#Before I realised there was an instruments theme to the weapons I made hers a slingshot and I didn’t want to change it

[yaminerua]

Been drawing a lot of OCs lately so I decided to go back to one of my oldest. This is my Tokyo Mew Mew OC that I’ve had since I was like 11;;

If I could go back in time to show my younger self how I draw now I would blow their little mind;;;

[akkivee]

When you get the chance:

Top 5 Sonic songs? 💙🦔

foul work asking a sonic fan to rank music LOL so imma go all out and list top 5 albums, vocal themes, and stage songs so i can list as many as possible, but in no particular order lmao

theme tracks

live and learn (well yeah lol) (there’s the original sonic symphony on youtube still and i watched the livestream when it premiered and was vibing enjoying myself, like sonic music orchestrated this is peak but then we got to this song and i was fcking sobbing lmao)

knight of the wind (i like rock to orchestra instruments and this song made me realise that lol. banger theme to a banger game btw lol like i think every sonic fan once they join the online community has a game they’re shocked to hear the general consensus is that it sucked and this was mine lol. i’m glad everyone has come around to it lol)

my sweet passion (IM AN AMY STAN also!!!! her song is the vocal theme you actually have to sit down with to understand and that in itself shows how much depth her character has and i’m not joking when i say she’s the blueprint to all my favourite characters lol)

his world (i like different versions for different reasons but i listen to the og version the most. it really gets the epic vibe sonic 06 was going for and merges sonic’s rap/hiphop influences he was lowkey founded on and the rock music he was known for at the time. i digress but the music direction has shifted to edm so i’d be very curious if a sonic theme in the current era would also have edm 🤔)

i’m here (and like i already loved the og version but then they got kellin quinn to revamp the theme of the dlc that saved sonic frontiers’ ending and it’s just peak all around lmao)

albums

sonic adventure (my go to album when i’m drawing actually lol. i wasn’t around for the og dreamcast drop so idk what marketing was like but since it’s the game that defined sonic’s transition into 3d (sorry if that phrasing activated a fight response lol) i like to think the snazzy jazzy sound the entire album has, which carries forward sonic’s 90s vibes he’s had in 2d as well, is like sonic team saying ‘welcome to sonic’s snazzy jazzy world like you’ve never seen before!!!’ and it’s nice lol)

sonic adventure 2 (i……… am an adventure era girlie lmao but like do you know how formative this soundtrack is for me lol???? sa2 took what sa1 had going for it and ramped it tf 🆙 like defined music genres for their characters and it reflects the music of stages they’re in too!!! i love the vocal stage songs!!!!! supporting me is THE boss fight song of all time!!!! rouge with the sexy spy music bc that’s her schtick!!!! knuckles was an og with character raps showing his thoughts and feelings lmao!!!!)

sonic frontiers (i’m pretty sure the final horizon soundtrack is the reason why sega was my most listened to artist and was my most listened to album last year lol. i made a playlist of those songs and inserted the vocal themes of the og game where the boss rush started iykyk lol. i don’t listen to the og soundtrack much but it’s incredible that each island has a theme they created 6-7 distinct versions of in the form of movements like what a masterpiece of an album)

sonic generations (THE REMIXES SLAP LOL)

sonic forces (idk it’s also an album i put on when i’m drawing. a lot of the songs are repetitive but it’s an easy listen and the vocal tracks are cool lol and fun fact if you search up ‘the edgiest song ever’ on youtube you get a song from this album and they’re right, it is edgy but you don’t understand if you’re messing with me i am a dangerous weapon i am the sharpest of blades i'll cut you down in a second ‘cause i was born in this pain it only hurts if you let it—)

stage songs

aquarium park act 1 (i never played colors actually i just watched a friend of a friend play it but this stage’s song stuck to soul lol)

meteor herd (SPACE HIPHOP??? LIKE ARE YOU FORREAL?????)

night palace (this song is too good for that game lmao)

eggman’s facility (i listen to this remix so much the vanilla version of white jungle actually sounds weird whenever i listen to it lmao)

mystic mansion (this song and its in game mechanic is too good for that fcking stage lmao)

[medusinestories]

Today is Two For One because these two eps pretty much follow onto each other in terms of storylines and themes etc.

Black Sails V and VI (s1 eps 05-06)

- A big plot point in these two episodes is Billy mistrusting and investigating Flint. It starts with Flint approaching Billy and claiming he wants an “honest” conversation with him (note that he’s had time to think about what he’ll say to Billy, coming back to my previous comment about how Flint does better at persuasion when he has time to script things). Flint explains that you can’t ever be entirely truthful to a crew because if you explain any risk of failure they’ll be demoralised. He also talks very briefly about Miranda, portraying her as a “nice Puritan woman” who likes books. When Billy asks if this is really true, Flint just gives him That Wink. Billy spends the episode wavering between trying to support both Flint and protect the crew, clearly conflicted. This feeling intensifies when Logan asks whether Flint will give up trying to get the guns even if the situation becomes extremely dangerous, and Billy can see that Flint is risking the lives of men to get at the guns and knows what he did on the Maria Aleyne. The last straw is the discovery of Miranda’s letter and the realisation that she didn’t prevent Guthrie from betraying them like she was supposed to. Gates dismisses Billy’s doubts and refuses to get into it, mostly in a stategic move, knowing that Flint is the only one who can get them through this battle, and that they all need to obey him in this moment.

- Speaking of battles, this is the first prolonged sea battle we get to see, and the first time that Flint is given a really worthy opponent in the character of Bryson. Bryson is extremely clever and uses both sailing and defense/siege/booby-trap strategies that make taking the Andromache practically impossible to take. Flint shows a lot of resourcefulness in response: he seems to know exactly how much his ship can take and how to handle it (in spite of DeGroot’s warnings, which end up being unfounded for once) and hammers out a good (if dangerous) strategy to board the ship. However, this isn’t enough to outwit Bryson, who’s extremely well prepared for a siege if he gets boarded and has the Scarborough already heading their way. In fact if the slaves in the hold hadn’t helped the pirates, I doubt Flint would have had to leave without the guns. Even when he’s dying, Bryson still attempts to blow his ship up. In fact, his explosive booby trap has a real impact on what happens in the end of episode 6.

- It’s interesting to watch Dufresne in his first battle. He’s clearly meant for us to identify with, as the “nerd” on the ship who’s never seen battle. Following him allows us to see the faces of a lot of crew members, to feel the tension and fear before boarding the other ship, the desperation of the battle, and... okay I’m not sure just anyone would go feral like Dufresne does and rip someone’s throat out. This is definitely a turning point in Dufresne’s character.

- Something new in Billy’s character that he is shown lying to Dufresne to reassure him before the battle, using exactly the technique Flint mentioned earlier. First he tried telling Dufresne that guns only go off half the time - not at all reassuring. Then he tells Dufresne that sailors on their crew never die in their first battle. Only after the battle, does Dufresne realise that what Billy told him isn’t true - and tells Billy that he appreciates the lie. Does this change Billy’s point of view on lying? Is lying all right, for a good cause?

- In the meantime, Eleanor is saddled with Silver. I absolutely love this plot line and wish these two had worked together some more, because they’re hilarious. Silver knows that Eleanor’s angry with him and finally gets to find out that it’s because he involved Max in his scheme, but he flatly refuses taking any responsibility for that, saying it was Max’s choice (which it was). Later, when the angry pirates are turning into a mob, Silver is clearly getting anxious and Eleanor pretending not to be, he says: "if you're pretending to remain unconcerned for my peace of mind, please don't", a line mirrored in S2, where Flint openly admits to Silver that he’s “appearing unconcerned” as a strategy (and thus establishing the Flint/Eleanor parallel). Finally, Silver confronts Eleanor about the danger of not appeasing the mob by letting Vane operate out of Nassau again; she asks him to convince her why she should - and he actually does. It takes two hours, but he actually gets through to her. In this conversation, he utters the classic line “guilt is natural; it also goes away, if you let it”. Clearly he’s had to make some nasty choices for his survival, and likely he has quite a personal experience of mobs, too.

- Richard Guthrie continues to be one of the biggest assholes of the show. In these two episodes he 1) betrayed Mr Scott by telling Bryson to kidnap him and sell him as a slave, 2) announcing that he’s liquidating his holdings in Nassau without warning Eleanor and saddling her with the angry mob, 3) shamelessly revealing to Eleanor how he betrayed her and why, disregarding the fact that she’s made Nassau what it is over the last few years, 4) is worming his way into Mr Underhill’s good books and got himself a cosy and very safe place to live while all hell breaks loose in Nassau.

