#will be rewatching at last 99 more times

[bdoubleo100-fanblog]

@impulsesv-fanblog its the!!!! The guys!!!!! Gnawing on this so hard i love it!!!!!

Expert In a Dying Field | A Double Life Clockduo/Impdubs PMV

inspired by this post here

[everythingisawayoflife]

WHY DO I NOT REMEMBER YOUNG JUSTICE BEING MESSY AS HELL?? I KINDA HAVE ISSUES WITH YJ AS A SHOW AND AM CONSIDERING DEDICATING AN ENTIRE POST TO IT!!

[eriexplosion]

Yesterday everyone was posting their feelings on TBB. I'm glad I waited, because there's a lot swirling around. Cut for negativity again.

I was introduced to The Bad Batch in August 2022 and fell instantly in love. The characters, the story, the complex family dynamics, they all spoke to me. I wasn't even a Star Wars fan but I went through and devoured The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian, all of it. I threw myself into this world and adored every second of it. I must have rewatched season one over five times before season two even came out.

When season two premiered I loved it. Every Tuesday night I stayed up until the episode drop and devoured it immediately. I looked ahead at the schedule and took days off work for the double episodes, for the big Crosshair episodes - he was my favorite early on and season two only made that grow. But season two also really brought Tech into my radar even more. I had always liked him, but here he was shining. The Crossing really solidified it, as an autistic person. I'd never heard someone describe the difference in processing so succinctly before, so clearly, and it spoke to me like very little had. Here was a character that was like me. Here was a character that I needed when I was an undiagnosed child, someone that would have made me feel like I had at least some way of describing my differences.

Then, well. He died. It was an affecting scene, but it felt out of nowhere, it felt unfinished. Tech didn't even get the climax of the episode. He just fell into the clouds, the Batch grieved for a few minutes, and then the plot steamrolled right along.

I didn't believe it, not after the mad scientist presented his goggles and claimed not to salvage anything else. It seemed like such an obvious fake out. The longer I sat with it the less satisfying it felt. It felt so brushed over, so pointless, all for a mission that they accomplished nothing on. Then came the social media circus. Again and again his fall was shoved in our faces on Twitter, demanding we stream it. TikToks were made that were so out of touch they felt like parodies, the wound ripped open again and again, and I thought surely there had to be a purpose to it.

So I waited for season 3 as interviews were done that seemed to almost intentionally avoid calling him dead. As tweets were made promising we'd be so fulfilled if we could only see who was onscreen in the mid-season! (A tweet that immediately garnered dozens of people hoping it referred to Tech, all without a single comment to try and quell the speculation.) It felt already like we were being toyed with, but I thought it had to be for a reason or a purpose. More weirdly vague discussions went up about his Sacrifice, his Fall, his Anything But Death, even as everyone insists that it was so meaningful, the way he died on a mission that accomplished nothing. Jokes were made around Valentines Day.

He Fell For You, get it?

The first official use of killed went up on the databank right after the trailer, on Hunter's page of all places. The first time the interviews used dead was the Friday before the premier. It all felt too late, theories had already grown for months by that point.

Season 3 finally came and I waited up for every episode drop just like I did for season 2, hoping for him to come back or at least for him to be properly grieved, since we had barely a couple of minutes in Plan 99 before it was swept away for the next plot point. Surely Tech's impact deserved an episode of focus, if he were really gone.

The previously on plays his last words twice. But then we skip months into the future. We don't see Crosshair find out the news - even though Tech died on a mission to retrieve him. We don't watch Omega grieve. She barely seems to notice she's missing a brother. We got a brief allusion in episode two. It took three episodes to even mention his name in passing. Five episodes in everyone got their chance to look sad about him, but only for a few seconds and only when his skills were relevant. Compared to the gorgeous callback to Mayday in the same episode, it felt shallow. He had to have been more important than this didn't he?

Episodes 6 & 7 felt like maybe there was a reason. We see a new masked assassin that gets extra focus, who got put through a series of Tech-adjacent situations, whose beef with Crosshair was just a little too personal, who survived longer than all the rest but stayed masked. Rex talks about losing brothers, but Hunter says nothing about the brother they lost. I hoped it all meant something, that this was the reason that he felt so much like he was thrown away, so that he could come back in.

More one off mentions that only really come up when it's about how useful Tech would have been. More poking at the wound that still felt open and raw because we'd never gotten any closure. The closest we get is a single scene in episode eleven, so late in the season and so brief that I thought that couldn't possibly be it.

CX-2 comes back, and he talks like Tech. He's still not unmasked. I really need him to be something because otherwise what was it all for?

The most emotion comes in Juggernaut, from Phee. Its a highlight because it actually feels like it was about him, like he mattered as a person. It's episode twelve and we finally talk about him like a person. We never saw her get the news either.

Episodes thirteen and fourteen pass without any mentions at all. We're running out of time. Episode 15 hits and we get one raw one from Crosshair that Clone Force 99 died with Tech. It's the first time they directly say he's dead in so many words. It's the season finale. CX-2 is a nobody it turns out, and he dies faceless. Everyone gets a happy ending and after over a year of wondering if we'd ever get closure, it turns out Tech's just dead. But look how happy everyone else is!

Everyone gets to grow old. Except the autistic one of course. He's just dead and it hardly feels like it mattered at all. Did you know Wrecker and Hunter don't use his name once in season three? Omega and Echo mention him once each. Crosshair twice, only once with any emotion behind it. Phee tops the charts at three mentions, two by name and one by nickname. We see his goggles four times. I kept count.

There was never a bigger plan, this was just all he was worth. We spent two seasons on Crosshair's absence. We spent a whole episode dealing with it when Echo decided to go with Rex. Tech dies though and all his life amounted to was a handful of mentions when his skills would have been useful, some shots of his broken goggles, and endless cooing out of the text over how meaningful his sacrifice was. Too meaningful to take back, of course, even as Ventress is brought back from her own sacrifice.

I had really, really thought that this time autistic life would be worth more than autistic death. That a character that felt so carefully handled couldn't have just been thrown away for shock value, barely to even be mentioned again, his memory used to string us along to keep us watching. If you added up every mention and shot through season 3 it might actually clock in at less time than was spent on Mayday's send off.

