#I cannot express enough how much the books are not the source material for the movie. If anything is it's the 2005 short film Joyce made

[jackfrostimposter]

genuinely why is there so much misinformation about the guardians of childhood book series?

[psychic-refugee]

Not only do I think the novel ISN’T canon Wenclair, I don’t think it’s canon Wednesday, to be honest.

It’s not enough that the book was approved and published. It should actually be accurate to the source material, the TV show.

If the Powers that Be approved the novel, then they approved errors and emphatically different narrative concepts that are in direct conflict with the TV show.

What exactly does that say about how much they cared about the content of the novel?

Overall, the TV show and the writers, Gough & Millar, are the controlling narrative. IMO. If the book is in conflict with the TV show and what the writers themselves have stated, then I can dismiss the novel.

Tehlor Kay Meija was hired to write the book, and it was approved for publishing. I cannot infer more than that on anyone’s motivations. Certainly not if they approve of ship.

I disagree with Meija’s interpretation of certain scenes, and I can point to obvious and glaring mistakes.

“In the baby-blue-wallpapered room, I open my bag.” p. 32

Here, we clearly see that not only is the bathroom not blue, she does not open her bag. Full scene:

It stays on her back. She taps the bag and orders Thing to give her a nail file. The bag flips open on its own and he gives her the file.

The book has a lot of these unnecessary and should have been easy to fix mistakes. I’ve seen some rude replies where they ask “Did you watch the show?” Interpreting certain thoughts and actions as sapphic or not is a matter of opinion. This is just flat out wrong.  

There are provable errors not only in description but dialogue.

The tone and characterization of Enid and Wednesday’s interaction is different with the incorrect dialogue and descriptions.

The entire book is like this. It has wrong or dropped dialogue and deviates from the original narrative concepts of the TV show.

Every character has been done a disservice by this book.

It seems the people you should ask if they watched the show are Meija and whomever approved publishing the book, errors and all.  

The book with its lack of details I think misses a lot of nuances that we see from facial expressions and body language on the show. Details on the possibility of what others are thinking via facial expressions and body language are inconsistent throughout the book.

There is an annoying plethora of exclamation marks that makes it seem people are yelling or excited when I think they’re actually trying to portray emphasis. That’s just a pet peeve of mine and I fully admit it’s petty, but it does make some, like Kinbott, seem more manic than the show intended.

“Well Wednesday, I hope you don’t think of me as your adversary,” [Kinbott] says. “I hope we can forge a relationship built on trust! And mutual respect!” p 30

Kinbott does not have this kind of excited inflection when speaking to Wednesday, ever. She always remains calm and uses a soothing voice, like she’s trying to talk to an unwilling cat. lol

I think it was a mistake to hire Meija, who specializes in children’s books. The TV show is aimed at teens, but also has a strong nostalgia factor for those who grew up in the 90’s and the movies. I think Netflix is aiming for a wide audience of older teens and adults. With the violence and “edgy” aesthetic and leanings, I think a writer for an older audience would have been more appropriate.

This book was clearly made JUST for children. The bigger print, low word count, and very simplistic narration make it for an elementary grade reading level. It feels very dumbed down.

Wednesday the TV show is not meant to be for that young of an audience.

I think if Gough and Millar had written the novelization, it would be much different not only in style but accuracy.

At bottom, Meija is an outsider to this fandom and did not do a good job.

[breitzbachbea]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

God, I needed this right now, because I am about to explode from how exhausting and unfair adult life is. And I love NOTHING more than talk about my own shit. Thank you so much, nonnie, I owe you my life.

Perché in Sicilia i morti dovrebbe morire I am aware that there is technically a typo in here, but I don't have the book I quoted around, so I don't know if the typo is already in the source material. Either way, do you like ghosts? Do you like folklore? Do you like places haunted by the terrible things they've seen, objects filled with the absentminded crooked intentions of their owner? Do you like childhood friends, who are the only friends to trust each other with their terrible childhoods, but it doesn't solve anything? Perché is the story you want. Herakles and Michele are sneaking around Michele's house during a power outage, talking about the recent past and ranting about the distant one, while the are some parts in between those that are unspeakable. It weaves the past of Sicily on a whole, especially Palermo's and its hinterland, together with the fate of the Vento family and clothes the terrors of Michele's own psyche into the familiar appearance of the collective Sicilian folklore. Also, if you like two mediterranean guys being way too coddly and touchy-feely, you can give this one a go as well.

Don't Touch The Artwork I like this little pwp one-shot immensely, because despite plot being thinly on the ground, it has so many little fantastic character moments. Team Liechtenstein and Team Austria both get to shine, you get to understand both team dynamics on their own and how single members act with each other across the boundary. Not to mention that it brilliantly works out Hugo's and Alois' relationship - the toxic masculinity, the fragile 'friendship', how both are at such cross purposes with their needs and desires but agree just enough on sex itself to keep coming back to play the doomed game. Next round I'll win, they think, always. They are giving it their all and then it wasn't good enough, because it's not good enough on principle. Either way, if you want to read two guys have a handjob quickie in the restroom of the KHM in Vienna, because they find the millennia of human craft and expression boring - yeah, that's the one.

Between Me and the Goddess (and You) Will you please, for the love of God, read my Imperial Rome setting AU that doesn't rely on some Victorian decadence narrative bc these mfers believed Tacitus blindly. We don't need love slave bullshit and tyrannical hedonism, we need a couple who is so concerned for each other's health that they travel miles and miles for it. We need Harry being so close with Michele that he involves him in Magic - in something that is ought to only be between the one who calls upon a divine Entity and the Entity itself. Michele, who cannot bear a night parted from his love to fix his own troubles, in case Harry's leg gives him grief all alone. Also, curse tablets are inherently funny, so please read this SicIre trip to Aquae Sulis, where Harry wishes plague upon houses for petty theft.

No Rest For The Wicked Tu non fermami se capita! Lo sai che il mare mi agita! Ti canterò di quelle notti ad orienteeee, di quella luna che danzava tra i bazaaaaar! If you are a fan of self-indulgent fanfictions, this is the most unashamedly self-indulgent thing I ever wrote.* This story has everything: The Chaos Seven (Team Sicily and Team Ireland) go on a Turkey Vacay with the Greeks and Turks. Paddy hits his head. Harry and Soph are 100% on their bullshit as if no one else is around. Argueing. Cursing. Flirting. Hera and Sadık so deeply in love in their twisted and yet so mundane way. Italian Music and Sexy Dancing. Bridal Carrying. Please go and read it, 🌀 ohhh you want to read about TurGre and SicIre and the O'Connels soooo badly. 🌀 *All my other OC fics don't count, because I avoid tagging them Hetalia as much as I can, so I don't expect anyone to read it. Even if they are tagged hetalia, no one specifically looks for my OC ships, so while I am glad for every reader, I never write with any in mind.

A lot of messy heads No one ever reads this one, which is. fair. It's just a little episode from Paddy's life with the O'Connels, prompted by his girlfriend's old family pictures. I'm sure people who are open to everything and like family fluff will love this, regardless if they know the characters or not. But if you do and would like to see Daddy Paddy in full action, if you would liked to see a little, young teenage Harry in his moody phase and a carefree, energetic little brat of a Soph - please read this. Please see the children that the characters you've come to known, so baggage-laden, used to be.

[raillingfarrell]

13 Best Font for your Shopify Stores

Today customers expect to find what they want as quickly as possible without searching through the pages of irrelevant products and information. If consumers cannot find what they want, or simply become frustrated by the browsing experience, they can (and will) leave their search in a click.

One of the crucial aspects that keep the attention of website visitors is typography. Not only does selecting the right typeface help to express your message, but it also can impact your brand image and even make your brand more identifiable.

In this article, I will introduce to you the best fonts that you can use for your Shopify store and some mistakes that you should avoid when it comes to choosing a font. Now let’s jump right into the details.

Helvetica

Helvetica is old; it has been around since 1957. It's part of the sans-serif family, so the letters don't have curves at the end of each stroke. It's a classic font, and now it's split into a variety of types, such as Helvetica light, rounded, and more. Helvetica is simple and commonly used by major companies for their logos and marketing materials.

Garamond

Garamond is old too, and it has a retro feeling to it. It's perfect for body text in printed books, and it can also be read easily. With this font, your website will have a classic vibe, and each letter may look like an engraving to some people.

Arial

Arial is probably the safest font out there to use, and it's pretty much the norm in the typography world. In certain machines or word processors, Arial is called Arial MT. They are identical without any noticeable changes.

There are many subtypes of this font, but they're all easy to read. It belongs to the family of the sans-serif font. Sans serif means that there are no lines of any kind at the end of each letter. The positive thing about this font is that it is familiar, and all Microsoft devices provide it in the operating system. iOs and Android also have no problem recognizing this font.

Courier Family

The courier family has two divisions — courier and courier new. Today, the widely popular version is the latter. The font is easy to read since all the letters are evenly spaced. Many fonts have wider widths, but not this one. This is how Howard Kettler designed it in 1955.

Both computers and browsers know the courier family, and no modifications will be made if they open a website using this typeface. It's been around for decades. It was originally used in IBM typewriters, but later it was widely seen in the personal computer too.

Verdana

Verdana is considered as a true web font by many font experts. It's a plain sans serif font, big enough for quick reading. If you look closely, the letters are a little elongated, making it easier to read from laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Verdana is now focusing on portable devices and computers. And rightly so, as it was developed for and by Microsoft.

