#so far the only characters i actually enjoy are the ones that dont even speak- the hydro eilodons

[bonefall]

i know u dont rework arcs untill theyre complete but im very excited to see what you do with a starless clan, theres so much exciting things happening in this arc to work with. do you have any changes you already know for sure you’ll be incorporating?

No for-sures. I don't want to make any for-sures. I have ones I'm feeling but I don't want to call ANYTHING a for-sure yet. I need to find out what the ending is, WHERE this is all going, because I have a strong philosophy in my writing that a story is like a spear;

IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING TO THE POINT.

But we are 4/6 of the way in, so I CAN start talking about thoughts!

I'm actually leaning pretty heavily towards axing Nightheart as a POV. There's still time for the books to turn around and justify it, BUT HEAR ME OUT

(Saying AS someone who is a Nightheart Enjoyer)

So far I'm really feeling that his character would benefit from us never being inside of his head, or seeing what he's been going through. As much as I WILL stand by that I enjoyed books 1 and 2 and liked his perspectives there, I'm starting to think that it would serve the story a lot better for Sunbeam and Frostpaw to be guessing just as much as we are.

We'd get introduced to Nightheart on the journey for catmint.

Sunbeam connects with him immediately, because she's tossed on this mission while she's in the middle of a swirling tide of drama. With nothing but Clerics and a hardened Rootspring to the left and her ex-bestie (exstie) to the right, he's really her only other choice for companionship. She's chronically unable to stop problems before they get out of hand, the sort of person who becomes frozen by indecision, and then here comes this Glorious Bastard

In her eyes, he's so caring, and bold, and fun! He's the first one to jump headlong into danger, to really be interested in her problems and just let her talk, and his story is so heartbreaking! A mother who's so hard on him... and his Clan is so mean all the time, but he wants to prove to all of them that he's more than just Firestar's descendant... but he was so brave to choose his own name.................

And then, when she follows him into ThunderClan, she learns he fucking lied. She changed Clans based on SOB STORIES

When she first comes, no one knows what he's been saying behind their back. Even if they did, they don't want to start trashing Nightheart right to his new mate's face. But then he LEAVES, and Sunbeam will bring up,

"Maybe it was because you were hard on him?"

And then Sparkpelt tries to agree, just to take blame onto herself and stop all this, but Finchlight's had eNOUGH and ends up setting the record straight;

"No this is DEFINITELY another tantrum. He already ran off once before."

"NO he didn't pick his own name, he stopped the whole ceremony to complain and Bramblestar gave him a compromise"

"MEAN to him?? I had to do HIS WORK because he couldn't STAY ON THE GROUND"

"Oh he's buckling under the weight of his legacy? that must be so hard. I was cat-fifteen when i punched my first fascist and he was wearing the face of my grandpa."

"His mom aba-WHAT?? ABANDONED???? OUR MOTHER WAS EXILED AND HE STAYED HOME!!!!! WE WERE CAT-FIFTEEN!!"

With this false hope shattered, Sunbeam is thrown into a devastating situation where... her mother was right. She was tricked. And now she's stuck in this new Clan without any of her old friends, without this mate who was too-good-to-be-true, the ONE impulsive choice she's made on her own in her WHOLE LIFE turns to ashes in her mouth. She can't go back, either, because Berryheart would NEVER let her live this down.

But... it's okay.

It's a slow shock, to make a choice SO impulsive and SO self-concerned, and find a safety net below her. It's going to be okay. The trials are fair. The cats of ThunderClan interrupt and speak over each other, but, that teaches her to be more assertive. Sparkpelt and Finchlight are not the mean assholes that Nightheart built them up to be, and they'll support her no matter what she chooses to do with her possible mate.

I want Nightheart TO get better, but, in order for that to happen, he has to face, and, more importantly, ACCEPT consequences. He needs to develop the maturity to say, "I acted like a brat and didn't appreciate what I had. and I'm sorry. you don't have to forgive me."

Bottom line being, Nightheart is striking me lately as a character that works best as unpredictable, because we have NO IDEA what's truly in his head. It would be interesting for him to have a novella later, but as it stands, his POV has consistently just been a duplicate since he joined ShadowClan. We gained NOTHING from splitting the Frostpaw Journey of the newest book in half POV, and VERY little from splitting the ShadowClan one into half POV.

I might reduce the POVs to 2, just Sunbeam and Frostpaw, or change Nightheart's to Lightleap. If I NEED 3 main characters, then they should all be a consistent camera on different parts of the conflict.

Again. I do not commit to changes until the arcs are done. Nothing in BB!ASC is set yet.

But here's some other little things I'm thinking,

Bramblestar is VOTED out.

He does not step down. The little "game" he played with Nightheart to create a situation to yell at Squilf, who hasn't been his mate in a long time in BB, was the LAST straw for ThunderClan.

They had sympathy for him before that point, because of what he went through with Ashfur, but his leadership was long and controversial even before the Impostor.

And there's a really strong sentiment that IF Bramblestar had been a good leader... they would have realized he was possessed sooner. So, there are those who partially blame him for the tyranny of the Impostor.

Basically; enough is enough.

Berryheart's hate group has ACTUAL consequences. Someone gets killed; probably Antfur, who survived the last arc to die here.

More fights. This arc has been too bloodless. Already planning SEVERAL sudden, random brawls in RiverClan as tensions boil.

Heartstar is going to be MORE controversial. Not controversial enough in canon imo. I don't like how Leaf and Squilf seem like they have "hypothetical" issues with the invasion instead of being able to point at REAL ones.

riverclan didn't forget how to do the chores they've done their WHOLE lives, no. I'm going to talk about POWER VACUUMS and create ACTUAL factions that begin to coagulate in RiverClan.

if we're going to have a brainless plot about how "Well Ackshually democracy has enough problems to make us reconsider not having unaccountable, tyrannical dictators, because a vote could maybe be called over One Single Issue" then I'll talk about shit like the spoiler effect, mob mentality, and factionalism. Get the hell out of my way ERIN I'll cook

No Smoky. Society has progressed past the need for Smoky. No Smokyng Area.

Whistlepaw should to try and take care of her ALONE, not trained enough to take care of SUCH bad wounds and barely able to keep her trembling paws straight, and Frostpaw realizes that she's making her watch her own friend die.

Is this how her life is going to end? slipping away under the paws of someone she loves, for what? pride? to do what her mother told her-- trust no cat?

As she TRUSTS Whistlepaw? Trusts her SO much, that Frostpaw will force her to be the only witness to her death?

FROSTPAW CALLS THE HUMAN

...which in BB, is a team of researchers. She drags herself to them, and collapses. This is why they just HAPPENED to have the proper equipment on them; they're WILDLIFE VETS.

Not sure how I'm going to handle Frostpaw's Journey though. In BB, the Park Cats are already a foundational part of Clan Culture.

In all honesty, while I HAVE to praise the fact that the Erins have FINALLY created ONE outsider group that isn't malicious or defenseless... I don't much care for them.

sending frostpaw on a side quest to what's essentially a big DOTC reference. Look! It's that group we introduced in the last 5 chapters of our latest glorified recap! cooool.

We're just going to get nothing but fucking founders in every dream from now on. I'm SURE of it.

As a consolation prize to myself though I will be writing cool angel scenes of the absolute BEING that Riverstar has become in heaven.

Riverstar (normal cat): "Elder Bones I'm going out!"

"not dressed like THAT you're not!!!"

Riverstar (the manifestation of the river, the rain in the sky above, and the abyss below, and how through water we are all truly connected as one being): "better?"

I will probably keep the Park Cats and rework them significantly, but I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Frostpaw visiting a LOT of places. A holy pilgrimage.

ESPECIALLY one of the Tribe's three wards; the River Ward. The Tribe of Rushing Water believes (it's even in the name) that water connects all things.

So I think it would be really fitting for Frostpaw to learn from MANY perspectives, starting with this philosophy put forth by the River Ward.

And she realizes-- that's what Riverstar is, as well. As a being. He is mentoring her on this pilgrimage, while barely saying a word. She can feel him wherever she is, because he isn't JUST the God of the River.

He is connection. He is peace. He's water. Too much and you'd drown, not enough and you'd thirst.

EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: Here is the rough draft of Frostpaw's Journey

[cattonicdragon]

So how about tooth fairy Jack frost Easter bunny and mr claus(sorry if do do him) with someone that represents karma and make bad things happen to terrible people.

Tooth fairy,Jack frost,Easter bunny/bunnymund and north with a karma reader

I have so many requests so I'm starting off with the requests that have the less characters bc they take me the less amount of time.

Of course you can,for this you will be chosen as a guardian because karma dosnt nescerally have someone who represents it so they just have to believe in karma and shit.

Also norths will be more platonic than romantic

Has been proof read

Ty for the request

Tooth fairy

Shes kinda scared that you'll be something like pitch black

However once shes been explained to that you give people what they had coming she understands alot better

Despite her first interpretation shes actually very sweet

She sees you give a bully karma and she just smiles sweetly at you.

You and her come across each other every so often,usually it's because someone had their tooth taken out unwillingly(like someone punching someone or something)

She likes hanging out when shes not collecting teeth or just having some down time

You also explain to her that when you give someone karma they had it coming and deserved it

You like to hang out with her at the tooth palace(or whatever its called)

You have actually given abit of karma to pitch before

There have been times where you've had to put bunnymund and Jack in their place,she finds it funny whenever this happens

Her mini tooths love you to bits

Even when your not at the palace you'll always have a small group of them following you about

They like to make sure your okay and pick up teeth along the way

Jack frost

Honestly hes kinda excited

A guardian of karma sounds excitciting

He probally wouldnt be surprised if he was one of the first to receive karma though

He asks you constantly why you give him karma,much like a kid who broke a vase then pretended they didnt do anything

Hes very clingy

Tries to get other people out of trouble by bribeing you

If hes ever done something that you need to give him karma for he'll try get out of it by sweet talking

If there one person he'll never stop you giving karma to its pitch

Infact he constantly whines to you about giving pitch more,even going as far as making things up

He likes putting his hand on your shoulder

Will start snow fights with you at random

He will definatly see you floating around during an unexpected storm

Your almost constantly busy so he dosnt get to much time with you

Because of this he will definatly start more frost days so you can spend a day off with him and enjoy the snow

Bunnymund/Easter bunny

Hes mixed between two mindsets

Having another responsible guardian

Another Jack situation

He would definitely be surprised if he got any karma,its be a "I dont think I deserve this " even though he knows what hes done

Hes definitely got it easy after seeing the type of karma you gave to Jack though

Will ask if you can give karma to Jack,because he was playing with some of the elves....

