#fun fact: all 4 shows are by star hunter. is this THE star hunter bridge? 🤔🤔🤔

[colourme-feral]

Shared + spotted in: Sunset x Vibes, Gen Y, Big Dragon The Movie Official Pilot Trailer and Love Senior Official Pilot Trailer

IRL: University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, 126/1 ซ. วิภาวดิรังสิต2 แยก 6 แขวง รัชดาภิเษก Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Shared location pointed out by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Credit: https://en.utcc.ac.th/

[m-myrddin]

Basil “The Beast” Alzanar

Roles: The Disciple 

(She/Her)

Patron Deities: Time, Earth, Stars, Death, Music

Basils full title of “The Beast that Hunts the Gods” derives almost entirely from Basils attitude and temperament. It's not uncommon to see her running head first into a fight, seemingly without having thought it through all the way. Many people believe that she would not hesitate to fight a God if given the chance (or if the need arose) even if it was detrimental to herself. She is relentless in her pursuit, and unforgiving in her act of the Hunt. 

 To those who are not in her Clan, the title instills fear and a sense of unease. To them, it entirely represents her mercilessness in battle. It brings forth the imagery of a woman painted in blood and gripping the scalp of the beheaded grand Disciple of the Ramfaild Clan.

Likes:

Hearty Soups

Apples

Sun bathing 

Incense

Flowers 

Dislikes:

Beetroot

Doing her own stitches

Sitting still

Physical description:

5′11

Since Basil was not granted some of the same natural strength other hunters have, she had to work for it a bit more. She is built sturdily with broad shoulders and thick muscles. Still, she is slighter than some of the others in The Council, having lost some of her muscle mass after being appointed Disciple. Her hands are a little knobby and worn from work, and her arms are a little hairier than many. 

Sharp jaw, strong brow, and some freckles. Basil is tan from her time bathing in the sun during her few leisure hours. Her expression is unusually soft for a Hunter, though this is because she is constantly actively attempting to make herself look approachable. Basil is highest in ranking, so she has the most traditional facial piercings. 

4 symmetrical eyebrow piercings (two on each side)

Symmetrical anti-eyebrow 

Septum

Symmetrical nostril

Snake bites

angel bites

Symmetrical dimple piercings

Bridge

Industrial

Triple lobe

Helix, mid helix and forward helix

Auricle

Tongue 

Each piercing is used to define her rank, and in traditional or formal settings she wears prominent jewelry to better show off each. The jewelry she wears in these settings is different than others as well. Where Creature wears a chain that connects his ear piercings to his septum, Basil wears chains that connect to the nostril piercings. She also wears more chains and more long and flowing jewelry that others. The spikes worn in the piercings on her lips during these settings are also much larger than others, giving the appearance of large fangs.

Like most Hunters, Basil is covered in scars, with the majority being centered on her arms, legs, and lower back. However, unlike most Hunters, she lacks some of the larger scars gained while hunting monsters. Most of her scars are long cuts or slashes gained instead from fighting humans or other Hunters. 

A large slash starting from the top of her left shoulder and ending directly in the middle of her spine. 

small scars around her shins from treading through thorns and thistles carelessly 

claw marks that look like they were made by human nails along her stomach, hips, and throat

arrow wounds in her right thigh and left arm

Fun fact: Basil loves to cook, but gets extremely anxious about feeding others. She gets too focused on whether or not the people she is feeding like the food she has made, and often wonders if everyone secretly hates her cooking (they love it). She taught herself to cook when she was young so that she could feed herself and Creature, not trusting the other members of the Clan to cook for them. He remains the only person she never feels nervous about feeding. 

Want to get a better feel for her vibe? Here's a couple songs from her playlist to get started:

Slip away - Mother Mother 

Me and the Devil - Soap&Skin 

Faith - Ghost

Chop Suey! - System Of A Down

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episodes You Need to Watch Before The Mandalorian Season 3

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Star Wars contains spoilers.

Din Djarin reluctantly found himself thrust in the middle of Mandalorian politics in season two of the hit live-action show. The bounty hunter just wanted to bring Grogu to a Jedi who could teach him to use the Force, but that journey also led him to Bo-Katan Kryze and Boba Fett, two Mandalorians who operate completely outside the strict traditions of Din’s own clan, the Children of the Watch. For the first time in his life, Din’s seeing all the different angles and factions of the society to which he belongs.

If all of the intrigue surrounding Mandalore went over your head while watching the second season, there’s a very easy way to catch up. After all, much of the Mandalorian history teased in season 2 was first detailed in The Clone Wars animated series, and watching just a short selection of episodes provides a lot of context for what’s happening in the live-action series. While The Clone Wars doesn’t explain everything about what we’ve seen in The Mandalorian so far, it does give you Bo-Katan’s backstory, a rundown of Mandalore’s many cultures and factions, a deeper dive into the race’s relationship with the Jedi, and an introduction to the Darksaber.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

Here are The Clone Wars episodes and arcs you need watch to get up to speed on Mandalorian history before season 3 of the live-action series (as well as The Book of Boba Fett):

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The Mandalore Plot (Season 2, Episode 12)

Remember when Bo-Katan called Din Djarin’s clan “Children of the Watch?” What about when Din argued with a Mandalorian named Paz Vizsla in season one episode “The Sin?” Well, the significance of both the clan name and the Vizsla surnname are hinted at, if not fully explained, in the first Mandalore episode of The Clone Wars.

This episode marked a soft reboot for Mandalorian lore even before the pre-Disney Legends timeline was declared non-canon. Far from the armored warriors we were used to at the time, the Mandalorians introduced in this episode are a pacifistic, largely homogeneous society led by Duchess Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan’s sister. Not all Mandalorians are happy with this new status quo, though.

