#slay the princess world ender

[misterbrick42-slaytheprincess]

egads what's this

yeah that's the whole thing. yeah i was closer to finishing than I thought.

[misterbrick42-slaytheprincess]

hey this idea is also sort of the basis of what World Ender is built upon. a refusal to challenge given roles, and a deconstruction of everything when they are challenged.

Can I ask why does Adversary turn into Fury? It just, feels… different from when we murder the Tower. And yet in the end it comes to the same conclusion. Or maybe I just don’t understand her thought process.

wait for the prisitine cut

[fillybuildsahouse]

Slay The Princess is wild because in your first run through from start-to-finish, you assume ‘This is a love story’ refers to the ‘hand-in-unlovable-hand’ thing you and the Princess have cultivated in your many lives so far.

Playing it again though, now understanding what’s really going on, you begin to understand that this isn’t a story about two people who love each other with blood on their hands, but a story of two halves finding their way back to each other despite being put intentionally in a cycle of death and violence; it’s about remembering who you are, realizing that someone has fractured you into pieces and trying to remember why it is you’re so drawn to the supposed world-ender that is the Princess.

This is a love story like life loving death.

This is a love story where growth loves decay.

This is a love story between your rage and your devotion, at odds but inevitably obsessed with one another.

[dangthatscrayz]

Yooo we got the goals of 2 likes on the last one (ignore the fact I’m one of the people who liked it)

Slay the princess swap au part 3

(Btw this is going to be the damsel/smitten route first cus I like them both)

Ignore the bad grammar and spelling mistakes they don’t exist shhhh

Anyways for this smaller segment I will mention that the way you get each princess in the game is how you get there swap-au voice counterparts. If you brought the knife talked to the monster attacked him and gave up you’d get the broken and the voice of the tower. Make sense? It’s like og slay the princess but you touch grass. The forest will change in chapter 2 and in chapter 3 the cabin will be changed like in the og the design elements slowly creeps out. I didn’t change any of the names but switches voice of to the princesses

Name changes/role swaps (btw gonna try to keep the personalities from the og game in the swap au):

The hero/the voice of the princess

The captor/the voice of the world-ender (the captor is just a more adamant version of the hero wanting to do what the narrator originally told them to do and that’s keep the princess in the cabin or kill them or they will end the world)

The smitten/the voice of the damsel

The opportunist/the voice of the witch

The hunted/ the voice of the beast

The paranoid/the voice of the nightmare

The skeptic/the voice of the prisoner

The broken/the voice of the tower (I got good plans for this one trust me)

The stubborn/the voice of the adversary

The cold/the voice of the specter

The cheated/the voice of the razor

The contrarian/the voice of the stranger

You get the point basically the “The” and “the voice of” swapped

(Lore spoilers down here)

I’m planning on this au being after the ‘good ending’ in stp but the narrator gets so bored he wants to die so brings the princess back and puts the monster outside and wipes there memories and gets the princess to kill the monster, that’s why in part 2 and 1 he mentioned the monster surely killing the princess no second thought

[misterbrick42-slaytheprincess]

Thanks. World Ender totally needs like the most elegant gown and tiara

hi remember when you drew a slay the princess character who does not exist. would you like to do it two or three more times. i'm in the process of writing other custom routes for slay the princess, and if you wanted i could send you what i have so far and maybe you could draw them? if you want to of course check my other blog @misterbrick42-slaytheprincess's pinned post for the other paths

ooh, well, I could totally try! in advance, I'm sorry if any of them don't turn out how you were expecting them :3 (eek, and btw, the poisonous drawing had her hands behind her back to mimic the razor! but you probably figured that out teehee)

i read your world ender route and woah

[ipsl0re]

2024 in 52 games

I maintain a list of every game I complete- get to the point where I see the end credits roll.

Partway through this year, I realised I’d surpassed my previous record for how many i can complete in one year (26), and decided, with the uncomfortable amounts of time I’ve had to fill this year, to go for an all-time max. That number reached 40 near the end of November, and a subsequent sprint brought me here: to a game a week, 52 completed.

Here’s the list, and below that, my top ten.

Bold- I recommend it.

Italics- I enjoyed it.

(honourable mention to all games in italics that didn’t make the list. It was close!)

Monster Roadtrip

Book Of Hours

Misericorde: Volume 1

Settlemoon

Cult of the Lamb

Fight Knight

Cureocity

Venba

Roboquest

Buckshot Roulette

Slay the Princess

Akin

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Minami Lane

Bad End Theatre

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Sheepy: A Short Adventure

Portal

Essays on Empathy

Kinitopet

Spiritfarer

Cobalt Core

In Stars And Time

Dicey Dungeons

Sifu

Pepper grinder

Mediterranea Inferno

Ender Lilies: quietus of the knights

Cassette Beasts

Borderlands: The Pre-sequel

Live A Live

Bloodless

Clickolding

Sunshine Heavy Industries

Artic Eggs

Bad North

Horizon Chase 2

I Am Your Beast

Midnight Ramen

Lookouts

Project Wingman

A Year Of Springs

Gravity Circuit

Disco Elysium

Gris

Children of the Sun

Awaria

Neo: The World Ends With You

Resonance of the Ocean

Ib

Serre

Detective Beebo: Night at the Mansion

Top 10:

These are not ranked- though I do have a favourite, as you’ll see.

1. Book of Hours

Only finally finished it at the start of the year after playing for four months- it can’t be accused of lacking in content! Hush House is vast and full of fascinating mysteries, both physical and historical. (It’s also very Cornish, which is fun.)

The gameplay cycle of reading, learning, classifying, and using the knowledge to read ever more complex tomes really immerses you into the life of an occult librarian. Once you’ve heard the secret histories: ���well, there just doesn’t seem to be anything else worth hearing.”

2. Bloodless

There is little here that wasn’t meticulously designed. Genius combat that always keeps you on the back foot and insanely good art direction that works in tandem with the hyper-defensive combat to help tell a great story on the dynamics of violence. That makes it sound very grim and serious- and I can’t pretend that it’s not when it needs to be- but Tomoe is one of my favourite characters, the warrior idols plentiful side content, and the geography of Bakugawa just a delight to explore. There is so much here to love and it breaks my heart that so few people have played this.

Please give it a look.

