#these folks are awesome and deserve the recognition

[vagabondbabbler]

https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/album/violent-creed-of-vengeance

#28: Smoulder - Violent Creed of Vengeance

Oh hey, we've reached the first band on the list I've actually spent a lot of time with. I like Smoulder and actually own this album on vinyl which should give you some idea of my feelings ahead of time. Let's get into it tho.

Smoulder plays doom-tinged "epic" heavy/US-power metal. The riffs are top notch and there's a lot of depth and complexity to the songs - this is one that gets better the more you listen to it and pick it apart. The real standout of the album, though, is Sarah's vocals. She's one of the most unique vocalists in modern metal imo and this album is a showcase for that. The lyrics are heavily laden with fantasy themes (to the point that Michael Moorcock does the spoken intro for a track about Elric and the Eternal Champion), but she alludes to in interviews there's a lot of personal allusions too. This album also sees them try out more speed/eu-power metal on certain tracks - which also rock.

My gripes about the album are relatively few. I had trouble getting into it the first couple times I listened, but it really grew on me. Ironically the vocals that I just sang the praises of were one of the hardest parts at first. She weaves in and out around the melody/rhythm instead of mirroring it, and her vocals are mixed in a more doom metal style where they feel a bit distant in the mix. As someone for whom vocals are an easy "in" to music and who really loved her singing and the mixing on Dream Quest Ends (both a little more standard heavy metal vibes), it was a bit of an adjustment. However, it was worth the time it took to get into this one. Highly, highly recommend.

I'll end with the bands own words here: Love metal. Hate fascists. Death to rape and rape culture.

https://www.invisibleoranges.com/smoulder-interview/

[legendary-defender-of-fandoms]

Guess what? It’s Vanellope’s turn

So, one of the chief complaints that gets tossed around about RBTI is how Vanellope “went Turbo” by abandoning Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race. And while I get some of the criticism, I have to push back on some points.

Folks say that gamers will notice Vanellope’s absence & get the game unplugged for good. First, she’s been missing for at least a decade and no one noticed. Second, her outfit & kart don’t match ANY of her pictures on the game console and no one cared. Third, KING CANDY’S gone and his death didn’t lead to the game being unplugged. That’s the power of the Random Racer Roster - no one notices if an old character disappears or if a new character is added. They think it’s just chance.

Turbo forced himself into Roadblasters & Sugar Rush, completely hijacking the latter’s programming to make himself the guy in charge. Vanellope was INVITED to stay in Slaughter Race.

While the movie clearly meant to make it a stupid joke about “Oh, those Disney princesses, always wanting Something More,” we can’t forget that Vanellope was abused, ostracized, and mistreated during her Glitch decade. If Wreck-it Ralph was a standalone movie, it’d be ok if she took charge in the end but became a benevolent ruler so no one would experience the pain she had to suffer because the movie was 90 minutes long & folks needed to get home for work the next day. But with a sequel, it’s not out of the question for Vanellope to need some time & space away from Sugar Rush to figure things out. MAYBE she’ll come back someday, MAYBE she’ll stay in Slaughter Race forever, but she deserves a break.

So, no, I don’t have a problem with Vanellope wanting to expand her horizons and try some new things.

IN THEORY.

In RBTI, however, the execution was incredibly flawed. The press leading up to this movie said the story was meant to be akin to friends going their separate ways for school, one friend being ready to move on while the other stayed behind. But the film made it feel like Vanellope was trading up, not moving forward. The whole thing went out of its way to make Ralph the worst possible choice for Vanellope, replacing him in her life with Shank.

And I’m not hating on Shank. She was clearly made to capitalize on Gal Gadot while Gal Gadot was a marketable star, and the character doesn’t do anything to try to one-up Ralph in the Surrogate Parent department. It’s all the narrative’s doing.

Oh, Vanellope said “Cool” to Ralph living in the garbage once and Ralph kind of trauma-dumped about how living in the garbage sucks ass? Well, Shank & her friends live in a super-cool dystopian dumpster fire & they think it’s AWESOME!

What’s that? Ralph & Vanellope spent a long time baking her first kart, which didn’t look anything like the perfect sample kart but Vanellope loved anyway because it was HERS & her love for her imperfect kart gave Ralph a sense of pride for doing something right for the first time in his life as well as recognition that perfection is overrated? Then the two bonded more as Ralph helped Vanellope learn how to drive & unlocked her dormant driving skills? Well, Shank just GAVE Vanellope her own race car during an Alan Menken musical number & they flew through the sky, so same thing really.

And again, Ralph’s character was COMPLETELY ASSASSINATED to make him look worse compared to Shank! They went back to his stupid beta version from the deleted scenes that was super whiny, kind of gross, and impressively stupid so Shank would look smarter, sleeker, and more put-together. They made him throw a temper tantrum outside of eBay when he didn’t understand the rules of bidding & blubber like a baby when he got caught trying to steal Shank’s car so Shank would be the more emotionally stable one. HE PURPOSEFULLY CRASHED SLAUGHTER RACE & ALMOST KILLED VANELLOPE so no one would want to see her stick with his clingy, insecure ass.

And this “Vanellope traded up” vibe continues in other media. Like the “Sugar Rush Racers” books I mentioned before. Vanellope spends MAYBE five off-page minutes with Ralph before he takes a nap & the other Sugar Rush Racers ask Vanellope if they can join her in Slaughter Race for a bit. Then during the story, Vanellope’s always referencing either the Disney Princesses (which she apparently does a LOT according to the other Racers’ reactions) or her new life with the Slaughter Race characters. There’s ONE mention of that time Ralph was WILLING TO DIE TO SAVE HER LIFE, but that’s it. No mention of making her kart together, no talk of their heart-to-heart in Diet Cola Mountain, no acknowledgement of the training montage or the time he trashed her kart because he thought he was saving her life, then his going back later to apologize & really help her get her life back by winning the race. Nothing. Almost like their adventures together meant nothing. And there’s no mention of OTHER adventures they might’ve shared between movies, despite the Sugar Rush Racers casually mentioning the time King Candy banished two of the recolor racers (which opens a WHOLE can of worms about why he didn’t just do that with Vanellope, or kill her outside Sugar Rush before trying to delete her code & reprogram himself into the game, but whatever). And at the end of the second book, when the Racers are told they can go back to the arcade, Vanellope says she wants to spend “a hot minute” with Ralph before going back to Shank & her crew in Slaughter Race. Implying they’re her REAL family.

WHAT

THE

ACTUAL

FUCKITY

FUCK?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I truly believe if the authors of the books COULD have left even the mention of Ralph out, they would’ve. He has been thoroughly Scrappy Doo’d by Disney, and it fucking HURTS!!!! HE’S THE REASON VANELLOPE EXISTS!!!!!!! AND THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL HIM!!!!!!!

And still, I need to know why? Why does Disney hate him? Why does Disney want US to hate him? WHY are they trying to bury him?!!!?! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED DURING PRODUCTION OF THIS STUPID CURSED SEQUEL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: October 2024

I'm not one for horror so don't expect too much spooky stuff out of this recap.

……….FILM……….

Dredd (2012) Karl Urban deserves greater recognition for this if for no other reason that that frown. I doubt we'll ever get another one of these so to me the ending sends a clear message that the only way to avoid becoming a bad apple is to quit the bushel.

