#And then when I hit the end of season 4... I restart. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

detectivechandler · 9 months

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what? That description in the post is actually much more on point than yours in the tags! He throws pizza boxes? Who does he call unintelligent? He hides behind his mental illness...?! Which behaviour did you consider arrogant? He was quite self-doubting, Miles actually gave him a few talks on that!

alright, I said I would answer this yesterday afternoon but the day got ahead of me and my brain was too fatigued to open a laptop so here's hoping you still give a damn enough to read it. First of all, I think it needs to be understood that I never said I necessarily disagreed with the traits presented in the post, nor did I state that the traits I mentioned within the tags were all there was. I did nothing but defend Joe 100% of the time when I first made this character because he is a super, soft, sweet man... but he is also human and that is what makes him compelling. He is not all positive traits (just as he is not all negative) and that is what my tags were trying to point out - instances of opposite behavior. One does not negate the other. I want a character to be complex, especially one that means so much to me. Recognizing flaws and mistakes and what would be considered 'negative' personality traits, does not mean you hate the person/character. On that note, since I do have ten thousand reasons why I love Joe and wish to protect him at all costs throughout various posts on my blog and have been meaning to address some of the things you mention anyways, I'm gonna try to go point by point. Under a cut because its gonna get long, I think.

Also want to note that sometimes, nailing down Joe's characterization is pretty difficult even as a casual observer that doesnt put much thought into it because whitechapel (i love it, i truly do) is very inconsistent with its writing. He has 5 cars in the span of four seasons, for example. The way he reacts to people and stress changes. He is very puppy (my little golden retriever boy) in season 2 and, while he remains the same in some aspects, he is back to being Joe in season 3 and 4.

I touched on everything in this ask (I think. My brain is mush right now) except for the mental illness post because I believe that deserves its own meta so that will be the next thing I go insane over. And again, thanks for sending this! For real. You motivated me to actually sit down and write out the various things in my mind rather than let my blog stay a shrine to all things Joe (stay gold, ponyboy) because it is/was so tempting. As my comfort character, I'm motivated (especially during this time of my life) to really build up how wonderful he is and ignore more negative traits (that again, dont necessarily negate the positive ones. Personality aspects co exist, even when they seem to contradict one another) and that's not the kind of writer I want to be. But, more importantly, that's not a true comfort character. I find strength in the fact that Joe is as fucked up as the rest of us in his own ways. He's struggling. He can be mean. He yells when hes frustrated and he makes snap judgments about others before getting to know them. He's a person. Like me. Like you. Like all of us. THAT is what I find comfort in. I love that he is three dimensional and I get that some people don't like acknowledging things like that, I do... but personally, for me, I don't believe in entirely herowashing or only focusing on the good. I love him because he is as flawed as me but he fights to be anyhow.

What's that stupid quote from the last episode of season 2? I may stumble, but I never fall.

For the pizza box thing - season 4, episode 4. The exchange that leads to it starts at 14:42. I wish I could gif it but alas. I don't have photoshop on this computer and won't have my mac back until next week. Basically, Joe and Miles are looking at the whiteboard while Joe tries to piece together the common factor shared between the cases thus far. He asks a question about a victim and Mansell speaks up and supplies the necessary information. Joe is extremely frustrated and goes on a bit of a tear. It culminates with him picking up the empty pizza box at Mansell's desk and throwing it at him. The whole exchange is as follows:

Joe: What about the first victim, Harry Barnett, did he have a record? Miles: Well, we've got his prints on file. Something to do with a stolen car. Mansell: Yeah, it was a hit and run. Barnett was questioned but he reported his car stolen, so the case never came to court. I've got the file here somewhere. Joe: Why didn't I know about this? Mansell: Well, I've been concentrating on cracking the code. Joe: Well, get on to it, will you? It's important! Sort your desk out, it's a disgrace. Mansell: Yes sir. Joe: How can you think straight with all this chaos and crap everywhere? A young man's life hangs in the balance and all you can think about is which topping to have on your pizza! We gotta stay focused or otherwise we make mistakes!

And then he throws the pizza box at him. I'm not saying he's a bad person for it, I'm not even saying I wouldn't do the same thing (I absolutely would) but I AM saying that I won't ignore the fact that he does it. Reasons why this was called out by me in the tags to come towards the end when I tie all of this together. For now I just wanted to give the reference of when it happens.

Calling someone unintelligent. Does he say "Gosh (insert name), you are so unintelligent!" No. If he did we wouldnt be having this discussion and I wouldnt be writing the character because I like to have to dig not have things handed to me. There are multiple instances of him questioning someone and commenting things about their thinking that while they do not explicitly say you're an idiot... they do say, what the fuck are you thinking? I will concede that maybe 'unintelligent' was the wrong word to use in my description, but I was eating a chicken tender and typing one handed on my phone. I'm gonna skip to your arrogance thing because a lot of this ties into that so just .. bear with me for a second.

Arrogance. This is gonna be a big one. I'm gonna list some points and then cite the scenes (with timestamps and episodes) that sort of led to me forming this opinion. First, I think it should be acknowledged that arrogance and insecurity/self-doubt can often go hand in hand. In fact, arrogance is often used as a defense mechanism for those with low-self esteem who want to be accepted and given respect and believe they won't be if they aren't perfect.

There is a type of arrogance referred to as Belief Arrogance in some psychiatric journals online through various databases (such good reads always. Highly recommend). This is defined as follows: Belief arrogance comes before a person is truly proved as being right. They may even still believe they are right after they are proven wrong. It is often based either on excessive self - confidence or as a cover up for a lack of self-confidence.

Some general examples of arrogance that bring this to mind (we'll go episode by episode, shall we? and please note my internet is being slow so I'm using the scenes that immediately come to mind so that I can cite without losing my fucking mind. I can go way in depth later if you so wish. ):

Season 1, Episode 1:

We are introduced to Joe in what can be considered a state of arrogance for him. He is part of the metropolitan police social club for the high and mighty (its a thing, i researched it lmao) and as he makes his way to the commander, he is greeted by much older detectives and accompanied by mutterings (of a good kind). "It's joe! look its joe! hi joe!". Very Simba walking up pride rock of him tbh. He was groomed for this job. He is being pushed through the ranks (as my high school principal always said .. its not the grades you make, its the hands you shake) and the confidence and belief in himself that comes from that is part of it. This does not negate the fact that he practices things in front of the mirror etc, but those things also do not erase arrogance. He is bothered when he feels like he is being undermined (again, understandable) and he literally yells and asks if his team has heard of showers and tells them they smell. Thats judgmental, mate. And that comes from a place of arrogance.

Season 2, Episode 1.

This example begins in a diner where Joe is conversing with Ed after the bayonetting at the snooker hall at 25:47. It goes as follows:

Joe: Steven Dukes is part of a notorious crime family. He must have grown up idolizing the Krays and now he's using the legend to build his own empire. Ed: Does he wear Italian suits, a monogrammed shirt? Joe: Not when he was standing in a snooker hall, no. Ed: Ah, but don't you see? If he were the copycat, he would. The copycat went to great trouble to recreate the exact details of Frank Mitchell's death. Lenny Cobb was taken from Dartmoor Prison, just like Mitchell, and his injuries were, tragically, just like Mitchell's. Anyone who cares enough about those details would at the very least wear the suit. Joe: This is about power and fear, not fancy dress. Ed: But it's not about a pretense or an act. It's about being a Kray. I don't think it can be Dukes. Joe: Dukes has motive. He has opportunity, and he inspires enough fear to ensure silence. My instinct tells methat he's the one.

Same episode, 37:50.

Ed: It's not Dukes. It's not about power, or money or empire building. The motive is revenge. The victimes are being chosen from those that gave evidence against the Kray twins and they will be killed in the manner of their testimony. Joe: So who do you think will be next? Ed: Slasher Daneford. He testified about the death of Jack 'The Hat' Mcvitie, and he's like Mcvitie in many ways.I tried to warn him, but he's refused to run or seek protection. I am a real detective, in my heart, in my bones, and I do not need a warrant card to prove it! Joe: Thanks for the tip. We really appreciate it [as a side note here, please pay attention to the expression his face. It's one of indulgence more than it is an expression of genuine gratefulness) Ed: Don't just humor me, Joe! You must talk to Slaher. I can't have his death on my conscience.

As another side note in this episode, he judges Mansell the moment he walks through that door and continues to do so until the show ends. He actually makes a face that cracks me the fuck up lmao.

I'm skipping seasons because - again - slow internet and I'm using hulu for now until I get my laptop back but lets go to season 4 shall we. I love season 4. But Lucas, he's under a lot of stress you might say. You might argue 'but season 4 makes the worst of every character come out' .. and you're right! it does! which means these traits exist in Joe all along, they are just brought closer to the surface thanks to the joy that is frustration (which is something that happens to all of us).

Season 4, episode 1.

Timestamp 7:31. His first introduction to Louise Iver. He gets so upset. Why? Because she is pricking at a sore spot, she is prodding at an open wound that is already a detriment to his pride. Conversation is as follows:

Louise: Are you in the book? Joe: No, I'm not. Louise: Oh, I understand. [Joe sort of gives her a look here like, you understand what exactly? He's already in defense mode] Did he leave you out to spare your feelings? Joe: I beg your pardon? Louise: Never bringing in a killer alive is a terrible legacy. Joe: I'm not in the book because I'm a serving police officer. Louise: Oh, well, your memoirs will be a depressing read, won't they?

Timestamp, 40:00. The conversation with Wingfield.

Wingfield: Well, I didn't think I'd walk away. Joe: You had an alibi. Why were you spying on us? Wingfield: You have been infiltrated by an agent. Joe [scoffing]: I don't think we're that interesting. Wingfield: Any soul is of interest. And you have been chosen. Joe: By whom? Wingfield: I first heard of this agent when I was in captivity. It is a provocateur whose purpose is to incite others to commit evil acts.

[Joe literally scoffs again]

Wingfield: Markov. Calvi. The Krays. The Ripper. An immortal entity was behind them all. Planting the seeds, watching the horror grow. The provocateur had Zukanov killed. It was a setup to silence me. Now that has failed and another way will be found. Joe [scoffing. again]: you're mad. Wingfield: I wish I were. I wish I was wrong. Good luck.

Alright, let's talk about this. First of all, I would like to mention the definition of a scoff. Scoffing means contemptuously ridiculing or mocking someone or something. This man scoffs SO FUCKING MUCH at people. I cannot believe that someone would argue to blatantly MAKE FUN of someone's belief or opinion is not in itself, a display of arrogance at some level. What would you call that then? I will point out other examples of scoffing that I remember in the other episodes, but if you want episode by episode examples for every single one ... I'd be happy to provide.

Season 4, episode 2

I do also think that during the autopsy review of Dorothy's body, Joe hyper-fixates on the knowledge that the killer has gangrene. How long before he dies? When Llewelyn answers "He could die at anytime." Joe responds with, not if i get there first. It has stopped being about saving future victims and has started to become a race to simply catch a killer alive, saving his own ego. Arrogance, in a form.

Timestamp 25:40, when going through the woman who drowned's belongings (I cannot remember her name, rip lady I apologize).

Joe: It doesn't look like she had many friends, just work colleagues. It's quite sad, really.

Hell-to the fucking - o ??? Pot calling kettle black. Also it makes me sad and emo because its like .. hes also passing judgment on himself whether or not he realizes it and i want to hug him and call him my precious but this write up isnt about that so .. moving on.

Also, lets jump back to the temper I mentioned that is evidence by the pizza throwing incident .. in this episode (timestamp 30:30) during the fight with Mansell and Kent, Joe doesn't just stop the fight .. he throws Mansell against a table. Pushes with extreme force? Idk what you want to call it. He did NOT have to act that way. It is a combination of temper and, as I pointed out earlier, the fact that he has judged Mansell and considered him lacking/unprofessional/unworthy since day one.

The scene where Joe and Miles share a drink at the end of the episode and are later joined by ed. Timestamp is 40:40

Joe: Septicemia. Once the infection took hold, there was nothing the doctors could do. Miles: I'm sorry. Joe: Another killer escapes justice. Miles: I think you're being too hard on yourself. You saved Nick's life. Joe: You know, if you'd told me five hundred years ago that I was cursed, I would have believed you. Miles: Here. [pours another drink] Here's to bringing on in alive.

[skip ahead to Ed appearing at 42:40 after making a connection in Wingfield's notes down in the archive]

Miles: How can you hear a bottle open all the way down in the archive? Joe [laughing]: Come in. Ed: I'm so sorry to intrude, but I have a matter of some urgency to share with you. Joe: Have a drink. Ed: Oh...yes. After you hear this, we'll all need one. Um... As you know, Wingfield was trying to catch a provocateur. Joe [amused]: The instigator of all evil in Whitechapel. Ed: This is a visual record of all Wingfield's points of surveillance. Miles: It's a madman's map. Ed: Yes, so it would seem. This is us. Here. Joe: Well we know he was watching us from the hotel across the road. Ed: Did you know he was also watching John Washington's bakery? Fascinating, isn't it? Washington thought his life had been blighted by a witch. Wingfield was following an ancient evil that visited the bakery. Miles: They were after the same person. Ed: Wingfield seemed to think so. And he followed them to this building. [Joe's expression after this line when the camera cuts to him is literally like are yall fucking kidding me right now lmao?] Miles: Are you saying there's a demon in this station? Joe: Right. That's enough for one night. Miles: And you criticize me for not being open-minded. Joe: I'm sure there's a rational explanation for all the connections, we just need to find it. Miles: I hope we do

Again, his confidence in being RIGHT in his opinions and so easily dismissing those that he considers absolutely insane is illustrated so heavily in here. A pattern that repeats stronger and stronger until he signs his own demise in the final episode. Continuing on, however...

Season 4 episode 3

The fucking birthday scene. This is so hard to watch, jesus take the wheel from me. Granted, I fully believe they did not plan this little birthday get together well considering location and activity and obviously Joe is a little out of his depth and frustrated/annoyed by it. But this scene is saturated with arrogance.

At 00:58, we see Ed giving Joe a birthday present. Joe looks so excited at the prospect. He's smiling, he's there for it mate. Look at his fucking face when he opens it. I have seen my nephew be more gracious than that when he was given socks on his 6th birthday. Anyways, short recap:

Ed: Happy birthday, Joe. It's not much, but ... it's a hagstone. It's said to protect the wearer against witchcraft and evil charms. Thought it mgiht bring a smile to your face. Obviously not.

It is SO HARD for me to watch this because Joe is absolutely acting like a spoiled little bitch. He makes a face so obvious that Ed picks up on it and he apologizes and looks both embarrassed and crestfallen. It's awful. Again, that's arrogance. Sorry, anon.

Timestamp 5:38, in the museum when they are discussing the skinned face. He is rude as fuck.

Joe: Get it checked for prints. [walks off] Llewelyn: Well someone's forgotten their pleases and thank yous.

Timestamp 7:24, Joe visits Ed in the archives looking for historical precedents to murders involving flaying. Ed gets a bit excited sharing a particular story and Joe brusquely interrupts him with a very irritated How does this help us? Ed, I just need the information, not the conjecture. Actual conversation below, because there are quite a few other rude interactions in this scene.

Joe: What've you got for me? Ed: I was just looking at this. The Flaying of Marsyas by Titian. Marsyas was a satyr, half man, half goat. He was skinned alive for daring to challenge Apollo to a musical duel. It was on loan at the National Gallery a few years ago but Mother wasn't keen. Joe: How does this help us? Ed: Well, your body was found in an art gallery, was it not? The killer could be recreating scenes from all the Grand Masters. Joe: Ed, I just need the information, not the conjecture. Ed: Of course. Well, historically flaying was a means of punishment or torture. A number of Chinese emperors of the Ming Dynasty liked to cut the flesh from their enemies' faces. In fact, Lingchi, the so called death of a thousand cuts, wasn't abolished in China as a form of execution until 1905. Joe: What did they do with the skin? Ed: It depends. The ancient Assyrians would flay their enemies alive and then nail the skin to the city walls. A warning to others not to step out of line. Oh, look, the molds got in here. Now, this is ridiculous. Joe: Have you got anything I can take away with me? Anything I can study? Ed: We're talking ancient history here, Joe. I'm not going to find it in the Metropolitan Police Archive. Joe: Well, I can't go back upstairs with paintings by Titian and stories from Ancient Assyria. That's not what I pay you for.

