#Why are children and teenagers such a handful? - The epic conclusion.

[one-in-a-million-fishsticks]

A young fairy who doesn't know anything about children requests a human's firstborn child as payment for a favor.

What follows is exactly the series of unfortunate events that you'd expect.

[mendokayalways]

I feel like Hollywood saw the response to the Percy Jackson series and the Hunger Games prequel and missed the connection between those specific stories and the state of the world and it’s relationship to the children/young adult audience. 

The Percy Jackson series was overdue for a remake because of the initial adaptation dropping the ball in many ways (they’re great movies don’t get me wrong, just terrible adaptations) and also, it still holds up. The author of the series has done much to improve upon the original works, has supported many up and coming LGBTQ+ and POC authors, has been incredibly supportive of the new young cast. The story itself revolves around neurodivergent children with absentee and powerful parents who can get their children killed simply to keep themselves in power and the series concludes with those parents being held accountable after an incredible epic story of power struggle, loss, and friendship. 

The Hunger Games trilogy and it’s prequel are INCREDIBLY relevant in the world today and if I need to expand more on why that is considering there has been a huge Hunger Games renaissance in the past few months, just look it up, I have more to say and not enough energy (sorry). 

On the other hand, the perception of Twilight as a series has had a major 180 in the past few years where it has been exposed for it’s problematic parts, it has maintained it’s mark in pop culture for the campiness and meme-ability, there’s nostalgia attached to it, and dark humor as well. (PS: I was never a huge Twilight fan so this is purely my own perception of the goings on in the Twilight fan base, I’m sure there’s a lot more nuance attached to it so feel free to add your opinions on this).

And Harry Potter.....oh, Harry Potter. I was raised on this series and everything that I have learned about it and about JKR has been increasingly depressing and I have completely distanced from it unless I am consuming LGBTQ and POC friendly fanworks. There’s a lot of deep racism, xenophobia, and ableism in the original work, none of the systems are held accountable even at the conclusion of the story, in fact the teenage rebels join the system and uphold it from their positions of the privileged elite. The author is an outspoken transphobe who literally promotes and supports anti-trans movements in the UK. The only thing this specific rework has to rely on is blind loyalty and nostalgia. And that cuts off a significant chunk of the fanbase. 

[concerningwolves]

Hello

Just wondering if you have any book recommendations?

What's your favourite books?

Oohh *rubs hands* I'm never really sure where to start with book recommendations, but I can certainly recommend in the sense of "here are my favourite books" (●'◡'●) So —

here are ten of my favourite books / books that have left a deep and significant impression on me.

(all links are to the book's storygraph page. Series will link to the first book)

▶ The Stormlight Archive (series) by Brandon Sanderson. It starts with a soldier-turned-slave who struggles to protect those he loves when he and his friends are treated as nothing more than bait in a war; a young noblewoman from a backwater House who sets out to save her impoverished family via a daring heist; and a general who is being plagued by visions during storms, in a world where visions and seeing the future are extraordinarily taboo. It expands into an epic fantasy series that world-builds like science fiction, and puts a lot of care and time into character-driven plot arcs.

I'm particularly enamoured with TSA because of its meaningful (and sensitively handled!) explorations of trauma, recovery and mental illness; and also because the worldbuilding is so damn cool. [CW for alcoholism and addiction, mental illness (including POV characters with psychosis and PTSD), and violence.]

▶ The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky. An adult historical fantasy that explores the clash between Norse and Inuit mythology, based on the plausible idea that early Greenlandic settlers and Inuit peoples could have crossed paths. The story follows Omat, a young woman raised as a man for most of her life, touched by the spirits and watched by the gods of both the Inuit and the Norse since before her birth. It's a slow-paced, meandering story which focuses on character growth, finally coming to an emotionally fraught and explosive (but very satisfying!) climax. [Major CW for rape, threat of sexual violence, and graphic violence.]

▶ The Unwind Dystology (series) by Neal Shusterman. YA dystopia. [Disclaimer that I've only read the first book so far – I fully intend to go back to the series, but the first book had a nice conclusion on its own, so I left it there for the time being]. Unwind is set in a not-to-distant future where, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, children can be "unwound". This is really a very polite way of saying "being taken apart so that every single part of their body is donated to someone else, but it isn't TECHNICALLY murder because they live on :)". The story follows three teenagers who've been condemned as Unwinds for various reasons, on the run and searching for a place where they can be safe. It's tense, gritty and fast-paced, and I devoured it in about two days.

▶ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Adult urban fantasy. A man called Richard meets a young woman called Door, and is promptly embroiled in the bizarreness of a world beneath London where Tube stations, landmarks and urban myths are personified in surreal and creative ways. A world that belongs to all the people who have fallen through the cracks of "normal" life.

This is the book that catapulted me into being a Neil Gaiman fan and I periodically come back to reread it. I can't be in London without making at least a dozen references to Neverwhere and I wouldn't have it any other way.

▶ The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. YA Contemporary fiction. “Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.”

Perks is one of those books I deeply adore, but can't really say why. The catharsis, maybe? The deep relatability of feeling Other and being unsure why? Really I can best describe my feelings towards it as "unexpectedly comforting comfort blanket". That said, CW for child sexual abuse, alcoholism, homophobia and drug use, because it does go dark and go hard.

▶ The Girl with all the Gifts by M. R. Carey. Adult post-apocalyptic thriller. A cordyceps fungus has evolved to infect humans, reducing those infected into mindless, ravenous creatures called "hungries". The only hope for a cure lies in a group of strange children who, although infected, have somehow retained their mental capacity. When the military installation where they're being kept finally falls, one of these children, Melanie, sets out in a journey for answers across the ravaged nation.

When I say this book absolutely blew my mind, I mean that it blew my mind. It was first recommended to me on the basis that it is thematically similar to the game The Last of Us, which it is! But it also goes in some new and highly unexpected directions that thrilled me to the core. I didn't enjoy the sequel (The Boy on the Bridge) much, but Gifts is very strong as a standalone so that doesn't bother me.

▶ If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. Adult dark academia/thriller. A close-knit group of drama students are put under pressure when one of their number is found dead. It's told from the point of view of Oliver, who admitted to being guilty for the murder and has just been released from prison. What unfolds is a story about rivalry, yearning, unrequited love and what it means to be a villain.

I picked this book as my work of fiction to study for my A Level coursework, which was all about the nature of heroism/villainy, and how language is used to create and represent these ideals. I find it hard to talk about without spoiling because I literally ate, breathed and slept this book for months, but it's just... there's queerness, and Shakespeare, and examinations of what happens when young people are put into very isolated social groups and told to become the roles they play on stage. CW for drug use, alcoholism, and a couple of instances of homophobia.

▶ The Humans by Matt Haig. Adult Sci-Fi. When a professor solves an extremely advanced mathematical riddle, an alien is sent to earth to remove him. This alien then inserts itself into the professor's life. Unfortunately, the alien hates every single person on planet earth except Newton the dog. Well, he hates everyone until he discovers a love for peanut butter sandwiches, Emily Dickinson, Debussy and, unexpectedly, the humans themselves.

This book is. It's peak comfort read. Just.. a warm, fuzzy blanket. Matt Haig began writing after his severe struggles with depression (which he speaks about very frankly in the end note), and in many ways the "alien is stuck living a human life that he finds repulsive" is very much a metaphor for depression. But it's also just a book about an alien trying to be human. It's funny, witty, and heart-achingly tender. Simply delightful.

▶ The Bone People by Keri Hulme. Adult magical realism. An isolated artist who lives in a tower in New Zealand finds an odd kind of friendship with Simon, a boy who tries to steal from her, and Simon's adoptive father.

I've been meaning to get a new copy to re-read because my copy fell apart while I was reading it. That was over five years ago, and it still lives rent-free in the back of my head. This book absolutely revolutionised my idea of what a story could be! It's a romance without being about romance, a mystery without being a mystery, and genuinely so hard to define in a particular genre. Which is very much the point! There's a lot about Maori culture and heritage, the influence of European settlers, sexuality and gender, and the kinship found between lonely and estranged people. The main character, Kerewin Holmes, is asexual and aromantic; I'm pretty sure that the boy, Simon, is non-verbal autistic; and his adoptive father, Simon, is (I think?) bisexual. Fair warning that the book does portray an abusive relationship between Joe and Simon as a core of the story and it's very dark in places, so CW for domestic abuse, ableism, bigotry, racism and homophobia.

▶ Of Bees and Mists by Erick Setiawan. Adult magical realism. A story about three generations of women living in a town where magic blends with everyday life in subtle, yet bizarre, ways. Meridia's home has always been lonely and cold, surrounded by a mist created by her parents' relationship. At sixteen, she escapes to marry the man she loves – and finds a new, equally insidious darkness in Daniel's home.

It's been ... I don't know, six years? Seven? Since I read this book. It was my first dip into magical realism and really opened my eyes to the possibilities presented by the fantasy genre. I'd never read anything like it, and I think it's really influenced the way I describe and write magic in my own stories. I can't remember it well enough for all the content warnings, but definitely CW for mentions of rape/dubious consent.

[aion-rsa]

Best Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2021

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Movies are slowly coming back to life at the cinemas. You can see it with each glowing report about a Godzilla vs. Kong or Mortal Kombat doing solid business. And for those with more discerning tastes, films like In the Heights and Those Who Wish Me Dead are definitely going to make their release dates.

Nonetheless, there are many who are understandably not ready to go back to theaters (or have yet to get an HBO Max subscription). Thus Netflix remains an old reliable option. While the Netflix movie selection can be narrow, each month offers some worthwhile gems to revisit or even discover. And May has a surprisingly robust group of Hollywood films from the last 40 years coming to the streaming service on May 1. Here are the best ones.

Back to the Future (1985)

Great Scott! Back to the Future is coming to Netflix. As one of the most beloved films of the 1980s—if not ever—it’s doubtful we need to explain in great detail why this is exciting news. From its star-making turn by Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly to the grand musical score by Alan Silvestri, everything about this movie justworks. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s script is like a Swiss watch in precision, paying off every single setup in the film’s first act when Marty commandeers a time machine made by Doc Brown (a lovable Christopher Lloyd) and accidentally travels from 1985 to 1955… to meet his parents as teenagers!

More time has passed since the movie’s release than the once massive generational gap between the film’s primarily ‘50s setting and 1985. Yet it still plays as a timeless story about family, time travel, and manure. Large piles of manure. By the way, the rest of the Back to the Future trilogy is coming to Netflix, too.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

Forget about all the “sad” dog movies of the last decade where canines have funny voiceover narrations and then die on repeat. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a very bitter, bittersweet dog’s journey based on a harder truth. A remake of the 1980s Japanese film, Hachikō Monogatari, this American movie is based on the real events surrounding Hachikō, an Akita dog who lived in 1920s Japan. Every day Hachikō would run to the train station, awaiting his master’s return from work. One day, after a fatal stroke, his master never returned. Yet for another 10 years, the dog would escape its various new owners and spend the afternoon waiting at the station.

Directed by The Cider House Rules’ Lasse Hallström, Hachi captures this anecdote about a dog’s loyalty with grace and genuine sweetness. But you’re not going to get through it dry-eyed.

The Land Before Time (1988)

Before it birthed a string of straight-to-video movies meant to babysit pint-sized millennials, the original Land Before Time was a generational touchstone for childhoods in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Overseen by Don Bluth at the height of his talent, and in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, The Land Before Time is a marvel in animation from the period before Disney Animation’s renaissance. It follows an assortment of baby dinosaurs, including a recently orphaned “longneck” named Littlefoot, after a horrible earthquake has rained devastation on all the isolated herbivores. But together they may just find salvation in a land called the Great Valley.

Essentially a dinosaur road movie for children, to the modern eye it’s told with a surprisingly delicate sensitivity. There is no fourth-wall breaking humor and sideways smirks here. It’s a very earnest fairytale captured in the lost art of hand-drawn animation.

The Lovely Bones (2009)

Based on Alice Sebold’s 2002 bestselling book of the same name, The Lovely Bones has a tough premise: a teen girl is raped and murdered, and goes to heaven where she watches her loved ones attempt to process and move on after her disappearance. The debut novel was not only very popular, but generally well-received for its treatment of trauma, sexual assault, and grief.

The movie, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci, among others… was not as well received, fairly criticized for its prioritization of CGI heavenly visuals over a nuanced, character-driven story. You may wonder, then, why we’re recommending a movie that wasn’t great? Because The Lovely Bones is a fascinating watch for those interested in the limits of adaptation and, in particular, how a great filmmaker with expansive resources (including a very talented cast) can fail if they’re not the right person for the job. 

Mystic River (2003)

As one of Clint Eastwood’s best films as director, Mystic River was the first cinematic adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel, and the author’s hardboiled vision of Boston’s tragically seedy underbelly is well realized here. As much about the hard luck community on the South Side as the story of three men, it nonetheless tracks how neighborhood lives intersect.

We meet three boyhood friends in the movie’s unnerving opening and then jump to their bitter middle age. Oe of them, reformed gangster Jimmy (Sean Penn), has a daughter who’s been found murdered in a gutter. His onetime pal Sean (Kevin Bacon), now a detective, swears he’ll figure out who the killer is, and both men’s estranged acquaintance Dave (Tim Robbins) knows more than he’s letting on. All three’s fates are interlinked in this operatic passion play about the traumas we keep hidden until we’re drowning in regret.

Notting Hill (1999)

Though Four Weddings and a Funeral might have put writer Richard Curtis and star Hugh Grant on the map as the kings of ‘90s British romance, Notting Hill is arguably their true pinnacle. Grant plays a foppish bookshop owner who happens to meet the most famous actress in the world, Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts who might just have been the most famous actress in the world at that time) when she stumbles into his shop.

Read more

Movies

Time Travel and Romantic Comedies: A Perfect Love Match?

By Mark Harrison

Movies

Zombie Comedies Ranked

By David Crow

From the sympathy brownie competition, the junket where Grant’s William Thacker has to pretend to be a journalist from Horse & Hound, and Rhys Ifans in his pants, there are plenty of funny, moving moments. But it’s the two montage scenes—a walk through Notting Hill as seasons change to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and the final montage to Elvis Costello’s “She”—that would melt the hardest of hearts. Rom-com perfection.

Scarface (1983)

Reviews were not initially kind to Scarface, director Brian de Palma’s explosive three-hour remake of the 1932 gangster classic starring Paul Muni (that in turn was based on a novel which loosely chronicled the rise of Al Capone). Written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as psychopathic Cuban refugee-turned-drug-kingpin Tony Montana, the 1983 film was excoriated by critics for its relentlessly graphic violence, excessive foul language, and over-the-top performances, especially by its leading man. But critics at the time missed the point: Scarface was a reflection of its time—the hedonistic, greed-driven, cocaine-fueled ‘80s—and was appropriately and utterly crazed as a result.

The film did mark the moment when Pacino transitioned from intense, thoughtful character actor to (mostly) histrionic circus barker, but he leaves it all on the field and his mania drives the fast-paced film to its epic, bloodsoaked, and unbelievable (in all aspects of the word) conclusion. As a metaphor for the insane decade of excess that birthed it, Scarface is riveting, breathless, occasionally shocking and often unintentionally hilarious. It’s the gangster movie on coke.

