#very contextual or just in how they're said.

[commsroom]

What are your favourites wolf 359 one liners?

I'm personally hesitating between "forget a burrito in there ONE TIME" and "Sit your swiss ass down and pick a side"

those are good ones!! i'm gonna go with... hm. "of course i've checked -" [audibly pats down pockets] "of course i've checked my pockets!" always makes me laugh. and "why must you say words?" is really up there on the strength of the line delivery alone.

[valeriehalla]

Hello! I was reminded of your webcomic Goodbye To Halos recently and wanted to let you know it had a pretty big impact on me. I read it during my teenage years and I think it really helped me to contextualize and make sense of some feelings I was going through about - well, teenage stuff. Change, I guess, mostly. Changing bodies, changing genders, changing role in society, changing relationships with others - your comic helped me process a lot of my fears about those things.

Your comic was probably my first exposure to nudity that was neither sexual nor comedic. It really stuck with me how your comic has characters in states of undress fairly casually. Not like "walking down the street" casual, they're always in a safe place like a bedroom or a bathroom or something, but still. As someone who was raised Catholic it was really powerful to see nudity portrayed as so... not-shameful. Nudity is just a state the characters pass in and out of; they're nude after taking off their clothes like they would be wet after taking a shower. There's no shame in it. And that's really the way it ought to be, right? We were all born nude, it shouldn't be such a Thing as society makes it out to be.

That's just my little input on what impact your art has had on me. It was a good thing that I read it when I did. I wish you luck on all your future endeavors.

that's extremely kind of you, and very well-said, and thank you, and also that's absolutely wild for me to read.

i actually had to remind myself just now that there was in fact a sequence of (counting) eight pages where enae had her tits out. i didn't think a ton about it at the time. i do remember debating mentally whether to slap a "warning this page has boobs in it" label on the social media posts: i chafed at the idea, and i think i didn't do it? or only did it for some of them? i didn't want to because to even put such a warning immediately prompts the reader to think "oh something Sexualle is going on here," putting them on high alert and making it into a whole Thing. and it was not a Thing.

i always thought that some day, if ever i found the right moment, i wanted to have a page where fenic was fully nude. my idea of the "right moment" for that was that it would have to be at a juncture in the story where it made sense for her to be nude, and also where it would feel to the reader like there was absolutely no "point" to her nudity. the one page in the comic where fenic is topless was sort of a prelude to that idea: that might have been the moment, if there had been any reason at all to include her lower body in those panels, which there wasn't, so i didn't.

it's a fine line to walk. i think it's fairly obvious that there were many panels in that comic where the reader absolutely was meant to think "wow this character's attractive" (if they could get past my art back then lmao). i peppered those in liberally, sometimes because it was personally fun for me to draw, but always because it just seemed, i don't know, honest? for this story about young queer adults who are sort of omnidirectionally horny for one another to have a gaze reflecting that--for the reader to feel like they're "in on it" too, not in a leering sort of way, but as if they're just, like, sharing in it with the characters themselves. but then to have that, and then to also have full-on nudity, and for that nudity to feel at home with that sensation, but also purely incidental, and not in and of itself sexual, is a lot of objects to juggle, especially if one indeed (like me) wants it to not feel like there is a "Point" being made. so, it's cool to hear that it worked for at least one person. sorry for writing 999 words about this

[boldlyexplorational]

I know you all know this scene, but what if I told you: It's not as gay as it looks?

But wait! It still makes a great point for Spirk, the episode and Kirk's character. Ok hear me out:

When Spock enters the room he's surprised and confused. Some (me included), watching this for the first time, immediately identified his reaction as Gay Panic. Which is not all wrong. Then the whole exchange sounds like the incipit of an adult movie ... But then I thought about it, tried to contextualize the scene.

Imagine a colleague calls you at work to tell you your boss is acting really strange, drinking on the job, even. They ask you to go check on them and you go to your boss' office to find them there, half naked. This is the first time you see their nipples. And he's talking all low and acting gentle while they're usually loud and commending. You would probably register this as strange behavior as well.

This is what is happening to Spock here.

So I think his actual main sentiment there is surprise because the Captain is showing himself in a very vulnerable state. Even if Kirk and Spock consider each close friends, Spock makes a point of reminding Kirk how important it is that he appears as flawless, strong and decisive as possible in front of the crew to maintain control. And Spock doesn't feel exempted from this. But apparently suddenly he is? Something is wrong.

Of course we know that that shirtless guy is Soft Kirk (as opposed to Feral Kirk) the most gentle and vulnerable version of the Captain, that's the reason why he didn't think he needed to put his shirt back on to receive his first officer in his room.

To the audience this scene should be the equivalent of the violent scene with Janice. The one with Janice shows us the true dangers of Feral Kirk, the one with Spock is meant to make us understand that the other Kirk is not just "real Kirk" but "Soft Kirk". We should also be surprised that Kirk is letting someone see him in such a casual, informal state. Kirk would never.

But we're not, surprised, because we're biased by our own idea of Spock and Kirk being very close, and even the scene being slightly sexually charged because of nudity. In 2024 we see a lot of naked man chests every day, and if we are open minded enough we can see homoerotic subtext in a man being exposed to the sight of another man's bare chest. But at that time I have to assume it was much more unusual, so it carried a completely different meaning in context: it's not one of those times where one may say "if Spock were a woman in that scene, there would be no doubt about the implied attraction in there"

A woman would never be put in that situation, it would have been improper exactly because if it's a woman it implies sexual tension (which is not the point, because Soft Kirk is not sexual, Feral Kirk is). But this scene between men is, by society perception at the time, devoid of sexual undertones because two men could never be implied to be attracted to each other in that circumstances. Because gay isn't an option to begin with.

It's pretty ironic of course how a lot of people weren't actually thinking like that and went like "these guys are about to kiss on the mouth". Because proper society said "no homo" but the fangirlies had other ideas. And it's fascinating how on the end this appeared to be a revelatory experience for Kirk, who then must have discovered he actually had no problem being half naked in front of Spock. So much so that he seems to punctually wait to be shirtless before calling Spock on the videophone.

So in the end this scene, which I believe had a totally different purpose than the way it is perceived today, actually triggered a new level of intimacy between Kirk and Spock, which led to that landslide that's their peculiar... one might say queer, lifelong bond

[danieldrivesfast]

Would love to hear your take on why Maxiel was the most popular f1 ship for years, and why Lestappen now seems to have taken over.

The first bit of this is easy.

As far as Maxiel falling off specifically, Daniel is "old" in the minds of the young, new fans. Look at how the hate towards him usually mentions his age and his hairline (which has always been like that, but I digress). It's the same thing as when old folk like me loved Nick and Brian, but then grew up and realized Kevin and AJ were the hot ones the whole time.

