#arc: the summer jam

[c0rpsedemon]

it's soooo fucked to think about how everything that's ever happened in your life is connected, no matter how mundane. what do you Mean my 5th grade teacher's seating arrangement is the reason i lived past the age of 13

[perseephoneee]

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @so-long-soldier-writes

↳ masterlist  ↳ ship exchange information ↳ taglist

-͟͟͞☆I ship you with Stefan Salvatore! Stefan is very loyal and understanding, we saw his kindest side all the types he helped Caroline. I think that he’d be good in helping you feel comfortable and bringing you out of your shell, while also celebrating everything that makes you you!

-͟͟͞☆Headcanons:

Stefan is always game to go on an adventure with you. One time you brought him to an estate sale where the two of you spent the entire time competing against a millennial couple trying to buy out everything. Stefan said it was the most fun he'd had in years.

The first time Stefan fell in love was when he saw you greeting a dog outside Mystic Grill. It was so normal, and somehow so heartwarming that it made him realize how much he needed to get to know you better.

When you were having a bad time, Stefan woke you up super early and drove you guys all the way to the Grand Canyon. He didn't tell you where you were going the whole time, just let you sit in suspense. But when you got there, the sun had just set. It was the most peaceful you had ever been.

-͟͟͞☆Tropes:

gryffindor (him) x slytherin (you) the two assholes eating popcorn and watching the drama unfold

-͟͟͞☆ Playlist:

elderly woman behind a counter in a small town -- pearl jam

sailor song -- gigi perez

at last -- etta james

-͟͟͞☆I ship you with Stiles Stilinski! Stiles would find you absolutely endearing. He’d be head over heels the second you guys met, even if you were a stumbling mess. You guys would be that sickening sweet couple for sure.

-͟͟͞☆Headcanons:

Stiles did actually trip the first time he saw you. You were pulling a real Y/N and writing outside the school on your first day, and he was immediately taken aback by your energy. Scott let him fall because it was funny.

You were a little afraid to open up to the pack at first, you were used to be stabbed in the back, but Stiles encouraged the pack to have a welcoming party at Derek's loft. It was the first time you really felt like you could trust other people.

You also got a job as a vet aide like Scott, and it meant Stiles was coming around a LOT more often, much to Deaton's dismay.

-͟͟͞☆Tropes:

sunshine (him) x moonlight (you) "shall i compare thee to a summers day?" (stiles) x "no, a summers day isn't a bitch" (you)

-͟͟͞☆ Playlist:

age of consent -- new order

flagpole sitta -- harvey danger

linger -- the cranberries

-͟͟͞☆I ship you with Kitty Wilde! Unlike Santana who is honestly a bitch 99% of the time, Kitty is only a bitch most of the time (but in a fun way?) She's protective to those she loves, and has an amazing character arc throughout the show. With you? She'd protect with her life. Or a slushie. It's one or the other.

-͟͟͞☆Headcanons:

When you guys went public, most of the New Directions had no idea how to feel. Santana definitely uttered the words "you're a lesbo?" which made you uncomfortable and caused Kitty to dish out some serious fighting words. It made you love her more.

She confesses to you one night that most of all, she just wants to be a dancer. You try to push her to get involved in dancing more, but it isn't until you write a story about her as a dancer that she has the guts to pursue it further.

Also, she's definitely the type to wrap an arm around your shoulders in the hallways and glare at anyone who looks at you.

-͟͟͞☆Tropes:

sweetest person on earth (you) x knight in shining armor (kitty) "and they were roommates."

-͟͟͞☆ Playlist:

i wanna dance with somebody -- whitney houston

unwritten -- natasha bedingfield

behind these hazel eyes -- kelly clarkson

[crisp-sweet-pink-lady]

General Thoughts on the rest of Berry in the Big City season 3

Now that my other viewing obligations are done, and because I got a snow day, here are my thoughts on the episodes from season three that went up on Paramont+ last week.

First off, either Paramont+ put the episodes up in a weird order, or the youtube uploads have been way off, because the unaired eps are all over the place. I know that the youtube uploads move eps around in order to air them in seasonally appropriate places, but when the past seasons went up on Netflix, the majority of the unaired eps were towards the end, give or take.

Anyway, on to the actual episodes themselves:

Relaxing by the Pool - Kind of surprised this one didn't go up on youtube back when the other pool ep did, since they're usually so good about keeping seasonal eps in the proper season. But season three did have a lot more summer episodes than usual, so maybe that's the reason why. I can also understand why this would be the one they'd skip, since it is *super* lackluster. It feels like a lesson they should have already learned. I did like Lemon lampshading the whole thing, though.

Donuts and Drawbridges - This was pretty fun. Feels a smidge stereotypical for only the guy characters to be the DnDers, but I can also buy all three having an interest in it for various reasons. Also, I think this is the first time Strawberry Beefcake has actually gotten a speaking role. At any rate, he's in the credits as Body Building Berry.

Night of the Sweet Tooth Fairy - A Lime/Blueberry clashing ep that's actually kind of sweet? Who would have thought? But it is definitely appreciated. This does raise the question of how old these girls are supposed to be, if Lime still had a baby tooth to lose...

The Berryville Trail - Just an okay ep, but more fun than the usual just okay eps, if that makes sense. I think having it be Raspberry-centric elevates it a bit. Now that the sleepover arc is over, it's been interesting to see which berries invite her and which don't, even if I know that the decision has more to do with what's needed for the plot of the ep than the actual friendships between characters.

Confectionary Decree Number 33 - Now this was a good ep. Pitting Raspberry against Cherry and Cheese, perfection. No notes.

The Berry Best Baker Competition - This ep just illustrates Crabapple Jam's ineffectiveness as an antagonist. She tries again and again to plant seeds of doubt in Strawberry, but in the end, her friendships are just too strong, as I'm sure we'll see in the season finale.

Bake the World a Better Place, parts 1 & 2 - Was that Crabapple Jam's endgame all along? Manipulating Strawberry so she could have an excuse to fire everyone just like that? Maybe so. But as I predicted way back when, her downfall was underestimating the many, many connections Strawberry has made over the past two seasons. And I do not buy her exit for a minute. Unlike the Pieman, she runs a food empire; she probably knows how to handle a PR snafu like that. But if it means we won't have to deal with her next season (assuming there is a fourth season), then I'll forgive it. Hopefully she takes Cherry and Cheese with her.

[mykeyung]

Summer Friends by Myke Y.U.N.G. and Friends

Summer is my season where carefree vibes

Reign and vacation plans are the highlights

Of conversations. I'm a born Leo and the

Heat wave can't compete with my passion

Steaming red hot with it keeping back fear

From making me pale white and it helps me enjoy

The calm moments like looking up at a blue July

Sky, but I'm not the only one who sees summer beyond

The high degrees framed above the fireplace of your

Local news station. I have a friend that likes to eat

Watermelon not just because of its sweet taste, but

Also because it's a tidal wave of hydration that beats out

Inflammation. I have a friend that likes mojitos with mint

And crushed ice making them feel like they're in a beach

House soaking in vibes as chilled as their drink. I have a

Friend that likes golden hour drives listening to their favorite

Songs letting their worries wash away as the miles pass by

With the heat being an afterthought in the rearview. I have

A friend that likes roller skating with music, friends, and

Memories all coming full circle, having mastered a skill

With passion at its core. I have a friend who likes to play

Pickleball with their head in the game and their sweat

Only being a sign of progress to be a tournament champ

In the future. I have a friend who likes block parties as

They get in deep with the beats of the summer jams

Dancing in the background while spending time with

Family and friends is the main attraction in their eyes

As well as chowing down courses straight from the grill.

