#why invest in something that won't get to tell its story

[dailyadventureprompts]

So I've been reading Triangle Agency...

For those not in the know: Triangle Agency is a new weird/corporate horror TTRPG heavily inspired by things like the X files, Delta Green, and Control. You work as agents for the titular organization which sends you out to stabilize reality by dealing with various paranatural Anomalies.

Don't think of this as a review, until I sit down at a table and play this system over a few sessions I won't be able to tell you how well it actually works. What I can tell you is what the game is trying to accomplish with its storytelling and mechanics, and what it's trying to do is interesting.

Unlike a lot of TTRPGs I've read, triangle agency is not interested in giving you a system that you can use to tell whatever story you want. Instead I can compare it to a tabletop version of a choice heavy videogame like Disco Elysium or Bg3: where engaging with the story/mechanics will lead you to one of the endings the authors prepared for you. This is not to say the system is inflexible, that you can't put your own spin on it, GMs can design missions however they want, and player choice is a major focus, but as long as you're playing the game you're furthering the meta story.

As such, this might be the first game that I'd consider running out of the box with only pre-prepped adventures, which is shocking considering how much of a homebrewer I am. Instead, I'd be interested in putting a group of players in this game and just seeing what it does to them, though it'd have to be a very specific group of players than my regular ol gaming group.

The ideal Triangle Agency player is one that's got a primary focus on storytelling over mechanics, who're interested in making big narrative swings happen as a result of their choices. They also need to be comfortable with improv storytelling, as the primary means of interacting with the game requires a quick " what if" session to justify how you're moulding reality into a new shape:

Where another game might have you roll your character's strength for something as simple as kicking down a locked door, Triangle Agency has your party brainstorming a reason why the door would be weak enough for you to kick down in the first place: IE the building has a termite problem, and the hinges were subject to poor storage conditions by the contractor who installed the door. Then you roll. If you succeed, the door is knocked down, the building has a termite problem and has *always* had a termite problem, and an entire human being, Gary the negligent contractor, has been spoken into existence. You are likely to meet him on your next mission.

In many ways this is explicitly like Blades in the Dark's flashback mechanic, except made an explicit part of the game world. Your characters have the same reality distorting abilities of the Anomalies they're hunting, and they have to be careful lest they delete whole swaths of their life trying to angle for a better roll.

This is where we get into Triangle Agency's focus on character, and the secondary requirement that players be the type to get invested in their eldritch business blorbo as they are subjected to various corporate horrors™. This is a game interested in change whether it manifests as choice, trauma, or metamorphosis, and the ante for these interactions is your player/characters investment in the world. Part of this is with your character's contacts, NPCs who are as essential to an agent's build as their anomalous superpowers or their job with the Agency. To give extra weight to these relationships, each one is portrayed by another player at the table, which I thought was an ingenious way to not only take the burden off the GM, but also to give players more screen time even when their primary agent is off stage.

That leads me to the genius primary progression mechanic: The choice between whether to spend time with your Agent's contacts, focus on their Agency job, or delve into the eldritch truth of their powers, and how to split their finite time off between them. Here we get player choice, story, and mechanics all tied together in a neat little package as progression along any of these tracks unlock new abilities while also revealing more and more of the game's secrets. Possibilities for the game's story open up/are blocked off specifically with how the players choose to personally spend their XP, and if that's not a feat of game design ( or more aptly, craft) I don't know what is.

Final Thoughts: Despite having a delightful time reading the rulebook/optional mission pack (Seriously, the vibes are stellar) I don't know if I'm actually going to get to play Triangle Agency at any point in the near future. I think getting the most out of this game depends so much on finding the right playgroup for it and then pouring in enough time to unlock one of the endings. I'd want to see the mechanism of it's story/mechanics/drama play out, but doing so is one heck of a commitment.

However, if you've got a group full of storytellers that are up for the challenge and you're looking for something substantial to play next, I don't think I could recommend it enough.

I'm also going to be keeping my eyes out for longform actual plays of this one, I'd love to see what a group of performers could do with this.

[asgardian--angels]

now i'm just sitting here feeling empty and helpless about this show rn. no one in my family gives a shit, they wouldn't even comfort me despite knowing how much it meant to me because they think caring about tv shows is stupid and they dislike ofmd. in the past couple of hours i've written emails, i've tweeted, now I just feel like there's nothing I can do right now and that I'm just alone. I still just really can't believe they canceled it.

[ailawritesfics]

✎ cw: 18+ minors dni, somnophilia, noncon, male masturbation, hawks breaking into ur apartment, yandere-ish behavior, mentions of stalking

✎ this is a chapter from my on going story in ao3 i wrote a little while back

There was something thrilling about being a hero but participating in morally questionable decisions. An occupation that's supposed to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, as the number 2 hero he's bound by his duty and obligation to the people of Japan. And yet Hawks finds himself deviating from his usual path. When he's supposed to be back at the agency taking care of paperwork, he readjusts his schedule to fit a new routine.

He is aware that what he's doing is not normal by any standards but his own.

His profession required him to do many things, some of which he's not proud to admit, but was necessary for the greater good. Or at least that’s what he tells himself in the mirror every morning.

Landing on a balcony in a 4-story apartment complex was a different story altogether. Especially so when he knows who lives in this apartment. There was a pause in his movements when his feet touched the floor of the balcony, a hitch in his breath and a voice at the back of his mind telling him to reconsider but also willing him to proceed further.

He forced himself forwards, grabbing the handle of the door. To his surprise, it swings open, allowing him access into your abode. The last time he tried, the door was locked and he had forgotten to bring a lockpick with him. Breaking the wood or the glass would attract too much attention and reveal himself too quickly, so he had opted to find a window big enough to fit through.

Stepping into your apartment, he takes in the surroundings. Still the same as when he first paid a visit, everything in its place. The only mess he can see is the used mug and spoon you had left on the table. The apartment was decent, decorations from your college years and shelves with knick knacks left to collect dust. You haven't gotten the chance to do much general cleaning but he chalked that up to your busy work schedule.

A light snore stops him in his tracks, following the sound he peers over the back of the couch and sees you laying there asleep with a bag of opened chips spilling its contents on your lap. There's a pill bottle in your hand, the label shows the word Melatonin in bold font.

You looked peaceful, steadily breathing and hair slightly disheveled from the way you're resting your head on the armrest. Hawks moves to stand in front of the couch, bending down to get a closer look.

“Hey there, baby bird, you're sleeping soundly, aren't you?”

He can't help but chuckle, already feeling relieved upon seeing you. The stress from today's work and grueling training forced on him by the Commission was all but forgotten. Even the momentary wariness and frustration from the villain fight he had felt earlier dissipated.

Why?

The thought came suddenly. Hawks' smile faded when that one word echoed in his mind, a constant question plaguing him but pushed aside to maintain a semblance of a fantasy he wishes to perceive. He remembers all the people he had approached in the past, conversations and memories left on a bitter note all because the Commission forced him to cut ties with them one way or another. How is this time any different?

He thought it was weird how the Commission hadn't said anything yet about his contact with you, but he figured it might have been due to his current track record. He hasn't done anything to rebel, been a loyal follower committed to his job. But he knows that won't last long. They've given him reasons to cut ties for less than disobedience.

Was it because of the Hero Commission? He thinks back to all the times he was summoned, their voices ringing in his ears when they would speak of it as if it was in his best interest as a hero but really, it was the fear that their prized investment was slipping through their claws. He could almost recite their excuses in order. Is he here, in your apartment, watching you sleep in the late hours of the night because the Commission kept depriving him of personal relationships, whether that's platonic or romantic, whenever they see fit and never letting him learn how to develop healthy attachments?

