#the hardest thing about playing a sequel of a character that died is liking them a lot and hating that their fate is set in stone

[whybirdinspace]

Hey so im not the only one that will be in denial that Clover is canonically dead right? I will NOT accept that Starlo and Martlet lost their little guy

[yumeka36]

Black Myth Wukong

I finally finished my (mostly) all-bosses playthrough of Black Myth Wukong. Since a lot of my favorite streamers were playing it, and it looked intriguing from the trailer, I wanted to give it a try once I had my fill of the Elden Ring DLC. It took me a month to beat the game (I only had time to play about 2-3 hours a day).

Overall, I enjoyed the game immensely. Give me a game with really cool and creative monster designs, plus pretty, scenic areas to explore, and I'm happy! The combat is really fun too - the mix of spells, melee attacks, transformations, stance styles, etc, gives you such a variety of ways to play. Plus the fact that you can respec anytime removes the pressure of committing to one build. But honestly, I kinda stuck with the same build the whole game, lol. I focused most of my skill points on health, defense, attack, Immobilize, and Pluck of Many, as well as putting all my Mind Cores into the same, plus mana. This got me through basically all of the game with relative ease. Actually, either I got overpowered or the game wasn't that difficult for me, since by mid-chapter 2, almost every boss was a first or second try victory for me. Only exceptions were the Loongs and few chapter finale bosses and secret area bosses who took a few tries more. Then there was Erlang, who took me at least 30+ tries over 3 hours and was one of the hardest bosses I've fought in any game (coming from someone who's fought every boss in Elden Ring, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and the Dark Souls trilogy). So yeah, don't want to see that guy again anytime soon.

The only time I respeced a bit was to put more points into four banes resistance against Erlang. But I was also dumb and didn't realize there was a Drink to restore Qi, which was what I really needed to get rid of his shields with the fan vessel. But I still died a few times even after figuring this out, so I think he's just a really difficult boss.

While I enjoyed the heck out of the gameplay, unfortunately I couldn't follow the story/lore well at all. Obviously this is because I know close to nothing about Journey to the West or Chinese mythology. So while I understood the basic premise of finding Wukong's relics throughout the land, everything else as far as who the characters were, what their relationship is to Wukong and each other, and why they're doing what they're doing, was totally lost to me. Even after watching a "story explained" video, it's very clear that the game is a true sequel to Journey to the West, and you're guaranteed to be lost about most things if you haven't read the book. But the fact that I still enjoyed the game despite this just shows how fun it is. If I enjoy the gameplay mechanics, not being able to follow the story isn't that big a deal to me. Also, the animated music videos between each chapter were amazing. My favorite is the one for chapter 3, which was so well choreographed but also deliciously horrifying.

Like I do with most games, I wanted to make sure I beat every boss and explored every area the game had to offer. But I also didn't want to follow a walkthrough religiously either (which is something I did in my early days of gaming with the Dark Souls games). Other than look up a boss list and where to find them, I played the game mostly blind until around chapter 4. I was upset when I realized I had missed key things in chapter 3, which was being able to fight the Apramana Bat and Rat Captain bosses, as well as attain the Auspicious Lantern curio from the Lantern Wardens (I did fight a couple of them, but then decided to avoid them once I got yeeted off the cliff, lol). So from that point on I carefully checked IGN's walkthrough as I explored each area. Thankfully those were the only two bosses I missed during the rest of my playthrough. But damn, does this game have so many hidden secrets! I can't imagine anyone finding all the bosses/secret areas without looking it up online.

I guess that's one complaint I have about the game...maybe the secrets are too secret? Like I said, I don't know how a player is expected to figure some of these things out if playing normally. Maybe some more hinting about how to access the secret bosses and areas would have been nice, even if it's just some NPC dialogue or more elaborate item descriptions. I also don't like that they hid an essential thing like armor upgrades behind a questline that's so easily missable. A couple other minor issues I had were forcing cutscenes in the middle of fights and your character being way too prone to stagger with few ways to increase Tenacity, resulting in many wasted mana and focus point attacks (why is Tenacity not part of the skill tree?) But again, these were just minor issues and took little away from my overall enjoyment.

So yeah, I highly recommend Black Myth Wukong if you like fantasy adventure games focused on boss battles and various combat styles.

[thebawdybaldurian]

BG3FicFeb Day 12

SFW: Karlach introduces Tav to Dammon, and the bard tries her hardest to stoke the love connection between the two tieflings.

NSFW: Gale and his tiefling love interest share a bed after her dramatic rescue from Moonrise. Yet to confess their true feelings for one another, they share their bodies for the first time instead.

SFW: Meeting Favorite NPC

Background: Karlach has just returned with the tiefling caravan, having traveled with Halsin and Gale back to the Grove for a few days after the goblin camp was cleared. Karlach is a fan of some of Tav’s literary work, including a steamy romance book featuring a tiefling heroine.

“So,” Tav rejoined Karlach after finishing a few things for the party later in the evening. “When are you going to introduce me to this handsome mechanic of yours?” Tav asked, glancing over at the golden-skinned tiefling currently helping chop wood. “He’s barely taken his eyes off you.”

“Really?” Karlach nervously played with one of the buckles on her clothing.

“Mmmmhmm,” Tav grinned. “Every moment he hasn’t been helping someone with something. He seems lovely.”

“He…” Karlach glanced over at him, catching his eye. “I really like him,” she waved at him, beckoning him over.

“Hi, I’m Tav!” She reached out for his hand as he approached. “Wow, strong grip,” she prepared to butter up the both of them. “It’s no wonder she couldn’t stop talking about your prowess.”

“Has she?” Dammon blushed slightly, looking at Karlach. Karlach’s cheeks had already darkened and she glanced over at Tav wondering what she was doing.

“Oh yes, which speaks highly of you. She’s an excellent judge of character, alongside that killer body of hers. She’s the whole package really.”

“Tav!” Karlach gritted her teeth.

“You know she killed an entire room of goblins single-handedly and one of them still proposed to her with his dying breath.”

“Wow,” Dammon laughed, his cheeks still flushed.

“I’m serious,” Tav turned and patted the hidden scar on her back. “One of them stabbed me and she defended me with her life. She’s an amazing friend,” Tav gave Karlach a genuine smile, wishing she could hug her.

“Oh, what are friends for,” Karlach grinned widely, feeling a little sentimental herself. “And who would write the sequel to The Hellion of Hammerstaad if you’d died?” She nudged Tav carefully with her elbow.

“You wrote that?” Dammon looked at Tav curiously.

“You’ve read it?” Both women said nearly at once.

“Skimmed it,” he smiled. “No offense. I just thought Iraeya should’ve ended up with the tiefling ship captain instead.”

“But she and Alain were perfect for one another,” Karlach exclaimed, having read the book several times over.

“Perhaps in another book,” Dammon smiled. “But I still think he had some of his past to work through before he could give his heart fully to her.”

“Skimmed, huh,” Karlach teased him.

“Maybe that is something to explore in the next book,” Tav grinned widely. Not many would have caught onto the complexity of Alain’s character arc so accurately. She knew Karlach was in good hands with the handsome mechanic, in several respects. “Will you join us at our table tonight?” She asked, hoping to continue the love connection.

“Of course,” Dammon nodded with another smile at Karlach.

NSFW: Tav and LI forced to share a confined space or bedroll before confessing feelings

I couldn’t come up with a scenario where this happens with my Tav and either of her LIs, so I decided to use Gale and his OC LI, Syma.

Background: Syma is a tiefling sorcerer that Gale met at the post-goblin camp party. They spent the evening flirting, the excitement of their new connection causing Gale’s orb to act up. He was forced to reveal his affliction to his new love interest, which she was understanding, but confused about it. They kept in touch during their separate journeys via sending stones. Syma was captured in the caravan attack in the Shadow Curse and taken to Moonrise.

Content and Warnings: Male human x female tiefling. Oral & PIV sex, prehensile tail play, creative use of mage hands and grease spells, anal fingering.

Gale waited impatiently in the Last Light Inn. He paced between the front balcony that overlooked the bridge and the back balcony that overlooked the lake pier. He wasn’t sure which direction the stealth team would be coming in by, if they were successful in their rescue mission. When he saw what looked like a boat coming across the lake towards them, he ran downstairs as quickly as he could. He pushed his way past the Harpers that were guarding the dock, seeing a few people already off-loading from the boat. Tav stood on the dock helping everyone out of the crowded boat. “Gale!” He heard a voice call over the clamor of the frightened prisoners.

“Syma!” He spied her willowy in the middle of the boat, huddled in her cloak. He embraced her as soon as she stepped onto the dock. “Thank the Gods you are alright!”

“We nearly weren’t,” she trembled in his arms, weak from a lack of food and water.

“Are you injured?” He looked her over, caressing an old bruise on her face.

“Just tired and hungry,” she sunk into his arms.

“Come on then, let’s get you inside,” he pulled her away, giving Tav a thankful nod.

He helped her up to the inn and got her settled at a table, then went to get her something to eat. She ate voraciously, relaying everything that had happened between bites. She finished both her meal and story with an exhausted sigh. “Let’s get you upstairs to bed now,” Gale gently stroked her hand. She nodded and let him lead her upstairs.

“I can sleep on the floor,” Gale pulled back the covers of the bed for her and fluffed the pillows.

“Nonsense,” Syma smiled a little, unlacing her robe. “We are both adults. We can squeeze in together.”

“You’re sure?” He blushed a little.

“Of course,” she nodded, pulling open her robes. His face grew redder as she smiled wider. “I’m just going to have a quick wash,” she slipped her robe off, leaving her in only her underclothes.

Gale began to undress, unable to keep his eyes from her. She washed herself slowly, her tail swishing sensually as she wiped herself with a damp cloth. Gale felt himself growing hot all over and climbed into bed, turning his back towards her. When she finished washing, she turned towards the bed, disappointed to see that he’d already climbed into bed and was turned away from her. Despite her exhaustion, she’d had hopes for something more, as the last few times they’d spoken via sending stone, had ended with heavy breaths. She climbed into bed facing him, her knees pressing into the crook of his slightly.

He shifted slightly, putting a hand to his tattoo. The Elminster had stabilized the orb, but he still worried that too much excitement would push him over the edge. He still hadn’t told her about what Mystra had tasked him with either. He didn’t think it would be fair to start something with her if he was going to die soon. She noticed his hand there and wrapped her arm over his shoulder, entwining her fingers with his. He let out a quiet sigh and settled back against her slightly. They slept through the night nestled together. Gale awoke first, but he remained still so he could enjoy the warmth of her body.

His heart began to flutter as she stirred, pulling him closer to her. She nuzzled his neck, letting out a long sigh as she opened her eyes. “Oh…Gale,” she blushed a little, having awoken from a particularly racy dream, forgetting it was actually him there beside her and not just in the dream.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, squeezing the hand that was still wrapped around his.

“A little too well,” she shifted slightly, the wetness of her thighs sliding against her skin. “Gale?” She took in a sharp breath, her cunt still throbbing from the dream. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

“Of course,” he carefully turned over in the cramped bed, seeing the flush across her lilac skin, her tail stroking her thigh absentmindedly. “Are you alright?”

“I,” she paused, not sure if she should just kiss him without another word. “I like you, Gale…I like the times we’ve spent together…even when we were apart,” she blushed a little more. “But…I’d like…something more,” her tail moved up to her hip, teasing along the hem of her underpants. His eyes glanced down, seeing the wet spot between her thighs, making his throat nearly close up.

“Are you…?” He took in a deep breath. “Do you want to…have sex with me?”

“Only if you want to,” she blushed even deeper. “If…if it’s safe,” she placed her hand on his tattoo.

“I…I very much do,” he took her hand, feeling a heat growing at the base of his spine. “It’s just that…I don’t know how long I have and it wouldn’t be fair to,” he continued before she put a finger to his lips.

“If we only get this once…that will be enough.”

“Then we should make it count,” he took her finger in his mouth sucking on it hungrily before he rolled her onto her back.

He climbed on top of her, already feeling a rush of blood heading for his cock. He kissed her greedily, barely letting her take a breath. He finally moved his mouth southward, pushing her nightshirt up to take a breast in his mouth. She felt a tickle near her waist, tugging at her underpants, but both Gale’s hands were fondling her breasts.

“What’s that?” She gasped as he sucked on her nipple.

“I needed more hands,” he grinned, as the invisible mage hand slowly pulled down her underpants.

“Well, if we’re letting ourselves use magic…” she bit her tongue playfully. She had to one up him, casting a grease spell alongside her mage hand, slipping the invisible hand into his shorts to stroke his hardening cock.

“Gods,” his eyes widened as the slick hand took a firm grip of him.

He nibbled down her torso, his mage hand finished with removing her underpants and heading back up between her legs, where his mouth joined it. He spread her legs apart, taking a generous lick of her sex, the magic hand working on her clit. “Mmmm,” she giggled, squirming against his tongue. “Your beard tickles….don’t you dare ever shave it.”

He grinned widely at her, soaking said beard in her arousal as his tongue explored every fold. She moaned and trembled, her greased mage hand still working up and down his shaft as she ran her fingers through his hair. She finally pulled his face up, looking at him in desperation. “I need you,” she used the hand to pull his cock completely out of his shorts. “Now.” She couldn’t even wait for him to pull them off.

