#overall enjoyed it? there’s a few weird aspects

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread  

Mindtouch

slow cozy sci-fi about two students at an alien medical school who end up roommates because they’re both psychic, and become friends

slice of life, nonanthropomorphic aliens, start of a series

[fatswaps]

PLUMBER BODY SWAP

Minh was what many woukd refer to as, the perfect guy. He was smart, as shown by his exceptionally high grades. He had the looks of a supermodel, always the subject of awe for every girl and even some of the guys on campus. And, perhaps most important to the unfortunate events that would unfold, He was just a few months into his 18th age. The young man had everything he could ever ask for, and with such great traits, came perhaps the only aspect of Minh most couldn't stand- his disrespectful attitude. Minh really didn't shy away from treating those he seemed as unattractive in comparison to himself with the same resoect he'd show to an insect. But his pretty looks and large circle of acquaintances were enough to keep him surrounded by friends.

Though Minh would have his comeuppance one faithful night at a dorm party. The boys Minh was friends with were doing their usual activities such as drinking, making an overall mess and damaging dorm property. Markably, that night- it was the dormroom toilet which had been broken by the rowdy college boys. One of the pipes had been broken apart by one of the boys hitting it with a golf club in a not-so hilarious prank.

After the boys setttled down a bit, they soon realized they'd be forced to call the college plumber, an older guy called Steve. It was common for students to make fun of Steve for his big gut and in their eyes, "lowly" job of fixing their shitters. Once called over, the boys snickered and pushed one another to talk to the exhausted old guy at which point, Minh heroicly stepped forward and said "Hey... so, our pipes got broken. Guess you didn't do a very good job last time" he smirked, which Steve could only reply with an irritated sigh "You'll have to wait for tomorrow for me to fix it" he made his stance and was about to leave when the irritated younger man scoffed "What? Going home to eat some slob piggy?" He insulted the poor man, which was when he stopped in his tracks. "You know what, show me the way."

Smirking victoriously, Minh lead Steve to the bathroom but the moment he stepped inside- he blacked out and time itself seemed to become hard to decipher from space.

When he came to, Minh saw a familiar sight sitting on the stairway he'd led the fat plumber up to reach the bathroom where he heard his own voice say "Yeah, thanks for the job bro. Now piss off, this party is for young people". He didn't understand what was happening until he was pushed out the door- by himself!

Minh was confused as he fell to the floor outside his door room in the corridor. Taking a moment to recall what had happened- he soon realized everything got weird after he went into the bathroom with the plumber guy... speaking of, where was he?

It was at that moment Sing caught a reflection of himself in the mirror at the end of the hallway... that was not his body, that was NOT his pretty young face. That was the face of the 87 year old plumber he made fun of on a daily basis!

Having freaked out would be an understatement as the freshman-turned-old man screamed in pure fear and shock at the changes to his body. It was at this moment when he recieved a text... pulling his phone out of his now much tighter jeans' pockets- Minh read the texts in pur horror

"You probably noticed by now that I took your body kid. Well, tough shit. I was tired of being the fat plumber everyone shits on, now its your turn. Enjoy my 87 year old body, cause I'm gonna enjoy yours"

He saw a text being uploaded right after

"Oh and, don't even try to tell anyone what happened. I took some pictures of 'you' doing some pretty messed up shit to my poor college boy body and they could make you lose your job in less than a day, if not go to jail. Heh, good luck dickhead".

It had been around 6 months after the swap, and Minh had to adjust to his new life whether he liked it or not. The new Minh had already blocked his number and would give him the most humiliating smirk whenever the two saw eachother.

What took the most to get used to however was the disadvantages of obesity and old age. The old man suffered a great deal trying to get from anywhere to anywhere else. Even the most mundane tasks had him gasping for air due to years of smoking.

Showering was still so humiliating, seeing the fat rolls, his fatpad, the hairy body and ridiculously large moobs and belly. His balding head and old man beard- they all felt so wrong. Minh cried for quite a long time until his shower sessions turned into silent moments of pure shame

Another aspect of his body Minh could never come to terms with was his ridiculously small, constantly soft penis. With the horniness of an 18 year old freshman snuffed out, replaced by the body of a 87 year old man- Minh longed for his old vitality.... something he would never have again.

It was about 5 years into the swap when Minh's suffering came to an end due to a sudden heart attack due to his morbid obesity. The news spread around campus, and Steve- now fully in Minh's shoes, seemed quite unsympathetic, his statement about the old guy being "The fat fuck deserved it."

[cheesycatz]

The Apple's Worm

(Spamton AU reference sheet) 1 2

Text ver and close ups below

- The last living member of the BIGSHOT computer worm species, this version of Spamton hides within the depths of Cyber City and its Trash Zone, skittish yet aggressive. He spitefully waits for the opportunity to restore his parasitoid species to its formal glory.

- He primarily walks on all twelves. He moves in short bursts, and can stay perfectly still. His body is rarely completely straight.

- He's 16 ft (~490 cm) long from nose to tail

- Spamton acts animalistic and unpredictable, as he grew up alone from both regular darkners and his own species. He feels uncomfortable about his own natural instincts.

- He bristles his fur and makes a rattlesnake-like hiss as a threat, and will attack if provoked.

- Spamton enjoys and feels much safer on ceilings, on walls, and in darkness.

- Despite living in the Trash Zone, Spamton still keeps himself clean, rubbing his legs together and rubbing his nose like a fly.

- As an invertebrate with no bones, Spamton's body is incredibly flexible.

- Still not beating the cat allegations

- Spamton is an opportunistic hunter who enjoys Cyber City's abundance of maice. He uses his extendable proboscis to impale prey and drink their souls.

