#we're trying to stick with the main core

[andorshitdaily]

tell me in the tags who I missed!

[mysticsparklewings]

Anyone got room for yet another October Prompt List? 😉

I really wasn’t feeling the Official Inktober Prompt List this year & deeply miss the Obscutober lists nikolas_tower used to post over on Instagram, so I decided to break from tradition even more than I usually do & make my own! ✨

The main idea is each prompt is an Obscure Word, but I did get a little choosy & try to put a bit of my own spin on it!

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk more about the details + Definitions if you need them. ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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Before I get into my usual long-winded description, if you want to actually follow this prompt list—Or the Lite or Weekly version—here's what you need to know:

Here's the "Official" Definition list so you don't have to spend time looking up the words yourself if you don't want to...But also, if you do want to, feel free! The "official" definitions are intended as a time-saving guideline!

The list is open to all mediums! "Typical" visual art (Digital or Traditional), Literature, Sculpture, Crafts, Coloring Pages—whatever you want!

The word itself does not have to be directly included/related to what you make; You can just take inspiration from the way it sounds or looks, or something the sticks out to you in the definition, etc.

If a word or two doesn't work for you for various reasons, feel free to swap-in a different word—Either another "obscure" word of your choosing, or a word from another prompt list that you like better.

I've provided "Lite" and Weekly versions of the list in case the full 31 is too much, but you can pick-and-choose words from the full list however you'd like if you're not crazy about the words I picked for the shorter versions, or if you want to shorten the list in a different way.

Tagging me is appreciated, but not required!

Remember that my views on these Month-Long Daily Challenges is that it's about the challenge of completing a certain amount of creative pieces in the time given...And that's pretty much it, so as long as you're doing that and having fun, I'm really not bothered about how you choose to follow the list! My Inktober motto has always been "work smarter, not harder," and this is no different!

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Well, well, Sparklers—I assume this is quite the surprise coming from me. 🤭 Both because I've been awfully quiet over the past couple of months and this is what I come back with. [And for the record, I intend to explain more about where exactly I've been in a Museletter, but I wasn't able to get it typed up and ready-to-go today; Once I get it ready I'll add the link here.]

Not that me disappearing for a while and coming back with something not necessarily expected of me is all that abnormal, but rather if you've followed me for a while, you might remember I'm not normally super-keen on everyone and their uncle's mother's brother's sister making their own Prompt Lists.

So then, Mystic, what gives? Why make your own Prompt List now?

You can thank nikolas_tower on Instagram for that, actually. 😆 Some of you might also remember that I follow his Obscutober list in October 2021, and I've also swapped in an Obscutober word a couple of times when one of the "official" Inktober words didn't work for me.

I've explained before how much I love the Obscutober concept to its core, so I won't re-hash all of that here. The important part is that I do love it, but to my great sadness, 2022 only got an abbreviated Obscutober list (2 words per week), 2023 didn't get an Obscutober list at all (though I didn't really need one for 2023 because I was busy enough as it was following two other prompt lists at once) and considering just how close we're getting now, I really sincerely doubt Nikolas has/had plans for a 2024 one. Add to that: I was not super jazzed about the official Inktober prompt list for this year. Now, don't get me wrong—I'm normally not thrilled with every single word on the list (and if you've followed my Inktobers' past, you know I say as much during the month!), but I'm not sure I've ever felt quite so unenthusiastic about the whole list before.

Additionally still, some of you might remember I did talk a little bit last year about some...struggles I supposed is the closest word, that I've had with the past couple of Inktobers I've done. And generally, I've had some ideas for really shaking up the way I handle October for the past couple of years.

While, granted, my main "shake-up" idea is totally unrelated even to this list and I never seem to be able to get the necessary prep work it would require done in time, I think the main takeaway is a I've had a low-grade yearning to do something different...but I do still want to stick to my "tradition" of handling Inktober unconventionally.

So in the end, it kinda just made sense to at least try making my own Obscutober-style list this year. It's something different and I've missed the Obscutober lists, so why not?

Worth noting that I did try to put just a little of my own spin on it in my choice of words. While already I did try to stay away from words Nikolas already used for all 4 of his Obscutobers, I also had a couple of "rules" with the words I picked:

No words that are "Obscure" purely because they're not English/aren't found in English dictionaries. For example, "Lunette" is a French word, but it appears in English dictionaries with a definition that's more than just "the French word for..."

The word must have a definition that's relatively easy to find and/or appears in well-established English Dictionaries like Dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster. This rule exists because I noticed pretty quickly a lot of "aesthetic" definition images on Pinterest either don't turn up any other reliable results that a word even exists, or the word may exist but the Pinterest definition is straight-up wrong.

No overly gross/medical/NSFW words. (This wasn't a problem with any of Nikolas' Obscutober picks, this is just a personal preference that did shape my research a bit.)

One of my problems with the Inktober list for this year is too many words feel like synonyms/too closely related, so I wanted to avoid that. A couple of words are still kind of close in the end, like "Vitrine" and "Hyaline" or "Escutcheon" and "Orphrey, but they're still more different from each other than some words that I considered and ultimately turned down. [For example, I considered "Lambent" and "Clinquant" but decided they were too close in meaning to "Scintillate."]

Likewise, aside from the theme of being Obscure, I tried not to lean to heavily on words that fit a particular theme or idea

I tried not to pick "obscure" words that have become decently well-known or popular because they're obscure. The best example is "Aglet" wasn't even considered because it's been mentioned in multiple TV shows that I know of. "Scintillate" might push that boundary a little, but it is one of my personal favorites.

I also tried to pick words that had a little variety in definition length and not pick too many that had really short definitions, which ties into my next point...

More abstractly, I tried to pick words that feel like they both lend themselves to a really solid image but also leave room for interpretation of that image. Historically I've had problems with Inktober words feeling too much like they really only fit one specific interpretation of the word or they only have so many ways to represent the idea. And on the flip side, some of Nikolas' Obscutober picks (at least when I participated in 2021) felt a little too abstract at times. Ultimately, this feeling is probably highly subjective, but I tried my best to find the right balance anyway.

While not perfectly balanced, I did try not to lean too heavily on one type of word, as in Adjectives/Nouns/Verbs. There are still less verbs overall because it was just harder to find verbs that fit what I wanted, but if I hadn't consciously paid attention there probably would've only been 1-2 verbs and like 20 adjectives.

Not really related to adding "my own spin," but also worth noting that it was also important to me to provide "Lite" and Weekly versions of the list the way that Nikolas did for Obscutober II to make it easier for people that just don't have one-thing-every-single-day kind of time to feel welcome to still participate in some way. As stated in the description for those, you can just jump around the list however you like, but I know sometimes it's just easier if someone already lays things out that way for you instead of having to remember to leave things out and such.

And then for the visual list design, I did a mixture of Nikolas' Obscutober list style and my own more typical branding elements, which ended up working out much better than I expected; I wanted the "spirit" of the list to be recognizable to fans of Nikolas' lists without being an exact copy/looking too much like I was trying to "pretend" to be him or something, and I think I landed in a pretty good place. [And in case anyone is wondering, yes I did use my own template to make the list!]

I do have to admit to you Sparklers though that despite going through all that trouble, I'm actually still not 100% sure I'll be following the list myself. 😅 I've gone back and forth over how exactly I want to handle October at all this year so much...I definitely want to (and intend to!) do a Daily Challenge, especially given how spotty my uploads have been over the last year, but I just can't seem to settle on one full-fledged plan that I'm completely satisfied with.

I do have one potential idea I'm considering that already has a very specific alternate list, but pretty much all of my other ideas would normally use the official Inktober list, and so since that list isn't on the table for me this year, and it's really looking like DeviantArt isn't doing Drawtober again this year—Which I find incredibly sad, by the way!—I need another list on-hand that I know I can use and be reasonably happy with.

And for the record, I'm being intentionally coy about that one specific idea and not sharing that list because it's highly specific and if I do decide to go that route in some way, I'd like the main idea to be a least a little bit of a surprise.

But even if I don't use this list myself, I thought at least a few other people might enjoy giving it a try. After all, I wasn't the only one that enjoyed Nikolas' Obscutobers—I originally found out about them through another person entirely. So maybe a few other people are feeling that Obscutober void, or maybe you're just a big Word Nerd™ like me, or maybe you just want something that's a little different still from a lot of the more typical alternative prompt lists that have been floating around.

So, whatever the case, here the list is (and the Lite and Weekly versions, too); Let us all do with them what we will! 😉

Before I go, I will offer an apology to anyone who's disappointed or frustrated that I'm posting the list so close to time to use it—Believe me, if I'd been 100% sure I wanted to make it in the first place sooner, I would have gotten it out much sooner, too! But I'm doing the best I still can by getting out with this very tiny 2-day cushion instead of just dropping it right on the 1st. If the list turns out to be something you Sparklers want to see again next year, I promise I'll do my best to get it out with a lot more advance notice next time!

With that, there are still two days left in September and as semi-implied already, I still have a ton to do to be anything close to ready for October, so I'll leave you Sparklers to the list and your own October plans, whatever they may be; Hope to see you all again hopefully very, very soon...! 🤗

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List Design  © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[you-were-alone-too]

the aftermath of eddie's death & what it means for mike's arc in season 5

someone may have already posted a similar theory before, so i apologize if i'm super late to this, but i've had this theory in mind ever since the s5 set pictures of dustin and mike were dropped, and i've been wanting to make a post about it ever since. basically, we're going to take a look at eddie's respective relationships with dustin and mike and how his death will affect them both, but especially mike in s5.

in s4, the show made it super clear that eddie had a close relationship with the boys in the party, more specifically mike and dustin (since lucas is on a quest to be popular and joined the basketball team, we can guess this prevented them from being as close). although we don't get to see much of eddie's relationship with mike, his friendship with dustin is heavily established throughout the entirety of the season. while both mike and dustin value eddie for being a cooler, older high school boy that embraces their shared interests despite the fact that it makes him an outcast, the impact of these relationships, and ultimately, his death, will affect them in completely different ways.

while both mike and dustin value eddie's commitment to embracing his true self/interests, the difference in the impact of their respective relationships is that mike struggles with the fact that he's different whereas dustin is more comfortable in his own identity.

a great example of this is when eddie talks about how he remembers the first time that he met dustin and mike; he says dustin was wearing a weird al t-shirt, which he "thought was brave," while mike was wearing "whatever his mommy bought him from the goddamn gap". not to mention mike trying to "dress cool" when he visits el in california, being afraid of seeming childish by playing d&d and liking christmas presents, not to mention:

so what does this have to do with their arcs in s5, particularly mike's?

eddie's character represents one of the show's core themes: non-conformity. right before eddie dies, he makes dustin promise to never change. and when dustin tells wayne that he was with eddie when the earthquake hit, the main thing he emphasizes is that eddie never changed even as he was dying.

one of the first scenes that gaten filmed for s5 shows him wearing his hellfire club t-shirt, which is now faded and full of holes, and his hair is also grown out even longer (possibly to resemble eddie's hair, like mike in s4). in the picture of the party members' hands on top of each other, we can also see he's wearing (presumably) one of eddie's rings.

as for mike, one of the first pictures we see of him on set for s5 shows him with a haircut and outfit that nearly resembles his appearance in s1. after the beginning of s4 showed mike growing out his hair (which was confirmed to be inspired by eddie), playing d&d again, and saying he doesn't want to be popular, we now see him in s5 conforming back to how he used to dress. how his parents want him to look. normal.

in the aftermath of eddie's death, it's clear that as a symbol of non-conformity and self-acceptance, his death has impacted dustin and mike in completely different ways.

for dustin, he sees eddie's untimely death as a legacy he must continue. a vow he made to eddie in his dying breath to never change. and now, he's sticking to his word by embracing all that eddie did and stood for in life, almost as if he's trying to physically emulate eddie to become that symbol for himself and others.