This is going to tie into my literacy rant, but these new fans like to claim Daniel is a racist, misogynist, whatever because of his age and their inability to contextualize things he says or does in relation to the topic, situation, or time period. So, of course, they don't want someone they perceive as "bad" in their ship. They're completely deluded, but... That's a different post.

A lot of these new, younger fans also started following the sport very recently. They missed the Maxiel teammate era, the scorned lovers era, the reconciliation era, and are only seeing the comfortable era. (I just made those up.) They didn't watch that actual relationship grow and mature over the last ~8 years.

It's the same with Dando. Now I'm realizing I need to talk about why Daniel Ricciardo is your favorite driver's favorite driver. Anyway.

Maxiel was compelling early on because you had hotshot, cocky, popular Daniel Ricciardo on a team with an ultra-talented young kid in Max Verstappen, a menace who was gunning for his hard-earned #1 spot. (These young fans also don't realize that the RBR cars at that time were not good. What Daniel and Max were able to do with them is insane.) Max was the serious son of a nasty man, DR was, well, DR. The way Max came out of his shell and would always look to Daniel for approval when he made a joke or tried to be funny was endearing, and still is.

At first it was a typical teammates ship, but when Daniel said he was leaving for Renault, it added a whole lot of angst very quickly, and it kept blooming from there. Watching them mature and realize how much they cared about each other through the Renault/McLaren years was something. Very much a "distance makes the heart grow fonder" situation. It was actual growth between two people, and it was very easy to translate that into a ship/fanfiction setting.

I feel like if you don't know that backstory and didn't see it unfold, it's easier to jump on a popular ship of the moment for new fans. It's also the difference between just wanting two cute boys to kiss versus being drawn to two men who've been through it together and have developed a deep bond and rock-solid relationship over years of personal and professional growth. So... maturity.

There are a few asks about Lestappen that I really think tie in with the second part of this ask and my last point, so I'm going to put them together in a different post.

[poetry-protest-pornography]

Alexa, play Hey, Jealousy

This whole scene, Kang is obviously feeling jealous, because Pimfah is listing reasons why she likes Sailom. But! It easily reads as Kang struggling to confront the truth of what she's saying. Because he knows all these things about Sailom, he feels the same way about him, but he hasn't allowed himself to contextualize those feelings as "why I like Sailom".

That reality is why Kang is struggling to maintain his friendly interaction with Sailom after.

This is pretty straight forward jealousy.

Except that Kang got more upset when Sailom said that he pushed him to the cheerleading thing so that he could have a shot with Pimfah.

Kang thinks he's upset because Pim likes Sailom, but he's also upset because if Pim likes Sailom, then obviously Sailom will date her, she's great, but then Sailom will be dating her. And those feelings are very big and very confusing. Which we see here:

For Kang, Pim and Sailom dating was the logical conclusion. Sailom is a great guy, and Pim is the best, of course they'll get together.

When they don't, it's a threat to the narrative he's created, where he's jealous of Sailom, not because of Sailom. Where he can put everyone and all his feelings back into little boxes if his two friends just get together like they should. Where he can deal with the blow to his plan to give his dad what he wants, and marry someone who can give him kids, if everyone would just behave like they're supposed to.

This one is... this is the start of Kang figuring his shit out.

Guy literally rips Sailom away from Kang, and Kang can't even argue that Sailom is his friend, too, because he's very much not been a friend to him, and Sailom is actively keeping his distance.

Kang arrives with breakfast excited -- his body language is a little nervous, but almost giddy as he runs up the stairs with that cautiously optimistic smile. He's ready to mend fences and probably apologize, and reestablish their friendship (and ignore Sailom's confession, because Kang is Not there yet).

And there's his future best friend in law Guy, taking care of Sailom the way he wants to be, and he's hurt, but he's also angry that he's missed his chance. This is where he's fully aware of the cause of his jealousy.

THEN! THIS!

THIS BEAUTIFUL SCENE!

Kang's friends are sure he's upset about the seniors being shitty to him and not acknowledging his contribution to the game. They're offering reassurances that he's earned his spot, but Kang hears none of it, because all he can see is Sailom hugging and congratulating Guy, smiling and being happy with Guy.

And here's where it all solidifies.

Where "Sailom works so hard, and he makes me feel like I should work hard, too" and "she likes you (why does that make me so mad)" and "I like you" and "he's my friend" all coalesce, and Kang gets it.

He understands that what he's feeling is romantic interest. That he needs to fix what he broke right now.

Of course, he's still 17/18 and dumb, because what he opens with is this:

Which like, yeah baby, we know. But that's not the important information from that little revelation. And Sailom, bless his little angry gay heart, rightfully responds with "And? Who tf do you think you are?"

Kang is clearly struggling. Struggling with Sailom's anger, and with finding the right thing to say that will appease him and also be true-- the thing that will quiet the screaming in his heart, because big feelings are not his forte.

And then Sailom deflates a little, and says "Please, can you just tell me?" and asks tiredly if he's somehow made Kang feel guilty again (because why else would Kang be there, there's nothing between them, right? They're not friends, Kang just feels guilty about how he's treated Sailom, right) And then, Kang knows what to do.

(it's also Very Interesting to me that in an episode that told so much of its story in flashback montages, the one that we get right when they kiss is "I used to hate it, but I think I'm starting to like it", because despite everything, Kang has never hated Sailom. Dude has been obsessed from the start)

Anyway, this was going to be a funny post with just the pictures of our boy being jealous, and then figuring out why, but obviously I'm not normal about them and this happened. *shrug emoji*

[janmisali]

every single topic i see you talking about, it sounds so much like you genuinely believe anyone who has any opinions not identical to yours is objectively wrong and can't possibly know as much as you or more about what they're talking about

in case that is anywhere close to what's going on: disliking things does not make you smarter than everyone who likes those things

and if it's not, maybe stop acting like it is??

okay so you're wrong about me in a couple different important ways,

one: I have literally no idea what it is that you think I "dislike". contextually, it sounds like you're referring to Pluto, which I love! I love all the dwarf planets. I think they're really neat! space is so cool!

two: I don't believe that "intelligence" is a real thing, and if you pay close attention to the words I've been saying, none of the things I've said are bad about Pluto Reclassification Opponents have been about them not being smart enough to understand the science. I'm assuming everyone is on the same level unless it becomes clear someone doesn't understand something, and I try to be helpful and explain things to people whenever that happens.

so, okay, just to be, as clear as possible all in one place. here is my actual honest stance on the Pluto reclassification:

the 2006 reclassification of Pluto was a necessary and well-thought-out reframing of how we think about the structure of the Solar System. it was in no way a "downgrade" or "demotion". Pluto was never very much like the eight planets to begin with, and now it's in a group of other objects that it fits in with much better.

the word "planet" has multiple uses, and the IAU definition is only one of them. I have no issue with people using the word "planet" to refer to things that are not technically-by-this-one-standard-definition "planets".

the specific thing that I have a problem with is when people say things like "Pluto is one of the nine planets" (the only definition of "planet" where this makes sense as a thing to say is "the things I was taught were planets in school, and nothing else"), or when people act like they're being personally attacked when lists of planets don't include Pluto, or (The Thing That Actually Started This) when someone makes a list of dwarf planets that does include Pluto.

there is a significant difference between using a word in a way that's different from a specific technical definition and insisting that anyone who does use that specific technical definition has done something immoral. I think it's bad that I can't talk about cool space facts on the internet without a hundred people arguing at me about how they think it's bad to refer to Pluto as a dwarf planet.

