in person. However, with this anticipation and joy comes the fear and anxiety. It was something he could say he wasn't all that familiar with in his life. Sure he's had worries and disappointments but never has he ever felt more afraid before than now. And it shows.

You smile gently and approach him, reaching out to caress along the side of his face. You take an extra second or two to rub along his forehead where the stress mark was expanding slowly. "Are you panicking again?" You tease and he chuckles lightly. "I suppose my meta ability doesn't leave room for any secrets regarding my emotion on the matter." You nod and take a seat next to him. For a little while it's quiet between the two of you. While he's taking time to rub small circles onto your stomach, your busy carefully getting a feel for his newly amputated limbs. Just a bit of your own worry is starting to creep forward. Maybe it was more along the lines of regret. Regret for not being able to make it to him in time to help him. To be of some sort of assistance no matter how small.

"I know you're thinking it again so I'm going to respectfully ask you to stop." He interrupts. You lean further into him and look up at him. "Rikiya-" He frowns and gently places a finger on your lips to shush you. "We've had this conversation before. There is nothing you could've assisted me in during that battle. I'm thankful every single day that you weren't mixed up in it. I could've lost both of you." He gestures at your stomach and you place both hands onto it, the slight panic fleeting at the thought of losing your child like so. "But still..." You pause to try and gather your thoughts. "If I could've done anything then you wouldn't have ended up like this." You feel yourself getting frustrated all over again. He shushes you once more and pulls you closer into his chest to hug you. "I have to have this conversation often with Geten, so I know exactly what to say to you as well. There is nothing you could do to stop what was likely going to happen. I'd prefer we keep it like that. Besides, I live to see another day. Is that not what's important right at this moment? Our child needs both of us, so I would chose to lose a thousand limbs to sacrifice in order to be here with you both today. I worry as well, so I will not say your feelings are invalid." He vents to you for the first time after the operation. "I'm concerned about being strong enough these days to protect the both of you. With me getting further in age as well, it's something I've been thinking about even before the incident. On top of this, I'm slightly concerned about the various challenges that come with fatherhood. I want to provide the best possible life for our child that I can manage. What if I'm simply not fitting of the bill?" You notice the stress mark once again spreading.

"Well you know what they say. Parenthood doesn't come with a manual at all. We're both going into this thing blind, so don't think too hard on it. It's something the both of us need to learn to weather together. Besides, I'm sue if we rely on each other then there's no possible way we could fail. And for what it's worth, I still think you're strong enough for me, old man." You wink and he sighs a bit of relief. "Let's not sit here and dwell too hard on the subject. We've got to focus on something else. Perhaps you wouldn't mind showing me another one of those preparation videos on the internet? I think I've almost learned the swaddling 100 percent!" You laugh and shake your head remembering him practicing and failing swaddling the couch throw pillow yesterday. "Yeah, let's put off the worry until tomorrow. Maybe it would be best for us both." He nods before placing a gentle peck on your forehead.

Maybe a short breather would do best for the both of you right now.