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gentlebeardsbarngrill · 1 month

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03/18/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast&Crew; Samba; Leslie Jones; Taika; Rachel House; Rhys; Kristian; New Weekly Event Calendar; YouWear50Well; Ranker; AdoptOurCrew Rhys Radness; Fan Spotlight; Fundraiser Status; Kudoboard; Watch Parties; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika

Hey friends! Thank you for the kind words about my head injury! So far so good, not dead yet-- although I am a bit out of it so I apologize if i'm not totally articulate! I appreciate you all reaching out and sending love <3 You are the best crew ever!

= Cast & Crew Sightings =

== Samba More BTS ==

Samba gave us a whole bunch more BTS today! This time regarding the Spanish Jackiez Set! (I ran out of room for images on this so please visit the stills links for the pile of pics Samba dropped.)

Stills #1: Spanish Jackiez Stills

Stills #2: More Spanish Jackiez Stills

Video #1: Matthew confirming stuff

Video #2: "Hey Hey, Just mee and my big swords here" - Erroll

Video #3: "Are you a husband Kristian?"

Video #4: Flaming Bananas Practice

Video #5: Flaming Bananas Take

== Leslie Fucking Jones ==

Just, what can I say, this woman is on fire every time I see her. <3

SRC: Leslie Jones IG

== Taika ==

Taika was all over the place today, which is AWESOME! It's so good to see him feeling more comfortable posting on SM again, he also apparently is in some sort of influencer era because he keeps posting product reviews, which is hilarious and awesome.

=Rachel House =

Rachel House directed The Mountain, and Taika helped Produce it, she's out exhibiting the soundtrack that's available now!

Are you currently in Aotearoa (New Zealand)? They've got some screenings of the Mountain and Q & A sessions with Rachel! Visit the @temauunga linktree for more information and availabilities!

= Rhys =

For those of you not already aware-- Rhys is having a cameo on Night Court! As the Duke of Greybog. Available on Peacock!

= Kristian Nairn =

Just Kristian being sweet and continuing to keep us updated

= Gizmo = Poor Gizmo is missing Theo.

== Mar 18 - 24 Event Calendar ==

March 19th: London Billboard Round 2!

== YouWear50Well ==

Early reminder! The 21st is Rhys' Birthday! Since it'll be the 21st for some crew members earlier than others, @yronnia was kind enough to give us information early regarding the 50th birthday news! Please be sure to Post your birthday wishes to Rhys and show him your appreciation! Send your fanart and other creations using #YouWear50Well. Please Note: Please do not tag Rhys repeatedly! He's going to be getting a lot of notifications. Even just having notifications under #YouWear50Well will help keep everything visible :)

== Ranker ==

Wanna help boost Our Flag Means Death? There's another Ranker poll! Remember to rank OFMD up, and other shows down if you want to help keep OFMD up. Obviously vote how you like though :)

== Adopt Our Crew: Rhys Radness ==

So something I didn't cover yesterday was all the Rhys Radness going on over on Twitter! The first round of votes results were:

There are 4 categories: Movies, Commercials, Short Poppies, and Television

Todays options were:

Now one thing you'll notice, is the tv-show category between Stede Bonnet & Charles, and Steve and Murray got a bit out of hand. Most of the rest of the polls ranged in the 200-400 votes-- while those two ranged in the 7-9000K votes. Obviously somebody was having some bot fun. What's interesting is that during the day, once the bots started, they were heavily favoring Charles, and Murray, then the other half of they day they were heavily favoring Stede and Steve! We'll see who wins later tonight!

== Fan Spotlight! ==

Two more cast cards! This time Connor Barrett and Michael Crane! Our two captive Englishmen from Season 1! Thank you @melvisik for keeping these going :D

= MaxFanFaves =

Our dear crewmate @iamadequate1 has been hosting their own #MaxFanFaves on Twitter-- and its down to the final 4!

Coyote Vs Acme / Harley Quinn, and Our Flag Means Death / Gentleman Jack!

== Kudoboards closing soon =

Last chance! Thank you to @sharpenyersword on Twitter for setting up ALL THE KUDOBOARDS! Rhys' birthday kudoboard will close on the 20th, the rest will close on the 22nd.

Go send the cast and crew some love folks!

Rhys Darby's Birthday

David Jenkins

Nathan Foad

Con O'Neill

Ruibo Qian

Leslie F*cking Jones!

Matthew Maher

Vico Ortiz

Samson Kayo

Alex "Ass Tonight" Sherman!

David Fane

Kristian "Wee John Wednesdays" Nairn!

Samba "BTS and Baking King" Schutte!

Fellow OFMD Fan Crew!

== Taika Kudo Board ==

LAST DAY FOR TAIKA!

= Watch Parties =

== Wrecked ==

There are sources being passed around. If access is an issue, DM @iamadequate1 on Twitter or Tumblr

Season 3 watch from March 18th to March 22nd.

Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST. Watch two episodes per day. Episodes are 21-22 minutes each. Use the following Saturday for the tags/watch if interested but not able to make this time.

Hashtags:

#WreckedPirates

#SaveOFMD

#RhysDarbyFaction

New watch parties!

Movie: Boy Date: Sunday March 31st at Time: 10am EST / 2pm GMT. We're watching Boy (2010) Hosted By: @tillychmo & @regg_official Location / Hastags: TBA

== Fundraiser Statuses ==

eSIMS and Sanitary Products for Gaza

03/10/24 - $5689 / 191 Supporters / 71 %

03/11/24 - $5814 / 194 Supporters / 72%

03/18/24 - $6558 / 248 Supporters / 81%

Getting close all!

= In Soup Now =

03/10/2024 - £925 / 39 supporters / 18%

03/11/2024 - £1183 / 47 supporters / 23%

03/18/24 - £1833 / 69 supporters (nice) / 36%!

Still going-- 12 days left!

== Love Notes ==

Hey Lovelies. It's that time again. Time for me to gush over you for a bit.

Look at you! Go look at yourself in the mirror. Whether you see dark circles under your eyes, someone you can't recognize, or someone feeling put together --- You're gorgeous inside and out.

You are a tenacious, strong, amazing person, and whether you are where you want to be or not, you are making progress.

You're doing so well, even when it feels like you're not. Progress is so hard to gauge when you're living it-- but I know, because I talk to you all every damn day, that you are getting there. You bring out the best in every one around you, and you do so without even knowing it.

Even when things feel down, just know we can see you growing and you bring so much joy to our lives. I continue every day to be thankful for finding this little corner of the internet, for letting me meet each and every one of you.

Nothing can stop you lovelies-- nothing at all.

You're gonna get there, it just may take some time--

Remember to take breaks and get some rest if you can, it always makes things feel more manageable. But whatever you do, don't give up <3

We're here and we believe in you.

Love you crew, <3

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

Tonight's theme-- Driving! ... or parking, in Murray's case. And NO this does not indicate who I voted for. Putting Murray vs Steve was cruel to be honest, how am I supposed to choose between those two!? Darby Gif Courtesy of: @ofmooshd This terrible Taika gif is courtesy of me, cause I was gonna put it in his sighting section then realized I could just put it here.

#ofmd #our flag means death #daily ofmd recap #daily ofmd recaps #ofmd daily recap #ofmd daily recaps #taika waititi #rhys darby #kristian nairn #rachel house #samba schutte #leslie jones #leslie fucking jones #kudoboard #ofmd bts #save ofmd #long live ofmd #save ofmd crew #adopt our crew

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blainesebastian · 2 years

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best friends

words: 5,502 ship: austin butler x reader summary: (request from @killerqueenfan ) Reader and Austin have been friends for years since they were teenagers. They are very close and the reader has been in love with Austin for years but keeps it a secret to not mess up the friendship. (read more about this prompt here) notes: masterlist on my sidebar! I so enjoyed writing this--I think this might be one of my favorite ones :) thanks for the request! warnings: none tag list: @karamelcoveredolicity, @elizabethrosecresswell

Here’s the thing about being in love with your best friend: it’s easy to ignore in a handful of ways. At some point you just begin to form a list that talks about all the points in which you remind yourself why it’s a bad idea to even cross that line. It outweighs the pros, by far, and after a while you stop second-guessing your decisions.

Right?

Maybe it’d be easier if it wasn’t Austin Butler, you think about that a lot.

When you were teenagers, it didn’t really matter, you were both nobodies who hid out in the tree house that your mom helped your dad build when you were seven and snuck just-baked cookies out of the kitchen to eat until you were sick. In high school, you’d hide out up there to smoke and drink and sleep, even though Austin’s long and gangly limbs were beginning to be too much for the small space.

1. He sees you as this dorky kid from middle school with braces.

You two have been there for one another through everything under the sun, good and bad on both sides. Losing family members and going to proms, that cross-country driving trip that seemed like such a good idea at the time until the car ran out of gas, first pets and first kisses, terrible boyfriends and stuck-up girlfriends, countless of auditions and callbacks for films and television shows that sometimes worked out and other times didn’t, interviews for your own work and the possibility of moving away and Austin promising the long distance could work if it needed to.

You never told him that there was no way you could leave him.

2. Telling him how you feel could ruin your friendship.

The Elvis process has been interesting to say the least, you always knew that Austin would do great things but you never knew it’d take so much of his time and effort. Two complete years, closed off from anyone he’s known and cared about, perfecting a craft to bring an incredible story to life. You can’t be prouder of him, but that time apart had been hard to live with, for both of you.

Seeing him afterwards and hugging him, his arms folding you into his chest, nothing has ever felt more like home.

And you think you fell in love with him a bit more each day you were apart. Absence makes the heart grow stronger.

Or forgetful.

There are moments where you convince yourself that Austin could be without you, that some people are only in your lives for seasons, that he’s been met with so many different and new experiences that he won’t need you anymore.

And yet he playfully calls you babe and kisses your forehead when he says goodbye, and says I love you and means it.

You’re just so sure it’s not the same way you say it back.

3. If you lose him, you don’t know what you’d do.

You’re incredibly close, that’s something that’s always been in place. And no matter what Austin goes through, personally or career wise, he makes sure to loop you in. He doesn’t forget about you, which you appreciate because you’re not always sure where you fit in when it comes to his life. You of course have a life of your own, but you’d be willing to carve out any shape necessary to fit him.

He's busier and busier lately and no one deserves it more than him, but finding time is continually a problem. He invites you to events, as his date, but the concept of so many eyes on you is overwhelming. Austin’s made your friendship with him pretty well known, but that doesn’t make the spotlight or the constant microscopic scrutiny any easier.

Sharing your best friend is just something you’re not used to and you don’t see that changing any time soon.

4. He’s got way more important things to worry about.

The list goes on and on.

It’s just…strange how things change, and how fast. One minute you’re convincing Austin to trick-o-treat with you when you’re nine and he’s twelve and you want to get the most candy absolutely possible and now you’re cradling your cellphone between your ear and shoulder as he tells you all about this red-carpet event he went to in Hollywood.

New York feels very far away at that point.

“I can’t believe you spoke to Brad Pitt, let alone were in a movie with him at one point.”

Austin laughs, the sound warm and affectionate against your eardrum and it makes your stomach clench a little. “Was I supposed to pass on the eighth grade love notes?” He teases, “I forgot.”

“Shut up,” But you’re smiling. “…still have those in a shoebox, by the way.”

“Did you update them this year?”

God, he’s the worst. “Maybe.” Humming under your breath, you can hear the soft trill of traffic patterns behind him and you wonder what he’s up to tonight, what sort of Hollywood parties he might be headed to. You take in a deep breath, the silence between you both not uncomfortable but practiced over the years.

If you close your eyes, you can almost picture him in your kitchen just hanging out drinking coffee or lying on the couch together putting on another episode of a cooking show where Gordon Ramsey yells too much. Almost.

You miss him something deep, where you can feel the ache crawling up your chest and threatening to swallow you whole.

“You doin’ anything tonight?”

You scoff out an amused noise, moving towards your freezer to pull out a pint of chocolate ice cream, “Oh yeah—headed out to a bar, might do some shots, table dancing,” You grab a spoon next, “You know, the usual.”

Austin is quick, “Pint of ice cream and your couch?”

Popping open the lid, you scrape a spoonful off the top. “Okay, no judgements from you—not all of us have a Hollywood party to attend to every other night.”

He laughs softly, “First of all—no Hollywood A-listers tonight, second, it wouldn’t hurt for you to go out every so often. Show your pretty face.”

You snort, spooning ice cream into your mouth. You wonder if you have chocolate syrup… “Who am I supposed to do these dingy bars with?” Raising your eyebrows, you wait a moment, “That’s best friend territory.”

“Alright—I can agree with that. So what’s stoppin’ you from goin’ tonight?” Sometimes it’s so wild to think about how much his voice has changed over time, not that you’re complaining. The deeper timbre really works for him.

You groan, tipping your head back, “Austin—” And there’s definitely a slight whine there.

“What?” He chuckles lightly, “Seriously—like right now.”

And before you can say anything there’s a knock on your door.

You blink, turning your head towards the front door a moment, mouth opening and closing because…no, it can’t be. He’s supposed to be in California for at least another week, just some…bad timing and wishful thinking. You clear your throat, moving towards the door.

“Think the Uber Eats guy is at the wrong apartment again. Maybe I’ll keep whatever it is because the last time it was French fries—”

Throwing open the door without checking the peep hole, Austin is there, in the hallway, slowly pulling his phone away from his face with a soft smile. “Not French fries.” He confirms and you just kinda stand there for a moment, staring, not quite believing what’s in front of you.

It doesn’t take long before you’re rushing out the door, two steps forward before throwing your arms around his neck. The force of your hug makes Austin have to take a step back a moment, a laugh leaving his chest as he wraps his arms around your back. He squeezes you as you bury your face in his neck and breathe him in, holding on like he might evaporate like vapor between your fingers.

Eventually you know you have to pull back, let him breathe, let him step inside your apartment—which you do but you can’t believe you’re sniffling like a sap, smile so wide on your face that your cheeks hurt.

“What are you doing here?” You choke, wiping your face with the sleeve of your sweater.

He laughs gently, moving inside the apartment with you, the door closing behind. He cups your cheek, removing tear tracks, “It’s your birthday in a few days.” He says it like it’s obvious but…you never actually expected him to fly back for that. In all honesty, you were ready to celebrate it with your parents, a few other friends, call it an early night. It’s barely been on your radar though and you never expected anything out of Austin with how busy he is.

“You didn’t have to—” And you’re suddenly so overwhelmed with emotion because you missed him, you love him, and he’s come back all this way just for your birthday.

“I wasn’t gonna miss it.” He says, holding your gaze. And God, not that this isn’t startling, but he looks so good. A pair of black jeans and those cowboy looking booties he loves to wear, a blue denim button down and a black jean jacket over top. Simple, clean lines but easily handsome.

You sigh, moving to hug him again around his waist, easily melting into his chest and resting directly under his chin as if you were always meant to be there. One of his hands tangle in your hair while the other strokes up and down your back and you breathe him in, that familiar scent of sandalwood and something distinctly Austin.

It’s quiet for a few moments, the pitter patter of his heartbeat along the shell of your ear.

“Of course, you know this means we’re goin’ out tonight, right?” He says

You groan a little, the sound muffled against his chest—but you can’t find it in you to really complain.

You have to admit, when you step out of your bathroom in a pair of black jeans mixed with an iridescent mesh shirt overtop of a bralette, you take a bit of pride in the way Austin looks at you. He’s become bolder over the years, that’s for sure, or perhaps more confident and comfortable in his own skin—either way, there’s a definite gaze that sweeps over your form and lingers where it matters most.

Smiling just a little, you curl your hair around your ear and try to ignore the heat splotching along the back of your neck at the attention. Eventually you leave your apartment for the subway, holding onto his arm as you ping-pong back and forth with questions and catching up, talking about Austin’s endless red-carpet affairs and your determination to find a job that you actually want to keep. You know you have to end up being realistic—it’s not always reality to completely fall in love with what you do and get paid really well. You’ve got bills and costs of living.

Austin already knows better than to attempt to offer you money. The sentiment is there, for sure, but that’s the last thing you want your close friendship to turn into.

Checking your reflection in one of the subway windows as it pauses to unload and reload customers, you smile a bit before nodding. Red lipstick was definitely the way to go, and you stick your hands in your back pockets as you both wait for the next train you need. At least it’s not stiflingly hot in the tunnels as it sometimes tends to be.

“So I believe you said there’d be shots tonight? Table dancing?”

You smirk a little, putting your hands into the back pockets of your jeans, “If you’re lucky, Butler.”

He smiles and shakes his head in light amusement, letting you enter the subway train first when it stops and then following in after you. The seats fill up fast and you let others grab them, not worried about snagging one. Just a few stops anyways. Austin hovers in front of you as you turn to hold onto the poles, spreading your stance just slightly so that you don’t fall when the subway jerks forward. You’ve definitely learned that the hard way.

“How bout the moves with the hips?” He teases before playfully letting his hand rest on one, squeezing, “Those sixth grade dance moves comin’ back with a vengeance.”

“Stop,” You laugh, pushing on his chest. Austin doesn’t move very far but he’s grinning, reaching out for your hand and holding on for a few moments. The train sways both of you back and forth, a pattern of soft movement.

You take a second to look towards the stops illuminated on one of the sidebars, chewing on your lower lip—about five stops. Curling your hair around your ear, you hum, about to remind him about their seventh grade talent show competition where he definitely had some interesting dance moves himself, when a guy begins talking in your direction.

“Hey sweet thing—how bout a smile, huh?”

You ignore it for the most part but instinctively take a step closer to Austin, playing with the buttons on his shirt. Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence when taking the subway sometimes, especially if it’s in the later hours. When there’s another stop and the doors open, people come and go, and Austin motions that some seats open up. Sitting down next to one another, you offer your best friend a soft smile before that guy across the way opens his mouth again.

“You can do better,” The subway guy says, “C’mon, a real smile.”

Austin shifts in the seat, moving to drape an arm over your shoulder. He must be able to tell you’re uncomfortable because he squeezes you gently, encouraging you to lean against his side as the train begins to move again. And you do, which seems to convince the guy across from you for the most part to mind his own business. He rolls his eyes and dejectedly mutters something crass under his breath before finding someone else to turn his attention towards.

