#super great plot

[aroaceleovaldez]

tbh my latest biggest theory for why HoO and onwards is such a dramatic drop in quality and consistency is just. Rick stopped making teaching guides.

Like, the Lightning Thief teacher's guide is SUPER in-depth with even stuff like sources about middle grade child psychology and exact specifications of where he's applying that, explaining what different character's goals/motivations are, their dynamics with each other and their environments, etc etc. Even specifying which specific myths certain plot elements are supposed to reference or be about.

That stuff just doesn't exist for later books. There's activity guides and smaller, significantly more simple teacher guides for later books but they don't go into anywhere NEAR the same level of depth. The TLT one is a full lesson plan that breaks down the book at every level and explains what's going on and more or less why Rick did that. The others are all basically just glossaries of terminology and some simple question guides.

And they didn't even use the TLT teacher's guide for the Disney+ show because they clearly aren't adhering to any of what's discussed in that breakdown of the book.

By creating a teaching guide alongside writing the actual book, that's forcing you to document what you're doing, why, your sources, and information about your characters and the story they're in. It's like an even more in-depth version of a series bible. But that's lacking for later books (and etc) and it shows because that level of thought and depth and attention just isn't there anymore.

[centeris2]

This seems to be an uncommon opinion but thank god SSO is making (what appears to be) serious headway into the story.

For years it felt like it had stalled out. It was valid wanting main characters and villains to be visually updated before continuing, but it slowed things down.

I'm glad they aren't going "we need to update Mr. Sands, Darko is a pretty old model compared to the Dark Riders, Avalon really needs an update, so does Pi, etc"

Because yes it absolutely would look better if everyone had the same number of polygons. And yes it WOULD be great if SSO picked up those threads mentioned throughout the main story. But if they did that and got all those map areas that had been brought up in the story quests then it'd be another 10 years of filler in the main story until they can 'wrap up'

And honestly I'm tired of waiting. This isn't even an impatience thing, this is a "I've played this game for 10+ years and at this point I don't care how it's wrapped up, as long as it IS wrapped up."

Probably helps that I don't expected a 'satisfying' ending from SSO, I just want AN ending to the main story. I expect Garnok to be 'defeated' and for the Soul Riders to be victorious, probably through the power of friendship. That's all I'm expecting.

[elodee]

HERMIT A DAY MAY - DAY 28

Scar x Treasure Planet

(Background nebula courtesy of ESA/Hubble)

For Scar I chose the incredible and underrated Disney move, Treasure Planet!

I loved Treasure Planet as a kid and still consider it one of the best animated Disney movies ever. However, it didn't do well critically (for various reasons I won't get into) and so there's never anything Treasure Planet related at the parks and lots of people have never seen it, which is such a shame.

I picked this movie for Scar because I am trying to manifest Scar watching Treasure Planet someday. This movie is like if a team of Disney animators sat down and brainstormed a list of stuff Scar has said he likes and then made a movie out of it.

To learn more about Treasure Planet and see why I really hope Scar watches it, please continue below the cut.

@hermitadaymay

(If you are gonna donate to Gamers Outreach on any day, its gotta be on Scar Day)

Treasure Planet is a sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. The story follows a young man named Jim Hawkins who grows up on stories about the legendary space pirate, Captain Flint. Upon finding a map to the fabled Treasure Planet, Jim embarks on a journey to find the treasure.

In his adventures across the vastness of space, he makes friends, sails through nebulas, and faces down dangerous space pirates who want the treasure for themselves. The story is action-packed and heartfelt, with a strong cast of memorable characters and a beautiful, astronautical setting.

If you haven't seen Treasure Planet I highly recommend watching it. It's only about an hour and a half long and it's well worth the time.

Style references:

This is Jim Hawkins

Did I mention that the movie is beautiful? It's a mix of traditional and computer animation that works very well for the genre.

The Treasure Planet title design.

Bonus: I want to show you my favourite character even though I didn't use her as a reference at all.

Captain Amelia my beloved

[fiery-emblems]

I really wish people would stop claiming that Fates/Awakening/ect. are the WoRsT wRiTiNg EvEr while propping up 3H as some kind of modern masterpiece. Houses is JUST AS WILLING (if not more so) as any other Fire Emblem game to pull random details right out the butt, or bring up seemingly important details just to forget about them in the next scene and never bring them up again, or introduce details that directly contradict something you learned about previously.

Houses just gets away with more because the first half of the game puts half an effort into making it seem like the characters backstories are tied to the main plot (only the BL though lol), and because OoH tHe StOrY iS sOo DaRk.

