#also you take legacy to play in the snow for the first time

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

WAKES UP IN A COLD SWEAT

Being childhood friends with Ajax after he gains the ability to change into Foul Legacy and he doesn’t have complete control over it yet.

Numerous times did you find yourself sitting in Ajax’s bed room, a much smaller, more scraggly looking Foul Legacy curled in your arms, chirping and trying to speak to you in Abyssal language. You can’t understand him and Foul Legacy doesn’t quite know why he’s so attached to you, his hazy memories still forming, but he does know he enjoys your company!

Foul Legacy being a bit smaller when Ajax was a child, probably around the size of the average adult, being a lot more lanky and fluffier, like a deer 🙁 My wet cat.

The amount of times you’d have to drag Ajax away from a conversation or potential fight (that he was about to initiate) because you noticed the clear signs of Foul Legacy coming out. Dragging him to his home or favorite fishing spot and just, being stuck with Foul Legacy for the next few hours. Not that you mind! He’s so curious about everything around him, and so curious about you! Will try to curl up in your lap as you comb his fur, happily telling you a story in Abyss, you simply nod and pretend you understand.

My baby 🙁🙁 i miss him

[📺]

ue ue ueeee (sound of me crying over this /lh)

being a kid from Snezhnaya, you're not really scared when you first meet Foul Legacy- honestly, you're mostly confused and worried about where Ajax was, thinking that this scruffy Abyss monster ate him. but Foul Legacy quickly trills, an odd, disjointed sound, and snuggles up to you, curiously poking you and tugging at your sleeve. Ajax feels safe around you, so Legacy does too- you're a bright light shining in the cold darkness of Snezhnaya, of the Abyss, and he much prefers the warmth of your embrace to the frigid winds outside. you can't understand his chitters and chirps, but the fluffy creature is just as talkative as Ajax, with his same bright ginger hair...

oh. your eyes widen with realization, and Foul Legacy lets out a happy peep and curls closer to you

the most telltale sign of Ajax transforming into Legacy is his eye color- what's normally a vivid, lightless blue deepens to a twilight purple- and you know to grab his hand and drag him somewhere quiet, for in your presence and your presence alone, the Abyssal hunger for blood falls away, leaving a sweet and affectionate Foul Legacy. he likes your hands and face most of all, gently squishing your cheeks and nibbling your fingers, giving your forehead adoring licks. for now he's still small enough to snuggle in your lap as you sit on Ajax's bed, although you know he'll grow, so you spend entire afternoons by his side, listening to him sing in some strange language that you can't quite grasp or reading one of your books together, watching the snow fall silently through the window

and he was your special secret- just you, Ajax, and his monstrous, adorable other half

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

At the age of twelve, Jonas, a young boy from a seemingly utopian, futuristic world, is singled out to receive special training from The Giver, who alone holds the memories of the true joys and pain of life.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Mary Lennox, a spoiled, ill-tempered, and unhealthy child, comes to live with her reclusive uncle in Misselthwaite Manor on England’s Yorkshire moors after the death of her parents. There she meets a hearty housekeeper and her spirited brother, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin, and her wilful, hysterical, and sickly cousin, Master Colin, whose wails she hears echoing through the house at night.

With the help of the robin, Mary finds the door to a secret garden, neglected and hidden for years. When she decides to restore the garden in secret, the story becomes a charming journey into the places of the heart, where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit, and the magic of the garden, coming to life anew, brings health to Colin and happiness to Mary.

[bloofinntoona]

Baby's Breath

Word Count: 1.4k

Themes: Fluff, a little bit of angst? Sebastian Sallow x F!Reader (Reader's house can be up to you!)

Summary: (SPOILER FOR HOGWARTS LEGACY ENDING) You're asking Sebastian Sallow who will he take to the Yule Ball.

Author's Note: So... This is my first fanfic(after a while). I played Hogwarts Legacy and I love Sebastian's questline and his story. I'd thought I wrote a little bit of a story after the main HL story. Based on the marriage question???? scene from the first Avatar movie.

A year has passed since the massive battle with Ranrok, as well as the murder of Solomon Sallow. You, Anne, and Ominis had decided to not turn Sebastian in. The weight of killing his own family member was tormenting enough for the teen, there was absolutely no need of putting him behind bars at Azkaban. Despite the darkness that has been brewing inside Sebastian, his friends still have much love for him. Especially you.

You didn't think much of it at first. Why, Sebastian Sallow was notorious for being the Slytherin bad boy. Dodging detentions here and there, and persistently asking his schoolmates to duel in his not-so-unsanctioned-secret-dueling club. One would think that this boy was a menace. But you know that he was more than that. Sebastian was smart, curious, relentless, outgoing, kind, cunning, and obviously as ambitious as a Slytherin could be. As if the boy couldn't be more perfect, he has the most beautiful hazel eyes you've ever seen. You particularly noticed the tiny freckles that adorned his face — you swear you could see constellations if you connected the dots.

Getting back to your relationship before the incidents was not easy. Ominis and Anne took their time to make small talk and joke around with Sebastian. You, on the other hand, shared a kinship. You also wielded the unforgivable curses with him. You often found yourself between Sebastian's arms, finding consolation from the responsibilities of being the so-called Hogwarts Hero who possessed the Ancient Magic. There was also a time when Sebastian broke down in your arms, feeling guilty for being too absored in the Dark Arts. Nevertheless, time is the best healer as you both were able to cope and live somewhat normally in school.

After all that you both have been through, there was never a point where you confessed to each other. Yes, you hugged and comforted each other. You swore you felt him kissed your forehead once. Perhaps it's the archaic rule of courting in the 19th century that your guardians had been drilling into your brain. Or perhaps you're just too scared of being rejected and loosing the closest friend in your life.

⁂✲＊⁂✲＊⁂

You shifted your feet back and forth, hearing the snow rustling underneath your platform shoes. Merlin's beard, you thought, where in the world is Sebastian? Saying that it's freezing in Hogsmeade is an understatement. The wind blew past your ears as you cursed yourself for putting your hair in an updo today. You jumped as you felt hands tickled your sides, "Hey!" you shouted, turning around. Sebastian grinned, "Sorry, 'had to pick up something earlier." He patted your head, which prompted a red blush spreading across your face. "Shall we?" He offered his hand as you head into The Three Broomsticks. Nothing like a full glass of Butterbeer can make you feel better, especially with Sebastian as your company. This is how you both liked to spend the weekends after a tedious week full of classes and homework. The outing almost ended with You and Sebastian racing on the broom, cruising over the lake until you both reached the rickety docks in Lower Hogsfield, looking over the school.

"That was a good race. Obviously, I was here first." The boy puffed his chest.

You rolled your eyes, "Sure, consider yourself lucky that we're alone 'cause I literally landed first!"

Sebastian and you playfully bantered, pushing each others' broom. He accidentally pushed a bit too hard which sent you flying back. "Oop-!" you yelped as you felt his swift hands caught your back and pulled you close to him. Too close. You felt your chest pressed against Sebastian. Godrick's Heart, did he grow taller? You also swore he was not this strong and muscular before. Puberty years did work wonders for teen boys. Feeling his warm breath against your face, you started to panic and gently pushed him away. You swore you could see a hint of disappointment in his face.

"So," you cleared your throat, "The Yule ball is coming soon. I, uh, heard that you're supposed to look for your own date." You paced around the dock, afraid to look at Sebastian. "Have you thought about who you're going to ask?" You bitterly questioned him. A part of you was a bit disappointed that Sebastian didn't ask you when the ball was announced. You'd expect him to take you, even as friends. The thoughts of Sebastian secretly having a crush without telling you made your guts churn. It's not like other boys haven't asked either, Garreth Weasley was very sweet, offering an enhanced (his words) Wiggenweld potion warped in a bow with an invitation to the ball. You were flattered, but you thought there wasn't a point of going without the boy you actually had a crush on.

"I thought about it." Sebastian calmly said, using his wand to cast Levioso, levitating a rock and flung it to the lake.

"Oh..." you gulped. "May I know who?" You wanted to slap yourself for asking, why would you want to hear answers that will hurt? You still have your back facing Sebastian.

"Guess!" and there's Sebastian Sallow, never making it easy for you.

You used your wand to flung some pebbles into the water. "Well, Imelda Reyes is an amazing flyer. I bet you learned a flying trick or two from her," You smiled bitterly, "Plus, you both are in the same house, so I bet you're close with her?"

You could hear his laugh. "No way, I'm not keen on being ridiculed by Imelda." Sebastian flung more rocks into the water.

