#i've read amazing books and started doing this a new book club as well!
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I just really hope that 2023 will be kind for all of us. It's what we deserve, and I hope you won't forget that.
#i'm having a lot of feelings that i can't really describe about this past year#i've been feeling really insecure and it's quite hard to think about all of the good things that also happened#i've passed almost every uni course!#i've travelled with some of my dearest friends whom i'm so happy to even call them that!#i saw new places that were so kind and accepting!#i've read amazing books and started doing this a new book club as well!#i've seen some amazing concerts and musicals and i'm so glad i can share these experiences with people#i've played dnd irl and have grown more comfortable in playing it!#i'm also so happy to be part of my local queer association and to have found some really dear friends there#and that i've grown in the ways in which i can express myself creatively#even when i haven't done this a lot#i really hope to be able to enjoy more moments like these in 2023 and to not be so afraid of the future#and i really hope this will happen to you too#i hope you'll have a nice evening regardless of whether you're gonna celebrate the new year or not#i love you <3#natasja's babbling
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The 7 Sins
A.N. So, I've been having writer's block and not knowing wth to do with Family Feud. But I will try to post the story in full this weekend. In the meantime, here's a little something I wrote yesterday and posted to my sister's Wattpad book, The Bloodlines Island of Relevancy (in which I am a co-writer). Enjoy. Constructive feedback is welcomed!
"Girl come on. It's just a club. Loosen up a bit and have a little fun Miss CEO." Your best friend Zaina says, playfully rolling her eyes at you.
You were currently wandering around the city, enjoying the night with your girls, trying to relax your mind. At first, you rejected the offer to go out late on a Friday night, but with endless begging from your sister and close friends, you gave in. Figuring one night of fun wouldn't hurt right? After all, your busy schedule rarely allowed you a normal life of a 27-year-old beyond work. Your sister, Fallon, would tease you about living the life of an old woman. But you couldn't help it. You had goals to achieve, ambition, and drive. You knew nothing outside of work. But tonight, you'd temporarily put that aside for some innocent fun.
"Come on sis. We don't have to stay long." Fallon says, knowing clubs weren't exactly your scene, however, she couldn't help but want to try out the new club.
"I just...I don't know.... A club called 7 Deadly Sins? I mean look at their slogan, Once you've had a taste of sin, you'll never be the same. I don't know.... sounds sketchy." You say unsure as you all momentarily stop walking to stare at the club across the street. A long line has already formed at the trendy club.
This club had just opened in town, however, being that this was a party town, people immediately flocked to it once word got around about the immaculate experience you were promised to have once you stepped through the doors. From what you've heard, the club was family-owned and apparently a part of a growing franchise. How true that was, you weren't sure, but you weren't much of a party person, opting to spend your weekend catching up on work while not at work. Guess you'd have to find out tonight.
"Girl, stop playing and let's go." Zaina says, grabbing your hand, intertwining your fingers, and pulling you towards the club.
You inwardly roll your eyes but let her drag you along to stand in the long line. You'd only hoped these heels wouldn't blister your feet by the time you returned home. You pull down your mini red dress, starting to regret wearing the dress your sister picked out for you:
You and your girls make conversation as you slowly but surely move closer and closer to the door entrance, two security guards checking everyone before their entry into the club which by the way, looked hella intriguing from the exterior. The bright red writing that read 7 Deadly Sins was alluring and surrounded by flames. Almost as if the sign were made by the devil himself. Well, if this club was as hot as people said, you wouldn't be surprised.
You finally make it to the security guards as they search y'all and then let you all in.
"Enjoy yourself ladies...." one of the guards smirks as you only nod your head.
"Oooh damn, this is nice!" Tyra, also your best friend says in amazement at the interior of this club.
Bodies were spread out all over, some on the dance floor grinding and enjoying the music, others at the luxury bar, and others lounging around. You must admit, the inside was impressive. But you weren't here to do too much. You just wanted to sip on your water, monitor your girls, especially your sister, and go home.
"Oooh bestie let's dance! They playing Water by Tyla!" Fallon says to Tyra as they grab each other's hands and run off towards the dance floor. That sister of yours was a dancing machine.
"Be careful!" you yell after them.
"Yes, mother!" Fallon yells, barely paying you any attention.
You shake your head before scanning the large room before your eyes land on the bar. It was huge. Various wines and drinks line the shelves of the bar. Too bad you weren't a drinker, otherwise you'd be in alcohol heaven. Maybe this club, unlike all the other clubs here in your hometown, offered water.
"Hey girl, I'm gonna go join Fallon and T. You good?" Zaina asks, not wanting to leave before making sure you are good first.
"Yes. I'm just gonna go to the bar." You give her a small smile before she nods and walks away.
You make your way through the sea of people to the bar and take a seat that gives you a view of your friends.
Immediately you're greeted by this bartender and damn was he fine with a nice black beard, dark brown eyes, and a smile that showed off his bottom row grillz in his mouth. His fade was cut to perfection as it complimented the wet curls in his mullet, his hair dyed red at the tips. He licks his lips at you before giving you a small smile.
"And what can I get for this beautiful goddess in front of me?" he greets, looking you up and down, making you blush profusely. You weren't the type of woman that was used to compliments. You were pretty much to yourself, not wanting too much attention on yourself.
"Umm....I know this sounds very lame but...do you have any'" he cuts you off mid-sentence.
"Water?" he grins, seeing your slightly shocked expression.
"How did you-"
"Know? Ha. I can tell from your aura.... You're not a drinker. But unfortunately, we don't have any water." He says as your shoulders slump slightly.
"Of course." You mumble, looking down at your fingers.
"No, worries baby girl. We may have alcohol but not all of it is strong. Would you like to experience with your taste?" he asks, tilting his head at you.
"I....I don't know I....." your voice trails off as you look at the display of many drinks aligned so neatly on the shelves. Some wines looked as old as time, while others looked fresh out of the box. Tempting, but nah.
"Listen, I know you're a new face around here, but relax mama. This is a fun place. Enjoy yourself. Let go." The bartender teased, licking his lips. Every time he licked his lips you swear you melted.
"It's just-"
"Ayo Jey, Joe wanna speak to you real quick." Some guy, who looks exactly like the bartender says, approaching him.
He takes a glance at you and has to do a double-take.
"Damn, you're fine. Whatcho name is? I've never seen you here before." The guy smiles, giving you a once-over.
"Don't scare her off with yo' ugly a**. Now move, Jonathan. We talking." Jey says, playfully rolling his eyes.
"Whatever. Joe wants you, immediately. He says it's important." Jonathan shrugs, before turning his attention back to you.
"What's your name?" he asks, leaning against the counter.
You giggle slightly before answering.
"Y/n, huh? Cool. Cool. Well, welcome to 7 Deadly Sins. I'm Jonathan, one of the owners. Nice to see a fresh face around here." He greets you, taking your hand into his and kissing it.
"Boy if you don't move with them chapped lips. I'll get to Joe in a minute." Jey says as Jonathan shrugs, winking at you.
"See you around." He says before walking off.
"Okay......since you seem to be the drink expert, what is your least alcoholic drink on the menu?" you ask as Jey chuckles.
"Hmm...well we do have our newest collection called The 7 Sins. Wanna look at the menu? It's got the description of each drink on it. You can pick which one you'd like." Jey says, pulling out a laminated menu with various drinks on it. He then points to the described drink selection.
"Scan through. See which one you like. I'll whip it up for you when I get back." Jey says as he goes off to speak with this Joe person.
You nod your head, saying nothing as you scan through the menu. The drinks all sounded delicious, but again, you weren't a drinker, so you weren't sure which one to consume.
"Hmmm.... let's see what we have. Once you've picked your sin, this is where the fun begins. What kind of statement is that?" You say eying the sentence that was in bold black letters above the drink choices.
Sin 1- Lust. This drink will put you in a state of euphoria, excitement, and curiosity. Take a sip of this sultry strawberry drink and give in to your sexual frustrations. It will light a fire of desire inside you. But be warned, once consumed, you can't turn back.
Toxicity Level: 10 *This is the most lethal of the seven drinks. Drink at your own risk. 💀
Sin 2- Gluttony. This drink will have you wanting more and more, unable to quench your thirst. One sip and you will be consumed with the temptations of excessive hunger. Some say it's a bad thing to love something too much. With this chocolatey goodness, you will not be able to stop at one. You will want more and more. And more.........
Toxicity Level: 6 😋
Sin 3- Greed. This drink will make you greedy and needy. Will you be able to fight the urge to soothe your tastebuds with the delightful taste of sweet and tart citrus fruit mixed with mango? This drink will have you taking the sweetest of vacations on a tropical island, feet in the sand, and ocean waves. Try it and enjoy it as you are taken to another place. One you've never thought possible.
Toxicity Level:8 🤑
Sin 4- Sloth. Who says it's a bad thing to do nothing? No one cares about responsibilities when you can move at your own pace. Often called the lazy ones' choice, this fizzy blue raspberry drink will leave you wanting to kick back, relax, and sleep away. After all,.....time waits for no one.
Toxicity Level: 3 😴
Sin 5- Wrath. The heat of eternal hell cannot compare to the explosive heat of this blood-orange & habanero mix. Beat the heat.
Toxicity Level: 9 🤬
Sin 6- Envy. Sometimes you want the good things in life, even if it belongs to others. One sip and you will be consumed by envy with this exquisite lemon zest, with a hint of ginger and spice.
Toxicity Level: 7 😒
Sin 7- Pride. It is often said that pride is the devil. Ha. But who can resist one's pride? This elegant, delicate peach and rum mixture will give you the gratification you're looking for.
Toxicity Level: 5 😁
Hmm.... these all sound.....interesting but your eyes were immediately drawn to Lust. It sounds like a dangerous drink, but you were willing to try it.
Just as you'd finished making your decision, Jey returned. The once smiley demeanor is now gone. His little talk with Joe must not have gone well. You look back down at the menu, avoiding his gaze. He sighs heavily as a moment goes by before you look back at him.
"I um...I made my decision." You say quietly.
He instantly smirks.
"Okay, baby girl. Which one are you trying?" he responds.
"I think I'll get Sin 1, Lust, please." You smile, as his smile instantly disappears. Geez, this man's mood can change quickly.
".... Are you sure?" he asks quizzically.
"Uh...yeah?" you say now unsure. Had you chosen the wrong one?
"Damn, going for the most lethal one huh? Hahaha, you got guts. If that's what you want." He grins, as he starts making your drink.
You turn your attention away from him momentarily to gaze at the dance floor. You look on as you see your sister and friends talking to a group of individuals, one of them being Jonathan. And from the way your sister was twirling her hair, you know she was flirting. You inwardly roll your eyes. Some guy with tatted arms and a red cap, dressed in all black, was chatting up Zaina. He too had a beard, though not at thick as Jey's. Interestingly enough, he looked like a younger version of Jey. They had to be brothers. And damn was he fine too.
You giggle to yourself before turning your attention back to Jey.
"Whoaaaa. Don't burn the place down." You tease as Jey hands you a flaming drink:
"Here you go. Enjoy." He smirks as you gaze at the drink, the flames seeming to draw you into a trance.
You just had to have a taste.
You go to pick up the drink as the flames die but Jey stops you.
"Y/n...listen.... this place isn't what it-" he's cut off mid-sentence by a deep voice calling his name.
"Jey! Come here, now." Says a voice belonging to this man who looked like he was handcrafted by God himself. Damn, was every man in this club fine like this?
He too had tattoos, however, only on one arm. He too had a full beard, trimmed to perfection. He had beautiful pink lips. His hair was neatly placed into a bun. As for his eyes, they were dark, almost black. You could tell from his demeanor, he was a man of stature, luxury, and importance. He was dressed casually wearing all-black. His feet were covered by a crisp pair of red, black, and white Air Jordan 1's. Just from the stares various women in the club were giving him, and the whispers, and giggling, you'd think he was the hottest man to walk this damn planet. And you'd have to agree to that statement.
He approaches Jey, an aura of anger oozing from his mannerisms, however, upon seeing you in his presence, he turns to look at you. You couldn't even look at his face, too shy to do so. Why were you suddenly nervous under his intense gaze?
He tilts his head to the side, giving you a once-over.
"And who might you be? I don't remember ever seeing you before," he says, his voice deep and smooth like velvet.
"I-I..." you stutter like an idiot as Jey chimes in.
"Joe, this is Y/n. She's a new customer." Jey answers for you, slight timidness in his demeanor.
"Ahh...well it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Mr. Anoa'i. But you can call me Joe." He introduces himself as he extends his hand for you to shake.
