#so much as it is to wax poetic about the power of friendship

[clandestinegardenias]

gotta say there is a certain satisfaction in getting together with an old friend you're a little out of touch with, and you meet their longtime boyfriend and over dinner it becomes steadily more apparent that you still know her better than he does and probably still rank above him

[cougheemedicine]

Twisted Fairytales; Twisted Wonderland Fantasy!au - Prologue

Will include all main cast x GN!Reader

Summary: A nameless adventurer with an incredible amount of friends in high places. Each more infamous and conniving than the last. The things those friends are willing to do for you is only a glimpse of how a so-called "Nobody" ensnared the most powerful in the continent.

A/n: A little au I'm cooking up. Not entirely sure where this will go so I'm not going to put any warnings/specific content until I get the individual chapters out. If this goes anywhere I'll probably add Neige, Che’nya, Rollo, etc. I already have come ideas cooking up for them. Have fun, dear adventurer~ 〜(￣▽���〜)

˜”*°•.•°*”˜

        Night Raven College. An incredibly prestigious academy, whose history goes so far back in time that only the oldest Fae of the Briar Valley can even begin to fathom the legacy that such a renowned institute holds, and whose reputation reaches even the darkest corners of the kingdom. Aristocratic families from all over the continent vie to send their children to study the art of magic in its' hallowed halls.

        You had attended such a college, once upon a time, though you are far from noble. You met the esteemed headmaster by chance one day, but you didn't know at the time. You had sold him a newspaper, and he grinned at you from under the beak of his mask and patted you on the head. He flipped a single gold coin into your shaking hands, it was the most money you had ever seen at the time. When you had turned around to thank him, more than ready to drop onto your knees and praise the dirt he walked on, he was gone. Leaving only a lone, ink-black feather in his wake.

        You can only assume he took pity on you. Some unclaimed, nameless child, too old to be taken in by an orphanage but too young to be sent off to the mines. In a village so small and far North it didn’t even have a name. The old crones of your small village would wax poetic about his benevolence and graciousness (only after they prattled on about his villainously handsome face). You couldn't even read, let alone weave illusions from incantations or summon a beast from a bubbling brew.

        But he appeared before you nonetheless, with a flurry of his feathered cape. He offered you his hand, that which dripped in gold, and swept you off to Night Raven College. Over the years he taught you everything you know now. He taught you how to paint and juggle, how to fluently read and speak every language used on the continent, even some more eccentric practices like how to identify cursed objects, how to weave certain sprigs of herbs together to create the most powerful warding charm, even which nerve to pinch to have any assailant drop unconscious instantly.

        While under the roof of Night Raven College, you met creatures from every walk of life. One could say you were popular, even. Everyone wanted to get to know the charge of the infamous headmaster Crowley. You grew close to many, some you would even call your friends. Some others, maybe more. But they led very different lives than you. Friendships fade, it's simply a way of life. Even if waving goodbye to them as they graduated and left you behind stung in a way you don't really wish to name.

        You stayed at the college longer than most. Not taking classes, simply acting as an errand runner for the headmaster as a way to repay him for guiding you to a much better path in life. But even he, past his grandeur and games, could see that you wished to spread your wings farther than the astronomy tower and botanical garden.

        With a final pat on your head, he sent you away to pave your own path. His name and the beautifully detailed dagger on your hip, an ivory crow head for the hilt, as your only weapons. On your own you ventured for more years, gaining wisdom from those you met on the way. You had all but forgotten your old friends from your school days. All until one fateful day.

        Sat on the edge of the cliff, you gazed down at the view below you. The sun was setting, painting the sky in vibrant hues. You were in your own world, leaning back on your arms and kicking your feet over the edge of the cliff. Until a shrill meow drew your attention elsewhere. A scruffy grey cat emerged from the undergrowth. Eyes too blue to be a normal feline blinking up at you. A black and white bow tied neatly around his neck. In his mouth was a letter, the envelope only the most ornate of finery. The crest on the wax stamp was that of a noble house.

        The cat curled up in your lap as you used your dagger to cut the envelop open. The parchment inside just as luxurious as what housed it. You scanned the words on the page, language so flowery and formal it may as well have been another language of it's own, but you got the message.

˜”*°•.•°*”˜

Where will you go first, dear adventurer?

Heartslabyul Manor, the home of the ruthlessly strict Grand Duke Riddle Rosehearts and his cronies. They say he bows to nobody but the queen himself.

Savanaclaw tavern, the home base of a ragtag group of mercenaries. Rumor has it their roguish leader, Leona, isn't of this land, and that his reputation is far from good where he’s from.

Octavinelle Gambling Den, a house of luxury and debauchery. The head, Master Azul, is said to be incredibly kind and benevolent. For the small price of your darkest secrets.

Scarabia Merchant's Guild, a travelling guild with gold flooding from every crack in their coffers. The ever-so-kind Master Kalim is said to only be the face of the guild. His servant is who really runs things.

Pomefiore palace, the main residence of the illustrious Queen of the region, Vil Schoenheit. His past is stained red, as is the story of how he managed to sit on the throne. But the people adore him, so what is there to see if not perfection?

Ignihyde tower, the hiding spot of the forsaken Lord Idia Shroud. Head chair of the Magic Council. His brilliance is said to be unparalleled, but people talk... and sources say he hid himself from society after committing a sin to magic itself.

Diasomnia castle, skeptics say that centuries ago, the old castle at the northern border was occupied by Fae royalty. Now it seems there's life in those haunted halls once more, for an air of regality hangs heavy in the fog surrounding the grand castle.

