#but yeah this is in the spirit of reflecting and discussing a character I adore + find really interesting for Gale

[illegiblewords]

SOME ILLEGIBLE RAMBLES AND REFLECTIONS: ON GALE AND MYSTRA

I've been on the fence about whether to make this analysis specifically, but after seeing a few other discussions floating around figure it's worth offering another viewpoint in case it resonates.

These analyses in particular are very subjective and offer an interpretive option more than anything. I might allude to discussions I've seen elsewhere that I have different views from, but different views don't automatically mean personal dislike for me. Life would be boring if we all thought the same way, you know? Anyway. Hugeass post ahead, proceed at your own risk lol.

One of the arguments I've seen cropping up recently is the idea that romance between gods and mortals is inherently unequal, abusive, and problematic. I am very much of the mind that Mystra abused Gale. The developers at Larian have stated that every companion in Baldur's Gate 3 is a victim of abuse in some capacity. Some of my favorite romances over the years have been between gods and mortals. Mystra/Gale is not one of those. I think blaming the divine/mortal dynamic for any abuse misses the point. Moreover, it absolves Mystra of a huge amount of personal responsibility in the abuse she committed. I think it makes the abuse focus on what she is rather than who she is, how she looks at others, and how she treats others. I reflected on the divine/mortal pairings I've enjoyed compared to the dynamic between Gale and Mystra. In every divine/mortal romance I've loved, the god found wonder and saw a kind of power they lack in their mortal partner. This power stems directly from their mortality. There are experiences and perspectives specific to being mortal that are invaluable. The god doesn't relate to those experiences and perspectives the same way. The god always needs not only humility but equal respect for their mortal partner in some capacity. Additionally, the god acknowledges that being divine does not equate to omniscience. This is not a god according to the monotheistic definition. It's closer to an immortal being who excels in a very specific area and has certain responsibilities weighing on them. The god sees the forest but may no longer see trees, while the mortal sees trees but may not see the forest. There is value in what is ephemeral and fragile, just as there is value in what is permanent. The god and mortal need to bring balance to one another in the sense that the god helps the mortal find comfort in a bigger picture while the mortal reminds the god what it feels like to be small, vulnerable, and intimately connected to the world/other lives. A healthy divine/mortal romance requires recognition of multiple forms of strength, intelligence, and value. That very, very much is not what Gale and Mystra had. Another layer to the 'divine/mortal romance is always problematic' argument ties to questions of power imbalance. I would argue that even among human beings--power imbalance always exists. Human beings are not identical or interchangeable with one another. One partner might be brilliant at math and runs finances where the other partner would be lost. The other partner might be brilliant at people and can navigate social situations the mathematician would feel helpless in. One partner may be physically larger or stronger than another. The other partner has the full weight of social/legal support in most conflicts. And this isn't touching on issues relating to mental health, physical health, economic stability, societal issues, etc. People are multifaceted. None of us excel at all things, find power in all things, or suffer all things. We each have our own pains and triumphs. We each have the ability to hurt each other if we want to. If we wanted to avoid any power imbalance in favor of 1:1 equality, the only answer we'd have would be to literally romance ourselves . And that's 1) narcissism 2) lonely 3) sad. Just ask Raphael.

But unhealthy power imbalances must exist, right? And there is a horrible power imbalance between Gale and Mystra. I would just argue it has more to do with them personally than because of Mystra being a goddess. I'd argue that we should be looking at Gale and Mystra not as mortal and god or man and woman, but as people above all else with their own experiences/motives driving choices throughout the relationship. Examine the ways they look at and treat each other versus themselves. If Mystra was the mortal and Gale was the god, if Mystra was a man and Gale was a woman, I would not change my stance regarding where abuse was committed. Imo people get too caught up trying to make sweeping generalizations instead of focusing on the individuals and how they specifically interact. This in-mind, what are some examples of unhealthy power imbalance as I define it?

A character is physically and/or mentally incapable of participating with proper awareness of the situation, as a partner with equal respect and sway within the relationship.

A character is dependent upon the prospective partner for survival and cannot refuse them without fear of retribution or withholding necessities to survival.

A character is being systematically isolated and made dependent on their partner for all socialization and self-worth.

And so on. Hopefully you get the gist. What I do want to draw attention to though is that these examples offer room to include a variety of circumstances or dynamics within their umbrella. Ex. An underage character with an adult would easily qualify for the first criteria, but an extremely, non-functioningly drunk character would also count. So lets have a look at Gale and Mystra's situation in particular again.

Gale has, by his own admission, been involved with the Weave for as long as he can remember. He sees Mystra as synonymous with the Weave, and with magic. These are things he explicitly states within the game. Gale also has notable reactions to say, saving Arabella from being killed over the idol of Silvanus or Mirkon from harpies. With Arabella especially, the idea of being treated as unforgivable or deserving death for a youthful mistake is something he talks about as if he has some experience with it. And while this is a video game with limited character models, I'm going to estimate that the tiefling kids are probably somewhere between nine and thirteen. We know Gale has been stuck largely alone in his tower with the orb for a year or so. The orb specifically is something that happened when he was an adult, but the way he talks about Arabella with implicit personal identification of facing older authority figures as a young person who didn't know better... I don't think this is the orb alone troubling him. Minsc also has a dialogue option where he talks about how in Rashemen, boys with an affinity for the Weave were hidden away and he suspects it was to keep them from being preyed on by Mystra. Not men, boys. I've seen people try to argue that Mystra would have been indisposed/dead and unable to take advantage of Gale when he was a kid due to the broader Forgotten Realms timeline. I'm inclined to say in this instance, with all evidence in the narrative pointing to a particular arc and theme for Gale and Mystra's relationship, it's more likely that the timeline was something Larian chose to fudge in the interest of storytelling opportunities. The alternative would be that none of those dialogue exchanges meant anything. The narrative is weakened if those moments are made meaningless, and the characters become flatter and less credible without them too. If it comes between trivia and the emotional core of a story, I'd argue the core wins. Gale claims to have slept with other people before Mystra, but that a romanced character is the first person he's slept with after her. I personally suspect it wasn't a lot of prior experience, and he was pretty young when his romance with Mystra began. Additionally, while it's pure conjecture on my part--given how Gale reacts to the tiefling kids it would make sense to me if Mystra started grooming him when he was between nine and thirteen years old. Other people have shared analysis pointing to evidence that Gale unknowingly dual-classed and was a storm sorcerer originally, but was told he was purely a wizard and then had all of his sorcerous abilities eaten by the orb without ever knowing they existed. I do think it makes sense for Mystra to influence Gale as a potentially very powerful sorcerer this way to 1) get him to self-limit through wizard spells so he's easier to predict and control 2) be completely dependent on and devoted to her, starting as early as possible. (For the curious, sorcerer Gale theory is here and here. Very well-done imo!) In any case, Mystra absolutely has personal motive to do what she did, that has nothing to do with Gale personally. That it turned into grooming for a sexual relationship isn't a huge leap in light of her apparent mindset either. But lets take a moment to review that.

This is a really good recap setting up Mystra's situation. Karsus too, by the by. This second video here helps explain Mystra's own situation. My understanding is like this:

Mystryl was the original goddess of magic. Mystryl was a born-goddess rather than an ascended mortal goddess, which is important to note because both exist in the Forgotten Realms. Mystryl was neutral alignment. The Weave, magic, and those casting magic all tied into her divine portfolio. Divine portfolios reflect deities' jurisdictions and callings, which empowers them through use in the world as well as mortal worship. With all this in-mind, naturally it benefited Mystryl to encourage experimentation, devotion, and arcane ambition. The more spellcasters pushed the limits of magic, the more powerful Mystryl became too. This was when the Empire of Netheril came about, with its floating cities and its magocracies. Worth noting, eleventh level spells were being used at this point in time. Cue a bunch of aberrations showing up, called phaerimm. Cosmic horror monstrosities that sort of looked like if you combined grubs and lampreys then made them way too big. On the one hand they were ridiculously powerful natural spellcasters themselves. On the other, they could straight up detect, deflect, and eat magic at will. Incidentally they were also extremely hostile to other life forms. So them existing at the same time as Netheril caused some massive problems. The wizard empire was at war, struggling, and panicking. Karsus was a prodigy and the one most people were turning to for protection at the time. Karsus decided the best way to solve the problem was to become a god himself using the first and only twelfth level spell (of his own design) then get rid of the phaerimm that way. The spell specifically required the caster to replace a god of their choice. Karsus, being a wizard, thought Mystryl was the strongest divine force of all time and chose her. The first video explained very well, but it basically sounds like as a born-goddess--maintaining the Weave was essentially an autonomic process for Mystryl. Basically required as much thought as beating your own heart. It wasn't like that for Karsus. Karsus might have been the best wizard in the sense that someone might be the best marathon runner of all time, but if you take that marathon runner and then tell them they have to pump their heart manually from now on they're not just going to lose any future races they attempt--they might just die on the spot. Which is kind of what happened to Karsus. Karsus became a god of ambition along with magic, then lost his divinity to become a Great Old One instead. These days he's a stone stained in the gore of his dead people who speaks in fountains of blood. (One of the reasons I'm not enabling Gale in his quest to become god of magic, by-the-by.) Mystryl died because of Karsus's spell. Mystryl probably hadn't considered mortals, let alone the wizards who gave her so much power as a goddess, a threat to her personally before. An incarnation of Mystra (not Gale's Mystra) was born from the ashes of Mystryl to become the new goddess of magic. One of the first things Mystra does after basically reincarnating from Mystryl is ban mortals from using magic at level ten or higher. Mystra is now aware that mortals can challenge the gods and straight up kill her personally. She still needs casters using magic at high level to empower herself as a goddess, but it's a double-edged sword that can absolutely kill her. And to make matters worse... this Mystra also gets killed later. The Mystra we have now was a mortal woman (Midnight) who kept Mystra's name to avoid confusing worshippers, who'd been chosen by Mystra previously and ascended into that role. Midnight-Mystra, from the sound of it, also got killed for a bit and had to get saved by Elminster.

Like I said before, I do think there were some timeline blips going on for Mystra with Baldur's Gate 3. As long as she's died and reincarnated twice, her psychological state is cemented. How long it took her to come back and whether there were even more deaths than that is less important. I'd argue the key ideas we're supposed to take away about Mystra from this are that she is a goddess who 1) at this point is an ascended mortal who may have certain inherited memories or experiences from born-deities 2) is hyper aware that mortals can kill her 3) has been killed and reborn multiple times, not just by mortals but the very wizards she draws power from.

This is absolutely a shitty situation. It makes sense Mystra has complexes around it. It makes sense Midnight-Mystra would feel especially afraid when it comes to wizards seeing as she herself is a former mortal, so her position likely feels even more tenuous. The way she interacts with wizards and relates to her own position as a goddess is not as someone secure in her own power, but someone who sees anyone coming close to her level as a direct threat to her life. She needs casters to be strong to fuel her portfolio, but if they're too strong they can challenge her. So she is using whatever tools at her disposal to keep them beneath her while maintaining her own strength. It's also worth remembering that Mystra has no pretense of being good-alignment. Her motive in confronting the Netherbrain wasn't to protect Toril from mindflayers, but to protect herself personally from the Crown of Karsus and protect the Weave from the Karsic Weave. If magic as a force is in danger (as per the Karsic Weave) she might try to do something, but what befalls mortals is irrelevant to her. I'd argue she's 1000% acting out of self-interest for Baldur's Gate 3. And again--it makes sense given her position. It makes sense given the track record for gods in the Forgotten Realms.

So, if we go with the in-game implications that Mystra is supposed to have been active across Gale's life and was active when Minsc was running around a century ago (referenced in his comments about Rashemen protecting boys from Mystra)... what kind of relationship has Mystra built with wizards in particular? This is heavy speculation here but I'm going off of Gale's experience, Elminster's behavior, a point of notable cattiness from Lorroakan, and Mystra's motives.

I think Mystra encourages wizards to compete for her favor, both through their arcane power and on a personal level. She encompasses their entire world and dictates everything they are capable of by holding the Weave in her portfolio. Casters are nothing without her. She is fickle in her attentions, moving between wizard paramours and chosen so they constantly feel the need to prove themselves worthy of her love. As their goddess, they have no room to question her or ask for loyalty born of personal affection. Mystra does not care. She is inherently more than they are and ever will be, and unless they have something to woo her through her portfolio specifically there is no reason for her to stick around. They're lucky she gives them the time of day. Even if she can't literally, physically, personally prevent a wizard from interacting with the Weave--she can seriously screw with them while they do. Mystra's first post-Mystryl act was to blanket-limit the spells wizards could perform, remember? And BG3 Mystra was able to pluck the orb from Gale's chest at any time, whenever she felt like it. She just didn't. Lifetimes of work, dedication, study, and innovation are not ultimately credited to the casters who built themselves through their art but to Mystra. Memorized spells, arcane gestures, the interaction of components. She can make all of that so much harder. And she takes credit for any advancement a wizard makes. Origin Gale has lines with Minthara where he struggles to see himself as capable of anything without Mystra's say-so and needs to be reminded that she can't claim everything he has ever done through magic, and she hasn't managed to stop him yet. The fact that Gale himself, as Mystra's former lover, doesn't believe this initially and needs someone who very much is not a wizard to remind him says a lot about the dynamic Mystra set up with him and (in all likelihood) other wizards. So how does all of this fit in with the grooming point? Well, magic users are going to be much easier to psychologically control if Mystra starts taking advantage of them when they're still children and don't know any better. She needs to feed off of their strength with no risk to herself, so she needs to make sure they are can't even fathom turning on her. Maximize the power difference, ingrain that shit early. And if it becomes a sexual relationship... Mystra can tell herself they're even less likely to consider turning on her because it's just one more way they depend on her for validation.

Mystra's own fear and trauma (like Cazador's) does not prevent her from becoming an abuser. And like Cazador, she's using it to fuel the abuse she commits herself.

Something else I want to highlight before I segue to focus on Gale further, is how wizards deal with each other and why policy differs toward wizards versus other casters.

Wizards are nerds with shared interests. They're fucking around to see what's possible with magic and seem genuinely excited when anyone innovates. Innovation is something they can learn from and incorporate it into their own art. But actual wizard friendships, at least in Baldur's Gate 3, seem to be rare. They undercut each other emotionally and often look for ways to elevate themselves above their peers. Gale's colleagues left him to twist alone in his tower for a year. Elminster prioritizes pleasing Mystra by passing on her message for Gale to kill himself, and defends her if the player condemns Mystra's behavior. He even gets angry for certain dialogue options.

(It bears saying, I think Elminster has been psychologically wrecked by Mystra too. He does seem to be trying in spite of that but guy's not well himself.)

Even if not all wizards look to become romantically entangled with Mystra, Mystra has definitely encouraged competition and mistrust between them. After all, if the wizards supported each other they might realize they're stronger than her and that she's been causing harm. Another potential death.

I suspect the reason Mystra focuses on wizards is because wizards are ordinary people who know they were born ordinary, and know how hard it was to build arcane power. They aren't as secure in themselves as sorcerers who use magic like a reflex. And warlocks manage to work around Mystra with patrons who aren't beholden to her. So best for Mystra to undermine, manipulate, or otherwise occupy sorcerers who are strong enough to pose threats and teach the wizards they'd be nothing without her.

... One of the other arguments I saw recently was that Gale was being disingenuous/lying to himself and the player when he claims he wanted to gift Mystra a part of herself back. That he only wants power for power's sake, is kind of a terrible person, and it would be boring if he was being genuine. I deeply disagree with this stance.

When it comes to motivation, I'd argue power is by nature a means to an end rather than the end itself. "If I'm powerful enough no one will be able to hurt me again," "If I'm powerful enough I can fix every terrible thing I feel the need to," "If I'm powerful enough I can push the boundaries of what is possible and find a sense of wonder at the results."

Power because power does not cut it as a motive. It's likewise with ambition. We're not 2-D mustache twirlers here.

Ambition includes experimenting with a project to see if you can pull off something new or particularly difficult. Finding joy in the process and challenge itself isn't evil. It isn't even unhealthy.

Competing with others isn't necessarily negative either, in the right context. Being an elite athlete at the Olympics for example, you're putting your own skills against those around you in the hopes of surpassing them. It doesn't mean you think poorly of your fellow competitors. If anything, one would hope you respect them deeply for the shared discipline and passion. (But you still want to win, course. ;P)

If you read my post about DnD's pantheon, it's pretty clear I'm not opposed to the idea of A. firing gods from positions they're neglecting or B. nominating others to oversee necessary-but-unused portfolios. There are established gods of the Forgotten Realms who need, urgently, to be sacked. Being born into divinity, set up through nepotism, or 'elected by seniority' is not enough to shield a deity from my judgment. Mystra is abusing her worshippers, and while her portfolio might be able to squeak by I'd argue she's been compromised and is committing unprofessional and detrimental behavior in her capacity as goddess of magic. ESPECIALLY knowing she's like this as an ascended mortal. Any other mortal would be well within moral bounds to replace her. She has no ethical high ground in that regard. Managing autonomic maintenance of the Weave is an issue, but if someone showed up to replace her with the argument that Mystra is unfit due to committing abuse... I don't think that person would be morally wrong. Ballsy as hell, but not wrong.

So what's going on with Gale?

Gale canonically, in dialogue, thinks he and the world might both be better off if he was dead. I'll go a step further and argue that before the game even starts Gale considers his personal self a net-negative. If he isn't offsetting that with magical skill, knowledge, achievements, material possessions, and overall usefulness--he doesn't think he has a reason to be alive. The universe is worse for his existing in it.

