#They kill off every significant character in stupid ways

[drunk-on-starlight]

Sometimes I remember people genuinely think halo 3 is good or the best halo and have to sit down for a minute

#Halo #It's just so bad #The gameplay sucks the story is meh #They kill off every significant character in stupid ways #Obviously it's fine if you like it but it's easily the worst imo #I'll never forgive it killing Miranda in such a lame fucking way

[amostnobleyandere]

Yandere Diluc x GN Reader Isekai AU

Warnings: minor mentions of death, kidnapping, captivity, !!!yandere!!!, its hinted that Diluc and reader will get married

A/N: this is written more like a long prompt than a ficlet if im gonna be honest, but I liked the premise so :)

——————

That man had looked at you with such disdain.

You had seen it, heard it, hell, you had even read about it, despite how much you regretted doing that now.

This was a world of a romance novel; one you remembered reading before you suddenly passed out and woke up in a body that wasn’t yours and screamed in a voice you didn’t recognize. It was horrifying, to say the least.

It wasn’t until you had picked up a letter on your very nice and very much not yours nightstand that was addressed to a name you recognized from hours of reading over it. You had become the villain of a borderline reverse harem novel. A typical throw away antagonist, someone that didn’t even get to see the end of the book before they were killed off. Your entire purpose was to make trouble for the protagonist, Aether, and act as a catalyst for the love of the second male lead, Diluc Ragnvindr. Who, at the time, was still your fiancé.

The universe was merciful to you, however, as you arrived at a point in the novel in which you still had the opportunity to avoid your fate. The road to death for the character you had unfortunately possessed had all started at a tea party, of all places. And as if that alone wouldn’t be humiliating enough, that tea party was also where the villain would find their first love.

In the novel, the villain was meant to be introduced to the aloof and unfriendly Diluc during a social gathering. Because of his reputation as the roguishly handsome young master of Duke Ragnvindr’s estate and his first son, “you” immediately gained an intense infatuation with the man who was repulsed by your love (obviously, his love is reserved for the main character, so of course he would hate anyone else who even dared to breathe near him). It was the unreciprocated love between the pining villain and the cold and emotionally scarred Diluc that began your path to demise.

Actually, you remembered that the most dutiful readers of the book had actually dubbed that part of the book the Garden Scene (TM). It was the moment when Diluc was driven into his own garden to hide from the preening of his admirers (which included you, as much as it made you want to tear your own hair out).

And there, under the shade of some kind of stupid magical blooming tree, he reunited with the protagonist and his first love/childhood friend, Aether.

The best thing? It hadn’t even happened yet.

That meant that you hadn’t met the second male lead, you hadn’t been a complete and utter ass to the angelic protag for no reason, and you could avoid the whole death-by-sword-wielding-love-interest fate altogether!

Plus, the only way you would die is if you tried to get in the way of the love between Aether and Diluc; which, obviously wouldn’t happen, you certainly weren’t falling in love with him anytime soon. Even if he was rumored to be the most handsome man in all of Teyvat. You weren’t willing to risk death for a pretty face.

You resolved that you’d do your best to avoid the hell out of him. You’d even avoid the hell out of his brother, who was mentioned in the book as another heartthrob that fell for the golden-eyed main character, just to make sure you got your good ending. If you just managed to not follow the plot, you could go on to live a peaceful life free of the heartbreak and love triangles that never seemed to end in the book.

Unfortunately, your plan to avoid your would-be murderer for as long as you could failed pretty quickly. After all, you were the villain and a noble, so it’s no surprise that you were forced to attend every even slightly significant social function.

You got so close to the peaceful end you were looking for. You had even sent a letter to the royal family requesting for the engagement between you and Diluc to finally be called off.

…So why?

Why were you here? Why were you hands tied behind your back? Why were your clothes the only thing separating you from wandering hands, those that clutched at you and pulled you closer to the man they belonged to? Why were you suffocating in a tight, hot embrace, in the arms of a man who was meant to, was destined to, hate you with everything he had? And why, was he looking at you with those pained, adoring eyes, which bore into you as you squirmed in his hold?

Diluc’s expression was one of guilt as he spoke. “I never meant for things to happen this way. I never thought…that I’d feel something like this. I’ve never felt something like this. Not even for him.”

You continued to tug at your binds, purposely looking away from blood red eyes that you knew held guilt, but not remorse. No remorse for the silk that was holding steady against your weak struggles. No remorse for the assault the combination of cologne and firewood was having on your senses, with him so unbearably close to you.

His hand slid onto your face gently, cupping it, momentarily stopping your struggles and making you freeze in place. Diluc crouched down so that he was looking you in the eye and then bent his knee to where it rested on the ground as his eyes roamed your face. You had no choice but to look into those crimson eyes, that now looked too bright as the light from the fireplace seemed to make them come alive. The pure emotion in them was now even more obvious, as the color became brighter than it had ever looked before, swirling with emotion in his irises. It reminded you of the flames he wielded. Your stomach twisted in your gut.

“I never thought I’d be willing to go this far to keep you. Please, forgive me.”

He pulled a chain out from underneath the bed you had been laid upon, and clicked a shackle onto you ankle with gentle hands.

He looked up at you and smiled, a soft, almost shy smile. The rare sight was enough to make his already unnaturally handsome face glow in the warm fire light of the room. You couldn’t bring yourself to enjoy being the one receiving such a loving and devoted look.

“It’s only until the wedding, (Y/n). I promise. Just to make sure you’re safe and where you need to be.”

A hysterical sob escaped your chest as he tugged off your binds and pushed you back onto the soft sheets, looming over you while pulling the covers over your limp body and caressing your head as you wept.

#yandere diluc #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x reader #yandere diluc x reader #yandere genshin x you #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin #yandere genshin impact #male yandere #yandere diluc ragnvindr #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin #genshin impact x reader #yandere #forced marriage #soft yandere #gentle yandere

[yuikomorii]

i think i can forgive yui for anything even toxic simply because she suffered the most because of those guys and deserves to get her lick back. they put her through so much in earlier games, it's insane

// PARDON?? 😀😀

I understand that the Diaboys were bitchy at first and they all treated others as less (which is bad), but other than Laito, Kanato and Carla, nobody made Yui suffer that bad to the point of breaking her. Kou was pretty nasty too at first, but the rest weren’t that horrible route based for characters supposed to be monsters. At the very least, I can name some human LIs who were way worse than most Diaboys, yet nobody seems to hate on them for that. I understand that it must be tiring being pushed around and being treated as “prey”, yet we’re talking about vampires here. They are predators and don’t have the same set of morals as humans do, for this reason humans are a mere food source for them. They can’t live without blood, even if this means having to sacrifice humans to satisfy their hunger. We love cats despite the fact that they like torturing mice before killing them, and that’s because we understand that it’s just how the predator instinct works. The Diaboys might look humanized, but they are a whole difference existence and you shouldn’t hold them at human standards. It’s good that DL showed how vampires were truly supposed to act, instead of making them romantic and flirty from the start.