        Many a path to choose, and you have all the time in the world. But, even still, do you think it wise to keep them waiting?

        I wish you luck,

Choose wisely, my dear adventurer~

˜”*°•.•°*”˜

work belongs to @cougheemedicine, all forms of plagiarism, modifying, translating, reposting are not allowed.

[ttrpg-smash-pass-vs]

Have you seen Dungeon Meshi? Laos is such a monsterfucker I can’t get over it. He asks one of his companions if it felt good to be caught by the tentacle-vine plant monster. He waxed poetic about how cool animal-hybrid monsters are. (I’m sorry if you don’t like a show or this feels irrelevant to your blog, but also I can’t tell my friends ‘hey I like this character because I also think it would feel good to be caught by the tentacle monster’)

Anyway he’s how I imagine this blog’s audience would approach an IRL dungeon expedition

Sorry to take this way too seriously, I mean no ill will. But I've been a MASSIVE fan of dungeon meshi for... oof, almost 7 years apparently, It's a perfect storm of everything I love with fantastic writing and characterization, and I don't think I could disagree with that more. I think you missed a primary running gag of the series. He keeps saying lines that, if anyone else said them would be sexual, but the people around him know he's just a super obsessed wildlife researcher. He does not want to fuck monsters, that's kinda the entire point. Like you need to understand that some biologists will happily and unnecessarily lick poison, get bitten, and pick up dangerous things without hesitation. It's not that they get off to poison play, it's that they love the topic so much that it's their life and they want to know every aspect. When he's zealously asking what it's like for the vine monster to grapple and stab you with seeds, he's saying that because he's just that into learning and wants the firsthand experience! He's here because he doesn't want to just read about his special interest, he wants to live it, be PART of the ecosystem!

...actually, incredibly relevant spoilers below for a monster later on (chapter 58-60, so likely end of this season or start of the next)

They later find straight-up succubi. Chilchuck talking about how they turn into your perfect match, you ALWAYS have to fight them as a pair or you're just screwed because of irresistible magic charming powers. One finds Laios alone...and he's completely unaffected, immediately chokes it and goes to kill it without any issue. The only hesitation is a bit of embarrassment that "Oh no, it misinterpreted my feelings as attraction, if the party finds this it'll lead to a HUGE misunderstanding. This could ruin my friendships, I need to immediately kill it and hide the body." That gives it enough time to convince him "hey, it's impossible to resist a succubus, so obviously I'm not a succubus right?" And it works because he knows that yes, nobody can resist a succubus charm. Except apparently him. Even trying again by combining his thoughts with his all time favorite monster didn't daze him like it did the others. It had to convince him that it could turn him INTO a monster, and that everyone else was ok with it too, to get him to hesitantly submit to being drained. They didn't have to reason with marcielle or chilchuck, but lust just didn't work with Laios, not as a person or as a monster. It's like how nobody gets panty shots except Senshi. it's a subversion joke. There are quite a few in this series, especially ones centered on Laios.

[neonscandal]

Manga With Me: JJK 0, A Coward's Goodbye

Because these thoughts haunt me while I do my dishes, you have to suffer them too. The brain rot is so insidious, it seeps its way into the mundanity of my life and I've apparently managed to convert a few of you so, in case you missed it, let's talk about the final scene between Gojo and Geto in the JJK 0 movie.

This is the face of a man who thinks he's won the breakup.

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: JJK 0 movie

I feel like I don't have to wax poetic about the details of the JJK 0 movie at this point for everyone to be on the same page. Subsequently, we can all agree on the following:

Gojo realized Geto's plan. 10 years means nothing when you know someone, apparently.

Upon learning of Yuta's lineage and, subsequently, what limits he could potentially surpass, he made a calculated risk and sent Panda and Toge in rather than facing Geto himself. You know, for Yuta's character development.

At the close of their fight and upon the safe escape of Geto’s family, Gojo finds him in the alley. Suggests in equal measure that he could have gone to him at any time in the last 10 years the way he clearly has an AirTag on that ass (and the way he quickly located Riko Amanai post-Toji fight...).

Geto articulates that Gojo intentionally sent Toge and Panda in to trigger Yuta's power up (see above re: 10 years means nothing) to which Gojo isn't exactly forthright in intimating that "it's called trust. People with beliefs like yours won't kill a young sorcerer without reason." to which we get the below panels:

One, the exchange over Yuta's ID. Even in this instance and with ten years of distance between them, they're still so silly. But from Geto's retort, we see that, while Gojo seems to speak broadly, Geto knows Gojo's generalization is meant to be received rather specifically. This leads us to this last panel:

... COULD HE NOT JUST HAVE SAID

"I NEVER HATED YOU."

- Suguru Geto

We KNOW Geto assumed that his defection was the end of their friendship. He had to believe there was no going back in order to propel himself forward. But how incredibly sad that, even at the imminent close of his life, he couldn't be honest or direct about his guilt or his affection?

So he died. Too proud to reconcile properly with Gojo. Sheepishly thinking Gojo had hated him during those ten years, barring whatever his censored last words may have been. It's something we don't see resolved until much, much later and only in what I assume to be the inner machinations of Gojo's head. Is that not devastating? Does this realization deserve a place on THE LIST!? Of course it does.

Friendly reminder that Gojo gets jump scared by Geto’s corpse in Shibuya where they recognize same-sex unions.

