#almost except for a few quibbles

[ennaih]

Every Film I Watch In 2023:

265. Friends And Family Christmas (2023)

[incandescentflower]

I finished unknown. I know the last few episodes are not fully released so I will put my thoughts under a cut.

forewarned, this is mostly me processing things that didn't make sense to me with spoilers from ep 10, 11, 12 all mashed together

I have been thinking it's the tumbling in the gray-area that had me appreciating this show, but also maybe not having it make me a little insane. And that's totally fine. Although I wasn't feeling nutty over it, I was liking it quite a bit so maybe that's why there were holes for me in the last few episodes.

I thought it was well done up until 10. The build up was good. The emotional stakes were clear. The stepping into their new relationship was given the screen time it needed. And they had been building up to the issue that Qian would need to see Yuan as more of an equal to rely on if this relationship was going to work.

But then Qian didn't go to Yuan. It was Yuan who went to him. But he didn't try to hide the information about his illness and I guess that's baby steps. It was satisfying enough.

But the ending wasn't the best for me. I was confused the entire time if we were going to get a resolution to the health issue they spent an episode stressing about. I wonder if they resolve it in the novel or not? Is this a drama choice or a novel choice? I don't know. It felt so strange to just be like "we'll deal with it someday." Almost as if they ran out of time. A blood clot in the brain sounds deathly serious and they should have picked another illness if they wanted to just shrug it off.

Edit: Apparently the health thing was not in the novel. That is just more confusing to me tbh. A very weird choice overall.

The build up to the kiss also felt weirdly jarring to me. They cut to the kiss immediately after the credits and then flashed back to the conversation before, which ironically felt anti-climactic to me considering where they go next. (har har) The bed scenes were truly beautiful and sexy, although having them cut with all the childhood flashbacks was weird to me since to me the focus was on how their relationship had changed, but whatever, personal preference.

Also, I feel dense to not understand what Lili told Yuan when she found out about their relationship. Is it about Qian being abused? I had thought Yuan already knew about that. I'm not sure why this scene was important. They don't show why that scene impacts Qian and Yuan at all so it was just confusing to me.

Edit: A kind mutual hit me over the head with the fact that Yuan was enlisted to help Lili to tell Qian about the baby. Makes sense. I had no ability to connect those dots. I also thought more time had passed between the first scene to the time when they tell Qian due to their emotional detachment from the health scare, but that was clearly just me being silly.

And a small quibble, but for a show with so little screen time, I was so confused about the inclusion of the scene with the doctor and the mob guy, except to give Sam Lin more screen time which, look, I love him too, but give him his own show again already.

And also the whole coworkers scene made me roll my eyes at more top/bottom stuff but also die a thousand deaths of embarrassment.

Overall the series was enjoyable. It didn't go off the cliff for me like some have, but the end felt rushed to me in some ways and then wasted in others.

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

Benjen gave Jon a careful, measuring look. “You don’t miss much, do you, Jon? We could use a man like you on the Wall.”

Jon swelled with pride. “Robb is a stronger lance than I am, but I’m the better sword, and Hullen says I sit a horse as well as anyone in the castle.”

“Notable achievements.”

“Take me with you when you go back to the Wall,” Jon said in a sudden rush. “Father will give me leave to go if you ask him, I know he will.”

Uncle Benjen studied his face carefully. “The Wall is a hard place for a boy, Jon.”

“I am almost a man grown,” Jon protested. “I will turn fifteen on my next name day, and Maester Luwin says bastards grow up faster than other children.”

“That’s true enough,” Benjen said with a downward twist of his mouth. He took Jon’s cup from the table, filled it fresh from a nearby pitcher, and drank down a long swallow.

“Daeron Targaryen was only fourteen when he conquered Dorne,” Jon said. The Young Dragon was one of his heroes.

“A conquest that lasted a summer,” his uncle pointed out. “Your Boy King lost ten thousand men taking the place, and another fifty trying to hold it. Someone should have told him that war isn’t a game.” He took another sip of wine. “Also,” he said, wiping his mouth, “Daeron Targaryen was only eighteen when he died. Or have you forgotten that part?”

“I forget nothing,” Jon boasted. The wine was making him bold. He tried to sit very straight, to make himself seem taller. “I want to serve in the Night’s Watch, Uncle.”

In fandom, we often talk about Jon’s antics in his first AGOT chapter - e.g., boasting about being the better swordsman than Robb, his admiration of Daeron I, his insistence that he is a man and not a boy - as evidence of his immaturity. And there’s nothing wrong with that interpretation at all - I for one think that it’s very valid - but I rarely ever see this exchange with Benjen put in its full context; more specificallyy, the full context of what’s happening this entire chapter (and honestly what’s being going on in Jon’s life up to that point).

Because there’s something so…depressing and tragic about a fourteen year old boy desperately trying to grow up faster than is necessary because once he is a man, then there must be a place for him in this world. Because this exchange with Benjen is not happening in a vacuum. It arises out of the situation where the delineation between Jon’s social status and that of his siblings has been made ever more clear: his siblings get to sit at the high table with the visiting royal family whereas Jon has to sit with the squires far away from familiar company. But more importantly, he is a Snow and his siblings are Starks. They have a place of belonging (afforded to them by their Stark name) whereas he does’t (because he’s a bastard).

So Jon has to nurse his wounds with the belief that despite his bastardy, there has to be something he can do to belong. And what can he do, except grow up and be a man? At…fourteen years old?

So even though Robb can sit among royalty, Jon can still hold a sword just as well (in fact better) and ride a horse. He can be great too, not because of his name but because of his ability; but I do have to quibble with Benson’s (seemingly) sarcastic response to Jon’s answers here. Are you even bothering to actually listen to what Jon is saying, Uncle Ben?

And I have to admit that it makes me quite angry that the notion of bastards growing up faster than trueborns is not at all challenged among the characters. Do bastards actually grow up faster, or are they forced to fend for themselves faster than trueborns naturally would, just like Jon is in this chapter? It certainly doesn’t help that Benjen agrees with he statement, despite literally contradicting it just some few minutes earlier (by saying that Jon is just a boy and thus too young to make any life decisions for himself - like joining the Watch).

And as I was pondering on this, I realized that Jon really has been getting contradictory “advice” all his life: he’s a bastard so he has to grow up faster and cut his childhood short so he can make use of himself, but he’s actually a boy so his abilities and desires to advance are only a boy’s delusions, but then he has to join the watch and be a man and do a man’s job (and make a man’s sacrifices as Luwin would put it 🙄), but then he’s still a boy at the end of it all.

Given all this emotional and mental whiplash, Jon is actually quite well adjusted. I couldn’t imagine having to be pulled into 1000 different directions because at the heart of it the question is: is he a man or is he a boy? And what can he do, boy or man that he is, because he’s still a bastard?

I think this chapter shows that no one really bothered to sit Jon down and tell him that it’s okay to be a child, and that he doesn’t have to age far beyond his years because there’ll be someone to look out for him.

Worse yet, this chapter shows a young boy desperate to find a place for himself in the world, because no one else bothered to do so.

[vveirdnobdy]

IN RESPONSE TO YOUR VOLLEY OF ARROWS I RELEASE MY TREBUCHET:

Perhaps Shen Qingqiu should have noticed something was wrong when he started qi deviating almost regularly again.

Since transmigrating into Proud Immortal Demon Way he hadn’t deviated except for his entrance into the not-so fake novel world over a decade ago - and even then it was hard to say if it was qi deviation that enable Shen Yuan into the body or if his entrance into it via the system had caused the qi deviation. What he meant anyway, was that even with his many years of having Without A Cure (and he hadn’t ever quite got around to explaining to Binghe what the cure was, since the system hadn’t given him any leeway to explain as to how he would have figured that piece of information out) he hadn’t had a singular qi deviation!

Dying what, three times? Not a cause for a deviation! Dealing with Zhangmen-shixiong snivelling and crooning ‘xiao-jiu ah, sorry, Qingqiu-shidi’ near constantly before marrying Binghe and then monthly at the sect meetings? Not a cause for a deviation! Falling into this smut-brained worlds near endless wife-plots as the sole spouse of the protagonist? Not a cause for deviation! Having to put up with Airplane shooting towards the sky’s utter bullshit of an attempt at justifying why Mobei-jun had totally not been courting him for over two decades before he wised up to it and got hitched the demonic way? NOT! A! CAUSE! FOR! DEVIATION! Even if he knew far too much about his friend's sex life than he ever even wanted to distantly acknowledge as a result of the many icy talks he’d had with the oblivious peak lord to get him to understand what he’d been doing for the past few years. Suffice it to say, Shen Qingqiu had had a rather Stressful life these past few years and they hadn’t caused any deviations and his rather… frequent dual cultivation sessions with his husband should have helped stabilise his foundation even more to where the infrequent horrors of the body's past didn’t dare approach!

And yet.