You give your hand to him as he gently shakes it before raising your hand to his thick lips and kissing it softly. You instantly feel chills run down your spine. His eyes take a quick glance at your ring finger, finding it vacant before slightly biting his lip. A look of intrigue on his face. If being discrete was a characteristic, it wasn't one he possessed.
You quickly take your hand out of his, feeling your face heat up. He licks his lips, nodding his head before turning his attention back to Jey.
"Joshua, take good care of her. I want to see her back here." Joe grins, winking at you before turning to walk away.
"Wait, Uce. What did you need?" Jey asks as Joe looks over his shoulder.
"We'll discuss those matters later." He responds before disappearing into the crowd.
Jey shakes his head as you turn back to look at him.
"Must be the boss?" you say quietly as he nods.
"Yeah, and he's my cousin so......" his voice trails off as he finds himself staring at your untouched drink.
"Well.....I guess I better drink this and go check on my friends." You say awkwardly as you pick up the red drink. It looked delicious.
Jey watches you intensely as you take a sip of the strawberry drink.
Ooooh this is good.
"Oooh this is good. I love the taste of strawberries." You giggle as he smiles.
"Thanks. That's one of the most popular drinks of the entire collection." Jey smiles at your compliment.
"Who came up with the menu?" you ask curiously as you and Jey begin to make conversation.
~~
It seemed like hours had gone by as you and Jey conversed. And before you knew it, you'd drank all your drink. It was possibly the most delicious thing you've ever tasted.
"What a minute, so you're telling me the b*tch started stalking you after a one-night stand?" you laugh as Jey laughs out loud.
"Hell yeah, man. A stripper turned stalker. I had to get a restraining order." Jey laughs, shaking his head.
"Geez...You must've really put it on her. They say good d can make a b*tch crazy." You say as you gaze at Jey, suddenly feeling a heat overcome your body. You close your eyes momentarily, a dull ache forming in your head, your ears slightly ringing.
Jey tilts his head at you, a look of concern washing over him.
"Y/n? Are you okay?" he asked, guilt starting to consume him.
He should've told you to leave as soon as you sat down at the bar. Yet, he didn't. And here he was, watching something horrific that was about to take place. But he couldn't break the rules. After all, many who stepped inside this club should know the risks. This club was called The 7 Deadly Sins for a reason. Once you entered through the doors, you'd never leave the same.........if you left at all.
"Mmmmm.....my head." You groan, stumbling to your feet.
"Y/n? Y-you should leave.... now." Jey says nervousness laced in his voice.
"I-I think I gotta throw up." You whine as you stumble aimlessly, not even sure where the bathrooms are located.
Your head was starting to hurt so much you couldn't even hear Jey calling after you as you made your way through the dancing bodies. You don't even notice that your sister and friends are nowhere to be found. You didn't notice the atmosphere in the club suddenly changed.
You stumble through the crowd as your blurry vision finally makes out a bathroom sign at the very back of the club. Thank God, you felt sick to your stomach.
You push people out of your way as you hurry through the bathroom halls, seeing a sign for the women's bathroom come into view. It was at the very end of the hallway. You have to lean along the wall to guide you as your vision is almost completely gone.
What's happening to me?
You make it to the bathroom door, but by that time, you're crawling on your knees. Your trembling hand grips the door hand as you can barely push it open.
"H-heeeeelp!" You cry out but of course, the bathroom is dark and empty.
You crawl into the bathroom, your head pounding like a drum. You're only able to make it to the center of the bathroom before your body completely gives out on you. You turn over onto your side, staring at the wall as you try to blink to clear your vision, but alas, it doesn't help. Were you dying? Is this what dying felt like? Clearly, because you felt as if you couldn't breathe, the only thing you could hear was the thumping of your heart in your chest but even that was ceasing.
Suddenly, you hear the bathroom door creak open and the sound of someone making their way over to you, whistling a tune to themselves.
You try to speak and call out for help, but your mouth can only move, yet no sound is produced. It isn't until the person stands right in front of your face that you're able to just barely see a familiar pair of red, black, and white Air Jordans.
You then hear a low chuckle before everything goes black.
~~
Your eyes flutter open as you slowly begin to awaken. Your headache was suddenly gone, but your body was feeling as if the temperature in the unfamiliar room was rising. You look around, confused. Your vision was back, thankfully, but no longer were you lying on the floor of the bathroom, but here you were in this dark room:
You look down at your body and no longer were you wearing the red dress you remember putting on, but instead, you were in a sexy red and black lingerie set. Your heart nearly skips a beat as you try to move but the sudden jerk of your arms and you realize you're restrained, handcuffed to the bed by a pair of red handcuffs:
What the fuck?........
Your mind begins to frantically think back to what occurred before you passed out. You faintly remember Jey trying to tell you something before you stumbled away from the bar. Get away? Run away? Leave? You can't remember exactly, but here you are, now wishing you'd listened to him.
Fuck.....where am I?
You look around the empty room before you see a black door, a dim red light showing from underneath it. Maybe if you cry out for help, someone will come to save you. But then again, you were almost too afraid to speak. That's how people get killed in the horror movies. But then again, this was no horror movie. And there were no cameramen or director to scream cut! This was a reality. Your reality. And you had to find a way out, even if it meant dying trying.
"HELLLLLLP! HEEEEELP! JEY! HEEEEELP ME! PLEASE!" you cry out into the empty room, hoping your voice is loud enough to hear.
But of course, you get no response. Only the sound of your heavy breathing.
You had to keep trying. You had to get out of here and save yourself.
Wait.......
Fallon.....
Tyra......
Zaina.....
"Oh my God......" you whisper as you can't even remember the last time you saw them.
You remembered them being on the dance floor, but that's it. You don't remember them coming to check on you. You don't even remember seeing them as you pushed and clawed through dancing bodies trying to get to the bathroom. Where were they?
You struggle against the restraints, hurting your wrists as you try to release yourself, but you just can't get loose.
"You know....you're wasting your time." You hear a familiar, deep voice out of nowhere.
You gasp, looking around frantically before your eyes land on a dark figure sitting across the room, calmly twirling a drink in one hand.
You squint your eyes before you're able to make out the familiar face of Joe, the club owner. He's sitting comfortably as he stares at you intensely.
What was he doing? What did he want? Why was he doing this? Why you?
"W-w-what do you want from me? Please don't do this-" he cuts you off with a low chuckle.
"Baby girl...now is not the time to beg......trust, we'll get to that later. But first, let me answer the questions that are surely going through your mind. What am I doing, you may ask? I'm simply here to fulfill your desires. What do I want? You. Why am I doing this? Hahaha Because you may not know it, but you want me to. Why you? You chose your sin and now this is where the fun begins." He says as he slowly rises to his feet, his tall frame coming fully into view.
Oh my.... he was now shirtless, his tribal tattoos on full display. His hair was no longer in a bun, instead, it was wet and cascading down. You can't help it as your mouth immediately waters. You clench your legs together as you suddenly feel moisture begin to build up between your legs. It's like you aren't in control of your body anymore.
He slowly makes his way over to you, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.
Oh, the things you'd love for him to do with that tongue......
Wait......what?!
This had to be the drink talking because there's no way.....
"W-w-what did you do to me?! Where's Jey?! Where are my friends?! Where's my sister?!" you yell, pulling at the cuffs as he laughs again. Damn, that taunting laugh of his.
"Oh, well your sister chose Sloth....and well.....let's just say Jonathan is putting her ass to sleep." He smirks as he eyes you up and down, finally approaching the bed.
"What about-"
"Tyra? Zaina? Jey and Joseph are keeping them occupied as well. But enough about them. Let's focus on what I'm about to do to this beautiful body of yours." He teases, slowly crawling on the bed until he's on top of you.
Your body is suddenly overcome with need and desire. You try to push the dirty thoughts away, but each time an even nastier thought creeps into your mind. God.....you just wanted him to touch you, please you, tease you, anything to calm this fire inside you. It was becoming too much.
"Give into it, Y/n. Let it consume you. Let it use you." He whispers, pressing himself between your legs to let you feel how hard he was.
Fuck.....it felt so good you couldn't help but moan.
He chuckles lowly as his lips trail along your neck, teasing you, daring you to ask for more.
You're breathing heavily as he moves his head to stare you deeply in the eyes, almost as if to hypnotize you. He then leans down until his lips are almost touching yours.
"Baby girl, by the time I'm done with you...that pussy will have a new owner." He laughs lowly as you're consumed by lust, succumbing to the temptation....
Once you've picked your sin, this is where the fun begins.
@romanstheory tagging you bestie because I love you 🥺❤️
P.S. If anyone would like to be tagged in my writings, just lemme know. ❤️ I know from my previous writing, Family Feud Preview, that some asked to be a part of the tag list, however, I'm not sure if that's with all of my writings or specific ones, so I didn't tag anyone in this as I do not want to burden anyone with too much tagging. But anyways, as always, thank you all so much for the support.
#roman reigns#roman reigns fanfiction#roman reigns one shot#roman reigns smut#roman reigns x reader#wwe smut#roman reigns imagines#roman reigns x black reader#jey uso#jimmy uso#the bloodline#wwe fanfiction#wwe imagine
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Okay I finally am getting around to this post! It's the 'Fuck how can mob psycho help me in so many ways god damnit I hate and love this show' post!
Shigeo joining the body improvement club, and everything about this part of his story is so personal to me. I just have to talk about it.
So as we all know at the start of the story, Shigeo joins the body improvement club to impress Tsubomi. Thats it. Thats the goal. He also joins because he wants to get stronger and not rely on his psychic powers but really like...the main reason is to impress her.
And this isn't new. A character wanting to get fit, lose weight, change some physical part of themselves for a crush is SO common in stories that you barely notice it.
But what I love, what I ADORE is how this progresses and changes.
This gif from an amazing AMV by @thekagepro24 and it just UGH hits me so hard it is so perfect!!! I could watch this 5 second gif over and over and over again
I just am. I just am dying while running, I just am making progress, I just am enjoying this because I really like it.
This puts everything I feel into visuals (it's so gooooood watch the AMV!!! DO IIIIIIT)
So many times society tells us to change something about ourselves, or we tell ourselves to change for the appeal of others.
Lose weight so people think you're pretty.
Get fit so you can get into clothes that make you look hot.
Get swol to make a person think you're attractive.
You are the one and only you, this is your one and only body. So why are you working out, why do you WANT to get "swol" who are you trying to impress. Is it for yourself? A crush? Society?
I have battled with the above for so long. I come from an athletic background, and did a lot of sports growing up, but I have never been small. I have battled with weight my whole life and had my own shitty bouts with ED.
I have been in therapy, I have read books, I have watched videos, I've been in and out of PT for nearly 5 years because of a lower back and hip pain that NEVER went away.
I never figured out WHY i wanted to exercise. It just always was "To lose weight" because I couldn't get that goal out of my head for years and years and years.
But then I watched mob psycho 100.
And I started a new type of physical therapy.
And was it mp100 or was it the therapy finally working, who can say which did it—probably both—but one day I thought...
....maybe I should just go for a run...for 5-10 mins. Just to see how it feels. It went against all parts of my athlete brain (because 10 mins is too short to see "gains"....which is dumb but whatever)
I thought of Shigeo and how he basically passed out every time he ran for like 2 mins, but he got better. He had to start from 0, well...kinda like negative 5 really. But then he was doing so much not even a few months in!
35 pushups is so hard!!! You go my boi.
Shigeo started off doing it all for Tsubomi, for others, and even if he really wanted to do it to improve himself I think it was a secondary goal initially. Main goal was to impress someone. Secondary was to get stronger.
But then the marathon happened. And those goals SWITCHED! DURING THE RACE! just....man it hit me. It hit me hard. THAT WHOLE EPISODE IS JUST A LOT FOR ME GOD DAMN
He ran for her initially but he continued running for himself. He continued working at it because he wanted to and in the end, after everything, after confession arc, after all that
This scene!!! makes me cry happy tears!! look at how happy he is UGH IT JUST IS SO UGGGHHHHHHH
Anyway if you made it this far, know that everyones journey through their body improvement, mental improvement, emotional improvement is different. We all have to tackle it in the way that works for us.
It took me nearly 10 years to start again because of this beautiful anime connecting the right dots in my brain.
Every journey is different, but just keep fighting on and you'll figure it out!
#mp100#mob psycho 100#mp100 analyis...?#sorta?#more like a essay on personal life and mob psycho#not sure what to tag it as#but I just hope others can find the beauty in this part of the story#you don't have to lose weight to be healthy#you don't have to necessarily exercise in the same way as Mob#you don't even NEED to exercise in the way people expect you to#you just have to do what works for you!#it took me a long time to get here#body improvement club#FIGHT ON!