- Speaking of Mr Scott, he ends up amongst the slaves in Bryson’s ship and appears somewhat disdainful towards them, mostly because he doesn’t want to knows the realities of what would happen to them if they joined the pirates (some would still be sold as slaves). Eme believes that they should still seize their chance for freedom, but Mr Scott won’t help the pirates get these weapons, which “are dangerous to someone I love". This of course is understood as being Eleanor, but it also easily be interpreted as the Maroon Queen/Madi in light of S3. In fact, it makes much more sense that he is resisting the Urca plan to protect them/his community than because he’s worried that Eleanor will be killed. Eme counters that he’ll never see this person again, which still isn’t quite enough to break his resolve. Finally, once Mr Scott has changed his mind and helped free the slaves and ended up helping Flint, he has a conversation with him. Flint decides not to tell the crew of Mr Scott's betrayal, because he’d rather prove Mr Scott wrong re: making Nassau into more than it currently is.

- Anne’s inability to bear the violence done to Max comes to a head in these episodes. First she dismisses Mrs Mapleton who’s not being all too gentle while “tending” to Max, and the brief talk between Max and Anne seems to reinforce Anne’s resolve to stop Hamund (looked him up) (but did they really need to bond while Anne pushes a phallic instrument into Max’s cervix after lubing it up? there’s clear sexual innuendo in the way it’s filmed and it’s pretty inappropriate). It’s only when Rackham sees Anne defending the entrance to Max’s tent and can’t believe that Anne would put herself in danger over “a fucking whore”, that it finally dawns on him that Anne is horrified with this situation (something he could have guessed considering the circumstances in which he met Anne). Once Max is freed and thanks Anne, Anne tells her that she didn’t do it for Max. Which is probably not completely true, but again what we know of Anne’s past also means that she didn’t want to see any woman treated that way.

- The theme of men siding together and not listening to women comes up several times in these two episodes. Guthrie says that he persuaded Mr Scott to betray Eleanor because “we talked like men and he saw reason”. The “like men” suggests that men support each other’s decisions, especially to resist a woman’s folly. The Consortium refuses to listen to Eleanor unless a respected captain, in this case Hornigold, also backs it. But of course Hornigold won’t back it unless Eleanor allows Vane to become a captain again; he considers how Vane’s men are treating the “thieving whore” to be of absolutely no relevance. Rackham opposes Anne’s attempt at stopping Hamund from visiting Max to protect her from Hamund, who he fears would harm Anne. And finally, Pastor Lambrick doesn’t believe Miranda when she tells him that doesn’t need to fear Flint’s anger.

- An answer to this is unlikely collaboration between women people in ep 6, aka, Eleanor  and Anne who deeply despises her. Both of them share a sense of responsibility for what happened to Max, and believe that they’ll only feel better when Max is free and Hamund is dead. John “guilt will go away if you let it” Silver is roped into the plot, when Eleanor, reminds him that he’s a “loose end” to Flint, who will likely want to get rid of him, and promises to tell Flint not to kill Silver after he’s served his purpose if Silver helps them. Which he does, begrudgingly, and at the risk of getting murdered by Hamund at any moment. This puts Eleanor and Anne’s plan to kill Vane’s remaining crew into place, and ruffles Rackham’s feathers: he’s forced to help kill even the men who aren’t disgusting rapists like Hamund. He asks "do I not deserve  say", to which Anne answers "you had your say, now I have mine". GOOD FOR HER.

- When the dust settles, we get a really interesting moment where Silver accurately analyses Eleanor, pointing out that she can’t stand to be wrong, feel weak or let anyone get away with fucking with her - which makes her in his opinion possibly more dangerous than Flint. Does this mean that Silver still thinks he had a genuine chance of winning Flint over and surviving him even without Eleanor’s help? (he’d be right, considering how his relationship with Flint evolves later on the show; perhaps the difference between Flint and Eleanor is that because she’s a woman, she can’t *afford* to show any weakness at all)

- Lambrick has his big moment in episode 6 when he rides chivalrously to Miranda in the middle of the night, hoping to save her from Flint’s retribution. Instead of really reassuring him, Miranda chooses to talk about Thomas instead. This is where we hear the most about Thomas in S1, and the way Miranda speaks about him is clearly loving and admiring. She compares Thomas to Lambrick, saying that he was also a sort of shepherd (the comparison stops here imo). Then she imagines how Thomas would have played devil’s advocate, left all of Lambrick’s beliefs in tatters, all for his own good, to free him from the yoke of shame. I can’t help but think, from her teasing tone and the way she smiles, that she believes that Thomas would have somehow debauched Lambrick. The fact that she decides to have sex with him moments later certainly supports that idea. The ghost of Thomas looms on this scene, and it could be that she briefly imagines being with him, which could explain her smile and the way she holds him afterwards. But Miranda had another reason for sleeping with him: it was a very good way to make him stop asking questions about Flint.

- And in the meantime, Flint knows that Billy has been asking questions about Miranda and overheard him talking angrily with Gates about the letter. It just so happens that Billy has to go cut off a piece of the Andromache’s sail that’s slowing the Walrus down, which puts him in a secluded and dangerous spot. The conversation between Flint and Billy is very brief: Flint asks about the letter Billy found, and Billy answers “I think you know what was in it”. Actually, no, Flint has NO CLUE what was in it. Whatever else passes between them is a mystery, and the next thing we know is Flint announcing that Billy went overboard. We see him hovering behind Gates, watching him intently, until Gates decides that they can’t turn back for Billy. The camera pans a lot on Flint’s face, and his expression is quite unreadable. At first I wasn’t convinced that he’d pushed Billy, but on this watch I’m not so sure, because of the way Flint’s face is filmed. There’s also a sort of clue where we see Flint throw Billy’s sword into the sea during the burial at sea ritual. Of course as Captain he was meant to do that... but the gesture is suggestive of him throwing Billy himself. It’s certainly true that Billy had become a thorn in his side for two reasons: 1) he was one of the rare crew members who could influence Gates and get him on his side; 2) he was much too interested in who Mrs Barlow was and what her motivations were - if Billy had alerted the crew of what she’d done, Miranda may have been in danger (a mob quickly turns against a witch who works against the crew).

- To finish on Flint and Miranda: season 1 has painted them as a unit, an inseparable pair, working as a team (in supernatural ways, sometimes). And to some extent they are. Even at this time where they are truly at odds, where Miranda has tried to take control of Flint’s fate behind his back, they are still protecting each other. Flint doesn’t reveal anything about Miranda and possibly attempts to kill Billy to protect her, while Miranda seduces Pastor Lambrick as a way to distract him from his questions about Flint. She can’t convince him to believe her, but she herself is clearly convinced that Flint is a good, decent person (as she tells the Boston judge in her letter) and she trusts that he knows that she only tried to stop him get the Urca because she wanted to save him - something he will come to accept by the end of S2 (unfortunately for them).

[aurora-daily]

Q&A: AURORA

Interview by Caitlin Moss for Lockmag (September 21st, 2020).

Congratulations on your recent release ‘The Secret Garden’! I know that you wrote the song after reading The Secret Garden for the first time, what was it about the book that compelled you to write it?

I just loved that they really focused on the healing power of nature as a theme, and how important it is to not lock yourself inside your house if you’re feeling upset or afraid of the world, you know? I‘m a big believer in nature’s healing properties, so I wanted to write a song to honour my own imaginary garden which I imagine is my healing place, my sanctum.

It’s just such a beautiful and sad story, as most good stories often are, and the sadness of it just makes the story even more powerful.

Do you find writing or collaborating for film or TV is different to writing for your own album/single release?

Whenever I get asked by someone else to make something to compliment their piece of art, like in a movie, I take it very seriously. I get really like ‘i will not disappoint you, i promise on my family that i will do you and your movie justice!’ I just go in really intensely, like ‘i will fight for you, i will die for you!’

So with every movie soundtrack I’ve contributed to, I never think about anything else other than that movie. It’s just way more scary when you have to do something to please someone else. i’m mostly my own boss but now i have to do something for someone else and it’s very exhilarating

You’ve spoken quite a bit about perfectionism in your music, how did you manage to tackle that once the music you were creating became something other than just ‘yours’? For example, there are now fans who have a connection to your art. Is it something that you just learn to disconnect from once you’re in the song writing zone?

I find it quite easy to disconnect! I always take with me everything good my life has brought me until now when I eventually go into the studio. It’s like my little safe place, you know? And I’m very happy that I can do that. Of course we all do feel a bit of pressure.. Before I became an artist, when I just wrote in my room, so I can definitely feel there is more pressure, which is very sad, but maybe it’s also necessary, because now there is more of a time deadline for me. Being a perfectionist, I could write on a song forever. So I think I do need deadlines sometimes.

You hear all the time about how bad the music industry is, and of course you hear stories like that about every profession. But I’ve been so lucky to have really really good people around me. I picked well! It helps a lot to have people around that make you feel safe and that trust in your music. Cause it’s not just about money or fame, it’s about making something incredible and beautiful. And I’ll never let go of that, it’s the most important thing to me and my team.