Timestamp 10:10, Joe makes the assumption that HE is better suited for interviewing what they believe is Sebastian Marlowe's assistance. He tells Miles he needs the interview to go well and doesnt want any belligerence, hinting that he believes Miles would only get in the way. This comes to bite him in the ass when he later finds out that Miles has connections in the art world and would have been able to find out much more than he did. That's a judgment. Again, arrogance.

During the actual interview scene with her, the following exchange happens and I laugh every time.

Joe: Some people wouldn't call it art. Assistant: Some people only look skin deep.

This makes me laugh because of the skin deep pun but also because Joe is clearly meant to be included in the some people. She picks up on the arrogance too. Also he stares at her birthmark and that gets me everytime also. Not in a funny way but a .. bro are you serious way.

Season 4 episode 4

There's the pizza scene mentioned above, obviously. But before that, there is the scene where Miles and Joe are leaving the dentist office. The important bit begins at timestamp 13:00.

Joe: In a missing persons case, the first twenty four hours are the only twenty four hours. Miles: What? You think I don't know that? ... You want me to call in Whacky Jackie? Joe: Who? Miles: Jackie Brierley. She's a last resort. Joe: Who's Jackie Brierley? Miles: She helped us out on a missing child case back in the nineties. She said she saw a vision of running water, led us down to the Lee Valley Resevoir and the divers found the body in ten minutes. Joe: She's a medium? Miles: Yeah. We used her once or twice back in the day. She's not always right, but when you've got no leads ... What are you looking at me like that for? Joe: Well, I can't believe you'd be so gullible. Miles: Well, I've learned to keep an open mind. Joe: A medium??Miles: Well, she found the girl. Joe: So? It was a lucky guess. Miles: Well, we could do with a bit of luck right now. Do you want me to call her or not? Joe: No!! We're detectives. We use police work. Anything else would just be weakness of character.

In case you're wanting to dismiss this whole thing .. let's re read it and remember that Miles states he and his team HAD USED HER a few times. He, Miles, Joe's colleague and one of the closest things to a friend that he's got, has ADMITTED using this woman .. and Joe ridicules him for it. This is arrogance, but it also ties into my 'unintelligent' comment in the tags. Telling someone theyre gullible is the same as saying they aren't intelligent enough to resist falling for something meant to dupe them. Worse than that though, is that Joe is offhandedly insulting the fuck out of Miles with the weakness of character comment, considering Miles has admitted (ten seconds ago, Joe!! come on!!) that he had done the thing Joe is so adamantly against. That's arrogance, buddy. Miles is actually offended. You can tell by his expression and the way that he mutters to himself. Honestly, I would be too.

The scene with Miles in the bathroom when Joe goes into detail about the death of this father (I'm having to bite my tongue because there are so many GOOD things I want to say about this scene and again I want to hug him) also alludes to arrogance in order to cover self-consciousness. Joe states that as a child, he was embarrassed by his mother's actions and started taking an extreme interest in details because he didn't want others to see how much their lives had fallen apart. This is pride. At ten years old, he had wounded pride.

Okay, this is a big one. It might seem like a stretch. Just bear with me. Timestamp, 43:43. It's the scene in the station chapel towards the end of the episode, involving the conversation between Miles and Joe.

Miles: I was just looking up that Vengeance is mine quote. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thristy, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil. But overcome evil with good.Joe: If only it was that easy. Do you believe in all of that? Miles: What? Joe: The ... Afterlife. Miles: Well, I was brought up Catholic, I have to hedge my bets. Joe: Is that why you consulted a psychic? Miles: No, the family asked for her. What's all this about? We caught the guy, the case is closed. Joe: No. we didn't catch him. He chose to die. He taunted me.

Alright so. Were do I begin with this one. First of all, the verse that Miles reads aloud would actually be a fantastic answer to most of Joe's issues during this season (and throughout the show), if only he would give it the time of day. But he doesn't. In fact, though he does listen while Miles read it aloud, he also makes his usual expressions and immediately dismisses it by asking Miles if he believes in such a thing. We already know he (Joe) doesn't. His pride has been pricked. I've already mentioned the illustrations given throughout other episodes, but it is growing more and more apparent. This verse is TELLING HIM he should do the opposite. Rather than being overcome by evil (aka, being driven to the more baser parts of his personality, the more negative traits) he should be approaching the situation with mercy and grace towards himself. Instead, he is angry. He is frustrated. He is upset by the fact that he feels (rightly so) taunted. Imagine you're 6'8. Weird, I know. But hang on. So you're 6'8 and you're in a cafe somewhere, waiting on a coffee. A person walks in and says 'wow, you're so short." You would go about your day (most would at least, I think) because you know they're wrong. They are not attacking an insecurity. Youre not arrogant, youre just confident in the fact that you're fucking 6'8 and that isnt short. However, when attacked or wronged in some way in regards to something that does bother us (something we are already insecure about perhaps), arrogance does come into play when we get offended. How dare they say that! How dare they think it! You're furious! Joe is reacting the same way. His ego is being attacked.

Season 4, Episodes 5 and 6.

I'm actually wrapping this up really quick because I could go on for fucking AGES about these two episodes and I probably will one day, but the last 3 hours of putting this together is starting to get to me and todays another not feeling so great today. Joe's arrogance comes home to roost in these episodes. He is so ashamed of meeting with Jackie, he double and triple checks that they are doing so in secret. He makes it VERY CLEAR during their conversation that he thinks shes a fucking hoax. He refuses to read the letter given to him through Miles that supposedly contains a message from his father. What would it have cost him to open the letter? It doesnt mean anything to open something. But to Joe it did. To Joe, opening that letter, would be like saying there might be some shred of truth to what Jackie says and what she is and his ARROGANCE does not allow for that. He was too arrogant in his belief of being correct to take ten seconds to do something that would have changed the whole plot of the show. Whitechapel is about sin coming home to roost. Arrogance/Pride in the case of Joe is a great example of that. If you're a true fan, I honestly believe you know this and understand the implications.

Don't put them all in the same van.

HE fucked himself over. His inability to be open minded because he was to arrogant to admit that there might be a slight, SLIGHT chance or at least a small miniscule worth in opening a letter and reading a note that would be absolutely harmless at its worst .. dug his own grave. And that's really what it comes down to.

#headcanon. it's not a disability. it's a gift.#whitechapel itv #hopefully the readmore works ajhdfjfjhf #anyways. this was probably supposed to be a combative ask and i didnt take it that way at all #so i'm sorry if it was my buddy.#i can gather from the punctuation and the fact that you said 'nah you dont understand him at all based on your tags' that it was #probably meant negatively??? idk though. I'm not really offended by differences of opinion.#If anything - I love constructive conflict because I think it helps both parties grow in their opinions.#You dont have to walk away from a disagreement suddenly on the same page .. but I do believe in respecting other opinions #when they are thought out and the other person is willing to rationally explain their thought patterns #so by all means - please feel free always to jump in for some discourse! I'm here for it.#If everyone thought the same thing the world would be so damn boring.#and you never know what I (or you. or even someone who stumbles across it) might learn #sorry for the fandom tag but idk who sent this and if they'd even check to see if i replied #so i'm making it easy #whoever you were - i love you for loving joe enough to send a stranger an ask to defend him #100% serious.#I'm so embarrassed to admit this but thanks to my illness I have no life whatsoever for the first time and #I literally watch this show for 7-8 hours a day.#And then when I hit the end of season 4... I restart.#Immediately.#It is ALWAYS on in the background and I can hear it even if I'm not actively watching it.#I swear to you that I do actually have references for every single thing I say on this blog. even when i just spout idiot stuff out

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thisbelongsto-nohbodys · 4 months

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My Top 12 TGaMM S2 songs (in no particular order)

Kinda like in Centaurworld, I found more songs in S1 than S2 that I liked but that's not to say that the songs weren't enjoyable. It's just a shame I won't be able to make a S3 list T_T

Anyways, here's my Top 12 TGaMM S2 songs in no particular order:

12. Frightful No More [A Doll to Die For]

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It's great to hear Lord Hater again and a song that's an homage to "Everything's Coming Up Roses" (Gypsy) and "The Rain in Spain" (My Fair Lady)...at least that's what it make me think of.

11. It's Just Your Masterpiece in You [Faint of Art]

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This episode was a pretty nice message on art block and a fear of failure that a lot of artists face, especially when they haven't done anything in years. I tend to procrastinate by snacking, which of course I can't draw with food fingers (even when using a napkin) so I gotta wait till it goes away, oh whoops, now the days ended, oh well, tomorrow...

10.Thai Culture Cram [100% Molly McGee]

A fun song showing the lengths that Molly is willing to go to learn half of her culture. Granted she didn't realize that this stuff takes time but she's on the right path.

9.Me & My Dad [Like Father, Like Libby]

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Kid's who have an absentee parent def felt what Libby is singing about in this one. It just sucks when someone who should be important in your life, doesn't take it as serious as you'd wish they would.

8. Hit Restart [Perfect Day]

Gotta love how relaxed the singer is while describing the continuiously hectic attempts Molly and Scratch make at having a perfect first day of the year.

7. Identity Crisis [Davenport's in Demise]

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It's a shame we didn't get more from Andrea this season, especially after this ep. I know we would've gotten her and Alina in S3 but still, I would've liked to see how her and Molly are friends

6. Maybe Next Time [The End] (Spoilers)

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Scratch's backstory was a gut-punch, especially for those of us that feel like we're wasting our lives away. It does kinda remind me of a more sad version of "I Remember It Well" (Gigi)

5. Enjoy Your Afterlife [The New (Para)Normal]

A fun song with the Ghost Council about life after the Chairman's defeat that kinda reminds me of "Go Back to City Hall" in S1

4. You Got to Be Low-Key [The (After)Life of the Party]

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Jinx is such a little shit in this song. Not to mention this was the ep that confirmed that Geoff and Jeff are married

3. Back to Misery [Jinx vs the Human World]

Gotta love a villain song. Just a shame we didn't get more.

2. Trying to Find [All in the Mind]

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Love the abstract visuals of going through someone's mind and the soft vocals and instrumentals.

Honorable Mention 1: You've Been Jinxed [Jinx!]

Honorable Mention 2: Feeling Like MY Old Self Again/Small Town America [Kenny's Falling Star]

Honorable Mention 3: Happy Happy Death Day [The Many Lives of Scratch]

1.This House is Haunted [Frightmares on Main Street]

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Love this homage to "Thriller" but it's also to see ghosts being able to let loose. A great Halloween special

As stated before, it's a shame that we won't get anymore eps but at least what we've gotten were great. Idk if I should do an overall list

#the ghost and molly mcgee #music #video #top 12 #Youtube

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phil-lesterfan · 3 months

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yaoi scholar….. pls i finished the untamed and word of honor what should my next drama be 👀 (happy endings only pls)

also i wanna know your fav bls. if you’ve the time!!

hallo! i didn't mean to let this sit for so long, but i've been using my phone more and don't like answering asks there. i don't actually know many cdramas, but i've got other dramas to rec, if that's alright!

(C/K/J)DRAMAS/LAKORNS:

sotus & sotus s (thai)*

history3: trapped (taiwanese)

seven days (japanese)*

manner of death (thai)*

restart after coming back home (japanese)*

together with me (thai)

long time no see (korean)

semantic error (korean)*

you can watch 2moons2 for the full story, but honestly, the original 2moons mingkit cut is everything to me (thai)*

*based off novel/manga/manhwa

20 of my fav bls under the cut :)

initially, i was going to call it my "top 10", but it's not my top ten, it's just favs that i really love or think you (sara) would also enjoy. so it's just 20 "random" favs. if you (general) want, i can upload the 200+ long list and even include "reviews" of my favourites, but i'll only do that upon request. also here's my blanket rec for mxtx's works. svsss is my fav. i'm very easy. thank you <3

20 OF MY FAV BLS:

sotus is very dear to my heart. i watched it right before i went to university, so it really set that mood for me lol it's not a perfect story, the audio is shit at some parts, and the acting was sometimes stiff, but when the show hit, my fucking god did it HIT. of course i roped all my friends into watching it. it was based on a novel, but the novel didn't particularly stand out to me (sorry). there's also a manga now (3 vols) but i'm just loyal to the show, y'know? it also has a sequel, and that one made one of my friend cry (i actually had to pause the show lol), but for me, the first season is what's rly stellar. (lakorn / rewatches: 4? 5? a lot?)

sasaki and miyano by syou harusono is such an easy read, with lovely art, cute characters, and the softest, sweetest romance. it makes me feel like i've been hit by a car, then the car backed up and drove over me again. sasaki is the light of my life (and also if i looked like him, i'd never shut up. and i project just a little bit too bc oh he just like me fr), and everyday i think about making him my pfp. i owe syou harusono my life. i want to say more about this bc it rly is my fav manga perhaps of all time but that also means i can't say more about it LOL (manga / rereads: 6)

the cat proposed (bakeneko katatte sourou) by hayane dento is quite possibly the best manga i've ever read. the writing is so beautiful, and it's a really relatable and inspiring story for me. plus it's got catboys. *motions to my dnp catboy pfp* but in all seriousness, it's a genuinely great story that squeezes my heart and leaves me in tears (manga / rereads: 5)

doukyuusei is a certified bl classic. i've not read the entire manga series, but i've got the anime film saved to my laptop. that was another thing i roped all my friends into watching, and yes, everyone was gagged (animanga / rewatches: 4?)

koimonogatari by tagura tohru is incomplete, and the "love" part isn't there yet, but my fucking god. i think i just picked it up for funsies at the bookstore, but man was i unprepared. it's not a fun read by any means, nor is it easy, it's actually pretty brutal, but it's a good story, so i felt i should include it. (it is one of my faves) (manga / rereads: none bc i will kill myself.)

summer of you (kimi wa natsu no naka) by furuya nagisa changed me. it was one of those manga that was in my to read list for a really long time, but i just never did it. when i finally did, i totally regret putting it off. i think i cried. it has a sequel (summer with you), and that was good too, but that first one just really got me (manga / rereads: 1)

fools by yeongha has an art style i will forever be jealous of. the original, that is. i'm sure the remastered version is great, and probably the one i should read, but i'm just way too attached to the original and the art is (in my opinion) way better. the story is fun and sweet, and i read it at another formative time in my life. *jazz hands* (manhwa / rereads: 3)

my darling signed in by dimang and new lung. if there's one thing about me, i'm gonna read a video game catfish story. this manhwa is so fucking ridiculous, but i love it. it actually gets pretty dark, which took me by surprise the first time i read it, but it's not between the main cp, if you're worried about that (manhwa / rereads: 3)

dasadanan by herb mandu also has just lovely art. i can just stare at it for ages bc i'm so obsessed. also there's side gl, and i love those two girls so damn much. the story is very easy to read, fluffy, and it's just good feelings all around. it also has some really silly extras. (manhwa / rereads: 4)

history3: trapped is so... it is also dear to me. the main couple is funny and cute; however, it's the side couple that really gets to me. they're so ridiculous and fun, and the actor for zhao zi is an acrobat? does acrobatic dance? i'm not sure exactly, but they wanted to showcase that so he'd just be doing some random gymnast shit for no reason and it's so funny. and jack was made in a lab for me, so. y'know. (drama / rewatches: 2, about to be 3)

glasses cloth and playlist by gwak jonpil was recommended to me by a friend i believe, and i'm so glad i read it. it's another easy read and also very ridiculous, but when i say something is "ridiculous", that's usually a huge compliment. i LOLed at, like, every other panel. the main cp is so damn ridiculous, and i adore them. (manhwa / rereads: 1)

starting with a lie by liang azha has the softest art i've ever seen. that manhua is like a warm hug, if a warm hug also had you gritting your teeth and clenching your fists because GODDAMN JUST GET TOGETHER FOR REAL ALREADY! i love it. oh, but i don't like qiu tian. sorry. (manhua / rereads: 2)

how to survive as a villain by yi yi yi yi is... look, i'm sure it has flaws, right? every story has flaws, but wherever they are, i did not see them. i mean, it's a little bit ridiculous at times, but again, "ridiculous", and the mc was transmigrated into a once-good now-trashy harem novel. and he's also smart but oblivious. bound to be a little bit silly. but also this novel ripped out my heart and stomped on it. and i thought it wouldn't happen with the manhua, but i cried then too. what the hell. i really enjoyed this story, and i think it's what got me into transmigration stories in general :P (danmei / rereads: 2)