3. Fight Knight

I didn’t think a game like this would be made- technologically (a 3D game in gamemaker? Are they mad?) or from a design perspective. It’s a collection of old school Zelda style puzzle dungeons, with grid based movement, a save system about pushing your luck, and combat that puts you into some kind of corridor fighting game? Also you punch people to talk. And… to do everything else, too.

Despite, or perhaps in some places because of all that, I’d also consider it the most epic game I played this year, with some really touching writing. Huh.

You won’t find anything else like it. On that note…

4. Artic Eggs

I thought a game like this would exist even less- a… Post? Pre? Apocalyptic setting where you fry eggs and all sorts of other things, for all sorts of people. And a dolphin. But I can’t say I’ve stopped thinking about it since frying my first egg: I mean, could you fry an egg on mount Everest?

5. Misericorde: volume 1

A visual novel, in monochrome, without a single decision, isn’t a great sales pitch. But when it’s a 10-hour tour de force of characterisation in a murder mystery set in a medieval yorkshire abbey- and with such stunning monochrome art & 104 tracks of incredible trip-hop… well, there are few games I can recommend more heartily.

6. Disco Elysium

Look, this game will (and has already begun to) shape the entire art of games. And for good reason! The twenty-seven voices in a certain double-yefreitor’s head (if i’m counting the ancient reptilian, limbic, and necktie right) have such incredible interplay, and would make interacting with the dullest characters and situations engaging. Not that such a crutch is ever used- every storyline and three-dimensional character involved in it is often painfully human.

Few games will get you thinking about so much in its world and ours.

Also, heads up: don’t pay for the game. The actual devs don’t get a penny from the sales any more.

7. Live A Live

If Disco Elysium is what happens when RPGs are focused into telling a very specific kind of story, Live A Live is what happens when one RPG somehow manages to tell multiple totally different ones. Every story brings something new, (except prehistory. Prehistory contributes nothing.) and by spreading its efforts across all these different narrative and gameplay conventions, Live A Live stands out as almost ten times the game of many of its contemporaries.

8. Ib

Ib doesn’t alternate between being cute and being a horror game. Somehow, it pulls off both at the same time. I don’t know how but I do know it makes for a very effective experience. Ib, Garry, and Mary have such wonderful interplay, and as you explore the galleries, solve the puzzles, and lay eyes upon the sheer variety of Guertena’s works, they all bring a lot of character that helps ground the frights and bring the humanity to the quiet moments.

I’ve already got four of the endings in this game, and no doubt i’ll be going back for the rest.

9. Slay the Princess

On the subject of many endings and paths (in the woods, at the end of that path…), a game that takes that to the extreme: in the form of another horror game, with just as much heart. With intricately branching paths, there’s so much to see and hear (Nichole Goodnight is stellar with everything from angry beasts to ascendant gods, and Jon Sims, well, he needs no introduction). It’s beautiful, it’s horrifying, it’s probably made me laugh the hardest of any game this year. It is a love story.

10. Detective Beebo: Night at the Mansion.

If you play anything from this year, let it be this. The best time loop game this year- and that’s even when stacked against Cobalt Core and fellow love story Slay The Princess. Private detective Oliver Beebo is a delight to see in action, whether he’s solving puzzles, reliving traumas, or being flirted with by a hot guy. It twists the established conventions of everything it touches in ways that are touching and new- a relationship that can be seen as five or as one, brief horror used to carefully set stakes, foreshadowing aplenty merged with a unique take on player and character knowledge, and utterly incredible characters that are allowed to unfold with unparalleled care- some more than once each!

Maybe it’s recency bias making me go this far- but gods, this is a high note to end the year on.

Try it! Give it one more chance.

[golvio]

Waaaaugh the expanded Slay the Princess soundtrack is so good! Every Princess/Cabin theme takes a piece of either the original “The Princess” theme or “The World-Ender” and expands upon it! I love the concept of changing leitmotifs that you can listen to from multiple perspectives graaaaaaargh

[misterbrick42-slaytheprincess]

A list of all the custom paths I've made, and the AUs

StP The Poisonous (actually published): A deadly trickster, if not a bit silly, who can kill you in a single touch. Paired with the Voice of the Hesitant, best suited by the Freeze response, and main desire is to just not do anything.

StP The World Ender (actually published): Can only be reached if you NEVER doubt the Narrator in chapter one. She is exactly what the Narrator describes her to be... or is she? Will you give in to your same mistakes, or arrive rather late to realizing that there's something else going on here? Comes with the Voice of the Advocate, world champion in Suck Up.

StP The Double: There's two princesses. Depending on what you do, they can wildly change. They all look similar to other Chapter Two princesses, but more tame. Comes with the Voices of the Split: Who work as two voices in one. One is against the princess, one is for her.

StP The Rival: A toned down version of the Adversary where you fight the princess unarmed. It's clear that the Princess is just humoring you when she agrees to fight on equal terms with you. Comes with the Voice of the Honorable, who will refuse to play dirty, unless the person they're fighting against plays dirty first. Cares a lot about self-image.

StP The Blur: When leaving the princess in the basement, if you try to leave the cabin altogether and forget this happened, you will discover it to be less than effective. Comes with Voice of the Regretful, who regrets every action you've ever taken, and says as much. The Princess is a multi-armed monstrosity that you... can't make out anything else about, because Regretful refuses to let you. She's held underground behind iron bars; no staircase or basement here.

Not custom paths, but entirely new AUs:

Adventurer In The Cabin In The Woods (so close to being finished but i never got around to making the finale.): And in a completely different thing separate from base game, you play as a nameless Adventurer, who is just an ordinary guy swept up into whatever LQ and Shifty have going on. Across five runs, use DnD mechanics and dice rolling to make friends, make enemies, and prove that you have a place in this story. Five runs are out and i don't think i'm going to get around to finishing that finale.

Path Through the Woods: In this AU, you and the Princess are in a Caravan on a path to a Cabin, which is said to contain what you desire most. However, the Narrator warns you that the Princess is evil, and will use what it holds to destroy this world. Will you slay her to ensure she can't? Disregard the Narrator and head there together? Or abandon the Caravan and ensure that you arrive there first? The woods are dangerous, and be warned that it's unwise to turn back... something dangerous is always lurking in the opposite direction. (it's not the Princess.)