Have you ever written another song inspired by a book?

I actually thought about this a few days ago! Because I mostly write about our world and real things that are happening, but I make them into something magical, or something sad, or something happy… I’m very inspired by the world around me, more than anything else. Especially now, with fame, I’m meeting more and more people. So I get to meet the people I’m writing for and about which is very cool.

When I’m writing music I do think quite visually. I often imagine a movie scene in my head, but it’s usually the kind of scene that I’d like for the music video, so it doesn’t exist yet.

But yes, I was thinking that I should be inspired by movies and books more because now, with the Secret Garden project, I realised how magical it can be to make a piece of art inspired by someone else’s piece of art! It’s such a beautiful circle of magical creative things.

I know that recently you’ve been inspired to write music by events such as the recent BLM protests, the ongoing climate emergency, and the current political climate. How do you approach writing music about this? I know you’ve said in the past that sometimes you hide meanings in your song lyrics but would you prefer to be more direct about these kinds of topics?

I go back and forth between the two. I like to play around with the ways I attack my stories. It’s all about what I want people to feel, because I know that life can be very hard, so I want my audience to be able to escape into my music. I want them to feel like they’re getting a hug.

It’s all about what I feel people would need from the music more than the music itself. For my whole career, I’ve always been trying to write the kind of music I feel like people need, and that will make them feel good.

So when I wrote quite politically on my last album, I felt like I needed to go quite harsh. And lyrically it’s quite easy to know what I’m talking about. But of course I want to leave some room for interpretation!

That’s the most fun thing about writing lyrics, you can do whatever you want! So yes, I definitely go between giving people an escape and giving people a weapon to attack whatever they are unhappy with.

How did you find lockdown, from a creative standpoint? Did you find yourself wanting to write more for people going through this new shared experience?

This is quite interesting because when I’m writing music for a new album I know that the music I’m creating will most probably be released in a year, because my music often travels so slowly from my heart out into the world. So I do often think about what the world will need in one year’s time! I kind of have to think ahead, and it is quite easy to tell, if you watch the world, what the reaction to the current situation is going to be in a year or so.

In every album I also like to have a theme, because that’s the most fun way to make an album, to really make it an intricate living thing where everything is connected.

The theme of my new album is inspired by something I think we all need right now, and will need in a year, and in the future that I think we have ahead of us.

It’s been very fun to write because this lockdown has really opened my eyes to what people need individually. But also it opens your eyes to what we really don’t need, all of the things that don’t make any sense, and all the battles we haven’t even fought yet that we’re going to fight in the future! When the world feels as quiet as it has in lockdown, it helps us to reconnect to what is really important, politically and emotionally.

All of this has definitely had an influence on the writing of my next album, but it’s a very complicated and big album to try and describe!

And what else have you been doing to keep busy during lockdown?

The world is teaching us all the time to dislike ourselves, so I know that many people have been struggling being alone with their thoughts and themselves for long periods of time. But I am very lucky because I know that I like myself, I really enjoy spending time alone.

I have a very creative head, which does make it hard to be social sometimes, I much prefer to be in my house, doing anything that you can think of that’s creative. I’ve been painting, drawing, writing music, making clothes, and drying flowers which I’m actually doing right now!

But I do really need someone to drag me out sometimes, because when you spend time with yourself in your own little world every day it can feel as though life is much shorter. It all ends up forming into one blob of a day, and you might not realise that a few days have gone by. So I’m very grateful for the hobbies that have been getting me out of the house! It’s really easy for me to get too comfortable in my home.

What was it like to work with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra?

I loved having the chance to make something so large with a group of people. I think there were 50 people in total, and it’s just so incredible because every single sound you can hear is made by those people playing together. It’s magical.

I appreciate them so much, and I appreciate each instrument so much. There’s something about a cello that just cuts through you in a different way than a voice can, it can make you cry without you even knowing why.

I really adored the experience, and I want to do things like that as much as possible because to me it really does define the beauty of music.

As a fellow book lover, I’m always looking to add new titles to my list, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

Well, I would recommend any book by Brandon Sanderson to anyone out there who loves complex, emotional fantasy stories. The Mistborn and Warbreaker series are really good.

I’ve been trying to read more books by female authors recently, so I’d recommend Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Power by Naomi Alderman, the Study series by Maria V. Snyder has an excellent female main character and I loved reading about her journey through life.

My final recommendation is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I thought the first 100 pages were really boring, but you have to stick with it! Once I got past those first 100 pages it turned into the most entertaining book I’ve ever read, and it’s such a good story.

I could definitely recommend more if I was looking at my bookshelves, but you should definitely start with those books first.

Your new track ‘Exist For Love’ is a step in a new musical direction for you. As someone who has said in the past that you’re not one for writing love songs, what was it like to explore a new side of yourself musically and lyrically? And can we expect more to come on your next album?

Love is a big part of the song’s meaning, but it’s much more complex than just a love song. Musically too it’s quite different from what I’ve done before, because that’s the most fun thing to do as an artist! I love trying new things.

‘Exist For Love’ is definitely a taste of what the next album will be like. It’s going to be a different album and I’m having a lot of fun with it at the moment.

How do you approach taking a new album into the studio? Do you pitch a fully realised vision to your team?

It’s very hard to work with me, I think, because I can be very stubborn and with every album I always have a clear idea that I sit down and pitch to my team. I like to create a visual map of the story I had in my head when writing the songs. I like to keep the name of the album a secret until it’s done though, I’m very secretive about that…

I don’t bring people on to help make an album unless I know that they understand where I’m coming from. And once I’ve established that understanding, then we can go forward and work together and be inspired by each other.

I’m very excited to start recording this album, we’ll be making a beautiful album child in a little castle somewhere here in Norway. I think it’s very important for me to be somewhere atmospheric, like a castle. You can definitely hear it in the music. We’re renting it out for a few weeks and it’s going to be really magical!

It’s just going to be me and Magnus, my drummer, we’ve made most albums just the two of us. I’ll have all the music written beforehand, and then we’ll record and produce it all.

Do you like to be very hands-on with the production side of your music too?

Definitely, I get very sad seeing so many girls and women in the music industry either not getting any credit for production, or just being ignored or afraid to speak up during that process.

It’s such a male dominated space, which I get very angry about because on my albums I don’t get any credit for the production work I do. I think Bjork spoke about the same issues with her music too. It’s such a long and difficult battle that we have to fight!

I absolutely love producing, it’s so much fun. To me the recording and producing process is like creating a little album child, and then going out to buy beautiful clothes to dress up your child in these lovely things! I have such a specific vision for every part of my songs in my mind, so I couldn’t imagine not being involved in the production.

I would recommend that everyone gives it a go, it’s so easy to learn, and you can find tutorials online for any software you can get your hands on.

You’re so right! I know from experience with my first few songs, I didn’t feel anywhere near confident enough to have my voice heard in the production process!

I think that is my biggest piece of advice for any new musician, just start to learn how to produce yourself so that you can hold your own in the studio. You’ll feel so much more confident! It’s so important to be strict with your opinions, especially because you’re putting so much time into the writing and recording of these songs.

I also love learning new things from my drummer, who has been a producer for a long time now. There’s no shame in taking advantage of how good the people around you have become technically, but you just have to make sure they listen to you too. No matter how good they are.

Okay, one final question before we go…what are you looking forward to in the future right now?

Number one is this next album. It’s going to be so different and so new, and it’s very exciting to play around with new things.

Number two is, I’m excited to keep on fighting for the people, you know? I can’t wait to continue spreading love and support for equality, women’s rights, the black lives matter movement, the environment and for the animals. It’s the most fun thing. Life seems so long when you’re a part of fighting in such huge, ongoing battles like those, and I can’t wait to start seeing real change. I really do think it’s coming because you can see it in the people. We are so ready for the era of love.

It’s also going to be very exciting to see if we’ll ever be the same after this virus. I don’t think we will, but I think that’s going to be a good thing.

