#wow am i dramatic or what for writing this whole thing

[icewindandboringhorror]

just a few little bits from the past few days

[moe-broey]

Oh. Huh.

[hecksupremechips]

Ooooooghhhhhhhhh stressed 🥺

[oh-no-its-bird]

Look all I'm saying is that if I were going to make a minecraft movie.

Well, first off I'd put down the first person to even reccomend we do it in cgi. Not just because it looks objectively terrible and half of the magic and nostalgia factor of minecraft is in its texture but holy shit budget much??? You are literally looking at a situation where the cheaper option is also objectively the better option. What the fuck are you doing

But I mean, after that.

Second off, all my writers must watch popular smps and minecraft roleplays/let's plays to understand the "magic" of the game. That's how we're studying for this, not the game books or whatever. Those guys are clearly doing smthn right, and as the executive/writer who knows very little about mineraft that I am in this hypothetical scenario, I need to do my best to make money. And that means learning what people like about the game and community.

Maybe even bring on some popular (non controversial please god) smp writers for consulting. They literally make minecraft movies as their fucking job, they are the expert u need to consult

Story wise, you NEED to choose if you wanna play this straight or silly. I'm so sick of movies trying to be all emotional and "ohh this world is so beautiful,, if u could only understand,, woaa" with their epic sound track and dramatic lighting, but then the dialogue being ripped out of a stupid marvel knockoff trying too hard to be witty

Anyways. Give me a generic "kid has a hard life and uses [thing] to escape it but then their parent trashes [thing] to teach them a "lesson"" movie.

The thing is minecraft and this kid is totally in love with letsplays and smps and has a server with their online friends (get a sponsorship from discord for that good good film sponsorship money, have them play while in call)

The mom or dad or maybe both trash the kids computer for some reason (bad grades maybe or one of those shitty "you need to talk to us more!!! That computer is killing ur brain!!! You don't love us as much as you should and it's that damn games fault!!!" But like it's actually just a kid being a normal fucking kid and having normal fucking kid hobbies things and the parents are dicks)

They delete the minecraft world rip

Them boom, kid somehow gets stuck in the game

Switch to NON CGI FILMING IN MINECRAFT. If you really need to add your stupid shitty fucking cgi then at least make it look like an ACTUAL MINECRAFT ANIMATION holy shit

It'll save us so much money too

So main plot is this kid, being trapped in minecraft, actually falling through different minecraft servers.

We can have different cameos from popular smps and youtubers, get some old youtubers and gameplay in here too. Get fucking dantdm and the diamond minecarts og series with the lab thing, it'll make the old fans lose their fucking MINDS.

The youtubers themselves don't even have to show up, just shove the kid into settings that are clear references to smps and letsplays. Have them wander through Aphmau's OG minecraft diaries sets or Sundee's lucky block series

The best part is that as backdrops, you don't even have to fully commit to "you'll only get this/find this interesting if you know these guys" bc if your writing is good enough you can still make people care by just. Introducing it correctly. Don't present it as "Aphmau's old minecraft diaries series world" go "oh wow look st this cool village,, woah I wonder who built this ,," And have them interact with NPCs organically

Meanwhile the parents go into the game after the kid to bring them back and we do this whole world hopping adventure where the parents learn that,, minecraft can be fun? Actually?

They find the kid and the kid is like "nooo I'm having too much fun the real world SUCKS!!!" but then we do that "it's cool to have fun and indulge but you still need to be present in the real world and do real people things too in order to have that fun responsibly" where somehow the kid realizes that moderation is good for u.

Maybe they almost die in game fr fr? Every world they enter has its difficulty upped a little bit till they enter *gasp* a hardcore world (oh no)

So like the kid learns that you can't just lock yourself in the room and wish the world goes away while you play minecraft for 12 hours straight, and the parents learn that minecraft is cool and fun and can be a good outlet and outlets are important for adults and children alike. And also that they totally pulled a dick move and they need to try to understand their kid instead of just demanding the kid understands them

Somewhere along the way, the kid ends up in their friends server and the friends help to pull them out of the game w the parents

We end the movie with the kid making an effort to be more present with the parents, and the parents also making an effort to interact with the kid in ways that they know the kid will enjoy and respond well to— shown a family dinner scene where the kid very eagerly eats their food while talking about school, then they all go to play minecraft together

The end <3

Oh right and if you seriously want Jack Black there so fucking bad then make him either the dad or like. School computer teacher who helps the kid use Minecraft EU to learn science (shows off that some schools use minecraft for education purposes) who also helps the kids friends pull them and the parents out of the game

Overall, lots of themes not just about how the game is cool and can let you do cool shit, but also about how the community is cool, and how it's provided so many kids and adults outlets to express themselves and have fun together

That's how you do a game movie

Anyways yeah, minecraft movie looks shit. Hire me instead next time

[inmyheaddd]

ravi singh boyfriend headcannons

a/n: omg this has been sitting in my drafts for agesss sorry 😭 need to write for ravi more he’s so bf wc: 1k taglist: @heartwithsimplenotes @anintellectualintellectual @thecircularlibrary masterlist

your parents literally like him more than you now, and boy does he know it. 

you’d come back home to find him in your room sitting on your bed.

“oh, you’re back! was waiting for you for hours— i started to think something terribly awful happened to you.” he got up from the bed in an instant, wrapping his arm around your side and giving you a quick peck on your head.

“hi ravi, um who-“ you furrowed your brows as you looked back to your door then back at him. “who let you in?” 

“oh, your brother did.” he stated matter of factly as you both went to sit down on the bed. “then your parents asked me to stay for lunch, then your dog started playing with me, then i started to miss you so i came up to your room. it smells just like you in here.” 

one thing caught your attention. “then you started to miss me? wow, i see how it is…” you shook your head dramatically and frowned in faux disdain. 

he shot you a smile, “what can i say? the whole family likes me, it’s not my fault.” 

“well i don’t like you.” you crossed your arms over your chest. sarcastic bits like this with ravi happened constantly. 

“oh, you especially like me.” his lips turned up into a slow grin and he poked your shoulder, breaking your annoyed facade and making you laugh. 

ravi makes new nicknames for you all the time.

you were talking a walk, telling him about your day when you paused abruptly and turned away from him, ravi looking at you confusedly and raising a brow.

then you sneezed, and then you sneezed again.

“woah, bless you.” he said through a chuckle, “and bless you again.”

after you tried to resume talking only to be interrupted by a sneeze for the third time, he spoke up.

