#pig plot

[doomed2repeat]

I think some of the criticisms of Bridgerton come down to nostalgia as the the series progresses because too many people have forgotten we had an episode of S1 that revolved around Daphne not being able to properly choose a winning pig.

Every season has at least one “pig plot”, it’s inevitable.

[moeblob]

What's an otome?

You read a picture book to romance fictional characters, anon.

(for reference: on page 2 the second panel characters are from Steam Prison. Vita touch mechanic mention is Bad Apple Wars and the sexism call outs is in Sweet Fuse.)

I struggle personally with the self-insert intended otome because I look at characters and go "that's my son now" and I can't romance my son! That's why I prefer games with a designated design and some bare-bones personality protags. THEY can romance my son.

[nenoname]

me: oh i totally get it if some folks dont jive with same coin theory, plus it's strange to conceptualise at first--

me when i see people call it lame:

[etherealashworks]

Full Throttle

Wolfstar Top Gear AU

6. Cooking With Gas

Remus looks at her with his mouth ajar because there’s just nothing, nothing he can articulate that comes close to summing up the last month of his life.  A thrill, for those moments he can catch his breath again, behind the wheel of this car or the next. A homecoming, when he’s sitting on the couch by his best friends performing. A relief, realising he’s cost no-one their job. A delight, knowing that he can begin to pay back his parents at last.  An assault, for being so much, and all at once. So much to learn — what to say, where to stand, who is responsible for what and when, the difference between a good take and a bad one, what he pays for and what he doesn’t, when he needs to communicate and to whom that his leg is going to be a problem.  A daily, fear-inducing, world-spinning, manic mind-fuck.  How would a normal person articulate that?  Remus shrugs. ‘It’s been wild.’

Marauders Top Gear AU in which Remus is a disaster from the off, Sirius unravels at the seams, James grows a frontal lobe, and Lily has a secret. Throughout, there will be cars, catastrophes, and caravan conkers. And in the end, maybe- just maybe- they'll find something worth all of this bollocks.

Link below!

[filth-burps-writing]

Pigs Banquet part three; the burping contest

Sorry this has been awhile folks but as you can tell from the forcemasc content on my blog I’ve been having issues. This chapter is from Reginald’s perspective.

Reginald woke up as he always did these days. Being shocked awake with a huge fart, then peeling a piece of trash stuck to him. He frequently had late night junk food binges and couldn’t be bothered to clean up any of the mess. His room was almost exceptionally comfortable . The trash, piles of dirty clothes and discarded bottles of alcohol /pee stood in contrast to the dark, old furniture he’d inherited from his grandparents. He rolled off his bed and took a lazy pee on a graphic t-shirt from high school he’d gone to the store in last week when he was too lazy for his regular clothes. Speaking of he put on his suit and apron for work and took a restrainted sip then a firm chug from a nearby bottle and checked himself out in a mirror. He loved how the formality of the suit contrasted the stained material and tightness. He even thought about how he filled out the maid costume that stupid sexy Arlo gave him during the dare last week that was kicked under his bed in shame.

He wandered into his apartments kitchen to the sight of Ronald the head chef and his roommate drinking his morning beer and scratching his dick through his boxers. “ that fucking shit is affront to drinking” Reginald said. In response Ronald belched so loud that it woke up Winston from his couch locked slumber. Reginald just stared as Winston immediately started picking his nose. Eventually he broke out of it and got a packet of donuts from their pantry and flopped down in the creaky old armchair that had held him for many smoke seshes, fifa tournaments or just a night drinking and burping with his two roommates. He started eating them quickly and messily, delighting in the feeling of his belly getting fuller. He released a few satisfied belches then left to go to work.

He joyfully stepped into work. He had a sexy full belly, lethal farts brewing and best of all could tell that he was going to let out some excellent burps. Sure he was no Ronald but he was no slouch either. He once did a burp that lasted a full ten seconds. With his nervous burping he got plenty of practice. He got behind the bar and immediately did a loud fart. Everyone else was sat round one of the tables dicking around. They ushered him over but Reginald didn’t want to destroy his own good mood. After a while Arlo went up to him and ordered a sprite. “I’ll pay for it dude” he said in an irritatingly deep and smooth voice. Reginald responded “no need. In those joggers with that butt it’s one the house”. Reginald wasn’t even actually flirting with him. Well not much. He just liked watching the rigid little freak squirm. He got him his sprite but instead of going back to joking with the rest of the staff he stood at the bar, chugged his whole drink and belched loudly right in Reginald’s face. His breath was deliciously rancid, presumably from the shitty diner he and Mercy got breakfast from. At that moment something gurgled in Reginald’s gut and he burst out in a slightly louder burp. “Are you challenging me?” Arlo asked. “Yeah I am” Reginald had gas to impart he might as well embarrass Arlo. “Alright then” Arlo said before releasing another huge belch. Reginald responded with a longer one. Before they knew it they exchanging belch after belch.

“BBBUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRPPP”

“bbbbbuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRPPP”

“BBBBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPP”

“BBBBBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRPPP BBUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPP”

It went on for what felt like forever. The whole staff gathered round to watch them. But suddenly Reginald farted and something shifted in gut. He adjusted his glasses, pushed on his rounded middle then…

BBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPP.

It was the biggest burp ever. Bigger than Ronald’s. Bigger than anyone’s. He bent over coughing violently from not breathing for so long while Arlo slumped against a barstool defeated. Reginald smirked. Arlo said “so. What stupid forfeit do I gotta do to for losing”. “Not to bad. Just rub my gut until fucking guests come in”. Reginald really did need a tummy rub. Arlo shrugged, hopped over the bar and started rubbing his belly. Arlo’s short stubby fingers were weirdly good at reaching all the gas pockets and before he knew it Reginald was exploding from both ends. Arlo whispered in his ear “ what did you eat before your shift, you show off”. Reginald answered “donuts” while he felt himself stiffen and blush. Arlo diligently stood there and rubbed the gas out of Reginald’s stomach until their regulars started to spill in. Then he wordlessly gave his belly one final pat and hopped over the bar to greet them. How did he still end up the one feeling flustered and embarrassed when Arlo lost? If Arlo wanted to be such a sexy asshole then Reginald was going to mold him in his image. If Reginald got his way, which he did, he would never have heard Arlo speak again.

[eddiediazismyhusband]

the only thing that will get me through being forced to watch another kiss between buck and the racist is knowing he won’t be there for another two episodes after

[ceiling-karasu]

Watched Black Cat Detective and started thinking about Squirrel and Hedgehog as well.

It's been a few days so I have lots of thoughts and rambling. I'll start off by saying that since the main villain of Black Cat Detective is named the 'one eared mouse,' and we already have one of those in this fandom, I'll be calling him Lǎobǎn (no idea if there is already a fan nickname for this guy).

Putting these two together in a room would be fun, but I think Oegwipali is way smarter, to be honest, especially since he is a trained soldier. I'm not sure they would get along.

I would not do a Squirrel and Hedgehog and Black Cat Detective crossover in The Rod That Blocks the Lightning, though, since on is a North Korean cartoon and the other is strictly Chinese. I would be interested in doing a cross over in another, less serious, AU, though, since it is pretty similar with the violence and some other themes.

I watched the original series, then the reboot, and then the movie. Animation wise it does have that 'these kinds of thing happen in the first few episodes' issues, but it is only five episodes so they don't get ironed out. Still entertaining! It was pretty interesting, although I think the movie takes place in a different continuity. The series takes place in a forest with its own 'Forest Law,' and the movie is set in a massive futuristic city with space faring technology.

(I think the giant hairdrier is a leg section of what is a science museum of futuristic space vehicles).

It is about as violent as people say it is, especially for the time period and the fact that it was made for children. I thought it really could not be that bad, that the FH spike impalement scene was wild, but no, an eagle really does beat a bunch of children and eat one alive on screen. Said child is never seen again. The police even know what is going to happen.

Also, are the 'rats that eat cats' supposed to be vampires? Those are some wet slurping sounds, and then the talk of drinking blood later...

I really wish that had been expanded upon. It would make for a fun murder mystery AU.

Definitely a police propaganda cartoon, but maybe (maybe?) not as much racism as we previously thought. The cats in the first episode do not jump to the assumption that the mice stole all the food immediately, and actual detective work is shown throughout the series. I think I saw a mouse living in a village normally in a later episode, and the cats don't even blink an eye at her presence. But when they do figure out who committed the crimes, they do not hesitate to brutally beat the mice half to death and shoot limbs off, if not shoot them dead, with absolutely no mercy. They are overly enthusiastic in sprinting forwards with their batons to beat criminals unconscious in general. At one point there's a stun baton, and they deliberately use it in sensitive areas for extra effect.