As the never-ending questions plague his mind, he rises to his feet with you in his arms with the intention of moving you to the bed. It wasn't an easy transition, and you almost woke up, but he managed to make his way into your bedroom, using his feathers to untuck the sheets. The mattress sinks under your combined weight and as Hawks hovers over your upper body, hands propped on either side of you, he remembers part of the reason why he wasn't allowed to maintain any semblance of a relationship apart from his connection to the HPSC.

He's not well. Far from it.

If the stalking, obvious lies, blatant breaking and entering, and invading your most personal space without your knowledge wasn't proof enough of his mental well being, then the way he's looking at you now, his mind swirling with thoughts he swears will never reach the light of day is a clear indication.

No sane man would eye an unconscious person with a glint of hunger reflecting in their eyes. For a moment, Hawks recalls that soul crushing feeling of shame he's accustomed to weighing on his conscience, but the guilt was short lived, replaced with the tantalizing pull of desire.

He likes to think he has some restraint. A thin rope that's barely holding on representing his will to hold himself back from lines he knows he shouldn't cross but is so tempted to.

Morality and conscience thrown out the window, he indulges in his desires, consequences be damned.

He'd been deprived for too long and with the opportunity presented before him, he'd be mad not to take it. How long has it been since he last stood this close and intimately to another person? The most he can recall is the harsh and cold bodies of the drones and machines the Commission would force him to compete with, hard metal bodies crafted from steel. He can still feel the bruises he sustained from the most recent training session where he was left to fend for himself in a weather simulation projecting the harsh winter, cruel summer, and unrelenting storms. Physical human contact was what he craved most.

A hand runs down your torso, trying to feel the texture of your shirt through his gloves. He slides his hands under, the warmth of your skin permeates through the fabric of his gloves and he contemplates taking it off to feel you more closely. A reasonable thought pushed to the back of his mind and he's hovering over your unconscious body, sitting on his heels after kicking off his shoes.

Your shirt rides up, just barely showing your chest and Hawks’ breath hitches as he tugs it higher, revealing your bare chest to his wandering eyes and desperate hands. He doesn't know how much melatonin you took but he assumes the amount is enough to keep you knocked out through this whole ordeal, considering the fact that he had moved you from the couch to your bedroom, and is currently straddling your hips, and yet you're still fast asleep.

He props himself on one elbow, leaning close enough to breathe in your scent. It's addicting, the way he can't help himself when it comes to you. For someone he insists is a way to cure his boredom, he sure spends a lot of time with you even after promising to himself he wouldn't get attached. The threat of the Commission meddling with his connection with you still hangs in the air.

He had impulsively promised to take you out on the one day off he's been given in the last 5 months. Why? What made him think that was a good idea? He thinks back to his early days of childhood, every move and action was monitored and controlled behind the scenes. His decisions weren't his to make in the first place so when he gained the freedom to decide, however small, he took it without hesitation, taking what was supposed to be the norm for an ordinary person but a foreign experience to this caged bird.

Physical contact isn't new to him, it just doesn't happen frequently enough for him to be able to restrain himself.

He pulls back from you to take off his gloves, using his teeth to pull it off his hand. There wasn't much thought behind his next actions, his free hand moving to undo his pants and pull his cock free of his boxers. He bites his bottom lip, hand wrapping around himself and eyes locked on your sleeping face. A shudder laced with pleasure sends him spiraling back into his thoughts, less sensible than before, but he's too far in to retreat now.

He imagines how you'd react if you were to open your eyes now and see him, the sight of him jerking off to your unconscious body unable to hold himself back. In the back of his mind there's a voice, a voice of reason is what's expected but instead it encourages him to continue, to take what he wants.

And so he does. He moves his hand faster, breaths coming out in sharp gasps and suppressed groans. Sweat forms on his nape, he can feel it dripping down on his skin, muscles tensing but it feels so good.

A curse under his breath and his head tilting back, he bites on his bottom lip, imagining each drag of his hand is from your own fingers wrapped around his cock, or better yet, he imagines how good it would feel to have your warm mouth around him. Was it ethical, how he's masturbating in front of a sleeping person and imagining sexual fantasies of a person he swore would only be a source of entertainment for him, to pass time? Does he care?

Not particularly.

Hawks drops down on his elbow, once again breathing in your scent, inhaling deeply. Why do you have to smell like his favorite shampoo’s scent, fruity yet there's a hint of floral he adores so much.

His body tenses when he hears a light groan come from someone other than him, he knows he's risking it by continuing but somehow it turns him on even more. He watches you stir in your sleep, you try to change positions but find it rather difficult with the man hovering above you. He watches you intently, observing every little reaction you give him and just as you turn your head to one side, he leans into the sleeve of his jacket biting on the fabric to suppress any noise.

White ropes of cum drip from his tip and hand, remnants of his ministrations are left on your bare chest and stomach. Hawks’ breaths come out in huffs, breathing heavy as he tries to collect himself. He props himself up on both arms, not caring for the stain he might leave on the mattress. A thought screams at him in his post-delirious bliss: how the fuck did this happen? How did he let it happen?

And why aren't you awake?

He unconsciously grips the covers in his hands, fingers digging into the mattress as cold sweat forms on his temples. He's gone and done it, he crossed a line he knows he shouldn't have. He did it again. Again.

He raises a hand to grab you gently by the chin, tilting your head to face him.

He doesn't regret it.

Maybe he'll come visit you more often. After all, he already knows your schedule by heart. And even if there's a change in your shift, he'll find a way to know about it beforehand like he already did before. He has a date with you tomorrow, he smirks at the thought, only a few more hours until then. Perhaps he was wrong in considering you as a means to an end, to cure a boredom he's been desperate to climb out of. There's definitely something there, interest or intrigue, or something more.

Until the Commission meddles with his personal life again, he might as well have some fun and indulge himself.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

We Are

A lot has been said about this show over the last 15 weeks. And despite what some people seem to think, most of it has been positive. I tend not to write much about shows in general, and stick to making pretty gifs of the shows I really like. The fact that I made exactly one set for the entire duration of this show should tell anyone who's reading that this will not be glowing review of the show. I'm not going to be mean, but if you loved the show and don't wanna do read someone with a different opinion, I beg you to stop reading. Also sorry if this is less than coherent but I'm tired so I won't be re-reading this a hundred times like I usually do before posting. Which also explains why I don't write a lot here.

We are - the story

One of the things that have been said about this show is that it lacks a plot. I would agree that the show as whole does not have single plot, but a series of plots. At it's most basic definition a plot is a series of events that shape a larger narrative. In the case of a linear plot there is a major plot line that follows the narrative from beginning to end with changes throughout. I'm not going to go into it, there are several ways this can be done depending on the type of narrative but most commonly it goes, beginning, rising, climax, falling, resolution. Now there's no such thing in this show as a whole. No single plot line. There is however several plots inside it, and these different plots do follow their own lines throughout the show. Every couple has its own plot line. And if we could only watch one couple at a time as if they had their own separate show, it would look just like any other bl, although it would certainly not be all that original. I think the friendships are what ultimately brings it all together but that by itself is not a central plot because it basically remains unchanged throughout. It's the anchor but it's not what moves the narrative forward.