[flores-desyatov]

hi i've been in my feels a little bit since vanya posted the family pics and i just need to share it with someone. i am very much following all the competition updates and polls and rankings and techical elements and sport mumbo jumbo, but that's not what i'm in the mood to talk about. i need to rant about mushy emotional things.

i don't know, i just feel like this partnership/friendship/whatevership that b&v have has helped them so much in growing into good grown people and we're still only at the start of it. i can see it in vanya specifically. over the course of this last year he's becoming softer and more relaxed in his own skin and his new life. you can tell that this place bella lead him to has allowed him to be more carefree than he was before. which is especially important considering he lost his parents so young and had to leave his home to escape war. all people he knew before coming to the us, sadly including his brother, he has to chase around the world to actually be with them in real life. places he considered important to him he won't be able to see for years. i can't imagine not being able to see my family home or visit my family cemetary. those are very emotionally difficult things to deal with at such a young age and of course i'm just a spectator on the internet, but i feel like this place he managed to find half way across the world is safe and caring. and he found it by meeting the world's sweetest girl. a girl that believes in herself in spite of the odds and loves people very openly. she is fucking lightning in a bottle and her smile could power cities!!! people like that are rare to find and that girl is his partner. her energy and light make it so easy to forget how hard life can be. it's such an admirable quality of character. it's why people connect to her and her videos, she's welcoming and she radiates warmth and joy. she spreads it wherever she goes. i just find all of that so very moving. there's something so vulnerable and human in their circumstances. because if you really dissect it, them becoming partners saved her career and his life. they found each other by chance, managed to understand each other beyond language barriers and chose to do this thing they love more than anything else together. he repaired the trust her ex-partner broke. he never lets her doubt herself and always tries to catch her when she falls. she gives him peace and space to be childish and silly, even if it's at her expense. again i'm just a spectator, but i think he makes her bolder and she makes him softer. whatever they may be to each other, there's no doubt that they truly enjoy one another. i think that's the exact thing people get so attached to beyond the whole will-they-won't-they booktok fantasy. they make each other grow and you can feel it!!

sorry for waxing poetic about random athletes we found on the internet hahaha. there's just something very "mortifying ordeal of being known" about them, you know? kinda makes me slightly believe that the right circumstances will just find you when you least expect them.

My first instinct was to kinda deflect and say they're in their 'character development era' but honestly this is just such a beautiful message you sent here. I just wanna let it see the light of day (hope you don't mind) because I'm sure others have felt the same about B&V. I know I have.

It's part of what makes their chemistry to interesting to watch. Here are two people who have found themselves in the same place (for a second time), both of them with a dream of success, both of them going through a big change, adjusting to a new reality and still managing to make each other better people in the process. It's a beautiful story, even from the outside looking in 🤍

[wordy-little-witch]

I am also on the buggy-isnt-actually-human agenda 👀 also i cant believe i never thought if boabuggy mean girl squad bc ur so right (im gonna ignore the fact that canon buggy most likely isnt immune to her since he never once showed interest in alvida) which now brings me to: mean gurls boabuggyalvida 😌🧚‍♀️✨

YESSSSS THANK YOU ILY I LOVE TALKING ABOUT THIS

I actually have an ongoing fic with Buggy as non-human and him and Shanks being brothers and just- aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa BRAINROT OKAY

My favorite concept is making Buggy a type of faery. My fic specifically has him as a Harlequinn, solely bc it FIT and I am feral for clown/jesters/etc. I can go into detail if you want, but I don't wanna clog this one

But like.

Buggy is the ONLY person in One Piece with a nose like his. He's hyperaware of that, and it's his biggest visible insecurity. He loves shiny things, treasures, gold, etc. His luck stats are either MAXED OUT or in the NEGATIVES. He is so good at manipulating people ((silver tongue)), and his specialty is smoke and mirrors, enthralling the masses, and he only gets involved when either A) he HAS to, or B) he has reason to protect/claim something. He's an observer most of the time, and he facilitates observation in others as well. And don't get me started by the lure and draw he gives to others to his space, his territory, full of Power, Fortune, Whimsy and Joy. Gods. He's so fascinating I wanna study him under a microscope, wanna put him in Situations ♡♡♡

MOVING ALONG~

Boa+Buggy+Alvida hours

The only thing I think might be rocky is Alvida and Hancock butting heads over beauty, but honestly? I think once they warm up to each other, Hancock would actually be really relieved to not be called the cutest or hottest in the room. I also think the three would be each other's biggest hype sources ((but also refreshingly, brutally honest)).

Personally? I think Buggy might actually be immune to Hancock. When he saw Alvida, he had a passing thought of "Oh, pretty, anyway-" so maybe in Canon he'd also become stone but imagine how funny it out be if she tried stoning him, it didn't work OR he split apart and it only worked a little. Now she is BAMBOOZLED.

Like.... "why didn't this work? What are you, clown? Explain yourself!!"

"..... I mean. You're cute, I guess???? But girl that lip tint is not your palette-"

"What-"

"Here, try this one, I stole it like this morning, it's unopened-"

"Oh that is nice-"

And with that a friendship was born!!

Or alternatively

"Why didn't you turn to stone?"

"Hancock.... I'm gay."

"..."

"And also a bottom."

"......"

"You don'treally seem like a top, but... i mean, you're still pretty though????"

".................."

"OhSeasShe'sGonnaKillMe-"

"Did we just become friends?"

"*surprised clown noises*"

ANYWAY

Yes BoaBuggyVida mean girls bestie squad. Only thing to make it better is including Perona and/or Uta bc I feel like that would be. So much fun.