A violent rebel faction called Death Watch seeks to bring back Mandalore’s warlike past. This is the same group that would one day rescue a young Din during the Clone Wars, which explains why Din and his clan follow ancient warrior traditions as opposed to the more modern beliefs of Bo-Katan’s group.

“The Mandalore Plot” also marked the first appearance of the Darksaber, this time in the hands of Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla. He explains in the episode that the Darksaber was built by a Mandalorian Jedi named Tarre Vizsla and later stolen from the Jedi Temple. While many years and unanswered questions remain between “The Mandalore Plot” and The Mandalorian, the episode does show the roots of the Darksaber as a symbol of political power on Mandalore.

Voyage of Temptation (Season 2, Episode 13)

This is largely a bridge between the two other episodes in this arc when it comes to new Mandalore facts, but it does reveal some important elements about the political situation on the planet during the war.

An assassination attempt reveals that Death Watch is in league with both a corrupt Republic senator and the Separatists. Palpatine’s hands are everywhere, even on Mandalore. While that probably is no longer true at the time of The Mandalorian, we do know the wheels of Palpatine’s plans are still spinning between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, including during the time period when the Disney+ series takes place. It’s possible we’ll learn more about what the Imperial remnant wants with an occupied Mandalore in season 3.

This episode also emphasizes how different Satine’s regime is compared to other eras of Mandalorian history, as she’s forced to make hard decisions in order to protect her government’s pacifist ideals. Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, and Boba Fett are far from the first Mandalorians to fight over what being a Mando actually means.

Duchess of Mandalore (Season 2, Episode 14)

Death Watch reveals themselves in a big way in this episode. If Din is meant to be a member of a group derived from these guys, the faction has changed a lot over the generations.

In “Duchess of Mandalore,” the political situation on Mandalore gets more complicated as the prime minister worries about public perception of Death Watch. If the Republic comes in to put a stop to the brewing civil war, more Mandalorians could side with Death Watch out of the belief that they’re true countrymen are fighting against the Republic oppressors.

Although she doesn’t appear in this episode, this is the environment in which Bo-Katan formed her beliefs and opinions about how the planet Mandalore should operate and be governed. This moment in Clone Wars history really shapes the character.

Corruption (Season 3, Episode 5)

Rather notorious for its obscure “poisoned tea” storyline, “Corruption” is nevertheless an important link in the chain of understanding the recent history of Mandalore. Featuring both Satine and Padmé Amidala, the episode is a close look at the price of victory.

Despite the planet’s belligerent past, Mandalore manages to remain neutral in the Republic versus Separatist war, but it still controls a powerful sector valuable to both sides, which makes the planet a big prize for either side. This is one of the reasons the planet is ultimately doomed to fall in the war.

This episode also clearly shows how different Satine’s ideas are from those held by more traditional Mandalorians. When Bo-Katan expresses surprise that Din Djarin won’t take his helmet off in front of others, she is not only comparing him to extremists like Death Watch (who didn’t actually have the strict helmet rules) but to Satine’s efforts to bend the majority toward pacifistic homogeneity.

The Academy (Season 3, Episode 6)

Another character from The Mandalorian takes the stage: Ahsoka Tano. A continuation of “Corruption,” “The Academy” shows what life is like for children growing up in this era on Mandalore. It also sets the stage for conflict later.

The Jedi are not actually enemies of Satine’s Mandalorians during this time period. The idea of Jedi and Mandalorians as ancient enemies comes from ancient history, but was probably reinforced by the events of the fall of the Republic. As you’ll see by the end of The Clone Wars, the Jedi play a direct role in the Empire’s occupation of Mandalore.

The Jedi at this point in the Clone Wars unknowingly represent a corrupting influence of their own, spreading Republic ideology while Palpatine orchestrates from the shadows. Another political shake-up here further destabilizes Satine’s reign.

A Friend in Need (Season 4, Episode 14)

Bo-Katan takes the stage at last in her first appearance on the show. In “A Friend in Need,” we see how Death Watch has been slowly growing more powerful and more zealous while Satine and the Republic try to hold the New Mandalorian pacifist culture together.

This episode gives fans a closer look at who Death Watch were and why Bo-Katan chose to work with them to topple her sister’s government. In her attempts to reclaim Mandalore on The Mandalorian, she’s drawing on decades of the planet changing hands, a cycle of violence she helped spark in the first place. At some point, she’ll need to reckon with her past, but first she needs to get the planet back.

Another treat for fans of The Mandalorian: Bo-Katan and Ahsoka meet here, the start of a decades-long history that Din hilariously has no idea about. Bo-Katan matter-of-factly pointing Din to Ahsoka is pretty funny.

The Shadow Conspiracy Arc (Season 5, Episodes 14 – 16)

You will need some extra context before jumping into one of the most important Mandalorian stories in the Star Wars canon: a resurgent Maul and his brother Savage Opress have taken control of Death Watch, gaining a powerful army with which to execute their plan against the Jedi. During this arc, Maul takes the Darksaber from Pre Vizsla by force, declaring, “I claim this sword and my rightful place as leader” in the kind of violent transfer of power Bo-Katan later believes she needs to evoke to take the Darksaber from Din.

This action-packed arc marks a major turning point in the life of Bo-Katan and Mandalore itself, and you’ll get to see that all the way through in “Eminence,” “Shades of Reason,” and “The Lawless.”

The Siege of Mandalore Arc (Season 7, Episodes 9 – 12)

Some of the very best storytelling in The Clone Wars came at the end of the series. By the time she leads a Republic force to free Mandalore from Maul, Ahsoka has left the Jedi Order and the dark events of Revenge of the Sith are happening in the background. “The Night of a Thousand Tears” Moff Gideon witnessed also takes place around this time, although it hasn’t yet been seen on screen.