(And yet, Shen Yuan had been waiting for the other shoe to drop for years. Ever since he had woken up in a healthy body to call his own he’d been waiting; when everything hadn’t collapsed around him with the affliction of Without a Cure he’d known it would come back tenfold to what he’d endured in his first life.)

And yet, here he was having his tenth qi deviation in the past two months, holed up in his marriage chambers in the demon realm bereft of his husband or a doctor given that the poor demonic servants had tried to get into the room to help him contact his sect and been met with his body’s keyed up defensive instincts. From where he was curled up his blankets he could hear xiao Huai quibbling with some of the maids about how they couldn’t get ahold of ‘the esteemed’ emperor and how if they didn’t act soon the consort might die.

With the way things were going, Qingqiu wasn’t entirely sure that wasn’t what Binghe wanted.

But he couldn’t think like that. Because Binghe loved him, the man broke down into tears at the mere thought that Shen Qingqiu wasn’t at the height of satisfaction all day everyday, and would have veritable tantrums if he didn’t ensure that his husband knew he loved him! Shen Qingqiu hadn’t gone a day without being ravished for who knows how long now that he was married! But that wasn’t true at the moment was it? 

Binghe hadn’t been home in months, off on one conquest to another; fighting some uprising; some demonic noble getting too big for his boots; some father who would hand off his daughter into the waiting arms of his harem seeking husband-

He couldn’t understand it. For years Shen Qingqiu had been convinced that Binghe was building his harem, and then they’d gotten married and he’d been promised, assured with a heavenly oath of all things, that his heart would remain faithful to Shen Qingqiu and Shen Qingqiu only. And yet Luo Binghe was out there, somewhere, creating a harem right now. There were demonesses’ already in the palace, mistresses in his own fucking home, and they were so kind to him and he detested it. They were all young, just about adults some of them, like the stallion protagonist Luo Binghe had liked, and they kept their distance for the most part, but when they dared approach they smiled at him and tried to impress him. Called him ‘gege’ and told him how they’d heard about his exploits as empress, how the demon realm had flourished because of the shrewd mind of The Xiu Ya sword. 

Proud Immortal Demon Way had described an acidic atmosphere in the harem, all the wives disappearing into the background except for the next cat fight that would lead to a disproportionate orgy; and yet Shen Qingqiu found the opposite. These women seemed to be trying to gain his approval, all of them quibbling and asking not-so-subtly what he’d like as a gift, the older demoness’ sharing tea with him (always accepting that he preferred to brew his own and not taking offence to it) and bemoaning for him that Shen Qingqiu was the head of the household, a peak lord and mostly leading the charge of the demon realm with Mobei-jun and Shang Qinghua whilst their husband was away. 

None of that mattered though. (It did. That was the point. That was the problem.)

What mattered was the fact that the System had flickered back to life sometime last month in the middle of one of his Qi deviations and declared that due to a system error he would unfortunately have to deal with Without-A-Cure being reintroduced until the plot realigned itself. And given the state he was already in, Shen Qingqiu was fairly sure that it was going to kill him this time.

I’m ngl I’m actually more intrigued then suffering by this one👀

Like you fr ended it on without a cure coming back and I’m giddy. See you didn’t account in this war of Angst that I actually love SY/SJ angst it breaths life into me.

[semper-legens]

46. In the Lives of Puppets, TJ Klune

Owned?: No, library Page count: 458 My summary: Victor always knew he was different. The son of an android, raised in the woods with no other humans for company, he grew up tinkering with electronics and rescuing other robots from the scrapyards. But when a new android crosses his path, and a whale-like ship descends from the heavens, Victor must brave the outside world to find his father and understand who he is. He can't be the only human left…can he? My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

Puppets! TJ Klune is an author who's been on my radar since I read The House in the Cerulean Sea, a cute bit of urban fantasy based around a foster home for magical children. I've been meaning to read more of his fiction, but never quite got around to it until this landed in my lap. In The Lives of Puppets is a take on the Pinnochio story, except a little bit more dystopic and set in a robot apocalypse. It's the kind of fairytale narrative I like - clearly inspired by the source material, but not necessarily a retelling or adaptation, using the base story of the source material to craft a new tale with similar themes. It was really interesting and, despite a few hiccups, an incredibly engaging story that I enjoyed immensely.

Victor is a good character. Broadly heroic, devoted to the people (well, robots) in his life, makes smart decisions but isn't perfect. I did have one quibble, which is how clumsily his asexuality was introduced - Klune is himself asexual, but the narrative really wanted you to know that Victor is too, basically doing the narrative equivalent of turning to camera and telling you directly. It's not bad, it's just a bit fumbling. Otherwise, though, he's an engaging protagonist. What I find interesting about him is that, ultimately, he just wants himself and his family to survive - this isn't a 'save the world' plot, this is a story of a boy who wants to keep those he loves together and safe, even if his mission does end in him helping the world at large as a byproduct. He's moral, but he's also uncompromising about his goal, just a kid who wants his dad back no matter what, and I liked that about him.

This is a really interesting take on the core Pinnochio story. There's a few obvious nods here and there - the robot Authority's logo is a cat and a wolf, the airship is called the Terrible Dogfish and looks like a whale, Victor is helped by the Blue Fairy, that sort of thing. But the core story is different. There is no personification of the idea of conscience (well, sort of - I'll get to it), Victor is the only human in a world of automatons rather than the other way around, and the story is less a curious/impetuous boy learning morality and more a coming of age narrative that's also a struggle for survival. One thing that interests me is that exactly who the Pinocchio figure is can be debated. Sure, there's Victor, grown in a lab by a paternalistic inventor, but there's also Hap, the android Victor fixes and gives a heart to who struggles to find his humanity against his background of being a literal killing machine. In the latter reading, Victor is the Jiminy Cricket figure, giving Hap a sense of morality and pulling him back into humanity - as well as providing a moral centre for the other robots, the sociopathic Nurse Ratched and the neurotic Rambo. It's a nice blend because the narrative doesn't give you a straight answer or a straightforward analogue; it's more interested in telling the story that it's here to tell, which I very much admire.

And the theme of humanity runs deep in this novel. All of the characters bar Victor are robots, but they're still very human. Gio, Victor's dad, began life designing machines to kill humans - HARPs, like Hap - but wound up creating a human life almost as a penance for what he had done. Hap was made to kill, but wants to be something more, something better, after seeing life with Victor and the others. Even Nurse Ratched, who seems to despise all living things albeit in an apathetic kind of way, loves Victor and wants him to be happy, and wants to protect him no matter what. There's some interesting symbolism going on with materials; Hap and Gio have both been repaired using wood, because that's the best Victor and Gio had on hand. Them being part-organic isn't brought up in terms of their morality - like humans, every robot has the ability to be moral, they just don't necessarily do it because of their biases. Even the less moral robots are still people! And it would be so easy to demonise even the murderous robots as inhuman, but no, they're the same as Victor, they're just made of wires and metal. Humanity is what you do, not what you are. A good moral for a Pinocchio story.

Next up…I have no excuses to make. It's more FNaF.

[isaacathom]

the fun thing about having both my oc's character sheet and a relevant npc's character sheet is that i can look at them and go, hmn. yeah that npc couldnt kill me unless the stars aligned

cause at one point mariela wanted naielle dead. was fully out for blood. the only thing stopping her was/is the geas-esque effect imposed by their shared warlock patron.

removing the geas is necessary for making it remotely viable, because mariela flatly cannot do enough damage in a single instance to outpace geas, and the best way for her to stop naielle from killing her back would be hold person, which is almost guaranteed to drop if she's taking geas damage throughout.

so you have to remove the geas, which broadly supposes that naielle has voided her own pact and not marielas. so we already have a point of 'well, it has to go that way' and while thats not impossible at all, its not the only way things will go.

naielle HAS to be out of the pact entirely for this to remotely work, too, because mariela NEEDS to remove her radiant resistance. her only damaging spell in significant amounts is guiding bolt, which is useless against naielle as a celestial warlock. you NEED that resistance gone to stand a chance.

but even then - mariela's a warlock too. she can only do guiding bolt so many times. 3, in fact. 3 regulars wont do it. it MIGHT, but the room of error is so small.

the best way to do it, in my mind, would be to use slot one to hold person, and take advantage of the auto crit w/i 5ft to launch 2 guiding bolts straight to the dome. 32d6+8, bam.

except this requires naielle to fail, at minimum, 3 wisdom saves. if she succeeds on even one of them, you lose an autocrit and are now w/i 5ft of a woman who, while down her warlock spells, still has a sword and a dragon king in her pocket. you need her to fail every single wis save.

now, i dont know how you'd rule the proficiency bonus of a classless individual (since if naielle isnt a warlock... well... ?). it might depend on circumstance, when mariela tries this. if naielles not a warlock, there was talk that she'd be made a fighter for a few sessions before becoming a sorcerer (long story). if shes in either, then wisdom fails are entirely doable, since she'd only have a +2. if she's still using the proficiency from her being a warlock (ie if mariela tries this immediately after naielle stops being a warlock), then mariela is fucked.