You let out a short breath of relief and Austin runs his hand along your arm, a soft smile tugging the corners of his mouth. “You alright?”

Humming, you nod, the tenseness in your shoulders beginning to wash away, “Yeah, thanks.”

“Not the first time I’ve played the fake boyfriend card.” It’s interesting he brings that up because…while that’s true, you don’t consider this as something out of the ordinary for how you two act around another. Both of you have always been rather touchy, a very distinct love language.

So this? Feels rather natural.

You remember the time he’s referring too though, in college, when you were at this party and this guy just wouldn’t take no for an answer. Austin was there, swooped right in with an arm around your waist and a few stern comments about fucking off and leaving you alone. He’s just…always been there. Even when this whole Elvis thing hit the fan and he was away filming, doing interviews, settling into celebrity life, he came back to be there with you when he heard your grandmother died.

Maybe at this point it’s something it shouldn’t be surprising, and yet he manages to do that all the time.

You stand from the seat once the subway pulls into the stop you need, waiting for Austin to do the same before you both exit the train. His hand naturally finds yours in the crowd, squeezing gently, alternating to having you walk in front of him, fingers grazing your lower back. And it’s nothing that hasn’t happened before but for some reason you can’t stop fixating on it. The only thing that pulls you out of your thoughts is that…he’s an actor, a good one.

Of course he’s great at slipping into roles like this—the fake boyfriend, the best friend—you just wish you could trust your own feelings for once.

The bar is jam packed for tonight but this is unsurprising—though this is exactly why you had zero plans to go out. Even for your birthday, you’re not the kind of girl who enjoys shoving themselves into elbow-to-elbow bars and fighting for attention with the bartender all night. No matter how great the music is or the drink specials…it’s just not your scene. Sometimes though, your careless fun side needs to be teased out—and Austin has always been a professional at doing that. He knows exactly what buttons to press so that you don’t take yourself and everything you do so seriously.

You love that about him, even if it takes a little bit for you to feel comfortable.

A dramatic sigh leaves your lips as you wade through the crowd, Austin leading, his hand on your wrist so he doesn’t lose you in the group of people. He tugs you in front of him, using his body like a shield so that no one can bump into you from behind while you wait at the bar. You think this would be something you’d be used to by now, how it feels when Austin touches you, and yet—

There are these butterflies that flutter up from your stomach and sit on the bones of your ribcage, constantly moving their wings in your chest so that the sensation never disappears. You can feel the lingering sensation of his fingers, hands, long after they’re gone, and the cologne he wears is admittedly comforting. Something you wouldn’t mind burying your face into and closing your eyes.

You let out a breath—it’s going to be a long night.

Once you both have drinks in your hands and even a few bar stools that have opened up, you angle your body towards Austin and sip on your mojito, the mint strong tonight but not in a bad way. Your eyes drag along his form, taking him in, still a little in disbelief that he’s here with you when you didn’t expect to see him until at least Christmas or some other distant holiday.

“So how long are you in New York for?” You ask over the music, watching him pick up his beer to take a sip. You know that eventually he’ll be heading back to L.A., his home base, even though it’s a hard pill to swallow.

“I’m stayin’ through next week,” He replies, “Not leavin’ before your birthday.”

Your cheeks warm and you know he’s already said as much but…for some reason it touches you every time he confirms it. It can’t be easy with how much he’s got going on, and yet he’s making it clear that it’s a priority for him to be here.

You reach over to squeeze his forearm, running your thumb along the exposed skin because his denim button down is rolled up just below his elbows. “Definitely a nice surprise.” You smile a little, wanting to make sure he understands that you are happy he’s here, you just didn’t expect it.

“Well I missed you,” He says, turning his head towards you. Austin catches your gaze, holding it with his for a few long moments as he swallows, “I uh—I miss you when I’m away.”

That’s…well, that makes sense, right? You miss him too. But there’s something slightly different to his tone, something deeper to his voice that sits in your bones, you think you can see it the longer you look into his blue eyes.

“I’m sure that kinda gets lost in the sauce when you’re going to all those famous award parties, right?” You tease lightly, attempting to break the tension wide open, a soft smile on your lips.

While Austin smiles back, he shakes his head, “Not as simple as you’d think.”

For a moment you’re watching him and it’s like the whole bar begins to dim around you in sound, your sole focus on the man in front of you. He has to know, right? It’s obvious at this point—who you are with one another. You’ve never been afraid to be yourself with him, whether that meant being silly, eating as much food as you could fit, not bottling in tears or dancing ridiculously bad; he’s always known you.

And you’re so sure it’s obvious—

“Austin Butler?”

You blink, turning your head towards the sound at the same time Austin does too. The girl squeals which is still pretty sharp against the loud music, leaning your body back a little as she shoves her way in-between your stools at the bar. She drags a few friends forward into the space, laughing because,

“Oh my god, I thought it was you! I feel like I’d recognize you a mile away—I saw Elvis at least five times in theaters.”

Austin raises his eyebrows, looking between the three girls before a soft laugh leaves his lips, “That’s a dedicated number.”

“I saw it seven.” The other girl chimes in and you resist an eyeroll, looking down at your drink instead.

While Austin seems to always handle interactions like this with grace—kind, genuine, humble, it’s something that is difficult for you to get used to. Austin is just…Austin to you. It’s still so bizarre when strangers come up to him out of the blue when you’re hanging out, you forget that you kinda have to share him with the world. Not that you can’t understand how easy it is to fall in love with him, you’re not blaming these girls one bit.

But it doesn’t make it any easier.

Five minutes turn into ten and while Austin keeps dropping subtle hints that this conversation is coming to a close, they’re not taking the clues. They ask for just one more photo, one more selfie, one more autograph, trying to ask him questions like it’s an interview, soaking up any moment they can linger in his presence.

You need some fresh air, standing from the stool. Austin locks eyes with you instantly, “Y/N,” His tone is apologetic.

“It’s okay,” You smile a little, “Just need to step outside for a few minutes. I’ll be back.”

Before he can say anything else, you turn and weave your way through the crowd of people, heading out the door that empties out onto a semi-busy New York street. Taking a deep breath into your lungs, you center yourself as you walk a bit away from the door so others can come and go. You know you’re being utterly ridiculous—this is who Austin is now, a guy who’s easily recognizable, a guy where fans will come up to him and ask for photos and autographs and really, that’s not as bothersome to you as the emotions building up in your chest that you can’t find the damn words for.

It's just stupid, all of this is stupid—telling Austin how you feel won’t change anything. There are too many cons outweighing the pros, it’s not worth it. Tipping your head back, you close your eyes for a moment—you just need to get yourself together, go back inside and have a good time tonight.

And yet your heart is pounding in your ears and you’re slightly sick to your stomach over the prospect of going back in and watching those girls flirt with Austin until they eventually catch the point that he’s got other things going on tonight other than to just take selfies with them.

You’re not sure whether that itself is more annoying or whether you’re just aggravated with yourself that you feel like this.

“Y/N.”

Turning at the sound of your name, you blink as Austin comes out of the bar. You were gonna re-join him in a few moments (promise), he didn’t need to follow you out here. Your cheeks splotch in soft embarrassment as he walks over to you, not quite meeting his eyes for a few moments,

“Not runnin’ away, are you?”

Your frown, soft confusion pulling at the corners of your mouth. “No—just,” You clear your throat, “You make it sound like I do that a lot.”

There’s this look that passes over Austin’s face, almost gone as soon as it appears. It’s like there’s the tiniest bit of regret that he’s brought this up but it’s too late, out in the open, so mise well talk about it. He glances away, running a hand through his hair in almost a frustrated manner.

“You do,” Austin shakes his head, “Ever since we were kids.”

You narrow your eyes at him, “Okay, what the fuck—” Because this feels unfair. This night was supposed to be fun, spending time together, building up to your birthday, savoring the time he’s here before he has to go back to California. And now he’s…what, jumping down your throat? “How is this… how is me getting some fresh air my fault?” You ask, “I’m not the one who spent the last ten minutes taking selfies.”

“Oh for God’s sake,” He sighs, his head tipping back just a little, “I’m still gettin’ used to all this, okay? That does not mean you gotta exit stage left.”

You breathe in slowly—you’re not sure how to explain this to him (even though there’s nothing to explain, he’s right, you were running away). If he’d stayed in the bar five minutes longer, you would have texted him that you were going home, just to bypass feelings you don’t have names for.

There’s no room for me, you want to say, or, I don’t know where I fit.

Or even better, I don’t want to lose you, but all of it dies on your tongue.

“I wasn’t running away.” You insist but Austin can see right through you like he always has been able to.

“Y/N, you’ve constantly had one foot out the door. When things got too real with your parent’s divorce, you slept over my house on the living room floor.” He starts, “When that guy who liked you junior year tried to ask you to prom, you lied and said you were already goin’ with me.”

You swallow, staring at him, trying to ignore the way your eyes are stinging and there’s a lump forming in your throat,

“That guy you were seein’ a month ago? Paul? You told me he wanted to take the next step with you, start lookin’ for apartments and then all of a sudden you’re not with him anymore. Any time somethin’ gets too close, you bolt in the other direction.”

You were too ashamed and afraid to tell Austin the real reason it never worked out, despite Paul being a great guy.

Bristling, you wrap your arms around your chest, as if you need to protect yourself from his words. It’s completely unfair how well he knows you, how despite not talking about your reasoning behind things, you’re an open book.

He’s pressed against an open wound, a bundle of nerves, “Oh right, I’m sorry—I forgot you approach everything perfectly, right?”

“No, of course not—” Austin scoffs out a frustrated sound, “But maybe instead of runnin’ away from something, try runnin’ towards somethin’ instead. What are you so afraid of?”

A noise strangles in your throat because he’s making this sound so simple when it’s not, and all those feelings you’ve pushed down inside you suddenly come bubbling to the surface. How does he know you so well, possibly better than anyone you’ve ever met, and yet know nothing at all? Your run a hand through your hair, yanking at the strands just lightly when the words burst forth—

“What am I so afraid of? Jesus, Austin—I’m in love with you. And the last thing I want is to lose you, because I can’t handle that, okay? How am I supposed to ‘run towards that’?” You throw the words out into the universe and they sit there in the air, right on the oxygen molecules, poised.

Austin stares at you for a long moment, straightening his shoulders as his blue eyes soften with understanding. God, you do not want him to look at you like that, you do not want his pity or for him to tell you that you’re his best friend. You just don’t. This is another reason why you’d kept everything so locked up tight—the rejection is terribly painful.

“Just don’t,” You tell him, waving him off lightly even when he steps forward to grasp at your wrist, preventing you from going anywhere.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say somethin’.”

You blink up at him, fingers curling into the palm of your hands and you’ve never wanted to smack him before as much as you do now. “What is that supposed to mean? Why do I have to be the one to say it?”

And then you realize what’s actually come out of his mouth, because of the way Austin is looking down at you…it’s not pity, and it’s not regret, it’s something else. A look he’s given you before but with a brand-new context.

He feels the same way.

“You…”

Austin moves to gently swipe his thumb over the inside of your wrist, shaking his head as he stands there in silence for a few moments. “You’re right, I should have said somethin’,” He lets out a soft laugh, though it sounds a little pained, “Guess I didn’t realize I was runnin’ away too.”

You swallow thickly, worrying that this is somehow…a big misunderstanding that’ll be swept away tomorrow morning or when he leaves for California. So many words get caught in your throat and even though you don’t want to believe what he’s said about you, about running away from your problems, you know he’s right.

And you don’t want to do that anymore.

“I need to hear you say it.”

Austin nods, moving to curl some of your hair behind your ear, fingers lingering along your jawline, “I love you too,” There’s a weight of a change there, he’s said those words to you a hundred different times, but not like this, “I should have told you sooner.”

And this is what’s so ironic—you both talk to the other about absolutely everything and yet you never thought to communicate about this, that you both shared the same fears of losing the other. There’s no guarantee that that still couldn’t happen…but it has to be worth a shot to take, right?

A light laugh leaves your lips, using both hands to wipe at your cheeks even though no tears have fallen. “What, you mean before you left to film Elvis?”

He shakes his head carefully, “In your parent’s tree house.”

Your heart ricochets right into your throat at that admission and you can’t stop from pressing yourself up on your toes and kissing him. You slowly wind your arms around his neck, keeping him close, feeling the line of his shoulder bending towards you as his arms end up around your waist. That’s all the confirmation you need to kiss deeper, tilting your head into it, one of his hands moving to tangle itself in your hair.

Eventually when you pull back to breathe, Austin runs his thumb along your cheekbone, nipping at your lower lip, “Wanna go back inside or go home?”

“Home.” You say easily before lacing your fingers together and tugging him back towards the subway.

“Can I look now?” You ask, still with your hands over your eyes at the kitchen counter.

“No, not yet,” Austin laughs a little, rummaging around. You can hear drawers open and close, a lighter click, plates clattering. Your crinkle your nose, “Almost.”

“You better not be eatin’ all the icing.”

“I would never do such a thing.” He says, tone mock-offended. “Alright, open.”

When you look down, there’s a small cake that Austin’s put together in front of you. It’s a little messy, he clearly didn’t wait for the cake to completely cool before he piled icing on there. So all the letters he attempted to make are warped. You cover your mouth as a soft laugh escapes—definitely the thought that counts.

“If you’re gonna laugh at it, I’ll eat it.” Austin begins to take the cake away but barely gets his hand underneath the plate.

“Hey!” You laugh, “No, no—I won’t.” You playfully zip your lips closed. “Promise.”

He narrows his eyes at you but smiles, “Happy birthday, Y/N.”

Grinning, you turn to blow the candles out in one big breath, “Thank you.” Swiping some icing off the side, you pop it into your mouth and you barely have time to reach for a knife to slice the cake when Austin leans down and kisses you.

You hum, smiling against his lips—he tastes as sweet as sugar.

It’s nice to know that despite things changing, you two are exactly the same with one another.

Thank you for reading! :) gonna be posting a few more requests and then I’ll be opening up my inbox again if anyone is interested.

#austin butler #austin butler x reader #austin butler imagine #austin butler drabble #austin butler fic #elvis 2022 #mccall writes things

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destiny-smasher · 4 months

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Stuff From 2023!

List of things of note I experienced in 2023! A few things didn't technically release in 2023, I'm sure, but yea. Will contain my 'Top 10 Games I Played in 2023' as well.

Firstly, something I played a lot of this year in bursts but doesn't quite crack my Top 10 is Vampire Survivors. Very addicting, did some very fun goofy shit that had me laughing and engaged in a lizard brain way. Appreciated the many Castlevania references and jokes, too.

A couple of games I played every weekend for a few hours across many weeks this year were Project Zomboid and Roots of Pacha, both in a group 4. We had lots of fun with those two, and I think they're both great co-op time-sink games. Zomboid is a zombie survival sim that has way more attention to detail than its graphics may imply. It's still in early access but the depth to its is honestly pretty dang impressive. Pacha iterates on the Stardew Valley formula in a ton of small but deliberate, thoughtful ways that make for a nice twist on that Harvest Moon style game.

REMAKES

There were so many great remakes this year, on top of just amazing games in general, I can't fit them all into my Top 10. So here's a segment dedicated to most of the remakes I loved this year.

The remake of Super Mario RPG was such a surprise, and turned out very damn well. That game, turns out, is very near and dear to my heart and I did not fully appreciate that until this remake was revealed. It comes just shy of cracking my Top 10 list and that's honestly only because I finished Mother 3 finally right at the tail end of the year. This game manages to still feel weirdly fresh even today just due to how fucking strange it is, and the remake speeds up the pacing a bit while also adding in some new mechanics and a chunk of new post-game content. Everything was handled so well. This is like the new gold standard of complete one-to-one remakes of sprite-based games imo. I will admit the artstyle is a bit 'off' in some ways but I think it's very clean looking and captures that 90's CGI spirit really well, all things considered. And the music, OOF, so damn good.

The remake of Dead Space I don't have much to talk about, but it's very well produced. It's remade so well, in fact, that it felt like my memories of the original, even though I know it's not an exact recreation. Very well done and still holds up as a great horror action game with these improvements.

The remaster of Metroid Prime is so impressive it feels like a remake, even if the game is identical to the original aside from presentation and some control changes. It's an iconic classic, and yet I have no patience to do the Chozo Artifact stuff, so I actually did not roll credits on this version BUT still thoroughly enjoyed reliving the game with a very nice new coat of paint. It makes me excited to see what Prime 4 will look like on, I expect, more powerful hardware.

SHOWS/MOVIES

The year started strong with a TV adaptation of The Last of Us. While I've come to have conflicted feelings with the franchise at large, mainly due to its leading boss man, I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of this series. Very well done adaptation that picked and chose what to keep and what to change and honestly makes for a better story as a whole if you ask me, while not really replacing the game's tactile interactive tensions. Cannot wait to see what they do with Part 2 tbqh. I loved that game more than the original but also felt it was worse as an overall game/experience/narrative. But a fresh take on that same plot could potentially address a lot of the issues I had with Part 2, while simultaneously not really 'replacing' it, either.

The Bear. If you haven't seen it, it's just. Very good television. Two seasons in and it's sitting up there chasing Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul as one of the best live action series I've ever seen. Season 2 did such a great job of giving us deeper dives on the various characters and building toward an organic and rewarding conclusion that still leaves room for another season to theoretically wrap things up. Nothing too crazy with this show, it's super down to earth, and it owns that very well with editing and pacing that varies per episode, kind of in line with the different character perspectives.

Super Mario Bros.: The Movie had me worried for a while, mainly due to the animation studio and casting. And while I'm still not 100% sold on this celebrity casting, I will admit it didn't weight the experience down -- even if it's still the second weakest element by far. The weakest element is the writing. It's not, like, offense -- it's loyal to the source material and works, it functions. But it's not doing anything beyond pushing us from set piece to set piece. If anything, the movie is a bit too short for all of the stuff it's cramming in. But on the upside, there is a lot of amazingly rendered visuals and music to take in. A real treat for fans of the franchise, and the most loyal gaming adaptation in movie form, I would say.

