#pov you are Octane

[arseniccattails]

He's just a small little guy

[plounce]

i think part of the appeal of writing and reading fanfiction is being able to say the quiet part out loud: laying out emotions and themes and relationships very plainly, what happened after the episode concluded, what did this non-pov character think about these events, what if the backdrop subtext was the foreground text, what if these characters discussed their feelings very clearly and then it didn't cut to black. because fanfiction is often a way to lay out exactly what you think/feel about a text and/or its characters: what you like, dislike, think is important, think is interesting, etc. it is often difficult to be subtle because that is not what the medium tends to encourage. it is extremely pathos-driven. high-octane full-throttle Emotion is the king of fanfiction. leave no gaps, indulge fully. and it is often some blend of reaction to/analysis of the text and an exploration of the author's own internal life and feelings. and that is often a ton of fun, both as a reader and a writer. however man i wish i was able to be more subtle lmao i keep wanting to state things so plainly but i also want to pull back and leave things to implication too. not every emotion needs to be lavishly explained. i say this all very neutrally btw. i think it is up to one's own personal subjective taste whether you like this about fanfiction

[physalian]

Writing with Executive Dysfunction (or how to lower the barrier of entry)

So you want to write a book, but all you have is a cool one-liner, a niche super power you want to explore, and the blurry image of a love interest with a two-syllable kind of name. You don’t know where to start, what to tackle first, how to jump in the deep end.

Can you write the ending first? What if you want this really cool gimmick in a fight scene but can’t write action to save your life? Do you start in media res or with a prologue, or with the character starting their daily routine? Do you write the villain’s POV first?

Or do you start with an outline, character sheets, a title, summary, your themes and motifs? How many pages and pages of worldbuilding notes should you have built up before you’re good to tackle the first page? You’ve heard time and again the critical importance of the first three sentences. The first chapter if your audience is generous.

The pressure mounts to be unique, but not try-hard, descriptive but not flowery, intriguing, but not confusing, all in the first hundred or so words. You sit there staring at the little blinking black line on your blank page… and the idea gets shelved for another day. It collects virtual dust in the backlogs of your computer, forgotten until you have to clear out space on your hard drive and stumble across unspent potential.

Everyone and their dog has their own bits of writing advice and I’m sure I’m about to echo tips that have been around the block once or twice, but there are a few I don’t see talked about enough.

Whether you suffer from severe procrastination, fear of failure before you even begin, the overwhelming limitlessness of choice, or just can’t sit down and dedicate any time to see what happens, this list might be for you.

1. Write Every Day

This is nothing new, but I’m going to tackle the implementation of such a habit over why it’s important. You already know why it’s important. Writing every day doesn’t demand a full page of a Word doc, or 200 words before you can get up and do something else. Sometime a witty dialogue exchange comes to mind while you’re doing dishes – write that down.

Or you saw a cool name for a character in a commercial – write that down.

Or you had a dream about your characters in a high-octane street chase – write down the synopsis.

Personally, I use Apple Notes. It’s free, I can log-in to iCloud through a browser and keep writing, and my phone is always with me. I have dedicated folders to sort which notes belong to which concepts.

Disclaimer: Apple Notes is meant for exactly that: Note taking. I take it to the extremes, but it’s not a word processer. It’s not meant for anything more strenuous than putting virtual pen to virtual paper.

I build up so many variations of scene ideas and concepts for character arcs that my ‘notes’ for any given book can be as long as a full-length novel. Most of the time, admittedly, those ideas get outdated fast as I move on to bigger and better things, but the point is this: I never would move on to better things if I didn’t have somewhere to start.

I have a personal grudge against OneDrive for a sync failure losing 20k words of a WIP, so most of my writing is done through Google Docs and saved to Google Drive. It’s not the most powerful word processor, but you don’t have to worry about formatting until the very end and can export later. It’s free, like Apple Notes (assuming you have an iPhone), and the smart phone app for Google programs works phenomenally better than the MS Word app – so once again, the barrier for being within reach of places to jot down ideas is lowered. My phone is always with me.

It doesn’t have to be digital – carry around a journal or a notebook or a legal pad if you want. Whatever gets your creative juices flowing. The point is to have somewhere to take all the ideas you have in your head and get them onto paper the moment inspiration strikes.

2. Writing is Supposed to be Fun

The dreaded writer’s block, scourge of authors everywhere. You’ve reached the point in your manuscript where you’ve caught up to the epic adventure you’ve written in your head. The little writer in your brain has gone on strike and you’re left in the doldrums of how to transition from one chapter to the next. One idea to the next. One scene, one line of dialogue.

Answer: Skip it.

Unless you have a hard deadline to make, writing is supposed to be fun. Your best work comes when you’re passionate about doing it, not when you’re holding your fingers hostage to put something on the page or else.

When you start getting frustrated, walk away. When you get stressed, walk away. The manuscript will still be there once you’ve slept on it for a day or two and you’ll be glad for it. Or, write a different scene. Write a hypothetical scene (more on this point later). Write anything you want and come back to the hard parts later. The gaps will fill eventually, and if they don’t—consider what about that transition or scene is so hard and consider axing it entirely. If it’s frustrating for you, it’s probably boring or unimportant to the reader.

3. Script it

My favorite writer’s crutch is to make a skeleton of the scene I want to have, fill it with dialogue, and move on. The pretty thematic narrative can come later. It’s halfway between an outline and a first draft and, for me, someone to whom dialogue comes easier than narrative, this is another barrier removed to letting creativity flow.

I don’t have to think about dialogue tags or movement of a scene or how exactly I want to structure a sentence or describe the setting. Scripting lets me sus out the pacing of a given scene, test run a conversation I have in my head to see if it might really work before investing all the time and effort of a fully fleshed out first draft, only to erase it all later.

You can do this mid-narrative, too. If you just want to skip over a couple lines that aren’t coming naturally to you, script a vague sense of stage directions until you get to easier narrative and come back later.

When I say scripting, mine look something like this:

Character A (ChA): [position within the setting, tone of voice, any notable gesture or action that enhances the dialogue] “Dialogue.” [specific dialogue tag, if necessary] … (often a paragraph break) … “Dialogue.” Character B (ChB): “Dialogue.” [emotion, reaction, details about the setting that are now important, new revelations by the narrating POV] … “Dialogue,” [action. Tonal shift. Movement] ChA: “Dialogue.” [action] … (scene continues)

In practice:

… ChA: [kicks back against the wall of the room, arms crossed. Annoyed, waiting for ChB to speak first, but they don’t] “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to leave?” [head tilts, still waiting on an answer ChB isn’t giving] “All you had to do was ask.” ChB: “You were having fun,” [quiet, wringing their hands in their lap on the edge of the bed] “You wanted me there. So I was there.” [huffs, flips their hair back. Not sure how many times they’ve had this conversation. Will always hate parties, not going to suddenly like them just because ChA is there] “You can either have me there, or make sure I’m comfortable. You can’t have both.” ChA: “So now I’m the bad guy.” [foot thumps on the floor like a judge’s gavel] …

Scripting also lets you fill a scene with multiple new characters before you figure out their names or descriptions, tagging their lines with the bare minimum. I often test out entire action scenes (which I loathe writing) in script form, so I know I’m satisfied with the pacing, blocking, and amount of movement before I lock it in and write the first draft of actual narrative. It also forces you to make sure your characters are taking actions and not just sitting at a table like talking mannequins.

Transitioning from script to narrative can be mighty tedious sometimes if you try to fit in chunks of narrative in the exact places you left on your initial pass. Fictional prose is organic, so let it breathe.

Maybe you let a character monologue for too long, or they have too much movement in a scene that becomes unnatural and clunky. Or the entire scene ran away from you because the conversation was just that good. Whatever the case, a script, bare minimum, gets your foot in the door.

4. Write Fanfic

I like sci-fi and fantasy. I also like taking my sci-fi and fantasy characters and throwing them into ‘fanfics’ to test out relationships and start to get a feel for what makes them unique from the rest of the cast.

Sometimes the setting changes to something mundane, sometimes it’s a hypothetical scene that the current pacing of the narrative just doesn’t have room for, or it’s a flashback you’ll never include but want to have written so it’s concrete when you reference it in the present.

