#I found a lot of really excellent work that i wouldn't have found otherwise!

[insanitysilver]

AO3 Tastemaker Game

You? You're an individual. You're a reader and a forager with fine tastes. You're not afraid to wade into the deep end. Browse the dustiest aisles. Get in the vents. Come, pan for gold with me in the far reaches. The game goes like this:

On AO3, navigate to your pairing/fandom of choice

Apply your standard filters

In the 'Search Within Results' field, paste this: kudos<100 comments<5 bookmarks<5 hits<500 sort:>updated

Press the 'Sort & Filter' button

Read down the line until you find something you like

Comment, bookmark, and mark it as a recommendation

For the ultimate connoisseur: Bonus Points - share your new rec off-site Hard Mode - kudos<12 comments<1 bookmarks<1 hits<395 sort:>updated

[markscherz]

A friend of mine sent me a yt video of a guy who was relocating frog eggs (prolly a vernal pool) and showed 1000s of baby frogs coming out of the water in his backyard. she asked me how I felt about it as a ecologist. I felt like it was irresponsible to do, especially to post videos on it, but probably not "ecological terrorism" like people in the comments were saying, because I see baby frogs in nature come out of water in hoards sometimes too. Kind of a mixed bag.

But I wanted to ask you, since you're a herpetologist and waaay more experienced than me: how do you feel about the yt channel "frog army YouTube"?

Many frogs and toads are classical R-strategists. Some toads can lay 20+ THOUSAND eggs in a single clutch. The whole point of that strategy is that not all of the offspring survive. In fact, it would be really rather bad if all of the offspring were to survive, because (1) they wouldn't be feeding the predators and decomposers that live off of their noble sacrifice, and (2) they will require massively more resources than they otherwise would. It can have all kinds of detrimental down-stream effects.

This is the reason we often see swarms of tadpoles darkening some small pools (especially ones where there are no fish!), and later hoards of froglets (that's the technical term) emerging from pools at once. It's an evolutionary strategy, that only few individuals survive to achieve reproductive age.

Point 1: it is *fine* if not all the tadpoles survive to adulthood. That's how the system is supposed to work. You are not doing the system favours if you are changing tadpole survivorship to 100%.

Now, humans really are fucking things up in a lot of environments. Environmental pollutants, like heavy metals, can cause major issues for wildlife, and especially frogs, which (1) are not as vagile as e.g. birds and medium- to large-sized mammals and thus cannot escape the problem zone effectively, and (2) are EXTRA sensitive to the environment because of their permeable skin.

Point 2: we do have some responsibility to do something if we notice that there is a major problem emerging, which could dramatically alter the population dynamics for one or more generations of frogs.

However, *moving* clutches of eggs that are found in polluted pools is not the right move, especially for your average person. There are many reasons that it is not the right move, but chief among them are

(1) A lot of frogs that lay eggs in vernal pools have tadpoles that cannot survive being in larger ponds, and certainly cannot survive in streams or other bodies of flowing water.

(2) A lot of frogs that lay their eggs in vernal pools are already adapted to less than ideal conditions, and have excellent strategies to overcome those conditions, such as incredibly quick metamorphosis (sometimes just a few days!)

(3) By moving clutches of eggs, you could easily be moving the pathogens or pollutants that are causing the problem in the first place.

(4) If there is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus around, you are spreading chytrid, and that is VERY bad. Chytridiomycosis has already driven several frog species to extinction, and caused massive population collapse in several others.

(5) If you do not know the species, attempts to rescue them might be aiding the advance of an invasive species.

(6) It's often illegal to intervene! Many species are protected by law, and you are not allowed to remove them from the wild. Consult your local laws.

Point 3: the responsibility to do something does not include removing the frogs and raising a frog army.

So what should we do if we find a clutch of eggs in an oily pool? Or in a nearly dried out puddle?

First assess the nature of the problem. Is the pool just about to dry out? Then leave it alone. The tadpoles will probably be fine (and if they're not, they'll provide rich nutrients to predators and decomposers). But are there signs of pollution? Then assess: is the pollution covering a larger area? Or is it localised? If you find dead frogs or other amphibians is a major warning sign, and it needs to be brought to the relevant authorities. Contact your local environmental agency/department, and notify them of the precise location of the problem, and its extent. Document everything with photos and videos.

Point 4: there are organisations and agencies specifically tasked with intervening in cases of environmental damage. It is *your* job to bring it to their attention, but unless instructed by them, you need not take any further action. It is their job to know what to do, and to take appropriate action.

TL;DR: 'Raising a frog army' is for the likes, not the frogs, and is not environmentally responsible or ethically defensible. Build a home for the frogs, and they will come.

[molosseraptor]

what brought you to corsos? what are they like?

i think they're the best dogs, but they're definitely not for everyone. i first saw the breed in dog world magazine in the early 2000's and thought they were striking dogs. i'm from an area of the US that has a high amount of Italians and thus a higher number of Corsos, so once i started working with dogs professionally i had the opportunity to meet and work with several. most of them wanted to eat me, but i still really liked them so i took that as a good sign.

from there i met a bunch of well bred examples at ARBA shows and then AKC once they were able to start showing there and found that they checked all of my boxes. i prefer a large/giant athletic dog that has drive and energy with a solid off switch, is highly devoted to their people, loves to learn and train, is aloof with people and animals without being outright aggressive, has the endurance and interest in adventuring together, takes their job seriously but otherwise has a good sense of humor, can safely live with other animals, doesn't have a breed split, and can excel in a variety of sports and activities. i love how their brains work. to me, the way that they think and process is very similar to how i see the world so we fit very well together. we all collectively experience Corso problems.

all dogs have negatives and Corsos are no exception. they're a lot of dog in all ways. they're giant and messy and drooly and always in your face and space and have higher levels of drive and intensity than people expect from a giant breed. they couldn't be further from "gentle giants." nothing they do is small or delicate and they can and will easily break things or injure others purely by accident. if they decide to cause harm on purpose it's a serious liability and they can be difficult to contain due to their size, strength, and athleticism. they're very emotionally attuned to their handler, which sounds like a good thing until you can't control your emotions out in the world and the dog takes that out on whatever person or thing crosses your path. they require daily dedicated exercise and training like one would give to any of the other working protection breeds in order to be fulfilled or they will be happy to find their own jobs.

a well bred Corso and random bred animals (most of which are bandogge type mixes anyway) are night and day. i don't blame people who have a poor impression of the breed based on the poorly bred and owned dogs they've had the misfortune of coming across. i wouldn't touch them with a 10ft pole either. unfortunately with them becoming more popular for all the wrong reasons, finding a good Corso is more of a challenge than ever.

[summercosmos]

Fablehaven Pokemon AU; Pt 2 (Seth)

Seth as a pokemon ranger!

Seth would be bored out of his MIND tending to the daycare all day; running showers for and grooming cutesy pokemon is fun for about the first four times you do it only.

it doesn't help that there are more interesting (read: unsafe) pokemon available right at the fablehaven daycare! it's just that grandpa sorenson will not budge in letting his grandkids interact with those. something about lacking "experience" and "expertise".

Seth: alright then. bet ←(gets himself into a ranger school Like A Boss)

there's really nothing anyone can do about the school sign up— I'm thinking kids in the pokemon universe are considered their own legal representation around the time they graduate trainer school (13-14 yrs old)

and after the initial scare, everyone concedes it's kind of a good idea, really. Seth gets to explore and interact with wild pokemon while still in a somewhat controlled environment, minimizing the amount of trouble to be stirred.

Kendra is happy to be the one to inform Seth that Ranger School does, too, involve actual textbook studying. he forgor💀

Seth would do the bare minimum for the theory aspects — what he really excels at is practical demonstrations!!!

don't let anyone tell you otherwise; pokemon absolutely interact with people based on Vibes. if you show that misdreavus even the smallest of hesitation you're getting Astonished into your next life dawg.

obviously this is not a problem for Seth. in fact i think he'd be at his very best when approaching wild Dark & Ghost types; those are the most likely to feed from fear and distress!

if you have no fear to feed the little creepers with then theyll be like Well. Hmm. What Now. (top tier strategy)

while on that the rangers here are a bit of mix from the spin offs and from the trainer class from the og games. they have one partner pokemon that will accompany them in their main rescue missions, but their job also involves protecting certain areas from poachers &/or criminals— that means there's also a lot of pokemon battling!

