#a human being with these flaws that I can appreciate and these features I want to appreciate in myself?

[saphira-approves]

Alright buckle up y’all, I’ve got a book series recommendation and propaganda under the cut for any fans of the Inheritance Cycle.

If you read our beloved farmboy-turned-dragon-rider books and had a particular fondness for: the idea of an order of individuals chosen to be both partner and rider to powerful and beautiful magical creatures; Snowfire; an immortal evil that resurfaces in disguised and unexpected forms (specifically referencing the Draumar cult which we now know had influence in Galbatorix’s rise to power); and/or the juicy juicy drama of complicated parent-child relationships, then oh boy do I have a recommendation for you.

Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series, comprising of many, MANY individuals novels, trilogies, and short story anthologies. I don’t currently have a count for the exact total of published books, as I’ve been getting most of these from my local secondhand bookstore, but she’s been publishing these books since 1987 and is still writing them today in 2024.

Since this is such a huge collection, it can be hard to know where to start, so first of all I’d like to assure you that you can start pretty much anywhere, with any of the individual novels or series, so long as you make sure to find the first installment of that series. Personally I started with The Black Gryphon, which seems to be one of the chronologically earliest books; Arrows of the Queen of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy would also be a good place to start, being the first published Valdemar book, though I haven’t actually read it yet—I only just got my copy today, actually!

At any rate, wherever you start, there’s a lot to look forward to. Lackey has a knack for writing characters with depth and complexity, giving them flaws that are so well balanced by endearments that even at their worst, you can still understand and empathize with them; she absolutely refuses to write idiot-plots, allowing her characters not only to remain consistent with their established characterizations, but also to communicate with each other and allow their relationships to evolve as the characters do. Characters are allowed to make mistakes, be vain and stubborn and prideful, get angry, get jealous, get scared, and yet afterward still be received with love and forgiveness when they apologize. The magic is beautifully described and, at least for me, easy to understand; the schemes are clever, diabolical, and exciting to watch unfold. There is true, pure evil in the villains, and satisfaction in their endings.

There’s also a decent amount of diversity, which may or may not be surprising, depending on what you’ve read of 80s/90s SFF. Of the handful of books I’ve read so far, here are my observations: Lackey writes fantastic and complex women full of depth, emotion, and ingenuity, each as different from each other as their backgrounds would demand. There are several canonically queer characters across the timeline, including a main protagonist. Lackey’s worldbuilding establishes several unique and disparate cultures, drawing clear influence from many non-European real life sources, with featured characters of those cultures given, in my opinion, respectful and appreciative spotlights. There are characters with disabilities, respected both by the narrative and the characters around them. There are also non-human cultures, characters, and protagonists!

As fantastic as I have been finding these books, it would be remiss of me not to add that these books will not be for everyone. They are firmly adult fantasy, and Lackey does not pull her punches when she wants her characters to suffer. There is torture, sexual assault, suicide. Not all of this is graphically described, but some certainly is; most of the graphic stuff I have so far read is of about the same intensity as the torture scenes of Inheritance, but some of the abstractions are much more intense, and I get the sense that some of what I haven’t yet read may be both graphic and visceral. That being said, if you could handle Game of Thrones’ graphic violence and assault but disliked the persistent pessimism of that series, this one might be right up your alley!

Anyway. That’s all from me for now. I’m off to go read about characters bonding with magical creatures somewhat beyond mortal ken and going on fantastic and harrowing magical adventures. :)

[piipaw]

What is Gale's most attractive feature to Gum? And something that he initially didn't like, but learned to appreciate/adore over time?

And vice versa - what does Gale enjoy about Gum the most?

Thank you for sending this! It took awhile to respond because I was away but I was SO excited when I saw this ask 🌟

To Gum, I think Gale's most attractive feature is... well at first meeting it's Gale's confidence. Gale is just so certain with his words Gum has no reason to doubt or believe there is ulterior meaning to them. As someone raised in a very direct culture Gum appreciates that a lot.

But as he becomes closer with Gale? I think Gum becomes super attracted to their contrast to their physical appearance? The gith are so tall and thin and angular and hard. No hair besides what's on their head, sharp ears and sharper teeth and claws. Gale is none of these things. He's sturdy and soft and a series of curves and Gum has never realized that one can have these soft edges and still be... strong.

Something Gum doesn't like- well they both kinda have conflicting upbringings. Gum is far more... practical? He doesn't seek small comforts like Gale might. He doesn't look at nuance the same way.

An example: if Xan or Gertie were to fight with another kid at school, Gum would see no foul so long as their kid wins. Where as Gale would be disappointed on the surface that they allowed someone else to rile up such a response, even if he would have a crumb of pride at them showing strength.

So Gum doesn't always understand why Gale is so particular about things, or like why Gale might want to take a certain approach. But it's something he admires in Gale too- that he's one to stand firm to his beliefs.

Now in reverse... I think Gale really adores Gum because Gum loves him warts and all. He can have flaws. He can be imperfect. He can truly be himself and Gum would not think lesser of him. I think Gale really enjoys sharing each others culture, even if they don't always see eye to eye. Gale might not get why Gum is very stubborn about some things or why Gum might have a bit of emotional lag.

Something that Gale dislikes... I think sometimes Gale struggles because Gum does have a different background not just as like gith to human but as cleric to wizard. So Gum will always have a basis of magic that differs from his own and it can be a very heated topic from time to time. I could see Gale struggling to accept other ideas bc he's so convinced that his way is the only way. And gum being direct or blunt might come across as rude rather than what it is. But Gale would never want gum to like blindly follow him without voicing his thoughts, most of the time the different pov is refreshing and makes Gale really think.

[tothepointofinsanity]

the new pmmm movie trailer has brought back my Brainrot for the show so ive been re-exploring the pmmm corner of tumblr and

oh my god???? oh my fucking god???? oh holy shit???? oh my goodness gracious your art is so pretty??????? hello???????????

the way you draw sayaka is just fhfhfhfhhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhhfhf. yk? the english language does not have the words to articulate how much i love you art and the style of your art. i am going insane. i am losing my mind. every piece you've made featuring sayaka just captures her essence so well and it makes me feral.

sayaka's not my main favorite of the show (sorry sayaka, you rock but kyoko is just too cool with her Christian Guilt) she's a very close second and it makes me so happy to see an artist who just understands her character so well. she's a foolish girl blind to her own fate, desperate to do something special and be someone worthwhile but she's ultimately just a footnote in the grand plan of the universe, she wants to be just and righteous and kind so badly but she's too wrapped up in her own despair to truly be selfless, she can be selfish and callous but that's just because she's human, a human who realized her existence is ultimately an exercise in futility and that fact burns and it hurts so she does whatever she can to make the pain go away but it never does because she's just A Normal, Flawed Girl and that hurts so goddamn much-

i have so many Thoughts about sayaka. she makes me insane on a daily basis and your art just feels like it captures all the screeching in my brain and puts it in the form of some beautiful images. they're so great. you're doing great.

Ah, thank you for the kind words [♡] I appreciate the time you had taken out to write and send this long scroll of a compliment.

I have been told by others that the way I depict Sayaka is "so real" and that it captures her essence most of the time, even though I am not sure what particular elements about her that people in the audience like unless specified. I suppose, personally, whenever I am drawing her, I have to enter her shoes of not just "the frustration of a lovesick teenage girl", "my perceived sense of justice was flawed", but also to accept that resignation is a highlight of her character. A young girl who believes she is unloved despite her desire to do everything Right. A mermaid who cannot swim - futility and uselessness contribute to why Sayaka is a realistic and compelling person to a lot of people watching the show. Whenever I draw her, my brain paints a sketch of her sadness before anything else. The despair of "no matter what I do, this is the outcome" is true to the canon of Sayaka turning into a Witch in every timeline she tries to accomplish this Goodness by being a magical girl, reflecting the reality at large the helplessness girls in general experience on a daily basis.

It is why I find people who hate Sayaka to be...strange, since their prescribed reasons for dislike are mainly how "foolish" her wish and outlook in life was, and how she became irritating to those around her as though Sayaka isn't literally a paragon of not just deteriorating mental health, but to me, people with personality disorders as well, given that there is always a "sense" that the inevitable ending involves everyone actively avoiding you and you will eventually just...fade away into non-existence; a bad memory that no one wants to speak about. It makes me sad. Sayaka is sick, and everyone can smell the rot of magic off her.