It also helps you fall in love with your characters when you can write them without consequence, doing whatever, doing whoever, saying whatever, going wherever. In fanfic, their personalities can start to write themselves and you discover them as you write them. And, hey, sometimes you come up with a concept so good, you change the entire real narrative around to fit it.

All your attention doesn’t have to be on the story you’re actually writing.

5. Keep All of Your Deleted Scenes

I keep so many of mine, the ‘deleted scenes’ doc of one book is 40k words longer than the actual manuscript, filled with numerous variations of the same scene written over and over again in vain trying to keep something that no longer works.

Keep them for several reasons:

It reminds you of how far you’ve come.

You can pick through the bones for bits of dialogue and setting descriptors even if the majority is trashed.

You remind yourself of what didn’t work before, so you don’t fall in that same trap again.

If you change your mind, all you have to do is copy-paste it back in.

6. Remember First Drafts are First Drafts

Let the word spew flow forth from your fingers and don’t look back and start questioning every decision and all its flaws until your creativity tank starts sputtering on empty. It’s supposed to be messy, it’s supposed to have plot holes and typos and inconsistencies and things to fact-check. If you start hyper-fixating on making sure your manuscript has absolutely no errors before moving on to the next chapter, it will never get written, and you’ll convince yourself you’re a terrible writer.

Writing is easy. Revisions are hard. Just as storytelling doesn’t have to be linear, neither does the writing process. If that critical first line just won’t come to you, stuff a mediocre one in its place and move on. Write the ending first. Write all the romantic entanglements first. Write the big climactic argument first and figure out how the rest falls into place around your beautiful centerpiece.

But remember: You do, at some point, have to write the hard stuff. Hopefully, when the time comes, you look at all the rest you’ve written and are proud enough of your progress that those daunting scenes that looked impossible before become much more approachable now. Do it for your future readers who want to know how it ends. Do it for your characters. Do it for you.

[babiebom]

Would I give them Head (Apex edition)

A/N: I never write for apex, and I might never write for it again but since I have been playing everyday now I have some thoughts and decided that this could be the way I get them out <3 ALSO before anyone says anything their sexuality doesn’t matter this is literally if I would give them head or not and that’s it it’s purely from my pov.

Tw: gone SEXUAL(obviously), cursing, even though these people are male I included Bloodhound even though they are they/them because I am attracted to them.

Wc: at least 3 points for each

Apex Masterlist

Fuse

Yes

He’s a dilf

Seems like he’d call me a good girl while I suck him off :)

Also his accent is great!!

I’m not super attracted to him but am enough to indulge him once.

Ballistic

Hmmmm

On one hand I want to strangle him

And on the other I find his cockiness attractive because of reasons I think I have already discussed on my blog

So it would have to be a really good day for me to be like y’know what? Sure!! Pull out your cock old man!!

Pathfinder

Does he have a pp?

Or genitals at all?

I’m gonna just pretend that he does

And yes

He’s a very good boy and I would give him head in a very friendly way

He deserves it <3

Octane

Yes

Literally I am so attracted to him for absolutely no reason

Like I genuinely have no idea but I would give him the best head of his life

I am so in love with him that his kill quips don’t even make me upset.

Revenant

His kill quips full me with rage

But the answer is yes because he’s kinda sexy

In a “I wish I could bash his head in” kinda way :)

Would do it just to ruin every future day of his.

Bloodhound

Yes!!

Idk what kind of genitalia they have but yes!!

I love them with my whole heart they seem so sweet.

They deserve good head and a relaxing day!!

Crypto

Yes

His accent is cute

But also it wouldn’t be a reoccurring thing simply because wi find him slightly annoying

It’s mostly how people play as him but like

He makes me upset

So I’d give him good head then head out for some milk.

Seer

Hmmmmmm

Maybe?

He’s attractive but I’m not attracted to him

So maybe a friendly handjob!!

Just to be nice

Gibraltar

I have no idea if I spelled this right autocorrect did something before I could check so oh well

But also no

He reminds me of stinky Bo binky and I hate it

No head for stinky men

Now he might not be as stinky

So I might give him a handjob because I feel bad that he is only a no because of stupid stinky.

Mirage

Sexiest man alive I swear

Even though his stupid clones trick me every single time

I do find him insanely attractive

Also because all of his lines are slightly awkward I’m like yes this man is perfect thank you

The answer is yea if you couldn’t tell.

Newcastle

Sure?

I mean idk much about this guy because no one ever plays as him

And I haven’t read anyone’s lore for real so idk their personalities outside of quips and how people play them

But he looks cool and i think his voice is cool so sure

Caustic

NO

I hate the fact that he’s stinky

Stinky men get no love from me

His “breathe it in” like makes me irrationally angry

STOP PUTTING THE STINKY EVERYWHERE J HAVE ASTHMA

NO HEAD FOR YOU

[narcissistcookbook]

okay......anime. I'm sending a lot because I'm not entirely sure what you like? perhaps none of these? please ignore it as needed haha I am mainly getting it out of my system.

SERIOUS FARE - drama, action, adrenaline, feelings

Cowboy Bebop (1 Season, Complete) - slick, gritty, moody, jazzy, impeccably animated. neo-noir space-western about a crew of oddballs on a little spaceship just trying to get by. sometimes goofy, sometimes sad, always a favorite.

Chainsaw Man (1 Season So Far) - an impoverished, immature young man whose dreams include "eating some nice food" and "touching a girl" finds himself swept up in a career that allows him to do both those things and more, to varying degrees of satisfaction. also he can turn his body into chainsaws. it's coming-of-age it's horror it's action it's more found family it's good.

Violet Evergarden (1 Season, Complete) - some controversial choices were made for the adjacent movie, but the show is so good even standing alone. a traumatized child soldier slowly reconnects with her emotions by writing letters for other people. that's basically the whole story. made me cry a lot.

THE FUNNY PAGES - for when you need a laugh!

Spy x Family (1 Season, 2nd Incoming) - a delightful situational comedy set in Definitely Not Cold War Germany about a spy, his cover wife whom he does not know is an assassin, and his adopted daughter whom he does not know is a psychic. featuring moments of genuinely compelling found family connection.

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (1 Season, Complete) - a girl summons the courage to confess to her crush. a series of misunderstandings ensues and doesn't stop ensuing. more mistaken identity goofiness, a cast full of charming dumbasses, and some insights into life as a manga artist. also another bangin theme song.

TOASTY'S TOP 3 - my absolute favorites

Vinland Saga (2 Seasons, 3rd Seemingly Confirmed) - you follow me so you are probably at least aware of this and whether it looks like something you'd enjoy but I have to include it. a viking-era tale of trauma, war, revenge, redemption, masculinity, religion, politics, philosophy, and more! season one is the prologue, where the antagonist is (imo) the secret main character. season two answers the unmitigated violence of season one with the povs of normal working people who end up as collateral damage, and also pays off one of season one's earliest setups in a huge fantastic way imo. it's idealistic without ever failing to acknowledge the pain that comes when idealism meets reality. I love it.

Run With the Wind (2 Seasons, Complete) - there aren't a whole lot of sports anime for older audiences, but this is one of them and I rewatch it on a yearly basis. you have to kind of slow yourself down for it--most shonen sports anime are brisk, high-octane fun-times, but this one (a college-age series about the most Underdog of Underdog Track Teams) really takes its time building up the characters and environment, and chemistry between the dual opposites-attract leads is so heartwrenchingly beautiful. they complete each other! they love each other! what does it mean to run? why do we run even if we know we can't win?! the answers to these things are found within each other!!

Mob Psycho 100 (3 Seasons, Complete) -slapstick, drama, mindblowing action scenes--this is another one that needs a little time to start showing you what it is, but there's so much heart in this dang show. a hymn to all things mundane and ordinary, a rumination on the dangers of suppressing one's emotions, a story about a middle schooler who tries not to use his Unlimited Psychic Powers and a fraud exorcist who pretends to have powers but doesn't. absolutely worth the watch.