Gale brags because he's trying to show he has something of value to give other people when he sees nothing of value in himself. He's trying to prove he can be an asset so others will keep him around. He brags notably less as he gains a sense of self-worth, self-confidence, and general support as acts progress. The times he gets snippy with other casters are because if he isn't the only and most useful magic guy to get something done, Gale thinks he might as well be thrown away. He is replaceable. He's also terrified to admit anything about the orb in Act I because there is no way to see it as anything but a danger and a burden. When that's added to his depression, he's sure he'll get abandoned in the wilderness to explode by himself and it might even serve him right. No one will mourn him. They might even be glad to be rid of the burden he brought.

Gale wants others to like him, to see him as a good person, to see him as someone brave and smart and worthy of trust. He absolutely does not see himself that way. If he's trying to prove it to the party--he's trying to prove it to himself just as much. There's a line he can give with The Dark Urge where he comments that if people are being killed just for being annoying, he should be dead a thousand times over. If you get solid approval with him at the tiefling party, he'll admit he didn't have any friends before the game. And while I can only speak to a particular romantic route, in Act III he talks about having been told to his face at various points/in various ways that he's insufferable. He knows other people don't like him and don't believe in him. If bad things happen to him they probably think he deserves it. He might even think so too.

Gale doesn't see anything worthwhile in himself that isn't built through wizardry. It has to be because he was smart enough, worked hard enough, and showed enough character to earn his power. If it's sorcery (and this is only a standard he applies to himself) then all that effort he put in would become meaningless. He can't look at his personal self as having done anything deserving of value or respect if he's a sorcerer because magic was easier for him than other people. And if he can't provide any magic, knowledge, or resources at all then no one has reason to give him the time of day. People hate him. Mystra only paid attention for his abilities as a spellcaster. The mortal, personal aspects of him were things she put up with.

So forget power and ambition for just a moment. What does Gale as a person in that position, who feels that way about himself, actually want? I'd argue that he probably just wanted to know the person he loved most actually gave a shit about him as a person. That he wasn't disposable or only worth as much as his skills and material possessions. I'm pretty sure he'd have wanted that regardless of whether Mystra was a goddess. Mystra both being the kind of goddess she was and the kind of person she was kept telling him he should be satisfied, that he shouldn't want any more than she was giving him. He can't climb any higher than her. No one can give him more than her. She is divine, she is the world itself. Gale never felt loved in that relationship. Due to Mystra's abuse he got to a place where the idea of wanting to be loved back became sacrilegious. It meant there was something wrong with him, that he was arrogant and insatiable. How else could he feel utterly alone and unlovable with a goddess?

Gale desperately wanted to mean something to Mystra personally, so he tried to offer a gesture of love in her language. Something he thought would be valuable to her as an individual and something requiring a ton of arcane skill/strength to deliver. He wanted her to look at him like he was irreplaceable as a person. I genuinely don't think that's a power-hungry or ambitious thing to want.

Gale didn't understand the orb, and unfortunately for him he didn't understand Mystra either. She wasn't the wise and understanding goddess he thought she was. She never wanted an equal. She does not have it in her to love someone as such. The idea of equality, for Mystra, is something that must be crushed to preserve herself.

I figure that the Gale who ascends to godhood has accumulated a divine amount of stuff and power to compensate for his belief that lacking those things, he would be worthless. If Gale wasn't a wizard it might have been music, or writing, or fighting, or politics--any skill, influence, or resource could be used the same way. It’s not that ambition is inherently bad. It’s that for Gale, it’s unhealthy. The ambition isn’t for its own sake. He’s using it as a counterweight against his own sense of worthlessness. God Gale buries his problems instead of dealing with them. He will never know if a character who romances him only did so because they saw his potential and wanted to come along for the ride. He will never know if they'd have bothered to stick around if he was only Gale Dekarios, if he didn't have so much to offer them. He tells himself it's enough that they believed he could do it.

With the mortal Gale ending, we should note that Gale doesn’t need power to enjoy the study of magic if he’s healthy. His priority isn’t about pushing the limits of spells, making new ones, or making a name for himself. Given room to decide for himself, he just wants to uplift and share with others through teaching. His trends in approval and disapproval support this preference too.

For Gale, I really think ambition and power are crutches he uses to justify being alive because he doesn't see any other reason. Give him a reason and he genuinely doesn't need them. They're the means, not the end. He does not want power for the sake of power. Guy is sad and doesn't know how to live with himself. He's not a worse or less believable character with that being his motive. Stories are about people, and people don't move through the world with static 'flaws' and 'virtues' checklists that need to be balanced. There's nothing inherently deeper or more meaningful about villainous characters compared to heroic ones. People make choices and deal with situations according to their experiences moment to moment, trying to make sense of things as best they can throughout their lives. Gale fits perfectly within this. The other cast members do too.

And for the record, while I'd argue Karsus was far more ambitious in character than Gale--even for him, it wasn't just about power. The guy was trying to save his people. He fucked up in a horrible and traumatic way so he's a Netherese blood fountain now. (RIP Karsus but also someone please pact with him.)

And as one last, controversial section... what did Gale's experience with Mystra do to him when it comes to his relationship with sex?

From how Gale talks about and shows Weave-sex, I'd argue it's an extension of him feeling inadequate as a mortal. And knowing this is a controversial point + a lot of people have done and loved the Weave scene because it reflects Gale's love of magic, I offer this: Gale would not be less worthy of love if he didn't have magic. Gale does not know this about himself. He went from an archwizard with a tower and Mystra's chosen to a level one adventurer sleeping on the ground. His entire relationship with magic for much of the game is incredibly unhealthy because he sees the person left in its absence as worthless. For Gale to have a healthy arc, I'd argue he needs to learn how to look at himself as nothing but a man and know he's still precious and irreplaceable. He needs to learn that he doesn't need to prove he deserves to be alive. He isn't disappointing. He doesn't have to try to impress others all the time to have a place in their worlds. He doesn't need to bribe people with shiny things or unique abilities so they'll tolerate the rest. He can exist as no one and nothing but himself and be treasured just for that.

I think at some point Gale could potentially have sex in the Weave again as a repairing experience where he's confident that his physical body, his reactions, and his wants weren't anything to feel ashamed of. Reclaiming that from his experience with Mystra could be very powerful and sexy. But for the first time he has sex since Mystra, when he thinks he's going to need to kill himself any day now and has been struggling between terror and self-hatred, I personally think it's healthier for him to get the validation of being enough as just Gale. Not the Wizard of Waterdeep. His life isn't being advocated for because he's strong or unique in bed. Someone wants him alive as just a person.

And not for nothing... I'm saying this as a writer who can't not write. I've had to do my own share of reflection about how I look at myself if writing isn't the metric of my worth. I wouldn't think Gale needs to abandon all magic any more than I would need to abandon all writing. But it's really important to know we aren't empty trash without our callings, you know?

Before I end this post, I do want to invite readers to think back to those bullets I made before on unhealthy power imbalance.

A character is physically and/or mentally incapable of participating with proper awareness of the situation, as a partner with equal respect and sway within the relationship.

A character is dependent upon the prospective partner for survival and cannot refuse them without fear of retribution or withholding necessities to survival.

A character is being systematically isolated and made dependent on their partner for all socialization and self-worth.

If Mystra deliberately started grooming Gale from a young age, emphasized and exaggerated the power discrepancy rather than making any effort to close the gap, that's a pretty big deal. Gale definitely never had equal respect or sway in the relationship compared to her. She'd probably find the idea insulting in the face of her godhood. She didn't want a partner but a supplicant who obeyed her with no needs for himself. Mystra actively distorted Gale's sense of boundaries and magnified what she could take from him if he displeased her. His life's work, his ability to access parts of his own mind for spells, his means of functioning in the world, his ability to defend himself... but also? His health and survival, once the orb was brought into play. And socially, Gale was incredibly isolated. It sounds like he hasn't even seen his own mother in at least a year, which I have some thoughts on. He was friendless for a long time even as Mystra's chosen. And Mystra made sure other wizards knew when she abandoned him to the point that even Lorroakan was aware. Mystra's offense was something for others to look down on him for. And Gale struggles in-game with the idea that Mystra mistreated or neglected him--because how could a goddess, his goddess, do that? He's been gaslit so hard that he doesn't quite get a moment of fully realizing it wasn't his fault. In some dialogue options Mystra even tries to frame his trauma over her abuse, unaware even that he had the Karsic Weave inside him, as wallowing in self-pity.

Gale did make a mistake, but I'd argue it matters a lot that the mistake was innocent and that he's woefully misjudged Mystra's character. He's being told it couldn't have been innocent and he deserves to be punished for it. He largely believes that. Doesn't make it true.

[zahri-melitor]

Christmas with the Super-Heroes #2

This is an issue of all-new stories, meaning I finally get away from TT Christmas Carol. And fascinatingly, this set are actually all quite reflective and less relentlessly cheerful and madcap than your average Christmas story. I highly recommend, even though there are no Real Santas in this set.

Superman: Ex-Machina – honestly this story was gentle as it sat with the pain inside it, and the silences, and what people don’t want to discuss. It’s more powerful in the way both Superman and the main character don’t want to spell out their situations more than necessary.

Batman: And in the Depths – another story about grief, revolving around the Cave and those who enter it. I really really like this, as the text helps, but it also works as a story of pictures. Also love a robin (bird) in front of Jason’s memorial case moment.

Wonder Woman: Gifts – Christmas at the Kapatelis', with Diana and one of Julia's good friends, Pastor Sharon Jackson. It's a very ecumenical comic, discussing the foundations of belief and service in the face of abandonment and despair, but it also has this amazingly adorable panel with Diana in an apron working out how cookie cutters work.

Enemy Ace: Silent Night – a proper no-text comic! This one is set during Christmas 1916 at an Allied hospital somewhere in Europe. They're out of supplies and a German war ace lands his plane and delivers a parcel of food for Christmas dinner. He's both thanked and threatened by various staff and patients of the hospital. It's very The 1914 Christmas Truce. (Excuse me I need to go play What's a Few Men by Hunters & Collectors a few times)

The Flash and Green Lantern: An Old-Fashioned Christmas – this is a flashback Barry and Hal comic, heads up, despite the date of the special. And yes, it's a comic where Ollie gives Hal Das Kapital (spelt Das Capital apparently in the DCU).

After Monitor Duty Barry and Hal go to visit a town that seems very depressed at the thought of Christmas as it's 'not like it used to be' and nobody believes in Santa. They run into C.B. Fenster "one of the richest men on Earth" who just wants a good Christmas and for someone to prove for him Santa exists. Hal and Barry decide to do this... by getting Fenster to dress up as Santa and setting up a sleigh to go and deliver presents to various households!

Yes. Amazing picture isn't it.

The first few deliveries don't go too well for Fenster, but then he comes across a woman struggling to put the kids bikes together on Christmas Eve. Her husband ordered them and then conveniently died 6 months ago, causing every parent's favourite holiday game "build the big present out of sight of the kids". Fenster helps and feels pretty good about it. From then on he comes across a bunch of other people who really just need someone to lend a hand and some time.

And Fenster, Barry and Hal reach the moral that often, people just want someone who cares and who cares to listen.

Deadman: Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot – Boston apparently likes to jump into the biggest rich bastard's body he can find right before Christmas and use their money to buy Christmas presents for people and do some good deeds. Honestly, that tracks.

Then he steals someone else's Christmas party by riding them the whole time (as he's feeling lonely).

Then Boston runs into pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El, looking VERY cute.

Boston discusses his feelings of loneliness with Kara, and she delivers a few home truths about being a hero:

"We do it because it needs to be done. Because if we don't, no one else will. And we do it even if no one knows what we've done. Even if no one knows we exist. Even if no one remembers we ever existed." "Yeah. I guess we do. Look, don't mind me. I'm just a putz sometimes, you know?" "No, You're only human. You are still human, Boston. Don't be ashamed of it; Rejoice in it. Because it means your spirit -- as flawed or selfish as our spirits can sometimes be -- is still alive."

And then she's like "Surprise! I'm Kara!" to make it clear for the audience. Boston of course does not recognise her, because COIE.

(You shoulda gone and talked to Psycho Pirate instead, Kara, and gotten recognised then)

[sword-symphonia]

non persona post?? My word she's gone mad (SPIRITFARER REVIEW WAOW!!!!) (Very long, I'm sorry) (But not really)

This review discusses themes of death, loss and terminal illness, as well as containing language. I swear a fair bit. Sorry, I typed everything as I thought of it, bad words 'n all.

Good afternoon,(it is 9PM in Ireland) fellas! Welcome to: SPIRITFARER- REVIEWED BY A TEENAGE GIRL WHO IS VERY NORMAL ABOUT HER INTERESTS!! Move over, IGN- it's the weird little guy in the corner (me)'s time to shine! I simply word-vomited this so unfortunately this review is very unprofessionally worded- however, I have faith it will be a fun read. I hope. Also, it's mostly spoiler free! ...I hope! I'm sorry!

So! Hi. I'm Luca. I have crippling thanatophobia. What's that? A phobia of death. And what's Spiritfarer about? Oh, baby. You aren't gonna fuckin' believe this! And, would you believe it, this game... actually helped me with that fear!

Currently, I'm only nine hours in, but. Well basically the damage is irreparable and I fear I shall never be the same again. Now, luckily, I have not cried. Yet. But I will! Oh, BABY I will!!! I have gotten five spirits so far (I'm coming for you, Gustav/threat) and have already had my first trip through the Everdoor. I wasn't ready. Come back, my dear. Please.

Spiritfarer is a game I've wanted to play for quite a long time, so to have been able to buy it about a month ago was one of the most exciting parts of my year so far. No, really! I was HYPED! HELL YEAH, THIS HAS BEEN ON MY WISHLIST FOR AGES! That kind of feeling. And then I started playing, and... hooooly shit. Guys. Dudes. Bros. What the hell. The VISUALS. WOW. W-O-W WOW!!! HOLY BALLS!!!

Look at this. Witness it with your eyes.

Bloody breathtakin'. I'm in tears. The game is absolutely chock-full of colourful (and not so colourful) locations, characters, landscapes... god, I'm so unwell about the visuals. And the ANIMATION!! AUGH! Every character has unique animations that just... oh they illustrate their characters so well. Augh...

Atul is nearly always happy, bouncy and smiley in his animations- a reflection of who he is!! One of his happiness perks is playing joyful music! He is literally just a guy! And Alice! Alice is a kindly old lady, and this is reflected in her design and personality- one of her animations involves dusting herself off, and I just think it gives the perfect image of a sweet elderly woman simply making herself more presentable. Also, she calls you dearie. What if I started bawling? What if I threw myself on the ground roaring and wailing?

Another favourite of mine is Astrid. She's also a kindly old lady- but with sass. Alice is an absolute sweetheart, but Astrid? Astrid won't say no to a cheeky bit of gossip now and then...but shh don't tell anyone gossip is bad shhh HEY WANNA KNOW ASTRID'S NICKNAME FOR STELLA??? Munchkin. What the hell. I love that nickname. Wish I had an adoptive granny that would call me Munchkin. Astrid, my most dearest darling, how I adore you. AND she's pro worker's rights- damn, what a woman. Also, her eating animation is funny. Absolutely DECIMATES a sandwich, so she does.

Tragically I will shut my yap about the characters now as there are quite a few of them and unfortunately I cannot put anyone through that (but know that Gustav and Daria also make me insane), so let's move on, eh? Who fancies a bitta tunes? I sure as hell know I do! LISTEN TO THAT! RAAAAAGHHH!!!! The music isn't a massive part of the game, per se- but it doesn't have to be! The music, of course, adds a pleasant ambience as you play- but it's not in your face! It's a nice, calm, beautifully composed soundtrack, with a special, unique little tune for every minigame. While I have no musical bone in my body personally, I am something of a- how do you say eloquently- whore for a good soundtrack. I love music, I love creativity!! Hooray!!

I actually don't have much to say on the music, but know that I do love it! But, I really really really want to talk about the themes of Spiritfarer... like, really bad.

Okay, so... I'm actually going to get into personal territory here, and it's going to get a bit heavy. If you'd prefer to skip over that, then please, by all means, feel free to skip down until you see red text.

So, there's another reason this game is so dear to me. And that reason is the fact that Spiritfarer actually helps me to process my own grief. While it didn't come out until four years after the loss of my older brother... it helps. And if nine-year-old me had had Spiritfarer at that age, I feel like she would have been able to cope better. I was unlucky- my brother passed away at 1AM, while I was asleep. To this day, I regret not being able to say goodbye... but Spiritfarer illustrates this in a poignant way- sometimes, we won't be able to say goodbye, wether due to extraordinary circumstances or simply... not realising how little time you really have left with someone. This brings me to the spirit I actually look forward to the least- not for any fault of his character, but simply what he symbolises to me.

I find myself dreading meeting Stanley later on in the game. Stanley, the youngest spirit you can meet within the game, is a lovely little boy of eight, taking on the appearance of a little mushroom creature. Nothing is wrong with Stanley, but... it's important to remember that every spirit is... well, a spirit. Someone who's died. And given Stanley is only a small child, it hits that bit closer to home. He is younger than my brother was upon his death, but he was still a child. While it isn't specified what illness it was that Stanley died from, I still see a lot of my brother in him. Spiritfarer does help me and bring me comfort, but at the same time, I'm not sure I'm ready to meet a character so close to my own experiences. The fact Stanley always seems so chipper and smiley despite his difficulties... does not help. Bit too similar, you know?

My relationship with Stanley is an odd one. I don't dislike him- absolutely not, far from it- I dislike the fact his character, a little boy, has to exist. I dislike that children like him exist in real life, and the fact I've met so many of them. It's a hard truth to swallow, and not one I'm fully prepared to deal with.