as for mike, he's lost without that symbol. he saw eddie as a symbol of hope, safety, and bravery, a person that made him feel like it's okay to be different, to stand out, to not conform with what society wants him to be. without eddie, he's on the opposite trajectory; now that eddie's gone, that reassurance and safety he felt about standing out is gone too, and now he's regressing into the person that he thinks everyone expects him to be.

it's not that shocking since as soon as he's away from eddie in s4, he goes back to trying to fit in around el. but what's even more interesting is that mike seems to become himself again once it's just him and will in s4; although will carries himself in a much more subtle way than eddie, will also inspires mike to feel confident in himself, to feel like he can be different.

but before there was eddie as a symbol of non-conformity, there was jonathan byers. from the get-go in season 1, we see jonathan encouraging will to be himself, such as telling him "you shouldn't like things because people tell you you're supposed to." then we see mike get a similar, louder version of this encouragement in the form of eddie. both mike and will have role models that encourage them to be different. both mike and will feel like they can be themselves around each other in a way they can't with anyone else because they're the same kind of different. "i saw you on the swings, and you were alone too" "maybe i feel like i lost you or something" "hawkins, it's not the same with you." "you make [me] feel like [i'm] not a mistake at all, like [i'm] better for being different" "we'll go crazy together, right?"

even though will does make mike feel like it's okay to be himself, it's not enough to fully pull him out of his shell. eddie had that power as an older male role model that mike could look up to and admire. someone that could give him a look into the future and show him that being different on the outside isn't all that bad. but then, not only does eddie die, but even in death, he's still viewed as satanic and monstrous because he was openly different.

now in s5, mike is going to have to come to grips with eddie's death and the loss he associates with that. how he thinks that eddie being dead is proof that standing out is dangerous, that it's wrong, that it's sinful. he has a lot of fear to work through, but in the end, he's going to get there, and will is going to be there at his side the entire time, reminding him that they make each other feel like they're better for being different, so it must not be so bad after all.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I think part of the trouble with reading ML as a magical girl team is that it’s really written to be Marinette as the Lone Hero.

Sticking with Winx Club as an example (which I absolutely loved), even though Bloom was clearly the main character, the other girls got focus and attention and their own narratives unrelated to Bloom’s. Alya doesn’t have that; nearly the entirety of her scenes and focus are still for or related to Marinette’s story, which the writers have outright told us is always meant to come first.

As such, I think the more solid reading of ML is that it’s a poorly written superhero romcom that pretends to be a magical girl team, but only ends up offering crumbs. It’s why we’re shown the extra Miraculous and given a “core four/five,” only for it to be revealed that the new holders aren’t actually permanent team members. A decision I remember thinking at the time made absolutely no sense, but now in hindsight can be perfectly explained by how doing so would necessitate that attention/focus be taken from Marinette, which ML absolutely refuses to do.

In fact, I’d wager that’s the actual reason Chat Noir has a crush on Ladybug before Adrien falls for Marinette: it keeps his attention even as a hero focused on her. There’s plenty of salters who love to deride him for not focusing enough on the “job” and making LB pick up his “slack,” but that fits the show’s intentions perfectly. Chat can’t be written to (as) capable if LB is to shine. Hence why we had the whole Catwalker argument being nonsensically centered around “perfection.” 😭

(Post with the Winx club example for context.)

You're absolutely right. Miraculous is trying to be a loan hero show (or perhaps a serious hero and silly sidekick show) where Marinette is the only important character outside of the villains, a magical girl team show where female friendships are the most important relationships in the show, and a heterosexual rom-com all at the same time which leads to a ton of nonsense choices because those are three genres that really don't mix!

While I never outright said it, the post about rom-coms vs magical girl team shows was spawned by the fandom conflict over Alya's writing in the later seasons. I wanted to take a moment to point out why she keeps being given the roles that people expect Chat Noir to get and why both sides of that fandom conflict have very valid feelings given the way that the show is being written, so I didn't talk about the lone hero thing since that doesn't really play a part in Alya and Adrien's fight for narrative importance. If we're looking at Miraculous as a whole though, then it's 100% a piece of the puzzle when you're trying to figure out where the writing went wrong.

I've mentioned a couple of times that they're putting way too much on Marinette's shoulders. The main reason that I feel that way is because they also decided to give her a full team of heroes to work with which is deeply confusing. If they really wanted to go the Marinette-is-the-only-real-hero route, then we should have never gotten any additional heroes beyond Ladybug and Chat Noir. Keep Chat Noir as the comedy sidekick and let Ladybug use all of the other miraculous as powerups without ever handing them out.

After all, when it comes down to their actual role in the narrative, most of the team feels like nothing more than a powerup since they basically just do whatever Ladybug tells them to do. Outside of Viperion and Bunnyx, there's no reason why Ladybug can't just dual, triple, or quadruple wield. This is extra true because they took the time to tell us that Marinette is able to wield more miraculous than most people and then... never really did anything with that. Why have a line like this one from Kwamibuster if you're never going to have Marinette do more than the occasional dual wield?

Master Fu: No Miraculous owner in all of history has ever been mentally and physically strong enough to use that many Miraculous at the same time. Wayzz: Marinette truly is special, Master.

Switching from a team back to a duo would also fix the awkwardness of Adrien's writing as that really wasn't a problem back in season one. The hero who does all the cool stuff and their wacky comedy sidekick who keeps things fun is a classic setup for a reason!

[nanierose]

So there's this sentiment going around that Orym's nod to Laudna and the subsequent 'we're at war' comment is him taking his first steps toward vengeance. And on the one hand i understand why it could be read that way, but based on Orym as a character I just don't agree personally.

This is a man who wants to see the best in people, understand them and reach solutions that don't require violence. Early on in the campaign he got hit by an arrow and still tried to talk down the woman behind the crossbow. He stopped to stabilise an enemy that was taken down by his friends. But he also knows when violence and threats are necessary, see attacking Yu when they revealed themselves and threatened Fearne and her mother. Or forcing Dorian to let go of the Crown in EXU by promising he would attack him. He can be flexible when he needs to be, but when he makes a decision he sticks to it. Kind but with a core of steel beneath it.

So here we see a man who when faced with the woman who killed his husband and father didn't try to kill her. Didn't go into a blind rage and attack. He took in the situation around him and decided to go for the weapon on her back instead, because that would protect his friends and weaken her.

And now he has let one of his friends kill someone they trusted who turned out to be their enemy. Even knowing how similar their tragedies were, he knows he can't let Bor'Dor escape so he lets it happen. Because he's a soldier, trained to protect but also trained to use a sword. Trained to know when you need to use your sword and leave everything else behind.

Orym doesn't want vengeance, he wants to stop the pain he feels being inflicted on others. Otherwise he wouldn't have gone and sat on his own afterwards and struggled over how complicated everything is. Yes it will also lead to some closure for him knowing his family's murderers will be gone, it would be for anyone, but I truly believe that it isn't his main goal. Going to war explicitly shows that he sees this as being something beyond just his own grievances. He has been hurt by this group, and because of that he will never side with them and will fight them, but this is something that affects everyone, so he can't continue to use persuasion or stay his hand. It's time to use the sword, and pray it will be enough to stop Ludinus destroy the world.

[tuakaai]

Good morning people. Since Ep 3 review I have gone outside and touched grass trying to process the ending of the series. So here we go.

Ep 4

First of all. I knew it! I knew it was the dad that killed Ben!

Second of all, the episode was between boring and annoying.

Klaus is doing his completely separate thing from the entire group.

The main group, instead, is on the search for Ben

Which himself is having his own soap-opera

Meanwhile Jean and Gene spend the whole episode in a burger King

Ep 5 & 6

We all know what I'm gonna say...

Lila and Five is just a no, I'm not gonna go too deep on it.

We get to see the in-laws!

The entire cast is separated by duos with very little mixing and I don't like that. They feel so much less like a family than any other season. And I purely believe you could make a more united/mixed season by changing some characters arcs, for example Klaus's exclusion from the main plot!

I do agree that some characters are more independant during the entire series, like Viktor or Five (or Ben cos he hates the entire group). They can stay how they are. I like consistant characterization.

I also want to point out the butchering of female storylines this season. Especially regarding Jennifer and Lila.

Lila is a badass! She's a strong woman, confident in herself, doesn't wait for a no or yes to do something, independant, loving, crazy, stubborn, fun... She's all of it. And this season she's purely been used as Five's love interest. She went from punk to a cottage-core stay at home wife. We barely see her join any of Five's excursions outside the house, except for that last one where she effectively does nothing. Is it only crazy to me that the Lila that said "we're not giving up" has spent more than seven years in her domestic wife fase? And the only reason she is able to go back has been handed to her by Five while insisting she should stay cos he doesn't want to fix the apocalipse and that he's better than her "failed marriage"? She hasn't been given any agency, the writer has done whatever he wanted with her and just won't accept any criticism. He's literally made his fantasies cannon just cos he could.

And Jennifer? Much of the same. A romantic object to advance the plot. Do we know anything about her? No. Does she make her own choices besides sticking beside her oh so loved Ben? No. She's rescued when she has to be rescued, she's killed when she has to be killed, she's romanced just because. She takes no forefront, basically Ben's attachment!

Now, the ending

I don't care, I literally don't care. Is it shit? Very. But what are you supposed to do when you fuck up the entire season before it?

I don't mind the "we have to sacrifice ourselves for this to stop", but it has to be done well. With character arcs finished at the very least.

Also, are you telling me that if they didn't drink the marigold they could've literally throw it to Jennifer and it would've been sorted? And Viktor can remove the marigold from a person, can he not? (like in season 2 & 3)

Idk, I'm going crazy again

Anyway

Reginald should've died

Moon lady shouldn't have been included

A dance scene should've

Good night, can't wait for the fanfics.

[lilbittymonster]

holds up a very tired peace sign

Final roundup thoughts are that Dawntrail was a nice expansion. It wasn't amazing. It wasn't awful. I won't be up at night thinking about it. I won't be calling it the worst expansion ever. It was just....nice.

It told the story it wanted to tell very neatly. The writing has really bounced back from the nightmare of pacing issues that Endwalker had. The stakes were raised in a gradual and believable way. All it's loose threads were woven together neatly by the end. Wuk Lamat had a strong positive character arc without sacrificing her core personality. Koana had the necessary growth to realise that innovation and progress are not at odds with tradition. I think they compliment each other's weak points well.

Most of my nitpicking about the expansion lies in how the writers seemed to be trying to make a WoL x Wuk Lamat....thing happen, and I very much did not care for it At All. It's the same problem that I have with how the Exarch is written in ShB where we cannot say 'no' to him at any point. And frankly, being able to say 'no' is not something that would make the story come to a screeching halt. That's just lazy writing. I would have preferred if we were given dialogue options that gave us more agency in how we interacted with Wuk Lamat. Because the whole forced "we're family now :) you can call me Lamaty'i :)" was REALLY rubbing me the wrong way because, again, there was no way out! I could not at any point say "no, Wuk Lamat, I do not see you as family, you are assuming a level of relation here that just doesn't exist." Kitali wouold have flat out told her "no I'm not calling you that, we aren't family" and no amount of sad wet kitty eyes from Wuk Lamat could make her budge.

Kitali did not want to be here in the first place. She didn't sign on to be a participant in yet another political struggle. She was here with her husband on vacation and to keep an eye on the twins. That's it. And that's what she does for most of the early succession arc. She only gets called into the MSQ when the kidnapping happens, and she and Thancred are off doing their rogue shit together. She and Aymeric stick with the group until the end of the Valigarmanda trial, and after that she goes back to ignoring the political machinations.

It was Aymeric who dragged them along to Yak T'el, and Kitali wound up spending more time with the vipers than anything else. I haven't been bothered to actually level the job, but it's yet another dual wielding job to add to her repertoire, she'll be fine at viper day camp while the MSQ happens. And making sure Aymeric doesn't die of spice while they're there. He's gotten better but he is still very Ishgardian. Kitali would have been more interested in exploring the Ja Tiika forest and wallowing in her nostalgia for Rak'tika than anything else. They aren't there for the blessed siblings lore dump, but they tag along for the Skydeep Cenote dungeon as backup.