We are - the ships

Once again, if you are a die hard fan of these ships do not read any more. Before I talk about them individually I just wanna say that @italianpersonwithashippersheart made an excellent point here about the fact that since we were familiar with most of the ships here, the show had an easier job in making us care for them. All the couples had their own storyline, with different stages of their development happening at the same time. And for the most part the show didn't have to spend a lot of time selling us on the relationships. It made use of a solid, reliable product that could be repackaged and resold. This is not necessarily a bad thing nor is it a new thing. It's thai bl.

Phum & Peem - The main couple. And in my opinion the least interesting one and the one most wasted here. Look, PondPhuwin are good together, this is their third show as a couple so they are a solid bet. So why not give them something with more depth? Why did I have to watch them exchange longing looks for the better part of this show? Don't get me wrong, they are great at it. Pond specially could teach a class on how to stare lovingly into Phuwin eyes. But lord was I tired of it. I mean, I'm sorry but I was fast forwarding through some of their scenes together because I've seen them all. I didn't count them but the amount of times they fell into each others arms must have been some sort of record. Sure, Phuwin is great at the facial expressions, Pond's hair ir gorgeous and he should be doing shampoo commercials, and yes, they can pull off the 'you're the only person in the universe in this moment and time loses all its meaning when I look into your eyes' thing. But enough is enough.

Q & Toey - It's fine. They're fine. They're actually much better than in My School President. Both of them I think improved a lot in their acting. But their story didn't do much for me. I enjoyed Q's change after they were boyfriends, I thought it was fun, but the drama before that, I thought, was so forced so I was not really all that invested. Also not a fan of the jealousy plan even if it did give us some entertaining moments with the friend group. I don't know, they just didn't click for me.

Tan & Fang - Is Tan one of the most adorable simps we've had in thai bl? YES. Did the boyfriend moments of this couple make me grin like an idiot 80% of the time? YES. Did I believe in the reciprocity of this relationship from the start? NO. Tan was the only reason that this relationship had me invested. His loud and unapologetic love for Fang filled the gaps in this particular love story. But the way it started made me have to work extra hard to believe the rest of it.

Chain & Pun - They were my favourites from the start. I waited 15 weeks for that kiss. Was it worth it? honestly, probably not. But at least they delivered in the end. That scene was everything I could've wanted from those two even if I wish it had happened sooner. The change in casting might've been the reason why it had to be this way so I'm not complain about that because ultimately I really enjoyed their story. Marc delivered as usual. Poon was so endearing to watch and his face is lovely. They remain my favourites and I wish I had a bit more time with them.

We Are - The friendships

This is what kept me going. When the episodes dragged and I found myself a bit bored, there was a big group moment and it brought me back to the show. When this show started, in my monthly breakdown I said I thought that @bengiyo comparing watching this show to watching the actors IG reels was a good way to describe the experience. But for me that wasn't always a bad thing. Just like with the couples, the fact that I knew these actors and they knew each other made me feel more connected to those ensemble moments. They felt very natural and grounded, and ultimately I could relate and be touched by them. I think that it's the show's biggest strength.

Well, this got longer than I expected and I never really know how to end these things so in conclusion. It was good fluff, with good friendship moments and solid acting from the couples. I will however forget most of it by this time next week, specially with the amount of ql's I'm watching at the moment.

If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading. ���

[stardust-does-things]

QSMP

I'm so upset that none of my friends are into the qsmp. Like, what do you mean you don't care about gay minecraft roleplay???? How could you not be completely invested in a 36 year old man's fake platonic husband and their two egg children in a minecraft server??

The worst part is they won't even let me mention them. I can't make any damn references to anyone without getting confused glares. Like, sorry you refuse to watch every vod from every creator on the server and don't understand the lore.

It's so cool because of the amount of people on the server, like there are SO many perspectives to see things from and so many different story lines to get invested in. Personally, my favorite storyline was Ph1lzA and the Enderking thing. I've always loved the concept of a character being corrupted or possessed and forcing them to hurt their loved ones(don't question me). Tallulah and Chayanne's admins did SO good. So did Phil, he sounded like a whole different person. And Phil was the best person to do this to. He's practically everyone's dad on the server, so seeing such a caring and fun guy to get aggressive and threaten his own children was scary and a great arc for him to experience.

I also absolutely LOVE the ships. Like you can't TELL me that you don't absolutely love Roier and Cellbit's relationship. Pac and Fit? OH MY GOOOOOD. I love the fanart and fanfics of them 😭 (I ship the characters in the actual server, not the content creators). I love Deathduo. Missa x Ph1lzA forever. They make such a good duo with how they interact around each other and the eggs. Roier and Cellbit have such a cute dynamic, I loved that one time Cellbit was running away and trying to blow himself up, and Roier went, "No, you can't kill yourself! You're too sexy!" They are so silly together, and I just think they're so cute.

Also the fandom is absolutely beautiful. I love all the fanart and memes, the fanfics and animatics. OH MY GODS. I really wish I had the confidence to make fanart or fanfics, I'm too nervous that I'll get info wrong or have a bad headcannon lol. I adore looking at the way people draw the eggs. My favorite designs are when they're bipedal dragons or like they're half hatched and their legs are sticking out of the shell 😭 its so cute!!! I still don't mind when they're just drawn like kids but with dragon features.

I loved Tallulah and her story, including Wilbur. I don't like Wilbur for what he did (even if it might be fake I genuinely don't know anymore) but I like him as a character in the qsmp. I love all the clips of Wilbur and Tallulah. Like when Lullah brought a gorilla into the garden and she was just so happy but Wilbur was absolutely terrified was so funny. The way he basically gentle parented her was adorable, like he didn't know how to raise a kid and just wanted her to be happy. (Wilbur is a horrible person, if the allegations are true, and I don't support him. I just like his character in the story but still understand why some people wouldn't like his character)

The humor is probably the best part. There are so many quotable things. One thing that I specifically remember was when Phil went to wake up one of the eggs (when they were all in hospital beds or smt IDK-) with Pac and someone else, Phil got downed by a warden and Pac went up to him and said, "Philza. I am here." in an overly manly voice, or something like that. Also I love just randomly saying quotes and pretending like everyone understands and thinks I'm cool. "we are all going to die. the sun is a false god but a true threat." -Gegg "IN THIS WORLD THERE ARE 2 GENDERS, PAIN AND SUFFERING" -Dapper "Geez abuelito I didn't know you were into drama omg slay" -Tallulah "heaven is homophobic motherfucker son of a bitch" -Roier

Anyways, I need more QSMP obsessed friends to talk to <3

(part 2 coming soon <3)

[nanomooselet]

Little but Fierce VI

She winds up… there's the pitch…

Poor Nick. It never stops being funny. I'd feel sorrier that this happened to him but he's such a bastard in his introductory episode. It's like karma in advance.

Heheh. Kar-ma.

Meryl and Wolfwood behave very much like siblings to each other, while Vash and Roberto treat them like their awful terrible kids. Roberto does actually try reach out to Vash as a mentor once or twice, but of course Vash is fuck-off old and doesn't need that kind of assistance, so he's gently deflected. Roberto is old and wise enough to keep his distance. Nick, for his part, enjoys pissing Roberto off, and Roberto is for his part duly pissed off.

Still, Vash is the reason they're all even there in the first place and Meryl shows him concern. And Vash, in his way, fusses over Nick the way Roberto feels responsible for Meryl. A lot of what Vash does, he's doing pretty much solely for Wolfwood's benefit. I mean, look at this pathetic wet kitten of a man - you can't tell me he doesn't need it.

I've already talked at some length about why exactly Vash is like he is about Wolfwood, but what's he like about Meryl?

