#I know Mario has been canonically like 25 for a while but it's still weird seeing him with his young parents and being fussy about food

[lab-gr0wn-lambs]

Out of all the things that threw me through a loop in the mario movie, the bros taking their gloves off was the most oddly jarring. I said out loud “they have flesh hAnds!-”

[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Episode 125: Doug Out

“It can't be all ‘Bam!’ ‘Pow!’ action all the time.”

(First things first: Lamar Abrams’s delightful promo art leans away from traditional cards with the title and storyboarders, and this is my favorite of the bunch. He really knocks the visual pun out of the park.)

Dr. Maheswaran is a titanic presence in her daughter’s life, and while she does have a canonical first name—Priyanka, according to Ian Jones-Quartey—it says a lot that the show itself only presents her as “Doctor” or “Mom.” She, not Doug, is the person Connie must reconcile with in Nightmare Hospital. She, not Doug, is the one that’s late picking Connie up in Storm in the Room. She, not Doug, takes the role of Yellow Diamond in Stevonnie’s psychic dream from Jungle Moon. And Doug, as should be clear now, has a first name that we actually hear on the show. Hell, it’s in the name of the episode.

Doug’s status as a background character allows his characterization to be more fluid than his wife’s. In Fusion Cuisine, which is a weird episode period in terms of Maheswaran behavior, he tells a joke to break the tension and disapproves of Steven and Connie hugging. In the far superior Winter Forecast, he’s frustrated with Greg in the bad timelines, appreciative of Greg’s cherry sweater in the good timeline, and we learn that he can’t drive in the snow (but thinks he can). Connie has told us that her parents are strict, which logically means he’s strict, but we see more impatience than strictness in his voiced appearances.

None of what we’ve witnessed lines up too well with the Doug we get in Doug Out: sure, we’ve seen his awkwardness, and I guess his tendency towards jokes at inopportune times means he can be funny, but he’s super silly in this episode. Normally such a huge shift in characterization would bug me, buuuut:

Doug is such a minor character that it’s not a huge deal that his personality adjusts to fit the story better, and

We’ve only seen Doug with Dr. Maheswaran nearby and I can totally buy that he acts differently when she’s not around.

It would’ve been nice for the canon if a little more of Doug’s behavior from Doug Out had been established earlier, but yeah this isn’t a dealbreaker for me. It’s already weird that Connie said in Bubble Buddies that her family moves around a lot because of his security job, considering they don’t move at all over the course of the show and her mother’s job certainly pays more than her father’s, so at least showing Doug at work lends some consistency to her claim.

Entering the episode by pulling a prank on Steven is a succinct way for the show to tell us this is a new Doug. We do get references to the Maheswarans being all about safety, namely his concern over Steven's hydration after eating salty fry bits, but he’s simultaneously silly with the kids and proud that his daughter is a “swashbuckling swashbuckler.” Plus his dopey smile is the same as his daughter’s dopey smile and it’s the most precious thing in the world.

There hasn’t been any indication that Connie is distant from her father, despite his lack of screentime; in fact, one of my favorite unspoken bits of characterization for the family is how she (and through her, Stevonnie) often wears his signature flight jacket. But it’s still great to see them get along so well, keeping up the light mood from the beginning of the episode and amplifying it through paternal playfulness. 

While bringing kids along for a security mission after hours doesn’t sound like something an ultra-responsible parent would do, I choose to see it as a sign of Doug’s respect for his kid and her friend. He knows they’ve handled dangerous situations before, and it’s neat to see him acknowledge this by allowing them to ride along. Moreover, the whole point of the episode is that he doesn’t think his job is exciting, so it’s not like he thinks he’s throwing the kids into a violent situation. And considering he wants to see more action like his daughter does in missions or his wife does in the hospital, I’m glad that this jealousy never turns petty or mean-spirited: this wasn’t a given, as he’s been unfriendly in the past. Doug sort of rules in this episode, and it’s nice that veteran voice actor Crispin Freeman finally gets something to do with him.

The goofiness isn’t limited to Doug, as half of what makes him great is his playing along with Connie and Steven’s prepackaged goofiness. The kids are in top form in Doug Out, dressing as ridiculously-named parodies of Carmen Sandiego and Mario while they’re on the case (Connie’s assertion that Pizzapoppolis sounds more Greek than Italian is in contention with her bemoaning the laws of physics in the Gravitron for the best “Connie’s A Nerd” joke of the night). They’re down to mess around and ruin a teen’s night, and I’m here for it.