OVERALL:

I think this game can be enjoyed by everyone, even if you've never experienced grief. It's a beautiful story, and its gorgeous visual charm and cozy mechanics have something for everyone. You can fish, mine, cook, craft, and basically everything in between! Also, there is a hug button. You can hug people. Game of the decade. I love hugs! It's so... god. I just... really like the hug button, man. Oh, and did I mention you can play co-op?! If you have a friend you'd like to play with, they can join the fun as Daffodil, Stella's beloved pet cat! Look at him, isn't he gorgeous!!

So, would I reccomend Spiritfarer? Short answer:

Yes.

Long answer: Yes, absolutely. It's an absolutely wonderful cozy game, with tons to do. There's no voice acting, but I don't think this game needs it- it tells an absolutely wonderful tale without it. Each character has a distinct personality and quirks- Summer is vegan and will adjust her diet as such, while Atul will quite literally eat anything you throw at him. Giovanni is brash, confident, and enjoys the finer things in life, whereas Astrid likes things plain and simple. And Daria? Daria just really likes fruit.

If you have an interest in Spiritfarer, I highly encourage you to check it out. It's available on a number of platforms (Playstation, Steam, even on mobile- although that's through Netflix, and also not very good. In my opinion, anyway.) I highly, highly, highly reccomend it to all cosy gams enjoyers, or even just people who like games in general. There's even little bits of platforming here and there, if you're into that! Do you yearn for the mines? How about becoming a woodcutter? Or maybe you just really like smelting. Well, excellent news- you can do all those things in Spiritfarer! The gameplay, music, visuals and most importantly of all, the story, make this game a highly worthwhile purchase in the long run. Chances are, if you like Stardew Valley, you'll like Spiritfarer.

Thunder Lotus Games has shattered my soul in ways I may never recover from- however, I am not upset about it. God, I bloody love Spiritfarer. This review took two and a half hours to type, I shit you not. God bless.

[creativia10]

Titan Dream Talk

Request: Eda Meets the Titan

Warnings: mentions of The Titan's death

Let me know if I'm missing any

Pairings: platonic Eda and The Titan, Eda/Raine

Worcount: 1099

Notes: Requested by @MegaZRex123 on AO3

This is one of my first times writing Eda's perspective. Aside from the fic where all of Hunter's parental figures discuss who he should stay with. I hope I do her character justice. This was a short one, but I had a feeling it might be.

It should come as no surprise that everyone was exhausted after the final battle with Belos. Eda set Raine up in a nest she had made. Because goodness did they need it after what they went through. Of course, Eda gave her own share of reunion hugs, but it didn’t take long before she just cuddled up with Raine in the nest. Maybe it was just the relief of finally seeing everyone she cared about safe and sound. After spending so long worrying about everyone. Her weariness finally hit her. Eda rested her head against Raine’s shoulder from where she was in their lap and quickly drifted off.

Now Eda was used to having weird dreams. Since she dealt with the curse and her own battles of having the owl beast within her. But they hadn’t felt vivid or lucid like the one she had before unlocking harpy Eda.

Eda walks along some sort of liquid like she was on top of it. Which was weird not to sink into. There was an orange glow to it like it was reflecting off of something in the environment though.

Eda walked forward to see someone with a resemblance to someone she knew. The tall creature smiled at her with sharp teeth, yet felt more friendly than scary. Maybe it was the body language and posture. It could also be the honestly almost ridiculous-looking clothes he was wearing.

“Oh, my Titan…” Eda said.

The other laughed and gestured to himself.

“In the flesh. Or, well, I guess spirit is more accurate here. Hello, Eda the Owl Lady. It is an honor to finally meet you.”

Eda blinked at him, a bit confused.

Yet, of course, the first thing out of her mouth was,

“You’re wearing one of my shirts.”

He was wearing one of her purple ‘Bad Girl coven’ shirts. She didn’t even have very many, to begin with.

He looked down at the shirt and laughed a big hearty laugh.

“That I am. I hope that’s alright. I wanted to be a part of such a cool group.”

She laughed a little hysterically.

“Of course, the more the merrier.”

He nods.

“Why am I seeing you?” Eda finally asks. “I mean, this can’t be real…right? This must be a dream.”

The titan hmmed.

“This is a dream, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.”

Eda huffs at that. She supposed she couldn’t exactly argue that. She had her own experiences with earth-shattering dreams. She went with the blunt question, that should be obvious.

“Aren’t you dead? I mean it sure seemed like it when Belos was wrecking the island.”

The titan sighed.

“I’ve been in between death for a while now. But yes, I suppose I am closer now. I can’t promise to understand how I am able to do this either, I don’t know how everything works after all. But I am glad I am able to see you though, even if it may be just this once.”

Eda blinks.

“Oh yeah? And why’s that.”

The titan huffs with a smile.

“I’m surprised it’s not obvious by now. Because you took care of my son, King, when I couldn’t be there for him. I’ve always been grateful for that.”

Eda was slightly taken aback. She supposed that made sense.

“Oh,” She said, a slight obstruction in her throat now. She took a deep breath.

“It’s, I mean, well you know��-“

“You don’t have to try and brush it off as not a big deal, Eda,” The Titan said. Honestly, reading her way more than she would have liked.

“I care deeply for my son, of course. Thank you so much for being there for him. I couldn’t have picked a better person to take care of him.”

Okay, she wasn’t going to be able to hold it anymore. Eda’s eyes got warm, and she sniffed as she blinked her misty eyes.

“Gosh I love that adorable dork,” She admitted.

The titan laughed and, to her surprise, put an arm around her.

“I know. He’s great. And you’ve been wonderful for him.”

She shook her head and found herself sitting down abruptly.

“I’ve never known if I was enough for him. Not after lying to him about what I knew of where he came from, or learning that he was a heckin’ titan like you.”

She looked over at him again.

“I haven’t known what I’m doing. How am I supposed to continue to raise the next titan!? He should have been able to be raised by you.”

The Titan sighed and sat down beside her.

“Of course, I would have preferred to look after him myself if I could. But I am still so thankful that you are the one who found him. I may not be able to be there to show him all he needs to know, especially now that I’m not even in the in-between anymore. But he’s got a lot of people who care about him, like you. And some very smart family and friends who can figure out what he needs to. Like how Luz was able to find the runes I showed her.

“He'll be able to come into his own just fine, even if not the way I would initially have wanted. Just keep doing what you’re doing Eda. You’ll all be okay.”

Eda sniffed and nodded.

“Okay. Loathe as I am to admit it, that means a lot coming from you.”

The Titan nodded.

“I know. That’s why I wanted to speak to you in this way. King is in good hands. Remember that.”

As he said that, the dream started to fade.

Eda woke up with a gasp, jolting Raine a bit. She winced as they groaned a bit.

“Sorry, Rainstorm,” She said quietly.

They shook their head and nuzzled into her.

“Everything okay?” Raine asked.

She sighed and looked over. She saw King talking with the collector about something and smiled.

“Yeah, I think so. I just got reassurance in a dream that I’ve been doing well with King.’

Raine looked at her in confusion.

“In a dream? Was this from the Titan who just passed?”

Raine was good at keeping up with the things their family learned during.

Raine hmmed.

“Well, I can’t say I completely understand how that happened, but it seems like it’s good.”

Eda nodded against them. “Yeah, it is.”

Eda already felt like she was close to sleep again. But she felt more content about it this time rather than just hit with exhaustion. Somehow, she was willing to believe things could be okay.

[the-darklings]

—𝗖𝗢𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗤;

Hello, everyone! So with COA being such a long-running series and new readers finding it constantly, I have come to realise that a lot of questions I get often repeat. So to keep everything easy and clear and friendly for everyone regardless of whether you started COA at the very beginning of the story or just recently found it, I have spent the day relaxing, eating junk food, and compiling this FAQ. Please read through it because chances are the answers are here somewhere. I have sectioned the guide into following: general, story, ships, original squad (OCs), AUS, OC!V and tips/advice. If the answer to your question is not here, please feel free to send me a message and have a wonderful day! <33 - kat.

GENERAL:

when does this story update?

I try to keep a bi-weekly schedule (now usually Sunday updates). But I always let you know when the chapter is done by making a final word count post (pre edits). 

do you have a masterlist?

yes, you can find it here.

do you have a tag list?

not for COA. they’re very time consuming and I’m already really busy sorry :(

are your requests open?

I rarely open my inbox for requests. the only exception being the monthly blurb nights. then I reblog a prompt list and let people send some requests in for any fandom/ship. however, usually due to how many I get, it only happens every few months. that being said, you can still send me ideas/suggestions and if it inspires me, I will write it. that’s how the majority of the AUs have come about. but i’m also a very busy person so sorry if I can’t. 

can I make X or Y for COA and tag you?

yes. yes. yes. please, please, feel free to create whatever for COA (no matter how small or silly) because I consider it a great honour that I’ve been able to inspire someone else. whatever it is, please tag me. I wanna see.

okay, I made a thing and tagged you but you didn’t respond :(

Tumblr is notorious for eating my notifs. whatever it is (art/post/etc) if I don’t respond to it in a day or two, please give me a nudge. you’re not being annoying, I promise. chances are I missed it/tumblr ate it. 

I wanna scream/discuss/theorise about COA with others, is there any way for me to do that?

my amazing readers have set up this reddit page that is full of lovely people, theories, and memes etc. I check it often and interact on there, too, so feel free to drop by.

STORY:

how many chapters will COA be?

25. the last one being a very long epilogue.

have you decided on the ending yet?

yes. from as early as part 2. it's barely changed since. 

will we ever see more of Prague/Naples? hoe, please say yes.

yes. I plan to write both as COA bonus stories after the main story-line concludes.

will there be a sequel? 

depends. on two things: 1) if anyone will even care by that point 2) time. this story has consumed 5 months of my life entirely. i’ve been incredibly strict with myself when it comes to writing it (in a good way) but at best it won’t be finished till the end of august/beginning of september. so likely even if I do, there will be a break for a few months at least. I do have ideas though.

you promised us smut. where is it?

patience is a virtue. ;)

happy ending or tragedy? (please don’t say tragedy, you monster)

I would describe it more as “bittersweet” but whether it leans more towards bitter or sweet you’ll have to see.   

SHIPS:

any endgame hints?

you know more about the ending than you probably realise

can v/s finally go to Paris? for the love of GOD? pLEASE?

no

hector + v? powerful. will there be more of them in the future? 

agreed & yes. hector and v have their own arc to go on. it’s actually one of my favourites in this story. I don’t want to say more than that right now because I have plans for their dynamic so no spoilers. :)

please stop bullying john. give us some j/v content please? 

i, for one, adore john. it’s team S that’s bullying him lol. but wait till parabellum. i’ve always referred to that portion of the story as the second coming of j/v.

does lucien actually have a thing for v or is it a creepy obsession? 

it’s both.

I ship v with everyone :/ is that bad?

the sky is the limit. ship all the things proudly (but seriously, no, it isn’t. I ship all the ships, too, and that’s the fun of it) 

v/elder tho? 👀

🔫🤡

j/v or s/v? be honest.

you fool,,,, you buffoon. ot3 j/v/s is where it’s really at. imagine their POWER.   

ORIGINAL SQUAD:

what do the Elites/Lovers look like/how old are they?

please refer to this

will there be more step??

of course. he’s my baby. :)

will we see more of camorra/learn more about the elite’s and their backstories?

while I would love to take the time and flesh them all out with full backstories, only hector will be getting his backstory explored in the main canon because plot.

does lucien care for mika anymore or has he replaced her with v?

lucien is a messy hoe. mika is his subject of “affection” but v is his foil and equal. he recognises the same hurt in her that he has gone through himself so it’s more of a fixation. with time, lucien would likely destroy v so no bueno. 

I ship our OCs.

I do, too.

can we write about your OCs/V?

so you would have to come to me and discuss this more in private but I’m fine with this sort of thing usually. in fact, a prequel hector story already exists so you’re likely good but please contact me first. 

AUs:

when/how often do you update the vampire!au?

whenever I have time/inspo. mainly time. so this means you can get it daily or not get it for several weeks because COA is priority. I keep you all updated on when I have something cooking tho.

what is the actual pairing for vamp!au?

undecided as of yet. i’m leaning more towards ot3 right now but we shall see.

how often do you update flowing in me?

same as the above. whenever I have the time but I will keep you updated.

how many parts will flowing in me be?

I have 5 parts(ish) planned.

do you have a tag list for flowing in me?

I will. please leave a comment on the story if you want to be tagged in future parts!

will flowing in me feature other characters (john, winston etc.)?

this story is mainly camorra-centric but I do plan for John to appear at some point.

how did you come up with your lore in vamp!au?

to be completely honest....I just wrote a bunch of stuff down and used what stuck. mostly the ideas were pulled out of thin air while still trying to keep within the spirit of the canon material (the high priest, the holy church, the twelve priests, john being the boogeyman etc). camorra as the natural enemy seemed fitting and santino as a vampire prince even more so.

can we send you new au ideas/expand on old ones (manager!V etc)?

yes, always. I always try my hardest to reply but ofc I can’t promise I’ll be able to use them all but thank you in advance.

OC!V:

who is the face claim for OC!V?

weronika spyrka

what is her real name?

clara

how old is she at the beginning of the story and now?

23 beginning of chapter 1, 30 beginning of chapter 4 (current timeline)

will/would you ever write an original story about her?

I have considered creating something original out of COA itself or one of its sister series/concepts (like FIM). since I really started working on COA during last year’s NaNo, that might be the time I create something original this year. 

TIPS & ADVICE:

how do you write so much, so quickly?

I don’t think that word count is really reflective of the quality work itself. I don’t think you should worry how much you write, either. 100 words can be just as valuable as 1k. most of them time I have a deadline breathing down my neck and I do work well under pressure so that inspires me to force the chapters out. I also do very long days because despite what it might look like I’m not a fast writer.

how can I improve my writing?

read and practice. I know it’s dumb and overused advice but it’s how I learned english and found my style (still a mess and WIP) but still this advice does help. 

how do you keep motivated?

spite, your support, genuine adoration for these characters/word, a lot of spite. 

do you plan? outline?

I have a vague story outline with specific scenes in mind as I go along (helps to set up foreshadowing, twists, and those ‘full circle’ moments). I also plan each chapter scene by scene and know what each chapter is meant to accomplish. So yeah in a sense. 

[recentanimenews]

Shield Hero Fans Rejoice As Naofumi FINALLY Gets to Upgrade His Party!

  Come one, come all, for it's that time you've been waiting for every week: Shield Hero time! If you haven't watched this week's episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero, please shield your eyes from these spoilers!

  **SPOILERS AHEAD**

Naofumi, Raphtalia and Filo kick off this episode by arriving at the newly changed the Four Heroes Church; not only does it have a spiffy new crest that includes the mighty Shield, but now the BEST TEAM can finally upgrade their classes! It was about time, really! But... something's up. Raphtalia and Filo were unable to choose their preferred class. What's going on here?

    Yes, they were succesfully able to upgrade the classes, but they couldn't choose the one they wanted. That's kind of a buzzkill after FINALLY being able to upgrade! According to our fierce Queen, some special items can affect the whole class upgrade process, locking them into specific classes, even if it's not the class they wanted. For Filo, that probably means that cute cowlick she got from Fitoria.

    When the Queen heard the name "Fitoria", her eyes shone like stars! Could it be... she also loves Filolials like Melty? YUP! They both share an inmense love for our adorable feathered friends! Melty told her awestruck mom the details about Fitoria: her size, to her feathers, and even that she rode Fitoria in her majestic bird form. I hope Fitoria is ready for a visit from another member of the Royal Family!

    But enough of that, why did the Queen suddenly call them over to the castle? Remember that celebration they talked about, but Naofumi wouldn't go to it? It's happening on that very night. A disgruntled Naofumi complains, but the party is all but a front; there's something important that the Queen has to tell all four Heroes. What could it possibly be?

    Our team has no choice but to get ready for these... "festivities". But not before Naofumi plants a new seed of worry! He apologized for the whole class upgrade fiasco; he just wanted them to choose their upgrades freely so they'd be okay after he's gone. After he's..."gone"? That's definitely not what Raphtalia and Filo want! What's going to happen when that time comes? Hopefully this party will be actually be fun so they can ease their worries about what he said. And hopefully this "party" will be as painless as possible for Naofumi... one can only hope!

    Melty rejoins the BEST TEAM for the duration of the party, YAY! Naofumi's off with the other Heroes for their vital discussion with the Queen... but wait, who's that?! 

  Oh dear... It seems like the disgraced ex-princess is up to no good! No worries, though, Melty's on the case! 

    As if that twist wasn't enough, a drunkard has made his way to the table and has chosen to be a total pig towards Raphtalia. Seriously, CAN YOU NOT?! He made himself known as one of Itsuki's cronies, and he declared that as long as they have him, they don't need any OTHER heroes. Is this guy for real? He's not making any friends at this party, that's for sure!

    To make matters worse, this guy made the terrible mistake of calling the Shield Hero a coward. Raphtalia has had ENOUGH, and now she's ready to throw down! I guess that's one way of spicing up the party.

    With all the commotion going on... oh look, it's the disgraced ex-princess skulking about in the food prep area. Of course she'd try to have her revenge by trying to poison the Shield Hero team. NOT TODAY! Unfortunately for her, she got caught red-handed by the great Melty! 

    MEANWHILE, the four Cardinal Heroes are once again reunited, and... yeah, it doesn't look like they're BFFs yet. Naofumi once again reflects on Fitoria's words, and decides that it's time to clear the air with them so the Waves will be easier to take care of. The Queen starts the conversation with wanting to make it up to the Heroes after that whole ugly situation with the Three Heroes Church. With the Cal Mira Archipelago activating soon, she wants them to reap the most benefits as they possibly can with the boosted XP they can all earn. Time for a leveling party!

