#i am making these facts up as i go. gotta say it's a great worldbuilding exercise

[abitofafreudmoment]

HELLO IRL FRIEND OF NICO

i have noticed that you are into discworld and would like to hear more about it bc i am interested in reading it but am incapable of getting into anything unless it's been hyped up to me enough and you seem like you'd be willing to ramble lovingly about this series so uhh. favorite characters? what's it about? themes? fun tidbits?

(no pressure though and sorry if this is a weird way to introduce myself hi im luce)

lol no worries Luce! yes I'm very happy to ramble for you. (post-writing here, this is so all over the place sorry for like not sticking to one area but hey it's defos a loving ramble - kinda just talked about vague stuff, but I can 100% go into specifics).

So. . . where do I begin?

40 books in the series, he wrote right up until his death. NOT a continuous plotline through all 40. In fact, I recommend not starting with the first one (two actually)as it's not spectacular (that being said, it is still worth reading once you're in the series, good for the overall worldbuilding if memory serves). below is a sorta ok guide to how they connect - I have my issues with it but it's the best I've found.

I wouldn't recommend starting with Sourcery, but that's cuz Rincewind isn't my favorite character - I'd start with either equal rites or Lords and Ladies or Mort or The Truth or The Fifth Elephant or just wherever really as long as it isn't the Colour of Magic or the Light Fantastic.

A few crucial ordering things - READ THUD AND SNUFF (and ig Making Money and Going Postal) BEFORE RAISING STEAM. READ THIEF OF TIME BEFORE NIGHT WATCH. Those are the really imperative ones that you gotta order right, generally do it vaguely chronologically and yeah. Have at it.

The Hedgehog Song - this is a tidbit that shows up a lot in the Witches books as a very rude song that Nanny Ogg sings, BUT WE NEVER GET THE WORDS and I so want them.

Because it was written over 32 years, there are so many characters that just like slowly worm their way into it and I love watching a character turn from like a single footnote into a fully-fledged, important-to-the-plot character (I'm looking at YOU, Cassanunda)

SPEAKING OF FOOTNOTES OMG the books are riddled with them and. . . chef's kiss they add So Much to the series. They're so funny.

Pratchett is actually just like so funny as an author in general, but wittily so. Not saying he does pure comedy - he doesn't. Many a time have I cried over a Pratchett book. He's also great at taking stuff and . . . twisting it ig into something brilliantly new - Take, for instance, Maskerade, which is the Phantom of the Opera but Pratchettifyed (New word! yay! I'll be using it a lot I'm sure.). or like just what he does with Fairy Tales in general (Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies sorta)

Also his MAGIC omg - soft magic system done right. I also love like the different approaches to magic that the witches and wizard have to it. Also how like the Creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions get [spoilers removed]

The gods man. Love them. They exist, they feed off of raw belief (Small Gods' premise is that people start believing in the institution formed around a god as opposed to the god itself and then that god like almost dies cuz no-one believes in him. (surprise surprise it's a commentary on the Church)) and they play games with the lives of men (the Last Hero). Love Granny Weatherwax's opinion on them which goes smthn like this: "No use believin' in 'em, it only serves to encourage 'em." <-- As a concept belief is not simply tied to the gods either. He does a lot of stuff about how what people believe to be true can affect how they perceive things around them.

THE FOOLS. Pratchett understood the tragedy of clowns and as such his fools are so insanely sad - the Fools' Guild is the least happy of all the guilds. I love them so much

Speaking of guilds: the Guild of Thieves. is a legit guild set up by Vetenarii to do crime to the socially acceptable level and no higher - I'm doing a bad job explaining it but it's ingenious.

Vetenarii is probably one of my favorite characters in the entire series. He, above all else, understands how humans work and he uses that skill to get people to do what he wants.

Pratchett does not pull the punches when it comes to messaging and such - very anti-war, anti-racism, anti-sexism etc. Also love what he does with People and how they can/can't be controlled (The human condition as a whole ig) - one of my fav quotes from the series is Vimes saying "They're scared. You can't expect much from people when they're scared."

My personal fav book is Monstrous Regiment, which is relatively standalone. Very good. Very "horrors of war"-y with a touch of the classic [redacted due to spoilers].

I could go on, but this post is getting very long so if I do continue I'll do it in another post.

TL;DR: Pratchett = FUCKING BRILLIANT

#discworld #ramble

[its-the-cat-queen]

*flutters down on iridescent wings*

It is me! The Infodump Fairy! I have come to cast a spell upon you that will cause you to ramble for way too long about Trolls! Please, o’ talented one, tell me why this series has captivated you so!

(Ok but seriously I’ve seen your stuff for it (which fucking SLAPS btw) and this is a series I’ve never really been very interested in, so I’m very curious about what draws you to it! Only if you want to share, of course! As you can see, I am not a real fairy and my spells are fake lol)

Oh dear Infodump Fairy! Your spell is taking its effects!

Asfdhgd seriously though, believe me, I have no problem rambling about Trolls all day jvjfjhf. This is not gonna be very coherent, so sorry in advance. 😅 (Also, thank you, I'm so glad you like my work! <3)

Okay so. I've actually been here since the trailer for the first movie came out (I wasn't very active in the fandom back then, though). I was already invested from that moment on, specifically in the two main characters, Poppy and Branch, and their dynamic, who I took one look at and said, "yeah, I ship that" hfjhf. I think what mostly got to me was the characters, the designs, the fact that it's such a fun and colorful world, and of course, the music. The songs are so good! Like, all of them. Yes, they are mostly just covers of already popular songs with some word changes here and there, but my GOD, are they good covers! But anyway, love me a musical with fun characters! Personally, I think all of the characters have deeper issues about them than what you can see on the surface and what you would expect from a children's movie franchise. Like, Branch has so much trauma it really just feels like in every movie they are just trying to give him more and more problems hdkhdjd. Which of course, makes him a pretty compelling character altogether. Do other characters have as deep issues as him? Some of them. But like, they don't really have that much screentime, sadly. While Poppy and Branch are equally important characters in the first movie (and well, in all of the movies, imo), the second movie is what I would dub as "Poppy's Character Development - The Movie" jgkjfjfj. While the first movie operates with the whole "happiness is inside of all of us, we just need someone to help us find it" kinda message (which doesn't fully stick the landing but oh well), the second goes for stuff like differences, equality (of sorts), and tbh some kind of colonialism metaphor?? It also widens the world of trolls as we've known it, as we learn of other tribes of trolls, who are all connected through different kinds of music. So the whole worldbuilding here just makes things even more interesting.

Now the third movie. In the words of youtuber Mann of 1000 Thoughts, it "gives no fucks in all the right ways". Tbh the Trolls timeline has already been questionable, as is, with the Netflix tv shows that came out after the first and second movies, but this just throws another ranch in the system, and says fuck you to the timeline altogether jckbfh. Like, I managed to make it work once I dedicated a good half hour figuring out how Branch's secret long lost brothers who he was in a band with when he was a baby fit into the picture, but it's not perfect even then. There would definitely still be plotholes gkfhfgf. But at this point you just gotta turn your suspension of disbelief on and just go along with it, cuz it is SUCH a fun experience besides all that. (This goes for all the movies btw. Turn your brain off, you're gonna have a great time jfkhf.) Ngl this is the movie that really got me to jump right back into the fandom with full force, and now I'm back to thinking about all of the previous movies as well and appreciating all of the characters. Tbh when I watched the trailer for the third movie, I thought that the whole long lost brothers storyline was the worst idea they have ever come up with, and then I watched the movie and I was like, "fuck this is the best thing ever" gjfgdhd. Idk, we learn enough about Branch's brothers for them to be compelling characters of their own, while we also have a 20 year old gap in which we can pretty much imagine anything into, cuz we don't actually know all the details about how they got to where they are today after the band broke up. Idk, it's like a sandbox you can play in. And that is so much fun. Also, yeah. The music in the third movie also SLAPS! I listened to the soundtrack on loop for a week after watching it jfkhfh.

The humor is also great in all of the movies, in my opinion. I think my humor operates on Trolls standards at this point, which everyone can decide for themselves if it is good or not hkfjfj. I'm having fun so that's all that matters to me.

But yeah, it's just. Idk. It's difficult to pinpoint something very specific that lured me in. Although, I did mention quite some stuff altogether jfkjjf. It's all about the experience for me. The movies are just filled with so much energy, which I love, and they are, in my opinion, the perfect combination of that energy and emotional impact. Are they perfect movies? Absolutely not. But I'm enjoying myself immensely while watching them, and that's l that matters. Soooo yeah. That's about it for now, I've already been talking too long hkfhfjf

Hope some of this made sense, at least jkfjfj. Thank you for the ask <3 You sadly had no idea about the beast you would unleash fjdgdhd.

#ask #buttercup bs

[ravenekrops]

mmmmm brain cogs are movinggg

Raz being invited (more like begged mmhm) to stay at this secret facility that investigates the supernatural. he fully distrusts these guys but Eva ends up convincing him to give them a chance, after all, scientists are just trying to understand them monsters better! it's for the greater good! he was being offered the chance of being the catalyst to humanity's open acceptance for supernatural beings, after all. and also they offer him shelter, a warm bed, three daily meals, hot showers and all the snacks he wants, basically a frickin 4* hotel for as long as the tests take place

he ends up agreeing albeing certaingly grumpy about it. the first days go smooth af, he even starts liking it there, the people are nice and the tests are not too invasive. they do medical exams: they test his physical strenght, his transformation control... but also they ask him about his background, the places he grew in, who took care of him, his life experience... the scientists are happy because Raz is the first werewolf that has agreed to aid them in their studies. but Raz wonders... how did they get their previous data on werewolves... if he's the first "willing subject" they have had? hm... he has a bad feeling about this.

he overhears a conversation. a certain careless scientist runs their tongue. turns out yes, they've studied previous subjects, it just wasn't... exactly consensual. their methods were less humane, capturing people as if they were animals and running tests on them with zero work ethic. they were especially unlucky with their last subject, a big old lone dog who travelled with a pup... but the pup escaped their grasp while they were abducting the adult individual. this subject was unusually strong and wise, never trusted any of the scientist and was extremely uncooperative, causing many injuries to the science team that was in charge of him. eventually he had to be put down for the safety of the crew.

all these years, Raz had thought that back then, his dad had been killed by hunters in those mountains. he never knew what really happened... until now.

they were the reason he was dead.

he completely wrecked the place. left many wounded and many more dead. he escaped and ran away. he was lucky they hadn't microchipped him yet. but he was so fucked now. the facility notified the government of his escape and had crossed him as a dangerous individual, giving the search units permission to shoot him on sight.

aside from their personal vendetta against him, this incident was the final straw that broke the humans' hopes of any peaceful coexistence with monsterkind as they decided to take arms against them. during the following months, special units were trained and deployed all around the country, tasked with the mission of eliminating any monster they could find.

Raz had to return to his half-wild nomad lifestyle, moving between small settlements while trying to not bring too much attention to himself, knowing that he had to be careful because now he was the prey. he moves around, searching for other monsters with the purpose of warning them about his experience and the humans' violent intentions, helping them hide and protect themselves against future human attacks. he spends years doing this, meeting and helping many kinds of monsters, never staying in one place, always on the go. he finds many werewolf packs in his travels, but he never stays for long in any of them despite how inviting the warmth and protection of a family might sound... he needs to keep moving onto the next person he can help. he could never settle down, after all. roaming is all he's ever known.

one day he has an encounter with a painfully familiar face. in a pub, he's recognised by one of the scientists that had taken care of him during his stay at the lab. she panicks badly, signaling her partner to leave the building as fast as they can. while her partner is still busy inside, she gets out and quickly tries to walk away to their car, but she has already been spotted.

Raz stands behind her. says her name out loud, and she freezes in her tracks. she feels his predator eyes locked in her neck as she slowly turns around to face him. he starts walking towards her. "i thought i'd never see the likes of you again...". suddenly, the pub's door bursts open and her partner runs towards them, pulls out a gun at Raz's back and loudly orders him to stop moving. Raz turns at him with an untrusty look. of course, they have bodyguards now. he states out loud he just wants to talk to her, nothing else. the guy doesn't flinch, reiterating his very eager intention to shoot him if he doesn't leave them alone that instant. the scientist, who had been paralized in the background during their exchange, shakily asks her partner to lower the weapon. he scoffs at her, are you crazy? he's dangerous, he could kill us both! Raz loses his patience at this statement. "if i wanted you dead, you'd BE dead by now." he growls at him. bah, humans: always the first to jump to violence. seeing how the tension between them was rising by the second, she insists more firmly to his partner to drop the gun. she fully believes the situation can be resolved without any of the parties getting hurt. after a few seconds of hesitation, the gun stops being aimed at Raz's chest, which makes his posture just a tiny bit more relaxed. he truly just wants to talk to her, after all, and so he turns back at her with a judgemental expression on his face.

he inquires if they had been following him. she dismisses his statement with a nervous laugh, no they absolutely hadn't! they're just doing a bit of field work that's all! they didn't even know he was around, she promises! Raz's eyes scan her face, and she adverts her sight while fidgeting with her hands. what she said was true (if they had known he was there, they would've sent a different team for sure), but she didn't have it in her to tell him the complete nature of their mission. after all, they two had been tasked with studying the werewolf pack that was located in the area, gathering info on them to prepare the special units tasked with their capture/neutralization. she smiled at Raz, trying to reassure her statement, waiting for his response. he stood silent, weighting the worth of her words in his mind. he finally decided that he would believe them... for now. to her partner's alarm, Raz stepped closer to the scientist and locked eyes with her. he very seriously said that if he saw they had any kind of hostile intentions towards any monster in that area, he would not hesitate to step in. she swallows, and quietly nods. Raz turns his head towards the other guy and says out loud that they will be watched, so they better choose their actions wisely while they're around. the man grits his teeth, but begrudgingly nods towards him. after giving them a last warning glare, Raz turns around and walks past the scientist, disappearing from their sight.

#about OCs #Raz #now for a round of tag trivia: #her name is Samantha #since the lab incident Raz hesitates to contact Eva in any way fearing that the government may be watching her to find out his location #he deeply misses her company. her wise words. her voice. but mostly her emotional support. #she was a key element in his life during his early adulthood. often staying at her house during full moons #she was with him during his most difficult days. she's the second closest thing he's ever had to true family as he considers her his sister #and he misses her. so badly. #Raz has met several kinds of monsters. vampires of all ages. dopplegangers. lamias. several species of werebeasts #he does his best to explain the situation to them and helps them find others like them so they can stay together and be more safe #he can't convince them all but he doesn't give up. he needs to spread the message as far as he can go #at this point of his life he is able to maintain control during his full transformations. it drastically improves his survival skills #he balances between human and beast form equally and expertly. only needing to hide away from everyone during full moons #werewolfs commonly refer to themselves as dogs #there is a special kind of werewolf that can perfectly transform into actual wolves instead of a beast form #they're kind of like the elitist snobs or werewolfkind. very proud of their pure connection to nature #most werebeasts are human × mammal but it is possible to find the rare werelizard or werefish around. werebird species usually can't fly #i am making these facts up as i go. gotta say it's a great worldbuilding exercise #just a bit inconvenient that it is almost 6am #fine. i guess i'll at least *try* to sleep a bit. jeez. #i'm queuing this post for the late morning

[neonscreenlight]

what were your thoughts on the new mythro lore video?

oh god i stalled so much on this mythro's new video is coming out tomorrow. alright, sit down. this is gonna take a while.

first off, i just want to say that this video somehow didn't feel nearly as impactful as glad's pit? i swear, that video caused a revolution. suddenly there's a whole load of information about why sven hates mythro, which was one of the big things we couldn't figure out an answer to, plus more worldbuilding in general! there's a boatload of theories to throw out, new headcanons, and more angst opportunities! But I didn't really feel the same with this video, as it's mostly stuff we already knew about. this isn't to say i think the video wasn't good, it just felt a bit underwhelming for the most part. anyways, with that rant out of the way, onto the actual video.

there is so much to talk about the actual escape part. obviously the escape part itself was epic. i have no idea what happened, he like placed a chest and then epilepsy warning!!!!! also i love now nonchalant plumpkin is during the fight scene. it's like that "this is fine" meme. someone make that a meme.

also one thing about the stone statue thing, on the analysing stream mythro did he said that the "sign" that c!mythro saw was actually the guards falling asleep. he said that someone has to be watching the statue at all times to avoid the person in their mind from escaping. since the guard fell asleep, nobody's watching it anymore, so mythro could escape.

can i just say that it's incredibly fucked up that people in the creed can't show emotions? it kinda makes me wonder what the inside of the creed is really like. i don't really have much to say about this, i am a svenlore person, moving on.