I'm an adult. I'll survive, though the sting of seeing yet another character like me used as a stepping stone for everyone else's happy ending will take a while to fade. But I think about the child I used to be who needed a character like Tech. And I think about how it would have felt to actually get that only to watch him die a handful of episodes later as a side note to his family's story, barely even mentioned again. How badly it would have hurt, how deep it would have scarred.

I'm not that child anymore. But there are a lot of autistic kids out there that are the same as I used to be, and they're learning for the first time that people like us don't get happy endings. Instead they die so that everyone around them can rise up, and they might even get mentioned a few times. But don't worry. Everyone will tell you how meaningful and special it is and how delusional you were to ever hope for anything else.

The Bad Batch still means a lot to me. I think it always will. I love the characters. I love the family, and all the potential they had. But the sting of not belonging in this happy ending is there, and it's deep. It's been a long time since I trusted a show. It'll be a long time before I risk trusting another. And I hope that the autistic kids trying to learn how to close their hearts off behind new walls are doing okay.

[thegettingbyp2]

Jess Mariano request: Reader works with Jess at the publishing house in Philly and has feelings for him (she hasn’t told him though). She sees him and Rory at the open house and seeing the way Rory treats him reader lets Jess know how she feels about him (and wherever it goes from there) basically I need a Jess fix it because Rory fucks him over that night haha

I'd Never Do That to You

A/N: This is my first Jess fic and I loved writing it! If you have any other Jess requests, don't hesitate to send them in!

Buy me a coffee :) Gilmore Girls Rewatch Patreon Exclusive

You were watching Jess out the corner of your eye as you began tidying up after the open house. You’d developed a crush on him not long after he moved to Philly and started working at the publishing house with you. The two of you had quickly become friends and he told you everything about the time he spent living in a little town called Stars Hollow.

You tried to busy yourself when you saw him sitting to the side with a girl that he’d been with during the open house and you couldn’t help but notice how close they were sitting. You looked away fully when you saw him lean in to kiss her but quickly grew concerned when you heard his voice rising and the girl quickly leaving.

‘That Rory?’ you asked, lightly when he moved to help you tidy up. From the stories that he’d told you, you were 99% percent sure that the girl was Rory Gilmore and it bothered you how hung up he was over her because, from what you heard, she was quick to get rid of him the second he did something that she didn’t approve of.

‘Yup,’ he replied bluntly, the set of his jaw making it clear that he didn’t want to talk about it.

‘You okay?’

‘Yup.’

‘I hate this!’ you blurted out, causing Jess’s head to snap up to look at you, surprise written across his face.

‘Hate what?’

‘This!’ you replied, putting the book down in your hand a little more forcefully than necessary. ‘The way that Rory girl was treating you all night! She was flirting with you and then the second you try to get closer to her, she runs away because she’s still with this other guy but she knows that you’re always going to be there waiting for her! You don’t deserve to be treated like that, I’d never do that to you!’

You realised what you said and stopped talking immediately, looking down at your feet before you nervously glanced back up at Jess to see him looking at you with a mix of shock and something you couldn’t describe playing on his face. ‘What did you just say?’ he asked quietly before clearing his throat.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me,’ you started talking quickly, trying to backtrack until Jess gripped your wrist, anchoring you as he spun you around to face him.

‘(Y/N), stop, calm down. What did you just say to me?’

‘I’d never do that to you,’ you whispered as you looked at him.

‘Never do what?’

‘I’d never lead you on like that. Never let you think that we have a chance and then run off because of some other guy right at the last minute. And I don’t want you to think that I’d do that to you because I do like you, I have since you started working here, I just never said anything because you seemed so hung up on Rory. And I know that you’re not over her and that - ’

Your voice was cut off by the soft press of Jess’s lips against your own. As soon as you realised what was happening, you let yourself relax into the kiss which only made Jess wrap his arms around you and pull you into him, the slight stubble growing on his face tickling your cheeks as his tongue slipped between your lips, drawing a soft whine from your throat that had Jess smirking against your lips.

Breaking the kiss, it was your turn to look at him in shock. ‘What just happened?’

Jess let out a laugh that you didn’t hear too often and you found that the sound warmed your heart. He reached down and twisted his fingers in yours, pulling up to press a kiss to the back of your hand. ‘You know you ramble when you get nervous? I like you too,’ he said, shaking your hands slightly and bending down to look into your eyes to make sure that you were believing what he was saying. ‘I just didn’t say anything because we work together and I didn’t want to make it weird between us.’

‘But what about everything with Rory?’

‘I tried to convince myself that I was still in love with Rory to distract myself from going after you. I can’t lie, I was relieved that she ran off because the thought of kissing her in front of you almost broke my heart.’

‘Why didn’t you just tell me?’ you exclaimed, slapping his arm.

‘Ow! I just told you I didn’t want to make things weird!’

‘Well, you wouldn’t have!’

‘I know that now!’

The two of you stopped talking for a moment, just looking at each other before you both started laughing simultaneously. Once you both calmed down a little, Jess pulled you closer by his grip on your hands, pressing his forehead to yours.

‘So what do you say? You gonna let me take you on a date?’

You nodded quickly, leaning up to peck his lips. ‘I have been waiting for the past two years after all.’

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

Tech sacrificed himself specifically so Clone Force 99 - his family (and yes I believe the words "squad" and "family" are basically synonymous for clones) - could survive and carry on.

The last time Tech is mentioned by name in the show, the sentiment of the statement is that the squad is irreparably damaged - "died" is the word used - because of what Tech did, and this statement is never challenged or corrected to highlight Tech's intentions and why he did what he did.

... No, I DON'T think Tech's sacrifice was properly acknowledged, much less credited, in the show. I'd even go so far as to say the show undermines his motivations/the in-universe intention behind his sacrifice. (I'm in the Tech Lives camp, I still think his sacrifice should have been properly addressed.) And it breaks my heart even more every single time I watch the finale.