Times New Roman

This font is a slight variation of the font of Times (one of the oldest fonts). It's widely used in newspapers and magazines all over the world, and it's easily recognizable. Many books are also written in this font, and people from all over the world won't find it hard to read.

The reason it was named Times is that the company that had this font created was Time Magazine back in 1931. While it is no longer used by the journal, it is still commonly used as a body text in newspaper ad-book publications.

Bookman

Bookman looks similar to Times New Roman. It is also known as the Old Style Bookman. It has been widely used for trade printing and display typography. It was very common in the 1960s, but its roots can be traced back to the 1850s. Bookman is perfect as a header, but you can also use a thinner version for body text.

Source: best font for shopify store

[zeawesomebirdie]

A, H, P

[for this ask game here]

Thank you so much for the ask!!! <3

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed: buckle up, I have a few >:) First of all, Britt Reid/Kato, because oh my GOD Kato is so hot and I love him but also Britt is such a babygirl and I love the way they interact, especially in the radio drama!! Kato is always saving the Green Hornet and I love this for them!! Next: Clark Kent/Dick Grayson, specifically the way they are in the Dan Mora World's Finest, but honestly I'm just as here for Superman/Nightwing and I may or may not be working on a PWP fic that may or may not involve mid-air sex. Also, I'm still on my Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne kick, I love themb, they are everything to me, I swear I will finish those fics I started about them at some point!! And finally: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart my beloveds. Themb <3 I just. There are no words to describe just how much their dynamic means to me. I'm still working on the rest of my insominac!AU fics, but just. Themb <3333

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?: radio dramas! Which, hot take I know, I am pretty sure I am the sole person in the Gunsmoke and Green Hornet radio drama fandoms on tumblr, but I love this for me. If you have never listened to a radio drama from the 50s or earlier, they are DELIGHTFUL and I cannot express enough just how much I love them! I especially like Gunsmoke and the Green Hornet because they've got screen versions of the same/similar episodes, Gunsmoke in the television show and the Green Hornet in the 1940 serial. Also, they're both super great for gay shipping material, Matt/Chester and Britt/Kato my beloveds

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas): I already have an Old West!AU but I am making another one 😌 AU where Barry is the deputy Marshal out of Dodge City and Len is a hired gunman >:)

[a-horse-ponders]

Pondering on Creativity

There is something that is broken in my mind. I don’t know what it is though, as I simply cannot describe it well enough for anyone to understand. The best way to put it is that I am incapable of creativity. There is a disconnect when I attempt any creative endevour, from trying to write fiction, to being a GM in a D&D campaign, to trying to design anything. I cannot express myself in terms that others can understand.

People have drawn things infront of me I still cannot grasp how those pencil strokes turned into an image. I also cannot describe that image to people. Description is probably the main flaw I’ve got, where I just cannot describe things. Perhaps my education was deficient? I doubt it, but still, if someone was to ask me what something looked like I’d struggle beyond the basics. What does this tree look like? It’s a tree. Dunno how tall it is, but it’s got a lotta green leaves, you know, it’s a tree.

When I read descriptions of characters in books, I simply cannot assemble this “mental image” that people talk about. This is probably why I read so much fan fiction, because the mental load of trying to parse a description is simply offloaded to recalling what the character looked like in the source material, or official adaptation.

I’ve been banned from Art classes at school because I’m just that fucking awful at this creating thing, and it’s created an eternal frustration where I have ideas (terrible ones) but I cannot express them in any medium. The written word? Awful, see above for how I can’t describe anything without resorting to using tags like I’m a fucking database. Drawing? I struggle with how a circle works. Speaking? Lol to who? I’ve got no friends.

The only success I found was playing around with this AI art stuff. I input a bunch of tags into a form and 30 seconds later an image that I wanted appeared. It was amazing, I finally managed to convey my idea. I felt this little glow of satisfaction that I imagine all creatives feel when they pull this off.

Of course, I didn’t actually do anything. I just fed text inputs into a program someone else created, to drive an algorithm developed by another person, to then ask my GPU to render something based on stolen assets created by a lot of talented people without their permission. But for that brief moment I looked at the picture on screen and I was so happy.

I made the mistake of mentioning this in a discord channel and I was yelled at for about half an hour about the evils of AI art and how what I made was nothing but some soulless abomination and I’m an awful person for even attempting it. I was reminded that I am some broke brain fuckup who cant create anything. I haven’t touched the AI art stuff since

I wonder if being able to create is somehow tied to being able to create life? I was born with a defective body, sterile from birth. Is there a connection there? Biologically sterile, creatively sterile? Something to ponder in future I guess.

Apologies for rambling, but I need to ramble somewhere, and doing it in my head just makes me sadder.

[cyanide-latte]

Interest has been shown and the thought won't leave my brain so I'm putting this on the table for discussion.

First let me be transparent: if allowed I will talk for ages about how people aren't taught critical thinking and media analysis and if they are that they aren't applying those tools where it counts. It's something I see so frequently and I'll get so driven up the wall about and I'll lament for ages the way that educational systems have failed to teach these tools or how little push there actually is on a widespread scale to learn and implement them.

But over the last 24 hours with instances on several fronts and in several fandoms, an additional thought has repeatedly been popping up that I think needs to coexist with this discussion.

And that is that there is a human being behind every take you disagree with.

It's easy to focus on the frustration and the issue and wanting to push for ways to improve the situation to the point I think sometimes it's easy to forget the individual people.

While I don't intend to point fingers to any one example (because again, I've been seeing this sort of issue in multiple fandom spaces on multiple platforms over the past day,) I feel like it's still something to bring up. Just hear me out on this. Fandom isn't necessarily a space where the intent is to always analyze and think critically about what we consume, but utilizing those tools can provide a more enriching experience with the source material, open up new discussions with other fans, and allow for a greater understanding of the source material and its creators and its impact(s).

But just as much as that, fandom isn't necessarily intended for that level of engagement, at least not as a mandatory requirement. Many fans don't consume a thing they enjoy for the sake of deeper thought and analysis, and this means that many times their opinions, headcanons, elements they enjoy, and understanding of the source material is going to differ drastically from that of a person who does those deeper dives.

And that's fine.*

There is a caveat there and I'll get to it, but I really would like to see this point as the main one for consideration in this discussion. Not everyone consumes movies, shows, books, podcasts, games, etc. with an automatic need or desire to analyze the media on a deeper level. Heck, even people who DO have that tendency are going to encounter things that they just engage with on a level of trying to simply enjoy it.

And that's okay. Not everyone has had the opportunity to learn those things. Not everyone wants to always dissect everything they engage with, and trying to do that anyway is exhausting. (And if you're trying to do that with the intent of seeking media purity, it's doubly exhausting because you're chasing something that cannot exist, and I would like to suggest that you reevaluate this because it WILL rob you of your ability to enjoy ANYTHING.)

And I think it's important to remember that when we hit that point. That there's another person. That no matter how much it may cause us frustration when we encounter people who show signs of not knowing or understanding the same things we do about something we've taken the time to really break down and understand, there's still another person and we don't know the circumstances behind why their experience is different nor are we entitled to know. I mean, YEAH, it's frustrating when prevailing ideas about the source material within a fandom become commonplace and are either blatantly wrong/ignorant or don't show enough analysis. But I feel like we also need to remember to be mindful of individual people even when expressing our frustrations and dislikes of ideas or attitudes that lack understanding.

Now. Here's that *caveat.

When someone's lack of understanding, lack of thinking, lack of being willing to go beyond the surface and understand the impacts of themes and ideas in media, lead to that someone causing harm to themselves and others, then there is a greater issue that I think should be addressed.

I'm not talking about "this person has a headcanon about this character that is ignorant of character history and I don't like it so I'm going to get on their case about it". I'm talking about, someone isn't taking the time to listen and think about and do some sleuthing on any media that they're engaging with that has real life negative consequences and impacts on other people, and they're unlikely to stop and reevaluate their engagement and behavior unless someone who does have a better understanding of those issues says something. Additionally, do they have individual opinions of their own in their lack of understanding that they're causing harm with, whether intentionally or unintentionally? Because I see that happen too, where something gets misconstrued or misunderstood in a harmful way and the person with that misunderstanding can go on to harm others with it.

For many, a positive change can be made by asking the question(s) "are you aware that this thing contains harmful ideas that have real-world impacts?" "Are you aware that your engagement with this material supports a creator(s) who is weaponizing their platform?" "These harmful opinions and thought processes are baked into the source of the media you're consuming and they have real life impacts; have you been taking the time to see if it is also working its way into your opinions and treatment of others?"

When those questions get asked, it can lead to changes that are positive or it can lead to an understanding that that individual may willfully choose not to reevaluate how they may be causing harm because they won't let go of whatever caused those harmful ideas to take root in them. And that is a different discussion entirely, but it's important to remember that this is a caveat to consider.

But ultimately, TL;DR— I think the complaint of "none of these people are using critical thinking or analyzing media is frustrating and it needs to change" can and does need to begin coexisting with the idea "an individual person may not know how or choose to engage critically with the media they consume some or all of the time and that's okay and I can respect and consider them even if I disagree with their takes on it."

[aitaikimochi]

I noticed that some people didn't know much about Reno and Rude's epic bromance outside of the major FF7 compilation installments (OG FF7, Advent Children, Crisis Core, FF7R), so I compiled a list of moments from lesser known but official sources (light novels, Ultimania, etc.)! Enjoy~

FF7 On The Way To A Smile - Episode Shinra Light Novel (2009)

-Rude loves thrills.