Then again, later, a criminal elephant trying to murder a group of cops later is simply tranquilized, so make of that what you will. Although, honestly, the elephant is referred to as a citizen of the forest, and the mice are not. Which would actually rival Flower Hill's xenophobia on the matter, and they don't even have a war going on. Maybe. They have tanks in the forest in the reboot outro?

We noticed a weird issue with the clinking of shackles and chains on arrested prisoners being one of the loudest and crispest sounds in the audio.

There's also the fact that Black Cat will reveal to the public that a prisoner committed a terrible crime, but declare them innocent based on the fact that the crime was 'only in their nature' and they couldn't help it. Which is a very strange thing to say, feels weird, and also suggests that the mice trying to steal and kill everyone were making a choice which is why (according to whatever lesson is being taught here) they 'need' to be punished so brutally and killed without mercy (the elephant and company needed a mineral in the laterite bricks they were stealing, so they were 'only ' sentenced to heavy labor so to speak).

They start talking about using interpol to track down Lǎobǎn at one point.

Which means I think it would be pretty interesting if Lǎobǎn managed to escape to Flower Hill or something like that, and the cats were the Special Forces of the Rabbit Village police. Or the surviving mice could end up with the Weasel Unit and used a propaganda tools of 'this is why we hate Flower Hill, look what they did to your fellows' type thing.

Now as for the movie:

I'll be honest, there was no English release of the movie, so I watched it raw in Chinese while discussing it with rei-does-stuff and sah-headcanons. Maybe we can make a post of our live-blogging with each other later.

There's a Tumblr user named ernestelm who made a review on it, but it is one of those things where none of us would have bothered getting into Squirrel and Hedgehog if we listened without taking a look ourselves.

I'll have to rewatch the movie frame by frame with a deepl translator, but what I get is that a gorilla gets betrayed and floats off into space, and comes back with telekinesis and fireball magic he learned out there and wants revenge.

Either way, he needs some sort of special green star gravity device so he can kidnap people in a museum, and enlists the help of Lǎobǎn for some reason (in case he gets captured or because he might be a local?). Except a pig kid sees this all happening, and Black Cat realizes that this kid has seen too much, and takes him into police custody for his own safety. Amazingly, he tells the parents he has to take the kid with him, from what I can tell.

It makes sense that the police would have Black Cat take care of the kid, since he has apparently always had a way with children.

Side note: What is this character? We think it's a fennec fox? The ears don't look right enough to be a cat. I'm not even sure it's a living person, it might be a computer program. Black Cat sure does give commands into an electronic watch a lot.

ernestelm is completely right about the duck/goose, though. I watched one of the most entertaining animations I've ever seen with meteors damaging a prison complex for six minutes, and then got hit with THAT voice. Maybe he is actually useful, I don't know yet, I'll need the translator. Not one of the police officers hesitates to follow his orders and start a musical number, which turns out of be a legitimate distraction, which means the singing was police protocol intended to confuse a target. Everyone keeps forgetting he can fly at crucial moments?

And why do unimportant characters have a different animation style near the end?

(What is this? Why is it like this it looks like The Amazing World of Gumball?? Also reminds me of Pleasant Goat but these are not goats)

Black Cat Detective is just a slight bit expressionless as well. It would have been nice to see him actually in trouble or in distress like the original, instead of the calm to cocky attitude the whole time. Oh no, he's falling from very high up. Luckily the kid who hero worships the police enough to have studied their flying bikes, and whose father is a pilot, has been hanging around on said bike for just such an occasion. No peril at all.

The real question in the movie is this;

They just casually happen to have a containment unit for the gorilla? Are superpowers and magic just a thing in the Black Cat Detective movie universe, and common enough that they have protocols for this? So many questions.

The city, plus the casual power containment unit, reminds me of Loonatics Unleashed, honestly. Someone could easily make a crossover out of this.

Funny enough, the three of us found that this cat police officer looks a lot like Geumsaegi or Commander Darami.

There's always the idea that Black Cat Detective takes place in the same universe as Squirrel and Hedgehog. The amount of firepower these police officers have is far too much if they are not expecting a war to happen, even if they are referenced as a more elite unit. The implication is very interesting.

