#is one of the most underrated knights of all time

[taliesin-the-bored]

This is a crime.

[np5enkidu]

i need fgo to acknowledge servants horses more

[outsidereveries]

mtl: relevance in south korea - now vs in 5 years

for newjeans, le sserafim, enhypen and txt | hybe edition

present days

newjeans

most likely

haerin: emperor currently the most liked one in the group, despite the circumstances. it's possible that her fanbase is like a cult :') minji: knight of cups, the empress second most liked one, as far as i can tell. she even gathers some of the people who listen to her group. hyein: ace of swords they watch her, she seems liked, but she clearly stays on the sidelines, at least compared to the above 2 girls. it's possible that her age is a reason why. hanni: queen of pentacles rx the most recognizable of all, but also the most disliked. some koreans think that she wants to be famous and that's it. will she be the most successful at the moment, not exactly. she's relevant, she has fans, but she also has detractors. it's kind of a 1:1, especially after her speech at their national assembly.. danielle: the star rx the most underrated, seriously and literally. it seems like her blood is the reason why (she's not only korean, but also white, i'm not sure of the exact ethnicity), but i feel like things will change over time.

least likely

le sserafim

most likely

chaewon: temperance everything is clear with her, wherever she is, in whatever situation she finds herself, she will still be liked. yunjin: knight of cups for now she is liked and the koreans want to give her a chance outside her group. sakura: knight of swords for now she is liked, but apparently things will change in the near future. currently things are not clear about her relevance. eunchae: six of swords rx something she did is not liked by the koreans and will shake her popularity. excluding that, she is not that liked, she has some fans, but apparently she can lose them too. kazuha: the chariot rx she was not liked from the beginning apparently because of her background as a ballerina (i don't feel it is because of her ethnicity). they are very confused when she was successful in ballet, why did she leave and now she is a k-pop star? they are clearly aware of the retirement in this industry, it seems to them that it is quite early (note: they themselves are critical of the age of idols, what an irony!) least likely

enhypen

most likely

sunghoon: six of wands has fans (compared to the others, I guess). he's liked, koreans want to see his face and beauty… he definitely has potential. heeseung: king of swords, emperor is also liked, but only in some areas. they think he'll be good in variety shows. jungwon: ace of pentacles for koreans he's clearly a "new discovery", i don't even think they know he's from enhypen. despite the wonderful card, he's down because they're just now learning about his existence.. sunoo: queen of cups has fans, they're stable both in number and loyalty and i don't feel anything special compared to the other guys above. jake: nine of swords rx nothing special about him. neutral position. jay: eight of swords, eight of cups rx the situation there is so complicated that there's nowhere better for him to go. they don't like him at all. niki: knight of pentacles rx they don't like his appearance. they think he's irresponsible and uncultured. the problem isn't his ethnicity, but in the first impressions of koreans about him, incl. their intuition. least likely

txt

most likely

soobin: death undoubtedly the most liked one of the group. if he decided to try acting, there might be rumors or news that he will be participating somewhere soon. his relevance is stable, but might increase in the near future. huening kai: the hierophant liked.. yes. he is liked. (note: my angels are very short for him… sorry) beomgyu: six of swords koreans' opinion of him is neutral. he doesn't have a stable fanbase, but he doesn't have any detractors either. his situation is kind of nothing, but worse than jake from enhypen. yeonjun: two of cups rx his debut was a failure. they don't like those moves in the chorus… they were very off-putting.. (to them) that might be why he's very low. taehyun: lovers rx the most ignored one of the group. compared to danielle from newjeans, things seem irreversible for him. least likely

in 5 years

newjeans

most likely

haerin: strength in 5 years she will be in her prime! (in short) danielle: six of pentacles she is after haerin because she will give a lot, even beyond her means, to be liked in korea, simply because she loves the country and will be happiest if she gets the same in return. minji: seven of pentacles i see her as being able to change industries (as an individual, from singing to entertainment, for example) and her move will be in her favor. unlike the other 2 girls, she will clearly stay strictly within a certain audience (they could be women or older than her, it's just something strictly defined). hanni: king of wands even though she is so low, she will also be quite relevant in korea. compared to minji, she may not be able to win as many hearts of koreans, but she is still close to the other girls. hyein: ace of wands (individually) focused on modeling, she can choose not to do anything else permanently. she will be recognizable as a model (except as a member of newjeans) and that's enough for her. (note: up to 5 years, the group currently remains active. the cards that came out are for their individual popularity. each of them's popularity is extremely close to each other precisely because they are in newjeans)

least likely

le sserafim

most likely

chaewon: ace of cups this shouldn't surprise you at all, she's just the most loved one in the group. kazuha: five of swords rx neutral position. no one will pay attention to her. my other guess is that she'll be a ballet teacher and that's why she's in this position. eunchae: ten of wands well…it would be better if she went into another industry outside of the public ones.. yunjin: the hermit she's going home to the usa, everything is perfectly clear with her. alas, the best thing that can happen to her is an influencer who talks about korea and k-pop. sakura: seven of wands rx within five years, koreans will be so sick of sakura that when she returns to japan, they'll say it was about time and that she should have gone home earlier. least likely

enhypen

most likely

jungwoon: the magician oh, he'll be in the entertainment industry too! he won't just be doing business with his future partner! how sweet! (no irony here) sunghoon: seven of cups his path will be similar to yves (loona), including the company (again paix per mil was the first thing that came to mind). in his case, things will work out very, very well for him. heeseung: knight of swords like jungwoon, he'll be in the entertainment industry, but unlike the leader of the group, hee will be strictly there. sunoo: six of swords he's going into another industry (i can see him being an influencer and yes, i still see him) and he'll have fans, but like minji, he'll gather certain fans and he won't be able to gather enough popularity, but it will be enough to make a living. niki: eight of pentacles, the devil rx unlike the previous episode where i saw that nicky would work in an office in japan (i saw something similar), he will still be in japan, but he will be in the japanese industry. koreans will see him in a different light and will actually be happy for him. they will still not like him, but they will start to respect him somehow. jake: three of swords rx a neutral position, he may not be involved in such things (singing, entertainment). jay: the moon well, he is kind of, nothing. it is not clear what he will do and where he will be (he will not be in the military). least likely

txt

most likely

soobin: ace of swords he could change his career path, but changing industries would be a big help to him, he would be much more successful than he is now. beomgyu: seven of pentacles similar energy like minji from newjeans - he will succeed, but his fanbase will be determined by, let me guess, older women. just giving an example. yeonjun: page of pentacles his position is empty, as if he is planning something - is it a comeback, is something else coming, no idea, but it reminds me a bit of dean's leave from the music industry. neutral position. taehyun: high priestess + fool like beomgyu he will change industries, only it seems like he will be stepping out of the spotlight and taking the risk of working a regular, 9 to 5 job. huening kai: four of pentacles similar to yeonjun, his fanbase will be more limited. i see a similar situation as yunjin from lesserafim: k-pop and korean influencer. she may take a similar path as her older sister, lea. least likely