Pretty much exactly as fond. He's just quieter about it. To my read, he's confident she and Roberto can look after themselves and each other. That's really endearing to him, but not something he has to do anything about. And Meryl's not suffering the same kind of identity crisis as the Punisher/Wolfwood/Nico. Meryl knows exactly who she is, she's just trying to get everyone else to acknowledge it, and Vash does so from the first - she's never anything but "Meryl" to him, not "newbie" or "little lady". She never has to demand that of him.

Nor is she in directly a victim of his godawful brother, which thankfully means she isn't his responsibility to help - or at least, no more so than any given human. Also, it's Vash. What's that? Someone is invested in his well-being? Golly, that sounds suspiciously like he's being cared for (which of course he doesn't deserve), or (more reasonably) like someone vulnerable to being caught up in Knives's manipulations. Or just someone vulnerable to Knives period. Stampede out!

I though you guys were buddies./I thought you three had something special. 

No way./Yeah, not really.

Too bad for him, he's met his match in Meryl Stryfe.

In direct contrast to every other character around Vash, she's only one there not because she has to be, or because she needs or wants something from him, but because she decided to be. She's one of the only characters with agency, after all.

Real people aren't monsters like that./He's a man, not a monster.

But I won't give up, no matter how unreasonable the assignment!/I won't abandon an assignment just because it's silly.

We can't just leave him hanging here./No way. We can't just leave him here.

And she's also decided he needs help. So come hell or high water, this man is getting helped.

It's her knack for finding the truth without quite knowing the reasoning behind it. In physical terms Vash really, really doesn't need help, and it's the mistake Knives always makes; that because Vash ostensibly doesn't have powers like him, he's in need of a defender. (And because this is Knives, that means it's up to him personally, and he's entitled to Vash and his exclusive love/loyalty/devotion in return. Any protests Vash makes are clearly just human corruption.) But what Vash actually needs is something his brother has never, in any version of the story, demonstrated the capacity to give him. Even sensitive little boy Knives back in Maximum relied on others for reassurance up until the moment he decided he couldn't.

Vash is more inclined to be someone others rely on, to the point of being maladaptive. It's being unable to help that gets to him, especially when he's held responsible.

What he needs is emotional support. Or, well... faith.

Wolfwood gives that to him eventually, but it takes some serious work, and it comes with its own attendant difficulties, like the fact that Nick's not in a position to extend Vash help himself no matter how much he might want to. Nick is, like Rosa and like Vash, a pragmatist. Do what you have to do.

Meryl has never needed that kind of direct demonstration. To her, Vash is a person, and people always need help, and she's not going to be prevented giving it. End of discussion. And despite being mistaken on some particulars, on this point she's more right than even she knows.

The contrast with Wolfwood is incidentally why Meryl hitting Woofwoof with the truck isn't just fucking funny, it's the perfect way for him to be introduced. He can't catch the same bus as Vash by happenstance because this time Vash is his actual target. He can't have Angelina II because personal transport is autonomy he's not permitted to have.

Instead, Meryl's own autonomy and narrative significance had her run the plot right into him, completely ruining whatever plans were laid for his entrance. Notice Roberto tries to steer Meryl away from the collision course they're on, to no avail, and Vash winds up flipped over. Fantastic.

Wolfwood is getting dragged around; Meryl is the one doing the dragging. When she discovers Vash's secrets, she works to accept them and integrate them into her worldview - which means that the moment she learns he's a Plant, she doesn't reject him or become fearful of him. She instantly accepts that must mean the Plants are also people. That gives her a fuller understanding of the conflict, and especially Vash's view of it, than most. It's not a matter of "Whose side are you on?" It's "How do we move forward together?"

Wolfwood's knowledge has all been filtered through the Eye of Michael, so he's more aware of the details, but can't disentangle his true beliefs from the ideology driving them.

Meryl has a better understanding of the abstract. And that, in turn, entitles her to learn what the available methods are, and judge them...

...But it also entitles her to something more precious: Vash's unquestioning trust.

It's certainly much less dramatic than the demonstrations between Vash and Nick, but I have to say: any amount of exposure to Knives and his histrionics would leave me, at least, pretty relieved to have it.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX

[runabout-river]

I disagree that a sequel is necessary. While I see the potential for new storylines, the idea of introducing a completely new set of antagonists doesn’t appeal to me. Starting from scratch with villains can feel like a major challenge, and bringing back old ones would only lessen the impact of their original arcs. I don’t want to see previous antagonists resurrected, as it would feel forced and undermine the emotional weight of their defeats.

There's also the power vacuum left by the deaths of major characters, but that doesn’t automatically mean the story needs to continue. Sometimes, the best choice is to let things end naturally rather than create a new threat just to keep the series going.

Jujutsu Kaisen's ending might not be saved by a sequel. If Gege is tired of the universe, it could show in the quality of the continuation. Forcing a sequel when the creator might not be fully invested could result in something lackluster, and I’d hate to see the series lose what made it great in the first place. I also feel strongly about the need for Gege to rest, especially with the health concerns and breaks he had.

I prefer complete, well-rounded stories, and I’m concerned that a sequel would compromise that. In the end, I just don’t want a sequel to happen, as I believe Jujutsu Kaisen could have ended on a stronger note without needing to push the story further.

About the villains: would you say Sukuna's and Kenjaku's arcs are completely finished? Have they been used to their full potential?

Kenjaku eg. has a background connection with Yuji but no actual relationship with him in-story. There is no push and pull between those two and their past hasn't been dealt with either. Kenjaku also has no realtionship with Nobara and Megumi and only a small one with Gojo. As a villain he did much but his interpersonal connections were severly lacking except for Choso which was one-sided.

A potential sequel could present us the relationship and history with Kenjaku and Yuji that hadn't been dugged into until now. Not to forget Heian era history.

For Sukuna its a bit more complex. He had a deep relationship with Yuji and build one with Gojo during their fight. He showed a different side to him through his relationship with Uraume. But what was extremely missing and cut out in the end was a relationship with Megumi. Megumi's end to his own arc was also cut out.

In a potential JJK 2, Megumi dealing with Sukuna (in whatever form he would appear, a curse or trauma) would delve into that missing part of JJK which had existed since the Cursed Womb arc. What would also come from there is Sukuna's past and why he agreed to become cursed objects in the first place.

As a personal opinion, I would like new desaster curses eg a Death Curse. That would bring that curse-centred feeling back to JJK that was missing since Shibuya.

And of course, I wouldn't want a sequel that isn't made with passion either. If Gege has no desire or love for more stories of JJK (outside of maybe small chapters or light novels) than he shouldn't be forced to continue it. If he has health problems that's the same thing.

But just like me who simply assumes that Gege would love to continue the story, you assume that he wouldn't. But in reality we can't tell in any way what Gege thinks about this and if he even has a potentially bad health status. We get small glimpses of him, which is standard for mangaka, and there isn't much to go from there.

He said recently that he's happy the story ends. Yes, JJK will end with chapter 271. That's a statement of fact and can't necessarily be used to say a Part 2 won't come. In the past, sequel anouncements also took months if not years. We can't tell.

What I wanted to say at the end is, I don't think JJK is a well-rounded story. As it stands now, it has superflous plot elements that should've been trimmed down to make it a well-rounded story. Instead we had last chapter were we went through the fat so to speak and cut it off after the meat has already been cooked.

(Please don't roast me for my metaphor, I hate cooking)

There is a reason why "JJK Part 2" is a popular theory/demand and that's because there is room for one that most people have no problem seeing. I don't think that BHA and Demon Slayer had such big Part 2 feelings outside of a niche demand which always exists with all manga and anime that end.

