#kudos to the artists for acknowledging it

[six-paths-of-jeanmarco]

New art just confirmed Marco would have been shorter than Jean and no one's talking about it??? Like?? How did we miss that?!

#it's been a heavily debated topic for years #and here we got it settled #this is BIG #kudos to the artists for acknowledging it #marco bott #jeanmarco #jean kirstein #marco bodt #jean kirschtein #aot #snk

[oldshittydog]

dont you just love when creators on tumblr are like "actually, you, dear viewer, have a MORAL OBLIGATION to reblog my stuff if you like it!" like girl can i have a break

#can i enjoy anything without being moralized at #and being guilt tripped into acknowledging some sort of ethical responsibility #it really is not that deep #why are you manipulating me #why is it not “i wish people would reblog artists more” but “not reblogging artists is a moral failing” #ill tell you why its because if something makes you feel bad it's obviously other people's fault #same goes for like fanfic where i guess theres comment vs kudos discourse #miss me with that shit #personal #if you wanna support artists commission them and buy their stuff or donate #like god can you imagine anything that will take the fun out of fandom faster #oh shit lemme reblog this real quick i owe it to op #???? #is that what you want your audience to be fucking thinking about #talk about entitled

[elismor]

I see a lot of posts going by about comments and kudos and hits and...well... I've been thinking about the three quite a lot lately--as both a fic author and someone who spends a lot of my professional life looking at web metrics and determining which are actually important/accurate measures of user engagement.

Mileage varies, of course. And this is all just MY opinion, so do feel free to ignore it wholesale.

What I think when I see someone say that sorting by a hits to to kudos ratio is a good way to find "good" fic:

Hits are a measure of quantity (how many times your story or art has been viewed), but without knowing how AO3 defines a hit, it's actually kind of a meaningless number.  We know that our own views of our work do not count toward hits, but...if my BFF looks at my story 7 times in one day because she keeps trying to read it but getting interrupted...is that one hit, or seven? And if it's seven, then the numbers are artificially inflated because it's really just Bestie trying to get her Codex fix. And...if Bestie looks at it three times today and four tomorrow...is that 7 hits total, or two? 

Some transparency on the part of AO3 could clear this up handily, but until we get that...shrug. All it is is a number that may or may not be an accurate reflection of how many actual people looked at the page your fic is on.  Did they READ it? Or did they nope out?  No way to know.

Kudos are intended to be slightly more qualitative, but there is no way of knowing why the reader gave them. (Similar to likes here on tumblr.) It might be that they loved the piece. It might be a simple acknowledgement that the reader was there. It might even be a pity kudo. We have no way of knowing. It's, again, just a number.

Obviously, everyone is free to interpret both hits and kudos as positive reaction/interaction. I might do that myself if I didn't spend my workdays explaining to people that 50,000 "hits" to the website could be 50K people who came to learn about us or...simply the result of the computer labs on campus having the university homepage set to default.

Bigger numbers are just that....bigger numbers.

Comments are the only objective way to judge how someone is reacting to your fic or art.

So, what then? Sort by number of comments?

You can do that, sure. (I think. I confess I have never once gotten the AO3 search to work as well as people rave about.) But do keep in mind that many authors answer their comments. So, something with, say, 20 comments may be 20 people telling the author they loved it. Or it might be ten people and ten author-replies. OR, it might be three people having a conversation in the comments. You have to look and see.  

Bigger numbers are just bigger numbers.

Okay, fine Elis. What am I supposed to do then?

Look, I'm not your mother or your therapist and you are free to assign whatever meanings you like to these things. I, personally, find "good" fic through a combination of things including: recs, the fandom grapevine, dumb luck, events, and just...reading some of it and not feeling guilty if I nope out for some reason.

This all sounds a little depressing when laid out like this, huh? Especially when you take into account the downward trends in interacting and the rise of folks treating fic and art as content to be consumed. 

Here's what I have learned from writing fic for 30 years (well, 28 and counting):

As an author (and an artist, I would presume), you have absolutely no way of predicting which of your work will land and take hold and which will not. It's alchemy and luck and the weird (and not actual) algorithm of fandom. Sometimes, the piece you whipped out in 30 minutes and posted on the fly will land in the right person's inbox and they will share it and their friends will share it and it will get big.  Sometimes, the piece you slaved over for weeks and weeks will do that...sometimes it won't.  Sometimes your genius manifests and resonates, sometimes it does not.

My personal favorite fic of my own--the one I think is probably the best thing I have done in SW fandom-- has like 8 kudos and 4 comments (2 of which are my responses). Is it disappointing? Yes. Is it an indication that the fic is objectively "bad"? No.

The mercenary in me suggests that if you want to get lots of comments and kudos, you should pick the pairing that is THE pairing in the fandom and write for that--because that's where the eyeballs are, because that's where the connections are.  But that is not why I write, so it's just that--a very mercenary way of looking at things. Not that there is anything WRONG with doing it that way. Supply and demand run the world. If the people want Codywan and you want the people....give them Codywan. No shame in that.

And there is no shame in wanting or seeking validation for your work, either.

But it breaks my heart to see authors (and artists) give up on themselves when they do not receive piles of kudos and comments. It's not you. It's...the luck of the draw. It's...fandom. It's...an artificial and murky set of measurements that have almost no basis in anything meaningful.

Keep writing. Keep drawing. Keep sharing. You are what you make, not how people respond to it.

#let's talk about fic baby #fandom #kudos and comments

[bogunicorn]

I know I can sound callous when I say this, but you really do have to make things for yourself. You should make things YOU want to read or look at later. Whether or not you get comments or kudos or praise or hits once it's posted has to be immaterial during the creation process, and being satisfied on your own terms has to be something you work toward emotionally.

That said, the upside of fandom creatives being satisfied on their own terms is that if you treat them like little entertainment machines, they'll be much quicker to just keep their stuff to themselves. Why post works for an audience who's unkind when you can get the joy of looking at your creative work in private just fine?

So, yes, artists and writers and such should be creating for the joy of it. But if they're doing that, then making the sharing of those creations worthwhile is the responsibility of the audience. If you love something, at least drop a kudos or a like on it to acknowledge that it brought you some joy, even if you don't have the energy to write a comment. Because if you're not acknowledging it, then why would the creator bother posting it to share when they can enjoy their works in private just the same?

It's a two-way situation here. And tbh the reason I mostly lean on "you have to create for yourself" is that it's easier overall for the creator to grapple with their own emotions than it is to try to get the collective audience to do that emotional care for them.

That's not to say you're obligated to interact with or praise fanworks you don't enjoy or don't have the energy to read/look at/whatever. No reasonable person is going to demand praise and attention for something mediocre or that you looked at but didn't like, tho I understand how sometimes posts about this topic do feel that way. It's that if you enjoyed and appreciated something, THAT is the thing you should interact with at least a little bit.

#bog post #found out recently that some of my fics had been praised/passed around a social group #apparently the reviews were very good! #but only 2 people out of that group actually said anything to me #and as flattered as i am that is kind kf a bummer

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files IWTB: First Time React (Part I)

I needed to watch I Want to Believe for a Christmas present project; and, going into the movie, I knew it would be bad.

I didn't know it would be "broken within ten minutes before Mulder and Scully even get into the helicopter" bad.

On the positive side, I'm enjoying David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's acting; and they're doing the best they can with the scripts, so A+ for effort!