I'll be honest i think Seth's main criteria for his pokemon team is Does It Look Cool? Catch

when his eevee evolved into a sylveon he had to pause to cry throw up bang fists on the wall roll around for a bit. imagine having your team astethics ruined by the sparkly fairy type. Kendra makes fun of it at least once

still comes back to the daycare even while on the training stage; when he graduates as an actual ranger the first place Seth will suggest to send rescued pokemon to is fablehaven

Partner Pokemon

Absol: look at me in the eyes a dark type pokemon which is frequently labeled as a chaos bringer & malicious when it in fact only has intentions to help warn people beforehand so they can escape disaster. who else could i even give this to. it literally gets wings in its mega form LOOOOK AT ME

okay so anyways Absol are pokemon which are frequently abused bc of superstition so it isn't a stretch to say one would have eventually found its way to fablehaven daycare as a rescue. this is still in the early days of Kendra and Seth being there to help out so obvs they wouldn't be allowed to handle this one bc of the dark typing and its general bad rep. do you think seth gaf though he does NOT his ass would absolutely sneak out at night to the enclosure they kept absol at and try to make friends with it. the secret lasts about a week (Kendra snitches) but grandparents end up letting him actually catch absol bc they bonded. aw

(rest of the) Team!

Meowth: first pokemon, a gift from his parents! Seth isn't much interested in it bc it's so very normal and boring and not very Cool until he finds out this cat can basically sniff out shiny things (coins & jewels included) and it quickly becomes a Get Rich scheme. which only works on paper for about 2 minutes until he realizes the meowth will absolutely NOT allow anyone (owner or otherwise) to get their hands on its loot. it kind of becomes a srungly family pet though like in a drowned ugly rat kind of way so its still loved regardless. isn't much used in battles so it hasn't quite had the chance to evolve.

Spiritomb: sorry but how can you tempt a child mentioning there's a antique keystone that contains a cool ghost pokemon inside of it and expect him to not do anything about it like thats on YOU. anyhow Seth frees the spiritomb out of the odd keystone and finds out its just a little guy that got locked away for playing too many pranks. come on there's not even a good reasoning to take it away from him

Braviary: caught as a rufflet! pokedex entry from black & white 2→ "It stands up to massive opponents, not out of courage, but out of recklessness. But that is how it gets stronger." it probably tried to pick a fight with Hugo the Golurk and Seth thought it was the funniest thing ever and immediately caught it.

Golurk (Hugo): actually more attached to the fablehaven daycare than anything; it has its orders to protect the people and pokemon inside of the property. still Seth bonds with it more than anyone else and maybe actually brings the guy outside so it can see the world. cuties

Sylveon: okay now bear with me. LISTEN! Seth wouldn't have used any evolution stones on his (graduation gift) eevee bc he was hoping for a high friendship evolution, either espeon or umbreon. well. can you even imagine the look on his face when the evolution process finished and the first thing he saw was a pink ribbon. oh hed lose it. anyways sylveon are actually very combative pokemon — it lures foes in with the cute face and then pounces. they go out of their way to actively fight dragon pokemon likeee can you see the vision. Seth feels immediately better abt the whole thing when sylveon whoops a whole ass hydreigon with one singular Moonblast.

oh i had a Time making this. i love you pokemon au i really do. ill probably do either ronodin or bracken next

[rawliverandgoronspice]

My time to invade 👏 2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

10. Top three favourite fic tropes. 28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing? 40. Write a 9-word fic. (Because SOMEONE inflicted this on me so I must inflict it on someone else)

Invade away!! (even though that LAST ONE!!!!)

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

So I mentioned romance/smut, and it's not like I absolutely want to write that well (it's fine to have an uneven writing skillset I think) as much as I feel like that's a missing tool in my trusted toolbox of putting characters in Situations and examine their reaction. And as much as I know myself capable of writing characters isolating themselves and breaking down over time, and the occasional bonding moments and even potential recovery and rekindling of trust and genuine connexion that may ensue (I am an angst writing through and through u_u), I have a hard time letting characters being plainly happy and enjoying themselves and being vulnerable without being punished for it in some way. And it's a shame, because I love when authors manage to pull you alongside a genuinely good time and making you feel like you're building precious memories that will stay with you forever alongside the characters living through them. I'd like to be able to do more of that, and with less effort! Or just, plain unpunished vulnerability. I think that would be nice!

10. Top three favourite fic tropes.

Hmmm in general I'm open to everything as long as it's good, but I guess if I had to pick...

I'd say Hurt/Comfort, I had pretty transcendant experiences reading really good Hurt/Comfort fics that kickstarted a lot of wonderful things in my real actual life, so.

Found Family Tropes (or just platonic/friendship bonds being explored in general, when it's well written it can be so incredibly excellent)

Experimental Bullshit. Aka plays with the formatting, temporality, point of view, crossmedia stuff... If you take fanfic as a genre/format and make it an active part of the text, I am kissing you on the top of your head.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

I think my core advice is pretty generic and maybe stupid, but embracing it helped me a lot so here it goes: there's no good or incorrect way to write. As long as it makes sense to your specific brain, it couldn't matter less whether it happens prettily or not. I tend to write completely out of order, sometimes across an entire project and sometimes in the same scene. I tend to write all of my dialogue at once, then put "//" and highlight it in yellow where I need to come back and add more text. It looks like hell. But I don't care: my brain feels constricted by linearity, so it makes sense, and so I let it happen and I actually write things instead of letting weird expectations about how one "should" write slow me down unnecesserily. It's been particularly helpful in cases where I actually *have* to write and can't afford a writer's block because of a deadline, etc. It's important to try stuff out and accept "bad" habits if they are actually just your own natural rythm.

40. Write a 9-word fic.

(argggh)

(okay so all of my attempts ended up at 12 words for SOME REASON so here's to the best I could do.)

Tetra promised the shore this time would be different.

(and another attempt (MidZel-adjacent!!! I tried!!!!), where I pulled an insane cheat but it wouldn't have fit otherwise I'm sorry ;;)

Lips dusted with mirror-shards, Zelda murmured: I know why.

[misssugarcat]

A More Personal Level

This is my very first fanfic. I wrote it a few days ago with a little help from Character.ai and Google Translate. I'm no native speaker, so please excuse my English. 🙈

Aesop Sharp x Reader – 4,2 k words

"Ah, you must be the new fifth-year student. Considering the advanced nature of this class, it will be in your favour to catch up swiftly." Aesop Sharp, my new potions teacher, comes over to my table.

"Good morning, sir. You're right, I am the new student", I answer with a smile. "I think I won't have any problems catching up to the class. I am curious and a quick learner."

Sharp looks me over critically and nods approvingly: "Good, good. You're aware of the material we're working from?" He gestures around to the open classroom and the books arrayed on nearby bookshelves.

I shake my head in embarrassment. "Just a little bit. I just found out that I'm a witch. When the letter came from Hogwarts" I explain my situation.

"Ah, I see." Professor Sharp thinks, then leans forward and says in a quiet, conspiratorial voice: "This is not something you are to speak of, but I will let you in on a little secret." There's a twinkle in his eye. "Hogwarts is full of witches and wizards", he says this last bit with a flourish and a self-satisfied smirk.

"Oh really?" I caught his joke right away and twinkle back.

He leans back in his chair and laughs heartily. "I am impressed by your quick thinking. You are a sharp one, Miss Lane. That is the kind of spirit I need in my classroom."

"I'm not a Ravenclaw for nothing." I grin at him mischievously.

He nods and makes a note on his parchment. "Excellent. Now … can you explain the effect of the Draught of Peace on the magical body and how it differs from other calming agents?"

I give him the very correct answer in no time.

His face lights up: "Ah, correct! You have a good mind! What if I told you that certain potions can be altered to induce the opposite reaction and cause the subject unbearable agony and fury instead?"