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Hi how are you fine I hope,...umm do you have a list of Manga or Anime that I could read or watch? If you have a list to start off with on your blog I would greatly appreciate. I used to read manga all the time but life happened so if you don't mind thank you...Happy Holidays.
I'm still new and haven't seen so much! Here is what I'll do, I'll give you a list of what I've seen and what I thought about it though!! It'll go like this:
Media Title (version I've seen it in, anime or manga, etc): my thoughts
and then you can take them as recs or not lol
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (anime): SO GOOD. It was the second anime I watched ever and it's what really got me hooked. Lol it's just pure good solid story telling and is just truly amazing in every way. I love it so much
Ouran High School Host Club (anime): it was fine. Lol good moments, funny moments, cute moments. Lots of weird ass tropes that I didn't love lol. Good palate cleanser but not my favorite and not one I continued to really spend time thinking about after
Demon Slayer (anime & manga): a new obsession after I watched it. I had to then go read it because I was obsessed with the story and couldn't wait. The most beautiful animation too. Tragic and hopeful and amazing. Made me cry a few times and does flashback so well lol
Yuri on Ice (anime): so good. So cute. So gay. I have posts on this anime on here from when I was watching it. Lmao I'll just link that here. I'm still obsessed.
Spy x Family (anime & manga): I actually read the manga first and then found the anime and it's just so wholesomely wonderful in every aspect. I love the story so much. I love the romance. The slowburn is so slow is painfully good. I ship it SO HARD. The domestic family life of a Spy, assassin and telepath is everything I didn't know I needed
Buddy Daddys (anime): 2 dude (they make a good ship too honestly lol) assassins accidental baby acquisition. It's as funny as it sounds with some surprisingly dark and sad and emotional backstories and moments. Just a really great time. Short and quick watch too. Link to my rec post too
The Yakuzas Guide to Babysitting (anime): it was okay. Lol cute and fun but nothing that stuck with me. Found this one off my Spy Family and Buddy Daddy's high while looking for something similar lol
The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague (anime): cute and fun but man some of the episodes dragged and were a little slow. The romance was just okay too but had some really adorable moments
Sasaki to Miyano (anime): SO CUTE. God the whole premise is the BL romance and the slow burn is soooo slow but istg. The tropes are so good too. The importance to consent is beautiful. Literal BL tropes all over the place as the MCs is a BL fan and introduced his LI to BL lol my rec post here. And my post over a clip of the new movie too.
A Silent Voice (anime movie): excellent movie. Sad as fuck. I cried so much. Lol all the trigger warnings though. Please read the trigger warnings
Your Name (anime movie): excellent movie. I still think about it all the time. I just read a book that pulled inspo from this movie. I had tears STREAMING DOWN MY FACE at the end.
Sk8 the Infinity (anime): so good. So wholesome. So gay (it's canon gay, fight with the wall, I don't care lol) just a little show about skateboarding. Who knew it would be SO GOOD. My rec post. My matchablossom brain rot post
Naurto, Naruto Shippuden (anime): OBSESSED. I watched this show with my partner as part of his "I'm introducing you to anime" series he has for me. Lol and clearly he was going to introduce me to the classics. Yes One Piece and Bleach are on his lists for us to watch together too.
Haikyuu!! (anime & manga): Look, with this being the 3rd sports anime I watched, I'm convinced all sports animes create so many ships low-key on purpose. Lmfao in all honesty though, it's so good. Never in my life would I have imagined getting so invested into volleyball. But here I am.
Jujutsu Kaisen (anime and I'm starting the manga now too): IM SO OBSESSED ITS NO LONGER FUNNY AND THIS SHOW IS SO MEAN LATELY. I had to go buy the manga because I CANNOT HANDLE WAITING FOR NEW EPISODES OH MY GOD. WISH ME LUCK READING I GUESS My post
Bungo Stray Dogs (anime): I started this show for Dazai. Found him on TikTok. Stayed for the weird ass powers and the absolute utter nonsense that is this whole world. Nothing makes sense and we are all just here for the vibes. Yes I fucking love it, thanks lmfao My post
Link Click (donghua): started this on a whim because I got a random rec video on my algorithm and found it on Crunchyroll and I was told it was gay. There is so little gayness in the grand scheme of this show I felt so unprepared for what it was. Lmao I have never in my life had a show hit me so hard in my emotions off the bat EVERY SINGLE TIME. BUT ITS SO GOOD?? I told my husband I start each episode going "so how are you making me cry this time link clink??" The twists twist so hard it hurts, but in a way I love. I need the next season like now. my God.
Blue Eye Samurai (anime sort of): my NEWEST obsession. I NEED SEASON 2 PLEASE. I said sort of about anime because it is animated and it's set in Japan, but it's not from Japan so it's not really an anime.... Lol but it's on Netflix. It's not for children. And it's so good. Go watch it. Only 8 episodes. The story is immaculate. My post
Inuyasha (manga): read the manga and thoroughly enjoyed myself as a super fast and fun read!! Really just there a good time lmao
Yona of the Dawn (manga): SO CUTE and yet intense too. My sister put me on this one as one of the first manga series I started reading and I just ate it all up. If we ignore some of the weirder tropes it throws at you in the beginning, it's just fabulous lol I love it
Mo Dao Zu Shi (donghua): read the books, watched the donghua, watched the live action too lol. The brain rot is SO REAL. Like these characters live rent free forever. Thanks. You can find tons of posts for MDZS and TGCF(heaven Official's blessing) in my master list on my other blog @moonofthesurvivor
Heaven Official's Blessing (donghua): SAME AS MDZS THATS ALL LMAO
No. 6 (anime): loved it, sci-fi dystopian madness and so gay. My rec post here
Given (anime): so gay.... So sad.... So healing... That kiss though! That backstory! The songs are actually so good! I love that it's just a band full of gay people. My post here too
Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess (anime): politics meets isekai (done well) meets lesbian romance, meets magical epic battles and showdowns, meets badass ladies saving the world. Literally everything you could want
Hunter x Hunter (anime): I am watching this one now and have been for a little bit. This is the current one I'm watching with my partner in his list of animes he wants to introduce me too. I'm having SO MUCH FUN with this one but I also am hurting a little. Lol yes he warned me about the ants. Yes I'm not having fun with this arc. Thanks for asking. I can report back when we finish 😂
And for those who will want to know yes, I've got lots on my list to still watch and work through. Lol I'm always open to taking more suggestions though too!!
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favourite things: 2023 edition
last year i made one of these and i thought it'd be fun to make another one. i have a notion spreadsheet with all the media i watch/read/play throughout the year (not just things that came out this year!) and i give them ratings. these are the highs (and some of the lows) of 2023 (not in order).
Games
Tunic - such a great and beautiful game that i do not want to spoil. seriously, play it. if you like zelda, exploration, solving puzzles, and cute little foxes, then it's a must
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - what can i say, i love a zelda
Portal 2 - just an even more excellent sequel to an excellent game
TV
Alice in Borderland - i didn't know what to expect at first but it was excellent and highly addictive
Not Me - my introduction to thai BL (for better and also definitely for worse lol). anyway this show changed my brain chemistry. it has everything: gays, a twin switch situation, leftism, arson, rooftop kiss... you know
Bad Buddy - speaking of rooftop kisses...... if you know you know. anyway this is also a thai BL and it's still rotating in my brain. i rewatched it almost immediately, that's how good it was
The King's Affection - cheesy historical kdrama about a crown prince who is secretly a woman, with a swoon-worthy romance and political intrigue. this one's for the bisexuals (after all, the male love interest falls in love with the prince before he finds out it's a woman)
Vinland Saga - this anime fucking wrecked me. season 2 had me crying every single episode. thorfinn is my new child and i WILL name my future cat after him
The Devil Judge - a kdrama about a dystopian south korea with a fucked up justice system. anyway kang yohan character of all time. oh and also toxic homosexuality (affectionate)
Books
The Poppy War trilogy by R. F. Kuang - what an excellent series to get me back into fantasy series. it was not without faults, but i was hooked anyway
Babel by R. F. Kuang - i read this brick in 5 days straight. it's beautifully written and has such interesting things to say about language and colonialism. again, it has flaws but i wasn't bothered, i was obsessed with this book
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - i didn't realise how much i missed high fantasy until i read this. it has lesbians, dragons, a bitter old homosexual, magic, and did i mention dragons and lesbians?
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker Chan - the sequel to She Who Became the Sun, my favourite book of last year. this sequel fucking DELIVERED. i went insane about it multiple times. it's a must read
Graphic novels/manga
Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama - i started this manga 2 years ago, but since it's still ongoing and I've read new chapters this year, it counts for this year as well
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run by Hirohiko Araki - not finished with it yet but it is truly as good as everyone says it is
The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour by the McElroys and Carey Pietsch - i know not everyone likes the taz comics, but i do, i think theyre great adaptations, and this one looked incredible
Movies
Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse - not as good as the first one, but still really good. beautifully animated and extremely entertaining
Bonus: the lowest of the low, titles that earned my 'sucked shit' rating
Theory of Love - amazing that out of the 3 thai BLs ive watched, 2 managed to make it on my favourites list, and one of them was some of the worst television i've ever seen
Where the Crawdads Sing - read the book for book club last year, we all hated it, and now we decided to watch the movie for a laugh. it also sucked
#special shoutout to boys planet (the kpop variety show) which i rated both 'bad' and 'good' at the same time.#i didnt actually watch many movies this year oops#if only interview w the vampire was available to watch in my country otherwise i'd have watched it already#and itd probably be on the list. next year i'll try to watch it somehow
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Interview With a Writer
Thank you @humanpurposes for your time to answer my questions about your amazing story 💜 This is just a continuation of my Interview With a Writer series. You can go to masterlist and read the other amazing, talented, wonderful authors that I have spoken with, getting a BTS of their brilliant minds and their stories on Tumblr and ao3.
Dividers by @saradika 💜
Name: humanpurposes
Story: My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Paring: modern!Aemond x step-daughter
Warnings: 18+, angst, smut, daddy kink, spanking, degradation, questionable relationship dynamics, infidelity, mentions of grief/loss, no underage elements.
So, when did you start writing?
I've always had an interest in stories, whatever form they take, books, films, plays, ideas in my head. Since I was a kid I've loved exploring different creative outlets, writing being one of them.
I think I first really started to realise I was decent at it when I did creative writing at school, it was the one subject I just 'got'. As a teenager I tried writing fanfiction and originals (which were all terrible and never saw the light of day), and to be honest, my interest in writing dwindled while I was doing A Levels and uni.
Then last year, out of nowhere, I managed to finish a one-shot for The Sandman (which I never posted and lost rip). Then House of the Dragon happened, Aemond Targaryen appeared on my screen and the rest is history! So really it's only in the last year I've considered myself 'a writer'.
Where did the plot for My Heart Belongs to Daddy come from?
One thing about me is that I'm highly susceptible to peer pressure, so when people were asking for a part 2, I was like "of course!" ...cut to me sitting in front of my laptop for hours trying to conjure up a plot.
I knew I wanted it to be quite an emotional series, because while hooking up with your mum's boyfriend is a fun gimmick for a one-shot, I really wanted to get deeper into all the dynamics and relationships at play. I knew I wanted Alys to have her moment, I was really adamant that she wasn't going to be a villain, and I had the scene outside the club on New Years Eve in my head. From there, I kinda came up with Aemond's backstory, him having a crush on her when they were younger and harbouring those feelings. It all just kinda fell into place from there.
I have to say as well, it was kind of inspired by Normal People; just two people struggling to navigate their feelings. And I love it because it sounds like such a simple premise, but there are so many complexities to it.
Expand on your interpretation of Aemond. What drives him? Why is he the way he is in MHBTD?
MHBTD Aemond is very much intended to mirror the Aemond we see in the show, minus the dragon and the war crimes.
He's studious, a perfectionist, a very imposing but understated presence. The relationship with his family is very much the same too. He sees himself as more capable than his siblings, is overlooked by his father and overshadowed by Rhaenyra and the Strong boys, so he is very much driven by a want to prove himself and live up to the legacy of his family.
He also takes on the burden of being Alicent's golden child, which he kinda botches when he messes up a contract with Storm's End, and ends up feeling more alienated by the only person who really values him. That's where Alys comes in and gives him a way to escape all of that.
So I really tried to translate his character into a modern setting in a way that would be believable, but I didn't want to lose what makes Aemond Targaryen, "Aemond Targaryen."
Was there anything in specific that inspired your Reader portrayal?
Well, this was actually the first reader/nameless character fic I've written. Generally I tend to write original characters for a series. I mean real talk though, a lot of her character is inspired by me, like her interest in history and the love for Lana Del Rey and Mazzy Star, but if you can't self indulge when writing a fanfiction, when can you?