Perfect Blue (1997) Loosely knowing the premise, I thought I was prepared for what I watched but HO BOY was I not! Some truths are timeless and I think the now dated technology makes it all hit even harder. So well directed and a perfect use of animation. This is going to stick with me for a while.

Millennium Actress (2001) After Perfect Blue, I wanted to continue with the director's filmography (Satoshi Kon) and wasn't ready for how this would FLOOR ME. Such an emotional and lovely depiction of the intermingling between art and life and what drives an artist throughout their career. And the trope of characters playing multiple roles in different time periods will always land for me.

Death Becomes Her (1992) I only know Meryl Streep from this, The Devil Wear Prada, and the Mamma Mia series so to me, she's strictly a comedic actor. Given its subject matter, this continues to age surprisingly well.

Hansel & Gretel (2002) Felt like a made-for-tv movie but turns out it had a theatrical release! I did laugh at the Boogeyman subbing in for the Sandman and the design of the Witch's oven is cool, but that's about it.

……….TELEVISION……….

Dandadan (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) Teens fight aliens and ghosts? Heck yes. I will say the first ep has an alien abduction scene that almost turned me off of the entire show but once you get past that, everything else is really great. Fun worldbuilding, clever rules, and at its core it's a charming romcom. Just promise me you'll watch past the abduction.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.23 to 1.26) Okay so that's the ending! Not what I expected but you know what? I don't mind it. I know there's a movie that continues on after this BUT if it ended here I think I'd be okay with it. What a strange series.

Love is Blind (Episode 7.01 to 7.13) I keep thinking "why would anyone still sign up for this?" but here I am into another season asking "why would anyone still watch this?" And dang that reunion was meeeeeeeessy.

Love is Blind UK (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) This iteration feels a little more sincere, but that may be because the cast seems a little older or because the machine hasn't yet pumped out minor celebrities so folks don't know what might lie ahead? Either way I'm a fan.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Dead Man's Bones (Ft. Ryan Gosling) - Documentary Special Presentation by Pitchfork While spooky season is nearly over, the music of Dead Man's Bones is evergreen. Watch this, if you haven't seen it, and especially listen to the album if you haven't heard it. VIDEO

Game of Clones by Just Write As much a reflection on how artists can't create in a vacuum as it is a critique of the modern tv landscape. There's a lot on influence and the different ways artists react to prior work that I found both informative for my own approach and just generally really interesting. VIDEO

Why Are Movies So Obsessed With Trains? and The Infinite Possibilities of Train Action Scenes | Blue Flame Special by Patrick H. Willems I love trains. VIDEO (Obsessed) VIDEO (Blue Flame Special)

Black Cops Won't Save Us by F.D Signifier I'm not going to be able to add anything new to what's already been said in this video. VIDEO

……….READING……….

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (Complete) Very excited I found this at the start of the month but turns out Halloween plays a very small role. Not one of her strongest, perhaps because I felt like I'd pieced the mystery together far too soon.

Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber (Complete) There's something so wonderful about a story where two guys meet and immediately clock each other as awesome and become best friends. Such a delight. The end may be a worn out trope that you could spot a mile away, but it's all so evocative and swiftly paced that I just have to shrug and accept it was written in 1970.

Beauty by Kerascoët & Hubert (Complete) I wish I knew about where to find more comics like this. The artwork is loose and evocative but filled with details when necessary (and the COLOURS are so fantastic and are contained to each page to really highlight the format). The writing is also killer as it's both mature and whimsical. Every time I read this I'm reminded of just how fantastic it is.

The Adventures of Tintin: Red Rackham's Treasure (Complete) Grew up watching the cartoon yet never read any of the comics so when I saw this at a thrift, I was really excited. While mostly self-contained, it really does feel like it's part of a bigger story and I suppose I was expecting a little more pulp adventure? The art is stellar so I'll continue to pick these up as I see them.

……….AUDIO……….

Slugger by Sasami (2024) Two solid songs though I admit I tend to prefer her fuzzier/more dangerous-sounding tracks from Squeeze. Here's hoping the full album has a good mix.

Search Engine (Podcast) Always a great listen but their recent two-parter about why it's so hard to tax billionaires in the united states was a particular standout.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday Crew just relocated some migrating birds and are now choosing from their myriads of quests. You can read all about them here!

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo) Top down Zelda is always going to be great, and this art style is 100% what I want out of games. Do I like the summoning mechanic? Sure. Do I think it leads to game design feeling half-baked? Yes. But I will say it stuck the landing so overall: big fan.

And that's it. See you in November!

[approximately20eggs]

Please don't vote for Mob in the upcoming Mob vs. Shallan Davar/Veil/Radiant dissociation swag poll!

Beloved mutuals, I write today to make a desperate plea for Squimbo From My Polls, as I threatened to do earlier. This is relatively unimportant and I need to be working on homework right now but this matters, To Me.

You see, Shallan, and Veil, and Radiant, my girls, my beloved, my collective poor little meow meow, soon face Shigeo Kageyama from Mob Psycho 100 in @dissociationswagcompetition's tumblr poll bracket. And folks, I love both of these blorbos. I really do. But Mob does not deserve to beat Shallan and Veil and Radiant! Shallan specifically here is the QUEEN of dissociating! And she's swagful! She deserves to sweep this entire bracket! However, the Stormlight Archive fandom is a fairly small one, and Mob Psycho's is... not. Do you know the post that's about Squimbo from an obscure manga from 2004 vs Pikachu, where Pikachu wins based on pure name recognition? I fear an impending situation like that when Shallan's system absolutely DESERVES to sweep. Friends, I know we all like Mob. I ask you to listen to my plea and vote for Shallan's system instead.

Let me start with the obvious. The mostly non-spoilery. To start, Shallan, Veil, and Radiant are a canon DID system. Yes, canon DID, that's not demonized and is accurately, fairly represented! They aren't side characters, either; Shallan's system is arguably one of the two most main characters in a book series with a very large cast! It's awesome! And Shallan, to be clear, has dissociation issues besides purely being part of a DID system as well. She is constantly emotionally dissociating to cope with life. It gives her significant memory trouble. She dissociates hard and constantly and her mental illnesses are a significant part of the narrative. And let me re-iterate: Shallan's system is so so swagful. Shallan is quippy and funny and smart, Veil is an utter badass spy, and Radiant is a master swordswoman. So much swag.

Plus, she does the whole bottling up emotions thing. I get that that's why Mob is in this poll probably and let me tell you: she does all that and more. She deserves this win.

This enough should be enough information to vote for her, but I want to give specific examples, and that gets into spoiler territory. So, a cut is in order.

TO START I want to say that Shallan dissociates so hard that the count of people that she murdered and then forgot about murdering is up to FOUR!! FOUR PEOPLE. She dissociates so hard her dissociation has a body count. All were very necessary murders which is why I do not consider this demonization. Her motives were incredibly understandable, such as self defense or necessary to save the world. Does not change the fact that she entirely forgot about them.

Also. She does not remember like half of her childhood at least, during which some of those murders took place! It is commonly suspected that she probably has more people she's killed under her belt and we just don't know about it because she forgot about them. Very little is known about Shallan's past in general because she dissociated too hard and doesn't remember it. She managed to acquire a shardblade, one of the most powerful weapons in the setting, and forgot how she got it.

