#i think a lot of the 'have optimism' stuff comes from people who are going to profit off this

[fallout-lou-begas]

Not sure if you’ve been asked this before, but what are your favorite/essential mods for new vegas? I’ve only ever played it unmodded so I’m curious

Good question! I definitely have answered this before, but that was so many years ago. It's only now that I've taken the opportunity to overhaul and modernize my own mod set-up that I've been figuring out the answer to this question myself. But I can definitely talk you through the most important parts of my new load order.

First, however, every single person modding this game in this day and age absolutely needs to start with the Viva New Vegas modding guide, and follow every step to the letter. The recommendations are air-tight and the instructions are written and presented as if you, the reader, have never even seen so much as a computer before. It's amazing. The "Base" of VNV contains nothing but bugfixes, lightweight unofficial patches, performance optimizations, and other under-the-hood stuff designed to remedy FNV's infamous stability issues while maintaining a completely "vanilla" feel. This makes it absolutely necessary, in my opinion, even for people who don't actually want to play with any (other) mods. Especially crucial to this guide is its mandate to use Mod Organizer 2; if you're using Nexus Mod Manager, Vortex, or Fallout Mod Manager any time since Biden got elected, you are shooting yourself in the foot plain and simple. The best endorsement that I can give of Mod Organizer 2 is that it mods you game completely virtually, meaning that if you fuck your mods up beyond repair, you can just go to your actual FNV launcher in your root folder and boot up the vanilla game like nothing ever happened.

And the "Extended" section of Viva New Vegas consists of more modding tools, quality of life tweaks, content restorations, and a curated list of strongly recommended gameplay modifications that nevertheless all come down to your personal preference (though deviating from their provided list may make you use your brain a little bit when choosing the right compatibility patches, and so on).

This isn't going to cover every single thing that I play with, but here's everything that I would think to suggest to anybody who asked. With that said, here's Fallout "Lou" Begas's Mod Recommendations, 2024 Edition:

Viva New Vegas Extended: Lou's Preferences

VNV Extended recommends several gameplay modifications that come down to personal preference. I installed just about all of them, with a few exceptions (I don't care at all for B42 Optics, for example). Here's some specific details:

Just Assorted Mods has a hell of a lot of features but I actually enable are breath-holding, the vanilla sprint, and the loot menu (though I flip-flop often on using JAM's Bullet Time in place of V.A.T.S.). If you install VNV and boot up the game and wonder "what is all this fucking shit on my HUD," it's probably some of Just Assorted Mods's components. Just disable the ones you don't want in the in-game Mod Configuration Menu, which you will also have available if you followed the instructions for VNV Base.

Vigor is a modernized fork of JSawyer, the mod that was originally created by FNV's own director after the game's release that tweaked a lot of under-the-hood game settings and statistical balance to his personal preferences. JSawyer Ultimate Edition a more faithful modernization of the original JSawyer whereas Vigor is "a more lightweight alternative" that dials back some of the more drastic features of JSUE. Your choice of these, or none of them, is purely personal preference, and my preference is for Vigor. Any form of JSawyer is strongly recommended if you play in Hardcore Mode.

Simple Vigor Config is used in conjuncton with Vigor and is an intuitive and easy way to overwrite Vigor's gamesetting changes with your own preference. I use the config to adjust carry weight to a much more punishing (25 + 5*STR) formula that incentivizes the use of backpacks, mindful inventory management, and companion inventory space; and to increase the starvation, thirst, and sleep Hardcore Mode rates to 10, 5, and 14 respectively.

Desert Natural Weathers is the weather mod to end all weather mods, in my view, and it includes configuration for customizing the darkness and visibility of nighttime. This effectively obsoletes former dinosaurs like Darker Nights Ultimate Edition. Refer to the post that I made on DNUE's Nexus page here for a copy of my settings to darken those dang nights with DNW.

In AIStewie's Tweaks's nvse_stewie_tweaks.ini file, I set bCustomSpecialPoints = 1 and iNumPointsToAllocate = 35. This slightly reduced starting stat spread forces you to make tradeoffs in your character creation, because it starts with a perfect middle 5 in every stat. Every addition above average will require a subtraction below average. The "Essentials" INI included with VNV Base is all that most players will ever need, so this is my one specific personal tweak that'll keep you from scrolling through every single option in the whole damn thing (though I also recommend enabling the tweaks that hide all of your skill check tags in dialogue for more immersive and less gamified roleplaying in conversation: set bNoSkillTags, bRemoveFailedSuccessText, bRemoveRedOutline, and iRemoveTags to all = 1. )

Lou's Personally Valuable or Sentimental Tweaks and Fixes

Better Pause Menu Screen (Simple Blur). I play with an ultrawide resolution and the vanilla pause menu filter doesn't actually extend past 1920x1080. So this is really vital, lol.

Vanilla Animations Weapon Scale Fix. This mod will fix a common issue with custom weapons and animation mods where your weapon will become invisible because its scale has gotten stuck at 0.

Companion Carry Weight Fix. All companions in the game have an invisible attribute called "companion suite" that, among other things, halves their carrying capacity based on their actual stats. If you play with a super low carry weight formula like I do, you can see how this is a problem. Here's the solution.

Miscellaneous Tweaks Collection includes a few files that I get great use out of: No DLC Recipes Early (great unless you integrate DLC crafting ingredients into your base game somehow) and Vendors Have Throwables (why the fuck are throwing weapons so hard to find in vanilla!). There are others that I use as well but I recommend these two the most generally.

Lucky 38 Suite Upgrade Terminal Tweak is a very cute little mod that removes the ugly wall-mounted terminal and makes you purchase your suite upgrades from the actual computer on the desk in the master bedroom instead.

I Fought the Law - Simple NCR Start finally gives you a good reason to check out NCRCF if you're not siding with the Powder Gangers.

Hire Cass Early was my "dream mod" for the longest time, and thanks to some help, it's finally a reality. Simply pick up the letter that this mod adds to the Mojave Express office in Primm and you can recruit Cass right away (through the usual persuasive requirements) without ever stepping off the road from Goodsprings to the Mojave Outpost. Part of my ongoing "make @ikroah real" project.

Harder Strip Access. Getting into Vegas to finally confront Benny should feel like a tremendous accomplishment. This mod makes it so. Better pony up the caps or call in one hell of a favor, kid! With any kind of tougher economy mods, especially, this mod makes it wonderfully Herculean to just buy your way onto the Strip.

Balance Tweaks

Pseudo-Realistic Carry Weight - No Weightless Item Overhaul and Realistic Bottle Cap Weight. The former is actually an optional file; the main file just implements the the carry weight formula that I was coincidentally already using. The latter just forces you to think strategically about how much money you're walking around with. Can you tell that I love inventory management? Note that if you give bottlecaps weight, you should definitely let yourself drop them when necessary by editing Stewie's Tweaks (bShowCurrencyInContainers = 1).

Carry Weight Affects Speed, Med-Tek Trauma Kit (Lou's Version), and More Conditions to Fast Travel. The first appearance of my own mods on this list! These three mods in conjunction tie your encumbrance and your overall health to your mobility far more strictly. I love the balancing act of packing enough supplies for an excursion while leaving enough room for loot that I can still fast travel with, and the choice to get greedy with more loot than I can comfortably carry and just hope to not run into danger on my slow walk back toward a merchant. My tweaks to the classic Med-Tek Trauma Kit mod apply this level of emergent gameplay and resource management to your limb health, though it makes the game much more difficult unless your character specializes in Medicine. I haven't tried it myself, but Simple Healing System is fully configurable, modern mod that I've had my eyes on and that might be better for most general playstyles, and it might even be compatible in conjunction with my Med-Tek mod for extra intensity!

Better Charisma (Charisma Affects Dialogue Skill Checks) and/or Charisma Affects Reputation. I've always been very frustrated with how much of a meaningless dump stat Charisma is, and the phenomenon of the 1 CHA 100 Speech player character in general. These two mods, which you can use just one of or both together, give Charisma much more meaningful and palpable functionality.

Terrifying Presence (Lou's Version), speaking of Charisma, changes the requirement for this perk from Level 6 and 70 Speech to Level 2 and 6 CHA, making it much more accessible to more types of intimidating characters. This same mod includes alternate options to take it as a trait instead, with the drawback(s) of either tanking your Speech and Barter and/or increasing your addiction chance. See also: Less Snarky Terrifying Presence.

New Vegas Karma Rebalance is a great under-the-hood mod that makes FNV's nearly vestigial karma system less nonsensical without removing it or its effects on the player entirely. Thanks to this and Mass Ownership Tweaks, which is already included in VNV Extended's recommendation of Essential Vanilla Enhancements Merged, Cass won't hate your guts just for stealing a few things from Caesar's Legion at Cottonwood Cove, especially not after you've already killed them all.

Damage Multiplier solves the sluggish damage sponge problem that plagues Bethesda engine combat by simply multiplying all damage dealt globally, both by and to the player, by a factor of your choosing. I use 2.5x, which is usually enough to kill any level-appropriate human being with a single shot to the head. 2x should be the minimum. Combine with Combat Enhancer NVSE and NPCs Use Ammo for overall faster but much more ferocious and intense combat engagements.

Visuals and Animations

Third Person Camera Overhaul. Though I'm still getting used to its extremely specific configuration settings, this is vital for a third-person enjoyer like myself. It obsoletes any and all "dynamic camera" or "shoulder swap" mods of the past. Once you figure out how it works and what you like, you're set for life.

Realistic Movement and Dramatic Inertia. Although a little goofy, it has never felt better for me to physically move around in the game than it has before. I like the weight and get-up-and-go that this mod has for me as a player, but it's especially significant in firefights and other combat situations where, now, your targets can't dodge bullets by shifting direction instantly or stopping and turning on perfect dimes. For a single, less heavyweight alternative, try 360 Movement and Diagonal Movement together instead. Each pair of these mods is incompatible with the other pair, however.

B42 Loot, B42 Interact, and B42 Inject. I recommend a lot of the B42 family of animation overhauls in general (except B42 Optics, lol) because I just love seeing my character actually do the things they're doing. For B42 Loot, I use the included config file to disable the "force pull" effect, and for B42 Interact, there exists compatibility patches between it and its more third-person oriented counterpart Animated Ingestibles, but I'd only look into that if you know what you're doing (though, I do).

Character Kit Remake is a mod that I was turned onto recently. For a long time I have scoffed at character appearance overhauls out of nostalgia for those classic gamebryo engine potato-faces and what I thought was, to be blunt, the tasteless ineptitude of the actual overhauling. But I do really like this one, even if the showcase of screenshots do a really bad job of selling it. It looks a lot better in motion and in game, I promise. i think that these people are just not good digital photographers.

Height Randomizer. It's funny how much you can get attached to a minor character when they are, for whatever reason, especially tall or short. This lightweight mod just adds some height variance to all NPCs in the game that don't already have a non-normal 1.00 height setting in vanilla.

The Strip Groove. Dance on command. Endorsed.

Items, Economy, Crafting, Survival, Repair, Etc.

Gloves Galore (Lou's Version), Power Armor Gloves, Combat Armor Gloves, and White Glove Society Wear Gloves. Anyone who has followed me long enough on here should know that I have strong, totally normal feelings about gloves.

Armed to the Teeth Redux and literally any backpack mod. I've used this duffel bag forever, for example. I love these ones because I personally love when you can physically, literally see the things that a character is supposed to be carrying.

Flashlight NVSE. Another piece of Agnes Sands's arsenal, this is the one "old" mod that I can't quit. Even if it is a little janky, I've yet to find a better directional flashlight mod. Only install this is you think you can handle wrestling with it a little, and make sure your "Exterior" flashlight settings are all on the lowest quality regardless of computer specs (or else it causes flickering). It's a must-have for darker nights, too.

Famine is the last "loot scarcity" mod you'll ever need. Combine it with Harder, Barter, Faster, Stronger from the VNV Extended recommendations list for a really tough time affording even basic necessities without tailoring your build for mercantile success... which is just how I like it.

Cheaper Repair Costs. The vanilla formula for determining the cost of weapon and armor repairs at merchants is, in a word, fucked, where it literally costs twice the weapon's base value to repair it from broken. This mod lets you adjust that proportion so that you won't be better off literally selling and buying another gun in every single case. I play with a rate of 67% (which means that paying a merchant to repair a completely broken weapon from 0% health to 100% health will cost 67% of the weapon's base value).

Alternative Repairing does too much cool, practical shit to the base repairing system to even get into here. To keep it short, it intuitively incentivizes actually scrounging for all kinds of formerly useless junk that you can now scrap for spare parts. Check it out.

Water Overhaul. Ever play with a Universal Water Bottling mod and find things suddenly far too easy? Water Overhaul combines all the convenience and sense-making of bottling water anywhere with the much-needed tradeoff of truly purified water being much rarer. All that convenient H2O is now just radioactive enough to keep Goodsprings Source from singlehandedly breaking the survival economy of the game (not to mention the literal economy).

Cowboy Coffee and Coffee Grounds, my own mod that adds brewable coffee to the wasteland. While mostly just created because it's cute, it's really nice to have a reliable and palpable source of sleep deprivation relief when playing in Hardcore Mode.

Gun Oil From Animal Fat, another mod of mine that provides a cheaper, craftable, and less demanding but less effective repair option to complement Weapon Repair Kits. I patched this one recently to fix some old issues, and it's great for incentivizing emergent gameplay (since you need to hunt for meat, and cook the meat for fat, and combine the fat with loot to make the gun oil).

Sound

Less Constant Music and Passive Combat Music Tweaked do exactly what they say on the tin and are perfect for people who like to get immersed in the natural sound of their environment, especially if you're a chronically stealthy player like me and you've trained yourself to constantly listen for enemy footsteps. I do recommend keeping Less Constant Music disabled when you first start a game, though, because until I can figure out how to add an exception to it myself, it will remove the background music from character creation at Doc Mitchell's house more often than not, and I really like that music.

