#poor quality can be enjoyable and also good

[kwistowee]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) / Angel (1999-2004)

the x-files (1993-2018)

[sleepytoycollection]

Barbie Dream Besties "Brooklyn": A review

Barbie Dream Besties is a newly released doll line by Mattel, and is a spin off of their main Barbie line. Looks wise, they seem to be a spiritual successor to My Scene, Ever After high, and the more recent Barbie Extra/Barbie Extra Minis. Also trying desperately to compete with LOL and Rainbow High.

They are $20 USD each retail.

I was interested in these for three reasons: 1) I liked Ever After High and My Scene. 2) They have much more quality outfits than I tend to see from modern Barbie. 3) @queenofsquids enjoyment of them made me hopeful I'd like them too.

So do I? Let's find out.

I choose the character Brooklyn as I like her face up the best.

Her packaging is the standard plastic clam shell that seems to be all over the doll aisle anymore. I can't say I love it. I miss the cardboard boxes, so much easier to open and so much less plastic.

This box isn't super great aesthetically either. There's a lot going on in the service of nothing.

Which is a shame, because I do really like the actual character art on the box. It's super cute and matches the dolls really well. It would pop even better if the rest of the box was a smidge simpler. Sometimes less is more.

The back of the box.

We get more of this delightful artwork, showing of the full set of characters available at the moment.

We also get a short character bio for Brooklyn. She wants to be a choreographer, loves making dance routines, video editing, and creative writing. Despite her favorite color being listed as pink, she has no pink in her outfit and only one pink accessory.

Here is the box without the cover. This is what I meant when I said the box design was doing a lot for nothing. Over packaging isn't just a problem with Mattel dolls of course, MGA is arguably worse, but it's still frustrating.

Brooklyn herself is very pretty though. I tried very hard to pick one without a wonky face, but the way she's posed makes it very hard to tell.

I think one of her eyes is slightly bigger than the other. It's not enough to bother me at least. That said, so many of these were VERY wonky at the store. I would not buy these online unless you can see the specific doll you're getting. The QC is all over the place.

Here are all the accessories she comes with.

I do appreciate that all her accessories tie into her interests and character. That said, these are hit and miss.

The purse is nice, and does open.

The dog is okay, but I don't really care for these types of doll pets. It looks more like an in-universe toy than what's supposed to be an animal.

I initially liked that the phone and case were separate, until I tried to put the phone in the case and it didn't fit. It will not go in there. If I force it in, it just pops right back out.

It's a shame because I liked the 80's Barbie logo case, but without the phone in it, it looks weird when the doll is holding it.

At least the phone fits into the ring light stand.

May I also say some of these accessories feel really flimsy? The phone and Ipad are VERY thin plastic.

The boom box in hollow and unpainted.

I wish instead of having seven mid accessories we could've had two or three really good ones. Or nixed all of them and given her a stand. The doll herself is nice enough to deserve a stand I think.

Let's look at Brooklyn. She's pretty darn cute. She stands at the standard 11", and has saran hair with tinsel.

Her outfit isn't my favorite though. Mattel stop giving your dolls ugly fur sleeved varsity jackets challenge. This could've been so cute as just a regular varsity jacket.

Despite being ugly, the jacket is made pretty well. Though a button was already falling off mine. That poor QC strikes again.

Though I suppose it's moot as I doubt I'll ever put this jacket back on her ever again.

Now that she's free of that ugly thing, you can see how nice the rest of her outfit is. I didn't realize how much I missed dolls getting to wear neutrals until I saw her plain denim skirt and white tank top.

It's simple, but she's dressed like a real person. Plus, I can easily pair these pieces with a lot of other outfits. Doll wardrobes need pieces like this for mixing and matching.

Body wise she's a bit smaller than Barbie, and her feet are a little bit larger. This body reminds me a lot of the current bodies for the Disney Princess line now that Mattel has it back, though those have larger feet. If I can find the one I have, I'll do a body comparison to those later.

Her sculpt in three views. The Ever After High comparisons are very apt, though the screening itself is more reminiscent of My Scene mixed with a little bit of G3 Monster High.

For comparison, here's an actual EAH doll next to her. Brooklyn's head is just a smidge larger, but balanced out better with larger eyes, thicker brows, and bigger lips.

After this, I got Brooklyn redressed with just a few changes...

I replaced her jacket with this vintage Barbie and the Rockers one, added a necklace, and hey! Now she gets to wear her favorite color.

Final thoughts?

It's a good doll, but the quality control issues, on top of the same BS Mattel throws on all of it's dolls anymore, is dragging it down.

The fact you have to look through every single one of the shelf to make sure you're not getting a crappy one is exhausting. Plus, kids don't do that. They're going to get home with their new doll and then realize as they open it something's wrong. Kids don't deserve that.

The accessories are mostly cheap and not special enough to justify their existence. The purse, phone with case, and ring light would've been enough if they were made a bit better.

The outfit is well made, and a huge improvement over what I see in the main Barbie line, even if I don't like all the design choices, but again, that's if you get one without QC issues.

The doll herself is super cute though, and screw it, I like the tinsel. Fight me.

Overall I really love this doll, I just wish picking one out wasn't a hassle. Hell, I even bought a second one already.

I got inspired enough I wanted to repaint one, so I purposely bought this wonky Renee because she had the worst face up out of everyone at the store.

So I think there's definitely potential here. If this line continues, I hope they can improve the way G3 Monster High has improved from it's first wave.

I hope this can be the start of Mattel revitalizing it's Barbie line as well. It needs it. See ya next time.

[austinramsaygames]

Thinking about Actual Play series and how there are 4 parts that IMO determine if people will want to listen to it.

1. High Concept: this is what the show is about narratively. Setting, plot, characters, themes, all the stuff you'd find in written fiction.

2. Performance: how compelling are the actors involved in the show? Are there suitably funny voices? Do they all have good chemistry? Is there buy in to the High Concept? And so on.

3. Production Quality: Bad mics and poor volume balancing between players can easily take some listeners out of the story. Some of this can be fixed in post, but it's always better to start with the best raw audio you can. That's the baseline stuff but some shows also add music (whether as theme songs or for ambience) and sound effects.

4. The Rules: the most unique part of Actual Play as a format. What rule system are the performers using to inform their performances? The rules place limits on how well the High Concept functions. If you try to tell a story where all the characters are super heroes but you're using Delta Green, there's going to be some friction (which of course could be the basis of the High Concept but absolutely needs to be accounted for).

Different listeners will have different priorities for each of these, and even within them. Really liking one of these aspects within a show may allow a less enjoyable one to get a pass.

For example The Adventure Zone's Balance season is something I listened to every week. I do not give a single shit about D&D actual play and am pretty ambivalent on the High Concept but the audio quality is great and the performances are stellar.

Another example: Friends At The Table's Autumn In Hieron has frequently bad audio quality but the great High Concept of the two diverging parties and the setting, combined with the good performances makes it stand out. Also doesn't hurt that I was interested in Dungeon World.

I don't think I'm saying anything groundbreaking here, but it may be useful for those interested in actual play, fans AND creators, to consider when starting a new show.

More thoughts like this from me on my Patreon! Patrons get early access to my game design work and thoughts. Just $1 a month!

[cosmictyto]

(Movie) Nimona Winter/Christmas Headcanons:

Experiencing a literal snow squall rn and it’s making me think of Khrismuh Time. So have some thoughts.

First: In terms of the Trio™️ and where they generally stand regarding “Holiday Spirit”

• 🎄 •

Ambrosius: Absolutely loves it. He naturally runs cold, but at the same time he loves wearing winter clothes. Sweaters, cozy socks, scarves, you name it. And his biggest “giving” love language IS gifts. (Meanwhile his “receiving” LL is physical touch. Dude wants cuddles.) So this holiday ticks all the boxes for him. He’s wants to celebrate the whole month long, wants to go do little traditions like sleigh rides and snowball fights, and he always had a couple decorations he put in his dorm at the Institute every year. Like he is IN it. And he’s totally the kind of guy who’s working on a list for Bal the whole year. Yes, he knows the season isn’t JUST about material goods. But he also absolutely loves the look on Bal’s face when he gets something he genuinely loves, or when Rose catches Bal wearing/using something he got him. It just makes him really happy.

