#there was sooo much potential for exploring really dark themes

[scattered-winter]

there isn't a reaction image on earth that can convey my feelings abt voltron tbh. it's the worst show I've ever seen. it has more potential than anything else I've ever come across. it actively makes me want to tear out my hair with how horrible it was but it also wants to make me tear out my hair with all the potential Themes and Motifs they could have played

[l00rem]

Oh naaaaw they really went and gave him double daddy issues 💀💀

But Gibeon looks quite different to Amethio despite only being his grandad… when you compare liko and diana to amethio and gibeon it’s strange considering liko and diana resemble eachother so closely. Gibeon is more pink than purple and his hair is stylised completely differently, the outer pupil bit is shaped more triangular whilst amethio’s is just round. Also, looking even closer at gibeons eyes he has a white shine to it whilst amethio’s don’t, so has amethio actually had those depressed empty anime eyes the entire time but due to his white pupils we couldn’t tell until now? Maybe i’m just overthinking things 

It’s really interesting to me how differently amethio addresses his respective familial connections. He seems to really respect Gibeon, calling him ojji-sama, meanwhile he calls his dad chichi which is generally more neutral. He seems to be trying to distance himself from who is father was too which reeks of sooo much indoctrination someone please save his poor soul. I can see quite of few explanations for his lack of connection with his father; his father potentially learned of some dark truth and left but couldn’t take amethio for some reason, his father is dead but gibeon covered it up, or amethio never actually knew his father but was told about how he abandoned explorers once he joined. I wonder if Amethio tells himself that his feelings of bitterness towards his father are because he betrayed explorers, when in reality it’s because he’s the one who feels betrayed. 

Clearly there’s some reason amethio seems to have such strong loyalty towards Gibeon. They obviously don’t have a traditional bond, with Gibeon even remarking that it’s been awhile since they met like this which perhaps implies it’s been over a year since they met face to face, and yet amethio regards him so highly. And surprise surprise, the only time he cares to see his grandson face to face is when he’s asking him to continue serving his wishes, really selling himself as grandad of the year here.

This line particularly intrigues me and supports a hc i’ve been holding for awhile which is that amethio and gibeons blood line are descended from royalty of sorts. Perhaps then he intended to make rakua his kingdom, but that would mean destroying it in order to control it which lead to his subsequent falling out with Lucius. 

The way he phrases this is also really interesting to me- because it subverts the usual expected ‘heir to the throne’ and instead Gibeon just says heir of his blood. Which makes sense given that Gibeon seems to be intending to live forever, so he wants to keep playing as king for all eternity. So amethio is just a means to an end, someone to do all the hard work for achieving gibeons dreams and yet reviving little from it himself. 

I doubt this’ll happen but i’m gonna say it just to put it on the record- I wonder if we could potentially see this gibeon/amethio ancestor on the throne in the upcoming legends Z game? Considering Gibeon’s partner being a Zygarde and Kalos’s themes of royalty, potentially we could see the ruler that Gibeon is trying to emulate. Apart from new pokemon forms i don’t think the games have ever taken something from the anime before, but i think it’d make an interesting twist if they went that direction!

It’s pretty upsetting to see how heavily manipulated and indoctrinated Amethio is into explorers. I don’t have any doubts for his eventual redemption arc despite his yearning for power, but seeing how strong of a chokehold gibeon has on him it does make me wonder what’ll actually trigger it.  A lot of people compare amethio to zuko, but for zuko he could see physical evidence of how horrible the fire nation was through going around the world and having uncle iroh to guide him whereas amethio doesn’t really have either of those (zir and conia support him, but they’re not really angels on his shoulder). Either he’ll discover a darker secret somehow and turn against them (potentially the same as his father) or maybe through his development with the rvts he’ll grow to realise how horrible explorers has treated him? (something about chosen family vs biological family). Regardless of how it happens, I just hope Amethio can be happy by the end of all of this. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll actually see him smile in a year or so. 

[acciofanfics]

Tormented (Sirius Black x Reader) Part Nine

Summary: (Y/N) leaves home right out of Hogwarts due to circumstances Sirius could definitely relate to. When he opens his home to her, things don’t go exactly as planned.

Pairing: Post Azkaban Sirius Black x FemReader

Warnings: I’m struggling with whether this is NSFW or not?? Like sexual themes for sure and maybe language but not gonna lie I kinda lost steam writing the smut part.

A/N: Sooo I wanted this to be smutty and I started but I kinda lost steam writing it... I’ve been struggling with writing smut for a bit. But I am trying bear with me! I just wanted to end it and get it up and not be so MIA. Long rant over! Enjoy! -S

———————————————————————

It was almost comical how quickly something good be ruined. It could take days, weeks, months, or even years to build and poof. One little match and a whole forest could be nothing but a pile of ash. Sirius supposed this wasn’t exactly the same thing, but he was worried it had potential. It was probably his job to be the one to break the ice, since he was the one to freeze the conversation, “About earlier...”

“You didn’t mean it?” (Y/N) interrupted him and Sirius wasn’t sure if she sounded hopeful or maybe if she was trying to give him an out. Maybe he should take it...

“I wasn’t going to say that.” Sirius wasn’t sure if he was making a mistake or not. However he doubted they could go back to pretending to be oblivious anymore.

“So you meant it?” (Y/N) wasn’t sure what got into her. Perhaps it was all the scenarios she played in her head, but she couldn’t wait anymore. She needed him to be straight with her. “If you did mean it, I’m worried you only think that because you’re not really around anyone else.”

“You can’t honestly think that?” Sirius was a little shocked. She always seemed so sure of herself. Of course he always assumed that everyone had their own insecurities, it was only logical. Truthfully, if he was twelve years younger he’d understand. He never really had a reputation for being a long term type of guy... he couldn’t recall sharing too much of that with her though. He was particularly proud of it now that he thought himself to be quite a bit different. “I don’t fancy being stuck in here, and it’s never been my intention of ignoring Dumbledore’s wishes, but I don’t plan on being here forever.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question, does it?”