Across the Spiderverse is in essence the first half of a two part film. That makes it kind of difficult to talk about, especially when it's also a sequel, and the production sounds like it was marred with bad management and crunch. But the results they came up with actually met my hopes and expectations for a sequel, and that is saying something, as I had very high expectations. I completely adore this film's stupendous sense of style, editing, framing, writing, and the way it's making meta-commentary on multiple levels on top of just being an effective narrative on its own. This is animated storytelling running at full capacity in my opinion, and in general just film doing all of the kinds of things film can do. So it's no wonder that there's still a rub -- this is the first half of the story they planned. The editing, animation, framing, effects, acting, action sequences, music, writing, theming, just Farore's sake, this is SUCH a damn banger of a film and one of the best movies I've ever seen, which, again, is kind of insane given the circumstances. I can only hope they don't fuck up the conclusion.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was quite the surprise announcement, and as it turns out, quite the surprise adaptation. I won't spoil much but I will say that by the end of the first episode, it becomes very apparent that this series is no mere by-the-books adaptation, and does something unique and edifying, even if it still maintains a certain surface-level depth I wish the franchise would push beyond. Either way, I enjoyed it way more than I expected to going in, and I think it makes for a great companion to the rest of the series. The animation style was super fun, as well, with some great action sequences.

But Blue Eye Samurai sucker-punched me, having released before I'd even known about it. This show is something else, something unlike any other animated show I've seen besides Arcane. And it's not like it's mimicking Arcane, it's just the closest I can think to compare it to: a quality, thoughtfully framed, thoughtfully written, made-for-adults animated series. It tows the line between fantasy and realism in a refreshing way, its protagonist is great, its cast is compelling, its plot goes to some neat places, and things just feel very well thought-out and well-executed. Slap this in second place behind Arcane as the TV series I am the most excited to see more of in the future, just ahead of The Bear.

Something I did near the end of the year was watch The Hunger Games movies, back to back over the course of like, a week. Have not read the books but man, watching these sure made me interested in doing so at some point. I totally get why people were so enamored with this franchise, and honestly, I think its themes and messages are more relevant now than they were when this franchise was at the peak of its popularity. The films certainly have glaring issues for my tastes but yea, I managed to really enjoy them as a whole despite my lack of mainstream sensibilities. Looking forward to reading the books eventually.

Another thing my wife shared with me was 花ざかりの君たちへ (often called 'Hana-Kimi' for short). Specifically, the 2007 version, as, uh, apparently there are multiple adaptations of this. It was a live action Japanese drama about a high schooler who was born female but transfers into an all-boys school, identifying as a boy while she is there. There's more to it than that, and I won't say it handles everything the best (it's from the mid 2000's) or concludes things in quite the way I'd have preferred. Not to mention it's kind of weird seeing many tropes I'm used to seeing in anime rendered by physical, real actors. BUT it was overall a really sweet, adorable, funny, heartfelt, and reached for pro-queer expression in a time and place when that wasn't mainstream yet (and honestly kinda still isn't depending on who you ask).

Good Omens Season 3 also dropped this year. I actually don't have much to say partly because I think a big element of it is just not knowing what to expect going into it! But it was also very good, very fun, pretty damn gay, I really enjoyed it and am crossing my fingers hard they get to wrap it up the way they want.

All right! Onto my personal top 10 GOTYs.

TOP 11 GAMES

(I played and finished in 2023)

11) Mother 3

The one entry on this list that did not actually come out this year -- in fact, it's never technically released outside of Japan. Originally release in 2007 on the Game Boy Advance, this quirky RPG has developed quite the reputation. I started playing the fan translation back in like 2020, and only got around to finally finishing it this year. While that likely did tarnish the experience a bit for me, so does the final third or so -- it kind of drags on a bit, and any old school format RPG that requires grinding to progress can become a bit of a chore.

Thankfully, Mother 3 did earn its hallowed reputation in my eyes now that I have experienced it. I totally get the passion for this game now, and I am a convert. It makes me want to finally finish Mother 2, aka Earthbound. But here's the biggest thing about Mother 3 I weirdly did not expect going in, yet smashed my face in like a hammer by the time I finished it:

without Mother 3, there is no way Undertale/deltarune would exist.

The DNA for Toby Fox's works is achingly obvious in its relation to this game, specifically. I won't spoil anything and I won't go into my long list of evidence like an Ace Attorney case, but trust me, there is ample evidence to make this claim.

And that also means that Mother 3 stands on its own merits as doing things that RPGs just plain were not doing in 2007, and in some ways still aren't today. Aside from some pacing issues further in, the characters in your party aren't as developed as much as I'd like. BUT the overall narrative it tells, especially in those opening chapters, have a rare kind of earnest, human magic to them that most games just don't let themselves fall into. And it concludes in ways I did not expect and yet offered clarity as to why it is so beloved, and how Toby Fox was so inspired to put his own mark on the gaming landscape.

I owe a great deal to Undertale, personally, and as such, I also owe a great deal to Mother 3. You don't need to have played others in the series to enjoy it, you'll just be missing some referential stuff here and there. It's quite playable and unique by today's standards and I strongly recommend it if you want an RPG that is heartfelt, funny, fun mechanically, and has some simple but hard-hitting things to say about the world we live in, and what we are doing to ourselves and that world.

10) Super Mario Bros. Wonder

What can be said that hasn't been said already? Nintendo knocked it out the park with this one. This was everything I've wanted in a 2D Mario for like 15 years. The only thing 'missing' from it is playable Rosalina, but hey, we finally got Daisy in a mainline Mario game, so I'll take it. After a decade or so of dragging their feet with low-effort but enjoyable 2D games, Super Mario Wonder finally, at long last, captures what makes Nintendo games great and with their best foot forward. They haven't done 2D Mario this well since World on the SNES in 1991. And they have never put this level of production into a 2D game since... ever?

This is one of the all-time best 2D platformers out there, and for once it finally feels like 2D Mario is running on all cylinders as a big budget passion project kind of game. You love to see it.

9) Scarlet Hollow

This game isn't technically finished yet, as it is episodic, and its developers wanted to release Slay the Princess in the interim, but that doesn't stop its quality from being good enough to make my list. This game is doing the kinds of things visual novels should be doing, the kinds of things I wish to do in a sense with my own visual novel development.

It's a horror themed experience but balances the high tension with actual real stakes very well against mostly down-to-earth conversations, with lots of great tricks and touches of presentation you don't typically see in indie visual novels, along with a fantastic art style, charming characters (my favorite character has turned out to be the one I immediately disliked at first, and that's rare for me), and meaningful choices.

I can't wait to see how this one wraps up but even as it stands it's one of the best things I experienced in 2023.

8) Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Redeemed

I will admit I skipped Xenoblade Chronicles 2 after giving it an honest go in like, 2019 or so. A few hours in and i couldn't stomach it, the tonal whiplash from Xenoblade 1 (one of the best RPGs I've ever played) was too much for me. But then Xenoblade 3 came out last year, and is also one of the best RPGs I've ever played, even better than the original for my tastes.

But I wasn't prepared for the DLC to drop a whole ass side-game on us, a self-contained prequel to 3 that serves as narrative cohesion to tie the whole trilogy together with a bow on top, complete with perfectly tuned fanservice (and not the sexy kind, although grown-up Rex and Shulk, well, yes) that really respects its fanbase for investing hundreds of hours in this franchise.

Matthew is easily one of my all-time fav RPG main characters, probably the favorite RPG main character when I think of it (as main characters specifically go, anyway), and his game is a fraction of the length of many RPGs out there. But as usual, the entire cast had their charms, the story was nicely paced, the gameplay and overall length was just about damn perfect for what I could want from the genre.

As an expansion to a pre-existing game, this is one of the top 3 best expansions/DLCs I've ever played. When taken as a side story to an overarching trilogy, I'm not even 100% in on the lore and I still enjoyed the hell out of it, it's just the kind of thing that hits a tone of 'damn, video games are a fucking unique medium that we can do specific narrative things with across years of telling a story.'

I don't know where Monolith Soft is going next, though the ending certainly offers some intriguing teasing, but I suspect I will be there day one to see it, and am looking forward to it.

7) Pikmin 4

Given the long wait (10 years!) one might understand fan concern over the state of Pikmin 4. Turns out, that extra time was spent making this game fucking good. It's not the largest, most impressive, most complex, most inspiring, most 'anything' game I played this year, and yet I can't help saying that this is a damned good video game. It really nailed what it set out to do as a sequel, incorporating just the right ideas to spice up the formula while bringing things back to how Pikmin 2 was, and improving on the series in basically every way -- including stuff to do!

This is easily the most Pikmin game... in a Pikmin game. I still haven't 100%'d it. Without giving away any details, I'll just say that when a game rolls credits and you're only like, halfway through its content, and it just keeps going, that's just kind of wild. It would've felt like a great game even then, but the breadth and depth it ends up going to in order to keep giving you ways to engage with its wonderfully detailed world and addictive mechanics, I love it.

I just want more of it. Give me DLC with more Dandori content, the formula and feel just works so well at this point.

6) Sea of Stars

How the hell I forgot to include this one on my list initially is boggling. Easily one of the best indie games I've ever experienced. The writing is nothing to, well, write home about, but it's not bad. And in fact the story has a lot of great things going on, from an interesting world to a very potent arc with the leading support character (who, let's face it, is kind of more the main character than your two main characters).

The game's art and music are phenomenal, capturing the essence of 90's era RPGs but clearly doing things not capable back then. Made even sweeter, the game is a prequel to the studio's prior work, The Messenger, which I also played and adored in tandem, kind of going back and forth between the two once I was partway into Sea of Stars. The way this RPG repurposes songs from Messenger as well as all kinds of seemingly superfluous elements but makes it feel cohesive is pretty great.

The game also trims a lot of the fat you'd find in older RPGs, as well as lets you customize your experience in a modern way using collectibles you can toggle on and off to grant all kinds of effects, like increasing or decreasing the difficulty in various ways.

The homage paid to classics like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG is clear but it's not at all copy-cat-ing, instead wearing those inspirations proudly on its sleeves and forging its own path with its own ideas. A fantastic collection of party members, a wonderful world, amazing presentation, and environments and pacing that help it stand apart from the genre that inspired it. I wish we got to know the leads better, there is a lack of character growth in many ways, but that's me grasping at straws to critique, it's just a fantastic experience and the studio should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

5) Hi-Fi Rush

This is gonna be a running trend from here on out, but on any other year, Hi-Fi Rush would've been my GOTY, easy. From this point on, we're talking measures of inches rather than miles in terms of my love for these games.

Hi-Fi Rush finally delivered on something I have waited like 20 years for: a rhythm action adventure where playing the game in sync with the music felt fucking cool and gave me emotional resonance in a way only this medium can. The humor was charmng. The visual aesthetic is almost peak 'my taste.' The music was groovy with a few tracks I did not see coming but loved seeing how they were incorporated. The story was surprisingly fun! The characters were fantastic, I loved the entire main crew in a way I rarely ever do and would jump at the chance to spend more time with (and hey, there's a whole bunch of post-game I have yet to do, so I intend to in 2024).

The only real thing I could reasonably ask for from this game is a way to play as those other party members in post-game content or new-game plus or something. And who knows, maybe we get that some day. Even if we don't, what they came up with here is the next best thing besides. And what we got is one the most video-gamey video games I have ever played, a real classic and one I think will go down as one of my all-time favs. A passion project given meaningful time, budget, and creatives to bring it to life.

Had this game offered multiple playable characters, a bit more development in its story, and maybe a stronger climax, it'd be higher. I still love it to death and want more games like it regardless.

Hi-Fi Rush is exactly what kind of game we could have gotten more of if the Internet hadn't pushed gaming into a 'live service' direction. It is literally the spirit of a PS2/GameCube game given modern form. And either way, we did get it, at least, in that form, and it fucking rocks.

4) Resident Evil 4 (Remake)

This year was big for remakes and remasters, but one stands tall above the rest, if you ask me. The original RE4 has stood as my fav in the franchise, the one that got me into the franchise, the one that got me into M-rated games in the first place. Lots of nostalgia, but it's held up surprisingly well over the years despite some limitations of the time (mainly the controls) and some older-fashioned sensibilities ("with ballistics, too~").

But Capcom fucking nailed it with this reimagining. Like Final Fantasy VII: Remake, this game is not a remaster, or a one-to-one recreation. It is a brand new game, built from the ground up, reimagining the original entirely, complete with new mechanics and story. But unlike with FF7, this is also shockingly authentic and loyal to the original at the same time. It remixes elements from the original game, maintains most of the original's map design, adds in new stuff, removes some of the more goofy shit -- and even 90% of what feels 'removed' is revealed to be repurposed for the Ada side story DLC.

It looks great, it sounds great, the adjustments to characters and story are improvements across the board, (except for Hunnigan, RIP) the gameplay is improved in intensity and feel and action and replayability. And yet despite all of this, it balances that campy tone of the original just enough to still evoke what I loved about the original's tone. And it doesn't outright replace the original game, either. The two are now like different recipes of the same sandwich or something. There's reasons to revisit the original, though for me this has now replaced the remake of RE2 as my fav in the franchise.

I really don't know where they go from here but I will look forward to it, and regardless, they fucking nailed this one.

3) Street Fighter 6

Two Capcom games, back-to-back? They had a fucking good year in my eyes. The interesting thing about this particular entry is that unlike the others on this list, I will be continuing to play this one for hours and hours into 2024, especially with more fighters still planned. And in another year, this would've easily been my GOTY.

After all, Street Fighter 6 is the single-best traditional fighting game I think I've ever played. And while fighting games are my overall personal favorite genre, I'm more of a Smash player who also loves the hell out of Street Fighter and then dabbles in Tekken and whatever else releases. Street Fighter has always been one of my go-to top multiplayer games since I got into the franchise with SF4 in 2010. While I did enjoy SF5 well enough, it just didn't keep me hungry to come back for more like 4 did. SF6 has fixed that problem by way of a multitude of changes.

It has easily the most fun single player mode I've seen any fighting game have. Like, yea, The Subspace Emmisary (and even then, I don't love that mode like other folks do, I kinda think it's... fine?) but tbqh World Tour is just better in most every way. You get to build your own fighter, earn and mix and match different costumes and individual character special moves with each fighter's fight style. You get to just hang out with the SF characters, get to know them as people, their hobbies, their fears, their insecurities, their passions besides just beating the shit out of each other. On top of this, the realistic art style shift (a by-product of the RE Engine) seals the deal on what Street Fighter 6 is aiming to do: humanize its cast.

Is it still wacky as fuck? Is it still comical and weird and goofy? Hell yes, it is. Is the story mode deep in its narrative? Not in the slightest. But it's still stepping confidently in a direction fighting games should be trying to, not being too self-serious, but also being earnest.

And I haven't even touched on the mechanics! The Drive System alone is a brilliant addition that adds a sort of 'stamina' system that works so well to add an extra layer of decision making and tension. The game's not perfectly balance imo but for how much is here it is surprisingly damn well balanced, especially given they have insisted on not pushing out a single balance patch since it launched in June. For most any other competitive game, that would be like suicide for the scene, but the game seems to be thriving and selling extremely well for the franchise. And it's earned it.

I will absolutely be continuing my warrior's journey into 2024 and I can't wait to see what else Capcom has in store for this game.

2) Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Out of every game I played in 2023, Tears of the Kingdom is easily the most technically impressive. From a design standpoint, from a 'how in the hell is the Switch doing all of this without exploding' standpoint. From a 'holy hell how is there this much stuff in a single player game' standpoint. From a 'oh my goddesses that stupid batshit idea I had 100% worked because it actually did make sense' standpoint.

Where Breath of the Wild opened our minds as to what an open world game could be -- fully designed like one giant interconnected 'level' -- Tears of the Kingdom replied in much the way I expected: it pulled a Super Mario Galaxy 2. What I mean by that is that this is a direct sequel, building directly off the foundation of the original. You know. Like video game sequels almost always used to. And which many very successful ones still absolutely do.

But Tears of the Kingdom somehow managed to wow me all over again by adding to that open world's verticality in insane ways -- the Depths alone are probably my favorite 'mechanic' from any Zelda game ever besides the time loop of Majora's Mask (and what that did for the story and gameplay). But beyond the scale of the world basically doubling and then some (floating islands and caves on top of Depths), I was curious how this game could stand tall after Elden Ring, which is easily in my top 10 favorite games of all time at this point. Elden Ring was Fromsoft's reply to BOTW. And yet Tears of the Kingdom still managed to have something new to say in spite of that very strong reply.

Tears of the Kingdom opened the door to let players essentially create their own mechanics. By removing the abilities Link had to engage with the world before, and replacing them with a brand new toolset that includes abilities you just... don't see games give you, because they'd be 'overpowered,' TOTK designs its massive world in ways that invite you to use those 'overpowered' abilities however you see fit.

Being able to interact with the world and objects in this way, being able to fuse them together to create all kinds of effects, or new methods of transportation, even interacting with things not just spacially but in respect to time, it's nuts and fun and I've already poured like 130 hours with still so much I haven't done. And that's the thing: this game wasn't designed to be 100%'d. It was designed to just... be experienced, as much or as little as you want. And games on this level of scale/budget just do not have the guts to let so, so much 'content' be missed out on. And this game does.

It's a technical achievement and while I had my doubts with how strangely little Nintendo had to show, I am very glad that the experience itself manages to breathe new life into one of my all-time favorite games while improving on it in so many ways. It won't convert you if you didn't love the original -- this is a Super Mario Galaxy 2 style sequel, after all. But it's essentially replaced the original in ways I didn't think would be possible.

The story? Oof. Uh, not so much the story, let's ignore that part. That's what Nintendo wants you to usually do, anyway. But everything else, just. Din-damn.

It expands upon the first game's already fairly open-ended nature in an exponential way that I suspect developers will spend years to come trying to pin down, much like how they've spend the past 6 or 7 years trying to replicate BOTW's open world design.

For much of this year, I thought this was personal GOTY. And for many it will be, because it's just an extremely impressive video game.

Number 1...?

Going into this list, I kept telling myself, 'man, on any other year, this would be my GOTY. And if you know me personally you likely have already figured out what my GOTY is by omission. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized just how close these top 5 games are, it really is like centimeters instead of inches, and they each -- well, every game I've mentioned here, beyond the Top 10, as well -- offered something edifying that I was very satisfied with.

