just saw someone call barbie movie an independent film. and. girls. what are we doing here. a $100mil movie, from warner brothers, about one of the most famous toys in the world, produced by the makers of that toy, is not an independent film. come on. you can be excited for it without treating it like some low budget arthouse underdog.

my thoughts on the making of loki s2:

• “our approach was really doubling down on who loki cares about, who we care about.” and then having season 2 centre around loki & mobius’ relationship, how he cares for his friends, and sylvie’s independence & what she wants/fought for like okay cool got it.

• “tom is the author of all things loki” he really, truly is. bless him.

• ke huy quan must be protected at all costs the world does not deserve him

• loml rafael casal 💞💅🏻

• “mobius can be eccentric, because loki is eccentric, he just is. but they don’t see themselves that way. they’re the straight man (???) in this absurd world.” 🤨🧐 kevin…you were going somewhere and then you lost me.

• “this is her first chance to experiment with freedom, with choice.” (about sylvie). and her choosing a simple life, with the comfort of routine and connecting with a few particular humans and just appreciating life. the little things. with no romantic motivations that we see. big aspec energy.

and then replaying the scenes where she says “my life’s here now” and “your friends are where they belong. we’re all writing our own stories” like. yeah. just reiterating how important this life she’s built is to her and she has no interest in going back. she appreciates loki & mobius and the others in helping her to keep/save free will - but aside from that, she’d be fine never seeing them again. because if she did - it would probably mean trouble. fighting again. running again. and she’s already spent her whole life fighting and running. she’s tired. of course she was upset they kept seeking her out, cuz she thought she was done. that she fixed everything that mattered. even though she didn’t. but now she gets to live. and be sylvie. “not a loki” and to figure out who that is.

• 700 PAGE BOOK??!!? isaac bauman, the cinematographer. wrote a 700 PAGE “cinematography bible” of the entire visual language of the show. down to the smallest lights. the pure tism dedication. this is what i’m talking about when i say everything is intentional. every shot. the lighting. the tone. every time someone writes an analysis about these themes in this show - just one page of this mans work is appreciated. i never want to hear anyone talking shit about “reading too much” into cinematography. i have isaac bauman’s loki cinematography bible on my side.

• wunmi is so funny and warm i love her energy

• TOM “HELPING” OWEN UP THE STAIRS. 🫴🏻dead.

• christopher townsend sounds EXACTLY like an older tom holland it’s tripping me up

• “what is it mobius says…” tom says and then recites the line word for word. as if loki wasn’t thinking of that line while sacrificing himself. as if mobius’ words weren’t echoing over him in the final shot of the show. he’s so funny.

• speaking of…owen only talked for like 5 minutes what?? probably started rambling about mobius’ gay feelings for loki and they cut it :/ seriously though did they just not ask him questions?? his presence felt weirdly lacking.

• tom hiddleston everyone. our lord and saviour

HISTORY TIME: A FUN* STORY ABOUT VIKINGS

*It's fun if you're a viking, less fun if you're a Saxon.

So at the time of the viking invasion of England (865 AD), there were four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms: Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia, and Wessex. Northumbria went down first, like so --

The Danish army lands with no warning whatsoever at the city of York; they swoop in and take it without a fight, and start fortifying it.

Northumbria was at the time in the middle of a civil war (which presumably the Danes knew about, and were taking deliberate advantage of), but at that, the two rival kings go "aw nuts 😐" and stop fighting each so they can team up to go fight the Danes. They take their armies to York to try to get the vikings out of their city.

The vikings wreck their shit. The Northumbrian army gets absolutely curb-stomped, both kings are killed, and that is the end of independent Northumbria. 💀

Then the Danish army goes to Mercia. They land with no warning whatsoever at the city of Nottingham, swoop in and take it without a fight, and start fortifying it.

The king of Mercia is Burgred; he requests aid from Wessex, and King Aethelred and his brother Alfred oblige. They all take their armies to Nottingham to try to get the vikings out of their city.

…And then Burgred bribes the vikings to go away.

¿🤨?

For lack of any other information about the circumstances surrounding that decision (seriously, we have none -- "no major battles were fought" and then Burgred paid a danegeld, that's all we know), historians kind of unanimously seem to treat this as proof that Burgred was just a massive pussy who was afraid to fight even when he had the joint armies of Mercia and Wessex backing him up.

Table that -- we'll come back to it.