• 🎄 •

Ballister: Moderate Christmas enjoyer. He naturally runs hot, so he doesn’t bundle up nearly as much as Ambrosius does. Usually only in a tshirt and some gray sweatpants (another reason why Ambrosius likes winter ayooo~) And maybe a turtleneck when it gets really cold. The gifts are nice, but he’s always been a quality time kind of guy. Which, works out perfectly. There was always a Christmas Break for cadets so they had time, + Bal n’ Rose could go out and do all those traditional little activities and have a good time. He used to have a hard time with the holidays when he was a kid for various reasons. For starters, the winter weather in the Danks can be a bitch. Along with general food insecurities plus a cultural emphasis on family and friends when you don’t have any doesn’t lead to anything good. Even despite the various charities that try to make that time easier. But, after starting his training, he had a stable home and food situation, he had a best friend who did his damndest to make sure he had a good Christmas, and yeah the Queen always invited him to spend the actual day with her (since she didn’t really have anyone, either.) So over time he’s built up good memories and associations with the season.

I also see him as 100% being the kind of guy who goes to do volunteer work as part of his traditions. (Not even just for christmas, I imagine he and Ambrosius do community work year-round because they’re both genuinely good, generous guys- though he definitely MAKES time for it during the holidays) Mainly because he knows how hard it is out there when you don’t have anything. And he’s benefited from things like soup kitchens, blanket and clothes donations, as well as toy drives when he was small. Now he’s an adult with the means to help and give back. Why wouldn’t he do that?

• 🎄 •

Nimona: She. Hates. It. The Grinchiest Grinch who ever Grinched. For starters, I wanna put down a Richard Adams quote, because it definitely applies here and how Nims would feel about winter overall:

“Many human beings say that they enjoy the winter, but what they really enjoy is feeling proof against it. For them there is no winter food problem. They have fires and warm clothes. The winter cannot hurt them and therefore increases their sense of cleverness and security. For birds and animals, as for poor men, winter is another matter.”

The years she’s lived as various animals gave her enough reason to dislike the season. There are PLENTY of times where she’s hibernated as a bear or flown south to avoid the cold. Though when she’s stayed in the kingdom, she just does not have a good time. She’s had a lot of the same issues Ballister had as a kid, but she’s never had anyone to alleviate them. She’s just had to endure for literal centuries. Plus, the holiday’s messaging about “peace, love, goodwill towards others,” and all of that feels incredibly fake considering everything she’s been through. It’s hard to get in that christmas spirit when you’re just trying to survive in a kingdom that would happily hunt and kill you. Plus, she’s seen how the holiday itself has succumbed to commercialization. So it feels even MORE cheap and fake to her. She just doesn’t like it. (She’s more of a Halloween person anyway.) It’s just a bad time of year, with a boatload of negative emotions/baggage attached to it that lasts even after the events of the movie, and she’s more than happy to treat it like “just another day.” (I also imagine she deals with seasonal affective disorder. Get this girlie a uv lamp so she can bask under it as a lizard.)

That first christmas after she comes back from the canon incident? When she starts living with her boss and his boyfriend? She’s a complete grump. She sees Ambrosius (who is still “Nemisis,” “Goldielocks,” and “Goldengroin” in her mind) decorating the place during, like, the first week of December and she’s reacting like an angry cat. Quietly slinking into her room and avoiding everyone. Maybe even playing loud music to drown out the sound of cheesy movies and music. Ambrosius is pretty oblivious to why she’s being so sour about everything, but Bal immediately recognizes what’s going on and empathizes. Already forming a plan to give her some good experiences. And, like, they don’t really convert her into a christmas enjoyer within the year. But with each passing holiday they do help ease her out of hating it. It’ll never be her favorite holiday, but she stops dreading winter and christmas eventually.

[mothiepixie]

We all know that Sans (Classic) is an expert gift giver, but who else would be a giftmas expert (at least when it comes to Mottie)?

Oh, how fun!

The other best Giftmas Givers:

Swap Sans: he's very attentive and observant. He would make mental notes if something sparks a reaction out of her. But he would casually go around the other guys and lead the conversation to get other's present ideas/see what they got Motti. So he can avoid getting a duplicate gift.

Dream: Knows immediately if Motti likes something without her having to say a word or physically react. He may even know what she likes before she even realizes it herself.

Boysen: His gifts are always thoughtful and lavish. Nothing is too expensive, but he does know when to dial it back and get something midrange or just overall practical (nothing is poor quality tho!). But his gifts are also very romantic and with the forethought Motti will ALWAYS think of him when she lays her eyes on the gift.

The thought is there Givers:

Big Red: he's never 100% or certain of himself to get something she'll like. It's kinda mushy and makes him feel weird and he only knows to give jewelry (gold) as a gift. On the occasion he does take the safest route and gives her sunflowers (that would be the greatest length he'll go too since they're out of season).

Cross: It wouldn't just be a Motti thing, he just kinda sucks at getting gifts to anyone because he overthinks. His gifts usually land on the practical side. Motti will be given decorative knives as a gift, but hey, they're pretty but they can do damage. So a win/win in Cross’ books.

Ink: Either teeters from actually being really good at giving a gift or bombs it completely. But his strengths are the gifts he would actually craft himself. He crafts or paints a portrait of Motti in how he sees her, a very artistic take and not a hyper realistic take. Or he would make origami insects and pin them in her room to surprise her.

Farmer: He's just a simple guy and his gifts reflect that. Doesn't mean that they don't have any heart in it at all, oh no. Whatever he does give her, he wants it to spark joy and give the twinkle in her eye because that's all he wants. But he would probably propagate various plants and give them to her so they start young and she can recount how many months (or years) the plants have been growing strong. (More or less when she's not looking he's checking them over so they can flourish, not doubting her skills but just so they can stick around longer for her enjoyment.)

The ones who suck at being Givers:

Nightmare: IF he does give a gift, it's all for selfish reasons and trying to one up someone. Or he even stole a gift and presented it as his own. Never presented to Motti as loving and kinda sours the moment. Or Motti finds out he stole it.

Error: Probably would make a doll and then get fluster if she shows any positivity that he gets outlandishly embarrassed. Or just throw a bar of chocolate at her head that he stole from Red and say “she can't say he never gave her anything.”

[mikuni14]

4 Minutes - Ep 1-2

I haven't had much free time to keep up with all the series lately, I was planning to catch up and influenced by @my-rose-tinted-glasses enthusiasm I decided to watch 4 Minutes first 😘

So, ok. I love it.

First of all, I'm writing this before diving into the 4 Minutes tag, so I have no idea about the most popular theories. I have a few of my own working theories, but I don't feel like writing about them right now hehe. I will write what I like tho!

very good execution, but it's BOC, so no surprises here

aesthetics, actors, everything is 💯💯

I really like the mystery, suspense, crime, ambiguity, confusion, slow discovery of new plots, a certain kind of darkness that already created the delicious vibe in DFF ✨ I also like the pleasure and satisfaction I feel as a viewer, when I see something that I suspect might happen, it happens and the series doesn't force the opposite, doing stupid, illogical or ooc things, just to shock and surprise me (looking at you GoT). For example, I knew that Title wasn't found dead in this field, and when it turned out that he was alive, it didn't take away my pleasure from guessing it in any way. I love it when a show lets viewers guess what's going to happen and respects their intelligence

no matter what universe, Jet plays a complete dick who is in conflict with Mio's character ✨

Mio, Mio, Mio, Mio!! 💖💖💖💖 I gasped when I saw him, I'm literally conditioned to love this guy. He's ruthless and uncompromising again, gosh, my heart 💖💖💖(fair warning: I'm going to be insufferable about him, so be prepared 🤡)

the sex scenes are as bold and high-quality as ever

traditionally for BOC we have a juxtaposition of rich and poor, corruption, tragic choices caused by poverty, exploitation, overworking, fulfilling the expectations of ruthless parents, wealth as well as poverty being the source of crime

Bible plays a poor rich boy, which I really like. I also like his pairing, which wasn't at all predictable and obvious, because I'm probably the only person in the world who can't stand his pairing in KP (please don't hate me)

luckily Bible is a Cat Person and it shows, because he uses a Special Voice to talk to the kitty. The cat is relaxed, which is an exception in BL series 😑 (isn't that his cat? they seemed close 🥺)

of course I must comment on the BL in the BL series. So… yes! It's good! Bible as Great is wonderful but then again I didn't expect anything else from him. Tbh I was worried about what his partner would be like, whom I didn't know. Jes turned out to be sensational, first of all you can see his experience, he's 32 years old (!), as Tyme he's an absolutely captivating mix of an intimidating professional at work and adorable baka when he's just some dude liking a guy 😄 I really liked how the series is serious for the whole 1st episode, most of the 2nd and then suddenly there's a scene of Tyme smoothing out his feathers in a peacock mode, emphasizing his figure and shapely butt to look nice for his crush, it was so funny and cute. Also when he awkwardly tried to flirt with Great, the faces he made when he realized how clumsy he was lmao. I love the kind of men in BL shows who are strong and masculine but who turn into fluffy, awkward teddy bears 🐻 in the presence of their loved ones. When I saw Tyme in ep1 I thought he was going to be a stereotypical seme and I'm so glad the show lets him be a normal person.