“sweetheart, you’re going to be holy by the end of the day with how many blesses you’re getting.” he bent down slightly to get a better look at your face. “are you alright?”

you sniffled slightly, “yeah i’m—“ sneeze “i’m fine.” you said as your cleared your throat.

“okay sneezy,” he said as he slung an arm around your shoulder, not caring about getting sick himself, “how about we get you home, you take some medicine while i make you some soup, and you tell me what a spectacular cook i am?” 

“but you’re a horrible cook.” you muttered with a light laugh.

“i’m sorry, what was that?” he bent down slightly with a large grin on his face, “you’re so excited and can’t wait? oh, you’re too sweet to me, sneezy. what did i ever do to deserve you?” he quipped back as kissed the top of your head, before steering you two back to walk back to your house.

he kept calling you ‘sneezy’ the rest of the night and for days after that.

“would you stop calling me that?” you asked.

he took a second before answering, putting a finger on his chin and looking up, before shrugging and simply saying, “no.”

a week later he was the sick one, (he hates being sick. “this is what i get for spending time with my beautiful, amazing, but incredibly ill girlfriend?”) and he would still call you sneezy. 

as much as you wouldn’t like to admit it, you were missing the other cuter nicknames he would call you like crazy. but to be fair sneezy did grow on you. 

his sneezes could make a deaf man hear again. 

you were both sitting in silence, focus only on the horror movie playing on the tv and his sneeze literally made you scream and jump off the couch in fear. you thought you were about to meet your end.

“oh my- ravi!” you said breathlessly as you put a hand over your heart, catching your breath.

he was an absolute laughing wreck at your reaction, and all he had to say was, “what, no bless me?” 

speaking of scaring you, his favorite ways to greet you unexpectedly is hugs from behind, telling you how much he missed you and kissing your head. 

that, or placing his hands on either your shoulders or waist, jolting you and yelling at the same time. you always know it’s him but you get nightmarishly scared every single time. there’s no in between. 

you two have a playlist together and when you’re away, he’d randomly send you a screenshot of a song on it with something along the lines of, “this song reminds me of you.”

when he has to go on a long car ride alone he sends you updates by the hour. literally.

your texts:

ravishingly handsome — Hour one, all is good. Some bastard cut me off and another nearly rear ended me, but still, all is good 👍 

you — oh my god ravi 

you — are you okay?!?!

you — pls call me when u can 

ravishingly handsome — I’m actually perfectly fine

ravishingly handsome — Felt a strong urge to curse them out and hit something, then I thought about your face and oddly enough I felt perfectly peachy, if not a little happy 😃🙂

you — no you did not 😭 possibly giggling and kicking my feet rn

you — ur emojis make me laugh out loud 

ravishingly handsome — I think I’M the one making you laugh out loud, not my emoji choices

ravishingly handsome — Also, call me any time. Always free for you.

he texts like an old man honestly, but you love it. 

he’s the type to not be on social media too much, so when you say a reference/ joke he just thinks you’re insanely funny. 

you don’t have the heart to tell him it’s not your joke.

you start to influence him though, and he has little pieces of your slang/ way of talking in his everyday talking.

obvious but, he is a proud member of the sassy man apocalypse. 

all of your parents are now best friends because you and ravi spend so much time together and are always at eachothers houses.

it’s gotten to the point when sometimes your mom texts ravi’s mom to ask you to clean your room when you get back, because you aren’t answering your phone. 

sleepovers that last days are very common occurrences. 

you’re always wearing his sweaters, and he secretly loves seeing them on you so much. 

forehead kisses are 24/7, along with interlinked hands and his thumb running circles on your knuckles.

he doesn’t believe in all that toxic masculinity BS, but when you hold his bicep when walking, his heart flutters a little.

he’s always mentioning you, and your friends harmlessly poke fun at him for the way he can’t stop smiling whenever your name is mentioned, or how he can’t stop talking about you.

you both adore the small quiet moments, like him putting a necklace he bought you on you, or running your fingers through his hair after he’s had a stressful day. 

sometimes he cuts himself off when talking to you, or forgets what he’s saying simply because he thinks you’re so gorgeous. you act annoyed and tell him to “stop that,” but the flush on your face and the way you bite back a smile says otherwise.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

All the fling posse song snippets are out !!!

👀 The Fling Posse snippets are all out now!! :D Ramuda sounds so happy I cry TwT

Hey! Any thoughts on the Fling Posse solo previews? Love hearing your opinions on the trailers and getting some neat tidbits of insight into the lyrics/motifs.

Thanks for the messages! Let's go check 'em out.

One and Only

(8 seconds in) Ramuda's saying "Let's go" too

(41 seconds in) Ahh!

(48 seconds in) Jesus, Shirai is really pushing his range in this one

(50 seconds in) Self love for Ramuda, hell yeah. Good on him

(End of video) Not a lot to say; I feel like this one was pretty straight-forward. It's Ramuda embracing his personal identity as a unique human being-- LOVE to see it-- which is the culmination of his arc through the series so far. The music itself didn't capture me. I might warm up to it later like I usually do, but Shirai's singing on its own isn't usually my cup of tea. Which is chill; I hope other people like it. The wordplay on "clap your hands (te wo tataite); I want to celebrate [being alive] (tataeteitai)" was neat.

Lies

(Title note) I'm intrigued that the title is in kana instead of kanji, giving it a simple and almost "honest" feel in its simplicity. It's been a hot sec since I've seen Gentarou use that word in writing but iirc he usually uses kanji for it.

(5 seconds in) Loving this piano.

(15 seconds in) A boku-using Gentarou? Bruh.

(35 seconds in) Ohhh I see the point of the kana. The title is the same as a famous Shuntarou Tanikawa poem narrated by a little boy (hence the lack of kanji). Since the song lyrics reference it, here's a quick 'n dirty TL of the poem: Lies I think I'll always tell lies. My mother doesn't, but she's done so before. I think that because I know lying is painful. Even if the things I say are lies, the lying feeling is the truth. There are some truths that can only be told in lies. Even dogs--if they could talk, I think they'd tell lies as well. Even when I tell lies, even when my lies get caught, I don't apologize. I never tell lies just to get out of trouble. (*) Even if no one knows that, I know that, and so here I am, living with my lies. Until I just can't bear to lie any longer, I know I'll lie again and again and all the while long for the truth. (*) Literally, "resolve [the trouble] with apologies" which is why the narrator says he doesn't apologize Anyway, the "Even when I tell lies..." verse sans "and so..." is the opening of this song. Gentarou stops at "Even if no one knows that" and sighs in his second repetition of the verse.