"I guess Natty is a good option too. She's brilliant, probably the kindest person I've ever met-"

"What about me?" Sebastian joked, "I'm also kind."

You rolled your eyes. "Also she has a professor as a parent, like you."

"It's not Natty, too... Gryffindor for me," He shook his head, "Don't get me wrong, Natty's a good friend. But she's just a friend for me."

"What about Poppy? She's the cutest girl in school. I think her passion for the beasts is amazing too." You chimed.

Sebastian shook his head again. "Nope, not her."

You raked your brain, thinking about the rest of your schoolmates. You didn't even notice Sebastian's footsteps inching closer to you.

"Ominis?" you blurted out, now facing Sebastian. Hearing your question, he made a face and blurted out an explosive laugh. "I mean I would, but he probably would kill me first," he wiped a tear from his eyes, "no, not my dear friend Ominis Gaunt."

"I give up!" You held up your hands, "I don't know who you have in mind."

Sebastian lets out a sigh. "There is this girl," he stood close to you, "She is beautiful, brave, and possesses an ability like no other. She's always eager to beat me in duels and learn new things. This girl is always there for me, through thick and thin. Even though I was a sodding disappointment of a mate, she still greets me with a warm smile. I don't think I could be here right now without her."

Your breath hitched, feeling warmth crept around your face. Sebastian's face is turning red as well. He took your hands in his, caressing your fingers softly. You can feel your body heating up despite the cold air. "I'm glad you came to Hogwarts. Having you in my life was the best present the universe gave me." He reached inside his pocket and presented you with a corsage decorated with baby's breath and baby blue ribbon. "I was going to give it to you tomorrow. But since we're having this conversation..." He smiled, face red as ever, "Will you go to the ball with me-"

Sebastian didn't get to finish his sentence before you crashed your lips against him. You could feel electricity sparked all over your body, butterflies flying all over your stomach. It seemed like forever, feeling his soft lips molded with yours. His hands rested on your waist, gently pulling you closer. You snaked your hands around his neck, entangling your fingers in his brown locks.

You broke the kiss, resting your forehead against his. "I'd take that as a yes?" Sebastian whispered. You nod, couldn't get a word out of your mouth. He smiled, peppering small kisses on your cheeks before capturing your lips for another kiss.

He pulled back, took your hand, and wrapped the corsage around your wrist. "You know, I had to do a bunch of tasks to have Professor Garlick help me grow this flower." He chuckles, admiring how the flowers looked on you.

"Sebastian.. I-" You grinned widely, "Thank you. I would love to go to the ball with you." You couldn't help but to wrap your arms around him again. "Why baby's breath?"

"Well, darling, they said it's the symbol of everlasting love."

⁂✲＊⁂✲＊⁂

[juniorfor2]

I will always find it interesting that for all that people constantly complain about "likable" or "nuanced" villians, wanting "the good old days, where a villain was just a villain and there was nothing more to them," the moment that you open any Youtube video centered on a "nothing but a villain" character, it has at least a few comments making them far more likable and nuanced than they really are. Which wouldn't be of much interest, except for one fact - they all have at least 10-20 thousand likes.

People complain that Disney and other corporations are ruining movies, making characters far too palatable and relatable, but in truth, the same people who complain about such things will also end up liking and encouraging any thinking that characterizes the villains as such. Corporations mostly follow what their viewers want, even if slow or in a bad direction, not the other way around.

Tywin Lannister was an unmistakable bad guy in ASOIAF and Game of Thrones. He was horrible to Tyrion, cared nothing for his family beyond what they could offer to his legacy, and was willing to commit horrific deeds to climb to power. In fact, he demonstrated almost every reason for why "feudalism is bad!" as some people constantly write about. And yet, there are dozens of videos, comments, and social media posts about how Tywin Lannister was misunderstood the whole time and was really a good guy.

He should have been "the good old days where a villain was just a villain!" Isn't that what people wanted? He was an obvious antagonist to Tyrion, one of the main protagonists - perfect, right? Yet instead of grabbing onto this, people turned him into the very thing they claimed not to like.

They could have simply done this with the protagonist. Why not make the protagonist a bit more likable? It doesn't mean much to the story when done, even if it does miss the point occasionally.

But that's not what happens. In fact, the opposite does. The protagonist, the character that's supposed to be likable or nuanced according to them, is turned into the "nothing but a villain" character.

Daenerys Targaryen is one such character. She is very, very obviously one of the biggest protagonists. The first book ends with her, with "for first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons." She is a bridal slave turned Breaker of Chains. She makes mistakes, as every protagonist does, but still progresses forward.

What's not to like about her? While her circumstances and the hard choices she must make do take her into the shades of grey, she is still so compassionate for those suffering that she never comes anywhere close to the darkness that Jon Snow or Tyrion have demonstrated and progressed to. Making her more likable is easy. That's not what happens though.

Instead, she is villainized. She is determined by others to become the darkest character of all, with no nuance or likability whatsoever. They make her the villain in place of the one they've made palatable.

Some of this, I think, can be summed up to people being somewhat idiots and thinking that their idea of hot means good. I remember watching the first 4 seasons back with a sort-of-friend, and she had a huge crush on Charles Dance playing Tywin (she was 16 at the time and he was in his 60s - no, I didn't understand her, and yes, I took great pleasure in showing her Tywin's death). She was so convinced that he wasn't that bad, and the only reason she thought that was because she found him hot. So obviously that does take up a part of it. But it's definitely not the main reason.

The main reason, seeming fairly obvious, is because the idea that movies/shows/books have social or political ideas is no longer something they can ignore. They'll rave about wokeness, saying that it's in every movie now, and why can't we all go back to the good old days of Star Trek and Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings books that of course had absolutely no themes. Despite them having some incredibly heavy or obvious ideas, people somehow managed to ignore them. But now they can't.

Said people do not want to go back to the good old days of "nothing but a villain." They want to back to the "good old days" where they didn't have to examine why a villain was so terrible. They don't want to see themselves in the antagonist - so they make it so villain is no longer one.

In their desperation to get rid of political themes and ideas, and to cover up their own views that could make them look at themselves as the "villain" of our real life "story," they switch the antagonist and the protagonist, the villain and the hero, to make themselves the hero.

After all, why examine your own faults when you can just make them the correct, non-woke perspective?

[throwawayasoiafaccount]

Lyanna was not condemned, Rhaegar was the one who condemned her to death and left her son an orphan. I am not a fan of Sansa, in fact I hate her, but just as Joffrey is the villain of Sansa's story, Rhaegar is Lyanna's villain. Deep down, I feel that the only parallel is that both were left at the mercy of the people who killed their family. If that is so, it is very sad because both were victims of their horrible injustices.

hey anon,

i know what post you came from, but first i want to make something clear: that post of mine wasn’t some deep dive, i was simply pointing out some of the ways sansa foils lyanna. i made that post out of annoyance because i saw a few posts that called lyanna and sansa parallel characters.

secondly, i said lyanna was doomed, not condemned. those two words have vastly different connotations. also, i meant doomed in the sense that nothing could’ve saved her as the situation went out of her control and because she likely died from birthing complications.

now that i’ve said all that, i’ll get right into things.

robert baratheon is quite literally using sansa and joffrey as stand ins for his past unfilled betrothal. in my previous post, i briefly touched upon the reality that the lyanna foil, sansa, does not see under joffrey’s pretty guise like lyanna did with her own betrothed, which caused her much grief later on in her story. but honestly, this isn’t a 1:1 situation and i’ll try to explain why that is.

to start off, i will say that the lannisters do act as targaryen stand ins during the Wot5K, which has so many of the same plot beats as robert’s rebellion. and this is made pretty clear when we’re introduced to tywin and we learn he is attempting to literally replace the targaryen legacy/become the new targaryens, and it is also made clear by the lannister twins incest. however, just because grrm uses similar beats to flesh out both POV characters, background characters, and long dead characters, doesn’t mean sansa and lyanna’s situations are the same just because they were both involved with royal princes, and we know this because:

joffrey plays many more roles besides the crown prince, but when he did act as the crown prince he foiled rhaegar! one of joffrey’s first appearances is when he fights robb and later mocks robb for not using real steel. this is quite literally the opposite of rhaegar, who preferred books and singing and didn’t enjoy the song of swords. and later on when arya, who is paralleled to lyanna multiple times, defends herself against joffrey’s cruelty, joffrey decides to take her to his mother, an aerys stand in, to punish her along with the butchers boy, and is able to force things enough that lady is put to the sword. this contrasts against a long believed theory in this fandom (a theory that is well supported by the text), which is that rhaegar discovered lyanna was the knight of the laughing tree, hid her identity and didn’t turn her over to aerys. so, what little info we have of rhaegar paints him as someone who wasn’t violent by nature and protected women. joffrey is violent by nature and even sansa, when she was still making excuses for joffrey, could see that:

i fear i’ve digressed a bit away from what you actually brought up, but your ask itself is a bit difficult to answer because you’re simply stating your interpretations as fact.