“I meant it.” Sirius tried to mentally prepare himself for what would come next. Maybe it’d be fine? Surely if she was worried about it that meant she felt something? Or maybe she was trying to talk him down off a ledge and he’d just leapt to his death regardless of any and every warning she gave him.

(Y/N) had gotten her answer. The next step would probably be to try and say something in return. “I love you too... I’m sorry I’m not trying to be so- You really caught me off guard earlier and I’ve been planning what to say when you told me you didn’t mean it-“

Sirius drew closer to her, a smile growing on his face as she her rambling came to a halt. “I do apologize for putting you on the spot. I promise you it wasn’t my intention.”

(Y/N) was glad that some of the normality was returning. She was jealous that he seemed to have a much easier time regaining him composure and cutting through tension that she did, but she wouldn’t dwell too much on it since she was definitely reaping the benefits at the moment. “It’s okay... you could make it up to me?”

Sirius almost wanted to laugh. It was almost comical how quickly somethings could be fixed. Minutes ago he thought he had broken something that had been one of the only bright things in his world full of darkness. Now, the girl who’d shown him a bit of doubt was back to her normal confident self; feigning innocence and drawing him in like a moth to a flame. Normally he’d like to mess with her, ask her what she wanted from him, but he didn’t know if he had the willpower to do so today.

She felt her eyelids get heavier and the air thicken as Sirius’ mouth drew closer and closer to hers. His lips were soft against hers, almost teasing in how gentle the kiss was, but it didn’t take long for the tempo to change. Their lips moved quickly against each other, almost as if they could anticipate each other’s movements.

Sirius’ hands found her hips. His fingers dug gently into her as he carefully guided her to the dining room table. They only broke away when the back of (Y/N)’s legs hit the wood and she gracefully toppled onto it. A oomph and a giggle fell from her swollen lips as she adjusted herself to a comfortable position sitting on the tabletop. “Sorry.”

Sirius smiled against her lips, feeling a bit guilty about her tumble. They both seemed to forget about it whenever Sirius found his place between her legs. Sirius’ fingers tangled in her hair and he tugged just enough to pull her close to him again, closing the gap between them. (Y/N)’s hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, haphazardly undoing them and exploring the newly exposed skin. They hadn’t been going at it for even a five minutes and she was ready to undress him. Honestly, she’d never been a patient person anyways and there was something about hearing that he loved her that made her want him even more.

He seemed to concur that they were moving to slow, because as soon as she’d finished he eagerly shed the article of clothing. (Y/N) shivered against him when his fingertips skimmed across her skin after snaking their way under her shirt. It was funny how his fingers were cold yet somehow felt like a torch as they moved across her sides and back, stopping only when he reached the closure of her bra which he skillfully snapped open leaving the garment hanging loosely enough for hands to easily slip under. Sirius’ lips slipped down to her ear, “I honestly am hopelessly in love with you.”

(Y/N) let out a content moan, partially due to his words and partially because his fingers were starting to tease her breasts under her bra. She knew she was in for quite the night with the man she loved and that was utter bliss in that moment.

Tag List: @iamabeautifulperson18 @susceptible-but-siriusexual @acciovisio @rexorangecouny @kissyourdemons @snapeshoe69 @siriuslypadfootmc @f-reka @jxsminedrxgon @scrunchinn @siriusblacksworld @criminalyetminimal @samnblack @harrypotter289 @levylovegood

[non-sequitura]

Non-sequitura Disney in-depth analysis (after making a tier list)

Warning: SUPER longform. If you don’t know a movie well, you should skip the summary. I tried to be light on spoilers, but they’re there.

I went chronologically from favorite to least favorite. So S tier is, in order from fave to least fave, The Incredibles, WALL-E, then Zootopia.

S tier (Something I consider high quality AND a movie I greatly enjoy. I would love more Disney movies be like this.)

The Incredibles - one of my favorite movies of all time, possibly THE favorite. Rockin social commentary, epic action scenes, memorable characters, not a minute of screentime wasted, great take on the Fantastic Four, hilarious parts for both adults and children, an interesting villain, etc. 

WALL-E - I love how social commentary was done here. Also skies above, what a beautiful love story. Really blazed a trail in non-verbal storytelling (especially given it was an animated kids film!) Robot animations are particularly delightful. 

Zootopia - another social message delivered excellently and entertainingly. I love Judy and her persistence, I love the expressiveness of the faces and the epic city setting. I love Judy and Nick's banter. This movie deserves to be remembered longer than it has been so far. Admittedly, not one of my fave villains, which makes it my least favorite of the Ss. 

A tier (either super high quality or something I greatly enjoy and deem of at least reasonably good quality)

Mulan - this movie did everything right. Truly feminist protagonist, an icon for strong Asian women, fairly culturally accurate (tho Mushu confuses me), GORGEOUS and iconic music. Lets a relatively natural romance develop. I frickin love the action scenes, I love the emporer. Sadly, this movie just didn't lodge its way in my heart as well as Pixar did. Pixar just has some magic, yo. 

Cinderella - my gosh what an underrated protagonist. Her family straight-up abuses her and she never loses sight of her goals for a better life. Iconic visuals helped bring Disney out of bankruptcy. A gorgeous alto singing voice. 

Wreck-it Ralph - alright alright ppl don’t crucify me for this. I honestly can’t think of much wrong with this movie. Vanellope and Ralph’s vitriolic best buds relationship is adorable, her forgiveness of him is heartwarming and (relatively) deserved, rockin’ Owl City song, epic visuals that mix together bc of all the different games. ALSO ONE OF THE BEST DISNEY VILLAINS NO CAP. One of the only twist villains I like. And we stan the romantic pairing. 

Tangled - I’ve talked about this a lot, but Rapunzel deserved the whole world after what she’s gone through. That being said, Gothel is not some shallow monster she needs to escape from, but an intelligent, well-defined monster with backstory. I could totally see this story happening if the world of Tangled existed. Epic love story, hilarious dialogue. Music is… good but much of it is less memorable to me. Visuals are good but not quite at the level/creativity of many other disney films. 