Even the whole Adam’s apple plan focuses on Eve, a human, making Adam, a vampire, learn about human feelings. One thing about the Diaboys is that they all had growth. If someone is shown regretting their behavior and is genuinely changing into a better person just for you, it’s very insensitive to remind them about what they did a long time ago. They are aware of their actions and they are aware they were in the wrong, therefore bringing up their past mistakes won’t make you a better person than them. A Diaboy could sacrifice everything for Yui and put his life on the verge each and every time she’s in danger, but some of you guys would still only see him as “bad”, which would be a huge insult to his character, given that it would erase all the development he went through.

I’m not going to count the bad endings here, but saying that you forgive all of Yui’s toxic actions is very toxic itself. She is an abuse apologist herself, who tried to convince Ayato that his mother secretly cared for him (despite knowing the full story), Subaru that Karlheinz loved him and the Mukamis that Karlheinz, after he committed a whole genocide, saved them to redeem himself. These are all very wrong. Karlheinz always used everyone for his plans, just like Cordelia used her children for her selfish desires. Neither of them were ever shown regretting their actions. This is just one example of Yui’s toxic actions and I’m not saying that she did them with ill will, but stupidity can make one problematic too. It gives off the same vibes as “but they’re your parents”, after hearing someone talk about how much their parents hurt them.

It’s not that hard to admit that all DL characters have red flags. Nobody in this franchise is meant to be a role model and it’s okay if you don’t like certain actions. I’m a Yui stan, but I get why several people from the otoge community don’t really like her. However, I’m surprised that they see her as really that bad. I mean, she still is mostly kind and sweet, therefore I don’t think her bitchy moments are more significant. Yet, I suppose this has more to do with how they perceive things.

#admin

[starplanes]

A review of Compound Fracture, by Andrew Joseph White (releasing 9/3/24)!

As a big fan of Andrew Joseph White's other books, I had high expectations for Compound Fracture. It lived up to all of them and more! This book is angry, raw, tough, and visceral. It's got a few things in common with Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bears Its Teeth, but also feels very different. Mind the content warnings though, because Compound Fracture goes a lot harder in a few significant ways.

On the night Miles Abernathy—sixteen-year-old socialist and proud West Virginian—comes out as trans to his parents, he sneaks off to a party, carrying evidence that may finally turn the tide of the blood feud plaguing Twist Creek: Photos that prove the county’s Sheriff Davies was responsible for the so-called “accident” that injured his dad, killed others, and crushed their grassroots efforts to unseat him. Miles becomes the feud’s latest victim as the sheriff’s son and his friends sniff out the evidence, follow him through the woods, and beat him nearly to death.

Miles recovers, but at what cost? He becomes torn between the need for his family's safety and his desire to fight the system. Everything gets more complicated when he starts seeing the ghost of his great-great-grandfather, killed by law enforcement after a miner's rebelli0n. It all spirals out of control from there.

Compound Fracture explores the relationship between power and safety, the strength of community, and the lengths one will go to get all three. It questions who is complicit in matters of injustice and how far you're allowed to go to protect what you love. It makes for a tense, thrilling read. I could hardly put the book down once I started. I thought I was going to end up with nightmares because it's all so scary and feels so real. The violence and gore is truly present, but not gratuitous.

The Trans rep was fantastic. I especially enjoyed the reactions of Miles' friends and family to his coming out - mixed and messy, but very realistic. Miles as a character was very fun to read. He makes stupid decisions, but you can understand why. I also adored the anger shining through in every page. As much as this story is a love letter to Appalachia, it's a hate letter to the corrupt systems thriving in America, and makes for a cathartic read.

ps. If you're worried about the dog on the cover and all the violence I talked about, I promise she doesn't die!

#andrew joseph white #compound fracture #book review #releasing september 3

[romulus]

finished reading the terror today and never has a television/film adaptation been so thoroughly better than the novel in both writing, characterization, plotting and themes.

while the terror show keeps close enough to the book for the most of the story, they diverge wildly in the final act. the novel is boring, kills characters off-screen, and jumps between time and characters wildly and with little pattern.

the television show has greater insight into the characters as they operate within the story, but critically also the people they were based on. in real life, goodsir was not only a surgeon, but a biologist who collected and illustrated many specimens in his career, some of which were of great significance. his death scene takes from the first scene where his character is explored, where he comforts a dying david young. as he commits suicide, poisoning his body so it will be deadly for those who consume it, he conjures the images of that which is so beloved and beautiful to him; the complex structures and complexity of the nautical world. it is this and only this which comforts him as he passes.

and in the novel we get a confused and difficult to parse passage, and little further mention of him. there is no acknowledgement of his sacrifice, no moment of grief. the show gives us both these things, using his poisoning his body as his means of bringing down magnus manson, but crozier and silna both get time to be anguished at his death. the novel is written in a way that wants to parse all its characters into their own narratives, while the television show allows their stories to be complicated and inextricable from one another.

the worst part of the novel is unmistakably its treatment of silna. while every other character seems to get their moment of glory, their own personal insight into the narrative, she is specialized and tokenized as the only inuit and woman character to be directly involved in the events of the novel. she is the classic indian princess stereotype: a beautiful but reticent woman who is completely enamoured with our story’s protagonist for no discernible reason. dan simmons justifies this by manipulating the religious beliefs of the area’s native peoples to suit his needs. we never get to see things from her perspective, and the switch of crozier of viewing her as a stupid and clueless savage to realizing her intelligence and skill is instantaneous. we only see her culture, her worldview, through the lens of crozier, and she is reduced to a sexual being, a caretaker, a wife.

the television show does her so much better, but this isn’t saying much, as providing her with any internality would be leaps and bounds above the source material. she gets her own story and motivations instead of becoming an admission that the supposedly completely uninhabitable arctic was indeed habitable and populated by a diverse peoples. as a white person i don’t feel i can speak to the degree to which her representation in the show is a compassionate representation of inuit peoples, but it is an improvement that crozier becomes a character in her story and not the lead actor.

in narrative terms, the novel references relationships that are never previously explored on paper, while relationships that are evident get poor closure. crozier is said to admire pelgar, but no expression of this is explicit in the text beyond the mention that he is fond. the same is with bridgens, where goodsir is said to have admired their conversations, but no such conversation occurs textually.

it’s compelling how a 500+ page novel can accomplish so much less than a 10 episode tv show but maybe that’s just me

#jest makes a post #the terror

[aforgottenballad]

Long post about. ??? Tumblr kinnies of years passed I guess.

