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vickyvicarious · 3 years ago

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Leverage Redemption Pros/Cons List

Okay! Now that I've finally finished watching the first half of Leverage: Redemption, I thought I'd kind of sum up my overall impression. Sort of a pro/con list, except a little more just loosely structured rambles on each bullet point rather than a simple list.

This got way out of hand from what I expected so I'm going to put it all under a cut. If you want the actual bulletpoint list, here it is:

PROS

References

Continuity

Nate

Representation

Themes

New Characters

General Vibe

CONS

'Maker and Fixer'

Episode Twins

Sophie's Stagefright

Thiefsome

You might notice the pros list is longer, and that's because I do love the show! I really like most of what it does, and my gripes are fewer in number and mostly smaller in size. But they do exist and I felt like talking about them as well as the stuff I loved.

PROS

References

There is clearly so much love and respect for the original show here. Quite aside from the general situation, there's a lot of references to individual episodes or character traits from the first show. For example, Parker's comments on disliking clowns, liking puppets, disliking horses, stabbing vs. tasing people. The tasing was an ongoing thing in the original, the stabbing happened once (S1) but was referenced later in the original show, the clown thing only had a few mentions scattered across the entire original show. The puppet thing was mentioned once in S5, and the horses thing in particular was only brought up in S1 once. But they didn't miss the chance to put the nod to it in there; in fact with those alone we see a good mix of common/ongoing jokes and smaller details.

We got "dammit Hardison" and "it's a very distinctive..." but also Eliot and Parker arguing about him catering a mob wedding, and Eliot being delighted by lemon as a secret ingredient in a dish in that same episode (another reference to the mob episode). Hardison and Eliot banter about "plan M", an ongoing joke starting from the very first episode of the original show. We see Sophie bring up Hardison's accent in the Ice Job, Parker also makes reference to an early episode when describing "backlash effect" to Breanna, in an episode that also references her brother slightly if you look for it.

Heck, the last episode of these first eight makes a big deal out of nearly reproducing the iconic opening lines of the original show with Fake Nate's "we provide... an advantage." And I mean, all the "let's go steal a ___" with Harry being confused about how to use them.

Some of the lines are more obviously references to the original show, but they strike a decent balance with smaller or unspoken stuff as well, and also mix in some references between the team to events we the audience have never seen. If someone was coming into this show for the first time, they wouldn't get all the easter egg joy but most of the references would stand on their own as dialogue anyway. In general, I think they struck a good balance of restating needed context for new viewers while still having enough standalone good lines and more-fun-if-you-get-it callbacks.

Continuity

Similar to the last point, but slightly different. The characters' development from the original to now is shown so well. I'm not going to go on about this too long, but the writers clearly didn't want to let the original characters stagnate during the offscreen years. There was a lot of real thought put into how they would change or not.

It's really written well. We can see just how cohesive a team Parker, Hardison, and Eliot became. We get a sense of how they've spent their time, and there's plenty of evidence that they remained incredibly close with Sophie and Nate until this past year. The way everyone defers to Parker is different from the original show and clearly demonstrates how she's been well established as the leader for years now - they show this well even as Parker is stepping back to let Sophie take point in these episodes. Eventually that is actually called out by Sophie in the eighth episode, so we might see more mastermind Parker in the back half of the show, maybe. But even with her leading, it's clear how collaborative the team has become, with everyone bouncing ideas off one another and adding their input freely. Sometimes they even get so caught up they leave the newbies completely in the dust. But for the most part we get a good sense of how the Parker/Hardison/Eliot team worked with her having final say on plans but the others discussing everything together. A little bit more collaborative than it was with Nate at the helm.

Meanwhile Sophie has built a home and is deeply attached to it. She and Nate really did retire, at least for the most part, and she was living her happy ending until he died. She's out of practice but still as skilled as ever, and we're shown how much her grief has changed her and how concerned the others are for her.