Also!! She's very avoidant of things that are trauma triggers, especially if they threaten to make her remember stuff she's suppressed. It's very significant because Pattern, her spren, keeps trying to get her to confront her past and move on, and she keeps fighting this every single book. This is an ongoing, deep internal conflict, and not something brushed under the rug.

Finally: this system is so swagful guys. They She got stabbed and thrown into a room full of corpses, experienced The Horrors as they were being carried there, and still got up to continue their mission later, over the course of which they took a crossbow bolt to the head and acted like it was totally fine and the others were crazy for being worried about them, and they pulled it out solely because they couldn't talk around it. PLUS they magicked up an entire army once. Also, she's witty, and always has a quip, and she's married to another swagful guy, AND she and her husband would be down for a polyamorous triad with Kaladin if he was, which he sadly isn't. So much swag.

So please vote for my blorbo please please please I'll love you forever if you do. the end

[berrypass-de-murdler]

Hey pooks! So, it's been a hot second and I've totally been stalking your blog, and I needed to give you some props. It's so clear that you put and are putting insane effort into the cartoon Murdleverse, and I'm so impressed by your dedication!! When I get the time, I'll be sure to familiarize myself more with your work, but from what I've seen already, I can tell how unique your spin is. I really wish that didn't lead to the alienation you mentioned you were feeling. Because at the end of the day, you're still an honorary murdler who took inspiration from the awesome world Karber is creating.

Every fandom has folks who branch away from canon and community agreed upon fanon. And it may not be everyone's cup of tea but I do think those creators, like yourself, should receive the deserved recognition. Escpailly in a teeny fandom, it's more content! My obsession with murdle is always making me look for content. So continue doing what you are doing, especially if it makes you happy and you're having fun!! Take care <3

;w; <3 <3 <3 <3

That is genuinely some of the most heartfelt praise I've ever received, i don't know what to say

I'll treasure this forever <3 <3 And I will be sure to check out ALL the murdle stuff you make too ^w^ <3

[ask-the-denalis]

I got a curious question for the whole coven

You guys were turned in different time periods way back when, but you guys also went through a bunch of different time periods, just going through the centuries. As well as moving around at some points going through different languages and perhaps the ever changing slang/lingo/phrases

Did you guys ever have trouble with learning a new language? Or when different time periods came, and updating phrases and such? Like, do you guys ever slip back to maybe really old phrases some people might not use? Do you ever get frustrated when an old word that perfectly describes something no longer gets used and there isn't an equivalent in the modern day?

Like, do you guys ever slip back to maybe really old phrases some people might not use? Do you ever get frustrated when an old word that perfectly describes something no longer gets used and there isn't an equivalent in the modern day?

*cough* Tanya *cough*

Katrina...

Pay her no mind, Carmen. Any kind of recognition will only further encourage her.

Pfft.

Hello love,

as my sister so charmingly pointed out, I am indeed quite fond of maintaining a sophisticated manner of speech. There is a certain grace to it that, unfortunately, seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the way as the centuries progressed.

And thank God for that.

I agree with Tanya. It is truly a shame...

That being said, I aim to preserve this family´s linguistic heritage, as far as I can. With...varying degrees of success.

Bite me.

However, I think I speak for all of us when I say that adapting to any new language has been fairly uncomplicated. Our kind is quick to adjust, if needed.

Yup. We´re awesome. (I´m the best though.)

Sure.

Agreed!

Indeed.

Yours truly, 💋

- Tanya, leader of the Denali coven

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Sooo...

I think I can answer all of the above in one and the same way:

No.

...

I dunno what else you want me to say, honestly. It´s as simple as that. 🤷‍♀️

"Simple" describes it well...

Stay charged! ⚡

- Kate the Great

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Hello mortal,

as Tanya already mentioned, learning a new language (or any skill, for that matter) comes with little difficulty for us. One of the "perks" of our nature, I guess...

And the muscles.

As for "updating phrases:"

It's quite similar to the language matter, I'd say. We´re quick to adjust, if needed. In fact, I'd argue that most of us see it as a welcome change...

Hm...

Say it louder!

I myself don´t have a preference for any particular style of speech. I use of a variety of them, depending on the situation as well as my mood that day.

The mood in question: 💩

Do I ever get frustrated? Getting "frustrated" would imply caring enough to let it ruin my day. I can think of a million better ways to spend my time.

Her majesty doesn´t concern herself with common folk problems.

Busy Regards, 📖

- Irina Denali

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Hello dear!

And what a clever question! Or rather, questions. 🤭

First and foremost, I find that every time period I have experienced so far has had its own pleasures and deserves recognition. While I agree with Tanya that the older, more formal ways of speaking carry a certain charm, that doesn’t mean newer generations don’t offer something of equal value. They each have their own merit.

I suppose...

Well said, my love.

With that said, I never really minded adapting my vocabulary to current times. On the contrary, I found it quite exciting! When one lives for as long as we do, you take any chance at "staying sharp" that you can get. 🤭

I was just glad to see ppl finally getting that stick out their asses.

...However, I have to admit that I find myself "slipping back" from time to time. As they say, old habits are hard to break. 🙈

I cherish those moments. They´re quite fetching. ;3

With love, 🫶

- Carmen, passionate home stylist

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Greetings,

as you might have discerned from my previous remark, I myself practise a more...traditional form of speech. Although, I must admit, it is less a matter of preference and more a matter of...well...habit, for lack of a better word.

You are too precious, my heart. <3

Nevertheless, it was quite disheartening to see long-established linguistic customs disappear over the centuries.

Truly...

Now, as my coven members rightfully stated, our kind is quick to adapt to new circumstances. My penchant for a more formal manner of speaking is purely habitual, as mentioned beforehand.

Meaning: Your inner party animal´s just waiting to come out. B)

I also agree with my wife that there is value to be found throughout many stages of linguistic history. It would be rather presumptuous to assume that one era holds supremacy over the rest.

Yes...how presumptuous indeed...

<3

As for "getting frustrated:"

I think you will find that I am rather composed fellow. :)

This coven is truly blessed to have you, dear.

No shit.

"Composed" is one way of putting it. ;)

One of the countless reasons I fell for you, querido. <3

Best wishes, 🙏

- Eleazar, admirer of the written word

[littlemissidontcare]

He is an actor and like any actor he wants recognition.

Whoever wrote this paragraph I’m guessing English is not your first language? If I understand your post correctly you’re saying Seb deserves to win and we’re all gonna be angry with anything me does no matter how much he “deserves” in your mind, to win?

Well, yes Seb works hard. But other actors work harder. Yes Seb has talent but other actors have more talent and have been in their business far longer. To watch other actors get snubbed while Sebastian is BUYING his way into that recognition it definitely triggers people. Not just is normies but other folks in the industry as well. They know it was bought as well. And if Seb is not careful and keeps up with this BS he’s been ip to he’s going to end up sticking his foot in his mouth. Because people won’t want to work with someone so desperate for recognition, willing to screw others over just to get ahead in the business.

Yes, that’s Hollywood and it happens a lot but actors who are truly in it for the craft & bringing attention to highlight subjects & causes (as Seb claims he is), and not the fame and fortune, they don’t care this much about awards and recognition.