I have a friend who in their own poetic way likes sitting

By the water in peace and the quiet only being interrupted

Only by the waves of Lake George lapping at the shore.

I have a friend who loves summer nights reminiscing

About the good times and successful schemes while

Savoring this carefree season. Finally, but not least,

I have a friend that likes the summer tradition of fireworks

Seeing the lights cover the sky in more colors and designs

Than the phases of the moon while flashbacks of summers

Past fill inside their mind saying goodbye to another arc of summer

That ranges from remembering those who have left this world

To celebrating America's birthday to at the end for those lucky

Few, getting a well deserved day off from work enjoying the

Dying embers of the hottest season of the year, but my favorite

Part is enjoying that spare time with my friends.

[popculturebuffet]

Next up for Warner Bros Animation, favorite character from the 1996-2001 half of the Kids WB era of shows: Superman the Animated Series, Road Rovers, Waynehead, The New Batman Adventures, Histeria, Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, Batman Beyond, Detention, Static Shock, and The Zeta Project?

Superman TAS: Toyman. The comics still haven't been able to match this verison: creepy design, fun gimicks and a geninly unsettling nature. The show itself is great. Not quite on the same level as BTAS, but still a great distalation of one of the greatest heroes of all.

Road Rovers: Reviewed a bunch of this and honestly forgot it. No faviorite character bu ta decent fun action show

Waynehaed: Haven't seen it and still marvel that this exists The New Batman Adventures: Dont' have a faviorite only because I haven't seen enough, but serum lake (Who I mentiond last time) has my intrest piqued. That said what I have seen is pretty good: the show is diffrent from btas, from what I found out from said videos embracing the camp a bit more. A solid followup.

Histeria: I've only seen the one episode but it's one I need to seek out as hot damn is Histeria fun. Funny, eductational and jam packed it's a damn shame this series was basically abandoned by WB and has been mostly buired as it's on par with tiny tunes and animaniacs. Defentily could use a reboot.

Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain:

Yeah this is like hysteria one I only saw for a review and once was enough. It's what happens when execs don't realize this idea had already been mocked and somehow make it worst. Larry at least is funny entirely for the great meta punchline of just how little he fits. Elmyra... is an awful character already. I respect Tiny Toons Looniversity for rebooting her properly, making her just as cutesy but now a slightly unhinged animal photographer instead of an animal abuser. I didn't know it was possible and it's clear they woudln't of tried had fans not complained so much Elmyra was gone

But the orignal.. is a bad character. She just is. Cree Summer does her best but Elmyra is abusive, annoying and just not fun to watch. Pinky tormenting brain works because he's likeable.. Elmyra isn't. I'm baffled this series was on hulu but Freakazoid wasn't.

Batman Beyond: (techno music intensifies) Terry himself might just win this as a fun character who serves as a nice contrast to bruce. The series itself is one I badly need ot revisit as I don't remember how fucked up it was (Thanks again serum lake) or how spider-man it was, but I do remember liking what I saw as a kid and later in college on the hub, and I like how unique it is. From what I can tell the comics have yet to truly capture the spirit of it. All the props to Glen Murkami who thanks to said videos I keep mentoning I found out is the reason we got this: Superman and NBA were canceled abrubtly to make a teen batman show and not wanting to A) throw out continuity or B) leave the show to someone worse they came up with a new legacy batman... but it was Glen's excellent designwork that really got them excited, creating a blade runner future with fresh villians, a spider-man flair and a true succsor to the bat. This show is one of the DCAU's most unique and best.

Detention; I don't know the motherfucker

Static Shock: Yeah this block is pretty much all DCAU. Rubberband Man is the faviorite here. I love his redemption arc, romance with Static's sister and dyslexia episode. I don't have it myself but it's well done and as someone who DOES have a disablity (autisim and disgraphia), I felt seen anyway. The show itself has been awesome any time i've revisited it, giving Dwayne McDuffie room to do what the DCAU (which it got made part of eventuallys), does best: strip down the glut in the continuity (as little as static had being from milestone and all), and make the characters their best self. The result is a fun well paced action series with some well grounded moments. The seris can both have Shaq guest star and have an episodes about gun violence and racisim and both fit. I also marked out as a kid seeing the justice league crossover, but more on that soon.

The Zeta project: Haven't really seen this one , here it's good. ti's the odd man out in the dcau as it's the only one not based on anything prexisting. Still seems worth a look and I wish Zeta would show up in the main dc universe.

[arcplaysgames]

Arc Plays: Persona 5 Strikers

we're back, baberinos

Hello, my name is Arcturus, you may call me Archie, so begins our fourth liveblog. For the liveblogs of Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal, please see the pinned post.

I'm going into this knowing:

a. I have never played a Musuo game ever so that'll be interesting.

b. This takes place in the Persona 5 Vanilla ending, so no Akechi dodging the bullet of fate and no Maruki to come in and steal my fucking heart. Alas.

c. ALLEGEDLY this game is surprisingly good for being a genre-shifted spin-off done with Koei Tecmo.

d. yo this main title theme is a jam

I'm not buying your JackCoin, Atlus, go away.

MAN these games LOVE to start in medias res huh? I respect it. Our beloved boy is flipping and jumping along the rooftops of a city and being chased by a helicopter shadow. I ADORE the design of this gunship guy, with just a hand holding the gattling gun.

It feels like a bit of a in-joke between the game and the player to have Joker do a flying leap onto this helishadow to rip its mask off. HE HAS THE ONE MOVE, OKAY, IT'S ALL HE HAS.

Joker on Halloween needs to be tied up like a werewolf at the full moon or else he will just run around town ripping people's masks off.

Oooh I'm gonna need to remember to install a better font.

But ONCE AGAIN JOKER IS THE BAIT. He is always the bait. HE ONLY HAS THE ONE ROLE OKAY IT'S ALL HE HAS.

Cops are demons, got it. The only difference between MegaTen and IRL is that in MegaTen you can negotiate with them.

MUSUO SURE IS DIFFERENT FROM TURN BASED BATTLE HUH. Oh my god this is gonna take a grip to get used to, but the ability to summon Arsene on the fly is pretty sweet. So far, Joker is the only Persona MC who seems to have a more than surface-level relationship with his persona, and I really dig that. The others are just a bit of winkyface foreshadowing (Orpheus) or a dude who becomes super important late in the game with no build up (Izanagi). Arsene feels much more personal.

is this a ROAD TRIP GAME? are we going on a ROAD TRIP? also i love you, Yusuke, it's fucking the middle of summer and you STILL are in full pants and a fucking knee-length elegant coat.