I know some people managed to curate their feed better than I did (half of my mutuals at the time would literally hunt you down if you unfollowed/blocked them and demand an explanation, that or make a vague post about you and how their life is over and it's your fault. This was not typical for all Tumblr users but it was a significant culture of mentally ill teenagers anyway.) but I really don't miss what an obsessive-compulsive anxious wreck ~2013-2016 Tumblr made me into. And I do mean that clinically. Like, there were certain series that I was terrified of talking about, not even including ones that were a little bit problematic, because I was afraid that if I expressed that I related to or liked a character too much, either:

- Somebody would find it and tell me to kms because they related more

- People would ask me invasive questions to make sure I had the right "credentials" to relate to/like that character and I would be the one in the wrong if I chose not to answer them or told them it was none of their business. Or if I said yes but didn't provide some kind of proof.

And I want to be clear: These were both very real possibilities at the time and I would have deactivated immediately if either one occured because of how petrifying it was to handle the fallout. I pissed off the SPG fandom once and almost deactivated then too.

You didn't even need to say that you kinned a character back then, if you had an icon of a character or projected on them in any way or showed too much interest in meta of them, people would be like. "Hey you can't do that. Because that character is _ so either prove to me that you're also _ or kill yourself" it was INSANE and I am NOT exaggerating.

There was also the pressure to tag every single post with every possible character and trigger tag that you could think of, so at one point I had over 10,000 drafts and almost nothing in my queue because I was too exhausted to go through and sufficiently tag everything. I still get neurotic about tagging things and putting certain content on certain sideblogs, but tagging something as a fandom and a small blurb of commentary is so much less mortifying than. The fandom, 17 character names, eye contact, hands, feet, open mouths, yellow, body image, exposed arms, etc etc etc.

It all sounds REALLY STUPID now, of course, and it was. Painfully stupid. And I'm still constantly sort of leading myself by the collar away from the impulse to freak out and overexplain and overapologize if I forget a tag or post something that's any less cozy than a picture of a shelf of old books or put something in the wrong place. And I still go back to look through my old posts to make sure that I didn't misspell anything or state something inaccurate or whatever. Sometimes. But it is so much better now and it isn't only because I grew out of it, things have shifted in the way Tumblr as an overarching website handles like. Treating other human beings like human beings. This place is still obnoxious but being here doesn't make me feel like I need to go live in the psych ward so that's nice.

#I don't know what to tag this and it's of no real importance. But I hope it gives you all psychic damage or makes you laugh.

[adamwarlock]

Do you think the 2021 GotG game adapted Adam well? I'm mainly familiar with him from the DnA GotG comics + his random appearances post that and various bits and pieces of older comics from the 70s-90s, and I personally found his portrayal in the game entertaining + interesting with a unique take on the Magus aspect being something that's feeding off of other people's grief, but I'm curious as to what someone more familiar with the character thinks about it all.

Yeah I liked it!!! I didn't really know what to expect from Eidos-Montreal but I was really pleasantly surprised by how good the GOTG game is overall. First time I played it me and my roommate were in genuine hysterics every time Adam opened his stupid mouth, I think it not being bad overloaded my brain or something I like truly couldn't handle it.

Compared to the comics Adam is definitely a biiiiit more exaggerated for comedic effect (like with the constant alliteration/Magus' rhyming) but I think it works, it's fun and rings true to how dramatic and over the top he often is + I LOVE that they leaned into him being this extremely socially inept asshole who wants to do good but just goes about it in the worst ways possible. They really captured his holier-than-thou attitude and general air of self-importance, like Adam instantly asserting his authority over the guardians and butting heads with Peter while everyone constantly makes fun of him because he's such a (sexy) jackass I just 😭 god it's so funny I'm shocked he didn't snap and try to kill everybody sooner.

I also enjoyed their take on the Magus and how they handled the Universal Church of Truth as a whole... It's definitely different but Adam becoming somekinda shapeshifting god parasite isn't TOO big of a leap to make, really, and Raker's alright.

I think the Magus latching onto people's grief to indoctrinate them is a smart way to tie the story/characters together and it provides a nice simple throughline between the Magus and Warlock too, with Adam's desire to help others twisting into this false promise of a universal paradise without suffering. The game doesn't really dip into it but since this Magus was in part created by Adam separating himself from the Soul Gem I feel like "The Promise" serves as a interesting parallel to Soul World; Adam has always felt most comfortable in this idealized haven where he's the de facto leader and there's no conflict or struggle for understanding because everyone is spiritually connected to each other(/him).

The Promise is also a lot like the Goddess' scheme from Infinity Crusade where we see her utilize grief similarly to game!Magus when recruiting people into her death cult, it's a very natural extention of Adam's unsavory manipulation tactics and other hang-ups from the comics.

Having the Magus manifest as this living hunger that grows from our darkest thoughts and impulses is very cool actually BUT. If I gotta nitpick then while I don't mind making Magus more literally nonhuman I do wish we got to see a bit more of him/it as an extention of Adam himself. Most of that internal conflict happens pre-game and gets relegated to exposition and flavor text which is FINE since the game isn't really about Him but you know. He is always the main character in my heart and I would like to see the full corruption arc please. Generally this is maybe more of a preference thing but Magus as Adam from the future >>> Magus as an evil aspect of Adam, while I like both the difference is significant lol.

Alsooooo it's really cute how Adam gets (begrudgingly) accepted by the guardians and learns a little more about the power of love & friendship by the end AND I just wanna know more about all the unanswered questions regarding Adam's pre-game hijinks/death and Thanos' mysterious disappearance... we need a sequel SO bad. 😔

Okay wait, last minute addition but shoutout to the scene where Lady Hellbender hits on Adam and he just clams up like UHHH....... because out of all the characteristics to carry over from the comics I truly wasn't expecting "fear of women" to make the cut.