[the-trashy-phoenix]

Supernatural season 5 review (part 1)

Link to part 2:

At the end of the previous season, as you remember, we were left speechless by all the plot twists happened in the last episode, leaving us on a cliffhanger. Of course we already know the aim of the entire fifth season will be stopping the Apocalypse, but we don’t have a clue, and neither do Sam and Dean at first, about how they’ll manage doing it, and that’s the whole point of this part of the show. As always, stopping the evil forces is not the only obstacle the brothers have to face, as there’s also a relational problem between them. This one is maybe the biggest so far, considering Sam himself caused the whole mess, to use an euphemism, they have to clean and will surely cause unpredictable tragedies all over the world (through the episodes, characters often refer to natural disasters). Sam’s guilt is nearly unbearable, and if we consider how considerate and kind he is we can assume it’s deadly painful for him, but that’s not the worst part. That’s not the reason why Dean can’t forgive him. Deep but not so deep inside he’s mad at his brother and can’t trust him because he refused to follow him and his advice and decided to trust Ruby’s plans. As always they’re both right: no one could say how evil Ruby was as she did a very good and long-term job in hiding it, and Dean himself trusted her, but the point is Sam made a choice and Dean can’t bare the fact that the only person he could really rely on chose someone else, especially because Sam’s choice proved to be extremely wrong. So paradoxically the real problem between them is not the Apocalypse, as Dean knows Sam would have never cause it on purpose, but the lack of trust, which is very difficult to restore (especially because they never maturely talk about it and they just do when they explode with anger and resentment) and which by the way prevents them from focusing properly on saving the world.

Moreover, the villain the world must be saved from is the worst you could imagine, Lucifer. This brings the fight on a superior level, as hell forces, now on earth, fight with heaven creatures, the angels we’ve met in the fourth season. The brothers are in the middle of this epochal war in the deepest sense, as both angels and demons want them on their side. Sam and Dean don’t know what to do, but they’re sure they will never ally with anyone, which is quite complicated because they’re deeply connected to both sides in an interesting way. As a matter of fact, in season four we've found out that not only Sam began the Apocalypse breaking the last seal, but also that Dean unintentionally started the whole thing breaking the very first seal when he accepted to torture souls down in hell. This makes Dean feel so guilty as well, and should make him consider Sam less responsible of the Apocalypse, and at some point he does, making it the real turning point in his view, as he realises they’ve been both cheated by angels and demons who made them their puppets assuming they would obey without arguing. Also, the brothers get to know they’re even more involved in the fight: Sam is Lucifer’s vessel, which means he’s the strongest human being able to carry the demon, but of course he has to say yes and he won’t, and Dean is Micheal’s vessel, which means he’s the only instrument angels have to make the archangel powerful enough to fight Lucifer and hopefully win the war. Sam’s choice is easy, as there’s no doubt Lucifer is evil, but still he has to bear a lot of pressure from Lucifer himself and his faithful demons who keep bothering him, Dean and Bobby the whole time.

Dean’s position is a lot more complex: he knows he’s the only hope to defeat hell creatures, but he’s also learned to be suspicious towards angels and would rather die than do what Zacharia wants, as he is not quite the type of person who easily forgives someone who’s been so mean to him. Somehow their only choice is quite clear, breaking free from both angels and demons and begin their own fight against all of them to stop the Apocalypse and save as many people as possible, as they seem to be the only ones caring for them. I think they know it from the beginning, but it’s a great step to take and before jumping into it they have to go through a process of inner growth, understanding how wrong it would be to take a side and how they just have each other to count on, even after all the lies and misunderstandings they’ve been through. After some time they’re ready to start their own fight, choosing carefully their soldiers in the people they trust the most and making an exception just for Castiel. He himself also went through a deep process of growth during which he becomes more and more human, both physically and spiritually, and brave enough to follow what he thinks is the right path despite the pressure from the angels, who are his family, and even if Sam and Dean’s idea of fighting against all supernatural creatures is desperate.

Of course Sam and Dean’s decision is sometimes not so firm: I’ll mention Dean’s temporary choice to say yes to Micheal, because it gives a great view of Dean’s inner self. He knows saying yes to Micheal means dying, so before leaving his body he goes to say goodbye to Lisa, his ex-girlfriend he met again some seasons ago, and tells her that she’s the only one he would imagine to be with in an hypothetical happy life. This scene really broke my heart because it’s one of the rare occasions in which Dean admits he dreams of a normal life, which could seem boring if he hadn’t experienced all the pain his life as a hunter brought him, free from the fear he constantly feels (and tries to hide in every way) and from all the burdens he has to carry every day. Dean seems even somehow happy to die, and it’s clear he hates the hunter life more than Sam, even if it’s the most important part of him. I appreciate so much Dean’s constant growth and development through the episodes and the increasing insight of his personality (which is, together with Sam’s, the most complex in the show) moving from the prototype of the narcissist and sexist guy to a deep and grown man.

In this season we also meet several times the other hunters who always keep in touch with and help Sam and Dean. Of course Bobby is still part of their team, and his storyline is developed as he has an accident that makes him lose the use of his legs. Castiel can’t help him because he’s lost his powers and Bobby cedes to deep depression. He feels more useless than ever and would do anything to have his legs again, considering how this is a huge handicap in his fully active hunter life, so he solves his problem the only way every character seems to know, making a deal with a demon. This one is particularly important as he’s a complex character whose intentions are not completely clear from the beginning, Crowley. He of course is a demon, and a very powerful one, but happens to help the Winchesters apparently without any reason giving them the Colt, the only weapon that could kill Lucifer (but it can’t, and the brothers will find out too late). I think this character will be a great source of satisfaction going on with the show.

Talking about hunters, I can’t but mention one of the saddest moments of the season. During the first attempt to kill Lucifer with the Colt, also Ellen and Jo get to help the “team free will”, as they’ve become full-time hunters after the destruction of their Roadhouse and are committed to the fight. Things don’t go as planned and the two women get killed by hellhounds aroused by Meg. Their death arises Sam and Dean’s guilt for all the good people dying to help them (and eventually they didn’t even manage to defeat Lucifer this time), because they refused to serve as vessels and chose to fight their own way. They still think that’s a good choice, but they have to constantly live with the burden of all the deaths they cause.

One of them keeps on tormenting Sam from the first season. He could never forget his guilt for Jessica’s death, but it becomes even more painful when he finds out she was meant to meet and love him and to be killed by demons from the start. Even his college best friend, who had presented Jess to him, was a demon, so that Sam was never destined to a normal life, even though he had tried so hard to build one, and everything that ever happened to him was meant to lead him to his predestined future, to become a hunter just as the father he had always wanted to break free from. This shocking revelation makes Sam cut once for all the hopes he had to stop being a hunter and to have a family one day: he now knows for sure he’s cursed (like his brother, who on the other hand can’t really let go that idea of a family) and understands he has to face his destiny without running away ever again.

I particularly liked the character of Chuck, the prophet, who can see in advance what will happen to Sam and Dean and help them, and Becky, the most dedicated fan of Supernatural, the series of books Chuck has written about the Winchesters. They also come together with the metanarrative of Supernatural itself, as Chuck wrote the books before knowing the whole story was real, and even after knowing it they keep on organizing events, such as the convention involving Sam and Dean themselves in episode 9, to bring together fans. At first it’s a bit of a shock, both for the protagonists and for us, but you get easily used to this mechanism of the show reflecting upon itself and it’s quite fun. I’m not a TV series expert, but I found this feature so original and kind of self-ironic I think that’s one of the elements which makes Supernatural unique.

Supernatural also touches kind of theological and philosophical themes through the narration about heaven and angels, focusing on their ambiguous morality, but in the fifth season also God has a space. At first he’s mentioned to justify Castiel’s resurrection (he had died at end of the fourth season) and at some point he seems to be the only one who is powerful enough to stop the Apocalypse and the war, but no one has seen him in years. The archangel Raphael says he’s dead and, when Sam and Dean go to heaven (which by the way wasn’t how I expected, as it’s just a place where you relive your happiest memories), Joshua tells them he’s alive but he doesn’t care anymore about his duties. That was quite predictable, but still it makes the brothers even more angry and hopeless, knowing that the angels are following orders from this God and that he has created humanity and forgot about it straightaway. This perspective about God is clearly made to make people think, and reflects how most of them feel about religion and Evil, which cannot be satisfactorily explained by the traditional idea of theology and free will (which by the way is the evocative name the brothers and Castiel give to their team). Sam and Dean need to find a way to reach their purpose to save the world and by doing it they can’t count on God or a good superior creature, but as always they can only count on themselves and do better than God himself did (which shouldn’t be too difficult).