Speaking of Yusuke, I am concerned. Can Sojiro just adopt him already???? Is anyone making sure Yusuke isn't fucking dead while Reverie and Morgana are gone? christ.

you look so much like a Chaz. you look like you were in an acoustic band from 1992 to 1995. you look like you have five piercings in each ear but use none of them because your stuffy cop job. you look like you do a half windor knot because you don't know how to do a proper one.

ANYWAY PLOT DUMP: It's the summer after the Phantom Thieves' whole big thang, and all of a sudden, people seem to be having changes of heart? Like, a finance minister suddenly confessed to documents tampering, three councilmen confessed to bribery and resigned, etc.

I love how he's "Bearded Man" but that's like barely a beard. Anyway, his name is Inspector Hasegawa.

lmao a full investigation of Reverie's life, please refer them to my liveblog, I got 'em covered. lemme save y'all time and sum up:

REVERIE'S CHILDHOOD: idk he lived in a small town or something and was just a kid

SHIDO THING: fuckhead Shido framed a fucking teenager for assault and subsequently threatened his entire future because y'all's politicians are morally bankrupt fuckwits and the stigma on criminals in japan is outrageous and the whole public record thing is yikes

MOVING TO TOKYO: everyone was awful all the time and treated Reverie like shit and you're all lucky to still have in-tact tires bc I would have been slashing them personally

METAVERSE: Reverie got in touch with his inner scene kid/drama student and turned into a phantom thief and did some shit that was frankly concerning ethically-speaking until the world nearly ended.

PAN-GALACTIC YARGLEBARGLE: big cup. catboy knock cup off table. world saved.

AKECHI: oh my god we don't have the time to summarize this shit

MARUKI: i miss him

A BOY AND HIS CAT: Reverie and Morgana went back to unnamed-small-town to restart their lives.

Boom, you're welcome.

Also wouldn't Sae have all the information these fools need? where is Sae. oh right she's a defense attorney now right. that's neat.

Ann, reknowned hater of Morgana, reaches out and rubs Morgana's head. With malice aforethought, I presume.

Okay okay I'll lay off.

thanks dad bye dad love you dad you're the best dad, dad.

boogie woogie woogie.

Everyone hangs out in the old attic and catches up. Futaba is doing well adjusting to school, and Haru is in college for business but seems to be trying to take every Ag class they will let her.

so like do you wanna lay you head in Reverie's lap and talk about it, Yusuke?

The crew decides to kick off summer with a barbecue, because nothing is more fun than being in 92F degree weather and then standing around a fucking fire, right?

oh no

OH HELL NO

WELL THREE CHEERS FOR CONSISTENT CHARACTERIZATION, YOU ARE ALL STILL AS DUMB AS A BOX OF PARTICULARLY DIM ROCKS

IS THAT FUCKING META

listen, I am a person who refuses to allow any google assistant or siri or what the fuck ever in my home. there are no listening devices allowed. my phone is set up to only listen to me when i physically press a button to allow it to hear me. this is madness.

There are no other options. Reverie Vantas the Fifth rides again!

[twocrows]

Rick and Morty Season 7 episode 9 thoughts:

Spoilers ahead!!

You know what, I really loved Mort: Ragnarick!!

It had a lot of elements of a classic episode (which numericons and some other episodes felt like they were missing for me) and overall it had a great balance between plot and just fun.

Like the concept is so silly, it’s so goofy, it’s just great. I hadn’t really thought about the ramifications of heaven-like places existing in the R&M universe but of course the inevitable conclusion is Rick trying to spin that into something he can use. It might have been nice to have a bit of tighter explanation of how it takes place and how the whole shared consciousness thing works, but honestly I’m happy enough to just leave it as ‘hey actually this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but it opens up a really fun premise.’

Also the outfits were really fun, loved those!! The goggles Rick had on were giving me very steampunk-y sort of vibes which is absolutely my jam.

That one time Rick caught the pope in a pokeball? Classic.

Also I loved what they did character wise as well. I’m really enjoying Rick’s therapy arc, for lack of a better word. We’re not seeing a lot of it on screen beyond Air Force Wong but it does seem like he’s actually maybe going and improving a bit on himself? Like admitting that the Big Foot was actually intelligent and that he was wrong to make assumptions. Sure he was in a life or death situation, but he seemed pretty genuine. Also apologising to summer earlier in the season. Okay, she literally wasn’t in the room, but I don’t think an earlier Rick would even feel sorry about the way he acted, especially not enough to verbalise an apology.

Overall I’m just really happy to see him grow a bit. I’ve never really understood the argument that this somehow makes Rick and Morty a worse show or loses some core part of it. Like to me it feels like the show is way more than just ‘Rick yells at Morty’ and I really enjoy how much they actually dive into the characters emotions and the ramifications of living the way that they do. I think all of that is really interesting to explore and importantly: they aren’t stagnant!! They’re real people who grow and change!! Especially after Unmortricken I think it would be insane for Rick not to have some kind of change because of that. The direction that goes is the writer’s prerogative, but personally I’m really excited for it to go in a positive direction.

Got a bit off track, but yeah!! Just seeing those characters arcs remain consistent and show up in small bits of dialogue make me really happy. (Looking at you numericons!! It could’ve been such a cool chance to see Morty be independent and show that he’s capable both without Rick and in spite of what Rick says. We know that Morty is clever!! And he’s absolutely become more capable in situations, so it would’ve been great to see that. As it is I was really sad to see him sidelined in an episode without Rick.)

Overall a really solid episode!! It hit that mark for me of being funny and silly without just using crude humour as a crutch for comedy.

Rating: Great

[krimsonkatt]

Dodi, a boss that was is going to be in Chaos;Domain, though likely with a resprite. This character actually has a long and detailed story behind it. Basically, when I was in first grade, one indoor recess the teachers put on Disney's Aladdin. I really enjoyed the movie for what it was, that was until near the end of the movie where Jaffar took control of the Genie's lamp and ordered the genie to fling the tower that Aladdin was in to the North Pole.

That's when the teacher shut off the movie and said that's where the movie ended, to be continued in Aladdin 2. I ended up being super freaked out about this cliffhanger ending and thought Jaffar actually WON. I ended up skipping school on the day they showed Aladdin 2, but later they showed Aladdin 3 and everyone was fine so I assumed Jaffar lost in Aladdin 2, but I had no idea HOW he lost or what sort of damage was done to their world under the control of an all-powerful Jaffar. So, I made up MY OWN plot for Aladdin 2, as I was too scared to watch Aladdin 2 which I assumed to be this super dark scary movie and didn't even want to rewatch Aladdin 1, which I enjoyed, because I was afraid of being re-traumatized by the "cliffhanger." But I still watched Aladdin 3 all the time on this bootleg DVD that had every Disney and dream works movie (as of 2009) on it.

During this period of time (around 2009 to 2011) I came up with this bizarre fan fiction universe crossover between Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Ninjago, Webkinz, Animal Jam, and a bunch of other things that was like Kingdom Hearts if it was written by an autistic 8yo. And like Kingdom Hearts there were clones, artificial humans, ancient prophesies, relics of mass destruction, doomsday cults, multiple apocalypses and universe-shattering wars, not-deities, and tons of other stuff. Believe it or not, this series was the origin of the Chronicles of Chronicles series, albeit a very early form/incarnation of it.