He moved back between her thighs, finally taking control of his cock, teasing it near her entrance. “Please,” she looked in his eyes, holding his gaze as he slipped inside her. “Ohhh…”

“Syma,” he sighed on top of her, slowly sliding back and forth inside her.

“Gale,” she purred, wrapping her legs around his waist as he gripped both her hands tightly.

Even their mage hands met, tickling against one another as their conjurers decided what to do with them next. Soon the hands went back to work, exploring each other’s bodies. Gale’s returned to her breasts, teasing and pinching her nipples. Syma’s gripped his ass tightly, the greased fingers lingering near his asshole. “Do you….mmmm…like a finger or two…?” she breathed heavily as his pelvis circled around her clit with each thrust.

“I, uh…never really tried it,” he blushed.

The sex he performed with his Goddess had always been quite straightforward. Mystra received the majority of the pleasure and he was mostly there for the ride. He felt a little tinge of bitterness towards her, especially since she would deny him this new love. He shook off all thoughts of her and redoubled his effort with Syma, fucking her harder and begging her to fuck his ass with her mage fingers. She started slow with him, watching his expression as the greased finger eased its way in. He grunted lowly, his mouth twisted in a curious smile. “A little more?” She asked.

“Please,” he nodded as the finger went deeper. “Mmmm….yeah, more, uhhhhmmm,” he grunted, edging closer to climax.

“Ohhh you like that?” She teased, slapping the tip of her tail against his ass.

“Yes,” he begged. “I like all of it.”

“Mmm just don’t stop, Gale,” she moaned, fingering his ass and snapping her tail against his golden cheeks. “I’m so close.”

“I’m close too,” he moaned, increasing his pace, letting his mage hand add to the pressure on her clit.

“Yes….Gods, don’t stop Gale, oh….fuck….uhmmmmmm,” she cried loudly as he erupted inside her with a primal, guttural groan, having never felt release like that before. He trembled on top of her as they both lost concentration on their spells and quivered against one another.

“Ah…fuck…I…never, uhhhh,” Gale tried to catch his breath, his forehead pressed against hers.

“You are incredible,” Syma smiled, kissing him deeply.

“You are…indescribable,” he grinned happily, looking into her eyes. He felt ready to pour out his heart, desperate to tell her how he felt about her. But she needed to know about Mystra’s ultimatum first. He let himself enjoy this moment with her, rolling gently with her so she was now on top of him. She nestled against his chest, letting her hand stroke the soft hair that covered him. “Let’s stay here all day,” he traced his finger up her pointed ear and into her hair.

“How about a ten day?” she smiled and left a little kiss on his nipple before settling back against him.

[skalidra]

Fic Writers Showcase Game

@there-must-be-a-lock tagged me!

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

~~

First fic published on Ao3: That would be The Other Side of the Mirror, an Earth-3 continuity mess with a JayDick main pair, featuring Roy as a 3rd PoV. First chapter was posted in September, 2014, currently 200k, 20 chapters , and as of yet unfinished, though I think as it stands it ends on a decently hopeful note. I do still recall the main plot points of where it goes, and would like to finish it someday.

Last fic published: I posted the first chapter of Five Finger Discount just yesterday, which is the 5th piece in my Worth Counting series, an alpha!Slade/alpha!Jason series exploring a variety of kinks but with a focus on non-formal dom/sub vibes, competence/strength kink, and mostly-play fighting. (The last finished story was Shifting Into Fourth which is the 4th piece of that same series, so, I'm a little bit on a theme here.)

Fandom/ship I only wrote once: I uh. I wrote Hamilton/Jefferson/Madison room-where-it-happens porn. For the Hamilton musical. It's called Do Whatever It Takes and I think it is still the thing that makes me feel the most sinfully dirty of all the things I've ever written. So there's that.

I also have Let's Be Clear, which is my only fic set anywhere in the MCU, and is a Daredevil oneshot of an asexual!Wesley being invited to join a Fisk/Vanessa relationship, as I vibed real hard with Wesley as a character and never really got over his unfortunate demise.

(Honorable mention to my four stories that are technically fandoms of their own, but all fall under the 'DCU' umbrella, being for the Arkham games, two shows in the CW Arrowverse, and the Teen Titans cartoon.)

Favorite fic in most popular fandom/ship: This is a little hard to quantify. Technically 'DCU (Comics)' comes in at 93k in stories, which would make JayDick the most popular pairing, which makes my favorite story Captain's Privileges. It's a Star Trek mirror!verse fusion with Captain!Dick and Engineer!Jason and so many unhealthy relationships everywhere, and I love it.

However! 'DCU (Comics)' is a very broad umbrella and it's not really fair to say it's my biggest fandom, since the slice I belong to is much smaller. Which means the more accurate winner is Voltron, at 85k stories. I technically have a Klance story but given that it is a big poly clusterfuck dark!fic I really have to actually give this to the second most popular pairing by stat, Sheith. Out of those, I think my favorite is I'm Not That Man, which was an early false-memories/brainwashed!Shiro fic set just before the wormhole split them all up.

Fic I wish more people read: An Extra Shot, hands down. Come read my gen, Wilson-family-focused exploration of what happens if Adeline dies during the attack on Joey! Come read Slade Wilson being forced into confronting the fact that he is a terrible dad and also now a widowed dad of three kids! Come read Billy trying his best to bludgeon all the terrible communicators of this family into actually working things out! READ THIS. THERE'S A SEQUEL IN PROGRESS. IT'S GOOD I SWEAR.

Fic that was hardest to write: I think the award for this has to go to Me, Not Her, a CaptainPan/CaptainSwan piece which I was apparently so frustrated with at some point that I straight up deleted the file. Four years later (no I am not kidding) I had the vague memory of it. Some sketchy thing I could maybe expand, now that I was having thoughts about OUaT again. I pull it out of the (then eternal) trash of Google Drive. It is five thousand words long and needs no more than pretty basic editing and a little padding at the end to round it off. I don't know what the hell was happening with me when I deleted it, but wow, lesson learned.

Fic that popped out fully-formed: I don't recall any that were explicitly like this, but I also don't tend to write like, neat little packaged stories all that often. If I'm writing oneshots they're usually for events. So my best answer to this is probably Fucking Androids? It's a Reed900 relationship origin story that blazed its way out of me during NaNoWriMo one year, named entirely for the sex pun and then in the end absolutely refusing to have any sex in it, so it won that fight. I remember at least most of it coming really, really easy.

Fic I'm proud of: Pulling out a weird little one, here. I'm going to say Take a Ride. It's a JayDick, Gotham City Garage story that I wrote for Firefright's birthday one year, and on reread I actually still really, really like it? It's just a neat apocalyptic-desert vibe relationship building thing, set in the criminally under-explored and rushed GCG world, and I really like how I put Dick together in this one. I recommend it.

~~

Not tagging anyone specific, but if anyone would like to do this as well, feel free!

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Vinland Saga Season 2

A sequel can do a lot of interesting things to the story it’s a part of. A great sequel can catapult an already good story into greatness. A bad sequel can squander whatever potential the first part was building up, or be so inconsequential that you can just pretend it doesn’t exist. But the hardest sequels to talk about are the ones that do an excellent job following up on what’s come before... yet still feel like a downgrade in ways so subtle you’re not quite sure if nostalgia is playing tricks on you or not. Did this series always have these flaws, you wonder, and you were just blind to them before? Or is something genuinely missing from this otherwise fantastic continuation that makes it feel less special than that initial entry? It’s a question I asked myself last year with the final season of Mob Psycho 100, a show that by any other metric would be a knockout success but couldn’t help but feel overshadowed by the seasons that came before. And now that same quandary presents itself to me with Vinland Saga, back after four years for another round of bloody historical viking combat and deep ruminations on the dangers of violence and hatred.

To make my position clear from the outset: I fucking love the first season of VInland Saga. It’s one of the best written, most achingly mature works of storytelling in anime, a beautiful exploration of the humanity behind violence, the people who perpetuate it and suffer it alike, and the complexities of people in a world far too willing to sort everyone into ally or enemy. It was potent, it was sincere, and it was achingly beautiful (at least when the production wasn’t driving itself into a ditch). It also had Askellad, one of my single favorite anime characters of all time for how beautifully he blurs the line between monster and hero. So perhaps that’s the reason why I don’t like season 2 as much; Askellad dies at the end of season 1 and only shows up here for a couple brief visions. My sweet baby gone too soon from this sinful world, we shall never see his like again.

I kid, I kid. Obviously, Askellad’s story ended exactly where it needed to, and any continuation to Vinland Saga- much like Thorfinn- would have to find a way forward without him. And that listless limbo of living between worlds is where we first meet Thorfinn as season 2 kicks off. Far from the ravenous warrior he was in season 1, Askellad’s death and the thwarting of his revenge has left him a shell of a man, barely able to function day by day. He’s ended up a slave on the farm of a seemingly kindly slavemaster named Ketil, his life reduced to following orders like an automaton as he wonders what the point of living even is now that his purpose has been taken away, leaving nothing but the memories of the countless lives he ripped apart in pursuit of it. But that begins to chance with the arrival of a new slave named Einar, a man who lost his home and family to Vikings much like the ones Thorfinn used to serve. As the two strike up an unlikely friendship, the shattered boy slowly begins to piece himself back together from nothing, facing the trauma he inflicted on others and himself and searching for new purpose unshackled from the bloodshed than once ruled his life. But it’s only a matter of time before bloodshed once again comes knocking at Thorfinn’s door, forcing him to come to terms with what kind of person he wants to be... and whether or not it’s possible to truly escape a world that seems to worship violence as the only true way.

It’s a radically different direction for the story to take, but it’s really the only way it could have gone. From the first episode, Vinland Saga has always been an interrogation of violence and its effect on people, a cry for peace in a world where that might as well be a foreign concept. And is season 1 was a full dive into the heart of that violence itself, season 2 is all about the escape from it, what it takes for a person who’s lived their whole life bathed in blood to seek a better way forward. Appropriately, most of what’s been dubbed “Farmland Saga” is spent on conversations and quiet moments, characters working out their issues and finding peace beyond the reach of a sword or ax. And whenever violence does show up, it’s always in short, brutal spurts of death where no one comes out happy, a far cry from the bombastic battles we used to have. And while that change no doubt rubs some fans the wrong way, it’s the only honest way Vinland Saga could continue to explore its themes. You can’t exactly tell a story of a man leaving violence behind and embracing peace if you’ve got limbs and heads flying at the same rate as season 1. Thorfinn’s growth from an emotionally stunted boy into a fully realized man, and the ways the rest of the inhabitants of Ketil’s farm react to the role of violence in their world, is Vinland Saga, and it’s still the same damn powerful story it was telling back when blood ran thicker and death same swifter.

So no, the relative absence of violence is not the reason that season 2 feels somewhat lacking in comparison to season 1. But then... what is the reason?

The obvious culprit to point at would be the change in studio. And yes, I’m as sick to death of the endless Wit vs Mappa debates as you are. So many stupid takes on every side, all ignoring the fundamental issue that both of these studios are infamous for treating their workers like shit and sacrificing healthy production times for the sake of pumping out more content for their shareholders to make money off of. Seriously, all your animation issues with shows from both of these studios come from the same source of corporate greed favorite quick profits over artistry, bond over that and fight your mutual enemy instead of turning it into a fandom dick measuring contest. That said, it’s not every day that you get to see two different studios put their own touches on multiple different anime in such clear terms. And between Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga, I definitely think there’s a conversation to be had on how Wit and Mappa’s approaches to anime differ... and what effect that has on the finished product.

To vastly, vastly oversimplify what I’ve observed, I’d say that Mappa tends to focus more on detailed animation, while Wit prioritizes cinematic direction. Whenever Mappa flexes its “budget” (yes I know that’s not really what it is I’m oversimplifying for time bear with me), it tends to be with intricate shots of richly detailed characters, every crease and line in their skin shaded and expressive. A single image or quick action cut, when given the time it needs, can feel so weighty and expressive, like you can actually reach out and touch it. Wit, meanwhile, tends to put its best foot forward with the way its camera brings its stories to life, sweeping CG-assisted tracking shots or gorgeous tableaus spilling out across the screen. They may sacrifice the finer details sometimes (and let’s be clear, there are moments where Vinland’s first season looks like aaaaaaass), but the visual imagination behind how they frame and present their anime captures that elusive feeling of cinema that few TV anime manage to achieve. Wit embraces anime not just as an animated medium, but a truly visual medium, one where every choice is make to sweep you up in the beauty this art form is capable of. And that’s a level of imagination, sadly, that Mappa doesn’t always measure up to.