SPEAKING of Doc Mitchell's music, Try Not To Get Killed Anymore is one of the first mods I ever made and it has never left my load order. It simply replaces the musical sting that plays when you die with an emphatic, tolling bell and the refrain from Doc Mitchell's theme, plus an optional version that includes his ghostly voice telling you to try not to get killed anymore. Two of my other personal sound replacers are the Mysterious Stranger Level-up Theme, Simple Snap Sound Effects for Quest Updates, and Mechanical Camera VATS.

#fallout #fallout new vegas #fnv #mods

[thatsdemko]

Monaco lover - d.ricciardo

masterlist

requested: n

pairings: Daniel ricciardo x fem!reader

summary: with Daniel not racing, he begins to find new hobbies with his wife.

warnings: established relationships + fluff

a/n: only right I post for daniels bday!!

the basket in his hand is beginning to get heavier by the second, as you keep adding fresh fruits and vegetables from the little local farmers market.

you’re more than hours away from the loud music, busy streets, and the infamous Monaco circuit. your new home is a perfect escape from the city of formula 1.

it was Daniels decision to move away from the big lights and party animals after he no longer had a seat on the 2023 grid. he wanted a reset on life, and there was no perfect way to do it than far away from the cameras.

“you think we have enough to feed everyone?” you look at the overgrowing basket in his arms. leaves of lettuce and kale are hanging out brushing against his thighs as you walk up and down the slow streets.

“more than enough.” he assured you with a chuckle. it’s been weird to have Daniel home so often. you don’t hate it, formula 1 once took the man you loved and wore him down into a shell of himself. now away from the McLaren and happily in a reserve seat for Red Bull, you can begin to see that smile brighten everyday.

“well then let’s go home and wash everything, I’m starving.” you loop your arm through his and let him lead the way to your car, one he knows he won’t get caught or stopped in.

it’s not hard to be recognized, he’s had neighbors stop him while mowing the lawn or gardening with you, but they mostly respect your space unlike the people of Monte Carlo, where the flashing of cameras never stop.

“what are you going to eat first? those strawberries looked really tasty.” he sets the basket in the back seat, before opening your passenger door planting a sweet kiss to your lips.

“I was thinking about those peaches, but now that you say the strawberries, I might have to join you on that.”

“not if I finish them first.”

—

you can’t tell if he’s bored or if he genuinely enjoys cutting the grass, gardening, and the small town farmers markets. you know there’s a certain thrill he’s missing, and maybe he does all these things to occupy his mind of the itch to get back.

but right now, he’s deep into a conversation with your neighbors about the lawn and your backyard garden. he’s showing them the vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers he’s planted like they are his children.

it’s weird to you, to see him this way, because all you ever knew was Daniel ricciardo, the racer of fast cars. now he’s the friendly helpful neighborhood hand.

“so you and the misuses are going away next week? where to?” you watch Daniel mock the man’s stance, hands on his hips nodding along as they walk to the backyard.

“just Miami, we shouldn’t be gone for too long.”

“Miami? what are you doing down there?” he asks, quizzical look taking his face. the perks of being away from the chaos of Monte Carlo, meant not everyone in this little small town knew Daniel. and that included your elder neighbors who loved you both dearly.

“just some work stuff, nothing crazy.”

“I thought you were unemployed?”

Daniel laughs, you can hear it from where you sit on the couch, “it’s a lot more complicated than unemployed.” and it truly was, while Daniel was bringing home the big bucks from not driving for mclaren, he anxiously awaits an opportunity for a Red Bull seat this season. some say unemployed delusions, Daniel calls it optimism.

he shakes his head, “you kids these days, you keep me on my toes.” he pats Daniels shoulder, “make sure you two come over later for dessert, okay?”

“oh we wouldn’t miss it.” Daniel waves him off before going inside to find you still wrapped up in the blankets, but this time wide awake with a smile.

“you have fun with your friend?” you sit upright crawling onto your knees to meet him for a kiss. he just laughs wrapping his arms around your neck and pressing s kiss to those lovely lips he calls home.

“I hope when I’m older I turn out to be just like him. tan, happy, and always making dessert.” he laughs a little hoping his future turns out like that. he’s already got the most perfect wife, and soon enough he’ll have the most perfect little family.

“he does make some stellar desserts. his wife is lucky, I wonder when my husband will start making me desserts.” you joke recalling when Daniel attempted to make boxed brownies, and somehow burnt them to a cracker.

“I’ll just stick with growing you fresh fruit and veggies, how about that?”

“I’ll take it.”

#daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo x you #daniel ricciardo drabble #daniel ricciardo fic #daniel ricciardo imagine #daniel ricciardo blurb #daniel riccardo x reader #daniel ricciardo fluff #daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo fanfic #dr3 x reader #dr3 #f1 x you #f1 driver x you #f1 fic #f1 x reader #f1 imagines #f1 driver x reader #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #f1 x y/n #f1 fiction #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 fanfic #formula 1 fic #formula 1 x you #formula 1 x reader #red bull racing

[melalot]

TSATS BOOK REVIEW/ANALYSIS (aka i go over things i feel was misinterpreted in the book)

So I read TSATS book, and I’m realizing that a lot of stuff in the book was misinterpreted so I’m just gonna write this here to drop my 2 cents. 

Beyond this point there is spoilers

So personally y’all I loved the book, mainly because of how different and refreshing it is from other books.

I know this book had a co-writer, and honestly I’m glad there was a co-writer because I think the co-writer understood something that I felt like Rick has underplayed in many of his books.

How trauma affects people.

I mean this book was FULL of it, and I think it really flew over a lot of people’s heads as to how crucial Will and Nico’s past experiences and trauma’s shape them as they are and their whole relationship - now let’s go into more detail. 

First I want to say - to me this wasn’t a book about them going on a quest to Tartarus to save Bob. To me this was the story of Solangelo. I mean we literally have the nymph ask them both to tell them the story of them. And the book shifts between their current conflicts, while showing the past of how they came to be, how that led up to them now.

And I also want to remind you guys that they’re both 15 year olds, and that they’ve only been together for almost a year. Their relationship is still developing, but for what already is there? I am so surprised and honestly amazed and proud of how strong they are together, they balance each other out perfectly.

Let’s start with Will. 

I keep hearing about Will being shown as a chill guy that is laid back and stuff - but I feel like you guys are literally forgetting BOO Solace who literally made it his point to be adamant about having Nico realize he wanted to be his friend, and how he takes on the burden of healing every camper that comes to his infirmary. Like this boy ain’t chill - he’s got fucking anxiety y’all!!!!

But I loved reading Will’s POV and I loved reading the way he viewed himself and his relationship with Nico. Will is a son of Apollo, and he hasn’t been out in the real world as much as other demigods have like Percy and Annabeth and Nico, and the other 7. Sure he was at the Battle of Manhattan and he went through some things in the Gaea war, and some with Nero BUT actually going into a quest willingly like that? He never has, so he may not have as much of an understanding as other demigods will about their time in war and their struggles.

Will also didn’t have the same upbringing as Nico. He is a completely different individual. And I’m bringing this point because of the moments in the books where Will would talk badly about the Underworld and where he didn’t seem to understand it the way Nico did. 

Of course he wouldn’t understand it the way Nico did - he wasn’t Nico, but also he was surrounded by people who viewed the Underworld as a creepy place, so yeah Will kinda got roped into that stereotype. But you know what I admire about Will? That he recognized that he didn’t understand, and that he tried to view it the way Nico did, and eventually he did. Like sure he realized Nico would get irritated with him at times - but also they weren’t talking about what was really bothering them in those moments - so both of them had a right to be upset. 

I think Will was just also afraid of Nico going back to his old ways. We saw throughout the book that he was afraid of Nico leaving him, that he’d realize they’re too different - his insecurities about it. Because Will hasn’t gone through what Nico went through, and by the book, they’re supposed to be polar oppostites, but he didn’t let that stop him from from trying to understand his boyfriend. 

Will also had trauma with feeling like he had to fix everyone. He was a healer, he was the son of apollo, optimism and fixing things was his thing. I think the important thing towards the end of the book is him realizing he didn’t need to fix anyone, especially not Nico. Because Nico didn’t need fixing, he just needed someone who accepted him and understood him as he is. And Will came to understand that when he said he didn’t want to keep a version he made in his head of Nico, because he recognized that he was trying to fix him all along and was going about it the wrong way. Will allowed himself to accept some of his own darkness, which in turn gave Nico some of his light. Honestly it was truly beautiful that they added that part about love isn’t about people coming to save you from your tragic life and make you sudddenly love yourself. As per will and persephone’s convo - love is a choice made everyday. to understand and accept the person you want to be with. 

Now with Nico

Honestly it felt so refreshing to read Nico that was a lot happier and more himself and comfortable in his skin. To read about him accepting himself and being proud of it and being so openly affectionate with his boyfriend and vulnerable, is a complete 180 - and it goes to show how much he has healed because he himself DECIDED he didn’t want to shut people out of his life anymore

The patience Nico also had with Will in understanding that will was a different person so it would be harder for him to understand his second home was incredibly important, bc even tho he got irritated at him for it, he also recognized that he couldn’t be mad about something that someone didn’t understand. but he also saw how much will was trying, and will came around towards the end. they talked about what bothered them, they had their fights, but they RESOLVED IT.

another thing i loved about nico is his ability to want to understand another person and see their perspective. he did it with nyx and i thought that was so powerful, because it showed how he doesn’t see things in black and white, that he understands that the way people were brought up affect how they are in the real world, why he is the way he is. but he also doesn’t let it excuse them for their actions.

this whole book was about changing your life because YOU wanted to. understanding and accepting your past and trauma and learning to live with it BECAUSE you wanted to. Understanding one another to make a better relationship BECAUSE love is a choice.

the message is right there!!

so yeah, this book wasnt about a quest to save bob

it was their story, and it was absolutely amazing

the story of how they got together, their first kiss (which hello even if it was after the death of jason, they had gone months dating each other and let me just say the gays have a way of being impulsive mfs lollll, i still thought it was so them) the way they took care of each other, and the kisses, and the jokes, and the ways they understood each other so well and their train of thoughts and the sun lamp and the tokens and the ring and just them 

they’re soulmates

anyway ty for coming to my ted talk, this book was amazing and i loved it

#tsats spoilers #tsats #TSATS review #the sun and the stars #the sun and the star #nico di angelo #will solace #solangelo #will and nico #spoiler

[dnd-shows-have-my-soul]

Yesterday, I was talking with a couple of friends about the newest Dimension 20 episode and it was brought up how killer a party the bad kids are. Their levels of optimization and total mastery of the battlefield is a sight to behold. From there, it was mentioned how Bells Hells and the Bad Kids are at the same level (level 13). And naturally, we began to compare the two parties, and it became quickly apparent that one party felt leagues ahead of the other. And that got me thinking, what do the Bad Kids have that Bells Hells don't?

And this is nothing about the players themselves. All 13 players from both CR and D20 are masters of what they do. Their level of strategy and creativity is unparalleled. And you can't say that one group of people is specifically better than the other. So then where are these problems coming from? And then I realized the problems didn’t have anything to do with the players. Not with characters or even their choices

It’s their party composition that’s the real issue.

While on the surface, BHs looks like a very diverse party, everyone in it is very locked into specific roles. We have three melee fighters (who can really only act as melee fighters), two spell casters who mostly have damaging spells (mixed in with some support stuff) and a cleric (that is really locked into their role of healing and support). Fearne is really the only character with any real versatility but because of the current party setup, she kind of has to play support or healing, otherwise the party becomes very unbalanced.

Because so many characters are unable to deviate from their “roles,” everything becomes much harder.

Look at the bad kids in comparison, Adaine can quickly switch from pure damage dealing to support moves very quickly, Fig can switch between melee to spells to straight up healing, and Fabian, who is mostly melee, is still able to take on a support role because of his levels in bard. And while they do have some more rigid roles (Kristen, Gorgug, Riz), these characters still have options via spells.

The best DND parties are the ones where the individual roles are fluid and ever changing. And because BHs setup, that becomes a difficult feat to pull off.

And then I was thinking about why.

Why they would design the party this way if it was so clearly unsteady.

But the thing is, it wasn’t supposed to be.

Because there is one word that explains exactly why the party is what is. One word that simultaneously explains and fixes everything.

One word.

Dorian.

Having a bard in the party would go miles into helping BHs and make a lot of those issues outright disappear. Dorian ,as a Swords bard, can engage in direct melee, but can also provide additional support and be another source of healing within the party. Spells like Hypnotic Pattern, Warding Wind, and Shatter are all incredibly useful within combat, and having caster that can take a hit is always a good thing.

And again, do I think that Bells Hells doing something wrong by having the party they have? Absolutely not. Despite my earlier statements, I'm genuinely impressed by their accomplishments, strategy and overall creativity. I love them all. But having a Bard in the party wouldn't hurt.

TLDR; Dorian we need you.

