#we thought this might be the last episode but whoops we're really good at going off the path

[airlock]

well! that's all the jellyfish couldn't swim. might as well write my thoughts on the finale down here from the top of it. maybe sometime in not very long I'll see what the thing looks like watched all at once, the way I usually do this

so first of all: I went in without raising my expectations for yuri too high, so I'm not burned as hard about that as folks largely seem to be. that said, I did go in with a lot of other expectations, and came out underwhelmed

the escalator scene was cute, and I did really want to see mahiru and kano back to being cute and physically affectionate with each other -- but god, what a weird way to build up to the resolution, and what a weak resolution. they really couldn't have had one conversation until after the big show? mahiru couldn't even tell the gang herself about the performance arrangement? and did they really not have more to say to each other than "oops I said something thoughtless" "whoops I may have done a few inconsiderate things" "[in sync] BUT MOVING ON--". like, on the one hand this is totally how some conflicts I've had in real life ended up, but on the other hand, this conflict was gnawing at the core of the plot for three episodes, and spoke to the central character motivations of both characters involved; how was the conclusion of it not supposed to be the main event today?

I guess that's where I really set myself up, because I'd spent the whole week dreaming up what a good resolution would've looked like, what sort of stirring words would've been exchanged then. maybe I'll just have to write that myself sometime.

and speaking of conflicts that were just glided over! I didn't want to believe that the Yukine situation was headed to the old "forgive and forget because they're family" scrapyard, but I guess that's also where I totally set myself up. I'd been waiting for things with Yukine and Mahiru to sour even a little; I'd been waiting for Kano to actually really find her way outside her shadow; and most of all, I'd been waiting to find out about the last depths of her character. and today, for a ghost of a moment, I thought they might actually have Kano choke off a show in front of her, see what something like that would bring her to do. but nope! the gig goes smoothly and all is forgiven. kano ugly-cries at just being called her damn name by her mother, like we're supposed to find that touching. turns out Yukine's just reeeaaaal all-business-like, y'see, and there was nothing deeper than that to when she tossed her daughter to the fucking wolves. remember when this show was good at organically developed drama?

(and while we're at it, anyone find it super weird that Mero just gets to have a "look up at the motivating sight" moment with Kano? out of nowhere? like I'm not strictly opposed to it happening at all, but maybe it should not have been the second thing to be said or thought between them since The Punchening.)

all of it coalesces into the culmination of what'd been really bugging me for much of the back half of the show: weird pacing. things getting glided over that could've been whole episodes, missing chunks, and just the general sense that we went from a superproduction straight into a rushed mess. I wonder what happened in the back end. I wonder if this would've gone better, or just been more of the same, if this weren't a 12-episode standaloner.

at least Kano did finally find a reason to sing that doesn't completely revolve around one person! it was a bit cheesy, but it was one of her matters getting a good, satisfying conclusion. more than can be said for Mahiru, unfortunately.

I guesd that's the other thing I'd been expecting of this chapter that didn't pan out. ep9 centered on Kano; ep10 centered on Mei; ep11 centered on Kiui. but ep12 had like one really good Mahiru scene (the negotiation at the beginning) and that was it for her. not a great comeback for our out-of-focus protagonist! she delivered the final jellyfish speech that I'm sure we all knew was coming, but it felt totally unearned. wish you could've really shined on your own today, sweet jelly

Mei and Kiui got very good slices of epilogue for themselves, at least. Mei gets to be the inspiration she once needed! Kiui wasn't going to have much new to do, but she's already starting to put her dreams into practice!! those two I could walk out happy for, at least!

the graduations and the new mural painting scenes were cute, but they really just kind of happened, despite how much more of the episode they took up; again, weird pacing. and y'know, for how inportant the bonds between those four had become, I wish they'd had more to carry into the future than "maybe we'll still hang out sometimes". still, I suppose I would've been less sour on all of that if this hadn't had to be the episode that so much else was riding on, and crashed down upon. I guess that's also something I'd noticed earlier about this half of the show: the downtime scenes are ending up sort of carrying the emotional core where the main plot keeps letting it down.

oh well! much as all the unmet expectations hurt, and much as I'm not going to be able to say that yorukura actually surpassed a lot of my existing favourite anime, it's been a fun ride up to here. and I'll be carrying the better moments of it forward in my heart

[bengiyo]

The Warp Effect Ep 10 Stray Thoughts

With GMMTV dominating my watch calendar, it's actually becoming a bit difficult to recall everything that happened in a previous episode.