The Siege of Mandalore arc (“Old Friends Not Forgotten,” “The Phantom Apprentice,” “Shattered” and “Victory and Death”) shows how Maul encourages all-out war on the planet, Bo-Katan switches sides and asks the Jedi for help, and the Republic takes over Mandalore to stop the conflict just as it becomes the Empire.

Along with being some of the best tragedy and pulp fun Star Wars has to offer, this arc both details Order 66’s effect on Mandalore and Ahsoka. It also shows how much of it was orchestrated by Palpatine. The character who drives that home is Maul, who all along knew the Sith were eventually planning to use galactic in-fighting as part of their scheme to rise to power. It’s not surprising that the dark effects of these events are still being felt decades later on The Mandalorian.

The post Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episodes You Need to Watch Before The Mandalorian Season 3 appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3a0kAeL

[fleur-de-violette]

I was tagged by @stars-and-galaxys thank you !

1.   What/who first got you into Supernatural?

My best friend ! I actually got an original story that looked a lot like the early seasons (and evolved since) and when I let her read my notes, she told me about supernatural in those words “This is a story about two brothers hunting monsters but then there are demons and angels and the little brother is a demon or something anyway it’s complicated and there is a lot of drama”. That was in 2013 and I never found a more accurate description. We started actually watching it two years later. (we bridge watched the 3 first seasons between engineering school entrance exams and engineering school entrance exams results). Since we put a point on only watching it together and we live in different towns, we’re around the beginning of season 12 now.    

2.   What was the clincher that made you keep watching the show?

Well, first of all I watched it with my friend so doing something together is always more fun. I loved the characters (I liked Dean more in the beginning) and I will say that it was only after watching Swan song that I really really want on full “I love this show” mode. I started reading fanfictions and making theories.  

3.   Which more rare character do you wish appeared more often in episodes?

So. Many. I would have liked to see more Charlie, more Garth, I also really like every episodes with Donna in it (So I’m super exited for wayward sisters). I would have liked to see more about Lisa too. She was interesting and strong and I feel like she would have really helped Dean in terms of character development if she had become a recurrent character. I know we would see more Elieen in the future so I’m kinda impatient but I also know she dies so not so much.    

4.   If you could bring one character back to life permanently, who would you choose?

Charlie. Her death was so quick and really unemotional at this point. She deserved better and why couldn’t she stay as a recurring character? She could have been just severely hurt and the story wouldn’t have changed except she would have been mentioned a few more time and maybe came back for one or two cool episodes? I feel like this is wasted character potential.  

5. What is your favorite thing about Dean Winchester? Sam? Cas?

Dean – His protectiveness toward his friends and family, his outgoing attitude and the fact that he’s trying to make everyone comfortable.

Sam –  His kind heart and the fact that he can go from giant teddy bear to highly skilled killing machine.

Castiel – His attempts to be human and to fit in. The fact that he question everything and the development he want trough thanks to that.

5.   Favorite rarepair?

Not as a couple but I would have loved seeing Charlie and Kevin interact with each other. I would have liked to see more Garth and Bobby interactions too (not as a couple of course). How did they met each other, did they hunt together at some point, like did Bobby teach Garth the ropes?

6.   Which character do you admire most?

Ellen and Jody (basically the moms (I know too little about Mary to have an opinion yet)) the two of them have a very different way to deal with their hunter child, but the two of them deserve absolute respect.  

7.   Top 3 favorite quotes?

“I’ve been following you around all my life. I mean, I’ve been looking up for you since when I was four Dean! Studying you trying to be just like my big brother. So, yeah, I know you. Better than anyone else in the entire world.” -Sam, Fresh blood. Most. Relatable. Quote. Ever.

“I’m sitting in a laundromat, reading about myself, sitting in a laundromat, reading about myself. My head hurts” – Dean, The monster at the End of This Book I just find it fun.

“I adopted two boys and they grew up great. They grew up heroes. So you can go to hell!” – Bobby, Death’s Door. There. Take my heart and crush it under a combine harvester*. Didn’t need that shit anyway.

*Yes, I did look up how to say that in English just to describe that feeling.

9. Ever written fanfiction? What about?

I did. I got an A3O account here (self-promoting? What’s self promoting? Who’s self promoting? Not me.) This is five short gen (trough you can see some as Sastiel or Destiel I guess?) one shots and I’m currently writing a hunt fic.    

10. Favorite fic?

Since I can’t just classify the fic I’ve read to say witch one is my favorite I’ll just say that I really love hunt fics and fics were Dean is comforting Sam either for a canon or non-canon event.  

11. Favorite season?

You still want me to classify? I’ll go with 5 or 8 I guess. I also liked season 11.

12. Favorite popular ship?

Please no more “Favorite…” questions… I don’t have ships as in “I totally want to see this characters together” I read fics with mostly all ships except wincest and I appreciate it, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying I have a favorite.  

13. If you could add to or change one thing that happened in the show, what would you do?

See question 4. Either that or save Kevin and saving us a lot of season 9 angst.

14. You’re transported into the show and you get to be one villain, dead or alive. Who do you choose?

Amara probably, she’s cool. I don’t really know.

15. Top 5 favorite episodes?

1 – 5.22 Swan Song Like I said, the episode that made me like the show

2 – 5.08 Changing Channels It was fun.

3 – 11.4 Baby Because wow

4 – 8.21 Pac man fever Because we’ve got to know more about Charlie and we’re seeing a protective side of Dean.

5 – 10.05 Fan fiction This is a fun and totally motivational episode at the same time.

16. What’s one plot twist you did NOT see coming?

In the risk of seeming naïve, Ruby’s betrayal. Of course, I knew she had her own interests, but I didn’t thought she was lying to Sam.