Sorry, y'all, I know I've been posting a lot about Tech/season 3 but I recently rewatched the finale and this aspect of it just keeps weighing on me - especially since I came across an article today that said in part "at least the show honored Tech's sacrifice" and I'm like... But, NO IT DIDN'T. I've got to switch gears to focus on the unequivocally great parts of the finale (ECHO!!!) so I can start feeling better about all this 😅😭

[whitegownsandflowercrowns]

My Rewatch 1x01: "The Heirs of the Dragon"

I do love the choice to start with the Great Council; it's what started this whole thing and there's a 99% chance of it coming out very clunky if you try to talk about it in expository dialogue.

I missed the opening titles this episode :(

Oh god I forgot how happy Rhaenyra and Alicent used to be. It's so much harder to watch their 1x01 scenes when you've watched everything after go down.

Also am I seeing things or was Rhaenyra very much checking out Alicent at the end of their first scene together?

When I watched Aemma and Rhaenyra's scene I thought it was kind of darkly funny how Rhaenyra essentially said "hey mom, are you feeling alright? no one's checked in on you" and Aemma basically responded "you are a womb for the crown." After watching the rest of Aemma's scenes, though, any humor is gone. I'll elaborate.

Did not think the first person I would want to kill Viserys for would be Rhaenyra. But seriously, there's no need to emphasize how you know this baby is a boy and how you're so excited to finally have a boy as many times as he does in this scene when your daughter is right there. UGGHHHH I hate him so much.

DAEMON SHE IS FOURTEEN STOP LOOKING AT HER LIKE THAT

Back to Aemma: something about her scenes that struck me so much harder this time is how much she clearly hates pregnancy, and how hard she's trying to convince herself that she doesn't. Her conversation with Rhaenyra? Trying to convince herself that to give birth to dead children over and over again is her duty, that there is something noble in this suffering. In her bath scene with Viserys she keeps making "jokes" about how awful pregnancy is ("at this point I may very well give birth to a dragon", "born wearing a crown? childbirth is painful enough.") Her book counterpart was married to Viserys at 11, and he only waited two years to start trying to get children out of her. It's unclear how old Show!Aemma is supposed to be, but if we're taking that as canon, she has known nothing else her entire life. She believes that this is her one task, her one duty, and so she must repress the fact that she clearly hates it. And then the fact that her one attempt to gain some autonomy is what led to her death...

Ok so fun fact I cannot watch the Gold Cloaks with a straight face anymore because when I showed @lovelybeautifulwasteland the show and we got to the scene of Daemon hyping them up she just said "it's giving they've explored each other's bodies" with no context and now that is the only thing I can think of so as they're all chanting I'm just laughing hysterically.

Once again, Alicent and Rhaenyra happily gossiping during the tourney is rough when you realize this is essentially the last time the two of them (especially Alicent) will ever truly be happy.

Also Rhaenyra holding Alicent's hand when she notices her picking at her skin...they love each other so much

FIRST LOOK AT CRISTON

Also Rhaenys I am so sorry that I have ever spoken against you. I am apologizing in advance for when I rewatch 1x02 (and maybe 1x09) and I will speak against her again. She doesn't deserve that. She does, but also she doesn't. I love her.

We got so many reaction shots of Laena during the tourney, and a few of her clutching Laenor's arm when she was shocked. I wish we could have seen so much more of their sibling relationship, I would have loved that.

Daemon asking for Alicent's favor immediately after knocking Gwayne out...I am praying for them to interact a lot in Season 3, there's so much potential there.

Aemma's death legitimately almost made me cry this time around because I think it finally truly hit me just how viscerally horrible it is. Viserys barely hesitates before asking "you can save the child?" She's so happy when he tells her that they're bringing the baby out, she thinks it's all going to be okay. And then when they hold her down and start cutting into her, she's so scared. She's so scared, and she doesn't know what's going on, and her husband who she's sacrificed child after child trying to do her duty for isn't doing anything to stop the maester from hurting her and he just keeps telling her that they're bringing the baby out and he loves her, and her final moments are spent in fear and confusion and pain. I hate Viserys so so much.

Also during the funeral, when Rhaenyra wonders if he finally experienced happiness for the few hours that Baelon was alive...I really do wonder, if Baelon had survived, if Viserys would have regretted it even half as much.

Look, I think, out of all of the main cast, Viserys did the most damage. But I do think that there is a really compelling argument that Otto is the single cruelest character in the entire cast. Daemon enjoys violence, sure, but he does care. In his own way. Otto doesn't even wait until the day after Aemma's funeral to immediately start pressing on the topic of heir, covering it all up under the (very very thin) veneer of the whole "I hate to bring it up now" act, and he sends his fourteen-year old daughter to Viserys' chambers literally hours later. He does love her, and he seems to care for Viserys, but he's just so, so cruel.

On that note, "you might wear one of your mother's dresses" really stuck out to me this time around, more so than "in his chambers?" Because let's be honest: the second Otto said "I thought you might go to him" Alicent knew damn well what the subtext of that was. But there was still the plausible deniability. She could convince herself that maybe her father really did just want her to comfort Viserys after a horrible loss. But "you might wear one of your mother's dresses?" There is absolutely no mistaking what the true intention of this visit is. Coupled with the sheerness of the dress in question, that it was clearly made for an adult woman...Otto you're going straight to hell with Viserys.

Alicent in this scene and the choices she makes also really stood out. Because, like I said, she knows that her father wants her to seduce Viserys. Maybe not in the moment right then and there, but he wants her to at least begin the process. She can't completely go against her father's wishes and sit in silence with Viserys, but she also doesn't want to seduce her best friend's father. So she plays it very carefully: she keeps a conversation rolling, but she makes sure that she's just being a friend. I feel so sad for her.

The fact that Viserys names Rhaenyra heir at most 48 hours after Aemma's death is really the worst part of her death. She died for absolutely nothing.

I will not become a Daemon fan. I will not become a Daemon fan. I will not become a Daemon fan. I will not become a Daemon fan.