10.12.2024

[shadowsofdread]

inspired by the poll about theron shan's romantic chemistry with each of the origin classes, i wanna pose a somewhat similar question because i love thinking about it. it's a big thing in the swtor fandom that people tend to write relationships between their mains of each of the origin stories, and certain trends/combinations tend to be common - namely, sith warrior & jedi knight, jedi knight & jedi consular, sith warrior & sith inquisitor, etc.

so an open question i'm putting forward for anyone to reply to is what are your favorite pairings of classes - platonically, romantically, secret third thing, antagonistically, etc. you don't have to name an "underrated" one, but my question is based more on the chemistry between the classes, like, in general as opposed to specific iterations of that class. i.e., by all means use your OCs as an example of why you like that pairing, but like. i am talking more broadly about archetypes than specific characters. does this make sense. anyway, some of mine:

sith warrior & jedi knight

you knew this one was coming. i think the SW and JK are positioned pretty well to act as foils to one another, and there's something very interesting about how the transitions between Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of each campaign mirror each other, with the finales of their respective campaigns leaving them on opposite sides of a current or future antagonist - with the SW ending up on that same side as the JK by ziost. i've interpreted this as a shared sense of personal responsibility - through their actions, one way or another, they make the most sense for being the emperor's number one enemy, which may lead to a sort of alliance between the two characters, depending how you spin it. or, hey, maybe your sith warrior is actually loyal to the emperor even still, at least until they are ultimately betrayed by valkorion. in which case, lifelong, bitter enemies. where maybe they should've had a common cause, maybe the pieces should've been there all along for them to fight together, but against all sanity and reason, the SW chooses again and again to stand by vitiate/valkorion.

sith warrior & imperial agent

next to SW&JK, this is the dynamic i keep coming back to over and over again - there's a reason why taizi's met most of @tiredassmage's agents. it's also the one i have the hardest time explaining why i like so much. there's the appeal of like ... hypercompetent pairing with vastly different skills but very good at those skills. it's kind of like a variation on what scratches my brain about SW & quinn in that there's a lot of toying around you can do with sith/imperial power dynamics - made even more interesting depending on the type of agent you're playing, and regardless an agent who has had their literal brain fucked with by the dark council, i.e. the castellan restraints.

sith warrior & jedi consular

listen. have i actually gotten to use this one much in the "playing blorbo barbies with my friends" sphere? not exactly. it's a very new one that i'm still rotating, and i don't know how to explain what it is i like about it but i really, really want to see more of it. i think it could be delicious, brent. please let your warriors and your consulars talk to each other more. one thing i will put forward is i think SW & JC scratches a similar itch to SW & JK to me, but in, like, a slightly different font? i dunno, man. i just wanna see it more.

honorable mentions:

jedi consular OR jedi knight & trooper: it's like jedi / clone trooper but without the ethical issues and cognitive dissonance! /lh

sith inquisitor & jedi consular: could be taken so many different ways, i just don't think enough about SI to do much with it

imperial agent & jedi knight: only really seen a few iterations - two of them being my own - but like. something in here's really fucking good.

[agentrouka-blog]

Favourite sassy Sansa moments ??

This one is still my favourite:

“When Lady Anya first told me of this match, I was afraid that you might look like your father."

"Little pointy beard and all?" Alayne laughed.

“I never meant..."

"I hope you joust better than you talk."

I know she’s technically playing a role here but SANSA STARK’S SASS IS UNDERRATED!!!! she’s so unintentionally funny

Anon, I am pretty sure it's intentional. ^_^

Sansa is dang charming and funny when she's allowed to be.

The older man in white spoke to Sansa gently. "Ofttimes Ser Ilyn frightens me as well, sweet lady. He has a fearsome aspect." "As well he should." The queen had descended from the wheelhouse. The spectators parted to make way for her. "If the wicked do not fear the King's Justice, you have put the wrong man in the office." Sansa finally found her words. "Then surely you have chosen the right one, Your Grace," she said, and a gale of laughter erupted all around her. "Well spoken, child," said the old man in white. "As befits the daughter of Eddard Stark. I am honored to know you, however irregular the manner of our meeting. I am Ser Barristan Selmy, of the Kingsguard." He bowed. (AGOT, Sansa I)

This isn't quite as hilarious at first glance, but she's very much working her audience here, to great effect.

Of course, she rarely has the opportunity to openly speak at all, let alone with sass, so a lot of her snark happens internally.

One of my favorite unspoken lines is this:

The king leafed through it with no interest. "And what is this, Uncle?" A book. Sansa wondered if Joffrey moved those fat wormy lips of his when he read. (ASOS, Sansa IV)

The classic:

"They say my brother Robb always goes where the fighting is thickest," she said recklessly. "Though he's older than Your Grace, to be sure. A man grown." (ACOK, Sansa V)

I'm sure there are many that escape me right now.

But yeah, the TWOW sample chapter is pure gold in terms of watching Sansa be closer to her carefree self. Excitedly overseeing preparations, running and gossiping with a friend, free to bite back for once, free to let her thoughts indulge silly details or observations that don't specifically serve to protect her from harm.

Alayne loved it here. She felt alive again, for the first since her father… since Lord Eddard Stark had died. [...]

Not to be outdone, the pimply knight hopped up and said, "Ser Ossifer speaks truly, you are the most beautiful maid in all the Seven Kingdoms." It might have been a sweeter courtesy had he not addressed it to her chest. "And have you seen all those maids yourself, ser?" Alayne asked him. "You are young to be so widely travelled." [...]

Myranda rolled her eyes. "They're from the Sisters. Did you ever know a Sisterman who could joust? They clean their swords with codfish oil and wash in tubs of cold seawater." "Well," Alayne said, "at least they're clean." "Some of them have webs between their toes. I'd sooner marry Lord Petyr.  [...] She danced with all three Sunderlands, none of whom had webs between their fingers, though she could not vouch for their toes. [...]

And there he stood, Harry the Heir himself; tall, handsome, scowling. [....]

"And is Ser Harrold with them?" Horrible Ser Harrold. "He is." [...]

Ser Harrold had the grace to blush. "Her father says she is more precious to him than gold. He's rich, the richest man in Gulltown. A fortune in spices." "What will you name the babe?" she asked. "Cinnamon if she's a girl? Cloves if he's a boy?" That almost made him stumble. "My lady japes." "Oh, no." Petyr will howl when I tell him what I said.