[the-words-we-sung]

Season 3 ending

So... It's been almost a week since the last episode, almost a week trying to wrap my head around the end of the show, trying to manage my feelings about it all.

It's hard to end up feeling the complete opposite of nearly everyone on my dash but I've come to terms with the fact that I didn't love the ending. I didn't love this last episode. (I shouldn't feel ashamed or weird for saying so but you guys loved it so much that I feel a bit like an outsider right now 😓)

I haven't been a fan of the show for as long as most of you, but it means so much to me. These characters carved a place in my heart and in my head, and they've made me happy for months now. They helped me get through some stuff, made me discover some amazing artists, meet even more amazing people through this fandom. And I loved the story. Even in its darkest, saddest parts, I loved it. I was invested.

I love Wilhelm and Simon, together and separately. They mean so much to me. And I loved season 1 and 2. It made me happy, and sad, and frustrated, and exalted. But overall, I trusted the show and I was not disappointed.

Season 3 was a lot. I liked the first 5 episodes. I can't say that I loved everything about them: I was not expecting things to get so hard for Simon, with no reprieve in sight. I was not worried about Wilmon being endgame (I know it was a big stress for the fandom but honestly I never doubted that they were endgame), but I was wondering how the show would go about tying all the knots it made (I should even say all the knots it added during this last season).

(Under a read more because it's a bit long and I don't want to bother those who don't wanna read more of my frustrated thoughts ^^')

And unfortunately the last episode was a huge let down for me. Yes, it's partly because nothing I was hoping for actually happened, but mostly, it's because the choices they made did not feel very satisfying to me: ⁕ Simon was barely there. We went from him being bullied online/offline non stop for 5 episodes to almost nothing. It makes 0 sense to me. ⁕ Kristina suddenly feeling better: she was having break down upon break down for an entire season, could barely look at her son or even just talk normally and all of a sudden she's back, smiling and agreeing to everything Wilhelm says? I'm sorry but I don't buy it? Where did this Kristina hid during the entire show? ⁕ Wilhelm deciding to not be king, talking for 3min to his parents about it, them agreeing and him running into the sunset with Simon. I'm sorry, what?? I love that they end up together of course, but it makes very little sense to me? It won't change any of the issues they had this season? They're still gonna be famous? And bullied online/offline? (Probably even more so now?). I'm not obviously saying that Wilhelm staying in line to become king was the only or the best solution, but I wanted more from this storyline. I wanted to believe it. And right now, what we got? It feels a bit cheap (and I feel bad for saying that because the ending was cute and romantic and all, but it felt too disconnected from the rest of the show for me ><)

And apart from these few points, the big issue I had with this episode was: The Angst. So that might be a me-problem, but it was too much for my poor little heart (I haven't rewatched the episode yet, and I'm not sure I'll be able to anytime soon ><). I spent like 40min of the episode with a huge knot in the stomach because the heartbreak between Simon and Wilhelm was too much to handle for me. I can see how it was beautifully made, that having lots of throwbacks to the previous seasons, the Wille song, all of that was great cinematography. But it was just too much for me. I got in the season spoiler-free but for this episode? During the lake scene I had to take a break and check online if they were actually endgame because it was starting to actually give me a stomachache. So yeah, this part might be me being too sensitive but I did not like that they made me see them fight for each other for 2 seasons and 5 episodes, but then just giving up for 40min before finally running back to each other during the last 10min. It was just too much sadness for me ><

So yeah, maybe my expectations were too high? But I feel sad, and kinda cheated. Too many things are left wide opened. Too many things make zero sense to me. And of course I'm happy we got our Wilmon endgame, but I'm less happy about how it happened.

It's a bit hard being on Tumblr right now and seeing everyone who thought it was the perfect episode >< And I don't want to "yuck anyone's yum" (as the saying goes), but I still wanna be able to share my thoughts! I probably won't write super angry/unhappy/complaining posts about the season/the finale, but I still wanna be able to chat about it. I did see some posts on my dash from people not being entirely satisfied with this ending so it's a bit comforting. And I hope we can share some nice headcanons, or just discussions about different plot points.

But yeah, I guess that's why I haven't really been active this week! Trying to get over the double heartbreak of the end of the show + being disappointed with the ending! I'm gonna come back though! I miss hanging out here, I just need to strengthen my heart a little bit more :p Gonna get back to writing about my thoughts episode by episode for this season (I can't promise I can rewatch the last one though 😖 It might take me a bit of time to get there). And I want to continue my song analysis of the show!! I'm not even done with season 2 yet, I have some work to do there ^^

So see you back here very soon 😘

[elizabethzoopzoop986]

Quick question for those who understand the lore more than me:

Who gets to remember things in the new time? Like i know it’s probably just like the main cast but seriously Akane says here:

But I feel like on this logic Nene shouldn’t be able to remember because in this timeline she shouldn’t have any super natural connections. So why can she? And on that note why can Nene see LET ALONE touch supernaturals in this timeline?