#critical role #dimension 20 #bells hells #the bad kids #critical role spoilers #d20 #cr #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #fhjr #bad kids #dorian storm #no hate to either #i love both cr and d20 alot #analysis #your free to disagree just don't be a dick about it #cr spoilers #i really want dorian to come back if yall couldn't tell

[blinkpen]

nother lil life update!

appointment with housing admin lady got rescheduled to tuesday, but that's not too big a deal since that is the soonest day they could officially open up that apartment for me anyway, so if the answer was going to be yes, rescheduling when i get the yes to said day, doesn't delay the move-in, except by like, maybe, one more additional day of just. going back to get/move my stuff? so i am Unbothered and maintain the same level of cautious optimism leaned optimism as before

and again my stress level is way lower now knowing there is likely a light at the end of the tunnel (hell that a tunnel even EXISTS now) and mom is, at least for now, sobered by the intervention of other adults for whom going

"ummmmm but the very existence of trans identity is a personal attack against me and my beliefs bc i believe their existence is blasphemous they stole the rainbow from christians and desecrated the noah's arc story that's why i'm so mean to [not my fucking pronoun] whenever anything remotely close to the topic of gender comes up, asking nicely to so mach as -gag noises- humor they/them is a deliberate attack on me first, and forcing the queer agenda on me, so i get to attack back with full venom unloaded and vote in favor of making queer peoples' lives more difficult if not impossible, so like, i'm the victim actually? [not my fucking pronoun] needs to stop being so entitled and unholy and learn to deal with Different Opinions and stop Undermining me"

will not fucking fly and she can't make inflict Power Word: Guilt Trip to make them crumple away the way she does to me to instantly win and make the argument stop so she is now not pushing buttons and keeping her toxicity to herself methinks bc "ah fuck, an actually benevolent authority figure nobody in town would question is looking at how much my grown but wingclipped and disabled child's mental and now physical health has deteriorated to life-threateningly poor levels and looking in my direction while Knowing details i cannot possibly spin in my favor to outside observers; the only people who'd swoop in to take my side would only make me look worse by association, though i'll probably still refuse to think about The Implications of that, so i will Be Mask On now about it if nothing else"

like she got a stark fucking reminder i think of the fact she is a mean person who publicly boasts about being mean because she thinks its funny and also equates being smart with being cynical and therefore if you're aggressively cynical you're automatically smarter than whoever you are talking to or about, and is the kind of person who literally owns a "leftist tears" coffee mug, while claiming herself a Good christian just because she didn't kick me out for being queer like the Bad christians do, but like, she can still give me shit for being queer as much as she likes and if i stand up for myself i'm an ungrateful little bitch, those are her Vibes,

and being that way, makes it hard to defend yourself as totally innocent of any wrongdoing and victim-blame someone most people in town know, by contrast, as "the borderline mute Always a Hoodie n Headphones kid who spends a lot of time just wandering around town for the heck of it and seems a bit touched in the head/lost in their own little world, but is unfailingly friendly if you do try to talk to them for whatever reason, and will sincerely ask if they could be of any assistance to anyone who enters their cone of vision who seems to be in a pickle" once they start developing what seems like a wasting illness and an aura of hopelessness they didn't have before and finally show up at the hospital looking like they're about to drop dead from what is clearly several months of physiological stress and self-neglect and they don't even have their meds handy because you locked their disabled ass out in retaliation for leaving for one single night because you wouldn't stop screaming at them about how their gender thing is blasphemous and [checks notes] eavesdropping in on them while they shower to make sure not even their anguished crying and muttering to themself even in there isn't saying anything you don't like??? what the f-

even the crusty old farmer i know who i guess probably would go "not sure i like that but whatever" about transness otherwise enters "now what makes you think that makes [not my pronoun but i forgive bc its not done Maliciously] less of a person, what makes you think that's okay" mode over that

lol, said the frog, as a human hand scoops it out of the water just in time, and places it on a nice log where it may recover from the sting, while pointing to the sinking scorpion suggesting they go to therapy instead of stinging everyone around them and going "but i'm a scorpion so that means i am not responsible for my actions and nobody is allowed to expect better of me" lmao,

okay that went from a life update to me venting a bit? but. i eared that i think, it helps keep my grounded, hoenstly.

anyway we gotta send my doc a fruit basket or somn

#cw for discussions of transphobia and all that

[sleepnoises]

hi! apologies if you've been asked this before, but do you have any advice for first time online store owners? i'm thinking about opening one to sell sculptures of my own but i've got no idea where to start, and was wondering if you had any tips to share.

anyways, i love your charming little clay fellows and i hope you have an excellent new year 🤎

i may have been asked it but i can always answer again! tagging this with "clay ask" so you can review past answers

tips:

it's fine to start small and go slow and not optimize everything right away. sculptures are a luxury good and they will usually not immediately start flying off the shelves.

that said: it's nice to track what time you're spending on what. just block it out on google calendar after you're done so you can tot it up at a later time. this tip is super hypocritical but i've done it in the past

i use and like big cartel for my storefront. it doesn't have the fees of etsy or the will sell your stuff twice if people buy it really fast of storenvy. it also doesn't have the discoverability of either, so you'll have to try harder on other social media, but it's a worthwhile tradeoff for me. i don't know anything about shopify and i won't learn

i like pirate ship for shipping labels; it talks directly to big cartel (and a lot of other storefronts!), gets good rates, lets you preview hypothetical packages to check shipping costs, and lets you save package presets. i have a shipping label printer but you should be fine with a regular printer + packing tape.

try to make some reliable size classes of sculpture so you can use a few package settings and not recalculate shipping every time

i try not to buy shipping material from uline because they love trump soooooo soo much. if you have anything local, that's generally a smart call for last minute supply runs, especially because shipping on boxes is spendy. i like upaknship.com for jazzy bubble mailers. i haven't researched their politics but at least they aren't uline

do not put anything particularly delicate in a bubble mailer. i assume you can guess this but a friend once mailed me a plant pot in like. a plastic bag with some shredded paper. so i don't trust what people know about distribution of force in packaging.

you want pressure to be pretty evenly distributed. you don't want anything to be able to twist or bend or snap or rub against itself. you want your packed mailers and boxes to not make any noise when you shake them or to "clunk!" when you drop them on a table from a foot or two up. if you're worried about dropping them that far you have not packed them right.

people will often give you packaging materials if you say you're collecting them

it's nice to have a tape gun... i inherited mine from a childhood neighbor who was a wonderful lesbian

take very careful notes on expenses and income. expect about 25% of $ that comes in to go to taxes (i'm in CA, this might vary)

have a cute logo :) just for fun

these are my THOUGHTS. enjoy!!

#clay ask #long post #this doesnt even get into the nightmare that is product photography <3 #oh also if you're doing pricing/profit math paypal and stripe eat about 4% iirc.

[shorthaltsjester]

taliesin and laura remain truly so fantastic at making characters who… don’t necessarily have something extremely and inherently in common but do have experiences that were caused by similar sources and that lead them to have quite different opinions/ideas about things but in ways that are typically very reconcilable? which is a lot of qualifiers but it’s a through line of vex/percy with nobility, jester & cad with loneliness (and also god stuff but in a different post maybe someday i’ll talk about how actually their god stuff is intensely related to their different experiences of loneliness), and now imogen & ashton with being left behind.

like vex was this character who technically had a claim to nobility due to her blood but at the same time was burdened because of that same claim. and percy who was born into and raised by nobility but that nobility ended up making his family the targets of a massacre. and then vex who lets down her walls and Do I Look Like I Come From Money? and percy giving her the title grand mistress of the grey hunt because it has nothing to do with blood, or his love for her, or anything aside from the fact that it’s something she can prove herself worthy of simply by virtue of who she Is, not who someone makes her. and percy and vex’s conversation about forgiveness and it’s necessity for growth as probably two of the characters most inclined to hold grudges.

and caduceus clay who gets left behind with nothing but his Belief while his family goes off into the world. and jester lavorre who gets shut inside with no company except her Belief as her mother protects her from the world. and they both get the burden of loneliness and the understanding of love’s nonmalicious imperfection. and caduceus having a panic attack on a ship and jester telling him that the world is a lot bigger than his cemetery and that means he has to break out of his comfort zone to find his path. and caduceus telling jester that he doesn’t think she gets as much credit as she ought to and she deserves more pastries. and jester thanking caduceus for showing her how cool it is to actually heal people and caduceus asking if she wants to use his shield while he doesn’t need it.

and ashton who was left broken and dying on the ground and was given inescapable pain as their means of survival. and imogen who was left behind by the only person who could provide true understanding of the pain she’d one day come to feel. and ashton who’s a barbarian, who wields their rage casually and unapologetically and who sees the Shittiness of the world but is unrelenting in his version of optimism. and imogen who is weighed down by pessimism she doesn’t Want to have but hasn’t cracked how to undo and who doesn’t admit her anger until it comes up again and again and again and carries it like a burden or like guilt, who we only see really Grasp and feel Confidence about her anger being something good in front of others when she has those conversations with ashton. and like. ashton who looks at imogen and sees a superhero. imogen venturing through ashton’s mind and holding his bleeding and exhausted head and saying i’m sorry. i’m sorry. and imogen who looks at ashton and sees someone special. and fucking “we got him killed.” and “no, we didn’t. don’t you dare. […] we are not what fucking killed that man. […] we are his eventual victory. we are his fucking revenge.” and “i’ll be his revenge.” and “i have no fucking doubt.”

and in general rp wise they both tend to make some of my favourite characters (also typically the ones i find most frustrating) because they both tend to make flaws that are easy to hate and they make those flaws very central to their characters but i think that’s also what makes their character interactions so deeply compelling because so frequently it’s like. yes yes these two characters have like. a helix of things they have in common but also things they deeply disagree on but they’re going to spider-man point at the things that are the same and they’re going to honour their differences while doing so. and it’s just. i always enjoy it so much and i was psyched when i heard about an imogen and ashton side pit stop in last nights episode and i was not let down when i watched the episode today.

#also gotta emphatically say that i Do Not Mean their characters understand each other better than others or completely #i just think those two consistently have characters that have opinions that would perhaps naturally be the most at odds but then #they always craft these dynamics that like. web together pieces of sameness so that their characters end up having deeply #meaningful relationships with one another. #but like. ashton and imogen really do Not get each other in a lot of ways. cad and jester were very opposite in a lot of ways #percy and vex i think probably had the most in common but also like . they had and have vast differences . #idk this probably is worth a longer post that lingers in my brain about how relationships between characters whether romantic or not #are actually Much more compelling and rewarding when characters Don’t just click and have perfect matching experiences #because. to have to Choose to want to understand someone and what they’ve experiences and why they differ from you #if actually a much stronger act of love than searching for your reflection in everyone you meet. #someday i’ll string together that post but. until then. tal and laura my beloveds. storytelling duo truly #cr3 #cr2 #jester lavorre #imogen temult #vex’ahlia #caduceus clay #ashton greymoore #percy de rolo #cr1 #critical role #cr spoilers #no molly and jester input here because i haven’t watched early m9 in a Long time but. i’m sure there’s similar scenes in there. #honestly even like. jesters Earnestness with her still manipulative trickery vs. mollys much more . not necessarily Cruelness but just. idk #there’s something there with the way that when they meet jester is all in for the tarot cards for the experience that they both get out #of her choosing to believe what molly says vs molly going in to get something out of jester? yk. #but they’re still bestie icons. jester still tears a man in half in the hopes of saving molly. molly still died trying to help get her back. #anyway. beloveds #laura bailey #taliesin jaffe

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Pretty in pink: Kazuki K & subversion (an homage)

Note: For Kazukiweek 2023: Acceptance

Pink is fresh. It is a happy color. It is positive. It is a sign of good health. That says a lot about Kazuki Kurusu. He has a bubbly personality, his optimism is brimming, especially after the seventh episode. It sure helps that Rei and Miri have become his ethos, have accepted to welcome the changes after five years of losing Yuzu. Usually, he wears his emotions on his sleeve. (But I think that’s only a front.) I love him. Right to the 11th episode, he has totally embraced the new life he’s been leading with Rei and Miri. The fact that he wanted it all along but was apprehensive because of his traumatic experiences made him cautious of the way he dealt with Rei and Miri. Rei’s determination on the second balcony scene was the catalyst because he knew how much K wanted it.

That fond looks K gives toward his family.

In the West, we are past that era where men cannot subvert pink’s gendered stereotype. You see men wear pink dress shirts, pink suits and other piece of clothing and they look spectacularly good. It is still a test of bravery for some though. Small boys still despise this color perceiving it as a girly stuff. New mothers try to veer their daughters away from this color by consciously not purchasing and introducing pink-coloured merchandise to their daughters’ color palette only to be disappointed because of peer pressure in the kindergartens. You know Elsa and Anna and the beautiful ladies of Disney and their association with pink? Too common, too banal.

However, “in contemporary Japanese culture, says (Barbara) Nemitz, pink is perceived as a masculine and mournful color that represents ‘young warriors who fall in battle while in the full bloom of life.’” Slain young samurai. All right. (Thanks to PA Works, it didn’t come to that though.)

It is also the color of sakura, cherry blossoms, which are the Japanese’s favourite flower. They do picnics just enjoying and gazing at the beauty of cherry blossoms (and later, peach blossoms). The Hanami. Some Japanese migrants adapted this ritual/event to their host countries and it is a sight to behold.

Different shades/nuances of pink worn by K and the moms

Pink has long been associated with homosexuality. The pink triangle. The lgbtq movement reclaimed the former badge of shame used by the Nazis incorporating it into the pride flag later. Though almost 70 per cent of the Japanese society supports it, it still is a huge problem to come out.

While there are no legal implications, coming out remains taboo for many in Japan for fear of being ostracized. A survey of young LGBTQ people published last year found high levels of mental anguish, including suicidal thoughts. More than 90% said they couldn’t talk about their sexuality with their guardians. Very few people in national politics or the corporate world are openly gay, although homosexual themes and LGBTQ celebrities are a staple of television and other forms of entertainment.

“Buddy Daddies” is not marketed as BL, but the show makers can write whatever about their characters. Sometimes implying them without direct confirmation. It depends how the viewers interpret it.

But K also symbolizes subversion. K’s characterization nonetheless goes against of what is perceived to be the norm in the Japanese society. He is both a nurturer and a protector, though Rei certainly will take over this “protector/saviour” task without any question. From the looks of it, he’d do anything for K and Miri.