Unending Dawn (mainly a concept): This AU takes place after one of the endings. Take a wild guess which one. Play as an entirely new character, and be guided by an entirely new narrator in a quest to save the world by slaying this seemingly harmless bird. This bird is not the Princess, but he is reactionary. Your assumptions generally prove to be correct. Find him somewhere in his larger cabin, be it upstairs, the kitchen, the basement, or outside overlooking the giant sun that casts no light, slay him, save the world, and perhaps find out what exactly you're ending when you do so.

A Story Retold: In what appears to be a slight altercation but is really a complete reworking of the plot from the ground-up, instead of getting more voices when you start a new chapter, you gain a new narrator. That's it, that's the premise. Also LQ and Shifty are not here.

In lieu of me finishing these stories, please ask me questions about them. please. please. oh god please grill me for details about these.

i should make a sideblog so all the slay the princess shit i talk about isn't caught in between my reblogs

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

How would Ganondorfs (Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors, and Tears of the Kingdom) & Demise react to being transported to the world of Minecraft?

They are told that if they manage to defeat the Ender Dragon without their magic, they will be brought home… but they will need to survive until then.

Being transported to the world of Minecraft—a place where survival, creativity, and resourcefulness are key—would be a new challenge for the Ganondorfs and Demise. Stripped of their magic and forced to navigate this blocky, unpredictable world, their reactions would vary based on their personalities, but they would all share an intense drive to conquer the challenge of defeating the Ender Dragon and returning to their own world.

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Reaction: Wind Waker Ganondorf, the most philosophical and introspective of the Ganondorfs, would approach the challenge with quiet determination. He is patient and strategic, traits that would serve him well in Minecraft.

Thoughts: He would take his time to learn the mechanics of this world, exploring carefully, collecting resources, and planning meticulously for the eventual battle with the Ender Dragon. He would likely appreciate the natural beauty of the world while also resenting his exile to such a simplistic, almost childlike realm.

Scene: Wind Waker Ganondorf stands on a hill, overlooking the vast Minecraft landscape. His eyes narrow as he surveys the endless possibilities.

"This world is crude, but there is power here... I will find it."

He begins methodically gathering resources, setting up a fortress-like base, and preparing for the long journey ahead. Though he finds the world frustratingly simple, his patience allows him to make steady progress.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Reaction: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would react with initial fury at being stripped of his magic and dropped into such a "primitive" world. His first impulse would be to try to break the game’s limitations, but once he realizes that brute force won’t work, he would refocus his energy on survival and strategy.

Thoughts: After his initial frustration, he would become fixated on mastering the world of Minecraft, viewing it as a test of his dominance. He would quickly move to establish a base, hunting monsters for loot and using every resource available to gear up for the fight against the Ender Dragon.

Scene: Ganondorf clenches his fists as he spawns into the world of Minecraft. The blocky terrain and lack of his usual power make him scowl.

"No magic... no Triforce... they think this will stop me?"

He swiftly crafts tools and weapons, his mind racing as he begins his quest for domination. "This world will bend to my will... one block at a time."

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Reaction: Twilight Princess Ganondorf would react with cold, simmering anger at the situation. Used to being in control and commanding dark magic, he would initially struggle with the simplicity of the world but would quickly adapt, seeing the task as a matter of personal pride.

Thoughts: He would likely build an imposing, fortress-like base, viewing it as his new stronghold in this strange land. His resourcefulness would come to the fore as he carefully plans every step toward the Ender Dragon, unwilling to fail even in such a foreign realm.

Scene: Ganondorf walks through the Minecraft world, his red eyes scanning the horizon. The simplicity of the world does little to mask the challenge before him.

"This is not a game… it is a trial of strength."

He begins gathering stone and wood, building a towering fortress in the desert. "I will not be trapped here forever. I will master this land... and slay its beast."

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Reaction: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf, known for his flamboyance and desire for destruction, would initially scoff at Minecraft’s blocky, simplistic nature. However, once he understood the challenge, he would throw himself into it with ferocity.

Thoughts: He would enjoy the opportunity to take on mobs and monsters, seeing them as a test of his strength. The challenge of defeating the Ender Dragon without magic would excite him, and he would likely build elaborate, over-the-top structures in the world, reveling in his dominance.

Scene: Ganondorf swings his sword, cleaving through a group of skeletons in a cave. Despite the world's limitations, a grin spreads across his face.

"Is that all you’ve got, world?"

He begins constructing a massive fortress, complete with traps and lava moats. "I will break this world’s greatest challenge... and return home victorious."

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Reaction: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would be enraged by the loss of his magic, but his cunning nature would quickly take over. He would see Minecraft as a battle of endurance and mental strength, determined to prove that even without magic, he is still a force to be reckoned with.

Thoughts: He would likely approach the challenge with a strategic mind, carefully planning out how to gather the necessary resources and train for the Ender Dragon fight. His natural leadership and commanding presence would help him in organizing his resources and planning.

Scene: Ganondorf stands in the center of his carefully constructed base, his eyes glowing with determination. Despite the lack of magic, he feels the power of the world around him.

"This is not my kingdom… but I will conquer it just the same."

He begins stockpiling supplies, hunting Endermen for pearls, and preparing for the final confrontation. "I will not be denied."

Demise

Reaction: Demise, the embodiment of hatred and destruction, would react with overwhelming fury. Stripped of his demonic powers, he would see Minecraft as a humiliating prison. He would be driven by pure rage, attacking everything around him in an effort to exert his will over this strange, blocky world.

Thoughts: Though initially reckless, Demise would eventually understand that he needs to play by the rules of this world to win. He would take his time to prepare for the Ender Dragon, viewing it as an adversary worthy of his wrath.

Scene: Demise stands on a mountaintop, his blackened fists clenched. The peaceful world around him is an insult to his very existence.

"They strip me of my power… and yet, I will rise."

He crafts a sword and begins his march toward the End, his eyes burning with hatred. "I will slaughter their dragon… and then, I will burn this world to ash."

How They’d Use Minecraft’s Mechanics

Mining: All of the Ganondorfs and Demise would take advantage of the world’s mining resources to gather materials. Twilight Princess Ganondorf and Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would focus on gathering the best gear, while Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would likely amass resources to build extravagant bases.

Building: Wind Waker Ganondorf would create a strategic base, while Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would focus on building a fortress. Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would build something grand, with traps and dangerous features, and Demise would likely make something brutal and practical.

Fighting Mobs: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf and Demise would relish the combat, using every opportunity to fight. The other Ganondorfs would be more calculated in their encounters, preparing for the Ender Dragon fight.