Last time, we tackled sexual health with Jedi and Rose, who had to contend with an HPV flare up in their open relationship. Over the course of the episode we questioned the nature of fidelity and safety, and learned that they likely were infected over ten years ago from other partners as the two revealed that they actually don't want their relationship to be open. Meanwhile, Nim discussed keeping the baby with Army, and also reconciled her relationship with Mollie. Elsewhere, Kim recognized that she didn't want to keep the baby at this time, and Ice spent the episode coming to terms with that and supporting his partner. Kat is back in the saddle, but Tony is a gentleman and is waiting for Jean. Alex and Jean may be on the path to speaking again.

As always, so much happens in this show.

Real shit, I want to see Jean's movie.

I don't have anything against Tony based on what we've seen, but I feel like it's a bad look for the lead to be involved with the director when they're advertising the chemistry between the leads?

I'm glad we're bringing See-ew back.

Ah, right. Liu has a handsy boss. I get her coworker choosing to accept it, but he should not be touching Liu like that and demanding she interact with him on IG.

I was lulled into a mild complacency, and now we're back to the sports homophobia plotline with Joe.

New is quite vascular.

I was not expecting Alex to just go into Liu's workplace and start a fight with her boss. What is he going to do if she gets fired as retribution?

And now we're storming back in with boxers? Why is no one talking to Liu first??

Lol, nevermind. Liu handles her own business. I want a show of just Clize whooping ass on the regular.

Okay, Mollie and Nim! Jojo said, "We are grown here. We give head."

Mollie is so valid. She just had Nim shivering from that tongue action, and now Mollie is all like, "We're just friends?" Friends don't get each other off like that. Get Tilly Birds on the line.

Okay, Silvy is so good. The aghast expression she pulled off was fantastic.

Oh, Army, I really need you to appreciate Joe's reality. Joe might lose the career that seems to provide a sense of purpose, and Army just doesn't grasp that.

"I just want the kind of love that makes me feel at ease." Me, too, Liu. Enjoying that these characters are in their late 20s, because your priorities start to shift.

The potential Kat and Jean have, only to reorient the conversation to Alex.

Really glad we're returning to Kim and Ice. In the 90s we had very special episodes about abortions and teen pregnancy, but we never lived with the fallout of the choice.

I think Ice should review his musician couple idols, because none of those relationships really worked out.

I'm gonna need the people on the internet to be respectful of Clize's feet. Still, I'm glad these two found some kind of balance.

Oh, I loved Jedi's proposal.

These dudes are going to sneer at their proposal in a queer-friendly bar? I think they should learn what bricks taste like. Give them a memorable LGBT experience.

They're not backing down? The whole bar should stomp their asses. I'll accept Jeana and Alex teaming up, and getting yelled at by the rest of the club.

Establishing that Tony has been a decent dude was a good move, because we expect him to not force an encounter on Jean after she panics. I like the way Joong plays his disappointment that they can't proceed along with his worry for Jean. I'm sure he suspects what may have happened, and knows it isn't his wound to heal.

I kinda wanna hear Phuwin play Motley Crue music now.

Mixed experiences across the squad right now.

I don't remember who Mr. Saran is, but I'm curious how the prom will act as a plot device next week.

[inkyvendingmachine]

BATIM Cthulhu AU: Season 1 Episode 7

✨Call of Cthulhu Season One Masterpost ✨ 💀 Call of Cthulhu: Haunted Hijinx Masterpost 💀

Warning: This campaign is an edited version of Call of Cthulhu: The Burning Stars scenario. While a lot has been changed, there IS spoilers for it throughout these posts.

i cannot decide on a single quote this time so, here’s just. here’s whatever is happening here. and a whole nother summary cause I GUESS IM JUST COMMITING TO THE SUMMARY LIFESTYLE NOW, SORRY ABOUT IT ALL BEING SO HECKIN LONG

OH ALSO I made a master post, so I can just link one thing instead of all the bits. It’s also sorted out to be in order by session!! since the tag isn’t like that due to the fact none of us keep a consistent posting schedule for this content lmao.

- so after important kisses and rejoicing, the jds crew decides to scramble before the potionmaker lady wakes up, since Gold Text says that “she” is going to kill us and we’d rather not like, wait around to confirm it’s her versus someone else.

- bendy lurker son boy has disappeared in the laundry room, though we quickly find him hiding to playfully pounce at us. Joey grabs him like a child and we skadoo out of there. (at some point Henry might have tried to take him from Joey but Joey just walked a lil faster cause he was enjoying carrying son boy too much.)

- decide that visiting the starpools and trying to rescue tom is best course of action, since we’re not sure if the lurker needs to be there or not and also we have no idea when Tom is gonna like... get sacrificed. So might as well get that settled first. Also the graveyard is pretty nearby, versus the hotel across town that’s hard to reach at 2am when no cabs are out and about.