State of Play (2009)

Kevin Macdonald’s remake of a British miniseries by the same name turned out to be a strong thriller in its own right. With a whip smart script by Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray, this movie doubles as both an enjoyable investigative procedural and a love letter to journalism just as newspapers were beginning to die out in the 2000s. Russell Crowe plays Cal McAffrey in the film, the last of the old school guard of reporters, but his ethics will be challenged when the congressman with a dead young woman on his staff turns out to be his old college buddy (Ben Affleck). Rachel McAdams also stars as a young blogger who learns the thrill of chasing a story that takes more than an afternoon to research. Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, and Jeff Daniels also star.

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

Remember when they made comedies for adults? The Whole Nine Yards is one such anomaly. Really a buddy film about a suicidal dentist (Matthew Perry) and a gangster living under a phony alias who moves in next door (Bruce Willis in one of his last truly charming performances), this giggles and gangsters laugher is a secretly delightful ensemble movie with a deep bench of talent. Indeed, Kevin Pollack, Amanda Peet, Nastsha Henstridge, and Michael Clarke Duncan, as the cuddliest gangster you’ll ever see punch your protagonist in the balls until he’s pissing blood, all get to shine. With a twisty plot, it’s an R-rated throwback to the type of screwball shenanigans that were once Hollywood’s bread and butter.

Zombieland (2009)

It’s rare when calling something the second best zombie comedy ever made is high praise, but in a horror subgenre that also includes Shaun of the Dead, this is high praise for Zombieland. As an R-rated teen comedy, one suspects the filmmakers almost lucked into the absurdly talented cast they assembled with Emma Stone, Jessie Eisenberg, and Woody Harrelson. In the years since this movie’s release, all three were nominated for Oscars (Stone even won one), but in ’09 they’re just having a blast with this goofy stoner hybrid about a dysfunctional makeshift family having fun during the zombie apocalypse.

Also, it features arguably the greatest comedy cameo ever conceived. If you haven’t seen it, I’m not going to spoil it for you here either…

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[grither55]

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 78 - Paradise Lost

"I brought you a flower Momma!" Elle exclaimed in a proud voice while her mother accepted the offering with a compassionate smile.

"Thank you for the flower Elle. That was very sweet of you." Lana spoke in a warm voice as she gazed down at her daughter with tender amber eyes while Elle beamed from ear to ear.

"I thought it was pretty so I decided to give it to you!" The blonde-haired child cried out in an innocent voice while her mother let out a fond chuckle.

"Once more. Arigatou Elle." The medic replied in a maternal voice as she patted her daughter's soft hair while the little girl smiled up at her.

Only for her lips to curve into a gentle smile when the small girl leaped into her arms.

"Mom!" Elle shouted in a joyful voice just as her mother's arms wrapped around her back.

"Elle…my daughter. I love you." Lana declared in a loving voice as she held her daughter against her chest.

"And I love you too mom." The blonde-haired child chirped in a cheery voice as she laughed happily while her mother hugged her close.

And with that the two sat together hugging one another for several minutes while they watched the birds fly into the air.

While the mother affectionately ruffled her laughing daughter's hair.

All the while the child enthusiastically pointed out one bird after another.

"Look mom! That one's my favorite! It's so pretty!" Elle spoke in a gleeful voice with Lana smiling warmly while she patted her plush head.

"You said the same thing about the last one Elle." The medic stated in a mirthful voice as she grinned down at her daughter's adorable face.

"Ooh! Look at that one!" The blonde-haired child cried out with her attention already drifting to another fluttering bird while her mother smiled alongside her.

"I see. That one is indeed lovely." Lana commented in a voice of boundless patience with her small daughter seated in her lap.

While they gazed up into the sky as the sun rose high into the air over the district.

"I wish I was a bird." Elle remarked in a lovable voice with her mother still gazing down at her fondly.

"Don't we all dear." The medic conversed as she gazed into the clouds with warm amber eyes that were trying her hardest to stay upbeat.

It wasn't easy though.

Not after all that they have been through.

But she has to try.

If not for herself but for her husband and her children.

"S-someday…I want to flow free like a bird soaring high in the air." The blonde-haired child announced in a wistful voice with a hand under her chin while she stared up with sparkling amber eyes.

"That would be nice wouldn't it?" Lana pondered in tender voice with her hand in her daughter's hair while Elle sat against her chest.

And for what it was worth.

For a few moments everything was at peace in their little world.

As much as it could be anyhow.

Until the medic turned her head when she heard the sound of someone shouting out to her to see a middle-aged man running frantically up the hill.

"What is it?" The medic questioned as she faced the man with her young daughter turning to follow her gaze.

"I am sorry to bother you Lana but there is a medical emergency." The black-haired man informed in an exhausted voice while the medic's eyes took on a more downcast countenance as she pushed herself up.

"Another one?" Lana answered in a frustrated voice as she pulled Elle with her daughter peering up at her in innocent curiosity.

"Another one. The same as before." The middle-aged man replied gravely with the physician sighing heavily as she nodded her head.

"I will be right there." The medic stated in a grave voice with her hand linked in with her child's while the man nodded his head.

"I'll relay the message." The black-haired man responded before turning to rush off while the medic stared on with a depressed look in her eyes.

"Come on Elle. We need to go back." Lana announced with a heavy sigh as she held Elle's hand in her own while Elle's eyes flashed in disappointment.

"B-but we just left…" Elle protested in a pouting voice as she followed after her mother with her smaller hand in her mother's own.

"I know but there are people in need of us." The medic answered in a patient voice before she turned to gaze down at her daughter when the child stopped to pout.

"Why should we care about them? Why can't we just stay here for as long as we want? Just me and you…" The blonde-haired child mumbled as she bashfully kicked at her feet while her mother knelt down with her hands touching her shoulders.

"Because it is the right thing to do. We must never turn away from another being in need. It is our duty to lend a helping hand. However, we are able." Lana lectured with a kind countenance while Elle gazed up at her with her innocent amber eyes taking in her words.

"Lend a helping hand?" Elle asked in a curious voice as she smiled shyly while her mother patted her shoulders.

"Yes, dear. There is only one way that we will recover as a society from the damage of the great war. And that is through love and peace." The medic declared in a passionate voice with a smile returning to her lips while her child adorably tilted her head.

"Love and peace?" The blonde-haired child breathed in an awe-stricken voice while her mother beamed down at her.

"That's right Elle. Love and peace." Lana spoke with her hand patting Elle's shoulder while the little girl considered her words.

Only for her smile to grow when her daughter repeated her words.

"Love and peace!" Elle cried out with a bright smile while Lana grinned at her with her hand grasping at hers once more.

"That's my daughter. Don't worry Elle. We can come back to this flower field as much as you like." The medic assured as she clutched her daughter's hand in her own once more.

"I would like that mom." The blonde-haired child stated in a cheerful voice once more while she gazed up into her mother's affectionate eyes.

"There is something that I want you to know Elle." Lana remarked as she gazed down seriously into her child's indescribably curious vibrant eyes.

"What is it Mother?" Elle queried in a soft voice while Lana gazed down at her with tender amber eyes.

"You are my pride. You…give me hope for this world." The medic stated in a beyond loving voice while the little girl's eyes grew wet in appreciation.

Just as the child jumped into her mother's arms once more while they held each other for the briefest of moments.

"I... love you so much Mother." The blonde-haired child sniffled in a devoted voice while her mother hugged her back.

"And I love you even more." Lana whispered in a tender voice with her golden hair blowing in the breeze while she held her child into her chest.

The flowers swept in the warm summer breeze while the mother and her child savored their momentary embrace.

Until seconds later Lana was forced to end the hug much to her regret.

And with that they ventured back into the district that they called home.

One of many conglomerations of society that formed after the third world war.

And once more Lana stood with her lips in a grimace while she gazed down at the heavily breathing patient with sweat breaking out all over his face.

Before she turned to the people waiting behind her.

"Cancer I presume. My suggestion is that we do what we can to ease the pain." The medic spoke in a solemn voice while a Russian man standing beside her nodded his head in agreement.

And soon afterward the other volunteers of various ethnicities came to the same conclusion.

About twenty minutes later.

Lana stood outside of the building with her face in her hand while she gazed down with sorrowful amber eyes.

Just as she turned her head when she heard the sound of hesitant footsteps behind her only to find herself face to face with her husband.

Elias was a blond-haired man, like herself. But unlike her he was not of partial Japanese descent.

He was a former soldier of British ancestry. And his eyes were a bright blue.

His hair was short and as recently combed. He wore a brown jacket and a pair of tan pants.

Like her he was in his early thirties.

They had met on the road a long time ago and they have been together ever since.

The husband sighed as he leaned against the wall beside her while he placed his hands in his pockets.

Before he turned to gaze at her with concerned blue eyes.

"I take it that it didn't go well?" Elias asked in a sympathetic voice while his wife shook her head.

"No. No, it did not." Lana muttered in a distraught voice while she turned to watch her husband shift beside her.

"I realize that this isn't a good time…" The husband trailed off in uncertainty while his lover turned to him in concern.

"What is it?" The medic pondered just as a knot developed in her stomach when she caught the familiar look in her husband's eyes.

"It's Felix. He had some trouble at school." Elias announced in a frustrated voice while Lana's kind eyes grew wide in worry.

Just before she rushed past her worried husband before he could even get so much as a chance to say another word.

And with that the two were rushing off towards the school.

Meanwhile.

A blond-haired teenage boy was walking across the school yard while he gazed ahead with annoyed amber eyes.

He was wearing a blue tee shirt and his hands were in his pockets.

And he was also wearing a pair of black glasses over his nose.

Felix paused in his step when he heard one of the other boys shout out to him from a nearby table.

While he turned to gaze at them just as they called out a jeering taunt.

"Oh look! It's the crazy boy!" A boy called out in a mocking voice while his friends laughed in amusement beside him.

Only for Felix to just gaze back with an almost bored look in his amber eyes.

Just before a small smile formed on his lips before he spoke out a reply.

"I take it that you haven't heard Tomas." Felix spoke in an unfazed voice while the boys stared back at him in slight puzzlement.

"Heard what?" Tomas asked in a scoff while the other boy walked closer.

Just before he came to a stop before their table with a smile on his lips.

"You're an orphan now. Your father was killed on patrol." The teenager announced in a malicious voice with his words causing Tomas's face turned as white as can be.

And the boy's friends stared at him with a mixture of shock and anger in their eyes while their friend shook in disbelief.

"That's not true! You're lying!" The dark-haired boy shouted with his eyes wide in terror while Felix smiled even wider.

"I'm afraid not. My condolences though." Felix stated in a nonchalant voice as he turned to walk away with delight in his eyes when he heard the other boy cry out in sorrow.

Only for a fist to slam into his cheek not a moment later as he fell to the ground with his glasses soaring off of his face.

And soon enough the three boys stood over him kicking him in the stomach.

Shortly afterward.

Lana and Elias sat in the councilor's office while they listened to the Hindi man tell them what happened

While the medic listened with her amber eyes wide in motherly concern while her husband sighed heavily alongside her.

Only for even Elias's eyes to widen when they were told just what their son said that set the bullies off.

"Felix said what?" Elias questioned with a good bit of anger in his voice while the woman beside him stared on with her eyes wide in emotion.

"I said that your son tauntingly informed Tomas about his father's death." Amar replied in a curt voice while the two parents stared back in alarm.

"Felix…" The medic trailed off in a disconcerted voice with her amber eyes becoming downcast while the councilor gazed back at her.

"Lana. Out of respect for all that you have done for the community I am going to put this as lightly as I can. But I must be frank with you." The councilor commented with a heavy accent to his voice as he folded his palms over his desk.

All the while the woman listened with her husband's hand on her shoulder.

"Fine. Say what you must." Lana answered with a frown already on her lips as she shook her head in anticipation of what she suspected that the man was about to say.

"Your son is deeply disturbed Lana." Amar spoke in a deathly serious voice while Lana clutched at the sleeves of her blouse with a deep frown upon her lips.

"Are you calling my son a monster?" The medic questioned in a pointed voice as she gazed at the councilor's sighing face.

"Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that." The councilor stated with the two parents exchanging a troubled look before the mother turned back to him.

"Yes, you did. I'm not excusing what Felix did. And I can assure you that we will have a long talk with him. But he is only lashing out because those boys have been bullying him for weeks!" Lana insisted with her fists clenched in her lap.

But Elias didn't seem so certain.

"Your son took joy in telling another boy that his father died. This isn't something that any child of a healthy state of mind would do." Amar remarked in a sterner voice while Lana gazed away with emotional amber eyes.

"We understand that Amar." Elias assured as he rubbed the bridge of his nose while he frowned in concern.

"But that's not all. Two weeks ago, your son was caught trying to masturbate in the tool room with rope tied around his neck." The dark-haired man continued in a blunt voice with both parents falling silent in their seats.

Neither parent knew how to respond to such blatant sexual debauchery.

"H-he did what?" The medic blurted out in a baffled voice with her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"What I am trying to get at is that your son is showing early symptoms of dangerous behavior. And to be blunt it is beyond the realm of my expertise." Amar declared as he gazed back at the two taken aback parents while Lana audibly swallowed.

"What can we do?" The husband queried in a quiet voice while his wife held her face in her hand.

"The only thing I can suggest is taking him to a larger city further west for a more comprehensive treatment plan." The dark-haired man announced as he set a paper down on his desk while the two parents now looked completely unsettled.

"Further west? Why can't you do anything for him here? Travel between zones is highly dangerous and…" Lana protested with maternal concern in her voice while Amar gazed gravely back at her.

"Look around you Lana. We can barely treat the sick and the wounded here as it is. We can't even give the terminally ill the proper care that they deserve. And you think we have the facilities to treat that?" Amar explained with his hand waving in the air just as Lana stood up from her seat.

While her concerned husband did so as well while he gazed back at her with worried blue eyes.

"Felix is not a monster! He is not!" The medic exclaimed in a distraught voice while the councilor sat there in silence.

Just before she turned around and walked out with her husband quickly following after her once more.

Elias walked out with his eyes gazing downward as he sighed heavily under his breath.

Just when they think that they can enjoy a peaceful moment.

There is always something else.

Elle sat on the floor with a video game controller in hand with a sunny smile on her face while she gazed at the television in excitement.

While various items and family belongings decorating the walls of the household.

In particular there was a small shelf with several family photos set out on display.

One was of Lana smiling happily with the mutually content Elias, their seemingly disinterested son Felix and a two-year-old Elle grinning adorably back at the camera.

And another was of Elias and Lana on their wedding night.

And a third was a familiar one of Lana hugging both of her children.

"Yay! I beat the second stage!" Elle cheered with a little fist pumping in the air while she grinned back at the tv screen.

Just before she enthusiastically bit her lip when the third round began.

All the while the sound of raised voices was heard from the kitchen in the background.

"Felix! Look at your mother when she is talking to you!" Elias demanded with anger in his eyes that only increased when Felix mockingly rolled his eyes.

"You cannot say something like that Felix! It's not right. I thought I raised you to be better than that." Lana exclaimed as she stood behind her son while the teenage boy turned to gaze up at her.

"Why can't I?" Felix retorted in a playful voice with his mother frowning down at him.