a shoulder to cry on by dongmul. okay. OKAY. this is not a "happy" story to most. also the ending without the extras/epilogue is bittersweet to ambiguous. the issue here is that I LOVE ENDINGS LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!! this story is so damn good and i like the art a lot and god, some of the quotes? every time i reach certain scenes i have to pause and stare at the wall because no fucking way. it's just too good. i should go ahead and warn that the couple doesn't have the healthiest of dynamics and their relationship starts bc one of them lies and accuses the other of sexual harassment, so. i'm just letting you know now. but i let myself have toxic yaoi. as a treat. tbh to me it's not that bad, but i know everyone has different intensity levels, so. (manhwa / rereads: 3)

never understand by bbong is an... interesting read. arguably more toxic yaoi, and everyone at times can be kind of awful and annoying, but i think that's fun. sorry. i vividly remember reading this for the first time. for some reason. also, as with a good amount of manhwa that i read in my more formative years, i like this art style. (manhwa / rereads: 1)

semantic error by j soori and angy kim is a lot more graphic and hardcore (sex-wise) than the kdrama, which makes sense, but like... DAMN! my toxic trait is that every three panels i pause and go "hey does anyone else think these guys look like jaedo?" and the sniper that's supposed to shoot me any time i bring up rps lets me live because i'm objectively right. the characters are so damn infuriating, but i like watching car crashes, so it's alright. plus the art is good and, well, i never said i don't ship jaedo. *glass next to me explodes after a bullet cuts through it* whatever! (rereads: none bc it ended not that long ago. but i'll probably reread it soon)

no.6 by asano atsuko and here comes all the haters being like, "oh, that's not bl!" "that's more than bl!" "[some more dumb shit i don't care about]!" suck my pussy. i don't care. i loooove the novels and hope we get a printed official english translation. people are right to say the romance isn't the focus, but it's there, and honestly, i love plotty shit. i've heard it's supposed to be the "happy version" of banana fish or whatever the fuck, but damn if that's not a fucked up version of happy. i sobbed my fucking eyes out (novel & animanga / rereads: 2)

snow fairy by serizawa tomo. i'm not gonna lie, i don't remember this story, but on my big list it has a heart next to it, and i feel like i cried when i read it. i've said i've cried about like half of these, and i cry when i see something cute or when i think about my blorbo or when a song is pretty, so that means nothing. but this one really got to me! i think it was just a simple story with lovely art. it aches, maybe. actually, i've just found my initial review, which reads: "im so miserable....." (rereads: none, but i'd like to reread it asap)

bj alex by mingwa. insert loud and disappointed "ooh" from the crowd bc really, phil-lesterfan? i thought you were a scholar? with taste? LOOK. i know this is a basic manhwa, and i couldn't give a rat's ass about the side cp, but ahn jiwon somehow became pookie. it is agonising, though, 'cause like i said, i don't care about the side cp, but oh my fucking god, it feels like everyone else only cares about them. shoot me. also the side cp is into bdsm, but you can skip over their shit honestly. (rereads: 2)

aien catharsis by oshima kamome was another manga that'd been in my tbr list for ages. i really like how the story feels. aaaaand i just reread it and ah. i see why it affected me. (if you can guess what line stuck out to me, lmk, i'd love to hear it heh) it's historical fiction and has lovely art. tw for sexual assault, but it's not between the cp and it's also not shown. (manga / rereads: 2)

like i said, i have a lot more favs, so if anyone wants the full list, just ask. or if you don't want the full list, i can give rec lists for certain genres or just manga or just danmei, etc, etc. i know i'm in batman hell right now (ah. western yaoi....), but i've been fujoshing since i was like... ten. okay this is of course way longer than it should be. hope u enjoy if you read any of these ^_^ <3

#ask #it was SO HARD not to give honorable mentions #bc it's like. well . it shouldn't be a mention if it's another fav #anyway i'm sorry for having questionable tastes and liking unhealthy pairings. well. i'm not sorry but i'll say it anyway

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livinluxuriouslyselena · 1 year

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Audiodrama Recommendations

Since I see so many requests for recommendations (mainly on the Audiodrama Subreddit) and make plenty of my own requests 😚

I decided a few months back that it seemed the least I could do was to pay the kindness forward (for all the times y’all have supplied me with suggestions).

Before browsing my list- I think it’s important to have a general idea of what kind of person the AD-lover is before getting your hopes up by their recommendations- because, taste is subjective, no? 😉☺️🌟

So, to me, audio drama is defined by having a full-cast of talented voice actors who’s job is to bring a well-written script to life. It is my opinion that *narration* has *no place* in audio drama **unless** it’s *absolutely essential* to the development of the plot as the script requires.

I’m a lover of all things **surreal** ( favorite Artist? Salvador Dalí, favorite author? Rob Shearman 🫠)- I have LOTS of weird sci-fi/horror/thriller/mystery AD’s under my belt.. (I have literally cleaned out the entire *Big Finish Audio* catalogue. 😳)

I grew up on horror everything - I was 5 when I saw *Poltergeist* 👀 so… and was reading my parents Stephen King books in elementary school 😅🙈🤷🏻‍♀️ - by the time I hit highschool I had watched every horror film in Blockbuster (wow I am old 🤦🏻‍♀️) - from the classics like *Psycho* & The Exorcist to the cheesy 80s b-roll slasher films 🙈😂🤣.

That said - I am an equal opportunity listener and I love many shades of comedy dramas. Though I do prefer my comedy to have a bit of *bite* to it.. 😅 and I’m not here for narration. Full cast audiodrama with sound production is my thing. 😅😉😘

as an adult I am partial to UK/Australian/Canada based entertainment. Even though I have lived in NYC my whole life 🤷🏻‍♀️

And here’s the list (I am sure I have forgotten about the audios from before I began this list - so feel free to add to it in the comments)

NOTE- most links take you to Spotify, some exceptions include the BBC SOUNDS app & audible

______________________________

Horror/sci-fi thriller/supernatural thrillers (simplified into “more-serious audiodrama”)

—Restart : by the creators of **The Cypher**

— Children of the Stones : (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi/thriller-mystery full cast audio drama.

—The Piper - (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi detective mystery/horror story (full cast audio drama)

— Jackie the Ripper : the infamous 19th century Whitechapel murders retold with some very sociologically-relevant, feminist twists. I debated whether to place this in the comedy or sci-fi/horror section because, technically, it’s a brilliantly British & even mix of both. Description from their website: “in this modern twist, men are the victims of dark, sexually aggressive murders. The kind that leave them penis-less... Behind all the bloodshed is a woman, Jackie, a ruthless serial killer ready to strike again, and again, and again….without a single ounce of remorse and ready to share it all on social media.”

— BODY HORROR (BBC) : psychological mystery thriller (contrary to the title of the piece, it’s not even remotely in the body horror subgenre lol - no gore or any talk of blood 🩸 because it’s not necessary - this one cuts deep, in particular for any1 who’s suffered from issues of identity or body-image disorders).

—In Another Room : paranormal investigation turned straight-horror

—Fulmar’s Folly uk-based post-apocalyptic water world

— Red Valley : surrealist-sci-fi-thriller-horror full cast UK audio drama. BRILLIANT plot & a few thought-provoking mysteries. S1 & 2 end w/ incredible twists & had me in tears one moment; and laughing the next. S3 is in the making & will be it’s final season; completing the story.

— Lusus - (BBC)- *like* an anthology (which I am not really into anthologies unless they are super original 😅) but if you *pay attention*, each very different story is linked. Each episode is unique in its own subgenre of the horror/mystery category.

—5 Week Countdown

— Murmurs (BBC) high-concept, surrealistic sci-fi-horror

—Limelight - another BBC AD: composed of mini-serials. My personal favorites are English Rose (5 part mini-series) ,The System series 1 (6 parts) & 2 (5 parts), Dead Hand (5 part mini-series, each episode a half an hour run-time), & Steelheads (5 parts)

—**Weird Tales** : (BBC) Some of these were just phenomenal. They ease you in with *The Fly* (not associated with the movie) and then they dial up the psychological fear-factor times 10 for *The Loop* - which was my favorite of the entire series. But they are all great (though the framing device is lazy & unnecessary)

— Malevolent : an indie lovecraftian tale

— Dashing Onions Audio : I read a review while Google searching best audiodrama - the mini series When We Were Two (3 part mini-series) was a perfect recommendation- this is how *every* Twilight Zone episode should have been. Upstairs, Upstairs was good just too short. Customs is a master class in script editing. Overall I prefer their mini series.

— Video Palace : traditional horror story

— The Man in Black bought on audible the version with Mark Gatiss; listened to the OG version on the BBC SOUNDS app. ((Anthology-horror)) Each episode is the length of many modern podcasted-audiodrama’s full seasons.

— Dangerous Visions (BBC) Horror/thriller

— Forest 404 (bbc) sci-fi/fantasy-thriller; hard to actually put this one into a genre category..but it’s written by Timothy X Attack, & if you’re a fan of his work with **Big Finish Audio**, it’s worth ur time.

— The Message sci-fi/mystery/thriller

— LifeAfter sci-fi/mystery/thriller

— Archive 81 : ((i suggest u start with S3. If you like it, wither go back to S1 & continue in order, or stick with the “backwards” route; going from S3->S2->S1 😉))

— The Imperfection : award winning. Any more description will ruin it. Go in cold.

— Who Killed Alaska? : sci-fi/mystery/thriller w/elements of surrealism,dark comedy, & possibilities of the paranormal..?

— How I Died : ongoing sci-fi/mystery/horror-thriller

— The Cypher : truly a great mystery (or mysteries..?), definitely a futuristic, world. Sci-fi thriller. Also by the BBC but available on most podcasting apps like the other BBC AD’s I have recommended here (spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Pocket Casts, a few are even available on audible)

— Petrified: Ireland based award winning full cast horror audio drama

— Subsister: A Real Podcast ongoing sci-fi mystery with multi-media/arg elements.

— The Deep Vault : made by the Archive 81 team. Fast paced true horror.

— The Oyster : this one I was apprehensive about & it was just… great. Cerebral, thought provoking, *moving*, psychologically-terrifying sci-fi. You will laugh & likely cry & feel your stomach fill with butterflies & it leaves a definite impression that lasts for days…

— Tracks (BBC) There are 5 different seasons - each could be listened to in isolation as they all have their own individual mysteries that are solved. All weird sci-fi, psychological thriller fiction

—Steal the Stars (renamed STORIES FROM THE STARS) : a shortened version (and obviously far more streamlined in storyline, production etc) of Archive 81 but here the writing shines, the pacing is absolute perfection - and then it’s like a roller coaster that I didn’t see coming - that ending I was so, so unprepared for 🤯🫢🤐

— Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night (can be found under the feed “Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail” - which is the 2nd season of the series) : I am not into the DC/Marvel universe. The last super-hero movie I saw was the 1990’s Batman movies 😳. I knew literally *nothing* about Wolverine, the character, when I finally caved into trying this…and boy, am I glad I did. This AD serves as yet another reminder of how holding onto preconceived notions only limits one’s potential for enjoyment. Anyway… this is absolutely not for children, & not an origin story (which is what I had been expecting). I was shocked to hear that the titular character (the term “Wolverine” is never used. It took a bit of googling for me to see that the missing “Logan” = Wolverine) is played by none other than Richard Armitage (who I know most recently from his spine-tingling portrayal of Rassilon in the Gallifrey Time War boxsets) and oddly enough, said-titular-character has very, very few lines/appearances in this story. I could go on, & on, & on trying to sell the idea of what this thing is & why it deserves your time - but it’s easy enough to just Google..

— St. Mary’s School for Children with the Stigmata

— The Grove : short serialized mythological horror story (obviously full cast)

—The Deca Tapes : almost like an experimental ARG-type formula? Basically you are dropped into a futuristic sociological experiment of sorts- and it’s up to the listener to figure out wtf is going on. This one has narration but it’s integral to the storytelling.

— BOOM (by Stak) : From their website: “It's 1999 and Enron finance manager Jim Yang has received an email from the future.”

—Parkdale Haunt* ((*I found the first season to be almost intolerable due to the very slow opening and pacing issues - but when it gets going it is good. I get the impression that they were finding their feet so-to-speak)) a supernatural horror story- seasons 2 & 3 are great - season 1 is a treck so if you don’t have the patience or tolerance, I advise skipping this one

—The Bright Sessions* (slow the 1st season. But worth it come the AM Archives)

—SCP: Find Us Alive : a darkly comedic horror serial set in the SCP universe but doing something CREATIVE within it

—The Sink: A Sleep Aid (BBC) immersive experience in psychological horror

—Case 63 : a short, professionally recorded, concisely-written psychological thriller

—Blood Culture : horror/sci-fi serial

—Quiet Part Loud : by Jordan Peele. This is a must listen.

—Tomorrow’s Monsters : serialized horror/sci-fi thriller

—Eliza : A Robot’s Story : professionally recorded.

—Borrasca* : paranormal investigation turned horror series by Q-code so that in itself is an advertisement warning complete.

—Passenger List: slow burn mystery. Caitlin Le, an Asian college student from Kansas is attending university in NYC when news breaks of a plane going missing (ala the Malaysian airline’s mystery). As the “disaster” unfurls, she is surprised to discover her twin brother was on the flight from London to New York. Months later the airline announces a “bird strike” was responsible for the flight crash; despite the fact that no evidence of a crash has been found. Caitlin Le can’t move on until she knows what happened to her twin. Soon she uncovers multiple rabbit holes 🕳️ and she gets lost . Did she really ever truly know her twin brother?

— Batman Unburied : I’m not into the whole Marvel comics thing but this audio drama does something different with classic tropes

—Batman : The Audio Adventures : again, very well done. I was into the Gotham TV show for awhile - but that’s the only marvel/DC-spawned-entertainment that’s ever caught my attention. This is another one that works for both fans of the Batman and newbs alike

—The Secret of St. Kilda : this is more of a drama with some supernatural/mythical elements

—Give Me Away : I was torn whether to put this one in the comedy or serious section because it’s more of a “dramedy ”. And it’s scary because of what it says about society but not traditional horror. It’s also by the team who did *Steal the Stars*

—Paragon : an hour-length sci-fi/horror audio drama and is part of the PRIMORDIAL DEEP feed

—Wake of Corrosion : post-apocalyptic horror (ongoing)

—Quietly Yours : straight-up horror, bottle episodes (anthology of cinematic horror drama for the ears)

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Non-horror full cast audio drama (space operas, comedic serials, etc)

—Juno Steel : part of the Penumbra Podcast

—EOS 10 : comedic space opera

— Brimstone Valley Mall : dark comedy nostalgia fest

—We Fix Space Junk : comedic space opera

—Marscorp : comedic space opera

—Classified : Dark Comedy, triggers : mental illness/asylums

—Wooden Overcoats : dark comedy “sitcom”

—Mockery Manor : nostalgia-fueled dark comedy/mock/horror

—Eternal Strife : comedic serial

—Victoriocity : a less serious, less professional version of Jago & Litefoot

—Alba Salix : comedic serial fantasy

—Bubble : this one is a weird one because it is full cast and yet it has a designated narrator… so… 😏 give it a shot & if it doesn’t work for you probably give it a pass 😙

—The Candyman : Horror-comedy/parody - very indie but quite short and worth it 👏😂

—Human B-Gone : ongoing but so far so funny

—Two Flat-Earthers Kidnap a Free Mason: This one is definitely meant to be a farcical, satirical look at the internet conspiracy world (ie: the people who followed Alex Jones’ almost religiously lol) - it’s only 14 episodes in so far, and clearly ongoing… it’s not great but it works if you’re bored..? There are certain parts that would be really funny if the pacing had been better.

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Free Full Cast Audible Audio Dramas Worth Your Time (modern radio/audio drama & *FREE*)

—Space: 1969 (comedy/alternate reality) pieces of the description from the site: “What if President John F. Kennedy had survived and rocketed the Space Race of the 1960s into overdrive? And what if he was, maybe, not quite… himself? Space: 1969 is a retro sci-fi comedy adventure that has to be heard to be believed!”