In regards to Vinland specifically, the part of season 1 I always come back to is episode 14, which is framed almost entirely in claustrophobic, horrifying close-ups as we witness the slow-burn destruction our protagonists bring upon an innocent family. Everything is so close to your face, almost blotting out the frame, shoving your face in the horrors the story’s main characters are capable of committing and refusing to let you turn your gaze away. It’s one of the most gut-wrenching episodes of anime I’ve ever experienced, and it’s all thanks to how thoroughly Wit embraced the tools of this medium to drive home that horror. Moments like that are what made Vinland’s first season such a cinematic marvel, even when the production was clearly suffering from poor time management. By contrast, most of the big experimental moments from season 2- dreams, nightmares, near-death experiences, visions- are shot and framed rather conventionally. In fact, pretty much every scene in season 2 has the most basic “camerawork” imaginable. Mid shots and long shots and close-ups and detailed action cuts, all in their proper places, yes, but there are no moments like episode 14, no moments where the visual language rises to that same level of brilliance. It’s all individual moments of beautiful animation (and some rough patches as well because again, Mappa and Wit have the same problems with overwork affecting the final product) with nothing that truly takes flight and shows off the true power of the medium as an artistic form. Still achingly effective thanks to the strength of the writing, performances and soundtrack, but if anyone at Mappa has the same sense of cinematic joy and creativity as the folks at Wit, well, they were probably working on Chainsaw Man while Vinland season 2 was in production.

But technical differences can only explain so much. Attack on Titan also had a rough start switching to Mappa, and it still managed to be pretty much as electrifying and incredible as always. Which means we need to dig a little deeper in the writing of season 2 and figure out what isn’t clicking quite as well this time around. And thankfully, the answer is actually pretty obvious, so I’m gonna come right out with it: the dialogue in season 2 kinda sucks.

See, telling a slow-burn story that’s mostly conversation is a totally fine way to explore your themes, even if the actual plot remains fairly still for the sake of intricate character work. But there is an art to writing a slow burn without making audiences long for something faster-paced, and it is not an art that season 2 pulls off well. Almost every conversation boils down to characters talking explicitly about the show’s themes for minutes on end, repeated and re-repeating themselves as they endlessly ruminate on violence, peace, the nature of war, the nature of hatred, trauma, forgiveness, moving forward and choosing the hard way over the easy way until they all start bleeding together into the same indistinguishable soup. These conversations don’t feel like people engaging with heady ideas, they feel like the author was terrified of even a single audience member not getting the point. There are some really powerful themes season 2 is working with, but they start to feel less special when every episode is full to bursting with characters doing nothing but talking about those themes for the hundredth time.

And just to make sure, I re-watched an episode of season 1, and it didn’t have this problem! The dialogue in season 1 flows so much more naturally, characters seamlessly weaving between plot-relevant exposition and interpersonal relationship-building and interesting, quirky asides and heavy, climactic confrontations. Perhaps it helps that season 1 also has a lot more moving pieces, so it has countless ideas it can juggle throughout a single episode without getting bogged down in a single mode for too long. The occasional thematically explicit speech or monologue becomes a lot more powerful when used sparingly, interspersed with other story beats that advance the story and its themes through less direct methods. “Show, don’t tell” is a common piece of writing advice for a reason; most of us find stories’ ideas far more engaging when they’re revealed through characters actions rather than (or at least in addition to) their words. But with so few actions to “show” throughout season 2, pretty much all of its thematic weight relies on characters “telling” us what we should think about the experiences they’re going through. Thorfinn tells Einar about his trauma, Einar tells Thorfinn about his perspective on life, Canute tells his weird ghost dad head (which, I’m sorry, this thing just looks goofy) about his increasing moral rot and the weight of the king’s crown, and all of it really starts to drag when there’s nothing else to change things up. No wonder some fans grew tired and started to beg for a return to the bloody action.

Which I seriously want to drive home: Vinland Saga season 2 not being violent is not its problem. This show has always been a plea for peace, so exploring the aftereffects of escaping a violent life in a mostly peaceful environment for Thorfinn to find himself again is exactly the direction it should have gone in. And in the moments where stuff actually happens in season 2? Where the endless slow-burning conversations give way to action, violent or otherwise, on part of its characters? It’s just as heartbreaking and awe-inspiring as anything in season 1. The only reason I’ve gone so hard on critiquing this season is because I know just how fucking fantastic this show can be at its best, and when season 2 is at its best, it absolutely lives up to that high bar and more. Going peaceful isn’t the problem; the problem is that it just isn’t as good at being a peaceful story as it is a violent war story. Not bad at it, just not as good. Vinland Saga’s first season explored its themes so well by balancing so many different factors and making them all sing in harmony, delivering a propulsive tale of blood and swords that drove its ideas into you like knives while still being an entertaining story capable of effectively delivering those themes in the first place. Season 2, meanwhile, puts almost all of its eggs in a single basket, and suddenly it finds itself running into problems it can’t fix without betraying the core of its narrative. It’s like trying to build the same house twice but the second time you only have 10% of your toolbelt available; the fact it even ended up as great as it did is something of a minor miracle.

And make no mistake: Vinland Saga season 2 is still great. For as much as I’ve complained about it, it’s every bit the change in direction this story needed to carry forward. And while the execution wasn’t perfect, it was still able to lay me out on the floor like few shows even come close to. Vinland Saga is a colossus. Vinland Saga matters. It’s so rare we get stories this mature, this thoughtful, and this widely beloved in this crazy medium we call home. And if Mappa’s planning to stick with this one until the end like Attack on Titan, I hope, much like that show, future installments are able to find their footing and push it back to the top of the heap where it belongs. Until then, I give season a score of:

8/10

And so begins the Spring 2023 round-up. Look forward for more seasonal reflections to come!

[walkerwords]

“Rick” Rick Grimes x F!Reader

Request: This was requested by many people. This is a sequel to BETH but you don’t HAVE to read it first as this can also be seen as a standalone if you wanted to. The reader and Rick have grown closer after he comforted her in the woods the night after she had the realization that Daryl didn’t have room in his life for her and Beth. 

Word Count: 2840

Warning: Mentions of Character Death

Song I Wrote To: “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran

Note: I am a sucker for Rick Grimes and I really gotta continue to write him more!

-----------

Alexandria was something else. 

Since escaping the horrors of Terminus and rescuing Beth and Carol from Grady, everyone was relieved to be behind walls for the first time since the prison. Better yet, these walls weren’t constantly being pushed at by Walkers.

Rick was still a bit hesitant about settling down in the Safe Zone. Deanna was kind, but he wasn’t dropping his guard any time soon. Daryl and Michonne were also keeping their eyes open while showing their strength to the new people. Whereas Maggie and Carol were playing their parts and trying to get insight from within rather than showing their brute strength. 

Then, there was you. Since that night in the forest, you and Rick had grown closer. Accepting the fact that Beth was always going to hold Daryl’s attention no matter what was between them, you had begun to distance yourself from him and the younger Greene. Which was how you found yourself moving closer to Rick. 

You protected the group together, shared what little food you had, and even kept watch in the dead of night, sticking close for warmth. It felt natural to be close to him and you found yourself searching for his tall form whenever you were alone in the new community. 

Any time you saw his curly hair or the stubble on his cheeks, you felt calmer and when his eyes would meet yours, he’d wave as if just letting you know he was still there. It made you feel safe and it meant a lot that Rick kept looking to you when he felt that trouble was on the horizon. He was becoming that person in your life that you didn’t know you needed and you weren’t the only one who had noticed. 

Glenn had started to pick up on a few things which of course he shared with his wife and Maggie was in agreement. She saw your connection with Rick too.

One day when the group was wandering the streets of the Safe Zone, Glenn got Rick alone for the first time in a couple of days. Rick was just leaving the house he shared with some of the others when Glenn jogged up to him. 

���So,” Glenn began with a wide smile.

“So what?” Rick asked, peering over at his friend in confusion. 

“I’ve noticed you and (Y/N) getting closer lately,” Glenn said, not dancing around it at all. 

“Is that so?” Rick asked with a smirk.

“You can’t deny it, Rick. I see all, I’m basically the prophet of the family.”

“You’re something alright,” Rick grumbled. Just then, you came walking down the other street with Tara, both of you biting into apples. His eyes watched you as you chatted excitedly with the other woman. It was so wonderful to see you so at ease and it was hard not to smile at the sight. 

“Take a picture, it will last longer,” Glenn jabbed and Rick just rolled his eyes. “You know that she liked Daryl, right?” Glenn asked carefully, trying to see how Rick would react, but the latter just nodded. 

“I think everyone did besides Daryl,” Rick said with a sigh. 

“Damn,” Glenn commented as you and Tara disappeared around another corner. “You know, you’re good for her,” he said. 

“What?” Rick asked, surprised. “No, it’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” Glenn pressed. 

“I don’t want to be her second choice, Glenn,” Rick admitted. 

“You’re not,” Glenn disagreed. “I personally don’t think Daryl was ever a choice for her to begin with. She needs someone like you and God knows you need it, too. You two are different sides of the same coin and I am not the only one who has noticed.” 

“It’s the end of the world, Glenn,” Rick pointed out. 

“Rick, it already ended. This is now the beginning of a new one and I think maybe that starts with her. Hey, I found Maggie so if I can do it, you can too,” Glenn said with a knock on Rick’s shoulder. Rick considered his words for a moment before nodding. 

“Thanks,” Rick said and Glenn just winked at him before they continued on their exploration of Alexandria. 

---------

It was around dusk when Rick found you. 

He had been searching among the houses when he finally spotted your silhouette standing before the East wall. Your arms were crossed as you looked up the steel slats with your brow furrowed. 

“What are you doin’?” Rick asked as he came up behind you. You didn’t jump at the sudden noise, almost as if you just knew he was there. Another thing you had become accustomed to.

“I don’t know,” you sighed, “just thinking, imagining what would happen if these ever came down.”

“I don’t think that’s happenin’ any time soon, (Y/N),” Rick said, trying to comfort you. 

“You never know,” you said, trying to see all the way to the top. You had been walking the perimeter of your new home for a while. It wasn’t as if you were deliberately looking for faults in Reg’s design, but it did offer you come comfort before you went to sleep. 

“Where are the others?” Rick asked. 

“Around,” you said with a shrug. “Sasha and Abe are in the tower, Michonne is with Carl and Judith, and Beth is with Daryl and Maggie.” Your voice got quieter when you mentioned Daryl and Beth. Rick approached you then and gently ran his hand along your arm until he got to your hand. He carefully untangled your arms and took your hand in his and you let him, grateful for the firm pressure. 

“Walk with me?” he asked and you nodded, allowing him to lead you away from the wall and back onto the streets that were emptying due to the late hour. 

“Is everything okay?” you asked him. 

“Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing,” he said, looking at you in the low light of the evening. 

“I’m okay,” you said. “I haven’t felt this good in a while if I’m honest. I’m not sure if that is just this place or the people, but I finally feel calm.”

“I’m glad,” Rick said. You were quiet for a moment before you finally stopped and took his other hand. 

“Thank you,” you said, looking him in the eye. 

“For what?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. 

“You know,” you said, urging him to see your truth in your eyes. You would always be grateful for how he had comforted you that night in the woods. The two of you understood each other so well and nothing was going to change that. You just hoped that you finally had a place to truly put some roots down. You then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. 

It was quick, but it made the man before you smile as he slung his arm around your shoulders and pulled you close. He didn’t say anything as you walked, but it was enough just being there with him. 

It wasn’t long after that you finally voiced your opinion on the Alexandria subject. “I want to stay here, Rick,” you told him. He leaned into you and you could see the gears turning in his head. 

“I know,” he said, “and I want us too. Only if we are positive that it’s completely safe.”

“Do you have your doubts?”

“Don’t you?” he asked.

“I have concerns, but not doubts. I don’t doubt that this place could flourish and prosper with small changes, but my concern is that the people here won’t try. I don’t think the Monroes know how to survive. I’ve spoken to Michonne about this too and she agrees, Carol too.”

“I agree,” Rick said. “Changes have to happen if we are all going to survive. I am prepared to talk to Deanna about it soon. I think it needs to start with getting her boys out of positions of authority.”

“Good luck with that,” you said with a snort.

“If we have to,” Rick whispered, “We will take this place and we will help it grow and protect it. If that happens, can I count on your support with that?” 

“Of course,” you said, looking up at him. “Rick, you know that I would follow you to the ends of the Earth. We all would.” 

“Good, cause I need you by my side.”

“For a revolution?”

“For whatever we face,” Rick admitted and you smiled shyly at that. 

“I want to start a life here,” you responded. 

“You deserve it,” Rick said. 

“We deserve it,” you corrected. 

“Yeah, we do,” he said softly before glancing down at your lips. You thought he was moving closer and almost met him halfway when suddenly Abraham’s voice cut through the tension as he waved Rick over. Rick sighed in annoyance, but you just chuckled.

“Go on, you,” you said, playfully pushing him away. “Go be our leader.” Rick gave you another smile before pressing a kiss to your forehead and jogging after Abraham who looked to be quite annoyed. Whatever it was, Rick would be able to handle it. That was just who he was.

------

The day that Noah died was one of the hardest days of your life.

You could still see the look on Glenn’s face when you saw him in that revolving door. The last time you had seen him so shaken was after Terminus and it started to bring back horrible memories. Seeing the Walkers feast on your friend had made you actually sick. You had to force yourself to snap out of it and finally use a piece of metal to shatter the glass to help Glenn out. 

As you helped him to his feet, the Walkers pounded on the glass across from you, the fresh blood of their recent kill smearing on the door. You and Glenn had clutched each other as you stumbled away from the building, tears racing down both of your cheeks. 