So I don't think JJK would be pushed into more stories. I think it has the groundwork to build those naturally from everything the story has presented us during its run.

[my-mt-heart]

I apologize in advance for the rant that's coming your way. If you're seeing this and you're having a good day - you're welcome to skip it.

I'm tired of the whiplash.

Melissa comes back, and then there is a string of articles basically teasing there will be heavy-handed shipbaiting in S2. Then we get a BTS interview, and now there's more to be sad about.

What is the point if the good news is overshadowed every time?

I did not get into this show to "obsess" over superficial characters. I got into this show because of its heartfelt storylines and strong character arcs. Carol and Daryl helped me sift through some dark things in my life, which I am grateful for. It felt nice to root for something precious and one-of-a-kind and funnel hope into two characters who deserved to find their happy ending together. Most people I know are still here because they think these characters deserve better. Ya know what? Because sometimes the world is shite and some days it's hard to find hope. These characters bring hope. And the fans deserve respect (not talking about the ones who were sending hate to actors and/or their families).

The current showrunner, with his contradicting statements, has done nothing but make me feel anxious - even though some of what was said was positive. He has done nothing to win my trust. The contradictions make me think he either doesn't know what story he wants to tell or, worse, he doesn't understand the characters he's working with. If storylines keep getting overlooked, and characters are treated like shipbaiting devices - what's the point of S3?

I'm happy to have Melissa and Caryl back; she's why I have a bead of hope. Her input is the only one I trust at this point. But I have no excitement left to give, and now I have one foot out the door. Until I see something that helps me trust this show again, that won't change.

Bring me a showrunner who understands these characters deeply. Bring me a director who makes room for meaningful stories. Bring me writers who write complex storylines that dive into the psyches of these characters and show us why we fell for them in the first place.

And for the love of all that's good and holy -Bring me strong and powerful female and POC voices. Bonus points for both.

I'm tired of watching POC characters get turned into walker fodder or shipping devices. I refuse to invest in a show where the characters I fell in love with get treated with callousness and shoved into storylines that don't honor them.

I'll simply find something else worth my time. Because you see, I know that my value isn't intrinsically attached to this show and the direction it takes. Sorry about the rant. It's one of those days. Peace be with you.

You don’t have to apologize for how you’re feeling. Everything you said is completely valid and to be honest, it’s where I’m at as well. Having Melissa back is amazing, and I know she has input, but it feels like she and her fans are still being punished. The lead actor reduces us to “obsessed” parasocial shippers, the current showrunner doesn’t acknowledge we exist let alone understand what Carol’s/Daryl’s/Caryl’s story means to us, “The Book of Carol” is being left out of promos, that and Melissa’s name aren’t in the casting calls. How can I trust the show to honor a narrative about a woman beating the odds time and time again when business practices show the opposite? How can I subscribe to AMC+ for a show called "Daryl Dixon" knowing it represents white male privilege 🤷🏻‍♀️ We need leadership to not only give us the heartfelt storylines and deep character arcs that we want, but also to uphold our core values, to nurture, not insult, our intelligence, and to give the lead actress the respect she deserves. That's why I think Melissa should get to choose the new showrunner.

[writeradamanteve]

George Karim Appreciation Post

One of the reasons why I love George Karim (a.k.a. George Cubbins) character so much is that he is not the plucky sidekick nor is he the funny comic relief. He is a rather fully-formed character who does not have to change nor improve. He is as he is and we won't have him any other way.

Let me explain--

When George first comes into the scene, Netflix or book, he is suspicious, sardonic, and doesn't give two-shits about whether you like what he has to say. He tells you exactly what he thinks of you, and while that may strike many as rude, George is never really cruel. He calls something out not to make you feel uncomfortable, but because he doesn't like what he's seeing, and some part of him probably feels like he wants you to fix it. He speaks up when he doesn't like what Lockwood orders him to do (or not do, particularly in the case of research, or Lockwood's lack of inclination towards it), and he refuses to stay quiet when he thinks he's being treated unfairly ("Where's his slap?" or "We only get one biscuit each.").

He's not being inflexible, he's just not there for the bullshit, because he is kind when he has to be. He is helpful when he has to be. He is anxious about Lucy and Lockwood's welfare when he as to be.

When he softens towards Lucy, that is not him, "softening". That is him, trusting. That is not character growth--he never lacked the ability to trust, as he trusts Lockwood, its just that he has permitted Lucy into his circle.

His conflict was in his realization that Lucy's arrival did not make him a third wheel, that he was just as important to them as they were to each other. That is not a lack of character on his part, however, that was on Lucy and Lockwood. Before he was in Lockwood & Co., his researching abilities, however amazing, was not enough to keep him in Fittes, so as far as he was concerned, his abilities did not make him indispensible, but it is the best talent he has, and if that can't keep him in Fittes, then there was reason to believe that Lockwood & Co could just as easily do the same thing, especially since Lucy and Lockwood didn't appear to appreciate his good work as often as it deserved.

George is fantastic in his complexities, and how he isn't the "sidekick" or the "clown" (like in other trios we know that Shall Not Be Named), makes him exceptional. He is a character that can stand on his own and have his own story, which is probably why it wasn't painful in the least when, in the Netflix series, he seemed to have his own arc going for a bit. Normally, when you have a series where there is a popular pairing like Lockelye, you could barely stand to watch other characters getting their own story (like Riverdale), but I was so heavily invested in George Karim's journey with the boneglass that it didn't feel like a useless deviation in the least.

There are so many things to love about George, but that he wasn't expected to change for us to love him is probably my favorite thing about him.

[navxry]

i know you haven't been as active (probably because of irl stuff) but I wanted to let you know that your writing has always struck me as something unique and refreshing within the yan community. i know every writer will have their own ideas and writing, but yours is something I'll never experience from someone else. all your twists and turns are written in a way where they have a good build up but are unexpected, and you create an unique world with each fic (or universe) that makes me feel immersed in the story. i can feel how much you love your stories through your writing and i think that's beautiful

(utc, a bit emotional of a talk/response from an ex-writer)

This was probably one of the nicest messages I'll ever get, so I'm gonna put everything I feel here.

Thank you for this, anon. I don't know who you are, I don't know if you're my friend on anon or something, but you don't know how much this means to me. I thought my works wouldn't go so far in the community I used to write, but seeing that it affected you made me happy.

However, you're right on one thing. I've been... really busy. Finals got me swamped for weeks in October, not to mention that I couldn't continue writing for @/yxstxrdrxxm. I refuse to disclose the reasons why I can't write for it anymore, because frankly, it's stupid (and honestly, it's not new for some people) and so I don't bore anyone to death.

I contemplated just keeping this to myself, but decided against it and let this go. After all, this is something that I wished I've known sooner when I used to run the blog (it'd probably make things feel worth it, y'know?)

But anyways, sorry. That's besides the point.

Again, thank you for saying this. Although it's too late (because I don't know if I will un-archive the damn blog, it... Makes me feel empty thinking about it), it made me feel like I'm human to you. I don't know if others who saw it can say the same (except for my friends, hi, I know you see this too), but its... nice.

I'm honestly so glad you can tell how much passion goes into them. Each fic is something more than just words that I've regurgitated to, because it makes me feel that I'm personally in that world, so to speak. Its why its so personal when certain fics (OLC's series of mini drabbles/"date" fics, WotD if I bothered to post anyway, which I doubt lol, standalone ones like Tailor of Inazuma, Losing Patience, and even Alone) feel so... yknow. Alive. Like you're in it, I suppose.