Now, reaction below the cut:

Eyyyyyyyy, looky looky where we are. 

An IWTB reaction. 

Me, the canon denier after S8. 

Yep. 

But never fear! I shall have an absolute blast demolishing all the aspects that don’t make sense and enjoying the parts that deserve praise or kudos. :DDD 

My Position Going Into This

When it comes to any art form, I stand absolute on the position that, yes, if it was created to be art, it is art; but art can also be critiqued on its merits or demerits. Otherwise, we all wouldn’t acknowledge what makes one piece of art masterful compared to another piece.

For movies, I focus on writing: does this plot point make sense in the context of generalized or specific circumstances; or, more specifically, do the actions of X person fit into their pre-established character or break it entirely without providing a reasonable motive? Pointing out the flaws of x/y/z character or moment doesn’t ruin my enjoyment-- every movie, tv show, book, etc. has them-- unless the flaw is noticeably glaring; in which case, what can I do about that? 

In conclusion: this will be very snarky, but I mean no hate towards CC or anyone who helped create this movie. I have criticisms, justly; but I separate art from the artist always, and judge both on completely different scales and metrics. Any and all snark is exaggerated for comedic purposes... or that's my story and I'm sticking with it. ;))) 

And now, onto the reaction~ 

Live Reaction

The movie’s gorgeous, I’ll give it that: tone, atmosphere, lighting, etc., all spectacular. 

For a split second I wished that the man running past the woman victim had been a supernatural creature of some sort-- more X-Files in tone; and would eliminate the Father Joe character completely. 

Dakota Whitney (not given her name yet, think it's her) seems in-tune with Father Joe’s strangeness-- another shame, because her character was squandered on a love triangle.

I will say, though, the spectacle seems… a little repetitive already? “Let him go, let him go” repeated three times with three different cuts. 

Hmmm, I think this is the thought: compared to FTF, this movie seems like its plot is paper-thin, relying on spectacle or repetitive dialogue (or inane plotpoints? we’ll see) to keep it chugging along. 

Scully is here! 

After comparing her intro to the Pilot and Fight the Future and the previous five minutes, it seems… bland? The spectacle is gone, but that's not the problem. Everything is medical jargon as she’s giving an account of her patient to an overhead on a screen. The problem is-- and why I mentioned her previous introductions-- when a main character is introduced, their first scene establishes core aspects of their personality. Now would be a good time to get a thumb on how Scully has changed as she's navigated life on the run and in this hospital... instead, we're given nothing, really, just a medical spiel with no point other than to set up that she has a patient who needs experimental treatment. Nothing that is personal to her as an individual, other than she's more muted, downtrodden, etc. It's a very rushed and criminally underutilized scene.

I understand what CC and Spotnitz are going for: defanged Scully, hands tied and trying to keep her head down and live low-profile. Pouring her exhausted energy into trying to do some good, at least for the boy (since she can’t for Mulder.) It sets her up as frazzled and frustrated; and it makes sense why she pitches the FBI’s offer to Mulder when given the chance. 

FBI agent just bounces in and disrupts her talk with her patient… that’s a plot point, definitely--

Wait, Scully kept referring to Mulder as Fox Mulder… which, yes, she’s parroting the man’s words back exactly to him but also Scully only ever referred to him as “Mulder”, “my partner”, “Agent Mulder”; and didn’t mention him by name otherwise. This is a nitpick, I know. 

Also, from the interviews I’ve read, Gillian Anderson (and David Duchovny) struggled to get back into character in 2008 as well as the Revival (link here.) GA also notes (link here) that she agrees with Scully's characterization: "How she is in this film follows perfectly with where we last saw her and who she has always been." And, if lumping IWTB together with S9, I agree; and, interestingly, it's an aspect of Scully that GA seems to retain in the Revival (I think): saddened, withdrawn, only sparing animation when directly talking to Mulder. It makes sense after the William arc; but it’s sad to think about, regardless. 

THAT’S THE FENCE?????

 I THOUGHT IT WAS A TINY WOODEN FENCE THAT COULD BE HOPPED OVER. 

…That makes a lot of sense, actually. I definitely can see Mulder rigging it up with all the time he had to spare (because, I mean, look at it: rusty, rinky, weirdly tied to the poles.) 

I will say: I give Chris Carter props here because that man had a vision and he executed it: atmosphere, ~vibes~, and the kitchen sink. It’s why I maintain he was the ideas man and Frank Spotnitz was his refiner.  

WAIT. Is that… is that orange juice on the table? (They remembered Mulder’s orange juice but forgot to iron out the plot. The irony. If this were an indie film, I’d find it endearing and charming. …But it’s not.)

Okay, intro to Mulder now. 

Immediately we are shown the nest he’s built, with Samantha taking center-stage on his door. THAT’S how you do an intro; and, to the credit of the people behind the camera, it strikes a descriptive balance between Scully’s dispirited silence and his animated clutter. 

OKAY. Mulder’s “What’s up, Doc?” was worth it. (Don’t you just love when creators behind really cool, innovative series make alternate universe stories in their own universe? The “what if”s? The “glad this didn’t happen but it’s not all that bad, yet” one-offs with big budgets behind them? Visionaries, I tell ya.)

Mulder’s going off on a tangent and Scully’s back in her element and I would be content if the movie skipped from here to the almost end with Skinner and Scully finding him and we (meaning me) the audience wonder “WAIT, WHAT HAPPENED” and then there’s the vacation and it ends. 

Also, pertinent to stop here and reflect on the first Big Issue of the film: 

Mulder and Scully have been living in this house for five years-- as confirmed by the cut lines in IWTB’s script (link here, thank you @dunhamhairograpy)-- which means they were on the run only one year before settling back in Virginia. To satisfy my suspicions, I looked up (on Wikipedia) criminals on the FBI’s wanted list between 2000 to 2003 to see how many years each person evaded capture (if they were ever caught.) In summary, those who were on the run more than a year most likely fled the country and at the very least did not settle back in the state they originally fled; and those who remained locked on American soil were caught within a few weeks to (maximum) a year (three years was the most, I believe. Longer or still at large dipped into other countries, at least temporarily.) The script also confirms that Mulder and Scully are aware that Skinner is aiding and abetting them behind the scenes; and since the agent who interrupted Scully at her hospital immediately cut to the chase-- with the implication that Scully knew where to find her partner-- the FBI likely knew how to find Mulder easily and just… let him be. 

Despite the absolute dumpster fire of S9’s mytharc, we are led to assume that, somehow, Skinner and Doggett and Reyes stamped out the interest of alien-men-in-government and every other enemy that wanted Mulder's head and they all… proceeded as normal? Or Doggett and Reyes didn’t but Skinner did somehow…? 

BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER, LOOK AT THIS SHINY MOVIE AND THE PRETTY GOATMAN. 

Also, yes, the beard needs work. However, I just remembered that beard oil is a thing but also that hair oil is a thing; and the idea that men might be taking better care of their beards than I do my own locks makes me wanna give them a thumbs up. (…But not Mulder: the texture on his face makes me want to cringe backward from the epidermis to the dermis to the subcutaneous layer of my skin.) 

Mulder “who believes that anymore” was a great line for his first facial introduction (not bothering with technical phrases, gotta keep chuggin’); and his reaction at Scully’s snarky “they do at the FBI, apparently” and both of them being like “uhuh, they wouldn’t listen to you/us years ago” was a great nanosecond of screentime and I want more. 

