#i need to re read the comics after 2 years but i still remember a tob

[crow2222]

Wait no this is so true though..... if you wanna talk about it though I'd be down to listen

why is there virtually no invincible comic community outside of reddit. hell, there's barely a show community. this sucks, i'm so bored.

[clonerightsagenda]

HDM 3 & 4!

Episode 3:

me watching Mrs. Coulter ransack a university library while demanding "find me something heretical or illegal" wow haha it's just like being at work

"tired old men talking about tired old things" How much of breaking Jordan's scholastic sanctuary is revenge for the fact that they won't let women like her in? If you can't beat them, tear them down.

Tony's mumbled excuses about how he found Lyra are so on point for 'kid who does not want his mom finding out about his vigilante justice escapades'

Loving the running gag of Boreal going to our world and finding his car ticketed/booted. He doesn't even know what the boot is

Oh wow, we're getting our first look at Will now? As well as backstory on why his family is getting harassed, and we dropped the bomb of John Parry = Grumman already, even though that's a late book 2 reveal. Interesting choice. My guess would be that they want to spend less time in season 2 on stringing that mystery along and more on developing Will and Lyra's dynamic, since they shift into bffsies mode pretty abruptly.

Mrs. Coulter thinking about falling off high places again... I don't recall the implication of this self-destructive impulse in the books (haven't reread the third yet) but this is certainly setting up her death, huh? Whose idea was it, I don't remember....

Also, her calling Benjamin "boy" multiple times even though he's clearly a grown man - does that have the same racist implications in the UK as it does in America? It certainly shocked me. We hadn't really seen a racial undertone in how she's dealt with Boreal, the Master, or the reporter...

Episode 4

Of course they added Lee singing a song lol. If you paid all the money for LMM...

They took away Farder Coram's disability? He's older, sure, but seems perfectly hale and hearty. I'd make a joke about Lyra just thinking someone is tragically disabled due to being 60+ but the books say his health got wrecked after getting hit by a poison arrow. There is that other gyptian with the limb differences, I suppose.

Iorek is pronounced Yorick??? Oh wow I've been doing Eye-or-eck (like neck) for years.

I can't identify the accent Iorek has, but I'd be curious as to what accent the showrunners decided bears should have. I'd assume something Northern European since we're in Fantasy Scandinavia.

Mrs. Coulter has been violent toward her daemon a few times, which I also don't recall from the books, although it comes up with that one guy in the prequels. It emphasizes her internal conflict that they're setting up super hard.

Lee's far more comic relief in the show, and they've padded out the Iorek armor quest quite a bit. Guess they decided they needed to get their money's worth out of having Lin Manuel Miranda around before he dies and gets eaten.

They didn't make Serafina's daemon a goose??? Slander!!!

Lord Boreal homophobia moment... These have been the Bigotry Episodes

So I get why they have Lyra speak up to convince the gyptians in the previous episode and take the initiative re: Lee and Iorek - it makes the MC a more active rather than reactive protagonist, etc. - but I said while liveblogging the books that I appreciated the gyptians clearly have their own plans and aren't just convenient brown people who exist to ferry the protag on her journey, and this undercuts it a little bit. Also being a kid getting helplessly buffeted around by the machinations of adults is part of what Lyra has to deal with.

I'm still reading it as Eye-or-eck in my head as I type this. Sorry. It's too late for me.

[reimenaashelyee]

The World in Deeper Inspection UPDATE Read: (Chapter 1: Pages 1 to 4)

About the comic

TWIDI IS BACK! To celebrate its 10th anniversary since launch, I'm remaking the first chapter and posting pages every Friday, accompanied by my thoughts on the original pages and a breakdown of what I've changed or improved.

Analysis under the cut.

PAGE 1 and 2

It’s March 31st, 2023… exactly 10 years since I posted the very first page of TWIDI!! I haven’t done much to celebrate TWIDI’s anniversaries the past few years (due to general Busyness – yes, yes, check out the forever “TWIDI isn’t dead” sign up on the front page), but the official 10th anniversary is a special unignorable event.

Initially I wanted to make a simple remaster of Chapter 1 – better copyediting, fixing egregious lettering and art errors, alongside a retrospective author’s note… then long-time reader Caracan suggested, why not do a full remake? That’d be fun to see. And I agree – it would be fun to see! I’ve grown my craft and sensibility as comics artist since TWIDI’s debut, and I was so curious to see how 28 Year Old Me would interpret the material that 18 Year Old me produced.

So yep!

This first page used to be so cool-looking to my 18 Year Old eyes… I can definitely see what I was trying to go for, but wasn’t quite able to reach then.

A thumbnail from 2013, with notes to myself regarding the composition. In my mind I wanted the wolves to have a James Jeanesque rendering – I was really into his Fables covers back then (still am tbh).

For the remake, I leaned further into the graphic-designiness of the composition: every element had to sweep the reader’s gaze down onto our protagonist. The wolves are expanded to actually take up half the spread and simplified down to only white lines. The trees and sky are shaped like teeth pointing down to Grimsley. The intent was to evoke a sense of claustrophobia, of the wolves catching up to Grims and driving him into a corner.

Small improvements: the energy and line of action are clearer with the new running pose. Definitely a better silhouette. And a lot more angularity with the limbs which adds to the sense of movement.

PAGE 3 and 4

This spread is one of the most drastic rehauls in the remake. Here’s the original for comparison

It’s not very good! (Sorry @ 18 Year Old Me) I remember struggling real hard with the dynamicism required out of this sequence…

Fortunately after 1000s of double-page compositions and 10 years of practice, I’ve finally cracked this once-difficult composition.

This new page does away with the concept of grids or caring about whether anything is read linearly. The sequence is supposed to evoke chaos and panic as everything is happening everywhere all at once, so it doesn’t really matter if everything can be read or arranged in a neat grid. That was the problem with the original spread: it was too beholden to the grid.

(You can see how in the original, each page was (top row: left to right; bottom row: left to right))

The new page is like this:

The page is horizontally railroaded. The main action sweeps from top left to bottom right.

The AWOOO sfx is the anchor which leads the eye from left to right. As the eye travels it may glance up or down at the panels – there’s no real need to pay attention to them; hopefully the improved clarity of Grimsley’s emotional and body acting + me actually depicting the wolf biting his neck + the spiky graphic design elements instantly conveys that he’s in trouble without much or any processing.

The newest panel – the pink grass and canine paws – is a call back for later when we catch up to this in media res.

[nerves-nebula]

Re read Loose Stitches and it got me thinking about school experiences that made me realize something really weird my parents always said that stemmed into something that actively still a problem now that I’m in university, where I really struggle to admit when I’m struggling or don’t know something, even though that’s the point of school. My parents always used to say I shouldn’t ever say “I don’t know” and got mad at me for asking questions about stuff they asked me to do, and got reaaal snippy whenever I asked for clarification or for them to repeat what the told me to do. Stuff like that made me weird about getting help from teachers in any scenario, which I’m realizing is a whole avoidant behavior thing that fucks me up even when I do ask for help. Any way, I don’t know why I’m telling u any of this—I feel like my asks to u always get traumadump-y—but Loose Stitches captures a series of very vivid experiences which makes me think which is cool and I love it a lot, I guess.

sammeeee. well, sort of. they'd both get annoyed if i questioned them and my own self imposed anxiety + their bullying made me terrified to ask questions and look "stupid" but at least my dad is enamored enough by the concept of learning that he doesn't hate ALL questions. if you ask the right ones he'll even be delighted :D at least, that's what I remember. it's been a long time now.

I'm in my junior year of college and I've basically only just now realized that I should probably have emailed professors a lot more than I did. for help, advice, questions. i mean they're the greatest assets we have here, they have SO MUCH knowledge and I've just been too afraid of bothering them to ask.

y'know, loose stitches was never supposed to be about school or the education system or CPS or anything like that. in fact, while writing part 1 I was initially annoyed because I wanted to get to all the "cool" stuff that happens in part 2 and I needed to spend all this time in this setting i didn't care about (this weird hybrid CPS housing/college campus) in order to do it. but in having to flesh out that "boring" stuff in part 1, i've found that's not so boring or uninteresting after all, and it's gonna make part 2 way better as well when i dive into all the ways the system can and has failed people, not JUST our main two characters.

honestly, I still think the world of loose stitches is kind of underdeveloped, because the focus was never really on the world building for me so a lot of it is just life experiences and what I've learned from history with a slightly different nonhuman context.

ummmm that has nothing to do with what you've said here and i just realized im rambling. should get back to work now, thanks for the ask! I always love to hear what people think about my comic <3

[mistress-of-vos]

For the ask game Ra'sTim (yes predictable I know but I just adore how you write them to the point where I want more information)

Ra'sTim

SHIP IT!!! 💚💚💚

Okay yeah I'm very loud about them but I'm still so so happy you asked about Ra'sTim! I'd talk about them all day. This is probably gonna be long 😅

P.S. Thank you! I'm happy you enjoy my work ❤️

1. What made you ship it?

Okay this is such an easy yet complex question. I have looked back and realized I was writing past/implied Ra'sTim on my fic notebook back on 2014 (give or take) when I was newly done reading Red Robin. I'm unsure exactly *how* is started because before 2020 I had been on an extreme Transformers fixation, and my memories are fuzzy. I believe I was shipping Ra'sTim as a background ship without fully realizing I was doing it (it should also be noted I started as a KonTim religious fan, and grew into a JayTim girlie). I actually read two of my fav Ra'sTim fics back in those years (around 2014-2015), which were in Spanish, but they had a Ra'sTim portrayal that would mark my views, as the characters make the dynamic very different to the most popular ships in fanfom.

It was at the beginning of 2020 when I went back to DC, and funnily enough climbed quickly from JayTim to BruTim and started writing an ongoing fic. While doing so, I re read past fics I remembered I used to love, and went back to read comics as well. Suddenly, after reading Red Robin again, I was looking at Ra'sTim through different glasses. And it was something happening to me in many levels, as I was also getting a bit away from Kon & Jason and more into characters as Babs & Jean-Paul. I wondered what *more* there could be to Ra'sTim, and started reading more of Ra's. As I read and explored Tim in my writing, I realized I wanted them together.

I'm unsure about how to call it. The feeling was almost of enlightenment, like suddenly seeing something that has always been there yet for some reason you couldn't distinguish its shape. Perhaps being a Megatron/Starscream shipper helped, because I saw the potential of Ra'sTim and decided to explore the possibilities and their tones of gray.