"Because it is morally wrong. That's why." The medic stated adamantly only for her eyes shimmer in renewed emotion when her son scoffed.

"And what makes you think that I care about morals? Look around you Mother. There are no morals anymore." The teenager spoke in an uncaring voice that took both of his parents aback before he stood up from his seat.

"How…how can you say that? Morals will always have meaning!" Lana insisted with her hands at her hips while Elias stared at their son in disbelief.

For quite some time they had both known that their son was troubled to say the least.

But never to this extent.

"The only way to survive is if you stop playing by the rules." Felix stated as he turned to walk out while his mother stared on with hurt in her warm amber eyes.

Just as his father placed an angered hand on his shoulder.

"Hold it. This talk isn't yet Felix! I also heard about your perversions at school!" The father shouted with his blue eyes staring angrily down at his son's back just as the boy turned to face him.

"So, you found out that I am into auto erotic asphyxiation. What of it?" The teenager quipped in a dismissive voice while his two parents stared at him in complete bewilderment.

"There will never be a repeat of either of these incidents that's what." Elias remarked in a firm voice with his eyes glaring down at his son.

While Lana held a hand over her forehead as she sunk back against the wall under great stress.

"Who do you think I am? Elle? I'm not who you think I am…and I am getting really sick of acting like I am." Felix replied before he pushed his father's stunned hand off his shoulder while he strode towards the front door.

While the two parents stared after him in frustration only for their feelings to grow when the boy withdrew a pack of cigarettes.

"S-since when did you pick up smoking?" The medic pondered in a helpless voice with her eyes gazing after her son as he opened the front door.

"Oh, I don't know. A few months ago." The teenager answered in an unbothered voice as he waved a hand in the air while his father glared after his back.

"Please Felix…. please let us help you." Lana called out in a saddened voice that only grew when her son said nothing in response.

Before closing the door shut behind him.

And with that Lana slumped against the wall with her palm over her face while Elias stood in a mutually unsettled silence.

With their sole comfort being the sound of Elle's happy voice and the video games sounds that were coming from the adjacent room.

The overwhelmed mother turned to glance in the direction of her cheerful daughter before she wordlessly pushed herself off the wall.

Before she walked into the living room while her husband gazed after her with concerned blue eyes.

While she came to a stop over her joyful child just as Elle turned to beam up at her.

"Do you mind if I sit with you Elle?" The medic questioned in a soft voice with her smile beginning to return when her little girl tugged on her pant leg.

"I would like that mom! Would you like to play a game with me?" The blonde-haired child cried out in an innocent voice that contrasted her brother's behavior while her mother chuckled over her.

"Yes dear. I think I would like that." Lana spoke before she sat down on her posterior beside her small daughter while she slipped an arm around her little girl's shoulder.

All the while taking solace in how her youngest began to lean into her side with an adorable smile on her lips.

"I…love you momma." Elle announced in a bashful voice just as her hair was ruffled by Lana's hand while her mother lovingly held her against her stomach.

"And I love you my sweet Elle. And I always will." The medic declared with a trace of emotion in her voice while she embraced her child under her arm while the little girl leaned into her embrace.

All the while her husband watched them with his depressed countenance giving way to a small smile.

No matter how bleak life became for them.

Elle was always able to bring a smile to their face.

And they both loved her for it.

The following day…

Felix was once again thrown against the wall while he spat out saliva when Gregory punched him in the stomach.

Which was soon followed up by a kick to gut from Alexander.

The two boys hissed in their rage while the other teen slumped against the wall with his hand over his stomach while Tomas glared down at him.

"I am going to make you regret mocking my dad!" Tomas shouted with heavy emotion in his voice before he punched Felix across the jaw.

And with that the three bullies continued to beat up Felix just as they had many other times before.

And soon afterward the scowling boy entered through the back door of his home while he made his way to his room with his amber eyes boiling over in anger.

Just before he passed the living room to see his kid sister happily playing her old Super Nintendo once more.

"Woo hoo! I advanced to the next world!" Elle cheered in a jubilant voice with her controller in hand while she threw her hands in the air.

Just as she heard her brother step up behind her while he rolled his amber eyes down at her.

"How many times are you going to play Super Mario Brothers 3? You've already beaten it several times now." Felix commented from behind his sister just as she turned to gaze up at him only for her amber eyes to widen when she took in his bruises.

"Felix…what happened to your face?" The blonde-haled child pondered in a concerned voice while her older brother shrugged his shoulders.

"I just had a run in with some assholes who won't be around much longer." The teenager answered in a dismissive voice with a small smile on his lips while he adjusted his cracked glasses.

"Oh…do you want to play a round of Mario Kart?" Elle queried in a hopeful voice while Felix gazed down at her with amused amber eyes.

"Are you going to cry if you lose?" Felix inquired in a taunting voice only for his little sister to puff out her chest in a show of confidence.

"No. And who said that I would be the one losing?" The blonde-haired child retorted in a childishly proud voice while her brother scoffed before he sat down on the floor beside her.

"Let's put your confidence to the test then." The brother spoke in a smug voice as he grasped a controller while his sister did the same.

"Bring it!" Elle chimed in a happy voice with her amber eyes expressing great delight at sharing a rare moment with her elder brother.

Her brother had been getting much colder as of late and it seemed as if he was drifting away from her and her parents.

That made her sad and she wished that there was a way for them to grow closer.

Perhaps a few rounds of a game will bring them closer together once again.

Six days later in the local town hall building.

Lana stood before a podium with a crowd gathered before her while her husband and her daughter watched from the seating area.

Despite her concerns over her son's increasingly unstable behavior she knew that she had to focus on the community at hand.

That didn't mean that it didn't hurt to do so.

Only to find herself cracking a soft smile a moment later when she caught sight of little Elle waving enthusiastically at her from the crowd beside her chuckling husband.

"The great war has taken more from us than can ever be put into words. We have lost loved ones, our homes, some of us even our countries, and with-it sickness and death. But through it all…together we have seen that there is hope." Lana spoke before the microphone with her amber eyes gazing out at her audience while the townspeople of many ethnicities listened in silence.

All the while young Elle sat there beside her father with her amber eyes paying keen attention to her mother's words.

While her father listened with a proud smile on his face.

"It doesn't matter who we are, where we came from, or what the color of our skin is, what religion you may or may not believe in, your sexual orientation. All that matters…is that we are living beings. And we are in this together." The medic remarked with her hands on the podium while her eyes met the crowds many moved faces.

One person after another gazed around at one another while the dedicated woman continued her speech.

"The only way that we will ever conquer the hatred of the past is through love and peace. We must continue onward together as a community and we must never forget one thing." Lana stated with her mouth over the microphone while her voice resounded throughout the moved audience.

Yet none more so than Elle herself.

The little girl sat with her bright eyes staring on in admiration while she committed every wise word to memory that her mother spoke.

"No living being has the right to take the life of another. Our ancestors were wrong to do so and we would be just as wrong to do the same. The path to peace is a difficult road to travel but I truly believe that it is the right one." The medic announced with emotion in her amber eyes while the taken aback community listened in contemplation.

And the child gazed on with her hands folded in her lap as she bit her lip while her father held a hand on her shoulder.

"No living being has the right to take the life of another…" Elle murmured in a naïve voice with an innocent smile forming on her lips while her father turned to smile down at her.

And with that the crowd muttered to one another before the medic stepped away spoke into the mic one final time.

"That is all. Thank you for hearing me out." Lana concluded as she backed away from the microphone while the sound of clapping began from the audience.

The first to do so was none other than her excited daughter and her husband.

Followed by many other people in the audience.

"Go mom!" The blonde-haired child cheered with a fist in the air while her mother smiled back at her in appreciation.

"Yes, well done Lana." The husband spoke with a grin while his wife smiled as she made her way towards them.

"Thank you…both of you for your support. Do either of you know where Felix got off to?" The medic inquired in a concerned voice with her good mood wavering a fraction while the two shook their heads.

"No. I don't. He doesn't listen to anything I say anymore. Honestly Lana…I…don't think that there is much more than we can do." Elias responded in a quiet voice with a waning smile while his wife looked saddened after hearing those words.

The mother said nothing in response it was all she could do to numbly nod.

Yet she knew that she could never give up on her son.

No matter what he becomes Felix is still her son and that means that there must be hope for him.

"Maybe Felix would be happier if we played more games together. I'll ask him if he wants to play Mario Kart later! That will cheer him up!" Elle chirped in a sweet voice while both of her parents gazed at her fondly.

Neither voicing how they very much doubted that it would have any effect on altering their son's behavior.

Only for the couple to swiftly find themselves torn from their thoughts when not a moment later when the sound of a woman shouting pierced the air.

Screaming something about a gunman being sighted outside of the town hall.

And just like that the crowd erupted in a panic as people spun around in a panic fearing an attack from an unseen gunman.

While Lana pulled Elle's frightened body close as she glanced around with worry in her amber eyes while Elias guided them out of the panicked building.

Just minutes before outside of the Rosewood speaking event.

The boys from before were gathered outside with the leader Tomas sitting with his depressed head in his hands.

While his friends Gregory and Alexander glanced were trying and failing to console his sorrows.

Despite Tomas's best efforts to play it off it was obvious that he was torn up by his father's passing.

That was when all three of them glanced up when they saw a familiar person walking out of the large crowd.

Felix strode with a jacket over his shoulders while his increasingly cold eyes stared back at them with cruel intent.

While the three boys pushed themselves up from their seats as they glared back at him.

"The psycho boy is back again." Gregory sneered as he strode forward with his two friends.

"Looks like someone didn't learn his lesson." Alexander snarled as he cracked his knuckles while Tomas stared at Felix's smiling face with furious eyes.

"I am going to beat the shit out of you so bad that you won't be able to walk for weeks." Tomas spoke as he pointed a finger at Felix's undaunted face.

Only for all three of them to gaze on in surprise when the teenager let out a demented laugh with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey there Tomas. How was your father's funeral?" Felix pondered in a taunting voice as he lit a cigarette with a lighter while the three boys stared back at him in growing rage.

"You! I am going to kill you!" The dark-haired boy screamed in his rage with his friends flanking him from behind.

Only for all three of them to freeze in their steps when Felix flashed them a dark smirk before he withdrew a handgun from his coat pocket.

The three bullies froze up when they suddenly found themselves facing down the barrel of a pistol while the other boy stared back at them with his amber eyes alight in cruel delight.

"Is…that fucking thing loaded?" Alexander asked in disbelief as he froze in his tracks while Gregory stood motionless frozen beside him.

"Don't be stupid! Of course, it's not loaded! He's just trying to scare us!" Tomas shouted in a poor attempt at playing off his fear while his two friends gazed on in uncertainty.

And then the pistol pointed back at the three boy's faces while the blond-haired teenager's lips curved into a cold grin.

"No living being has the right to take the life of another." Lana spoke in the distance from inside the townhall while Felix stared down the three increasingly unnerved boys.

A brief moment of silence passed them just before the other two boys pulled back on Tomas's sleeve.

"Come…on Tomas this isn't worth it." Alexander advised as he backed away with his eyes never leaving Felix's handgun while the boy smiled back at them.

"Yeah…it isn't." Gregory agreed as he too backed away while he too pulled back his angered friend.

"Right. Let's go." The dark-haired boy muttered in a still angered voice while he eyed the pistol warily.

And not a moment later they vanished around the corner while Felix finally lowered the pistol.

"That's right. Run away." The teenager chuckled in a demented laugh with the gun raising to his lips.

And then he ran his tongue along his lips as he continued to laugh in a demented manner while he cradled the gun against his cheek.

How long he stood there posing with the pistol he wasn't certain.

It wasn't until he heard a woman scream in fear after taking note of his gun that he was torn from his reverie.

And just as quickly after the woman screamed townspeople began to rush out to check on her while Felix rolled his amber eyes over their squeamishness.

Just before he slid the gun back into his jacket pocket before he broke out into a run in the opposite direction of the rushing crowd.

"What happened! You said that you saw someone about to bring in a gun to the townhall?" Someone called out in a panic while the woman in question hurriedly nodded her head.

"Y-yes! A boy pulled out a gun and he looked as if he was going to enter the building! I could see it in his eyes he was truly planning on shooting someone!" The woman exclaimed in a frenzy while she gazed back at the concerned crowd.

Just as Lana and Elias cautiously made their way out with their eyes widening as they shared a look with one another.

But before they had a chance to ponder the matter they spun around when they realized that their daughter had gotten separated from them in the rush.

"Elle! Elle!" Lana shouted in a worried voice with her maternal eyes gazing around in search of her daughter while Elias turned back to her.

"Calm down Lana. I'll go find her. Just get back to the house okay?" Elias instructed in a supportive voice with his hands on his wife's shoulders while Lana shakily nodded her head.

And with that the man broke out into a run-in search of both their youngest and their oldest.

All the while never able to suppress the bad feeling of just who the alleged boy might be.

Elsewhere on the other side of town.

A lone scarlet-haired child walked in a trance with her hair brown eyes staring blankly ahead.

Cuts were adorning her tired cheeks while she a solemn expression shone throughout her eyes.

Yet somehow throughout it all a smile still graced her features.

She took a tired step with her ragged shirt swaying in the breeze while her wary eyes gazed around in search of food and water.

All the while her booted feet padded along the ground as she strode into the desolate town with her red hair blowing lightly behind her.

She wandered for quite some time while she ducked in and out of view of the large crowds with her paranoid eyes gazing about while she hid in a narrow alleyway.

Just as her brown eyes to widened as she spun around when she heard a voice speak up from behind her.

"Hello! Eek!" Elle cried out in a cheery voice only to find herself being pulled in by the redhead's fists while the older girl stared back at her with narrowed brown eyes.

Only for the scarlet-haired girl's brown eyes to relax somewhat when she saw that it wasn't an attacker.

"What do you want?" The scarlet-haired child questioned in a guarded voice as she released the smaller girl from her grip.

While she stared at the little blonde with searching brown eyes only to furrow her brows when the girl smiled brightly back at her.

"You looked lonely so I thought that I would come say hi and ask you if you wanted to be friends!" The blonde-haired child chirped as she padded closer while the redhead scrunched up her nose in bewilderment.

"No. I do not. Now go away." The orphan answered in a dismissive voice as she turned away while the blonde's shoulders slumped.

Only for Elle to regain her cheer not a moment later as she approached her back once more.

"My name is Elle! What's your name?" Elle pondered in an innocent voice with the redhead glancing back at her in exasperation.

"I don't have a name. And I thought I told you to go away." The scarlet-haired child remarked with shame in her eyes while the other child gasped in horror.

"You don't have a name?" The blonde-haired child asked in a saddened voice while the redhead trudged ahead just as she padded after her.

"No. I…don't. I…lost it somewhere along the way…" The orphan confessed with a waning smile as she stared down at her feet while the little blonde's eyes grew wet with tears.

"Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry." Elle spoke in a softer voice with the redhead turning to gaze at her in confusion.

"Why are you crying? And why are you apologizing?" The scarlet-haired child questioned in a confused voice with the younger girl still following after her heels.

"Because that's the saddest thing that I have ever heard." The blonde-haired child mumbled in a quieter voice while the redhead turned away once more.