It's interesting that Great gets a second chance every time he does something wrong 🤔 And I wonder why he sees a future with Tyme? This kind of future? Hm.

Overall I love 4 Minutes, I'm officially hooked. It's very interesting, intriguing and spicy, there are a lot of plots that are starting to overlap and connect, the series has actors that I like (some I even like a lot! just seeing Mio and hearing Bible speak English accounts for like 74% of my enjoyment lol), it's not afraid of controversial topics, the series doesn't treat viewers like children, the execution is at a very high level, Jes and JJay show infatuation at first sight in a very convincing way, the romances started very interestingly and I've watched the Tyme/Great scenes a few times already.

That means 3 series to obsess over in a week! Lucky me! ✌

(I might edit this post by adding some gifs later)

[beesmygod]

i think another issue with webcomics having any scene or being taken seriously at all is that its a lot of stale air, everybody got captured by ig/twitter/tumblr and subsequently become trapped in the trappings and style of those websites. all discussion is couched in the boring 'fandom' subculture on websites with pre-built in infinite scroll and shit search, so updates to their comics or body of work are just as ephemeral as posts that are basically 'lol i farted on my dog' and any criticism is 'just being mean' or 'dogpiling on a poor artist'. not to mention any discoverability of anything new is basically going down the twitter/instagram likes of 'known quantities' for your own comic taste because of how atrophied any discussion around the medium has become

I dont see any way to escape this beyond social media dying a brutal and unprofitable death

trying to argue against the webtoons/IG model was entirely pointless the few times i tried, but its a topic that's hard for me to not devolve into frustrated sputtering about. it's so obviously antithetical to the purpose of making art, enjoying things, creation, joy, goodness, etc. and i would, frankly completely irrationally, be framed as someone who had it out for vertical strips. a sentiment which makes no sense unless you assume im the biggest moron and dipshit in the world. im sure arguing against someone is easier when the position you saddle them with is a seriously stupid one.

the inevitable downward spiral of these platforms feels entirely predictable. any model that revolves around quantity over quality is an obviously flawed one in most circumstances but when applied to art its completely absurd. the ideal artist for these websites are people who have no interest in contributing to a vaster landscape of complex works and instead are hyper-focused on being part of a large scale skinner box experiment for adults with compulsive spending issues. the artists themselves have severe numbers poisoning.

these are purely ephemeral and unremarkable comics that are rarely ever seen outside of instagram for their lack of any exceptional or worthwhile unique elements worth passing around. they are created with a factory mindset; crank them out as quickly as possible and flood various websites with the comic equivalent of grey goo in order to amass the maximum number of clicks. their ideal audience is undiscerning and simply looking for stimuli that will not challenge them on any level. logically it follows that is work is explicitly for the largest possible audience one can acquire: the lowest common denominator. they are making work for a computer or an advertiser to enjoy. human enjoyment is secondary.

the unironic and sincere discussion of views and followers as if the numbers have ever been real was surreal. everyone was around for when facebook revealed that it had been grossly inflating its video metrics after strong-arming everyone into moving to video, causing the destruction of several indie companies and websites. you would have to be straight up delusional to think the webtoons numbers are real. like, it is genuinely hard for me to be nice about people who bark bark bark about "its where the audience is!!!!" when the worst comic you've ever read with 2 updates has 12876492375238576 views, 0 patreon followers and 8909 comments. the obviously AI generated comments by accounts with no profiles (as in, you can't click on profiles at all to confirm its even a real person commenting) are beyond the pale lol. its some emperors new clothes shit, if the emperor made his own invisible clothes and cried about how hard they toiled for nothing. and also they were emperor of synecdoche, new york

how does a reasonable adult look at this and conclude its real? isn't it an obvious fiction? its because it's mean to point out otherwise, and being mean is the worst thing you can be.

people used to bitch about how the "had to" made reels and i felt like i was going insane. superstitious nonsense about "the algorithm" spread and has incited people to tortuously warp their work to fit with advertising standards they don't see a penny of, in the hopes of finding an audience that doesn't exist. when the algorithm changes to better suit advertiser needs, they are somehow blindsided and betrayed by this, as if it has not been the M.O. of social media websites for the past 20 years. they will do it again. and again. and again. as advertising becomes less and less financially viable and more and more intrusive, public opinion is going to turn hard on the people who tied themselves to these ships.

call me a rat for fleeing, but i can't bear to entertain this stuff anymore. it's embarrassing, the idea of sacrifice in the name of a greater good (sacrifice being uhhhhh not using fail platforms lol) should not be such a shocking and radical act. it should be reflexive

[lutawolf]

The Sign Commentary Review Ep 4

We start off with a bang, staring at a woman's scared face. Ah, she's being interrogated by Phaya. Okay, so the whole investigation is a bit triggering for me, so I'm watching, but my only commentary is if he sexually assaulted someone and then is being victimized himself. Well, I'm okay with that.

Yai and Sand! Yai is such a drama king and I adore him for it.

Oh, someone is still playing hard to get. And apparently that is not limited to just Tharn, but also Thong. The way Phaya grabs Tharn and drags him is cute.

This just looks yummy! Haha! The way Phaya is getting annoyed about Tharn talking about the case is hilarious considering how one tracked mind he used to be. Now he is just trying to go on a date with his baby and Tharn is drawing a line. Business only.

Who is this woman that Tharn has bumped into. She's wearing Naga jewelry.

"Your life is short. You were supposed to be dead since when you were young. But your parents gave you to the Abbot... To extend your life and try to change your destiny. That’s why you’re still alive today. But young man, I warn you. You must look out for those whom you’ve wronged in the past life. They are very near. They are coming to take your life."

I love how Tharn's face says, tell me shit I don't already know, lady. She then turns to warn Phaya who had been doing an amazing job of looking like he wasn't there. He's like, I just want to eat. Why won't anyone let me eat!

Woman disappeared. Just poof. But then we see her and she is clearly Naga.

Phaya are you really concerned about Tharn or are you trying to get in his room? Him thinking over what the woman said and it's matching the Abbott. And to be honest, it matches with what he wants, soooo...

Oh, Tharn has a vision of Phaya getting stabbed right when we hear the doorbell, which we all know is Phaya. His excuse is his bike isn't working. You're a cop dude and that's the best you could come up with. I hope you at least let granny know.

I love the way Phaya pushes the envelope and always causes Tharn to back up. These two are hilarious. I really enjoy the clearly macho humor thrown in. I enjoy shows where one love interest isn't macho, but this girl likes variety and is enjoying the different nuances to this show.

Poor confused Tharn. What wait, is this real? It has a dream like quality. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn, good dream Tharn. Go back to sleep! Go back to sleep and finish it!

Haha! The dream got you so rattle Tharn it has you covering up Phaya with a pillow!!! Damn, his picture cracked. Which means someone is secretly watching him. That's not creepy at all.

Yes, Tharn, let's go back over that dream. *Nods head in pleased mode.* Haha, the way Tharn jumped back when Phaya took off that towel. What I find hilarious is that Phaya wore the towel when he clearly had that on underneath. Tease much Phaya.

I think this smile says it all. He did not stick his finger in the yoke! That's it, throw him out! Yeah, stick it in your mouth like you're a sexy bitch, but Tharn and I are on the same page. Phaya's face clearly saying that this did not go according to his plan.

🤣🤣🤣 Poor Phaya was trying to hard to bring sexy back and gets this instead. 🤣🤣🤣 He probably woke to those pillows covering his crotch and came to the sensible conclusion that with a little push he could have Tharn. He's just not as smooth as our baby is, klutzy.

Phaya, just take the enjoyment out of it that you can. Tharn cleaning up the ketchup for you. Tharn's solution to this whole mess. "Just go to work naked!" I can absolutely get behind this. Like literally... hahaha. These two coconuts are hilarious.

This dumbass, oh look, the bike is fixed. Magic! 🤣🤣🤣 Yai, God, I love Yai. He's just asking some innocent questions that Tharn is trying to cover up. Which Phaya is not having. He has been walking perfectly fine, but when he hears Yai, he starts yanking at the pants and acting dramatic. Then, when Yai ask HIM an innocent question, he tells him the pants are Tharn's.

Which leads to this beautiful interaction.

OMG... Apparently the pants were really too small. Hahaha!

Wait, doesn't that girl look familiar. Isn't that the Naga lady?