There is not nearly enough Estinien in this expansion for my tastes but at least I know what he's doing once he leaves Sunperch, so that makes my job easier.

I'm sure I'll waffle back and forth a bit on it by the time I actually get around to replaying it and writing out fic for it, and by the pace I'm going at it'll be several years from now, but it makes the most sense to me for Aymeric to remain behind in Tuliyollal following the attack. He isn't there for a lot of the Solution 9/Heritage Found stuff and they wouldn't see each other again til the final zone. He and Estinien would be sharing guard duty at the gate waiting for Kitali to come back through.

I kind of enjoyed not having Kitali be the main character of the expansion the same way she wasn't the main character in Stormblood. I really don't feel like it had to be the Warrior of Light with Wuk Lamat for the trials of succession arc. It just needed to be a strong adventurer. And even once the plot twists kicked up, we still weren't the main character, but being the WoL and our past experiences did end up being important enough to necessitate our presence. Compared to the previous two expansions, it was such a weight off Kitali's shoulders. Still, again with the "the whole world depends on me to save it" exhaustion, but lighter in comparison.

And Wuk Lamat ended up being the one to actually save it with the power of friendship. Love that for her. I'm glad that they kept her characterisation solid throughout the whole expansion.

I don't have any true investment in the expansion. I enjoyed it, but I'm more interested in the little bits and pieces about the future of interdimentional travel that they've been poking at since ShB ended. And if I'm being honest I think I'm starting to burn out on the game entirely. I've been meaning to replay some other games for a while now, and I think I need to take the time to do that and recharge.

I'll end this post with the best screenshot of the game.

He's gonna be a great dad some day.

[goddessofroyalty]

What if chadley is a real boy? The baby sibling of the remanents or maybe a sephiroth clon, maybe he time travel too but this baby just can crawl around and loz being the taller one carry him to mamá Cloud

Yeah I'd believe him as a SephCloud baby or Sephiroth clone.

Although if we're doing time travel it would be kind of funny if it was in the "Remnants go back to Crisis Core era and somehow fix things for the better" side-story-plot-thing. When they come back to their own time where their parents actually are together they have a new baby brother who they distinctly remember being not related to them from their original timeline (oh well, who are they to complain about an additional sibling).

I stick by the remnants being the kind of older siblings that give Cloud raised blood pressure. They love their little baby brother and want to spend time with him. The problem is they are almost too hands-on and of course don't listen to any instructions about how their baby brother is not as big as them and they need to be careful! So they're always carrying him around and trying to involve him in their activities but it's the kind of them that by 'carrying' I mean having their arms wrapped around his middle letting his legs just hang as they wander around and giving him toys that are definitively choking hazards. Kind of things where even the fairly blasé parent Cloud is like "no don't stop it put him down."

Will say that if it's more the Main Game (/Advent Children) timeframe of Cloud being the remnants parents and Chadley being the one to time travel back to them, I feel like Cloud takes one look at another child of his that was clearly had with Sephiroth and decides he needs a drink. He's going to take the kid in and look after him as well obviously but it's confirming that, 1 - Sephiroth isn't dead; 2 - Cloud is going to be in the situation to have another child with him (although cloning's always an option, he would rather this be a cloning situation honestly); 3 - the universe is so immensely unfair that all of these kids somehow take after Sephiroth not Cloud (both in terms of he can't live in denial that they're not Sephiroth's and... other people can immediately clock that they are Sephiroth's). Thankfully he has a pretty good support network around him.

[suffarustuffaru]

my thoughts on every interpretation you could have of ottosuba (+ rated out of 10)

hello recently i did this poll and i said id give my thoughts on it (also bc mutuals encouraged me to do so) so here goes!! gonna cover multiple avenues of platonic or romantic or (it's complicated) ottosuba <3

1. brothers

not a personal fav of mine but i really dig it though i get the appeal :3 bc like ottosuba are Clearly garfiel's older brothers (stated explicitly in rezero canon) but also i just really dig emilia camp's found familyisms and the three idiots are one of my favorite trios in rezero ever!! so the natural conclusion is to round out the trio and make ottosuba found family brothers also which is while not an interpretation i turn to right away i think its really really sweet!! and also platonic obsession ottosuba is a real win bc neither of them are normal about any relationship ever. but especially with each other (from otto's end). a solid 7/10.

2. purely platonic bffs

this is like their official canon relationship right? and also they define their relationship as them being friends and its great!!! also most subarus - otto if subaru is a tiiiinyy tiny bit debatable - but subaru generally we know for sure doesnt like otto romantically while ottos is just hes Down Bad but what Flavor of down bad? but anyway - i love deep friendships!! i love ottosubas own flavor of freak4freak..... platonic obsession........... <333 </333 their friendship is important to me!! its the basis of their whole dynamic!! they love each other so much!! 9/10.

3. queerplatonic

queerplatonic is like. theyre platonic mixed in with the expectations youd have for traditional romantic relationships - the nature of the qpr varies on the people within them of course and i think itd be a super interesting avenue to take ottosuba down. bc i think like in general as they are now in main route especially theyd want to stick with each other for life. they are platonically married to Me. ottoemisuba are a trio too and ottos their biggest supporter (to sometimes concerning degrees but the emilia camp found familyisms matter to Me). i definitely think otto if ottosuba veers into this category or in future categories on this list and im super fond of this take because i am of the personal opinion that ottosuba are like. found family but in a queer way, as @saphiim said in her tags on the reblog of the poll HAH. so queerplatonic ottosuba is fun to me i really enjoy it. and i definitely think otto if could fit under this category (or other categories later in the list). 9/10.

4. schrödinger’s relationship (platonic or romantic???? they dont know/elaborate)

so like. again, ottosubas friendship is super important to me and the basis for the love in their dynamic. it's how they define themselves too. and so schrodinger's relationship is like - they call each other friends they Are friends but theres not more definition other than that that they explicitly say. or - they may not even 100% know what their feelings on each other is, like they might be like oh hes my friend - and then, as it happens irl sometimes, have like a sort of situationship where they arent sure if theyre feelings on each other past that is fully platonic or romantic or what have you.

i think it's a really relatable take that id love to see more in fiction but also in ottosuba - its the default that i try to go to when i write them in a lot of my ottosuba fics where they just dont fully define their relationship past being Close Friends or theres like a loooot of confusion once they go to the core of their relationship. and i think arguably... Debatably... schrodingers relationship IS how otto's end of ottosuba goes. and arguably otto if ottosuba and stuff like gluttony if ottosuba does have the schrodingers relationship going a bit. i think with the schrodingers relationship take though subarus more firmly in the We're Friends end (but with subarus brand of unhinged codependency of course), though i dont think subaru would really dwell on it either or itd get Complicated for him too, but otto's like more confused from the get go. do i love subaru platonically or romantically? what counts as romantic? i know subaru is My Friend. but idk much else other than that. like i just Really Really Like Him and would do Anything for him. im just not gonna touch it other than him being my friend that i would do anything ever for and would like to spend the rest of my life with.

but subarus got a lot to deal with (and is prettyyy attracted to emijuli) and also otto "i could never date a woman she wouldnt be my first priority" suwen and otto "i have avoidant attachment lol" suwen who knows emisuba especially has a thing (and is an emisuba stan) wouldnt really try anything. dude just would never voice much of his feelings on subaru other than "you're my friend" and "i'm glad to have you back", partly bc otto wouldnt know much about his feelings other than that, partly bc otto would have a crisis about it if he touched it for too long and he already has a crisis about subaru’s hero complex. anyway 10/10 this is my favorite ottosuba take HAH. i like the tension of a fictional relationship being in stasis like this and i like how much you can read into it!! this feels to me like the canon basis for ottosuba as well that acknowledges all sides of it!! (their friendship, the unknown queer tension…)

5. it’s complicated (romantic)

this one is you know the one a lot of shippy ottosuba fancontent goes with - the straightforward but not straight romance. it's also the one that gets like brought up a few times in otto qnas - people asking if ottos subarus wife (the answer was no), people asking if ottos gay for subaru (the answer was not really, which is.... a little sus LMFAO). there's also a few other details that you could easily interpret as romantic in nature or at the very least Kinda Queer (otto clearly getting Some Kind of Crush on Subaru in arc 4, otto repeatedly bringing up subaru in his narration in his dialogue in his diary etc etc, the canon "otto is my side toy" arc 4 wn line, the canon "otto are you gay for roswaal lol dont come for me" arc 4 wn line, otto transphobia feeling a Bit too personal, remsuba parallels, otto if.. also those Two Times otto reaaaally sounded like he moaned subarus name in his sleep, etc).

i have written ottosuba romance before and gone a little into how sexual attraction might look there (also my otto bdsm posts exist...), though i do think that as an asexual person im gonna end up being asexual about my ottosuba writing too LMFAO. but also i personally enjoy a bit of asexuality a bit of aromanticism in my ottosuba because thats what i hc from otto for Reasons. but i do enjoy ottosuba romance a lot either way. i think in main route its definitely one sided and in otto if it is. Debatable. and gluttony if is very interestingly ottosuba-centric the Entire way through. like otto if’s subaru dreaming about otto naked and inviting subaru to bathe with him + repeated use of "partners" for ottosuba + remsuba parallels is Super Intriguing. also the. uhhhh boytoy stuff in main route is really really funny. but also the angst in possible otto’s never voiced unrequited crush on subaru is really interesting to me (also bc ottos just. Obsessed. with subaru.) but also the bittersweetness of it bc he does want emisuba to be happy and would 1000% be best man at their wedding. 8/10.

6. it’s complicated (romantic but Asexual)

this is what i default to when writing ottosuba romance even if its not super explicit in my own fics HAH. in my. ottosuba smut fic..... i was going with the intention of otto having a (demi)sexual awakening T^TT with a bit of demiromanticism T^T and otto asexuality + aromanticism is something i go into in a few other fic wips of mine though at the time of this post they are not done yet. i do hc otto as either demisexual - or simultaneously on three A spectrums at once HAH (aromanticism, asexuality, autism, the later of which Is canon), so that does kinda translate whenever i write him anyway even if ive never said it explicitly. anyway i like this take. im fond of it. 9/10.