"Yeah well. You can go away now." The orphan muttered with her back turned to the blonde only for a loud growling sound to resonate from her belly.

She paused in her step with her brown eyes gazing down at her stomach in annoyance just as she turned her head to find herself gazing back into the blonde's concerned amber eyes.

"You must be really hungry…I know! If you want you could come back with me to my house and eat as much as you like!" Elle chirped with a sunny smile while the older girl's brown eyes flashed in surprise.

All the while the redhead's stomach continued to growl.

And for a moment there the orphan almost gave in.

Almost but she knew better than to foolishly trust in other people.

"No. I don't just follow other people around. For all I know this is a trap." The scarlet-haired child retorted with a scoff while the blonde blinked back at her in adorable bewilderment.

"A trap? I wasn't going to trap you. But I was hoping that we could play hang out!" The blonde-haired child piped in a cheery voice with her words puzzling the redhead even further.

"My answer remains the same." The orphan stated in a firm voice just as the younger girl tilted her head with a finger under her chin.

"Hey! I'll bring the food to you then! How does that sound?" Elle pondered in a helpful voice with her words taking the older girl aback.

"Why would you bring me…. never mind. Fine. Whatever." The scarlet-haired child commented with a shrug while she watched the peculiar child turn to dart off.

"Okay! I'll be back soon new friend!" The blonde-haired child called out in a happy voice as she waved over her shoulder while the older girl scrunched up her nose as she watched her run off.

"We're not friends." The orphan protested as she gazed after the younger girl before she turned away to peer down at her feet.

And somehow despite her best efforts she was smiling once more.

Only this time it was a more genuine smile than the one she usually wore to deter people from beating her.

About a half an hour later…

The redhead sat at the end of the alley with her brown eyes gazing on in surprise when the blonde came rushing back with a handful of food items in hand.

"I'm back!" Elle cried out as she struggled to carry all of the food items while the other girl eyed her curiously.

'She actually came.' The scarlet-haired child thought as she watched the younger girl come to a stop before her.

"I can see that." The orphan stated in a taken aback voice while she stared on as a bunch of food items were dropped down before her.

"I brought candy, crackers, cookies, bread, canned fruit, water and more!" The blonde-haired child blurted out in an excited voice while the redhead quietly gazed down at the pile of food.

"Thanks." The orphan muttered as she reached for a loaf of bread while she unwrapped it.

All the while gazing down at it with searching brown eyes to search for any hint of poison.

Before she glanced up at the younger child through the corner of her eye just as she took a bite out of it.

It was obvious that the girl wasn't cunning enough to plan anything of the sort.

She was far too transparent for her own good.

"Does that mean that we're friends now?" Elle questioned in a cheery voice as she sat across from the nameless redhead who gazed back at her oddly.

"No. It doesn't. It just means that I owe you a debt. That is all." The scarlet-haired child replied in a more mature voice while the smaller girl sulked once more.

"A debt?" The blonde-haired child repeated in a puzzled voice with her young eyes blinking in puzzlement.

"Yes, a debt. People don't just help someone else without expecting something in return." The orphan spoke as she chewed on her bread while gazing back at the younger child's naïve face.

"I don't want anything in return from you. My mother taught me never to ignore someone in need…" Elle assured with a nod while the redhead still furrowed her brows in confusion.

But before either one of them could say another word a familiar voice was heard calling out Elle's name.

"Elle! Where are you?" Elias called out as he searched a nearby street for his daughter.

Just as Elle sprang up from her seat while the older child stared on with increased paranoia in her brown eyes.

"That's my dad calling me…I'll be right back. I have to let him know that I am okay. I'll see you soon!" The blonde-haired child exclaimed with a smile while the other girl gazed at her quietly while she ran off.

Only to never hear a reply from the mysterious child seated in the alleyway.

"I'm right here Dad!" Elle shouted as her father turned to gaze back at her with relieved blue eyes.

"There you are. Where have you been? You shouldn't be wandering around like this Elle. There's a panic going around about a gunman that was sighted outside of the townhall and people are trying to find him before he hurts someone." The father remarked as he approached his daughter while the little girl smiled up at her.

"I'm sorry Father. But I made a new friend! I ran into this girl and she was hungry. So, I brought her some of our food and we were just getting to know each other!" The blonde-haired child piped in a carefree voice with her father gazing down at her in surprise.

"Did you now? Well, that was kind of you Elle." Elias replied in an approving voice while his daughter pulled on his hand as he followed her to the alley.

"I did. Dad this is my new…she's gone…" Elle trailed off in a bummed-out voice as she gazed into the alley with no trace of the redhead save for a can or two that the girl left behind.

The father just sighed fondly before he pulled on his child to return to their home while the girl stared on in disappointment.

It was no small secret that Elle had trouble making friends with kids her own age.

And that she was very excited over the prospect of making new friends.

"Come on Elle. We need to go back. It's not safe to wander about right now." The father advised as his little girl followed alongside him with her amber eyes lingering at the empty alley.

"Where did she go? I hope I see her again…" The blonde-haired child mumbled as her father patted her shoulder.

"I'm sure you will see her again Elle." Elias commented in a gentle voice with Elle's hand in his own while they walked back home.

While Elle gazed over her shoulder for a final time before turning away as she bit her lip in uncertainty.

Before the two continued through the many crowds until they vanished into the distance.

Back at the house…

Elle and both of her parents soon had returned to their house.

The mother and father had sent their daughter to her room when they heard their son return.

Felix was leaning against the porch railing with a lit cigarette between his fingers when he idly turned his head just as he heard his parents step outside to confront him.

The distraught look in their eyes was all the confirmation that he needed to know what was on their minds.

"Felix. Did you brandish a gun outside of the town hall today?" Elias asked in a hardened voice with his frustrated giving way to great anger when the boy nodded his head.

Lana stared at her son with her lips agape in disbelief while Felix turned to meet their gaze.

"I did. I was contemplating shooting Tomas, Gregory and Alexander." Felix admitted in a casual voice with a smile on his lips while his two parents froze up in shock over his blunt admission.

The mother and father stood in a shaken silence as they exchanged a distraught look before the blonde finally found the nerve to address her son.

"Why Felix…why would you even consider doing something so horrible?" Lana pondered in a stunned voice with her heart racing in her chest while Elias never took his beyond disappointed gaze off their son.

"That's a silly question. Don't you think? Maybe because my day would go much smoother without three fools accosting me at every turn." The teenager remarked in a dismissive voice with his cold amber eyes staring back at his two parent's increasingly surprised faces.

"You can't just shoot them! There are other ways to solve a problem that do not involve murder. How can you even say that?" The father questioned in a stunned voice while he gazed hard at his now shrugging son.

Just as Lana placed a shaky hand on Felix's shoulder while she gazed back into her son's much colder amber eyes.

"You have no right to shoot those boys. No more than they have to bully you. No living being has the right to take the life of another." The medic explained in a maternal voice with her hand on her son's shoulder.

While the teenager glanced into her eyes before he turned to gaze out over the railing of the porch.

Just before the boy spoke words that made her heart drop into her stomach.

"I disagree with you. And so, do the majority of people on this planet. What you speak of is nothing more than an idealistic dream that is just that…a dream." Felix spoke with his cigarette between his fingers while he smiled back into his mother's shocked eyes.

The mother's hand fell from the boy's shoulder while she stood there struggling to comprehend what had become of her son.

They had always known that he was a troubled boy.

But to this extent?

"If people like your mother didn't strive so hard for a better tomorrow then people in this community would lose hope! And that hope is all that they have!" Elias exclaimed in a greatly impassioned voice with his fists clenched at his sides while Lana still stared at their son in disbelief.

"Then let them. Those people mean nothing to me." The teenager commented in a callous voice with a wave of his hand while his parents took a step back in astonishment.

"W-what are you saying Felix?" Lana inquired in a pained voice with her amber eyes staring at her son in rising despair while Felix put out his cigarette.

"I'm not who you think I am. I am not like Elle. I am not like you and I am not like Father. I am not like anyone here. And I have grown sick of pretending that I care all about all of these meaningless rules." Felix declared as he pushed himself up off the railing with his amber eyes staring back at his parent's speechless faces.

The two parents were so floored by their son's words that they didn't even know how to respond.

And worse of all.

More and more they were starting to wonder if the school councilor was right.

"All of my life I have felt so unhappy. So, discontent…so hollow. But when I saw the fear in their eyes…for the first time in my life I truly felt alive." The teenager announced in an eerily relaxed voice while his parents stood frozen where they stood in shock.

And if they were even starting to fear what their son had become.

"I-is there something that we did wrong? Did we not give you enough love? Is that it?" The medic breathed in an emotional voice as she gazed on wide eyed at her son's changed face.

All the while her husband took hold of her wrist before she could approach the boy when he stepped past them just as he began to stride down the stairs.

"Not that I can recall no. It's just the way I am." Felix answered in a shrug as he gazed back at his parents from top step while they stared at him in a disbelieving silence.

"I want that gun Felix." The father spoke in a tone that brook no room for argument while he stared at his son with indescribable disappointment in his eyes.

Only for his blue eyes to widen when the teenager let out an unstable laugh while he gazed back up at them.

"Go ahead and take it. If you can find it." The teenager called out as he resumed walking down the stairs while his parents stared after him in a destroyed silence.

"I don't want you anywhere near your sister. From this moment forward you are not to be around her." Elias commented with a scowl on his lips while Lana stood in a stunned silence beside him.

Only to never receive a reply as they watched their son walk off with his jacket swaying behind him.

Neither Lana nor Elias knew how to digest this new side of their son.

They didn't know what to say or do about it, or if there was something that they could have done sooner.

In any case they just didn't know.

And then mere moments later Lana shakily stepped into the house with her worried husband following after her.

While he watched his wife head upstairs to their daughter's bedroom while he held a deeply aggravated hand over his forehead.

And moments later the mother stood in the doorway of her youngest's bedroom while the child sat on her bed with her back turned to her.

"Elle." Lana began with her eyes lingering on her daughter's small frame just as Elle turned to smile brightly back at her.

"Yes mom?" Elle replied in an innocent voice while she gazed up as her mother moved to sit beside her.

Only to smile even brighter when her mother sat down in front of her with her amber eyes staring down at her with great emotion in her gaze.

And not a moment later the mother pulled her confused daughter into a tight embrace with the little girl's chin settling on her shoulder.

"This world is full of people that have abandoned their humanity. Please Elle…don't ever become like them. Don't you ever let them take your light away." The medic spoke in a tender voice with her arms wrapped around her daughter's back.

While she gazed sorrowfully over her child's shoulder just as the little girl hugged her back.

"I won't mom. I promise." The blonde-haired child assured in a soft voice with her head upon her mother's shoulder while the woman gripped her closely.

"That's good. I am glad to hear it." Lana sighed with her eyes watering over while Elle hugged her fiercely.

"No living being has the right to take the life of another." Elle mumbled with her arms around her mother's neck while Lana patted her back.

"Yes, Elle. No living being has the right to take the life of another." The medic agreed with her arms holding her child close while her gaze cheered up considerably.

It is just as she said before.

This child truly gives her hope for the world.

"I…love you momma." The blonde-haired girl informed in a gentle voice with her face in her mother's shoulder while the woman smiled down at her.

"And I love you too Daughter. More than anything in this world." Lana remarked in a passionate voice with her eyes closed as she held Elle in her arms.

While Elle leaned into her mother's neck with a sunny smile on her innocent lips.

And for a brief moment, however fleeting. All was perfect in the world of the mother and her daughter.

The following day.

The sun was shining over the town.

And the birds were soaring high into the air.

And Elle was standing in the flower field watching the birds fly into the skies with a cheerful smile adorning her cheeks while she picked another flower for her mother.

The child laughed as she smiled from ear to ear just as a butterfly flew by her head.

And that was when she heard it.

Boom!

An explosion rocketed through the settlement below just as Elle spun around in fright.

And then her mouth fell open in shock as the flower she had picked fell to the grass below.

And her callow amber eyes widened in childlike disorientation while she gazed down at a raging fire below.

And rapidly approaching soldiers in the distance.

Another round of gunfire shot off while she stood there trembling in disbelief while she listened to the shouts of terror from below.

And then the child broke out into a panicked run down the hill.

And just like that Elle's entire world was ripped right out from beneath her feet.

And her life would never be the same again.

[halcyon-travesty-blog]

I HAVE SEEN THE NEW DRAGONS MOVIE!!!

I’ve just seen what might be the best movie ever (I don’t live in the States so earlier release!!) and need to process my emotions and discuss discussable points through this rant post, so fairly obvious warning: 

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING

Alright, you have been warned. 

PS: an edited, spoiler-free version may be posted later

THE HIDDEN WORLD IS AMAZING! Such a beautiful story, a more-than-fitting conclusion to the epic tale of dragons, vikings, love, loss, leadership, growing up, acceptance, strength, becoming who you were always meant to be, and, perhaps most importantly, learning to let go and stand on your own.

I’ll try and sort aspects of the movie by paragraph but this is pretty much just a therapeutic emotional outpouring so here we go. 

First cab off the rank (although it may be obvious), the animation was incredible. The village, the Hidden World, every island and ship and dragon and outfit enriched with vivid colour and intricate detail. The outfits were a particular highlight for me (a la my post a few months ago about their battle suits - they look even better on the big screen); even the updates for characters like Valka and Eret were great. The obvious question I guess is: was the Hidden World itself worth it? A HUGE YES. I thought maybe it would remind me of another other-worldly movie (e.g. James Cameron’s Avatar), but it didn’t; all I could think about was how beautiful the world’s design was, with all the colours and lights, waterfalls and chasms and crystals and, of course, dragons. 

Grimmel was a good villain, nothing ridiculously ground-breaking or whatever, but not a bad bad guy by any means in my opinion. There were also three warlords who had employed him whose roles were very minor and pretty much just a way for him to discover that (prank!) he hadn’t killed all the Night Furies after all. The movie isn’t really about the villain though, he’s more of a plot advancer, a catalyst if you will. 

The Stoick and lil baby Hiccup flashbacks are gorgeous and serve almost as a form of conscience and inspiration for Hiccup: a monologue on love (sparked by a cute “are you gonna get us a new mom?”) that Hiccup recalls when considering letting Toothless go be with his love, the Light Fury, is particularly poignant. 

The Dragon Riders are wonderful and hilarious once again, and a particular highlight of the movie for me was how they were learning to work together more, a la Race to the Edge, especially (sobs) without their dragons. Astrid and Hiccup have many great moments together once again. For those wondering who won between Rufflout and Rufflegs: Ruffnut says she can’t choose between Snotlout’s ego (“I don’t know if he’ll ever love me more than he’ll love himself) and Fishlegs’s meek nerdiness, but at the Hiccstrid wedding says (or maybe jokes) that she chooses Fishlegs because she “likes sensitive guys.” The replacement of TJ Miller is nothing to worry about: it’s noticeable if you listen closely, but definitely not a problem. Ruffnut’s prisoner monologue is a comedic highlight, Tuffnut’s “boy talks” in regard to marriage! (more on that later) are also great, Fishlegs is pretty much just Fishlegs and Snotlout’s banter with Eret and Valka are fun. Our teenage adventurers have grown up, and with growing up comes responsibility, something I’ll explore more in...