WOOOOO the ray lore. ray is my second favourite character aside from sven ofc. best morally grey character. so the amount of things to say about this-

that scar on ray's eye. oh my god. hc that ray is partially blind because of that. i'd imagine having a huge scar on your eye wouldn't be that great for your eye.

also i swear ray is the most traumatized person in this series. it definitely shows with his pure anger towards myth, the fact that even the mention of netti breaks him, and the way he talks about the experience of ares' vault with passion but a hint of sadness. i can tell he's trying to push it away and act like it doesn't bother him. get this fox some therapy man.

finally, the svenlore part. one: hoooooly shit his coat has the two white sides!! good reference to the how to summon a sven video (watch that video btw) and also has a few implications! btw thanks to temteno on discord for most of this, she has a tumblr too i think but i can't remember it rn

in summary:

the yin/yang symbolism in this context probably talks about opposite forces, and without the two forces, everything collapes. once sven split off into yin and yang, yang!sven can only rationalize with yang, so instead of figuring out how to understand mythro's situation, he just assumes he's a bad person.

and you can see that in this scene, sven saying that he doesn't believe mythro after everything he's done to him and that he'd rather trust plumpkin. even after mythro tells him he's being manipulated, it doesn't change his mind. with a combination of being stuck in anger and not being able to rationalize correctly, he turns all his grief on mythro and almost admires plumpkin.

also, on a less theorising note, can i just say that that scene before the fight gave off huge "cutscene before a boss battle" vibes? it's like this is some action-adventure game and i gotta fight them myself. especially that zoom out before the fight... it's like the camera is about to go back to the player.

the personality change????? that journal girl definitely has something to do with that. also, i've been calling the journal girl claire. why? because i want to. it definitely makes talking about her easier, at least.

#mythrodak #mythroblr #neon rants about fandoms #neon answers an ask

[callabang]

Fic Rec: Sci-Fi

aliens! robots! space!

like bombs in the distance | addandsubtract

“Oh, you’re awake,” he hears, and that sounds like –

“Dylan,” Zach says. A few pieces slide into place – the alarm last night, the turbulence, the way everything went swiftly dark. “Oh, Jesus, you didn’t.”

notes: the tension in this one is soooo good, and the contrast between zach and dylan is painful in the best way

Through the Dark | hedgerose

Sid opens the door, and his eyes catch the barest glimpse of a kid-- in his early teens, at the oldest-- this kid, all shaved head and big, doe-soft eyes. His knuckles are split and there's a fading bruise high on his left cheekbone, but he meets Sid's eyes squarely, blinking in the sudden light.

"Hi," Sid finds himself saying, almost inanely. "I'm Sidney Crosby. We're here to help."

notes: extremely interesting worldbuilding and a big cast of characters. this one reminds me of tarsus iv fic in the star trek fandom which i mean very much as a compliment

tragic hockeybot Geno | sevenfists

“The fuck’s wrong with Geno?” Kuni muttered to him, and Sid shook his head. He knew a fair amount about bot maintenance, but glitching wasn’t maintenance, it wasn’t common, and it meant that something was pretty wrong.

notes: i am the world’s biggest sucker for any android au and this one hits especially hard! androids and their vulnerabilities and dealing with the fallout thereof

pledge my allegiance and bite my tongue | spock

It's a given that all droids will develop some form of their own unique idiosyncrasies, but none of them are as decidedly too much as Ovi's is. He's got too much style, too much personality; it's a well known and much maligned fact that he'd nearly been recalled not all that long after his activation, but the test groups had loved him so much that he was granted an exception.

notes: see notes above! 

Bright and (Not Too) Early (the Android remix) | kleinergruenerkaktus

The start of training camp is the time for new season's resolutions. So when Gemma asks “Anything else I should know?” and Tanner, as per usual, goes “Nah”, Jeff pipes up with “What about your premature ejaculation thing?”

“FUCK YOU, Jeff,” goes Tanner.

“His what?” goes Gemma.

“Jesus Christ, Carts,” goes Tyler, who finished his medical like an hour ago and has a habit of hanging around the shop whenever Tanner gets work done. “Privacy?!”

“Shoulda made me sign an NDA last night,” shrugs Jeff. “Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time, but I’m just saying. That’s gotta be a bug or something. Why not just get it fixed?”

notes: this one is FUN and hot and i adore that it’s a remix! bring back REMIXES amiright!  

In Space No One Can Hear You (Say My Name) | neerdowellwolf

The human turns just as Joel is starting to unhinge his jaw, but instead of screaming like most of them do he just says, "Oh."

Joel rehinges his jaw to respond. "Oh?"

The human nods. "This makes sense why there've been so many dead bodies. It was you."

notes: just too funny to even describe. an “among us” au featuring big ol’ monsterfucker carter hart

Attraction Force | littleconnections

Joel listens to music Morgan has never heard of before. Joel says prayers Morgan doesn’t know. Joel knows how to sweettalk the AI, how to find the best hidden corners on the ship, how to sleep when the ship whirrs around them. He’s been to alien planets and eaten food Morgan would never put in his mouth.

He’s also never been to beach. He barely knows any animals, and most of those only from network shows. He doesn’t know how to cook, and not just in the way Morgan doesn’t know how to cook, but like he doesn’t know what a kitchen looks like.

Morgan is kinda into him.

notes: coming of age! in space! this one really hits all the tender achey notes of going to a new place and starting a new chapter but ALSO features cool space hockey and gritty as a sentient AI

imploring harvest | chartreuser

Nicke just wants to play hockey, eat some iPhones, and watch his boyfriend photosynthesise.

notes: super interesting twist on an alien au, and i love the characterization across the board

double digging for the successful transplant of organic cultivars | Rest

Tom works on a fishing boat in long shifts of four or five days. He lives with one of his brothers. They work at different times and on different days and do not see each other so much.

Mike's days begin early in the morning and end around sundown. He has time for his son, but not enough time by his measure. His aim is not for a helper. He is looking for a partner in parenthood and a companion.

Tom likes working with his hands, but it is a solitary life. He would much prefer to be married. Leaving and settling elsewhere is his surest chance for having that.

notes: this one is so evocative and atmospheric, it almost feels like a historical au in tone. also the way the author writes the child character here is poignant and perfect!

these, our bodies | growlery writes (growlery)

Travis was built for Flyers hockey. He was a first-rounder, but not in the top ten, so he's a pretty standard build. Fast, chippy, on the smaller side but strong. No McDavid, but then they've never made an android as good as McDavid. That kind of talent you can't synthesise, apparently.

notes: excellent android story with some lines that absolutely gut-punch you

#hockey rpf #fic rec #sci-fi #genre fic

[annabethisterrified]

Book Review: THE TOWER OF NERO (The Trials of Apollo #5)

***No spoilers until you go under the cut!***

After months in the human form of Lester Papadopoulos, the former god Apollo is nearing the end of his trials alongside the young Meg McCaffrey. All their adventures and misfortunes have landed them back in the place it started-- New York. Meg and Apollo must defeat the final, most powerful emperor of the Triumvirate, who also happens to be Meg’s manipulative stepfather. Meanwhile, Nico, Will, and Rachel have important roles to play as the final battle looms. Even if they can defeat Nero, a more terrible enemy awaits in the form of Python, Apollo’s nemesis. Still, if they can succeed, Apollo will finally be restored to godhood. But after everything he’s been through, going back to the way things were doesn’t sound so great anymore. Apollo and his friends will have to find a new way to make all the sacrifices and pain they’ve experienced and witnessed worth it. That is, if they can survive their final trial.

As both the culmination of The Trials of Apollo series and the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, The Tower of Nero excels at bringing the complicated, moving themes of the saga into final, meaningful reckonings. Nero proves to be a chilling and impressive enemy who forces Apollo and Meg to put everything they’ve learned through their journey together to the ultimate test. New and old characters combine to see the story to its end, and long-time readers are rewarded with actualized development and a bittersweet farewell. The Tower of Nero is a fitting and robust conclusion that shines with all the heart, humor, and growth that makes this saga a worthy frontrunner in children’s literature.

SPOILER SECTIONS BELOW

Welcome!!!!!!!!! Y’all. Y’ALL. I am REELING. If you’ve been around here a while, you probably know I’ve been online here since 2012 (?????!!!!!) where I subjected by followers to weird takes and frantic excitement about the upcoming installments of Heroes of Olympus, then Trials of Apollo. Since I was ten years old, this story has been such a huge part of my life. Now I’m 22 (?????!!!!). So. How am I feeling? I’m feeling like I need to flip over every piece of furniture in my house. In a good way. Look. I gotta break this down into three parts because I’m the worst!

I. TRIALS & TRIBULATION

The Trials of Apollo, to me, felt like the inevitable conclusion to Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Heroes of Olympus. We went through two series where we intimately followed the lives of young demigods growing up through two brutal wars, dangerous quests, and personal reckonings. Gods certainly made appearances, and some were more helpful than others, but the message was always clear-- the demigods were on their own. Two wars fought, two wars won, and at what cost? For what change?

Bringing a god down to earth (both literally and metaphorically) is really the only way a story like this could be rounded out. Especially when the god in question is Apollo. He’s the son of Zeus, who punishes him by turning him mortal. This family set-up already has enormous implications in reference to the previous chain of mythological events: Zeus killed his father Kronos, Kronos killed his father Ouranos, etc. 

Prophecy is also the scaffolding of this entire saga. Everything is dictated by it-- every quest relies on it, most of the demigods we meet are led by it, and the whole Greek/Roman world seems to build their lives around it. My point is, Apollo was a great character to use as the mouthpiece of this last series. He’s been present throughout the previous two series, and he’s relatively unaffected by the Greek/Roman divide. The enemy, the Triumvirate, is also an exciting antagonist-- they’ve fueled and funded the previous two wars, and their obsession with becoming “gods” is loaded with implications as Apollo races to return to his own status as a god.

Apollo himself is also a completely terrible being. From the first pages through his perspective, there’s certainly little sympathy or commiseration with our narrator. Apollo is many things: spoiled, petulant, selfish, and arrogant. He is not good, and now, he is no longer a god. Still, his voice and struggle remained compelling and engaging throughout the series. 

His bond with Meg McCaffrey is, without a doubt, the emotional heart of the whole series. I think they both see aspects of themselves in each other, and it was a genius move to make her the stepdaughter of the enemy. Nero literally sent Meg to be Apollo’s controller and thought that she would easily bring him down; the fact that both these very troubled people cling to each other in the face of such manipulation and frightening circumstances-- and then repeatedly choose to fight their ways back to each other time and again-- is really what makes this series work so well.

With Meg and Apollo at the forefront, after The Hidden Oracle the series takes on something of a “tour” format. We discover new places and revisit old characters across the country, which was definitely exciting for long-time readers to see familiar faces undergo even more development. (This might just be me, but I don’t think ToA can really stand on its own without the worldbuilding/establishment of the first two series-- that’s not a knock on it, but so much of it picks up where the previous series left off, which might make it a disorienting read for someone new to the world.)

Of course, the obvious midpoint reversal of the series is the death of Jason Grace in The Burning Maze. A flip switches completely-- not just for Apollo, but for the whole cast. This is not an incident that just “happens” and is swept aside. In the final two installments, Jason is threaded throughout the story, showing how grief is never truly over. But his sacrifice saved everyone he loved, and had profound impacts on everyone he knew. As brutal as it was, I appreciated how Jason really changed everything through his choice. 

By the time Apollo and Meg return to New York in The Tower of Nero, they are better, stronger versions of themselves. The things they once wanted-- godhood restored, or a father’s approval-- are no longer appealing. Their development (both individually and as friends) is utterly believable and hard-won. We see characters from The Hidden Oracle return changed, too. Losing Jason has dredged up dark feelings within Nico, Rachel is warding off the influence of Python in her mind, and Will’s healer heart is put to the test in yet another final battle. (Listen, this kid played instrumental roles in The Last Olympian, The Blood of Olympus, AND The Tower of Nero. The fate of the world really is in his capable, glow-in-the-dark hands.)

Together, Apollo and team venture into Manhattan for a very intense, exciting, and profound final reckoning with Nero. (CHAPTER 20, ANYONE????) Both Apollo and Meg, once and for all, come into their own and reclaim their power and independence. The pay-off is immaculate, and it’s jarring to remember the Apollo we once knew-- the easygoing one from The Titan’s Curse, the snobbish one from The Blood of Olympus, and the self-pitying one from The Hidden Oracle. His development throughout ToA is seamless and incredibly moving, and we’re left with a protagonist that we can truly, unequivocally root for and love.

II. HAVE YOU LEARNED?

When Nero is defeated, the real enemy still lurks. Apollo’s age-old nemesis, Python, has long haunted him. Their final reckoning is one-on-one, and after everything Apollo’s learned and been through, he goes into his last battle not necessarily caring whether he lives or dies-- he just knows Python must be defeated, no matter the cost. Don’t get me STARTED on his last conversation with Meg!!!!?????? (”Just come back to me, dummy.” I LOVE THEM) 

So, yeah, I’m already crying at that point. Apollo (slowly regaining his godhood) goes into this completely by himself, assuming all risk and responsibility. He’s forced to sacrifice the Arrow of Dodona, and eventually chooses to sacrifice himself by flinging them both down to Tartarus. But we don’t stop there! Oh, no, we go all the way down to Chaos. The primordial soup of all the pantheons, all of existence. Python crumbles, and Apollo clings to the edge-- he clings to life.

This is it. This is the literal rock-bottom moment of the saga, and I’m completely unsure of how he’s getting out of this one. Who’s going to rescue him? What can he even do at this point? Genuinely, I had no idea where this was going-- and I never would have guessed that it would be the goddess Styx who shows up. She’s played an important, but also very minor, role in ToA. I was baffled at first-- I thought, what does she have to do with any of this? But then it ended up playing out in like the most breathtaking, moving way possible. It’s one of the most defining scenes of the entire 15 books to me. 

She only asks him: “Have you learned?”

This is the goddess of promises and oaths. Since The Lightning Thief, we’ve seen how oaths are tossed around like confetti. Percy’s very existence (not to mention Thalia and Jason’s) is because of a broken promise. An oath to keep with a final breath is one of the revisited elements throughout the Heroes of Olympus series. Apollo makes willy-nilly promises in The Hidden Oracle, which he later regrets. 

Then, at the end of everything, Styx only asks Apollo if he’s learned. All the talk of promises and oaths in this story doesn’t actually have anything to do with “keeping promises”-- certainly, so many promises are broken we can’t keep track. It all boils down to whether we learn from what we experience and use that to become better people moving forward. It’s about making sure we mean what we say and what we do. It’s about commitment and devotion to the people we love and the things we care about. Promises don’t matter. Only action does. 

I can’t understate how thoroughly pleased I was that this was the final reckoning of the saga. It was an unexpected and completely profound moment, and such an important scene to use as the emotional climax of the book.

III. WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

After 15 years and 15 books, The Tower of Nero had to find a way to bring the saga to a close without nailing the coffin shut. More standalone novels are surely on the horizon (I’m looking at you, Nico and Will), but as a whole, this saga did need to come to a satisfying end. 

Let’s pick up after Apollo is restored to godhood. He wakes up to his sister Artemis, and the very first thing he does? After finally returning to his true form, the thing he’s relentlessly yearned for the whole series? He just breaks down sobbing. He’s miserable. There’s no relief or joy in the realization that he’s once again an Olympian. 

I’m always a sucker for the trope of “Character does everything possible to reach Goal only to realize that Goal isn’t actually what they want or need at all”, so of course, I was moved to see Apollo learn that he doesn’t actually care much about whether he’s a god or a human anymore. (In fact, he later remarks that he envies Lu’s new ability to grow old and age alongside Meg and her foster siblings.)