its possible. but still, 3 failed wisdom saves. marielas dc is only, what, 17? naielle still has a like 75% ish chance to get one of them. and even one success immediately fucks the plan. its not impossible, but its not great.

now a depowered naielle is NOT capable of killing mariela, ignoring the fact that naielle is not particularly inclined to do so, even if mariela is literally murdering her. naielles stubborn. but if she gets a turn off, she'll have to ability to alert people. and at that point shits fucked. like to get this to work, and stay working, you gotta kill her and keep her dead for over a minute. good luck?

an option for that is to remove her from the jade sea entirely, aware from the crew, and maybe just merc her in the astral sea. thats one of your spell slots spent just getting her there, assuming she doesnt manage to succeed on the check to Not Be Grabbed? like eg if its plane shift (which mariela wouldnt have access to, but lets not quibble), an unwilling creature has to hit with a melee spell attack (admittedly not hard here, her ac is only 16, marielas got over 50% chance to hit), and then fail a charisma save. even if naielle is no longer proficient with cha saves, its her highest stat. its not a sure bet. also if you use plane shift like that she gets banished on her own, you dont go with her and continue the fight. so you'd have to finagle.

removing naielle from the primary source of her power (her warlock patron) and her defences (the crew) are basically both required. if shes on her own in the astral sea, well. but llso! dragon king in pocket! if you start really wailing on her, and shes alone, if she gets the slightest chance she's going to do something with that orb, and she wont be happy about it afterwards but it might just give her the means to escape.

a LOT has to go marielas way to kill naielle, is all im saying. you'd want to get her out of the pact, remove her from the fleet, and ideally separate her from both the dragon orb AND her mindflayer sword, which SHE CAN USE TO PLANE SHIFT. Even if you're not on a different plane in this fight, Naielle might panic and peace the fuck out. you'd have to chase her. thats another spell slot.

fully mariela couldnt kill naielle unless she had help. maybe using a summon spell could help, get a creature restraining her, things of this nature. you have to completely disarm her. and if you did, and she's alone, and theres noone to save her, you would be forced to just like. eldritch blast her down. it would be a pathetic fight. it wouldnt be satisfying. it would be slow and painful and it would linger if shes trying to escape, and if shes not, thats not fucking satisfying either. no way thats what mariela would want. she might even give up after a bit of that.

probably easier overall to just kidnap her or smth. dont stop anywhere, just take her back or smth. she can be executed no problem. but mariela doing it herself is just going to be a miserable affair for everyone involved, including her.

[wandringaesthetic]

Thoughts on FFXVI so far (Jill is awake and she and Clive are on the way to Rosaria) (spoilers to that point)

The game is beautiful. I've been taking a lot of screenshots like "man this pretty"/"man this almost looks real." I saw a few "this looks like a PS3 game" comments from earlier demo/gameplay footage, and I think I understand that, because the zones from the demo (the barren mountains where Titan and Shiva fight and the blighted village) are somewhat empty and have fewer/more muted colors. The story takes place in a dying world, and has the look and lighting of somewhere far north. You can quibble with the aesthetics if you like but not the graphics.

The thing that impresses me most in this generation in graphics is lighting, so. I keep being like "woa" and taking screenshots of water.

There is no minimap, and in "dungeon" zones, no map at all. I like this a lot, because I feel like I stare at the map if it's there instead of the very beautiful pictures in front of me, and I think it's appropriate to feel a little lost and disoriented and nervous about it in, say, the enemy castle you are infiltrating. But I imagine some people will not like this. Areas so far have been fairly linear, though I did get a little turned around in the first forest area (the greatwood?)

Bosses and midbosses are fun and very beautifully animated. Average field enemies feel like a bit of a waste of time and should either be a little easier or a lot tougher. I feel like, with skill, one could absolutely blaze through boss fights, and with either more caution or less skill they're a bit of a slow grinding down. Feel like I'm generally falling somewhere in between on these.

I'm playing on "action" mode and am not using any of the "timely" accessories. I have played some action-y games but am by no means a real pro gamer. I've had to retry some boss fights (when you do this, the game lets you restart the fight with a full inventory of potions (4 potions and 3 hi potions)) but I haven't felt like I've been "stuck" on anything yet. I feel like the "reward" of increasing your skill isn't necessarily just getting through the game (which you can probably do regardless of skill if you just grind at it) but feeling like a bamf as you do.

(there is a kinship with FFVIII in this regard)

I've done....4? Sidequests so far. They are very reminiscent of FFXIV sidequests. Go rescue this girl and grab the supplies she was supposed to gather. Be Valisthea's surliest waiter. Not too exciting but they fulfill what I think is their primary function of fleshing out the world building.

The intuition I had regarding the "bearer" tattoos from the trailers and the demo was that they were magical and either sedated or memory wiped the bearer or somehow made it impossible to escape (need to the spell renewed so often or they kill you or something like that). And it turns out, no, the system of slavery is so ingrained and the odds of being cast out and then hunted down are so high that they don't need to be magical. The mark is enough.

I ALSO thought the bearers were generally POW slaves acquired through conquest and weren't necessarily people who can use magic. THEN I thought they were ALL people who could use magic, but no and no. They are ALL people who can use magic WITHOUT a crystal (excepting dominants, which are special) and Clive was actually a weird cultural exception as the first shield of Rosaria BEFORE he was branded and then fell into the general norm after. Which makes a terrible sense! We do not like what we can't control! Also makes Annabella's weird disgust towards him make more sense!

I think probably part of the reasoning behind that awkward Yoshi-P statement saying "everyone in this game is white because we didn't want it to be about race" is probably BECAUSE slavery is a major plot and world-building thing in a system that in some ways mimics but mostly doesn't real world chattel slavery. Whether making it all be white on white crime is effective or worth it is something I'm going to reserve judgement on for now.

Oh Cid. Cid. What are you doing, Cid? I didn't understand what he wanted at all at first, and now I get the idea that he is good intentioned but has no coherent plan. Free as many bearers as possible and then eventually we'll have a revolution? But you don't want to say that because you're already pretty sure you'll fail. a lot of the people you're freeing are old or infirm you're not exactly forming an army. This is only working because the powers that be are too busy fighting each other to notice you. What are you going to do when they do, Cid? I'm going to do what I think is right until they come kill me and then God can judge me??

I enjoy Cid. He is just some guy who is trying and not at all an inspirational figure.

This game is pretty brutal, huh? I keep thinking about the guy who ended up as a blood spatter under a rock in the first few minutes of the game and the blood pooling under some of Shiva's ice later.

(the ice and the rocks creaking and the subtle controller vibration as you walk through the aftermath of Shiva and Titan's fight really sold the scale and also that this is all about to come crashing down)

I feel it's more tasteful, if you're going to do violence, to have semi-realistic violence rather than bloodless violence. Also I just personally like it. I like bones crunching. I like the post battle blood on your heroes clothes and armor. Enough to be slightly gross but not Dragon Age style ridiculously drenched in blood. Just right.

There are a weird number of surprise lethal axe throws though.

Alas, Benedikta. We hardly knew you. She has a kinship to Yotsuya. I actually wonder if there is a Japanese trope both of them fall under with the long pipe.

None of the soldiers in this game seem to be women. The only women we see fight are Jill and Benedikta, who are both dominants and therefore exceptional. Which... I will reserve judgement on whether that adequately makes sense later. Valisthea is in other ways not a nice place.

I get the idea that the eikons/dominants aren't always passed down via blood. It seems maybe each eikon has its own rules? I wonder if they always have a gender preference for their host.

I like the little overlay arrows showing where you can climb up or under something. It feels like that breaks immersion less so than all Horizon Forbidden West's foot and handholds being yellow, for example. Or all the walls you can run on having a certain texture, or w/e.

The music is good, ofc. Maybe my new favorite main character theme? I have to meditate on it.

Oh, the one huge awkward guy is named Goetz, which is speculated to be what Guts Berserk's name is "supposed" to be. Or Gotz, some Germanic shortening of Gottfried or similar via translation party shenanigans. I don't think this has any significance but it might be a nod. (Which make me wonder whether FFV's Bartz/Butz was supposed to be something like that now. Hmm.) Also I lay like 50% odds he's going to end up as Titan's dominant by the end of the game.

I am also on High Berserk Fan Alert due to the eclipse in the one live action trailer/advertisement.

I have NO IDEA what we're heading for here in terms of overarching plot or what the final showdown is going to be, and since I don't have enough freedom to just dick around in the game I'm getting a little antsy about that. And where's that second time skip gonna land?

(oh man I just happened to encounter the shortened version of that commercial in the wild in the break room on tv FATE WILL FALL that music aaaaaa)

There's a shot in the very beginning of the game that's a Gandalf versus Balrog visual reference and Clive opens double doors by dramatically throwing his arms wide. There are a lot of small details that feel a near copy to Game of Thrones. Clive grows up in the castle with his father's ward who is like a sibling to him. He's second fiddle to his brother. His mother figure hates his face. He has a loyal doggo. He's Aragorn. He's Jon Snow.