Alayne is the Sansa that she could have been all this time, the girl who liked to giggle and be silly with Jeyne Poole, had no great issue holding her own in conversation, who drew pleasure and energy from the world around her.

I mean, we know she is playing a role and based Alayne partially on Jon Snow... but that girl there is not a terse and moody grump. She's not even a lean shadow laughingly racing to the bridge with his brother. She is a highborn lord's daughter, inhabiting the center of attention with confidence like she was born to it. Like Sansa.

[gringolet]

GAYEST ARTHURIAN TEXT BRACKET ROUND 1:

propaganda:

Le Morte:

- “Perhaps not the most obviously gay text out there but has some underrated moments. 'Everyone is in love with Lancelot', 'hoole book' edition, where this time the author is too! But more specifically, Lavayne. My guy sees his sister literally prepared to die of love for Lancelot and says 'yah same'. Luckily for him he is a MAN so he can just hop on a horse and follow him. Sorry Elaine. Specific quote: 'She doth as I do: for sythen I saw first my Lorde Sir Lancelot, I cowde never departe frome hym, nother nought I will and I may follow hym.', ”

-

- also gawains entire final letter written in his own blood hello??? hello??? «  I, Sir Gawaine, knight of the Table Round, sought my death, and not through thy deserving, but it was mine own seeking; wherefore I beseech thee, Sir Launcelot, to return again unto this realm, and see my tomb, and pray some prayer more or less for my soul. And this same day that I wrote this cedle, I was hurt to the death in the same wound, the which I had of thy hand, Sir Launcelot; for of a more nobler man might I not be slain. Also Sir Launcelot, for all the love that ever was betwixt us, make no tarrying, but come over the sea in all haste » hello???

- also of course the greater cornwall polycule (tristan dinadan palamedes isolde lamorak lancelot brangaine isolde 2 etc etc)

- the whole ill made knight ill starred knight thing is so queer like thats so insanely transgender

SGATGK:

- “kissing”

-“Gawain getting kisses from Bertilak’s wife and kissing Bertilak is very bi”

- “I'm back with another answer. Obviously the kissing game is iconic. The scholarship about this poem is unparalleled. The people cannot get enough of submissive kissy face Gawain & frankly neither can I. He definitely fucked that couple. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say, they fucked him. Easy litmus test for a retelling is how they handle adapting this. Only cowards write around the kissing. Real ones make it even gayer.”

- “Gawain kisses a man in this”

- “3some, poly, bi conduit, gay kiss, gawain”

- “i'm going to kill myself i had a few paragraphs of propaganda typed up and accodentally deleted it all. holy ahit. anyways i have no doubt that this has been submitted before but it is my moral duty to say so again. even excluding the fact that lord bertilak sets up this game of exchange of winnings and sends his wife to seduce gawaine—knowing that gawaine will have to return whatever he recieved unto bertilak—and their kisses and embraces (which are technically 'excusable' under medieval homosocial behaviour), there's a sort of erotic fascination with the green knight everpresent throughout the text, the author, the pearl poet, even taking, what, five (? give or take a few. my memory fails me) verses to describe how green and big and beautiful the green knight is. the green knight kneels before gawaine, letting gawaine take the blow to cut off his head, and later, the green knoght takes a blow to cut off gawaine's head. it's all about reciprocity and exchanges and submission. it's SO erotic . i just. yeah :)”

- ill also say the way gawain is framed in parallel to the lords hunting scenes making him a pursued animal and the wife the pursuer who has him at her mercy is very interesting gender dynamics and role reversal

[sacchiri]

I recently bought the jp volumes of Hellsing along with the guidebook, and since I'm reading the series in its native language for the first time I might as well share some random things that stood out to me in no particular order.

This isn't meant to be an analysis of translation differences, I'm too lazy for that. Also it's been 12 years since I've watched the anime and read the low quality fan scans of the manga so some of these comments are just "Lol, forgot this was a thing"

Volume 1

... I really want to know who this guy is at the beginning, yelling at Alucard in overly familiar language to "Get your shit together!" and "You're the only one we can count on!!". We know from the style of speech that it's a dude, probably just some Hellsing rando, and maybe it's not all that strange since he has probably been working with the same soldiers for years--but it's still funny.

"I know, it's just so nice out :("

..The way "HELLSING Organization" is spelled out like this reminds me that apparently the name is supposed to be an acronym. No really.

...

God they're so silly.

Now that I think about it, the only thing Seras has done this chapter since being turned into a vampire is say "I'm sorry" over and over.... girl you got shot in the lung, why are you apologizing

Not a huge difference, but what Integra actually says here is "Leaving a corpse here for 20 years... You're a terrible person too, Father" and not "What were you thinking, Father?" as the Dark Horse translation suggests (note the lack of question mark in the raw version). I thought that might be of interest to some.

Something else I thought was interesting is the first line Alucard ever says to Integra, and how uncharacteristically polite he sounds.

O-kega wa gozaimasenka- That's two honorific 御's back to back! (He even said them in kanji, even Walter isn’t that straightlaced and he’s literally the butler.) This is also the only time Alucard uses this overly flowery gentlemanly language with her, and good thing too because it would be so annoying if he spent the whole manga ending his sentences with ~gozaimasu.

What I'm trying to get at is, after seeing this sentence in the Japanese version, I'm like 100% sure he actually heard her when she was mumbling to herself about hoping to find a knight in shining armor, and he was totally going the extra mile in playing into that role for their first encounter. Which is kind of sweet.

Lol they misspelled Alucard on the top left... or rather, they incorrectly spelled it right?

One would normally expect Alucard to be written アルカード, and indeed pixiv dict lists アーカード as a misspelling (the u sound is weak in Japanese, so it's easy to mishear arukādo as ākādo). Hirano was definitely aware of the correct spelling though, since he used it in the pilot chapter and in his old character sheets. It was only when the manga officially began that he switched to the アーカード spelling. I doubt it was because of copyright issues because there is already a long precedent of vampire characters named アルカード in various old manga, OVA, and games in Japan that have coexisted without issue (like this guy Hirano mentions in volume 1's afterword).

Most likely Hirano simply thought it looked better, or was a means of differentiating his character from the others somehow. It certainly makes life easier for Japanese fans searching for fanart since アーカード is only going to bring up Hellsing and not the Castlevania character.

Jan Valentine even pokes fun at the spelling discrepancy later in volume 2, but since there wasn't a good way of expressing this in English it was left untranslated.