#anonymous #tl;dr good game!!! much to think about... #also they get extra points for including pip as adam's bestie<3 #somehow totally forgot to mention but it's also really good how they worked in Adam just wanting a purpose #he chooses to help people because he seeks meaning not because it's the morally right thing to do #text

[captain-hen]

People aren't racist for disliking certain characters and they're certainly not racist for not liking Chim or not forgiving him for assaulting a beloved character. You say you care about racism, and yet your URL in for a character played by a known racist. Or do you only care about racism when it doesn't harsh your enjoyment of the show?

don't come into my inbox and be deliberately fucking obtuse. you know very well that this goes beyond disliking a character, this is portraying an Asian man as a violent, aggressive abuser, for one moment of fury he displayed under significant emotional turmoil. this is degrading the extremely important storyline the show had on abuse, by comparing chim to a man like doug, who emotionally and physically abused maddie for years and almost killed her. this saying that a white name is 'normal' as compared to a Korean name. this is a clear show of double standards, when you have a white character like bobby who physically assaulted buck (amongst other displays of violence) but isn't raked over the coals for it. this is the continued vitriol directed at all the characters of color who don't cater to buck's every need.

also, i have a christopher URL, you dumb fuck. and even if it was an eddie URL, your argument is incredibly stupid and it is absolutely deranged to try and make a comparison between me liking a fictional character (not the actor, never have i once excused what ryan did) and the horrific racism in this fandom, the disgusting way this fandom treats characters of color - as either violent or there to coddle and prop up the white characters; the way you treat POC like myself, by ignoring and speaking over us when we call out actual racism in fanworks and otherwise. shut up, grow some braincells and get the fuck off my blog.

#neethu answers #anon #fandom discourse #i love how out of all the things i've said on this blog #'hey don't vilify chim and paint him as an abuser' #is apparently the most controversial #y'all are sick in the head

[screamsviakeyboard]

Really mixed feelings about the Garlean bit. I think there was a kernel of a good idea in the way they're handling Garlemald. The concept of the Evil Empire of Evil's ideology and propaganda not vanishing after it falls is quite interesting and the struggle of the Good Guys trying to help these kind of deranged people has a lot of opportunity for good stories.

I even think the angle they chose is a good one, the idea that we're giving them everything but the autonomy they need is interesting and it raises really cool questions about the nature of intervention and the rights a people should still have before an outside force, even if that force is benevolent and necessary for the people's survival. It also provides an opportunity for the twins to bump up against a significant challenge. It's really fertile ground!

That being said, the execution felt practically infantilizing. The stupid baby racists are going to throw a temper tantrum and LITERALLY DOOM THE WORLD if we don't give them the chance to feel like big boys. If we didn't have a head of state there to give them a transparently pity offer of trade then we were fucked, and even with that one of them still ran off like an angry child to go get killed by one of the robots HE EXPLICITLY REFUSED TO LET THE EORZEANS EXTERMINATE FOR HIM. These guys aren't capable leaders or sympathetic characters, they're idiot manchildren and I hate them. Worse than that, they're idiot manchildren I HAVE to deal with in order to fight the cool void guy, so the whole time I'm watching them whine and complain at us for wiping their asses too well I'm impatiently waiting to actually progress the plot.

I think that the better way to handle this would have been to introduce an actually competent Garlean in charge. Someone who occupied a position of power prior to the fall and consequently kept the trust of the survivors afterwards. They shouldn't like us--we're savages and their enemy--but they should be used to dealing with things they don't like. You don't rise in the empire if you can't make the best out of a shitty situation. They should be conniving, pragmatic, and maybe a little evil, but that should mean that above all else they're aware of their position. They know we have them in a choke-hold, even if we're not squeezing. They should be trying to extract everything they can from our kindness while that lasts, and at the same time taking every measure they can to ensure Garlemald will survive when our kindness runs out.

This is just fantasy now, of course, but I think a character like that would have provided much needed agency to Garlemald's side, and could have used Jullus as an excellent foil. At the same time, it could offer good character development as we see a real Garlean asshole come to terms not only with the fall of the empire but the impossibility of its restoration and the need to continue on regardless. With proper development over the 6.X patches, I think it wouldn't have felt unnatural for this character to come to a begrudging acceptance of the WoL as a force of good, even if that good is too chaotic for their taste.

If you want to get crazy with it, I think they could even have been interesting with the twins. If this is a savvy real politik type, then they would immediately have to recognize that those two are the most powerful political force currently in action. The Scion's political actions have largely been shaped and spearheaded by Alphinaud and the result of this has been the complete transformation of the Eorzean alliance and the world order at large. Previously unthinkable alliances have been forged and the Empire's been beaten back at every turn because of them (and the WoL). But, at the same time, they're so stupidly idealistic. They're building a powderkeg of dreams and it's only a matter of time before they don't send us after a spark in time and the whole thing goes up in flames.

With proper work, this character could present a coherent philosophical challenge to them. And I think the most interesting result would be if both sides managed to temper the other instead of a complete defeat. This Garlean character can poke holes in them, point out how volatile things are, how likely the alliance is to resort to violence once resources become scarce, and Alphinaud and Alisae can say, "you may be right, so let's fix that." And the result can be the beginning of working towards a stable and united Hydaelyn, not just because all the leaders are best friends with the most important white haired people in the world but because they created ways to solve their inevitable disputes peacefully.

IDK, this sort of got away from me. I just wanted to talk about my issues with the Garlemald bit and instead I've invented a character that will never exist, but I think they'd be cool. Maybe at least they help illustrate some of the missed opportunities.

#ffxiv #ffxiv 6.4 #ffxiv 6.4 spoilers #spoilers #long post

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 6: Into Rimecleft

Fairly simple episode this time. Feels like it's been a while (been awhile) since the last show. So let's get right to it.

The Good.

Ah, Critical Role and dreams. Is there a better combo out there? Campaign 2 says: NEIN!

We get a nice little action scene to start things off. And we're really starting to build off the groundwork from the last episode, where Craven Edge, frustrated at the Fire Plane creatures' lack of blood, lurched in Pike's direction.

The implication was clear then. Here it's no longer a mere implication.

Getting to hear Ralph Ineson as Kevdak here for the first time is...Mm! A voice like rusted hinges, years of tobacco, and something dangerous awaiting the opportunity to strike. So good. The CRew really lucked out with their guest actors.

Speaking of which, Tony Plana acting as the second Sphinx is a wholly unique but equally joyful addition. While he's just as slow to warm to Vox Machina as Osysa, he brings a different energy that keeps things from getting repetitive. While she was lofty and dismissive, Kammie was more playful. Even when he doesn't see much in the group, his barbs don't cut as deep even before his moment with Scanlan.

I am a little sad we didn't see the whole thinking with portals puzzle from the original stream (which could've looked incredible in a visual medium) however...

Sam Riegel can strike the perfect balance between absolutely head-in-your-hands ridiculous and sincerely, heartbreakingly heartfelt. And it's a skill I have no shortage of envy for. You keep listening to Scanlan's song and expecting it to be too stupid to make you feel for the Sphinxes....but it never is. And that's just amazing. Still waiting for Seasons 2's OST to drop.

I do like the idea of a spell taking a significant amount of time to cast. It uses spells we've seen a million times to make for one hell of a nail-biter. And it's true to the game in some ways. While Plane Shift wasn't one of them, in-game, some spells take minutes, even hours. Or longer. And that can make things tense if you need every second to cast before something gets close enough to eat your face. 

