#from the mind of niennavalier

[niennavalier]

Also, currently making my way through AC3 and while I know that playing Rogue first definitely ruins some stuff (like the entire Templar plot twist with Haytham at the beginning) tbh I really love interacting with the story while knowing all of this context? Like, I know that all of AC3's story was conceptualized without the plot of Rogue (or at least most of it? I imagine they had the bare bones, but Shay definitely didn't exist, at least) but it works? I mean, the stuff Achilles says ends up feeling more interesting, and (at least where I'm at, immediately post sequence 7) I... had the errant thought of "how much of Shay does Achilles see in Connor?" Which was sorta weird cause they're pretty different, but they've both got these firm ideas on right and wrong, and they're not afraid to speak up when they feel something strongly. It's not deep by any means, but it's just a thought I had.

Which really makes me wish these two could've met in canon. Because with where both of them end up (or... where I personally think Shay ends up, since Rogue's writing is sorta wonky in places) I honestly do think they'd understand each other? I just think it would've been neat.

#from the mind of niennavalier #ac3 #ac rogue

[nixie-deangel]

Get to Know Me

Rules: Answer 20 questions then tag 20 bloggers you want to get to know better!

tagged by: the talented @racheld93

Name: Kelly

Nicknames: Kels, Hey You, Tiny, Angry One, Pluto, Nixie.

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Height: 5'

Languages spoken: English. And all I can remember from my high school French is how to say I don't know.

Nationality: American

Favorite season: The beginning of Fall.

Favorite flower: Begonia. 

Favorite scent: Fresh cut wood, lemon cookies and pecan pies. 

Favorite color: It's a tie between Greens and Blues.

Favorite animal: Dogs. 

Favorite fictional character(s): Mick Rory, Sam Wilson, Tony Stark, Hen Wilson, Jake Peralta, Seth Gecko, Elisa Maza, Rose Tyler, Han Solo, Plo Koon, Captain Rex, Stiles Stilinski, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Derek Morgan, Obi-wan Kenobi, Alex Hardison, Rhodey and like, okay to be honest, I could really KEEP GOING ON but I’ll restrain myself with just these, um, few names. 

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: *chants* Coffee. Coffee. Coffee!

Average hours of sleep: Between 2 and 14.

Dog or cat person: I don't mind cats, but I prefer dogs more.

Number of blankets you sleep with: Umm....like....4, actual blankets, and like 6 extra sheets. I like to turtle in my blankets at night.

Dream trip: Either to New Zealand, Germany, Ireland or China. 

Blog establishment: Had to look this up because I had no idea, but I’ve apparently been on here since June of 2013. 

Followers: 1500+

Random fact: I’m a good baker, decent at actually cooking, and I collect skulls and duct tape. Not like. Human skulls or real ones, but anything with a skull on it, I go nuts over. Most of my family will do my christmas and birthday shopping around Halloween because of it. 

I'm tagging: @avengersincamphalfbloodstardis, @agentmarymargaretskitz, @eaion, @smartbuckleystrand, @crimsondomingo, @blue--and--bronze, @stark-morgan, @averagemarvelbitch, @capnstars, @callonielb, @ishipallthings, @niennavalier, @leeferal, @sophiainspace, @fallenqueen2, @ukumi-chan, @falconxwinter, @thorodinsonsrightcroc, @, @pieprincess-andthe-fallenangel and whoever else would like to do this, I tag you!

#Tag Meme #Ask Meme #Nixie Answers #Ask Meme Thingy #Ask Thingy #Personal #My Stuff #I don't ever know how to tag these kinds of posts

[niennavalier]

THE BEGINNING OF TYRANNY OF KING WASHINGTON

CONNOR GETS TO HUG HIS MOM

IM NOT CRYING THIS IS FINE

#from the mind of niennavalier #ac3 #assassins creed 3

[niennavalier]

Was just rewatching bits of Rogue (as you do when in the mood to revisit comfort game/character) and I mean, I forget that I haven't really mentioned it on here: the acting for Shay is just so good? Everything that you can see in his face and how he moves, that you can hear in his voice - there's a reason he's my favorite.

But also, it really makes me wish I could've gotten the original AC3 on Steam? I dunno, but the Remaster makes people look sorta...plastic? I just wouldn't be surprised if there's nuance in the acting that's lost because the graphics are weird.

#from the mind of niennavalier #ac rogue #ac3 #also guess whos probably gonna just hop on rogue for a while tonight and sail around cause it sounds like stress relief

[niennavalier]

Turning Back Time

Summary: Arno Dorian has been expelled from the Brotherhood. He wanders the streets of Versailles, drunk more often than sober.

