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ladytauria · 5 months

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i think i reblogged it from you but never sent you questions, so for the book rec asks: 1, 13, 23, 44, 50, 54, 79, 92, 116, 130, 131 please!! thats A Lot, so feel free to pick and choose haha

ahhh thank u bean! i love talking books uwu

coming back up after answering to edit... um. bean, i'm so sorry for my answer on the last one xD i should have picked a different book. (i ranted. a little.)

1. a book that is close to your heart

there are a few books i could name, but i'm going to do the one i thought of first.

a girl of the limberlost. i only remember reading it once, but my mother is the one who gave it to me, and told me that it was a book she loved at my age at the time. (same with the secret garden.) so i can't think of that book without thinking of her, which makes it a little bit more special to me <3

13. your favorite romance novel

immediate impulse is to say legends and lattes by travis baldree bc. it's so good. however, while there is a romance i don't know if i would count it as a romance novel.

so.

the lady's guide to celestial mechanics. historical, sapphic, featuring both women in STEM (or, yknow, historical equiv) but also an appreciation for domestic arts / crafts normally looked down on. also there's an acknowledgement that homophobia existed, but there's none on page.

the prose is also gorgeous.

i don't actually read a ton of romance novels, but i've been trying to pick up more!

23. a book that is currently on your TBR

mmm, too many

but Our Wives Under the Sea - Julia Armfield went on sale on kindle the other day so! it's mine now <3 and one i've been eying for a while. the kindle cover isn't the one i wanted, but that's okay.

44. your favourite fantasy novel

a very large chunk of what i read is fantasy. this is HARD 😂

uhhh.

the locked tomb is technically sci-fi, isn't it?

fuck.

i'm gonna go with The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle bc it is the only book i purposefully own more than one copy of! would love to get my hands on the graphic novel <3

honorary mention to the Inheritence Cycle bc reading Eragon was what got me to start writing my first novel.

which absolutely wasn't just. Eragon but with griffin riders instead.

(okay, legitimately, there were differences, but there was also definitely heavy inspiration.)

50. a book that made you cry a LOT

i don't actually cry at much? the last time i remember actually crying was when i was reading an abridged version of little women and beth died xD

i'm trying to think of another book which really grabbed me emotionally recently that also isn't. already on this list. and i'm coming up empty?

54. a book with the best opening line

i don't have a good memory for opening lines ^^; however for some reason i want to say The Lightning Thief, so. that's what i'm going with.

79. a book that reminds you of your favorite song

my favorite song changes by the moment, so i don't have answer for this one ^^;

92. a book about a redeemable villain

kay, so i almost answered this question with the book i gave for the next question, but i realized i don't? read a lot of multi pov books?? or at least not that i remember being such. i did remember one but it was the second in a duology, so.

so.

anyway!

the closest i can think of atm would be Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone. (highly rec this one, though i was a little disappointed when the pairing i wanted didn't happen xD)

116. a book with multiple povs

The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley.

this book.

woof.

okay, so. if you are. remotely squeamish, like. at all? you might wanna give this one a pass. (def check storygraph / other places for trigger warnings. im also happy to elaborate myself, lol.) i am. very squeamish, and made it through only because the story grabbed me tight and wouldn't let go. the worldbuilding is extremely interesting. the characters are all very different and both likeable and unlikeable in a million different ways. but.

oh boy, it was a tough one.

if you're NOT squeamish, though--

it was a 4 or 5 star read for me, iirc, so, y'know. recommended. not sure i'll ever pick it up again, but like. do not regret reading.

130. a book featuring flashbacks and/or intersecting storylines

i know i've read others like this, but the book that comes to mind is--and i had to google this bc it's been so long since i read it---Thirst by Christopher Pike. It was also published under "The Last Vampire." i don't actually recommend them; i read them during my middle school vampire phase and even i remembered being a little mindboggled. mainly bc i think there was an alien abduction in... the second or third book? idk, i had an omnibus.

131. recommend any book you like!

there's only one answer i can give to this, tbh. the locked tomb series brainrot is real and deep and i am. both highly anticipating and dreading the release of alecto so.

i gotta recommend Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.

that SAID, i am well aware that this book has a reputation on tumblr esp for being poorly summarized, as the most oft-used pitch is "lesbian necromancers in space."

this is not an inaccurate summary.

BUT.

it is also not complete.

so first, some expectations: it's sci-fi, definitely, but also there are a lot of fantasy vibes? probably because of the swords and the necromancy and the sworn knights-esque plot. uh. basically, it's sci-fi like star wars is sci-fi, but also it's. it's not star wars.

second thing: this series is unreliable narrator central. tamsyn picks the least qualified person in the group for you to follow the story with, and it works. so well. like, firstly bc ofc things get explained (some; it does drop you in and expect you to pick up a lot through context clues) but ALSO because you WILL pick up things you didn't on re-reads. i did a reread before Nona and spent half of it screaming. i'm not much of an annotator beyond highlighting some lines on kindle but i was commenting all over the place.

uh.

i still haven't talked about the plot, my bad.

Gideon the Ninth follows the titular Gideon, after her childhood nemesis and heir to the Ninth House, is invited to the First House by the God Emperor of the Nine Houses to seek quasi-immortality and join him in fighting a war as old as the Houses themselves. When they get there, though, they soon find their fellow heir-and-cavalier pairs being picked off one by one.

this book also features a lot of gay... not pining, not really, but like. Gideon likes women and her pov spends a lot of time appreciating the other women with them xD (this is also part of what makes her unreliable as a narrator. plot? what plot? gideon is here for thirsting, and a little bit of pining.)

also mild enemies to lovers vibes.

ALSO there are memes. there's a none pizza left beef joke in book 2, i'm still not over it.

does get a little squicky at times with loving descriptions of bones and viscera, though.

if i keep talking about this book i won't ever stop <3

[ book recs ask game ]

#bean... yet again you have my sincerest apologies xD #thank you for asking!!#asks and answers #ask gaming #livvyreads #this-was-a-terrible-idea

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maiteo · 2 months

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💌 <3

beth my bestest beloved, the best goontista in crime one could ask for🤭 I love love love being able to goof off or rant with you<3 truly so kind and hilarious and intelligent every interaction is a highlight for me😭 omg and your lil knitting, shadow, or anything you post always make me so happy❤️ absolutely love being able to coyg (and coyp!) with you. my silliest legend ever, you make this app soooo worth it, it wouldn’t be the same without you. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!🥺🫶🏽🫂

#answered #whenever I remember that aries and libras are sister signs im like…well yes of course that’s me n beth🤭#beth🐏

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kimwexlers-brownhair · 2 years

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Is this anything?

The Golden Trio as Columbo Killer Archetypes

Kendall Roy - The Sad Sack Killer

Examples: Adrian Carsini (Donald Pleasence) in Any Old Port in a Storm, Emmett Clayton (Laurence Harvey) in The Most Dangerous Match, and Beth Chadwick (Susan Clark) in Lady in Waiting

Desperate and feral when cornered, these frantic but repressed killers often think of themselves as the true victim. They feel overlooked or threatened by someone more confident, more talented, or that frankly bullies them. This killer lashes out because they feel like the victim is about to steal their spotlight before they can even enjoy it. They’re terrified of Columbo, viewing him as a walking reminder of their guilt; but it’s maybe this guilt that makes them reach out to him for some kind of absolution.

See also Ruth Lytten (Joyce Van Patten) in Old Fashioned Murder

Shiv Roy - The Ambitious Killer

Examples: Oliver Brandt (Theodore Bikel) in The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case, Kay Freestone (Trish Van Devere) in Make Me a Perfect Murder, and Milo Janus (Robert Conrad) in An Exercise in Fatality

Far more direct, cunning, and assured than the Sad Sack Killer. They appear confident and dazzling, and rely heavily on charisma and wit. They and their immediate companions are fully aware of the killer’s intellect and prowess in their chosen field, but their fatal weakness is overestimating these qualities. Infatuated with their own creative genius, they plan too much, and often reveal more than they wish when cornered. However, you can’t deny they keep their eye on the prize: anything to get ahead in their field, anything to cover up their crimes. These are the ones who look down the most on Columbo, and therefore are the most pissed off during the Gotcha moment.

See also Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) in Etude in Black and any of Jack Cassidy’s characters

Roman Roy - The Impish Killer

Examples: Roger Stanford (Roddy McDowall) in Short Fuse, Nelson Brenner (Patrick McGoohan) in Identity Crisis, and Leslie Williams (Lee Grant) in Ransom for a Dead Man

These killers actively enjoy playing mind games with Columbo. They are eccentric and distinct personalities. They appear to enjoy their clever acts of murder more than the other two archetypes who simply view the murders as means to an end. To the impish killer, their murders are like entertaining set pieces, and they thoroughly enjoy watching Columbo seemingly trapped in their tangled web. They wanna have fun in everything they do in life, and if that includes murder, nice. While they have disdain for Columbo, they also kind of want his approval, too.

See also Dexter Paris (Martin Landau) in Double Shock and Joe Devlin (Clive Revill) in The Conspirators

i worked way too hard on this to be ignored, dan

BONUS ROYS

Logan Roy - The Protect My Legacy Killer

Examples: Col. Lyle C. Rumford (Patrick McGoohan) in By Dawn’s Early Light, Luis Montoya (Ricardo Montalban) in A Matter of Honor, and Maj. Gen. Martin J. Hollister (Eddie Albert) in Dead Weight.

This killer puts forth a front of icy control that can easily turn into reassuring charm that fades when they feel their legacy is threatened. They’ve internalized their own legend, convincing themselves they really are as dazzlingly heroic and in control of every situation as their reputation says. They are so protective of their legacy, their life’s work, that they justify murder as a necessary evil. Because of their age and experience, they tend to appreciate Columbo’s intelligence more quickly than the other killers. However, they are still so secure in their own invulnerability they can’t believe they won’t get away with it until the last second.