The Grog Umbrasyl fight was hype. We got first blood drawn on a dragon, and as Marisha says in the watch-along, it'd been a hot minute since Grog got to flex. But you can also see really fast why this is a problem. Not only do the rest of Grog's squishier teammates have to get out, but you could also easily see him killing himself fighting Umbrasyl alone to feed Craven Edge.

And then....well, we'll talk about it next episode. 

I liked some of the little things here too. Percy giving Vex his coat, blushing up a storm, and Keyleth's reaction in the background. Likewise, Keyleth suggesting Vax could ask the Matron for help is a nice bit of setup for later things. Even if it is a little funny in hindsight; stream-Keyleth was almost a flat-earth atheist.

It's interesting to see what the cast has done to change up their characters from the stream.

The Bad. (Or at least not great.)

This is another episode that suffers from some poor pacing. After Grog's dream, little happens until they reach the Sphinx's lair. This is frustrating for me.

Remember how I said in the last episode that the time VM is traveling would be a good place for banter? Not just because it makes sense for them to do because they've got nothing else to occupy themselves while they walk, but because it would also help with character and world-building? All that is just as true here as in the last episode. But it'd also help with pacing.

There's a little bit here, but it's mainly bouncing from one two-to-three-sentence conversation to another. We could do more with the time.

Something that could help draw up suspense, for example, is having the crew talk with each other about how hard things have been so far; what's meeting the second Sphinx going to be like? Do they think they can convince them the way they did Osysa? Do they think they have a chance to get the other Vestiges? Do they believe those weapons will be enough to defeat the dragons?

That kind of thing makes for a good through-line for the Chroma Conclave plot that keeps things interesting even when the characters are just traveling and not doing much. The way things are now, it's like the writing team is just killing time until the action starts. And the banter was one of the best parts of the original stream.

I have...mixed feelings about the Sphinx's death. The Kaiju fight helps establish Umbrasyl as the boss of the season. It was also just really cool to watch...

But I can't help but worry this will be the writing CRew's go-to when they need to portray something as a threat or when they want to surprise stream watchers: just kill a character that survived in the original. And...yeah, nah. I'm not into that. I'll admit to being sentimental, and usually, I'll gravitate more toward happy endings than tragic ones, but I can enjoy the latter if it's earned and set up well. This death doesn't bother me as much as Archie's, but it does bother me a little. 

Nitpicks:

This line is...kind of awkward:

Vex'ahlia: Hard to believe we're gonna find a Sphinx in this forsaken place. (shivers) I'm as cold as a corpse, and I'd rather not repeat that experience.

Maybe something like this?

Vex'ahlia: Hard to believe we're gonna find a Sphinx in this forsaken place. (shivers) Wouldn't it be hilarious if I died and was brought back, only to freeze to death out here before we found the damn thing?

And this:

Keyleth: The entire range is eternally cold. Well, except for Pyrah. There's a myth about it, actually. A thousand...

Scanlan: Uh, m-maybe we just save the myth? My balls are ice cubes.

Me (tearing my hair out): AH! Maybe a myth will help take your mind off your balls for once, Scanlan!? Give me my damn lore.

And this line is just...I know it's Scanlan, but what does one have to do with the other??

Mostly a set up episode for what's to come. Overall not bad, could be better. But I think things really start to ramp up in the next batch.

#critical role #the legend of vox machina #tlovm #the legend of vox machina review #tlovm review #tlovm s2 #tlovm s2 review #scanlan shorthalt #pike trickfoot #grog strongjaw #percy de rolo #keyleth #vax'ildan #vex'halia #vox machina #matt mercer #sam riegal #liam o'brien #ashley johnson #laura bailey #travis willingham #taliesin jaffe #marisha ray #tony plana #ralph ineson #into rimecleft #tlovm s2e6 #titmouse #improvements to awesomeness #Kevdak

[partywithponies]

Since the only way I can work is by liveblogging the writing process, here's a rundown of the notable OCs in my A2A fic Fallen Angel:

(a lot of this info will probably never be mentioned in the actual fic since some of these OCs are very VERY minor characters who will only be mentioned once or twice, but I will know, and that's the main thing)

Somewhere Else:

The sentient void that Alex is lost in. It doesn't want her there and is trying to get rid of her by getting inside her head and exposing her to the horrors and hurting her, breaking down her soul bit by bit. What is the Somewhere Else? Who knows. It's ancient and all powerful and Alex messing about inside it refusing to die (so to speak. she's dead. but her immortal soul is still kicking) is messing with the very fabric of the afterlife. Is the Somewhere Else a sinister nightmarish form of God? Who knows. I'm the one writing this fic and I have no idea what kind of whack-ass horrific theology I'm inventing here.

DI Terrence Lyndon:

Some dickhead in Heaven who died peacefully of an unspecified illness with no significant baggage who never passed through Gene's world. A friend of Sam's ever since Sam arrived in Heaven. Thinks Alex is stupid and selfish for disrupting everyone else's afterlife just so she can try to escape Heaven, thinks Ray, Shaz, and Chris are stupid and irresponsible for continuing to stay loyal to Alex, and thinks Annie is a backstabbing cow for going behind Sam's back to help Ray and Shaz help Alex after Sam explicitly told them all not to do that.

PC Geoffrey Denton:

Died in the late 50s. One of the first coppers to join Gene in his world, and a good friend of his, once, though he suspects Gene has long since forgotten he even existed. Moved on to the Railway Arms before Ray or Chris arrived. Has been waiting a very long time for Gene to join him. Refuses to ever leave the bar though, just in case. Was part of Sam and Lyndon's Heavenly friend group, but honestly has got a bit bored of waiting around for something interesting to happen, and whatever the hell's going on with Alex Drake is the most exciting thing that's happened in decades, and he's thrilled to find out what happens next.

WPC Jennifer Field:

Died in the 1960s. Good friend of Geoff's. Moved on at the same time as him. Denies they're anything more than friends but also continues to sit at the bar every day just because Geoff is still there, so she's staying too. Was awed and impressed by Alex's great escape, but was only fully won over to her side when she saw Ray punch Lyndon in the face. She thought that was awesome, and if it was loyalty to Alex that caused Ray to that, and Alex basically breaking the afterlife that caused violence to even be possible in Heaven, then she's down to join in too.