-For Rude, It’s too painful to imagine a life without the Turks.

-During Meteorfall, Reno and Rude are alone together and seek refuge in the Shinra building bathroom stalls because Rude wanted to go back to the building to get his tool kit.

-Rude apologizes and notices that Reno’s tone is different from his usual self. Reno asks Rude, “Hey Rude, we’ve been together for a long time.” Rude says, “Yup.” Reno then asks “We’re partners, right?” and Rude says “Sure.”

-Reno then goes to Rude’s stall and kicks in the door. Rude is surprised and asks why Reno kicked the stall’s door. Reno says, “I want to give one last thrill to my partner. Thrills- you love ‘em.” Rude says it’s not enough.

-They leave the building together to see the destruction caused by the Lifestream.

-Reno looks around and says “Holy shit is that the Lifestream!?” Rude turns to him and says, “Reno…”

-Reno says “Yeah?” and Rude answers, “This is amazing.”

-Later in the chapter, Reno frowns and is worried about Geostigma and asks Rude why Rufus was putting his trust into the sketchy Doctor Kilmister. Reno wonders why he and Rude hasn’t contracted the disease yet.

-Rude cheers him up by lightly punching his arm and says, “Hey partner, how about a sparring session? We haven’t done that in a while.”

-Reno asks why, and Rude explains “Exercising both your mind and body can prevent sickness.”

Reno calls him an old fart but gets ready anyway.

Reference: Japanese version of the On The Way To A Smile light novel

FF7 The Kids Are All Right: A Turks Side Story Light Novel (2011)

-Reno’s Profile (official English version):

“[…] Reno also values his relationships, especially the strong connection he shares with his partner, Rude. He also comes to care about Evan and Kyrie, and he starts keeping an eye on them from afar.”

-Rude’s Profile (official English version):

“Reno’s long-term partner and one of the Turks’ elite operatives […] Taciturn but compassionate, Rude ends up joining his partner in watching over Evan and Kyrie.”

-Evan describes Reno and Rude as “they are always together, like a fork and a knife.”

-Rude thinks that Evan might find it annoying that Reno is trying to meddle with family affairs. Rude thinks to himself “My comrades are all I ever need.”

-Reno and Rude end up stranded and away from Rufus, Tseng, and Elena. Reno tells Rude “You’re all I have, man. The Director and Elena aren’t answering our calls, and the Boss just tells us to finish the Monument. They’re definitely up to something. We’re outcasts. You and me, me and you, if we don’t stick together then what?”

-Rude is the only person capable of falling asleep in a car despite Reno’s reckless driving.

Reference: Japanese version of the light novel Chapters 3, 12, 19

FF7R (2020)

-When you cast Sleep on Rude, he says Reno’s name in his sleep.

References: Chapter 8 or 12 Boss Battles

FF7R Ultimania Book (2020)

-Reno only expresses his doubts and worries in front of Rude.

-Rude greatly cares about his friends.

-Reno and Rude work together in perfect sync.

Reference: Pages 52, 53, 641

FF7R Material Ultimania Book (2020)

-Rude worries about Reno’s reckless fighting due to his “professionalism.”

-Rude is willing to risk his own life to protect Reno.

-Scenario Coordinator Oishi says the scene when Rude tosses the EMR to Reno shows a glimpse of their responsibility and readiness for Shinra as well as the bond that Reno shares with his partner.

Reference: Pages 103, 282

FF7 10th Anniversary Ultimania (2007)

-Reno loves gossip, so that’s why he asked Rude who he likes in the OG FF7 Gongaga scene.

-Although Reno likes hearing about other people’s gossip, he never reveals much about himself though, and that’s part of his aesthetic.

-When Reno heard about Rude dating someone (in Before Crisis), he was more keen on figuring out this mission than any other mission he’s ever done.

Reference: Page 94

FF7 Before Crisis (2007)

-In the bonus Episode Reno, Rude is grumpy all day during a mission. After they complete the mission, Reno asks if he’s still mad and says “I can’t have my partner stay mad like this.”

-Rude says he’s just peachy. Reno then says they should have a competition on who can obtain the “target” the fastest. Rude is confused what Reno is referring to. Reno says the target is Rude’s usual pair of sunglasses that’s undergoing repair since he’s wearing a spare right now.

-Reno mentions that they’ve been partners for a very long time, so of course he noticed Rude was wearing a spare pair of sunglasses all day, which affected his mood.

-Rude can easily recall and remember a lot of different random quotes and sayings that Reno said to him early on in their partnership.

-Reno and Rude have a near perfect record for completing missions successfully.

-In Chapter 4, Rude and the player are on a ship with AVALANCHE hostages, and one of the hostages named Sears escapes. The player says they should get Reno to come join them for back-up. Rude says to let him sleep as he was taking a nap in the ship quarters.

-Rude gets hurt by Sears in the fight. Reno wakes up from his nap and finds Rude on the floor and injured. Reno asks Rude who did this to him, but Rude doesn’t answer. Reno then goes and hunts down Sears.

-Rude eventually joins Reno at Costa Del Sol and the two of them find Sears at the beach and easily defeat him. Reno asks Rude what he would have done if no one came to help him, and Rude says he knew Reno would come for him as they have been together for a long time, so he knows how Reno thinks.

-In Chapter 6 of the game, when Reno tells Rude they should go home to the Turks company housing after a day’s work, Rude excuses himself to go somewhere. Reno gets suspicious about this and asks the player to follow Rude. The player tells Reno they saw Rude on a date with a woman (named Chelsea).

-Reno then secretly follows Rude on another one of his dates with the girl but sees that she’s actually an AVALANCHE spy who’s trying to use him to get information.

-Reno approaches Rude about this, but Rude says he already knew.

-Rude tells Chelsea he has something to tell her and to meet him on Christmas Eve in front of the Illuminated Christmas Tree in Midgar that symbolizes undying love. On the day of, Rude waits in front of the tree to see what Chelsea will do.

-Chelsea never turns up, and the player and Reno follow her to see what’s going on. They see that she tells AVALANCHE she cannot carry out her duty because she had feelings for Rude. She then leaves and tells the player that perhaps they can meet again in another life.

-The player returns to the tree to see that Rude is there standing alone in the cold. The player tells Rude that Chelsea said she can never meet him again. The player asks if he will chase after her, but Rude said she made up her mind. Rude is about to leave the area but stops as the person who does appear on Christmas Eve in front of an Illuminated Christmas Tree that apparently symbolizes undying love, is none other than Reno.

-Reno teases Rude and calls him a sentimentalist. He then says they should all go back home together to Turks base.

Reference: Chapters 4, 6, Episode Reno

[labomi]

play by the rules [1]

Nanami Kento is a well-known bodyguard who always adheres to his own set of principles when completing a job. But when his next assignment is protecting you, he suddenly finds himself second-guessing his morals and questions whether or not some rules are just meant to be broken.

pairing: nanami kento x f!reader

words: 2.7k

warnings: none for this chapter, please look at the series masterlist for general content warnings

notes: i’ve been meaning to write a multichap fic for nanami for so long and i finally got around to outlining most of the story and writing the first chapter yay! i’m a little unsure if the plot will actually be good or not lol but i’m hoping it’ll turn out okay! thanks for reading!

series masterlist

There’s a distinctive knock on your door that pulls you out of your thoughts as you lay on your bed with an unopened book in your lap. You had been meaning to read the story for the past three months after seeing rave reviews about it online, but for some reason, you couldn’t quite find the energy to start reading. Every morning, you pulled the book from your shelf with the full intention of getting past the first page. But every night, it was returned to the same spot on your shelf, remaining untouched.

With a quiet sigh, you force yourself to crawl out of bed, leaving behind the comfortable warmth of your blankets. You drag your feet as you walk over to the door, dreading the imminent conversation you’re about to have.

To be honest, you’d rather he just leave you alone to wallow in self-pity in the comfort of your own room. You knew he had good intentions, but you dreaded his frequent check-ins with you. If he had no good news to deliver, you didn’t want to see him. And there had been no good news for the past three months.

You have no expectations that today will be any different.

With a hesitant hand on the doorknob, you take a deep breath and try to suppress the bitterness you feel towards the person on the other side of the door. Once prepared, you open the door with a wide grin and a bright twinkle in your eyes.

“Hi Dad!” You greet him with a high-pitched, chipper voice.

Your father looks pleased to see your lively expression. “Good morning, princess. Do you mind if I come in?”

You manage to hide your surprise. Most of his visits consist of a quick hello just to confirm you’re alive in your room, but he heads off to go back to work. If he intends to enter your room, there must be something serious he wishes to discuss. You try to ignore the small glimmer of hope that flutters in your chest. 

“Of course!” You waltz over to your bed and sit down, patting the space next to you. Your father sits on the plush bed beside you, twiddling his thumbs idly in his lap.

“I’m aware these past three months have been hard on you, princess,” he begins.

You dig your nails into the palm of your hands and bite your tongue to prevent yourself from spitting out a harsh retort.

Yeah, no kidding.

“They’ve been tough for me too.” He pats your leg comfortingly, giving you a sincere, apologetic look. “I hate seeing you stuck in your room all day, but you know I only do this because I love you and because I want to keep you safe.”

Your father’s words are genuinely heartfelt. There’s no doubt he cares for your well-being and bemoans the unfortunate situation, but you’re not in the mood to be swayed by his guilt.

After all, it’s because of him that you’ve been trapped inside for three long months.

“It’s okay, Dad. I don’t blame you.” You try your best to act like a caring daughter who wants to console her father and assuage his fears that you despise him for his actions. “I know it’s for my own good.”

