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bulkhummus · 1 year

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I'm so glad you asked! (cw for discussions about unreality)

A. It's been a minute since we had an actual villain. Most bad guys/conflicts get resolved in an episode or two, and it seems like Janet Lubelle and the University are here to stay. She is being worked into everyday life on the show and is directly effecting the narrative every episode. You can't ignore her actions because they're encroaching upon the town. It's new! It's different! And most of all, it's a villain that I can envision coming to a small town and disrupting the status quo < more on that later.

B. Stories get boring when there are no stakes. Welcome to Night Vale is known for its unconventional plot structure (ie. vague continuity and plot from episode to episode lol) because it supports the happenings that are occurring in the show. A problem with this structure can be the inability to create tension or suspense, or have choices mean something within a narrative. I'm so happy to listen to the comings and goings of my little favorite podcast town, and I genuinely enjoy the silly episodes, don't get me wrong, but it's not fun for a writer or a listener when the same stuff happens over and over and everything is resolved and happy. The mini arcs they write are amazing. The time to build up the space around them is equally interesting. Conflict is interesting. Drama is interesting. Making smart choices that hold weight/ value to them is interesting, and the show would not still be running if the writers were unable to create that impact in spite of a more freeform narrative structure. Why isn't Carlos helping? Why is Lubelle so concerned with doubles? How is this all placing strain on Cecil's relationship to his husband and his town?

C. The show has been running for 10 years and they are cashing in on that time and commitment. The impact of Carlos' backstory after all this time (equal, might I add, to his time in the DOW) is immense. The killing of characters we have loved for over a decade is harsh and feels unfair and heart breaking. Patterns we are accustomed to in the show are being altered. Things we have been led to believe are changing before us, and it's almost like we are experiencing them and these feelings in real time with the townspeople of Night Vale. We watched a love story centered around the fact that a man was new to town, and we, along with the town, were tricked into thinking not all strangers are there to do harm, until it was too late. There has never been a villain that has been sustained for this long without turning into a joke (ie. Huntokar, The Distant Prince, etc.) other than maybe Strex, and even that was not so encroaching upon every show. Suspense is building, who or what will be explained away next? What will that mean for the town and for the story?

D. Lubelle is a fucking villain. I have seen a few people say they dislike her character and while I respect that this post is about why I love her haha so stay with me there. You aren't supposed to like her, but not liking a character is different from thinking the character doesn't do anything for the story. She is endlessly interesting to me because of what she represents. She has stated her intentions, clear and clean and is operating under her own moral code. That's such a tasty place to be narratively speaking. So far, she is a well written villain. Not to mention her past relationship with Carlos not even being touched yet, and that whole can of worms ( the only thing being the implication that Carlos used to be her right hand man). To me, the best kind of villain is the one who truly believes they aren't doing anything wrong. She is cold, she is condescending and she is out to do her fucking job, and no one is going to get in her way. She is not there to take over the town, or end the world. She is there to explain things. That is her motivator, and she is literally feeding off of the town. She is the embodiment of normalization, of conformity, of categorization. She is looking at something that is weird and unexplainable, a big gray area, and demanding black and white terms from it. Maybe it's just the queer in me, and the queerness that is Night Vale, but god isn't that horrifying?

E. The characters and dynamics Lubelle is explaining away are still leading to more questions. The monstrous Station Management is no longer a horrifying monster behind closed doors, but we are left wondering just who has been managing the station for all these years (40 years, from 1983 to be exact lol they're so good for this one) if no one was ever in the office to begin with. There are layers to the unreality that is occurring in Night Vale. Time is still weird. They are still sectioned off in some way. Cecil is still caught amongst these intersecting time frames and realities. Shit is still weird. Not to mention Lubelle being there is coinciding with doubles, Cecils parents and childhood, Carlos' backstory, and time/reality weirdness. It's also so DENSE right now and I'm loving it. How is she gonna effect all that? Is she gonna propel any of it?????? She is as much of a tool to spur the stories onward as she is to disrupt them.