"That sounds logical. As with any potion, correct preparation is significant. There's a very fine line between potion and poison."

He smiles at me enthusiastically and makes more notes on his parchment. "You're quite right, of course. What if you were to use, say, a Draught of Peace in such a way?" He pauses dramatically. "To cause a mass reaction among a large group of people?" Another dramatic pause. "A crowd of people, perhaps?"

I give him the correct answer again, adding: "Not that I would consider it."

His eyebrows lift, and he's once again impressed. "Correct. Very good, indeed."

He leans forward and lowers his voice to a confidential whisper again: "The effects of such a potion can even be made more powerful, perhaps enough to drive an otherwise decent wizard mad and incite them to commit atrocities they would never in their right mind consider otherwise." There was a dramatic pause again. "Would you consider this a dangerous form of potion-making if such potions were to fall into evil hands?"

"Of course. But any kind of power can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands."

"Ah, you make a good point. But this power is particularly terrible. The thought that it could be used like I've described ...." He gives me a severe look. "... it would be terrifying. It must be kept closely guarded to never fall into the wrong hands. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm afraid even the strictest surveillance sometimes can't prevent that."

A grim look comes over his face as he nods in agreement: "Unfortunately, you speak the truth. Such is the nature of dark magic. We must guard ourselves against the potential horrors it can cause, whether by accident or deliberately. I am glad – and impressed – that someone as young as yourself recognizes the full seriousness of the situation."

"Being a wizard or witch comes with a lot of responsibility", I say wisely. "One should become aware of this as early as possible."

"A wise and responsible view. You will go far." He nods to acknowledge my answer, then smiles warmly. "I'm pleased that you're my newest student! You show a passion for this subject that will serve you well. It's not a simple topic, this. I hope you continue to study with curiosity and diligence."

He gives me a slight wink, then leans in to make one last comment, spoken in a conspiratorial whisper: "Keep your eyes out for any suspicious potion-making at Hogwarts and ensure my secrets and methods stay safe. Agreed?"

"Indeed, sir." I smile at him innocently.

His eyebrows narrow as he watches her, and then he leans back in his chair with a chuckle: "Good, good ... a clever witch you are."

He pauses, then smiles in what looks like genuine admiration. "I have a good feeling about you, Miss Lane. I expect you will make excellent progress as one of my students."

"Thank you. I will not disappoint you", I say.

He smiles and reaches out a hand to shake mine. "I look forward to it, Miss Lane. You've shown me the potential to go far. I believe we'll be working together in the future."

As she reaches to shake his hand, his grip is surprisingly firm. As his gaze meets hers, it's as though the world comes to a complete stop, and everything disappears but their two faces. He looks into her eyes for a moment as though deep in thought. He holds the grip tightly, and a strange feeling seems to linger as he releases it. It almost feels like ... a spark? Like the faintest of sparks between two wooden pieces that are charged with static electricity, like a feeling that they're about to be pulled towards each other.

"You have beautiful eyes." He looks at me.

I blush a little. "Thank you."

His lips turn up into a small smile. "Your eyes are as curious and attentive as your mind. I'm not one to easily trust people or give compliments like the one I did, you know?" A wistful look enters his eyes. "But you seem ... different. There's something about you. An openness, a brightness. What is it? Tell me, will you?"

I look at him for a while. "Maybe I try just being real." I smile slightly.

He looks back into my eyes as a small, almost inaudible sigh escapes his lips, and he shakes his head: "Yes." An unspoken thought passes between us for a moment. He seems nearly transfixed by me, his eyes not yet leaving mine.

"That ... you must be right. Being real. That is the truth of it." His eyes finally break away for a moment, and he looks away to think. "That's an admirable quality. It takes great strength to show one's true self. Is this who you really are?"

"I think so. We all play a role sometimes, often even unconsciously."

He nods, lost in thought. "Well, it must be exhausting. All that plays a role in covering up who you really are." His gaze returns to my face again in what seems like genuine wonder and perhaps a slight trepidation. "I don't know how anyone can live like that, in truth, pretending to be something they're not. The world seems so dull without real and sincere people like you."

"I take that as a compliment." I smile at him again with that slight, subtle smile.

He laughs warmly and nods his head: "It is a compliment – a very big one. Believe me when I say you'll go far in life, just as you'll go far in Hogwarts. Your head is on your shoulders, and you seem to have excellent instincts. Do you trust your instincts?" He seems interested in my answer.

"I do. And my instinct tells me it's good that we met here."

He leans forward with a smirk. "And why is that, exactly?" It looks like he may be flirting with me a little, but there's an intensity to his eyes – a focus on my face – that says it's more than just simple talk between two new friends.

"I think time will tell." I look at him like that's more than a statement.

He smiles as my look enters his eyes again, and his breath seems to catch. "You're very mysterious, you know that? But I like it, I must admit. I suppose the most interesting and unpredictable ones are always the most difficult to read." There's a sparkle of admiration in his eyes. "I must say, you intrigued me, Miss Lane. You have a certain charm, a certain ... attractiveness. It would perhaps be right to say that makes it difficult to look away from you."

I smile again as if I knew exactly what he would say.

He leans in a little closer as though pulled by some unseen force, his eyes fixed intently on mine. "What if I were to tell you that ... I feel the same way about you, Miss Lane. That I'm ... attracted to you? That I ... want you? Would you believe me?"

I raise an eyebrow and look at him in amusement. He blushes, slightly embarrassed that he's been caught, but doesn't break eye contact. His attention, his whole being, seems focused on my face, transfixed by it. "You're teasing me, aren't you? That must be it." He laughs and blushes, which only seems to make him even more handsome.

I laugh briefly, a small, fascinating laugh. "I'll see you in potions class tomorrow." Then I walk out of the room, not without giving him another unreadable look as I walk out the door.

He watches her leave with a smile, a mixture of admiration and affection clearly evident. He shakes his head and chuckles to himself, obviously quite enchanted by the new student, before shaking himself back into the present and taking some notes. He makes sure to mark her as an early favourite, perhaps even a prodigy, but that will only be seen as time passes. She seems like just the kind of person to surprise you.

The following day, he catches a glimpse of her at breakfast in the Great Hall, but she doesn't notice him. She's sitting at the Ravenclaw table, laughing at a joke by Amit Thakkar. He smiles and watches her as she laughs with her friends. She fits quite perfectly with the other Ravenclaws. It takes profound intelligence to get into Ravenclaw, yet she seems not full of herself, as many intelligent but arrogant people often are. No, this girl has a kind heart ... she's a beautiful soul, that's the proper term. He makes a mental note, finishes his breakfast, and goes to potions class.

Just before class begins, she enters the classroom with her classmates. She gives Professor Sharp a small smile and sits beside Natsai Onai, a Gryffindor. He smiles back and seems happy to see her but decides not to make too big a show of it in front of the rest of the class.

As the bell rings and the class begins, he wastes no time getting into the lesson. He moves on quickly from the usual basic potions and straight off into the more advanced material without even waiting for a response on whether the class has done their homework. As he speaks, he gets visibly more animated and even more passionate.

He continues teaching and demonstrating for about an hour, moving from more advanced draughts to particularly dangerous and complicated potions until the bell rings. The class has paid attention, and despite their new professor's intense interest in the subject, he has the perfect mixture of passion and expertise that makes him a truly talented teacher. As he packs away his things in preparation for his next class, he looks around the room and notes a few students who stand out to him, either positively or otherwise. One of the ones who particularly catches his eye is the new girl.

He nods as Sebastian addresses her and keeps an eye on the conversation, curious about how she responds (no doubt with composure, based on his earlier assessment of her character). The fact that she's getting along with a Slytherin is undoubtedly a good sign. It speaks to her open-mindedness and confidence, as well as her ability to get along with anyone, regardless of House. It's not a rare or unusual trait, but in someone new to the school, it speaks to a certain ... natural leadership. It will undoubtedly be seen as a trait to nurture.