Still, I wouldn’t call this a full-on goofy episode, particularly when it evolves into a sequel of sorts to Gem Hunt. Aivi and Surasshu’s soundtrack evokes exaggerated noir as Doug talks shop, but shifts to a menacing drone as the trio encounters evidence of something sinister afoot at Funland. Steven and Connie stay in-character during the chase, but drop the act when discussing the possibility of a Gem Mutant or Homeworld Gem. Whatever they’re hunting is clearly hunting them, and perhaps the most impressive aspect of Doug Out is maintaining a tone of genuine looming danger that isn’t undermined by the episode’s numerous jokes.

The mystery, as in Gem Hunt, is complicated by a red herring. During Connie’s first big mission we’re led to believe that a Corrupted Gem might be healing itself, given the multiple distinct footprints, but we learn in the third act that it was Jasper all along. This time we get a wide array of dangerous possibilities, so the third act Onion reveal initially comes as a relief. But we’ve never seen him this scared before, and his distinct silhouette doesn’t match that of the shadowy figure on the roof.

Before we can think about the hints that Onion isn’t our perp, the focus shifts back to Doug as we conclude his character’s episode-long arc. He wants to be taken seriously, projecting a badass vibe that’s often undermined moments later by an intentional joke (like calling his daughter by her “Cucamonga” alias with a straight face) or by the emergence of his inner square (pretending to be undercover by removing his glasses then instantly relenting because he needs them to see). He’s not incompetent, correctly deducing that the culprit isn’t a regular teen and quieting the children to listen for clues, but he’s just a normal security guard in a family with a surgeon and a kid hero. You can’t blame the guy for developing a bit of an inferiority complex.  

So again, I really appreciate that his behavior doesn’t devolve into toxic overcompensation, because that’s the obvious route to go and it would’ve made this episode so much worse. He respects the kids and doesn’t pretend he needs to protect them, and he doesn’t let his desire for action let him get in over his head—in another similarity to Gem Hunt, he stresses the importance of calling for backup instead of stubbornly going it alone. When Connie talks about how much she loves and values him, we’re allowed to feel it, because she’s reiterating what we’ve seen rather than letting a petty control freak off the hook.

We’re coming off another terrific Dad Moment in Lion 4, but Greg being great is par for the course. Most Dad Episodes are understandably about him: other father/child relationships have their days in the limelight (Fryman and Peedee in Frybo, Kofi and the Pizza Twins in Beach Party, Bill and Buck in Shirt Club, and Yellowtail/Marty and Sour Cream in Drop Beat Dad), but Greg gets more focus episodes than all of those combined. So while I would’ve liked to see more of him in an arc that hinges on the phrase “my dad,” I love that we get one last new Dad Episode to kick off the end of Season 4, especially if it lets us see Connie again before her kidnapping.

Onion may be a red herring, but the whole ending with Doug and Connie’s sweet talk is another red herring, tricking us into thinking the episode is wrapping up and that despite the suspicious inconsistencies, Onion was just being Onion. Unlike Gem Hunt, our heroes don’t solve the mystery, and because they don’t, neither do we. We have more information than Steven that something sinister is afoot, with an alien threat that for some reason is going after Onion, but before our sleuths can learn more, we cut to black.

After the victories of taking the ocean back from Lapis and saving the world from the Cluster, Act III of Steven Universe is the first with a tragic midpoint, and the fallout of Steven’s sacrifice at the end of Season 4 ripples through the first third of Season 5. Episodes like Storm in the Room and Lion 4 bring plenty of angst as well, so Doug Out wisely gives us some comic relief before the sweet-and-somber flavor of The Good Lars and the tension that follows. That tension is still present here (we get a cliffhanger, after all), but I’ll take moments of pure happiness where I can. This isn’t a silly episode in the vein of The New Crystal Gems, but it’ll still be a while until we have this much fun in one episode again.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

It’s time again to expand our Top List, from a Top Twenty to a Top Twenty-Five! Most are Act II classics that got pushed down by the sheer volume of great episodes, but Lion 4 makes the cut as well. We’ll keep it at 25 until Change Your Mind; normally I’d switch to 30 at Episode 150 to keep up the Top 20% trend, but it seems more fitting to expand when the original series concludes.