(Speaking of spelling inconsistencies, there's a lot of minor details I'm noticing now, like half the time the furigana for 吸血鬼 is written バンパイア and the other half it's ヴァンパイア... anyway)

Um, just noticed literally everyone's wearing glasses What should I do

Hirano's habit of jotting random comments underneath his panels is one of the underrated perks of reading the manga

The Dark Horse translation almost makes it sound like she's looking forward to seeing this battle play out, while in the Japanese she simply sounds apprehensive. Almost as if she's worried about them? And she's going out on the field personally to make sure nothing bad happens? Aww

Ok this is a weird tangent, but I just noticed the scans of the Dark Horse version I've been looking at use a slightly larger image range than the Japanese version does. It was only noticeable when I got to this part:

The second image is what the Japanese version of the scan looks like and I can confirm that this is what it looks like in my physical volume as well. You shouldn't be seeing the messy borders of the inking on the bottom like that.

Manga manuscripts are set up so that there are a few millimeters of bleed border around each page. You're supposed to color and line all the way up to (4) while keeping in mind that printing and paper cutting may result in the image being trimmed up to (3).

Either Hirano didn't color his lines all the way to (4) (this man has been drawing manga for years but this is Hirano we're talking about so it's very possible), or Dark Horse didn't honor the original bleed borders of the manuscript. I'm kind of leaning towards the former since there was a Hellsing exhibit in Japan a few years back where you could look at Hirano's original manuscripts and there's one where you can clearly see that he spilled a mug of tea or coffee across the entire page

Anyway, it's weird, and I'm curious to see if someone that owns a physical copy in English can confirm whether theirs actually looks like that. It's volume 1, page 141.

[marshvlovestv]

In honor of me having so much video game music downloaded on my phone that I ran out of storage and had to buy a new phone. My favorite track from each video game OST I have!

Bastion: Brusher Patrol (Such a bizarre clash of styles, I can't help but love this one. Shout-out to the part that sounds like Darren quietly scatting in the background.) (Also special shout-out to Build That Wall, probably my favorite vocal track in any Supergiant game)

Celeste: Scattered and Lost (I am such a normie for this choice but face it this track absolutely slaps.)

Chicory: A Colorful Tale: Song of the Wielders (I love how this song has actual lyrics but I still prefer to sing along with the Simlish version that Pizza and Chicory sing.)

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood: Illusion (First of all I love how every character in this game has their own theme I go feral for that kind of thing. Kurielle is probably one of the characters who stood out to me the least but by god is her theme gorgeous. I love the vocals and how a later track includes a sneaky reprise.)

Cuphead: Dramatic Fanatic (Tap dancing :D)

There are literally thirty of these so I'm doing a read more

Death's Door: The Grey Crow (A heartbreaking boss fight scored with the appropriate amount of anguish)

Deltarune: Cyber Battle (This melody is so underrated and ya know what, so are the characters associated with it. Sweet Cap'n Cakes forever.)

Elsinore: Donne, The Boat Boy (I love this song because it's associated with Lady Guildenstern, aka the best character in gaming full stop, but it's also just a fun little sea shanty that I think they made up for this game so I love that. Also has a lyrical version.)

Evergate: Police (Okay so the level with the police drones is one of the more frustrating ones in the game but the music is hauntingly beautiful so I give it a pass)

Going Under: trust fall (Marv is easily one of the most hateable video game antagonists of all time but damn if his boss theme doesn't slap)

Hades: Last Words (The rolling and the tolling of the bells bells bells bells bells)

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie: Reverie Ascendant (Lena Raine does these medley tracks so good man)

Hollow Knight: Dung Defender (By far the catchiest song about poop on my entire phone)

Ikenfell: Rose Thorns (So the insanely long final boss fight against Oxley overshadowed Aeldra's boss fight in my memory for a long time, but when I watched another playthrough and bought the OST I realized "Oh her theme bops SO much harder than his ever could")

Inscryption: A Final Duel (A hardcore remix of The Scrybe of Magicks, aka one of the only melodic tracks on the album and therefore the one every YouTube video about Inscryption uses in the background. I prefer the epic version just a bit more because honestly that Magnificus setpiece is the best moment in the game)

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass: Fun, Sunny Day (A fun and silly track as the title suggests, elevated even more by the context in which it plays in the game. The area music alternates between this and the more somber Rainy Sunday to illustrate that Jimmy mother is bipolar [very cute and silly game])

Omori: Bready Steady Go (Like the absolute dipshit I am I actually completely missed the optional Orange Oasis when I played this game myself. Every Let's Player finds it somehow, though, and when they fight the Unbread Twins I invariably stand up and dance along to the boss music.)

One Step from Eden: Perpetual Motion (It's just a good-ass track y'all)

Ori and the Blind Forest: Conundrum (In a soundtrack of sweeping orchestral pieces, this more subdued version of theme that only plays during one small puzzle section might seem a weird choice. But I've always really liked it)

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Kwolok's Malaise (Kwolok's leitmotif is perfect for a giant frog and the boss remix takes it to it's logical conclusion)

Paradise Killer: Go! Go! Style (This track makes me feel like I'm having a sugar rush. The whole OST does actually but this one especially)

Pyre: Path to Glory (It's just got a really unique vibe to it. I like it)

Scarlet Hollow: Avery (Chill and really beautiful. Avery themself is kind of a sleeper character at this point but I can't wait for Brandon to remix their theme when they get assimilated into a giant plant monster)

Slay the Princess: The Princess (Okay full disclosure I've only played this game once so I don't have the full context for a lot of the tracks on this OST. Maybe hearing them alongside their respective princesses will make me like them more, but for now the title theme is too iconic to beat.)

Sounds of Sympathy (the OST for the game anthology Essays on Empathy): Zen and the Art of Transhumanism (In the Essays on Empathy documentary, fingerspit talked about how she prefers writing obscenely long tracks so the loop doesn't get annoying. Unfortunately for her my favorite track on this album is only three minutes long. It's a lovely little bop.)

Spiritfarer: Mind Palace (I played Spiritfarer before any of the character updates were released, so I didn't get Daria's mind palace sequences in my game. And I mean, they look very platforming-heavy so I'm okay with that, but god this is a gorgeous piece.)

Transistor: Impossible (I think this is Royce Bracket's boss theme? I don't know when any of the tracks on this OST specifically play in game. Regardless of all that this one gets me pumped.)

Unavowed: One Man's Power (I couldn't find a video of this one, but it's gentle saxophone solo that plays when Logan Brown is introduced. I think it fits is character really well and just sounds really nice)

Undertale: Death by Glamour (Best song for best character, enough said)

Wandersong: Moonscape (God knows this game gave me a lot of great options to pick from, but I settled on this one because it's so uplifting.)