- sneak up there just fine, nobody has been strapped to a monolith and carved open yet that’s great. the decision is made that 1. it’d be good to keep the amulet away from any cultists and hidden (so sammy takes it and puts it under his shirt, buttoning it up for the first time in forever (sad internal joey noises)) and since Henry is now the “host” he should probably not be crossing paths with cultists. So they’re gonna hide in the bushes with the Lurker Son Boy while Joey tries to sneak in and find Tom.

- This actually ends up being quite easy, cause he just checks where they were holding ‘joey’ last time they were up there and sure enough that is the ‘prisoner’ shack, and Tom is fast asleep in there and has a broken arm, but doesn’t seem to be chained down. aLSO there’s far less guards and cultists around wONDER WHY,

- Joey tries to sneakily way Tom up, to which instead he gets decked across the face. There’s a bit of snappish arguing where Joey offers to leave Tom behind if he’d like to get his full beauty sleep and, yeah okay fine lets escape. Joey gives a terrible summery of things that have happened to ally the Lurker with them (tom please do not attack it or this will all have been for nothing,) while they wait for a opportunity to sneak. (meanwhile Henry has started to scribble again and Sammy makes half an attempt to understand why)

- While sneaking out, Joey does fine but Tom manages to make noise and get everyone in the clearing to notice them. Quickly Joey grabs Tom’s less broken arm, angrily muttering about how he keeps messing everything up and runs off into the jungle, taking the same exact path they took the last time they were running off with the amulet. This is both cause he actually knows this path, and because he didn’t want to run a buncha cultists smack into the rest of the group who are hiding for a rEASON,

- Though when they hear the commotion, Henry and Sammy ask if the Lurker would like to go “do his distraction” again. He happily bounds off once returned to full size and entertains himself with swatting Cultists around. (Sammy and Henry make the mistake of going to check on the scene to see if they can find Joey and Tom, and uh. nope, just a whole lotta gorep,) ((Sammy did make sure to hide the lurker-controlling amulet first, which means he finally buttoned up his shirt.)) (((sad gay joey noises in the distance)))

- Meanwhile Joey manages to put enough of a distance between him and the one Cultist that has kept up that he can quickly shove and hide Tom in some bushes, before hiding behind a tree himself and preparing his gun. When the cultist rounds the corner, he steps out and shoots them in the shoulder, the only way he really knows how to deal with the problem right now and let Sammy and Henry know where they are located currently.

- (they do indeed hear it, and since the lurker seems to have things covered, so Henry and Sammy run off into the jungle to find Joey)

- The cultist runs up and manages to slash at Joey’s leg with a sword while he tried to swing a punch at them. Joey staggers, regains his composure for a single moment, then uses the fact that the cultist is rIGHT in front of him to push himself forwards into the cultist and shoot him point blank into the chest. The cultist falls over, revealing Tom mid ready to assist with a stick, which is no longer needed. Joey collapses.

- Sammy and Henry managed to find them rather soon after, finding Tom standing semi panicked over a wreathing Joey on the ground, who, despite not having an actual major wound, is acting like someone just sawed off his leg due to not being used to this kind of pain. The two take a moment to make sure the area is clear before going to see if they can help the Joey Problem. Henry starts trying to bandage up his leg with the ex-cultists shirt. Sammy’s just muttering insults at Joey (but it’s clear that he’s actually really worried.) Joey is not responding to either of them, he’s just trying to not scream cause he is aware enough to know not to do that.

- Henry mentally pokes the lurker (ARE YA WINNING SON?) to check in while he works on Joey. The Lurker is doing alright, so Henry offers him that he can either keep doing whatever he enjoys doing up there, or he can come along with them if he wants. tURNS OUT?? THE LURKER LIGHTS UP EXCITEDLY AT ‘COME ALONG’ (this is the start of murder) sO HE’S ON HIS WAY NOW

- Meanwhile, while everyone is distracted with Sammy trying to explain to Tom what the Lurker is, and Henry communicating while bandaging the one leg, Joey reaches over and grabs a knife off the murdered cultist and tries to cut his other leg open?!?? Henry grabs the knife out of his hand and puts to down, goes back to bandaging. Joey stupidly goes for it again, and this time Sammy steps in, grabs the knife from him, and asks Tom to help hold him down since sOMETHING IS CLEARLY WRONG WITH HIM,

- Meanwhile Henry is playing marco-polo with the lurker,

- Tom finally hears the Lurker approaching and freaks out at Henry, wHAT ARE YOU DOING THATS THE MONSTER?? OH IT’S HERE NOW?! BACKS AWAY VERY SLOWLY... Sammy you’re on duty for Joey watching now, and also communicating to the Lurker that Tom is friend not harm.