There's a lot of emphasis on how they all look after one another and the found family is clearer than ever. Sophie even calls Hardison "his father's son" - clearly referring to Nate.

Nate

Speaking of Nate! They handled his loss so, so well. His story was the most complete at the end of the last show, and just from a narrative point, losing him makes the most sense of all the characters. But the way he dies and his impact on the show and the characters continues. It's very respectful to who he was - who he truly was.

Nate was someone they all loved, but he was a deeply flawed individual. Sophie talks about how he burned too hot, but at least he burned - possibly implying to me that his drinking was related to his death. In any case, there's no mystery to it. We don't know how he died but that's not what's most important about his death. This isn't a quest for revenge or anything... it's just a study of grief and trying to heal.

Back to who he really was real quick - the show doesn't eulogize him as better than he was. They're honest about him. From the first episode's toast they raise in his memory, to the final episode where Sophie and Eliot are deeply confused by Fake Nate singing his praises, the team knows who he was. They don't erase his flaws... but at the same time he was so clearly theirs. He was family, he was the man they trusted and loved and followed into incredibly dangerous situations, and whose loss they all still feel deeply.

That said, the show doesn't harp on this point. They reference him, but they don't overwhelm new viewers with a constant barrage of Nate talk. It always serves a purpose, primarily for Sophie's storyline of moving through her grief. Anyway, @robinasnyder said all of this way better than me here, so go read that as well.

Representation

Or should I say, Jewish Hardison, Autistic Parker, Queer Breanna!

Granted, Hardison's religion isn't quite explicitly stated to be Jewish so much as he mentions that his "Nana runs a multi-denominational household", but nonetheless. He gets the shows big thesis statement moment, he gets a beautiful speech about redemption that is the emotional cornerstone of that episode and probably Harry's entire arc throughout the show. And while I'm not Jewish myself, most of what I've seen from Jewish fans is saying that Hardison's words here were excellent representation of their beliefs. (@featherquillpen does a great job in that meta of contextualizing this with his depiction in the original show as well.)

Autistic Parker, however, is shown pretty dang blatantly. She already was very much coded as autistic in the original show, but the reboot has if anything gone further. She sees a child psychologist because she likes using puppets to represent emotions, she stims, she uses cue cards and pre-written scripts for social interactions, there's mention of possible texture sensitivity and her clothes are generally more loose and comfortable. She's gotten better at performing empathy and understanding how people typically work, but it's specifically described as something she learned how to do and she views her brain as being different from ones that work that way (same link). Again, not autistic myself but from what I've seen autistic fans find a lot to relate to in her portrayal. And best of all, this well-rounded and respectful depiction does not show any of these qualities as a lack on her part. There's no more of those kinda ableist comments or "what's wrong with you" jokes that were in the original show. Parker is the way she is, and that allows her to do things differently. She's loved for who she is, and any effort made to fit in is more just to know how so that she can use it to her advantage when she wants to on the job - for her convenience, not others' comfort.

Speaking of loved for who you are.... okay, again, queer Breanna isn't confirmed onscreen yet, and I don't count Word of God as true canon. But I can definitely believe we're building there. Breanna dresses in a very GNC way, and just her dialogue and, I dunno, vibes seem very queer to me. She has a beautiful speech in the Card Game Job about not belonging or being accepted and specifically mentions "the way they love" as one of those things that made her feel like she didn't belong. And that scene is given so much weight and respect. (Not to mention other hints throughout the episode about how much finding her own space meant to her.) Also, the whole theme of feeling rejected and the key for her to begin really flourishing is acceptance for who she is, not any desire for her to be anyone else, is made into another big moment. Yeah, textually that moment is about her feeling like she has to fill Hardison's shoes and worrying about her past, but the themes are there, man.

Themes

I talked a bit about this yesterday, so I'm mostly just going to link to that post, but... this series so far is doing a really good job in my opinion of giving people arcs and having some good themes. Namely the redemption one, from Hardison's speech (which I'm gonna talk a little more about in the next point), and this overall theme of growing up and looking to the future (from above the linked post).