Exploring: Wind Waker Ganondorf, with his love of exploration from his seafaring days, might appreciate Minecraft’s vast, open world more than the others, and he would likely take his time mapping it out.

Final Confrontation with the Ender Dragon

Each of the Ganondorfs and Demise would approach the Ender Dragon differently. Wind Waker and Twilight Princess Ganondorf would carefully strategize, while Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf and Demise would charge in with overwhelming force. Regardless of how they approach it, all would ultimately aim to defeat the Ender Dragon and return to their rightful place as conquerors.

[misterbrick42-slaytheprincess]

Going back to writing World-Ender. You can imagine the Advocate as if the Opportunist was being genuine when he was playing the Narrator's side.

[notmuchtoconceal]

verily, verily, i say unto you -- so yeah. i don't need to do this part.

the only way the zelda downfall timeline makes sense to me is if you treat the production order as a chronology in its own right.

let me explain.

(so) the legend of zelda (the original, which is always best) takes place at the end of a later-to-be-revealed fallen timeline, yet even in the stated status quo of the original game, the kingdom of hyrule is in ruins.

ganon has seized the triforce, of which there are now only two.

zelda divides the second piece, pertaining to wisdom -- into eight pieces, which the hero link must find to prove himself worthy to ender the secret 9th dungeon, the sprawling underground skull rock which you enter through a recurrent formation in the shape of an eyeglass.

link, in the sequel, must then locate the hidden triforce of courage.

he does this --(in a mysterious northern isle actually the main body of the previously glimpsed southern aisle) through a dramatic shift where the poles of his awareness are flipped to a narrow and unnatural side-on perspective, necessitating steep grinds and a mastery over magic and the vertical axis, he renders inert an enchantment by placing six crystals in six statues to open the gate to a palace hidden on the most-distant near-proximity of the new continent ;-- where he must thenface-off against a vaguely deco-inspired monster of Native American myth before overcoming his own dark side and claiming his place as rightful inheritor and possessor of the final enchanted triune artefact.

(this is also the first (and only) time there seem to be two zeldas in existence at the same time ;-- the rescued maiden and the awakened beauty.)

so, yeah.

that's the classic NES duology and that's where it ends.

the north american title of the SNES prequel is particularly relevant, for though a significant upscale in terms of graphical fidelity and precision of control, the narrative posits itself as deliberately backwards looking ;-- this is an attempt by the now unified kingdom of hyrule to reckon with its history. in the intro cinematic to this story about a good king assassinated and usurped by a conniving enchanter, we hear of the imprisoning war, seemingly the source of all this cute lil redneck kingdom's seemingly endless woe. it tells of how the triforce was first bloodied by human hands, perverting the sacred realm and contaminating the magickal-psychic matrix of the land's consciousness.

After a detour where Link realizes that life is merrily, merrily but a dream and collects the Eight Instruments of the Sirens in what is not-at-all a deliberate mirroring of his future-forerunner's collecting of the 8 Shards of the Goddess's Wisdom, he cracks the world egg atop a mountain by playing live an extended lullaby for the Wind Fish who is more accurately a Land Whale, and slays the Nightmares who held him to slumber, incidentally liberating the only freedom-loving soul from its illusion --

After that brief detour, what seems to occur -- you being jaunty enough to continue to humor this, among my many other thought experiments -- is this hypothetical backwards looking perspective (related to Zelda's later archeological ambitions...? I haven't played either BotW, do allow your own knowledge to fill-in or contradict as necessary) which deigns to witness the Imprisoning War (I suppose they could be so direct as to ask the Triforce itself?) seems to split the timeline by observing it (Butterfly Effect, quantum fluctuations, the atomic weight of consciousness) in effect erasing the original from existence as it creates the two.

If this seems absurd, do be aware -- Ganondorf receives the Triforce of Power in Twilight Princess seconds before his death by execution at the Light Swords of the Sages. This is a deliberate deus-ex-machina which the narrators refer to as a "divine prank" and seems to rely on the player's familiarity with the events of the previous games (so much of what, in Twilight Princess's narrative seems to be nostalgia points simply reinforcing -- it's eerie familiarity. This land's status as the shadow of a former (or estrange contemporary's) glory.

That is -- the knowledge that Ocarina of Time ends with Link possessing foreknowledge, his meeting with Zelda in the post-credits will ensure that a change will occur.

The Triforce is a Divine Object belonging to the Sacred Realm and so Exists Above and Outside of Time.

If Ganondorf possesses the Power of the Gods in One Timeline, he possess them in All Timelines -- even one's where he's a loser convict on death row about to get iced by elderly nerds.

How do the two interact?

If Ganondorf does something in one timeline, does it effect what he does in all timelines? Do the two newly introduced split timelines somehow feed into one another? Perhaps Ganondorf's brief ascension in TP -- his feeding off of his symbiosis with Zant and the associated corruption of the Twilii people -- is enough to give Ganondorf in the Wind Waker timeline the strength he needs to break free of his bindings? This would, in effect, make TP as much a prequel to WW as sequel to MM!

Does this imply -- do indulge me this detour, let us see together to what fruitful avenues it may lead! -- that the more Hyrule's history is revealed, the more its awareness of itself seems to diverge and fragment into dead-ends, side-roads, alternate possibilities, predecessor upon predecessor, past upon past, coming to accrue as much as it clarifies -- bouncing like a ping-pong ball ball (by which i mean that more exquisite art -- the energy tennis match between hero and villain) as the chaos gives way to shape and the chaos to some deeper form?