But it was interesting for me trying to write her as someone who is easy to project onto, but also, I hope, has a lot of depth. She has a lot of conflicts going on in her head, her dependence on Aemond and her guilt she feels lying to Alys, knowing pursuing a relationship is wrong, trying to break away, only to be pulled back in... so the more I wrote, the more she became her own person.
What is your take on her relationship with Aemond? Do you feel she complements Aemond?
I think they compliment each other quite well, but there are a lot of things at play here.
So on a basic level, they have similar personalities, not particularly outgoing but not exactly shy either, they both have a quiet confidence. They have similar interests, did similar subjects at uni, that kind of thing.
But I think their differences go together well too. Aemond is ambitious and eager to prove himself, whereas she can be a bit more grounded. There's also an element of codependency to their relationship. True to canon, Aemond likes to be in control and she compliments that well (better than Alys does), and they both have moments where they struggle with loneliness and latch onto each other as a result.
There are a lot of external factors that make the whole situation very very complicated. They suck at communication and obviously, he dated her mother.
But ultimately, they both want each other enough to keep going back. I think it's like that age of question of 'is love enough?'
What was your outline process for this? Did you always know how this story was going to end?
I always write with an end point in mind. For me anyway, I need to know what I'm working towards. In my head it was always going to end with her knowing that while being with Aemond probably isn't the right choice, she does it anyway because she can't say no to him.
And again talking about realism, I really didn't see it having a fairytale ending, because even though they'll be in Oldtown together, they won't be able to hide their relationship from their families forever.
Do you think there will be a sequel? Or something else you are working on next?
As much as I've loved working on this series, I am ready to work on some other stuff.
I have two series which I'm currently updating, a canon era Aemond fic called Karma is a God, and a Tom Bennett mini series called Just for a Moment.
I also have some one-shots in the works and I'm looking to get back to updating an Osferth fic which I started in May and haven't updated since!
That being said... I did have an idea for an epilogue which I'm kinda obsessed with. But we'll see how long it takes me to get round to it 🤭
Last question! Do you have any fanfic recommendations?
That's so hard to just pic one!
I have to shout out my girl Sam @randomdragonfires and her story Invisible String. I love the dynamic she created between Aemond and the reader, only to leave me utterly devastated with the ending! Sam is so talented I love her writing style and the voices she gives the characters, everything she writes is gold.
Also, I feel like I'll never shut up about it but Now I'm Covered In You by @inthedayswhenlandswerefew was just incredible. I cannot tell you how much of a chokehold that fic had on me. The tension, the politics, the drama, the yearning between Aemond and Ivy! I was on the edge of my seat for all 10 Chapters.
I'm obsessed with medieval history, it is literally my perfect fic.
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In case you haven't read Epithet Erased (go read it it's amazing) the show exists in a world where 1 in 5 people are inscribed, which means they have a single word entwined with their soul that let's them do magic. For example, Molly Blyndeff, the protagonist of the museum arc of the first season and the book, has the epithet dumb, which let's her dumb things down and reduce them, like muting the noise within a small bubble, or reducing damage when you take a hit. Everyone else is a mundie
Now, I am also a massive fan of the series Cursed Princess Club on Webtoon. So, I've thought of Epithets for some of them.
(before the list, I'd like to make some things clear. In Epithet Erased, each Epithet has three scores: stamina, proficiency, and creativity. Stamina is how much they can use their epithet or take a hit, proficiency is how experienced they are with their epithet, creativity is how creative they are in using their epithet. As such I will be grading each and giving reasons for why each is graded as they are. As well as that, there are three classes of ranking. Star is level one, ring is level two, nova is level three. Most of these guys will just be stars, but still)
So, onto the epithets
Frederick: Imagine
Let's the user bring anything they imagine into reality.
Stamina: three stars (Freddy can use this one to his heart's content without so much as a sweat, but he'd probably be knocked out by a pillow hitting him in the face, so it evens out)
Proficiency: one ring, four stars (Freddy uses his epithet to escape reality like, several times per day, and has been for years. He's also taken to using it to impress Gwen on occasion. Only when they're alone because Frederick finds some of them embarrassing)
Creativity: five stars (Frederick is the type of person to imagine a solution to most things. Don't have enough hands? Cute spider people with 8 hands can carry your things! The room is to quiet? A boyband of anthropomorphic mice (that has since gotten a new member: the main singer's cute rat girlfriend))
Other stuff: Frederick does have a habit of accidently using his epithet when he gets strong emotions. When he gets flustered around Gwen he grows little cat ears (which he always gets incredibly embarrassed about, which makes the cat ears harder to un-summon), and whenever he has panic attacks sunflowers start growing on the walls floor and ceiling in whatever room he's in. (Just thought of this as I was writing, note to self: write an au where Frederick is just cursed with cat ears and other cat attributes. His personality and character really went from wet cat to dry cat)
Blaine: charm
Allows the user to convince any person animal or thing to do anything.
Stamina: four stars (he uses it often, but still gets tired of using it by the end of the day)
Proficiency: five stars (he uses it often, but doesn't rely on it like Frederick does)
Creativity: two stars (Blaine only gets that because he sometimes uses it for magic tricks. He just uses his epithet only in the least creative way possible)
Other stuff: He used his epithet to tame a bear once, I guess. If these guys were actually Epithet Erased characters, than I feel like Blaine being the least creative epithet user on the planet would be a running gag.
Maria: Melody
Allows the user to create music with a variety of effects. Most effective while singing, but can be applied to any other form of music
Stamina: two stars (how much energy it takes to use her epithet depends on the effects of the music, but doing anything important takes a good bit of energy)
Proficiency: three stars (she doesn't really practice her epithet. She just casts the same spell over and over again.)
Creativity: one ring, five stars (she doesn't really do it, but she can use her music to pretty much do literally anything. It is very abusable.)
Other stuff: If she leveled up her proficiency to rings, than she could gain a bonus on her epithet by teaming up with people, either with both using their epithets, or working together to create music. The songs she sings on balconies are magic songs. They make music notes appear in the air that disappear when she stops singing. That's it.
Gwen: terror
Allows the user to create a sense of terror in anyone or anything, but inanimate objects aren't as effective
Stamina: one star (any substantial use of it for more than a couple of seconds knocks her out cold)
Proficiency: one star (she doesn't use her epithet. Like at all)
Creativity: one star (again, she doesn't use it. But even if she did, it wouldn't really be lenient to creativity until:)
Other stuff: if she upgraded to rings, she could bring people's fears to life, like an even better Nightmare Fuel. But she won't get to rings any time soon. She still thinks she's a mundie. She has used her epithet on accident on many, MANY occasions. She is very oblivious to emotions. Because of her underleveling, people that trust her enough are almost completely immune to her epithet.
Nell: foresight
Allows the user to occasionally and sporadically predict negative events, with great pain from the user.
Stamina: one star (she basically dies whenever her epithet goes off)
Proficiency: two stars (it's hard to practice it, but how often it goes off got her out of one star)
Creativity: five stars (as much as the pain sucks, her epithet is actually quite useful)
Other stuff: This epithet pretty much works exactly how Nell's curse does in cannon, with the only exception being that Nell can set off a prediction if she tries hard enough. If she upgraded to rings than she could start seeing positive events too. If she upgraded to nova than she could pick any point in the future to see at will. It'd still hurt though, and her accidental prophesies would still happen.
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Thoughts on Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two" (2024)
Following on from my recent viewing of the first part when it returned to cinemas, I've now been able to apply myself to view the second part also. Once again, in lieu of a proper essay I have merely recorded my impressions in roughly chronological order.
As a reminder I previously wrote about how I might adapt Dune, years before Villeneuve's latest effort, as well as creating some concept art (I am working on my take on Shaddam Corrino IV). I did not re-read the book ahead of my most recent viewing and therefore some of my critique might be inadvertently comparing it to my own ideas on adaptation rather than the source material.
I was amazed and a little aghast that after all the talk of not doing introspection and critiquing the 1984 version's clunky opening narration by Princess Irulan, Villeneuve's Part Two opens with ... a clunky opening narration by Irulan. Perhaps there was a desire to have the 'other woman' do the narration as the first film opened with Chani as our viewpoint character; here we start with the view from the Imperium, introducing the Emperor.
Irulan implies the Emperor loved Leto like a son and is torn up about ordering his death. Was this in the books? When she says 'And the Emperor says' - we are on the edge of our seats, waiting for Walken's dialogue - 'nothing'. I am unsure if this was a clever trick or not. Shaddam here is portrayed as an older man, perhaps infirm, manipulated by those around him and particularly women. This is part of the sexual politics Villeneuve presents to us specifically in Part Two which stood out to me as either peculiarly heterodox for a mainstream modern Hollywood production, or perhaps was intended to be progressive but poorly assembled and unable to overcome Herbert's own (but noticeably different) views - some might say hang-ups - on the sexes.
My sense is very little time has passed on Arrakis since the end of the first film, despite Irulan's narration creating the impression it is old news. The column is still carrying Jamis's body and on its way to the sietch.
This sits oddly with Stilgar's blithe dismissal that the Harkonnen are there for the two Atreides. Are you sure? In-universe that was no more than 72 hours ago (the first night in the desert and the second in Kynes' weather station, with the sun coming up during the Jamis fight). He doesn't know the Baron ordered Rabban to commit genocide against the Fremen, so the logical conclusion is they are still looking for Paul and Jessica.
The opening fight scene seemed interesting, even if I wasn't sure why Paul and Jessica were where they were or why they didn't seem to be armed. Villeneuve seems to have forgotten that at the very least Paul has his crysknife and the gun he used to threaten Stilgar just hours earlier in-universe. I didn't mind the pregnant Jessica clubbing the Harkonnen over the head to protect her son, even though I feel like if this film had been earmarked differently by the usual suspects on YouTube and Twitter it would have been viewed as ridiculous and 'woke' given criticism of the same in games like Wolfenstein II.
As a note: The Harkonnen in the opening scene are now using Sardaukar antigrav tech; I feel this works poorly because we've been conditioned from the first film to associate this with the Emperor's forces, even though they weren't involved. I wondered if they had just randomly changed up the Sardaukar uniforms (which they have, but more on that later).
Sietch Tabr felt interesting but not quite as I imagined; did I miss something or were we really not properly introduced to the terraforming effort? We see some bird nests and the precious underground water and Stilgar says when Lisan al-Gaib comes he will use the water to transform Arrakis, but we seem to have dropped any mention of the idea they were already working towards it. And indeed, Kynes won't appear in this film at all - my preference to kick off a two-parter would have been Kynes wandering in the desert, dying of dehydration while having his revelation about how the sandworm life-cycle works, re-introducing us to the setting and the worms.
I feel the need to mention Villeneuve's racial politics here, which, like his sexual politics, seem awkward in ways commentators don't seem to have entirely picked up on.
When the sietch receives Paul and Jessica with hostility, there is a noticeable shift in who the camera lingers on, to the extent that the Fremen seem abruptly almost entirely black or very dark-skinned, with the lighter Stilgar and Chani the only ones speaking up for the outsiders. I hope I shouldn't need to explain this; if it's calculated, it is calculated to induce a kind of gut-reaction fear in white audiences. I noticed this in the first film where Jamis was cast as black and presented as noticeably wilder and crazier than the other Fremen. One might be tempted to suggest this is establishing ethnic groups within the Fremen - after all, later we learn that Stilgar comes from the south, so perhaps the north is darker-skinned (which would sync with some of the black city-dwellers we see in Arrakeen). It would even make sense as the south is said to be covered with dust storms and thus not exposed to direct sun. Except, as soon as the sietch turns and becomes more welcoming, the camera begins favouring the lighter-skinned north Africa and Middle Eastern Fremen actors.
This leads quite neatly into the Fremen culture and language. David Peterson, the linguist who worked on Game of Thrones, was tapped to create languages for Dune based on the phrases in the book, and others have picked up on the strange decision to avoid using actual Arabic words wherever possible - explained in inverviews as Peterson feeling that thousands of years into the future languages would have evolved so far that any similarities are mere coincidence. This means that words that are too important to the franchise to change, such as 'Lisan al-Gaib' (which they use a *lot*, seemingly to avoid relying on real-world messianic titles like Mahdi), stay as-is but others are radically changed. "Ya Hya Chouhada", a real-world battlecry meaning 'long live the martyrs', is changed in Part Two to a fictional phrase (I didn't remember it and seemingly others I haven't either) in the Peterson conlang. This is disappointing and actually not true to life given how Latin survived for thousands of years as a holy language.