BONUS LIGHTNING ROUND

Shirobako (a stressfully/excellently accurate anime about the anime industry, the only cute-girls-doing-cute-things show I like), Keep Your Hands off Eizouken (weird girls making amateur anime in high school), Blue Period (for if you want to have an existential crisis about ART), Kaiji (Squid Game before Squid Game), The Great Pretenders (Robin Hood-ass confidence artists pulling off HEISTS), Haikyuu (my favorite younger-audiences sports anime, get hype for VOLLEYBALL), Beastars (the Furry One, gorgeous 3d animation, dark and weird and wild), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (surreal horror sci-fi/fantasy, "mechs" vs. apocalyptic "angels", I haven't seen it but it's a standard and also I've been told not to watch it while depressed)

ANYWAY thanks for receiving this absolute infodump, do what you will with it!!

okay but honestly i didn't know cowboy bebop was one and done, i can commit to that

[mimzalot]

talkin’ about the narrative function of Luis Serra

specifically in relation to plot pacing. there are a million things that I could commend about the way the remakes handle narrative, but I want to specifically talk about chapter 11 of Resident Evil 4 Remake and what it accomplished for Luis Serra, my beloved, re: creating character impact and transforming the RE formula

⚠️  MAJOR SPOILER WARNING FOR RE4R (plus I briefly mention all the other games and Vendetta, too)

so. chapter 11 sucks. but not in a bad way.

at the time of Luis’ death, I remember thinking: oh no, too soon. he just started opening up about his past. I was just getting used to his company! Leon hasn’t had enough time to really connect with him, to make this death scene hurt! it wasn’t until I finished the game for the first time that I realised that it would not have worked any other way, and I’ve been circling it since.

let’s wheel back a bit to think about why Luis exists in this narrative. this could be a whole different post, as he fulfils a lot of roles in the plot, but for this I’ll narrow it down to this key trait: Luis is The Scientist.

Resident Evil has a lot of returning archetypes:

The Survivor – our protagonists, usually some sort of trained professional

The Kid/Civilian – who we look after and protect

The Corrupt Power Structure – our CEOs, Mayors, Police Commissioner, Aristocrats, etc

The Scientist – usually Umbrella (though sometimes we get an Umbrella-aligned person that isn’t a scientist, but is still evil)

each of these play into an existing formula, the purpose of which is to convey more or less the same RE story: behind all suffering is the powerful and corrupt, and funding that corruption is the greed of big pharma and capitalistic evil. The Scientist is attached to that big pharma part, as they always bring in the infections that give us the zombies, Ganado, Tyrants, etc. thus, Umbrella is evil.

this formula creates a very strict black and white picture of Good vs. Evil, with little room for grey. it is Resident Evil after all, not Resident Everyone-Has-Their-Reasons.

RE7 and 8 are significant because of how they started anchoring the POV around “the Civilian” Ethan rather than the professional. you could argue that Claire is a civvie, but she is a Redfield and cannot be counted among the mortals

in RE1 it’s cut and dry: the scientists are the evil behind everything, Wesker is a traitor, and it’s all downhill from here. RE2(R) has William Birkin echoing that Evil Scientist thing, with a slight bit of grey appearing with Annette. but her death isn’t necessarily framed as a tragedy, even so.

you could say that Ada is kinda evil-science-aligned seeing as she is the person transporting the science, but Ada is Ada and, again, cannot be counted among the mortals

in RE3(R), we don’t have a significant science-guy as it’s more about the high-octane, military stuff. but we do have Carlos, and his stupid sexy syringe bite scene – he is an important predecessor to Luis in that he is only saved by the consequences of his employment by ignorance: Carlos didn’t know that UBCS were the bad guys. Luis, arguably, performed his actions knowingly, which is one of the great tragedies of his character and the cornerstone of his atonement.

it’s that knowledge, that conscious alignment with evil that makes each of the Scientist characters slated to die. The Scientist always dies.

we do need to talk about Mia Winters but that’s another text post

Luis Serra, according to his alignment, according to his actions, could be our final boss. if Mendez had re-injected him, he may well have been; a mutated scientist pushed back into his lab, guarding the machine that would heal Leon and Ashley, infected by the virus that he might have helped create. at which point it wouldn’t matter how he felt about it, whether he regretted it: he, like all the other researchers, would need to die or be put down.

but RE4 isn’t about that. RE4 is about change.

if we look into the future, we know that Leon ends up being a guy that sees the grey in all things – even to his own detriment. in Vendetta he asks ‘who’s the bad guy here?’ to throw criticism at the government that would open fire on the wedding of an evil guy, and Chris barks back ‘THE EVIL GUY!’ which perfectly highlights the different journeys these characters have been on, and the unique roles they hold in the RE universe.

one thing they highlighted rather early in RE4R was that Leon did not start with an eye for the grey-zone. he is pissed off by Luis’ mysteriousness, because he’s Umbrella. Leon’s heated about that in particular, and the game reminds us constantly that Leon is not cool with it. and why would he be? Umbrella ruined his life.

the remakes have been paying close attention to cause-and-effect continuity, and at this point in time Leon has been absorbed into the rigmarole of US govt and moulded into an agent, against his will. he is exploited because of the events of RE2, and it’s clear that he has a lot of unresolved (and justified) anger towards Umbrella for creating this traumatic situation for him.

without anything to challenge this, he’d end up like Chris: staunchly black-and-white about who is responsible, who must be held accountable, forcing himself into positions to bluntly counteract Evil where he can.

but instead, Leon encounters Luis.

and the purpose of Luis is to change what it means to be The Scientist, and thereby affect Leon’s outlook of the world. the significance of Krauser then killing Luis is the convergence point of Leon’s worldview shifting: my own people betrayed me and sided with evil. and my enemy saved my life.

Krauser as a cautionary tale almost shows Leon who he could have been, too: not just a guy so affected by fear that he becomes the monster, but also the guy that blindly followed orders and murdered Luis. basically this game is developing Leon’s ability to think critically as a compassionate, traumatised and exploited person. y’know, a guy like Luis.

Leon spends over half of the narrative on the fence about seeing Luis in a grey light. in a game of sixteen chapters, Leon spends two-thirds of his time with Luis grumpy and wary about him. finally in chapter 11, we get a chance to actually see the potential of a friendship grow – and then it’s all too quickly cut short. while Luis is preparing to proceed, and see the light of his actions realised, he is killed.

and what I’m rather stunned by is that I certainly felt it when Luis died, but I felt it worse as the game progressed. the game gives you Luis just long enough to feel attached, and then takes him away so that the potential itself haunts you until the final chapter. the resounding impact of his loss is felt in absence, rather than in presence, and so the heart grows fonder, and the game gives you time to process it, until finally in chapter 15 you’re on the cusp of tears because of the flavour text about a Key. everything that happens after his death is attributed to him. he ends up lingering on the mind after the game ends. hence why I’m writing this friggin text post at 11pm instead of playing Zelda. RE4R created a ghost and he is haunting me.

so, logistically: what happens if Luis dies later in the game? in terms of overall pacing, his death is undercut by the climax, thus the player is not given enough time to really ruminate on his absence. you need those chapters after Luis dies to get that real sense of loneliness, to match the steep downslide of shit hitting the fan that RE4 does so well. moments where you can say to yourself “would be nice if Luis were here”, especially apparent as you are plunged into those horrible labs and begin to receive many insights into the other scientists and researchers. it’s all finally punctuated by Ashley asking where he is and a moment of on-screen grief to keep his absence fresh in our minds. there wouldn’t have been space for this if he died any later than chapter 11. the game would just have to be longer, but then that jeopardises the snappy pace and replayability.

emotionally, if he died later in the game, Luis might have begun to develop a confidence that things were going to be okay. he might have started feeling Leon was enjoying his company, thus making Leon the crux of his atonement, rather than Luis’ own actions. he might have met Ashley, who would undoubtedly be nice to him, and then his death would have been more about the protagonists’ reactions to him than the consequences of his own actions. pacing is a bit of a balancing act, and if you push Luis’ death into chapter 12, the rest of the game starts falling a bit wonky.

any sooner in the game, and the player hasn’t been given enough time to attach to him, so it falls short anyway. this is something that I felt keenly in the original, where Luis was unfortunately too absent from the mainline plot for his loss to be felt, though it did have the shape of this narrative structure – with Luis arriving, and dying, and then being developed in the aftermath of his death via his work, and the truth. I’m so glad that the Remake refined it, so now I can suffer endlessly about it.