When it was clear, you had both collapsed and cried. After everything you had done to rescue and protect the kid, that was how he had to go out. It was cruel and unfair and you were sick of it. 

Glenn wanted to kill Nicholas, but you couldn’t feel the rage that simmered in your blood. Nothing was feeling real as you walked up to Alexandria’s gate. Nothing felt safe anyone. You couldn’t bring yourself to even look at the sign that declared the community a “Safe Zone” because you knew the truth. No matter how many walls there were, the world was always dangerous and it would always take things away. 

The Dead would always win. 

Glenn went straight for Nicholas when the gates slid open, but you had your own task to do. Waiting just up the road was Beth who stood with Daryl and Maggie. As Maggie ran to stop her husband from breaking a nose or possibly a neck, you walked up to Beth. You were still covered in Walker blood and you had a cut on your arm from breaking the glass. 

“Beth,” you started. 

“Where is he?” Beth asked quietly. You wanted to reach for her hand, but it didn’t feel right. Nothing felt right. 

“Beth, I’m so sorry,” you said and she immediately began to cry. “Noah is dead and I’m sorry I couldn’t protect him.” Beth started sobbing as her knees buckled. Daryl caught her before she could hit the ground, keeping her upright. 

“How?” she asked in between sobs. 

“He and Glenn were cornered by Walkers. I was looking for a way out, and I left them…” you admitted. “I should have been there to protect him.”

“Wasn’t yer fault, girl,” Daryl said as he held Beth, but you didn’t want to believe him. You went with them because you were the best at spotting trouble. Noah was just a kid and you tried to convince him to stay behind, but he had insisted and you knew why. He wasn’t going to change just because there was now a sense of security. 

Beth continued to cry and you didn’t know how to help her. Her fingers were digging into Daryl’s leather jacket and he looked miserable as he struggled to figure out a way to help her. You backed away slowly, trying to distance yourself, but it wasn’t easy as you began to feel your own emotions swelling in your chest. 

You began to breath heavily and then, you felt a hand on your arm. Looking up, you saw Rick. “Come on,” he whispered as he towed you away from the grieving girl and towards his house. He didn’t let go until you were in his room and he closed the door. 

With a yell of frustration, you lashed out, sending a chair flying to the ground. “I can’t do this,” you breathed. “I can’t...I can’t breathe. I am so sick of losing people.”

“Calm down,” Rick said gently, placing his hands on your shoulders but you shook him off. 

“I can’t, Rick,” you said, shaking your head. “I thought all of this would be good for us, but I was wrong! It just seems that everything I touch turns to ash or blows up in my damn face!”

“No,” he said, “that’s not true.”

“Yes, it is!” you bellowed. “I can’t do this anymore! I can’t handle the loss. God, I just—” 

Without warning, Rick kissed you. 

His hands gripped the sides of your neck as he kissed you firmly, cutting off your words. Your own hands came up and gripped him around the waist as you kissed him back. The feeling that rushed through you was like nothing you had ever felt before. Nothing could have prepared you for what Rick Grimes felt like when kissing you. 

He pulled you in tighter, angling his head more so you were nearly pressed against him. He was firm but gentle as he took his time trying to tell you everything he was feeling at that moment and you were dissolving in his arms. 

Rick pulled back when he felt a tear slide down your cheek. When you broke apart, his blue eyes shone with something you hadn’t seen before. Reaching up, he wiped the stray tear before it could fall from your chin. 

“You are not cursed,” he whispered as he looked down at you with love in his eyes. “You are human and you are beautiful. You don’t see yourself as I see you and what I see is a fighter. You have saved us so much and dammit, (Y/N), you saved me.” 

A sob tore through your throat as you pulled him back in for another kiss. The second one was much more hurried and feverish, but it felt right. When he began trailing kisses down your neck, you pushed back again. “We shouldn’t do this,” you argued, “not when I’m being a basket case.”

“I’m not doing this cause you’re upset, (Y/N),” Rick said firmly. “And I’m not doing this because I miss Lori or that I just want to offer you some kind of comfort. I’m doing this because I want to, I need to, not to cure some ache.” 

“Really?” you asked, unsure of what else to say. You knew that Lori had been his first true love and you thought Daryl had been yours, but perhaps you both had been wrong. 

“Yes,” Rick promised, and then as if he was reading your mind, he said, “Are you still waiting for him?” You shook your head. 

“No. In fact, I don’t think he was ever the one I was actually waiting for,” you admitted and he smiled softly. 

“Then, come here,” he said as he pulled you back into him. You rested your head on his chest as he embraced you, kissing the top of your head. “We’re goin’ to get through this.”

“Promise?” you asked him as the two of you began to sway in the silence.

“Always,” he whispered, running his hands along your spine. “You told me you wanted to build a life. I want to do that together, (Y/N).” You lifted your face to look up at him and you nodded. 

“I would love that,” you admitted and he smiled.

“Good, cause I ain’t goin’ anywhere,” he promised.

“Good,” you echoed and he pressed a kiss to your forehead. You stood in his arms for a few more moments, letting his warmth consume you. “Noah’s gone…” you whispered. 

“I know, Darlin’,” Rick said. 

“Can you stay with me?” you asked, clutching at his shirt. 

“As I said, I’m not going anywhere.” 

And as you held him, listening to the steady beat of his heart in his chest, you believed him and made a promise of your own. Nothing would take you away from him, you would die before you let that happen. You and Rick wanted to build a life and by hell or high water, that was what you were going to do. 

TAGS:  @thanossexual​ @yes-sir-hotchner​  @felicisimor @lucillethings

[rogueninja]

hi kat ^^ star wars for the fandom asks? (it can be from any of the og trilogy to the sequels/spinoffs)

the character i least understand

honestly rey... i don't feel like any of the writers/directors agreed on who she was or what she was like and i feel like i don't understand her really as a person...

interactions i enjoyed the most

mando and omera in s1e4 of the mandalorian. the longing looks and how she treats him more as a person than a mandalorian (unlike everyone prior to that episode), recognizes his role as a father to grogu. his body language is so relaxed around her. idk they were cute and i'll never give up on loving their relationship T_T

the character who scares me the most

hmmmm darth vader i guess?? he was legitimately very indimidating in the OT. also anakin (like episode 2 anakin) is sooo disturbing for obvious reasons.

the character who is mostly like me

obi-wan maybe????? (this question is the hardest like literally who am i)

hottest looks character

trilla suduri from jedi fallen order (wife)

one thing i dislike about my fave character

(din djarin) he gave away baby yoda :( din why

one thing i like about my hated character

(xi'an (twi'lek from mando season 1)) she uhhh is entertaining. and played by that one lady! who i like in other stuff

a quote or scene that haunts me

ok there's this scene in TCW when ahsoka beheads a bunch of mandalorians at once i think and like it's bretty brutal AND in a kids show AND she's a jedi and i was like OMG??? there are actually a bunch of scenes from TCW, like when those ear worms infect the clones and ahsoka has to kill the ones attacking them (and she really doesn't seem to care lol). ALSOO this one scene where ventress like kisses a guy (maybe a clone??) before stabbing him. i found out that scene was actually cut from the aired tv show but they added back on disney+ lololol.

a character i wish died but didn’t

i really really really really wish palpatine had stayed dead. resuurecting for the sequel trilogy was the stupidest story decision ever.

my ship that never sailed

mandomera T_____T do i dare hold out for season 3? (clown behavior)

[avenger-hawk]

Tagged by @altraes (thank you, it was fun to do this~)

List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

                                                       *

(I wrote the first paragraphs because my first lines alone don’t make much sense lol)

1- ACQUIESCENCE (Minato/Itachi) my first fic ever. darkish but just a little, angsty. I’m proud of it cause another author wrote a sequel to it.

 to ac·qui·esce: to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying silent or by not arguing. A flurry of leaves, swept away by the autumn wind, caught the Hokage's attention while he took off his large hat. That time of the year should have been warmer.

2- THE WILL OF FIRE (Shiita, Danzo/Shisui, Danzo/Itachi) This was dark and shiita fans didn’t like it lol.

 Just like his owner, Danzo's studio was dark and dusty. The man didn't look as old as Hiruzen, but he was twice as scary; thus would think a boy of Itachi's age. Not him. He was not allowed to be afraid.

3- WHAT HE WANTED (Itasasu) Even tho I rewrote it cause I didn’t like how I initially characterized them and their dynamics this is my most popular fic. Maybe because it’s a post-ending, canon divergent, fix-it kind of story. Maybe because it’s Itasasu and I put so much love into writing their dynamics and, also, in giving Sasuke a good ending since canon didn’t do him justice.

Sasuke is where everybody wants him to be: in Konoha. With the battle and the arm he also lost the urge to fight. He's had enough of traveling. He's tired of chasing and being chased. So tired that even if he meant every word about starting a revolution, being the Hokage and build a new era, he had wondered, though only for a moment, if he would be able to really accomplish such tasks all by himself.

4- IN POWER WE ENTRUST THE LOVE ADVOCATED (Itasasu) THis is my second most popular fic. This one too was written after the ending and tried to give Sasuke justice. I planned to write a sequel but I got busy with other projects and lost interest in it.

The gates open, letting the shinobi in after a successfully completed mission. Being on duty the following day Sasuke declines his team mates' proposal to have dinner together, the reddish sunset light forcing him to squint as he walks towards the Hokage's office.

5- PRESSURE (Itasasu) Taken from In Power that can be read as a standalone oneshot.

Itachi wakes up to the sound of pouring water.

6- IN DREAMS (Itasasu, Izuna/Sasuke, DARKFIC). This is one of the darkest things I wrote. The Izuna/Sasuke crackpair was for @admiral-izusasu. The plot, the dynamics, everything has a double, or triple reading, plot related and metaphorical for other, real-life issues such as knowing people online, and emotional abuse from narcissistic people. I wrote it when I was fighting against one of these psychos, on tumblr itself, so this fic has a personal meaning for me. But also the plot and the canon divergent ending thing is cool, I think it’s one of my best fics, even though I coulnd’t care less about izuna.

They say that nature will always find a way. After the end of the war flowers keep blooming like nothing happened even if the light is fainter, filtered from the tall branches of the Shinju tree, now grown into a forest spread all over the world.

7- SOMBER CREATION PALE DESTRUCTION (Madara/Sasuke dom/sub-ish). Darkish? Who knows, I write darkfish stuff all the time. I was (and am) very proud of this fic, the canon divergent turn it took (who am I kidding, it’s really cool lol) and the weird relationship/dynamics these 2 created. So I didn’t update it anymore, because doing so would break their thin balance. Ssssh, don’t tell me it doesn’t make sense, I don’t believe you xD

History teaches that Madara Uchiha died at the hands of Hashirama Senju. Their statues were erected in the Valley Of The End where their battle was fought, where the shinobi god ended his best friend's life in order to protect the village they founded together. No one knows that Madara didn't die there.

8- IN THE DARK (kakashi/Sasuke, mob/Sasuke noncon). This is a very dark oneshot that I’m proud of, cause it ‘explains’ canon Sasuke personality in Shinden and later, and that I use as prequel for many fics, like WHW but also OFAF and Broken Things (see later for both).

Things never went as Sasuke wanted. After the war it's no different, although everything seems fine at first, Team 7 finally at peace with each other, the war ended and the village that Itachi protected, even as a dead man, safe. Nevertheless he is arrested when he's still in the hospital.

9- VICTIMS OF PEACE (Shisui/Sasuke dom/sub-ish) I am so proud of this fic, of its non massacre universe, of the dark-ish slow burn relationship between Shisui and Sasuke I wrote, tentatively at first cause no one did it or thought much about it, and because that non massacre filler was bad, but still it was inspiration. I know shiita fans hated me even more for this cause shisui is only paired with itachi, and also itachi/itasasu fans were disappointed but still. This is maybe the fic I’m most proud of.

If a traveler arrived from a random village in the Fire Country he would certainly notice how different Konoha was. He would not be able to pinpoint exactly why at first, because the buildings, houses and shops are similar, just like their gardens, fields and animals. Only after some thought he would understand that the difference is in their people: other villagers are relaxed and casual, even loud. Children run around the streets, chasing each other, playing tag or hide-and-seek. Their fathers bring them presents and their mothers buy them new clothes.

10- OF FEATHERS AND FANGS (DARK Narusasu) I received a lot of hate for this one, which makes me proud of it even more. so many naruto stans were butthurt by my characterization of him as a possessive not sunshine selfless boy and their dynamics as crazy.

Jiraiya used to complain that the first sign of getting old was waking up at night for no reason and not being able to fall back asleep. For Naruto, this only happened after the war.

11- BLACK ROSES (Itasasu, dom/sub-ish) Smutty Bloody Darky Hokage Itachi/Anbu Sasuke oneshot

Because of his farsighted politics, his loyalty towards his allies as well as his iron fist against his enemies, Itachi quickly became one of the most respected leaders in the shinobi world, and because of his unequaled diplomatic skills, along with his vast culture, impeccable manners and refined appearance, he became popular among nobles, including the Daimyo, whose official visits increased since the Uchiha rose to power.

12- NELL’IPOTESI GRANDE (=IN THE BIG HYPOTHESIS) (MetaMoro, not Naruto) I’m very proud of this one cause it’s a psycho-pass inspired longfic set in a retrofuturistic Italy with a totalitarian consumeristic regime. But that fandom is so shitty and they all hate me cause I called them homophobic fascists so no one cares. The excerpt is translated too.