Three months ago, your father fired your personal bodyguard. 

This also meant that three months ago, your father shredded your only ticket to the outside world.

You can only venture outside the family’s property lines if a trained professional, tasked with keeping you safe from potential harm, accompanies you to pre-approved destinations.

Your father worries about your safety in public, because he often does business with local mafia groups in the area. He is not an influential or well-known member of the underground economy, but in this line of work, it isn’t unusual to piss off the wrong person in a deal gone bad. Family members are the most common targets, so you are a natural choice for disgruntled clients to take their frustrations out on. 

On one hand, you believe it is unfair that you are forced to live a restricted life under the constant protection of a bodyguard because of your father. You have nothing to do with his business, yet you must suffer from the consequences of it.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that you reap the benefits from the success of your father’s career. You had never worked a day in your life and always received any material goods you asked for, so perhaps you do deserve to face at least a share of the consequences.

Your father is insistent that you must have your own personal bodyguard after an incident involving your mother that occurred when you were just a baby. There was an altercation when she had encountered one of your father’s enemies while doing some errands alone in the city.

It hadn’t ended well, to say the least.

So for three long months, you were stuck inside. To his credit, your father had immediately begun the search for a new bodyguard, but his vetting process was so rigorous that it was not a timely process. There had been some mishaps in the past with previous guardians, and your father had vowed to never let those mistakes happen again.

You know you should be grateful that your father cared about your safety enough to have a dedicated group of his team spend endless hours thoroughly investigating each and every potential candidate. You also know you shouldn’t complain about being trapped in a luxurious mansion, but you hate being at home.

You hate seeing your father’s workers around the premises.

You hate thinking about what sort of shady business deals are happening just a floor below you.

You want nothing to do with it. You don’t even want to think about it, which is why you prefer to spend as much time as possible away from home. 

“I’m so glad you understand,” your father says with a relieved sigh. “But I have some good news this time.”

Your breath hitches in the back of your throat. The moment feels almost surreal. You had been waiting to hear those words for so long, you almost thought it would never happen.

“I approved your new bodyguard.”

This time, you didn’t have to fake your excitement.

“Really?” you gasp, looking at your father with wide eyes.

He nods at you.

Unable to contain your burst of elation, you throw your arms around your father with a squeal, giving him a fierce hug. “Thank you! Thank you!”

Your father lets out a hearty laugh, patting your back as he revels in seeing your utter joy. “He starts tomorrow, so you may leave the property again in the morning.”

In less than 24 hours, you are free to once again explore the city, visit popular shops, and stop by your favorite restaurants. You can barely contain your enthusiasm as your heartbeat drums in your chest from the rush of adrenaline after hearing such wonderful news. Pulling away from your father, you continue to beam at him, feeling an unusual wave of gratitude towards the man.

A loud beep disrupts the heartfelt moment.

Your father looks at his smartwatch with a tight frown. “I’m so sorry, princess, but I have to go to a meeting now.” He gets off the bed and gives you a small smile. “I’m glad I could finally give you some good news. I’ll hopefully see you for dinner tonight.”

Before your father can leave, you reel in your scattered thoughts after being almost too excited to think straight. “Dad, before you go, can I at least ask for this name?”

You cannot believe you almost forgot to ask such a crucial question.

“Nanami. Nanami Kento.”

You nod at him. “Thank you! Good luck at your meeting!”

Alone once again, you throw yourself a little celebration which consists of childishly dancing around the room blasting your favorite “good vibes” playlist. Afterward, you grab your laptop and plop onto your bed with a satisfied grin. You crack your knuckles. 

It’s time to get to work. 

In order to maximize your free time tomorrow, you need to have a rough idea about what you want to do and where you want to go. But before you start the task, you need to make one important phone call.

“Hey, Itadori.”

Itadori Yuuji is one of your father’s henchmen, but he’s a sweet boy who had nowhere else to go when his grandfather died. Luckily, he isn’t directly involved in the main operations of your father’s business. Known for his fast feet and powerful arms, he is mostly used as a source of manual labor to move heavy boxes that are brought in or shipped out of the various underground warehouses scattered throughout the property.

The two of you had become friends when you saw him trying to sneak food out of the main kitchen during the late hours of the night. Only your family and your father’s trusted confidants had permission to be in this part of the mansion.

Itadori immediately got on his knees and begged you not to tell anyone that he was stealing food, but you just laughed and showed him where the good snacks were located. Together, the two of you had a mini feast using the leftovers from the culinary staff. It was the first of many secret dinners to be held.

“Hey. What’s up?” he answers.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Can you sneak into my father’s office and copy a file for me? It’s someone named Nanami Kento.”

There’s a groan. “Seriously? But you know how hard it is to sneak into his office,” he whines over the phone.

“I’m sorry, Itadori,” you apologize. You know you aren’t making his life any easier, but you need him to do this for you. “But I know you can do it. You’ve done it plenty of times before without a problem.”

Itadori sighs. He knows he can’t refuse you, not because he’s afraid that you’ll turn him in for punishment (or worse). No, Itadori genuinely likes you, and he’s grateful for your presence in his life for many reasons. Therefore, he does whatever he can to help you out whenever you ask.

“Alright. You got it.”

“Thanks, Itadori.”

Several hours later, a manila folder is slipped underneath your door. With a victorious grin, you grab the folder and set it on your desk. You shoot Itadori a quick text confirming that you got the delivery and thanking him once again for his help.

Quivering in anticipation, you open the folder and see a grainy, black and white copy of a man’s photo on top of the stack of papers. Even with the image’s poor quality, you can see the man’s sharp cheekbones and styled, light-colored hair. You think he looks rather handsome, but you’re not quite sure with the fuzziness of the copy.

Setting the photo aside, you read his file with an interested hum. Because of your father’s rigorous vetting process, the folder is stuffed full of numerous background reports. You vaguely wonder how Itadori slid such a large stack of papers under your door.

Nanami Kento, huh.

You flip over a page and continue reading.

What an interesting man.

“Did you finally accept a new job?” Gojo asks curiously, craning his neck to get a better look at the papers spread about on Nanami’s desk. He spots a photo of a woman among the various files that catches his attention. “Who’s that?”

Nanami rubs his face with an exasperated groan, wishing his coworker would mind his own business for once. He tries to hide the photo under other papers, but Gojo is too quick. The white-haired man easily snatches the photo off the desk before Nanami can touch it and waves it in front of him in a teasing manner.

“Nice try,” he grins, pulling back to observe the photo up close. “Oh, she’s pretty cute. I’m guessing she’s your new client?”

“No,” Nanami answers begrudgingly. He knows Gojo won’t return the photo or leave him alone unless he partakes in the conversation. “Technically her father is, but she’ll be the one under my protection.”

“Oh, so you did accept a new job then.” Gojo returns the photo with a satisfied grin now that his original question had been answered. “Surprised it took you this long to choose one. How long has it been since you finished your last assignment?”

“About three months. I wasn’t in a rush to start a new job.”

Nanami can afford to be picky about his assignments now. Over the years, he has built a strong reputation as a proficient bodyguard who always follows orders and always gets the job done. Now that he is well-known in the industry with a long list of satisfied clients, Nanami no longer has to scramble to accept any odd job. Plus, as part of Gojo’s renowned bodyguard service agency, he can rely on the secretaries to filter out any scams or seemingly impossible requests before they reach his desk.

Nanami is now constantly flooded with inquiries from influential celebrities, notorious mafia members, and other wealthy figures. These people are always willing to pay big bucks for an extra sense of security as they go about their lives, but Nanami is no longer interested in solely the money now that his multiple bank accounts are flush with cash. Instead, he wants to take it easy with a simple, straightforward assignment that won’t involve a lot of gunfire, blood, or death. 

Being a bodyguard is a lucrative career, but it is also both physically and mentally taxing.

Simply put, Nanami is tired.

This is why he waited three long months to find his next job. With each additional request, he ignored how many zeros were listed as compensation and instead took his time to scrutinize the client, their family, and their motivations in seeking a bodyguard. He had a mental image of what he was looking for in his “perfect” job and much to his surprise, he stumbled upon a request that checked almost every box.

While Nanami was lost in his thoughts, Gojo had secretly snatched your file from the desk and had been skimming through it. He couldn’t resist learning more about this new client.

When Nanami returbs to his senses, he sees the missing file on his desk and glares at his white-haired coworker. Gojo just laughs in response. 

“Sorry, sorry. I’m just curious to see what kind of person would pique your interest after all this time, Mr. Picky.” He purses his lips. “Hmm, she’s not much younger than us. Surprised she’s still single too. Aren’t most women in these sorts of families forced to marry early to strengthen business ties? Oh, maybe her personality is so bad her father can’t marry her off to anyone!”

Nanami rips the file out of Gojo’s hands with a scowl. “None of that concerns me.”

“Aww, come on, Nanami,” the white-haired man pouts. “You’re going to be spending a lot of time with her. What is she’s a demon in disguise? Women are pretty scary, you know.”

Nanami figures Gojo skipped the part in the file where your father had described you as a “bright, bubbly young woman who loves to shop and eat”.

“I think I can handle it,” Nanami responds flatly. “After all, I can reasonably get along with everyone except you.”