UPDATE: The new phrase based on Peterson's conlang is something like 'A t'la abisi a santar!'. I can vaguely see something like 'life' in 'santar', but it's from a Latinate root. 'Toward the fighters, life'? Maybe 'At'la savaşçı uzun ', incorporating the Turkish word for 'fighter' and '?
It also means that Villeneuve's Dune is oddly sanitised and stripped of the book's Islamic and Central Asian cultural touchpoints. Very little mention is made of God; characters pray but I think at one point Paul says that they prey to their dead relatives (?). 'Jihad' and any mention of the book's main religions (Zensunni and Orange Catholicism) are excised.
All this begs the question - where is the line between inclusion and Orientalism? Where is the line between diversity and caricature? Or between cultural sensitivity and the kind of flattening that insists on Western neoliberal values everywhere at all times, even in our fiction? In 1984, the Fremen were mostly cast as white (likely due to actor availability) - not necessarily an incorrect reading of the book, given Herbert's inspiration 'The Sabres of Paradise' was not about Arab but Caucasian mountain tribes. Change them to a mix of interchangeable 'non-white' actors and have them led by Timothee Chalamet and the accusations of 'white savior complex' gain weight. Selectively show darker extras when you want the audience to be afraid and lighter when you want them to feel sympathetic and, to be honest, you probably deserve a few thinkpieces which I haven't seen in the press.
Stilgar threatens Jessica that he'll have her killed unless she agrees to become the new Reverend Mother. I felt this went back on his development in the first film, or even a couple of scenes ago where he fought their corner against the unsympathetic female elder. Jessica's flippant, almost Marvel-esque dialogue in the next scene where she references this annoyed me. Villeneuve has Jessica's experience with the water of life happen early in the movie and long before Paul's. This is somewhat true to the book and better than the 1984 version where Paul only takes the Water when his prophetic dreams randomly stop working, but my favoured method of compressing this for film has Jessica take the Water, fall into a coma, and Paul rescue her by taking the Water himself, entering into the same vision. This is when Jessica begins to suspect they are not merely using prophecies created by the Bene Gesserit, but Paul may in fact be the Kwisatz Haderach.
In Villeneuve's version, Chani is initially skeptical of the prophecy, saying only the southerners are superstitious (an invented distinction not found in the book). This is set up fairly competently as a romantic conflict; Paul wins Chani when he only wants to be one of the Fremen, but doing so means giving up on his revenge - however, the way it's resolved is frankly offensive and one of the things that I found most disrespectful about Villeneuve's Dune as an adaptation.
The first we see of wormriding in this film (Stilgar on a small worm) didn't entirely impress me; I feel it should have been much farther off to give a greater sense of the scale of the worms. However, Paul's own wormriding trial eliminated my doubts; again, no-one is doing cinematic scale like Villeneuve right now, where the audience is absorbed completely in *witnessing* a monumental event, without the need for quick cuts or snappy quips.
The 'naming' scene was also great and felt plausible as Paul being welcomed as one of the Fedaykin (interestingly Peterson didn't rename that one, despite being almost identical to 'Fedayeen').
The Harkonnen 'evil spice harvesters' bothered me - the harvesters we saw in the first film *WERE* Harkonnen harvesters! The Atreides literally just assumed control of the operation days earlier. The ornithopter mini-guns were pretty great but also felt un-Duney. The use of lasguns also felt good even if perhaps not book-accurate.
I actually really liked Rabban's failed reprisals, with the Harkonenn getting lost in the dust of their own carpet bombings and and the big guy losing his nerve when he sees Muad'dib's shadow. Bautista is surprisingly (?) one of the stand-out performances in the two movies.
We get some much-needed off-world politics, with Irulan talking to the Reverend Mother and deducing (I feel this wasn't in the book) that Muad'dib is Paul Atreides. There's clearly an effort made to present Irulan as a more hard-nosed politician in the making, with Shaddam even saying she will be a 'formidable Empress'. Mohiam introduces us to the idea of Feyd-Rautha being an alternative 'candidate' to Paul (did they actually say 'to be the Kwisatz Haderach'?? I don't think they did).
My feelings on Giedi Prime being an insane hellplanet are a matter of public record; it goes against a central theme of Dune, which is that a harsh environment breeds both discipline in the sense of espirit de corps and discipline in moral life. Whether you agree or disagree with the 'Fremen Mirage', this is Herbert's central idea. In the book, Giedi Prime is a neo-feudal world, with a cheerfully painted blue keep where 'fearful perfection' under military jackboot is the order of the day, but just off the main street you can see dilapidation and decay. It's a Potemkin village, feeding into the idea that Baron Harkonnen and his house are fundamentally about falsity and fakeness. He wears suspensors to convey the idea he is more physically able than he is. Feyd fights in a gladiatorial arena, but the combatants are drugged to make him look more competent. When a combatant isn't drugged, it's a plot to win over the crowd and he's not really in danger. Everywhere gets a fresh coat of paint and smiles at gunpoint when visitors arrive, but under the surface they don't genuinely care for the people.
In Villeneuve's Dune, Giedi Prime is an infrared nightmare under a 'black sun' (yes, the pasty skinhead Harkonnen live under a black sun, a seemingly deliberate allusion to fascist occultism trivia that made me raise an eyebrow). No diversity among the Harkonnen; it's just an anonymous tide of bobbing bald white heads. Again, I was unsure how to read this obvious Villeneuve innovation (in the original books the Harkonnen are mentioned as having dark hair). For what it's worth, Lynch did something very similar when he decided the Harkonnen were universally ginger. I also feel we've seen this archetype quite recently in 'Mad Max' with the white-painted radiation-sick Warboys.
This decision to make the Harkonnen interchangeable mooks does somewhat detract from Austin Butler's Feyd Rautha, who is just another chalky bald guy among many. Butler tries his best to infuse the role with random acts of violence against his own minions that put the 1984 version's heartplugs to shame. Couple it with Rabban's temper tantrum smashing the overseer against his monitor and you have to ask - why does anyone follow these psychopaths? At some point the bad guys end up killing more of their own than the enemy and it makes them feel incompetent and stupid.
In this version, the undrugged slave was a 'birthday present' from the Baron, who wanted to see who Feyd really was under pressure. In the book, Feyd contrives the assassination attempt with Thufir Hawat to increase his own standing with the people. There's no poison on Feyd's blades (he even licks one) but I think (the moment was super-fast) the Bene Gesserit watching mention that he uses an implanted word to stagger the slave momentarily. Odd to see that in this version the Harkonnen seem to worship their leaders ('the holy birthday of our beloved na-Baron'?).
It's an interesting reversal as in the book, Feyd tries to poison the Baron by having one of his sex slaves implanted with a needle (foreshadowing his own use of a similar hidden device in the final fight).
Margot Fenring appears here unaccompanied as a Bene Gesserit femme fatale, and her seduction of Feyd Rautha and their subsequent discussion of his levers was well done.
Around this time Villeneuve starts deciding that the Bene Gesserit are psychic, which is jarring and I don't believe foreshadowed (Jessica communicates using sign-language with her son but not in glances). I almost wondered if this scene - and the later one where the Bene Gesserit have an impromptu psychic discussion - were rewritten after filming.
Returning to Arrakis after the harsh black and white Giedi Prime seemed like a breath of fresh air and I think that was the intent. Villeneuve uncharacteristically doesn't linger long enough on the dunes for my tastes.
I should note here that in this version, Jessica emerges from the water of life trial changed, and while her motives are to protect Paul, she is subsequently framed in a very antagonistic role, always pushing for Paul to cynically embrace the prophecies and so, in this version, drive a wedge between him and Chani. This syncs up with my observations in Part One that Villeneuve almost presents her as a romantic interest for Paul; if so, here she is almost the 'other girl', and Paul has to choose between mother/prophecy and Chani/a simple life among the Fremen (this latter choice is highlighted by him removing the signet ring when he feels welcomed by the Fremen but keeping it in his stillsuit).
Gurney Halleck in this version is not leading a ragged band of Atreides guerillas like 1984's Patrick Stewart version. Rather he is now keeping a low profile and working as a spice miner, seemingly having given up hope that any remnants of House Atreides remain. The Fremen attack the harvester but Paul recognises him and tells them to stay their hand and presumably save the rest of the crew, though I don't think we see anyone else after this and he's more or less framed as the last remnant of Paul's old retinue in the final scenes. This *really* bothered me. Gurney says he managed to get offworld after the attack. OK; we know he has knowledge of the location of the Atreides atomics and hates the Harkonnen with every bone in his body; first for killing his family prior to the events of the first movie (as he reveals for I think the first time here); and then the loss of his new family with the death of Duke Leto. And so, Villeneuve imagines, he...
...goes back to Arrakis to work for the Harkonnen (the movie really seems to have forgotten who owns the original harvesters) and forgets about the atomics. What the absolute fuck? They do establish that the door is gene-coded so only a direct descendent of the Duke can open it (the line 'your genetic heritage only, m'lord' made me visibly cringe in the theatre), but in-universe, is there *any* reason he wouldn't go to, say, House Richese and say 'The Emperor was involved in the attack on Arrakis. I saw Sardaukar among the Harkonnen. I know where there are untraceable nukes on Arrakis; send in a covert mining team and you can tunnel down to get them. All I ask is you use some of them on Giedi Prime and the rest on Kaitan.'
For all that 1984 stretched plausibility that Gurney and his men could have survived in the desert without Fremen skills, it still feels more plausible than him getting off world then just coming back to work on a harvester.
(Note: in the book he joins a smuggler crew. Did they mention in an off-hand remark in the film that the crew he was with were not Harkonnen?)
The worm-drowning scene was well-done, even if I thought they should probably have set up the sandtrouts here if they have any hope of filming 'God-Emperor'.
Feyd Rautha's anti-grav ships bombard Sietch Tabr, causing heavy casualties. I almost feel like more attention should have been placed on this and how *this* is what changes Paul's mind; seeing his own new family injured and dead, rather than continuing for several scenes with will-he won't-he back and forth. Leave me here and go south - the people will only go if you go - there's an important meeting, they call the Lisan al-Gaib to appear, etc. The reunion between Paul and Chani *should* have been the conclusion of their romance arc here. I noticed the 'I will love you as long as you stay true to yourself' and anticipated the subsequent tension, but it felt clumsy.
Paul apparently just shows up and abruptly decides to drink the Stuff on a whim. This felt really bad and rushed. There was a jarring cut between him arriving and the guardian offering him the drink that I *think* was meant to represent Jessica's Voice command taking effect; she warns him 'leave or die' and then finds herself administering the Stuff.
(as a note: just how powerful is Villeneuve's Voice? It can apparently implant suggestions that take effect days or weeks later)
The female voice in Paul's visions has apparently (I think) been Alia? I am not sure about this as my assumption after the last movie was that it was future!Jessica. I didn't think the 'mind opening' was that well done in terms of mind-warping visuals, other than seeing an ocean in the desert. We caught of a glimpse of what I think were meant to be the face of his female ancestors, but a big point in the book is that the Kwisatz Haderach can access the memories of both his female and male ancestors (for all that this makes very little sense). This was crying out for a cameo from Duke Leto, instead of all people he sees Jamis (this may have been book-accurate, I can't remember at point of writing).
In the vision, he learns that Baron Harkonnen is his grandfather and 'we are Harkonnens'. So the pasty skin, black teeth and hairlessness of the Harkonnen is just environmental? Or even just fashion? This is interesting to see given the Harkonnen have been very deliberately racially 'Othered'.
In a reverse Sleeping Beauty scenario, Chani administers some more Water of Life, mingled with her tears, which wakes Paul up, because it vaguely fits the (fake, fabricated by the Bene Gesserit) prophecy? I am struggling to see how this works in-universe, for all that they clearly wanted some more action for her as female co-lead. Was it just a 'hair of the dog'?
The Fremen war council was spectacular, in a vast cavern (?) with lit podia (or was it just one with reflections on the walls?). Chani is again regrettably throughly modern, breaching her own society's rules by barging onto the podium to lecture to her leader. Her having to be restrained in accordance with Fremen decorum by Gurney Halleck *might* have been intended to be character development for him, but I think was just clumsy writing.
In general, Chalamet's acting was up to par, but something different was needed from him after his transformation into the Kwisatz Haderach and we didn't get it (for those saying he wasn't really changed; nonsense - he now has psychic powers that would make Kyle MacLachlan's version blush, actively reading minds when this is supposed to be impossible in-universe). What was called for here was a very elevated style of talking when he is consciously assuming the messianic role, reminiscent of holy text - not necessarily thees and thous but 'shall's and 'unto you's.