so to get back to the core of your ask, i’ll restate your own words (your tone seems very matter of fact): ‘rhaegar was the one who condemned her to death and left her son an orphan.’

the reality is that this is very much not matter of fact and there is absolutely no way for you to be sure of any of this! do you have rhaegar’s POV? are you in his head? did you read his thoughts? how are you so sure in your unsupported beliefs that you’d so matter of factly state them to someone else?

also, claiming rhaegar left lyanna’s son, which we both clearly agree is jon snow, an orphan, so clearly ignores the reality, which is that rhaegar died! why would rhaegar, who we know had plans, want to die and leave his family behind?

though i believe you’re actually insinuating that rhaegar didn’t provide lyanna with enough medical staff, but this is something you simply cannot know. the tower of joy dream sequence we get is not what really happened! it was simply a dream ned had and the author himself has stated that the dream is more metaphorical in nature. to logically refute the idea that rhaegar left lyanna to die, i’d like to mention that ned holds absolutely zero animosity for rhaegar and doesn’t speak badly about him. if rhaegar left lyanna to die then why would ned have positive/neutral thoughts about rhaegar?

moving on, i stated before that joffrey plays many roles, so i want to get back to that in order to counter your belief that ‘the only parallel is that both were left at the mercy of the people that killed their family’:

joffrey, a prince rhaegar foil, also acts as an aerys parallel and as a robert baratheon foil/parallel. his aerys parallels are that 1) he executes the head of house stark, 2) under his rule wildfire is put to use, 3) he faces a rebellion from robb, who was surely named for robert and who acts as both a robert and ned stand in. 4) joffrey never actually leaves kings landing like aerys and was king, 5) he faces off against renly, a storm lord who looks strikingly similar to a young robert 6) he faces stannis, who’s robert’s legal heir (though stannis also has some aerys connections as well as he burns people alive). 7) the tyrell’s eventually join the lannisters side as well, which reinforces the idea that the lannisters, with joffrey at the helm, are targaryen stand ins in a metaphorical sense. and the shift from having more aerys parallels to robert parallels/foils is when the tyrell’s switch sides and join the lannisters to save kings landing from stannis. here wildfire is being used to protect the city/waste time until reinforcements ride in the save the day, which is the opposite of what happened in the sacking during the rebellion. and then tywin and the tyrell’s ride in to save the day, yada yada, support joffrey’s right as king, and after this margaery acts as a cersei stand in/foil, loras as a jaime parallel/foil, etc etc etc etc etc… i could literally go on and on and on! there’s just so much there!

but my main point with my previous paragraph is that this isn’t 1:1. a person can’t make blanket statements like you did and then not backup your statements with specific events from canon. because honestly…

how is sansa being held hostage the same as lyanna being kept safely away from aerys in dorne? unless you believe lyanna was held captive in the tower of joy, which makes absolutely no sense at all and is not supported by the text whatsoever. to be clear: lyanna and sansa were in contrasting situations. lyanna not being in kings landing, where brandon thought she was being held, is a very important supporting indicator that rhaegar and lyanna’s relationship was romantic and loving in nature and further contrasts sansa’s situation, which is that she was being held hostage and kept under the eye of a young mad king.

and tbh, i called sansa a character that often foiled lyanna, but she also shares a lot of very important parallels/contrasting moments with other female characters such as catelyn, lysa, cersei, and even elia (the unkiss with sandor is definitely a direct foiling of elias death). to repeat myself, the events of robert’s rebellion are not 1:1 to the events of tWot5K.

but you, with full certainty, state that rhaegar is lyanna’s villain like joffrey is sansa’s. sansa’s faced injustice when she was being held hostage after ned was imprisoned and executed. lyanna faced injustice when her family refused to break her betrothal to robert, a man she so clearly did not wish to marry, which likely led to her taking things into her own hands. one of the most prominent and well supported theories is that rhaegar was helping lyanna escape/disappear and that they eventually fell in love, which is supported by bael’s song, the song of the winter rose, jon snow learns. sansa, when she thought ned was unfairly breaking her betrothal, also took things into her own hands and actually ran to the enemies to stop ned. she’s eventually saved and taken from kings landing by baelish, another bael figure. however, i know lyanna and sansa’s situations contrast so i can be sure that sansa will not get pregnant and will likely not die.

i’m gonna end things here because i do not care to go over ever little detail and explain every little thing to you, especially since there is simply too much to go over.

[7grandmel]

Rips of the week: 09/09/2024

Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) and Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement)

Season 3 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips Volume A

Ripped by alan

Season 8 Featured on: The Joke-Explainer 7000™'s Highest Quality Rips: Sunrise

Ripped by alan

Requested by Fezaki! (Request Form)

There are few things I love more on the SiIvaGunner channel than the phenomena I like to call "call & response" rips. These are, put simply, rips connected to one another through a sort of dialogue - an obvious example of this is with He4rt4che and 4SGOR3, two intertwined projects by the same ripper released right alongside one another. Yet these projects have also be used to, in effect, pay tribute to the works of other rippers on the channel: Shiny Smily TALE, for instance, saw Ellie53 pay respects to a rip made four whole years prior by Sarvéproductions. There's also one of my all-time personal favorites for silly sentimental reasons, Violet Snow Memories, which remakes and expands upon a relatively obscure rip made *SEVEN* years prior by a ripper who's no longer actively part of the team. Without having any knowledge of the behind-the-scenes behind their production, these rips end up feeling like true expressions of love between rippers, being creatively fulfilling projects in their own right whilst directing attention toward rips and rippers that they cherish.

Yet with the two rips featured today, Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) and Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement), we run into a somewhat unique scenario, that I haven't personally seen all too often on the channel: a sort of combination of two of the example scenarios described. These two rips were both made by the same ripper, Alan, who's both a friend of the blog and has been contributing on and off for the channel since late into Season 1, still being active today eight years later in Season 8. And therein is what makes this pair of rips so interesting: Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) released all the way back in Season 3, while Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement) came out just shy of three months ago back in June of Season 8 - yet are both playing off of the same core idea. Even six years after its release, the core idea of Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) seems to have stuck with the guy, and all this time later he finally decided to expand on the concept further, out of no other reason than his own personal investment in the concept. Six years of waiting, six years of experience gained - let's see where this all takes us.

The soundscape of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is one I've made no secret of my affection for, most notably with Aquadial just outright being an all-time favorite rip of mine, but even with more out-there bizarre projects like Kirby Joins the Circus!, they all manage to have an indescribable appeal that comes just from how beautiful Kirby 64 as a whole sounds. The channel and internet as a whole is filled with tributes paid to the game's soundtrack, yet Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) takes a direction similar to the previously covered Mt. Dedede (extended) - choosing to inject Kirby music, into other Kirby music. The Kirby franchise is itself already filled with homages paid to its legacy music, endlessly rearranging its past work, and so Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) fits in with the rest of the series' soundtracks like a glove. Float Islands in particular is a pretty crucial piece of music for the franchise, originating from the very first game in the series, being remixed in countless games, and most notably laying the groundwork for the franchise's beloved Rest Area theme, later arranged and reused for the Super Smash Bros. series and itself featured in beloved rips like Me and the rest area of the melee here, singing, "Where'd you go​?​". It's Jun Ishikawa's knack for catchy, soothing and high-tempo composition distilled into just one track - the kind of song that just SOUNDS like Kirby ought to sound, no matter what form it takes.

It should come as no surprise that Alan knocks the arrangement out of the park with Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) - Aqua Star, the track being used as the basis, already takes cues from Float Islands in certain snippets of its arrangement, and Alan is able to leverage that connection into a sound experience that sounds damn near effortlessly like an authentic Ishikawa arrangement. The lead instruments chosen follow along with Aqua Star very nicely, the brass sounds as authentically "Kirby 64" as always, the percussion is as lovely as Float Islands' arrangements always are - it's an incredibly solid rip, that even back in 2018 turned some heads with commenters denoting how surprising it was to see just outright wholesale remixes put onto SiIvaGunner. Of course, this was not something new - we've had rips like Turn On Your SEGA Genesis and Just Enjoy Yourself as far back as Season 1 - yet to see a ripper like Alan play along with Kirby series' tradition of celebrating past music so authentically was no doubt part of what made this rip stick out so much - many didn't even recognize that Float Islands wasn't originally in Kirby 64 and just thought the rip was an unedited reupload of music from the game!