[aprito]

hi! do you have any recommendations for sasosaku fic with more than 10k words?

a couple (a lot) of the top of my head (burned into my retina) in no particular order finished and unfinished (they are all important to me)

!!! IF YOU READ ANY OF THESE BE A COOL KID AND LEAVE A REVIEW !!!

hope springs eternal by simplelations (wholesum retelling of p1 naruto but with same age au sos i have made fic art that's how you know the love is real)

incantations by thirrin (extremely underrated howl's moving castle inspired magic au)

the neighbourly thing to do by koneko_taichou (wholesome middle aged sos are neighbours au. especially love the reason ss divorced in this fic and cant wait to see where this goes)

against all odds by koobabear (unfinished but platonic canonverse sos that's very fun)

these days by stormdragon6 (the one and only extremely long and extremely fullfilling mutual pining sos childhood friends modern au. scenes from this fic are burned into my brain)

a second chance by invisibleninja12 (200k literal retelling of p2 naruto with same age au sos where sasori got yeeted into the future and sakura is committed to help him before he makes the final turn for the worse. incredibly wholesome)

deep into the woods by muffin_ride (twisted beauty and the beast meets horror meets sos in their 40s far too old for this bullshit. thats the type of content we love around here)

lost year by omgitspocky (the fic that literally started my obsession with same age au basically sakura goes back in time and not only distracts sasori from defecting but also gets to hang out with a young tsunade)

bait and hitch by aelynthi (after the fantastic previous fic homesick comes one of the funniest takes on the fake dating trope with outrageously good characterization. i am emotionally invested in this one)

acaso mi madre engaña a mi padre? by takewaelel (i recommend this cheating fic at least once every full moon cycle because it has some of my favorite characterisation ever. every reread i discover some other amazing take)

lady of the blackthorns by vesperchan (amazing fantasy sos au. and thats why vesper is the GOAT)

pyrrhic victory by watevermelon (same age au sos with sasori's parents alive is one of the three ships and we're rooting for them)

grading on a curve by sayyikes (100% pure comedy and we're here for this painfully realistic and hilarious modern au)

sword of damocles by angelofdeath10 (medieval sakura is sasori's knight au. sasori is extremely pathetic but that makes it fun. i recommend everything they write in general <3)

spring fever by tsuki hoshino (sakura quits her job with sunan royalty and is ready to settle down and have kids in the middle of sasori's 10 year meticulously planned how do i get her to date me plan. watch as he desperately tries to bring his plans to fruition in the most sasori way possible)

invocation of the muse by nenalata (toxic college au sos that ruined me as a person, it's so fucking good even if i took immense psychic damage after deluding myself sos somehow will make it work. you need to read this immediately. this is exactly how i envision a bad ending outcome)

porcelain by shoujojunkie (not 10k but i will rep this doll maker falls in love with his tiny vain selfish creation fic until the day i die)

[dollopole]

“No! No!” “… No…”

The small, chocked ‘no’ at the end is Merlin’s shock. This is Merlin’s despair portrayed in what I think is one of the most underrated scenes of the entire show.

Merlin has lost all hope of being seen for who he really is, the moment his only friend, Lancelot, who’s actually known Merlin completely, accepted him without ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, dies in front of him, and Merlin is the only one who sees him one last time. He wouldn’t have screamed if the other knights were conscious, and we know why.

There is no place for his grief, and now, no one will ever know why Lancelot’s death hurts Merlin the most compared to everyone else.

Merlin’s glued to his place, unable to move, because he doesn’t know what to do, and he knows that there is nothing he can do, for the first time since ever, so he screams, but he doesn’t cry. His shout is as dry as his heart, that stops beating, soundless as the place Merlin finds himself in. Only his eyes tremble, searching for something Merlin knows isn’t there, and his face shakes, his steps slightly faltering back.

Merlin’s all alone.

Not even the Gods are with him anymore.

The shot at the end, widening the ruins, with the single thunder heard in the background, as Merlin stands there motionless, is a great metaphor of his utter solitude from that episode on.

[qwordavoider]

911 Tag Game

rules: answer your opinion on these nine topics, then tag nine other people to give their opinion as well

I was tagged by @sherlockismarvelous9-1-1 🫶🏼

Favorite character: Buck, Ravi, and May

Character you relate to the most: Buck

Favorite episode: Jinx (I love when they lean into the comedy) also the rest of season 4 is so good. Peak Michael/Bobby besties, involving the dispatchers in their own highlight episode when Sue gets hit, Taylor and Buck at their best imo (ignoring the kiss at the end of the season).

Hottest take: They should’ve had Hen choose to stay in med school in season 6 and become a doctor. Keep her at the firehouse part time until she graduates. They made this whole big thing of her talking to her mom in season 4 about how the world needs more people like her as doctors and then had her go against that two seasons later. But they also missed out on future plot opportunities with Hen in the hospital. 911 is at its best when they include side characters and this would’ve given them the chance to complete the process that happens when you call 911. Dispatchers -> Police/Fire/Paramedics -> Hospital. They could still have her interact with the firefam and Athena when they bring people into the ER (in my mind she becomes a trauma surgeon or some kind of ER doc). I also think it would’ve opened the door for Buck to start taking on more responsibility and pave the way to being interim captain while Bobby’s gone. I think it would’ve been more interesting career development for Buck and Hen. Also Chimney in my mind should continue being an academy instructor after bringing Ravi back in season 6. And they could’ve moved Eddie over to paramedic to fill Hen’s spot and brought in a new probie so we could see Ravi move out of being the probie. Plus they would’ve had the opportunity to bring in another firefighter to shake up the dynamic. (Wow big feelings, I didn’t really have that much thought out until I started writing)

Favorite Lone Star character: Paul

Favorite ship: Bucktommy & Henren

Most underrated character: All of the dispatchers other than Maddie and Josh. Specifically like Terry, Linda, and Sue. Bring back asking Terry for things when you need help or to look at call logs. Also I want to know if Linda and Eddie still exchange recipes. And Sue as a mentor to Maddie is a dynamic I really love.

Most underrated ship: this already gets talked about but Henren seems to fall through the cracks of appreciation sometimes. Also in my mind Lucy and Taylor are friends with benefits who end up falling in love and don’t have kids but are the career driven fun aunts in their respective families.

One thing you would love to see: I’m gonna have to agree with @sherlockismarvelous9-1-1 and say a Rookie crossover. I think they have pretty similar vibes in the balance of action, drama, and comedy. Plus they both have lost or are about to lose their crossover shows (I’m expecting the new 911 spinoff to kinda be like Lone Star for the most part where there’s essentially no meaningful overlap just little cameos and Easter eggs for people who watch both). I want the rookie crossover to be more like the Chicagoverse where it’s multi-part episodes that get you to watch the other show to understand how it ended. Plus have all of the characters involved in the whole event and further impacts in the plot than just a mention of it in the next episode. It would also be good cross promotion for the two.