I've often thought that the storytelling of FFXIV feels more like doorstopper fantasy novel storytelling than video game storytelling (or movie or tv show storytelling for that matter). FFXVI seems to be continuing that. Opening up the active time lore menu (I love this feature, BTW?) feels like flipping to the glossary.

Alexander O. Smith cites A Song of Ice and Fire as inspiration for the style of Vagrant Story and FFXII. And I'm glad he did, because when I played those games in a world pre Game of Thrones television show, I was like "is anybody else seeing this???" It turns out the Venn diagram overlap of "people who play epic fantasy video games" and "people who read epic fantasy novels" is SURPRISINGLY SMALL. Smith overdoes it but just occasionally, imo. By which I mean, if you use the phrase "mummer's farce" there had best be some fucking mummers in your story. It took a long time for anyone to hit approximately this correct tone in video games again but.

I'm digressing.

ANYWAY. I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE INITIALLY ADDED THIS FLAVOR IN EX POST FACTO IN THE LOCALIZATION AND NOW WE'RE GOING FOR IT INTENTIONALLY THE WHOLE TIME. Because this was written simultaneously in English and Japanese. I find it interesting that we started by being inspired by the tabletop gaming heirs of fantasy literature and now we're taking after fantasy literature itself.

We're also seeming to go for the Game of Thrones thematic thing where the nobles are squabbling amongst each other when everyone ought to be banding together against the oncoming climate apocalypse.

But we will (most likely. Hopefully.) Be reaching a conclusion in 40-80 hours of action RPG instead of leaving me hanging for the rest of my natural life. And I would be shocked if we have some sort of red wedding situation in the works.

I'm having a good time, overall. Hesitant to quantify how much of a good time at this juncture.

Sometimes I feel like we need to put the F-word privileges back on the shelf for a minute, but mostly the swears are effective.

Oh gosh, I glanced upon this subject in tags, but I do love Clive's post accepting he killed Joshua freakout. And how Cid's all "well, why don't you just track this guy down anyway, and if he wasn't involved THEN you can kill yourself ;D" because it comes right after a moment Clive was standing on a bridge, and there's not any attention drawn to it but you KNOW he's thinking about jumping. And then Torgal bounds up to him and the moment passes.

And Cid's "welp, you're alive so you may as well make yourself useful" attitude is not the BEST but it's also not the WORST, you know?

Anyway, like I said, having a good time. Having a good time having a bad time.

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

So I did something out of character. Okay, a couple things.

I’d just finished reading to Mom** and saw that it was 15 minutes until the new Doctor Who would go out in real time on Disney Plus.

And my fangirl instinct kicked in. For only the third time since I first saw Doctor Who in (I think) 1981 I had a chance to watch an episode as it premiered. ***

Oh I was weak! LOL

I’ve sprung for Disney+. Yes, broke me paying for a streaming service.

The cheapest version. Of course, this means for the first time ever I’d be watching Doctor Who with commercials.

I never sit around the house during the day. This is especially with so few hours of daylight this time of year. I never watch anything until after dark. It feels almost sinful to do anything so “lazy”.

Yet there I was, after a frantic flurry of activity and router warfare, at 1:30pm watching Doctor Who!

Alright, actually I was standing in the kitchen. Does standing mitigate the sense of being lazy??

I went into it skeptical, what with my dislike of bringing back a previous show runner AND Doctor in a show I prefer to move forward****. Sure, It was going do be inspired by a comic story I read, and adored, as a kid.***** And there would be Donna, my favorite new series companion. But after a couple of years of repeated disappointment that had turned into the serious worry that I was falling out of love with the show…well, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

I LOVED it.

I won’t spoil anything. I also won’t say I didn’t have any quibbles. But it was like a breath of fresh air after being locked in a trunk for a few years****** (what? Hasn’t everyone been locked in a trunk on occasion?)

Basically, it felt like Doctor Who again. And you know what? I still love the show!!

I guess that’s why I loved the episode. It’s less anything exceptional about the episode (which, frankly, I may later call “good”), more it reminded me what it feels like to love Doctor Who.

So WOO-HOO! ( er…WOO-WHO?) I didn’t waste my money or time after all!

**Over the phone. I bought my first book in ages, simply because it was Terry Pratchett Mom had never read, and then read it to her over the phone. It would have been criminal to let her having read everything be broken by a publication of “lost stories”. Turns out she enjoyed it so much she wants me to keep reading to her. I may be spending a couple hours a day reading all those Terry Pratchett books I haven’t read myself.

*** The other two were the 20th anniversary special in 1983, that for some reason we in the US got early, and the special that aired at Easter in, geez, was 2009, when my parents and I were in London.

****Especially since I dislike Rose bloody Tyler so much that I am kinda scared they will bring that arch enemy of my fandom back. Again.

*****Reprinted oodles of times, so I am hardly the only one to find it memorable, or discover it after it’s original publication.

******I don’t want you to think I just hated the previous Doctor. I didn’t. There was some good stuff in that era, but damn, that overall writing was painful. I feel a bit about her time like I did Colin Baker’s era when I was a kid, a good Doctor saddled with too many bad stories. Both were frustrating.

[autopotion]

Thanks for the blog recs! And I love Delita/Ovelia too :,( they have such an fascinating and heart-breakingly tragic relationship. A little bit Shakespearean too. I read that fic you guys wrote and I thought it was so good and am looking forward to the rest of it. You mentioned that only a few fics have come close to your interpretation of their dynamic, what is it exactly if you don't mind answering? :0

Okay I'm so sorry for taking so long to get back to this, I was sitting on my answer for a super long time, wrote a huge response, didn't like what I wrote, and now we're here almost a whole month later. So I'll just try for coherent instead of articulate.

So there are a number of things I like about Delita/Ovelia that I look for in fic and such that I don't often see (such as a nuanced perspective on the class divide and an understanding of when and where their feelings develop [which I feel most people don't get quite correct]), but I'm just gonna go with the thing I care about the most, which is that if there was never a point of the narrative where they genuinely loved each other, the ending doesn't make any sense.

To me that's a no-brainer, but, just from some stuff I see circulating in the FFT fandom, I often wonder if other fans have drawn this same conclusion. I think folks like to focus in on the dysfunctional aspects (me too!), but weirdly enough I think they shy away from acknowledging the source of the dysfunction? Which is that these two characters care deeply about each other. Either this is coming from people who seem to believe genuine, warm love cheapens the dysfunction (which is a slippery slope into my beloathed "Delita is a wife beater" fics), or fans who like one of the characters and so don't want to show their genuine love, because they know if they're sincerely in love, that makes Delita's actions worse. WHICH IS THE POINT!

It's not a tragedy if they're not in love. Delita's problem is that, in his quest for the throne, he's even using the people he cares about--Valmafra calls him out for this in nearly as many words. If he doesn't care about Ovelia, that entire message is lost, and the ending ceases to have any parallel meaning to the Ramza situation (which we know can't be the case, because Ovelia CITES RAMZA as part of her reason for attempted assassination).

Also, think about the big betrayal scene. After he thinks Ovelia has already left, he gives Orran and Valmafra his wonderful villainous monologue, detailing what he's done and what he'd like to do. Like this is it, this is the thing that tells us what Delita wanted all along, after the entire game he's finally being open and honest about his schemes. And he specifies it's for Ovelia. He doesn't know she's listening, so it can't be part of a gambit to trick her--so he has to genuinely believe that that's what he's doing. Why would he insist that if he didn't care about her? He can't even admit to himself the level of cognitive dissonance he has about the situation because he loves her. When she stabs him, he doesn't expect it at all; it's this horrible, unpleasant surprise, and for a guy who has contingency plans all the way from A-Z, That Says Something.

And if Ovelia doesn't care about Delita, she has no reason to feel betrayed! You can't be betrayed by someone you don't trust, first of all. Second of all... this is more of a personal quibble, but. Okay. Picture a world in which Ovelia does not love Delita and, despite the big hug she gave him in one of the most important scenes in the game, doesn't trust him either. Ovelia's story, more than any other character's story, is about her soul-crushing loneliness. If she doesn't like Delita, then after she leaves Ramza's party, she is totally alone for the rest of the game. Save for that single interaction she has with Orran, suggesting she has at least one friend in the Southern Sky, she has no one except this guy she doesn't trust or like. Idk that just sounds miserable? Like, unflinchingly, disproportionately miserable? After she's already led such a miserable life? Tragedies are meant to be cathartic, but if there are no hope spots in Ovelia's life, no points of humanity and kindness and levity, it's not cathartic to me. She just led a horrible life in which she was a terrible victim and then died. That doesn't hold any meaning for me, personally.

After that critical scene mid-chapter three, they've addressed their loneliness and are now allies. They believe it's them against the world, and that they will rise to face it together. They're not alone anymore; they have each other. It's this beautiful, cathartic conversation that makes their doom inevitable. This is why Delita's betrayal even matters! This is what makes their particular tragedy so meaningful to me; it's not just Delita's Machiavellian wiles and Ovelia's deep-rooted paranoia that clinches their fate, but the basic, undeniable, extremely human need for companionship.