and what happens of Luis doesn’t die at all? as I said, The Scientist Always Dies. this is the turning point of the series for grey-zone evil science guys, and to completely switch gears and then let the scientist live just doesn’t feel right for the thesis statement of Resident Evil. any other game, maybe, but RE is so committed to their formula that it would undermine itself. it’s not enough to say “one good scientist <3” then reward him with life; he still dies, and unfortunately that death has massive implications for the series at large – because it is tragic. not disturbingly necessary like disposing of William Birkin, not lowkey victorious like dropping Wesker into a volcano, but tragic and preventable, tragic and heartbreaking, tragic in a revolutionary kinda way. it creates a sense of grief that falls in line with RE’s sense of justice, thus hurts more. and it sucks. 

and that’s the real kicker about Luis, eh? I am haunted not just by his absence, but by the fact that he never got to see his actions take form. he died not knowing that he saved the world. he died questioning whether he’d actually made a difference, in himself, or with anything.

all that to say: the purpose of Luis is to begin to subvert the existing narrative structure. to introduce the idea of grey, not as something that absolves you, but as something that bestows nuance upon the ‘enemy’ that RE constantly, consistently holds accountable with rocket launchers. change is possible and difficult and sometimes completely without reward, but it must be done anyway. even if it outlives you. because Resident Evil is about the long-lived legacy of evil – so Luis is about the long-lived legacy of compassion, of atonement, and necessary change. and that’s a legacy that he grants the survivors, and in a larger scope, the world.

while capcom really pulled out every tool in their arsenal to show this death’s tragedy, the pinpoint accuracy of how they timed his death in the larger scheme of the game is so pristine that I almost can’t be mad at them for ripping my heart out. ‘cause they earnt it, through careful build-up, and poignant resolution, right up until the moment that Leon quotes Luis upon escaping the Island to make your heart warm up and break at the same time.

so, in short: nailed it. thanks. I will be thinking of Luis Serra forever. amen.

if you’ve made it this far – hi! I’m Mim, I really want to start making video essays with these sorts of analyses for RE, Devil May Cry, Ace Attorney, Zelda and a bunch of other games I love. let me know if you’d be interested in that, I have one lined up for Leon and Luis’ meeting scene that needs video footage. also like 2394823 other thoughts about Luis in particular, but I’m stopping myself now because I want to stream TOTK. pardon any lore inaccuracies I was possessed by Luis feelings and wrote four pages in one unblinking sitting. CHEERS!

[vatnalilja]

Care Package | Octane/Reader | Apex Legends

What happens when Octane runs out of stims?

This is set during Season 7 and is an adaptation of my AO3 chapter.

An explicit reader-insert story written in Twine that allows the reader to provide a name, pronouns, and appearance variables, which are then peppered through the story.

Female Body

Gender Neutral Body

3rd Person POV with 4 pronoun options (She/He/They/Ze)

2nd Person POV (You)

Should look good on any device.

AO3 version (older, fewer revisions):

All of my Apex chapters are part of a larger piece that refer to each other. They are listed in order on my Neocities site:

[theblogs2024]

How You can Cheats for Warzone 2.0 Present day Warfare three (MW3)

Modern day Warfare 3 (MW3) proceeds to captivate gamers with its large-octane action and gripping gameplay. For people planning to gain an edge or simply have far more fun, cheats can offer many different enhancements. Listed here’s an extensive guide to the most effective MW3 cheats which can remodel your gaming encounter.

one. Limitless Ammo

Among the most popular cheats, Unlimited Ammo makes certain you in no way operate from bullets. This cheat permits you to maintain firing without the need to reload, which makes it easier to choose down waves of enemies with out interruptions.

two. God Manner

Reach invincibility with God Mode. This cheat helps make your character proof against all kinds of harm, letting you to outlive any face unscathed. It’s perfect for People challenging missions or when you simply desire to investigate the sport devoid of worrying about dying.

3. No Recoil

The No Recoil cheat removes weapon recoil, supplying you with fantastic accuracy. This is particularly valuable for computerized weapons and sniper rifles, making sure your photographs strike their mark each and every time.

4. Wallhack

Acquire a tactical gain with Wallhack. This cheat permits you to see by walls and also other hurdles, making it much easier to place enemies and strategy your strategy appropriately. Use Wallhack in order to avoid ambushes and locate important goods swiftly.

five. Aimbot

With Aimbot, you may promise that each shot hits its target. This cheat quickly locks onto enemies, providing you with lethal precision. It’s Primarily successful in multiplayer modes, where swift and accurate capturing is essential.

6. Unlock All Weapons and Benefits

Why wait to unlock the top gear? This cheat quickly unlocks all weapons and benefits, enabling you to definitely customize your loadout to the liking. Experiment with different mixtures to uncover the ideal set up for your playstyle.

7. Pace Hack

Shift quicker than your enemies Along with the Velocity Hack. This cheat raises your character’s movement pace, supplying you with the higher hand in each offensive and defensive maneuvers. Speedily traverse the battlefield and outmaneuver opponents effortlessly.

eight. Stealth Mode

Turn out to be undetectable with Stealth Method. This cheat can make you invisible to enemy radar and eyesight, allowing for you to definitely execute shock attacks and steer clear of detection. It’s ideal for stealth missions and players who prefer a more strategic technique.

Significant Criteria

While cheats can significantly improve your MW3 knowledge, it’s essential to make use of them responsibly. Working with cheats in on the net multiplayer modes may lead to intense penalties, together with bans from the sport. Generally regard the Neighborhood suggestions and strive for fair Participate in to take care of a beneficial gaming setting.

Conclusion

By using these cheats, you could unlock new degrees of pleasure and method in Contemporary Warfare three. Whether you might be aiming to dominate the marketing campaign or outsmart opponents in multiplayer matches, these cheats will help you achieve your plans. Remember to use them responsibly and take pleasure in the recreation to its fullest. Happy gaming!

Learn more info. check out here: cheater pov warzone 2

[alecmass]

Week 7: Racing Game Pitch

Upon wrapping up "Galaxy Defender," I have shifted towards creating a racing game.

Title: Speed Demon

Introducing "Speed Demon," a fast-paced racing game where you take the wheel in adrenaline junkie street racer zooming across the city. Players maneuver tight corners, avoid obstacles, and outsmart rivals to dominate the racing scene. Featuring a retro-style top down POV, the game offers an arcade driving experience that captures the high-stakes nature of street racing.

Control Scheme: A/D: Steer vehicle W: Accelerate S: Brake Space Bar: Nitro Boost As players advance, they'll face increasingly challenging circuits and skilled rivals, requiring precise driving techniques and reflexes.

Speed Demon combines minimalist yet striking visual elements with complex urban layouts to emulate the high octane environment of street racing.

[lazarusphenomenon]

it was literally up when i posted this... why is rick's team stalking my blog?

News

March 29, 2020

Nachos after the War: A Heroes of Olympus Outtake

I hope everyone is staying safe and well! I was recently going through my archives and came across this short snippet I wrote back in 2014, shortly after The Blood of Olympus came out. I had teased my fans that I might make the last book nothing but the seven main demigods sitting around eating nachos for five hundred pages. I was also well aware that fans would cry when they read Blood of Olympus (for many reasons) but especially because it went back to the three demigod POVs that started the series: Jason, Piper, Leo. “But no Peeeeercy? No Annnabeth? Waaaaaaa!” Yeah, yeah. That was intentional. It was kinda the point, that Percy and Annabeth had to step away from the spotlight and let other heroes do their part. Stepping back is often just as difficult as stepping up.

Anyway, I wrote this little scene where the seven demigods are together again after the war with Gaea is over, and they are in fact just sitting around eating nachos, chatting about how they feel about the issues I mentioned above. I never finished the scene, and I can’t promise you it fits in the ‘canon’ of stories that have come afterwards, but I figured you guys might enjoy it, especially in these stressful stay-at-home times.

Be good to each other. Stay well. Some day, we will be able to sit around the table together and eat nachos!

Nachos After the War

“Brace yourself,” Leo said. “These babies are dangerous.”