Sam Rockwell is a GREAT example. Not only has he been around awhile, and been in way more projects than Seb , he is way more respected in the business than Sebastian That man has been around since the 90s, the OG Ninja Turtle movies, and he’s popular and well recognized because he has work ethic, integrity, talent, picks awesome projects and is great to work with. He doesn’t have to buy his way into the industry because he earns it, through his work and projects ,

Sam has no social media presence because he knows he doesn’t have to impress people with fake BS, fake GFs, or buy awards. He lets his talent and projects speak for themselves. I know all of you love Seb and think he shits gold, kiss the ground he walks on and think he’s the most talented actor ever because you idolize him but please pull your rose colored glasses off. There are far more talented artists out there who aren’t as desperate for recognition like Seb is. Seb is desperate instead of letting his work & art speak for itself he has to buy his award.

[wayblaze]

in no particular order, my top 10 favorite albums of all time:

1) turn on the bright lights - interpol (2002)

so yes I did just say in no particular order but this is absolutely my #1 favorite album of all time. this is just a masterfully constructed album, the flow from song to song is seamless in a vibes sense, and it's definitely better than the sum of its songs when listened to in order. honestly couldn't tell you what the album is about, bc I really think this is a sonic success more than anything else. interpol did not really receive widespread fame and acclaim the way similar bands of the era did, but this album has huge critical success nonetheless. it's really just a masterclass in writing a cohesive and exceptional album

2) yoshimi battles the pink robots - the flaming lips (2002)

now actually starting the no particular order, this awesome concepty-story album, coincidentally also from 2002. so I generally think it's true that a good album is better when it's listened to in order, but compared to the interpol album, I feel like each song on ybtpr stands alone a lot better. not to say the story of yoshimi and the pink robots isn't a good one, but each individual piece of music is also really good. the robot sounds and other effects in this one make it a really fun listen as well

3) the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars - David Bowie (1972)

first off it is truly impossible to make a top 10 music list and not include David Bowie. this one I think beats out his other masterpieces because he's truly nailed the rise and fall. even just the opening song, five years, has such a great build that mirrors the whole album. it makes listening to Ziggy an immersive experience in a way that few artists can do

4) people who can eat people are the luckiest people in the world - ajj (2007)

moving away from rock albums, this is probably a controversial take but I think this is the best folk punk album out there. while it doesn't make the political and social statements that later ajj albums do, I think ajj's take on the world and what we owe the people around us and the importance of radical compassion is so beautiful. nothing makes me have more faith in my fellow man <3

5) in the aeroplane over the sea - neutral milk hotel (1998)

moving right back into non-controversial takes, up next is neutral milk hotels most famous and well loved album. this one is just an experience to listen to. absolutely insane lyrics and bizarre and discordant melodies make this one stand out to me as my favorite weird album. another band that has just nailed the album is better in order thing, especially with the way some songs will flow into each other

6) dengue fever presents electric cambodia - dengue fever, sinn sisamouth, ros serey sothea, pan ron (2010)

okay so this first off I think it's really important to clarify that dengue fever has remastered and compiled songs that were likely not to get any widespread reach, but the actual writer and singers of these are sinn sisamouth, ros serey sothea, and pan ron. sinn sisamouth was of the most prolific and successful singer-songwriters in cambodia in the 60s and 70s. he was pioneering an incredible blend of traditional cambodian sounds with the psychedelic rock music that was becoming very popular in the west for such an incredibly unique and beautiful sound. sinn sisamouth was killed during the cambodian genocide and between the khmer rouge efforts to keep cambodian works from spreading, writing non English songs, and just the passing of time, he never received the recognition and fame he deserved. this compilation barely scratches the surface, he wrote and recorded hundreds of songs that are getting released on Spotify genuinely monthly. absolutely check him out there's nothing else like it

7) funeral - arcade fire (2004)

this is an album that is definitely better listened to in order but omg are the songs themselves beautiful. I'm an especially big fan of neighborhood #1-4 and une annee sans lumiere. just beautiful piano and vocals but it still maintains the rock album vibe

8) hi this is flume (mixtape) - flume (2019)

moving starkly away from rock, up next is hi this is flume. I'm not nearly as big of an edm fan but this is just so fun to listen to. the songs all flow together in a way that feels like you're listening to a live dj, the featured artists are so awesome, and it just tickles my brain in such a good way

9) recomposed by max richter: vivaldi the four seasons - max richter (2014)

so this is definitively classical music. it's absolutely still recognizable as Vivaldi's four seasons but max richters spin is really what makes a classical album make the top 10. not only does he modernize the composition while still maintaining the source materials story and emotions, but the way he uses synthesizers and even like recordings of ambient noise it's just really cool and unique.

10) canyon candy - javelin (2011)

would be remiss not to include a country album but honestly this is way more an experimental conceptual album that happens to have a Western sound than anything. basically, the band found sound bites and snips from different and random vinyls and mixed all that together in the coolest sounding soundtracky western vibe. there's barely lyrics and it's only about 25 minutes long, but it really does manage to feel like a journey when you listen to it

[cdmagic1408]

So I’ve just thought of some stuff I wanted to say during my time in hiatus…

Oh my god. OH MY GOD NO WAY. BOB CHAPEK HAS BEEN FIRED?!?! THIS IS AMAZING!!! I didn't think they'd actually do that but seriously tho GOOD RIDDANCE to that man I hate him so much....so here’s to hoping things will turn around at Disney finally 🎊🤞

I love this Pixar Thanksgiving art SO MUCH!! Like…Ian and Barley…they’re so adorable here 🥺

HAPPY 5 YEARS TO COCO! Arguably my second favorite Pixar film of all time! I can’t believe it's 5...like that’s crazy…I’ll never forget the first time I went to see it in theaters with my sister, my mom, my grandparents, my aunt and her best friend in Chicago, the whole thing was so amazing! And then like two weeks later I saw it for a second time in my childhood hometown…to this day I still love it so so much, the story, the characters, and the animation are all so beautiful...I really should rewatch it again sometime...

AHHHHHHH YOSHIS ARE IN THE MARIO MOVIE!!! YESSSSSSSS!!! They look just like I hoped they would be! I’m so much more excited for this movie now than I was back in October! Not only because my favorite adorable green dino could potentially be here, but the animation looks really awesome, and I'm genuinely curious to see where this story is going to take us...plus I've always loved Mario games and the world of Mario as a whole. I'm like Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at all the references there are so far!