Also it changes the subtext in the Cross Guild situation a tad, bc Mihawk knows Buggy and Boa get on like a house on fire, he knows Shanks waxes poetic about the clown, and he is so confused bc the math isn't mathing, is he missing something?? Are the others just THAT delusional??? What is the truth?????

But yeah I have so many Boa+Buggy+Vida concepts and it is. So much. All the brainrot. I love the dumb little clown dude and his army of simps and girlboss besties

[soup-du-silence]

I remember the first time, now years ago (which is weird to think about), when I ran into your work in the DT fandom. It was the fic Blue on Blue, and it really changed something inside of me I'll be honest. That examination of seeing abuse when you (as a person aren't familiar with it) and you haven't experienced it, but still seeing it's effects and trying to help. It was really powerful. As for a question, what fandom do you think you put in the most to get the least out?

Mannnn I miss writing Webby-voice. Like, everything I've done since feels like such a downgrade because Webby has such a fun, unique voice. It was a lot of fun to play with.

(I NEED to get into doing some Kalim POV stuff because certified Ray of Sunshine characters waxing poetic about their grumpy partners is such a fucking vibe, I love it. I love when a character easily finds something to love in the jaded, walled off character, despite their best efforts to not let anybody in. Get loved, idiot!!)

Hmmmm I'm not sure what you mean by this question. DuckTales fandom definitely had its unique challenges but I still think I got a lot out of it. Some people were really terrible to me but I made some great, enduring friendships there, and it got me writing fanfic seriously, a thing I'm still doing occasionally, against all odds.

Fandoms that I really wanted to invest in but didn't really pay out? Probably Infinity Train. There was like an established community of antis permeating the whole thing who were really into gatekeeping Min and Ryan from female fans, or being weird and combative about Lake's gender and sexuality (there were JessLake antis?? Why???) and made a big fuss about people writing kind of bizarre but ultimately harmless fic, and I reached a point where I was just like, okay I'm out. I'd written the fic I wanted to write, I said the stuff I wanted to say, the show wasn't getting renewed and we were all feeling shitty and hopeless about it, so I just closed up shop and moved onto the next thing. The fic is okay, I think. People have told me it meant a lot to them, but I don't think it's my best work.

Vtuber fandom is kind of a bust, too, but to be honest I didn't try very hard. I just can't fixate on real people like that. They're great guys and I love them a lot as much as I am capable but idol/celebrity worship has always kind of wigged me out so I am for the most part a lurker who wrote one fic I don't even like to talk about in mixed company and then receded into the hedges to leave occasional fanart in Hakka's tags.

[ghostreviewsstuff]

Dr Stone (manga)

dr stone is.... a mixed bag. but the parts of it that are good are FAR more interesting that the parts that are bad. dr stone is "bad" in the more boring, predictable, and expected ways typical adventure shonens tends to be bad. you can probably guess what most of those issues are just from the genre.

but dr stone is good in ways ill probs be searching for a way to articulate for years to come.

i do consider it to be the greatest deconstruction of both the lone super genius archetype, and the nihilistic asshole super genius archetype. and i think it succeeds where others fail in part bc Senku is presented in a way easily mistaken for that Type Of guy, but he isnt. it doesnt matter how smart he is, he needs the power of friendship if he wants to get literally anything done. he isnt a nilihistic asshole, he's just immature and rude, and he's actually very optimistic and has an upbeat attitude. he's a great protag i have a lot of love for.

but while i can wax poetic circles about my fascination with how intellect is handled in dr stone, thats an essay for another day. lets talk about the story as a whole.

dr stone's setting is set by a mysterious light turning all of humanity to stone for 3700 years, sending everyone back to the stone age. however its less a time travel isekai so much as it is a lord of the flies caveman arms race. it primarily functions under the typical shonen formula with the notable factor that it's magic system is... real life science. altho a bit elevated for dramatic effect.

the true zeitgeist of dr stone is the back and forth problem solving to build various contraptions to achieve various goals. every character has their own skill sets and personalities that allows them to bounce off of each other and play a role in reaching goals. the cast also has pretty great chemistry making exchanges and banter very entertaining 99% of the time.

while i think the characters are very well written, i have that opinion within the context of dr stone being a plot driven story, not character driven. character arcs are subtle and take a backseat to the wider plot goal posts. i dont consider the low level of character development to be a bad thing, the story just isnt about that and the cast is charismatic and enjoyable for the roles they play.

the setting of dr stone is very well realized in its simplicity. the artist, boichi is capable of drawing some beautiful scenery. the art overall i think is much more good then bad, and the character designs are fun and distinct if you can tolerate the girls looking kinda busted (boichi.... can not draw women i fear) ironically i found the moe eyes growing on me. but ill be real, the fan service isnt that bad. annoying, yes, but not nearly as bad as it could be. you wont ever see a guy fall on top of a girl and accidentally grope her boobs, so much as the occasional jarring ass shot and weird angles around badly drawn women. that said the young girl and mascot character, Suika, is never sexualized in this way, even though she is grown up by the end of the story

i wont claim the girls in the cast dont suffer from some of the typical shonen misogyny, but Kohaku and Suika at least are very well realized characters and solid female leads i like a lot.

i always feel like i should be harsher in my criticism towards this series, i do genuinely consider it enough of a mixed bag of quality ill hesitate to recommend it to people (tho lets be real, the fan service is always the biggest barrier recommending any animanga regardless of quality despite that) but i really do struggle to make a nuanced critique. even things that are more controversial among its fans, like the way the story progresses in its final arcs, i struggle to complain about. structurally the story delivers on its foreshadowing and progresses in ways that make sense and i do think was planned out by at least the half way point of the story.