Mature Chief Issues (TM)! Hiccup is a young chief with many balls to juggle: raiding trapper ships and rescuing dragons, a dragon overpopulation crisis on Berk, managing viking and dragon priorities, his relationship with Astrid (and the possibility of marriage), threats from enemies across the seas (and the target he has inadvertently made Berk), the legacy of his father (considered one of the greatest chiefs of all time), and (perhaps most importantly) his own self-esteem, acceptance and self-worth, fundamentally the question of his worth without Toothless. This is one of the reasons why I (and many others I suspect) love this franchise so: it deals with mature issues like responsibility and leadership in a meaningful and realistic way. When Hiccup says they’re all going to pack up and leave in search of the Hidden World, he faces opposition and doubt, and as the film progresses he must further contend with the conflict with Grimmel (and events such as Ruffnut getting left behind at the base) and Toothless’s budding relationship with the Light Fury. 

A lot of people have been complaining that the Light Fury has been ‘feminised’, and that she shouldn’t look like she does from a zoological standpoint. I read a particularly good post a while ago by a tumblr user who was a zoologist or something like that (no disrespect intended, just can’t remember exactly); if you can find it I recommend the read. I agree with the points made in those arguments, but can’t help thinking that her design is beautiful, and her personality is definitely not weakened. She glistens in the moonlight and fights with incredible strength and can turn invisible at will for goodness sake. Their love is sweet and wholesome and makes for a breathtaking flight sequence and a funny scene reminiscent of the Hiccup-Toothless bonding and drawing scene in HTTYD1. The dragon babies are cute (although I don’t understand why they’re each blotchy black and white when Night and Light Furies are apparently the same species, so therefore based on gender the kids should be one or the other, but anyway) and the Light Fury provides Toothless with someone to spend his life with in the Hidden World when the dragons go away.

Yes, it happens. We knew it would. “There were dragons when I was a boy” sent me into a flurry of tears, and Hiccup and Toothless’s reunion with their kids at the end of the movie was...I don’t really know what to say. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. The dragons go because, as Hiccup says, “The world doesn’t deserve you”. More enemies would rise to fill Grimmel’s place, and dragons will never be truly safe unless they disappear. I think most movie-goers will know deep down that humans and dragons aren’t going to end up living in the Hidden World together like Hiccup suggests; it is, quite simply, not meant to be. Toothless leaving allows him to complete his journey of becoming, in terms of being an alpha and literally standing (flying) on his own (with a self-functioning prosthetic tail). Toothless leaving is also the final step in Hiccup’s becoming, as he learns that he is strong, can stand on his own and lead, even without his faithful dragon by his side. It is hard, as Astrid says, but he can do it, because he has always been a great viking, and has the support of his friends and family. Letting go takes courage and maturity, but can sometimes be the only way you can become who you are meant to be. Hiccup and Toothless’s parallel journeys are truly something to behold. There is a lot more I would like to say on this, but at the current moment I believe I lack the eloquence to do so. In summary, the moment is beautiful and everything you don’t want it to be. 

On a happier note, THERE’S A HICCSTRID WEDDING!!!!!!! Following much jest and uncertainty (aka foreshadowing) throughout the film, Hiccup and Astrid have a beautiful winter wedding with the whole village present. Gobber cries, Snotlout cries, Fishlegs cries, I cry, you cry, everyone cries. Astrid’s hair is left down, the bride and groom wear white (don’t think vikings actually did wear white but they look awesome so whatever), there’s a couple of traditional viking things and then comes love then comes marriage then comes BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE!!!!

The auburn-haired girl, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, and the blond-haired boy, maybe 5 or 6, joined their mother and (bearded!) father on an unexplained boat journey to the entrance to the Hidden World, where they meet up with Toothless, the Light Fury and their children and we come full circle, with the kids holding out their hands and Toothless leaning in, an image we know and love all too well. They fly together, we the audience are promised that dragons did exist and may return someday when the world is worthy of them, and the movie ends. 

One of my favourite things about this franchise will always be its maturity and the beauty in simplicity (aka a story of growing up and letting go). I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that this is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen and I literally feel privileged to have experienced this story. I cannot recommend it enough and intend to see it again sometime in the next week. More posts and analysis and etcetera will come (apologies for the hiatus - exams and Christmas and yes hectic), especially after it is released in more countries, and I hope everyone loves this film as much as I did. 

[multifandom-kpop-scenarios]

oh my gosh, seeing that youre all willing to research any mythology to write gives me great hope! i would like to request 2 if thats okay? i would like a simple greek mythology one for kihyun of monsta x and a norse one that maybe has multiple parts for jisung of stray kids because i also adored rex's soulmate one. thank you so much for the time and effort you put into your stories!

Hi, Hello, Anon :) Thank you for sending in your requests. This will just be the Kihyun scenario to start, the Jisung one will come at a later date.

So I decided to do a modern setting inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It was a fun scenario to write, so thank you again for sending it in. I hope it lives up to your expectations. Enjoy~

Word count: 2,141

Admin KZ

All epic love stories are found throughout time, repeating itself to continue to inspire love. One such love story is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus was an extremely talented musician whose voice and talent with a Lyre moved all: People, animals, and even the Gods. Eurydice a nymph, was drawn to Orpheus through his music. All stories say that they fell in love, one so perfect it was never meant to last long, and it never did. The tale that is known to all is the tragedy that befell the pair. However, no one knows much of how, when, and where they fell in love. That is a story reserved for those who are in love, though each time we see this story, they get closer to their well deserved happy ending.  This time we will get to see our happy ending, but allow me to let you in on our little secret: Our beginning.

——

“Okay,” you said aloud to yourself, “I need a break.”

You took a moment to look around your room, inspecting your progress and planning what needed to be done next. You took a deep breath, trying to commit the smell into memory. After all, you only get to move into your first apartment only once. You were satisfied with the work you had done inside and despite more needing to be done you felt an urge to get outside. You had the window open and the slight wind that was brushing the leaves could be clearly heard, as was the birds, and the children playing at the park across from the apartment complex. Every sound that drifted in through your window was like a beckoning call, telling you to come and see your new home.  Not wanting to wait any longer, you grabbed your bag and headed for the door.

You decided to head where you heard the most noise, your feet carrying you to the park. The park was rather big with a playground in the center, fully equipped with what any child sought.

You took your walk around the grass field that lay to the left. There is a cluster of trees outlining the outer rim of the park, and just before that the was a few benches that sat in front of the trees, a safe spot out of the sun to take a rest. You took a seat on one of the empty benches, letting out a huff of air as you took in your surroundings. A smile tugged at the corner of your lips, as you knew just how much you would like your new home.

It was about 1 o'clock when you left your apartment, and a little over an hour has passed. You sat back and listened to the kids at play mixed with the natural sounds of the things around you. Anything natural flew out the window as the first notes of a song caught your attention. The music that was being played was a soothing tune, it’s soft melody was quietly asking for attention. Whoever was playing was good at what they do because you could see people walking towards the direction of the sound, trying to see the person responsible. It should have been expected, someone so talented with music could be also a good singer,but you were completely taken by surprise when he started singing. His strong, confident voice accompanied the music like the world’s best pair and just like the rest of the crowd your curiosity took control. You got to your feet and tried to see if you could get a look at him, just so you would know. With the crowd in front of you, you couldn’t see a thing, so you made your way through. He sat on a bench, much like the one you abandoned, with a guitar in hand. He sang with his eyes closed, trying, and succeeding, to convey his message to the crowd. His foot tapped, in order to keep rhythm and his head bobbed slightly. As he ended the song with one final strum, the crowd immediately began to applaud. He now seemed a bit shy as he let out a laugh and bowed in every direction. He reached one arm up as he stood straight, reaching behind his head and he smiled genuinely.

Call it what you want: intuition, fate, an educated guess. When you saw him, you knew he was somehow important to you, just how important was to be determined. The way your heart beat different now, as if following the rhythm of a new beat, was enough to let you know. Just thinking of the possibility of everything was interesting and new. How could it play out? What could you be to him? And he to you? So many possibilities.

And that scared you.

Like a splash of cold water, he looked at you. He locked eyes with you, and tilted his head to the side slightly, it was a movement so small he probably didn’t notice, but you did. The amount of attention he has already garnered from you was enough to confirm your previous thoughts, and you were incredibly unprepared. So, like previous situations when you were unprepared, you resulted to your go to move. You ran away.

You avoided him by turning into the crowd and walking as quickly as you could in the opposite direction. You headed in the direction of home, with one hand brought to your chest attempting to calm your bothered heart.

~Kihyun ~

He looked through the viewfinder, trying to find a few good pictures on his way to meet his friends.

*Snap*

He quickly reviewed the picture with a smile, children always made good subjects looking so happy and unbothered. He looked into the viewfinder trying to find another shot, as he glanced, he noticed someone move out of frame. He saw a person walking through the park with a soft smile, and admiring eyes. They were most likely new to the area, since no one who has been living here all their life take notice of all the small, yet beautiful, things. They sat on a bench over by the trees, and without much thought he raised his camera and captured a sight so rare. When he looked at the picture he smiled brightly, everything in the picture could be perfect, at least for him. He wanted to get closer and try to see the greatness in the things you saw. So he sat on a bench, not too far from you. Whenever he saw a smile make it’s way on to your face he would look, just to see what had made you smile.

He felt his phone vibrate, and he saw his reminder of his meeting. He sighed as he glanced in your direction. He could almost laugh at his antics, he wanted to go up and start a conversation yet here he was sat away from you doing the opposite. Though small, learning the things that did make you smile made him happy. He glanced at the guitar next to him, and reached for it. He had noticed you and he knew now that he wouldn’t soon forget, so, even if it seemed selfish, he wanted to be noticed by you too. That is what everyone wants right? To be noticed by superiors, peers, and possible lovers. In that moment he was noticed.

As he finished the song he felt a bit of embarrassment make its way through him, he couldn’t believe he actually did that and with as much confidence as he had. He quickly bowed in different directions thanking the people for their attention. He steeled himself and looked in the general direction of where you had been previously. He hoped he could gain your attention, and as he met your eyes he was unprepared for the reaction his heart had. Your stare had breathed new life into him as his heart kicked answering his question of what this could be. Just before he could fully realize, you were gone like turning the lights off in a room.

Despite feelings to do otherwise, he let you go, hoping this wouldn’t be a decision he would soon regret.

~You~

It was always there when your thoughts became quiet, that boys voice. When you were doing dishes, walking to work, or laying down for bed. It had been a couple days and it still wouldn’t leave your mind. Of course after you ran, you wondered why you let the scared side of you take control. In that moment you’ll really thought he could be something to you, you could only hope that you hadn’t messed up your one chance of finding out. You sighed it was getting late, nearing 10 pm, and you felt restless. So you decided to head out to the park, figuring that being in the area of concern would help you sort out your thoughts and conclude your restlessness.

There was a slight chill in the air, but the weather was still comfortable. The atmosphere of the park at night was completely different, with the absence of light and children. There was a couple teenagers on a bench and a few late night joggers but other than that there was no one else. You walked to the playground and sat on the empty swings. As you moved back and forth on the swing, you came to a conclusion, if you were ever able to meet that singing boy again you would at least say hello. The worst thing that could happen is him saying hello and going on his way. 

As your momentum slowed, it took everything in you to not react as something brushed against your leg. Your heart sank as you quickly looked down and lept, hopefully, away from whatever was on the ground. When you looked down you felt your adrenaline spike as you saw the one thing you were deathly afraid of, a snake. You nearly ran, but you felt a bit of embarrassment flare as you saw its cartoon like face. It’s silly grin seemed to mock your terror as you reached down to grasp it. It wasn’t in your grasp long as you chucked it as far as its rubbery body could fly. A bit of triumph began to rise up in you, you turned with a bit of a grin on your face. You felt satisfied about, sort of, getting back at the thing that scared you most.

“What could a toy possibly have done to deserve that?” A voice called out from the opposite direction of the toy.

You quickly turned ready to reply, when you caught a saw who directed the question to you, “I…”

The words stopped as you stared in a state of disbelief. Just how was this happening, you wondered. The one person you were thinking of out of the thousands in the area was here now with you. Your previous words left your mind completely as you uttered, “You.”

He smiled brightly at the obvious recognition, “Hey.” He raised his hand to accompany his greeting. He asked, clarifying, “You were here at the park when I played the song, right?”

“Yeah.” You replied before quickly adding, “You were great by the way.”

“So were you,” came his reply. You were confused, for a moment and you watch as he seemed to process the words. His eyes widened, “No..I….What I mean…” He released a sigh, and covered his eyes with his right hand.

It slipped before you had time to catch it, a laugh was making its way from you. You don’t even know why, but you were glad when you saw his eyes crinkle and a smile stretch across his face. He throws his head back slightly letting out a laugh of his own. In this moment, you can feel everything change. The awkward, shy feelings leave as the smile stays on your face.

“Hoo,” he takes a breath to calm himself before reaching out his hand, “I’m Kihyun.”

You smile reaching for his hand, “______.”

Your hand met his as he grasped it. Your heart picked up a beat, as you feel the need to redefine warmth.

“I know its late, but there is this cafe around the corner. I could go for some food, you could join me if you’d like?” He asked like it made little difference if you did go, but the way he his lips seemed forced in a straight line and how he held eye contact said otherwise.  

“Sure.” You replied. You both began walking in the direction of the cafe. For a moment, you were walking a step behind him. He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder at you, letting you catch up. Perhaps you were right in the beginning.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: The Legend of Korra

Avatar: The Last Airbender is, without a single doubt in my mind, one of, if not the, greatest cartoons of all time; it’s up there with Batman: The Animated Series, The Simpsons, and all those other time-tested classics. But even as it ended, there was always this feeling like the magnificent world created for the show could be explored ever further, expanded upon, and just in general be given a whole lot of new perspectives.

Enter The Legend of Korra.

The show is set several decades after Aang saved the world (as Katara always believed he could, according to the opening narration). Aang eventually died and a new avatar was born, the titular Korra; the show is all about how she comes into her own as the Avatar.

Now, just from that brief summary, it seems like this show would be an awesome thing right off the bat, right? Everything is there for this to be an epic continuation of an incredible animated work… and yet, it took this show two Books to truly find itself, and even then there were some truly questionable storytelling decisions that leave this show far behind Avatar in terms of quality. And look, I like this show. I really do. I enjoy it, I enjoy seeing the callbacks to the earlier series, I like most of the villains a great deal, I love the mythos they created about the Avatar as a concept by showing us its origin, there is a lot of genuinely great stuff that’s on par with the original series here. But while the original show had weak episodes here and there, Korra had entire weak Books; where the original show had some occasional bad writing, Korra had some truly bad plot points; and where the original show had a dragged-out romantic arc that, while a bit tedious, never really overstayed its welcome, Korra had one of the absolute worst romantic arcs in modern fiction with the most terrible, stupid, pandering, and nonsensical ending imaginable, one that insults me on so many levels.

But I’m getting far ahead of myself there. I’m going to briefly go over each Book and what works about each, and what doesn’t. The best place to start is from the beginning, so… let’s start there.