Maybe not, maybe just similar looking. Either way, Phaya catches the significance of the conversation and goes to ask them abut the influencer. They've got a clue now!

Woot! I love all the strong females. Mayris is a hoot. Here comes Phaya sparing no feelings. I suspect Singh. With absolutely nothing to go by as yet.

He sees the future, though, not the past. Hmm. Tharn only had a seconds warning, now they are stuck and Phaya is running after the fire starter.

Tharn picks up Phaya getting stabbed. Gets them unstuck somehow with a chair. And is now going after Phaya.

Phaya, you are once again saved by Tharn. Why is Tharn playing doctor to Phaya instead of medical staff? I mean, he got hit in the head. I know he is hard-headed, but I'm just saying. Phaya being short-tempered and so confused about Tharn acting like he cares when he usually doesn't. Then Mayris reading the room and having fun with it. 🤣🤣🤣

Sneaky Phaya listening to the convo.

Tharn's face says it all.

Who is Dao... I'm sure this won't cause misunderstandings at all. Oh, I called it. Tharn is jelly! So jelly! Yai don't look happy either. You fucked up, Phaya. Hahaha! Of course, Yai is also going to take the opportunity to poke the sore spot.

Revenge has shown up in the face of Dr. Chalothon. OMG, that was so classic and yet still Beautiful. Chalothon asks Tharn if he is hungry and if he wants to eat before going home. Tharn looks right at Phaya as he says yes. Phaya has his priorities in order though and chases after them. But not smart enough to clear up the misunderstanding. Oh goody, when we incorrectly diagnose Schizophrenia without any data. Schizophrenia exists on a scale, the more extreme cases that refuse medication can be a danger whether to themselves or others depend on environmental factors. Also, Schizophrenia isn't as common as people think. On a global scale, it's 1 out of 300 people. 1 out 3 Schizophrenics can successfully get treated and recover enough to live independently. Ahh, there we go, he is using it to point fingers at Phaya.

Nobody told the good doctor this. You fell for that Phaya???

Aww, Tharn was so happy to see Phaya, but Phaya is not happy.

So much excitement about finding genitals. Oh, they might have found him. I'm not holding my breath yet.

Phaya looking at Cap while everyone else is looking at Tharn...

Ahhh, please let the scene in the preview not be a dream! Woot! Can't wait!

[its-dean]

I’ve been posting on other online platforms about Fossil Fighters for a long time now, and most who are familiar with what I share know that a lot of my content has a heavy focus on original vivosaur ideas. With these vivosaurs I come up with, as well as the stats I create to go with them, I notice that there are often people questioning whether what I come up with would be balanced or not from a gameplay standpoint.

As I’ve gone on with developing this unique vision for my vivosaurs, I’ve also slowly refined my idea of Fossil Battles entirely. All of us are aware that both the original Fossil Fighters and Fossil Fighters Champions don’t have the best balancing in the world. There are certain cast members and even a few core game mechanics that allow so many otherwise memorable characters to fall to the wayside, and with the stats I was coming up with I was only further encouraging that type of hostile environment. The more I worried about whether something I was coming up with would feel realistic or balanced the more I considered the fact that the formula itself may have been broken in the first place.

There have been others in the community that have projected their own ideas of how to change things up regarding gameplay, things like adding new elements or even having customizable skills. Because the series felt like it had ended so suddenly there's become so much to dream for in a potential sequel. These are the people that inspired me to attempt something similar myself back when I was making my vivosaur last year. It inspired me to take a step back with my thinking and ultimately led to me creating a total re-imagining of the classic battle system we all know and love. 

That's the thing, the games may not be perfectly balanced, but I always find how these games work to be something that's just inherently fun in a very unique way. Above everything else, with this project I wanted the new system I was creating to still have the "feel" of having a good old-fashioned Fossil Battle. These games have incredible potential for an interesting competitive landscape, just if only some of those unbalanced mechanics were to be adjusted. This is what I strive to achieve the most with my ideas: an environment where every vivosaur has something practical to them, a format where you CAN win using your favorite vivosaurs. The only thing that should stop you is how well thought-out and unique of a strategy you can come up with.

Fossil Fighters Odyssey is a personal project of mine that I've technically been working on for over half a decade now. Still, I think it's most important to stress the fact that everything I come up with and will be talking about in this post is for fun. This shouldn't explicitly be seen as a vehicle for a potential fan game, I make these things for my own enjoyment and have no plans or obligations to turn any of these ideas into tangible content in the future. We all can pretty unanimously agree that it’s fun to dream about a theoretical continuation of this franchise, especially because of how it felt like it came to such an abrupt halt in a way none of us were really ready for. This project is simply meant to represent the changes I'd most want to see if that were to ever somehow happen, and that vision of mine simply might not appeal to your individual preferences.

But now moving to the fun stuff itself. I strive to be as in-depth as possible when taking into account how I would rework the gameplay, taking a comprehensive look at the entire series. To keep things feeling familiar while also feeling like an "evolution" of sorts, I found it most compelling to try and utilize standout mechanics from all three of the previous games. Yes, that includes Frontier because, while I can't defend its battle system as a whole, I do think there are some features it introduced that can really enhance potential team building and strategy (mainly referring to the boost system it uses).

Since there are far too many changes to cover in a text post, I created a PowerPoint to explain everything in a more presentable and organized way. The link to it can be found directly below this paragraph, with the presentation being separated in order of different areas of discussion, from how vivosaurs have changed to the differences in the battle system to new and altered abilities and so much more! Plus, attached to this post are the stat sheets for every single vivosaur, #1-300. My own vivosaurs as well as the 10 unique vivosaurs from Frontier are included in the lineup, and all the vivosaurs you're already familiar with have received numerous changes and enhancements to their skill sets so that they can thrive in this new Fossil Battling format.

Link to the PowerPoint (in case the picture quality is too poor to be able to read on this website)

FFO Mechanics.pptx

Link to all 300 vivosaurs and their stat sheets:

FFO All Vivosaurs.pptx

(Disclaimer: not all of the vivosaurs have artwork to correspond with their dino medals, but those will be hopefully trickling out down the line in the future.)

To round things out, I definitely want to thank the people that have already been supporting me and the things I create these past few years elsewhere. Without the level of the recognition and approval I see from the people who always respond to what I make, I definitely never would've come this far with developing my ideas. You guys are the ones who've been enjoying these things, from vivosaurs to characters to the overarching story I hope to one day be able to share with you all. I owe it to you for allowing myself to become as invested in my favorite series as I now am. And hey, depending on how people react to what I have here I may make another post outlining the more creative story and character elements I have in mind… 

Thank you to everyone who's been there for all this time, as well as anyone willing to read through everything I've been able to put together here, this project never could've been completed without you all for me to share it with.

[measlyfurball13]

Seeing as your one of the only people I know who is into Transformers, would you mind info dumping about it?

I know very little of anything about it besides the old "Micheal Bay!" Joke, and that it was initially made to sell toys, but that doesn't really mean anything.

So tell me, is there "more than meets the eye" to this franchise?

HOOOOOOOOO BOY

The single most important thing to know about Transformers is that there is no singular canon. Rather, there's a TON of different continuities, or basically alternate versions of the same universe. Transformers is a franchise that basically tells the same story over and over again, altering each time while keeping some very basic core themes and characters.

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots. Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons. The Autobots are the good guys, the Decepticons are the bad guys, and they have been fighting a war for millions of years. It is rare for continuities to change these core facts. They might be modified, but they will never be unrecognizable.

In one continuity, Optimus might be a younger, more inexperienced leader. In another, he may be old, wise, and powerful. In some continuities, Optimus and Megatron have personal beef with each other through their backstories, making them almost lost brothers of a sort. In others, Megatron is a stranger and Optimus is an impersonal victim of his cruelty. Each time this story, the story of Transformers, is told, little details like this change.

Generally, continuities try to keep a certain "feel" to them. While sometimes a continuity will completely reinvent a character, most of the time it will try to keep a character within a few (arbitrarily chosen) character traits and/or role.

So, if this story has been told over and over again, and there's certain established expectations for characters, what was this all based on? The answer is the original 1984 animated cartoon! This cartoon is referred to as "Generation 1", or just "G1" for short. This is the cartoon made to sell toys. The animation quality is poor, the dialogue and music are cheesy, and I absolutely love it to pieces. I would highly, highly recommend that you watch the first three episodes, which basically acts as the pilot for the whole show. It really writes the characters at their most iconic and introduces the setting.