F. Cecil is being directly effected. Do you understand what it means to question the narrator? It's so easy to forget that Cecil is an unreliable narrator because we don't often hear other townspeople question him. Janet looked directly at Cecil and told him that he is disturbed, that his reality is fractured. We as listeners all know that, and Cecil sure as hell does, but he does his very best to avoid it. One of the main new sources in town, and the narrator of a show we let tell us biased opinions and stories as fact, is suddenly ripped out from beneath us like a cheap rug. His credibly is at stake here and this began the moment people started questioning why Carlos wasn't speaking out against the University.

G. She's so fucking hot. this arc and its potential is so. so so fun.

#anyways #so ill stop there #I didn't even include like episode specific “evidence” or whatever #it would have gotten too long and im lazy #I love wtnv #and I love janet lubelle #this arc is so so so fun for me #wtnv #welcome to night vale #cw unreality

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puffins-studio · 1 year

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Gallifrey One!

I was just going to do a post about me giving my dolls to the different actors who were there but the whole experience at Gally was just something in it own. Warning I can and will ramble so this is long

I think this kinda set up my weekend. But one of the first things I got to do at Gally was meet Katiegangel. It just special as she is the first well know person online I meet and the first person I have meet in person who I’ve mailed a doll too. I did that thing were you see someone you recognized online and I didn’t know if I should go up to them or not. I just got there after like like a 7 hours in the car I had literally just gotten my tag and walked into the met room. And it was funny as, as I was waiting these two people came by like ‘ribbon?’ And I was just shaking ’yes!’ And they give me a Jo themed ribbon(I love Jo, I feel if I was in doctor who I would be a bit like her and I have a special place for 3 as he remind of my grandpa) but I was just like ‘I love Jo’ as I had nothing else in my brain.

But when I went up to Katie I very much not knowing what I should say was just ‘am the one who made the dolls’ and with the mask and the noise I had to say it two times but I think just the little noise she made at realization and the and crushing hug she give. it made everything feel like it will all go okay. the hugs were just very sweet and just us both trying to compliment each others works

And I had to get a picture

I also got to met my friend @picnokinesis! and for a moment I was reunited with my master doll ahah

I had a blast with them and their friends! when I wasn't running around the con and I was hanging with them, and I actually felt apart of a group of friends for once! there were all amazing and I hope I can see them all in person again! we even had a proper fam goodbye hug and I will remember that

Frazer Hines / Jamie McCrimmon

He was the first one I did the pictures with and the first one I give the dolls too. I kinda made it that why as he was the reason why I decide to go to a con(it also went how you expected and his dolls were the last ones I finished). I went into the pictures and he was like “oh did you make this?” and I was just “yes!” He thought it was lovely. And when I give them to, he immediately showed his handler and was looking at the details and when I asked to take a picture of him with the dolls he asked if I wanted to be in the photo too and he popped up and rushed to came to the other side of the table.

Also just them being held up by a box of Girl Scout cookies, is just really funny (and now I also must share the idea of if the dolls your alive, imagine mini Jamie and 2nd doctor just siting on the table both trying to eat a normal size cookies as people walked by. )

Bonnie Langford / Mal Bush

I took a picture with Bonnie and the dolls and she said the doll was perfect with the right colors. And she called me sweetheart. When I went to give her the doll I was chatting with her handle a little bit as Bonnie was in the middle of story and the handler noticed the doll I was holding and silently asked if I was giving it to Bonnie and I nodded and then I talked about how I made my river book, my coat, and scarf and she thought it was cool. I said I was thinking of set and costumes design and she was like “it all make sense now” And when I mentioned that I crocheted my scarf, the handler was like yeah! And held up her crochet she bought and said I did mine really well (lol I had some practice crocheting a tiny 4 and 13 scarf) and she was also amazed I got the puffy sleeves. But even Bonnie was like you should sell them,