I cringed a little when, for example, he threatened the Emperor later in very unelevated, thuggish language. I can somewhat forgive the sections he is speaking Peterson's conlang-Fremen language it sounds quite rough; part of this is probably the difficulty getting the actors to sound fluent but it also had some echoes of rough and tumble military braggadochio in languages like Turkish.
The Emperor's reflective sphere-ship was certainly imposing; possibly too much so as it dwarfs Arakeen, something not immediately obvious from the ground shots so later when we see it just hovering over what just looks like a landing strip I wondered why it was suddenly out in the middle of nowhere before realising the shapes on the ground were the quarters of the entire planet's capital city!
I am always annoyed at the possibly royalties-motivated redesign of uniforms in sequels, and the Sardaukar here are a particularly offensive example. It's literally been less than nine months since the Battle of Arakeen; probably less given Jessica is not (I think) massively pregnant at the end. I did wonder if the redesign was to emphasise that 'the hunter has become the hunted'; now the Sardaukar are, like the Atreides, mostly bare-faced and their opponent is now the masked Fremen. On some level I feel this was deliberate, as when later the Sardaukar assume an Atreides-like sword line. I was also annoyed that we didn't hear any throat-singing as the Sardaukar form up outside the palace-ship. This would have immediately worked to remind us 'Oh yes, those guys', and differentiate them from the Harkonnen mooks who the Fremen have been killing all movie.
The attack on Arakeen was generally great - I would have liked to have seen the nuke scene handled differently and linger more on Paul silhouetted against the mushroom cloud.
The worm attack was also good; I did notice that suddenly the Harkonnen ornithopters become significantly less powerful than in the first movie, both rockets and miniguns seeming ineffective against worms and infantry Fremen alike. There wasn't really any sense that Shaddam's hubris led to him remaining on-planet (even the Dune 2000 game did this better, with the Truthsayer whispering 'Retreat, with victory in sight? Release the Sardaukar!"). I also felt like they sneakily tried to resolve a discrepancy between the visions of the first movie and this one by putting Chani in the role of infantry leader; she ends a shot in the exact same pose as Paul in the first movie when he has a vision of killing Sardaukar in a power suit (these don't appear in the second movie). In the second movie, he arrives on a worm instead. I guess this is a slight retcon and he is seeing himself in the place of whoever the vision is about. It seems a real waste though as presumably this sequence was shot - or was this implied to be during the galactic jihad?
One thing that stood out to me was the (redesigned) Sardaukar trying to regain formation after the blast takes down the mountain and the following storm. The first thing we see is one trooper trying to lift the Corrino banner and, as the wind overcomes him, another one helping to get it upright again. This felt *immensely* true to the book's universe.
Walken wasn't as bad as I feared; he mostly resisted the mugging I feared and wasn't given any lines containing 'walk without rhythm' or 'weapon of choice'. He plays Shaddam, again, as elderly, weary and manipulated, with the suggestion of fire re-emerging when he tells Paul 'your father was a weak man' ringing true. His throne room was appropriately Villeneuve-brutalist while still feeling Dune-y, and he thankfully replaces the Palpatine robe he wears at the beginning with an understated but still decently ornate tunic when holding court. No Burseg helmet as per the books, sadly. Should we read anything into the Emperor's throneroom being lit in a very obvious cross?
I understand why the plot was changed to give Paul a chance to meet the Baron and enact his revenge personally. Feyd wasn't in the first film and despite much more screen time compared to 1984 and even the mini-series doesn't feel satisfying as a final target for Paul's vendetta.
(As a note, the Baron throughout this movie now has a floating respirator with him that I am certain he didn't have in the first film. Is this supposed to be a lingering consequence of the gas attack?)
In this version, the duel between Paul and Feyd Rautha is explicitly a challenge to Shaddam for the throne, with Feyd serving as the Emperor's champion. This felt odd; has it been established that in this version the Padishah Emperor is a role you can have a knife-fight for, like the Klingons in Star Trek? I believe in both the book and 1984 version the coup was presented as a fait accompli with the duel a simple matter of honour and arguably an unnecessary risk by Paul; Shaddam's forces are shattered with only those immediately around him still loyal.
This is further reduced in the 2024 version as Paul has his Fremen kill the remaining Sardaukar and bring the Emperor to the visitor accommodation. This was a really missed opportunity as it deprives us of a huge and obvious shot; the victorious Paul sitting on the throne.
Feyd has no secret poison spikes in this version and, annoyingly, there's no tension in Paul choosing whether or not to use the Voice (Feyd Rautha reacts to Paul commanding the Reverend Mother to be 'Silent!' as if noting and remembering the ability, but we've already established he's vulnerable to it). This continues a trend of Villeneuve forgetting about the Voice in combat, where in the first film Jessica doesn't use it against Stilgar and Paul doesn't use it against Jamis, without even a one-off line like 'and no Bene Gesserit tricks'. Rather, he wins the first two clashes, even leaving a knife embedded in Paul's shoulder, before Paul kills him in a grapple that recalls his first on-screen spar with Gurney Halleck; Feyd is focused on the knife he is pushing further and further through Paul's seemingly exhausted grip, but he - and the viewer - can't see Paul's knife further down.
I *think* we were supposed to understand that as a possible Kwisatz Haderach Feyd is outside Paul's newly acquired precognition (this was sort of foreshadowed when he says he didn't foresee the attack on the sietch), together with the mention by Feyd that he dreamed about Lady Fenring, but wasn't spelled out.
A moment somewhat mocked on social media, but which I felt rang very true, was Bardem's frantic "Lisan al-Gaib!" when it is clear Paul has just barely survived the duel. This is *not* Stilgar the believer once again extolling his messiah's supernatural powers. This is Stilgar the politician and tribal leader realising that Paul looks very vulnerable and *un-supernatural* right now, and if he doesn't quickly get the watching Fremen on board with a chant of 'Lisan al-Gaib' the spell may be broken.
I liked how the Emperor was forced to plead for his life via the medium of his daughter, and the ambiguity of Paul's gesture; I initially thought he was commanding Irulan to step away from her father and take his hand in marriage (and this might be intentional), but instead, Shaddam is forced to go down to his knees and kiss Paul's ducal ring; a good use for the ring finding its way to Paul, which I complained about in the first movie (he also uses it in this movie to seal the ultimatum to the Emperor earlier).
The other Houses refuse Paul's ultimatum to accept him as Emperor (did he say this? I thought they only asked the other Houses to hear him out), leaving Paul to command his Fremen 'Lead them to heaven', ushering in the jihad. But we see their ships leaving seemingly without ill effect. This was crying out for first a few then intensifying rockets from the ground; perhaps even one of the ships burning and falling to emphasise that, yes, Paul just declared war on the entire universe and the ships are *fleeing*.
The final shot, incomprehensibly, is a grumpy Chani on her own, preparing to ride a worm. Perhaps Villeneuve has a plan for how Dune: Messiah will play out with her, maybe even taking some of the role of Alia, who obviously doesn't have the same interaction with the original cast here, being a psychic fetus the entire film-
(At this point I should violently interject; Villeneuve's politics, by God. What are we to make of the fetal personhood on show multiple times in this movie, at this time in American politics? She isn't even called an 'abomination'; that line is transferred to refer to Paul (who irritatingly doesn't even get to declare 'Look into that place you dare not look; you'll find me there' to justify it, just use the Voice, which the Bene Gesserit already know he can do!
Is the fact that it is most clearly championed by Jessica, who in this version has an antagonistic or at least 'bad influence' bent, intended to make it ambiguous? I feel this choice was probably intended to avoid the time-jump implied by a child actor; or perhaps to avoid the controversy of Alia of the Knife being a murderous toddler. But, as with his sexual and racial politics, what emerges is something that feels very odd, like he accidentally ended up throwing in a pro-life message.)
-All this should make us wonder. Villeneuve clearly likes the idea that Chani is the viewpoint character of Dune, beginning the first film with a voiceover from her and concluding with changing the story (no "history will call us wives" here) to leave her on her own but also seemingly abandoned in favour of the swanky princess; again, I feel like this last one wasn't intentional. There was probably an intent that 'Chani is her own woman and in this version she wouldn't want to marry Paul after he gives in and embraces the messianic role', but does it read as that? Or does it read as 'Chani missed her chance and Paul has married someone more suitable' (again, there's a racial reading here that can't be ignored; something not present in the 1984 version where Chani is played by Sean Young). Is this simply neo-Puritanism over the idea of the protagonist having multiple wives (I don't think any adaptation has thrown in the fact that Paul is honour-bound to marry Jamis's wife also)? Did someone say 'this feels a bit harem anime'?
The Guild are almost completely missing, and instead of using his knowledge of the worm lifecycle to threaten to use the stored water to create a chain reaction that will poison the worms, Paul just threatens to nuke the spice fields with his family atomics. When he does that, the Emperor says something like 'You've gone insane!', but no-one chips in to explain that, in fact, if he destroys the spice, the Guild can no longer navigate space, the Imperium will fall, and most of humanity dies due to the end of interstellar trade. This is the dilemma! The jihad claiming billions of lives vs. terraforming Dune claiming *literally all the lives*.
What was needed for the final shots of Dune was something like - of all things - the denouement of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. We should see the Fremen rampaging across the universe; ships burning; the shot from the vision of Paul looking out over Caladan, his again; Giedi Prime getting bombed into ashes - just to provoke us to think 'well, they liked violent gladiatorial games, but did they *really* deserve to die en masse because of what the Baron did?'. And then we cut to Paul on the Emperor's throne, looking shocked and hollow. He, like Dr Horrible, gets 'Everything (He) Ever Wanted', and it will haunt him forever. We grasp the cyclical nature of power - Paul Atreides, the exile turned revolutionary and mystic, is back on top - the very, very top, replacing the Sardaukar with his *own* brutal shock troops from a wasteland world. We needed to see that, and other than a few visions, we don't. Instead, we finish with what might, optimistically, be the message 'the traditional Fremen life will go on'? 'Sisters are doing it for themselves'? 'A woman needs a man like a fish needs a desert'? 'You can't please everyone all of the time'? In-pardon my language, fucking-scusable.
All of this means I think there's definitely room for a different Dune at an appropriate distance in time once Villeneuve's series - however long it runs, and God-Emperor is looking like a possibility - concludes. I have suggested an animated film or series as something very different from the existing adaptations, possibly leaning into precognition as the conceit, and after viewing Villeneuve's Part Two I think I've worked out how to do it.
The first scene in the book is someone - we don't see faces - being administered the Water of Life. We then cut to the dunes and the muad'dib mouse, and then it becomes clear we are watching it from the perspective of Paul and Chani.
They discuss the mouse on the moon and Paul decides that his name 'will be Muad'Dib'. Paul then awakens years earlier on Caladan. At about the two-thirds mark, Jessica takes the Water of Life but begins seizing. She sees herself drowning deep under an endless blue ocean. Paul says 'I can't reach where you are' and impulsively drinks the Water of Life himself; as Chani holds onto him he reaches out and holds his mother's hand and we see in the now shared vision that he swims down into the ocean, grabs her hand, and pulls her up. When they surface he experiences the rest of the vision, and then, awakening, says "I saw it all - I was back on Caladan; I saw us travel to Arrakis for the first time - but I also saw Baron Harkonnen; I saw him plotting with the Emperor - Shaddam! The Emperor is behind the downfall of our family". The entire first two-thirds of the movie *is* the Water of Life experience. Paul has watched the entire movie so far and for the rest of the film knows everything we, the audience, have seen, and more.
In general, Villeneuve's Dune is still probably one of the most striking and solid sci-fi films in recent decades. It is not as clearly stand-alone as I think reviewers have been prone to claim - much like the Lynch version which infamously issued a physical guide for cinema-goers to consult to understand the universe, Villeneuve's Dune does not clearly establish some of the book's most distinctive elements.
You might reasonably assume that the shields are why this universe relies so heavily on hand-to-hand combat - but why so few lasguns? (because in the book, hitting a shield with a lasgun obliterates both parties).
Why do the Harkonnen and Sardaukar feel so much weaker in the desert? Because shields act like a thumper and call worms.
(Note: This was in fact mentioned in the first film.)
Why do some people roll their eyes and do mental maths? They're mentats, human calculators. Why do they exist, and why are there no robots in this oddly run-down, primitive-feeling future? Because a thousand years ago a war called the Butlerian Jihad resulted in the absolute prohibition of thinking machines everywhere in the Imperium (it's bizarre this wasn't mentioned given AI is such a hot topic).
By the end of the second film you've also forgotten that the spice is vital for space travel (why? because it makes Navigators able to see the future, something Villeneuve has decided to emphasise only applies to Paul, and thus able to predict where a hyperspace jump will lead).