—Heads Will Roll dark fantasy comedy

—Radioman (psych thriller/horror) from the site: “When a series of gruesome murders leaves a community in despair, a former local DJ decides to start a podcast and do something about it. But as his following grows, long-buried secrets from the past resurface revealing not everyone is who they truly seem....”

—The Method (serial killing actor- intense)from the site: “James Patterson leads you into the darkest recesses of the mind with this chilling, immersive audio thriller. We meet Brent Quill, a frustrated actor trying to take his game to the next level. When he learns about the intensive Method acting process, he dives in deep—and immediately lands the lead role in a TV series about a brutal serial killer.”

—The Catchers (straight horror/paranormal possibly cryptid) from the site: “Catchers is a small-town horror tale with all the charm of a classic ‘80s creature-feature, updated for the modern era.”

—Self Center (dark comedic horror; social relevancy)

—Hit Job (dark comedy)

—The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ Rivals (what it says on the tin - but very funny as well as delivering good mysteries)

—Tribulation : religion trigger warning. Interesting idea - religious cult on an AM broadcast is using electricity to “steal” people and force them into “tribulation”…

—High Strangeness : Doctor Who meets X-Files & Stranger Things - very good; very funny

—Apocalypse Untreated : “five mentally ill teenagers in an inpatient wilderness program during the apocalypse face not only the end of the world, but also the end of their prescriptions. Now, they have to figure out what’s real and what’s just a side effect, and keep their wits about them as they fight for their lives and their minds. Apocalypse Untreated is a multi-part, post-apocalyptic thriller brought to life with world class sound design, and performance.”

—Sorry Charlie Miller : another one w/Zachary Quinto (the protagonist/antagonist of The Method) but this is a modern comedy - from the website “Sorry Charlie Miller is a Tik Tok era mystery with twists, turns, and a whole lot of questionable fashion choices. It takes place in Florida, hello.” - so yeah, for me it depends on the time of the day and time of the month. It’s good for the right time basically 😂

—Sheltered : British humor - very bingeable just wish there was more 😔 Description from the site: “It’s been centuries since Armageddon and no one has ever left the bunker that has sustained what remains of civilised human life....When innocent simpleton Gary and social climber Veronica are sent to explore the world outside, they soon regret ever leaving the safety, soft furnishings and quilted toilet paper of Fallout Shelter 7421.”

—Sour Hall : magical horror staring Pearl Mackie (aka: Bill from the Capaldi years of Doctor Who, also the protagonist of AD Forest 404)

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#Spotify #audio drama #fiction podcast #show recommendations #podcast recommendation #bbc sounds #audible #radio play #Apollo #full cast #full cast audio drama #no narration #reddit #controlandownership

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ohthehypocrisy · 1 month

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Magnezone for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

Prev: Cradily - Hatterene - Tropius - Cacturne - Ditto - Weavile - Ogerpon - Coalossal - Gogoat - Galarian Slowbro - Luxray - Breloom - Uxie, Mesprit, & Azelf - Wobbuffet - Obstagoon - Lanturn - Castform - Dusknoir - Persian - Tatsugiri & Dondozo

Ah, Magnezone, one of my favorite new evolutions from Gen 4, having evolved from the quirky Magneton which ironically makes it the honorary Steel Type of Gen 1, before the typing existed. What a lovely pokemon with such a convoluted history, despite it's awkward magnet designs, I will always be there for Magnezone, much like how it will always be there for me.

Seriously, this thing is one of my go-to's for teambuilding, especially for Trick Room teams. It's so easy to use, I've grown fond of it. Maybe that's why I'm attracted to the idea of Magnezone for Pokemon Unite, and I'm not just saying that because of the metal implants in my body.

Of which there are none. I'm being facetious.

Well, onto the stats, and would you look at that. There's a reason I never hesitated to put a Magnezone on my teams. Extremely high Sp. Attack coupled with high Defense makes the magnet monster bulky enough to take hits and dish them back. The rest of its stats are serviceable, particularly the Sp. Defense is decent enough that Magnezone's bulk is only held back by its below average HP.

While it may appear to have the makings of a Defender, Magnezone is often specialized in taking on specific threats that hinder the entire team. Remember how effective it used to be at trapping opposing Steel Types and removing them from the equation? I mean, it still is, you just gotta watch out for Terastilization. Outside of that, it's hyper focused in a sense that it lacks any other optimizations, and as such it doesn't have many options in sustaining itself. Lack of recovery greatly hinders its walling capabilities, but as long as it eliminates the target, it will have done its job. Yes, this is one of those pokemon that desperately needs support from Supporters and Bulky All-Rounders. What does that make Magnezone? A...

Defender

Basic Attack - Ranged/Sp. Attack

The user generates a magnetic field around itself, slowly damaging all enemies within range. After dealing a certain amount of damage, affected enemies will be stunned and pulled towards the user.

The basic attack damages all enemies within range of the user. As damage is dealt, a magnet icon graphic appears over affected enemies that slowly fills. The magnet icon fills in when 15% of the opposing pokemon's HP is lost through the basic attack. When this happens, affected pokemon are Pulled a short distance towards the user.

The magnet icon disappears when the affected enemy is Pulled or leaves the range of the basic attack, or if the basic attack ends from releasing the attack button or when the attack is stopped forcefully through a hindrance. If it disappears from activating the Pull effect, the magnet icon will not reappear until the basic attack ends and restarts.

The magnet icon doesn't deplete if the target restores HP. The mark keeps track of how much HP the target has lost.

Now, the thing about magnets is that they're always on. You ever put a magnet in a small cup of honey, sprinkled in some metal fillings, and watched the particles slowly pull towards the nodes? I mean, aside from having made the world's worst snack, it's pretty fascinating to observe.

In Pokemon Unite, this is how Magnezone and its evolutions attack, by constantly filling the space around it with powerful electric currents. It deals weak damage, but the effect is powerful. If an enemy lingers in the area of effect for too long, they'll get magnetized and will be forcefully dragged towards the user. It's not a very strong pull, but if you coordinate with an ally, you can score some easy KO's this way.

Of course, once the magnetization takes effect, you have to wait for it to become active again. You can't magnetize an enemy multiple times, not unless you turn off the basic attack or let them leave the area of effect. Speaking of which, since you are holding the basic attack button to magnetize opposing pokemon, one disruptive hindrance is all it'll take to stop the magnet waves from taking hold. And there are some opposing pokemon you don't want to pull in, like Bulky All-Rounders. Remember what I said about Magnezone's lack of sustainability? Yeah, that'll become apparent much later on.

For now, work with your allies to make the most of your magnetization skills. You can improve your magnetism with your ability, Magnet Pull.

Ability: Magnet Pull

The user's Pull effects are strengthened the more Aeos orbs you have in your Score Pocket. Aeos Orbs on the ground are collected from further away.

Each Aeos Orb in your Score Pocket adds 1% to the power of your Pull effects. This maxes out to 30% from Level 1 to Level 7, 40% from Level 8 through Level 11, and 50% from Level 12 onwards.

This Pull strength multiplier is based on the power of the pull effect, not the distance. Otherwise, it might be possible to Pull an enemy all the way out of their Home Base after they escape into Hoopa's Hyperspace Hole.

Stray Aeos Orbs on the ground are drawn in to you from further away than normal. You will only attract stray Aeos Orbs if you have the space for them in your Score Pocket.

This ability affects only your own Score Pocket, and not the combined Score Pocket of you and an ally Comfey or other future effects.

There are weak magnets, and then there are strong magnets. And then there are really strong magnets, the kinds they use to pick up scrap in a junkyard, like a floating saucer. Hey, that's just like Magnezone!

Magnet Pull powers up your Pull effects by 1% for each Aeos Orb in your Score Pocket. This means that the boost is limited by the size of the Score Pocket, and the only way to increase it is to Level Up during the match. Now, that's easy enough, but when you make a score, you go back down to 0, which can cause moments of bad timing if you score during a hotly contested fight around a Goal Zone. Can't really pull anything without any power, huh?

Thankfully, Magnet Pull has a secondary effect of pulling in Aeos Orbs from further away than other pokemon. You ever find it tedious to manually walk over all the stray Aeos Orbs on the ground to collect them? Well, thanks to Magnezone's magnetic personality, you can just suck them all up like a hungry vacuum just by being nearby. It only works on the points you have space for, so don't forget to make a score with all those points you have.

One other thing to note is that, since it only pulls in Aeos Orbs, dummy Aeos Orbs thrown by Sableye's Feint Attack will be ignored, so that's a handy way of foiling that foolish folly.

Now, you'd think there are no downsides to this ability, and for the most part, there isn't. It's just that, Magnezone has some really strong moves with Pull effects that instantly become weaker if you were to score them all. It might be worth it to hold on to a full Pocket of Aeos Orbs for defending purposes, but don't forget to actually make goals when you need to.

It's a good thing we know how magnets work, in spite of the lack of knowledge in this field of science, nor the insistence of such ignorance.

At the start of the game, Magnezone will start out as Magnemite. You can choose between Magnet Bomb and Thunder Shock as your first move. By Level 3, you'll have learned both.

Move 1: Magnet Bomb (Ranged/Hindrance)

The user launches metal orbs that fly and stick to any enemy in range. Afterwards, the orbs explode, Pulling affected enemies towards the user. 8s cooldown.

Little metal orb projectiles are shot forward in a conical shape, sticking to enemies within range. This effect is purely visual, as even one hit will cover an enemy with the magnetically charged beads.

After 1.5 seconds, the beads spark and explode, Stunning for 0.25 seconds and Pulling the affected enemies a very short distance towards the user. The distance Pulled is lengthened by Magnet Pull.

I will never not be mad about moves that get cut in between generations, no matter how useless they may have been. I mean, a Steel Type move that never misses? How novel! It's just too bad that the signature user is a Sp. Attacker and that Move was decidedly Physical for whatever reason.

Well, we can remedy this injustice by turning it into an actually useful move in Pokemon Unite. Magnet Bomb is a short ranged move that causes little magnetically charged beads to stick to whatever it hits. The beads explode a short while later, causing Stun and Pulling the affected enemy towards the user. At the beginning of the game, this won't be all that strong of an effect, unless you diligently stockpile Aeos Orbs in order to maximize the Pull power of this move.

The short delay makes the move tricky to use, since opposing pokemon can easily just Dash away from you in order to minimize the impact of the Pull effect. You do threaten big damage, though, when Magnet Bomb is combined with your other move, Thunder shock.

Move 2: Thunder Shock (Area)

The user unleashes a bolt of electricity all around itself. The closer enemies are, the more damage is dealt. 6s cooldown.

Electricity is launched all around the user, damaging all enemies nearby.

The damage is multiplied the closer opposing pokemon are to the user. At the edge of the attack, the multiplier is 0.75x. Halfway it is 2.25x. Right next to the user, it becomes 4.5x increased damage.

With both your basic attack and Magnet Bomb being able to Pull enemies in, Thunder Shock is the coup de grace when the opposing pokemon is close enough. It deals pretty solid damage thanks to a proximity multiplier, which is intended to make up for Magnemite's lack longevity in a fight.

The idea is that you target a troublesome enemy like a frail Attacker, pull them in with your effects, then finish them off with Thunder Shock before they can escape. It's a solid plan, especially since ranged Attackers like to keep their distance in the first place. If an enemy Attacker is coming out of Central Area and into your Lane, you and your allies can amass a lot of EXP by coordinating a KO with your Pull effects.

And you're going to need to work together, since Magnemite is a bit of a late bloomer for a Defender.

At Level 4, Magnemite evolves into Magneton.

Since they make Magnemite hold a camera for these Unite Battles, do you think they ever get Magneton in on it? I mean, 3D Movies are a thing, and the multiple perspectives would make for a trippy viewing experience.

Yeah, I'm glossing over this section since Magneton evolves early, but you don't reach your full potential until Level 7, when you fully evolve into Magnezone.

At Level 7, Magneton will evolve into Magnezone. At the same time, Magnet Bomb becomes either Magnet Rise or Magnetic Flux.

Move 1a: Magnet Rise (Buff/Hindrance)

The user begins floating with electromagnetism, making it immune to damage and effects for a short while. At the same time, a blast of magnetically charged electricity is unleashed around the user, charging all enemies nearby. When the user crashes down, all charged enemies will be damaged and pulled towards the user. 9.5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Magnet Rise becomes Magnet Rise+.

Expands the area of effect.

A short ranged wave of electromagnetism is unleashed all around the user, marking affected enemies with a lightning bolt icon. Magnet Rise+ expands the range of this burst by 50%.

When the user floats into the air, it is completely invincible, similar to Talonflame's Fly, though it is clearly visible. It becomes capable of floating over walls and obstacles and ignores all field effects, whether they be friendly or from foes. Tall Grass also doesn't hide you anymore. This effect lasts only for 1.5 seconds.

When Magnet Rise ends, the user crashes down with a heavy thud, damaging enemies nearby. Those marked with the bolt icon will also be damaged, even if they weren't nearby, and will be Pulled towards the user a short distance. An arrow line is drawn on the ground between the marked enemies and the user, showing where the direction of the Pull effect is. Magnet Pull can increase this Pull strength.

Magnet Rise cannot Pull enemies through walls.

Apologies to Orbeetle, but Magnezone was the first flying saucer pokemon, what with its powerful magnetic tractor beam grabbing things from the earth and pulling them towards it. Don't be surprised that it floats just like a flying saucer as well. And yet, for some reason, it can't have the Levitate Ability...

Anyways, Magnezone is heavy, like ridiculously heavy. So much so, that when it turns on its magnetic powers to fly, the magnetic waves are powerful enough to fry you if you're standing too close to it. That's what happens to nearby enemies when Magnet Rise is used, as it marks them with a quaint little lightning bolt icon.

Now, while Magnezone is flying, it is completely immune to all effects, negative and positive. Yeah, it's immune to damage even, but allies can't affect it with buffs or healing moves either, just like Cinderace's Feint. Magnet Rise only makes you invulnerable for a short while just as well, only you come crashing down with a heavy thud.

The charged enemies you hit with the jump get their polarities reversed when this happens. What this means is, that those marked by Magnet Rise will suddenly get pulled towards Magnezone when it comes down, wherever that happens to be. Magnezone is only in the air for a very short amount of time, so it's not likely you'll get a lot of distance between you and the enemy.

However, it is a Pull effect, which gets strengthened by Magnet Pull, and it is a delayed Pull effect at that. If the enemy gets caught, they can expect to be pulled in the direction you're moving towards, which can be coordinated with your allies. There's a whole electric current drawn on the ground to illustrate this effect, so its their own fault if they let themselves get pulled like dumb little fish on a fishing line.

The invincibility effect is very useful too, as Magnezone lacks any way to heal or empower itself. However, this invulnerability means that you can't pull off any silly tricks like diving into Hoopa's Hyperspace Hole when it opens, since you are immune to all effects, harmful or helpful. You can't even hide in Tall Grass while floating. Being able to avoid Unite Moves is pretty nifty though, but the cooldown of the move means it'll be an extensive wait time if you miss the timing.

Plus, you're depending on a full Score Pocket to power up the Pull effects of Magnet Rise. You really need those Aeos Orbs. It's just too bad that you can't really steal them from opposing pokemon by magnetizing the orbs right out of their Score Pocket.

Or can you?

Move 1b: Magnetic Flux (Ranged/Hindrance)

The user fires a beam of magnetically charged electricity forward, damaging all enemies in range. The affected enemies will have their Aeos Orbs taken and added to the user's Score Pocket. When the move ends, the enemies will be pulled towards the user. The user receives reduced damage and the affected opposing pokemon deal less damage to the user while Magnetic Flux is in use. 9.5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Magnetic Flux becomes Magnetic Flux+.

Expands the range of the magnet beam and increases the damage reducing effects.

A magnetic electro beam is launched forward in a conical shape, burning enemies within range with charged radio waves. Magnetic Flux+ expands the range of this beam by 40%. Magnezone can move while using Magnetic Flux, though the direction will maintain constant.

All enemies within range of the beam will have their Aeos Orbs taken from their Score Pocket and added to the users at a rate of 2 Points per second. If the user doesn't have room in their Score Pocket, the excess is left behind on the ground. This doesn't affect Wild Pokemon.