Of course, this was nevertheless a rip from Season 3, six years ago - the channel was still somewhat undergoing growing pains, shedding the anything-goes wild west of Season 1 and gradually turning into something with a higher bar of quality. Despite my love for it, there are still some slight oddities present in Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement), indications of its status as, ultimately, a hobby project for a shitpost channel. And that's why I find Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement) to be such a cool release - it saw Alan return to this old rip idea, now within the context of SiIvaGunner in 2024, part of this team that's learned so much about ripping for so many different games, that continues to find new ways to impress with every passing month with everything from Last Freight-train Night to Thwâmpröck Desert. In my eyes, Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement) is right at home here - instead of rearranging one of Kirby's oldest legacy songs into the soundscape almost impossible to make sound bad, the rip feels like a far more daunting task in doing the opposite, taking a song built upon that distinct soundscape and attempting to recreate it within the confines of a far older game, in Kirby Super Star for the Super Nintendo.

Yet Alan pulls this endeavor off with flying colors! The thing I immediately noticed, compared to Kirby Super Star's take on Float Islands, is the percussion: in Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement), it sounds ever so slightly...dreamier, less heavy - perhaps that's my ears playing tricks on me, but I get the sense whilst listening that Alan put in a hell of a lot of effort to recapture the magically sparkly feel that Kirby 64's music so often holds. You hear this in the lead melody instruments used as well - the primary lead is the same beautiful one used as the lead in Super Star's Float Islands, yet it's occasionally swapped out for a less-used instrument from that same track, there only used for accenting the end of certain segments, but is used here for a wonderful back-and-fourth sound throughout the rip's runtime. On the whole, it's just a wonderfully tasteful, well-rounded arrangement without twists or surprises - a perfect response to the call placed back in 2018.

As I led this post off with, it's that back-and-fourth dynamic between rips that I found so utterly endearing about rips like these two. Yet the additional wrinkle that both works here were made by the SAME ripper gives it a distinctly different flavor, it goes from viewing two rippers pay each other loving respect to seeing one ripper grow in proficiency and ability over many years of honing their craft. As a result, while I find Float Islands (Kirby 64 Arrangement) to be an absolutely wonderful piece in its own right, it was Alan's work on Aqua Star (Kirby Super Star Arrangement) that enamored me - to see that progression of a ripper in such a direct, yet at once indirect, way, was an incredibly fascinating listening experience. Alan shows no sign in slowing down in his contributions to the channel, and with rips of this caliber, I can't wait to see what the future holds for the guy.

[id-element0]

Random Legacy All-in-one Update #2

Speedy updates continues until the boys reach adulthood. So it'll be lengthy posts for some time. We start the post with cuteness. Satori decides to adopt one of Nutmeg's kittens. Both pets being elderly, we need new blood. It's a male kitten called Short Tail Cat. 😄 I should rename him. Regardless, Nutmeg enjoys being a father.

Satori showcases an exemplary motherhood. She's particularly mean to Bismarck, patronising and all. In her defence the only parent she knew was Danzig and that's how he raised her, with tough love. So that's the only parenting she knows. "You ought to toughen up the kids."

The next day is Spooky day so the boys go trick-or-treating. Bismarck isn't very into it but he still plays along.

Everybody wants to throw a Feast Party so that's what we do. Satori's stuffed turkey craving is met thanks to one of the guests. It's also Midori's birthday. And we receive our first evil gnome in the mail.

It's 20 degrees Celsius and for some reason it snows which shouldn't happen in this tropical island. The snow disappears the next day leaving the residents with unfulfilled frosty desires.

Bodhi and Deedee continue to take care of their toddlers in their separate homes. Although, Bodhi visits his girlfriend and daughter frequently. Luckily, they don't have to wait too much to get together permanently.

First successful robbery ever! This idiot, after like 3 or 4 tries, finally realises that there are no alarms outside and decides to steal Bodhi's midlife crisis car. That's fine. We're so rich and we still have Great Grandpa Fendi's Harley and Great Grandma Macy's Hot Rod. The burglar drives away in her own car. 😂

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[spideyhexx]

i love this terrible character, he's so well written and im glad that someone finally for once didn't give a villain a good reason for being villainous — coryo's messed up and there's not really a reason (or a good reason) for him being the way he is, villains like this arent very common — not everyone needs a reason for being terrible, not everything's sunshine and rainbows, not everyone needs an excuse

Tbh I disagree a little, I think there are a lot of reasons to why he’s villainous in a sense but I also think it’s not that black and white with him. He’s not just a simple villain. Nor are any of the reasons an excuse, but it’s just a set of events/choices due to his own nature and the people around him’s actions that lead him to become President Snow. That’s what makes him such an interesting character because you can understand him despite him not even being mentally well from the first time we see him. Even though he’s a lot more likable at first, he’s still got certain ways of thinking and certain actions that tell us something is wrong with him/he’s not “morally” good. But there are a lot of shifts with him in tbosas so that’s telling us there is plausible reasonings for why he becomes who he becomes even if he starts out not that good already.

He’s a very complex character and I think his trauma/growing up is technically the “reason” for how he turns out but his circumstances in tbosas obviously plays a hand in who he becomes, even if that person is a more “villainous,” person. I think it’s also the fact a lot of his “reasons,” are things he doesn’t even see the truth in, but we the audience see the truth, which aids to your point about him being a villain for no real reason. To us it might be to no real reason cause he’s not even seeing the truth in a situation (like dealing with stuff with Sej’s death).

I don’t think these things are excuses though, I think they’re just the points we can look at to see how they shaped him into who he becomes. I think the point is also that who he becomes can be anyone. That coriolanus had the chance to make the right decisions, it was laid out on a platter for him to steer into a better direction but at every turn he makes the other choices and that’s what’s so compelling. It’s so human and so realistic, that’s why I don’t see him as just a simple villain or completely “villainous,” in a way cause he’s got so much more complexity than that. Obviously he’s much worse by the time the og hunger games trilogy takes place but I think im making sense lol.

It’s a lot of nature/nurture arguments as well as the idea of legacy haunting him. Those themes surround his arc imo.

[greyias]

A few years ago, @confettininjabean bought me a copy of Sunless Seas as a Christmas present, but I'm a weenie when it comes to roughlikes and my OCs dying, so it took me until last week to start playing it. I figured I'd give it fifteen minutes and maybe my first captain death before I moved on to another game... and I'm on my fourth captain now

Since Sunless Seas is a Fallen London spinoff, I was somewhat familiar with the world already, but it had been long enough since I'd last played there was a lot of surprises/relearning, mostly just me getting jumpscared by the Lovecraftian atmosphere (a lot of which is the casual amount of cannibalism present). Sometime during the second captain's run I was like "fuck this, this is too stressful" and installed a mod that mitigated the frankly ridiculous micromanaging of food and fuel.

And none of this will make much sense to anyone who hasn't played this game, but still, let me present to you, my legacy of Steampunky captains, who have been furiously passing charts to each other right before their deaths mostly so I don't have to reopen the gd map every single time, as they have captured my attention this past week or so:

Captain #1 - Renley:

I think I subconsciously named him after "Renfield" in Dracula. In retrospect, this was probably a mistake. Renley was an excommunicated priest who's daddy was a zeecaptain who mysteriously died on the dark waters, and he went to zee to try and find his papa's bones. He started an affair with his surgeon at the first opportunity, and I never did find out why he got kicked out of the priesthood as he descended to cannibalism and ran out of food a few miles from shore. He died as forgotten as his daddy's bones, except for his apparent pen pal...

Captain #2 - Farris:

Bisexual disaster with a heart of gold. Grew up a street urchin, but apparently got too tall and was cast out from her crew, so she bought a ship with what she got from her last big score, determined to make enough as a zeecaptain to retire rich and comfortable. She insists everyone call her "my lady", not because she's actual nobility but more because one day she's sure she will be.

I fully expected her to go the Renley route and die very quickly, but she surprised me by like... making good decisions?? She somehow just barely survived to the end of my first night of playing, making several successful runs into the zee without me cheating. She accepted a deal for more food and fuel from a very shady individual before I logged off for the evening, but it wouldn't be enough for us to continue on. As I had grown a little fond of her scrappy ways, I installed the first mod so we didn't have to worry about her going full Renley. SHE THRIVED.