Mulder's walking wonky with a feverish passion behind his eyes; and I recognize that insanity from the fervor of spending too many hours indoors and online with nothing else to do but brood. 

ALSO, he and Scully both make complete sense here and I cosign this scene. 

(...Yeah, I know, we’ll get to those ones later.) 

Scully getting around Mulder’s mood and straight to his interest and then igniting his sarcastic “oh” within a sentence or two is masterfully them and yep, I cosign. 

Mulder choking on the “I am just as happy having them out of mine” denial stuck in his throat…. also: yes, Scully has a point about the FBI as discussed above but WHY do they want him out of their hair?? There were more people who had death wishes against him than there could be people in positions of power that support him; and with no CSM or Consortium hand-holding their superstar through trials and tribulations because he could “expose” them… again, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Mulder’s being really petulant and I love it but also he’s being too petulant but in a good way, in a sarcastic “at the end of my rope and I’m only barely being polite” One Son way. 

Scully's honest “I worry about you” is touching, that’s nice. 

I just realized: y’know how DD wrote The Unnatural because he wanted to hear Mulder and Scully talk like normal people, not just regurgitate the plot points back to each other with flowery, long-winded expressions (which are great, don’t get me wrong)? Welp, they sound more… human? natural? broken in? here; and I like that aspect. 

Mulder looking at Samantha’s pic and knowing he can’t not help an innocent was a perfect character moment: great writing, thumbs up. (Reminiscent of his prior pattern of reluctantly helping people he disliked or was annoyed by-- Max Fenig in Fallen Angel, Krycek in Sleepless, Skinner in Zero Sum, Crump in Drive, Doggett in Alone, etc.) 

He accepts the FBI’s offer; and Scully’s relieved; and I advise you to keep that in mind for later.

The Big Problems Set In

Whether Mulder and Scully called and told the FBI where to pick them up or the FBI sent a helicopter out, unprompted, as a power move is unimportant in the minutiae but incredibly crippling in the larger narrative: it flew TO Mulder’s house to pick him up. There is no way Mulder is undercover or in hiding any longer; and that means, at this point, Mulder is committed. The end, full stop, point blank, period. 

The movie is broken and it's only 10 minutes in. From here on out, it will try to claim that Mulder is losing Scully by running further into the darkness; but the reality is, he has no other choice because there is nowhere else to run to regain his freedom AND to not put Scully at cross ends (or in danger) with the FBI.

He CANNOT back out: if Mulder withdraws from this deal with the FBI, he has to leave his home, go on the run again, and risk more aggressive recapture and imprisonment and probably broker another deal to escape full penalty at. a. minimum. 

It would be insane for him to back out at any point in the future. He knows it, the FBI knows it, and more importantly SCULLY knows it: she’s the cautious one in this relationship; and she would have weighed the pros and cons before telling Mulder the FBI's offer. Yes, she tends to react without thinking at times-- asking Mulder for his IVF donation without long-term plans, for example, (link here)-- but something as precious as her partner’s life, the only person she sacrificed everything for, would be carefully guarded and protected. 

Surely, she wouldn’t want him to back out at any point; especially because she has constantly suspected their own allies in the FBI all the years they’d been there, even Skinner, over and over and over. There would be no inducement or reason for her to trust the FBI to let Mulder stop on his whim (or hers, or theirs); and it’s a good thing she doesn’t do that. …Right? 

NOW: would it be in her character to want him to stop? Absolutely-- that’s who she is. But to place him in an impossible position then demand something even more impossible on top of it, after Mulder’s hands are effectively tied until the case is solved? That’s what’s character breaking for her. We’ll get to that. 

What’s going to be even more frustrating is that Scully will ultimately break their partnership (or start to) because of jealousy over another woman... for script reasons. (Don’t believe me? I don't blame you. But we'll get to it in a future part.) And that’s the show’s greatest flaw: the writers enjoy playing “are they, aren’t they” with Mulder’s driven passion and Scully’s jealousy and wish to be his priority. What’s worse is he prioritizes her more than any other human on the planet, even in this movie; and, at this point, Scully knows and has made peace with how Mulder is (all things.) To sacrifice their growth and trust in each other because of illogical reasons... we’ll get to that. 

“Past is the past” says Dakota Whitney. That might be enough for Mulder in the long run but it certainly won’t be for Scully. …RIGHT? 

Monica name recycle which is a staple and yet not a Monica Reyes who could have had pull to have Mulder and Scully pulled in on the case… oh, well. 

Yes, Mulder has precedent to write off psychic phenomenon evidence when given to him by his enemies-- he’s petty that way-- but can you imagine how annoyed he was when it came out the psychic was a religious guy? A former Father? An issue that used to pit he and Scully against each other? (I see what you did there, writers.)  

So: we have religious angle to separate Mulder and Scully in this movie. Also, we have jealousy over Dakota Whitney-- this movie’s nicer variant of Diana Fowley and Detective White and Phoebe Green: a gal who wants Mulder and writes Scully out of the picture despite very obvious rumors and even more obvious clues in the present-- to drive a further wedge (will be discussed next time.) What else could go wrong? 

What I do like is that this movie sets up Mulder’s priority list that aligns with his previous character iteration: he wants to chase monsters, but not at the expense of people; and, further, when he doesn’t want to chase monsters, he still will for the sake of others' lives.  

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Chris, did you have to make Father Joe a pedophile? 

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I understand, I do, that it’s about people who want to redeem themselves, who are afraid of the monsters within, who are burdened with a greater purpose, BUT NONE OF THE PEDO STUFF HAS TO DO WITH THE PLOT.

For instance: Roland’s autism directly correlated with the X-File of his case, Marty’s blindness with hers, as well as all the other men and monsters with supernatural powers or inhibitions. Having a random and prominent flaw that doesn’t contribute to anything in the movie is, quite honestly, a waste of precious run-time; and is another example of the movie’s paper-thin story structure that it tosses around willy-nilly. 

Tune’s catchy, though. 

Okay, the movie’s editing is weird again. We’ve already “seen” Father Joe in the beginning; so repeating Mulder’s introduction style (angling towards everything but the man’s face) is noticeably repetitive and out of place. 

Scully going for the man’s throat is a great set up for her and Mulder’s banter but 

issssssssssssssssssss out of place, especially considering they need information out of the man and don’t know how he’ll react to fierce, off-topic interrogation. Yes, harming children is a no-no for Scully, and harming them especially in the name of her faith is a BIGGER no-no; however, she was never this tactless before, not even with John Lee Roche. Further, she stipulates this is Mulder's case, which means she jeopardized his interrogation with her sniping. Not only was it out-of-character, but it could have put an end to the only lead Mulder had to help out the FBI. Her professionalism is rusty, and further, she is sacrificing the high ground for a dig at the man’s ethics. It’s not very Scully, is it? 

“Maybe it’s not God doing the sending” so this was personal, Scully, that dig had nothing to do with the case except for your own want to defend your beliefs against this pedophile. You’ve never done this in the past; and you and Mulder have worked past any insecurities you might have had with regards to your faith. So, THIS means you’re insecure. Maybe those years on the road have you overthinking or rethinking; but, regardless. it’s rolling back the character growth you achieved in all things and needed to be handled with defter care. 