(end of song) Wait, the whole thing is just verses of this poem? This is really cool and artistic (I dig it) but wow, what a choice! Saitou Souma's performance is incredible, and the background music is cool. I don't know how well this would go on a playlist, but I am here for it! ...I'm also wondering what the rights acquisition must have been like. This poem isn't in the JPN public domain yet, right? Hahaha.

God in the Dice

(title note) Fwiw I usually say Dice has "spirits" in his dice; calling them gods is just as valid. That seems to be what this is referring to.

(15 seconds in) Man I love Nozuyama's rapping chops. He delivers every time

(23 seconds in) Going to take this "I don't care" and make it a reaction image. Can't adequately express how much the phrase "Thog don't care" gets me through the day; this is right up there with that

(29 seconds in) It's very, very funny that Gentarou always teases Dice about his lack of vocab when you compare these two songs back to back. Hahaha.

(50 seconds in) Call back to Scramble Gamble with a more positive outlook. I can fuck with that.

(end of song) This one seems very similar to Ramuda's in terms of message (once again, I'm inappropriately amused at the notion of Ramuda and Dice living it up in the booth like "Love yourself...! Respect yourself! Love yourse--" and then it cuts to Gentarou who's got a piano and a Dramatic Poetry Reading and Angst. Well, that's Gentarou's way of loving himself, I suppose) and on the one hand, I am very happy for Dice deciding to live his life his own way, even if it goes against societal values... but I don't know how I feel about indulging in a gambling addiction as a way to explore that. You know? Maybe I'm just going "You don't have to follow societal expectations, but you should follow MY expectations, dammit!" Hahaha. Well....... Do what you gotta do, homie.... I'm reminded of how very 20 Dice is. Very, very 20 y.o. leaving a bad home life. Do what you gotta do....

Well, that's Fling Posse! Very much their usual Fling Posse selves.

[tired-lamb]

final thoughts on battle for the pridelands

my liveblogging was… chaotic, to say the least, but I wanted to really gather my thoughts on this episode because its a big, big one. figuratively AND literally lol.

first things first the new designs straight up shook me in a /neu way, it’s not that I don’t like them but I just wasn’t ready to let go of the old designs yet, y’know? I kind of dislike how Fuli’s design feels like a completely different character, but otherwise it’s eh. I think seeing the guard grow up just made me emotional, haha. I wish Janja, Cheezi, Chungu and Jasiri got new designs tho, since I hc them to be roughly around the same age as the rest of the guard. I understand that making new designs for a whole bunch of characters (characters that wouldn’t be appearing much later, too) would be a lot of work but it just felt kind of odd to see Jasiri unchanged next to Teen Kion or whatever. Maybe at least change some tiny details, if not the entire design.

I like that they delved more into Kion worrying this time. it really puts into perspective that.. yea, these guys are child soldiers. thats. gonna come with a lot of emotional load. seeing Fuli and the others worry about Kion was a nice touch too, honestly. definitely opens up for thoughts about just HOW much these guys are affected by the whole child soldier thing. hearing all five of them sing again was wonderful <3 especially Ono, since he doesn’t get to sing a lot.

Scar’s betrayal of Janja was expected, lol. I actually REALLY like the way the show carried out Janja’s redemption, and WOW his song slaps. the guard + Janja’s clan getting stuck in the Lair while it was on fire was also really interesting to me, and I wish they hadn’t taken the route of them just.. escaping through Beshte’s pool. it was like.. what was the point of putting them there then? I’ll probably put more stakes in my maybe-going-to-exist rewrite, but lets see how I go with that.

*COUGH* why does Kiara basically look the same *COUGH* Kion looks older than her at this point *COUGH COUGH*

oookay, the stuff that went down at the volcano was WHEW. Scar’s song with this Strange Lion guy was like wow ok so . introducing new lore to explain why you’ll give Kion his scar and then completely forget abt it (or at least I think they do, I still haven’t watched the rest of the season), nice! buuut also creative, dare I say. song’s not bad!

ANGST. Scar singing the song Sisi Ni Sawa, the show’s most popular song, to Kion and LITERALLY MEANING IT. this is one of the few(?) times the show outright parallels Scar and Kion, and god I actually loved it. the fanfic writer side of me is leaning forward in my chair because there is no way Kion’s not going to forget that thought. Scar’s last words to Kion were literally “Sisi Ni Sawa”. Kion is the Direct Successor of Scar in terms of Lion Guard leader. THE POTENTIAL. THE ANGST. (cough) okay, but apart from that yahoo more delving into Kion’s character.

Bunga diving in to save Kion from Ushari and then promptly falling into the lava gave me a fricking heart attack. call me dramatic but started getting emotional on the spot. ONO FLYING INTO THE LAVA TO SAVE HIM did NOT help, and someone save my poor boy I feel so bad for him agh 😭

The outlanders reaction to Scar being gone felt kind of bland, but then again I’m not really sure what else it COULD have been. I’m sure some of you do, though, so feel free to share your thoughts:].

I am Absolutely Unwell over the fact that Ono has technically lost his vision and as a person who ships bunga x ono AND bunga x ono x beshte you better expect me to write something about it. Lion Guard writers I am coming for your kneecaps (or whatever the saying is now, idk).

there’s.. a lot of things I would have changed, but thats because I dislike how childish the show can get sometimes. call me out, I deserve it, the show is meant for kids, but it has potential!!! I’m not outright hating how kiddy it is, heck I’m like. mega fan of kid’s shows, but all I say is that it has the potential to turn into something less for kids, more maybe for pre-teens and above.

again, not sure if I’ll rewrite the episode since I’ll have to do a lot of thinking, but it is definitely something I’ll consider! shoutout to my mutuals for being with me till here, and for supporting me in my very much chaotic liveblogs. love you guys dearly /p /gen

*raises glass of fruit juice dramatically* to season three!!!!