Rei always in front to gauge the danger

An odd man out, K does the household chores while he can carry an adult man without any problem. We have seen him does it more than twice already. He’s loud and conspicuous. In Japan, you must never stand out. (<< - Shogo’s videos are highly recommended to watch btw!) He (and Rei) (go) goes against the rules. They blur the gender stereotyping in all aspects of life.

The crew presented the scenarios as if they were a matter of fact, normal, without making fun or light of it. No further commentary. One can say that it is subversive in a sense they want the audience to become aware of their thoughts on adoption, new family dynamics, the bureaucratic hurdles of enrolling your children and better access to daycare centres/schools to the ever-present mothers who have to give up their jobs and dedicate their lives to their kids, etc.

(It was unfortunate that they didn’t follow it up with Misaki Unasaka.)

Why do I get this feeling that one way or another “Buddy Daddies” had been the show makers’ thinly veiled social commentary on their society?

Anyway, I will miss his winking. Either way, I can still rewatch it.

Many happy returns, K!

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies anime #kazuki kurusu #buddy daddies wall of text #rei suwa #miri unasaka #kazurei #i could write an essay about K #and his love for the color pink #he’s not afraid of his masculinity #episode 9: no sweet without sweat #i salute all men who wear pink #and they look good on them tbh #apologies I overuse the word subversion #a birthday homage to K #happy birthday k #kazukiweek2023

[leidensygdom]

I've seen you posting about what I think is a DnD campaign, and I'm wondering what software the screenshots are from?

It is a DnD campaign, even if an odd one!!

We use FoundryVTT, which is an absolute godsend. It's a Virtual TableTop (like roll20), with a few differences:

It's single payment. $50, but it goes on sale, and it's very lenient with the license (one person gets it, the whole group can use it to DM as they'd wish! they don't really care)

No subscriptions or extra payments after that. You get the entire software with all of its utilities for that.

It's self-hosted (think like Minecraft servers) but it's easy to set up and it's wonderful since you don't need to worry about storage

It comes with just all sort of functionalities out of the box and it's far much more fleshed out than roll20. There's a lot of integrated TTRPG systems in it already (including 5e, Pf2e, Blades in the Dark, Call of Cthulhu, etc), which update constantly

The software itself is also actively updated and they add more functionalities constantly- It's already VERY good, but they keep expanding it!

A very important one, but it allows modding and has a very active modding community, so if there's a functionality the base software doesn't have, chances are that someone already did it. for example, the healthbar or the turn markers are mods

Honestly the devs are pretty cool too and I appreciate the work they do

For some of the cool functionalities it has that I really use (most of which roll20 doesn't have)

It's just really well optimized and they actively work on optimizing it further with every update!

This one is very important to me, but it allows animations natively, which I use quite a bit for animated tokens. There's people who have done animated spell effects and such too. It supports webm, which are much better than gifs

Overall a LOT of visual customization. You can set lights in the scene with lots of animation, filters, there's a mod to add weather and particle effects, you can have forehead tiles (basically stuff that is over the character), etc.

The sheet and inventory management system is so much better than roll20! you can drag and drop features, classes, spells, all that sort of stuff. Pf2e's module is particularly well done and you can just drag about everything and get a sheet ready in no time

it has a delightful vision system with integrated walls, fog of war and so on (yknow, that thing that roll20 has behind a paywall, but better)

integrated rulers and templates too!

and of course just endless customization with mods

a really nice system for journals, player notes, handouts, etc

fairly specific but you can make both lootable chests and interactive shops for your players with a mod and I LOVE that

I could fawn ALL day about how much I love this software. I ran my campaign in roll20 for two years and the amount of wrestling I had to do with it was infuriating! I really recommend FVTT to pretty much anyone. It can be a bit overwhelming at first since it's a bit harder (given how much functionality it has), but once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to other stuff tbh

#foundryvtt #long post

[bizlybebo]

Because its on my mind Im sending this as a "Ramble about it here when you get to X episode" ask. When you finish the episodes titled black, white and grey please rant about them here. They are great and I want to see your opinions

hahaha. hi endy.

the staring at the wall evolved into falling asleep and randomly waking up at 4am, still processing these episodes.

i wrote down. some of my thoughts now having experienced the full thing and got kind of carried away with um. 1.4k words of rambling :3

it’s not even all i want to say but i. ough. fuck these episodes were so good but so. auugggh.

it’s like 5am now im posting this and gonna try to go back to sleep but. holy fucking SHIT when i get you bizly.

(i don’t at all expect you to read this behemoth of a ramble!! just. need to put this somewhere as well because my brain’s still exploding after these episodes)

When season two started I thought it marked a lot of stuff for, y’know, how the show was gonna get darker. I mean, episode one, people were getting killed by a chaos demon in that prison.

I was entirely expecting all the ugly, gory bits of season two to be… external shit. Stuff that other guys, the actual antagonists, did.

But William felt pressured in Black. And suddenly it sets off this chain reaction, and suddenly one of our protagonists is no longer doing heroic things. Suddenly William is effectively torturing a guy psychologically in an attempt to save thousands more with David’s medical research.

He fell into the crux of a lot of villains: “It’s for the greater good”.

There was no going back after he stabbed Tide with the syringe. Tide, who never even had his guard up around William because despite everything, he trusted him and had immeasurable faith in his boys.

White is probably my favorite and least favorite episode, simultaneously, to ever come out of jrwi. The emotional, symbolic, and hell, even cinematic effect it has is insane.

I could fucking scream forever about Willian’s actions in White. About Vyncent’s inactions and the way he was torn about everything— about the fact that in season one, Vyncent was the “violent” one.

But Mark and Dakota fucking hit me in the heart to an insane amount.

Dakota. MOTHERFUCKING. Cole.

I said this before, but:

It’s the fact that Dakota still has optimism. He still has hope, at the very least, that Mark can change; turn over a new leaf for his kid.

“I think he should turn over a new leaf, like, with a new hero name, like— Soundwave, or something.”

He still thinks, or at least thought, that Mark can change. This was after he saw what he did to Lightspeed. He saw the worst of Mark’s actions but he still had faith and hope that there was a good person in there.

This shows so much fucking growth for Dakota’s character. The entire development of his morals, especially over season 2, is insane.

But Mark tries to kill Dakota. Several times.

He shoots at him, unleashes hundreds of bullets, and even tries to stab him. He couldn’t predict that Dakota would be incorporeal, and yeah, sure, you could say that he didn’t know Dakota forfeited his powers (and even without him he’s still significantly stronger than other kids his age). But even with his powers, Dakota would still have taken significant damage from the attacks.

Dakota and Mark’s rivalry is something I could pick apart and think about every little piece of forever.

They both have overwhelming love for Ashe, but it manifests in different ways.

Mark says it himself, “I am what I have to be.” He’s bringing home his kid by any means necessary. Ashe doesn’t have to like him, she just has to be safe and alive.

Dakota’s entire screaming match with Mark is engraved into my brain forever. It felt so real to witness, and the emotion in it was insane.

Dakota’s entire proclamation gets me. He’s so well spoken throughout despite shaking with how angry he is.

“I have been killing myself trying to train hard enough to save her.”

“If you were doing this for Ashe you wouldn’t do things that she’d hate you for.” But Mark is what he has to be.

Dakota never stands down. He keeps getting back up, and back up, and back. Up. Okehrjwjr I’m actually going to start crying thinking about this again.

When he was searching for Lightspeed and following Wavelength’s tracks, he kept asking himself: What would William do? Because he had faith in William’s decision making and investigation.

But at the very same time, William was wondering what Dakota would think about what he’s done.

And GOD don’t get me started on William and his brother.

In a sick, twisted way, I loved their dynamic. I loved what it meant for William narratively when David congratulated his work of defeating Xavier, even calling him “little brother” as a term of endearment. I was on the edge of my seat for their entire conversation in the meeting room.

David gave William his first drink, like older brothers do. William tortured a man because of his brother. David had apple juice sitting on hand because their mother told him to, just in case William ever showed up. William wanted apple juice. He killed somebody.

Cantrip’s been FUCKING me up. I couldn’t even write the word “death” after her name. It doesn’t feel real.

This can’t be the same show in which Jade was sitting on Xavier’s shoulders during mario kart, nonchalantly offering no help as he fought for his life to win like. Second place.

I mean, Jade was such a candid and real character. She was a teenager, just like the rest of the Prime Defenders, and she tried to take a turn for better things after leaving the fighting ring. She went from villainy to vigilantism, and sure, her morals were kind of skewed with how she seemed pretty okay with Alan killing the Bell Tech employees, but her motives were good, in a sense.

(“It’s all for the greater good”. It’s the same thing William was thinking, except William was directly dirtying his hands by torturing Xavier, while Cantrip was just accepting that Alan killed some people.)

I think there’s something to say for how William creates a vision of Cantrip out of smoke, distorting her into some monster, and how that’s the last time we see her image at all before learning of the fact that she’s. Gone.

The last time we see the real Jade, she’s just trying to escape. She doesn’t even talk, if I remember correctly. She just tries to get out. She gets shot in the arm but still persists.

And William ends up being the one who pulls the trigger; who injects the memory loss shit into her blood.

He’s the one who kills her, despite not knowing it at the time.

And David still masquerades as an innocent man, going as far as to relax at his apartment with him and William’s parents as though the events of the previous night never happened.

It fucks me up how the last words that Will and David exchanged before the confrontation in the apartment was:

“Don’t turn into a supervillain while I’m gone.”

“You either.”

William was starting to believe that David was a guy with awful methods, but good intentions— and William felt as though he was the same way. He saw himself becoming David, but David manipulated him into thinking that, hey, it’s awful, but at least he wouldn’t be… alone, I guess, in being a horrible person.

William and David finally saw eye to eye on the worst thing.

And David. Still. Lied.

Lied by omission.

And Jade was the one who took the fall for William’s actions. Jade, the girl who made fun of William for his crush on Vyncent. Jade, who had a sister she cared about, even if she scoffed about her love of heroes— despite the implication that their parents died because of them (likely caught in crossfire or casualties of battle). Jade, who painted her nails and placed bets on William kissing Vyncent, saying he’d be too pussy to do so. Jade, who found herself in a fucking fighting arena of all places but still found friends through it.

Jade, who was the first one to trust William with her actual name instead of Cantrip.

William, who killed her.

And. Fucking Christ.

Vyncent’s monologue at the end of episode 33 just. Fucks me up.

For the entire greyscale series, he finds himself suspended in inaction, too scared to do the right thing and too scared to stop the wrong thing.

But he finally faces it. He looks at William, certainly with fear after knowing all that he’s done, and even still, Vyncent dances around the morality of the subject. He accepts if William wants to flat-out lie to Dakota’s face about what happened at Bell Tech, though he does warn him of the significant damage it’ll do to their friendship.

And when William asks Vyncent to leave the room at the end of the episode, Vyncent finally takes a leap and becomes no longer caught by his indecision between apathy and guilt.

He looks at William, thinking he’s on the edge of something he won’t come back from, and he takes his hand, and pulls Wlliam back from the metaphorical cliff’s edge. If William does fall, then they’re falling together.

His entire proclamation, starting with “I’ve had so many opportunities to do the right thing”, fucking guts me.

God I’ve been typing for like. An hour now but the greyscale series really fucked me up holy shit.

tldr: AAAAUUUUIGGHHHHKEKGKKSKVMEMGOOCU:$)&2’ynkejvjk4&3&582$2!:$?82&;&/&(929@,@2&(&2&&?EVIL EVIL EVIL GOD IS DEADDDDJGKRMHKSKKKKLLEKCKSJGJKSICIWKFMSKGIWIIIAI&383&5&?&?@39(92@?&&/8:7;&,£,]*+\+<*]¥<**]+<+¥sfkwkfkkwjfkI HATE EVERYTHING AOUUGGGHHHHHH OUUUUUUEHEHRHRHRJKGHRHRHRRRRRRR

i am emotionally attached to this media a normal amount

#vixen rambles #vixen answers #jrwi pd #jrwi pd spoilers #jrwi spoilers #jrwi #analysis #< yeah you could say that

[violescent-scrolls]

Beach Days With The Genshin Characters!

Wc:1.7k

Type: Headcanons

CW: umm nothing except mentions of alcohol and maybe some people being creeps? (Dw tho none of the chars or you is doing the creeping and it’s really brief

A/N: These we’re supposed to be a lot shorter but I got too excited and here we are lmao. If you wanna see some of your favs in this scenario lmk! Requests are currently open (and not just for this one prompt! Also! Repost from my old blog!

♡Diluc:

This man cannot swim. Tell me otherwise, I dare you.

Kaeya tried to jokingly push him off a lil diving cliff area when they were kids.

He almost drowned. Kaeya was in a lot of trouble.

So, good luck getting this man to actually get in the water. The most he’ll do is sit on the shore where it’s very shallow.

He usually prefers to just stay under an umbrella on the sand and keep an eye on you.

Calls you every two hours in advance and helps you reapply sunscreen.

He’s very pale so I feel like he burns pretty easily, meaning he needs to reapply super frequently otherwise he will become a tomato. He brings like three bottles of the good shit. Tch, rich boy.

If you ask him to build a sandcastle, he will pretend to be annoyed but do it anyways. Ends up finding it kind of enjoyable.

He has the maids prepare a nice picnic basket for the two of you!! It’s got all your favorite foods plus grape juice cuz y’know.

If any creepy peeps approach you, don’t worry. He brought his vision and his claymore.

Of course, he won’t have to resort to such violent lengths. Everyone in Mondstadt knows who Diluc is and they probably know you’re his s/o, so they’re usually smart enough to mind their own business.

If they don’t, don’t worry. Diluc’s glare is more than enough to scare them away.