Just when everything seems to be lost, an unexpected character, the Trickster, reveals himself. After giving us the last of his extremely funny and weird episodes, the brothers find out he’s the missing archangel, Gabriel: he’s an outsider in his family who broke free not to fight against his brothers, like Lucifer did, but to live a peaceful life far from all angels and demons’ issues. He’s neither good nor evil, because he doesn’t want to take sides, but it’s so clear he has a preference for Sam and Dean and kind of mirrors himself in their desire to follow their own path outside what heaven and hell have decided for them that he helps them explaining how they can defeat Lucifer. They have to collect the rings of the Four Knights, War, Famine, Death and Pestilence, to re-open Lucifer’s cage, but to do so Sam has to say yes to him and hopefully succeed in leaving it before falling down to hell. Of course Dean is not sure about the plan and doesn’t want his brother to do that, but they both know it’s the only way to stop the Apocalypse; also Sam is well aware of all the risks, but somehow feels it’s his chance to redeem and clear up the mistake he made. In one of the last scenes of the brothers together, Sam makes Dean promise the sweetest thing: he will not try to bring him back if he fails, and he will live a normal life with Lisa and Ben. The final fight ends really badly, as both Lucifer in Sam’s body and Micheal in Adam’s body (he’s the closest relative to Dean and the brothers, even if they tried, couldn’t protect him from angels, as another proof the Winchesters are cursed in their blood) fall and go back to Lucifer’s cage. I thought Dean would have never respected his promise, but the season unexpectedly ends with a peaceful scene of an ordinary dinner table where Dean, Lisa and Ben are happily eating as a proper family. But just when I thought the shock couldn’t be worse, the camera shows us we’ve seen this scene from a particular point of view, Sam’s. How can he possibly be back? What will he do now? We will surely find an answer in the next season…

- Irene 💕

[comprosedreviews-blog]

Wednesday with Colleen!

Okay so two weeks ago, the lovely Monica posted this discussion between the two of us. Well finally, I have read that book that she mentioned and I am here today to review it! 

Today’s Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments Book One) 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Goodreads rating: 4.12/5 My Rating: 8.5/10 

Okay so I’m probably the last person in this galaxy to read this. Everyone I know read this and I just never got on the bandwagon. Well after some pushing and prodding (and just a dash of bribery) Monica finally convinced to pick it up.

Here’s the publisher summary:  

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads

Why I liked this book: Okay, so this book seems to be one of the books that polarizes the reading community. People either love it or downright hate it. I am pleased to announced that I enjoyed this book quite a bit (there ya go Monica, I said it). One of the main reasons a lot of people give for hating this book is the fact that it is very similar to many other books. I cannot deny it has definite influences from Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight, X:Men, and even a little Star Trek. But what these readers fail to realise is that almost all books share themes with other works. There is not a book out there that in not in some way influenced by another work whether intentional or not. One of main criticisms of YA novels is that they are ‘unoriginal’. This stems from the vague lines of separation between YA sub genres. With the genre as a whole there are hundreds of sub genres that often times get grouped together and given the moniker of being ‘unoriginal’ simply because they have similar themes. City of Bones may share similar themes such as the supernatural elements and magical powers of Harry Potter but so half the young adult novels on the market today. The influences are not over powering and are hardly noticeable unless you are really looking them. Wow, okay that got a little long. Continuing on with the actual review. This book has a wealth of great characters which as most of you know by now, is the make-it-or-break-it point of novels for me. To be honest, I didn’t like Clary or Simon at the beginning. Clary just seemed a little weak to me because she fainted at just about everything but over time she grew into a strong and powerful woman. Simon, I still don’t completely love, he’s kind of annoying in my opinion but he’s not a bad character. That’s another really good thing about this book - there aren’t any really weak characters. Because this is a series the author (Cassandra Clare) is allowed to take liberties with characters by not revealing details about them until further novels. Jace was a little cocky at the beginning, a little hot-headed and not open-minded but let me tell you, towards the end man, his character development skyrockets. Oh and don’t even get me started on Hodge. Oh my gosh.

SPOILERS BELOW

HODGE! WHY’D YA GOTTA DO THAT MAN??????? YOU WERE MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER!!! WHY’D YOU HAVE TO GO AND BETRAY MY TRUST LIKE THAT? I BELIEVED IN YOU! I BELIEVED THAT YOU HAD TURNED YOUR LIFE AROUND AND THEN YOU GO AND TRY TO MURDER EVERYONE! WHY????? I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU! I WAS DEFENDING YOU! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Also I called the Jace and Clary sibling relationship about 100 pages before they announced it. That was so obvious. It was interesting but very predictable. 

The plot moves along at a nice pace, a lot goes down in this book. It almost felt like two books crammed into one with the amount of action that takes place. It’s not overly packed where there aren’t any slow spots but not where there are long series of pages of mostly dialogue for most of the novel. 

This book additionally contains some pretty hilarious lines that made me laugh out loud. For example:

“Just relax,” said Jace. “Enjoy that new-carriage smell.”

and

“Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black than the Widows of our Enemies since 1234.”

and

“Sorry, are you telling me that your demon-slaying buddies need to be driven to their next assignation with the forces of darkness by my mom?” 

and

“Clary, please don’t get upset-” “Don’t get upset? You’re telling me that my dad is a guy who’s basically an evil overlord, and you want me not to get upset?” 

Why I didn’t like this book: 

You know, Monica’s going to say ‘I told you so’ but I am actually having a difficult time thinking of things I didn’t like about this book besides plot things (*cough cough Hodge cough cough*) but that’s just part of reading the book and the book’s plot. 

OH WAIT THERE’S ONE GIANT THING I NOTICED. 

There’s a line that goes “Hodge gave him a long and measured look. “Possibly,” he said. “But most likely, you’re too old. The Cup works on children. An adult would either be unaffected by the process entirely, or killed outright.” (Clare 154). According to the expert (aka Monica) they changed that in a later edition of the book so that the Cup works on adults now. That kind of editing bothers the heck out of me. If you make a plot mistake, you have to fix it by editing your current plot not going back and changing the old one. Because now my perception of the novel is different than hers and I don’t know which one is the correct one. You cannot fix plotholes simply by changing the actual novel, you have to adapt where it goes in the future. But other than that, the plot moved along at a steady pace with very few low spots, the characters were compelling, and the worldbuilding was just enough to be intriguing but not overly confusing. 

I recommend this novel very much and I am excited to read the next one in the series! Thanks to my book reviewer bestie, Monica for introducing me to it! After reading a series of mediocre books for a few weeks this summer, this really helped get me back into my 3-books-a-week cycle!

-Colleen

Also, I am aware there is both a movie and television show for this novel series but I have no intention of watching either until I finish reading the entire series.

[ignitingwriting]

Igniting Writing ‘Explore’ Contest 2019, Submission by Cameron from Igniting Writing

We have just received another ‘Explore’ themed teen creative writing contest entry, submitted by Cameron from Igniting Writing! The competition, led in tandem by Igniting Writing, Lake Erie Ink, Fighting Words and Young Writers Project, is now up to five entries and this is the second from an Igniting Writing group member. Cameron’s entry is titled ‘The World Inside the World’ and it’s a very different take on the explore theme, going with a writing style reminiscent of a Victorian adventure or a Utopian exploration! Have a read of Cameron’s contest entry here:

So it was, that in the Autumn of 1916 – while the War to End All Wars was raging away in the thundering west – the crew, the Intrepid Explorers for Pay (otherwise known as the IEP) in their black machine: a flying vehicle based upon the indomitable sketchings of a certain Leonardo Da Vinci, turned North and flew towards the Arctic – wherein their next commission lingered.

Now, it would not be correct to say that the IEP lived out their lives in the occupation of professional explorers extraordinaire; instead, it would be much more correct to say that they were mercenaries, who specialised in the particular niceties of exploration, adventure and dangerous but exhilarating research.

The Intrepid Explorers for Pay’s newest client was a shadowy company that had called the crew to an unknown location somewhere near the North Pole, though the exact co-ordinates were undefined and the IEP found themselves flying by ear. The client was a business calling itself Manumissions LLC, and, according to the representative who had approached the Captain of the IEP, were “a company who makes considerable profit out of selling armaments to revolutionaries trying to dethrone tyrants and/or bureaucratic tyrannies. We have done business in the past with a certain Gavrilo Princip, and we have just done a very lucrative transaction with a Russian: a Mr Lenin, a Bolshevik... though, I’m sure he won’t amount to much.”

The IEP themselves were made up of three members. Captain John Schmitt was a German who had lived in England for fifteen years but had fled the country to join and take command of the crew after a wave of anti-German sentiment swept the West coinciding with the birth of the Great War. He spoke with a perfect English accent which only took on German inflections in times of great stress or excitement, and dressed in an impeccable suit which suffused him in an air of reliability.

First Officer Lord Rexford was the oldest member of the IEP and seemed in his bearing and mannerisms the perfect embodiment of the bureaucrat. When he spoke, it was in the Queen’s English, and his posture and actions were modelled on those of a perfect gentleman.

The third member of the crew was Weapons Officer Miss De Trice. She was an anomaly, not only was she the first ever female aeronaut in recorded history, but she was also the first ever aeronaut whose first name was unknown to just about everyone apart from herself. Nevertheless, she performed her duties aboard the black machine with consummate ease and brilliance. And so, armed with its three bumbling, bless’d, and byzantine human cargo, the black machine of the Intrepid Explorers for Pay flew high over the icy tundra, towards where Manumissions (LLC) officials waited on the ice, gesturing and waving to the adventurers above.