The original big bad of this saga was a guy named "The Emperor" who was HEAVILY based off Palpatine from Star Wars and had two underlings, Dodi (pronounced "Do-die" like the city Dubai but with die instead of bai) the snake charmer and Flon (pronounced full-on like colon) the evil fairy. Dodi was pretty much 1-to-1 with Jaffar with just his name changed and little else, but Flon's backstory and origin is an even weirder example that I'll get to once we get to her sprite. The big bad of the later arcs was Lord Drakos, heavily based off the principal of Gaithersburg Elementary, who loved abusing and manipulating me for his own twisted amusement.

But anyway YEARS later, like around 2014 or so, I discovered that the teacher showing us Aladdin all those years ago completely lied, and there was a whole extra 15 minutes of Aladdin I didn't know existed where Jaffar was defeated in an epic battle and the world was saved. And how did I discover this? A freaking Watch Mojo video. Something about "top 10 most evil villains in Disney" and Jaffar was number 5. During Jaffar's section they showed footage from the last 15 minutes of Aladdin which absolutely blew my mind that there was a whole extra 15 minutes of runtime I completely missed.

After I spent a summer afternoon rewatching THE ENTIRETY OF Aladdin on some shady website, I did some research on Wikipedia and figured out that Aladdin 2 and 3 were actually just cheap cash-ins made in the early 2000s that also served as both the pilot and the series finale of the Aladdin TV show, which aired from 1999 to 2002. The first movie had a beginning, middle, and end and DIDN'T end on a cliffhanger like I was led to believe, and Aladdin 2 and 3 were unnecessary made for TV sequels given almost zero budget. (though I still have an affinity for Aladdin 3, even if the animation sucks ass) This is also where I learned that the overwhelming majority of "Disney sequels" that I grew up with on that bootleg DVD were low budget cash-grabs not even made by the main Disney studio. So yeah, my childhood was a lie and Jaffar never won in Aladdin 1. It's going to be a fun story to share with my future nieces and nephews, though.

In battle, Dodi primarily uses fire elemental arts along with his "hypnosis" and "wrap" arts. He's a lot easier of a boss than the first one, King Kookookaka, that's for sure. The Medusa to that game's Minotaur, to say the least. (SMT4 reference)

[pumpking64]

Tagged by @punchandspade, thank you!

Share your wallpaper: My wallpaper on my phone changes every hour, currently it's a picture I took on a summer morning as sea fog rolled in over the dune-y heath shortly after sunrise:

The last song you listened to: At the start of this post: Runaway deer by Arc de Soleil. At the end of the post: Hand Cannot Erase by Steven Wilson

Currently Reading: Spatort fics and what feels like 365927 scientific papers

Last Movie: Does the theatre play Much ado about nothing count?

Craving: For my exams to write themselves.... also, a good home-made chai, which I hope to have time to brew next week

What are you wearing right now: Jeans, knitted socks and a t-shirt. Simple and cozy <3

How tall are you: 169, pretty average for a gal here, but small compared to most of my friends

Piercings: A set of earrings

Tattoos: None as of yet

Glasses? Contacts?: Glasses

Last drink: Freshly brewed coffee to my breakfast

Last show: The sad German cop shows.... Tatort Saarbrücken, Soko Leipzig or Polizeiruf Świecko, pick one

Last thing you ate: Breakfast bun with (salted!) butter, berry jam and cheese. It's a real shame that jam and cheese doesn't seem to be a universal combination on bread, 'cause it tastes damn good

Favourite colour: Green <3

Current obsession: Aforementioned sad German cop shows

Unrelated Obsession: Birds. My ongoing and eternal obsession

Any pets: Nope

Do you have a crush on anyone: Also nope

Favourite fictional character: Oh I don't have a favourite above all else, but there are a lot I hold dear in my heart. If I'd have to highlight some, I really love Mollymauk and Beau from Critical Role, and Sissix from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

The last place you traveled: I was in Germany over the weekend :D

Tagging @triscribe, @sinnsenke, @silverysnake and @schuerk, hope you have as much fun with this as I had :)

[junkfoodgames]

as long as the cicadas sing

New business card game! it's a little time loop system!

This was made for a jam that is currently being hosted by @luckynewtgames

It takes inspiration from the trope of cicadas in anime on hot summer days as well as the Endless 8 arc from Haruhi Suzumiya.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

more info, via a couple of reviews:

"Is this the best, most exhilarating, most close-to-perpetual dancing ever to grace the Goodspeed Opera House stage?

It certainly could be.

The new stage adaptation of “Summer Stock” at the East Haddam theater has plenty to recommend it in terms of the canny script and the hummable songs. But it’s the dancing that leaves the biggest impression.

The show is jam-packed with choreography from Donna Feore, who also directs, that is thrillingly executed by the cast.

We’re talking: Gravity-defying kicks. Head-spinning turns. Male dancers lifting and tossing and catching the female ones. It runs the gamut from Cossack-dance athleticism to soft shoe grace, tap precision to Lindy hop energy.

How the cast manages to sing after executing these (literally) breathtaking numbers, I have no idea.

And how do they make it through two performances on some days? Amazing.

Also amazing: the fact that they do all this on Goodspeed’s small stage without making the space feel cramped.

So, yes, the dancing is phenomenal. But there’s more to the show than that.

This stage version of “Summer Stock” — which is enjoying its world premiere at Goodspeed — is inspired by the 1950 MGM movie starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Writer Cheri Steinkellner, though, has reimagined the piece in many ways, making it better, stronger and propelled by a more modern sensibility. (Steinkellner’s writing credits range from “Cheers” to the Broadway adaptation of “Sister Act.”)

The foundational story, though, remains the same: A no-nonsense young woman named Jane is trying to save her family farm. Her actress sister (named Gloria in the version at Goodspeed) brings her compatriots to the farm to rehearse a show. Jane first spars with and then starts falling for Gloria’s beau Joe, the production’s director.

Steinkellner has also changed up the score, to great effect. While some tunes from the movie remain, she has pulled others that are in the public domain (such as “Accentuate the Positive,” “Paper Moon” and “It Had to Be You”), and she has woven them perfectly into various plot points and important emotional moments.

As director, Feore makes sure the whole enterprise has a dynamic spirit. It’s a story and a production that brims with optimism and cheerfulness.

Leading the cast is Corbin Bleu, who became famous with his work in “High School Musical” and has gone on to star in several Broadway shows, as Joe. Bleu is a true, and truly talented, triple-threat. He has a warm, welcoming presence as an actor; he also brings an authority to Joe so you believe he’s someone the actors respect and will follow. Bleu’s singing is strong and lustrous, and his dancing — particularly his tremendous tap ability — is … wow.

Arguably the biggest scene-stealer here is Veanne Cox, as the wealthy, snooty owner of huge property surrounding Jane’s. The way she trills dialogue can turn anything into a punchline. She can wave her arms about as her character repeats “l’amour” and generate audience laughs. When her character falls for the egoistic actor Montgomery Leach (played by J. Anthony Crane with Barrymore flair), Cox burbles with girlish romantic giddiness.