And no, it's not Baldur's Gate 3. While I have spent hours playing it in co-op and a little bit solo, that game's just not really for me, exactly. Like, I can enjoy it, and I have massive respect for the dev team and what they accomplished with it. But I don't much care for D&D, and the game just didn't do very much for me personally, I lack the motivation to finish it. Remove Karlach from the game and I have next to nothing to really attach myself to, personally. I definitely get why it's many people's favorite game of 2023, though, and I do think it's a bit of a wakeup call for what can be accomplished by just making a GAME instead of struggling to contort it into a service etc.

Street Fighter 6 is fucking fantastic but it could still use some more actual fighters and incentives to keep playing besides monetizing its players in weird ways. I love it, and it will be the game from 2023 I end up playing the most (it already is, I think). But if it ended as it is, I would be very satisfied.

Hi-Fi Rush is oozing with originality and style and I adore it to death, and when I finished it, I was very satisfied.

Resident Evil 4 kept me addicted for over 100 hours, had an amazing DLC expansion, oozes replaybility in the specific ways I like for a single player action game (rogue-likes besides). I am extremely satisfied by it.

Tears of the Kingdom is so massive and fun to just explore that I know I will continue to play more in the months to come. Will I ever revisit it entirely? I'm actually not sure! That massive length does lend some repetition, even if it's the kind I find therapeutic and satisfying.

And that's what made me realize something. My personal GOTY did not just satisfy me. It made me hungry. It filled me up in a way I didn't think was possible and yet I still hunger for more, because I enjoyed it that fucking much. I played through it twice and still hunger for more. I know I will play it a third time eventually, but mainly I just have not been to remove from my brain the particular ways it made me feel, ways that only a video game can. Nothing about it felt like it needed to be overlooked.

SF6 and RE4 had dubious monetization, TOTK had a story I found to be like 90% boring and it still maintains many of the flaws of the original. And Hi-Fi Rush, while amazing, just didn't scratch the particular itch this game did for me.

1) Lies of P

If you told me that Lies of P was a game developed by some sub-division of FromSoft, I'd believe you. Which is to say I would also believe that it was made by people who wanted to break free from some of the shackles of the now infamous 'soulslike' genre.

A narrative that actually makes sense by the end? Opening up options for the player without requiring specific stat levels? Encounters and boss fights that feel ravenously challenging without just feeling like cheap bullshit? Music that crosses borders beyond 'angry chorus, angrier orchestra'?

Lies of P doesn't quite eclipse Elden Ring, but that's an absolutely unfair comparison given the utter scope and scale and variety that game packs. But Lies of P improves at the FromSoft formula in specific ways, while making concessions in others, and as a result it's just an experience that seeped into my brain like no other game this year, not even Tears of the Kingdom, despite that I put half the hours into this one.

I love all of the games I have mentioned here, you could honestly swap around the order of this top 5 and I could mentally meander a way to justify why, no, actually, this one was my favorite game of 2023. In a year so awful for the people who make games, yet so amazing for games themselves, Lies of P is exactly the kind of game I needed. I needed someone to show me that you can make something directly inspired by someone else's work, yet fine tune it in all the right ways to make it stand just as tall in terms of quality and design. Lies of P made me feel things in ways only a handful of games ever do -- and I would actually count Hi-Fi Rush among those in a regard.

But Lies of P also told a story I found compelling. It had mystery, tension, buildup, it started off seeming like it would do the vague FromSoft schtick only to 100% come together, make sense, be rewarding, and offer a 'true ending' that I got on the first playthrough, organically, without looking things up, because it just... felt right. Not only is the game adapting FromSoft's formula into something its own, it's also doing that with the story of Pinocchio. The gameplay and the story congeal together not in the 'perfect' way that it does with games like Celeste or Undertale, but rather in a more... messy way, like a puppet aching to become a real boy.

The game is full of loss, in its world and for you as the player, who will die many times. But unlike much of FromSoft's catalogue, I never once felt like I died because of bullshit. Was I trolled? Sure, the game definitely 'trolls' you in classic FromSoft fashion, lulling you into a sense of security only to sweep you off your feet. But unlike how FromSoft does it, these circumstances can always be avoided if you're cautious. And if you're not? Hey, 'We got you! We gooottt youuu, haha' and you lose a couple minutes of progress, rather than like fifteen minutes and also an entire level's worth of souls because oh right, this section you just got through is kind of bullshit cheap.

Don't get me wrong, I love Dark Souls. But the thing is, Lies of P takes the parts I love about Dark Souls, admits it can't pull off quite the intricate web of level design, but then throws away everything I do not like about Dark Souls, improves on the things I already liked, and then pushes me to meet it on its level.

The satisfaction of being a boss you spend an hour, two hours on, cannot be understated. It's a feeling unlike any other, and one only this medium can provide. And Lies of P kept me motivated, like Sekiro before it, to keep improving, keep growing, keep trying. And unlike Sekiro, it gave me so many more tools to play with, to learn, to balance in an arsenal with intent. Enemies have elemental weaknesses if I so choose to exploit them, the moveset of one weapon's handle can be applied to a completely different blade, my robotic arm can leverage things in a pinch, or be the backbone to dealing with a boss. Mastery is rewarded with practice. A vicious boss that annihilates you in five seconds can be defeated without a single scratch if you practice enough. Mastery, creativity, quick thinking, and reacting are all rewarded here.

I am more than the hands pulling the strings, I am more than a puppet, I am human. And games like this can only be made by humans, who get that specific itch that only video games that challenge us can scratch. It's not an itch everyone has, but that's why it's my GOTY and not yours, innit?

With its unique setting, its wonderful music, its cozy hub area, its narrative that offers just enough to make me care, but not so much that I am bored or feel misled, its amazing boss designs, and its wonderfully tactile and engaging combat, Lies of P is a game I just can't stop feeling something about whenever I am reminded of it.

It epitomizes so much -- not all, but much -- of what I love about what video games can do, what adaptations can do, and much like how Toby Fox was inspired by Mother 3, what people can do when they are inspired by someone else's work.

As far as I can tell, this is developer Round8's debut game, and just. Holy hell, what a way to come out swinging. I haven't seen a debut game hit this hard since, I don't know, Bastion.

Close your eyes. Come to me. Feel all right.

I did, and I do, and given what you teased at the end of this game, I have extremely high hopes of what you come up with next. And in a landscape where things feel more difficult to get excited for with each passing year, much less new IP, it's so damn refreshing to have both Hi-Fi Rush and this game standing out as signals that, hey, some folks are still willing to invest bigger budgets into new games, new ideas.

Again, a battle of centimeters here and at this point I should wrap this up and go to bed.

But yea, Lies of P reminded me of what makes me, specifically, human, in a very particular way that only it has. And I honestly think out of all of single player games of 2023, I think it will actively stand out in my heart the most in the years to come.

#GOTY 2023 #goty #video games #gaming #Mother 3 #scarlet hollow #super mario wonder #future redeemed #Pikmin 4 #Hi-Fi Rush #re4 remake #TOTK #LOZ TOTK #Tears of the Kingdom #Lies of P #long post #Sea of Stars

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daily-coloring · 5 months

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Best of 2023 - TV Series

I think I watched over 50 TV shows this year and most of them were great which means, the making of this list was hard and took me a few days and I'm still not sure about the order.

01. Deadloch - Season 1. - "Welcome to the Tasmanian town of Deadloch! It’s the site of a simmering culture war between the blue-collar, old-school residents and a recent influx of lesbians who’ve put the place on the map, bringing performance art and gourmet nose-to-tail dining with them." - Vanity Fair

02. The Woman In The Wall - Miniseries - "People think that this couldn't happen again. Then they forget that the last laundry closed in 1996. It wasn't medieval times. The f**king 'Macarena' was in the charts." - Philippa Dunne

03. Nolly - Miniseries - "This show follows Nolly through the very public sacking and its fallout, and paints a sympathetic and adoring picture of the woman behind the headlines. Bonham Carter sails through this as if on the campest of clouds, but also beautifully articulates the grief behind the glamour. Nolly is part of the old guard, the oldest of guards in fact – she was the first woman ever to appear on colour television. " - The Guardian

04. The Newsreader - Season 2.

05. Heartstopper - Season 2.

06. Mood - Miniseries - "Like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum, Lecky’s Mood started life as a one-woman show on the London stage; she debuted Superhoe at the Royal Court in 2019, with the Standard describing her performance as “a revelation”. That’s probably where those comparisons should end, though, as Mood is a very different beast, and not just because of the aforementioned musical interludes. The darkness in this story isn’t necessarily mined for laughs (though our deadpan lead Sasha can be savagely funny, just like some of her brutal song lyrics) and there’s a real sense of precariousness at its heart." - Evening Standard

07. Workin' Moms - Season 7.

08. Blue Lights - Season 1.

09. The White Lotus - Season 1. and 2.

10. Ted Lasso - Season 3.

11. Starstruck - Season 3.

12. The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies - Season 1. - "The show touches on some serious themes around abuse, misogyny and gaslighting, but it is so compelling because it doesn’t forget how much fun there is in the art of the con." - The Guardian

13. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart - Miniseries

14. The Night Agent - Season 1.

15. The Dry - Season 1.

16. Foundation - Season 1. and 2.

17. The Change - Season 1. - "Bridget Christie writes and stars in The Change – her sitcom debut – as Linda, a much put-upon wife, mother and retail worker who reaches a crisis point at her 50th birthday party. It’s not just the menopause. It’s also the cluelessness of her husband (Omid Djalili), the open disdain of her teenage children and society’s general denial of the full humanity of older women that pushes Linda over the edge." - The Guardian

18. Sex Education - Season 4.

19. Fleishman is in Trouble - Miniseries

20. Slow Horses - Season 1. and 2.

21. The Last of Us - Season 1.

22. The Fall of the House of Usher - Miniseries

23. Fisk - Season 1. and 2. - "You can tell Fisk is an old-fashioned sitcom just by looking at it. That goes beyond Fisk’s awesome brown pants suit; the visuals here are firmly in service to the story (and to the jokes) rather than feeling like a cinematographer’s audition reel. The locations are basic – an office, a café, Fisk’s temporary Air B&B home – and filmed in a straightforward way that never detracts from the comedy. For audiences used to expensive production values and flashy locations this may take a little getting used to, but the effort is most definitely worth it." - ScreenHub

24. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

25. The Diplomat - Season 1.

26. Gen V - Season 1.

27. Secret City - Season 1. and 2.

28. Severance - Season 1.

29. Wolf - Miniseries

30. The Crown - Season 5.

31. Shrinking - Season 1.

32. Three Pines - Miniseries

33. Beef - Miniseries

34. The Sixth Commandment - Miniseries - "Evil characters can be just as one-note and boring as the good, but Hardwicke manages to infuse Ben with such a disconcerting blend of calculation, charm and quiet, almost hidden glee in the harm he inflicts that it is impossible to look away. You will want to. It is harrowing." - The Guardian

35. Swarm - Miniseries

36. Bodies - Miniseries

37. The Long Shadow - Miniseries

38. Wellmania - Miniseries

39. Boat Story - Miniseries

40. The Morning Show - Season 3.

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itookyoudown · 4 months

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for the ask game: top 5 justified episodes?

oh lordy this is so hard to choose. i'm not answering this with any thoughtfulness just going with gut instinct.

5: Full Commitment, season 2. this is my guilty pleasure and comfort episode because of how western it feels and how much tim gutterson we get :)

we even get raylan talking to dan!! i just love how all the pieces of the plot and characters come together in this episode. this also sets up and kicks off the finale of Bloody Harlan. really the last three episodes of this season feel like a mini movie to me, they all flow together brilliantly.

4: The Promise, season 6. this isn't my favorite season or even my favorite season finale, but it's one of my favorite episodes because of how bittersweet it is. it was the perfect wrap-up for a perfect show and the final scene is my favorite final scene in any show i've ever watched.

some characters survive, but nobody really wins and i love that. it feels like such a real true to life ending.

3: The Hunt, season 6. the episode that cinched boyd's characterization and showed us two flavors of domesticity horror (raylan and winona with willa's heart murmur reveal and trying to navigate co-parenting along with raylan's lackluster fathering VS boyd's abduction, terrorization, and assault of ava).

this is the most thriller-esque episode of justified to me and truly does verge into lowkey horror at some points. it shocked and numbed me the first time i watched it and the reality didn't really click until the second rewatch and by the third time it truly sunk in.

the fact boyd became the type of man his father and his brother were...utterly devastating and really changed my perspective on his character. and he chose it, he plotted it and organized it in a cold fashion. it's heartbreaking and at first you can't believe it but upon rewatches of the show it revealed to me that yeah...yeah. boyd was always capable of this and it's no surprise this is where he and ava ended up.

outlaw king and queen they never were and never would have been.

this episode is also fascinating because you can see critic response to it as a disturbing time capsule. look at reviews of this episode back when the show was airing...be prepared to be sickened by how often boyd assaulting ava is framed as "making love" or a reunification/rekindling of their relationship 🙃

this episode is always difficult for me to rewatch, but i still love it.

on a lighter note, i also delight in raylan being a fail dad and with city primeval fresh in my mind i love how it really does confirm his work over family priority from the get-go lol.

2: Outlaw, season 4. in general this is a solid af episode of justified in the best season of the show, but it ranks so high in my mind because it's the culmination of Arlo and Rayan's relationship. look, the truth is abuse is so rarely accurately portrayed in media. usually, it's revenge fantasy or feel-good simplification that reduces things down to evil monsters and pure perfect victims. and i get why that happens, i get it, most people find it healing and those stories do need to exist i'm not knocking them.

but justified has a complex and multilayered way of dealing with abusive relationships (they did it with boyd and ava too) that actually digs into how complicated and messy and painful they truly are.

the fact we get to see Raylan grieve Arlo in such an understated but devasting way...holy shit. one of the best moments in the show imo. because it doesn't matter if you hate your parent and they were shitty and abusive. you still loved them. you still love who they were in-between the abuse and maybe you don't grieve the person they were but you grieve what could have been and what you never had with them.

1: Decoy, season 4: all-time best episode of justified and top-tier episode of television everywhere. the episode is really the pinnacle of justified's genre (neo western). e v e r y t h i n g about this episode honors justified's storylines and honors characterization. heart and soul and brain all in one go.

it respects the lawmen and the outlaws in portrayal. the writing is tight, the dialogue is outstanding, and it comes with one of justified's most iconic and thematic shots (the stairwell scene).

#tooks.txt #justie games #yes season 4 and season 6 are my favorites can you tell

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denimbex1986 · 5 months

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'Doctor Who is arguably the best show around. An alien travelling anywhere at any time around space, what’s not to love? While the Doctor is crucial to the story it’s worth giving some attention to their sidekicks...

6. Rose Tyler

The first companion on this list from the David Tennant years, Rose (Billie Piper) has some of the best moments and stories a companion could ever wish for. She was introduced in the opening episode of the return of Doctor Who back in 2005. Having the episode named after herself. This was a great way to get to know her. She has enough screen time from season one to make her loved. So coming into series two, this was surely only going to blossom even more. Maybe not!

Rose and the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) had a platonic relationship, they bounced off each other. With Tennant, that went and we were introduced to a new dynamic. Rose developed feelings for the Doctor, which people had divided opinions on. She left the show at the right time, but her reappearance in series four added a new dimension, which was great for her and the audience. She’s also probably the most important companion on this list. Everything spiralled from her looking into the time vortex, with her character getting bigger and bigger, but it was maybe too much?...

4. Martha Jones

Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) is arguably the most underrated companion from the whole history of the show, or maybe even the history of television (okay, bit of an exaggeration). The main companion for series three, and a guest for series four, the reasons why some people aren’t fond of her are understandable. She is basically pining over the Doctor. This makes it hard to watch at times, as the Doctor is still getting over Rose.

Her stand out moments though go under the radar. Her character development from series three to four and beyond is noticeable in a positive way. She shifts from needing the Doctor to not, with her becoming a soldier for UNIT. While this may be a controversial move for some, it allowed Martha to really find herself. Over her travels with the Doctor she becomes such a stronger person, what more could you want?

3. Captain Jack Harkness

Funny, energetic and a little bit cheeky, Captain Jack (John Barrowman) is a delight to watch. The first non-full time companion on this list, his small time we get on his appearances are enough to get what the character is and falling in love with it at the same time. Jack’s first appearance came in series one’s “The Empty Child” and followed up several other appearances in series three, four and twelve. With not having much screen time he makes unforgettable moments with the Doctor and the chemistry they have, and fits right in with the Doctor despite the change in actors.

He’s a very unique character who has an interesting story. This develops over the course of his appearances. All his interactions with different characters (and he encounters quite a few) are special for individual reasons...

2. River Song

Not many people can shock the doctor and leave them speechless, River Song (Alex Kingston) is the exception. She has plenty of stories she is apart of, including with Ten, Eleven and Twelve’s era, and is often pivotal to these, too...

1. Donna Noble

Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) is simply the most iconic, talked about and most liked companion from Doctor Who. She takes little bits of everyone who ranked on this list, and puts them together and makes it her own. It helps massively that her era of the show was when it was at a strong point, getting some amazing and fun stories to work on.

Her chemistry with David Tennant is a breath of fresh air from her differences in personality from the other companions he had. There was absolutely no love interest and she made it well known. Yet the love (platonically) and care they had for each other was obvious from the start. Her witty remarks and comebacks to the Doctor made it hilarious at times, but also showed her acting scope, because other times, she was serious and heartbroken with certain events.

Something else she shows more than anyone else, is how much the doctor can be dangerous to travel with. It can be joyful and the best feeling ever. But that works both ways and she portrays that on the screen clearly. All this great stuff she brings, makes us truly weep just thinking about it when even though she doesn’t die, the doctor and donna who travelled through times and space died, with her memory being wiped. She is the most popular by a mile and there is good reason for it. And what makes it even better is that she will be returning in November 2023 alongside David Tennant for the 60th anniversary specials.'

#David Tennant #Catherine Tate #Billie Piper #Rose Tyler #Donna Noble #Captain Jack Harkness #John Barrowman #River Song #Alex Kingston #Martha Jones #Freema Agyeman #Christopher Eccleston #60th Anniversary #Doctor Who

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thephantomcasebook · 9 months

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I wanted to know more about GRRM and his deal with HBO. I always thought this idea to create some Marvel Cinematic Universe using prequels set in Westeros was dumb and wouldn't work in the long run lmao. Do you think the strikes, on top of WB's money problems, and HOTD probably not doing as hot in ratings as HBO tried to PR spin means less and less ASOIAF-related shows will be greenlit?