Then the Danish army goes to East Anglia. There was a little bit of warning this time, since they marched overland instead of arriving by boat, but nonetheless, they arrived at the city of Thetford, swooped in and took it without a fight, fortified it, etc. The king of East Anglia was Edmund, he took his army to Thetford to try to get the vikings out of his city, the vikings wrecked his shit, army was curb-stomped, King Edmund was killed, and that was the end of independent East Anglia. 💀

Then the Danish army goes to Wessex. They land with no warning whatsoever at the city of Reading, swoop in and you know the drill by now.

(rofl I swear to god, the history of this period sounds like a broken record 🤣)

King Aethelred and Prince Alfred take their army to Reading to try to get the vikings out of their city -- the vikings wreck their shit, the West Saxon army gets curb-stomped, and if Aethelred and Alfred hadn't managed to escape, that would probably have been the end of independent Wessex. Five months later, Alfred bribes the vikings to go away.

But here's what I find interesting:

When the Northumbrian kings were trying to retake York, the Danish army had emerged from the city and arrayed themselves in front of it, so that the two armies could square up on flat ground. Midway through the battle, the Danish line fell apart, and the vikings broke and ran back toward York, trying to get back behind the safety of the city walls. The Northumbrians managed to push through the gate after them, into the city--

And then the other half of the viking army jumped on them. RIP, Northumbria. 💀

Fast-forward to Reading:

The Danish army emerges from their fortified city to meet Athelred & Alfred's army outside of it.

The West Saxons are like, Gosh, I could have sworn their army was bigger. 🤔 OH WELL, GUESS THAT MEANS WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE!

……

…………………..

GUYS.

THE VIKINGS HAVE ONE PLAY, BUT YOU NEED TO STOP FALLING FOR IT.

(And then like, four months later they did it again at the Battle of Wilton, and Alfred fell for it again. Seriously.)

We don't know what happened when King Edmund got curb-stomped in East Anglia -- we've got zero information about how exactly that battle went down, whether it was a fake-out retreat that got him too, or whether it was something else. This is because all of our best sources from this period are from Wessex, and they are very invested in making Alfred look good, and comprehensively give no fucks about anyone else.

Meanwhile, my blorbo is Mercian, so I've been having fun playing fanfic with history, and coming up with a story that fits the canon facts but has an unrepentently pro-Mercia bias. And this whole sequence of events really begs the question--

Why is everyone so certain that Burgred made the wrong call at Nottingham?

I mean, to start with, there are no good options when you're besieging your own gd city -- you're either destroying your own infrastructure with a fast siege, or starving your own citizens to death with a slow siege. What, exactly, do these historians think Burgred should have done? There's no winning at that point; just take the L and do what you can to minimize your losses.

As for "no major battles" being fought at the siege of Nottingham………. what part, in any of this story, suggests that engaging with a viking army outside of the city they're occupying is a good idea? Especially when you just saw how they took York?

HO DON'T DO IT. 🤣

More of My Thoughts on Young Sheldon Season 7 . . .

I absolutely love seeing Sheldon's signature style blossoming! HE'S SO CUTE OMG.

"So, you condone cheating?" "Yeah. . . but with a wink." "I don't like winking either!" "What is wrong with winking?" "At the end of the day it leaves you with an uneven number of blinks per eye!"

Sheldon is the sweetest, purest boy in the entire world! He must be protected at all costs! 😩 I am absolutely enjoying watching Sheldon come of age and go through the awkward stage of puberty! Sheldon is already awkward as a baseline, but to see him in his teenage stage is like super cringe AND I LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF IT. From his disobeying his Momma to ride throughout Germany on a train, getting chased throughout the countryside by a tiny dog, having weird social encounters with his peers, creating sentient algorithms - well maybe this is just a day in the life of Sheldon Cooper, but it is makes it so much funnier with him all legs and limbs from his growth spurt, and his not-a-boy-not-quite-a-man vibes going on. I think it is so freak'in adorable, and I am SO UPSET that this season is going to be really short!