If they didn't love each other, Ovelia wouldn't have felt betrayed by the realization that he was using her, but if Delita hadn't intended to use Ovelia from the beginning, they never would've been in a position to love each other! It's that specific, unbreakable cycle that drives me absolutely crazy and makes me feel heretofore undiscovered emotions. You can't separate love from the tragedy. Love is the reason there is a tragedy. It's the title of Chapter Four, for goodness' sake.

Anyway. Not saying my spouse and I don't take our own massive liberties when writing them. We add a lot more humor and warmth than what's present in the game (since FFT is fairly somber and humorless). But all of those things are meant to accentuate the eventual tragedy, not argue with its very premise.

[matt0044]

Avatar fans, I’m... concerned.

Generally speaking, it’s a net positive that certain circles have taken to questioning Zuko’s redemption arc. Particularly as it pertains to the wider use of literary device.

Every time a redemption arc plays out and it involves a character that, let’s just say, is what the kids call “unlikable,” Zuko inevitably gets brought up as being the “better example” ad nausea.

Except that it implies that redemption is only afforded to those who were once good or at least had a moment that put them down a dark path. As if even the most vile can’t somehow recognize the harm they’ve done, however the magnitude, and strive to put things right however possible.

Because, guess what, people are complicated. Striving for a less toxic way of living is going to be hard overall but still vary from person to person.

It gets a little annoying. So pushing back over what are common assumption is hardly anything I discourage.

However... there’s something of a pendulum effect I’ve noticed where Zuko’s character arc is downplayed as “overrated” or “not that good” in pursuit of calling out those to hold it almost too high in regards. As if great praise however warranted or not is to be met with great dislike.

I don’t want to point fingers but a few posts on Tumblr come across as “having not rewatched Avatar in a while and are going off memories as well as the word of others.”

Funny thing is that Zuko’s redemption arc was often disliked when Crossroads of Destiny aired with many criticizing the backslide and ignoring how real people don’t have straightforward path to betterment. How times changed?

I get the desire to put things into perspective and humble this tendency to take Avatar’s quality for granted. But there seems to be a trade-off with “lauding its praises with only minor enough quibbles” for “interpreting it in the least favorable light without considering how it became beloved.”

I just feel there can be a middle ground as all.

[consumeronionbulletin]

The Uncanny Counter (2020)

All you really need are noodles and comic books. And this show has both!

This show was the break I needed from super serious drama-land. It's got pretty good action, some nice urban fantasy vibes, and a cast that seemed to be having alot of fun with their roles. The premise is a little bonkers, but that's fine too.

What Worked

The cast really made this work. The leads were fun and all had great chemistry together and the villains were just scary, both the human and the supernatural ones. In fact, I think the writing for the villains was better than the heroes, and what kept me hooked on the show.

What Didn't Work

There weren't any real issues with the show, it succeeded at making the kind of show it set out to be, but the writing felt extremely comic book. And not always in a good way. We had a literal Joseph Campbell "hero" arc in the first two episodes. There was a character who was almost, but not quite, fridged in a series with multiple fakeout deaths. There were about 4-5 episodes where you could tell they were filling out time and ran out of story arc.

I'm pointing this out because overall I really enjoyed the show. I just wish it could have been a little bit better. But they're planning on making a second series, and hopefully that will go somewhere good!

The Performances

Jo Byung-gyu as So Mun. Pretty much the title hero of this comic book show, he did an amazing job of selling both the young high school arc and the supernatural / super hero stuff. I can't complain about the acting, though I do have some quibbles with the "chosen one" writing arc. There are very few scenes that are weak, it's just the overall direction they took the character that felt a little cliche.

Yoo Jun-sang as Ga Mo-tak. He plays a former detective who had amnesia after a ten story fall. Seven years later, he's coming back from the dead to seek vengeance on the criminals who stole his life away.

What I'm saying is this role could easily have turned super campy, but the actor made it work really well. I liked his arc better than the main story for the most part (except for the stupid not-quite-fridging).

Kim Se-jeong as Do Ha-na. I've only seen her in Business Proposal and I liked her much better in this role. She had pretty good comic timing in Business Proposal and she plays it almost completely straight here, and again does a good job with a character that has some potential campiness.

Yeom Hye-ran as Choo Mae-ok. I loved this character, but then I play a healer in most of the RPGs I run, so it makes sense. I liked her role in When the Camilla Blooms but it's nice to see her play someone a little less grumpy. (**spoiler**) Her character was a victim of a number of fakeout deaths, which I didn't like, but I think I would have rioted if they killed her, so it's kind of a tough call.

Choi Yoon-young as Kim Jeong-yeong. The actor did a good job making a side character interesting and she had great chemistry with Yoo Jun-sang. They could have done so much more with this character, but (**spoilers**) they killed her off instead. It kind of annoyed me, though they didn't treat the character like a cheap action movie death, which is something.

Ahn Suk Hwan as Chairman Choi. I had fun watching this character and you could tell the actor did too. Not particularly deep or interesting, but very colorful and the show was better when he showed up.

Lee Hong-nae as Ji Chung-sin. This guy played an amazing creepy villain. The writing put the character right on the edge of the line of campy horror, but he kept it from getting ridiculous, and I got literal chills a few times.

Ok Ja-yeon as Baek Hyang-hui. This character was meant to be a little campy, entertaining at times, but campy. And the actress did a good job following the brief. I can't say I enjoyed watching her, but I never got bored.

Choi Kwang-il as Shin Myung-hwi. He starts out as a kind of cardboard villain, but did a good job leaning into the horror elements at the end of the show.

The High School Kids. This is one of the things that the show got really right, tone-wise. The way the bullies took over the school was completely bonkers, and there were no adults anywhere pretty much, but that's kind of how the world feels when you're a teenager. All of the relationships and rivalries feel like these world changing events, and all of the grownups feel a bit like the adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon. The actors all did a great job with this.

The Street Thugs. I liked the rivalries here with Mo-tak. They were campy when they needed to be and scary when they were supposed to be (especially at the start of the series). Mostly they're just mooks, but they're entertaining mooks.

TL; DR:

This show is fun, and scary, and sad when it needs to be, but it's impossible to take seriously, which is why I enjoyed it!

[th3lost4uthor]

The Purple Lotus - Act 3

Meetings with the strange Lord Yuei, Ligi realised soon enough, always followed the same pattern. The man would appear in the great hall at sundown, probably after leaving his office according to the barely concealed ink stains covering his knuckles, before being welcomed in grand style by Dame Rey. The latter had tried to coax him several times, offering spiced wines, card games, delicate food and girls who were just as tasty... But without a miss, his answer always was:

“Is Milady Ligi ready to receive me?”

             The matriarch had given up after the third week, preferring not to inadvertently offend one of her sources of income... Especially since he, unlike some others, never quibbled about prices and always paid in advance. If the boy had been charmed by one of her flowers, who was she to judge him?

           The said lady would then descend from her appartements, exchange a few banalities under the inquisitive gaze of her superior, bowing and smiling, and then invite her guest to join her upstairs. Just like on their first meeting, although the surprise was progressively shading among the regulars and the courtesans, it was still amusing to see the heads turn as they were passing, to hear the footsteps hurrying to leave the place as quickly as possible...

           The two of them would then settle down around a pedestal table, he on a low seat, and she, on her eternal plum-tinted cushion. He would then lay out a multitude of notes, some in his own handwriting, others from obscure collections supposedly describing married life. On one occasion, he had even shown up with magazines, popular among the nobility and bourgeoisie, under his arm: Ligi had spent the night detailing how colours could match, the cuts and products in fashion this year and the jewellery that went best with them. She had enjoyed learning to live as if she belonged to this so different world from hers, but she never thought she would find herself having to pass on this knowledge to one of its own members. And yet...

 Really? I never imagined that one would need

so many different outfits for a simple diplomatic evening.

Have you ever heard of "L'Occidental"? It's a restaurant on the Northern Plateau that just opened last month.

I can't decide on the ideal location...

What about the rings? Is there also a different meaning for women?

             Seeing this man in his early forties, smoothing his beard while methodically going through books on women's good behaviour, his eyes sparkling with wonder every time he discovered something new, or mechanically wiping his monocle while grumbling when he was confronted with one of those "stupid old-fashioned rules": this, this was a sight for which Ligi would have given hard cash...

 Except that here, I am the one who is paid to attend the show...!

             However, beyond the ridiculousness of the situation, to which the older man seemed particularly naive, the courtesan could not shake off a certain tenderness towards her host. He had those faces that make him look like a child, bursting with joy at the slightest thing (“Today she thanked me for taking her to the market!”) or suppressing a sigh with great effort when coming back with bad news (“She... She didn't speak to me at all during dinner...”). He could make you smile with his sarcastic reflections as well as move you with his honesty which seemed to know no barriers. And above all... he wanted his spouse to be happy.

 Do you think she would prefer this model to that one?