He likes to hang out with you when your not doing anything in Easter island

He likes to give you personalized eggs as presents

Hes very protective of you especially when coming on the topic of pitch

Speaking of,bunny would definatly ask how much karma hes due,isnt surprised with the amount

You sometimes help him place the eggs around at Easter,its a fun activity for the day

Your the only one he'll ever allow to brush his fur,let alone touch it

Glares at Jack if he gets to close

North(platonic)

He trust the man in the moon,and so far manny hasnt been wrong in choosing his guardians

Hes also heard about you before so hes confident in manys choosing

Hes grateful that you seperate Jack and bunny alot,they can be quite tiring sometimes

Since you dont really have a realm or anything north let's you hang about in the workshop

The yetis and elvs love you

The elves will often climb on you or show you some of the toys

You help the yetis paint and make the toys every so often

He gives you one of the snow globes so if you cant make it back yourself you can just throw the globe

He acts very much like a father figure to you

Asking how your day was and what some of the people did etc

He was the one to reasure the others that you ment no Ill intention

You fit very well into the guardians

If north thinks you need a break he gives you a toy with a note with it

Let's you pet the reindeer

He allows you to watch the globe if your ever bored

[rontra]

drop your ffxiv lore

asking me to drop my pants in public would be less embarrassing..... you have to understand crucially that i don't know anything about anything and dont want The Knowers to see me

LMAO well i can talk about it a little but only on One Condition. as i mentioned before im a Certified Stormblood Gamer . in fact according to the wiki i am about this deep (level 64 questing atm)

so basically the condition is this: if something wasn't explicit in ARR or HW you cannot under any circumstances talk to me about it...! if you have any sort of reaction to this post that has to do with any later material than that i ask you Don't say it to me. if you are in doubt about whether something "counts", the safe answer is yes it does, and just going "neat!" instead & moving on will do fine. i really don't want to play spoiler chicken with you and don't want to know anything i don't already know. i'm enjoying taking my time with the game, so please refrain from correcting or corroborating anything i have to say about it atm!!!!!!! i'm still baby! thank you....!!! 😭👍

anyway my xiv characters are 1 a dude who was born in a wet cardboard box all alone and might be scared of women . & 2 a scary woman who did definitely kill her wife but is also the most Wife Guy for like secret reasons. the second one's lore is being ironed out as we speak so its all subject to change but the concept is there

1. ZT

love this guy. i even made an amv about it when i finished arr

(every xiv player voice) my wol is the most special boy in the world.

i actually had a whole thing typed up here about like his fucked up mom and whatever but i got shy and deleted it. i might go over it if someone's actually interested . but basically he's a poor little meow meow who, up until the beginning of the game, was abused pretty consistently bc of [evil cat people family dynamic reasons]. his family members mostly hate his ass and were rarely all that nice to him, so he has a lot of issues with self-worth and things like that--he doesn't feel like he's particularly good at anything or really "worth" much

he's from southern ilsabard which is a place i uh do not know much about. as a stormblood gamer. but it's fine the details don't really matter (walking away quickly)

his most prized childhood possession was the ruined scraps of an old arcanist's tome, and through sheer tenacity he managed to teach himself his first rudimentary spell from the incomplete paragraphs therein. he mostly chalks that feat up to the fruit of Time + Boredom and not talent or love, but those pages were the only thing he took with him when it finally came time for him to follow his older brothers' footsteps and leave the family.

gets on the boat. goes to limsa. enlists in the arcanists guild to cultivate what he sees as the One Single Skill He Has. people in the guild ???praise him??? and encourage him?? to keep at it??? which he is not at ALL used to, but it motivates him to work even harder at his training. he's pretty far from home and deeply unsure of himself, but he absolutely does not want to go back to the limited world he knew until now. so that unwillingness to look back sort of inherently keeps him trucking in search of a new purpose to latch on to

he's very sensitive to people being niceys to him, because he's not used to it at all. he's 4x weak to it and might cry if it's coming from an older woman who is even vaguely maternal, due to his horrific mommy issues. also, he wants to be useful to people ("for once"), so he has a hard time saying no to all the million quests and sidequests in the game. perfect

his inability to say no to people who request his help puts him on the Old Nymian Scholar Investigation Mission of course. i am Scholar Guy for a reason and that reason is ZT. this dude never had anything his family valued, and lived as the expendable runt of the litter his whole life, and now is suddenly entrusted with something important for the first time in his life--something bigger and older than him, a way of life, a legacy to uphold and carry forwards into the future

and that mantle is pretty heavy. but he'll carry it! and that's how he becomes a healer boy who will defend any random tonberry with his life. he feels very strongly about the extinct art of the scholars and also about being a healer in general--boy finally found his calling! also he has the echo and is our funny warrior of light but like that's fine. i'm sure the "not being able to say no to people, no matter how tired/hurt/etc he himself is" thing is not catching up any time soon. i did play DRK up to 60 though and lmao. well. hang in there. i even made an amv ab

there's some more stuff about him like how his path through eorzea and as a healer specifically is in lockstep with death at every turn and also how he's a blue mage on the side and whatever but this is long enough. here's a pic of him with one of my favorite "no one else gives a shit about this character" npcs

he's a pretty kitty and very sweet altho he does need to learn to assert himself (and starts doing so through the course of the game). he's very attached to his friends. he doesn't have any love interest or w/e for now he's figuring his own stuff out. gaining confidence. classic stuff. easy protagonist recipe. my meow meow. i played pvp just to get him a haircut. the things i do for zt

2. KRALJICA

the new baby. kraljica is not her original name, but she's never going to use her original one again. her surname is Radinasch, which used to be Aradina, before she killed her own queen who may or may not have been also her wife (ofc by hrothgar convention she then changed her surname to represent the loss of her queen) (despite being the killer) (it's a memento :) )

she is a bozjan hrothgar so we're back to ilsabard shenanigans (which remains kind of problematic for a stormblood gamer, but It's Fine). she actually knows ZT's mother, but not in a good way. Radina's group was in local political tension with ZT's mom's group, so there's some history there (notably in that kraljica would recognize ZT as "zahsa's runt" (derogatory) and not be very nice to him about it, but they don't really share a Personal history beyond the Faction Squabbles)

back to the point though, kraljica killed her queen, and most of the other followers of said queen were not very happy about that. killing the queen is like really high up on the list of things hrothgar do not want you to do. so she is branded queenkiller and exiled. some of the other hrothgar choose to follow kraljica out (having faith in her leadership for various reasons), making her their new queen as they venture to eorzea together (and all of their surnames become akraljica to match).

kraljica takes the surge of enmity against her as a natural consequence of what she did, and doesn't correct anybody who identifies her as a queenkiller in her journeys. she basically does not care about her shattered reputation or having to leave her home, because she is on, a secret, Other Scheme.

what they don't know of course is that radina asked her to do it. for scheme reasons. #women

kraljica is acting in accordance with radina's will. not even her own loyal followers know what her plan is, but they can clearly tell she has conviction; even when being hated by her people and ousted from her home, kraljica moves with that same inexhaustible willpower

(maybe she has questions, when she's alone, and wonders how much radina kept from her in the final days. and maybe she misses and mourns her. but all of that is only for her, in private, when no one can see... in front of the others, she's unflinching, and a leader they will follow no matter what...!!!)

she doesn't seem to have the echo and isnt a warrior of light. ZT can do that stuff. she's like busy with her own thing. she's running around collecting suspicious amounts of aether and being suspiciously driven and faithful to her cause. suspiciously

ok fine it's because radina asked her to cut her loose from mortality, venerate that, and bring her back as a primal. because she wants to become a war god strong enough to take revenge on the empire. something that will keep coming back, no matter how many times it's destroyed, as long as her chosen can still call for her....<3 that's so romantic

of course, what returns will not be radina-the-person. it will be an image of her will, shaped by kraljica's mind and the bloodpool of radina's aether. radina is dead for good; what kraljica is summoning is a representation of radina's goals and dreams, fueled by pure belief and a lot of aether. That Which Resembles Wife But Is Not will cast one megaflare for every minute of suffering inflicted upon bozja. (speaking to the empire thru a megaphone) this is your final warning

their summoning is pretty unorthodox and and "partial" (the primal does not manifest a corporeal form at this time, but it is certainly present in its vessel to some extent)--the game already allows a few different quirky summonings, so we're just playing calvinball and making up Another Special Case (this time owing to the specific setup and execution of radina's plan, her and kraljica's synchronicity about the whole thing, kraljica's unique position in her life, and some sprinkles of Rule Of Cool to taste) . imo the game is flexible enough about it that putting in Just One More Weird Summon Strat is not gonna break anything (LMAO) so it's fine <3

all you have to do is write in a side character who goes "but! that's not possible..." while the thing is happening in front of them

anyway suffice to say no one is doing it like radina's weird ass, and she couldn't do it without her wife guy who is willing to do whatever she wants. suffice to also say that kraljica's own aether is noticeably Weird and over-aspected by her beloved primal, and that "radina" (that which resembles wife but is not) Could Be lowkey tempering her right now and nobody would even notice it because her goal and the primal's goal are already one and the same. but that's probably fine. radina would never do that to her <3......