[werewolfsonpage211]

i just have to write through my feelings about predathos rn cause WOW i was truly leaning heavily in oryms direction of we dont know what that shit do youd have to be stupid to even try. like i was feeling okay with the prospect of them releasing predathos cause it is objectivly the most interesting choice you could make, narratively, from a doylist perspective etc etc, but i wasnt feeling it yknow. and i gotta be honest a big part of that was because i do sympathise with the gods some more than others like on a fundamental level i feel theyve got just as much a right to exist as every other living being in the world, theyre people to me and i simply dont like the idea of them dying/having to flee. and yes okay melora is my blorbo out of them and i hate thinking about her being forced to leave exandria leave nature leave everything she loves and has become and is. i was way more hoping for the resolution of bh not releasing predathos and instead remembering RQs hint that they could strike a deal with the gods as a reward for saving their asses.

and then 114 happened. and i fear it changed me irrevokably. matt did something horrible. he gave me hope. like i already had a sliver of hope that if the gods left maybe vax would be free and alive but also maybe hed just be dead or just gone and anyway he wouldnt want to be saved in exchange for such a sacrifice (not that the people making the choice would be anyone he knew...) but but BUT then matt rq gave him a night. vox machina was given a night. and all of a sudden i cant imagine going back to the way things were. if the gods are saved the world may still be changed forever, but not for vax. he only has a night. then he goes back to her. but. if the gods leave, it can't stay the same, not even for him. im not even sure, despite the hope that matt/rq gave me, that he would be freed if rq left. maybe he is kept by her divine power. maybe he would die, or disappear forever (who knows what happens after death when there are no gods?). or maybe he, given a night of life, would simply feel her grip on his string loosen and fade away, leaving him as he is right now, where he is right now, as the raven queen's last parting gift. either way, death or life, it would be change. either he would get a chance to keep living, or keyleth would get a better chance to move on. and that spark of hope for change killed whatever part of me that still could tolerate him being in her service in perpetuum. i cant stand it anymore. i dont accept it.

despite my deep and complicated feelings regarding this rn i am also remembering that it is all a work of fiction and i am fascinated by the way my opinion on the predathos conundrum could be swayed so quickly and, dare i say, decidedly, by new emotions being stirred in me. and i am examining how even tho i was backing up my opinion with (what i see as) logical and objective arguments, i was still being affected by my sympathies for different fictional characters the whole time - from melora (and the pcs i associate her with) to vax and vm. going though it has taught me something about how people can be swayed on much more serious, real life matters. i truely dont know if ive ever changed my mind so dramatically (regarding both strenght and character of the opinion as well as swiftness of the change) in my life before. before i watched c3e114 i was hesitant at best to the releasing predathos idea, now im rooting for it to happen. and dont get me wrong, i still think orym's argument is the most sane and safe one and if i myself had to live in exandria i would most surely be on his side of the debate. but i dont, im the audience of a fictional story and right now i would love to know just what the fuck that shit do.

[korrasamibottles]

I just reread the space between heartbeats and I suddenly need you to tell me everything about it! What gave you the idea for all the story beats and details???

Thank you so much for asking (and for re-reading?? Such an amazing compliment wow)!! I'm still completely floored by how sweet everyone has been about this fic....I wrote it from the heart so the positivity really means a lot😭 Also sorry this got so long oh my god lol.

Before I even started writing, I knew I wanted to come at the whole thing from Mako's perspective. He's such a complicated and fascinating character to me, and there's so much potential to explore how the trauma of witnessing his parents' murder and the depersonalization of having to be brother-father-protector-provider to a younger sibling while also still a child led to him being SO detached from his own wants and needs and feelings, and so used to thinking of himself as a tool rather than a person, that if somebody asked him point blank what he wanted his head would pop.

But maybe...after spending a lot of time around somebody who isn't afraid to openly want things and ask for them....Mako could start thinking about what HE wants, so that when somebody finally does ask him he's able to untangle his feelings enough to actually put them into words.....?

Mako's character has such a strong presence and I didn't want Wu to feel flat in comparison, or for it to seem like he was only there to further Mako's development, so I decided to give Wu the benefit of having the setting be all about him.

This also gave me an opening to show how Mako's influence could give Wu the push he needed to shake off the spoiled prince persona and become the more mature, compassionate man he always had the potential to be. We saw the beginnings of that in the show and in Ruins of the Empire, and I like to think they'll continue on that trajectory even though I'm not getting my hopes up for any wuko crumbs whatsoever in the Mako solo comic.

(Everyone already knows this because I never shut up about it, but what makes me so bonkers about wuko is the potential for them to bring out the best in each other. That kind of dynamic is fucking gold to me.)

Anyway. Once I had the POV and setting figured out, I had to give Mako a reason to be there, and I thought, well, he hasn't yet reached the point where he's able to admit he has feelings for Wu (even inside his own head) so the pretext of him deciding he had to keep Wu alive to protect the fragile democratization process felt right and seemed plausible.

The first two scenes came together from a few lines I poached from an unfinished korrasami wip....

"That's not–I'm not–we're just colleagues, Asami," he splutters convincingly.

"Yeah? So everyone at the precinct just hand-feeds each other moon peach slices in the morning, then? That's standard 'colleague' behavior?"

"Asami–"

"And right at the breakfast table," she whispers dramatically, shaking her head in mock disapproval and relishing how the blush has spread from his ears down his neck. "We all saw you practically purring into his hands, Mako. Like a damn octocat."

....and this bit of dialogue from the closet scene

“What kind of closet locks from the inside!?”

“You tell me! You grew up here!”

“Not in this closet!”

I turned the peach lines into a whole scene because I loved the idea of Wu being like "teehee I am getting him to try something new and fun" meanwhile Mako's like 3 seconds away from just snapping and sucking on Wu's fingers. Except it's rated T so. You know. Gotta be more subtle about it lol.

As for the closet dialogue....I'm a simple woman and I will never ever get tired of closet-themed jokes and accidents. My personal headcanon re: Wu's sexuality is that it was kind of like an open secret among the royal family. Like he'd flirt with women in public just to keep up appearances but really, everyone knew. Hence the "not in this closet!" line. To be clear, I don't think the royal family was ok with it, and I'm sure he suffered for it, but in this fic I positioned him further along in his own self-acceptance journey than Mako.

The next scene didn't unfold as easily, and I really, really struggled with it. Mako was a bit of a ticking time bomb by this point in the story–the tension had been rising for a while, and I knew it had to break eventually, but I wanted it to break in the right way.