At first Ra'sTim wasn't my main ship (although I was already writing it), but as I explored them, the more I felt it was a dynamic that came naturally to me, and scenarios I found more enjoyable.

The more I read their comics and explored them in my writing, the more they felt *right*. Perhaps it was meant to happen, as I can admit they fall a lot more into my tastes in fiction. Ra's as a character drives me insane with his potential and lore, and Tim stays as my favorite bat boy and who I believe changed the Batman mythos.

And yet, everything was born from a simple panel. "You are a very dangerous young man."

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

Oh, this is a tricky one!

I like their dynamic a lot, as I'm an open immortal/mortal sucker. And that does play a huge thing in my view of them and why I come back to Ra'sTim again and again despite having other fixations. The fact that Ra's has such a complex background and is not your usual western interpretation of an immortal (let's say a vampire) is also a fav thing of mine, as I think it allows stories with him to leave usual storytelling and challenge beliefs about good & evil. The fact that he believes he's *good* and a hero is particularly tasty as well, and mixed with Tim's need for helping others and guilt when he's not useful to the world (and Batman), gives a wonderful meal.

Their size difference is extremely hot too.

Aaaaand having a canon mutual interest where they are connected in a mysterious, unavoidable way, it's a cherry on top.

Lastly, I adore their contrast as characters and how they will allow the other to win a little battle in order to win another. It's a game of cat and mouse.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I have unpopular opinions on most characters and ships. Some of them I feel comfortable expressing and others... Not much.

With Ra'sTim I have many of them, but mostly, it's that I loathe how other ship fandoms use Ra's as a random villain to hurt Tim and prop up another ship. For me, that's almost insulting, as Ra's is already a hurt character broken by many writers at DC. For me Ra'sTim it's never about "evil, mean Ra's hurting Tim because villains do that" and even less would I do it for another ship. I enjoy dark Ra'sTim, but never to hurt the characters.

My unpopular opinion then would be about the characters, perhaps. I don't see Ra's being cruel to Tim without reason, because in my mind, Ra's feels *love* and he cares for Tim. And Tim loves him back. They are just messy and won't communicate well, but that doesn't mean Ra's will go full evil and that Tim is a damsel in distress needing saving.

I don't see Ra's as an abuser. Neither do I see Tim as a helpless victim. And I believe this narrative hurts all characters involved without real motive besides wanting to prop up someone else and being too lazy as to read a less known villain or writing an original one.

[dragonji]

genuinely the past few months ive blazed through so many novels/comics it's kind of ridiculous that I still crave more. and yet I Do</3 Like to list them all out is. yeah:

◇Purely by Accident- just finished in 2 days. cute and had some neat moments but fell flat w the side characters by the end imo

◇Fabulous Beasts comic+donghua- started and caught up with both in <a week. desperately awaiting more[strained smile]

◇Sending the Divine- caught up with all free ongoing translations (have been following for months). awaiting more and reserving judgement for when I can read the full thing in one go

◇The Governor's Illness- finished in 5 days. Enjoyed it even tho it exasperated me in places, couple of really memorable moments too

◇Have You Seen My Brother comic- caught up with 20+ chs in a day after finding the new host site for the ongoing transl (previous app host got nuked in feb-ish). eagerly awaiting more

◇Daughter of a Thousand Faces comic- read in 1 day. honestly a bit obsessed but lowkey bc wont be getting more for a While

◇Dvawtk- reread for the 4th time over a week and a half. Love of my life in novel form I'd blow up a building for more

◇Rotmhs- fully caught up with eng comic. read 350+ novel chs in 2 weeks before burning out on it and taking a still-in-effect break. Need to get back into it but enjoying just chilling on it for now

◇Qjj- full reread of unoffical fan transl over 2 weeks. gutwrenching in places fairly solid overall but minor complications w some side relationships

◇I took the Wrong Script of Qing Leng Xianjun- read in 3 days . cute and silly if a bit grating in places

◇I am the White Moonlight of the Paranoid Immortal- unintentional reread (forgot I had read it last year lol) in 4 days. Short and fun, loses steam by the end but not bad

◇After Marrying the Lord of the Underworld- read in 6 days? honestly do not remember much. had more horror elements than I tend to go for I think

◇After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General- read in a week? only slightly more memorable than prev but I do think I liked it more and might give it another read soon to refresh

◇After Being Betrayed, the Immortal Master Ran Away with the Demon Venerable- read in 4 days. hints of dog's blood orig plot romance were appropriately grating and from what I recall had a satisfying end and some nice chemistry between the main couple, generally fond of it I think

◇The Last Dragon in the Cultivation World- read in 5ish days? did not like it</3 mc was too childish for my taste and i didnt enjoy most of plot, overall pretty shallow

All of ^that on top of keeping up with daily webtoon releases and a very slow ongoing reread of the official tgcf novels for annotation purposes (currently on book 5) not to mention re-/new watches of dramas animations game streams etc

[pandasmagorica]

Rewatch: Kiseki: Dear to Me

Interesting how even though I've seen this before and know how it comes out I still get scared for the mains. Fine acting!

What triggered the rewatch was to see the differences between the Gagaoolala and the Viki subtitles, after reading (and commenting on) a post on subtitles by @absolutebl. I actually only re-watched episode 1 on both services (and noticed multiple subtitle differences between the services - noted on the linked reblog) and re-watched the rest on Viki. My first watch was on Gaga.

Episode 2

7:20-7:24

Ai Di: "You coward drink cold water" (Translator's note that it refers to a children's rhyme.)

Chen Yi: "It should be 'cheapskates drink cold water'"

Cute comedy noise.

I don't view Kiseki: Dear to Me as a comedy, although there is no shortage of comic moments. But I don't recall there being cute sound effects the way they are littered all over Thai comedies.

Noting the comfort plushie at 8:42. Nice to have autism rep/normalization (and wish I had the nerve to have one when I was in school - actually it wouldn't have even occurred to me that I could have done so).

Episode 5 (I think)

Okay, there's the rooster sound when Jherui, in his sleep, gropes Bai Zhongyi and Zhongyi wakes up with an erection - or at least that's what the sound effect and Zhongyi's actions afterwards are presumably meant to represent. I guess technically this is a comedy. But its a very dry comedy with plenty of drama.

Episode ???

Then there was the cat meow when Zhongyi's classmates asked Zhongyi whether he had brought home a cat or a dog and Zhongyi flashes back about Jherui's behavior.

Yeah

Jherui = cat

Zhongyi = dog

Episode 6

8:35-8:38

Boss: We wanted you to be vicious, but you couldn't. We wanted you to be ruthless, but you are full of righteousness.

And yet in episode 1, Jherui has apparently just murdered someone and plants the evidence on Bai Zhongyi.

How ruthless do you need to be?

Good to see Jherui question his attraction to a 17 year old. (For the record, the actors are adults and 17 is of legal age in Taiwan, although it's questionable at the moment with Jherui pretending to be Zhongyi's teacher.)

Actually, I'm questioning a 17 year old being in an apartment on his own while he goes to high school. That was the first thing I questioned.

Good cries

Three places I remember crying:

When Zhongyi sits down to dinner with his family for the first time after getting out of prison

When Zhongyi rings the doorbell at room 703 and says Jherui's name when the door opens

At the end

Content warnings

I love this series and do need to give some content warnings:

Age gap with one partner legal but minor

Dubious consent due to drunkenness of otherwise legal adults

Violence

Plot holes

After the jump because spoilers

Way too many coincidences

Did Jherui's grandfather or anyone else in the Fan family do something to make Zhongyi's father need emergency heart surgery?

Who sent the text that the Fans had Zhongyi attacked in prison?

Don't they know that text messages aren't secure? Or are they secure in Taiwan?

Jherui's brother doesn't seem to know about text message insecurity either, does he?

How did Ai Di get into prison and, presumably, the same cell as Zhongyi?

How did Ai Di get a release date the same as Zhongyi?

If Sining thought Zhongyi actually killed her brother, why didn't she off him?

If, more likely, based on her actions, if she was trying to find out who really killed her brother, what tipped her off that it likely wasn't Zhongyi?

How sweet were the strawberry cakes in Zhongyi's patisserie?

[firsttransfootman]

Okay, I know I wrote in my description that I'm currently in Shadow and Bone phase. But my first post here just needs to be about my first love - The Walking Dead. And because I'm nerd, I need to show this here.

    So...if you also was watching TWD episode by episode every week when it was released, you for sure remember the break between seasons and half season. Always around 4 months and of course, there were a lot of leaks, photos from drones and rumors.

    It was the first quarter of 2017 (omg it was 6 years ago) and we got this leak. I couldn't find it on the internet and on my phone I only got the Spanish version. Basically it means "In the 13 episode we will get a reveal that Paul "Jesus" Rovia is homosexual". In the show it was actually changed and we got a reveal in episode 14, bcs of the switch between 13 and 14 episodes (for people who don't remember that were 2 episodes which were both  happening at the same time but in two different places and which was first doesn't really matter).

So it's around a month or two before the premiere of season 7B. I'm 15 and I can't stop thinking about what they are going to do. I write some propositions and I'm gonna share them now with you guys. Some of them contain minor spoilers from the comic books.

   1 . Somebody is gonna fall from him. I was 15, in denial that I'm mostly gay and just thought &quot;It's Tom Payne, everybody finds him super attractive, right?&quot;. So, in my mind, some character would just develop a crush on him or fall in love. Of course, female character, maybe some dramatic kiss scene when he needs to take a step back and say "I'm sorry, but it's not gonna work". I didn't have anybody particular in mind for this. but it was still an option. 

   2. Similar to the first one but just looking for comfort. I started reading more comics. and if somebody didn't read comics, we got a lot  more  friends with benefits and "lovers" (meaning only bed lovers, not really relationships). Michonne was literally trying to sleep with every black guy in comics. So I was thinking maybe Sasha or Maggie would need some comfort after what Negan did and he would just be there for them. Even if they didn't try to sleep with him, maybe some cuddling and him saying this just to be sure they don't want anything more. Maybe before this some typical TV scenes after which people ship them a little bit or something.

   3. Some gay comfort scene with Daryl, Aaron, Eric or four of them. If anybody don't know this - there are rumors that Daryl was supposed to be gay and reveal of it was planned for season 3 or something around but they resigned of this concept (probably gonna write more about this someday). Anyway, I was thinking about a couple of options here:

    3.1. Jesus having amazing gay radar and just goes to talk with Daryl in casual  acting like it's obvious. He would panic and, you know, be grumpy about that OR which I actually think would actually be  the best way - also act like this is basic knowledge. People would be so freaking mad.