[snapscube]

i don't know if you said so on your recent Web of Shadows stream, but what are your thoughts on Insomniac's more casual style of web swinging vs. the more difficult, physics-based web swinging? I've been avoiding Spider-Man 2 footage, so I haven't seen any web swinging, but I'd love if they could incorporate some risk/reward aspect to make swinging more engaging.

i think there's been a big push from spider-man game fans to re-contextualize Insomniac's web swinging as underwhelming and too casual that's kinda unnecessary and does it a big disservice. THAT IS NOT TO SAY that there haven't always been people who don't prefer the very low skill floor and relatively low skill ceiling of those titles, and that's also not to say that it isn't a fair assessment when looking at swinging mechanics in a vacuum. something like Web of Shadows ABSOLUTELY has a lot more rewarding moments of web swinging because of its higher skill floor, and when you really get a feel for the mechanics you can pull off some crazy stuff that it feels like insomniac's take isn't even dreaming of.

HOWEVER, i reiterate, this is all totally true and not exactly in Insomniac's in favor when examined in a vacuum, but in reality these mechanics DON'T exist in a vacuum. they're very important yes, they're how you're gonna spend a majority of your time in game yes, so it's important that they have a baseline level of fun and satisfying enough risk/reward to sustain an entire playthrough, or maybe even multiple. but Insomniac's swinging mechanics are in service of a game that not only does MORE with its open world than many others previously, but also does pretty much everything else a LOT better. Insomniac's take feels a lot more like it's in service of creating a much more approachable Spider-Man sim, where you don't have to necessarily "figure out" the swinging mechanics as much as you might in WoS or in SM2 (PS2) because there's a lot of content they want you to be spending more of your time on, and they need you to feel like you are playing an extremely capable and seasoned version of Peter.

playing through even just the opening of Web of Shadows on stream this week really drove home how much the world just feels so empty in comparison. the swinging was admittedly more fun at times!! but that kinda ended up being the saving grace of an experience that otherwise is feeling very bare-bones. and ultimately, as much as i PERSONALLY like mechanics with a bit more physicality, and i don't necessarily think that needs to be at odds with a larger amount of other content, i think my point is that i don't necessarily consider the swinging a FLAW of the Insomniac games, just a representation of the design philosophy of this take. and the design philosophy happens to be one i really appreciate. they want you in there DOING stuff, sure swinging around idly is fun and it's a great way to get you from point A to point B in a more exhilarating fashion than a lot of games even come close to, but these games have a much wider target audience and i don't know how much the average person cares more about the physicality of swinging as much as they care about it being an easy way for them to..... *sigh* feel like spider-man while traversing a larger set of activities.

THAT BEING SAID.... the improvements so far in Spider-Man 2 look SO SO SO GOOD and they will come MUCH appreciated. It looks so much faster. I straight up might turn on fall damage for my playthrough, which IS a new option they added. it's gonna rule.

[the-owl-tree]

genuine question bc I haven’t read the books since. Idk a long time, why do ppl hate nightcloud so much?? I have literally only ever heard of her as an afterthought. Like she’s the third choice for crow feather bc he needed to take a mate to not be seen suspicious and just picked her, there’s no love between them, and afaik he basically forced her to raise her son by herself, not counting the moments of attention he DID give which seemed to be overwhelmingly negative and even abusive. Isn’t she allowed to be bitter and that when he’s very clear abt his apathy and even resentment toward her and her son?? Or am I missing some context

People took Crowfeather passing the blame onto Nightcloud for Breezepelt's behavior at face value, despite two arcs worth of books proving that wasn't true at all. I'd argue the writing team ALSO believed this, as with how they characterized her in the subsequent Field Guides. Immediately, Nightcloud's past actions were re-contextualized to be negative, to further push this idea that she was this old coddling bitch mom who didn't let poor Crowfeather be involved with his son (look at the language of the field guides, they genuinely wrote "she should be glad to be alive").

Crowfeather was (and in some circles still is) a pretty popular character, and a lot of people were quick to latch onto the idea that he was blameless. I can't remember if CrowPool was or wasn't a popular ship, I lean towards yes, so take this line with the knowledge my memory is fuzzy, but I'd also argue that Nightcloud being the "replacement" mate was what made people even more hostile to her.

So, what is Nightcloud actually like? I'm only going to cover scenes where Nightcloud is either mentioned or actually appears, so no Outcast, click the first link for a better look at that. I'll only cover Po3 and OoTS for now.

Nightcloud's Appearances in the Power of Three

Our first meeting with her is in The Sight, where ThunderClan intervenes when they're being chased around by a dog. Her first piece of actual dialogue is her defending Breezepaw from Crowfeather, which is not coddling, especially when given the added context in Outcast that Crowfeather is verbally abusive towards his son. She also proceeds to lecture him about his manners towards a ThunderClan cat, so, she's not the one encouraging his rude streak.

She is then absent for most of the book until the end, when during one of the contests at the Daylight Gathering, Lionpaw and Breezepaw get hurt in a collapsed tunnel incident and she understandably is quite distressed. Then Leafpool drops the "i'd give every drop of my blood for you Crowfeather" line and Nightcloud just tries to divert attention from that, understandably uncomfortable with what's being said.

One of the scenes that's commonly used as "evidence" that Nightcloud stopped Crowfeather from bonding with Breezepelt is this one:

No hissing or swatting. She just doesn't let him help, and considering we now know Crowfeather has been absent from the beginning and isn't above hitting and screaming at his kid, I think it's understandable that she arguably isn't going to stop just so he can help. But that's my interpretation, I think this scene in itself proves nothing of the sort either way and people were reaching when trying to use it as evidence.

Nightcloud's remaining appearances in The Sight is her watching over Breezepaw and Lionpaw as they recover:

That is the entirety of her appearance in The Sight. Onto Dark River! Where her first mention is Leafpool identifying her and Jaypaw sensing some jealousy from Leafpool, as the patrol is going to check in on WindClan and get information because of uh scents. you know usual warriors border bullshit. We then get Jaypaw noticing her breath, and finally him sensing jealousy from Nightcloud (that she does not act on). This is the entirety of her appearance in Dark River:

Cue Leafpool being polite to Crowfeather, and Crowfeather waving as many red flags as he possible can.

And onto the infamous Outcast! Where Nightcloud has *drumroll* one fucking appearance.