17. What character are you most similar to?

Not as in similar but the one I can the most relate to is probably Sam. I grew up with a four years older sister I love and admire a lot, and the circumstances are different (and way less dramatic) of course but the “us against the world” feeling is there. Like I said, I can relate to his speech in Fresh blood, and in some extent to the one in sacrifice (“who are you gonna turn to next time instead of me?”) but I’m sure not as strong nor as persistent as Sam.    

18. Have you ever cosplayed? If so, as who?

I’ve never cosplayed. If I had to choose a character maybe Eve?

19. What episode scared the crap out of you?

1.08 Bugs Not as in scared scared but most as in herk no. I fear cockroach and earwigs (don’t laugh) so…  

20. What character do you hate with a passion?

I don’t hate anyone with passion, but I didn’t like Dick Roman. He wasn’t as charismatic as the other villains.

21. You have the power to choose how the show ends. How do you end it?

Oh my god no, don’t let me do that everybody will die I like bad endings.

22. Favorite alternate version of a character? (i.e. Casifer, demon! dean, gadreel in sam, souless sam, ect.)

I liked Lucifer!Sam. He was really charismatic and cold and it was a total 180° turn to usual Sam which made me feel really uncomfortable as that was probably the goal.

23. Who is one character you love that other people have mixed feelings about/ don’t really care much about?

Ok. Time to say it and going against the whole fandom. I like Metatron. I like his character and his evolution. I love him in Don’t call me Shurley. I just. I like Metatron. There. I said it.

24. Funniest episode?

5.09 Changing Channels and we’ve also got a bang at this end when the hilarity dies with Gabe’s heartbreaking speech.

25. Episode that left you emotionally dead inside?

So. Many. I’ll settle for 2.16 Roadkill. That moment when you realize and yeah. Time to use that combine harvester word I learned today to describe the state of my heart.

I tag @i-am-eurus-holmes, if you feel like answering Supernatural tamed questions :) 

[lizardguyaaron]

Lizard Reviews: Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters

Hello everyone! Welcome to the first of hopefully many reviews where I talk about various books, movies, comics, video games, and whatever. For my first review, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite Star Wars Legends books of all time. It’s a book that I absolutely adored as a kid, and I recently picked up a reprinted copy of it about a week ago. So without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters is an anthology comprised of five short stories, each one detailing one of the infamous bounty hunters that appeared on the bridge of the Executor, Darth Vader’s flagship, in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Each short story was written by a separate author, so I’m going to be breaking each story down separately in order to give each one the proper attention it deserves.

Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88:

This is the first short story in the novel, and as the title suggests, it focuses on the assassin droid bounty hunter IG-88. The story details IG-88′s creation, his escape from Holowan Laboratories, his takeover of the droid manufacturing planet of Mechis III, and finally his attempt at taking over the Death Star II. Written by Kevin J. Anderson, this is definitely one of the stranger stories to start with. Anderson explores the idea of IG-88 achieving sentience and attempting a droid takeover of the galaxy, while using bounty hunting as a front for his activities. Anderson also introduces this idea of IG-88 occupying four different droid bodies, all named A through D. These ideas seem good on paper, but they take a turn for the truly odd when Anderson has IG-88 take over the Death Star II’s central computer. From here, it becomes immediately clear that Anderson has written himself into a corner. The idea of having IG-88 take over the Death Star II is interesting, but it’s ultimately a dead end when you realize that Anderson is constrained by the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). It makes me wonder why he even bothered to go this route in the first place, considering that there’s only one way that the story can now end. I definitely think that this story would have benefited from a different ending, perhaps one that doesn’t feel like Anderson took the easy way out in ending IG-88′s story. As a result of this story decision, I do have to rank this story lower on my list than the others. 

Payback: The Tale of Dengar: 

Written by Dave Wolverton, “Payback” focuses on Dengar, the bandaged human bounty hunter. In this story, Wolverton portrays Dengar as a bounty hunter who is out for revenge against the Imperials who turned him into a killing machine following an accident, as well as Han Solo for causing the accident in the first place. During one of his hunts, Dengar runs into an alien woman named Manaroo, whose species possesses a unique technology that allows them to share their emotions, and the two gradually fall in love during Dengar’s hunt for Han Solo. I will say that this story surprised me in the best way possible. Dengar was a character that I never had a particular interest in, but Wolverton writes the character in such a way that makes the reader empathize with Dengar. After a certain point, you actually start to root for Dengar and hope he succeeds in his hunt despite the fact that we know he loses out to Boba Fett. All in all, I have to say that “Payback” is probably my favorite short story in the novel.

The Prize Pelt: The Tale of Bossk:

If “Payback” made me care about a hunter that I normally have no interest in, then “The Prize Pelt” by Kathy Tyers made me feel like my favorite Star Wars character, Bossk, had been completely wasted in this story. “The Prize Pelt” is a story about how Bossk was foiled in his attempts to catch Han Solo and Chewbacca by a pair of bounty hunters, Chenlambec, a Wookiee, and Tinian I’att, a human. While I think the idea might have been there, it’s Tyers’s execution of the story that bothers me. The biggest problem here is that Bossk, frequently considered to be second only to Boba Fett, is easily outsmarted and outmaneuvered by Tinian I’att, a novice bounty hunter studying under Chenlambec. Not only do I find it hard to believe that a long-time professional bounty hunter like Bossk is outsmarted by a novice, but it’s the fact that Tinian I’att feels like a Mary Sue style character. I don’t like using the term “Mary Sue” as I feel as though it’s become bastardized in recent years (particularly by the Star Wars fanbase), but I do feel it is applicable here. Tinian is an heiress to a weapons manufacturing company, lost her parents, grandparents, and fiance (who is Force-sensitive) to the Empire, but is quite easily able to concoct several plans to outsmart Bossk, who again has been hunting far longer than she has. So we have the tragic backstory component and the ridiculously high skill level component, which are both necessary for a Mary Sue character. All of this seems to come at the cost of dumbing down Bossk, and frankly making him seem like an idiot. While I did honestly enjoy the cat-and-mouse elements of the hunters all trying to outsmart each other, it’s the dumbed down Bossk and overly capable Tinian that really ruin this story for me, and I feel as though there were probably better ideas for a Bossk story. Overall, this was probably my least favorite story in the novel.

Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM:

Written by M. Shayne Bell, “Of Possible Futures” tells the story of why the Gand findsman Zuckuss and protocol-droid-turned-hunter 4-LOM are after the reward on Han Solo and The Millenium Falcon. In a similar vein to the “Payback” story, Bell paints Zuckuss and 4-LOM in a sympathetic light, a stark contrast to the outright villainy we see from IG-88 and Bossk. In this story, Zuckuss and 4-LOM need the reward money in order to afford a new set of lungs for Zuckuss, an ammonia-breathing Gand who accidentally was exposed to oxygen during a hunt gone bad. 4-LOM, on the other hand, stays by Zuckuss’s side in order to learn how to use intuition to determine possible futures that their prey may take. I really like this story, and how it shows us that not all of the bounty hunters are outright villains. We’re given a very real world motivation for why the duo need the money, and needing money for life-saving healthcare is something that a lot people can relate to. Furthermore, I like how Bell ends this story on a hopeful note, with Zuckuss getting the medical care he needs, 4-LOM beginning to learn how to see into the future, and the duo joining the Rebellion to help liberate Han Solo from Jabba’s Palace. While I really do enjoy this story, I think it lands firmly in the middle for me, and that’s due to the pacing. Bell can be a bit slow at points and that sometimes drags down the story. That being said, it’s certainly better than some of the other entries such as “Therefore I Am” and “The Prize Pelt”.

The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett:

The final story in the novel, written by Daniel Keys Moran, details the origins, fall, and return of the most infamous Star Wars bounty hunter, Boba Fett. I think this story stands out from the others not because it’s simply about Boba Fett, but because the writers of the early EU had some very different ideas about Boba Fett’s origin than what George Lucas ultimately gave us in Attack of the Clones (2002). Instead of being a clone of Jango Fett, Boba Fett in this story was originally a Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn named Jaster Mereel, who was stripped of his title after committing heinous offenses in the name of his twisted sense of morality. It’s a very stark contrast to what we ultimately got, and it’s interesting to see how these details of Boba Fett’s life were retconned. This story is where we first get the concept that Fett wasn’t a true Mandalorian, but somehow acquired the armor and gear (an idea later canonized but reworked to fit the prequel origin in the Disney-era). What I also like about this story is that Bell made Boba Fett’s infamous escape from the Sarlaac have long-lasting consequences in the character later in the story. As a result of being partially digested, Fett is missing his right leg and has cancer, resulting in him completing hunts with increased difficulty. We also get snippets from Han Solo’s point of view, and things ultimately come to a head when Fett attempts to carry out one last hunt against his nemesis. I like this story for being an early attempt at trying to demystify Boba Fett. While the story is no longer canon, I think it definitely is worth a read if you’re a Boba Fett fan. That being said, I do think this story ranks as my second favorite for two reasons: first, it doesn’t quite hit the emotional highs that “Payback” reached, and second, there’s a scene between Boba Fett and Leia in Jabba’s Palace that I found rather unnecessary. Overall, it’s in a solid second place for me.

Final Thoughts: 

Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters is definitely a fun read. While the stories in it can be pretty hit or miss, it’s certainly a fun novel that offers some unique insight into the bounty hunters that only appeared for a moment in the films. If you’re a fan of bounty hunters like I am, then definitely give this book a shot. If you’re new to Star Wars and want to get into the Legends timeline, this is a decent place to start since it features characters and moments from the movies. The novel certainly holds a special place in my heart. But despite that, the hit or miss nature of the stories is what causes it to lose points for me.

Overall, I give this novel a 3.5 out of 5.

[i-aim-to-overanalyze]

Fanfic writers meme: 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 27, 39, 40, 42, 45, 46, and 50 (my question for #50 is: Your favourite character from any of your fandoms (pick one or several characters you like) is writing a fanfic STARRING YOU AS A CHARACTER. Regarding this fact, what kind of fanfic do you think he/she/they are writing about and how would you feel about you literally being in it?)

Thank you so much for sending in an ask! :D

3. Name three favorite writers.

Ahh, this is a toughie! I’m going to list three writers from different fandoms that I admire a lot.

A. Anappleofdiscord from fanfiction.net I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have a tumblr and even tho it’s been forever since I spoken with her personally, she is an awesome person and an awesome writer. She writes for the Hetalia fandom, focusing on gen stuff centering around England and America. If you know anything about the Hetalia fandom, it’s ridiculously rare to find platonic fics about these two and her fics are like the cream of the crop. Her characterizations are on point, her fics are educational and hilarious (and also a rollarcoaster of emotions) plus she pulls off OCs superbly. If you ever check out her fics, tell her that Listenerofshadows sent you ;)

B. Glimare from fanfiction.net I don’t know her personally, but I love her work in the DC fandom. Sadly, she’s since mostly moved on to other fandoms (which is great for her, if the feeling’s not there, don’t push yourself to write fanfic for certain fandoms) but she has a TON of content and it’s all so good. Her most-well known work is a collection of one-shots known as “Daddy, Not Bats”. It’s an AU where Bruce encounters the bat-kids at a younger age and decides to retire to raise them all. It’s sweet, fluffy and angsty all rolled into one.