Now that you understand that G1 is the base, you can go from there and explore other continuities! Remember, continuities don't connect across different mediums (with the very distinct exception of one specific continuity, which I'll get to right after this) so feel free to find one that interests you. In general, each cartoon (or close series of cartoons) is a continuity. Allow me to list some of the more popular ones:

Transformers Beast Wars. This is arguably the continuity that follows the established G1 pattern the least, since this is the cartoon that followed right after it. In this one, the transformers turn into animals and battle on a prehistoric earth. This one is well-renowned for its surprisingly deep character writing, but the antique 3D animation is the biggest hurdle to enjoyment. It's kinda the continuity that's the most forgotten.

Transformers Armada, Energon, and Cybertron. Also known as the Unicron Trilogy (no, not "unicorn"!), this one was made in Japan and then dubbed and exported. They introduce a lot of anime-inspired features into the lore such as powerups and the like. Armada is regarded very highly with good writing, the other two not so much. The continuity between them is fairly loose. You could absolutely get away with watching just that one. Here's a link to Armada.

The Michael Bay films. You already know this one. These live action films are in a continuity of their own. In all absolutely fairness, the first movie is pretty good, barring Bay's more childish flairs. If you don't mind the U.S. military being portrayed as the absolute good guys, I think you'll genuinely like it.

The Bumblebee movie. Special shoutout to this one! This live action movie is in its own continuity that's really fun. This is an excellent movie and I love it so much, please watch it at some point.

Transformers Animated. This is one of the most widely beloved continuities in the entire franchise. People really, really like this show. It takes the franchise in a refreshing new direction, with the first season feeling almost a bit more like a superhero cartoon than a "traditional" transformers cartoon. The Autobots are the absolute underdogs in this one and it's hard not to root for them. Here's a link. This one's a good one to start with.

Transformers Cyberverse. This one is a web series that was focused for a younger audience for the first season, gets decent in the second but then gets absolutely and insanely fucking unhinged in season 3. I. . . don't recommend this one for any beginners? It's a trip. That first season is pretty unbearable. The second season starts out feeling like you missed something, and then gradually gets kinda better. Season 3 is insane. Look, just tackle this one after you've tackled the others. Don't start here.

Transformers Earthspark. The newest of the bunch, this one is releasing on Paramount Plus. I've really enjoyed what I've seen of it! It's a much more down-to-earth approach to the story. It changes some characters but in interesting ways. The new characters are excellent as well. You can definitely start with this one.

And finally, without further ado:

Transformers Prime.

I fucking LOVE this one.

This one is my favorite and was what really got me into the Transformers fandom. This cartoon takes the good innovations from the Michael Bay movies and then actually tells an amazingly competent story with it. It's the Transformers cartoon with the darkest tone by a long shot, and it really sells that this story is about a war. Characters die! The serialization is suuuuuuuper tight- one of my favorite examples is that injured characters have to spend time onscreen healing back up.

This cartoon also gives a significant amount of focus and exploration of the Decepticons as a faction as well, which is rare for the franchise. Both the Autobot and Decepticon characters will charm their way into your heart.

This show is equivalent in quality to Avatar the Last Airbender to me. I know that's probably overhyping it. You may not like it as much. But I really really really love it.

Here is a link to the first season.

But wait! There's more. Welcome to the Aligned Continuity!

Transformers Prime is actually part of the franchise's first attempt to really connect a story across media platforms. The result was. . . mostly successful? Definitely a lot of plot holes/errors, and some of the continuity is trash, but I want to highlight two videogames specifically:

Transformers: War for Cybertron. This game is a third-person shooter by High Moon studios. They do an absolutely stellar job with this one. Taking place on Cybertron, the home planet of the transformers, this one acts as the first part of an indirect prequel to Transformers Prime.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. If the first game is good, then this game is amazing. The devs layer on more amazing mechanics to those introduced in the first game, with some of my absolute most favorite moments in all of gaming happening in this one. It acts as a second part of the prequel to Transformers Prime.

The writing in both of these games is so amazing, and the gameplay is so much fun. I know you love videogames, so that's why I'm recommending these two you. HOWEVER, the cost is that these games are stupid difficult to get ahold of. You'll most likely have to sail the high seas, yo-ho-ho, if you catch my drift. I play these on my Xbox 360. Best of luck to you!

Anyways, there are other entries into the Aligned Continuity. There's a set of three novels that I've heard are stellar. If you're looking for a show for young kids but that is also fun for you to watch, you could always check out Transformers: Rescue Bots. That one has a small but devoted fanbase of older fans.

But do NOT touch the cartoon in this continuity called Robots in Disguise. Do not. It's marketed as a sequel to Transformers Prime. It is not. Not really. It's like the Halo 5 of Transformers. Every day I am reminded that it exists I am in pain.

---

And there lies the end of my introduction! If you actually did read all of this, congrats to you. Ironically, I'm not sure that you've really ended up more knowledgeable than you started. I didn't really go over anything specific about characters or plot or lore or anything. But I hope I've illustrated my point that to do so would be fruitless- this story exists in so many different iterations that you just have to go out and find the one that resonates the most with you, y'know?

My recommendation for getting acquainted with the franchise is to start with those first three G1 episodes, then move on to either Animated or Prime. You could also pick Beast Wars if you're looking for something with a more retro 90s charm, which I know you like from Marathon.

[verucac]

Period sex

Dear fellow menstruating people who have or had sex during menstruation. I have gone down a rabbit hole: I am currently taking part in Kinktober. One prompt: (Day 17) period sex.

So I wrote a story – using the 'trope' of blood as a natural lubricant. During my research I often read that menstrual sex is more pleasurable because of the 'extra lubrication'. I was editing my story and everything I wrote just felt wrong. So I read some older stories about this trope. Problem: I can't agree with them. Firstly, my personal experience, and secondly, I am an engineer. So let's try to science/engineer the shit out of it: There are basically two problems here 1. Periodic flow is a good lubricant 2. Extra lubricant from period flow improves sex

1. Technically, lubrication is used to reduce friction. When you need lubrication for specific purposes, you have to consider the many specific properties of the lubricant (e.g. density, viscosity, demulsibility, etc.). Normally, the wetness of an aroused woman is enough to reduce skin-to-skin friction and make the encounter enjoyable. She has the perfect density and viscosity for this. (Dry sex is no fun, e.g. sex after removing a tampon).

A good artificial lubricant for sex is designed to reduce skin-to-skin friction over a long period of time (no drying out, stays where it is applied). Water, for example, might seem like a good idea, but no. Mainly because it has a very low viscosity (it also promotes corrosion, but that's not relevant here). Anyone who has gone down a water slide knows that skin contact on the slide slows you down. You can even get stuck. The water is pushed out from under you and you have high friction. (That's why I don't like sex in water - but that's another topic.) I quote my old professor: "Water is for cooling, not for lubricating" - to be fair, that was said in a different context.

The 'period flow' is basically just normal blood (which is actually watered down compared to the blood in your veins) and some of the cervical mucus that needs to be flushed out. It's not even a perfect emulsion (if you use a menstrual cup, you may have noticed that the consistency is quite uneven). To be on the safe side, let's take the properties of the worst component of this imperfect emulsion: Blood. It behaves like water. And (I repeat) water is not a good lubricant.

2. When a woman gets her period, there's some additional lubrication to her natural wetness (when aroused), but it's minimal. Period flow is often overestimated. It's a total of 60 ml (we could calculate an hourly flow), but let's make it easy and estimate a constant flow of the whole amount for a whole day, so 2.5 ml per hour. Or half a teaspoon per hour. This is really not a lot of 'extra' lubricant (and we have been very generous in our calculations).

Now we put the two together:

The problem now is mixing them. When you mix lubricants, their properties change. Ask petrolheads about motor oil - you'll get a free lecture. Or ask my old professor: "Mixing lubricants reduces their performance".

When you have sex during your period, two types of lubricant mix together. The natural everyday lubricant (perfect lubrication) and the "period flow" (poor quality additive). This reduces the overall quality of your lubrication during your period. Basically, the blood makes your vagina more watery. This means that sex during your period has more friction due to the poorer quality of the lubricant. A little more quantity might compensate for the poor quality of the mixed lubricant, but don't count on it.

Conclusion:

At best, sex during your period will be like sex at any other time because the amount of extra blood is so small (but maybe the thought of it will turn you on and make you wetter), at worst it will just hurt because of too much friction.

So, if this were a risk management scenario: to be on the safe side, use lubricant.

Sorry if I destroyed any kink fantasies.

Full disclosure: I haven't found any scientific papers on the lubricating properties of period flow vs. natural lubrication, (just a paper on whether women like having sex during their period) but please let me know if you know of any.