unless of course there are things about her even kraljica never understood. but surely that wouldn't happen

its really hard for other people to get a grip on kraljica because she won't let anybody close to her emotionally and she definitely won't spill the beans on radina's secret scheme. her boys are with her no matter what (#hrothgang) (they also picked up a viera whose city name now includes "akraljica" hahaha). other people are just like um that is a shady lady who is casting spells we dont even know how to classify. scary. also she's got a situationship with a nasty bandit milf (my friend's hrothgal<3) so we better just leave her alone. bad vibes all around

radina was a gunbreaker. kraljica is very good at manipulating aether and a strong fighter too, but i havent rly settled on a canon class for her. because her actual "canon class" is like. "a summoner from a hypothetical Other FF game. not even a specific other FF game, just Very Much Not This One" LMAO

she would just be like ah its um secret ancient arts from my homeland . you wouldnt know her. shes from a different continent. not like how they do it in limsa. not at all. goodbye (walks away mid conversation) and the arcanists could not stop her. like

anyway i'm not used to playing a female char so i keep getting distracted by her breasting boobily around. they dont let ZT jiggle like that so how was i to know... and basically, so-called free thinkers when dalmascan draped top 👇

she almost had a different face marking way back in the benchmark character creation era, but looking at it now it looks so weird without her big X . like who is that

(metian vest so important for the shoulder bulk... not gonna lie)

anyway kraljica would hear about the final aeon from ff10 and be like that's fucking right.

[jacenotjason]

Bob's Endings - Class of 31 AU

(theres art here I swear dont leave) Alright quick explanation: The class of 31 au doesn't have a cohesive timeline. It has multiple endings and possibilities depending on the characters choices. There are technically 6 endings (out of 12 currently, though I do plan to write more!) involving Bob:

all the characters die

they all survive

only one dies (x4)

these are all the endings where they're murdered. I drew them and gave them a little monologue to go with it like it was a Class of 09 ending. anyways enjoy!!

obvious cw for blood, death, cursing.. all that

RADFORD:

“Have you ever been cold? No, like really cold. So cold that it’s painful. So cold, your fingers turn purple. So cold, your palm gets frozen to the metal floor and you tear off your skin pulling it off. Yeah, that was fun.

Okay, listen, I thought the freezer was a good idea. I was high as hell on Xanax, and when we were all running I knew I couldn’t get far. I could hardly see my own feet, so hiding was my only option. I had two options, the freezer or the garbage chute. I shut off the freezer before I hid in it! Then, it was more like a… moist closet than an actual freezer.

When I heard Bob walk passed it, but not open the door, I thought I was so lucky. Then, the freezer made this sort of… aching sound? I heard the fan turn on and realized he knew full well I was in the freezer.

I don’t know how long it took for my body to actually shut down, I just realized that I couldn’t see my breath anymore, because I wasn’t breathing. I couldn’t move, either. Bob watched the whole thing like it was a cinematic masterpiece. The little window on the door frosted over after a while, but I knew he was still out there.

I’m the reason my friends got away. I was putting on a show for the cannibal and they all found an exit. They don’t even care, I know they don’t.”

STREBER:

“Woow, who would’ve guessed? Spending the night in a creepy mansion to play Fuck, Marry, Kill after a cannibal escaped prison was a bad idea?

..[Streber drops the bimbo accent]

I’m kidding. I don’t sound like that.

Dying wasn’t that bad, honestly. The pain of getting my arm ripped off only lasted a second, and it was a little fascinating. Once the adrenaline faded, I mean. It was such a mindfuck. I could still feel my arm attached to me, but I could see it in his hand. It’s just a psychological thing, a ghost limb I’m pretty sure, but fuck it threw me for a loop. I bled out fast, the world went dark and then I was dead.

But.. man, what a shitty way to die, right? In a slutty vampire outfit in an abandoned mansion in a shitty town after saving the lives of guys I don’t even like. Assholes owe their lives to me.

I guess this is a good time to get stuff off my chest. Last words, regrets? Hm…

I regret giving Radford bulimia back in high school. Actually, no that was Kevin’s fault, never mind.

I… regret coming to this house in the first place. No, that doesn’t count.

I regret shoving Kevin off the balcony. Yeah. I saved his life, lost mine, and I bet that apathetic mother fucker doesn’t even care. He’s probably upset that he dislocated his arm, but hey, at least you’re still alive!

…

It’s probably weird to hear me say big words, huh? Hahah...”

ETHAN:

“ ‘The ultimate possession was, in fact, the taking of the life. And then... The physical possession of the remains.’ Ted Bundy.

…I love that quote.

In a way… Murder is a little flattering. If I could speak or move... I’d thank Bob. Life was boring, my death was interesting. It was straight out of a movie.

I was running, and then the platform of my boot awkwardly folded over, causing me to collapse to the floor. My ankle wasn’t even that bad, but I acted like it was completely ruined. I even did the horror movie thing where you scoot away backward, while the killer slowly approaches you, knowing he’s got you cornered.

I was so giddy with endorphins. As much as I wanted to pretend to be scared, I couldn’t help but laugh. I wasn’t scared, I was overjoyed. Like.. like… when you reach the height of a rollercoaster and you know the big drop is coming… Like when you hang upside down on the monkey bars and feel the blood rush to your head! Singing together with all your friends, all our voices cracking in sync as we reach the hallelujah chorus! Bowser casting his big fucking ring of fire and knowing full well you're not going to beat this boss right now but you’re gonna fuckin’ try anyway! Watching my little sister graduate middle school! Halloween!!

Feeling the cold steel plunge into your abdomen.. feeling your blood drip onto the floor and knowing it's never getting out. Hearing that your body was never found, and only you and your killer know where it is…

It’s flattery. It’s empowering, it’s art… on a certain level, it’s so fucking rad…

..

I’m glad the others got away. I was the only victim... I was special.”

KEVIN:

“Watching your dad kill himself kind of fucks you up.

I don’t know what happened. I just.. Stopped running. I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t cornered, I just… stopped running from him.

When he found me, I just stared at him. His whole sadistic thing just disappeared… He stared at me, too. If I had the energy, I probably would’ve opened my arms in surrender, but instead, I just stood there with my arms to the side. He got the memo, though…

We were inches apart, and I wasn't scared. I wasn't scared of the murderer looking straight into my eyes.

What fucked me up is just how upset he looked. A murderer, a cannibalistic murderer was staring into my eyes and he looked terrified of me.

After that, he sort of…nudged me against a wall. He didn't shove me or grab me, he just sort of waved me against it and I followed. He slit my throat easily. It was a quick slash, and I was dead. It didn't feel like this was for him. He didn't kill me because he wanted to or because he wanted to eat me. Maybe that's how it started, but it felt like… a mercy kill.

He didn't do anything with my body, either. He let me slide to the floor, then left.

…

I hope there are therapists in the afterlife.. or like a 4chan message board I can rant on, because what the fuck does this mean.”

one day i will have the courage to share the ending doc ok today is not that day

[hermioneismyrealname]

Ep 6 empty mugs and jealousy

Well... Hm. I'm angry at mugs.

More sugar daddy shopping. Belts? Mahasamut, you innocent darling... He doesn't want them for you. The writer needs his bedroom inspiration, and he's thinking of a belt.

Rak is actually pretty cheery. Hm. Yes, I completely agree that he looks adorable.

JEALOUSY?! Hungry? Two scoops? Wah. DONT LIE TO ME THERE WAS NO WATER IN THERE! NONE. Also that mug is iconic. I want it but it looks small for the amount of tea I drink.

Shh.. not yet.. now you may speak

That was a good move, Mahasamut. You listen if they want to tell first. Brilliant. And wishing for someone's misery, heh. I really like his character. So far, other than abandoning the town that relies on him, there isn't much fault with him. Oh and Rak's heart eyes.

OH cousin! Wow... i want to be his mom. the money part not the getting cheated on. and... being obsessed with a complete ass. wow. abusive too. MAME ENOUGH WITH THE TRAUMA. As easy and terrible of a man like this sounds, to the point that this is unbelievable... I know some of my friends with this sort of background. So yeah. Yeash. And being called annoying when crying.. yup. been there. Next.

I feel like that the bratty cousin is going to be forgiven by the end of this. ONLY 14 MINUTES THROUGH? Jeez MAME. Ok. That hug was cute.

So i respect the hustle of a bunch of friends getting the inside scoop on an author's latest work, I'd be guilty of that too. However, if it wasnt at Mook's expense. Poor girl.

Ok this was also adorable.

but that steel beam must be uncomfortable. aaaand there goes the adorableness. HHAAHHAAHAHAHAHA! oh hello friend. Oh... wait... Did Rak change his pants? OI CONTINUITY STAFF!

my guy.... Khom... you were bought too. I read your book. Dont play coy.

Also

Yes Rak. Send it to Connor and have him come fetch his hubby. THERE IT IS! JEALOUSY! OOOOHHH!! Hydro turbines! Go green energy! (at least what i think they are)

oh. oohohohoh Connor... Oh Connor. You bitter jealous bastard. Who does Rak hug when he has writer's block. ahahaahahah! IF he is going to show up, I want the awful blond hair. YOU HEAR ME MAME?! Give me the full cringe.

That fight was cute but immediately i was distracted by this terrible interior design.

VIE IS MANIPULATING AGAIN. WAH! WAH! Her acting is very convincing. Ah kantoi. A hug? I really want to hate Vie here, but I do admire her manipulation tactics.

Mahasamut, why are you wearing a jacket around the house, near water? BINGO!! A CHILD! HEY NO DISRESPECTING MY MINT CHOCOLATE! YES. MEENA. I AGREE WITH YOU. YOU ENJOY THAT MINT CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM! DONT LET ANYONE DISRESPECT OUR FLAVOUR.