But, one day, in the ruins of the palace, he sees ghosts. Or, no, not ghosts. Memories. Ones that might finally let him make up for all of his mistakes, all of his failings.

An alternate Sequence 11 to Assassin's Creed: Unity.

AKA: I exist to have opinions about Unity's writing and also make Bad Decisions. Like posting chapter one to validate myself as a writer, despite not having all the plot for this figured out. Good times!

#assassins creed #assassins creed unity #ac unity #arno dorian #my writing #from the mind of niennavalier

[niennavalier]

So I finally started AC3 (aka, the last one I havent finished that's pre-Origins) and

Haytham's (and maybe Connor's, not sure yet) finisher animations are just so good? Probably some of my favorites of the whole franchise? Its just such a cool mix of elegant and absolutely brutal?

But also he fights with sword and hidden blade, which...I've never understood why no one else seems to do this in universe? I mean, Edward and Shay dual wield, so not counting them, but no one else does? I know AC3 has that wield flippy hidden blade but still, why doesn't anyone else do this? I've always thought that would be so neat!

#from the mind of niennavalier

[niennavalier]

Okay, I'm pissed at this app cause I was randomly writing this long post re: mostly Korra book 1 and then it just lost the main part that I was trying to get at. Just...why

I don't wanna redo it so the point: Amon and Tarrlok are interesting villains with wasted potential and I'm upset. Fight me.

But also it makes me wanna write fic to fill some of the gaps and stuff there

#from the mind of niennavalier #lok #legend of korra #oh and there was also a bit of mako is dumb at the end of the season

[niennavalier]

Potentially a very weirdly specific thought but is there anyone else who's played AC Rogue and also knows Star Trek and can agree with me that the Morrigan is basically like an 18th century Defiant?

#basically just a disproportionally tough little warship right? #from the mind of niennavalier

[niennavalier]

Guys so basically Assassin’s Creed is currently my new media to be 100% obsessed with (which is really nice to have in the current day and age) and like

I’m just here to adopt all the characters, that’s it

(Also I could literally write essays about my opinions on the writing and whatnot in them, too. Maybe I will. Who knows.)

Point is, I played the Ezio trilogy and just finished Rogue, and I would die for Ezio and Shay. That’s it. They’re both my sons now. I love them both very much. (I’ll work my way back around to AC1, 3, and Black Flag - I don’t own everything and made choices on what sounded most interesting to me personally)

Solid chance this blog gets revived with some AC content now

(Probably a lot of Shay because for real, why was Rogue so short? My sweet son deserved much more game.)

(Just ignore the fact Rogue caught my eye initially because rogue is definitely my favorite D&D class. And that the trailer definitely just reinforced that particular idea cause it gives Shay those Edgy Rogue vibes. Because his character is legit so different from that, which only makes me love him even more)

#from the mind of niennavalier #for real tho ive ranted about my thoughts on this game with a friend who literally said i should actually write my analyses and stuff #so i might #idk where ill put it yet #cause this blog gets no traction lol #(but ive been dead in fandom so like yeah of course) #ill figure it out #but anyway here i am showing up years late to this fandom

[niennavalier]

So I've watched Hamilton twice in the past two days (it's good music for crafty/artsy stuff) and am now at this point of trying to recognize the ensemble members? Which really started with me noticing the guy who plays Charles Lee, cause he has great hair, which also reminds me of one of my characters (so of course it's hard for me not to notice now). But also now most of the male ensemble members (not all, but most). (And not the women, except for our bullet girl, mostly cause the female ensemble members dont have named speaking parts? Whereas the guys have a handful).

But anyway, weird thing I noticed with the way the duels are set up? Just that they tend to involve the same people in the ensemble? Basically, the guy who plays Lee is Burr's second in the final duel (flipped from before) and the same guy as the doctor (who is also Seebury, IIRC). Hamilton has a different second (cause...well we all know what happened there) but is that the same guy who was also Eaker? I haven't quite figured that one out yet, but...idk about that one for sure. But on that note, the guy who plays Lee is also Eaker's second, and the guy who played the doctor in the other two duels is Philip's second. Just thought it was sorta interesting.