I thought a dinner for two might please her.

You should have seen her smile when...!

.

Sometimes I think she might be happier if...

 When this kind of sentences were coming out, however, when Ligi was feeling that all it could take was one bad word to set off the infernal spiral of his anxieties, she skilfully changed the subject. As a purple flower, she had encountered all of the Tree-City’s circles, was almost as well educated as the courtesans of the Crowns: making conversation was one of her many skills. Most of the time, it worked, and the other's mind would wander to less sensitive subjects, whether it was his work, his daily life, his own hobbies... It was impressive to see how, when he was not obsessed by his spouse, Lord Yuei could be an excellent discussion partner. However, there were times when the ruse would not find its target. It was then necessary to improvise... and quickly.

Indeed, if the man could still simply appear as lost in thought at the moment, the risk was that the storm that could be seen behind his eyes would overwhelm him. Ligi had already experienced this kind of evenings, their third to be exact... And she did not wish to relive that night under any circumstances, when, after having apologised in a trembling voice, stammering some pretext, her host had stood up, compensated her the usual, taken his light woolen cloak, and gone off into the night without looking back. That time he had not given her their next appointment. For the young woman, the next day and the entire week that followed were filled with fear. Guilt. What if he had...? No, he couldn't have...! No. Although... It wouldn't be the first time that a nobleman... Fortunately, Lord Yuei had returned, unharmed, sorry and smiling (The insolent!), seven days later. Since then, if the clouds were ever threatening the calm of his eyes, if the thunder of his anguish were ever making any discussion impossible, then Ligi would smile, take the man's hands, often surprised by the gesture, and guide him to the thick woven rush carpet to sit down. In absolute silence, she would retrieve two tin bowls, in which she would steep an exotic-scented sachet of herbs, spiced with a spoonful of liquor and honey, and finally seasoned with a zest of citrus. Placing the warm, intoxicating beverage in too cold hands, accompanied by biscuits or dried fruit, she would take out a Gyu board, graciously offered by one of her former admirers. It was a simple game, whose rules were known by all children as it was used by mothers and nannies to teach them how to count. Ligi would help herself to a few marbles, would give as many to the man, and then start the game. As if by magic, the other one would follow. Gyu did not require any real strategic effort, but it had the undeniable advantage of leaving little room for rambling: you had to be quick in your calculus, have an overview of your opponent's game, and know when to bet your pot. A perfect occupation for an Archivist caught in the torments of his own thoughts...

Surprisingly, if Lord Yuei had only been following along, it was on his own initiative that he proposed, on their seventh night, to pick up their last game where they had left it off. The night had been clear of any nervous ruminations, but, closing his diary, he had asked, albeit a little shyly, if the young woman would mind spending a little more time with him:

 Although I know it's part of your duties as a, um, “hostess”,

spending your nights talking about rags and perfumes, especially for someone you don't even know, it can't be very enriching for you, hum?

Oh, don't give me that air, Milady, I won't go back on your compensation:

you plainly deserve it!

Anyway, it doesn't matter... I think what I'm trying to explain is that I also feel, in a way,

responsible for the quality of our evenings together.

So...

Milady?

Would you be willing to compete again for the title of Gyu's best player

with me tonight?

 It was then, for the first time from a past of which she had no images, that Ligi found herself enjoying her night with a man. Not the orgasmic kind, not the thrill of desire or the burn of anticipation, no, just... pleasure. One, two, three, ten, then fifteen... She had lost count of the games, and when they had parted ways, the last stars fading into the sky, neither of them would really remember which of them had won. They had played, they had talked, they had laughed; nothing more, but nothing less either. And the worst thing in all of that… was that she had liked it. Liked it a lot.

 ~ End of Act 3

 ______o.).O.(.o______

[parag-chakraborty]

My Miniverse: Life with the Nova X5

Let's face it, smartphones are an extension of ourselves these days. They're our cameras, our connection to the world, and sometimes, even our wallets. So, when it came time to upgrade my trusty (but slightly outdated) phone, I did my research and landed on the Nova X5. Here's a glimpse into my experience with this little powerhouse so far:

First Impressions: Sleek and Speedy

The Nova X5 is a looker. The phone feels incredibly thin and light, but still manages to have a reassuringly solid build quality. The holographic finish on the back catches the light beautifully, and almost feels too pretty to put in a case (almost). Turning it on, I was immediately impressed by the super smooth refresh rate of the display. Scrolling through feeds and webpages is a joy, with no lag whatsoever.

Camera Magic

I'm a bit of a photography enthusiast, and the Nova X5's camera system does not disappoint. The triple-lens setup takes stunningly clear photos, even in low-light conditions. The portrait mode with its adjustable depth effect is fantastic for capturing those Insta-worthy close-ups, and the macro lens lets you get up close and personal with the details in nature. Plus, the pro mode gives you tons of manual controls for photography nerds like myself.

Powerhouse Performance

Whether I'm editing photos, playing a graphics-intensive game, or juggling multiple apps at once, the Nova X5 handles it all with ease. The battery life is also impressive. I can easily get through a full day of moderate use on a single charge, and even heavy users will likely find themselves reaching for the charger less often than with previous phones.

A Few Nitpicks

No phone is perfect, and the Nova X5 is no exception. The default ringtone options are a bit bland, and while the phone comes with a decent amount of storage, power users might find themselves needing to invest in additional memory.

Overall Verdict: A Winner

Despite these minor quibbles, I'm absolutely loving the Nova X5. It's a sleek, powerful phone with a camera that takes incredible photos. If you're looking for a phone that can keep up with your busy lifestyle and capture all those special moments, the Nova X5 is definitely worth considering.

[longdeco]

Where to watch dofus book 1 julith

#Where to watch dofus book 1 julith movie#

#Where to watch dofus book 1 julith series#

#Where to watch dofus book 1 julith tv#

The music comes to enhance the whole and I therefore order you to go and see this masterpiece of spanish animation, without any chauvinism, that it is a synthesis of the East and the West. We find the graphic touch, inspired by both traditional drawing and manga from the DOFUS universe that I loved in Wakfu, in a cinema adaptation that transcends it. It all sounds perfect and fits together beautifully in a story that made me shed my little tear.

#Where to watch dofus book 1 julith movie#

Well, as you can imagine, I loved the movie and the few negatives here are just quibbling and filling.

the story is surprising, moving and fascinating.

the drawing superbly transcribes all situations.

the music of the Orchester National de Lille is magnificent.

I did not understand some private jokes of the MMO.

a little too many boobs and ass but hey?.

#Where to watch dofus book 1 julith series#

This last series is also the only medium that can be watched before because it uses the same characters three years earlier.

#Where to watch dofus book 1 julith tv#

This story takes place long before Wakfu and the DOFUS MMORPG and just after the DOFUS TV series, aux treasures de Karabim. It is therefore not necessary to have seen anything else of the universe to appreciate and understand the film. Note also that, as Ankama wishes, the story takes place in the DOFUS universe but at a time different from the stories of other media. On the side of the "bad guys", we find Julith (and yes this film is named after him) and Atcham another very bad cat who, while some dream of adventures, is preparing something terrible which of course endangers the peace of the city of Bonta where our young heroes live.Īnd that will be all you need to know before you go see this movie. These two best friends dream of adventure and Boufballe (the American football of this world) and in particular to look like the superstar of this sport, Khan. Suddenly, not much to say except that this film mainly tells the story of Joris a little "boy" who lives with his papycha, seller of magic objects, Kerubim and sometimes with his friend Lilotte. Know first that my opinion is guaranteed without revelations: I will therefore not disclose the plot of the film or the final outcome. On the occasion of the official release of his film, Ankama is embarking on a major transmedia campaign combining comics, TV series, video games and mobile games! This is the opportunity to give you my opinion on this DOFUS film and the latest information from this universe which continues to grow. Jahash and Julith embrace in ethereal form and float away.I had the opportunity in January to see a preview of DOFUS, Book 1: Julith and I will surely see him again with my son during the next vacation. Julith eventually sacrifices herself in the same way as her husband when she realizes her husband, halfway revived, would not want to be revived at the expense of another. She ignores all pleas for reason, especially from her son and starts the device killing most of the main cast in the process. Julith constructs a contraption powered by the Ebony Dofus to steal the 1000 souls from the spectators of the local arena. She finds the soul of the Ebony Dofus inside her son and almost kills Him (and succeeds in killing Kerub), before discovering Joris' identity. Souls she readily steals from the citizens that betrayed her. Julith returns after finding a way of reviving her husband but at the expense of 1000 souls. In the process Joris attains the soul of the Ebony Dofus and Kerub hides the boy away for ten long years, raising him as his own son. Jahash stopped the madness by smashing his own Dofus against the Ebony one and sacrificing himself. She fell to the ground believed to be dead. When Julith tried calming it the city guard attacked her, believing her the cause of the chaos. Someone (unknown) stole the Ebony Dofus and it is not explained why it went on a rampage. The war ended with a kiss between her greatest rival, Jahash, and from that union Joris was born. Julith led a war against Bonta in the hopes of destroying it. In addition to magic such as using her cape as a shield and weapon, she is seen wielding a long katana in a fight against Kerub Crepin and Bakara Jurgen. Events lead her to re-attaining her Dofu almost at the expense of her son, Joris, unknown to her at the time. She has the Ebony Dofus, in contrast to her future husband, Jahash, who has the White Dofus. Dofus Book 1: Julith Julith is the main antagonist of the movie Dofus Book I: Julith, a Brakmarian Huppermage who has vowed to destroy the city of Bonta.