The Lion King - they really put Hamlet in Africa and pulled it off lol. But in all seriousness, no one took the premise of this film seriously at the time and it became sooo iconic. I love Scar and his eventual downfall, I love how Simba grows emotionally, I love the sad moments that don’t overpower the overall feeling of light goofiness. And music so memorable it was one of the first Disney musicals. 

Coco - not a super unique story premise. But an incredible culture to explore with such creativity and sensitivity. I love the themes of death not being the worst and music being so central to the story. Twist/twist villain was memorable and not expected. And yeah, it did make me cry, so props there. 

Ratatouille - the most recently watched of these films for me. This movie is soooo unique! Back when Pixar was truly super out there with their concepts. Super Parisian visuals and soundtrack. It somehow starts goofy (THE OLD LADY TRIES TO KILL REMY WITH A SHOTGUN WHILE WEARING A GAS MASK) but really drives home the message that you can truly do what you want regardless of who you are. Colette can get it. And the monologue by Ego at the end is one of my favorites in film. 

Frozen - Anna is one of my favorite Disney protagonists. She’s so resilient and loyal. Elsa ain’t bad either but she experiences… less character development. The film is a tad too pleased with its own self-awareness for my taste, but there’s no denying how iconic the music and visuals were. 

Inside Out - Alright, this movie hits home for me bc I tried to run away after moving. A super thoughtful, heartfelt depiction of (potentially depression? imo) with great moments of humor. Riley’s inner world is so creative and lovely. Also realistic depictions of Minnesota/California culture. 

Tarzan - Jane! is! smart! and! adorable! Her scientific curiosity makes her very endearing. it’s so cute to see her and Tarzan learn from each other. Also Tarzan’s “found mother” is epic. Solid score. Solid film all around. To quote Lily Orchard, “This film is what Pocahontas tried to be.” 

B tier (one of my favorites but has a few significant flaws that bring it down (or not quite as memorable to me, but consider good quality))

Peter Pan - Haven’t seen it in a hot sec, but I remember being super charmed by this as a kid. Just going out, having incredible adventures, and returning to a warm home at the end of the day. Tinker Bell is hilarious and beautifully drawn. Gets major negative points for the depiction of Native Americans tho. 

Big Hero 6 - I was super charmed by the protagonist, his family/friends, and the setting. The plot/villain’s motivations are a bit of a mess, though. 

Princess and the Frog - This movie has so much flavor to it! The visuals/music are lovely and unique. Tiana is incredible but it’s kinda annoying how EVERYONE keeps trying to shoehorn her into romance. The thing is, her goals are entirely reasonable. Focus on her restaurant, then look to settle down. But they’re like “nooo you’re ignoring the important things in life” smh. Also, epic villain, woohoo! The movie dragged significantly for me when they were in the bayou. Charlotte is delightful. 

Winnie the Pooh - don’t remember it super well, but I think it was charming and occasionally dark, which is an addictive concoction. 

The Little Mermaid - MAN ppl roast Ariel way more than she deserves. Visually, it was… fine. idk. This movie is good. I don’t have much else to say about it. 

Snow White - the one that started it all. Visually, super impressive. Musically, lovely. I find the romance a bit… off. Well, more than a bit. What is it with Disney and kissing sleeping people? 

Alice in Wonderland - a nerdy acid trip. Right up my alley! I also like films where ppl go on incredible adventures and return to the status quo, but THEY changed bc of it. Epic. SUUUUPER creative visual interpretation of Carroll’s book. Brave - gosh I loooove films where a parent and child learn to understand each other. Never got why ppl hated this movie so much. The Scottish flavor is present and fun. Merida made one mistake and made it up. The arrow scene is iconic. 

Cars - a fun ride! (hahaha puns.) We love seeing Paul Newman as a car. 

B-minus tier? (same as B, but problematic, or weaker story-wise.)

Hunchback - man… settings-wise, this film might be my favorite. I also love Esmeralda and Quasimodo as characters and as a duo (though the sexualized depiction of Romani ppl is not epic.) I also don’t find the discrimination against Esmeralda/Quasimodo jarring bc it matches the time period. Frollo is super interesting as a villain. The gargoyles are… def not necessary. Basically, this film doesn’t know what it’s doing with tone. 

Sleeping Beauty - Aurora was my favorite when I was younger because I thought she was the prettiest, and that still defines how i feel about this, basically. Visually lovely - everything is kind of elongated and gothic. Maleficent is spiteful and epic. I have no issue with the fluffier parts of the movie, like the music or the fairies. RIP for lack of consent being a plot point, though. 

Hercules - Megara is incredible. one of the only Disney “princesses” who acts like an adult and has cynicism as a major part of her personality. I love her and Herc’s progression where she learns to trust him (yes, he is genuinely that sincere, it’s not a front.) Muses are unique, whoever came up with them was high on something and I’m living for it. I just think the plot itself was somewhat unrealistic/ weirdly-paced. There are some memorable songs, some less-than-memorable songs. Art style is cool but I’m personally not a fan. EXTREMELY inaccurate depictions of the original Greek gods. 

C tier (entertaining, but I don't consider it a great movie)

Bolt - I watched this like 11 years ago. It was fun! A cool concept about those put on a pedestal learning their worth even without celebrity boosting them up. Animation was… fine I think. not super memorable to me. 

Frozen 2 - They really took any scrap of character development Elsa had in the first movie, threw it in the garbage and set it on fire. Anna deserved so much better. Songs are bombastic and impressive, have the occasional interesting lyric, but are really weirdly placed and none are quite as iconic as the first movie’s (except Aurora, she does great work here. Also the song Anna sings after she thinks Elsa died.) 

Not a big fan of the vaguely homeopathic theme. Not a big fan of Olaf’s WEIRD character development. Not a big fan of the suuuuuper awkward dialogue and the animations that imply not only that Kristoff is into his reindeer but that Elsa and Anna are into each other (if you’re questioning if they did that, yes, they did, I can find screenshots of some really weird expressions/moments. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO PANDER TO YOUR WEIRD FANS, DISNEY.) 

The voice actors did great work, the animators did great work (look at the details on their clothes! Look at how Elsa’s posture changes to be more confident! look at how they're animated while they're singing!) Some weird costume/makeup choices that make Elsa look like an aging starlet, but she also has some gorgeous moments so eh. It’s a wash for me. 