  Naofumi had no idea this was a thing, and he gets mocked for it by the Idio-, I mean, the Spear Hero.

    Before they can get further into their discussion, word of Bitch's poisoning attempt reaches the Queen. Of course, the Spear Hero is quick to defend her, but what can ya do with someone who refuses to acknowledge what's going on and change for the better? 

  But enough about her, let's get to the heart of the discussion!

    The Queen finally lays out in the open that the constant infighting between Heroes has prevented them from leveling up as necessary to take care of the Waves. They wasted so much time bickering that they forgot what was truly important! The extra boost that they'll get in Cal Mira will fix that (what are the chances of THAT timing?), but they all need to play nice and exchange information to work and fight together as one.

  Of course, the three freakin' Stooges (Sword, Spear and Bow) object to that! What the heck...they haven't learned anything, have they? Looks like they need a wake-up call.

    If the three Hero Stooges don't cooperate, it could very well be the end for them; they'll pay with their lives! Y'all remember how easily they lost the battle at the last Wave while Naofumi had to carry their butts to survival? Well, there's the possibility they wouldn't live through the next one. They ALL need to rally up to take on the Waves, otherwise, not only will they likely die, but the world will pay for their negligence to team up properly.

  Alright, so they finally decide to talk, but their first questions is where Naofumi got the "cheat shield" from... Dear LORD, nevermind, just tape their mouths shut so they never speak again!! All of this has been a culmunation of Naofumi's hard work, but they still called it a "cheat" item. Can you believe these guys?!

    The other Heroes begin to relay what they know, like how to copy weapons, to easy crafting and even teleportation. This is something that Naofumi didn't even know; no one bothered to tell him about any of this! 

  "I'll tell you the secret to growing stronger," says the Bow Hero. Okay, let's hear it! It's all about weapon rarity? But the Sword Hero notes that's a lie, and it's more about proficiency. Yet, apparently that's not right either? The Spear Hero says that it's actually about refinement and stats. These... are all different answers. And their help screens differ in information too! So it's apparent that each hero is working on a different system the second they were transported to this world. Will this info actually help out Naofumi? What a mess...

    Bickering and fighting went on both in this meeting and in the party as well! Are folks able to come together to try and conquer the threats that the world is facing? From the looks of it, it's a lost cause! 

  Thinking on all the different ways the other Heroes detailed on how they got around in this world, Naofumi reflected that maybe they weren't lying about it after all. And as soon as he thought that, the option to copy a wepon was unlocked for him! What luck! Time to go raid some shields at the shop! But one thing to remember: it looks like Naofumi's system is dependant on hearing details about how one does a particular skill, like the weapon copy. 

    Aww yeaahh, now the BEST TEAM is ready to level up lots in Cal Mira! Before they get to that, Raphtalia requests an important pit stop.

    The remnants of Raphtalia's village lay bare for all to see, but the most touching act is that the remaining villagers buried the recovered bodies of their loved ones, including Rifana, to welcome them back home and ease their spirits to rest. It would be wonderful if this village could go back to how it used to be: happy and full of hopes and dreams.

  In the midst of wondering whether he could do more to help, Naofumi runs into a random traveler asking about a village. Could this be a potential new member to the BEST TEAM? 

    It's time to march on, but Raphtalia can't help but worry about how all of this will end. Will they conquer the Waves? Will Naofumi forever disappear when all of this is over? There's no way she'll let that happen! But Naofumi mentions that there's no way that he'll leave them behind, especially not with the other three Idiot Heroes around! But how much of that is the truth? Naofumi at some point has to go home to Japan, right? 

  Our team finally make it to the pier, where there's only one ship at the dock ready to depart. OF COURSE, all the other Heroes took all the available rooms, leaving none for Naofumi and his crew... They sure love to hold grudges! Now Naofumi has to share a room with...

    Hey, it's that guy Naofumi met at Raphtalia's village! What are the chances of that? Will this guy be a friend or foe? Will he side with the other Three Hero Stooges or will he be a valuable ally to the Shield Hero Team? And how many levels will they all gain in Cal Mira? You'll have to wait until next week's episode to find that out!

  But now's the best part of the week... YOUR reactions! Let's check out how y'all liked this week's Shield Hero episode:

  Just watched episode 22 of #ShieldHero. Good episode. Glad to see the four heroes beginning to share information, although they seem to have different mechanics. Kinda sad Melty will be staying at the capital, but it makes sense as to why. I want to know what class Filo is now...

— CascadeHope (@CascadeHope) June 5, 2019

    Naofumi is much better than the other Shield Hero pic.twitter.com/dBHg1wyevj

— Juan ???????? ❤ ???????? (@jc_the_pony) June 5, 2019

  From The Queens Childish side of her liking Filolials like her daughter was Adorable. And the long awaited reveal of the the Red haired character wielding a Scythe we saw in the anime's opening 2. Episode 22 was nice and light hearted ????????#shieldhero pic.twitter.com/OAxRK0NLNJ

— Sovik Pan???? (@sovikpan48) June 5, 2019

  Today is a good day, because both Senko San and Shield Hero come out today! Wednesdays are always amazing now <3 pic.twitter.com/7KYfh0eJFs

— Pat || PlayerTwo ???? (@owTreyalP) June 5, 2019

  The Rising Of The Shield Hero Episode 22 (Review) Did We Just Meet Two New Team Members!? XP Island!https://t.co/TdEQKOCqu3#TheRisingoftheShieldHero Was pretty fun and good at points this week, i kinda wish they tell us more about his skills, Etc pic.twitter.com/qCKNeAlpUF

— The Anime G (@TheAnimeG_) June 5, 2019

  People choose shield just because of rise of a shield hero https://t.co/dr75ZGfWhg

— Lamix (@Lamix_0) June 5, 2019

  When will these people learn to not bad mouth Naofumi in front of Raphtalia ???????????? #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/ukgmuOpWvk

— Chandler Ingram (@Chandler_Ingram) June 5, 2019

  One door closes as another opens. Great transition between arcs. Glad they kept Raphtalia paying respects to her village. Now it's time to get tropical with the Cal Mira Islands ???????? #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/Nh8Y8cZUig

— Chandler Ingram (@Chandler_Ingram) June 5, 2019

  L'Arc and Therese hype!! ???????? Anime nailed their designs so well #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/HMsAPQiTBc

— Chandler Ingram (@Chandler_Ingram) June 5, 2019

  Literally less than one minute appearance in Shield Hero and already in love with this redhead ???????????? pic.twitter.com/40bk7NFCRh

— ???? Έτσι είναι η ζωή ???? (@Hoejabixx) June 5, 2019

  rising of the shield hero :)) pic.twitter.com/oh48YbJTzn

— Ernest Rafael (@InfiniteBlnk) June 5, 2019

  @ShieldHeroEN Even though the Queen has to be serious at the most crucial times, even she can have her inner fangirl moments when it comes to the Filolial Queen. ???????????? #shieldhero pic.twitter.com/xnTLW0EOk7

— Urzu 38 - ????????FFVII: R TEASER TRAILER???????? (@SlvrIceDrgn1981) June 5, 2019

  I’m ready for the new episode of Shield Hero pic.twitter.com/xtiAJXrMiq

— Anime Anonymous (@AnimeAnonymous) June 5, 2019

  New key characters in today’s episode of The Rising Of The Shield Hero pic.twitter.com/3Q5Y8yTqDi

— Austin-Sensei (@LordOfOppai) June 5, 2019

  Give some love to the official Shield Hero Twitter and Facebook fan page where you can discuss the latest episode with fans every week! 

Watch The Rising of the Shield Hero on Crunchyroll

----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[yellow-mapleleaves]

Immortal

an immortal skeleton discussing the intense highs and lows of life

*the skeleton character doesn’t have a specific gender, so I used they/them pronouns

An icy cold water drop that plummeted from the leaking roof of the cabana was enough to make Neoma’s body temperature drop lower. Realistically, anyone’s blood would have run cold if their eyes caught a glimpse of the soulless character that had planted their skeletal feet next to her small frame.

Their sharp heels clicked against the termite infested floorboards as they rocked their weightless body back and forth, all the while craning their neck upwards towards the invisible heavens.

The two gaping, empty black holes on their skinless face, that were usually filled with multi-coloured eyes on living beings, stayed deserted with dust collecting at the edges. Neoma wasn’t able to decipher whether they were capable of eyesight or if they were suffering in the insipidity of eternal obscurity.

Their skinless hands lay on the wooden railing of the cabana where the two melancholy individuals silently stood, mourning their own recent low-spirited lives. Their existence was like two overflowing rock pools on a forever abandoned beach.

Neoma’s breath seeped into the air as it escaped her chapped lips, floating off into the cool night and falling asleep against the sky. The hot steam shifted into doves as it floated away from them both.

A creaking sound cleaved through the ringing silence like a knife slicing through skin. The creature had tilted their skull sideways towards Neoma, black pits of nothingness beaming into the side of her head, which was coated with thick layers of murky silver hair. She had wavy milk-stained strands reaching to a couple of centimetres below her waist. The moon was jealous of the light she reflected.

The skeleton held their searing gaze upon her locks. They grew envious, for they wished their sunset pink hair remained with them after their woeful demise. They distinctly remember the perplexing amount of compliments they would receive each day aimed towards their coloured mane. Faces were painted with dumbfounded expressions when they explained that the unnatural colour had remained with them since birth.

It complimented their luminous eyes. Their now empty, black eye sockets once encased magnificent, viridescent orbs that appeared to hold an entire rainforest behind them, waiting to be explored.

“What do you think?”

Neoma was stunned to hear such a human sound escape from the remains of their mouth. She had expected to hear a more uncanny sound, like the kind of eerie noise made when scraping sharp knives against one another. But instead, their voice could only be elucidated as profound as a tigers growl, but as friendly as a newborn cub. Though, Neoma wasn’t able to decipher if their voice had a more masculine or more feminine tone. It seemed to incorporate both sexes stereotypical voice traits, creating a gorgeous, melodic tone.

Neoma shifted her gaze from the neglected landscape towards the towering, emaciated figure. Her ocean eyes locked onto their non-existent ones, staring into the darkness of their inner skull as they waited for an answer.

“What do you mean?” she murmured almost inaudibly.

“I mean the sky of course! It’s purely superb isn’t it?” the skeleton exclaimed. They threw their skinny hands upwards in excitement, gesturing towards the shimmering firmament.

“What would I have given to be carried up there by dead spirits instead of staying on this floating rock.”

“I mean, yeah. I guess it is pretty elegant,” Neoma stated whilst fiddling with the sleeves of her plum coloured jacket. She beamed at the emaciated hands that were placed on the railing, tapping slightly in anticipation.

“How long have you been alive for?” the creature asked, not taking their empty gaze off the lustrous stars.

Neoma scrunched up her nose in confusion.

“How long have I been alive for? My whole life, I guess?” she answered, turning her head towards their face.

“Yeah, I know that?” they said matter-of-factly. “I apologize, I forgot you’re only mortal. How old are you?”

Neoma held a face of confusion before answering their question.

“I’m… twenty-two years old,” she responded.

Talking to this creature was exhausting. Their speech seemed much more elegant and intelligent, like they were from another time.

“Oh! Wow, you’re very young! You have a lot of years ahead of you. Wow, I wish I was still that little,” they said, shifting closer to her, clearly excited.

Most people when approached by a humanoid creature with no skin would rush to find an escape, but Neoma felt no urge to start running. If anything, she was incredibly curious of this monster's origins and how they came to be.

The vibe that the skeleton held was delightful. Their jumpy tone made the air smile and laugh. Elation covered the surroundings like a soft blanket, making Neoma feel safe and warm.

“Well then, how old are you?” she asked after a short junction of silence.

The skeleton threw their head back and gripped the railing harder, laughter ripped from their extinguished voice box.

“How rude of you!” they giggled, making Neoma’s heart jump, afraid that she had offended.

“Trust my speech fragile mortal, for you wouldn’t wish to have the knowledge of the amount of time I’ve walked the Earth for,” they responded, holding a hand over their ribcage as if they were trying to calm their heartbeat

Neoma frowned at their movements. She wondered if they did possess a heartbeat, even when the lack of pulsating organ was very clear.

“How come?” she asked curiously. She cocked her head to the side, her moonlit locks pooling onto the decaying, wooden railing.

The skeleton let out a yelp before rocketing their hand forward and gathering her long, silver hair into their undead hand. They scolded her like a mother.

“Be careful! I would hate for your extravagant hair to become unclean from the rotting wood. Please do be careful with your hair. I would die a million times to have hair even half as fascinating as yours on my head”

They held Neoma’s hair in their bony hand, the strands overflowing on their fingers due to the thickness of it. Neoma stood up straight and watched the skeleton stare at her hair, bewitched by the amount of care and obsession they seemed to have for her locks.

“Oh, please excuse my disrespect,” the creature said, surrendering their constraint on the girl’s hair. “I only wished to study your hair a bit closer.”

Neoma gave a half-hearted smile to the skeleton, allowing her pearly white teeth to shine past her lips, reflecting the moonlight alongside her hair.

The skeleton felt their ‘heart’ skip a beat as she did so, being dazed by her almost inhuman beauty.

She turned her body back to the railing and looked up towards the scintillating sky again. The suns flickering billions of light years away shimmered and gleamed at her. It’s like they were speaking in Morse code, trying to disseminate with the rest of the universe that their time is almost up. The moment when they will detonate into a black hole of nothingness is nearing. They would demolish everything that comes in a specific radius of them, stretching and pulling them until eventually snapping out of existence.

A rough shiver rippled up Neoma’s spine, vibrating her bones. She figured it was about time she began walking home, back to her lovely abode to settle in for the night with her feathery companion, Leo the barn owl. Even thinking about it made her feel warmer.

“I apologize, but I should start heading home,” she declared, looking back over to the skeleton.

The creature glanced at her and gave the best smile they could while having no skin or face muscles. Neoma admired their attempt of returning her kindness, even when they were biologically incapable of doing so.

“Don’t worry, pretty one, I completely understand. I really appreciate that you took time out of your short life to talk to me. You sure are one of the kindness and most gorgeous mortals I have met this decade. I’ll commemorate you,” the creature said. “And don’t forget to maintain your hair, it’s awfully too exquisite for its own good.”

The girl gave an effusive smile towards them, but it dropped again when she realized that she most likely won’t encounter the emaciated being again.

“Where will you go?” she asked curiously, “Do you have a home to get back to?”

The skeleton leaned forward and implanted their ulna on the rotting railing, placing their head into their hands, creating an odd sound of bones rattling together.

And so, he began his monologue.

“No, I haven’t had a home in a long time,” they began, “Actually, it’s more like I’ve had too many homes in a short period of time. I have all this space and time on my hands and I’ve used it to travel everywhere that is physically and emotionally possible for a being like me. I know every nook and cranny of this Earth. I’ve seen and felt the extent of how phenomenal things can be, like pleasant feelings of love and affection. I know the depressing and longing feeling of meeting someone for the first time, knowing that they will grow old whilst you remain the same for all eternity. And although you will be with them through all their good and bad ordeals, they will never have the time to truly help you with your own.

“Although, that’s only one of the feelings that I’ve grown so accustomed to during my life.”

“The heart-string pulling feeling of holding a newborn puppy. The small bean-shaped animal jiggling in your embrace and letting out sighs of exhaustion. Squeezing their feather-weight body closer to your chest to tune in to your heartbeat, your smile widening when they eventually pass out in your arms.

“Graduating high school and escaping all the stress of handing in papers in time and dating drama that everyone seemed to obsess over so much. Being so afraid yet so excited for what lays ahead of you in life.

“Being married to the one you adore with all your heart, feelings lodging in your throat when giving vows, coming out in the form of a choked sob.

“Walking down the aisle and attempting to glance at your soulmate through your tears of happiness. Tackling your own inner self to not sprint up the soft carpet to throw your hands around their neck, because even if you only had to wait a few more seconds to feel their warmth, that time never goes fast enough.

“The painful yet exhilarating awareness of going into labor with your first child. Going through hours and hours of torture, but holding the tiny human in your arms for the first time is always worth it.

“The feeling of watching your loved one going into labor with your child, eyes filling with happiness and proudness at witnessing your partner holding your child after a long night of agony.

“Watching your young children walk away from you for the first time. After taking forever to unlatch their clingy hands off your legs, pressing them to go into the big scary playground.”

The skeleton lifted his head to place his gaze on the empty air in front of them. “I am able to truthfully tell you that I remember each and every life that I have lived, and the amazing unique humans and creatures that I have encountered in each one.

“I’ve seen millions upon millions of dead pets. You’d think that I would have grown used to the feeling of grief, but to be honest, it gets worse every time I am forced to experience it. At this point, I begin grieving before they are even gone.

“I know the horrific and heart crushing feeling of being told ‘I don’t love you anymore’. That by far is one of the hardest statements to accept, because it makes you question yourself when you were most likely not the cause. It’s just by chance.

“I have developed more of an empathetic response rather than feeling sorry for myself during this situation. I am aware of how hard it is to tell someone that you know longer feel romantic love for them. I’ve had to do it myself many times.

“I know how it feels to be trapped. Having been locked up in a harsh prison for over half a century, watching my friends say their goodbyes before being taken to the lethal injection process.

“I’ve watched a lot of my families be shot to death in front of my eyes. I had to attend their funerals, eventually falling into an unemotional wistful being afterwards.