The Harkonnen were I think handled the worst of the characters, which isn't new. Skarsgard's Baron is overall acceptable and Rabban has decent menace, but he and Feyd Rautha suffer from the Lynchian 'kill your underlings' brain bug which no longer makes villains feel scary, and the random lurid elements Villeneuve has invented (gimp spiders, child slaves, cannibal prostitutes) feel just as over-the-top as the disfigured 1984 Baron pulling his servants' heart plugs for fun. The decision to make them all pasty bald troglodytes speaks to a fear to present villains as anything more than interchangeable cannon fodder lest, perhaps, the audience find them too compelling? The Fremen suffer from weird racial politics (a need to cast for diversity applied, we notice, most diligently to the desert-dwelling tribesmen, but coupled with the apparent desire to make them darker when you're meant to find them scary, which feels distinctly un-progressive) and the Corrinos from limited screen time. The Atreides in the first film felt most like a believable future society, while the glimpses we got at the Spacing Guild seemed intriguing, with their Daft Punk helmets, but were never followed through.
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Mid Year Book Tag 2023!
I've seen a few of these going round, so I thought I'd give it a go! If anyone else does one of these, tag me so I can see!
1. What's the best book you've read so far this year?
Probably A Little Life! It lived up to the hype, but it was so emotionally draining! I've also really been enjoying Lockwood & Co.
2. What's the best sequel you've read so far this year?
If I had to pick, I'd say The Stolen Heir. It's a brilliant continuation of the Folk of the Air books, and I can't wait for the next book! But Hell Bent is a close second.
3. What's a new release you haven't read yet, but want to?
The Sun and the Star! I'm determined to read the books in order though, so I've got LOADS to read before I get there - I'd better get started!
4. Which new release are you most anticipating for the second half of the year?
Never a Hero! I loved Only a Monster, and I'm hoping the second one lives up to my expectations! I'm also super looking forward to Defiant - the final Skyward book! I feel like I should re-read the series first but I just don't think I have the time!
5. Which book was the biggest disappointment?
I've DNF-ed one book so far this year, which was The Foxglove King. But my biggest disappointment was probably Tress of the Emerald Sea, just because I was really looking forward to it and it turned out to be a bit of a let down.
6. Which book was the biggest surprise?
Actually, it was Kings Rising! I wasn't expecting much from the series, and the first book wasn't any good, and completely put me off. But I had a cold, and was stuck in bed, so I stuck with it, and by the third book I was in love!
7. Who is your favourite new (to you) author this year?
I haven't actually read many new authors so far this year, I need to work on that for the second half! My favourite so far is probably Donna Tartt. I finally started reading The Secret History this month, and I'm nearly finished with it! It's so good, I'm really enjoying it!
8. Do you have a new favourite character?
Ooh I guess any of the new demigods from Heroes of Olympus! Or Anthony Lockwood! Although I should probably finish the series before I make that kind of declaration.
9. What was a book that made you cry?
Well, obviously A Little Life! I also re-read a series from my childhood, The Magician's House, and that made me absolutely sob, which I wasn't expecting!
10. What was a book that made you happy?
Howl's Moving Castle! Such a cute story! I can't wait to read the next book!
11. What was your favourite book-to-screen adaptation this year?
I really just don't watch that much tv. Genuinely the only adaptation I've watched this year is season two of Shadow and Bone! But it was absolutely amazing, I loved that they shook it up so much.
12. Which book had the prettiest cover?
Belladonna! The UK cover is gorgeous (I've seen the US edition and yuck) and I've got the FairyLoot special edition and its so pretty!
13. How are you doing with your yearly goals?
My yearly total is 100, and halfway through the year I've read 48, so I'm a little behind... but I'm nearly there! I had a few really poor months early in the year, and fell way behind, so really had to push myself to find lots of reading time in the past two months to catch up. I might have been a little ambitious with my goals.
14. What's a book you need to read before the end of the year?
I've got a couple of reading lists I've barely made a dent in. I'm very keen to finish Lockwood & Co, and to try and get through the Riordan books. Other books I'm going to try to get to soon: Caraval, The Tarot Sequence, Small Miracles, The Mary Shelley Club, The Maidens, the list goes on
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Hey Kat! Happy birthday and congrats on your milestone. For your celebration, could I have 🍹with Ada Shelby please? xx
Hey Alex! Thank you for being so kind and for your request!☺️❤️
I'm sorry it took me so long!
Here are some random headcanons I've thought up for our lovely Ada!
Taglist: @shelbydelrey @raincoffeeandfandoms
Random Ada Thorne Headcanons
When Ada was a teenager she would babysit for the neighboring families
At first nobody would hire her due to her being a Shelby- they were worried about her name rubbing off on the children or they would be in danger by association under Ada’s watch
She understands them not wanting to be associated with a Shelby, so she doesnt tell her family members she was turned away.
When a new family moved into a home on Watery Lane Ada saw this as an opportunity to get a fresh start and goes over to introduce herself, and tell them if they ever needed help watching their children to get in touch with her.
The family accepts and Ada does such an amazing job
She gets the kids in bed without a fuss and the next morning all they can talk about is how much fun they had with Ada
So she’s asked to return again the next weekend
When the family finds out she’s a Shelby, they dont really care
The sitters they had in the past just could not compare to Ada’s care of and for the children
This prompts the other neighbors to ask for Ada to come watch their children as well
Ada is a book worm
She loves romance novels
Ada and Polly even start somewhat of a secret book club together where they meet over tea and discuss the stories they’ve read
Nobody knows about it but them
Michael walked in on it once but was too pre-occupied to care so now they meet at Ada’s because Polly doesnt want anyone to know she reads anything other than the paper
Ada cannot bake- she tries but she ends up just burning it or undercooking it
She’s also terrible at measuring out ingredients- she eyeballs it
When Karl comes along she tries to bake him muffins and cookies but it ends in smoke
So she hires a baker to come teach her- she wants to be the one to do it for her son
#peaky blinders#ada shelby#ada thorne#peaky blinder headcanon#ada thorne headcanons#kat’s birthday celebration
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No hate but I'm curious, why do you still support this show? It sounds like ep 5 hit you deep. I loved the show but I can't watch past ep 5. Are you hoping things will change? Didn't sam reid say the plot will get worse? I read that in an interview.
I definitely don't blindly support or am as excited for it as I was, I do feel betrayed by it. But in general the Vampire Chronicles books as a whole have a LOT of shitty content and themes and messages. The movie also has some yikes moments, the grand majority of the victims are women and the majority of ones we see suffer as they die are black women. I work around these aspects bc the characters slap and that's how I feel about the show. Jacob and Bailey are amazing and after seeing in interviews he also seemed to hated that scene/episode I no longer feel the need to start a Sam Reid hate club 😂 Jacob is the best Louis we have seen on screen, period. While I no longer feel excited to the point of mania about the show like I did, I'm still enjoying the parts I liked and will be watching what they do next. I am afraid of it "getting worse" as in they adapt the bad 90s canon books like TOTBT or Merrick but if they do that I may not watch. They could try and salvage that but after Ep 5 I'm 😬
Also a piece of Sofipitch lore that might also make my opinion make sense is that I was the fandom pariah for a really long time just for saying Louis could be black. My cowriter and I got tons of slurs hurled at us as well as anyone who was vocal about racism in the fandom. And this isn't old news, I updated a fic just this month and forgot to have "only ppl with ao3 accounts can comment" on and boom: slur in the comments. So yeah "going back to only caring about the books" just is not something I'm interested in or even an option for me, the book fandom was incredibly hateful to fans of color. Lots of ppl over the years have had to leave just bc of how horrible a lot of the older book fans are, I literally only hung on bc of the show, my friends I made bc of this fandom, and spite (NGL what I have mentioned is not even the tip of the iceberg, my friends and I told a friend who didn't know and I think she said the whole story took approx 3 hours 😂 I remember my fingers hurting from so much typing)
For a while it was touch and go with having abuse apologia regarding the show on my dash but I feel I've gotten my dash to where it is no longer a minefield and I can enjoy art and gifs without psychological torture
So yeah, I'm here, but with a critical eye, which is literally how I have always interacted with the Vampire chronicles, and everything tbh
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RISU. I have been marinating in your tags all day. And let me just say I LOVE YOU SM?!? on both your tags for my akaashi and ushijima fics... there's a lot to unpack SO firstly,
WE ARE READER. i have only recently considered annotating with transparent post-it notes but honestly I like my books looking 'unread'. BUT ALSO YES. so, pretty much all of those books are books I have read!!
1Q84 - I've read MANY Murakami books but I always really liked this one!! There are definitely some uh, adult themes that people might not vibe with in Murakami books and I get that but overall I LOVE his worlds.
Night Circus - I'm actually halfway done with this book and I really, really like it so far!
Love in the time of Cholera - my ultimate favorite book, probably? I actually lended my copy to my bf when we had first started dating.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold - I have not read this yet but I want to!!
Memoirs of A Polar Bear - I picked and read this book and a whim and I liked that it was literally a generational book on this polar bear family. My bf and I are in a LDR and this was one of the first books I chose for our little book club. The other book he chose was Circe, WHICH I HAVEN'T READ YET BUT HAVE HEARD GREAT THINGS ABOUT.
ANYWAY, that honestly warms my heart so much that this is probably your favorite piece of my writing??! I wasn't feeling confident about writing for akaashi because I don't feel like I have a strong grasp on his character BUT it made my day to read that. :'))))
SECONDLY, so sorry for making you hungry whenever you read my fics!! i literally have another wip for komori and it's literally pasta night LOL so. but of course I had to throw in some tendou crumbs! i feel like my fics aren't complete without referencing another character lol. ooo, but honestly lemonade from scratch sounds SO SO GOOD. and takes me back to when I was a kid collecting lemons in our yard to make lemonade in the summer :'))
This got really long BUT, I just want you to know that I love you and I super appreciate your tags in a way that I don't think I could articulate well in words. I just get filled with warm fuzzies and stuff when i see your name pop up in my notifs <3 <3
LAURA MY BELOVED ‼️💗💗💗 i’m so sorry for not replying right away, my fatigue got the best of me and i literally passed out and went to sleep in the middle of cleaning.
but literally ilysm, and yanno i gotta tell you how much i adore u and your writing all the time LMAO but i totally feel you about akaashi’s characterization bc he’s quite complex sometimes imo. but the way you wrote him was so seamless and (perhaps he reminds you of your boyfriend in ways?) makes sm sense.
i never thought of giving transparent post it notes a go, so i’ll have to revisit that idea bc at least that can make things somewhat neater (? idk if that makes sense) and i also like placing color coded markers (for like quotes, or new words, characters introduced, etc).
i’m going to write these books down and check them out! i haven’t read solid books in a good minute (only manga lol) and if you say they’re good then i just know they’ll be amazing !! i think that it is absolutely adorable that you and your boyfriend have a little book club, that sounds like literally a scene out of a movie <3
omg pasta w komori sounds lovely !! i love pasta a lot and haven’t read for komori so i’m excited to see how you do your boy justice !! i think it’s always lovely to reference other characters and i do the same bc it just seems natural to hehe <3 but ty for the tendo crumbs !! making homemade lemonade is fun, i haven’t done it in awhile but it’s therapeutic to just make something, yanno ? :0
i appreciate leaving tags behind on ur work and that they make you happy !! you deserve the love bc you write the most beautiful things and the world deserves to know!! i’m gonna finish your ushi series tomorrow and can’t wait to read the rest of it ! ilysm laura dearest <3
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Growing Pains & Party Tricks
Confessions of a Career Chameleon: From HR Hell to Freelance Fun (with a Few Wrong Turns in Between)
Ever stared at your reflection in the office microwave and thought, "Is this...it? Is this all there is to adulting?" If so, welcome to the club, my fellow career chameleons! Today, I'm shedding my corporate skin and baring the colorful, slightly sticky underbelly of my job journey. Buckle up, it's gonna be a wild ride.
Confession time: I've had more jobs than there are episodes in a reality TV season. Okay, maybe not that many, but enough to earn the nickname "Career Chameleon" from my friends (and, let's be honest, my slightly concerned family). My resume reads like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. My story starts like many others: wide-eyed 18-year-old, armed with a thirst for independence and a resume cobbled together from equal parts glitter glue and wishful thinking. A bunch of quick-fire applications on Indeed, accepting the first offer that came along, and maybe a smidge of resume embellishment (hey, who doesn't love a little creative license?) landing headfirst in a world of spreadsheets, performance reviews, and enough passive-aggressive emails to fill a Stephen King novel.