All in all I definitely recommend a beach day with him! I’ll give it a solid 8/10 (-2 for not wearing floaties and getting in the water with you or letting you teach him how to swim.

♡Albedo:

You guys definitely 100% take Klee out with you on a beach day.

You guys bring snacks, beach toys like buckets and shovels for optimal sandcastle building, a picnic blanket, etc.

Jean definitely packs a lot more stuff for you guys to take with you than you actually need.

It’s only cuz she’s worried for Klee and is nervous about not being able to go with you guys though! It’s very sweet really.

Klee tries to bomb the fish and cause havoc at the beach 😭

I think Albedo is a good swimmer and gets in with you and Klee so that he can help her (which is very cute omfg)

He’s set total workaholic, as we know, so it took a lot of convincing to get him to put down his experiments and accompany you to the beach (however, he’s particularly weak to yours and klee’s puppy dog eyes so he caved eventually)

Though, looking at you and Klee happily building sandcastles and decorating them with pretty seashells of all shapes and colors, he can’t really find it in himself to complain.

He, of course, takes this opportunity to take out his sketchbook and draw the waves, seagulls, you… Of course he won’t let you see the sketch book no sir. He’s a bit embarrassed to be honest, but an artist such as himself recognizes beauty when he sees it so he simply had to draw you. (God I love him so much)

If a creepy person approaches you,- well don’t worry. The sight of a small arsonist child blowing up fish is enough to scare them away 🥰

At the end of the day, all three of you are all ticketed out. Albedo has to carry Klee back to Mondstadt because the poor baby fell asleep the moment you started drying her hair with the beach towel. You’re, of course, carrying back Dodoco and your bags. (You also manage to sneak a peak at Albedo’s sketchbook and find some very pretty drawings of you and Klee with your sandcastle)

At the end of the day, you guys tuck Klee in and read her a bedtime story (she woke up and insisted). Afterwards Albedo takes you back home and thanks you for coming with you and Klee (which you ofc say wasn’t a problem because how could you not???)

All in all? I’ll give it a solid 10/10. You’ve got tasty food, fun times, your boyfriend and his cute kid adoptive sister (yes I am very biased idc)

♡Xiao:

I think it would take a lot of convincing to get Xiao to go out on a beach date with you.

He’ll probably see it as a distraction getting in the way of his slaying of monsters and demons.

However, he also worships the grounds you walk on (hehe, simp XD), so I don’t think it’ll take that much convincing on your part (especially because it’s is self appointed duty to keep you safe so if you insist on going with or without him, he supposes he’ll have to go)

Is definitely a bit tense at first. He doesn’t know how to let loose and chill so while you’re sun tanning on a beach chair he’s like 🧍‍♂️ahdgshjsjd

Eventually calms down a bit though! You get him to relax and eat some almond tofu you brought along with you. It definitely gets him to perk up.

I don’t think he would mind getting into the water but I do think he’d rather walk along the shore and collect pretty seashells and sea glass.

He later gives the ones he deems pretties to you (he hands them over to you with a blush on his face and pretends it’s not a big deal and he definitely gets all pouty and grouchy when you coo at how adorable he is)

As for creeps, Xiao is both intimidating and well known in Liyue. No one is brave enough (or, let’s be honest, dumb enough) to approach you with any bad intentions.

Sure, Xiao has sworn never to harm a human/citizen of Liyue but that doesn’t mean he can’t scare the absolute shit out of them.

I think Xiao would definitely enjoy a beach day 🥺🥺. He’d find it very relaxing to go out with you and just hear the sound of waves and feel the sand under his feet.

He’d definitely hint at wanting to do it again later. Of course, he won’t tell you. No, that’s a foolish mortal activity and he has much better things to do.

Wait no, don't turn around, yes he will go with you next month.

All in all, I give Xiao a 9/10. It’s a very relaxing day (which he deserves 😤). And you get to see a whole new side of him.

♡Ningguang:

OK SO ORIGINALLY I WASN'T GONNA WRITE ONE FOR HER (at least not in this post) BUT THEN I THOUGHT OF LADY NINGGUANG TAKING YOU TO A WHOLE ASS PRIVATE BEACH

She knows you don’t care about how exclusive the beach you go to is (in fact, the fact that you don’t care about where you are or what you do is one of the things that make her fall more and more madly in love with you) but you deserve the best so she’s gonna go all out.

She’s a busy lady so days like this where the two of you get to go somewhere and be together are few and far between.

She knows it’s hard to be in a relationship with someone who is busy 24/7, so she appreciates how you remain by her side despite all hardships. (Y’all are a whole ass power couple istg)

The two of you spend your day relaxing. Sun bathing, drinking piña coladas, maybe taking a dip in the ocean. It’s all very pleasant!

Ningguang doesn’t quite feel like the type of person who would sit in the sand and make sandcastle, however you’re more than welcome to make some yourself. She finds it endearing <3

If you insist on her helping, she’ll eventually comply. She loves you too much to say no. I feel like she’ll either be terrible at it or like a total architect.

Sand is technically like tiny rocks right? So maybe she can use her vision to help her? If that’s the case, she’s making a replica of the Jade chamber out of sand.

If any creepy person comes up to you don’t worry. Ningguang will buy the whole beach and then use her right of admission as owner to permanently ban them from the beach you’re at.

The only downside to a day at the beach with Ningguang might be that there’s a big chance she’ll be called to tend urgent matters, seeing as she is the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing and all.

If that does happen, she’ll be sure to make it up to you somehow, whether it be rescheduling or taking care of the matter as soon as possible so that the two of you can get back to your day of relaxation and fun.

All in all?? Lady Ningguang will treat you like total royalty and the two of you will have an amazing time! I give her an 11/10 (she would literally buy a whole beach for you to be comfortable I mean c’mon)

♡Venti:

BEACH DAYS WITH HIM ARE SO FUN!!

Swimming? Yeah, he’d love to! Sunbathing? Sure! He’ll even conjure up a light breeze for the two of you. Sandcastle building? WELL OF COURSE WHY DO YOU THING HE BROUGHT ALL THESE BUCKETS AND SHOVELS?

No but seriously, he might be the best person out of everyone here to go to the beach with. He’s fun, free spirited, and he’s a traveling bard who’s been alive long enough to know where all the best beaches in Teyvat are. (He also knows a guy- er, well, dragon I suppose- who is willing to fly them to any place).

He’ll play some soft tunes while you doze under the sun.

HE PICKS PRETTY SHELLS AND GIFTS THEM TO YOU!!!

He will bring booze. I’m pretty sure this is a necessity. If you’re a little upset about it, he’ll probably “eheh~” his way out of it. That slick bastard.

If you really insist on him not drinking, he won’t consume much alcohol.

If some creepy person approaches you and tries to ruin you your day of beach time fun, all of their stuff will suddenly be blown away, causing them to scramble back to their spot and (almost embarrassingly) flail around trying to catch everything. What a shame…

At the end of the day, he’d be a little sad to leave. Definitely makes plans about tbe two of you going back soon.

I gotta give him a 10/10 he’s just so fun omg.

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated!

#genshin impact fanfic #genshin impact #diluc x reader #albedo x reader #xiao x reader #ningguang x reader #venti x reader #xiao #diluc #ningguang #albedo #venti

[loveyourownsmiilee]

Talking Buddie Language: Ep 6.07

“Cursed” was honestly fun and lighthearted in a way 9-1-1 likes to do from time to time. It felt like a filler episode while still having a lot going on. I usually enjoy these lighter episodes because it gives us some time to decompress from the harder stuff and get ready for other things that will come. We once more didn’t get that many Buddie moments, but I do think everything is being done deliberately so. The distance between these two is so obvious and I really do firmly believe in 6b, we will get that Buddie closeness we all know and love. There were some things that really stood out to me and the way I analyze the show, so I hope after you all read my analysis, you can understand where I’m coming from with my incessant optimism.

Meeting Miss Felisa

The first call of the night was to Felisa Valdez’s house where a chandelier has fallen on her the moment she’s put a “goodluck bracelet” on her wrist. I found a couple things that happened during this scene to stand out as important to me because of the possible double meaning behind them.

When Buck tries to lift the chandelier off her by himself, he is clearly struggling. He even tells Bobby that.

B: Cap this things penetrated to the floor pretty deep.

BN: We’re gonna have to cut it apart, piece by piece.

Now we all know that there’s a lot going on with Buck and that he’s basically dealing with it all on his own. He’s not confiding in his usual support system and he’s making decisions by himself. We see him struggling and I think this little scene kind of foreshadows what he’s going to go through. And having Bobby be the one who suggests that they’re going to take it apart, piece by piece kind of indicates that Buck will possibly fall apart piece by piece.

Then, when Eddie and Chimney are in the back of the ambulance with Felisa, they’re all discussing curses and Eddie lack of belief in them. We all know, courtesy of “Jinx” that Eddie doesn’t believe in jinxes or curses or anything like the universe screaming at him. Chimney let’s Felisa know that Eddie strictly doesn’t believe in curses. Now what I find interesting is Eddie’s response to that.

E: Prove to me something is real. I’ll believe in it. 

C: I feel you’re confused at the definition of belief.

Now the reason why I want to discuss this is because Eddie is still living his life, not believing that things happen for a specific reason. That people can come into your life for a specific reason and play a massive role in it without you understanding what their purpose is. We can bring up Buck and his significance to Eddie’s life. We can also talk about how the universe has continuously been screaming at Eddie for the past few years, and he is still very adamant about ignoring all of it. So I think this also foreshadows a possible event occurring where something will be proven real to him, in which he finally accepts that there is something bigger out there. And it’s been trying to tell him something important all along. I can make my best assumption but I feel as though you can understand what I’m trying to imply here.

Buck’s Healthy Juicing

This scene was everything and more. Buck is trying to be clean with his eating, or in this sense juicing. The way he longingly looks at all of the food crack me up. My favorite thing however, was the way Eddie was looking at Buck with his little juice. The way he was looking did not seem like a very platonic way you look at one of your friends. He did a double take and seemed to only focus on Buck in that moment. There was some heat behind Eddie’s eyes. Not only that, but he’s also very confused as to why his best friend is drinking a juice instead of eating, since Eddie knows how much Buck loves to eat. It reminded me of how he was looking so fondly at Buck devouring the food he made for him in 5.11. 

He clearly can’t keep himself from jumping at teasing Buck. Got to mention how Eddie usually teases Buck as a form of flirting. That’s one of his love languages and it’s been so present during the entirety of their friendship.

E: How did the age of absolutely turn into alfalfa’s smoothies?

What does Buck do in response?! His patented heart eyes and fond as fuck smile that’s only reserved every time Eddie teases him. They’re literally flirting in their special way they always do. It’s so natural for them too, that it happens so organically, even when there are others around. It’s almost as if they’re in their own little bubble.

(Gifs by @matan4il 💜)

I want to mention that Eddie’s also been noticing a lot of Buck’s behaviors as of late, but he’s not questioning him. At least we’re not seeing that happen just yet. Once again, I believe this is all deliberately done to show how much “distance” is between the two. Only for them to bring them closer than ever in the second half. It’s mirroring Eddie’s storyline from last season and I do believe even these small moments of Eddie being the sole person to catch onto these minor changes in Buck’s behavior is very telling.

B: Yeah I guess I’ll, uh, have seconds too! Yum!

Eddie’s eyes are once again on him. He won’t take them off and he’s watching Buck leave to get more juice. Clearly he has questions but we don’t find out if he asks them.

BN: What’s with the green juice?

E: I don’t know 🤷🏽‍♂️

I love how Bobby kind of directs that question towards Eddie, because if anybody at the table would have any inkling as to what’s going on with Buck, then it would definitely be Eddie. Eddie’s reaction to the question is funny but at the same time sassy. It’s very typical couple behavior because people tend to ask the partner when something is up with someone. So in this sense, Bobby asking Eddie was kind of like Bobby asking Buck’s partner. And Eddie’s reaction was one of an exasperated husband complete with the flick of that hand and little attitude. He’s kind of frustrated because he doesn’t have answers for them because he doesn’t know what’s going on with Buck. Which is clearly not usual for their relationship.

Buck’s Little Swimmers

The scene with Buck and Hen was something I didn’t know I needed but I’m glad I got. Hen is the only one who knows about the sperm donor situation and Buck is still very adamant about keeping it a secret from everyone else. Which begs the question as to why he doesn’t want to tell his family, especially his best friend.

H: Buck your idea of healthy is a side salad. When did puréed greens become a whole meal?

I found the double meaning behind what Hen said to him to be very interesting only because Hen has always known Buck to be the kind of guy who doesn’t really settle down. She knew him back when he was Buck 1.0 and was pretty much a fuckboy. Yes, he’s grown and matured but a side salad kind of indicates a sort of adolescent that doesn’t want to be healthy, whereas puréed greens is very much an adult thing to consume. So I feel like she’s kind of talking about how she doesn’t really see him as a full fledged adult in her mind which is why him drinking the juice is abnormal to see for her.

B: Set them up with the best chance for success.

The fact that Buck is trying his damn hardest to do everything in his power to be the best donor really says something. I think the fact that he’s tried for a whole month to go donate, but somethings gone wrong each time really is the universe screaming at him not to go through with it. I believe that he will continue being positive and wanting to convince himself that this is something he wants to do, only for it to backfire on him really horribly. This whole scene, to me, foreshadows that it’s most likely not going to happen and it won’t be because of Buck. I think he’ll do everything that is needed from him, only for it to fail in the end, thus leading him to spiral over the aftermath.

Eddie’s Issues With Curses

The sole moment we had of a Buck and Eddie talk was after they saved Felisa again in the crystal shop.

B: So you still don’t think she’s cursed?

E: Noo, but I’m starting to think I am.