They really did not know what to do with Kristoff this movie, huh. The only thing that happened to him was singing a cheesy 90s ballad and marrying Anna, both of which were admittedly epic. Also, the trolls got 0 appearances despite being literally psychic. Probably could have helped with a lot. I'm not a huge fan of lore/worldbuilding, and thee was a lot of it here. Overall neutral on it. 

Also a big theme in this movie I don’t love - **** TANGIBLE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR ACTIONS!!! The danger is Elsa’s death, the elements, colonialism, and Arendelle literally being destroyed. None of those end up playing out, so I was left at the end going “this film had literally no stakes.” 

Monsters U - same as above - entertaining at the time! Not super memorable. The ppl we were supposed to dislike kept switching. Doesn’t really match the canon of Monsters Inc (I thought they were supposed to have known each other since childhood so why did they meet in college?) 

Cars 3 - so apparently, everyone HATED this movie! Fun! I never watched Cars 2 (yes watched Cars 1 if you haven’t been paying attention to this list), but I didn’t think this movie was bad at all. Well-acted, some fun chase scenes, the scene where Lightning fails at driving in the simulation is genuinely hilarious, and some interesting perspectives on teachers getting the spotlight for their skills for once. 

Incredibles 2 - I liked this film at first, but then it was… just okay in retrospect. I love me some good family dynamics. The plot here makes not a lot of sense. THEY BUILT UP THE UNDERMINER FOR NOTHING AND THEN FORGOT ABOUT HIM. I was surprised by the villain swap, but it happened so last minute I never really understood their motivations even after they explained them. Tried to tackle waaaay too many messages. 

D tier (I didn't enjoy these or consider them mediocre)

Finding Dory - Maybe I should have put this higher? Like C tier at least. Ah well. Wasn’t a huge fan of the body/physical comedy (not my thing), but it was entertaining and awww finding family is heartwarming. 

Finding Nemo - I remember nothing about this movie. 

E tier (this film has significant problems)

Beauty and the Beast - *sigh*… I want to love this movie. The score is gorgeous. Visually, they could have made it more distinctly Rococo-era France but didn’t (why?) The voice actors did good work and I think Paige O’Hara is SUPER underrated here. 

The Beast is emotionally manipulative with an awful temper that (for MOST of the movie. He doesn’t change.) That’s the main reason this is in E tier. This movie shaped so many generations of people thinking they can change the behavior of someone who treats them badly through the power of love. But you can’t. She learns to “love” the beast under coercion. It’s not Stockholm syndrome - it’s a trashy romance novel. Big fan of Gaston as a villain. He’s an archetype ppl can recognize and it’s so satisfying to hate him.

F tier (I think this film actively harms the industry and would rather it not have been made. Both the one in E tier could be considered harmful to the industry, but I think they had significant enough artistic accomplishments to scrape above that. I'm also generally a fan of "lack of censorship bc it's better to teach what not to do.")

Pocahontas - this movie took real historical events and romanticized them AND sexualized one of the only Native princesses they’ve had. Boo. Nothing wrong with animation!Pocahontas as a character, it’s just people put her in a story that doesn’t represent history well at all (and these historical events, unlike those in say, 14th-century Germany, had super relevant effects on people alive today.) And they portrayed the Native Americans and colonial settlers as equally in the wrong. (though I like Governor Radcliffe as a potential villain and love the line “see how I glitter.” I can’t NOT laugh when I hear it.) Lovely music, though. Nice animation, but the colors are weirdly… muted? 

Bad Garbage (I don't wish this film had never been made, but I wish I never had to see it.)

Planes - this movie was ridiculous. I remember not much about it except that I kinda hated it and that it was super cheesy with tension one could see right through that immediately resolved itself via one twist or another. 

Haven’t seen tier: Recess, A Bug’s Life, A Goofy Movie, DuckTakes Movie, Lilo and Stitch, Pinocchio (actually i have seen this but I remember nothing about it), The Nightmare before Christmas, Toy Stories 1, 2, and 3, Up, 101 Dalmatians, The Great Mouse Detective, Cars 2, Moana, The Good Dinosaur, Pete’s Dragon, Fantasia, Peter Pan Return to Neverland, Fantasia 2000, The Black Cauldron (read the book, though!), Bambi (or I did and remember nothing about it), The Rescuersm, The Rescuers Down Under, Planes Fire and Rescue, Bambi 2, The Fox & the Found, Oliver and Company, Atlantis, Treasure Planet (I want to, though), Piglet’s Big Movie, The Jungle Book, the Emporer’s New Groove, The Jungle Book 2, Chicken Little, Brother Bear, The Three Caballeros, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, Dumbo, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Aladdin (seen parts but never the whole thing), Strange Magic, The Sword in the Stone, James and the Giant Peach, Frankenweenie, Lady and the Tramp, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Doug’s 1st Movie, Monsters Inc. (want to, though), Meet the Robinsons, Dinosaur, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Tigger Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that pooh movie at the end without the title on it

-11/21/20

[kewltie]

YEAR END FIC REVIEW 2019

This year I wrote:

The Dumpster Fire - a bunch of random ‘verses 

to catch the golden snitch 

we're young gods 

all these delicate things 

no peace, no quiet in your eyes 

rip out those wings, darling 

the little prince 

interlude: world's okayest dad 

—to the moon and back 

as the moon bears witness (i swear to you) 

ao3 tells me that’s 95k wc if we discount random teasers/snippets i only wrote on tumblr & twitter than we’re well over 100k. 

Overall thoughts

I honestly thought I wrote less this year giving how many actual new stories I have up on ao3, but over 100k is still a pretty admirable job so far so I can’t be all that disappointed in myself. I don’t have an actual estimate wc on everything bc I post random snippets/teasers on twitter and than move the more edit and polish version on tumblr AND THAN i move it to my dumpstire fire collection if it fit. so like, i don’t know exactly how much wc i did but still moderately impressive given how profoundly lazy i can be lol /o\. 

there were a lot of things i wanted to do but i didn’t get around to it bc i held myself back from committing to various big projects due to my promise/obligation to updating social media au :S. which i guess is good bc i didn’t add on to MORE WIPs but also depressing bc im stuck in a rut bc of it. i hope to explore more projects next year!