He’s reminded of Pirandello’s* words as he’s riding the automatic taxi across the city, exiting the center towards EUR. COmpared to Milan with its skyscrapers, multilevel streets, automatic cars and incessant novelties, the capital is basically the same as it was portrayed in old illustrations: renaissance and 20th century buildings, seagulls, pines among the Roman ruins, sycamore trees on the Lungotevere, that was probably already busy with traffic when people travelled on horse carriages. (*an Italian writer)

13- DA UOMO A UOMO, MANO NELLA MANO (from man to man, hand in hand) (Metamoro) lol I was hated a lot for this one too. tbh the hate I received in the Naruto fandom is nothing compared to this other shitty fandom

For an artist like Fabrizio, mainly focused on expressing what he has inside, public relations are the hardest part of his job, especially when it’s about events where, instead of fans, of whom he perceives the sincere affection, other artists and professionals are invited. His experience taught him that most of them are hypocrites ready to jump on the winner’s bandwagon as quickly as to throw mud at the loser.

14- STRENGTH THROUGH WOUNDING (wip) (Obito/Sasuke, Obito/Itachi, dark.-ish) 

There is something nostalgic in the eerie way the boy's screams resonate through the dark cavern-like hideout, their pain bouncing from one curved wall to another, their anguish filling their crevices. It’s like hearing his past self from an external perspective, like Madara did. Which is fitting, for Obito is Madara now.

15- WORDS UNSAID (wip) (Kakashi/Sasuke) 

A black flame that cannot be extinguished: they had been warned about Amaterasu by Jiraiya, but seeing it was impressive nevertheless. The whole area was surrounded by black flames and the rain pouring hard could nothing against it. They found Sasuke there, surrounded, imprisoned by black flames that were extinguishing themselves, so they found a breach.

16- BLEEDING ME (Metamoro vampire/priest darkfic) No one can understand this in the Naruto fandom but it’s an AU interpretation of the Da UOMO A UOMO character dynamics where one is an emotional vampire-like person. I’m very proud of this fic tbh.

According to folk stories the forest was so big and full of dangers that God himself put a church where it ended, so that its priest would protect the people living nearby. It was a small, white building that didn’t match the typical stones and wood brownish ones of that region, with no stained glass windows or fancy columns, spires or gargoyles, only crosses with skulls and bones, and an engraving in an unknown language.

17- WILD CHILD (Metamoro cop/drug dealer AU). At this point I hate that fandom so much but I like my ideas and I write only for my girl whom I met in that very shitty fandom.

Everything seems bigger in children’s eyes. Like the playground in the courtyard of the church, with its slides and swings that for Ermal’s siblings were the setting of countless imaginary adventures which they told him in detail, enthusiastically interrupting each other, when he picked them up after school.

18- TRUE COLORS (Itasasu, dark, dom/sub) By now I’m only interested in writing dark IS and I enjoyed writing this one lol

"I knew you had it in you. You're a sadistic control freak. Even more than me." Orochimaru's voice resounded in Itachi's ears. Again.

19- OF FEATHERS AND FANGS 2: TO REPAIR WITH GOLD (Dark Narusasu). Cause I didn’t piss off NS fans enough I guess? lol this is ongoing and I like this idea so much

It's a rainy day in Konoha but no one seems to notice. Everyone is focused on the Hokage delivering his eulogy.

20- BROKEN THINGS (Shisui/Sasuke) My latest creation, I’m so proud of it cause it’s Shisasu again, my rarepair! and it was supposed to be a oneshot but it got longer because they have such a cool dynamic that things just happen and get longer.

In the Land of Water summers were hot and damp, autumn and spring were damp for the frequent rains and winter was no less, with its cold temperature and ubiquitous dampness. It wasn't a problem for Sasuke though.

                                                                       *

Tagging: @renamon15 and all the other authors I can’t remember right now and who want to do this, tag me back so I can read your first lines lol

[agentnico]

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) Review

Why specifically 1984? Why not 83 or 85? What is so significant about 1984? 83 had Ronald Reagan propose development of tech that would intercept enemy missiles, and the project was called “Star Wars”. In 85 there was an earthquake in Mexico that killed 9,000 and Coca Cola made a new Coke! Impressive stuff! What happened in 1984? *another quick Google check* Aids break out. Oh. Oh no.

Plot: Diana Prince lives quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s - an era of excess driven by the pursuit of having it all. Though she's come into her full powers, she maintains a low profile by curating ancient artefacts, and only performing heroic acts incognito. But soon, Diana will have to muster all of her strength, wisdom and courage as she finds herself squaring off against Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah, a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.

After many delays due to COVID once again doing a COVID and messing things up, Warner Bros. finally released Wonder Woman 1984, due to concerns of audiences losing interest in the project. I remember enjoying the first Wonder Woman years ago, and though it didn’t reinvent the superhero genre, as an origin story is was watchable and there were a couple cool action set pieces, such as the notable trench sequence where Diana fights through No Man’s Land and literally all that’s missing is her screeching “GIRL POWER!” everytime she deflected a gun bullet! Anyway, nothing ground-breaking but a decent piece of entertainment. Now we have sequel set in the 80s that plans to go bigger, bolder, grander.....well, you know, the usual sequel stuff. And they have the Mandalorian himself along for the ride, because even Warner Bros. knows that this is the way.

Having watched the film I must say, it is disappointing. Though in reality is it really disappointing? Personally I had hardly any expectations anyway, so it’s not as if my hopes and dreams have been crunched and shattered and thrown into a pit of despair! Wow, that came off as if I am super in denial, which I am not, I promise, okay?? In all seriousness though, the movie is a mess. With a runtime of two and a half hours, the film is filled with pacing issues so much so that I can say I was bored 50% of the time. A lot of it doesn’t make sense, the editing is atrocious and also this baby is filled to the brim with plot holes! So. Many. Plot Holes. For example, right from the start, one of the opening scenes involves Wonder Woman stopping a robbery at a mall. The robbery in itself is botched up. "I'm not going back!" screams one of the criminals, so hey, I'm going to hold this kid over the railing and almost drop her so that I can go to jail for murder. Genius writing there. Anyway, so Diana swoops in, saves the kid obviously, then proceeds to destroy the cameras in the mall as if that will also magically erase the footage that has already been recorded as well as all the witnesses that have seen her show off her bongo-bongo power mojo. So she’s trying to hide her identity and existence a secret, and apparently has been doing so for years, yet all her heroic moments happen in the middle of the public’s eye, so there is no way that she could have stayed confidential all this time. Then again, Superman can put on a pair of cheap glasses and all of a sudden he’s this random fella named Clark Kent, so what do I know? My guess is that the human population in the DC world are stupid and aren’t capable of adding 2 plus 2! Right, onto the next plot hole. So throughout most of the film, it feels like the movie is set in autumn or something along those lines. One of the characters gives food to a homeless person and tells them to stay warm, and also many people passing by are wearing coats and furs. Suddenly at one point there is a firework display and Diana winks to the camera and says “oh look, it’s the Fourth of July!” I’m sorry, last time I checked that date is set in the summer. Why would I know this? Well maybe cause it happens to also be my birthday! Next! So Diana can fly in this movie. How? Or why? I don’t know! Because “GIRL POWER!” I guess? I don’t know, this new superpower comes out of nowhere, yet its not referred to at all in Justice League, which is set many years later. So yeah, sounds like director Patty Jenkins couldn’t give a single flying dollop of poop about continuity. Speaking of random decisions, Wonder Woman’s new golden armor serves absolutely no purpose at the end of the film. She decides to randomly use it one point for no particular reason, and in fact it slowed her down more than anything, after which it was all forgotten about. Look, I can go on forever, this movie is filled with disorganised and erratic plot decisions and it makes zero to no sense!

Visually this film is disappointing too. Taking into account that this is a big budget film from one of the biggest film studios, the special effects in this film are atrocious. The green screen is so obvious and the CGI sets are clearly fake. Diana spends a lot of the film doing jumps and then floating in a very peculiar way in the sky, and it looks laughably bad. Even the 80′s setting doesn’t feel quite right. Yes, the costumes are somewhat okay, but the atmosphere is off and it seems the director’s opinion of the 80s is that everyone needs to act like a caricature.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is okay. Look, Gadot seems like a very lovely and earnest person in real life, and her face is indeed very likeable, but I still haven’t seen her give a good performance. It’s the typical pretty Hollywood face, and you can tell she’s trying her hardest, but I can never properly buy her as this female superhero pop culture icon. Chris Pine returns even though he died in the first one. Look, the way he’s brought back is a bit strange, however I did actually like seeing Pine in the movie, as he was one of the best parts of the first film, and he brings that same charm and charisma in this one, now with the added factor of being the fish out of water. And to be honest, his presence actually does provide the movie with some needed emotional heft, as it explores the ideas of having to get over someone you’ve lost and learning to accept it and move on. In terms of villains, there are two in this movie. Kristin Wiig as Cheetah feels very shoehorned in and is mainly there to have Diana fight someone at the end of the film. Kristen Wiig does her part, however the character is written really badly, and her development into becoming a villain comes off as rushed and cheap. On the other hand Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord is actually not bad. He’s not the typical superpowered baddie, he’s actually a normal human being, and even though, again, there are some inconsistencies with his character, Pascal brings enough swagger and panache to the role. And I’m sure he actually enjoyed playing a role where you can actually see his face.

As a whole, Wonder Woman 1984 is a mess. There are some good moments, but generally this is a very disjointed movie that doesn’t make sense and is extremely chaotic. Also, the entire thing is really boring. I’d say if you want more of an organised and wholesome movie, check out Disney Pixar’s new animation Soul! Or The Mandalorian with Pedro Pascal, as indeed... this is the way.

Overall score: 3/10

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Lifeuniverse42 Day 2

Author: @lifeuniverse42​

Share one of your strengths.

Weaving elements into a story that give people a reason to read a second time. I'm careful about including details that likely won't be caught until a repeat trip through the story.

Share one of your weaknesses.

A need for validation. I love those comments! I'm half-kidding, of course. One of my writing weaknesses is communicating emotions effectively for my characters. I tend to put a bit too much emphasis on subtlety and forget to make clear how people care about each other.

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

A Love Story, hands down. I had grand plans for where that one was going, and it got away from me. The characters wouldn't sit down, behave, and follow the roadmap in my head. (Spoiler alert: they never do).

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

A Ghost Story. I was mostly playing with the characters and hadn't written myself into any corners, yet.

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

Hobby, mostly. It's something I genuinely enjoy, but it isn't my career.

Is there an episode or character or arc above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

Blaine. I find him absolutely fascinating. The inconsistencies in his writing and the events that were alluded to, but never fleshed out, lead to a really interesting portrait of a character. He has so many insecurities for someone introduced as so confident, it's incredibly fun to dig into the inner workings of his mind.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

I guess this doesn't really apply to writing actual fanfiction, but it's this: Write everything as if it's fanfiction. It means that you don't need to spend ages setting up your characters. Jump straight into the story, and people will get to know your characters through their actions and reactions instead of through a massive block of text detailing their history.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

'Try to eliminate all pronouns in your third-person story'. What?

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

Oh, gosh. Um, A Ghost Story, I think? I'm not sure any of my stories would translate particularly well to film.

What’s your process? Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? What are the perfect writing conditions for you?

I write an outline. And then I don't live to that outline in the slightest. I write by the seat of my pants. I write from start to finish, letting the characters do as they like. It can be frustrating, because things never turn out the way I'd want, but it's also freeing. The only useful outlining I've ever done is to keep myself from having to re-read my own stories when I go back for a sequel. Perfect writing conditions are sitting on my couch, watching Netflix or Youtube in between chapters. I have to step back from time to time for perspective.

***

Check out Lifeuniverse42′s Fic

A Love Story -  With Blaine still recovering in Ohio and Kurt living it up in the big city, will they be able to make things work? In this sequel to A Ghost Story and A Recovery Story, Kurt's working for Vogue and balancing roommates, Blaine's balancing recovery and deciding whether he wants to admit who hurt him. With all of the challenges facing them, will they make it out together? Or will it be just another sad love story?

Dis/connect -  When Kurt answers an ad for a man looking for a 'companion' in a ridiculously cheap brownstone in Brooklyn, all he can hope is that it isn't some weird sex thing. What he finds instead is Blaine, a complicated man getting over a complicated past, who needs someone like Kurt to help him connect to the world again.

[senttotheshadowrealm]

The entire Pixar!

Oh wow, that’s a lot xD I’ll try my best! (I’m gonna send you one when I’m out of class and able to send an ask, I didn’t just steal this I promise :’D)

Top 5 favourite characters: HECTOR, Ernesto, Miguel, Woody, and EVE

 Other characters you like: Slinky Dog!, Barley Lightfoot, Wall-E, Randall Boggs, Ellie Fredrickson, Bruce the Shark (and a bunch of others!) 

