#I can definitely see how the original character was supposed to be 12

[twilight-zoned-out]

Edwin Payne is a dweeb who gives terrible weak comebacks, who can be unnecessarily petty, or overly smug, who is inordinately pleased with himself when wearing detective gear and using scientific gear, the thought never crossing his mind that he might not look as cool as he thinks he does, who carries a continual and utter absolute delight at acting like the characters he loved to read about, who was enthralled by his magazine detective and adventure stories and who wears a similar smile when he sits on the bed watching Scooby Doo with Niko, 'these detectives are terribly clever,' whose board game collection is mostly variations of Clue, who requires payment (because any good detective is worth some kind of payment) but whose idea of payment is whatever interesting object the client offers to add to his collection, who has encyclopedic intelligence he clearly dedicated hours to learning, who has a particular way of acting and speaking like everything is of vital importance, because to him, it is.

[my-mt-heart]

Dissecting Zabel's Inappropriate Comments

I shared my initial reaction to the Games Radar article, but now that the original SFX article is also out, I want to dive a little deeper into what David Zabel said. From one source to another, the meaning doesn't change.

Regarding Daryl's and Carol's relationship, he says...

Whereas with Daryl and Isabelle, he insists...

Zabel thinks he's shedding light on his male hero's two most prominent relationships [with women], when in actuality he exposes a lot more about himself and what kind of showrunner he is.

He has no interest in the flagship show nor its acclaim.

Had he actually watched TWD in its entirety, tracked the progression of Daryl's and Carol's relationship from S1 to S11, and researched their fanbase as well as their media coverage from over the years instead of just pretending to, he'd see that nothing about their relationship is "obvious" or "easy." Trauma and self-esteem issues hardly ever explored in TV couples—let alone TV couples in their 50’s—have always complicated things, creating obstacles for them to take their relationship beyond intense feelings and helping them grow closer together, feel safer, understood, and loved to a degree nobody else can measure. There are 12 years and 11 seasons of sexual tension, smoldering looks, vulnerable moments, meaningful conversations, and romantic subtext at Zabel's disposal. The natural thing for him to do, the only thing that furthers the narrative already being told is to confirm that they're "in love" and make them "a couple."

If he wants to talk about a "TV book of tricks," he should re-evaluate the tricks he uses to justify a romantic connection between a well-established, unconventional, fiercely loyal man with intimacy issues and a blonde nun who’s only been around for a few months (and 6 episodes from an audience POV). Zabel tries to project what draws Daryl to Carol—broken until the world ended—onto Isabelle. He forces Daryl and Isabelle into intimate situations straight out of fanfiction—bathtubs, bed-sharing, cleaning wounds in hard-to-reach places—and uses other supporting characters like Losang to tell Daryl and the audience that it's romantic. That's not "seeing what happens," that's repeatedly trying to fit a square peg into a round hole and expecting everybody to think he's a genius. On the contrary...

He's completely tone deaf.

If he's calling Daryl's and Isabelle's relationship "mature," then he clearly doesn't realize how deeply problematic it is for a character to gaslight and lie to another character with a history of childhood abuse in order to get something from him, whether it's to help her find their new home or father a boy he just met. It's also triggering for fans who have survived abuse in their own lives to watch their hero fall back into the cycle without it being acknowledged or resolved in a way that helps him (and the fans) heal from it.

A dynamic between Daryl and a nun definitely could've been an "intriguing" dynamic to explore since they're both supposed to be emotionally unavailable. We'd get to see that Daryl's heart belongs to Carol and Isabelle is "married" to God. We'd get to see them bond over the idea of loving someone and/or something so infinitely and unconditionally that it's frightening to feel disconnected from them, whether physically or spiritually, and we'd get to see them help each other keep their faith, whatever that means to them. That's interesting. That's fresh. A romance between Daryl and a nun, regardless of whether or not she dresses like one, is not interesting. Not intriguing. Not edgy. Not sexy. It's disrespectful on multiple levels.

He calls Daryl and Carol coming back together only to realize that they've "changed" the more interesting story to tell? I call it sad. Sad and out of character for Daryl to feel anything other than elated to realize that the woman who represented everything good to him for over a decade crossed a damn ocean to find him. Sad that after "everything she's done" to find him, she finds that he's replaced her and their family back home.

He views the female perspective as irrelevant.

Saying he "respects" Caryl shippers only to invalidate them and then pour salt on the wound shows an air of superiority that is very typical of white male showrunners and executives. Granted, plenty of men ship Daryl and Carol, but it is also true that the majority of their fanbase is female and because of that, Zabel thinks he can mansplain the relationship to us. He tells us that what we want is cute, but he’s the one with the skillset to write a "good" story for the characters. He either doesn't care about our viewership because other men like him are his "real" audience or he assumes we'll come to our senses because he's right and we're wrong.

It isn't about shipping or romance at all though. If it was, he wouldn't just kill Isabelle off after insisting on this wild chemistry nobody sees but him (and Greg Nicotero). It isn't that Carol can't be a love interest either. It's about catering to the male gaze. Carol can't be the love interest for the white male hero that Zabel wants the fanboys to identify with and glorify. She doesn't fit their biases. Not young enough, not blonde enough, so on and so forth. Ignorance like that is generations-long and it doesn't just go away the more time he spends with Daryl and Carol. It only gets worse. Caryl may go to Spain alone, but there's plenty of new shipbait over there for him to introduce.

In what Zabel is actually quoted as saying about romance, which is all that counts, he only vaguely brings up a conversation with Norman, one I suspect is a lot more nuanced than he wants us to believe, but that's beside the point. He doesn't say "Melissa and I talked about Caryl's relationship" or "Clemence and I talked about Daryl's and Isabelle's relationship." Why not? Would the former disapprove of being treated like a sexless intruder in her "friend's" nuclear family? Would the latter hate to feel like a plot device for the brooding hero's manpain? What do the women have to say about their side of this oh so "interesting" emotional arc, Zabel? It's a rhetorical question obviously because if I really wanted to ask, I'd ask the women directly. The only thing is, they aren’t allowed to talk about it so openly and honestly, are they, Zabel? And you took advantage of that, right?

He's vindictive.

He may treat us like a bug on his windshield, but he isn't unaware that Caryl/McReedus have an active fanbase. He isn't unaware that AMC's promo strategy has centered on Caryl/McReedus. He's competing with it. He's aggressive in these articles because he wants to tell a particular kind of story that AMC, plus all of us unhinged shippers, won't let him. Taking a firm stance is how he takes control again (or so he thinks). The way he positions Carol as an intruder in "Daryl's" story, despite a sorry attempt to put a band-aid on it later, also presents itself in the SDCC trailer where everything, including Carol, has to revolve around the main hook: Daryl making a new family in France. For Zabel, it's true to life because he had to fit unconventional Melissa into his outdated "interesting" formula when that wasn’t what he was hired to do. To paraphrase what Melissa said, she was the newcomer who had to be careful not to disrupt a system already put in place before she arrived. What, or who, made her feel that way when she had already been playing Carol for over a decade?

To watch or not to watch

That is not the question. You can choose not to give AMC your money for Zabel's bullshit or you can choose to help the ratings go up for Melissa/Carol. Both are the right choice. The real question is, how will AMC know to blame Zabel and not Melissa if the ratings drop? How will they know that Carylers still need canon and...wait for it...good storytelling if they watched just to remind them how valuable Melissa is to the franchise? I know I sound like a broken record here, but this is why it's so important to be vocal. Use whatever platform you have (and are comfortable with) to specify what's bothering you whether it's the shipbaiting or Daryl's suspenders. Say what you love (Melissa is the correct answer) and what you want more of or what you want to change in regards to performances, relationships, and storylines. For me, I wanted to see both Daryl and Carol make every effort to get back to each other. I wanted to get the payoff I've been waiting for after a god-awful S11 that kept them separated and angry at each other the whole time. I wanted the story to center on Daryl's and Carol's relationship while everything else revolved around them. "To find home is to find each other." Where did that story go? I want it back.

No matter what we say, egomaniacs like David Zabel, Greg Nicotero, and Scott Gimple will spit on us, punch us in the gut, and kick us while we're down (though I guess only the first one is stupid enough to be so literal). If Zabel understood the first thing about Carol or Caryl, then maybe he would've realized that their fans know how to push back.

As for AMC, they don't care about the characters or the relationship or our feelings either, but they do care about their bottom line and these articles threaten that. Keep reminding them.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Down into the VORTEX: the Curve Theory

I mentioned the Curve theory in a meta before but I wanted to dive even deeper into the fuckery of it.

I'll remind you what I call a Curve so you're all up to speed (cf: Rick and Morty):

The curve basically walls off the infinite number of universes, in which INSERT CANONICAL NODE happens, from the rest of the infinite multiverse. A model often used to explain is that the definition of a Finite Curve has no set parameters; it's just wholly random and infinite therefore can be represented as a repeating, immeasurable shape modeled with a circle. A Finite Curve would then present a finite collection of dimensions.

How is it relevant to Link Click? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I argued in the past that cakes on promotional artworks could represent curves and each curve would have hypothetically 12 repeats to offer. This is a conclusion I came to after my treasure hunt for the 5th timeline (for which I keep finding daily proofs of, by the way).