Everytime I draw her, I want to capture, perhaps, this exact feeling of resigning to this disease. I don't want to always make the drawings beautiful since her struggles are ugly and difficult and tiresome, and shouldn't be trivialised as a result. She's always trying her best to regain control of her own life, thus being so unmatched in terms of how relatable she is to a lot of people.

I am glad that someone appreciates my works, even if they aren't always consistently quality. •́ ‿ ,•̀

[eriksdotter]

Jake Sully definitely has his flaws but isn’t necessarily a “bad” father, at least to the extent I’ve seen about him. Even if he’s hard on Neteyam and Lo’ak, we see early on in their childhood—before they were thrown into another war with humans—that Jake is an extremely affectionate, attentive and caring father.

Yet, given the return of humans and Jake’s experience with war and it’s hardships, we clearly can see his military mindset and training kick into gear and is basically his survival instincts coming in to protect his family and the Omaticaya as Olo’eyktan Doesn’t mean he handles every situation perfectly with his son’s particularly, he’s flawed and makes mistakes, but his top priority is the safety of his family and people in a time of war and as Olo’eyktan that isn’t always the easiest thing to handle.

Jake and Neytiri are shown to be okay with bringing Neteyam and Lo’ak into battle as Spotters—no doubt if Kiri wanted to be a warrior but she clearly shows more interest in the spiritual and healing side more, and if Tuk was older and wanted to be a warrior during a time of war that Jake would of been as equally as hard on them while taking them into the battle field, their his children after all—Jake witnesses them disobeying his orders on the field of battle that are given for a reason (while he is still a protective father watching his son’s) only to see them nearly die and get badly injured.

The next time this happens, Lo’ak, Kiri, Tuk and Spider go where they’ve been explicitly told not to go only to end up in serious danger which would freak any parent out. Moving on to Jake finding out his worst enemy is still alive and had his kid’s so close to death is terrifying and would make him doubt his skills and kick his survival instincts up tenfold.

We see all his decisions being centered around protecting his family and making sure the safety he secured to give them a better life isn’t threatened and potentially taken away. Sometimes that came about with his children constantly getting into trouble which would frustrate any parent, Jake’s handling of that isn’t perfect with Neteyam and Lo’ak as we see him put pressure on Neteyam as the older brother but also telling him to stop taking the heat for Lo’ak and we know that Neteyam doesn’t want to only be seen as “the perfect son.” (and Neytiri also puts that pressure on both boys, less than Jake but it’s still there.)

Lo’ak is the most like his father out of all of them, the rebellious outcast compared to his brother Neteyam who holds the typical features of Na’vi and was more accepted by the Omaticaya than Lo’ak as his demon blood is something we see Lo’ak struggle with more than the others. Jake and him are definitely going to clash. Jake’s handling of Neteyam’s death with Lo’ak wasn’t great and while I did appreciate him finally acknowledging Lo’ak with the “I See you” as he definitely needed that. I do believe their relationship still needs a bit of healing and Jake needs to work on himself—but I can also understand he was processing his pain as a grieving father during war while worried for his daughters at the hand of his sons murderers.

We also never got a glimpse at what happened the first year the humans returned and the Omaticaya fought them. A lot could of happened during then that influenced Jake’s behaviour. But, ultimately Jake is still a father worried about his family—his children, being hurt/killed and is what fuels him to make the decisions he does throughout the movies. All he wants is to protect his family from being hunted and slaughtered by someone he knows is dangerous, because “a father protects, it’s what gives him meaning” So, reducing Jake as some “harsh and unloving” father means you might of missed the message of what Jake’s character represents in a way—even when his fails throughout the movie—which is what the hardships of war can do to relationships, especially families.

[irisbleufic]

Do you have any advice on how to write trans characters? What are the big no nos when writing them? Is it OK to use magic to help my trans characters transition easier? In general if I were to write a trans character in fantasy setting or in an older time period settings what would be different? Or would writing them and their struggles would just be the same?

I do have some advice, although the thing to remember from the outset is that I represent just one trans person's take on these questions. It's also important to know that my trans identity is, even more specifically, that of a person whose gender identity is nonbinary/gender neutral in part due to being biologically intersex. You may also want to ask these questions of a few other individuals with trans identities different from mine (i.e. trans women, trans men, agender people, and so forth). Nonetheless, I'll do my best to respond in a way that you'll hopefully find helpful!

At the most basic level, be respectful. The fact that you're seeking out people to answer these questions means you're already doing that, and believe me, we appreciate it! If you ever feel lost with regard to what's considered the most up-to-date terminology around LGBTQIA+ identities and orientations, the GLAAD Media Reference Guide is generally reliable if you can't get a quick answer from a live human. It may lack finer detail on some points (like the more exhaustive breakdown I gave of my own identity, for example).

Part of being respectful is also asking yourself why you're including a trans character (or a character of any marginalized identity, really). Show that you care about who that character is above and beyond the fact that they're trans. Foreground their personality; focus on who they are in terms of their temperament, their relationships, and even their flaws. For example, if you're going to have a trans villain, make sure they're not reduced to that status simply because they're trans. They likely have ambitions and beliefs that influence that status far more than anything else. Now, I'm not saying your trans villain isn't allowed to be vengeful because the world's been cruel to them; most villains have some component of vengeance going on anyway. Whatever role your trans character is filling, make sure they're fully fleshed out. I feel like this advice is just as much about compelling characterization as it is about being respectful.

With regard to the use of magic for fictional transition: I mean, why not? If magic is a feature and/or a piece of technology in your worldbuilding, I say go for it. I can count on two hands the number of trans creators I know who have included some kind of magical component to transitioning. If we could practice magic in reality, I'm sure we'd use it for transition all the fucking time. Now, if you're writing in a non-fantasy setting, you obviously wouldn't want to suddenly have magic appear for the sake of transition, and then serve no other purpose. You would probably want to reflect real world transitioning procedures, even if that means a lack of medical intervention. Many trans people either can't afford, can't be bothered with, or actively don't want to medically transition. It would be really neat (and have a normalizing effect) to see more trans people in fiction who don't feel the need to medically transition, actually!

This brings me to your question of writing about real trans people in the past. Some lived in times and places where early medical transition measures such as hormone therapy were available (for example: in the ancient world, drinking mammal urine containing estrogen was an approach to feminization). However, many more people did not have options readily available, which meant the most they could do was align the way they dressed and carried themselves with their desired gender presentation. We know a lot more about the lives of intersex and trans people in the past than you might think; even just using those Wikipedia links as a starting point for source location yields considerable information on some of them.

I can't make a blanket statement saying that their daily struggles were all just the same as those of modern trans people. Some of them may not have even struggled at all. This is why doing research is so important. It all depends on their context: culture, language, family dynamics, socio-economic class, did they experience dysphoria or none at all, etc. In that respect, things haven't changed a lot, because those factors affect trans people today.

If there's anything I'd like you to take away from this, it's that there is no single trans story to tell. In fact, there are far more yet to be told than have already been told. Many of us who began telling trans stories before we were completely out, or had completely figured ourselves out, learned in the telling. I'm not saying that will be the case for you, but sometimes the desire to tell a story is indicative that you're taking an active role in discovering your own.

[hologramcowboy]

I am not here to police you for talking about what you think is ugly, or anyway to glorify danneel's look- but I wanted to say I don’t like the way you use the word 'masculine' as an adjective of 'being ugly'... A lot of women having masculine feature or fashion sense looks beautiful in their own way, and I don’t think to be beautiful you have to be feminine- all floral and pink kind of way... I know you didn’t mean this but just... The word did not sit right with me.

Thank you, anon. I appreciate this ask deeply. I didn't mean that masculine was ugly, I have plenty of tomboy women friends. It has to look good on you though, just like feminine or floral has to as well. I was trying to point out that she looks more masculine than feminine as an observation. Feminity comes in many manifestations and so does masculinity. Nothing wrong with any of it, it's all beautiful but being the flawed human I am, i just honestly dislike Danneel's look because it gives me the worst vibes. I think sinister is perhaps the perfect word that expresses it.