See also Dr. Marshall Cahill (Jose Ferrer) in Mind Over Mayhem, Viveca Scott (Vera Miles) in Lovely But Lethal, Nora Chandler (Anne Baxter) in Requiem for a Falling Star, and Commissioner Mark Halperin (Richard Kiley) in A Friend in Deed

Connor Roy - The No Business Being a Killer Killer

Examples: Nicholas Frame (Richard Basehart) & Lilian Stanhope (Honor Blackman) in Dagger of the Mind, Ward Fowler (William Shatner) in Fade in to Murder, and Tommy Brown (Johnny Cash) in Swan Song

Affable, personable, but often theatrical to the point of comical, these killers are near-sympathetic oddballs who develop a playful relationship with Columbo. They kill because they’re frail and not always too bright, and don’t know what else to do when past romantic entanglements, gambling debts, etc. catch up to them. They are either relieved when they’re caught or the pressure makes them go crazy.

See also Grace Wheeler Willis (Janet Leigh) in Forgotten Lady

#succession #columbo #kendall roy #shiv roy #roman roy #logan roy #connor roy #succ #succession hbo #i'm fucking brilliant #because they're all rich white collar criminals see

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swampsiren-piratefairy · 7 months

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2023 Reading

I read a lot apparently! Below are my thoughts on the stories I've read so far this year. Also, if you’ve read a book and absolutely loved it, pitch it in the comments! Tell me why I should read it!

January

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick (4/5 stars)

This was a short read and overall I thought it was good. I thought the way the "andys" were characterized was particularly interesting. I think the book, despite being so short, was a filled with ideas and world building and what struck me is that those things didn't make the world feel more real. It felt as though those pieces of world-building served more to characterize our protagonists by way of their reaction to those ideas/religion/machines rather than serving to flesh out the world itself? Which is not necessarily bad, but idk, I guess I just wish the world felt more real or made a bit more sense to me.

The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill (3/5 stars)

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It was fine. Susan Hill is pretty good at atmosphere. I found the ending unsatisfying.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (3.5/5 stars)

This one was also fine. And I know it's nit-picky but I cannot get over the mother letting Beth's pet bird die in order to make a point about the importance of doing chores? Beth is a child and the bird didn't need to starve to death. Fuck you, Marmee.

Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer (5/5 stars)

Look, you have to already like Twilight to like this book. If you don't like Twilight or have never read it, then this book will not be enjoyable. If, however, you have read and enjoyed the Twilight series, then this book is great! You get insight into the world of Twilight, of Edward's character, of his family's thoughts and how they interact, and a look at his dark years of human hunting.

February

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (5/5 stars)

I love this book. I love the drama, the devotion, the camp, the characters. I cannot judge this book objectively, therefore 5 stars. I reread it in honor of my upcoming vacation to the Forever Twilight in Forks festival and I'm so glad I did!

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (4/5 stars)

This is a collection of short stories. Each is a re-imagining of a fairy tale/legend. There was a lot of dark, feminine energy to these stories which I enjoyed. I would caution anyone who want to read the stories to first look up trigger warnings on storygraph, as the tales do get quite dark and gruesome at times.

The Blazing World by Margret Cavendish (3/5 stars)

This is a work of utopian science fiction written in 1666. It's short and not terribly interesting as a story but incredibly interesting as an early work of science fiction by a woman. Would recommend if you're interested in the history of genre fiction.

Beloved by Toni Morrison (3.5/5 stars)

This one was tough. The characters were brutal, their situations were brutal, and it was hard to read about. I did, however, like the narrative style and think it is an important work of fiction. I don't think it should be classified as a ghost story, as it often is.

The Bell Jar by Silvia Plath (4/5 stars)

This was a good book and a realistic depiction of what mental illness can look like. It was very much a downer though, especially with what we know about the author's life.

"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor (undecided)

This is a short story. It does a good job of telling a story and allowing you to know the characters despite how short it is. I'm not sure how to rate is as I'm sure if I really "get" it.

Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert (1/5 stars)

My gosh! I hated reading this. I didn't care for God Emperor of Dune either but I felt I'd read so much of the series that I might as well finish it out, after all there was only two more books to go. Well. I won't be finishing it out. I finished this book but I will not be reading Chapterhouse: Dune. I'm so over the weird pedophilia that just gets more prominent with each Dune book. And one of the greatest things about Dune is the worldbuilding, but so much time has passed between the first book and this one that we are no longer in the same world. I cared about that world from the first couple books, but this one? I don't care anymore. I don't care about the characters either.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (3.5/5 stars)

This was a good coming of age story, although, to my relief, not very relatable. I found the story compelling but didn't care for the time jumps. I learned that it is partly autobiographical, which makes certain parts of the story make more sense.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang (3.5/5 stars)

This was alright. I get the appeal. It was distressing to read at times.

Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson (2/5 stars)

Look, I just didn't like the book. I understand it's an exploration of childhood grief written for children and so I am certainly not the intended audience, but still, this was just not good. And the ending? Ugh.

March

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (3/5 stars)

This is a stream of consciousness story with a few time jumps back and forth. I liked reading some parts, others not so much. It can get a bit dull at times. Iconic last lines.

The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends by Beatrix Potter (3/5 stars)

As with many collections, there are some stories I enjoyed and some I did not. A couple that I thought I would not want read to any children in my life, which surprised me because these are such beloved stories.

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin (4/5 stars)

Enjoyable but not my favorite. Not something I would revisit I think. Lots of themes here about colonization, military, environmentalism, etc. A bit heavy handed, but that doesn't really bother me when I agree with the message being set forth.

April

nothing. no books here. I read part of Kindred during this month but didn't finish it until early May.

May

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (4/5 stars)

I've always meant to read Octavia Butler's books but I'm not sure this was the best one to start with. Nevertheless, it was good.

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (4/5 stars)

I liked this one much better than the first book in the series, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. It did drag on a bit at times. I also feel like a lot of the tension could have been resolved quickly by characters just talking to each other which drove me nuts.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (3/5 stars)

It's not that this isn't a good book or an interesting work of early science fiction, it just dragged. I was so bored at times. This book took me so long to finish.

A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie (4.5/5 stars)

I can't quite bring myself to give this 5 stars. It was good though. As is always the case with Agatha Christie books, I did not guess the conclusion but feel as though I could have. Like there were probably enough hints, I just didn't pick up on them.

June

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (5/5 stars)

This was a very good read. Great atmosphere. I liked the way things were revealed. If you like a gothic tale or any of Shirley Jackson's other works, then certainly give this one a go.

I watched the movie in October and it was pretty faithful, as far as adaptations go. I did prefer the book.

August

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer (4/5 stars)

Look, is it as good as Twilight? No, but I still like it. I care about the characters and this book offered fun new additions to the world that Twilight introduced.

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (4/5 stars)

Second verse, same as the first.

The Knight, the Fool, and the Dead: Time Lord Victorious by Steve Cole (3/5 stars)

This was much shorter than I expected and ended in the middle of the story, which I didn't realize going in. It was fine. It's my first Doctor Who book and I didn't love it, which I am disappointed about.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer (3.5/5 stars)

I do like this book, but it's not my favorite. I particularly liked the character of Freaky Fred and I'm glad I reread this book so that I could be reminded of him.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (4/5 stars)

I watched a play adaptation as I read along, which I find really useful for me when reading Shakespeare. I have trouble imagining how the characters say a line, what they would be doing as they say it, etc. so watching helps me contextualize. I liked it. I thought it was funny. It wasn't perfect and I didn't love the wrap up but, overall, it was enjoyable.

The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare (2/5 stars)

I listened to the audio book rather than reading the play. I did not care for it. I thought the ending was fascinating but other than that, this was just not my cup of tea.

All Flesh is Grass: Time Lord Victorious by Una McCormack (3/5 stars)

This one was slightly better than the previous Doctor Who book, but I still didn't really care for it. It's hard to put my finger exactly on why though.

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (3.5/5 stars)

It pains me to give such a low rating to a book in a series I love so much, but this book is just not as good as the others. I still like it okay, but not like I love the others. Maybe she can redeem it in the next book. (That's right. I'm still holding out hope that we'll get another and it'll fix the bits I don't like about this one.)

September

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (4/5 stars)

I thought this one was quite good. I am bummed, as always, that I couldn't guess the killer.

Gigi and The Cat by Colette (3/5 stars)

This is actually two separate stories. I preferred Gigi I think, but both were solidly 3 stars. The most interesting thing was the little biography about Colette at the beginning of the book.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (4/5 stars)

This one was enjoyable. Again, I did a read-along as I watched the play performed. It had some fantastic lines.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (3/5 stars)

Look up trigger warnings about this one before you read. The book was just okay. I guessed the ending pretty early on, which I've been led to understand is not usual for this book. I think is probably the mark of a good thriller writer if most people won't guess the ending/twist/killer/etc but you've included enough clues so that a small subset of the audience will. But it didn't make for a particularly interesting read if you're in the subset that picked up on the clues early. I also was very interested to see how the writer handled the issue of self-harm in the book. Still not sure how I feel about it.

October

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (3/5 stars)

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I enjoyed the last Chrisie book I read, but it was okay I think. I read it because I wanted to watch the movie coming out, and I think murder mysteries are so much more interesting in book form.

Watched the movie and decided there’s no way this should be considered an adaptation of the book. A couple of names remain the same but the characters, their relationships, and the murders are so wildly different than they are in the book that I don’t even see the point of using the same names.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (4/5 stars)

I liked it overall. I liked the characters. I think a little more development of our main two would have been nice. Controversial, but I did NOT like the meme references. Why would Harrow know the “studied the blade” joke? Also, why does Harrow know what a Cuckoo is? And apparently they’re all speaking English 10,000 years in the future because otherwise Gideon’s Sex Pal joke wouldn’t work. The ending made me sad.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (3/5 stars)

I liked the story overall and I think the AUs were fun, but I think they took up way too much of the book. I especially liked getting to see Gideon again and to hear her thoughts about what’s going on.

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (3/5 stars)

Maybe this one’s on me, but I can’t figure out where the conversation with Jod is happening? It takes up half the book and I don’t understand it at all. It just feels like exposition dump. I’m really hoping I like the next one better.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (3/5 stars)

This isn’t a bad book, but it’s not really to my tastes. It’s a period drama and sapphic.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (5/5 stars)

I’ve read this one before and it’s a favorite of mine. It’s slow moving and, when I first read it, was such a relieving break from all the grimdark fantasies that were everywhereeeee at the time. (This book came out when Game of Thrones was at its height in popularity.) this book is just nice and so is Maia.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (5/5 stars)

I enjoyed this book. So much so, that I read the rest of the series and then immediately went back to reread it again. I like murderbot. I also want to face the wall in a corner when people try to ask me about my feelings.