She also has one appearance in Eclipse where she's part of the patrol that attacks Lionpaw, but I'm not even going to mention it it's quite literally just him going "Nightcloud!" before the scene shifts to his and Heatherpaw's conflict. She is entirely absent in Long Shadows, there is no appearance of her beyond allegiances.

And finally in Sunrise, she is entirely absent until near the ending. She's first mentioned by Crowfeather when Jayfeather asks him if he knew the truth, then noticed at a gathering by Hollyleaf:

When the secret is revealed, Nightcloud stands with Crowfeather. No hissing or hitting or turning on him, here is the entirery of her appearance when Hollyleaf reveals everything:

This is it. This is the entirety of Nightcloud involvement in the story, she is barely mentioned and she is barely a character. Her appearances are dwarfed by Crowfeather and Breezepelt, and she is literally just a normal mom character throughout.

Nightcloud's Appearances in Omen of the Stars

Nightcloud is absent throughout the entirety of the Fourth Apprentice. She is only mentioned in the allegiances. She has one appearance in Fading Echoes:

Then there's Night Whispers, where her first appearance is her arguing with Crowfeather while Flametail goes "yikes!":

Her other appearance is the infamous grabbing scene that people latched onto as proof that Nightcloud was an abusive monster who was hurting poor Crowfeather and was forcing him to not bond with his son. Breezepelt and Lionblaze get into a border dispute and it escalates into a fight:

Leafpool intervenes and asks Crowfeather why he's not doing shit, he then proceeds to throw up multiple red flags in front of her and does the red flag dance:

We finally get Nightcloud where she comes in and pulls Crowfeather away from Leafpool. Despite using her claws, presumably because she does not have fucking THUMBS to grab onto him, no blood is drawn. She just pulls him away in an already emotionally charged and over dramatic situation. This is not comparable to Crowfeather's abuse of his son and with everything else I've presented, her grabbing him is not indicative of their relationship, ESPECIALLY given the circumstances of the action:

Her last appearance is her talking about shredding RC cats, it's not relevant but uh it's there. That the entirety of her appearances within the book.

She has no appearances in Sign of the Moon. She then has a two appearances in The Forgotten Warrior where she is hostile to Hollyleaf (which feels understandable to me considering what Hollyleaf did):

She has one onscreen appearance in The Last Hope where she defends Jayfeather from the Dark Forest attack with some other WindClan cats:

Her only other mention is Crowfeather blaming her for Breezepelt's behavior:

In canon, this never happens. We never see Nightcloud encourage Breezepelt to hate Crowfeather, but we instead see Crowfeather spending an entire book abusing Breezepaw when Nightcloud is away. This is bullshit, but the fandom took this as truth and immediately turned on Nightcloud despite no actual evidence.

There are three takeaways from this:

Crowfeather blaming Nightcloud is....false. It's false. We see no canon evidence of this, and in fact the books tell us another narrative.

Nightcloud is barely a character. She has so few actual appearances that calling her "complex" is a lie, she is a narrative tool that moreso supports Crowfeather and Breezepelt's conflict than any story of her own.

Even if Nightcloud did do all that offscreen, Crowfeather STILL abused his child and that is directly tied to Breezepelt's motivations within Omen of the Stars. Nightcloud's behavior does NOT negate the harm that Crowfeather did to his own son.

[daily-hanamura]

Do you ever think about how Chie (and Yukiko iirc?) have both previously called Yosuke a disappointment, meaning they were, albeit in part, one of the reasons for his low self esteem

Obviously they didn't do it on purpose, since Yosuke always tries to act like those words don't phase him, always acting like he's very confident

But I wonder, if he were to ever open up to them and start showing his more sensitive side in general, how would the girls react? Like would they feel a bit guilty or something?

Many thoughts... many very, very disorganized thoughts......

Oooooh yeah I do indeed think about this, and apart from Chie and Yukiko, Teddie has also described Yosuke as a "prince of disappointment"/"everyone's favourite disappointment"

Yosuke, of course, also being the one that calls himself a disappointment the most.

So this is just my perspective based on my life experience, but I think that to some extent, it very much reflects the kind of humour that was very pervasive around that time. As a millennial it's pretty typical for friends to rib into each other as banter (see also Yosuke to Kanji) and to employ self-deprecation as a joke, and it's kind of a mark of friendship -- you really only do that to people that you're very close friends with, because it's about in-group jokes (e.g. Chie can call Yosuke a disappointment, but that random classmate can't) and a reflection of just how well you know a person.

It's kind of complicated to talk about because I'm not saying that it was necessarily good, since it can be quite insensitive if you're not conscious of someone's personal issues. And some people definitely don't enjoy that sort of humour, because it's also highly, highly contextual and easy to misread. Some bullies also use that as a justification for why they're saying mean things, which is especially unpleasant in the workplace LOL. I feel like as I've gotten older this has become less common? Or maybe I'm just not as comfortable with the friends I've made in adulthood to want to readily rip into them? But then again I have maybe three friends I'm willing to banter like this with and we've been close friends for about a decade, which I think kind of drives home the point I'm making about how this is the kind of joke you only make with people that you've been through a lot with, which the IT are. I think it's humour that's meaningful in the narrative context because it's a signpost that indicates their shared experience in the TV world was no trivial thing, just like how Yosuke calling Yu "aibou" reflects the same sentiment.

But, as you said, because of how Yosuke puts on an act of confidence, I don't think most people pick up on it other than Yu, because Chie, Yukiko and Teddie probably just think it's part of the bit that Yosuke is doing (Yosuke also refuses to show his weaknesses to anyone other than Yu, but that's probably another conversation). One of the weaker spots of P4/G (and P5), I feel, is that it isn't as revealing about the interpersonal relationships between characters outside of the protag character. Which I don't really expect, but it was really nice to see in P3. So all we have to go on is the spin offs, and I think if we compare Chie and Yukiko's distanced friendliness with Yosuke in the Magician manga vs their expression of reliance and dependence on Yosuke in P4AU, for example, we can see that developed dynamic.

Would they feel guilty? Probably, but they're also teenagers who are still figuring out interpersonal interactions and personal boundaries (and this goes for Yosuke as well), and I think this friction is sometimes just part and parcel of growing up. I do think that if Chie and Yukiko realise that Yosuke does have a sore spot about it they'd change the way they speak with him because they genuinely care about him, especially as they mature into adulthood.