No pressure tagging (from ppl who interacted with my season 3 au post):

@fenrirscarsback @walkedthroughfires @cannibalhellhound @inawickedlittletown @sensitivescream @loureen-may @comfortpilot @the-last-shadow-knight @itsametaphorok

[theuntitledblog]

The Dark Knight (2008) - REVIEW

One of the things I remember most leading up to The Dark Knight was how little the trailers had spoiled of the plot beforehand. Sure there were snippets of the set pieces, a few choice lines of dialogue but nothing major was given out, not even context. Of course we now know this approach is typical Christopher Nolan but in 2008 we had barely begun to see what Nolan was about and this approach made me nervous for one reason; Heath Ledger's Joker. One of the biggest takeaways I took from Batman Begins was that we finally had a Batman movie where Bruce Wayne was the main character of his story and not overshadowed by a colourful villain. Since the Joker seemed at the centre of the trailers and marketing, I feared that that good work was going to be cast aside by a sequel that would take us back to a similar approach of the Burton/Schumacher years. Sufficed to say, none of those concerns came to fruition and whilst it would be easy to spend a whole entry saying just how Heath Ledger steals the film, in the years since I've come to appreciate The Dark Knight more as an ensemble achievement rather than just a solo one.

The Dark Knight focuses on the crusade that Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne started in Batman Begins but where he was the main character of that film, here he's more part of an ensemble including Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon and Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent. The Dark Knight benefits from the character work done in Batman Begins and here we have a fully fleshed out and understood Batman. For me though it's Eckhart's Dent where the heart and soul of movie lies both as the public face leading the charge against corruption in Gotham and, for Bruce, the ideal successor to Batman. Whether it's Bruce's longing to hang up the cowl and have a normal life with Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel, or waging war against Gotham's crime families as Batman to the campaign of terror waged by the Joker, Harvey Dent is the figure at the centre of these threads and tied to everyone's fates in this movie. Going in I wasn't sure how far they were planning to go with Dent's story and whether this would tie into a sequel which most films would probably do today. However Nolan's make it work and it's not often that a film like this is able to balance multiple villains but in this case, Nolan nail it. Aaron Eckhart is perfectly cast; handsome, earnest and with a steely determination but there's hint of darkness as well. It's not as flashy a performance as Ledger's but it is no less an important one in a film filled with many underrated performances.

Heath Ledger may not have been everyone's first choice as the Joker but he disappears under the make-up and delivers a mesmerizing take that may lack the humour of Jack Nicholson's but makes up for it with a terrifying unpredictability. This Joker is a reflection of the post-9/11 period that the film was made in and Nolan explores similar themes of the time by asking just how far the good guys are willing to go against an enemy for which reason isn't possible. For Batman and his allies, their crusade is about taking back control of Gotham whereas the Joker is an anarchist who thrives in chaos and revelling in the belief that they never had control to begin with. This battle of philosophies is encapsulated by a face to face confrontation between Batman and the Joker in a interrogation room that feels reminiscent of Pacino and De Niro in Heat. There is this constant tension throughout that radiates throughout the film but the most refreshing thing about it all is that there is this genuine sense of real stakes and consequences to everything the Joker does and the impact he has. The Dark Knight, like all of Nolan's films, has plenty of ideas and there are moments where the film does feel a little stagey in exploring those ideas. The ferry sequence in particular feels like one too many for me but it's minor complaint for a film that builds towards a tense finale that brings everything satisfyingly full circle.

In the 16 years that has passed since its release, The Dark Knight's reputation has only grown and not just because of what Heath Ledger accomplishes but because it transcends what a comic book/superhero movie could be. The realism style established in Batman Begins is pushed even further here to the point that visually it doesn't resemble a comic book movie. Likewise the grand ideas and themes in the storytelling also elevate it further to the point where The Dark Knight could be described more as an epic crime thriller rather than superhero movie. Whatever your take is, this is a movie that works because all of its part align, all of the characters and performances enthral in equal measure even if there is one obvious scene stealing performance. The Dark Knight is and remains one of the finest films I've ever seen.

VERDICT

A superhero movie of the highest quality. Filled with great performances, a great story with outstanding set pieces and moments. The Dark Knight is one the best films of the last 20 years.

5/5

[that-one-enby-ranger]

It's Sir Dr Brian Harold May's birthday today and I absolutely love and adore him, and I have been posting stuff on my Queen sideblog @rogers-maraccas, but I felt like posting this long rant on here because I FEEL LIKE IT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME AND I WANT ALL YOU FUCKERS TO HERE ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL AMAZING MAN!

Out of all four members of Queen, I do not have a favourite, I love them all equally, not just for their music, but for them, because they are all great. But today is Brian's day, so we must discuss him. Next week will be Rogers birthday.

Firstly, Brian's talent is absolutely incredible and playing guitar like his is one of the things that keep me from quitting guitar. I watch him play guitar solos and I see the way his fingers move and how they can just, how the fuck do I say this without it sounding weird, finger the strings and he can move them up and down and jesus Christ this sounds weird but I don't fucking care because it's fucking Brian May.

I will admit that he is not THE best guitar player in the world, there are definitely some, specifically Jimi Hendrix that tops Brian, but to me, in my opinion, he is still one of the best. HE IS SO FUCKING TALENTED. And its not just guitar, he can write songs, he can sing really good, his voice is amazing and so gentle and soft and I love it. He has solo albums that are really good and I definitely recommend listening to them. My fav solo album of his is Back to the Light, and even though I don't have an absolute favourite, I'm Scared and Resurrection are definitely some of my favourites, and Let Your Heart Rule Your Head gives me the same sort of vibes as '39 which is just one of the amazing Queen songs Brian wrote.

Speaking of songs, Brian has written so many hits for Queen, as has the rest of them, but this post is focusing on Brian:

Some great songs he's written that I can think of just at the top of my head:

Fat Bottomed Girls, We Will Rock You (y'know, StOmP stOmP cLaP), '39, Now I'm here, Stone Cold Crazy, Sweet Lady, Tie Your Mother Down, Teo Torriate (Let Us Cling Together), Who Wants To Live Forever and Headlong.

Plus the, in my opinion, very underrated songs that are fucking great that he wrote:

White Queen (As it Began), the story behind the song is both very sweet and sad on its own, Father to Son, Brighton Rock, It's Late, Mother Love, Dead on Time, Dreamers Ball (absolutely fucking love this song. It's so good), Dancer, Dragon Attack, Sail Away Sweet Sister, Save Me, Tear It Up and Is This the World We Created.