-----

Wormton's design hasn't changed that much, as I mostly added onto existing lore with very few retcons. Though, I think I lean more into the insectoid elements nowadays. The longer segmented nose, compound eyes, and thinner limbs he has now definitely make him less like to be mistaken for a weird sergal. He's meant to look alien, but in a "weird animal from some far branching ancient linage that somehow survived several mass extinction events and has no other close relatives" way rather than an extraterrestrial way. His biology occasionally mimics the mammalian ideas we're used to, but they're always off. He has fur, but it's part of an exoskeleton. He has lungs, but they're 24 or so tiny pockets rather than two. He has eyelids, but they're actually nictitating membranes. He has a heart, but it's a set of five arches with no pulse. He has teeth, but they're detached parts of his mandibles that can move freely. And, uh, so on. God I love fictional biology

Despite being the size of an adult crocodile, Wormton acts more like a tiny spider. His twitchy movements and short bursts of movement are based on how bugs move, but they also fit the "Spamton" side of him. His behaviors are inspired by a variety of animals, but I'd say that spiders, wasps, and cats are the main ones. Additionally, a lot of his behaviors are based on the invasive species aspect of his design. These things are not at the top of the food chain. Their average life expectancy barely crosses 6 months. They'd rather hide than fight. Yet, they somehow become the most dangerous thing alive the moment they're brought to the surface web, spreading faster than lice in an elementary school. But, no matter how much of an advantage they have, they still hide and don't trust anything but themselves. God I love fictional ecology

Overall, I could talk for way too long about Wormton and malworms (his species). The only thing holding me back from massive info dumps is the fact that I want to actually finish the Wormton fic in a reasonable amount of time, whatever that ends up being. I fear I am quickly passing my estimated final length of 150k words and I might have 30% or more still left to write

[thatdisasterauthor]

fire country, 911 and 911 ls are pretty inaccurate when it comes to firefighting. i think the most accurate firefighter show right now might be chicago fire. i started a few weeks ago and i’m on season 5 and it’s pretty good. from what i’ve read, they have actual firefighters on set to consult with. there’s some obvious dramatic things happening that don’t make sense for the sake of drama but overall it’s pretty good. the medical aspect isn’t as good but i just got used to it.

See, here's the thing. I am interested enough in disaster based media that I am currently applying to attempt a PhD in it. I could go SO DEEP down this rabbit hole. So fucking deep.

But, basically, I am not watching any of these shows for accuracy, or even necessarily enjoyment (though I do enjoy some of them!). I am watching for research and then pulling them apart to look at their weird little innards.

If I don't get into the PhD program there will be a book. A long book.

[marzipanandminutiae]

Finished A Haunting On the Hill. Assorted thoughts without spoilers:

At first I wondered why Hill House was focusing on all of them equally instead of picking a single victim from the beginning the way it did with Eleanor. Then I realized that bringing it a bunch of traumatized queer theater people is basically like presenting someone with a Golden Corral buffet

My babygirl (32) is all grown up (dead for 60 years) and haunting the narrative (Hill House, only appearing as anything like a distinct figure for like 5 seconds near the end while the story focuses more on a random Merricatcore teen boy OC, in terms of past victims)

This felt like a...different take on HH, I guess? More focused on the house as an unequivocally evil entity whereas in the original, I sympathized with it a bit. HOWEVER. I recognize that the original has one POV and it's that of a woman slowly falling under the house's spell. So I don't hold the altered perspective against it- and there's something of Eleanor's mindset in the house's chosen tribute this time around, as the story unfolds

I thought Eleanor feeling at home there was as much a product of her own independent IssuesTM and outlook on the world as manipulation by the house. However, the way it was presented in the story as purely the latter, this time around, worked for me because that attitude was explored.

I don't prefer the interpretation that it's just one of Hill House's tricks myself- shocker to anyone who knows me -but I can accept it as a valid reading. If that makes sense

This is definitely a more Modern Horror take on the house, which I did not enjoy when it became jarring. No actual body horror/gore, but it leaned way more in that direction a few times than I liked

My biggest complaint: too much showing; not enough leaving things up to the reader's feverish imagination

That was one of the original's biggest strengths and what makes it, still, ranked among the scariest novels of all time. This go-around, you see EVERYTHING the characters see, and they are always within sightline of the Weirdness. No mysterious noises from the other side of a door. Nobody glancing back and shrieking at someone to not do the same. Just "there was an apparition/object moving/sound without a source and the character was in the same room and here's what it was."

Hill House bby who filled you with modern trash furniture. I will kill them and not in a fun, subsume-y way. It's realistic but Thanks I Hate It regardless (not a writing criticism)

I DO adore the genre of "the present looking back on a historical fiction story or a work that has since become historical fiction" so that aspect was fun. Reddit threads about Hill House- I bet they're legendary

Overall: A fun, fast read. Did not reach into my brain and heart and Pull Levers the way Haunting of Hill House did, but I generally enjoyed it

We all get something different out of Hill House- or it gets something different out of us

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

She's Always Hungry: Stories by Eliza Clark

Release date: 12 November 2024

Genre: adult horror/weird fiction short story collection

Synopsis

Moving from California to Newcastle, from Frontier-era America to an unexplored planet in the near future, from a pub down the road to an incel-occupied office IT department, She’s Always Hungry revels in every aspect of being human.

Unsettling, revelatory, and laced with her signature dark humor, Eliza Clark's debut short story collection plumbs the depths of that most basic human feeling: hunger.

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

These stories range from straightforward to weird to weirder.

Usually, I find that short story collections will inevitably have a few duds, but I enjoyed everything in this collection.

A lot of these stories are written in a darkly humorous tone, which threw me off initially, but it really grew on me. I love the contrast between the tone and the contents of the stories.

My favourites were the scifi horror stories Hollow Bones and Extinction Event. After reading these I went to double check if the author had written any full length scifi books because these were soo good. Like, these aren't groundbreaking, but the author introduces them in a way that makes it easy to quickly grasp, and she creates an atmosphere that is truly chilling.

I have to mention Shake Well, which legit gave me the creeps. It's like sort of mundane and also sort of horrifying, with the body horror in this being the most unnerving to me from this collection, possibly because it hits a little closer to home.

I am also obsessed with The King, which is an absurd genderbent incel power fantasy. I think people might hate this story, but the absurdity of it, plus the writing style, was so ridiculously entertaining. I also liked the cannibalism and gore.

There's a content guide at the back of my eARC, which is much appreciated, as some of these stories can be quite dark/gory, and the content guide covers the necessary warnings in detail.

Overall, the writing is engaging and accessible, and there's something for everyone. I will definitely check out the author's other works.

Content Guide

These are screenshots from the content guide, which covers the content warnings for each story in depth.

Some of them are spoilery, but if you need to be warnings for certain topics, especially for body image issues, eating disorders, sexual assault, or gore/body horror, I would advise checking the guide.