Oooooh yes!! Spotify Wrapped! I’ve been looking forward to this! What's my number one? Ah yes, The Police is my top artist and their song "Spirits in the Material World" is my top song as it should be 🎶 🎶 🎶 I listened to their music so much this summer...they’re one of my favorite bands! Also Bebe Rexha and Taylor Swift made the cut, two more of my favorites and two more greats! Yay! And OMG I did it. I listened to "Anti-Hero" enough times for it to be my third most played song this year! YES!!! 🤘 😄

New Mario movie clip gets released during the 2022 Game Awards: OMG this score is sooooooo good! 😲 like I can hear the all the different recognizable themes from the mario games here but it also sounds like animated movie score! It’s such a perfect combo! And oh yeah, I see the way you’re running Mario…that IS your run cycle and I love it! That right there is from the games! 😏 Is it bad that I want more after this clip? I mean the more I see, the more I want it if you know what I mean... 👀

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio released on Netflix just last week on the 9th, and just last week on the 9th is when I watched it! I've heard so many great things about it and I'd never seen a del Toro film before so I thought I'd give it a try! Very charming but also quite dark, it's a really fascinating take on the Pinocchio story that's unlike what I've seen of it before! I think my favorite character ended up being Sebastian the Cricket, he was so fun to watch (and for the record, Ewan McGregor has such charisma in all the roles I've seen him play from Robots to Big Fish. He's great! And this was no exception!) All the voice-acting was very well done and the animation too! I have a huge soft spot for stop motion! I thought every movement made was really amazing. Anyway yeah, check it out if you can cause animation distributed by Netflix always deserves more recognition!

(cue Merrie Melodies closing theme)

That's all, Folks!

[sextonsharpwinhalstead]

From the way they wrote Helen’s storyline last season(and in season 3 tbh) I kind of felt like she was being wasted and underserved in terms of screentime so it’s not a huge shock to me that she’s left. Season 4 had everyone making wild ass choices but Helen’s arc was a total waste and really underwhelming. I’m sad to see Sharpwin fizzle out(unless they’re going to kill her?!god i hope not)and see such a powerful, brilliant black woman reduced to a love interest but I’m glad Freema’s moving on to bigger and better she deserves it.

I feel like she's been stagnate for awhile or basically the entirely of the show if we're keeping it buck. The London move was really the nail in Helen's coffin. I kept hoping she was going to get an arc that would really center her, but we never quite got there. This entire last season has been a character assassination. I'm mostly saddened by the lack of HEA for Sharpwin. The fact they said they wanted the same things and then we got nothing. If this was how this was going to go down they should've just had a full blown affair and let Georgia live.

What I find really interesting in terms of Freema's career is that she finally got a nomination for the show and she's already left, but at the same time I think it's kind of awesome because it means she'll be moving onto greater things and especially greater recognition!

*Also the actress who plays Mia is going to be on the Handmaiden's Tale...folks are jumping ship left and right!

[bokettochild]

Hi there!

For the one shot requests, could we get Time and Four?

Keep up the awesomeness!

This scenario came to my mind the instant I saw your ask, but it took me a hot second to finish because I had already started another one.

Anyways, here's Time and four bonding and hanging out with a Minish!

(Asks and requests are still open if anyone would like to see something specific!)

Of Minish and Men

A chuckle escaped Time's mouth as he looked down into his bag, his single blue eye meeting the tiny beady ones of the minish hidden inside. It’s a daring move, he must admit, that the little one thinks they can sneak into his things. Are they after the sugar he keeps on hand for fairies? Exploring his items out of genuine curiosity?

There are many reasons for the little people to be interested in his things, but it brings him no end of joy to see how they start when his eyes meet theirs.

He’s not trying to scare them, honest.

“And what are you doing?” He chuckles, low and soft so that his boys won’t hear. Wild is coaching Wind through making dinner with himself and Legend, and the noise of it covers his words, but he can’t be too careful.

The minish squeaks something in return, shuffling it’s tiny feet and looking up at him, apparently embarrassed at being caught.

Maybe sharing a sugar-cube with this little one wouldn’t be so bad.

A cautious glance up reveals that the others are all busy at work, Warriors and Twilight working to darn the sailor’s pitiful socks while the trio making dinner fusses around their pot, laughter and stories bouncing between them as Legend catches the carrot slices Wind keeps throwing at him in his mouth. It’s rather impressive actually, but he’s not going to encourage the smug grin on the Vet’s face (he doesn’t miss the pleasure that appears with every new slice either).

Four and Sky are out gathering wood, and in the meantime, Hyrule has positioned himself at the edge of camp where the smell of strong herbs won’t bother the others as much as the healer prepares salves and ointments for future use on the wounds that the others will inevitably get.

In theory, Time himself was supposed to be helping sort the herbs, but he’d stopped to get a spare jar from his pack before doing so. And now here he sits, a minish guiltily shuffling it’s paws in his pack as he looms over it. He almost feels bad when he reaches out his hand, palm up and fingers flat, only to have the tiny critter start backwards and trip on it’s tail, but when his hand stops the minish only looks up at him in surprise.

“I won’t hurt you.” He murmurs softly. “But you really shouldn’t be in there, you’ll get hurt.”

Tiny paws hesitantly make their way onto his finger tips, cautious black eyes staring up at him for a moment before the minish dubs him safe, crawling up to perch on the palm of his hand, where it reaches into it’s leaf-cloak and produces something.

It’s small, soft pink, and clay, marked with a symbol that his eyes can’t quite make out from the distance he’s at.

“What’s that, little beastie?” There’s a soft squeak as the minish stares up at him, eyes wide and expectant as he cocks him head. “I'm sorry, I don’t understand.”

“Time, I thought you were helping Hyrule?” It appeared that Sky and Four had come back, as the smithy was now walking up to him with a confused expression. “What-” The smithy froze, even as Time looked up from the minish in his hand to meet the teenager’s gaze.

“Is everything alright?”

“What-” Four’s voice hitches as he speaks and he can’t keep from grinning slightly at it. “What are you doing?”

Time looks at Four, he looks back at the minish, and then back at Four. To the world around him, he looks perfectly calm, but in his mind, he’s grinning like a mad man. “Talking to a minish.” He responds easily. “The little one thought it would be a good idea to climb into my bag, but it isn’t safe in there for such a-”

“You can see them?” Four interrupts, voice full of wonder, eyes glittering a warm red that indicates that one of the colors is now fronting, although if he’s to believe the hint of hazel at the edges of the smithy’s gaze, the other colors aren’t far from the front.

It’s hard, so terribly hard, to resist smiling at the smithy, but his boys believe him to be a stoic and mature leader (except Wars, Wars knows), and he’s not about to change that, not if it means he can maintain their respect and thus some semblance of order (even he has his limit for chaos, even if his older brother doesn’t think he does).

“Naturally. They’re creatures of the forest, are they not?”

“Well,” And violet flickers to the forefront, a slight warning that he’s about to receive a quick lesson about the minish. “It’s actually a common misconception that the minish are forest folk, they’re actually native to all of Hyrule, and even some of the lands beyond. Although,” The smithy cocks his head, eyes glinting hazel for a moment before returning to purple as the colors assumedly discuss something. “Your little friend here probably is native to the forests.”

And with those words, the smithy is kneeling down at his side, peering closely at the minish with a gentle smile that somehow produces the opposite effect as his own attempts. The minish beams up at Four with eyes twinkling with joy, a series of soft cheeps and squeaks sounding between the two as they appear to converse. Light giggles shake the smithy’s shoulders, pure and warm, and reminding him of softly pealing bells as Four offers his hand to the minish, who happily climbs aboard, leaving behind the piece of clay in Time’s own fingers.

“He’s a bit young, entirely new to the job.” Four explains. “It's his first time rewarding travelers for good deeds, and he wasn't expecting to get caught.” The smithy looks up at him, eyes warm and brown again as a fond smile pulls at his features. Hylia, Four looks so young like this. “Most adults can’t see them.”