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (4/5 stars)

This one might be my least favorite of the murderbot diaries, but I still like it. (That being said, I think I’ll grow to like it more in time. After all, we get the foundation of MB and ARTs relationship.) It introduces ART, gives us more context for MB’s past, and allows for MB’s sense of self to develop. By the end, we (and it) have a much better understanding of how it feels about humans and what lengths it’s willing to go to. The book also gives much needed explanation about how MB manages to blend in and operate. So all in all, I like it but feel like it’s mostly just filling in gaps.

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (4/5 stars)

Another good one! Really challenging how MB views human/bot relationships. MB is such a funny narrator, it spends so much time being like “I don’t care” and then proceeds to care So Much. Also Miki <3

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (5/5 stars)

Wooo!! The gang is back (partly). MB must face those it’s run away from! Weapons and hacking and emotional stand offs! What more could you want?

Network Effect by Martha Wells (5/5 stars)

This one might be my favorite. I really liked it. I love when a character goes feral because their friend is dead/in danger and this book does it TWICE. It’s so good!

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (4/5 stars)

This one is another gap filling book. It lets us see what MB got up to while on Preservation. Which, if you’re really interested in the character (which I am) then it’s a good read! Also we got to see Gurathin and Ratthi again and I love them both.

#2023 reads #book review #mine

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brooklynislandgirl · 11 months

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Frank versus The Panda. Who's limping away and who is knocked out?

Consider It A Challenge || Accepting {{tagging: my darling @wardogsong }}

It takes Beth nearly an hour or more to answer the question texted to her, as it is precisely the amount of time it takes to finish one remarkably large cup of coffee and flush the exhaustion from her system. The key mistake she makes is reading the message aloud, including the fact that it comes from an unknown number. "Like I need more context," she says. "You an' him scrap f' fun, or like beef seriously? Or is it in a sorta...pin me f' wall an' kiss me-" "For fuck sake, Beth. I'm eating." She glances at her older brother across the table. "Well, dat why I say need more conte-" "Seriously? I will hang you off the roof. Don't think I can't or won't." "Blah blah, protest too much. You jus' jealous 'cause I t'ink he's really neat, an' every kine about him offend ya sensibilities." She isn't wrong. Her brother was a modern-day superman,sure. Went through the pipeline and everything to be a combat Pararescueman. Sure, there were certain classified missions that went beyond the parameters of the job, but isn't that what got Frank in trouble, too? If the situation were drinking, she is absolutely certain Andy would put him in the bag. He doesn't think she knows, but he'd been drinking since at least fifteen. If it's a fist-fight? Her brother is completely hosed.First, she's absolutely certain Frank would fight God and win. And if he doesn't? He'll get up. He'll keep going until he's the last man standing, which mystifies her. He laughed her off once, when she tried to bring it up. Said it was just because he was a marine, and they don't know when to quit. She's grown up surrounded by them and by sailors and she knows he's not being untruthful but...there's something there. She saw the x-rays. She read his charts. She patches him up when he comes to her and there's always a new scar, a new wound that wasn't there before. He doesn't come to her because he needs her. He comes because he's too tired to do it himself. She knows about ghosts. Most of the Traditions do, and even some of the others will grudgingly admit to it out of one side of their mouths while talking about how to destroy or contain them out the other. Once, when she brought up her suspicions without naming names, her cabal-mate told her that there were rumours. Legend tells him that the first of that kind was Persephone. But even he, more knowledgeable about the dead than Beth ever cares to be, knows little more than that. Could Frank really be one of the Risen as they're called? She's too afraid to ask. But if he is... If he is...then life is about to get a whole lot more complicated than she's capable of considering this very moment. {Text: Anonymous} Depending on what you mean on the question, I'm going to put my money on Frank Castle every time. First, he's a Devil Dog. Second, he's Frank and I don't think even my brother really gets that, you know?

#Mahalo!Nonnymouse <333 #Righteous Side of Hell|Frank Castle #Sibling Rivalry|Andrew Riley #Rough Roads|Punisher AU

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jerzwriter · 1 year

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Uno reverse 🤍

What other fictional couple (it can be tv, movies, books, or even another fanfic couple) or celebrity couple reminds you of E/K, T/C and Z/E?

(Also for Ethan and Eva if you have someone in mind but no pressure ofc <33)

Oh my Gosh! I just realized I will have a FOURTH pairing. Dear God, someone stop me! This is lunacy! lol This is not as easy as I thought!

Tobias x Casey:

They came to me the quickest, and not just because another ask today reminded me of something. For them, I'd say:

Gomez and Morticia, The Adams Family - they're crazy about each other, even after marriage & three kids, it never stops. They can't keep their paws off of each other, forever call each other sweet names, and that newness never goes away. (In the Halloween template I did in October, Casey said Tobias always made them roleplay Gomez and Morticia. lol)

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen - The best friend vibe, the absolute adoration, the social media teasing, the children bringing adding joy, the imperfect beginning, but the perfect ending.

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa - They just seem so natural. They fit and take life in stride. Years pass, kids grow, they're still crazy about each other.

Ethan x Kaycee:

Randall and Beth - This is Us - Two brilliant people with hearts of gold who are completely devoted to each other for the long haul. I also see Ethan and Kaycee like the parents of the friend group a bit; Randall and Beth, the most stable of the Pearsons, were often in that role. (Though I see Kaycee as a little more carefree than Beth.)

Tom & Rita Wilson - They're mature, still appear to be very much in love, they're serious but still playful, and their love is lasting.

Eli x Zoe:

This one was hard for me because I'm very unfamiliar with this genre. But this kind of works.

Katniss and Peeta - The Hunger Games - they are both leaders who do not give up; they have each been through hell, but keep going. But the difference is in this relationship, Peeta is the sunshine, and in my pairing, Zoe is the sunshine. No matter how awful (and it gets AWFUL), she always looks for the ray of light. This is one of the things that draws Eli to her.

Ethan x Eva:

This one is tough - I'm not familiar enough with them yet, but there are elements of

Harry and Sally - When Harry Met Sally (one of my all-time favorite movies and couples). It's the smart, witty banter that makes me think of them and Harry being a bit of a jerk for a while. Both of them taking some time to come around.

Maddie and David - Moonlighting - Not quite as rough and snarky, but it certainly has elements of this at the beginning of their relationship.

I'm going to think of better ones tomorrow, and I'll be mad at myself. lol

Thanks for sending this back!

#tobias carrick #tobias x casey #eli sipes #eli x zoe #ethan ramsey #ethan x kaycee #ethan x eva #asks answered #fictional couples

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rappaccini · 2 years

Text

the quarry thoughts

so all in all i really like it.

one of the biggest problems with until dawn in hindsight was how bland the characters were. god knows we all loved them, but it was because we projected so much more complexity into them than was ever there to begin with. in the quarry, while you have those archetypes (kaitlyn = final girl, abigail = virgin, emma = mean girl, jacob = meathead jock, nick = nice jock, ryan = sensitive smart boy, dylan = class clown) they're all far more fleshed out. the characters have their analogs (kaitlyn is our sam, abi is our ashley, emma is a mix of emily and jessica, jacob is our mike, nick is somewhere between matt and chris, ryan and dylan seem to split josh's qualities) but evolve them.

ud's sexism in hindsight gets worse every year. the quarry mostly fixes all that. you can almost see where every element in ud is improved upon: instead of jessica spending the whole game naked and confused, it's jacob this time. instead of mike munroe being framed as an action hero when he's just running around the mountain like a maniac, jacob's macho man attitude causes this disaster, he makes himself look like an idiot, and he gets dragged for it by the characters AND the narrative. instead of cat fights, we get the girls supporting each other. instead of the popular guy pressuring a girl into sleeping with him, she rebuffs him no matter what. instead of the nice guy Getting The Girl, nick loses abi when he starts to wolf out. instead of the girls losing their agency when the men are in the room, kaitlyn and laura take the lead and the guys respect it. instead of pairing everyone off in straight mating pairs and defining them on that, we get same- and mixed-sex pairings that are friends, frenemies, couples, crushes, exes... variety! (also? the emma abi friendship? i love it. hurts so much if emma ends up killing her best friend while wolfed out)

the Many Endings don't feel like a copout: so many things can change based on dialogue, on exploring, on collecting, on qtes... they really mapped this out and expanded the system so well.

i love the subversion of the opening kills. one of the biggest missed opportunities in ud was beth, who only exists to be eaten by her sister and has no presence in the story or the minds of her supposed friends otherwise. eyepatch laura reminds me of that flamethrower guy beth au that made the rounds a few years ago: the opening kill girl survives, trains with the Scary But Misunderstood Local to be a monsterhunter, and returns to save her friends.

same with emma and the jessica storyline au. so many of us wished there was an option where jessica could be the one saving mike and becoming an action girl... or even being able to switch matt and em's places so jess and emily could have a moment to salvage their friendship.

all in all... yeah. so much better. these kids are people you actually want to save, who feel like they'd be bonded for life, whereas ud's characters are archetypes you project personality onto who would never speak to each other again after the night was up.

that all being said i absolutely prefer laura, ryan, kaitlyn and emma to the other counselors. for once because i just vibe with their personalities more and not bc they're the ones who are better-written, or bc i'm loving them out of spite (.... emily....).

in terms of romance... mixed bag. i really liked laura and max's relationship (travis/laura isn't my thing but i See and Support those who do ship it.... especially ted and siobhan, absolute legends), i love that emma and jacob's is treated the way it is (dump him! yes!), but.... honestly i felt no chemistry between dylan/ryan (tbh i almost expected emma and abi to be the queer couple. love their friendship... but they can also kiss) or ryan/kaitlyn or ryan/laura. i thought nick/abi was fine but uninteresting.

... .also i really dislike the ~sooo are you and mr hackett dating~ jokes shot at ryan. nah that's not funny it's weird and it doesn't even seem to lead anywhere. we couldve done w/o those

the hacketts are fun! i love the lore surrounding the family. love the big messed up werewolf lineage. and how the counselors stumble into it and fuck it all up.

..... i really don't like that there doesn't seem to be a way to save silas or kaylee.