Book 1 has a sort of reputation as being a Book that was too rushed to really live up to its full potential. And you know what? I’ll agree to that. Nickelodeon really screwed this show over big time throughout its run, but the tiny amount of episodes they allowed the first Book was a big problem. The plot that doesn’t really get going until halfway through, the inane twists, the rushed conclusion… with more episodes things could have been fleshed out a lot better. Here’s the thing, though: even with more time, if they kept a lot of this Book the same… it would still suck a whole lot of ass.

Book 1 is pretty much a trainwreck, evident from the first scene, which shows a toddler Korra bursting through a wall, showing off every kind of bending save air, and saying “I’M THE AVATAR AND YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH IT!” This is our introduction to our main character. This is the first time we see her, our first impression. And they decide to introduce her in the least likable, most obnoxious, and dare I say most Mary Sue-ish way possible.

Now I have gone on record before saying I absolutely loathe the term Mary Sue; I find it to be a term that lacks any real substance to it and is really just shorthand for someone to dismiss a character. But the most common definition - a character who has so much going for them, rarely suffers any consequences, and is just well liked by everyone while getting the world handed to them - actually, sadly, fits Korra in the early episodes. She’s good at all forms of bending save air from when she’s a toddler, she almost instantly becomes a pro playing sports, she gets two cute boys fawning over her, she gets the greatest possible airbending teacher anyone could ask for… One could argue she gets built up so much like this to make her being torn down halfway through the Book more powerful, but it just really comes off as grating and obnoxious to watch.

It’s not like the other characters are written much better. Mako in particular is written to be one of the biggest morons on Earth, and Bolin, while charming, is something of a Diet Sokka. Tenzin is easily the best character of the Book, what with being voiced by J.K. Simmons and all, but his children… yuck. All of them are annoying and just feel superfluous, with Meelo in particular existing for seemingly no reason other than fart jokes. It’s not like Avatar was above using those kinds of jokes, but they didn’t have an entire character dedicated to them. Lin Beifong is pretty cool, a worthy successor to Toph, though be warned: she takes a lot of stupid pills between this Book and the next. Asami is pretty and badass, and she’s also one of the better characters of the Book, but sadly she gets tangled up in the worst aspect of the entire first Book: the love triangle.

The love triangle involves Korra, who is loved by Bolin and Mako, though Mako was in a relationship with Asami after they met, and Korra is with Bolin, but secretly likes Mako and… who cares? This is not what anyone wants out of a show based on Avatar. Just because they’re teenagers doesn’t mean they need to get up in all of this sub-par soap opera bullshit. This here honestly ruins the Book; while some would say Book 2 was the weaker Book due to its incredibly stupid plot and lackluster villain, at least Book 2 had Varrick and the Avatar Wan episodes. This Book really doesn’t have any big plus it can count in its favor. No, not even Amon.

Amon is the villain of Book 1, and early on he is just indescribably cool. His menacing voice provided by the always excellent Steve Blum, his creepy mask that evokes the titular V of V for Vendetta, his ability to remove bending, the fact he manages to scare Korra shitless… it’s all amazing. And then comes the reveal that he’s actually a bender. A waterbender, even. He has been using bloodbending this whole time to remove people’s bending. All of the shit from the big reveal really just leads to defang Amon from a nightmarish force to be reckoned with to a miserable bundle of angst. Noatak, who he is revealed to truly be, feels like an entirely different character. Still, even with his derailment, his final scene is one of the most effective in the entire series: as he and his brother escape on a flying ship, his brother, despite his brother’s words indicating that he wants to start over a new life with him and have things be good between them again, takes an electrical gauntlet and fires into the ship’s fuel tank, causing an explosion which kills them both. This is a murder-suicide that was shown on Nickelodeon. It is emotional, powerful, and truly shocking in a good way. It’s easily the standout scene of the Book, and almost makes it worth it.

Then comes the asspull.

You see, Korra had her bending taken by Amon. This could have led to so many incredible storylines as she worked to gain it back, utilizing only the airbending she was stuck with, the one kind of bending she wasn’t instantly good at. Sure, it may have ended up retreading a bit of Aang’s struggles, but that was good stuff! But instead… Aang’s spirit comes out of nowhere and the past Avatars all combine their powers and POOF! Korra gets her bending back. This is a dreadful resolution; I get they were unsure if they’d get to follow up on this or not, but leaving the door open with uncertainty is so much better than closing a bunch of doors. Why not have her just get a talk from Aang, telling her she can get her power back with enough training? End it on a dark but still hopeful note, with her having to work back up to how she was before. That would have been a hell of a lot better than this deus ex machina crap.

Overall, Book 1 is just a hot mess. It has isolated elements that are pretty good, but overall it’s kind of a complete mess story wise and character wise. It’s frankly amazing this show got a second Book… but it did. And oh lord is this Book something.

Book 2’s biggest crime is that it is utterly forgettable. I hardly remember anything from the first half of this Book because it is just so bland and uninteresting, and while it’s nowhere near as bad as Book 1’s love triangle, it doesn’t even stick in the mind. The shining gem of this first half - and the Book as a whole, mind you, if not the SERIES - is Varrick, the eccentric inventor, and his beleaguered assistant Zhu Li, who is frequently asked by Varrick to “do the thing.” These two make all the difference; without them this Book would easily be more unwatchable than the first, but with them… well, it still sucks but they manage to carry things.

Unalaq, the villain of the Book, is an utter bore. He’s obviously bad from the get-go and he is easily overshadowed later by the far more intriguing Vaatu, who ties deep into the mythos of the series by being one of the reasons the Avatar came to be at all. Unalaq also has two kids who are just as boring as he is and who spend the series not doing much anything noteworthy.

The real draws of this Book are basically everything to do with the spirits and their realm, as well as the origin story of the Avatar. Avatar Wan’s big two parter is the first part of the series to feel as fresh and epic as the original series, and it shows us just how the Avatar came to be in the first place. The other scenes in the spirit world are pretty great, featuring appearances from Uncle Iroh, Wan Shi Ton, and Admiral Zhao of all people. Then there’s the big shakeup at the end: Korra is now cut off from her past lives, and spirits and humans can now live together. These are some huge changes to the status quo of the series to the point where it feels like an apology for how bad and pointless Book 1 feels in the grand scheme of things. And you know what? Apology accepted. Book 2 is a mess, but it manages to find itself in the end and help steer the show into being the great work it ended up as.

Now on to Book 3.Book 3 is where the show really was able to show off how great it could be, to the point my only issues with the Book are minor. Most of my problems stem from the fact that Korra had very small Book, with about 12 or so episodes per book as opposed to Avatar’s 20. This is kind of a problem, because it gives some characters less of a time to develop, a fate that unfortunately befalls the members of the Red Lotus who aren’t Zaheer. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore the Red Lotus and think they’re all fascinating villains, and Zaheer is one of the most interesting villains in the series as an evil airbender, but Ming-Hua, Ghazan, and P’Li sadly get very little in terms of backstory. You DO get something, but they end up feeling more like the Cobra Unit from Snake Eater than fully fleshed-out bad guys… which is to say, they’re fun and effective, just don’t expect them to show great complexity. I wholeheartedly believe that they could have been expanded on if Book 3 had those extra seven episodes in it, and it’s a real shame we didn’t get to truly explore these fascinating characters.

My other problems, again, are pretty minor. I didn’t much care for Bumi becoming an airbender, and felt like it sort of cheapened his and Tenzin’s character a bit. Kai, a pubescent airbender scamp, was not a very likable character here, and it was pretty annoying having to put up with him, not to mention his ship tease with Jinora. Zuko also shows up, but it’s in a very minor role and he’s not really focused on at all. There’s a few more nitpicks here and there but these things are really my main issues.

The story is a lot darker and more mature here, especially in its repercussions for the rest of the series. Korra’s near-death experience here leaves her broken and haunted by PTSD, which becomes a major focus in Book 4. This Book is also where they really stopped giving a shit, and there are several particularly shocking and gruesome deaths for the show. We have Zaheer answer that age-old fan question “Could an airbender suck the air out of somene’s lungs?” with a demonstration on the Earth Queen, P’Li’s laser eye backfires and blows her head up, Ming-Hua is painfully electrocuted to death, and Ghazan takes a page from Gollum’s book and dies immersed in lava (and rubble for good measure).

This Book truly delivers the experience this series promised us in the beginning; it truly feels like an evolution of the Avatar series in the best way possible. While there are a few bumps here and there, there’s nothing really brutally bad that could derail the overall quality of the season. It has a great villain, and that villain has a great villain posse; there’s a lot of great cameos and character appearances, including some surprising ones; we learn more about Lin’s past; we get a whole lot more airbenders and an interesting plot going on with them that even in the end makes Kai more likable; and most importantly we have a solid plot with real consequences on the characters.

Oh, and there’s that little Zelda Williams character who appears near the end… wonder what her significance is…

She’s Book 4’s bad guy.

Book 4 is the final season of Korra, and while I don’t think many would say it surpasses Book 3 (which is quite the task, considering), I definitely think it’s a really great final season that wraps up just about everything that needs to be wrapped up. It also does a really good job with character development, like, REALLY good.

This season is where Korra really becomes a character I love, because her struggles are very personal and interesting. She’s constantly haunted by what happened to her in Book 3, and is stalked by a shadowy version of herself wherever she goes. Long gone is the obnoxious borderline Mary Sue character that she felt like in the first season; here, Korra truly feels human and relatable. More impressive than even that may be the transformation of the character Prince Wu, who starts the season as one of the single most unlikable characters in the whole series but ends up as an amusing and even somewhat heroic figure. Frankly I find it hard to hate a character who utilizes his terrible singing to help evacuate a city.

As I mentioned before, Kuvira is the villain, and she’s very much a visionary sort who thinks ruling the world under her iron fist is what’s best for everyone. Zelda Williams really gives her a real air of importance and even a bit of sympathy; she’s definitely a great example of an anti-villain of the quality of Zaheer, though I wouldn’t go as far as to say she’s as good as him exactly. Still, one can’t help but appreciate a woman who creates a massive robot that fires death lasers made out of entirely unbendable platinum. I know a lot of people find this thing to be utterly ridiculous and stupid, with little foreshadowing of its existence and just in general how ludicrously impossible and impractical it could be… but come on, it’s a GIANT ROBOT. I guess it just appeals to my inner Metal Gear fan, even if I do realize and accept it’s the most ridiculous thing in any of the two series.

I think what’s really great about this book is how it really just makes things that shouldn’t work, work really well. Case in point: there was an annoying, executive mandated clip show that, if they didn’t do, would have caused a lot of staff to be laid off. So what does the team do? They use the episode to take the piss out of everything in the show that didn’t work, from the shitty romance subplots to a hilarious scene where Zaheer, Amon, and Vaatu are all on the phone and trying to keep not just Unalaq, but Varrick’s movie version of Unalaq, out of the loop. In fact, the entire thing basically being Varrick doing an abridged series of the show is golden, because everything Varrick does is golden. Speaking of Varrick, his “Do the thing” catchphrase is used interestingly three times: one time it is a legitimately heartbreaking tearjerker, and the other two are just the sweetest, most heartwarming things you will ever hear. This sounds absurd, but again: this Book is all about making the most implausible things end up pretty good.

There’s so much about this Book that really makes it stand out - from Hiroshi Sato managing to reconcile with his daughter and sacrifice himself to the return of so many characters to just about everyone getting a happy ending… it’s a shame that it all got overshadowed by the most shallow, stupid moment of the entire series. Hell, BOTH series. You know what I’m talking about, you know what it is, it’s the thing that made me want to write this review in the first place:

Asami and Korra end up an official couple.

Now, generally speaking I wouldn’t have a problem with this. I like both characters, I myself am bisexual so it’s nice to see characters represent me in media, and hey, I’ve always championed Dumbledore as a great LGBT character when he was never explicitly shown to be so, so why do I hate this so much? Well, in regards to the latter, here’s the thing: Dumbledore is not the main character of the series, and his homosexuality is foreshadowed. We are not privy to Dumbledore’s private thoughts, we are not even given an in-depth look at his character until he dies in the penultimate book, and romance was never really a focus of the character. In contrast, Korra is in fact the main character of the show and who we follow the most, romance has unfortunately been a major factor in her development since the first Book, and the biggest problem: her being bi for Asami comes right the fuck out of nowhere.

There is like one line earlier in the book where Korra, while wandering, only really wrote to Asami. That’s it. These two barely interact or show any signs of romantic interest in each other until that final moment when they walk into the portal together. It feels like the ultimate ass pull, just a really lame third option to resolve all the love triangle garbage while simultaneously winning brownie points for being such a bold, daring move for a cartoon… but it doesn’t even show them kiss. They stare longingly at each other. THAT’S IT. Contrast Steven Universe, which is wholly and unabashedly filled with LGBT romance, particularly Garnet, who is literally the physical embodiment of a lesbian relationship, or even Adventure Time, who built up PB and Marceline’s past romance before having them get together and even kiss onscreen in the finale of that show. Korra is ultimately nothing`special, and that final moment was not a big step forward for representation or an important moment in TV history. It was a poorly built up shocking swerve that ended a series that had finally risen to the quality of the series it spun off from with the same bullshit that hampered this show’s original seasons to begin with.

Despite this, Book 4 is definitely a good finale to a show that, while it didn’t start out as such, ended up great. Really, the fact the final book was good despite having a lot of stupid elements and bad romantic resolutions is sort of a microcosm of the show as a whole, and showed despite those things the show could still tell an interesting story and be as grand as the original show was.

I don’t think this is one of the greatest cartoons of all time, but as a sort of follow up to the original series, I think it’s pretty solid. It was at its best when it was trying to tell mature stories and deal with darker subject matter than one would expect from a modern cartoon, and fumbled when it tried to shoehorn in the sort of romantic gunk one expects from teenagers. It worked best with its characters when their flaws felt natural and their issues were personal, and its villains worked better when they had simple yet fully fleshed out goals rather than overly complicated backstories or evil for the sake of evil. Korra is most definitely a mixed bag, but it’s a mixed bag I definitely recommend opening up sometime. If you liked the original show or just like story-driven or action oriented shows in general, this is one of the best ones of recent years. You have to slog through some crummy stuff to get to the gems, but boy oh boy are those gems shiny.

Also, I should have mentioned this earlier, but I am just so happy Toph is just a cranky old bad bitch even after all that time. Even while the Avatar world changed so much, it’s nice to know that some things will never change,

[libralita]

Title: Muse of Nightmares

Authors: Laini Taylor

Summary: In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep. Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of. As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Review:

The more I think about this book the more annoyed I get. Taylor is kind of like JJ Abrams. She has a lot of ideas and can set up an interesting story but she can’t really follow up on it. The final Daughter of Smoke and Bone book had similar problems to this. First, I don’t really like when she just introduces major players in the final book. It’s a little bit better in this book because of how it ties in with the mystery of Korako and Wraith, however I still didn’t really care about Nova all that much.

Second, I’m not a big fan of characters dying and then magic bringing them back to life. Yes, this is an established rule of the universe but I felt like it would have been really impactful if Sarai had actually died. Plus nobody died at the end of this book, too which is lame.

Third, Minya’s story was confusing because what I had thought was implying was that Minya was actually dead. That’s why she never aged and her power plus the magic metal was keeping her there. The reason she faded so quickly was because that was the only thing keeping her from dying. But no apparently in this universe if you can just will aging to stop because the same thing happened for Nova? Which is odd.