Conclusions in one windswept corner in time, from bouncing back and forth from some fairy tale past about an enchanted cap and a world of little people and a blade which divides one into four ... and a land where your kingdom was drowned for good, your patriarch renouncing his entitlements, to bless you to open and terrible freedom to not repeat the mistakes of your ancestors, setting sail for a distant land you will make you own ... which you discover is spider-webbed with train-tracks which were already there. designed by a more mechanically advanced-prior civilization. train-tracks. across the entire-continent. already there.

not connected to some heartland city, no -- of course not. simply another variation on the tower of babel and wasteland motifs you've already glimpsed in that other other timeline's alternative alternate world.

i confess, on my first and only playthrough of Spirit Tracks (despite or perhaps precisely because of its inoffensive nature) i found myself so bored, i put it down halfway through and didn't pick it back up for six months, and when i did it was only because -- there would be a new game soon.

skyward sword was yet a glint on the horizon. there were no plans yet announced for a zelda on the wii which wasn't already on the cube.

i had a dream where i was in a sprawling floral-lattice work of a stream-shrouded 1920's train station and there was an inkling i needed to finish that last zelda there would be another one soon.

i needed to finish it, there would be another one soon.

i can't recall if there were skylights, yet i seem to suspect.

skyward sword, it is my regret to feel, though not openly repeat -- was so bad, i fear despite being intellectually open to another zelda, it left me feeling i had outgrown video games as a general hobby and this was a good place to stop. i feel it was giving me a dreadful warning.

all technology from this point on is simply training you to play fetch for the AI girlfriend who is submissive waifu masking claustrophobic smother-demon timesink. It was telling me get out all now. All further digital games will simply be coded nanny state propaganda.

i feel the entire series Zelda herself has been slowly transitioning from Mother-Sister to Sister-Wife and Now Link Has to Put His Dick In Her and It's Repulsive. I don't want it. I understand why infinite access to bitches and bling turned Ganondorf into an insipidly hunky blue swine beast.

I do not wish to wed the nanny state through a symbolic incestuous union with the machine. I can't imagine the level of loneliness and feelings of personal disempowerment would could ever possibly drive one to wish to own, let alone interact with an Alexa. I have no idea why anyone would consider this histrionic. I suspect most are half-aware, barely alive.

The first Demon to which I ever bore witness was the Microsoft Office Paperclip and I immediately knew it was evil; a withering force of infantilization which yearned to strip me of my savvy and I rightfully shunned it! I do not wish for my interfaces to have personalities or crack jokes! I want machines to be machines! A machine with a soul should be cathartic only for it reflects a solitary intellect's capacity to endure.

If you've ever seen The Film Simply Called Moon by David Bowieson, they did it right in that. That was a good AI companion. He was one step above Wilson from Cast Away. He was basically a totem comfort object with a short term data cash which functioned as semi-authentic short term memory. He was a simple machine, but it was real. That was honest.

Why would anyone ever love a son? It takes a saint to love a son. Autism is basically Son: The Personality cause They're All Like That. That's what it is to be a Boy, which is why it is so confusing when you are an Autistic Girl who is also Heterosexual! Being An Autistic Lesbian makes everything hilarious, oh my God. That level of natural detachment, if properly harnessed -- constant lazer vision. Carve microchips into people's faces. Rub your swampy crotches together to create fungal blooms live-erupting out of hot spring geysers scarring lily-white flesh!

A son is a little whelp you fuck emotionally until it's manly.

It's horrible. You have to actually love that to do it right. Look at yourself and see how hard it is to love you, apparently. It doesn't make any sense to me when you're repulsed by yourself. Why would you find either you or me repulsive? We're having fun maybe you should get that checked out.

[auxenberg]

After 12 days of who knows what, I have drawn it! @misterbrick42

THE WORLD ENDER!!!

I had to skim over it again cause.... I forgot that the chapter 2 and chapter 3 world ender were separate 😍

And here's the Poisonous again and what's underneath the 1st yellow sticky note :) (I thought that that scene happened in the World Ender Returns..)

2nd was the one where she does end the world but starts crying (in The Mind)

[wewinbees]

the st george of the dream smp

philza’s hardcore tour with slimecicle has got me thinking about one line from doomsday again. during ghostbur’s argument with phil, he says “i’ve read the history books, phil. you slayed the dragon, you slayed alivebur, you are the st george of the dream smp, we understand, everyone understands that, phil. but look what you’ve done. how can you look at this and still see yourself as a hero?”

i’ve always loved that entire speech from ghostbur, but i don’t know we’ve ever had an actual canon explanation for what most of it means, namely “the dragon” part.

first, phil being in history books in the dream smp 100% makes sense - for his role in smpearth (hinted canon) as co-leader of the antarctic empire, for his aid on the dawn of the 16th, arriving late and killing wilbur and then as an age old immortal who has probably born witness to enough things to at the very least be a valuable source for historical documentation.

in his hardcore world, phil describes himself as a traveller who discovers the remnants of the ender war, uncovering war torn builds and monuments. now the hardcore lore is COMPLETELY SEPARATE to the dsmp and is really cool and i am only considering dsmp phil as like... an offshoot timeline version of him where he goes to check on his son. and the only reason i do this is bc this speech has been lingering in my head for two months and we don’t have enough phil lore to pad out theories

the canonising of phil’s hardcore life system could mean his hardcore lore is loosely canon to the dsmp, though, making the battle for endlantis a candidate for the dragon. for anyone who doesn’t know a lot about that, watch this video bc oh my god it’s so cool they don’t call him philza minecraft for nothing. main issue though, there’s TWO dragons he kills there. plus, it’s during his ‘lonely voyages’ and it’s to protect another dimension’s abandoned ruin - not exactly something that would be documented in history books

it should be noted, too; dsmp phil doesn’t know what the end is. he doesn’t recognise the portal, implying the dragon is something else entirely. since he’s centuries old, the end could potentially have been created later on, as if to banish the creatures of the end including these dragons to this separate dimension, and philza would have no clue. this would make sense for a being as powerful as dreamXD taking the portal as a protectorate, fearful of those forces being released out to the world.

with that in mind, this makes smpearth a possibility since they technically went to the MOON, not the end. main issue with this one is that phil didn’t kill the dragon. he helped, but so did everyone else and timedeo dealt the killing blow, with the main egg being collected by the antarctic empire by techno. however, this would make philza a canonical astronaut which i think is cool and justifies any historical inaccuracy :)

now st george.... hmmm. had to research him for this. apparently he slayed a dragon that had been terrorising a village, demanding human sacrifices every now and then and george only jumped in to save a princess. st george himself is the patron saint of england, as well as farmers and soldiers. with phil being “the st george of the dream smp” this suggests that phil is viewed as protector of the server, and maybe l’manberg if we’re looking at the saint of england part. making ghostbur view this as a betrayal, that their great hero turned on them at their moment of need.