..... and the licensed music.... nah. turn that shit off. distracting.

i love that the hag is an unreliable guide through the game. a great inversion to the psychiatrist: this one has her own motivations and is tricking you. great on replay to realize.

dialogue much improved. not too many of until dawn's iconic cheesy lines, but much more believable conversations for the most part, with only a few weird lines and readings here and there.

while i agree that it stinks that the characters all split off and don't have a Everyone Vs The Monster At The Lodge showdown like ud, i actually like much of it. unlike ud, where it feels like jess and matt were designed to die and be forgotten about, and the only characters who Truly Matter are sam and mike by the end, everyone can have a part to play in the greater story and a role in the climaxes at the hackett place and the lodge respectively.

i do agree the story just kind of... ends with no emotional moment where the characters reunite. yes that happened in ud, but given how all the characters seem like they hate each other by the end, it worked that we leave off on the police station. here it feels like we were really robbed of the characters giving each other a hug. and jumping jacob in the parking lot of the police station for the shit he pulled.

i like that the podcast was a throughline through the story as a way to exposit the hag lore, and that it circles back around in the end. collecting evidence to affect how the outside world perceives the events was a really clever move. i just also wish we could've seen the characters get closure themselves.

the werewolf concept was great! loved seeing so many different variations on who wolfs out.

all in all i'm really happy. the game is great. probably most of all because it seems supermassive really took seriously the idea of evolving their choice-based game system, and improving their narrative and character writing. i don't feel that strong fandomy itch i did with until dawn because tbh? i'm actually satisfied with the quarry as is. it's that good.

#the quarry

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countenanceblog · 9 months

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Chapter 4

The spacious living room was filled with an electric atmosphere as the group gathered around the large screen, where Xander and Corey engaged in an intense fighting game. The crowd of spectators cheered and shouted, adding to the excitement.

Rufus, with his characteristic caustic humor, leaned over to Yuki and Maggie, smirking. "Watch this. Xander is about to suffer another humiliating defeat."

Yuki chuckled mischievously, her dark eyes twinkling. "Oh, I love watching him get all worked up about this game. It's hilarious."

Maggie couldn't help but join in the amusement as they watched Xander's character fall victim to Corey's skilled gameplay. When the match ended, Xander stood up, clearly frustrated, and then he noticed Maggie, who was standing nearby with Yuki and Rufus. Corey followed Xander's gaze, intrigued by the new face in the group.

"Hey, I'm Xander," he said with a hint of awkwardness, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "Nice to meet you."

Maggie smiled warmly, shaking Xander's hand. "I'm Maggie. It's great to meet you too."

Corey spoke up next: "I'm Corey. Good to have some fresh blood in the mix."

Yuki, always the devious one, chimed in, "Yeah, Maggie's Gwyneth's cousin. Me and Val are protecting her from you two." Xander and Corey looked at each other.

Rufus, ever the witty one, couldn't resist adding, "Oh, yes, the long-lost cousin. The prodigy among us."

Maggie blushed slightly, feeling a mix of amusement and self-consciousness under Rufus' teasing gaze. "Well, I'm not sure about that, but I'm excited to be here. You really did make a scene of your own."

Xander, seemingly not bothered by the playful banter, leaned in with genuine curiosity. "So, what brings you to Fort Retard? Ready to dive into the chaos?"

Maggie chuckled, feeling a sense of ease with the group. "Yeah, I'm ready for some chaos and adventure. College life seems like a rollercoaster."

Xander grinned, clearly enjoying the conversation. "Oh, you have no idea! Of course, uh, neither do I. I only went to community college for a couple semesters."

"And I technically have a ninth-grade level education," said Rufus with a wide smile.

As the conversation flowed, they discovered more about each other. Xander, despite his awkward demeanor, revealed a passion for ancient mythology and folklore. He spoke animatedly about his favorite myths and legends, captivating the group with his extensive knowledge.

Corey, with his charismatic storytelling skills, shared hilarious anecdotes from his athletic endeavors and his adventures with friends. He had an infectious energy that drew everyone in.

Gwyneth, with her composed demeanor and intelligent insights, steered the conversation with thoughtful questions, sparking engaging discussions about various topics.

Rufus and Yuki, well, they poked fun at everyone. And Maggie, being the introverted observer, quietly soaked in all the interactions, content to listen and learn from the fascinating individuals around her. She felt a sense of camaraderie with the group, a feeling of being accepted and valued for who she was.

As the night wore on, the group moved from the living room to explore other areas of Ralph's mansion, each room offering a unique experience. There was a cozy study filled with books and curious artifacts, a game room with a pool table and vintage arcade games, and an enchanting garden courtyard illuminated with fairy lights and hidden spots for private conversations. At just one of these spots, in this case a very undersized bench, Maggie and Rufus found the palest girl Maggie had ever seen. She was sitting by herself, not smoking a cigarette or anything. She had long silvery dyed hair and absolutely stunning features. Rufus smiled widely at her.

"What's up, Beth?," he asked her.

Beth Somerset glanced up from her spot on the small bench, her sharp eyes locking onto Rufus with a mix of amusement and skepticism. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here," she said, her voice laced with dry sarcasm. "Rufus, my man, what are you doing with a freshman girl? Aren't you supposed to be the seasoned, sophisticated twenty-three-year-old here?"

Rufus laughed heartily, undeterred by Beth's teasing. "Oh, Beth, you always know how to pop this balloon," he replied, nudging Maggie playfully. "This is my dear friend Maggie, and yes, she's a freshman. But trust me, she can handle herself just fine in this chaotic world we call college." Beth caught Rufus eyeing her fishnets.

"You aren't even remotely an academic."

Maggie, though caught off guard by Beth's caustic demeanor, found herself intrigued by the enigmatic girl before her. "Hi, I'm Maggie. Nice to meet you," she said with a friendly smile, trying her best to overpower Beth's dry wit.

Beth's lips curled into a sly grin as she observed Maggie. "Oh, nice to meet me, huh? Well, I suppose I'll take that as a compliment. I'm Beth, the vampire girl, in case you were wondering," she said, gesturing to her dark and mysterious attire.

Rufus chuckled, enjoying the interaction between his two friends. "Beth here is the queen of sarcasm and mystery. You'll get used to it, Maggie. She's just being Beth."

Beth shrugged nonchalantly, "Can't help it. Sarcasm is my first language." She then turned her attention back to Rufus. "So, are you introducing all the fresh faces to the chaotic circus you've created here?"

Rufus nodded, looking pleased with himself. "Of course, I need to share the magic of Fort Retard with everyone. And Maggie here is already fitting in like a pro. She's got that quiet observer thing going on, which is perfect for our quirky bunch."

Maggie smiled, feeling a sense of acceptance from Beth despite her biting comments. "I'm just trying to take it all in and learn from the best," she replied.

Beth raised an eyebrow. "Well, you've got quite the crew here. I guess that makes you one of us now. Welcome to the madness, fresh blood."

Yuki and Valarie, who had been wandering around the courtyard, joined the conversation, their eyes lighting up when they saw Beth. "Beth! You're out of hiding!," Yuki exclaimed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Who's this poor soul you're tormenting?"

Beth chuckled, "This is Maggie, the freshman who had the unfortunate luck of encountering Rufus today."

Valarie chimed in, "Poor thing. We should throw her a welcome party. Actually, I guess this is it right now."

Before Maggie could respond, Gwyneth approached the group, her calm and composed demeanor contrasting with the energy of her friends. "I heard there's a manhunt for Nemo Davis," she said, her tone serious. "The authorities are getting desperate, and they believe he might be hiding in Air Town. Everyone needs to be cautious."

The mention of Nemo Davis' name brought a momentary hush over the group. The prospect of him hiding in their town was more than unsettling, given the nature of his crimes . . .

Rufus broke the silence, "Well, it looks like the chaos just got a little more intense. We'll have to keep our eyes open and be extra cautious. But for now, let's enjoy the night and keep the good vibes going."

Beth nodded, "Agreed. No need to let fear ruin the fun. Let's continue the circus and show Maggie how we do things at Fort Retard."

With that, the lively atmosphere returned to the courtyard as the group carried on with their adventures and shenanigans. Maggie felt a sense of excitement mingled with caution, as she embraced the camaraderie of her newfound friends.

As the night wore on, the group continued their explorations through the mansion, their laughter and silliness echoing through the halls. Aleister Fawkes, with his characteristic coolness and charisma, effortlessly glided through the rooms, eventually finding the group.

Beth, the enigmatic vampire girl, seemed to have a particular magnetism around Aleister. Their interactions were filled with playful banter and teasing remarks, creating an atmosphere of playful romance that didn't go unnoticed by the others.

In the game room, as Corey and Yuki engaged in an intense game of air hockey, Beth sauntered over to Aleister, a sly smile playing on her lips. "So, Aleister, are you here to sweep me off my feet with your enchanting tales again?"

Aleister flashed a charming grin. "Ah, my dear Beth, I'm always at your service with tales of wonder and mystery. But I must admit, it's you who has a way of sweeping me off my feet with your captivating aura."

Beth raised an eyebrow, pretending to be unfazed by Aleister's smooth words. "Oh, save the flattery for someone who falls for it. I'm not so easily charmed."

Rufus, who was nearby, chimed in with a laugh. "Come on, Beth, we all know there's a spark between you two. It's like watching a classic in black and white."

Yuki, who had momentarily paused her game, joined in with a mischievous grin. "Yes, you're the sassy and mysterious heroine, and Aleister is the charming rogue with a heart of gold."

Aleister chuckled, playing along with the teasing. "Ah, so I'm the rogue now? I suppose I can't argue with that. But every rogue needs a partner in crime, haven't you ever heard of Alley and Cat?"

Beth rolled her eyes, but a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Fine, fine, if you want to play the rogue, then I'll be your daring accomplice in this circus."

As they continued their playful banter, Maggie watched the interaction between Aleister and Beth with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. There was something undeniably captivating about the way they teased each other, a dance of words that seemed to hide a deeper connection.

In the enchanting garden courtyard, bathed in the soft glow of fairy lights, Aleister and Beth found themselves seated on a stone bench, away from the rest of the group. Their conversation took a more intimate turn, with moments of shared laughter and stolen glances that spoke volumes.

Beth, usually guarded and reserved, seemed to let her walls down around Aleister. She leaned in closer, her eyes holding a glimmer of vulnerability.

"Aleister,” muttered Beth. "Do you know what happened with my last boyfriend?" Aleister didn't budge.