You're completely right, by the way, a woman can be as feminine or as masculine as she wants and same goes for men, in fact, if we look at the charismatic people of the world we will always find that charismatic men have certain feminine qualities and charismatic women have certain masculine qualities. This isn't remotely about that but about my shitty feelings. Deeply sorry if my comment hurt you in any way. 🧡

[squishy-lombax]

Book reviews from my book club

I host a book club that has unfortunately been lacking in active members. If you're interested in joining, please let me know. We are based on Discord. Warning: I've very passionate about the book club and will get on your case if I don't hear from you regularly. If any of the books listed here that we've read previously interest you, our book club may too! 18+ only. I have relatives in the book club, so I'll kick you if you're being weird. Books are in order of how much I enjoyed them! Disclaimer: These, of course, are just my opinions based on my tastes. (formatted for PC, not app)

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unlike a lot of other high-fantasy books, this one isn't so overly complicated you can still enjoy it. The characters are all very realistic and lovable! This book dealt with a few very heavy topics, however, none of the situations presented were black and white. Especially with a character named Eril-Fane; he was handled so well in my opinion. Even the so-called villain of the story I was able to sympathize with and couldn't decide if I wanted her redeemed or dead. The the description doesn't do the book justice but I can't say much without spoilers. It's a LOT more interesting than it sounds, I promise!

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book has incredible writing, world-building, characters, and interactions. It felt like something that could actually happen (or may be happening right now depending on who you ask). This book has wonderful descriptions and I went through the whole book confidant in how the alien looked in my mind. Any confusion didn't feel frustrating, like in a "I'm just a dumb human" type of way. The main character felt very relatable, and the author wasn't afraid to make her humanly-gross at times. Which I appreciate. I also appreciate the huge emphasis on understanding, communication, and consent present in this book. Things that feel like they should be common in most relationship based stories, but unfortunately, are not.

Lockwood and Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The characters were relatable and funny, and the environments were described excellently! I was invested in the story from chapter one and remained invested to the very end! I especially loved the descriptions of the ghosts and how they were handled. Just the right amount of terror and mystery surrounds them. In general, I usually hate first-person books; but this one strangely did not bother me. Truly a talented writer! I don't know how this book is considered a children's book, though, because even adult-me found myself sitting on the edge of my seat with the sheer thrill and terror this book invoked!

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is based on Norse mythology and it did a wonderful job at explaining this crazy and cooky mythos as coherently as possible. I think if you're interested in Norse mythology (or are a kid learning history) this book is a must-read. The whole story read like a spirited DnD campaign. It was funny, it was camp, and it was lively! I actually laughed out loud a couple times during this book, or had to bury my face envisioning certain scenarios. Representation is abundant with the main character being pan-sexual, the leading lady is Muslim, the first side character is a man that is a fashion designer, and the other is a disabled character (deaf and uses ASL). None of these characters fall into the terrible cliché of the "third wheel, dumb, friend" and all representation featured feels organic and natural.

Waking the Merrow by Heather Rigney ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I worried this would end up just being a trashy romance. I'm so happy to say it was not! It had enough sexy elements to remind you that we're dealing with sirens but it was far above fanfiction equality. I enjoyed the main character because there is something refreshing about having a character be so fundamentally flawed and yet you can still tell she is a good person and doing her best. All the characters were arguably unlikable and yet I liked all of them! I find it far more impressive to write a character in this way. The merrow themselves had great descriptions of their appearance and savagery. Yet they also appear to have a depth and complexity hinted throughout that I'm sure is fully explored in the later books.

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This manga was extremely cute and down to earth. All the characters felt real and alive, going through struggles that may be very personal to the reader. I also learned quite a bit about farming. I was invested in the relationship between Yuugo and Aki and couldn't wait for them to just hold hands. I also enjoyed the realistic take on the relationship with Yuugo and his father. There is no big forgiveness moment and them continuing to have a strained relationship is something that sometimes happens. The characters and morals I feel can connect to many people. Although, this style of story isn't for everyone.

The Guardians: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce & Laura Geringer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was introduced to this series through the movie, Rise of the Guardians. Although this book is a very simple read, I still really enjoy it. It's filled with so much imagination, heart, and gorgeous illustrations. Plus I always love a reinterpretation of childhood characters. I can actually picture myself reading my future kids these books at bedtime!

The Naked Don't Fear The Water by Matthieu Aikins ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I struggle to write reviews for things based on actual events. I enjoyed this book, which surprised me because books that recount actual events have a terrible habit of being boring to me. However, I rather enjoyed the way Matthieu wrote. It was just the right amount of storytelling while also staying focused on the actual events transpiring. This book does a wonderful job of educating its readers while keeping them engaged in a story.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō by Hitoshi Ashinano ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A lovely and relaxing read that does a wonderful job at romanticizing the little things in life. I can definitely see Studio Ghibli making a movie based off this story; they would do a fantastic job with this concept! I especially loved Alpha! (she's autistic and you can't change my mind!) I'm very surprised that this manga is in the Seinen genre because it feels more like it was written for cottage-core lesbians then adult men. One issue is that this story introduced a lot of interesting world-building lore that I was super excited to learn more about. However, sadly, it doesn't dive into any of these concepts more; they are simply brought up and rarely mentioned again.

Room by Emma Donoghue ⭐⭐⭐ The book is very interesting and covers topics I like. However, there is a surprising amount of nothing happening. The five-year-old point of view was hard to get used it, then was okay, but became grating again as the story dragged on. However, after the second half I wasn't sure what the goal of the plot was anymore. The story kind of drags with basic day-to-day things, and having it be from a five-year-old's point of view was no longer interesting to me. I feel like it would have been better if the point of views changed at the half way point to the mother's.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman ⭐⭐⭐ (I read the book before watching the TV show) I found the book rather interesting in concept and I enjoyed the characters. Unfortunately, I personally have struggles with reading and thus the way this book is worded made it difficult for me. I felt there were far too many main characters to get invested in anyone, and just a general lot of nothing happening in the story. It always seemed like something was gonna happen, and thus kept my attention but it never really did, and thus left me feeling disappointed. There were plenty of funny moments but unfortunately, they just didn't make me laugh out loud at all. If you're going to read this book, do so as an audio book!

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas ⭐⭐ This book was a disappointment. I loved the darker atmosphere with the murder mystery going on. I also loved the fluffy romance between Peter and Wendy. However, unfortunately, Wendy was dull as a protagonist, spending almost the whole book having things happen to her, rather than doing things herself. I do have a serious Anxiety Disorder but unfortunately, being anxious and sad all the time doesn't make for a very interesting character. The pacing was PAINFULLY slow! The direction I thought the book was going in was WAY more interesting than what actually ended up happening. Not to mention the characters didn't discover anything themselves, instead always having it explained to them in exposition dumps. It's a bad fanfiction quality book.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

The general tone of The Spiderwick Chronicles and an admittedly unnecessary scene of griffin-ridding make it clear it was made to capitalize on the Harry Potter craze. Call it an imitator if you want but this is great family entertainment, the kind I could see children cherishing for years.

Following his parents’ divorce, Jared (Freddie Highmore), his twin brother Simon (also Highmore), their older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger) with into a new home with their mother Helen (Mary-Louise Parker). In it, Jared finds an old book which reveals a hidden world of magical creatures all around us: goblins, hobgoblins, fairies, brownies, boggarts and more. The book's re-emergence also draws out the shapeshifting ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), who seeks its power and knowledge.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear Freddie Highmore has a twin brother, so good is he in the dual role. It isn’t merely that he’s able to convincingly play his parts when acting against green-screens or computer-generated characters, it’s that he creates two distinct people so convincingly you’re sold on everything happening around him, no matter how fantastical. You kind of give children’s films the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the performances but this is superb stuff. In no time at all you're all in with this story.

The Spiderwick Chronicles can get a little frightening. Nick Nolte on a normal day looks menacing and when surrounded with sharp-toothed goblins, little kids may find this picture too intense. Rather than turn children away, however, I think this will make them appreciate it all the more. How many of your favourite childhood movies featured death, monsters or peril from which - at the time - you didn’t think the heroes could escape from? Adults like horror films and I think deep down children do too… as long as it isn’t too extreme. Director Mark Waters finds the right balance. There’s tension and intense scenes but it’s softened with plenty of humour and much wonder. The creatures Jared learns about in the book? They’re all really cool while also remaining faithful to the legends of old.

The best way to describe this family adventure is “fun”. The kids get to be the stars and tackle a big threat but a quality screenplay by Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles makes everything feel right. The special effects are great and the characters surprisingly well-developed. The children in this film are not simply precocious little creatures, they’re real human beings with flaws… who are also capable of change. There’s a subplot about the children’s father who I think will strike a cord with many audience members. The way it ties into the film’s overall theme of divulging information or holding it back is excellent but subtle. Well done!