He set the nachos in the middle of the table. The platter was piled high with toasted tortilla chips, melted cheese and jalapeno slices.

The six other demigods leaned in to study their new quest.

“Why are they dangerous?” Frank asked. “Do they explode or something?”

Hazel frowned. “Leo, please tell me you didn’t use Gorgon blood for seasoning.”

“Nah, these are legit nachos. But the jalapenos are from the Demeter cabin’s garden. They grow them, like, superhot. Best I’ve ever had.”

Piper pulled a nacho from the pile. “Vegetarian?”

“Yeah, Beauty Queen. Broke my heart to use refried beans with no lard, but for you, I compromised. Now, for the real challenge . . .”

Leo whipped out a jar of green chili sauce. “Valdez High Octane Fuel. May result in severe burns.”

“Bring it on.” Percy rubbed his hands. “I love spicy.”

Annabeth elbowed him. “After drinking from the Phlegethon, you can still say that?”

“Well, I’m digging in.” Jason said. “Before they get cold.”

“Oh, that won’t happen.” Leo’s hand burst into flames. He seared the top of Nacho Mountain. “There you go. Toasted at your table.”

The demigods started pulling nachos off the pile and passing around the Valdez High Octane Fuel.

It was a nice afternoon at the dining pavilion. Most of the campers were off doing their late summer activities – archery classes, the climbing wall, canoeing around the lake. Over by the stables, Arion was munching on a pile of gold nuggets, fueling up after the trip from Camp Jupiter with Hazel and Frank.

“Is it weird that I miss the Argo II?” Jason wondered.

“Nah.” Percy popped a jalapeno slice in his mouth. “We had some good times on that ship. When we weren’t about to die, that is.”

“That was basically always,” Annabeth said.

Piper sighed, gazing out across Long Island Sound. “Yeah. Good times.”

Hazel threw a diamond at Leo. It bounced off his shirt. “I still can’t believe you let us think you were dead.”

“Okay, first of,” Leo said, “I was dead. Second, I came back as soon as I could. Ogygia is like . . . a long way away. I’m just glad it wasn’t centuries afterwards. And third, I did make nachos. That’s the best peace offering I could think of.”

“You sure you can’t stay?” Jason asked. “I mean, dude, everybody needs you here.”

“I appreciate it,” Leo said. “But Calypso kind of wants to see the world. And I kind of want to show it to her.”

Percy cleared his throat, like the jalapeno had gone down wrong. “So . . . where is she?”

“Festus took her to Manhattan for the afternoon. She figured it would be easier, giving me some time with you guys. Besides, she wants to see the city.”

Frank picked the cheese off his nachos. It was times like this he hated being lactose intolerant. “So where will you go next? Will you come out to visit Camp Jupiter? I know Reyna would like to see you.”

Leo laughed. “Last time I was there I blew up her Forum, but thanks. Maybe one of these days. I don’t know. We don’t have any plans. And I kind of like it that way.”

Percy noticed a dreamy, happy look on Leo’s face, like he’d just had a really good dream, wrapped in warm blankets in a comfortable bed. It made him happy for Valdez, but also a little sad.

“I felt so useless,” Percy said. “I mean . . . the final battles with the giants and Gaea. Anybody else feel like I wasn’t even there?”

“That was the whole point, Seaweed Brain.” Annabeth sipped her lemonade.

“For me to be useless?”

“No, your fatal flaw . . . my mom warned you about it. Kymopoleia warned you. You’ve been hearing about it for years. To save a friend, you’d lose the world. You can’t step back if a friend is in trouble.”

“Yeah. But . . .”

“Man,” Leo said. “I know it was harsh, but I had to pull that stunt – get Gaea off the ground, blow her up, risk my life. If I’d told you about . . .”

Percy sighed. “Okay. I would’ve tried to stop you. Or help you. Or something.”

“And that’s what Gaea would want – to have us crossing wires, messing each other up.” Leo pulled another tortilla chip from the pile. “Your big challenge was stepping back, not being the big hero. Letting me do what I needed to do.”

“Not very heroic,” Percy mumbled.

“Which is the whole point,” Piper agreed.

“It’s my struggle too,” said Annabeth. “My flaw is pride. I’ve been learning about that ever since the Argo II set sail. I think I can solve every problem. But I can’t. I needed Piper’s help. I needed to accept that other people need to act, take the risk, solve the problem when I can’t. Percy . . . we had our share of trouble.”

“Like fricking Tartarus, for instance,” he said.

“Yeah. But the end game – that was all Jason, Piper and Leo. Just the way it started. That’s how it had to finish. Us stepping back, letting it happen as it was meant to . . . that was our last big challenge.”

“Just saying it was kind of a letdown.”

Hazel smiled. “Someday, when they write this story, I bet the readers will say the same thing. The great Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase . . . their last challenge was to not be the ones who solved the challenge. But your struggle is being able to let go. Maybe the people who read your story . . . that will be their struggle, too. There’s always a time when you have to let go.”

Percy had to smile. “Hazel, you’ve come a long way since that day at the Caldecott Tunnel. Look at you now – centurion, sorceress, all-around kicker of butts.”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “Well, you’re still the scariest most powerful demigod I know, Jackson. I’m just saying . . . that’s why it was hard for you to not be the center of the fight. But it had to be that way. It doesn’t mean you won’t have other challenges in the future.”

“Oh, please,” Percy groaned. “Can I get through high school first? I need some R&R.”

“And some time with your girlfriend,” Annabeth added.

“And that.”

“Hey,” Frank said. “Did you see your mom? I remember when we were in Alaska, you were trying to call her.”

“Yeah, I did,” Percy said. “She . . . well, she knew I was okay. I’d sent her some letters via the wind spirits, then an Iris-message after the battle. But when I got home, man, I think she cracked some ribs she hugged me so hard. She’s doing all right, though. I mean, my mom is a tough lady. She’s finished her first novel.”

“Nice,” Jason said. “Uh . . . the novel’s not about you, is it?”

Percy frowned. “She won’t tell me. That kind of has me worried. And this little smile she gave my stepdad Paul . . . I dunno. She said she wants it to be a surprise.”

“Uh-oh,” Piper said. “Well, if she gets published and becomes a bestseller, I can give you some tips about dealing with a famous parent. It’s not all fun and games.”

Rick Riordan

Piper pulled a nacho from the pile. “Vegetarian?”

“Yeah, Beauty Queen. Broke my heart to use refried beans with no lard, but for you, I compromised. Now, for the real challenge . . .”

Leo whipped out a jar of green chili sauce. “Valdez High Octane Fuel. May result in severe burns.”

Nachos After the War, Rick Riordan

[seven-sapphire-stones]

why don't we just punch eduardo silva??? like he cant stop all of us

[illusionage]

☀ // gives mirage a tooth he knocked out on accident :)

my muse's reaction to yours...

☀ - giving them a gift

     he's surprised when octane pulls him aside. he does it by the hand, worn hand against mirage’s own, tugging him off in the shadows. it’s in a passing of one of octane’s stunts, and mirage peers around the corner to the ring of fire that octane had lit for the next one. “ wow, i get to see the exclusive octane between stunts? you’re spoiling me. “

    octane’s rummaging around in his pockets for something, like he has a gift to give. this entire. thing. fling? flirting? he’s got no idea what is exactly going on, especially after octane had kissed him out of the blue, but uh. it sure is something - is he trying to woo him with a gift?

    actually. yeah. that’d be nice. a gift from him would be nice. and it would be a fancy gift, too, probably...

     octane drops something in his hand. it’s teeny, so mirage has to lean over a bit to squint at it. it looks a bit like -

    oh. ew. ew. ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, he’s touching it, and there’s still blood and - holy shit, this is gross. he immediately shoves his hand at octane with the clear indication of take it back, please, i’m desperate - but octane’s already moving on, cackling as he moves away, too fast for mirage to catch up.

     “ oct - ! octane! i’m not - i’m not gonna hold onto - what am i supposed to do with it?! “

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: The Passing of the Grey Company

EYYYY MERRY!! Aragorn! Legolas and Gimli!! I missed you guys! 8-D

“So four of the Company still remain.” Dramatic much, Aragorn??