I honestly want people to experience that feeling I do, to feel like they're really immersed in whatever goes on in that fic. That even if it stops at the last word, at the last punctuation... It still leaves a mark on your mind. And I'm very happy to know that it made you as invested as I was in writing it, only that you're reading it.

You genuinely have no idea how happy it makes me feel. And that's me being honest and not "haha, I'm just being a menace". It's more of.. yknow. "damn, someone really likes it? and sees it that way? thats... really nice of them."

Even if I don't write for the yandere community anymore (at least, for a specific fandom, because I personally don't think I'll ever write anything for the sake of getting my name out there), I'm... gonna remember this. Who knows? Maybe you'll see my fics again. Maybe you won't. At this point, I don't even know myself.

Just know that your message was... a nice welcome against the feeling of genuine hopelessness and feeling of being nothing to everyone. It's not as impactful as some may assume, but trust me, it made me feel genuinely human and all that I put out there was worth the pain.

tl;dr: thanks, anon. Your message genuinely made me writing for a year with a yandere genshin/hyv fandom worth it, even at a time where acknowledgement is hard (or even rare) to come around. It made everything worth the effort, more than you may think.

(also, although I wont be writing for the yandere community anymore or more specifically, to a certain fandom that genuinely sucked my happiness dry, I'll remember your message. It means a lot more than you may think.)

Anyways, yeah. thanks for making me feel that everything is worth it, and for making me feel that all my efforts weren't for naught. you're a real one /gen /pos

[clonerightsagenda]

PPLN prompt: pamela pink

Kicking things off with a niche podcast, love it.

Pamela, like Rosalind, is a flatter character in season 1 who rounds out in season 2. What I think is interesting about her is that while the end of season 1 involves Bea and Brenda in conflict over what stories they should tell and how far they should push until Arden becomes harmful and exploitative, in season 2 Pamela is the one working to try to get their story out there. We follow that journalist as he conducts an audit, and Pamela's the one who asked him to do so (and begs him not to kill her story, saying it's the best thing she's ever made). It's a reminder that multiple people have ownership over a piece of media, including the producers who aren't as front and center as the personalities hosting it. (Since I think listeners are primed to think of this as something Bea and Brenda made.) And it's interesting that Bea and Brenda are staying hands off, while it's the level headed producer with a bit more distance who's now emotionally invested.

We also learn that Pamela's been struggling with infertility, which has been its own labor-intensive, highly scheduled project just as intricate as running a show. While I can't relate to wanting to have kids, I can relate to her frustration that "this is something my body should be able to do". It sucks when your body betrays you. Cis women often receive a lot of pressure about having kids and how it's the specialist most magical thing they're able to do, gag, so women who can't sometimes feel like they're failing at existence, or at least failing at gender.

I hadn't made this connection until just now typing this out, but I wonder if part of Pamela's intense investment in getting Arden season 2 released is connected to that struggle. She's put so much effort in. She wants to make something. Why won't the universe let her have that?

[alicentsgf]

we're barely more than a few months into the hiatus and I'm already so over much of the fandoms alicent takes. and one thing that really gets me is the "alicents line is dead lol" rhetoric... like sorry am I supposed to care? even if that were true why do people use it as a gotcha like its something anyone should care about? this ain't westeros babe I dont give a shit about progeny and legacy I just have a favourite character... and it's not like rhaenyra's line was all sunshine and rainbows after the dance so what are you actually celebrating here? there's a difference between acknowledging that the characters have to manoeuvre through their world as it exists, antiquated ideals and all, and adopting those ideals as your own.

no one truly wins this war that is the entire point - rhaenyras son sits the throne as aegon's heir. the only reason any of them survive is so the line can continue down to daenerys to tell her story and... let's be honest here one way or another she's going to be the last one. asoiaf is not about reigniting the targaryen dynasty. go outside and listen to the birds for a while or something idk get some perspective. its fine to be overly invested I won't pretend I'm not but there's a point where it becomes concerning.

[alpaca-clouds]

Should we bring back the dinosaurs?

I spoke about gene editing yesterday and about species going extinct the day before. So let us lighten the mood a bit and bring both topics together: Let's talk about dinosaurs and wooly mammoths!

We are actually getting surprisingly good with that gene tech thingie, even though you hear not so much about it most of the time. But yeah, no, we are actually getting pretty good at it and at understanding what certain genes are doing.

And at least with the wooly mammoth we have found some DNA frozen in the ice. While we do not have a complete genum for them, we have a bit of it. And we are actually technically speaking able to re-engineer quite a bit from elephant DNA.

Same goes with the dinosaurs. No, we probably aren't finding mosquitos with blood that still holds DNA. But we have some bird species that are descendents of certain dinosaurs. Consider the mighty chicken, that has kinda sorta descendet from the velociraptor. (Also, yeah, news flash, dinosaurs are closer related to birds, than they are to reptiles.)

Like, some guy playing around with CRISPR has managed to give a chicken teeth. So, yeah, we might actually be able to re-engineer some dinosaurs. No T-Rex, no brontosaurus and no triceratops. But some dinosaurs? Certainly a posibility. Not right now, but in twenty, thirty years? Probably not off the table.

But that brings us to Jeff Goldblum Ian Malcolm:

Should we do that? Should we bring back mammoths or dinosaurs?

Let me make one thing clear: No, they probably will not start reproducing uncontrolably and then turn against humans in a more drastic way than any other animal might do. Sure, they could become an invasive species........ but they probably won't, because the earth they have once inhabited was so different from today, that they could very certainly not survive. Especially not the mammoth.

So, yeah. No Jurassic Park and no T-Rex running through New York or whatever happend in Jurassic Park 3.

Nah. There are other reasons not to do it.

And those reasons are simple: What for? Why do we want to bring back dinosaurs or mammoths? Sure, it would be cool to see a living, breathing dinosaur (even if it was just a velociraptor) or a mammoth. But... what good would come from it? Why do not invest all those ressources that it would take to do that into something... more useful? Something that is actually bringing science forward. Because, guess what: No, Alan, even if we brought back the brontosaurus, the revived brontosaurus would not tell us, whether or not the species moved in herds 150 million years ago!

And, of course, there would be just the animal welfare aspect. Because whatever animal we would bring back from the dead would probably have a very, very shitty life. It would be kept in a zoo, not be allowed to do its animal things. Would be part of a lot of science. It would just suck for those animals.

With actual living animal species, we can have long discussions about the pros and cons of zoos. But we will never rewild the mammoth. We should not rewild the mammoth. Because it does not have any habitat left. Same for any dinosaur.

So, I am with Jeff Goldblum on this one. Maybe we just... should not do it.

(Even though bringing back species that we as humans drove to extinction in recent history would be an entirely different story.)

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Investment plans

@cullen-blue23 🧟💌⚔️ I have returned with my Wen Ning appreciation agenda! I keep imagining WWX discovering the Ghost General simps and immediately deciding to throw hands to defend his besties honour. WN is confused, but very flattered (and no longer feels safe being left alone with Lan Jingyi)

Some kind of part 2 to this one

This was an incredibly funny piece to write, shoutout to Lan Jingyi for seeing a business opportunity and running with it.