- It’s agreed upon that we should probably get out of here due to Joey being a lITTLE CRAZY rn, the Lurker offers to piggyback carry Joey, a thing it learned from being on Henry’s shoulders before!! ( ALL THE PLAYERS HAVE BEEN MURDERED ) Sammy picks up Joey and helps get him onto the Lurker’s back ( Joey has gone into tuned out mode and is just rag-dolling now as he Has An Episode ) Joey gets to ride piggyback on giant ink bendy like creature isn’t that gr9

- (also we find out the lurker is a little goopy since it probably jumped in one of the starpools while it was throwing cultists around. wHICH IS ALSO MURDEROUS, ARE U TELLING US THE LURKER IS LIKE A PUPPY THAT RUNS INTO A PUDDLE THE MOMENT YOU LOOK AWAY,)

- while walking back down to the graveyard, Tom asks about getting to a hospital. As we debate what the best course of action is (and Joey absolutely refuses to go to a hospital himself,) we get to the edge of the jungle, and Joey finally asks to be back on his own feet. Once down, he takes off his jacket, struggles to rip it cause it’s a good jacket, throws it to the ground, then takes off the bandage Henry made out of the shirt, rips that into two pieces and ties up both of his legs the same way. (Sammy helps him up and also continues supporting him. gaaaaaayyyy )

- When joey tosses his jacket out of anger, the stone pops out! Lurker is interested in it, they all think that they don’t need it so SURE BOY you can have it. lURKER EATS IT??? UHH OKAY GLAD YOU’RE ENJOYING SNACC

- We ask the Lurker if he’s interested in being small again, and he nods, so Joey and Henry assist in turning him back into a Bendy. This time it’s a lot easier and he kinda just pops into proper shape?!? but is up in the air, Henry tRIES to catch him but misses (maybe because he’s extremely tired) and BendyLurker makes a squeaky noise when he bounces, gives a thumbs up. (we’re all being murdered, constantly)

- As we go to leave, notice that Team Gun Runners is hanging out searching the cemetery that we entered through. Joey insists that he has an idea of how to get around them, and sends Tom, Henry and SonBoiBendy to go out the back and try to get a cab. He asks Sammy if he’d like to assist him, and Sammy freezes, caught between yes he DOES wanna go with them cause uhhh bendylurkersonboi he kinda worships now is in that party, but doesn’t want to leave Joey stumbling around on his own. Joey takes Sammy’s hesitation as an answer, pushes off of him, grabs his jacket and starts walking towards the group, not wanting wait long enough for them to find the group. 

- Henry asks Sammy about his feelings, Sammy does not answer, and they all skadoos out the back of the cemetery.

- The group notices Joey, who is doing his best to look completely normal. They started questioning him about what he’s doing there, if he’s seen anyone else?? Joey ignores their questions and brings up, hey, I have a feeling you’re looking for this (THE INVOICE THAT WAS GRABBED EARLIER AND I’VE BEEN CARRYING THIS WHOLE TIME) which I got off the Gent people, who we will not be working with anymore cause they made these arrangements behind our backs, and you can have it if you leave us alone! 

- ... the gun runners extremely accept this and scurry off. Joey tiredly and in lot of pain, manages to make it to the front gate himself and start walking around the side, finds his group struggling to call a cab. Maybe because Sammy is still wearing a bendy mask over his face, and they have a moving cartoon character on Henry’s shoulders??? Or maybe it was Sammy’s awful French,

- Joey manages to make it over to them, calls Tom a cab, tells him about where the tickets are kept and what to do, Tom tries to be uhh, grateful for being rescued? Joey just takes his gun back (and the sword but they’re not carrying that around, just Tom shouldn’t take it to a hospital) tells him to get out of his sight and sends him off to a hospital. Gets Sammy to take off the mask and the Lurker to play the fun game of “pretend you’re a stuffed animal”, gets a cab to the place Dr. Northeast is staying.

- We all grab very large and strong coffees and a little breakfast before heading up to the room. Dr. Northeast has been apparently up all night as well, studying, and Joey immediately forgets about his food and starts helping. Sammy and Henry hang with the LurkerBendySon while eating their food, making sure Henry stays awake...

- Sammy also gets to have a personal conversation with the BendyLurkerSonBoi, who wants to know... why we’re so bent on not sacrificing ourselves to the eldritch horror he serves? Less because he thinks they should now and more because... he’s never known it to go any other way. So maybe he wants to know if it can... and when asked, he admits he’s more interested in being more than just the jungle monster that swats people into starpools.

- uh oh, the final nail has been struck. our original plan has been completely destroyed because nONE OF US WANT TO OFFER THE LURKER BACK TO THE MESSANGER NOW TO BREAK THE CURSE OR WHATEVER. WE WANNA KEEP HIM. SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA OFFER. UHHHHHH TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO SEE US ALL DIE CAUSE WE REFUSED TO GIVE UP OUR SON BOI,

–> Episode 8

✨Call of Cthulhu Season One Masterpost ✨ 💀 Call of Cthulhu: Haunted Hijinx Masterpost 💀