7. it's complicated (Aromantic + Asexual)

NOW THIS IS DELICIOUSSS i do think theres something queer going on with ottosuba - otto's end of it specifically - but MANN aroace otto hits on a different level for me. i really really love exploration of aro and or ace relationships like this in media esp as an ace person - idk if im aro but i really really like aro stories and the exploration of aroace otto. firstly bc i think its funny that he has the aroace color palette in his design but secondly bc i think otto AT LEAST being asexual makes sense to me.

i think schrodinger's relationship would have to be like. the basis of all the romance tinged ottosuba takes in different ways. its the basis of platonic friends ottosuba too probably but its Gotta be the basis of (a)romantic ottosuba. queer relationships queer love is tough and i think for subaru it comes in more with like the guys hes Really attracted to - vincent, reinhard, julius, and of course subaru has his subaru typical issues but for subaru, otto's his best friend. otto is "simpler" for subaru to deal with. otto is dependable. (this of course will bite subaru in the ass later on in main route.) for otto i think though he has like. his autism comes into this, his slight attachment issues too, and then theres ottos shame (see: otto transphobia), but also genuinely i think otto needs to be close to people to develop any sort of romantic or sexual feelings if At All.

ottos main crush is like. a cat. that he was friends with as a child. and theres kind of not much mention of any other crushes except for like one (1) blink and you miss it human girl. which you could interpret in different ways probably (kid otto genuinely having a crush on the cat and the girl vs picking one of his friends or someone he just admired from afar and going “this must be a crush! normal people have crushes!”). tappei in qnas says spring (romance) wont come for otto which you can interpret in a number of ways (otto is gay for subaru? otto aromanticism? etc etc). and then theres otto saying he cant date someone bc she wouldnt be his first priority (a woman, bc otto has got that societal cisheteronormativity going on and that paired with his neurodivergence and anxiety is him trying very hard to be "normal"). of course you can chalk some of this up to otto's kinda self imposed slight-isolation too but genuinely otto to me reads like someone who feels like he needs to get married to a woman and have kids bc thats whats expected of him to do. thats the "right" thing to do. and he's not Supposed to dress up as a woman or like dressing up as a woman or approve of subaru doing that bc thats the "wrong" thing to do.

and otto of course going "im too busy rn for a relationship i got other shit to do" can be his slight avoidant attachment stuff too or him prioritizing subaru/emilia camp (and also otto genuinely prioritizing his career)... but yeah he does read to me like someone who isnt. Completely. Allosexual or Alloromantic. it's even easier for him to go "nah im not getting too close to people i dont want a romantic relationship rn" bc of that, i feel.

well also like i think the entanglement of ottos autism, aromanticism, asexuality, avoidant attachment and other struggles in his relationships in general is a really fascinating combo and it feels REAL. this is the kind of aroace rep i want in my life. its so complicated and nuanced and i Really Really Dig It.

also tappei says otto canonically has a type in woman and ironically all of those traits are traits subaru has HAH. so like. regardless of whats going on with ottos side of ottosuba i think its Really Complicated. i think that subaru is pretty oblivious to a lot of it. also bc otto would rather subaru not know about any of the details there. and also bc otto doesnt 100% Know what the hell hes feeling about subaru other than the fact that subarus his friend that he really loves. and again if otto looked at it too closely he’d start an alcoholism speedrun any %.

anyway. i really adore aroace otto. i think i mentioned in a past post that i like demisexual biromantic otto too i just never went into depth about my ace and/or aro hcs until now. but yes i really adore aroace ottosuba - even in otto if, otto is enthusiastic about shipping emisuba together LJDLFJDF which is both hilarious and really sweet and you could interpret it in different ways. you could interpret ottosuba in a lot of ways and aroace ottosuba in a lot of ways which makes it super fun for me!!!! a very solid 10/10.

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files IWTB: First Time React (Part I)

I needed to watch I Want to Believe for a Christmas present project; and, going into the movie, I knew it would be bad.

I didn't know it would be "broken within ten minutes before Mulder and Scully even get into the helicopter" bad.

On the positive side, I'm enjoying David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's acting; and they're doing the best they can with the scripts, so A+ for effort!

Now, reaction below the cut:

Eyyyyyyyy, looky looky where we are. 

An IWTB reaction. 

Me, the canon denier after S8. 

Yep. 

But never fear! I shall have an absolute blast demolishing all the aspects that don’t make sense and enjoying the parts that deserve praise or kudos. :DDD 

My Position Going Into This

When it comes to any art form, I stand absolute on the position that, yes, if it was created to be art, it is art; but art can also be critiqued on its merits or demerits. Otherwise, we all wouldn’t acknowledge what makes one piece of art masterful compared to another piece.

For movies, I focus on writing: does this plot point make sense in the context of generalized or specific circumstances; or, more specifically, do the actions of X person fit into their pre-established character or break it entirely without providing a reasonable motive? Pointing out the flaws of x/y/z character or moment doesn’t ruin my enjoyment-- every movie, tv show, book, etc. has them-- unless the flaw is noticeably glaring; in which case, what can I do about that? 

In conclusion: this will be very snarky, but I mean no hate towards CC or anyone who helped create this movie. I have criticisms, justly; but I separate art from the artist always, and judge both on completely different scales and metrics. Any and all snark is exaggerated for comedic purposes... or that's my story and I'm sticking with it. ;))) 

And now, onto the reaction~ 

Live Reaction

The movie’s gorgeous, I’ll give it that: tone, atmosphere, lighting, etc., all spectacular. 

For a split second I wished that the man running past the woman victim had been a supernatural creature of some sort-- more X-Files in tone; and would eliminate the Father Joe character completely. 

Dakota Whitney (not given her name yet, think it's her) seems in-tune with Father Joe’s strangeness-- another shame, because her character was squandered on a love triangle.

I will say, though, the spectacle seems… a little repetitive already? “Let him go, let him go” repeated three times with three different cuts. 

Hmmm, I think this is the thought: compared to FTF, this movie seems like its plot is paper-thin, relying on spectacle or repetitive dialogue (or inane plotpoints? we’ll see) to keep it chugging along. 

Scully is here! 

After comparing her intro to the Pilot and Fight the Future and the previous five minutes, it seems… bland? The spectacle is gone, but that's not the problem. Everything is medical jargon as she’s giving an account of her patient to an overhead on a screen. The problem is-- and why I mentioned her previous introductions-- when a main character is introduced, their first scene establishes core aspects of their personality. Now would be a good time to get a thumb on how Scully has changed as she's navigated life on the run and in this hospital... instead, we're given nothing, really, just a medical spiel with no point other than to set up that she has a patient who needs experimental treatment. Nothing that is personal to her as an individual, other than she's more muted, downtrodden, etc. It's a very rushed and criminally underutilized scene.

I understand what CC and Spotnitz are going for: defanged Scully, hands tied and trying to keep her head down and live low-profile. Pouring her exhausted energy into trying to do some good, at least for the boy (since she can’t for Mulder.) It sets her up as frazzled and frustrated; and it makes sense why she pitches the FBI’s offer to Mulder when given the chance. 

FBI agent just bounces in and disrupts her talk with her patient… that’s a plot point, definitely--

Wait, Scully kept referring to Mulder as Fox Mulder… which, yes, she’s parroting the man’s words back exactly to him but also Scully only ever referred to him as “Mulder”, “my partner”, “Agent Mulder”; and didn’t mention him by name otherwise. This is a nitpick, I know. 

Also, from the interviews I’ve read, Gillian Anderson (and David Duchovny) struggled to get back into character in 2008 as well as the Revival (link here.) GA also notes (link here) that she agrees with Scully's characterization: "How she is in this film follows perfectly with where we last saw her and who she has always been." And, if lumping IWTB together with S9, I agree; and, interestingly, it's an aspect of Scully that GA seems to retain in the Revival (I think): saddened, withdrawn, only sparing animation when directly talking to Mulder. It makes sense after the William arc; but it’s sad to think about, regardless. 

THAT’S THE FENCE?????

 I THOUGHT IT WAS A TINY WOODEN FENCE THAT COULD BE HOPPED OVER. 

…That makes a lot of sense, actually. I definitely can see Mulder rigging it up with all the time he had to spare (because, I mean, look at it: rusty, rinky, weirdly tied to the poles.) 

I will say: I give Chris Carter props here because that man had a vision and he executed it: atmosphere, ~vibes~, and the kitchen sink. It’s why I maintain he was the ideas man and Frank Spotnitz was his refiner.  

WAIT. Is that… is that orange juice on the table? (They remembered Mulder’s orange juice but forgot to iron out the plot. The irony. If this were an indie film, I’d find it endearing and charming. …But it’s not.)

Okay, intro to Mulder now. 

Immediately we are shown the nest he’s built, with Samantha taking center-stage on his door. THAT’S how you do an intro; and, to the credit of the people behind the camera, it strikes a descriptive balance between Scully’s dispirited silence and his animated clutter. 

OKAY. Mulder’s “What’s up, Doc?” was worth it. (Don’t you just love when creators behind really cool, innovative series make alternate universe stories in their own universe? The “what if”s? The “glad this didn’t happen but it’s not all that bad, yet” one-offs with big budgets behind them? Visionaries, I tell ya.)

Mulder’s going off on a tangent and Scully’s back in her element and I would be content if the movie skipped from here to the almost end with Skinner and Scully finding him and we (meaning me) the audience wondering “WAIT, WHAT HAPPENED” and then there’s the vacation and it ends. 

Also, pertinent to stop here and reflect on the first Big Issue of the film: 

Mulder and Scully have been living in this house for five years-- as confirmed by the cut lines in IWTB’s script (link here, thank you @dunhamhairograpy)-- which means they were on the run only one year before settling back in Virginia. To satisfy my suspicions, I looked up (on Wikipedia) criminals on the FBI’s wanted list between 2000 to 2003 to see how many years each person evaded capture (if they were ever caught.) In summary, those who were on the run more than a year most likely fled the country and at the very least did not settle back in the state they originally fled; and those who remained locked on American soil were caught within a few weeks to (maximum) a year (three years was the most, I believe. Longer or still at large dipped into other countries, at least temporarily.) The script also confirms that Mulder and Scully are aware that Skinner is aiding and abetting them behind the scenes; and since the agent who interrupted Scully at her hospital immediately cut to the chase-- with the implication that Scully knew where to find her partner-- the FBI likely knew how to find Mulder easily and just… let him be. 

Despite the absolute dumpster fire of S9’s mytharc, we are led to assume that, somehow, Skinner and Doggett and Reyes stamped out the interest of alien-men-in-government and every other enemy that wanted Mulder's head and they all… proceeded as normal? Or Doggett and Reyes didn’t but Skinner did somehow…? 

BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER, LOOK AT THIS SHINY MOVIE AND THE PRETTY GOATMAN. 

Also, yes, the beard needs work. However, I just remembered that beard oil is a thing but also that hair oil is a thing; and the idea that men might be taking better care of their beards than I do my own locks makes me wanna give them a thumbs up. (…But not Mulder: the texture on his face makes me want to cringe backward from the epidermis to the dermis to the subcutaneous layer of my skin.) 

Mulder “who believes that anymore” was a great line for his first facial introduction (not bothering with technical phrases, gotta keep chuggin’); and his reaction at Scully’s snarky “they do at the FBI, apparently” and both of them being like “uhuh, they wouldn’t listen to you/us years ago” was a great nanosecond of screentime and I want more. 

Mulder's walking wonky with a feverish passion behind his eyes; and I recognize that insanity from the fervor of spending too many hours indoors and online with nothing else to do but brood. 

ALSO, he and Scully both make complete sense here and I cosign this scene. 

(...Yeah, I know, we’ll get to those ones later.) 

Scully getting around Mulder’s mood and straight to his interest and then igniting his sarcastic “oh” within a sentence or two is masterfully them and yep, I cosign. 

Mulder choking on the “I am just as happy having them out of mine” denial stuck in his throat…. also: yes, Scully has a point about the FBI as discussed above but WHY do they want him out of their hair?? There were more people who had death wishes against him than there could be people in positions of power that support him; and with no CSM or Consortium hand-holding their superstar through trials and tribulations because he could “expose” them… again, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Mulder’s being really petulant and I love it but also he’s being too petulant but in a good way, in a sarcastic “at the end of my rope and I’m only barely being polite” One Son way. 

Scully's honest “I worry about you” is touching, that’s nice. 

I just realized: y’know how DD wrote The Unnatural because he wanted to hear Mulder and Scully talk like normal people, not just regurgitate the plot points back to each other with flowery, long-winded expressions (which are great, don’t get me wrong)? Welp, they sound more… human? natural? broken in? here; and I like that aspect. 

Mulder looking at Samantha’s pic and knowing he can’t not help an innocent was a perfect character moment: great writing, thumbs up. (Reminiscent of his prior pattern of reluctantly helping people he disliked or was annoyed by-- Max Fenig in Fallen Angel, Krycek in Sleepless, Skinner in Zero Sum, Crump in Drive, Doggett in Alone, etc.) 

He accepts the FBI’s offer; and Scully’s relieved; and I advise you to keep that in mind for later.

The Big Problems Set In

Whether Mulder and Scully called and told the FBI where to pick them up or the FBI sent a helicopter out, unprompted, as a power move is unimportant in the minutiae but incredibly crippling in the larger narrative: it flew TO Mulder’s house to pick him up. There is no way Mulder is undercover or in hiding any longer; and that means, at this point, Mulder is committed. The end, full stop, point blank, period. 