Going a little off tangent now and this is just my headcanon, but I also wonder if Yosuke initiated that sort of humour with Chie and Yukiko shortly after their rescue to help them relax. Yosuke likes to use humour to diffuse tension (which doesn't always work) but it's not hard to imagine him sensing awkwardness from the two of them (they really weren't close friends at all prior to the TV world), so he makes himself the butt of a joke to get them to laugh, and when they latch on to it he's actually kind of happy because it means he's done something useful. (ngl ever since I saw Tamami's clown motif stage in p4d I have not stopped thinking about her parallels with Yosuke)

[baiwu-jinji]

QR viewing XL as his father figure really re-contextualizes a lot of his actions towards him once you think about it tbh. It actually helped me make sense of the changes QR had on the revised version. When I first read the Masouleaum chapter in the revised version, I had the nagging feeling that QR was envious of LQQ, but I couldn't really explain it. While he started attacking LQQ because of revenge over Xianle, I think there was also an element of jealousy, as XL kinda treated him as his child. It probably made him mad seeing XL protecting and acting fatherly towards the prince of Yong'an. During the Golden Massacre, QR played it as a "gift" towards XL, and QR also set them up to fight as well later on. Seeing XL being protective and forgiving over LQQ, the prince of the kingdom who made Xianle fall, even after the whole coffin deal, all while XL could barely tolerate QR even in life, probably made him feel... Some kind of way. And this isn't even to mention that, in the revised version, QR is the one who forces XL to take care of him and Guzi at first. Even if he's drowning in hatred for XL, he really still views him subconsciously as a father.

I think this also helps explain why XL also hated QR in a particularly unique way he doesn't for other characters. If XL represents a failed father figure for QR, then QR represents not only the aspects of Xianle society that XL disliked the most, but he also how people expected him, who was just a child, to take on adult burdens, and then degraded and hated him for not living up to those impossible expectations. QR represents the way XL was forced into adult roles too young, and then completely mocked and hated for not being the "adult" in the situation.

Hi! Anon this is very perceptive and well said, I have nothing to add :) (in case anyone's wondering, anon's responding to this post)

Since you mentioned the revised version, I'd be really interested to know where to buy/read the revised Chinese version (I tried searching for it but can't tell if it's the revised version they're selling or just the old version), and I'd be very grateful if someone could tell me :)

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Would A Maushold Be A Good Pet?

The numbers say yes but... it's complicated. As you probably are aware, adopting a maushold doesn't mean adopting a pokémon: adopting a maushold means adopting three to four pokémon! For a lot of people, that's a pretty tall order. For some, it may not even be something they anticipated! A lot of tandemaus owners get caught off guard when their couple of furry friends becomes a bit more of a handful overnight! Thankfully, caring for a maushold isn't too difficult, if you have the right resources and know what you're doing.

As far as research into mausholds go, we don't actually know how they form. Many a tandemaus has become a maushold seemingly on a whim while their owner is out of the house, asleep, or otherwise occupied. Some speculate that becoming a maushold is just a part of a tandemaus' procreation, but it isn't that simple. The critters making up a maushold seem to not necessarily be family (Scarlet - Family of Four). Luckily, maushold numbers do seem to cap at four, so you needn't worry about any exponential population growth in your home!

Mausholds are, on the large, pretty low maintenance pets. In the wild, mausholds like to construct big (at least to them) dens with rooms designed for different purposes (Scarlet - Family of Three). The data is unclear on if there's a specific material that they need to build their dens in. I'd say your best option is providing them with a designated outdoor digging space, or perhaps something like a large ant-farm, in which to build a nest that they feel comfortable in. Keep an eye on your maushold, you never know what household items they may try to pilfer to help decorate or reinforce their dens!

Mausholds are not very dangerous. Most of their moves are relatively harmless, and they can even help you by cleaning up your living space of any harmful elements with Tidy Up! They know one move, however, with a massive penalty on their pet score: Super Fang. This moves cuts the HP of whatever it hits in half(!) Now, as I've said before, I'm not a doctor, but I have a hard time even imagining what it would be like to have my HP cut in half. It sounds pretty bad. Mausholds' signature move, Population Bomb, calls on the aid of other mausholds to attack targets. This move isn't as bad of a problem if there aren't a lot of mausholds around, so it's pretty contextual, but keep it on your radar. Mausholds are thankfully not very violent, only attacking in order to protect the little ones in their groups (Violet - Family of Four). As long as you make sure your pets feel safe and secure, the risk of getting Super Fanged is pretty low.

Whether you're an ambitious pet owner looking to take in a whole bundle of furry friends, or you're a tandemaus owner who woke up to one or two new faces this morning, a maushold would make a pretty good set of pets if you know how to take care of their needs. They're pretty low-key and even friendly: as long as they feel safe and have the space they need to build their nests, you shouldn't have any problems!

[captainpikeachu]

I saw these comments on a post talking about John and I just felt the need to contextualize some stuff because it constantly feels like people don't actually understand John's situation at all.

Because this kid knew Sam had given up the shield and he still took it

John literally doesn't have a choice. He is a soldier, the military gave him a job, it is not a democracy, he can't just decide he doesn't feel like following an order and an assignment that was given to him. An order to be the new Captain America is not an illegal order nor an immoral order, if John had said no, he could literally be discharged for disobeying an order. This wouldn't just affect him but also throw stigma onto his wife as well. People are acting like John just casually took it or was somehow gunning for the job when it is literally stated that John and Lemar were minding their own busines prepping for a mission before he was pulled out of his mission prep to do this Cap job. He didn't ask for it. It was a job and he did his job. Sam and Bucky are soldiers too, they both should know that soldiers can't just decide to do whatever they feel like and sometimes you have to follow orders you don't like.

And that's not even touching upon the very real possibility that John didn't even know what was going on with Sam or what his intentions were for the shield. It's not as if John was watching the news. And it's also not as if Sam sat him down to explain how he never meant for the shield to go to someone else. John is not a mind reader. He can't know what's going on if people don't tell him.

Because this kid was live on national TV calling Steve "his brother"

He didn't call Steve "his brother", he said Steve felt like a brother. I swear this fandom just suddenly loses their collective minds and logical thinking at this line as if it's a heinous crime when it isn't. Soldiers often feel kinship to each other. This is nothing new. No amount of Bucky looking sad/mad is gonna change the fact that this line is not some crime or affront to Bucky personally. John is not attacking Bucky or Sam or stealing Steve from them. Chill the fuck out already.

John's speech/interview would have been rehearsed and checked by a PR team, so he's saying the things that the govt wants him to say. Much like how Steve had to stick to the script when he was doing USO tours back in the 40s. If y'all don't blame Steve for those things, then why blame John for the same.

Not to mention that line about feeling like a brother is likely a nod to John's comics backstory where John's brother saved him from a house fire as a kid, and John imagined that it had been Captain America who had come to save him, thus linking his brother to Steve/Cap in his mind.

Because Sam and Bucky don't know this kid and yet he's talking to them like they're old friends

So it's a problem that because John doesn't know Sam and Bucky then he can't talk to them like they're old friends but it's okay for Bucky who doesn't know John to insult John in his very first words to him, and additionally insult Lemar as well?

Mind you, Bucky's first words to John after John and Lemar risked their lives to help Sam and Bucky, and stopped Sam from getting his head crushed in by super soldiers, was to say John isn't good enough for the shield and then question if he's brave and self sacrificing enough. Neither Bucky nor Sam thanks John and Lemar for their help, not even a tiny thank you, just resentful silence like petty petulant children.