   3.2. Some deep conversation between him and Daryl, their backstory, of course, mostly Paul doing the talking and some sentences like "I don't know why I'm saying this to you . We don't really know each other".

   3.3. Some fluff comfort scene with Aaron and Eric, maybe even play it as a joke with their iconic sentence from a comic book. So in the comics, Aaron, after Eric died, says something about them being their last gays in the world. Like can you imagine a scene like that:

J: "So you live in this house?"

A: "Yeah, almost from the start."

E: "Two last gays in the world."

J: "So I would be third."

A: ...

E: ...

J: ...

D: "Forth!"

T: "Why people always forget lesbians?"

   4. Alex! Yeah, for people who didn't read comics or did it some time ago and don't remember Alex is Jesus' lover and nurse in Hilltop. In the comics, we got reveal in the way that when Paul is in Hilltop, Alex comes to his room and asks him to cuddle and read with him. With time, it's clear that Alex wanted something more and Paul just didn't feel it. They eventually split apart, Alex got a boyfriend and hopefully happy ever after. Anyway, this would be cool. Some one-sided love, an amazing example of the fact that being gay doesn't mean somebody would fall for every guy and it's a good example of grey side of Jesus bcs he really isn't honest with Alex and doesn't treat him like he should. Also, we would get a nurse, which would be cool bcs in the show I sometimes feel like they forgot that doctors aren't the only people who work in healthcare. Like paramedics and nurses exist.

 

   5. Like literally anything other than what we get. Don't get me wrong - this scene with Maggie is cute, but because it's the only scene about that, I needed something more. If he eventually got a romantic or bed partner I wouldn't say anything, but after he died people all over the internet literally arguing that he wasn't gay on a TV show bcs nobody remembers this scene. It was a pre-credits scene which you could really easily skip and you didn't know you had missed anything.

    I think they know they have Aaron and Eric so they don't want to have another gay couple (so Alex wasn't an option) and want this to be quiet. It was just a preparation for the future Aaron and Paul, which we never get. It's really sad bcs after this, Paul was literally cut off the series, being in a couple of episodes per season to the point when actor just don't wanna be part of it anymore (and I can't blame him). Even after that, they didn't have enough courage to make him and Aaron officially a couple of lovers. We only got suggestions and baits but nothing official.

    I would really like to read a fanfiction about any of the options which I wrote above. In the meantime, have an amazing weekend and to the next!

[batfamcraze]

Maybe it's me but I think what I like most about Damian is how much I don't like him. You can tell DC Comics is going for a redemption arc for him and we're really beginning to see him grow into a good person and fine young man. And they're doing it right. They're showing his growth rather than telling us. Damian is still making mistakes and still is rather standoffish, but he's getting there.

He's the one you want to root for and he's hard to love but I'm so excited to see where they take him. So glad your blog is heavily dedicated to him. (And thanks for the follow too!)

Damian is my favourite Batkid and my favourite Robin. I like all of the Batkids fairly equally, but Damian is my #1 because his story and character is so appealing to me! (I also acknowledge DC's problematic treatment of him and the Al Ghul family at the same time of course)

I read Damian's comics when I was around 13 years old and I thought he was the coolest bitch. I loved that iconic introduction of him saying "Father, I imagined you taller." He's wished to meet his father his whole life and that's the first thing he says to him? Amazing.

While I understand that you like Damian and I agree with your statement, what a lot of people don’t know is that Damian’s current redemption arc in Robin (2021) already happened in Robin: Son of Batman (2016). 

In Robin: Son of Batman (2016), He leaves Gotham for a year to travel, and calls it his “Year of Atonement” (to atone for the crimes he’s committed), it's about Damian not wanting to kill people anymore and become a hero like his father is. (And I recommend you reading it honestly, it has such a strong hold to my heart!)

There are a few comics that include Damian’s redemption arc like Batman and Robin (2011) I think, and more that I'm probably forgetting. (I need to re-read Damian’s comics again honestly, because my memory is a little poor because of how long ago I read them lol!)

From what I remember in the New 52 continuity (It was the current canon at the time I read it, so, yeah I’ve been a Batfam fan for a LONG time lol), Damian was a solid member of the batfamily, and was a good hero/sidekick. At some point he stopped being an assassin and became a new addition to the family.

Now you ask: “So Damian already had a redemption arc, and they’re doing it again?”

And my answer is: “YES! That’s weird isn’t it? Congratulations! You accidentally discovered a problem I have with DC too!”

Please bear with me, I’m going to give context as to why Damian is going through another redemption arc, and share my thoughts on Robin (2021) under the cut lol:

The problem with Robin (2021) imo, is that Damian already went through a redemption arc. The reason why DC is doing it twice, is because DC’s ex-ceo Dan Didio (Whom I greatly detest, caused many problems with multiple DC characters), planned to turn Damian into DC’s newest and biggest villain for their canceled continuity that was planned after Rebirth, and to take place after the Dark Knights Metal event. The new failed continuity was going to be called 5G (Stands for Generation 5). It got cancelled because the executive team had disagreements with directions that multiple characters had, as well as hating the idea of a time jump that would be a part of it (Damian was apparently going to be 18!). You can read more about it here in Article 1 and Article 2. (There are multiple posts that could explain 5G better here on Tumblr but I hope I tried lol)

Didio is also to blame for DC having multiple continuities like New 52, Rebirth, etc. So if you're mad about DC being confusing and having their timelines restart frequently, blame it on this guy lol (Thank god he doesn’t work there anymore). Currently, we’re in the Infinite Frontier continuity, but it’s not actually a reboot like the past two so I let it slide ig, because Infinite Frontier is technically a continuation of Rebirth. (If I'm wrong about Infinite Frontier lmk, but my point still stands because I hate Didio for creating New 52 and Rebirth lol)

While 5G was in the works before it got cancelled and Didio got replaced by Jim Lee, Damian was in multiple comics that was going to explain his new path to villainy for 5G. His fallout with the Teen Titans he led in Teen Titans (2016) because he didn’t have faith in the justice system anymore, dealing with the trauma of Alfred’s death, attempting to kill KGBeast because of the attempted murder of Dick, Dick not remembering Damian and turning into Ric, were some of the reasons for his new path. (Source here and here)(I apologize if some details are wrong)

Because 5G was planning on making Damian a supervillain, DC wanted to give the Robin mantle back to Tim. (Despite Damian being Robin for about 15 years, which means Tim hasn’t been Robin for about the same length)

When 5G was cancelled, Williamson was then given Robin (2021) and he had to write Damian’s redemption arc, which is where we are now. If it weren’t for DC trying to change Damian’s story and ruin his character. *cough* *cough* racism. 

And the ideas they had for 5G that they didn’t want to throw away, gave us 5G’s leftovers known as Future State (2021), Death of the Justice League (2022), and the Batman comic with Tim as his Robin that recently got announced (writer Chip Zdarsky). Even though Bruce is supposed to “die” in Death of the justice League? ... 😐

*Apparently, James Tynion IV didn’t like 5G either, so he decided to write DC vs Vampires (2021) instead. Lol the more you know! ✨ (Source here)

To summarize: Tim was going to be be the new Robin for 5G, 5G gets cancelled, now we have both Tim and Damian run around as Robin in Infinite Frontier because of their failed attempts of changing Damian to a supervillain, and have Tim replace him. Now Damian is going through the same arc he already went through because of their idiotic decision. (Side note: If you were wondering why they’re both Robin currently, that's why!) 🙃

*This is not a hate post for Tim. I don't hate Tim, I actually like him! I’m pointing out the fact that DC is racist, and that they’ve been pushing Tim to be Robin recently, because he's white and he hasn’t been Robin for 15-ish years. Don’t misread this post please.

So... After all of that context (which was very much needed), I’m going to finally talk about Damian in Robin (2021) lol. 

First of all, I don't have a problem with Robin (2021), I don't fully hate it! There are a few parts that I like, the Lazarus Tournament was a pretty cool idea tbh and the writing is decent. But I don't think I can ever love it, because this comic is a reminder that it wouldn't exist if DC weren’t racist, and that Damian would be on the same path he was on before all of this bs. This comic has elements from Damian’s past comics that, imo, has been handled better.

I’m sorry if you like this comic and that I probably ruined it for you, but it’s completely fine to like this comic and still be aware of the sabotage he went through! If DC sees that Robin (2021) is successful, then they will surely regret their past actions and never attempt to give his villain arc a second try in the future (If DC tries again I will fight them)! I understand why someone would like Robin (2021) because non-Damian readers aren’t aware that he’s no longer that snotty brat that fanon thinks he is. Yea, Damian can be arrogant and childish, those are his flaws after all (and he’s still a child btw, and flaws are very much needed in a character. And I don't like flaw-less characters because they bore me lol), but he's WAY more toned down after Robin: Son of Batman (2016) and Batman and Robin (2011). Damian was already a developed good person before Robin (2021).

Without further ado, here are a few of my fav random panels of Dami’s past redemption arc that I love:

Damian's new friend Maya, helps him realize his potential to become a hero  💚♥️

Maya tells Damian that she forgives him for killing her father Morgan Ducard.

Damian was sent to kill a den of demon bats(?) in a cave, and sees a baby demon bat. When Damian tries to force it to fight back, it licks his nose, and Damian cries. This is how Damian meets Goliath ♥️. This scene represents how Damian saw himself in the demon bat, because he also had no desire to kill when he was young, but was forced to his entire life. Which is why he breaks down (including my own heart). [These pics are from Robin: Son of Batman (2016)]

I apologize if my reply was not at all you were expecting LOL, but I was going to make a post about DC’s failed 5G plan, and I thought why the hell not? I’ll do it now since it affected Damian A LOT!

“He's the one you want to root for and he's hard to love but I'm so excited to see where they take him. So glad your blog is heavily dedicated to him.”