I wrote several different versions, but every time the dialogue got away from me and it always ended the same way: with them getting into an actual argument and Mako storming out the door. And that was Not the vibe I was going for. I wanted more of an "oh fuck" moment rather than a "this guy is pissing me off and I have to get out of here" one. Mako has a tendency to get snappy in emotional situations, and that combined with him being an acts-of-service kind of person made the "it's my job to worry about you!" line finally click into place.

Deep down, Mako knows he's more than just a bodyguard to Wu, he knows how Wu feels about him, but he can't let himself really think about it. Because if he's more than his work, more than just a tool to be used, if Wu wants him around simply because he enjoys his company and not because Mako is providing a service, then that means Mako's entire sense of self is built on a lie. That's a terrifying realization, with or without the added element of internalized homophobia (and I had to add it. For maximum angst.)

I knew I wanted the fic to end with Mako realizing that the way he'd been operating simply wasn't healthy or sustainable, followed by a dramatic confession of feelings, but how to get there? Well why not invent a weird old bug woman. I thought a sort of grandmotherly figure might be somebody Mako would take seriously, and also I selfishly just wanted a woman in the story lol.

I honestly don't know where the ant spiral idea came from–maybe it's something I learned about as a kid that's been haunting the crevices of my brain for years. But it felt like an interesting way to symbolize how Mako was on a self-destructive path of repeating the same harmful behaviors over and over. If he kept depriving himself of meaningful connections, never stepped outside his comfort zone, continued avoiding learning how to process his emotions, and kept letting his fear and his pain decide what he was and wasn't allowed to want, he'd only keep inadvertently hurting himself and the people he cares about. That sort of thing. But he's stubborn, and needed to figure it out himself, so I let Qin Li give him the pieces (dare I say peaches?) so he could put it all together.

The final scene was written in its entirety at the auto shop, because apparently that's where my muse lives. Great place to write, can't recommend broken cars highly enough. Anyway, I wanted his eventual admission to feel like removing a giant splinter, which is to say: extremely painful and strained, but a huge relief once it's out. Difficult as it was, he needed to actually verbalize that shit not only for himself but also because it wouldn't have been fair for Wu to have to be in a relationship with somebody who couldn't even admit the feelings were real. And of course I had to have Wu jump into his arms at some point. Couldn't resist :)

One other thing I just thought about (and can't figure where to put it in this post, so I guess I'll just stick it here) is that I had fun giving both of them weird little quirks. Like Mako being an anxious/compulsive skin picker and Wu being fidgety and refusing to wear his glasses.

OH YEAH ONE MORE THING. Mako yanking on the doorknob in the closet was 100% a euphemism. For something.

[elliesswhore]

First time posting on here. Hope this isn’t too bad :)))

Warnings: bad writing, suggestive content

Wc: 987

“Hey.”

“Hey.” You say smiling at the approaching girl.

“You looked pretty bored over here, thought I’d come and save you.” She says.

You’re standing at the bar examining the people and the place. Turning to Ellie, you respond.

“Oh thank god, the great Ms Williams has come to my rescue, please take me away from this awful place Ellie.” you say dramatically, looking up at her and smiling a little.

Ellie lets out a loud laugh, amused by your antics.

“Finally someone with a sense of humor in this place.” After a pause she looks down at you.

“You know who I am?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“I don’t know, I figured you were new here.”

“I am. Been here a couple weeks, but word goes around here like an std in high school.” You say glancing at the crowd.

Ellie chuckles lowly. “You’re funny.”

“Thanks, I know.” You give her a cheeky smile.

Ellie laughs again hoping that this conversation doesn’t end. It’s the most interesting interaction that she’s had in a while.

“So, where you from?” Ellie questions.

“This super cool place called hell, you been?” You smile at her teasingly.

“Hell? Oh yeah been there a few times. Although I don’t remember seeing you around.” She says, playing along.

“No?”

“No, think I’d remember a pretty face like yours.” She smirks.

“Ohh that was badd,” You shake your head in disappointment, looking at her. “Where’d you get that? badpickuplines.com?”

“Wow, you’re just full of witty comebacks huh?” She says, fully enjoying how her night is going, hoping it’s going to end with more than some engaging conversation.

“I try.” You look back at the crowd, trying not to smile and then look back at Ellie.

“You think I’m pretty?” You tease.

Ellie looks you up and down, a smirk forming on her face.

“Very pretty, I like your eyes, very mischievous.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Means you’re probably a lot of fun, which is why you’re so bored at this thing.”

“What even is this?” You say, it looked like the whole town was there so you figured it might be important.

“Some event put on by Maria, supposed to bring the community closer together.” She responds.

“I suppose it’s working.” You say taking a step closer and looking in her eyes.

“I guess so.” She says tilting her head a little and smirking.

You finally take a good look at her and realize just how attractive she is. You look down to her arms finding yourself distracted by the way she holds her drink. It’s in her right hand and she circles the rim of the cup with the fingers of her left.

Trying to play it cool, even though she definitely caught you staring, you look back up. “I like your tattoo.”

“Thanks,” She runs her tongue across her bottom lip looking at you. Definitely not thinking of all the ways she could ruin you. “You can get a closer look if you want.” She smirks.

You smile playfully as she sets her drink down on the bar so you can grab her arm. Once she does, you grab her hand, your touch lingering on her fingers before bringing her arm up closer to your face.

Ellie watches you, thinking about how she’d like to watch you suck on her fingers, or put her hand around your throat, wondering if you’d like it. She has a feeling you would.

You examine the tattoo, feeling the scar under it. You decide not to ask any questions considering you two just met.

“Very nice.” you say voice breathy, the warm feeling of your breath causing her to shiver. She hopes you don’t notice.

She so desperately wants to take you to her place.

You set her arm down, looking at her. It’s silent but not an awkward one. You think she looks incredibly beautiful, although by the look in her eyes she doesn’t want to do beautiful things to you, and you’re definitely okay with that, maybe ecstatic at the idea of finally having some real fun.

Ellie brings her hand up to brush a strand of loose hair behind your ear. You stare at each other for a little longer before she grabs your hand.

“Let’s go.” She says dragging you outside away from the party and the crowd of people. You follow along hoping that this is going where you think it is. Playing coy you question her.

“What are you doing? Where are we going?”

“Be quiet.”

Your mouth shuts as soon as she says this, your brain short circuiting at the tone of her voice. It’s low and husky as if she just woke up and you wondered what it would sound like in the morning after a long night in the sheets.