I couldn’t tell you why The Spiderwick Chronicles was only a moderate box-office success. Track it down and show it to your nieces and nephews, or if you’re old enough, watch it with your kids. It’s an overlooked gem for the whole family. (On DVD, February 1, 2019)

[vannahfanfics]

Vannah, my wonderful friend! I've got all my oh-so exciting info for that match-up commission!

They/he pronouns, I'm a nonbinary trans masc. gremlin. I'm a very short boy, a whopping 5'3, and am definitely on the curvier, fluffier side when it comes to body types. (I like snacks. I regret nothing.) I've got real short brown hair that likes to stick up like crazy and golden brown eyes, which I'm told can look hazel in certain lighting. I put comfort over fashion with clothes because nothing is better in life than an oversized hoodie and sweatpants. Cozy heaven right there.

Being neurodivergent tends to make people think I'm odd or strange. I like it though. I like being different! It can be a little lonely though. Since social skills aren't my strong suit, I usually try to put people at ease with humor! (I follow the Mirio Togata theory that laughter makes everything better.) I also like complimenting people and letting them know they're doing a good job. Everybody needs to be appreciated sometimes. Overall, I'm told I'm too nice for my own good, but my family knows that only goes so far before my temper slips and I get sneaky. I'm not above using people's assumption that I'm naive against them. Mama Star didn't raise no fool.

For interests, I'm a nerd that loves learning. In true hyper introvert fashion, I bury myself into books on everything from revolutionary history to human zoology. I spend way too much time on Duolingo learning as many languages (Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese...) as I can and grew up reading books on medical terminology and emergency first aid. You already know this, but creative stuff is essentially my life though. I constantly have stories floating in my head and like to draw, paint, sing, play piano and voice act. I'm hoping to pick up guitar or harmonica next. I always have music playing on my phone. 24/7 at home.

The things I value most in people are kindness, a good sense of humor, and a mostly laid-back attitude to offset my anxious little ass. I would want someone that makes me feel safe to be myself - quirks, oddities, flaws and all. I like someone who can bounce back and forth between silly, light-hearted shenanigans to more serious, borderline philosophical discussions. (Intelligence is sexy, yo!) That's more of a bonus though. Someone that can be a friend and fellow adventurer in life is the more important aspect.

Thank you, Vannah! Hopefully I did this right. I've never been great about talking about myself. Sorry if this is too long or too much info! I really appreciate all your hard work and good luck with your medical studies!

Ahh, thank you so very much, Starry—for both your commission and your appreciation! <3 You're so kind! And not to worry, all of this information is great (I learned so much about you in one little message, hehe!) and will be put to good use for your match-up. Speaking of, let's get to it!:

I match you with...

Red-Haired Shanks from One Piece!

How could I match you with anyone but your great love in life? It would be simply blasphemous! LOL, real talk though, I think there are a lot of qualities about you that make you a good fit for Shanks, so why don't we dive in, hmm?

Shanks definitely strikes me as the type to be far more attracted to someone's personality than their appearance, but make no mistake—you're his little cutie patootie of a gremlin! He honestly enjoys the fact that you're over a foot shorter than him; he can just pick you up and carry you around and through you over his shoulder with ease (this is Shanks, though; he could do the same if you were a foot taller than him, LOL!). If he had to pick a favorite feature about you, it would probably be your wild, untameable hair. It speaks to his own wild and untameable nature!

Don't worry about your neurodivergence. Shanks likes that you're different, too! In fact, it would probably be the thing about you that catches his eye—that special spark that makes you, you. You can feel safe in your uniqueness with Shanks; he'll love every aspect of you, whether you consider it a flaw or a strength, simply because it is a part of you. And in the moments where you're less than appreciative about a part of yourself, you can count on Shanks to swoop in and tell you all the reasons why you should appreciate that part of yourself. He always knows the right things to say, especially because he one hundred percent feels that he's just speaking the truth! He'll definitely appreciate your love of humor, too. Shanks loves to laugh and have a riotous good time, after all, and he'll most appreciate somebody with wit to match his. Life's best when it's full of laughs and good times, as far as Shanks is concerned, and you just fill his life with that much more!

He'll also appreciate how ready you are to praise and compliment others. You're right; everyone needs to be appreciated, and he admires that you have no qualms about doing that. He recognizes that you aren't naïve, but, ever the mischievous fella, he'll definitely let people think that just for the entertainment of you one-upping them!

Shanks adores how hungrily you pursue knowledge! He's not as avid a learner as you, but he's got his own pockets of knowledge to share with you. Honestly, though, even if he doesn't have the faintest clue about what you're talking about, he'll happily learn and discuss topics with you just because he knows it makes you so happy. And, of course, he will happily provide you with anything you need or want to help you learn something new!

He also appreciates your creative streak. It's just so amazing to him, the fact that you can just... come up with these ideas and stories, all from your own mind! Shanks would definitely appreciate the musical aspects of you the most, I think; this guy is a partier, after all! He loves nothing more than to drink and dance and sing and have a grand ol' time! He's not the best singer, but the zeal with which he belts out shanties is enough to be infectious. Dance and sing with him, please!

Seriously, I cannot stress enough how much this man likes to have a good time. Here's some more in-depth headcanons about him exploiting your musical talents so you both have some fun:

Once you show this man that you like to sing, it's over. Any and every opportunity that arises where a song can be involved, you can be he's dragging you into it.

Y'all are out drinking at a bar? He's dragging you to the dance floor to start shamelessly dancing goofily with you, not satisfied until you're screaming the songs playing around you at the top of your lungs right along with him.

Gatherings with friends? It's inevitable that a guitar or some kind of musical instrument comes out—or, if one's unavailable, making a beat with clapping hands, stomps, etc. so you can all dance around and sing like drunken fools. Some of you probably are drunken fools, because there is no party that Shanks throws that doesn't alcohol, and lots of it.

Trying to do chores around the house? Shanks doesn't get much down with the way he waltzes around with the broom or pretends the duster is a microphone. And if you walk by while he's in his fun mood, watch out, because he's dragging you right into his antics and not letting go until you make his solo performance a duet!

He will definitely look for jaunty piano tunes for you to learn. You don't have to sing along if you don't want to, but he will! Badly. More badly than usual and totally on purpose because he wants to break your intense concentration with laughter. You can never finish a song on the piano because Shanks will have you busting a gut laughing before you even get halfway.

The point is, Shanks just uses your musical interests and talents to make his spontaneous and fun lifestyle even more so! You'd better buckle up, because you're along for the ride!

And, finally, the third part of your Tier III match-up: the drabble! For this, I decided to take inspiration from your love of learning. Enjoy!:

"Fascinating..." you murmur appreciatively to yourself as your eyes sweep down the page of the thick, heavy book in front of you. You're hunched over the library table as if your posture will make you that much more absorbed in what you're reading—as if you can get more absorbed than you already are. You're only dimly aware of the spacious library around you, too busy digesting each and every factoid presented in the astronomy textbook that you've had your nose buried into for the past hour. When you turn the page, you hunch forward a little more, your nose nearly brushing the crisp-smelling pages—and you hear a snort of laughter that yanks you out of your intellectual rapture like a yo-yo being jerked back into someone's hand.

You glance up to see Shanks sitting in the seat across from you. He's got his crossed arms propped up on the table and his chin resting atop them, and he's watching you read with an expression so full of dreamy, starry-eyed adoration that you reflexively blush. You don't know how long he's been sitting there, either, which makes you flush even more. Last you recall, he'd wandered off into the stacks to find something that might occupy his own attention. Of course, that was right before you'd buried your nose in this textbook. There was no telling how much time had passed.

"You didn't find anything to read?" you ask, taking note of the absence of a book in front of him.

"Nope," he quips, and his serene smile widens. "I'm much more entertained watching you."

A shy smile blossoms on your face before you can stop it, and you shyly wiggle in the chair.

"'M not that interesting," you mumble bashfully. You slide down in your chair a little at the crook of Shank's brow.

"I beg to differ," he retorts. "You don't get to see the expressions you make when you read something. But I do, and I like them."

"Shanks..." you start, but you don't know what to say. Not that you could say much with the big, cheesy grin on your face—and you certainly don't know how to stop smiling. The fact that Shanks found your rapturous pursuit of knowledge so captivating made you downright giddy.

Still...

"I hate for you to just sit here and watch me read," you pout. You know that he is more than content to do so—it was he who brought you to the library for your date, after all—but it was still a date, and you didn't want him to sit there without being acknowledged at all. It just didn't seem that fair.