Katy Manning / Jo Grant

Katy Mannibg! Jo!! So Jo is one of my favorites! I love her to death. And when I went to take a picture before I could even say anything, it was just HUG like an octopus

When I want to get her signature/ give the dolls, without even doing anything she leaned across the table and give me another hug. And when I handed her my river book she did a little doodle in my book as she felt like it and then she grab the grey pan and was like ‘oh now she gray’ to give Jo/herself greyed hair. and when I give her the dolls an she thought they were so nice, she said I was very clever for making them and got up and to come around to give me a big hug. I was just really happy to see her. I was very happy I got to tell her she does some of my favorite audios and I love all version of Jo as she said talking about how some people like the old Jo and some like the new Jo. she was just sweet and keep talking, she even mentioned how her grandkids would look at a Jo doll and say she their grandma. it was just so love to have meet her. and there's also just something about Katy calling you darling that make you feel special.

Colin Baker / 6th doctor

Colin was like “bye little me” when I was leaving the photo and I thought that was great (I got scared for a bit as I sat on a panel and was remind he have said he didn’t like the 6th doctor’s coat before) but he seem very excited, when I give him the doll he was like “it just like me, he has the perfect facial expression” And then he give me a ribbon! (it was one of his quote from the show, but I left it in my pocket it in the coat I left in the car and I been stuck on campus since the con so I can't go get and write what it says right now)

Sophie Aldred / Ace Mcshane

I was dying, when I was going down the elevator in the morning, the doors opened on one floor and it was Sophie!! And she came into my elevator. My mom was there with me and I knew she was confused as someone in the elevator was just like ‘yes of course we have room for you!’ and my mom could tell she was important by just the name tags so I leaned over and whisper she is ace. And in the car my mom said I looked like I was going to cry in that moment (it also was funny as my mom knows am asexual and I always say ace when talking about it, so when I was like ace this and ace that at the con she was confused for a bit.)

But I think she love the doll, it had all the embroidery on it. And she immediately showed her handler. and I think she was one of the ones who had the doll on display. She also liked she could pick any page in the river book I made, as she closed her eyes and opened it to a random page and I thought that was sweet.

Ace is one of my favorites and if you like her you should read Sophies's books she wrote for Ace. in her talk Sophie said she wrote the origin story one all on her own (and if you have read it, you know a little special thing she did in it that makes that she wrote it very sweet) and she said she originally wanted to have he master be the villein in that story, and I was there like !!! my brain started running with ideas of the mater with the doctor she wrote in the story (am like it would be funny if it was Ainley!master or any other master). the scripted with her was so fun! she hid behind a curtain at one point. and did lines for the 7th doctor. at the end there were also singing as the script was of the story Ghost Light. I felt very proud as I was probably the young person of the 20 who were there and I was able to raise my hand when they asked if we all seen that episode.

Jodie Whittaker / 13th doctor

When I did a picture with her I brought my master doll too as I had to (I also had him photobomb the 13 going picture and I've wondered if anyone have spotted him in the photo yet, as some spotted him when we were doing the last picture at the 13 meet up)

Am pretty sure she said they were nice when I want up there, my brain was and is all fuzzy, but a few said that. The lines for her autoghic were really line and really fast so I felt wried if I held it up since they had a box for gifts but I wanted to see her reaction. But she called my dolls brilliant 💕and she was happy to see I did Anna too from adult life skills. I was all shaky because of my anxiety. but just her calling them brilliant is everything.

Wendy Padbury / Zoe Heriot

For Wendy am sorry but she was one my brain was mush for as I was starting to get drain I had just give Jodie dolls so I was all jelly and can't really remember everything she said. But am pretty sure she liked them. I have picture of her looking a bit shock when she saw them, so that makes me happy. I think she liked the 2nd doctor one too.

For the dolls I was trying to make he character in doctor who and I made their doctor for the old companions who the doctor has passed, I though of it as I especially wanted to do that for Frazer as he voiced 2 in some audios and Katy as she just did a little story about always remembering her doctor. And I had to give Wendy a 2 as I wanted to and am a twin so I had to make it fair. I made two of Jodie as I kinda wanted to make more then one but I didn't want to play favorites with the fam.