but phil... isn’t? he killed the withers during doomsday, because that was the immediate danger at the situation, and he helped build new l’manberg, but he was never really loyal, or believed in the their country, seeing how they treated tommy and techno and the corruption from the origins values, as he hears from ghostbur, to what it becomes under the new cabinet. he stayed neutral until the tipping point, and then left. i don’t think he was ever considered a great hero for the server, more just a respected figure

i think it could be ghostbur’s bias, made up of fond memories of his father from childhood and his dislike of alivebur that formed this illusion. phil is respected by everyone on the server, they know his wisdom, he’s apparently extremely historically important, but that’s the pedestal they’ve put him on, just like the fandom’s “dadza, creeper hole covering up” dreams. philza acts justly, and if his idea of justice goes against l’manberg’s values and the rest of the server’s wishes it doesn’t matter. he’s seen enough in his life to know what a worst case outcome is, and to him, doomsday wasn’t it.

still, he cares about people. he gave up his wings after having them for an immortal lifetime just to save his son, only to have to kill him minutes later. he spent time with techno despite everyone warning him he was a traitor, and grew to understand the reality of his situation in pogtopia. he stayed neutral for fundy, tommy and tubbo, knowing how much the nation meant to them and how they were so deeply tied to it. he showed care for virtual strangers, saving ranboo from the lava and gaining his trust as a result. and he cared for ghostbur, the clueless shell of his dead son that served as a reminder of everything l’manberg took from him.

phil is so complex and we don’t know anywhere near enough about him. characters are very relationship driven in the dsmp but people limit his character to the role of a father, so im glad cc!phil’s setting the facts straight on that one, and i hope the syndicate will let him fully explore more elements of his character. and i. i just.

i just really wanna know what the deal with the dragon is guys like what did that mean what is that implying i just don’t understa-

[slowlyfantasticfart]

MES FILMS. MES SÉRIES ET MON PLAISIR.