For the sake of understanding exactly how it can apply to Link Click lore, let me walk you through the basis.

Rick&Morty season 6 // Link Click BREAK! PV Note: I'm using this analogy because it is the most accurate way to bring you where I want.

By the way, we kinda already saw what resembles a curve according to the LCverse

BREAK!

If you count the circles, you'll find that five different rings turn around Saturn in BREAK! PV.

This being established, since the purpose of a Curve is to put a set of timelines sharing the same parameters together, I will argue the LINK here is a canonical unchangeable node. You guessed it:

Cheng Xiaoshi's death.

But honeslty, I don't believe that CXS is supposed to die in every possible universe - and for the sake of the argument, let's assume he isn't.

Actually, when we see flashes of him dying in LG's arms, my first thought was the first one to change the timeline and die doing it was probably CXS; that's why LG freaked out when his friend took a shot for Qiao Ling.

But let's review LG's side of everything first, shall we?

LG used up 4 pictures to save his friend

LG's ultimate goal is to save Cheng Xiaoshi's life and he failed four times. Death is supposed to be an unchangeable node and LG knows that by trying to keep it from happening, he will destroy time itself. Does he care? (/rethorical)

We know little about his previous dives, except that either he never made it this far or Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi weren't part of the timelines he knew. And, CXS died in his arms at some point, giving him access to his Back In Time power, alike what happened between Li Tianxi and Qiao Ling.

Here are some theories about them though:

If the Live Action reveals itself to be canon, it could be the Prime Timeline for Lu Guang. (We'll know for sure by the end of the month, I guess.)

In the Manhua, LG is protective and affectionate around CXS, in a very melancolic way. I'm not kidding, he's so soft it hurts.

The Daily Life in Lightime happens in another timeline and we can actually point out the moment Lu Guang dives in.

This time around, LG went and met CXS earlier than in the original timeline. (//Live Action)

It could be a coincidence that Lu Guang's character is more and more bored as we go through these examples. Keep an open mind here.

Lu Guang from the LCLA has dark hair but the promotional poster show one photograph of him with white hair. Why? There are so many jokes on LG's age in the donghua but mostly: he is so frail and remains in a sitting position if he can help it. Just like in Dive Back In Time, where he's the only one not standing. The man is exhausted. I'm just saying, perhaps his white hair isn't supposed to be white and the fact we see him with dark hair only in LCLA, played by a man of flesh, could be THE clue hidden in plain sight that this version is the original.

Note: I purposefully didn't include the musical here. The repetition of the media itself is quite interesting. Every performance is unique but the script itself is the same. It could very well be a curve on its own. Just a idea, nothing consistent.

What tells us LG isn't at his first dive is the music! Now, I won't go too deep into it because I really want to craft ONE post about this particular topic. Dive Back in Time and VORTEX are the most obvious because most of us probably never skip the intro, aaaand we get it: they are doomed by the narrative.

So yeah, this is basically why I call those "chances":

Overthink

3 more to go

Qiao Ling's birthday // Dive Back In Time

If you pay attention to the titlescreen, you'll notice free spaces in the center of the circle. By the end of the opening, one is filled, hinting that this picture has been used.

There are other winks on the number 3:

Cause I'm about to lose my- Cause I'm about to lose my- Cause I'm about to lose my mind >> Dive Back in Time When my friend are holding hands, heading into abyss I ran my lungs out so I wouldn't have missed But I missed, I missed, I missed >> Keep in Mind So what's that sound sound sound Spinning all night long long long Temperature goes down down down Got my mind feelin' drown drown drown >> The Tides

Let's assume that there are three chances left at the begining of the show. We still don't know when the inner monologue at the end of season 2 happens on the timeline, but LG mentioned his "last chance" to save CXS. The synopsis for Yingdu Chapter announced CXS died, as if it was common knowlegde (I love them for their audacity).

Are those the three last chances? To be continued.

The One True Curve

All these timelines happened inside the same Curve. Now, why do I think there ARE other curves to begin with when we already had to work so hard to get this far?

The camera isn't the same depending on who, Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi, is taking the picture. The reflection changing is a way to show alternative timelines, which is different from repeats. It is a common visual clue, FOX used this technique to promote their show FRINGE for example (2 different universes crashing into each other).

There are some visuals with several clocks (I'll make a post per PV one day eventually). The first one shows a lot of different broken clocks and two merged ones as the biggest, central. This is our current curve. Our three protagonists and the antagonists are fighting over it; Light against the Shadows, as bilibili's accounts often dub the artworks. This could be our time paradox. On the second screenshot, the word LEAVE is over distorded clocks, fracturing space. Also a hint on several other realities, which have probably been left behind.

Train Trail // XETROVerthink

About that, the Vortex concept can be associated with a way to travel from one curve to another. Lots of science-fiction tvshows use this tool (Star Gate or SLIDERS).

The general idea is that, in the center of another curve the unchangeable node is different: Cheng Xiaoshi is the one trying to save Lu Guang's life.

There is of course, another explanation, just as valid as the Curve Theory: they are repeating this cycle of saving their friend over and over again. Once they run out of repeats, they die and the other go back in time to save them, completely unaware of the repeats; turning the hourglass over once again. The biggest clue for this one is... Well, the hourglass, for obvious reasons.

Link Click BREAK! PV // XETROVerthink

In XETROVerthink, we have LG appearing in the hourglass, probably in a bad shape, drowning perhaps, and CXS is swimming to him to save him; it's his turn. They are both unaware of their predicament.

By the end of BREAK! CXS's hair also turns white. It implies that he, too, went through many repeats to change their fate.

~

That's all folks! Of course I'm not close to other theories. I find the Curve Theory pretty cool. I would like to see them fight to actually get out of this canonical node, and find a place for themselves when they live their best idiots life.

I also have many additional thoughts about all of it: (Edit: you can find the meta here)

Some character presentations also hint at more than five repeats. Five repeats would be the current score for Lu Guang but Cheng Xiaoshi would have a higher number.

Some PVs enlight V for Lu Guang but X for Cheng Xiaoshi.

Some promotional posters or even VORTEX show LG and CXS as each other's reflection, as if separated by glass or water.

I'll will post more about it but 'nough said for now haha

[wildflowerwoodsworld]

So, for those of you who don't know, Charlotte is my (current) favourite character. She's been one of my favourites since I started the series, but now she's in the top spot. Which means it's her turn to get put through torment in fic. Hey, that's just the price you pay for being the favourite.

Anyway, as those of you who are familiar with my writing probably know, I like pulling characters apart and figuring out what makes them tick so I can depict them falling apart in a more believeable way. For some characters it's fairly easy to figure out what the core of their motivation is (Asta wants to be acknowledged as worth something even though he lacks magic) others it's far harder (I still don't know what the fuck motivates Yami). I thought Charlotte would be a tricky one, until I was rereading the manga and came across this panel. (specifically the middle one)

(official VIZ media translation; volume 12, chapter 104, page 72)

She's just been cursed. We don't exactly how old she is in this scene (I tend to put her at twelve, for a couple of reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that canon hasn't actually given us an answer), or even why she's been cursed, but the fact remains that she has just been cursed. And yet she is the one reassuring her parents. She is telling them not to worry. She's the one telling them that she'll fix this. And she's just a kid! She is canonically just a kid!

(Official VIZ media translation, volume 18, chapter 169, page 130)

This is the start of Charlotte shouldering every burden she comes across. She has to do everything herself and if she can't she's not good enough (I know it's anime-only but her "I should be executed" line over being possessed against her will raises a lot of red flags for me). She also holds everyone else to these impossible standards, rejecting every suitor she meets immediately. If they can't keep up, they aren't good enough, and nobody can keep up. She's pushing herself harder and harder and harder because if she doesn't, if she doesn't give everything she has to break this curse then she definitely won't, and the curse activating its going to be her fault for not trying hard enough. She canonically calls herself pathetic and apologises when it inevitably activates. She sees this as a personal failing.

(official VIZ media translation, volume 12, chapter 104, pages 73 & 74)

Never mind the fact that she is, at most, twelve years old when cursed. Which means that she's lived a minimum of six years with it hanging over her head. Sure, she keeps saying she's going to break it, but there has to be a part of her who is convinced that, when she turns eighteen, she's basically going to die.

On top of that, the fact that she's cursed is caonically common knowledge. We get all the townspeople outside screaming about it. This implies that a lot of people know she's cursed. Know she's different. And, well, you're here on Tumblr. I'm sure you know what happens to people who are different. They get socially isolated. That would explain her trouble talking to people about her feelings. And her issues with expressing herself.

So, we've got this girl, who is no more than twelve, is suddenly being shunned by all her peers for something she can't control, has decided to shoulder the entire burden of this curse (everyone else we see talking about it in the flashback says "curse on House Roselei" or something to that effect, Charlotte says "my curse"), keeps pushing herself to try and do what, as far as we can tell from canon, is impossible, and is convinced that if she can't pull off the impossible she's going to basically die on her eigthteenth birthday.