C. @elfpen from AO3, Fanfiction.net and Tumblr.  I stumbled across her fanfic Reprise when looking for a good star wars time-travel fanfic to satisfy my needs and boy, DOES SHE DELIVER. Most time-travel fics center around the OT era or Obiwan and/or Anakin traveling to TPM, but hers focus on OT!Obiwan traveling back to the era BEFORE TPM. It’s a great fic, I love the characterizations and her OCs are on-point. Not to mention, she also has a lot of other awesome SW and HTTYD content. 

Putting everything else under the cut because this is gonna get long quick!

4. Name three authors that were influential to your work and why.

A. Anappleofdiscord, again. Because she has actually beta’d my work before and given me great writing advice. I haven’t finished Neverlast, nor barely touched on it, but I’m thankful for her influence she’s played on it.

B. It’s hard to pinpoint my inspiration for my writing, because it’s kinda an intuitive thing? Like, I’ll be writing and a phrase comes up and I’m like “I know I stole that phrase from some fanfic lol” but i don’t know which one??? But basically all the fanfic writers I love are legions above me and I admire them all. But I have to say, I’ve started writing more third-person present tense because of a few good fanfics (but I can’t pinpoint which ones) which it’s a rare tense for a novel to pursue but I love the rhythm of it.

6. How did writing change you?

I’ve been writing before I could even write. Basically as a little four-year-old, I’d make pictures and then dictate to my older sister/mom what the pictures were about, essentially creating a storybook out of it. Since writing has been part of my life for so long, it’s so innate to me like breathing air. I know there’s a lot I could improve on writing, but it’s just a freeing way for me to express myself in a clear and concise manner. In real life, I can be awkward in how I word things and I have a tendency to trip over words or don’t fully pronounce my th-s and s-es. Fanfiction is great because I can explore my favorite concepts of a fanfic in a medium that people can enjoy reading in :)

7. Early influences of your writing

Once I discovered reading was fun (I didn’t learn to read until 2nd grade but that’s okay, because once I did I was reading several grades above my level) I devoured books. Some of my favorite books as a child are: PJO, Chronicles of Narnia, Boxcar Children and Black Beauty. I also did some RPG’ing at a young age, which greatly improved my writing as the constant writing at a rapid pace forced my writing to improve exponentially. There were roleplayers that I admired greatly that I imitated because I wanted my writing to be as good as theirs.

10. how do you do your researches?

Google, man, Google. For example let’s say my fanfic is a historical AU. I know a lot about history, but I might look up a historical site to proofcheck my dates or phrases of the time. Fanfic is nice, because it gives you an excuse to rewatch your favorite show if you wanna make sure you nail the characterizations. I might just look at a fan wiki if it’s a minor detail like what’s Ahsoka’s smaller lightsaber called. 

13. Hardest character to write

Oohhh boy! I think everyone can agree that Yoda and Darth Vader are the two toughest SW characters to write for. It’s hard to get into the head of a 900 yr old troll and Vader is just…really hard? Palpatine is also hard not to make him the typical cookie-cutter villian (Which he is, but I’d like to try to give him some depth). I feel like I write a different take of Anakin every time I write a different AU involving him, but I think that’s because the AUs are at different points of his life and also the AU effects his reaction to things.

14. Easiest character to write.

I know it’s contradictory, but Anakin. He’s definitely chaotic good and it’s fun to write that archtype. I haven’t written much Obiwan (actually I have, but I can’t post it until I write the chapters bridging to him :/) but he’s more lawful good compared to Anakin and throwing those two into the same fic is fun to see. Padme is a fun one to write as well as Ahsoka.

17. Favorite AU to write

I have so many AUs so again, hard choice. Gotta say Impetus, since it’s the most I have written for and I love it. It deals more with the traumatizing effects that slavery/the Jedi have inflicted on Anakin plus an even more problematic Palpatine. I didn’t mean to recreate Palpatine in that fashion he’s basically a pedophile in this AU, the characters kinda just made it happen and I ran with it. It was supposed to be a humorous/fluffy what-if but like everything I touch, it’s also angsty ( ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

19. Favorite fandom to write for

My favorite fandom to write for naturally changes with my interests. I was obsessed with YJ for a while, then Hetalia and now SW. Star Wars is fun to write for because there’s a big audience and it’s pretty easy to find a pocket audience who love the same types of things that you do. YJ will always be my first love. I’m currently writing a fanfic for a YJ fandom event, but I’ve been kinda struggling? I’ve lost my enthusiasm writing-wise even tho I still love it to bits.

20. Favorite Character to Write.

Anakin, probably. It’s funny because I used to never like the PT, but the Clone Wars changed all that. It’s a shame that Lucas went the direction he did for Anakin in PT because TCW uncovered a problematic but likeable hero and I wish we could’ve seen that live-action (It’s not Hayden’s fault btw, the director is the one responsible for what portrayal the actor gives)

27. Best review you ever got.

Okay, so. I used to share an account on FF.Net with a friend and I wrote of a lot of YJ fanfics. One of them was a gen one-shot involving Bart and Jaime that received a good amount of attention. AND A REALLY GOOD FANFIC AUTHOR THAT I ADMIRED AND LOOKED UP TO REVIEWED MY FIC AND I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN OVER IT. I never in a million years imagined that my favorite authors potentially read my fanfics, let alone review/favorite it.

39. Do you want to be published some day?

Kinda. As a kid I’ve always wanted to get published but now I’m not so sure. I’ve never finished any fics other than one-shots and that really has gotten to me. My current goal is to finish at least one of my fanfics but I think I’ve been putting it off because I’m afraid it’s impossible to acccomplish. It’s silly, I know. I just need to do it.