If the writers were trying to establish her as a bloodhound in this movie ala her old self, they can’t start it out with her being listless and downtrodden and suddenly break that in ways that would harm Mulder’s (and her) investigation and then shove her back into listlessness... and then repeat that cycle over and over with no rhyme or reason.

Also, Whitney is being established as the woman who looks to Mulder, always, because she has a big, fat crush on him that the writers will exploit for maximum drama. 

FATHER JOE SENDS SCULLY OUT-- why. Negative energy didn’t inhibit psychic ability in previous cases. If Father Joe's so wimpy that someone watching him with disdain while he does his whammo makes him insecure and unable to… I was gonna say perform, remembered his altar boys, and cringed internally. Anyway, then he needs to be reminded who's in charge here.

The dialogue cracks are beginning to show: Scully’s parting line is cringe. Even though it doesn’t sound natural to say-- that’s never stopped The X-Files before-- what makes it egregious is that there is no connective tissue to her statement. When talking, there is a leadup to a point and a comment that follows it, etc. etc. Scully’s statement-- “Maybe what you see is a way to try to make people forget what you really are”-- is responding to nothing; and is randomly stated. The equivalent of the teacher telling Timmy to go sit in the corner and Timmy randomly yelling "You're not my mom!" before doing so. It achieved nothing; and made her look like a five year old that can't grasp the finer points of communication (because she only reiterated what everyone else in the room already knew.) Also, it sets up Scully as a disbeliever to Mulder and Whitney as believers; and, of course, this puts Scully through a hackneyed journey back to belief even though she doesn’t disbelieve in psychic ability any longer, etc. etc. 

The question becomes: if this is a new pattern in her behavior, it will remain consistent. Another problem, too, remains. We (the audience) are not given a good reason why this rational character is behaving outside of her own interests. Scully has training and years of experience that being on the run for a year and in medicine for four? is not going to erase. It’s setting her up to be sloppy and messy with her decision-making skills; and we are given no reason why Scully is this way now; and, further, why she directly contradicts this new pattern in other scenes.  

Scully getting scared by Mulder on the pedo colony balcony is a scene I didn’t know existed and I like and he was a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal snot for doing that and yay, it’s Mulder. 

And also, I have another nitpick: Mulder, although he has backed off and let Scully handle her own issues with sexist cops and the like in the past, would never let a crook dictate the terms of where Scully is supposed to be: Scully would decide to walk out when she didn’t believe a word their suspect was saying, not because she was expected to leave. Mulder didn’t advocate for her here, put his foot down, or even blaze up and insist Father Joe stop playing games. Strike one against Mulder's characterization. 

JUST AFTER I MADE THOSE POINTS Scully admits she was wrong and Mulder immediately defers to her. Which… uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, time to break that down. 

This doesn’t seem like a lot; but that tiny detail completely demolished Father Joe’s introductory scene AND Mulder and Scully’s first scene back in the FBI saddle.

“All I had were questions-- you challenged him.” That’s a very Mulder thing to say… in other circumstances, but not in this one. Here, Mulder shouldn’t have “just had questions” especially because he was bugged that the other FBI people were a little too doe-eyed about Father Joe; and that annoyance would have made him act out on the priest. Furthermore, Scully’s fury against criminals IS something he loves about her BUT was out of place here, too. And all of this is negated because Scully left, anyway, and he didn’t stick up for her. It’s like if Scully and he were middle schoolers and their classmates kicked her out of a group discussion only for him to wander over after it's done and say, “you did great back there, sweetie!” without sticking his neck out for her at all. It smacks of spinelessness, the opposite of Fox Mulder.

Great acting by DD and GA; but terrible, terrible scenario. 

The precedent has been set that Scully will lash out, get shunned to an outer circle, and Mulder will ho-hum, let it happen, get his info, and give her a pat on the head later. That’s never been them; and this pattern is immediately broken by a following contradictory scene. This back-and-forth cycle continues, over and over, flip-flopping Mulder and Scully in and out of character, and further damaging the script with one-off, disconnected responses. 

Also, aren’t Mulder and Scully past this unnecessary drama of poking the bear (an old, Irish? pedo priest) before they get their necessary information? ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN MULDER'S FREEDOM IS ON THE LINE.

Scully finding out Mulder is humoring Father Joe and deciding to leave the situation and beat them all to the car NOW is in-character; but--

wait. WAIT. NO, I WAS WRONG. SCULLY’S JUST LEAVING LEAVING??? WHAT. 

Okay, another essay time-- wow, I’m not even 20 minutes into this movie, HOW-- before we keep going: Scully leaving, now, because she doesn’t want to humor Father Joe has never stopped her in the past. Ten seconds ago she and Mulder were bantering, five seconds ago she bantered as she left, one cut later she’s somber and serious and dour and down and Mulder has to chase after her. WHAT HAPPENED IN A MILLISECOND to change her entire attitude, especially since she doesn't have a new piece of information to react to????? 

In order: 

Sees Father Joe is being humored (tilts head back in her normal, almost-amused, incredulous style): 

Makes a bantery “It’s been fuuuuuuuuuun” remark and an upbeat “no thanks” remark: 

Walks off (which is dangerous to her partner, will talk about that in the below paragraph) with a bantery “anyway, he doesn’t want me here” handwave: 

Mulder is amused (but knows he has to go convince her): 

MILLISECOND LATER with no new info or reaction “This isn’t my life anymore, Mulder”: 

SO, we’re supposed to assume Scully wanted to hand Mulder over to the FBI from the start, sit back, and just let him run willy nilly around with them without her being there; and only came along because he asked her to come but still bailed on him when she didn’t like the case…?

Let’s take John Lee Roche as an example of why Scully wouldn’t react this way: during that and Grotesque and even Folie a Deux, Scully had Mulder’s back even against her own professional interests. She only left him in FTF and One Son because she thought Mulder didn’t need her any longer. Scully’s nature has always been to ride along, even when she doesn’t want to-- How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, an excellent example: even before her keys were stolen, she was still trying to talk herself out of joining Mulder. But now, NOW when it’s inconvenient, she decides to skip out? Now she has even less excuse: this is her partner’s freedom on the line; and he stipulated FROM THE GET-GO that he needs HER to work WITH him to solve this, BEFORE she called the FBI to agree. 

THIS is not Scully. THIS is ridiculous. 

Now, to those who are reading this and thinking, “well, she could have done that”-- true, Scully could have. Anyone can do anything, IF there is a logical reason or it’s in a person’s best interest to take that action. For instance: Never Again was in-character for Scully because it fit into the mold of previously established reactions to father figures and feeling second place. Why this isn’t in her character is because the two keys to Scully’s loyalty-- being prioritized and depended upon as well as valued and trusted-- are being handed to her on a silver platter and she’s rejecting them (AND her partner’s safety) because she doesn’t wanna do it. Again, that’s never been who Scully is: Scully does the hard thing because it needs to be done; and she only shirks or avoids the emotional mirror being held up to her while still doing her job. There’s a life on the line here-- two, possibly, if Mulder doesn’t follow through on the deal-- and Scully would rather dump the problem in his lap when the logical, realistic, and easily graspable answer is do this case for a few rough weeks or months (because Mulder has always worked fast), then have unlimited freedom and time to go back to doing what she wants. This is not the place to write in this reaction: have one for Scully if, in the discussion for his freedom, Mulder starts pushing for reinstatement instead of simply finishing this case and letting his past go. That’s not what happens here (at the very least); so it makes no sense for her to be doing these actions-- especially with the information she and Mulder are working on-- now. 