The user receives 15% less damage from opposing attacks and opposing pokemon affected by the magnet beam deal 15% less damage to the user while within the area of effect. Magnetic Flux+ increases both of these effects to 25% each. These effects stack.

Magnetic Flux lasts for 5 seconds or until the attack is cancelled, manually or from a hindrance. When the attack ends, all opposing pokemon within range will be Pulled a short distance towards the user.

Magnezone's third eye, the big red circle in the middle of its face, is fully functional, despite the fact that it doesn't blink. That's because it's specialized to perceive magnetic waves and other strange wavelengths flying about in our world. Oh, and also because it shoots laser beams from it.

While Magnetic Flux is a passive status move, I've turned it into a sneaky little attack. Also, Magnetic Flux can only be learned by Magnezone, not Magneton, which is why Magnezone starts learning its moves at this Level and not at Level 5 as a Magneton.

Anyway, the magnetic waves launched out of Magnezone's eye magnetize the Aeos Orbs in the Score Pockets of opposing pokemon within range. What this does is that the loose change slips out of their pocket and floats into Magnezone's own deep coffers, completely of its own volition. It's not a lot of points passively, but any amount of points getting stolen is sure to illicit a violent response by the opposing team.

Normally Magnet Pull drags in stray points off the ground and towards you, but if there are none nearby, you can 'borrow' some from nearby enemies. It's too bad you get this move at Level 7 and not the early game, where it becomes much more lucrative to score and power up stacking items like Aeos Cookie.

Now, the move only runs for 5 seconds, but during that time, you get a small defense boost, reducing the damage you receive while the move is active. Those in range of Magnetic Flux will also have their damage output reduced, and these two effects can overlap, meaning that Magnezone gets a 30% total damage reduction from those it is directly harming with Magnetic Flux. That's enough to stifle most burst damage attacks coming your way. When upgraded to Magnetic Flux+, it comes out to 50% damage reduction, thwarting nearly all burst damage aimed at the giant magnet.

When the move ends, all opposing pokemon getting zapped by the beam will then get pulled towards the user. Because you are stealing Aeos Orbs, Magnet Pull will slowly increase in power. Magnetic Flux runs for 5 seconds, which totals 10 Aeos Orbs taken from each pokemon within range. More pokemon hit by the beam means more points taken, but that does naturally contribute to the risk of trying to affect the entire enemy team with this move.

While the defense boost is very nice, you can manually end the move early by using the attack a second time. Whether it ends from getting interrupted or the time has run out, Magnetic Flux pulls pokemon in when it goes away. Maybe a particularly twitchy enemy is liable to make a run for it to escape from your tractor beam. In that case, the defense boost of Magnetic Flux won't be all that useful to you since the enemy is choosing to flee instead of fight, so Pulling them in as soon as the beam hits is a great way to finish them off.

Just one thing to note. Magnetic Flux deals damage, but it doesn't hinder the enemy until it ends. You get a defense boost while using the move, but those outside of the beam's range can continue to pelt you with long range attacks like Decidueye or Inteleon, as they won't have to worry about the damage debuff. Speaking of which, hindrance resistance effects like Full Heal or Blissey's Safeguard can snub the damage reduction effects of Magnetic Flux, as well as the Pull effect if they time it right.

There's also the fact that, at this stage, your only other move is Thunder Shock, a pitifully weak move at your power level. Not to worry, as just one level later, you'll replace it with a much more impactful attack like Discharge or Flash Cannon.

At Level 8, Thunder Shock will become either Discharge or Flash Cannon.

Move 2a: Discharge (Area)

The user builds up a massive surge of electricity before unleashing it all around itself, Stunning nearby enemies. The closer they are, the more damage they receive. Affected opposing pokemon are more vulnerable to the Pull effect of your basic attack. 5.5s cooldown.

At Level 13, Discharge becomes Discharge+.

Decreases the charge time for the move.

Opposing pokemon are Stunned for 0.75 seconds when hit by Discharge.

The damage multiplies the closer they are to Magnezone, just like with Thunder Shock. The damage multiplier maxes out to 5.5x.

For 4 seconds afterwards, opposing pokemon receive a 150% stronger Pull effect from your basic attack. This stacks with Magnet Pull.

It takes Discharge 1.5 seconds to come out, causing the user the crackle with electricity right before it is unleashed. Discharge+ reduces this charge time to 0.75 seconds.

As a direct upgrade to Thunder Shock, Discharge has Magnezone let loose a powerful volley of lightning bolts all around itself. Not only does it hit hard, it also Stuns the enemy briefly, since electric attacks have a tendency to paralyze opposing pokemon that get hit.

It's not completely free to use, though, as Discharge has a short windup to it. It takes an entire second and a half for Discharge to come out when you use it, giving the opposing team plenty of time to try and dash away from your violent volt surges. Now, I would argue that limiting the space the enemy can play in is one of the defining traits of a Defender, as a direct hit can deal massive damage to slower enemies.

Just like Thunder Shock, Discharge has a proximity multiplier that increases the damage dealt to enemies too close for comfort. If they get hit at the edge of the attack, Discharge won't deal a whole lot of damage. In fact, it'll hit for a lot less than normal to those it just barely managed to graze. If opposing pokemon are shoulder to shoulder with Magnezone, however, Discharge will deliver a massive 5.5x damage multiplier to those directly nearby, potentially electrocuting frail Attackers and Speedsters.

Now, a powerful move like this would have some drawbacks, such as the charge time before the move comes out. However, Magnezone lacks the ability to empower itself with healing or shields, so it's putting itself at risk trying to maximize the damage of Discharge. As such, Discharge has a shockingly low cooldown of 5.5 seconds, which makes it ridiculously free to use at any point during a fight. Pokemon that lack sustainability need these sort of crazy cooldowns in order to be threatening to the opposing team as a Defender.

One last thing to note. The residual electricity of Discharge makes it so that your basic attack's Pull effect become much stronger, even if the attack just barely clipped them. If the move didn't successfully KO the opposing pokemon, you can have easier time Pulling the affected enemy towards you and your team with your followup attack.

Of course, you do need to coordinate with your allies to get this done.

Move 2b: Flash Cannon (Area)

Let loose a brilliant light all around you, damaging enemies and makes it easier to Pull enemies with your basic attack. The closer they are, the greater the damage increase. 6s cooldown.

At Level 13, Flash Cannon becomes Flash Cannon+.

Movement Speed increases while Flash Cannon+ is active.

Flash Cannon scatters light particles around Magnezone that damage nearby enemies continuously for 5 seconds. The damage dealt increases the closer they are to the user. The damage multiplier maxes out to 4.75x.

The cooldown of Flash Cannon kicks in when the move ends.

While Flash Cannon is active, the basic attack only needs to fill in 10% of the magnet icon in order to Pull opposing pokemon closer.

Flash Cannon+ increases your Movement Speed by 25% while in use.

You ever wonder why Flash Cannon is a Steel type move? Because Steel types manipulate the light refracting off of their polished metal exteriors and focus it into an attack. I mean, that doesn't explain why the non-Steel types are able to use it, but at least it gives pokemon like Magnezone some way to deal Sp. Attack damage with their Same Type Attack Boost.

While Discharge lets loose a big wave of dangerous electricity all around itself, Flash Cannon is a bit weaker in exchange for consistency. It will deal small amounts of damage passively all around itself, which it will continue to do for 5 seconds. It can't even get stifled by hindrances, which is a weakness of Discharge if opposing pokemon are good at timing their attacks.

It also has a proximity multiplier, just like Discharge, though the maximum damage output is a bit weaker. Being able to deal continuous damage is effective, but it can be too weak when engaging opposing pokemon, as it may not deal enough damage to threaten them. It lets Magnezone float up to Wild Pokemon and get the last hit on objectives more often than not, so it's up to opposing Defenders to keep the area safe from this chromatic creature.

Since Flash Cannon is active at all times, it means that you can use other effects while the move is running. If you really want to abuse the proximity multiplier to its full effect, you should use Magnet Rise or Magnetic Flux while Flash Cannon is running to Pull the enemy closer towards you. Flash Cannon also makes the basic attack have an easier time of Pulling enemies inward, requiring only 10% damage to fill in the mark as opposed to 15%.

All these potential effects combined make Flash Cannon a very solid move with no downsides, though the low damage rate may be a deal-breaker for some players. It lacks the immediately threatening power of Discharge in exchange for passive safety, so it's up to you on how you employ Magnezone's defensive capabilities.

Admittedly, it is dangerous to always be pulling enemies towards you in order to Defend the team. Luckily, you have one final gambit to use to fulfill your true potential as a Defender.

Unite Move: Polarity Swing

Launches an oversized magnet at the designated area. The magnet damages and pulls enemies inward, dealing more damaging the closer they are. Any Stun effects applied to enemies in range will strengthen the Pull effect. The magnet’s pull effect out-prioritizes your own.

The giant magnet damages enemies on hit, but it doesn't behave as an obstacle. It starts generating powerful magnet waves that damages enemies over time slowly in a large area around it. The damage dealt multiplies the closer they are to the center, maxing out to 7.5x.

While dealing damage, opposing pokemon are constantly being Pulled towards it. However, the Pull effect is very weak and can easily be moved away from. Magnet Pull strengthens the Pull effect.

If affected opposing pokemon are incapacitated by a Stun Effect, the Pull Effect increases drastically, more than tripling in power. This will only remain in effect while the affected opposing pokemon are Stunned.

Your own Pull effects stop working while within the area of effect.

Wild Pokemon are unaffected by Polarity Swing's Pull effect.

Polarity Swing lasts for 8 seconds.

When Magneton evolves into Magnezone, it goes from 6 horseshoe magnets to 3, so where did the other 3 go? Well, it turns out that these parts got disassembled into magnetic sand and float in the air around Magnezone, so that whenever it needs a big fat magnet to start pulling things into it like a localized black hole, it can just reconstitute it and throw it onto the ground. Please note that I am not a pokemon professor and that this is purely hypothetical, as I really don't know where that magnet came from.

Polarity Swing immediately starts generating a gravitational field all around itself, pulling in enemies on the opposing team towards the giant magnet wherever it was thrown. This pull effect can be increased with a full Score Pocket thanks to Magnet Pull, but it's still pretty easy for opposing pokemon to dash away from the magnetic field with moves. They are also just as easily capable of walking away, as the Pull effect doesn't stop them from moving.

The true power of Polarity Swing comes in its opportunistic behavior. While opposing pokemon are perfectly capable of walking away and out of the pull range, the Pull effect boosts dramatically if they are Stunned from any move, whether it be yours or your allies. This means that any Stunned enemy will be suddenly pulled towards the center of Polarity Swing, which can aid in defense, offense, or positioning for your team. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Polarity Swing is dealing damage continuously in its area of effect?

Just like with Discharge and Flash Cannon, Polarity Swing has a proximity multiplier that deals increasing damage to enemies caught in or near the center of the area of effect. The Pull effect is bad enough, but it is also hurting everything in range. This means that it is in the best interest of you and your team to unload all of your Stun moves at the opposing pokemon, since the longer they stay within the middle of the attack, the more damage they receive overall.

The only downside to this Unite Move is that your own Pull effects stop working, aside from the effects of Polarity Swing. If you try to Pull an enemy towards you while you're both in the area of effect, the Pull attempt will fail, since the giant magnet has a much stronger presence. You can Pull enemies that are outside the range of the Unite Move towards you into the area of effect, though. Although, good luck Pulling an enemy deep enough to be significantly affected by Polarity Swing, because if they want to leave, they'll more than likely escape.

It goes without saying, but try to avoid throwing Polarity Swing into a wall or obstacle. The move deals more damage when opposing pokemon are close to the center of the attack, but that won't happen if the center happens to be out of bounds within an object or big wall. Also, the Pull effect won't affect Wild Pokemon, which is actually a good thing in most situations, except for when you're trying to pull Regieleki away from your Goal Zone.

Biased magnets, how do they work?

Achievements

Move the opposing team a total of 100 meters through your Pull Effects in a single battle.

Now, most achievements are easy enough to track, what with the formula being based on damage numbers, usually. But for Magnezone, the Achievement is based around the accumulated distance you pull enemies.

Now, everything that I've written down here, everything that I've written in the past, and everything that I will ever write about Pokemon Unite is based purely on conjecture, since I'm supposed to convince you of the idea of any one of these pokemon joining the game. As such, it isn't really possible for me to convey the distance and reach every single move may have, so you'll just have to take my word for it when I say, 'this move reaches far'.

Now, 100 meters is a lot of distance to cover, especially since your Pull effects cover about 2 to 3 meters each. Assuming you Pull each member of the opposing team, you'd have to drag each one for 20 meters to fulfill this achievement. In order to pull 100 meters, you'd need to maximize your Pull effects with Magnet Pull and a full Score Pocket.

The Unite Move, Polarity Swing, is big enough that it can pull the entire enemy team at once and will contribute to the Achievement. But you'd need to guarantee that it affects all opposing pokemon with good placement of the move as well as followup attacks used by you and your allies. Remember, any Stun effect causes Polarity Swing to intensify the Pull effect, so if Magnezone is on your team, give it a helping hand.

Gotta stick together.

Holowear

Now, Magnezone is far from the typical body standards we adhere to when it comes to clothing, but that doesn't mean it can't be fashionable. Anything can walk the runway, even if they don't walk.

Starting things off, Movie Style Holowear gives Magnezone a big beret with a hole for its antennae to peek through, a director's clapper in one magnet, a megaphone in the other, a big projector light on one 'shoulder' and a big bulky video recorder on the other. Next, Cook Style Holowear gives it a tall chef's hat and apron, as well as spoons, ladles, pots, pans, knives, and a spatula all magnetically stuck to its body, which makes it always ready to cook. In Mechanic Style Holowear, it's wearing a baseball cap and is covered in wrenches, screwdrivers, and nuts and bolts. Similarly, Musical Style Holowear gives it a big hat that marching band leaders wear, along with an assortment of trumpets, big drums, cymbals, and an accordion stuck to its body. Finally, Space Explorer Style Holowear has it covered in star pins, starry veils, model exoplanets, and a pair of wriggly antennae headbands to give Magnezone an out-of-this-world look.

You'll notice that I like to give Magnezone costumes that has it covered in objects like an overpowered magnet. I'm a sucker for good visual jokes.

Strategy

Remember what I said in the beginning? About how Magnezone is overly specialized in what it can do, it can do it well at the cost of general utility? Well, in Pokemon Unite, Magenzone is good at pulling enemies in, but that's it. It can't heal or sustain itself in battle and has to rely on its allies to follow up its Pull effects with burst damage or the like. It's kind of like Crustle and Mamoswine in this regard, as they're also really solid Defenders, but their potential is based on how well the team can back them up.

In order for Magnezone to be effective, you have to have smart teammates that can capitalize on the openings you provide with your Pull effects. Likewise, not every situation calls for a timely Pull, like say dragging an overleveled enemy towards your underleveled Speedster or Attacker. You gotta read the room and figure out how to best Defend the team in this instance. Usually it means to drag the enemy away from your allies, sacrificing yourself in the process, but if it gives your team some breathing room in order to catch up in EXP, it'll be worth the trade.

Starting a match off as Magnemite, your defensive capabilities are much stronger than normal. You have an automatic Pull attack with your basic attack, a ranged Pull move, and a short ranged area attack that deals increased damage to nearby enemies. This is almost unfair, but Magnemite is a bit of a late bloomer, so it's stuck with this moveset for the first 6 Levels. You evolve two times before you learn the first half of your end game moveset, so you need to focus on EXP while you're playing defense.

Because of the Pull effects you have access to at the beginning of a game, you're better off partnering with a bulky All-Rounder that is capable of dealing heavy damage up close, like Buzzwole or Azumarill. The idea is that you supplement your high EXP need with KO's scored against the opposing team, so you should target frail enemies like opposing Attackers or Speedsters. Do this enough times and you'll reach Level 7 fairly quickly.

If things go awry and you fall behind in EXP, it can be very hard to catch up. Losing the first Goal Zone may be your only recourse, since more Wild Pokemon spawn on your side of the map to compensate for the zone loss. Of course, this is assuming you can get this EXP unobstructed by the opposing team, but greedy pushes like this tend to result in a team wipe sometimes.