Viserys' little spiel about control of the dragons being an illusion and how easily the Targaryens could tear themselves apart...it's THE THEMESSSS

I said a while back that I couldn't remember any moment in Season 1 that really said Mysaria was attracted to Daemon, but honestly? She has a few moments that make me think that she genuinely does like him, it's not just the money.

The ending to this episode is just SO good. Cutting between Viserys telling Rhaenyra about the Song of Ice and Fire, Alicent getting her ready for the ceremony, the heir ceremony itself...it's just so good.

Also tell me why I was tempted to cry when they played "A Song of Ice and Fire" over the credits, I just love this show so much and Ramin Djawadi is an actual genius.

[rotting-butterscotch]

so uh i just rewatched community for the 3rd, and possibly the last, time, and I'm gonna rant about it, especially because it's being taken off Netflix this month.

Community is literally the #1 best fucking show on this planet (with Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place being a 2 and 3), and no one can tell me otherwise. The writing is so fucking beautiful (except the writing of the romantic entanglements within the group, but im sure the fandom knows that already), and can be so funny yet heartbreaking at the same time.

Let's take "Geothermal Escapism" for an example (which to point out how amazing the writing is, has never failed to make me cry at the end of it). The symbolism of the hot lava game, the fact that Troy had to play into the whole "clone" thing just for Abed to be able to cope with him leaving (which proves yet again how much Troy and Abed do for eachother, and yes that *is* one of the reasons I ship trobed, but let's not get off-track more than we already have lol), the group saying all their good-byes at the end, and the way those good-byes characterize them so perfectly, it's literally a masterpiece of an episode.

And the fact that the viewers as a whole were supposed to just forget all of that the next episode baffles me, like make up your mind Dan Harmon, are you gonna make the best show of all time or ruin it by shoving jeffannie down our throats at the last episode???? (sorry, went off track)

Anyways, back to the writing: it's beautiful, but can be so dumb at the same time. Like, another example: "Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television", a.k.a. the finale, which not only kind of does a call-back to s1 Jeff and Abed (Abed being ready to let go and embrace the future, and Jeff being so against it), but omggg the symbolism towards the end, where Jeff has driven Abed and Annie to the airport, and he's hugging them good-bye, and Jeff goes in for a second hug, because yet again he's afraid of change, and you can tell Abed is confused, but he goes with it anyways, because he gets it (actually I'm making this point based off of a comment under a compilation of Jeff and Abed, but whatever).

Jeff and Abed in s6 is literally Abed and Jeff in s1, and not only then, but literally everywhere in the series, you can tell how alike they are, how their traumas and troubles are so alike, yet they dealt with it differently, one with acceptance and one with denial.

And another point about how the writing can be so dumb sometimes: how can you literally point to jeffannie being an illogical and impossible ship, and literally have both members of this ship finally realize how unhealthy it in the *same* episode as is that ship's kiss scene?!?! Like, how does that make sense.

Anyways, my conclusion to this rant is: there's no conclusion lol, I just wanted to barf out all of my thoughts on this show onto here (and these aren't even all my thoughts on this show lol), as incoherent as they are. I'll miss this show so bad😭😭.

[brionysea]

tagged by @zannolin in a get to know me game!

last song: eat your young by hozier

favourite colour: rainbows (this means nothing) (<- lying)

last book: technically I'm reading 3 different books at all times but percy jackson & the sea of monsters is the most recent

last movie: elf

last show: arcane s1 as well

sweet/spicy/savoury: sweet? my first thought was tangy like sour sweets (candy, for the confused americans) (sour patch kids to be precise) for some reason

relationship status: no thank you :)

last thing i googled: an up and coming video game studio's website called republicgames. it's founded by the co-writer on detroit: become human who WASN'T david cage and all the people who actually made that game good are jumping ship which is very funny to me

current obsession: the small arcane s2 fix-it fic I'm writing where jinx actually acts jinxy. I love her so much she's like 'wow sevika this whole revolution thing of yours is so lame they never do anything. I was doing more when I was seven. believe in yourself losers <3' and everyone's like 'wow... the scary girl says to believe in ourselves... we should set something on fire' her power is unmatched. on second thought my answer might just be 'jinx' but this is more fun

looking forward to: ummmmm ? ???? ?? continuing my arcane s1 rewatch I guess? OH and finishing my s1 jinx photoset, it's like 99% done and I'm just messing around with the text positioning at this point but ugh it's so good. I love it. I love jinx and being creative about jinx it's what she deserves

tagging: @evergreen-lyricist @blueskiesandstarrynights @crashed-wing @agrebel18

[quibbs126]

So I have some more vague ideas of the stupid Transformers AU thing from last night

I think originally it was going to just fade away, but last night I decided I might as well rewatch the original FNAF timeline videos since Part 3 made me realize I didn’t entirely remember what was going on, and so the mentality came back to my brain at 3 or 4 in the morning because I accidentally woke up too early

Anyways, on to random stupid ideas

So Orion is some strange entity, and quite honestly even Primus doesn’t really know what he is, even though he’s pretty sure he created it. Fortunately Orion’s full cosmic horror seems to be locked away due to currently having a mortal shell. Orion just sort of popped out of the ground in the middle of nowhere

Also for some reason my brain gave me this idea that Orion has this ability to basically become a corpse for a few hours while he just chills out in some weird spirit form. I think my brain borrowed it from a concept I had seen around for Aligned continuity’s Thirteen

Also Orion is under the impression that he has amnesia, and is unaware of his weird cosmic status. He wants to know who he is but there’s problems in finding that information, as will be detailed later

After popping out from the ground, he sort of wandered until finding himself at the mines D-16 worked in, and stumbling in there unaware of anything really happening around him

D-16 heard weird noises in his sector and went to check it out, only to find Orion in some equipment and they both sort of freaked out at the sight of each other, D might have punched him out of reflex and shock, and Orion accidentally went corpse mode

D-16 now thinks he just accidentally killed this bot, which is made worse when he gets a good look at him and is 99% sure he is a higher class bot, on account of him being much smaller than the miners and having bright colors (which here would be like a symbol of class, duller/monochrome colors means you’re likely on the bottom rungs), and then later when he hears he has an actual name instead of a number. And if someone discovers he killed a higher class bot, he is at the very least getting fired and sent to prison, which he doesn’t want, so he hides the body so no one finds it and plans to dump it after his shift is over where he won’t be traced back to him