the biggest most glaring issues are... extremely basic. very typical levels of shonen misogyny and weird politics. it gets kinda weird in the middle in a way i dont really feel equipped address in detail but am grateful a lot of that.. mess doesn't carry over into the rest of story. it gets tied up in bad, but also very common and unquestioned, colonialist mindsets and tropes just as much as it SUBVERTS and DECONSTRUCTS those same bad ideas. which honestly drives a lil nuts if i think about for to long. the narrative loves to kneecap its own themes and progressive philosophies to a frustrating degree, but i do genuinely think the end product is far more good then bad.

i have a lot to say about this manga, but know are to actually articulate maybe a fraction of it. after watching enough youtubers attempt to review it, im clearly not alone in that. lots of people seem to share my struggles in expressing why they also think dr stone is so good. and i think that complexity of how it grabs people in ways that arent easy to understand, are in itself is an aspect of what makes it what it is.

its a very good adventure shonen series that i think deserves a bit of staying power

[spatio-rift]

its just so sweet to me how everything about zanark is so off the walls crazy his personality his mere 15 years of life his powers etc etc like no one is even close to being as much of a singularity as he is and then the first person he really connects with is like the most normal middle schooler ever. their friendship is his link to mundanity... tethering him down to earth.... making him experience the ordinary and simple aspects of life. sorry for waxing poetic about it i just love it so much znz have such a great dynamic

[candyskiez]

Rei hearing about how Kageyama helped Teru become a better person and taught him things he'd never considered before and going, wow Kageyama has grown so much, good for him. And is like well good luck with him! Because clearly he's down horrendous. Only to find out he was down horrendous for like. The guy who stares at insects and is literally nicknamed for being the most boring bitch alive. And she's like. You know what. Good for him. Teru being head over heels for the most autistic guy in the world will never not be hilarious to me.

Actually literally all of this is so funny stealing ur tags

Teru just casually talking about all the terrorists he's taken down and they're just like. Huh. What. "oh yeah you shouldn't use your psychic powers against other people. Also did you know I've been fighting terrorists since I was eight. What did I use against them? Uh. How about we stop talking for a while". Rei and Teru's friendship is so funny to me and also I read a really good fic where they were friends and it imprinted on my soul. "you shouldn't wear that ugly sweater to that hang out with Not-Shigeo" <- she says, with future sight. "What ugly sweater?" <- He says, thinking his fashion taste is immaculate. He's like. They have spent their whole lives being the weirdest people in every given room and then fucking Teruki walks in. He's like a cryptid t them. Their best friend cryptid. Emotional support. They would die for him. The idea of them all being genuinely very close friends is so delightful to me. Good for them. It's so funny. Like I could wax poetic about character development but also it's so fucking funny. Teru wanting to be a teacher because of them hc is so sweet and then u remember the shit he says to them n it's like. Girl I love your ambition but maybe wait a sec. I love them.

Do you ever think about the fact Teru just canonically hangs around the awakening lab kids. Like those are his buddies. Like it's very indicative of his character growth and a very good sign that he's growing as a person. But also it's so fucking funny can you imagine THAT friendship dynamic

it really is amazing like. i don’t even know it’s just very fun to rotate in my mind. also imagining teru and rei talking about how “kageyama” is so cool and hot or whatever and it takes them three conversations to realize they’re talking about different kageyamas.

(do you think teru was the one who explained all the things the awakening lab kids missed out on like “oh that’s ritsu not shigeo he was going by his brother’s name” or “yeah that guy wasn’t really the leader of claw he’s [shigeo] kageyama’s boss” or even “oh hey remember those guys who kidnapped you? we kicked their asses and they’re all cool now except for that one guy i probably killed lol”)

[swordheld]

do you have any recommendations for orchestral tracks ?

do i, oh, and what a lovely gift it is to be able to wax poetic about them!

toothless found (john powell, how to train your dragon 2)  –  there is so other way to begin for me other than starting w/ the httyd series bc i am incredibly biased and enthralled by the way powell weaves story and emotion near-seamlessly into sound, into melody. there are other gems of his within the httyd soundtracks (test drive, romantic flight, etc.) but this one is one that continually cracks something open inside of me. there is emotion, here, palpable.

the dramatic but slow, cautious beginning of it, the chorus mixing in with the strings, the build? the way it crashes like tides, bursts into being? it’s everything, and feels like it too. the way the melody of test drive comes in so seamlessly in at the end, the way music holds emotional tethers throughout not only the film but the series, how music can be so powerful it holds allegorical weight! powell has this fascinating way of stringing melodies from other tracks into others so everything feels connected, everything pieces of a singular whole  –  and it is so rewarding to listen and be able to pick out the familiarities.

my favourite (aka gives me the utmost serotonin to hear) is this little quad-tone of horns that’s littered through the soundtracks, and it’s around the first quarter mark here, when the horns come in to accompany the strings, and you can feel the change in the story like it is a palpable thing; the glory of it bursts forward like light, unescapable, the layers of it. i think ab these soundtracks and how they hold the story close like it can bear the weight of its every emotion and i go insane. 

the battle room (steve jablonsky, ender’s game)  –  music has a way of being a language for emotions that are not translatable otherwise. and here  –  you have a story about children drafted for a war and tragedy surrounding everything  –  and yet there is so much beauty here. there is wonder. the violin melody takes this place meant for battle and says: you can see the stars from here. you can see home, and there is still room for friendship, still room for humanity, even here, in all this empty space.

once there was a hushpuppy (dan romer & benh zeitlin, beasts of the southern wild)  –  the building of it, the horns and strings and the way it feels like dawn. i saw this move for the very first time in a dimly lit classroom for a movie club so many years ago and i still recall it as one of the first times i heard a score that awoke something so close to starlight inside of me. the way it surrounds you, slow and easy, the light and joy, the glory of it? how everything feels like it’s swaying together in the same wind, how everything comes home together, and the journey of it. it feels like coming home. and those trumpets!!