Oh, and all of this is happening around the age she's supposed to be figuring herself out.

The fact that she is a fully functioning adult is a goddamn miracle.

Looping back to my original point though, I think that, at the core of her character, Charlotte is someone who wants to believe that she's worth saving. And not because of her power, or her family name, or her looks. She's desperate for someone to look and see her and see someone worth saving. But she's bad at expressing herself and also scared that if she lets anyone in close they're just going to let her down like everyone else she thought would save her when she was cursed did, so she snaps and she snarls and she drives people away because if people are going to leave anyway (because of the curse) then it's easier to drive them off first, because at least that way she can pretend it's what she wanted rather than being abandoned again.

[otomehoneyybearr]

Act 12

Episode 10: Decision Time

Working w/ Maybelle Lace

Note: As you read, you will see that some sentences highlighted in a different color, this is what they indicate.

Pink: Flashback

Blue: Characters are acting

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Tenma: I can’t believe a board member was behind all of this...

Banri: Shit. It’s been that guy, all this time.

Sakuya: Amadate...

Izumi: Are you okay?

Sakuya: It's hard to believe, but it's the truth...

Izumi: I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier.

Sakuya: No, it's fine. It’s surprising, but I have to accept reality...

Syu: It's unfortunate that we're in a situation like this.

Zen: Originally, we planned to deal with it ourselves.

Hiro: Sorry for causing you trouble.

Kasumi: I'm sorry that we put you all in danger.

Izumi: There's no need, it's not your fault...!

Syu: But this is the seed we sowed. We were supposed to corner him, but we got outsmarted.

Syu: It may take a while, but we will definitely take responsibility and drag him out.

Hiro: You all of the next generation shouldn't become a repeat of what happened to us, the first generation.

Hiro: If you all become torn apart, you will just give him exactly what he wants.

Izumi: ——I see what you mean.

Izumi: But, let me just say one thing. We call ourselves the first generation and the new generation, but aren't we all a part of the same Mankai Company?

Izumi: We can't just leave these matters to you guys.

Izumi: The new generation has faced a lot of hurdles up until now, but each time we all talked it over and worked together to get through it.

Izumi: I am sure we will be able to overcome it this time too.

Izumi: The new generation has strong members, and if we work together, we'll definitely be able to beat any opponent.

Banri: You can't just make the first generation look cool while ignoring us.

Tsumugi: We’ll fight too.

Tenma: Let us help you.

Sakuya: With all of us together, we will never lose!

Izumi: Once again, I would like to ask for everyone’s cooperation on this.

Izumi: As the general director, I will absolutely protect the Mankai Dormitory and Mankai Theater, where everyone's home is.

Izumi: So please, lend us your strength to overcome this crisis!

Sakyo: Obviously we’ll help.

Masumi: We'll do anything.

Yuki: Naturally.

Homare: Leave it to us.

Muku: I will do whatever I can to help!

Juza: I won't let ‘em hurt something important to me again.

Citron: If push comes to shove, we'll mobilize an army!

Itaru: How strong.

Guy: That may cause a diplomatic issue.

Syu: But there’s one thing we should be cautious about.

Syu: If the performance is canceled, the audience won’t be harmed, but the theater company members are a different issue.

Syu: Unless the troupe is disbanded, they will come after the troupe members. Nowadays, Amadate will stop at no lengths as long as it is a means to an end.

Syu: We won’t know what he’ll do next if he realizes that we’re still active despite canceling the performance.

Yuzo: We have to be very careful so that things don't end up the same way as they did before.

Izumi: ...

Izumi: (That's true... If the theater company continues any longer, everyone will be in danger.)

Izumi: (I don't want us to fall apart, and it's frustrating to have things go the way he wants...)

Izumi: (But in order to protect everyone, we may have no choice but to disband.)

......

Board Member A: I would never have thought that a theater company with so much promise would suffer such misfortune.

Board Member B: Their performance was supposed to start tomorrow, correct? The situation seems quite hopeless for them...

Board Member C: Do we have any more details on the situation?

Board Member D: There haven’t been any announcements from the theater company yet.

Board Member A: Hmm, I wish there was something we could do to support them...

Amadate: It's a tragic incident, however the board of directors can't support any particular theater company...

Chairman: ...

Chairman: Let’s move on to today's agenda. We will introduce our new board member candidates.

Reni: ...

Amadate: So the Chairman's recommendation was Kamikizaka.

Reni: ...

Amadate: ...What’s wrong?

Reni: ...It's nothing.

Chairman: Now then, each candidate, please give a brief introduction.

Board Candidate: That is all. Thank you.

Chairman: Next, is Kamikizaka.

Reni: I am Reni Kamikizaka. I am the founder and director of the GOD Troupe.

Reni: ...Having been in the theater industry for a long time, I know that the theater world is not as pristine as it seems.

Reni: I, myself, have engaged in acts that touch upon taboos that made me lose sight of myself just to surpass or undermine other theater troupes.

Reni: And I continue to regret those actions.

Reni: But that’s precisely why I want to dedicate myself to the actors and theater groups who earnestly devote themselves to the stage.

Amadate: It takes courage to confess your own mistakes. I am curious about the details of this.

Amadate: But do you really think someone who has made mistakes can get votes?

Reni: Because I can never change what I did in the past, I want to sincerely dedicate myself to the future of the theater world.

Reni: ...And I vow to never overlook the presence of those who, like me, have made such mistakes and lurk in the darkness.

Amadate: ...

Reni: (However, since the deal with K fell through, I can’t continue the plan to expose Amadate.)

Reni: (After all, he’s a tricky opponent. I’ll have to work more carefully than I did before.)

Reni: (But I won’t give up. I WILL break his stronghold.)

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Prev | Next

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[definitely-not-captain-america]

Spoilers for the first episode "Aang" of the live action ATLA under the cut. I'll always put spoilers under the cut so as to not ruin it for anyone who has a life and hasn't seen it yet

Content warning for depictions of fantasy violence and death.

I think the animated series starting with Katara and Sokka was a good choice, but I like this one starting with Aang in his original time. It's cool to see the air temples full of people, and Aang is better humanized beyond the "goofy 12 year old who never takes anything seriously," which is partly true but not fully accurate to his character.

The genocide happens so early on so it's impossible to not talk about that right away too. We literally watch firebenders burn airbenders alive, so there's that. I do have mixed feelings about the genocide. On the one hand, I think it's a little tasteless showing it, especially the amount of people who will watch it, sympathize with it, but then not do a thing to support the genocide in Palestine right now. At the same time, I think it's important to show it. It shouldn't be an easy topic, it's supposed to be devastating and horrifying and I think the scene was the right amount of graphic for that. Not to mention the allusion of Sozin killing those kids after he killed Gyatso.

Like others have said, I don't really agree with them cutting out Sokka's sexism. It was a major growth in character for him, and it's important to show young men growing up from things like sexism and maturing and apologizing after you're proven wrong. Still, the casting is incredible so far and all the actors definitely feel like their characters, so that's good too.

Onto Zuko and Iroh (I'm literally writing all this as I watch the episode). I see people say Zuko's scar should've been a lot uglier, for lack of a better word, and I agree. It's small, it doesn't look like it has much texture, and his eyebrow is still there. It's a burn scar, and burn scars never really look pretty in the nice, aesthetic way they made it in the live action. Of course, animated Zuko was always hot, but for the scar to be a point of shame that the audience can really understand, I think it should've looked worse. (Sorry for my brusque language. I don't mean to say that burn victims are ugly and horribly disfigured. Zuko's scar is just so far from a burn scar that it's mostly just aesthetic in the live action.)

Also, and it's so early in the show, but so far Iroh has a bit of a tough love thing going on and I kind of like it. We all love the gentle, tea-loving, proverb-using old man who probably-definitely committed war crimes but is now a big softie who regrets his actions, but I kinda like what may be happening here.

Their village in the South Pole is beautiful, and I'm glad they have more than just like 12 people living there. It's still obvious that all the men went off to war, and I always kinda hated how empty the village was. Plus, like I said, it's still really pretty, so we get to see how there was a culture there that's been somewhat lost.

I love Aang and Katara's conversation about them growing up fast. I think it's a little easy to forget how young everyone is in the animated series — everyone who's not Aang anyway, because even sixteen/seventeen is very young and we can forget that when everyone is drawn to be muscled and attractive and without any real baby fat.

I don't really like how Appa looks, but I typically hate all CGI animals because their fur always looks weird. He isn't terrible, it's just a serious case of uncanny valley for me so it's just not my thing.

I kinda like that Katara goes off to the ship on her own before Aang. We get her gentleness and a lot of her uncertainty, but we also see her conviction and the fact that she'll do whatever she wants if she believes it's for the right reason.

Right along those lines, I really love how evident Sokka's role as the child soldier/child leader is. Katara mentioned that he was told to watch the village since he was 13, and he's doing what he can. He has no idea what's right, he's just doing everything he can to hold things together and keep people safe. Aang calling him the bravest person he's ever met was so wonderful and exactly the validation Sokka needed to hear but probably never did. It also helped him come to his decision to help Aang, which was awesome.