But later when he’s doing so, Orion reactivates and gives D-16 another huge scare, but this time he doesn’t attack because he realizes he probably shouldn’t try to repeat history, thinking maybe he was just mistaken the first time (despite him definitely looking dead)

He tries to figure out who Orion is so he can try and get him sent home (while apologizing for the whole situation), but Orion doesn’t know since he doesn’t really have any memories. D thinks he must have amnesia so he tries to smuggle him back somewhere until they can figure out what to do

Meanwhile Orion thinks he’s just made a friend

D first just tries sending him on a train to Iacon, but Orion refuses to leave without D, not understanding that he’s not really allowed to leave, and sneaks off the train to stay with him. He then tries to get information on Orion since he knows his name, though getting access to a database as a lowly miner is incredibly difficult, but he has no luck there since apparently Orion Pax doesn’t exist. Though he figures it may just be an issue of them having a limited database. And by this point going up to the guards isn’t gonna work because now he’ll be arrested for “kidnapping” a higher class bot

Basically the setup here is Orion hanging out with D-16 in the mines, with Orion trying to make his new friend happy, as he seems constantly stressed and generally miserable with his lot in life, while D-16 is trying to figure out who Orion is and how to get him back home without getting arrested

D admittedly grows to like the company of Orion, as he seems unaware of any sort of class difference between them and just genuinely wants to be his friend and be nice, but he also can’t deny that Orion’s unawareness makes his life a living nightmare now and things would probably be easier for the both of them if he just got back home

Orion also has this instinctual hatred for the government that he doesn’t quite understand (still a very corrupt Cybertron here), but will act upon. D-16 agrees that the government sucks, but hopes Orion doesn’t get into too much trouble defying it. Because he’ll be the one suffering the consequences

D-16 and the other miners are probably cogless, but they’re much bigger than the miners in TF One, with this D being closer to Megatron’s size. I’m not sure if Orion can transform or not though, but I do have a mental image of D just folding him up into a cube or something, harmlessly as he can easily pop out of it

I also don’t know how Optimus and Megatron come out of this scenario. Best I can say is that Orion unintentionally starts driving D-16 crazy as he finds no leads on who Orion Pax is, and becomes more and more convinced he isn’t actually real, or that he actually did kill him that first day and everything since has just been hallucinations and delusions. But I don’t know about Optimus since becoming Optimus probably means he can no longer be this chaotic little eldritch gremlin thing

And I think that’s about it. Now I have to go study for a quiz and probably start on that short story I have due tonight

[hannibalvampires]

What We Do In The Shadows Finale Thoughts

I’ve seen a lot of different opinions on the finale and I thought why not post my own since I seem to agree with different things from those who disliked it and those who liked it.

So first off I was not disappointed by the finale, but the reason is because I already accepted that the show I loved in the first 3 seasons had taken a different direction.

I was disappointed when the show took a turn in season 4 and 5 and dropped or stopped focusing on a lot of my favourite arcs: Guillermo standing up for himself and becoming more confident, Nandor and Guillermo’s evolving relationship (which was clearly heading in a romantic direction), Laszlo and Colin’s friendship, etc.

I did not expect the finale to wrap up all these character arcs because I’ve seen for the past few seasons that they did not care about those arcs anymore. Instead they seemed to focus almost exclusively on the comedy aspect of the show and decided that the character building and development did not matter anymore.

There were occasional episodes where they would focus more on character development and relationships but the next episode would often act like they never happened and the characters learned nothing.

It was frustrating for a bit but I accepted it. The show was still funny and I enjoyed it a lot of the time. It felt like watching a different show that I enjoyed but not nearly as much as the show in the first 3 seasons.

The episode before the finale was one of those occasional episodes where they focused on character development and relationships. I loved it. However, having seen the pattern of the show the past few seasons I knew that it did not have much bearing on the finale.

I went into the finale with low expectations, partially because of the pattern I’d been seeing in the show the past few seasons, and also because I have experienced many awful finales of shows in the past. I was 99% sure that Nandermo was not going to happen. I didn’t think that Colin would learn the truth about Laszlo raising him. The characters would probably continue seeing Guillermo as below them and Guillermo would keep taking it.

The finale made me feel a bit better about how I’d been feeling actually. They addressed a lot of the issues I had with the last few seasons of the show like the characters never growing or changing, showing that it was deliberate. I personally didn’t like their decision to do that but at least I knew I wasn’t crazy. There were also funny moments and I liked that they put focus on Guillermo and his feelings.

They addressed more about Nandor and Guillermo’s relationship than I thought they would to be honest. I loved the Nandermo ‘ending’ in the third version, and their last scene together was definitely hinting at things, however I could see how someone could see that as baiting. And maybe it was, I don’t know.

I’m used to being queerbaited by ships where either neither of the characters were queer or only one of them was but they were killed or something, so baiting between two queer characters is confusing. Is calling it shipbaiting more accurate? I know there were no long-term same-sex romantic relationships on the show despite all the characters being queer other than Guillermo and Freddie (which did not last long and ended in a horrible joke), but does that make it queer baiting or just not great representation?

Overall I can honestly understand the people who loved the finale and the people who hated it. I think it all comes down to expectations and preferences, as well as how invested in the show people were.

I’m thinking of doing a rewatch of the show now and taking notes to better gather my thoughts and opinions. Who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind on some things.

Anyway that’s just my personal thoughts and opinions. Please be kind to each other.