Danielle Wade does her own take on the Judy Garland role. She gives Jane a swagger and a tough façade that reveals a more human self during the course of the story. Wade’s most important feature is her voice, which is potent whether she’s finessing a ballad or powering through a big number. While she can’t compete with Garland’s renowned version of “Get Happy” (who could?), Wade does a good job in the number — choreographed and costumed in an homage to the original — that serves as the culmination of the production.

Arianna Rosario gets to play an interesting arc at Gloria. At first, Gloria seems to be a blithe, self-centered actress, but she later shows that she is quite the problem-solving producer. Rosario makes the transformation believable, as if Gloria is finally letting her real self come through.

The scenic design by Wilson Chin suggests the various elements of a Connecticut River Valley farm in the 1950s while still allowing room for the cast to burst into all of those big dance numbers. And the costume design by Tina McCartney provides a fun and functional take on country clothing of the era.

I will say that the second act could be tightened up (we don’t need to see so many beats of the rehearsal process), but, in total, this “Summer Stock” is sensational." [source]

(hooray for most directly explaining gloria's overall arc)

and the next review:

"A throwback to the golden age of Broadway and movie musicals, "Summer Stock" is a timeless, inspiring song-and-dance tale of good deeds, fairy tale showbiz, classic romance and backstage intrigue played out to such dazzling effect, you want to freeze frame it, take it home with you and watch it over and over again for pure fun and a let's-put-a-smile-on-your-face endorsement. This is Goodspeed Musicals at its best - old-fashioned musical entertainment designed to deliver by the bucket's load, stir the senses, rhythmically intoxicate you and dance up a continual storm of good cheer that's guaranteed to leave you breathless.

Animated. Airborne. Magical. Sweet-natured. Fresh-faced. Dance happy. It's all here, wrapped up in shiny gold ribbons and signature colors that complement and complete the picture with a technicolor flourish, a big bang and an internal logic that flows with appropriate style, stamina, full command and intent.

Adapted to the stage by Cheri Steinkellner, "Summer Stock" replays that popular let's- put-on-a-show conceit where everything rests of the big opening night, the box-office intake, the big kiss between the leading man and the leading lady and how a complete unknown saves the day right before the final fadeout. Here, struggling Connecticut farmer Jane Falbury decides to let her actress sister Abigail and her actor friends from New York use the family barn as a rehearsal space for their brand-new Broadway bound musical in exchange for doing the daily farm chores to raise enough money to keep the business from going completely under. One slight problem. During rehearsals, Jane finds herself falling for the show's handsome director, Joe Ross, who, happens to be engaged to the show's leading lady - her sister Abigail.

Staging "Summer Stock," director Donna Feore ("Chicago," "Billy Elliot," "A Chorus Line"), who doubles as choreographer, creates a loveable, intoxicating show that reels you in, grabs hold of you until the final curtain and lets you fall in love with every little detail, surprise, plot twist, joke, visual gag, one-liner and tilt of her jolly agenda while she articulates every element of this musical story with thrust, warmth, spin and splendid articulation. Directorially, she pulls it off spectacularly. No wrong moves here as "Summer Stock" catches fire with a spark, a gusto, a shine and a 1950s mentality infused with plenty of imagination, originality, style and flair.  More importantly, the production never loses sight of its origins, its functional plotting and its love of musicals of yesteryear despite well-intentioned doses of kitsch, takeaway humor, giddy backchat and story arcs right out of the MGM library of backlot moviemaking.  Feore, free spirit that she is, fuels the musical with a sharpened wit and sentiment that works especially well as does her decision to let "Summer Stock" remain rooted in the period from whence it came in terms of staging, development, expression and interaction. 

Moving from screen to stage," "Summer Stock" retains only four songs from the 1950 MGM musical. The addition of several new songs to the original version of the score turns the two-act musical into more of a showstopping event and adds clarity, luster and vintage spin to its already proven material, its let's launch into another song and dance routine blueprint and its firm grasp on characterization, story evolution and its happily ever after conclusion. At Goodspeed, there are 28 important, recognizable, smartly placed musical numbers. They are:  "Get Happy," "Happy Days Are Here Again/I Want to Be Happy," "Accentuate the Positive," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "Always," "Always (reprise)," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "The Best Things in Life Are Free," "Dig for Your Dinner," "Me and My Shadow," "Howdy Neighbor, Happy Harvest," "Red Hot Mama," " 'Til We Meet Again," "You Wonderful You," "June Night," "Some of These Days," "Joe's Dance," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (reprise)," "It All Depends on You," "Always (reprise)," "Everybody Step," "Lucky Day," "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm," "Hinky-Dinky Parlez Vouz," "It Had to Be You," "Get Happy (reprise)" and "You Wonderful You (Finale)."

Musical director Adam Souza ("42nd Street," "Cabaret," "Next to Normal," "A Grand Night for Singing," "Because of Winn Dixie," "Rags") grabs hold of the "Summer Stock" score and allows it to breathe, gesticulate, excite, envelop and rhapsodize with the golden age sentimentality of MGM movie musicals and the timeless, larger-than-life spirit of old Broadway. Here, every song matters. Every song is important. Every song travels down memory lane. Every song is tuned to the max with sweet, centered, warm-heartedness. Every song fulfills its intended purpose. All of this is complemented by the strong, flavorful sound of Souza's orchestral team, all of whom share his tremendous sense of theatricality, musical interlude, impassioned communication and delight of the actual musical itself.  They are: David Uhl (bass), Sal Ranniello (percussion), Liz Baker Smith (reed 1), Andrew Studenski (reed II), Travis Higgins III (trumpet) and Matthew Russo (trombone). As with other Goodspeed musicals, Souza doubles as conductor and keyboardist. As "Summer Stock" zings and pops, pretty music every song unfolds with a contagious orchestral musical glow, matched by the splendid musicality of the entire cast who address the catchy, homespun music and lyrics with perfect harmony, rhythm, phrasing and nostalgic commitment. These elements heighten the on-stage mode of the production, its progression from Act I to Act II, its send offs, its pastiche and its electrifying, barn-raising influence and thwack.

As with any big stage musical, choreography is key to a production's success, its fluidity of form, its artistic expression and its accompanying dance routines. Here, Feore, as choreographer, gives "Summer Stock" a highly personal touch of invigoration and speedy excitement that is tipped and generated with wonderfully elongated inspiration, stamina and determination. This is star quality choreography that peaks, shines and tilts with clever build ups, catchy dance steps and bold, concentrated rhythms, moves and beats that joyfully celebrate 1950's musicals in all their technicolor glory.   As storyteller and dance interpreter, she brings great dimension and scope to the piece using techniques, styles, descriptions and an enriched canvas of thoughts and ideas that make their mark most engagingly. Everything that happens on the Goodspeed Musicals stage has been beautifully blocked, rehearsed and staged with such thrust and individuality, no two dance numbers are alike. In fact, once "Summer Stock" catches fire, there's no stopping it.  Creating a freshly minted fusion of moods, tableaus, lifts, twirls and swirls, Feore pays homage to the actual vintage look and mindset of the musical, its dance-friendly art form and its free-flowing feel of excitement and exhilaration. Hands pop. Arms move heavenward. Dancers smile and glisten as they passionately ignite into joyful visions of sweetness, passion, frenzy and syncopation. Everyone is lost in the moment illustrating the traditions, the conscience and the power of musical theatre, giving and getting the most out of Feore's phenomenal, ovation-worthy choreography. Trained, drilled and confident, they each get a chance to shine - and shine they do - all making strong impressions that will live long in memory.