Least favourite characters: SPOT, Imelda *prepares for the flaming pitchforks*, Russell, Arlo 

 Otps: Wall-E/ EVE, Carl/ Ellie, Bob and Helen Parr, Ernector (fun to play with in AUs and such, but I don’t think they were actually romantic in the canon)

Notps: Imector *prepares for the stones*

Favourite friendships: Ernesto and Hector (pre-betrayal of course) ,Miguel and Dante, Buzz and Woody, Marlin and Dory, The Circus Bugs  

Favourite family: The Riveras

Favourite episodes: ????

 Favourite season/book/movie: COCO, but the first three Toy Story films hold a special place too. 

Favourite quotes: “I would move Heaven and Earth for you, mi amigo! Salud!”, “Dumb flower bridge!”, “YOU. ARE. A. TOYYYYYY!”, “I am MISSES! NESBIT!”, “To Infinity and Beyond!”, “I don’t know....but whatever I do.... I’m going to live every minute of it!”

Best musical moment: Anything in Coco, honestly. But Remember Me (lullaby) overall, Llorona for sound.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: The first time seeing HECTOR‘S PHOTO~ <3

When it really disappointed you: The entirety of The Good Dinosaur. I really don’t know what they were smoking...

Saddest moment: Uuuuuughhh there are so mannnyyyy..... Probably either the Remember Me lullaby or the legendary first 10 mins of UP

Most well done character death: Hector’s lol That flashback scene is cinematic GOLD  

Favourite guest star: Lee in Coco. “What did I miss?”

Favourite cast member: Gael Garcia Bernal <3

Character you wish was still alive: Ellie. Omg. (I was gonna say Hector but he’d probably have died of natural causes by now anyway lol)

One thing you hope really happens: Coco sequel!!!

Most shocking twist: Ernesto’s a baddie. I was genuinely shocked.

When did you start watching/reading?: Lol oh God. I had Toy Story sheets on my first bed when I was 3 so.... young.

Best animal/creature: Pepita! She’s rad!

Favourite location: Land of the Dead <3

Trope you wish they would stop using: Honestly, I couldn’t say. I think Pixar avoids a good amount of tropes.

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Emotions. Pixar films know how to build worlds and characters and know how to make people care about them.

Funniest moments: All of Finding Nemo is hysterical. But my favorite moment of all time is the bug zapper scene from Bug’s Life. That KILLS me every time! The one skeleton dancing to the accordion music cracks me up, too!

Couple you would like to see: None that I can think of???

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: No one in particular.

Favourite outfit:I may not like her very much, but Imelda’s outfit is👌  

Favourite item: Ummm....Hector’s guitar???

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: lmao oh yeah! Shirts, figures, bedding, a bunch of stuff!

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: Riveras. They’re honestly so supportive and wonderful <3

Most boring plotline:Cars. Like holy crap its a snooze fest.

Most laughably bad moment: Cars 2. All of it. It is so delightfully insane from start to finish that I kinda love it. 

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Again, Hector’s death scene. Such incredible story-telling, so much history about the characters, so much emotion packed into what is only a couple minute sequence. It’s wonderful.

Most layered character: Oooofff....I gotta say Ernesto. There’s a lot going on in that deranged mind of his. And they’re so fun to ponder about.

Most one dimensional character: Bing bong. He’s there to die. The end.

Scariest moment: Toy Story 3′s incinerator scene. They just...accept death... Having fun, kids?

Grossest moment: Syndrome getting sucked into the plane engine at the end of Incredibles. What a way to go xP

Best looking male: Living Hectorrrr~ <3

Best looking female: Luisa Rivera. She a cutie pie :3

Who you’re crushing on (if any): HECTOR <3 <3 <3  

Favourite cast moment: I like when they used to do those blooper reels at the end of their movies. Does that count?

Favourite transportation: Pizza Planet truck. It can apparently go anywhere.

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Miguel seeing the LotD for the first time. Ooof <3

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: None that I can think of.

Best promo: I liked the media spots they did for Coco. A lot of them are on YouTube if anyone hasn’t seen them.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: Again, quite young xD

Whew, that was a LOT! But it was a lot of funnn~

[feather-dancer]

Trollhunters Fanfic Recommendations - Part 3

Somehow there is now a third one of these because I read far far too much fanfic and have no regrets about it. It’s with great pleasure I can also announce I’ve been digging around for Trans Jim fics and found some gems while I was at it that have been included below.

You can find Part 1 of my fanfic recommendations here!

And Part 2 here!

Plus one shameless plug for my own current fics.

General Trollhunters

(And you're my Arcadia.) - All you need to know is it’s Jilaire post Season 3 and one line in particular made me burst out laughing.

Bitter[sweet] - Sometimes the thing you need most is just a really good friend when your body plain sucks. Contains Trans Jim and is delightful.

the red book - Far beyond the humble days of Season 3 and after living beyond his human family and friends, Jim has started to forget who he was and that he was ever just a human kid.

The Halls of Arcadia High - When Strickler disappeared in Season 1, his absence was felt in many ways even in the form of a humble piano left un-played.

Not - Not!Enrique isn’t his name yet it’s what they call him anyway. An albatross reminding him of what was taken before he even had a chance to start.

On the Radio  - The final telling of the Janus Order.

Gay stories for Tales of Arcadia - Yeah I’m pretty sure you can guess where this is going, LGBTQ+ rep!

Through the Fires - There was a before time, one where Gunmar still roamed free and Deya had yet to be chosen let alone felled. These are the words of the humble witnesses of that war, from the changelings to the trolls who would oppose them.

Trollhunters: A Series of Disjointed Drabbles - This is so cute and fluffy I might just spontaneously combust.

Insomnolence - It is after the final battle and Jim has a lot of thoughts.

another tragedy - Anxiety is a bastard, it gives a lot of bad thoughts but sometimes there is a little bit of truth buried beneath it all and it whispers all about how you can keeping doing the wrong things for the right reasons. Season 2.

i will always hold you close (but i will learn to let you go) - Sometimes the hardest thing you can do is learning when to let go. Sometimes however, even when you want to they hold back even tighter. Season 2.

your eyes look like coming home - Toby has been the witness from the start of just how close Jim has been to death multiple times over and how Jim he is about the whole thing. It scares him how this time might be it, again and again. Season 2.

The Collected Tellings of Shigir and Other Changeling Folktales - I don’t actually know which category to put this under so I’m going the to heck with it route instead. Does exactly what it says on the tin for your Changeling lore needs, some of which will be off-hand mentioned or outright appear during the fantastic Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I.

Please note: The main fic is Stricklake if that’s not your cup of tea, the folktales however can be enjoyed regardless.

~~~

Stricklake

all that dazzling dawn has put asunder - The sequel to in my sleep i dreamed of waking, this is filled with delightful fluff, internal panicking and the joys of trying to explain how you’re a not and how that does not change the fact Strickler is still a was. Being a changeling in these strange after times are difficult even before the other baggage involved but at least you're still here to start.

Two Pisces in Alto Mare - When in Rome as part of a study trip abroad, you meet the most curious people sometimes and  by fluke or nature you may even do so more than once.

Filling The Gaps - Possibly a bit of an unusual mention but! These are little pieces of Fallout that were going on while our eyes were following elsewhere and boy it can hurt.

Rehearsals and DvD Bonus Features - Another from the home of Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I which is being listed here because it does have Stricklake in it. Some things don’t make the cut with writing fanfic, either because the plot wandered off, it doesn’t fit right or it’s some backstory you haven’t quite figured out where it can be naturally brought up yet and in this case they’ve found themselves a home. Be warned, one particular chapter is explicit and has been marked as such in warnings in the chapter summary.

~~~

Alternate Universes

(Un)Becoming - Not technically an AU in the conventional sense but I’m putting it under here anyway. It’s Unbecoming, as ever the road to hell is paved with good intentions but as Jim threw in the towel the storm that’s coming will not be stopped. However, what if others caught glimpses of a world that still had a human Trollhunter to defend it?

Steve the Kind - Steve became the Trollhunter but how the adventure unfolds differently than when Jim was at the helm might just surprise you. Very slow burn Steve and Jim that in a rather refreshing change doesn’t throw Claire under the bus for it to happen. Praise be.

31 Days in the Darklands - Strickmar that somehow kinda works?? It helps with Gunmar having the space to breathe outside of getting Morgana out and be more of his own character. Storywise, in order to rescue Jim from the Darklands Strickler broke a deal that would cost his own freedom and now has to somehow maintain a treaty between three very different factions all the while keeping his own neck intact. The intense distrust in changelings continues on to boot but hey, nobody said politics was easy.

Building Bridges - So Gunmar is distinctly of the more Eldritch variety with dream powers, the ability to easily see through lies for the true emotions and thoughts, Bular has the Insight as well to a lesser extent and everyone has somehow managed to hop onto Stricklander’s bandwagon of we must protect Jim Lake Jr. at all costs. Now the race is on as both sides try to sway the young Trollhunter to their way of thinking and the Trollmarket has no idea how dangerously badly they’re doing so far.

Lost Souls - A fic written in variable snapshots. Jim was kidnapped and changed by Merlin far earlier to be his Champion to ensure he did the “right thing” while Barbara in desperation to find her son falls into the hands of Morgana thus mother and son become enemies without even realising it.

Faithfully - Barbara died overseas and yet somehow Jim still managed to make his way back to Arcadia to become the next Trollhunter. This road is far harder for it as a seemingly homeless orphan though on the flipside he keeps on acquiring dads. Contains Trans Jim, timeline variable snapshots and I love it very much.

The Burning - There was a fire, it killed Barbara and Jim was thought dead as well. Nobody could have guessed the feral half changeling that is running around like a cryptid is the very much alive Jim.