Scully says “You’ve done all they’ve asked for you to do” as if implying that Mulder’s finished his task NOW, RIGHT NOW-- that one talk with a psychic has won his freedom. …I’m sorry, how did she conclude this and where was this established? 

Mulder was brought on to find an agent; Scully thinks that agent is dead, so oh, well! You’re done here, Mulder, let’s go~. 

Scully. You know and Mulder knows and I know that the FBI said one agent but really meant the whole case. Don’t be stupid. You’re not a stupid person. They never stipulated either way, c'mon, you were there, you know this.  

The problems aren't over AND IT'S ONLY 20 MINUTES IN.

Next pet peeve: as a general rule, Mulder is understanding with those on the wrong side of the law; however, Father Joes is a pedophile. Further, we’re not shown the scene where Father Joe has humanized himself, his reasons, or even his current character enough to justify the soft way Mulder is dealing with him. 

All we have is that--

Father Joe isolates himself in a compound. 

Father Joe told Scully to leave the room when she barked at him. 

Mulder handles Father Joe gently despite him being a pedophile and despite him kicking Scully out of the interrogation (which sets up her feeling left out.)

Mulder is sitting in the car with Father Joe (and Whitney) and not Scully despite the two of them driving to the same place together.

Father Joe’s castration and inner torment is not brought up until later when he wants to appeal to Scully. 

So, for all intents and purposes, Mulder is being needlessly sweet to a guy that confessed (at this point) to touching more than a couple altar boys and ostracized Mulder's partner just because he’s… psychic. Does Chris not remember how Mulder was initially not nice to Samuel in Miracle Man until after he pulled the Samantha card, was never nice to Modell in Pusher, and still picked fights with various witnesses because of their personal decisions? Again, the only time Mulder was nice or at least professionally kind with flawed characters was AFTER they owned up to or tried to atone for their sins…and, AGAIN, we aren’t shown that scene between he and Father Joe. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCENES BETWEEN THEM BECAUSE IT SETS THE TONE FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP.  It falls into the “reply without a preceding remark” territory that I mentioned about the dialogue, except this time it's with characters. Really bad. 

The writers try to save the interaction by having Father Joe sympathize about Samantha whereas the other agent up front doesn’t… but that only breaks the scene even more. 

Male agent up front believed in psychic Father Joe before Mulder was even asked aboard the case. 

Male agent up front believes in psychic abilities but still pokes at the man who was an “authority” on them by mocking Samantha’s “E.T.” abduction. 

Male agent has been professionally distant and disdainful from the get-go; but it’s in HIS best interest to not create rifts with Mulder who is helping Father Joe help the FBI (and him) find their missing agent. 

There is nothing in male agent’s character to suggest he is an irrational man; so, therefore, his random poke only serves to undercut his teammates’ efforts thus far to find and bring Mulder on board. This would waste everyone’s effort and precious time. 

This scene only serves as a convenient excuse to simultaneously lore dump about Samantha and attempt, too late, to humanize Father Joe. Lore about Samantha is fine, but not if it contradicts (read: breaks) male agent's character. And humanizing Father Joe is pointless here because every monster can sympathize with others in their own crooked way. A truer test of character would be to show him go out of his way or comfort zone to help another person-- and that isn't what happens here.

Conclusion

Will I do a part two? Yeah, probably: I need to get to "the split" and Skinner and the vacation-- can't leave it (not even) half-done, after all.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

#txf #X-Files IWTB: First Time React #Part I #meta #xf meta #mine #analysis #React #IWTB #I Want To Believe #Mulder #Scully #CC #Spotnitz #Frank Spotnitz #oh the pain #and the torment #thoughts #xfiles #x-files #the x files #movie

[joyflameball]

Honestly kinda nuts to me that people think the "reblogs > likes" thing is just about "Ohhh you want big number go up, you want validation from big number"

Bitch I don't care about big number. I care about what people SAY. I value comments over likes too for this reason. Comments INHERENTLY have some words about the post (unless they're porn bots), and reblogs usually have something in them as well! A keysmash, laughing, crying, analysis is my favorite. And even the ones that don't comment still mean a lot, because it inherently says to me "I loved this so much that I wanted people to see it, or I wanted to save it." And that means the world to me!

Likes CANNOT convey that. Likes could mean anything from "This art is a masterpiece and I love it" to "Oh nice art." It is IMPOSSIBLE to tell. While reblogs usually tell you SPECIFICALLY what they liked about the art, likes just... don't. They're vague and unhelpful and confusing.

It's not a choice between "Have people see your art, or not," though letting artists have their art seen is very important, especially if they're beginners, and ESPECIALLY if it's writing. It's a choice between "Feel like people are genuinely reacting to your art, or even just that they loved it so much they're sharing it" or "number next to heart go up."

It's the same reason writers care more about comments rather than kudos. Kudos are again, Number Go Up. But even a comment that is just a keysmash tells you SO much more. Literally, one of my favorite comments on all my fics is just a person typing incoherent sobbing and sniffling and ending with "I love this and I love you. Gootbye." There's no analysis, it's just that, and every time I think of that comment I just start smiling.

And yeah, there are artists who want reblogs because they want the number to go up and they want more exposure. (And writers ESPECIALLY NEED it.) But I think this is applicable to a LOT of artists. After all, who doesn't want a lot of people telling you how much they love this art?

Tldr: reblogs > likes isn't "we want big number go up" it's "we want people to actually react to our art with more than just a nod of acknowledgement."

#cassie rambles

[highsviolets]

you know what. i am just going to say it.

i am so sick and tired of fandom as a transaction. i have works for several pieces of media on my masterlist. everyone likes, no one reblogs. everyone leaves a kudos, but no one comments. people hit the follow button, but no one interacts with an ask game or a text post.

i’ll be the first to acknowledge that this isn’t true across the board. there are some people, some fandoms, who are different. and that’s great! keep supporting your authors, your gifmakers, your artists.

“but Aurora,” you say, “you haven’t reblogged fic in ages. why do you care?”

a valid question! let me tell you. the difference between me and everyone i see in my notes is that i’m not reading fic at all, so i’m not reblogging it or leaving comments. everyone in my notes? they’re serial reading my masterlist and think it’s okay to slap a like on each work and move on to the next one without a reblog, comment, or ask sent my way by means of acknowledgment for my work, time, and skill. i still care because that is still my work that i spent hours upon hours perfecting.

and yet they choose to never interact. i have almost 2k followers. more than some, less than others. i haven’t posted a new fic in a few months and i still gain some nearly every day. and still: no one interacts. “but aurora, you don’t write anymore. what can people ask you?”

hm. funny. you know why i’m not as active? because interaction has tanked. i’m a human being, not a fic machine. i’m here for community, not to spit out my ideas in isolation. no matter the role of the fandom ecosystem you take on, you suffer when you fail to meaningfully support creatives. there is less joy, less community, less art of all kinds to go around when we feel used and abused as a cash cow for free entertainment.

#fandom #okay to rb #just say no to a capitalistic view of fandom! you too can stick it to the man!