The movie is broken and it's only 10 minutes in. From here on out, it will try to claim that Mulder is losing Scully by running further into the darkness; but the reality is, he has no other choice because there is nowhere else to run to regain his freedom AND to not put Scully at cross ends (or in danger) with the FBI.

He CANNOT back out: if Mulder withdraws from this deal with the FBI, he has to leave his home, go on the run again, and risk more aggressive recapture and imprisonment and probably broker another deal to escape full penalty at. a. minimum. 

It would be insane for him to back out at any point in the future. He knows it, the FBI knows it, and more importantly SCULLY knows it: she’s the cautious one in this relationship; and she would have weighed the pros and cons before telling Mulder the FBI's offer. Yes, she tends to react without thinking at times-- asking Mulder for his IVF donation without long-term plans, for example, (link here)-- but something as precious as her partner’s life, the only person she sacrificed everything for, would be carefully guarded and protected. 

Surely, she wouldn’t want him to back out at any point; especially because she has constantly suspected their own allies in the FBI all the years they’d been there, even Skinner, over and over and over. There would be no inducement or reason for her to trust the FBI to let Mulder stop on his whim (or hers, or theirs); and it’s a good thing she doesn’t do that. …Right? 

NOW: would it be in her character to want him to stop? Absolutely-- that’s who she is. But to place him in an impossible position then demand something even more impossible on top of it, after Mulder’s hands are effectively tied until the case is solved? That’s what’s character breaking for her. We’ll get to that. 

What’s going to be even more frustrating is that Scully will ultimately break their partnership (or start to) because of jealousy over another woman... for script reasons. (Don’t believe me? I don't blame you. But we'll get to it in a future part.) And that’s the show’s greatest flaw: the writers enjoy playing “are they, aren’t they” with Mulder’s driven passion and Scully’s jealousy and wish to be his priority. What’s worse is he prioritizes her more than any other human on the planet, even in this movie; and, at this point, Scully knows and has made peace with how Mulder is (all things.) To sacrifice their growth and trust in each other because of illogical reasons... we’ll get to that. 

“Past is the past” says Dakota Whitney. That might be enough for Mulder in the long run but it certainly won’t be for Scully. …RIGHT? 

Monica name recycle which is a staple and yet not a Monica Reyes who could have had pull to have Mulder and Scully pulled in on the case… oh, well. 

Yes, Mulder has precedent to write off psychic phenomenon evidence when given to him by his enemies-- he’s petty that way-- but can you imagine how annoyed he was when it came out the psychic was a religious guy? A former Father? An issue that used to pit he and Scully against each other? (I see what you did there, writers.)  

So: we have religious angle to separate Mulder and Scully in this movie. Also, we have jealousy over Dakota Whitney-- this movie’s nicer variant of Diana Fowley and Detective White and Phoebe Green: a gal who wants Mulder and writes Scully out of the picture despite very obvious rumors and even more obvious clues in the present-- to drive a further wedge (will be discussed next time.) What else could go wrong? 

What I do like is that this movie sets up Mulder’s priority list that aligns with his previous character iteration: he wants to chase monsters, but not at the expense of people; and, further, when he doesn’t want to chase monsters, he still will for the sake of others' lives.  

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Chris, did you have to make Father Joe a pedophile? 

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I understand, I do, that it’s about people who want to redeem themselves, who are afraid of the monsters within, who are burdened with a greater purpose, BUT NONE OF THE PEDO STUFF HAS TO DO WITH THE PLOT.

For instance: Roland’s autism directly correlated with the X-File of his case, Marty’s blindness with hers, as well as all the other men and monsters with supernatural powers or inhibitions. Having a random and prominent flaw that doesn’t contribute to anything in the movie is, quite honestly, a waste of precious run-time; and is another example of the movie’s paper-thin story structure that it tosses around willy-nilly. 

Tune’s catchy, though. 

Okay, the movie’s editing is weird again. We’ve already “seen” Father Joe in the beginning; so repeating Mulder’s introduction style (angling towards everything but the man’s face) is noticeably repetitive and out of place. 

Scully going for the man’s throat is a great set up for her and Mulder’s banter but 

issssssssssssssssssss out of place, especially considering they need information out of the man and don’t know how he’ll react to fierce, off-topic interrogation. Yes, harming children is a no-no for Scully, and harming them especially in the name of her faith is a BIGGER no-no; however, she was never this tactless before, not even with John Lee Roche. Further, she stipulates this is Mulder's case, which means she jeopardized his interrogation with her sniping. Not only was it out-of-character, but it could have put an end to the only lead Mulder had to help out the FBI. Her professionalism is rusty, and further, she is sacrificing the high ground for a dig at the man’s ethics. It’s not very Scully, is it? 

“Maybe it’s not God doing the sending” so this was personal, Scully, that dig had nothing to do with the case except for your own want to defend your beliefs against this pedophile. You’ve never done this in the past; and you and Mulder have worked past any insecurities you might have had with regards to your faith. So, THIS means you’re insecure. Maybe those years on the road have you overthinking or rethinking; but, regardless. it’s rolling back the character growth you achieved in all things and needed to be handled with defter care. 

If the writers were trying to establish her as a bloodhound in this movie ala her old self, they can’t start it out with her being listless and downtrodden and suddenly break that in ways that would harm Mulder’s (and her) investigation and then shove her back into listlessness... and then repeat that cycle over and over with no rhyme or reason.

Also, Whitney is being established as the woman who looks to Mulder, always, because she has a big, fat crush on him that the writers will exploit for maximum drama. 

FATHER JOE SENDS SCULLY OUT-- why. Negative energy didn’t inhibit psychic ability in previous cases. If Father Joe's so wimpy that someone watching him with disdain while he does his whammo makes him insecure and unable to… I was gonna say perform, remembered his altar boys, and cringed internally. Anyway, then he needs to be reminded who's in charge here.

The dialogue cracks are beginning to show: Scully’s parting line is cringe. Even though it doesn’t sound natural to say-- that’s never stopped The X-Files before-- what makes it egregious is that there is no connective tissue to her statement. When talking, there is a leadup to a point and a comment that follows it, etc. etc. Scully’s statement-- “Maybe what you see is a way to try to make people forget what you really are”-- is responding to nothing; and is randomly stated. The equivalent of the teacher telling Timmy to go sit in the corner and Timmy randomly yelling "You're not my mom!" before doing so. It achieved nothing; and made her look like a five year old that can't grasp the finer points of communication (because she only reiterated what everyone else in the room already knew.) Also, it sets up Scully as a disbeliever to Mulder and Whitney as believers; and, of course, this puts Scully through a hackneyed journey back to belief even though she doesn’t disbelieve in psychic ability any longer, etc. etc. 

The question becomes: if this is a new pattern in her behavior, it will remain consistent. Another problem, too, remains. We (the audience) are not given a good reason why this rational character is behaving outside of her own interests. Scully has training and years of experience that being on the run for a year and in medicine for four? is not going to erase. It’s setting her up to be sloppy and messy with her decision-making skills; and we are given no reason why Scully is this way now; and, further, why she directly contradicts this new pattern in other scenes.  

Scully getting scared by Mulder on the pedo colony balcony is a scene I didn��t know existed and I like and he was a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal snot for doing that and yay, it’s Mulder. 

And also, I have another nitpick: Mulder, although he has backed off and let Scully handle her own issues with sexist cops and the like in the past, would never let a crook dictate the terms of where Scully is supposed to be: Scully would decide to walk out when she didn’t believe a word their suspect was saying, not because she was expected to leave. Mulder didn’t advocate for her here, put his foot down, or even blaze up and insist Father Joe stop playing games. Strike one against Mulder's characterization. 

JUST AFTER I MADE THOSE POINTS Scully admits she was wrong and Mulder immediately defers to her. Which… uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, time to break that down. 

This doesn’t seem like a lot; but that tiny detail completely demolished Father Joe’s introductory scene AND Mulder and Scully’s first scene back in the FBI saddle.

“All I had were questions-- you challenged him.” That’s a very Mulder thing to say… in other circumstances, but not in this one. Here, Mulder shouldn’t have “just had questions” especially because he was bugged that the other FBI people were a little too doe-eyed about Father Joe; and that annoyance would have made him act out on the priest. Furthermore, Scully’s fury against criminals IS something he loves about her BUT was out of place here, too. And all of this is negated because Scully left, anyway, and he didn’t stick up for her. It’s like if Scully and he were middle schoolers and their classmates kicked her out of a group discussion only for him to wander over after it's done and say, “you did great back there, sweetie!” without sticking his neck out for her at all. It smacks of spinelessness, the opposite of Fox Mulder.

Great acting by DD and GA; but terrible, terrible scenario. 

The precedent has been set that Scully will lash out, get shunned to an outer circle, and Mulder will ho-hum, let it happen, get his info, and give her a pat on the head later. That’s never been them; and this pattern is immediately broken by a following contradictory scene. This back-and-forth cycle continues, over and over, flip-flopping Mulder and Scully in and out of character, and further damaging the script with one-off, disconnected responses. 

Also, aren’t Mulder and Scully past this unnecessary drama of poking the bear (an old, Irish? pedo priest) before they get their necessary information? ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN MULDER'S FREEDOM IS ON THE LINE.

Scully finding out Mulder is humoring Father Joe and deciding to leave the situation and beat them all to the car NOW is in-character; but--

wait. WAIT. NO, I WAS WRONG. SCULLY’S JUST LEAVING LEAVING??? WHAT. 

Okay, another essay time-- wow, I’m not even 20 minutes into this movie, HOW-- before we keep going: Scully leaving, now, because she doesn’t want to humor Father Joe has never stopped her in the past. Ten seconds ago she and Mulder were bantering, five seconds ago she bantered as she left, one cut later she’s somber and serious and dour and down and Mulder has to chase after her. WHAT HAPPENED IN A MILLISECOND to change her entire attitude, especially since she doesn't have a new piece of information to react to????? 

In order: 

Sees Father Joe is being humored (tilts head back in her normal, almost-amused, incredulous style): 

Makes a bantery “It’s been fuuuuuuuuuun” remark and an upbeat “no thanks” remark: 

Walks off (which is dangerous to her partner, will talk about that in the below paragraph) with a bantery “anyway, he doesn’t want me here” handwave: 

Mulder is amused (but knows he has to go convince her): 

MILLISECOND LATER with no new info or reaction “This isn’t my life anymore, Mulder”: 

SO, we’re supposed to assume Scully wanted to hand Mulder over to the FBI from the start, sit back, and just let him run willy nilly around with them without her being there; and only came along because he asked her to come but still bailed on him when she didn’t like the case…?

Let’s take John Lee Roche as an example of why Scully wouldn’t react this way: during that and Grotesque and even Folie a Deux, Scully had Mulder’s back even against her own professional interests. She only left him in FTF and One Son because she thought Mulder didn’t need her any longer. Scully’s nature has always been to ride along, even when she doesn’t want to-- How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, an excellent example: even before her keys were stolen, she was still trying to talk herself out of joining Mulder. But now, NOW when it’s inconvenient, she decides to skip out? Now she has even less excuse: this is her partner’s freedom on the line; and he stipulated FROM THE GET-GO that he needs HER to work WITH him to solve this, BEFORE she called the FBI to agree. 

THIS is not Scully. THIS is ridiculous. 

Now, to those who are reading this and thinking, “well, she could have done that”-- true, Scully could have. Anyone can do anything, IF there is a logical reason or it’s in a person’s best interest to take that action. For instance: Never Again was in-character for Scully because it fit into the mold of previously established reactions to father figures and feeling second place. Why this isn’t in her character is because the two keys to Scully’s loyalty-- being prioritized and depended upon as well as valued and trusted-- are being handed to her on a silver platter and she’s rejecting them (AND her partner’s safety) because she doesn’t wanna do it. Again, that’s never been who Scully is: Scully does the hard thing because it needs to be done; and she only shirks or avoids the emotional mirror being held up to her while still doing her job. There’s a life on the line here-- two, possibly, if Mulder doesn’t follow through on the deal-- and Scully would rather dump the problem in his lap when the logical, realistic, and easily graspable answer is do this case for a few rough weeks or months (because Mulder has always worked fast), then have unlimited freedom and time to go back to doing what she wants. This is not the place to write in this reaction: have one for Scully if, in the discussion for his freedom, Mulder starts pushing for reinstatement instead of simply finishing this case and letting his past go. That’s not what happens here (at the very least); so it makes no sense for her to be doing these actions-- especially with the information she and Mulder are working on-- now. 