Am I wrong?

Any comments? Ideas?

Thanks for your attention. Sorry for the lecture.

TLDR: I wrote a story for Kinktober about period sex. Had big issues with the 'tropes'. Rewrote it according to my (not really scientific) research, which suggests that lubrication is actually worse.

[leserattevirginie]

Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman

Genre: Sci-Fantasy Star Rating: 4,25 ⭐️

Plot: ⬜️ Plot holes big enough for a herd of elephants ⬜️ I think I’ve read this before. (Unoriginal to the max.) ⬜️ No plot, just vibes ⬜️ Enjoyable but not super memorable. ✅ You have my undivided attention. ⬜️ Mind = Blown

Characters: ⬜️ Mary Sue is in the house! ⬜️ These are cardboard cut-outs. ⬜️ Good main cast, but the rest is forgettable at best. ⬜️ Generally well written. ✅ Complex ⬜️ What do you mean characters? These feel like real people!

Personal Enjoyment: ⬜️ DNF ⬜️ Somebody free me from this hell (but also no, I won’t DNF) ⬜️ WTF did I just read??? ⬜️ I don’t like it, but I also don’t hate it. ⬜️ It’s a good book but I just never want to pick it back up. ⬜️ No strong feelings either way. ⬜️ Enjoyable read ✅ What a page turner! This is fun! ⬜️ I think I’m in love ⬜️ (new) all time favourite

World Building: ⬜️ This takes place in our world. ⬜️ Worldbuilding what worldbuilding? ⬜️ This feels like a TV set. ⬜️ Not super deep, but present. ✅ Detailed, believable. ⬜️ You bet every single ant has its own 100 page backstory!

Pacing: ⬜️ drags/is rushed in all the wrong places ⬜️ Inconsistent ⬜️ something undefinable feels off ⬜️ I don’t love it it but it fits the book perfectly. ✅ Good/no complaints ⬜️ Amazing! Could not put this down!

Writing: ⬜️ This is painful ⬜️ I’m cringing ⬜️ Not great, but not bad either. ⬜️ Neutral (Didn’t really notice.) ✅ Elegant but not overly flowery. ⬜️ So beautiful I actually stopped and noticed it. ⬜️ I’m not sure if this is just a bad translation. ⬜️ I’m not confident enough in my language skills for this language to comment on the quality of the writing.

Wow, I can't believe I've finished the series this fast! That alone says a lot about how much I liked it :) As usual, here's a bunch of rambly thoughts:

For the most part I feel like I did about the other two books - plot is fine but character work and world building take the cake. The plot was still fairly straight-forward, but I will say that it was a bit more complex with the dual plot-lines. A bit I don't think I've mentioned before that I love: due to the set up we get sorcery and sword type stuff but also tourism, instant soup, insurance companies, etc. (Did I imagine the aspirin?) The mix between modern and old timey things is great!

Unfortunately I also still feel the same about the treatment of women within the series. Sure, the argument could be made that maybe it's just Damien who's a bit misogynistic in his POV, and Gerald is just generally The Most Terrible Person ™ around, but it still doesn't sit right with me. Especially since we start the book with Gerald's lunch committing suicide. Was that weird bit about Damien's landlady necessary? Was there no other way to explain how Iezu perceive the world other than "Holy shit can you believe that middle aged lady dares to think of herself as attractive, lol what a hag" ?? But hey, Narilka is still alive! I suppose if you exist to redeem the Gerald clone you get to live. (I can't believe I forgot poor Almea in my last rant. The fridging that started it all! ...is it still fridging if the man murders her himself??)

As for the plot lines, on one hand I really, really enjoyed getting more POVs! ...maybe just not the ones we actually got xD The patriarch was probably my favourite, even if almost every second I spent inside his head was incredibly frustrating. Some of that may be due to Calesta's influence, but for the most part it's probably just him being the fantasy-pope. There's a reason I left the church xD That being said, I appreciate that he actually whole-heartedly believes what he is preaching. The thing that confuses me the most about the church is its stance on working the fae. As I understood it, it was designed to focus the fae, making it a bit less dangrous for the general population. And also providing humanity with the concentrated power of the beliefs and faith of thousands if not millions, which could eventually be used for space travel. (Or something in that vein.) Anyway, I thought it was very clear that they are still manipulating the fae, just on an enormous scale, and disapproved of private sorcery. But at times it kind of felt like the patriarch sort of forgot that (or deliberately repressed it?). All those "no, this isn't witchcraft, this is a miracle from God!" moments felt so odd because - of course its the same thing? You literally created your God yourselves by those exact same means??? Oh well, church is hypocritical, fork found in kitchen.

Andrys and Narilka I actually liked well enough, as long as they weren't on page together. Or thinking about each other. Actually, scratch that. I liked Narilka when she wasn't being compared to teacups or dolls! But then she had to fall in love with Andrys after talking to him...twice? Andrys... I mean he was there and relevant to the plot. I do feel bad for him, but there wasn't really that much to him other than (admittedly horrific) trauma and an uncanny resemblance to his great-great ....-great grandpa. And drugs to cope with all of that. Small pet peeve: the nickname Andri. WHY. You're literally just taking of one letter (and changing the other because....aesthetics??)

On to more enjoyable ramblings!!! The Damien-Gerlad dynamic in this book was just *chef's kiss* You can't just hit me with the "You changed me" speech that early in the book, I was not prepared xD The many ways in which we see the depth of their...friendship... were just sweet (especially post-hell), and such a contrast to the first book! (Well, Damien still tells us constantly how hot Gerald is, that hasn't changed at all xD My dude literally described his very platonic bestie as "aesthetic perfection". A few pages after Karril rerminds us of how very straight he is, of course.) Now maybe at this point my rose coloured shipper glasses are just glued to my face, but that moment when he tried to explain how Almea supposedly feels also slightly came across as him projecting just a bit. (Gerald is right, Almea (or the Almea-thing) has every right to be pissed, honestly she should have shown up with ghostly divorce papers. Or maybe Damien was right and she just wanted to see him jump into a volcano for a good cause, who knows.) There are some things I would have loved to see more of: - the mental link between Damien and Gerald was criminally under-used, imo. Did it change Damien physically somehow, since Gerald no longer felt cold to him? Is he now part vampire for ever xD (And dear god that whole bit about taking the Hunter into his body, whyyy xDD) - honestly I would have loved to see Gerald readjusting to being human (and being incredibly annoyed about it) a bit more. It's been 900+ years, surely there's stuff he's forgotten? I mean he spent the vast majority of his life being the stuff of nightmares! - Gerald honestly wanting and trying to redeem himself (sure, he was ready to sacrifice himself in the end, but it kind of struck me as a last minute decision. And you can't tell me being the first to kill a Iezu and saving the world didn't also appeal to his ego). But I get that that would take another 10 books, minimum

Damiens break with the church was a long time coming, and handled well, I think. Oddly enough, priest never struck me as a job that you can just quit.

I just remembered about Gerald's apprentice (Amoril?). What an idiot. I would have loved to know how he came to be the Hunter's apprentice though. Can you apply for scolarships? Anyway, trashing a library is unforgivable in my book ;)

Oh, and Hell! Hell was surprisingly meh to me, but I did appreciate the insight into how the Iezu operate (which was probable the main point of that scene anyway). Love that Damien could just reason with the literal devil. (But the concept of the Devil as a non-unified entity was actually cool though). How did it take Damien so long to understand what the mountain of dead women could possibly be. Neither he nor the reader are stupid enough not to get it. Friedman usually doesn't hold our hand and over explains in the series, why start now?? Shock factor? I doubt anyone cared enough about Sisa? Sasi? for that to work.