Oh yes I absolutely agree! I’ve rooted for him on Day 1 and there aren't enough people on the Damian Wayne Defence Squad like me lmao. And thank you so much! That really means a lot! 💕 (I’ll also strongly defend the other Batkids too btw, I appreciate all of them lol)

Thank you for sending the ask! 💕 

[skeksismars]

Guys I've been re-reading homestuck for a couple of days now, I'm on ACT 5 and I have some thoughts, not on the comic per se, but on the overall experience of reading Homestuck again after years. First of all it's kind of underwhelming. I remember clearly everything that happens, so the novelty factor is out, and the pacing is much more quick now that my english level is way higher. When I started reading homestuck I was just delving into english and Homestuck was basically an english boot camp for me, I was reading it at an incredibly slow pace, with Google Translate at my side and even still a lot of expressions flew over my head, like "irons in the fire" et cetera. It took me months to get to ACT 5, months that felt like years; heck, it took me one month to finish ACT 1, but on this re-read I had finished ACT 2 on my first day! There is also the factor of the music and art; on my first read I was fourteen and I was just exploring my artistic capability and developing a musical taste, and the art and music of Homestuck touched me deeply. I remember trying to copy the blocky silhuettes of the characters and Calliope's drawing style and some OSTs of Homestuck moved me to tears to say the least: sburb's theme, LOWAS's theme made me cry when John "ascended" and CASCADE was a motherfucking ephiphany.

The second thing (this relates more to ACT 5 than the rest of the comic) is the shipping. As I was fourteen on my first read all the changing relationships between the trolls were incredibly entertaining and captivating, I was on the edge of my seat trying to understand if a character liked another and if they would start a relationship together. Now I'm 22 and I see it as it really is: just some teenagers exploring their feelings for one another, something that is wasted energy to be taken seriously and should be experienced with a bit of lighthearted fun. As such I can't be taken in the drama of it all and so another layer of the experience is taken away.

I have been able to experience some entertaining however, some things new and some brought back to memory that I am able to enjoy still. One of these latter things is the characters. I still love them dearly and I love seeing my favourites interact and go through their character developments: John's arc (I love his little outfits so much), John's dad is and will always be the GOAT, Equius&Nepeta's interactions, Karkat's whole thing. As I am still on ACT 5 I don't know how I'll feel on future arcs and characters (ex. the 3 years gap on the ship and all the drama there and the alpha kids & trolls). As for new things I love being finally able to understand the wholeness of Homestuck without the aid of a translation device, I can FINALLY read it wholly and understand its subtleties and tones. For example, I never understood the davekat and johndave ships, EVER. It was because the subtext completely went over my head! Now I can SEE that Dave had a massive crush on John goddamnit!!!! And Jade had a crush on Dave!!! And I can understand Vriska and Tavros' relationship better! The first time it just felt like a giant mess.

I also love being able to understand the characters' psychologies, because before, due to the language barrier, it was really difficult for me to understand why the characters acted like they did. Vriska's whole mess, Karkat and Sollux 's self hatred, Eridan's need to be loved and DAVE'S GAYNESS I swear I hated being out of the loop like that. I JUST DID NOT GET IT. As of ACT 5 it's still kind of clowdy, he has made a lot of dick and gay allusions in his rap and some trolls have called him out on that, Rose too, and he clearly has a massive crush on John, but he's so deep in the closet the signs are still very mild for my brain to grasp. If I didn't know preemptively that Dave was gay as of now I would not get it.

This is all I can think about for now, maybe later I'll update this post with other thoughts :)

Anyway this as been my experience re-reading Homestuck as a 22 yo adult. Peace out

[funkymbtifiction]

Hello!

I have an X-Men (Singerverse, 2000 - 2009) theory I'd like to hear your thoughts on that's been percolating in my brain.

Jean Grey is an Enneagram 4, as a fully resolved human being. Jean pre X3 was a muted version, one that was modelling herself after the Professor because of a loss of identity in herself (and because he brainwashed her). The Phoenix is that 4 come loose with a vengeance -  all that dark, destructive fury released in a concentrated bout after being caged.

Here's where it gets a bit hairy, so bear with me.

The Professor and Magneto come across Jean as a young girl. Jean is sullen, moody, demonstrating great telekinetic  power. She challenges them if they've ever met a mutant like her. Magneto is enticed by the power -  The Professor wants to corral it. Both are mistaken; what Jean needs is acceptance for the messy parts of her that don't fit, the 4 feeling of alienation which is giving rise to resentment and hence, darker powers.

Years later, the Professor demonstrates his 2-ness and handles Jean's confusion over her latent powers -  which he frames almost as a split personality - and over reaches. He goes in and solves her problem for her, cutting her off from her darkness. My interpretation of the film, from another perspective, is that Jean needed reconciliation with this side, not over-control -  yada yada telling women they're angry and wrong instead of listening to their emotions, but it's comic books, so maybe it's not deep. Let's say for the sake of the argument that this perspective exists -  Jean is over controlled and manipulated into becoming a neutered version.

With this element taken away, Jean becomes a mutant with suppressed powers. By the first film, she's a kind, sensitive person with a passion for mutant rights. She has an image-type uncertainty about who she is. Nothing incongruous with 4, with the possible argument that Jean without her depth feels her role is to gain love by performing the 2, something disintegrated 4s can fall into. She gains health from it however by trying her best to make it work for her, but deep down she's unhappy. What in my view brings that 4-ness to the fore (heh) is her relationship with Logan.

Logan is an 8, a reactive type that has a natural intensity. He also has a dark, troubled, pain-filled past he can barely acknowledge or remember. In his first meeting with Jean, he's attracted to her, but his attraction deepens when Jean reads his mind, and sees glimpses of his past. Now, this is pretty hard speculation, but my theory is that that brush with authenticity is what draws Logan and Jean together. They're both repressed outside of their will, passionate, with a knowledge of pain -  and on Jean's side, an acceptance of pain, the 4's superpower - that makes them aware of each other in a way they aren't around others. To Scott's chagrin.

Fast forward the second film of building tension and Jean sacrificing herself, we have the re emergence of the Phoenix. My argument here is pretty similar to my intro -  a 4 repressed emerges, or rather, emotions forced to be repressed re emerge, possibly the worst thing to do to a type that NEEDS to experience their emotions to be healthy. The Phoenix is in image type on steroids. It perceives itself as superior to an extraordinary degree, with a dark emotional root of feeling betrayed, controlled, and not accepted for what it is.

Logan, the 8, seems to be the only one capable of understanding the Phoenix - he's furious when he discovers the Professor's actions. He's disturbed when the re awakened Jean is acts differently to the kind, sweet Jean he knew -  undoubtedly aspects of a healthy 4 - but he does not say that this Jean is not the same Jean. He still thinks it's Jean. He unconsciously understand her -  accepts her - and it has a tragedy to it that his love for her still is what drives him close enough to her at her most vengeful, and see the Jean he loved still there.

At a wider level, this is the narrative of a 4. The pain, the emotion, the difficulty. The argument for 2 works, but it is simplistic and logistically flawed -  it draws on the idea of Jean's root fear of not being needed, when in fact the Jean that demonstrated these traits was only half herself. Where does Jean reach out to help in order to reinforce her identity? Does her anger ever come from feeling under appreciated? I don't buy it.

Hence my argument is Jean Grey is a 4,  sadly a 4 we never got to see grow and develop comfortably in their own type, as her fears and struggles had been high jacked by someone else.

Mod: It's an interesting theory. I would have to think about it more and revisit the films to have any comments on it, though.

[kayr0ss]

Hands that Remember Chapter 2 [AO3]

[Horizon Zero Dawn, Elisabet Sobeck Lives, Found Family, Mother-Daughter Feelings, GAIA is recovering, Ereloy]

Summary: Aloy saw the recordings, felt their grief over the death of their culture - the loss of their identity. Ted Faro had blown away the light meant to guide humanity through darkness - but she was willing to risk it all to take it back. To bring APOLLO back.  It wasn't the first time that the world asked her for a miracle, but it bargained with a miracle of its own: This time - she didn't have to do it alone.

[Wherein Elisabet Sobeck returns, GAIA is recovering, Erend is done waiting around, and Aloy discovers a family she's never had before to help lift the weight of the world off her shoulders.]

Chapter 2: Re-Calibration

CHAPTER 2

--

It was such an odd thing to feel dirt again.

When was the last time she felt sediment and rock between her fingertips? A thousand years ago—quite literally. She’d forgotten the feel of it squeezing underneath the overhang of her nails, the discomfort of a pebble pressing on her heel within her shoe.

Little things. Living things.

GAIA Prime and all the other bunkers she had to oversee were exactly that: bunkers. Giant boxes of metal sealed from the world and its mounds of dust, dirt, and rock. But this disconnection wasn’t new: it’s been around since before she was locked away and working on Zero Dawn. It was there even back in Miriam, in FAS—even as far back as Stanford. So much time spent rushing towards the next breakthrough that she never had the time to stop and smell the flowers before they all burned away.

It was hard to wrap her head around the idea that flowers were back—blooming again somewhere out there. But for now she’d settle for the desert sand, riddled with weeds and other small signs of life.

She wondered what Erend might be thinking, seeing her run her fingers along the ground like a toddler. Eager to feel—to learn, no, relearn about a world she was only getting her bearings on. She caught a small blade of grass between her fingers. It’s alive, it’s all… alive again, she stared in wonder at the small miracle of live in her hand. Her return to consciousness was a violent experience. This was a nice change of pace.

The rest of the vanguard gave her and Erend privacy to talk, running errands in the nearby encampment and leaving them in the shade of an open tent. God knows she needed the space. She had questions—so many questions and while Erend tried his best to get her up to speed it seemed like there was always more. His rushed explanation was a disaster. Machines, cultists—whatever the fuck else was out there—and Aloy.

He said he’d try again and break it down slowly this time, sticking to what he knew and leaving the rest ‘to Aloy.’

‘Aloy’ sounded like a big shot. Someone important. Erend spoke about her with both familiarity and fondness—like how the other Alphas sounded when talking about one another. Whatever tangent he flew into—about what they had to fight off and how he believed it was related to herself and the other ‘Old Ones’—it always came back to Aloy. There was an unwavering faith he had in her that she could recognize: the feeling that they’ve fought together, bled together.

Endured something terrible together.

She remembered how he looked a little hurt earlier. “You’re Aloy’s mother, aren’t you?” He said it almost reverently, but unfortunately the answer was a very strong “no.” It must have been a misunderstanding—why would he think that?

“Got some boar roasting in camp.” Erend’s voice carried above the sound of his heavy footsteps. He walked closer, seating himself on a rock across her. “You feelin’ better?”

“I think so,” she admitted. “Alive. Which is better than the alternative when it comes to emerging from cryosleep if you ask me.”

“Good, good.” He crossed his arms. “Not hungry?”

Elisabet shook her head. “I don’t think I can taste anything yet.” She really hoped this side-effect was temporary.

“Well, let’s get you some soup. That’ll help.”