Because apparently if Bucky and Sam are upset, then they can act out towards other people, but god forbid John reacts in turn, then he's evil?

Do you not know how insulting it is for Bucky to even question John with that "jumping on grenade" BS? Would you ask Simone Biles if she can do a flip? Would you ask if Michael Jordan can shoot a hoop? Do you ask Michael Phelps if he can swim? Asking a THREE time Medal of Honor receipient if he's brave and self sacrificing enough is hugely insulting. And the fact that Sam and Bucky are both soldiers and doing this stuff is even more terrible behavior.

They ought to know that the Medal of Honor is not easily given out, that the military is extremely hesitant at giving out these medals that sometimes people don't get them until 30 or 40 years later?? They also ought to know that the Medal of Honor is taken so seriously that if the lowest ranking private got one, even the highest ranking generals would salute that soldier because everyone knows the level of sacrifice and heroism it takes to even just earn one of those medals??

So here is Bucky and Sam knowing all this, knowing that the Medal of Honor citations are public records so John's actions are literally open to public scrutiny because MoHs are very documented, still chose to behave in an insultingly presumptive and condescending manner.

Sam later says "we can't expect others to step up if we don't meet them half way" - yet Sam and Bucky never even tried to meet John half way and they still expected him to step up for them.

Why the hypocrisy? Why are insulting behaviors okay just because it's the protagonists doing it?

Because this kid is stupid enough to say he wants them all to work together because he wants Cap's wing-men by his side as if Sam and Bucky were sidekicks and not full grown adult men and heroes in their own right

The irony of being upset at the wing-man comment when Sam years ago called his own best friend Riley his wingman, yet I don't remember people acting like Riley was a sidekick and not treated like a full grown adult in his own right by Sam?

There seems to be an inability to accept John at his words and making up things he's meaning. What is so wrong to say that John's job would be a lot easier if people saw him supported by Cap's friends? It's a very logical reality. It's no different than if Sam wanted to start a new Avengers team, having the public support of previous Avengers would legitimize his position.

"Walker was an asshole for most of the time"

Except he wasn't.

Sam and Bucky didn't like him not because John said anything to them, but because they were already angry by the time they met due to things that weren't John's fault. They're mad at the government, but guess what? They know they can't take on the government, but John is a much easier target. The easy scapegoat and punching bag for their anger.

Instead of thanking John and Lemar for their help with the Flag Smashers and ensuring that Sam didn't die, Sam and Bucky ignored John and Lemar's attempt to give them a ride back, and then immediately Bucky launches into a tirade about how John didn't deserve that shield and how he's not brave or self sacrificing enough.

Who the fuck talks to someone they just met like that? If someone you had never met said that to you on your first day of work, would you not be looking at a toxic workplace?

And even then, John brushes off the insults and even says that he understands why they're angry, and trying to extend an olive branch, which they wouldn't take.

And yes, Bucky did constantly belittle John, from the very first moment. His first words to John was literally to tell a man he had never even met or spoken to that he wasn't good enough. It's a shitty move no matter how much he thinks he is justified in his anger.

And then he mocks the pressure that John is under. He crosses a line so far that even Sam recognized it and tried to step in to de-escalate.

Are Sam and Bucky responsible for John's actions? No. John is his own person and he made his decisions. But let's not pretend that actions can't be influenced by environment or be a response to something.

Even Sam recognized it enough to say the words that "you can't expect others to step up if you don't meet them half way" in a speech to government leaders and to the world, literally saying that how you treat someone will affect how they react or treat you.

Sure, Sam and Bucky were dealing with their own problems, and losing Steve and then this shield mess made them unwilling to open up and trust. But if we can understand Sam and Bucky's POV and why they behaved as they did, why can't we give the same grace to John?

He didn't ask for the shield. He was given an order, an assignment that that he had to obey. So he did what he was ordered to, and he did it wanting to do his best and do good and help. And from day one he is met with a wall to his face at every turn when he tries to extend a hand. He is constantly met with people telling him that he's not good enough or acting like he's a thief who's committed some crime when all he did was accept an order that both Sam and Bucky would know he can't disobey.

Why should Sam and Bucky expect John be "humble" and accept he's not good enough and swallow their attitude towards him and to step up for them, if Sam and Bucky were never willing to meet John half way and decided they already hated him or they somehow already knew him before they had actually met?

They made a self fulfilling prophecy in the end. And the show emotionally manipulated the audience by knowingly playing into the notion that people would automatically side with characters they already felt emotionally attached to, and of course people fell for it.

[spanishskulduggery]

Heyo Profe 🍓:

What are the proper ways to express dismissive attitudes? I heard of "Y qué a mí?" Does that have the same connotation as "Whatever"? Or is it "como lo que sea"(which feels Spanglish to me)?

I typically see it like ¿A mí qué? though it's like "so what?" more literally "what does that have to do with me" as the a mí is "to me" and it gets used in sentences like a mí me importa "it matters to me" etc. It's just like "and that concerns me how?"

lo que sea is "whatever"; which can be used like English as an actual part of a sentence "whatever it is" ...or a dismissive response "whatever"

Other expressions you might see/use to be dismissive:

No tiene nada que ver conmigo. = It has nothing to do with me. [lit. "it has nothing to see with me"; tener que ver con (algo/alguien) is "to have to do with (something/someone)"; so you could use this like no tiene nada que ver con ella "it has nothing to do with her", los informes no tienen nada que ver contigo "the reports have nothing to do with you"... parts of the expression can change]

Nada que ver. = Unrelated. [a shortened version of the above; more common to say no tiene nada que ver or no tienen nada que ver "it/they're unrelated"]

Me da igual. = I don't care. / It's all the same to me. [lit. "it gives me the same"]

¿Qué más da? = Who cares? / No matter. / It doesn't matter. / Oh well. [lit. "what more does it give?" same idea as above it's just like "eh oh well" most of the time]

¿Ah sí? = Oh yeah? / Oh really? / Is that right? / Is that so? [can be snippy; can be just a short response]

Ajá. = Uh-huh. [can be an affirmative response or like the bored "uh-huh"; depends on your tone of voice]

No me importa. = I don't care. ¿A quién le importa? = Who cares.

No me digas. = You don't say. [can be sarcastic; literally it's "don't tell me"]

¿Y bien? = So? / So what? / Well?

Ya lo veremos. = We'll see. / We'll see about that. [potentially dismissive or potentially a wait and see sort of thing - I've used it to be like "I don't really know but we'll find out" or I've said it in a way like "let's wait and see what they have to say about it" sort of like not wanting to argue about it further]

No tiene sentido. = That doesn't make sense.

There are a handful of expressions that describe indifference like ni fu ni fa or a mí ni fu ni fa which is like "no matter" or "it makes no nevermind to me" almost

...