I also love the reckless abandon we see with Zuko and the other firebenders. Sozin entered the Fire Nation into a world of divine right and basically the American Dream of conquering and doing whatever you want because they're in charge, they have the right, so they can. I also love the slight juxtaposition of Aang and Iroh's short encounter where Aang asks why the war was started. I just really like all the character interactions so far.

We also really get to see Zuko being young. His desperation when Aang escapes, the anger and fear he experiences. It's all very realistic and I'm glad we get more of that in this one.

I can't quite figure out if I like the costumes and the setting a lot. I don't like CGI heavy movies because they never look real or good to me, which is something I care about. I'm also not a good judge of whether CGI is good or not. I end up comparing everything to Narnia or Babe the Pig, both of which were pretty incredible, and nothing has been to those standards since.

In that same vein, I can't tell if I like the bending or not. It's not terrible, but the hand movements always look a little off to what ends up happening (which, I understand why, I just think it could been a little cleaner). Though that's probably just a byproduct of this being a live action, and the animated will always be better for bending. That earthbender in the beginning just took so long to earthbend, and I've always appreciated that earthbending is like, the heaviest and there's a lot more force that goes into it, but he was taking too long for me.

I 100% love this cast. So far they've all been very true to their characters while also being slightly new interpretations, which I like. I can't wait to see how they develop throughout the show, especially Katara, who I think goes through the most amount of growth in the show in a fairly short amount of time. Aang is still playful but also a bit more grown up, Sokka is still sarcastic but also focused on being a leader, Zuko is young and scared and angry and desperate to prove himself. I'm really happy with this actually, because it'll be easier for me to forgive the parts I don't like because these actors are so good.

That was very ramshackle and haphazardly thrown together. Oh well. This is starting out better than I expected and I'm excited for that.

[adjit]

This was originally going to go in my post on Dick and Tim's relationship in Red Robin, but I have moved it to a separate post because while I can draw conclusions from it that ultimately serve my defense of Dick, it's kinda a whole other subject.

If you know the story of Tim's hot girl summer, you might know this: he saw a portrait of an "ancestor" of Bruce's and realized that Bruce was alive, and trapped in time, which lead him on a worldwide quest to finding clues about where and when Bruce is. This is true! However, this is not how a reader would experience the comic. Because while the first 4 issues cover most of the saga of Tim's departure from Gotham, you don't actually see that he had any proof of Bruce being alive until issue #12- the end of the arc. And this was done 100% intentionally.

Details and analysis of this under the cut!

In issue #1, this is all you get (in two separate flashbacks spaced over the issue):

A closeup shot of his face, after throwing a bit of a fit and breaking shit, suddenly saying that Bruce is alive. That's it.

It isn't until issue #12 (which was published an entire real time year later!) that you finally get to zoom out and see what actually happened:

The first four issues jump back and forth between Brucequest and the events immediately preceding Tim's departure from Gotham, and while that time is mostly covered in these issues, they withhold from the reader that Tim had any proof until after everything is over. Tim never mentions it and it isn't shown on page.

This is done very intentionally to create narrative tension! It introduces mystery and doubt!

And more importantly, for the point of this post, it introduces the specific tension that Tim isn't sure if he's right that Bruce is alive and neither is the reader.

(Granted, comics readers are going to know that Batman is alive. They don't kill off big names in comics, not forever, and in any case you can read his adventures in time in a different comic and he's clearly alive there. But that's not the point and you know it.)

When Dick, Stephanie, and Cassie all react to Tim suddenly saying Bruce is alive with alarm, confusion, or pity, the narrative is constructed so that the audience is reacting the same way.

Why was this a part of my Dick defense? Because the narrative itself is reinforcing his view. Tim is supposed to come off as unreliable, information is withheld from the readers to invoke that reaction from them as well, and the characters believing that he's reacting poorly to grief are completely understandable.

But, if you'll allow me to go on some more analysis...

As I said, Tim never mentions his proof on page. He knows he sounds crazy, and yet not in a single conversation does he bring up what caused him to think this way. Throughout the first issue especially, he also has a way of insisting that he's right in a way that makes you think he absolutely does not think he's right.

"I know I'm right until I think too hard about it" really inspires confidence. Almost as much as "he's all I have and he has to be alive." That's definitely an argument based in logic and not in grief! (<- lying)

And thinking to yourself "Oh my god, it's true" when you actually find evidence is the sign that you really actually believed it before you found that evidence!

All this to say, Tim was not at all confident in his hunch. He himself doubted whether he was right, but he latched onto the idea in his grief.

Dick wasn't even wrong to believe that Tim was only believing this because he was grieving! Because he absolutely was! Tim was doing all of this as a last ditch effort and it was absolutely motivated by him not wanting to face a world where Bruce was gone. He ended up being right, but even he doubted his own original hunch, and underneath it all knew he was grasping at straws, even though he couldn't bear to admit that out loud. So much so that he, and the narrative, never mentioned it. Not until he already knew he was right.

[baticeer]

BG3 asks: 2, 12, 40, 52, 61, & 104

2. What is their class (+ subclass) and why did you choose it?

Vennet is a wizard. In the actual game I played as Necromancy school, but I think for the lore she should probably have been Transmutation, since she's supposed to be an alchemist. I just didn't want to respec bc I love spamming undead summons lol and I thought I'd lose my spells learnt from scrolls (idk if that is actually how it works).

The original tabletop version of Vennet was a Pathfinder 1e character (for a campaign that never got past session 1 but she was still living in the back of my mind for years...) so she was an alchemist there and I chose wizard because it was the closest and is also my favorite 5e class to play.

12. How does your Tav feel about Us? Did they free them, maim them or leave them behind?

I love Us! Vennet freed it, out of curiosity more than anything because she was pretty disoriented waking up on the Nautiloid. I didn't know it was possible to find Us in act 2, so I never saw it again in my save, but I like to think that in my canon story Ven got Us as a pet and it helped her cope with her part-illithid transformation. And that postgame the Emperor takes Us home with him (he deserves it!)

40. Did your Tav agree to kill the Guardian or did they go talk to them instead?

After seeing Lae'zel almost get killed by the Zaith'isk and only being saved by the guardian's interference, Vennet thought it seemed obvious which one of those two should be listened to, and resisted tooth & nail to the idea of giving up the artifact to the githyanki! She definitely didn't try to stab her guardian when they met inside the Prism [thank god, bc you can't fuck emps if you do lmao] and mostly just. Yelled at him to stop being vague and asked a bunch of questions demanding explanations that he didn't want to give yet

52. What does your Tav think of Dame Aylin?

hmmm I think these are Vennet's takes on Aylin approximately in order of significance:

a powerful ally. glad we freed her and have her on our side. No strong personal attachment to her but we need all the help we can get

she's kind of A Lot with all of the going on about nobility and love and how great she is, sheesh

[sigh] have you seen those muscles though... if Isobel wasn't around... Would

61. How does your Tav feel about Baldur's Gate? Is it their home? Is it their first time in the city?

It's definitely not her home, she's from Menzoberranzan and not only is it her first time in the city but the BG3 plot is also her first time on the surface world for any length of time more than a day or two. She finds the Gate pretty overwhelming, it is more than 2x the size of Menzo (which is the biggest drow city on Faerun) and the ocean also generally makes her uneasy (it's Too Big! we don't have that underground!). She finds the surface world in general kinda... what's the opposite of claustrophobic? Everything is so big and bright and outdoors there is no cavern ceiling over your head, how do you cope!

Post-game, she doesn't ever live in Baldur's Gate permanently but spends a good amount of time there to visit friends and do Society of Brilliance business. She does have affection for the place due to her history there (she calls it her "second birthplace") and also because she loves the Emperor and ofc his city is very important to him.

Waterdeep is even bigger than Baldur's Gate but Vennet is a little more comfortable there because it's not as "rough" and there's more species diversity (the Gate is still pretty heavily human-dominant but most Waterdhavians won't look twice at a drow walking down the street). She still prefers to be in the Underdark and her and Gale alternate their time between living in his home in Waterdeep and her wizard tower in the Underdark.

... aaaaas for that last question, omg, I don't even wanna explain "who did your Tav romance" because it's so silly complicated and I think I've mostly explained it in previous posts before LMAO, but the TLDR of it for those who have not heard my yapping is-

started out romancing Astarion bc she found him attractive, they were very unsuited for each other and she just is not what he needs at all, they finally broke off their weird toxic situationship in act 3 after killing Cazador

Gale fell in love with her, she rejected him when he confessed in game because she was not In Love and was scared of commitment

she was fascinated with the Emperor and did sleep with him ingame but their relationship isn't quite romantic; after she eventually goes through ceremorphosis with his help, they'll have a weird Illithid Psychic Hivemind Bond(tm) lol... he's family, essentially

her true end romance is Gale, postgame after becoming a mind flayer she goes to visit him in Waterdeep and they begin a relationship, they have a lot to navigate btwn her difficulty with commitment and the general weird challenges of having a romance btwn human & illithid, but it all works out eventually and a few years down the line they'll ultimately get married; for more see My Upcoming Fanfic that I swear I am writing and will start posting Soon

[dominustempori]

TWO MORE MONTHS, PEOPLE!!!