How she was feeling was a can of worms she didn’t want to open quite yet. Her body was on edge, the hairs along her arms standing in attention while she could feel the pace of her heart jog above average. It almost made her wince, the self-awareness of expecting a panic attack at any moment, but if her system had decided to be useful before shutting off completely later on, she was going to make the goddamn most of it.

Deep breaths.

She needed to take deep, long breaths. This was nothing but a jacked-up sympathetic nervous system stress response—there was no real danger. Just hypothetical fear. She needed to relax. She needed to think.

Orientation would be a good start—what, when, and where. And then she needed a plan. Something. Anything to do other than wander aimlessly like a fucking relic out of time. “You okay?”

It almost made her snap. He was asking if she was okay? She looked up, a smart quip loaded at the tip of her tongue but then—he looked so earnest, so concerned. An expression like that didn’t belong on a soldier.

“Not really, no.” She admitted.

“Huh.” Erend sat hunched over with his chin on one hand, looking comically close to that old statue of a thinking man if not for the wider breadth of his knees. He cleared his throat. “So…”

Despite the situation, she chuckled. “I’m glad to see that the most awkward of conversation starters evolved itself back into common use.”

The reference likely flew over his head, but he smiled while rubbing at the back of his neck almost shyly. He seemed… kinder than a hundred pounds of armor and a warhammer would seem like.

“I mean what am I even supposed to say?” He shrugged. “I uh, hit things with my hammer. You—and this predicament—are not things I’m gonna hit with my hammer.”

“That’s reassuring,” Elisabet deadpanned.

“You sure you aren’t Aloy’s mother?” Erend cracked her a lopsided grin.

Elisabet rubbed at her temple. “I think I’d know if I was. Is it wishful thinking to hope you guys have any ibuprofen?”

She had been pointedly ignoring his assertions that she was anyone’s mother. There were more pressing concerns to address, foremost of which was the distinct lack of technology. She’s only been up and about for a few hours but it was enough to notice the rudimentary tools and structures, along with the fact that Erend seemed to be the only other person with access to technology similar to hers.

“I’d check if we do, if I had any idea of what that is.”

“Where are we?”

“The furthest west I’ve ever been, honestly.” Erend shrugged. “I’m not familiar with these lands. We generally call it The Forbidden West—but there isn’t much else we know. Just more… sand, and dust. I’ve heard stories of trees that grew on sand, at the border of an endless lake. Never been there to see it myself.” He paused thoughtfully. “I uh, made a short trek back east from where I found you. About an hour or a little more.”

Elisabet stayed quiet, willing herself not to ask the question prickling at the tip of her tongue.

“Was that your home?” Erend asked quietly. “Where I found you. With the tall, pointed trees and the old stone structure.”

“Pines,” she supplied. “The trees, I meant. I thought you would know this by now.”

He grunted. “I’m a captain. Pretty good darned captain too, but no tree expert.”

“No, no.” She shook her head. “Sorry, I meant you as in people, in general. The kinds of trees and animals, our history and technology—we tried to pass that on.”

Something wasn’t right—a feeling that’s been weighing on her since her awakening.

Erend and the vanguard were outfitted with plate armor and looked to have no means of transportation other than by foot. They had waterskins instead of thermal containers and their basic camping supplies were made of fibers and tanned leather. Nevermind real-time mapping and wireless communication. ‘Battle-ready’ wasn’t exactly what came to mind, and she’d have paid to hear Herres’ take on 31st century military technology. She might have even chuckled, had the implication not been so dire. Something had definitely gone wrong.

“Is the nearby encampment allied with you?”

“It was established by the Carja military as a way station, under the Sundom’s jurisdiction.” Erend beckoned her nearer, shuffling towards the side to leave space on the large, slated rock he was sitting on. “Ever since the Battle at the Spire, the Sun King’s been allowing expeditions towards the west—Aloy’s got a hunch that something is going on over there and you could guess that most of everyone listens to her these days. Whether she likes it or not.”

Carja. Sundom. Factions and nations, most likely?

“Just a minute.” He fumbled a little with his focus, looking up and awkwardly moving his hands in thin air. His frustration was noticeable in the deep set of his brows. “Aloy’s done this before—a map, on scrolls of light. She could share it with me while it, uh, did its floaty thing.”

“Do you have the map open?” Elisabet tapped her focus, hearing the small digital beam alert her of its activity. Technology was a familiar comfort—something to ground her. She whistled lowly while running a system check on the piece of hardware, trying not to wince at the fact that the date read January 14, 3041. The 31st fucking century. Safe to say it’s still working way past warranty declarations. “I think I got it.”

“How did you—its telling me that an external device accessed my display?”

“Hacking it,” she smiled. “This is more or less my area of expertise.”

“Right,” Erend nodded. “So we’re right over here.” He pointed towards a small glowing indicator.

“Outskirts of Carson City.” She had said it so softly it surprised her. She never pegged herself as particularly sentimental but being so close to home… after everything.

“And this,” he moved to the east. “Is the Sundom, and to its eastern border is the Nora’s Sacred Lands.”

Elisabet let herself have a moment of evaluation, eyes moving around the map to absorb as much information as she could. The satellite image let her know that the area’s topography reverted to pre-Faro Plague days: desert and canyons. Forested mountains covered the range to the east, but the northern range where she recalled Yellowstone was seemed erratically cold and glacial.

Information was a valuable resource she was lacking in.

“I need to get to the most developed settlement,” she muttered to herself. “Acclimate to customs and culture before finding a means to find and access ZD bunkers.”

“Bunkers?” Erend blinked.

“I assume that camps similar to this one are interspersed between the border of the Sundom and our location? At distances accessible by foot?”

“Yes, but—”

“I have to account for hostility along the road.” She crossed her arms. “And resources for supplies. What currency do you trade with?”

“Look,” Erend’s tone was firm. “We are going to take care of hostility and resources, because we’re going with you.”

“I—”

“You need to slow down,” Erend rose to his feet. “We don’t even know for sure if you’re okay after getting thawed out a thousand years later.”

“I need to figure out what happened to Zero Dawn. Find GAIA, and then—”

“Elisabet,” his voice was softer again, big and heavy hands settling on her shoulders. “We have time.”

Time? Of course they didn’t! There were a million things left to do and only two weeks until—

“The world isn’t ending anymore.”

--

He’d finally convinced her to sit down and get something to eat and it wasn’t damn easy. Elisabet was back to the makeshift planning table even before swallowing down her last bite and by the forge it was driving Erend just a little bit crazy.

“This is where we’re headed.”

Erend marked his own map, one that was tangible and inked on parchment instead of light. More reliable, if you asked him. Didn’t flicker in and out of sight—and didn’t make him look like a total jackass in front of his vanguard, waving his fingers around something they couldn’t see.

It was nearing sundown. The vanguard packed up ahead of time; they were leaving at the break of dawn. Erend split the party in two—one was to continue the expedition towards the Western Threshold, and the other, with Erend, was to hurry back to Meridian discreetly. It was a plan forged into metal: Erend needed to talk to Avad, while Elisabet seemed particularly interested in the Spire once he mentioned it.

“Utah and Colorado,” Elisabet whispered in wonder, tapping her focus on likely projecting a light-based rendering of them map on top of his own. “The staging areas for Zero Dawn.”

Erend looked at her with curiosity. “S’that what they used to be called? Before… before the whole thing—”

“Ended?” She punctuated, sensing his discomfort. But then she gave him a slight smile—it was different from Aloy’s. Wiser and wearier. “Though that’d be wrong. We’re still here, somehow.”

He smirked. “Don’t look so surprised. Didn’t you have somethin’ to do with that?”

“I’m just one of many,” she looked back towards the map. Didn’t look ready to talk about that, it seemed. “So what have we got?”

“We’re not in a hurry. We can take the traders’ path on the way back.” He pointed along a red, snaking line etched on the surface of the parchment. It was well-lit, well-guarded, and easy to traverse with enough camps in-between to restock and rest. He tapped twice on a marker at the end of route: it was a black, soaring tower. The good ‘ol Spire.

“That’d take us too long.” Elisabet shook her head. “We could go through these passes through the ridges. Cut straight through and save both time and resources.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“And time—”

“—is something you have now.” Erend stood his ground, arms crossed. “As I keep reiterating to you.”

“I’ve noticed.” Elisabet set her jaw. Then she sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I’m still getting used to—” she waved a hand over the map “—this.”

“You mean not being the one in charge?” Erend grinned.

“I didn’t really ask for that,” she smiled back kindly. “But old habits die hard.”

“The long way to Meridian it is, then.”

--

Sobeck Journal, 1-14-41

We did it.

Even this barren desert looks beautiful. Can’t shake the feeling that I don’t deserve to see it all though.

Not without the rest of ZD. Without the rest of you.

I’m going to forego writing about how I feel because I don’t even know where to begin digging up that can of shit. Exhaustion was always an effective sleeping pill back in the day: now that I’ve got time to think when I lay down everything is so loud. Given the state of things I doubt they’d invented melatonin pills yet either, but who am I to complain? Alive is still better than dead.

Off to sleep now. Something’s wrong with APOLLO. More things to figure out tomorrow.

After all these years, I still don’t get to rest.

--

[“—someone— … —back to see—“]

“Great timing as usual.” Aloy hissed under her breath. The strider she was on was nearly worn down. She was an hour’s ride away from the forest’s edge—right where the sands of the Barrens began. That’s what she was going to call them anyway: “the Barrens.” Those prissy cartographers up in the mesa have no idea just how large the West was. It wasn’t all sand and tumbleweed: there were forests so different from the Jewel and the Sacred Lands that she didn’t know how to begin describing them! And the lake… the biggest she’s ever seen. A body of water so large it must have cloaked the world’s entirety. She’s seen it on the spherical maps stored in her focus—a depth of blue so imposing she couldn’t even wrap her head around it. The air was different along the lake’s edge—salty and crisp. Both beautiful and foreign and so very unforgiving.

She gently stroked the side of the strider’s neck. She didn’t want to wear him down completely—best to leave enough so that he could carry on and survive another day. Herds of broadheads often wandered around the Barrens anyway, although not found as often as in Meridian and to the East.

She’s been getting scrambled messages from Erend for the better part of a day now. He sounded panicked. He hated using his focus but there was apparently something important enough for him to try. It seemed desperately urgent and the only thing she could make of his messages was that she needed to go back.

Chasing after GAIA and whatever was left of APOLLO was going to have to wait.

Her strider whinnied—Aloy hummed a small apology she hoped it could understand. If she found a charger it’d be better—she could ride through evening on a mount strong enough to discourage smaller machines from engaging them. By next evening she could rest by the ranch.