Doug Out sadly does not make the cut, but it’s still an episode I love. We’ve had plenty of cliffhanger episodes that feel incomplete, and while this one also leaves us wanting more, it still works as a full story and not just setup. And the story is great!

Top Twenty-Five

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

Last One Out of Beach City

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Mindful Education

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Earthlings

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Bismuth

Steven’s Dream

When It Rains

Catch and Release

Chille Tid

Lion 4: Alternate Ending

Keeping It Together

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

We Need to Talk

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Beta

Back to the Moon

Kindergarten Kid

Buddy’s Book

Gem Harvest

Three Gems and a Baby

That Will Be All

The New Crystal Gems

Storm in the Room

Room for Ruby

Doug Out

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Bubbled

Adventures in Light Distortion

Gem Heist

The Zoo

Rocknaldo

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

Know Your Fusion

Future Boy Zoltron

Tiger Philanthropist

No Thanks!

     6. Horror Club      5. Fusion Cuisine      4. House Guest      3. Onion Gang      2. Sadie’s Song      1. Island Adventure

[aion-rsa]

How Old is Mario? The Many Mysteries and Myths of the Character’s Age

https://ift.tt/2N503x3

As the years go on, one of the few consistents in gaming remains Mario and the quality of most of the major Super Mario Bros. games. While it sometimes feels like Mario has always been with us and will remain a video game mainstay for years to come, the character’s remarkable longevity does nothing to answer that question that has plagued us for over 35 years: “How old is Mario?”

It’s easy to answer that question if you’re talking about the Super Mario franchise or even the birth of the character from a creation standpoint, but when you’re trying to figure out how old Mario is in the Super Mario universe and the grand Nintendo chronology…well, that’s where things get tricky.

I can’t guarantee that looking into this subject will offer an answer that you’ll be satisfied with, but if you’re just interested in diving deeper into this particular rabbit hole, here’s a slightly more exhaustive attempt to answer a question that has proven to be much more complicated than you’d ever guess it would be.

Shigeru Miyamoto Says Mario Is 24-25 Years Old…Wait, What?

Let’s start with what is one of the only “direct” pieces of information we have on the subject of Mario’s age.

In a 2005 interview first published on Nintendo Japan’s website, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto stated that Nintendo didn’t really “put any restrictions on Mario as a character” aside from the fact that “he’s about 24-25 years old.”

Like the rest of the world, you’re probably raising an eyebrow at that suggestion. We’ll dive into the various reasons your doubt is justified here in a bit, but let’s start with the fact that Mario certainly doesn’t look like he’s 24-25.

So far as that goes, there are a few possible explanations. The first, and most likely, is that this is honestly one of those things that Nintendo doesn’t really care about and hasn’t put too much thought into. As such, the consistent design of the character is probably more important to them than this quote Miyamoto gave years ago. Much like the popularity of the character, they probably see Mario as something close to immortal.

If you’d like to go a little deeper than that, you could argue that Mario has aged since Miyamoto made that statement. After all, Miyamoto would have made that statement around the time of Super Mario‘s 20th anniversary, so that number would have made a little more sense when viewed strictly from that perspective.

As others have pointed out, this could also be a matter of Miyamoto suggesting that Mario has the physical capabilities of a person that age (no doubt due to his consistent jumping exercise routines). While I’d lean more towards the “Mario is immortal” argument, there’s something to be said for the idea that Miyamoto was measuring Mario’s age via his physical abilities.

Shigeru Miyamoto Has Called Mario a “Weird Old Dude”

While Miyamoto has only offered the 24-25 age range as a direct response to questions about Mario’s age, he has previously made statements that somewhat contradict that information.

For instance, in a 1996 interview for a Japanese strategy guide, Miyamoto was asked about Mario’s “unrealistic” movements. Here’s what he had to say on the subject:

“With 3D, little ‘lies’ like that can go unnoticed. So we lied a lot! I mean, Mario is this weird old dude who can jump 3 times his height… so who’s counting? (laughs)”

Ok, “old” can be a subjective term, but it’s certainly a strange word to use to describe someone who is in their mid-twenties. If pressed to guess, I’d say that Miyamoto had it in his head that Mario was older at one point but later decided to keep the character in his physical prime. That or he was, you know, joking.