“The worst feeling I’ve ever had to experience though is the one that is a constant headache in the back of my skull. I have to invariably live with the reality that I am never going to escape this prison of living infinite lifetimes. I am never going to be able to end it. I can’t perish from old age. I can’t succumb to murder. I can’t die of execution. I can’t die of starvation. I can’t depart life from cancer. I can’t even take my own life. You can trust me, because I have tired all the options that I have, multiple times. I have done everything that one entity can accomplish on this cramped Earth, and I can tell you that it’s not amusing anymore. 

No matter how much I want it, or how much I try, I will never be able to close my eyes and die a proper and real death.”

The skeleton shifted their skull towards Neoma, a cracking sound cutting through the silence as they did so.

Neoma stared back at the skeleton, emotions swimming in her eyes, her mind battling itself about what she should say.

“I-I’m sorry,” she suddenly cried. She buried her face into her arms planted on the wooden railing, hiding her tears from the creature. “I’m so sorry.” she screamed, “I wish I could do what you so desperately want. It seems so simple yet so complicated. I am so sorry that us humans complain about having such short lives, when having a never ending one would be a literal hell.

“You immortal beings always seemed so powerful and strong to us, but from what you've said, I can tell you’re just like us. Only, whilst our problems are temporary, yours’s are eternal.”

Neoma sucked in a huge breath to fill her exhausted lungs. She lunged sideways towards the skeleton and encased them with her warm-skinned arms, placing her cheek on their collarbones.

The creature was taken by surprise and stumbled backwards. They watched as Neoma’s long silver hair weaved through their bones, falling in between the gaps and into their ribcage. Exactly where a heart would be if they were existing comparably to a regular human being.

The skeleton held an invisible smile on their face as they wrapped their skin-less arms around Neoma, placing one hand on the back of her head and the other on the small of her lower-back.

In that moment, the great and powerful creature held no regret or sadness, no thoughts on how bad their eternal life was and how much of a curse it was to breathe everyday. The old yet young creature was thankful to have someone who didn’t run, but treated them as an equal. As a normal human being.

Because that’s what they were, just a normal human soul inside a frame that will never fade away.

“Thank you, for helping me forget. Even if it was just for a second, you gorgeous human,” the skeleton mumbled out.

[high5nerd]

Alone Together---Chap. Four

The following day was a Saturday, so Sadie woke up at seven thirty to watch television and have Alice's special breakfast of Saturday flapjacks. It was kind of endearing seeing them wake up to the new day. It brought a strange of feeling of warmth into my heart, or at least where it should be.

Sadie woke up groggily, rubbing her light blue eyes to get the sleep out and almost stumbling in her pink nightgown. Once she was halfway down the hallway, she noticed my presence and held up her hands.

"What is it?" I asked, raising a brow. Did she need another hug? She should know by now I wasn't into hugging or any physical touch at all. Affection like that was sickening.

"Bring me to the table." she mumbled, holding back a yawn.

I let out a bark of laughter, causing Alice to look up at the sound. She smiled, rolled her eyes and continued sliding another large flapjack around in the pan and flipping it expertly.

"What makes you think I'll do that, little one?" I put my hands on my hips, giving her a challenging eye.

She grinned widely and puffed out her chest, "Because I'm the princess of this household! And it is by royal degree-!"

"Decree." I corrected.

"-that you do what I tell you to do!" Sadie finished, completely awake now.

I folded my arms, contemplating her reasoning. She's such a child. I finally sighed exasperatedly, picked her up and swung her over my shoulder, causing her to squeal.

"You didn't clarify how you wanted to be delivered to the table, your Highness." I grinned as she flopped into the chair. Sadie beamed up at me before setting her big eyes on the plate of buttered and syrupy flapjacks Alice set there. I watched Sadie wolf down the fluffy breakfast, and then I looked up at her sister.

I didn't expect our eyes to meet, so we both quickly looked away, or at least I did. I don't know what caused me to look away. Maybe it was the modesty since she was still in sleep clothes or her hair was messy. I don't know…

"Did you sleep well, Pitch?" Alice asked anyway, causing me to look back at her.

I had to straighten myself out. I wasn't acting like myself. Where was the regality I possessed? The smoothness, the swiftness, everything that once defined me? It all melted away when this mortal was around, leaving some sort of mumbling fool that I didn't know was me. It was out of my character, and I hated it immensely. I still do to this very day. I will not allow Alice to see that.

"I slept just fine after finishing my nightmare duties. And you?" I coolly looked at her, but I heard Sadie hold back a giggle. I shot a look at her, and Sadie grinned wider.

"Ignore her. She's always hyper on Saturday mornings." Alice waved her hand in Sadie's direction, who huffed in response to that.

"I can tell," I grinned, and she smiled in return.

"I slept pretty well, actually. Usually I don't sleep very well most nights. Probably because I work a lot." she shrugged as if it wasn't an important matter.

I felt my brows knit together in worry, "That's not healthy. You should get more rest, even in daylight. I promise I won't give you nightmares if you rest."

Alice laughed at that, making this prickling feeling dot across my cheeks. This feeling felt like fire, as if someone held a candle close to my face so I could feel the heat of the flame, right across the bridge of my nose, my cheeks and the tips of my ears.

"Stop laughing at him, Alice. He's blushing." Sadie said, looking at me worriedly.

Alice immediately stopped laughing, trying to be respectful, "I'm sorry! It's just that what you said isn't what I normally hear. But thank you for the promise."

I shrugged, "I don't normally offer that. At all."

"Aw, then it's a high honor!" she teased, winking at me.

I gruffly muttered something under my breath, looking away so she wouldn't see the blush on my face again. I bet I looked ridiculous. I used to be something feared! Where did all that go?!

Sadie seemed to save my hide, because she quickly finished her breakfast, cleaned her plate and then tugged me over to the television.

"Sadie, you're a greedy little girl." Alice gently scolded, putting on her jacket to go back and work a shift at the bookstore.

"I am not! I just want my friend sitting next to me when we watch a movie. You can have him when you get home." Sadie stuck out a childish tongue at her, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

Her sister sighed tiredly, before looking at me with those adorable eyes of hers, "You don't mind, do you? I was going to call a babysitter-"

"No, it's fine," I waved away her excuse, "you go earn that fat paycheck. I'll be here forced to watch Barbie movies."

"Ha!" Alice laughed, slamming a beanie over her hair, "I taught her better taste. Enjoy some good ol' Disney classics."

Now, normally I would never succumb to a children themed movie. I honestly dreaded the thought of Snow White or Little Mermaid, but Sadie ended up wanting to watch some movie called the Lion King, followed by the second movie and then...a one in a half? That's a strange title. Movies can't be cut in half. Odd. There's so much I need to know about the mortal world than I thought. But quite honestly I enjoyed it somewhat, the idea of lions acting like it's a battle of the land and throne. Immediately I recognized this relation to another great piece of work written by Shakespeare, Hamlet. I knew this entire movie was based off of that play, so I was impressed.

Halfway through watching a scene of two lions tumbling down a hill during some song, Sadie turned to me and asked a very blunt question.

"Do you like my sister?" she asked, and I could just barely see the corners of her mouth rotate upward into a disguised smile.

I nodded, "She's a nice person. I haven't met a nice person like her in a very long time-"

"I mean, do you like-like her?" Sadie asked again, and I could tell by her attitude she thought I was dumb.

Alright, maybe I was a little bit ignorant. I pointed out that just because she added the same word in front of the original doesn't make it any more important. She groaned and flopped onto her back, landing right onto the cushions that fell off the couch.

"Pitch!" she exclaimed, "Do you have a crush on my sister or not?!"

I stammered, "W-what?! Who do you think you are of accusing me of such-!"

Sadie leaned back up and her expression was almost amusing. She was imitating the same look Alice used as if to say, 'no nonsense.' I sucked in air through my teeth and looked back to the screen to see some baboon talking to Simba. Hopefully my blush would look like a reflection of the screen or something.

"I don't." I muttered, "Aren't you kind of young to ask something like that?"

Sadie smiled, excited, "It's fun to talk about! Come on, I'm a girl. Besides, why do you always blush when she says something nice and you compliment her a lot and I always catch you staring at her and you follow her around and-!"

"Would you kindly shut your mouth!?" I snapped, causing her to immediately silence herself, her eyes wide that I was ticked off. I sighed, and then turned back to the screen, "Alright, so I do. What does it matter anyways?"

Sadie immediately brightened at that. She shot up like a lightning bolt and jumped all around, completely ignoring the movie she wanted to watch in the first place. Her hands were flying everywhere and she did so many dance moves with one burst of energy, I thought she was having a spasm that needed to be checked out at the hospital. She finally did one final whoop in the air before plopping back down onto her knees, leaning a bit too close to my face as if I were a specimen at a zoo.

"What are you gonna do? Flowers? I think you should do flowers!" Sadie dreamily sighed, "it's the most romantic thing a-!"

"I'm not doing any of that."

She stopped. It's as if my statement shattered her fantasies like broken shards of mosaic glass. But instead of getting angry about it, she gave me a curious look. "Why? Is it because you don't have any money?"

I shook my head, not really wanting to tell her why I know I'll never approach her.

"Think about it, Sadie. A spirit, who to everyone else, is invisible. You want me to be with your sister?" I asked, giving her a look that a teacher most likely would give to question the judgement of a student.

Sadie merely nodded excitedly, "Yeah!"

I sighed once more, running a hand through my hair from the stress that was slowly building up in both my chest and my head. How can this girl not get it? Spirits and mortals can't be like that. They never can. How was I to explain all this to a nine year old? I looked up at her, and noticed how she genuinely looked concerned.

"Your sister would hate me. It just...wouldn't work, okay?" I leaned against the foot of the couch once more and glued my eyes to the screen. End of discussion.

Wrong. I should have known Sadie wanted to talk more.

"How do you know? You've done nothing wrong." she said, but was surprised at how I shook my head.

"Sadie...I'm a terrible being. I killed my own family, I tried destroying the Guardians, I almost succeeded in gaining total control over the world, I threatened the life of a child and I almost killed Sandman. You think your sister would find any redemption in that?" I looked at her.

As I suspected. She was horrified. She looked heartbroken, that I was a killer in the past. She looked down at her bare toes, sadly wiggling them to distract herself for a second. She must have thought for a while, because she looked back up at me with a determined glare and said, "Yeah, you deserve forgiveness."

"You're just saying that." I rolled my eyes, but Sadie shook her head furiously.

"I'm not! Sandy told me everything. He said you were under control of evil magic when you killed people in the past, so it technically doesn't count."

"Sadie!" I shouted, angry, "I killed my own wife and the king and queen of the Constellation I lived in and I murdered countless others to gain total dominance of the universe!"

Sadie's lower lip started to tremble, and her eyes were becoming glassy. I sighed, leaning up to face her, "You need to understand that. Life isn't...life isn't just a fairytale. Call me a hypocrite because I'm literally the walking proof of it, but bad guys are never forgiven. Bad guys never get a happy ending. And...and I'm a bad guy."

Sadie's tears stopped when I said that. She looked down at her lap, her hands folded perfectly as if she was contemplating the words I said to her. I truly felt guilty I just told her the most horrifying things that happened in my life. That wasn't something I should just throw onto a child, especially one who has suffered with loss like she has.

But then she opened her hands, and inside was the stone Sandy gave me. It was a bright pink, like the shade of the lightest rose one could find. When I picked it up in my hand, there was a warmth to it that felt as if it was a living object. I could almost feel a faint pulse in the stone. I looked up at Sadie, who timidly smiled.

"You're not evil, Pitch. I know you're not. Because if you were, Sandy wouldn't have given you a second chance. If you were, you wouldn't be here. It wasn't your fault that many people died, you were being controlled. It wasn't fair. But now you can make it better...and stop wasting time." Sadie said, pointing to the rock and then to me.

I flipped over the stone, noticing how the color of light pink was on both sides. It still radiated a warmth that was inviting. I finally smirked, and a harmless chuckle escaped my throat.

"You know, little one…you're wiser than you look."

Sadie shrugged her shoulders, smiling a little bit brighter than before, "Mommy taught me that. She always believed people were good inside. Daddy taught me also that forgiveness is important, and that grudges are not worth it…" she trailed off, trying to recollect any memories of them.

I smiled, and touched her cheek reassuringly. She looked up, trying her best grin to hide her sadness that they were gone.

"You're one of the bravest kids I've ever met, Sadie. You keep on honoring your parents like that. You'll be very happy if you do." I promised her, and tapped her nose to make her smile.

She giggled and hugged me, and this time I didn't flinch at the touch like I used to. I patted her back and smiled brightly, gladly welcoming the feeling of being something close to the fatherly figure once more. I missed that parental feeling. I miss being a father…

Sadie drew back and said casually, "So are you gonna kiss my sister or not?"

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Before Spec Spidey Batman Beyond was called the best Spider-Man cartoon ever, more or less as an insult to all other Spider-Man cartoons, but more specifically the 1994 Spider-Man animated series.

 Frankly in thinking about it...that’s really just superficial and ignorant.

 The point of view stems from the following commonalities between Batman Beyond and Spider-Man, though I’m sure I am missing some.

 1)      They are both about teenage superheroes

2)      The protagonists are both being raised by single mothers

3)      Both have a blonde/ginger jock rival at school

4)      Both have corrupt industrialist businessman villains who’re untouched by the law and believed to be perfectly innocent

5)      Both have villains who have inky black bodies and shapeshifting powers

6)      Both have friends who turn into villains

7)      Both have villains who are urban hunters

8)      Both have love interests who are morally grey, black and white clad costumes thieves

9)      In one scene the protagonist of the story comes home to find police outside his house and informing him his father figure was murdered , believing that the killer’s actions had something to do with them, thus facilitating feelings of guilt within them

 Let’s go through those points and discuss why Batman Beyond whilst a great show is really NOT the best Spider-Man show ever exempting Spec Spidey.

 They are both about teenage superheroes

 Spider-Man invented the archetype of the teenage superhero but it doesn’t inherently mean any teen hero equates to him.

That would be like saying every superhero ever equates to Superman.

Specifics of personality and life situation matter.

Peter Parker is a wholesome nerdy kid whereas Terry McGinnis is a modestly popular ex-juvenile offender and punk.

 The protagonists are both being raised by single mothers

 See above. Noticeably Terry doesn’t have to support his mother the way Peter supported Aunt May and she is neither elderly, sickly nor doting.

  Both have a blonde/ginger jock rival at school

 Sure, but whilst Flash Thompson was a jock with some semblance of redeeming features and adored Spidey, Nelson Nash was indifferent to Batman Beyond and generally seemed like an arrogant jerk and nothing more.

More poignantly while Flash was a bully and bullied Peter Parker specifically Nelson was not a bully to Terry McGinnis . They competed, were rivals but they ultimately hung in the same social circles whereas Flash was very much higher up the High school hierarchy than ‘Puny Parker’.

 Both have corrupt industrialist businessman villains who’re untouched by the law and believed to be perfectly innocent

 Derek Powers and his son Paxton Powers could be compared to Norman Osborn or Kingpin.

 However Kingpin is more or less akin to Spider-Man in so far as he spawned an archetype of businessman criminals of which even post-Crisis Lex Luthor would fit. Does Kingpin own the franchise on this type of character and nobody else can play on it?

 And whilst Derek Powers/Blight is a better analogy to Norman Osborn/Green Goblin due to their secret identities as villains (and green colour schemes) their personalities, motives and overall relationship are wildly different.

 Derek Powers is more or less a ruthless and mercenary businessman. He breaks the law and hurts people, even kills them, but it’s all to simply protect his interests or make a profit.

 Whilst Norman would definitely do things like that, for him the money is just a means to an end. That end being power. And unlike Derek who will kill and attack someone if you antagonize him, Norman is outright sadistic. He doesn’t seek to simply kill his enemies who’ve really gotten to him so much as destroy and torment them.

 Finally for Derek Powers, being Blight is a frustrating illness he wants rid of and tries to not to spend too much time in that identity. For Norman it is the route he truly desires to seek power from. He loves it and feels complete when in costume.

 Both have villains who have inky black bodies and shapeshifting powers

 Again this is profoundly superficial.

 Putting sex aside, Venom and Inque are very obviously completely different characters.

 Inque’s powerset makes her a living blob.

 Venom is a solid pack of muscle who uses said muscle and very physical force to attack with.

 Inque is a mercenary and saboteur in it for the money and at most a little payback.

 Venom is a delusional, obsessive stalker bent on revenge.

 Inque is a at the end of the day just a villain to Batman Beyond.

 Venom is a terrifying dark reflection of Spider-Man who preys upon his personal life.

 Both have friends who turn into villains

My how utterly exclusive to Spider-Man and Spider-Man alone that is.

 And of course vulnerable drug addict and abused kid Harry Osborn going over the edge and becoming a bad guy out of a desire for post-humorous paternal approval is just like Charlie Bigalow.

 I mean he was a troubled punk kid who pushed the law with our hero when they were kids and wound up in prison before getting out and mutating.

 They are the exact same thing.

 Both have villains who are urban hunters

 Kraven the Hunter is not the only example of a character like this. Merely the most famous.

 Both have love interests who are morally grey, black and white clad costumes thieves

Ten is obviously Catwoman more than she is Felicia Hardy.

More poignantly Ten and Terry’s relationship plays out excluisivly in their normal identities and is about genuine young love. Ten also doesn’t honestly want the criminal life she leads and does so out of family obligation.

Peter and Felicia’s relationship begins in their costumed identities and is about Peter trying to turn her away from villainy and her thrillseeking ways making that difficult. Felicia is an adventurer because it’s who she is and wants to be, a decision she made for herself not out of any obligation.