Ellie drags you all the way to her place like she wanted to. It isn’t far and you get there even quicker with her fast pace. Opening her door and quickly closing it you question her again, “ellie-“

She pins you against the door with force. Not enough to hurt you but definitely enough to make you clench around nothing. You feel yourself getting turned on by the sight of her staring you down, her arms by your head trapping you in.

“You want this?” She asks, even if she did already drag you all the way to her place.

Looking up at her with a look that says everything, you nod your head.

“Words sweetheart.”

“Yes, please.”

“Please? Already using your manners huh? Gonna be a good girl f’me?”

A low moan slips past your lips at her words. “Yes,” You whisper. “Gonna be so good for you. Promise.”

“Fuck.” Ellie grunts “You’re desperate for it aren’t you?” She whispers, leaning in more.

“Yes, yes. ‘m sorry, it’s been so long.” You practically whine out.

“Don’t worry, ‘m gonna take real good care of you.”

Let me know if you want me to finish, this is all I have so far :)

[donnerpartyofone]

4, 7, 15

Thanks pal!

4. I'm looking forward to a bunch of things I guess, although also everything makes me so nervous that anticipation is never untainted! I'm looking forward to my book coming out, even though it has all sorts of little flaws that I can barely prevent myself from spontaneously defending/confessing. I'm looking forward to a blu-ray commentary I'm gonna record soon (can't announce yet) plus a bunch of writing I got assigned, all really cool things but I know how much work they are and I wonder if I'm going to survive it every time! I'm looking forward to a horror event I have to host in a couple weeks; it's insanity, I'm paying $$$ for travel and lodging to be on a stage for probably ten minutes to just sort of be the face of the event and provide "support", but that's what it means to me apparently. I think that I should try to find some longer term things to look forward to, but that will be a whole project, I've always had a lot of trouble with goal formation. I'm always doing one short-term thing at a time and feeling like I barely got away with it.

7. 2023 was really insane. My mental health was crumbling really badly in tandem with our tiny, ridiculous apartment where we had lived for ten years. There were huge ups and downs with the big TBA project I basically gave my life to, that I may never be able to "A" but hopefully some day someone will tell me if it is officially cancelled so I can at least talk about it a little. I also wrote my book and I got a chance to go to London to record my first blu-ray commentary, which was a huge adventure and it happened amidst a bunch of really complicated dramatic events I don't have the space for; it was like, we moved out of our apartment, and somebody died, and I had to get on a plane to another country immediately, and I still have this feeling like I went through a portal to another dimension and when I landed at home again it was in another universe and that's where I've been ever since. I got to do some major writing projects that kind of felt like, well OK I did THIS, maybe it will be alright if I die now. I got to be on the jury of the local horror film festival and that was really awesome...and I'm starting to realize that this roundup makes it sound like I'm an incredibly ambitious and busy professional person who is fulfilling her dreams, but none of this stuff pays the bills and I am chronically unemployed, and I seem to have a lot of cognitive and intellectual problems, and I'm just terrified that I'm going to have to starve to death eventually. Toward the end of the year I tried to go back into therapy (round 3) and the search itself was really frightening, but when I finally picked someone I had made a really bad choice and the ~3 sessions I had with her fucked up my mind so badly, I wasn't OK for like two months. I still need to figure that out though, there's a lot of stuff wrong with me.

15. Personality description, wow. Maybe it would be fun to do one of those Marvel cards with all my "stats". How do I answer this? My instinct is to list all my pathologies, but then I think I should say what I'm like socially, but then I remember that I'm pretty different from one situation to another. I have incredible anxiety and I'm always tired from a lot of heavy duty masking, but the masking is 1 part survival instinct and 1 part compassion for others I would say. Almost all of my relationships are these intense one-on-one bonds, I don't do well in groups or with people who can't sustain a long conversation about one thing. But even with people I really know and love I have trouble being spontaneous, I have to script all my phone calls just in case I suddenly lose my mind. I think a lot of people perceive me as like really tough and self-possessed and even ambitious, which blows my mind; I've had a number of relationships that fell apart because the person came up with the fantasy that I was this bad bitch and then they were disappointed that I'm actually really vulnerable and nervous and incompetent. I'm not completely sure what that's about, but I think it could be partially a "social cues" problem; like sometimes I don't realize that I'm being inappropriately harsh until it's too late, and other times I'm like daring myself to be more honest and frank because I think that I'm too meek and it's not normal and people don't like that and I should practice having more self-confidence...and then I'm mortified when I find out the hard way that I was being inappropriate. But the one thing I can probably say without reservation is that I have a great sense of humor. It's like my prized possession, an incredible survival tool, and it keeps me entertained even when I have nothing else.

[secretmellowblog]

Hijo for the characterask game

Javert and #8

(A little late but for this ask game!!! Thank you again!)

#8: a thing the fandom does with this character that you despise!

Despise is a strong word! I'll say "confuses me" instead. I talked a little bit about it in my post about fandom Valjean things I dislike-- with the caveat that I don't think any of this is really a big deal, because this small huddle of fandom stuff is a very tiny niche that doesn't have a wide impact, and also it's very normal/natural for people's opinions on characters to change over time, and I know that my *own* opinions have changed over time-- but---

I am confused by all the pro-police stuff in the Javert fandom? XD

I think the main thing that confuses me is why Post-Seine stuff where Javert is "redeemed" usually has Javert returning to his job.

It just makes more sense, thematically and on a character level, for him to resign? The common idea that "redeemed Javert" would go back to arresting people and that this would be a Good Thing always throws me off. Because 'the entire criminal justice system is fundamentally broken, there is a gulf on high, it is immoral to do this' was his whole dramatic realization and all. Plus, even putting aside the anti-police politics of the book, being a cop was clearly not good for Javert's mental health. XD It was making him feel very bad!

I remember once reading a mildly popular fic where a post-seine Javert talks about how he thinks the prison system is fundamentally broken and violent and unjust, and he can never return to his job. And I was like "Wow, this author gets it!" Then I kept reading and it turns out Javert was supposed to be *wrong* in that paragraph, that paragraph was supposed to represent an incorrect pessimistic wrong way of thinking, and the fic was about Javert regaining his faith in the police. It's just very funky! Kinda just like, realizing people view this story in such a radically different way you can't ever vibe with their versions of the characters. People sometimes walk back everything Javert realizes in Derailed as if they're mistakes, instead of positive character development, which feels odd to me. People act as if Jean Valjean is the rare exception to the general rule that Prison Is Awesome And Cool, and that Javert just needs to realize he was wrong about Jean Valjean specifically and nothing else.