She opened up so much of the map, also struck up an affair with the surgeon on her ship (look, it gets lonely and scary on the zee), but then... actually fell in love with a sweetheart back in London on one of her return trips. A dapper, fancy fellow who gave her a locket, and just so happened to keep meeting her at the docks whenever she arrived back home. Slowly she started to accumulate enough funds that she was able to purchase a townhome--

--and then she accidentally sailed off the north side of the map, nearly died of terror at the North Pole, which somehow summoned evil Santa Clause to her residence who made her go zip all around the unterzee delivering, uh, something evil Santa Clause considered to be presents (I guess), which culminated in her using her blood to create a little child made of snow, which apparently evil Santa Clause immediately abandoned so Farris decides this is her kid now, because growing up a little street urchin she knows the feeling of abandonment, names him Boreas, and takes him back to London. But uh. He's made of snow. So he starts to melt.

And this damn game is so unforgiving, it gives you conflicting pieces of information, so by the time I realized I needed to sail south to a relatively close port to London (instead of all the way across the gd map like it led me to believe), this poor kid was melting in earnest, and Farris goes to talk to a devil, who's like "you can stop this child from melting and dying if you have xyz items". And I had xy items, but I had unknowingly sold off "z" component to free up room in my cargo hold. And "z" component is not a readily abundant resource, so I look this up on Google at some point, as the kid is like "LOOK MA, I'm getting shorter! :D" and leaving puddles across the deck. And there's supposed to be an island around here somewhere where I can just go get the two quantities of this resource I need to stop my icy boy from melting. Except the map is randomized, and nowhere I go can I find this gd island. Farris basically spends like 3-4 months of time in-game just sailing the open zees, her terror rising as she desperately tries to find some way to save this kid. And there's some point where I know there's not enough time to make it, and yet she can't give up...

...and eventually, somewhere in the south zee, while she's still trying to find this stupid island, she gets summoned to Boreas's side to hold his hand as he finishes melting away. And at this point, Farris is pretty done, and just sort of numbly goes about her business, ferrying around the zees. I think she returns to port one last time and seriously looks around her townhouse, considers retiring, but writes a will just in case, sees her dapper chap again, before setting off one last run. And she's sailing down the southern portion of the map, looking around one last time for that goddamn island because it's personal now, when the ship is set upon by what amounts to a swarm of super bats that have 400 health to her ship's 30 health. She desperately tries getting away, but in the end, the bat's sink her ship, and poor Farris, who paused her quest for wealth on a doomed mission to save a dying child, sinks to the bottom of the zee. And never sees her dapper chap again.

Captain #3 - Vestry:

A certifiable dumbass. No, seriously.

I'm a little numb at this point, and still mourning Farris, who I got way too attached to. Vestry is a natural philosopher who came to the the Neath, because she was just too edgy for the surface world. Her ambition was to become the London's greatest explorer, and so sailed literally everywhere without any consideration for anything. At this point I broke down and was like "fuck it", installed a second mod so I could have money and not scrape by constantly. Caused a few international incidents, created a few spy networks. She was constantly pushing her engines, which meant they kept exploding at the worst opportunity, and at one point had to limp across the entire map with a single crew member at a snail's pace. Somehow this did not scare off anyone she paid to fill back out the ranks of her crew. She did manage to open up a large portion of the map, and then saw the absolute most southern point of the world with foreboding menacing statues trying to warn her away and was like "ALL POWER TO THE ENGINES" and sailed off the map. Everything exploded and she died as she lived -- a dumbass to the end.

Captain #4 - Valeria:

Started off like Vestry with the same past and ambition, but quickly decided "you know what? Nah, I've got this map almost opened up, I'm going to settle a colony in this tiny patch of sunlight instead". She is still slowly growing her army, ferrying sailors across the sea by the dozens. I am terrified she's going to get her ship sunk by monsters and make me start over again, but she's managed to hold her own so far. If the game actually ends after she achieves her ambition and retires, she might be my last captain, because I don't think I have it in me again to open up this map after how long it's taken to get it this complete. Also, Valeria finally found that stupid goddamn island that tripped Farris up, so if evil Santa Clause rears his head again, we'll be able to save her baby boy this time around.

Anyway, all of this to say, Farris is somehow still living in my head rent-free, despite dying nearly a week ago. Since there are no actual character portraits in Sunless Sea, I decided to honor her by creating an approximation of what she could have looked like in a 3D program I'm trying to learn, posed and rendered her out, and then with a little photoshoppery and paintover in CSP have immortalized her in pixels:

RIP Farris - bestest urchin baby

You really, really tried, and almost made a good decision, but your greed for "one last run" got you in the end. One day, someone will kill those fucking bats for you.

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

I’m waking up this fine morning to do more Jon Snow posting because I’m lowkey obsessed with him, and I’m thinking about how I actually don’t want him to be the King in the North. Because I think KING OF WINTER is a much more meaningful title.

We’ve had some wonderful meta about how there’s a reversion of the Starks. The Stark kids are getting more in tune with their ancestral heritage as the story goes on. But I think Jon and Bran go even further than the rest. Both actually go way north and establish connections and relationships with groups and concepts that are historically northern. Bran will be the last greenseer and has met the CotF (a bit like the Last Hero, a northern legend). He is also the heir to Winterfell and the North; his official title is Prince of Winterfell. On the other hand, Jon is a strong warg and joins the NW, a historically northern institution; he eventually becomes it’s lord commander. He also establishes a relationship with the Wildlings (a northern ethnic group) to the extent that by ADWD, he’s the king beyond the wall in all but name. AND he’s also heir to Winterfell and the North (per the provisions of Robb’s Will).

Like ok, Jon is being positioned to have a key role in a mythical war against ice demons from the North! Again, his connections to the North and northern mythology are going crazy. Given how important this coming war is, I don’t think KiTN title does the job.

I’m thinking of the history behind the title King of Winter. So the Starks held this title for millennia but at some point decided to go by Kings in the North. I’m not too sure about when they made this change. The wiki is a little unclear. Did they always have the KiTN title as well or is that something they switched to as time went on?

My head cannon is them going by the KiTN title is actually a mistake on the Stark kings’ part. I think the first King of Winter, Bran the Builder, had a part to play in the original Long Night (maybe he was even the Last Hero). So after he built the Wall, presumably helped established the NW, and built Winterfell (the place where Winter fell!!), he installed himself as the King of Winter to assert his dominion. Then he made his house words “winter is coming” so that his descendants who would also be kings of winter would look at the house words and remember their title. It’s not just a weather forecast but a reminder, “hey kids, winter is coming so you must be prepared to defeat it as I once did!”

But then at some point, subsequent kings forgot the true meaning of the house words and their royal title. So by the time Westeros is united under Aegon I, they had switched to the much lamer Kings in the North.

But now the ice demons are back again! Can the Starks really continue to go by a title that doesn’t represent the truth of their origin? I don’t think so. They’re already going back in a sense. Robb started it after he was crowned King in the North, but I think they need to go even further back; btw Robb’s crown is the crown of the kings of winter. The remaining Starks (but more specifically Jon and Bran) have to remember that they are kings of winter. Kings who rule in the winter, kings who ruled the winter.

Given that Jon is heir to Winterfell, then he’s kinda also heir to Wintefell’s legacy. Specifically the legacy that has to do with the Long Night. It looks like a new age of heroes is upon us so Jon needs a title that actually denotes his special status. Bran too! Both of them are actually at the forefront of this fight. They’re the front line. So with their ancestor beating back winter and becoming its overlord, Bran and Jon will have to take up this new mantle and do the damn thing all over again. I don’t think it’s by mistake that both seem to have connections to the legend of the Last Hero. Bran’s are a bit stronger but we cannot discount Jon.

So we have two winter kings; one connected to spring and the other connected to summer. Both are connected to death and rebirth, and prosperity after rebirth. Both are carrying House Stark’s magical legacy in different ways that are complimentary. BTW someone needs to write something on how Jon and Bran are so deeply connected on a mythological level. Because the parallels are driving me insane!

So my point is that I hope Jon doesn’t go by the King in the North title. I much prefer King of Winter because it’s more in line with his role as a magical being; he is a magical heir. King of Winter is a magical title. Also the cool factor is just that much bigger. Imagine people saying “winter is coming” in relation to the king of winter?! And they’re saying this during an actual winter?! One that apparently decimates entire generations?!