Aloy bit her lip, a soft feeling of longing at her gut. That’s what Elisabet called it in her journals anyway—Sobeck Ranch. A small speck of life, trees, and flowers on the eastern edge of the Barrens. A small place to rest before another two days’ ride to Meridian.

She remembers how freeing it felt to tell Rost about her misadventures so far. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to take a few minutes for Elisabet and do the same.

She urged the strider to run a little faster, wind whipping at her hair and the tassels of her armor. “Just a bit more, big guy. Just a little more.”

-

A/N: Thank you once again to Tototops for beta-reading this chapter!

It's been a hot minute but here we go with chapter 2!

[retroellie]

hi!! could i request ellie imagine/headcanon (whatever you want) where her and the reader used to be best friends but got separated for years until they reunite? like maybe the reader shows up in jackson

Summary: Reuniting with Ellie after being separated for 5 years 

A/N: Thanks for the request<3 I had this planned out so well but i got lazy lol, i hope you enjoyed and i added a bit of romance in it cause i’m a whore for this woman wbk (also again i didn’t proof read much so sorry) 

Warnings: None

Word count: 3.1k

You weren’t exactly sure where you were, all you knew was there was a town in front of you. Were they friendly? You had no fucking idea but you were exhausted, bloodied and bruised. This could just be a quick rest stop, you had nowhere to be and no one to see so it didn’t really matter much. 

“Stop right there!” a voice called out. 

“Hey! I’m not here to hurt anyone, I'm just a bit lost and I was hoping i could rest here.” You raised your hands in the air hoping they would just let you sit in peace for a minute. 

The man looked you up and down, trying to see if your intentions were good or not. He then whispered down to another man before turning back to you. You were silently praying he let you stay here, you just needed a couple hours.

“Okay, take her to Maria. You can leave your stuff over here.” He said, throwing a signal up. A signal that caused the door to open. 

You gave a small smirk of appreciation, so glad they let you in. They led you through the town, you saw how developed and advanced they were. There was running water, food gardens and even electricity. You’ve been around and you’ve never seen anything like this. 

They led you into a bar. There was actual food, not just beans that you have been eating for weeks straight. Your mouth was almost watering when you saw the meat and fresh fruits they had been serving. 

“Maria, we got a friendly or we think she is.” The man said. 

The woman, or Maria, was a tall blonde. She looked no more than 40, if her hair wasn’t greying you’d say she was in her early 30′s. She looked over at the 2 men and then at you, examining you. 

“You take her weapons?” She asked, sizing you up. You looked awkwardly between her and the men, her stare terrified you more than any infected out there. 

“Yeah, she’s clean.” The man replied. 

“Good, i don’t want to have to put a bullet in between your eyes.” She said, your mouth went dry. 

She signaled the men to leave and you wanted to go with them, you’ve been in rooms with men much bigger than her and so much more bossier but she terrified the hell out of you. She patted the seat next to her, not even looking over at you. 

“You look starved. Seth, get me something for this girl to eat.” She called out, she looked up at you. You tried not to make eye contact. “ What brings you out here.” She leaned closer to you. 

“Uh, I was out searching for supplies when some hunters attacked me. They killed my horse and stole some of my supplies, I chased after them but I ended up getting lost.” You explained, she sat there and listened. 

A man had brought you food, it was a burger and some fresh carrots. Not a combination you would go for but it didn’t matter, you were starved and you 're not gonna complain. You basically stuffed your mouth full of food, causing Maria to chuckled. 

“Well you're safe now, you can stay here as long as you need. Just don’t cause any trouble and we’ll be good.” She started, standing up from the table. “I’ll have someone come show you where you can rest when you get done eating.” She said, giving you a grin. 

“Thank you maria, you’ve been so kind to me.” You smirked up at her, mouth full of carrots. 

She shook her head and laughed, walking away. You continued to stuff your mouth with food, not caring if you were being impolite. They’ll understand, they’ve all probably been in your situation before. 

When your plate was empty, you decided to stay there for a minute. Waiting for the person that Maria sent to you. You looked at all the pretty paintings they had here, pictures of nature and horse, even some photographs of the people of the town. 

“I just don’t understand why they didn’t just kill her right then. It would’ve saved them the burden of making 2 more movies.” A voice stuck out to you, it sounded like you heard it before. 

You looked over past everyone and saw no one familiar, you did see a girl with auburn hair but that can’t be her, right? You saw her get bit, it couldn’t be. You just turned around, sitting back in your seat. 

“Oh hey, can i get a glass of water.” You said, perking up to ask the man who had given you the food. 

He gave you a small nod before disappearing into the back. You could really use a glass of wine or whiskey, but you didn’t want to be greedy. You sat back once more, your eyes feeling really heavy. This would be a nice place to live, it’s nice and cozy. 

“Ellie, it was the 80′s. They tried to drag out movies as long as they could.” A deeper voice said. 

That name, you thought to yourself before snapping your head back to look for the voice. You knew it wasn’t her, she was dead but you had to know who the hell this woman was. You looked at the auburn haired girl once again, trying to get a glimpse of her face. 

You watched her closely, studying her movements. She finally turned her head towards the bar, you saw half of her face. She had these freckles and you got a glimpse of her green eyes in the light of the bar. You sunk down in your seat, were you going crazy or is that her. 

“are you okay?” A voice said, you looked up to see the man with your water. You nodded. 

“Do you see that girl over there?” You asked, he looked over to where you pointed and he nodded. “Who is she?” 

“That is Ellie Williams, i don’t know much more than that.” The man said, leaving you once again. 

Your heart speeds up, pounding at an unbelievable pace. Was it really her? Should you go up to her? What would you even say? ‘hey sorry for leaving you and Riley to die, do you still wanna be friends?’ 

You sunk lower into your seat, hoping she didn’t see you. Every time you think of her, you see the way she did when she got bit or when she thought she got bit, or if she did get bit and somehow survived. You honestly have no fucking idea how she survived, you saw her get bit. 

You had a mental battle with yourself but you came to a conclusion, you were gonna talk to her. You felt so guilty about leaving them so if she beat you up or killed you it would make you somewhat even right? 

You slid out of the booth and walked over to her slowly, watching her and the man she was with talk about whatever they were talking about. Every step made your heartbeat a little more faster, ‘if she beats you up, you deserve it.’ you thought to yourself. 

There she was standing right in front of you, the man that was with her stared up at you confused about why you were hovering over her. You let out a sigh before you shaky tapped her. She turned around, you saw her full face and you couldn’t believe it was actually her. 

“Y/N?” She asked, letting a huge grin show before pulling you into a hug. 

You were so confused, why wasn’t she beating you up... you left her to die. You decided to hug back, feeling the warm familiar feeling of her embrace. All the memories of your childhoods together and little did you know 5 years later she would be a stranger to you. She let you go, still holding on to your arms. She looked at you up and down, seeing everything she missed for 5 years. 

“Why are you here??” She asked, still smiling 

“Uhh, I was attacked and I need a place to stay. so i stumbled on this place.” You replied, giving her a small smile. 

“Well,  you can stay here as long as you want. Your always welcomed here.” She grinded 

You were really happy to see her. You hadn’t been around other humans in a while so being here with your best friend, being safe again gave you such a rush. You had so many questions to ask her and you're sure she had some too.

“I thought you died?” You blurted out. She just let a low chuckled out and looked at her feet. 

“I thought you did too, i heard you got kicked out because of that entire “adventure” we had that day.” She started. “ i thought for sure you would have died out there.” 

That was a time you didn’t want to remember, you guys were just kids and they punished you like that. I guess 2 girls go infected that day, or 1 girl you guess. 

“Hey! I did pretty good out there, i’m still here aren’t i?” You joked. 

She laughed, looking over at the man she was with. He looked amused but confused, ‘you and me both man’ you thought to yourself. 

“Y/n, this is joel. He takes care of me I guess.” she said, causing him to nudge her jokingly. “And Joel, this is Y/n. She was my best friend back at that military school I was in. “ 

You reached your hand out to shake his hand, he looked down at your hand not used to shaking hands much anymore but he reached out your hand and shook it anyways. You smiled up at him, he was intimidating to say the least. 

“So you just passing through?” He asked, waiting for an answer. 

You didn’t really know honestly, this place was nice and Ellie was here so should you ask to live here or just pass through. You looked over at Ellie and then Joel, Ellie looked so happy. 

“Yeah, i was gonna stay a night here before i got back on the road.” You stated, Joel nodded and Ellie's smile dropped a bit. You knew she expected you to stay for good but that’s a really big decision to make at the moment. 

“Your staying the night!?” Ellie acted like she couldn’t believe it, causing you to laugh. “You have to stay over at my house! just like the good old days!” She was practically yelling, she didn’t change a bit. 

-

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-

“You live in a garage.” You said, looking around her poster covered walls.

There were paint brushes and paint covering things. There were books upon books of space and comic books, it felt like her room back in Boston. That was the room you both stayed in when you got scared at night, she would always hold you while you shook. It’s the thing you should've done when she got bit, she was so upset. 

“You don’t like it.” She asked, plopping down on her bed. 

“No, i like it. It’s very...” You paused, picking up the rocket shaped lava lamp. “You.” You finished, setting it down. 

She laughed, shaking her head slightly. You walked over to her and plopped down on the bed with her, laying back. You watched the star covered ceiling. She laid back with you, her head right next to you. 

You both sat there in a comfortable silence, you had so much to say, you had it all planned out but now that you were here you didn’t know what to say. You thought about all the times you, her and Riley had together. You guys were always in some kind of trouble, always talking back to teachers and just being a pain in everyone’s ass.

“Remember that one time for my 14th birthday when you and Riley made this birthday cake for me.” You asked, smiling at the memory. 

“And we accidently set your bed on fire trying to light the candles.” She added, laughing out at the memory. 

You laughed with her, throwing your head back. You guys were such assholes back then, it’s so weird how things have changed. You guys were all such good friends and now look where you were. You and Ellie were together, staring up at fake stars in a garage without riley... 

You started feeling bad again, it was all so fast. You found someone who you thought was dead and all the memories flying back to you, it made you sick to your stomach. Riley's face, she was so scared but her being so strong tried to cover it up to calm Ellie down. You reached out for ellies hand, something you guys did a lot in her room at night. 

“You know, i always think about that night..” she paused, trailing off, thinking about what and how to say this. “That night when you kissed me” She finished. 