I think people often miss that the police are the villains of Javert's story, in the way they're the villains of Jean Valjean's. His family was ripped apart by the criminal justice system before he was even born, he was born in a cage like an animal, and he became an agent of the system that destroyed his childhood because he internalized that institutional abuse as something that he and his family must have deserved. "Is a system that leads to children being born in jails in desperate poverty actually just?" "well of course it is. the baby is a crime baby made of crime. >:("

He's spent his whole life either living in prison or serving as an agent of the prison system; he has no framework for what living outside of serving the carceral system actually looks like. My take is, that poor horrible creature has had enough policework for several lifetimes. If there is a way to be a "good cop," he would've found it by now. Let him rest. Let him find some funky new job.

Also, one or two people have implied in the distant past that I must hate Valvert, but from a Valvert perspective-- I think it's easier to have post-seine Valvert if Javert quits his job. First, it's a dramatic shift in their dynamic and the power level between them; it's a clear sign that Javert has permanently changed. Second: Javert searching for a new job after spending his entire life serving the prison system is just rife for bonding hijinks. You could easily write a scenario where Jean Valjean helps pull strings to find him work as a gardener for Petit-Picpus, but has to help train him for the position or something along those lines, giving them an excuse to interact. Third: I don't think Javert needs to be a cop to be nosy. If you want to write a "casefic"-ish mystery plotline he could be an Angela Lansbury Murder-She-Wrote old lady retiree character solving a mystery out of pure nosiness, without even arresting anyone. Because it would be very funny.

...This has just turned into a ramble about possible Post-Seine hijinks. Anyway the moral is: there isn't really a moral, this is just my petty fandom opinions. But "Javert fics where police are bad" and "Javert fics where police are flawed but ultimately good" are two completely different genres, is my take.

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Well, you know what - I am absolutely exhausted now. That's the thing about double Casualty nights. I went off them quite a while ago because it gives me a lot to talk about afterward, making typing up my thoughts take longer, and because while I like to think I have a good enough attention span it can only last so long. Also I was more triggered by the eps than I thought I'd be (my fault though, I misjudged how I'd feel).

Yet! I am glad. We went two entire eps without Faith turning up at all. My second-least fave, Iain, was there but primarily playing the only role I like him in: Jacob's friend who tries to look out for him. And thus, even he was likeable tonight.

And of course, Jacob is finally, finally getting focus again!! It's been long enough.

But before I get into all of that, thoughts on ep 1:

Rash's storyline was... well, it's very intense. A lot more so than I would have expected. His whole breakdown about everything being broken was incredibly sad to see. Poor, poor Rash.

I didn't think this would lead to him leaving but I'm not sure now, I could easily see this being an exit story. I hope not - though, on the other hand I want him to be happy, enough that if he has to leave for that I'd go along with it.

Neet Mohan was brilliant. He's one of Casualty's best when he gets the chance to be. I'm pleased it seems the show is finally acknowledging that, even if it means Rash getting a sad storyline for now. Also, I tend to like an ep that partially revolves around a character being in therapy. I hope we get one for Jacob eventually.

I'm... intrigued by Patrick. I really don't know what to make of him, though I don't think I'm meant to. He's definitely an unknown quantity of sorts so far. I thought he'd remind me a lot of Henrik and he does, albeit mostly in different ways than Max did. Patrick makes me think of early Henrik. The grumpy, not exactly nice new man in charge who just wants everyone to focus on their work, with just the tiniest hint of a gentler side beyond all the rudeness. The scene where he talked about Rash being like him, however, was not very Henrik of him. I don't think early Henrik would ever have opened up even that much.

I continue to like Tariq as a character so far. I enjoy his dynamic with Rash a lot, still. Their borderline-brotherly dynamic is very interesting. And I have to say, he was cast really well - he feels like such a believable cousin for Rash!

Ngozi continues to be great, as well. I adore her.

I thought the way this ep depicted how busy the department was was incredibly well done. I don't have much more to say there, but I wanted to point it out.

And as for the second ep:

I'd almost forgotten just how good Charles Venn is when he gets to do dramatic acting! Not that I don't enjoy the comedy/lighthearted stuff too, but there's been hardly any of that recently either - it's just felt like nothing but "Iain, I am now going to prop up your storyline because you're not interesting enough to carry it alone, I hope you don't mind". But he got to be brilliant again tonight.

And Jacob gets the focus he deserves. It's about time Blake came up again! I wonder what's going on with Blake, he did sound very upset. And I wonder what Elle is doing. I hope she doesn't get forgotten.

Jacob's line about how him and Blake haven't really talked for a while was very intriguing. I'm glad him being basically never acknowledged for like, forever is seemingly being incorporated into the storyline rather than glossed over.

Nicole is an excellent character so far. I love her.

Rida was fantastic tonight. Incredible acting from Sarah Seggari! Some very upsetting moments, undeniably, but the writing and performance were pitch-perfect. Wow. She's amazing.

Siobhan is wonderful. I've definitely come around to her.

Anyway, that's most of what I can think of to say about tonight but I'm sure I've left a lot out that I can't remember at the moment. Basically, however, the TL;DR version of all this is: I love Jacob.

[queerfables]

911 || 8x01 Buzzkill!!!!!

Aaah the tone at the start of the episode gave me an immediate dopamine rush i'm so psyched

Oh we're doing sex trafficking narrative devices? sigh I'm really not gonna be able to take this seriously am i

that said as a catalyst for athena to reconnect with her fiance's killer i'm into that

Ad break 1. We're off to a solid start, I know where all the characters are in their own stories and we've got some exciting emergencies set up.

Oh it's a good thing I'm watching ahead of my wife, I think they will want some more specific warnings for this episode than just "bees"

Wow I spent the whole call on the edge of my seat, this is a great example of how a call doesn't have to be "big" to hit hard (though to be fair I'm always especially sensitive to kids and parents in danger)

Buck figuring out to use smoke and Eddie immediately backing his call T____T I love it so much!!! Honestly Buck slowly edging his way through the bees was very cool and sexy, a++

Ad break 2! That was intense and super compelling, I loved it

This Bathena scene is really strong and I love Athena being so tunnel vision about why this guy would request her specifically ie his entire existence revolves around hurting her. it's so her to assume the worst of people to the point of comedy, especially when she has a reason to write them off.

