#this one was pretty good though

[methinmycoffee]

~~Spoilers (S26 E4)~~

Okay, the new episode. I thought it was pretty good, I’m glad we got an episode where the kids felt as much like kids as they possibly could for modern South Park, I like the relationship between Stan and Wendy and the relationship between Clyde and Bebe. Here are my thoughts in way too much detail.

First, The positives:

I live for Clybe. They’re such a garbage fire couple and I am here for it. Same thing goes for Stendy. Canon Stendy is such a hot mess now that it’s like watching “Balloon Boy” unfold live. I understand that some people may not like it, especially when Stendy used to be so wholesome (I’ll touch on this later). But as an isolated thing, it’s entertaining in my opinion. The inclusion of Clyde as a semi-major part of the episode does it a favor too.

Garrison! I don’t know how much he’s done since his flop (Trump) era. I genuinely missed him and think he’s relatively in character for this episode. Maybe he would notice that the dumbest kids in his class are suddenly really good at writing, but he’s not the brightest bulb himself so maybe he wouldn’t. I enjoyed seeing Rick again, I’m glad they remembered him.

Cartman! Finally, this is exactly what he would do in this situation. There’s no question of redemption for that little asshole, he said something about women ruining slavery during the episode. But he wasn’t even the first person to discover the AI and he immediately started gatekeeping it. Icon. And perfectly in character for him.

This episode was relevant, but still fun. It didn’t even feel like it really took a stance on AI, it just told a story based around the technology. They really took their own advice and didn’t preach, they just had characters do stuff and sort of argued for both sides. Some of my favorite episodes do this, like Best Friends Forever (S9 E4)

But, The Negatives:

Stan is mean to Wendy. There is something so wholesome about early Stendy, where Stan is head over heals “in love” with Wendy and would do anything for her. Yes, a toxic relationship has a place in the show, but that’s what for Clybe is for, and they were a garbage fire since Clubhouses (S2 E12). This episode would have worked just as well if Stan didn’t want to hurt Wendy’s feelings by not knowing what to say/ not having time to respond. Honestly it’s not that bad isolated to this episode, but I feel like there’s been a shift where every relationship is a little one sided or toxic.

Weird pacing/structure. I wasn’t sure if this should be a nitpick or a true negative, but pacing is important. Some parts of the episode move a little bit slow, which is fine, but that long ass scene where a kid uses the bathroom for like 45 seconds could have been cut if you needed extra time to make the ending feel like it wasn’t a random after thought. This could be a product of certain parts of the episode being written by an AI, though I’m not sure how much of it actually was. If it was just the ending or the text messages or the major story beats, or maybe it was nothing at all and they just credited ChatGPT for fun. Still, it could have been better.

And what’s life without Random nitpicks?

A little itty bit out of touch. Just a tiny bit, but like why does the Home Screen of the iPhone 12s that the kids have look like it’s from 2010? Also it’s not like nobody would have heard of ChatGPT

That scene of Peter Mullen peeing was way too long. Very Family Guy style, with a long drawn out joke that went on for it to still be funny.

I don’t really like the design of the character played by the incomparable Betty Boogie Parker. It feels too modern, and I liked Heather William’s design more.

[winkleclit]

Ego brain.

[fatestayyuri]

#girl

[accirax]

(Whit did, in fact, gaf, but he wasn't about to let anyone know that.)

[snowyfrostshadows]

So.

We went from this for Starclan Cats:

To.

This:

Biggest downgrade of my life.

[sharkgirldick]

I'm not even trying to get you pregnant, this is a friendship creampie.

[deoidesign]

Doing master studies the only way I know how: Stealing them and making them my guys.

(Barberini Faun)

(The Fallen Angel - Alexandre Cabanel)

(Covent Garden - William Bruce Ellis Rankin)

[cozylittleartblog]

noodle stopper figures are SO cute 💙

[ricky-mortis]

Time Bastard trapped in Tinky’s blorbo box

[teethkid67]

PAYDAY

aka a valentine for the lovely @itsnotmystic / @corvids-calling - fanart for stars fic of the same name, which you can read here !!! i really enjoyed this concept and wanted to do some art for it :3 hope you like it because i REALLY loved your work & i hope this shows that !!! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY !!!!

this is also a loose love-letter to the wonderful @arginnit 's crazy background-drawing-ability and style/skill at portraying environments . wadds your stuff is insane and i love it

happy @mcyt-valentines exchange !!!!

[i-like-forcefem]

You wake up due to a an odd discomfort around your groin, you feel around and touch something soft and plastic?

You turn on the lights and find yourself lock in a small, pink chastity cage

You panic a little, you’ve never done this before, you try to pull it off and it won’t budge and you notice just how little you can touch your member now

You get hard

It hurts

You look around the room and see an envelope next to a small pile of clothes and some odd plastic?