I really cannot make something out of this. I don’t understand what Eddie was referring to. But I enjoyed how Eddie looked into Buck’s eyes even when he was kind of shaken up and needed some reassurance. He always tends to look for Buck in those moments and even the smallest glimpse of that was so soothing for my soul. This moment was also very domestic between them two. It’s literally like they’re married and have been for a long time.

Right after this scene, we get Eddie showing up at Athena and Bobby’s house where we get a little bit of more understanding as to why he’s so against curses. He explains to his future in-laws (yes that’s what I’m calling them), about what happened when his Abuela was conned after his Abuelo’s passing. Now something that was said between Eddie and Athena really stood out to me.

E: If there’s a higher power out there, I don’t think they’re making chandeliers fall or fuel connectors on gas pumps break.

A: The best grifters know how to play on peoples desperation. The more desperate a person is, the easier it becomes to fool them. 

Now at first I found this to be really interesting because I felt as though this can be in regards to someone else we know. Who else do they know that will likely be fooled into doing something solely because of the big heart he has? Well, this all made a little bit more sense when we later got the scene of Connor and Kameron showing up at the station to confront Buck about his lack of sperm donation.

The Fire Fam Finds Out About The Sperm Donation

I love how Eddie was so frustrated trying to get through to Felisa. My favorite thing was little ole jealous Buck in the background, listening in onto his conversation and smiling in triumph when Eddie got nowhere.

E: No I’m not a fan. I’m with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Buck please put those heart eyes and smug smile away. Why are they like this? Oh wait, because clearly there are strong unresolved feelings there and they just can’t help themselves. And I do mean both of them because the moment Buck even mentions someone he used to date, we see Eddie immediately annoyed and somewhat jealous.

B: I dated an agent once. They never call back.

Got to say I love the gender neutral pronoun. Once more the show is trying its hardest to subtly prove that Buck isn’t all that straight as we initially believed him to be. Eddie’s reaction is of course that of his usual self when Buck either interacts with anyone else or brings up a previous lover 😂 He really doesn’t want to listen to anything more Buck has to say about the agent he dated and you can see with the way he just nods and turns around that the conversation ends there. Exactly how he did when he found out Buck slept with his therapist back in 3.09. Same expression and everything.

When Chim freaks about the cursed bracelet again, I loved seeing Buck step in and have Eddie’s back. Buck is always supportive and really does continue to have Eddie’s back time and time again. Its how they both work, which is why their relationship is so beautiful to see. It’s a small moment but a good one nonetheless.

B: Listen, I’m starting to think maybe Eddie has a point here. 

The appearance of Connor and Kameron at the station really didn’t sit well with me. Eddie was obviously confused when Hen came up to notify Buck of his visitors. You can see how Buck is trying to shut her down because he doesn’t want everyone else to find out, but the camera focuses on Eddie’s confused face because how the hell is it possible that he doesn’t know something about Buck? 

I didn’t appreciate how semi-aggressive Connor and Kameron were with him. They seemed to be in attack mode and I don’t think it’s appropriate to not only show up at his place of work, but to talk to him the way they did. He’s doing them a big, selfless favor and they gave off the vibes that they’re just in it for that and that only. Like they don’t even care to check in or keep that contact with him. They’re here for his goods and that’s it. It goes back to Eddie and Athena’s previous conversation about how “the best grifters know how to play on people’s desperation. The more desperate a person is, the easier it becomes to fool them.”

Now I wouldn’t say Buck is desperate. On the contrary, they’re more desperate for his sperm. But they know he’s a very kind hearted person. Connor so much as mentioned that the fact they chose Buck in the first place was because of the fact that he’s such a good person. So perhaps they’re using his overall goodness and kindness to their advantage and bending him to do what they need him to do.

Buck is clearly a bit annoyed and tries to reassure them he still wants to donate. But he’s in this alone and when he tries to tell them that, everything kind of blows up around him.

B: No one really knows I’m doing this.

C: I don’t think that’s true, anymore.

Poor Buck. Not only had these people invaded his safe place, but had his personal life aired out to people he wasn’t ready to tell yet.

The fire fam seems to smile but it’s all kinds of varying levels of awkward. I find it interesting that the only people who really say anything are Bobby and Eddie, the two people Buck is the closest to. When the bell finally rings, I love how Eddie’s the one who says, “Thank god”. It was clearly an awkward situation for him as well, to find out his best friend is not only planning on being a sperm donor, but that he hasn’t even come to him with this information. Now I know this is Buck’s personal life and he’s not obligated to tell Eddie everything. But they’re they kind of friends who do tell each other pretty much everything. So the fact that he wanted to get out of that situation asap, really shows the early stages of how Eddie possibly feels about this situation.

Discussing Buck’s Bodily Fluids on Company Time

The fire truck scene was actually funny but at the same time, I really wished they didn’t make this storyline a joke. It’s very important to note Eddie’s reaction to the information they just received.

E: Did you…?

The fact that Eddie was sitting in that truck, in close proximity to Buck and actually thinking about whether or not Buck jerked off is fucking hilarious. The man couldn’t even help himself. He really needed to know and used the first opportunity he had to ask him, point blank.

Now Buck looking into Eddie’s eyes, you can see the worry he has there. He was avoiding Eddie of all people finding out about this and now that he has, you can see Buck wanting to decipher what his feelings are on the topic. He tries to really look into Eddie’s eyes but can’t get the answers he’s seeking. He also kind of tilts his head in disbelief, almost as if he can’t believe that’s the question Eddie would have. Out of all the things he could’ve asked, Eddie wanting to know if Buck jerked off is not what Buck was anticipating. I don’t know but the gay in Eddie was in full force in that scene. He’s clearly envisioning his best friend wrapping his thick fingers around his firehose and had such a vivid imagery in that moment. His facial expressions really indicate his curiosity and not in a friendly way whatsoever 😂

E: More importantly, how long have you been holding out on us?

I think this is the first glimpse of seeing how Eddie feels about this. Clearly he’s somewhat annoyed and upset that he wasn’t notified of this. However, I think it’s very telling that we didn’t get a scene of Eddie and him discussing this, even after he had found out. I think it’s very crucial for Eddie to let Buck be for the time being, because he knows that he’s going to do what he feels is right for himself. Eddie can’t influence his decision based off of his own needs and concerns. Eddie needs to just support Buck and his decision, which we all know he will. And if Buck makes this decision, and it ends up tearing him apart, I feel like that will be the perfect moment for Eddie to fully step in and support him through it all by proving to him how important and loved he really is. There is more to come and this is only the beginning of this specific storyline in which Eddie now knows. I fully believe this is going to be a part of something bigger that will be explored more in depth in the second half of the season because once again, it’s heavily paralleling Eddie’s storyline from last season.

Firefighting Partners Once Again

Even though it was such a quick scene, I loved seeing Buck and Eddie being partners on the field again. I feel like it’s been such a long time coming.

BN: Eddie, Buck, I want you guys to..

The way they are so in sync and work so seamlessly together never fails to bring a smile to my face. They can go months without working together. And the moment they have to be paired off again, it’s like no times been passed at all. They were so in sync that it blows me away because they really have the chemistry of actual romantic partners, even when they’re working. No words need to be exchanged between them while they’re working. They trust one another enough to work in absolute silence and know that the other will just follow along.

Buck’s Sprint and Eddie’s Beach Trip

When the fire fam was decompressing at the station, there were a few moments in which Eddie kept looking over towards Buck at the table. Again with them sitting apart. However, it’s the constant looks thrown each others way that makes me side eye them. Buck is obviously on Eddie’s mind but he just doesn’t know how to express his thoughts out loud to Buck.

B: I can’t. I have a donation to make.

E: Hahaha

Eddie’s the only one to respond to Buck exclaiming that he’s going to donate his sperm. Now I think Eddie’s laughter here is more in the sense of “Buck’s gonna Buck” than anything else. He’s kind of accepted that Buck has made up his mind and he has no other choice but to support him in this matter. Now what happens afterwards and what conversations they may have about this situation, we don’t know. But I’m almost positive that there will be conversations to be had between those two about this subject matter. Eddie isn’t just being whatever about this. He just found out and hasn’t even had the opportunity to speak to Buck about it because he already has the appointment to go through with it. I’m sure there will be moments in which they discuss this and what is really means for Buck at a later time.

Loved watching Buck run with those long legs to the clinic. He got there just in time, even when his car broke down. A final sign from the universe to not go through with it. But of course Buck isn’t listening to what the universe is clearly screaming. Seems like these men only like to give out advice to others and not take their own themselves.

The magazines that were provided to Buck were super interesting. We all saw the man on the back cover of the last magazine. And again, it’s almost as if they’re trying to subtly plant in the seeds that Buck isn’t straight so that the audience isn’t completely shocked when Buck finally gets with a man Eddie.

The fact that we end Buck about to go jerk off and the next scene is of Eddie looking sinfully hot at the beach is very deliberate in my honest opinion. Felisa visits Eddie and they talk about curses and bad luck. I feel like Eddie was being protective only because of what happened to his Abuela. He didn’t want her to have the same bad luck as Abuela, which is why he wanted to check in with her. 

Their conversation was very interesting to me because you can clearly see how therapy has done great wonders for Eddie. The fact that he and Christopher are both at the beach after the tsunami is just great progress. He has his head held up high which is a sign of confidence. He’s not closing in on himself and is a complete different person from the man who broke down in his room a few months back.

E: My wife died, three years ago. Six months later, my son was on a pier when the tsunami hit.

E: He survived. He was scared for a long time. We both were.

Eddie is not only openly discussing his past traumas. But he’s also, in a sense, thinking of the one person who was his rock during those traumas. I find it hard to believe Buck wasn’t on his mind when he was relaying this information to Felisa. Remember in the crossover episode when Marjan brings up the skateboard and Eddie smiles his fond Buck smile™️ and responds, “Buck helped.” Yeah Buck was definitely on his mind during that conversation. You can tell from the softness of his features that it’s a familiar look he gets when he’s especially speaking of Buck.

F: Sometimes it’s easier to believe you’re cursed then you’re wrong.

E: *shaking his head* Felisa.

Something about this really stood out to me. Once again, Eddie is really adamant about not believing in what the universe has to tell him and he doesn’t want to be wrong about this.  I feel like he’s not really allowing himself to accept what he’s kind of known for a while now, and that’s possibly about his feelings for a certain someone. What further makes me believe this is his conversation with his Abuela. 

E: Tarot Cards, that’s new. So what she have to say about my future?

Eddie is finally at a place where he wants to move on. Wants to take that next step and see what awaits him. His son is growing up and becoming his own person. He tried dating and that didn’t work because he had a lot of unresolved issues. Now that he’s talking about his traumas freely and seems to be at ease, he wants fo welcome whatever is in store for him with open arms.

The thing that stood out to me was Christopher’s reaction to that. The camera focuses on Christopher and we see him listening in to Eddie’s conversation. Now his facial expression was that of concern and I don’t know quiet yet what that concern can indicate. I don’t know if that is to foreshadow a possible accident in which Christopher is hurt. Or indicate Christopher not wanting his father to move on with someone else because he already has that position in their family filled. He clearly didn’t like what he heard from his father. I guess we’ll have to wait and see but there’s definitely a reason behind Christopher’s expression in the end there.

Once again, thank you to the lovely @aa-lionheart for all the other gifs for my weekly buddie language meta! 💜

#buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #911 spoilers #911 speculation #911 meta #buddie meta #911 on fox #buddie language meta #christopher diaz

[loveemagicpeace]

Sun signs and what they represent 🧚🏼‍♀️💘🪷

🐚Pisces-is a night mutable water sign.The symbol for Pisces is the fish and its glyph represents two fish swimmingin different directions yet connected by a cord. Pisces represent art, subconscious, dreams.. Almost every time I think of pisces, I think of art. Because they are the most artistic sign in the zodiac. Pisces is the time of death and the time before birth. Pisces rules the feet, the lymphatic system, and the third eye. Pisces is also the most spiritual and dreamy sign. Pisces often struggle with emotions, the energy they feel from others. Therefore, it is characteristic for them to isolate themselves from people. They have to find the physical realm. Pisces are friendly, dreamy, fantasy, but they can also be manipulative. Pisces have a problem with dealing with emotions and energy, which they pick up from others, so they often fall into depression. Kurt Cobain who had many pisces placements was every nice, emotional and artisitc but he was dealing with a lot of emotional stuff , depression and he no longer felt good inside. However, pisces are often inclined to escape and taking drugs or drinking alcohol.

🦂Scoprio-is a night fixed water sign. A deep and complex sign,both its symbol and its glyph represent the scorpion, its stinger suggesting the potentially stinging nature of Scorpio. Scorpio represents transformation, depth, emotions, intensity, passion. Also represent phoenix, a symbol of rebirth. Scorpio is seen as magnetic, powerful, private and sometimes intimidating to others. Scorpio is a sign that wants to see through the soul of a person, wants to see and understand the dark sides of a person. Scorpio will always want to see the ugly side of a person. Scorpio is a sign that is quite individual and likes to focus on a single person. What is also known about Scorpio is that it gives each person a different kind of love. Scorpio is a sign that has difficulty trusting and has trust issues, as it often feels that people will betray it. Therefore, Scorpios usually have a small circle of people and only those they really trust. Scorpio can also be possessive, jealous and wants to have you all to himself. When a Scorpio loves, he loves with all his heart. Scorpio will give you his soul and heart. Scoprio will sacrifice a lot for the people he loves. But if you betray his love, he will never forgive you. Scorpio is also a sign that takes a long time to let go of a person and get over them.