New Characters

Harry and Breanna are fantastic characters. I was kind of worried about Harry being a replacement Nate, but... he really isn't. Sure, he's the older white guy who has an angsty past but it's in a very different way and his personality and relationships with the rest of the crew are correspondingly different. I think the dynamic of a very friendly, cheerful, kind, but still bad guy (as @soundsfaebutokay points out) is a great one to show, and he's got a really cool arc I think of learning to be a better person, and truly understanding Hardison's point about redemption being a process not a goal. His role on the team also has some interesting applications and drawbacks, as @allegorymetaphor talked about. I've kind of grown to think that the show is gradually building up to an eventual Sophie/Harry romance a ways down the line, and I'm actually here for it. Regardless, his relationships with everyone are really interesting.

As for Breanna, first of all and most importantly I love her. Secondly, I think she's got a really interesting story. She's a link to Hardison's past, and provides a really interesting perspective for us as someone younger who has grown up a) looking up to Leverage and b) in a bleaker and more hopeless world. Breanna's not an optimist, and she's not someone who was self-sufficient and unconcerned with the rest of the world at the start, like everyone else. She believes that the world sucks and she wants it to be better, but she doesn't know how to make that happen. She outright says she's desperate and that's why she's working with Leverage. At the same time, Breanna is pretty down on herself and wants to prove herself but gets easily shaken by mistakes or being scolded, which is a stark contrast to Hardison's general self-confidence. There are several times when she starts to have an idea then hesitates to share it, or expects her emotions to be dismissed, or gets really disheartened when she's corrected or rejected, or dwells on her mistakes, or when she is accepted or praised she usually takes a surprised beat and is shy about it (she almost always looks down and away from the person, and her smile is often small or startled). Breanna looks up to the team so much (Parker especially, then probably Eliot) and she wants to prove herself. It's going to be so good to see her grow.

General Vibe

A brief note, but it seems a fitting one to end on. The show keeps it's overall tone and feeling from the original show. The fun, the competency porn, the bad guys and clever plans and happy endings. It's got differences for sure, but the characters are recognizably themselves and the show as a whole is recognizably still Leverage. For the most part they just got the feeling right, and it's really nice.

CONS (no, not that kind)

'Maker and Fixer'

So when I started writing this meta earlier today, I was actually a lot more annoyed by the lack of unique 'maker' skills being shown by Breanna. Basically the only time she tries to use a drone, the very thing she introduced herself as being good at, it breaks instantly. I was concerned about her being relegated into just doing what Hardison did, instead of bringing her own stuff to the table. But the seventh episode eased some of those fears, and the meta I just wrote for someone else asking about Breanna's 'maker' skills as shown this season made me realize there's more nuance than that. I'd still like to have seen more of that from her, but for now the fact that we don't see a lot of 'maker' from her so far seems more like a character decision based in Breanna's insecurities.

Harry definitely gets more 'inside man' usage. His knowledge as a 'fixer' comes in handy several times. Nonetheless, I'm really curious if there are any bigger ways to use it, aside from him just adding in some exposition/insight from time to time. I'm not even entirely sure how much more they can pull from this premise in terms of relevant skills, but I hope there's more and I'd like to see it. Maybe a con built more around him playing a longer role playing his old self, like they tried in the Tower Job? Maybe it's more a matter of him needed distance from that part of his past, being unable to face it without lashing out - in that case it could be a good character growth moment possibly for him to succeed in being Scummy Lawyer again down the line? I dunno.

Episode Twins

This was something small that kind of bothered me a little earlier in the season. It's kind of the negative side to the references, I guess? And I'm not even sure how much it annoys me really, but I just kinda noticed and felt sort of weird about it.

Rollin' on the River has a lot of references/callbacks to the The Wedding Job.