I just have to get this out or else I will just keep harping on it Sheldon Cooper style, but it is really upsetting that we didn't get a few more seasons of this show. I really wanted more of Sheldon in Germany (criminal how little we got of his stay there!) and I just need more Sheldon in general! There are too many storylines happening at once which is taking from the show's main focus - ahem! 🤨 My baby string bean! Instead all of these storylines could have been fleshed out with an even pace while we still being able to journey with Sheldon through his experiences. THIS SHOW IS CALLED YOUNG SHELDON I SHOULD BE GETTING SO MUCH MORE SHELDON CONTENT THAN THIS. *ahem* Anyway! Now that is out of my system, I do want to highlight one point of the story so far. I am not exactly sure where the end of this season will leave our Sheldon. I am noticing, though, that there does seem to be a separation happening between Sheldon and the rest of his family. Is this intentional? This could just be the result of all the colliding storylines, but if it is intentional... 😯 With the kids growing up, Meemaw losing her home, CeeCee, the wedding, and all the changes going on, Sheldon is no longer the center of his family's attention. Considering this whole show has emphasized how the family household has revolved and made their decisions around Sheldon and how this fact has effected both Missy and Georgie growing up, I don't see how this can't be a significant development. "I returned home from Germany with a family that no longer cherished me," Sheldon bemoans through his narration. This leads him back to his college dorm, where he unexpectedly meets what's-his-name and develops a little circle of computer science pals. (Why does Sheldon have better chemistry and endearing bonding moments with literally every other person in his life except Leonard??) Then when Sheldon and his friends create a trading algorithm that starts to develop independent actions, the comparison is made to Frankenstein's monster to which Sheldon indicates that that is actually a positive comparison. "You were on the Monster's side??" his new friend asks incredulously. "Unfairly hounded for being different? You betcha!" This ostracization that Sheldon feels is such a fundamental aspect of his life, and considering what is about to happen and that it will catapult him to Caltech, I can't help but see this as an indication of the catalyst forming. It breaks my heart to have to see Sheldon go through this, and makes me concerned for how they will resolve this in the show. The story is going to be ending on the lowest part of Sheldon's life. He loses his father, leaves to California all by himself (Tam doesn't come with him), he's estranged from his brother, and he is alone for many years before he meets his friends. The bond of family is such a profound piece of Young Sheldon, I just don't see how they are going resolve this schism that is between Sheldon and his family. And I don't know how they are going to do it in 8 episodes. 😕 I guess we will find out!

Random Thoughts: - I wonder if Meemaw's situation with Dale is morphing into her coming to her senses and she and John Sturgis will get back together! I would be so upset if there is no resolution to John Sturgis' storyline! - I kind of ship Missy and Billy! 🥰 I think they are both really cute together! - I really like Pastor Jeff this season! He seems a little edgier as a character, much more fun! Although, I still think he needed to seriously apologize for what he did to Mary, though, how he (and the church) treated her regarding Georgie and Mandy's situation. 😒 - I do really enjoy how American evangelicalism and religious culture has been handled in this show, though. It is both truthful and hilarious commentary, even while treating the characters as real people and not caricatures to ridicule. Of course my favorite aspect of this show is the relationship of Mary Cooper and Sheldon, and how their worldviews both clash and shape one another, so I was already impressed on their handling of Christian characters. This season has been so funny, though! The whole Baptists vs Catholic feud over CeeCee's baptism was so on point! OMG. 😄👌

My Favorite Sheldon Cooper Quotes: German Police Officer: "It is okay, young man, we can speak English." Sheldon: "Not as well as my German, so stay with me!" *continues ranting in German* (Damn, Iain Armitage killed it with the German dialogue in this episode! I always love it when Sheldon speaks other languages with ease!) "Well, that was Chernobyl adjacent."

Cheater Guy: "Oh, so what is the girl situation here?" Sheldon: "Oh! I don't do that either." Cheater Guy: "You into guys?" Sheldon: "I'm into science! Everything else is a distraction." (That's my boy!!) Mary: "Shelly, everything okay?" Sheldon: "No, it is not! Both my computer and my trust have been betrayed!" George: "Well, okay. We are with company now so you can fill us in later." Sheldon: "I won't ruin your dinner with the suspense! Evan updated my computer!" Georgie: "Let me ask you a question. Can you un-baptize somebody?" Sheldon: "Since it is a magical ceremony that doesn't mean anything, then sure why not? In the name of science and reason I unbaptize you!" *makes the sign of the Cross* Georgie: "No! Not me! Put it back!" Sheldon: "Oh, okay! Control C, you're baptized." (This cracked me up so much! I think it is my ultimate favorite Georgie/Sheldon moment now! THESE BOYS ARE SUCH DWEEBS I LOVE THEM!)

hi bestie!!!!

I thought it was really interesting how you mentioned that iced lavender lattes are the only overlap you and Doc have as she’s not very you-coded! Which made me wonder out of all the characters you’ve written, which one feels the most you / you relate to their character & thought processes the most?

I’ve been getting clowned by my friends when I try to explain Lavender to them because Doc and I are lowkey the same person 😂😂 especially in your character description of the OCs hahaha

and it’s so funny because they don’t have any Pedro / TLOU context so they’ll be like 🤨🤨🤨 and I have to be like “LOOK LISTEN- hear me out 😭” LMAO

Overall very silly goofy but I will defend Joel & Doc until the very end 🫶

I adore your work so much thank you for writing it!! Looking forward to the rest of Yearling! ❤️❤️❤️

OMG Hi Bestie!