💗Libra- Is a day cardinal air sign. The symbol of Libra is the scales and its glyph reflects both balance and the setting sun. Libra rules over harmony, balance, decisions, love and beauty. Libra is the diplomat and mediator of the zodiac. Libra comes across as fair, peace-loving, and creative. However, libra it is sign that does not like to decide on just one side, but likes to remain neutral. That's why decisions make them difficult. But they like appearance and beauty, which means that in love, libra will always look for someone who looks nice and it will be important to libra that this person is looking good. Libra is also a sign that will always fight for justice. No matter what, they will always be on the side of justice and prove it. Libras adore high art, intellectualism, and connoisseurship.

❤️‍🔥Sagittarius- is a day mutable fire. The glyph for Sagittarius is an arrow pointing the stars and reflects the symbol of the archer, who is half-human and half-horse. Both the glyph and symbol reflect the forward-thinking visionary energy of the sign. Sagittarians are focused on travel, wisdom, exploration, optimism, meaning. Sagittarius is a sign that is very lucky and looks at life with optimism and knowledge. They also represent languages ​​and learning. Sagittarians can be good teachers and throughout life they want to give people a better perspective. Sagittarius is the seeker of truth and with this we can also see that they are very direct and honest people. They will always tell you what they think. Sagittatius are also very spontaneous and their plans change a lot. But there are also people who are always up for action and fun. They like to take risks because they think you only live once. What I like about them is that they are eternal optimists, and they will always put you in a good mood. But they are also reckless and crazy. They are also very strong-minded & unique. They will always have unique energy no matter what.

🤎Taurus- is a night fixed earth sign. The glyph for Taurus represents the head and horns of the bull. Taurus represents the stage of life that realizes the connection with the physical world. Taurus represents stubbornness, determination, money, food and music. Taurus is sensual, practical, and loyal. What they are best known for is that they are very patient people. They have really good nerves and can go through a lot of trouble and not break down. Taurus is a sign that is also determined, when it decides something, it sticks to it until the end. But it is also a sign that is very grateful. I would say that taurus is one of the most grateful sign. They really show their appreciation in a nice way. And they always buy the nicest gifts.

🫧Capricorn- is a night cardinal earth sign. The symbol for Capricorn is the sea goat, and the glyph represents the hoof of the goat with the tail of a fish-this softer side of Capricorn. This means that Capricorns look cold and solid on the outside but it is soft on the inside. Capricorns are focused on climbing the ladder of achievement. Capricorn stare for achievement, reputation and respect. Capricorn is seen as responsible and determined but also, at times, controlling and fearful. Capricorns are a sign that likes to work hard to achieve something. Capricorns are also honest and responsible and will always accept responsibility for what they do. They will never blame others. But they are also a sign that can have great power over the public and have great authority. They are a sign that is diligent and hardworking.

🔥Aries- is a day cardinal fire sign. The Aries symbol is the ram, and its glyph represents the horns of the ram. Aries is a sign that focuses on itself. Very confident, independent and self-centered. Aries are also a sign that will always think of themselves first and if that suits them. Inwardly, they have a healthy self-interest and are very courageous. Aries is a sign that is very brave and risks a lot of things. Aries like to live on the edge of life and their motto is "try, even if it doesn't work out, at least you tried". Aries is competitive and will always go all the way to the end. And also a sign that dares a lot. Aries are not afraid of challenges but accept them with open arms. What is characteristic of aries is that they have anger issue. Their anger is quick and direct.

🌼Cancer-is a night cardinal water sign. The sign is represented by the crab and its glyph is the two pincers of the crab in protective mode. Cancers are primarily introverted and protective. Cancers like their private space and they like people with whom they feel at home. Cancer is the nurturer of the zodiac and very tradition- and family-oriented. Cancer love to spend time with family. They love their family very much and are very attached to it. Another thing is that Cancers are often attached to their mothers. Also cancer can be extremely sensitive. Because they take many things to heart. Cancer is also moody a lot of times. Which means that if they doesn't like something, it will immediately show on their face. Cancers prefer to be with people they know rather than people they don't, so they don't like meeting new people as much.

🧼Virgo- is a night mutable earth sign. This sign is represented by the maiden or virgin, meaning in this case, "one who is whole unto her-self." Its glyph resembles the letter M,for "maiden," carrying a shaft of wheat to represent the harvest. Virgos are a sign that is obsessed with perfection and details. Virgos see every little thing and immediately notice changes. They are obsessed with perfection, which means that everything they do have to look perfect, which can also take a lot of time. Their perfectionist tendencies can lead to analysis paralysis. Virgos are also often self-critical and have excessive expectations of themselves. Virgos are also a judgmental sign which means that things they don't like or don't think are examples they will judge and be overly critical of them. Virgo energy embodies the principle of service, as they love to feel useful in the world. Virgos like cleanliness and order and don't like when everything is untidy. They like to follow a plan and their routine.

🦁Leo-is a day fixed fire sign. The lion is the symbol of this regal sign and its glyph represents the lion's head and mane. Leo is a sign that is very proud and knows what it wants. Leo is a sign, they love attention and they like to show off to others. They are known for not being embarrassed to show who they are and how they look like. They also proudly present the people they love in front of others. Leos are born to lead and also to shine and charm. They crave attention and tend to be melodramatic and superior when in shadow. Leos can be dramatic many times. Usually every thing that happens is presented in a dramatic way. They like to be dramatic and like having fun. That's why leos are often good actors. But they know how to stare at their ego many times and do not want to admit their mistakes. This is a very complex thing for the leos. They are magnetic and affectionate and light up the lives of those around them because they carry the Sun's radiance within.

👄Gemini- is a day mutable air sign. This sign symbolizes the twins and is represented by a glyph of twins that are both separate and connected. Geminis are known for their duality. With them, there is never just one side, but always two. That's why they carry two personalities. They show one to those they know very well and are close to them, and one to those that are not that close to them. Geminis are also known for talking a lot and usually very quickly. However, it is typical for them to touch on a certain topic, but not for long. They like to change the subject. Their inner life is curious, observant, often scattered. Geminis are seen as social and verbally expressive but sometimes manipulative and duplicitous.

🧃Aquarius- is a day fixed air sign. the symbol for Aquarius is the water bearer, what the glyph actually represents is waves of energy-the symbol is pouring spirit or energy down from the heavens. Aquarians are often seen as strange, unusual. Many times they stand out from society because of the way they think and act in general. Aquarius is also known for being rebellious, which means that it will always resist society and things that are too much in the foreground. They prefer things that are not so exposed. They are also unpredictable, inventive. You never know what to expect from them. But they are also a sign that represents freedom. Which means that it is very important for an Aquarius to have their freedom. Aquarius is a sign that likes equality, so it does not differentiate between people. But he is usually attracted to those who are inaccessible. They can also be emotionally distant and cold. Aquarians are not so focused on emotions but on other things. Usually they also put friends in the foreground. Because they often feel alienated from those around them, they are sometimes tempted to betray their convictions to fit in.

-Rebekah🦋🌊🧚🏻

#astrology #energy #zodiac signs #planets #my notes #astrology observations #sun sign #scoprio #libra #sagittarius #pisces #aries #virgo #cancer #capricorn #taurus #gemini #aquarius #leo

[thezombieprostitute]

Alphas & Algorithms - Part 4 - Bets & warnings

A/N: Continued from Part 3. Reader is female and is described as "tall". No other descriptors.

Warnings: It is a Dystopian AU. Food scarcity, hunger, mentions of families being separated. Please let me know if I missed any!

--Part 1-- --Part 5--

--Series Masterlist--

“He’s not interested in me,” Y/N tells Jake as they cuddle up on her couch. “He’s going to come back for our next date and tell me he’s not interested. I know it.”

“You don’t know that,”Jake reassures. “He could just need some time to think. You said yourself that he talked about feeling like a fish out of water more than once.”

“I’m telling you, he’s not interested. I don’t have the highest accuracy of predictions for nothing.” Y/N sighs and pushes to prop herself up. “Maybe the other Omegas are right. Maybe I’m just too boring. Too plain vanilla.”

Jake squeezes Y/N tightly, not letting her escape, “I keep telling you not to listen to them. They’re jealous idiots who just don’t appreciate the kindness and gentleness your scent embodies. Their scents clash with everything around them but vanilla goes with everything. And that’s how you’re able to pick up on stuff they can’t. Your scent works with the people you question, letting them relax more around you, which gets you an even better idea of their true scent. Your empathy is not a weakness, no matter what those assholes say.”

“I know how the mechanics of it work, Jake.” Y/N tries to pull away to pout but he holds her close. “And I know it helps others to be accurate with scents. But…it’s…It gets painfully lonely to be pushed away by others of “your kind”. I love having you as a friend, Jake, but with you as my only friend, it’s a lot of pressure on you. I know you’re stressed out, but still smiling at me. I appreciate the effort but you shouldn’t be the only one supporting me.”

“And when you get your Alpha, I won’t be.” Y/N gives Jake an incredulous look as he continues. “Seriously, you doubt but I’m certain Curtis will be back and, as he learns more about you, he’ll fall desperately, madly in love with you and you’ll have both your Emotional Support Beta and your Alpha Mate!”

“I do appreciate the optimism, Jake but it just isn’t going to happen. At least not with Curtis. Maybe that other Alpha will work out better. So long as I don’t have to do any more of those scent tests.”

“I’ll make you a deal. If Curtis turns you down, I’ll cook up that 5-cheese mac-n-cheese you love so much. If he ends up agreeing to be your mate, you gotta bake me up that death-by-chocolate cake that almost put me into a diabetic coma.”

Y/N chuckles and decides to up the ante. “Add barbecue chicken strips to that mac-n-cheese meal and I’ll add homemade chocolate whipped cream to the cake.”

“Deal!”

It’d been a couple days since the date and the benefits of the full stomach and foot massage had already faded. Curtis felt the pain in his stomach again and every step was pain yet again. Y/N’s cookies were already gone, courtesy of the pups, but he couldn’t blame them. They generally couldn’t afford such calorie dense, sweet foods. He did hope that Y/N’s promise of more ration packs for his nutritional needs would hold true, though it was way too soon to tell. Hopefully his refutation of her courting wouldn’t affect her promise. 

After only a few hours of work Curtis caught a whiff of someone. Curry. Warm, strong beer. Hobie. “What do you want, Hobie? I’m working.”

“From what I heard, you’ve been gettin’ it on with a Pet.” Hobie stepped into Curtis’s view. 

“I’ll be seeing her again tomorrow and telling her I’m not interested. She gave me the out, I’m taking it.”

“Ya don’ wanna do that,” Hobie whispers. “I got it on good authority, you’re gonna wanna take her up on the offer.”

Curtis stops what he’s doing so he can turn to Hobie. He sees the man is dead serious. “What do you mean?”

Without speaking, Hobie hands Curtis a small pouch with some fabric inside. Eyes not leaving Hobie, Curtis opens it and gets the scent. Stevie! His brother’s scent, and fresh! 

Hobie sees the recognition on Curtis’s face, “that’s right, bruv is alive. Been ‘elping us out against The Man.”

“And what’s that got to do with me? I can’t rescue him. Probably can’t see him even if I do accept the offer.”

“We got ya covered there,” Hobie grins. “Stevie’s been ‘olding off the next phase of our plan. Wants to make sure ‘is Pack is protected first. That’s where you come in. Stevie made sure to get your scent added to ev’ry Pet’s list of potential mates, waitin’ for one to choose you. You wanna protect your Pack? Keep ‘em outta harm’s way from The Man and The Revolution? You agree to the Pet’s terms.”

Curtis stared at the fabric for a bit, cementing the scent in his mind. When he looked back up, Hobie was gone. How he had the ability to both draw attention and go invisible was Curtis would never understand. When he saw the security drone coming towards him, he hid the fabric in his pocket and went back to work. He was going to have to have another Pack meeting before tomorrow and he was not looking forward to it.

After the pups had gone to bed for the night, Curtis sat down with Andrew and Tanya. He handed them the pouch without saying anything and watched the recognition grow in their faces as they caught the scent. 

“Oh. Oh no,” Tanya whispered as she looked at Curtis. “You’re going to leave us, aren’t you?”

“Not until I get more evidence of Hobie’s claims,” Curtis whispered. “It’s one thing to know he’s alive, it’s another to know��” He cuts himself off. The less information his Pack has about the revolution’s plans (hypothetical or otherwise) the better.

Andrew looks at Curtis, “he’s your brother. Pack by blood. You know we’ll respect that.”

Curtis nods. It’s an uneasy night of sleep for all of them.

--Part 5--

Tagging @every-username-is-taken-damnit, per request.

#alpha!curtis everett x omega!reader #curtis everett x reader #alpha!curtis everett #tall!reader #curtis everett x tall!reader #tall!omega #dystopian au #dystopia au #tall reader

[highfantasy-soul]

Things I LOVED about NATLA Episode 8 - Legends

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

The Aang Gaang working together in the fight!!!!

Honestly it felt so natural to have all three of them taking out the Fire Nation ship that I completely forgot it didn't happen like that in the animated show!

In the animated version, Aang took out the ship while Katara and Sokka just stood on the ice wall - showing them in battle together and working with synergy was phenomenal

Aang doing AOE damage, Katara taking out soldiers with precision, and Sokka shouting battle plans and taking out the command center - really great way to SHOW the roles each play in battle

The Gaang complementing each other was soo cuutteee!!

"Lu Ten would have been proud to have you as his father" 😭😭😭

Then the Iroh hug!!! 😭😭😭

"I'd say it's 50/50! …. 60/40 😬"

Lol oh Sokka, you're so bad at optimism

Let's go Katara!!!! Going to even the odds!!!

The war balloon showing up early!!!

The entire battle of the North was sooo intense!