Okay, time to talk about connected universes:

“‘Right through the sky,’ said Ruza. ‘The twelve were called the Faerers. Six went one way, and six the other, cutting doors from world to world. Thakra was the commander of the Six that came this way.’ He laid his hand on the book. ‘This is her testament.’ Lifting his hand, he pointed to the first disc of the diagram. ‘Meliz,’ he said again. His were bright. ‘That’s the seraph home world. It’s where they began.’ He read off the next several: ‘Eretz. Earth. Kyzoi. Lir.’’ They all sounded mythological to Thyon,. Ruza traced his fingertips over all the rest, turning the pages and tracing the worlds until he came to the last, and pronounced, ‘‘Zeru.’’ Which was not so much the world, if the book was to be believed, as this world. One of many.”—Page 303

It’s fairly obvious that I really like connected universes in literature *waves at my Cosmere collection* and I really liked this scene. If you haven’t read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone books you may not get the Eretz reference but you’ll see Earth and be super curious. However, towards the end it feels very advertised and not as subtle. Which is what makes the Cosmere work because it’s building up to (hopefully) an epic conclusion. This just felt like Taylor going “SARAI AND CO ARE GOING TO FIND KAROU! KAROU IS GOING TO GET SARAI A BODY BACK! THERE WILL CROSSOVERS! THIS IS A GIANT UNIVERSE! If you haven’t read my previous books then you probably don’t know what’s going on BUT READ MY CROSSOVERS!” And then the teasing of more books. It felt cheap.

Side note: What the fuck Eril-Fane and Azareen? At the end they’re just like “yeah we’re tired and we’re going to let about a dozen teenagers go face off with this insanely powerful woman”. Like??? Sarai is your daughter and Lazlo is like your son so much so that you name your own fucking son after him and you don’t help them??? That seems so out of character so irresponsible. Yes, the rest of the crew didn’t really do anything (which is a problem in of itself) but they won’t let a bunch of kids go on their own. Dumb! It’s Dumb! Also side not to this side note DON’T ADD TIME TRAVEL TO YOUR UNIVERSE. It’s a mistake.

Well, I ranted a lot about this book but there are just so many flaws with it. I’ll say the stuff that I did like about it: First I did really like Thyon. I never really hated him, yeah he was a massive dick in the first book. However, he got some decent development. I knew that he was going to get redemption the moment that he was like “Ooo books!” because only good characters like book. We have to pander to our audience. But I did really like him making friends and honestly wished we saw more of it.

I also thought seeing Sarai going into dreams and being able to help people was pretty cool. I mean it didn’t really help Nova, but I didn’t really care about Nova so that’s okay. Her interactions with Minya were cool. I generally liked all the characters. Despite it being insta-love-y I think that Sarai and Lazlo had a really sweet relationship that I rooted for.

Overall…this book has a lot of flaws. I didn’t hate this book…I was just disappointed.

[banksmanor2]

Love letter to my graduate

I find myself on an emotional ledge. The tears well easily. I am often asked about your impending graduation and I roll my eyes, I inhale deeply, I try to find a zen. Why is graduation such an emotional uproar for parents? Well, my perspective is as such. I could list the accomplishments, the awards, the National Honor Society, the YMCA Teen Leaders Advisory Board, GPA…could go on and on. Not what I think of when I look at you as you have become a full fledged adult. As a child of divorce as I have previously penned about, I will be the first to admit that your dad and I never got it perfect. Not even close, bud. We did however at some point come to an epic conclusion and that was we didn’t much matter. It was all about you and your sister. It may have been a bumpy road at times, but we did our best to make sure your part of that path was as smooth as glass. You are fiercely independent and I admire your leadership and your confidence and as I has expressed a million times your hippie spirit. As your mom, I look into those beautiful blue eyes am still able to see the fragility and vulnerability of a teenage girl and it entrances me. The fragility of being hurt when you put your heart out there. Your vulnerability that emerges with disappointment or despair. As strange as it sounds, I value those moments with you as much as I do the very very highs. The next chapter begins now. You will soon fly the nest, when you are ready and when the world is ready for you to soar. Keegan Maureen I can tell you this: Never lose your spirit. Your compassion or your desire to make the world a better, calmer, overall happier place. Please never lose your ability to kick ass and take names and take control of a situation no matter how uncomfortable or difficult. Your sister is so vastly different from you but I see her listening and taking cues on how to do this. Whatever path you choose, I ultimately believe it will involve helping people make their lives better. That is what you do for me. You make my life better. To hear your mom and dad tell you how proud they are is important but some may think, “that’s what you are supposed to say” I don’t have to say anything. I just want to. As you go on, have relationships, get your heart broken, maybe more than once, start a career and a family and maybe move far far away, please know this: you deserve back everything you put out there and much much more. You are worthy of respect and love and dignity. To say I’m proud is almost silly. We have always been an I Love You family. In person, on the phone, no matter what. I noticed early on in your life you said I Love You so so much as you grew I was so impressed at the importance of this to you. You told me what if it’s the last time I see you ? I will never forget you so kindly reminding me of that. I will never forget you expressing that to me as such a young age and I will never forget to tell you before we leave each other or hang up. As much as I already did it, you could not have reiterated it better. That stays with me. I will most definitely cry as you cross the stage and get your well earned diploma and I will cry happy tears as I couldn’t have asked for a mature, loving, respectful and responsible young lady to call my own. I pity the man having to win your father and I over because it is a long list of demands to earn your hand. I would be remiss to leave out a stepdad who loves you as his own. As easily as he can fix your car, he would heal your heart and spirit as needed. I bless the children that you will parent as they couldn’t ask for a better woman to teach them that while the world is not always fair, or easy, the feeling of making through the fires, makes you stronger and braver and most importantly kinder. I apologize for putting you in a sweater vest in kindergarten. I apologize for yelling too loudly at your sporting events. I apologize for any bowl cuts, or yelling at you “commit!” when crossing traffic during driving training. I will forever CHERISH our kitchen dance parties and fires in the back yard. I will never forget the first time I heard you drop the f-bomb for the first time at a tennis tournament. I couldn’t even yell at you because the frustration was so real and so raw I silently chuckled and let it go. I could go on and on. I will not. I want so badly the have pen to paper so you will always know. In your heart and soul, you already know that your dad and I collectively could not have done anything better with our lives to than to have you and Kenz. That’s what this is all about. If I fail to accomplish one more productive thing in my life, I can rest knowing we did it twice and we did it right twice. Soar Beegey and I can’t wait to see you fly. All my love Mom

[scrawnydutchman]

When Should a Franchise be Revived?

So as the common fan of film and television has more then likely noticed by now, reboots, remakes and revisions are everywhere. Pandering towards our collective nostalgia has proven to be far more profitable and less risky then creating a whole new original classic for our mass consumption. The people have voted with their wallets on what they’d like to see, and now EVERYBODY is doing it. Cartoon Network rebooted Powerpuff Girls and will continue to bring back Ben 10. We’ve seen reboots of Fantastic Four and other superhero properties in recent years thanks to the everlasting boom of Marvel comics popularity. Power Rangers, Smurfs and other nostalgic franchises of old are coming back. Even the animation powerhouses of Disney and Pixar, who can earn a profit simply by slapping their name on a film, have decided it was more worthwhile to continuously remind everyone of how great and ambitious they used to be . . . . rather then continue to be great and ambitious.

Yeah, as anybody who has read an article I wrote previously about the Beauty and the Beast remake in particular and just knows me in general will have figured out by now that I am HIGHLY opposed to this phenomenon. I think it’s a discouragement of mold changing ideas, it tells our future generation that the great idea they had for a new movie or show will be supported by absolutely no one, and it generally makes our culture come to a grinding halt. It’s especially ironic because these franchises we want to come back so badly are so great in the first place BECAUSE they challenged our sensibilities when they first came out, rather then pandered to them. They redefined what could be expected from our entertainment, they changed the way we look at a medium, they made all encompassing shifts in our culture. Remaking Beauty and the Beast doesn’t shift our culture, or at least it doesn’t shift us forward. It just holds us back. We could have put that same money into creating a new spectacular film that was so jaw droppingly amazing it RIVALED the original Beauty and the Beast in it’s majesty, instead of just trying to live up to it. Now, I have to come clean; I have not seen the new Beauty and the Beast so upon seeing it my mind could VERY much change upon a viewing, but I’m personally really self conscious about putting my hard earned money towards a mentality I greatly oppose, and truthfully at this point I might go in with a bias of “ready to hate it” where I don’t go in expecting a movie, I go in being like “okay . . impress me”, which for any art completely changes your outlook. When I see it, if I see it, I’ll have to take time to change my mindset in the name of being fair. On the other hand the whole movies marketing strategy is “remember the first movie?” so I’ll likely know exactly what to expect.

All of that said, bringing back a franchise is not ALWAYS bad, in fact sometimes I too get incredibly hyped about the news of one returning. There are certain exceptions of the rules, and I’m here to create a distinction between when you SHOULD bring a franchise back, and when you should just leave good enough alone.

1. It should be something that didn’t have a satisfying conclusion

One of my absolute favorite shows growing up was Teen Titans. Action packed, suspenseful, heartwarming, sometimes scary, hilarious and overall dripping with charm, this show was a clever blend of western animation and anime tropes brought together to make a really thrilling colorful ride with the unforgettable main case of Robin, Beast Boy (my favorite as a kid), Cyborg, Raven and the lovely adorable Starfire (who is my new favorite after rewatching this great series). As wonderful as this show was, it has an infamously unsatisfying conclusion. Without giving too much away to people yet to see this show, basically a major character from a previous story arc comes back without remembering who they were, one of our main heroes tries to help them but then has to leave them to continue crimefighting. And that’s it. That’s all we got. No answers to why this character came back, no answers as to what this means for the team, nothing about why their memory is lost. The show just ended without warning. If this show came back and kept telling amazing stories featuring our favorite motley crew of teenage superheroes and had an entire arc about how this character came back, you bet your ass I’d watch it. I WANT ANSWERS DAMMIT. Besides, part of the ingeniousness of the Superhero genre is that it’s so broad and limitless you can tell an infinite amount of stories with it. It just lends itself to being an ongoing franchise. Which leads to my next point.

And before anyone brings it up, yes, I’m aware of Teen Titans Go. I just try my best to forget about it.

2. You have a premise with potential for more stories. 

Coming up with a timeless premise is a difficult task. How do you come up with a plotline that’s timelessly epic or intriguing and is easily accessible to fans from every generation? Well, more often then not the answer is to make your premise as simple as possible, and to play towards themes everybody can relate to. One Piece is a great example, being one of the longest going franchises EVER and being SO successful it beat Spider-Man for the number 3 spot of best selling comic book franchise of all time (and at the rate it’s going it’s not unlikely it will beat Batman and Superman in the next few years). That’s because the premise is very easy to understand: Guy wants to become king of the pirates, to do so he must find the thing everybody is looking for, hijinks ensues and he meets a bunch of new friends along the way. With a premise as broad as this you can go ANYWHERE with it, and as a result this series has some of the most expansive lore out there where even the smallest character has the most intriguing arc. They’re always going to new islands, they’re always finding new bad guys to beat up, they’re always overcoming new bizarre challenges, and because the story essentially ends when our main lead finds his treasure, which could be at anytime, it can be as long as it wants. It also means if it were ever to end randomly without Luffy finding the One Piece it wouldn’t be out of place to just bring it back a few years later.

3. The franchise has potential not fully realized

Now, after the recent success of the new Beauty and the Beast in the box office you’ve probably heard that Disney has a SHIT TON of remakes in the works for the near future. They’re basically remaking everything, regardless of how much sense it makes. Barf. But that said, there are a FEW Disney remake examples I wouldn’t mind seeing tbh. The biggest one for me is Treasure Planet, reason being that it was a passion project by originators of the Disney Renaissance John Musker and Ron Clements, that was held back since it’s inception (thanks Katzenburg) and once it FINALLY got released it essentially bombed in the low point of Disneys popularity at the time. Now it sits alongside it’s brother Atlantis: The Lost Empire as the nostalgic Disney films fans get to at the END of their marathon, if even that. It’s a shame because this really is a neat idea. Treasure Island in space with a steampunk vibe really lends itself towards incredible and imaginative visuals (even if this movie has sort of a weird style of not quite mesh between historical and futuristic). I’d like to see a live action remake of this because the first movie doesn’t get the respect it deserves, especially for being the passion project that it is (poor Musker and Clements) and live action CGI has potential for bringing this premise to life in a way that was limited for it’s time due to this idea being held back for years. Plus I’d like to see this movie fix the problems the old one had (and when I say fix, I mean ACTUALLY MAKE BETTER, not just address knitpicky bullshit like so many people who think they’re smarter then a 90s movie when they actually just demonstrate that they completely miss the point. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ISN’T ABOUT STOCKHOLM SYNDROME. okay, rant over). I for one would just blend the two styles a little closer together so it looks more like a steampunk mesh and less like .  . . regular pirate ships with rockets taped on. Also, get rid of the robot. Just cut him out entirely.

So yeah, those are the 3 reasons I think would make bringing a franchise back acceptable. If your franchise had an unsatisfying conclusion, has potential for more stories and perhaps was incredibly limited upon it’s initial release, I see no reason not to talk about it again. And if you can hit all 3 of them then man, at that point you have a DUTY to bring it back.

Now those of you who saw the top picture was probably wondering when the hell I was going to mention the new season of Samurai Jack. Well rest assured, I saw it. And it. Is. AMAZING!!!!!! Seriously, this is some of the most spectacular stuff I have ever seen in an animated series. You are doing yourself a disservice if you are not watching Samurai Jack right now. But incidentally, the franchise itself just so happens to fit all 3 of the criteria I mentioned. The Samurai Jack series DID have an unsatisfying conclusion; we never saw Jack return to the past. The simple yet ingenious premise of Samurai Warrior gets flung into bad past by arch enemy and has to get back to the past to undo the damage done by him lends itself a LOT to endless possibilities for storytelling. It’s beautifully broad and in a futuristic setting, so you can put Jack in any situation you want. A western? go ahead. A fairy tale? Absolutely. Scotland? Why not? An Alice in Wonderland homage? You bet your ass! Sometimes the premises just write themselves. And finally, this new season is the vision of Genndy Tartakovsky fully realized. It’s no longer held back by censorship towards children or a constraint in budget. It has complete permission to go all out. The scenery is more beautiful then ever before, the action is awe inspired, the suspense is intoxicating, the new use of gore is artistic beyond all hell, and it maintains everything great about the old series and improves upon them. THIS IS HOW YOU BRING A SERIES BACK.

Now, compare that to Beauty and the Beast. The original is also an awe inspired risk taking and breathtaking work of art that really challenges the conventions we used to know and love. But the facts are: it had a satisfying conclusion, there were no more stories to tell (despite the efforts of the terrible direct to DVD sequels) and it was it’s own potential fully realized. The remake has nothing to offer but nostalgia for a movie you can watch any time if you wanted and the promise that it will fix what was never broken. Beyond that, all it’s got is songs we’ve already heard, a cast of talented people, granted, but would frankly be better off putting their talent to a fresh idea that needs the exposure more, and cgi that’s nothing new from what we see every year.