40. Which one of your stories do would you most like to see as a movie/series?

Hmmm….probably my one-shot involving those two bounty hunter OCs. I could just see them trying to survive the universe with the least amount of weird space stuff happening but they seem to get pulled into it anyway. Those two are actually the easiest OCs for me to write, btw.

42. Do you plan or do you write whatever comes to mind?

I’m a weird creature. In life, I like to know things ahead of time. I like things to run exactly the way I planned. I don’t like unexpected variables. but in writing…I rarely outline. I usually write whatever is on my mind. Pure inspiration is awesome…until it runs out and feels like you’re pulling teeth to just to write a single sentence. That’s when I attempt to outline things.

45. Share the synopsis of a story you haven’t published yet

“Whatis love? To a young child slave, it is the words his mother used to caress himafter a brutal beating by their master. It is wrapped in the kisses she givesto each bruise and lullabies that lull him to sleep.” A meta on Anakin’s varying views of love a crappy summary authored by moi

46. Share a scene of a story you haven’t published yet.

Welp. Might as well share from the above fic.

Whatis love? To a young child slave, it is the words his mother used to caress himafter a brutal beating by their master. It is wrapped in the kisses she givesto each bruise and lullabies that lull him to sleep.

Hismaster can freely touch every part of him he wishes. He can say words to him—hecan do anything he like to him.

Hecan say things like, “You know I love you, boy?” and the slave obedientlyanswers, “Yes, master.”

He’sso very young, but he knows that his master’s words and touch are not love.Only his mother’s is. He doesn’t know how to describe it. But he can feel thewarmth behind them, like hovering over a fire on a cold desert night. They arelike a thick blanket made of bantha furs, soft and comforting. They melt awayhis tears and fill his lungs with laughter.

Everyday, his mother tells him “I love you Ani.” and Ani, the slave boy, freelyreplies, “I love you too, Mom!”

Hefollows by her example, smothering her with hugs and tells her silly stories tohear her laughter that rings like the bells at the market stands. Because heknows love is the best medicine to heal anyone. It makes them feel fuzzy insideand they don’t feel so sad knowing someone cares about them.

Hismom gets sad a lot, so he does his best to repel the sadness away. He doesn’tget angry when she’s sad, because she isn’t angry when he’s sad.

“It’sokay to be sad,” She tells him one night as she runs her hands through hishair, “Everyone gets sad, just like how everyone gets angry or happy.”

“Mastersdon’t like it when we’re angry though.” Anakin pouted.

Shepauses; looking down at her son with a sad smile, “No matter what they say,you’re allowed to feel angry, Ani. Bundle it up, and keep it to yourself—andrelease it when they aren’t looking.”

“Areyou ever angry, mom?” He yawned as he snuggled closer.

“Yes.”His mother breathed deeply, and he could feel a bit of her anger—for aninstant.

It ishot—not warm like Love’s fire. No, it burns and consumes him for a moment. Itreminds him of all the bruises and welts that his masters have given him. Angeris selfish and doesn’t love. He doesn’t like seeing the giver of his Love feelthis way. He internally sighs in relief when her anger melts away as he told atale about a funny customer that came in that day.

Hehas never truly felt anger. He flinches from its’ touch and refuses to feel theemotion that his masters are fond of.

50. Your favourite character from any of your fandoms (pick one or several characters you like) is writing a fanfic STARRING YOU AS A CHARACTER. Regarding this fact, what kind of fanfic do you think he/she/they are writing about and how would you feel about you literally being in it?)

I feel like everyone relates when I say I don’t think my life is interesting. I’d pick Cassie from YJ because I feel like she’d be the type to write fanfic. I will say one ironic moment in my life is that I starred in a play as a shy bookworm girl who got the lead role in her school play alongside her crush, the star basketball player, incidentally they ended up together in the end. Everyone irl teased me about this but the truth is….I actually had a crush on the actor himself. We’ve known each other for years and are good friends. And the closest I ever gotten to “kissing” him was a moment in the play where our characters almost kissed before being interrupted by other students. But of course nothing real came of the play and we still remain good friends.  I always note in my head that the hollywood version is that we…would’ve hooked up in the end. I’m sure if I was a fictional character and Cassie shipped me with him and we didn’t get together in the end, she’d be writing a fix-it fic where our pairing is the true pairing in the end. If i wasn’t fictional, I’d feel really weirded out by it. I don’t like fic involving real people in it, especially if it involves ships. I’m almost 90% sure this guy doesn’t have a crush on me and just regards as friends. Which is okay, because I’m not sure if I even want a relationship at the moment.

[biniszewskivideogamesfinal-blog]

Topic3 Szymon Biniszewski Video Games 2017/2018

“Star Wars: the Force Unleashed” is an action-adventure, "hack and slash" genre video game released in 2008 by LucasArts. The events in the game take place between "Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope". The Force Unleashed bridges the prequel and original trilogy together, acting as an origin story for the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Civil War which we see in the movies. In the game, we control Galen Marek aka. Starkiller, a dark Jedi, trained by Darth Vader since he was a child. During the game we improve our force abilities and we witness the inner conflict of the protagonist, and his turn to the Light Side. But this project is not about the plot, its about the environment and how it contributes to the story.

Star Wars: the Force Unleashed takes us to places that we could never visit, lets us be someone we could never be, someone who does things no one could ever do. These are the three main things Don Carson, the author of "Environmental Storytelling: Creating Immersive 3D Worlds Using Lessons Learned from the Theme Park Industry" looks for when playing a game or visiting a theme park attraction. When writing about environmental storytelling he states that "In many respects, it is the physical space that does much of the work of conveying the story the designers are trying to tell. Color, lighting and even the texture of a place can fill an audience with excitement or dread." Game developers of "Star Wars: the Force Unleashed" used this type of storytelling in my opinion in all the maps throughout the game.