"No, my sweet, you never did tell me.”

"He cheated on me with three different girls. Years ago, now. I've been saving for myself for someone who won't use me. And you know what, Alley-boy?"

"W-what's that?," asked Aleister, his facade cracking.

"You want to use me, I can see it when I follow your eyes. They glide across me, or maybe they slither like snakes. You want to fuck me. And you know what? I'm tired of waiting. I'm going to let you use me."

#countenance

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herald-of-aurene · 1 year

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2, 4, and 8 for Spite!

TY for the Ask!

2. a song lyric to describe their love life

Ooo I have a whole playlist for Spahearne but probably “And when I think I'm fine, you'll visit, and then you happen to me, you happen to me all over again." From The Calling by The Amazing Devil.

Spite and Trahearne had gotten together after Zhaitan's death, but after she had to kill him, she began to have dreams of talking to him every night. In reality, they aren't dreams, they are Trahearne visiting her from the Mists, but she doesn't know that. Every night she thinks she's moved on, but then she sees him again, and begins mourning him all over again. That's actually one of the reasons 10 years later she still can't even think of dating again.

4. a song lyric to describe their personality

Hmm, this is a bit harder, but probably “When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts And avenge defeat.” from Legends Never Die. Spite is absolutely relentless in everything she does, from her personality to her fighting. Even when she's lost she will pick up again and try until she can't anymore, even when she knows the only outcome won't be good for her. She did this in the fight with Balthazar, With Zhaitan when she cut off her hand that had become infected, and when Braham was pushing her away. She deeply cares and that is what causes her so much harm

8. a song lyric that would make them feel Seen

Okay, I know it's only supposed to be one lyric, but it's between "And my saint she is dancing, As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame." From Blossoms by The Amazing Devil, and "Cold rage hides the shame of images I can't escape." From I didn't ask for this by Beth Crowley. Spite really struggles with her failures, like not being able to save her warband, or tybalt, or the many soldiers in the war against Zhaitan, or Eir, or Trahearne. Or nearly destroying the world by killing elder dragons, or failing to give Aurene a longer childhood.

#guild wars 2 #hot spoilers #oc: spite scorchedearth #gw2 commander #sorry i was a little libral with the song lyrics lol #ty for letting me rant about my traumatized kitty #Trahearne #trammander

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sometipsygnostalgic · 3 years

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This is the post I was working on that I accidentally sent privately before I’d finished it, LOL. Thanks @imorahtarm107 for sending it back after what must have been a confusing request.

CONT: Rebecca Sugar has spoken before about how much they dislike the statement by press that Bubbline only became “canon” in the finale, because Sugar and Muto were working on that pairing all the way back in s3, those characters have been canonically queer the whole time. It’s not some novelty thing that was canonized at the very end just because everyone else was doing it, or that the characters were only queer and dating if they got to kiss on the mouth!

So yeah, I was a bit salty abouta few things. I mostly thought that season 10 had been underwhelming compared to the spectacular seasons 7 to 9. Honestly, I still stand by that opinion because those seasons were really good.

I felt that there were some other things missing from s10, but some of those got followed up either in the finale or in Obsidian, albeit less in depth than I’d have liked (primarily the fallout to Elements on the side of the Elementals themselves - I thought this was only appropriate considering what happened in Jellybeans Have Power. Are they not terrified of themselves? What are the long term consequences of that takeover, if any? It seems much bigger than the stuff with the Lich that barely anyone knew about.)

HOW MY THOUGHTS HAVE CHANGED

Well, honestly? Just hearing more from the crew about the problems they faced on CN, not just the AT crew but also Rebecca Sugar with SU, it clears SO much up.

Kent Osborne said to Ghostshrimp in a podcast that, even though they knew the show was ending, the team had no idea how many episodes they had left! Unlike the earlier seasons where CN just made block orders of 52 eps, it seems like from s6 onwards, things were far less stable. CN no longer ordered consistent season lengths. I’m not sure if they instead ordered blocks of eps, or if they gave the crew a flexible budget to work from, like Legend of Korra had.

From my observations and theories, the reason seasons 7 to 9 have so many miniseries is possibly because Adam Muto was using those as a way to appeal to what CN wanted out of Adventure Time, and therefore, to prolong the lifespan of the show. It worked really well as both standalone miniseries and as episodes of the show. Olivia Olsen commented that there were many times they thought they were on the last season but it turned out they weren’t. Adam Muto pitched the first eps of Distant Lands originally as miniseries to “extend” season 10. He was probably hoping he would be successful!

Unfortunately, this time he was not successful, and Kent Osborne said that the crew were taken off guard by Come Along With Me being their last ep. When they started work on it, they thought it was a special in the middle of what could be a longer season. Kent even believed they would’ve had another 26 eps left. Adam had to beg for an extra couple of months so they could figure out how they could turn what would have been a gumbald special (whatever that would have entailed) into a finale for the entire show!

Watching Come Along With Me with the knowledge that the crew were taken so off guard changes entirely what I think of it, because what originally seemed like lazy rush jobs - Simon turning back but not having any time as himself, the ep havingt so much going on, the conflict between Bonnie and Gumbald being a bit empty - now feels like the best possible outcome!! How on earth did they make Come Along With Me as good as it was?? They gave so many characters good moments, they had the whole thematic resolution to the land of Ooo and the themes of the world going in circles but nothing staying the exact same, they paid respects to Finn’s growth, and had the outro as the finale song while showing life goes on!

Now that I’ve had so long to process exactly what happened in the ep, I greatly appreciate so many scenes that I previously overlooked or dismissed. The intro sections by Steve and Tom are brilliant at building up tension, which is part of why the second section feels so jarring. However, the dream sequence is so funny, with interesting imagery that it’s still nice to pick apart. Jake gets to be a good brother, Finn gets to battle Fern, and you have that chilling swapperoo epiphany with Gumbald and PB. The scene where they’re all on the beach is so cathartic.

Then the second half of the special is just intense start to finish - everyone working together at the culmination of their character arcs, to take down GOLB! Until the power of a little robot’s song turns out to be the best tool of holding it back, and Betty performs the ultimate sacrifice for her mistakes with a smile on her face. So good. The ending scenes with Finn and the treehouse, Shermy and Beth, the music hole, those are a thematic conclusion to the show.

So, yeah, it did a great job. To an extent it’s better enjoyed if you pick it apart than if you watch it all at once, since it’s unfortunately not as hard-hitting as a lot of the single 11-minute eps of Adventure Time, including the previous season finale Three Buckets. However it absolutely does its job.

As for Bubbline, well... Adam was trying to get the show extended, and if anyone looks at the twitter comment I currently have as my pinned post, then you’ll understand that there’s no way PB and Marcy could have kissed or made their relationship undeniably explicit unless it was the very end of the show :/

Adam said himself that he didn’t see it as much his fight to battle the decisions of execs as Rebecca did. And while that hurts, it makes sense - he was the owner of someone else’s show that is a smorgas board of a large number of people’s ideas, whereas Rebecca was the owner of their own show and felt that if they weren’t able to express themself in their own show, Sugar was willing to completely take down SU. And that actually happened - Steven Universe got cancelled immediately!!! Adam was not prepared to do that with AT, especally when CN were already talking about cancelling it.

The good news is he didn’t give up on having PB and Marcy’s relationship be at least fairly clear, especially s7 onwards. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes, but it’s likely a number of the crew members taken on at that time found it important to press for Bubbline, and Adam decidedly agreed. If someone other than him had taken over as showrunner, or even if Pen stayed in charge (he supported it but didn’t want to be wrapped in controversy), I wonder if they’d have never interacted after What Was Missing :/

So yeah, with that in mind, as annoying as Marcy and Hunson still is, I can forgive the crew for doing a finale kiss. Rather, I can really thank Hanna K for pressing for one - she knows how important it was to at least confirm what people had expected, without a retroactive tumblr post ala Korrasami.

#adventure time #atimers #bubbline #come along with me

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love-fireflysong · 2 years

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Well howdy hey me darlings and lovers! I hope that all has been swell and fabulous and that you’ve been getting all of the inspiration and productivity vibes that I’ve been trying to send your way...where ever you all are lol. And if any of it has reached you, then you’re doing better than me. Like I said last week, with the release of Legend of Vox Machina last Friday all my productivity has gone out the window as I’ve been sucked right back into the Critical Role days. It��s been a nostalgic experience lol. So that fic I had mentioned that I had been hoping would be ready for today? Yeah that’s not gonna happen anymore oops.

But that being said, I HAVE gotten some work on it done so here is the proof of that!

Hannah frowned. "Come on. Surely you can fix the furnace first? Mike—I,I mean the others have started to complain."

"Then just take ol' Mikey-boy down into the basement with you. I'm sure Mr. Class President knows all the ins and outs of machinery. Absolutely would have been a greaser or something back in the day I bet."

Hannah's face lit up like a child on christmas morning. "Oh yeah! That's a great idea Josh! I'm gonna go and get Mike right now—"

Beth interrupted her sister with a snort. "Come on Han, you can't really believe that Em's gonna let you take Mike into the basement without her going with? And the only way that she or Jess would ever step foot into that area of the lodge would be if they were being chased by, like, werewolves or something." Josh opened his mouth to reply back, but she had already interrupted him. "And don't you even dare mention Matt. The guy's a sweetheart—we can all agree on that—but he also almost blew up our microwave a couple of weeks back, so there is now way in hell I'm letting him within ten feet of that furnace if I can help it."

...maybe if I’m real lucky I can get it done for this weekend instead...

And now it’s cross-stitch update time! Finished that shinx off just as I wanted, and even managed to get the top of that mankey’s hand all done with too! Next on the list is a little bit of the cranidos that is on this page and the shellos just above it. Possibly may even get to the other half of the pansage too cause starting tomorrow I’m going to be getting in lots and LOTS of sewing done on Thursdays lol.

#wip wednesday #my writing #cross-stitching #until dawn #pokemon #one day i too may get to actually play a d&d game of my own #i can only dream lol #but until then i will just live vicariously through streams #and lots and lots of writing lol #gotta back on to that writing grind again

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dianapocalypse · 3 years

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Alright y’all, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it’s time for me to share my playlist for the entire trilogy.