Now, if I get to writing the Clever Raccoon Dog PSA fun series, which I headcanon as taking place in Flower Hill because it might be canon (they are both SEK anyway), I would most definitely have the main characters visit and do a ride along with Black Cat Detective (preferably in the cartoon series universe. They are fine with criminals being beaten up, heck they do it themselves!) for a chapter or two. It sounds like it would be fun!

The other one would take place in the movie universe. Maybe a kind of Jimmy Olsen situation with a mouse reporter who keeps getting into trouble, and Black Cat or other people in the police force have to keep saving him. Although, we still have that pig kid who wants to be a police officer, if I understand correctly. It actually sounds better if I just used the pig child continuously getting into situations and needing to be rescued by the police, all the while trying to balance school into the equation. Maybe he becomes a young deputy.

[sourtomatola]

Moana 2 trailer spoilers

"Why didn't you bring the pig last time?" -Maui

I'll tell you why

W

Cause the pig was BORING!! The pig is every other Disney princess sidekick that's cute but otherwise forgettable. I cheered internally SO HARD when the chicken came with her instead!

I had a chicken like Hei hei, so this was an amazing addition. An arrow is shot at him, *curiously and comically pecks at it*

What would have the pig done? The boring logical thing of squeal and hide Probably. He's cute, but predictable and dull. Would have added nothing to the trip other than an extra face.

Leave the pig at home, or give it an actual purpose. The chicken was at least comedy relief.

[breadandcircusandallthatjazz]

Oh how I love Uncle Howdy’s laugh, murder is on the way

[lokis-tardis-companion19]

Lindsey’s Books of the Month (January 2025)

Trying this to track what I read in a month and talk about the books I read!

I will not be doing a star rating system here. That’s for Goodreads.

Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Yes, I did read the entire Empyrean series (as it currently stands) within the month of January. Technically I started Fourth Wing (a present) on Christmas Day 2024, but with the stomach bug that ravaged my family/our Christmas break, it barely counts as a real start. But once I really started, I could not stop. By the time the 21st rolled around, my daughters knew how much I loved them and told everyone in line at Target “we’re here to get Mommy the Dragon Book.”

I have fallen so completely into this series. Violet is one of my favorite main characters—the way her anger is celebrated by those closest to her has honestly been healing for me. A lot of her struggles with her limitations/the spoilery things she is going through in Onyx Storm made me feel so SEEN (spouse of someone with a chronic illness, hi) and every character in here is fantastic.

And yeah, the dragons don’t hurt either.

Rebecca Yarros you are SO good and I hope your break is restorative for you (and passes quickly for the rest of us).

Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Karen and Georgia from MFM wrote a book awhile back and it was my winter True Crime Sauna Time book. Funny, insightful, and honestly a book early-20s Lindsey could have used. Highly recommend whether you are a Murderino or not.

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, vol. 1-3

These were a Christmas gift from my husband because the anime remains horribly, infuriatingly unfinished (they say they will, but I am not patient).

As Jill Bearup would say, the plot, it goeth thusly:

A young woman is pushed off a building and wakes up in the world and body of a character from her favorite novel. The only problem? She is now Raeliana MacMillan, whose murder spurs the main character of the novel, Beatrice, to solve the crime and avenge her dearest friend. Determined not to die again, Raeliana forges her own destiny and uses her knowledge of the novel to stay alive, including blackmailing the original novel’s MMC, Duke Noah Wynnight, into becoming her new fiancé so she can escape her original murderer. But Beatrice never shows up and Noah doesn’t seem so keen to call off their charade, even after her murderous original betrothed is caught.

It was a nice read between the high stakes of the Empyrean series because it has some of my favorite things: fake engagement of convenience to lovers (at least I hope so, they better not be teasing me), isekai but make it Period Romance (including the costumes!), and a heroine who is super smart. Will be getting the rest of the volumes, highly recommend.

The Grandmother Plot by Caroline B Cooney

This was a completely random read on Libby; the author is well-known for her Milk Carton series but I knew her better for Goddess of Yesterday (a junior high read I still think of often today). So I was scrolling through her Goodreads and found this.

An elderly woman in a dementia care center dies of a smothering, threatening the secrets of our two main narrators and many others in a small Connecticut town.