Scully says “You’ve done all they’ve asked for you to do” as if implying that Mulder’s finished his task NOW, RIGHT NOW-- that one talk with a psychic has won his freedom. …I’m sorry, how did she conclude this and where was this established? 

Mulder was brought on to find an agent; Scully thinks that agent is dead, so oh, well! You’re done here, Mulder, let’s go~. 

Scully. You know and Mulder knows and I know that the FBI said one agent but really meant the whole case. Don’t be stupid. You’re not a stupid person. They never stipulated either way, c'mon, you were there, you know this.  

The problems aren't over AND IT'S ONLY 20 MINUTES IN.

Next pet peeve: as a general rule, Mulder is understanding with those on the wrong side of the law; however, Father Joes is a pedophile. Further, we’re not shown the scene where Father Joe has humanized himself, his reasons, or even his current character enough to justify the soft way Mulder is dealing with him. 

All we have is that--

Father Joe isolates himself in a compound. 

Father Joe told Scully to leave the room when she barked at him. 

Mulder handles Father Joe gently despite him being a pedophile and despite him kicking Scully out of the interrogation (which sets up her feeling left out.)

Mulder is sitting in the car with Father Joe (and Whitney) and not Scully despite the two of them driving to the same place together.

Father Joe’s castration and inner torment is not brought up until later when he wants to appeal to Scully. 

So, for all intents and purposes, Mulder is being needlessly sweet to a guy that confessed (at this point) to touching more than a couple altar boys and ostracized Mulder's partner just because he’s… psychic. Does Chris not remember how Mulder was initially not nice to Samuel in Miracle Man until after he pulled the Samantha card, was never nice to Modell in Pusher, and still picked fights with various witnesses because of their personal decisions? Again, the only time Mulder was nice or at least professionally kind with flawed characters was AFTER they owned up to or tried to atone for their sins…and, AGAIN, we aren’t shown that scene between he and Father Joe. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCENES BETWEEN THEM BECAUSE IT SETS THE TONE FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP.  It falls into the “reply without a preceding remark” territory that I mentioned about the dialogue, except this time it's with characters. Really bad. 

The writers try to save the interaction by having Father Joe sympathize about Samantha whereas the other agent up front doesn’t… but that only breaks the scene even more. 

Male agent up front believed in psychic Father Joe before Mulder was even asked aboard the case. 

Male agent up front believes in psychic abilities but still pokes at the man who was an “authority” on them by mocking Samantha’s “E.T.” abduction. 

Male agent has been professionally distant and disdainful from the get-go; but it’s in HIS best interest to not create rifts with Mulder who is helping Father Joe help the FBI (and him) find their missing agent. 

There is nothing in male agent’s character to suggest he is an irrational man; so, therefore, his random poke only serves to undercut his teammates’ efforts thus far to find and bring Mulder on board. This would waste everyone’s effort and precious time. 

This scene only serves as a convenient excuse to simultaneously lore dump about Samantha and attempt, too late, to humanize Father Joe. Lore about Samantha is fine, but not if it contradicts (read: breaks) male agent's character. And humanizing Father Joe is pointless here because every monster can sympathize with others in their own crooked way. A truer test of character would be to show him go out of his way or comfort zone to help another person-- and that isn't what happens here.

Conclusion

Will I do a part two? Yeah, probably: I need to get to "the split" and Skinner and the vacation-- can't leave it (not even) half-done, after all.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[cryptidsurveys]

Wednesday, September 11th, 2024.

Which fictional character can you not stand? There aren't any that I can't stand. I can't even think of a character that just really annoys me. I mean, some can be annoying (or snooty, manipulative, backstabbing, or whatever), but in the context of the story, it's fine.

What was the one subject in school that frustrated you because you just couldn’t process it? Math. I was okay at Algebra and Geometry, but once I reached Algebra II/Trig, my understanding of core concepts wasn't strong enough to carry me any further.

What’s the weirdest compliment you’ve ever gotten? I don't think I've ever received an especially weird compliment.

What is an occupation that you would like to do just for one day if you had the chance? I wouldn't want to actually do the job, but I think it would be interesting to shadow someone in nursing. I've just heard so many horror stories that it's become like a morbid fascination.

What do you think people have an unnecessary stick up their ass about? Anything and everything. Pretty much whatever subject you look into, there will be someone there with a stick up their ass about something.

What common advice do you think never works? Idk but lately I've felt stuck between "just ignore it" and "speak up." Neither option has produced satisfactory results so far, so maybe it's time to break out of the binary and try something completely chaotic and unexpected. ;D

What’s the best movie without a happy ending? I'm not sure.

What is something you think is actually better about today’s generation? This obviously isn't true everywhere, but overall living conditions, medical and technological advancements, transportation, access to information and communication, etc. Some of those things can be a double-edged sword or have certain pitfalls, but you know. Probably better than being a peasant in the Dark Ages. But if we're talking about people specifically, then…hmm. People are people wherever you go.

What movie has a worse love story than Twilight? I'm not much of a movie watcher, but I'm sure there are far worse love stories than Twilight.

What seems obvious to you that doesn’t seem to be for other people? That "the government" isn't hiding any aliens.

If your partner in the zombie apocalypse was the main character of the last movie you watched, would you survive? The last movie I watched was Inside Out 2, so unless the little emotion avatars in that teen girl's head can pull some seriously lucky levers, we're fvcked.

What’s the worst episode of your favorite TV show? I don't have a favorite TV show.

You can pick two artists to do a song together, dead or alive, but they have to be from different genres. Who do you pick and why? I can't think of any particular artists, but as far as genres go, maybe some heavenly and numinous choir music merged with some dark and gritty rap/hip-hop. It has potential okay!!!

What is something you would never buy again, even if you were rich? A house (or cabin or apartment or whatever) with carpet. If I could live somewhere with exclusively wood or tiled flooring, I would be so happy. Carpets are just gross.

What do you do regularly despite it being considered very unhealthy or unsafe? Smoke cigarettes.

What is something that most people find attractive in a person that you find unattractive? I can't think of anything that I find unattractive, but there are common beauty standards that are just like…eh. They don't do it for me.

Do you ever use facial masks or scrubs? I've used facial masks a few times. I don't think I've ever used a scrub, though.

What do you think of the recent trend of adult coloring books? I don't have an opinion regarding the trend as a whole. They're nice as a concept and I do own a couple of them, but I just don't have the patience.

Which fictional character do you think you’d be great friends with? I have no idea.

What would you do if you found out your toys came to life similar to Toy Story? Probably go through something like the 5 Stages of Grief, but with way more emotions. Fear, horror, sadness, guilt, embarrassment, confusion…

Do you own any cook books? We have quite a few. But do I ever use them? No.

Is there anything that you’d like to eat right now? I'm not all that hungry, but cashew chicken, fried rice, and cream cheese wontons sounds good.

What book are you currently reading? A Short History Of The World by H. G. Wells.

What is something that you believe in, but aren’t very outspoken about? I'm not very outspoken about any of my beliefs. I'm just not an openly opinionated person. I like to feel people out before getting into any kind of discussion because I'm not someone who enjoys confrontation or debate.

do you think weird it’s for someone to have never tried soda? I guess it would depend on where they lived. If they were in the US, then I would think it was…if not weird, then highly uncommon.

is there any foreign film you recommend? Naw.

do you have the same religious beliefs as your parents? There are definitely some overlaps. My dad is Jewish and my mom is what I would call casually spiritual. If you made a Venn Diagram of their truest beliefs, then I would probably fall somewhere in the middle. Then there are my own interpretations and understandings which expand into territory beyond either one of them. Overall, though, I think I have more in common with my dad because he's a deep diver within his own religion, and religion and spirituality are topics that interest me. We can have some really great discussions on the matter.

which floor of your house/building are you on now? I'm on the second floor.

are there any maps hanging in your room? No.

are you often a third wheel? or is someone a third wheel to you? I felt like that for the longest time at the animal shelter. I knew people generally liked and appreciated me, but I wasn't really fitting in. However, I don't feel that way as much now, not with the new batch of workers back in cattery. I'm still kind of third-wheely (because I'm shy/socially awkward and also a good deal older than they are), but not to the same drastic extent. I feel much more included, relevant, and free to be my silly and sarcastic self. I had it in my head that the problem might be me (and admittedly, some of it probably was and I do still have some work to do), but now it's like…oh. I was likeable the whole time?!?!

what’s the last dvd you bought? I'm not sure.

tell me about your favorite pair of jeans. I don't have a favorite pair of jeans. I basically don't even wear them anymore.

would you ride a motorcycle if given the chance? (or have you?) I've been on the back of one a few times, but I don't think I would like to ride one myself. Driving a car is enough responsibility for me.

is your hair healthy? Ehhh.

if a hotel offered free breakfast in bed, what would you order? I'd go all out. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, biscuits, maybe some fruit, coffee…

how often do you take a train? Aside from the kiddie train at the city park, I don't think I've ever been on a train. I might have gone on the one at the Royal Gorge, but I can't be certain that's a real memory and not some false recollection I settled on after the fact.

what’s your favorite led zeppelin song? Kashmir.

does your home have a balcony/deck/porch? We have a back deck and a front porch.

what does your closet/wardrobe say about you? That I spend a lot of time at an animal shelter. Probably half of my shit is animal shelter shit.

do you enjoy theatre? I don't not enjoy it. It's just not really my thing. I wouldn't want to be in a play, but I would probably go see one with someone if they wanted me to.

how would you feel about traveling abroad alone? Scared, unprepared, inexperienced, lonely, bored…like I had so much to share and no one to share it with. I'd much rather travel with someone.

who would you call a lyrical genius? Idk.

how do you treat yourself? It's time to make dinner, so I'm going to pause this here (9.10.24) and resume it sometime tomorrow… Okay. I just arrived home from a trip to the Mountain Park - which is one of the ways I plan on treating myself this autumn. I feel like I've spread myself too thin with volunteering, so I'm going to take a step back, take an extra day off here and there, and spend more time in the mountains with my dad. Other ways I treat myself include eating fun/favorite foods (so excited for holiday treats!), making time for art, and curling up in bed with my kitties and some YouTube.

do you have an interesting passport? I don't have a passport.

are you going to pursue a career according to what you enjoy? Yeah.

what’s your favorite frozen treat? Ice cream. You know what else I've been enjoying lately? Otter Pops. They're not typically something I would think to eat, but they're great for hot afternoons at the shelter when I need a quick chill out/sugar rush combo.

who supports you financially? Social security and my dad. We share our incomes.

if you wanted to go to the movie cinema, how would you get there? I would drive (or be driven).

how many pillows are on your bed? Two regular pillows, three body pillows, and two decorative pillows.

would you pay more for organic food? I might if I preferred the taste of a certain brand, but otherwise it's not something I pay much attention to.

do you prefer being awake after everyone goes to bed or before they get up? I don't really have a preference.

do you know much about feng shui? (do you use it?) I know very little, and no, I don't use it.

how would you make friends in a quiet class? Make meaningful eye contact? Lmao heck if I know. I'm quiet myself, so if other people are quiet, then it's just gonna be quiet.

are you generally a quick learner? Yeah.

what’s your favorite spot to read? At my computer desk.

did you know that buddha is not considered a god to buddhists? I was aware of that.

do you save tickets from movies, etc.? Not really.

without looking him up, who was jim morrison? The vocalist for The Doors.

when’s the last time your bedroom was painted/wallpapered? Gosh, idk. As far as painting goes, that would have been years and years ago. It wasn't even finished. As for the wallpaper, that was put up before we moved in.

teach me something in another language. Naw.

what type of music do you like and why? I've developed a fondness for classical over the past couple of years.

if you randomly want to eat something in the house, do you eat it or wait? It depends on what it is, what I've already eaten, how close it is to meal/snack time, etc.

who knows the most about you (besides yourself)? My dad.

do you have a nervous habit? (e.g. biting nails, tapping feet, smoking) Picking at my nails.

how’s your favorite pro sports team doing lately? I don't follow any sports teams.

would you be/are you a good role model to a younger sibling? No.