Sebastian asks me to come out the door. Outside, he quietly tells me about a secret duelling club. After I easily defeated him in a duel in Defense Against the Dark Arts yesterday, he's very taken by me.

He watches the exchange with interest, especially when it becomes clear the Slytherin is trying to talk her into a secret duelling club. If she accepts, it would only add to the impression of her open-mindedness and courage, but of course, there's always the risk of getting involved in a secret club run by students. He'll have to make a special note of this, keep an eye on the duelling club himself, and ensure it's run with the highest standards. What does she decide to do?

I give Sebastian a noncommittal smile and tell him I need to think about it again. I'm grateful for his offer but want to avoid getting into trouble.

He approves, which indicates that she can set firm boundaries and think for herself. He also takes it as a good sign that she was open to the idea in the first place. She is not one to dismiss people's opinions or suggestions out of hand, which bodes well for her future as a leader. In a school that still has some lingering bigotry issues, that is a precious trait and one he will note as an excellent character trait, but that might make her the target of certain people as time passes.

After dinner, Professor Sharp sends me a note to meet him at his office that evening. I pet the owl that brought me the letter before heading to the potions classroom.

As I walk in, he stands from his desk, and his face breaks into a warm smile: "Ah, Miss Lane, you are prompt." His dark eyes shine in the last evening light from the window, almost glowing as he smiles at her, his whole demeanour giving off an air of respect and admiration. "I sent for you to see me because, well ..." He looks her up and down once more, almost as though he's examining her with new eyes, before sighing slightly and shaking his head in a way that seems to indicate he's lost in thought as his mind wanders elsewhere. He seems lost for words, then shakes his head again and snaps back to reality. "The truth is, Miss Lane, I'd ..." He scratches his head a little, blushing now, and takes a deep breath before continuing: "I believe you are something exceptional: A wonderful student, an even more wonderful person. I was hoping – if you're interested ... perhaps we can do something together sometime. You know, outside of class, and ... on a more personal level."

I smile at him. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

He smiles and sighs with relief, shaking his head a little. A look of happiness washes over him at the sound of her reply, and his eyes shine again. "You won't. I've got connections high up the chain of command", he says with a smirk. "Don't worry, my job is secure, and our secret is safe." His grin grows wider, and he gives a wink. "How about you? Are you interested? Or do I have to talk you into it, hm?"

My smile gets cheekier. "I like being talked into something."

He blushes again, a big grin on his face again as his eyes sparkle. "Oh, I like that. Tell me, Miss Lane, what does it take to get you to do something?"

He gives her a little wink again, and it seems as though the air between them is electric with a certain unspoken tension – a spark, almost like the feeling that their hands are going to reach out to grasp each other a little too soon.

"If you like being talked into things, I don't mind being the talker." He winks.

"Are you a good talker?" He sees the twinkle in my eyes. "Sometimes it's not that easy to talk me into something."

His face breaks into another broad smile, his eyes shining brighter as a soft laugh escapes his lips. He leans towards her face and whispers to her, his voice low, smooth and full of affection. "I can be very persuasive when I want to be, Miss Lane." He sits up straight in his chair and leans back, raising his eyebrows. "What do you say? Think I can talk you into it?"

"Show me what you can do." I grin at him cheekily.

His eyes seem lit by a playful, almost mischievous flame as he shakes his head, leaning forward with a severe look of determination. She has given him an open invitation to try and 'talk her into' something, and he intends to make the most of it. His face turns soft and gentle as he leans into her again, a faint glimmer in his eyes, the ghost of a smile on his lips, and his voice lowers itself to the barest of whispers: "Are you ready?"

I raise an eyebrow in amusement: "I'm always ready."

His smile grows wider again, and then he leans close to me and whispers in the softest, lowest, and most enticing of voices. "Are you sure?" His voice is quiet but sweet, with a gentle kindness that makes it seem almost hypnotizing. His dark eyes shine and seem to glow again, looking into my own as if he's searching for something – some hidden piece of my soul. His lips nearly brush against mine, but not quite, as he waits for me to reply.

"Are you questioning my answer?" I raise an eyebrow.

He leans in a little closer, almost closing the distance now. Her lips nearly touch his mouth, but he pulls back, his voice even lower now, its tone growing even softer as a playful but real glint enters his eyes. "Oh, I would never do that." His eyes are locked onto my face, and there's something so powerful about his eyes right now. As he whispers, he leans in again, his mouth almost touching mine, his breath close enough to feel its warmth on my skin. "Only a fool would doubt you."

A slight tremor runs down his frame at the gesture, and he leans in even further this time, his breath almost tickling hers. He seems almost unable to pull himself away, the look in his eyes now almost possessive, as though she's a beautiful gemstone, he can't wait to get his hands upon. They're close enough now that she can practically feel the warmth of his lips. Then, he pulls back again, his breath catching momentarily as he smiles at her. "I guess that means I've convinced you, then?"

I laugh. "Okay, persuaded. Message me when and where." And with a knowing smile at him, I leave his office.

He seems speechless for a moment as she leaves his office but then laughs heartily along, shaking his head and releasing a relieved breath. As she leaves, he takes out his quill and writes it down right on the spot, then seals it up in an envelope with a small, soft smile on his face. He'll be sure to put his best effort into making it a wonderful date; it's just the way a woman of her beauty should be treated.

I smile as I take the stairs to the Ravenclaw common room and finally make my way to my dorm. My time here at Hogwarts is even more interesting than I expected.

A few days later, she receives a note in her common room mailbox: It's in his handwriting and appears to have just been delivered. He's used a very nice parchment and high-end ink for it, and it looks like he took his time writing it. When she opens it, she finds a letter in her inbox, sealed with a soft scarlet wax seal and the letterhead of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The letter reads: 'Meet me in the Room of Requirement at sunset. Wear something nice.'

The rest of the day drags on forever, and even the most exciting class seems boring. Shortly before the agreed time, I sneak to the Room of Requirement in my prettiest red dress.

He's already waiting in the empty room, his face lit with the same look of excitement he'd had that day at his office. He seems almost intoxicated by the mere thought of being in her presence again. He's wearing a well-fitted suit, his sleeves rolled up and his tie removed, revealing just a little bit of his neck. He looks comfortable in it, the kind of comfort that comes with being well-dressed. The kind that comes with being rich enough to afford good suits. In his hand is a bouquet of red and white roses, a look of anticipation and a soft smile on his lips.

I almost blush, walking through the door. He looks so damn handsome.

Her blush seems to fluster him, and his smile grows wider. A wave of happiness runs through him as he takes in her looks. Her beauty is evident in the dress, and he can't help himself from getting lost in the sight of her. He comes over and offers her the bouquet.

"You look stunning ... absolutely stunning." As he says it, a sigh escapes his lips, and his eyes are lit with a sort of ... passion? There's no other word for it, and his eyes are filled with the joy that comes with love – or at least attraction, if nothing else. This girl, this stunning girl that he's only just met, has captured him ultimately. He seems genuinely overwhelmed. He lets out a soft sigh.

"Wow ..." his voice is slightly shaky as if he isn't quite sure what to say in the face of such grandeur, but after a moment, he shakes his head and laughs softly. "You really are gorgeous, you know that?"

I laugh. "Did I catch you on the wrong foot?"

He sighs a little but keeps smiling. His eyes still shine with that passion, an almost burning joy that is hard to describe. He moves closer towards me at an almost imperceptibly slow pace, almost like a predator closing in on its prey, until I can practically feel the warmth of his breath, the soft beat of his heart. "... maybe a little." He looks at me and blushes a little, a mix between an admission and a compliment, but his eyes are still locked on mine as he states: "You make it hard not to look at you."

"So, tell me ... what are we going to do now?" I blush a little bit.

He shakes his head with a gentle laugh and a soft smile on his lips. His eyes never leave her face as he continues his advance until he's so close he can feel her breathing on his lips, their foreheads touching. The room seems to be holding its breath in anticipation as he moves closer to her. His voice is soft, a little lower, and there's a certain hunger when he speaks. "We're going to find a private spot, and, well …" he looks down at her lips for what seems like an eternity, a playful glint in his eyes.