Now that throws him for a loop. “I’m sorry?” He knows he’s frowning down at the smithy, but thankfully Four seems mostly unfazed, if not a bit confused himself. “What?”

“Did you not know?” The smithy cocks a brow, tipping his head to one side as the minish in his hands does the same thing.

“You two okay over there?” Warriors calls out, and all three of them turn to look at where the Captain sits, sock in hand and needle still poised as he stares over at them.

“All good, captain.” Time assures, and while neither Wars nor the Pup look like they fully believe it (or maybe they’re just curious) they both nod and return to what they were doing. (Time notes with appreciation and pride that Twilight has carefully turned his ears away from them, effectively preventing himself from listening in to their conversation.

He turns back to Four, brows furrowed as he looks down at the minish in Four’s hands. “Why do you say that?”

Four blinks at him, confusion apparent on his features for a moment before recognition dawns. “They say only those with the heart of a child can see the minish, most people stop seeing them around ten or thirteen, although Wind still can,” The smithy smiles fondly towards where their sailor is helping the champion cut turnips, hands carefully guided under Wild’s careful eyes as the sailor bites his tongue with effort. “I’m not really surprised about that though, I’m glad he still can.”

“He deserves a little innocence.” Time agrees, eyes trailing down to the mouse like creature in Four’s hands, mulling over the smithy’s words.

’Only those with the heart of a child can see the minish’. Four had said.

A smile breaks over his face. “Ah.”

“What?” Four’s gaze is all the colors at once, each clear in tehri own right as the separate parts of the smithy all look to him for an answer.

“I think I understand.”

“How?” Violet springs to life in the smithy’s gaze, pushing the other colors back with an eagerness that Time’s grown used to when Four learns something new. “How can you see them.”

Time smirks, mischief singing in his veins as he tucks the charm the minish gave him into his bag and grabs the spare bottles he had come for. Not a word escaped him as he stands, gazing pointedly at Four, and moves over to where Sky is now kneeling at Hyrule’s side and helping him to prepare an ointment.

“Time? How?” Four calls out, but Time doesn’t answer.

He’s got to keep up that mystical façade somehow after all, and if it satisfies the mischievous child’s heart inside him, well, all the better.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Yesterday's Lie" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who absolutely won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

Here it is! The midseason finale of The Owl House Season Two! An episode featuring Luz going back to the human realm, is hyped up to heaven about how painful it'll be for the audience, and features more anxiety by how Creepy Luz is a thing. And BOOOOOOOOY howdy were fans not ready for this. I'm sure as hell not ready for when I wrote this intro at *checks time* thirty minutes before watching the official premier. Yup, the words you're reading right now are from me in the past, when everything was still pure and simple. Whereas future me is still probably destroyed by the events that transpired. Isn't that right, future me?

Future Me: Actually, it wasn’t that bad. The ending hurt, sure, but other than that, it wasn’t too painful.

Wow, that is some neat input! At least, I think it was. I wouldn't know because I literally wrote that after watching the episode. With the words you're currently reading being written at *checks time* twenty-six minutes before the premier...this whole intro is confusing, isn't it, future me?

Future Me: Sure is.

Yeah, it's definitely confusing. In any case, let's dive into this spoiler-filled review as we find out together just how painful this episode was! Take it away, future me!

Future Me: Will do! Major spoilers ahead, folks!

Now, let’s review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz’s Room: We only see it for a short time, but everything about it just screams Luz. The pile of weird-looking stuffed animals, the witch hat in the center of the floor, and the fact that she has bunk beds, a single child's dream (Or so I've heard). It's a small thing, but I love it.

Vee: Here she is! The character previously dubbed Creepy Luz who now turns out to be yet another new addition to the ever-growing list of characters that we, as a fandom, would give our lives for. Because holy s**t was Vee the best type of expectation subversion. Showing us all the ominous ways of how she basically took Luz's place made fans assume that Vee was an evil doppelganger. Turns out, she was just a tortured soul that was desperate to live a new and better life and lucked out in finding Luz's. What Vee does is...questionable at best, but seeing what she went through with the experiments Belos pulled on her, you understand why she would do it. And I personally love it's that same background information that makes Vee resentful of Luz of all people. Luz's life is a relative dream come true, and running away from that would be insane to someone who spent most of their existence through imprisonment and experimentation. It's an intriguing point of view, even though it's admittingly flawed given how it's mostly Camila that seemingly made Luz's life bearable. But the flaws don't matter. What matters is that you can see where Vee is coming from, and to me, personally, I think she's understandable enough to make me root for her to have some kind of happy ending. Whether as Luz or as herself, I'm hopeful to see Vee get some semblance of peace.

Camila: *Round of applause* Don't mind me! Just taking the time to love how all them sons of b**hes who thought Camila was a bad mom are now heavily invalidated. 'Cause, guess what? Camila is a fantastic mother, both to her daughter and her daughter's doppelganger! Allow me to walk you through the highlights:

How Camila looks like she’s not okay with the fact that "Luz" is clearing out her weird stuff, seemingly acting too different to the Luz she knows. Added to the fact that Camila doesn't like it.

How Camila drove Luz to camp whether than letting her take the bus

The fact that Camila takes that box of junk back in, not willing to part with the tin foil sculpture Luz made.

The way she was willing to play along with the game she thought Luz was doing, supporting her daughter's creative mind that Camila admits to being glad to see.

And, best of all, the willingness Camila had to help this poor creature, despite the lies it lived.

It's that last part I really want to touch upon, though. Because an action like that shows just how much Luz's heart comes from Camila. The kindness and generosity of helping this poor creature, who she has every right to run out on, proves how Luz learned to be everything she is today through Camila's own loving heart. Vee was scared and hurt, and the second Camila saw that she was then more than willing to help because of it. It's something that Luz would do, and it proves that even though Camila didn't exactly get everything right, she's still a great mom where it counts.

“A new life”: A perfect line.

Initially, it makes audiences think that it has everything to do with replacing Luz. It's only through future context that we know it's about escaping the s**t show Vee once lived through that it's clear she's talking about starting over. It hits us with intrigue on the first viewing, only to hit harder with the feels during a second. Really well-done.

Luz in the Mirror: A well-done surprise that makes fans curious about how this even happen in the first place. Kudos to you, writers.

The New Portal: I don't mind that they found a way to build this off-screen. Showing Luz and the gang slowly building a new portal would have been a little too tedious to watch, and it's so much better to just start this episode out with it. Besides, maybe we'll get the slow and steadier version now that we've seen how quickly building one might not have been the best way to go, given how fast that thing fell apart.

Luz Between Dimensions: I have no clue what the hell that place she was in is called, but it's awesome! The overall design of the realm is the correct type of unsettling, like it's oozing with mystery, but it's somewhere that you probably don't want to be in for too long. Whoever designed it deserves all of the credit because I don't want to even think about all the hard work that went into making this look as well-made as it was.

Luz Resisting to See Amity: What? Luz and Amity are adorable, and seeing Luz's immediate thought about seeing Amity makes my shipping heart scream with glee. Don't judge me!

Hiding Luz’s Dad’s Face: Well, that was a fun story while it lasted.