I was doubly-moved that Apollo’s restoration to godhood was not an action on Zeus’s part. From what little context we get (a lot happens “off screen” and even Apollo isn’t sure), it appears that Apollo either reclaimed his own godhood through sheer force of will to return from Chaos and reunite with his friends, and/or Styx aided him. But it seems obvious Zeus wasn’t involved, which has HUGE implications for the power structure of the Olympians moving forward.

A lot of us, myself included, had certain expectations for how Apollo’s inevitable reunion with Zeus and the rest of the Olympians would go. I, for one, was excited to see Apollo either tell off his father, or possibly assume a position as the new Camp Half-Blood director or New Rome’s pontifex maximus. Instead, we got a somewhat quiet, but incredibly tense interaction between all the Olympians. The closest thing to an outburst is actually between Hera and Zeus, as she tells him off for not mourning his son Jason, as Apollo did. (Dare I say....I liked Hera for a moment?) (ALSO, I’m fully on-board with the theory that Zeus did not intervene in Jason’s death as a punishment for Jason publicly calling him “unwise” in The Blood of Olympus.)

The whole scene reads as a powder keg. Already, it’s established that Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus (and possibly even Athena and Hera) have no illusions of Zeus’s grandeur. They do not view him as family, or even as a leader. He’s simply just the one with enough power to punish the rest of them when they get “out of line”. 

Apollo began naming Zeus as his abuser fairly early on in the series. Perhaps witnessing the way Meg thinks and speaks about her stepfather Nero made this clear for him. In either case, he begins to explicitly mirror the very same advice he gives Meg in dealing with her abuser: distance yourself from the abusive person/situation, and accept that tyrants do not change and it is not your responsibility to attempt to make them “see the light”. Thus, Apollo makes no appeal or argument to Zeus– he understands by then that it’d be fruitless. Instead, he’s concentrating his energy on doing everything he can do with what he has; he’s committed to being a protector and friend of demigods, and he sees that other gods are beginning to (if not already) see Zeus’s wrongness. (More on this here.)

Was it what I expected going into the book? Nope. But I have to admit that it was really exciting to see Zeus try to hide the very real fear of realizing that his son Apollo is no longer afraid of him, and is quite possibly more powerful than him, too. Apollo switches gears entirely away from Zeus, and focuses his energy back on the friends he’s made and the children he has. It’s a refreshing reminder that it’s often more productive to concentrate on helping others instead of harming those who harm us. 

That being said, I would have liked a few paragraphs or pages discussing what practical differences there will be for the lives of young demigods in the wake of this change. I understand that might not have worked given the very condensed timeline post-returning-to-godhood (the story ends literally the same day or day after), but I do hope and believe that Apollo’s transformation is going to change the way demigods perceive gods-- and what they will expect of gods in the future. Just look at how Apollo is received by the campers at CHB. They’re ecstatic to see him. They think of him as a hero. Apollo is coming back just to help and spend time with his kids, his friends, and the campers, and he’s going to keep coming back. The other gods are certainly going to feel some pressure to follow suit. 

Speaking of Apollo’s reunions...shall we?

I loved that we got to see all the main-players one last time. Mimicking the “tour format” of the series, we get to watch Apollo catch up with his loved ones, who helped him learn how to be a better person throughout his trials.

It was sad, but reassuring, to watch Nico come to terms with Jason’s death. I like how he outlined the differences between Hazel’s and Jason’s deaths, and why he isn’t interfering out of respect for Jason. Watching Jason appear to Apollo (ambiguously as a ghost or as a figment of Apollo’s dream-imagination) was another moving reminder of the stark differences in the ways that different demigods prioritize and think about what it is to be a hero. Jason’s idea and Percy’s idea, for instance, are super different because of the way they were raised. Percy would put anything on the line for his family and friends; so would Jason, of course, but he also has a much broader view of what’s worth sacrificing your life for...which is admirable in ways, but also painfully sad, since a lot has to change in order for Jason’s death to carry weight. Over the course of the last two books, I think it’s very safe to say Jason’s death did change just about everything for the people who knew and loved him, and even those who didn’t. 

Whew. Okay, back to Camp Half-Blood. Nico and Will are clearly now very comfortable with each other, and it’s refreshing to see how they both watch out for each other and bring out the best in one another. I’m excited for their inevitable solo book, but regardless, it’s good to see Nico getting the help he needs (from his own experiences, from Dionysus, Will, etc), and for Rachel to get some distance from her terrible parents by living out her art student dreams in Paris. 

Then, we drop by the Waystation. I simply cannot get over the fact that Calypso is at BAND CAMP. Anyway, it’s unsurprising to find out that she and Leo are still “complicated”, but I’m glad she’s experiencing the highs and lows of mortal life, and that Leo is working on helping out vulnerable youth (and has two mom figures in his life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Glad we get to see Thalia and Reyna both happy and healthy, too.

Next up, Camp Jupiter and New Rome. LOVE that Hazel and Frank have both reclaimed the curses that haunted them since The Son of Neptune. They really both did just...like...basically die to bring down the Big Bad and then come back better than ever. (Side note: I still obviously have issues with the fact that Hazel is SO YOUNG! There was no reason for her not to be 15/16 like the rest of the Argo 2 crew! Ugh.)

Anyway, then we say goodbye to Percy and Annabeth. Except for the annoying continuity error in terms of the timeline of them learning about Jason, I really really really loved this parting moment with them. I know some readers wanted Percy and Annabeth to stay in New York, but it always felt very natural and meaningful for me that they’d want to relocate to New Rome. That was always the Big Dream for most of Heroes of Olympus, and it makes sense to me that they’d choose to live somewhere designed for demigods to actually live and grow old and raise families. Besides, I’m quite certain they’ll frequently be visiting New York. I digress. 

It was super bittersweet to see these two finally off on their own (and basically living together, as Apollo teasingly implies) going to college! Definitely a huge sigh of relief and satisfaction after following all their exploits since they were twelve. I’m so glad we get to see them (all things considered) happy and excited for their new life together. They certainly stepped back in this series, as they deserved. But they still lose Jason, and that’s something that weighs heavily on them and likely always will. Apollo calls Jason “the best of us”, and I don’t think that use of “us” is lost on Percy, Annabeth, or anyone-- Apollo’s identity and alignment is with them now, which will hopefully lead to positive change.

Then, simultaneously the saddest and happiest (?) reunion-- with Piper. This was obviously really heavy, since the last time Apollo sees her is in the wake of Jason’s death. For me, I’m very proud and excited by the fact that Piper is the only character who basically forges a whole new life (outside of the sphere of the Olympians) for herself. She’s far from other demigods and gods, and is committed to reconnecting with her mortal family and making a beautiful life. She has a new friend, too, which is absolutely awesome. (I mean, we all KNEW, right? But it’s really great to see this confirmed on-page.) When Piper told Apollo that he did right by Jason, I definitely lost it. And I also just really loved the final beat with her-- Apollo’s stammering a goodbye, but Piper’s already turned around to walk back to her new friend and her new life.

The final farewell, of course, went to Meg McCaffrey. She’s reclaimed Aeithales, and is now foster-sibling-extraordinaire by rescuing Nero’s other adopted demigods and giving them a new chance. Meg’s really matured and grown into such a kind and strong leader, but it was super bittersweet to see how much she still values Apollo. Their reunion just about broke me. They share a bond that no one else will ever understand, and they brought each other out of darkness that nearly ended them both. I literally can’t think of a better final dialogue than what they share:

You’ll come back?

Always. The sun always comes back. 

I’m fine!!! 

Anyway, this brings me to the closing lines of the story. Just as Percy opens The Lightning Thief by directly addressing the reader, Apollo closes The Tower of Nero by bidding farewell to us. 

Call on me. I will be there for you. 

On so many levels, this line works really well as the ending. For me, and I imagine for you too if you’re reading this, these 15 books are a pillar of our childhoods. We grew up alongside these characters, and found enormous excitement and identity and magic in these pages. The story may have come to a close, but it lives on within us-- it’s something we can return to time and again for enjoyment and understanding.

More than anything, this story pulled off something I didn’t really know was possible: it makes me feel genuinely and enthusiastically glad to be human, no matter how strange or hard it gets.

____________

My fifth-grade teacher assigned The Lightning Thief as mandatory reading when I was ten years old. I picked it up reluctantly, but from the first lines, I just completely fell into this story. Twelve years since that assignment, I’m now a traditionally-published author myself...writing about what else but mythology, of course. These books saw me from elementary school all the way to post-college life. It’s hard to imagine where I’d be without them-- certainly, I’d never have achieved my lifelong dream of becoming an author, nor would I have found such an incredible online community like the one I’ve found here. I consider myself extremely lucky to have grown up alongside these characters and their incredible story. 

I know we’ve likely got more standalones in this world to come, but this is still the end of the saga. I’m sad to see it come to a close, but I’m so ecstatic with the send-off we got, and I’m excited to let the story settle and become a part of me-- something that will always affect how I see the world, something that reminds me of why I write, and something that’s always there to welcome me home.

#review #tower of nero #trials of apollo #the tower of nero #the trials of apollo

[script-a-world]

I'm trying to build a world with talking animals. But I want to do it realistically, as in using speech sounds that fit with anatomy, not unrealisically using human speech. If I have to change some of the anatomy to cater for this, that is fine too. But the thing is, real life animals don't have so many sounds they can make, it's really not easy trying to figure this out. I have a dozen species so far. Any ideas?

Tex: If you mean “talking” as in “language”, then plenty of animals do that already - prairie dogs (Medium), dolphins (The World, Ryabov, 2016), and quite a few birds (Engesser et al, 2015) have already been documented to communicate in a manner designed with the typical markers of language.

Birds, in particular, have been long considered to have their own language (Wikipedia),a phenomenon widely cultivated in many societies to the point of divine associations. They primarily have a musical language, in that they rely upon a different format of vocalization that we discern as music (Popular Science) - this does have the interesting connotation of helping us figure out how early humans spoke, as human language could have evolved from the same language structures as animals (Scientific American). This video by Cornell University gives specific details about bird anatomy that allows them to do this.

Dolphins, as well as the rest of the Cetacea infraorder, have been noted for a while to have language capabilities. Some, like the Beluga whale, have been observed to learn other animals’ languages to communicate (The Independent, Animal Cognition). Killer whales have managed the same with bottlenose dolphins, which is a fascinating due in large part to the fact that their communication styles are vastly different from each other (LiveScience).

Elephants are another well-known species to communicate in a (now-) recognizable language (Sciencing) - there’s even an app out to help translate some simple words and phrases by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Realistically, you could throw a dart on a map and find an animal that speaks a language. There’s something to be said for language complexity, though it’s definitely a subjective opinion that any human language is “more” or “less” complex regarding concerns about vocabulary or grammar constraints (Atlantic). Animal language has been well studied in this regard, and functions as a subject within animal cognition.

It’s worth peeking into topics such as brain size and format (Wikipedia), though it’s a safe assumption that “talking” in your case boils down more to “mutual understanding” than “human language capabilities”.

Utuabzu: As much as I hate to contradict someone else in an answer, I must disagree with Tex on a few points from a linguistics perspective. Natural language has three main characteristics: a) Arbitrariness: Sounds have no real connection to meaning. There is nothing about the sound /buːt/ that suggests a boot, it is just an arbitrary association between that sound and an item of footwear. b) Infiniteness: All languages are capable of forming an infinite number of sentences to describe any given phenomenon, although differences in the vocabulary might make it more or less awkward to describe a given thing. c) Creativity: All natural languages change over time, creating or adopting new words or structures, or changing the meaning of existing ones to describe new phenomena. Repeated studies have found that ‘animal languages’ may have one or two of these features (a and c) but none have been found to have (b), which is why we have reports of parrots, dogs or chimpanzees learning sometimes hundreds of words, but they have never been shown to be able to string them together to form sentences, using grammar to convey more complex meaning. (Fromkin et al. Introduction to Language, Australia and New Zealand 7th Edition, 2012)

That said, you’re working with fantasy, so we can ignore this and instead look at phonology. Phonology is the study of the sounds of language, which linguists depict with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which I used above and you can find here: https://www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/, have a play around with it to get an idea of what sounds are possible in human languages. Now, with animals, your options are different. Not every animal can make the same sounds, and to be honest you don’t have to go into too much detail about every animal’s language (I’m assuming you intend to have every species/genus/whatever speak their own language and have most able to understand several, because a common spoken or signed language would require major anatomical changes that I am so not equipped to speculate on), just find some videos of their vocalisations to work out what it should sound like (lots of consonants, vowels; consonant clusters allowed or not; mono/polysyllabic words) and if you want to play around with grammars, the articles in the column on the left of this should cover all the basic types: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_typology. If you want more specific advice feel free to ask a follow up.

Feral: Tex and Utuabzu have made some great points, but I’ve gotta ask, “why?” Are you worldbuilding for the hell of it? Or for an audio-visual story that will have subtitles? Because if you are worldbuilding this for a written story, this will require a lot of work that will be virtually useless. Because you will have to actually write what the sentient animals are saying in a human language if you want your audience to understand them. With worldbuilding, especially this kind of worldbuilding, it's important to keep in mind, “what’s the point? What’s the goal?” There’s an important trope called the Translation Convention; when animals talk in a fictional work and the humans do not understand them, this is in effect. It is a convention for a reason, and no one is going to automatically think it’s unrealistic or the content is silly - see Watership Down (which does have a handful of conlang words, mainly for use as a naming language).

#pylons #language #animals #Anonymous

[chaoticspacefam]

2020 In Review: Wordcount Tag

I was tagged for this by @actualanxiousswampwitch​ , thank you! I’m not sure who’s already done or been tagged for this cause I am, once again, late to the party LOL but I shall (no pressure and sorry if you’ve already done it!) tag: @rainofaugustsith​ , @darth-bagel​ , @thatmmolesbian​ , @thelastenvoyyy​ and anybody else who wants to do this. Yes, I promise I mean you!

Words: 45,314

Published: 0 (I’m not counting the couple of Six Sentence tags I’ve gotten, they’re snippets of an unfinished piece & are included below instead :), or roleplay replies, cause that feels like cheating lol.) I actually wrote a lot more than I thought I had, this is a rough guesstimate as well, as my oneshot WIPs tend to be all over the place across something like 6 different documents, some of which have existed since 2018, so I had to guess at how far up to count from the end for some of them, but I think it’s a fair guesstimate XD I also have included lore/worldbuilding docs in this because that was a 3-month long Lockdown 1.0 Boredom/”Canon is a trash fire so I’m ignoring that and making up my own lore” passion project and I’m goddamn proud of how much I wrote for that. It’s the most I’ve written in one stretch (think I finished it over a span of 3 nights or so, once I’d done all the research and made all the notes ofc ^^)

Not Published: 45,314

The Breakdown:

swtor - 45,314

for creeping shadows (my main longfic/part one of the subterfugeverse series) - 1,553  - Aria, stop being difficult! *shakes fists* XD

oneshots - 16,223

lore/worldbuilding (for subterfugeverse naturally) - 23,001 (is this ALL tomato alien lore? pretty much, yes, yes it is :’D ~400 words is “the WIP reworked timeline to correlate my worldbuilding with the canon timeline that was released”, but 98% is just...me thinking way too much about Purebloods and how they deserved way better goddamn lore. I blame @fluffynexu ‘s amazing tomato worldbuilding posts,  reading them when I went looking for “canon” lore one day for the rp is what got me started down that rabbithole (it’s awesome and if you haven’t already you should totally go check hers out too :DD), I had a “fuck you then canon I’ll do it myself too >:L” moment and once I started I couldn’t stop until I’d crapped out literally over 20k words on the subject *whispering* thank you LOL)

zephyrverse au bonus oneshots - 4,537 (stuff I wrote to fill in time gaps or “just cause I had a plot bunny”, relating to mine and k-christine’s zephyrverse au rp. None of these will likely be posted publicly, but they still deserve to be counted as words I wrote this year :’D

As you can see, most of my “muse” this year came from sporadic oneshots :’D The Ahaszaai twins also properly plot-bunnied their way into my brain in late 2019 and haven’t stopped making a nuisance of themselves the whole fucking year. Every time I tried to carry on with a chapter, one of the two of them would pop up like “Nooo write about ME! pay attention to ME!” - Yes, Ni’kasi, I will get to you this year, I promise XD

New Things I Tried:

Just Writing. Not worrying about whether “it wasn’t part of the next chapter” or “it comes from a part in the story that I’m nowhere near close to posting yet”. If I felt like writing something, or for a specific pairing/feeling/scene, whatever. I wrote until I ran outta muse juice. Yeah, it meant I didn’t technically “finish” anything this year BUT - the important thing is I wrote stuff. and that’s all that really matters, eh? :’D

Polyam ships! May not seem like a big deal but I spent a long time talking myself out of them because of internalised toxic monogamy and finally saying “you know what, fuck it! I can ship three or more people together and it can still be a perfectly wholesome, healthy and loving relationship and that’s okay” was a BIG thing for me this year.