Like Jon SNOW (!!) king of winter -> Winter is coming -> Jon Snow is a play on Jack Frost -> Jack Frost is known as Old Man Winter or the Spirit of Winter. But the difference with Jon is that he’s got that fire in him as well. He’s an entirely different beast. God I need to go sleep!! Idk what I’m saying anymore…..

TL;DR

Broke: Jon is the King in the North

Woke: Jon is the King of Winter! It’s a mythical title meant to be borne in a mythical war. Winter means death, and snow means death as well. But Jon isn’t Winter’s king because he is an agent of death. No! He is Winter’s king because is the overlord. He died, but was resurrected! He cheated death and so death has no power over him or his kingdom. Death is in subjugation to him! And because death is subjugated, then Winter must bend the knee! With Jon, it’s never about death but about rebirth!! Jon is made anew and his lands are as well! Jon is the King of Winter who brings about the spring! Praise be to our lord and savior!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Estimated $100m second weekend for INSIDE OUT 2... Really out here breaking some records, eh? Rare for a movie, and the first time for an animated movie, should the estimates be on the low end. Very possible the actual is like $98-99m, which is still very impressive, and only an approx. 35% drop.

If it gets over $100m over the three-day, it'll sit with all-timers THE FORCE AWAKENS, ENDGAME, INFINITY WAR, BLACK PANTHER, JURASSIC WORLD, and THE AVENGERS...

Really shows that the original INSIDE OUT is beloved after its blockbuster run in 2015, and it shows that audiences quite like this movie and are back for more. Might even make a play for INCREDIBLES 2's $608m domestic total, unadjusted of course. (The actual total in today's ticket prices is around $720m, per The-Numbers.) That would make it the highest-earning animated movie domestically, but right now, Pixar's Supers hold that title. Adjusted, it will always belong to SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.

But if anybody was gonna beat Pixar, it was gonna be Pixar. I don't see another studio getting a shot at this, maybe except cousin studio Disney Animation and their MOANA 2... Or DreamWorks if SHREK 5 really lands like a meteor in a few years from now.

Worldwide, INSIDE OUT 2 sits at $724m. Again, within two weeks of release. Already circling the original's $857m take. (Before anyone says it, the film saw a small re-release in July 2020 that pushed the take to... $858m. Know that I refer to original release grosses, lol.)

And with this movie doing so well, I see all the Chicken Little-ing... Over the wrong problem.

"We're NEVER getting an original movie from this studio again"

Okay... Let me try to debunk this.

I don't think an animation studio of this size can feasibly ONLY make sequels, because eventually... Wells run dry. Also, the people who yell this often online... Are they aware that ELIO exists and will be released next summer? Are they aware that Domee Shi, director of TURNING RED, has a new movie in the works at Pixar? (It's not ELIO, she is likely just doing story/script on that one.) Are they aware that Pixar has a movie slotted for release in late winter 2026 between ELIO and TOY STORY 5?

I'll tell you something funny... There was a fellow who insisted to me in December 2015 that Pixar was going to be done with original movies after THE GOOD DINOSAUR became the studio's first money-loser. That they'd put COCO on hold, and that would be it... LOL. This person also claimed to be a shareholder... That speaks volumes.

But no, really... You need to keep making untested or original movies in order to have things to make sequels to in the first place. And one of Pixar's recent losses was... A spin-off of TOY STORY featuring a version of one of their most recognizable, practically synonymous-with-their-name characters. Yeah, that epic movie about Lenny the binoculars!

So, please... Never making originals again? That's just a bad business plan and completely not feasible.

When originals/non-sequels don't meet the corporations' expectations (because I refuse to call SOUL, LUCA, TURNING RED and ELEMENTAL "flops" in any way, shape, or form... *Especially* the first three), the studios don't stop making them... They stop making them in a specific way.

Hence, Pete Docter - likely with Bob Iger pointing a gun at his head - saying Pixar won't make "autobiographical" movies anymore. Basically no more TURNING REDs, and more... Well, whatever the early 2026 movie is going to be. (Which is not this "Ducks" thing people keep insisting it is, as far as I know.)

The other studios do that, too. Off the top of my head... DreamWorks had a bunch of these fantasy movie in the works circa 2011. Stuff like THE GRIMM LEGACY, RUMBLEWICK, ALMA, fantastical stories with something of a darker bent to them. They were also considering adapting GIL'S ALL FRIGHT DINER... They had all these really cool movies in the works that would've redefined what a DreamWorks movie could be, post-SHREK. And then after a movie called RISE OF THE GUARDIANS lost money (even though it had good legs and became a cult hit thereafter), all of it never happened. ME AND MY SHADOW, which was in some form of production and was HOTLY anticipated by the animation community, got canceled. They proceeded to finish TURBO and MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN.

Both of which also "flopped"... I remember Jeffrey Katzenberg, when he was still running that place, saying something to the tune of: "Well those failed because we tried to aim at preteens and teenagers." Really? TURBO and PEABODY, which were overpriced to begin with, were aiming for that age group? The plan going forward was "We're going to make movies for kids and their parents." Whatever the hell that meant. Eventually, Comcast bought DreamWorks, a little over a year later. And the flightplan constantly changed after that.

Studios don't give up on movies that aren't sequels, they just re-route them. They find "reasons" for previous movie failures, and usually it's the fault of the filmmakers and the stories they chose to tell. It's never any outside circumstances, which are actually often the case with money-losing movies. The very movies that go on to be big on home video and streaming, and attain cult followings. With today's line of thinking, Walt Disney wouldn't have even gotten past PINOCCHIO's disastrous original release results.

So instead of yelling "we'll never get original movies again", I direct my energy elsewhere... And I say "Well, hopefully the future movies - both original and sequel - don't fall flat because of needless executive interference that attempts to *correct* a perceived problem." That to me is the issue, not the fantasy of Pixar completely stopping making original movies altogether.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

I have MORE WINTER STUFF IDEAS

Your blog gives me life, forgive 🙏👍

Building a snowman!!!!!!!

Like, going through the whole process. Unsure what memories can be shared between both Legacy and normal Ajax so you teach him how to make one anyway.

Rolling the snow to make a decently big snowball, and building it up from there. You also let him unleash that creativity and decorate the snowman. It comes out looking... strange, as in it's oddly creative in ways unfamiliar to humans, because cmon he's an abyss monster, he has different mental images for inspiration. But it's horribly endearing at the same time. (You totally snap a photo with a Kamera. Or a few. Or multiple. Turns out making a winter album/diary isn't that bad of an idea.)

Also I leave you with the delightful image of Legacy making a terrifyingly huge snow angel on his back and chittering happily. Adorable lil mothman. :D

YESSSSS WINTER FLUFF IS MY BREAD AND BUTTER I LOVE WINTERTIME

listen, Foul Legacy ADORES snow. he loves playing in it, catching snowflakes on his tongue, watching snow fall from indoors, everything about it. so it's no surprise when he happily darts outside during the first snow of winter, romping and spinning around until he falls in a dizzy heap, letting out delighted clicks and chitters. you're almost as overjoyed as he is- Liyue doesn't get a lot of snow- and before long you're teaching Legacy how to build a snowman, you with gloved hands and he with his claws. the end result is not like any snowman you've ever seen, but you like the flowing shapes and edges better, in all honesty, steadying your hand to take a photo as Legacy excitedly nuzzles against you and purrs

he also adores burying himself in snow, just completely vanishing under a blanket of white. you're not sure how, maybe it's a side effect of being in the Abyss for so long, but he can also SLEEP like that, snoozing away under the snow while you're wondering where he went. it's only when you nudge the suspiciously Foul Legacy-sized mound that he shifts, rumbling sleepily and stretching his arms as he shakes snow from his wings. and of course the snow made him a bit chilly, so he gently nudges you inside until you're sitting beside the fireplace, Legacy curling around you and snuggling his head against your lap with a drowsy trill until you fall asleep with him <33

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Legacy of Mandalore"

A Mandalorian family reunion!

Live reaction version from 2017.

I do find it hilarious that the kids are in the front seats, driving and co-piloting, while the adults are hanging out in the back.

Ezra's little, "Wait a minute." moment lol.

Nice to hear this bit of spoken Mando'a.

Chopper banging on the outside of the Phantom II with his manipulators lol.

Remember what I said last rewatch about how the two of them develop into co-protagonists? Part of that seems to be that they start spending more time in the cockpit together. :)

~Under cloud, beneath the stars... over snoooooooow one winter's morn.~

*ahem* Pardon me there, visiting Krownest always puts those lyrics in my head.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The snow clumps being shaken off the tops of the trees as they're passing.