I raise an eyebrow. "So … show me what this room has to offer." His eyes widen at the request, but then his lips form a smile again. The room begins to dim in response, the air growing noticeably heavier, a sort of ... lustful tension in the room that seemed not to be there before. I watch the room in fascination as it changes.

As it dims, they suddenly appear in a bit of clearing in the woodland, the warm summer sun filtering through the trees and grass. A large tree's branch curves above them to make a sort of treehouse, a small bed at its base covered with rose petals. From their spot in the clearing, they can see the whole school in the distance and its grounds.

He smiles as he looks upon the beautiful scenery and asks: "What do you think?" She is visibly beyond amazed at the wonderful transformation of the room. She looks up to the sky with a smile. Then, her gaze shifts to Professor Sharp. He looks back, his eyes shining again with that familiar glint. He smiles at the sight of her face, and she can tell he's looking over every detail, memorizing them for later, a man who enjoys having the chance to stare at a pretty woman's face.

He raises a hand and gently strokes her hair, and the light wind seems to pick up as a breath of fresh air blows past them, like the room is saying, "Go on, do it". His face and eyes are full of desire as he closes the distance between them.

[newagesurvivalist]

Questions and disputations

Life offers us a variety of problems and matters for consideration. Thought, that boundless source of occupation, is moved uncontrollably between day to day affairs, mantras, abstract speculations, aspirations to greatness and success (or perhaps we should say, sensibleness), and, of course, our search for meaning.

Certainly, it seems we need a lot of affirmations during the day, and this is a common theme in wellness buzzwords, that one needs to affirm one's own happy existence - his sweet life as Shakespeare called it (Midsummer Night's Dream) - to be more content or presumeably see some great, as of yet unperceived joy about his or her life. However, to me it appears as if ones true intrepidity, his richness and luck, is verily found in a certain sternness of spirit, in fact, why in nothing more than persevering or holding out during one's time, or, in fact, continuing forever with the simple routine God has deemed him fit to perform.

The process of acquiring factual truth is terrifying. Frankly, we are often taken aback when attempting to fathom excellences in concrete theory. Speculative confrontalism is unlimited, but foundations are found in divine contemplations. The how and why of predicaments is full; however, in principle there may be a difference in the conflagration of contemplative derailment and psychology. By all means, amendment has to set the particulars of confusion to a directive. Eternity, in a theological sense, aids us in the assention of hope in a valid and actual showdown between liminaries and cognitivities. The graphic, of nominal disputation, is full of diminishings in the wholeness of distinct areas of freedom. The capability, of sheer remembrance, has some relation to the simplicity of significant description, and yet the revolution of commemorative indomitability may aid us in a discrete way, but this will always haunt us in the last analysis.

These are crazy things, but the strangeness of life is always going to make us say unusual things. The inner and the outer are distinct. In our inner life we move chaotically to find some fixed point or foundation; in our outer life we state the obvious and rail against enemies, or seek to stand our ground somehow, but as someone once said: there are no enemies here.

A well-known Dutch author referred to the television as the "treurbuis" or weeping tube. I am moving into my own place this month and one of the things on my list is to purchase a television. However, in a weird way it frustrates me. I love to just sit and allow time to pass; in a way, this is my main hobby, but some - weeping, sorrowful - part of me does desire a television in my house, as if it wouldn't be a house otherwise: that's almost the thing, that I am just desecrating this entire zone of my own house to another man's idea of "home", of having a spell at home. Somewhere I am thinking I don't even want a television. It's like, you can just hae a room with maybe a radio, bookcases, a piano even - and then you can dwell in your house in contemplative concentration, doing what you like and frolicking a bit. It is all about the "duur uw uur" of Albert Verwey. Life is really not composed of acts, but rather of routines, and our mission is truly to be the best we can be in the limited time we have: to do something meaningful, to develop our repertoire, to be happy in our work.

In practice, there is no knowledge: from there comes the notion that academic philosophy is not knowledge, but sport, custom. However, there is a time and place for philosophy. A man can consider the mysteries of the universe, but he can also fight for them, wage a war. In any case, waging a war is the only time ideas are completely relevant. Not because war is supposed to destroy another. On the contrary, we see that the philosophical war is aimed at growing each other in knowledge, to some extent. The capital is the cerebral. We strive in life to achieve some degree of elevation, to escape from our wretched predicament. The thing is, we can find ourselves involved in a variety of art forms, and each genre gives us opportunities to become fuller, wiser individuals. The point is to take on certain projects. This is all more than simply passing the time.

We decide what is good. Religion is dealing with humans. Yes, we can't always understand religion, but all religions have a cause that keeps them together, a design and order. We don't need order, but we do need a cause. This is how people congregate.

So we see that there is no way to fix our attention entirely on an idea. All ideas constantly vie against each other. Conquering oneself is an illusion, for if it isn't the cosmic truth that satisfies us, then it will be some passing problem that bugs our mind. But so we do see that we don't really need anything to relate to our fellow man. All we need is a cause. I will state that the best thing for us is to embrace a certain lifestyle. It could be Punk Rock, but frankly I feel more attracted to more national themes. The best thing for us is to find some common ground in the metaphysical quagmire.

Life is truly diverse. We move from the inner to the outer, and then we are swamped by crazy problems, but there is a simpleness to the foundation of the world that can be found even in an untroubled, easy stance to life's affairs.

[vivacoded]

October 2, 2023

Current Mood: fine, a little anxious

Day Rating: 5/10

Another day doing online college... Or so I thought. That makes it sound like I spent the day on some thrilling adventure, but really I just didn't have any work to do. I had the whole house to myself like I usually do on weekdays, so I spent today just lounging around at my kitchen table with my dog.

I feel bad for her though lmao. The kitchen window was open so we could hear all the birds tweeting outside, but I had a song stuck in my head. The Song with Five Names, a​.​k​.​a. Soapbox Tao, a​.​k​.​a. Checkmate Atheists! a​.​k​.​a. Neospace Government, a​.​k​.​a. You Can Never Know by Will Wood to be exact. Say that 10 times fast. See, when I have a song stuck in my head, I can't just listen to it once. Not twice. Not even three times. I have to listen to it over and over and over and overandoverandoverandoverandover again on repeat until I'm satisfied. I think that's a form of stimming. Lately I've been having one Will Wood song stuck in my head per day. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the only artist that shows up in my Spotify Wrapped. Anyways, back to my dog, poor girl just wanted to rest her old bones and take a nap, but here I am blasting some evil jazz on repeat because I can't function otherwise. Or maybe she's used to it by now :P

Later today, after dinner to be exact, my mom took me out driving again. I've only ever driven in parking lots, so she wanted me to get at least some experience on the road before I meet with my instructor on Wednesday (which, by the way, I found out there's no female instructors at that school. Being in a car with some random man? Yuck!) The original plan was just to drive around the block, but I eventually wanted to practice some more since I felt like I was getting the hang of things.

I drove around the whole town for a while, which wasn't really a lot since I live in a small town, and I eventually got the courage to drive on a real road. I didn't drive on the real road too much, to be fair, but it was still my first time actually being on one. It was a little scary, but there weren't many cars out this evening. The most aggravating part was waiting for cars to pass so I could actually turn onto the road.

Tomorrow, my mom wants me to take on more populated roads. Nothing big, just in the next town over. She specifically wants me to go to this store, and it makes me wonder if it's just an excuse to take her out shopping lmao.

Oh! I drove by some houses in my town that are already decorated for Halloween. There was one house in the very back road that did an excellent job utilizing the small yard they had to strategically place props. There didn't seem to be any specific theme, but I'm not complaining. All the stuff they had put out there was awesome. I'm going to go window shopping for Halloween props and decorations later this month, so maybe I can find where those people got their stuff from. People always hype up Spirit Halloween, but other stores like Party City and Home Depot have really cool things too. Sometimes they're even better!

I hope when I'm living on my own, I'll be able to make enough money where I can buy cool Halloween props too. Hell, I'd keep a couple in my house all year long if they fit my decorations. Man, if I had money, I'd be so cool. I hate that I need money in order to express myself and be happy, but I also want money so bad. The world is tough like that, I suppose.