I really felt a lot more of the danger and panic than in the animated version

LOVE that Pakku's change to allow women in battle came here, with Katara and the other women standing up to him

The animated show doesn't even have any women helping at all in the battle - we don't even see them healing the wounded. To me, the live-action actually addressed the systemic issue of the sexism in the North rather than just having Katara be the token woman who wanted to fight

"You KNOW we can make a difference!" "We?"

The shot of all the women standing there in traditional clothing was super powerful to me

I know some people think it's 'virtue signaling' or whatever and complain about the shot of all the women heroes in Endgame or Captain Marvel's 'standing up after being knocked down' montage, but call me a stupid woman, those scenes actually mean a lot to me. Why is animated Katara railing against Sokka because she has to do the laundry seen as the height of feminism and yet a group of indigenous women standing up and backing one of their sisters in her bid to make systemic change actually the opposite of feminism? It makes no sense to me.

I LOVE Yagoda backing Katara!!

Katara isn't some 'outsider coming in to change a culture's savage ways' - she's simply the catalyst for the people WITHIN that culture to stand up and say 'yeah, now is our time, change needs to happen and we've known it for awhile'

Yue wanting to be out there helping her people 😭😭

Her father's talk with her really reminds me of Eowyn and Theoden from The Return of the King - even if you want to help defend your home, if you're in a position of leadership, staying alive so you can lead in a fallen chief's place is an important role to play, too

Sokka and Hahn's ….tension as he promises to take care of Yue 👀

The student calling Katara 'master'!!!! 😭😭😭

In my in-depth analysis, I go into why I think it's a title she's completely earned despite her lack of formal training but suffice it to say that if you have an issue with them calling Katara master, then shut the fuck up

Ooohh adding a time-table for the Fire Nation attack with the Ice Moon caveat!

I like adding to the depth and lore of the world which makes it make a whole lot more sense that the Fire Nation would attack the WATER TRIBE during a full moon

LIONTURTLE REFEREEENNCCEE!!!

I like the Fire Sage actually knowing spiritual stuff and finding value in it - even though he's using it to help Zhao hurt them

Yes, Iroh. Zhao is most definitely planning on tampering with the spirit world 😬

Avatar Kuruk coming to Aang!!!!

I really like that concept - like on the Lionturtle, the past Avatars can appear as a mirage to give warnings

And connecting Kuruk's battle against the evil spirits to the Fire Nation twisting the weapons of defense into a weapon to harm - soooo goooood

"Killing the ocean spirit would deprive people all over the world of their lives!!! I'm not a monster!!" 🙃

Aahhh, twisted logic at its finest: after all, what's the point in ruling the world if there's no one to rule

Oooohhhhh and Kuruk's voice beginning to layer with the other Avatars as he talks about how Zhao can't be allowed to meddle with the primal forces of nature!!

Such a great use of the voice alteration that happens when they go into the Avatar state!

Hero Momo!!!!!

Omg I was SO WORRIED they actually killed Momo!!!!

Sokka and Momo's relationship is so cute how they developed it 😭

I like Yue telling her story this way better than in the animated series

Here, the story is connected to what's happening directly: she's saving Momo's life the same way her life was saved and letting us know the spirit oasis water has healing properties beyond regular healing

Zuko and him fire blasting out from beneath the ice - cool in every adaptation!

"How do you know that?" "Because I helped design the thing" 😔

Love that we're getting a direct tie from the war balloon to Sokka - just like with Kuruk's spirit knife and like Sokka said all the way back in Omashu: the Fire Nation can turn anything into a weapon

Though Iroh won't fully stand against Zhao yet, he's totally stalling as much as he can

Zuzu!!!!

"This is about you and me!" aawww classic Zuko - walking into a massive thing and thinking it's still just about him capturing Aang 😅

We've got bigger fish to fry, buddy - oh, shit. No. Oh god. Why'd I use that turn of phrase?? Too soon! Too soon!

Love the full circle moment here with Katara and Zuko's showdown

Aang is now letting her fight while he goes off to another task, trusting that she'll be ok

"Go easy, enough people have been hurt already." "I don't care. "I wasn't talking to you 😏"

Damn right, Aang! Putting respect on Katara!!!

Also, Zuko's face as he realizes Aang doesn't see him as the most important thing here 😬 that's gotta hurt

KATARA V ZUKO ROUND 2!!!!

Love that they're getting a rematch so we can see just how far Katara has come in her combat/waterbending training!

The bending is GORGEOUS!

You can see every move each of them are making and watch the respective elements respond to their movements perfectly.

"You little peasant!!" Oh Zuko, you silly, angry boi "You've found a master, haven't you?"

"Yes, you're looking at her" - DAMN STRAIGHT!

Despite Pakku not agreeing to train her, she's taught herself. She clawed tooth and nail to learn everything she could from every source she had available - she observed other benders and created a waterbending version of the move, she practiced in every spare moment, she grappled with her emotional and spiritual trauma and came out the other side with a more holistic view of bending despite the world telling her to stop - so yeah, she IS her own master.

While I do love the "You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun" line, I'm ok with the siege lasting only a day instead of several like in the animated series.

Zuko's little field trip with Aang takes an entire day with nothing really going on in the battle, it's just a few minutes of screen time until we can get back to night again so we can see the moon being killed.

Streamlining it and having Aang seek council before the battle starts rather than in the middle of it I think was a good move. We didn't need a cliffhanger mid-episode like we did in the animated series since it's all a single episode.

Zhao's plan revealed is such great character work - he's just as egotistical as the animated version, down to wanting to be declared 'the moon slayer', but there's so much more depth in the live-action version

He's so ambitious that he actually believes he could become Fire Lord and doesn't take Iroh's threats seriously at all - his pride ensuring his downfall.

LOVE that they kept the blood-red moon as the moon spirit is captured!!

Aang trying to talk down his enemies yet again 😞

No matter how clear their antagonistic motives, he truly believes the best in people and always wants to give them the chance to do the right thing

Oof Zhao cutting to Aang's fear without knowing it: Zhao thinks the Avatar doesn't matter on its face - Aang is afraid he's not good enough as an Avatar TO matter

This sets up Aang's decision to give himself to the ocean spirit - he accepts that he isn't good enough - he doesn't matter, but the ocean spirit does

Iroh shot first!!

In the animated show, Iroh only attacks after Zhao kills the moon spirit, here, he's trying to help the Gaang by distracting Zhao enough for them to save the spirit

But they're too late

They kept the black and white shading where only things bathed in fire or the ocean spirit's blue light have any colors!

I think this entire battle sequence was amazingly done

You can FEEL the terror, you can SEE the cost of such an attack

It's not gratuitous violence - it's showing the realities of war without showing gruesome injuries

I love how Hahn and the other Norther Water Tribe Warriors got to have a heroic stand even without waterbending. Despite their best resource being taken from them, they aren't going down without a fight.

Iroh unleashing on the soldiers and Zhao running like a little bitch!!!!

I love Aang's speech here - he's "following" the advice of past Avatars by putting the world's needs above his own, but it's out of despair, not balance

He's surrendering to a power greater than him because he doesn’t feel like he's succeeded in being the Avatar (which unfortunately, through no fault of his own, is true) and so he's willing to fully lose himself to another power to save the world.

MONGO KOI-ZILLA!!!!

It's WILD that this happens only HALFWAY through the episode!! They really let this sequence breathe and gave so much room for all the character moments to happen

Iroh hugging Zuko while he just stares at the giant koi fish 🤣😭

"Uncle, what is that?" "That, that is wrath" - CHILLS

Zuko ready to fight that monster fish to get the Avatar 😭😭😭😭😭

He really is a crazy dude

"He's a small man who's going to meet a small end"

So right you are, Iroh

Zuko v Zhao!!!

LOVE how the live-action made Zhao a cerebral rather than physical antagonist for Zuko

Even though Zuko beats him physically, Zhao destroys Zuko mentally by revealing all the truths about the royal family dynamic

"You were the fire in which her iron was forged"

DDDAAAAMMMMNNNNN 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Love how each adaptation has Zhao die in a different way 🤣

Honestly, I like all the ways ppl have decided to kill him

The ocean spirit taking him, waterbenders drowning him, and now Iroh killing him for attacking Zuko

I do think I like the animated death the best, but Iroh killing him to protect Zuko is also a nice way to end him - Iroh isn't about this 'give them infinite chances', he's a soldier who's not afraid to get his hands bloody.

The entire attack by the ocean spirit is phenomenal - beautifully shot and you can now feel the terror from the fire nation soldiers

Yue getting the agency to realize she can save the moon and sacrificing herself was a good change

"It's worth it to be alive, even just for a night"

"The world needs you. I need you" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I think it was a really good choice to move Katara talking Aang down from the Avatar state and telling him they're family to the final episode rather than way at the beginning like it happened in the animated series.

That declaration holds a lot more truth as we've SEEN them become a family

Seeing the actual loss from the battle was heart wrenching, but I think it was really needed

Poor Hahn and the young waterbender

I love that Sokka didn't fight in the big battle - his place was being there to support someone else and provide comfort in a terrifying moment for her. His heart is what was needed in this battle, not his combat skills

And Pakku giving Katara her due - she EMBODIES change and growth, always finding a way no matter how many people tell her no

And she got her spirit water!!

"I'm tired" "Then you should get some rest. A man needs his rest" 😭😭😭😭😭

"How do I do this without causing so much pain?"

Oh Aang, that's a question you're going to be grappling with for awhile.

It's such a wonderful way to sum up his character - he doesn't want to cause pain, even to the point of giving people chances they don't deserve - but that quest to find an answer is the reason the world is saved and Aang cements his own legacy within the Avatar line.

Closing with another lesson from Gyatzo!!!! 😭😭

"Let go of your past, or you'll never have a future" - thesis statement right there

Let's not misinterpret this line to say 'forget the past' - this is a Buddhist version of 'letting go' which is to say 'don't cling to the past so much you cannot take steps into your future'

The Gaang's banter over Sokka always thinking about food!!!! So cute!!

I love the scenes here at the end with the Fire Nation

Ozai still holding out hope that Zuko will surprise them with some 'hidden' reserve of strength, but still willing to let him fall so 'the strong' can rise

Azula taking over Omashu!!!

And the comet!

Makes sense that they didn't give a time-table as kids grow fast and we can't just draw them the same age: Gordon is a growing boy so we need to give some space for how much he grows through the filming process

#natla #avatar the last airbender #netflix avatar #atla #natla positivity

[faith--in-the-future]

Now you got me curious lol so which questions would you ask Louis if you were able to do an interview with him (on camera, not on paper)

ahh honestly so many ! and most importantly I would ASK HIM TO ELABORATE!! it drives me CRAZY when he says a hint of something bigger that he thinks and people LET IT DROP!! like UGH go deeper! ask him for examples etc etc and don't let him get away with vague answers lolol

in specific idk exactly bc I'd try to follow the flow of conversation and also it depends on what he's promoting at the time ! but guessing it was for an album I'd start with general questions about what was the "drive" for this album so like which concept(s) started it, is there something in particular you tried to communicate etc etc then asks about sounds, the production, specific choices he made etc (it's hard to do this based on an imaginary album lol)

more in general I'd want to ask him stuff like

- how come do you enjoy and support artists like the snuts or Sam fender or stone etc which like to make political and social commentary but you don't seem to want to make that kind of music yourself? (then elaborate based on his answer)

- love is such a central theme of your music and often it's portrayed in its most impervious and hurtful aspects, would you say that that comes from an abundance of experience in those aspects from you or is it more because that side just inspires you more ?

- what would you say are the most difficult parts of love/relationships for you? what have you encountered most that was hard for you?

- hope is another central theme of your music, do you feel like it can be hard to make hopeful songs without bordering on cliches or just empty optimism ? (and I'd reword the question also in reference to what seems to be his life motto too)

- in terms of hope, would you say that you were more cynical when you were younger ? and if so why do you think that is ?

- in your music and your life you seem to deeply appreciate and protect your friendships, but there's also a lot of longing for a partner in your music, do you think that friendships alone could be enough for you or are you someone who is happiest when they're with their significant other too? ( if he says the second option ) and what specifically do you find in a partner that other forms of relationships don't give you?

- your music is at times referring or hinting at sex, often with very effective and imo interesting metaphors and symbolism, but I wanted to ask is it a deliberate choice for you to be more symbolism rather than explicit on this topic?

- as a woman I have often felt objectified or sexualized by male singers and directors etc so I am always grateful that with your music there never are contents that make me or , from what I've heard, any of your female identifying fans feel that way, is that also something that u consciously decide to do or is it just subconsciously part of your work bc that's how you operate in life in general?

- speaking of these topics, you have said in the past that when you make music you take into consideration what that music will leave to the listeners, for example you try to leave them with hope and resilience rather than despair, do you ever feel like this ideal limits you while making music? like for example you'd write something but then discard it bc in your opinion it's not something that you'd want the listeners to be left with after listening?

- if that answer is yes then what would be some examples of things you avoid bc of that reason?

and I'd have MANY MORE QUESTIONS honestly I could go on all day especially if I had a whole new album to base them on!

then I'd also ask questions about his opinions on other things like

- in your opinion what is the worst characteristic of today's approach to music making?

- what do you think is lacking most in today's music and that you'd hope to see in the future?

- do you think that music fans sometimes also have a wrong approach to music too?

then I'd ask like

- you always talk about your relationship with us fans and how much you treasure it but it is no secret that you've had issues with certain aspects of fandom too, how do you juggle with contrasting feelings? knowing that those behaviors you have issues with (rightfully so) might be coming from the same fans that you feel loved by at concerts?

- in your relationship with fans I know you get comfort by our closeness and our comradery but do you ever feel like those aspects of it might be a double edged sword sometimes? bc fans might feel like they're entitled to doing and knowing more things than what is actually appropriate?

I'll stop now bc it would be too long but ahh ... so much to know!!

#ask #anon #imaginary interview