If you manage to make it to Level 7, then the fun can truly begin. You'd have to choose between Magnet Rise and Magnetic Flux, but both are very solid moves when playing Tag with the enemy team. Magnet Rise offers a very brief moment of invulnerability while also putting the enemies through magnetic shenanigans. It's also one of the safest ways you can grab multiples enemies at once, since you can move over obstacles while flying, though your Pull victims cannot be dragged through walls with this move.

Magnetic Flux hits a slightly wider area but offers two different boons over invulnerability. Firstly, there's the defense buffs you get from the move while it's running, which is arguably worse than invulnerability. However, the magnetic beam will also start stealing Aeos Orbs passively from those hit by the attack. It's not a lot of points, but any amount will passively boost Magnet Pull, increasing the power of your Pull effects. Speaking of which, when the move ends, whether manually, forcefully, or when the move duration runs out, all enemies hit by the beam will be Pulled towards the user, giving you a lot of dominion over how the attack works. You can either let the move run its course in order to steal the most amount of Aeos Orbs possible, or you end the move prematurely to drag those hit by the beam right away, which you'd prefer to do if you have a full Score Pocket anyway. The defense buff really helps out if you are boldly robbing the entire enemy team.

One Level later and you'll learn the upgrade to Thunder Shock, Discharge or Flash Cannon. Discharge is a little slower with the buildup charge, but it hits really hard, especially if you get an enemy nearby. Even the bulkiest opposing Defender will take a huge chunk of damage from an up close Discharge, so it's a matter of risk versus reward when engaging a Magnezone running this move. Of course, it is vulnerable to hindrances stopping the attack before it comes out, so Flash Cannon is a weaker but safer alternative to proximity damage.

Both of these moves also affect how your basic attack affects enemies. Discharge will make the Pull effect of your basic attack stronger, which stacks with Magnet Pull, so you can keep an enemy really close to you if you managed to land the attack. Flash Cannon speeds up the Pull effect taking hold, which is handy for keeping the enemy in range of the high proximity multiplier of the attack. It's all well and good, but the point of keeping your enemies close is that your friends also need to be close by to take advantage of the vulnerable enemies dragged in by your effects. You can deal high damage, yes, but not burst damage or KO damage. That's the job of your allies.

Speaking of allies, the best time for them to pull their weight would be during your Untie Move, Polarity Swing. As it constantly emits a Pull effect that gets stronger when enemies are Stunned, it's the best time for you and your teammates to unload all of their Stun attacks and burst damage at all enemies caught in the Pull. Of course, you can contribute too, but the giant magnet has a stronger Pull effect than you, so you won't be able to accidentally drag enemies away from the center of the Unite Move. Instead, you should use your moves to drag in enemies outside of the Unite Move's Pull range into it, so that everyone can get in on the magnetic waves.

When two opposing forces meet, the breaking point is at the point of contact. You're going to be pulling the enemy towards you to fight on your turf as Magnezone, so you gotta remember to stay positive.

And that's Magnezone for Pokemon Unite! One of my favorite pokemon introduced in Gen 4, I always loved using this thing in battle, as it never disappointed. Of course, if it were to show up in Pokemon Unite, it'd be the most attractive pokemon for me to play, and not just because of the magnets covering its body. I favor playing Defenders if the team needs it.

That'll be it from me this week. Until next time, see ya!

#Pokemon Unite #Magnezone #Magneton #Magnemite

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sterlingarcher23 · 1 year

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The Neverending Story - Stranger Things

Every real story is a never ending story., Michael Ende.

The years are interesting choices, wouldn't you say?

"Momo" the film based on Michael Ende's novel is released in the year 1986 ; book and film have some interesting lines:

All three, Will, Max and El had a cardiac arrest at one point - most interestingly is that Will was revived via CPR in the UD, Max in the mind: both have a lot of mirror elements ...

Well, the script clearly points out that El sent Max's mind into another dimension. This could be the reason why her heart restarted, it is further possible that El used a new set of powers or even that both their powers, now that Max was fully activated, worked in conjunction.

Nevertheless: Time stopped - Like the clock in "Back to the Future" when the lightning struck it.

"And there upon a rainbow is the answer to a neverending story...."

This of course is then referenced through various appearances of rainbows, most notably Henry who stands upon the rainbow in the "Rainbow Room". But of course also rainbows appearing near Max, for example on her right in the hallway (the banner behind says "All the way") and directly on her face.

Besides: This dialog is cleverly meta. "What the hell is that suppose to mean" = All the way... Rainbow.

Telling us were Max's mind is...

... and basically what's going to happen I also talked about:

What it has to do with Will and Henry, since Will can actually feel him, remembering him etc. is almost a story of its own and something people might not like at all.

This is going to be a different post though. But to give you an idea, I think they are kinda combining themes from "Legend of Korra" and "Once upon a time".

#elmax #max mayfield #stranger things #el hopper #elmax nation #elmax my beloved #elmax supremacy #elmax is real #stranger things analysis #will byers #madwise

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beboped1 · 1 year

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Maskerade

It's been a few months - I realized I needed a break, that the books were starting to run together and feel samey. Then things exploded for a while, but now I'm back! I'll probably be slower than last time, but I'm hoping to find a sustainable pace to get through the whole set.

Maskerade

First Read: I honestly don't remember. Probably after grad school.

Verdict then: Fun but not super memorable. The twist ending is mostly what stuck

Verdict now: Some great lines, and Weatherwax/Ogg is always delightful. It's better than Moving Pictures, but Pratchett still hadn't quite nailed the balance between homage, parody, and core story. Plus, while admittedly good for its time, the fat jokes are still pretty gross.

I dropped out about 2/3 of the way through, after struggling for a couple weeks to get that far, and 9 months later, restarted and blasted through in two weekdays. I'd definitely been getting too used to Pratchett's style and jokes, making them less likely to land, and the break fixed that. But this book still felt almost standard - hitting many of the same kinds of jokes and same kinds of parody/homage/story beats as Moving Pictures, Witches Abroad, and Wyrd Sisters did.

As someone familiar with, but not enamored with Opera (did season tickets for about 4 years, but stopped after that), the jokes mostly landed, especially the ones which crossed over with modern theater. Pratchett does construct this book in a pretty clever way, intending for the book itself to stand as an example of how all those "silly" operatic tropes can still create emotion and story and wonder. But he's ultimately just not quite a good enough writer yet to pull it all off - the meta-structure of the book is too transparent, the twist too easily predictable (even given the meta structure), the binding to Phantom of the Opera in particular too tight. Where Moving Pictures' weakness came from the broadness of its focus, Maskerade was too focused - it's not a parody/homage of opera, it's a parody/homage of Phantom of the Opera.

Weatherwax is also too good in this book - after the complexity and struggles of Witches Abroad and Lords & Ladies, it's a little sad to return to a version of Weatherwax that's more Wyrd Sisters or Equal Rites, where Granny is too clever and too strong for anything to really bother her. I feel like the book takes her side against Nanny Ogg too often also - while their relationship has a lot of good-natured catfighting in it, many of the exchanges in this book crossed the line into cruelty for me. Ogg herself is wonderful though - I do love the way her way is constrasted to Granny's mostly without making it seem lesser.

That brings us to Agnes/Perdita. Pratchett is trying, oh, he's trying. And for the 90s, he's doing better than a lot of people - hell, he's still probably better than many today. But, man, the way he described Agnes' body, and Basilica/Slugg's, and even Ogg got a few jabs, was just shitty. Tie that to the Agnes/Perdita split, which may have resonated more with me when I was younger, I'll admit, but which now just felt...like not enough. Pratchett, while he was ultimately trying to treat his fat characters with some compassion, as he does everyone, still didn't question so much of the bullshit around weight that's hanging around in society. The complete acceptance of the standard cultural framing around weight meant that he could only be so compassionate, so understanding of Agnes. And that lack of connection, of understanding, meant the whole character fell flat to me in the end. Even her arc, a classic "coming to accept yourself" bit, didn't really work for me.

So, in the end, Maskerade is perfectly serviceable, and it's a long way from the mess of Interesting Times, but I'm not surprised I'd forgotten most of it - in the end, it just doesn't stand out. I was really hoping this rut I was seeing was just me getting burned out - but no, Maskerade still falls prey to many of the same things Soul Music and Feet of Clay did.

#discworld #books #book review #terry pratchett #fantasy books #maskerade

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turtleboyz · 2 years

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Character Analysis: 2012 Season 5: Saki Oroku/Shredder

This version of Shredder is VERY different from Rise!shredder. While also being similar. Both shredders are related to Hamato Yoshi, and both rule over the Foot Clan, and both or related to Karai. But that were the similar end.

This version of Saki was an orphan, who family/clan was killed by the Hamatos, being the only sole survivor he grew up as Yoshi/Splinter’s brother. Growing up, he felt like her wasn’t listen or taken seriously by his brother and the two would fight. He grew up in a traditional clan and their rivalry/hatred toward each other grew. And it escalated when Tang Shen was involved. Both men were in love with her. It seem like Shen and Saki were briefly together, but something happen and Shen and Yoshi got together then end up married and having a daughter. Yoshi seem to be the heir of the clan and since it was die in gin the modern age, she became a workaholic. Saki noticed that Shen was feeling neglected and wanted to take her to American and help raise Karai. But Shen didn’t listen.

Saki and Yoshi keep fighting over Shen. One day Saki insults Yoshi, the two fight then Saki leaves. Sometime during this period he learns ablit out his old clan. Being of betrayed and hate formed and Saki restarts the Foot Clan. Then one night, Saki and Yoshi fight in the dojo. They get so wrap up in fighting they didn’t notice that the two knock over a candle, causing a fire. Shen saw the fire and ran in, she block Saki’s attack and die. Saki realize what he did and try save Shen, but a buring roof hit him and burn him, so he escaped the fire. Believing that both Yoshi and Shen died, he found Karai and took her in.

In season 1, a breif picture is seen of Saki and Yoshi, the two are in a war with dog tags. I think they were in a war during their late 20s/early 30s. But there is no explanation or mention of the two being a war beside that picture. This information, plus the history of his clan being wiped out, and the love triangle, it’s no wonder that Saki’s mentally wrapped and he becomes the Shredder.

As the Shredder he controls the Japanese underground, and when he recruits Chris Branford and Xever Montes, he then owns both the American undergrounds and try’s to own the Italian underground. He also recruits the Blind Swordsman, and have him teach Kari how to be a ninja. Shredder is a cruel, dangerous, and has a one trake mind. He believes anything that isn’t revenge against Splinter isn’t important, even if his own daughter.

His relationship to Splinter is strained. Both grew up with rivalry and then hate. They both can’t let go of their past and the fact that Tang Shen died. Each blaming the other. Which the turtles, he wants them dead, but he thinks of Leo as weak or pathetic. But the two are always fight, around or near the same amount when he fight Yoshi. In the end it’s Leo that kills him. As for the other turtles, since their splinter’s students he also wants them dead.

As for Karai, he has conflicting feelings. While Saki abuses Karai, he seems to deeply care about her. He took Kari after Shen’s death. Both as a way to take what was “rightfully” his, and because it was the last thing he has to remember Shen. But Saki also taught Karai about being a ninja and train her. When she become a mutant because of him, he had nightmares about her. He became obsessed with getting her back, believing that it was Splinter’s fault and even allies with the Kraang to “save” Karai. He in his own way, cares about her, even begging her to call her father again. When she didn’t, and even tell him she hates him, Saki try’s to kill her. In season 2, he locks Karai way, believing that what he’s going is for the great good and that Karai will understand. He also brainwashed her by putting worms in her head.

Because of Saki mental stability, he even lets the earth be destroyed just to fulfill his revenge and killed Splinter. In season 4, in a alternate world we’re did was unsuccessful at killing Splinter he became gravelly injured and is nurse back to health. He became a mutant, demanding Baxter to turn him. After he became a mutant, everything he hates, he loses himself even more and just wants to see his enemies, and Karai, to suffer. He torture Splinter psychology, and even break Karai’s arm. In the end he’s killed by Leo.

Saki’s mentality is interesting. It seems like he repressed so much of his memories that he misremembered them. Believe that splinter killed Shen instead of him. He does everything in his power to kill splinter, hurting Karai, and transforming himself just to do it. His obsession and hate turns him into a monster. What he believes is love or justification is twisted. I think Saki truly beloved what he says, only after he comes back from the dead does he realize the truth.

While Saki can be a bit boring or “plain” I live the fact he truly belive what he’s doing is right. That his mind is a wrapped, it makes him a neat character. Though him being a mutant, in my opinion, wasn’t necessary. I love him in the later seasons, in the first half of the season, he didn’t so much.

#2012 tmnt #Sebastian review 2012 #picture #long post #saki oroku #shredder tmnt #shredder analysis #character analysis

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humanistic-horsemanship · 1 year

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Rambunctious Rainbows

I found Kiara as an untouched two year old in 2018, from an ad on the internet. She was out of an Amish bred haflinger mare and by a gypsy grandson of The Lion King (hence her name, Kiara), and when I drove out to meet her she was so afraid of people that she would turn and try to kick you in the head if you got within 8 feet of her. I'd been looking for my partner for months...and finding it next to impossible to find a project over the age of 18 months who wasn't already in saddle training (stop riding your effing two-year-olds). And I don't know, I saw something in this gangly little tangle-mane. She had something special...a spark. So I arranged transport and brought her home a few weeks later, at the end of August. I called her the Rainbow Pony. My little unicorn.

I spent the first two months of our time together just trying to get her to come up to me. I approached her almost as a do-over of Rain: using my hindsight to come at the gentling process in a new way. I sat with a pan of grain in my lap and just talked to her until she came over to me, and used the grain to associate me with good things. Within a few weeks I was able to inch close enough while standing to rub on her shoulder and spray some Vetericyn on the scratches she had developed from the record-levels of summer mud. The next week we spent our whole session -- and an entire bottle of concentrated detangler -- getting the dreadlocks out of her mane and removing some of the dry, cakey mud. The next week I opened the stall door, the following day I was able to clip a lead to the halter she came in and we stood in the open doorway. The next day we took a few steps out, and the next we were able to go for a little walk around the boarding stable, mostly bribing her with treats to follow me as she'd never learned how to lead. She did great! The next week we began some round pen work, and within a couple more I felt comfortable enough taking her halter on/off, having her hook on, etc. to finally be able to turn her out with the herd. She did a few laps of the pasture at a full gallop (which was adorable), and then came back to me. YES!!!!

The next year was spent on groundwork. So much groundwork...We focused on relaxation and eventually did full "lessons" in-hand, going around and through the different obstacles set up in the arena, and working on round penning cues & responsiveness before we began teaching to work on a lunge line. Lunging wasn't awesome at first...took some trial and error to not go skiing, but then one day it just clicked, and she went around light and quiet. This was maybe sometime around March/April of 2019. Our first stable had trail access, so I took her out on trail in-hand once a week or so and we jogged together through the woods (I miss that!). Sometime around June I introduced Rambo's english saddle to our lunging sessions, and that July I backed her for the first time. We did a few short rides at the walk, working pretty much only on steering and stop, throughout the summer and in November we moved to a new stable for Kiara's health. Our new place had a track, and we spent the winter doing long walks in-hand and conditioning on the line, and I didn't ride her again until March of 2020.

Quarantine was very good to us. I was home (fortunately my partner at the time had an essential job) and lucky enough that our new barn was in Wisconsin, so I was there every. single. day. Kiara was now 4 and I re-started her under saddle, and rode pretty extensively during that spring and summer. We did a lot of transitions, cue work, and work on the track. By the end of the season, whether or not we wore a saddle was up for debate each day. Again, come fall, we took the winter mostly off from riding, and I restarted her AGAIN in March or April of 2021, thinking now she was turning 5 and ready for proper work.

We hit training in the fall of 2021 hard because I was invited to go on a big group trail ride and wanted Kiara to be ready. Long story short, she was ready in time, but we were unable to go because of issues with the other horses. But I suppose that's neither here nor there. In October of 2021 my relationship fell apart, and I'll admit that after a few months of pretty severe depression, it was hard to get back to things. I spend the next while going out to see Kiara once a week, then every other week, then once a month. And her attitude began to show that inconsistency...she had lost her trust in her training, and in me. She was getting dangerously herd sour, reactive, and spooky, something she had never been before. In March of 2022 she bolted on the track when her herd -- her pasture lined the track -- began to follow us and started a stampede. I was not in control, had flashbacks to Rambo, and was afraid. Again. We finished our ride but this only made my own anxieties worse, which in turn caused me to go to the barn less and less. I did not get on her back again until September, and never rode on the track again.