[nevertheless-moving]

Suicidal Misunderstanding XIII

Part I - - - - - - Part II - - - - - - - - - - - -  Part XI - - - - - - Part XII

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

Cody waited impatiently in the entrance room to the hall of healing, ignoring the surprising number of Jedi who drifted by aimlessly. 

As far as he could tell they were coming in just to stare at him, make meaningless small chat with the tight lipped receptionist, glance around, approach as if almost to talk with him, then drift out again without having accomplished anything.

Embarrassingly, it took him several minutes to realize why they were behaving so oddly. In his defense, a) he didn’t have much of a baseline for Jedi behavior in temple. 

And b) when numerous vod had approached him today to try and find out ‘why the General had missed last night’s conference,’ and ‘why Cody had been unreachable for large chunks of time, that was seriously unlike him,’ and ‘why had Cody gone to the Jedi Temple and stayed there for hours upon hours yesterday morning,’ and ‘why haven’t you taken your bucket off today,’ and ‘why has no one gotten a comm reply from General Kenobi since Ghost Company went drinking,’ and ‘why isn’t Skywalker answering comms,’ and ‘why do the Jedi seem so riled up today,’ and ‘why are you and Rex so tense,’ and, ‘are you going to the temple now,’ and ‘what the kriff happened to my desk,’ well.

They just asked directly.

He had grown so inured to unfamiliar Jedi silently willing him to answer their own jedi-variations on ‘What the fuck is going on with Obi-Wan’ that he almost didn’t notice when Windu came to stand next to him. 

“Here as a visitor?” He asked the Master stiffly. He was almost feeling wound-up enough to fight for his place in line. 

“No, I’m waiting to speak with Skywalker,” he replied, temporarily placating the Commander.

An unfamiliar Jedi Cadet with a short braid on the side of their head walked in, attempting to look casual and failing miserably. The small furred padawan stared nervously at Cody and Mace, and actually managed to open their mouth. Windu raised a brow. They immediately snapped their jaw shut, bowed, and scurried out. 

Cody watched through the window as they joined a group of even tinier Jedi. After a brief conversation with lots of waving limbs from all parties, the group turned in unison to make eye contact with Cody’s visor. Cody inclined his head slightly. They all ran off, practically tripping over their robes.

“Wasn’t sure if the eyebrow would work,” Mace muttered. “It’s been 50/50 today.”

“I’ve just been hiding whenever I can,” Cody confessed.

Mace winced. “My apologies for the delay in putting out a statement. We’re still trying to work out - an adequate substitute. At least for the upcoming campaign.”

Cody nodded, “I assumed as much."

“I assure you, we’ve taken your thoughts into consideration. You’ll receive a notice of the Council’s final decision before we send out a mass bulletin.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Fortunately, finally, Anakin stomped into the atrium, followed closely behind by the Nautolan soul healer. 

“Ah, Knight Skywalker, do you have a moment? I’d like to have a word with you.” 

Anakin startled at Mace’s words, but recovered quickly when he noticed the slow moving crowd just outside the door. “Of course, Master Windu,” he said with a bow.

“Commander Cody, would you care to follow me?” Aerdo said with a smile.

Cody and Anakin exchanged grim nods as they passed one another, following the Masters in opposite directions.

- - - - -

- - - - -

“The situation in the expansion region is deteriorating rapidly. We had already intended to send the 212th to moderate the situation after Umbara’s latest declaration. But increasing separatist activity in the sector means that we cannot afford to delay or under-commit. The hyperlanes are being taken, and with them, republic control over crucial supply lines is now threatened. We must deploy the third system army, the day after tomorrow at the very latest. They’re our best equipped force for the situation, not to mention the only uncommitted division large enough to make a meaningful impact. There is no viable alternative.”

Anakin nodded at Mace uncertainly. He had been keeping up with troop movements before everything, and, trying to keep himself sane, had even checked the news in between cutting off the Chancellor and visiting Obi-Wan only to find him unresponsive again. But...why exactly was the Master of the Order telling him this?

“You’re not seriously thinking of sending Obi-Wan? I mean even if he miraculously wakes up tomorrow...”

Master Windu sighed. “No, of course not. Which is why I’ve asked you here.”

“You...can’t be asking me to lead them?” Anakin asked, feeling lightheaded.

“I admit, the council did consider it. You are the one of our most successful Generals. Not to mention the one most familiar with Obi-Wan’s troops. Between the fact that the 501st is also needed on Umbara and every other Jedi’s unwillingness to step in to the position, your name came up multiple times.” Mace pinched the bridge of his nose while Anakin stared uncertainly.

“No, I have not brought you here for a promotion. I want to speak with you about your opinions on candidates for the 212th...as well as to ask if you believe yourself capable of leading the 501st without...losing yourself. I’ve finished reviewing your civilian casualties and consider your observed losses- tolerable, at least.”

Windu looked exhausted at having to say that out-loud and Anakin fidgeted, biting his tongue.

“As long as you are under the supervision of another Master, and if you swear to me on Obi-Wan’s life that you will report yourself if you find yourself slipping- I leave the command of the 501st up to you.”

Anakin felt queasy. How could he help Obi-Wan if he was half a galaxy away, on what sounded like a long, protracted campaign. If he refused to go, that would leave both the 501st and the the 212th without their generals. Or...was this how he could help? Carry one of his burdens for him? He was more than ready to lead! Probably! He had been leading! Part of him longed to charge into battle immediately- wash off his helplessness with blood. Anakin didn’t know how to fix Obi-Wan mind, but he was good at fighting, good at war.

And that thought brought back the ever-lingering cold. How could he trust himself? His...violence... it might have driven Obi-Wan to suicide. He still didn’t know! And if he left he wouldn’t know for months! He promised Obi-Wan not to kill again- how the kark was he supposed to do that while being a General?! Did ordering people to kill count, or was that worse?

“I need to think about the 501st ,” Anakin whispered.

Master Windu nodded. “I appreciate that. You have until dawn tomorrow to decide- in the mean time, let’s discuss the 212th.”

“Who’s the top choice?”

“Master Pong Krell. He’s actually our only choice that wouldn’t require reorganizing other assignments significantly.”

“He’s...a good duelist.” Anakin said, trying to think about what he knew of the Besalisk, “What division does he command?”

Windu grimaced. “That’s actually why he’s the best choice... Of the troops he’s had direct command over since the start of the war, over 85% are dead. He’s never lost a battle but...”

Anakin closed his eyes, “Right.”

Plenty of excellent fighters among the Jedi made terrible generals. He’d have to look over the Besalisk’s military record- it could just be terrible luck. Plo Koon had lost an entire division to the Malevolence, but he still was one of the best.

“When you say he’s the only choice...”

“Most Masters I’ve breached the subject with were extremely reluctant at the thought- I don’t want to force anyone into a position beyond what they’re willing to handle.”

“I guess that makes sense...but it seems...off?” Anakin trying to articulate his uneasiness.

“Our method of ‘promotion’ has a tendency to elevate those who should perhaps not be taking on more responsibilities.” Mace acknowledged grimly.

“Because... good Jedi aren’t really ok with war. And you’re only promoting Generals who are fine with the whole thing?” he said thinking of himself. “Or can’t say no?” he added bitterly, thinking of Obi-Wan.

“It’s not an ideal situation” Mace agreed, lines around his eyes growing.

Anakin scrubbed a hand to his face. He had been doing more thinking about the ‘concept’ of war and violence in the last two days than he had the last two years of actual fighting. There hadn’t been much point before, war was happening regardless of his feelings. Not to mention the fact that there wasn’t time to quibble over these sorts of things in the field. As much as he was desperate not to disappoint Obi-Wan again, he didn’t really enjoying being forced to consider this stuff now. It made him...itchy.

“Have you considered just putting Cody in charge of everything?” Anakin finally asked.

“Of course, but the Senate would never approve...”

- - - - -

- - - - -

- - - - -

“...With those few exceptions, the only major thing left to restock is perishables. But that’s more your department than mine, sir.” 

Cody finished his report. 

Obi-Wan continued to lay still, looking frail in the large medi-bed. The restraints made the image that much worse.

“Fuck.” 

Cody swore and, for the first time since crawling out of bed that morning, yanked off his helmet.

“General. General Kenobi. Obi-Wan can you hear me.” he said hoarsely, leaning over the bed.

The General didn’t move.