Gojo clutches his chest dramatically, acting like he had just been shot. “Nanami, you’re so cruel to me!” He then drops his hands and places them on his hips with a devious grin. “Alright, I’ll leave you alone now. Good luck! And don’t fall in love!” He lowers his sunglasses and winks. Gojo can’t help but get in one last jab to irk his coworker.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Nanami is a serious professional, one who always plays by the rules. He adheres to a certain set of principles in order to remain successful in this line of work. Without them, situations can get messy, and he has all too often witnessed other bodyguards make the mistake of deviating from protocol and facing the consequences.

There are three fundamental rules that Nanami always follows without fail:

Never go above and beyond what a job asks you to do.

Once a job is finished, leave immediately.

Never get personally involved with a client.

And under no circumstances would he ever disregard any of these rules.

[poppy-in-the-woods]

The Sandman is dead, long live The Sandman! (or People are being dramatic on Twitter and I don’t get why)

Before I start, I have to make 3 things clear:

Much to my regret, I have read very little of Sandman (coincidentally, almost everything I read was what they adapted in the first season).

I still felt like it was a very good adaptation, I liked it a lot (yes, even the episode I cannot watch twice because of its content).

Some spoilers might appear, so you have been warned: if you didn’t watch The Sandman and you would like to do so in the future, maybe don’t keep reading.

Having said that, here’s what I want to talk about: So, I was scrolling twitter, and I saw some people say they didn’t like The Sandman adaptation Netflix did (which is a valid opinion to have), expressing this dislike in a very dramatic way (or should I say “DREAMatic” way?), saying things like “The Sandman is dead!” and I genuinely don’t understand the need to use such words. Even if you think it has gone soft in the series, you still have the original comics, and the audiobook if you prefer that version.

"In order to appease everyone, they have taken the Sandman, our most representative work, from us, postpunks! The Sandman is dead, long live Kid Eternity!" said someone whose opinions I usually respect and agree with (not that I don’t respect this one, I do, but I don’t agree with it). They also added "I get sadder with each episode" and "It was queerer before" (which I don't get since we still have a lot of characters to meet in the TV series).

Another person whose opinions I respect and that is also, like the first one, very well versed in The Sandman comics, said that they liked the adaptation. They also said that they saw the changes as an improvement, and that the influence of Terry Pratchett was very present in those changes. I think the words they used also involved touching grass and speaking with more women, in that way us millennials and gen z sometimes speak, which I think in this case they actually meant “this person is wiser now, they might have lost some edge, but they have gained sharpness”.

And I agree with this. Having Neil Gaiman himself involved in all the aspects of the creation of the series not only guarantees that the show stays true to the source material, but also that all the changes made are author approved. If Neil Gaiman was okay with changing races or gender of some characters, why should I be mad about it? If he was okay with lowering the explicit violence and opting for a more psychological horror approach, why should I think that is to appease a “woke” crowd? And make no mistake, albeit somewhat more concentrated in one episode, The Sandman has plenty of violence and gore.

You can disagree, of course, on how the things are in the series. Some changes have been also made because Vertigo/DC is a very extensive universe of comics that often intertwines and very little has been adapted to screen. If The Sandman wished to have all their characters as they are in the comics, they would spend more time building the Vertigo/DC universe rather than their own. So what if Lyta’s character is different? The outcome is pretty much the same. So what if Alex’s fate was much worse in the comics? Do you consider sleeping eternally not enough punishment? Have you ever had a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from until you did so, screaming and/or sweating? I had plenty of those, and I wouldn’t like to spend eternity in this nightmare-prone mind of mine, knowing I cannot wake up ever.

As some of you may know, I am an aspiring writer myself. I, too, would strike a deal with Morpheus in order to create dreams that survive my mortal body, as Shakespeare did. My urban fantasy book hasn’t been as influential as The Sandman comics by a very long shot, but if they did an adaptation in which I was heavily involved, and someone said “Born to Die is dead!” I would get very sad.

I don’t know how Neil Gaiman feels when he sees that sort of comments, maybe he doesn’t see them, and he sure is tougher than me, but I would feel sad. To me is like you’re saying “this is subpar, I liked it better when you were more edgy”. Not that you can’t have that opinion, but why the need to be so dramatic, when you still have the original source material available? It’s not like a squad of book-burning ninjas is coming to your house to steal all your copies of the comics and burn them in a pyre once the TV series premieres.

I don’t get it, I truly don’t.

Enjoy the series or don’t, just don’t ruin the mood for everyone else.

[razberryyum]

Scumbag System (SVSSS donghua) Episode 10 Thoughts (spoilers)

(covers SVSSS chaps 24 - 26, BC Novels Translations)

And thus the first season of the SVSSS donghua comes to an end...rather weirdly abruptly to be honest, but more on that later. Obviously I love the donghua. It was not perfect, but it still exceeded my expectations. I truly appreciate what they were able to do within their budget constraints and I think they captured the spirit of the source material perfectly, which is really all I hope for when it comes to adaptations.  The writing was strong, the humor hit the spot always (for example, when poor Shizun got motion sickness from sword riding, I guffawed), and they also gave us some of the most beautiful characters I’ve ever seen on screen, especially with Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge. I really, really hope they release official figurines for them. I’m going to start saving my money now just for that possibility.

Even though their time together in this episode was short, the BingQiu love was definitely strong. They gave them a combo move that was not in the source material: for someone like me who grew up watching Cantonese dramas, two characters who have a combo sword move (”雙劍合璧”!) are usually a couple so I was especially tickled by this addition. I am always thankful to the donghua team for the little Easter Eggs they give us for BingQiu, like the way Binghe's eyes lit up when he sees SQQ... 

or when SQQ touches him...

Once again, for those not in the know, it can easily be interpreted as a disciple just being devoted and filial to his Shizun. But for those of us who have read the novel, of course we know it’s indication of Bingmei falling in love with SQQ. I love how subtle yet significant these little expressions of Binghe’s are, and I hope they continue on with these little touches even in the next season. 

Of course then there are the more obvious gestures, like that HUG:

It lasted for a good 15 seconds and oh my God look at the Binghe’s hand placement!  There was totally nipple groppage happening there! This wasn’t in the book by the way...SQQ didn’t get woozy and Binghe most definitely didn’t have to catch him like some fainting damsel, so we have the donghua team to thank for this wonderful moment of (sexy) physical contact between the two of them. 

The donghua team was also especially generous in this episode since not only did we get some BingQiu love, but we got a pinch of LiuShen and QiJiu love too.

LQG’s eyes were on SQQ the entire time! And then Yue Qingyuan as usual took any opportunity he got to touch his Qingqiu.  So all shippers were fed. Hell, they even threw in some more straight-baiting again so peeps who are watching the show for the “straight” romance between Luo Binghe and his never-to-be-future-wife Qin Wanyue were fed too since the scene where Binghe gives her the handkerchief to wipe away her tears were not in the chapters of the book for this episode, and racking my brain I don’t even think it was in the book, period. I’m trying to remember if that handkerchief even holds any significance but even if it does, it’s all for naught since we know Qin Wanyue is at most just a minor side character. She does pop up again later on but then is mostly forgotten, so...not quite sure what that moment was all about other than to, I don’t know, throw off the censors?

I’m also not sure why we spent so much time with Liu Mingyan and Gongyi Xiao in this episode. Nothing against them personally, I like both characters very much (despite my previous complaints about GYX’s character design), and it’s not that they don’t deserve more screen time, but this was the season finale! Even though the next season has been announced, God knows when we’ll see it next year and how many episodes it would be, so every minute of screen time matters! That’s why I was a bit puzzled that they used up half of the episode showing LMY basically facing the same perils with her group of fellow disciples as before and GYX just running from that huge serpent. Even if that thing DOES turn out to be Zhuzhi-lang, it was still a bit much. They weren’t exactly character building scenes either so...why? Budget reasons? Didn’t have enough money to pay SQQ’s voice actor (Wu Lei-laoshi) so they had to stick in miscellaneous scenes to lessen his screen time? 

I’m kidding of course. God I hope that wasn’t the reason because that would just be sad.

Speaking of miscellaneous scenes though, what was going on with these two dudes?

I gotta admit, I’m a bit salty that these two mob characters got to do what our main couple can’t. What’s their story? Why do they get special privileges? Damn these nobodies. XD

All kidding aside, I have to say, of all the episodes this season, this might be the weakest one, not only because of the “filler” scenes, but also, the way the episode ended was so odd, especially for a season finale. The season basically ended on a scene transition. Not a cliffhanger, just a scene transition, and then cut to credits. What?? Why??? It’s almost as if they just ran out of time so had to stop the show all of a sudden. And then as if to make up for it, they added post-credit scenes which, honestly blew me away because it was so unexpected. It was indeed almost enough to make me completely forgive the weakness of the episode as a whole and that weird-ass ending.

I teared up!  The scene was kind of chopped up, didn’t even flow that smoothly, but I still got emotional! I’m sure when I see this scene in its entirety next season I am just going to be destroyed. I think they made it even more gut-wrenching than it was in the novel. Looks like the donghua team really aren’t gonna hold back when it comes to delivering the BingQiu knives. 

We also got to see Mobei-jun appear in the post-credits scene; I guess they had to stick him in there since he was featured in the poster for this season, so it would have been weird if he didn’t at least make an appearance.

I immediately thought of him as Sephiroth’s younger cousin when I first saw him on the poster and I still feel that way. Anyone related to Sephiroth, I will approve and instantly have affection for. For the MoShang shippers’ sake, I hope the Shang Qinghua they create for him will be just as pretty. I think I can now safely discard my guess from last time and also that moon-faced bearded ojisan others have guessed. We actually got a glimpse of the real deal in this sequence:

They strategically made him blurry so you can’t really make out his features, but what we still can tell from there is that he does not have facial hair (hence, he cannot be the ojisan) and the hair crown he’s wearing is silver and different from the twinky sect leader. So I guess we’ll be getting a fresh out of the microwave Airplane Bro instead of any of the no-name potential cannon fodder we’ve already seen. 