14.3 billion years (andrew prahlow, outer wilds)  –  outer wilds was both my game of the year and album of the year back in 2019, and with it an awe that is not dimming anytime soon. to be able to hold the universe in melody, to speak of time and weight unimaginable and put it into song? into something we can so nearly comprehend, full of awe and wonder?

this story, this soundtrack, it feels like something you could have known, once, in a time so different than this. it feels like myth and home and discovery all at once, comforting and incredible. it’s like laying beneath a bright sky full of stars, and knowing that they are all burning with a light bigger and brighter than anything we could ever even dream  –  and there, beside that wonder, do you hear it, the way the universe calls, here? the way it says hello, old friend. i was waiting for you.

nascence (austin wintory, journey)  –   there is something within this game that is so specific and so breathtaking i have not been the same since first experiencing it. there’s no active dialogue through the entirety of the time spent playing  –  only music, only small melodic tones of communication, and there is something to the way this score feels like the story itself, how it is both narrative and heart and motion, all at once. it feels like a story told over firelight, told in flashes of dreams, in the ruins of a city older than any story we have. the oldest joys, are here, in this. the same with sorrow. they hold onto time like they hold onto the story  –  endlessly.

scarlemagne’s waltz  /  we will find them  (daniel rojas, kipo and the age of wonderbeasts)  –  rojas is in a similar boat as to daniel pemberton for me, both being a major part within the music industry that sees beyond traditional instruments within orchestral score. they dream big, and oh does it deliver.

the creativity within both of their works is insane: melodies made mixed with non-musical noise (see the elephant noise in the prowler’s theme within spiderverse) all the way to mashing up orchestral with other genres: hip-hop, rap, rock, opera, etc. (daft punk was also a big piece of this back in 2010 with the tron: legacy score, which still holds up to this day) in it feels like a whole new world opens up, like the electric heart of scores is reaching out further, into new horizons.

i’m including two tracks from the first season because both of them show such a wide range of rojas’ talent  –  and the last quarter of we will find them haunts me to this day it is so good. the emotional weight of it is inescapable? you reach the end of it and so easily go...  one more time?

across the violet sky  /  never coming back  (evan call, violet evergarden)  –  truly the entirely of call’s work for the evergarden series is an emotional wonderland. there is a favoring for strings and piano, and the way you can feel the light gentleness of wonder and heart in each track is so lovely. there is light in these melodies, embodied, and listening to them makes me feel like some of the weight is taken off my shoulders. they make the light brighter, the wind warmer, everything feels softer in retrospect. they feel like warm wind on a cool night, something that makes you feel just a little bit less alone.

the legend of ashitaka  (joe hisaishi, 1996 princess mononoke image album)  –  the synth in this. the synth. it holds my entire heart. hisaishi is well-known and well-loved for his talent with scoring orchestra, but the way the electronic synth is scored to burst into being before and beneath the strings like something new and incredible is awe-inspiring. it feels like a reimagining of a melody i could hum by heart. 

i hope you enjoy them! please let me know if you’d like to hear ab any more. 💕

[thequeenofsastiel]

Not Me Episode 11 Review

I liked this episode a lot. I will have to rewatch it because I think I'll like it even more when I'm not on tenterhooks waiting for the reveal, but I still liked it.

It looks like Todd and Black were friends, not faen, but, given how meaningful my own friendships are, I don't think that diminishes their connection. I very much enjoyed Black saying that power corrupts, though I wish that when he invoked MLK's name(which took me aback like whoa), he'd have mentioned that MLK once said: "A riot is the language of the unheard." I feel like that would have fit his character a lot more than talking about peaceful protest and civil disobedience. Then again, most Americans aren't even familiar with that quote, so it doesn't astonish me that Black probably doesn't know it either.

I find it interesting that Todd's plan appears to involve pushing Tawi out of power to take his place. That explains why Todd didn't do anything to stop White and the gang from carrying out their plans. I'm still not clear on why Todd had Black beaten up, but hopefully we'll find that out eventually.

Sidenote, I feel like Black should be too smart to drink what Todd gave him, but whatever.

Well, it's confirmed that Dan is the one who shot Sean's father, which pretty much everyone called, but I'm nonetheless disappointed by. This show has felt very real so far, and throwing in that soap opera esque interconnection between the characters diminished that. I did like that Yok didn't get angry at Dan about it, despite his initial shock. I especially like that Yok told Dan not to tell Sean, though I wish he'd told Dan that telling Sean would be a selfish act to make himself feel better, rather than making it easier for Sean. It might have stopped Dan from telling Sean next episode.

Yok handled Dan's bullet wound about as well as one could hope in that situation. They're both very lucky that the bullet didn't shatter.

The entire time White and Sean were talking in the abandoned building I was practically pulling my hair out and chanting "Tell him, tell him, tell him for fuck's sake!"

I like that it took everyone aback that Black was acting like he'd never seen Dan before, though I think it made Sean the most suspicious.