[byeler]

i generally agree with the sentiment of the post about liking v reblogging, but i think at its core the issue is about being able to get work out there and seen by other people. i mean this with all the respect in the world as a big fan of your work, but i’d imagine as the author of the number one kudos’d byler fic in the world (no small feat and a testament to your skill seriously) you have established a solid platform for yourself. i think overall it’s a very interesting discussion and like i said, i agree with you! no one is entitled to an engagement, regardless of the merit of their work. i just also think this adds an extra layer that’s interesting to explore. i hope this comes across as respectful, and my fr deepest apologies if not. all the love.

i do fully understand where you're coming from, but i also was not joking when i mentioned that i've said this before. if you can't tell by the date or the fact that post got a whopping three notes, i really did not carry the same presence back then that i do now. any reblog on any post or fic of mine was (and still is!!) incredibly valuable to me. i know how important it is to encourage and share fics you enjoy because that is what did and still does continue to help me. i promise i didn't post that because i want to stop people from interacting with things that they enjoy.

what really, really bothers me is the guilt trips. i absolutely endorse and support posts that say "hey, if you want your favorite authors/artists/theorists to continue to create more of what you like, reciprocate and interact with them". what i do not condone is posts that boil down to "this fandom is dying because YOU are not reblogging enough" when there are several reasons that someone might just not want to reblog. and i just don't feel like my desire for engagement overrules anyone else's desires for what they want to do on their own blog.

at the end of the day, if i post a piece of writing for free on the internet, it's already written. while getting feedback often feels like a reward for the work i've put in, i've already done the work. if someone wants to read it and enjoy it and then choose not to like or reblog or kudos or comment or acknowledge it in any way, i still don't lose anything from that. i might not gain anything, either, but that is not a loss, because i'm not entitled to someone else's time. and on the flip side, it gives me a huge amount of appreciation for those that do take the time to otherwise engage with my work, because i know it's not a requirement, it's something they wanted to do.

i know it might sound like i'm coming from a place of privilege (?) being able to say this, and i won't fully disagree with you on that, but it's something i've felt strongly about long before my writing really had any sort of traction. i also want to be clear that i can only speak for myself, and that many other authors and artists likely disagree with me on this topic. but i simply do not want anyone to feel pressured to force some sort of interaction with me for whatever reason, regardless of how much they like my fics.

#also pls don't worry you came across fine and i'm never gonna be upset for someone disagreeing/expressing their thoughts respectfully #there's definitely nuance to this #i always try to rb fics and art with detailed tags of what i loved/leave long comments because i know how important they are #but sometimes i just don't have the energy!! #sometimes i like a post intending to come back to it later but i forget about it and never do #sometimes i like a post because i like it but i don't want it on my blog #like. there are a thousand reasons. and getting upset with someone for not immediately spreading their work just comes across as so. nasty #i know it sucks when something you've worked hard on flops. it's happened to me!! multiple times!!! #but there are other ways to encourage engagement that don't include stomping your feet and demanding more from your audience. #ok i have rambled enough but i am open to more discussion on this if anyone is so inclined

[radiosummons]

I find it amazing and a little heartwarming that as a collective (specifically in regards to the TCW fandom), we all just outright refuse to accept the fact that Feral Opress, ya know, died.

Literally impossible for me to look for anything Maul, Savage or Asajj related without seeing Feral hovering around alive and well in the background. Extra kudos to the artists and writers who acknowledge he's a fucking Nightbrother instead of defaulting to soft boi Feral (nothing wrong with this take btw, I just like variety).

Rest in peace, king. 🤴

#savage opress #feral opress #asajj ventress #darth maul #clone wars

[bloustorm]

tagged by @aobawilliams

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

just 4

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

9,731 words3,338

3. What fandoms do you write for?

AO3 I got My Hero Academia, Trash of the Count's Family and Kiss the Abyss, but I also got various wips for Naruto, DC, and some other fandoms or crossovers like DCxWC

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Woes of a Drunkard (341)

How about No (76)

Burned-in Fingerprints (24)

When did I lose you for real? (18)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yeah! I always try to respond to the immediately, I myself like when the author responds to something I wrote in a comment (though I also try to write longer comments) and I think it's nice if it just gets acknowledged that I saw that they took their time for it. Also comments give me live and kudos just do nothing for me.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

That would probably be "When did I lose you for real" if I ever manage to finish that fic whoops

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uh hard to say actually, like Burned-In Fingerprints ends pretty positive if I remember right but like How about No doesn't even get angsty at all? but I would say it's a neutral ending so yeah. Fingerprints.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, but like my fics aren't that well known obviously or haven't really been written out enough to have anything offensive in it lol. I really need to finish my wips one day

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, that's a secret /j Idk what's meant here with what kind, anyway only a selected few are allowed to read that anyways

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Hmm haven't written anything just thought about it.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so (unless it was done without my knowledge)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, there's kind of an idea of doing it with @grolahvol and possible @fanfiction-artist-prototype but that's up in the air for if it ever happens

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

...yeah no idea right now, come ask me another time. (It tends to change on the day)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

*crying* all of them.

Would really love to actually finish the posted stories I have on ao3 but I am currently so OUT of the fandom that it will take a while before I can look at the again I guess, like I literally have the third chapter almost ready only needs simple edits but nope

16. What are your writing strengths?

I honestly got no idea? I probably got some I'm just not sure what it could be.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

word hard. Also no idea how grammar works beyond "whatever feels right to me".

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Eeh, I probably wouldn't do it because it's bothersome having to look up a translation while you're reading a fic, unless it's something that fits with the context or just a few words here and there. Also switching languages in the middle of thinking is so hard to do, why would you do this to me. + like it just feels awkward to write it in another language, at least to me. Or to read it, there are a few language that can make it work but like german is not one of them (at least to me)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Uhhh technically like the Ga'hoole movie or something mabye?? that was even before I knew about fandom.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

UGH, I like the Drunkard one but How about No is also really funny

tagging @fanfiction-artist-prototype @aro-aizawa @slagathorius-maximus and uhhh whoever else sees this and writes

#1) + 3 on another acc. 2)+3338 #yeah I just copy pasted aobas text so I didn't have to type all the questions that's why I also just used her text for some answers #blou talks #tag game

[lqtraintracks]

I’m going to do my own modified AO3 wrapped thing here, just for my own records and acknowledgement of what this year was for me, both in fic writing and in writing on my novel. If you feel like checking out your own 2022 stats and going, “Well, would you look at that!” feel free to join me! :D

My total words written in 2022: 202,347! For the first time with @gywo I went for the Basic challenge, and I’m so happy and proud that I made it there! 

The number of words I posted to AO3 was 132, 935. Which means the difference, 69,412, is what I wrote on my original novel this year. By my count, I have around 50k left on the novel total, so I didn’t sign up for Basic again, just a Modest 150k. I think I can manage 100k in fic again. :D

It was my 10th year writing in the Harry Potter fandom, and I celebrated that with 10 ficlets written in January of last year. I posted three ficlets last night, and that brought me to a total of 300 fics now on AO3! 

My stories that did best this year, by hits or by kudos pretty much were:

1. The Only Magic Left Between Us

2. Dicking Draco Down

3. Phoenix in the Fire

and then depending on which metric I’m using:

Good Boy, Music in the Darkness, Willing Blood (written with the glorious @the-starryknight), and Gather Your Will with Mine (of which I only wrote about 100 words, so I don’t think I can take much credit; it was a group effort of love).

I wrote for three fandoms this year. Mostly HP of course. But I also managed several Captive Prince stories, and one wee Locked Tomb piece.