BUT ALL OF THAT SAID . . . there is one factor that breaks all the previously stated rules and warrants the existence of a product no matter where it’s basis comes from . . . honest to God quality. If a movie is genuinely entertaining or enchanting or funny, for any reason at all, then it’s done it’s core job and that’s that. So maybe I will be pleasantly surprised by this new Beauty and the Beast, it’s totally plausible. I’ve heard friends of mine say it’s BETTER then the original . . . I can’t help but remain skeptical and a little pessimistic at the whole idea, but fun is fun so, if you enjoyed it, don’t let me stop you from doing so.

[boardoflife]

  RePlay FX: The Razzle-Dazzle, The Splendor, and The Fringe

Of the fandom conventions in Pittsburgh, RePlay FX is fast becoming my favorite. While I may be biased, having attended since its inception, or since its rebranding as RePlay anyway (in years prior, it was Pinburgh, which still maintains an impressive presence), in its fifth year, the show has become a solid entertainment venue. While RePlay FX has always had razzle-dazzle, in the form of its constant arcade lightshow, and fleets of coin-op, console, and pinball games, in 2019, there were signs that the convention had become healthy and viable in ways other than its impressive spectacle and growing attendance, such as vendors flocking to the convention in larger numbers and greater variety, and convention-goers distributed throughout the entire show floor, enjoying all of what RePlay FX brings to the table.

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And outside the show floor as well. While the tabletop gaming has been relegated to the concourse since the early year of the convention, after Thursday this year, that spin-off rarely had open tables, so that when two of us sat down for a game of Splendor, we had to share a table with another game in session. While most of these board gamers had heads bowed over gateway games like Ticket to Ride and Catan, a few hip gamers threw down Horrified and a few other games getting good GenCon buzz. Families with children also use the concourse as a rest stop, taking a breather at the giant floor checkers, fussball tables, or eighties entertainment center, comprised of a mottled brown couch, NES, and coffee table strewn with vintage TV guides to complete its time travel effect.

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While cosplay remains minor at RePlay FX compared to Tekko or Steel City Con, there were a handful of Stormtroopers, Marios, and other enthusiastic cosplayers in attendance. That said, there were absolutely zero cosplays which I would call riveting, or even noteworthy. While interest in cosplay is usually a good gauge as to fandom participation in an event, I don’t believe this is the case with RePlay FX. Despite the lack of cosplay and visible signs of fandom participation, RePlay FX 2019 was suffused throughout with a buzzing wave of enthusiasm. People were not only enjoying themselves, but chattering about it. As the demographic broadens a little, cosplay should become more dynamic.

If my eyes seem drawn to these fringe activities, they’re a practical slide rule to gauge the growth and performance of the convention. As the arcade and pinball games have always been the hugest draw for RePlay FX, it should be no surprise that these areas continue to see substantial increase, given the steady interest, but with the “fringe” areas having wait times, such as lines forming at vendors, and increasingly limited table space for board games, here we see RePlay FX threatening to break free of its current shape and become a local gaming megaconvention. Cosplay should become more popular as the fringe areas of the con develop. While I admit this optimistic prediction may be biased by my hope for great things from RePlay FX, my perceptions are also shaped not only by my experience with local cons, like Tekko, Wizard World Pittsburgh, and Steel City Con, but attendance of large cons, like San Diego Comic Con, New York Comic Con, and Mega Con. If I’m wishful in small part, I believe in large part that the outline of a much bigger event is visible in, and being shaped by, these current trends.

RePlay FX: The Soul and The Aura

If you’ve never been to RePlay FX, you may wonder, ‘what’s the draw?’ Perhaps you’ve been to other gaming conventions, like a PAX or GenCon, and your standards are set by these other gaming fandom venues. Why should you come to RePlay FX?

While you can’t go back in time to the magical moment you entered your first video arcade, RePlay FX will likely surpass that memory when you step into its alluring array of coin-op and pinball in a pixel-blasting spread of hundreds of games conjured from past decades and set to free play. Not only Asteroids, Tempest, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders, but countless obscurities and oddities, not to mention pinball machines with cool, mercurial, or downright arcane or diabolical designs that would not be out of place tatted on an arm or sprayed on the side of a cheesy van, but are nonetheless cutting edge after all this time. While you might still be mesmerized if the games were under stark light, the event designers set a perfect ambiance with its shadowy arcade cave lit by a colorful lightshow.

Not only the soul of RePlay FX, but its aura, this host of video games will keep you coming back year after year.

That said, let me take you through a sample first day.

Upon arriving at the David H Lawrence convention center, and having traversed a tunnel draped with RePlay FX’s vinyl banner, you ascend the escalator to registration–which has a steady dozen or so in line on Saturday, a small line on Friday or Sunday, and no line on Thursday (for now, still the best day for skipping crowds and lines)–buy a shirt if you’re so inclined, glance at the fussball tables, huge plastic checker set, and tabletop gaming, then plunge into Hall A, skipping past all these wooden and plastic analog entertainments in your rush for full-on Pac-Man Fever and the fistful of pixels you came for, and after homicidal driving in Crazy Taxi, you hop into pizza-crunching, sidescrolling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; blast Asteroids into bits; dodge waves of Dalek pinballs authentically voiced by Nicholas Briggs; embrace the accelerating tedium of Space Invaders for one level only; find that game you always got extra mileage on as a kid, and let a line dawdle behind you; then remember why you ever loved Centipede when your eight year old can’t walk past one without playing it.

Conclusion

RePlay FX did such an incredible job cramming Hall A with buzzers, blinkers, bumpers, tempests, pac-men, defenders, and asteroids that I had a hard time remembering that this was not the largest con at the David H Lawrence convention center this year. That honor would go to Tekko, who takes over several halls, not only on the second floor but the third floor. Despite that, RePlay FX felt like the bigger con this year, using nearly every inch of Hall A, until it became like a dragon’s lair, hoarded with glints, gleams, and sinister noises, a destination worthy of an epic quest for a four day cache of digital loot.

In terms of vision, RePlay FX is just as big and grandiose as the PAXes and those other gaming cons you’ve heard of and dreamed of going to–and if, in terms of size, it hasn’t yet achieved it, well, RePlay is only in its fifth year.

Cross-posted on NerdSpan.

RePlay FX 2019: Review RePlay FX: The Razzle-Dazzle, The Splendor, and The Fringe Of the fandom conventions in Pittsburgh, RePlay FX is fast becoming my favorite.

[mrmichaelchadler]

Glenn Kenny's Top Ten Films of 2018

10. “Sorry to Bother You” and “Jeanette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc” (Tie)

Boots Riley’s literally radical vision of the intertwining of capitalism and institutional racism was a pharmaceutical-grade stunner that exercised cinematic rights a bunch of more experienced filmmakers seem not to know even exist. Fresh, funny, and terrifyingly surprising. One relatively experienced filmmaker who strives to be ever more free with each picture is the Frenchman Bruno Dumont, who concocted a vision of divine grace being a head-banging feeling with his musical treatment of the teen years of Joan of Arc.

9. “Support the Girls”

I have been skeptical about the films of Andrew Bujalski in the past; he’s certainly a talent but I’ve sometimes had trouble clicking with his pictures for reasons I’d rather not dredge up because they seem petty, e.g., I could not stand one of the lead actors in a couple of his films. This concept proved to be not a factor with this superb drama with almost nonstop comedic elements, a bad working day (and more) in the life of Regina Hall’s Lisa, the manager of a Hooters-type Texas sports bar contending with a jailed employee, overenthusiastic newbies, an owner who’s both arrogant and negligent, a power failure, and more. In this sharply-written picture the filmmaker and cast strike a perfect balance of human empathy and formal discipline/observation. While the conclusions it makes about workaday life in America are bleak indeed, it’s an incredible pleasure to watch.  

8. “Skate Kitchen”

As a critic I try to retain an open mind about what I’m asked to review, not just because it’s morally correct but because it pays off. Crystal Moselle’s film about female skateboarders, not a demographic that figures prominently in my sensibility so to speak, proved one of the most engrossing and genuinely transportive pictures I saw this year. From my review in the New York Times: “Older New Yorkers often wax nostalgic about places that were important to them and are gone, and grouse that the city doesn’t have the same ‘magic’ that it used to. This movie is a useful reminder that each subsequent generation of New York children gets the city’s magic where they find it. ‘Skate Kitchen’ is a depiction of a particular kind of hangout freedom that’s at its most beautiful when it’s nearly languid, as characters sit on tar-beach rooftops taking in the city at twilight, or navigate street corners on their boards in relaxed arcing motions. Many of its moments perfectly capture the delight and dread of a summer in the city at an age when you may think you’re invincible, in spite of all the everyday defeats life may be handing you.”

7. “Madeline’s Madeline”

It’s dangerous to glibly equate art and art-making with “madness” or any other variety of mental illness. So if I tell you that “Madeline’s Madeline,” a film directed by Josephine Decker and equally authored by the fierce lead performance of Helena Howard, is about a talented teenage actress with issues who’s possibly being exploited by her acting coach, I couldn’t blame you for thinking it sounds dicey. It is not dicey: what it is is provocative, empathetic, frightening, and most of all, free, or as free as a narrative film can be.

6. “Shirkers”

One indication of why this is a near-great film: although it is a relatively straightforward and coherent narrative account—albeit one so surprising as to be, weirdly, equally exhilarating as it is upsetting—almost everyone who watches it has a different idea of its theme. Is it about toxic males holding women down? The challenges facing a female artist? The difficulty of making art in Singapore?

Sandi Tan’s documentary memoir/detective story cannily maintains a core pose of modesty while insinuatingly exploring a series of big ideas. Serving as her own narrator, Tan tells of her 1990s time as an artistically ambitious teen in Singapore, under the spell of maverick filmmakers like David Lynch and believing she had found a cinematic partner in crime with an older man from the States, a teacher and self-styled would-be auteur named Georges Cardona. Sandi forges alliances with the smaller-than-a-handful number of like-minded conspirators on her not-yet-economically-booming island to make her film. A film that Cardona absconds with, leaving behind no explanation or apology.

The rediscovery of the footage in 2010 made this movie possible. But it didn’t determine this movie’s power. Even if it took Tan several decades to realize it, “Shirkers” proves her a born moviemaker.   

5. “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” 

This film, made by RaMell Ross, is cinema as an act of love, love for both a people and a place. From my review in the New York Times: “the filmmaker’s poetic logic is inextricable from his consciousness of race and community, and of his function and potential as an artist grappling with his own circumstances and those of the people he’s depicting. 'Hale County This Morning, This Evening' is not a long film, but it contains whole worlds.”

4. “Mandy”

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” So said Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. The aesthetics of “Mandy” have a stubborn attachment to what many might call “childish things,” like the tropes of pulp fantasy. But Panos Cosmatos’ film drags them into a foreboding realm of art cinema. The tensions raised by this result in an extremely distinctive and haunting picture. From my review in the New York Times: “In its various genre allusions, it draws from a deep, idiosyncratic well. But despite its frequent instances of absurdist humor, it is not a film that winks at the audience with its cleverness.”

3. “The Other Side Of The Wind”

In the interviews and authorized and unauthorized recordings of conversations with Orson Welles in his later years, he is voluble, expansive, regretful, witty, pointed. But hardly ever overtly angry. (Although you get a bit of that in My Lunches With Orson, the Henry Jaglom book transcribing the chats they had.) “The Other Side of the Wind” is an angry film. Angry with Hollywood, angry with cinema, angry with cinephilia, angry with life. Not for what it gives but for what it takes away.

And it’s angry with its own maker. For squandering ... something. Something the movie never quite puts its finger on. From my review on this site: “What vision it […] presents is a continually paradoxical one. It is a curse on cinema and a blessing of it. Its explorations of sexuality near explicitness, but its musings on the subject have to do with nothing but secrets. A sniping critic/historian played by Susan Strasberg harps on Hannaford’s camera fixating on his movies’ leading men. She recalls that Hannaford had affairs with all the wives of his movies’ lead males, and theorizes that this was his way of sublimating his desire for the men. Certainly Hannaford’s fixation on John Dale (Bob Random), the hippie-curled leading man of the new project, is not healthy. Dale came into Hannaford’s life while the latter was vacationing. The older man believes he saved the younger when he was trying to drown himself. A drama teacher brought to Jake’s party has a different story about Dale’s own ambition. Repressed homosexuality is not especially emphasized here as a betrayal of one’s self, but “The Other Side of the Wind” is a movie in which everyone is selling everyone out, or at least is susceptible to doing so. Its web of relationships is vertigo-inducing, and the breakneck cutting, constantly shifting film stock, and seesawing aspect ratios don’t construct the easiest through-line by which to track them.”

It’s not a friendly or easy film. But who said films need to be friendly or easy? Or that testaments had to be “relatable” or “positive?” Welles’ film is bracing testimony to the potential artistic powers of piss and vinegar.

2. “The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs”

Six stories about death and storytelling, which is a contrivance to stave off death—one that never works. As I said in my review for this site: "There’s a lot of killing in this movie, and many of those who suffer it are depicted lying down, with their eyes open, looking at the sky. In the movie’s final story, ‘The Mortal Remains,’ one of a pair of bounty hunters, played by Jonjo O’Neill, tells his fellow passengers in a stagecoach of how, after his partner (Brendan Gleeson) has “thumped” one of their victims, he enjoys looking into that man’s eyes and watching as he negotiates the border between life and death, trying to find a state to which he can be reconciled. Do any of them ‘make it?’ one of the passengers asks. ‘I don’t know,’ the bounty hunter says cheerfully. ‘I’m only watching.’”

Here, I think, is the thing that ties the movie together, makes it more than a random selection of stories. I was told, recently, in a Q&A with Ethan Coen, Bill Heck, and Tim Blake Nelson, that early in the process of the film it was thought that the Frenchman in the poker game in the title tale and the Frenchman in the stage in the finale, “The Mortal Remains,” would be played by the same actor. Scheduling made that impossible, and that’s a blessing because we get to see not only David Krumholtz AND Saul Rubinek in similar roles. On the other hand, had they been played by the same actor, Coen brothers’ diabolical structure would have been clearer.

There’s a funny irony in that the sole story in which life can be seen as even a little bit fair is witnessed only by an owl and a deer.

1. “Zama”

Lucrecia Martel’s film, nine years or so in the making, is a dark comedy on the tragedy of colonialism. Adapted from a 1950s modernist novel by Argentine writer Antonio di Benedetto, the movie skews the very notion of the historical epic from its opening moments.

As I wrote in my review for this site: “Don Diego de Zama, stands on a beach, striking, on the sand at low tide, what we can infer he considers a heroic pose. There’s nothing much actually going on; some small craft are at the beach, and nearby, there are native women participating in a casual language class. [Watching them] conversing while naked and covered in mud, he lies in some grass where he believes he can see and not be seen. Before he can get up to whatever he’s thinking of getting up to, he is indeed seen, and chased away by one of the women, who taunts him as a voyeur. The scene ends on a slapstick note.”

The formal riches of the film buttress the droll but also ideologically pertinent content; the painstaking acuity of Martel’s eye and ear produce a cinematic experience that can be—inadequately!—described in words but demands to be seen.

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