Another diary entry where I rambled a lot about an uneventful day. I wonder what will happen when I have an eventful day. I might end up writing a novel lmao. Not that it matters. This is my corner of the internet. It's possible that no one will even read these entries anyways. Just me and my own thoughts. Marking my existence on the internet so I won't be forgotten.

[sage-nebula]

Last night I went on a binge reading @chaoxfix's Sonic & Tails fics (and I recommend that everyone else do the same, they are excellent), and in particular "build away and away and away" has been sticking in my head ever since. At least to the point where I'm still thinking about it after sleeping. In specific, I'm thinking about . . .

I think a lot of people have probably played with the idea of, "What if Eggman raised Tails instead of Sonic?" There was a Sonic Boom episode that lightly touched on the idea, I know. One where Sonic gets sent to a reality where he never existed, and Tails is working as Eggman's "sidekick" instead. Now, setting aside my usual annoyance at applying the term "sidekick" to Tails re: Sonic like it's not a demeaning term (it is), as well as the fact that, being Boom, the episode didn't delve nearly deep enough into that concept as I would have liked, it just got me thinking . . . what that would actually look like, for Tails.

First, there's the obvious path to take, the "Tails does evil!" take. And I don't think that's necessarily a wrong path to take. The series has made a point time and time again to highlight that, while Sonic and Eggman are arch-enemies, Tails is Eggman's intellectual rival. Eggman and Tails are the ones whose levels mirror each other in Sonic Adventure 2. In the IDW comics, not only do we see that Eggman respects Tails' abilities ("Prower wouldn't be that sloppy," he says to Orbot in "Bad Guys #2"), but Starline even makes a note about how Tails' house looking like a fox head is similar to how Eggman made his ship look like his own face. Moreover, children learn their morals and values from the ones who raise them; it's not a stretch to think that if Eggman raised Tails, he would raise him with the idea that "there's no such thing as evil, really, just science and progress and sometimes you have to kill a cow to make a steak." It's not about hurting people for the sake of hurting them, but about scientific process and how sometimes that means people get hurt even if you'd rather they didn't.

But the fic I linked above made me start thinking about how, it's not just good that Sonic found and raised Tails because he raised Tails up to be a hero. But rather, it's what's best for Tails' own well-being. Because Sonic likes Tails' inventions, yes. He's so proud of all of Tails' accomplishments. But Tails' engineering isn't the first thing about Tails that Sonic cares about. First and foremost, Sonic cares about Tails, as a person. He cares that Tails is safe, that Tails is healthy, that Tails is happy. (Insert, "I want to see it grow up happy" etc meme.) If Tails said one day that he was tired of inventing things and wanted to stop doing so for a while, then—after making sure that Tails wasn't saying this under any duress and that it was what he really wanted, because such a sudden change of heart would be alarming—Sonic would support him 100%. He doesn't care about Tails because Tails' inventions are useful, he cares about Tails because he genuinely loves him. And, as depicted in the fic I linked above, he'll directly intervene when Tails is doing things that harm himself in the name of scientific progress.

But Eggman would never do that, for so many reasons.

First of all, there is no one in the universe that Eggman cares about more than himself. His well-being is the only (organic) person's well-being he's concerned with. And this doesn't change when he is working with other living people; he doesn't care how Shadow is doing throughout SA2, and he barely pays Rouge any mind outside of whether she can get the Chaos Emeralds for them or not. In the IDW Comics, he not only uses Rough and Tumble to spread the Metal Virus to Sonic, but he has no qualms about strangling or otherwise beating the shit out of Starline the second Starline does something he disapproves of, even before their relationship goes sour. Heck, in one of the annuals we see that Eggman has a Zombot Starline doll in his toy room. Stripping Starline of everything that made him a living person was at least always an idea in Eggman's head, if not an outright plan. Just because Starline idolized him didn't mean Eggman cared about him, and the same would go for Tails.

But more than that, Eggman very much operates mostly by way of his id, i.e. his base desires / surface-level wants. He doesn't have much of a superego (moral conscience) to speak of, and thus nothing for the ego (middle ground) to mediate. What this means is that when Eggman wants something, he goes for it, consequences be damned. This is why he builds his theme parks, invents Metal Viruses, tries over and over again to conquer the world, etc. He doesn't care who gets hurt so long as he gets what he wants, and he doesn't really see a problem in this line of thinking.

So to bring this back to the fic that originally got me thinking about this, wherein Tails drinks a concoction that actively hurts him but allows him to invent things at the speed of light . . . where Sonic steps in and destroys as much of it as he can because he is understandably alarmed at the idea of his little brother ingesting toxic chemicals to produce better inventions, Eggman would have been delighted at Tails' invention of the Miles Electric Juice and would encourage him to drink it, and drink it, and keep drinking it. Eggman would never drink it himself—as stated, his own well-being is one he does care about—but if Tails destroyed himself in the name of making new tech for Eggman to use? Perfectly fine. Eggman doesn't need Tails any more than he ever needed Starline; if Tails can serve as a lab assistant for a little while, that's fine, but if he runs himself ragged to the point of death while inventing . . . well, that's fine, too. If Eggman ever gets sentimental, he can just build a robot version.

I don't think Eggman would ever directly harm Tails unless Tails "stepped out of line" the way Starline did. If Tails ever tried to act as Eggman's equal, then Eggman would be very quick to remind Tails of his place as a subordinate. But just because he doesn't actively mistreat him doesn't mean he takes good care of him, either. Sonic had stumbling blocks in their youth; he was a child raising a child, he did the best he could but of course there were still pitfalls. But he always put Tails' safety and well-being at the top of his priority list, while that wouldn't even be on Eggman's priority list, much less near the top.

It's just something that's interesting to think about. Under Sonic's guardianship, Tails grew up into a hero, yes. (Hero, not sidekick!) But he also grew up into a healthy, happy, well-adjusted and stable person, for the most part. Under Eggman's guardianship, I don't think he'd be nearly as healthy, well-adjusted, stable, or happy. And that's before we get to all of the crimes he'd be complicit in. It's just an interesting line of thought.

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2021 - May*

I had a very patchy reading month, some days I read loads in one go and finished two books in as many days. Other times I was reading the same book for ages (looking at you Persuasion!) Reflecting on this, I probably should write separate reviews for some books in future...

Villette by Charlotte Brontë - I've made no secret that I absolutely despise this book. To date it's perhaps the book I hate the most... I could quite happily burn my copy and I don't say that kind of thing lightly. If you're interested I've written a full review here because it's too long to summaries here.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - In a complete turn around I really liked this book, I won't say love because it wasn't perfect but I do think it's worth the praise it has. I will admit my love of this could be due to my new found utter hatred for Charlotte Brontë, but I do think it's genuinely fabulous.

I loved how Rhys gave Bertha Mason, Antoinette Cosway, a voice of her own. A flawed quite voice because she's never really given the chance to define herself, but it is a voice nonetheless! And she uses Antoinette's liminal place in the world - both of the Caribbean and not, and of Europe and not - to explore the conflicts in both race, power, and identity that torments the emancipated Caribbean of the 1830s. Antoinette gives us a wonderful insight into this world that is seemingly a dream but in reality is a nightmare full of hatred and needless violence. No one wants to move on from the horrendous history of the slave trade to build something new. Instead the cycle of hatred and abuse is maintained by everyone until no one is free of it. All of this means Antoinette is cast out with no home or real identity to call her own, she never finds out who she is or where she belongs. No one gives her the opportunity to do so. We almost see it in the unnamed Mr Rochester - they could have been happy together, if it wasn't for the hatred that inhabits everyone in this story.

I loved how Rhys used this backdrop and theme to explore whether Bertha Mason is really mad and, if so, what made her so. It was a fascinating character study of a woman who otherwise might as well be a faceless monster. The similarities between Jane Eyre and Antoinette Cosway are pronounced but Jane was allowed to form her acceptable identity as a white English woman, with all the privileges that brings, whilst Antoinette was stripped of everything, including her own name, and locked away in shame.