“Our job for you is an interesting one indeed! and one that we hope you can take upon yourselves with the same confidence that you exhibited when communicating with our representative.” So said a tall company official, standing beside a wide and deep hole that penetrated the ice very near to the centre of the North Pole.

“Please don’t keep on old fellow,” said First Officer Lord Rexford. “Just tell us our job, what what. I say this with the utmost respect you understand, what.”

“Yes,” said Captain Schmitt. “My first officer of course speaks the truth. We are people who enjoy doing jobs in the shortest space of time as is efficient; it would be very pleasing to us if you could tell us the purpose of our hiring so that we could get to it straight away. We, my good sir, do not hang around.”

“Well yes of course,” said the official smiling with cold, expressionless eyes. “This hole,” and he pointed to the immensity before them, “is a direct route down into the centre of the Earth. We as an organisation are fascinated with the idea that the planet is hollow and the latest scientific studies show that this is almost certain to be the truth. Your job is to fly down that hole in your craft and investigate the hollow Earth. Return and report to us about what you find and you will have a rich reward,” he said, sneering.

Inside the hole the air was cold; all three of the members of the IEP wore their warmest clothing and huddled over their instruments as they sent the flying machine into a faster and faster dive through the bowels of the planet. Then, with a sudden burst of heat the machine exploded into the widest space that any of the IEP had ever seen. They were hanging near the roof of a well-lit cavern and looked down on a gargantuan expanse of lustrous foliage: tall and steaming forests and vast fields and…

“Is that a village…? No, a city… No, a town!” exclaimed Weapons Officer De Trice. And it was, a large collection of tall houses and other structures that were too numerous to be a town and too few to be a city.

“Quick,” said Captain Schmitt, “set a course for the town. This! all of this! It is amazing.”

They flew, and then touched down in a wheat field near the town which puffed smoke into the thick air from a dozen chimneys. Yet when the IEP emerged blinking into the light of the subterranean day, they found themselves surrounded by soldiers.

“Are you emissaries of the Inner Earth Empire?” asked a soldier.

“No!”

“Then come with us, you must be from Outer Earth, welcome to the free colony of Virginia.” The three were escorted through the town until they reached the largest and longest city hall. Taken up winding steps they were brought into the presence of the Mayor of the town, an old woman with strange, careworn features and an accent reminiscent of old cave systems and dripping stalactites. Informed of their coming and of them being inhabitants of the Outer Earth, she smiled at them and after refreshments were brought by an old waiter, she launched into the history of the Free Colony.

“Our ancestors were members of an English settlement funded by Sir Walter Raleigh in the early days of the colonisation of America, but they ran out of supplies and the natives attacked. They fled for a long time through the wild – always harried by the doggish natives – until they came to a curious, cavernous crack in the Earth. Having nowhere else to go and finding that the sides of the hole were perilous but climbable they descended from the surface and the natives chose not, out of some mythical respect and fear of the place, to follow. They emerged inside the Hollow Earth and found the hospitable landscape that you have discovered. Finding that they were happy here, they created our town and traded with other towns: other groups of people that had fallen through the cracks of the world to relocate underground, for three centuries. This was until the last decade or so when they – and this troubles me to tell it – formed into an alliance against us, calling themselves the Inner Empire and, lustful of the land that we farm, warred against us.”

She continued in this story for a long time and, as she expounded upon the atrocities of the war of Inner Earth, the three Intrepid Explorers for Pay, even the secretive Miss De Trice, found themselves sickened by the plight of Virginia, and all at once leaping up they hurried from the room, a half-formed, hair-brain scheme flickering in their minds. Climbing back into their black flying machine, trailed by a phalanx of puzzled Virginian officers, they took the ship up, up, up until they turned it and flew it away from Virginia and towards the hostile lands of the Inner Empire.

As they approached however, a shot rang out, and a cannon shell hurtled over the open cockpit of the machine. “Quick,” instructed Schmitt, his German accent becoming more pronounced. “Put up the flag De Trice, do not fire, we want to end this strange war.” A white flag slid from the interior of the craft as it settled down upon the ground, swarming as it was with soldiers and ordnance. When they reached it Schmitt and Sir Rexford leapt out, but De Trice remained within and lifted off again, sending the craft to hover ten meters above the ground. Meanwhile, on the earth beneath, the two IEPs found themselves surrounded by more armed soldiers, these with features that seemed even more alien, aiming strange muskets and rifles.

“Put down your guns, what what,” said Sir Rexford, “we’ve only come for peace.”

“And how would you bring us peace?!” said a soldier in green epaulettes, pushing forward so all could see that he was a General. “We outnumber you Outer Earthers, two to a thousand.”

"Three my good fellow,” said Sir Rexford, “three my good man.” And looking up they all saw the black machine above them, flag retracted and weapons extended, hovering like a grotesque bird of prey. There was a long standoff while the three realised that after this they had no idea what to do next and the Inner Empire’s soldiers prepared themselves for the slaughter that was sure to follow. But then Schmitt started up, a new light burning behind his eyes.

“You should have peace because… because above this world – in my world – there is a war, a Great War. Millions are dying but no one will declare for peace, there are machine guns, poisonous gases, barbed wire fences...” And he went on describing the apocalypse occurring above their heads even now. In fact, as Schmitt went on, they all seemed to perceive the tremor from falling shells and the feeling of mud and rats and lice crawling with insidious feet over their skin. In the end, as Schmitt illuminated all human depravity before them, peace seemed the only option and they all knew they had to submit.

Afterwards, as the General commanded his troops to retreat and the Virginians dismantled their gun emplacements, the three Intrepid Explorers for Pay flew back to the Free Colony of Virginia and endured the celebratory feasts and long dances held in their honour. All that had gone before seemed to become a dream. Somewhere in the midst of the days that followed Schmitt’s climactic speech, Weapons Officer De Trice deserted them.

“I’m done,” she said. “This was the greatest adventure of my life and I will not end it with us going back to that horrible company and getting our payment. I don’t want a payment! I’m going exploring with some Virginians – there’s another world within this world, what is beyond the Inner Empire? Now that we are not at war I can go and find it out.”

Schmitt nodded; he could only admire her. “You’re the true explorer out of all of us,” he said, but Miss De Trice was gone.

Later First Officer Sir Rexford took the machine and returned to the outside world. “I’m not done, what what, still things to do out there old chap.” Schmitt promoted him to Captain Sir Rexford and let him leave. Schmitt remained.

He walked to the centre of the town after an afternoon of feasting. Laying his head against the trickling coolness of a fountain he stared up at the pirouetting minarets that stretched above him; and he wondered, considering that he was at peace and the war was above not below, was this place Heaven and the upper-world Hell, or was it the other way around?

[emptymasks]

The Fall of Eléthmae (daretowrite prompt #146)

Original Work, Aléthion

daretowrite prompt #146 - Burning Skies

Pairing: Implied Marcellus Ensis/Evanelle Shields, Damien Sheilds/Maximus Ensis (Mentioned), Evanelle Shields/Cedric Omath (Mentioned)

Words: 1,204

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Angst, Death, Aftermath of Violence, Mention of Violence, Mention of Death, Mention of Blood, Implied/Referenced Character Death

Read on Ao3 | Read on my Aléthion side-blog

Notes: So I'm very nervous about posting this. I've had this original story for years. Earlier this year I finally started posting about it on a side-blog I made @alethion. The story and the characters mean a lot to me and I've wanted to write the story properly for years.

I wrote this months ago in the middle of a lunch break at Uni and I had forgotten all about it, until about a week ago.

This is the first piece of the story I've written (discounting character bios, backstories, and very short drafts). I would really appreciate any and all feedback, and if you want to know more about the story and what I have planned for it you can go to @alethion and @emptymasks/tagged/alethion 

The daretowrite challenge can be found at @inkstay

Thank you for reading this :)

p.s. for anyone who's interested I like to listen to instrumental music when I write and draw for Aléthion. For this I had 'Lily's Theme' from The Deathly Hallows Part II on. It's a heartbreaking, beautifully tragic piece of music and I got far too emotional when writing this.

p.p.s. look @lingering-snow I finally did it. I wrote and posted an original thing.

Red. All he could see was red.

The blood stuck to his boots and clung to his hair and he felt as though no matter how much be scrubbed at his skin it would still be there.

Marcellus stood in the doorway of what was once his home. His mother’s body laying at his feet, his youngest brother shivering in his arms.

Outside the sky was burning. Everything was burning. The stench of it seeped into everything. A molten decay.

But despite the horror, it was quiet. Those that had been fighting were either dead, captured, or had surrendered. He looked down at Jasper. The boy’s light hair stained with ash. If he gave in now they might be safe… or at least alive.