 In one scene the protagonist of the story comes home to find police outside his house and informing him his father figure was murdered , believing that the killer’s actions had something to do with them, thus facilitating feelings of guilt within them

 Yeah but the Terry’s guilt is resolved by the end of the first 2 episodes when he learns his father’s death had nothing to do with him.

 When the death of your teen hero’s father had nothing to do with their own actions and doesn’t teach them a lesson about how and why to be a hero then fundamentally you are not telling a Spider-Man story.

 I could go on and on about other deviations between Spider-Man lore and Batman Beyond but instead I want to focus upon the stones thrown against Spider-Man the Animated Series by comparing this show to Spidey.

 I’m not suggesting Batman Beyond wasn’t INSPIRED to some extent by Spider-Man but the idea that it was honestly a Spider-Man show in even an abstract sense or that it was the ‘best’ Spider-Man show until Spec came along is utterly boneheaded and superficial.

 And I’m not talking about simplistic differences like the names, costumes and power sets of the leads being different or any of the deviations I listed above.

 I’m talking about the spirit and core concept of Spider-Man vs Batman Beyond being intrinsically different to one another.

 Batman Beyond conceptually is about a punk teenager who becomes Batman in the future, learning from Bruce Wayne and trying to redeem himself for his past as a punk. It’s dark, it’s edgy, it’s about legacy and helping a city which is in desperate need of the hero they lost long ago. A better analogy would be to say it is the Mask of Zorro to regular Batman’s Mark of Zorro.

 Spider-Man conceptually is totally different. To begin with (and putting aside the futuristic setting) Spider-Man isn’t ABOUT being a teen hero. He merely started that way. Spider-Man is about one man’s life as he juggles the responsibilities of heroism alongside the normal life responsibilities most of us deal with at some point and the complications thereof. The point of the character is for him to be relatively speaking a relatable albeit nerdy guy and to examine the themes of responsibility, specifically in relation to the power one has in one’s life.

 This is ignited by an origin story of a kid shirking his responsibilities and learning the harsh price of doing so. Batman Beyond much like Batman himself is a story not about someone becoming a hero because they saw the ramifications of them NOT being one but becoming a hero because the forces of evil took someone they love, so they resolve to try and prevent such a thing from happening again. Peter’s story is an aesop’s fable where he is shaped by his own mistakes whilst Burce and Terry’s stories are about cruel chance shattering their lives. They are innocent victims in the tragedy of their origins, whereas Peter is not, he could have prevented calamity.

 It goes without saying Spider-Man the animated series got this right so I don’t see how on this count anyone could say Terry is Peter and therefore Batman Beyond was a better Spider-Man tv show.

 Furthermore a vital part of the core concept of Spider-Man was his status as a independent, self made man. This again was captured in the 1994 cartoon whilst Batman Beyond hinged upon the student/teacher relationship between Terry and Bruce Wayne. This would be a categorical betrayal of Spider-Man’s story if done in a Spider-Man show.

 Tonally Spider-Man the Animated Series captured the vitally important grey area Spider-Man typically occupies as a series. Spider-Man stories can fall somewhere between light and fun, dark and serious. Usually they mix the two together so that there is bombastic colourful superhero action alongside more grounded real life human drama. Spider-Man the Animated Series eloquently captured this vast range with dark stories like the Alien Costume Saga, goofier episodes like the Spot spotlight episode and the ‘somewhere in between’ like the debut of Mysterio which generates pathos for our hero whilst showcasing the over the top character of Mysterio, having Peter and Mary Jane flirt over the phone and have her later dump him. Batman Beyond meanwhile was appropriately dark and edgy most of the time with occasional ventures into the light and the fun.

  Microcosm of this can be seen in the characters’ divergent senses of humour. For all the one liners and jokes Terry McGinnis dropped, his style of humour was akin to a James Bond ‘cool one liner’ or Ali’s trademark disses. Spidey in the 90s cartoon much like in the comics, was more of a witty banterer, prone to mocking the absurdity of a villain, a situation and even his own lifestyle.

 Some examples to illustrate the differences.

 In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Terry McGinnis confronts the Jokerz gang and says:

 It's a school night, boys and girls. I'm gonna have to call your folks.

 Cool. Bad ass. And one of the few things Terry says in the proceeding fight, let alone one of the few jokes.

 In the episode Doctor Octopus Armed and Dangerous, Doc Ock says

Spider-Man! You're making a career of interference!

 Which then prompts our hero to say:

  Some career! No salary, no vacation; and talk about on-the-job health hazards! 

 Later in the same episode this exchange happens:

 How does it feel to know that you could change things, Spider-Man, but be helpless to do so?

 Not as bad as I'd feel if I had a name like Doc Ock! 

 See what I mean. Terry has a sense of humour but it functions totally differently to Spidey’s.

  In terms of story structure Batman Beyond followed the typical DCAU standard of making mostly self-contained episodes which were mini-movies in a sense. Now it DID have one notable subplot which was Derek Powers’ medical condition which ran during the first season. But really that was it. Beyond that whilst some episodes exist post certain shifts in the status quo a lot of episodes are interchangeable in their viewing order. Typically any given episode is just a day in the life of Terry McGinnis .

 And I’m not insulting the show for that, it worked beautifully. But it is totally not how Spider-Man’s comic book series nor Spidey TAS functioned. Although one could shift some episodes around in the first season of Spider-Man the animated series the majority of the show demanded you see the episodes on sequence to get the full story.

 Peter’s life much like the comics wasn’t a series of day in the life adventures, but rather a forward flowing narrative wherein events of one day might impact upon the next and so on and so forth.

 Spider-Man in episode 10 of season 1 is casually interested in Mary Jane Watson and Felicia Hardy. By the concluding episode of season 3 he’s very much in love with Mary Jane and debating ending his career as a superhero to be with her. By the final episode of season 5 he’s come to complete peace and acceptance in his life despite the absence of Mary Jane, whom he is determined to find and be with. These events run in conjunction with shifting developments and subplots in the lives of the supporting cast. In season 1 Norman Osborn gets in debt to the Kingpin whom Spider-Man is unaware is Wilson Fisk, meanwhile Felicia Hardy is casually dating Flash Thompson. In season 3 Norman becomes the Green Goblin and seeks to kill Kingpin to free himself of the debt, whilst Felicia is trying to move on from her lost love Michael Morbius with Spider-Man himself and Jason Macendale who is in fact the Hobgoblin who was originally created by Norman Osborn to kill Kingpin to free himself of the debt. In the course of the season Spidey learns Kingpin’s identity, Kingpin pressures Norman to reveal Hobgoblin’s identity prompting Norman to become the Goblin again and reveal Macendale’s relationship to Felicia whilst also trying to get rid of him and Fisk.

 Which brings me to my next point. Whilst Batman Beyond did have a supporting cast they didn’t get half the play that Spider-Man’s did, which is appropriate because the supporting cast is a vital part of Spider-Man’s lore. To underuse them or not have them is to most definitely be screwing up Spider-Man. In this regard if we were judging the two shows as a Spider-Man adaptation Spidey TAS crushes Batman Beyond as the supporting cast is large, present and has their own subplots beautifully intertwined with one another and the main plots overall. And often times these sorts of entanglements are romantic in nature, far moreso than in Batman Beyond.

 All of which is VITAL to the spirit of Spider-Man the comic book series but is mostly absent from Batman Beyond.

 I could go on but to start wrapping things up lets ponder the question of WHY anybody in t he face of these incredibly obvious deviations ever claim Batman Beyond is the best Spider-Man show ever or in fact a Spider-Man show at all?

 Because...it had better production values.

 Honestly that is the real reason. Batman Beyond had better animation and used less stock footage, therefore it was better as a Spider-Man show than Spider-Man the Animated Series.

 And I won’t deny it’s better quality production values, nor will I dive into why the production values were different.

 But I will say this...it’s superficial. I’m not saying good animation isn’t important to an animated TV show but good lord surely the story and the characters themselves are at least AS important if not moreso. In that regard Spider-Man the Animated series as a Spider-Man show is egregiously superior than Batman Beyond.

 It is truly an honest and heartfelt interpretation of the Spider-Man mythology as it existed at that time.

 Batman Beyond is not. It’s just an incredibly awesome show unto itself that took cues from the same lore but was it’s own thing.

People need to stop being superficial morons and saying otherwise.

[nymphadorathetemplar]

Some of my live reactions I wrote down while watching VLD S4

"remember purely intelligence gathering, do not engage" is that Keith? proly who else would you have to say that to (plus look how small he is compared to other two, also p sure I spotted his lil knife handle) I noticed other Marmorites have fanny packs does this mean it's a genetic instinct thing for Keith or he learned it from his mom or from dad who picked it up from mom or just a logical thing to do for those who think smart about being prepared aww Keith, need to be more sneaky dude, learn from Lance. But wonderful knife throw oh my gosh Keith, such good boy, poor boy struggling with Marmora protocol ooh boy tell him aww Shiro AWW Pidge, Lance! Please be more understanding pls don't make that face Keith can they not know about his BoM missions? oh they should, so why RAZZLE DAZZLE TIME! pfft drama queen "It's rigged to blow!" yep gotta be for sure now, this boy knows his bombs Regris... also nice parallelism from parade to mission gone wrong go Keith pls Coran "I said I don't want a lecture" oh no does he want to go grieve for Regris (and maybe blame himself? he did mention at least planting tracker fore leaving) yep Keith's da bomb boy oh poor dear you need to realise their importance of moral so you can better explain to them and they can finally understand you you tell her boy poor Shiro... imagine having to listen to your family suffer and you can't do a thing awww yissss! it had to be Shiro's mental state of mind that prevented himself "we have–... I have to take it" oh Keith Keith...no also this "catch phrase" says so much bout his thinking and personality "I can't tell you how much that means to me " screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee– *group hug* quiznakin dead I love you all! I love vld so much aww Pidge "Reunion" yas yas yas YOU STFU! you are the best nerd Pidge "hey Pidge?" Fuuuuuck (yeah fuck it at this point I'm straight up saying fuck) *sigh* feels oh dear Matt is also hot and cute, I'm Love (also is his voice  different? maybe just because he's not in terror or excitement thrill) srsly dude, easy money for info not your goods and you want to fight someone strong enough to get that security footage "auspicious occasion" need to integrate that into my vocab use for small things to makes them feel more important not just the eyes but yep no te-osh look at that girl go, saving countless lives and gaining alliances oh ho ho hacker Holts "most powerful processor" ahh wise Matt, truely a man after my heart no no no no no no no no no no no please be visiting a grave please be visiting a grave please no heart break (top 5 tragic anime death, I am so sorry I am trying not to break down over a character I've fallen so hard for) oh oh oh!!! thank you thank you thank you smart siblings so clever thank the ancients but srsly my heart, too much in a few minutes yay! Thank you thank you thank you!! "well I'm one of the paladins" smirk ahh Jinx holts "let's show em what the holts are made of" I love y'all so much bloody brilliant nerds okay okay okay cute pics but also Sheith/Broganes in background!?! Nice Holt backstory, now I’m itchin for Shiro and Keith’s so nice to know for sure how she got his glasses aaahhh ha hah! fuckin nerd such a heavy feels ep, wonderful can Haggar please realize and go back to her Honerva happy times "memory reminants deep to claw out" hmm you would know like Spirit Away radish god lift scene Hunks laugh! so pure very appropriate reaction Matt but also fuckin nerd (bet he loves anime, I would know) yes yes Lance the Allurance vibes!also a ruval has appeared? Alluraatt? Mallura? "wayward son" blasts Kansas nerdy siblings such pure excitement fuckin puns... Please Pidge may I marry your brother srsly great husbando material right there Alteans love for milkshakes and misunderstanding of them and Kaltenecker, too adorable oh That's an adorable expression Lotor hmm sad aw yeah Smirk™ no Narti please don't betray Lotor "what are we, animals" siblings, I love proud Hunk is such a good look haha he keeps trying even after he misses, like I would prefer to practice in private so so glad they got the video game working, knew the geniuses could do it hopefully it's Kova not Narti spying amazing smarties ah sibling like Lance & Pidge what where did they get second chair no pay attention this only happens when Lotor is involved aww Narti no oh ho ho Outlaw Lotor "The Voltron Show" amazing I hope it's kinda like the AtLA play RAZZLE DAZZLE! i miss keith (sorry I love him too much) "legend not documentary" LOL hahaha funny I just mentioned him "just act really moody" First Pidge now Coran, dude if two smartest people in the castle say so, it is law Keith is emo confirmed (also proof he is not an emotionless meanie) "holds bayard dashingly, oh" awwww Lancey living for the show so cute Coran. Coran please no no no don't take the suspicious drugs! no I thought of you as one of the wisest Stop! Leave Coran alone! your feelings are very validated but you do not need to continue for so long do you? you don't know his side I do not fancy this ep of putting Coran down aww Alfor fanboy Eww! No! look! the Purple alien who Lance winked at & ate Hunk's delicious food, dating a space cowboy (also can someone draw Keith or Lance or both in space cowboy gear) geez Coran that voice Thank you Rhys Lance is all about that life whaaaa okay that is an awesome performance Shiro is so acrobatic!? Look at Lance lovin it Go Go Power Rangers! cute Hunk Bii-Boh-Bi. oh my too cute Too good, Voltron on Ice stick signature signing "Loverboy Lance? It's perfect cause it's true" oh geez that is so lance but I also heard some Jeremy suave in that These nick names... amazing Shiro the Hero!! We've been saying that! Cuz it's true! aww I don't care for humerous hunk so much, being for comic relief sterotype but still cute cause it's Hunk "now put on this tight shirt and get out there" fuck. Coran knows his schist oh my lioness...pole dancing Lance Yes Please. Admire that muscle strength aww Coran please rest "except for you Shiro never you, you're our most popular character" Wow. writers tossin in that shade priorities Lance pfft that's obviously "get ready we're on in five" come on Lance oh I hope Keith saw part of their shows and is thinking fondly of his friends Varkon?!!? you think Plaxum was dreamily watching Lance? (ofc I ship it) *bii-boh-bi shurg* mood "help me bii-boh-bi, you're my only hope" wonderful bii-boh-bi, the true mvp I love this Voltron Show theme music aww I love you Coran but don't talk to Bii-boh-bi like that! ah fuck I just quietly squealed Keith to myself as an automatic reaction to seeing his face, I love him too much "Pidge and I can handle that" cute! (Punk!) "pow pow pow! easy peasy" I love you Shay! (Alluray!) aww Axca's trust for Lotor (ship? ship, I'm so sorry I love shipping) Rolo! Nyma! Beezer! daww Pidge holy crow Fandom totally predicted Matt being the smarts of Pidge with the humour & flirtiness of Lance oh what special window for the cute dog? they important or just reppin? ah I love Allura's leadership/inspirational speeches "no pressure" I feel ya Hunk Yass! Hunk smash! oh oh Female Galra Commander!! ahh cute doggie leading the charge!! "a third of the rebel forces have been decimated"...no war is truely sad "copy that we're in route" I'm still sad but Keithy! look it them so bad ass Aww yiss!! Keith is ready to pilot, gaze upon that beautiful smile of eagarness, such a precious boy *galra holding breath,sweating while hoppin away* pfffft same "see if the blades can use thier cannon to take down the sheild" woah. that voice. very nice voice also I love captain dog so much!? great thinking Allura! man they work so well as a team now, I love them so much. I've missed the full out transformation sequence aww no Zethrid, Ezor, especially Axca Keith to the rescue! smirky smirk™ woah! wicked Lotor "good" oh no oh no oh no no no, oh schist what's that mean!?!? "A new defender" who it be!?? nice sheild reflect the way I feel about Lotor is the way I feel about Yagami Light argh Zarkon actually made a wise decision ugh woah!! Lotor's determination is a match to Keith's! "awake Naxzela!" Oh shit wad up!? What she doin?? oh no please don't be a huge bomb/quintessence drainner Listen to Lance's instincts please Listen to Hunk oh good only looks like gravity field please please oh no look at Team Voltron go! come on bring on the magicalAllura No! Allura! Team! "are you okay?" Allurance!! hexamite!! Fuuuuck I hate when my bad predictions are right! Bloody bomb oh gosh oh gosh "10 solar systems" oh schist "Victory or Death is the Galra way. They never stop attacking " yes yes! exactly Keith put your galra culture thinking to good use! wow look at Keith being a great leader as soon as others don't pressure him You go Keith go be a great Leader when you need to, please recognize the greatness Shiro sees in you Look at Lance thinking awww his wonderful encouragement, this is why you are wonderful!! also great Allurance material right there! Magical girl Allura!! "Thank you Lance" "that was all You" I love them so much "What the ruggle is that?" new vocab "evasive manuvers" oh it's doggo captain coool I thought it might have been Axca "we're not going to make it" No! Please God no! Please! if this is a Keith Sacrifice, God Please No! This atmosphere I can't!!! Please No!! Don't you fucking dare make that face Keith!!!!! No!!!! aaaaaahhhhh please! No!! No!! No!! Stop making that face!! "Maybe not with our weapons" SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE– "Wait Keith what are you doing? Keith no!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! S A M E!!!! Holy Crow!!!! Holy Crow!!! Holy Crow!!! Holy Fuckin Crow!!!! I can not Iliterally can not all these emotions so strong and in such a short time I  am dead thank you Lotor I love you so much female commanders

"I think it is time we had a discussion" oh yes please. So good. They finally get to meet each other's beautiful faces Also I hope Matt tells the team how Keith was about to SmAsH his FigHTer into the fLiPpiNg PArTicLe BArRiEr!! Can we see the team’s reaction? Please dreamworks A much more preferable "cliffhanger" compared to previous seasons Thank you for this break seeing as I've already been slain

[loopy-atla-fanfic]

Samsara - Chapter 7

Rating: T

Characters: Mai, Zuko, Ty Lee, Azula, Iroh

Story Warnings: Ableism, Suicidal Thoughts

Written for Maiko Week 2017

Karma

"Come on, Mai. It's time to embrace the day Hey, that rhymed."