[dailybrandonrogers]

hiya so i used to be a huge brandon rogers fan but fell out for a few years and. oh boy did I miss a fuck ton of lore in those few years. i stopped watching basically when stuff and sam just started, so ive missed... a lot. while ive been trying to catch up (i cried my eyes out over bryces series), you seem to have the timeline worked out pretty well. what order would you say the brcu should be watched in? and is it important to keep up with "minor" roles/series like theater class or the grandpa hates ___/elmer hates ___/other solo skits, or is it better to stick to the "main" series (stuff and sam, blame the hero, etc)

also, I wanna say your analysis of the brcu is awesome. it's a confusing set of timelines that you've ironed out and theorized about pretty damn well. im curious if brandon rogers has done all this on purpose or if he's just making the timeline up as he goes

Hi! My sorries if this reply is a tad bit late, I always have trouble saving answers to my drafts.

In my personal definition, I'd say the BRCU encompasses (almost) every single video Brandon Rogers has ever made. Within the BRCU, I definitely think there's a "core" overarching storyline that revolves around certain characters. This core storyline is primarily explored via the several series, but nonetheless includes elements from other creations of his.

These "core" characters are primarily:

Sam & Donna

Elmer

Blame

Bryce Tankthrust

Bobby Worst

The Mingeworthies

The majority of them have been protagonists of a series at one point or another. However, almost every character played by Brandon himself can be considered important to the overarching plot. Therefore, I think watching individual character skits released 2015 - 2018 offer valuable insight into the personalities and smaller nuances of reoccurring characters. At the very least, I would recommend watching the videos centred on the aforementioned characters released in this time period prior to any of the series.

In general, I think the BRCU is best watched in the order the videos came out in. Although tricky at first, I think Brandon makes it easy to discern "where" we are at any given moment. And as a rule of thumb, outside of series, every video takes place chronologically in-universe after the other.

Moreover, as of 2022/2023, I believe we're going through a renaissance of sorts with an abundance of new characters being regularly created. Pretty much anything after Normal British Series. While very entertaining, I wouldn't say these are essential to understanding the main plot, as Brandon does have a degree of separation between old & new characters.

To hopefully simplify things, here's a playlist I made that imo includes more than enough context needed to understand that main storyline. If it appears a bit overwhelming at first, I'd rerecommend just sticking to skits of the characters I mentioned above before moving onto the series. Anything else can be a fun bonus!

Thank you so much for your kind words!! It makes me happy to know that you're enjoying my attempts at unravelled the complexities of these timelines.

[northwest-cryptid]

Mabinogi's early to mid game balancing is so completely screwed up but in a way I think is thematically appropriate. It makes you ungodly powerful, even without you really trying to be... unless you're an Elf.

I think, especially after the nerf to skill training requirements; the game shoves players into the end game way too quickly for many to actually get their bearings. It doesn't do a good job of explaining it's core mechanics or why you should branch out and try new things.

I think it's thematically appropriate but I do think it's bad for the health of the game as a whole if I'm being entirely honest. For example, I recently began playing an Elf; as someone who plays Alchemic Sharpshooter on my human main I figured it'd be fun to continue with Archery as Elves are supposed to be pretty good at it. Figured it would be just like my human but a bit better, right?

Well... no.

See the amount of Dex you get from your skills actually depends on your race, and Bows mono-scale with Dex rather than scaling with multiple stats like most other weapons. So Bows are hyper dependent on you actually having high Dex if you want to do decent damage, and that would be fine if the Dex values for Elves weren't so nerfed.

For whatever reason the amount of Dex Elves get from the basic Archery skills is significantly less than that of Humans, I believe this is to account for Elves shooting two arrows for every shot as opposed to a single arrow. This means they deal double damage if we're looking purely at actual end damage. However when you look at what FEELS better to a player, seeing 700 damage pop up as opposed to two instances of 350 it seems a lot more powerful. However it's worse than that, because it's not even dealing two instances of 350, closer to a human dealing 700 and an elf dealing two instances of 290; which feels odd...

So then how did I fix the issue? Maybe I did what most players do, and pivoted to playing a Mage based character since Elves are also very good at Magic? Well no, I wanted to stick with Archery, so I took up Life Skills. Everyone knows Life Skills give you Dex but did you know that Elves actually somehow get more Dex from Life Skills than their Archery skills? Weaving on it's own can be trained to Rank 1 within about an hour or two and provides roughly 63 Dex (43 from max ranking Weaving and 20 from Tailoring talent) when you factor in Talent bonuses, grab yourself Production Mastery and you'll end up nabbing a ton of various other Life Talents in the process netting you even more Dex, actually ranking Tailoring and Sheering along side Weaving will easily bump that 63 to about 100, then jump to Cooking talent and master Hoeing, Milking, Egg Gathering; etc. All of these will be easily obtainable Rank 1's within roughly an hour or less if you have training potions + Harvest song. Which you should because core Bard skills for whatever reason give Dex too.

I mean, let's quickly take a look at the total Dex values for ranking skills here,

Not only do Elves get LESS THAN HALF the total Dex from Ranged Attack than their Human counterparts, they literally get more Dex from Weaving than Final Shot. In fact, Glyph Design, Handicraft, Tailoring, and Tasting are all fairly easy to rank and in total give over 100 Dex collectively. Playing Instrument and Song each give 24 Dex total and can be ranked automatically if you turn on Repeat Playing Instrument. Even Mirage Missile grants an addition point of Dex over Ranged Attack.

But why does any of this matter? Why am I saying all of this?

Well let's assume you're a new player coming into Mabinogi, I've heard this game called stuff like "Korean Runescape" and I think it's interesting that most people who play it are coming into it from other MMORPGS. So let's assume you're viewing this through the lens of a typical MMORPG.

You play an Elf because you're told they're good at Archery, your friends pick a Human and a Giant. You are planning to play a trio; a Human Mage, a Warrior Giant, and an Elven Archer. Except you notice a discrepancy...

Fairly early on your Human is able to dish out high damage with abilities like Fire Bolt, they can even mix their spells to create different effects for different situations, whether it's hitting multiple targets or dealing sustained damage with multiple bolts. The Giant in your party is an absolute wall of defense, being able to sweep in with Stampede and round up a bunch of enemies before activating Wind Guard or loading Defense to completely tank an enemy assault and dish out a lot of AoE damage with their massive weapons.

Then you have, you; an Elven Archer who likely at this point (we'll be generous considering your party seems to already have some hefty skills at their disposal) likely has Mirage Missile for Damage over Time, Magnum Shot to break defenses and deal heavy damage, Support Shot to make your Warrior hit even harder; Urgent Shot if you're in a pinch, and then maybe Crash Shot for AoE damage.

These skills themselves aren't bad, but you find yourself spamming Magnum shot while everyone else focuses on these elaborate combinations of attacks. Even your Mage who will someday become a walking Fireball or Hailstorm dispenser will likely switch up their spells depending on what they need to do, and it won't cost them significant damage to do so. Meanwhile Magnum Shot is the only skill you have that deals significant damage and most enemies won't be knocked back by your other attacks, at least not reliably. So feeling a bit weaker than your team members, you choose to rank some skills... Which do you prioritize:

Tailoring (24 Dex), Weaving (43 Dex), and Sheep Sheering (22 Dex)

Or

Ranged Attack (22 Dex), Mirage Missile (23 Dex), and Magnum Shot (18 Dex) since these are the skills you're actively using in combat right now, and remember that none of these Dex stats are listed in game anywhere.

While I won't deny there are a lot of players out there who might want a break from the combat and WOULD choose the life skills; who's to say you take up Weaving over something like Blacksmithing (Which gives 21 Dex and another 36 for Refining, which also isn't bad but is ultimately less) or maybe you notice that Glyphwrite gives Dex after a few ranks of Design and you think this is a good Dex talent so you start ranking the other skills only to realize that while Design DOES give 30 at rank 1, Evocation gives a total of 2, and Lore only 1 at max rank.

Basically what I'm getting at here is you're not likely to pivot for more Dex, in fact I see this in how my friends play Elves. Most don't play Archers, and those who do feel significantly weaker than most because of how the Dex is given out for Archery skills.

Now this isn't to say that skills for Elves like Support Shot don't flat out give more Dex than their Human counterparts get. For example Support Shot for Elves gives 31 Dex but for humans it's only 20. I've heard many people say this makes up for the 50 Dex vs 22 from Ranged Attack. Both Humans and Elves get the same from Bow Mastery, that being 19... the same amount they get from Sword Mastery.

Are you seeing the problem yet?

Let me make this abundantly clear, Dex is one of the weakest Stats for Elves to gain from the actual skills they'll be using in combat, and is solely responsible for the damage dealt by the signature weapon the Elves were given.

Do you know why Giants feel so incredibly OP? It's not just because they get a slew of skills added to their arsenal all of which benefit their core gameplay stats; it's also because they get appropriate Strength gain for the skills they're actually using. While Elves get Final Shot and Mirage Missile. Giants get not only Stampede, and Windguard and Taunt, AND Stomp but also Final Strike.

And would you guess the Strength Gains on those?

Everything Giants do gives them equal or more strength than their human counterparts; they're humans but better. Elves meanwhile are literally Humans but worse but they hit twice and it makes little difference. My Human is a better archer than my Elf, and a better Mage. That's a little insane honestly.

So what happens to Elves? New players don't tend to pick Elves, and when they do; it's typically to go for a Mage build.

But why would you pick Elves for Magic, Humans and Giants get the same stats!

The ONLY benefit Elves get in the Int department is actually form Mirage Missile, which gives an additional 14 Int. Do you want to know how much damage that amounts to?

If I'm doing my math correctly here, it adds up to uh... not fucking much.

You know what's insane, you even get less Dex than humans AND GIANTS for Combat Mastery!

So let me get this right...

Elves are generally squishier with less HP and such compared to humans and Giants. They're about just as good at Magic, but actually get less Dex from their Archery skills...

So the best way to play an Elf is to either not use Archery (the thing they were designed around) or to rank Life, Music, and even Puppetry skills to get the Dex you're lacking from Ranged Attack, and then come back and rank Final Shot, Support Shot (which boosts Melee damage mind you), and Crash Shot all so you can be ON PAR with Humans, but shoot an additional 1 arrow per shot.

You get Invisibility, but cannot use it in combat.

You get less Strength making you worse at Melee, you get less Dex making you worse at Archery, and you get the SAME Intelligence putting you on par for Magic.

What reason would a player have for actually going Elf?! The faster movement speed is negligible now that Giants and Humans get a movement buff on top of title bonuses and music buffs.

Playing an Elf is just playing Mabinogi on Hard Mode, you're more limited in terms of what you can use for combat (no 2 handed swords or lances for example) your primary special thing (2 arrows instead of 1) applies to a weapon that you struggle to be good with; AND if you somehow manage to get to level 20k and get your Grandmasters for it; did you know...

Alchemic Sharpshooter is THE ONLY ARCANA IN THE GAME that requires you to not only have unlocked and ran (not completed) Glenn Berna, but also have at least 40 levels in other Arcana meaning you need to either unlock an Arcana and level it to 40, or unlock multiple Arcana (each of which requires 2 Grandmaster talents) of which there are only 3 others, requiring either Mage, Cleric, Chain Slash or WARRIOR to be Grandmaster; all of which is just so you can use bows better. A weapon you've likely been ignoring in favor of very likely Magic. Which is a requirement by proxy of the Glenn Berna thing.