I will also include a handful of negation words/expressions. These generally just express a no, but they could be dismissive or they could be just an emphatic no. It's really contextually driven as they aren't necessarily rude but they're a very strong no.

En absoluto. = No way. / Absolutely not.

Ni modo. = No way.

Qué va. = No way.

Also para nada is like "at all" or "not at all" and it can be used in some expressions like no sirve para nada "it's totally useless" or "it's completely useless"

But para nada can also be used as a response. Someone might be like "oh I'm so sorry" and a response can be para nada "oh no worries" or "don't even worry about it"

...

There are some that I think might apply but they're not always dismissive. Like ¿y eso? is a bit of a normal response it's like "how come?" or "why's that?" or just asking for clarification on something or more information, but you could potentially ask it sarcastically.

Another two to keep in mind:

No te incumbe. = It has nothing to do with you. / It's not your business. [which can be snippy; if I'm trying to be polite I say con todo el respeto no te incumbe "with all due respect it's none of your business" which is firmer but not totally disrespectful; another more literal version is no es asunto tuyo which is "it's no business of yours"]

The snippier way to say this is métete en tus asuntos which is "mind your business" - literally "put yourself in your (own) affairs". This can be changed for politeness or plural... métanse en sus asuntos is plural for example like if you were addressing a bunch of people. I definitely heard a few teachers say this to us students.

Now this one is absolutely dismissive and is meant to put someone in their place:

¿Quién te ha dado vela en este entierro? = And what business is that of yours?

Literally it's "who gave you a candle in this funeral/burial?" - the idiomatic expression comes from giving a candle to the family members of the deceased at a funeral.

The implication here is "Why do you think you get a say in the matter?" ...just basically saying hey this isn't your business and you don't get an opinion

[loudmound]

What don’t you like about the remake? I gotta know

anon i fear you are going to open pandora's box with this question.

since it was revealed in 2022, i will say that my very passionate, fiery, and searing hatred for its very existence has definitely simmered, and what i hold now in my heart for it is a very... cautious disdain.

i'll do my best to break it down for you.

PART ONE: BOOBER TEAM LOL

so... for starters, bloober team, the developers behind the remake, has had something of a muddied history with riding off the coat tails of games past, airlifting concepts from them wholesale, and layers of fear was no different in that respect. there's also the can of worms that is their survival horror title "the medium", which is basically bloober's silent hill 2 before the sh2 remake.

spoilers for the medium, but what can be gleaned from it thematically deeply concerns me as a sh2 fan, i.e. the notion that a victim of csa is simply too far gone and either the player character has to kill her or herself with the adage "you cannot save everyone". not to mention the fact that said victim's abuser was framed in a far more sympathetic light than she was, framing his predatory behavior as a monster controlling him from the inside. it's disgusting and insensitive, simply put.

this theme of "if you're mentally ill or suffer from trauma, you're beyond help and simply better off dead" also appears in their blair witch game, which is... great. from jump, i have had less than favorable opinions on bloober team, not for the quality of their visuals or their gameplay, but what stories they're most interested in telling, and how they go about telling them, exactly.

now, to blanket state that every single person on bloober team are hacks and frauds and don't have a shred of integrity telling the stories that they do would simply be ignorant and incorrect. i wholeheartedly believe that there are individuals working on the sh2 remake right now who want it to be the best that it can be and Very Much Want It To Be Good. it's a shame that these individuals who don't have much in way of creative control are getting thrown under the bus, too.

i can, however, maintain that opinion while also finding their backlog of games prior to the upcoming remake very disconcerting and have that inform my overall level of distrust in their integrity wholesale.

PART TWO: PRESS X TO CRY

i don't think there's anything that makes me more miffed than thinking about when the first remake trailer dropped.

so, we see our friend jim rush into the bathroom, seemingly out of breath, and wash his hands in the sink. we then get a shot of those hands, trembling with fear. he then takes thumb to palm, rubbing circles into them, presumably as a means to soothe himself. we then get him looking into the mirror, seemingly confused and out of place. he touches his face, much like he does in the original.

now, i understand that the notion of jim's emotionality has been a hotly debated topic. some people like it. some people don't. and i'm one of those people who doesn't. at least in this particular vein. in the original sh2, the cold open we get with james slowly approaching the mirror, shrouded in shadow, running his hand over his face as if he doesn't think he's real immediately sets the tone. we don't know who this man is or why he's here. as far as we know, he's just a random guy looking for somebody. namely: We Do Not Know He's Guilty Of Anything.

jim, however, is OOZING of guilt. he literally washes his hands, for christ's sake. anxiously washing his hands of his deed. the fact that it's more obvious that he's a guilty man from the start rather than further re-contextualizing his behavior throughout the narrative and to the reveal is a very classic blooberism.

bloober has a very bad habit of being... heavy-handed when it wants to implicate. saying what something is without saying it outright. this can be found in the most recent release date trailer, where angela desperately tells james that "[she'll] be good for him" ('him' being her sexually abusive dad, of course) in a scene which looks like she's in front of the giant mirror. in the original, it's apparent that Something's happened to her, but we're not sure what until the abstract daddy boss fight later in the game where she says "or you could just force me. beat me up like he always did."

it's not that sh2 wasn't ever blunt or heavy-handed with its storytelling, of course, but it's a matter of when it's appropriate to forego subtlety. eddie, for example, doesn't make vague allusions to or sugarcoat the abuse that he experienced as a fat person, and that's fitting! being candidly violent and more outward in contrast to angela who for the most part is very withdrawn and meek works very well. sometimes, being blunt is the best course of action for optimal characterization/narrative progression.

also, on the topic of jim... i call him jim simply because he does not read as james to me. he's a new individual that's operating within a james-like role; he's just... simply a different person. he's very, very gritty, and VERY visibly neurotic. to me, he's very much anxiety tunnel-visioning: hyperfocused on one thing that everything else seems to fall by the wayside.

i never got the implication that he was dissociating like the original james is, of which i think is a core trait of his, and probably informs a lot of why i do not read jim as james. this is a very take it or leave it kind of opinion, and it's not that i feel super negatively about jim's characterization, either. it's just... idk i don't think screaming and crying while falling to your knees is a very james thing to do. james fell to his knees silently after he screamed, comparatively. shrug.

it's like... james is a herding dog and jim is a sighthound. same animal, different kind.

and then there's maria. but i wrote a whole post on that already, so you can read that here. people have also written numerous think pieces about why her redesign is so nothingburger, too, so i'm not the only one who thinks this way, either.

angela in the remake is alright. i have my gripes, but she's okay. what concerns me the most is the VERY PERTINENT lack of eddie. he has been very notably absent throughout this whole song and dance, and it's getting fucking ridiculous. WHERE IS HE BLOOBER. I KILL ANOTHER HOSTAGE THE LONGER YOU KEEP HIM FROM US.