Finding Daylight - Jim is a very low ranking changeling, terrified of Bular and his home amounts to little more than a spot in the woods. Things started to go pear shaped for him when he accidentally stumbled over Blinky and only more so when the amulet picks him after Kanjigar is felled. Tis not a kind world for a changeling child out there and he has nobody really to help watch his back until he stumbles on a potential maybe.

~~~

The bonus shoutout for an excellent MSA fic   

A Sleep Like Death - Who wouldn’t want to go visit a tower you’ve inherited apparently and has haunted as all hell all over it? Not Vivi that’s for sure. Poor Arthur is just along for the ride and then things start to get really weird when they find it’s still occupied and thinks Arthur is his jailor.

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy III Review

Year: 1990

Original Platform: Famicom

Also Available on: Nintendo DS, iOS (DS port), Android (iOS port), Ouya (Android port), Steam (Android port), PSP (iOS port)

Wii/3DS/Wii U Virtual Consoles and Nintendo Classic Edition releases are only in Japan.

Version I Played: DS

Synopsis:

Four orphans (originally only named by the player, DS remake gives them names) fall into a crevice after a sudden earthquake. There, a mysterious crystal warns them about the oncoming darkness that will engulf the world. The four orphans must band together to restore the balance between light and dark.  

Gameplay:

ARE YOU READY TO GET YOUR ASS BEAT?

YOUR BALLS ROCKED?

I’m warning you – this is the most difficult Final Fantasy game to date.

There are no ethers - only elixirs, which you should definitely reserve for the hardest battles. Also, phoenix downs cannot be found in stores - only in treasure chests and as dropped or stolen items from enemies.

The gameplay returns to that of the original Final Fantasy –  turn-based combat and the Job System, only this time the Job System is greatly expanded. Vikings and Geomancers and Bards and Dragoons and the list goes on. Summons are introduced to the series via the Evoker job, which later gets upgraded to Summoner. The expanded Job System allowed for greater customization of your four characters than in the original Final Fantasy.

This game is notable for the Onion Knight. In the beginning of the original Famicom game, the default job is Onion Knight. If you continue playing as an Onion Knight, your stats remain relatively low. However, if you dare to play the entire game as an Onion Knight and reach level 99 – the Onion Knight suddenly turns into the most powerful job in the game.

The DS remake does things a little differently. Instead of the Onion Knight, you start out as a Freelancer – a new job that has a little bit of everything. However, the longer you use the Freelancer job, the weaker you become. This is a good incentive to have players naturally explore other jobs.

The unfortunate feature of the DS remake though is that the Onion Knight is ONLY available after performing sidequests via wireless with friends. This is impossible to do now since the wireless features for the original Nintendo DS (and also the Wii) have been discontinued. HOWEVER. Playing the DS remake through Steam allows you to unlock the Onion Knight by completing at least 25% of your bestiary. You will then receive a message via the Mognet to start the sidequest.

Final Fantasy III is notorious for its high difficulty. The trick mostly lies in constantly switching between jobs and finding the right balance for the right moment. However, changing jobs requires you to level up that job. This means grinding – lots and lots of grinding. Insane amounts of grinding. This is Final Fantasy: Grind City.

In retrospect, Final Fantasy II was hard as well, yes, but more in a stupid way. Leveling up there was annoying but people could find tricks around it like finding weaker enemies and purposely hitting yourself and healing yourself to raise your HP or defense stats.

Final Fantasy III is difficult but it hurt so good. This game turned me into a masochist. There's two types of video game rage - the good and the bad kind. The bad kind is usually because the game's mechanics are irritating or virtually unplayable. The good kind is cursing out loud but then saying, "I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME!" and actually being pumped about trying again because you see it as a challenge.    

The game has an explosively difficult finale. The finale takes place in the Crystal Tower, which is surrounded by Ancient’s Maze. You have to walk through the maze, then through the tower, then fight multiple bosses through other events which I won’t spoil here. The entire ordeal can pretty well take up an entire hour. At least (in the DS version, I don’t know about Famicom) you can save before entering the Crystal Tower. But if you ever need to venture out into the world map again to get something you forgot, you have to go through the Ancient’s Maze. Once you enter the Crystal Tower, you cannot save the game. It’s one long shot to the final of final bosses. In the Crystal Tower, you get to walk around seemingly endless and maze-like floors such as this:

 YAY.

Seriously though - I still enjoyed the challenge and thought it was epic. If you're going to hit me hard, you might as well go all out. Nothing in this game is held back. Also, the expanded job system allowed you to try out so many different things.

I tried for the longest time to play Final Fantasy III on an emulator but for some bizarre reason, I couldn't save, not even on save states. When I have the time, I definitely want to go back to that, try a different ROM or something, and experience the original. But I played enough of the original to know how hard it is. I died right away when I ventured outside the first town.

The DS remake mostly retains the difficulty of the original, which I admired, unlike the watered down PSP Anniversary Editions of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II.

Graphics:

The original Famicom game definitely has a lot more going on than the first two Final Fantasy games. Battles are still 90% black space but the rest of the game is 8-bit Heaven. 

The DS remake is AMAZING. I would argue that Final Fantasy III DS is really the first great Final Fantasy remake. They got a chibi thing going on and it works here. It’s cute without being obnoxiously cute.

The FMV sequence for the DS is staggeringly beautiful.

I also kind of laugh at this one part where Luneth and Ingus are arguing and it’s the equivalent to a stock photo of two people arguing.

I only wish they added an ending FMV. That would have been the cherry on top for the remake. 

Story:

Final Fantasy III is kind of like crossing the original Final Fantasy with Final Fantasy II. The story is wider in scope and more epic. The fictional world is much more interesting. The score has a wider repertoire. You fly many different airships. It also begins what I like to call the "Crystal Trilogy." Final Fantasy III, IV and V, as you'll read later, are quite similar in their general plot, which utilizes crystals as important plot devices.

There’s more to the story than people give credit for. You venture into the world and run into secondary characters who have their own stories, such as Cid, Desh, Princess Sara (reference to the original Final Fantasy), Prince Allus, Priestess Aria, and even four imposters of the four heroes of light. You save towns with a variety of problems, from a village cursed by a genie to finding a missing precious stone for the dwarves. Then you discover the truth behind the world you live in. . .

The DS version elaborates on the story by giving the four orphans names: Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus. This sharpens the story by connecting more dots. The DS story starts with Luneth and Arc as childhood friends. They later meet Refia, a runaway who was tired of her guardian's blacksmith trade, and Ingus, a knight of Sasune who protects Princess Sara. I was disappointed by one rather misleading thing in the DS remake. The opening FMV sequence seemed to imply that Priestess Aria plays a wider role in the story – she doesn’t. That disappointed me.

As I’ve said already, the DS version is a wonderful remake of the original. I very highly recommend it. It enhances everything about the original and more. The remake's heroes hardly get any recognition in other Final Fantasy media and that’s a shame.

Music:

As Final Fantasy games keep getting bigger, so does the score. Uematsu shone here. He did some unique things for a Japanese composer at the time. An example is the illusion of having chords in the track Crystal Cave.

Final Fantasy III’s soundtrack is twice as long as Final Fantasy II’s. I’d say that out of the entire Famicom/NES era, this game probably has the best soundtrack. The battle theme has a sexy bass with more drums added to it. Eternal Wind, the world map theme, is definitely the greatest map theme in an RPG. Period. It truly gives the feel of wandering around a fantasy world.

The DS version reinvigorates the entire score. I loved every second of it.

The way Uematsu composed the final of the epilogue is reminiscent of how John Williams does his finales in the credits for Star Wars or Indiana Jones films. In this case, he references the Final Fantasy Main Theme at the end of the credits.

The result is a wholesome feel to the game. Final Fantasy III has a fantastic score that is perfect for closing the 8-bit era of Final Fantasy.

Notable Theme:

I'm split between Eternal Wind and Priestess Aria's Theme. Fortunately, the DS opening cinematic includes both. It has a great orchestrated rendition of the classic themes.

Verdict:      

The hardest out of all the Final Fantasy games (so far). At the same time, there’s so much to enjoy – but it’s not for everyone. Because of the difficulty, I would save this game for last. There’s something about this game that actually gives me a true “final fantasy” feel. The final stretch is so kick-your-nuts-hard that nothing else in the series can compare to it.

If you go for the DS version, however, that can be a tad bit easier. Just a tad. A smidge. Nothing more. It’s one remake that I highly recommend. They did a good facelift on both the game itself and the story. The DS version was adapted into Android and then ported into Steam, so you can get it there. 

Direct Sequel?

No.

[whatsarasaid]

For that 40 question fanfic meme, I'm sorry I picked so many! 1 through 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23, 28, 29, 31, 37, and 38. Can't wait to see more work from you btw :)

😭 Jessica, why are you so lovely?

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Short. Delicate, careful moments. Theme and imagery-heavy. Little dialogue. Almost poetry. Focused on the human experience and (dis)connection.

​2. Is there a trope you've yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

One of these days, I'd like to take a swing at AU. I get self-conscious about it, though, ​because a) many people dislike them and b) it's my own world, and the amount of decision-making is dizzying. I'm better at observation than ideation.

3. ​​Is there a trope you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole?

I don't write explicit content, and so that eliminates a great many tropes, and thankfully, most of the worrisome ones. Any sort of suffering for suffering's sake is off the table. Let's just say that, in general, I try to avoid gratuity and extremes.

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

If I talk about ideas, I get the gratification of having shared them without having done any of the work, and am therefore less likely to produce the actual thing! It's for everyone's benefit that I keep my cards close to my chest.

5. Share one of your strengths.

Leaving the reader going "Oh!" or "Oh." at the end of a fic.

6. Share one of your weaknesses.

The outrageous inability to write a real plot or anything long. I've studied Dan Harmon's Story Circle and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey but run into the problem I have in many facets of life: I'm better at theory than praxis. Filling in the gaps with what actually happens in a story shatters my brain. This has everything to do with the fact that I don't think in language or events, but rather impressions. Having to translate thoughts into words is difficult enough when it's 500 words. Over 5000, and I start repeating phrases and tangling imagery and tripping over myself. It's a mess.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

My pieces are basically snippets themselves. 😕

​​8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

Nearly every line of dialogue in scales & measure is written one or two steps away from what the characters are actually saying. The quippy humor also works well in that fic.

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

scales & measures (because it was over 5000 words) and absolute bearing (because I wrote it in a pandemic during finals​ and had many people asking for it).

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?

the refrigerator and velocity were written in fugue states.​

11. ​​Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

​It's a hobby, but an important one. I used to play instruments or draw, but as I got older and busier, those skills atrophied and I could no longer express myself with them. Writing, however, has (somewhat) stayed sharp because I use it in my day-to-day, and so I can still scratch that creative itch with it. When I don't write fiction, I crust over.

13. ​What's the best writing advice you've ever come across?

Answered here. ​15. ​If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

scales & measures or ever the survivor, maybe?

17. ​Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?​ ​Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Start-to-finish. If I'm in a real rut, out of order. No worksheets or outlines, we die like men.

21. How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Answered here. ​23. ​Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

Passing on this one. It's too overwhelming.

29. ​If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

If a story has left me wanting more, then it did it right, and anything I could add would detract.

31. ​Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

I prefer to be canon-compliant if only because I have more skill in research than I do in creation. Why make it up when I can look it up? Unless I think I can make things cooler or more logical than in canon. In which case....oops. Slipped.

37. ​Talk about your current wips.

• Death Stranding prompt: Fragile partnering with the UCA. • Control ficlet: Trench and the NSC. • Silicon Valley fic(let, maybe): Sorting Richard and Jared now that Jared no longer blindly idolizes Richard. • Resident Evil fic: Carlos(-centric) and Jill post-RE:3 to RE:5.

​38. ​Talk about a review that made your day.

On the hellscape that is the internet, I've somehow had the pleasure of receiving some of the kindest, most articulate comments. Like, really. The reviews my readers leave make me all flustered. I'm so thankful.

Ones that stuck with me, though: Both @visualheresy​ and @tallmatcha​ have read fics of mine that aren't even in fandoms they follow, and took the time to comment, saying they were beautiful. And I think about that a lot. Like, it wasn't even their thing, they were just there for my writing, even if they didn’t understand the context, and that makes me watery inside if I think about it too much.

[rosereview]

Chain of Gold Review

Okay so I just finished Cassandra Clare’s newest book, Chain of Gold, the first book in her new series The Last Hours which is set in the Shawdowhunter world and is a sequel to the Infernal Devices series and a prequel to the Mortal Instruments. I have loved Cassandra Clare and the Shadowhunter world since I really got into reading when I was in grade seven. Since then I have read all of Cassandra Clare’s books and every year when one or two new books come out, I run to the bookstore, buy it, and then go back home and read it as soon as possible. I am literally in love with this world and these characters and every time you think it can’t get any better, a new one comes out and it exceeds all expectations. 

In this review I will definitely spoil everything that happens so if you haven’t read the book, I wouldn’t recommend reading this review. This review will be split into different parts where I focus on different aspects of the book starting with my favourite part of any book, the characters. 

Characters

So first I’ll talk about the characters individually and my thoughts on them and we will focus more on their relationships with other characters in another part. 

To start off I want to share my thoughts on the main female character, who is also on the cover, Cordelia Carsairs. At first I wasn’t sure what to think about her because so far in all of the series, the main female character was never my favourite at the start, like Clary, Tessa, and Emma. At first all three of them were a little annoying, but now I love Tessa and Clary. (I’m still trying with Emma.) But each of them I learned to love over multiple books which is where their character really developed. In Chain of Gold, Cordelia started off kind of annoying and dumb, but throughout the book she really develops and grows and learns and now I love her after only the first book in the series! While moving to London she really learns how to behave in society while also saying true to herself which is very admirable. She such a strong girl and person and when she finally gets friends she is less dumb to the world around her and how life works. I now really care about her happiness especially with a certain someone, which we will get to.

Next I want to talk about James Herondale. Well I went into this knowing I was going to love James, I mean he is a Herondale. And while I do love him, I am also continuously angry with him and the situation he finds himself in. By that I mean with Grace Blackthorn who I despise with a passion, but we’re talking about James right now. I loved James during the middle of the book when he was not under the control of Grace and freely falling for Cordelia while loving his friends fiercely and not really hiding anything from them, like any of his feelings. I was also so proud of him for how he handled all the news about his grandfather, Belial, and how he didn’t give in to all the demon talk and trying to put all the weight on his shoulders to protect everyone he loved by sacrificing himself. I did not and still do not want to see James possessed by a demon or Prince of Hell. Overall I loved James, but not as much as I had originally thought.