Oh, and on the topics of the duels, the freaking cloaks in the last one? Like...they're just so dramatic and swoosh-y and I haven't been appreciating that costuming enough

#from the mind of niennavalier #ive been having a good time #oh and also i havent appreciated all the choreography and staging enough either

[niennavalier]

Guys so I finished the Ezio Trilogy for Assassin's Creed and like holy shit I could write so much about my thoughts on these games like

Woah

How they compare to each other with the way the plots work, the masterpiece that is Ezio's arc and growth through this series

The absolute MAGIC that is the ending of Revelations. I mean, the awe and understated grandeur, and the contentment and wisdom in this happy ending. Its just real good

I went into this game series expecting that Good Aesthetic but man is this actually, legitimately a fantastic story

#from the mind of niennavalier #also planning to play more of these games #mainly those middle games thru syndicate cause the new ones are expensive #even though youtube comments are mean to those characters #i expect to like them #i just dont expect the same kind if arc as the trilogy #cause the freaking time span of the trilogy is unique and tbh what really allows the arc to work the way it does #after i play some of these i will probably have more thoughts on what i think ubisoft should do with the franchise too #(oh and planning to just watch the story of AC3 cause i did some reading and i honestly dont think ill end up as attached to Connor?) #(wait and last thought but YUSUF IS MY PRECIOUS SON HE DESERVED BETTER) #now im done

[niennavalier]

LUCIFER SEASON 5 TRAILER YAAASSSS FINALLY

Oh boy I’m excited and have thoughts and now I can finally put them somewhere and yaaaay

So I’m honestly really excited to see that they’re bringing in Michael - I don’t know that much about him (in terms of from the Bible or the comics) but between doing a little bit of reading about the character, and seeing his name crop up on occasion when people were speculating about this show, I’m super down to see what they do with him. Especially cause this seems like a very different version than the comics? Again, not well versed here and basing it off of Wikipedia, but he seems far more antagonistic, and in much more of a classic ‘villain’ type way, than in the comics.

Which makes me wonder even more at the fact that they gave us the reveal in the trailer? I mean, as opposed to the Cain reveal halfway through season 3. So now...what’s their plan for the season? Having the reveal before the season drops at all makes it seem like maybe, Michael is just a really small subplot that’ll get wrapped within the first few episodes (my brother’s opinion), just since you can’t drag out the mystery. And I agree, the confusion over this not being Lucifer won’t last long, but I also think that’s not a bad thing? I mean, for one, it’d be sorta weird to have Lucifer be completely gone for a significant amount of the show (even though Tom Ellis is still on screen regardless), but that’s just an opinion. But mostly, I really hope that means some great character development for Michael?

By which I mean, I hope they follow something like what they did for Eve last season - dropping her character in the trailer but having the big plot thing be something only tangentially related, and instead writing a whole arc for her - and not like what the Flash writers did with Savitar in season 3 or whatever.

Jumping fandoms, but for peoples who followed me during that period of Flash (because I actually jumped ship from that show a few seasons ago), maybe I mentioned that I did not like the Savitar reveal, and the subsequent writing choices. Because the reveal was obvious and SUPER LATE in the overall season. So they basically made a character and gave us these tantalizing hints of something really interesting to develop that character into...and then followed through on none of that, probably in part because there was just no time left to really do anything of note. Waste of a character, in my opinion.

So I’m hoping Lucifer goes the opposite way? Giving us the Michael reveal up front, because holding out on the reveal would get tedious, and also then keeping him around for whatever else happens in the season, giving him the time and space to breathe and develop as a character. Because, I mean, Lucifer’s twin brother, two sides of the same coin in the comics from what I was seeing, the brother who I guess fought against him in that War, but who seems to harbor a lot of resent toward Lucifer for reasons we don’t know? And acts more morally questionable than it seems like he does in the comics (probably because the show gives us such a sympathetic version of Lucifer but what do I know, I haven’t read the comics)?

Long story short: I really hope the early Michael reveal means some solid character development for him and everyone because I can imagine a lot of opportunities there

(Oh and side note, but 1) Eve wasn’t in the trailer but IIRC, Inbar Lavi was announced to be coming back? And her story was left so open ended, hopefully we’ll see her, if not in part 1, then in part 2. And 2) if you haven’t seen the Netflix Asia trailer, please watch it. It might be my favorite part because Lucifer and Chloe are adorable, fight me.)

#from the mind of niennavalier #lucifer season 5 #thoughts

[niennavalier]

I just remembered that the huge surge of the Witcher fandom was a thing that was happening in early 2020. No joke, that feels like ages ago

This year has been so long, yall

#i was just listening to covers and actually read the date and was like #wow #from the mind of niennavalier

[niennavalier]

So I’m sure no one cares but

I’ve recently discovered genderbent Frozen covers and animatics and honestly I love these? Like, a lot? 