You remember, how could you forget. It was probably the best and worst day of your life. You had been in her room, just like how you were now. You were holding hands, the rain was heavy on the window. You don’t know how it happened or why you did it but you leaned down and kissed her, she kissed back. That was also the day Riley came back and you saw them both get bit, you saw the marks and you left. No goodbye. 

Ellie sat up on her elbows, looking down at you and you up at her. Her hand caressed t’s way down to your thigh, Your body reacted to her touch. As much as you wanted her you couldn’t, you can’t get the image of her face out of your head and it brought so many questions. She leaned down, her lips almost on yours until you pushed her away. You shot up and walked over to the couch before turning to her. 

“Did I do s...” 

“Why don’t you hate me.”  You interrupted, eyes starting to water a bit. 

“Why would i hate you?” She asked, standing up with you. 

You paced around a little bit, all the frustration you had was building up. You couldn’t even forgive yourself so why was she pretending it didn’t happen. 

“I left you and Riley to die, I freaked out and split. it’s my fault.” Your voice cracked a bit, tears starting to form. 

Ellie moved in closer, she didn’t know what to say. In the moment she just believed it wasn’t anyone's fault, things like this just happened; she never blamed you. She knew Riley didn’t either. 

“Y/n..” She trailed off, her own tears forming. “It wasn’t your fault and you didn’t leave us there. We told you to leave, you were just doing what we said to do.” She tried to calm you down, placing her hand on your shoulder. 

“I should’ve stayed, you two were dying and i left.” You burst into tears, taking a seat on the coffee table in the middle of the room. 

Ellie let out a sigh, she didn’t like to remember that day. It was horrible for all of you, she stayed at  the mall for a while after that waiting to turn but she never did. She eventually had to shoot Riley, making that experience 10x worse. She tried to find you but you were gone, so she had no choice but to go to the fireflies. 

“It’s okay, we got bit, you weren’t. we wanted you to get out before all of us died.” She tried to calm you down, she would never be mad at you for protecting yourself. 

“Even if it wasn’t my fault, you still got bit.” You said, locking her in a place she didn’t want to be. “What the fuck happened, why didn’t you turn.” 

A breath got caught in her throat, she wasn’t prepared for that. She knew she would have to tell you at one point but she didn’t know it was going to be so fast. She sat next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

“Y/n,” She started. “I'm not supposed to tell anyone but you're my best friend and I trust you.” 

She told you everything, every single detail of her immunity. She pulled up her sleeve to show a tattoo covering a bite sized scar. That caused you to cry even harder, if you were to stay in Boston for a little bit longer you could have helped her.  You thought maybe you both meeting again was a sign, a sign of what you had no idea. 

“I’m sorry..” you started, placing your hand on her knee. “I’ve always just felt so guilty for living. I thought i should've died with you two and me leaving without even saying goodbye, it made me feel shitty.” 

She placed her hand on top of yours, holding it once again. You put your head on her shoulder, more tired than you already had been. From the crying and exhausting memories you could pass out right her. 

“I knew it would, you’ve always been such a sap.” She joked. 

You punched her playfully, giggling at her dumbass. You both sat there for a minute, taking in the feeling you both felt right now. You were both able to get out everything you felt guilty for and everything you’ve been hiding, it’s been eating at you for years. 

“You should stay.” She spoke, breaking the silence. “I mean permanently.” She clarified. 

You wanted to but will you two ever be the same, the kiss and the death you felt things have changed. Good or bad change you didn’t know, you just didn’t want to live here and remember Boston every time you looked at her. 

“I don't know ellie...” You replied. 

You could hear her sigh, she shifted around. She turned to you once more and stared you down. You could feel a whole lecture of why you should stay coming. You were pleasantly surprised when she leaned in once again but this time you leaned in as well. Your lips touched, syncing together. It made your heart pound a mile and minute, you thought at any minute you could have a heart attack. She finally pulled away, smiling at you. 

“Was that your way of trying to get me to stay?” You chuckled out, her smile dropped. She knew she couldn’t get you to stay, you were always a loner even in Boston. You caught on to her sadness. 

 “Cause it worked.” You said before pulling her into another kiss. 

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(Credit to gif owner) 

[shydragonrider]

The Shadows we Know - Chapter 4

Warnings: Wounds, injury, fever, vomiting, pneumonia, scars, death mentions, loss of loved ones, grief, mentions of depression.

Freya looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes dropping to the wicked scar on her chest. The jagged gouge ran across her right breast and collar bone, stopping at her the top of her shoulder. Just over a year ago, Wolfsbane had thrown a knife at her during a fight. Though failing to kill her, he had still marked her forever.

But the memory of the terror and pain on his face when she’d found him... it was hard to feel anything but mild irritation at what had once filled her with rage.

Freya sighed, walked back into the bedroom, picking up a novel, letting her imagination take her into the darkened hallways of the eerie ghost story.

Her  older brother had loved horror stories too. It was a trait they had inherited from their father, who had died when Freya was only 2. She barely remembered him, and that made her more sad than anything.

Then her mother, Marissa, had died of a lung disease when Freya was 11, and it had been Jared, her older brother by 10 years, who’d looked after her. He’d died in an armed robbery three years earlier, right in front of Freya.

Seeing the last person she loved taken from her so violently had left Freya in a deep depression, which had eventually morphed into anger. She’d become the Vigilante, Lynx, to avenge her brother, who’s killer had never been caught, and to help make sure that no one else lost what they loved the same way she had.

So she’d taken precautions. Protected her identity, taken combat classes to prepare herself.

At first, she hadn’t cared if she survived. She’d had nothing left to live for.

Then she’d realized how disappointed her family would have been with her for throwing her life away.

On the bed, Wolfsbane shifted, mumbling feverishly in is sleep. Freya winced. Whatever else Wolfsbane may have done, Jared’s death had not been his fault. Freya knew, because she’d found the man responsible, and threatened him until he went down to the police station, and confessed to her brother’s murder. No matter how vicious her words, Freya knew that had been empty. She could never  torture someone within an inch of their life.

Could never do what had been done to Wolfsbane.

Shaking her head, Freya turned her attention back to the book, losing herself in it’s pages. She was so wrapped up in the plot, that she didn’t notice that Wolfsbane had opened his eyes.

***

Malachai turned his head, blinking hard to clear his vision. A single glance at the figure in the chair confirmed that he had not, in fact, hallucinated Lynx. She was reading a book, completely focused on it’s pages. 

A pain ran through his chest, and Malachai began to cough. Had it not been so painful, he may have been amused the the comical way Lynx jumped. Her light green eyes settled on him, and she rushed to his side, kneeling by the bed. Nausea washed over him, and he gagged. Lynx grabbed the trash bin, and held it up.

Malachai didn’t have time to even acknowledge the action. He vomited into the bucket, his bruised ribs screaming as his muscles spasmed painfully.

“Well, thank God you have good aim.” Lynx muttered. “Come on. Let’s get into the bathroom.”

***

She’d barely gotten him to the doorway before he lurched forward, grabbing the rim of the toilet and puking again.

Freya sighed, and began rinsing out the bucket in the bath, before kneeling beside Wolfsbane, patting his shoulder awkwardly as he threw up again. He was crying now, shivering all over.

“Everything’s going to be okay.” She said soothingly, brushing his sweaty hair back. He shook his head slightly, tears dripping down his face. 

“I always feel better after a shower.” Freya offered. “I need to change your bandages anyways, will you let me get you cleaned up?"

He hesitated, then nodded once.

Freya let him lean against her as she took got him into the shower. She grabbed the handheld nozzle, and turned the water onto a pleasantly warm temperature.

Carefully, she unwrapped the bandages Wolfsbane’s torso, and gently rinsed his back with the water.

He tensed, then relaxed with a soft groan. Freya winced at the blood that began to run down the drain.

“I’m going to put some soap on it, okay?”

He nodded again. Freya gently applied the disinfecting soap to his back. Wolfsbane gasped in pain, and Freya winced.

“I know it hurts. I’m sorry.”

***

Malachai shot a glance at Lynx, who had offered him a sponge and some soap. Now that there were lights on, he could clearly see the awful scar that he’d left her with, and quickly looked away.

She should hate me for that. He thought. I threw that knife at her with full intent to kill.

Lynx stepped back.

“I’m going to go and get a pair of my brother’s old boxers, okay? Be back in a minute.”

“Why are you helping me? Don’t you want revenge?” He managed to ask.

“I did... but apparently I can’t stand seeing people in pain.”

“Not even me?” His voice was weak and gravelly, a contrast to her smooth, melodious one.

“No. Not even you.” She said, very softly, holding out a towel.

“Call me when you’re dry. I’ll redress the wounds.” With that, she left the bathroom.

“Lynx.” Malachai called hoaresly.

“Yeah?”

“I never did say thank you, for... for saving me.”

“You just did.” Lynx’s voice replied. “And you’re welcome.”

_________________________________

Just another face claim pic (Hot as hell)

And here’s a re-upload of Cinnamon Roll with her scar drawn in.

tagging @the-three-whumpeteers​ @befuddled-calico-whump​ and @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump​

Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!

[lananiscorner]

Writing ask meme - 1, 2, and 3!

Thank for your ask, cerusee!

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Ooof, starting out with a tough one... I think it would be a toss up between two of my current published WIPs:

Unsettled: I started writing this one after Darksiders 3 came out, basing the characterizaton of the main character on how he was portrayed in that game... and then the next game came along and contradicted the characterization I had come up with completely lol. I have been suffering from writer's block regarding that fic ever since, and I'm still not entirely sure if/how I'll salvage it. There has been many a day when I played with the idea of just straight up deleting it.

A Ghost Here Amongst The Living: I set out to write a fic that included the side characters surrounding Dimitri more, compared to the almost entirely player-avatar-focused scenes from the game, but then the word count ballooned and it was 4am and I didn't want to write a 14k one-shot monster, so I decided to split it into chapters... with the result that the side characters are barely in chapter 1. What was I thinking?

2. Anything that you’d like to write but feel like you’re unable to?

I have nagging brain worms for a long fic for every single fandom I have ever written for on AO3, each of which I feel unable to write for two reasons. The first reason is shared across all 4 fandoms: I already have 5 published WIPs and several unpublished ones and if I add any more I'll go insane. The second reason is specific to each work/fandom:

A follow up to "Ill Weeds Grow Apace" that introduces Cass to my Batman Arkham: Compendium. I have a plot and characters and ideas! I have also been out of this fandom for years and would probably have to re-read significant chunks of IWGA to remember where the hell I even left off. lol

A chronicle of Fury's time with the humans after Darksiders 3. I'd have to create a shit ton of OCs.