DS Raphael Fitzroy:

Not a true OC, since this is my version of the iPhone guy from the finale, but since I made his name, rank, personality, and backstory up myself, he's basically an OC. Got pushed off a building by a criminal in 2010 and is now in a coma. Was a newly promoted DI back in 2010 and is unhappy to find he's now a DS again. Does not trust Gene at all. Knew of Alex Drake when she was alive, respected and admired her work, followed the story of her murder quite closely in the news. Has put up with a lifetime of people making fun of how posh and poncey his name sounds so prefers to go by either Just Raph™ or Just Fitz™. Gene naturally ignores this and makes fun of his name constantly. Is convinced Gene is the embodiment of some kind of infection on his brain, there to make him suffer and drive him slowly insane. Short tempered and easily frustrated but also has a tendency to freeze completely in the face of fear or danger, which is how his little accident happened in the first place.

DC Sarah Hawkins:

Another new arrival in Gene's world. Fell under a tube train in 2011 and was killed instantly, so aside from some oddly vivid dreams and an irrational fear of the tube, doesn't remember anything about her life or death or being from another time. Incredibly earnest, a little overly serious and doesn't really get jokes or sarcasm, but is very eager to please and desperate to be liked. Very much likes both Fitz and Gene and wants them both to like her, but her overly serious nature makes it hard for them to realise she's trying to be their friend, plus Fitz wants to go home and doesn't think she's even real so takes his anger and frustration out on her, and Gene is angry with her just for not being his old team and also taking it out on her. She's doing her best.

Bruno:

The new owner of the establishment formerly known as Luigi's. Some vague unspecified relative of Luigi. Young, tall, Italian, and eccentric. Runs the restaurant like he's not only never run one before but also like he's only got the vaguest idea of how they even work. Gene thinks he behaves like this is his first time in the real world and he's only just figuring out how to be a normal human. (Given the vague nature of barmen in this world, that very well may be the case, but Gene doesn't know that.)

#a2a #fanfic #fic wip #ocs

[mylifeincinema]

My Week in Reviews: November 13, 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ryan Coogler, 2022)

Well... they made the best out of a tragic situation.

The beginning is extremely emotional, and thankfully its heft is carried throughout the entire film, fueling the story and characters in an effective and interesting way. The world-building is great, but seems a bit too contained (to Wakanda, at least) for this point in this phase of the MCU. (Though, those who think things are getting TOO interconnected could use the same to argue the opposite... y'know, "this is exactly what the MCU needs at this point" type thing. I disagree, but not entirely.)

I, for the most part, enjoyed how they dealt with Namor. I AM worried they're trying to make him too much of a force without his earning it within the context of the MCU, though. (Especially with the Hulk and Thor comparisons Coogler's been making in the press.) That trend is my least favorite aspect of the recent new additions, every major moment we got from the original six felt entirely earned. Thankfully, all of Shuri's moments feel totally earned. Danai killed it, once again... I'll gladly take a Dora Milaje Disney+ show, right now, please. And it definitely needed more Martin Freeman... the MCU needs more of those political espionage/old-school spy movie vibes, in general. The Winter Soldier is STILL the best film in the MCU and we need more like it. I cannot wait for Secret Invasion (but I digress).

However, at the end of the day, it was STILL missing something. (Yes, definitely him. But no, I mean something else.) I can't quite put my finger on what, but it felt significant. (Again, no... not him. But yes, definitely him.) Coogler's work is great, despite that, though. And Ludwig and the entire music department slaughtered it, unsurprisingly. Fantastic work all around... he's clearly on the hunt for Oscar #2. Same with the costume and production designers. Just beautiful work all over this film, once again. - 7.5/10

Tár (Todd Field, 2022)

It's rare to see direction as patient as Todd Field's is here never lose any tension or momentum throughout its film. No wonder this film so completely understands the role of a composer. Tár is a balanced, wholly effective powerhouse of a piece; an orchestra of power, control, and the struggle to maintain the former while losing the latter, and vice versa. And that's all before we even get to Cate Blanchett. She is an absolute revelation, here. Her drive, her obsession, her control over even the most minuscule aspects of this character. It's all so beautifully brought to life with cold detachment veiling unrestrained passion. What a performance. What a film. - 9.5/10

Bullet Train (David Leitch, 2022)

It's a stupid, messy, silly movie. If you went in expecting anything more and left angry you didn't get it, that's your own dumb-ass fault. Not every movie needs to change or elevate its genre. It's okay to not take everything so damn seriously once in a while and enjoy a shit-show of a live-action cartoon on a train. It's fun to have fun. Points off for the unnecessary cameos. More points off for wasting Zazie Beetz. Then points added for Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. - 7/10

Armageddon Time (James Gray, 2022)

An all-around fantastic cast saves this one from it's sluggish pacing and ham-fisted handling of its themes. Hopkins is obviously the standout, but Jeremy Strong steals damn-near every scene he's in. - 7/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

#film #movies #black panther: wakanda forever #Black Panther #Tár #armageddon time #bullet train #movie reviews #film review #2022 movies #my week in reviews #movie #cinema

[cospinol]

character song tag game!

tagged by @nerice <333 to pick some theme songs for my main characters! This is such a fun tag game concept thank you thank you<3 tagging no one b/c i’m shy, if you’re reading this you should play too though etc

Answering for hbtw main girls as always! 

io: the woods // ohbijou

And I go outside  To see familiar lives Race through to finish lines then start again Come on!

it’s so hard to choose just one top song for her (please know that i was excruciatingly close to going with end of time by cocorosie instead) but this is her very first one and still i think the best one for bringing together both her cautious exploration project and her observer’s detachment :’) that’s my girl

anymede: instigator // kevin devine

I keep it down, do it just like you tell me to I draw it straight as I possibly can I come as close to the truth as I ever do I take some liberties, I am what I am

my first instinct was actually a song with an extremely different tone for her (dig up the dead by mansions) but i think at the end of the day this is a less esoteric portrait of her (an extremely good girl) and her big stupid shounen protagonist dream achievable-only-through-extensive-bloodshed, but also that none of it is as complex as that :’) hope this makes sense lol

robin: the courtesan has sung // sunset rubdown Think of the scene where a washed-up actor wipes the makeup off his wife And says, “Morticians must have took you for a whore”

:’) unlucky girl gets kind of a mean song. partially for the sake of atmosphere but also partially for some literal facts of various secret plots and plotlines she’s up to >:)

hierai: saltkin // purity ring

The crawling animals will seek all things warm, all things moist I will relentlessly shame myself In rest, in wake, in front of my truly born beloved

another extremely early status-defining song! i’ve been thinking recently about hi’s early heavy association with salt as a taste specifically because how it’s ended up tying into multiple later plotlines involving significant Teardrops / their place at the root of all things. not really related to the song just a little hihi fact

and this post is very long already but i’m obviously not going to leave it without emen songs so. a pair of classics:

emery: sleeping sickness // city and colour

I’ve become a simple souvenir of someone’s kill And like the sea, I’m constantly changing from calm to ill Madness fills my heart and soul As if the great divide could swallow me whole