Let's rewind to the land of beige cubicles and endless spreadsheets: HR. Six years of that, folks. Six. Long. Years. Don't get me wrong, I learned a ton and met some amazing people. I honed my communication skills, mastered the art of the fake smile, and could navigate office politics like a seasoned Machiavelli (minus the fancy suits and questionable morals). I waded through mountains of paperwork, soothed the existential angst of cubicle drones, and even dabbled in the dark art of recruiting (think cold-calling, but for people's livelihoods). In the long run I discovered a passion for, well, let's just say paperwork wasn't exactly setting my soul on fire. But hey, at 18, a $50k salary and a foot in the door with no degree? Sign me up! Here's the thing, though: sometimes, stability can feel like a straitjacket, and I was itching to break free.
But here's the thing: my soul was slowly shriveling up like a neglected chia pet. Every day felt like an episode of "The Office," minus the quirky charm and abundance of Dundie awards. I was a fish, gasping for air in a stagnant HR pond.
So, I did what any self-respecting career chameleon would do: I panicked, then pivoted? No, actually I followed my heart and said a lot of prayers. With a hefty dose of desperation and a lot of Google searches, I took the leap into the unknown: freelance marketing.
Was it smooth sailing? Ha! I traded spreadsheets for social media scheduling, performance reviews for client feedback (which, let's be honest, can be way harsher), and passive-aggressive emails for passive-aggressive tweets (because Twitter? Always passive-aggressive).
But you know what? I'm finally breathing. I'm using my HR skills – communication, organization, crisis management (hello, client meltdowns!) – in ways that actually feel creative and fulfilling. I'm learning new things every day, the coffee is infinitely better, and my wardrobe finally includes something other than beige cardigans.
So, my fellow career chameleons, here's the takeaway:
Don't be afraid to shed your skin. If your job makes you want to water your office cactus with your own tears, it's time to move on. There's a whole jungle of opportunities out there, and you're the most adaptable creature in it.
Your transferable skills are gold. Don't underestimate the power of what you've learned, even in those not-so-dreamy jobs. Communication, problem-solving, time management – these are universal currencies in the job market.
Embrace the messy middle. Your career path won't be a straight line to the corner office. There will be wrong turns, dead ends, and moments where you question everything. But hey, that's what makes the journey so much more interesting.
So, go forth, my fellow chameleons! Change your colors, blend in, stand out – do whatever it takes to find your own career oasis. And remember, even if you end up face-planting in a pile of freelance deadlines, at least you won't be doing it in beige.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a client to appease, a blog post to write, and a whole lot of social media scheduling to conquer. Wish me luck (and maybe send some snacks)!
/ Winging it, but still making it.
#adultingunscripted#adulting#jobsearch#blog#memes#inspiration#omg#blogger#real life#growing up#humor
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hi mads, srs again!! sorry for dropping off the face of the earth! finals..... happened and then i lost all sense of time for a week 🙃 how did your finals go?? i hope your potato famine paper wasn't too unmanageable and that it was interesting to write. i ended up writing 7000 words for an original nature writing project bc i had wayyyy more to say than i anticipated lol. the music history thing is super cool too!! that's definitely been the most interesting part as i've gotten into classic rock: how music evolved over time, what influences changed the styles of music, and how artists influenced one another. in mike nesmith's autobiography, there's a bit about how jimi hendrix singlehandedly changed the entire rock scene and basically shook everything up the way the beatles had back in '63, and mike recalls a dinner at a restaurant where john lennon came rushing in out of breath and super late for the meal because he had been in a club watching hendrix perform and had recorded the performance and proceeded to play it in the restaurant bc it was so life-changing. it's so wild that there's these singular moments where things can change so suddenly, and people can remember decades later the moment they first heard the new style and how it made them feel.
do you have any fun plans now that you're on break? any fun traditions? i'm excited for a lot of the christmas baking! i've already made some gingerbread cuneiform tablets for my mom (she's a history teacher lol) so now i'm getting ready to do some real christmas cookies, maybe bake some small loaves of bread, and recreate some pastries that i used to love getting when i studied abroad! we're trying to go low-effort for christmas meals this year, so the desserts are really the only things that are going to be fancy lol.
travelling back to 60s london would be so much fun!! and your concert choices are a+, i saw stop making sense at the movie theater recently and it totally blew my mind, it would be amazing to be part of that crowd just having fun!!
i hope you're having a relaxing break so far and take some time for self-care!! christmas is just a few days away, so i hope you're having fun and feeling festive! 🎄🎆🎁☃
much love!!! -🦋
Hello Secret Santa! No worries!! I was hoping your finals went well and that you're alright!!
My finals went great! My professor was very impressed with the potato famine paper so it made me feel accomplished. Also, 7000 words is no joke!! That's awesome! We did our fair share of writing this semester, and we need to give ourselves a pat on the back for our hard work. What were some cool things about your nature writing project that you're proud of?
Yes!! That's the reason why I love classic rock so much is that it really did create the ways we listen to music today! Also, I love Jimi Hendrix so much. I think he was a true innovator. And I've never heard that story before between Mike and John about Jimi. I wonder if it correlates with the anecdote from Paul who went to see Jimi Hendrix days after Sgt. Pepper's was released and Jimi had learned to play it. I like how all these bands' and artists' histories sort of intertwine with each other. Super fascinating!!
Right now I have mainly been trying to watch the videos in my YouTube watch later playlist because I had over 300 videos (I know, I know...). I also am trying to read some books during the break because I know I will not be able to read them once the semester starts back up again. I'll also be trying to write a bit of my Master's thesis during the break which I'm nervous about.
My family isn't the type for traditions, but we do cook a huge Italian dinner for Christmas Eve. I've also baked up a storm with a lot of premade cookie dough. One Christmas, I would like to try and bake everything from scratch because I know I can bake, I just don't have much time to. Also, the cuneiform gingerbread tablets sound so cool!! I bet that was fun to do. I haven't baked bread in a while, but I feel like I should get back into it. I know how to make the big Italian bread loaves, but I really want to try to make sourdough. I just need a starter. Desserts are always fun to get fancy with. I baked some nice pies for Thanksgiving this year that were pretty fancy! What are some of your favorite desserts to bake? Also, where did you study abroad?? I've always wanted to do that, but the pandemic happened unfortunately.
My wishes are the same to you! Everyone deserves a relaxing break and time to themselves to practice self-care. I definitely have, and it's been great! I'm trying to get in the festive mood and I hope you're having a great time with your family this holiday!! :)) Is there anything you're anticipating gift-wise?
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Meet The Author
Hi everyone! I realized I never did a Meet the Author post, so I figured now would be a great time to introduce myself as I'm 3 months into using Ko-fi! LOL!
To come up with questions, I submitted my own and put a question box on my Instagram! Make sure you follow me, here!
1. Is Dominique your real name? Yes! I used to go by Dee for a while in the Episode community, but now that I'm trying to branch out my work and become a professional, I use my real name. I still take my internet privacy very seriously (as you should, too), but I'm more comfortable with people knowing my real name and age.
2. Are you in school? Yes, I am! I'm a freshman (first-year) in college pursuing my Undergraduate Degree in English and Literature Studies with a Concentration in Creative Writing, which is a long way of saying my major is Creative Writing.
3. How did get into writing? I had always written stories when I was a kid for fun. Then, I stumbled upon Episode for a year, and realized in 2015 I could write on the app, and since then I've been writing interactive fiction on Episode. And for Wattpad, I started writing there in 2017.
4. What is the most difficult part of your writing process? I would say the coding involved in Episode and proofreading is the hardest part! Proofreading an Episode Chapter is difficult because it's not set up like an essay, short story, or novel. The coding aspects make it difficult to proofread, so I typically read it in the app. This helps me proofread my coding at the same time!
5. How many books have you written and which one is your favorite? I've written 10 stories on Episode and 2 stories on Wattpad! And of course, while I'm writing Magic Prep, I have one I'm working on in the background (Iconic Members know)! My favorite would most likely be Lovely Belated! I'm so proud of writing that one and going against the grain. The story was about self-acceptance, and not getting with the love interest. It certainly ruffled some feathers but that was the goal of the entire story, so I'm happy I finished the ending no matter how controversial it was. And it's my first featured story so it's extra special to me! That being said I really love the new story I'm working on. The passion is too passionate.
6. Would you and your main character get along? Well, if you're talking about Londyn from Magic Prep... absolutely not! She tends to not know what's going on and I do for the most part, so that would get on my nerves quickly. Olive from The Other Half of Me would be difficult to get along with since she studies all the time and focuses a little too much on academics.
7. What do you need in your writing space to stay focused? I need three things. Absolute silence. I am creating a symphony of words in my head so the slightest noise takes me out of it. A good drink. I usually drink a Matcha Latte, Iced Tea, or a Chai Latte because my coffee crashes come quickly and hits hard! And I need hype music. I need some kind of music that I've already listened to that's upbeat and fast-paced to keep me writing with the beat!
8. What is the most valuable piece of advice you've been given about writing? You do not need to write every day to be good. You simply need to write often with the goal to improve every time. You may look at me and think that my writing is amazing, but I'm still improving. I decided to start writing more short stories to improve my descriptions because that's not my style. It's still not my style, but my descriptions have improved significantly!
9. What books did you read growing up? I read a lot of Nancy Drew books and The Babysitters Club books! In fact, I read 130 different books from The Babysitters Club in elementary school. I also loved Dork Diaries. I'm planning on re-reading some of the books, so if you're an Iconic Member and want a book review let me know!
10. What book (or books) are you currently reading? This is a doozy. At the time of writing this (October 18th, 2022) I am reading 4 books. Personally, I prefer reading one book at a time, but two of my classes in college require me to read a book, and I'm also in a book club. I'm currently reading A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin, All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson, The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I think I'll make a separate blog post to talk about each book that I'm reading and why, since I'm reading a lot right now!
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6 question tag thingy my amazing friend @youngmasterwisdomperson tagged me in awhile ago that i forgot to do lol
1. Last song I listened to
talk back by harley poe. harley poe is, in general, one of my favorite artists to sing along to in the car. all his songs are catchy and fairly easy to jam along to. it doesn't hurt that he's not the greatest singer either so i don't feel like i have to try too hard lol. but talk back is a very special song to me for other reasons. recognizing your mental health is killing you and your relationships, then getting better only to realize it doesn't magically fix everything.. yeah. yeah that hits.
2. Last TV show
just finished the last of us. LOVE IT. unforunately i only know 1 person who's played the game and the show so i only have him to talk about it with, but i'm very normal about it i love it so much
3. Currently watching
i've been watching mandalorian s3 and D20 neverafter as they've been coming out. i LOVE neverafter a lot, might be a contender for my fave D20 show, but we'll see. i'll probably have to watch more than just fantasy high s1 and 2 and the seven lol.
4. Currently Reading
siiiiigh i'm in a reading drought rn, besides my friend's book where he releases chapters weekly (hi kalyn). i was in a book club reading confederacy of dunces, which i really enjoyed! but we kept bickering internally what day to meet and the club grew so big it was impossible to accommodate everyone's schedules. eventually culminating in me getting yelled at for not just picking a day (note: i am not any form of leader or organizer, it didn't have one which was prob the issue) and then fizzling out after half the club simultaneously without discussing w the other half decided to skip a few weeks. since then i haven't read anything and i was honestly too mad about the whole thing to finish the book lol. i do want to start another one up though, i really LOVED the whole 2 weeks of discussion before people got pissy.
5. Current obsession
oh god i always have multiple obsessions at once. minecraft is probably the biggest one at the moment, my gf makes packs (although if you're reading this you probably already know that lol) and she released a new one focusing on origins/create a few weeks ago. needless to say i've already racked up 50 or so hours in it w multiple long term projects lined up lol. having a lot of fun!
6. Unrelated obsession
so many. i have too many special interests and not enough people to talk about them with. tlou being one. star wars, although i'm caught up enough that it's a lot more passive rn. always obsessed w birds and dragons and fantasy in general. d&d, ttrpgs, that kind of thing. my friend's book (hi kalyn). typography, graphic design, illustration, animation, or art in general if you want to be INCREDIBLY broad. music, god i love music. to my extreme embarrassment i have secret aspirations for youtube/podcasting of some kind. i have ideas, but it will probably always be a dream, probably due to the embarrassment. working on a minecraft texture pack rn as well! progress is slow honestly, but it's fun to work on in my freetime. i enjoy writing essays and reviews/critiques but those usually don't see the light of day, if they ever escape my brain. uh i think that's about it. ik it asked for obsession (singular) but i have many thoughts in my brain and i don't think ppl ever know that bc it sometimes doesn't occur to me to vocalize them lolz
honestly, kalyn you tagged everyone ik who's active on tumblr. so uh. this is an open call to all my inactive pals who never post *cough cough* yucky elliott max *cough cough*
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