He stepped back and turned to look up at the palace. Smoke clawing its way out of the windows and escaping towards the sky. On one of the open towers wires were being stung up between the pillars; with a lurch in his stomach Marcellus realised they were wings, cut from fallen soldiers.

And he knew.

The king was dead. Damien. His ruler. His friend.

And if Damien was dead then…

He felt his knees start to buckle. There was no way Maximus alive. He would have sacrificed his life defending Damien. Or lost it trying to get vengeance, justice, for his death. There was only himself and Jasper left. His family… At least Evan wasn’t here.

Evan.

Before he realised he was moving, he found himself rushing towards the nearest gate. What was there left for him here? His mother? His brother? His friends? All of them dead.

He pulled himself between two houses as some of the invading soldiers walked past. There was no way he would get out of the kingdom before they closed the gates.

He needed a horse.

-----

Evanelle awoke to the sound of screaming. She grabbed her nearest jacket and rushed out into the hall, freezing outside Daléth’s room. Her heart stopped.

She flung the door open to see Daléth on his bed, laying on his stomach. A few servants who had heard his cries stood watching him. Or rather, watching the blood dripping from his back.

“Why did no one wake me?” She tried to keep her voice steady as she hurried over to Daléth’s side.

“Our apologies, you grace, King Cedric told us not to disturb-” One of the women started to defend herself.

“In future, when my son is in any pain you have my permission to wake me.” She turned back to Daléth, placing a hand gently on his head. “I need a bucket of water, a cloth, and a comb.”

She pulled a chair up next to the bed.

“Now!” She startled the servants into scurrying out of the room.

As they brought the items to her, she stroked Daléth’s hair, the sweat from his fever making it stick to his forehead. She rubbed the damp cloth gently over Daléth’s back, the skin now stretching and bulging outwards as the bone of his wings attempted to break through.

Daléth’s hand shot out and grabbed onto hers. She was struck in this moment of how much he looked like Damien.

“Well I guess this means Mark’s rich now- ah!” The young prince gritted his teeth together.

He was laying on his stomach, the blood running down his back dripping onto the sheets.

“Damien, you shouldn’t try and talk, you’re in a lot of pain.” Evanelle was sat at his bedside, she leaned over to brush Damien’s hair out of his eyes.

“But think about it. How much gold do you think he’ll get, Elle?”

“The sort of people who would bet you’d never grow your wings don’t strike me as the sort of people who would honour their word, brother.”

“Still. I bet it would be enough for him to finally take you out to dinner – ow.”

“Don’t say ‘ow’, I lightly tapped you.”

“Yes, but remember, I’m in a lot of pain.” Damien smirked.

How Damien had managed to look smug in that moment was beyond Evanelle. Most of those descended from Erron would get their wings when they went through the early years of adolescence, the later they came through, the more it would hurt. Evanelle’s came through when she was twelve. Damien’s didn’t come through until he was seventeen.

Daléth was only eleven, so, thankfully, it wouldn’t be much longer before his wings finally broke through.

And it wasn’t. Only a few minutes later Daléth was sleeping, while Evanelle washed the blood out of his wings and began combing them. She had only ever done this for Damien, but she found herself easily cleaning and straightening the feathers.

She was finding the act relaxing, but then again anything would feel relaxing right now compared to seeing her son in such pain only a few moments ago.

But then, she lifted her gaze, her eyes caught movement out of the window, and she saw it. A beacon of red lighting up the forest around it. She dropped the comb and walked over to the window, blinking hard, willing for the sight to be an illusion. A hallucination from her lack of sleep.

It wasn’t. She could see people, mostly the palace guards, gathered outside, watching the flames.

Why weren’t they moving? Why weren’t they helping? Why hadn’t somebody told her? That was her kingdom, her home. Her home was burning, crumbling into ash and dissolving into the sky.

Damien. Marcellus. Maximus. Her mother. Cynwise. Aria. Issak.

Were any of them alive?

Daléth mumbled in his sleep and she shakily sat back down, picking the comb up off the floor.

The people here knew. They knew. They knew and no one had said anything. She needed to go, she needed to leave Daléth with someone she tursted, she needed to get her weapons and-

The door to the room burst open and Evanelle instantly drew herself up glancing around for anything she could use to defend herself.

“We don’t have a lot of time.” The figure said.

Evanelle knew that voice.

“Ava? What are you doing here? Cedric said he’ll be able to clear you name soon, you shouldn’t be-”

“Cedric’s said a lot of things lately. Something’s wrong with him. Something must be controlling him, forcing him to do these things. He would never hurt anyone, Evan. I know my little brother, he wouldn’t…”

“What has he done. Ava, you’re not making any sense.” Evanelle found herself shaking.

“I don’t have time to explain, we need to-”

“I am not taking my son anywhere unless I know what is going on.”

She matched Ava’s determined gaze. She couldn’t risk moving Daléth, not unless she had no other choice.

“Cedric’s not going to clear my name, Evan. He’s the one who set me up. He poisoned our brother, and tricked everyone into blaming me. I heard him taking with you cousin, Lucius. And you know the that poison was the same one that killed you father-”

“Cedric did not kill my father-”

“Evan!” Evanelle flinched. “Cedric hasn’t left to go and renew the trade agreements with Westport. He left to go to Elethmae. And he left with an army.”

[kameron78-blog]

10 No-fuss Ways To Figuring Out Your Zelda Ocarina Of Time

Learn about the epics tales of Hyrule, Link, Zelda and Ganondorf almost all from the comfort of your 3DS program. Shadow Temple: Visit the Temple of Period, place the Get better at Sword in the pedestal (to come back to the childhood era), go to the Great Fairy near Hyrule Castle, receive Din's Fire from THE FANTASTIC Fairy, go to the Temple of Time, grab the Expert Sword (to return to the adulthood period), enter the Shadow Temple, get the Hover Boot styles, utilize the hover boot to get to places you can not jump to, use the Lens of Truth to observe what is hidden in the rooms of the Shadow Temple, and defeat Bongo Bongo.

Character versions: Ocarina of Period was the first game in the series to feature an in-game blond-haired Link (although the official art of previous games had depicted Link with blond hair, non-e of the type sprites displayed this feature). The iQue version of Ocarina of Time is based on version 1.2. Lag is virtually nonexistent due to iQues better hardware than the Nintendo 64, most noticeable through the collapse of Ganon's Castle In the cutscene, the castle falls at such a rate that the sound falls out of sync with the cutscene. Ocarina of Time was ported to the Chinese iQue Player (a localized edition of the Nintendo 64) released in 2003.

Nonetheless, Nintendo Power positioned it first in their list of best The Legend of Zelda video games and stated that, despite its age, is still an excellent game and known as it a "masterpiece". Like most Zelda games, Ocarina of Time provides its music composed by Koji Kondo 57 Surprisingly, the main theme of The Legend of Zelda series is definitely absent in this video game, as the overworld tune for this game is new. Ocarina of Period was originally designed and created for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console.

The three-dimensional environment, improved sound, and greater graphical capacity of the Nintendo 64 allowed Nintendo to make a truly immersive environment beyond what had ever been carried out before, enabling greater separation between cheerful environments, such as Hyrule Castle Town and Kokiri Forest, and comparatively dark areas such as for example Ganon's Castle and the Shadow Temple. Zelda instructs Link to lay the Grasp Sword to rest and close the Door of Period, closing the street between occasions, and she transmits him to his unique period. Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle so that they can steal the Ocarina of Period, and Princess Zelda was forced to flee with her loyal attendant Impa in order to keep the sacred relic from Ganondorf's hands.

4 Released in the United States on November 23, 1998, it had been the first game in The Legend of Zelda series that was visually displayed in 3D (previous video games of the series experienced a front or top-down view). A reimagining of the initial Nintendo 64 classic, the game features the full original video game graphically overhauled in the glasses-free 3D made possible by the Nintendo 3DS. Legend of Zelda ocarina of period for the 3ds in exceptional condition.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, 2DS etc. This guidebook also serves as an Ocarina of Time 3D Walkthrough for the Nintendo 3DS remake of the game. "There's a myth behind Ura Zelda, predicated on interviews with Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma back the 90s, that it would have been an expansion to Ocarina of Period, adding new dungeons, fresh overworld areas, fresh bosses, brand-new everything." Artist and video game designer Benjamin Walton is among the members of Task Ura, a concerted try to revive and build on Zelda 64's lost add-on which ran from 2010 to 2013.

Ocarina of Period was an access in the Legend of Zelda series that is considered to be not only among the best entries in the series, but one of the best video games of all time. In this game, Link cause on a legendary journey through time to fully stop Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves who's looking for the Triforce, a holy relic that provides its holder best power. One of the greatest video games ever created, it was released for N64, remade for Nintendo Gamecube, as soon as more for The 3Ds.