We’ll probably get the abyss opening up in maybe even the first episode of next season but that’ll still leave a lot of ground to be covered in just 10 episodes (rumored). There haven’t been any talk about a third season, but I really hope it’ll happen, even though it might take them a while to make it. I know it’s premature to even think of a third season when we haven’t even gotten an actual release date for the second, but I’m greedy because I already miss the donghua. This season was over so quickly, I’m already mourning the lack of new episodes. I hope we get the second season in the first quarter of next year and then by some miracle, a third or even fourth to properly finish out the story. I know we will never get the FULL story, but as long as they keep the spirit of BingQiu’s love and continue to hint at it like they’ve been doing this season, I will be more than satisfied. 

And while I’m wishful thinking for new seasons, I hope we also get a BingQiu duet and character songs. I love the opening and ending theme this season, if they want to save money I totally don’t mind if they just use the same OP/ED themes in the next season as well, but I hope they throw in a good BingQiu insert song and then release some individual character songs as well. I’m still not a fan of Binghe’s voice, but maybe they can have someone else do his vocals for the songs. SVSSS is the older son of MXTX’s works, I feel like it already got short-shrifted in terms of adaptation since it got the lesser budget compared to MDZS and TGCF. Hopefully with how popular the donghua is this season, it will be given a bigger budget next season so they can bring to life all the subsequent proceedings from the book properly. And whatever they’re paying Wu Lei-laoshi, SQQ’s voice actor, they should double it because that man is just amazing. I worship his voice and performance. I wish he would read the audiobook version of the the novel. I would listen to the hell out of that.  I have always loved SQQ, but if I’m going to be honest, I came into the show just a little more excited about seeing Bingge being brought to life. I still love Binghe of course, in all his phases, however, now,  because of Wu Lei-laoshi’s stellar voice performance (and of course SQQ’s beautiful looks), I’m leaving this season absolutely head over heels about SQQ/Shen Yuan. Also thanks to the show, I’m completely obsessed with Liu Qingge as well.  So for those two reasons, I will eternally be grateful to the donghua team.  

[masqueradeball]

How about number 3? Like, tell us all about it if you want :)

Oh my gosh 🥺 thank you so much for giving me my first ask! 💖 I'm eternally grateful I get to spill all my pheels out.

3. What is my favorite Phantom tv/film adaptation?

My absolute favorite Phantom is the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film. He just embodies everything that I like about Gaston Leroux's Erik for me and he is both horrifying and pitiable. I dislike the ending but I can live with it given it's what test audiences wanted at the time. I truly love his Red Death costume. You can find it on Youtube and the Tubi app for free.

My first runner up would be Claude Raines in the 1943 because his Erique so soft and tragic in that film I cannot help but love him. This was one was my grandma's favorite 'classic monster' movies that she loved, so I have a special place in my heart for this one. I love his hair and appreciate that he was one fine silver fox before the revenge and jealousy issues set in. The opera parts are a little boring, but the costumes and the sassy diva rival to Christine are worth the watch. We get 2 handsome Raouls who end up going to dinner together at the end of the movie and a Christine who gets to bask in the limelight of her career while not choosing any suitor, which is the best possible outcome for her. Double play for the win in my book! You can watch it for free on the Peacock app.

My next runner up is a 3 way tie between Robert Englund, Gerard Butler, and Charles Dance.

I honestly enjoy all their performances because they each bring something unique to the role.

I cannot stress enough how violent the Robert Englund version is if you want to give it a go, but Erik Destler is insane, twisted, and fabulously murdertastic in this. I love the creepy, evil vibes the man gives off. Think of this film as a time travel AU of the original novel. I feel like he nailed Leroux Erik's darker, snarky personality that some people tend to forget he had and the gothic horror parts of the original novel are there. Bonus: they keep the Faust parallels like in the novel!

I'm gonna say it: I love the Charles Dance miniseries. I know it's not the best, but damn, he is so dry and sarcastic I cannot help but enjoy his performance. I want to pinch his cheeks and smother Cherik with the love his father never gave him everytime I see him. Again, this one focuses on the operas a lot, and for me it's a bit boring. But the backgrounds, settings, and props in this thing are fantastic and the costumes are wonderful too.

That leaves Gerard Butler in the 2004 movie. No he is not the world's greatest singing Phantom, but I don't care. I absolutely love his facial expressions and body language. The Phantom is an emotional, expressive dude and the Red Death costume scene is pretty good. I love how kind and sincere Emmy feels in this film and I appreciate she's not overracting and doesn't feel fake compared to some other Christines *coughSierracough* Being the film version of the ALW musical, this Phantom story focuses on the romance and Gerard excels at that. When he and Christine are singing Past the Point of no Return, I FEEL THEIR PASSION! And that's what counts more so than hitting the same notes we've all heard a million times before.

Now for the versions in the 'I will eternally like this' category 😊 :

The Phantom of the Paradise from 1974. This is also a very violent and dark film so fair warning if you haven't seen it. It's a bizarre rock musical, but if you're weird like me and enjoy Rock & Rule or the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this might be a film you'd like too. I don't want to spoil it too much but the Faust/devil parallels are here too, as is various pop culture references. His teeth and mask are terrifyingly cool, and so is the electronic voice box he uses. It makes sense Daft Punk was inspired by this film. Maybe G1 Soundwave was inspired by this film too, but that's a debate for another day 😉

Next is the animated 1988 film. This one features animation on par with other 80s tv cartoons of the time. I love that they kept the Persian and the torture chamber from the novel. The Phantom's death scene is pretty damn epic. Christine is kind of a flake, but animated Leroux Erik is hilariously insane and terribly charming, especially when he calls himself a Don Juan. It's worth watching just for his antics and his dialouge.

You might not expect a Goosebumps episode to do a Phantom story any justice, but here we are: 1995, The Phantom of the Auditorium is a spooky fun take on the story and honestly, I'd like to see the full play the kids at that school are putting on cause it looks better than some of the live Phantom stage scenes I've seen. Both young boys playing the Phantom are fantastic actors and the plot twist at the end is great.

I absolutely have to give a shout out to Wishbone's Pantin at the Opera. He is the best, cutest, most adorable Raoul de Chagney ever and I will fight you if you dare talk smack about this version. I'm not even a Raoul stan by any means but like, this dog is precious and I enjoy this episode so much.

Also in the animated category and cute dog category is Scooby Doo Stage Fright made back in 2013. This movie is one of my fave Scooby Doo films (yes I own almost all of them on dvd) and there are multiple Phantoms, a reality tv show contest, and Fred and Daphne finally kiss each other! Lots and lots of hidden Phantom references in the background and lots of voice acting talent for those of us who appreciate that.

Now for the versions I intensely dislike 😏

The 1962 Herbert Lom version. UGH where to start. The sets are so small and everything looks dirty and of the wrong time period. The color in the film looks washed out. The clothes look too modern somehow (maybe it's their hairstyles?) and it bothers me. It feels low budget in a bad way and it shows. This phantom is not likeable or pitiable even though his backstory is similar to the Claude Raines version. He has no romantic interest in Christine, so it feels off. This guy is such an old a$$ piece of sh*t, he literally slaps Christine as she's singing for him for no damn reason. His paper mache mask looks like a Kindergartener's botched art class project. His personality is like somebody locked up cranky grandpa in the basement and he's PMS-ing because y'all forgot to give him his daily prune juice. This squatter's lair lacks creepiness, and his bizarre sidekick is annoying and yet somehow more interesting than the Phantom. The pervert manager trying to bang Christine aggravated me and simultaneously made me want to vomit. Raoul is the only likeable character in the whole damn movie. The Joan of Arc opera scene makes up for some of the film, but it's still terrible.

Next on my meh list is the 1983 made for tv movie starring Micheal York and Jane Seymour. Now, this one has some likeable and applaudable scenes: the various murders and general creepiness of the Phantom, and the lair scene when she wakes up in his bed and the Phantom gets all up in her face is so intense and so Leroux I absolutely love it. The rest of the film is a jumbled hot mess at best, but Jane Seymour is 🔥 and she gets some damn good sex, so hell yeah to that!

And lastly, I do not like the Royal Albert Hall 25th anniversary recording. I should preface this by saying it is Sierra I don't like. I like Ramin, I love Hadley, everyone else is wonderful but I cannot stand Sierra. She tries too hard to make Christine a Disney Princess- and that doesn't fly with me. It comes off as insincere or mocking the source material at best, and at worst it makes Christine look like an airheaded ditz. Apparently Sierra played Ariel at one point which is hilarious because of all the Disney princesses, I dislike her the most. But that's a different rant for another day.

And finally, the one I hate most of all:

The 1998 Argento film. This is the worst Phantom adaptation I've ever seen. It is a whole lotta nope for me. Between the rats, the unecessary and pointless telepathy, the r*pe scene, and the unfunny weird vibe from the murder going on in this film it's a disaster from start to finish. Honestly, it's the rats and his hair that bother me from a visual standpoint alone and it's beyond disgusting the way this a$$🤡 treats Christine. I don't like any of the characters in here and for good reason. It's not worth watching and if you do, be ready to bleach your brain afterwards.