OK I promise I'm coming to an end soon but guys. Guys. The epilogue. The freaking epilogue. What a trip that was xDDD 1) The Wedding. Karril POV was... certainly something! We now officially know that not only women find Andrys attractive. (Take that, Damien "idk, he's probably attractive to women but also aesthetic perfection" Vryce. Did I need to know about potential Iezu sex that only benefits the (currently presenting as) male partner? No, not really. Also WTF was that scene with Andrys' ex lovers. I know we're supposed to see and rejoice in the fact that Andrys is no longer a playboy, but did we really need that "women hating women for the benefit of some hot guy" thing in here? I swear there were bits in the series where I could have sworn it was written by man (derogatory). At least Narilka remained unbothered. Presumably moisturised. Very happy and in her lane. Focused on her wedding, as she should be. She gets to live on to be compared to countless fragile things made of porcelain, whether she wants it or not. 2) Freaking Riven Forrest. I was cackling throughout that whole bit. Not only does he get to hunt and terrify people just like his father, he also runs a successful (?) fishing rod business on the side. (I know, I know, hunting supplies in general, the rods just kind of stuck out to me). The fact that the intelligent prey he looks forward to hunting the most is once again a woman (even if it is an abusive, horrible woman) tells us exactly what part the Iezu mother chose to take from the OG Hunter, huh. Which is great for Gerald, but a weird choice on her part?? But dear God the last bit. He keeps a portait of Gerald above his fireplace??? I finally completely lost it at "Here's to you, dad" xDDD 3) The "dark haired youth". Of course he survived. I was suspicious as soon as we didn't actually get to see Andrys kill him. As for the new persona - I suspected who he was, but the moment I was really sure was when Damien started describing him in loving detail. For an entire paragraph. That was half a page long. But the ending. WTF. I could have accepted Gerald's Death, but this? You're telling me after all they went through together, and after he basically just risked his life again by saying hi to Damien in the most cryptic way possible, they just...never talked again?! Nah, in my expert opinion they just met up in the next bathhouse. Also I wanted to see the guy suffer be annoyed a bit more because he can no longer Work to maintain his image. (I'd also have loved to know Geralds criteria for his new body, vain as he is. What was his thought process? "Oh no, the wonderful world of magical horse-breeding is now lost to me! Guess I'll just have to make sure that from now on I have the most majestic ponytail out there!"? Although, come on. He might be willing to risk his life for a horse.) My last words: I enjoyed this series so much more than I ever thought I would, and these idiots now live rent-free in my brain. Also how the f- are we supposed to read these books as an entirely platonic relationship? The most I'll agree to is some weird, slightly cursed QPR. But come on. COME ON. Even if they are both heterosexual (notwithstanding Damiens constant thirsting casual descriptions) they are definitely in love. Or just so deeply obsessed with, and at this point, sort of dependent on each other (Gerlad's words, not mine. sort of) that it makes little to no difference.

I know there's some prequels (?) I think I might check them out sometime.

[obeymematches]

So I'm not sure if this one counts as a HC, but I was wondering what self-care tips you think the Obey Me! characters would have! Maybe it's a poor prompt so feel free to skip this one, haha. :'D Alternatively, maybe what they would do to cheer up an MC who had a bad day? As a general reminder you are incredibly awesome and your writing is amazing and I always love seeing when you've posted something new!! <3 If you want any character drawings lemme know!

hello bestie if you are reading this, don't stop🩷🩷🩷

it's been years (litetally 😅 you sent me this ask in 2021, sorry for not replying sooner 😅) but i been in the mood lately to write some more again :D ((i'm so rusty though))

i absolutely loved your idea + ngl i've been re-reading your message a lot, makes me feel so nostalgic 😅🩷 I hope life's been treating you well eversince <3 hit me up if you wanna catch up 😃

Okay so first I do the self-care stuff and later i'll do the other prompt 😁

Self-care routine / tips of The Boys!

Lucifer: • His way of self-care is listening to soft piano music in the evening, next to a fireplace. He is glad to invite you! • I feel like he also cares about what he eats, trying to keep it as healthy as can be. I feel like he loves to treat himself with some good quality fish? • Appearance-wise I think he doesn’t really care as much as he wishes he could, he keeps his hair and nails nice and clean but that’s like… very basic hygene stuff.

Mammon: • His self care routine includes ordering packages at 1.24AM. • Just the excitemenet of new stuff arriving soon puts him in a better mood! • He also cares about appearance as his side job is being a model. He is not afraid to use more expensive lotions, shampoo, etc. It has to be expensive but doesn't have to be quality if you get what I mean. • Him and Asmo brush their teeth most often (up to 2 times a day) • I’m 100% sure he would love the feeling of driving aimlessly at night with his favourite music on!

Leviathan: • I feel like he is the one who needs advice on this topic. • Yes he orders stuff sometimes but he is conscious about it, it was a well thought-out decision he made. Him deserving it wasn’t really the intention. • I think sometimes he takes a long bath, by long I mean about 2 hours, and that’s pretty much it for a month.

Satan: • He learned the most from Asmo; he is very well avare of how many lotions, masks, oils, creams there are and he tried a lot of them. • His favourite are hand creams, which he uses every day. • Sometimes he puts on a face mask with Asmo but to be fair it happens like 4 times a year so it doesn’t actually do much to him. • Otherwise I think he also enjoys a rocking chair on the porch, perhaps in the garden (not where all the bugs are though!) with an enjoyable book and some non-sparkling beverage.

Asmodeus: • His list is basically endless, so just a list of some he does every day / often: • Has to wash his hair 3 times a week, uses shampoo, balm, oil and is very strict about how to dry it. • Has a lotion specific to each part of his body, except his face because you can’t have enough variety of face-serums. • Takes long baths but careful! Too long is just as bad as too short!! • Likes to sunbathe in moderation on Dia’s beach • Having his daily beauty sleep no matter what • Goes shopping on the regular

Beelzebub: • Best bet is him making his comfort food and offering you some • Works out a lot of course, a heathy body is a must! • I feel like he is also into reading personal growth books? Like how to be a better person, how to be more in-touch with you emotions, how to heal from this and that • His place of self-care also includes your embarace. Pls just cuddle with him. That’s enough of selfcare itself.

Belphie: • Ah…about self-care… • Well I guess some extra sleep counts as such? • Loves to chill under the stars, very quiet and very peaceful place to be at. It really does calm his mind • Honsetly I think he is even worse than Leviathan • Please make him brush his teeth and comb his hair • Can change a lot if you influence him though!

Diavolo:

His tips are so extravagant you can't really try them alone...

Like ah! Just go on a cruise! Have a wellness weekend by yourself! Try some rare dishes!

Thank you bby i appreciate

He does take care of his skin and body and also his mental state through working out, quality lotions and self-help books, articles.

Barbatos:

Definitely bakes when feeling like he needs self-care right now!

He is more of a spa kind of guy, though obviosly he rarely gets the chance to enjoy such things.

Honestly he functions on the bare minimum, pls help him

Simeon:

Also well-read regarding self-conscious stuff so if you need advice on it please reach out to him! As a teacher he is going to be able to explain it easily.

Not much into appearance somehow?? Like yeeeah nail, hair, teeth always nice and neat but doesn't go the extra mile.

He'd be into coloring books to help him be in a relaxed kind of state! Though that is something only Luke knows about.

Solomon:

This man is a mess regarding self-care to be frank.

I mean he usually does as he wants, that's not the issue here. He just doesn't really treat himself as priority?

Okay he does care about the basics but sometimes he skips a day or two. He genuinely forgets to brush teeth for example.

More into the spiritual kind of self-care, mental state, personality, you get it.

[krillbot]

I saw someone recommending High Potential so I started watching and I'm quite enjoying it. S1E5 though, hehehehe. Now obviously the writers aren't expected to know every in and out of whatever they're using in the plot but also this is the "random knowledge and attention to detail" show so like,,, that frog did not kill her. No way. (Pardon the poor quality pictures, I had to take pictures of the tv since all streaming services are terrified of screenshots)

First off, that's very likely a CGI frog just because it's not easy to get a frog to sit nicely in the same spot for several shots, also because that tank looks dry af and wouldn't be good for an amphibian over the course of the shoot.

Also loving the implication that the frogs sit on their respective logs all the time and that is enough to tell them apart lol.

Any the point is, poison dart frogs get their toxicity from their diet, in the wild they eat, I believe fire ants, and other insects, that make them poisonous. Here's the thing though, no one feeds dart frogs fire ants in captivity. You just feed them fruit flies or the like, and suddenly it's not so poisonous. The frog in the show Dendrobates tinctoris, wouldn't be a real threat and certainly couldn't kill someone from brief contact, especially as she was holding her hands under running water. The only way she'd actually die was if it was recently poached from the wild and then she put it in her mouth.

The other thing that's really funny to me is they kept editing in animals

I was laughing so hard at these omg. So the major one here is the absolutely giant Carolina Anole, frozen in a little territory display. These are not big lizards, they're half tail.

I'm holding an adult male in this picture, they get a little bigger than this but not by much. And in the show it's blown up to look like the size of bearded dragon or something. Quite silly

We also have two more poison dart frogs, the lighting on the red one makes it obvious that it's edited in. The little yellow one though is very ironic to me because that's the Golden Poison Dart Frog, Phyllobates terribilis, which is considered to be the most poisonous animals species on the planet! And you didn't use that one for the murder?! Not only that but they are also very endangered. So not only would this actually kill her, it would also create a good correlation to her trafficking exotic animals. Again I'm not expecting the creators to understand the techniques used to reduce toxicity in captive poison dart frogs, but I do think it's funny that they walked right by the logical fit and used it as a background set piece with their oversized anoles.