The Tower Job has a lot of references/callbacks to The White Rabbit Job.

The Paranormal Hacktivity Job has a lot of references/callbacks to the Future Job.

I guess I was getting a little concerned that there would be a 'match this episode' situation where almost every new Redemption episode is very reminiscent of an old one. I love the callbacks, but I don't want to see a lack of creativity in this new show, and this worried me for a minute. Especially when it was combined with all three of those episodes dealing with housing issues of some kind. Now, that's a huge concern for a lot of people, and each episode has its own take on a different problem within that huge umbrella, but it still got me worried about a lack of variety in topics/cases.

The rest of the episodes failing to line up so neatly in my head with older episodes helped a lot to ease this one, though. Still, this is my complaining section so I figured I'd express my concerns as they were at the time. Even if I no longer really worry about it much.

Sophie's Stagefright

Yeah, I know this is just a small moment in a single episode, but it annoyed me! Eliot made a bit of a face at Sophie going onstage, but I thought it was just him being annoyed at the general situation. However, they started out with her being awful up there until she realized the poem was relevant to the con - at which point her reading got so much better.

This felt like a complete betrayal of Sophie's beautiful moment at the end of the original show where she got over her trouble with regular acting and played Lady Macbeth beautifully in front of a full theater of audience members. This was part of the con, but only in the sense that it gave her an alibi/place to hide, and I always interpreted it as her genuinely getting over her stagefright problems. It felt like such a beautiful place to end her arc for that show, especially after all her time spent directing.

Now, her difficulty onstage in the Card Game Job was brief and at the very beginning of being up on stage. @rinahale suggested to me that maybe it was a deliberate tactic to draw the guy's attention, and the later skill was simply her shifting focus to make the sonnet easier for Breanna to listen to and interpret, but he seemed more enraptured when she was doing well than otherwise in my opinion and it just doesn't quite sit well with me. My other theory was that maybe she just hasn't been up on stage in a long time, and much like she complaining about being rusty at grifting before the team pushed her into trying, she got nervous for a moment at the very beginning. The problem there is that I think she'd definitely still get involved in theater even when she and Nate were retired. I guess she could've quit after he died, and a year might be long enough to make her doubt herself again, but... still.

I just resent that they even left it ambiguous at all. Sophie's skills should be solid on stage at this point in my opinion.

Thiefsome

...And now we come to my main complaint. This is, by far, the biggest issue I have with the show.

I feel like I should put a disclaimer here that I had my doubts from the beginning about the thiefsome becoming canon onscreen. I thought the famous "the OT3 is safe" tweet could easily just mean that they are all still alive and well, or all still working together, without giving us confirmation of a romantic relationship. Despite this, the general fandom expectations/hopes really got to me, especially with the whole "lock/pick/key" thing. I tried to temper my expectations again when the character descriptions came out and only mentioned Hardison loving Parker, not Eliot, but I still got my hopes up.

The thing is, I was disappointed pretty quickly.

The very first episode told me that in all likelihood we would never see Hardison and Parker and Eliot together in a romantic sense. Oh, there was so much coding. So much hinting. So much in the way of conversations that were about Parker/Hardison's relationship but then Eliot kept getting brought into them. They were portrayed as a unit of three.

But then there was this.

I love all of those scenes of Parker and Hardison being intimate and loving and comfortable with one another and their relationship. I really do. But it didn't escape my notice that there's nothing of the sort with Eliot. If they wanted a canon onscreen thiefsome, it would by far make the most sense to just have it established from the start. But there aren't any scenes where Eliot shares the same kind of physical closeness with either of them like they do each other. Parker and Hardison kiss; he doesn't kiss anyone. They have several clearly romantic conversations when alone; he gets important conversations with both but the sense of it being romantic isn't there.

Establishing Eliot as part of the relationship after Hardison is gone just... doesn't make any sense. It would be more likely to confuse new viewers, to make them wonder if Parker is cheating on Hardison with Eliot, or if they have a Y shaped relationship rather that a triangle. It would be so much clumsier.