So, it turns out that Luz's dad really was a part of Luz's and Camila's life at some point, but not anymore. As for why remains to be seen, as we don't really know yet if we'll see him make an appearance. I'd say that the odds are high that he will, given how much of a point this episode made about keeping his face hidden. Shows don't usually do that unless the goal is to hype up some official reveal, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.

Luz Telling Herself to Count to Five: Hey, more evidence for how I relate to Luz! I know how it feels to be all panicky about a specific situation, and I only got better when I took the time to calm down for a bit. Sometimes, I even tried the "count to x" method that Luz used...it never worked, primarily because it made me feel worse when people told me to do it, but I still tried it! Plus, there's also some narrative foreshadowing when after Luz says five, the realm shows her Vee, or Number V, which is a pretty cool detail you'll notice on a rewatch.

Luz Helping Vee: I gave Camila praise for helping Vee in the end, but that doesn't abstain Luz from her own set of recognition. The second that Luz realized that Vee wasn't really a threat and is far from evil, our favorite human does what she can to help and even makes a deal where they're both happy. Because, of course, Luz is that perfect of a protagonist who is more than willing to help others in need. And it's why we love her so.

Looking for Magic that Eda Left Behind: A pretty cool idea that gives Luz and Vee a chance to bond and giving us an insight into Eda's past antics and misadventures in the human realm. Not much I can add to it, though.

Gravesfield: It's surprisingly not as jarring as I thought it would be to spend an episode in the human realm. I thought for sure, after all that time in the Boiling Isles, there would be something off about walking around a normal environment for a change. Turns out, it's almost easy to get used to. Or, for me, it is.

But I will say that there's this neat use of colors when comparing Gravesfield with the Boiling Isles. In Gravesfield, the coloring looks dulled down and standard, which is a stark contrast to the bright vibrancy of everything we've seen in the Boiling Isles. It's a subtle way of showing how things are different, aside from the major discrepancies we could come to expect. And I think that's why I appreciate it much more.

Eda’s Called Herself Marylynn in the Human Realm: Hang on...hang on...do you mean to tell me that the crack theory about Eda being Stan's ex-wife is actually true?

...

...What even is this show?!

Vee Making Friends with Camp Members: This shows the most apparent difference between Luz and Vee. Where we see Luz is already fearing the many ways that could go wrong with interacting with teens, Vee revealed that she adapted to her situation and had a chance to make friends. The implications of this are worth discussing another time, but for now, I'll say that it's pretty intriguing that we gain this much insight into both Luz and Vee through such a small thing.

Belos Wanting to Learn How Basilisks can Drain Magic: ...Didn't Raine say that Belos was taking away magic? If so, I think we can figure out how he's doing it. The question now is: Why?

Jacob (The Curator Guy): This guy was a riot. At first, Jacob seemed like a threat with the way he trapped Vee and was apparently stocking her, but the second he goes off about his conspiracy theories, it becomes clear what type of character he is. And was it a blast seeing how much of a crackpot this man is. It wasn't cool seeing him wanting to dissect the precious angel that is Vee, but I still chuckle about things like his "Flat Eather's Certificate." So while he's not that much of a threat, he's still fun to watch.

The Owl Beast was in the Human Realm: ...How did that happen? When did it happen? And how the hell did Eda get out of a situation like that?! Who knows, but it's still a shocking piece of news to learn.

Luz Telling Camila the Truth: Hey, she faced her fear after all! Although, the results aren't as pleasant as when Amity faced her fear two weeks ago.

Camila is a Veterinarian: ...One insignificant reveal...managed to destroy so many fanfics. I mean, we probably shouldn't have just assumed Camila was a nurse...but what the f**k else were we supposed to think?! Sorry for seeing the scrubs, and the first thing that came to my mind was "nurse" and not "vet."

By the way, that had to have been intentional, right? There's no way that Dana Terrace didn't think we'd assume Camila was a nurse. She'd had to have put off a reveal like that just to trip up her fans. And if that's the case, then that is a major d**k move...but that's why I mildly respect it.

Two Human Brothers went to the Demon Realm: Turns out we don't have to be in the Boiling Isles to learn more about it. Because now we have more information about how two humans were taken to the Isles with the help of a witch, thus setting up a grander reveal if it turns out that one of the humans was Philip and the witch was Belos. Because if that's true...then there's more of a history between those two than we thought.

Jacob has a Training Wand: This helps me believe that it's highly likely for Jacob to make a return and to have a power boost for when he does. After all, focussing all that attention on the training wand is way too convenient for it not to come up again in the future. Meaning we're most likely going to get more pain from Jacob if he shows up again.

Camila Beats the Crap out of Jacob for Vee: ...Writers, don't make me choose between Camila and Eda on who's the better cartoon mom. I know Eda's technically not a mom...BUT I STILL DON'T WANT TO CHOOSE DAMNIT!

Also, the sandal...just...

Why the f**k does Camila have a sandal in her purse? I don't know. Is it still funny that she does? Most certainly.

Camila and Luz’s Talk in the Rain: Ooooooooh, I was not ready for this...

I wasn't ready for the crying.

I wasn't ready for the hurt in Camila's eyes when she found out Luz chose to stay in the Boiling Isles.

I wasn't ready for Camila asking if Luz hates being with her that much.

I wasn't ready for Luz profusely stating how it was never Camila's fault.

I was not ready for Camila to tell Luz that she'll try to do better.

And I definitely was not ready for Luz to barely have enough time to promise that she'll come back.

This episode wasn't the twenty-two minutes of nonstop angst that I thought it was going to be...but this short scene more than make up for it.

Luz Tries to Stay Strong: Yet another thing she unwittingly learned from Camila. Camila tried to keep a brave face when Vee was with her and Luz, most likely not wanting to tear either of them down in the process. Luz does the same thing here as she avoids talking about the details of what went down in her sort-of journey back home. And seeing her clearly fake smile slowly droop into an uncertain frown, it uh...it definitely tore me up inside.

WHAT I DISLIKED

I want to say it's perfect, but there's one major issue that really bogs this episode down.

Continuity Error in How Vee Replaced Luz: Having Vee take Luz's place the same day Luz appeared in the Isles is a smart idea on paper...if it wasn't for the fact that it's impossible.

Because Eda closed the portal door the second that she saw Luz, meaning that there's no way for Vee to go to the human realm. It's a major plothole that makes no sense, and it might just be the first time ever that this series wasn't so closely knit with its story. Which ends up taking a dive in quality in the process.

IN CONCLUSION

I'd say that "Yesterday's Lie" is an A-. Everything about Luz, Vee, and Camila is incredible, combined into a story that ends in tragedy and uncertainty for the future. That plothole may drag things down a bit, but everything else is handled so well that I'm not lying when I say it's easy to forgive and forget.

(And that's ten episodes in a row without a single stinker. HOW THE F**K DOES THIS SEASON KEEP WINNING?!)