“Obi-Wan if you can hear me- try and shift around a little bit. Blink. Do anything. It’s me- Commander Cody. I- please, sir. Just do anything, they said you- you did this on purpose so please confirm you’re in there. I’m- shipping off soon and, I- I just need to know that you’re going to be ok. Please. Anything.”

Cody hovered absolutely motionless, watching for any sign of response. But Obi-Wan continued as he had been, lifeless but for his slow and steady breaths. 

Cody collapsed to his knees, vision spotty. Gasping for air, he rested his head on the side of the bed, desperately trying to pull himself together. 

After several long moments he pulled of a glove, tentatively reaching for Obi-Wan’s hand. It felt cold.

“General, if this is some sort of- dark force attack twitch your hand, ok? Please. We’re trying to understand- we’re here for you, just clench your hand if you’re under attack and someone will come to help.”

Cody paced his breaths to Obi-Wan’s, pulse slowing down to match the wrist in his grasp.

“Obi-Wan, why are you doing this? I don’t understand.” Cody rasped. 

“You- you told me I was one of your best friends. You- I don’t know why you think so highly of me but please you have to know I think the universe of you. We all do, but I really do. You don’t have to fight anymore if you don’t want to, we’ll protect you, you know that. You have to know that. But I can’t- I can’t imagine the rest of the war without knowing you’re alright somewhere.”

Cody pressed Obi-Wan’s hand to his forehead, choking back a sob.

“You said you had a ‘last mission.‘ I don’t know what that means. You’ve talked about after the war- I don’t get why your life has to end with a mission. I'm not sure if I understood anything you said, but I’m right here and I would never hurt you. I don’t know what you saw but I would die first, ok? I want you to know that I would gladly die before hurting you so- so you don’t have to worry about whatever vision you had. Just wake up and tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it.”

Cody sat on the floor, clinging to Obi-Wan’s hand and continuing to breathe. 

Eventually, the door clicked open behind him. 

“Commander Cody? I’m terribly sorry but it’s been an hour...” Healer Aerdo’s voice came trickling in.

“I understand- is there time for me to say goodbye?” Cody rasped, not looking back. 

“Of course.” 

The door clicked shut and Cody stood jerkily.

“Goodbye, General Kenobi. Obi-Wan. I’ll take care of the men for you while you’re- resting. Please, I know I say this a lot but take care of yourself, ok?”

Cody pressed Obi-Wan’s hand to his forehead one last time before reverently resting it on the bed. Pulling his helmet on roughly, he turned sharply and marched out the door. 

Obi-Wan remained determinedly still.

Next: XIV

[tanadrin]

What are your thoughts on people who just want to be left alone, and not just solitarily - they want to leave modern society and go live in the woods.

They should be permitted to. Modern liberal democracies are mostly OK with making deals with secessionist subcultures: enclaves of Mennonites, the Amish, ultra-orthodox Jews, and so forth are permitted form and mostly self-govern, and are occasionally even granted opt-outs from various forms of government interference, like certain taxes or insurance requirements, on the basis that they make much less use of government services. It's harder to carve out such exceptions for individuals, but we do have things like the concept of the conscientious objector that accommodate deviations from the usually expected set of rights and obligations for people with a commitment to alternate sets of values.

But these things exist on a spectrum; opting in or out of society isn't a binary choice. Also, except in the libertarian fantasy land, it's very hard even in North America these days to find trackless wilderness where you can live totally unconnected to the rest of humanity--and most of it is in Alaska and northern Canada, so bring a nice thick coat. Where I think this consideration, the concept of "atomic communitarianism" to borrow a phrase, is most interesting is in its more complicated real-world instantiations.

Anabaptist religious communities in the US, for instance, aren't really autarkic villages; they're socially segregated, but economically connected with the surrounding area. Ultra-orthodox Jewish groups, while endogamous, have historically always existed within larger urban communities, and could not function without them; many seem happy to rely on social support from the government, which given the emphasis they place on a particular kind of pious lifestyle makes sense.

Where indulging atomicity in society encounters tension, I think one of three things are at play. First, the atomic community is in conflict with the wider community over material interests. The fight over the distribution of public school funding in Ramapo, New York is a great example of this. I don't think these kinds of conflicts ever have easy solutions, especially when the atomic community in question doesn't or can't form a distinct separate unit of local self-government.

Second, an organization wants conditional status as an atomic community. Anabaptists generally refrain from participating in secular government as a fundamental tenet of their religion; contrast the Catholic church, which now that religiosity is declining in many of its former strongholds, often presents itself as merely wanting to govern its own affairs free from governmental interference; but as soon as they are in a position to influence policy and make political noise, they do so, and they have no doctrinal objection to being made the sole official church of a secular state. In other words, Catholics are not naturally an atomic community, and so shouldn't be treated as one. They shouldn't get special consideration in a pluralist society, and Catholic institutions should be subject to normal rule of law. The Catholic church hates this, and it's this loathing of being constrained by the same rules everyone else is, rather than a real ideological motive, that causes them to cover up child abuse and play the victim when their mass graves get dug up in Canada and Ireland.

Thirdly, an atomic community may be genuine in its aspiration to atomicity, and it may be tolerated implicitly or officially by the collective authorities; but there are obligations that the collective authorities have to individual members it is pledged to protect that supersede any deal made with the community as a whole. The most visible example of this in the present day is child abuse by religious authorities. Whether it's the FLDS, ultra-orthodox Jewish communities, or, yes, the Catholics, one of the few things our society absolutely refuses to condone in an atomic community or an aspiring one is the sexual abuse of children, and the obligation of the collective authorities to prevent that is considered so far-reaching that no exceptions for any self-governing community can be permitted. Sometimes these communities can stave off interference temporarily by capturing local authority in elections and flying under the radar of more remote authorities, but this seems to only work in rural areas and only for a limited amount of time. The only imperative to exercise state authority over atomic communities that I can think of that comes even close to this one regards, like, tax evasion, because states also have a strong incentive to make sure people know that independent parallel authorities aren't permitted to compete with the state, and tax collection is one of the very basic functions of government.

Now, all of the above examples are religious communities. That's not entirely a coincidence: religion is a powerful community-building force, and rising standards of living in the developed world have reduced the relevance of purely political or economic utopian projects. In countries like the US, where there is a strong tradition of religious freedom, federalism, and soft libertarianism, society can easily accommodate a large number of atomic communities, even highly insular religious ones. That is strong to America's credit; in almost every case, if people want to go off and do their own thing, they should be permitted to. Even fucked-up cults like the FLDS folks should get a strong benefit of the doubt, because pluralism is important, and state power is a crude bludgeon, and when that bludgeon goes awry you get shit like the Waco massacre. We can quibble on where exactly the line for outside interference should be drawn, but regardless of the criteria we use, sexual abuse of children seems like a reasonable criterion for interference.

Should lone individuals or tiny groups get carte blanche to fuck off into the woods and never contact human society again? Sure; but they effectively already have that, if they can find an empty patch of woods. And simply in terms of sheer numbers, the quantity of hermits and members of eremitical microcommunities will always be dwarfed by larger, more persistent atomic communities like those organized on religious lines. Religion is just a much stronger motivating factor for that kind of secessionism.

If a self-organized community of individualists did form in the wilderness, or on some vast expanse of privately owned land, and wanted to govern themselves free from interference--well, that's called "incorporating a municipality" and you can go through existing legal channels. Your new town won't be free of state or federal authority, depending on where it is; but if you're large enough to need a bona fide local government, I think there's a strong presumption that your community has a big enough impact on the surrounding areas and is populous enough that the collective authority takes a legitimate interest in how your community is run. But local governments are really important, and get a lot of shit done! Don't underrate their power.

If you really want more autonomy, you can always petition your state or national government for status as a separate state/territory/province/autonomous community/department (it worked for the Mormons!). You'd probably have to be fairly big; but I think your community would have to be very large in the first place to really get any benefit from that kind of larger local government. And, of course, there's always the Free State Project. In fact, I want to strongly encourage right-libertarians and anarcho-capitalists of every stripe, no matter where in the world they live, to move to New Hampshire and leave the rest of us alone. I think that's a really terrific idea (and more viable than seasteading).

One thing I didn't discuss is uncontacted peoples or native communities that preexist the communitarian authority. Especially with regard to the former, I don't trust state power to interfere in these communities in a non-destructive way; whatever the conditions the North Sentinelese are living in, the entire population being wiped out by measles carried over from the mainland would not be an improvement. And the excuse of legitimate state interest in protecting individuals has often been used to fuck with communities of racial undesirables--it is after all the reason the residential schools in Canada were built, and the Catholic church empowered to imprison children in them. This is part of the reason why even if you can prove an atomic community is a fucked up cult that treats its members horribly, I don't think it should be forcibly disbanded--the criteria for interference have to be extreme, because they have been so flagrantly abused in the past. Basically, the framework I'm using in the rest of this post doesn't apply here, because these native communities aren't secessionist for any meaningful use of the term. They function differently, they preexisted the authorities imposed on them, and that original imposition was a war of conquest.