A gamer's five-year quest to defeat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is complete. Music from the classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Period is making the leap from the chip noises of the Nintendo 64 to a new recording by a 64-piece orchestra, iam8little bit announced today. Speedrunners possess unearthed an exploit in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that could dramatically change the way the community plays the game - and its follow-up, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's...

I already own a Switch but I also want to play the massive library of the 3DS games, therefore the 2DS makes sense for me right after paying a whole lot for the Change, here I only pay $80 for something that has 3DS games. : Once you unseal the Temple of Time and grab the Get better at Sword, Ganondorf turns up to claim the Triforce before you, thanking you for performing all the large lifting for him. New Game+ : In the 3DS remake, completing the game unlocks the Expert Quest mode.

Last Villain Stand : After all of Ganondorf's temple bosses are destroyed, his soldiers have all been eliminated, and sometimes his castle is definitely demolished, he flies right into a Villainous Breakdown fueled rage and uses the Triforce of Power to transform into Ganon for one last battle with Link. Zelda acknowledges all this after Ganondorf is certainly sealed away, and it may be why the Master Sword insisted on Hyperlink growing up before wielding it. Therefore, you need to immediately head for Lake Hylia after getting the Ocarina (and Track) Of Time if you would like to make use of Pierre as a Hookshot target before you surface finish the Forest Temple.

Extended Gameplay : "Expert Quest" is definitely a version of the game that comes with different and harder dungeon styles, for people who like complicated puzzles. After retrieving the Ocarina of Time from the castle's moat a telepathic message from Princess Zelda orders you to go to the Temple of Time. In Dodongo's Cavern, the infamous "L is Real 2401" texture from Super Mario 64 was the legend of zelda ocarina of time reused as an in-joke to tease people who still belived the sign means something (per Word of God , it generally does not mean anything) and as a nod to Ocarina of Time being built on a greatly modified version of Mario 64's game engine.

The fetch search for it can be completed before you even set foot in the Forest Temple, and it rewards you with THE strongest weapon in the overall game , which shreds through normal enemies and turns the boss fights into a cakewalk. Anyone used to the Ocarina controls from the original version may have trouble getting used to the Ocarina handles for the 3DS remake, as the button layout for each note is very different. Boss in Mook Clothes : The Iron Knuckles, that you fight 3 x in the Spirit Temple and twice in Ganondorf's castle.

Ascended Glitch : The 3DS remakes retains (and in some cases, recreates) many of the glitches from the original that weren't Game Breaking Bugs , since a nod to players who experienced it made the overall game fun. No matter just how much time you have left, Link and Zelda usually manage to get out of Ganondorf's castle instantly before it explodes and crumbles into itself. This is merely the start of an epic journey that takes Hyperlink from the sanctuary of his Hidden Elf Village to the wonderful Hyrule Castle and then to all points of Hyrule in a quest to stop the evil thief-king Ganondorf from seizing the power of the omnipotent Triforce.

It's strange saying a 13-year-old 3D remake is the 3DS' first must-play name, but for those who've yet to see Ocarina of Period, the 3DS is an ideal vessel for doing so. If you have already played this traditional there are few new graphical and 3D improvements, but also for someone who has recently managed to get through, it's probably wise to skip that one. I experienced something totally unique when jumping back to Ocarina of Time 13 years since playing the N64 version. Although 3DS is still a relatively new platform, a 3D version of the traditional title has been created for redistribution, allowing a whole new era of gamers to experience the legendary title.

About half that point ago along came a game called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is currently widely regarded as the best game in the Zelda franchise. Nintendo tends not to screw up Zelda video games, so becoming realistic, money 's the reason we have yet to view it. The Wii U was a tragedy, there was not really a strong enough player base to make it worth the trouble. While fans share an attachment to Ocarina of Time‘s initial wavetable tracks, iam8bit's forthcoming album release upgrades Nintendo's traditional soundtrack with backing from the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, replacing the N64's synthesized instruments with live brass, string, and woodwind arrangements.

Also, because Ocarina became this epoch making video game, I believe how players found realise the potential of 3D games changed.” Nintendo acquired shown the world how exactly to craft a casino game in this fresh frontier with the seminal Super Mario 64 a few years earlier, but work got begun on a 3D Zelda before the N64 had been released. Ocarina of Period is notable for being the 1st 3D Zelda game, but it had taken the series into the fourth dimension, too.

The once-advanced capabilities of the Nintendo 64 allowed the music to sound much richer than previous games in the series (returning tunes like Zeldas Theme and the Kakiriko Village theme were amazing), and the sheer number and diversity of the tracks were especially impressive. The Zelda games possess always sported brilliant music, and Ocarina of Time is no different. Ocarina of Time provided rise to the ephemeral Kokiri, the rock-munching Gorons, and the fishlike Zora (that have been a long way off from the Zora monsters in earlier games), along with new human tribes in the Sheikah and the Gerudo.

We're able to probably list a large number of parts of Ocarina of Time that make the game so amazing, but in honor of its anniversary, listed below are our top 15 explanations why we still like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Period. Gamers play from a third-person perspective as Hyperlink, a young pointy-eared boy who vows to save lots of the land of Hyrule from the malevolent Ganondorf. "Ocarina of Period 3D," a remake of the great N64 game, feels classic in its approach.

Link must play the eponymous Ocarina of Period many, many times over the course of the game. This game tells the epic tale of Hyrule and Hyperlink, Zelda, and Ganondorf in remarkable depth and provides context to the many tales of their struggles. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a robust game.

Illustrated melody book indicates the 6 note cues to make the ocarina perform Zelda's Lullaby, Epona's Song, Saria's Song, Song of Period, Sun's Song, and Tune of Storms. And now you can enjoy Legend of Zelda music whenever you as with this Legend of Zelda Electronic Ocarina of Period. All the improvements in 3D action adventure video games can't proceed unnoticed because of ocarina of time.

I'd love to enjoy it, I have gone back again and played old video games before and enjoyed them, but it simply doesn't do much for me. Zelda games generally don't do much for me, the just three I've finished are Wind Waker, Breath of the Crazy, and A Link Between Worlds and I wouldn't even consider some of them for a "favorite games ever" list. Ocarina of Period is one of the most well-known Zelda games ever. Ranked 5 out of 5 by rollcredits from Ocarina Sublime Arguably the best game in the Zelda series receives a complete 3D remaster.

In Greece, pre-order bonuses included a green cap, a keychain, a plastic material Ocarina of Period replica, a 3DS pouch, a can of Great Deku Tree seeds, and a copy of the game. Like the original video game, Ocarina of Time 3D garnered almost universal essential acclaim. A fresh credits sequence for the 3DS version staff now plays at the end of the original credits.

A few Crystal Switches located behind bars have already been moved, namely in the Water Temple and the Spirit Temple That is because of Link not having the ability to hit objects through walls in the 3DS version. To unlock the Get better at Search for Ocarina of Period 3D, the main quest needs to be completed initial. 15 The game also contains Master Quest , which was originally released for the Nintendo GameCube.

The Master Quest once was available within a GameCube compilation disc for those who pre-ordered The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Period 3D. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.. it's a kind of magic.

Freshly - and exclusively - recorded simply by the 64-player Slovak National Symphony Orchestra for this extremely album, Hero of Time breaths new lease of life into classic Ocarina of Time score, previously just available from its Nintendo 64 sound chip origins. Originally released for then high-tech game console Nintendo 64 in 1998, among its most well-known levels has now been remade in ultra-HD using Unreal Engine 4, the new graphics rendering software engine which has lately inspired several incredibly lifelike simulations and tributes to other older, similarly beloved, much less graphically-advanced video games. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Period is lauded as you of the most crucial titles in gaming history.

With immersive graphics, a sweeping story line, swashbuckling adventure, mind-bending puzzles, and a touch of humor, The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Period is one of Nintendo's most epic challenges ever." One Legend of Zelda fan made a decision to revisit a familiar place within Ocarina of Time: the Kokiri Forest. Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time's Kokiri Forest Recreated In Unreal Engine 4, Download Now.

The Zelda games 've got the very best music out there, especially Ocarina of Period. Legend of Zelda, The - Ocarina of Time Original Soundtrack. Return to the lands of Hyrule and guidebook Hyperlink on his quest to save the Kingdom and Princess Zelda from the evil grasp of the tyrant referred to as Ganondorf.

Solve revamped puzzles and explore redesigned dungeons in a second Master Quest that wasn't included in the landmark unique version of the overall game. This version features enhancements that are particular the 3DS program, including touch-display gameplay and glasses-free 3D visuals. But like the majority of Zelda games, some poor things are occurring in the property of Hyrule thanks to the evil King of Thieves Ganondorf.