Quick thoughts to follow up after my post on the teaser trailer (SPOILER WARNING!) In honor of March the 22nd…I’ll go for 22 observations/opinions.

1. Slimer’s back!

2. JANINE IN UNIFORM! WITH A BLASTER!

-Definitely a call back to 1) one of the ORIGINAL storyboard designs for the backpack/neutrona wand in the first movie, and 2) the IDW comics when Janine and other “new ‘Busters” take over when the OGs disappear.

3. Definitely another secret society/cult that must’ve worshipped Garraka ( hidden room with the demon’s horns/frozen eyepatch guy that shatters in the supposed flashback scene..?)

4. If that’s Coney Island where the big ice storm is coming ashore…then THAT could very well be a throwback to the RGB episode “Collect Call of Cthulu.”

5. GB’s got a new van! Ecto 1c?

6. Research lab? AWESOME!

7. Big question- what’s the connection between the arrival of Garraka and the red light on the containment unit? Is it coming after GBHQ to get more power (much like Gozer?)

8. OK…James Acaster is NOT a grown Oscar…damn. I’m sure his researcher character is gonna be brilliant though. Poor guy…frostburned hand? Eesh.

9. I REALLY hope they explore more of Callie (and therefore, Egon’s) background story. That scene where Trevor’s in that attic…aw.

10. DRONE TRAP!!! Next level! Fans lost their minds with the RTV…someone will surely try to build a model of a freaking FLYING ghost trap.

11. Modified proton packs? Makes sense now, that thing can FREEZE the positron stream! WHAT!?

12. Grooberson’s driving Ecto 1! F*ck yeah, Paul Rudd!

13. LIBRARY GHOST IS BACK!

14. So how does Kumail Nanjiani’s character come into possession of that mysterious golden orb? I’m still thinking it’s his apartment with the secret door.

15. Imagine being an old time NYC firefighter and seeing men frozen to death, in fear. When did NYFD form, I wonder?

16. Patton Oswalt is the new Ray…love it.

17. Bill Murray…still got it, man.

18. Swear to god that’s his old orange jacket from the first movie.

19. OK…on one hand, Gil and Jason are probably not counting the GB Video Game as part of the canon, and yet, the IDW comic universe IS built on some plot points of the game. So…does the PCOC exist in Frozen Empire? Is Peck mayor? Perish the thought?

20. Bring on the mischievous Mini-Pufts! Evidently some survived the “Summerville Massacre.”

21. PLEASE have Egon’s unknown life history be in the story somewhere, PLEASE Gil and Jason! It’s almost 10 years since the world lost Harold Ramis…PLEASE pay his beloved character some more tribute.

22. I have to admit…I do like Annie Potts back with not just her red hair, but those new blue-frame glasses. Good nod to the animated series, I will bow to that piece of fan service, not sorry.

TWO MORE MONTHS!!!

[pancake-breakfast]

Ooooh, I'm actually trying to get ahead of the game this week! Look at me goooooo!!!

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 4, Chapters 3-5 below.

Chapter 3: Bottom of the Dark

Meryl title page! Hooray!

LOLOLOL, didn't these boys just get out of the hospital?? Now they're back in for, what, dehydration??? Shouldn't have snuck off without the girls.

Are the girls eating steam buns? Steam buns are awesome! But a pain to cook in hot weather.

Looks like they're sorting through their own things.

GIANT HAND!!! Noooooooo

Dude. This fake big-hands man is a creep. He needs to let Chun-Li go.

Ohhhh, he's doing that thing they do where they add weird suffixes to their speech. SIGH. English speakers don't understand these things.

THIRTEENTH!??!? What happened to the other 12??? Fly up into heaven??? What, does he throw them in the sky???

Stun-Gun Milly, here to save the day!

And Meryl as backup!

She is very tiny. It's unfortunate they're in a world where her being small makes such a defense a necessity... but it's also a nice parallel to her character. Small, but sufficient for the task at hand. Maybe even more than sufficient.

WORM

Yup, it's Zazie!

AJL:FJ:LALJ:DSF:H:KJh:LKASJ WHYYYYY IS ZAZIE LIKE THIS?!?!?! D: D: D: Friggin... 15,000 worms in a meat suit.... *shudder shudder shudder*

LOL, the boys both look like they've checked themselves out of hospitals AMA before and aren't too thrilled about being caught this time.

Vash, just giving away their money so they can leave. TBH, not a bad plan considering how inadvisable him lingering anywhere is.

Heh, Vash is calling Wolfwood out again. He trusts the girls. Even if it might make the situation a bit tricky. They're more resourceful than they look and he knows it.

Ugh, he's so lonely and so grateful that they care about him enough to stick with him. And Wolfwood here sounds like his overly cautious wife.

Midvalley and Hoppered, having a heart-to-heart. I'm starting to see why they get along so well.

Ohhhh, Hoppered has a beef with Vash.

Unsubtle metaphors about walking into darkness. I'll allow it.

The worms really are pretty at night.

Did Meryl just get abducted by worms?!?!

Chapter 4: Den of Evil

Milly title page! Always good to see more of the girls!

Milly found the boys.

Oh, no! Someone take care of her!

Dang, Stampede just straight up took that elevator inspiration from here, didn't they?

Mmm, delicious delicious worms.

Hahahahaha, Zazie doesn't understand "hostage." Zazie understands "bait."

Vash the Stampede's followers? Rude. Just because she's literally following him doesn't mean she deserves so distant a title.

Props to Meryl. She has this twisted monster looming over her, a weird worm-controlling kidnaper, and a shady man in a fancy suit all surrounding her, and what does she do? She starts DEMANDING ANSWERS from them. This woman has a serious pair.

Awww, Milly is soooo upset. They're keeping guard on her while she's supposed to be sleeping, but she's just can't manage it.

Zazie, creeping outside of windows....

Vash doesn't even wait to hear the other side of Zazie's deal.

Gods, they are such dorks.

That's one big worm.

I don't know what the Japanese characters are for ryutsu or juukei in the original here, but I just want to note that one possible definition for "juukei" is "execution by firing squad." (No, I didn't know that off the top of my head. I got curious and looked it up.)

All these imposing city shots, and then at the bottom, Vash and Wolfwood.

Not great. That means there are more hostages here than just Meryl.

Lower and upper class crammed together means something went wrong.

Milly may not have been featured in the shot above, but she's tagging along, too!

Wolfwood's looking forward to a bit of murder today, I see.

Hahahahaha, <3 Milly. She will not be sidelined. Her and Wolfwood are giving Vash a headache. Personally, I have mixed feelings on the matter. Like, Milly is super-competent, and this is important to her, but if they spend more time protecting her than rescuing Meryl, it's worse than useless for her to come along.

Holy hell. Did not expect girl to pull her gun on Wolfwood.

Vash has a point. Leaving her behind does not, in fact, guarantee her safety here.

Hoppered, that looks painful. Your body looks painful. See a better chiropractor, please.

Chapter 5: Wild Crying Bullet

Three? I thought there were... hmmm... *goes back to check* Ok, so: - Monev the Gale (1) and E.G. Mine (2) went down before they made it to Jenora Rock. - Dominique the Cyclops (3) went down right before Fifth Moon. - After Fifth Moon, they ran into Rai-Dai (4), then Leonov the Puppetmaster (5) and Gray the Ninelives (6). - Then we have Zazie the Beast (7), Midvalley the Hornfreak (8), and Hoppered the Gauntlet (9) here right now. - And we have Wolfwood (10). That means we're missing two out of the 12. So there's a good chance that either Wolfwood doesn't know about the other two, or they were brought in after Wolfwood was sent out. Wolfwood's not an idiot, but it's not like he was privy to Livio's conversation with Vash about there being 12 coins. I suppose one could assume Livio and Knives are the last of those 12, but the way the coins are presented implies both those two are exempt from Gung-Ho Gun status. Also, those who've watched Stampede might be able to take a guess at who we're missing.

Oooof, Midvalley's gonna be a rough fight.

Hoppered might be a bullet, but Vash is a gun. Hehehehehehhhh...

Heh, Wolfwood can't call anyone by their actual name.

He looks genuinely concerned when he catches sight of Midvalley.

Epic Midvalley shot.

Oh, no. Wolfie, that's gotta hurt...

Not good. Wolfwood's already down.

Vash knows.

?? Hoppered is just... giving him the coins? Who is the second coin from? Midvalley??

Oh, no, Milly! Get it together, girl! You can do it!

Yeah, Vash was never very keen on Legato's weird fetch quest.

AAAAHHHHH, EPIC WOLFWOOD SHOT!!! OUR BOY'S NOT DOWN YET!!!!

(When I talk about trying to gnaw off my own limb over fandom stuff, that two-page spread above is basically what my heart looks like.)

Heh, Midvalley didn't expect this.

I honestly don't know how Hoppered concluded that Vash is enjoying what he's doing right now. He's mostly looks focused and angry to me.

LOL, Zazie just chilling, watching the fireworks.

Oddly, Meryl is probably in the safest place she could be right now.

Meryl is getting caught up on Vash lore.