Wei Wuxian rushes through the Cloud Recesses, Suibian in hand, unsheathed - and that never happens unless there is a great emergency somewhere that he knows he can't fix with just Chenqing. There are very few such instances - one was when Lan Sizhui got kidnapped, and another was when some poor sod put a curse on Lan Wangji, and to this day nobody knows or dares ask what happened to either of those people. So to see the Yiling Patriarch (who's usually just fun and mischievous Wei-qianbei) exude murderous intent, everyone makes way for him to storm out of the Cloud Recesses without issue. Not that they're scared he'd kill them - but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lan Wangji struggles to catch up to him, and that's saying something. "Wei Ying!"

"Leave me alone, I'm going to kill this Yan Bai person myself! How dare he!"

"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji tries again, finally reaching close enough to his husband to get a hold of his shoulder.

"What?! You've seen those ridiculous drawings and read those horrible stories too! Aren't you supposed to be righteous?!"

Lan Wangji is not going to take offense to that and he's not going to fight with Wei Ying in the middle of the Cloud Recesses where everybody can see. In fact, there won't be any fight at all.

"You can't kill Yan Bai."

"Like hell I can't, I've killed hundreds, what's one more!"

"We'll circle to that later, but the reason you can't kill him it's because he doesn't exist!"

Wei Ying blinks at his husband incredulously. "Lan Zhan, do you take me for a fool? What do you mean he doesn't exist? Then who created that ludicrous sexy Ghost General calendar? The fanfiction subscription service? The fan letters?!"

Lan Wangji sighs like the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. "Come with me, I'll tell you in private. And please put Suibian away."

---

Inside the jingshi, Wen Ning and Jingyi await. Now, Wei Ying is even more confused than before, joining Lan Wangji at the table. He takes a seat, and says, "Wei Ying, please meet Yan Bai." as he elegantly gestures towards Jingyi, who looks very much like Wen Ning down - a living corpse.

There is such tense silence in the jingshi that it feels suffocating. Jingyi has long accepted he's going to die today, he's said his goodbyes and even sent a last letter roasting Jin Ling express shipping to Jinlintai. All his affairs are in order, might as well get it over with.

"How much money did you make?" Wei Ying asks, his voice flat and neutral, and somehow scarier than when he's angry.

"I... Double my allowance, sir."

"Per month?"

"Per week... sir."

Wei Ying whistles lowly. "What did you spend it on?"

Lan Jingyi keeps quiet, eyes stubbornly squeezed closed.

"Well?"

"I cannot say."

"Why not?"

"It is forbidden."

Wei Ying rolls his eyes. "So is drawing porn, yet here you are."

"It's not - porn... it's-"

"Erotic art, whatever, same thing. I would know. So, where's the dough?"

"..."

"Lan Jingyi."

"We're saving up for something! It's - well, a surprise..."

"And you've decided to exploit Wen Ning for it?"

"It's not... exploiting. It's a... business. I overheard some people talking about him in a certain way and had an idea..."

The new information is nothing short of surprising, so Wei Ying turns to his friend. "Wen Ning, did you know about this?"

"...somewhat. Not to its full extent, but I agreed to the- stories."

"So then what's the big project that had you sell yourself out like this?"

"Please don't say that... I didn't... do that."

Wei Ying crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know, Wen Ning, I received a letter from Yunmeng-"

If Wen Ning could blush, he'd be beet red. "I didn't do anything for cash, I mean... all that you've heard about, I've done it... um, for fun..."

Wei Ying sighs so deeply he feels like he's taken up the whole air in the jingshi. This conversation is terribly embarrassing and he still wants to know what the hell they're saving up for.

"Here's how it's gonna go. Jingyi, you tell me what you've been investing in all this time, and I'll convince Hanguang-Jun over here not to punish you for the next 15 years."

Jingyi steals a look towards Wen Ning, and they seem to be having a silent conversation before Jingyi finally looks up at his seniors.

"We've been - the lotus pond we've been nursing in the Cloud Recesses died last spring, and we know how sad that made you. So we bought a piece of a lake near Caiyi and have hired someone specialized in lotus cultivation to help maintain them and make sure they don't die out like last time." A pitiful sigh, "But they're really expensive, even with all the help we got from Jinlintai... Jin Ling can't just give money out right now, so we had to... be creative. We actually got the idea at the last discussion conference, sect leader Nie dropped something about Yiling Laozu fanfiction selling really well in the past and, well..."

Wei Ying can do nothing but stare. Everyone - the kids, Wen Ning, even Nie Huaisang - all contributed to this one project that's more time-consuming than anything and that takes up a whole lot of money... and all that because he cried over the lotuses that dried up last spring instead of blooming. All that because they wanted him to be... happy.

He stands up from his seat abruptly, and Jingyi squeezes his eyes shut again, awaiting deliverance - instead he finds himself and Wen Ning pulled into a hug.

"Thank you."

Jingyi's eyes widen. "You're... not mad?"

"I am very mad. I married into this super rich sect for you lot to go sell porn for money?!"

"Wei-gongzi, it's not-"

"Quiet, Wen Ning! You should've just asked Lan Zhan for cash!"

"With all due respect, Hanguang-Jun is not adept at keeping secrets from you..."

"...fair. Still, all this was... a bit too much. Even if I appreciate it, it's not okay to do. So, there will be some kind of punishment for you, Jingyi."

"I know..." and he begins reciting, "...for lying, keeping secrets, making illicit money, drawing and reading pornographic material, distributing said material, pricing highly, not reporting earnings..."

"That's a long list of crimes to atone for. I'll leave Hanguang-Jun to do that. Wen Ning, come talk to me outside?"

"Yes."

---

"How do you feel... about all that?" Wei Ying asks as they stroll along the pathways around the jingshi. "The... materials, I mean."

"To be entirely honest... I am not that upset... You know I have not been very confident before... and this, surprisingly, helps a lot."

"Don't you feel... I don't know, objectified?"

A shrug. "Not really. Sure, it's a bit... weird to see so much... erotic material about me, but it's better than people calling for my death..."

Wei Ying sends him a sympathetic look. He wishes people could see him like that, kind and loving and soft, the way he truly is - nothing like the monster people accuse him to be.

"And anyway... I'm not entirely innocent either... so I'm not surprised there is, um, demand for such things."

"Right... uh, you should probably be a bit more on the down low with that in Yunmeng... I know people from there are really attractive but...like, I'm not trying to police what you do or anything-"

"It is fine, I understand what you mean." A conspirational smile. "I was planning to visit Qinghe next anyway, so you probably will not be receiving any more angry letters, hopefully... Though I must admit Hanguang-Jun's response was... quite hilarious."

Wei Ying chuckled. "He got the 'no bitches?' thing from Jingyi, which is why I think he won't punish the kid that harshly... but how do you feel about what he's done?"

"Well. It is... a bit excessive... but... I cannot say the idea is bad... I did get some of the proceedings myself after all..."

"Man, you guys have a whole business going on! Next thing you'll tell me is Sizhui's keeping the books or something."

"..."

"Wen Ning."

"..."

"WEN NING!"

[liyazaki]

MOR! My beloved. I can always expect the truth from you. Overall thoughts on Between Us? I know the final ep was not your fave but how about the series? What would you want to keep? What would you want to change?

Eboni, my darling- hoo, boy. you're about to get way more than you bargained for, but I got some Thoughts™️ & some Things™️ to say.

disclaimer: Between Us was a sweet, serviceable, inoffensive show. I mostly enjoyed watching it & I loved being back in the UWMA universe, however tangentially.

speaking to the collective “you” here: if you loved the show from start to finish, I'm sincerely happy for you! if it'll lessen your BU fandom experience to read critiques- which is valid & completely understandable- click away. I swear I'm not trying to rain on your parade (or argue with anyone, which I won't be- period).

also, let's check ourselves: this is a show. it's not that serious- it couldn't be less serious, actually. sometimes I just like to go off the analytical deep end...it's a good time for a nerd like me. this is my house (my blog) & I'm just having fun, throwing digital paint around.

with all that out of the way, let's jump into it.