A multi time line fic where Byleth from FE3H starts out going down the path of Crimson Flower, regrets her choice, tries again, ends up going through all 4 routes at least once, and eventually manages to walk an Azure Moon path that lets almost everyone live. This one is 90% fueled by pure spite in sight of the subtle racism and not so subtle sexism and extremely unsubtle canon violations of a certain fic that already exists in this fandom, and I just don't think spite can carry me that far.

A MCU AU set after Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which Wanda, driven by guilt over having allied with Hydra temporarily leaves the Avengers under the guise of needing some time to mourn after the death of her brother, but actually ends up relentlessly pursuing Hydra cells, one of which turns out to be looking for Bucky. She runs into him, they team up, and bond over mutual trauma by Hydra and their struggles with adjusting to post-Hydra life (platonic bonding only). This my blatant desire to see two of my favorite MCU characters interact, and also reconcile the fact that comics Wanda is jewish yet movie Wanda allied with literal nazis, and also to get her out of that awfully boring love plot they put her into with Vision (I love Vision, but these two have zero chemistry, imo). That said, the spark I felt after Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron died a long time ago (and got buried 6 feet under by IW/Endgame), so...

3. How would you describe your writing style?

It's like a beaten path through a misty forest: starts with the misty forest (I sometimes write a thousand words of scenery/mood setting before anyone starts talking), then you get to the path (plot), but the entire thing is overgrown with roots and moss and flowers (characterization!)

[witchesoz]

After Oz: Legends of Oz

I hesitated before doing this one, because this movie is mostly based on the book "Dorothy of Oz" by Roger S. Baum, and I haven't read said book. It is something that tends to get on my nerve, when people actually don't care about the original material an adaptation was based on, and consider the adaptation as its own entirely original piece of work, when in fact, a lot of it was taken from somebody's else work. I mean, the perfect exemple is Shining. Some people praise Kubrick for being a pure genius for inventing this story from A to Z, and consider Stephen's King television series a "poor attempt at a remake of the movie", when... you know, King originally wrote the Shining and Kubrick merely adapted it. In fact, people tend to forget most of Kubrick's movies were adaptation. Dr. Strangelove? Loosely based on "Red Alert". Lolita? Everyone knows it is Nabokov. A Clockwork Orange? Anthony Burgess. 2001: Space Odyssey? Inspired by shorts stories of Clarke, the co-author. Eyes Wide Shut? A 1920s German book, Traumnovelle. And so forth and so forth...

  Hum. Sorry for the rant. I just needed to explain why I always want to take in consideration the original material when tackling an adaptation.  But since I haven't read and can't get this book, I will mostly rely myself on the Wikipedia plot and other reviews I read. If you wonder, yes, Roger S. Baum is Baum's great-grandson (or great-great-grandson?), and he wrote "Dorothy of Oz" as a direct sequel to the first book, "The Wizard of Oz", ignoring all of the others, and... apparently he is not a really good writer. But anyway... I still decided to do a little something about this movie, because... well just because I wanted    Oh yeah, another thing... an elephant in the room I have to adress right now. I only discovered it this year, by doing research about the movie (because before I only saw it at the time of its released and then forgot about it). You can know it, or completely ignore it - yes, I know that this whole movie was the result of a huge scam that robbed hundreds of people out of their money, and that the case has been even brought to trial. But... well the movie is still here, people still saw it, it is still around, will be for still quite a long time, and it is now part of the Oz inheritance, that you want it or not. Anyway, a lot of Oz movies had a dark and troubled production. It seems almost like a pre-requisite: if you do an Oz movie, you'll never end happy. Maybe it is a curse? Who knows.

       So... let's get into the subject. Is "Dorothy's Return" a bad movie? (I'll use this name, because "Legends of Oz" was the name of the intended franchise of three, maybe ten movies). I wouldn't say so. A lot of people said it was crap, or worthless, but I wouldn't call it bad. People also said that it is a bland movie, and I would say yes - but only partially. I think a good lot of the extreme bad reactions were caused because of 1- people who just disliked the idea of more Oz adaptations, 2- people too old for this movie, because you have to remember that this is a movie aiming at children and 3- people who are hard-die fans of the MGM movie and not so much of the original Oz books. It may also play in account that Dorothy's Return was roughly released the same year, and played as a "rival" to "Oz the Great and Powerful".

    Now, note that it isn't a memorable movie (except for a few bits). It isn't an excellent movie. It isn't a cult classic (even though it may become it with the whole scam background, who knows?). It isn't something I would watch again and again with pleasure. It isn't something exceptionnal or groundbreaking, it is even quite generic. But, it has some good parts, and it manages to be entertaining, and honestly as a child I could have sit in front of it and watch it with no problem. Because, yes, it is a children movie. The action is rushed, the characters lack depth, some moments are too sugary-sweet or even cringy (for exemple the song "We'll work together". Seriously, I just looked away and sped up a bit because that was too sickening-sweet for me.) As a result, as a child movie they missed things that could have been really good (the old tree agreeing to be use for a boat, which is played straight up as him being killed, the characters even say so, but then it turns out he is still alive as a boat? You could have had a great, deep, fascinating almost philosophical moment, but you just waste it for a happy ending). Anyway, what was I saying? Yes, a children movie. As a result, some people called the movie "too simple". On the other side, people called the story "too confusing".

  To an Oz fan like me, it isn't actually confusing. It isn't at all - but indeed, for someone with a limited knowledge of Oz, it will be confusing. Because, while they base themselves on an Oz book that re-uses many elements from the books (the Queen of the Field Mices, the Sawhorse, the China Country...) it also decided to include a lot of elements from the MGM movie (the Wicked Witch of the West is the one from the MGM, Glinda is also quasi-identical from her MGM counterpart, the Winged Monkeys work with the evil people...). As a result, yeah, it may be confusing. But the inclusion of the MGM elements actually managed to correct some flaws of the original story. For exemple, in Roger S Baum's book, the Jester was merely a normal jester possessed by the ghost of the Wicked Witch of the West, through her magic wand. Wait, magic wand? There wasn't any magic wand mentionned in the original book! But in the movie, to use the broomstick of the Wicked Witch makes much more sense.

      I'll take a short time here to comment on the character of the Jester, who is, I think, the highest point of this movie. He is a good villain. A cliché but interesting backstory cashing on the idea of Oz vilains as siblings, a clear shout-out to the Joker which isn't so bad, interesting plans. He is also the provider of many nightmarish elements (the fate of Dorothy's companions, which I think was a very good idea, or the people turning into puppets and being used for a creepy dance) that made this Oz movie feel... well Ozian. Because a good Oz work is a work that will traumatize your kids! I guess a bit part of why the Jester works so well is that he basically repeats and remakes all his sister, the Wicked Witch, did in the MGM movie, and let's be honest, she was a great villain. (And this again makes sense when you remember the Jester is originally supposed to be possessed by the Witch's ghost). But at the same time he has his distinctive signature and style, with his Jester persona, his circus-related punishment and his personal plots to conquer Oz. [People noticed obviously the sweet irony of things in this movie. You have a double-character that, on the Earth world is a cheater and criminal trying to steal people of their houses and using several fake identities, while in Oz it is a villain that turns people into puppets he can manipulate and relies mostly on cheating and misleading Dorothy to her doom. Which is eerily similar to what the creators of the movie/franchise did with their financers and investors.]

  Talking about the Earth side... The whole "earthly" parts are all bland and not memorable. Just like Dorothy, who isn't really... anything to be honest. The songs sung aren't memorable either. All of that is a fail. A lot of people also considered the Earthly animation uncanny, or even disturbing, but I personally wasn't bugged by it at all. I saw much more uncanny animation.

    When it comes to the Oz part, I actually think they managed to create a perfect "Ozian story". As in, the general schema of the girl entering in Oz through an uncommon mean (here a people-eating rainbow, that I have to say was quite a scary scene to look at), then passing through many small kingdoms, meeting new friends, forming a team, discovering the villain and fighting him off - this plot was repeated by Baum times and times and times again, and probably comes from the original novel Dorothy of Oz. But it still works, as simple as it can be. Plus, the use of the China Country and the Candy County (I think its their name?) was quite a good choice. The China Country was one of Baum's earliest invention, while the Candy County (originating from the Roger S Baum book) is eerily similar to the Bunbury village, an invention of Baum, inhabited by living baked goods that also get angry at the protagonists for trying to eating them. Yes, all in all, the characters feel really Ozian. As for the other member of the team, "Wiser the Owl". Well... he had the potential to feel an interesting and Baum-ian character. But it falls flat because he just becomes one living fat joke. I mean, fat jokes can be funny. But when the character is mostly the joke itself well... yeah, not really working. He had a much interesting role in the prequel comic book.  

   Because yes, there is a comic book associated with this movie! As I said before, originally the project was to create a franchise of several movies, with toys, goodies, applications and video games. (Or at least that was the project the scam used). The comic is however found under the original title for the movie "Dorothy of Oz". I don't have much to say about it, outside that is was quite pleasing (even though it sometimes doesn't make sense when put in direct relationship to the movie), and that it introduced one interesting idea: that the magic of the broomstick/Witch relied mostly on manipulating the weather and nature. The Jester causes a flood to destroy the Munchkin town, he causes an earthquake to break the China Country, he uses heatwaves to melt the Candy County... And another interesting point, the role of Wiser. Indeed, in the movie he is presented as a "motor-mouth" that keeps talking about everything, knows a lot of stuff and has the tendency to finish other people's sentences. But it gets quickly overshadowed by the fat jokes (cause a big part of his character is that he used to be able to fly but now, because of his love for candy, he is too fat to fly). However, in the comic book he has rather the role of the one voice of reason and intelligence that offers down-to-earth, simple solutions to problems where the other Ozians search for more extravagant and magical possibilities. Exemple (SPOILERS: when trying to create a rainbow, the team searches everywhere, thinks of asking witches, wizards and candy makers. Wiser has to remind them that anybody can create a rainbow with just a good crystal and some light. SPOILER ENDING.)  

   (I actually read the comic book before looking at the movie, which may explain why I consider it better than the movie.) To return to my opinion on the movie... Not the greatest Oz movie, but certainly not the worst. Average, but on the good side. Entertaining and interesting, even though bland and generic. They got the feeling of an Oz story but they just didn't found a way to freshen up or make the story shine on its own. A good villain for a heroine easy to forget. Simple. Ideal for children, or to kill time, or just to inspire one for more Oz work.