[sout999]

adhd talk

the third truly unsung project alongside my film and dissertation was the weird amount of targeted effort i had to put into Completing Anything Big As A Neurodivergent Person Whose Brain Is A Crazy Off The Rails Train Staffed and Patronised Entirely By Multiple Exact Copies Of The Squirrel From Ice Age

which is a description like 99/100 people reading this can relate to, but i think a sentiment i see less often and therefore feel kind of stupid and stubborn and lonesome about is "adhd is innate but is also exasperated by hectic lifestyle/modern instant gratification machines so if i fix my habits around those i can cure myself forever". which is silly and wrong but also i feel abit disconnected from adhd social media culture and cant cope just relating to it (which is all it seems to be sometimes) but learning to harness or tame it to do the things that are really important to me

i felt really cringe tbh having to look up youtube videos of HARVARD STUDENT REVEALS PRO STUDY TRICK and then narrowing it down to specifically adhd-focused study videos and keeping a planner and setting aside specific time to study studying and practising anti-academic meltdown journaling techniques and reading fucking atomic habits but i really didn't want to contribute to my abhorrent academic record following me all through undergrad. in fact i wish i had done this sooner but i was not self aware enough to consider the fact

probably the best change i made was severely cutting down or being mindful of social media time, i don't backread my tl anymore and have more moments of awareness when i find myself dumbly scrolling and realize i dont want to be doing this, and then wondering what i actually Do want to be doing. i keep a book nearby to read, and have also swapped a lot of social media time to sketching-off-pinterest time. reading about the psychology behind social media apps is also super interesting, although i always feel like a paranoid wacko conspiracy theorist talking about it. stuff like how negativity and judgemental behaviour is good for engagement (and therefore ad revenue), and how if all posts on your tl were interesting you wouldn't be as addicted to social media as you are, therefore microblogging employs a slot machine/gacha system where you "roll" for posts by logging on and hope to get a good one. it's a little full on but the more i think of it as a revolting and evil machine the more incentive i have to do something else with my time ^q^

a harder thing to do was, in the late stages of the project, the real crunch time month, avoid everything that could become a huge hyperfixation, and then eventually even minor distractions or fixations. because i know if i got super obsessed with something i'd just be up posting about it or drawing fanart. i had to bar myself from persona 3 remake and elden ring dlc and all these other shiny new releases, and the mobile games i was playing... i look forward to catching up on them now. i took up reading books a lot more because unfortunately thats just not as exciting. in the last month of film work i stopped listening to music on my computer so i wouldnt get drawing or animation ideas to distract me from film work. as of writing this i havent listened to music in like 40 days guys 😱 at the same time i am the kind of person who needs background noise to work, so i have:

watched novum's four hour hereditary video essay three times

watched novum's seven hour midsomar video essay three times

watched that one five hour bojack horseman retrospective twice

listened to audiobooks of the Britney Spears biography, Jennette McCurdy biography, three Playboy Bunny biographies (i was on some sort of lady bopgraphy kick i guess), and a few fiction books

rewatched all of bojack horseman

started on House MD and got a few seasons in before i finished the project, amazingly the perfect show to look away from bc of all the medical stuff, how many lumbar punctures do you need to show like seriously

honorable mention to the learned skill of communication and being honest and picking your battles and killing your darlings which is a larger part of managing mental illness than i cared to admit but one of the hardest ones because it involved confronting things and making big painful drastic changes and then having to tell the faculty about them. sometimes i'd be stuck on a piece of animation work for weeks/months, then go back and change the underlying idea to one i'm actually passionate about, and do the animation work in one day using newly found magical hyperfocus passion power. it's crazy! but being able to be confident about taking those steps rather than keeping on with what you're "supposed" to do went a long way.

i very much look forward to listening to a music and playing some video games properly now and being pulverized like a small victorian child from the sheer amount of fun i'm having. i'd say it was all worth it and a fun experiment in channeling the magical humours of passion and boredom and i hope it will help me with future projects too. i Am super burnt out though x__ x thanks for reading and for all your support up until now!

[moonstrider9904]

And so, the last Bad Batch Eve falls upon us.

It is surreal to think that a show that has meant so much to me for three years will come to an end. I've talked about how meaningful TBB is to me many times, and I most certainly will in the future, but I didn't want to pass on the opportunity to do it on the last Bad Batch Eve we'll officially have.

The night before Aftermath premiered, I'd struggled with some pretty bad anxiety. In the weeks following after that and throughout the first season, I dealt with depression and anxiety being diagnosed as well as an ear infection the doctor attributed to said mental illnesses. I went through a pretty bad breakup. The lockdowns were at their peak where I was. But despite that being a rough time, I also vividly remember being in my room at home, my favorite place in the world, eating my favorite food and drinking my favorite relaxing tea, hearing it rain outside, wearing my favorite hoodie and my PJs, watching/rewatching those season 1 episodes. Seeing Crosshair deal with the inhibitor chip seemed to echo some of what I was going through, i.e. having something in your head you couldn't really control. I wondered how afraid he must have felt, and I sympathized with him.

During S2, as Crosshair was off with the Empire, I was off living in my hometown the first time, away from my true home and my family, and I have to admit I was very lost during that time. I did make mistakes. I did return home, and I left it again, albeit now more ready, more prepared, more stable. But it was still a second time leaving home.

S3 Crosshair has all but solidified my intent in going back home and not freaking leaving and I really hope the day in which I can return home to my family the way he did is sooner rather than later. Seeing him grow, own up to his mistakes, forgive and be forgiven, learn to control what's in his head, and heal, feels like a very fitting peak to a journey, a journey that had and still has its ups and downs.

And let's not forget the writing and the fandom. I have written things I didn't think I'd write, things I've loved so much that part of me wants to go back in time and rewrite to experience the joy of doing it all over again (looking at Moonlight here lol). I have also made gifs, which I didn't ever imagine doing! I edited music videos and crack meme compilations, which I had wanted to do for years. Fear not, I'll keep doing all of that - slowly, yes, but not with any less love. Y'all are stuck with me. 😁🩷

And as if all I've mentioned wasn't already very valuable, I cannot forget all the beautiful, wonderful, amazing people I've met because of this show. People who I've learned from, laughed with, cried with, fangirled with, gamed with... every single one of you has been the icing on the cake, the lattice on the pie, the parmesan on the pasta. You have all truly made this worth it and make me love being in the fandom. You give what I do a greater purpose, and you have become people I am happy to call moots and friends. I am over the moon that this show allowed me to cross paths with you. @photogirl894 @rebekadjarin @darthzero22 @arctrooper69 @jedi-hawkins @stardustbee @s-pirth-lemonade @eloquentmoon @sageislostinspring @nahoney22 @freesia-writes @kimageddon @emperor-palpaminty @rainydaydream-gal18 @imabeautifulbutterfly @paperback-rascal @pankeki-25 @dragonrebelrose @dragonrider9905 @questforgalas @lightwise @zoruui @nunanuggets @misogirl828 and everyone else 🩵

I love The Bad Batch and what it's done for my life in so many aspects. I love these characters for their growth and because they were there for me when nobody was, and because they brought me to so many amazing people. I am grateful that this show exists and I cannot wait to keep creating all the stuff I have planned, writing or otherwise.