Dialogue Scripts: which I didn’t count as wordcount because really it’s just word vomit of general tone/inflection and dialogue that I came up with right before falling asleep which I didn’t want to lose. Basically, if an exchange or a particularly punchy or moving line of dialogue popped into my brain but I wasn’t ready to write the whole scene that it fit into out, but didn’t want to forget the line(s). I wrote it out in movie script/script-style roleplay fashion e.g. Character’s Name: (emotion, hand gestures etc.) [Dialogue here] and so on. I know this is probably a well known trick of the trade, but I never took it seriously until this year. Seriously, do it. It’s great.

Favorite Thing I Wrote:

Hmmm, a snippet for Andronikos/Ni’kasi that I started this week which isn’t posted yet (saving it for this week’s Six Sentence Sunday so look out for it! :D) was pretty fun to work on, I love their dynamic and Kas is suprisingly fun to write for.

Also the Aria/Vano proposal scene that I posted a snippet for the week before last. I’m having great fun with that scene, and I really enjoy putting a non-serious spin on the classic “proposal scene” tropes. Can’t wait to finish it, though it may be a while before the full one goes up on AO3, as it depends whether it ends up fitting in as part of the mainfic or as an additional oneshot

And I have a D’leah/Kissai oneshot that I need to give another once-over before I finally yeet it onto AO3 and Tumblr for you guys to see :’D

Favorite Fic I Read:

@sleepswithvillains Eleanora/Quinn fic, Helplessly Hoping. I’m horribly behind on chapters and I gotta catch up and read the finale this week, but it’s been a helluva great ride and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the story! <3

Also The Invitation collab with @tishinada featuring Zas and Fiona had me squealing, I can’t wait to catch up on HH and see more of these two, they’re adorable ;-; @a-muirehen​ ‘s Relu/Merkara series of course! I’m a complete sucker for (friends to lovers to in Ariano’s case but yea pfpfpf) enemies to lovers ships and these two are just so good, I am on the edge of my seat every time we get a new snippet for them, ngl (grimace emoji) @darth-bagel ‘s Sylvas/Graz’zt and Sylvas/Liz/Rilfaen snippets which they’ve been spoiling me with on Discord @mercurypilgrim ‘s Ven’fir/Quinn AU oneshots, Cloudbank (Western was a particular favourite, but all are very good!) and of course @rainofaugustsith ‘s Lana/Viri updates are always fantastic, some personal favourites from this year were Almost There & Memory of Healing :3 (I totally still go back to read Commander & Advisor too sometimes, getting to see Viri be a little diabolical and messing with “MiNiSTeR LoRMaN!” was and still is my favourite thing XD)

If I’ve left you out I’m sorry!! These were the ones that stuck out in my memory, but I’ve loved everyone’s writing this year, it’s been great :3

Writing Goals:

to actually finish and post chapter 8 & 9 of Creeping Shadows. Then we’ll get to the meat and potatoes of the story and maybe Aria will stop being a brat and fighting me every time I try to stick to a semi-regular update schedule Get off my butt, finalise the name and get started on Ni’kasi’s part of the Subterfugeverse story. Maybe run the updates in-tandem with Creeping Shadows but idk if I want to wait till after CS is done before I start posting Kas’s side, or do them side-by-side yet, we’ll see ;) Keep writing! I know better than to pressure myself by setting a specific word count goal, that’s never worked well in the past

At least 2 chapters of each of the works mentioned above would be great though, more would be better! We’ll see how I go

Words of Thanks:

honestly, to everybody in the fandom I’ve met this year. Anybody that I follow, thank you for being there and engaging with me and/or posting amazing content for me to look at! I came over from deviantART where the SWTOR fandom is incredibly small and generally quite inactive and the contrast since moving over here has been incredibly uplifting. I very nearly cancelled Creeping Shadows and stopped posting fic for my SWTORverse altogether because I got next to no engagement on dA and it was very disheartening to the point where I felt I could enjoy the game and the rp partners I had, but the solo projects I’d put so much thought, time and love into already weren’t worth continuing. You guys took that spark and kept it going and I really don’t have enough words to say how grateful I am for that. Even if I haven’t published much this year, making posts on this tumblr, interacting with everyone and working on lore, plot points and so on for Subterfugeverse has kept me going through the Hellish Year of Nightmares that was 2020 <3

to the amazing new friends I’ve made in this past year, who have listened to me ramble about headcanons, character backstories, writing snippets (and rambled/sent some back), keep being awesome: @walk-ng-d-saster , @darth-bagel , @kyber-heart , @deepseacritter , @thedinalixlegacy to further friends and meme tag buddies, I get so excited every time I see a mention for a new meme or ask game in my inbox, so thank you!! : @mimabeann , @palepinkycat , @a-master-procrastinator , @raven-of-domain-kwaad , @actualanxiousswampwitch , @thatmmolesbian , @a-muirehen to my regular commentors/rebloggers/likers/askbox lurkers, I see every one of you and every time your users pop up I grin like a kid in a toy shop: @starlightjedi , @sparkles-and-rust , @wilvarin-chan , @sunsetofdoom , @ask-an-andalite , @thelastenvoyyy . @lyrishadow and more because Tumblr only goes so far back and I have the memory of Swiss Cheese. If you regularly comment, like, reblog, or anything, from me, know that I see you, and I love and appreciate you for it! <3

I couldn’t possibly remember to tag everyone and I promise if I missed you out it’s not because I hate you! Anxiety just sometimes be a bitch and I don’t wanna look like a clown calling someone a “friend” if I’m not explicitly sure we are, in fact, friends. I think you’re all awesome and I’m so glad to have moved over here and met you all <3

#long post #wordcount year review tag #elven's writing: stats #repost bc i goofed some links woops sorry everyone #^^; #will i eventually post any of this stuff? yes! #i will. i just...don't know *when* the time will be right for most of it hahaha #the only bits i won't post are the zephyrverse-specific oneshots cause i just don't feel like i want to #but everything else will (eventually) in some capacity be thrown into the void for all of you to read #shameless friend appreciation post #shameless mutual and follower appreciation post #<3 #swtor sort of

[swgoji2001]

My Thoughts on Jedi Fallen Order

So after upgrading to a new, stronger laptop (pretty sure my stupidity in attempting to run this game on my old laptop hastened its tragic, untimely demise), I finally finished Jedi Fallen Order last night. I had mixed feelings going into this game, as I have some friends who said it was amazing while others said it was a mediocre story with decent gameplay.

Now after playing, was it the greatest Star Wars game I’ve ever experienced? No, but it was very good. Some minor gripes here and there, but overall I had a blast playing the game.

Warning: Some spoilers will be included, I’ll try to keep them as minor as possible though.

Story:

So I’m not gonna go overly deep into the story as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who still hasn’t played the game, but to be honest I found the plot of Fallen Order to be a bit generic at first. It’s a classic light side vs dark side narrative with a redemption arc or two sprinkled in. In fact, I found the plot of Fallen Order to be quite similar in structure to the Disney Trilogy. Both have MacGuffin hunts (holocron and wayfinder), both include journeys to different planets following the trail of someone else (Eno Cordova and that one assassin dude mentioned in IX), both have mentors who have distanced themselves from the Force (Cere and Luke), and both have antagonists who were failed by their masters (Trilla and Kylo). 

Fallen Order splits off from this more generic route after returning to Dathomir and does it’s own thing, but I found myself asking why I enjoyed the first 75% or so of Fallen Order when I absolutely hated the DT. I found the answer to lie mainly in two things: the characters and the world they found themselves in.

Characters:

Cal Kestis: I absolutely loved Cal’s character arc. He has his own deep personal struggles with his past, feeling responsible for the death of his master. He faces those fears and comes to terms with his past, determined to make a better future. Cal not only comes out of his journey a Jedi Knight, but as a stronger person. Compare this to Rey, who had no meaningful flaws or personal struggles. Plus Cal’s the first ginger Jedi! Score one for diversity!

BD-1: My fourth favorite Star Wars droid, only behind HK-47, KOTOR 2′s T3-M4, and K-2SO. He’s cute, adorable, and loyal to a fault. What more could you ask for in a droid? (Other than a tibanna-powered blaster rifle and a bloodthirsty, anti-meatbag personality of course!) Plus there’s a revelation about his history towards the end that only makes him better and better.

Cere Junda: Star Wars has always had its mentor characters, but in all honesty I found Cere to be pretty generic. A Jedi Master who failed her Padawan and touched the dark side, only to be horrified by it and renounce the Force. Throughout learning her story, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had already seen something like this before. Her arc isn’t bad, it’s well done and feels natural to her character, it was just rather generic.

Greez Dritus: Gotta say Greez grew on me as the game went on. He has his flaw in his gambling problem which bites Cal in the ass a couple times, but towards the end I really felt the connection between him and the others grow. He’s also the source of a good deal of humor.

Nightsister Merrin: Sadly, Merrin being an eventual ally was spoiled for me, but I love the subversion because it was built up that she would be an eventual boss fight. Merrin might be my favorite character besides Cal, I wish there were more interactions with her in game! She’s hot, has a great accent, a wicked sense of humor, and is powerful with Nightsister magick. But beyond all that, she’s a parallel to Cal. Both are survivors, the last of their kind, and I’m hoping that if a sequel is made, it goes deeper into their relationship because Merrin and Cal have great chemistry. I also love how Merrin challenges Cal and Cere’s plan to train the next gen of Jedi using the holocron, putting that idea in a more realistic, less idealistic light.

Prauf: I really feel bad for him. I liked him and you could feel the camaraderie between him and Cal, how he wanted Cal to succeed and do great things. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.

Oggdo Bogdo: Fuck this frog! He killed me so many times!

Trilla Suduri (Second Sister): The Jedi Padawan that felt betrayed by her master and became an inquisitor. I always love it when antagonists have a personal connection to the protagonists in some way, shape, or form. Trilla shakes Cal’s faith in Cere, and plants seeds of doubt in him. She wants revenge and the Emperor’s favor, and therefore we know why she chases Cal across the galaxy. She has motivations for all her actions, which is something that Kylo lacked in the DT.

Taron Malicos: I knew something was off about this guy the second I met him. I quite enjoyed the clash of beliefs between him, Merrin, and Cal. Malicos proposes a way forward, a new Jedi Order, but one founded on darker teachings. He offers Cal that power, but Cal proves his stature as a Jedi in refusing it.

Ninth Sister (Masana Tide): Probably the weakest of the villain characters for me. Ninth barely has any presence in the game at all other than the start and to serve as a boss battle on Kashyyyk. I honestly just don’t think she fits into the story as is. Perhaps if they tweaked it so that Ninth and Cal knew each other back before Order 66 she would have fit better. Ninth just doesn’t have any personal connection to Cal and the Mantis crew (like Trilla does) and doesn’t really serve as a trial like Malicos does. Remove her from the story and not much changes.

(If you somehow haven’t had this next one spoiled yet, I’m impressed. Please skip to ‘World’ if so)

Darth Vader: I absolutely loved how he was portrayed. A terrifying, unstoppable force. You won’t last in a fight with him, your can only hope you can outrun him.

World:

Fallen Order’s worldbuilding was on point. Cal’s ability to sense Force Echoes lets you get a more detailed understanding of the environment around you. It’s a small-scale Star Wars story, but the planets all feel lived in if you take the time to explore them. It’s the small details like the probe droid witnessing your initial use of the Force on Bracca or the side-stories you can discover like the tragic tale of the family running from the Empire on Zeffo or Malicos’ corruption and manipulation of Merrin that really flesh out the world. Compare this to the galactic-scale story the DT told, which somehow made the galaxy feel extremely small and uninteresting.

My only complaint with the world-building is the Zeffo. They’re just... there. Very little is explained about them. Who were they? Why were they important? What happened to them? Why did they disappear? Perhaps this was to leave room for a sequel but to me the Zeffo just felt like discount Rakata. I wish the devs had gone with the Rakata instead, but maybe that’s just me.

Also the wildlife on every world is more than capable of killing you if you aren’t careful so you almost always have to be on your toes for them, which rolls us into the next part...

Gameplay:

The gameplay was great fun in Fallen Order. Leveling up and unlocking new abilities was exciting and once I got the hang of them all, it was so much fun just cutting through your enemies. I played on Jedi Master difficulty (died approximately 75 times, give or take a few I may have missed) and it felt really well balanced. It forced me to study my opponent’s moves and adapt to them instead of being a hack-and-slash type of game. Combos are fluid and fun to pull off, parrying opponents leaves an opening to attack, and you can experiment with different fighting styles.

Customizing your lightsaber and appearance was also great fun. So many different options and combinations for everything! Plus you got rewarded for exploration with these extra customization options, so it adds incentive to do that if you care about appearances and whatnot. You can become the General Grievous of ponchos!

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Overall Fallen Order was a great game that could have been even better. Of course I have to admit I’m looking at this through the nostalgia of games like KOTOR 2, which flipped Star Wars completely on its head. I would have preferred if Cere’s story had been a bit more nuanced, the Ninth Sister had more reason for being in the story, or if the game had Cal seriously question the use and role of Jedi in the galaxy (he does a couple times to BD-1, but it’s never really built on).

And then there’s my overall gripe about this type of story set after Order 66. It sets up questions like... where was Cal during the OT? Was he dead? Somewhere in the Unknown Regions doing something else? I know the ending of the game sets up the opening for Cal’s story to continue, but still, these types of stories usually end in death for the Jedi protagonist, so I am a bit nervous for his future.

Despite that though, I am super happy I finally decided to play this and am eagerly awaiting a sequel to continue this story.

#jedi fallen order

[unculturedmamoswine]

I just finished rereading Tortall and Other Lands, and made a totally subjective ranking of the stories. I posted it on reddit but I figured, what the hell, may was well post here too. If i could put it under a cut I would but sadly I am on mobile.

11) Time of Proving

It's good and all; I especially like the concept that the protag, Arimu, has to live alone and map new lands for a year to show her value to her people in order to lead them. But I think I like that bit of worldbuilding more than the actual plot. Though I do think it's pretty cute that Arimu comes up with excuses to keep helping Sunflower. An enjoyable story that's just eclipsed by the greatness of much of the rest of the book.

10) Plain Magic

I like this story. I like the thread magic especially. However, I don't think it really shows us anything new from Tammy if that makes sense. The thread magic, the ignorant folks doing stupid things, the cool stranger whisking away a gifted protagonist to a new life, it's all familiar ground for Tammy fans.

9) Lost

It's hard to put this story so low on the list. It has a lot of qualities to love, but much like Plain Magic it seems like it does mostly what we've seen from other Tammy content. Adria is a girl good at math, which isn't that valuable a thing in her society. But people around her recognize that and take her away to a better place for her, Tortall of course. And we get the darkings, which, cute as they are, seem kinda.. OP. They were OP in Aly's books, too. Ah well, despite my complaints it's still really cool and a fun story. And I love the way it shows the effects of years of abuse and how it makes you feel small. The way Adria's father uses fear to control her whole family, and the way Adria gets away from him by showing her courage, those are important things. I feel sure someone out there was helped by this story, you know?

8) Elder Brother

When I did my ranking, I was baffled that this story was so far down. I really like this story. That's the trouble with ranking stuff you really like, I guess. Fadala is a cool character, Qiom is an even cooler one, and I love reading about Qiom struggling to live his new, more confusing life. Reading about him weeping over his last apples is somehow really sad? And it's very cool to read about a totally different part of the world in the Tortall universe.