Read more

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By Matthew Byrd

When is Mario’s Birthday?

Ah, here’s another great question about Mario’s age that’s genuinely quite confusing. Actually, most people point to three possibilities in regards to Mario’s birthday.

The first popular theory is that Mario’s birthday is on March 10, aka “Mar10 Day.” However, the concept of Mario Day appears to have been created by fans who wanted to celebrate Mario and couldn’t pass up the chance to use such a clever date to do so. Nintendo acknowledges the day, but it doesn’t seem to be “canon.”

Some fans also suggest that Mario’s birthday could be September 13: the day that Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan. However, Nintendo typically just treats that day as the anniversary of that game and the Super Mario franchise. Besides, Mario previously appeared in both Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong. Actually, if you want to use those releases as a metric, you could say that Mario was “born” in 1981 when Donkey Kong was developed and released (even if the character in that game wasn’t originally named Mario). Again, though, That’s really just a matter of Mario “the creation’s” birth date vs. the character’s birth date.

Interestingly, strong evidence suggests the “official” answer to this question (or at least the month and day) may be October 11. At least that’s the day that Nintendo listed Mario’s birthday as in an old issue of Nintendo Power:

Happy birthday Mario! A calendar included with the second issue of Nintendo Power states that Mario’s birthday is October 11 (and reaffirmed in the following issue). Image 1 Via: https://t.co/dqXMvrGLrd Image 2 Via: https://t.co/rxBgXjZz7g pic.twitter.com/fWnUNPLyis

— Fantasy World 9 (@World9Fantasy) October 11, 2018

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Nintendo Games Are Inconsistent About Mario’s Age

Anyone who has tried to keep up with The Legend of Zelda‘s timeline probably won’t be too surprised to learn that Nintendo has been somewhat…inconsistent with Mario’s age over the years.

For instance, in Super Smash Bros. Melee, it’s suggested that Mario is actually 26. It’s not that big of an age difference from the 24-25 range Miyamoto suggested, but given that it’s apparently one of the few things about Mario the company has defined, it’s certainly interesting that there would be any variation in his age.

Other games make passing references to Mario’s possible age that absolutely contradict that 24-25 estimate. For instance, Paper Mario: Color Splash makes an off-hand reference to a 30 year battle between Mario and Bowser. Again, that number makes sense if the game’s developers are just commenting on the anniversary of the franchise, but that idea doesn’t really gel with Mario’s suggested age.

Don’t even get us started on Baby Mario. While that character’s first appearance in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island suggests that Baby Mario was, in fact, Mario as a baby, we’ve seen numerous games since then that show Baby Mario and Mario working side by side. There’s a loose explanation for this in some games, but this is really just one of those things that Nintendo has thrown their hands up at over the years.

Mario’s Actors Are Typically Between 40-60

If you were hoping that the age of some of the people who have played/voiced Mario over the years might shine a little light on this subject, I’ve got some bad news for you. Here’s a look at a few of the notable actors that have portrayed Mario over the years and their rough age at the time they took on the role.

“Capt.” Lou Albano (The Super Mario Bros. Show) – 56

Bob Hoskins (Super Mario Bros. Movie) – 51

Peter Cullen (Saturday Supercade) – 42

Charles Martinet (at the time of Super Mario 64‘s release) – 41

There have been a few other Mario voice actors over the years that usually fall into that rough 40-60 age range, but the point is that Nintendo typically casts older people to portray the character. We’ll see if that streak changes in the Super Mario Bros. animated movie that is currently scheduled to be released in 2022.

Is Mario Older Than Luigi?

The good news is that Lugi has fairly consistently been described as Mario’s younger brother over the years. However, Nintendo has been inconsistent (try to be surprised) in regards to exactly how much older Mario is.

In a 1990 comic called Family Album ‘The Early Years,” we see baby Mario as an only child for quite some time before Luigi is mentioned. This implies that Mario is several years older.

However, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island suggests that the two are actually twins who are roughly the same age. Again, that game raises a lot of questions about Mario’s age, but Nintendo has seemingly stuck with the “twins” explanation since then. Luigi has referred to Mario as an older brother in several games, and titles like Super Paper Mario use the “twins” description when referencing the siblings.