He signed a sight-unseen development deal with HBO in 2013.

He's been developing "House of the Dragon" since about 2016.

They began serious development on it in 2019, since HBO didn't want to continue to keep GRRM on salary when he hadn't been contributing since around 2015 - when he broke with David and Dan on "Game of Thrones".

"House of the Dragon" was a toxic project that no one wanted to take after the disaster of Season 8 of "Game of Thrones". But at the time, Ryan Condal had been fired from Amazon after the head of their Network canned his adaption of "Conan the Cimmerian" show that he was developing. And, having read his treatments, GRRM hired him to help him write the scripts for "House of the Dragon". However, they still didn't have a show runner. But, after reading the scripts that GRRM and Condal wrote, HBO was confident in the project and went hunting for a showrunner ...

And they settled on Sapochnik ...

At the time, he had absolutely refused to come back to ASoIaF due to his hatred of both the franchise and the fans. But, HBO was so desperate to get the show on the air that they dumped a bunch of money in front of him and promised him complete creative freedom.

So, the first thing he did, was gut GRRM and Condal's scripts and hired Sara Hess to be script supervisor on set so that they can rewrite them on the fly. This is also the time in which Sapochnik's wife suggested that they turn Alicent and Rhaenyra's friendship into a secret closeted Lesbian romance, which was not in the original scripts - as confirmed by multiple sources, including Emily Carey. Sapochnik and Hess also decided that the angle they should take for the narrative was to turn a dynastic civil war into an allegory for Intersectional-Feminism.

The budget on "House of the Dragon" Season 1 was about 250 Million Dollars - one of the most expensive shows that HBO has ever produced. The ratings were the best that HBO had since "Game of Thrones" but it didn't reach anywhere near GOT levels.

Now, Season 2 has been a quagmire of a production. They've turned in terrible scripts that had to be written multiple times - GRRM had to come down and rebreak the story several times. Then the scripts were given to a story editor that Warner Brothers had to pay out of pocket. The production was so delayed that they lost out on a majority of their location shoots in Spain. The two main actresses have been flirting with disaster in pissing off the fanbase - Olivia Cooke especially. And there's just bad feelings all around over how its all shook out.

So ...

No, I don't think that GRRM is getting a blank check after the strike. I think that "Game of Thrones" is too big of a brand to ever let go. But I think all the grander plans for sweeping epic Prequel series are at an end. I think they'll green light "Dunk and Egg" and they'll rush to finish "House of the Dragon" in Season 3. And then that'll be it for ASoIaF on Television. Smaller more grounded stories that require less of a budget to shoot beyond what you might find on a BBC or ITV period drama.

#House of the Dragon #Ryan Condal #Sara Hess #George rr Martin #Miguel Sapochnik #The Story So Far

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lonesomedotmp3 · 5 months

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2, 4-6, 20 :D

hiii 🖤🖤🖤

2 - album of the year

emails I can't send fwd SORRY!!!! that album legitimately got me through this year it turns out what you listen to in the worst month of your life sticks with you... but the baby by samia and grace by jeff buckley and the rise and fall of a midwest princess are all runner ups...

4 - movie of the year

just did this and listed quite a few but tbh there are so many more... dick 1999 escape room 2019 slashorette party STUDENT BODIES. student bodies was so fucking good... and I did already say bottoms but FOR YOU i Will repeat bottoms was such a Moment 🫶 I had literally been waiting for it the entire year and my girlfriend havana rose liu was there and everyone was so sexy it was unreal...

5 - tv show of the year

faking it was one of the greatest parts of this year it was so fun and weird and 2014 and my best friend amy was there and the toxic homoerotic girl best friendship was insane HOWEVER. seinfeld was formative this year... truly by the end it was just like hanging out with friends everything I did I was like wow this is just like seinfeld it was so good to watch.during the especially as i.kept feeling more and more insane. Comfort television that's sort of meandering and emotionless and anti comedy <3

6 - episode of tv that defined the year for you

wow that's a deranged question ok. the first thing I can think of is yellowjackets 2.01 friends roman countrymen which was such a good brain altering episode and ofc at the time we didn't know season two was going to kind of flop so it was really exciting waiting for the next episode. but DEFINED the year. honestly maybe 7.01 of riverdale in the most bitter pessimistic way possible like it did Define The Year in that riverdale was supposed to Fix things (I know that's a stupid idea but whatever things were rough) and now only did it fail to do that it just left me confused and insulted and.more miserable than ever. yeah that's perfect actually. so much hope and optimism (february fortune cookie) Instantly dashed to create a.more depressive mood than ever. 🤸 but whatever season seven isn't real and it can't hurt me.

20 - what's something you learned this year

it's not going to get better. sorry that's horrible I'll think of something nicer to end on. I wasn't planning on this being a bummer I sort of forgot this year sucked. and I'm not saying that in an edgy way or to get attention it's purely just that sometimes things are the way they are and there's nothing you can do about it and I can't spend my whole life feeling bad about it. like my mum is so upset that cbt didn't magically cure me and it's like. this is just a thing I have to deal with forever! there's no cure! and if it ever gets better it'll be a pleasant surprise but why would I set myself up for devastation and disappointment again like I did at the beginning of this year. frankie community voice I never hope hope is pouting in advance.... anyway on a lighter note! talk to your seminar professors about your essays! it sucks but it does really make them so much better!! I got a first in a philosophy essay for the first time because of it 🫡🫡🫡 now I just have to remember to keep doing it even though it's extremely embarrassing asking your professor to do their job for some reason

#thank you abby<333 #ask tag #munamania

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tinyozlion · 10 months

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Addressing the Troubles: Part 2 / 3

A Brief History of Gundam in Japan and the USA:

Here is my go-to analogy: The Gundam franchise is to Japan what Star Trek is to America. And Gundam Wing is to the Gundam franchise what Deep Space 9 is to the rest of Star Trek.

Wing was part of an experimental phase in the franchise’s history; when they were intentionally trying to break away from the usual modus operandi. Wing, along with the earlier G Gundam, was intended to boost flagging viewership and sell model kits– like, expressly, openly, just to sell model kits. The plan was to start from a blank slate that would allow new viewers to hop on board, without having to be caught up on the sprawling canon of the UC timeline (Universal Century).

In Japan, audiences were already familiar with the general premise of A Gundam Show; rather than spend any extra time re-establishing details that an already Gundam-savvy audience would know, it skipped right to explaining on how this particular series was departing from the established material. In this case, the noteworthy information was that Wing takes place in the After Colony timeline, and is set wholly in its own universe– we have a different sinister organization with a ‘Z’ in its name, a different mysterious blond man who wears a mask, a different conflict between Earth and Space, and no mention of Newtypes.

Perhaps the most significant difference between Wing and its predecessor was its tonal shift. In the original Mobile Suit Gundam (if seasoned fans will pardon my oversimplification), the good guys are a relatively wholesome bunch or reluctant civilian heroes coming together to survive, a found-family supporting each other and trying their best to protect the vulnerable. It’s just ONE Gundam, and a crew of overworked, under-supplied misfits. It’s still very much a complex narrative about the horrors of war, but like, there’s a goofy side-kick robot! Kids run around White Base causing shenanigans! The more the UC timeline progresses, the more complicated it gets, but the point is, it’s a different style of complicated. There's a relatable and familiar flavor to its protagonists and their struggles.

Pan over to Wing, where we are served right away with the spiciest plate of the spiciest feral murder boys, possibly the LEAST reluctant people ever to get in a mecha and cause harm.

The protagonist pilots are remorseless teenagers who were robbed of their adolescence before the show even began, and thrown into the meatgrinder of revolutionary violence– not the most relatable bunch, and not one audience surrogate amongst them (that honor goes to Relena). None of them work together, everyone is morally ambiguous, and they’re all hyper-competent elite soldiers from the get-go. In MS Gundam, Amuro spends his first fight in the Gundam trying to learn to walk and shoot using a manual.

Some Gundam fans were quite put off by this change, but in the USA, we had no basis for comparison. Gundam Wing was the only Gundam show we had, and furthermore, it was one of the first “serious” “cartoons” introduced to mainstream television. And it blew. Our. Fucking. Minds.

--I cannot stress enough how influential that early 2000’s Toonami programming block was in introducing anime to American audiences, and by extension, American television producers and toy companies. I recommend checking out this IGN article about the history of GW’s debut on Cartoon Network, and the effect it had on the industry at large: How Gundam Wing Found Its Home On Toonami 20 Years Ago Today . For another take on the phenomenon check out: Found in Translation: How Gundam Wing Became A Global Phenomenon (Opinions are those of the article writer, not mine.)

For those of you who are of that Toonami-block generation who never encountered the original series: MS Gundam is truly gripping and powerful, and if you’re not already a Gundam fan but found that Wing tickled your fancy, the original line up of shows will probably be right up your alley too. Be prepared for a very different overall experience from Wing though– for one thing, you may be surprised to discover that the original series, with its earlier animation style and dated anime tropes, is absolutely fucking brutal.

Fundamentally, the original Gundam is a series that is steeped to its core in a very somber, distinctly post-war Japanese melancholy that Wing, for all its lofty philosophizing, lacks. I don’t mean to make that a criticism of Wing– it had a much, much shorter run to make its point, and it was intentionally trying to do something different from its parent series.

Gundam Wing may at one point had a reputation for being Gundam’s dark, broody, edgy cousin, but Wing is also as chaste as a Victorian romance novel, and obscures most of its violence in clean, bloodless explosions. In the first episode of MS Gundam you will be treated to first-hand mass civilian death. In the movie and at various points of the shows there are scenes deliberately and uncomfortably reminiscent of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Zeta Gundam, you'll get to explore a wide selection of Horrible Ways To Die In Space that I suspect would have the same effect on a child as accidentally watching Watership Down (1978) thinking it was a Disney movie. (That's right: It makes you a more interesting person with good taste!) There's also like, nudity. And adults, with messy, adult relationship problems.

The U.C. timeline is just a lot more, I want to say, earthy as a rule. The characters are normal people and they have a wide range of interests and relationships to each other. Even when it’s reaching those philosophical high-notes, the focus is closer to the ground level; you see the day to day struggles of the crew, of civilians, of couples, you see their private lives, watch them evolve over the course of many years, how they fall in love, eat burgers, hook up, make friends, and make bad decisions. It’s a rich, diverse world filled with believable, complex people; the world building has more time to fill out, with its roots firmly in the soil of classic science fiction writing and space exploration; and it does what it sets out to do, which is deliver a gut-punch of an anti-war story.

If you take anything away from this, it’s that developing a tolerance for older mediums and long-term relationships with particular stories will give you access to some of the most rewarding experiences possible. And that’s true of many things, but especially of stories that have had lasting cultural impact and serve as time capsules for the struggles of their era. It’s true of The Iliad, it’s true of Lord of the Rings, it’s true of Akira, it’s true of Gundam.

“Just Make Us Five Gundams” – Wing’s Famously Troubled Production & Why You Should Read Episode Zero

Gundam Wing was created flying by the seat of its pants from start to finish.

Hideyuki Tomioka, executive producer on Wing, was still early in his career when he was cut loose on a new Gundam series with minimal oversight.

“Just make us a show with FIVE new Gundams”, Bandai said. “It’ll sell model kits!”, they said. “It’ll be fun!”, they said. And they laughed, and laughed.

But Tomioka agreed, and set out to assemble his creative team– notably, Masashi Ikeda (series director), Katsuyuki Sumisawa (series composition / head scriptwriter), and Shuko Murase (character designer). Many of his chosen production crew had never worked on a Gundam show before, but everyone knew their stuff, and had been selected for their outstanding work or for showing promise in their respective fields.

--Please, pour one out for them now.

The production schedule for Wing was apparently one of the roughest in Sunrise’s history. In a 2017 interview, producer Tomioka explains: “With Wing, we delivered the episodes to the TV network a week early. All of them. I was told by the producers at the network that there would be hell to pay if this next Gundam wasn’t delivered a week early like clockwork, and I said sure. I also told Mr. Ikeda and the company that we would maintain a one-week-before-air delivery schedule, and we delivered every single episode a week before air.”

Head scriptwriter Sumisawa recalls camping in the Sunrise studio and working all night without sleeping in order to turn in scripts on time (something I vividly recall doing with my senior thesis).

Despite the entire staff being burnt out from the continuous workflow, the team apparently met every single deadline, and still consider Gundam Wing to be some of their best work.

However, Wing’s trouble didn’t end with just the frantic schedule.

Significant, under-the-table leadership changes at the studio level made a bad situation worse. Just before the production of Wing, parent company Sunrise had sold the Gundam franchise to Bandai, apparently in secret, leaving their creatives and producers like Tomioka in a lurch. The sudden change in sponsors led to an attitude change that would filter through the company, causing significant friction and splintering within the organization.

In fact, creative control of the series was tossed in the air at multiple levels:

When series director Masashi Ikeda was hired for Wing, he was coming off a few rocky dismissals / resignations from earlier projects due to his disagreements with sponsors. He was new to Gundam, but was known for being a talented, if contentious, storyboard artist / director. Right away he took Wing in an unexpected direction, apparently derailing the series from its original trajectory after only 10 episodes. Signing off on these provocative decisions may have painted a target on his back, but it certainly made Wing stand out from its predecessors! Perhaps predictably, Ikeda either “abruptly resigned” or was fired from the project after Episode 29, and was substituted by Gundam franchise veteran, Shinji Takamatsu. Takamatsu would ultimately finish directing the remaining half of the series, though he was left uncredited.

Sumisawa too withdrew as a the lead scenario writer. He reports having to cope with curve balls thrown in the script by different writers who hadn’t run their decisions by him first, leaving him to struggle with reworking episodes at the last minute in order to accommodate the unsupervised changes.

All the crunch and chaos, the impossibly tight schedules, the directorial and creative control changing hands mid-series, led to many of the important plot points and connective tissue that had been slated for reveal at the midpoint of the series being severely truncated, or scrapped entirely.

--And this, friends, is why there are so many instances in the early episodes of Wing where characters make reference to events and concepts that simply never show up in the series– the material got cut for time, and the unexplained anecdotes were left to dangle.

This includes by far the most unfortunate omission in the series: the pilot backstories. In the postscript of “Gundam Wing: Episode Zero”, the manga prequel released seven years after the series first aired– scriptwriter Sumisawa makes this plea:

“[...] I would like to make a request of those who have read this book. I would like you to watch the entire TV series and Endless Waltz again. By so doing, I think you will be able to fully appreciate the work, Gundam Wing. This series of stories of the past was requested of me by Director Ikeda, and it was supposed to appear in the to the p20the TV series after episode 27. However, it was pigeonholed roduction schedule being the worst ever, and the fact that I withdrew ws scenarist. When I returned to the show, there was no chance to fit in the past, and we had no choice but to table it indefinitely (though we did try in episode 31, The Glass Kingdom). It was able to become a graphic novel through the kindness of the editors at Anime V Magazine and Mr. Kanbe's (artist) cooperation. As one of the co-creators, I am extremely grateful, and this has become a very emotional work.”

In one interview, Sumisawa laments: “Nobody wants to write recap episodes. Episodes 27 and 28 were recap episodes.” Producer Tomioka notes that “Everybody worked some serious miracles for part two. We never would have been able to do part two [of the series] if we hadn’t put in those recap episodes. It really was rough.”

--This Is why I recommend that people read Episode Zero around the time they get to the mid-series point in the anime, where the backstories were always meant to go. Many, MANY questions and frustrations that I hear from first-time watchers will be cleared up.

It’s a damn good collection of stories, too! As you can see, my own copy is nearing a level of decrepitude that ought to make it Nursery Real at this point. I took it everywhere with me in my school bag as a comfort item.

–A link to the manga can be found in the Bookshelf section!

#Gundam Wing Meta #Gundam Wing #Gundam Meta #Addressing the Troubles #Parsing Post #TinyOzLion PGW

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rooolt · 9 months

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Rank the 7 intrepid heroes seasons from worst to best: FH, FHSY, TUC, ACOC, TUC2, ASO, & NA

Kill your darlings

JOKES ON YOU VEE IVE DONE THIS MANY TIMES IN MY HEAD, ITS SO EASY

*disclaimer that I am not attacking anyone who likes the things I don’t, literally no one yell at me*

7. ACOC - I feel like I’ve been pretty transparent that acoc just like isn’t my genre. Not a fan of lower magic, not a fan of fantasy politics, and it really stressed me out to a point where I really can’t watch it. I also just like got really annoyed at ruby and amethar post jet death and I’m still bummed we didn’t get more time with lapin. Solid Murph character this season, not his best work tho

6. NVA - also been pretty transparent with my thoughts about this season, I don’t handle horror well and I feel like it just got too convoluted at points. Sometimes it felt like it was just trying to do too much so some plot lines got rushed weird, but a lot of the pcs were super fun. Big fan of the Murph character this season, big fan of guys who are the worst

5. TUC2 - I feel like you specifically will be mad at me for this but like, idk it just doesn’t reach the highs of some of the other seasons for me. I liked a lot of it dont get me wrong, but a lot of Sofia’s plot line specifically to me just felt like a lot of talking. I know it’s all talking but that’s the easiest way I can describe it. I do not think this is a bad season, I like it a lot, I just like the others better, plus the roll 20 combat just wasn’t as engaging to me I’m sorry to say. 10/10 Murph character this season, I love my awful guy, he’s so New Jersey coded.

4. TUC - this was a tough decision for me and fantasy high’s nostalgia factor just beat it out, but genuinely TUC is such a beautiful story and I really really like it. I prefer this one to tuc2 because it feels much more on track idk and it’s just great to me. Kugrash’s story like means so much to me and I ugly cried the first time I watched the finale.

3. FH - An amazing start to a great show. I love high school settings I’m sorry I love teenagers (not that the fh teenagers are very teenagery but we can pretend) and it’s just so memorable to me I know the name of every episode and every fight in order this is what kicked off my dnd special interest it has such a deep place in my heart I adore it so. Riz Gukgak is the best character to ever be created.