Shanks knew that it would bother you even if he argued otherwise, so he didn't bother. Instead, he waved a hand toward the book before you and said, "Then tell me about what you're reading."

You, naturally, were more than happy to oblige.

"Okay!" you cry delightedly, instantly growing giddy again at the notion of sharing the fascinating things you'd learned. As you began to babble about the various classification of stars, you almost drifted off into that state of being totally unaware of everything around you again—almost. Because you made it a point this time to stay aware of the handsome man listening intently to your excited rant, and you were glad for it.

If you hadn't been paying attention, you would have missed how totally lovesick he looked just listening to you.

Interested in a commission? Check out this post!

[rararazaquato]

so i'm going to tell a bit of a personal story in the reblogs here, because this post resonated with me in a way that i think other creatives deserve to hear.

i had an art teacher in middle school who once told me that art needs to be special to someone other than the creator for it to be considered "art".

he said this to bring us down, because he was an asshole who wanted to take his anger out on a classroom full of 11-year-olds.

but what he misunderstood was that it is physically impossible to create something that someone doesn't find special.

if you think your art is special, someone out there will agree. the human range of experiences is so broad that someone, somewhere, will see themselves, or their friends, or just something they love, in your artwork. if you make something that you're proud of, if you make something that you put your heart and soul into, or even just if you make something you kind of like, someone will see that. your art will be appreciated, and i can guarantee you that.

in that art class, i made a statue of a person melting into the floor. my teacher grilled me for it every step of the way. "this doesn't mean anything!" "it's crap!" "it's not special!" "i feel nothing when i see this!"

but the other students, surprisingly, really liked it. i had modeled it after a friend of mine, and people told me i had captured his likeness really well. they thought it was super creative. i wasn't well-liked in school, so these were students i had never spoken to, students i thought hated me. and here they were, telling me something i had made was special.

that teacher eventually conceded. he displayed my creation at the end-of-year student art showcase (and he also got fired by the time i was in high school). parents and students alike came up to me to tell me how much they loved the piece. how impressive it was. and when the other students did it, i knew they weren't lying. kids don't spare each other's feelings like that when they're so young.

nearly ten years later, i can see the flaws in it. the head is too small. the facial features were scratched in with a sharp stick instead of being actually modeled out of clay. it's covered in fingerprints that i didn't smooth out. but it was special to me, and all these years later, i can still see the passion that was put into it. it's still special, long after i got over the initial creation process. it's still something that people like.

if you create art, someone will find it special. if an 11-year-old with a block of clay can create something that people react to, something that people like, then i can guarantee you that there's someone out there who will see your work and feel the same way.

tl;dr your art is special. ignore the mean art teacher in your head. i love you.

the fear of sharing your work not because you're worried people will hate it or mock it or think it's terrible...but instead that it will elicit nothing from them. that it will be unremarkable. that it won't matter to anyone but you

[arbitrarygreay]

I am now at a point in my life where novelty value is actually forcing itself to be a pertinent factor in why I enjoy what I watch. I want stories to have a vision of the utopia they desire, and to explore the reasons it does not yet exist, and what kind of steps move the world closer or further away from it. How this manifests is that if I watch stories that merely explore the human condition, but don't really offer any new insight, it doesn't matter how "powerful" a well executed piece of narrative craft is, I will not be that moved. 101 or even 201 level themes just don't do it for me anymore. (This part is bypassed when the characters and relationships are to my taste. Unfortunately, as I've said in some previous post, world-building and themes are a major part of not fucking those things up. Luckily, FUN TRAIN!!! also supercedes this. ) Anyways, I've alluded in the previous comparison posts to how Sanctuary is uniquely appealing to me as a genre show on the strength of its plot content (instead of the usual character/relationship hooks per above). Its thematic approach is a part of this, as well, offering some novel longform choices I haven't seen before, and appreciate a lot. Per the Dr. Who comparison post, I like a lot that this show cares about infrastructure and logistics in its world-building, which is then directly portrayed as things its central protagonist cares about and cultivates in her world. How is it that it's so unusual for a genre show to take society-building seriously? What inspired this post specifically, though, is how I was struck that the show doesn't have "researching the ancient texts" as a standard part of its formula, the way most other "supernatural creatures" shows do (e.g. Buffy, Legacies). Sanctuary is the first western genre show that answers my critique from this post. Sure, the show does indulge in some "ancient ruins and trap puzzles" in the earlier seasons, but those are the exception rather than the rule, and there is never a sense that modern humanity cannot surpass them. The past is not sacred power. In other shows, the information about creatures and artifacts alike begins and ends with legends and myths from the past. There is no innovation or evolution. Even in shows like The Librarians and Warehouse 13, which feature modern day artifact creation, the end result is those items being archived for eternity, never to be revised /refined for future distributed usage. Sanctuary ultimately sneers at that way of thinking. It bridges the gap between "the world is older/deeper than you know" and "scientific study of superhumans can only be benevolent starting from the present". It's far from the only show to claim "an adventure of endless wonder", but it does seem to be uniquely about wanting to let others in on it instead of hording it away. Even when the show has cases where the mad scientists have gone too far and Helen plays a more conservative position, the show doesn't leave the plea for progress by said mad scientists unanswered. It will circle back around to dismantle those flawed systems anyways.

[good-prog]

ff13 review/reactions: gay people can hold up the world, but can't hold a messy plot together.

Main campaign date: 2023/01/16-01/27 Playtime (Steam) to roll credits: 54.5 hours Playtime (in game) to roll credits: 48.5 hours

I wanted to like this game so badly. A false utopia created by creatures beyond human comprehension, featuring flawed characters fighting their own fates (embodied by His Eminence the space Pope Himself)? Sign me up.

TL;DR: Pacing is my main gripe with this game. It gets better in later chapters, but the game wore out its welcome by the time I got there.

A side note on how I play through RPGs: I don't mind spoilers; in fact, I tend to spoil major plot points for myself so I don't feel compelled to speed through the game. This allows me to take things at my own pace by breaking sessions into manageable chunks.

This was also the first game I played since BOTW on a controller, though I played on the PC port, which shows the keyboard keybinds on screen. There was a bit of a learning curve with the camera (which likely made the first few chapters more interesting/bearable).

Obviously, spoiler warning for all aspects of FF13!

gameplay

The game starts each character with three roles they can swap between, and allows you to create presets with combinations ("paradigm deck").

I consider myself subpar at video games, but even for me, the rate at which the game spoon fed the gameplay system felt drawn out. I appreciated that it started with a party of two, which forced me to get comfortable swapping paradigms often for ATB refresh and stagger bar maintenance. For instance, in the early chapters with Sazh/Vanille, Sazh doesn't have access to the commando role, making stagger difficult with two ravagers. Thus, I had to swap often between RAV/RAV and RAV/SAB to more easily fill the stagger bar.

Trash mobs were forgettable until maybe a third of the way through the game (~Ch. 7-8), when they started getting mechanics of their own (e.g., Cocoon soldiers that buffed themselves, or guarded the closer you were to staggering them). I didn't intentionally grind, but was still able to max out the crystarium as I went (until the start of Stage 8, when the party lands on Gran Pulse).

The boss battles were more enjoyable. For example, Barthandalus' first fight was notably difficult, until I understood that Destrudo's damage could be decreased by attacking him while he was charging. I sometimes found myself going into a fight with the paradigm deck I progressed through the level with, then rearranging my party once I wiped.

I liked figuring out the gimmick of the eidolon battles. The main one I had trouble with was Snow's; I spent a couple pulls repeatedly alternating between COM and RAV in an attempt to fill the stagger/Gestalt bars. The best I could do was about 2/3 of the bar, at which point I decided to look up the solution. To be fair, the game gives a hint about swapping to SEN, but one of the sisters heals you, so you never have to SEN, right?

In contrast, the gimmick of Fang's eidolon fight was a similar "take damage as a SEN to fill Gestalt bar", which was much easier to grasp since Bahamut just repeatedly attacked the party, so I stayed in SEN/MED/MED most of the time (first out of necessity, then intentionally once I saw the Gestalt bar filling). In spite of the initial eidolon encounters being interesting, I didn't feel like I could use them effectively in game, so I just stuck to my party.

level design and "linearity"

Most of the chapters involved moving through rooms/corridors with set trash mobs. At the end of the chapter was a boss battle (or two), then a more extended cutscene (a flashback, a transition to the next chapter, etc.) Unfortunately, since I wasn't a fan of the story, I often spent the cutscenes wanting to get back to the gameplay.