As best as anyone can guess based on the available information, Luigi is likely just minutes (or hours) younger than Mario rather than years. That would mean that Luigi is also in his mid-twenties but still younger than Mario.

How Old Was Mario Segale (The Man Who Inspired Mario’s Name)?

In case you didn’t know, the name “Mario” was inspired by a man named Mario Segale who owned a warehouse that Nintendo rented in the ’80s. The story goes that Nintendo decided to rename “Jumpman” in Donkey Kong to “Mario” in the American version of the game following an incident in which Segale yelled at former Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa over overdue rent.

In case you’re wondering, Segale would have been about 49 at the time of Super Mario Bros.‘ release in Japan. While that age range is pretty consistent with the actors that Nintendo cast for early portrayals of Mario, this could actually be a dead end as there is no official indication that Mario’s physical attributes were strictly based on Segale.

So How Old is Mario, Really?

Well, we’re not going to argue with Miyamoto’s age range suggestion, but if we’re trying to make sense of that age based on everything that we do know, I’d conclude that Mario is as physically healthy as a 24-25-year-old, is minutes to hours older than Luigi, was born in October, and not only doesn’t seem to age but actually may have gotten younger over time in the minds of Nintendo’s artists and designers.

The post How Old is Mario? The Many Mysteries and Myths of the Character’s Age appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[littlemissmeggie]

Fic questions; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 36, 37, 40, 43 (least fav story), 46, 47, 48, 49

sorry this took so long! some most of these were really difficult and took a lot of consideration! thank you for sending this, whoever this mouse is. it was challenging and fun.

1. things that inspire you: music. personal experiences. music.2. things that motivate you: music. the @1dbackforyoucollab writing challenge i’ve been participating in the last couple months. reviews and asks and messages and kudos!!! asks like this that show some people are interested in my writing and fics!3. name three favorite writers: i’m not sure if this means, like, published authors or fellow fanfic writers. i’ll go with three published authors—mario puzo, j.k. rowling, and agatha christie—and one fic writer—nautibitz, who most likely none of you will have heard of because she was a spuffy fic writer in the buffy the vampire slayer fandom back in the early/mid 2000s and wrote fics that could have been missing episodes from the show and AUs that were perfect. (her fics were the first fanfictions i ever read in any fandom ever.)5. since how long do you write? i started writing fanfiction almost three years ago. i think i posted my first fic in april of 2016. i’ve always loved to write though. it was usually just fiction that i wrote for myself and never showed to anybody else (or to my old friend tasha).

7.early influences on your writing: mario puzo. a lot of the old spuffy fanfic writers. 8. what time are you most productive? probably in the morning after i wake up and am sitting drinking my morning cup of tea. second most productive time would probably be mid-afternoon on days off.10. how do you do your researches? i mostly google things and make notes in my writing notebooks. i also always have google maps open in a tab so i can find my way around wherever i’m writing. 

12. favorite place to write: sitting in my bed. i can occasionally get a bit done on the sofa. i used to write a bit in the cafe at barnes & noble when i went to take breaks at work but now i’m lucky if i get a proper half hour break so that doesn’t happen anymore.

13. hardest character to write: maybe zayn? probably just because i didn’t get into the fandom until after he left so the only reference i have for him regarding pleasant interactions with the rest of 1d is old interviews and such. but i still don’t think i have a hard time writing him.