“‘And then whither?’ said Legolas. ‘I cannot say yet,’ Aragorn answered.” *hums to myself* And whither then, I cannot say…

Legolas and Gimli don’t even wait to hear where Aragorn is going before they loudly volunteer to come with him. I love these dorks so much LOL

“But do not look for mirth at the ending. It will be long, I fear, ere Theoden sits at ease again in Meduseld. Many hopes will wither in this bitter spring.” ���Aaaaand Aragorn accidentally foreshadows Theoden’s death :-(

Literally Merry: “Welp, if I run now, I’ll die, so I might as well stay and fight.”

Aragorn, immediately, upon seeing an old friend again: IT’S HUGGING TIME

“Merry breathed a sigh of relief. …It seemed that there would be no need to die in Theoden’s defense, not yet at any rate.” Whoa, Merry, that’s pretty hardcore. Respect.

Yooo so these are all Rangers like Aragorn?? And Elrond’s sons are here too?? SICK.

All of Aragorn’s old friends, in fancy foreshadowing language, at once: “HI WE BROUGHT YOU A FLAG AND YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO GO WAKE UP SOME GHOSTS”

Legolas calling Merry “Master Sluggard” for sleeping until noon X’-D Give me the Legolas and Merry roast battle STAT!

Tolkien quietly implies that Legolas and Gimli stood around talking to Merry while he got dressed. I don’t have anything to comment here except that casual platonic intimacy is delightful.

Evidently, the Rangers are here because of Galadriel ex machina.

Merry’s opinion of Theoden went from “I want to talk to you about pipeweed” to “I would die for you” in like .005 seconds and I am 1000% here for it

“Filled suddenly with love for this old man, he knelt on one knee, and took his hand and kissed it. ‘May I lay the sword of Meriadoc of the Shire on your lap, Theoden King?’ he cried. ‘Receive my service, if you will!’”

WOW that’s like a high-octane shot of unfiltered medieval chivalry right to the veins. I think the buzz in my head is my entire British ancestry all waking up at once in a patriotic fit. HECK YEAH KINGS AND KNIGHTS AND CASTLES MAN LET’S FRICKIN’ GOOOOOO

!!!!!!!!! HELLO??? All the Rangers wear their cloaks asymmetrically??? “Pinned on the left shoulder” it says. I’VE BEEN DRAWING ARAGORN’S CLOAK PINNED ON HIS SHOULDER THIS WHOLE TIME. The right-side one, not the left, but STILL. I DIDN’T FRICKIN’ REMEMBER THIS PART. DID I RECALL IT SUBCONSCIOUSLY AGAIN???? HEEEEHHHH??????

Pippin, constantly: “I miss Merry :-(” Merry, constantly: “I miss Pippin :-(”

Oooh the Rangers have been guarding the Shire, and the hobbits didn’t even know about it!! That’s so cool, man. Like guardian angels with mud-stained boots.

I have little to say about Aragorn’s story of looking into the Palantir except that I’m glad he’s had something to eat and I really hope he gets some sleep soon :-/

Ohhh so the Grey Company is Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the other Rangers. The Three Musketeers and Co.

Eowyn: “Please don’t go.” Aragorn: “Sorry, no.” Eowyn: “You’ll die.” Aragorn: “No, I won’t.” Eowyn: “Then take me with you so that I can die too.” Aragorn: “Emphatically, no.”

Eowyn bemoaning the “part of a woman” is both startlingly modern and better than any more recent attempt I’ve seen to write the exact same thing. Eowyn doesn’t want to fight just because she’s afraid of seeming “lesser than the men”; she wants to fight because she’s afraid of living a purposeless life, of sitting around uselessly while the world is in peril and she feels she can help. Her motivation is a lot like Steve Rogers’ back in the first Captain America movie: “Bucky, come on! There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them.”

Aaaaand Tolkien once again proves that he can absolutely write suspense and horror if he wants to.

Gimli is an interesting choice for a POV character here. I guess it makes sense, tho; he’s neither a Ranger nor an Elf, so the fear of the Dead is going to sit heaviest on him.

“Yes, the Dead ride behind. They have been summoned.” OHHHHH HOHOHOHO.

DUUUUDE. JUST. Okay so we all know that in the movie there’s this huge confrontation where Aragorn argues with the dead king to help them, right?? That totally makes sense story-wise; it’s a “trial” he has to pass to get their respect. But there’s nothing like that here. The trial is quiet, it’s understated; it’s simply the labor of getting through the Paths of the Dead and battling through that aura of fear to the other side. And you don’t know that the ghosts are following you until you’re leaving. Imagine being on your way out of a place called the Paths of the Dead, finally coming out of that horrible cave and looking up to see the stars, and when you finally think you’re safe, you turn around and see an army of ghosts following in silent procession. CHILLS, MAN. Just. CHILLS.

And now the Grey Company includes the ghosts apparently!

I have nothing to say about the people running away from Aragorn and calling him “the King of the Dead” except that it’s funny and chilling all at once.

The Stone of Erech really said ⚫️

[ci-draws]

POV: you´re getting topped by octane

I have nothing else to say than Im sorry, im a wreck :D

Also a lil close up for ya horny mfs

[spishidden]

ROTTMNT: WELCOME TO THE SHOW Update

Chapter 2, The Next Stage Part 2, is ready and will be posted tomorrow. I worked reaaaally hard on this one so I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 3 is in the works but from the looks of things, it will def need more time than the first two chapters.

We got new characters being introduced, swapping POVs, and high octane fights. It’s a lot of writing and I only have so much time on my hands. Of course, if the chapter does end up being late I will make an announcement about it. I REALLY hope I can finish it in time but eh you never know.

Seeing people comment and kudo my fic makes me so happy jsjsjs. I’m so glad there are people enjoying it you have no idea.

Thanks for sticking around and tune in tomorrow for Chapter 2! If you’re new, go check out the fic

[animatedminds]

Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness - Reaction & Review

It’s been a while since I did any kind of review, a show review, a film review, let alone the animation content I actually started this blog to talk about. I aim to change that (I’ve got a review for Turning Red and a now-that-its-on-MAX review for The Batman coming), but to start with I wanted to talk about the film that is freshest in my mind: Dr. Strange. Just saw it this weekend and - if you don’t want to go through the whole thing to know my take - it’s a very vivid, extremely well acted movie with a handful of unfortunate character and story decisions that take away from what is otherwise a phenomenal viewing experience. It’s one of the better things Marvel’s made post-COVID, and its issues are more on the what-they-chose-to-do side than the how-they-chose-to-do-it side, which gives it a shadow or two it would’ve otherwise shone unblemished without.

Obviously, SPOILERS. HOO BOY, ARE THERE SPOILERS! BACK AWAY FROM THE SPOILERS, UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET SPOILED. SERIOUSLY, IT’S - LIKE - THE WEEK THE FILM CAME OUT. MEASURE YOURSELF. THERE’S PROBABLY A YOU SOMEWHERE IN THE MULTIVERSE WHO READ THESE SPOILERS BEFORE WATCHING THE FILM WITHOUT ACTUALLY MEANING TO AND REGRETTED IT. DON’T LET THAT BE YOU. Anywho:

Directed by Sam Raimi. And first and foremost, you can immediately tell this is a Sam Raimi joint. Not just in terms of visuals, through which the film absolutely goes in with creative camera angles and POV shots used for both tangible threats and psychaedelic representations of thoughts, memories and perspectives. But you can also see it in the genre: there a lot more horror influence in this film without ever losing its bombastic, safe MCU action style - which works: much like Winter Soldier could be a considered a safe gateway into the spy thriller genre without fully committing to the genre, or Ant-Man’s films are gateway heist movies, if you want to see more of this genre of horror action comedy, but don’t want to immediately leap into The Evil Dead 2, Dr. Strange is a nice place to start.

You can even see the Raimi influence in its less obvious parts, like the characterization: in his previous superhero outings one of Raimi’s touches was an approch to supervillains as akin to horror movie monsters - there’s a lot of Jekyll in Norman Osborn, a lot of Larry Talbot in Otto Octavius - and, in ways I’ll speak more on later, there’s definitely more monster than mastermind in the villain of this piece.