HOLY SHIT BUDDIETOMMY REAL NOT CLICKBAIT THIS IS AMAZING Tim Minear you are a blessing

Lmfao I love the dramatic pan up to the bees lurking in the shadows. Dumb horror movie vibes i love it.

Ad break 3. Keen to bounce into the next crisis.

Buck being clever about bees again! So proud of my special interest king.

And Chimney being clever about getting the stingers out, I love it

Gerrard is of course infuriating, but they've done a pretty decent job of making him, like, just this side of bearable (ie he's a fun antagonist rather than making the show miserable to watch)

Ad break 4. So far I am really enjoying the episode!!

Oh this is a really great arc for Athena imo. It's also kind of the inverse of the Bobby-Amir arc from last season, though I hope this plays out a little less infuriatingly.

Man I really hope Elaine doesn't turn out to be secretly corrupt I'd be so sad

Holy shit Buck snaps and murders Gerrard was not on my season 8 premier bingo card

(I'm also psyched about the ambiguity of was he reacting to the flying blade to protect Gerrard or did he just lose it? He definitely moved right after it came loose but did the sound just trigger him?does he even know why he did it?? I assume there will be an investigation and this will be a central focus)

Aaaaaah the cliffhanger ending was super rad!!

The teaser for next episode looks super good. I loved Bobby being like "of course my wife is flying the plane" delightful!! I'm also very interested to see what happens with Gerrard omg. Buck not being able to cope with being berated by him was pretty interesting, it definitely gave me c-ptsd vibes but idk if that was intentional or just my baggage lol.

[rainbowdaisy13]

I was wondering your thoughts on one of the ginger 🫚 riddles, slowly untangling the many ropes….

This email really seems to be untangling some ropes. Paying attention to the splits in the narrative. First, the Keleigh opal ring. Now, this making its rounds again - especially after Scott and TK in Argentina… and some of the speculations about Scott (though maybe not maliciously in this instance? But honestly not sure) having a lot to do with PR stunt in particular.

I also can’t help but keep revisiting miss americana and lover as her planned/attempted “coming out”- Scott’s remarks on “halving her fans” by making a political stance… it gives me chills in this context now. Especially with scooter Braun buying her masters. Dad threatening to take it all away in 2005 financially.

She also often refers to herself as a schemer… which she would have had to have been- so strong and so smart- to get where she is regardless, but from one traumatized kid to another I can relate to the scheming— to stay out on top — always anticipate the next moves, when your environment is that unstable. It’s a survival mechanism. It’s part of who she is. Oh man, TS. Do I ever feel you❤️

I just, wow. I’m floored by the whole thing playing out in real time.

Thx for being a sounding board and a friendly space 💕

Truthfully I am so behind on all the new Spade Anons because they are writing these very long beautiful cryptic detailed posts and I don’t want to comment on them till I’ve studied them! But a mutual shared that 🫚 Anon post you are talking about and it 100% seems legit and like a heads up given where we are at today

I agree with all your points and anyone who thinks we are being dramatic about this obviously didn’t grow up in a household with unhinged/immature parents—bully for you! But some of us know what Scott’s behavior in that email points to behind closed doors

It is wild to be a part of it in real time and it feels like a privilege IMO—as crazy as it can be to be a Kaylor , we have witnessed this all go down and have been Taylors scribes to this story

Always! Thanks for your post and the love 🖤

[littlesistersti]

How often are Neurodivergent (mostly Autism/ADHD) people accused or mistook for being drunk/high?

CW: mention and jesting of alcohol, drinking, drunkeness, drugs, high, sober, intoxication, spiking drinks, how many more synonyms can I gather?

Word count: 586

Abstract: An observation on my own behaviour and a couple other people's behaviours that gets conflated with inebriation/intoxication.

A thought came to me post-event; one night my cousins decided for a get-together with drinks. I was not drinking because my period suddenly came and I took painkillers. Everybody in the room knew. However, I randomly asked, “Can you keep a chicken in an apartment?”

In my head, it made sense since we’re in an apartment right now and I have chickens so put these two things together… Everyone except my sister thought it was weird and joked I’m already drunk, someone spiked my water, I’m going to black out, bla bla bla, cliché.

I thought about this the next morning. I am not diagnosed with anything but my (current, as I write this but let’s not jinx anything) partner was diagnosed with ADD as a kid. He recognized the same signs he has with me and we both recognized I have something. I could get myself diagnosed, but my dad thinks I don’t have anything because he only knows the obvious stereotypes of ADHD/Autism/neurodivergence. (Although I think he doesn't know the difference between them and thinks ADHD is the same as autism.) Let’s digress.

I thought about that one time Eurovision Norway participant TIX had to select his position for the show (1st half or 2nd half), and there’s a live stream with chat but I can’t find the video. One of the hosts has her hand inside the bowl and TIX was supposed to say stop or something like that, I can’t remember. Throughout the whole time he was there, he showed the same behaviour I recognized in myself, Ethan Nestor from CrankGamePlays, and Mark Fischbach from Markiplier (those were my only references off the top of my head at the time). Unfortunately, what is a singer without haters, especially he won Melodi Grand Prix 🇳🇴 and defeated the fan favourite KEiiNO — the chat overflowed with “wow he’s such a weirdo” and “get him offstage, he’s drunk” and “is he high right now?” and such. This hurts when he stated multiple times in interviews about his Tourette’s and ADHD. He named himself TIX for a reason.

So I pulled up a Go0gle and searched “autism or adhd accused of being drunk?” I mostly found medical or psychology stuff on how someone with autism is prone to alcoholism and similar. I found one article on someone mistaken to be drunk and arrested for it. Link below.

I didn’t find much else on Youtube. Maybe it’s my weak key words and searching. I don’t know but can anybody else provide their own input? Has anybody done a study on this?

PS. Slightly off topic, but there was one year, one time, I said I was overstimulated and two other cousins in the room laughed and said something about what substances I took or not (everybody knew I didn't take anything). Don't remember the words but remembered them laughing and not taking any effort to change the setting. That was years ago, at least two. A few years later, Christmas season of 2023, those two cousins and a couple other cousins mentioned getting overstimulated. I don't know if they got better in the timespan or if the situation was dramatically different. The case here was, imagine your typical family gathering but it's immigrant parents so there's more than three aunts and uncles each, and everybody's default volume is 50 instead of 15. Smaller space without windows. The case then was less people, exactly or roundabout three aunts and uncles, bigger space with a glass door.

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