7) Huntress

It's very cool to read a modern-day story by Tammy! I love the merging of modern times and the fantasy elements of our usual Tammy stories. It's interesting to see how Corey (I don't think we learn her first name?) isn't devout, and arguably isn't even a believer, but the Goddess still comes to her aid anyway. I suppose it's out of respect for her family. I love the touch of the Goddess wearing modern day running gear. But my favorite thing has gotta be the total utter batshit crazy Pride. What completely insane villains. It's very Tammy to cast the murdering freaks as a bunch of privileged rich douchebags who think they can do whatever they want if they prey on the vulnerable and those that society has deemed as valueless. Golly, does that remind you of anything? It's nice that this story takes a fairly strong 'murder is bad' stance, when even in real life plenty of people are ok with rapists and drug dealers getting murdered. And I like that Tammy shows, through the Lions' threats to rape Corey, that they clearly aren't killing 'bad' people in order to be good guys, but just so they can get away with it easier. Though you could argue that the Goddess killing all the kids somewhat undercuts the 'no murder' message...

6) Testing

Admittedly I probably wouldn't like this one as much as I do if it weren't for the context of it being a semi-autobiographical account of Tammy around the time she rewrote Alanna's books as books for teens. That being said, it's a sweet story that looks at how vulnerable kids can come to trust an adult in lives that have been tumultuous and hard. It's honestly such a feel-good yet realistic tale.

5) Student of Ostriches

I think this one appeals to the kid in me. I was always so enchanted by African animals as a kid and that never really went away. Kylaia teaching herself to fight and run using the animals of her home as inspiration is just unbearably cool to me haha. Though it is much the same as I've said about Plain Magic and Lost in that it's well-trod ground for Tammy, Student of Ostriches really works for me. And it's always nice to have a peek into parts of the Tortall-verse we don't often see.

4) Mimic

I think Mimic sticks in my head more than any other story in Tortall and Other Lands. Ri, Mimic, Grandpa, even the dogs and the crow are all great characters. The beautiful setting, with the great plain and the storms, the dragons, the compact between the village and birds, it's all so memorable. I love that it's about choosing to grow up, and how you can't go back but it's worthwhile and necessary.

3) The Dragon's Tale

Call me basic, but I love dragons! It's so nice to see a story about Kitten, so great to see things from her point of view. Not being able to speak for sixteen years sounds like a freaking nightmare, but she handles it pretty well, I'd say. I like that she clearly thinks of Daine and Numair as her parents, and she adores her bestie Spots, it's just so cute! They really love each other, and I will always be a sucker for stories about people who love each other. But it's not just cute, there's some great meat here in the form of new characters like Afra, Uday, and Kawit and, best of all for me, worldbuilding! I really like when we see glimpses of the Tortall universe that we could never have imagined, as with Beka's unusual wild-adjacent magic. Here we get to see Kawit and learn that she's another example of an immortal that humans overlooked when locking them away four hundred years ago (and we get to see more of Tammy's love of opals lol). I like the subtle implication that opal dragons may be almost a link between classic dragons and basilisks, what with the beaded skin and long long tails. We learn more about Kawit's unusual magic. We get an explicit confirmation of the fact that multiple colors of Gift= more powerful Gift. This whole story is just crammed full of fascinating Tortall content with a soft, gooey center.

2) Nawat

This story is heavy, which is why I like it. I enjoy it when non-human characters are actually characterized as being fundamentally different from humans. It's challenging for the reader and the author to connect with a guy who is considering killing his kid, but I think Tammy succeeds here. It's hard to watch Nawat struggle with the different parts of his life coming together, and sad to see him feeling like his heritage is slipping away. It's nice to see that he really will be able to teach his kids about their own crow heritage when Ochobai grows her first quill. It's also fun to see Aly through his eyes.

1) The Hidden Girl

This story is so good that it makes Elder Brother better just by existing. It's really cool to have Fadala and Teky exploring different attitudes with regard to their culture. While Fadala has an almost Alanna-esque rejection of what her society sees as feminine, we also get to see Teky appreciate what powers women in her society are afforded, and also see her work to change some of the things she sees as wrong. While Fadala isn't willing to play by her people's rules and elects to leave them behind, Teky wants something better for everyone in her homeland. Neither of these attitudes is wrong, they're just different reactions to institutionalized inequality. Like Elder Brother, The Hidden Girl shows us new and fascinating Tortall content in the form of the more monotheistic culture on the far side of the world, which is very cool. We've never really seen an oracle before, and it's a cool new 'badass girl' archetype to add to the Tortall roster. It's all just wonderful, knowing women are changing things all over the world in this verse.

#Tortall #Tamora Pierce #Tortall and other Lands #my post #long post

[bluetiefling]

So, Cursed (2020), is pretty bad! And I wanted to say a few things because somebody had to. This is mostly ranting.

Cursed was rife with problems from poor pacing to poor worldbuilding to plain cliche and uninspired story arcs, but the most glaring issue has gotta be Katherine herself who c a n n o t carry this thing. It was gonna take a very strong and compelling actress to make Miss Nimmyway work and she is not that. The wooden acting just exacerbates all the issues the character has, which plague a lot of badly conceived fantasy protagonists. Mainly, being devoid of real charm and personality and having no agency because she plods through the story largely reacting to everything and not driving the action (while other characters fall at her feet and love her inexplicably and are there to hold her hand and tell her plot points to react to etc). When she starts “acting out” and showing I guess some semblance of personality, it’s because of ~magic corrupting her, so of course when she snaps at someone or goes into a rage it’s not really her fault and there’s no growth or organic character conflict to develop her. She also does a thing I’ve grown to loath in many protagonists where they get people killed or make stupid mistakes, and then angst about it but really they’re not taking any blame or examining their behavior, they’re just wallowing and making it about themselves. And of course other characters are there immediately to coddle her because actually, she did nothing wrong! And please, be our queen, girl we met five minutes ago who merely showed off some powers (which she complained about the whole time btw)!

Devon as Arthur is great and he can actually act, and he was trying so, so hard sell his romantic dynamic with Ninny but there was no saving it. He was one of many better and multifaceted characters trapped in her orbit where her lack of charisma and overall static character development makes it very hard to understand why he’s so sprung over her, let alone why she wins anyone else over enough that they want her as queen. And on that note idk why all the other characters (her included!) constantly treated him so badly and he himself keeps struggling with his own honor and sense of goodness when he’s an all around goodhearted and noble guy from the jump. It’s like the show was gaslighting me lol. I feel like their plan too is for Arthur to win hearts and minds and take the throne through merit, which I am here for, but I suspect they’re gonna frame it like he stole it from Ninny or something. Like I personally would love that because she sucks, but it’ll be tedious sitting through a show telling me she’s been so wronged by him, if that’s where they’re going with this eventually. I mean they’ve already had it so Morgana only starts feeling negatively about Ninny because (again) corrupting magic, because this show can’t bear to have characters form doubts about her competence or worthiness in a sincere way. 

Morgana is another character played by a lovely and talented actress who immediately adores Ninny (well, I guess not immediately, but they had Ninny tell her “hey, being gay is okay” and that’s enough for Morgana to declare them bffs forever) and she too suffers from trying to prop up Ninny all season. I couldn’t believe it when in one scene Ninny throws a fit and tosses the sword in a canyon and Morgana jumps to declare she’ll go fetch it while Ninny literally sits and pouts. I mean??? And that’s basically their dynamic - Ninny complaining and Morgana bending over backwards to push this useless girl to her “destiny”. Lol and I guess they’re gonna expect me to side with Ninny when Morgana goes all dark sided. 

It is so telling that one of Arthur and Morgana’s strongest moments was when they get their one (1) scene talking to each other about something that isn’t Ninny related. Devon and Shalom saw the chance to Act and they came alive right there. 

Daniel is the reason I first heard about this show and I unabashedly loved his character and all the dramatic dance fighting - he was the highlight for me lol. (I KNOW I know) But that’s a problem when said character is very underutilized. He appears in every episode I think but sometimes that just amounts to less than a minute of screen time. His secret Lancelot on a path to redemption is one of the few twists on the legend that I’m really into, but there was so little to see of him. Like of course they must have been planning more focus for him next season, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t more they could do with him here. His redemptive turn is prompted by a few scenes in the finale when they could’ve been seeding it more throughout. And I would’ve loved more scenes with him and Arthur (who managed to spark with him in their one fight scene far more than he does with whatshername). Before I’d seen the show I would’ve said I hope he interacted with Ninny a lot to see if there was something worth shipping but uhhh... hard pass on the idea now and it’s maybe a relief I didn’t have to sit through him falling in love with her instantly while she looks bored and delivers her lines with the exact same cadence for every scene.

And speaking of female characters he is presumably going to have a romantic arc with (that’s assuming this show actually gets a s2 which it doesn’t really deserve... .....), we have Red Spear. Or should I say RRRRED SPEEAARRR RAHHH because the actress couldn’t say a line without rage yelling it. And I wouldn’t care except I know this woman is meant to be Guinevere according to the book and.......... ...... ..... Like putting aside my aggravation at Guinevere being another rawwrr warrior woman because these writers have very limited ideas for Strong Female Characters apparently, but I can’t deal with her also being lowkey deranged like RED SPEAR comes across in all her scenes. She was just too much. And we have such a good Arthur and Lancelot and the thought them trying to make that love triangle work with RED SPEAR is actively painful.  

On that note, I’m a tiny bit hopeful that the fact the Guinevere name drop never happened in the show (as it did at the end of the book) means they’ve realized the actress can’t do this and they’ve cut that. Maybe she’ll be recast? Ideally they rewrite the plan for Guinevere entirely and let her be, god forbid, a courtly maiden who can’t fight but is no less “strong” for it? What a concept. The team behind this show doesn’t inspire confidence on that front, though. They seem set in their ways... I am also preparing myself for the possibility that they just merge Nimue and Guinevere after they realize Nimue has largely served her purpose already and they struggle to come up with things for her to do. And then my suffering will continue because I will keep watching this garbage for Daniel.

I have no idea what the viewership numbers are for this show - I would guess not great but worse things have been popular on Netflix so who knows. It doesn’t deserve a s2, but the show is potentially salvageable I think? I mean my recommendation would be letting Nimue stay dead at the end, her purpose and story finished, and let Arthur take over as the main with Lancelot and a new, not Red Spear Guinevere, as co-leads. You could really have something with that combination. Also get a new showrunner and reshuffle the writers’ room while they’re at it.

#aka the Shannara method which did wonders for improving things between s1 and s2 #ok I'm done I just had to get this out #it's depressing how often ppl mess up Arthurian adaptations :/ #Cursed 2020

[neriad13]

Favorite Media of 2020!

There was a large swathe of this year during which I was unable to concentrate on reading (as there probably was for a lot of other typically-frequent readers), so, as a result, I ended up listening to way more podcasts and watching way more TV shows. Not a bad thing, but boy did I read way less books than usual. 

However, for the first time in a while, the amount of fiction I read was about equal with the amount of nonfiction I read. Last year’s reading resolution was to read more fiction, so...success??

I did read a lot of phenomenal fiction when I had the energy to do so this year.

Books - Fiction

The Martian - Andy Weir

This book is the hardest of the hard sci fi I think I’ve ever read. Every single aspect of it is minutely researched and calculated. The author literally wrote equations to write this book. The science is insanely impressive and yet...it never loses its sense of humor or humanity in the mix. In fact, they’re the thing that drives the entire story.

Warlock Holmes - G. S. Denning

Way early in the year I was strolling down the fantasy aisle at the library, when this cover caught my eye. I took one look at it, went “oh, this looks silly” and...proceeded to devour the entire series in a matter of weeks. 

It is very silly. Especially when it’s pointing out something that was silly in the original. There’s something so satisfying about Watson immediately answering Holmes with the correct number of steps in their flat when he’s trying to make his point about how most people don’t pay attention to things like that.

World War Z - Max Brooks

Every single scenario in here could easily support an entire book. A park ranger whose job it is to contain the yearly zombie spring thaw? HECK YES. I’d read tens of thousands of words about that. A Chinese admiral who defaults, steals the government’s premier submarine, loads it up with the families of his underlings and takes to the sea for years to live in the maritime economy that has sprung up in a world where everyone is trying to escape the shore? That could be an entire movie on its own. 

Every chapter was more creative than the last and as a huge worldbuilding fan, this book was so, so fun.

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

In which a queer, neurodivergent protagonist solves a mystery on a spaceship which is a microcosm of antebellum era politics! This had a beautiful, mysterious, wonder-inducing writing style and it was a joy to peer into the wildly differing minds of every single character.

Books - Nonfiction

Underland - Robert MacFarlane

In every chapter, the author visits a different hole. Basically.

It’s an exploration of caves, catacombs, mines, nuclear waste facilities and the hidden underbelly of every forest. It was fascinating. And fundamentally changed how I look at time.

Rejected Princesses - Jason Porath

After years of having enjoyed the web entries, I finally got my hands on the first book and was not disappointed. 

There are the more entertaining entries, of course and the art is as charming as always, but what struck me the most were the more difficult stories. The deeper you go into this book, the more horrific it gets. The author does not hold back on the indignities suffered by the historical figures he writes about. It’s terrible...but also very, very illuminating.

The Gift of Fear - Gavin De Becker

This book - while maintaining all the essential information in it - could be pared down to one sentence in a sea of blank pages and that sentence would be: trust your instincts. End of story.

But in a world where instincts are either customarily suppressed or going haywire, it’s not quite that easy, which is why I’m glad there is more to the book.

I picked it up thinking “ha ha, betcha can’t help a person with anxiety who fears all the time already” and...what it actually ended up doing was giving me the tools to differentiate between real fear and unfounded fear. And did help with the anxiety quite a bit.

Fanfiction

Watch Over Me - cakeisatruth

A Bioshock fic from the point of view of a little sister who is learning how to trust and be an ordinary child again. Dark and sweet. An excellent combo.

All That is Visible - Ultima_Thule

An exploration of a minor character in a well researched historical context? That’s my jam! How did they know?? A Tron fic about what it’s like to be a female programmer in the 70s.

Graphic Novels

The Adventure Zone - McElroys + Carey Pietsch

Yesssssssss! It was a running-to-the-library type event whenever my library got a new volume in. The jokes are so good, the art is so lively and the ways in which they added the details that the podcast couldn’t necessarily get across is *mwah*

Trail of Blood - Shuuzou Oshimi

Hoooooooly shit, the art style of this one!! It’s beautifully detailed and expressive, sure, but the real draw for me was how it changes with the emotional state of the main character. There’s this sequence in which he’s consumed with anxiety at school and all of his classmates become blurry and unfocused, until they can’t be recognized as humans at all, that particularly sticks with me.

It’s a horror story about a kid who witnesses his loving mother push his cousin off a cliff for seemingly no reason and is then obligated by her to keep the secret, which is eating him from the inside out. It’s so good, guys, please read it.

Level Up - Gene Lien Yang/Thien Pham

A story about a kid who is haunted by his late father’s desire for him to become a gastroenterologist. It’s funny and touching and the ending gave me what I can only describe as a feeling of exhilaration. Y’know that feeling when something unexpected but not out of left field, perfectly in tune with the narrative arc and gut bustingly funny happens, all in the same panel? That one.

Film

Searching

This is a fairly standard thriller about a dad trying to find out what happened to his missing daughter. It’s also found footage...but not in the usual way, which was what made it so compelling to me. It’s told through the dad’s phone calls, google searches, social media interactions, news footage, security cameras and webcams. It was such a cool way to tell a story.

Train to Busan

There’s a lot that’s already been said about this movie and I don’t think there’s much more I can meaningfully add to that. Suffice to say that ya gotta take care of each other if you’re going to survive a zombie apocalypse!!

TV Series

My Brother’s Husband

As close to a perfect adaptation as a person can get (barring the entire conversation in English which was...oof). I was so happy when they took it a step further and showed Kana and Yaichi actually getting to meet Mike’s family.

Zumbo’s Just Desserts

I watched a lot of baking shows this year. Like...a lot. They were my much-needed comfort viewing for the year and this one was my favorite, even over The Great British Baking Show (which I LOVE). Why? Because the pastry chef for whom it’s named makes such bizarre and wonderful desserts and fosters an environment in which the competitors do the same. I’ve never seen anything like a lot of the desserts that make an appearance on this show. Every single episode was an awesome surprise and so help me, this show had better get a third season.

She-ra and the Princesses of Power

There’s also a lot that’s been said about this one, so I won’t say much more. Suffice to say: DAMN. That’s how you do an 80s toy tie-in cartoon remake.