When I got to Gran Pulse (approx. 25 hours), I was initially quite frustrated by the difficulty spike. After a fairly predictable 10 chapters with some occasional challenges, I wasn't able to defeat most of the enemies I encountered (and when I did, they often took a significant amount of time). I initially proceeded toward the Mah'habara Subterra, until I got overwhelmed by a juggernaut, when I decided to turn around and do some of the Cie'th stone missions to gain CP and familiarity with local mobs. After filling out the first ~18 or so missions and getting to Oerba, I finally felt like I understood the battle system and I could comfortably get around Gran Pulse (40 hours).

I didn't mind the linearity, but I wish there was better variation within those bounds. In one of the early Sazh/Vanille chapters, there was a minor puzzle which felt like a limp-wristed attempt at that variation (turn on 4 switches in the area before proceeding through the exit). In contrast, in chapters 12-13, the areas feel more open despite still being linear (larger areas, more unique branching paths).

characters/story

I think the story would hold up better on a second playthrough. I had some familiarity with the terms (fal'Cie, l'Cie, etc.) due to some reading I did beforehand, but I wouldn't be surprised if much of it went over my head. For example, the concept of the fal'Cie "Orphan" felt like it suddenly appeared in game toward the end. (Was it brought up by Barthandelus? I guess I should have read the in-game Wikipedia, but I'm dumb and need information communicated to me in game beyond just "Pulse fal'Cie, enemy of Cocoon".)

I don't think I disliked the main party (besides maybe Snow), but there was something about their characterization that was off. It seemed like all the puzzle pieces were in place: cool designs; hubris; a person they each were fighting for. I don't believe I have to find the characters likeable in order for their stories to feel compelling, but the initial hours just felt one-note.

Snow is, despite all attempts of the story to make him understand otherwise, is a self-proclaimed "hero."

Hope isn't as whiny as I thought he would be; he's just lost his mother, and the shock of additionally being branded a l'Cie fuels his rage against Snow and his desire for misattributed revenge.

Lightning wants to save her sister and maybe get back at the Sanctum for the Purge?

Vanille tries to hide her concern for Fang under a goofy exterior, but until more was revealed about her past, her tone often felt out of place.

Sazh is just some everyman caught up in it all.

Fang doesn't even show up until Snow's arrest, and she's oooo mysterious lady working with the "bad guys" (that are actually good guys but they're led by a l'Cie that like the protagonists, wants to change his own fate).

Side note: It amuses (?) / depresses (?) me that even in a "utopia", military forces are so prevalent. Sure, some of them, like Lightning's branch of the Guardian Corps, takes care of local wildlife. But why would governing a continent require such heavily armed "public safety" officers, or an entire airship armada? Of course, we later learn that the Sanctum didn't even intend for the Purge train to reach Pulse, and uses PSICOM to enforce it. Still, it's depressing that the only way fal'Cie conceptualized human society (or humans in power, in fear of a modern Pulsian threat despite the War of Transgression occurring hundreds of years previously) involved extensive military might. It doesn't help that the player's main exposure to Cocoon society is simply (1) military/government and (2) leisure (Bodhum, Nautilus). NPCs in Nautilus complain about having to go back to work after their vacations, but what exactly do they do for a living?

Maybe it's because I tuned out some of the less obvious character development as a result of not feeling as invested in the characters, but when emotional scenes occurred, they often fell flat. Hope lashing out at Snow felt out of place, even though the scene itself was well performed. It didn't feel like tension was building throughout the first act of the story; Hope just pushed confrontation away.

In contrast, I enjoyed the party's encounter with Hope's dad. Despite the game telling us how much Hope dislikes him, he isn't a deadbeat--just absent--and tries to care for Hope in his own way. Even if he works for the Sanctum, his wayward son comes first.

Another scene that stood out was the summoning of Hecatoncheir. Vanille and Fang are roommates were shown to care deeply about each other through flashbacks and their interactions once reunited, so when Fang voices her suspicions about turning into Ragnarok and causing the devastation of Pulse, Vanille vehemently denies it. This denial causes her eidolon to appear. Once the eidolon is defeated, Fang chastises Vanille for running away from her Focus, and raises a hand as to punch her. However, she gently nudges Vanille's forehead and embraces her. Because they are the only ones in the party that have experienced fulfilling their destructive Focus, they are also the only ones that can understand each other and the desire to prevent the magnitude of that destruction from being wrought again, even if it means becoming Cie'th themselves (Vanille) or going through with it in order to save their friends (Fang).

Besides Hope's father, the other NPCs were sparse and forgettable. The only ones that stood out for me Cid and Barthandelus. I feel like Cid Raines has a similar character arc (and final boss appearance!) as Ravus from FF15, but his motivations were convoluted in comparison to the limited screentime he got.

Annoyances with the ending of the game specifically:

I get that l'Cie brands advance under physical/mental stress, but when Orphan torments Fang in order to try to get her to turn into Ragnarok, it comes across as "oops, we made it so that you don't feel sorry for her? Let's torture her so that you do."

Once the party turns into Cie'th, there's a flashback where the party sees scenes of narrative significance that occur through the game: Sazh in Nautilus, Snow and Hope in Palumpolum, Lightning in Lake Bresha. At that point, I was just glad the game was winding down and finishing up the melodrama.

Even though the story establishes that once one turns into a Cie'th, there's no turning back, there's two major exceptions: Cid Raines and the party--hand wavy, indomitable human spirit reasons?

Side note: after the game, I read this comprehensive FAQ put together by reddit user /u/KuroPuP, which clarified some of my initial "plot hole" knee-jerk reactions. I prefer my local section of the lore universe to feel coherent and not require additional explanation; doing deep lore dives should serve to enhance, not fix the story as presented.

misc

The Crystarium UI is gorgeous, but feels visually cluttered (a la 7R's weapon upgrade UI, though admittedly with better color coded orbs corresponding to each stat upgrade). It was this UI that clued me in to the 13 DNA in 7R: levels are quite linear, with the loading sections masked by the character moving through a tunnel or squeezing through a crevice in a wall. ATB is now spent on stagger-increasing and/or relatively powerful moves, instead for auto-attacks. If one materia loadout doesn't work for a particular enemy, it's easy to go back, reset, then try again.

It's just that the characters are so much more likeable in 7R (and don't always take themselves seriously) that potentially replaying the game is more appealing. Also, there's breaks to talk to NPCs or explore, besides just hitting enemies.

As far as I know, there is no way to lock true north (either on the minimap or the zone map), which is a pet peeve for me.

conclusion/next steps

I don't feel especially invested in the world FF13 created, but I like the battle system enough. I plan on at least attempting the rest of the Cie'th stone trials and maybe trying for an ultimate weapon or two, maxing out a job for each character in the process. I don't plan on playing the sequels immediately, though I've heard good things about 13-2's battle system (plus, dresspheres in LR?) Still, with my middling experience with this game, I don't think I'll play through those immediately.

Much of my frustrations with the story could be chalked up to pacing. By the middle of the game, I could honestly say I was enjoying myself (if not story wise, at least gameplay wise). I'm glad I had the experience of playing through one of the Final Fantasy games people love to hate, even if I came to some of the same conclusions critics did.