💖 Sorry if this was a long read! Thanks again for giving me an ask and I will cherish it forver!!!! 💖

[thearkhound]

Kojima Cinema Vol. 5: Tykho Moon and Bande Dessinée

Greetings from Kojima Cinema, But We Missed Out On The Fifth Element

Coincidentally two new movies were released recently by French filmmakers who were inspired by French comic books, so I planned on covering both of them and write about French films and comics (Bande Dessinée), but unfortunately I wasn't unable to attend a screening for The Fifth Element, so I ended up covering only one movie in this issue.

Watching Tykho Moon From Parco Space 3

I saw Tykho Moon at the Parco Space 3 theater. The truth is that this place holds a bitter memory for me. Earlier this year I went to see Death Drive starring Kimika Yoshino and even though it was the last showing of its opening day, somehow I ended up being the only audience. In a theater designed to hold an audience of 200, it was just me! It was just like Cinema Paradiso! I couldn't relaxed thinking about the projectionist and how he was going through the trouble of showing the film just for me and became nervous. I didn't believe my luck when I ended up seeing Tykho Moon on that same theater. The popularity of Enki Bilal, director and writer of Tykho Moon, is alive and well even in Japan.

A Historical Sci-Fi That's Not Futuristic

Tykho Moon does not employ any trendy CGI and special effects (perhaps with the sole exception of the lunar surface scene at the end). It's a historical sci-fi closer to the likes of Alphaville by Jean-Luc Goddard, the Ultraseven episode "Nightmare of the Fourth Planet" by Akio Jissoji, The Element of Crime by Lars von Trier, and Solaris by Andrei Tarkovsky. More than just being a low-budget sci-fi film, it's an allegory that takes the form of sci-fi to highlight a certain theme. Perhaps it might be seen as a fresh breath of air to an audience that's fed up with sci-fi movies that over-rely on CGI and special effects.

A Movie That is Bilal-like, yet un-Bilal-like

Tykho Moon is a movie that very much like Bilal, but also unlike him. The rich colors that stands out inside a colorless ruins... The desolated city, the multilayer shadows, a world with a sense of helplessness, the quirky characters, the oppressed citizens, and so on... This is exactly what Bilal is as a French graphic novel author. On the other hand, I get the impression that the direction and camera work is quite different. The long takes and flow of utilizing pauses between scenes are additions to his unique style as a film director. You can see it as recording a movie as a different means.

Characters Straight From A BD

What surprised me about the actors in the movie was that they strongly resembled the characters from the original French graphic novel, to the point that it seems as if they came out directly from it. Perhaps Bilal, as a person who uses the faces of his actors as canvasses, or rather as part of the scenery or props, to express his own imagination, has full knowledge of people's faces. Johan Leysen and Marie Laforet in particular strongly resembled the original characters, that I was convinced that they were given special makeup!

My Encounter with Enki Bilal

Just like Moebius and his work on Alien, I first got to know about Enki Bilal through a movie. It was a B-movie I saw by chance when I was a student titled The Keep, directed by Michael Mann. I went to see another movie, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, and they were being shown together as a double feature. Bilal was responsible for designing the monster in The Keep. Afterward, I would encounter his name again Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Name of the Rose and it was only after I've joined the company that I started to read Bilal's own graphic novels.

About Bande Dessinée

Bande Dessinee, or BD for short, is the French term for comic books. The pricing, binding, user base and type of content are all very different from their American counterparts. Whereas American comics have a strong sense of characters, French BDs have a strong sense of storytelling and authorship. Dark and cynical at times, they have enough content to be appreciated by adults. They're not aimed at kids, but are the closest thing to art in terms of print entertainment. They're in a position similar that animation and gekiga [a dramatic sub-genre of manga] has in Japan.

Aiming for a BD in the Game industry

For one of the advertisements for Metal Gear Solid, we came up with the tagline "a 3DGC Bande Dessinee". It's not just because we love French graphic novels and we're trying to recreate their dark universes (not the light colors of something like Moebius, but a chaotic world with a more Eastern European depth) with emphasis on shading with Metal Gear Solid. There's another reason.

The Reason to Call It a 3D Bande Dessinée

In France, BDs are clearly a rank above the realm of comics in the status of entertainment (they're even referred to as the nth art or something like that) [Kojima is likely referring to BDs being the ninth art]. The same could be said about manga in Japan. Before the war, they were just four-panel strips and satires. It was none other than the great Osamu Tezuka, who evolved manga into a storytelling reading material. The story manga would evolve into its present form as the gekiga, with a more social aspect added by titles such as Kamui Den by Sampei Shirato. Manga has already become grown-up entertainment that has reached a cultural level. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for videogames.

From Playthings to BD

My hope is to elevate gaming into the next step of entertainment and not just be mere toys. Not tools to waste time, but digital interactive media. I aim for the sort-of game where its worldview, story, characters, themes and reality are not just there to have fun while forgetting the time, but also to use your moment of enjoyment to add feedback into your life in a positive way. That's the hope I packed into the tagline "3DCGBD".

Source

Game Hihyо̄ Vol. 17 (November 1997)

[lingering-nomad]

Just reposting some thoughts on Ast/arion's alignment from yesterday. This was originally a comment on another post. I thought this take would be encouraging for ppl worrying that they can’t trust fang boy. Apparently not.

So as a disclaimer, I get that this is an unpopular opinion. However, I do think there's enough in the source material to make it at least as plausible as any other alignment headcanon. There's also the fact that Ast/arion is a vampire spawn, which have neutral evil as their default alignment. Astarion doesn’t stray far from this default in my opinion, but I think there are enough clues in his behaviour to make a case for lawful over neutral.

If you think I’m an idiot who doesn’t understand D&D alignment, good for you I guess? Like everyone else, my headcanons are based on my own play-throughs and my own Tav’s approach. I’m not trying to account for every single person’s interpretation based on every single interaction Tav is capable of having. These are just my thoughts on one possible outcome, posted on my blog for my followers who might find this interesting. If you think it’s nonsense, I urge you to keep scrolling.

With that out of the way, here’s the post again:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Ast/arion is the only male LI in any game I have ever played who you can point-blank say no to, even when his need is genuine and urgent, and have him accept it without arguments or loss of approval. This is of course dependent on succeeding the first persuasion roll, which requires a 3, aka not super difficult. The second roll is like 12, which is harder to make, but still not super high. If you missed the rolls and he kills you, is that your canon or did you reload? In 100+ hours of gameplay, I have let him kill my Tav deliberately to see what would happen and then I reloaded. If he does kill you, he’s very regretful. I choose to take this as sincere, partly because Larian is investing a lot into breaking stereotypes and giving their non-good characters some depth while also giving the typical “heroes” some flaws. In short, it makes for a better story than “evil character is evil and cannot be trusted.”

Ast/arion does get upset if you don’t trust him after he believes he’s proven himself. My take is that this response it a result of his valuing loyalty.

Being disloyal/unreliable are chaotic traits.

Ast/arion was a magistrate. He's a noble and his dialogue shows that tradition and hierarchy matter to him, even if he's very keen to get away from Caz. Listen to what he says if you fail the dice rolls to save Arabella and she dies. I play a rogue. If you choose the total bastard option and say she deserved it, you lose approval with him and he replies with “I thought one rogue would have empathy for another, I suppose I was mistaken.” When he asks how much blood you can tolerate on your hands, you’ll lose approval if you say you’re in it for unbridled slaughter. We see over and over that trust matters to him through his approval gains. You wouldn’t have to roll 15 persuasion to get him to open up to you if it was all just a game to him. He is the only companion to tell you his secret first. He will kill ppl for lols, but he’s pretty adamant about not killing someone while feeding. He has several lines about not being “a monster” and he repeatedly expresses a desire to remain in control of himself.

In short, the man is out to save his own ass and will stab a few tieflings for lols if you let him. He doesn’t like helping ppl, BUT he definitely has a code that he sticks to even when it’s to his detriment. That makes him lawful evil in my book.

Loyalty/trustworthiness are lawful traits. It’s early access. A lot can change and I may well be wrong, but with what we have so far, I don’t think trusting Ast/arion is the worst bet you can make.

[kitreadsbirdmen]

Birdmen Finale Thoughts

A Reflection on the End

Birdmen checked a lot of boxes for me. The most superficial being wings and flying, concepts that I would imagine from the window of a speeding car or subway train. I can’t say I was attracted to the freedom of the idea, that frankly scared me silly. But it was fascinating enough, and it preoccupied this small part of my imagination from time to time with the pull of the absolutely inexplicable. What if… What if something happened? What if I were different or strange? How would everyone react? What would I do? How would I change or what would I do to fight that change?

These thought experiments often led me to self-indulgent stories with fantasitcal premises that would only halt the speculation and sweep their characters towards their own plots and narratives. They would only glance over to the vastly more interesting human fallout of the [insert truly miraculous phenomenon] for the sake of episodic drama or a comedic take. These would deep down be very disappointing to me because they failed to give weight to the mind-spinning concept of the supernatural. By brushing past it, the story would dismiss my biggest questions, the ones I felt a morbid curiosity to see explained vicariously. That’s probably why I was so hooked to Birdmen at first. 

Birdmen was and is... rather mundane if you think about it. Grounded, set in a recognizable reality, gave nuance to very human quirks and details of life and society. Kinda dull-ish, slightly charming, and depressing, with all the same desire for something more that we feel when we watch the clock tick away. And even the murmurs of the supernatural had this incredulous air. Something amusing and perhaps hard to dismiss nevertheless. And as our cast is thrust into this new spin on reality, it’s given weight and time. Growing pains full of stumbling youth shenanigans and strife. The Introductory Arc is some masterful execution of humanity as the line of a new species skirts more and more into a diverging reality. It’s here that a very different kind of strength is capitalized on. The limitless potential found within limitation itself.