Janet Fielding / Tegan Jovanka

My anxiety was kicking my butt at the time as the weekend was starting to get to me. For Janet she liked it and then I think she thought it was nice/ funny as I was in the 13 script read and I got to go up and read lines for Tegan and I totally forget I had a little Tegan in my pocket I was so excited to be up there. but I had to told her the little Tegan was my good luck chem. no picture of her with the dolls as I didn't want to hold up the line even more. and again I don't have the photo I took with her on my phone and can't take a picture of it right now.

It was really funny as when they were trying to pick someone for the script read. A guy yelled out he was Australian to get the part but they said no they wanted someone with a bad Australian accent and so I took my chance and randomly yelled out “people thick am Australian” As I have lost count of the number of people who have asked because of my screech impairment and the fact I can talk fast, if am Australian(I keep track of all the places people think am from as I find it fun). And then Jodie picked me! and this was a funny picture is from of just me being over excited, all the others are of me grinning like an idiot. I didn't think she actually picked me for a moment and I thought it was someone behind me, but I ran up and forgot my script and then I had to run back to get it.

there also this (https://twitter.com/trulyafiasco/status/1627374277946384384) just happy jumps as the Master! it also funny that am dressed like 13 as like yes the one dressed as 13 is reacting just like how the actually actor is. And I don't know if you can see, it might just be because I know he is there, and this isn't the best picture for it. but I have a mini O doll on my tag. and if anyone have a video of Jodie doing the master's lines can you send it me please!, I couldn't enjoy it as I was there shaking. Also just how people stater to give her a hug at the end, I was just like oh yes me too. and just how when we were getting off the stage the host like 'were my hug?' and I joined Katie in teasing him. that was me in my truly in my happy silly mood.

When I was in the last line before I had to leave Gally. I was talking with someone and they mention how they saw the actors had the dolls on display and they had asked where they gotten them and they all just said someone came and give them the dolls. after hearing that I just felt a bit proud from. Over they had them on display and people were asking about them. it also made me happy I was able to get all the main ones, as at one point I thought I missed Janet and I was like noooo. And when I got to Gally and I given the first doll, I had the thought of "what if the actors talked among themselves and mentioned the dolls popping up" as I told Bonnie I just give one to Colin and I bet Frazer showed people.

Gally was just a very nice place. like we all know we are weird so why not we all be happy about it. like the first day I walked into a elevator with strangers and one was "good morning" and so we all said good morning back. Just how everyone gushed about each others costumes and props, feel to nice. and the ribbons were so nice I was worried about not having any to trade as this was my first time but some people just started handing them out. towards the end I was in another elevator and one person pulled some ribbons out and then another person did the same and then we all started trying to pass them all around before the doors close.

I think it great that the people who were in the classics still want to be apart of doctor who and come to these cons. as like think of all the people who just got into the classics, they wouldn't get to experience it. haha and you can tell my brain is stuck on classic, as I did a little quiz when I was there and one of the questions was list 5 male companion and I was just “Adric!” as you have to yell his name, and then my partner listed all the guys from new who.

I think if I go next year am definitely going to get ribbons and with my dolls I want to do more funny pictures with other people in costumes like I want to find someone dressed as the master and take a picture with a mini dolls or bring my tiny Dalek. I did get this picture and it a bit funny to me. also the idea that I was like "oh can I get a picture... with my dolls?"

if I seem shy, just know I can be like this and I will talk your ear off if you let me.

For Gallifrey I made a 13 scarf, a 13 coat, I re bounded my river book, and made 12 big dolls and 3 mini dolls. and with classes I did a lot of it last minute/during winter break, I even leaned how to cable stitch for a little hat. I will post all the new ones soon, I just need to type up posts. I also have more pictures from Gally I just had to limit myself

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