[actor-mark]

(Also I'd like to thank you for this idea you're doing, it's incredibly awesome! You're a really talented writer and you deserve the recognition for it. -Mo)

OOC: aaaaaa tysm! I’m glad folks are enjoying it! Its actually not the first Mark based CYOA I’ve done, I did a huge one over discord a few months back called a Night with Markiplier and I’m currently in works of doing a second, so this is a good warm up and sort of a tester to see how voting works as the second ANWM plans to take several people at once instead of one at a time.  Thank you for the kind words Mo and I hope you enjoy the rest of Red Candles! - M

[bruh-----respectfully]

hello i want new friends most preferably Muslim brothers like me here is my 'profile'

k i'm funny like my sense of humour is immaculate

i love myself and will love you too

i'm Muslim (no way 😱)

i'm born in Mauritius but then moved to England to the UAE to Kuwait to England again but this time Walsall instead of London

i am the eldest of five in a dysfunctional but loving but dysfunctional family

i am 20 years old

i love music and listen to a wide variety and generally my favourites just aren't mainstream but thankfully some are getting some widespread recognition lately

speaking of music i sing to myself all the time and will sing awfully to you, habibi 😎

i am fond of chocolate and hoodies so gift me that shit (money's good too tho)

i am always down to hug/cuddle

i write poetry tell me stop if you want you might make a good argument for me to stop but i won't

i will scream how much i appreciate you

don't expect bought gifts from me at this very moment bc financially issa struggle but baby i'll try to do awesome things for you without spending money

i simply adore the homies and will let them know just how

i am cute in the way i exist i think

my behaviour is chaotic good for the most part i think

i know the difference between turtle and tortoise

why don't you? 🤨 jk

i want to play basketball with somebody like throughout my life i gravitated towards it but didn't play it enough to see just how good i currently am and don't know where i need to improve

i'll remind u that you are loved

i will inform you about important shit

we can rant about our parents' actions that we haven't discussed with anybody else

i didn't perpetuate the 'drama' around Driver's License or shame Joshua Bassett for his looks or antagonise Sabrina Carpenter cause i choose love and i actually knew wtf was going on and wasn't a sheep who rode stuff other folks of my generation were riding for the sake of it, nor do i have an obsession with slapping my hand over my mouth all 'astonished' at stuff online in front of my peers to feel better about myself

blue is my favourite colour

i once cut a butterfly's wing by accident like literally chopped half of it off and it has hurt my heart bad

i've also made many more mistakes than that which actually have contributed so positively, or rather, i have contributed positively to myself by looking at them and realising i am human and i deserve to be loved and so i learned to have love for everybody else.

i prefer Coca-Cola over Pepsi

i'm realising i don't have a formula or criteria for what makes up this profile. anyways,

i love Disney like they are my bitches but fuck the way they perpetuated orientalism with Aladdin that irks me so fucking much. anyways stream WandaVision and Candace Against the Universe on Disney+

oh and stream Infinity Train on HBO Max

oh and stream Superstore wherever

fuck Elite on Netflix it's uncalled for and unnecessary

i'm good with a camera so let's have a photoshoot baby

Monsters vs. Aliens is like my favourite DreamWorks movie after the Shrek franchise

fuck Aladdin once again

the stuff i've said may be a little all over the place but here i am. take or leave my presence :P

walk beside me bc emotional trauma is healed primarily through safe relationships and we likely share some trauma if we get along idk maybe who cares

follow my poetry page if u don't wanna be friends :P

also romantic relationships are a modern human invention which have caused tons of sadness and identity crises for no reason

yeah there's plenty more ideas where that⬆️ came from

[ladylingua]

I hate how homogenous fandom has been feeling to me in the last few years

Like sometimes I feel like an outsider to fandom because I don’t participate in it the same way it feels everyone else is, which is not something I ever even thought about before fandom started making posts on tumblr and twitter that were all like “I love how everyone in fandom does XYZ, we’re all the exact same and it’s what makes us great ❤️” and then I start to be like “Uh, I don’t do that or relate to that at all, am I not really in fandom? Am I a fake nerd?”

Like when I see those posts that are like “I love how all fanfic is about like completely transforming the source material, we turn it into something totally unique and so different from the source, it’s what makes fanfic an art and why we deserve recognition and pay, we transform”

and I’m just like “...huh, then what should I call what I do?” because my goal in all my fics is to make them as indistinguishable from the source material as possible, I don’t want to transform at all, I want to mimic. I start to question myself, like “Am I doing fandom wrong? What’s wrong with me that I don’t do what fanfic is supposed to be?” I don’t seek out fanfic that’s different than the source because my motive in reading fanfic in the first place comes from “Oh I really like this thing, I want more of exactly this”. To be clear, I am not at all unhappy with people who do other stuff, I applaud their creativity and I’m so glad those writers are getting the shine they deserve because that is awesome, but it’s just not the thing I look for generally in fics

and I never thought that was weird or not the “norm” in fanfic until fandom started becoming more mainstream and the fandom sites narrowed from the big variety of personal fan sites/blogs down to all of us yelling at each other on this site or the bird app,

it feels to me like the desire to make fandom more mainstream has also created this need to codify and define exactly what fandom is, which by its nature also involves defining what fandom isn’t. Also, historically speaking, when you decide it’s time to start defining your group, you also tend to feel a sudden increase in pressure to push out the elements you see as undesirable lest you be grouped in with them, which I feel I also see happening a lot in fandom these days. It honestly worries me because I feel like fandom right now is so much more diverse than it used to be, but I worry about the ways in which codification often ends up being used to push privileged folks to the center as the accepted “norm” while bullying other groups out.

anyways, I guess basically in summation I have complicated feelings about where it feels fandom is today, and also clearly it’s shockingly easy to make me feel insecure lol

[forest-xblm]

i'm not usually one to write super fancy thoughtful positivity posts or anything like that but as a transfem/fem-leaning/sometimes-fem-aligned xb person that frequents the nblm/xblm tag, i just wanna say:

if you are a fem-leaning or fem-aligned nonbinary person who is attracted to men (solely or not), you are immensely powerful and my heart is full of love and respect for my xblm sisters and sibs.

navigating attraction as a feminine xblm can be *super intimidating* and confusing and alienating because we don't cleanly fit into the mlm/nblnb/wlw scenes, and i am so profoundly proud of us for managing to be ourselves in spite of it.

the same goes double for specifically-transfem xblm. it can be hard to feel like we belong on one side of the gay/straight fence or another when we are so much more than either world would ever tell us we are.

just because we're too far removed from the binary to meet "acceptable" visions of what gay or straight relationships look like does not mean we are undeserving of love and healthy affection like everybody else, and i am fiercely dedicated to making sure that every single one of us knows that.

we are not undeserving on account of our differences. we are not undeserving simply because we do not cleanly fit into the lines of "gay" or "straight". we are not undeserving or predatory or wrong for our attraction to people within the binary while we ourselves exist outside of it. we are not undeserving on account of being unsure of ourselves, even just for a little while.

and honestly, while i'm not going to retype everything with the words flipped, transmasc xblw face really similar struggles and you folks deserve the recognition for your efforts to be yourselves, too. you are seen and heard and loved.

our hearts are tempered with a special kind of radiance; one that will not easily be put out just because nobody right now loves us the way we want to be loved. we were born into a binaristic world, we tore ourselves free of its ability to hold us back, and we are not to be ashamed of ourselves for loving the people that feel like that binary is where they belong.

and we don't owe anyone anything except for owing love to ourselves, and choosing to love those who love us back.

TLDR: transfem nblm/xblm are awesome. transmasc nblw/xblw are too. we rock. i love y'all.

tr*sc*m don't breathe on this post or you owe me 500 USD