And so it started again, with a chipper cutesy voice and a call to action.

Well, she had accomplished everything she had set out to do. She hadn't missed a single element. She had pushed herself to the limits of her mortal power, using more than a little quasi-immortal knowledge, and saved as many people as she could. Of course, she hadn't been able to save everyone. There was a war on, after all, and the harbor battle in the morning was poorly timed.

Hm. So this was what it felt like to be Zuko: eternally trying and eternally failing.

Unless, of course, you redefined success as trying your best. Then the only way to fail was to not try.

Was that surrender?

Was that making yourself your whole world?

Did Mai properly understand either concept?

Eh, who cares? Philosophy is boring.

Mai took a deep breath, found her better urges, and prepared to throw herself back into the endless cycle of trying to make things better. Maybe she'd trip over a way to save more people. Feeling the strength of purpose and energy of benevolence, she sat up in bed and opened her eyes.

And then she hissed against the blinding glare and threw her hands over her poor defenseless eyes and oh ashes why had she opened them in the first place? See, this was what mornings got you!

But what in the name of the First Fire was so bright? It was always dark in the palace's guest room when she woke up, the only light coming from a dimmed lamp. This was-

This was-

-different.

It was different.

Mai shifted a hand out of the way and tried to squint against the light. It was like charging out of a tunnel after spending an hour underground; a circle of brightness was blasting at her as if the daylight was annoyed at her for being away so long. Except this wasn't daylight; it was too tinted, too white.

Mai kept squinting and peered a little deeper.

No, it wasn't a circle of light, it seemed to be taller than it was wide. And- squint a little harder- it had arms? And a head? And an over-complicated arrangement of hair? And a flying scarf floating behind it?

It was a woman?

As the realization moved into Mai's brain and began putting its feet up on the mental furniture, the brightness stopped being a problem. It was still there, still flooding the room with a white light- moonlight, she realized- but it no longer seared her eyes. And so she could see the being that had woken her up by speaking Ty Lee's words.

It was a Water Tribe woman, no doubt about that. But instead of blue and furs, she was wearing moonbeams spun and given opaque form. She smiled and intoned, "I apologize for the deception with your friend's words. I thought it would be more comfortable to wake up to a familiar voice."

Mai acknowledged the apology with a nod. "You, um, aren't supposed to be here?"

The Moon Spirit- for it simply could not be anything else- narrowed her eyes in a subtle expression of Royal Displeasure that even Azula would have had to award points. "You presume to tell Me where I can and cannot go?"

Mai shook her head. "I- I just- Ty Lee is supposed to be there, and Azula is waiting, and- and- then stuff?"

The Moon Spirit's brow smoothed. "Ah, I see. You suffer from the habit of Time. I have forgotten what it is like to feel Time. It has been many eons since I Ascended those months ago."

Mai blinked. "Maybe I'm still just too used to time- or Time, if that's how we're doing it- but I don't think that sentence made any sense?"

"I said I do not feel Time. When I, the Princess Yue, became the Moon Spirit at the end of Winter, I began an existence that stretched across all Moments at once. I have been the moon for less than a year, but I have been the Moon forever. I shine down on your grave and the day of your birth with the same Light. Light does not know Time, and neither do I."

Mai couldn't help but point out, "Unless someone is born during the day. Or under a New Moon. Then you don't shine."

The Moon Spirit was silent for what was a Moment for Mai and probably Forever for her. Or possibly the other way around. "This kind of irreverence is how you got in Trouble."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Moon Spirit took another one of those infinite Moments. "You and I need to talk. Come, let us walk."

Mai started to get out of bed-

The Moon Spirit waved a hand. "Time is merely the dance of the Moon and the Sun, and the beatings of a heart you do not have in your dreams."

Mai blinked. She was now on that rooftop patio at the Capital Temple, where the golden statues of the Sun Warrior and the Dragon glistened under the shining sun. She was fully dressed in the clothes she wore 'every day,' and her hair was done up in the ox-horn style. She could even feel the weight of her knives against her skin. "What-"

"Time is merely the dance of the Moon and the Sun, and the beatings of a heart you do not have in your dreams."

"Um, right." Mai sighed. "This is going to be one of those disconcerting, weird spiritual experiences, isn't it?"

The Moon Spirit actually smirked. "I am a spirit, and this is the first Time I've been able to do this kind of Thing since I became the Moon."

"Except you're not bound by time, so you've also done this an infinite amount of times."

"That is also True."

"Ugh." Mai massaged her own forehead. "What do I do to deserve this?"

"You sat on that Holy statue, insulted My presence and power, swore to kill the Water Tribe warriors who love Me, and dared Me to do something to stop you." The Moon Spirit, in all her regal glory, held up her hands and wiggled them. "Ta da!"

Oh.

Right.

That.

On the first Day of Black Sun, Mai had gotten bored, mouthed off to the moon right before the eclipse, and then carved 'MAI WAS HERE' in the golden Sun Warrior's palms. To be fair, if she knew the moon had actually been listening and had a sense of proportion like that of Azula's, she probably would have been more polite. (Probably. Mai offered no guarantees when it came to politeness.)

She dropped to her knees and kowtowed. "I'm sorry?"

The Moon Spirit walked forward, her glow growing brighter as she towered over Mai. "In My mortality I would have Forgiven such ill-considered words, even though I wore the title of Princess. However, the Moon Spirit cannot tolerate such disrespect. The Spirit of the Summer Star agreed, and felt shame on your behalf. It was by combining Our domains to form the whole of Time that We crafted the Punishment. He watches Us above. So you should apologize to Him, too."

Mai looked up at the sun. "Sorry?"

Did the sun just flicker? She had always suspected it was a cheeky little jerk.

The Moon Spirit reached out and placed a cool hand on top of Mai's head. "Your irreverent words do not mask the true regret you feel in your spirit. We Forgive You, Mai of the Fire Nation. You may rise."

Mai did so. Well, it was good to have that little matter cleared up-

"Now, We will discuss whether you wish to Return to your life, or if I shall extend the Protection of the endless cycle of the Days of Black Sun."

That was a few too many archaic phrasings and arbitrarily capitalized letters for Mai to understand what was being said. "Huh?"

The Moon waved a hand.

Mai looked down at herself.

Wow, she made ugly faces while she slept.

Somehow, she was standing in the forested campsite that she and Zuko had made together the 'night before.' Zuko's war balloon was right where they had eventually landed it, when they became too tired to keep flying. The campfire was a scorched remnant, and Mai and Zuko were both still asleep beside a cluster of trees.

Mai was in Zuko's arms, and she was smiling and cuddling in her sleep.

And Mai was also standing over herself, reflecting now how that smile was genuine and sloppy and completely uninhibited, not a well-crafted little glimpse of emotion at all. Ugly.

But also kind of beautiful.

Mai turned back to the Moon Spirit, who was basking in the dawn light in the center of the campsite. "So am I now doing that whole 'glowing in two places at once' thing, too? Because I don't feel like I'm glowing."

The Moon Spirit's lip might have twitched. "You insistence on shielding yourself with Wit reminds me of someone. Someone I loved."

"Oh, good."

"You have killed him several times."

"Oh. Not good."

"You did not Believe it would be permanent when you did it, so I am willing to Overlook it."

"Thanks. You know, I have no idea why everyone in the Fire Nation says you're a poor man's sun with weak light and no real purpose in the sky. I think you're okay."

"Your sentiment earns My gratitude, Mai of the Fire Nation."

Mai smirked. "So spirits do sarcasm, now?"

"We never stopped." The Moon Spirit lifted a hand, and a beam of soft white light extended to illuminate the sleeping couple on the ground. "Behold the result of your choices. You have finally won the love you craved. If you Choose, you can wake up there and continue to live that life as you see fit."

Mai looked down at them again. Zuko was just adorable when he was relaxed in sleep. "So what's the catch?"

"There are no Terms."

"So why make it a choice? Why wouldn't I want to choose that?"

"Because you would have to continue to live that life. My Punishment, as trying as it has been for you, is also a Boon. You enjoyed Freedom from consequences. Wake up there, in your prince's arms, and you will wake up as a Traitor to your Nation, as a Friend devoted to Zuko's vision, and as someone who has Chosen to Care about the World. The World, and its People. I offer you the Choice of burdening yourself with the new life upon which you have stumbled. And it will be a burden. I shine-"

"-on every moment I've ever spent in the bathroom. Yeah, I get it." Mai looked back at the couple. Seeing herself in Zuko's arms like this made it an easy choice. Here was everything she wanted-

Azula walked by with blood flowing out from a gash in her neck to stain her black armor.

Zuko walked by with a charred mess where his face should be.

Ty Lee walked by, head turning frantically from side to side as she called Mai's name.

Corporal Fan walked by, the metal prosthetic foot giving her no trouble, but the broken bones throughout her body turning her gate into an inhuman shambling.

Corporal Lee walked by, eating a sweetroll.

Claustrophobic Jiao walked by, holding a stack of letters and crying tears of relief.

Jiao walked by again, on Mai's other side, screaming for someone to let her out.

Soldiers of both sides poured out of the forest and filled the campsite with their traffic. Some were healthy and some were injured and some were clearly dead and some of them were there once and twice and a million times.

Everyone who had ever set foot in the Capital walked out of the forest and past Mai. None took notice of her. As ever, she passed through the river of lives without making so much as a ripple.

And all the people obscured her view completely of the Mai and Zuko sleeping cuddled against the trees.

"This is the fate I am allowing you to Choose," the Moon Spirit intoned. The flow of bodies passed around her, a white glow forming a shelter of empty space that circled her form. "You have accepted Responsibility for these People. It will be your burden until it is time to Choose again."

Mai stepped back, trying not to bump into anyone. Were they coming thicker now? More Zuko's and Azula's and Ty Lee's and Katara's and Avatars and Hakoda's and Toph's and the Water Tribe Guy With The Sword's and- "When will that be?"

"Every Moment of Time. The Choice is Infinite, Mai of the Fire Nation. Do you think you are the only one faced with this Choice?"

Mai let loose a single, sharp laugh (for as much as she had changed, she wasn't about to give a dull laugh). "And here I thought I was special."

And then she Chose.

Or simply chose.

Stupid spirits had to make a big deal out of everything.

There were no words, no bouncing on the bed, nothing to wake her up but the light of the sun and the awkward shifting of the man underneath her.

Mai woke up anyway.

Zuko opened his eyes, and immediately smiled at her. "Good morning."

Mai smiled back. "Is this real?"

He reached a hand over and brushed his fingers through the fringe of hair above her eyes. "It feels real to me."

It felt real to Mai, too, in a very unreal kind of way. She had done it. She was free. Maybe that dream about the Moon Spirit was just a dream, or maybe it really had happened in a dreamscape or the Spirit World or something else entirely. Either way-

-she was free.

She grabbed Zuko and pulled him into a kiss.

It was a greedy kiss, because for all that she had surrendered her world and her self, this was one thing she wanted to keep. She loved Zuko. She loved Zuko, and now that she had him for real, now that she had stopped him from leaving her and herself from throwing him away, she wasn't going to hide her feelings.

This was where she belonged.

When they finally pulled apart, Mai saw that Zuko's cheeks were almost as red as his scar. Still, his voice was steady as he said, "Sorry, but we should get going. We don't want to lose the Avatar's trail or miss our rendezvous with Uncle."

Mai nodded. "I suppose you're right. We'll just have to make time for ourselves when things aren't so urgent."

"Yeah." He stood up, and then helped her to her feet as well. "I just- thank you. I thought I might have to do this on my own, but with you- and Uncle- I-"

She reached out silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You don't have to thank me. I'm here because I care. Because I- I love you."

He raised his hands to cover her own, and gently moved her finger aside. "I love you, too."

And because he was Zuko, that's when he turned to start getting the war balloon ready.

Mai indulged in a chuckle. Even if he lived through an eternity of looping days, as she had, she was sure that some things about him would never change. But, happily, she didn't want those things to change.

Funny how that worked out.

Mai went over and joined him in the preparations. As she unlocked the balloon's control panel, she said, "So do you know what you're going to say to the Avatar and his friends? I can vouch for you, but after your- uh, history, you'll probably want to make a good new impression."

Zuko looked over at her from where he was unfurling the main balloon. "I was thinking the same thing. I guess I should try to tell them how much I can help them, but- I don't know. It's probably going to be very awkward."

"So we'll practice while we fly. Pretend I'm Katara or something, and talk to me like you will when you meet the real thing."

Zuko frowned. "Do you really think that will work? I mean, it's a good idea, but I've never been the best with words."

"And I wasn't very good at caring until recently." She stepped over to Zuko, and took his hands in her own. Their eyes met as the sun shined down on them, and Mai thought she maybe spotted a little silver streak in the sky that might have been an early moon rising.

She looked at the love of her life, and said, "But practice makes perfect. Trust me on that."

END OF DAYS

[aion-rsa]

Brina Palencia: The Return of One Piece and Voice Acting During A Pandemic

https://ift.tt/2ZNCCuG

The anime industry has grown exponentially in recent years. While there is still the occasional debate over “subs versus dubs,” companies like Funimation have pushed dubbed anime into the mainstream and shown what can be accomplished. Funimation has worked hard to bring as many important anime series to the public as possible, many of which include more recent phenomena like My Hero Academia or series that have been a fixture of anime for decades, like One Piece. 

Brina Palencia plays Tony Tony Chopper on One Piece, a beloved and important character, but she’s also a welcome presence in other series, like her work as Mineta in My Hero Academia. Palencia reflected on the dedicated fan base around One Piece, the surprising reception to a random Dragon Ball character, and what it was like to finish My Hero Academia’s latest season during a pandemic.

Den of Geek: The news that new One Piece dubbed episodes are coming really caused a stir on the internet. What has it been like working on that series because I imagine the schedule is a little atypical?

Brina Palencia: For sure. We’ve been doing One Piece for just so long that any time that we go back to record really does feel like coming back home, even if that sounds super cheesy. I know that character so well and I adore him so much. It’s just like snuggling in with an old friend. It’s awesome and he’s got great stuff coming. 

The approach for One Piece seems to be to release the episodes in big batches. How far ahead have you actually recorded? Have you been steadily recording for a while now, or did it only just resume?

We’re a little further ahead and we’re definitely working as fast as we can, which has been slowed down due to COVID-19. Something that also gets overlooked with a show like One Piece is just the level of vocal fatigue. All of the members of the Straw Hats just scream like crazy. Every episode we’re screaming! So for some shows you can just do four-hour sessions every day and you’ll be fine, but One Piece is not like that. You definitely have to alternate between how you record. With all of that being said, we’re definitely trying to get out as much as we can and as quickly as possible!

You voice Mineta in My Hero Academia, which saw its most recent season get impacted by COVID-19. What has the process been like to record at home?

Funimation has been pretty incredible—and I don’t know if other studios are also operating this way—but they’re going all out with helping people set up studios at home, making sure our areas are properly padded for sound and everything, and even lending out gear. It could have been a much more traumatic experience, but I’ve been so impressed and grateful for how Funimation has handled all of this. It’s been incredible.

It’s kind of amazing to see how you guys are still able to work through these conditions. Even the convention that you guys are doing is very unconventional, but it’s a really nice opportunity and event.

I think it’s really neat. In times like these you can see where a lot of companies stand on things like humanity, for example. I think Funimation has done a great job, whether it’s with their talent or their fans, during all of this. There’s so much content that’s gone into this virtual convention, which is entirely free, and just something for the fans. There’s a lot of passion and integrity coming from them right now.

You touched on My Hero Academia, but how did the whole situation with recording dialogue for the new video game, One’s Justice 2, come about? Originally there wasn’t a dub for it and then it just dropped in a surprise update.

I don’t know anything about the licensing, other than that I wasn’t able to talk about recording any dialogue for it until the game was actually out. It was a lot of fun to record.

You voiced Arale from Dr. Slump in one Dragon Ball Super episode, but was it rewarding to get to voice a character who has such a reputation, even if it’s just for a small appearance?

Arale, yeah! I actually played her in a bunch of the Dragon Ball Z games, too, which is technically where I originated as the character. So then when the episode came around in Dragon Ball Super, they let me reprise it. I also got to adapt the lyrics to the theme song and sing the theme, which was so much fun. That was a really fun episode. 

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I actually got to learn so much about Arale and Dr. Slump‘s history when I was adapting the theme song. I wanted to make sure that I was doing it justice, doing it right, and not losing anything in the translation. So I did a whole lot of research on Dr. Slump. It’s such a cute premise!

You’ve voiced so many fun characters in a lot of popular series, but are there any roles that really stand out for you?

All of the characters we’ve discussed are very close to me, but one in particular that I have a very fond spot in my heart for is Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler. It was technically really complicated because I’m voicing a boy, but also doing the Queen’s English accent. Then on top of that it’s just emotionally a very rough ride. He goes through so much strife and it’s so intense. As an actor you always want a role that will challenge you like that and Ciel was definitely challenging. I had a blast doing it. I’m sure there are people screaming who are reading this that are like, “What about this character!?” I assure you, I adore them all, but Ciel is just the easiest one for me to go to and explain why.

Lastly, what are some other characters that you wish that you could have gotten to play over the years?