"Don't worry, I'll play nice."

Ah yes, one of the parts of the episode that almost seems like it's playing Ezra off as Sabine's "problem boyfriend" that she's bringing home to meet mom and dad. <3

So it was definitely the Supercommando armor that set Ezra off.

I do not know what it is but Disney has been pulling some really weird shit regarding age order of siblings lately, Tristan does not look like he's the younger sibling at all.

Also Isabella and Luisa should be totally switched around, c'mon.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: How their feet actually sink into the snow with realistic weight and powder compression.

Love the design of the Wren stronghold. Very Modern Architecture.

I love him. <3

Takes Sabine promising that the lightsabers will be safe before Ezra decides to give his up. (And yet later in the climax he doesn't even hesitate to throw it to her, aaaaaah!)

Don't mind me, just appreciating the design of this place.

Ursa sounds an awful lot like Fenn "I made a deal with the Empire to survive" Rau here. I doubt the parallels aren't deliberate.

So I guess the takeaway lesson is don't make deals with the evil empire because it will always screw you over.

*whispers* If no supposed to ship why have Ezra being adorkable towards Sabine's brother just like Kanan was adorkable at Hera's father?

Really can't get over the scenery in this episode it's so soft and pretty.

Ursa was so ready to be impressed that her babygirl kicked Maul's ass and so disappointed when that wasn't the case lol.

Does seem like Sabine had a difficult childhood even before the whole Dutchess fiasco. Maybe that was why she decided to go to the Imperial Academy in the first place? Who knows.

My genre-savvy called a lot of the beats this episode, which made it just a smidge predictable for me the first time around.

Not gonna lie, Rau sneaking through the complex is actually kind of hilarious.

I'll bet Alrich painted that for her. :)

Ngl, the dialogue in this scene is just a bit weirdly written, I dunno what it is but it bugs me.

Ezra's so proud that Sabine kicked Gar Saxon's ass lol.

Underappreciated Papa Wolf Kanan moment: Shielding Ezra from the guardsman's blasters.

You know I don't wonder why Sabine latched onto the Ghost crew as her new family, high-ranking Mandalorian clans seem overly obsessed with prestige.

Tristan is a blabbermouth lol, still can't get over that.

Oh man this expression. She must feel like she's relieving her family's disowning all over again.

*chanting* Don't make deals with the devil, don't make deals with the devil.

Saxon is a master at finding loopholes isn't he?

I don't think this brief fakeout from Tristan was necessary, I think he should have just immediately turned guns on Saxon from the beginning.

Nice to hear Sabine's theme in the score tho.

LOLOL IT STILL CRACKS ME UP HOW FENN RAU JUST BURSTS THROUGH THE GLASS WINDOW ALL, "SURPRISE, BITCHES!"

<333333

This moment made the episode for me.

Zero hesitation, complete trust and faith. He loves her so much omg.

Oooooh a nice rendition of the Force Theme here!

(Told y'all it became a running gag.)

Problem boyfriend so worried. <3

Sabine's theme is in french horns now, it sounds like. This iteration of the theme is less mournful and more action-oriented, with flute trills and timpani percussion.

The cracking ice is mostly symbolic I think. I did worry at the time of airing if someone was going to wind up falling in.

Sabine using basic lightsaber positions like Kanan and Ezra taught her. <3

...Was it implied that Sabine hacked off Saxon's arm there or...? Camera angle makes it difficult to discern.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Saxon winds up in a position like Dooku's or the Grand Inquisitor's in the Season One finale, lightsaber blades held crossed at their throats.

But Sabine, having been heavily influenced by the Jedi in her life, chooses mercy over revenge. The moment is even punctuated by a snippet of the Force Theme. Aaaaaaaah I love it, I love that Sabine has let Kanan's influence soak into her so much, has become so much more Jedi than Mandalorian and been made better for it.

Oh, his arm's intact, okay then.

I have... Thoughts™ about the entire Mandalorian mindset of needing chaos to become strong and refusing outside help to fight its battles and how the whole Proud Warrior Race thing so often works against them rather than for them but I'll leave them unsaid for now.

<33333

This status quo change was honestly completely unexpected, and frankly, the episode is eons better for it.

Sabine's theme is in a triumphant key now, as she watches the Phantom II leave.

:((((

So! This episode is not nearly as good as the previous one, and it's bit predictable, as I said. It's not bad, though, and it's obviously a necessary one for Sabine's growth and character arc, and the overall Mandalorian arc. I was weirdly a little bored this time? Aside from the cute Sabezra bits and the fact that they were bold enough to change up the status quo by having Sabine stay on Krownest, I really feel like this could have been so much stronger as an episode.

Maybe if we axed one of the fillers and made this a two-parter? Idk.

The episode is still decently entertaining enough and has lots of lovely quality Sabine content for those in fandom whose primary investment is her. She gets to really shine here, and show off how far she's come as a character. Which is great.

I think at the time there was a genuine worry that Sabine was being written out of the show. I know I needed a little bit of time to process the thought of her being absent the next couple episodes. But again, they made a narrative choice and stuck with it and I admire that. So I really can't hate this episode. :)

Of course next time we're at my favorite episode of the season and the whole inspiration for an accidentally giant-ass AU that I wrote. See y'all then!

[loopspoop]

Goemon’s backstory next?

Yesss ヽ(´▽｀)/ he was the one who actually sparked the whole backstory thing so I’m excited to get to write about him!

TW: abuse, suicidal ideation, self harm, self destructive behavior

Goemon’s family lived in a pretty rural part of Japan tbh? And they all lived together in a pretty sizable house all things considered. The Ishikawa family had strayed from the practices of Goemon Ishikawa the first in regard to thievery but they still held their ancestors in pretty high regard for legacy sake and such, y’know? Goemon is the first grandchild of Goemon Ishikawa XI and the house consisted of him, his parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents.

Goemon was raised pretty traditionally? But his family was a LOT more modern that Goemon is portrayed in show canon. They had a TV and other modern commodities and, while they valued traditions in their family like martial arts, they were a pretty chill family. Goemon was raised a lot different than he would end up being raised by Momochi (we’ll touch on that later). He’s taught kindness and compassion for all living things and the importance of friends and family. His grandparents had a high regard for nature and history and Goemon took to it immediately. He was always outside and, like Jigen, came home pretty often with grass stains on his clothes and some scraped knees from playing. His mom taught him a LOT about art, he really takes to that too. Ask him about his paintings and pottery, he would love to show you!

He’s about 5 when his father gets into a fight with an older man who came to their front door. Goemon doesn’t understand what the fight is about and, frankly, it scares him a bit since his family is pretty mellow and they don’t raise their voices. A few weeks later he comes back from playing and everyone is gone. He waits for hours. Hours turn into a day or two. He’s a self sufficient kid, at least enough for a 5 year old to survive a night but he’s distraught. Where is his family? Where have they gone? The man from a few days ago shows up at the door again. He tells Goemon he’s there to collect him. His family left him and wanted the man to train him in martial arts. His name is Momochi but Goemon must call him master or master Momochi and nothing else. He has no family anymore, just a master.

Goemon adapted to the rule changes pretty easy, because he’s Goemon. He understands rules. The routine changes weren’t as fun, but he was told to suck it up or get punished. Momochi quickly learned that Goemon was pretty tolerant to pain and harsher punishments he had like standing barefoot in snow, so he got creative in punishments. He would hit harder than he needed to or expose Goemon to loud sounds. If physical punishment wasn’t enough then he would turn to psychological punishments like degrading Goemon’s work or lying about why his family left him. A happy child turns into a machine for a sadistic master hellbent on reviving a legacy that should’ve been left to history.

When Goemon hit puberty, Momochi is pissed. The last heir of Ishikawa Goemon is female? Momochi, the bastard that he is, is also a huge sexist fuck on top of being an asshole. Goemon went along with male pronouns because he wasn’t supposed to question his master. To be fair, he didn’t mind them anyway. What he did mind was the painful chest binding Momochi enforced on top of training. Goemon was often left bruised and out of breath after daily training. Momochi didn’t care. He blamed Goemon’s weak body and spirit for this. He was beyond angry when Goemon ended up fainting during training due to lack of food, sleep, and constant binding. Goemon learns to live with the pain.

