#and the author is so clever

[sparrowhawksshadow]

I think book 4 of the Masquerade series will be titled The Butcher Baru Cormorant. Here is my reasoning:

Every book title so far follows the same format of a name with strongly negative connotations: Traitor, Monster, Tyrant

“Butcher” in politics and history usually connotes excessive and shocking violence. However, book 3 uses it differently, in the question “How do you butcher an empire?” Meaning, how do you render it down into usable component parts? That is, how do you destroy an unjust system and use the pieces to nourish something better, rather than creating chaos and rot?

Part of Baru’s scheme for overthrowing Falcrest’s regime involves an alliance marriage which -- for complex cultural gender-politics reasons -- requires her to adopt a more masculine presentation: that is, she literally has to become butch-er

[clonehighdoublehelix]

[buds-and-baubles]

apollo’s fake comic book cover is done.

alternate costume versions are under the read more!

first one is a slight redesign of his original costume inspired by the gold arm/leg bands of his new 52/rebirth costume and the second is him in the costume of an alternate universe version of himself (apollo of the authoriteens)!

[thevelaryons]

Alyn: hasn’t washed or brushed properly in weeks, matted clothes, unkempt hair, probably dirt under the fingernails

Aliandra: “I want that.”

[lambda-core]

I am way too tired/jetlagged to make this post right now, but the reason Armada Starscream is so specifically well done to me actually isn't just the way he's got more depth than just wanting to take over Megatron. It's the way he falls back on this image he has of himself as someone who is solely focused on Megatron. And he is obsessed with Megatron, but the disconnect between Starscream and his image of himself is what gives him actual depth.

The reason this is so cool to me is like, that self-image--that he is single-mindedly obsessed with Megatron and will sacrifice everything else for that goal, no matter who gets hurt--is pretty close to what every other Starscream is. (The selfishness you associate with Starscream is a little more subtle, but it's there in the "no matter who gets hurt" clause imo.)

So if you go into this as a Transformers fan, you're already expecting Starscream to betray Megatron and try to best him and rule the Decepticons. But so does Starscream, even when he's demonstrably proven to both his peers and the audience that he's more than that. It's almost like his past incarnations--or the audience's expectation of him--haunt him. It turns his own internal man-versus-self conflict into this really cool man-versus-narrative conflict.

And what's crazy about this is, through the last moments of this arc, Starscream does grow beyond the narrative we'd expect from other Starscreams! But he never admits that to himself, because it's easier for him to cling to the idea that he's laser-focused on his hatred of Megatron. Every time he helps the minicons--every time he helps the humans--even in his last words, he LIES to himself and everyone around him that everything he did was always about Megatron. Because it's easier to simplify himself than to grasp that he might be a complex character. Because he's a person and he has all the messy conflicts that come with that. He falls back on the same ideas every single other Starscream did, and THAT is his undoing. Not that he is self-centered because he's Starscream. Not that he is obsessed with Megatron because he's Starscream. That he THINKS he is all of those things and he will not LET himself be anything else.

I would argue that that's a bigger theme in Armada, as well. Optimus and Megatron more or less spend their final fight coming to terms with their story roles in Transformers. I really feel like if you sneezed on them, they would realize they do this in every universe and in every timeline. Starscream's is the most interesting example to me, though, because he's such a departure from other versions of Starscream; hell, he acts (and looks, lol) a lot more like some incarnations of Thundercracker. But he's still got classic Starscream in him in this roundabout meta reference. He's like an homage to his namesake. It's so cool! And it works perfectly with the story he's a part of.

[yuseirra]

These gods basically feel like the beauty and the beast of Japanese mythology. Today, I even read a translated excerpt from Kojiki that mentions the two. Here's another summary of that lore as well

Sarutahiko is the god of Michihiraki, which literally means "Opening a path." He's supposed to lead everything in the best direction. Interesting, huh? But apparently, he has a very intimidating exterior, so only his to-be-wife, Ame-no-Uzume, was fearless enough to approach him at first. She seems to have found a liking for him immediately and charmed him into marrying her.

We have descriptions like: "Ame no Uzume, the deity of performing arts, charms Sarutahiko with her bright smiles into opening his heart."

it's very cute.

[mistythedritten]

Based on a comment thread under this Fic of Peanut’s

@negativepeanuthoarder

[just-trying-my-best-everyday]

I'm so tired of going "wow that's so dumb" while watching the adaptation of a really clever book.