[mollfie]

I was reading a really good thread by a male SA survivor about how a lot of the fan sexualisation of Astarion makes them uncomfortable, how a lot of people seem to miss the nuance of his character, things they wish had been handled better, what he liked etc. I often forget how people can be super weird about traumatised characters like Astarion. He was not telling others how to enjoy their game, just talking about their experience, but brought up some great points that gave me something to think about.

I very much focus on the hurt/comfort nonsexual aspect first. I love the dynamic of Astarion healing and working out what he wants in all aspects of his life.

I wish the game allowed for more nuance regarding that. It would have been great to be able to really encourage Astarion to heal and assure him that you're not going anywhere beyond a line or two.

But, they're also all adult characters, and I think it's disingenuous to act as if abuse survivors can't enjoy sex and have ownership over their sexuality. I also would have liked the game to explore that more and had some more in-depth interactions where Tav or whoever could assure Astarion and be more supportive.

There's a few moments, such as with the Drow Twins, where I would have liked just one or two lines addressing consent and discomfort. I would be interested to hear why the writers made some of the choices they did.

I think a lot of fans don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings. They just get caught up in the horniness of it all and are having fun. I also think a lot of people haven't finished Astarion's personal quest or played very far into the game or just don't think about it beyond them being fictional. And, it should go without saying that most people wouldn't behave the same way in real life.

Overall, I think Larian did a stellar job. Better than any other crpg I've played in recent years. Luckily, I am also very happy to fill in the gaps and head canon things I thought could be better.

I love Astarion because he is a complex character. I always like characters who are dealing with and overcoming their trauma, finding friendship/love/family, and maybe some revenge as a little treat. I like characters who are not nice. Let them be messy and awful and human. My favourite thing is when someone is terrible but trying to do better, and they are still loved even at their worst.

The way some people act about Neil Newbon, though, does weird me out. He has also mentioned how some elements hit close to home for him, and he drew on that for Astarion's characterisation while voice acting and working with the writers. He doesn't seem all that bothered by how people act, and he plays into the Astarion bit online and on streams. I just find some comments and content to be super out of pocket.

This is such a messy post. Just some rambling thoughts. Anyway, it was a good thread. I just have a lot of feelings. I could expand on this even further, but this post is long enough already.

[elsfairy]

So uh, you got any headcannons on Sevika sucking reader's tits?? Like, not even in a sexual/erotic way. I meant like, sucking the nipples just because; aside from her being obviously obsessed their tits, it kinda relaxes both of them to have this kind of moment and the overall intimacy of ducking her head under reader's shirt to have skin to skin contact with said tits seals the deal. Maybe Vika having cute aggression and leaving bite marks on the boob's skin??

Bro, i would ascend if that were me. Also, kinda out of it cuz of sleep deprivation, so if anything sounds weird, ignore it lmaoo😂😂😂🩷

I absolutely love your writing, love how you treat the wholesome, relationship intimacy outside of the sexual aspect. You're the reason my standards are this high😌💅🏻

───── DEVOTED

I think it would be something that came a little later into your relationship with Sevika. Maybe a few months before she randomly starts to start her small habit.

Would probably try doing it discreetly at the start, although I don't think her sucking your tits discreetly is ever going to work, but she tries her best, poor soul.

At first, you didn't really think much of it. You were used to the random things she would do, just sometimes you couldn't quite expect what she was going to do next.

It happened once when she got home from work, all stressed and tired. She had missed you the whole day, and without you near, made her miss you even more.

You're very used to her just randomly undressing you for bed, but it was slightly weird for her to not do that, and instead just shoves her head under your shirt the minute she climbs into the bed with you.

"Vika, what are you doing baby?"

"Nothing, just missed you today"

Always gentle with you, never being too rough but also won't do it to just tease you. It was a way of comfort and she wanted you to just relax, and be comfortable.

Loves to massage your hips whenever she leaves soft, gentle kisses on your tits. they were light, but she put her all into giving you the love and affection you deserve.

Has a habit of biting your nipple hard the first time. Which always ends up with you slapping her head, but she just chuckles and soothes the pain with her tongue, every time she did it.

Can always find previous bite marks and hickeys left on your boobs from a week ago, she enjoyed your tits a little too much but you didn't mind.

Will 100% retrace said marks just so you will remember them whenever she's working or not at home.

If her mouth is occupied with one tit, then of course her hand is already occupied with the other, pinching your nipple carefully. Never leave one alone, they both deserve attention, at the same time.

Enjoyed the small hums and gasps that left your lips, and how you moved around to get more comfortable.

Your hands always find their way into her hair, pulling and tugging.

Sevika's messy most of the time, but moments like these? She takes her time, she doesn't want to rush anything purely because she loves to see and feel your body relax under her touch, her kisses against the swell of your tits.

Might be a little obsessed with sucking your nipples. She's in love with them honestly, she's too far gone to stop.

Adores the way you blush whenever she slowly flicks your nipple with her tongue and the way you shudder, gripping just a little harder onto her hair.

Don't be fooled, she's probably resting her face right on your tits for a while before she even gets to work on them. They were soft and comfortable to her.

"How many this time?"

"An extra 4. Your tits look pretty with my marks"

Admires every mark she's made that night, squeezing your breast just lightly. She knew they were sensitive most of the time.

Believe it or not but she's always got fucking spit running down her chin when she looks up at you, grinning.

"Hi, Sweetheart"

"Hi, baby"

this will probably sound insane but, that shit relaxes the fuck outta me, like it fr doesn't even have to be something sexual, it can just bring a couple closer together. Or the mere contact of them together, it's fucking helpful and comforting, especially if you're stressed.

Thank you for reading my work and for your kind words, it means a lot to me, baby ♡ sorry this took so long :(

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

hi bestie saw ur post and im kinda curious about this since it's something not a lot of ppl are talking about next to ed's arc and izzy's death and all— what do you think about how they handled stede in the finale? I felt like a lot of the "incompetent wannabe pirate" jokes undermined his progress this season and also him deciding to stay at the inn with ed felt odd as he expressed he wanted to be a pirate and sail the sea. just wondering what other people think about that

[Oct 31, 2023]

Before we get into it, you are allowed to enjoy this show! My past (and next few) responses WILL be negative, but you aren't wrong for agreeing or disagreeing with most posts. Thanks to all the people who have already sent in messages! I can't wait to respond!!

I am an Izzy fan first and foremost, but how a show handles it's protagonist says a LOT about how it handles it' characters overall!