I’ve refined this over like six years so scientifically speaking it’s probably good right. oh also it’s four hours long. so if you have a road trip or a boring job, this one’s for you. disclaimer, it’s entirely possible I have garbage taste in music. I also missed some characters and moments because there’s 65 songs here and I am merely human.

If you don’t have the patience for four hours, I recommend starting at track 45 and listening to the end, as the Mass Effect 3 portion is the strongest in my opinion.

UNDER THE CUT FOR DESCRIPTIONS WE GO!

FIRST MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 1

1. Atlas - Coldplay Eden Prime

“Sometimes the wire Must tense for the note Caught in the fire, say oh We're about to explode“

I really like the atmosphere of this song. It’s ominous, but also somehow hopeful, and makes me feel like Something Huge Is Coming.

2. I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song - Constantines Paragon Shepard

“But I was also born and raised To always speak and listen clear To know the last sound that I make Could be the last sound that I hear“

OK, listen, I think this song is about vampires, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a metaphor or not. But I think this is a great song about controlling one’s temper, about knowing that you have to Rise Above the parts of you that want to lash out sometimes to get things done and have peace. Seeing as how paragon Shepard, to me, always seems like they’re three deep breaths away from snapping, but manage to keep it in check, it fits them to a T.

And also maybe they’re a vampire.

3. Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley Renegade Shepard

“So I let the rumors Turn me into a legend 'Cause I'm only human But a good myth is hard to kill”

This one’s a recent addition, but holy cow, I love it for Renegade Shep, particularly an Earthborn or Ruthless, but it works for any of them.

4. We Own the Skies - Five Iron Frenzy Joker

“My hands are bleeding where they often crack The stars will sometimes burn with longing Through the choking black Of night shifts piling each against the next”

This really vibes with Joker’s backstory for me, his super driven serious self in flight school, contrasted with who he is when he can fly a ship. He’s the best pilot in the goddamn fleet and I love him.

5. I Just Wanna See - Smash Mouth Kaidan Alenko

“Mister moon checkin' on how y'all livin' The stars all winkin' at the day that's dimmin' I just wanna see”

This song fits into his reactions to first showing up at the Citadel and his former romanticism about living in space. Ironically, it’s a song about Earth, but I feel like it works well for him. Also, Smash Mouth absolutely sounds like the kind of music Kaidan would listen to, no I will not be taking questions or constructive criticism.

6. Don’t Give Up - Noisettes Ashley Williams

“She's got a talented face and a suitcase Ain't got no desire to go no place In her case she's got no desire with her hand in the flame say's she don't feel the fire “

The energy of this song is just perfect for Ashley’s no-nonsense chip on her shoulder attitude.

7. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan The Council

“I was thrown in the boat/Cast out to sea Friendly with waves/There were sharks below Hungry for me/So I dangled my leg”

I mean, the title says it all.

8. The Captain - Guster Anderson

“Courageous, just like the captain Marching forward with no doubt in his head”

I have adored this song ever since my friend played it for me, and it’s the ultimate mentor-protégé jam for me.

9. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers Garrus Vakarian

“Here's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger Oh, with every move he makes another chance he takes The odds are he won't live to see tomorrow”

I have to poke a little fun at Garrus and how seriously he takes himself in Mass Effect 1. I romanced him across four playthrus, I’m allowed!

10. I’m Getting Too Old For This Shit - Kill Lincoln Urdnot Wrex

“This random apathy/I swear it's killing me But I guess it's all the same, till the devil knows my name”

I don’t know ANYTHING about this band, but this song fits Wrex’s disillusionment with the Krogan well, plus, like. The title. (And also, that he secretly DOES care what happens to the Krogan.)

11. Bird Song - Juniper Vale Tali’zorah nar Rayya

“I want to dance on the horizon line But there is something I am caged behind I have a heart made for take flight But I'm low, so low”

I adore this song and the sound of Juniper Vale in general. The etherealness of this one, combined with the youthful optimism, feels very Tali. The line about ‘something I am caged behind’ works well for the suits, too. This one’s especially good if you’re a Talimancer!

12. 11. Green Garden - Laura Mvula Liara T’Soni

“And I’ll fly on the wings of a butterfly High as a tree top and down again Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off Walk on the carpet of green velvet”

I really like this song’s vibes and I feel like Liara fits it well, particularly in ME1, before all her youthful optimism is stripped from her. The scenery descriptions feel very Thessia, too.

13. Feed Me (Git It) - Little Shop of Horrors The Thorian

“The guy sure looks like plant food to me!”

Do you get it. Do you get my joke. It’s because the Thorian is a plant that eats people. (I’m not funny)

14. Blindness - Metric Matriarch Benezia

“I was a blind fool, never complained All the survivors singing in the rain “

I don’t love the use of blind here as a negative, albeit metaphorical, descriptor, but I think this song fits Benezia’s indoctrination and death well. If you have suggestions for another, though, let me know!

15. Technologic - Daft Punk Saren

“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”

I just think it’s Neat

16. Watershed - Vienna Teng The Reapers

“ While you were building your empires I was still sleeping”

I think this is the song that inspired the entire playlist. Vienna Teng sat down and decided to write a song from the perspective of a natural disaster, and it’s so ominous and gut-wrenching.

17. Hourglass - The Hush Sound Virmire

“This is how it ends We believe every lie and say we'll be friends How long will it last? Before we scratch all the scripts and we rework the cast “

hahahahah rework the cast get it because you have to pick who DIES

Seriously tho I really like this song for Virmire and that moment of choice that feels like it lasts 100 years on some playthroughts.

18. Pompeii - Bastille The Siege of the Citadel

“ And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love”

Throwback to when this song was on the radio like three times an hour. Which is around the time I made the first draft of this playlist, incidentally! It’s such a good Final Battle Jam for the Citadel, and the part about “if you close your eyes/does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all” I think work really well for Shepard in this sequence. Shepard knew the Reapers were coming, had been fighting them all along; this attack on the Citadel is just retreading familiar territory for them, as horrifying as the war being brought to their doorstep is for the Citadel’s citizens and the council. James Vega has some good dialogue about that kind of thing in ME3.

INTERLUDE THE FIRST

19. Starships - Nicki Minaj The Normandy Crew

Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky

I like to have a little fun OK

20. Gravity - Yoko Kanno The Death of Commander Shepard

“Am I alone? is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet still the road keeps on telling me to go on”

Welcome to mood whiplash, it’s my specialty! This is the part where you die. I think it also works for her coma very well, when she’s just drifting between life and death, not sure what’s going on, but something keeps trying to pull her back to the world.

SECOND MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 2

21. The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy The Lazarus Project

“Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix “

this song has no right to go as hard as it does and if you think it’s melodramatic shut up

22. My Body Is A Cage - Peter Gabriel Commander Shepard

“I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow “

This works particularly well if you romanced The Virmire Survivor, but this song captures the energy of Shepard freaking out bc they are trapped with Cerberus, because Cerberus rebuilt their body from the ground up. That jarring, caged feeling is so palpable in ME2 that when they gave me back Joker the first time I played, I BURST INTO SOBS from relief.

23. The Lady is a Vamp - The Spice Girls Miranda Lawson

“That's all in the past, legends built to last But she's got something new”

Listen. She’s a bond babe. Handbags, heels and pistols rock. She’s got class. This is a song about Miranda. That is all.

24. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down Jacob Taylor

“ I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you “

This one’s about the Vibes for me. Also can apply to his past relationship with Miranda. I’m also super showing my age on this song, oof haha.

25. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie Colony Abduction

“Rows of deserted houses all Our stable mates highway bound “

I really like the mood of this one for showing up on the very first abducted colony, the eerieness and sadness of it all and Shepard’s resolve to do something about it.

26. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn Kasumi Goto

“I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion You ain't call the cops, you call the fire station”

THAT COUPLET ALONE MAKES THE ENTIRE SONG. I love how playful and cheeky it is.

27. Seven Nation Army Glitch Mob Remix - The White Stripes, Glitch Mob Zaeed Massani

“And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette”

Pretty sure we all had this on some playlist or another when it came out, and it’s the perfect Badass With A Grudge song.

28. Science is Real - They Might Be Giants Mordin Solus

“ And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science “

This one actually got added by my wife to replace a song that wasn’t on Spotify, but that has the same energy; Hank Green’s “I Fucking Love Science”. I get more into the emotional side of Mordin in the ME3 section, but I also really just love his Hamster On Coffee energy and this song captures it really well.

29. Prove Yourself - Radiohead Garrus Vakarian

“I can't afford to breathe in this town Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand Hooked back up to the cathode ray

I'm better off dead “

The absolute rock bottom mental state Garrus is in when you get back to him in ME2 is so heartwrenching. Might not always agree with my boy’s methods, but he’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

30. Rat a Tat - Fallout Boy Feat. Courtney Love Jack

“We are professional ashes of roses, this kerosene's live You settled your score, this is where you come to beg”

It helps that Courtney Love sounds exactly like Jack to me, NGL.

31. Defeat You - Smash Mouth Grunt

“Hey I know what you've done It makes it that much better to defeat you “

Only I am brave enough to put two songs by Smash Mouth on the same playlist, to be shared in 2021

32. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New Horizon/The Virmire Survivor

“If it makes you less sad I will die by your hand Hope you find out what you want Already know what I am “

Hits harder if you romanced the Virmire Survivor. Mostly from Shep’s perspective. This is a Shep that feels Bad after that encounter rather than Mad, so Your Mileage May Vary.

33. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae Tali’zorah vas Neema

“I'm an alien from outer space I'm a cyber-girl without a face a heart or a mind”

I just like the vibes of this one for Tali! I know it’s more about an actual AI but...IDK. I like it. So there.

34. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Thane Krios

“There is no pain you are receding A distant ship smoke on the horizon”

This song works both on a Literal level with his Kepral’s syndrome struggles, but also Metaphorical re: his Battle Sleep. Plus, Thane is a dad, so he gets Dad Rock.