Oh. yeah. Escape that deadass grandpa.

Oh they are going to get interrupted again. Mahasamut, I suggest you put your phone somewhere other than your trousers pocket. That was quick coffee making. AGAIN THERE IS NOTHING IN THAT CUP!!! WHY JUST FILL IT UP WITH SOMEHTING ITS PISSING ME OFF! I WAS GOING TO GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT THAT HE DIDNT MAKE IT THATS WHY IT WAS SO QUICK BUUUUTTTT NOOOOOOOO

THAT MUG IS EMPTY!

OH THAT IS FUNNY. One always thinks its best to give people space, so afraid of disappointing someone while the other cant stand being left alone. HAH!

yeahp. RAk. Mood.

ehheheheh kid's got attitude. Oh brililiant attitude. Ok. Meena is favourite character. and she is emotionally intelligent. I'm completely Meena here. She is so expressive too!

Yeah... and the music change... welp. Sorry but where is the prep? We end it like that then? Sure.

What the hell do they keep pointing at?

And so now I realize, this is going to get worse. Today's ep was a little sweet. Soft. Comforting even. Rak's character development is back, it will go again next episode because of his cousin. His cousin, by the way, I do not like but I think there is going to be some sort of Oh, can i say it? Tong level redemption arc™️. And by arc, I mean a 2 degree curve because her character is shallow and close to pointless when the giggolo father plot exists. A little disappointed with this week's bingo, but alas.

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

I finished acotar a while ago and I was gonna write a review right away but then christmas happened and I was pretty busy and wanted to enjoy myself so youre getting like two weeks late

It was fine, I really didnt have any strong feelings about the book itself. Like, my main complaints are that it was pretty boring and directionless for most of it and stuff thats mainly related to the next books, if I just look at it as a standalone I would describe it as "not for me, but not that bad"

That is, until we get to Under The Mountain, where everything just gets really stupid and convoluted. That whole section, which is a solid fourth or fifth of the whole book, severely clashes with the sweet fairytale romance that came before it. It reminds me of how all those twilight-knockoff trilogies in the 2010s would have two pretty low-stakes books worth of basically only romance with some weird magic sprinkled on top, and then in the last book it would turn out that the protagonist and her beloved need to Go To War or the world will end except even worse (also now that I think about it, the first three acotar books also seem to be structed like that, so youre getting two shitty plot structures in one. yayyyyyyy)

There was literally no reason for all of that happen, it was honestly just unpleasant reading about Feyre, who had spent the book recovering from her trauma in a way that was genuinely pretty nice to read about, being tortured for three months until she was feeling worse than she ever had before. And some people might say "oh, thats the point, its meant to be tragic" but it didnt feel like tragedy, it just felt tonally dissonant. Also, the entire ending was so weird and dragged out, like that bit where she and Tamlin are staying one last night UTM for some reason and then she talks to Rhysand before they finally leave and its like, BRO dont stay in the Palace of Torments for any longer than you have to, just leave through that portal-tunnel thing

Speaking of Rhysand, he wasnt that bad in this book but Im sure my opinion on him will change. The main thing that sticks out about him is how sjm simply could not resist ALREADY explaining all of his motivations and portraying him as someone whos obviously so noble, despite all the obviously horrific and completely unecessary shit hes doing. Like, theres that scene where Rhysand crushes that guy's brain when Amarantha ordered him to crush his mind and the narration goes "that was actually an act of mercy from Rhysand" ??? that mightve worked better in third person limited where youre working without the implication that the prose is the pov character's actual thoughts, but since its first person and meant to be Feyre's thoughts I was just like "why is she thinking that when she should be thinking 'holy fucking shit, i just signed my life over to a guy who could squish my mind like a grape if he wanted to?!?!?!!'"

Also, theres that scene where Rhysand comes into Feyres cell to "escape from it all" or whatever and he basically monologues to her about his sympathetic motivations and I just. sarah, girlie, you shouldve saved this shit for the second book. Like, rewrite the scene so that he just comes in eithout a word, hes totally unresponsive to Feyre insulting him or trying to ask him what hes doing here, he just sits down in the corner, knees pulled to his chest, he mutters something vague about just wanting to be left alone, maybe he's even got tears in his idk. I think that would be a far more effective way to have him be sympathetic in a more subtle way than just having him monologue his tragic circumstances and noble intentions at Feyre

Thats about it so far, I'll probably start reading ACOMAF in january when winter break is over and I can read it on the bus and in class again

[the-s1lly-corner]

Could I get something for eyeless jack with an s/o who's also a demon?

Not the same as him and definitely more human looking, but they are definitely NOT human

What if they fed off human emotions instead of human flesh? Would he get along better with another demon or would he be kind of put off?

Would he feel differently if they turned into a demon in a similar fashion to him

Eyeless Jack x reader whos a demon who feeds off human emotion!

ooooo this one is going to be interesting because while i do call jack a demon i dont think he is one.. at least not fully yet.. i mean oh yeah hes definitely cursed with something in my sillay hc but shrugs; sometimes labels are overrated that said i hope you enjoy this anon!

oh he would be so so put off. like yeah sure he knows he has no where to speak since hes literally slowly turning into something that cant be called human. he admits that he doesnt have much room to speak when it comes to others, but he mostly says that in the face of humans... but to a demon? ohhoho this is going to be interesting

i think a lot of times in the beginning hes going to be very wary of you and maybe even avoid you, its going to take some time for the two of you to get to know one another and get on speaking terms... its probably going to take a real hard shove to bring you two together

while im getting into this i may as well drop my personal lore on demon/non human creepypasta characters that may or may not change a lot of things

i know i brought this up before in a few posts, primarily my zalgo post

anyways tldr; zalgo made all the non human characters in the universe and/or planted a means to make them non human (ex. giving ben the means to come back as a ghost, providing the thing thats fucking up ej, ect ect) i think the only real exception is laughing jack since he was made to be good originally before following in the steps of the kid he was assigned to. shrugs. characters like the proxies get roped in my another character (ex. masky and the others by slenderman); while characters like jeff are your regular old krillers. non human/demon stuff just IS in thiis universe, simply another piece of nature blah blah yeah

^so naturally if we're following that hc for this post the reader falls under this... but even if you dont, you didnt really ask to be a demon , much like jack didnt

ponders

i dont think you can feed off his emotions even if you wanted to/tried, i think after a certain point he stops being considered and recognized as human

GOD can you imagine him receiving that news? he decides to give himself up so you can feed only for you both to discover that hes no longer an option. like an official sign that hes too far gone

though i think overall he tries to push for you guys to eat separately; outside of his offer he doesnt really want to know how you feed... and he doesnt want you to see how he feeds (for obvious reasons)

ponders

i think you would be safe when he goes a lil feral during his feeding/hunger frenzies since he knows youre not a human and/or can still sense youre not even when hes not mentally there fully so hey look at it this way! the chance of him attacking you is very low

back to actual relationship stuff i think it would be a very tense relationship for the first chunk

oooo imagine you tell him about the whole zalgo thing and kind of provide him with knowledge of whats going on; i mean jack is still very much in the dark about a lot of stuff regarding the topic and who knows it might build some trust (winks)

as for that last bit in your request... what if you werent born a demon or created? what if you were in a similar situation as him?

while i do think he would have some sympathy and you guys might possibly bond over having similar trauma; but i think. at least on jacks end. it would serve too much of a reminder of what happened to him

it sounds horrible, and he acknowledges its a horrible thing to think and feel but he cant stop that feeling.. he wouldnt exactly fully turn his back on you, but i do think he would hold his distance at least a little longer than the other option as a means to protect himself mentally

its harsh but it is what it is (slaps ej. this bad boy can hold so much angst potential)

[huginn-on-the-loose]

Naturally, much like all others, I have my thoughts about Apology Tour.

Looking at it from production value, writing and all that jazz- it's just so fucking good. I saw plenty of Media Illiterates harping on it for 'not making sense', having 'plot holes', 'retconning characters'- and honestly there is no reason to entertain any of these supposed 'critiques', since all of them either pick and choose what to harp on or their ability to see nuance and story clues is so low it practically hit the bottom of Mariana Trench.

To briefly touch on Full Moon, both Stolas and Blitz messed that one up- but honestly, it was long coming, and I dont think there was any possible way both of them could prevent that, especially as that would require something neither were able to do- and that is talk and listen.

The Book Deal was obviously yikes, and to have any healthy relationship, it had to go- that was a step in right direction for Stolas, who realized that this was wrong, and I applaud him for that. But in his well meaning way, he forgot one important thing- to actually talk to Blitz about it.

Blitz, sadly, has a very unhealthy view of his own person. I would argue, actually, that his hypersexuality is not unlike that of an Angel Dust, because one needs to hit the lowest of low to be able to disregard and be indifferent to their own body like that. It could be its own separate post, but from Blitz's past, we know only of two loves he had- his crush on Fizz, which most likely never came to fruition, and his relationship with Verosika.

From the newest episode, we know it got pretty serious- and that Verosika considered it to be extremelly humiliating to open like that emotionally and have it blow up in her face. Seeing their 'photo' together- the illustration done- where she has a large fat 'NO' over her skirt, it really makes me wonder how comfortable young Verosika was with the fact she was seen as piece of meat- a desirable plaything, good only for one thing, and that's sex.

Blitz, obviously, is a well travelled imp; looking through the 'exes' at the party, there is fair amount of succubi/incubi, shark demons from greed, and some of the goat demons from sloth. Sprinkling of imps, yes- but it wouldnt be a far reach to expect that Blitz had to spend a fair amount in both Lust and Greed ring, to meet those specific people.

People like to talk about how naive and inexperienced Stolas is, while the party is a tapestry of Blitz' own experiences- but like, everyone conveniently forgets that Blitz was once naive and inexperienced as well. Verosika called him a 'selfish imp in the sheets'- partly out of spite probably- but we know the lenghts he went to have Stolas enjoy himself on full moons, and it makes me wonder how much of his 'selfishness' was him being selfish, and how much of it was, I don't know, dealing with another trauma? His vehemence of accusing Stolas of being just like all the other royals, and how he has an imp fetish, felt pretty personal.

25 years is a long time- we know the start of Blitz's major trauma, but there is no telling he had gained many other along the way. Him curled in fetal position after sleeping with Chaz really speaks for itself- there could have been a time where Blitz had nothing to offer to the table but himself, and it happened again and again until sex really became nothing but just another way to pay for something he needs, until making it part of his personality felt like the easier path to take instead of letting it devour him from the inside.

When he attempted to steal the book from Stolas, and then resigned himself to a pity sex because part of him didnt want to hurt Stolas' feelings even as they didnt havent seen each other for so long, his goal was to do it fast- probably his usual way of doing things- but he stayed the whole night instead.

That speaks of him enjoying the night, and when Stolas called about the deal offer, his irration was only about the timing, not the offer itself. I would go so far as say he welcomed it- what a perfect excuse to do something he enjoys without all the unnecessary emotional attachments. Only, Harvest Moon happened, with Striker (who at first was clearly a kindred spirit) managing to unsettle him by insulting his ability to be succesful, telling him he could be great but instead he is whoring himself out for a royal, and then Stolas unknowingly finishing the job. With Truth seekers following the Harvest Moon, where Stolas showed himself to be this all powerful demon while simultaneously demeaning Blitz again, he was already wavering- and then Ozzie's club did the rest.

Blitz, much like Striker, has a very poor opinion of the high class- only he is more quiet about it. With the doubts seeded, he started jerking away in the metaphorical chains he now thinks that Stolas put around him, and started paying closer attention to Stolas' actions, and clocking him as just another royal messing with him- thus taking the break offered from the Deal when he could, as a way to prove to himself he was no-one's pet.

Stolas, of course, in the meantime was grappling with his own issues. His daughter, the divorce, his own depression, his growing feelings for Blitz and the realization just how abhorrent the Book Deal was. Correctly, he realized that this needs to change, and - also somewhat correctly- realized his actions were hurting Blitz. His desire for something genuine and his doubt of getting it while the book was between them peaked when he got kidnapped and Blitz didnt even visit him while in the hospital- trouble is, he never even considered that Blitz might have deeper issues that would act as an obstacle between the two of them having a relationship.

Neither of them knows the other- not really. Stolas has guessed that Blitz put walls around himself to survive, and that the book didnt help the matters; he mentions he is aware Blitz is of a lower station but he doesnt trully know what it entails. To him, those are just two different responsibilities- he doesnt see the discrimination or bias, not yet. He doesnt know about the life Blitz lived, being hated by everyone he loved, causing pain to those he loved, and hurtling through life leaving destruction behind.

Similarly, Blitz sees the surface level of Stolas- the rich, all powerful prince, who cheated on his wife to get a fix. He sees all the power and oppoturnities he never had, wnd while at the beginning it was easy to bury himself in the sex, since Striker and Truth Seekers, he became only more sensitive to all the difference between their two lives. Sees the money, the splendour, sees the way Stolas treats his servant imps and it eats at him. He doesnt know about the abuse Stolas experienced from Stella, about the lack of parental love, doesnt know about his drinking problem or that he is so deep in depression he takes medicine for it. Doesn't know that Stolas is risking a lot in his life to be with Blitz.

And this is why they both blow up at each other as both lack context for each other's point. And they are both hurt for it more because they do, genuinelly, like each other and gravitate towards each other.

We can argue Blitz is being Blitz with his usual self-destructive tendencies- and he is, what's new?- but his frustration with Stolas is understandable, he was completely unprepared for the whole deal suddenly ending, and Stolas then dismissing him without any further explanation must have stung. That frustration continued when Stolas still refused to talk or even to turn to face him as Blitz was getting more and more agitated, finally culminated with getting thrown out the palace.

That is not to say that Stolas' own reactions were not justified. As an abuse survivor, heck, as a person, he is within every right to cut out people from his life if they cause him pain. There is a limit to how much one is able to take, and Blitz not only stamped all over his tentativelly offered heart, but then started screaming and insulting him, and he had enough of that from Stella. Stolas is done being someone's punching bag, and no matter how much he cares for Blitz, he refuses to let that continue- and then, of course, Blitz lets it slip that Striker had tried to kill him before and the sheer pain of that knowledge staggers him.

(Side note, I really think that Blitz genuinelly forgot- that whole expression was him realizing he never told Stolas about it and that the way he told him now was a major fuck up)

Before that confession, Stolas bringing up Striker was pure pettiness- as a father, he no doubt understood that Loona took preference, no matter how much it stung not to be saved personally, but at least he believed that Blitz cared, if not romantically. Now, he was not sure- and suddenly he feels hurt all over again, only this time it's worse, because what if Blitz never cared, not even a little?

Before he had no desire to go to Verosika's party, but after that, honestly, he just wanted to come to different thoughts.

Speaking of Verosika and her party, boy, she is so petty XD; I mentioned this in my other post, but while I understand her hurt and anger, her view of Blitz and any of his actions is very black and white. She villainized him, essentially stripped him of everything that made him a person in her eyes- and that automatically meant that every social interaction Blitz had that ended in a break up had a clear victim in her eyes, and Blitz was always at fault.

Considering the ensemble at the party (really, Dennis? A guy he french kissed like once?), Verosika is all to quick to shit on Blitz and doesnt bother getting the whole story out. Oh you know Blitz and he pushed you away? Welcome to the club, have a cake!

Seems to me, she only snapped out of that mentality after she overheard him talking to Stolas, as her mentioning that he made her feel guilty for being angry at him. Both of them seemed to have a bit of a wake up call- Blitz with his shitty ways and Verosika realising that maybe she was overdoing it (I sure hope so, I mean, burning effigies and violently murdering cake shaped like Blitz really makes her seem like the unhinged ex, not him- and I think Stolas agrees, if his horrified reaction means anything)

All in all, I see this episode as cathartic. Yes, the Stolitz ship is in shambles, but as it was, it could not continue; both because of the book, but also because both Blitz and Stolas are fundamentally broken people that need to take good long hard look at themselves and do better.

Stolas took a necessary step back from the mess that was their relationship and is not letting himself breath- start introspection of his own person because he has his own set of faults he needs to address, and Blitz's accusation about looking down on imps still rattles in his brain.

Blitz, for his part, already knew he was treating people shitty- but now he is finally acknowledging it, and admitting to himself he doesnt want to be like that. Hopefully he will work on being better- even if it means letting Stolas go because Blitz realize he himself is not in the state to be a good partner for him.

I think where Blitz's character is tragic is the fact that the circumstances of his life were better, he would be such a good person. He is loyal, fiercelly protective and sappy romantic at heart. He would move mountains for those he cares about, and is genuinelly happy when he sees them happy. He is still all those things- but sometimes burried so deep it's barely getting unearthed at times- we are lucky to only see slivers.

Going forward, I think we can expect Blitz opening more to others like Millie and Moxie- willingly or not. I doubt ever since the accident, he even had a chance to have a cathartic breakdown over that, instead bottling it all up.

[definitelynotsiffrin]

saw your dunmeshi race chart reblog and i cant help to say that dunmeshi is still painfully eurocentric despite being hailed for having diverse character design

If you also saw my other reblogs you would also see I reblogged someone speaking about that exact same thing and about how the diversity is an *improvement* but still not very diverse (and also just ... The kobold slaves which are still an iffy subject).

This is a bit odd though considering the race chart reblog must be at least a week or a month old now, so I'm guessing you are going through some of the reblogs just to tell people how it's still bad which won't get you far, if anywhere at all (it's a lot more tedious than just reblogging or making your own post and also going through reblogs to send anons to people you disagree with is not healthy in the long term)

I'm still going to be excited when I see diversity because small steps are still steps even if not big *enough* especially for anime/manga which is usually as diverse as a monoculture forest because it's a push in the right direction. [For some reason this paragraph looks grey in the editor, hopefully this changes after the post bc i can barely read it]

Considering this is something I have reblogged a couple times now, I'm going to take the guess that you have not been following me for long and I'm going to hope you are doing this in good faith

But going to people's blogs to say the thing I think most of us already are aware of is really not going to do much

At the end of the day we are strangers and you do a better job by making a post talking about the lack of diversity (or reblog one of the many, there's a couple good ones, specially again one talking about the slaves bc that part is uh. Questionable even if it's not portrayed as "good" with the one character that has a slave being against unions and all that shit, it's still weird and a bit too normalized in-universe for my taste) than coming to a blog you don't know what their stance of the issues is

You can still enjoy things while being critical of their issues, in fact you should be critical of what you watch because it's a good way to avoid falling down rabbit holes you might be best not touching, but being critical can and should be done while still taking a step back and enjoying it (and nobody misenterpret this, of course I dont mean buy Joanne Rowling shit, because being critical means knowing when NOT to interact with things because the simple act of being a fan out loud is helping a bad cause)

Again, I don't think (and hope) you are doing this in bad faith, but I already know, a good chunk of us already do, I've talked about it, it's still being talked about, and while we are *this* critical over it for dunmeshi we should really do this with other animes with no diversity whatsoever even within the people with same skin color because it's not going to do much if the only one we actually put pressure one is the one that started taking the step forward

[ducktracy]

Idk how easy this will be to answer but what was the best year for Looney Tunes? I'm more fixated on Tom and Jerry myself, but I can't pick between 1947 and 1949. Looney Tunes has many more shorts tho, so its probably a lot harder to say. Would love to hear your opinion! (Loving the Mel Yell polls btw!!)

OH THIS IS SUCH A GOOD ASK!!!! (and thank you so much!!) GEEEEZ that is hard because there are so many different aspects to go by!

i think in general, i would probably say 1945 is the one year that consistently has banger after banger after banger. Wagon Heels maybe being the only exception, but it doesn’t necessarily count since it’s a remake of a previously existing cartoon—and even then, as eugh as the material in it is, i do think Heels does tangibly improve upon its source material in some considerable way. speaking purely in terms of technicalities, there is a noticeable uptick in animation quality and voice acting and timing. there are very few remakes i can say the same for.

i’d argue it’s also a relatively significant year, too—not as significant of a year as, say, 1937 when Mel first officially began voicing characters, Bob Clampett adopted the directing chair and set the tone for a lot of permanent changes, the Porky “that’s all folks” ending is instilled, the first usage of “The Merry Go Round Broke Down” is used for the opening titles—but as far as character introductions go you have Pepé, Sylvester and Yosemite Sam (and all of their respective introductory cartoons are very good—i enjoy what they did with Pepé in that one more than i do any other short with him HAHA), Frank Tashlin is in his element with every short he released, Bob Clampett’s cartoons are likewise top notch and full of lush animation, Chuck Jones has masterpieces like Fresh Airedale and Hare Conditioned, and Friz Freleng’s shorts are consistently hilarious

1946 is an answer always in my head too, but it doesn’t have the benefit of 1945’s short release year (which is one of the shortest out of the entire filmography due to a Technicolor backlog thanks to the war) and so there are a few more mediocrities involved. NOT MANY, and it’s likewise very significant in being the last year for Tashlin and Clampett (who is at his absolute apex this year. no director ever had a stronger string of hit after hit than Clampett with Book Revue, Baby Bottleneck, Kitty Kornered and The Great Piggy Bank Robbery released all in a row), Bob McKimson and Art Davis’ first year of directing, Gossamer and Foghorn Leghorn are introduced… but it does have a few weak spots in the foundation, namely The Big Snooze and Bacall to Arms especially being finished up by Art Davis after Clampett left and it shows. i enjoy both cartoons, but you cannot deny Bacall is a bit of a mess of a cartoon HAHA.

IT IS SO HARD TO JUDGE because there are so many different factors… especially when narrowing it down to directors, who i think each had their own respective “best” years at different times. Chuck Jones unquestionably hit his peak in the ‘50s, whereas McKimson was quicker to hit his peak in the late ‘40s… i actually dont know when Friz’s peak would be, though i do tend to enjoy his efforts from the ‘40s more when he’s not bogged down by middling Tweety cartoons. what i enjoy doesn’t necessarily coincide with what his objective best is, though!

THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK! maybe the deeper i carve into doing my reviews i’ll be able to come out with an actual answer at some point! for now i’d have to say 1945, but there are so many different peaks and highs and lows spread so far apart

[donnydamakkk]

What are your unpopular opinions on any/all of the BAU women?

(i saw the word unpopular after so i jus gave general opinions shdgsdjdsdk sorry but some of it is prolly unpopular anyway)

jennifer jareau is the apple of my mothafuckin eye fr. the literal love of my life. i am so serious when i say every blonde woman that i have ever found attractive needs to bow down before her (n samantha stephens) n kiss the mothafuckin ring. she is so slept on n i feel like people don't really understand or appreciate the many layers of her. i feel like she's so widely misunderstood. tbh people's takes on her tend to make my eye twitch real bad. as beautiful as she is, i feel like "soft", beautiful looks contribute a lot to her massive mischaracterization. except rosie's; she understands jj, she gets it. but for the most part, i dont feel like people should b allowed to speak on her bcus they're prolly wrong. (also butch jj is the best hc ever, but we all know i feel that way)

i really love emily prentiss, i do. she's intelligent, soulful, goofy in a way that doesn't feel ridiculous or stupid (contrary to a lot of fanon portrayal) but i mostly feel like that about early seasons emily. the more she left n returned, the less it seemed like the writing for her character was true to her n it started to feel bland. i often ask myself in later seasons where her personality went bcus at a some point she jus feels kinda blank n like shes there for fan service. it isn't emily's fault tho; it's all the writers. i love emily tho. also i hc her as bisexual now bcus idk i feel like u would have to swing from multiple vines to participate in sin to win; i can see her being w women n men equally as far as sex goes but being more likely to fall in love w women but sometimes she'll fall in love w a man n b like, well shit... ok n rockin w it but yes, shes a bi babe. i have also concluded that homegirl has a type n jj would b the exception to her rule/type bcus emily is def robert deniro (iyyk). anyway....

no one is allowed to hate elle greenaway, alright? as much as i do love gideon, everything that went wrong elle is his n hotch's fault n i mean that wholeheartedly. anyway, she was a cool as a fan w ice in it, bruh. i b missing her so much. also, i was proud of her when she shot that serial rapist; he was never gon stop offending. she did the right thing.

jordan todd was such a sweet, sensitive baby but she was functional n driven n i like that. she's also flirty. i like that too. idk man. i loved her so much, and ya know, i really loved her for really highlighting all the work jj does and reminding them all to like really appreciate her. she was a great temp; i hope she's happy somewhere. also i will never not scream about this but HER AND EMILY PRENTISS GOT NASTY n i would like to see it (:

i didn't enjoy ashley seaver or her arc. contrary to popular belief, it isn't bcus she replaced jj. it's bcus shes the only team member they've ever had that was there without any actual professional merit. girl wasnt even finished w the academy, and i, for one, did not enjoy watching what was essentially an internship. also she was boring so.

i like penelope garcia a lot; she's fun n she's sweet. i would like to write for her more but i find it difficult bcus she doesn't feel like a real person to me. which is like not to say i haven't met people like her bcus i have but whenever i do, it's kinda jarring n i always feel like i jus hallucinated. also my view of emotions is... yeah. so, there are times where she's kinda paralyzed w emotions that grind me a bit bcus idk i kinda feel like if ur emotions aren't servicing u in that moment then u needa jus suck it up n deal w them later, u not getting nowhere if u crying to much to function n then u still have this problem; so suck it up n deal w the problem n cry later n she has to b reminded of that often which again grinds me a bit but thats a me thing. i dont hold that against PG but it's jus sumn that we are not compatible on n that's fine. also i love love love love love love her n her dynamic w morgan ofc but some of the nicknames she calls him makes me personally uncomfortable as a black person but i mean hey... also, evolution was a disgusting disservice to her character n she deserves to b happy n at peace w her life away from the bau; she coulda came back without getting sucked back into a job that was messing her up mentally. she deserves better

i don't really have an opinion of kate callahan. i don't like her. i don't dislike her. i simply did not connect to her at all; also s10 wasn't a strong season fr so that ain't even really her fault. i do like that scene w her n my jocks on the plane tho. i like jennifer love hewitt tho (maddie buckley is that bitch fr). she b cool in stuff.

alex blake, my beloved fr; she calms me. i love that. i really really really loved her on the team; i loved how that version of the team functioned so much. it's one of, if not my favorite version of the team. she is the best (later seasons) replacement character hands down. god, i loved everything about her. literally everything about her. i fr don't have any notes, 11/10 fr. i miss her terribly. i would also let her do unspeakable things to my body so long as she talks me thru it n i know she would. anyway, i hope she's happy teaching n living her life <3

okay don't jump me but like the v worst thing any show could do to me w any character is introduce them w terrible hair. it's shallow as fuck, i will admit that but if that's how i first meet them? baby! i will never get over it, i will never unsee it n it will impact my ability to consume that character moving forward. that to say n i do hate to say it but tara lewis is a character who has fallen victim to this. they shoulda never introduced her in that fuckass wig. it pisses me off jus thinkin about it n she was in it for a while so as shallow n terrible as it is, it affected my connection to her. but it is what it is, im not apologizing for it. also, she has the horrific misfortune of being introduced in the late late late seasons when for the most part they wasn't even trying in the writers room fr, which sucks. bcus im gonna b particularly honest here, i dont feel a thing for her or luke. i like matt bcus i watched beyond borders n bcus i mentally connect him to jj as her male tethered. i also, so sorry, don't care that she's queer; i don't like how that whole thing was written. it didn't do shit for me at all. really, in conclusion, tara lewis is a victim to criminal minds writing team n costume department. so justice for tara!! but no yea she not my homie or nothin like that; i don't hate her tho.

[wilted3sunflowers]

just me talking about why i like nibbly

So like obviously, wiggly has the most shown personality and repeated appearances out of all the lords in black

Wiggly he has a whole dedicated musical dedicated to him and even gets the most lines spoken in "Nerdy Prudes Must Die"

Pokey gets a direct line of speak- sort of. He gets to be a character in "Yellow Jacket" , but majority of what Pokey does is similar to Blinky's overall Prescence around

Blinky is mostly ever a presence but not directly in the front for people to "see" act except in the beginning and end for actual speaking roles

Tinky shows up a few times in his story and has a strong showing of why he's a genuine bastard in how people refer to him as in the limited time he gets.

Nibbly only shows up at the end of his story - no real direct words and overall his story is much less about the supernatural than the others.

Yet i found i liked his story more than the others for what I can chew on in it. [for the most part in nightmare time, i do enjoy "Black Friday" but of the three it might be my least favorite]

the stories surrounding them are what really shape how much one will enjoy a character- particularly the type of stories one will like [which i'll have to touch fully on later]

Pokey while not getting much as a character but is often around because of his connection with "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals." How he gets to show up in what is deemed 'important' stories like Yellow Jacket is pretty much a non canonical sequel to "Black Friday" main cast of Hannah, Lex and Ethan to expand on them and the choice was interesting to have them interact with what is essentially not Pokey directly but an experimented fragment of him. [the funny thing I notice is how he gets a story where he's successfully 'birthed' before Wiggly which was his plan in Black Friday]

Nibbly is basically a plot device, one in the background and is mostly alluded to in the quiet by Linda's father as Linda and Zoey are too busy entangling one another for the win where both of them end deceased for their hunger for admiration and perceived 'power' it will grant them. Linda for her own father to stop treating her like a petulant child and Zoey to go on and be an outstanding actress and ditch hatchet field. That Nibbly is a grotesque mass of necrotic flesh pig meat all coming together to be moved for just one night a year in Hatchet field. That he gets to be the physical one of all his siblings. Pokey has to have bodies to puppet and Wiggly needs to be 'birthed' to come to fruition. That Nibbly, just a mouth with prominent lips and big teeth in his iconography- that hes blind but never forgets a face. Is the one to have a woman form in "Nerdy Prudes Must Die" [of course Blinky is also a woman and I could touch on that later but nows not the time] That the one spoken about the most in a grotesque way, that he was the physically the most disgusting. Is the one that eats away the 'beauties' of Hatchet field. How the story is fundamentally about women at each others throat showing the worst in themselves and their drive and hunger thats devouring their humanity, going so far on each side to kill for this shot.{ How Zoey kills her own grandma letting her cop boyfriend mess with her med chart and how Linda in the end of the fight causes Zoey to hang. } A shot they have no idea will lead to their deaths. Which can be seen as a loose allegory for the beauty standards and industry in itself. Women to be pit against one another and attack one because of looks and even touch on with Linda how she as a woman only in her 30s would be referred to as a 'boomer' and thought of as "too old" for what is to many in town just a beauty pageant in the midst of a honey festival. [now i dont believe that was the goal directly of this to be the allegory but its one we can look to and notice overlapping and have fun to discuss about] Nibbly is surrounded by femininity, women to eat, and how each year is the cause of this never-ending cycle since every year there will always be another woman who wants to be 'Honey Queen' and get their chance. That these women are watched as soon as they enter from the church of the star children. To be judged on their every movement and behaviors. Beauty is Pain. Beauty is blood, sweat, and tears. Beauty can be grotesque. In how many different ways there can be to try and BE beautiful to certain standards. How harsh some behaviors are trying to fit the mold. How women often made to be obsessed with beauty are labeled the cruel ones, the ones to bathe in the blood of other 'younger and more beautiful' women, how older women will target younger women in stories jealous in age and looks. That even in the famous story of Snow White is an older woman wanting to eat the heart of her step daughter. To cannibalize the young and beautiful in a variety of ways. To be what those younger girls are through flesh and blood.

How often a woman made up can easily be dissed just to refer to her as "lipstick on a pig" Nibbly, just a mouth with prominent red lips and big teeth in his iconography. Often referred to as pig like and his host body being multiple deceased pigs.

That Nibbly is femininity. Surrounded by the themes of feminity.

For me Nibbly's appearance is the saying "You are what you eat" for why he looks the way he chooses to in "Nerd Prudes Must Die" We can even say that [due to the cast of Starkid and how many will play a variety of people] the face he wears there is even one of the past Honey Queens.

[mask131]

Remember last time, when I posted about this excellent roleplaying guide, and shared various info about the French history of RPGs? Well I come back with more. Enjoy!

One of the big influences and helpers of the RPG genre in France was a series of books published by Folio Junior/Gallimard from the 1984 onward. This series was usually what introduced many people to the roleplaying game experience as a whole: and it is the line Un livre dont vous êtes le héros, "A book of which you are the hero". Thing is, this line actually gathered and united numerous English-speaking series into one whole. What I mean is that the French "A book of which you are the hero" (sometimes translated as "You are the hero") line wasn't just one translation, but a compilation of Fighting Fantasy (by Livingstone and Jackson), of Steve Jackson's Sorcery!, of Joe Dever's Lone Wolf, of James Herbert Brennan's Grailquest, and more...

Another game that deeply marked the early years of RPG in France was L'Oeil Noir, "The Black Eye". It is not an American game, however: it was a German game, Das Schwarze Auge, created by the Fantasy Productions group, itself founded by Ulrich Kiesow, Werner Fuchs and Hans Joachim Alpers. This game was created after the group had translated two American roleplaying games in German: D&D, of course, but also Tunnels & Trolls. Released in Germany in 1984, this game had a HUGE success in Europe, so much that it overshadowed the sales of D&D in some countries! In France, the game was notably purposefully sold in the same format and aesthetic as the Un livre dont vous êtes le héros - again, French folks wanted to give a cohesive look to all of these games.

The first two French RPGs were both flawed, but in opposite ways. The first one, L'Ultime Epreuve (The Ultimate Trial) was written by Fabrice Cayla and published by Jeux Actuels in 1983. It took place within a medieval fantasy setting (which even at the time felt a bit "recycled" and "already seen") and was about adventurers (the players) fighting various monsters while gaining power and strength, to finally vanquish the creatures that guard the gates of the Valhalla - it is the "ultimate trial" of the title. And then... That's it. The game is over. This game was very simplistic - too simplistic - but one of its originalities relied in its system of experience point. Or rather its absence of XPs: to have characters evolve, the players needed to spend money during "training sessions".

The other "primal RPG", Légendes, was created by a collective of five authors - Stéphane Daudier, Marc Deladerrière, Philippe Mercier, Jean-Marc Montel and Guillaume Rohmer. Published by Descartes in 1983, it is sometimes referred to as "Légendes celtiques" - which is actually incorrect... "Celtic Legends" was only the world-setting offered with the basic set/starting box - but it is just one possibility among many (the line also includes "Légendes des Milles et Unes Nuits" for an Arabian Nights setting ; and "Légendes de la Table Ronde" for an Arthurian setting). However, this game was far too complex: its rules were very heavy and very convoluted, and so the game was not fit for beginners. In fact, Descartes, understanding this, published in 1987 a lighter, simplified version called "Premières Légendes" (First Legends)

In 1985 was published Denis Gerfaud's Rêve de Dragon (Dragon's Dream). Described as an "oniric fantasy" game, this RPG is a strange and fascinating experience where each new adventure plunges the players in an entire new world, created out of the dreams of dragons. Every character was dreamed up by a dragon, and if they die during a game session, their "archetype" will be rencarnated under a new shape once the dragon goes back to sleep. The game ingenuously uses the symbolism of the Zodiac, the Tarot cards and more for its playing system. Gerfaud managed to create a very inventive, very poetic but also quite humoristic game. The first edition of the game was notably illustrated by Bernard Verlhac (aka Tignous), who was unfortunately murdered during the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack... Dragon Dream was a real "author game" where Gerfaud showed his talents as a writer, but it suffers from quite austere rules, definitively coming from the 80s, and which "chain" the dream rather than encourage the players' imagination... The problem was solved when a simplified version of the game was released in 2001, called Oniros. More recently, the game had a luxury re-edition at the Scriptarium editions, in 2018. As for Denis Gerfaud, he published only one other RPG, just as innovative and strange: Hystoire de fou, in 1998.

Christophe Réaux, alias "Croc", is another French author of RPGs. He first self-published games under the label Futur Proche. He created Bitume, about a post-apocalyptic world a la Mad Max, half-destroyed by the Halley comet ; and then Animonde, a poetic fantasy universe where all weapons and all technologies have an animal origin. Croc was quickly hired by the team of the Siroz Productions to create a game. Siroz Productions was founded by two members of a roleplaying circle of the Viroflay town (Parisian region) known as the "club 20 naturel" (nat 20 club), Nicolas Théry and Eric Bouchaud - a club to which Christophe Réaux belonged. Siroz Productions started out as a minor editor named "Théry-Bouchaud et Cie", but became quite famous due to its games relying on very strong, very contextualized concepts, and satirical humor - tackling issues such as the decay of suburbs, evolutionism, totalitarism, the misuse of ideologies and other futuristic predictios: Zone, Silrin, Whog Shrog, Berlin XVIII...

The game Croc and Siroz created was In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas. This game of biting humor is about the players embodying angels and demons infiltrated among humanity, and waging there a secret war for either heaven or hell... Except, as it turns out, both sides use the same methods and the same tactics. Unfortunately, Siroz found itself in a bad situation right before the game's release: drowned in debts, about to close, to survive the publishing house had to agree to the involvment of new investors, and a full restructuration. Siroz Productions became Idéojeux, under the leadership of Marc Nunès. It was under Idéojeux that INS/MV was first published - inaugurating a long line of RPGs written by Croc. Heavy Metal, Bloodlust, Scales, Nightprowler, COPS... Later, Idéojeux renamed itself Asmodée... From the name of the Demon Prince of Gaming within INS/MV, Asmodeus. While the society has gone away from the RPG world, it still forms today one of the big players within the French game industry - in fact, even within the international world of games! Since not only did they buy several French publishing houses (such as Descartes), but they also recently absorbed the American editor Fantasy Flight Games...

While it is quite rare, sometimes French RPGs are brought over to the United-States! It was the case with In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas, which in 1997 was published by Steve Jackson Games under the title In Nomine. However it wasn't a translation, but an adaptation: rewritten by Derek Pearcy, the American game is much darker, less serious and less parodic than the French game. The second edition of Rêve de Dragon was translated in English in 2002, under the title Rêve: The Dream Ouroboros.

I'm jumping a lot of things, because this book has so much info... But there is a cover about the "renewal" or "renaissance" of the RPG game from the late 2000s onward. It contains a brief segment about France. Among the numerous new editors that popped up during this "shifting era", when the old generation of gamers left the ground for a new, younger one, one famous is the Black Book Editions, created in 2004 in Lyon, and currently one of the biggest French editors of games. They are behind the French creations of Pavillon Noir, Chroniques oubliées, Polaris, and Héros & Dragons ; but they also are the ones in charge of bringing to France the American monsters that are Pathfinder, Shadowrun, and even (for a brief time) D&D5. The other emblematic editor of this era was Sans-Détour, created in 2008, which became the new French publisher of Call of Cthulhu and helped "renew" it and give it a "younger", "fresher" energy (unfortunately Chaosium removed the license from Sans-Détour in 2018 due to a case of unpaid royalties). A third unmissable name would be Le 7e Cercle, with a diverse and memorable catalogue including games such as Qin, Yggdrasill or Carpharnaüm.

[charlie-artlie]

It's 4am and I can't sleep so I'm ranting abt transformers comics again

The transformers (2009), and largely all of the "on earth content" thus far, has been kinda annoying tbh. There's lots of good stuff in there and I'm still overall enjoying myself but basically anything involving the humans is just. Wack.

This is largely because none of the human characters are interesting or likeable at all. Verity Jimmy and Hunter were interesting!!! I liked their dynamics for the most part and enjoyed how they interacted with the autobots but all of these badass military guys are boring and stupid! I mean the only one who's fleshed out in the least is Spike who's just supposed to be this sexy badass who's a tactical genius and gets lot of trim but he's the worst lmao. He's overpowered and annoying and just a nothing of a character. Also it's outrageously stupid that he's able to single handedly take down a constructicon with nothing but "dumb tech" like I can't even take that seriously.

But the really irritating thing is I just can't understand why they're still on earth! They keep acting like they're the last of their race and they have no where to go but new people keep showing up! Where tf did cosmos come from?? Shouldn't Optimus, as the leader of their species be like, be trying to pick up the scattered remains of this army after the war?? why ARE we kicking around on the mud ball im with Roddy and the decepticons on this one. Like it's irritating because hot rod is objectively right when he wants to leave! The humans don't want them there and are actively killing them! Perdonally i dont rly like thr implications of what theyre doing to the captured decepticons (but who cares right) but if the concern is decepticon attack roddys right they literally have thay covered (see above, one human single handedly taking down a constructicon). Not to mention we already know they've tortured and mutilated autobots in the past so who's to say they aren't still??

I just don't understand. the constant dick sucking of the human race. Speaking as a human, I don't need this in the story. Why are we constantly being shown that actually it's the humans who are the badasses and the transformers who are at their mercy. First off, I don't believe you, and second off, then why don't they leave??? Like every five minutes we get a speech abt how humans are amazing and resiliant and so powerful and resourceful and and kind and wonderful and the humans are meanwhile like sorry we weren't listening we were too busy inventing a device that makes autobots explode while simultaneously setting off all our nuclear weapons at once.

Honestly I think I wouldn't be so annoyed with the overpowered human race thing, like to a certain extent its an interesting dynamic, but what's most irritating is the autobots reactions to it. After literally everything humans have done to them they're still just like wow, humans are amazing, we should live here forever. This plan sucks!!!! Pls can we plsss just go back to space!!!

........ALSO Optimus just turning himself into the humans custody for bad leadership crimes because,,,,,, humans killed ironhide,, and he feels responsible,,,,,, so he's going to get captured by then, so they can kill the rest of his men without impediment???? Dude, get your boys out of there!!!!

[not-playable-character]

Some thoughts I've had after finishing Bayonetta Origins

Before my rambling mess of thoughts here's some general ones for those who don't wanna read.

Its a great game 8/10, the only issues I have with it are skill issue based and the parts the revolve around bayo 3, its beautiful and complex and I love finally learning some backstory (even if it's for my least favorite adult cereza) all the voice work and music are amazing. the art is amazing as usual. I'd highly recommend playing it if you haven't already. Also be wary for spoilers in the read more.

Ok so the rambles and game theories

This game made me realize (in my mind) why bayo 3 cereza was so... weak and emotionless. If the ending is to be believed, she left the village to travel the world. This means that she didn't have jeannes teachings and was more or less self taught (explaining the fact she can't use 2 different weapons) it also explains why she is so socially awkward, people on their own can lose those social skills and she's been alone for centuries. I do adore little cereza and her growth, but she wouldn't have the uh.. trauma that the others would have, if she left there's not reason for her to return for the war if anything she would stay far far away, and I doubt she would think her mother couldn't handle herself. Her dream at the end even shows her without the shackles so Rosa would be imagined at full power (which is very formidable). It also makes sense to me that since she is the arch eve origin she would be the worst so to speak, she was the origin everyone else deviated from her and gained new strength where she didn't. But this is all my own cracked out game theory and thinking too much about it (it's not that deep im just a hater of 3)

Now onto Lukaon, I hate him more the learn about him. why are we supposed to root for their romance when all he was shown to do was manipulate cereza and try to murder her closest friend, like yeah he was desperate but he was still an antagonist. They also just straight up made him a clone of cereza, I won't go into how much I dislike that trope but I didn't like it in stranger things dont like it here. They are just ruining Luka to me and I don't like that I enjoyed bayo 1 &2 luka but now he is a shell of what he used to be. I will say that due to being a hater, I did call lukaon being a villain from the beginning. What I didn't call was Morgana being evil and being his mom.

Onto jeanne, her little side story has just made her death worse for me. You are telling me that she KNEW how she was going to die and just did nothing. Nah, this woman may be insane but she isn't stupid. She so into preserving the umbra legacy and having them live on, she would just accept her death.

Also on that note, the destiny thing. Platinum seems to be backpeddling on the themes of destiny. Bayo 1&2 were all about how you can change your destiny and that fate isn't set in stone but in 3 and origins they say you cannot change destiny and it will course correct if you do so it will always happen. Which imo is detrimental to the story cuz that was always a good message but whatever I'm not a writer (even if I try to be sometimes)

I've realized this is all me complaining and it makes me seem like I hate this game, I don't, I live it! It's just easier for me to put my complaints into words than just saying "it's great!" Over and over.

I will say I loved all the characters (minus lukaon) and I really wish they used the fairies instead of the lameculus, they were so fun and actually unique! But that wouldn't make sense in the lore (even if it still kinda doesn't, like why are there no good fairies that support the true royals??? Maybe they weren't as popular as lukaon said) anyway love the little guys. And the wisps! They were super cute. I do wish we had more of Cereza and Jeanne interacting as they were supposed to be best friends as kids but im not too upset as cereza was in the forest the whole time (maybe some flashbacks would have been fun) and here I go complaining in my positive section lol. Anyway it's a great game and it actually brought back my enthusiasm for the series

[etrosgate]

just finished watching an aitsf lp so here's my thoughts on the game

jokes aside, this is long (an pretty negative) so i'm putting it all under the cut so it's easy to scroll past

it was a solid okay in general i guess in that i can see why other people would enjoy it, but it was bad to me.

aiba was mostly just an enjoyable presence than anything super deep but that's fine, she worked well enough to make her aspect of the finale emotional.

the plot is cool enough in concept but kinda shakily put together in execution (not helped by iris being one of the weakest characters with easily the worst route, when she's supposed to be very important)

mizuki and mayumi were far and away the best aspect, and their stuff was basically relegated to their respective endings. goddd the right side routes hurt, to see date kinda ignore mizuki in favor of focusing on iris (JUST LIKE RENJU) was almost poetic. in a painful way.

i'd already known most of the big spoilers for the game (though my jaw did drop at the reveal of who shot hitomi), but the final delivering of answers to the mystery and the climax were enjoyable.

the game's tone really does not work for me outside of the moments where it's really serious (i'd say the purely goofy ones too but i despise 90% of the humor in those). i dont think it marries its stakes and goofy-ness well, they often just feel discordant to the point of undercutting its narrative (unlike something like re:kinder, whose juxtaposition of humor and tragedy manages to enhance both aspects)

i'd be able to just slap a "it was pretty okay" sticker on it.........if it wasn't for the constant, icky, gross, pervy humor that often isn't funny even when it actually is about/involving adults of similar age.

but so often it isn't, it's men making these gross comments and jokes about women decades younger than them, or the game making the girls (even mizuki!) do that coy "omggg are you a pervert, thinking about [explicit thing] with me!?" thing that plays into that viewer fantasy.

this aspect is so frequent and widespread that it manages to ruin pretty much every single male character (that's intended to be viewed at least somewhat sympathetically) in the game. i think renju and pewter might be the only exceptions? and i'll get to them....

and then there's saito...

this sort of thing is Not new for uchik*shi (this aspect of [spoiler character]'s motivations is one of my biggest issues with 999), but it's definitely the most caricature-ish i've seen from him so far, the absolute embodiment of ableist villain writing…

boss could've been more interesting if she got more focus (and if date wasn't just like. winning the idgaf wars about her+abis being in seijima's pocket in resolution ending).

date when abis is corrupt in a way that inconveniences him:

date when the corruption works in his favor: *conspicuously silent*

speaking of that, let's get into ai the homophobia files (not super indepth cause i'm getting tired)

that extremely shoehorned in lgbt support message would come across a lot better if those characters weren't so poorly treated. like it's crazy how renju+pewter's relationship is an important factor of the plot and they just Don't explore it At All after revealing it.

pewter's treatment particularly is just. nuts. it hit me a brick after finishing the game, but it is actually crazy that date was really telling pewter he deserves to be in jail for (unknowingly!) assisting in someone else's attempted murder, while literally being an ex-hitman

LIKE BOSS, CAN YOU NOT PULL SOME FUCKING STRINGS HERE!? LIKE YOU DID FOR AN ACTUAL SERIAL MURDERER!? TWICE!? (i know she does do this in the sequel but i guarantee that was a response to people reacting negatively to this aspect of the first game)

like the bizarre difference in treatment ends up coming across like they didn't even have pewter end up in jail for committing crimes, it was for committing them while gay. committing them Because he's gay, even. a classic.

there's other stuff but this has gone on long enough and im tired of thinking and writing.

ANYWAYS.

tldr; its occasional good aspects were not good enough to make the bad parts worth it for me. i can see why others would enjoy it, but i do NOT. give a fuck.

and i want to put mizuki, pewter, and aiba into precure