I’m really happy with this year of my writing life. I met my big writing goal, almost met my novel goals (though to be fair they were mighty and I had to go and be sick from Thanksgiving through the end of the year, which messed with how much I’d planned to write on it during that time). I’m very pleased with the words I did write, both for fandom and on my novel. I’m excited for what’s to come!

Thank you all for being in this fandom with me, whether you’re a writer, an artist, a reccer, an avid reader, a commenter, etc. For the fandom olds, a high five for us still kicking around; for people new to fandom this past year, I hope 2022 was joyful and creative for you and that you met, like I have, close and wonderful friends to share this love with; to those of you just finding the fandom now, welcome! I hope everybody has a stellar 2023!

#ao3 wrapped 2022 #my stats #my writing

[roydeezed]

Detective Conan-Case 230:Pre-Wedding Party Case

Case Round-Up(Chapter/File 793-795)

Happy Pride Ace Detectives! From my Shinichi Kudo’s to my Harley Hartwell’s to the Hercule Poirot’s, Sherlock Holmes’s, Herlock Sholmes’s, Benoit Blanc’s and even the Goro Akechi’s, I hope you all have a wonderful month! I’m back with the next case in which we get introduced to a new character. But before we get to that can I talk about how amazing this chapter cover is? It’s melancholy and has an amazing sense of perspective, really showing how the world dwarfs Conan. The rain coupled with the phrase, Flames of Fate, and the tragic events of this case turns the mood even more somber. Aoyama has always excelled at establishing incredibly tragic stories, from the pathetic fallacy of the weather and beat down atmosphere to the incredibly kind-hearted characters' gut-wrenched reactions, Aoyama always knows how to twist the knife. This chapter we get a case where at the reunion of Kogoro’s old classmates, the future wife to be of one of his old friends dies in a fiery crash. Kogoro, or Richard as he’s called in the official English translations, doesn’t believe his friend to be a killer despite the suspicious behavior we see of him, but a new character believes him to be the culprit with some clumsy detective work. More thoughts below the cut!

That’s right, this guy, Toru Amuro (or is the more common spelling Tooru Amuro?). Now, from following some amazing Detective Conan fan-artists and seeing that Zero’s Tea Time is a show, and the fact that he’s become Kogoro’s apprentice, I’m guessing he becomes a big part of the story. What this chapter and having that knowledge makes me think is that he’s taking the space of what Eisuke Hondou was supposed to be. I can see Eisuke being cut because he was unpopular or some such thing but his role still being important so Aoyama makes a replacement character. Because other than being older, he takes up the role of a clumsy detective becoming Kogoro’s apprentice. I welcome it though, he looks like a nice addition to the cast and I always love brown-town rep whenever I can get it. He's probably clinging to Kogoro for a specific reason and I look forward to finding out what that is.

With having Community on the brain already(this phrase probably sounds absolutely bonkers to anyone who hasn’t watched it), it was easy enough to imagine it being a case of incest when them being saved from the same fire was mentioned, but I learned a lot of things about twin genetics I hadn’t before. It was interesting. It’s a shame Elroy wasn’t there to encourage them. I kid, because it was quite tragic. This was one of the few cases where it wasn’t a murder. And having Toru barge in like that claiming it was, darkened the mood even more. Conan took Kogoro’s place but this is one of those cases where I believe Kogoro would’ve gone to hell and back to defend his friend. I always appreciate Conan’s acknowledgement at the tragedy of a case, his poignant wrap-ups remain a kindhearted counterargument to the stoic summaries of the noir detectives of old. 

#detco #dcmk #detective conan #case closed #gosho aoyama #tooru amuro #mouri kogoro #manga recap #manga discussion #manga

[lovejustforaday]

2023 Year End List - #18

18. The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We - Mitski

Main genres: Indie Folk

A decent sampling of: Slowcore, Alternative Country, Chamber Pop, Countrypolitan

Gonna admit something that could get me crucified in some spaces of the internet - Mitski is not my #1 contemporary "sad girl" in indie rock/pop, and I've never really 100% bought the hype.

She's definitely talented, and arguably the most likable, down-to-earth indie musician that has reached her level of fame. But Puberty 2 through Be The Cowboy and Laurel Hell, I've only ever found about two tracks on each of these records that I'd wanna revisit regularly (Haven't touched the fan favourite Bury Me At Makeout Creek or those first two records yet, so I could be totally missing out on her best material).

You see, "Your Best American Girl" and "Nobody" are excellent singles that have always deserved the hype they received, but then her records as a whole have generally been full of these songs that I would describe as "under-cooked" and sometimes too short for their own good.

This time around, however, I'm happy to express that I genuinely really enjoyed her latest LP The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We. Mitski's greatest qualities as a songwriter shine much brighter here than on recent past projects. Stripping everything down to intimate, slow-moving folk-country balladry plays to her greatest strengths - the way in which Mitski carries her melodies so delicately, like a broken bird when singing, and how clearly gifted she is at writing those melodies.

The display of painfully universal human emotions also permeates this record as much as any other Mitski project, but this time I feel that her songs are given more room to breathe, which allows the emotional gut punches to hit much harder.

This is most evident on the record's finest moment, a song called "Heaven" which, like all of the best Mitski tracks, is mostly about the shameless longing for the love of another human being, this time set to the tune of arcadian, countrypolitan-style string arrangements that flourish over a wistful promenade of reflections on her unbridled devotion towards a lover that is all too absent. This is the sound of her signature artistic style aging into a fine, full-bodied wine that I could very easily get drunk off of (and then, in true Mitski fashion, start sobbing uncontrollably).

There's also the thundering bittersweet triumph of "When Memories Snow", wherein Mitski expresses the desire to wipe clean all the traumas of the past, while achieving a sound that is close, familiar, and personal, yet also somehow larger than life as any 60s brill building production. That bold country orchestra is every bit as awakening to the senses as dunking your head in a bucket of ice water, and I also just need to take a minute to acknowledge the deeply satisfying chord progressions that manage to really seal the deal on making this track feel truly massive.

I also really appreciate the closer "I Love Me After You", an epilogue that gently sways and disappears into a hushed, forested midnight of bassy piano chords, low crashing cymbals, and sleepy guitar drones.

If you weren't fully sold on Mitski before in the same way that I wasn't, then this could very well be the record that gets you hooked. The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We plays to all of her strengths as an artist, and it really shows Mitski coming into her own as a seasoned musician who's capable of adapting to new sounds.

I'm still not convinced she couldn't make an even better record in the future if she continues in this direction as a songwriter. It's a bit slow to start, and the B-side heavily dominates the album, but this is her first record that I will be putting in my regular rotation, and a big highlight of the year for the Mitski diehards and longtime skeptics alike. So kudos to the millennial queen of sad girl indie.

8/10

Highlights: "Heaven", "When Memories Snow", "I Love Me After You", "My Love Mine All Mine"

#album review #music review #list #aoty #year end list #indie folk #folk #mitski #the land is inhospitable and so are we #2023

[tarus18]

You know I just wanna watch shippers show genuine appreciation for jm as an artist n also human instead of only as a token for their ship, why they treat jm as as a female counter part of the ship just why???😭😭😭 Why are women being misogynistic here, if a man is behaving as a misogynist that's another battle but here most are grown women who acknowledge jm only when it comes to their ship??