As he ages, he doesn’t realize Momochi trying to hit on him at times. He isn’t good with social cues anyway, but especially due to being cut off from people besides Momochi for so long. He grows uncomfortable when the man tries to see him nude, though. When he doesn’t get what he wants, he turns to women from the village nearby who also try to hit on Goemon. He has some internalized sexism from Momochi, and ruins any potential good the interactions could pose for him. When village men show up to consult with Momochi for matters Goemon isn’t allowed to listen in on, he realizes pretty early that he grows fond of their presences and good looks. He doesn’t say anything to Momochi. He knows homosexual thoughts would get him punished more than he already for how he was born.

He’s in his 20s when Momochi asks him to murder a man named Lupin. It was important to his master and a key part of his training, so he agrees and goes on a mad hunt for this strange man and his gunman friend. Lupin is a formidable foe, and he and Jigen are both good looking, both factors throw off his game. Momochi isn’t impressed when Goemon comes back empty handed. He’s punished severely and then sent back to kill the thief, if he doesn’t he won’t get to come back and will have to die to restore his honor.

Lupin notices something’s up with Goemon and tries to form a truce. Eventually, Goemon at least entertains Lupin on why he thinks they should. Lupin ends up giving him information that sends his world spinning and upside down. Momochi had murdered his family so he could get to him. He wanted to train Goemon as an assassin to have a bodyguard of such high lineage and natural skill. Goemon is beyond angry. Lupin and Jigen come with him to face Momochi.

The man makes several excuses, lying straight to Goemon’s face. It makes him more angry, he ends up killing the man right in front of Jigen and Lupin. The men don’t seem to phased by it, they offer Goemon a steady job, joining their gang of thieves would revive the legacy of his ancestor, so he decides to just join. He has nothing better to do and Lupin and Jigen seemed nice enough?

They find out pretty early on that his habits are unhealthy. The samurai has a LOT more baggage than they expected. Not eating as punishment, not dressing for the weather, letting wounds stay untreated. Hell, he even tried to kill himself more times than they could count. What draws the line in the sand for them is the unsafe binding. Lupin and Jigen find him doubled over, struggling to breathe after a heist and really lay into him for his unsafe habits. He was surprised they even knew what binding was, but they all have a long talk and it sets him somewhat straight about his habits.

He practices better self care, and while he isn’t perfect at some things, they help him along the way. He even ends up learning how to give top surgery and he does it for himself and Lupin and Jigen as a thanks for their help. He unlearns a lot of his internalized sexism and a LOT of the internalized homophobia. He gets a lot more comfortable with himself and his identity. He’s allowed to be whoever he wants without Momochi controlling him and they all still think he’s cool despite that! He gets to have a family again and try new things. He’s allowed to make mistakes without punishment. He’s learning to be happy with his family, despite his past.

[trulybetty]

dec' x 24 - secrets

Prompt: secrets Pairing: jack x reader Word Count: 712 Warnings: angsty feels, but it'll be resolved soon enough - I promise! Also a very loose use of today's prompt, which is my MO. Summary: the sale of the ranch is fast approaching and you're leaving to go spend the holidays with your family. Reality of the situation comes to a head between you and Jack. AO3: Linked

You might be interested in reading these first, if you're not familiar with the story that's been playing out this month... scarf, candles, ornaments & miracle

x. masterlist

It was the waning days of December, Christmas Eve, the snow crunched under your boots as you walked around the ranch to the porch. Stamping your feet to rid them of excess snow you felt a heaviness in your heart. This was your last loop of the ranch before you were leaving for Texas. It was where your parents lived and where you, your brother and his family were flying in to celebrate the holidays. 

The vast expanse of the fields belonging to the ranch stretched out in every direction you looked. Dusted with snow and in the late afternoon setting sun, it looked like something that belonged on a christmas card. You thought of Opal, your grandmother, and wondered how many evenings she’d spent on this porch taking in the vastness of it all, how this place would have looked in its heyday.  

But at the same time, it was a reminder of the inheritance that was both a blessing and a burden. The ranch your grandmother's legacy, was about to be sold. It wasn’t just a thought anymore, but a looming reality. You couldn’t run it, it was too much work and you were far from qualified. You had a real job to get back to, you reminded yourself, no more playing with whatever this was, a life that didn’t involve hay bales or horse stables. These were the facts you clung to, a mantra to keep the swell of emotions at bay.

As you stood there, lost in thought, Jack approached, his footsteps muffled by the snow. His face was a mix of emotions—hope, desperation, and something else that you couldn’t quite make out. But you could also tell that the conversation that had started in the stables was long done from being finished.

“Jack,” you breathed, meeting his gaze. “You knew this was coming. It wasn't a secret.” his silhouette was a stark contrast against the fading light. “This shouldn’t be a surprise.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit you’d come to find endearing. “I know, but hear me out. What if you stayed and we figured something out?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, though it was more out of sadness than humour. “Jack, I’m not made to run a ranch. I have no clue about any of this.”

The two of you stood on the porch, while only a few steps apart it felt like a gulf between you. If you could stay in this bubble with him, wrapped up in the simplicity and beauty of the Kentucky countryside, you would. But the reality was more complex than that, you cursed Hallmark for making it seem too easy to drop the job in the city for the handsome cowboy.

He was silent at first, his eyes searching yours for an answer, a solution, anything that would have you stay. Then, shaking his head with a bitter chuckle, he murmured, “Goddamit, this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“What?” you had asked, your heart pounding, although you felt like you already knew the answer.

“Us,” he had replied softly. “Me falling for you.” His words had hung in the air, a confession laid bare.

The revelation struck you hard, catching your breath. You weren’t blind and even though you’d been trying to ignore it there was a connection, but to hear him voice it out loud made it all too real. 

You were going to your parents in Austin for Christmas, leaving behind the ranch, leaving him. There wasn’t time to unpack this, especially since you had a flight to catch in less than three hours and you still had to get the place locked up for Magdelana and pack up the last of your stuff.

“Jack–” your words fell short, how were you supposed to answer him? “I’ll be back in the new year to finalize the sale,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady. “I can come by?”

Jack’s jaw clenched, his eyes holding yours for a moment that felt like an eternity. “Don’t bother coming to see me,” he finally said, his voice devoid of its usual warmth.

All you could do was watch him climb into his truck and peel out of the driveway without a glance back in your direction.

[ryuichirou]

Agree with you guys that Leona's pretty lackluster when compared to Scar, so what are your thoughts on how the other OB boys compare to their inspirations? I think that the other six hold up pretty well in terms of living up to the legacy of the classic Disney villains they're inspired by, taking into account of course that Twst doesn't really have villains or even heroes. So they'll never be quite as extreme or simplistic in terms of evil as their inspos.

Hi Anon! I’m so glad that you agree with our thoughts on Leona. There was so much potential with Scar, so much traits and motifs to play around with, it really is unfortunate that we didn’t really get much of that.

And I agree with you about the other OB boys!

Maybe it’s because we’ve rewatched Hercules, the Little Mermaid and Aladdin fairy recently, but I feel like Idia, Azul and Jamil embody their Disney villain counterparts the best. With Idia, I didn’t see it well at first, but every now and then he opens his mouth, and you just can’t unsee Hades, the boy is straight-up quoting him lol It was also pretty fun to watch Ursula and just go “yep, that’s very Azul of her” the entire movie. Which sounds stupid, but still, makes sense….

I don’t remember much about the Queen of Hearts, but I feel like it’s pretty obvious Riddle is a great representation of her. Overall, these four nailed the vibes and quirks of their villain counterparts quite nicely.

I can’t say much about the Evil Queen either; it’s been years since I watched Snow White. But I think she was one of the trickiest ones, because the original movie is so old and her character is so, well, simplistic, with not as much to play around with. But it’s obvious that Toboso had a lot of fun with what she had, and managed to actually use a lot of motifs and influences from the movie in the Pomefiore chapter and Vil’s character.

As for Maleficent, well, we’ll see. She is one of my all-time faves too, so I’m looking at Malleus veeeery closely.

To be honest, all of this is saying a lot, because I usually really don’t like almost any reimagining of Disney villains or attempts at making them more human and nuanced. I am a big advocate of cartoony villains staying cartoony villains, but Toboso managed to keep twst boys, well, quite villainous and even nasty, while still having them nuanced enough so one could feel for them, relate to them and pity them. Their backstories don’t make them less unhinged, evil and fun.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that twst is very good at making us remember why we loved these villains in the first place, the charm and charisma is intact. But at the same time, it doesn’t heavily rely on the nostalgia factor, and the characters are very well written and independent enough to be loveable even if you don’t know the source material.