You open the envelope

My dearest love,

You wronged me, the fact you wouldn’t know who I am makes it that much worse

So I thought it’d only be right if I punished you

As you might’ve found out already I’ve securely locked you up and only I have the key

If you ever want it back you’ll need to do some things for me first

Mod course you won’t be allowed to touch your memeber until I release you

Next you will need to wear the clothes, and insert the remote anal vibrator I provided to you

You will then need to watch any porngraphic content I send you over the course of the next 2 weeks, dressed up and wearing the plug

I’ve made a separate number where we can chat

I expect you to use the proper respect when talking to me

I expect you to thank me for teaching you how to be a good girl

And I expect you to drop whatever you’re doing whenever I send you a message, and if I so ask you’ll put on the shuttle clothes I gave you, put in the plug, and watch whatever degrading smut I sent you while I control your ass

Do this like a good girl for 2 weeks and I’ll take off the cage

Mess up once, and I’ll flush the key down the drain

Oh and don’t think to get it removed or anything, I got that onto you without you noticing once, and if you get it off I’ll know that means you’re ready for your second round!

And trust me you wouldn’t like the second round, something tells me that you’d hate losing your freedom of movement

So now be a good girl and dress yourself up already love~

I’m waiting

Oh! And one more thing!

I can and will change the rules at any time, for example one I thought of right now: the two weeks only count down if you spent the whole day in cute woman’s clothing, so if you ever put on those nasty clothes you’re wearing right now, the day doesn’t count and you still have 2 weeks to go

Good luck cutie! Try to keep me happy~

[kotaki]

"P.O.P.P.Y"

[anders-hawke]

BRIDGERTON 1.01 | "Diamond of the First Water"

[bonefall]

Hey, what makes a character a 'plot device but not a character'? And how do you not do that? I'm trying to do it on purpose but also I need to still make them interesting because it's on purpose, yknow?

A good skill to pick up is to learn to criticise criticism itself. A "plot device" is simply a thing that moves the plot along, it's a neutral literary analysis term! Usually, when people are angry that "a character has been used as a plot device," it doesn't mean they hate plot devices. It means they're gesturing at something deeper.

Runningwind and Bumble are equally plot devices in their deaths. They are both killed by the antagonist to escalate political tension. Runningwind is rarely "accused" of just being a plot device, and yet, we're talking about Bumble for the same thing.

So, why?

Well, Runningwind is just a background character, but in life, he was a part of the community. He was characterized as impatient but responsible. Yet, he wasn't SO important that he died with a bunch of unresolved plot threads.

He is mostly an extension of the entity of ThunderClan. His killing by Tigerstar, and the fear and paranoia that settles on the group after this, feel like a progression of the story insteas of something forced.

Bumble, on the other hand...

Is hated immediately by Gray Wing, when she's established as Turtle Tail's friend. Bumble's abuse at Tom the Wifebeater's hands invites even MORE investment. The rejection is shocking and upsetting. There's a story there about our main characters being imperfect; jealous, bigoted, and judgemental.

But, she is simply killed off. Everything they set up for this character is gone with little personalized fanfare. It's not a tragedy with a lesson about cruelty, or something anyone regrets.

It's just... plot. Gray Wing whinging that no one will like his shitty brother now that his body count is 2.

More than that, in the discussion of women in particular, "Fridging" was coined to give a name to the way women characters often don't get their stories told at all. There is a CULTURAL trend of female characters facing disproportionate violence, for the sake of advancing male plots.

Bumble has a lot going for her. Petal had a lot going for her. Turtle Tail had a lot going for her. Bright Stream had a lot going for her. When they died, they took their potential with them.

It's not always wrong to kill off a character of high potential, mind you. In Gurren Lagann, Kamina's death is sudden and shocking, leaving a massive hole in the hearts of the cast that never heals. Grappling with that loss, but also letting his memory fuel them, is a major theme of that story.

All that to say... there's no formula for avoiding it. You've gotta identify what the deeper issue is, in your specific narrative.

I can't say for certain what that will look like for your story, but here's some things I keep in mind;

When you make characters who exist to die, make sure they're people before you axe them.

Ask yourself; what about them does the cast miss?

If they just miss them because they were (pre-existing relationship), go back to the drawing board.

Fluttering Bird as an example. Who was she? Dead sister. Why do they miss her? Dead sister. No traits until after her death.

Runningwind was short-tempered and helpful. Kamina was a valuable leader who made people believe in a brighter future. Swiftpaw was fiesty and desperate to prove himself. The better characterized, the more profound the loss usually is.

If this is a female character who is dying just to serve the plot, be aware of cultural bias and tropes. How is the gender ratio looking in your cast? Is this happening disproportionately with your girls?

Note how Quiet Rain's litter had both a boy and a girl, but the girl was chosen to be "weaker" and wither away.

And how most of the time in DOTC, whenever a man had to be upset, a girl would get killed for it.

If you ever feel like the character on the chopping block is NOT a full character, ask yourself why it needs to be a character at all. You don't need to spend narrative time building out someone when a literal object of high value might suffice.

"My sister died when I swore to protect her and I can't face my family" = Old. Tired. Ive seen this.

"I lost my heirloom sword when I swore to protect it and I can't face my family." = Fascinating. Why was the sword so valuable? Will they really not take you back? How did you lose it?

When you do kill off "high value" characters, try to make sure you're not leaving too many plot threads hanging. Or at least make a point of how they will never get closure.

[hayaku14]

shinichi matching his fit with kid cos kid never gets new outfit colors

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

One of my favourite things from the aftermath of the PTs plan: whatever these silly doodles are. I remember them from the very beginning of the game too, with the plan against Kamoshida. I so badly want to know who drew these, because it was either Ren or Ryuji, and either option is incredibly funny to me.