35. My Medea - Vienna Teng Samara

“For I have made her prison be Her every step away from me And this child I would destroy If you tried to set her free “

Mom of the year award, here

36. Toxic - Britney Spears Morinth

“There's no escape, I can't wait I need a hit, baby, give me it You're dangerous, I'm loving it”

If Morinth weren’t so under-utilized after recruitment and didn’t get killed off in the background of ME3 I’d probably actually recruit her sometimes. I almost did on my most recent playthru bc that Shepard just HATES SPACE COPS. Anyway the song explains itself

37. Turn me On - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj EDI/The Collector Attack

“My body needs a hero Come and save me Something tells me you know how to save me”

I know this song is a metaphor but also it works really well both literally and metaphorically for Joker saving EDI

38. Robots - Dan Mangan Legion

“Robots need love too They want to be loved by you “

The Geth just want to live peacefullyyyyyy

39. Be Still - The Killers Love Interest Theme

“Be still / someday you’ll leave fearlessness on your sleeve”

This song works so well for the night before Omega-4. If you had an ME2 love interest, anyway. Also “fearlessness on your sleeve” is one of my favorite set of words ever written.

40. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire The Omega-4 Relay

“We know a place no spaceships go We know a place where no subs go “

This one’s pretty literal.

41. Rocketman - Elton John Suicide Mission

“ And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home “

I like sneaking some Classics onto my playlists, and I think this is how I generally approach Shepard’s mindset during the Suicide Mission, mostly the chorus. I’m also a sucker for ballads during action sequences. This one isn’t a perfect 1:1 but the Vibes check out.

42. Blast Off - David Guetta feat. Kaz James The Normandy Crew

“Got all my people with me And none of us give a fuck So put dem hands up higher Let's smash this party up”

You have to imagine they partied HARD after recovering from Suicide Mission, but before Shep got arrested, right??? This is the Starships for ME2.

INTERLUDE THE SECOND

43. I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara Liara T’soni

“ Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart Learning all I know now, losing all I did I never used to feel like I'd be standing so far ahead “

This feels like a good coming of age moment for Liara, as she copes with the choices she made in the 2 years of Shepard’s death (giving them to Cerberus), losing Feron, etc. This is her coming into her own as the Shadow Broker. She’s not meant to be an uncomplicated Big Damn Hero, but she can do good from this position.

44. The Well and the Lighthouse - Arcade Fire The Alpha Relay Incident

“I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again“

These opening lines I feel capture the Alpha Relay Incident really well, and how Shepard did what they HAD to do there, and would do it again, but it still feels like shit. I always wished there was more choice on that mission, but also, having something like that happen without player agency is interesting. Shepard is at their most interesting, I think, in times where we DON’T have a say in what happens to them.

45. Reignite - Malukah Commander Shepard

“Crush my heart into embers, and I will reignite”

Is it cheating to use a Mass Effect fan song on my playlist? I certainly don’t think so, and this is the best Mass Effect fan song ever written.

THIRD MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 3

46. This Is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars Leaving Earth

“It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie The moment to live and the moment to die The moment to fight, the moment to fight To fight, to fight, to fight “

It feels Too Easy to use this here but I’m gonna anyway. You’ve seen AMVs of this set to everything. It’s the ending song of DA:O. It’s the quintessential World At War song.

47. Battleborn - The Killers James Vega

“Up against the wall There's something dying on the street When they knock you down You're gonna get back on your feet”

James Vega is massively underrated and I will love him til I’m cold in the ground. Aro icon.

48. Handlebars - Flobots The Illusive Man

“I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let 'em all die of exasperation Have 'em all healed of their lacerations Have 'em all killed by assassination”

The way this song escalates fits TIM and Cerberus’s fall back into being Just Full On Evil really well. Perfect song for a power trip.

49. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists The Virmire Survivor

“And I am nothing of a builder But here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade To keep you home, to keep you safe From the outside world”

I like this song for how the Virmire Survivor feels about their survivor’s guilt and also about Shepard. I honestly wish they were both more heavily utilized in ME2 and 3, but I realize it’s hard to write a ton of content for characters who just aren’t in half of all peoples’ playthrus.

50. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless Grisson Academy

“One, two, three and four, the devil's knocking at your door Caught in the eye of a dead man's lie Show your life with your head held high“

This song is so perfect for Jack and her biotic kids that she’s one of the only returning characters that gets her own song on this playlist

51. The Great Fire - OK Go Javik

“But when the flames die down, and everything is gone, Will there be fire under the ashes still?”

Self explanatory. Javik is the fire remaining under the ashes.

52. Bring the Hammer Down - Paragon Priority: Tuchanka/Kalros

“ Hammer strikes the anvil A rage that breaks the chain Strikes down like a lightening In our ranks “

KALROOOOOS

53. Wake Up - Arcade Fire Curing The Genophage/Mordin Solus

“If the children don't grow up, Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to Rust I guess we'll just have to adjust”

I just really love this song as an image of Mordin’s spirit looking out over Tuchanka as the genophage cure is dispersed, and watching over future generations. If you didn’t cure the genophage, how dare you. No song for you.

Anyway started tearing up listening to this one while writing the description don’t look at me

54. Ballad of a Politician - Regina Spektor Councillor Udina/Priority Citadel 2

“A man inside a room is shaking hands with other men This is how it happens/Our carefully laid plans”

traitor

55. Cyborgs vs. Robots - Ludo The Geth-Quarian War

“But your iron fist will never knock me down 'Cause I'm powered By a conscious right to conduct my life without fear.”

This is probably a bit silly for this awful war. But also. It does fit. You can’t tell me it doesn’t. Just save them both at the end and you can feel fine having some fun with it!

56. Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton The Geth

“It's not a real heart It is a real artificial heart”

Just a little fun with the Geth! This works best with Reaper Upgrades.

57. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess The Citadel DLC

“What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”

I happen to prefer this version to any other because of how much fun it sounds like they’re having

58. Dark In Here - The Mountain Goats Priority: Earth

“Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside Tired of running, tired of never standing still Hear them riding up the hill“

You know I had to get the Goats in here. Would it be a fan playlist if there wasn’t one?

59. Adieu - Yoko Kanno Leaving your Love Interest/Shepard and the Beam

“My love for you burns deep inside me / So strong Embers of times we had And now, here I stand / Lost in a memory I see your face, and smile”

...do I need to say more than that?

60. My Way (Minor Key) - Chase Holfelder The Indoctrination of The Illusive Man

“Regrets, I've had a few/But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do/I saw it through, without exemption“

This cover takes this song from something I tolerate when I hear it to one of my FAVORITE songs. The frenzied way he sings the “through it all” verse is PEAK Indoctrinated TIM.

61. I’m Alive - Disturbed Refusal

“There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice To change myself, I'd rather die/Though they will not understand”

Honestly I didn’t “get” the Refusal ending until I heard this song, then I was like, OH, I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW. This is my favorite in-universe Shepard take on the Refusal ending. I always got it from the player’s perspective of being dissatisfied with the options, but this one puts it into the world for me. This is a Shepard who does not trust the Starchild. This is a Shepard that chooses to end things on their own terms rather than submit to their designs.

62. Machine - Regina Spektor Control

“I collect my moments Into a correspondence With a mightier power Who just lacks my perspective And who lacks my organics And who covets my defects “

I used to have Adieu here, actually, because like Refusal, I didn’t used to GET the Control ending. Now, I do, in part thanks to hearing this song. I mean, just go look at the full lyrics. If this song hadn’t been written years before the end of Mass Effect 3, I’d swear it was a fan song for it.

63. Maybe Tomorrow - Yuki Kajiura Destroy

“The moon is gone And the night is still so dark I'm a little bit afraid of tomorrow“

I’m a Destroy Ending person, I won’t lie. Full on “the starchild is a liar and my synthetic friends are FINE” indoctrination theory level destroy ending. But this song is not about that. It’s about the canonical destroy ending, and if you prefer a Shep that survives it, this song’s for you.

This song captures the exhaustion and melancholy of the end of a long journey so well. Shepard is afraid of what comes next, the collateral damage resulting from their actions. But they know that, at least, it’s over now. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

64. Waiting For the End - Linkin Park Synthesis

“ I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I wanna do is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got”

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The hardest part of ending is starting again. Oof. Gets me every single time. Shepard finding the resolve to sacrifice themself for the hope of something better, of things not going how they planned, ever, of learning to make peace with that and the people who loved them learning to carry on without them? OOF.

65. Shine - Vienna Teng Epilogue

“Shine with all the untold Hold the light given unto you Find the love to unfold In this broken world we choose“

Vienna Teng is a master of capturing life’s softer emotions, and this fits perfectly with the epilogue scene for me. Tell me again about the Shepard.

“Find the love to unfold in this broken world we choose” has to be one of the greatest lines about the human experience ever written.

#mass effect #mass effect legendary edition #no one's gonna listen to this #but i need the world to know it exists #it took me as long as the playlist is to put this together

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queenofbaws · 3 years

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hello there your majesty. based of your fanfiction about hannah being too late to arrive to the guest room. how would everyones lives changed had the prank never happend?

well howdy!! i gotta tell you, i've been sitting here scratching my head over this one because it's a THINKER!!!

i think, for the most part, if the prank hadn't happened, the ud kids would've gone on being absolute disaster children - which is perhaps a cop-out, but lord help me, tell me it isn't true - and maybe they'd still get together the next year for the second annual blackwood winter getaway for a significantly less dead-pig-filled shindig, and maybe it wouldn't be as tense and awk as what we see in the game. i like to believe between the two of them (three if you count sam), josh and beth would be able to get hannah to drop the crush on mike, leaving her open to making any other number of terrible life choices, so maybe at least THAT part of the whole equation would take care of itself...

but if i'm being honest, the absolute FIRST thing that occurred to me when i read this was the man, the myth, the legend: jack fiddler. his life. would be. so much. fucking. easier. if he didn't. have these idiot kids. running around the woods. and screaming. he was doing FINE until those meddling kids came up onto the mountain and decided to pull that prank on hannah, and because he's a nice guy someone who doesn't want to see a bunch of teenagers get eaten by horrors beyond their comprehension, he goes out of his way multiple times to keep them from getting torn apart and look how that works out for him!!! his life without hannah scrambling around blackwood???? SO MUCH EASIER. not having to worry about the cops/rangers poking around looking for her and beth???? SO MUCH EASIER. hell, he'd probably still have both of his dogs!!!!!!!!! he would DEFINITELY STILL HAVE A HEAD ATTACHED TO THE REST OF HIM.

so tl;dr, the twins would still be alive and doing their own thing, but also, fiddler could continue his bizarre fuckin van helsing-esque life in the woods uninterrupted, and as i've been typing this out i guess i've come to realize which of those i'm more invested in XD

#save-the-dandelions #asks #queenie rambles about supermassive #im sure this is only partially cogent as i am only partially awake but #sometimes i just think about how much happier jack's life would be if those kids never showed up and i just *clenches fist*#realize im getting fucking old as shit #'who cares about the teenagers?!?!?!?! jack had a routine and they FUCKED IT UP!'