Infinity Train

This show’s premise is probably the most unique I’ve seen in recent years. Its balance of comedy, horror and existential dread is also *mwah* I also love how much it trusts the viewer to figure things out on their own.

Primal

A late entry sliding in before the year ends! I finally got to watch the second half of the first season last weekend and it was EXCELLENT. The pacing, the brutal fight scenes, the adorable dinosaur antics, the animation, the quiet moments - *mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah*

The most emotional moment for me was the part in which the protagonists watch, with sorrow, as the rabid dinosaur who’s been trying to kill them all night dies an excruciating death.

Also it sets up a fascinating new plotline right before ending in a cliffhanger!! Another one for the ‘had better get a next season’ list.

Games

Night in the Woods

This is one that’s been on my to play list for a few years and I was so glad I finally got my hands on it. It’s like...The Millennial Experience (TM), the game. I felt so seen, playing it. The character writing was fantastic.

Prey

I don’t know why I put off finishing this for so long. I guess I wasn’t in the right alien killing headspace for a while?? Anyway, the setting is gorgeous, the alien biology is weird and cool, the ethics are delightfully murky and the interconnectedness of the station was really cool, especially in the OH SHIT moments at the end. 

Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

I tried to narrow this down to one favorite arc, but found that I couldn’t do it. I love Balance for its comedy and creative energy. I love Amnesty for its drama and acting. I am loving Graduation for the depth of its world and the way in which the real story behind everything that’s happened is slowly unfurling. It’s a good podcast all around.  

The Magnus Archives

Who obsessively listened to every single season while playing Minecraft in about a month? Surely not me, nooooo. Of course not.

There’s also been a lot said on this one, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve seen things in here that I haven’t really seen elsewhere in horror. My particular favorites were the creepy psychiatric hospital in which the horror comes not from the patients, but from the denial of the doctor to believe them about their mental illnesses and every single thing related to the Anthropocene. The one with the Amazonian village made out of trash - CHILLS.

#tma #taz #prey 2017 #night in the woods #infinity train #warlock holmes #she-ra #zumbo's just desserts #a thought

[inventors-fair]

Recycling day: Commentary on “Unique Artifacts”

This contest went exactly how I was hoping it would go. A variety of artifacts, a whole slew of unique mechanical ideas, experimentation — what more could I ask for? I’m glad that people liked this one. I’ve been stewing with it for a little bit. I think there were a few wording issues that I’ll get around to, but I’m also a stickler for perfection. Y’all should know how pedantic I am at this point. I’m practically a vedalken.

Anyway. Commentary time!

@ajani​ — Devra Chai

I really like your callback to Indian inspiration and the nature of Kaladesh. Mechanically, this card’s got some chops. I also like the abstract use of energy here as it relates to food. There are a few easily fixable issues. Firstly, there should be a comma after “sacrificed.” Secondly, as this is a Food, the second ability should be “2, T, Sacrifice Devra Chai: You gain 3 life.” The “You” is super important. Lastly, and most pedantically, as great as the flavor text is, “it’s” should be “its” because English is certainly a language. Small issues aside, good idea overall. 

@deafeningsandwichpeach​ — Ancient Stone of Greed

The power level here is really hard to judge. The draw on the first ability seems really strong. Did you base this on Coveted Jewel? Overall, I feel that this card is a fine idea but a little busted with any artifact untapping. Filigree Sages makes this an infinite draw combo, but it’s not broken wide open. Let’s fix the wording. The second ability should be “Spend this mana only to cast a Hydra or Dragon spell.” This should be four lines, with “Skip your draw step” and the death trigger being on separate lines. I’m 80% sure that “Skip your draw step” also should be the first line on the card, and with that, you can probably take off the flavor text.

@demimonde-semigoddess​ — Gilded Yarn

This is an interesting one. Personally, adding an activated ability onto the equipment itself that’s not an equip cost seems a little hard to grok for the average player. Flavorfully, I understand the first ability, but not the attack clause at all. I’m not connecting it to anything specific in mythological tropes. It’s not a bad card mechanically, but I’m a little lost. Did you shift+enter for the equip cost? It looks really close to the other line.

@dimestoretajic​ — The Steel Leaf

The one and only! I like the callback. From a cursory look, I don’t think there is an actual “steel leaf” on Dominaria, but the sentiment is appreciated. I’m a little iffy on the fact that it doesn’t exactly do anything if you don’t have the trigger, and it doesn’t really help itself to the trigger, but it’s okay to have cards that you need to build around. The last ability is a little awkward because the way it’s worded now you can return green creatures your opponents control to their owner’s hand and it gets around hexproof, which I’m sure wasn’t intentional. “you control” could fix that easily.

@fractured-infinity​ — Cold-Iron Skillet

This is a fascinating little equipment. I love the creativity here. Honestly, not a whole lot to say about this one. It’s niche, but flavorful enough. Maybe the second ability should somehow be tied into being equipped to a creature? After all, the skillet’s not gonna do anything by itself, right? Major notes: both “foods” and “faeries” should be capitalized.

@gollumni​ — Pontiff’s Coinbox

Now this is unique. I can perfectly imagine the art here, which is majorly cool. I’m not sure why you tied the untapping to each opponent’s upkeep rather than their untap step, which is the way things usually go. And based on the amount of massive counters you can gain fairly early on, “twice the number” might be a little too powerful. The last ability should have “YOU gain 3 life” as well. I’d add a “(1)” to it as well, personally. I’m a little iffy on this kind of white acceleration, but there’s only one way to find out, right? 

@greensunzenith​ — Dust Bunny

It’s a super cute idea, for sure. I kinda like the idea that your opponent keeps having to sweep it away, and that it’ll keep coming back. The difficulty in removing it is a bit of a pain, but that’s the nature of the beast, I suppose. I wouldn’t call the design anything mind-blowing, and frankly, as a one-drop it’s a pain in the butt probably more than it should be, but it’s not bad. Might have to cost 2 or 3 mana, and I would add a little flavor if you can come up with something.

@grornt​ — Smothering Rug

Well, I didn’t expect a rug for this contest, so kudos there. It changes up combat in a really powerful way, and I’m worried about its power level in a limited format. It’s an anti-trampler, anti-first striker, and man, that makes combat complicated. This is a card that would have to see a significant amount of testing, considering that every deck can play it. Doesn’t blow me away, but it’s good enough. Again, might want to consider flavor text with the amount of rules text that you have here.

@hypexion​ — Spy Satellite

It’s unfortunate that we had two spy-oriented cards submitted here. Surveillance is a great concept, and I’m glad you used the name in a flavorful way. I don’t know how powerful the surveil is here considering that it’s harder to remove than other creatures which have repeatable surveil. It’s a good card, certainly. I don’t know if the second ability needs UU instead of 1U, but I guess I can see the reasoning. Flavor text is pretty good. Overall, it’s a fine enough card. Save it for a custom cube.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes​ — Press of Magic Knowledge

Ah, batching. I think that you were ambitious in the way that you designed this card, and I’m not sure the payoff is entirely worth it. Seven different creature types is a lot to ask for, and it implies that all these different types would be in a single set. I think that’s entirely too much to ask for. The card itself isn’t...bad? It’s incredibly powerful. The wording might be a little convoluted. Why does it give the ability to the spells, instead of having it just be a trigger? “Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may tap an untapped Spellcaster you control. When you do, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.” A little easier to grok. Name and flavor text could use a little work, too. Doesn’t excite me.

@illharg-the-rave-boar​ — Hunted Windmill

I’m still thinking about this card. The fact that is has menace and that it gives your opponent a single creature is kind of an “eff you” but in limited, it’s certainly a pain in the butt. The two toughness really makes it feel fragile, but maybe the eight power makes up for it? I think this card could be fine. I think it could even be good. It’s still asking a LOT of questions that only playtesting and the right environment could ask for.

Also tfw “Dawn Kijote.” Take your kudos and go.

@kavinika​ — Ace of Spades

This card is... Restrictive. Basically, it says that “for the rest of the game, I decide all coin flips,” and that’s not interactive. It’s not exactly fun. If it was a sacrifice effect with a secret kind of ETB, then I guess it would be okay, but unlike Krark’s Thumb, it’s getting rid of a key part of randomness with no time limit, and that’s not great. I liked the philosophy of your submission, but I don’t feel that this card is adherent to MTG principles.

@koth-of-the-hammerpants — Amphora of Ephara

Kudos for making me look up the word “amphora.” Yet another card I can easily visualize! So, in terms of power level. Man. This card is a pain in the butt. In the right deck, it can grind out aggro decks with even the smallest creatures, and I assume there would be enough artifact/enchantment removal to make it not busted, but holy cow this could be a potential pain. And you know what? That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I would call this card annoying, certainly, but not in a “win the game” way. Two things: One, there should be a comma after the blue mana symbol in the activated ability. Two... “a city?” Too vague. Gotta spice it up with worldbuilding and/or specificity, man.

@machine-elf-paladin​ — Headmaster’s Lectern

Another great choice for a unique artifact here. Love it. It’s a simple design, but it’s perfectly functional, and sometimes that’s all we can ask for. It’s a great uncommon. Doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a card that works, and that’s just plain fine. Flavor text 7/10. It’s a little hard to grok exactly what that immortalization looks like and where we are in the timeline. You set up a grand artifact, and then add a funny bit, and the two don’t exactly mesh perfectly. Both parts are fine. Again, good enough to worldbuild.

@mistershinyobject​ — Peace Table

Let’s get the good out of the way: I like how the middle ability gives a “swords to plowshares” kind of feel. That aspect works. That first ability, though, is missing a major wording. As it reads now, you can tap it and tap any number of creatures with different names — that you don’t control. And you can target those same creatures after. So, basically, for four mana your opponent never gets to attack again. I know that wasn’t your intention at all, but that’s the way the submission reads. Minor note: the flavor text should feel funny, but the art and concept is pretty serious, and it’s a little bit of a tonal clash.

@misterstingyjack​ — Unwanted Gift

Surprise! It’s horrible. Not the card, though, because I love this card. I can see it going into a set with Morph, and that works perfectly well. It might have to be mythic, because holy shit a reverse Immortal Sun is still awful to deal with. And I take a LOT of issue with that last ability. Just have it punish for every card draw! It’s totally functional without that weird restriction.

@nine-effing-hells​ — Beldam’s Mortar

This is my favorite artifact in terms of uniqueness. You added mythological aspects that are little-known but easy to grok, it feels magical, it seems cool, and it’s so unusual that you can’t help but to just plain love it. Now, the card. Using Bladed Bracers as a template, there should be one line for the equip buff, and another that says “As long as equipped creature is a Druid, Hag, Shaman or Warlock, it can’t be blocked.” I might take out either Druid or Shaman from that list, personally? Three might be the limit for batching. The flavor text could also talk a little bit more about the importance of the mortal itself as a means of transportation.

@nvijork​ — Scrying Dish

I have a soft spot for tutors. They are my absolute favorite cards. I love combo, control, unique synergy, all that crazy stuff. Additionally, I love randomness. So, there are two changes I would make to this card, one mechanical and two syntactically. The syntax one is that “3″ should be “three.” That’s just how Magic works. There should also be a comma after “(4).” Mechanically, I would also add that after you shuffle and put the cards on top, you draw a card. It’s the payoff to the scry, it bumps the power level up, and it justifies the cost. Overall, I really liked this card.

@real-aspen-hours​ — Nutrient slurry

I guess this card would be an uncommon? You gotta add rarity to text submissions. I think that for next week I’ll add an example post. Anyway, besides the name capitalization, I think that this card actually works really well. It feels green, it’s powerful enough, it’s synergistic with the game, and could see some pretty cool +1/+1 counter interaction. Not bad at all. The flavor text might need to be in quotes, because, well, it’s first-person. The card is pretty great, but the submission needs polish.

@reaperfromtheabyss​ — Resincase Relic

I really would have added imprint here. Although, would that imply that the card never comes back? It’s honestly not the worst price to pay. This is a perfectly functional mana rock, a theoretically budget version of Chrome Mox, and I’m okay with that. It should be “one mana” instead of “a mana,” looking at the Thriving lands and Chrome Mox itself. And two lines of flavor text wouldn’t have gone amiss here.

@scavenger98​ — Storm Jar

I really want to like this card. For the first ability, I would absolutely make it a may ability — “you may have target creature gain or lose flying until end of turn.” Gotta simplify it. The second ability needs the “s” in “sacrifice” to be capitalized. This is a fun card mechanically, and very potentially powerful in limited! What’s with the flavor text, though? I don’t get it.

@shandylamb​ — Cursed Compass

So, major mechanical issue: You, as the player, don’t explore — the equipped creature explores. It would read: Equipped creature has “T, Pay 1 life: Scry 1, then this creature explores.” Easy enough fix, but needs to happen. Additionally, good lord, this should be at least an uncommon. Potential scrying and exploring each turn? Very powerful, moreso than I think you’re giving credit for. A great idea for sure, but NOT common, no sir. I like it, don’t get me wrong. Also, I assume this is from one of the Pirates movies. In the future, please clarify the specific piece of media. 

@starch255​ — Orb of Petrification

This is a card that I really spent a lot of time thinking about. I still don’t know what to feel about it. It’s evident that you spend a lot of time thinking about this card and putting it together, and I want to give you credit for that first and foremost. The second ability is really weird to me, because it prevents the orb itself from activating its abilities, and it shuts down all artifacts on board? I’m not positive how that works flavorfully. It’s not bad. It’s probably super powerful in commander, not gonna lie. Control magic out the wazoo. I’m still on the fence about this one. Fine in standard, fine in limited, probably part of a frustrating combo in eternal formats. Still gotta congratulate you for the design process.

@teaxch​ — Semaphore Flag

Another really cool choice for a unique artifact. Functionally fun as a build-around. The card needs some kind of basic flavor text, because man it’s looking blank as heck right now. But older cards do that sometimes. Maybe I’m just a stickler for these sorts of things. Overall: probably fine. Probably not gonna see play except for in that deck made by That Guy that copies a buttload of artifacts.

~

Thank you all for your submissions! New contest tomorrow. Get the creative juices flowing.

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #contest #entries #commentary #unique artifact #inventor's fair

[philocake]

Yep, you guessed it, more HTTYD Homecoming salt

I am feeling extra salty today after rewatching the thing and reading the comment sections of the clips shown on Youtube. Today, I’m going to complain about worldbuilding. And some other stuff, cause every second of this short is wrong.

Alright, let me remind myself how rushed this thing is before I get into tearing it apart. It’s not even funny. All the dialogue feels forced and out of character like half of the time, and the pacing is just really strange. Yes, yes, it’s a short, it has lower budget, blah, blah, blah... Not a valid excuse. One, they made the same mistake they made in HTTYD3: too much plot for too little screentime. Two, Gift of the Night Fury had several things to say and yet the pacing was not awkward at all. It really felt like part of the first movie instead of something with less budget thrown into it.

Gift of the Night Fury was nice and heartwarming, and every single character and all they said and did stayed true to the film’s canon. They actually show us how the characters have been doing and give us a little bit of development, and every funny and cute moment is perfectly balanced. Homecoming has none of that. It tries to be charming and its attempts come across as desperate and weird, and man, don’t get me started on how much they clung to comedy - yet again, same mistake with HTTYD3. The jokes and funny comments are just so out of character, so unnecessary, so sudden, so repetitive and so half-hearted that I can’t even force a smile and give the writers any pity for trying.

I’m sorry, but the “and then it hit me” joke was only funny the first time. When a 20 minute short starts milking jokes, you know they have no idea what they’re doing and just want to make you laugh so you can ignore their fatal flaws.

Anyway, let me talk about character development and worldbuilding, because man Homecoming completely smashed these two very important concepts that Gift of the Night Fury treated with impeccable respect.

The characters have been destroyed. The whole play thing was a mess and no one should’ve acted they way they did. Why is Hiccup okay with that disaster? He’s the chief, he should have a little more saying in what they do and don’t do. Yes, he’s Hiccup, he’s gonna be goofy and all... but being goofy does not equal to being a helpless idiot. Actually, HTTYD3 and Homecoming both seem to have deemed it a good idea to turn perfectly good, stable characters into idiots for the sake of comedy. Take Tuffnut, for example. Yes, we all know the twins. We all know how they are. We also know that Tuffnut is not that big of a moron. And omfg, don’t even get me started on Gobber. I’ve always liked his character, but in Homecoming... I don’t even have the words. He’s awful. He’s annoying. He’s stupid. He’s not Gobber. I didn’t think you could destroy a character this badly after HTTYD3, but here we are. I don’t even want to talk more about what he does in detail because it pisses me off so much. That person is just not Gobber. Nothing else to say.

Speaking of characters... Where the absolute hell is Valka. They destroyed her enough in HTTYD3 (physically, too) and now they just throw her out of the picture and offer no explanations? Not a single mention? The yak-nog got a cameo and she didn’t? Fantastic! I want to think she did the most sensible thing and ran off to live with the dragons, somehow. Would be better than the freakshow Berk is. I would do the same if I lived surrounded by 1-dimensional morons, Val.

More problems on Berk, let’s see... Why don’t the kids know about Stoick and are allowed to trash his statue without being called out? Shouldn’t he be talked about like he’s the stuff of legends (which he is) to every kid? Hiccup was told countless stories about him when he was little. Yes, he’s his son, but that shouldn’t give only him the privilege of listening to stories. And speaking of telling kids things, why have Hiccup and Astrid not told their kids about the dragons sooner? You’d think these two, of all people, would be so excited to educate their little ones about the marvels of those creatures. They look like they’re at least 6+ both, they should have already known about Berk’s history with dragons. But of course, Homecoming couldn’t afford that. Gotta have some sort of plot going on!

Now, to the Hidden World... I’ll be honest with you, I found that scene with Toothless drawing Hiccup to be absolutely depressing. Not because he’s longing his best friend (which he shouldn’t, because the damn director stated he forgot about him), but because he should feel miserable trapped in that place. He and his kids should feel miserable. For one, the Light Fury is literally a controlling ass. Did you see how offended she looked when Toothless dared to remember his past life with the human that changed his life? Oh, how dare he! His life must only be centered around her and her numb skull! After all, she’s this random dragon he fell in love with in 3 seconds! Gotta love how she acted all bitchy until he was forced to comfort her. My headcanon is that she’s literally controlling him with pheromones. The real Toothless is too smart to stay with such a plain, useless, unaccepting dragon for the rest of his life.

As for his kids, yes I did say they should be unhappy. The only thing they can do is wrestle each other and play with whatever those floating orb thingies are supposed to be. Wow, how fun... They’re little baby dragons, trying to enjoy their early years of life! In the outside world, they would have been able to see the sky, interact with the environment, discover all the animals that surround them, travel back and forth with their parents... but they’re stuck on that pretty cage, bored out of their lives. The Hidden World is literally captivity.

Look at it, this poor thing is so miserable... No wonder it was so desperate to look for adventures, so much that even a drawing of a creature it has never seen gave it the magical abilities to find New Berk.

Which brings me to another point, how did the Night Lights find New Berk? How did they know they were supposeed to find something outside the Hidden World only via a drawing? And how were they able to fly for so long? And how did Toothless and the Light Fury know exactly where to find them? Also, earlier on, why did the Light Fury even light up that glowing rock thingie when they were in the Hidden World? She’s that awful, controlling of a dragon that she can’t even let her kids sleep in peace. And she huffed out green fire? What is happening?

The plot of Homecoming is just forced, and it’s really stinkin’ obvious this thing was done for money and nothing more. You’ve got cute little Toothless babies (I find the Night Lights to be rather hideous, but that’s just me) and you’ve got cute little Hiccstrid kids. Obviously you want to make money off of that, because more than half the fandom won’t give a shit if they make sense or not.

These people just went right ahead and trashed the third movie’s canon to make this cashgrab. Let’s ignore the fact that the director explicitly stated that Toothless had forgotten about Hiccup for a second and focus on what happens on the short. Toothless immediately recognizes Hiccup while he’s in a suit just by his scent and voice, but in the third movie he just has to wait till the hand trick comes up to recgonize him. Toothless was also totally cool with people, and that smug look he gave his family after letting Gobber touch him just proves he was there to make them see how great humans are. And yet he acts like he will murder a few unarmed humans that came slightly close to his home, with no way in? Suuuure.

Actually, let me vent a little here about what I said earlier - HTTYD3 and Homecoming both just destroyed the hand touch thing and I will never forgive them for that. It was supposed to be a unique moment, a special and unforgettable action that started it all, but now they’ve gotta milk it for the feels. The reverse hand touch in HTTYD3 was so forced I actually sighed, and then they just kept forcing it throughout. Shame on y’all.

I could go on for days tearing this thing apart... but I don’t want to give this thing more of my time than it deserves.

#httyd #httyd 3 #httyd homecoming #httyd criticism #the hidden world #homecoming spoilers

[muthaz-rapapa]

Rewatch: Mahou Tsukai Precure Ep 2

For the record, I am always going to be that little girl excited to go magic school for the first time.

You won’t take that away from me, EVAH!

Hello, hello again and welcome to episode 2 of our rewatch marathon!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, hahaha), I couldn’t make it shorter since I have to talk about everything but I did finish it by Sunday so yay~!

Oh, and I’m going to switch to using the terms “witch/wizard” in place of “mage” from now on. The rough translation of “魔法使い” (mahoutsukai) is literally “magic user” but it can also be exchanged with words like “mage”, “sorcerer”, “magician” so technically, it’s not wrong. “Witch” and “wizard” can also have more specific translations ( (魔女, majo & 魔道士, madoushi, respectively) but I still feel they’re more appropriate for MahoPre’s setting. It just depends how you interpret the context, I guess.

Starting with the Snailiner.

I mean, it’s a giant snail train transporting you between worlds.

That’s so friggin’ awesome!! *squees* xDD

And here are our Muggle newbies, taking in the inter-realm sights for all its worth.

But that’s not as important as OMGERD, Mofurun’s lil’ tail twitching in wonder and curiosity! KYAAAAA~!!!

Mofurun smooshing her nose to the glass to get a closer look~!!

SO BABEY, IT HURTS!!!!

(੭ु ›ω‹ )੭ु⁾⁾♡

Riko, however, is eager to get down to business and tries to get an answer on how Mofu-chan came to life...

But these two are just too happy that they can talk to each other now that they don’t really care about the whys or the whats of the hows and UGH!

My heart! *clutches chest* 

♡(｡>ˇ艸<)

God, we know Mirai has probably been talking to Mofurun since she could first utter words (and likely baby gabbled to her before that, too) but imagine how long that wait must have been for Mofurun! Never knowing if there will ever be chance for her to tell Mirai know how much she loves her and everything!

I’m so happy Mofu-baby got her wish in the end! <3

Oh, Riko...

You’re in for a lot of these non-answers, I’m afraid. (^ ^ ;;)

Next is Mirai’s turn to ask the questions and of course, she wants to know what Precure is.

We already know how this goes as a yearly tradition but it’s interesting how centuries/extensively long periods of time can embellish a legend so much that it differs significantly from how it was originally told or what it actually means.

The way Riko explains it, it’s as if Precure has appeared in the world before when in reality, Mirai and Riko are in fact the very first Precure (in this universe).

The conditions match up because (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD):

1) The “magic” (Precure) Mother Rapapa mentioned before her passing will occur when the two worlds come together again. Cue a person from the Mundane World (Mirai) meeting and teaming up with a person from the Magic World (Riko) to fulfill that prophecy. Also note that before these two, no pair like them has ever showed up since Mother Rapapa’s death even though the Magic World has already found ways to travel to the Mundane World and back long ago.

2) Mother Rapapa’s powers are implied to take on the form of Linkle Stones. That said, they disappeared when she did...until they reappeared with the arrival of Precure. We can take that to mean that Precure are the inheritors of Rapapa’s will, to reunite the separate worlds.

3) The birth of Ha-chan, Mother Rapapa’s reincarnation, happened after Mirai and Riko became Precure together.

So really, if I’m getting this right, we might have three versions of this legend: the one that is the most commonly known but not exactly correct [Riko’s version]; the one which is told by the oldest fairies/magical beings who lived in the time when Mother Rapapa was still alive and the world was still one [the original]; finally, the one that’s happening before our eyes where the connection and bond forged between Mirai and Riko can bring about miracles, such as the return of Mother Rapapa through Ha-chan [the true version].

The fact that Deusmast’s revival coincides with these events are anything but coincidental. Mother Rapapa knew she was going to have to face it again so it’s not a stretch to say she might have planned for her own rebirth in the present day to prepare for that.

Two girls who can bring the two worlds together will become Precure, wielders of Mother Rapapa’s powers. Said two girls will also raise and look after her future self, Kotoha, before she’s ready to face her true purpose. When the two worlds are in sync again and Kotoha accepts her role as a divine existence, then, combined with the gathered Linkle Stones and the extra support of Precure and every living being on planet earth, the reborn Mother Rapapa can finally be summoned in her full might to confront and defeat Chaos once and for all.

......or at least, that’s how I’m interpreting it as of this moment. I may have gotten few details wrong but see, this is why I need to do a rewatch. To find out how on or far off the mark I am.

I’m really liking this theory, though, cuz it just makes too much sense! compared to the crazy ones I normally make anyways, lol xD;

Erhem, alright a break from the wall of text.

Mirai is like “Wow, that’s pretty cool!” because it’s not every day you’ve acquired abilities only found in stories and tales while Riko is like...

“Wait...wut?” *PROCESSING*

And then...

Proceeds to probably have one of the biggest revelations of her life and goes all creepy smiley about it.

lol, oh, Riko. You’re scaring me, darling. (^ ^ ;;)

But jokes and laughs aside, you can see the differences between their personalities in these few seconds.

Riko wants to be recognized and respected so badly as a proper witch that she’ll even settle for using a shortcut through the Emerald or simply bearing the title of Precure to get there. Despite the fact that neither of those are synonymous with the credit and skill earned from hard work. In other words, she’d only be a witch in name and nothing more. It’s not truly her magic.

However, from Riko’s standpoint, you have to understand why she’s desperate. She’s got poor marks in the most essential subject for magic users and thinks something’s wrong with her because of that. She can’t handle her embarrassment from that ineptitude and if she’s tried everything already and nothing works, then she’s going to have to resort to more outrageous methods to get out of the dilemma she’s in.

This logic is filled with flaws and it’s terribly worrisome but Riko, if anything, is determined to make something of herself. She may have fallen down more times than she can count but she always made herself stand up.

It’s hard not to cheer for her and want her to succeed.

Mirai, in comparison, seems more naive and simple-minded.

Riko’s excitement is not something she can comprehend right now because for one thing, she’s never had to shoulder the angst that comes with not being able to fulfill expectations that is, until the epilogue.

But rather than see this as a bland aspect of her character, we should appreciate that Mirai is a very stable, positive and warm person.

When Riko couldn’t deal with the frustration over her own perceived failures, Mirai never judged her for what she could or couldn’t do. She still wholeheartedly accepted Riko, unfailingly believed that Riko can achieve great things and still saw Riko as the most amazing witch she’s ever come across. Yes, even though there were more accomplished magic users she’s met since coming over to the Magic World, the one Mirai continued to admire and wanted to get close to the most was Riko.

It’s true that for a majority of the season, Mirai played more of supporting role to Riko at times and didn’t have any personal wish other than wanting to stay together with her beloved friends. Nevertheless, she’s always immensely cherished by the people around her for who she is. Especially Riko, who really needed someone like Mirai in her life. That Mirai places those she loves above any great ambition and later goes on to chase a dream of rejoining the two worlds so everyone can be happy together, it really proves how purely wonderful she is as a person.

That’s cute. 8D

I’d be lying if I wasn’t reminded of Harry Potter when I saw this because it did.

But this is a magical girl anime where almost everything is cutesy-fied so I’m obliged to scream when I see something I think is cute! xD;

This time, it’s Riko’s turn to treat Mirai to food!

Awesome! I like to believe they do this all the time. Riko takes care of everything when they visit the Magic World and Mirai provides when they’re in the Mundane World.

A part of their relationship that’s always balanced no matter what.

Ha-chan and Mofurun don’t have to pay, though, cuz they babies and it’s okay for their mommies to spoil them~ <3

Shivery Mofu-baby~

lol, she even goes to touch it a second time like “Brrr~, this is chilly, but one more cuz it’s gives me the tingles, bRrRrRr~!!”

xDDD

That looks sooooo cool!

I love mandarin oranges and I’ve ate them slightly chilled before. They’re great. 

But eating one in this manner? I wanna try, I wanna try!

FEED DA TINY BEAR 

( ☉ω⊙)

(๑ˊ͈ ॢꇴ ˋ͈)〜♡॰ॱ

Mirai’s so enjoying every moment of this impromptu trip and Riko’s quite satisfied that she can impress someone for once.

But then there’s that dreaded crunching noise and, well...

The mouth can’t lie while eating, after all, lol.

Ok, Riko’s faces are the best.

She went from “Are you serious, don’t make me look bad, plz” to “Shoot, these are hard as rocks, oh no, how do I protect my vulnerable image in front of this Muggle?! *sweats*”

In the end, she dodged it with tsun, hahaha

So they finally arrive in the Magic World and frankly, it’s a beautiful place. Is every piece of land a floating island?! I want to live there! :D

Also, yes, while StarPre did take extra steps in worldbuilding, there are few things you gotta remember:

1) MahoPre aired before StarPre did, so it should be expected for later seasons to improve on what their predecessors brought to the table. Seeing as MahoPre and StarPre had the same series coordinator, Isao Murayama, I’d say he definitely got better when it came to this topic.

2) MahoPre only had one foreign world in its setting while StarPre had many planets since it dealt with space.

3) MahoPre still did what a lot of other Precure seasons opted not to do: give the main characters free access to explore and learn about other worlds. 

Seriously, the “fantasy land seized by darkness/evil and needs to be saved by girls from another dimension” plot is present in almost every installation of this tv franchise that it’s just refreshing to not be restricted by those limits for once.

I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. :P

Riko said the Magic Academy is at the center of the Magic World. So does that mean it’s the highest authority on all matters regarding magic? Because I don’t recall anything about the Magic World having an actual government.

Well, anyways, I suspect that all the students’ wands are registered with the school otherwise that’d be a huge security risk if anyone can just open the gate with a simple spell. (o_o ;;)

Oh, and look, it’s the kitty from Riko’s metro pass! :D

Same, Mirai.

SAAAAAAAMMMMMMMEEEEEE

SUUUUURRRREEE, WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT 

8P

Here’s MahoPre’s version of McGonagall. Strangely enough, we never got a name for her. Same for the Headmaster. They were always addressed as just their faculty names.

Anyways, she’s as stern and strict as you’d expect of any teacher but even so, I don’t find her disapproval towards Riko’s actions to be too unfair or too harsh.

I mean, c’mon, if you were in her position and found out that one of your students broke a bunch of rules overnight only for them to come back with an outsider and this explanation, wouldn’t you react the same way she did?

The lady’s just doing her job.

Plus, her anger is justified because not only did Riko break the rules and exposed their kind but she could’ve really gotten hurt out there all by herself as well. Riko didn’t even bring any money with her for food, for crying out loud.

I’m sorry, Riko, as much as I’d like to give in to those puppy dog eyes (aaaahhhh, don’t look at me like that, you cutie~!), the professor’s right about this one.

Still, all things considered, she doesn’t outright expel Riko. Not because she doesn’t have that authority, I don’t think (that lies with the Headmaster), but it seems to me she might’ve wanted to find an alternative punishment as expulsion might be too cruel. 

She even gave Riko fair warning not to leave the room until she found the Headmaster to discuss what to do next and when she saw Riko running around campus later despite that order, she freaked out in concern. 

“Do you want to be expelled, Riko-san?!”

So yea, I’'d like to believe the Deputy Headmistress, at least, didn’t want to send Riko packing for home if it could be helped.

That done and said, it probably hit Mirai just how much trouble Riko’s in right now. Sure, Riko leaving school at night without permission is her own responsibility to bear and the same goes for bringing Mirai back to the Magic World with her when she shouldn’t have.

But still, Mirai being here is a violation of the Magic World at large. If she were aware of that, maybe she wouldn’t have gone with Riko in the first place (noooo!) so that Riko wouldn’t have to face possible expulsion.

Fortunately, Riko’s a sensible girl and knows Mirai isn’t in the wrong. It was she who wanted to prove herself, after all. She was just too blinded by her hopes to think about the consequences.