[septembersghost]

I had a teacher in a introductory to film mentioned that in order to enjoy a film- you need to have a “suspension of disbelief” while watching it. Reaction videos of artists on social media- posted & viewed by amateurs to professionals can be fulfilling and/or lucrative to a point. As a fan consuming music or art, you get a deeper appreciation with further knowledge. A YT making the video said he enjoyed various artists’ work but in the process didn’t need to know all the personal details…

But in SM, eventually background info is shared to “understand the context” to appreciate it even more. One poster mentioned higher traffic with content from certain fanbases- so it’s deliberately chosen. Remember TS’s “Blind for love” Gucci hoodie LWYMMD reference “Love is Blind” Eros (aka Cupid) & Psych? (Sad story). Fans react strongly a negative or positive. Flaws can be damaging- “to err is human” which is inevitable-so for a person placed on a higher plane- the fall may be “fatal.���

this is one of my favorite topics because i connect to it and find it very complex - suspension of disbelief is certainly necessary for fiction to a degree. when you're watching a group of characters traverse a magical world, or seeing people burst into song onstage, or reading a tragic romance, and so on!, you have to be able to set aside certain boundaries and logic and immerse in that world being created, which typically has its own rules and design. even when something is ostensibly set in "our" world, with recognizable features and figures and guides, there's still a blurring that happens with fiction. we're meant to suspend that to appreciate the story, and then we apply our own subjective interpretations, emotions, experiences, beliefs, to that. knowing about a writer's background can impact how one looks at a story (in positive and negative ways depending on the circumstance), but death of the author can come into play too, where one chooses to provide a meaning separate to authorial intent or background.

with something like music, this becomes more difficult, particularly when it's highly personal and/or autobiographical/diaristic. CAN you listen to any artist knowing absolutely nothing about them and still enjoy their work? absolutely! and i certainly do! but you aren't ever quite getting a whole picture, or a full expanse of what an artist is conveying. knowing details enhances the breadth of the work, and i do find that i connect more compassionately to artists who speak to me as human beings. "As a fan consuming music or art, you get a deeper appreciation with further knowledge." yes. and then you can ask, is knowing details intrusive? it's impossible to make a definitive decision on this. fans wanting to know about their favorite artists' lives and experiences is as old as art itself, and has always been an aspect of modern pop culture, most assuredly heightened and ingrained with the beginnings of hollywood and the modern music industry. it's why there's always a market for memoirs. there is so much we absorb without even intending to at times. i couldn't begin to trace how i might know a given fact about an artist because it's usually an aspect of me following along with their career - unless you disengage entirely from other media and coverage, the stories are bound to get through, and that in turn influences your perspective on what they've created. this can be very enriching - knowing the paths they've taken, the heartbreaks, the triumphs, certain loves and losses - is connective across the work, but it also makes it inextricable, since once you know...you know. it doesn't preclude us from having personal interpretations as well, these things exist simultaneously, but it does indelibly give us insight into the artists' personal experiences. i don't believe it's wrong or irresponsible to try and empathize with/understand that, or to discuss it, when it helps to humanize and bring forth meaning from the work. it can be done respectfully and using the details and truths we know from the artists themselves. it just requires a certain amount of care.

that said, social media has certainly worsened this and made it more difficult for artists to escape, and that has notable downsides. i don't believe human flaws or mistakes from someone should ever be ruinous (unless it's something actually terrible like abuses, harmful prejudices, etc, but you know what i mean). everyone is going to mess up and stumble eventually, and there's a little too much reveling in mockery sometimes rather than extensions of grace. i also feel like the pedestal is a dangerous thing, and for me personally, it's helpful and grounding to know more about the PERSON, not the idol or the icon, to feel that empathy and recognize that reality, because then the pedestal doesn't matter, it becomes a more genuine expression of connection to their work. while we still keep respectful lines in place, i do believe we can analyze, we can put pieces together, we can follow a journey and the stories being shared, we can discuss the scope of that, and we can find the human heart at the center of things, and it brings illumination and wholeness to the art itself.

[christaline]

Agree. I usually am happy to see interracial couples in media but then i watch them and there’s…very little there for me? I am in an interracial relationship right now and what i want to see is just people acting like people? Like i feel like it’s always so fucking awkward and weird and u can tell it was written by a committee or ppl who have no experience (and did no research!). I haven’t seen any of the examples listed (I don’t watch alot of stuff lol), but with carmy and syd I actually see people acting like people? It feels like me and my bf (annoying the shit outta of each but it’s all love LOL) and it feels real and lived in. It always seems like when ppl write these kinds of relationships the focus on everyone else’s reactions to the couple and less the couple? Which can be interesting and is a real thing that happens (doesn’t matter how “progressive” your town is, trust me. You’re always gonna get stares and whispers and WEIRD ass comments on both sides) but like idk that shouldn’t all your couple talk abt? That shouldn’t always be the thing that happens to them????? And ur point abt sometimes we just wanna see ourselves loved is sosososo true. I think there is a difference between something that’s clearly weirdly fetishizing us (I’m think cohen nanick types) and just. A clear appreciation and love. Cuz let’s be honest black women aren’t the most desirable in the world (but our culture and features sure are🙄). And I really like how respectfully syd is treated in the show. She’s shown as having both flaws (she’s fucking insane LOL) but also being just as capable and hardworking. Plus i love how she acts like…people I’ve met LOL. Everyone doesn’t automatically love her or hate her. She grows, she has an arch and goals and emotions and isn’t just “generic bad ass female character.” She cries and gets mad and yells and screams and is obnoxious and just she’s a person!!!!! I just wanna see more relationships where the chick is a human 😭😭😭. And the slow burn going on…omg. Ok I’m rambling now I guess my point is that more interracial relationships like this please. Make the black woman a human and make the focus be on the two’s connection and not how everyone looks at them🙏🏾

Black Women & BWWM Ships

I’m a Black woman, I sometimes like interracial ships, sometimes I don’t. But I will say that race isn’t the deciding factor in me shipping the BWWM ships that I have shipped in my life. The BWWM ships I have obsessed over are Richonne, Spock and Uhura for a minute (but I got bored with that franchise super quick), and Carmy x Sydney. There is a Black woman, Tamar, on The Chosen (the only other show I currently watch) and I want to ship her with somebody because she’s fierce and it would be interesting but nobody stands out for her yet. The only core male characters close to her are Jewish (the Apostles) so I would ship her with a white man by default but honestly it wouldn’t matter to me if it’s one of them or a fellow African who joins later. 

Anyways, I’ve also hated or been indifferent to BWWM ships. A few that come to mind are Tara and Sam from True Blood (just awkward), Olivia and pretty much anyone on Scandal (I liked that show for the high drama but after a while thought her and all the boos sucked and dropped that show), and basically any BWWM pairing that seems forced (so many shows try to throw this in to be edgy or whatever and it seems token and lame). 

My point is I’m not swayed just because a relationship is interracial. I just like what I like. A couple who has chemistry, interesting parallels, partnership, a common bond, obstacles they have to overcome (any good written romance does not come easy), an interesting world they inhabit together, and they look cute together (I can be a little superficial, why not) are going to suck me in regardless of racial dynamics. 

Why am I writing this and who cares? I remember back in my days of the Richonne fandom there being a popular sentiment coming from some haters that only “desperate Black women” shipped Richonne. That isn’t even true because they are actually quite popular with all races, people are just gonna hone in on the “desperate Black women”. I remember the canon reaction videos, it was a widely diverse audience that was like “finally”. But I guess I’m waiting for that shoe to drop with The Bear fandom. There has already been some questionable posting about the pair but nothing as outright toxic and bad faith as I saw with Richonne… yet. Like, people literally calling Michonne manly. We’ve already got the sibling lameness and the they are strictly mentor/mentee claims so I don’t think the rest is far behind. 

People swore Rick and Michonne were like siblings, they made a great team but not that kind of team, it would be weird if they kiss, a romance would be forced, Michonne is gonna get the Negan bat to the head, she was Carl’s babysitter, they are too much alike, etc. Rick was also shipped with any white woman on the show or people hoped The One would show up for him all while ignoring the obvious setup that was years in the making. Now, I’m not saying any BWWM pairing can’t have legit criticism and people legit just aren’t for it (of any race because plenty of Black people are not about the swirl)… but BWWM inspire a unique disdain historically. 

A lot of people can’t imagine romance with these characters because they are sheltered TBH. I think the confusion that exists with Richonne and Carmy x Sydney in particular is because they get a Kerry Washington type being an ingenue who attracts the white lead but someone less glam in the way most of society sees glam throws them if a white man wants them. A white woman can be less than glam and they will get it. But with a Black woman it doesn’t register or make them comfortable. It doesn’t compute. It could be conscious or unconscious. I get it, I see it, I’m not sheltered. I’ve seen couples IRL that look like Richonne and Carmy x Sydney. It exists, it’s real, and it makes great fiction. Black women will support it in a story if it makes sense. 

Now, granted I do think some fetishize interracial relationships and that has its issues but I also think Black women are going to love… Black women being loved, by anybody regardless of gender, orientation, or race. We just want romance and a compelling story. If there happens to be a Black person that could be paired with a Black woman but if it just doesn’t make sense, it just doesn’t. Or maybe it could be an ok couple but it wouldn’t be as epic as the BWWM pairing being developed. We pick up on what is being given to us. 

I think if people don’t see blatant lust or intense flirting between a pair right away they assume we are imagining things. Many don’t often see the tiny sparks and hints or room for romance to grow and develop deeply for Black women characters. We are complex, too. We sometimes have to stumble, and be awkward, and push away, and be conflicted. I think any subtlety with a budding romance gets easily lost with Black women characters. When it’s a white man opposite us it can be hard for many to see it for what it is if it doesn’t read as obvious to them. But we see what we see and it just may be a fine white man and a beautiful Black woman navigating a nuanced something, something until it becomes SOMETHING. 