Il y a beaucoup  d'acteurs et d'actrices que j'aime beaucoup et que j'admire énormément et parmi cette liste il y a ACTEURS Johnny Deep Paul Walker Channing Tatum Robin Williams Adam Slander Jason Stanham Dwyane Johnson Kellan Lutz Chris Hemsworth Liam Hemsworth Heat Ledger Nicholas Cage Liam Neeson Brad Pitt Tom cruise steve Martin James Franco James Marsden ACTRICES Katherine Heighl Rachel Mc Adams Zoe Saldana Mila Kunis Anne Hathaway Drew Barrymore Jennifer Lopez Jessica Alba Scarlett Johansson Natalie Portman Reese Witherspoon Sandra Bullock Julia Roberts Cameron Diaz J'aime beaucoup le domaine du cinéma, c'est une passion c'est quelque chose que j'aime quand je veut relaxer. N'es ce pas réconfortant. Ici je me suis fait tout un répertoire de film de tout les genre vous y voyez tout un choix films et de série que j'ai beaucoup aimer alors l'es voici. HORREUR Annabelle série Us La conjuration série Ma Silence Dead (Silence de mort) Malédiction de l'enfer (Drag Me to Hell) Le cauchemar de Molly Hartley 2008 Le bal de l'horreur (Prom Night) 2008 Terreur sur la ligne (When a stranger calls) A Qiet Place (Un coin tranquille) Ça, Dans le noir One missed Call (Un appel manqué) Mortelle St Valentin Instinct de survie Visions, Ouija Ne t'endors pas Poltergeist Sinistre 1 Jessabelle Mama insidous 2,3,4 I Still I Know what you did last summer Halloween Chucky Jaws (les dents de la mer) Scream (Frisson) 1,2,3,4 N'aie pas peur du noir Freddy Krueger les griffes de la nuit (2010) Boogeyman Apparence Meurtre a la St Valentin destination ultime (Final Destination) La maison de cire The darkness Jeepers creepers SCIENCE FICTION ET FANTASTIQUE Les animeaux fantastique 1,2 La momie, Thor La belle et la bête le film Le livre de la jungle le film Coeur d'encre Pan, Pete's Dragon (Peter Elliot et le dragon) Oz le magnifique Alice au pays des merveilles 1,2 Percy Jackson 1 et 2 Chronique de narnia 1,2,3 Légende 1985 Merlin 1998 Casper, Maléfique Le labyrinthe de pan Le cygne noir (2011) Harry Potter série Bright Les gardiens de la galaxie 1,2 L'ascension de Jupiter A-X-L Transformers Armageddon Le jour d'après La stratégie Ender X-Men Life, Prometheus Alien, Passager La guerre des mondes La stratégie d'enfer La série Star Was Chappie Le chaos La guerre des mondes COMÉDIE DE FILLE Année bixestille Le journal d'une princesse 1, 2 Gagner un rendez vous avec Tad Hamilton 13 ans bientot 30 Elle a tout pour elle, Monte Carlo The Parent Trap Sweet Home Alabama, Le prince et moi Et si c'était vrai, Un amour infini Comment perdre son mec en 10 jours Something Borrowed (Duos en trois) Le mariage de mon meilleur ami 27 Robes Les douzes coups de minuit Ma belle est un monstre La fille du président Éloge de la liberté Blonde et légale Méchantes Ados Bring It On (Le tout pour le tout) 1,2,3,4,5 Lettre a Juliette Le diable s'habille en prada Confession d'une accro du shopping Profession hôtesse de l'air Julie & Julia Meilleure ennemies Because I Said So (Cherche homme parfait) Sexfriends, Sexe entre amis A Cinderella Story ACTION ET AVENTURE 300 1 et 2 Rambo : la dernière mission Le casse noisette et les quatres royaumes (The Nutcraker an... Un raccourci dans le temps ( A Wrinkle on Time) Aquaman Venom Le masque de Zorro série Mission impossible série Bumblebee Divergence série Spider Man série Charlie's Angel série Hancok The Island Jumanji 1,2 Life of Pie San Andreas Pacifim Rim 1 et 2 Voyage au centre de la terre 1 et 2 Les aventures de Tintin : Le secret de la licorne Jurassic World série John Wick 1,2 The Equalizer 1,2 Skyscraper (Gratte Ciel) Ant-Man et guêpe (Ant-Man and the Wasp 1,2 Mégalodon (The Meg) Peppermint (Déchainée) La légende d'Hercule, Lara Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Parker Trésor National 1,2 Fast Furious 4,5,6,7,8 le 1 et 2 (version française Rapide et Dangereux) Blanche neige et le chasseur 1 et 2 Mr. S Smith Bleu d'enfer Le mécano : la résurrection 47 Ronin Tigre et dragon Jake Ryan Le gardien Die Hard Rampage Maraudeurs Top Gun (1986) Underworld V for Vendetta ENFANT ET FAMILLE Dora et la cité perdue UglyDolls Jack Frost (1998) Free Willy The Polar Express (Boréal Express) Une nuit au musée Moins Cher La Douzaine 1 et 2 The Lizzie McGuire Movie Hanna Montana: The Movie Une princesse sur la glace Nancy Drew Les 101 Dalmatien Happy Family Pierre Lapin Enchantés Stailion Benji Mes vies de chiens 1,2 Whisper série L'incroyable histoire de Winter le dauphin 1,et 2 Tobby The Amazing Penda Le dragon des mers Chérie j'ai agrandi le bébé The House With a Clock In its Walls Incredibles 1 et 2 DRAME The lake house (La maison près du lac) La série Twilight Salt À Cinq pied de toi (Five feet Apart Midnight Sun (Soleil de minuit) A Star is Born (Une étoile est née) Forever my Girl Beastly (Sortilège) Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain 1995 Crossroads (A la croisé des chemins) 2002 Stepmom (La blonde a mon père) Match Point Doux Novembre The Roommate The Other Woman Red Eye (Vol sous haute pression) Flight Plan (Plan de Vol) My Girl (L'été de mes 11 ans) L'arrivée (Arrival) Sully Wicker Park Pearl Harbor P.S. I love You Le porte bonheur (The Lucky One) Tristan & Yseult Le secret de Charlie Hors du temps The Lovely Bones The Notebook Remember Me (La rage de vivre) A Walk To Remember (Une promenade Inoubliable) Une bouteille a la mer Coyote Ugly Apparitions (Libelule) La maison sur la falaise Flicka Sexe Intemtions Black Swan Ou le coeur nous mène Brothers FILM DISNEY À MONSIEUR Dumbo The Lion King Maléfique FILM D'ANIMATION Tout ce qui est film d'animation de Walt Disney, Dream Works. Peut importe, c'est les films que je préfère écouter. Quand j'étais enfant, je me souviendrai toujours à quel point, que j'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à l'es écouter en boucle. Et encore aujourd'hui, j'ai du plaisir à l'es regarder. C'est des film qui sont réconfortant mais aussi que du bonheur. ANIMATION Ballerina La reine des neiges Coraline Kung fu Penda Rebelle (Brave) Dragon Hôtel Transylvanie Ratatouille Volt L'ère de glace La belle et la bête La petite sirène Pocahontas Cendrillon Le roi Lion Aladdin La princesse des cygnes 1 Le livre de la jungle Moana Abominable Storks Raiponce La princesse et la grenouille Zootopia Lilo et Stich La route d`Eldorado Rox et Rouky Spirit L'empereur du nouveau genre Le chat potté Drôle d'abeille Planet 51 THRILLER The Boy Next Door (2015) La prison de verre Fenêtre secrète The tourist Before I Fall Truth Or Dannce Le beau père (The Stepfather) Sans un bruit 2:22 Kidnap Home Invasion Get Out Sex Crimes COMÉDIE MUSICALE Heartbeats High Strung, Mamma Mia 1,2 Dirty Dancing 1,2 Honey 1,2 The Fame La série Step Up Footloose Romance Titanic Nos étoiles contraires Le voeux un été sur terre The longuest Ride (Le plus beau des chemins) Une seconde chance, Un havre de paix Cher John Everything, Everything Cinquante nuances plus sombres, 10 choses que je déteste de toi Get Over It, Adaline Bleu Saphir Cendrillon Amour et honneur Twilight Fascination A tout les garçons que j'ai aimés Love Simon À tout jamais 1998 COMÉDIE Sex and the City Simplement Irrésistible (Simply Irresistible) 1999 Miss congeniality (Miss personnalité) Patch Adams In Good Company, (En bonne compagnie) Never Been Kissed Home Alone (Maman j'ai ratée l'avion 1,2,3 Dr. Seus 'How the grinch Stole Christmas Le lutin (Elf) Madame Doubtfire The Santa Clause What a Girl Wants Pyjamas Party Sisterhood of the traveling pants New York Minute (Escapade à New York) Clic Bay Watch Game Night l'Abominable vérité Pas si simple Baby boss Book Club Drink, Slay, Love Mère indigne 1 et 2 Pourquoi lui ? Le stagiaire Famille recomposée Joue-la comme Beckham De père en flic 1,2 Intouchable Chérie nous avons été rétrécis Papa, j'ai une maman pour toi (It Takes Two) 1995 Little Giants Back to the Future Trilogy Encore 17 ans (17 Again) Grandes personnes Just Go With It (méchant menteur) LES MEILLEURES SÉRIES QUE J'AI ÉCOUTER Buffy contre les vampires Charmed 2018 Charmed Le chalet Chicago fire Dawson Dexter Elite Everwood Greenhouse Académie Good Witch (un soupçon de magie) Gossip Girl Grimm Gilmore Girls Heroes Izombie Jane the Virgin Lucifer Nashville Newport Beach Once Upon A Time Orange the new Black Prison Break Pretty Little Liars Riverdale Stranger things Scream Shadow Hunters Sense 8 Supernatural (Surnaturel) Switched at Birth Teen Wolf True Blood That' 70s Show Thirteen Reason Why - 13 Raisons Vampire Diaries PALMARÈS DE MES MEILLEURES FILMS Tout les films de Nicholas Sparks Le mariage de mon meilleur ami La blonde a mon père Titanic L'homme au masque de fer High Strung L'été de mes 11 ans Crossroad Le secret de bear mountain Un baiser enfin Coraline Miss personnalité A tout jamais (1998) Le jour d'après La belle et la bête (film à monsieur) La reine des neiges Ballerina Le livre de la jungle(film à monsieur) Fenêtre Secrète AUTRES SÉRIES À DÉCOUVRIR Younger Scandal Murder Revenge Beauté Désespérées   Hart of Dixie gg

[dangthatscrayz]

Slay the princess swap au part 21

(Paranoid/nightmare route)

Grabbing the knife totally wasn’t an excuse to write for the voice of the world-ender trust 😇

Prepare for organ failure, or preform organ failure, idk yet I had plans but I’m sure I can think it out

[ginnyzero]

Meeting & Subverting a Reader’s Expectations

A murder mystery needs to open with a murder!

Whenever a reader chooses something to read dictated by their own tastes and preferences they come to that story with expectations and preconceived notions in mind. A writer that managed to both fulfill and at the same time subvert those expectations and notions is going to be more successful than a writer who ignores them completely.