Thank you, Clone Force 99, and thank you everyone for being a part of this journey!

🩷🌙

[tis-the-marmot]

Just some of my thoughts on The Bad Batch finale or, well, The Bad Batch in general under the cut

You know, I can still vividly picture my old self back in 2020, awaiting Ahsoka's return when Season 7 of The Clone Wars had just been released. Then I began watching, and The Bad Batch made their very first appearance. I was like "who the hell are these soldiers, I couldn't care less about their arc. where's Ahsoka. Oh is she coming later? Fine, I guess I can put up with these clones for a few more episodes."

And as I kept watching I could feel myself gradually warming up to them. "Hm. I guess they're not so bad after all. The sniper is kinda cool. And they all have their interesting little dynamics with each other. Echo's back yippiee!! And he's joining the Bad Batch, good for him, good for him."

Still, that wasn't enough to shake my initial indifference, and I quickly went back to wanting them gone. "Okay seriously you guys have stolen too much screentime, I'm ready to see Ahsoka kick Maul's ass now, so byeee"

Who. Would've. Known. Who would've thought I was talking about the same clone squad that would reduce me to a crying mess four years later.

Would 2020 Marmot believe present-day Marmot if I told her that snarky sniper would become one of her favourite Star Wars characters? Would she nod along with uncertainty if I advised her not to get too attached to that guy with the goggles, only for her to grow fond of him anyway?

Would she laugh in my face if I counted all the occasions she would've rewatched those four TCW episodes in the future - the same ones she couldn't wait to get over with the first time - just to recall the simpler days of Clone Force 99?

How would she react if I described her excitement when they first announced that The Bad Batch was going to have its own show, and her absurd feeling of emptiness now that everything's over after three seasons?

I really wish I could delve into a deeper analysis of the last episode and comment on everything that happened, I'd really love to. But I just can't. Not while I'm still trying to process the fact that this series has officially ended.

And what a bittersweet ending to an equally bittersweet story. I've always recognised The Bad Batch for what it is, with all of its strengths and flaws, and I admit there are some narrative choices I still don't fully agree with. But despite everything this show means the world to me. The characters mean the world to me. I've seen Omega grow, change her brothers for the better and let herself be changed by them as well. I've seen how the presence, or rather the absence of certain Bad Batch members affected and shaped the rest of the squad. I laughed with them, cried with them, got frustrated alongside them and sometimes WITH them too. I will forever treasure every single moment I spent with the Bad Batch in mind, from the anticipation and the cryptic tweets the day before every airing, to reading all the different theories and admiring the fanart right after finishing the episode of the week.

Saying goodbye is unbelievably difficult, but I'm so, so grateful for the experience. The Bad Batch will always hold a special place in my heart. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in creating this wonderful show, and to the fellow fans who shared this unforgettable journey with me from beginning to end. ❤️🖤

[thequietesthing]

Bridgerton S3 Part 2 REVIEW!!!

Gentle readers, 'tis the time again...

SPOILERS AHEAD - books and tv show

Read at your own risk

Polin: I loved them before and I loved them still. the sex scene, really great and well done. I did not really enjoy the moment when he finds out she is LW, I think in the books is much more powerful and there is the scene in the carriage when they go home which I was expecting and they didn't deliver. other than that since that moment they fill a bit dull, idk it seemed like they had the same conversation over and over again except the last time they finally managed to resolve it (?), but I felt they always used the same argumentations so why it's resolved at the end but not before? probably when I rewatch it, it won't seem that way, but this was my first impression. anywho, they have lovely scenes together, all of their dance scenes I have loved, particularly the last dance with the butterflies. also I appreciated the fast forward at the end to show us where they are and what is going on with LW (a topic I will discuss later)

Violet: she was cute, I did not understand the refrain that she had in sharing the joy of the Frannie/John relationship with them because they did not depict her standard of love that she experienced with Edmund (?) like it was kinda of bullshit and it didn't really make sense in my opinion, and I'm glad that it is Francesca that at the end speaks to the queen to defend her relationship. her relationship with Lady Danbury's brother is interesting, but I hope that they do not divert the attention too much from the main couples in the next seasons.

Eloise: I loved her the most in this second part!!! she is great, she didn't hesitate in coming to Pen's defence when it was needed and I'm glad she reacquired some of her spirit that it was a bit waning in the first part. Also her relationship with Pen and Colin is adorable. I also really loved her moments with Benedict, especially the one at the party when he tells her that Love is not finite. which is true, and also I think relevant for Eloise's future journey with Sir Philip and his children.

Cressida: this poor girl. like you can't tell me you don't feel bad for the woman. great reasons but very poor execution. however they did a very good job in making me care about her, however making it all go downhill once she said those things toward the bridgertons (which it was more her mother, but anyway). one thing I didn't like in the execution of the character was how they quickly dismissed her relationship with Eloise. Like Eloise tells her she is a bad person (she is not completely wrong) and then that is it. I would have expected some more closure to be honest.

Francesca: she is my baby, she is adorable, I love her. I really liked how her character was portrayed by Hannah Dodd. I love her relationship with John (which is a king of sarcasm btw), they are very very well suited. now the point that created some controversy apparently, is the choice to genderbend Michael into Michaela Stirling. Personally, I thought of it this way: this is an adaptation, there are a lot of other things that are not the same in the books, and approving those but getting angry over this specific one feels ridiculous; either you don't like anything or you make peace with the changes. said so, I adore the character of Michael Stirling, I think he is the best male character in the book series followed by Gareth, and I'm truly sorry not to be able to see him on screen and see the love-at-first-sight dynamic with Frannie. However, if I miss him, he's in the books. So I'm very curious to see what they will do with Michaela and Francesca's story and in which way it will go.