Lastly, watching the guy lose, and scramble after a Uromastyx was so funny. Those are not "jump several feet out of a tank, onto the floor and skitter away faster than a person can chase" creatures that's anole behavior. So watching the actor scramble around looking for this devilishly fast beast, while knowing the Uromastyx is just chilling? Very silly, very enjoyable.

Look at him! He's so silly! And I know that posture, he's been sitting on his handler's nice warm hand and he got plopped on the ground and he's not sure about if he wants to bother moving yet or not. I can relate.

[jesncin]

Would you see season 3 of Maws when it comes out, I completely understand why you wouldn’t given what you’ve said about the series before but i think it would be fair to give it a chance to prove itself

Definitely not as it comes out. If I were to continue watching MAWS I would binge them in one go instead of stretching watching it over months like S1. My brain is obsessive with dissecting and fixing things so it genuinely stressed me out for that long. Right now I'm battling whether I want to continue the series at all.

I personally think 3 seasons worth of "getting a chance to improve" is optimistic considering I see no reason why a show of this quality would suddenly become Race Conscious or remotely competent at telling a story that deep in without contradicting its premise. There's also no incentive for this show to get better, since a majority of people watching the show think it's perfect and are silencing every criticism the show gets by labelling it as bigotry.

MAWS isn't like Young Justice where there's solid ideas and storytelling but has flawed execution and moments here and there. I can see why people support a show like that and want to see it improve. I'm truly shocked that for MAWS writing this poor is allowed on one of the biggest IPs in the world. It's not just some flaws here and there, the way the writers construct conflict, characters and basic storytelling is so fundamentally broken that it feels like none of them have set foot in a writing class. Characters forgetting scenes that just happened is ridiculous. Seeing the fandom ignore all that is isolating, and having some fans try to convince me otherwise is exhausting.

I'd rather spend my Superman Enjoyment Time on checking out Superman & Lois, Lois & Clark, and Smallville instead. I'm currently finishing up Young Justice for Ma'al. Reading up Superman comics. Things I know I'll have a good time on.

[masha-nikita]

How strong is his Mars?- Bernard Montgomery-

Here I am, two episodes of “How strong is his Mars? all at once. I am going to test a theory in Astrology community- you’ve got to have a strong Mars to be competent in the military.

Whether that theory is true or not, you guys know I have to talk about Monty.

Monty has Mars in Virgo; you see, I am writing about his Mars back to back with Patton’s, because Patton also has a Virgo Mars- so far, that makes 3 outstanding generals with Virgo Mars-- even though it is my opinion that Manstein’s Moon, not Mars, is where his military magic happens. Here I can say, Monty and Patton’s Mars works against the odds, and performs better, above Erich’s score.

I commented on Manstein’s Virgo Mars as follows- if stands alone without any other aspects, this Mars is too detail-oriented for its own good, especially in a fast-paced battlefield. An earth sign Mars has poor ability to take actions by intuition and improvising, unless favorably aspected by Neptune or moon. Virgo Mars possesses delicate tendencies to handle smaller details but may easily lose sight of what needs to be done on a grand scale. This Mars makes its native a fussing workaholic.

Monty’s Mars trines Neptune; this indicates that he intuits enemy actions reasonably well. With Mercury and Sun in harmonious sextile aspects, he’s supposed to be very reasonable, and his decision making process grounded in reality. A 3rd house Mars endows active mind. Any malefic astro body in 3rd house becomes innovative and stimulating to the wits (yes, Mars is considered a malefic), which allows the native to be very smart during arguments. I do not think Monty appreciates small talks—small talks would be regarded as petty nonsense by him. His speeches do have very good leadership quality, very exhilarating to listen to.

This is actually a pretty good Mars, but poor Monty has other aspects that aren’t that good.

Monty’s Sun opposites Pluto and Neptune, just like Manstein’s. This brings the native great difficulty in assessing their ego (represented by Sun). This flaw would destine them on a long, hard journey to find who they truly are as an “independent self”. Manstein’s Sun is in 8th house opposite 2nd house Pluto-Neptune; he might have been secretly very concerned with how posterity would value him after his death. What is of personal value that belongs to Erich may be a source of great illusion and inner tension, if handled unwisely. This value struggle may render him a hard cynic whose only concern is money and self-preservation.

Whereas for Monty (4th house sun, 11th house Neptune-Pluto), it looks like worldly reputation for the Montgomery family name is the struggle here—or maybe it is just his own name to be his desperate concern. Family is where a person was born into, and where they eventually establish themselves, and then dies into. He may have an exaggerated sense of patriotism if he could not agree with the family he was born into, or could not find his own family to belong to. He might view anybody who’s outside of his immediate circle “the troublesome other”, a great source of power struggle. It is not easy for him to acquire a smooth friend circle. With a 11th house Pluto, some explosive shit constantly goes down between he and his supposed social groups—he’s a bit antisocial, in a neutral sense of the word.

Now moving on to his Saturn—any planet in conjunction with the ascendant should be given special attention. I admit it is not an amateur astrologer’s place to call a person’s chart “unfortunate”, but there’s something so deeply karmic with Monty’s Saturn.

This Saturn—which symbolizes rigid structure, hard disciplines, delays and pessimism, could act like an invisible iron prison for the native; the tighter the conjunction with the ascendant, the tighter the iron grip. Either he secretly denies himself any personal enjoyments possible, or life would strip him of happiness by taking away important loved ones from him. A positive side of this aspect is that, while it does not give good creativity to weasel oneself out of a danger, it is unphased by any kind of pain and suffering the danger brings.

A Leo Saturn is not fun to deal with, because Saturn is in detriment in Leo. Leo’s natural ruler is Sun; the key words of Sun are “accomplishments, authority, and self-worth”. Saturn not only hollows out Leo’s self-worth, but the native is also very suspicious of any authority over them. Monty may constantly question how come somebody deserves such authority, and how does himself deserve anything? We could hear from Churchill’s single quote on Monty showing how bad he is in getting along with authority- “In defeat, unbeatable; in victory, unbearable.”

It is very difficult for the native to learn about love, because love always involves a level of surrender. With such a karmic aspect, occasionally when Leo Saturn finds someone to love, he'd lose that person in a traumatic fashion. The native might end up going “fuck it, I give up.” Given this Saturn conjuncts ascendant, Monty sees no problem in denying himself worldly love and enjoyment. Leo Saturn is able to maintain some lightheartedness, a little bit of warped hero complex, thus the native is capable of dark humor.

Monty’s Saturn actually conjunct his ascendant from 12th house- a 12th house Saturn doubles down on certain problems. Saturn generally seeks to hold onto anything structured and concrete, yet 12th house is anything but. 12th house rules the afterlife, the disappearance, dissolution, the invisible worlds and creatures—dreams, unconscious, psychic realms, and illusions. Saturn in 12th native secretly believes in his own original sins, and is acutely conscious of and anxious about the existence beyond death. This Saturn has a tendency to draw the native into hermetic isolation and practices, because it is the world of the beyond that he looks at, the world where his loved ones have gone before he does.

However, sometimes this 12th house Saturn gives the exact opposite effect—what is beyond death and what is out there where everything dissolves into inmateriality, is such an acute issue that the native holds onto things and powers of this world to an excessive degree. For example, Vladimir Putin has a 12th house Saturn.

This series so far does draw a conclusion that perhaps it is not the Mars that brings forth a good general—I see no fire sign Mars. I haven’t even seen a Capricorn Mars (Mars is exalted in Capricorn). But I do see an unexpected common denominator- these commanders are all psychic on some level. I couldn’t help but wonder- what does “being psychic” really mean?

Perhaps it means the special ability either to reach into death, or to walk upon thousands of men’s life and death, the strength of coming to terms with the mortality of all the mortalities.

It might be a hot take for some people, but I really don’t see much psychic power from those famous 20th century occultist, especially Aleister Crowley. Neither his 8th nor 12th house is prominent; I don’t know what’s up with him. Maybe Crowley’s strength lies in his knowledge. I can statistically compare my own psychic ability against my friend, by measuring whose Tarot readings have longer projection into the future via client feedbacks, but what I see featured the most in many self-proclaimed magi isn’t psychic power, but the ego. Ego attracts egos, so there you go, a guru whose ego as big as the universe for the rainbow unicorn groupies to resonate with.

I digress. I love that there’s always smile in the corner of Monty’s eyes despite his Saturn, that’s the sign of an indefeatable man. This song is for him. May warmth and may love conquer all.