When you go to an action movie, you expect to see a big fight and hopefully some explosions. The faster you get to a fight scene the happier you're probably going to be. That's what you came for. And if the movie manages like The Expendables or Furious 7 to have a story that hangs on by more than a thread, then you're going to remember that movie more than a movie that doesn't. As a viewer, you got what you came for, fights, explosions, funny quips and then some, a meaningful story that made you think or tugged at the heart strings.

Every genre has conventions.

That's why they're genres. Authors ignore them at their peril. In a murder mystery, a writer needs to have a murder in the beginning of the book. If they're a detective, someone might bring them a case. If they're a bumbling amateur that is actually the town baker with an interest in history and crime then somehow they're going to stumble across this body and mystery one way or another. Or maybe they're a columnist for the local paper but aren't assigned to crime, but art or sports. Then there is another set of expectations added. The reader expects to learn something about baking or to learn something about whatever column the newspaper man is researching.

In a romance novel, the two main characters need to meet and find each other attractive. In an adventure novel, the characters are most likely going somewhere else and delivering at least one punch to the gut. In a thriller, the character needs to be escaping a deadly situation. In a mystery, a stolen item, a missing person, a dreadful secret, it all needs to be solved. In a fantasy novel... okay, that honestly depends on the fantasy novel. Speculative Fiction has gotten so fractured.

Think about the article about the "worst way to open a book from literary agents" that I linked the other day. In there two agents gave contradictory advice on how to open a book in the same genre. One said not to open with exposition and prose (such as describing the scenery or someone bringing you the mail, I suppose.) The other said not to open in the middle of a fight or an action scene. Which leaves a writer wondering what's left?

Here is the thing, it's conventional in the speculative fiction genre (fantasy and science fiction) for there to be lots of descriptions of the scenery and aliens, especially if it is harder scifi and high fantasy. The readers of those genres expect to read paragraphs about odd or magnificent landscapes. This was set in stone by writers such as Asimov, Tolkien and Burroughs. If you don't have those type of scenes in your speculative fiction novel the reader that loves that type of novel will be cheated of their expectations.

On the other hand, low fantasy, soft science fiction and most urban fantasy novels are expected to open with some sort of "action" to kick off the plot whether it's a fight or not. (Though many also go the exposition route.) In these genres, the readers care less about the scenery and the technology and the culture, they want to get to the action and to the characters as fast as possible. If there were long paragraphs about chewing the scenery, they'd be put off and go read something else.

Writers who meet the expectations of their genre in a believable way are more likely to be successful than writers that aren't.

In Shrek, the writers set up a bunch of expectations. This was a fantasy realm filled with characters we know out of fairy tales. Somewhere, there is a Princess in a tower waiting for her true love (no doubt a Prince) to rescue her. They set up a classic tale of a damsel in distress waiting for her hero. Then they made the local Lord the villain and sent an ogre to rescue her instead. Subverting all the expectations of the viewer. In fact, they built their entire marketing campaign around this. Then, in Shrek 2, they were able to do whatever they wanted because they'd already simultaneously fulfilled and subverted what the viewers of Shrek wanted to see. They wanted to see the Princess get rescued and live happily ever after. Except, she did it with an ogre. The writers didn't need to continue and write another fairy tale based story. They'd done that. They could move on to something different and potentially new. That's what made both Shrek and Shrek 2 so successful. By the end of Shrek, we wanted Shrek to win the day because he'd spent so much time talking with Donkey like they were both teenagers. And well, Shrek had done all these awesome things (without slaying the Dragon) in order to prove he was worthy of the girl. (Then found out he had some things in common with the girl. Still, two day romance, cringe.)

Of course, you don't have to be a parody to meet and subvert your reader's expectations.

Like, with the Expendables, you can write a story that caters to your readers needs and still include a message that is profound and meaningful. Or, you can choose a slightly different ending that is still plausible and then poke mild fun at what the expected ending would have been.

Going against the readers expectations are what writers and readers call twists. And as long as they are supported somehow in the story and don't come out of nowhere, then they can be surprising and feel natural. If they aren't foreshadowed in any way or feel like the writer reached into a hat of random ideas and pulled them out, then that's an unsuccessful twist. Even highly lauded writers have done bad endings and twists. And they've been called out on them, loudly and repeatedly.

Crime procedural are full of twists. Some stories have more than others over the course of the season. The writers of an episode set up several plausible suspects among the victims family, friends and coworkers. Then they'll knock them out leaving at least two as potentials and then go "ah hah, no it was really this third person all along!"

Shows like Criminal Minds also add a thriller element to their episodes. The perpetrator is still out there, committing crimes. Can they stop him before he kills another victim? (This is why I can't watch Criminal Minds, my nerves just can't take it.) The viewer expects the team to be able to find and apprehend the killer before they strike again. If they don't succeed they'd actually be subverting the viewers expectations and if it isn't made apparent that they didn't succeed this time because it's a bigger story arc, the viewers will feel cheated. They expected the heroes to win. (Because shows  like Criminal Minds aren't actually reality.) If it is made apparent that they're going to try and catch the criminal another day, then the viewer will more likely feel intrigued that this is a new story arc and will continue to watch.

Timothy Zahn wrote a science fiction trilogy about humans conquering space and meeting aliens. In science fiction, you have the Star Trek types where seek out new life forms and try to be friendly. And then you have the alien invasion types like Starship Troopers, Ender's Game or Star Craft (though it's debatable on who is really doing the invading.) In the invasion types, the aliens can't or won't communicate with humans and in the Star Trek types, at least the aliens and humans share enough similar technology that they can talk to each other. Timothy Zahn took a Star Trek type situation where the humans wanted to be friendly and subverted it by making the aliens unable or unwilling to communicate. Both sides thought they other started the fight first. And it took 3 books to sort it out.

He set up an expectation, the aliens were obviously intelligent beings, but then instead of helping the humans, they in turn destroyed them and tried to attack them without explanation. As a subversion of genre expectations, it worked well. The readers still got what they came for, humans exploring space, aliens, pseudo science!

You can subvert a reader's expectations in a variety of ways, character roles, plot, a twist ending, and even setting. Star Trek was essentially "Horatio Hornblower in SPACE!" That's in a way, how urban fantasy came to be. "Fantasy creatures in the modern world!" It's okay to subvert your reader's expectations, as long as you do it consistently and still give them what they came for. Because if you don't, they may not read you ever again.

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