PART THREE: CONCLUSION, AKA NEVER TRUST A COMPANY WITH YOUR HAPPINESS

all and all, i don't have very high hopes for the sh2 remake, not because it doesn't look good, play good, etc.; the way that a game plays, and even more so how a game looks doesn't matter to me so much as how the narrative is executed. the remake, photorealistically, looks great! the environments are very rich. that's all well and good.

but, again, looks alone cannot sway me. it's nothing that i haven't already seen before done by games past. i'm not excited for a sh2 that looks like a re2r or a re4r, simply put. there was a style developed within the limitations of what the ps2 could handle, and with the massive upscale in technology and photorealism above all else, it's undoubtedly lost. while a matter of taste, of course, i just find myself very straight-faced looking at what teasers we have of the remake. i'm not amazed, nor am i amused! it's as simple as that.

and also, we should mention that at the helm of it all, konami has been milking the silent hill franchise for all it's fucking worth. maybe the members of bloober team are trying to genuinely make a good game for once, but konami wants that money at the end of the day, if the spectacular failures of games past, as well as silent hill themed experiences such as ascension are anything to go by.

also also, this remake is never gonna satisfy every single sh2 fan. that's just the truth of the matter. i think some people are really gonna love it and some are really gonna hate it. realistically, i'll be very meh on it. i can find some things to like about, but that's really it. if i'm cherry-picking things i enjoy about something i'm largely reticent on, i wouldn't call that enthusiasm in the slightest. would you?

anyways, thank you for reading. i hope these answers suffice and satisfy.

[yuurivoice]

Not to tell you how to do your job or anything, and I don't think it's the audience's place to give suggestions when this is YOUR profession, it's just a small idea that occured to me.

But maybe in the upcoming Auron audio you could add a little note on the screen saying that new Auron content is coming soon, and then like do the same with future compilation videos, since they tend to do so well!! Like to let people know that if they like the characters, this is not where the story ends at all and they should stick around. I say this mainly cause I remember you once talked about how the major numbers on the Finn compilation didn't translate to a major increase in subscribers. Really hope this didn't come off as rude, I just think maybe if people think the compilations are the ENTIRE story it might not occur to them to subscribe!

It also might yield no results at all, idk. I just remember I didn't subscribe until multipleeee videos had been recommended to me over MONTHS, mainly because I had no idea that there was a story to be followed.

I've written like three different responses to this but as I yap on I get new conclusions and ideas. This is v3 of my answer lmfao.

Preface: People don't pay attention to shit and unless you are clever or use a hammer, they do not care. They want the content. ESPECIALLY if they aren't familiar with you. This makes any deliberate Calls to Action run the risk of annoyance rather than making a meaningful impact on conversions.

Bonus note: If a video is scheduled to premiere, there's nothing I can add to it at this point without doing a whole reupload, giving Thoo a bunch of extra work, and all that shit. So that wasn't ever an option anyway.

My approach in this current iteration of how I do things is that rather than slob on somebody's knob begging for a sub, they're encouraged to either watch more videos or go to the homepage. My working hypothesis is that you're actually MORE likely to get a curious viewer to drop by your homepage before they subscribe, because they want to see what else is available.

The most recent changes I made to the channel homepage should make it abundantly clear that there are multiple stories, characters, and styles of content to jump into. Making sure that the homepage is great has probably made a massive difference in that regard, without impacting the videos themselves.

Playlists are horribly underutilized in this niche in particular, and on lots of YouTube channels really. So I made sure to try and nail that down. Still need to get the channel trailer locked in but tbh I don't know how effective those really are in 2024.

All of that being said, a ~15 second welcome intro at the start that explains what the compilation is and invites viewers to sub/explore the playlists would probably be the easiest way to accomplish that without intruding on the listening/viewing experience in a way that feels desperate or pander-y. That in conjunction with the end screen prompt would probably be the easiest way to do it.

I don't feel like that immediately turns massive hit videos into untapped wells of subscribers that I missed out on, it could help contextualize things a little more and who knows, maybe it WOULD be a big deal. Hard to say!

The context for me not immediately being like OH IT'S A SLAM DUNK HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THIS is because I run a very lucrative business converting viewers to patrons and I have very minimal in-video notes about hearing the spicy bits on Patreon. People often figure things out for themselves if they're motivated enough, and you run the risk of chasing them off if you come across like a desperate ass hoe. lmfao

I appreciate the ask, but also can assure you that I've spent several hours mulling over these very specific issues and I've considered just about every angle. If I had included every little detail and wrinkle of information I was cooking up in the various iterations of this answer it would be a mile long. So trust me. I've thought about it in great detail, have worked with people on it, workshopped things and much more!

Y'all got me yappin' up a storm on here lately. lmfao

[sepublic]

I really like how the finale to Crystalized refers to the elemental dragons as the ninjas' elements. Their very own powers. Like this isn't a dragon of fire, a fire dragon, etc. This is literally Kai's power of Fire, incarnate.

It hearkens back to the Elemental Dragons concept introduced in S4, in a way that really re-contextualizes it. Similarly in Crystalized, the Overlord describes the elements of the ninja as sentient entities, capable of finding new hosts/champions even if they did die without having an heir to pass them on.

So between this and the Elemental Dragons, and now the Source Dragons of Dragons Rising and it's like. It feels like the elements have been recontextualized as dragons. Children of the Source Dragons. And I love that idea; They're primordial gods. The very concept of fire didn't exist until the dragon known as Fire came into existence, and all fire comes from it.

The elements are primordial gods and the source of that which they embody. They found mortal champions to wield their power for them, so they could influence events in a way not exactly direct, but not entirely neutral either; So like their parental Source Dragons' philosophy, but with a bit more leeway. They lend their power to others, who can briefly manifest an avatar representing their element's true form.

The Elements might be fairly neutral because they can't really choose or decide what their champion does; So you have Smoke choosing a champion in Ash, only to transfer over to Cinder, who is quite the villain. They've granted mortals the privilege of making use of their powers, but as mortals decide and choose for themselves, so even someone like Chen can just seize the Elements for himself and they won't go against him. It's not exactly Source Dragon neutrality, the refusal to interfere in mortal affairs, but it's derived from a similar philosophy.

Given the speculation that Source Dragons played a role in the Merge, plus new elements coming into existence. And this implies that the Source Dragons have created new Elements, leading to Technology, Heat, and Fusion, maybe more. These concepts became dragons, rather than the other way around; As if the Source Dragons coalesced them into individual entities, ‘adopted’ them if you will.

This does make me wonder about Zeatrix's element, given it was around pre-Merge. Similarly, how does Time work, since it's been split into four powers, across two hosts... Only for those powers to be trapped in different Time Blades. And what of Water and Wind, which are said to belong to Wojira? Morro and Nya can both summon dragons, and in Nya's case she became one. Did Wojira create the elements of Water and Wind, did she contain them within her amulets, what's up with that?