Oh, no. News that Knives is nearby is very not good.

Yusssss, gives us the exposition, Zazie!!! Next time, I mean. I'm good for tonight.

Archive

Trigun Volume 1: Covers + 1-3, 3 Detailed Thoughts, 4, 4 DT, 5-6, 5-6 + DT, 6 DT, 7-8, 9-10 || Volume 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 1 Supplemental Research, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Volume 1: Covers + 1-2, 2 DT, 3-4, 3 DT, 5-6 || Volume 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Volume 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Volume 4: Covers + 1-2

[aragarna]

For the fandom ask: the three musketeers ❤️

What originally drew me to it

What I like most and least about it

The character/story arc I find the most compelling

A scene/moment that makes me really emotional every single time

What originally drew me to it

You do realize I first read that book 25 years ago?! I have not idea why I picked up that book in particular then, except for the fact that as a kid, I read as many French classics as I could. But what I do remember immediatly enjoying are two things:

The camaraderie. That strong and immediate friendship. That deep sense of loyalty, and that feeling that together we can face anything. Together, we're unstoppable. You need to cross the Channel and go right into the Enemy's den? Let's go, I've got your back. They didn't call it that back then, but it's totally the foundation of the "found family" trope. Tous pour un, un pour tous.

The other thing that contributed a lot to my love for this book was Dumas' writing style. It's joyful, and funny, and very rhythmic. There is quite often a sort of jubilation in his words. It's classic literature, beautiful and with a lot of flare, but still very readable (nothing annoys me more than a writer that makes it unnecessarily complicated. Words must flow.).

What I like most and least about it

What I like the most is the aforementioned friendship and the sense of adventure (see above).

What I like the least is probably the whole Milady story arc. As much as I love those books, I have to admit that, as a product of its time, the story lacks truly compelling female characters. Yes, there are a couple of female characters (including the Queen, who feels actually more important than the King), and of course Milady. And yes, Milady is an interesting and complex character but she's also, despite being originally the actual victim, shown as a very dangerous woman. One we must not feel too much sympathy for (and well, she did some pretty nasty things to our heroes, so I didn't feel too much sympathy for her...). And I've never really like the Femme Fatale archetype, which really is a male fantasy.

So on the one hand, she's not a character that I liked, but on the other hand, boys, what the hell?! You don't take justice into your own hands like that!! That's just... wrong! And Athos, my friend, really?! For a tattoo?! And you're supposed to be the wise one. So, yeah that whole *hand wave* thing at the end of The Three Musketeers, not their finest hour. (I'm actually quite curious how they're gonna solve that in the movie...)

The character/story arc I find the most compelling

My favorite character is d'Artagnan. He's the youngest one (18 already seemed super old to 12-13 years old me), and when we meet him, he's full of innocence and hope, something I could relate to. I love that he is so full of energy and ideas. Daring and adventurous. Very positive, though he becomes more philosophical and sarcastical as he grows older (I'm including Twenty Years Later and The Vicomte of Bragelonne). But always, all his life, he remains attached to his original three friends. He is the definition of loyalty.

And a story arc that I love is actually something that happens in Twenty Years Later. It's more of a scene than the whole arc, but it's one of my favorite. D'Artagnan and Porthos are in England for like, capturing Charles I, who was on the run or something. On the road at night, they encounter some enemies and start fighting, though it's too dark to see who they are. And d'Artagnan gets annoyed cause his opponent is parying all his attacks and he let go an exasperated "Mordious!" and his opponent freezes and they recognize each other - the enemies were Athos and Aramis, who were helping the King - and they just fall into each other's arms. Like, the circumstances that brought us here don't matter, we'll figure things out, but man it's so good to see you. Let's go clean out an inn, and we'll talk.

(I really wish they'd adapt Twenty Years Later for once)

A scene/moment that makes me really emotional every single time

Of all the very emotional scenes from The Vicomte of Bragelonne is probably Porthos' death. I won't give too many details as to not spoil the how and when but damn, I actually remember a lump in my throat as I was reading that chapter. It really felt like I had lost something. Or someone. The book goes all the way to the end of their lives, so, like, they all die, but Porthos', for some reason, is the one that hit the hardest.

Wow that got long! Thank you so much for the ask, my friend :)

[ultraviolet-ink]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

I was tagged by @aawrightworth, thank you so much for this!! <3

How many works do you have on Ao3? 117, but I have four more on the roster due to @aaholidayrare!

What's your total A03 word count? 427,315 (OH WOW???)

What fandoms do you write for? Ace Attorney/Great Ace Attorney!

What are your top five fics by kudos? 1) Once Upon a Christmas (2019)- NRMT first kiss prompt 2) 12:26 AM (2019)- Forbidden Hospital Scene 3) The Talk (2020)- Greg notices that Baby Miles has a crush 4) Oh Shirt! (2019)- Phoenix can't find his shirt at Miles' place 5) Litigation in the Streets... (2021)- Miles and Phoenix become the subjects of tabloid gossip NGL, I'm not surprised that my top rated fics are NRMT, they're oldies but goodies! I've definitely grown as a writer (not to mention grown UP since these were all written when I was 18-20), but it really is lovely to see that they're still getting love! <3

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? OMGOMGOMGOMG!! Yes!! I love doing it because it lets the commenter know that I've seen their comment, and that I really do appreciate them! No matter how old a fic is, I will comment back as soon as I get that email, haha! In all seriousness, it's my way of giving back a kudos, a sort of "kudos to the reader" if that makes sense. They really do make me smile and I like to print out some of the comments that made me cry happy tears and save them in a scrapbook so that I can read them when writer's block hits me. Also, commenting brought my some of my greatest friends <3

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Ohhh DEFINITELY I Dreamed A Dream (2022)!! Not only is the title from the Les Mis song of the same name (where Fantine's life is just absolutely ruined), but I did the one thing I never thought I would be able to do... I KILLED one half of the otp!! It's a RyuuSusa fic, and of course, Major Character Death, proceed with caution!

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Oooohhh this is a really hard one since I'm such a sucker for happy endings! I think the one that makes me the happiest now is from The Caterpillar Man (2022). It's a fic I wrote to sort of conceptualize Yujin and Susato's relationship when the former came home from the original study trip, and it takes place over a year and among other tragedies and growth. It's from the perspective of Susato, and I think it's one that still makes me tear up (and I got fanart based on it once!!)

Do you get hate on fics? I've never been John Phoenix'd which is very rude, am I not GOOD enough for you DaKoolGuy?? but in all seriousness, I don't really get hate on specific fics, but because I'm so vocal about a certain pairing (being Ryuu X Susato.... if I'm not supposed to ship, why game make so cute?)

Do you write smut? Not on Ultraviolet_Ink, but I do on Infrared_Quill! Fun fact, Infrared got put on a blacklist when I only had one work, and Ultraviolet wasn't on it, I found it quite funny XD

Do you write crossovers? The Journal of Dr. Yujin Mikotoba (2022-????) is just one giant crossover with ACD canon, and I'm planning on having Raffles and Arsène Lupin making an important appearance in the future! It's very self indulgent XD

Have you ever had a fic stolen? God I hope not

Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge, but I do have a blanket statement saying that I am a-okay with a translation of any of my works!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? It's always been in the "omg we should totally do this" phase, but given how I am with my own works, I feel like I would be a nightmare to work with XD

What's your all-time favourite ship? Honestly... It's between HomuMiko and RyuuSusa, especially since that's just what I've been writing recently XD

What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? That's a good question that I don't have a single answer for XD I have a notepad full of a WIP list, but I think one that intrigued me when I first started off was this sort of continuation of the JFA 2-4 bad ending, just kind of coming from the ashes and then De Killer eventually kills Phoenix for betraying Matt Engarde (just because of the principle). It's really interesting to think about, but I honestly don't know how I could workshop it, and I remember stopping because It made me too sad haha! If you come across this and like the idea, please feel free to adopt this bunny, no credit needed! I'm not the first person who came up with a continuation of Miracle Never Happen, and I'm sure I won't be the last!