Kanthony: they get shipped off to India, and honestly good for them. They came, they slayed and they left. as they should.

Benedict: he will be the next season lead, I'm now 99% sure (as I predicted *very gloating face :)))*. when he was saying goodbye to Eloise he said that Violet will organise a masquerade ball (!!!!!) so Sophie is coming my peeps and I'm soooooo happy. finally my baby will have the love story he deserves.

NOW, the issue with which I was very interested was what they were going to do with LW. Turns out this was a kind of transitional season. We now know who LW is, as the entire ton does and it seems that they will keep the "narrating voice" let's say but it will be Penelope. Personally, I do not completely agree with the choice: I understand they wanted to keep her for several reasons, including the fact that LW is a very relevant part of how the show is marketed and it would go against one of the messages of the season and the show in general but I don't think that it makes sense with the characters. like, it can't be a gossip column anymore because you know who's writing it. like imagine writing gossip about people but they know you are writing it, Penelope would end up excluded by society. so I don't completely understand this choice. but who am I to judge, maybe it will make sense in the future who knows?

Anyway, the second part of S3 gets 4/5⭐️

and in total the season stands at 4/5⭐️ for me.

I honestly can't wait until Benedict's season, but I hope they can manage to do it in less than two years, otherwise when it's Gregory's turn we'll be fifty, including Gregory.

Alright, I'm done.

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

One of my few disappointments about Bad Batch season 3 when first watching it was how Tech's death and the aftermath is handled - namely, that his death doesn't seem to really have much impact on his family (besides creating some inconvenience when it comes to decryption). I couldn't help but think that if the season had included even just one moment of the squad (more specifically the brothers, not just Omega) actually honoring Tech, it would have not only helped drive home once and for all how important Tech was to them, but also provided some desperately needed closure and catharsis for this clone family that had already suffered so much (and, incidentally, provided some closure for the audience, too). This is especially important considering that the Batch's actions in season 3, especially at the beginning, are likely informed by Omega's capture as much as by Tech's death - and while Omega's rescue should be of utmost importance, it ends up seeming to sideline Tech's sacrifice in the narrative.

After rewatching, my view has shifted slightly, though I still firmly believe the show should have included at least one scene - even if it was at the end of the finale - of the brothers acknowledging Tech's influence and honoring him.

- Echo's story is the least impacted by Tech's death: he wanted to stay in the fight before Tech died, and he did so afterwards. He looks sadly at the empty pilot seat in "Plan 99," and he name drops Tech once in season 3. I can understand Echo having this reaction, though: unlike the other Bad Batch members, he has lost brothers before and therefore likely knows how to adjust more quickly. (You know what would have provided a nice contrast between how Echo and the rest of the squad handles the death? A moment to honor Tech: for example, a scene at any point in season 3 where Echo mentions a memory of him.)

- Hunter's decision to finally retire on Pabu comes before Omega is captured, and therefore must have been determined primarily by the loss of Tech. All through seasons 1 and 2, Hunter's desire to keep his squad and Omega safe eventually evolved to wanting to give Omega a childhood away from fighting and war, but even then he still hedged on settling down permanently on Pabu (see: the discussion between Hunter and Shep in "Turning Point"). It wasn't until after losing Tech that Hunter abruptly made the decision that it was time to stop being soldiers... And given that we never see Hunter actually interact with Tech's goggles in season 3 or mention him by name even once, I'm not convinced Hunter ever really got over the loss of his brother, even as he (very in character for him) focused on more pressing matters by (often recklessly) charging onward to ensure Omega's safety. (You know what would have tied off this plot thread nicely? A moment to honor Tech: for example, a brief scene at the end of the show where Hunter acknowledges that Tech's sacrifice made their life on Pabu possible.)

- Wrecker cries over Tech in the season 2 finale, alludes to him twice and mentions him by name once; and honestly, as little as this is, it is enough to convince me that Wrecker is and always will be grieved by Tech's death but has emotionally processed it and come to terms with it, much like Echo. His development seems to be driven more by being the last man standing between Hunter and a reckless demise, rather than being driven by the loss of Tech specifically, but... nuance. (You know what would have given us a point of comparison regarding how different people process loss in different ways? A moment to honor Tech: for example, maybe Wrecker joins Omega in honoring Tech at the impromptu memorial and insists on his other brothers joining them.)

- Crosshair's redemption in season 3 is largely driven by Omega. Looking back on season 3, I am increasingly convinced that Crosshair felt immense guilt and blamed himself for Tech's death, and therefore he avoided the subject. His "let me go on a suicide mission because I deserve it" speech in the finale only confirms my opinion on this. I guess Crosshair being partially driven by guilt over Tech's loss is one way of showing Tech's impact on his family, but I don't find it a satisfying note to end the show on. (You know what would have concluded this plot point perfectly? ... You already know what I'm going to say.)

[kitsunesakii]

Ok ok, I finished the essays I needed to write for school, Christmas shopping is about 96% complete,

I have time.

I can write, draw, relax

I would just love to finish at least the first draft of my story by January

I'm just about done, just gotta finish the last chapter

Then I can finish the second draft (which is me rewriting everything in a separate Google doc side by side with the og which I have already started)

I'm like.... 99% done with the first draft

67% done with the second draft

The third draft is me printing it out and going through with a pen and without the fear of God

I need to redesign the cover art on my tablet (I've already gotten the design down on paper)

I would love to draw something fun and exaggerated sometime soon

Maybe write another short snippet for that lovely writer soup (and as a warm up)

I don't really want to start a new show, I'm much more content with rewatching House M. D. For the fiftieth time in a row

Trying to remember to enjoy life and take it one day at a time - I cannot rush what I cannot control

Hope you all are having a brilliant end of the year :)