Fast forward to winter of 2022. I was in a happy relationship, my job was stable, and I missed my horse. In January of 2023 I moved her to a new barn, a small, quiet place to home, and spent the next few months trying to find any kind of consistent schedule...I'll admit that her attitude towards her training after the years of relative sitting was giving me serious ethical issues about whether I should be riding or working her, or any horse, at all. She was family and I'd have her until she died, but maybe just as a pasture pet (or as my partner calls her, a big dog).

Then one day, just a few weeks ago, something in my mind flipped. It was like a woke up 7 years old again, and all I could think about was horses. I spent my days at work daydreaming about seeing Kiara in the evening and what we were going to do. We've spent the past month doing a groundwork refresher and some conditioning, and this week I started riding again. We're still dealing with the sourness and reactivity/spookiness from her time off, but it's getting better each day and my training is very much focusing on building back up her confidence (and my own). We have been truly embraced by the people at our new barn, and I can honestly say we have never been happier.

I'm currently trailer shopping to be able to take Kiara on adventures --first in hand, and then under saddle-- plan to register Kiara as a gypsy sport horse this summer, under the name Rambunctious Rainbows to honor my Rambo-boy, and I am considering starting some training for eventing, since she is a gifted little jumper and I could pay a month's board if I had a dollar for everyone who tells me she moves like a dressage horse.

#horse #horsemanship #natural #natural horsemanship #humanistic psychology #gypsy #my little pony

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artsyjesseblue · 2 years

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Another Lotura

I admit I’m kind of rusty at writing (and slow, too, because I tend to read and reword phrases a lot before I decide to hit publish on a fic), but I’d like to shyly leave here a link to my Voltron (Legendary Defender) fanfic (and hopefully not be thrown in the tumblr La-la land because I posted a link).

So far, I wrote 4 chapters and I’m just warming up, introducing certain characters and their backstories. So, yes, it’s going to be a journey, both for my writing experience and for the characters.

I chose to do a crossover with a fairly unknown anime show, called Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, from the same era as the original Voltron DotU. I usually exclude crossovers in my readings, unless I find the combination that really goes to my soul. But… hear me out: in this case, the decision to make a crossfic was both tactical and based on my own love for SRatSS and VLD.

The Saber Rider show was released by the same IP-owning company that introduced us to the original Voltron DotU. The same executive producers, Peter Keefe and Franklin Cofod worked on both shows. In addition, the music for DotU and SRatSS was created by the same artist, Dale Schacker. As legendary as the Voltron old theme is, for me the theme of SRatSS is as fun to listen to.

When I watched the new version of Voltron, the VLD, I immediately fell in love with the animation style, the story writing and the acting. But, of course, season 8 disappointed me like it did to almost everyone around me (albeit S8 was never a writers’ or EP’s fault, but that’s another story), and I felt the urge to create something that would close the character’s arcs in a way initially intended by the writers (or as close as I can get).

But in order to do that, I realized SRatSS would actually be an amazing supporting story, because I can explain a lot of stuff from VLD with the other show’s features, and vice-versa, and I ‘blame’ that on the common roots and writing style of the two original shows. And this way I could also close arcs in SRatSS that were left open - like bleeding wounds for me - since I watched it as a kid. Because I want to defeat the evil forces that caused so much damage to VLD, with their own bayards and… sabers.

The main ship focus of this fic is Lotura, which - imo - is what the original story had intended it to be (but got meddled with by the IP owner). Being such a complex story and with so many characters, of course, I will not lose my focus on the other arcs. I have already shaped out each arc and each ship in my story outline and in my brain. They’re just waiting to be typed out. So, yes, I enrolled myself in a tough and long-term endeavor, especially since I’m a slow writer, and I like a good slow build in a story anyway.

It’s not a replace-S8-story, but a restart of the engine from the point we were left. Yes, a continuation from a disjointed ending, merely making any sense. A rebirth from ashes. With the help of its sister show, Saber Rider. Two giant mechs, helping each other.

So here are the first chapters, starting with chapter 1; hearts and comments are always appreciated:

#lotura #allura #lotor #lotor deserved better #voltron legendary defender #vld #fanfic #my own kind of Lotura #because they all deserved better

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elevenmugs · 2 years

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study apps?

I’m currently on break (the end of my holiday is nearing tho...), and currently things aren’t so intense. (except for chem muggers?! sci ppl what u doin)

During the exam season last year I had classmates coming up to me saying they’d studied for SIX to SEVEN hours a day. Compared to my measly TWO. (bear in mind sch is from 6 to 6, including travelling time + waking up etc.) Ye I know it’s about studying smart not hard blah blah BUT mugging is indeed the way for many when the exams are in two weeks.

get to the point.

yes so that was around the time I first heard of this trendy(?) app everyone was using to mug their way to 4.0. (not me tho, obv)

[yeolpumpta.] takes the top spot for me. It’s available on both ios and android (not sure if available in all regions) and it specialises in pressurising the brains out of its users. scary. basically u clock in hours of study time once u hit the button (u can specify the activity) and it locks the apps u shouldnt be using... and then shows ur friends. (ur studying status + hours clocked in) amazing! other than seeing the disparity between our mugging duration, i loved knowing the hard work i was putting into dry memory work was being recognised by other humans :)

i know some people also use the app for phone lock purposes, so they know how long they've been using other apps and stuff

but you do you i guess. some of my classmates didn't like the app because #toopressurising hence they dropped it after a few days, but in general those who stuck to it did considerably better

okay, next app! (warning: there are four more)

[forest!] the good ol' study app. this one I use for casual studying (they added a new tree) but it got a little boring, since I'm the kind who painfully thrives on pressure.

when it isn't exam season i use this for individual revision. i paid for premium in the early days of forest, and then forgot about it, and then came back to it. so ye i kinda have a love-hate relationship with this app, planting exotic trees and listening to its in-app white-noises, but it's always going act as a trusty old van in the garage. (what am i saying)

third app!!

[time spirit] basically a time lapse on ur android phone :) a lot of free timelapse apps don't work (because they're free) but this one works, although it can be quite glitchy, and you will have to keep restarting it. but I get my vids out, so all's good.

timelapses are my number 1 way of staying focused during study sessions. (esp the ones which need more thinking and writing)

okay! moving on to honourable mentions!

4) voice recorder record yourself teaching yourself. lit quotes, hstorical events, kreb cycle wtv idk, just record :) disclaimer: I am not an audio learner but nevertheless this method works for me 5) chess clock i use this the same way as I use a countdown timer. except there are two sides, so you need to keep lapping. (works for math/subjects that require problem-solving)

6) discord call ur study group to do work :) although its original purpose is for gamers to chat, I think discord's organisation is wonderful. you can categorise the text channels so that I'm only sending history-related notes in the history channel of the same server. love it alright that's it. I have no idea what came over me that made me decide to write? a? post? perhaps I just wanted to write this to myself somewhere, and I happened to be on tumblr :)

Anyway, these are the apps I use to help during study sessions. There are tons more I use to help with the learning/studying process (which is another set of apps and completely different). No one size fits all, and these are merely the apps I personally found useful.

#study tips #study motivation #studyblr #study blog #study space #2022 #start of school #xi tips

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livefordrama · 3 years

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Reviewing Dramas I Have Watched Part 6

It’s been a while; I haven’t been able to watch a lot between school and just life. Not to mention the time I do have is spent doing buddy watches of kdramas I have already seen with my friends and family (On teleparty of course.) Again, here is my rating system: 1- Did not like, 2- Enjoyed but probably wouldn’t watch again, 3- Enjoyed and would watch some episodes again (or for movies may watch again), 4- Enjoyed and would watch again, 5- Loved

Korean Drama

Melting Me Softly: 3/5

Melting Me Softly is about a guy and s girl who get cryogenically frozen for an experiment for what was meant to be only a day. Unfortunately, something happens, and the 24-hour experiment turns into 20 years. Now they have to deal with the changes of not only their family and friends but the world and society as a whole all while trying to uncover the darker secrets behind the experiments.

I gave this a 3 because while the earlier and later episodes were amazing and hilarious, the episodes in the middle of the season bored me. I am not much of a romance person unless it is either subtle or played out a specific way and the romance in this wasn’t my personal cup of tea so it just got boring for me. On its good episodes though, it was funny, sad, and cute. I really did like the dynamic between the two main characters and the romance is pretty good, just a little slower in the middle of the series. The relationships with the family members of the two were so cute and so sad, I loved the all the scenes where the mains got to interact with their families. I did feel awkward and weird about the second-lead, I’m not sure if he counts as a second lead but for lack of a better term that’s what I’m calling him. I love Choi Bo-Min as an actor, and it had nothing to do with his acting, just the whole situation was uncomfortable to me. That other guy who doesn’t even deserve to be the second-lead, if you watch it you know, the stalker one, I despise that man. Not once during the entire show did I like one of his scenes. That could be why I didn’t enjoy the middle scenes as much cause he found a way to worm his way into almost every scene and I would get so annoyed with him. This show does have its good points and bad points, so I would recommend it for those who like romance with a little bit of suspense and humor.

Welcome to Waikiki (season 1): 3/5

Welcome to Waikiki is about a group of friends who own and attempt to run a guesthouse together. When they find a baby left behind in one of their rooms, they have to find out how to take care of her and find her mother. This becomes even more complicated when the mother returns in tears saying she had no where else to go and didn’t want her baby to suffer. After hearing about her troubles, they decide to take the two in, in exchange for help working at the guesthouse. It follows the group and mother as they try to figure out how to take care of a baby, save their failing guesthouse, and achieve their own dreams, all while falling in love.

This show was hilarious, I watched it because everyone was talking about how funny it was and I agree. I especially love how it focused on all the characters instead of picking just one or two and focusing on them. I love when shows really work on all their characters and this show played it out so well. Not one was neglected and I didn’t feel like any of them were underdeveloped by the end, and Sol was super cute! I loved every single one of her scenes, she was so funny and sassy and I know she is just a baby but she is amazing. I watched some episodes on the tv and my sisters even made comments on how cute she was when they looked up at the TV, even though they didn’t watch it. I enjoyed the ending and how it all played out and tied together nicely.

It was a delight for the first two thirds of the season. However, yet again that romance hit and the humor kinda dissipated to be replaced by the romance for a good few episodes. While it was admittedly cute, and I adored the romance scenes in the last few episodes, most romance scenes gave me such second-hand embarrassment I had to pause the show for a while and gain the courage to restart it. I did enjoy it but would probably only ever rewatch the first two thirds and maybe the last two or so episodes. It reminds me of Love With Flaws in the second-hand embarrassment romance scenes, so if you enjoyed that show, definitely give this one a chance. If you like romance, humor, and can handle the second-hand embarrassment stuff I highly recommend this one! It’s super cute and hilarious!

Missing Nine: 5/5

Trigger Warning: Plane crash, Blood, Injuries, Suicide attempts, Murder

Missing Nine is about a girl who gets hired as a stylist for an arrogant and cold idol. On her first day, the plane they are all riding on to an event crashes on a vacant island. Only nine of them survive the crash and must now fight to survive and be found all while struggling with the betrayal of one of their friends who began to murder them one by one.

I really enjoyed this one, it was my perfect type of show; angst, suspense, subtle romance, crime, found family. The only issue I had with it was the unrealistic ending, I just don’t understand how it is possible and don’t know how I even personally feel about it. I am also probably one of the very few people who didn’t watch it for Chanyeol, don’t get me wrong I am an Exol too, but like really new Exol. You can skip this parenthesis if you want, it’s a kpop tangent. (I am a huge multistan. I love all the kpop groups I have listened to so far and have all the dalcomsoft games minus Gfriend even though I love them, cause I feel like it’s going to be a BTS superstar and get deleted so it’s not worth my time or efforts. Feel free to talk to me about any group and any member. If I don’t know them, I would be happy to find new ones so even if they are not well known or new, don’t feel worried about squealing to me about them, I would love to make kpop/kdrama loving friends.) I watched for Jung Kyung-ho and only when I started did I see Chanyeol which was cool to find. This also means POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT I wasn’t disappointed or biased after a certain episode like many of the people I saw raging in the Tvtime comments, not saying this in a bad way just stating that since I am neutral on certain events, I will be focusing on specifically the plot and how I felt about said plot versus how I feel about characters. SPOILER ALERT OVER

Overall I really loved this show, it was certainly an emotional roller coaster. I felt that it could have had a second season or a spin off to tie up that last little cliffhanger but I personally and satisfied with how the main issue wrapped up, other than that one weird ending scene. If you like angst, suspense, crime, and a little romance seen in an enemies to lover type of trope then I highly recommend this show. I gave it a 5 cause I personally loved it and am already planning on rewatching it with my friend. It does have a lot of blood and injuries so if you are sensitive to that, I wouldn’t recommend it to you.

Because this is my first life: 5/5

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Attempted R@pe (but it didn’t get far at all, just be careful)

Because this is my first life is about a woman (Ji-ho) who has to find a new place to live as her brother is getting married and her parents gave the son the apartment that they had bought for both their children. Because of many misunderstandings and coincidences, she accidentally rents a new apartment with a very strict and stoic man (Se-hee). Due to more problems, the two come to an agreement that they should get married since they both can gain something from it. The woman gains a place to stay and the man gains a tenant to help pay the bills, no more, no less.

Okay, so while I said that I didn’t like romance this is the exception, much like Shopping King Louie, it was just a really cute slow burn that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Many people in the fandom, on TV time at least, were giving Se-hee a hard time and saying he was using and manipulating Ji-ho but I didn’t see it that way. She consented and never voiced anything other than that and the deal was for her to stay in the apartment since she needed a place to live and he needed someone to help pay bills. He didn’t ask for anything more, she was already following his schedule before the marriage issue and was just fine and accepting when they decided to get married. Neither had any expectations of falling in love, they just both needed something that marriage would help them gain and both consented to it. Later on, Se-hee even asked her if any advances were okay and backed off when they weren’t with no questions asked which I find admirable. Okay, rant over. It was cute and at times annoying cause you just want them to get together already. I laughed so hard in so many episodes and cried in a few too. The cat was so adorable and I love the interactions the main’s had with the little fluff. The best, and sometimes most painful, bonding moments between the main’s were the ones that dealt with the cat. I wasn’t too fond of the love triangle but was pleased with how it actually played out with the two women actually accepting each others presence instead of being horrible to each other for the most part. Highly recommend it to any romance lovers, and especially to those who are fans of shows like Shopping King Louie as mentioned above.

Flower boy next door: 3/5

Trigger Warning: Stalking, Panic Attacks, Sensory overload, Bullying, Teacher Crushes and Manipulation of Such

Flower boy next door follows Dok-mi, a young woman with crippling social anxiety to the point she never leaves her apartment. From her window she watches her across the street male neighbor every day, taking note of his entire schedule. This all comes back to bite her when her neighbor’s brother comes to visit from Spain and catches her. What starts as an attempt to make her stop stalking her brother, quickly progresses into a mission to help her overcome her past, anxiety, and to get out of the house and adapt back to a healthy social life. As this mission goes on the two begins to realize they have feelings for each other, but Dok-mi’s own next-door neighbor has his own mission of getting her to stay inside and fall in love with him. He has been writing a web comic about her being a modern Rapunzel and has been in love with her for many years.

I enjoyed this one, I watched it cause the actor from Psychopath Diary starred in it and it was really cute. The romance was adorable, and the whole telepathy thing was a great addition that made me laugh. I love the whole adorable dork male with quiet cold girl trope so much. I didn’t like the whole stalking situation very much, it’s just kinda weird and was something that made me really uncomfortable during the first few episodes. I wasn’t a huge fan of the next-door neighbor, he just seemed like an enabler to me and I found myself angry through most of his scenes, as well as through most of Dok-mi’s childhood friend’s scenes. Other than those two characters, I enjoyed it well enough. I know some people can get annoyed by each characters flaws but I usually am good with morally grey characters as long as they learn from their mistakes. Some did in this show and there was a lot of character development and some didn’t which is realistic but makes me kind of sad. I recommend it to people who like a cute romance show with some angst and don’t mind morally grey characters.