I mean I get she’s the main character so therefore she’s kinda gotta but still it doesn’t really make much sense. Like on Akane logic because Amane doesn’t have any supernatural powers in the new tl he shouldn’t remember but he seems to??

Honestly idk pls give me answers

[brutal-nemesis]

bro i watched the movie 9 tonight with my friends it's one of those "targeted to kids animated movies that is way too fucked up for kids" movies and MAN there was a lot of nice body horror in that shit. Like yea this guy got his literal soul sucked out let's use his corpse to make a freaky spider snake machine monster and send it after his friends. what

Anyway I'd never seen it before but im curious

[sarucane]

Do we just keep telling the same story forever? Meta on OFMD S1E7 "This is Happening"

In this S1E7, two characters--Ed and Jim--have to answer a simple question: Am I ready to tell a diferent story?

At the start of the episode, Ed's framing his time on Stede's ship as "sitting idle." He's thinking about preparing for the next adventure, whatever that may be--the next chapter in a story he knows and understands. Because there are rules. A ship has only one captain.

When Stede tries to prove that Ed can tell the next chapter in that story without leaving the Revenge, Ed is pretty unapologetic in his disdain. But he does come along, even while moaning and complaining.

And Stede's just trying to tell the same story, too. What he imagines a pirate's tale is supposed to be, not what it actually is. He doesn't recognize the difference between nonsense and truth, he's so caught up in "entertaining" Ed that he doesn't realize he needs to feed Ed.

But in fairness to Stede, Ed has a poor grip on what he really wants as well. When he fantasizes as he flirts with Stede, he's not imagining a swashbuckling adventure. He's imagining opening a restaurant. He's half in his old life, and half out.

Lucius, the unemotional observer, figures all this out of course.

He sees that Ed is absolutely very receptive to Stede, and that Stede is crazy about Ed. But Ed is caught up in who he's been, without seriously considering how to move forward in this story he's in now. So Lucius confronts Ed. He points out that Ed's story as it is going now ends one way: pain and loneliness. And he asks if Ed wants that.

Stede didn't want Ed to leave, so he told a story about treasure hunting. And Ed doesn't want to leave and be alone again, so he tells the story too. And by telling that story together, Ed and Stede find their way to the same place: beginning a new chapter. Imagining a life they can live together, without devaluing or overwriting anything that came before.

It sounds nice, although it's shallow (Ed's not going to be happy as a pirate, Stede is bad at telling this pirate's story and he'll never be a successful traditional pirate). But it's still a hopeful story, because they're still moving forward. Right on the edge of telling a different story.

And resolving in the opposite direction is Jim's plot. Jim's story is relentlessly upbeat and funny in this ep, but it's a tragedy through and through. Jim, like Ed, is half in their old life and half out. Has been with Olu for more than a year, without actually doing anything, while keeping him at a distance.

And it turns out they were "raised by a nun to be a killing machine." That Nana projected all her own trauma and righteousness onto Jim, and passed cruel judgement when Jim says that they already killed "the only one that matters." When Jim suggests that they might have moved on, and be ready to tell another story.

Jim regresses in this episode. They let Olu walk away instead of telling a new story with him, one where he's their family. They take the petrified orange as a sign that they should go back to being who Nana told them they were, to being obsessed with revenge. But really, it's more like a warning of what they'll become if they cling to the same old story.

It's sad. And it's a painful foreshadowing of what awaits Ed and Stede when they falter on the path forward, when they think their past defines their future. When they tell someone else's story, instead of their own.

[iamnotawomanimagod]

you know, I've rarely really enjoyed any end to Dimension 20 stories

I think it's really, really hard to pull off a brilliantly satisfying ending when you're a group of improvisers on an unscripted comedy show.

they shoot their seasons in a matter of days or, at most, a couple of weeks. there aren't big long breaks between episodes where they can scrape their notes and remember all the little details that have happened so far and plan ahead for a perfect ending.

also, they get to choose where they take the story. that's the fun of TTRPGs!! and it makes sense that a group of comedic improvisors who love making each other laugh are going to be drawn to doing funny bits instead of digging deep for super meaningful scenes. there have been plenty of those scenes, throughout all of the seasons. but that has never been the ultimate premise of Dimension 20.