That's not even all of them.

And his lyrics are so fucking great as well, as are the rest of the bands songs, but just look at some of these beautiful lyrics.

"Take me to the room where the green's all green" and "Take me to the room where the reds all red" from Dragon Attack

All of '39

"You call me sweet like I'm some kind of cheese" from Sweet Lady

"She used to be a woman with a hotdog stand" from Headlong.

Lyrics master right there.

I am aware that all the band chipped in to write The Show Must Go On, which is in my opinion the best Queen song and I could go on and entire different rant about that, but the lyrics and meaning behind it is amazing, and you get beautiful gems from those lyrics like "my wings are painted like the wings of butterflies, fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die. I can fly my friends"

AAAAAAAA HE IS SO FUCKING AMAZING

Oh my gosh and we can't forget that he is incredibly smart. He has a fucking PhD in astrophysics for fucks sake, he's a doctor. I remember reading somewhere that his IQ is 180, which is just seven IQ point thingys lower than Sheldon Cooper. If he wasnt a very famous guitarist then he most likely would have been a very successful astrophysicist.

Plus he's fucking knighted.

He has also accomplished so much outside of Queen and his solo stuff. He loves animals is an animal rights activist, publicly speaking against fox hunting and culling of badgers. He fucking loves badgers. And lots of different animals. I have multiple photos of Brian with animals.

He helped open the Mercury Phoenix Trust charity which was opened in honour of Freddie Mercury to help fight AIDS.

He bought a bunch of land where trees were going to get cut down to build houses and saved those trees and is now called May's Wood.

He would go on TV after Freddie died and stand up for Freddie and speak up against the press and all the negative very untrue things people were saying about Freddie. (Just pointing out he is not the only one that did this, Roger also did an amazing job on speaking out)

There is a lot more things than I mentioned but you get the point and my brain is blanking.

OH YEAH, he played live at the top of Buckingham palace.

Also when asked by someone if we would ever hear what happened inside of the legendary Queen parties. His response was just a couple seconds of silence and then...

"no."

And of course we can't have a Brian appreciation post without mentioning the Red Special. The Red Special is Brian's guitar that he's had ever since he was a kid, and he's used it at most shows (I find the fact that he didn't have it during Live Aid is a fucking crime). He made the guitar with his dad when he was a kid. I can never remember how old he was if he was 12 or 15 or something. Him and his dad made it out of some old furniture or something like that where the wood was really old and pretty much rotting. It's fucking amazing.

And he improvised and experimented and used a six pence coin as a pick and it gives it a unique sound. One time my sister and I was in a car and I was listening to my own music and my sister told me Queen was on the radio so I listened and she had never heard that song before and she heard the bit with the guitar solo and I asked her how she knew it was Queen and she said she recognised the sound of Bri's guitar. If his guitar broke I would cry for him and the Red Special.

And I know this is talking about Brian, but I just feel the need to point how good of an actor Gwilym Lee is. He played Brian in the movie, and he was the most accurate out of the entire cast in my opinion. When Brian showed Bohemian Rhapsody to his kids they thought that his voice was the actual Brian's voice just overlapping and Gwilym was lip sinking. He wasn't, he's just that good.

I've been watching Bohemian Rhapsody while writing this, and I started this towards the start of the movie and now I'm up to the bit where Freddie finally ditches Paul so I'm gonna stop here.

Just remember that Brian May is an amazing man who is extremely talented and kind and has done extraordinary things, even more than on here. If I ever met him I would tell him that and tell him I love him more than I can say and maybe even more than some of my friends and that he has changed my life in ways I can't even understand.

What a man.

Extra:

Absolutely adorable

[amaramiyu]

My Legendborn Cycle Musings & Theories

May 2023 is when I first got into this series and I've been hooked ever since. I've read Legendborn and Bloodmarked at least twice and I have some thoughts about the books and series in general. So without further ado:

Spoilers ahead!

First of all, I'm glad I waited to make this post because recently more information has been revealed about the next upcoming book (Oathbound), and that instead of the series being a trilogy of books it'll be a tetralogy (4 part book series).

Oathbound

I strongly believe that the Shadow Court is definitely going to be unleashed that was part of the bargain Bree made with the Shadow King after all.

Vera’s warning to Bree at the end of Bloodmarked: “Chaos thrives on imbalance.” In Oathbound, is Bree going to become villainous or corrupted in some form? Since she doesn’t have her ancestors to balance or influence her since she closed the ancestral stream?

Since the third book is called Oathbound I wonder if this means oaths will be broken or removed. Obviously, Natasia's Kingsmage Oath to Martin Davis had to have been removed. Could the same thing happen possibly between Nick and Sel?

At the end of Bloodmarked, the main trio: Bree, Nick, and Sel have become separated. Since this is Bree's story first and foremost I think the book will still only be from Briana's point of view. I don't think we'll be getting multiple points of view. However, I'm not quite sure.

Selwyn Emrys Kane

There’s more to Selwyn Kane than meets the eye. One of the main themes in the Legendborn Cycle is ancestry and inheritance.

Theory 1: Erebus (the Shadow King) is Selwyn’s father. Erebus is described as a father-like figure towards Sel and he has a history and a clear fondness for Natasia (He knew where she was at the end of Bloodmarked). However, we know that the Order supposedly monitored Natasia closely while they ensured she gave birth to an heir. Obviously, since both her and Sel are powerful Merlins there must be more to discover about their bloodline. Also, it is mentioned how closely Sel resembles Merlin his ancestor not only in appearance but also in mannerisms. Sel is a prodigy and has the rare ability to transform into an Owl like his ancestor Merlin. Not to mention, the skill he used to craft aether constructs to hold Bree together after her injury which isn’t easy to do and most likely would’ve killed other Merlins attempting to do it.

Theory 2: Maybe Selwyn’s bloodline has ancestral ties to someone on the Shadow Court. 

Nicholas Martin Davis

He's going to be leading the faction of the Order that's still loyal to the Knights of the Round Table.

Maybe he'll continue to forge a further alliance with the Line of Morgaine. Nick will then be further exposed to how they live and maneuver outside of the Order. He is trying to find a solution to stop the Legendborn Cycle without the Scion of Arthur having to die. In Bloodmarked, he found something out but he didn't get to elaborate on it further.

In General

I think the relationship between Sel and William is underrated.

There’s still much we don’t know about Cambions and unions. So far, we know:

Full Demon + Human = Cambion

Human + Cambion = Cambion

But what about: Full Demon + Cambion = ?