Web-drama/Mini-series

Ghost Vros: 4/5

Trigger Warning: Suicide, Death, Some gore, Jump scares.

Ghost Vros follows two young men who are trying to start up a business where they hunt ghosts using virtual reality software. The main character is able to sense the ghost through his ears turning red and his friend programs the virtual realty to make sure the main has everything he needs to catch the ghosts.

I liked this one, it was fast like many web dramas are, but really interesting. I did attempt to translate it myself with my, admittedly little, Korean knowledge before finding the English subs (which you won’t be able to find now that Youtube has rudely removed community subs, unless it’s uploaded somewhere else. If someone finds it please let me know.) I was always engaged during the show and wasn’t bored at any point. It did have some confusing points and I wish we got more backstory as there was mentions of some interesting things that was never explored further, but it is a web drama, so that is more than likely too much to ask for. Recommend to anyone who enjoys a quick comedy ghost story.

Cats Taste and Cat Bartender: 5/5

Cat’s Taste and Cat Bartender follow three cat gods who run a bar at night to make money for their injured owner. At this bar, they give upset humans cocktails which enable them to either posses said human or go into a dream world, this isn’t really clear, and correct the issue in exchange for items the cats find interesting on top of the alcohol cost.

This show was so cute, I absolutely loved and couldn’t stop smiling. I got the first season, Cat’s Taste, on my youtube recommend and decided to watch it since I was bored. I am so glad I did, I got super excited when I saw that there is a second season as well and spent forever trying to hunt it down before a kind person on MyDramaList put a link to the English subs in a comment (if anyone needs it, I will be happy to send it.) Both seasons were amazing, and I am hoping for a season three as the ending looks like it might be set up for one. The way they showed the bartending moves was so pretty and satisfying and I liked how all three cats got to show their moves instead of just the one. I don’t like alcohol, have tried many kinds many times to but just don’t, however this show makes me want to drink the mixed drinks even though I know I would hate the taste.

Also, is it just me or does Ms. Hana remind anyone of Johnny from NCT? I don’t know if she looks like him or what, sometimes someone reminds me of someone else and the two look nothing alike. Don’t know what that’s all about but let me know because I could not shake the feeling that she reminded me of Mr. Johnny from Chicago. Anyway, tangent aside, I highly recommend to someone who like a quick but cute drama.

Korean Movies

Beautiful Vampire: 3/5

Beautiful Vampire is about a female vampire who tries to avoid people due to her nature, but has all that shattered when she runs into her landlady’s son one night and begins to fall in love.

This movie was pretty good, but a little confusing. I couldn’t even write a proper plot explanation cause I was just so confused. I honestly felt like a fever dream, though a relatively interesting fever dream. I wish we had more information and backstory cause it just kinda felt like a rollercoaster ride of pining. It ended okay; I mean I was bored at the time, so it was something to do. If I am bored in the future, I might watch it again. I agree with most on TvTime when they say, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good, it was just something to do. I feel like the story line needed more work done and that it ended too fast and progressed in such a way that it was hard to follow. If you are bored or have nothing to do, give it a try, you might like it more than I did.

Chinese Drama

Take My Brother Away: 3/5

Trigger Warning: Alcohol Abuse

Take My Brother Away is based on a web comic about two siblings living with their alcoholic, debtor father in China, after their mom filed for a divorce and left. It follows the two as they go to school, work, and try to live a normal life. The sister hates her brother for being lazy and not being able to help her get what she wants, and the brother gets annoyed at the sister for always getting violent with him and nagging him.

I loved this one, it was really interesting to see the dynamic between the family. I felt that the brother should have been given more credit in the beginning for all he does for his sister and I felt really sorry for the sister because she just wanted to be like the other students who could afford to read web comics or go on trips. Some episodes were hilarious, some were heartbreaking, some were admittedly annoying, some gave me secondhand embarrassment. I just love it all, the only reason I give it a three is because I wouldn’t watch all 50 episodes again, I loved it but some were more on the boring side like filler episodes and I just, don’t think I’ll ever watch the whole series again. I can defiantly say however, I will probably watch most of the episodes again. I enjoyed the ending though it was admittedly on the strange side, and felt it was wrapped up nicely. There was a lot of character development too which is always great. I recommend this to those who enjoy some dysfunctional family humor and some angst and who are able to commit to long seasons.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

#kdrama #kdrama review #review #melting me softly #welcome to waikiki season 1 #welcome to waikiki #missing nine #because this is my first life #flower boy next door #ghost vros #ghost bros #cats taste #cat bartender #beautiful vampire #take my brother away #shopping king louie #nct #johnny suh

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btsslowburnfic · 4 years

Text

Born to be Yours Ch. 10

Story Summary: For Namjoon, the moment he set his sights on being the #1 rapper, he pushed the symbol to the side and hated it. Love should be chosen, not forced on you. He didn’t believe in fate and this mark on his wrist was a big “fuck you” to all that.

Chapter summary: Life after you and RM part ways goes back to normal until an accident changes everything

Previous chapters found here: Chapter 9

You are surprised that life does in fact go back to normal. You and Xavier make up and get back to working with smaller local groups after the awards season ends. Things with you and Ben get back to normal; you become a master of using heavy foundation on your soulmark when you’re at home. The summer tour is amazing. You and Xavier traveled to 32 states in 4 months. You find yourself following Twitter and Weverse to see what RM is up to. And you sometimes found yourself thinking about that night the two of you spent together. You mostly try to push it out of your mind though. Even though you told Xavier and he randomly brings it up.

“Right here? On this desk!?!” he asks, running his hands over the surface.

“Yes. And don’t do that, it’s weird and gross.”

“How was it? Describe it to me again.”

You chuckle a bit and roll your eyes, “No. I told you once so I could get it out of my system.”

“Ughhh you’re so boring.” he whines playfully.

“Shouldn’t you be reprimanding me about being a terrible cheating slut?” you raise an eyebrow.

“No. I ship that shit.” he responds, sipping on a smoothie. “Have you eaten yet?” he asks

You laugh and look through your phone. “No, I had a zoom meeting with Gina at noon and then I covered spinning class.” You press some buttons on your screen. “There. I just ordered. I’ll see you in a while.” You stand up and put your flip flops back on.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you in pilates tonight.”

You toss your bag over your shoulder and put your sunglasses on as you step out the door. You look both ways and start to cross the street as you hear a screeching sound. The next thing you hear and feel is the sickening crunch of bone hitting glass. Tires screeching away and then everything is black.

----------------

Namjoon occasionally finds himself thinking about you. Mostly when he accidentally slams his body into a door frame or cuts his finger. He always says he’s sorry and then kind of feels like an idiot for apologizing to no one. He also thinks about the night the two of you shared together quite often and had made Jhope send him those photos he took.

He’s happy to be working and on tour again. It’s been a fun summer. They wrapped up the Asia portion of their journey and were well into Europe now. As usual, the filming crew was in the green room as they were preparing for their second night at Wembley. The first night had been amazing. He couldn’t think of anything that made him happier than being in front of ARMY, especially when they were singing along to the songs he wrote. He smiled as he scrolled through his phone while he had his makeup touched up.

“10 minutes, 10 minutes.” Management called out.

“Alright guys, let’s get it.” he yells through the green room.

They gather around and do their chant. The minute they step out of the green room they can hear the fans roaring and cheering along to the pre-show videos. They each go to their respective starting positions and wait to hear the signal.

They open quick and fast with “On” and the crowd is absolutely pumped. They begin their second song and will then introduce themselves. The music for “Dionysus” begins to play and the elaborate set pieces are added throughout the song. They are almost to the end of Dionysus when RM goes down hard. He falls off the table. People are gasping, Jin runs over and signals to the staff on the side of the stage that something is very wrong. ARMY and BTS are freaking out. The visual director quickly puts a message onto the big screens to please wait a moment. The medical staff immediately takes the lift up to the main backstage area. The obvious damage is a cut on his arm that took the brunt of the fall from the table, but that gash can’t account for the fact that he’s unconscious and breathing shallowly. There is a rush of oxygen masks and people yelling. Jimin and JK start crying, the other guys are freaked out about the show and what to do next. Jin rises to the occasion by asking if they should go ahead and skip to his and Suga’s solos until there is more information. A decision is quickly made to begin the solo portions. The two of them quickly change costumes and prepare to go out. An ambulance ends up needing to be called. The guys decide that Namjoon would want the show to go on and so they do. It’s ugly and weird and they are unfocused but they manage through it. ARMY is crying for RM because they know it’s bad when he doesn’t come back on stage. They skip the ments and encore and the guys are immediately loaded into vans and transported to the private health facility that he’s been taken to.

The staff escorts the six of them to a room where they wait for a doctor to come and speak to them. A translator is located and brought in as well.

“What happened? Did anybody see what happened before he fell?” Hoseok asks.

“He was fine. I didn’t notice anything strange.” Tae responds.

“They took video and showed the doctor,”Yoongi adds, having overheard the staff on the way there.

After a few minutes a doctor comes in. “Hello Gentleman. Your friend is in good hands here, and is stable.” she reassures them.

There is a collective sigh from the group as they hear this news.

“However, we aren’t sure what’s causing this condition. There is no evidence of an aneurysm on the CT scan and the video doesn't show any seizure-like activity prior to the fall. His heart is in excellent shape as well as his lungs. At this point we are running more tests but we do need to ask you all some questions here. Please answer honestly. Does your friend use any drugs? Even maybe extra prescription medication?”

It takes a few seconds for the translator to relay the message and the guys’ reactions range from anger to disbelief. Jin is up on his feet shouting about how they should be focusing on fixing Namjoon rather than gossiping, Jimin is crying more. It’s a mess.

“Calm down guys, it’s a standard question,” Yoongi says stoically. “She’s not trying to be rude.”

“No. He drinks beer and wine sometimes. But no. He’s not on any drugs. That’s ridiculous.” Jungkook summarizes.

“I’m sorry, it’s something I do have to ask. Is there anything else you guys could think of that might be pertinent? An old injury? Something he did earlier today or ate that he doesn’t usually?”

The guys all sat there for a minute. It was Jin who made the connection first: “His soulmate. She lives in LA.”

Tae’s hand flew to his phone to make a phone call.. The next few things happened over the course of a few hours: a phone call to Hitman Bang to get Gina’s contact information. Several phone calls to Gina. Calls from Gina to you. No answer. Phone calls to Xavier. No answer. Xavier calling Gina back hysterically sobbing that you were in a coma with a skull fracture and blood loss, Gina crying, Gina having someone else call Hitman Bang because she couldn’t stop sobbing, Hitman Bang calling Tae back.

The doctor was updated on the situation. “Ah...well that would explain it. Were the two of them very close?” she asks delicately.

It’s highly inappropriate but Yoongi just laughs, “No. They met one time .”

The doctor raised her eyebrows, “Oh. Well that’s unusual.”

“If she dies, will he die too?” Jimin asks quietly with tears in his eyes.

“No. And especially not if they weren’t close. I need to consult with some colleagues on this before we proceed. If you all want to go get some rest I think he’s going to be like this for a while. We can call you if anything changes.” the doctor informs them.

They are uneasy about leaving Namjoon there so they split up into groups of two to take turns. Jin and JK take the first shift at the care facility.

----------------

The doctor reaches out to several colleagues who are familiar with more case studies of soul mate injuries and what to do when there is a mirrored trauma response. She gets permission from RM’s parents (who have flown to London as well at this point) to try a reverse cryogenic procedure to restart his systems. Basically, they will bring his body down to an almost hypothermic point and slowly reheat him, encouraging cell regeneration and movement. It has been successful in similar cases, but it is a slow procedure that needs to be carefully monitored.

Meanwhile, social media is having a field day about what could have happened. BigHit put out that story that RM has developed a severe allergic reaction to shellfish and went into anaphylaxis on the stage; he was administered an epi-pen and hospitalized but is now resting and recovering. The rest of the guys give interviews to back up this story as well. 48 hours after the incident began, RM is slowly regaining consciousness.

“What happened? I feel like someone is opening up my skull with a pair of pliers.” he asks the doctor.

“I’m sorry but your soulmate was in a very bad car accident. She’s in a coma and you suffered a mirrored trauma response. I’m going to go let your friends and family know you’re awake.”

“Shit.” RM says, really taking in everything that was just said to him.

Jin is the first one in the room. “Hey. You’re finally awake. We were so worried.”

“How long have I been out for?”

“2 days.”

“Shit. What happened with the concert? Is everything ok? Oh God. What did they tell people?”

“One thing at a time.” Yoongi said as he entered the room. “We finished the show. The tour is postponed for at least a few weeks. We told people you had an allergic reaction.”

RM visibly relaxed but was still upset about the show. “Those fans have to be so disappointed.”

“Yeah, but they want you to be well. There’s thousands of flowers and cards being left at Wembley and so many messages on Weverse. We’ll make the dates up when you’re better. ARMY understands. It’s not your fault.”

“No, it’s [Y/N]’s fault.” he says briskly.

“I mean. She got flattened by a car. So, not really.” Tae added.”She’s in an actual coma. They can;'t just reheat her.” he was surprised by how cold RM sounded talking about his soulmate.

“You’re right. I’m just...it’s a lot. My head still hurts and I guess I just want someone to blame.”

“Blame the asshole who hit her,” Yoongi adds.

“Yeah. I will. I’m so tired.”

“Here, we’ll leave so you can talk to your parents for a minute before you rest.”

“My parents flew in?” he says surprised.

“We thought you were going to die,” Jimin says seriously. “Your sister is on her way here too.”

Rm laid his head back against his pillow. This is exactly the kind of soulmate bullshit he’s been trying to avoid. And you were in a coma. He stopped for a minute and thought about how scary it must be for you but he won’t allow himself to dwell on it. He’s getting his soul mark obliterated as soon as you wake up from your coma and sign off on it. If you wake up from it. Shit.

----

24 hours later he is discharged from the hospital and decides to book a flight to LA to see what your doctors are doing about rectifying this situation. He can’t shake the massive headache and leg pain that he’s still experiencing constantly. He cannot perform like this. Also he’s looked into the legal status of soulmark obliteration if one party is a permanently vegetative state and what counts as legal consent. Because of course he has. The guys all talk and decide that Tae will go along with him for support. Really it’s to be the voice of reason because they can’t believe that rather than going to see how you’re doing, he is going to ask you to remove your mark.

------------

RM knows what hospital you are at because his doctor consulted with yours in order to determine the best course of treatment. You doctor was hoping that once RM woke up, you would show signs of improvement. So far though, there wasn’t a lot on your end.

Ben and Xavier dutifully took shifts staying with you in the hospital. On this particular night, Ben is taking the night shift, walking back from the vending machines. He stops when he sees two dudes who look like models standing outside your door.

“Hey. Are you guys friends with [Y/N]? You must be from the studio. I don’t think we’ve met before. I'm Ben” Ben is tired but tries to be friendly.

Tae and Namjoon turn and look to him. Ben. Ben must be her boyfriend.

“Actually we’re from one of the bands she worked with. I’m Namjoon and this is Taehyung. You must be her boyfriend?”

“Fiance actually,” Ben politely corrects. “Just a few weeks ago actually,” he awkwardly laughs. “But then this all happened. You know the asshole didn’t even stop?”

Tae feels extremely awkward. He can understand a small bit of what’s going on, but he knows that what’s coming will be very difficult for everyone.

“That’s awful. How is she doing?”

“Bad. Stable. But, bad. She lost a lot of blood and hit her head pretty hard. They’re surprised she didn’t have any broken bones other than her skull fracture. She dislocated her shoulder when it hit the hood. The guy was definitely speeding.” Ben runs a hand through his hair. “Sorry if you were hoping to visit.”

RM awkwardly runs his hands up and down his jeans. There is not an easy way to say this.

“So. You know that [Y/N] has a soulmark on her wrist?”

Ben stiffens ever so slightly, “I do. But it’s ok. We don’t really care about that whole destiny thing. It’s unconventional but you know…” he trails off.

RM takes a deep breath and rolls up his sleeve. “I have the matching soulmark. I was in a coma for 2 days. I need to speak to her doctor immediately.” NEXT CHAPTER

#bts rm x you #bts rm fanfic #bts fanfic #bts au fanfic #bts fanfction #namjoon x you #bts soulmate au #bts namjoon x reader #rm x reader

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