Making his Goodspeed Musicals debut, Corbin Bleu, as Joe Ross, a character originated by Gene Kelly in the 1950 film version, creates a "Wow!" song-and-dance-man factor chock full of charm, personality, self-confidence and full-beam, champagne delightness that astounds, cajoles and sparkles with leading man gait and luxury like no other. No matter what he does, he's a proverbial triple-threat (i.e., a player who excels at acting, singing and dancing) who makes everything that happens on stage feel fresh, spontaneous, real, raw and very much in the moment. It's in his eyes. It's in his moves. It's in his expressions. Exhibiting a sweet, contagious rapport that extends far beyond the footlights, it's the performance of the year and one that Bleu exudes with a Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire aura of showbiz savvy, knockabout whimsy, graceful athleticism and sterling encapsulation. "Joe's Dance," a solo dance number in Act II performed by Bleu only furthers that notion.

In the role of Jane Falbury, a role made famous by Judy Garland in the original "Summer Stock" MGM musical, Danielle Wade lights up the Goodspeed Musicals stage with a breezy, intuitive musical comedy performance of real warmth and spirit that is a constant joy to watch. Veanne Cox, cast in the role of the wickedly devious Connecticut farming magnate Margaret Wingate, is jaw-dropping brilliant, using humor, music, dance and melodrama in divinely daft and glorious ways that prompt applause and laughter whenever she's in the limelight. It's a scene-stealing performance so seamlessly entrenched in glee and fiery abandon, Cox, would be the ideal choice to play narcissistic Broadway diva Dee Dee Allen in the 2024 summer presentation of "The Prom" at Playhouse in Park in West Hartford. I'll personally deliver the contract. Other memorable performances are delivered by Arianna Rosario (Gloria Falbury), Stephen Lee Anderson (Henry "Pop" Falbury), Gilbert L. Bailey II (Phil Filmore), Will Roland (Orville Wingate) and J. Anthony Crane (Montgomery Leach). A musical escape brimming with delightful songs, engaging performances and full-beam dance numbers, "Summer Stock" is not only a bubbly tonic for theatergoers of all ages, but one that kicks nostalgia into high gear with uncomplicated bliss, fizz and vintage sparkle. It sings. It dances. It pops. It dazzles. Like "42nd Street" which played Goodspeed Musicals last season, it overflows with Kelly/Astaire lightness, punch and precision, sunny vibes and well-played exactitude. The energy displayed here is fast and furious with first-night exhilaration and thrill paired especially well with Corbin Bleu's charming star turn, Danielle Wade's joyous "Get Happy" abandon and Veanne Cox's well-prepped, icy cool villain. This is musical theatre of the highest order - infectious, irresistible, glorious. Its leave-your-troubles-at-the-door/Let's-put-on-a-show mentality accelerates with sparkle and cherry pie goodness. And boy, do we need it now!" [source]

(the reference to jane's sister abigail uses the film's names: abigail becomes gloria in this production, which is the name of abigail's actor in the film, which also mirrors how the role of herb is now phil, also the name of herb's actor in the film)

(also shoutout to providing A Full, Chronological List Of Songs. noting that according to another interview, intermission would be between "you wonderful you" and "june night")

[iturbide]

Summer Storm

34,571/50,000 words

We’ll have to fight our way out.”

“H-how?  You don’t have armor, and I…”

“I’ll engage them.  Stay clear, and do what you can to thin their numbers.”

He heard the mage draw another breath — and in the same moment, a shout went up from the end of the tunnel.  Biting back a curse, Lindulf charged in, spear at the ready, and thrust it under the axe held across the watchman’s chest, piercing the thick doublet below his breastbone and drawing a shrill scream along with the sudden bloom of blood.

The guard paused only long enough to wrench his weapon free, throwing himself across the cavern and toward the masked figures blocking the tunnel leading back outside.  He barely had enough time to register their numbers before he crashed into them — seven, at least, perhaps more, though the uniform blur of red and silver made it hard to be certain he’d counted them all. 

It didn’t matter.  He had a mission to fulfill, and they had made it very clear they would not stand down.

His spear flashed in the torchlight, cutting a red arc through another doublet.  The figure staggered back, only to be replaced by another, identical but for the clean white of padded jacket.  Sidestepping a clumsy axe blow, he jammed the butt of his weapon at the man behind him; it connected solidly with his gut, and he heard the body fall breathless to the ground.  He lunged out of the way of another strike, feeling the lance blade graze his arm—

The sharp scent of lightning cut through the stench of fresh blood.  A streak of light arced across the cavern, barely ahead of the thundering roar that left his ears ringing.  The lightning struck a hand axe, raised and ready to fly, burning its way through the hand that had raised it — and leaping across to the next figure, through the spear tip hovering just a bit too close.  Both fell, convulsing where they lay, and Lindulf cast a glance over his shoulder to see Miryn hiding behind an overturned table.

He felt reassured seeing that.  And steadier for it.

There were still too many standing, though, and with less of a crowd they could move more freely, without having to worry about hitting one of their own.  He took a slow breath, resolving his grip on his weapon as they fanned out around him.  

Movement to his right.  He ducked, the spear singing as it sliced through the air above him, and retaliated with a low jab that sheared through the masked figure’s side just beneath their rib cage.

A grunt of effort.  Lindulf threw himself forward, tackling the opponent he’d just cut and hearing an axe head crash against the stone behind him.  Spinning on his bare heel, he lunged, his spear tip piercing his enemy’s throat just above the doublet collar before he could bring his axe back to bear and sending both of them crashing to the ground.  Throwing himself to the side, he heard another spear pierce flesh as he tore his own blade free; rising smoothly to his feet again, he saw another mask struggling to draw his own weapon from the bleeding corpse of his fellow.  Darting forward, his spear bit into the panicked figure’s hamstring, sending yet another crashing to the floor with a ragged cry—

Pain shot through him, radiating from between his shoulder blades.  Howling, he lashed out with his spear, staggering away from the blurring shapes closing in around him.  He jabbed at them, snarling, but they only ducked away before pressing in again, low laughter bounding in his ears — or was that his heartbeat?

His hands shook.  He could barely hold up his spear, struggling to keep it trained on the leering silver masks.  Heat wound down his back; his feet slipped on something wet, and he crashed to the ground, landing hard on his side.

Lindulf tried to get back up, and failed.  Shoving himself to his knees, he groped for his spear, brandishing it again at flashes of silver swimming through the shadows.

It was hard to breathe.  His chest rattled with the effort, his body slumping inward as the pain overwhelmed even the stench of blood.

He thought he heard Miryn’s voice, somewhere far away, and the warm crackle of a fire.

Lindulf tried to look.  But all he saw was darkness, closing over his head.

[spacehostilityy]

Hi Tess!! Nice to meet you!! I'm hoping to write lots and lots this summer for nnt, since I just started writing fanfiction for the first time and nnt's worldbuilding and community on here are just the best. These characters carried me through my first year of college lol... What themes/characters are your favorites? as the username implies I've been obsessed with romance for a long time. I love sappy and emotional storylines and character-driven plots. Meliodas and Elizabeth's potential Holy War shenanigans have given me months of complex daydreaming material...