My one criticism for this book is that it wasn't enough. It needed to go bigger with the disorientation - by the end of part three I was expecting to come out of this story in a haze, as if I'd lost my own grip on reality... It just didn't do this, sadly. The language wasn't quite weird enough to cause that disorientation and really bring the reader into Antoinette's mind as she started to lose herself. It's a minor thing really, but I think it would have really helped develop Rhys' themes that one step further and turn a good book into an excellent one.

Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay - I have a complicated history with this book, I've DNDed it twice in the last year or so but managed to finish it third time around. It is a fantastic book, full of excellent world building based on the Byzantine Empire, some wonderful characters, and stunning writing - Kay has a truly beautiful style.

However, there are some flaws: Crispin, his family, and the chapter lengths. I really disliked Crispin, our protagonist... I’ve met far too many men like Crispin in my life and I just don't like them. It's on me and I do think Crispin is a well drawn character, but we wouldn't get on and there is A LOT of time we spend just in his head and I didn't love that, especially in part one.

To be honest Crispin and I would have got in a bit better than we did if it wasn't for not one, but THREE women dying OFF PAGE to give Crispin some character development. His wife and daughters had died before the start of the novel from a plague and, of course, he's angsty about it before learning to continue living his life... This could have been done in ANY other way and I wouldn't have minded but three women dying to serve a man's character arc is something I'm tired of and have a very low tolerance for.

I also think the book needed some better organisation. 10 chapters in a 500+ page book is not enough. I think this is a large part of why I struggled to get into this book and it just needed a few more. It became a chore to read a times because I'd be reading for 70 pages just to finish a chapter! It's a minor issue and, again, very personal to me but I genuinely think chapters longer than 30 pages are too much unless it's a major sequence such as a battle.

These are very personal flaws though and I did enjoy the book as a whole! The prologue is possibly the best opening sequence I've ever read in a fantasy novel in terms of creating characters, establishing tone, and the sheer power of worldbuilding. It was astonishingly well done and I'm still in awe of what Kay achieved. If you like slow, world and character driven novels then I'd definitely recommend it, though if you're starting with Kay maybe try Tigana first.

Persuasion by Jane Austen - I've already written about Persuasion last year. This was a reread and I regret spending the time on it, my opinion hasn't changed and it's time to just admit I dislike this one.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - I'm going to write about this one separately as this is already ludicrously long. Needless to say I loved it, Sanderson is the King of modern fantasy, and Stormlight is my favourite in the works fantasy series. I'll link the separate review here when I've had time to write it.

*I'm not proofreading this, sorry but I don't have the time!

[shoujocentral]

Symphogear G- Sequelitis Strikes Again...

So, after watching the first season of Symphogear, finishing it in three days, and being hooked in an instant, naturally I was pumped to get to the next season to see what they would do with the plot, what new characters we'd get to see, how the old characters would be expanded upon, and how much more awesome the fights would get. And... would it be too harsh to say that it basically failed on most of that criteria?

Okay, yeah it would. But still, the reason this review took so long to come out is because I found this season to be a chore to get through. I still had a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but it was a far cry from the excitement and investment I experienced in the first season. Where exactly did Symphogear G go wrong? Well, let's dive into that now.

Once again, this review will be spoiler-free for any who haven't seen the show yet.

Plot:

What is Senshi Zesshou Symphogear G about?

After the events of the first season, Hibiki, Tsubasa and Chris along with the DRS are working with the esteemed Dr. Ver to preserve Solomon's Cane, a device that Finé used to summon Noise. However, it is soon revealed that the doctor is evil, and working with a terrorist organization known as Federal Institutes of Sacrist (FIS), and with Solomon's Cane in their possession, they now have control of the Noise.

On top of that, three new Symphogear users appear, only they are working on the side of FIS. The leaders of the three, Maria Cadenzavna Eve, claims to be the new reincarnation of Finé's soul, and she also possesses a dark version of Gungnir, Hibiki's Symphogear. With such a formidable ally, FIS demands that the world's governments relinquish all control to them, lest they unleash the Noise upon them in an all-out assault.

How will our heroes stop this new global threat? And why are a group of Gear users working for the enemy?

At first, I thought the plot had a lot of intrigue and potential. While the first episode didn't grab me by the balls like Season 1 Episode 1 did, I was still interested to learn about the villainous Gear users and how the enemy's nefarious schemes would unfold. Unfortunately, if I could describe the execution of said plot in a single word, it would be "unbalanced."

Basically, the first half of G had great character and plot setup, but I found the fights somewhat lacking. Then, by episode 8, the fights had returned to their usual epicness and badassery, but the plot and characters had taken a turn for the worst.

Whereas Season 1 felt like it was continuous building and building with each episode, stuff just... happens in Symphogear G. Characters motivations are set up, but either forgotten or completely changed halfway through the show. It honestly felt like the writers were making G's story up as they went along.

The issues I had with Season 1's story are present here as well, in that the villain's motivation is incredibly confusing and not made 100% clear until the last couple of episodes. FIS's main goal is to save humanity from the Moon, which will soon crash into the Earth due to the damage it endured from Finé. However, they go about this by... killing people? I understand innocent bloodshed is necessary in most evil "save the world" schemes, but is this really the best way to convince the rest of the world that you're here to help?

Either I'm just really dumb, or Symphogear just isn't very good at explaining things.

Another thing that bothered me about this season was the usage of Swan Songs. In Symphogear G, there's not one, but TWO methods that allow Gear users to sing their Swan Songs without dying. "Tension? Consequences? WhAt ThE hElL aRe ThOsE?!"

However, the worst part about this confused and structurally unbalanced plot is how it affects the character development.

Characters:

I'm going to cover the three lead characters and Miku very briefly (cause there honestly isn't much to talk about) so we can discuss the new characters in more detail.

Remember how I praised Hibiki in Season 1 for being a flat character done right? Well, in G, the writers attempted to give Hibiki somewhat of an arc by having the villains call her a "hypocrite." At first, I was intrigued as to what they meant by this. Then, there was a point where Hibiki went Berserk again, and I figured "Oh, they mean that because she can't control her Gear, she's a danger to the people she's trying to protect!" Nope. Once Hibiki returns to normal, she never goes Berserk again, and her plot becomes about her dealing with the Gungnir fragments slowly killing her from the inside. Soooo... why is she a hypocrite again? An excellent question! ...that's never answered. Weak.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Tsubasa in Season 1, finding her over-the-top EDGE a bit too much for my taste. However, I will give credit that she at least had an arc. In G, she does absolutely nothing. She has no arc, no motivation, and contributes nothing to the plot (thankfully her strict, yet compassionate personality is left untouched). I initially thought she would have some conflict with Maria, given that the two had a bit of a standoff in Episode 1, with Tsubasa angry at Maria for possessing Kanade's Gear. Much like Hibiki's Berserk Mode, though, this conflict was never expanded upon or brought up again, relegating Tsubasa to a glorified background character.

Chris was my favorite character in Season 1, with her fiery tsundere personality and redemption arc. But much like Tsubasa, she suffered the fate of being pushed to the sidelines. Chris started out in a tough spot, transferring into Hibiki and Tsubasa's school and bearing little to no social skills. This new environment throws her for a loop, especially when a group of her classmates try to befriend her. I interpreted this as Chris not only struggling with social anxiety due to her hatred of people in Season 1, but also still harboring some guilt over her actions and not feeling worthy of friendship or care whatsoever. Okay, fair enough.

Well guess what else the writers forgot about?! 🤪

And alas, let's talk about Miku...... Oh my sweet little angel, what have they done to you??? Miku was the heart and soul of Season 1; she was Hibiki's emotional support; her Sun that warmed her whenever she felt dark. In G, she's just useless. The writers, like Hibiki, try to give her an arc (that doesn't start till episode 6...) where she wants to protect Hibiki from the Gungnir killing her. The way the writers execute this promising arc, however, is nothing short of insulting. Long story short, she fails to protect Hibiki in any single way. Instead, Hibiki ends up being the one still protecting her. Good job, Symphogear G.