Cambion + Cambion =  ?

Are these unions even possible or allowed and could they produce offspring?

On the cover of Bloodmarked, I think Bree is wearing the outfit that she wore during the Rite of Kings ceremony.

Valechaz is clearly enamored and fascinated with Bree and he's such a wildcard. Valec at times can also be hard to read. Will he be a friend or foe going forward?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but in terms of a TV series adaptation of the Legendborn Cycle, I would prefer that it be an animated TV series rather than a live-action series.

[slytherinshua]

hi zannaaaaa sorry I haven't talked to u in a while!! life was (and still is) being a pain but i'm back lol

anyways i've been listening to lucy quite a bit these days and I just wanted to say...

WHAT IS THIS INSTRUMENTAL EXCELLENCE.

I'M ACTUALLY GOING CRAZY NO JOKE

I ACTUALLY LOVE THEIR SOUND SM.

the knight who can't die and the silk cradle is my fav rn AND VILLIAN. yes i'm listening to their popular songs rn bc i'm still new to them and I like to listen to artist's more well known songs before I dig deeper to find their hidden treasures :))

and i was hoping u could tell me some!

sorry for writing so much !! hope u have a great day <3

OMG LUCY HIII!! i missed you <33 dw tho i totally get that life can just be overwhelming at times :(

I KNOW like especially as someone who has played piano for like my entire life i really really appreciate lucy's music so much from that standpoint. kpop can kinda be removed from traditional instrumental sounds cause of how heavy edm is in it, which is fine, BUT IT MAKES A GROUP LIKE LUCY FEEL LIKE SUCH A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

OMG TKWCDATSC SKDJSKD SUCH TASTE I LITERALLY LOVE THAT SONG SM!! and yes listening to their popular songs is def a good way to start!! honestly for lucy i rarely think of any of their songs as like "popular" vs "unpopular" because they're all underrated as a whole. their title tracks are as much my favourite as their b-sides they honestly just can't skip AT ALL. even their OSTs are amazing (and they have so many OSTs too, esp rn w gwangil in the military they still release OSTs but idk if they have comeback plans)

but for some b-side hidden treasures, let me give you some recs hehe :))

never in vain from their insert coin ep is such a different type of sound than what they usually do and it is SO addictive. when that ep first came out i had to listen to never in vain every day cause oh my god i just love it so much, even now it's just KSJDFKS

sequel from their blue album is somewhat of a fan favourite i think. it's just so so pretty, and if you're feeling like it, listen to prequel as well (from their childhood album), as the two def go together !! they're both soothing and pretty, more ballad type vibes, and both feature a lot of piano in their tracks which is probably why i love both tracks so much

and if you haven't already, definitely listen to you're right (blue ep), it's one of their best tracks ever truly one i'll never get tired of. and it was even more incredible live i still go back to watch my recording of it like once a month SKDJKS never getting old fr

more fun vibey songs of theirs are straight line (panorama ep), knowhow, 10sec (both childhood album), and one by one (gatcha ep). you seriously can't go wrong with any of their songs though whether you listen to their titles/most popular tracks or b-sides they're all amazing!!!

definitely message me on discord if you need any more recs or just tell me which songs you love i would love to hear more any rants or rambles it's so fun so never apologize for typing so much KJDSKFS

[sapphicseasapphire]

YOUR SKY AND PIPIT COMIC MADE ME CRY

PIPIT NEEDS MORE RECOGNITION🫡

Best SS side character ong

HAPPY TEARS I HOPE???

But yeah! Pipit’s a favorite of mine haha! In my opinion, he’s the most interesting side character on Skyloft! By far! (Groose isn’t on Skyloft anymore so he doesn’t count!) He’s also one of the most underrated characters in any Zelda game.

• He’s an upperclassman at the Academy who actively stands up for Fledge and Link against Groose.

• He’s SO SUPPORTIVE. Every time you talk to him, he has something encouraging to say. He genuinely really cares about Link and Zelda and is one of the few people who believes in Link.

• He’s the only student at the Knight Academy who doesn’t live in a dorm.

• He lives at home, but you never see him there.

• The Worst Mother on Skyloft Award goes to Mallara! (Pipit’s mom). The reason Pipit’s never at home is because his home is a mess and his mother is the WORST.

• Mallara has really nice furniture and ceramics and stuff but it’s all messy. Pipit’s corner of the house is the only clean area, but his furniture is all worn down and scratched up. His blanket is patched. Everything he has is well used and mended.

• I kind of view that as a metaphor: Mallara has nice things but doesn’t care about them enough to take good care of them. She has an amazing son but doesn’t care enough about him to take care of him. Meanwhile, Pipit uses what he has, even if he doesn’t have much.

• ALSO he’s struggling financially. When you clean Mallara’s house, she gives you twenty rupees and tells you to say hello to Pipit for her. (There’s a reason she doesn’t say hello herself. There’s a reason Pipit doesn’t talk to her).

• If you clean her house enough times and then walk by it at night, you’ll hear Pipit yelling at her. I don’t know the exact quotes but he said something along the lines of “I gave you that money to buy bread and you spent it on a housekeeper! If you keep this up, I won’t be able to afford to go to the Academy next year!”

• Bro’s a full time student and also works the night watches at the Academy just to have the money to put food on the table and put himself through school. He gives some of this money to Mallara and she IMMEDIATELY turns around and spends it on Link.

• THAT’S A WHOLE OTHER THING. Mallara pays Link to clean her house because she’s too lazy to do it herself. She tells him to talk to Pipit because she’s too lazy to do it herself. She expects Link to be her housekeeper and her messenger because she’s not willing to put the work in and do the bare minimum for her home or for her son.

• This whole time I’ve been calling it her house. But the game calls it Pipit’s house. PLEASE did he buy the house too?? So that his mother could destroy it?? Crying.

• He has the sweetest little crush on Karane and the game gives you the option to tease him for it! I will always give the letter to Karane because it makes me happy to see him happy. He deserves it! “You like her?” Such a little brother response.

• He literally says something along the lines of “don’t I deserve to know true love?” about Karane. Like. This guy’s never experienced genuine love in his life. His mother sure isn’t giving it to him.

• Link and Pipit are 100% brothers and I’m writing a whole fic about how Link was adopted into that problematic family and what that means for Mallara and Pipit. Suffice to say, Link and Pip are quite close! For my au, Pipit is the first person to really and truly understand Sky since he knows Link so well (literally grew up in the same house) but also knows Aepon! (Took care of the Loftwing while Link was away on his adventure). In many cases, he understands Sky better than Zelda does. Better than Sky knows himself! There will definitely be more Pipit content from me because he DESERVES SOME LOVE.