Raimi’s vision is absolutely to the film’s credit. This movie oozes imagination, sometimes literally. It’s the creative kick in the pants magic in the MCU needed ever since Dr. Strange 1, which was remarkably... slim in the range of what wizards could do, limited mostly to more simple effects like creating whips, conjuring camera tricks and just the one amazing acid trip. Here, even before we get to the apocalyptic high octane magic stuff, the wizards (and more) in this film casually use magic to summon demons and other critters to help them with this and that, move through water, twist and unravel reality and put it back together again with flicks of the wrist. When the characters trek to find ancient secrets and artifacts, you can bet there’s a practical build on the other side of that plotline for whatever artifact is in question, made to match that perfect mix of silly and bizarre. There is literally a fight in this film where the character do battle using music, and I don’t mean that in a proverbial sense.

Words don’t do it justice.

This is the kind of magical antics people really wanted from the first one, the kind of stuff so far Strange had only been allowed to do in small doses in other characters’ movies. After a long time of being measured, magic in the MCU finally feels like magic: or, that is, something different than everything else around it.

This visual and creative excellence is why I said above that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the way the movie chose to tell its stories. There are some pacing issues in the beginning and end of the story, but at this point I’m desensitized to modern films not having much in the way of denouement, to be honest. Be it were that Marvel films made with this kind of exuberance all along, to be honest. On to the story: our film begins with the titular Multiverse, a vast array of alternate timelines and realities all similar but in their own way distinct from our own. This specific setting is, immediately, a bit of a departure from Strange’s usual wheelhouse the same way it was for Spider-Man in Far From Home - Strange is typically all about mystical dimensions wherein lie demons and magical planar beings, which come up a bit in this film but aren’t quite the focus. This feels more like that sort of “writing like a insular comic book arc” feel I’ve felt from a few productions in the last few years - the Batman included, but also including films like Ant-Man and the Wasp - there is a big crisis coming, and Strange and his group are the only ones who can handle it. The crisis isn’t strictly about Strange and his group, they’re just the ones who are on top of it and are thus dragged along for the ride: the kind of thing you would get in a long running comic series, where the characters are established enough that not every big event for them has to be a personal consequence of their immediate story and can sometimes be external. This choice has its ups and downs - the short of it being that I think it’s something more superhero films should do, and that it worked for The Batman and AM&TW, but ironically it was a bit less to this story’s benefit (in Strange’s case in part because there’s a lot to him that the films have still held off on establishing and actively chose not to here), though still much better executed than it was in Far From Home.

Moving on, out of the Multiverse comes America Chavez, a teenage girl on the run played endearingly by Xochitl Gomez, with the at the start uncontrollable power to travel between universes. This film is in no small part an origin story for Chavez (hooray for Young Avengers setup!) and it shows. Strange plays the role of mentor, taking her own as a sidekick of sorts while he handles his own issues with going to far and only trusting his own will even in cases where that will may be flawed. Strange in this film is something of a fusion of the hotshot surgeon learning humility in his original movie, and the “person willing to sacrifice anything, even his life or other people’s lives, if it makes the big picture succeed” portrayal of his later MCU appearances, and it does wonders for making him distinct (whereas the original film leaned a bit too much into “Magical Tony Stark”). Indeed, Strange here learns lessons that seem to be explicit takes on lessons that Iron Man and Captain America didn’t learn in their movies (to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if his romantic subplot and realizations that he needs to let go were intended to be a shot at Cap’s decision not to move forward in Endgame), and if his willingness so sacrifice the villains in No Way Home to keep reality safe intrigued you, it’s explored further here (interestingly, since this movie was at first supposed to come first, but clearly went through a couple rewrites since).

America, meanwhile, is familiar with Strange. He’s a fixture of every universe she’s been to, and a previous Strange was also a friend to her... before betraying her to protect the multiverse. You see, America’s multiversal movement is a unique and dangerous power, especially in the hands of someone who can’t control it, and it comes up as a plot point that it would be safer if it was in someone like Strange’s hands... even though removing that power would kill her. And the villain of the piece has been chasing her for some time, sending demons and proxies (these being filed down references to some of Strange’s own villains in the comics - one of only three ways Strange’s mythos comes in to affect the story) to seize her, so that they can have that power for themselves. The previous Strange failed - both literally, and morally - to protect her, and she remains unsure that this Strange will be any different.

So far, so premise - the SPOILERS start now, by the way - knowing that if the multiverse is involved, and knowing that the magic binding these demons skews more towards witchcraft than his own wizardry, Strange reaches out to the only other magical Avenger he knows: the Scarlet Witch. Not caring much about her previous missteps like her meltdown engulfing a whole town in WandaVision, he offers her a chance to find peace through saving lives again... only to discover the terrible truth: the mastermind behind the demons chasing America is Wanda herself. Obsessed with getting back the magical children she lost in WandaVision, Wanda is taking a page out of Spider-Verse Kingpin’s book and wants to freely traverse the multiverse to seize an alternate copy of her kids to have as her own: be damned that they will already have a mother she has to dispose of, that travelling in this way could destabilize the multiverse and cause an apocalypse, nor that before any of that she will have to murder a child to get that power, as well as anyone else who tries to stop her.

Wanda is an absolute demon in this film. While just fallible enough to be kept at a distance for much of the film, and still personable enough to keep the audience’s sympathy for a while, she is utterly implacable, increasingly bereft of morals in the face of her myopic desires, and extremely powerful. Elizabeth Olson plays the hell out of this new unhinged role for the Scarlet Witch, and - though I have more to say about the decision to do this with Wanda later in the review - again the way its executed is an absolute spectacle to watch.

As foretold in WandaVision, the Scarlet Witch is nigh unbeatable when utilizing her full powers, and Wanda is further hopped up on the corrupting influence of the Darkhold, a tome which appears more than a few times in this film as essentially a new take on Raimi’s previous forays with the Necronomicon: something ancient, evil and able to twist people into doing horrible things and becoming horrific monsters. Strange, even with the might of Kamar Taj, is unable to face such reckless hate, and so must escape with America into another universe to regroup and find the Book of Vishanti: the only thing that can stop the Darkhold and Wanda now.

The universe they end up in, however, is run by the Illuminati: an assortment of alternate Marvel heroes, as well as a few cameos for the future, led by an alternate of Strange’s archnemesis Baron Mordo (Strange mythos use #2), and all of whom distrust our Strange due to circumstances surrounding the loss of their own Stephen Strange.

Here we get to the hypest part of the film: the cameos. In for a spoiler penny, in for a spoiler pound: here you’ll not only see Charles Xavier, as implied in the trailers and full of 90′s X-Men Animated references, but also our first look at MCU Reed Richards and a surprise return from Black Bolt - played by the same actor who played him in the ill-fated Inhumans series, alongside Captain Peggy Carter and Maria Rambeau Captain Marvel. It’s cool, to say to least. In fact, my overall opinion: this movie treads similar ground to No Way Home, but does it significantly better.

 Instead of relying on the cameos and references to the point where the film was really more about settling the stories of those referenced characters than it was about continuing the stories of it own characters, Multiverse of Madness uses these alternate universes and cameos tastefully. They are there for a specific and important reason, they accomplish that reason, and then after those setpieces the plot moves on to further develop its own plot and emphasize its own characters.

I guess the best example of where this film tends to in a more superior way handle on the subject of cameos, and where I differ in opinion about it than a lot of people relying a bit on the hype: the theatre went wild at the mere appearance of Reed Richards, but meanwhile I got super excited by the dialogue. Strange implies that the Four were active during the 60′s, Reed notes that he’s a father (Franklin RIchards?!), and so on giving us those tantalyzing bread crumbs towards what we might see out of the Fantastic Four in the MCU rather than just having him show up to repeat a plot beat from one of the Fox movies. Likewise, Xavier’s appearance is all establishment: who he is, how powerful he is, and - most importantly - that he’s a good man. That’s what’s important. It makes us excited to see what Richards and Xavier will look like when they finally introduce them in the main Marvel continuity.