With all that out of the way, I can FINALLY move onto something more positive. While I may not like what G did with the protagonists, the same cannot be said for the villains. These people are what made this season enjoyable to me.

Maria Candenzavna Eve

Maria is objectively the best character of the season. I really don't see how anyone could argue otherwise. She has a gut-wrenching backstory, a clearly defined motivation, and every action she takes, while not always the most logical, makes sense to how she is feeling at the time.

Maria's sister, Serena, who was also a Gear user, used her Swan Song to save FIS from an out-of-control experiment. Immediately following this, the scientists berated the deceased Serena for destroying something they had put so much work in. Maria was enraged by the idea that they would do this to someone, a child nonetheless, who had just sacrificed her life for them. However, instead of retaliating and seeking revenge on FIS for this, Maria dedicates her actions to protecting human lives so that Serena's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. And unlike the rest of FIS, she actually goes out of her way to avoid killing anyone! Of course, she eventually learns the hard way that saving everyone may be an impossibility...

Also, she gets one of the most adrenaline-pumping and yet emotional fights, accompanied by her kickass battle song, which is probably my favorite of the entire series now.

Kirika Akatsuki

Hot-blooded, cheerful, and insistent on ending every sentence with "I say!" Kirika is nothing short of a joy to watch. She's a welcome entry in the villain faction, which desperately needed someone lighthearted to counteract the dead sister angst. Of course, this doesn't mean she's is without her own conflicts.

Kirika's main drive is, aside from saving the innocent, protecting her girlfriend best friend Shirabe. She's constantly trying to cheer her up cold-hearted friend and remind her that what they're doing is the right thing. However, this protective instinct leads to a discovery that changes her for the worst, and the rest of the show is her tragic and slow descent into madness, leading to a heartbreaking scene in the final battle that left me going "damn, they went there."

Kirika's Gear is cool enough, but not my favorite. It's mostly just a scthye and boomerangs, making it not much different from Tsubasa's Gear. Or at least, her Gear isn't as impressive as our next antagonist...

Shirabe Tsukuyomi

Cold, distant, but ruthless in combat (beware the quite ones), Shirabe is a great foil to her lover friend Kirika, or "Kiri-chan" as she likes to call her. One could say that Shirabe is an emotionless husk, but as the story plays out we learn that, like most tsunderes, this is merely a mask to hide how much she cares for the people around her. She harbors a deep respect and admiration for Maria and an unbreakable bond with Kirika.

Shirabe bears a strong resentment towards Hibiki, being the one to drill home the fact that she's a "hypocrite" (for reasons I'm still not hugely clear on...). She believes that FIS is the only hope humanity has for survival. Of course, once her idol, Maria, starts to lose sight of this goal, Shirabe becomes conflicted, and starts to question which side is right. I love it when villains don't know which path to take. Such delicious angst! 😬

As much as I love Chris' Gear, Shirabe's may just be my new favorite. Her pigtails transform into mechanical arms with sawblades! She can spawn a giant sawblade to ride around on like a giant wheel! She can turn into a giant robot with sawblades for arms! Y'know, I'm starting to think I like saw-based weapons...

Professor Nastassja

My only complaint about this character is that no one ever made fun of her name.

Prof. Nastassja, or "Mom" as Maria, Kirika and Shirabe call her, is the serious, straightforward thinking mastermind of FIS's operations. She was there when Serena died in front of Maria, and after seeing her determination to protect people, she decided to push Maria towards their ultimate goal of "saving" mankind from the Moon crashing. Thankfully, this woman actually has a head on her shoulders, and comes to realize that killing people probably isn't the best way to save them (who'da thunk?) and thus sets out on a path of redemption. Damn, what's with villains this season realizing that they might be wrong? I love it!

Of course, on the deep end of the villains spectrum, we have the only one who doesn't realize the error of his ways...

Dr. Ver

Just a sample of the many amazing faces this guys makes.

Everyone loves a good psychopath. And oh boy, does this guy really underline the "psycho" part of that word. Constantly laughing manically, making theatrical gestures, spawning Noise with an itchy trigger finger, and declaring loud and proud that HE is the hero of this story. I could watch him for hours.

While Dr. Ver's motivation does stem from FIS's overly convoluted plot, he makes it very clear that he has his own agenda. He may claim he strives for the salvation of humanity, but his actions say otherwise. And that's why he's so great. He doesn't have a complex backstory or a redemption arc. He's just evil through and through and he loves every minute of it. As Alfred once said to Bruce Wayne: "Some men just want to watch the world burn." 😈

Alright, that's all the new characters out of the way. Time to move onto my favorite section before I wrap things up...

Yuri:

The yuri content this season was, like the rest of it, a mixed bag. The best way I can sum it up is that it took one giant leap forward, and another giant leap back.

First and foremost, our star couple of the show: HibiMiku. Or they would be the star of the show if they had more screentime. Yeah, G really did this couple dirty. They don't even hold a conversation together until Episode 6! And then they throw in the whole conflict of Miko wanting to protect Hibiki. I guess the writers were relying on the sentiment they'd built on HibiMiku from the last season, but I feel like the two could've have at least TALKED about Miku not wanting Hibiki to fight before throwing her into the action. There was one scene twowards the end with the two of them that really got me in the feels, but it was hardly enough to make up for the whole lot of nothing we got from the rest of the season.

Second, we have the two that ultimately saved the yuri content in G: KiriShira. They look good together? Check. Complimenting personalities? Check. Emotional support? Check. Each character has their own motivation and arc outside of their relationship? Check. These two are not only absolutely adorable together, but unlike HibiMiku, which is more implied (even though there shouldn't be any doubt they're dating), KiriShira actually gets a love confession! I haven't seen that in a magical girl show since Sailor Moon Crystal when Hotaru confessed to Chibi-Usa! I'll have to see more of these two before I can say for sure, but I might actually prefer KiriShira to HibiMiku at this point. Gonna have to see how the rest of the series plays out!

Conclusion:

Symphogear G is a considerable step down from Season 1 in my opinion. While I absolutely adore the antagonists and love (MOST) of the yuri content we got, the story and protagonists just didn't do it for me this time around, which is a shame considering how much I liked them in Season 1. The fight scenes in the first couple of episodes were less than impressive, which had me nervous, but they thankfully stepped up towards the end, delivering one hell of a climactic finale.

Also, I'm not gonna lie, the final episode got me choked up.

I may have been to hard on this season when I started this review. Despite my numerous issues, I still enjoyed myself throughout and I am looking forward to the next season. I sincerely hope my issues with the plot and protagonists are rectified because I do love this series. What's done well in G is really good, but what fails in G really fails. Oh well, not every season of a franchise can be a masterpiece. I'm just praying that it's all uphill from here. 🙏

Rating: 6/10

Hope you all enjoyed! I'll see you in my review of Symphogear GX, my fellow yuri lovers! ❤️😊❤️

[bills-pokedex]

hello! i was wondering about something. as someone with autism, i cant really understand some feelings and stuff, and i feel like a pokemon like lucario would be a help to sense auras, as well as sensing when im going to have a sensory overload and helping me. i found a riolu at a rescue center, but they have told me the riolu wouldn't like to evolve. this riolu is very calm and would seem like a great help but would them not evolving affect how much they can?

Slightly. To put it simply, lucario have better control over their Aura-sensing abilities than riolu and overall better focus, but both species have the same potential. That is to say, lucario are always hyper-focused on the task at hand, and as such, they have a much higher rate of success. On the other hand, riolu, being juvenile pokémon, will need a lot more training to hone their focus and therefore control.

In other words, lucario tend to be easier to work with because they’re disciplined. Thus, if you happen to be across the house or otherwise a fair distance away, you don’t have to worry because your lucario will always be able to sense your Aura and come to you. On the other hand, riolu are easier to distract, and thus, they might not be able to sense you from some distance away—or they might not be able to react when you need them. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a bad choice, of course! On the contrary, with proper training, they can be excellent support pokémon. This is simply a word of warning that they do need a bit more training than a lucario would and that, at least during the beginning stages of this training, it would be a good idea to keep your riolu near.

Best of luck!