UWMA set an extremely high narrative standard. we knew from scene one the writers weren't messing around. that opening is burned into my memory forever.

from compelling flashbacks, to multiple couples that had something for everyone, to little plot details weaved in from the beginning that only made sense later- they knew exactly what story they were trying to tell & they told it in a big way. it was tightly constructed, cleanly delivered and hit all the right notes for me personally.

UWMA is a tough act to follow. in the end, it felt like Between Us barely tried. to quote an MDL reviewer (before the finale even aired): in with a bang, out with a whimper.

step one of any good story is solid character development. it's what draws us in, making & keeping us emotionally invested. we have to like these characters- and know enough about them- in order to care. that- and a good, solid plot- is what sustains our attention.

in a pretty atypical way, Between Us had serious emotional fan investment long before it had basically any character development (thanks to BounPrem's chemistry, IMO).

Win and Team had roughly 31 minutes of total screentime in UWMA, but you'd have never known it from the fever-pitch fandom support years before its release. we didn't have much real character knowledge or depth to go off of, but many of us came into this show ravenous for more of their story (raises hand).

the show's over now and, disappointingly, I don't feel like I learned much about either Win or Team that I didn't already know. we did see them struggle- Team with his guilt and insecurities; Win with his vague intimacy aversion and self worth issues.

Team and Win had plenty of things between (heh) the two of them to overcome- so what went wrong?

for me, Between Us suffered from a tragic case of barely-scratching-the-surface character development (there was so much there to play with narratively & yet- sigh), paired with serious flaws in the rising action.

every single story in existence uses rising action. to quote Henry of The Closer Look, a media analyst I like: "rising action is basically narrative tension. it's the way the conflict builds as the story goes along."

when a story utilizes rising action effectively, the audience ends up feeling almost elated by the end. it's almost like we actually went on the same journey as the characters, and we now get to bask alongside them in just how far they've come. we want to see characters we care for improve, persevere. overcome, conquer.

when rising action is handled correctly, the plot progression looks something like this.

via Henry's excellent analysis on why TLOU2 divided its fandom so thoroughly

Between Us had tension, it had conflict- but it looked something like this (I'd add way more hills, personally).

"what you're seeing here is an abomination of story structure." hey- Henry said it; not me.

the conflicts went up and down throughout the story. Team internally spirals; Win does something sweet and pulls him out of it. everything seems fine; Win pulls back.

rinse, wash, repeat in an endless cycle, made worse by the fact that they struggled with- and apparently overcame- the same. exact. issues, over and over, the entire time.

conflicts that seemed to be resolved came back exactly as they were, sometimes multiple times in a single episode. by episode 7 or so, it was getting tedious. by the end, I was just bummed.

for me, watching Between Us was going around in circles, hoping we were working towards some actually-important climax that never came. and I wanted to believe we were going somewhere, right up until the bitter beige-on-beige end.

there were no scenes that actually made me hold my breath, ala Bad Buddy’s confession-of-legends on the rooftop. no repeating themes, masterfully culminating in the finale (running up the cape in ITSAY). Between Us left me with an itch for depth and impact that only fan fics can scratch at this point (bless you writers).

yeah, Win and Team ended up together- of course they did. I don't think anyone had any doubts they would eventually. but standing at the finish line, do I care that they ended up together?

I hate to say it, but- not really. they didn't give me enough to make it feel meaningful- like it actually meant something. it just- is. yay? I guess?

this post was brutal enough, but to answer your question about what I'd keep & what I'd change? it's hard to pick when the whole thing just felt like special episodes (filled with lots of cute, sweet moments, to be fair) with an enormous dash of missed opportunity.

all in all, I don't regret watching but it's a universe I'll only be returning to via fan fic fixes- and UWMA, my forever top 3 BL beloved.

[relicsongmel]

Now that I'm done with the main story I'd like to take some time to explain a small part about why Pokemon Scarlet (and Violet) mean so much to me—and why they were the first games in the series to make me cry in several years. (warning for discussions of parental death under the cut)

Generation 9 was the first time I was playing a brand new generation after my mom had passed from cancer a year and a half prior. I wasn't expecting to have this fact be relevant to my experience with the game, but one of the first things that struck me not long after booting it up was the design of the player character's mom. She looked so much like my own mother that I genuinely had to take a step back from shock for a bit. But it was surely just a coincidence, right?

That initial double take moment aside, I continued through the game fairly normally, enjoying it quite a bit despite its fairly obvious graphical limitations and occasional glitching. I loved exploring the wide open world of Paldea; I'm very meticulous about being thorough in games and seeing what every area has to offer, and while I wasn't quite able to get to everything considering the sheer size of the map, I still did my damndest to clear out as much of it as I could. I loved the colorful cast of characters and the stories that accompanied them; Nemona was a bundle of joy (and I quickly claimed her as my lovely autistic daughter because that's what she is), Penny and the Team Star storyline were well thought-out and compelling, and Arven's quest, despite me being spoiled on a few details, was heart-rending and I was invested the whole way through.

Speaking of spoilers: I knew going into the game that Arven's mom/dad was canonically dead depending on which version you were playing. But that didn't stop the emotional impact of the final confrontation with the professor from hitting me the way it did.

As I said, my mother passed away due to complications from breast cancer; she spent an agonizingly long week in the hospital dealing with sepsis (among other things) before her condition took a turn for the worse and she was taken off life support on June 9th, 2021. During that time, I never got the opportunity to talk to her or even visit her—I asked over and over, but she was only allowed a limited number of visitors which were being taken up by other family members. My last in-person conversation with her was while helping her to bed one night, in which she told me she would have my dad take her to urgent care the next morning. At the time, I didn't even consider the possibility that she might not end up coming home. When that fact finally hit me a few days later, I wrote a letter making some promises to her (that I wasn't able to keep because the grief ended up hitting me like a truck) and telling her I loved her, but it was too little too late: my mom was on life support and only semi-conscious; my letter was read to her by my sister when she went to visit and I will never know if she actually heard my words. The day I was finally able to see her was the day she passed, where I held her hand for one final time and was met with.....silence. Obviously. But just because something is to be expected doesn't mean it won't hurt.

Long story short, I was not only dealing with the grief of losing her, but also the pain of not having proper closure; of being able to talk with her knowing for sure it would be the last time. So imagine my reaction when I realized that Arven was going through the exact same thing with his own mother—having been left behind without so much as an explanation, and then said mother dies before she ever has the chance to set things right with him. And his situation is compounded even further by having to contend with seeing the AI professor looking and speaking exactly like her, finally getting the acknowledgement from his mother he's wanted for so long relayed by the AI but finding himself struggling to accept it given how much it's too little too late, and then she leaves him behind too (albeit for more understandable reasons), meaning he essentially loses his mom twice over—all this while pushing through the trauma of revisiting a place that wounded the only companion he had so badly that he thought he might end up losing him, too. My relationship with my mother was not nearly as tumultuous as Arven's—but I could still relate to those feelings of loss and powerlessness and thus found myself shedding tears after the AI professor's final farewell. Because I saw myself in that grieving kid who just wanted closure.

Scarlet and Violet are by no means perfect games. But I would be lying if I said they didn't have a profound impact on me and helped me feel a bit less alone in my grief. And for that they'll always hold a special place in my heart.