TLDR for this post: In any character-centric media, explore your characters as characters first. Develop your plot around them and their arcs. Don't treat an ensemble cast as faceless props for the story you're trying to tell. Stede's arc is weird because Stede is shoved in places where it feels like he doesn't fit anymore.

Creating a narrative focused on central character conflicts can work. This is how S1 was written. Stede and his actions directly lead to revealing truths of the world that push the plot forward. This worked because I'd argue the strongest part of OFMD overall is its characters. S2 misses out on this strongest aspect by only referencing its characters when it needs something from them.

S1 We went from Stede killing a guy-> The Act of Grace. S2 Stede tells a guy he shouldn't be an idiot and leave behind a calling card -> burning down the Republic of Pirates and killing Izzy. S2 doesn't feel as tied to Stede's arc of growing into a pirate. But Stede isn't the only person this has fucked over.

Each crew member has their role established from S1, we fans know how they work as a family. But in S2 most of the cast can be swapped out interchangeably unless its something that features this side character NICHE (Wee John in drag being good with fabrics, Roach being a cook).

Sadly, by focusing on the larger Zheng vs. Military arc, a story our characters BARELY caused, the audience misses out on potential character development. Instead of our characters facing the consequences of their actions, our favorite side characters are used as faceless narrative tools. This is largely why the crew was abandoned this season unless they had a romantic side plot. Seeing The Revenge sail off in episode 8, it feels like we barely care about them at all anymore.

As seen from @the-buttspie 's comment, even Stede's arc isn't left out of the firing range. His characterization in episode 8 is constantly thrown back and forth between 'Captain doing his best' and 'Village idiot' if the scene needs it.

Analyzing WHY I started to dislike Stede post episode 4 is FASCINATING, and I feel that digging all the way back to the beginning is a smart way to look at his character growth this season.

FRAMING: Stede's early story get's fucked over pacing-wise because his storyline happens side by side to that of Ed/Izzy.

Any dramatic moment is cut short to show just how much the other crew is NOT about to die. Every time I watch S2 with a new person, for episodes 1-3, they'll comment on how much they don't care about Stede's plot. Which is not a thing you'd want for your protagonist in a season of TV that's only 8 episodes long.

Stede goes through a really strong arc from S1 to the start of S2. For the first three episodes of S2, he puts the needs of his crew before the needs of himself. Literally making sure his crew is safe before going down to see Ed's corpse. I genuinely enjoyed how Stede stepped up for his family. How he doesn't blame the Revenge crew for killing Ed, realizing that yes. Ed is the love of his life and also a man who has seriously hurt so many people.

Eps 4-5: From that we see him trying to talk it through with Ed. While both of them aren't telling the whole truth, it's a good start! We're midway through the season, so we should expect things to get fleshed out more soon.

Until Stede decides 'I'm going to bring a man that tortured my family for 80+ days onboard less than 24 hours after my crew voted him off' Yes. Stede loves Ed to a stupid extent, but this starts the trend for Stede to be dangerously selfish this season using his power as captain to overwrite the want of his crew, a habit of his that partially gets Izzy killed.

I really enjoyed Stede in episode 5, and for me, this felt most like the Stede we recognize growing into a real Captain with hints of who he was. I think it says a lot that Stede still misses his layers and silks. That he craves the softness he used to have in the form of that cursed jacket. But as soon as Izzy is like 'you idiot, please listen to them, they will mutiny' Stede gives it up!!!! He's grown. He's listening to Izzy, he's talking with his crew! This episode did the one thing I wish the season did more of, show the reunited crew just living their lives.

This is where Stede stands out, it lets him be a bit more of a leader to the crew. Let him find his groove again. I loved it!!

Now: Killing Ned Low.

Stede choosing to kill Ned Low is the first time Stede killing someone counts. Yes, he burned down the ship French ship. But this is the first time the audience is supposed to care. I think this moment WAS in character and a really important moment for Stede. He chose this. This wasn't up to crew vote, Ned insulted Ed so fuck him, he deserves to die. Ned walks the plank, also referencing historical Bonnet's tendency to do the same thing.

This is where both Ed and Stede make an in-character mistake, having their first time after the rush of 'oh shit, I'm still alive, and I'm hurting and you're here too'. They don't regret their first time, clearly, they both enjoyed it, but both of them can't ignore what fueled it. Stede has had 3 episodes to re-establish himself with his crew, and now has very little time for the rest of the season with them to show off his growth. That's why, after the party, we don't feel like this show is showing off a family anymore. Even when reunited, they barely feel like a united front.

But from this point on, I personally feel that Stede should have toned down the humor a bit and act like he did in episode 3. Well, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself so-

Episode 7: Stede enjoys being popular, following in Ed's footsteps. He holds his ground against Ed, and overall this feels like a natural progression of his arc from episode 5. He knows what he wants in life and Ed not communicating is genuinely frustrating for him. Him being heartbroken and trying to fight Zheng like she's Izzy is one of the few callbacks I feel that works. As it compares a Stede who was supported by his crew, to this Stede who feels totally alone. I loved Stede this episode, only to be disappointed by-

Episode 8:

Where Ed is allowed to have his silly moments in private, I feel that Stede fluctuates between silly and serious WAY too much for us to take him seriously. Stede's response to Ed telling him he loved him being 'I know' also felt off to me.

"You're not a dick, life's a dick" This line is frustrating to me as it's Stede's response to Ed apologizing. Genuinely apologizing for his actions in the previous episode. This could have been a moment for us to feel like Stede and Ed were a united front but Stede's constant joking and not taking shit semi-seriously. Yes. He feels more comfortable around his family which is amazing.

But I can't help but point out how Stede chooses to go along with a plan the rest of the crew doesn't like. What NARRATIVE purpose was there for Stede trying to sell the captain? He has money, clearly. With the loot they still have, and a future alliance with Zheng.

Stede fucks up. His choice a plan that gets Izzy killed. The writers sacrificed Stede being a competent Captain who cares about his crew into what is described as a 'suicide mission' to push Izzy into his rushed death. A disservice to both characters.

ONTO:

Stede abandons piracy

I'm not shocked they did this, not after the other flubs of the episode, but I hate that it wasn't a conversation held between Ed and Stede.

They could cut the stupid joke about Ed being bad at fishing at the beginning and have these two idiots talking about their issues. Maybe establish that, yeah, piracy is a lot, and they deserve to settle down and get to know each other. Even if they return to the sea, this frames it as Ed finally finding peace and Stede getting pulled along, going against his character growth this season.