My best story of the year

“we’re young gods” prob my psuedo mad max post-apocalyptic wasteland abo au... GOD WHAT A MOUTHFUL. outside!pov has always been one of my fav narrative piece to write esp when im building a evolving world that come with it. i love a post-apocalyptic landscape, the fight and survive theme has always been a deep fascination for me plus w/ abo which makes it even more interesting. i talk a lot about the idea of kingmaker and the person behind the seat of power/throne a lot and i wanted that deeply in a lot of my ‘verses bc stories of movers and shakers of the world are always fun bc their actions have such HUGE RAMIFICATION and i always like politics and wars a little too much lol /o\. 

My favorite story of the year

“to catch the golden snitch” bc i really like my veela!katsuki fic the most. prob bc it plays into adapting some familiar concept/theme/source (HPverse) and putting my fav spin on them with bkdk. i have always been fond of creaturefics in hp fandom so i knew i wanted to make another VEELAFIC bc why the fuck not. it also play into my fav trope of katsuki being something inhuman, dangerous, and beautiful and also SO COMPLETELY WHIPPED FOR THS HUMAN BOY ;D. 

Most fun story to write

“to the moon and back” aka DRUNK!IZUKU FIC!!!! bc HELLO DRUNK IZUKU IS THE ABSOLUTELY BEST.

Story with the single sexiest moment

“all these delicate things’ or aka the panties fic bc unf i really like see man indulge in feminine things esp when they’re someone who had such a history of violence like izuku who had suffer so much hurt in his life; AND ON HIS BODY which are riddled with scars and i think should allow yourself to be kind/softer to yourself and things like panties are so DELICATE that idk i really dig that juxtaposition??? A LOT. 

Most "holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story

“rip out those wings darling” aka mutual yandere fic i was originally given a prompt by someone but my giftee dropped out so I RAN WILD AND CAME UP WITH THIS BULLSHIT. idk i always like fucked up relationship esp when it’s mutually assured destruction kind of fucked up where they both equally crazy about each other and im all for that. fandom has a habit of making izuku being super creepy stalker but they make him violent rapist and that doesn’t sit well with me. you can make izuku creepy and stalkerish w/o playing into that kind of things :S. i hate how darkfics these days are like fall under that purview when you can have darkfic w/o necessitating sexual violence... like pls explore mindgames and emotional/mental manipulation more like man i think that’s much more interesting so i tried that with this fic. izuku doesn’t hurt others or hurt katsuki BUT HURT HIMSELF to manipulate katsuki to care for him and im like SO ABOUT THAT bc it play into his self sacrificing nature w/o me bending his characterization to make him into something recognizable and katsuki violent obsession and possession with izuku is ramped up but it isn’t sexualized but about ownership and wanting to izuku enough to to kill and idk i dig their mutual destructive habits about each other lol. 

Story that shifted my own perception of the characters

i swear to god i don’t like the villain!deku trope. im more indiff to it than anything but the trope tend to twist him into something unrecognizable to me but when i was coming up about this ‘verse i wanted izuku to be a bit jaded and betrayed by the world/society but still SO EARNEST AND HOPEFUL about it even though his goals has twisted in a way that by saving it he has to break it first. somehow trying to true to himself as he slip further and further in darkness and i just find that kind of duality fascinating????? like how do i keep in character but make him fall and see his struggles b/t both sides and i find myself liking villain!deku just a tiny, A TINY more and open so much potential. 

Hardest story to write

“as the moon bears witness” bc i did a rushed job on it and I HATE IT W/ THE FIRE OF TEN THOUSANDS SUNS. there’s so much i wanted to include but i fucked up and i hate how much I FUCKED UP ON IT. this is def the fic i regretted the most bc i knew what i wanted but i couldn’t exactly execute it correctly but instead of trying to think of a way to fix it i just let it go and i hate it and myself ever since than. UGH. 

Biggest disappointment

"AS THE MOON BEARS WITNESS” for the exact same reason as above. i want to rewrite this so SO BAD and i will. 

Biggest surprise

i didn’t have any surprise fics tbh. everything that i wrote is pretty much under my purview LOL but i found myself being more active on twitter the last half of the year and writing more threads (i.e. live writing) than moving it on tumblr. a lot of pieces i written on twitter was sudden for me and took me hostage but ya know what i go with the flow anyway bc what can i say im just a weak, weak girl w/ zero self control. 

Most unintentionally telling story

maybe “no peac, no quiet in your eyes”? I think that idea slapped me across the face bc i spent a week getting really obsessed with asoiaf fics on ao3 and man I LOVE POLITICS AND WARS?? did i mention that??? i love dynastic rules, warring kingdoms, and a love earth shattering enough to move mountains and i wanted to see that so much so that ‘verse kind of happened. 

Story I haven't written yet, but intend to

omfg SO MANY JUST SOOO SOOO MANY. i would really to get around to writing a full fledged fic of either surrogate au or sperm donor au bc i love that kind of unconventional family and romcom are like YA KNOW MY WEAKNESS. 

Goals for this year:

like every year i keep saying i want to do tododekubaku fic and maybe 2020 WILL BE MY YEAR??

finish social media ch 2 before/around my bday of this month as a gift to myself a;sjdf;alsjdf lol 

take on more projects that won’t land in the dumpstire fire collections

explore new fic avenues bc i always like trying new things and breaking in new genre/tropes bc why the fuck not

write all THE CLICHES and don’t let anyone tell me otherwise about my omega!deku loving ways

[the-appreciation-zone]

I LOVE jalexy's taz fics. Raise and get Razed is fuckin hilarious, and Do You Remember Me is so sad and sweet and Im so excited for the next update <3!

Jalexy I don’t really know you that well but from what I’ve seen you are very nice and I love seeing your icon in the chat discussions!!

Galexy is really jazzed about dnd! And she knows her stuff! It's really fun going back and forth when talking about the pros and cons of spells in different situations!