Devcat doesn't just hate Archery, they hate Elves. My Elf can consistently deal higher, and faster damage using Dual Guns, Magic, Chain Slash, and Shurikens than Bows; and I've been actively ranking every Dex skill in order of how much Dex it gives.

[mutedeclipse]

I got really inspired to list off some basic bomberman anatomy headcanons that ive picked up from 2022-2023 so i introduce to you...

BOMBERMAN BASICS, a blanket guide to understanding whatever the fuck mutedeclipse has going on

By lunar myth.

Before i proceed i need to preface and clarify i function on a loose, but still grounded logic of the biomechanical. This is fantasy alien tech it doesnt have to all make sense, and konami disregards consistency in their own series anyway so this is MY way. They have biosynthetic components, like skin and they have mechanical components, like a screen, but they also have mouths inside those screens and can eat to recover energy like any other being of flesh and bone (i will explain this LATER. we'll get to it dear friend it will not make sense to most ontill we get there)

As a robotic 'species' their creation is a rather individual process, while components are standard they come in many shapes, sizes and colours! But the main thing is what goes on inside that makes a bomber a bomber. Aside from those there are exceptions and rules commonly broken. (I do whatever but this is my baseline, as an example my own sona works on extremely nonsensical logic by design)

Internally they have a ribcage, a flexible spine, pelvis.. ish and a 'skull' in order to protect their core and other delicate parts. with soft, flexible joints and limbs with hands that vary from bomber to bomber, although the standard tend to have rather malleable, flexible fingers that are gloved with mittens or regular old gloves.. either way theyre typically covered, If exposed they resemble human hands, although finger count is a resounding 4 including an opposing thumb (ive decided its not a stylistic choice actually its cuter if they only have 4 fingers on average per hand) and 0 toes, with malliable, adaptable feet

i believe that bombermen as a whole, classic, R or any other continuity run on a sort of small-scale hyper-efficient combustion engine which burns consumed fuel. (while food is typical basically anything that can be blown up and burned can be consumed to refuel) which not only is a partial reason for their name as bombers and a big distinguishing factor from just any ordinary bio machine. Their Engine resides neatly in their chest and it almost sounds like a heartbeat if you lay your ear to their synth-flesh, their bodies have a lifelike warmth due to their fuel source. The engine also produces light that may faintly shine through as body blushing

Now onto the head... difficult to tackle but ill try to make this make as much sense as i can... their head is exactly what you see is what we're working with. They have a 'screen' that for the purpose of expression have lights for the purpose of expression. that screen is also rather flexible, as it is a Non-Newtonian fluid. Bear with me here this is about to get insane.

Typically a flexible/malleable sheet of glass-like material it may become liquid through some sort of reaction not quite understood past "these specific components make this sheet of glass become permeable when used as stimuli", the material only sticks to itself, allowing objects to freely pass through creating small ripples in a bomber's face as they eat, or sticking out their tongue. (Yes They have tongues because i really want them to know the pleasures of good food ok? I want them to enjoy good meals with eachother and bond over that. Its a lovely thought to me.) They have artificial tastebuds there that mimic the capabilities of any normal tongue. They may also have teeth. I havent decided on that being standard yet because they either swallow things whole like snakes (horrifying) or chew things up (also weirdly horrifying but makes more sense considering itd help with combustion).

Inside the aforementioned 'skull' like structure, which mainly consists of a component refered to as a core, this contains the personality, memory and other things that revolve around individualistic abilities of a given bomber, it acts as a brain for these little guys and can be just as delicate as one, a faulty core can spell a whole host of problems for a bomber, such as memory issues and faulty power regulation. Touch receptors run down from the core through the body in order to aid in a sense of touch (most sensative in the hands (palms), antenna, face, etc. Normal places youd expect)

The antenna work like whiskers as it aids in the balance of a bomberman along with a general receptor of data around them, they respond to many different kinds of stimuli, typically sound and signals sent by other bombers. (theyre kinda like bugs in that isnt that neat) the standard antenna has a rather gummy like quality and is at least a little translucent, if you look inside sometimes you can notice a little light of the receptor inside. The standard ball antenna may irregularly spike up in response to strong emotions. Despite seeming like a defense mechanism, this is an unintended effect of the structure.

As theyre mechanical body modification (one of my oldest hcs and one of my favorites) and cybernetics tend to be a sight thats not too uncommon, stay tuned and i might tackle those next. In the meantime i can awnser questions about this because Im barely sure if this makes sense and im bad at articulating.

[mischiefmodig]

Unpopular Opinion \ / @flameindream \ / not accepting

🔥 giggles

Loki was absolutely not mind-controlled by Thanos to do what he did in Avengers, and saying otherwise erases his nuance as a villain/redeemed hero.

This high key is one of the main reasons that I typically choose to stay away from the Loki fandom in general. I've seen these takes even before I was a fan of Loki and it always rubbed me up the whole wrong way. I have a lot of points though that go into this particular idea, so buckle up boys we're going in LOL

Loki has blue eyes. Sorry folks, he just does. Tom's eyes are a greyish-blue color and there are no green lenses or anything used to give Loki green eyes. If his eyes """""""look""""""" bluer in the film it probably is whatever filter they are using that makes all of the other blue-eyed folks really stand out. I know pretty much everyone assumes he has green eyes, and maybe in the comics he does - but strictly sticking to MCU here, he doesn't.

There is nothing that says that he was. No scenes. Nothing in the scripts. Absolutely nothing. Furthermore, there are literally no scenes that support that with enough concrete information to confirm it either. Yes, the mind stone can influence people's minds to bring forth what we can only assume are people's immediate thoughts based on the scene where the Avengers fight with each other. And it obviously can be used to mind control people, but Loki does that... when he is holding the scepter??? If Thanos was doing that to him, wouldn't he need to still hold onto the spear to keep it up? I'll grant you that even Loki doesn't need to be holding the spear in order to keep his hold on Clint, but then why would Loki of all people not just use the spear to break out of Thanos' control then since he has the tool that's holding him back? People continuously confuse headcanons with reality, and no supposed director or actor retcons and speculations do not count. Everything that is used to try and prove this THEORY is always stretching the smallest things that don't make sense in the big picture.

I don't like to take LOKI show stuff often and apply it to MCU Loki, but if we're expected to believe that both the show and the films are the same (or similar enough) then Loki cannot be mind-controlled. It's pretty clearly established when Sylvie tries to enter his mind that she cannot enchant him whatsoever and that his mental fortitude is too strong. Granted, an infinity stone will ultimately be more powerful than a sorceress with no professional training, but the point still stands.*

He doesn't need to be mind-controlled, period. The thing I disagree with the most is that he has to be controlled at all. Loki is so much more compelling when he has to deal with the consequences of the actions that he decides to take. He can be justified in his feelings of hurt and betrayal without having his war crimes justified. People can have valid feelings and still do bad things. It's just how life works, and Loki ultimately shook the earth to its core for his own rebellion against his family. Taking away Loki's choice means losing everything compelling about his growth as a person and a character. He has earned his redemption as the hero we all know he can be, just like his brother and that's what makes Loki so neat.

What I see people do with this take, is try to absolve Loki of all of the bad things he did in Avengers, but it doesn't work. It's okay that he messed up and did evil things. Yes, he can have his own ( very logical ) reasonings that come from the pain he experienced, but that will never justify his actions. You are doing Loki a disservice by trying to erase his villainy in favor of painting him as nothing but a victim.**

*I'm willing to have some leniency on the fact that he was likely being influenced by the spear in some fashion. But when I say influence, I mean the stone could have been messing with his memories, emotions, or anything else that motivated Loki to continue with his crazy scheme. But nothing more than that. The infinity stones are insanely powerful objects so ofc being among/using that power was probably messing with Loki, but ultimately he was in charge of himself and how he used that power.

**I think in some ways Loki was still a victim of Thanos though. I don't doubt that to some degree he was tortured with the training he likely needed to be able to wield not one, but two infinity stones. I also don't doubt that Loki realized far too late that he was getting in over his head with this alliance ( particularly when he's fighting Thor and seeing the chaos unfold around him ) and I think he was absolutely terrified of what would happen if he didn't comply. But I also think Loki knew what he was doing and fashioned the entire plan by his design. He chose to do what he did with his singular goal of proving to Odin + Thor that he could/should be king.

[kisuminight]

Pandora's Vault does exist in this AU, but the reason for its existence is a bit different.

For one, it's hard to keep a Blade captive, and it's not really feasible. Blades basically have the equivalent of strength/speed/regen potions going at all times, they have a Soul Weapon that cannot be taken from them that is the equivalent of Netherite and does massive damage, and also they've got magic on top of that. Frankly, unless the Blade has information that will be lost if they revert to core crystal, it's easier to just kill the Blade and stick their core crystal in a display case. Or hand them out to someone else to be the new Driver.

Like, if c!Dream made it known that he could use the arte Resurrection in this AU, and Quackity wanted access to it, he would just kill c!Dream and become his Driver.

Even if the Blade does have information that you need them alive for, usually the Driver knows it too? And if the Driver doesn't know it, then it is still easier to contain and threaten the Driver (Players are much squishier than Blades) to get the Blade to obey.

This is one of the reasons why the Skeppy case is even more stupid in this AU. Skeppy is a Blade. Dream knows Skeppy is a Blade. If he was theoretically being serious, it is more cost-effective to blackmail Bad if he wants to really contain Skeppy.

I mentioned this a bit when I talked about the Revival Book, but Dream actually commissioned Pandora's Vault to contain the Egg. Not that Dream knows he's trying to deal with the Egg. Bad actually showed it to him once, earlier, and he kind of brushed it off as non-important because it was still mostly asleep and the Revival Book does not have a description of what it looks like.

The Revival Book just says that there is a threat, somewhere on this server (and the fact that the server still exists means that no one has found it and got an Aegis to deal with it yet). It also lists it's characteristics. Dream formats his initial build around those, and has Sam help him turn it into reality:

It's a plant. A plant that is habituated to the Nether, given that it has a lot of netherack and lava in its area, but that doesn't mean it is immune to lava. Surrounding it with lava will make it so that it can't send out roots to the rest of the server.

Obsidian suppresses it. Obsidian also doesn't burn in lava, so they can do an obsidian box surrounded by lava for maximum effectiveness

Iron is also effective. Sure. Lets do iron bars or something. With the way people are on this server, there needs to be extra incentive so someone like Tommy doesn't just pour water over the thing and break it open just Because.

(Wait Sam, why did you do a netherite barrier? Well you wanted iron for this prison or whatever, but netherite is stronger. It'll be more effective against breakouts. ...Sure. I'm sure it'll be fine.)

Lets just make it harder to access in general. The more obsidian the better. Really build it out.

Potatoes only for the main cell (Dream really doesn't want to feed something that normally takes blood any type of meat product, cooked or not. Maybe they can starve it to death?)

Apparently it does mind control? Which can be broken, by weaning people off it and holy water? Well, we're already doing a prison. Lets do some actual, humane cells. Plus a courtyard and maybe an infirmary? Those are normal things for a prison to have? And they get normal food, because they're not eldritch blood-plants.

We do not want mind-controlled minions breaking out of their rehab to free the eldritch blood-plant. No. Lets make it complicated redstone locks with minimal keycard access all the way.

Pandora's Vault truly started as a vault. It is meant to store ONE (1) thing, and that is the Egg. The rest of the cells that turn it into a prison get sort of added on as an afterthought, when Dream thinks about how he'd want to try and un-mindcontrol his friends if the thing turned up in his lifetime on the server.

I should mention that Dream really was planning to die in this version of the Staged Finale. But if they decided to throw him in Pandora's Vault without killing him, he did have plans to provoke a death by revealing or "being found out" as a Blade pre-entry and then letting himself be killed (probably by Punz, if things got that de-railed).