Anyway, it was lovely reading your introduction. Talk to me anytime!

Asdhkfjd HII!!

Yeah NNT carried my finals hard this past semester and has carried over into this summer 😌. Proud to say I am also at the stage where I daydream gratuitous romantic scenarios of our favorite doomed soulmates to go to sleep almost every night🫡

My fave characters/trope why I like them bc that's DEF intertwined

Meliodas - I love corruption arcs SO MUCH and angry characters that try to be good but sometimes give into rage are just *chef's kiss* also just OP characters in general, esp those that seem like they're weak are my JAM

Ban - I love that he's kinda an ass, but also goes the hardest for the people he loves (connecting him to Rocket Raccoon in my head now which is a bit weird but also rlly accurate), also just masochistic guilt-ridden characters hit the SPOT

Derieri + Monspeet - lumping them together, but they're so similar to melizabeth in their doomed lovers caught up in the Holy War, plus any battle couple is SO GOOD

Howzer - he's just my silly little baby girl, I love his idiot himbo energy. Like what a girlfail, he's so silly

Diane - lowkey love her for the same reasons as Howzer 😳 she's just my silly goofy blorbo

My indecisive ass also loves: Hendrickson, Elizabeth, Merlin, Escanor, Guila and Jericho, Hawk, Gilthunder, Melascula (one of my all time fave character designs), Zeldris, Estarossa/Mael, etc. lol

ANyway might slide into ur DMs sometime to scream abt characters and fics👀

[amplifyme]

In the Forests of the Night-- perfect name for the episode, perfect follow-up to A Time to Heal. The entire ending got me in the tear ducts. 

ROLLEY’S BACK, Vincent’s journal entry (“so much rage… where is the hope?”) Father trying to lure Vincent back to live with the community and Vincent’s cut lines of “promises to keep”, Diana’s sister?? and Alex and her birthday present (independent like Diana), Rolley’s tolerance and trying to wheedle drugs out of Vincent, Vincent’s rage and threats at Tony (no mercy, straight to threats of death), the wheelings and dealings of the drug men, GABRIEL OF COURSE, Father holding Rolley, Vincent going ham on the drug den, Gabriel smirking that Vincent is alive, Joe’s back, Rolley’s gone (of course), Father trying to talk Rolley back (like he can’t with Vincent) and failing (like he has with Vincent.), Diana’s cut script dream (fascinating implications) and piercing her finger on Cathy’s white rose, Joe’s here, Diana trying to talk Joe away from the truth but being stymied by Joe’s survivor, Diana apologizing to Cathy, Vincent didn’t harm Horner (still didn’t cross the line Paracelsus tried to force with Spirko), Vincent writing in his journal about how his actions “ruined” only him, lost children (his son, Rolley, other kids), Snow’s ring, Lewis shaking during Gabriel’s speech and knowing his death is at hand, “my enemy, my brother”, Lewis unplugging his own chord, Diana tracking Vincent (that line Vincent said of “saving him from himself”-- can’t remember exact line but he’s not wrong), Joe confronting her in her apartment, Vincent’s “nothing up there but death”-- what a change, Father’s wise speech about fatherhood and choices (and indirectly talking about himself letting Vincent make his own choices and respecting them), “this isn’t really about Rolley”, Diana hunting down Tony just as Rolley shows up, the piano music crescendoing as Rolley runs and Vincent sets out on the prowl and Diana finds him, “there are no safe places for anyone”, Diana frustrated he’d destroyed Gabriel’s place without knowing it was his, “and did it help him? Is he better now?”, Diana’s been there too, Vincent has nothing but THESE and Diana immediately saying “those can’t help you find your son”-- WHAT A PARALLEL to Cathy’s “these are my hands” (uhoh, that’s probably why he’s using them now, UHOH), “I can make Gabriel bleed night after night” (there’s that “enemy, brother” that Gabriel expects from Vincent), “by then it won’t matter who wins, Vincent”, and “what kind of father do you want your son to have?” is powerful, if he continues alone he will lose everything, “where is the hope, Diana?”, Diana tears up as he walks off, ROLLEY PLAYING THE PIANO THERE’S THE HOPE-- all who are lost can be found or can find themselves, Vincent tearing up, A LETTER TO DIANA ON HER BALCONY WITH SNOW’S RING. 

Okay, now for some questions~. I've been consuming so much new information that I've gotten fuzzy on some old bits.

I know that Oz/Kansas and Shangri-La was a specific tie to Devin as a character and Vincent's relationship with him; but when/how did it transform over into a singularly "Vincent" allegory-- or was that a creation of Nan's in A Darkling Plain?

And hope this is not too personal, but I was curious: is your Gossamer name a reference to this series or "wholly original"? ;))

Tyger, tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night...

Let's unpack this one, shall we?

First of all, a reminder. This episode, as well as the final two, were cut from the mid-season winter schedule when the show was canceled and were only aired the following summer, five months later. So we knew about them, but didn't know if we'd ever get to see them or not. Nan had already started writing the stories for AWTN 1 and had to go back and do some revisions to reflect the new information we learned about Diana (specifically) and what the show might look like going forward after the baby arc.

And ITFOTN was jam-packed with Diana info. Lovely tidbits that 4th season writers snatched up in greedy little hands. Like the fact that she had a sister, Susan, and a niece, Alex. The things she said to Susan about the impact V had on her life - obliquely, of course. The way she tried to steer Joe away from V and then apologizing to Cathy for it after Joe left. Vincent's downward spiral (again) and his utter frustration and sense of helplessness and feelings of being so alone in his hunt for his son - and his inability to help Rolley. Gabriel's "My enemy, my brother," sentiment. Oh, and what you saw as Gabe's smirk upon learning V was still alive, I saw as more of a grimace that he hadn't managed to kill him and there was more to come before he could claim victory.

I love the way Diana came in as clean-up crew after V destroyed the warehouse, digging to find out who saw what and whether Lew had been on the business end of V's claws or not. No claw marks = nothing to tie his injuries directly to V. Knowing the warehouse was Gabriel's even if she didn't know for certain how she knew it and having it confirmed by Lew's body language and avoiding her eyes. Pressing Tony for exactly where he'd encountered V because she was determined to stop V from destroying himself. And all that because of her driving need to protect him - even if it's from himself.

And her confrontation with Vincent! Pure gold. The way she strode into that alley and got right up in his face from the get-go. The look V gives her when she asks, "Did it help him? Is he better now?" The dismissive look she gives his hands, her "Until you kill him or he kills you. By then it won't matter who wins," trying to get him to see that what he's done and wants to continue doing makes him no better than Gabriel. And, of course, the gut punch she delivers with "What kind of father do you want your son to have?" Yeah, powerful is a good word to describe that. I still stand up and cheer every time I watch that scene. I think if she thought she could've gotten away with it, she'd have smacked him upside the head and told him to open his eyes and see that he doesn't have to do this on his own. But the "If you continue alone in this, you are going to lose everything," worked too. She cuts him zero slack and that is exactly the kind of person he needs in his life. No one has ever confronted him that way, with cold, hard truths. And what do you know, it works. After V discovers Rolley back Below and at the piano, he realizes there is still hope and lets her in, gives her the ring, along with his trust - a very large thing indeed. And it's obvious she knows what a huge deal that is and will do everything in her power to help him find his son. I just love her to pieces.