I LOVED that Sean used the trust fall as a way to ascertain whether he was talking to White or Black. I'm still not sure how long Sean has suspected, and I do hope we find out. Their whole interaction was very enjoyable to watch. I loved these parts especially:

I really love that even though Sean says he knows, he still has this moment of shock at hearing it confirmed:

But then. Then, the tiniest of smiles briefly crosses his lips:

And, almost instantly:

It was all so deeply satisfying. I'm so glad that Sean has no intention of giving up on White despite the fact that White lied to him.

I also loved the way Sean and Black looked at each other after the truth was fully revealed:

This is the first time that we actually got to see Sean and Black look at each other while they both knew who the other was. Their real emotions towards each other shone through, and it was excellently done. Honestly I don't think I'm going to be able to wax poetic enough about Off and Gun's acting skills in this show. Especially Gun. Jfc give this man ALL the awards.

9/10. Really good by and large but the Dan reveal was a disappointment.

[theheadlessgroom]

https://www.tumblr.com/beatingheart-bride/708116595459997696/theheadlessgroom-beatingheart-bride

@beatingheart-bride

Randall cast his head down bashfully when she commented on how glad she was he reached out to her that night (even if he went about it in an...unusual way, shall we say): Honestly, he too wished he could’ve gone about their first meeting in a much different way (had he know she would be so kind and accepting of him, he wouldn’t have jumped to the whole “Angel of Music” ruse), regretting how he tried to string her along with this charade (to say nothing of how he reacted when she unmasked him). He knew there was nothing he could do to change that, of course, but still, he had his regrets.

Again, there was no changing the past, and so he tried to set aside these thoughts in favor of basking in the glory of their friendship: Somehow, it really did feel as if they’d known each other forever, not just for a scant few months-it was amazing to think that their knowing one another had done so much for them, countering against the loneliness they’d felt for so long. It was sort of funny to think about, in hindsight-the two loneliest people in such a massive, oft-crowded opera house, had found one another.

“You’re...a very dear friend to me too,” he continued, resisting the urge to just...take her hands in his and endlessly wax poetic about the joy she brought to his life, instead fiddling with his bony fingers as he said, “I...I’m grateful every day to whoever brought the two of us together.” Whether it was fate, some higher power, or just complete happenstance, he was grateful to it for putting them in one another’s path.

[beevean]

I agree the talk with Surge is a bit wordy and preachy for Sonic, Ian does that a lot tbh, but not out-of-character and certainly not butchering. Christ, you guys will nitpick the crap out of the comic if things don't go exactly as you imagine it in your heads.

Hiiii finally I got some IDW fan anons too! I'm officially part of the club! :D

I'm using your message to write something I just noticed:

did IDW Sonic ever wax poetics about the power of friendship?

You know, something canon Sonic wouldn't shut up about?

I don't think he does. He never makes corny motivational speeches about the Super Power or Teamwork, or how he's stronger than his enemies because he has his buddies by his side, or how you can overcome any hardship with a friend on your side.

This is what Sonic is the most wordy about. His friends. Teamwork.

Not himself and how he treats enemies.

Sonic is cheesy, but earnest. Sonic cares about his friends and by Chaos you're gonna hear it. Sonic knows that he is strong, but he can't do everything alone. Especially not dispending choices and morality like he's some sort of judge.

IDW Sonic may superficially sound like Sonic, but he's fundamentally a different person, a more rigid one, a more self-important one, one that doesn't respect his friends quite as much. I don't like him. I tried. I can't. I don't understand what y'all are seeing.

I'm okay with characters in adaptations being different if the adaptation is pretty much in name only, I love Boom Knuckles and Boom Eggman for example despite being totally different people. IDW was promised to us as the continuation from Forces, so I kinda expect the characters to act like they were in the games, if not Forces itself. Sure, some writing differences are to be expected, but not to this level.

[centeris2]

thoughts about the dark riders (headcanons?)

HAPPY DARK CORE DAY! Okay so this is something I was thinking about since doing the latest update with the Rainbow Festival with Katja. And I will say idk if the books have gone over this since I’ve only read the first one so far (although the books are divergent canon from the games, so pick and choose which one’s canon you’d want to go with)

For those who don’t know, in the original Starshine Legacy games, Sabine, Jessica, and Katja are known as dark generals and are quite clearly stated to be aliens. They were prisoners onboard the same ship as Garnok, their leader/god figure(?), and the forms the soul riders encounter on Jorvik are actually manifestations, mental projections given physical form but not the actual bodies of the alien generals themselves. Because of this I figured that while there may be tensions between them and different ambitions, they were still unified under serving Garnok and being prisoners together, and the only ones from their home planet (possibly the only survivors of the war) after thousands of years. Basically, it would take a lot for them to truly turn on each other or break them up.

But after the last two events with Sabine and Katja, I’m wondering if SSO is going in a new direction now: no more generals and no more aliens. (more under the cut it just got long and don’t wanna clog dashboards too much)

At the equestrian festival Sabine was talking about wanting a riding club, despite being with the dark riders, who by all rights should be a ride or die prove yourself group. Which implies that they aren’t. At the rainbow festival Katja says she’s always drained the life around her and prefers solitude. Chiyo looks and might actually be a literal child with a toy, who supposedly creates discord amongst the dark riders. What if they were all people who one way or another were found by Garnok/Dark Core and given powers? Originally humans, but possibly not anymore, who may have had powers that made them ostracized or targets. Katja could have been an example of this, if her Rogue/Elsa powers manifested as a human and the druids/local population wanted to kill her as a dangerous witch (or exile her or something)

In the Starshine Legacy games, Sands is shown to be the same age despite being over 100 years old, the oldest picture seen in game is him as a captain of a boat that found a strange sea creature, and then after that he goes on to become founder of Deep Core (later Dark Core). I wonder if they took that idea that perhaps somehow these different girls found Garnok, made a deal/bargain/gained power from Garnok somehow, and stopped aging. Or at the very least now age very slowly.

This may also be SSO leaning more heavily into the dark riders being dark riders, as in the evil twin version of soul riders: three (now four) people who were not friends before hand, are different ages and from (possibly) different time periods, and are all angry bitter and hurt at a world that hated them for one reason or another. They may be four people who thought they found someone or something that would help them (Garnok), only to find out that it’s a group project and you gotta work with these three other people and it doesn’t matter how much you hate each other or don’t mesh. Four no longer humans forced into the worst group project ever.

I mean you’ve got actual adult military level of discipline, precision, and perfection Sabine, angsty emo goth teenager Katja who just wants to sulk in a corner playing dubstep violin while waxing poetic about how cold her soul is, actual child Chiyo with her toy horse, and whatever Jay is gonna be. 

Like it’s certainly a direction SSO could go in by making the dark riders a very clear and obvious evil and opposite version of the soul riders friendship is magic. I’m not sure if they will, but who knows. It’d create an incredibly different dynamic from “alien generals who may be the last of their people, trying to free their leader, escape from prison, and get their revenge on their captors.”

[conditionaljewel]

Thinking about how utterly terrifying it must has been (and it must currently be) for Laudna to realize that Delilah can overtake her body and puppeteer her like that. During the rock incident Laudna lost all of her autonomy and perhaps realized for the first time that that voice in her head is *way* stronger and has *way* more power over her than she gave credit for. Laudna could lose herself at any point and she would be none the wiser. Terrifying.

(This is quite possibly the jumping-off point I needed to wax poetic about my beloved Laudna for a minute, so thank you anon for providing me the opportunity.) Response under the cut, due to length, potential spoilers, etc.

It has to be absolutely terrifying to Laudna, downright anxiety inducing, to know that this bitch is capable of so much more than she ever possibly let on. This woman has defied death, she exists at a time when it's thought that she died long ago, yet here she remains. Laudna knew that this woman was a monster, that she could talk to her in her head and she was the source of her unlife and some of her powers now, but to know now she can just assume full control of her at the drop of a hat? That's a nightmare. How Laudna has gone on for so long with this horrible woman stuck in her head is nothing short of a heroic effort... but, after having seen that happen, having seen Laudna become a puppet for her, having no control over her body and Delilah assuming full autonomy like that, I feel like there's been something that we've been missing when it comes to Laudna's story and it's been right in front of us for a while.

Laudna has fascinated me from the moment she and Imogen first appeared on screen. I felt an immediate connection to her personally that I still can't explain to this day and I wanted to learn absolutely everything that I could about her, and Imogen as well. Her whole existence and the general idea of an undead woman seemingly having a spirit and life was wild, so I was very excited to see what the future would hold, especially after those first few reveals.

So knowing what we do, seeing now just what Delilah is capable of with Laudna, and with Laudna seeming realizing that herself, she's bound to feel more determined to find a way to free herself of the madness of Delilah. Not just for her own sake, but for the sake of her friendships (and potentially Whitestone?) However, the thing I keep going back to that makes me thing we've missed something? Pate.

When we first met Pate, he (yes I'm treating Pate like they're their own person here) said that Laudna made him because she needed someone to keep her company when it was just her and "the voice in her head." Since then, it's been the two of them together, and Imogen has been with Laudna for about two years as mentioned in an earlier episode when she said that she still hadn't gotten used to "it" [Laudna's ventriloquism and Pate] after all this time.

But how long was it just the two of them, Laudna and Pate? Who's to say* (see bottom) that Laudna didn't create Pate in response to her being puppeted by Delilah prior? Maybe that's part of the reason why they were always bopping from town to town, besides the whole "she's a witch in a cabin in the woods" vibe, but because she was on the run from villagers after her body was taken over by Delilah and some event occurred that cause her to flee once more? I'm just grasping at straws at this point, there's zero indication to any of this, but we have zero backstory beyond her time in Whitestone, what happened to her, her pseudo resurrection, and her time now; we don't know much else about what she did in the interim, her actual pact with Delilah, much else about their relationship, or her time on the run, that it just begs a lot of questions, some sillier than others admittedly.

Delilah has a lot of power, a lot of influence, and a lot of control over Laudna, more than she certainly expected and gave her credit for, you are one hundred percent correct on that anon. Laudna definitely underestimated her, or Delilah is far more powerful than she's simply let on, hell both can be true. What's clear however is Laudna, while she works on her relationship with Imogen, needs to also work on her relationship with Delilah and what this all means for her, because while I think the fracture between Imogen and Laudna can be healed, I'm afraid for what the connection between Delilah and Laudna will continue to do for both of them. I have my thoughts on this that are far deeper and more varied but those are for another post.

(*Just to meta a little in reference to all this: we know from 4 Sided Dive that Marisha had the artist add "something dead" to Laudna's character design, and then once she saw it was a rat named him Pate de Rolo just to fuck with Taliesin; however, she decided to actually puppet him in the moment, just to test it out as a schtick and see how it went with the table, and it worked so she's stuck with it. So all this could be pure coincidence, that Matt had this plot hook and thread planned out all along and it's coming to fruition now, but it could also be Matt taking this idea of Laudna puppeting Pate after she first did it, and making it out to be so that Delilah is puppeting her [as if the image didn't occur to others already anyway in the fan art] and have more story reveal down the road about it.)