What are your writing strengths? I think I'm getting a lot better at dialogue, especially since I have a very good friend who helps me workshop them through a sort of RP! I would say that I'm also good at making a sort of vibe/ambiance, I know how to dress a scene B-) (Yes I was a theatre kid)

What are your writing weaknesses? Dialogue is also something I struggle a lot with, but I would say I get into my own head too much, and I over think and try to over explain to cover up "holes" (Cracked.Com owes me reparations for this)

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I'm a linguistics nerd, I love writing dialogue in other languages! I even wrote a fic entirely in Latin because I wanted to practice (Miles et Phoenix Romae Sunt (2021)). That being said, you have to use more than Google Translate, I've studied and majored in Spanish, so I'm confident enough in my own skill to write, but I don't really know German despite English being Germanic! So, while I do use Google Translate to get a base understanding, I try to run it by a native speaker, or at the very least, someone who has studied the language, to see if it makes sense haha. Or don't, I'm not your mom, and we're all just doing this for shits and giggles XD

First fandom you wrote for? ...... Oncest Those journals filled with Oncest have been burned since 2014 in the traditional "middle schoolers host a bonfire at the end of the year" that my friends hosted, and they will never see the light of day XD But then again..... how ba-a-a-ad COULD it have been? Tbh, I do regret getting rid of them, not because they were actually lost Great American Novels, but they were something I created and I could look back on and see how I've grown and what I've just stuck with over the years XD

Favourite fic you've ever written? It's honestly a tossup between The Journal of Yujin Mikotoba and The Caterpillar Man! I just love playing around with the empty playground canon left me haha

[hughungrybear]

Me while watching Cherry Magic Thailand Ep. 5:

Just can't imagine how loud Karan's internal screaming was when he realised Big Sis was kicking him out of his own house and making him move to Achi's house 😂

1. What's with GMMTV showing us what perfect boyfriends should look (and act) like? 😅 If I cannot have my own Mhok (from Last Twilight), please give me a Karan 😭😭😭

2. Not Auntie dissing Achi in front of Karan 😂😂😂 Karan would defend his beloved little cinnamon roll to the ends of the earth, y'know? 😆

3. I kennat with Karan's internal off-key singing 😂 Also, what's up with this early morning, pre-office work date? Pai would definitely have a seizure if she knew that her ship is doing all these romantic things without her witnessing it 🤣🤣🤣

4. Under normal circumstances, Karan's wild imagination would turn and scare anyone off. However, the fact that he is so sweet, considerate, and can control most of his delusions to stay in his imagination is his saving grace. I think it's one of the main reasons why Achi has not run for the hills yet 😂😂😂

5. Oh, boy. Jinta has gone the deep ends of his fanboying Min 😂 He is barely doing any work. At this point, Jinta ultimately matches Karan's intensity when it comes to dealing with crushes lol

6. In all my years as an Asian employee, I have not encountered an office with a rule as silly as "no going home before the boss". As soon as the clock hits 5pm, me and my colleagues are out of the office lol Boss can take care of themself (Well, the employer WILL STILL TRY to guilt you into working overtime without pay. It's just up to you if you let them get under your skin 😅).

Also, nice of Rock to unintentionally save Achi from Karan's wild "just married" imagination.

7. Awww. Karan don't be jealous of Rock. He is just a baby 😣😣😣 Just think of Rock as your adopted son. 😅 Also, ngl, that soup with Mama OK! noodles looked good (prolly because I have not eaten any breakfast yet).

8. Aaargh! Nooo, Achi also took Rock to that secret breakfast place. No wonder Karan is dying of jealousy. 🙃

9. No, Min. Jinta is not embrassed to be seen with you. But he will prolly die swooning at the back of your motorbike on the way to Achi's office 😂😂😂

10. I had it with these mind-reading bffs 😂😂😂 Karan's imagination was running wild with all the touching Jinta and Achi were doing whilst having conversation about what is the acceptable amount of "handsy" can Jinta get away with Min 😂😂😂

11. Oh? Rock and Min were in that disbanded crew? I have not looked at that photo from Rock's phone properly.

12. Ah, Rock, that's an immature thing to do. It's only natural to be scared and want a more stable professional life. But you should have talked it out with your friends properly - not just ghost them. At least, Pai has the right idea 😁

13. So, Min and Rock's song is the Mama OK ad (originally sung by KristSingto, OffGun, and BrightWin)??? Lol I know Pai's character is supposed to be aroace, but I have been a SingJan shipper since forever so forgive me if I get a bit excited with how things are going lol

Oh my. Karan finally confessed his feelings to Achi!!! Also, hello there, P'Lookwa (Fourth's mum in MSP and MLC). And in next episode we're going to finally see what made Karan fall for Achi in the first place 😊

[theradicalscrivener]

I’m an aspiring writer who really wants to improve how much finished work they actually write, but I struggle so much with either my ideas being too large to write (too much planning ahead, too much time spent on it, too much preliminary research before I get to writing, general scope creep) and with not feeling able to return to a WIP if I don’t finish it in one go. Do you have any tips for dealing with those?

And do you do any regular writing exercises to keep yourself limber and avoid feeling “blocked up”?

Any advice is appreciated! And thanks for sharing so much of your great work for us to read 🙏

Everyone has a different process so it's not like I can just give a blanket set of advice for anyone who wants to write, but I do have some things that I have found helps me.

First off, writing is very much a mental thing. It's a mix between imagination and the actual physical process of writing. As such, I have found that I need to take steps to keep my brain happy or else I cannot write. Sometimes, if I go through a dry spell and can't write, I take a step back and do like a checklist. Often times, if I can't write it's because I am stressed about something (often stressed by my inability to write which makes a feedback loop of even more stress). I've had times where I realized that a lot of my problems were I hadn't been sleeping much, so I'll like take something to help me sleep and then pass out for 12+ hrs. (really shouldn't have let myself get that bad in the first place, but sometimes I have to do a hard reset for my brain.) Sleep deprivation is definitely one of the biggest issues I face on the reg.

As far as your first question about how to get into larger projects. Honestly, just start writing something. It doesn't have to be the beginning. It could just be a specific scene that you wanted to try. It sounds like you're getting so overwhelmed with your own prep that you're getting paralyzed. When you actually start to write a bit, you might realize that things don't go the way you originally expected. Like, some of the world building you created doesn't quite jive with what you are trying to write or things to that effect. This is not a bad thing. I don't think I've ever had a situation where the story I write ends up exactly like what I had planned in the outline phase. The more you write, the more you get a feel for how much prep works for you. Some people do really well having lots of intense prep and then when they get to the writing phase, they can just burn through it. Some people do better with a loose framework and then just feel it out as they go. I kind of shift a bit each time. I definitely do a bit more fast and loose on short stories and one-shots, but on longer projects like novels, I will try to keep things close to the original idea.

Again, however, it's hard to predict exactly how things will play out. I used to get really upset when the scenes wouldn't work like I had hoped or I couldn't get the characters to play by the rules I had laid out for them, but I've kind of eased off the reins. Part of why I like longer form serials is because once I get a feel for who a character is, I can kind of just turn them loose and see how they react to Situations. Like, with Troy and the twins, I have written them enough that I can just set them loose. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have characters like Devon and Ashton who I try to put in situations and then they refuse. Like, what was supposed to be a short interaction spiraled into it's own full-length novel nestled within short stories featuring other characters in the series.

It's definitely different doing a short story (even ones that are directly linked) vs a novel. Like, when I am writing a short story or a standalone chapter, I rarely know what I want to do for the next chapter. Just using Trevor and Acorn since they have been the two main projects these past few months. The end of each Trevor chapter is technically an ending. The current scene is over, and there's room for more afterwards, but if the whole story ended there, things are more or less in a position that I could leave it and be satisfied.

Acorn, however, I have plot beats already laid out. I know how I want it to end, and I have ideas for the finale that I want to do. The end of each chapter is a bit of a cliffhanger. Not in a doom and gloom and there's no telling if everyone is OK sense, but there's just enough of a hook at the end to sort of tease what comes next since I already know what the main plot beats are. Although, it's more of a loose framework and not a rigid outline. There's still plenty of room to explore the space. Like, the original story I thought would be four or so chapters. It was a novella at best, and a lot of the extra substance came from characters not behaving like I had envisioned when I had the rough framework down. The original base story was just Travis gets a new job and it's him adjusting. Curtis wasn't a major player. He was just the guy that Travis kind of knew that gave him a job req. You might notice if you read the earlier chapters, it's kind of vague if Curtis and Travis are really good friends or just classmates which was kind of retconned/explained as Travis being such a skittish anxiety case that he couldn't realize/accept that a hot guy was hitting on him.

This is just a recent example to give you an idea of what I was saying when I mentioned to start writing and don't worry if things start to veer in a different direction. It's great to have larger plot points and like world meta-lore, but also accept that all that stuff is malleable. I'm in a bit of an odd position since I post everything (mostly) as I go, but I do A Lot of writing that I never post. I've got some sfw stories kicking around that maybe someday I'll get published, but that will require me to spend less time on my normal stuff, so we'll see when that happens.

Some other tips and tricks. As mentioned, a lot of it is learning what works for you. I sometimes find that I get frustrated and am hitting a wall. Sometimes, I need to power through. Sometimes, I need to work on a different story. Sometimes, I need to do something else entirely.

I like video games. Depending on how I am feeling, I'll do different styles. Puzzles, soulslikes, JRPGs, etc. There's different degrees of mentally engaging. Sometimes I need something mellow to just turn my brain off. Sometimes I need something with a story to engage with on a mental level. Sometimes I need something with a bit more of a blank slate to let my mind fill in the gaps. If done in healthy doses, hobbies outside of writing can actually help.

Imagination doesn't just exist in a vaccuum. Everything you think is derived from something else. It's hard to say what or where you will get inspiration, and trying to constantly drum up new ideas when the well has run dry will just lead to burnout. TV shows, movies, games, book. I find that when I read something, I'll often sort of play out the scenes in my mind, and then when I take a break, I will replay the scenes and start to fill in some of the blanks. It could be stuff like imagining these characters during the downtime or putting other characters in similar scenarios. It's all using your imagination, and that's a skill that you can play around with. Imagination/brainstorming/plotting/outlining are all different facets of the same skillset.