Okay, got that out of my system. 🤣

Everything else you said? Big thumbs up!

I would recommend that you watch The Chimes at Midnight and Invictus together, as they tie up the baby arc. A few trivial things about those two eps: Perlman directed Chimes and did a nice job of it. GRRM wrote Invictus and you can tell - it's a banger of a script. Don't know if you're light sensitive, but FYI Invictus has two scenes with pretty heavy flashing/strobing sequences. The final scene of Invictus was culled from one of the first scenes of The Reckoning and edited in before broadcast since it wasn't known at the time if CBS would ever show the 3 "lost episodes." So you get to see that same scene in full in The Reckoning. I can't say enough about both Chimes and Invictus; you'll just have to see for yourself. It's a wild ride.

As to your questions: I think the Oz/Kansas and Shangri-La thing was simply Nan picking up that thread from the show and expanding on it, as she was so good at doing with many things.

You asked about my stuff on Gossamer but did you mean AO3? Because everything I have on Gossamer is under my own name. I chose wonderland on AO3 because when I'm writing and really get lost in it, I often feel like Alice must have when she fell down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Like it's a whole new reality. Does that make sense?

[bernadinesweetspot]

Day 1: My First Game Jam!

On the evening of July 20th, I set my alarm for 8am. This is because I want to participate in My First Game Jam summer 2023, for some reason.

The theme was announced at 8am sharp in my time zone. Whilst entirely optional, the theme they agreed upon to inspire jammers was 'cycles'.

I wanted to brainstorm a little before attempting something anywhere near coding, so I browsed some story prompts, opened up OneNote and attempted to map out a story arc, as well as defining characters and locations, and additionally writing up a reference section to link to any resources and credit any assets.

I had decided to use Twine as my engine of choice. The last time My First Game Jam was hosted, I had planned to learn and use Unity but unfortunately bit off more than I could chew, which resulted in me not submitting a game at all and shamefully lurking in the discord's #general channel.

At first I was intimidated but as my answer to the @daily question in the discord, my second goal was to "actually read the documentation" of my chosen engine, which unsurprisingly was very helpful. I managed to whip up a prototype for the entirety of the prologue for this small game whilst learning to use conditional variables.

My first goal though was to "actually submit something this time" which, with the way things had been going today, seemed like it could be genuinely plausible. But upon reading deeper into the topic of variables, I suddenly thought: "I could make the game I initially wanted to make in unity, but was too chicken to attempt."

So I dug out the old school notebook and pens and got to work.

I found my handscribbled gameloop I had made for the previous jam, and went about inputting this loop into Twine. I ended up with a simple game with a beginning that reset all your scores, an end that displayed your scores once you completed the game and, if you played your cards right, could be played infinitely.

In looking up different types of variable rules for this game prototype, I found you could balance player choices with luck probabilities. Using these types of variables would give more unique outcomes, which in turn could mean more replayability for the game. I had a brief discussion with my fiance about weighted probabilities, but this is definitely an area that could do with some more research (and at this time of night, probably tomorrow!).

So in summary:

- Berni woke up

- The theme was announced

- She answered the @daily question

- Berni brainstormed an extremely simple game

- She then read the documentation for Twine and SugarCube

- Berni was like fuck dis I can make ma game BIGGER and b e t t e r...

- She decided her two goals tomorrow would be:

1. implement CSS into her game

2. expand sections of text that could be randomised

[maskedemerald]

Hi hi~ What stories/writing have you been working on lately? Gimme a big introduction to your creation(s)!

Hi! I'm currently working on 4 major projects in various states of done... (shoves the large list of back burner projects under the rug.) ignore that rug and instead look under the read more because this got long.

A Curiosity Piqued - The Last Straw

Formerly known as Magi PI

This is the big one right now, like scary levels of big both physically and in terms of my focus. A Curiosity Piqued is a series of short novellaish length stories that I'm writing. They are set in an alternate world and an alternate version of the city I live in. A world where everyone has magic, has had it since the beginning of time and like humans do they have scienced the hell out of it. The stories are full of world building, exploring the world and the lives of various characters within. Nearly all the stories are intended to be able to stand alone so people can start where they like. Kind of like how you can drop in to watching something like CSI at almost any episode and have things make sense.

As you can see this is a big on going project and I haven't even mentioned that subtitle yet! The Last Straw is going to be the first story and it's practically finished! Just some final touch editing and a cover to go! I am both excited and terrified. The story is a Slice of Life/Mystery that introduces one of the characters that a lot of the stories will follow. A soon to be private detective living in the 1800s of that alternate world. Aelfraed is just starting an arc of self discovery. After the stress of family and university get to much for him he takes an impromptu break. He hopes just for some time to settle his mind, instead he ends up stumbling on the attempted murder of a Baker. It's a rush to save the man and then comes the question of who attacked him.

It should be coming out in the next couple of months, I had to push it back due to a few bits of life chaos. End of the summer is what I'm looking at. Oh and as a treat here is something I did for the cover,

Magic Act

An old idea that crawled out from under that back burner rug earlier this year. It's changed so much its almost unrecognisable.

Magic Act is a YA Romance/Mystery with a good amount of horror vibes too. I tackled it's discovery draft for April's Camp NaNo and now I'm working on creating a proper outline for the true first draft.

It's about a trans boy with a passion for magic tricks who after a string of strange disappearances in his town accidentally becomes a witness to one and in his escape falls into a pocket dimension home to the Fae and other folklore creatures. Unfortunately his pursuer is native to the place and has followed him. He now has to trust in a risky Fae ally that might turn on him at any moment while trying to pull of the biggest magic trick of his life... and trying to get back home.

Slow burn and dangerous allies to lovers. Lots of soft horror and spooky Fae and other creatures. Honestly the original idea is boring in comparison to the new one that came about with an unexpected love of writing soft horror. (seriously, this is from someone who hates horror movies but found a certain horror style of writing that was just so my jam)

A Kind of Freedom

This one is old, the first story I ever reached the end of but also my first ever NaNoWriMo. Honestly the ending never sat right but now I'm in the process of rewriting the whole of the ending chapters to something that does fit.

Very much a fantasy adventure this one but it's also one of my more experimental narrators. It's written in first person from the point of view of a spirit who comes to possess the body of a knight's errand boy. It's about the two learning to trust each other when one is literally the others worst nightmare and to unravel a plot by the strange figure that unintentionally got them into this mess.

Oh and this counts as writing too its just not a book,

Light of the Oubliette

It's a visual novel, and it definitely counts. Any game would count. Light of the Oubliette is a story about identity both in the past and the choice of who to be now. It's a mystery game. The protagonist wakes with no memory of who they are and in a cell with a fang of criminals but soon the guards are there and that's where things get complicated. Both sides have a different story for who you are. Guard or Criminal or are they both lying? Try to learn who you were from connecting the stories and spotting the lies but is that who you want to be?