And the reason I didn’t love James as much was because I loved one boy a bit more… Matthew Fairchild! Omg I am like Magnus Bane in the way I have a soft spot for broken boys. First Jace Herondale and his daddy issues, then Will Herondale and his inability to let anyone love him, and finally Julian Blackthorn and him having to be a father to his siblings while being hopelessly in love with his parabatai. Matthew fits right up there with the greats! In the short story in the Ghosts From the Shadow Market where you find out what Matthew did that makes him broken, and I did not like him after that, but then I read this book and changed my mind. I really saw how much he changed from being a self entitled Consul’s son, to being a kind and caring and selfless boy that made a big mistake. Now Matthew feels like he has to keep his secret and pain all to himself while taking up drinking to numb himself. It hurts me to watch but it makes me love him so much more. The way he loves James is beautiful while he still knows James has his own faults. Seeing Matthew with Cordelia and how he loves her almost makes me want him to win her heart, but I know James and her are who are meant to be together. I just want Matthew to find happiness and to forgive himself and love himself, and that needs to happen before he finds someone to love and who loves him back. 

Next we have Lucie Herondale who is amazing. She is just the perfect depiction of the annoying younger sister who also just has so much depth and story to her at the same time. I definitely relate to Lucie the most with her loving to write and tell story, while also fully in love with her family and friends and having such a strong relationship with her brother. She doesn’t want to be left out of the fun, but at the same time understands when some of her friends have to go on an adventure without her. All the while she is trying to understand her own gift and to help out people in need, like Jesse Blackthorn. Lucie has her own little secrets and even though she knows it will be against the law, she still wants to help out people who need her, like Jesse and even Grace, who continues to play her brother, but Lucie sees the way she lives and feels bad. That shows great character and kindness. 

Someone that really surprised me in this book, more than Matthew, was his complete opposite, his nemesis, Alastair Carstairs. At first I hated him from what he did to the boys at the Shadowhunter Academy, and that might have been a part of why I wasn’t fond of Cordelia at the beginning. But now you kind of understand why he did the things he did and said and he truly didn’t know the damage he was doing by saying all the stuff he did. During the book we see how much Alastair does to protect his family, especially his sister even when she doesn’t see it fully, and we also see how he is dealing with his own demons like his sexuality and needing to accept himself. I can’t wait to see more of Alastair in the next books.

From Alastair, I would like to touch on Thomas Lightwood who I have to say I love. Honestly I love all of the Merry Thieves and Thomas is no exception. He is definitely the kindest in the group, trying to see the good in everybody which is no easy feat. He is also sort of Christopher’s protector to a point, making sure he doesn’t hurt himself and such, which sometimes puts Thomas in the background. He also has feelings which he doesn’t understand and I can’t wait to explore that more. 

That brings me to Christopher Lightwood, Thomas’s cousin and a mini Henry. I LOVE Christopher! That boi needs protection! He is just so precious and the way he still always tries to protect his friends and his big sister, oh it is just beautiful. Literally he is the most wholesome character and I love him so much. That one scene when someone was saying something bad about Anna and Christopher got so mad and protective. It was the best.

Now I’ll talk about Anna Lightwood. I’ve loved Anna since the first time we saw her in the short stories and my love has just grown. She is such a complex character while still being loved by all, as she should be. She observes her Merry Thieves and knows what’s going on before they even do. She reminds me of Magnus Bane in that way. She also has a history with Ariadne that I can’t wait to see more of how that history comes back to make Anna fully happy again. 

I would also like to touch on Barbara and Eugenia Lightwood. It was honestly the saddest when Barbara died because Thomas doesn’t deserve that, but also Gideon and Sophie. To lose a child is the hardest thing to go through, and after everything that Gideon and Sophie have been through, they don’t deserve that. But besides that, I really liked Barbara in the short time that we knew her. Cassie never really talked about Thomas’s sisters before the books came out so I didn’t think they would really make an appearance, which made me sad because they were Gideon and Sophie’s daughters. But now that Barbara showed that she was actually fairly important for the plot of the book, I’m excited to see more Eugenia in the future. I want to know what happened to her that makes her not accepted in society, which is hinted at during the book saying she was ruined because of stuff to do with a boy. But now I want to know more and see her more. 

Next is Grace Blackthorn who I hate. I hate her and her manipulative ways with James. A small part of me kind of feels bad since she has a terrible adoptive mother and her brother died, but still she is a batch. That’s all I have to say.

Jesse Blackthorn is someone I actually want to see more of and who I’m very intrigued by. He’s very nice and thoughtful despite having a disaster of a mother. I really don’t have much else to say about him besides the fact that I want him to be alive but not if it hurts Lucie or gets her into trouble. I hope Grace does all the dirty work. 

Lastly we have Charles Buford Fairchild… I don’t even know what to say. How did Charlotte and Henry raise such an asshole? They are literally the best and practically raised Will, Jem and Jessamine, how is their first born a dick? Matthew is even an amazing guy who cared about everyone but himself while Charles is the opposite. He cares only for himself! God, and the way he talks about his mother not being a strong Consul and how he took credit for everything that the younger kids did makes me want to barf. He literally doesn’t deserve anything, including a loving family and amazing parents and brother. He makes me mad.

Relationships

Now I want to talk about the relationship between two or more characters in the book.

To start off, all of the sibling relationships are life, excluding Matthew and Charles. Like James and Lucie, Cordelia and Alastair, Anna and Christopher, Thomas and Barbara and Eugenia, even Jesse and Grace. They are all really beautiful and make me happy.

Matthew, James and Cordelia- this little love triangle actually really interests me and I love all the scenes that have all three of them running around and going on adventures. I’m really excited to see more of them in the next books.

Lucie and Cordelia- this friendship is really nice to read about, but I was kind of disappointed not to have more scenes where it’s just the two of them. I feel like there wasn’t a whole lot of time to do that in this book,mbit hopefully in the next one we can see that and their parabatai ceremony. 

Thomas and Christopher- I love that these cousins have such a strong relationship and I really want them to be parabatai. I just think that would make their relationship that much stronger and I want that for them. 

Jesse and Lucie- I really like these two together and I know from the family tree that came with the Clockwork Princess, that they end up together and that is how the Blackthorn line continues, which makes me happy. But there were also some false dates and such on the family tree, like Lucie’s birthdate, so I also don’t know if we can trust the family tree but I do really hope that these two end up together and somehow Jesse is resurrected without it hurting Lucie in any way.

Anna and Ariadne- At first when we met these two in the Ghosts of the Shadow Market short story, I did not like Ariadne. I mean, she broke Anna’s heart and made her think love was only pain and heartbreak so now she only does one night stands, which is kind of sad because she deserves someone special. But then at the end of the book when Ariadne goes up to Anna and says that she will do anything to get her back, I was so excited and happy because even with their history, they are perfect together and are meant to be, so I hope to see more of their relationship blossom in the next book.

Thomas and Alastair- So like I said before when talking about Alastair, I didn’t like him because of the things he said and did when he was at the Shadowhunter Academy, and I was a little bit annoyed that Thomas was the only one being nice to him because he really didn’t deserve it. But then we saw them in Paris and honestly, that made me so happy. I love Alastair now and I think that they both deserve happiness and someone special, and I really hope that is with each other, but if not, then I hope they both find other people to make them happy.

Charlotte and Henry and Matthew- What I really want to see more of in the next book, is Matthew with his parents. We know that Matthew has a strained relationship with them because of what he did in the past, poisoning his mom and killing his unborn sister, all because of what Alastair had said to him at school, but I really hope that they can fix their relationship in the next book. I want to see more Charlotte and Henry caring for their kids like the other parents do, and maybe some more one-on-one with Matthew and Charlotte where they try to see what the problem is and Charlotte trying to help her son. Also I want to see Charlotte give Charles a whooping for being an asshole. 

Plot

Now that we are done with all the characters, I would like to touch on the stuff that actually happened in the story. What I really loved though, about Chain of Gold, was the amount of scenes where it was just character interaction and development because like I said before, I love the characters in a story the most. This is usually what Cassandra Clare does in her books, which makes them longer and bigger, because she focuses on her characters and their journey’s, all the while getting some action in there. That was what we had with this book, a little less action and a little more learning about who these characters are as people and I really enjoyed that. But aside from the characters, the plot was very intriguing in itself. We learn that for these kids’ whole lives, London has been pretty demon-free, which causes everyone to have a false sense of security and none of the Shadowhunters are very experienced in the field. When demons do start to come back, it is a shock to their London community especially when the demons walk in the daylight and are only there to injure Shadowhunters and make them sick. I thought that whole plotline was very interesting, especially since the whole city had to go into quarantine because of this sickness, and that is literally what is happening in the world right now with COVID-19. I laughed out loud when that happened.

I really enjoyed the whole connection to the demon realm and James and his grandfather, because we never touched that in the Infernal Devices series with Tessa, and it's cool to see how it’s only coming out now and how it affects her kids. Even with all that, and the Herondale’s usually need to sacrifice themselves for their loved ones, I love how James didn’t when he was in the demon realm. He had a chance to give himself up to Belial to possess James and save everyone in London, but he didn’t and instead found another way. That was refreshing to see, because I don’t think I could have gone through another book with my boys cursed or possessed. (Literally Jace, Will and Julian.) I mean, James still has some power over him from Grace and that damn bracelet, but at least for the time being James isn't also possessed by his demon grandpa.  Speaking about the bracelet, I really liked how the bracelet wasn’t on for the whole book, so we could see how James usually acted around his friends and family when he wasn’t being controlled by anyone. I was mad when the bracelet went back on, but we can’t get everything we wish for, especially when it’s a Cassandra Clare book. 

I also definitely knew that Tatiana was behind everything, since the beginning and knew that she tied in to everything including Belial and his plans and controlling Grace and everything. She is just the worst and I have always hated her and I will always hate her. She’s like the Zara Dearborn of this series, you just hate her so much and there's no sympathy for anything she does. At least with Jonathon Morgenstern, you felt a little bit bad for him because his father made him the devil he is and he just wants to be loved by someone. And for Axel Mortmain, he just wants to get revenge for his warlock parents who were brutally killed by Shadowhunters, and same with Malcolm Fade who just wants his dear Annabel to be alive with him. Literally you can find the good in antagonists sometimes, which is literally my favourite thing to see in a story, but with Tatiana Blackthorn, she’s a bitch and she should die. 

Lastly I just wanted to say that every scene with all the Merry Thieves was beautiful and I can’t wait for more of them!

Thank you for staying till the end if you made it this far. If not I understand, it’s all kind of jumbled and long, so no hard feelings if you couldn’t read this whole thing. And sorry for everyone who did read this and got lost because all my ideas are just one big mess on the page, but oh well. I write this for me, so who really cares. 

Until next time!

~Rose Reviews

[takaraphoenix]

DreamWorks for the ask game (though in hindsight, I should've just added Disney to this because CROSSOVERS are a major thing since HiJack...)

Thanks for asking! But now I’m confused if you wanna see DreamWorks or the HiJack fandom...? So since I did Disney movies before, I’ll just do DreamWorks movies now (also that HiJack crossover is far too small and short a thing to make sense for this large-ass ask game xD)? ^^°

Top 5 favourite characters: JACK FROST, Hiccup Haddock, Miguel (The Road to El Dorado), Eris (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas),

Other characters you like: Sinbad, Puss in Boots (Shrek), Megamind

Least favourite characters:that obnoxious alien from Home

Otps: Hiccup Haddock/Jack Frost, Tulio/Miguel (The Road to El Dorado), uuuh that is it when it comes to real OTPs though

Notps: Jack Frost/Elsa, Hiccup Haddock/Astrid Hofferson, Tulio/Chel (The Road to El Dorado), Stoick the Vast/Valka

Favourite friendships: Toothless and Hiccup, Jamie Bennett and Jack Frost!

Favourite family: Ooof... None? I don’t have a favorite family?

Favourite episodes: doesn’t really apply here

Favourite season/book/movie: Rise of the Guardians, by a landslide, followed by The Road to El Dorado and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas! *^*

Favourite quotes:not a quote person xD

Best musical moment: The drunk godly song on The Road to El Dorado (a rare one, but I do prefer the English version here xD)

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: uuuhm huh... I don’t know, really. Most of Rise of the Guardians, really ^^°

When it really disappointed you: sadly there are a lot of turds in the DreamWorks line-up... but like that alien from Home. That movie had a lot of potential and the human protagonist was so cute but then that obnoxious creature that talked like Sheldon Cooper and made poop jokes... urgh

Saddest moment: WHEN STOICK DIED BUT I PREFER TO IGNORE THAT THAT HAPPENED

Most well done character death:Jack Frost’s

Favourite guest star: I don’t care much about voice actors

Favourite cast member: see above xD”

Character you wish was still alive: Stoick

One thing you hope really happens:a sequel or TV show for Rise of the Guardians, please, I deserve it ;-;

Most shocking twist: I... got nothing. Not a whole lot of twists

When did you start watching/reading?: When I was a very small child

Best animal/creature: Toothless!

Favourite location: Mh... the Tooth Palace in Rise of the Guardians?

Trope you wish they would stop using: there are probably a couple, but I can’t think of any right now... òô

One thing this show/book/film does better than others:occasionally, the animation and storytelling. It’s... so weird, because DreamWorks is really not very consistent with either of those. xD”

Funniest moments: the moment someone pitched a DreamWorks executive the Bee Movie and actually got away with that :D”““

Couple you would like to see: Tulio/Miguel. They should have been our first gay couple. I would not oppose to a sequel, even all these years later, that makes em gay

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: don’t care much about voice actors

Favourite outfit: Jack Frost’s hoodie *-*

Favourite item: shoot, maybe the tooth boxes? They were so freaking pretty

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: A lot of figures/toys

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: Maybe a Believer? xD”

Most boring plotline: uuuh Turbo? I just... I literally keep forgetting that this movie even EXISTS...

Most laughably bad moment: that human/bee romance in the Bee Movie...

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: If we take that as sequel again... uh... damn... Madagascar 2...?

Most layered character: Megamind...? He would have so much to offer, but a lot is played off as a joke. I mean, the kid was raised in PRISON. He was declared a villain before he ever even spoke his first word. He was raised by a FISH...

Most one dimensional character: Chel. Shit, she is such a cliche bimbo in the character design that is sooo cringey and then her only motivation is “I wanna get outta here because I don’t like it at home anymore. Also money”...

Scariest moment: Really not scary movies xD

Grossest moment: Fart jokes

Best looking male: Jack Frost!

Best looking female: ERIS!!! *^*

Who you’re crushing on (if any):Eris, absolutely. That trickster goddess can step on me any day of the week ù///û

Favourite cast moment: Don’t know any of that ^^°

Favourite transportation: The sleigh from North

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): ...the whole entire Rise of the Guardians movie? I have seen it about fifty times by now (and that’s not even an exaggeration, after I first saw it I literally watched it daily for a month...) - it’s so incredibly beautiful in animation and design, I can’t look away despite having seen it so often already

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:How are you this inconsistent, DreamWorks? How do you make something as beautiful as Rise of the Guardians and then have that followed by Croods...?

Best promo: That Shrek 2 with that Puss in Boots got me hook line and adorable talking kitten sinker ùû°°°

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: Ironically, rather late. I used to watch them at first release as a kid already, but they never spoke to me, none of them did. Only after Shrek and Madagascar, when I decided to give the old movies a rewatch, I deeply and madly fell in love with Sinbad, Road to El Dorado and Prince of Egypt. Heck, I even ended up liking Antz.

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS