#my universe but i take inspiration from different iterations | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spotsupstuff · 1 year

Text

you can say whatever you want about Downpour as far as consistency and faithfulness to the og vanilla lore goes, but nobody can convince or tell me that Downpour hasn't given some fuckin BOMBASTIC world building for RW. there's two i especially really really love

the first one being the whole fact that??? there's subways on TOP of the iterators?????? i mean FUCK i knew they were fuck off BIG but it didnt occur to me on such deep level as when i found out that there's a whole damn subway system On Top Of Pebbles. SHIT i'm still havin troubles accepting the existence of roombas and segways and you're telling me these wild motherfuckers have trains workin up in da fucken sky?? the SKY???? Above The Clouds????? trains are NOT supposed to be in the sky what the FUCK. ancients!!!! videocult!!!!!! youre fucking insane!!!!!!!!!!! my Home City doesn't have a subway system and it's the largest one in the country- how fucking big is Pebbles' Metropolis holy shit

and the second one is the whole impending ice age thing

cuz here's the thing, right, here's the thing- i'm not sure how well known this is, but Earth has gone thru multiple ice ages. there's theories outside of the widely accepted normalized understanding of history that there's been civilizations before us. i believe it is Aztec myths that talk about, basically, reincarnations of the whole planet multiple times- different lives, different Cycles this small place in the universe has gone through

yes, Rain World takes a lot of inspiration from Buddhism, but there's some elements that make me think of Aztecs. certain parts of the fashion, the colors used, even the plantlife outside of those retaining walls. Rain World to me is industrialized evolution of a fusion of Aztecs and Buddhism

that is the connection between the "greater Cycle" of RW and Aztec myths, but back to the ice age- it catches me off-guard by how Giant this world building is. we are so used to seeing only Pebbles' and Moon's corner of the world evolving, all boxed in, all the concentration and focus only there and then a little tiny bit of the Outer Expanse. and then here comes videocult and drops this PLANETARY world building. the fact that it's first alluded to it at the earliest point in the story, yet the second to last campaign to us and then the last campaign thrusts us right into the circumstance of the world freezing over. a lot of peeps i've watched went thru the scugs in the unlock order- it is basically a little hint and them immediate show of the consequences. i'm going out of my way to get through these campaigns (aside from survivor and monk) in the chronoligical order from the Iterators' story stand point and it offers this Giant gap between the first drop of the information in such a miniscule little thing that can be missed and a whole story happening within a blizzard. it's Incredible

HR: I'm not really sure myself. At this point I think our rain might be the only source of heat on the surface. It has been that way for a very long time.

oh how i wonder why that is. how come? why is your planet so cold? is your star dying? are you naturally far away from your star, did you have volcanoes that now lie dead, that used to warm the surface? was there a cosmical event that warmed the planet and allowed the world to blossom- a comet taking its time to fly by, another star flying through the planetary system? or is it as simple as the clouds blocking the heat of the star from reaching the ground? that's probably it. it is fascinating how the Iterators' created their own "balance"- take the water away, breathe it in and then let it all fall. but they are so Integral for this "balance" that the moment too much of them fall, the clouds that are left doom the whole planet to frost and a reset. despite how imposing, infinite that they are as man-made gods, they are also such a fickle link keeping the world in a sickly "equilibrium"

either way, that promises another greater Cycle, another attempt to try again. this time surely with the Scavengers as the buds of new civilization, once the clouds fully fall away

and will they remember the Iterators? the old temples? the void might eat it all away before they get to have the chance to archive the skeletal remains of ancient past. who knows, maybe Secluded Instinct gets to become that mountain, the future they found comfort in

Rain World is such a fascinating detailed game, with such a gigantic timeline, leads to make you wonder about both the past and the future. it's sad that the world as we know it ends, but, just like everything else within the game tries to say, it is only just another thing to accept and live in- live through- and find enjoyment in it

because everything passes and the world doesn't care as it flows on, but the truth of loving, joyful experiences stays firm. that is the only lifeline one needs to hone

all of these thoughts just from a long long blizzard

#Spot says stuff #rw #ultimately- i think rain world is about acceptance of what has passed what is happening and what is yet to come #from the lore to the Actual damn gameplay which is just so brilliant. you'll have better time with the game if you just let it by-#-and find fun even in the failed runs and deaths. like a stone in a stream- just let it pass and shape you. teach you.#i've so many thoughts about rw this time around my Heavens ourgh

85 notes · View notes

oleander-nin · 11 months

Text

@nerves-nebula I lied when I said Wednesday(I'm @reblogdumpinggrounds)- Here's your fic, Sorry It's short. I didn't know where to go with this. Inspired by all the TMNT competitions that have been going on. ps, I hope I didn't misgender you or make you uncomfortable at any point, I'm so sorry if I did-

It’s here, I know it’s here. I dodge the other people around me, my hands clutching the drawing I wanted signed to my chest. I skid to a stop before I hit a wall, scanning the area to try and find the person I was searching for, Nerves-nebula of tumblr. Its characters were in one of the many competitions going on and I knew this was the perfect chance to get its signature. The looking room was full of many of the creators, most talking about their AU’s and the differences in their iterations. But I was here for only one creator, the person who made the Teenage Mutant Neglected Turtle’s AU. I had broken so many laws of the universe to get here, I refused to let my efforts go to waste. I just wanted an autograph, something physical so I would never forget.

Keeping out of sight from the patrolling security, I walk forwards again, finally spotting it. Nerves-nebula, in all its glory. I weave in between the other creators, muttering apologies as I push past them all. It was standing in a corner, playing on its phone as it chatted with a few other creators, seemingly busy. I wait off to the side, rocking back and forth on my feet as my hands grip the hem of my shirt along with the drawing. Eventually the other creators leave, giving me a chance to walk up. I move in front of it, clearing my throat to attempt to get its attention. It looks up, its eyebrows furrowed as it tries to figure out who I was. I laugh awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Uhm, hi. You’re Nerves, right?” I ask, clutching the drawing to my chest once more as I wait for it to answer.

“Uh, yeah… Who are you? You don’t have a name tag.” It responds, its phone going into its pocket. I pat the drawing, trying to think of the best way to respond.

“Uh yeah, I uh… Can you sign this?” I ask, handing it the drawing and forgoing the introductions. It takes the drawing, looking at the drawing with bored eyes. I glance around for security guards, chewing on my cheek as I wait for it to respond.

“Do you have a pen?” It asks simply, still looking over the simple drawing. I nod, pulling one out and handing it the pen. It takes it and scribbles something on the drawing before handing it back to me.

“You snuck in?” It asks, the drawing now safe in my hands once more as I admire its signature. I nod, not able to form words. “Cool, well security’s coming for you.”

My eyes widen at its warning, my head turning towards the incoming security guards, many of the other creators pointing my way when asked. I nod, thanking it quickly before bolting.

the drawing in question^

#nerves nebula #idk

34 notes · View notes

arqueete · 2 months

Text

Alright! I saw Spring Awakening last night. I love a take that's fresh and interesting and this one was really fantastic. This production is based on the version Deaf West created, where some of the characters are deaf or hard-of-hearing and ASL or captions are incorporated throughout. (I got to see that one at the Wallis and on Broadway, but I never followed the revival to nearly the same degree as the original, so forgive me if I misremember bits of it.)

Skylight is a professional theater in Milwaukee and this show was supposed to be in their very first season with their new artistic director (but got postponed because that season was... 2020-2021) and I should probably write them some actual, formal review somewhere to show my support for doing something this inspired. But this one is for us nerds.

This is just act one because I literally have more thoughts than can fit in a Tumblr post. Some general thoughts to start off:

Have there been any other stagings of the Deaf West version of Spring Awakening since the Broadway revival closed? There need to be more. That's one of my main takeaways of this experience. This is a version of the show that can and should be iterated on.

Wendla, Moritz, and Frau Bergmann/Frau Gabor are portrayed by deaf actors who have a separate "voice of" actor who always speaks and sings on their behalf (they put these performers in period clothes.) The adult men, Martha, and Ernst, are played by actors who are hard of hearing (so say their bios) and did all their own singing, speaking, and signing (though the adult men rarely actually signs.)

I read an article about this production that talked about trying to scale back how often hearing actors are speaking and signing at the same time, and looking carefully at how speaking and signing are used in-universe. I can't speak to whether they succeeded in their goal of improving the experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members, but simply from a storytelling standpoint, I thought this was one of the smartest and most effective changes they made from the original Deaf West version. Characters are shown having different levels of proficiency and comfort with sign language and it adds depth.

Mama Who Bore Me / Wendla's bedroom / reprise

Wendla's mother is also deaf and has her own "Voice of" actress present in these scenes, which removes some of the interesting dynamics that were there when her mother was hearing, but brings in something new in the connection between these generations.

Classroom scene / All That's Known / Bitch of Living

The teacher's back was turned a lot and we get the idea that Melchior is constantly translating what the teacher is saying to the entire class so that they can keep up, not just for Moritz but for everyone. (Update on a second viewing: really, he's translating for Ernst, as Moritz is asleep and the rest of the boys are hearing in this production.)

When Melchior gets hit by the teacher, the blow is represented by all of the characters on stage clapping in unison. This is used throughout the show when people are getting hit, and I felt like it tied these moments together in a meaningful way.

In Bitch of Living, we start to establish that the hearing characters don't necessarily sign their own solos. Among the boys, Melchior (played by a hearing actor who is a professional interpreter) and especially Ernst (played by a hard-of-hearing actor) tend to sign for them. There is so much of this sort of thing (actors interpreting for each other in both directions) throughout the show that it just becomes a thing you accept about the concept. I have no clue if this is confusing for people who don't know the show as well as I do.

After class, I loved this moment where Georg is saying and signing his line about Fraulein Grossenbustenhalter and when he does her sign name (you know, the boobs) he kind of glances at his hands with this look on his face like... FML.

Hanschen is shown trying his best to sign to Ernst. He struggles to spell Achilles and Patroclus, and Ernst demonstrates for him.

When Melchior and Moritz are alone at the end of this scene, they only sign together and the actor who plays Hanschen speaks on Melchior's behalf just as the Voice of Moritz speaks on Moritz's behalf. The show generally does this whenever Melchior is alone with Moritz or Wendla. As in this production many of the hearing characters don't sign very much at all and we see that signing is forbidden in school, I like how this shows Melchior rebelling in a practical and kind-hearted way.

The teachers in this production never sign, they are only captioned with projections on the wall behind them.

My Junk

When Hanschen speaks to his postcard, the lines are interpreted by Martha's actress acting seductive in a nightgown. When Hanschen responds to his father, the lines are interpreted by Otto's actor.

The production, in general, doesn't really go big for comedic moments except for Fraulein Grossenbustenhalter who I've never seen played so over-the-top (leaning forward over the back of the piano with her cleavage on full display) and given equal attention in the scene. The audience ate it up.

Melchior's study / Touch Me

There's a moment where Melchior goes to hand his mom his copy of Faust and Moritz snatches it right out of his hand like what is wrong with you.

There's a lot I loved about this production but one of its weaker points is probably the choreography and set design, which are just... fine. Adequate. Not a lot of memorable imagery for me.

Word of Your Body

Melchior and Wendla are sitting on a table which feels weird considering they're in a forest under a tree? Doesn't really translate for me.

The Dark I Know Well

Thea (played by a hearing actress in this version) doesn't sign, which I like to imagine is an intentional choice (though it very well may just be a practical one with the casting) saying something about Thea and her relationship to the authority figures in the show. Anna signs, and that actor is often seen interpreting for other characters, and I wonder if that was a deliberate choice in the other direction--Anna is obviously a more open-minded character.

Ilse doesn't do a lot of signing either, though I'm not sure how I relate that to the character.

Beating scene

It went over well here, the audience did not think it was funny. Again, Melchior and Wendla are alone here, so they are only signing, except when Wendla says she's never felt... what? She speaks aloud: "Anything." Melchior's "I'll teach you to say please" seemed not very serious--he's still just, reluctantly, playing along at this point. When he gets to the end of the scene, even though he has only been signing up until now, he shouts the last line instead.

And Then There Were None

There was something in Deaf West's production where the voice of Moritz hands Moritz the gun, wasn't there? Here this is done the same as in the original, he just has the gun in his jacket. In general, I think there were fewer moments in this production where the voices interacted with their counterparts in some striking, symbolic way like that. I didn't find myself missing it all that much, there's already plenty of layers to this concept as it is.

The Mirror-Blue Night / Hayloft / I Believe

So, you know, you can't make the hayloft consensual because the fact that Melchior knows the risks and Wendla does not is obviously key to the entire plot and also the problem with them having sex. (As you get older, do you find that Melchior's dad sounds more and more reasonable in act two...?) With that said, I thought this one was superbly directed. Melchior's back-and-forth with Wendla here felt like he genuinely wanted to hear her explain what she was feeling and have a conversation. Wendla seemed comfortable with Melchior. He undoes her dress, she pulls down his suspenders, he takes off his shirt (leaving an undershirt beneath), and she undoes her slip. There was a warning for nudity but I didn't see anything, really--they weren't making a show of it.

(Updated: Here's my thoughts on act two)

#spring awakening

8 notes · View notes

pansear-doodles · 1 year

Text

Anthro AU FAQ (Under construction)

What's the Rain World Anthro AU? An AU created out of fun where the sapient denizens of Rain World (Iterators, Slugcats, Scavengers...) are given anthropomorphic proportions and distinct clothing, more prominent personalities and facial expressions, and a modern-ish setting.

Its not meant to be taken TOO seriously and its meant for dumb fun. Almost all characters are alive in this AU (Yes, this includes Artificer's pups) and all the playable slugcats meet each other and get to be a friend group! There are also less threats such as Five Pebbles and Hunter being cured from the rot (...not really!). Everyone is just having a good time overall.

There are sub-AUs where some characters are not alive and are not having a good time, but the main one is the happiest possible.

Keep Reading to see more questions

Does stuff like the karma system, rain, cycles, echoes, and other in-game stuff exist still in this AU? Yes but the bleak/harsh aspects of them are toned down in the main AU. There's also some changes for how the karma system works.

The characters claim they experienced death, but how come they're still alive? How does death function in this AU and why do scars remain? Cartoon logic. They just wake up in a new body in the last shelter they slept in (or somewhere else if unlucky) and proceed as normal. They do experience every pain of that death, and the dead body is usually eaten before the alive one can see it. As for scars, its trauma-dependent. Emotionally charged scars overall leave one an impact.

What creatures of Rain World are considered non-sapient/still creatures in this AU? Typical enemies that's not in the same scale as Scavenger AI, creatures that don't have a sort of community/tribal system, etc. Lizards, centipedes, and vultures continue to be a threat in this world (and they can become pets).

How do the iterators work in this AU? How come I can see them walking around? They still experienced many events from the game, but since in this universe with high communication leveled sapient slugcats (who are far more sympathetic compared to the Ancients) and other adjustments, they're given a bit more freedom and empathy. The iterator puppets themselves can still walk around the vicinity of their can, but they would require a backpack with neurons and water if the puppet were to travel outside. I still have so much to research about the complexity of the iterators, but for now...

How do the slugcats travel fast? They got used to their environment and are familiar with the paths they take. Especially with having less threats in the world (especially with a more forgiving rain cycle), they're given more freedom to roam with less of a hassle.

How modern are we talking? The current IRL times. Combine that with some of Rain World's unique aspects and you got it. So you can have a scavenger wear a fleece sweater while listening to lo-fi, Lol.

Can I directly ask the characters? Only in special occasions! Follow me to stay tuned for when their inboxes get opened.

Can I make fanart for this AU? Yes! Absolutely! I love seeing fanart! No need to ask me unless you require specifications on my portrayal of the characters. Just don't portray the characters in a negative way please (not to be confused with angst- I'm talking about hate art and all that.)

Can I make sub-AUs/my own interpretations/my own versions/my own clothing/my own projections and headcanons? Sure! Don't be restricted with some rules, just as long as you're having fun. You don't even need to ask permission from me first unless its something big and can affect my end. Maybe it can be its own completely different AU! Possibilities are endless.

Can I redraw a comic/scene? Sure! Just credit me when its done and up on the public. :] Anyone can freely line and color my sketchy comics.

Can I borrow/be inspired from the ideas? Yes of course! Have fun.

What are some other headcanons/original ideas/community-made things placed on the main AU? The following: -Artificer X Hunter -Personalized Iterator designs that are not seen in-game for the local group such as Chasing Wind and Unparalleled Innocence -Rainworld Drought -Some of my Rainworld OCs (Cameos and incidentals only) -Iterators associated with specific Slugcats are referred as parental figures (exception to Five Pebbles and Artificer(landlord) ; Saint and Sliver of Straw are associated (mentee and mentor). -All of the slugcats use any pronoun (usually they/them) and are ambiguously gendered (or have no gender)

#faq #anthro au #rainworld spoilers #rain world spoilers #dp spoilers #downpour spoilers

57 notes · View notes

mauesartetc · 1 year

Note

Hi! Hope you’re having a good day!

I’ve seen different discussions about Hazbin/helluva’s worldbuilding, and I was wondering what your input is about the world and what you would change about it?

I’m currently making a webcomic about demons and hell (sorta, it’s mainly set on earth) and I’m trying to plan out my own version and taking inspiration from other iterations. So I’d love to hear your opinions about the hella verse.

I've spoken a bit about this in the past, but my biggest issue with this universe's worldbuilding is... there isn't any.

Alright, that's a slight exaggeration; we do get some unique surface-level features like eyeballs and pentagrams in the environment, as well as some scant information about angelic weapons, the Wrath ring's Harvest Moon Festival, how romance is taboo in the Lust ring, and how lust demons apparently use crystals to transport themselves to the human world (translated from the Norse runes in Stolas' grimoire near the tail end of Helluva Boss episode 201. This raises more questions than answers, though, specifically "Why did Blitzo go to the trouble of stealing the grimoire when he could've just taken a crystal from a lust demon?").

But other than that? There's nothing that sets this world apart from the human world in any meaningful way. You could transplant the same characters into a slice-of-life story set in our world (in human disguises, of course) and it wouldn't change much. So the “mainly set on earth” thing wouldn’t require you to do much worldbuilding, as the settings and rules demonstrably exist already. At that point it’s just a matter of researching the settings the story takes place in rather than inventing whole new sets of rules.

I guess my advice would be to consider the kinds of questions your audience will have about how the demon world works, and sprinkle answers to those questions throughout the story rather than infodumping the whole thing in a prologue or something. It does help to have a worldbuilding bible on hand for your own reference, though, which is why I’m creating one for my own revamped version of this universe.

(Also, be careful about which sources you draw inspiration from. Don’t want to steal from anyone, intentionally or not. It’s most preferable to get ideas from real-life experiences. Otherwise, there are plenty of public domain works regarding demons, Dante’s Inferno being a major one and the Ars Goetia being another.)

Hope that helps!

#ask #ghoulishceleste #writing #worldbuilding #helluva boss #helluva critical #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel critical

70 notes · View notes

theizzifromosaka · 8 months

Text

Monster High (generation 1)

It’s great to be back, I’m feeling a lot better and while I’m still not “healthy” I’m more than able enough to write this review.

Monster High is a multimedia franchise, primarily a fashion doll line aimed at young girls. It might surprise you to learn that I am not the target demographic for this series, but I’m more than willing to give this series a fair shot. I was not familiar with this series before starting this review beyond technically having watched Izzzyzzz’s overview of the franchise at some point, and I mostly had that on in the background when working on something else. I’m practically going in blind.

Frankie Stein

Let me start off this section off by adressing that the current version of Frankie Stein is NB, and uses gender neutral pronouns. I looked into it to be safe, and as I understand it, these are considered different characters that happen to share a name, kinda like all the different guys named Link from Zelda.

Frankie is a reanimated corpse, daugher of Frankenstein’s Monster, as you might imagine from her name. She’s the Audience Surrogate, unfamiliar with the ways of the world but wanting to do the right thing, and a strong want to fit in. She can discharge electricity, usually involuntarily when stressed or excited.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, alternative title The Modern Prometheus, is often cited as the earliest work of Science Fiction. It follows one Victor Frankenstein as his obsession with playing God leads to the creation of a monster that torments him. The monster itself suffers a great deal due to Victor’s hubris, overall quite a miserable time for everyone involved. Frankie seems to mostly take after the Universal adaptation of Frankenstein, specifically the green skin and bolts in her neck being iconic to that iteration. The electricity thing is probably an homage to how that version of Victor brings his creation to life.

Frankie is not my favorite character. Can’t quite put my finger on why, there’s plenty about her design I like. The heterochromia is neat, and her fall apart nature gets a lot of use in the shorts, with characters often asking her to “lend a hand”. Her hairstyle is a clear homage to the Bride of Frankenstein and the myriad of stitches is always fun. Maybe the strict adherence to Universal’s version of Frankenstein rubs me the wrong way.

Draculaura

Draculaura’s a vegetarian Vampire, the daughter of Count Dracula. She’s the most feminine of the group, and besides Frankie usually the most willing to give people a chance. She’s dating Clawdeen’s brother Clawd, and the two are very loyal to each other. Before the two met Draculaura was kind of boy crazy, especially compared with the rest of the cast.

Draculaura is the daughter of Count Dracula, which between Monster High and Castlevania I guess means it’s generally accepted Dracula is terrible at naming his kids. Actually, the wiki states that not only is Draculaura adopted, it’s not even THE Dracula, it’s some other guy. It just makes the whole thing confusing. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in many ways responsible for how we in the modern day perceive vampires, with specifically the Universal film adaptation solidifying many things, such as the ability to transform into bats and the lack of a reflection.

Draculaura’s design, unlike Frankie’s, is not very invocative of her more famous relative, and I appreciate her design’s originality. The portruding fangs and bat motif help her to read as a vampire regardless, and her Victorian era-inspired look helps bring out her immortal nature. Overall, good design.

Clawdeen Wolf

Clawdeen comes from a very large family of werewolves. Due to her upbringing she’s the most resourceful of the group and is often the most level headed one. A bit they do in the shorts is at the beginning of the short Clawdeen will give a poor piece of advice and at the end of the short she’ll contradict herself with a good, contrary piece of advice.

Unlike the other main three, Clawdeen is not related to a famous monster, though given the precedent set by the other two, it’s probably safe to assume there’s some Universal’s The Wolf Man in there. The movies and shorts often making use of her canid features and her increased proficiencies in the presence of a full moon.

Clawdeen’s lack of reliance on an established popular monster leads her to be the most original of the main trio, and of many of the side characters. According to the wiki she’s supposed to be covered in fur, which does not come across in her design very well. Overall her Gen 1 design doesn’t read as “werewolf” very well, though her strong personality carries her in my opinion. Not as strong a design as the other two, but still a fun character.

Cleo De Nile

Cleo is I guess another reanimated corpse? It’s kinda unclear how the whole “mummy” thing works, she might just be like a more able bodied ghoul. She’s got an unreasonable amount of self confidence, and is very proud of her relationship with Deuce. Unlike Draculaura and Clawd their relationship is never really challenged from what I saw. She sees herself as something of a role model to all the other monsters at Monster High, and depending on the needs of the story she’ll occasionally be right.

Rounding out the Usual Suspects, Cleo De Nile’s obvious inspiration is Universal’s The Mummy, though her father is stated to be the ancient Pharaoh Ramses the Great. The movie’s mummy is a fictional priest by the name of Imhotep, played by Boris Karloff, same guy that played Frankenstein’s Monster and provided the voice of The Grinch. These four monsters (Frankenstein’s Monster, Count Dracula, The Wolf Man and The Mummy) are the four most popular of the Universal Classic Monsters, and are often paired together even outside of that context (Count Chocula & Co., Hotel Transylvania, your local Dollar Store’s seasonal Halloween section, etc.), with the occasional inclusion of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man and the Phantom of the Opera.

Cleo’s design is by far the least monstrous of any character from this series, and even in terms of her personality and abilities she could hardly be considered frightening or even abnormal. Her characterization isn’t all that consistent, sometimes she’ll act as the voice of the student body and other times she’s treated as the school idiot. I’ll admit I’m a bit biased as I’m just not into the whole “mummy” thing.

Ghoulia Yelps

Ghoulia is a very intelligent ghoul who speaks a fictional foreign language that all the rest of the cast understands. Despite being part of the main group since the very beginning her name is not in any of the intro songs that I saw, and that bothers me a lot. There’s also the issue of her potentially being an untasteful depiction of a neurodivergent person. Ghoulia is a Ghoul as you might imagine, a Zombie, and the brainiest girl at school.

Once again, Ghoulia is not related to any specific popular monster, though it’s pretty difficult for zombies to become popular given their tendency to act as a swarm instead of individuals. This is actually addressed in Monster High, with Ghouls supposedly being very easily influenced and made subservient, which is how Cleo and Ghoulia became friends. To keep up the trend of me talking about classic monster movies, Night of the Living Dead is NOT by Universal (shocker), it’s an independent film that due to an oversight was accidentally made public domain and served as the basis for how we expect zombies to act in modern pop media. Funnily enough, the word Zombie hadn’t begun to be used to refer to the undead, with the term “ghoul” being used by the production team, and no term at all used in the film. It’s a pretty good movie, and it’s easy to find online thanks to it being public domain. I recommend giving it a watch.

I feel like I have to address this with how my previous post popped off: Ghoulia’s animal companion is an owl name Sir Hoots A Lot, which shares an extremely similar name with a cosmetic for the Sniper in Team Fortress 2, Sir Hootsalot. This is most likely a coincidence, however the Monster High character did come first.

I actually really like Ghoulia. She’s got a fun design, and the pun of her being brainy, cuz like “Braaaainsssss”, is really cute. There is, as previously mentioned, the potential issue of her being neurodivergent coded, however she’s mostly portrayed positively, and it doesn’t seem to have been done intentionally.

Lagoona Blue

Lagoona’s a Sea Monster, an overall reliable, level headed and physically capable character. Her relationship with Gill is explored in the shorts, starting as a one sided crush to Gill confronting his parents about their dislike of sea monsters, as his family is freshwater. The writers seem to know she’s kinda overpowered as she’s often off doing her own thing, or has some convenient excuse to not get involved with issues.

Lagoona is stated somewhat vaguely to be the daughter of a Sea Monster and an Ocean Nymph on the wiki, which would potentially leave this section of the review empty if not for her boyfriend being freshwater and very likely having some Creature from the Black Lagoon inspiration. The Creature from the Black Lagoon is unapologetically an allegory for race relations, and though the original film did not depict the creature sympathetically, future interpretations and homages would give the creature far more characterization, culminating in works like The Shape of Water, which actively contradict the original film’s message. Come to think of it, Lagoona and Gill’s relationship shares some parallels too…

Though Lagoona does suffer from the “just paint em blue” fallacy, I’m still inclined to like her design. Honestly I’m not a fan of her depiction in the shorts but I think she really hits her stride once she enters into 3d. Also basically all the characters in this series suffer from “just paint em blue”, so it’s really not fair to hold it against only her.

Abbey Bominable

Abbey is an exchange student from the Himalayas, who confusingly has a Russian accent. She comes off as blunt and cold but she’s eager to make friends, and her straightforwardness is blamed on her upbringing on mountains teaching her to never waste her breath. She’s a Yeti with tremendous physical strength and ice powers.

We’ve officially reached the side characters, which means these characters can basically be taken at face value. I don’t have much to say about Yetis anyways besides it seems to be a cultural thing so very likely all western depictions of it are ignorant or insensitive.

Abbey’s cool, she is to Monster High what Rolf is to Ed, Edd n Eddy. She brings a vaguely foreign twist to the cast, and her place as an outsider often leaves her as the most likely to think outside the box. I will say, however, that her design doesn’t exactly match her personality, and it doesn’t seem intentional.

Toralei Stripe

Toralei is basically what I expected Cleo to be when she was first introduced, she’s a much more traditional Mean Girl. Her only motivation when doing anything seems to be “how can I cause the most chaos possible?” According to the wiki Toralei is a Werecat, which I was surprised to learn is an actual thing.

Toralei, and I mean no disrespect when I say this, is what I wanted Clawdeen to kinda be, in the visual department. Perhaps her passing resemblance to my own Gremlins subconsciously influenced my decision but those girls are more lemur-like. Her multicolored pattern reads a lot more like fur than Clawdeen’s does, and I do like me a love-to-hate-’em villain.

Spectra Vondergeist

Me talking about Spectra might seem a bit odd since she’s not really considered an important character, but I decided to include her because I’m incredibly biased and really like her 2d design. She writes a blog or something on the happenings at Monster High, she’s usually just floating around taking pictures of things.

She’s see-through, has purple hair, dark sclera and wild hair in her 2d depiction. If she’s not the coolest looking side character then I don’t know who is.

I initially wanted to add quick thoughts about the Monster Boys of Monster High, but this has already gone on long enough. Besides, it would’ve just culminated in me finding a way to share Jeckyll Jeckyll Hyde with y’all, so I’ll just cut to the chase. Maybe some other time.

youtube

This series ended up being basically what I expected it to be, I can definitely see myself enjoying these films as a young boy in much the same way I enjoyed the likes of Bratz and Winx, and much like them having very little in the way of shame about it. I just missed the Monster High boat however, so what are my thoughts about it? The character designs are delightfully out there for fashion dolls, especially at the time, and the characters are fun homages to classic monsters.

As for their Monster Girls? Despite the series’ massive popularity you might be disappointed to learn how small its influence on Monster Girl character design is, likely because of what people normally associate with the subject. Monster Girls aren’t for kids, after all, it’s a niche fetish thing. But why is it that way? For Monster Girl Connoisseurs like myself Monster High offers a refreshing look into a reality where such preconceptions don’t exist, and Monster Girls merely are. Definitely worth a look if you can overlook the occasional simplicity of the plots and characters.

Previous review:

Next review:

#monster girls #Monster Girl Reviews #Monster High #monster high gen 1 #Frankenstein #Dracula #Wolf Man #The Mummy #Youtube #Jeckyll Jeckyll Hyde Jeckyll Hyde Hyde Jeckyll

17 notes · View notes

hitwiththetmnt · 10 months

Text

I finally got the blocking done! Here’s the first panel for an illustrated comic of “Cistern” by @yorshie

I plan on trying to post weekly with a new page, but we’ll see how that promise goes

P1, next

70 notes · View notes

kaleidoscope-ize · 10 months

Note

RE: Battinson and that absolutely iconic Year One scene

Do you think he'd be able to pull off the narration, too? I mean, considering the start of The Batman, he narrated the intro and outro voice overs and something about the way he did it just sounded so right, at least for me. Like, I wasn't expecting that soft tone going over how he's become a ~*Nocturnal Animal*~, and yet at very same instant I heard it, it just clicked and fit so nicely.

If Matt Reeves thought that narrating Bruce's internal monologue would amplify the scene: yes 1000%. The moment his monologue started in The Batman was the exact moment I determined that this would be my favorite Batman adaptation; the fact that something that is so core to the comic books had never been applied before The Batman was so crazy to me, and that and his grease-painted eyes are the two things that perfectly summarize this iteration. Ben Affleck will always be iconic to me because he was such a 1:1 animation-to-real-life adaptation of Kevin Conroy's Batman, but Pattinson manages to be just as perfect in a different route with his soft-spoken grunge take. Even if "Something in the Way" wasn't in the trailer/film, the inspiration taken from Kurt Cobain is clear in a beautiful way that allows him to feel dramatic, gothic, and lost.

So ultimately I just completely trust Matt Reeves as a filmmaker and Robert Pattinson as an actor. There are things that I want in a Batman movie (Robin, metahuman villains, etc.), but I also love the world The Batman created so much that I only want elements introduced and adapted if Matt Reeves think they would serve his vision well. That's also why I'm glad we're getting a separate Batman for the more "connected universe" feel.

Whoops sorry I accidentally ranted on you but I just fucking love Battinson

#battinson #The Batman #The Batman 2022 #Matt Reeves #Robert Pattinson #DC Comics #Batman #comicsposting #ramblings #my posts

14 notes · View notes

frostehburr · 29 days

Text

What I'd Hope A Star Fox Adventures Remake Would Be Like

I use tumblr as a dumping ground for my thoughts on various things. I fully believe no one would care enough to read any of this even if they did stumble on it at random. So that's why I'm slapping this post in. Just to get it out of my head because I'm frustrated there's no Star Fox on Switch... yet. There's very little hope but there is maybe like a 0.01% chance we'd get a Star Fox game.

For the past two weeks I've been thinking about Star Fox Adventures, my favorite Star Fox game because dinosaurs, staff combat, and collectables. However, the more I think about it the more major problems with the game make themselves known.

Such as Krystal being stuck inside a crystal for the entire game until the end where she joins Fox's crew without proving her qualifications. Along with Falco who just shows up. When and why did he just appear for no reason?

This is why I think Star Fox Adventures should have a full blown reassembly remake full new game with same name. Much like Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Zero.... Look, if Nintendo is willing to remake the first Star Fox they can do the same for the other three in the franchise.

It is my understanding that majority of Star Fox fans love the 3 branching paths from the first game. Therefore I think it would be a good idea to implement 3 paths with Adventures. BUT the paths are based on the character you choose. Those being Fox, Krystal, and Falco.

The reason for this is to give each of them their own story line instead of Fox soloing the krazoa spirits and force point temples. As well as give a reason for Falco being near dinosaur planet.

Fox's path might be the easiest with his focus being on collecting Force Point crystals. One for each classical element but different name like Volcano, Ocean, Sky, and Forest. Taking some inspiration from Ocarina of Time but so did the first iteration of the game. It would also be nice to see different Force Point Temples instead of the same two twice. I would also insist Fox have his blaster, keeping it the way it was before but replace staff combat with his Smash Bros set.

I'd also suggest Fox using the snow horn and earth walker as substitute landmasters. Feel like Fox using blasters on top of prehistoric creatures would be more fun. Particularly if you use controls similar to the landmaster for it.

Krystal would be focused on collecting the krazoa spirits because a mysterious mystical entity told her it would help save the planet. Unlike the Gamecube game, Krystal would not be ambushed by some... thing.... and trapped in a crystal. Instead, she continues searching for the spirits, fights sharpclaws with her staff, and returns the spirits to the mystery entity.

Each krazoa spirit would have a trial for her and she could upgrade her staff along the way.

Falco would be stealthier gameplay. Implementing disguise kit and 3D platforming more than the other two. He'd, of course, use the same type of combat Fox has but be faster.

Since the lore says he was bored of Star Fox not getting any jobs, I'd figure him being a solo merc bumming around would do well enough to explain what he was doing prior to dinosaur planet. Keeping the story solution simple, Falco gets hired by an old friend who came across files of Andros making deals with General Scales to supply higher technology on a low tech planet in exchange for magical secrets. Because magic exists in Star Fox universe. What else would krazoa spirits be?

Anyhow, that's how I explain Falco being on dinosaur planet. Just taking up a job to figure out what General Scales is doing now that Andros is (supposed to be) dead.

Not so subtle; Andros is the mysterious entity Krystal been giving krazoa spirits to and the giant monkey is using them to reconstruct himself as a resurrection ritual. Krystal's big boss fight is against Scales who seeks to resurrect Andros to continue their deal and take over dinosaur planet under Andros' empire.

Wanted to give General Scales more menacing presence this time around so I would have him be the big boss of all three paths before the final boss, Andros, which uses arwing gameplay (Krystal uses a cloud runner and her staff). The arwing gameplay reoccurs between land missions (Falco having the most arwing time).

For the most part the game would not be far different than the Gamecube one. However, various additions and small changes would be beneficial.

These are just my ideas for a game I don't think will ever be seen. Think there's a ton of people around the internet doing fan games of Star Fox implementing dinosaur planet with explosions and arwing and landmaster combat. Not sure if they're much better than my ideas of simply adding to the previous game. But it's still more than what Nintendo gives us with Star Fox.

I personally hope we get Adventures and Assault on Switch or at least Assault. Assault was more of a Star Fox game and it continued the story much better. Oh well, there's always 64 with the online subscription...

#star fox #adventure #remake #overhaul #star fox adventures #nintendo #please #give us something

3 notes · View notes

authoralexharvey · 1 year

Text

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @cavaleriesix

Who You Are:

James || He/him

I'm James, a 20-year-old writer, artist, a university student, and a warehouse associate. I write primarily contemporary/historical fiction with some fantastical elements. My current WIP, which I have been working on on-and-off since I was 9 years old, is called On Soldiers & Suns.

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Contemporary, fantasy, historical fiction, and poetry. New adult.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Historical fantasy, probably. I love learning about different cultures and creating different supernatural systems; I love taking elements of history and incorporating them into a magical world of my creation.

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Sci-Fi. A futuristic aesthetic absolutely does not appeal to me.

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

I don't really have a target audience, since I've received feedback on my work from friends I've made on Tumblr (around my age), a friend I know in real life (early 40s), and my dad (early 50s). I think my target audience is probably myself; I haven't received consistently positive feedback from any audience I've worked with. It's been spotty. But I think anyone can get something out of my work if they can look past the presentation.

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

Betrayal, faith, trust, brotherhood, fatherhood, birth, rebirth, corruption, regret, identity… I'm sure there are more. I still haven't quite figured out what a trope is, but one I've heard thrown around that I'm drawn to is the Found Family trope. They appeal to me because my writing, at its core, is a reflection of myself, a way for me to explore what hurt me, what I long for, and what I never got to have.

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

None come to mind. I'm not an especial fan of enemies-to-lovers, since a lot of the time I feel it's executed poorly and excuses the past transgressions of one or both parties toward the other.

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

I'm currently working on my main WIP, On Soldiers & Suns. I've been working on it on-and-off since I was 9 years old, but this iteration has been in the works for 5 years.

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

I write because I feel I owe it to my characters and the world I've created, for everything those characters and that world has done for me. I keep writing because I want to share my characters and world with others and explore what hurt me and put it into words that maybe someone else can relate to. It's also a funny bit when I do it consistently.

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

I've been writing since I was little - maybe 6 or 7? I read a lot as a kid, and since I was a pretty lonely kid, I had a lot of time to think and create characters and my own world to escape to. I don't know why I started putting my thoughts into words. I guess I was inspired by the books I read.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

I get my inspiration from a lot of things. Mostly the world around me and what I've been through, but anime, video games, and literature are inspirations of mine, too. I got my inspiration for On Soldiers & Suns originally from Super Smash Bros. and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but things have definitely changed in the last 11 years (lol). I started writing this iteration of my WIP after I reread the Inkheart trilogy when I was 15.

What works of yours are you most proud of? Why?

I'm incredibly proud of the third book of On Soldiers & Suns, "Acacia." I have always loved it dearly for its complex plot and expansive cast of characters, the beautiful settings and the way I worded it, but it's also 900 pages single-spaced, 11-pt font, which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

Not yet. I would like to publish my work someday.

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you? Why?

I just want to share my story with the world, but I really, really don't want to go through the pitching and editing process. It will be long. And tedious. My work is a hard sell.

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

I don't know how to answer this, honestly. I like to write because I like to read my writing, because I like to see my world come to life, because I like to see people's reactions and hear their thoughts when they read my work for themselves. I hate when I don't have the motivation to write. It feels like I've lost my purpose in life. The past 6 months of writer's block have definitely taken their toll on me.

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

I honestly write whenever the mood strikes or whenever I feel guilty enough to try and come with a word or two to contribute to my poor document. My ideal setup is early in the morning, listening to the same song on endless repeat, with a cup of coffee and no other distractions, but that's not usually the case. I used to write before work (from 06:45-08:15 AM), but due to my writer's block and fatigue that's become nigh-impossible. I usually write from a vague, handwritten outline of events or from the previous draft (if I'm doing a rewrite), and I usually write using OpenOffice (although sometimes I'll write by hand).

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

I've been a writeblr for around 4 years, since late 2018. I was inspired to join the community so that I could share my writing and my characters and hopefully be inspired and motivated by an uplifting community of people with the same passion as myself for their work.

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

Oh, man, there's so many. @goose-books, @werewolfsbutch, @vulturetime, @howdywrites, @sleepyowlwrites, @albatris, @nicola-writes, @ashen-crest, @mrs-mikko-rantanen, and a few others have always been incredibly kind and supportive of me and my work. Waya was actually one of the first people I followed on writeblr, if memory serves me correctly, who's still active, and I absolutely love his work and his characters (Benji!). I don't remember why or when I followed everyone else, but I love their thoughts, their kindness, their compassion, and their work. I really enjoy seeing them on my dash; they've really enriched my life.

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

The kind and uplifting atmosphere.

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

A lot, lol. The writeblr community has changed so, so much since 2018, and a lot of that has been negative in my eyes (or maybe I'm just nostalgic for an easier time. I don't know). The community has kind of started picking up again with the resurgence of Storyteller Saturday and Worldbuilding Wednesday, but a lot of the people I knew when I joined are inactive, deactivated, or rarely around anymore. My dash is almost devoid of actual writeblr content, and it makes me really sad because it makes it more difficult for me to interact with the community as consistently as I'd like to. I don't know how to fix this. It's probably a problem on my end.

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

Honestly? Not at all, lol. I could absolutely be doing more. I'm one of the writeblrs that has gone pretty much inactive when it comes to writing (and even art, more recently). Life has gotten really difficult for me, and I'm struggling to contribute like I used to. I try to boost posts and interact where I can, especially with art and shorter snippets, but I don't see writeblr content often, and when I do, I usually don't have the energy to interact in any meaningful way, and I don't like reblogging people's work without at least a brief reaction.

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

Fun OC facts, OC art/picrews, short snippets, tag games.

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

OC art, tag games.

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

Not for writing.

Questions For Fun:

Do you have a favorite era of history you like to reference/write about/draw inspo from? Why do you think it's your favorite?

1920s! I really loved The Great Gatsby in my freshman year of high school and was (and still sort of am) OBSESSED with Baccano!. I'm always looking for new wips set in that time period (Prohibition, bootlegging, etc., you know the vibes)! I'm also a pretty big fan of late 1800s aesthetics and military aesthetics pre-1900. A lot of my main WIP revolves around soldiers.

Favorite character from Twilight Princess? Have you ever made a character, intentional or otherwise, based on them? If not, do you want to?

My favourite character from Twilight Princess is so, so basic. It's wolf Link, lol. The original version of Cav, Redstone, was partly inspired by the Twilight Princess aesthetic and vibe. You can see some Twilight Princess inspiration in the way the demons and gods in my story look and in the way I designed my OC Switzerland Siegal.

Who is your Smash Bros main? Does it change from game to game?

I don't actually play Smash Bros.! I've never played it consistently, but I haven't enjoyed it since Brawl when I was a kid. When I was a kid I always chose Bowser because his design in Brawl was really cool, lol.

#iwaw #writeblr celebration #writeblr event #writing community #writeblr

27 notes · View notes

magicalyaku · 9 months

Text

I had vacation and tooth surgery and thus a lot of time to be lazy! <3 A chunk of it I spent listening to the narrations of some creepypasta series. Though, honestly, I'm not sure they can be called that? They're more episodic paranormal stories. Yes, there's monsters running around and dangerous, maybe scary stuff going on, but they're also incredibly wholesome and soo sweet and very queer! So if you're into that, go look for the stories written by @02321 on r/nosleep and Youtube! My Name's Skyler, I'm a Freelance P.I. narrated by Baron Landred (the title on r/nosleep is I Work as a P.I and a Government Agent approached me to help with a case) and I Deliver Mail to Cryptids narrated by Animas. (And also a bunch of stories more set in the same universe of the Silver King.)

Now back to our regular books! We have 4 princes, 2 kings and 1 queen this month!

Banshee Blues (Nina Blazon): I'm in the editing process of my latest novel, which I'm writing in German, so I felt I should read a German, non-translated book for once. This was the only one in my pile but it is from my favourite German author, so all was well. I have a lot to thank her for. The first novel read from her was Der Dunkle Kuss der Sterne (The Stars' Dark Kiss) and that was the first time I liked first-person viewpoint! Her next book had split POV and different tenses and I had to admit it was done well. Banshee Blues was not quite up to par with her previous works but it went a few new directions than usual which was nice as well. It tried very hard to lead you astray with what's going on and who is evil and who isn't. And while I liked how things turned out between the two leads it would have been monumental to have them stay platonic.

The Fallen King's Penitent Soldier (Tales of the High Court 5) (Megan Derr): Sigh, it's been a ride. I had a good time with the whole series. I love the worldbuilding, really. But it is alright to end it here, while it's still good, you know. In a way, these five stories are all built very similar: Being kidnapped by bad guys, running from the bad guys or running after the bad guys for the first half and afterwards waiting to let other people sort it out. There's probably a limited amount of iterations you can go through while still be interesting. But for these five volumes it was fun! As for book 5 by itself, I think it's a good thing it comes so late in the series. Because it really takes its time. There's a lot introspection going on for the two protagonists which is okay because they go through a lot but it's also very long and sometimes not much else happens. I liked the two of them, I liked how religion was handled, I liked how it went full circle back to Allen's story. I liked the series. Good times. :)

Prince & Knight (Daniel Haack & Stevie Lewis): I wanted this for the pretty pictures. But apparently the universe didn't want me to? I ordered this last year already, but the package went on an odyssee through several cities without ever arriving at my home. I ordered it again this year and … the same thing happened?! 8D The odyssee was shorter this time, mind you, but … why again?! I tried a third time and ordered it for pick up at a local bookstore and that finally worked. Geez! It's a children's picture book so the story is as basic as it goes. Is it goo for children? I wouldn't know. The dragon doesn't die and it's very sweet and very pretty.

In all seinen Farben (Boy Queen) (George Lester): I had some exhausting weeks at work and thought I could use something inspirational. Something about finding your own way and shine. Which happens in this book but there's also a lot of drama going on and I was not prepared for the rock-bottom-hit in the beginning. xD I mean, it was written in the blurb but I've owned the book for a year why should I reread the blurb … I know nothing about drag or make-up or anything in that direction (I did watch like 15 minutes of the drag show at Comic Con Stuttgart last year but that hardly counts), so it was charming and interesting to read about.

We Could Be so Good (Cat Sebastian): I have to apologise to everyone on the waitlist for this at my library because I could have read it faster but … once I realised what sort of direction the 70% drama might take I had a tough time reading on. They were so happy and it was nice and I just did not want to suffer! I did assume, since the book goes out of its way to address how all queer books published during the mid of the last century would have to end badly (and the protagonist outright refusing to read them therefore), it would probably take a turn for a happy ending. That was the only hope that kept me going. If I had known any of the author's other work I maybe wouldn't have worried so much, because it's written in her bio already that she'll only write happy endings?! Well … So for anyone else fearing the drama of a book set in 1959: No queer person was harmed in this book! (Nothing major anyway.) I like the book, though! Enjoyed reading it. Nick and Andy are both sweet. But that fear did something to me, took me a while to recover. :'D

Prince & Assasssin (Perilous Courts 1) (Tavia Lark): I needed something simple for my fragile heart and it seems gay fantasy is my comfort read now in the same way my mom reads stuff named like "The Little Bakery at XYZ Street". And what should I tell you, yeah, there're men who are tenderly and not so tenderly intimate with each other, yeah yeah, but there's also giant talking cats! Giant talking cats! Also, I really like the author's writing style. It's so smooth! I started reading and didn't want to put it down anymore because it read so smoothly! The book itself was so much better than I had expected (which was basically nothing). It won't blow you off your feet but it's pretty enjoyable and surprisingly wholesome. Also the worldbuilding felt just right. I'm looking forward to reading the next volumes soon!

King of Immortal Tithe (Darkmourn 2) (Ben Alderson): Did I buy the expensive hardcover just because I like the illustration more than the one of the paperback? Why hello, that's me. So this is the second fae book I read this year. It's apparently a universal truth now that fae men are the most beautiful and well endowed beings on earth and beyond. Not that I mind, you do you, but why does fae anatomy work the same as humans' actually? Anyway, this is a stand-alone in a series of stories all set within the same universe. I like that concept. Hunting for pieces of lore is fun. Arlo is a feisty character so following him was enjoyable. The switch from enemy to lovers was kinda sudden like … I can see why but personally it still felt sudden. Also Faenir calling Arlo constantly Darling was not my taste but you know, if it's just that, I can overlook it. The twist at the end had me barking out evil laughter (which means approval). I did hold back reading the final chapter until I read the first volume as not to spoil any more! (While they are stand-alones the previous story is referenced in this one.)

Lord of Eternal Night (Darkmourn 1) (Ben Alderson): "He was so tall and his hands were so large and his length was so great and so thick my fingers couldn't touch reaching around it. He was not just a man, he was a god!" I laughed. That's not a literal quote, but a good summary. Yeah. I laughed. And while praising one guy he was also dissing his former lover, the baker's son, for not being as large. Not the poor lad's fault, no need to get mean! Should have known at that point already who was the true evil mastermind. :'P. But in all fairness, there is a little more going on in the story. And well, these books know very well what kind of fantasy they're catering. There's a short guy, a little crafty and feisty, not too weak, and the very tall, very beautiful guy who everyone says is evil, but turns out he isn't so evil, he just has a tragic past, he also falls very hard for the protagonist and oops, maybe he does have some capacity for evil. I did like how the story subverted who's good and who's bad like three times. Otherwise, it's not really complex. But I'm kinda into the ending.

Alpha of Mortal Flesh (Darkmourn 3) (Ben Alderson): The third installment in the series, they've been getting more elaborate with each volume. So instead of the 2 and 3 half characters we had in the first one, there's actually a whole cast in here with motivations and backstories. That was nice. The writing style, however, is still as … trying as hard as in the beginning. It's not bad, mind you, I commend it for trying to use the full range of the English language, but there's a lot of words, making everything longer than needed, and sometimes their choice is really weird. Example: "My tongue broke free. It slithered from the confines of my mouth." But it's just a normal human tongue licking something eagerly yet still very normally! And, they're indie books, yeah, but I do wish all three books would have gone through another round of editing. The unnecessary repetitions and errors made me suffer a little. And while I got a little bored and impatient at the end I do like the story and what it's trying to do. Just that it was trying too hard in some aspects of the writing and not hard enough in others.

That's it for July! Apparently, August will be library month again. My TBR bookshelf disapproves but duh. Let's go and have fun. :P

#yaku reads #books #queer books #lgbtq books #queer lit #bookblr #creepypasta #i deliver mail to cryptids #nick & skyler #we could be so good #darkmourn #lord of eternal night #prince & knight #banshee blues #tales of the high court #perilous courts #prince & assassin #boy queen

10 notes · View notes

neojayink · 2 months

Text

Splatoon Neo’s hero story updates:

Light spoilers for DLC SIDE ORDER below. (Speaking of the general story)

Brief story time of bts hero shenanigans.

I’ve recently finalized a few facets of how I’d want the story to play out for sneo. The story has been under a few revisions over the years but in the last six months I think I’ve landed on something quite cool. Took my time thinking of ideas for my story so that Splatoon 3 could run its course and so that I wouldn’t have any overlap with cannon to the point I’m telling their story twice. And after finishing the dlc I’m now going back to the drawing board on some details.

Not sure if I’ve ever specified how the world of sneo compares to the cannon world but the universe of sneo (the neoverse I like to call it nowadays) is like an alternate timeline in a new dimension. So both sneo and cannon exist at the same times. Even tho sneo is slightly more futuristic, time works differently in the neoverse and the entire first story takes place and ends just moments before Octo expansion and beyond as of right now. This may all be kind of complicated to drop so suddenly but I do plan to explain all the cool bits when I get to covering the story. This worlds version of alterna logs are called “think pieces,” small cards that hold the knowledge of everything that happens around the neoverse.

I’d like to take this opportunity to go over a few of Splatoon neo’s scrapped storylines. Starting off with the one most closest to the current Splatoon cannon story.

1: “Homecoming”

“In this version of sneo story 1 the hero will come across databanks that detail the specifics of the universe they reside in. A world created by a long gone scientist that hoped to store souls inside a super computer called the “LOTUS” so that one day when the earth heals itself after the incoming devastation humans can return with a fresh slate to try life again without destroying the planet. The Lotus will be tasked with monitoring the planet for the next spiritually awakened intelligent life form to rise and humanity will live on again.

Someone in the real world (cannon) finds out about this device and hacks their way into it to use the power contained for their own nefarious acts. They promise a group of Octolings a better life and a do-over if they fight for his cause. The Octolings were easily on board as their leader was power hungry and would do anything to claim more turf. Little did they know that they would be an army fighting against their own best interests. At the end the Octoling army would be helping destroy their original world to make space for the return of humanity. This entity would use this group of Octolings to start trouble that leads to another global extinction of intelligent life. This biomass would then be modified by the Lotus and edited to reassemble human dna from scratch. “

This iteration of the story looks similar to alterna when it comes to humanities last ditch effort to survive. This story had too much back and forth between realities so the newer story will be much more simple and contained. Think of the lotus as a super computer that can simulate realities. It’s also based on fusing nature and technology. The lotus is so powerful that it can spawn constructs from within itself to the outside world if it has all the necessary matter. The greater villain would’ve used this technology to create an octoling anomaly that would go on to destroy the earth and collect back human dna from inklings / Octolings. Another similarly to tartar using agent 3 as a host body to go about their plans. There was also a huge focus on dna and GMO. Genetically modified Octolings would be a threat of Octolings that turn themselves into “super soldiers” for their cost. (Kinda like how color pallets work in side order)

A digital world and humans returning. It hit both marks but this inspired me for the better to create something more focused and not trying to explain “what should come next for a Splatoon 3.” Honestly shocked how I could’ve guessed the cannon story but back then I tried to make my story more of a “Splatoon 3” before Splatoon 3 existed. But overall I’m just glad to see the devs explore ideas I’ve once wished for. Really like a dream come true and s3 has my second favorite story mode of them all after Octo ex. (Close ties between all 5 don’t judge)

2: “Out of order”

“The neoverse inkopolis was overrun by chaos so bad that there had to be crack downs on turf wars. An octoling army gladly took the job of enforcing rules and curfews to please city officials. They were hypocritical and broke the same rules they enforced but higher ups didn’t seem to care. The hero fellow neighborhood watch gear up to figure out what’s going on in this city. They end up finding back to back scars of corporate greed. The city is so nice and clean because all of its trash goes underground into less fortunate habitats.

The hero finds out that the leader of the octoling army was bribing higher ups so that they could slowly take over the city without force. This octoling leader was universally feared and didn’t need to use brain washing to get their way. But they needed saving too. As fearsome as she is, she wasn’t immune from fearsome control themself.”

This version of the story played into fear vs respect heavily. We’d see the villain scare the city into submission while she figures out how she will save it from the entity that is above her. She’s like a trojan horse to the world and she hides in the deep sea, away from civilization in case she fails her mission and is turned into a weapon of destruction. As harsh as she may seem, she’s only following orders to keep whatever peace there is left to be had.

A lot of aspects of this version will return. Took me months to create a backstory of the new villain but she will probably get a post just like this one explaining all her scrapped stories and evolution. I really can’t wait to introduce her.

To not bore yall too much we will end things here for now. Now that splat 3 is pretty much complete with story for now I’m feeling a lot more confident telling the story I’m crafting now. Can’t lie, telling the same story as the cannon was a big fear of mine so I just stalled until things came out.

Splatoon neo is still alive. Unfortunately nowadays I find myself just sketching away and making complete works a lot less as you can tell. Hope this was a cool update for dlc time. As the storyline gets confirmed for sure I will try to make more text posts about it even if there’s no drawing to come with. I do plan on covering hero mode with a lot of drawings and possible 3d work if the artblock gods will let me. Could even be a comic covering it all.

Also decided to share this last thing. Splatoon neo will have more than one story once the first once is finished. It will probably take over the name “cross contamination” from that one sketch and be a direct sequel. It’s only been thought of for about a month so far so it’s still to early to spill details but heres some concepts of the new species I will introduce called “exolings” for now and a mystery inkling who shows up. They’re very “alien”-like in nature.

3 notes · View notes

earth-zero · 7 months

Text

Welcome to Earth-Zero

Greetings, Tumblr travelers! My name is Ariel Strusiat, and I love comic books. And above all else, I love the worlds and characters that dozens of different writers and artists have created through them over the years. As a result, I have come to wish to pay homage to them. So, and very inspired by my buddy TheMysticSpyral from @earth-93, I have decided to reinterpret the DC Universe under my personal vision. Even though I originally intended to tackle the Marvel Universe for personal reasons and still intend to do so someday, I feel the urge to do it with DC as well, purely out of fun. So what is Earth-Zero? Earth-Zero is a streamlined DC Universe, a reality that mixes and matches elements from the various iterations of the primary DC world, namely New Earth and Prime Earth. Also included are characters and concepts from other DC media, such as the DC Animated Universe, Young Justice, the DC Extended Universe, the Arkhamverse, and more. You will also find unique ideas of my own. DC imprints such as Milestone Media, Wildstorm Productions, and Vertigo Comics will also be equally represented. Earth-Zero: In the Now The year is 2000, and the Justice League has been founded following the defeat of the interstellar gladiator Despero. Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as the Batman of Gotham City, has stepped into the role of Chief Strategist for the team. Using an exclusive version of Wayne Industries' Brother-OS operating system, linked to the Brother Eye satellites orbiting the Earth along with the newly established Watchtower, Bruce seeks to gather information on his fellow League members, potential recruits and other individuals of interest to learn more about their histories, personalities and capabilities so that any choice on the battlefield will be a winning one for the Justice League. Does this mean that we will only follow Bruce's perspective throughout Earth-Zero? Of course not. Eventually, I plan to have information told from the perspective of Checkmate's Maxwell Lord and A.R.G.U.S.’ Steve Trevor. Among others, as we go deeper into this world. A Brief Timeline of Early Earth-Zero

May 14, 1998 — Clark Kent makes his public debut as Superman by saving Lex Luthor's private jet from crashing into the Daily Planet building. December 4, 1998 — After breaking up with Andrea Beaumont following his return to Gotham City in early July, Bruce Wayne steps into the shadows as Batman to fight the city's Falcone crime family. April 23, 1999 — Barry Allen is struck by lightning after a chemical accident and acquires super speed. Inspired by his retired hero and legal guardian Jay Garrick, he takes up the mantle of The Flash. August 20, 1999 — U.S. Air Force pilot Hal Jordan is selected by dying Green Lantern Abin Sur's Green Power Ring to become Earth's new Green Lantern, succeeding Alan Scott. March 14, 2000 — Arthur Curry accepts his Atlantean heritage, adopting the name Orin, and becomes Aquaman. July 30, 2000 — Diana of Themyscira, known publicly as Diana Prince, arrives in "Man's World" with Steve Trevor to appear before the United Nations in New York. Diana becomes an ambassador of peace as Wonder Woman. December 29, 2000 — Despero attacks Mars seeking to fight J'onn J'onzz, the Manhunter. Unable to face him alone, J'onn goes to Earth to gather a force that can defeat Despero. The Justice League is formed in the aftermath of the battle.

I hope to get character profiles and concept information out in the next few days, this due to the fact that I'm busy with college. In particular, I'm excited to write about Green Lantern out of all of them. But let's start with Superman, since he's the one who started it all. See you soon!

15 notes · View notes

soulsilv · 12 days

Text

CRINGE RANT ALERT‼️TURN BACK NOW‼️

What I love so much about these characters (pokemon btw) is just how many iterations of them there can be between different people. When I say “iterations” I mean in the sense that, at least when it comes to protagonists, practically every person has their own distinct take on them as a character and their relation to the story and other characters. Like for example I HC Lyra being the champion of Johto, and another person (the majority of ppl probably) HC Ethan as the champion. I know that Lyra and Kris being related was a popular HC at one point (a HC that I also share). It goes on and on.

Anyways I wanted to make this post because I really wanted to ramble about the made up nuances and headcanons that I gave to Lyra and Silver in my head lol. I also can’t help but view them more as “muses” of inspiration—I find myself creating or thinking of stories generally unrelated to pokemon entirely when it comes to them at this point. It’s more about wanting to tell the story about them and what their interactions spark and what other interesting messages can be explored through them in different contexts—like they’re the channel for me to explore stories creatively in that way.

I think most Silver fans are aware of his issues so I won’t go into detail on him (no promises), which is why I wanted to talk more about Lyra, and interesting aspects of her character (that I made up lol).

I think with Silver being the way he is, it’s interesting to have someone close to him practically be a foil of him. I picture Lyra having perhaps “clingy” tendencies—not often but it’s there. This contrasts Silver’s flighty tendencies. Lyra is bubbly, (usually) self assured, while Silver is standoffish, and deep down has quite poor self esteem (pokemas practically confirms this). Lyra has a savior complex, and Silver has abandonment issues (these aren’t necessarily foils in this case, but I view these aspects of their characters to be their biggest social/psychological obstacles for their growth).

I remember when I was first thinking more deeply about these characters (years ago at this point) and their characterization, I pictured Lyra as constantly being emotionally aware of herself and others. But there is nothing human about that. That also falls into the “therapist partner” trope to me, where it’s just Lyra fixing all of Silver’s problems which 1) is kind of boring if Silver doesn’t help himself through that and 2) unrealistic and borderline unhealthy for both of them lol

Anyways, that’s where the exploration of Lyra having a savior complex stems from. She isn’t emotionally aware of everyone constantly, let alone herself. She doesn’t understand why she needs to feel needed in some way in order to matter to people or herself. She maybe doesn’t even interpret herself as having a savior complex until it’s explicitly pointed out to her by Ethan maybe or if she says/thinks something that was previously so deeply rooted in her psyche that she just can’t even deny it at that point.

I think what keeps her savior complex from bubbling up and making itself explicitly known to her for so long is due to the fact that she is such a successful trainer (in the pokemon universe in this case). She is constantly praised for the truly hard workload she’s been bearing since childhood—she is adored by the public.

It’s Silver that triggers it to the breaking point.

Silver is such an enigma to Lyra for a multitude of reasons—they’re so completely different, and she has no idea where he came from or… why he is the way that he is.

It’s her desire to know him and understand him that I think ultimately brings them closer—as rivals, then friends. But it isn’t all one-way; I feel that Silver wouldn’t exactly let on, but there are things about Lyra that he questions or wonders greatly about as well. What is it that motivates her?

Anyways, despite knowing each other for years, there’s a certain barrier in him that Lyra is just unable to crack. And I think the biggest problem is Silver’s fear of vulnerability and his abandonment issues. If he doesn’t let anyone in then it can’t hurt when they leave (but that’s total bunk, even though he refuses to acknowledge it). This push and pull is what drives Lyra even further towards being The One™️ to get through to him—because in some twisted sense she would feel useful or necessary to Silver if he finally opened up to her about himself. She would feel warranted.

And I think it would culminate into a big moment between the two of them—a tipping point.

Anyways rant over I’m tired lol

#cable speaks #no fandom tags on this one #we don’t want it to breach containment

5 notes · View notes