Hey Jalexy! It’s been a lot of fun seeing you around on the writer’s discord! Thanks for giving boom and me ways to customize the server to maximum non-readability – I’m sure we’ll use that information in totally responsible ways and not at all for fun and goofs. Your ideas for the potential Pacific Rim au were great – you mentioned that you like to make connections between the different stories and that’s one of my absolute favorite parts of coming up with aus. We should talk more about aus sometime! I love them so much, come and talk and share this au pit with me. (Then we can trick other people into writing them.)

I read your fic, “Raise and get Razed” and it was wonderful! I really like that you took a look at what necromancers might be beyond very goth and hiding out in caves; those are fun too, but the necromancers in your story are original and interesting! I love the idea of average people getting creative with a dark form of magic for relatively innocent reasons – I never would have considered a person using necromancy to help their farm, but asking a parent for advice using plants as a sacrifice are excellent ideas.

I think my favorite part, though, were the pun names and Lup’s reaction to them! I have no idea how you came up with so many but that entire section where the group is being asked for their names was wonderful. My absolute favorite line is this: “B- Buddy- Buddy Corpse? His name’s Buddy Corpse. It’s- it’s ironic how he- he died really c- cause I can admit that it sounds like bloody corpse but th- that’s his real god given name.” (Poor guy, how did he never notice this trend?) Lup going back to retrieve the bodies just so she could see if their names were also puns was hilarious and absolutely something Lup would do. Poor Kravitz is trying to be professional and Lup and Barry aren’t helping; it’s a mess and a delightful peek into their dynamics together!

Thank you for sharing this work and some wonderful experiences on discord, and I hope we can talk again soon! I hope you feel every bit as appreciated as you deserve to be!

I’ve also read your fic “Do You Remember Me?” that you’re collabing with hyperInactive, and I am so excited to see where you two go with it! I’m incredibly fond of aus, and especially those that explore what might have happened differently in the story with even a slight change. I really love the idea of Lup getting out of the Umbrastaff early, and this is the first time that I’ve seen it explored with Lup leaving the Umbrastaff during the Rockport Limited arc. (While I was reading I hoped that the au aspect was going to be Lup being freed early, but I was not expecting it to happen in that moment! I had to stop and try to remember if that was how the fight went down - and then the crab snapped the staff and I had a great “oh shit” moment.) That’s such a unique opportunity! Lup has the chance to see what’s happening on the moon base and react to it, but is also able to more obviously interact with events of the story in a way that she couldn’t in canon. There are so many possibilities here! I’m not sure what you’re planning with the rest of the fic, but there are several arcs filled with potential and I’m so excited to see where you go with it!

What I especially liked in the fic - something else I haven’t seen before - is Lup refusing to believe that her brother would have forgotten about her. There are a number of fics that explore Lup learning things from inside the umbrella, and in most of them she figures out almost immediately that Taako has forgotten everything, including her. I love the difference of, despite all of the evidence that might hint otherwise, Lup doesn’t believe it. (And the moment on the train when she wonders if Taako stopped looking for her after a couple of years broke my heart - she’s not angry, but she never would have stopped looking for Taako.) That’s such a realistic way to portray that realization; it’s the one thing that Lup refuses to accept until she absolutely has to, and that gives her moment of realization so much more impact. I’m very excited to see what you do with both this and other fics in the future!

"Jalexy, the apprecaition zone has led me to your Ao3 and i have never been more greatful. 'Raise and get Razed' was hilarious and all round a wonderful short read! All their names are puns and it took me a while to get it but once it clicked I died laughing. Also the setting of the barn, and their reason for summoning (pumpkings, the first instinct when pumpins arn't growing is ask a demon. im.)  was great?? I loved it. Im not very far into 'Do You Remember Me' that you have been writing with hyperInactive but bOY is it good. The lup feels are so heavy in this one, and I can assure you I'll be binging the entire fic sometime soon. Theres this wonderful mix of lines straight from the podcast as well as explorations of scenes from Lup's perspective and its just. The feels. Its just all so good."

Cool. Well I would like to say that I read some of her fics and that her strongest skill, one I really envy, is her ability for description! It’s really easy to picture what she’s saying and it’s all so real seeming. Honestly it’s an amazing skill and makes her writing great in a way that keeps my attention and I just assume everyone else’s

Their angst is absolutely A+ and their tumblr has the perfect balance of fandom v memes, and i enjoy following them v much (although I don't understand their homestuck references, which i assume are very funny based on other experiences). They're a warm and funny presence on the discord, which is mainly how I know them, and they're always around to chat or to help generate Horrible Ideas. They are eminently quotable and the discord would be an emptier place without them.

Ive got my addition! Ive read and reread your gift for candlenights sooo many times!! I love your works, but that one in particular was so funny i was dying! Badass dysfunctional reaper squad is the absolute best, and I love how you write them! You’re a ton of fun to have in the chat, from the thousands of cursed jean jokes that get dropped to the fun ideas tossed around (even in the dangerous waters of the homestuck tag). Stay cool!!

Raise and get Razed was one of the funniest TAZ fics I've read!! Barry is a nerd, the characterization was spot-on, and the sheer amount of puns... I kept laughing through the entire thing! Also, I love your blog and blog theme,, it's so soft and nice to look at.

I hope this isn't too late but for galaxies good good feels thing I wanted to say that I knew them in the McElroy party server and they've always been extremely fun to be around and just a joy to be near. they always have soft, fluffy ideas that they execute beautifully, it's good enough to be published as a children's book, and honestly, their ideas are great for when you just want to unwind with a warm and fluffy story.