What kind of twisted delusion is this, I am glad I came out of it

Shippers are deprived of reality 😑 turning every single thing as a coded message??? It's about his album process, his hardship,his emotional labour which he also mentioned n these people are only looking at one certain part of whole process

Are they thinking this as BL novel??🧐🧐

Anyways kudos to jm for his creativity n also history breaking moment for your BB hot 100 which you achieved on your own after nearly 60 years 🎉🎉🎊

[onlyoneofyouu]

Ah Jo, I just read the post about Freefall (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠)

You deserve kudos and all the love for speaking about what you went through this year. I wouldn't be able to do this and I'm glad TxT are helping you a lot rn (⁠o⁠´⁠･⁠_⁠･⁠)⁠っ

And overall, I just agree about everything you said. Lore aside, it's clear that they had fun while recording and working on the album. They found the genres where they're currently more comfortable and they're going to use them.

And also OOOOOH you liked Growing Pain too?! Yeeeees 😭

My rock/metal fan inside me screamed, cried and went "YES, THAT'S MY BOYS. THEY DID IT FOR MEEEEEESEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

And then I claimed the song as my fave, as my precious thing that no one should talk badly about or I'll go full rage mode (for legal reasons, this last part is a joke. Taste is subjective, yadda yadda).

Even tho I confess that a little tear came from my face after listening to the song for the, like, fifth time. I thought "Damn, Chester would have loved covering it (you know, Chester Bennington from Linkin Park)...And now I'm here, being a little emotional and teary about it 🥲😭

And I'm also projecting what would ever happen if TxT will ever go full rap/nu metal one day. I don't think it can happen because they need to find a vocal coach for teaching them how to growl or scream without losing their vocal chords five minutes later and also because they seem to not be into metal in general 🤣

Unless they'll do a collab with my girls Babymetal...ACH I shouldn't think about it or I'll project too much. But maybe a Japanese single...AAAAAAAAAAAAAH 😭

Better if they stick in the normal rock.

Also, idk you but I highly, HIGHLY, prefer Blue Spring live instead of the studio version 🥲

It seems the studio version is missing something 🤨🤔

Which is a bummer, the song is good 🥲

Teresaa thank you so much for your words 🥺🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 i'm also really glad i have txt to give me joy, support and relief 🥲 as always i don't want to rely on it too much because it puts pressure on artists that are human too and can't solve all of our problems, but music itself keeps being there for me and i'm always going to rely on that ❤

With lore involved it can become even more tricky for groups to express themselves through the music, so i'm really glad txt are given the opportunity to do that anyway!! (it certainly helps that the lore itself was built to fit the experiences of young people, but you know, as taehyun said on his last live, gbgb for example felt more forced for him because he wasn't really feeling what they were supposed to portray) for as much as i'm a lore enthusiast, if leaving it behind meant having more creative freedom for a group i'd support it 100% *coff coff ateez coff coff*

i'm also glad the company keeps overall acknowledging and respecting that txt shine and are more comfortable with certain genres yup yup!

i'm usually not an hard rock and metal enthusiast, it depends on the song, and Growing Pains is one of those for me 🥰 you claiming and defending it is like me with Dreamer sksgskhsks

... 🥺🫂 i'm not fan of Linkin Park, more of a casual listener, but i also thought about them when i heard it... also and me and my brother yesterday night were listening to some music together and one of their songs came up and i was like "full circle!"

i love how one way or another txt found a way to make us all shed at least a few tears :")

the vocal coach part made me crackle 😭😭😭 anyway bestie, delulu is the solulu 🤝 maybe they'll never go full metal but i hope they give us more hard rock and metal inspired in the future yes 🙏 let's manifest 🕯

so i'm not the only one part 2!! i feel the same way 🤝 i also prefer Blue Spring live version! its rawness just perfectly delivers the feelings, the studio version doesn't sound as good for some reason, so i'm keeping my dear blue spring live concert ver mp3 file in my playlist 👍

#teresa 🎨 ☁️ #joanswers

[steddiecameraroll]

Thanks @hbyrde36 for the tag, this is a good one! *rubs hands together*

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

23 (so far)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

543,459 (like, what? I only started writing fic on AO3 Aug 22. Rambler apparently)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, Stranger Things - Steve/Eddie

Historically, The Office - Jim/Pam

I also have 1 I wrote for Doctor Who that I posted last year on AO3 that I probably wrote in 2009. - 10 Doctor/Rose

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Artist and The Hair 

Your Silence Gives Me a Migraine 

It Takes a Muscle to Fall In Love

Must Have/Can't Stand Checklist 

My whole existence is flawed (You get me closer to God) 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes. I honestly don't get that many so totally manageable and I like to acknowledge the time they took to do it.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oof, well I always have a happy ending, but I will say my Glimpse of Us series, is a rough one emotionally for everyone involved for 90% of each fic. Or, you could say my When It's Time (I'll Be There) with a 5-1 near death for Steve where he keeps having flashes of Eddie in the afterlife, the 1 is it's no longer a near death for Steve, but they end up together so that's the happy part.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

IMO, This Is Supposed to be My Damn Year, because the epliogue goes 30+ years in their future.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, I'm flying pretty low under the radar so I'm more thinking if people don't like it they don't leave a kudos.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes...it's Steddie so it's all on the table. I've done the sweet romantic, done the rough aggressive, from BJ to 1st person Eddie, haven't touched many kinks or rape/non-con, but I do have a couple WIPs with Steve maybe being a little OOC and cruising/glory hole situation.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, although if you look at half of my fics it would look like it but actually those are both me. Long story, but short version is I couldn't login to one account for 6 months so created a new one and then once I could get in I "merged" together.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I mean, you're not going to get a real answer while I'm still head first in a brainrot of Steddie. 2 years ago you would've gotten a totally different answer but the ships I've had have always helped me process through some shit, and Steddie did that too, so they all hold a special place in my heart for different reasons.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There's a bunch in my files but I won't post it, if I'm not going to finish it. I will never leave a WIP up again. I left one open for like 10 years one time, which was insane because at some point during that time period I actually finished it, but I didn't post the last chapter until like last year when I got back into writing fanfic.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm not sure. I hope it's authenticity, something that feels realistic, reasonable, could totally happen. This feels like a question I'd have to ask people that read my work.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Run on sentences. Thank god for Grammarly, seriously.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I think it's cool if the author can speak that language. Sometimes utilizing tools like Google translate etc loses the authenticity of language and communication from a human connection standpoint. I'm not saying you shouldn't use them just notice how a vibe can be off when used.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Office back on MTT (More Than That) message board and archive. When I'd post my "icons", desktop wallpapers, etc on my Livejournal. My fics are still up actually. I cross posted one on AO3, the one I finally posted the last chapter of but when I go back and read them now I'm like oh man that's a totally different author. And really it was.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I love love love love my Must Have/Can't Stand Checklist. I've read it myself several times. It's a dichotomy for me of what was going on in my personal life vs the warm, fluffy, cuteness I was writing. I used that fic as a distraction, my mom was going through lung cancer diagnoses and then surgery, so during the day I was being the caretaker and working an insane amount of hours stressed out to the max, and at night I was writing two boys being madly in love being silly and happy together. it has a decent number of views (for me) but in the grand scheme of many other writers I read and follow, it's slim numbers. Still means a lot to me that people have also enjoyed this fic.

#tag game #steddie #steddiecameraroll posts #fanfic writer