I also think the Intrepid Heroes have been pretty clear that they don't love doing those really dramatic scenes. they don't actually enjoy crying on camera and being sad. they want to make each other laugh and they want to do dumb bits, and since that's the priority, super cohesive endings take a backseat.

but it's not really about the ending for me. the journey along the way is always really worthwhile.

[freedomfireflies]

I wonder if when irl Harry goes off on his little flower shop trips or whimsical park bike rides if he in the back of his mind goes “someone, somewhere, is writing about this very moment.”

HAHAH PLEASE oh my gosh yes, I don't know if he'd ever admit it but I swear he'll do some things and giggle to himself, "Oooo they're gonna loooove this" and as he should!! We deserve cute content to write about 🫡

[nobodysdaydreams]

Giving a complicated tragic childhood backstory to your favorite character is all fun and games, until you realize you need to account for how old all the other adult characters would have been at the time and realize that scenes that would work perfectly if one character was twenty three and the other was fourteen stop working when you need other characters who are played by adult actors clearly younger than they are to be in college at the same time so your story beats line up thematically.

[bleekay]

zukki

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Saint-Seducing Gold

book two in the Forge & Fracture Saga

YA historical fantasy about a girl with a connection to an Orisha & power over metal

trying to find a way to reforge the broken pact between fae and humans to stop the increasing violence across London

she’s forced to leave her family & Shakespeare’s players to join the royal court and navigate the tenuous political situations while keeping herself & her loved ones safe

bi MC, navigating a relationship with both a boy & girl

[compacflt]

hi!! very excited about your next batch! but i was wondering if you ever think of posting some of the (wonderful) female!mav scenes you wrote (the question mark on my computer decided to stop working but this is indeed a question)

have a great weekend!!

yeah sure! again— this isn’t finished and never will be finished, I posted the reasons below. But here are a bunch of snippets from the fem!mav/lesbian charliemav AU from this summer. Would love to hear your thoughts, because politically it gave me some pause! lol.

1. On how mav survives (the central motif of the one-shot is Mav cutting her hair with scissors which is why the emphasis here)

2. On ice (straight icemav will never work because fundamentally ice is a misogynistic cunt)

3. on sex with girly girls (one of life’s greatest pleasures)

ehhh you get the picture of what’s under the cut

4. on charliemav

5. on charlie

7. The end (post Layton mission [mav proving herself by saving ice’s life] and the end of TG86, Mav gearing up to cut her hair again in Charlie’s house)

and here, copy-pasted, were the tags i planned to affix to the charliemav one-shot, which I think explain also why I stopped writing it—maverick is insanely out of character here!

“some discussion of issues that would affect a female pilot in the 1980s in this one: SA, sexism, etc. u have been warned / i would love to talk to anyone about the politics of this one cause hoo boy i had to think about it / it’s a little personal to me too / i wouldn’t necessarily say i struggle with my gender identity but i do have a really complicated relationship with it / i think this mav is incredibly out of character / it turns out mav’s thoughtless overperformance of masculinity is so ingrained into his character that / if you make it intentional he/she turns into an entirely different character. / i often struggle with writing maverick way way too bitter (there’s something very gentle about tgm mav I struggle replicating) / & this is a VERY bitter & cynical & calculating mav as well. she has to be. But i fear i lose some of mav’s original character in the cynicism. 🤷🏽‍♀️ / that’s why i struggle writing AUs—you lose so much of the original characters who are DEFINED by the stories they’re from / if that makes sense. / i think a female maverick isn’t maverick. / you might as well be writing original fiction at that point. / this 1 shot is pretty much just original fiction. / idk would love to hear ppls thoughts on the fandom philosophy behind AUs / something i would love to think about more / top gun fanfiction / charlotte charlie Blackwood / pete maverick mitchell / Tom iceman kazansky/ nick goose bradshaw / genderbent top gun / charliemav / in this universe mav and Charlie break up and mav gets back together with Penny according to the tgm timeline btw / TGM mav might as well be a lesbian like nothing really has to change in the script at all. / post 2010 tom cruise just gives lesbian. no change necessary / soundtrack for this one is ‘I have a woman inside my soul’ by yoko ono”

I also stopped writing this one because I could not for the life of me figure out how to write goose, canonically a sexist just like mav and ice. made things difficult and a little awkward

[chronurgy]

I understand that there's only so much they can show us without spoiling things but I'd REALLY like some more plot details from veilguard. Even just really early stuff. Please.

[livfastdieyoung69]

can’t stop thinking ab johnny knoxville having a sibling thats a wrestler, like ecw star that later goes to wwe, and it’s just a running joke that the combination of their two very lovely parents somehow made the most terrible, violence seeking children possible