2. FHSY - I like it better than the first season because of the deeper explorations of the characters and also Ayda Aguefort my girlfriend appears. Not much to say about it that I haven’t already said about fantasy high but I think it just benefits from these characters and their relationships already being set up. Once again, riz gukgak is the best character to ever be created and this was really his season

ASO - SEASON OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!! It’s so fun it’s so great I don’t care about the plot because I could’ve watched these amazing characters do just smash and grabs for like 50 episodes. The feeling of being back in the dome was electric, this was the first season d20 combats REALLY hooked me and just it was so laugh out loud funny and the rolls were so exciting and also it’s my mommy’s favorite season so bonus points. I only wish perfect television like this wasn’t tainted because of all the stupid slug arguments because oh my god people needed to calm down. I would be straight for Big Barry Syx

#Just saying the seven would best most of these in my rankings as well

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lonelywretchjervistetch · 7 months

Text

My DCCU Interlude: The Legion of Super-Heroes (Part Six)

Part VI: Starting the Story AKA The Pilot

So, with the set up of the last five goddamn essays done...now what? You probably won't be terribly surprised to hear that I'm not a writer by trade. A rambler, kinda, but not really a writer. But I'm also an avid watcher of television, especially superhero series. So, I have a general idea of what I'd like to see in this series. Not sure still whether it'd be animated or live-action, but I'm aiming for hour-long episodes (dependent upon streaming or ad-time) either way.

This post will be a basic layout of plots for a first season of this show, with the plan to set up a second season as well. As for what I'm using as a sort of basis, well...that's tricky. This is a series with a large ensemble cast, dramatic character-based storylines, and a literal universe of worldbuilding, meaning it should feel like a lived-in universe that the audience can get invested in. So, when I was thinking about the most beloved and successful television series of the past decade or so, I landed upon two answers. Two...extremely controversial answers.

Man, oh MAN, is The Flash the biggest disappointment of my life.

Look...The Flash was a really bad show...for the last 4 seasons. Seasons 4 and 5 were not horrible (not amazing, but not horrible), season 3 was pretty decent, and the first 2 seasons were honestly quite good! It has a large supporting cast, great antagonists, recurring dramatic storylines (for better or for worse; looking at you, Iris-Barry romance), and it was a superhero show based on a DC Comics character! So, good, right? Well, the first seasons are definitely good models to base this Legion series off of...but the series as a whole is a big fat warning sign, especially writing and plot-wise.

It's pretty obvious that the series creators didn't have a great plan for 9 seasons of this series, and even the first three seasons are more repetitive than you'd expect or want. I could talk about the massive wasted opportunities of this series for a LONG time (and I will, don't worry; might devote an essay to it, honestly), but it had a lot of problems. Also...yeah, the budget for this Legion series has to be higher, whether it be animated or live-action. I want the world to feel real and lived in, not to not be fueled by crossovers for that sensation.

And sure, there are much better superhero shows to use as a basis here, especially during the renaissance we're currently in. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, WandaVision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk are some of the recent best. And hey, let's not discount DC completely, either. Doom Patrol is pretty fantastic as comic-book adaptations go, as is Peacemaker, and I haven't really watched Titans past season 1, but I hear it got better as the series went on. Oh, and Stargirl and Superman and Lois! But using the Flash as a basis is...personal.

That said, I do think The Flash also works as a basis because of the wackier nature of the source material. For the messiness of the series, it's never been afraid to go to some crazy places, adapting storylines and characters from the comics with little hesitation...and sometimes little accuracy, but that's a different story as well (lookin' at you, Zoom). But OK, that's one inspiration. What's the other?

Game of Thrones' first season is, genuinely, some of the best television I've ever watched. The wide scope of that series, both dramatically and story-wise, is a great model for a Legion series. With the first season so eloquently showing the fall of House Stark from grace, foreshadowing the rise of Daenerys, and the various struggles within two battling houses. It combined political intrigue with medieval fantasy, and did so masterfully. It gave us memorable characters and storylines, which generated a faithful fanbase for a reason. Seriously, it was amazing television.

But both GoT and The Flash had their myriad issues, especially when it came to sticking the landing. Honestly, the former lasted as long as it did because it at least had the books to go off of. But once that material ran out, the series suffered heavily until the end. The Flash, on the other hand, took from its source material a lot, but never really had a good endgame in mind, and completely lost its focus by the end of the series.

So, looking at both series, the main lessons they have to give are:

Strong protagonists (e.g. Barry Allen or the Starks, Lannisters, and Danaerys)

Strong and memorable supporting cast (e.g. Team Flash, or...shit, so goddamn many)

Threatening and memorable antagonists (e.g. the excellent and unmatched Eobard Thawne, or...well, the Lannisters again, to be honest)

Character-based storylines (for protagonists, support, and antagonists alike)

An actual plan (The Flash had one until season 3, and GoT had one until the books ran out and they had to make shit up...badly)

I originally elaborated on this more, but this is all pretty basic stuff, when you think about it. I'm not exactly breaking ground here. I'm just pointing out where these shows succeeded or failed, and how.

So, with all of that said, it's time to talk about this prospective Legion series, huh? I'll be breaking it down by storyline, which are centered around the protagonist or protagonists involved. I've covered these guys in previous posts, as well as touching upon their storylines, so check those out for more information on individual characterization. OK, let's do this!

Prologue: Plans Unfold

On a dark planet, in some forgotten corner of the galaxy, a dark cult meets within stone catacombs. An obsidian spire stretches towards the depths of space, surrounded by a large and perfectly circular arena, in which the cult gathers. Runes cover the chamber, written in a language thought abandoned long ago. This is, of course, the home of the Dark Circle, the underground antagonists for the season. The robed cultists gather in this ancient place to foment their coming plans.

While the true nature and history of this place will be revealed by the end of the season, the seemingly ancient surroundings immediately set it up as a part of the endgame. Four of the cultists, egged on by the triumvirate of leaders, are sent out into the universe at large to seed their plans, as well as the season's conflict. They enter the obelisk, which acts as a beacon for Zeta Beams, which the Circle can aim and control. They send their emissaries to the next location: Luna, in 3038 CE.

Episode 1.01: Debut

The Moon, in this universe and timeline, is a large mining colony. It's here that one of the cultists arrives, to make their way incognito onto Earth, which will act as the true staging grounds for their plan. Their contact on Earth is a nomadic gang leader and criminal contact known as Cadis Thar-Ok, who will be a major player in this story. Also looking for Thar-Ok, and also on Luna, is Garth Ranzz, a farm boy from Winath here to search for his brother Mekt Ranzz, who was a part of Thar-Ok's gang when they wandered through Winath not too long ago. While the cultist heads towards Knighton, a neostate known for its (literally) underground criminal empire, Garth heads to Metropolis, the City of Hope. Here, he hopes to speak with the Science Police, and to find clues to his brother's location.

Also on this shuttle is a traveler attempting to escape her homeworld, and possibly find a temporary new one. This is Imra Ardeen, an outcast from the Moons of Saturn, specifically Titan. Escaping persecution from her people, and recruitment by the Titanian cult known as the Espers, Imra is attempting to remain hidden. In fact, she is dressed similarly to our cultists, but in brighter colored red robes, rather than the dark robes shed by the cultist. Wearing a circlet meant to mask and suppress her abilities, she is sleeping on the shuttle, and doesn't sense the danger of the cultist. However, she hopes to arrive in Metropolis to answer questions about herself by seeking out the Temple of Mars there.

A quick note about our passengers, in terms of casting. After some thought, Garth is remaining ginger and Caucasian, rather than the darker skin of the current comics. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, there are way too many Black electrokinetics. Check out my second essay in this series for more about that, but it's ridiculous. Honestly, it's basically a stereotype at this point, and I'd rather not contribute to that. Secondly, though, there's a weird Ginger erasure happening in media, specifically when it comes to racebending characters. And while I'm very much an advocate for racebending, but even I have to admit that this is...really weird. So, yeah, let's keep one iconically Ginger character in this series, shall we?

But what about Imra? She's canonically a Caucasian blonde, but there's no canon reason for this choice. Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, Imra could be any race, and I actually sort of like the idea of a dark-skinned Imra with blonde hair. I tinkered with this idea previously, but I'm actually sort-of digging it now. Especially because...well, name a Black female true telepath in media. No cybernetic enhancement, no magic, just telepathy as a primary and innate power. Go on. I dare you. You can't. Now, that's a trend I'd be down to buck.

We'll get to our third member in a second, but I'll spoil now that I'm thinking AAPI for him. That's flexible, though, so throw whatever image you want in your personal headcanons. Now, back to the story!

Once the shuttle arrives, Imra and Garth depart, and we see their initial reactions to this beautiful and futuristic city. Imra is mostly nonplussed, but Garth is very much into it, before quickly being overwhelmed. We then change to our third major focus: Rokk Krinn, a citizen of Braal and locally notable athlete, here to speak with the United Planets on behalf of his impoverished world. He meets Marla Latham, assistant to his sponsor, R.J. Brande. Marla goes over details of Rokk's stay, then offers to take him to meet Brande, who's currently in his favorite place: the Hall of Heroes.

The Hall of Heroes , a relocated and restored Hall of Justice, is an attempt to revitalize one of the older districts in the city, specifically located next to the historic Steelworks building, which has fallen into disuse in recent centuries. The Hall was moved from Washington D.C., after a historical event known only as Godfall nearly destroyed it and the rest of the city. Housing a massive amount of historical artifacts, the Hall has been expanded upon and restored over the years, until becoming the predominant collection of artifacts from the First Age of Heroes.

As a major feature of the city, Garth and Imra are also headed here. Garth's journey led him to the Science Police, but he stopped at the museum after being turned away from the busy station. Imra, on the other hand, went towards the Temple of Mars, only to find that they had no solid connection with the one she sought, the legendary J'onn Jonzz. Instead, she came to the Hall of Heroes to find more information on him, so that she may herself be helped. And, of course, there's one more person headed here.

In Darkham, the crown city of Knighton, the cultist has found Cadis Thar-Ok, who contacts one of his men in Metropolis to assassinate R.J. Brande for the Dark Circle. The purpose of this is to eliminate a driving force for planets to join the United Planets, which increases order in the universe. Braal's membership is tenuous at best, hence Rokk's visit here. Were Brande or, even better, a Braalian celebrity to be assassinated, this would foment chaos in the UP, and further the goals of the Dark Circle.

As planned, Thar-Ok's assassin makes their way to the Hall, following Rokk and Marla inside. Here, the DC fanboys are fed with artifacts that we haven't seen yet in this fledgling DC Cinematic Universe, as well as hints of battles to come in future projects. It's one of those Easter egg-filled scenes that fans love to dissect for all they're worth. We also get a view of the museum through the eyes of our main characters, which gives us insight into their desires and characters.

Garth, for example, is focused on finding his brother, and meting out any needed justice (or vengeance) against Thar-Ok and his crew. His focus is, therefore, on crime-fighting, so he heads towards a controversial wing of the Hall: Batman's. Now most of the artifacts about the Dark Knight are actually in Knighton, which includes the place once known as Gotham City. Here, though, the Hall focuses on Batman's role as associated with the Justice League. As such, this is a slightly more sanitized version of the character, more akin to Bronze than Modern. Garth, therefore, is interested in the legend of the character, moreso than some of his darker realities. He doesn't want to be Batman. He does want to fight crime of the same caliber, however.

Imra, for her part, goes to the area devoted to Martian Manhunter, as well as the other Martian visitors and heroes that have visited Earth. We can get a look at Miss Martian here, as well as possibly even Jemm, Son of Saturn. However, unsurprisingly, this exhibit is somewhat sparse as well. Mars has reclaimed much of this exhibitry, and other pieces are found in other exhibits or museums. So here, Imra doesn't quite find the answers she's seeking. However, as she's realizing this, she also gets a sense that something is wrong. This drives her to head towards the most popular exhibit. Which, of course, focuses on...

Understand me. No hero is revered more in the 31st century than Superman. Period. There cannot be any doubt about this. The legacy of Superman has lived beyond the ages. However, because of this, there are a lot of misunderstandings about him as a person, outside of being a hero. Put it this way. You know Hercules, right? His labors, his history, that one little time he murdered his wife, you know? But, like...what was his favorite color? Favorite food? Was he a morning person, or a night owl? Do you really know anything about him personally? Hell, what was his actual name? Yeah, I see you nerds with your hands up in the front of the room. To the rest of you, though...did you know his name isn't Hercules? Or Heracles? It's Alcides. But people tend to forget that fact.

What I'm saying is, that while the knowledge that Superman was Clark Kent is technically public knowledge...nobody gives a single shit about the person he was. And so, this exhibit is to all the flash, pomp, and circumstance that is Superman's deeds and legends. We see his villains, his greatest fights, his triumphs. But what Rokk and Brande see, as they walk around this portion of the Hall, is the hope and love and inspiration he gives to everyone that sees him. And that is what brings them together. Superman is the centerpiece of this portion of the franchise, and we should see some of the stuff that he's going to get up to in the future of this DC Cinematic Universe.

Brande and Rokk meet, they have a conversation about Superman and the Hall, as well as the personal strife they've seen and suffered. It's the beginnings of an important conversation, but both are continually distracted by their surroundings. As they have their talk, Garth and Imra walk into the exhibit, sort of in the background. Maybe Garth's reaction to Superman (which should be notably in awe) is noticed by Brande as a part of their conversation. Imra should come here sensing something wrong, but pause in the visage of this figure of legend. Yeah, I'm hamming it the hell up, that's the point.

But of course, in the background, we should see the assassin enter, ready to take Brande out from the shadows. The dark thoughts and influence he's exuding start to overwhelm Imra, which gets the attention of a nearby Garth. She points out what's going on, just as the assassin is readying a weapon. Garth, acting on instinct, fires of a wild lightning bolt at the guy as he sees the weapon. This loud and bright burst of energy gets the attention of the entire Hall, causing them to panic. The Science Police are called, while Brande and Rokk are also made aware of the situation. Hectic action sequence takes place, and Rokk uses his better-honed abilities to disarm the assassin. Imra, unable to hold back her power at this point, uses it to paralyze the assassin as they flee, in an impressive-if-terrifying feat. An extremely haphazard, if effective, display, from all three.

The Science Police take their sweet time to show up, and question the trio in their actions, as well as speaking with Brande and Marla. We meet two members of the police in particular: Gigi Cusimano and Director Ryna Norg. The former is impressed by the action of this trio, while Norg is not a fan of vigilante justice. A common problem in a post-Justice League world, this is a major sticking point for her, so she acts to suppress it as best as possible. In fact, she's about to arrest Garth for damaging the museum, before Brande steps in.

I should stress, by the way, that Ryna is meant to come off as a hard-ass, but also as a great cop and decent person. A bit harder than someone like Commissioner Gordon, but with the same dedication to her job. While she'll be an antagonist, she's not a malicious one. After this misunderstanding, Garth tries to get her ear about his brother, only for her to brush him off and tell him to go through official channels. Not encouraging. When he insists, although he's already on her bad side, Norg agrees to get his info and send an officer to speak with him later. As for where he's staying, he has no answer to that...until Brande steps in and offers to put up him and Imra. Both accept.

Now, at this point, the episode is coming to a close. Other stuff has filled in this episode to extend it to the appropriate amount of time, whether that's flashbacks or extra scenes that I, as a non-writer, haven't come up with. But, at the end, as the trio are settling in and introducing themselves to each other, Brande begins to come up with an idea. And from this, we cut to our final scene.

Typical Science Police interrogation, where we get to see the inside of headquarters. Officers Ryna and the reptilian Howkun try to get information out of him, but he reveals nothing. His role was, of course, as a gun-for-hire that knows nothing about the larger operation. He only knows that he was sent money by someone who wanted Brande eliminated, but has no more information to give. After a while interviewing him, the two officers exit the room and report to a watching Ryna Norg.

Suddenly, the criminal starts to scream, as if being attacked by someone. And before the Police can gas the room or otherwise intervene, the man explodes into body parts, as if sliced apart cleanly by an unseen knife. The officers intervene, but too late to catch anyone. They quickly spread out on Ryna's orders, and the police station is locked down. As this happens, the body parts lie abandoned in the room, with the prisoners head on the table.

Said head then begins to look around, and his body parts start to move.

This man is hapless criminal Cory Belkin, AKA...nothing, actually. You may recognize a character like this from James Gunn's fun and crazy movie The Suicide Squad. In the film, he's known as "The Detachable Kid", or TDK, and he's meant to be a version of another character from Legion lore. Only problem it, he's about 1000 years too early. So, I'm changing two things. One, this is a racial ability for this alien species, from a planet I'm calling Zerpitz. And two, they have the ability to completely separate parts of their bodies, rather than just their limbs. Problem is, it'll take a bit for Cory to come back together.

Either way, Cory takes his time to escape from the poorly secured room, with the help of a device hidden within the vents by one of Thar-Ok's criminal allies. By the time the officers return, his body is gone. With an untraceable weapon and no criminal, the secrets of this crime will remain unsolved by the Science Police. Their first L of the series.

Oh, and yes, this person is absolutely related to Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, for anyone who was wondering. He'll show up later on.

As the cops scramble to figure out the next move, the body parts of Cory Belkin also scramble out of the station. While it takes a while, Cory manages to pull himself together (maybe sans a digit or three), and makes it to Knighton. He reconvenes there with Thar-Ok, who's flanked by other members of his gang. There are, in fact, multiple powered people in this group, many of whom are young, and all of whom faithfully serve Thar-Ok. He congratulates Cory on getting away from the Science Police, but also recognizes that it's only a matter of time before they figure out something's up. Which means that Cory is now a liability. And so, Thar-Ok sends Cory away with cheers at his back, and certain death at his front. A Dark Circle member follows him through the shadows of Darkham, and actually kills Cory Belkin.

Thar-Ok recieves a message that the ugly deed is done, and that a new mission will come soon. We also get confirmation that Thar-Ok, because he can't help himself, used his connections to commit a few robberies in NuMetropolis while the police were on lockdown from Cory's escape. He's somewhat intelligent, he's very brutal, and he knows how to take advantage of a situation. Thar-Ok is our first major boss for the season's first arc.

