#the followup doesn't have a name yet

[leavingautumn13]

the group chat getting silly with it has fundamentally altered my brain chemistry and decimated the plot of the followup to that oneshot i posted a while back.

"i'm sorry about your years-long friendship that's exploding in spectacular fashion over accusations of your bestie's dad being a murderer. making out about it can't hurt, right?"

i should not have to say this but i'm going to anyway: may's an adult.

[plushie-lovey]

Did you get that plush you hid at bottom of the bin in goodwill?

Yes!! I actually just picked her up about an hour ago! Here she is!

She's home safe and happy, and has been displayed next to her sister, Maple (you can see a bit of her on the right). I'm naming her Sakura, since she's a spring bear!

I forgot if I talked about these two but I also hid them at the bottom of the bin. And now they're home as well :D

[doberbutts]

you don't actually get to cry "ally yourself with trans women" while actively talking over trans women whose traumatic experiences with transmisogyny are wildly ignored in favor of how hard transmisogyny is on the cis women. like why don't trans women get to say privilege plays into how much transmisogyny affects people?

do we not characterize white privilege as being what protects white americans from the systematic racism that permeates the US?

again, what is the preferred way you would have us refer to that privilege? because I am right here telling you that privilege is a part of the construct of tme/tma but you don't really care that trans women are more affected.

like it's crazy that you seem to think my problem is with the transvestigation playing out against a cis woman and not the way everyone pays attention when it happens to cis women but ignores the rampant transmisogyny when it happens to a trans woman. like you don't even pause to look at why there were no trans women at the olympics to transvestigate in the first place so they turned to the next marginalized option, intersex and women of color, when discussing how trans women deserve better.

Hi I'm the trans woman I deserve better from you specifically

To be completely honest this is looking less and less like a good faith discussion and more and more like you simply accusing me of stuff I didn't say.

You say I am actively talking over trans women. How so? How is "we need to address transmisogyny at its root if we want things to be better" ignoring the plight of trans women?

How is it that I have *repeatedly* acknowledged that there is privilege there, and yet apparently I am ignoring it?

if you want to use the race example: white privilege exists. Racism also affects white people. If white people want to stop being affected by racism (welfare regulations, the war on drugs, low income housing, social programs for community aid, to name a few) then maybe they should ally themselves with people of color because the root of what's causing issues with these things is racism. That doesn't mean white privilege doesn't exist just because a system of oppression affects everyone under said system. It doesn't even mean that the primary target has changed. It's just what makes this a system rather than an individual occurrence.

Never once have I said that cis women are more affected and, in fact, in followup posts I have stated that it *is* quite annoying that people have only been talking about this because this year's Olympics included approximately 0 out trans women. I have been saying that this was the clear end result, once they were rid of the trans women they'd go for whatever cis women they could feasibly get away with, and this time it seems they overplayed their hand.

Castor Semenya is a cis woman who only found out that she is intersex due to being transvestigated. She is, by definition, TME. Except she's not, is she, considering the same rules that apply to trans women apply to her. That's why I brought her up! And- correct me if I'm wrong- but out trans women still competed after she was forced to leave the Olympic running. That is why I'm saying that things maybe are not quite so clear cut as "have" and "have not", because I can point to an example of someone that the definition labels as "has privilege" that according to Olympic ruling bodies no longer counts as a woman either despite being afab TME cis.

If you want to continue to put words in my mouth, then we're out of things to say to each other, and it becomes clear that this was never intended to be a good faith discussion in the first place.

[shadowbriar]

Sirius Black - Time in a Bottle

Pairing : Sirius Black x (she/her) Reader Word Count : 0.7k Warning : Happens during the war. Synopsis : Whatever storm they might need to weather in the future, knowing that marrying her would be the first thing they'd do once the sun comes back up, would forever be enough for Sirius to give the day another chance. Notes : Don't forget to fill the form here if you'd like to be tagged for my future works. If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕ Sirius Black's Masterlist click here. Taglist : @jsjcue @ell0ra-br3kk3r @sofiacblair @when-you-cant-think-of-anything

His occasional hums were the only sound breaking the silence of the cottage. Her cheek resting on the bare skin of his chest, legs entangled with each other, body covered only by the thin layer of bedsheets. If either of them could find a spell to freeze time in a bottle, this would certainly be the moment they'll capture.

"Humour me," Sirius says, his fingers now travels through the strands of her hair "If we managed to get out of this war, alive and unscathed, what would you do first?"

"If?" She lets out a breathy chuckle "That doesn't sound optimistic."

"Yes, well, I'm trying to be realistic."

"Realistic? Sirius Black being realistic?" She asks, looking up and raising an eyebrow at him "Who are you and what have you done to my boyfriend, Stranger?"

The boy rolled his eyes, "Just answer the question."

"Let's see," She says with a long sigh, her smile never leaving her lips "The first thing I'd do when we win the war would be.."

Sirius waited. He stares into her eyes, trying to see if there's anything she secretly wishes yet couldn't find the words to utter. He watches as her brows furrow and relax. She's certainly trying to work the gears in her head to find an answer.

And then it dawned in him. Like an episode playing in the back of his mind, replaying all of his favourite moments with her and all the things he's loved about her. He could hear her voice when she first called his name back in second year. He could see her smile when he first won the Quidditch cup. He could feel the weight of her fingers around his when he first held her hand. All of them replaying and flooding his senses like a tidal wave.

The thumping in his chest quickens. He begins to wonder about all the future possibilities for the two of them. He wonders what kind of a house would they be moving into. He wonders what kind of dress would she wear on their wedding day. He wonders how many children they would have and if they would have his eye colour or hers.

"Marry me."

His question snaps them both, blinking as he tries to process how his mouth ran faster than his brain, just as always. Sirius could see the surprise on her face as the smile on her face dilutes into an uncertain one. His mouth feels dry all of a sudden. An unexplainable lump forming on his throat and he struggles to followup with any kind of explanation to his sudden outburst.

A hesitant smile tugs on the corner of her lips, "Marry you?"

"If you'd like." He says, voice filled with uncertainty "I mean, if you couldn't find anything to do first after the war, that could be a suggestion."

"Actually, I've thought of something."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm," She nods, moving to now lay on top of him "I was thinking of going back to this cottage and redoing all the things we did tonight, as if we never left this place."

Sirius grins as he rests his hands on the sides of her waist, "That sounds nice."

"It is," She nods once again "But marrying you sounds a little bit better, I would say."

"Just a little bit?"

"Just a little bit," She coos, kissing the tip of his nose "This place is a bit hard to top, I am very fond of tonight."

"Me too," He smiles "So is that a yes then?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I didn't hear any question I should be saying a yes to."

Sirius' grin goes even wider that it practically hurts his cheeks but his heart was full. He's never felt any more loved than now and he sure would never want to risk losing this. Whatever storm they might need to weather in the future, knowing that marrying her would be the first thing they'd do once the sun comes back up, would forever be enough for Sirius to give the day another chance.

"My Darling, Sweetheart," he calls endearingly, tucking the few strands of her hair behind her ear "Would you marry me?"

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Odd Squad UK -- "A Dicey Situation" Episode Followup, Part 1

Captain O origins episode! "Totally Odd Squad" Mk. II! Call it what you like, I'm just hoping this is good. After the hell that was "Mission O Possible", I like to be prepared. Almost anything could surpass that, really.