That is ultimately the big reason why a lot of those “let center it on fanservice / let’s use the film to canonize X earlier film / etc” predictions got it wrong: because cameos in the MCU generally speaking have always been more about opening avenues and establishing chains between their stories, not just having things just to have them. If you import a character wholesale from an earlier film, you’re ultimately losing more than you gain because now you don’t have the story development that made that earlier incarnation engaging to begin with. This is something this film understands more than I was expecting it to - it’s not about Reed, or Xavier, or the films they’re from, it’s still in the end a film starring Strange and Chavez with them being just a thing they encounter ont heir journey - and I appreciate this film all the more for it.

In any case, with the premise out of the way we can get more to the review portion of the program - and as we area already talking about how this film handled external elements in the form of cameos, I might as well continue but speaking now about how the film handles its elements in general. As I said before, the choice of approach: despite the fact that they handle cameos well, I do think that having the film focus less on Strange’s proverbial universe and instead focus on a largely distinct subject matter hurts the film and what it could do overall. I’ve heard this film described less as a Dr. Strange film and more as a film where Dr. Strange is present - and that’s, again, not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s an imperfect way of approaching the character at a time where we’re still kind of waiting for his mythos to open up. See also all those theories about how Black Panther 2 will be about Dr. Doom or Namor, and not about - say - one of Black Panther’s villains or something with Wakanda: for a character who isn’t very well entrenched yet, it sends the message that the writers, directors or executives don’t perceive the character’s own story as interesting enough and instead intend to use them as a vehicle for other things. And since films take so long to make, are so limited in installment, yet function as such a major source of exposure for characters, I tend to think that if you’re going to this with a character who is relatively new to the public consciousness, you’re better doing it in television than in film.

Out of Marvel, this is something I’m also not looking forward to regarding The Flash, whose upcoming film is a modified version of Flashpoint being utilized to reboot portions of the DCEU. That is to say, that the very first big feature film The Flash is ever going to get is literally about everyone in the DCEU except the Flash. Again, this is something that tangentially makes sense - the Flash is known to travel through time quite a bit - but the Flash is also not about travelling through time: it’s just something that’s happened in the occasional story. In a film which needs to be introducing the character and his world to a wider audience, it feels like that film has chosen to toss all of that aside for something superficially big. And that’s... a shame.

That’s not to say that the film doesn’t still make this feel like Dr. Strange. It takes this very removed premise and tries to approach it solely through the lens of Strange and his magic. The villainess is an evil witch, after all, and it ultimately comes down to magic fight after magic fight in a way that - due to that creative excellence I mentioned earlier - always feels fresh and makes the world of Dr. Strange itself feel like something that would bee intriguing to further explore. But there are cracks. The most obvious one I can think of is Mordo. Mordo, who was set up as an upcoming villain in the final moments of the first film, appears here only as an alternate version of himself who was - he claims - best friends with his Stephen Strange and inheritor of his legacy. This Mordo is still antagonistic, but for sympathetic reasons, and is explicitly not a reflection of his own Mordo. We know this because the film tells us more than once that his Mordo already did the whole archenemy thing with Strange: whatever was being set up by fhe first film? It happened offscreen. Mordo is already Strange’s biggest nemesis, but we have never nor ever do see him this way. It’s an offhand reference, which... well... feels off.

This part of Strange’s own story - his archenemy - is not important enough to depict. Kamar Taj is there to be destroyed in the face of Wanda’s wrath. There’s a bit monster who looks like Shuma Gorath, is named after Gargantos, and is just there as a minion to have admittedly one of the film’s coolest action sequences before being handily defeated. Strange’s emotional journey is about letting Christine go and moving forward with his life, something that is heartfelt, surprisingly mature in execution, and well made, but also feels like ground we had already trodden in the first film. Strange is the main character, but everyting about Strange beyond himself and Wong is kept at arms length, which is... troubling in regards to the character’s future in the MCU.

In this film’s final moments, Clea - a longtime major Strange character from the comics - appears and whisks Strange off to another plot, possibly promising that next time, years from now when Strange 3 is made, we’ll get a plot that explores Strange’s own mythos more. But not only is that years down the line at best, but it’s hard to forget that  the last film did that too.

Like I keep saying, this is a decision thing rather than an execution thing. Strange and America Chavez are the soul of this film, and it’s possibly the best adaptation we could have gotten for America - who grows into the fearless hero we know from the comics over the course of the film and will no doubt continue to take the MCU by storm in future stories, which we know will be all about timelines and alternate universes given that Kang is still on his way.

Moving to a different part of the film, I also have mixed feelings about the writing for Wanda in general, up to and including her apparent death at the end of the film. On the one hand, I love engaging villains and have wanted more of both committed heel turns and face turns in the MCU, and her journey into full blown obsessive villainy in this one was definitely an emotional experience - in large part because Elizabeth Olsen absolutely smashing it in the role. She’s one of the better big bads the MCU has had, in my opinion.

But... It’s difficult to ignore the fact that Wanda got introduced as a secondary antagonist in an Avengers film, and then bounced from hero film to hero film as ensemble role, object of other characters’ protection, casualty, and general all around dedicated supporting character, until she finally gets her own series that establishes her own journey and unique direction in the MCU... only for that to turn out to actually be the villain origin story so she can be the big bad and subsequently die in a Dr. Strange film. At the end of it all, it feels like long chain of the character being pushed back from coming into her own - and that’s bitter sweet. Especially since while her story here springs from Wandavision, it doesn’t actually build on it: all the threads and connections from that film are absent, and while I have absolutely no idea what they would’ve done with White Vision in this film, that he’s absent at the apparent end of Wanda’s story is perhaps more apparent than the writers thought it would be. There’s also the issue of how the conclusions of WandaVision are... well... ignored.

WandaVision ends with Wanda realizing that the pursuit of her own happiness is not worth inflicting pain upon others, and leaving for solitude - either to try again in way that doesn’t hurt anyone, or to improve herself and get her mind right somehow. This film’s Wanda, meanwhile, is a selfish monster who very much believes that anyone who gets in the way of her happiness deserves to die, and will burn down anything in order to reclaim the life that - in WandaVision - she gave up because it wasn’t right. There’s a superficial explanation in the film that the Darkhold corrupts people and thus caused her to change int his way, but notice that I called it superficial, not in the least because it doesn’t fix the problem that all that change happens entirely off screen. It’s again hard to forget that at the end of the day, this plot is built upon ignoring and dismissing the emotional development of the character’s last - and, let’s not forget, only story about herself in the entirety of the MCU.

To put it another way, if you got particularly engaged with Wanda due to Wandavision and that gave you a lot of investment in the character, you might be disappointed with this continuation not necessarily for committing to her continuing to take her rage out on the world, but simply because this film chooses not to really utilize what that series did for Wanda’s emotional journey beyond that being the explanation for where her kids are (and went). Add that to the every valid point that they leaned extra heavily into plotlines regarding Wanda that fans have long lauded the MCU for avoiding - people have wanted them to get away from the “hysterical woman constantly tearing down everything around her” depiction of Wanda for a long time, and at the end they chose to embrace it. And... well... it’s... ... let’s go with “bittersweet.” Sweet because, well, did I mention Olsen killed it in the main villain role? No pun intended. Bitter, because again it’s just a decision that feels like a waste despite all that good work.

Also, for those of us who were hoping this film would formally bring Speed and Wiccan into the MCU for Young Avengers purposes, that’s a big nope. The book - so to speak - is closed on that entire corner of the universe. But hey, we never did see a body: maybe there’s more in store that we don’t know about. Or maybe White VIsion will build Viv - I always liked that character.

Thus are the major issues I had with the film’s story. Now, I’ve spent a lot talking here about bad in this story, and if you’re not familiar with my reviews I’ll point out here that I’m not saying the film is poor - I tend to speak more about the flaws because I feel they merit more explanation, and less about the successes because I feel they’re more self evident than flaws tend to be. This is a very. Good. Film. It’s one of the most entertaining films in then entirety of the MCU, and something I’m probably going to end up watching again and again in the future. But yes, it’s also bittersweet, because its decision making leaves much to be desired.

In the end, I’m absolutely still going to recommend this film. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. It’s inventive. And it sets up breadcrumbs for more amazing things in the future, even if it does also close the door on others amazing things we might have been looking forward to. I’d advise the reader here to see the film themselves and make their own opinions, if only to convince Raimi to come back again for another installment. Above it all, Sam Raimi’s vision is exactly what Dr. Strange needed.