15. hardest verse to write: i’d have to say anything canon-compliant. i wasn’t in the fandom until right before made in the a.m. was released so, because i wanted to be as accurate as i could be when writing canon-compliant, i spent a lot of time researching everything 1d and narry that i could. i also didn’t want to seem like a l*rrie so it was always a bit like walking a tightrope to get the right balance of canon-compliant without seeming like a tinhat.17. favorite AU to write: i really loved writing my mermaid!harry AU but i’m also loving this model AU. i don’t think i can choose between them, honestly.20. favorite character to write: i love writing harry but louis may be my favourite. 21. least favorite character to write: probably nick in all the time before i knew you but more because i feel badly making nick grimshaw an abusive, manipulative dickhead than that i dislike the character.22. favorite story you’ve ever written: i can’t pick one so i’ll give my top three in no particular order: a little drop for me, that’s the day i knew you were my pet, and all the time before i knew you. honorable mention to i think i know he don’t love me because it was my first fic and holds a special place in my heart.23. least favorite story you’ve ever written: i’m really having a hard time choosing a least favourite. i really do like every fic i’ve written. i wouldn’t post them if i didn’t. if forced to choose though, i’d say i like tonight you’re mine the least. 25. favorite line you’ve ever written: “Please don’t,” groaned Conor from where he sat beside Bird. “We can choose more than one song on the jukebox, ya know.” (i love the whole scene at the beginning of chapter 3 of all the time before i knew you because harry and bird’s discussion about the superior supergroup is so very much a music nerd conversation i would have with two of my uncles.) if asked again in a few days, i may choose a different one.26. story you’re most proud of: so far, before i knew you. i really am proud of all of my stories—i wouldn’t post them for everyone to read if i weren’t at least mostly pleased with them—but with this fic, i feel my technical skill is at the best it’s been. i also set out to write in the third-person omniscient as well as i could; i think i’ve been fairly successful and have managed to avoid too much head-hopping while still showing the points of view of multiple characters. (i’m sure an expert of any kind would find fault but i think i’ve done it fairly successfully.) i’ve also managed to write my transitions without my least favourite transition tool ******* between sections, which is something i’ve wanted to get out of my writing for the last couple years. i wanted it to flow a bit more like scenes in a movie rather than harsh breaks.28. worst review you ever got: someone commented on an early chapter of my mermaid AU (a little drop for me) saying the story was boring and asking when the narry was going to start. not really a bad review but just an unnecessary comment to leave. i also got a comment on the first chapter of all the time before i knew you that i really didn’t know how to take; i wasn’t sure if they liked the story or not. (i’m not sure if they knew if they liked it or not, actually.) they ended by saying they guessed they would have to wait for another update though so i guess not a bad review, just a weird one.30. hardest part of writing: sometimes it’s really just finding the focus to write that trips me up. other times i get stuck on one scene and because i don’t have the mental ability to skip a scene and go back to it, i get frustrated and can’t write the scene and move on. another thing that makes writing difficult for me sometimes is my obsessive research that occasionally trips me up and makes what should be a short, easy scene to write take hours because i’m researching the menus at restaurants in the area of wherever the scene is taking place and trying to figure out which restaurant harry would choose and then finding out the walking directions to that restaurant from wherever he’s starting.31. easiest part of writing: dialogue. i almost always find that dialogue just flows really easily for me. 36. one-shot or multi-chaptered story? i really love how in-depth i can get with a chaptered story. one-shots are nicer for stories that aren’t spanning a great length of time or don’t require as much background as i like to put into most of my stories. so probably chaptered.37. canon or AU? i preferred writing canon or canon-compliant fics when i first started but i now prefer AUs.40. which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series: a little drop for me as a movie or all the time before i knew you as a series. every few chapters of a little drop and each chapter of before i knew you could be a season of the show. that’s the day i knew you were my pet would be a cute romcom-type movie. (fun fact: i studied screenwriting for a while before going to culinary school.)43. would you ever write a sequel for (insert fic title here): the fic asked was my least favourite, which is (i say hesitantly) tonight you’re mine. and i won’t ever do it but i could see a sequel in which their relationship has changed and niall is the dominant one in the relationship and he isn’t just domming for the night. 

46. share a scene of a story that you haven’t published yet: i posted it here.47. how many unfinished ideas/stories are you working on at the same time? i usually can only manage one fic at a time but i’ve currently got my rarepair fic and before i knew you going (almost) simultaneously. my guardian angel!niall fic has been in the back of my mind constantly for about two and a half years now, though.48. three spoilers for (insert story title): i wasn’t given a fic so i’m going to choose one but i’m not going to say which fic. 😈 1. harry wears only one ring to work and lou notices. 2. niall writes since we’re alone about harry. 3. harry gets a bit wrapped up in himself and doesn’t realise he’s emotionally neglecting niall.49. writing advice: write. read. write even if you’re not happy with it because you can always go back and edit, revise, add, remove but write just to keep up your flow. that said, don’t push yourself to write if you’re really struggling. take a break for a few days, a week, however long you need to reset yourself. read something or watch a television series. do something to get your mind off your story. find blogs and websites about writing to improve your grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, all the technical stuff. set a challenge for yourself for each fic—my current is to write in a (reasonably) successful third-person omniscient point of view—and try to achieve it. then push yourself to do it even better in your next fic. talk to other writers and ask for advice. if outlining works for you, write a good outline. 