(Rambly thoughts under the cut, because I got invested in talking about Disney movies and ways they write characters and generalizing stuff, despite writing this all on a whim and doing not much research but hey, that’s what this blog is for. Random thoughts about movies and stories and Youtube comments)

I mean, I’ll admit that I’ve never been a big fan of Frozen - nothing against the story (cause it is good and for all I will criticize Disney for not generally being particularly uh...keen on taking any risks, I do appreciate the way they do break the mold here) or the music (it sounds like a Broadway musical, hell yeah) - but tbh Let it Go far overstayed its welcome and yes, I’m glad kids enjoyed the movie, but we heard it nonstop for way longer than we should have. The song honestly never felt like it went away for, what like, 2 years? I can listen to songs on endless loops, and this was still too much for me. Granted, I never hated it (my brother did, possibly still does, so I didn’t mind listening to it for the sole purpose of tormenting him) but still. It sorta turned me off from the franchise. I didn’t need to hear it every time I walked into a store.

And I’ll also admit to never being big on genderbending. Nothing against people who enjoy it, but it’s never been my thing, and the few fics I’ve read with it never felt like it used the swap for any sort of message or to explore anything particularly interesting. Which I would’ve preferred, because otherwise, I didn’t see the reason for the swap, personally. (and to be fair, I turned off of this pretty quickly, so I’m sure there are good ones out there, but it’s really just never been something I’m big on)

But like...okay. There is this animatic for Show Yourself, but with the audio dropped into the male vocal range and I love it so much. It’s wonderful and adorable (and the song is legitimately very good, so I’ve seen that part, despite never having actually watched Frozen 2). And also a handful of actual covers, which are absolutely amazing. And now I’ve found the same sort of thing with Let it Go (which I’m now okay with - I guess it just takes 7 years for me to get over the oversaturation of that song in society) and like holy shit, friends. Big fan.

Scrolling through the comments also gets all the “can we please get a Disney Prince movie” thoughts and hey, I’m so on board with this. I know, there are movies with princes (Aladdin, Hercules, Lion King, etc), but it’s less that plain fact of having a prince, and more of the arc for the character? Basically, I wanna destroy the trend of having male-oriented movies be more action-adventure-y. Let boys be soft and have feelings, that’s all I ask. Make that the character arc, have your main character be male and need to discover himself, all of the fears and insecurities included, I am begging you. 

(Sidenote because I did see some other interesting mentions: I haven’t seen Hunchback, back from what I’m aware of with that movie, that one probably fits closer to what I’m talking about. Also Treasure Planet, because honestly, that really is exactly the kind of arc that I’m talking about, and there’s a reason I love that movie with all my heart, it’s amazing, and go watch it if you haven’t. But like, it’s a coming of age story with some good ol’ found family and no romance! And while Jim is really smart and has some bad-ass moments, I love when we get insight into his emotional state. But I could gush about this movie forever, moving on. The one thing about these is not the lack of royalty (for me), but just...box office? I don’t know the circumstances for Hunchback, except that the numbers apparently aren’t great, and to my knowledge, someone over at Disney just didn’t want Treasure Planet to do great, and this goes to show what marketing does. Apparently, they did the same to Emperor’s New Groove, which isn’t entirely relevant, but my point is, whoever did this to these movies, screw you, they’re wonderful)

(Apologies for the tangent)

Anyway, I’m not saying remake Frozen, but doing the genderbend works really well here, I think? Obviously, I love that Elsa’s arc is entirely her own, and stories about opening up to family and accepting yourself have messages that everyone needs to hear, regardless of any barrier. So this isn’t a criticism, just a thought. Because (granted, I’m not doing research to write this, and I’m admittedly not 100% caught up on Disney movies) it feels to me like female characters do tend to have the more emotional arcs. Talking Disney Renaissance, this feels true in the female-lead movies, especially if you compare to the respective princes. In male-lead movies, it’s not entirely true, and I’m not calling the characters flat or emotionless, but that’s not the main thing going on in the movie. (ie, Simba has his reservations about returning and so he talks to Mufasa, and that’s a big scene and its important, but it feels more like it’s just a step to ultimately taking down Scar - tbh, compare the screentimes there). Again, the Renaissance movies are fantastic and I love them, but I just want to make some comparisons. And I don’t want to delve too deep into the more recent ones, because I haven’t seen them all, but the focus seems much more on the strong, independent female-lead (again, not a criticism because we can always do with more strong ladies who don’t need no man - I am just saying). 