Sorry this is so late ive been moving house while working full time things been slipping x.x Jalexy! Holy jazz you beautiful human, you are a day-brightener in every possible way! You're so positive and easy to talk to and an actual literal Great Human with a tumblr that is aaaaaall Good Shit (bc I legit scrolled through for a couple hours because all of it was so good?? You know how to pass on that good good content and it's ALWAYS a good day when you're on my dash. Thank you for being one of the sunshine people <3

"Hey!!! I don't get to talk to you nearly enough for how fucking cool you are, but you are super fucking cool. I wish i had so much more substace to put in this than i do, but school is kicking my ass (like always, really, fucking developmental disorders, why are they like this???) and i am a nervous bean who has seen your url and your killer handle (seriously, that nickname and handle are to die for!!! good shit right there) many times and been too weenie to talk to you. I know you are super chill and super cool, and i admire you a lot, and hopefully we talk a lot in the future. <3"

Time To Appreciate the Shit out of Alex!  Like, ok, you are just so good???? im giving up on anonymity here, you're gonna know its me by what I say.  If I tried to be vague and anonymous, I wouldnt be happy with what I said.  (Also this is gonna be super sappy bc i have two modes: Angst and Sap, and this sure as hell isnt gonna be the former).  Anyway, you are so much fun to write fics with.  Like, hands down I would write endless amounts of stories with you bc you have such good ideas, constantly.  Half the time our brainstorming is me sending you an idea that I think is decent but not that great, and then you sending back an idea that is just So Damn Good.  Your story ideas are super original too, and they're stories that if I saw them in a bookstore i would buy them in a heartbeat because I've seen nothing really like them.  And your writing never fails to make me laugh, because you just have this way of adding humor to stories that doesn't seem forced at all and I'm convinced its a whole different art form because I could never be as funny as you when I write.  And then, when the humor is super obvious in the writing it doesnt even feel wrong or clunky in any way it's just hysterical.

Your writing style is just so unique and I could read it forever.  Youve been one of my absolute Best Friends for four years now, and you've motivated me to write so much, I can never repay you for all the ideas youve given me and the beta-ing help and the brainstorming we've done that most of the time turns into us making jokes about Everything.  Do You Remember Me is one of my favorite things to write, and thats largely thanks to you.  You're just so supportive of all my writing, no matter what it is, and I hope that I'm doing a good job in return because honestly?  I think one of the reasons I'm so intent on making that fic perfect is because I want to make you proud?  You're just a huge inspiration to me and I really want you to be happy with the fics we make together.  And you'd better know that when you publish your first novel, I'll be the first one to get a copy because its gonna be amazing! You're gonna be amazing!

[glittergelpenstudies]

Book reviews (May and June)

So since I never posted my book review for the Psychology of Time Travel for the month of May, I'm instead posting it now together with my book review for Things We Say in the Dark 📚

The Psychology of Time Travel (May)

Author(s): Kate Mascarenhas

Genre(s): Sci-fi, mystery

Rating: 3/5

Motivation:

Positives:

Great world building! I love how many societal aspects the author has considered that may be affected by time travel. The attention to detail makes the universe feel very rich.

Feminism and intersectionality. Not only are all the important characters women (which is quite unusual in the world of sci-fi), but we also get our fair share of LGBT+ representation (Ruby and Grace's love story is sooo well written) and POC representation (with characters that actually are important to the plot being POC). It feels so good to see an array of diverse, well-rounded characters rather than the white-washed all-cishet-male cast we've grown so accustomed to.

Negatives:

Too on-the-nose. Something that made the reading experience less enjoyable to me was the lack of subtlety in the author's writing style. The author would write a line containing an implication and would in the paragraph underneath explain what she meant, which gave the over-all impression of her underestimating her readers.

Some characters got lost. I would have loved to see more of Lucille in the book, but her page time was rather limited, which was disappointing considering what a cool character she is with so much potential. I really would have liked for her to play a larger role.

Things We Say in the Dark (June)

Author(s): Kirsty Logan

Genre(s): Horror, anthology

Rating: 4/5

Motivation:

Positives:

A meaty read. The book has loads of fun symbolism and literary devices to break down and analyse, so it will definitely keep you occupied!

Covers a variety of topics. While the majority of the topics covered by the short stories touch on womanhood, there is a plethora of subjects explored in these stories, so there's something for everyone. The stories that resonated the most with me were definitely the ones covering themes such as abuse, trauma, and feelings of rejection.

Elicits strong emotions. I love the way this author writes horror; she definitely knows how to utilise the uncanny valley to give an unsettling, nightmarish atmosphere. This is also one of the few books the genuinely has made me cry.

Negatives:

Binary depiction of gender. I feel like in many ways, the depiction of gender in this book is rather binary in that it very much places men and women in separate "camps" and neglects to mention anyone else on the gender spectrum. Let's also not forget to mention that there's an entire section of the book dedicated to the subject of childbirth, which I find to be rather exclusionist in a book that covers the struggles of women. This could of course be chalked up to the author covering her own worries and experiences, which is alright and valid, but then you also encounter quotes such as: "And if it's painful and humiliating, well, women are good at that, aren't we? Menstrual cramps, internal exams, childbirth |...|" (from "Watch the Wall, My Darling, While the Gentlemen Go By" p.220.). Basically, only cis women with a functioning reproductive system would be able to relate to such a quote, and the uncertainty of whether the author is being ignorant or consciously exclusionist is what causes me to lower my rating of the book.

These were my opinions on these two books ☀️ I'll try my best to post a book review every month. I hope this inspired any of you to read these books and see for yourself what you think!

[dyemelikeasunset]

Naf, what are your favorite animes/mangas? Also, happy new year!! :)

Happy new year!! 

So I had an old list of my favorite anime/manga but it’s a bit outdated so I’m gonna make a new one. Yeah!

(this is a long as fuck post, apologies!)

Comics/Manga:

Otoyomegatari (eng: Bride’s Story): so I know this series is already pretty renowned but IT’S JUST SO GORGEOUS. The detail and research that goes into this series is so! frickin’! good!! The characters are subtle but full of personality, the humor is delivered in a very human way, the pacing is slow and gentle but full of interest, the story telling is refined. And the cultures are not demonized?? While there are “outsider” perspectives everyone works realistically within the confines of their societies and it’s really respectful. The age gap of the main couple (the groom is 12 and the bride is 20) has so much potential to be squicky but it’s healthy and not framed in any gross way. I love the way the series jumps to different areas and explores small arcs outside the main storyline, all staying within the theme of cultural marriages. Among these side stories, there is one with a majority dark-skinned cast, and the main characters are these carefree and fun-loving twin girls who are so much fun to read about! There’s also another story with a healthy polyamorous story that is, again, actually very accurate!! (Some people could argue it’s “platonic” but the way it’s executed really, really drips with romance lmao.) Highly suggest this series!!