:’) it’s the time of year to be thinking abt this song for various reasons but some of the ways it touches down for him (a simple souvenir) are incredibly specific, also he deserves a little wallowing in misery every now and then

ehen: rabbit will run // iron & wine 

Last I saw mother, she acted surprised When they caught me, the captain, he cried like a child ‘Cause a rabbit will run, but good dogs together go wild

:). i will not be commenting on this one actually, even though i have many many thoughts about it, because they are all deeply embarrassing<3 good night

#i feel like these are all very Obvious songs but they're also all like early character-playlist-cornerstone ones from 2014 or so #so pls cut me a little slack lol #tag games #txt #not necessarily a Nanopost because tbh i'm wavering a bit for no good reason #but also there was no way i was gonna do any other main cast than this one either way<3 despite everything etc etc

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

For the early days of Funkadelic's career the funk definitely took a backseat to the psychedelic. And while there are funky elements throughout Maggot Brain the real star is guitarist Eddie Hazel. I think Eddie Hazel is one of the best guitarists ever, his work in Funkadelic and his solo career is a blend of psychedelic, blues, hard rock, funk, and jazz and no one blends them all the way Hazel does. On the middle of the album Hazel plays fuzzy heavy riffs especially on You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks and Super Stupid. And on the ten minute opening and closing tracks he shows off his improv skill by playing delicate strings of jazzy riffs that create a beautiful stream of consciousness style solo. Obviously every single ayer on this album is a master at what they do but if its early Funkadelic, especially Maggot Brain and Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On, then Eddie Hazel is your god.

U2 - The Joshua Tree

This is an enjoyable album. The 135th best album ever? Oh my god no. U2 are factory default music. They are plain, unsalted potato chips. Bono is incredible at reaching into the void and pulling out the platonic ideal of banality. Like these guys can write decent music, but there is no soul. Inside those jangly chords and melodramatic vocals is just a bunch of guys who want to be famous and will do anything to get there except be sincere.

Fugees - The Score

In terms of rhyming, flow, storytelling capabilities, expansive vocabulary, beat crafting, and whatever else you want out of a hip hop record The Score is possibly the greatest record of all time. Wyclef Jean in charge of production and bringing a casual style of rap with heavy use of Haitian creole, Miss Lauryn Hill with a tough stacatto style while also bringing beautiful singing, and furtive Pras so easily forgotten. The mix of reggae and jazz into the hip hip beats made for some very unique flow and makes the group stand out on the basis of their instrumentals alone. But the rap skills of the rest of the group are completely insane and all three are ao perfectly in sync with each other. The lyrics are effortlessly cool and intelligent as fuck at the same time. There are absolutely no throw away tracks on here. Every single song could and should have been a smash hit single. And to be fair Ready Or Not and Fu-Gee-La did become huge hits and the transcendent cover of Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly is one of the most evergreen songs in hip hop history. The Score has stood the test of time and become one of the most belived albums for a reason.

Joni Mitchell - Hejira

At this point in her career Joni Mitchell was an unparalleled genius at artistic expression. A little folksy and very jazzy, especially with the help of fretless bassist Jaco Pastorius, Mitchell is in the zone here. Every song developing its own complex series of characters and symbols. This is Joni Mitchell's most complete and cohesive work, although i personally have a slight preference for the less focused Hissing Of Summer Lawns.

Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits

What am i even supposed to say at this point? Sure I like Hank Williams but if you cant actually point to an album that is significant to call one of the 500 greatest then just choose aomething else. Hey there have only been three or four metal albums total and one electronic album so far. Why not choose some of that? Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, Judas Priest, Converge, Rainbow, Entombed, Gojira, Sepultura, Devin Townsend, Voivod, Opeth, Between The Buried And Me? Theres a list of metal bands with top 500 tier albums. Andy Stott, Carl Craigg, 808 State, The KLF, Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Robert Hood, The Orb, Justice, Moodyman, The Field, Leftfield, Mr. Oizo. There I gave you some electronic artists too. This list sucks. Oh yeah and Hank Williams is like the father of country music and is really good and important or whatever.

#500 album gauntlet #funkadelic #U2 #fugees #joni mitchell #hank williams

[ithisatanytime]

Pizzicato Five - Baby Love Child (Official Video) ... Well, you know tha...

 theres also a great scene, i dont have much to say about it i just think its really funny, but there is a town meeting and sherrif truman is sort of pointing people out to agent cooper filling him in on the whos who in twin peaks, cooper asks “whos the glad handing dandy?” about benjamin horn and truman gives him a lengthy explanation, explaining that hes shaking the hand of josie packard whos husband practically founded twin peaks, but died in a boating accident, that he isnt interested in her but her money, and then coop asks “whos the lady with the log?” and it cuts to an old lady holding a log like an infant while flicking a light switch on and off and he says “we call her the log lady”

  i laugh out loud every time, its interesting to note that all the detailed subterfuge and intrigue that truman explains to cooper ends up being in many ways inconsequential in comparison to the log lady and how significant she is to the real story underlying twin peaks. i believe that at some point, and ive never seen anyone else mention this though im sure they have, at some point, when conceiving either twin peaks either david lynch or mark frost, most likely lynch who am i kidding, was intrigued with the idea of trees having souls, and haunting a logging town, i believe this idea was foundational to the conception of twin peaks but never really touched on. the “Ghostwood” estates is the development project ben horne is working on, the ultimate fate of josie packard speaks to this, as does the log lady, so do the woodsmen.as stupid as this sounds, im convinced that the bad things that happened in twin peaks were at some point conceived to have been a result of tree spirits taking revenge on the town of twin peaks for its lumber industry. weirdly it was the constant shots of stuffed mounted animal heads that finally convinced me, at first i thought they were meant to be references to the characters they would be associated with but there was no discernible language in that, i think its simpler than that, there are numerous establishing shots of mounted stuffed animal heads, and also establishing shots or transition shots of logs being sawed by heavy machinery, we kill trees and make elaborate figures and houses out of their corpses, its similar in a way to hunting and stuffing animals, this could be a reach.

#youtube

[canisolveagatha]

Chapter 5(4 disappeared somehow…)

Thoughts on the writing

WTF I love Emily now. Seriously though, things are finally heating up, we have our first Death, we’ve got the premise, and all the outward details of each characters storied past out in the open, so we’re finally past the exposition stage. Not that I have a problem with Agatha’s exposition, she’s a phenomenal stage-setter, but there’s nothing like that slip from “Where’s where we are” to “Shit is happening”.