Let's dive in below the break! (Pun unintended.)

...It's another Tasha episode.

I can hear that stupid "oh no" TikTok song playing as I fucking type this. I'm not confident after "The Triangle Sisters". I'm praying to Don't-Fuck-This-Up-God.

Hey. Hey. You guys remember when Otis threw a fit because Rebecca was exploiting Odd Squad for moving services?

This is just as egregious and yet will go entirely undetected. You don't need two pseudo-government agents to pull up Google Maps and punch in the location of the nearest Aldi's, for God sakes.

I see this milk came from the same cow that the Town Baker's milk came from.

I'd go investigate that cow, really.

You guys also remember Otis giving therapy to a plant?

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS BUT IT'S MILK. And it's just as amusing here as it was there.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"

Thank you, edutainment overlords, for this obligatory healthy eating message.

Asshole cereal box is making up lies for himself, methinks. Dude just tipped over on his own the second his owner picked up the milk pitcher.

hhhhheeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY THIS AIN'T MY SWAMPS 'N GATORS. WHERE'S MY SWAMPS 'N GATORS YOU CHUCKWADS.

...No but seriously what is this game and why does it look like Odd Squad Risk to me.

I remember when there was a brief shot of Oona failing at chess and Oprah telling her that's not how the game is played.

That was fun.

This is fun too, and nice to see, but it doesn't hit the same.

Good segue. Not as good as Oprah calling everyone out on their RPS strategies.

(You will see me make a lot of TOS cracks and references. I will not regret a single one of 'em.)

Hot damn, she can dim the lights with her mind! That's craaaaaaaaaaaazeeeeeeeeeeeeee-

So that would make her ship the Odd Squad Odd Squad.

Instead of Screw Steamer Odd Squad, or Steam Ship Odd Squad, both of which sound much better.

And are actually canon in the franchise.

(No, really. Go listen to the Squadcast. The S.S. Odd Squad is a 100% canon ship.)

Honestly, if you had told me about a year ago that that sailor in that promo picture SSE put out was a chef named Osgood, I'd have laughed at you.

RIP to the days when I thought that sailor was an assistant of Captain O's and not her first mate.

Ohhhh, a wavy flashback effect! Standard in a ton of shows, but Odd Squad has never really employed it as far as I'm aware. Nice to see they're going to effect basics!

Aside from that, wow that is...a tiny ship. Tinier than I was expecting. I was expecting something huge and not...y'know...a little BB thing.

I'm sorry, I just did an entire fuck-ass wheeze at her saying SHE KNEW OSGOOD SINCE NURSERY SCHOOL.

These two ARE FUCKING CHILDHOOD FRIENDS.

Genuinely fucking flabbergasted, because it's rare that we get childhood friends who were main characters in this franchise and joined Odd Squad together. Not even Olive and Otto can attest to that! Or Olympia and Otis!

Best bit in the entire episode so far bar nearly none.

I mean...on the plus side, at least he only has two mouths to feed.

That being said, I will once again raise the issue of there being couch cushions in a ship like that.

...Goldfish.

Huge-ass Goldfish.

You can't fool me.

They're Goldfish.

If there is one thing I utterly despise about Captain O as a character, it's the stupid euphemisms.

They're not amusing. They're not funny. I've heard better from other characters.

Okay, a shell phone is actually pretty clever. One point to Tasha, and don't make me revoke it as quickly as I did last time.

(Choosing to overlook the fact that there's an Admiral because...I mean...pretty standard sailor stuff. And me and other fans can work with the lore.)

Definitely not the intent, but I can't stop reading this line as utterly sarcastic since Captain O did a hard aversion off the "Newhart Phone Call" cliff.

"So this look isn't a fashion choice?"

Osgood, you poor Ohlm-like sonuvagun.

No, sir, actually those are holes. They got depth to 'em. Swiss cheese is not made with polka dots.

"See? You're a fashion trendsetter."

Ohhhhh it's like...the woman in "Double O Trouble"...but 's...fuckin' polka dots...

Great, I hate it, thanks.

*squints*

*more*

*even more*

...Bitch that is a cluster of fucking trees. That is not an island. Now how and why would you spend pounds on a fucking CLUSTER OF TRE-

THIS IS HOW THEY CHOOSE TO REMIND US THAT ORLI AND OZZIE ARE STILL HERE?????? WITH THE OBLIGATORY MATH LESSON?!?!?!?!?!?

Oh piss ALL the fuckin' way off.

If this is gonna have a lesson at the end, like in "The Weight of the World Depends on Orla", I'm going to lose my fuckin' mind.

Because, for all that Season 3 sucks, that episode was actually pretty solid.

it was just her and osgood

this guy shows up

not even the two canon characters from the odd squadcast they could've used

...I get it. You need someone to steer the ship. Fine. But for the love of God, just include the one driving the boat in your roll call!

I'm...I'm so tired. We are halfway into this episode. I am tired.

I honestly can't be bothered to ask why this woman has a rotary phone and how the fuck it can get service out here where there would, in most other instances, be no phone lines. Or electricity. OR FUCKING SPEAKERPHONE.

I do like the pirate getup Dottie here has going on, though.

Well, the last time a villain alleged to not have a pattern...they had a pattern.

I don't expect Dottie to be much different in that regard.

ohhhhhh oodelallyoohdelally it's the chekhov's gun wheeeeeeeeeeeeee-

She spun in the chair for all of time, bored out of her wits.

(On to Part 2!)

[itsevanffsbutspam]

one day i woke up feeling dizzy. ridiculously dizzy, for my standards, and i know my body can get real fucked up sometimes so that's saying something. breathing deeply or doing jumping jacks or running in place didn't help. biking to uni didn't help either, even though that should theoretically raise my blood pressure and heart rate. i did everything i could think of, and considering i wasn't registered with the local gp yet, after day five (!!) of persistent dizziness that was enough to make me feel like i could keel over at any moment, i finally bit the bullet and did what people were telling me to do; i went to the closest gp center for an emergency (spoed, it doesn't translate well) consultation.

the hours for those are from 17:00 onwards into the night, and during weekends; like, the hours that regular practices don't take patients. i went, waited until 17:00 exactly to go in. there was one guy in the same situation as me (had a problem (i think it was a broken leg), wasn't registered with a gp either, so he came here for a checkup). his friend was also there but that was just moral support. he was the only person aside from me in the waiting room the entire time i was there.

i told the lady at the desk what was going on, gave her my social security number, and she directed me to wait. i did, i think i got called in around 15 minutes after i sat down. went in for some tests, and everything came back fine. hemoglobin was fine, heart was fine, blood pressure was on the low end, 95 over 60 i think. something like that. they were extremely nice and understanding; the doctor attending to me was someone in training and her mentor, so i think that helped with them treating me like a person. they told me they'd talk about it and let me know if they thought i needed to see an actual gp, and i agreed, so back to the waiting room i went.

about 10ish minutes later i got called in by a gp, a man, who sat me down and asked what was going on. i explained everything again, and he told me he'd do some tests; blood pressure, hemoglobin, et cetera. at that point i thought i'd gone to the wrong doctor and misheard my name or something, so i told him i'd already had those tests done. he said 'huh' and scrolled down on his computer. turns out this guy hadn't even looked through the file they'd given him about me! great start.

he asked me some followup questions, to which my answers were all pretty much 'everything seems normal', and as we went on he got visibly annoyed. i'm autistic so it has to be visible if i can fucking see it, right, i'm shit at inferring those things. great sign. we did some neurological tests to see if my brain fucked up, and it hadn't, thank god, which made me relieved that i wasn't possibly dying or whatever. my main concern and such.

this guy sat me down, and then proceeded to tell me that i really shouldn't be there if it isn't an emergency. the implication was that i was 1. bothering him, and 2. that i was taking up the space of people who really needed it.

i can't really explain to you what i felt in that moment, but i am still really proud of myself for grinning and bearing it. but let me recap the situation i was in.

i had been feeling dizzy enough that i was having trouble standing for FIVE DAYS STRAIGHT. i had consulted the site for the nhs and friends and family, all of whom told me to go to the doctor, and so i, after five days of nonstop dizziness, mustered up the courage to go.

there was ONE person aside from me in the waiting room who was being treated already when i got called back.

the women who tested me earlier were the ones who chose to refer me to that gp. they made that decision based on what they considered necessary. if i'd been fine, they would have told me to go home and i would have gladly gone.

i was at the time not registered with a gp in the area. i told them this. i'm fairly sure my registered gp's location being on the other side of the country was visible on my file. i would have had to travel three and a half hours alone with a potential serious problem to reach a doctor, and then i would have had to wait a week or more for an appointment anyway.

i was not in the ER. there is an ER in that building but i was most decidedly not in the emergency room. i was in the off-hours gp center, which is by definition not an emergency room. for emergencies you call 112. for non-emergencies but things that can't be delayed several days you call the off-hours gp center. that is where i went. i checked. twice.

i always thought that it was a good thing to go to the doctor and find there's nothing seriously wrong with you, instead of not going and getting serious complications later. so why was it that this guy treated me like a burden and insinuated i was taking up space that, let's be real, wasn't being used anyway? all because i didn't have a real enough problem, in his mind, to warrant being there?

i could have been directed to go home twice before then; at the reception, and after the preliminary tests, but both people thought my symptoms were serious enough to warrant a further check right then and there. so why was i being told that i wasn't meant to be there?

i eventually did register with the local gp a few weeks later, and that took almost three weeks to complete. then i went and got an appointment, and on the site it takes almost two months to get one, but if you call it still takes---you guessed it---a full week. a month of delay in care when i can barely walk or stand straight is, let's be honest, time i'm not comfortable wasting. so i ask again. why the fuck was i being treated like i wasn't meant to be there?

this isn't the only time i've been dismissed out of pocket because my situation wasn't severe enough, or wasn't connected to a serious underlying problem even though it impaired my normal function, and i'm not the only person this has happened to. it's genuinely come to a point where i have to start defending myself before i go to the doctor, so i have arguments why i'm allowed to be there ready to go just in case this particular gp decides i'm not sick enough to warrant care, again.

i wait two weeks before going to a doctor, instead of going right away and inevitably being told 'come back in two weeks and see if you still have the issue'. i don't even go to the doctor that much, maybe twice a year at most (not counting follow-ups), but i've come to expect it. how fucking sad is that? i have to defend my right to get healthcare from the people giving it to me. and i pay to be able to access healthcare!

i get that this is better than some people have it, etc etc, but i'm not okay with calling this state of things acceptable. not at all.

but seriously, what was i meant to do? perform neurological exams on myself? test my own hemoglobin at home? measure my own blood pressure with a blood pressure meter i don't have? travel 100 miles by train and bus with a condition that could put me at risk of harm in the process just to see a gp who'd tell me to wait another week anyway? piss off.

[raayllum]

part ii of Sorpeli at the Banther Lodge headcanons (followup to this)

Opeli has never been to the Banther Lodge before, really.

She knows of it, of course—it'd been King Harrow's wedding present to Queen Sarai, back when they'd been prince and princess respectively—and she's come on delegation trips to collect the princes from it more than once over the close to six years since the end of the Second War.

But really, why would she have? She was yet another member of King Harrow's council back in the day. Here, with King Ezran, she is his closest advisor, and the unofficial head of the council period. A few more people have been added since Callum and Rayla left to live in Xadia, and Corvus to the westward forests for peace—there's bright young Stantley, a representative from Ellis' village to help with the reintegration of Moonshadow elves at the Nexus, and General Titania who oversaw the Breach in Amaya's stead as the need for militia dwindled.

Neither Soren nor Ezran will say it, but she knows they are hoping that when they have a free day in Del Bar, they will be able to convince Claudia to leave Lissa and come home with them to be Ezran's replacement High Mage.

Stepping through the great wooden archway, though, Opeli finds it easy for once to put politics almost entirely out of her mind.

The Lodge is spacious yet cozy, walls adorned with updated tapestries and items for outside fun like sleds and snowshoes. A roaring fire is lit in minutes, Rayla readily climbing the stairs while Stella leaves her shoulder perch to explore.

Opeli sets down her bag to take off her boots but when she straightens up to grab the handle, it's gone. "Wha—"

Soren picks it up, hoisting it over his shoulder in one smooth swing. It wasn't exactly heavy, but he has what looks like his own and Ezran's bags, too. He gives her a cheery grin in response. "Guess I can show you the guest rooms, too."

"There's no need to carry my bag for me, Soren," she corrects, somewhat exasperated. Must he show off here at the Banther Lodge, too? You'd think he'd grow out of it at twenty-six—

"I know," he says, smile softening to the point she can't mistake it for the sharp swagger of arrogance. "I want to, is all. You're here for a break too, aren't you?"

Then he heads up the stairs before she can fathom an adequate reply, and Opeli hastens after him. He points out the rooms along the hall that each of them sleep in, puffing out his chest that he's "next to Ez, for crownguard duty," and directing her to the bedroom by the window seat alcove.

It's a comfortable looking spot, and she thinks longingly of the novel she'd been indulgent enough to pack. At the castle there is always more legislature to read, always more letters to draft, but here, maybe...

In the end, that first day (or afternoon, she supposes) is mostly spent milling around the Lodge itself. They unpack, and Ezran creates a delicious havoc in the kitchen with Callum's help, and Rayla and Soren grow overly competitive when the group plays cards. Opeli has never had much practice and doesn't mind being out first. (But she'll do better next time, she swears, if only so Soren cannot needle her afterwards that he's so much better at her than something.)

Come nightfall, when everyone else has gone to bed, she sits up at the alcove and watches the snow fall. Then she clasps her candlestick holder and reads, eyes drooping halfway through the first chapter.

Then there's a creak down the hall, and Soren ambles over. "Opeli?"

Her name sounds different when he whispers it, like it's soft and safe in his mouth. It makes her feel warmer than it should.

Opeli sets her book aside though, swinging her legs back over. Her toes touch the cold floor. "What are you doing up?"

"Was going to get a cup of water." When he steps closer, there's bags under lightly glistening eyes. Another nightmare, perhaps? "Maybe some tea."

A distraction, then. She can give him one.

She pats the recently vacated space beside her, pleased when he takes it.

"How's your book?"

"A little ridiculous, maybe," she acknowledges. The plot is convoluted and the male lead a tad too stubborn for her taste. "But entertaining."

"That's good."

He looks slightly smaller in his pajamas, but she supposes she's dressed down too, in just her thickest night gown. She'd debated not even bringing her circlet and ceremonial robes. She won't be able to wear them if they venture out into the snow tomorrow.

Opeli chances a nod to the window. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Soren agrees, lightening. His smile grows more genuinely. "Snows almost as much here as it does in Del Bar."

"You're not sleepless about our destination, are you?"

"No. Just... hope Claudia is doing better than she was, when I left."

And while Opeli has no fondness in her heart for the younger of Viren's two children, nor initial confidence in Ezran's pardoning of Claudia, well... Opeli likes to think she's grown and learned a thing or two since arresting Rayla all those years ago. "I'm sure she is. Time can change many things for the better."

Like both she and Soren, maybe.

He catches her eye, heads turning to mutually face each other like two halves of the moon. Her heart beats fast, though she can't place why. They might be sitting closer than usual, a heavier, lidded look overtaking his expression, but...

She glances at the warm curve of his lips before she can stop herself, the bend of his mouth accentuated by the light of her candle, the way the faint shadows and moonlight catch the stubble on his jaw.

Yes, she can almost forget about politics at the Banther Lodge.

She pulls back.

Almost.

She clears her throat. "I could be persuaded to have a cup of tea, if you'd like."

Opeli grounds herself in how much colder it feels, suddenly, as they stand and separate. Soren heads down the stairs first.

She watches him, shoulders rolling and arms stretching, while he makes the tea, when he's not looking.

That's one indulgence she can allow, for now.

[foolschancey]

Who are you, no really?

I love that so many services are built for the socially awkward Millennial these days. Get odds and ends or just a needed meal delivered to my door? Don't mind if I do! Groceries that I can just pickup and don't have to walk across a parking lot sized store to find and then purchase? I'm right there!

It's also great because it works so well with my trans journey. Lets me avoid awkward stares and weird looks that drain my batteries and daily spoon budget with. It helps me keep my space feeling safe and comfy.

The part that's not so great about it is how much work I need to do to be seen as myself. All of the apps and services do so much to verify who you are. Even when checking in with a location based app that should already be verifying my identity. this morning I had a nice person ask for my name and I said Amelia like usual but then she asked for the last name for verification. I then smiled to avoid gritting my teeth and provided my name.

This might seem like a small thing that maybe Cis peeps may not pickup on but I get that extra small verification question often enough that I've realized what it is. "You don't match what I think this name is. Who are you, really?". For reference I was the only car at the pickup corral and had just checked in with the app. I don't know how I could have been some random pulling up and guessing my first name randomly for free groceries. That small extra verification could be nice because they're trying to make sure I'm in fact picking up my own groceries but I'm most certainly Amelia and continually proving that to the world when my voice doesn't match is soo tiresome.

Tiresome because I just woke up and decided to skip my mandatory daily shave and makeup routine so I could make the pickup window on time. Because I am so clearly me and the apps go through so much work to already prove to you who I am already.

I know this is a frustration that will pass. I know that I'm still early in my journey. I know that laser hair removal (once I can afford it) will eventually remove the daily shave requirement. That once that part is gone throwing on makeup will take less than 5 minutes to get out the door so doing it before going to pickup groceries wont feel like a chore. I know that my voice is good and once I'm warmed up and ready for the day people will say ma'am and young lady (both of which happened to me last night!!!)

One day it wont feel like I have to be a warmed up actor/voice actor in makeup and "costume" to just be seen as the name that shows up on the app. People will always genuinely see me as Amelia. No secondary or followup verification needed. Obligatory selfie! Sure I look rough, sure I haven't had coffee, meds or done shave and makeup yet but I am definitely me and I'm definitely cute af!

Stay silly :)

[readingoals]

End of Year Book Tag

With the end of the year approaching, I've seen a few people on youtube doing this End of Year tag and I thought it'd be fun to do it too, as a kind of followup to the mid year freak out tag. I've adapted the questions a little based on a couple different versions I've seen but I believe the original tag was made by Ariel Bissett. Anyway, onto the questions!

I am definitely on track for my 2024 reading goal! This year I set a goal of 40 books and as of today (Nov 2) I am sitting at 38 read which I am obviously stoked with. I am a little behind on the Read Christie challenge this year but only by 4 books so I shouldn't have any trouble finishing the challenge.

What I am behind on is posting about what I've read (oopsie) so I defs want to try and get caught up before too long.

(Originally this prompt specified an autumnal/winter read but I live in Australia and we're entering summer so I changed the wording a little.)

I don't often pick books based on the season but this year I do actually have a couple of summery reads that I'd like to get to. The first is Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack. The other is Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson which it the third in his Australia set mystery series so I'm assuming it'll take place in the summer too lmao.

If you'd asked me last week I would have had a few titles on my list but currently there's only one. Ghosts: Brought To Life was released in October and I have ordered it so I'm just waiting for it to arrive.

Oh I have so many more than three lmao but the one's I'm focusing on most are the Agatha Christie's I have left to read - Hickory Dickory Dock (which I just started today), The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side, Third Girl, and Passenger To Frankfurt. Aside from them I also have a few books I'd like to get to if possible just to tick off challenges I've been doing through the year (namely the Buzzword-a-thon and a bingo board I made in my reading journal). So that includes Artemis by Andy Weir, Not Now Not Ever by Julia Gillard, and There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh, amongst others.

Absolutely. Most of my five stars this year were re-reads and, honestly, nothing stands out as my absolute fave at the moment, so there's defs a possibility. I think maybe the most likely would be Every Time I Go On Vacation if I get to it before the end of the year.

Nothing solid yet. I will be doing the Read Christie challenge again next year (although I'm getting close to having read all of them so I may have to stretch some prompts to get to everything lmao)

The other thing I've kind of had at the back of my mind is to move my Frankenstein thing I've been doing in October to a different month next year, maybe something around the april/may/june/july part of the year. This year October's reading did not go as planned, I spent 3/4 of the month reading and annotating Emma and then only got through one Frankenstein related book. October tends to be an especially busy time of the year for me with work and I usually have to read the book I'm annotating to exchange with Lauren around that time too. Plus the weather doesn't really give the right vibe. I don't celebrate Halloween so I didn't time it to coincide with that when I started doing it, it was just coincidence, so there's really no reason to keep in in October. But I am thinking of maybe making a lil mini bingo board or something for anyone who wants to join in on it. idk it's all very much just a vague idea in the back of my head right now.

[bloodgulchblog]

🌀

🌀Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing...

You KNOW I am tormented with endless ideas.

....But the ones I feel most sure I'll actually do are the ones that I THINK will remain a small/manageable size.

I'm still picking at "Chief and Esparza go to the store" which takes place in some theoretical time after Halo Infinite. And that's the fic: Chief and Esparza go to the store, Esparza takes in what it's like to just be around this dude in places and how clearly Chief doesn't feel like he belongs here.

While I continue to toil in the mines over Smoke If You Got 'Em, I have two followup concepts. The first one I've talked about before, Coda.

After the Battle of the Ark, the front half of the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn passed through a slipspace portal, then returned to Earth and crashed into the Indian Ocean.

These events were separated by twelve days.

The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam passed those twelve days alone.

The other one doesn't have a name yet.

While the Arbiter and the Master Chief had not spoken once in the six years following the end of the war, when they met again on Sanghelios they talked deep into the night.

But what did they talk about?

(I'm very sincerely interested in this question, it's not a funny lead-in to them making out or whatever I'M TOO STUBBORN AND TOO EARNEST.)

[icharchivist]

Hello, just wanted to let you know that I initially followed you because of A3, but somehow you managed to convince me to download and play gbf instead

So now I'm currently in the midst of reading Marionette Stars, and I wanted to thank you, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have known about this wonderful gem of a game

Anyways my current fav right now is Randall, who is you know... *holds head in hands and sighs* because of course Chikage, my 2nd fav chara of Spring Troupe and the one that makes me brainrot the most in A3 would continue to haunt me even in another game (and now my head is full of ideas of them meeting)

Also wanted to ask which events do you think I should read after finishing Marionette Stars and its sequel? I haven't seen much of gbf events other than some of your ss about the mole troupe and the gay zombie beach event

oh my god, hi!!! omg!! this makes me so happy you have no idea!

I'm so glad you decided to try it out and that you could get in in time to read Marionette Stars!!! it's such a good event, and its followup is also really good and I hope you'll enjoy yourself as well!

AND *HIGH FIVE* RANDALL SUPREMACY LET4S GOO, i love him SO MUCH and. and yeah of course wacchan was a big reason why it happened to me as well, but he's also such a good character. He's so so good.

and imagining the a3 characters meeting the gbf character have been on my mind for so long. I feel you so much.

He also voices another character in Granblue who has more of a secondary role in general, who's name is Owen, who appears in the Magic School saga. The first of those stories (with Owen playing a big part) is Lonesome Dragoness, if ever you want to check it out! i admit i didn't check out part one yet and only read part 2 (Other side of the sky, in the sidestories) and part 3 (Showtime: Legend of the Blue Yonder, which isn't in the side stories though so if to read it's only on youtube). Part 3 doesn't have Owen in it but it has a character voiced by Asanuma (yknow, Itaru) which actually cursed my goddamn mind.

(and all of those events also includes Elmott, which is voiced by Azuma's VA) (i actually made a slight list of characters-with-same-va-as-a3-characters on here if it helps a little)

also just quickly for the record, you can also play Granblue fantasy on any chronium based browser (i've switched to Mozilla personally but i only have Chrome on my computer to play Granblue on the side ahah) so even on the phone you can get away with playing Granblue without needing an app

As for events i would recommend, ouh boy.

One of perhaps the biggest recommandation would probably be the What Makes the Sky Blue trilogy. It's the one we talk about the most on here because the characters left us brainworms, and because they were anni events so they are pretty big on game's lore.

The events are "What Makes the Sky Blue" "What Makes the Sky Blue II: Paradise Lost" and "000 - What Makes the Sky Blue III".

there's also kind of a "post trilogy" event with the Maydays that i recommend afterward, which is really just "now all the characters of wmtsb decompress from the Horrors by having some time at the beach." and it's really funny. (and a good preparation for the summer lesbians events, which are My Beloved Auguste (in side stories) and Auguste of the Dead (not in the side stories yet, which is the zombie summer event)) (The Mole Troupe event also includes characters from 000 and very "where are they now?" plot about them, if you're interested in more of them)

If you're in for a really, really long saga, and are okay with the fact the first few events will seem a bit short and rushed because it's older contents, the Dragon Knight saga is very close to my heart. (and it has Eguchi Takuya aka Tenma's va in it, as well as Shirai Yusukue (Masumi), Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Homare), and Atsushi Tamaru (Tsumugi) in it as well).

the Dragon Knights saga is the only saga that has a guarantee new event every Autumn, so the next Dragon Knight event is looming on the horizon if you want to prepare or them a bit.

in order in the side stories, it's -Defender's Oath - Four Knights of a Fallen Land - Between Frost and Flame - Divergent Knighthoods - Welcome to Bistro Feendrache (this one is a bit more filler-y though) - SIEGFRIED and not in the side stories yet: -Savior of Dalmore - Strength to Wield - To Each His Ideal.

In term of stand alone events, the ones i'd recommend would be:

-Seeds of Redemption. it'll have you know a bit about the Eternals which are a major group of the game in general, and it will also allow you to get one of them for free which is nice. it's also a very very emotional event.

-A Thousand Reasons was a more low stake event involving Feather and Randall before they got involved in the events of Marionette Stars, if you want to see more of them from the way back

-Primal Resonance is also a great event if you end up caring about primal lore in particular

there's a few events i'd love to recommend as well but they're not in the side stories so it could be a bit frustrating to have them recommended to you.... but if ever you want to check up more, let me know.

one good way to figure out which events you would like to read can depend also on the characters you get by gacha? characters usually come with a fate episode which is a short story. when you're on the stat page for a character, if you scroll to the bottom you'll see a "Journal" button. Clicking on it, it'll show you every events that featured this character. It could help you also figure out what type of stories you'd like to read!

Hope it helps out a bit, and if there's anything you're curious about and want guidance about, you can ask me anytime <333

i'm genuinely really touched you decided to try the game out thanks to all the rambling and that you're enjoying your stay at least!!

Take care <333

[semi-imaginary-place]

random trigun thoughts from discord

trigun is heavy on the genderqueer themes in regards to otherness and how the relationship between one's body impacts the formation of identity. read some posts about knives over the last few days and how his experience with othering which began from his body contributed to the formation of his identity as something separate from humans. There's also the parallel readings of Trigun as being about dual identities, for example people of mixed ethnicity or diaspora culture

Roberto de Niro is the babygirl of the party. vash is my little sweetiepie. (no seriously studio orange kidnapped acclaimed A list hollywood celebrity actor robert de niro using a time machine to 2009). Followup on why roberto is in stampede: to die and give meryl character growth. So that she has an angsty backstory of course, and to give her a gun.

dmc came out in 2001 so it and trigun are from the same era, so the similarities might be more a 90s 2000s thing. A lot of 90s stuff was grimdark edgy cyberpunk-esque so that would explain vash and dante's leather strap bdsm gear outfits. Gotta love a man decked out in bdsm gear. red blue twins, one of them is evil and the other on the side of humanity. Oh there is the whole dual identity thing with both twins too and the christianity. But atmosphere and concept are very different. Dmc is more gothic and demon hunting. Trigun is a space western mad max style. Both series: dead mom no dad lol. Stronger similarities to dmc in the manga where Plants have angel imagery (both the common dove wing and the biblically accurate eldritch). Vash and dante red/black devil imagery to knives and virgil white/blue angel imagery. Though this is fairly common, devilman's ryo and asuka, berserk's guts and griffith, the two gays from world ends with you. Vash and knives in stampede have additional contrasts with knives powers being sharp mechanical and vash's organic. Knives never wears clothes made by noman land's humans. Vash only wears clothes made on no mans land. Both have stuff from the spacefaring age/lost technology.

Plants in stampede instead emphasize the competing strategies of surviving on a desert world: plants (terraforming) vs. Plants (magic generators). Manga Plants are so weird there like a dozen plucked rotisserie chickens growing out of a girls neck and 2 human bodies attached to 1 head. there isn't just the sheer amount of energy Plants produce but magic portal dimensioning organic matter (which if you think about it is also a form of slow terraforming since you are adding organic matter and water into the biogeochemical cycles of the planet).

Speaking of trigun, all this talk of human survival and terraforming reminds me of the red mars movement which is a fictional movement from a novel of the same name. Say humans do terraform mars/gunsmoke/nomansland and make it more hospital to humans. Sure that's good for humans but in a way its bad for the planet as its pre-human characteristics would be lost forever. Being better for humans isn't the same as ethically good and just because something is useless to humans doesn't mean it doesn't have intrinsic value in just existing. This is more significant in stampede where vash was a "useless" Plant that didn't produce anything (as opposed the manga where vash and naj were of equal power). In making planets more like earth all we get are half baked earth clones and what is lost is what make those inhospitable planet unique and different from Earth. The humans of trigun stampede see nomans land as a resource to be used and molded to their needs, just as they see Plants, even "good" characters like rem or luida.The manga has (or at least stampede is yet to have) the layer that terraforming projects are seen as both literal and metaphorical gardens of eden/a good thing for gunsmoke

Studio orange renaming the planet nomans land reminds me of the fictional town nowhere. Gunsmoke wasnt a bad name either i mean we have a dude calling himself millions knives. I find these fiction english lang names to be charming

"While showing the twins the geranium flower, Nai turns to Rem and asks if it's just ornamental, like the one in the Plant room. Rem's face pauses into a Wait, What? expression before she masks it praising Nai for his observational skill. When Knives shows Vash the next memory from that incident, there is a geranium flower being held in a vase, but it's in the room where Tesla's body is being kept implicitly as a memorial for her. Nai is already showing signs of distrust towards humans and Rem's true intentions towards him and Vash. The geraniums being ornamental also offers parallels to the suspended remains of Tesla, as red things kept in glass to be admired and looked at. It parallels how he comes to view Vash as well — useless, fragile, without volition of his own, but still precious and to be protected. Sealed away, if necessary, from whatever might consume him. Of course, 'something to be consumed' is how he believes humans view both him and Vash, even as he uses Vash for resources himself." (Someone on tvtropes). The connection of red flowers in glass cases to dying Plants or Plants in general in cases

Idk about 98 since it looked like filler to me but between maximum and stampede they changed up the twins childhoods. (I like both, both takes are interesting and compelling). In stampede they had an unequal childhood dynamic with nai being the powerful useful one that had Plant powers and vash the weak useless one who could generate anything and didnt have plant powers and he did was eat and sleep, just like a human. This sets up in both their minds as knives being the protector and vash the protected. Vash as the weak human one, nai as the powerful greater than human one. As the weaker more human one a few of us fans extrapolate that its likely vash got more attention and care than nai (gifted child neglect). Because vash was the weaker one he need more care and since nai was powerful, self sufficient, and independent of course he'd be fine on his own

I dont have a preference between stampede wolfwood and manga wolfwood (mostly because im not a shipper, they seem to prefer manga wolfwood). Stampede sets up an interesting character contrast where all the main characters look 25. Vasha and knives are older than they look and are like in their 150s while by contrast wolfwood is younger than he looks, stampede is vague on the age but he acts like a sassy middle schooler so idk he might actually be 12 (which i find very funny and alao why). And then we have meryl who is a normal 20 something. (23? I dont remember). Manga sets up a different contrast with wolfwood actually being 25 (maybe time isnt real on gunsmoke) but looking like he's 40. I will say wolfwood and vash have infinitely more chemistry in the manga like they have an actual dynamic thats touches core parts of both characters while also being entertaining to watch. Shippers are wack and can spin cotton from nothing so the presence of shippers really only ever indicates 2 male characters exist but oh there is definitely something going on in the manga where there isn't in stampede. Manga wolfwood also has a more unique concept in the manga than in stampede (so far) as the manga fans like to say: they took his melanin, they took his nose, they took his tits, they took his job, they took his scoliosis, and they took his boyfriend

[byfurries4furries]

Adastra (Sci-Fi Visual Novel)

Last time, I talked about Echo, so now I'll talk about its much more successful followup, Adastra. Adastra is written by Howly and its primary artist is Haps. It's important to note that for a very long time, furry visual novels with great art and great stories were very rare. Echo had good art for sure, especially its CGs which are overall stunning even if they do contain minor continuity mistakes, but it's not amazing aesthetically. The sprites aren't very expressive, almost none of the backgrounds are illustrated, and some of the sprites just did not match their character descriptions. On top of that, the engine is very outdated and there's countless grammatical mistakes and continuity errors due to problems with being able to proofread and edit text. Adastra fortunately began production on a new version of Ren'py, the most popular visual novel engine for independent developers, which alleviated those technical problems on top of having some absolutely amazing art. Only a handful of backgrounds are not illustrated and the sprites are extremely expressive, adding a lot to the visual charm of its characters without having to rely solely on their writing. On top of that, the sprites and the CGs have the same artist, so the game is overall much more aesthetically consistent. Unlike with Echo, there's no caveats to it. There's nothing to warn about. A new player would have nothing keeping them from enjoying the game other than the story itself, which is good because the story is itself really good.

Adastra starts with the POV character, who we'll call Marco but who more often goes by the name KnotSlut69, being abducted by an alien. Fortunately the alien is a hot muscular himbo wolf prince named Amicus who basically wants Marco as his concubine, or a pet as he calls it. Now unlike the target demographic who probably would immediately jump at the chance to be a sex pet for an alien himbo wolf prince, Marco is not a furry (yet), has healthy relationships with his friends and family, and was planning on spending this time being a study abroad student in Rome, which he has been dreaming of and planning for for years. So, he actually has reasons not to want to be abducted and taken away to a far away planet. So he doesn't just show a bit of hesitance at the idea. He actively fights and resists, even knocking Amicus out and trying to commandeer the ship. Unfortunately, his interrogation method of just pressing random buttons until Amicus gets scared only leads to Marco almost crashing the ship into a star and depleting it of its very limited fuel. They just barely have enough fuel to fly to Amicus' planet of Adastra as Earth is too far at that point. Now Marco is left with no choice. He has to stay on Adastra until Amicus can figure out a way to get him back to Earth.

Adastra has many things I could gush over. The worldbuilding is really great, especially with its unique approach. The cosmology is really interesting. In the world of Adastra, there are three levels of advancement for civilizations. There are the Parents, who are essentially species that ascended to a state comparable to godhood, the Siblings, who are advanced enough to take on and distribute the knowledge and technology of the Parents to uplift even more species, and the Children, who receive the knowledge and technology of the Parents from the Siblings. In essence, Siblings are like colonial powers and the Children are the colonized peoples. In fact, one of the reasons Amicus came to Earth is he found records of there being an uplift attempt on Earth by Adastrans, which would make them an "abandoned Child" and would make him look good to have a member of a race like that as his pet, and it's clear he has to be right to some degree considering that uplift attempt happened in Rome and Adastra is very clearly reminiscent of early Rome to such a specific degree that it can't be a coincidence. Hell, the first Roman emperor was supposedly raised by wolves and Adastrans are a race of anthropomorphic wolves. They even speak a language that's pretty much just Latin with some relatively small changes. However, because humans have no formal records or common knowledge of Adastra, contacting them would be counted still as "first contact" which is extremely illegal without express permission of the Parents.

There's a lot more on top of that too. Because the goal in the game is to help Amicus become Emperor so he can take you back home, a lot of the game is focused on the history, politics, and culture of Adastra. Despite the fact you hardly get to see much beyond the palace for yourself, Adastra's world feels incredibly full and fleshed out and it uses that for dramatic and characterization purposes as well. For example, whenever something seems to go wrong with the process of deciding the emperor, Amicus is very dismissive of how the people feel about it, but unlike Amicus, Marco can't help but notice the smoke and fires rising from the capital across the lake from the palace. His brother, Cassius, does seem to understand what the populace wants, but he has a tendency to twist it into ugly bigotry and xenophobia. While Amicus ignores the greater political animosity of Adastra's population, Cassius manipulates it to fit his own agenda. However, as you find out more about Adastra, you learn more about what they do to their Children, which is akin to perpetual debt slavery. With that context, you may even start to wonder if the isolationist Cassius would be better overall as he wants to cut ties with the Children and, as an unintended consequence of that, free them from slavery. That is, however, with the drawback that he really hates Marco and directly threatens to execute him the second he gets the authority to.

As you may be able to tell, there is quite a lot more to Adastra than being a furry porn game. It's thematically very rich and touches on many issues that all connect to the overarching theme of disempowerment and lack of autonomy. There's a lot I could say about Adastra, but I have only really scratched the surface of that here. I cannot recommend this game enough, especially if you're new to furry visual novels. I know I could talk about issues like how overall uninteresting Marco is or how drawn out the epilogue is, but it's really nitpicky all around. I said last time Echo is my favorite game, but I would put Adastra in close second. Adastra's highs aren't quite up to Echo's, but if you just want a good introduction to the world of furry visual novels, I would recommend it over Echo in that regard.

Link

Itch.io

[echogekkos-writes]

📥🏅🌙☺️🍰💋 (tell me about your favorite miphlink fic you've written and what inspired it, what you still love about it!)

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

All fics! But especially so right after I post a fic or a chapter. It's that gratification you know? Knowing that someone out there read your fic right when you release it to the public, and they love it enough to leave you a nice comment!

🏅 What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc).

Hard to answer this one seeing as how its been over a year since I last wrote a fic. But I am feeling proud of my upcoming Gala fic for the miphlinkweek I missed...again. I think folks will like it! (plus I feel proud I get to write about your best rat bastard OC, Gildan, and make him an antagonist for my story!)

🌙  What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

Already answered this one, but followup would be rigth after work while those backgrounds thoughts are still fresh. Not quite ready to lock into fic writing for the long haul, but need to get those inspirations written out in chunks or at least in outline form.

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

Revali & Daruk. I really haven't written much on them outside of being background characters as pieces to the story.

🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).

Oooo that's tough. I've got A List™️. So I'll pick one of yours! Winter's Moon. It's always a great fic for me to re-visit, especially when I'm craving some fluffy hurt/comfort.

💋 (tell me about your favorite miphlink fic you've written and what inspired it, what you still love about it!)

Gotta be Measurements. I think as of right now, out of all the fics I've finished, it's gotta be my magnum opus (Snowbound and Finflip my beloved, I shall return to you soon and put you up there).

It was mostly inspired by a 'what about Link's family? How do they have a relationship to the Zora much in the same as Link does.' question, followed by 'how would they react to Mipha's proposal' and it took off from there. Especially behind the concept art from Creating a Champion. Aryll was massively inspired by Winry in Full Metal Alchemist too.

I just feel like I hit all the marks there. The oneshot doesn't overstay its welcome, its got an unusual amount of good description I feel like I still need to work on, and I LOVE how I wrote all my characters in there. Honestly, it's an AU-esque fic I'd love to re-integrate into an AoC re-write should I get the motivation to do so.

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: The Odd Squad UK Promo

Now, before reading this, I need everyone to give a middle finger to Firefox for repeatedly flashbanging me throughout this entire followup whenever I went to take a screenshot. This has never happened before. I don't know why it's happening. I do know that I am inches away from throwing that inflamed vixen in the trash and moving to SlimBrowser instead.

Okay, so now that you've done that, let's discuss this 30-second promo that someone on Discord was very polite enough to dredge up. (Since there's a lot of...sensitive stuff that happens in that server -- in an "inner workings of a television network" kind of way -- I will refrain from naming names. If you see this, you know who you are, and thank you.)

At the time of this writing, there are no teaser images, nor have all the expansive synopses been released yet. It'll take a while for TVO to get through all of them, BBC doesn't have any expansive synopses, and my other sources are...dead in the water.

I don't think I need to say this, but I'll say it anyway: there are spoilers abound in this. If you haven't seen the promo yet, it's best if you view it here before proceeding with this followup.

Let's dive in below the break!

The only reason I'm putting this here is because the plehn started in Arlington and it's goin' to the United Kingdom and to Britain.

Because PBS's Headquarters is in Arlington.

MOUNT VIRGINIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Am I fuckin' trippin' on some shit or are we inside Big Ben? Because I mean the clock to the left there is confusing my pea brain. And if we are in Big Ben, some agent is going to go clear through these doors and wind up doing the Peter Griffin death pose but...y'know...they're dead. So.

On another note, I see we're ditching Apple computers and going straight for Microsoft. I know what iMacs look like. I have Google. Those are not iMacs. Sorry, Cook, but you're not cookin' in the UK.

We can also see the breakroom that was spotted in the gadget competition briefing video, which...kinda makes all my cracks about the shitty editing age poorly. (The video editing, mind. Not the audio editing. Those cracks stay. There is no excuse.)

So there's a lot to take in here -- and I mean it's a disgusting amount; I have to go frame-by-fucking-frame -- but let's focus on Captain O and Ozzie specifically. We have Captain O holding a letter of some kind, while Ozzie himself is still in his Department of Help uniform. The letter could be something along the lines of "congrats, you're hired", but who's to say. Hard to tell from a simple zoom-in and an "attention, everyone!"

Me, I just wanna know what the knitting needles on Captain O's jacket are for. Watch it not be answered in 12 episodes and then I'll be staying up Googling when I have a car to drive and cry in.

People in the Odd Squad Discord server are, by general consensus, not happy with this British-fied Odd Squad logo. And really, I don't blame them. This is pure "graphic design is my passion and I get paid for it handsomely, motherfucker".

Look, I liked it better when it looked like a sun. The sun, at least, is symbolic from a certain standpoint. This is just making it British because we're in Britain, and it's not funny.

Pure excitement written all over that girl's face, right there. He's gonna be the poor schmuck just being dragged around everywhere in town.

Kind of like the guy who was my "boyfriend" in high school and then literally dragged me through the halls showing me off like he got the most valuable plushie in the world. (Yes, that actually happened. Yes, the quotation marks are intentional. No, you don't want me to elaborate, trust me.)

Only the guy is a tourist, I'm the poor schmuck who has to help the tourist, and the guy probably can't drag me because I outclass him by about a hundred pounds.

It took them ten years, but we finally have magic effects for when agents combine gadgets.

Oscar is shedding a tear of joy somewhere. He's never been able to make that happen, but a tourist and a Brit somehow made it work, and he's so proud of them.

I could've sworn I've seen this structure as a filming location, but I can't for the life of me figure out whether it was in the Season 3 days or if it was last year. My memory's trying to make me think the former.

Taken out of context, though, this is a monster that sees Orli and whom I have to assume is either Onom or Orwell as two fresh-blooded meals. Which ups the danger ante of the entire franchise considerably, because there is a line between "I'm going to hurt you" and "I am going to kill you".

This octopus...thing is just...more direct about the latter.

In the medical industry, that would be classified as a brain disorder.

...In the real world.

Here in the Oddverse, you can have electricity shooting out of your head and it's as much of a minor inconvenience as an item being out of stock at the store.

(Also, someone mentioned that this guy sounds like TomSka, and...I mean, I'm inclined to agree. Not exact, but it's pretty close.)

This is William Ocean's brother, who finally emerged out of the depths of Monty Python. Good for him!

I'm sorry, I just noticed this...but they have a steel rotating door?

Like...like a captain's ship...like it's...

And it's automatic...

I'm sorry, but I'm just so damn used to seeing metal doors that seeing one in a completely different color, material, and shape is sending me for a whirlwind. Holy cheesin' Jesus.

"I wanna be a cooowgiiiirl, baby!"

"Heeeell yeah!"

"I wanna be a coooowgiiiiiirl, baaaaabyyyyy!"

(Or, alternatively, Smoothest Bitch in the East.)

And finally, we get to my favorite part: the gay triangle villain. Gay villains, if you want to count the one on the left, but since they don't speak, it's hard to tell where they fall on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

I could make an entire Seren's Study on Odd Squad and LGBTQ+ representation, and I probably will one of these days, but I need you guys to understand something for a moment.

So in the aforementioned Discord server, there was talk of an episode of Season 1 of Alma's Way called "Say I Guess to the Dress". It involved Alma struggling to figure out what dress to wear to a party she's attending. It was meant to air in January of last year, but got mysteriously pulled and replaced with a different episode, and hasn't aired in the US since.

You might think this is not normal fare. You'd be right.

But in one scene of the episode, Lucas, one of Alma's friends, models a dress that -- and I am going off of the Wiki here -- was worn by Julia, his late cousin. Only for one scene. Only for a bit. Nothing more, nothing less.

This led to speculation that the episode got banned, hence why it hasn't aired yet. In Australia, it aired fine. However, we are on Season 2 of the show, and all we've gotten is pure crickets. We don't know for sure what happened, but with PBS, it's a minefield -- since they get a lot of money from donors, adding in an LGBTQ+ major character would sap up a good financial origin because people would be too pissed off to donate. So they relegate it to tiny sprinkles.

I'm not sure what the BBC's rules are on LGBTQ+ people in kids media. They could be strict, they could be lax, who knows. I still need to do some research on that. But for how much PBS is trying to make Gay Triangle Villain straight...he's not. He's really not.

Because let's be honest here: they're called the Triangle Sisters. That already says enough on its own.

Oof...didn't wanna make this super long-winded. But I'll discuss this at length later in another Seren's Study, once the episode airs.

I really might as well come out and really say it: I'm really not really a fan of the "really" gag. For a really short episode spanning really 11 minutes long, they really don't have time really for something of really this long and really painful.

...Really?

Really.

*distant ding*

Ahaha...ahaha...haha...aaaaaaah...

Mmm...

Cute. Real cute. Fuck you. But real cute.

And also, fuck PBS Kids execs for only putting out promos of new episodes of shows the day of. Remember when they used to put out promos earlier than that? Pepperidge Farm remembers, and for how much my memory sucks ass, so do I. Those were the golden days. Now we get stuff like these, because not a day goes by where they're stuck under the feet of Netflix and Hulu. Big competitors. Target and Walmart kind of rivalry.

----------------------------------------------------

Overall, not a lot of beef to this promo. I wasn't expecting anything mindblowing like, say, the trailer for the first movie (and that was epic in its own right), but it's pretty standard as far as PBS Kids promos go. I'm fairly positive CBBC will put out something far better that pulls in viewers, though I can't attest to how great their promos are because the last I saw one was...whoof, a long time ago.

But hey, look at it this way: Odd Squad UK and Pokemon Horizons will air on the same network, which means I can be an insufferable "Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon is my life" bitch all I want.

As for the contents of the promo itself...aside from gay triangle villain, there wasn't really any spark that caught my eye. Nothing to make my jaw drop or make me go "wowee kazoo". At this point, I'm watching for two reasons: curiosity, and to give them another chance at making a franchise going stale a lot better. And also the fanfic ideas. Lots of fanfic ideas.

I doubt I'll put out another Seren's Study before this one (my PBS Kids one isn't done yet), so the next one will come sometime after the first batch of episodes releases and will be an episode followup for "Odd Ones In". Once that's done, I'll work on followups for the other episodes.

Thanks for reading. Seren out.

[musingsofmaisie]

I agree with you that they both-desperately need each other. But to Crowley, Aziraphale's "I need you" sounds like "I need you to rescue me, to come to my aid, to pull my nuts out of the fire yet again".

At this point in their discourse Aziraphale has more or less ignored Crowley's plea, dismissed him as one of the "bad guys" and told him that "nothing lasts forever"-including their sanctuary, and by extension, their relationship. "I need you" doesn't read as an declaration of love, it reads as an order-become something you're not (and don't want to be) that conforms to what *I* want. If the message Crowley hears is that it takes becoming an angel and returning to Heaven to make himself acceptable to Aziraphale, then he *doesn't* belong there.

But Aziraphale is not listening to him-wasn't at all. He came in "about to pop"-the unmistakable tone of voice.

You could see it in his face as the realization set in. When Aziraphale said "Not at all". The way he tilted his head back. In shock and devastation, Crowley withdrew into himself. The defeat in his voice when he said "No, I don't suppose it does." He put on his glasses-inside the bookshop, he never does that, he waits until he's at the door. He's clearly closing the door on his heart to Aziraphale. And he heard the nightingales fall silent. And the irritation in Aziraphale's voice in that moment was just chilling.

(I won't talk about The Kiss here, because that's another 110 paragraphs all by itself)

But yet, instead of smoking out in the street, instead of driving off at insane speed, he stands and waits in case Aziraphale relents.

None of this explains Aziraphale's side of things in a way that doesn't negate the growth we thought we had seen in him. THAT Aziraphale would have known that Crowley would never accept the Metatron's (supposed) offer, nor would he have framed it as such a wonderful and benevolent solution for them. THAT Aziraphale would have known that "together" in Heaven would not look anything like what either of them would want. THAT Aziraphale would know that neither of them could ever be safe in Heaven. THAT Aziraphale would have known that "Be my second-in-command" is about the least appealing offer imaginable.

But. But. But. We don't know what *really* went down during the chinwag. We get a couple of snippets from Aziraphale's point of view- including Metatron referring to Crowley by his name, which I doubt is how it went down, considering the dark glare he directed at Crowley behind the back of Aziraphale. We see through the Metatron's phoniness as he tries to soften up Aziraphale with flattery, why doesn't Aziraphale recognize it for what it is? The Metatron is bullshitting him when he calls him honest and a leader-neither are qualities that he wants in a Supreme Archangel, he wants someone who does what they're told to do, unquestioningly.

We *suspect* that the chinwag is a followup to another conversation that took place offstage, and one that Crowley presumably doesn't know about. And, most of all, we don't have a clue the meaning of that smirk that appears on Aziraphale's face right before the focus blurs.

They need each other. Desperately.

i feel like not enough people are talking about the fact that aziraphale tells crowley “i need you.” and he says it with such emotion, he’s so distraught and confused. why is crowley walking out on me? on an eternity together in heaven? i can’t do this alone.

i get we were all a little bit (a lot a bit) shellshocked when we finished season 2, but that line hit me in my gut. because we finally got BOTH of them admit they need each other. crowley gets that point across through his confession, but azi just straight up says it.

they need each other.