Boku no Hero Academia (eng:My Hero Academy): I’ve completely fallen into the BnHA pit. I didn’t expect to like this series THIS MUCH but it is really, reeaaalllyyy damn good. I’ve never read a shounen series that had so much thought and good editing put into it. Like, it has incredible reread value! There’re a lot of small jokes (like single-panel but still very effective! jokes), unbelievable attention to detail, and it’s very obvious the characters were all worked out before the story was kicked off. The pacing is great, the momentum never feels sacrificed, yet there are still good chunks for breathing and emotional development. The characters are all very well-written even if they’re not “likeable,” you always have someone to root for, and the superpowers are refreshingly executed. The action is fucking FANTASTIC, and the story itself is intriguing with a lot of emotional impact without becoming hamfisted. There are still some issues with it, especially with the small amount of female characters and some unneeded romance undertones, but overall those criticisms do stay as “undertones” and probably weren’t done intentionally. A lot of the potential “fanservice scenes” are usually subverted in a hilarious way

Gakuen Babysitters (eng: School Babysitters): OOH BOY. This one’s a story about a high school with a daycare attached to it (mainly for the teachers’ kids). The main character is a high school student with a toddler-age younger brother, they’re new to this school and have to meet all the other kids… who are fucking adorable. All the toddlers at the daycare are really fleshed out, they all have set personalities and aren’t unrealistically angelic and some are bratty and most are CUTE AF, and they all have their moments to shine. Sometimes the characters border on caricatures or one-note jokes, but it works well for comedy and is generally kept fresh. There’re also some typical romance-y things but they’re totally glazed over in favor of the toddler-plots and YES A STORY WHERE KIDS AREN’T USED AS A PLOT DEVICE TO MAKE SOMEONE MORE ROMANTICALLY APPEALING AND seriously this series is SO CUTE you all should read it.

Bokura no Hentai (eng: Our Transformations): the “hentai” here is “transformations” not porn lmao. Anyway this series is about three kids who meet through an online “cross-dressing” community. The main character is actually a trans girl!! The other two mains are both cis, one gay one straight. The straight boy does say homo/transphobic things at the beginning but properly apologizes for his actions later. The series also deals with death in the family, mental illness and recovery, gender (obviously) as well as gender expectations and even addresses hypersexuality as a result of trauma. That being said, there is a heavy warning on this series for noncon situations and molestation. However it’s thankfully not treated in a romantic or rose-tinted way in the least. Some of the character growth is a little sudden (esp straight cis boy, I felt his turnaround was too fast and drastic) and some of the endgame couples (or implied couples) have some meh undertones, but overall a good story.The series is finished now and ended on a pretty good note, but the epilogue is incredibly sad. I suggest maybe not reading the very last chapter if you’re in a bad place mentally right now.

Kase-san: If you’re looking for feel-good wlw media, Kase-san is the shit. It’s sooo sugary and sweet, but still has good character growth and story development. It generally deals with real-world teenager stuff, but the couple is very healthy and progresses at a realistic but still romantic pace. Warnings for intense butterflies lmao this series is seriously so gentle and high-school romance-y in the best way. The biggest surprise is how the main girl grew on me so much? Like I have a huge pet peeve for cookie-cutter protagonists, but Yamada has so much personality and strengths! Even though the story is told from her perspective and generally follows her pining after the titular love interest, Kase, there are enough glimpses into Kase’s personality and motivations too (which helps to balance things out), and just Yamada herself is very vibrant and sweet! This series puts me in such a good mood

Tamen Di Gushi (eng: Their Story): Another good wlw series! I know this series is already pretty popular on Tumblr, but if anyone was still on the fence about it, I really think you should give it a shot. The romance is sweet and adorable but what really gets me is the HUMOR. The gags in this series are fucking out of this world, I can’t explain it well but the timing, expressions, and circumstances are SO FUNNY and the artist pulls it off so well!! I always look forward to the updates just because they’re so funny

Anime:

Idolm@ster: ugh don’t even talk to me about this one it’s a total guilty pleasure but all the characters and even the sides are GREAT (I love the faceless president lmao). It’s a story about a start-up idol agency, and how all the adults are working to help each of the girls become famous. It was originally a video game (with some questionable content) but the anime is REALLY GOOD and very endearing and each of the girls has a moment to shine and grow. The songs are cute and the dances and performances are so rewarding to see esp after all the characters go through, and UGH It’s all so adorable, esp 2nd season. I love this show.[A NOTE: don’t watch the movie. Just don’t. It’s awful. Bad production value, unnecessary drama, A USELESS SIDEPLOT ABOUT A GIRL LOSING WEIGHT it’s awful don’t do it.]

Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls: New cast of idols, new agency, very different pacing. The beginning 7 episodes are a little hard to get through, but after that first trudge, the quality skyrockets. I actually think there were some things I enjoyed more about CG than the original im@s– there’s a bigger focus on the actual work they do (like their idol theming), company politics, and a MUCH BETTER VILLAIN introduced in the second season. This series doesn’t focus as much on each individual character, but the ones that do get development really hit home strong.

Escaflowne: one of the first animes I ever watched when they were dubbing it in fox kids. I rewatched the subbed anime when I got older and I gotta say it’s really lasts the test of time. Aside from the geek factors (high fantasy!! tarot cards!! dragons! MAGIC MECHS!!) the story and characters are really great. The main character, Hitomi, is just such a strong baby who’s never outshined by the other characters. She goes through a lot and still is allowed to feel vulnerability, it never quite feels like she has to “prove” herself worthy of being a hero just “because she’s a girl” etc, she’s allowed to be strong and courageous while also weak and in need of help, very multi-layered! And that’s only the main girl HAHA don’t even get me started on the other characters.Some of the later story can be a little weird? There’s some weird real-world references and one of the characters has an interesting(?) gender issue. I don’t personally know how I feel about it but it’s worth having a mild precaution to anyone thinking of going into this series.