Well, that's the pilot! I really wanted to devote one full essay to this story launching point, but that won't be the case for the rest! As this essay series moves forward, I'll be putting episodes into bundles, summarizing overall story beats and storylines, as well as establishing characters and their development, if any. And, of course, I'm only covering the first season of this proposed series. After that? Eh, I have other essay series to finally write.

Next post, I'll be putting up the first major arc, in which the Legion is officially established, the other core members are introduced, and the first scuffles with Thar-Ok and his gang lead to the introduction of the next threat: the assassins. See you then!

Next: Birth of the Legion (1.02 - 1.05)

Index: Legion of Super-Heroes

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icecoffee90 · 1 year

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Top 9 Shows

Thank you for tagging me, @jerzwriter!

Okay, this list was so hard to narrow down and I'm sure I still forgot some, lol.. I was addicted to TV shows at one point (it all started with House and Heroes in about 2008 and lasted for years), I've barely watched anything in the past couple of years, though. Alright, let's get to it! I'll TRY to keep this short..

1. Will & Grace: Smart humor, top-notch physical comedy, amazing cast.. Is it perfect? No. No show is. I once saw a video in which Megan Mullally said something along the lines of "our worst episode is still funnier than the best episode of other comedy shows", which I respectfully disagree with, but it's definitely high quality entertainment! The reboot (or the last 3 seasons, whichever you prefer) admittedly wasn't that enjoyable, but the original finale sucked, so at least the characters got the ending they deserved!

2. Pushing Daisies: I love procedurals and I love shows with a supernatural aspect, so a combination of the two is an absolute win! This show deserved much more than just two seasons! I should rewatch it for a third time soon..

3. Sherlock: What can I say? I got hooked immediately with "A Study In Pink", I rewatched it at least 4 times while waiting for episode 2 to air in my country.. Welp, I couldn't wait, I binged the next 2 eps the next day, lol. To this day "The Reichenbach Fall" remains the best episode of any show I've ever seen and that's the reason why, despite the abomination the final season was, Sherlock made my top 3.

4. The Last of Us: Do I even need to say anything?! I doubt there is anyone who missed everyone and their mom singing the show's praises after each episode, lol. Episodes 5, 6 and 8 were pure television gold! The only reason I didn't put the show higher on my list is that we've only seen one season so far and it's still not clear in which direction season 2 is gonna go.. 🤷‍♀️

5. Only Murders in the Building: Another show that got me hooked with the series premiere already! Of course, the main reason I started watching it was the main trio of actors, but the show is about so much more. I love getting to know the character's backstories as we're trying to uncover the killer.

6. Schitt's Creek: Okay, what can I say about this show? Like with Will & Grace, the first season may not have been "all that" (just my opinion), but from season 2 onward it became a comedy gold! The characters quickly grow on you and make you care about all their highs and lows.. And Moira f**king Rose is hands down one of the best characters on TV ever!

First, a little fun fact nobody asked for: I've finally gotten around to watching this show when covid started and my timing couldn't have been worse - I binged the entire thing within a week, I had one episode left the day the penultimate episode aired and then I had to wait a whole week for the finale! 😩😂

7. Person of Interest: A great procedural with an interesting "twist" (for a lack of better word).. But again, aside from the 'cases', you care about the characters as well. I remember there were at least 2 eps which made me cry.

8. Young Royals: Am I a little too old to be enjoying this show this much? Maybe. Do I care? Hell no! But I'd argue that rather than a teen show, it's a show about teenagers. I originally had no intention to watch this show, but I read a fan review which was very positive, so I figured that I might as well give it a shot and if nothing else, I'd at least pick up some Swedish (Boy, was I naive, lol! The opening scene already showed me that I'll be lucky if I learn 2 words.. 😅). Ahem, sorry, to the point - all I know is that no other recent show had me looking up release Dates and actually worrying that there won't be another season. The show just sucks you in. And it is about so much more than the main romance arc! But apparently I'm partial to the "idiots in love" trope, lol.

9. White Collar: Did I mention that I love procedural dramas? Lol. The main reason I started watching this show was that I fell in love with Matt Bomer's character on Chuck and I simply wanted to see more of the actor. Little did I know how much I'd be enjoying it, even though I didn't agree with each and every of Neal's decisions. Although, if I remember correctly, it was also starting to run out of steam toward the end. I know everyone was hoping for a reboot, but now I'm not sure it would be the same without Mozzie.. 😔

Honorable mentions: Chuck, Monk, Abbott Elementary, The Good Wife..

I'm sure I'm still forgetting many others but this is probably enough.. 😅

They may have already been tagged, but I'd like to see what shows are on @dr-colossal-pita's list (feel free to ignore!)

#TV shows #My favorites

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sunnydaleherald · 10 months

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter - Monday, June 26th

WILLOW: (holding Xander's hand) So, I guess you're stuck with me then, huh? (tries to sound chipper) Let's order some cherry-flavored off-brand gelatin, and then I think we'll be up for a rousing game of— XANDER: I might need a parrot. WILLOW: Huh? XANDER: Well, to go with the eye patch, to really complete the look. I think I still have that costume from Halloween. WILLOW: Yeah, and don't underestimate the impact of a peg leg. Maybe the hospital can hook you up with a nice one. Maybe they have a 2-body-parts for the price of one kind of deal. XANDER: Oh, you know what the best part is? No one will ever make me watch jaws 3-D again. WILLOW: Yeah, and, (tries to smile) you'll never have to... (tries to stifle her tears as they well up in her eyes, squeezes Xander's hand tighter) XANDER: (sighs, looks at Willow as tears well up in her eyes) Oh, Willow... please don't.

~~Empty Places~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Shadows in San Francisco (Charmed crossover, G) by JordanGordon (TheGlassFloor)

Homeless (Xander/Spike, M) by RebeccaHaskell

Interlude - A Choice (Gen, G) by AJ Fields (myfanfiction)

[Chaptered Fiction]

A Place in the Sun Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

Aspectus Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Kirinin

Inner Demon = Literal Cat Chapter 21 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Desicat

Dawn the Vampire Slayer Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, R) by LJ94

Twist of fate Chapter 1 (multi, T) by Bl4ckHunter

Ties to the World Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by TheDanishBird

[Fandom Discussions]

Oz and Buffy as a pairing? by spangelmybeloved

Buffy and Giles as a pairing? by spangelmybeloved

Acting on Buffy by iateabunchofsmartiesandnowimdumb

Discussion of 5.12 "Checkpoint" - Aired 1/23/01 (WB-US) by Buffy Summers

Do you think the Scoobies were right to leave Spike out of the loop about the resurrection spell? by aeryn1227

What's something obvious from Buffy that seems obvious only after rewatching? by InfiniteMehdiLove

Willow / Xander + Faith ?? by flufffynug

So cavemen or astronauts? by guestroom101

david boreanaz "themistokles" tv movie? by wolfguard024

This child's costume was just "Doctor" by Baron_Butterfly

How do you think Scoobies would react if Riley dusted Spike by Lobothehobosexual

Which characters would you not want to hang with? by Tuxedo_Mark

I'm not into ship wars, but this person kinda has a point by Opening_Knowledge868

What episodes to show to a first time viewer? by daffodilfs

A funny/awful thing I just remembered saying by Kayleigh_56

Buffy music evolution by FinancialDeparture82

Why wasn't Oz excited about meeting Willow? by Tuxedo_Mark

Perplexed about something in S6 by chemeli888

Just saying, best television episode ever, hands down by zombiehoosier

Insignificant unbelievable details by virgowitchxx

How would things change if Dawn was always there by The810kid

Just finished watching season 6 for the first time by rocio_coria

cordelia chase perhaps one of the most wronged characters in tv history by gnataliebb

Give me reasons to watch Angel! by Kaurelle

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#buffy #btvs #ats #angel #angel the series #Buffy The Vampire Slayer

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mewtonian-physics · 2 years

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'writing tips' yeah right

in which i read through lily orchard's 'writing tips' and leave my thoughts on them

1. Don't worry about spoilers. If your story is good, spoilers aren't going to make it any less enjoyable. If spoilers make a story less enjoyable, that just means you were relying on cheap shock value as a shortcut.

what? what kind of dumbass take is this? there are cases where this is true and cases where it is not. one of my absolute favorite books of all time has a huge twist at the end that casts the rest of the book in an entirely different light. it's an incredible experience and makes the future reads so much fun catching all the little hints that added up to the big reveal. if i had known the ending before i'd ever read the book in the first place it WOULD have been less enjoyable because i wouldn't have had that moment of realization as everything fell into place. that twist is what makes the book one of my favorites, and the way it's so cleverly hidden and yet so clear once you actually know is so, so, so good. and it's so well-written (one of my favorite plot twists ever) that calling it cheap shock value would devalue the incredible amount of work the author clearly put into building up to it and revealing it at the perfect moment. it's brilliant, and spoilers WOULD make the story less enjoyable, because having that first-time experience is one of the things that makes it so memorable. yes, my response to this one is quite long. what can i say? i love that book.

2. The middle point of a story is the best time to get a main couple together. Are you working on a 5 season show? Put your main couple together halfway through Season 3. The finale is the worst time because we don't get any time to enjoy the payoff.

i--shows? does she think television writers are going to read this and care? but sure, let's assume that that is the case. put them together when it's organic and fitting for the story. the 'best time' is subjective. also, 'are you working on a 5 season show, if so do this' best laid plans of mice and men. shows get canceled, authors die. shock of shocks.

3. Friends to Lovers > Enemies to Lovers. Every time.

this is also incredibly subjective????? i personally tend to prefer friends to lovers myself but i have seen cases of enemies to lovers that i've found extremely compelling (i love the idea of two people being on opposing sides in a situation where it's unclear which side is more in the right... developing a healthy respect for each other as people who are genuinely trying to do what they think is the right thing despite disagreeing on what that is... those feelings deepening into love... that shit is GOOD.) although i will admit that a lot of what people seem to be thinking of when they say enemies to lovers is NOT up my alley. At all. (people who have been paying attention... if you think you know what i'm thinking about right now, you probably do.) shockingly, there can be good and bad examples of both.

4. Victims of abuse moving away from the negative impacts of their abuse (ie, Zuko) and becoming healthier are not "redemption arcs."

i don't know what this is supposed to mean (and i don't know about the details of zuko's story because i haven't watched that show, so i'm talking in general) but it reads kinda like 'it's not a redemption arc because the fact that they're victims of abuse means they can't REALLY be held accountable for their actions' like that kind of shit is NOT an inevitable outcome of abuse and yes in fact they can and should be held accountable for their actions. i understand very well how difficult it can be to break out of the cycle of abuse, but some of us actually do put in a great deal of effort to not be like the people who hurt us, and acting like those who perpetuate the cycle are somehow more innocent because they were abused first is just... actually this is a take that makes me furious as anyone who was around during my hxh fixation saw firsthand. it is VERY possible to break the cycle of abuse and people who do horrible things are not exempt from judgement because 'they were abused first'. please look at all the people who constantly struggle to not emulate their abusers' behavior and say that to our fucking faces. devalue that fight. go ahead. do it. having been abused first is a contributing factor, not an excuse, and yes, abuse victims can be bad people, and they can have redemption arcs too.

of course it's possible that she means something else entirely. this 'tip' is a prime example of why defining your terms is important.

5. Heroes refusing to kill villains who have shown to be actively trying to murder people isn't "noble." It's enabling.

o... kay? i mean i hate 'if you kill them you will be just like them' too but personally i see vigilante justice as a last resort. (and this is coming from someone who wrote a paper on why from a least-harm ethical perspective batman should really have just killed the joker ages ago.) if you have no reason to believe that nonlethal means won't subdue a villain and prevent them from hurting others any further, killing them is just excessive force. there are times when letting them live WOULD be unethical (from the least-harm principle, that is)--for an obvious example relating to the current fixation, raiden making the decision to kill armstrong and company in revengeance is perfectly in line with the least-harm principle. as pointed out in-game, the money and power they hold means that trying to take them down through legal means just wouldn't work, and if the other option is leaving them to destroy the lives of countless innocent children and start what could very well lead to another world war--letting them live would be an absolutely horrifying decision. but not every scenario is like that, and choosing to use nonlethal methods is not inherently 'enabling'. she seems to see the world from a very black-and-white perspective and i'm somewhat concerned.

6. Two women kissing in the last episode of a show after 4-5 seasons of trying to murder each other isn't "Revolutionary." It's fetishized abuse and violence.

this is so specific that it makes me wonder if she's referring to something in particular. i don't feel like i can comment on this one without knowing if it's meant to be referencing something specific or not.

7. Twitter is not an appropriate place to reveal story details. The appropriate place is IN THE WORK ITSELF!

if this is about the '[x character] is gay you just didn't know it because it wasn't important to the plot' incident (you all know what i'm talking about) then yeah, that was shitty. representation should be included in the story itself whenever possible. however, since she's so fond of talking about tv shows, i feel it necessary to point out that sometimes things just can't be included, whether that be because of a lack of time, the show getting canceled, executive meddling, blatant censorship... and then in some cases it's just fun facts that have nothing to do with representation of any sort and couldn't be inserted organically or they would make the story drag on. (i for one am not at all a fan of when a book spends half the time feeling like an encyclopedia of completely random details. looking at you, tolkien.)

8. When a character's body count is over 10,000 innocent lives then that character is no longer redeemable.

this is a very firm statement without nearly enough specifications to make it not seem stupid. are we taking into account characters who were brainwashed or otherwise had no choice in the matter? accidental deaths? if a character very intentionally and very knowingly makes the choice to kill so many people (why 'over 10,000' specifically anyway? why not 5,000? can a character kill exactly 10,000 innocent people and still be redeemable? 9,999?) while in full control of their actions then i agree that that character hasn't just crossed the line, they've left the line in the dust. but this statement in and of itself is absurd.

9. Tip 8 does not apply to characters for whom making them the villain was a stupid, idiotic idea (ie, Sylvanas Windrunner). At that point it's just character rerailment.

THIS is your exception? 'i don't like that they did bad things so the bad things don't count?' who the fuck is sylvanas windrunner? i don't even know what to say about this one it almost makes my head hurt

10. Everything in a story is there because the creator wished it to be there. Trying to explain away bigoted story decisions using worldbuilding is a fallacy because you put it there to begin with.

this one is actually making a good point. i will point out that sometimes creators just don't properly consider the implications of their decisions rather than intentionally thinking 'today i am going to do something so offensive', but in that case it's up to them to own that and try to improve once they realize, not try to handwave it by chalking it up to 'well that's just part of the lore'. at that point they've gone off the rails.

11. Don't pair adults with minors. That's pedophilia.

no shit? obviously something like an 18 year old and a 17 year old is not a big deal (it would be deeply absurd if two 17 year olds were in a relationship and one of them turned 18 and instantly it became morally inexcusable) and i could get into technical terms but when people do that it's usually to try and say 'well it's not THAT bad' when it's still quite bad. so i'm not going to do that. the point is that while there are (very few) exceptions such as the one i pointed out earlier, this is a blanket statement that is by and large making the extremely fair and accurate point that hey, relationships like that are actually really fucking creepy. and if you want to look at them from a characterization point of view, also really shows that whatever adult character you're working with is fucked up.

which, if that's the POINT, then far be it from me to tell you that you can't write about dark topics ever. i write about dark topics quite frequently, so i'd be a hypocrite to say not to. exploring such things with sensitivity and tact is perfectly acceptable and, judging from feedback i've received as well as my own experiences, can often be helpful for abuse victims. it's when you start acting like it's not fucked up that we reach an issue. that's when you've crossed a line.

12. Don't sexualize teenage characters.

on surface level, agreed. of course it's important to realize that some people will absolutely say confirming a teenage character is gay is sexualizing them, which... it really isn't. so this is another case of 'please define your terms'.

13. Don't make up weird anime excuses for sexualizing teenage characters ("actually 1,000", "fusion", "Age of consent in X country is…"). See Rule 10.

although i fully understand what's being referenced in that last one (people who say 'the age of consent in japan is 13!' while either not knowing or just ignoring the difference between national and local laws) i have to say it really rubs me the wrong way to call that a 'weird anime excuse'. especially since there are people who actually will use that argument to defend real actions.

14. Making a "metaphor" for gay/trans/ace rep is always inherently inferior to just making a gay/trans/ace character.

yes. although i will accept metaphors in situations where that's genuinely the only way it could be done. censorship is a bitch.

15. If there are humans in your story, restricting gay/trans/ace rep to the non-human characters makes you a huge turd.

yeah, i can agree with this one.

the next section can essentially be summed up as 'using stereotypes to build your characters is a shitty thing to do'. this is accurate. there are a specific few i want to comment on, though.

17. If the only lesbian in your work is an abusive rageaholic with vague angst issues and a codependent relationship to a protagonist, you're a huge turd.

why is this so specific? this seems very much like another reference to something in particular, and i don't know what that is. so, uh... actually, no comment.

18. If your only nonbinary character is a non-human shapeshifter, you're a huge turd.

unlike the others in this section, this isn't a stereotype thing, and different people will have different takes on it. personally i'd find it somewhat disappointing, but also, damn, i want to be a non-human shapeshifter. can i be a non-human shapeshifter?

19. If your only autistic character is an ethically-challenged number fetishist, you're a huge turd.

did i really just read that. did i really just read this woman call a trait that is actually not at all uncommon in autistic people 'number fetishism'. i can't even focus on the point she's trying to make here because i cannot fucking believe i just read that.

we now return you to your regularly scheduled one-by-one responses.

23. If you force a woman to kiss her abuser, you're a huge turd.

wow, i hate the way this is worded. first of all, anyone can be a victim of abuse, and secondly, shit happens. where it crosses the line is if it's portrayed as a good thing.

24. If you sideline every non-white character in your cast to focus on a white boy with anger issues and a tendency toward hostility getting a redemption arc, you're a huge turd.

i can agree with this one.

25. Justifying horny armor designs or horny clothing designs with "Sexual Agency" makes you a huge turd. Characters don't have sexual agency, you made them that way as a justification. See Rule 10.

there are absolutely a lot of shitty excuses people make for that kind of thing, but i do want to point out that not every example of a character wearing a 'sexy' outfit is like, the end of the world. and this is coming from someone who hates pointlessly sexualized outfits.