And so she revealed to Mirai that she’s actually a remedial student.

Like, Riko’s quite upset about the circumstances as it is but she still has it in her to be decent and honest with Mirai on her reasons for going to the Mundane World. It’s the least she could do for getting Mirai involved in magical affairs and taking her all the way here.

The search for the Emerald, suddenly becoming Precure, all these things were to show everyone that she can use magic effectively.

Riko’s pretty much reiterating what I said earlier in the post but I don’t think she really understood the full extent of it. At least, not yet. 

She still wants the Emerald, of course, because her wish to be a great witch hasn’t changed.

She just realizes that yea, she broke the rules and no Emerald is going to excuse her out of the scolding she’s in for.

Then Mofurun decides to rolypoly on over to poor, depressed Riko and goes “SO WHAT? LOOK AT ME, I’M ADORABLE!!”

lol, j/k, j/k, she really said “I smell something sweet!” which was followed be this...

Riko and Mirai’s Diamond pendants glowing~

...honestly, they should’ve just let Mofurun do the explaining to the Deputy Head cuz it seems that every time Mofurun is within range of a Linkle Stone and announces its presence (“A sweet smell!”), they automatically start shining and voila~, the legend is real!

Ah, but really, Mofurun seems to be telling the girls to not sweat the small stuff.

Why? Cuz...

DESTINY!!!

......lol, yea, Mofurun knows Mirai and Riko are in for something greater than this little snag in the road and just wants to let them know to cheer them up.

And hey, she’s right. :)

It got Mirai motivated, at least, to go and explain things to the Headmaster herself. Maybe if a Muggle can prove she performed magic as Precure, they’d let Miko off the hook because then they’d realize she was telling the truth.

Again, Riko is surprised by the lengths Mirai’s willing to go for her. They can’t really be called strangers anymore after all that’s happened but they haven’t known each other long enough (it hasn’t even been 24 hrs yet!) that they can call each other friends yet either.

So why Mirai’s doing this, when there aren’t a lot benefits for her, simply baffles Riko.

*whispers* That’s what a best friend is, Riko-chan~

Meanwhile, Mirai, of course, doesn’t know her way around the school, much less who the Headmaster is or what he looks like, but that’s okay because she’s sooooo cute! x3

And maybe it’s a good thing this happened during spring break? Otherwise, she’d be catching the attention of the other students and faculty and she’d have a hard time getting to where she needed to go.

Like this when a breeze just drifted through the air and she suddenly got a feeling that she’s gotta go THAT way.

Humuhumu...yea, I don’t think it’s just the Precure powers that’s at work here. Mirai does have innate magical abilities of her own.

I’ve got a theory on that based on some MahoPre trivia I read, about the scratched concept of her having magical ancestors, but I’ll save that for another time.

Right, where were we? Oh, yes, the wind led her to a tree.

It looks like any ordinary tree but by judging by the way Mirai gazes up at it, something tells her it’s really more than that.

See? That’s her intuition. The magical side of it, anyways.

And whaddaya know, the wind led her to the person she wanted to find, too!

‘Course she doesn’t think he’s the Headmaster at first glance and who can blame her when he’s wearing a face that young.

But she’s not even thinking about the Headmaster at that point because did he just say wands? He said wands, right?

Yep, she’s got her priorities sorted out, haha~

Back in the classroom, Riko’s lost in her thoughts and can’t really forget how Mirai’s been nothing but friendly to her since the moment they met.

So even though Riko finds this devotion weird, she still can’t help but worry about her and decides it’s not good to just let Mirai wander off by herself when she doesn’t even know her way around.

Kyuuu~, I love it when Riko shows her soft side, especially when it’s about Mirai. She’s always like “まったく ...” in an exasperated way but gives in because she knows she can’t win against Mirai’s niceness and that just brings out her own niceness, d’aww~ <3

Now back to Mirai where she’s getting quite a fascinating lesson about wands. How every time someone is born in the Magic World, a Wand Tree immediately grows one out to give to that baby, how that’s the wand they use for life, etc.

That’s such a cool birth certificate! Can I trade mine in for a wand of my own?!

xD;

I’d hold that thought, Gramps.

A Muggle isn’t just drawn to a specific Wand Tree for no reason.

Maybe the reason why it hasn’t generated any new wand for ages is because it was waiting for someone like Mirai, a resident of the other world, to show up.

But as expected of the Headmaster, he could immediately tell Mirai’s not from their world and asks what she’s doing here.

Mirai tells him she needs to find the Headmaster and the way she holds Mofurun tighter to her (KYAAAAA~!!!) when the subject turns over to Riko says a lot about how she can’t let Riko’s life get ruined just because she broke a few rules.

Not when Riko saved what was most important to her. To the world, it might have been nothing but a small gesture of kindness but that same gesture is what meant the world to Mirai.

That’s why she has to return the favor to Riko. Riko helped her and now it’s her turn and that means...

PAUSE.

Please take a moment to squee at rolypoly Mofurun part 2 first.

........

We good? Okay, back to regular programming...

DEUS EX MACH-I’M KIDDING~

These are Wand Trees so I’m sure they’re sentient and can sense the sincerity in Mirai’s words along with her magic potential.

For that...

She gets her very own wand!

*gasp* And oh my, what a pretty wand it is! It suits my baby very well!

I am very pleased! 8D

Not only is Mirai sincere, she’s well-mannered as well.

And Mofurun, too. What good children they are. :D

The magic tree just granted her something meant to conjure magic with.

What do you think she’s going to do with it if not that? Use it as a back scratcher?!

That aside, I forgot about this. So it was the supernatural forces that dictated Mirai should be allowed into the magic realm and not because of the Headmaster’s decision.

I like that.

Then Batty shows up and starts destroying everything in search for them and Mirai immediately leaves to go find Riko.

I’m not sure if it’s because she knows she needs to be with Riko in order to transform into Precure or if she’s simply worried about Riko or both or what. But Mirai doesn’t even think twice about the dangers of facing Batty alone when a person she cares about is somewhere in the crossfire.

And it’s so clear that Mirai cares about the world Riko comes from. Not just because it’s Riko’s school and home but also because she has great respect for magic users in general. 

She’s dreamed of meeting them for a long time and though they’re hesitant to welcome her because she’s a normal human (aka not like them), that doesn’t stop her from doing what’s right. When Batty tries to order her around, she defiantly (and G-ratedly) flips him off for all the havoc he’s making.

Yep, she’s not afraid of the bad guys, my brave little girl~ <3

Riko’s timing and aim are impeccable as always, lol

She’s almost like a human missile! xD;

That’s right you did, Riko! And you did a splendid job, bravo! *clapclapclap*

Mirai’s just relieved that Riko’s unharmed.

I mean, if Riko’s still giving tsundere service, then she’s definitely alright, ahahaha~

See?

Riko can’t win against Mirai when she smiles at her like that~

Blushy Riko is so...too...adorable for words! x3

Then they hold hands and yea, you know what happens afterwards.

Frankly, the fight in this ep wasn’t any better or different than the first one and only a few short moments are worth mentioning.

Like Miracle trying her best to not let any more damage come to the school and crashing to the ground because of it.

Even though things will go back to normal, with no signs of a battle ever happening there, after they get rid of the Yokubaru and all (but then again, they didn’t know that...did they??)

She’s too nice, jeez...

Magical checking if her partner is okay and Miracle brushing it off like “Whoopsie!”

And Magical getting irritated again but whup, no time for that, gotta protect Miracle!

Haha~!! xDD

Anyways, the biggest moment that needs to be discussed is this one when Magical’s almost doubting whether saving the school’s worth it since she’s in for expulsion anyway because she disobeyed the Deputy Headmistress.

Hmmm, I’m not criticizing her or calling her self-centered or anything. It’s just that it’s obvious Riko has weighed herself down with too many negative thoughts that it’s hard for her to see there’s still something she can do.

She’s Precure now so regardless of whether she gets expelled or not, she’s one of the only people there who can stand up to that monster.

And like Miracle said, nothing has been decided yet. They can still persuade the Headmaster to let Riko stay at school.

If they don’t at least try, then it’s guaranteed they’ll only get nothing out of it.

And that’s hardly the ending anyone wants, right?

Whatever the outcome may be, Mirai’s determined to do her best for Riko. If it’s too much for Riko to bear alone, Mirai will be there to support her.

Riko calls Mirai a busybody for this but you can tell by her expression that she’s really grateful Mirai talked her out of giving up.

Even Mofurun’s happy, perched up on high~

<D

Then they get their Linkle Sticks and perform Diamond Eternal for the first time and blow the monster away, yay, all’s well that ends well.

Well, almost.

Thankfully, the Headmaster witnessed everything that transpired, sparing them from any need to explain.

And not only does Riko get to stay at school (whoohoo~!) but now Mirai will be attending classes with her as well!

I guess there are endings where all’s well that ends better, after all, huh? Hehehe~

And that’s all for this week. Will try to get ep 3 by next Sunday. Bye for now~

#mahou tsukai precure #asahina mirai #izayoi riko #mofurun #cure miracle #cure magical

[incomprehensiblelentils]

I did not get around to this yesterday but, a short selection of fictional things that meant a lot to me over the last decade! ...it is going under a cut bc it is Too Long sorry lmao.

Books

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: this book came out in September 2017 and I have read it four times already. It’s the kind of book I want to write but I’m not sure I’m clever enough to: every event and every character is so purposeful and you won’t catch everything the first time through. Every time I reread it I find something new to marvel at. I hope the Hulu series is half as good

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: this was the first piece of fiction I ever found with a family with a Chinese father and a white mother. This family is a lot less functional than my family, but I've read this three times because that means the world to me. 

Ash by Malinda Lo: I discovered this in 2011 and it was the first f/f novel I ever read, and as I would later learn, one of a handful with a happy ending at the time, particularly in YA fiction. For a long time, I reread it every time I felt hopeless. I just reread it again last month and it is still as beautiful and meaningful to me as in 2011.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: This is an Asian-inspired fantasy (becoming more common now, but still irritatingly rare) written by a queer Asian woman, with f/f. I think it is only the second one of these, after Ash? It is frustratingly rare, anyway. The worldbuilding is incredible also.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan: We are getting more stories about biracial Asians, but they are still pretty rare and I treasure every one. This one felt so real to me.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth: The first half of this book captures so beautifully what it’s like growing up queer in a religious environment when you don’t even have the words or self-awareness to know what you’re feeling. This was another one I read over and over again when I was feeling low.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: this is just a book for horse girls. I don’t know how else to describe this lol. I also feel like the romance is super downplayed until the very end, and honestly barely feels like a romance to me, so that’s refreshing!

Movies:

Pacific Rim (2013): I remember having this weird feeling when asked to give my top 3 movies once in high school, like maybe my favorite movie hadn’t come out yet so I couldn’t answer properly. I was right; this is the movie I was waiting for. This is my favorite movie. The feelings this movie gives me is the standard I hold all movies to.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019): but Megan, didn’t this just come out? Yes, and it’s my other favorite movie now. I love (almost) every second of this movie. This movie made me feel a way that I thought maybe I might never feel again, after a certain other franchise movie this year took a dump on my heart. I don’t care that we’re never getting a sequel, we got this and that’s enough for me.

Thor (2011): Those of you who have been around awhile know that I really love this movie. I loved it before we all jumped on the Thor train after Ragnarok and I will continue to love it probably my whole life. It just makes me happy.

Aquaman (2018): This is Thor but underwater and with a biracial hero. It made me cry in the theater and I do not want to hear any negative opinions about it, I find them personally wounding.

Belle (2013): The fact that Gugu Mbatha-Raw isn’t a superstar is tragic, and this movie is gorgeous and lovely and made me feel a lot of things as a biracial person.

Mad Max Fury Road (2015): I remember seeing the trailer for this in the theater and going “yikes that looks like a thing I would never watch.” Joke’s on you, past me!!!! I find this a deeply stressful but glorious film that I can only watch like, once or twice a year.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): I do not need or want to hear about how this movie is Problematic, I know all of its issues, and yet. It brings me joy and it was one of the first movies I saw when I was just starting to break out of my religious upbringing and I laugh until I cry every time I watch it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015): I am starting to realize that I am not and never really was a Star Wars Fan, which is to say that like...I love this movie specifically, I love the characters, I love the interactions, I love the stuff that happens. I do not so much love Star Wars as a whole? I like it fine! But this movie is the only part of the franchise to really make me go “oh, I get it.”

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017): This was a weird little movie that nobody saw and nobody talked about, but I adore it because it’s so gentle and romantic. I don’t know how accurate it is to history and frankly I do not really care.

Big Hero 6 (2014): are you tired of me mentioning I’m biracial yet? This movie has biracial protagonists and a cute squishy robot and no romance and superhero stuff and I love it so much.

F8: The Fate of the Furious (2017): I went to go see this on a whim with my wife and it was one of the most joyous theater experiences of my life. I don’t know, I just love everything about it.

TV shows:

Community: This only kind of counts because it started in 2009 but I started it mid-s2 so eh. Seasons 1-3 of this show are written on my heart, I can quote a ridiculous amount of dialogue from them and these characters will stay with me forever. Warts and all, this is my show.

Dollhouse: Another technicality but like, I met my wife because we both loved Bennett Halverson so I gotta put this on here. It’s pretty significantly affected my life! Also I find that it holds up fairly well, if you’re down for the admittedly iffy premise and an ending that’s a bit of a mess narratively due to sudden cancellation.

Agents of SHIELD: I would never claim that this show is “good” but I do think that it has mostly figured out what the hell it’s doing. And it has been a pretty significant part of my fandom life for the last 6 years, so to leave it off this list would feel wrong. It gave me Daisy Johnson, first canon biracial superhero as played by a biracial actor, and for that i will always be grateful.

Warehouse 13: I could not tell you why I fell so deeply in love with this dumb, badly written show that shit the bed in the final episode more spectacularly than I could have imagined, and yet I did! I think probably it is because I love found family so much, and also I find goofy camp charming more often than not. And of course, there is Bering and Wells, the femslash ship that fandom forgot. I will never be over how no one knows what we have suffered!!!!!

Runaways: wow was this a surprise! The Runaways comic is my favorite comic besides Marjorie Liu’s X-23 run, and this show has basically nothing to do with it, and normally that would piss me off but they got my kids’ personalities down so well and all of the actors are so perfect that I really can’t complain. And also, this show has canon f/f and neither of them die at the end! Which is...better than some other shows I could mention!

Doctor Who series 1 and 5: I had a very intense Doctor Who phase in college, and after all was said and done and I quit the show for a time, I realized that although I love a lot of the characters, and Thirteen’s run is pretty good so far, what I really loved was Nine’s run and Eleven’s first season. That is the show at its best to me. Eccleston is my Doctor and Amy is my favorite companion.

Legends of Tomorrow: Look, I am as shocked as anyone that this, the scrappy underdog of the DCTV lineup, is the one that’s most emotionally competent and has the best character arcs! But here we are. Season 4 was some of my favorite TV I’ve seen, uh, ever.

Albums

Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae: I listened to this for basically a year straight after it came out. It’s just ridiculously good.

Something Fierce by Marian Call: This was my on-repeat album in college. i drew a lot of strength from it, and I think that it’s still the best album to recommend to people who ask me about her.

Standing Stones by Marian Call: I heard most of these songs live at concerts before they were quite done yet, so it was really special to get to hear them all collected together like this. I’m going to get a tattoo with a lyric from one of these songs because no one’s quite been able to put my basic philosophy into words quite like Marian.

Heartthrob by Tegan and Sara: Hot Take, I know, because a lot of people hate this album, but it was so affirming to go out and buy A Lesbian Album from A Lesbian Band in 2013.

The Rent movie soundtrack: I know, I KNOW, but in my defense, my parents got me this for my birthday my first year of college and I needed it so desperately. I can definitely still do “La Vie Boheme” from the beginning and probably most of the other songs too.

In the Heights OBCR: I can only listen to this when I want to cry, but it’s my favorite musical. I got to see the show in 2018 and it was incredible. I think it’s better than Hamilton and I can’t wait for the movie to come out.

Trouble by Natalia Kills: this album is really great and also it says fuck a lot, which I used to be very nervous about hearing or saying, and this helped immensely!

#me