Again, this is all just me rambling on about various things that I have discovered work for me. Everyone's process is different. Everyone's needs are different. The main advice I can give is just try to write. Like, I've shown screenshots in the past of my open WIPs. I'll often have 5-10 open word documents of different stories that I am bouncing around. I'll try to do a little bit every day or so. If I don't have a specific story in mind, I'll open one of my WIPs and reread the last page or so and try to add another paragraph or two. Sometimes I spend an hour or two and only have a few lines to show for it. Sometimes, I manage to break through the part that is giving me trouble and smash through it.

The source of the writer's block itself is often difficult to pin down. Sometimes, I feel like I am fighting my characters, and I have forced a character too far out of there own personality. In that case, I'll often realize this when rereading what I wrote. It's a "he wouldn't do that" scenario, but often I can find out under what circumstances would he do that? In those cases, adding a few lines leading up to that moment will make the rest flow smoother because suddenly, the character is in a situation that makes sense for them. Sometimes, the scene gets scrapped completely. Sometimes, I have to put it on hold and add a lot of stuff to get the character into a position where they are ready to do that scene.

Sometimes, I just needed a breather. Taking a break helps a lot. Sometimes, I just needed to think on it more. So like, I'll lay in bed and scroll twitter or something and let my mind wander. I also let my mind wander a bit when working out or doing other low mental impact tasks.

I feel like I've kind of danced around your main questions without addresssing them directly, but a lot of that is because it's hard to give specific advice for how someone should handle these situations because it's different for everyone. The best I can do is sort of give examples of what I would do in that scenario. The only real actionable advice I can give is just to write some. Don't think of it as making a finished product. I don't really think of any of the stuff I do as "finished" because it will never be 100% what I think it's capable of being, but I do reach a point where I have to tell myself that this is a good stopping point.

But yeah. Just have fun with it. Play in the space. Even if you don't end up showing off the finished project, just having some fun with it will help you understand what works for you. If you're not ready to commit to your big novel/if you don't think that your pre-prep is done enough for you to actually work on the big project that you want to do, treat it like fanfiction of your own world. Just write something to see how it feels to be in that space.

[reasonandfaithinharmony]

Weekend WIP Game

Thank you for tagging me, @rmd-writes and @thisbuildinghasfeelings!

I know I am very late to this, but it is still technically the weekend here in the Pacific time zone, so here we go. I'll be using the questions for Artists/GIF makers. (There are also questions for writers in @welcometololaland's original post!)

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only work on one project at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

1. WIP List:

I am so afraid to see these all written out in a way where I can count them. [deep breath] This is a rather mixed-up list of gif sets for 911 Lone Star, Schitt's Creek, and The X-Files. Also, since they're gif sets, they don't really have titles, just nicknames:

husbands fancy dinner lizard arc kisses quotes of devotion come rain or come shine spin instructors flashbacks yes way meet the parents until i'm okay, too pile of good things best man wedding attire tk stays capable and decent unspectacular things endless act of being loved gravity of hearts simply the best reassuring head kisses he's a jungle cat wedding behind the scenes soft light/tooms/squeeze hope is messy iris/tk arc you are good and i love you

2. Which WIP is your most complex?

Oh gosh. Anything that involves coloring of more than one scene, really. That's what slows me down. And pretty much all of these fall into that category. Which is a big part of why they're not done yet.

3. Do any of your WIPs involve you using a technique/style that you haven't used before? What inspired you to try it?

Um. Possibly? I'm not far enough along to know for sure, but I think a couple of them might involve trying out a new text treatment.

4. Which WIP do you expect will take you the longest?

I am historically a very bad judge of this. Lol. There are plenty of potential obstacles in that list. I'm afraid to jinx it/make things worse by saying anything specific.

5. Which WIP are you finding the most enjoyable to create?

The "lizard arc" set has been very enjoyable to play with. And I suspect that "he's a jungle cat" will be very fun to eventually get back to.

6. Do you have a favourite character to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

Hmmm. Not really. I mean, I certainly tend to focus on my favorite ships, but I can't really pick a favorite from that group.

7. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

All of them. Because I am self-taught and constantly second guessing absolutely everything.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of creator's block?

I suppose so. Although It's more lack of energy or just… utter frustration that results in a WIP getting a time out.

9. Do any of your WIPs contain characters outside the main ship? How are you finding creating those?

Yeah, definitely. There are a couple on that list that focus on other relationships.

10. What emotions are you hoping to convey through your WIPs?

It varies. Some are angsty. Some are meant to be funny. But I think, in general, they are all trying to convey love.

11. Are there any features/details you are finding challenging in your WIPs?

[gestures wildly at the lighting teams on every show, thwarting my best efforts to see what's going on]

12. Which WIP has the most complex shading/colouring?

Don't know yet. All of them. Lol. I can tell you that the "fancy dinner" set has been in time out for months now. Because of lighting and coloring.

13. Which WIP has the most complex background?

Not sure this one applies to me.

14. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for?

Oh, I really don't know. My opinions here change all the time.

15. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

I normally do not remember my dreams. But very recently, I dreamt that I had finished one of those sets. I was very disappointed to wake up and realize it wasn't true.

16. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other art doesn't?

Hmm, I don't think so.

17. Are any of your WIPs commissions?

No, but some of them are friendly requests or things that came about from chatting here on tumblr.

18. Do you have a character that is more difficult to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

I'm going to go with Patrick Brewer. That boy's face just… goes nuclear bright whenever I try to brighten a scene overall. There are a lot of rather pale characters on that show, but they take pretty well to coloring/brightening. He does not.

19. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Um. Some items have been on that list for years. They're not abandoned, I promise. I am just not in charge of the creative process.

Since it is barely the weekend for me anymore (and no longer the weekend for many of you), please consider this an open tag!! If you'd like to play along, go for it. Even if the weekend has passed you by.

[groundzero-v]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thank you @gracelesslady23 for tagging me! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Only 8 (one is still waiting to be revealed in the prongsfoot fest!)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

121,775 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter, and then mostly barely known fandoms haha (I have a soft spot for rareships), I'm thinking about writing for svss or mdzs too though

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

I don't wanna listen anymore - prongsfoot, multi-chapter, misunderstandings

Ad Infinitum - cyberpunk game, one-shot

Rising over dying flames - bnha gen fic, percy jackson au, two shot

Kintsugi - prongsfoot, multi-chapter

Marauder's Guide to Saving the Wizarding World - prongsfoot longfic, current wip, Marauders fight Voldemort AU, Triwizard Tournament arc, overload of pining, Marauder banter

5. Do you respond to comments?

Absolutely! I really treasure nice comments and re-read them often. They are very special to me. I try to always reply, even when the comment is only a word, but sometimes responding takes me some time

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really do angty endings haha. I'm a very happy ending oriented person, I like my angst only before the very end. So angstiest? Probably nothing

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them! But so far probably the unrevealed prongsfoot festa fic

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I got some slightly weird comments but so far (thankfully) not any outright hate. I'm very lucky that people in the prongsfoot fandom are so incredibly nice

9. Do you write smut?

Ah, not really. I do like to read spicy fics sometimes but it depends

10. Do you write cross-overs?

It depends on the definition, I like to put characters into different universes, but the original characters of that work don't exist when I do. So it's more of an Alternate universe!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Hopefully not? I'm afraid to know, but I don't think my fics are popular enough to be stolen haha. (Whoever steals fics should be deeply ashamed though!)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Once so far, to russian

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven't, I imagine it's really difficult, but it could be a lot of fun as well

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Prongsfoot!

I fell in love with them a long time ago and I really love writing or reading about them. The characters feel so comforting to me and I love the intensity and devotion they have for each other.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

I currently have only one real WIP published, the Marauder's Guide. For me its really easy for self-doubt to set in when writing long fics so it becomes harder and harder to push myself to write next chapter after not picking it up for a while. But I really want to finish it. I think it will take a long time but I will do it! Hopefully?

So I suppose the answer is my wip for the Sirius Black fest. I have this great idea in my head, but when I try to put it to page it sounds so bad it makes me lose motivation. We will see if I can push through haha (It's prongsfoot by the way because of course it is).

16. What are your writing strenghts?

I saw banter mentioned a lot in comments so probably that! I really like writing dialogues between the Marauders and especially James and Sirius. I also really like adding in tiny character or worldbuilding details

17. What are you writing weaknesses?

Description definitely. Pacing too, especially in the first drafts. Actions during dialogues maybe? I sometimes struggle to describe who is doing what to show exactly what I have in my head. The biggest problem is definitely endings though. I always rush them :(

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

Overall I don't add another language to my fics. I never know how much to translate, how much time spend with it and so on, so I use it very very little.

Technically though, English is my second language, so I'm always writing in a different language haha.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter! I think it was Prongsfoot as well

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

I think I tend to like my newer works because the older ones make me embarrassed by their writing haha. So probably Marauder's Guide! It's an idea very dear to my heart, even if it's not perfect in the slightest

Tagging @plecotusauritus @padfootastic @roalinda (no pressure!)