26. Related to the above, if your justification is to just be honest and say you like ogling sexy characters, you're still a huge turd, but slightly less of a turd than the above. Slightly.

i don't know what to say to this one. agreed that it's better to be honest than try to come up with bullshit explanations ('she breathes through her skin', anyone?)

27. Don't worry about not having everything planned out beforehand. No writer or creator plans everything beforehand, and the ones who say they do are filthy liars. Writers have at best 1-2 story beats they're determined to include, everything else is by the seat of their pants

1 OR 2? speak for yourself lady i for one actually do tend to have quite a few major points plotted out. you don't know shit about other people's writing processes. some people like to plan things all out and some people don't, outlines exist for a reason. your experiences are not universal, and someone who says they do something different than you is not automatically a 'filthy liar'.

28. Don't try and "do what Avatar did." You can't. Even the people who made Avatar can't make another show do what Avatar did.

what did avatar do

29. Low-stakes interpersonal conflict will always be more satisfying in the long run than high-stakes saving the world. "Friends" is more popular than your favorite anime for a reason.

another subjective opinion. besides, you can have both. and show me the statistics on that last claim because i doubt it.

30. Choose whether you're a comedy or drama at the start and stick to it. Don't make a comedy and turn it into a drama later on, that just annoys people.

who's going to tell her about the concept of a genre shift

31. Worldbuilding is like salt. A pinch can make it better, 10 cups of it will not.

it's good to have a fleshed out world actually. it's nice when stories with new concepts have rules about how those concepts work. if you're worried about it dragging the story out... well hey... maybe sometimes story details can go on twitter after all, eh?

32. Characters should always come before anything else.

characters can be on an equal level with other elements, actually.

33. The protagonist should be a protagonist, not just a vessel for the antagonist to hog the story. If you're going to make a villain protagonist, just open with that.

gasp. i certainly never would have even considered the idea that having developed main characters is a good thing. what would we do without lily.

34. Perspective shifts are a staple of storytelling. Having only one perspective isn't a "stylistic choice" it's just crap.

oh god nobody tell her about sherlock holmes. or moby dick. or the entire first-person perspective as a concept. or the entire second-person perspective as a concept, while we're at it. just don't tell her things, i don't think she can take it.

35. If you're making a cartoon, hire writers. Don't just have your storyboarders write the story. That's not what they're there for. Artists draw, writers write, artists cannot just take over for the writers on a whim.

wait, i thought this was about writing tips, not cartoon-making tips

36. Related to Rule 2: Will They, Won't They isn't a fun story. It's just addiction-peddling. We need to stop pretending Ross/Rachel was good storytelling and learn to appreciate Chandler/Monica and Joey/Rachel.

wait who are these people [looks them up] oh so the reason she thinks friends is more popular than any anime ever is because SHE likes it. i understand now. also what the fuck is 'addiction-peddling' supposed to mean? and anyway evidently some people actually do consider that a fun story. your opinions are not the be-all end-all of what's quality work--it's what you like. like what you like, but don't act like you speak for everyone on earth.

37. "Romance Trope, but gay" is not an absolute rule to live by. If She Ra taught us anything it's that "Gay Reylo" was not actually an improvement.

what the fuck does this even mean

38. Someone on this hellsite once made the remark "We need more lesbian noncon because purity is boring." That is a dangerous, violent person. Do not listen to them, they do not have a point, seriously my fucking god what is wrong with you people?!

i don't even know what to say to this. that is a creepy, creepy statement.

39. Women who fetishize abuse (Reylos, Catradoras, KiGos, ect) and present it as something feminist and paint detractors as misogynists are gaslighting you. Don't listen to them.

although i don't know that much about the ships being mentioned here (and don't even recognize one of them), we at least agree that abuse is not feminism.

40. If abuse fetishists are giving you shit for not caving to their demands, just block them. Don't argue with them, don't debate them, don't treat them with good faith. Just block them and get on with your day.

this isn't a writing tip, this is a social media tip.

41. Rape victims are not villains and should never be written as villains. Don't be like @Blizzard_Ent . It costs $0 to not be a misogynistic pig.

i don't know what she's referencing here, but first of all, this implies only women can be raped, which is false and a disgusting thing to imply. secondly, please see my response to tip 4. just because horrible things have happened to someone doesn't mean they're incapable of doing horrible things to others. you should still be careful how you portray them, though--context is everything. for example, if you're saying 'this character was raped and that's why they just killed ten completely unrelated people'... don't.

42. If straight men really hate a certain character, but lesbians love them, there's an 90% chance that is your best character.

that's not how anything works.

43. If one of your writers believes Simon (Infinity Train) was misunderstood and Grace is a villain, that writer should be fired immediately.

i don't know what this means. besides, this isn't a writing tip. isn't this list supposed to be for writers anyway?

44. The best solution to a love triangle is polyamory.

except that sometimes two of the involved characters don't like each other, or they have incompatible orientations, or, or, or...

45. If you have a male character who actually shows respect and admiration to a woman, and some of your viewers call that character a "simp" there is a 90% chance you have a good character.

what in the name of all that is reasonable in this world

46. "Mary Sue" is not a real criticism. It's thinly veiled misogyny. Always disregard it.

this is often the case, i'll give her that. not always, but often. and anyway there are better ways to critique a character than by just slapping the label 'mary sue' on and leaving it at that.

47. Emotional vulnerability does not make a female character "antifeminist."

yep. people have emotions, film at 11. i'd expand the scope of this though and just say that emotional vulnerability is not a sign of weakness and characters should be able to display it.

48. Goblins are inherently antisemitic

no, no they aren't. certain portrayals of goblins (as seen prominently in jkr's work and frequently in the 'goblincore' aesthetic type) are inherently antisemitic, but that portrayal would remain antisemitic no matter what you were working with. you could be calling them sun elves and it'd still be antisemitic. it's the portrayal that's the problem, not the goblins themselves. the reason this is an issue is because the antisemitic portrayals are so prevalent that they're often what people immediately think of. anyway, ever read hershel and the hanukkah goblins? you should read hershel and the hanukkah goblins.

49. If your first thought when told about a bigoted trope (Bury your gays, Goblins, ect) is to try and figure out how to "do it well" you are a huge turd who is missing the point. It's not that these tropes aren't "done well", it's that they're done too much.

a fair point.

50. Writing a relationship based on a "dynamic" or trying to get a particular trope (ie, enemies to lovers) into the story is a bad decision.

please please please please please show me a relationship without any 'dynamic'.

51. Vitriol does not immediately render criticism invalid. If you tone police criticism, you will likely miss something important.

and being vitriolic often immediately causes people to shut down and not listen to you. she's making a valid point, but it's generally more productive for everyone to discuss things as calmly as possible. although there are several types of situations where it would be downright insensitive to try and demand that from people. (i'm furious about the boy in the striped pajamas. i will always be furious about the boy in the striped pajamas. if i met the author i can't promise i'd be calm.)

52. Your fandom will fight and argue. This is how people solve conflicts. It's typically better to let people fight it out than to be complacent and beg people to "just stop fighting."

okay so 1, this isn't a writing tip, 2, that's not what complacent means, and 3, if there's one thing anyone should know about fandom, it's that people are not going to 'fight it out', they are just going to fight.

53. Related to the above, "every headcanon is valid" should never leave your mouth. Do you want pedophiles and fascists in your fanbase? Because that's how you get pedophiles and fascists in your fanbase.

still isn't a writing tip.

54. Speaking out against abuse fetishists, pedophiles, and bigots in your fanbase will always be better in the long run than being quiet or complacent. It might be exhausting to deal with, but it's better for everyone in the long run.

still isn't a writing tip.

55. "Fanservice" is a concept you should never think about. Fans who need to be "serviced" are not actually fans. If you have fans, those fans are already having fun and don't need to be pandered to.

oh fuck off, sometimes giving the fans a nod and a wink is fun. it's when it takes over the story entirely that it becomes an issue.

56. The tendency for shipping to dominate discourse is the biggest sign that characters and their relationships are more satisfying than anything else. People didn't petition for a 4th season of Kim Possible to see what happened with Drakken or to see new villains.

i--no. i'm not even touching this one. no.

57. Complaints about "too much negativity" is shooting the messenger. If there is an overabundance of negativity, that means there's things to be negative about. People cannot be positive without things to be positive about.

for fuck's sake, sometimes people really do just look for things to be upset about.

58. If you do something bigoted and get yelled at for it, listen to the people yelling at you. Cancel Culture isn't real, the rage and vitriol will be gone in two weeks, and you'll be a better person for it. Getting yelled at stopped being "the end of the world" at age 10.

wait for it, wait for it...

59. The quickest and easiest way to make yelling stop is to own up to the mistake, don't make excuses (or explain why you did the bad thing), fix it, and never repeat it. Progressives are very forgiving if you give them results. Stubbornness is what gets people cancelled.

i thought cancel culture wasn't real? i'm not touching these because they can barely even be counted as writing tips, i just think it's fascinating how she can say one thing in one 'tip' and then contradict it the next.

60. "Forced Diversity" is a right-wing dogwhistle, not a criticism.

i feel like a more relevant criticism would be tokenism. there's including actual diversity with genuine concern and care for how your characters are depicted, and then there's saying a character is [x thing] and calling that diversity. one of these is a good thing. the other one is extremely annoying.

61. "Reclaimed" slurs are not universal, and as such should NEVER be included in a work.

this is a subjective opinion, lily.

62. Oppressed people fighting against their oppressors are not "Villains." No I don't care if you think they "went too far." Not all those who respond with violence are wrong, and not all those who preach nonviolence are right to do so.

reminder that i believe in the least-harm principle. sometimes this means handling things through diplomacy.

and sometimes it really does just mean beating the shit out of people so they can't cause even more damage. either is good.

but also, there's some very concerning media that paints horrible, horrible things as okay because they were done to people who 'deserved it' for being oppressive in the first place, some of which are downright fascist propaganda. attack on titan, anyone? be careful about making blanket statements like this.

63. Related to the above: A good spin on the "Heroes who never kill" mantra is to highlight how refusing to kill a villain who later goes on to kill more innocent people makes the hero responsible for those deaths. There's a free story theme for ya.

wait this is actually disgusting. as much as i think the most ethical thing to do is sometimes to just kill the villain, the implications of this sort of statement are horrifying. imagine saying that not doing everything in your power to stop someone makes you personally responsible for anything else bad that they do. abuse victims HATE you: you think them not speaking up means they're responsible for anyone else their abuser victimizes later on. just because that isn't explicitly said doesn't mean you shouldn't consider the ramifications of what you DID say.

64. If you're writing fantasy and you have no issue having dragons in your world but suddenly think people of color are "unrealistic" because "something something Medivel Europe" you're a huge turd. And an idiot.

yeah, people who do that are dumbasses. first: that's not unrealistic. second: even if it was, your story has dragons. it's already unrealistic, ya morons.

65. Sexual Tension and Chemistry are not the only indicators of a potential relationship, and in a relationship is the quickest thing to fade.

i feel like we may have very different definitions of chemistry here.

66. The best potential romantic partner for a character is her best friend. They're best friends for a reason.

you do realize that platonic and romantic love can be very different, right? of course romantic partners should be friends as well, but this is just a weird take.

67. "I don't want X character to be defined by her relationships" is a stupid philosophy to have. EVERYONE is defined by their relationships. That's how human beings work.

okay, so first of all, people are talking about satellite characters when they say that. you know, like how in death note literally all the female characters are only plot-important because of their relationship to a man in their life?

but secondly, this is a stupid take no matter how i look at it. sure, my relationships are important, but i'm also defined by my personality, my passions, my skills--a lot more goes into a person than their relationships.

68. If you don't want a character to only be remembered for a romantic subplot, don't end the story on that subplot reaching it's conclusion. Give it time to sink in and become the new "normal" for the viewer. The memorable moment will always be the LAST moment.

no. stop saying things like 'never' and 'always' and acting like nothing in life ever varies. that is just oblivious.

69. "Slow Burn" does not mean "Taking forever to get together." It means "Full series long romantic subplot." Getting together is the START of a romantic subplot, not the end.

help. i've never willingly read a romance novel in my life but i still know how stupid this take is.

70. "Sexual Awakening" is not a real character arc.

okay, yeah, i'm going to need everyone to scrap any stories they might have had about characters realizing they're gay (yes, i know, sometimes that can just be romantic awakening, but sometimes it's sexual awakening too), apparently that's not a real character arc. no word yet on what actually is a real character arc, though. you'll just have to guess.

71. The only people who think "Boob Armor" makes sense are people who have never touched a boob.

wait do people actually think it makes sense? i thought it was just another 'this is so impractical but it's also SEXY' thing... i despair for humanity.

72. The Bow and Arrow are strength weapons, not dexterity weapons. Female characters who do archery should naturally be very physically strong. Longbows have a draw weight of 80-150lbs. Rangers are always stronger than Warriors, deal with it.

on the one hand yes you do have to be quite strong to use a bow... on the other hand, you're at it with the 'always' again, lily.

73. The best way to avoid tokenism is multiple characters.

yep.

74. Want an easy way to become more accustomed to diverse casts? Limit your "Straight, white, cis" characters to one of each. Those can be three characters for each trait, or pack it all into one character, but only one of each.

...yeah i have nothing to say about this, it's giving me a headache

75. Don't be afraid of failure and backlash. If someone is screaming at you about how a character you made is racist, that is literally free writing advice that someone is just giving you. Look on the bright side of life for a change.

my head is spinning. screaming isn't advice (but if someone is telling you a character you made is racist, you should hear them out all the same.)

76. People of color and LGBTA people are allowed to just exist. Don't feel like you HAVE to cover bigotry just because they're in the story. In fact, people will be happier if you don't because having these characters defined by suffering is itself a tired trope.

a very good point

77. "I just want my readers/viewers to have fun" is an excellent attitude to have when it comes to storytelling.

but... you already said fanservice is always bad? lily please make up your mind

78. As a general rule, Slice of Life has always been a more popular genre than Action/Adventure.

[citation needed]

79. "Feature Creep" is a problem in storytelling as well. You don't have to cram every single idea, reference and homage you can think of into a story. You can save ideas for another time.

what does this mean

80. D&D Alignments are terrible metrics for character design. They're meant as a quick reference for improvisation in a TTRPG environment and shouldn't be taken outside that environment.

if you can use them to improvise characters in one setting, why not use them to improvise characters in another?

81. When writing LGBTA characters, stay as far away from "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as you possibly can. Some gay people hold it up as a meaningful part of our "culture." It is not. It's a transmisogynistic nightmare made by an actual TERF, not a reference guide for ANYTHING.

i haven't seen it but judging from what i've heard i can believe this.

82. The Q-slur as a concept tactily reinforces heteronormativity by casting LGBTA people as inherently "strange." In "No Big Deal" representation, the word should be avoided. Normalizing LGBTA people and the Q-Slur are like oil and water and don't go together.

i am not stepping in that giant mousetrap

83. Rape is an unforgivable crime, more so than killing. Killing can potentially be justified in a story without becoming a villain. Rape cannot.

on this we agree

84. Sex scenes are never necessary. You want to include one because you're horny, then more power to you. But any attempt to justify it as "important to the story" will only get you laughed at.

because sex has never been used to show trust and intimacy levels in a relationship or as a way to help develop a character or as literally anything ever... i don't even write sex scenes but how about you shut up

85. "Strong" characters can still cry and need support from others. Vulnerability is not a character flaw.

omg yay she said it

86. "Peak TV" is a fancy way of saying "Addiction-fueled misery porn."

what does this mean

87. Addiction-based storytelling relies on serialization, cliffhangers, "shocking twists", constantly raised stakes, and an obsession with foreshadowing to get people to watch not because they're enjoying themselves but because they're stuck on a tension high.

sometimes people actually are enjoying themselves

87, Pt 2. By the end, the viewer is only watching for closure because they've already invested so much and they need their fix in order to feel like it was worth it. This is the same business model that soap operas use.

i don't really know what point you're trying to make

88. If the Sunk Cost Fallacy didn't exist, shows like Steven Universe and Game of Thrones would have been cancelled by Season 2.

you can see alternate timelines?

89. Hardcore fans will tell you that "Continuity" is the most important thing. They're wrong.

i wouldn't say it's the most important thing, but it's pretty nice to have

90. "This is too political" is a complaint only made by conservatives when a story acknowledges that non-white and non-straight people exist. The existence of other kinds of people is not political. Ignore these complaints.

'this is too political' is a complaint also made about metal gear bringing up politics at all, sometimes people just flip out

91. The Little Mermaid and Cinderella are more feminist than Beauty and the Beast.

we're really just not even bothering with the actual writing advice huh. also none of them are feminist thanks for your time

92. If you want to know when to change a trans character's pronouns in the narration, doing so at the moment where they realize who they are and admit it to themselves out loud is chef's kiss

hmm i can work with that

93. As long as it isn't harmful or bigoted, you don't have to justify story decisions made on the basis of self-indulgence.

i mean sometimes decisions are just bad but mostly this is a fair point

94. Vampires/Werewolves are not inherently "LGBTA-Coded" and doing so is an example of othering. They work better as metaphors for aristocracy and predators respectively than as the "Underclass."

i--what

95. Some of the best stories ever made were written as an act of spite.

you interviewed the authors?

96. Any system of government (with the exception of Fascism) can exist in a positive or negative context. Monarchies are not always inherently evil (see Hawaii pre-annexation) and Democracies are not always inherently good (See USA). Write accordingly.

okay

97. "Lesbian still on good terms with ex-boyfriend from before coming out" is a really cute friendship trope. And vice versa.

...yeah that is pretty cute

98. The only real difference between an extremely close platonic relationship and a romantic relationship is what the people involved choose to call it. Best Friends are not something that should ever be prefixed with the word "Just."

on the one hand, it's true that 'just best friends' is a stupid thing to say. on the other hand, there are still boundaries friends don't cross

99. Normalize friends saying "I love you" to each other.

this should not be one of those boundaries, woohoo!

100. If you write a 100-tweet long thread of writing advice, you are a huge loser with way too much free time on your hands. Get back to work and do something productive with your time!

uh... then why...

was the attempt at self-awareness meant to make this whole thing funny and cute instead of ridiculous

101. "Tips" and "Rules" are two different words.

they sure are, but i'm not sure you know how to use them

#FINALLY i finish this #all kinds of warnings under the cut just go in at your own risk

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