I’m asked this a lot and obviously in acting you’re losing roles more commonly than you’re getting them. 95% of the profession is rejection. So there are plenty of previous roles I’ve gone up for and would have liked to have done, but none of them stay with me. It’s not easy, but it’s important to just try and get auditions out of your mind, just because of the nature of the business. It’s such a rare and great opportunity when you get to work on the projects that you’re interested in, so I’ve been extremely lucky and I’m deeply grateful for the roles that I’ve gotten. 

You all makes these roles so distinctly your own in various ways that it’s almost impossible to think of how someone else would approach a character.

That’s really true! There are definitely roles that I’ve auditioned for that then when I hear the final product I’m like, “Oh, that’s not at all what I did.” Everyone’s got a different flavor.

One Piece and My Hero Academia are both available to stream on Funimation.com

The post Brina Palencia: The Return of One Piece and Voice Acting During A Pandemic appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2Z7CM0M

[williamsjoan]

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Grant’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

After the absolutely monstrous year of video games that 2017 had, I don’t think that we are going to see a year similar to that one in a long time. Hell, I thought that last year’s excellent lineup would put a damper on this year’s games no matter how good it was. However, boy was I wrong: 2018 straight up told everyone to put a sock in it.

What most surprised me about this year was the variety of games I thoroughly enjoyed. Throw in some indie titles, your typical single-player AAA experience, multiplayer shooters, VR titles, and you are left with a something to play for whatever mood you are in. Sadly, there are plenty of games that I need to get to that could have possibly made this list such as Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Hitman 2, and Monster Hunter: World. However, I plan on getting to them as soon as the holiday ends.

That being said, here are my top 10 favorite games from 2018:

10. Mario Tennis Aces

To start the list off, let’s discuss the best Mario Tennis game yet. Yeah, I said it! Mario Tennis Aces had a forgettable and easy single-player mode. But let’s forget all about that and talk about what really matters, the online mode.

Oh my god did I play so many Mario Tennis Aces multiplayer matches. The game didn’t have all too much content, but damn was that multiplayer addicting! The tournament system was genius; even though the scoring system doesn’t mean much, there was a two-week window where winning a tournament meant everything to me.

What was surprising was the vast difference in gameplay when playing as different characters. Playing as Boo had me curving tennis balls all across the court. If I wanted to just blast some tennis balls down the other player’s throat, Bowser was the right guy for the job. Yoshi could probably return almost every ball hit his way and I can only imagine the player on the other side throwing his Switch into the wall when I won a rally of 50 or more hits. Mario Tennis Aces was excellent, but it makes me want the one true king in Mario sports titles back, Mario Golf. In due time my friends. In due time.

Check out the DualShockers review of Mario Tennis Aces.

9. Moss

In a year full of wonderful PSVR experiences, Moss was one of the standouts. It showed me how clever level design can be in virtual reality and how many different ways that the new tech can be utilized. Rather than being in the typical first-person perspective, the all-seer perspective–as I like to call it–was such a unique way to solve puzzles and control the adorable Quill.

If I could describe Moss in one word, it would be “magical.” Playing the game was similar to being at Disney; everything just felt so wondrous. The storybook narrative, the incredible environments, and unique level design had me enthralled. Polyarc created one of the best VR games on the market, and I can’t wait to see what they have planned next.

Check out the DualShockers review of Moss.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — The Champions’ Ballad

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is my favorite game of all time. I have had the time to reflect on it, and I can say that without a doubt is, as no other game has captivated me like it. So, of course, I was happy to jump back into Hyrule with the game’s second DLC expansion, The Champions’ Ballad.

I know that The Champions’ Ballad released last December, however, I didn’t get to it until January of this year, so it still counts! Even though the second expansion pass didn’t live up to some fans’ expectations, I still believe that it provides some of the best shrines and I would say the best boss battle in the game.

What might have helped was that I had not popped back into the game in a while. I beat it at launch and beat it a second time on Master Mode when the first DLC launched, so it had been a while since I had popped back in. It might be a short time for some, but for my favorite game of all time, it was a while for me. Revisiting my favorite open world was like going back home and having that favorite dish your mom makes.

The Champions’ Ballad provided me with new content to the most memorable, fascinating, and wondrous game I have played, and that might be all it needed to do to make me love it. Does that make me biased? Probably.

7. Marvel’s Spider-Man

I am not as high on Marvel’s Spider-Man as many of my colleagues: I found the missions to be repetitive and not many of the side missions stood out to me. However, swinging through New York City was so damn fun. I don’t think I had ever used the fast travel mechanic just because I would much rather swing my way around and over buildings. I am not sure how Insomniac Games made it so damn easy and intuitive, but they did a phenomenal job on not only the movement but combat mechanics. Combining brutal kicks and punches along with web attacks was fast, fluid, and surprisingly easy to get a grasp of after only an hour of playtime.

Insomniac also compiled a wonderful narrative, and much of that was due to Yuri Lowenthal’s performance as Spider-Man/Peter Parker. If it wasn’t for Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War, he would have been a shoo-in for the performance of the year.

I am personally not that big of a comic book/Marvel fan. Woah, whoah, whoah, before you raise your pitchforks: I do enjoy all the movies, I am just not as into them as others. However, I was incredibly invested in the story of Marvel’s Spider-Man, and I am eagerly anticipating the second entry into the series.

Check out the DualShockers review of Marvel’s Spider-Man.

6. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

It almost became just a part of my nightly routine. Around 8:30 every night at the beginning of the year, a couple of my buddies and I would hop on the Xbox One version of PUBG and try to win a few chicken dinners before bed. Even though it was frustrating as all hell to play sometimes at launch due to frequent crashes, terrible framerate, and entire buildings taking forever to just render, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was probably the game I played the most this year. Despite its hiccups, and it had a whole lot at launch, the game is still an experience unmatched by other Battle Royal shooters.

PUBG provides some of the most suspenseful multiplayer gameplay on the market right now. You could run into ten other players depending on where you drop, or you could possibly get run into one other player and somehow get that sweet chicken dinner. I know that the game still has a multitude of issues that still are not fixed, but PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is still an experience like no other. Just one match sucks me right back in.

Check out the DualShockers reviews of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on PS4 and PC.

5. Firewall: Zero Hour

Firewall: Zero Hour, developed by First Contact Entertainment, is the game we all dreamed of when we were kids. With the power of PSVR, rather than just controlling the first-person shooter, you are now inside the first-shooter. I am still blown away by how well everything worked. Using the PS Aim controller to, well, aim of course, is incredibly intuitive and fluid. Besides learning how to move with the thumbstick on the aim controller, it is as simple as just pointing and shooting, and boy is it fun.

As a competitive tactical shooter, Firewall: Zero Hour is a mind-blowing experience and shows how limitless the possibilities are for PSVR. When an enemy was around the corner, I would peek my gun barrel around the corner and take them out. If I got pinned down behind cover, I could stick my gun over and blind fire to give myself an opportunity to get to safety. My only issues with the game were that it had some annoying quality-of-life issues at launch when it came to matchmaking, and how long it would take to start a new match.

Firewall: Zero Hour was my favorite VR experience this year, in a year that was absolutely packed with some of the best games that PSVR has to offer. Now, all the game needs is a rounds system like Rainbow Six Siege. Please, First Contact! I am begging you!

Check out the DualShockers review of Firewall: Zero Hour.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lives up to the Ultimate name. It is the definitive Smash experience and even though it released just a couple weeks ago, it has provided me with some of the most fun I have had all year. I mean, what did you expect? It’s Smash Bros. except, this time around, there is much more content to enjoy rather than just regular Smash battles with your friends.

World of Light, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s single-player/adventure mode, has had some mixed reactions across the internet. However, I am a firm believer that it is the best single player offering in any of the games in the series. Running into familiar and new faces while collecting Spirits has provided me with hours upon hours of enjoyment. Collecting and switching different Spirits in and out might sound tedious to some, but I have enjoyed every second of it. With a stellar single-player mode, the biggest roster in the series by far, a knockout soundtrack, and that same old, yet refined Smash gameplay, Ultimate is the best in the series and a must-buy for Switch owners.

Check out the DualShockers review of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

3. Celeste

Talk about a game that caught me off-guard. Celeste was not only a great platformer, but also had a very emotional story that impacted me in an unexpected way. Here I was thinking that I was just booting up a new, retro-style platformer. But next thing I knew, I was up at 3 AM, captivated by Madeline’s conflict with her own inner demons and also torturing myself to find strawberries. Celeste is the best platformer of the year, and I don’t think it is even close. (I haven’t played The Messenger or Guacamelee! 2 or many other of those types of games yet, but it just sounded cool to say)

I think what stood out to me the most, along with other many other players, was how unexpected of an experience that Celeste was. When I first started, I was thinking I was going to get a fun and challenging platformer, but that was going to be most of the experience. I never would have guessed how impactful the narrative was going to be and how it tackles deeper subjects such as mental health issues. At the time, I was going through some personal problems and this game helped me to cope with those emotions, as well as tackle them head-on. Maybe in a lesser year, Celeste would have taken my personal top spot.

Check out the DualShockers review of Celeste.

2.  Red Dead Redemption 2

It seems crazy that Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t the definitive game of the year for everyone’s list. After the excellent Grand Theft Auto V and the almost infinite amount of money that Grand Theft Auto Online continuously makes even to this day, the sequel to Rockstar’s classic Western seemed like it was going to be the most ambitious game ever made, and I think it just might be.

Red Dead Redemption 2 had an absolutely phenomenal and heart-wrenching story; the downfall of the Van der Linde gang was a beautiful mess, even though we all know where it was heading. The world is by far the most immerse open world ever created. Roger Clark captured Arthur Morgan and his enlightenment so well, and these are only just a few parts of why I enjoyed the game so much.

While the game is groundbreaking in many aspects, there are still some little nitpicky things that I can point out that bug me, such as the lack of traditional fast travel systems, clunky gameplay, and that it might go on just a tad too long. However, Red Dead Redemption 2, despite its minuscule flaws, is one of the best open world games ever created.

Check out the DualShockers review of Red Dead Redemption 2.

1. God of War

To me, God of War might be the closest the closest thing to a perfect video game. In my opinion, there is not one flaw that I can point out. In fact, I think that most aspects of the game can be considered as the best we have ever seen from the medium.

The narrative in God of War reached a level of storytelling that I have didn’t think the industry could reach. The simple, yet extremely detailed story left me captivated. Christopher Judge made Kratos into a purposeful character and gave one of the best performances I have ever seen. The Leviathan Axe is my favorite video game weapon I have ever used, and it was just so damn satisfying to play with.

Cory Barlog and Sony Santa Monica created an absolute masterpiece that other developers will be studying for a long time to come. God of War set the bar so freaking high that it will be hard for any game to follow this up next year. It is the pinnacle for storytelling, gameplay, level design, world building, and artistry, and because of that, God of War is absolutely one of my favorite games of all time.

Check out the DualShockers review of God of War.

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer  December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer  December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Grant’s Top 10 by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Grant’s Top 10 published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

[time4caroline-blog]

it was "I" all along

Hi. It's Constance. Or well, actually Caroline. My full name is Caroline Vang. Yeah, I have no middle name. It's four in the morning and I hope I haven't already wasted your guys’ time by this. I noticed small remarks all around me. Marks. Labels. Whatever you call it. Actions. Undeniable ones. Actually my own. I'm weak. I'm fake. I appear strong as an ox and inside I pray the acting was decently good. I hope no one has made it this far to read this because I would only regret typing this up. Today is the 20th of January. Note it's also the inauguration of Donald Trump as the United States of America 45th President. Of course it's by coincidence I so happen to have the worst timing and seem to let waves roll down this dry face upon cracked skin in the room of which I first slept, the day I relocated for perhaps a brighter future.

 This note has no connection to America's historical movement of parties nor would any other person. Why. Even I question myself the mystery. Why Caroline. She had several names but only a few would know who she really responded to. She had multiple jokes and again only few people would respond. She tested gravity daily. Clumsy, she was. The life of the party. The one who doesn't know her limit. The one who thinks she's all that and will always do, when really, she only wants acceptance, kind of. No, it's not hard for her. It's difficult knowing every night,  that no one's going to be there. But her. Be there when an unexpected anxiety attack approaches while hugging another human. Be there for elevator trips. You could see her holding on the railings for her dear life. It's unbearable to watch. Be there when she's been away from the party too long. Only as an excuse, she actually tests out her friendships to see if they would notice her absence. And no one does. I don't blame them. Who wouldn't want to have a good time. Comes back inside from the cold and takes a seat. Becomes light headed. Soon, she's not herself. Deep she's crying. Screaming for help. Masking it with her actions of sugar rush. Becoming the dance floor spotlight. Introducing herself to everyone minimally.

Collapses from the caffeine in sight. Begins to have the usual symptoms of drunkenness. Cries. Laughs. Cries again. Of course, she falls asleep. In his arms. That let go.They all let go. Now she's alone, head rested on the table with hair in a mess. A mess she was. No doubt. Awoken every time with drought soul. Sad. Her sleep schedule packed, she can't even dream a dream. Only of work, school and the past. A nightmare would even be nice. Wakes up 14 hours later in her home. On her bed. Fixes up coffee. Leaves for work and returns back to her life again. Fresh as if never rotted.

Next thing you know, she can't receive any messages from any contacts. Not even her parents. For a while, she couldn't tell if God was giving her a break from others as a blessing or as you know what. Was it coincident again? Who knows? Was it because of her? The phone perhaps.

When she no longer wants to smile. An unexpected plot twist to a movie indeed. A very rare sight. Someone told her smile was what caught their eye. It was always her smile. Her laughter. Her bubbliness that surrounds everyone with warmth. A sunset you could describe the color as. Her jumpy reactions to the softest scares. Ha. Just the faintest reactions were a sight to see.

The way her eyes brightened up when someone complimented her. It didn't matter if it was even intentionally an insult. She loved the fact she was in someone's mind even for a hint of a second. She adored being known. Known for actions of love. Actions that lit up everyone's behavior with one joke. Actions that cheered up the most depressing person one could ever meet. Actions that no person would ever dare to do only because she was dared. She enjoyed being bold. Although she wasn't really during situations she knew she would lose.

A humble child. She would love to brag but she knew an open book would not be as enjoyable as a mysterious one. Her secrets locked. Some so sinful, never she dare tell even the closest human. Some so blissful, never she dare tell even the closest human. But to strangers. Though really she was an easy read and quite predictable with her smart bold moves and bubbly character. Anyone can read her next word out of her mouth.

They claimed her smart. Intelligent. So sweet. So caring. So uncaring. So lame. So depressing. So outgoing. So modest. So. Human.

That's who she was.

Caroline.

She didn't think so. Modest. Humble. She never was. She couldn't see herself as smart or other characteristics they claim she was. Only she was human stuck inside a human.

During a traditional ceremony, she was told her spirit was about to cross the other side towards the devil in hopes demonic powers would find her a path to a healthy soul again. The right path. A gamble far too dangerous for it could make it much more lost. Trace the spirit back to her soul in return the sacrifice of animals. In hopes she'll regain her life energy to prosper her life.

Several attempts were taken. Risks. Sacrifice. Negotiation. Mapping. Finding. Losing. Discovering. And found.

4:51 AM. Her sleep cycles still aren't functioning as the norm. Her thoughts filled with curiosity. She craves touch, and yet, her anxiety disagrees. Skin to skin contact interrupts her. Some not as dreadful, some where she can not move.

She's a touchy person in reality. No lie. I've met her and a hug was embraced as if we knew each other our whole lives. Clothing so clean the hintest whiff was satisfying. Hair no longer long and gracious as before but now choppy and confident. She loves hug. And I mean loves. She loves the strongest and the hardest. It has its pros and cons. Much more pros than cons but she lives to love. Sensory system to feel severely dropped. At this moment. She's numb.

Her idea of love questioned. Her existence questioned. Everything. Questioned. She sleeps numb. Wakes up. Confused. Late. Tardy on the second’s day of class. Work again. Then the same routine all over again. She questions. It grows desperate, she questions in the day time now. Every second she can. Until he arrived. Now the only thing that distracts her from it, is him. His texts. She never replies till late for some reason. Her thoughts fill with him regardless. In class. In work. In appointments. In the car. All day. Like her, he was also a human stuck inside of a human. One who she respected. Looked up to, literally. Instant trust bond. They both had a sense of understanding deeper than the norm. Perspectives discussed from angles never ceased to have existed. Inside jokes so in-depth it's sometimes hard to find out why they're laughing in the first place. She stare at him. Those glare only others can observe. Stares when the other person doesn't even know. Those stares reflecting admiration, blessing, and others positive outcomes by staring at their beautiful face.

Stares that say "Wow. He's stunning."

Yeah. He was stunning. I bet if he read this, he'll know exactly who I'm talking about. He IS stunning. His humor created the worst abdominal pains and ugliest faces. He had soul. His eyes spoke pure. He'd catch me staring. Quickly reverts eyes. Only once did he stare back a moment. He smiled. It killed me. His worry, killed me.

I believe his point of view denies mine. His actions speak it so well. Crossed arms. It was only once, we met. A good once. Maybe the only once ever to happen. I for one would enjoy his company regardless of situation. Such a gentlemen's but such a douche it's hilarious and so enjoyable. Anyone would love his presence. She told me herself, that night was memorable, thought nothing happen. That's the thing nothing happened. That's how memorable it was for her. It was just is presence that made her enjoy it. As long as he was there sitting next to her. She was glad. He would believe otherwise perhaps. She knows she did not possess the attractive appearance or book intelligent. The only thing she really knew, was well, how to live.

How to live. To live. Actions of planning her leave now extinct. All because of another human. Look pass behind this happy smiles and look into their eyes, and ask them "How are you?" and see if they're okay. Keep eyes on your friends. Why. Because they're human. We were built to love and be love. This is Constance from another insomniac teary night, Caroline out.