The characters here all have such depth and variation, and BITE. The descriptions of dementia and what it’s like to live with a loved one whose own mind is slipping away from them? Unflinching and heartbreaking. It was a dark comfort to me, the daughter of an 82-year-old man who has watched her father’s verve slip away after a series of strokes 6 years ago.

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

From dark comfort to just plain comfort. This book is like the rom com equivalent of…like imagine Ryan and Shane from Buzzfeed Unsolved were a hetero couple.

Hallie as a character is able to find her voice and confidence with Noah. They support each other and see the best in each other so beautifully. It is a heartwarming book, both in terms of the romance and Noah’s DELICIOUS verbal takedowns of Hallie’s abusive ex.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This I read aloud to my daughters over several nights in January. It was delightful to watch them fall in love with it, as I did at my eldest’s age.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

This was actually my first Roald Dahl, so it felt like an appropriate follow up for bedtime reading. And I do not think it gets enough love.

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

This is a novel told entirely through correspondence, including emails and texts.

A local theater group is wrought with strife when the toddler daughter of a leading player is diagnosed with a brain tumor. They pull together to raise funds, but all is not as it (or they) appear. And someone is going to end up dead by opening night.

If you enjoy Agatha Christie, you will love this book. If you like any kind of good mystery, give it a go!

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

My January book for the Read Christie 2025 challenge. I have always loved the David Suchet version and am delighted to be delving into the book at last.

Sixteen years after Caroline Crale died convicted of the murder of her husband, their daughter comes to Hercule Poirot. She requests that he solve the murder and prove, as her mother attested in a letter, that Caroline Crale was innocent.

I will be finishing this book in February but I am loving it so far! (The David Suchet episode is excellent btw)

LOOKING AHEAD: February 2025

I plan to stay on the Read Christie train with The 13 Problems, which is a classic collection of Miss Marple stories. Might just read my entire Miss Marple short story collection.

Husband got me Assistant to the Villain for Christmas, so that’ll be on the docket for sure.

Spy x Family volume 13 is out, which will be a lovely, quick read.

I will also be getting back into True Crime Sauna Time and starting The Devil in the White City (finally). Apparently DiCaprio and Scorsese are reviving the movie project, so I want to have that read before the movie comes out.

HOWEVER, Kate Winkler Dawson recently released The Sinners All Bow: Two Authors, One Murder, and the Real Hester Prynne.

Historical True Crime? Check. A Victorian-era true crime authoress being the first to investigate the case? A Scarlet Letter connection? I am the target audience.

I am also going to try Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, as my oldest asked about a sequel at the end of Chocolate Factory. I will be doing the audiobook on my own. If I think the girls will like it, then I’ll either check out the book or just finally buy a Roald Dahl set.

Everything else is up in the air!

[lord-squiggletits]

IDW1 must take place on an alternate Earth where no one has ever heard of ACAB and everyone wears "thin blue line" merchandise because there's literally no other way that a single Autobot killing a USAmerican cop in self defense would be such worldwide news that even Mexican journalists would go "OMG???? You like, killed a cop?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?" and it wasn't even framed as like, "you killed a human," the phrasing every time any character talked about it was very specifically "he killed a cop".

The cop was also threatening to shoot a group of surrendering/not-attacking/injured Autobots btw which is just the icing on the cake honestly lmao

[weirdo-from-bonesborough]

Dune fans keep warning people not to read too many Dune books is hilarious because I feel the same way about Ender’s Game. If you think you want to read Speaker for the Dead no you don’t. No you don’t.

Edit: read some of the stuff y’all are saying about Dune and uh never mind. Enderverse is fine.

[savageboar]

"we need more complex female characters in pokemon!" you bitches can't even handle carmine.

[nenoname]

its a shame that people ended up focusing on "omg mabel flaked out on dipper for a day extra than she promised" instead of "wait dipper really was typing every 8 letter word in existence" even though dipper starts the ep out with "Okay, this cryptology book says there's seven point two million eight-letter words. I'll type, you read."

(also urgh at folks falling for bill's manipulations directed at a stressed and frustrated kid and getting mad at mabel for deep end and time traveler's pig, even tho the former is her helping someone even if it means she'd never see him again and the latter was dipper trying to manipulate his friend's love life and not even bothering to get an outcome where he and mabel both "win")

[inquisitiveheretic]

someone on the production team was absolutely watching hannibal 

[cacaitos]

sorry this is killing me this is absolutely destroying me