But anyway. Frozen. I like the idea of keeping Anna as herself, because the Hans twist and more slow-burn-y development with Kristoff is good - that accomplishes the idea of breaking down tropes. But Elsa as a male character is really interesting to me? Having an arc that centers on fear that’s born of isolation, and ends with self-acceptance and familial love, is something that I don’t recall seeing in male characters very often (not never, but not often)? But I can think of tons of male characters who appear confident and charismatic, even if that’s in their own way, and then even if we do peel back to find trauma and pain, I can think of more instances of it presenting as bitterness or anger rather than genuine fear (or at the very least, we as the audience don’t quite see that fear). I want to see a male character who was forced to repress who they are and has real fear as to who their true self is. I want this character to discover who that is and have a hard time coming to grips with it, and all that stuff because I honestly just really like writing a lot of self-deprecation. Won’t deny that. And then pairing that with magic is also just interesting IMO. I don’t know how magic tends to fall with regard to this sort of thing, but just the fact that it’s inborn and different (akin to D&D sorcery), rather than learned and understood (like D&D wizardry, or even HP wizards), is an interesting thought to me? Maybe because the “strange and different” type of magic reminds me more of the general conception of witches (or...the Salem Witch Trials) which is also more female-leaning, but I won’t stand by that super strongly, because it’s not something I’ve looked into all that much. But it means, to me, that it would be an interesting way to sorta...turn the tables in the way magic gets used.

Point being: I just think this would be a really solid message. That bravery doesn’t have to be saving the world or killing the dragon or even the self-sacrifice story that’s become more prominent in stories now. It can also come from battling your own demons and opening up to people to ask for help. Which is obviously something everyone needs to learn, but if we’re gonna fight the submissive female character trope with some badass heroines, then I say we also do the same thing in reverse for our male characters. Just a thought

#from the mind of niennavalier #long opinion post thing #ill also admit that i really like this idea cause the art is so goddamn good #pretty designs and flowy clothes are my favorite things when im coming up with dnd character designs #and combine that with non-stereotypically-masculine characters and im super down #(i have favorite character types okay? fight me) #but also instagram has been giving me all the frozen 2 stills now and like #elsa is just gorgeous and i dont think i need say more #like im very ace but that aesthetic is so good #(witness me paying attention to this fandom like 7 years late lol) #also i do just wanna clarify some stuff #cause thinking with the modern disney movies #like with moana im not saying that maui doesnt have an arc and good things that happen #i like his part dont get me wrong #but tell me who the titular character is #just sayin #and ive seen a bunch of stuff about kristoff having a song where hes confused about love #and again i think thats amazing! #i need to go find that clip but i legitimately love the fact that this exists #thats good content #im just saying that isnt quite on the same level because same as above #if i ask who the main characters in frozen are #i think you all know the answer #(and my other big ask for disney is to give us a gay character but my hopes there arent super high unfortunately) #(oh and self plug but the more i think about it im kinda doing this sorta thing with one of the characters i made for my short story class #the story itself is meant to be longer than a short story and i wont go into detail here but the idea just ended up being close #even though i started watching a bunch of the clips and having these thoughts after id come up with my character) #(maybe said character is why im having Opinions on this now tho) #(and dumb sidenote but the more i look up fanart the more i realize that the people who are saying that it basically looks like anime #are totally right it really does which is really just interesting to me cause i didnt think of that initially)

[niennavalier]

So

A few months ago, I think I randomly put out there that I'd take prompts. And then just disappeared cause I'm terrible about social media (but also school and graduating and etc etc)

But I finally decided I really wanna get back into a bit of fic, as well as original stuff. And so I'm doing that prompt (from...someone...? I cant remember who, it's been a while, feel free to yell at me if it was you) for some angsty RogueCanary/CaptainCanary, if I recall correctly. Which has been real interesting to think through, cause it actually wasnt even a ship i wrote much while i was more in the swing of fanfic? Like, i mostly did CF, and honestly i feel like ideas would come easier for that, even now?

But anyway, I'm doing it, and I think part of what makes it hard is the fact that I actually still watch Legends and accept all the events as canon. Whereas I stopped watching Flash a few years ago and, frankly, care very little about what's technically canon over there. So now I'm like "damn, what to do when Len has been dead for 5 seasons and the characters have moved forward in a way that I actually legitimately enjoy? Hmm"

(That said, I do have a bit of an idea, so hopefully all will work out)

#from the mind of niennavalier #fanfic is difficult sometimes when the show is actually good #because im not just blatantly retconning everything #also just fun fact but #the only recent episode of flash that ive seen is the one with hartley #cause they did my boy dirty but also he adorable #(and i love andy. fight me) #(for real tho dont get me started on the rogues like...no)

[niennavalier]

So I just learned that Flash brought back Hartley and I havent cared about this show for at least like 2 seasons. (Tbh I stopped after season 4 was half wedding planning, and then I heard that they just ruined the villain at the end)

But I love my boy so I'm gonna skip over anything that's not Hartley related and maybe you'll all get my reactions on here

#from the mind of niennavalier