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365days365movies · 3 years

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May 6, 2021: The Martian (2015) (Recap: Part One)

We’re leaving lo-fi sci-fi, people. Kind of.

I mentioned before that films like Her are what I define as “lo-fi sci-fi”, which is a category that I’ve kind of made up. Basically, it’s the science fiction version of low fantasy, meaning it contains science fiction themes contained within an otherwise contemporary setting. In the case of Her, Joaquin Phoenix’s character, along with many others, live in a world and setting basically like ours, but with technology advanced enough to generate AIs (like Siri) that are intelligent enough to actually ascend our reality. Because we live in a society.

You give me Joaquin Phoenix, I’m gonna make a Joker reference; it’s in the contract of my existence. Anyway, that is admittedly kind of broad, right? I mean, that has the capability of crossing over with a BUNCH of sci-fi genres and themes. And, considering that we’ve already seen magic, speculative technology, time travel, monsters, and artificial intelligence, we’ve already touched on quite a bit.

And with science fiction, the sky’s the limit. Literally. So, I think it behooves us to re-examine lo-fi sci-fi a little bit. Specifically, we should note that it can also be defined as an extension of currently existing technologies and possibilities. Writers would call this “speculative sci-fi”, assuming in this case that it’s set within the present or a near and attainable future. Her definitely fits in this category, as does Westworld. But, let’s crossover to another genre by speculating upon another possibility. And it begins with this man. Probably.

Hey, Elon, what’s up? Now, Mr. Musk here is a...controversial figure, for COMPLETELY understandable reasons. Instead of touch upon the man himself, I feel like touching upon one of his recent focuses: space travel. With SpaceX and the various upcoming space trips and journeys that they’re planning, Musk has made it clear that he plans to shoot to the Moon. Again, literally.

In fact, this full plan is to go even further than that, and to fuel potential commercial space flights in the future, which is admittedly very cool. And of course, if you’re going to shoot for the Moon...

Guys...guys, that’s Mars. THAT’S FUCKING MARS

Is that not amazing? We have sound and pictures from FUCKING MARS! THAT’S A DIFFERENT PLANET, GODDAMN IT! It’s cooler than I have the ability to properly express, but it IS goddamn cool. And this means that, easily within my lifetime, we could (and likely will) land on Mars. Which is amazing. God, I really want to see that happen.

And so, landing on Mars is BARELY science fiction, but since we haven’t yet done so...yeah, it’s fictional at the moment. And so, any film about landing on Mars falls within this category. Well...to an extent.

2000′s Mission to Mars, for example, was a Disney-funded film (to my IMMENSE surprise; and it’s based off of an old Disney World ride, WHAT), and a movie that I saw a LOT when I was a kid. I also barely remember it, to be honest. But that film is straight-up science fiction because of, well...aliens. The idea of Martians is, as far as we know it, fictional. And most fiction involving Mars includes these aliens somehow. Whether it’s DC Comics’ entire civilization of Martians, as seen in Justice League, Supergirl, or Young Justice...

...Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s heavily mythologized civilization, as seen in the Barsoom series of novels (and another Disney film)...

...Or one of the best Looney Tunes characters.

Mmm. Yes. Isn’t that lovely?

But, yeah, Mars and aliens go hand-in-hand in our media. So, to properly look at lo-fi science and speculative science fiction in relation to the Red Planet, we’ll need a movie that goes to the planet, and doesn’t touch upon the concept of aliens AT ALL.

Enter...Ridley Scott?

Yeah, the director of Legend, Alien, Thelma and Louise, Blade Runner, Gladiator. Also the director of Kingdom of Heaven, Prometheus, Exodus: Gods and Kings, and...ugh, 1492: Conquest of Paradise. I’ve talked about his mixed record before, in my Recap of Legend right here.

In 2014, he was brought on to adapt a book by Andy Weir called The Martian, which is a great book! I’ve listened to the audio book, and I whole-heartedly recommend doing that. And because of that, I am VERY MUCH looking forward to watching this film, especially seeing as it’s often called one of the best science fiction films made during that year, and was critically acclaimed then and now. It got seven Oscar nominations (although it won none of them), amongst other awards. So, enough navel-gazing, huh? The Martian!

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/2)

On Acidalia Plantitia, at the landing site of the Ares III mission, a group of scientists are gathering samples. These scientists are commander and geologist Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), pilot Rick Martinez (Michael Pena), systems operator Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), surgeon Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan), German chemist Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie), and overly talkative botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon).

The group seems to have a good dynamic, but that dynamic is interrupted by a massive dust storm, which is large enough to cause the entire crew to evacuate. However, in the chaos of the dust storm, Mark is hit by debris and lost in the shuffle. Although Lewis goes back to find him, she can’t get to him before they need to leave, and Mark is believed dead. This is reported (pretty callously) by NASA Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) to the press soon afterwards.

But of course, that wouldn’t be much of a movie, now would it? Mark’s alive! And Mark’s alone. With his suit damaged, and low on oxygen, he trudges back to headquarters, which is intact and still contains breathable oxygen. He gets inside, and realizes that he’s been stabbed in the abdomen by some debris. He removes it, and stitches up his own wound. Which is...god, it’s fucking BRUTAL just to think about, nevertheless watch.

Once he’s finished, he records a log for the future, if he doesn’t make it. It’s day 19 of the 31-day mission at this point, and Mark’s basically screwed. He needs lasting oxygen, water, and food, and he might need that for 4 years, when the next manned mission can come to the red planet. Additionally, he has absolutely no way to contact NASA, leaving him completely stranded. Another dust storm rolls in that night, and Mark looks over the belongings of his colleagues, packing them up for their eventual return. It’s somber, to say the least. However, Mark affirms that he’s determined not to die on the planet.

After doing the math, Mark should have enough food to last him for about 300 days, especially if he rations it. Until then, he’ll need to figure out how to grow his own food, on a planet where nothing grows. Which is, of course, going to be a difficult feat to accomplish. But Mark Watney’s a botanist with botany powers, and he’s gonna do it.

It’s day 31, and Mark’s brought in dirt from the outside, and uses the bio-waste from the crew’s stay there for a form of compost. After 5 days, mostly full of him watching Happy Days on TV and trying to farm, he realizes that he needs water, both for himself and for the soil. To do that, he goes chemical and decides to use hydrogen-laden rocket fuel, wood from Martinez’s belongings, and good old-fashioned fire to make water! And since hydrogen + oxygen = water, it should work. With a minor side-effect.

So, yeah, he blew himself up. As as he records a video log, the sound mixing makes itself impressively known by subtly and realistically generating a tinnitus sound. It’s VERY well-done, holy shit. Anyway, he makes a stable fire, and the place is soon covered in condensation, moistening the room and the soil successfully.

We get to day 54, and Mark’s planted leftover potatoes from the crew in order to grow them. And while he’s being mourned at a funeral on Earth, and in NASA, he’s seeing the fruits (or shoots) of his efforts.

Back on Earth, Mars Mission Director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is trying to convince Director Teddy to let him lobby for another Ares mission, despite the risk of bad press for the callousness of the proximity to Watney’s death. Meanwhile, satellite technician Mindy Park (Mackenzie Davis) looks down at the Ares III site, and realizes that the site has changed visually, meaning that Mark may actually be alive.

Shocked by this, she tells Kapoor, Teddy, and media director Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig) about this, and they realize the absolute clusterfuck that this whole thing is. They can’t tell the other members of the Ares III crew about it, because it’d devastate them for the 10 months they have to get back to Earth, at the VERY least. They can’t tell the WORLD about this, because they just had a funeral for the guy, and they’d reveal that they left him stranded on Mars accidentally, destroying faith in the Mars Missions Program. And they can’t save Mark, who they’re sure will starve eventually. It’s a mess. And Kapoor also wonders what’s happening to Mark psychologically through all of this.

And yet, they reveal this to the world regardless, causing the clusterfuck reaction that they think it’s going to cause. But Mark’s busy on Mars, figuring out how to get to the site of the next Ares IV mission in 4 years, at the Schiaparelli crater about 50 days travel away. This is a struggle, as his Rover has only so much power and fuel, and he can only get more power by cutting out the heater is risking death by freezing. So, problems. However, he figures out a potential solution: radioactive isotopes! In a move that is, let’s face it, COMPLETELY INSANE, he digs up a radioactive generator from the ship in order to heat the ship.

On Earth, they try to figure out Mark’s moves, as well as how to resupply Ares IV sooner for Mark’s benefit. This is with the director of JPL, Bruce Ng (Benedict Wong), and the flight director of the ship Hermes, Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean), who insists that they tell the Ares II crew. They continue to monitor Mark, and note that he’s been travelling for 17 days in his Rover towards something. Kapoor figures it out, and flies to California.

See, Mark needs a way to contact NASA, and he believes that the way to do so is through Pathfinder, the first probe ever sent to Mars in 1997, lasting for 9 months since landing until they lost contact. Mark digs it up, and the people at JPL in California start their own efforts for contact. And despite communication being extremely rudimentary, initially limited to yes/no questions that use a still-frame camera, it fucking WORKS! WHOO!

To boost this communication hurdle, the two camps figure out a hexadecimal system for communication, allowing them to communicate using a circular table of numbers that represent an alphabet. That allows them to teach Mark to hack into the Rover, allowing it to piggyback off of its broadcast signal and send them messages via keyboard. Nice! Now that communication is reasonably possible, Mark’s able to ask how the crew is handling his death. But upon learning that they haven’t told him. He’s understandably a little goddamn enraged. And so, they FINALLY tell the Ares III crew about this.

The news breaks the crew, even though Mark continues to stress that he’s all right, and that it wasn’t their fault. Meanwhile, Mark’s able to survive for 912 days with his potato plants, and things improve with the help of technicians on Earth. They plan to launch a supply rocket to him in the next year, and things are looking fine! Unless, of course...something goes horribly HORRIBLY wrong.

Well...fuck. Good place to pause for Part Two, then?

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