[seeminglyseph]

I wanna draw something today but I’ve also gotten myself stuck scrolling so we’ll see who wins. but it might just be art of unnamed mads mikkelsen supervillain and kyle the superhero who actually is one of my huge major OCs but he was in an RP and that RP was such a toxic environment I developed vomiting as a psychosomatic stress response so like I’m working on it. (but most of the friends I made in that RP are still super cool and I wanna tell more stories but also like my life spiraled out of control recently so whatever.)

I’m thinking lots about Kyle because of it and like he was definitely a case of accidental self insert. like when you create a character that represents the way you want to be or be seen as? He is very very far from perfect. He comes from a superhero universe where he can like cause skin afflictions when he touches someone. because the line between ‘useless annoyance’ and ‘horrifying in all ways’ is very very small he didn’t use his powers very much... (also like the period of not controling his powers led him to causing harm to a great deal of people. some of which deserved it some of which didn’t. (his mom has baby shaped hand print burns on her arms from when he was a baby and lost control. but she also was the crazy kind of christian who tried to have her child exorcised and then basically abused the shit out of him because she thought he was was physically evil so... it’s complicated.)) but he was also like... beyond dirt poor. he lived in a like pay by the month one bedroom unfinished basement with a mattress on the floor and an old laptop for entertainment purposes. The building ultimately burned down because the heating and wiring was so bad. He worked full time at a gas station making like no money mostly working night shifts, spent all his money on rent and internet and ended up eating little to nothing healthy presenting a very underweight body with severe chronic pain issues. He started a big training regime and moved in to the superhero HQ where he kind of became team manager? He just has a natural inclination towards taking care of people and the team leader had some clear anxiety issues and like..... was an abusive shithead but I’m pretty sure that was accidental (incidentally the person playing that character was the one responsible for the tension and my anxiety and like... was possessive of my characters in a way that left me rather isolated from other people... there was. A lot. To unpack. just some incidental, accidental abusive friendships that I don’t really blame her for because I did not have boundaries and was in the first stages of trying to understand my trauma, so like. idk. she did like seriously hurt a lot of the people in the RP though so like it’s not just a case of me casting blame but it was a really complicated situation that nobody really understood until like.... this year when they got together to comfort me when my dad died and I explained how things were and they realised I wasn’t avoiding them but avoiding getting in trouble for not dedicating my time more to her?

honestly it all gets really confusing but most of it all happened after Kyle got kidnapped by some supervillains one of which..... was the kagicalbinch, but she left pretty much immediately despite starting the rp because she fucking did that. the other grew flowers that had like.... a superhero comic equivalent to the mind control drug? idk. we ended up altering the tone of the RP from like ‘kinda trashy smut’ to ‘basically a soap opera and sometimes a mission happens’ so afterward it was kinda half brushed under the table unless we needed to pull up some hard angst.

but I am thinking of going back to the trash and just creating a scenario that’s allowed to be fully indulgent because it’s not a group RP where I have to worry about everyone’s comfort levels. It’s indulgent trash that I can make up and tag and just.... come what may. So pheromones ‘cause I like the ideas of different scents influencing certain behavior. Thinking stuff like ‘obedience’ ‘lust’ ‘sleep’ ‘sickness’ ‘high’ that sort of effect. combined with a character in his like 50′s - 60′s who functions as a supervillain and is skilled in using his abilities to break down people’s behavior even when he isn’t using pheromones to influence them. (either pavlovian or by fear or placebo or that ‘mind break’ kind of behavior that only really makes sense in fiction where you can just go ‘this person “broke” and now they do whatever the story needs them to do’ you know? idk.) in the RP we pretty much immediately realised the creepy rape storyline was too uncomfortable for a group setting but..... honestly I just wanna make a weird fetish story about my character whose initial inspiration was ‘the shittiest guy you know’

(I didn’t know all the memes about the name Kyle when I named him Kyle, but he was already addicted to caffeine, high school dropout, worst dead end job, insomnia, mattress on the floor stoner type. but because in a way this was all inspired by me especially in my mid twenties only a cis dude who was a fictional character so I had the benefit of forethought before making him speak. (with a metaphor exaggeration bullshit backstory that I made up to justify traits more than like.... to mirror anything. Or because I wanted other OCs to find out about it and go ‘oh shit wait Kyle has depth.’ literally don’t read into it that much that I accidentally made Kyle myself in a way. He was also a creative exercise and a fun way to write dialogue I liked. it did give me a rush that my peers liked him in the game. (his reaction to being kidnapped in the RP, when he regained his wits, was to be so annoying that his basically the same age flighty impulsive kidnapper would just give up on him and let him go. also Kyle’s fear went so hard it turned off and he just started mouthing off instead. I was pretty sure it was a fun trait but I got hit with the ‘you never shut up about yourself’ by the leader in the end and it caused a doubt spiral..... lol being a dialogue heavy writer in an RP that wanted a larger wordcount on posts lead to very talkative characters. I struggled a bit haha)

I don’t know what I’m talking about anymore I’m really quite stoned but I really wanna do something and talk about Kyle more because he’s a very beloved oc

this is my dumb trash boy and I’m going to torture him for fetishistic catharsis

[oblivionsdream]

My list of the top ten books that I read in 2021!

*They are in no particular order as I couldn’t possibly rank them

“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.” The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green-

This is the first time that a nonfiction book has ever made my list and it was just so amazing! It was introspective and thoughtful and made me cry over how beautiful humanity can be. Five out of five stars.

“But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.” If We Were Villains by M.L Rio-

Completely destroyed my spirit and I fear I will never recover from the devastation but I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a perfect ode to the great bard himself- just as poetic and just as tragic.

“I don’t need you to explain to me the concept of a magical land filled with fantastic creatures that only certain special children can enter. I am acquainted with the last several centuries of popular culture. There are books. And cartoons, for the illiterate.”

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan- This book is a hug and a sunny day. I don’t think I ever stopped smiling while reading. Endearing characters and friendships, so much humor and I LOVED how it poked fun at common fantasy tropes. Elliot is such a unique MC and I adore him.

“Just as it is in Malibu’s nature to burn, so was it in one particular person’s nature to set fire and walk away.” Malibu Rising by Taylor Reid Jenkins-

This book took me completely by surprise. It touched my heart in a way I didn’t expect. I’ve always been such a sucker for stories with deep family bonds especially between siblings and I loved the relationships between them. Though I hate Mick Riva so much

“My name is Rune Saint John. I am, before anything else, a survivor:” The Tarot Sequence by K.D Edwards-

I already knew I was going to love this series the moment I heard it was based off tarot and featured urban fantasy (my favorite genre). But I didn’t realize how much. So much sass and sarcasm that it should be spilling off the pages, amazing characters, top tier found family trope, action, angst, it pretty much has everything.

“I thought I cannot bear this world a moment longer.”

“Then, child, make another.” -Circe by Madeline Miller

Given how much I loved TSOA (and Greek mythology in general) I’m ashamed of how long it took me to read this book. It absolutely blew me away. It was lyrical and rich and powerful. It showed the gods in all of their mercurial cruelty and Circe was such a well written character. She was flawed, but found her own strength and tried for redemption. (I also totally didn’t get teary eyed at the mention of Achilles and Patroclus)

“You’ve been living a dream long enough. Welcome to your nightmare!” -Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

The book was wild and feral and I LOVED it. I deeply appreciated a female MC being unapologetically her worst self and I need to see more of that. Plus the poly rep!! The three of them are just too perfect and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.

“I don't think happily ever after is something that happens to you, Dev. I think it's something you choose to do for yourself.” -Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

So wholesome! So pure! This book just made me incredibly happy and it was impossible not to root for the characters. It was just so well done and a fun time. Plus the absolute delight of getting surprise ace spec rep when I wasn’t expecting it!! *chefs kisses*

“Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first.” -Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it didn’t disappoint! Artemisia and the Revenant’s relationship was one of my favorite things. It was wonderfully dark, had amazing characters and I just cannot wait to see where this story goes from here.

“The bright star holds, even as the darkness rises.” -Dark Rise by C.S Pacat

I’m actually still reading this one but I love it so much that it had to go on the list! I am so here for the fantasy world building, characters, the slow burn just everything! Though given everyone's reactions I’m scared to see how it ends 😂