[echoeternally]

its okay im only asking for these ones :). Jk 2 5 6 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Geez, that’s a lot. Well, 9, 12, 14, 26, & 26 were already answered in previous posts, so I’m skipping those. The rest? Uh…here goes.

2. Is there a ship you didn’t like at first but ultimately started shipping?

Hmm. Um. I guess Alex/Maggie of Supergirl. At first, I liked it better when Maggie rejected Alex, and thought they could go in a better direction for them after Alex came out, but was then rejected. And I still believe that. But, it’s a canon lesbian pairing, and they’re cute, so sure.

5. What is your most fluffy + happy ship?

…Nothing is. I have fluffy and happy moments that I enjoy and love, but ultimately, I don’t think that I have any pairings that started or will remain that purely happy at any time. Which leads to…

6. What is your most angsty ship?

Everything, probably. All of my ships are full of angst. My more known pairings that I support are gay, so easy gayngst right there. And then otherwise, I just like adding drama and struggles in for everyone. Because torture is good.

10. Is there a ship that makes your skin crawl?

Uh, not particularly. Like, you kind of have to reach for stuff that I wouldn’t think works, which most people either wouldn’t think of, or care about themselves.

For example, if anyone seriously shipped something like Fox/Pigma, kudos to you for going the distance on something so hideous and loving it, but goodness, that’s probably my limit.

Also, I guess stuff involving characters that are underage, but do nothing to age them up. Like, if Bowser Jr. is suddenly in an AU fanfic where he’s in his 20s and courting Peach’s daughter or something, ok, sure. But, if Bowser Jr. is paired straight up with Peach, as a child with an adult? Yuck.

11. What is a character you can only imagine in one particular ship?

The struggles of being a multi-shipper include that you’re typically good at pairing off characters and don’t need them to stay in their ships. Continuing on Star Fox’s examples, I guess, I’d pass Fox around to basically anyone else in the series that I think somehow works.

It’s pretty easy when characters aren’t defined enough, or if you’re not close-minded to headcanons like, “Fire Emblem’s Inigo/Laslow likes all the ladies, but would totally get with guys too, when he’s practiced enough.”

15. What is the first ship you had?

Isn’t this just a repeat of that “oldest ship” question? Whatever, I guess something basic. Mario/Peach, out of sheer laziness, because I liked them together as a couple a while ago, like around when the first games came out. I’ve paired them off since, and I did fall out of it at some point probably, but I don’t know, they’re a nice pair overall.

16. Is there a ship that made you realize something about yourself?

…As in…? I mean, I’ve realized that I love writing lots of pairings? And that I like cute, tender moments, amidst all kinds of hard, turbulent trials? Writing hero/villain things makes me realize how to be kinder to those that we don’t immediately understand? I don’t know, one of those should answer this.

17. Is there a type of ship you always go for?

Nerd/Jock or Popular/Shy have become my go-to pairs, especially gay ones, because yes.

Usual stereotypes in stories include some bigger, muscle dude in a bitter relationship/rivalry with a smaller, smarter guy, or otherwise a quiet, lonely girl that struggles to standout against a loud, popular girl.

So, whenever that happens and when I’m not rolling my eyes from it, I’m like, “But what if they secretly had crushes on each other instead?” And honestly, that’s so much more satisfying, like I can’t even begin.

18. Is there a ship the writers have ruined for you?

Oliver/Felicity, no contest. I think I still have it as a couple that I like, but the longer that Arrow goes on for, the more that I don’t like them together anymore.

It was a cute idea, it could have made for a cute endgame or fun one-off idea. But the writers of the show twisted it so hard to work throughout Season 4 and at moments in Season 3 and Season 5 that I literally can’t stand it.

When it gets to the point where Felicity gets a scene to punch not-Laurel, basically feeding into shipping war fans and siding with one over the other, that’s my limit. Shipping wars happen, but it’s best when writers and stories don’t go out of their way to side with one; you pick one to be canon in the end, not give them ammo to be jerks to other fans with.