At the start of the game, the galaxy is already under Imperial control. These are dark times for all the worlds, since The Empire rules with an iron fist, controlling planets by sending military forces to maintain order. Not every system accepts the raining government, some of them rebel, like Kashyyk. In the first mission we control Darth Vader. It is the only level, we play as someone else than Galen Marek. Everyone who knows Star Wars at least a little bit knows that Vader was evil, he murdered people for fun and served a cruel Emperor. Since not only hardcore Star Wars fans play Star Wars titles, the start of the game shows us the policy of the Empire and how they treat planets and species that rebel. Throughout the level we can see Imperial Stormtroopers killing Wookies, planet natives. The environment is constantly being destroyed by Imperial war machines. The once peacefull planet is now in chaos.

In this screenshot we see Darth Vader destroying a Wookie gate on Kashyyk, when an Imperial Star Destroyer is in the sky on the right.

Here Darth Vader pushes a Wookie, destroying trees in the process, on the right, we see a squadron of TIE Fighters flying above the waters of the planet.

A Wookie pushed to his death, with Imperial ships terrorising Kashyyk in the background.

In this map, when we look at the environment, we see a gorgeous planet and what is happening to it. At the end of the mission we encounter a young Starkiller, the protagonist that we will be playing as for the rest of the game. We meet him as a young and naive boy, that will be told that he is fighting for the right cause, but the environmental storytelling of the first mission tells us that the Empire represents war and tyranny. Also Kashyyk as a planet might look a little bit like earth, but looking at the architecture of the natives, and the advanced ships and weapons the Empire uses, the environment informs every player that by playing the game, he is transported to a galaxy far, far away.

The second environmental storytelling example in the game also happens on the same planet but much later on in the game. When we re-visit Kashyyk it is under full Imperial control, before Wookies were still fighting for independence. This time I want to show how the environment contributes to revealing a villains personality and traits and also how the colors and lighting set the tone of the mission, how they influence the player, who is witnessing the same place but under different environmental circumstances.

This time we are exploring Kashyyk at night. The night provokes fear and uncertainty in the player, since we know the whole planet is crawling with Imperials, which are now our enemies. Trees, plants, grass is on fire, being burnt by Stormtroopers armed with fire throwers. This aspect tells the gamer how the Empire treats conquered planets. This time we see no Wookies in the environment, meaning something has happened to them, looking around later, we can find clues what exactly, more on that later.

More burning nature in the background, also a big Imperial facility, signifying Imperial rule over Kashyyk.

Later in the level, we learn that we are looking for Princess Leia, which is held captive on the planet by Imperial officer, Ozzik Sturn. It is said that he has some strange hobbies, but it is not stated what those hobbies are. When we go through the Imperial facilities on Kashyyk we find ourselves in a room, filled with heads of alien species and creatures.

This environmental setting is not hard to miss, but if we just kill the Imperial Royal Guard, we can progress, but when we look around we can see a lot of different trophies from creatures knows from the movies, and also new ones. There is also one enslaved live Wookie in a cage in the middle. This room and its contents tell us that Ozzik Sturn is not only an Imperial commander, but also a vicious hunter for natives of planets, where he resides. Later in the mission, we find some wookies in prison and some that are being transported off the planet to work as slaves of the Empire. The trophy room is also one of the things of environmental storytelling Don Carson looks for playing a video game, he calls it storytelling through cause and effect of the environment. "One of the most successful methods for pulling your audience into your story environment is through the use of "cause and effect" vignettes. These are staged areas that lead the game player to come to their own conclusions about a previous event or to suggest a potential danger just up ahead." 

The third enviromental storytelling aspect thats different from the ones above is the landscapes of the planet Raxus Prime. When we visit this planet for the first time in the game we for a difference don't fight any Imperials or Rebels, just a rogue fraction of droids created of junk. Devleopers created a whole new, unique planet, which is an galactic junkyard. The planet is made of scrap, but a rogue Jedi hides there. We know that we hunt him, we don't know much about the surroundings, in fact the whole planet is a new instalment to Star Wars since it has never been shown in any of the movies or comics. Looking around we see not only junk but also scrap collectors. This shows us the poor living conditions there. There is also an Jedi Temple made out of junk. We see it at first when our pilot drops us at the planet, but later on we get inside, and see a lot of rooms that we know from the original Jedi Temple from the movies. This environment tells us that the Jedi we hunt is obsessed with the Jedi tradition, which the Empire destroyed and has gone mad during his days hiding from the Empire before we even meet him. The outside environment shows the player something new, that we did not know before, makes him even more excited for the game, since it is a mix of old and new places, and before we only saw places from movies, or just a random Imperial factory. It's also one of Carsons "wants" for a game, to show the player where he precisely is and what is the deal with the place. "In the telling of your "story," the next most important task is to answer your audiences first question.... "Where am I?" No matter how well designed your environments are, if your audience can not answer this question in the first 15 seconds, you are already lost. This can be as simple as "Oh, I am in a dark warehouse." or "Ah, I am in the hold of a ship." Wherever it is, your first job is to present your audience with the opportunity to answer this question for themselves." In this case during the drop off, we already know we are at a new, exciting junk planet, hunting and obssesed Jedi.

"Star Wars: the Force Unleashed" is one of my favourite Star Wars games, I walked it through many times during the years, but I never though about how the environment tells us a lot about the story, mainly the players that are not into Star Wars that much. When you are focused on fighting enemies and improving the Force abillities of Starkiller, the surroundings provide context, information and create an unique mood for the player, you can really feel that you are a part of Star Wars. Carsons article was posted on gamasutra.com in 2000, but his points are clearly right, since this great title has everything he searches for when playing a video game.