I think the most poignant thing that Christie does here is establish, point out, and chide our weakness for shitty people who make us love them through sheer force of will. The two “villains” in this scene are, of course, Lombard and Marston. Both of them show a callous disregard for human life. They represent two archetypes we see frequently in modern literature (And modern politics unfortunately): The monster who puts on no pretense about his identity as a villain, and the fool who does not recognize the impact of his actions on others, and so can barely be considered a villain. These two murderous archetypes have been used for as long as I have been reading, and they never fail to deliver. I rooted for Bray Wyatt against John Cena, and if there’s a man worth more than Jason Mendoza, I don’t want to meet him because my face would probably melt off, Raiders of the Lost Arc style.

That said.

I love how much of a balance Agatha Christie strikes here. I love that, in spite of her own racist inclinations, Christie does not make one single bone about Lombard being, as Shakespeare would put it, a damned, dealing villain, I love that every other person looks at him with shock and disgust, when he describes how “Natives don’t care about dying the same way we do”. I also love that she fucking crosses the child killer off her(I assume, Extensive) murder list, as her first target. Cuz I don’t care if he’s too stupid to understand the consequence of his actions. I don’t care if when I picture him, I get a little turned on because boy can Christie write a bad boy archetype like no ones’ business. He kills two children and he deserves to have been brought to some sort of justice. And while this blogger believes that vigilante justice is often the work of weak chinned self-inserters who would have NO idea what to do in an active shooter situation (Why is Trump here? Why is he here? It’s been two years and he’s chillin in my solve blog), there’s some entertainment in watching the Immortal Man get what’s coming to him. If Lombard is next, I wouldn’t lose much sleep, but I think she’ll keep him around for longer in order to give us someone to root against. Everyone else is at least at this point presumed to be a victim.

Liked this chapter a lot. Getting the reactions from everyone was a very solid payoff. I have been wondering what is up with the foreshadowing on Marston the whole time. They kept describing him as seeming immortal and full of life. I knew his death would be significant, now I know why. It was the breaking of the seal. Christie wanted to make VERY sure that we felt this first one from the characters’ perspective.

I find the way she is using the doctor and the detective as authority figures to be interesting. It reminds me of a game of Werewolf or Mafia, it behooves the killer to kill the people who might have a hand on thwarting them early. But this killer, or as you will later in this post read, killers, seem to be totally in control of the situation, The job will get done, one way or another.

What a fucking Hypocrite Macarthur is. My god. Bitching at Lombard about abandoning men with what he did. What a lil bitch.

Important Questions

Who is going to die next?: IDK, I don’t think any of my foreshadowing pan out as I thought it would ;A; I couldn’t have picked Marston as the choking victim if you paid me, so who knows if any of my predictions will come to pass. Then again, maybe Christie doesn’t feel the need to pander to her audience, maybe she puts foreshadowing in where it feels natural and not where it doesn’t. After all, if she put in a nod to every single one of them, I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one who solved the mystery before it was even begun. Maybe some of these are…red Herrings.

Who is innocent and who isn’t?: I think this is a more fun question than any other, even whodunnit. I think Vera, MacArthur, Emily, and the Rogers’s are just completely undeserving of the accusations they’re getting. Marston certainly wasn’t blameless, nor is Dr. Armstrong. Lombard. Obviously. I think Wargrave could go either way, I’m very torn on him. Blor seems too guilty to not have some true blame in what he did.

How did the poison get in Marston’s Glass?: On one hand, Emily is the only person who does not rush out to see the gramaphone. She would be with the unattended glass, and therefore able to slip the poison in. It would also explain some of her demeanor, and the statement “In the midst of life, we are around death”. This could allude to the fact that she knows the killer is still in the room, because it’s her.

On the other hand, the Rogers’s are sketchy as shit. That fainting thing I mentioned in the Chapter 4 post, and them having control over food and drink? Pretty suspect. Could be either of these two.

Who took the china doll: I think each character is instructed to take their piece once they’ve killed a person. Or. Something like that. Still working out the details on this Battle Royale Theory.

How does the Organizer know all these things?: I have two theories on this: First, that the organizer is a set of individuals. Armitage, Hugo, people who have been wronged by the 10 and are seeking revenge. Two: not very different, that the organizer is one person, but is getting the info from these people. I think this is more likely, because how would all these people have met. I mean. Strangers on a Train works a lot less well if there’s like 10 people yammering about forging a murder agreement. I think it would have to be someone involved in law. Someone who had seen all these cases and had the connections to have seen them come and go. Most of the 10 have mentioned, or do not need to mention, that legal proceedings were a part of their situation. Someone who had seen these cases, or heard of them, and got an inclination that justice was being miscarried. In any case, many of the individuals who are hiding something have mentioned a person they knew who could have been a witness to their deeds. We’ll see how this plays out.

What happens next

Well, presumably the 9th little soldier boy is going to kick off. We now have pretty definitive proof that they’re going to go in order, so next will be someone who “Stays In Bed”. Pretty clear cut. Someone is going to die overnight.

So, all these characters have gone to bed, so conceivably any of them could be the one who “Doesn’t wake”, but I think it’s either going to be Macarthur (Doubtful, I think he’ll be the one who “Stays behind”, based on his whole weird semi-suicidal monologue.

), because we have about as much closure as we need on his story, or, highly more likely, Mrs. Rogers. She is specifically mentioned as having gone to bed and is sleeping, and we don’t need perspective from her to get closure on the Rogers story. We can get that through Rogers.

Whodunnit

Fuck it: NARRACOTT! NARRACOTT! I’m going with my weird ass theory that this dude in the boat is the mastermind behind it all!

Okay. Here’s a fucking NUTS theory: what if each of them is supposed to kill the other. Hear me out. Each of them has something for which they could be blackmailed, accurate or no, and each of them has dealt closely with death, and in the organizer’s(as I will now be calling the party or parties responsible for this situation) eyes, they’re all already murderers. And yes, we’ve got a light into each of these peoples’ minds, but that has never stopped any good author from concealing what they need to. What if this isn’t Saw, what if it’s Battle Royale?

The one problem I have with this theory is Narricott. No, I’m not stuckon that wild Hare theory still, now that I have something juicier. What I mean is that he has a whole bit while driving them out to the island, where he talks about the last group to go out there and muses on them like a total creep. If this was a battle royale situation, that still requires an organizer, if it’s happened multiple times. I suppose Narricott could be the organizer, but idk, that just seems off. He seems smart enough to be a murderer, but not necessarily smart enough to run a Battle Royale by Request service. Then again, who knows, we saw only a small glimpse into his head, enough to know he’s in on it.

#solve blog #agatha christie #and then there were none #ATTWN #mystery #mystery literature