[atmospheral]

idk petty complaining about a fic under the cut

reading a modern au zosan fic that adapted nami into the au as a gps. a fucken gps. idk maybe im overreacting whatever but tell me you don't respect female characters without telling me you don't respect female characters lol??? esp when canon side characters (koby, blueno, kaku) get adapted into the modern au as people and nami is fucken. software. crazyyyy to me

[phoenixcatch7]

I was reading a fic - character gets isekai'd to a world they're pretty overpowered for - and the author described it as a like, invasive species, and that's what I shall be calling all my crossover fix it fics from now on lmao

[pixie-skull]

homemade meme, number 11, as WTFF! What the Flying Fridge! I finished this game and feel disappointment that this game studio rushed KNOWING there would be a third movie.

[mqfx]

exclusive director's commentary since we're not getting an update tomorrow (sniffle.... the hiatus is real and it's hurting me)

this is from the current draft of a convo in ch12:

but it was slightly different in the earlier versions. the way i write mq, he only curses at his most emotional moments when he feels the least in control, so what he said before was, "what part of letting you fuck me was not clear?" which i think highlights the gap between his desires and how he presents it outwardly. it's vulgar because on some level he thinks it's dirty, yes (yay issues), but it's also kind of an overcompensation; if he makes it sound rude, if he says it forcefully, then he might be able to hide the real weight of it in his heart. if he hardens the words it might hide his vulnerability

but then i decided i liked the strategy of "so repressed he can't even say it in his thoughts" better in this case so the logic of it is left to subtext (well, also Word of God posting but mais oui)

critically, in both cases he's putting agency/action in feng xin's hands and disavows himself from it. there's a tension between the outward submission ("letting" someone take your reins, basically) and inward protection (of his purity/innocence) (yay celibacy). kinda like, "YOU are the one doing this, i'm not the one who's weak-willed! i'm blameless and also generous!" there's more i can say as to this kind of thinking in general being the root of.... certain erotic literary tropes..... but i don't wanna make too long-winded a post on this

lastly i want to point out, since it might have been too early in the game but remember in ch4, that bit with the cherries? fu yao feeds nan feng the cherry, nan feng spits the seed, and it makes a stain on fu yao's collar which he immediately cleans up? remember what i said cherries symbolized? mhm, think about that and connect it to the larger picture here

[wyllzel]

i'm about 15% of my way thru the wicked novel but honestly... it very much insists upon itself 🫤 not very inclined to finish it...

[rxttenfish]

see, people will often talk about more complex meanings in narratives and what was actually being intended by the author, but the thing is, sometimes you read the entire damn thing and you legitimately cant tell if theyre trying to make some kind of comment or narrative choice, or if the author themself just fucked up and didnt realize what theyre doing.

[kolbietheaggrievedwriter]

I should be in bed (and I'm going now!), but I just binged a couple chapters of A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga and my god do I love a protagonist who will dip out the SECOND he spots trouble 🤣🤣

An enemy he trounced a while back showed up to take revenge via ambushing him and his class, and she was like "it won't be so easy this time" & he was like "you wanna bet?" & then turned invisible & ran away immediately 😭😭😭 The class wasn't even surprised! They're used to it by now lmao I stan this man. Major respect.

[fictionadventurer]

Top 5 books read this year, please?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 1-7 by Beth Brower: These books are just so much fun. They sit perfectly in my sweet spot of historical light fiction, and there's so much humor and heart and so many good characters. Maybe they're not the best books I've read this year, but they may be the only ones tempting me to buy copies for my shelf.

Washington Square and Daisy Miller by Henry James: Two short, sad, delicately-drawn novellas that may have added another author to my list of favorite classic writers.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin: This book started my obsession with Lincoln's Cabinet. I can't in good conscience put it lower (despite a minor qualm that prevents me from seeking out the full version). I'm also going to cheat and include Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard, which provided me my other history niche of this year about President Garfield and his assassination. And My Dear President for all the fascinating letters offering new insight into the lives of American presidents and their wives.

The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte Yonge: Despite some serious issues with the story, this one had some of my favorite characters of the year, and they're going to stick with me for a long time.

Desire and The Good Comrade by Una Lucy Silsberrad: Maybe objectively not the best or even my favorites--I have problems with the plot of both--but I love how she writes Edwardian women trying to make their way in the world and their relationships with men who make them rethink the way they approach the world, and she's another entry on the list of favorite authors discovered this year.