The core concept and primary conflict of birdmen comes from the subtle utilization of a grounded scientific and philosophical school of thought. This limits the entire narrative to concepts inspired not by the dramatic needs or visual aesthetic, but by the imagination of existing science itself. While a lot of things can boast this particular source, I think Birdmen is very conservative with where it could go. The most outlandish things are noted but not abused. Nothing is absurd no matter the demand. It’s the reason why I found the lore behind the growing science and discovery of the Seraph abilities to be immersive. It’s why I could create a million 1st ability ideas, headcanons, and theories (some of which would actually get confirmed) in one sitting. The source material existed within limits and therefore opened the door to boundless potential. 

To put it in a word, it’s realistic.

Realistic characters, events, ‘villains’, powers, relationships, conflicts… the list goes on. When we pick up a story we suspend our disbelief to welcome the basic empathy and logic to engage us through the world. But I felt a strange relationship with that process on so many levels for Birdmen. It’s why talking about it in-depth is such a hard to explain feeling. When fictional characters have all the nuance and depth as a real person. When wide-scale event scenarios start reflecting the common trends of the current mediascape. When manga-panels start echoing peer-reviewed articles… It becomes hard to see the need to suspend disbelief. At least not in the same way. It makes things seem so much more possible. Everything feels so much more personal.

The current pandemic has helped in this process of course. My life has been turned upside down and I often find myself asking ‘dude is this (still) happening???’. It makes a lot of stories and speculative fiction narratives seem a lot closer. But then the final arc of Birdmen introduces its own pandemic SEVERAL months before covid-19 is first spotted and we see a roll-out of cultural fallout that is eerily familiar. WHO press conferences following the resignation of Eden’s director. Forgetting your mask as you leave to greet your son’s arrival home. Teachers taking a sick day for themselves or perhaps out of caution (if only that worked state side lol). Misinformation and tension across social media. Unrest and riots in the street. (that image of Robin’s flock watching the riot from a distance got me big time. Mostly because I was thinking about the Capitol riots at the time). I think I just needed a chapter devoted to a successful and seamless vaccine distribution to set my resonating heart at ease.

...I’m not kidding there actually. We can’t just assume it went off without a hitch Tanabe. Can I get some wish-fulfillment here??

That actually brings me to a big takeaway as I read the final chapters. In my initial reflection, (and entire year ago) I talk about how I was certain Birdmen was prematurely cut short. And while there is probably a world Takayama could witness in his multiverse seeing eyes, where Birdmen runs for several more volumes and the playout of years of arcs goes much longer, I ultimately want to rescind that thought. 

I don’t think the ending was rushed. I don’t think Tanabe was racing against a clock to wrap things up. I don’t think she was dropping million plot threads into the void out of necessity. It is very clear at every point toward the end that Tanabe knew exactly where she was going and was taking a straight shot to that destination at every point. 

Yes, there are some characters that did not get a long enough time in the spotlight. Yes, there is a boundless potential to explore with many characters and concepts. Yes, there is an element of fallout that was left unaddressed. But this doesn’t make it unfinished or unsatisfying. The mundane, realistic nature of the narrative, allows this lack of tangible book-ends. It has uncertainty. The resolutions are not perfect. Not every person in your life is going to shine in the same way (no matter how much you like them). Their purpose in the narrative may seem small but has ripples of effects on the characters and chemistry of the collective. This is not wasted. I knew this wasn’t rushed because the primary themes of these characters came through and they were given all the space and time and panels they needed to tell that story. I noted this most when Robin was having that discussion with Agent Leo about her address to the media at the White House. The back and forth and revelations of Robin’s entire arc were expressed in this one conversation and it lasted several pages. This is the final volume of the story and this nuance is getting the full dry clean treatment. How can I claim that this was rushed? If I had to claim any ill intent I might say we would have gotten a few more chapters of proper fallout, but that would only be for the sake of neatness. But as I mentioned there is something grounded about taking that away and leaving that to the imagination. 

And thus, I’m left feeling incredibly satisfied. So impossibly satisfied. Birdmen has become something so integral to my life and I feel changed having known and loved it. To see it take a bow as gracefully and profoundly as it did fills me with a personal satisfaction I cannot put into words. This is and will forever be, one of the finest stories I will ever read. 

There is a part of me refreshed. Inspired by the daring embrace of reality. Charmed by the beautiful characters. Intrigued by the possibilities still to be discussed. I am almost left a little overwhelmed with how much I want to do as a response, both for the sake and honor of Birdmen and for my own personal motivations. It’s a kind of weightlessness, burdened by crippling fear. 

It’s a lot like flying really. 

[spiritintheteapot]

Yuletide Letter 2021

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you for offering a story in one of these rare, excellent, wlw-centered fandoms!

I nominated the first three fandoms listed below for their shared characteristics of thoughtfully complex writing and explicit and tasteful sex. Of course, simple and chaste stories within these worlds can be nice as well!

Some things I like (Gen):

Self-sufficiency and logistical planning. A character having a problem and taking initiative to solve it.

Stories that examine small, overlooked aspects of a world or a character. I like reading about strange ideas that don’t necessarily have top-selling tropes.

The mortifying ordeal of having to be in community (work, family, or elsewhere) with someone you just can’t stand. Petty drama and gossip!

Women chafing against the confines of their lives, and discovering healing friendships within and across gender lines, with people who also want women to be free.

Some things I like (shippy):

Established relationships, and the interpersonal dynamics that take time to arise between partners.

Partners supporting each other against outside conflicts.

Sex where partners switch between giving and receiving roles.

Sex with external vibrator use.

Verbal instructions during sex.

Stories that subvert stereotypes of butch women being dominant/aggressive/selfless in bed. (Bonus points when a butch woman puts on feminine clothing or underwear for an erotic context, when she won’t wear it for other occasions)

Global DNW:

Any maturity level is A-okay for f/f ships.

DNW: content rated above G for other ships (e.g. m/f, m/m, poly ships)

DNW: sex scenes that feature anything phallic (e.g. a dildo), or any anal contact

DNW: non-con

DNW: significant torture, gore, body horror; I prefer you keep the story at a lighter level than the source material

DNW: stories that don’t match a character’s canonical gender

On to the requests!

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo 

I nominated this book for its beautiful depiction of first love and erotic awakening, the loneliness of being multiply marginalized, and the power of collecting images and stories that reflect your queerness back at you in some way.

I’d find a post-canon story interesting--do Lily and Kath stay in love? Will they have a chance to build a home together like Tommy and Lana? Where are they when Kath gets her pilot’s license? Where are they during the moon landing? If they remain a couple, does Kath actually grow up to be butch, and does Lily like the femme role or is it uncomfortable for her? Does Lily try out a nonconforming gender expression of her own?

Elemental Logic - Laurie J. Marks 

I nominated this series because it is criminally underrated, while being among the best queer fiction in print. I can’t say enough about the delicacy and originality of the magic system. I love the complexity of our heroines, and the practical, steadfast way they work for a long-awaited peace. I finished Air Logic the week before signups and I cannot stop thinking about Shaftal.

I’d like a story about Zanja and Karis helping each other with a difficult problem, which could be set any time after the end of Fire Logic. I didn’t request any other characters, but I also nominated Clement and Seth--if you have read Earth Logic and like them as much as I do, you are welcome to give them large supporting roles. I’m also happy to see Zanja and Karis’s whole family in small supporting roles. Maybe Zanja must represent the interests of some Border People to Shaftal, but their needs are very different from the Ashawala’i? Maybe Karis must resolve the situation with the Basdown cow dogs? Maybe a natural disaster strikes somewhere?

A fic I loved from this fandom

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon 

I nominated this book for its beautiful writing and empowered women. Ead’s outlook on life is just so good!

Suggested prompts: During their time apart, what do Ead and Sabran write to each other about? Leading up to the final battle, how does Ead approach training Tané, who is presumably her first student of magic? (Does Sabran help her plan lessons?) When Ead comes home to take up the mantle of Prioress, how is she received? (Does she need Sabran to comfort her when someone doesn’t accept her authority?)

A fic I loved from this fandom

This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone 

Suggested prompts: post-canon adventures, either together or writing to one another again. Do they have to go undercover in a place they hate? Do they get unexpectedly attached to something in a thread of time that they have to prune? Does anyone cross paths with an earlier version of herself?

A fic I loved from this fandom

Alice Isn't Dead (Podcast) 

Because this story is so tight and well-crafted, I see the most opportunity for interesting fic in Canon Divergence and Alternate Universes. For example: What if Keisha had given up the chase not by going home but by leaving the continent? (Could Thistle follow her across an ocean?) What if this story was set earlier in American history? Or a maritime journey instead of a land-based one?

However, if you’d like to remain canon-compliant, I’d also enjoy an exploration of what Keisha and Alice’s sex life is like during their reunion and forgiveness arc.

Saving Face (2004) 

Suggested prompts: Where do Wil and Vivian go on their first vacation together? Do Wil and Vivian ever get married, and if so do they wait until same sex marriage is legal in New York (2011) or do they go out of state? Do they ever have to babysit Wil’s tiny brother, and what is that like?

---

If you’d like to get a sense of my own writing style, my ao3 is here.

Thanks again for writing, I hope you have a great time doing it!

--spirit