I'm surprised that they're setting this up now and not at the end of Season 3. Hell, I used to think S3 would be focused on Ed and Stede avoiding/faking their historical deaths. Given all the bullshit they'll have to clean up to wrap up all the loose ends established this season- S3 will be VERY Ed/Stede focused, I think the crew will still be inserted in without care or arc. Characters like Jim and Oluwande will be prioritized as they are in a relationship before our nonromantic characters like Wee John and Frenchie.

Stede and Ed's relationship, the driving force of the plot, still falls flat because after everything it still feels like puppy love. They've spent at most two months in person together, and two weeks in a serious relationship. I don't really feel convinced that they actually love each other. Ed still doesn't know that Stede was kidnapped at the end of S1, or why he struggles to talk about his feelings. Ed still hasn't talked about why he feels he needs to leave piracy, or his issues feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere in life. Their habit of running away the MOMENT things get hard just makes me not care about them.

I blame the size of the Izzy fandom on the fact that if you don't buy into the leads, there's almost nothing left here to sink your teeth into. The moment the show seems like they'll talk about it they hard pivot.

I hope S3ep1 happens after a LONG time jump. I want these fuckers to be snippy like two people snowed into a cabin for months. Sick of each other and bitching back and forth like no tomorrow. S3 is about genuinely breaking down their walls. Until then, I'll stick with Izzy, the Canyon, and his depressing version of this reality.

[bloodiedrogue]

Please give a whole rundown of your thoughts on the Hades II technical test when you play it. I’m so jealous. I don’t have a PC so I can’t actually play it myself. If you want to stream it at some point, I’d be so down.

OKAY now that i've had a few good runs going...

overall, i think the story is super engaging. i won't spoil anything, but i was wondering timeline wise where they might put things -because i'd done virtually no research- and so far i'm liking it.

melinoë is kind of adorable. maybe it's the gentleness of her voice or how she interacts with everyone, but something about her is kind of refreshing in comparison to zagreus? one thing i was worried about was her becoming a carbon copy, but so far there's enough subtle differences to relieve that thought, which is good!

the art, like always, is beautiful. at first i was a little off-put by some of the portraits because they do look quite different, but i do like them and cannot wait to see more!

in regards to the combat, it's a bit odd at first. the casting abilities are weird, especially after religiously playing hades for the last month. but obviously that's not a bad thing. i think all sequels need to have some sort of learning curve to make them engaging and they've done a good job without completely uprooting the system.

my only real gripe is that there's a bit of a crafting aspect with certain things. but that's more of a personal preference. so, if you're into collecting resources and all that jazz i'm sure it'll be another thing for you to enjoy!

also, i haven't decided whether or not i'll stream it. maybe??? if people want that???

[talleryn]

Hi! I saw that you mentioned Lockwood and Co in one of your atla reblogs, so I was curious - which of the two do you think was a better live action adaptation? And which did you simply enjoyed overall? Also, no need to add to it but furthermore, how does pjo compare? Thank you!

OMG HELLO HELLO yes so I’ve been an atla fan for years and also a pjo and Lockwood & co fan for years, so I was super excited about the new adaptations coming out. If I had to pick one, I’d say the Lockwood & co show was the best one for me, followed by pjo and then atla.

My reasoning is that the live action atla was good, but it didn’t quite have the same whimsy that the animated show did (and I am a lover of whimsy). I get they had to remix some of the stories for a live action though, and I really liked seeing some more mature themes coming through, especially with Azula, Iroh and Zuko. I feel like the writing and some of the dialogue was a little clunky, but I loved watching a show that was familiar to me but still had the ability to surprise me. I will say I feel like Katara wasn’t as well done as the animation, but they still have time to fix it.

Lockwood & co takes the cake however because of the amount of themes that carried across really well into the show. The books were so well written, and since I read them as an awkward teenage girl trying to navigate the big wide world they’re really special to me. The show captured that so well, the cast was amazing and had great chemistry, the fight scenes and effects were amazing, and you really felt like each and every character had realistic flaws! Nothing felt forced or clunky, it just ran so smoothly. So yeah, Lockwood & co is the best adaptation I’ve seen recently.

Percy Jackson is something I’ve seen mixed reviews about but personally I really liked it. I’ve been a fan of the books for so long that any adaptation is going to feel slightly weird for me because I’ve had so long to build my own picture in my head that a show just won’t feel the same. However, the cast was amazing and really hit the nail on the head with how they portrayed the characters. Charlie Bushnell as Luke was an AMAZING choice as well since he really made you sympathise with Luke.

Leah as Annabeth felt right as well, as a lot of Annabeth’s character is based around not being taken seriously because of appearances. In 2005, being a pretty blonde and not being taken seriously was something people were drawing attention to (bear in mind Legally Blonde came out in 2001. It was The Thing at the time to empower the blonde girls who had slipped under the radar). However this idea of not being taken seriously due to physical appearances is also a huge struggle to Black people and other people of colour. They are also a demographic who are largely overlooked in a lot of aspects of society. So having a Black actress play Annabeth translates across really well. Also Leah nailed the part of socially awkward 12 y/o girlboss nerd so I’m super happy about that as well.

There were a few things in Percy Jackson I felt could have been done differently, like how he seemingly knows everything about the monsters before the fight even starts, but on the whole I loved the show and I’m so excited for season two.

[kideternity]

Digimon adventure 02 review time! Similarly to the adventure review, this one will be written in a less concise way / more of a ramble of bullet points- August was a very hard month for me TDLR, so this led to another weird watching experience. But as a whole, I really loved this season, and It helped me through the month.

Full thoughts under the cut;

-Similarly to the original adventure, 02 has a very charming art style, arguably even more so charming for me personally then the original. The animation stays roughly the same- the same style of reusing various shots and scenes from previous episodes- but I did notice here and there some areas of somewhat higher quality. The new Digimon designs of the season I was worried I was going to hate, but I ended up liking all of them a lot more then I expected, and I enjoyed the beastly or slightly strange nature of a lot of them.

-Music was the same as adventure for the most part that I noticed, though I personally prefer the main theme songs for 02 over Adventure. I like the upbeat and dance nature of them

-Compared to the rest of the seasons, 02 had the least amount of focus when it came to the children’s families and parents. Outside of Iori and Ken, we never properly meet the parents of Miyako or Daisuke, and rarely see them, and Daisuke's sister exists purely for comedic relief then as a substantial character. Iori and Ken explore new dynamics however, that being the experience of being a child who grows up with a dead parent (and one whose death affects the overall narrative) and that of being a child who grows up in a dysfunctional or potentially neglectful home- we see characters like Jyou and Sora who have problems with their parents, but those are swiftly resolved in an episode or two. Ken's dynamic with his parents is more complicated, and we see throughout the series the repairing of their relationship comes more gradually. I didn’t really end up finding that the lack of any sort of major familial aspect a failing of the show, and I found both Iori's and Ken's relationship with their families engaging, particularly Iori's perception of his father in the last few episodes

-I love the worldbuilding and I'll always love the global aspect. I definitely wish the world tour arc, and generally the existence of the worldwide chosen children was explored more thoroughly- In general, I wish the chosen children as a lore concept was explored more in depth, since 02 makes various changes to it (some that contradict each other), and takes instead the approach of “anyone can be a chosen child if they truly desire to be so” which I much greatly prefer then the way adventure presented it as a “Following Your Destiny” storyline. 02 follows in the footsteps of Adventure's world, and expands on it in a way that I really enjoyed- I loved seeing the existence of proper towns and societies in Digimon, the armour evolutions and Jogress, the existence of Qinglongmon and the holy beasts, even the fact that different worlds even existed such as Dagomon's ocean.

-As a whole, I would consider 02 EXTREMELY ambitious- from worldbuilding, to characters, to themes and plot. It had a LOT it wanted to do- many various different goals it had set for itself to accomplish- which leads to a watching experience where for the most part, they achieved, but still inevitably along the way ended up getting burned and not being able to properly answer all of the questions it asked of itself. It gets messy, and contradictory, and some arcs will probably never get a genuine conclusion to them. But personally, I think I do prefer for a series to try and do as much as it possibly can, even if it may get overwhelming and they fall short of what they wanted, over a series that plays it safe.

-Pacing was a mixed bag- I find that 02 had a hard time starting arcs, and ending arcs (Most notably the first BWG arc) as well as a problem of certain arcs ending up being just a bit too long or way too short (Again, BWG, the world tour). Tone was also somewhat of a issue, as there was a tendency for out of nowhere comedy and filler episodes to be written in usually in the middle of or just after otherwise serious storylines, which can get frustrating. The same applies for weird, out of nowhere joke scenes being added to episodes that very much did not need them. I really, REALLY liked the main themes for 02 though- there’s a large emphasis on redemption, change, connection, violence/morality and mortality, and I would honestly argue that 02 tackles the theme of violence and power way better then Tamers ever did! There’s genuine care and discussion given to exploring the nature of violence and what violence can do, as well as having the kids ACTUALLY give a shit about killing Digimon, and ACTUALLY explore their feelings about having to ultimately kill Digimon for the sake of protecting others. It’s great. I absolutely love it. And I feel like not enough people give 02 it’s flowers for it.

-The same writing problems that plagued the original season still persist, such as the sloppy and inconsistent writing, but as a whole I definitely think overall plot and character writing improved. 02 tries much harder to actually tie its story arcs together, and to give the impression that it is an actual cohesive narrative. And I just- GOD, I love the characters of 02 SO much. I love Daisuke, I love Ken, I love Miyako, I love Iori. It’s nice too, seeing older versions of the characters, who aren’t overbearing on the other characters or treated as innately more special (ignoring that one scene with Takeru and Hikari that thankfully goes nowhere). I also generally liked Takeru better this season, and seeing his complex feelings about the power of darkness, and I wish it got properly resolved. Hikari was nice too I guess. But returning to the main group, all of them are such engaging characters, and generally 02 cared a lot more to give all of its characters more equal development instead of focusing on one over the other or suddenly cutting arcs off short- Miyako's and especially Daisuke’s development near the end of the season takes a backseat in favour of Ken and Iori, but it never felt the two were somehow now suddenly More Important. The only big complaint I have, is that the writers felt particularly mean sometimes to the kids, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Not enough to ruin the series, but definitely noticeable. #Justice for Daisuke

-Continuing off the characters bullet point, 02 also prioritised very heavily the interpersonal relationships for everyone. To me, 02 definitely has the best writing of the friendship between cast members- we get to see each character's unique dynamics with one another, explore their thoughts and emotions about each other. The original adventure has a major habit of either writing about the characters individually, or sorely as a group, and even Savers and Tamers didn’t bother trying to explore the intricacies of certain potential relationships/prioritised certain relationships over others. Adventure 02 really did care to represent its core theme of connection with others, and it did it well.

-02 thankfully forwent any overt horny jokes, at least with the kids, but it did have a higher emphasis on romance. It was still mostly a backseat thing, and isn’t really relevant or necessary by the end of the series. Daisuke's crush on Hikari definitely got grating at times, but I forgive it more then other times when seasons try to talk about romance, since at least they tried to explore Daisuke's character through his crush.

-Compared to the original season, 02 put a LOT of stock into having much more complex antagonists, and focused heavily on redemption as a theme, from Ken to BlackWarGreymon to even Oikawa in the finale. I personally liked how they handled the redemption aspect- a lot of people really harp on the idea “it was possession all along” being a big part of how they redeem the characters, at least in Ken's case, but IMO, the dark spore + Oikawa's involvement existed not as a get out of jail free card, but instead as a metaphor for grooming- Ken's story and Oikawa's behaviour reminded me a lot of the stories of groomed children and their groomers, and I think it does a disservice to act as though the writers were simply being lazy in this regard, especially since the grooming metaphor becomes even more apparent during the dark spore arc. Also, I hate Mummymon, I liked Archemon and thought she deserved better, and I hope I never see Vamdemon ever again in my life.

Im sure, again, as always, Im missing stuff or have forgotten stuff I wanted to say, but I think this covers my main thoughts and pondering I had. The idea of Adventure 02 being seen as a “bad season” is CRIMINAL to me- I think it is legitimately a fun, interesting, even arguably well made show, better then the original, and I wish more people appreciated that! It was a blast to watch, and I'm really glad I was able to go through it

[alloveydovey]

Dramas from this past month. I'm having such a hard time finishing things 😭

The Forbidden Marriage (rewatch) (kdrama) 9 ⭐️

A broken-hearted king imposes a seven-year ban on marriage, and after claiming to be able to channel the deceased crown princess, the FL ends up as one of his court ladies. Both the king and the officer assigned to protect her (the king's closest friend) end up developing an interest in her.

I love it so much that it became a comfort drama. I’m not into love triangles (who is?), but I looved every aspect of it. It’s a bit crazy how they go from extreme comedy to extreme drama, I’ll admit, but the actors deal with it really well. Romance is 11/10, the usual historical visuals are stunning, and the comedy had me laughing hard.

Love Me, Love my Voice (cdrama) 7.5

Nothing more soft and warm than watching these two characters fall in love. There are no obstacles here, just a doctor/voice actor wooing a senior student/singer/composer with the magic of cooking.

On the other side, because there are no complications, it gets boring. The characters get together way too soon for a drama where nothing happens. Luckily the second couple is as entertaining (if not more) as the leads. So, the main reason I continued watching, honestly, was because of them.

Secret Playlist (kdrama) 7

Cute 8 episode drama about an internet music composer and an idol who join forces to create music. Romance was a bit mid, but the songs were cute as hell, and so were the leads.

And Yet, You Are So Sweet (jmovie) 7

This was adorable af. A little silly (as usual with school love) but I liked the vibes. Girl confesses to her crush, he turns her down harshly and popular boy offers himself as a replacement for the crush. They both start a game where he basically lends himself to her so she can have a fake crush on him and forget about the other guy, except he obviously has feelings for her and she starts having real feelings for him as well. It’s a weird premise, but it gave out a lot of cute moments.

D.P. Season 2 (kdrama) 10

I’ve never watched a season 2 from a drama, and from what I’ve gathered, most of them usually disappoint or are good but don’t come close to the first season. Well, for me, this one was not the case at all. It just felt like a continuation of the first part. I'd say I even enjoyed this one more. Also, I miss theeeeem.

Sixteen Shoukougun (jdrama) 7.5

Okay, so basically, a fuckboy with mommy issues wants to get in between a "tomboy" girl who is known among girls as a prince and her best friend, a girl suffering from severe PTSD. He initially tries to go for the PTSD one, but soon realizes that her friendship with the "tomboy" girl is a little... special. After a few interactions, though, he begins to actually like the "tomboy" girl. In between all this, a sensible boy who is deemed "feminine" is thrown into the mix.

I'll be honest, I went into this one thinking it'd be gl but got disappointed it wasn't the case. At the same time, I actually enjoyed tomboy and fuckboy's relationship too. It's all a bit crazy, especially the friendship between the girls, but I was low-key into it. Fuckboy redeems himself, so I was okay with it, I guess? I don't know, jdramas are extreme, man. What I liked a lot about this one (apart from the sick intro that goes really hard) was how they showed the characters' feelings and the overall theme of just being 16 and growing up around prejudice, abandonment, and liking someone regardless of gender.

Our Secret Diary (jmovie) 8.5

Girl finds a love confession note on her classroom desk from the popular guy in school. Confused about it, she decides to answer him and soon begins exchanging secret notes until she realizes that the note was actually meant for her best friend.

This cute little school movie was very cliché but absolutely perfect.

I am Not a Robot (kdrama) 8/8.5

Here's to me never adding this one to my list because I was not into robots and stuff like that at all, and then completely ignoring my watchlist and going for it since I've read it's very cute.

The comments were right. The storyline is a bit wack and unreliable buuuut, as usual, the main leads make up for it with good acting and adorable scenes.

I'm adding these ones even though I didn't really finish them he ⬇️

The Matchmakers (kdrama) 8/8.5, because it's actually good, just a bit heavy.

Another comedy with Rowoon, sign me up. This one took me a while to get into because even though it was clever, the comedy was really good, and the mockumentary style rocked, there were just too many politics in it for me to fully dive into. I’d get lost and bored at times. It picked up after episode 5, though, and by episode 7, it was definitely more fun. It's more entertaining when they focus on the leads and the ladies they are supposed to set up. I still haven't finished it yet because... I don't know. It is a kind of slow drama, and I don't think I fully get what's going on with the murder and politics.

I May Love You (cdrama) 6.5

Oof. I have so many opinions about this one. ML asks FL to help him woo her best friend not knowing that FL has been in love with him for the past four years. FL fails to help him (on purpose lol) and after spending some meaningful moments together decides to confess in what I like to call the lousiest confession ever. ML rejects her but regrets it later on.

I'm always a girls girl, but here... FL was testing me. The ML spends most of the drama groveling because the FL is mad and upset he asked her for help wooing her friend and then rejected her (also rejected her book project which is possibly the worst thing he did) But the thing is, ML didn't even know FL liked him when he asked for help in the first place, and I believe he had every right to reject her after she told him she liked him because he was rich and handsome. Like?? Who confesses like that? And that's basically the whole drama. I don't know why they thought it'd be cute for the FL to have a wall full of his pictures and then forcefully kiss him. Truly not a good-written character.

A Good Day to Be a Dog (kdrama) 8

I'm gonna finish this, I swear. The whole girl turns into a dog and boy has to kiss her in dog form to break the spell is a bit... weird. Buuut aside from that, these characters and their interactions are just the cutest. It works well because Park Gyu Young is amazing with comedy and her chemistry with Eun Woo is perfect.

Now, the past lives part of the story? A bit too much meh. Some aspects are interesting (the whole story of the mountain spirit and the lady. I thought I'd die of boredom, but they actually made it cute and sad lol). The revenge thing? Boring and so over it. Still gotta watch the last four episodes.

[missoneminute]

I can’t help but find it strange that p+c have always been so open about so many taboo topics, but have mostly denied any sexual aspect to their own relationship (aside from ‘physicality has ensued’ - which could have meant fighting - everything else has been a denial). Even though there does seem to be proof out there, plus the fact that they were always all over each other on stage. Why deny? Not wanting to be pegged as a certain type of band? A need for privacy (which makes sense except for all the on stage stuff)? Maybe they really never did (in which case, were they ever accused of queerbaiting)? I don’t expect you to know, just wondered what your thoughts are!

Hello! You wanna know my god’s honest opinion?

I think some stuff went down once or twice (probably when out of their skulls), then they avoided eye contact for two days after, and they’ve never wanted to be defined by something they probably felt weird about and that is quite private. That’s genuinely my opinion. I won’t be convinced that nothing at all happened even if they said it to my face. I think it’s Occam’s razor in this case. A lot that adds up to something pretty obvious, but I also don’t believe and won’t ever believe it was anything significant, ongoing or committed. I think they had a weird fucking relationship that was highly codependent and anyone who has been in one of those knows at some stage after a few shandies bodies get explored. I also wrote basically an essay on this topic said much more eloquently than this a while back so I will reblog that in a second. Regarding the on stage stuff… honestly I think they just enjoy it. I’m sure there’s some element of playing it up here and there but overall I think they like doing it, it brings them a lot of comfort, and it’s also just how they are - they’re very tactile with each other off stage too, they’re just extremely used to touching each other and finding comfort in that, to the point where they even did it almost involuntarily during the 2010 reunion while still being in the throes of a war. They’d just gravitate, because they have such well defined maps to one another that they drift close without trying. As for queer baiting - oh yeah they were absolutely accused of it. They still are. And I don’t think they NEVER do it. Makes sense to lean into that expectation if it’s enjoyable for you. For me where that accusation falls down, is it’s one thing to look a little cosy on stage to get the fangirl pulses going, it’s another to post pained romantic diatribes online, collage entire diaries full of weird longing and write boundless songs that frame your relationship romantically. But ultimately I don’t think much went on physically speaking. If it did they might have released some of their god awful tension which screams of unfulfilled “feelings”. Like Roger Sargent once said, they needed to get a room. Couldn’t have made it any worse I guess. X

[pathfinderswiftpen]

Re: Sharpe's Sword

Having read the book, I can see how the writers incorporated major aspects of it. But I have to say that Cornwell did it better.

Spoilers below

I enjoyed:

Simmerson's return from the villain vault and ambiguous end. Though making him an actual traitor felt too cliché. People can suck and still be loyal.

Weird death room and oddball who oversaw it inclusion from the book

How they adapted the Leroux to tv, even though it was very different. The subplot with Jack was So Good Ouch. And the way Sharpe handled the betrayal was so tactful. And the ACTING in that role! "El muchacho de los ojos tristes" goddamn. And his knowing Leroux and having to pretend ignorance for Honor's Sake? For his life's sake? Good Soup!

Harris. Harris. Spends all night reading. Looks surprised to see dawn. Small "oh shit oh well" face journey. Extinguishing candles. Big fucking same, Harris. I could make an entire post on how alike I feel (and look, fr fr) to Harris (Hey Harris I like your gender, wanna trade? I saw @chiropteracupola 's hc about transfem!Harris and now she lives rent free in my head. Riflewoman Harris can have 85% of my dresses and jewelry. And free access to all of my books of course) BUT ALSO Harris's handling of Simmerson and quoting Candide at him? *Chefs Kiss*

HAGMAN! "Permission to speak sir? Best paper and paraffin oil. For your wound, sir." Excellent callback to ep1. And his singing to all the little kids!

Harper <3 One of the best things in the book is how Harper made Sharpe a new sword, and while it was a bit different this way, he still put in Effort. Plus the priest's trick at the end was a bit funny. If cheap. Plus his face at "Good! You'll serve mass Sunday" (took me a hot second to figure it out but imagining Harper in one of those white robes was a bit amusing). Sharpe and Harper arguing about washing the tunics. LOL but also get over yourselves

Ramona standing up for herself! And Harper's caring about how she'd be treated in Ireland. I just love Ramona (Also one of the very few attractive people in the entire show. I said what I said.)

Unnamed Woman making Simmerson fear for his life and leading him by the literal nose! Goddamn! Weaponize the patronization and infantilization! Sharpe's respecting of her.

Artist dude drawing at dinner. Relate. also a red herring for El mirador, if downplayed

BAGPIPES BAGPIPES BAGPIPES but also dude you have a practice chanter for a fucking reason. The guy with earplugs 🤣

Leroux pulling a Stephen Maturin. His actor did well too, the Complete Switch in pretending to be a Poor Captain vs Defiant Colonel

DUELS!! It was fun watching Fr Whatshisface rip Simmerson to shreds. Also I want to (ohgod I'm aware how this can sound) handle his blade. Spanish fencing swords mwah. Also Sharpe and Leroux visibly getting less abled, Sharpe having to stop in the middle of the charge *hugs* as a disabled person who loves a good charge and fight but just Can't or if I do I nap and feel like shit for hours

Disliked:

Portrayal of women. I don't need to get into it. There's So Much.

Watching duels choreographed for a screen is really painful as a former fencer. "You are both WAY TOO FUCKING CLOSE!! Don't parry that, DISENGAGE!"

I'll be silly and mention the chartreuse jackets XD (I just don't like them)

SO MUCH of the book was ANGST about Sharpe's condition and it did exist here but not as viscerally. Give me Harper as a nursemaid. I'm begging you. I know we've had it but I want more. "There once was a lassie from Lisbon, from Lisbon..."

There was more but life's too short!

Overall I think this one is in the rewatch pile.

P.S. the Priest's singing. My poor ears. Though Sharpe's Tears (ha-ha) I did love that bit.

If you read this far, I am shaking you by the hand and offering to share my tea.

[katamaricule]

Hey, a few weeks ago you explained Mystic Nine: Qing Shan Hai Tang to me and enlightened me about it being available with subs. Just wanted to thank you again for that! My sister and I finally got around to watching it last night, and now we're ten episodes deep into the 2016 Mystic Nine drama lol...

So far I am reserving overall judgement, but there's something very compelling about it all even though I'm still confused (and tbh the movie's pacing and CGI were terrible, but Zhu Zanjin was indeed as beautiful the second time through XD). This is also my first Republican-era drama, so it's a whole new world of costume design and geopolitical struggle!

I'm so glad! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I'm glad the Mystic Nine got its weird little hooks in you.

I feel such warmth toward the Mystic Nine. For all its many, many flaws, it has several charming aspects that make it way more compelling than it has any right to be. It occupies the same place in my heart that, say, Highlander does: cheaply produced, chronically overacted, embarrassingly paced, full of questionable pop music choices, forbidden by circumstances from being as gay as it should be -- but damn if I'm not shoveling popcorn into my mouth as I devour episodes one after another.

Is William Chan a better actor than Adrian Paul? Now there's a pop culture debate that like thirty people in the whole world could have!