This is such an interesting question!

Firstly, I LOVE that you see yourself in Doc. I adore her and I think her and Joel are perfect for each other. Her gentle and caring nature makes her one of my favorite characters, I love her so much.

To answer your question, I both thought about it myself and also shopped out some of the answer lol

The character of mine I see myself most in is the one I’ve posted least about on this site but I’ve spent the most time with - Tenny from my book series. She’s way cooler and hotter and more badass than me but a lot of who she is at her core overlaps with me. Not totally, she’s far from a self insert, but she’s the one who shares the most with me.

All of my FMCs have SOME stuff that comes from me? I feel like Doc’s intense need to be loved and her willingness to put up with A LOT to feel like she matters to someone comes from me. But Doc is a lot softer and kinder than me and a lot more emotionally vulnerable. She’s also very skilled in ways that I could never be!

I’ve got Doll’s independent streak and a lot of her snark. I’m not nearly as strong as she is or as capable, though. I do have a lot of her protective qualities, too. I tried to beat up a boy who was 5 inches taller than me in high school because he talked one of my best friends into losing her virginity to him and then dumped her the next morning. (Got very mad when he wouldn’t hit me back btw)

I say all this fully aware that I don’t see myself very well? So I also asked my TLOU bestie who is the only person on the planet who has read Ace, Lavender and Beskar Doll (God bless him) and my husband, who is currently reading Beskar Doll.

Bestie said that Tenny, from my book series, is the most like me largely because of her general “I’m handling this myself” attitude. He also says I’m a bit bratty like Doll but not to her extent and that Doc is too much of a pacifist to really align with me (direct quote: If someone threatened one of your baby chicks... Doc would hesitate and mull over her hypocratic oath, and when she snaps out of her thoughts she’d see you’d already taken action and fucking tackled the perpetrator.)

The husband says he thinks Doll is somewhat like me but more who I wish I was than who I really am (not sure I agree with this, mostly on the “who I wish I was” point.) But he thinks the independence and her deep dedication to her friends is a lot like me, as is her perfectionist streak. He also says her desire to be a part of something while feeling outside of it is like me. Bonus, I love kids and am great with kids (“yeah doll with Grogu? Exactly like you.”)

As for Bambi? Basically not like me at ALL. She’s way scrappier than me, way tougher, way more of a loner. Her drive to live is also insane, I’d never do what she does to survive, I just would have no desire to. I think the only overlap with her is, if someone tells Bambi she can’t or shouldn’t do something she’s going to do it even harder on principle. She’s been fascinating to write because her headspace is so different from mine!

Anyway, I know this was super long! I hope you found it interesting! Thank you so much for reading and asking and being here. It’s so lovely to me that you see yourself in Doc and like her enough that you talk about her with your friends!

Love you!!

I made a hole in my cheek(s) cause I'm so skinny under the bust

how do I even do this

with my 0kg

I actually don't know

I'd like to think I'm numb inside and can't feel anything body-wise anymore

and I think there's still some glass stuck in there

—-

and there’s an optic illusion stuck to the rest of the spirit on the body 🤨

why are we doing that one anyway? 🤨

I mean what for?

oh shit, I forgot about the leg 🙄

😤

why can’t I get a life and independent legs? 🙄

okay the bust I get

but does anyone know which part of my eyesight causes the optic illusions around the rest of the body?

kinda like how I can also magnify stuff with the same eyes? 🙄

---

cause I have a theory that that's how I imagined Andreea so fat in the first place, that's how I keep imagining things anyway 🙄

I magnify parts or look at them and they enlarge or shrink...

of course, most of it is on autopilot so it's not really me directly influencing it

but Andreea keeps coming to mind because she keeps shrinking on camera and by the time she does, she's about my shrinked size

she keeps showing up somewhat slimmer on camera than what she is in real life and that's all because of the bust 🙄

...

that's just not exactly how I remember her in real life at all! 🤨

no, really, the camera version doesn't match my memory whatsoever

and most of her height I see on me now 🤨

she's not perfectly on camera from top to bottom too, not just the face

but you could dupe her into thinking she is if you leave the middle part fat mostly and the limbs like so 🙄

...

that's the man I see on me though (when I get up) 🤨

she has a male body on camera...

that's why it's confusing and she's easily duped: it's either her fat self or a man - and she couldn't tell the difference 🤨

no wonder her name means "man" - andros