19. Is there a ship the fandom has ruined for you?

Let’s stray from the above, because I barely touched into the Arrow fandom once to see Olicity shippers, and goodness, I don’t need to go back.

Hmm. I don’t think any Steven Universe ships have been ruined for me yet, but I feel a lot less comfortable supporting them like I used to. An official artist was chased off of Twitter by Amedot (Amethyst/Peridot) fans, and that was a pairing that I totally supported before I learned about that happening.

Outside of that, it’s not so much that ships get ruined as much as they grow stale to me. Keeping it with SU, I’ve grown very weary of Ruby/Sapphire. It’s like, the series has content that could go for any Gem pair-ups, but because they’re the canon lesbians, they win all kinds of cute and lovely fan art.

Like, I love them, but it’s exhausting to see and go, “Oh. Another fan art of Ruby and Sapphire being gay. How original.” It’s especially weird because they’re not main cast individually (Garnet is), so…yeah.

22. Is there a ship you’ll never admit you have?

Probably, I’m sure. By answering it specifically, that means that I’m admitting to it, right? So, good, I don’t have to think, lol.

24. What is one scene you want to see happen for all your ships?

Well, who wouldn’t want to see their OTPs get married? Isn’t that like the most obvious…really, why is that a question?

25. Is there a ship you wish you didn’t know existed? 

I guess not really. There are ships that gross me out. There are ships that bore me. There are ships that have fans that turn me off of them. But I don’t think there’s anything that I wish I didn’t know about. Otherwise, that would make me feel ignorant upon learning it, or I’d be missing out on some drama.

28. Is there a character you have several ships for?

Gosh, I really need to make it clearer that I’m a multi-shipper. Yes, I can ship multiple characters in multiple ways.

Mario, Peach, and Bowser are all in one love-triangle. I can pair that one off in any way, if not pairing all three of them off together. I don’t care.

Just because I would fight to have Machamp and Alakazam as a couple being a thing and actively encourage people to follow them, they’re not exclusive, and I could see either with other Pokemon.

I started Arrow and thought that the moments between Oliver and Diggle should have become romantic. Some episodes still make me think they should’ve been a couple.

Steven Universe has no “perfect” canon pairing outside of Ruby/Sapphire, and therefore everyone is open game. Do I like Pearl/Rose more than Greg/Rose? Some days. Sometimes Pearl seems better with Amethyst. Or Lapis. Or Peridot.

Every character I come across has a relationship with other characters that, if they have enough development, could be seen in a romantic light. Therefore, I like the idea of any of those.

29. What is the ship you ignore 98% of canon for?

Well, I guess that’s anything Pokemon, because Trainers are always needed, but I usually say, “screw them, go monsters.”

If it means anything with enough plot, then I guess nothing. I don’t really ignore canon, and like to work with it when possible.

If this means for confirmed canon ships, I usually acknowledge canon relationships, especially if it’s beaten to death with confirmation. It doesn’t mean that I’ll automatically like it, but I won’t pretend that it doesn’t exist.

30. Is there a ship you like but you dislike the fandom?

I think Steven Universe is the go-to for that. It’s most definitely not the entire fandom, but I’ve heard my fair share of stories.

Like in the above posts, I like many ships, and I like pairing off characters in Steven Universe any which way that I can. If anyone is looking to tell me, “No, you can’t do that, it’s not canon,” or, “No, you can’t do that, because this one’s better,” then that’s not ok.

The SU fandom is full of that kind of attitude, and the whole “shipping wars” type of attitude. I don’t approve of shipping wars, period. I like comparing and contrasting ships. I like that everyone has different opinions about pairings.

I like civil conversations on them, and people understanding differences and respecting different approaches to pairs. Even things that I’ve talked against, such as the earlier mentioned Fox/Pigma, I wouldn’t outright hate someone over. Like, do you really ship them together? Ok, cool.

There are all kinds of different flavors out there to try. Some you like, some you won’t. You shouldn’t be close-minded to that, and you shouldn’t hate someone for having a different taste from yours.

If the fandom thrives on debate topics that involve insults and rabid hatred of one another, that’s not worth the time or energy. It’s that simple.

There. Done. I feel like I completed the ask meme already, goodness.