Still, up until the Double-Edged-Sword Job I believed the writers might keep it at this level of 'plausible hinting but not quite saying'. There's a lot of great stuff with all of them, and I never expecting making out or whatever anyway; a cheek-kiss was about the height of my hopes to be honest. I mostly just hoped for outright confirmation and, failing that, I was happy enough to have the many hints and implications.

But then Marshal Maria Shipp came along. And I don't really have anything against her as a character - in fact, I think she has interesting story potential and will definitely come back. But the episode framed her fight with Eliot as a sexyfight TM, much like his fight with Mikel back in the day. And then his flirting with her rode the line a little of "he's playing her for the con" and "he's genuinely flirting." The scene where he tells her his real name is particularly iffy, but actually was the one that convinced me he was playing her. Because he seems to be watching her really closely, and to be very concerned about her figuring out who he really is. I am very aware though that I'm doing a lot of work to interpret it the way I want. On surface appearance, Eliot's just flirting with an attractive woman, like he did on the last show. And that's probably the intention, too.

But the real nail in the coffin for me was when Sophie compared herself and Nate to Eliot and Maria. That was a genuine scene, not the continuation of the teasing from before. And Sophie is the one whose insight into people is always, always trustworthy. She is family to the thiefsome. For this to make any sense, either Eliot/Parker/Hardison isn't a thing, or they are and Sophie doesn't know - and I can't imagine why in the hell she wouldn't know.

Any argument to make them still canon leaves me unsatisfied. If she knows and they haven't admitted it to her - why wouldn't they, after all this time? Why would she not have picked up on it even without an outright announcement? Some people suggested they wouldn't admit it because they thought Nate would be weird about it, but that doesn't seem any more in character to me than the other possibilities. In fact, the only option that doesn't go against my understanding of these people and their observational abilities/the close relationship they share.... is that the thiefsome is not a thing.

And furthermore, the implication of this conversation - especially the way it ended, with Eliot stomping off looking embarrassed while Sophie smiled knowingly - is that Eliot will get into another relationship onscreen. Maybe not a full-blown romantic relationship. But the Maria Shipp tension is going to be resolved somehow, and at this point I'm half-expecting a hook-up simply because of Sophie's reaction and how much I trust her judgement of such things. Even if she's letting her grief cloud her usual perceptiveness... it feels iffy.

It just kinda feels like I wasn't even allowed to keep my "interpret these hints/maybe they are" thiefsome that I expected after the first couple episodes convinced me we wouldn't get outright confirmation. (I mean, I will anyway, and I love the hints and allusions regardless.) And while I'm definitely not the kind of fan who is dependent on canon for my ships, and still enjoy all their interactions/will keep right on headcanoning them all in a relationship, it's just.... a bummer.

Feels like a real cop-out. Like the hints of Breanna being queer are enough to meet their quota and they won't try anything 'risky' like a poly relationship. I dunno. It's annoying.

That's the end of the list! Again, overall I love the new show a lot and have few complaints.

#leverage #leverage redemption #leverage spoilers #leverage meta #my meta #this turned into a BIG ol ramble #i planned to write like a couple of sentences for each point but noooo

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sofibeth · 2 years ago

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Frontiers wrap up

Finished the game last night and had time to simmer it for a bit

will still say its first impression so here goes

- Have to debate whether I like the 3rd or 2nd super sonic boss more, they’re both cool set pieces eitherway. I would said I liked how the 3rd ended more.

- 3rd song is the best tho W.

- I’ve been seeing some opinions of how they address Tails’ “inconsistent” behavior its honestly a double edge sword. I don’t like Forces’ direction but I do respect them trying to stick and just grow from it. Its kinda adds to the whole themeing of the game where the main core 3 are reflecting on themselves and what they want to do moving forward. I feel this aspect would be stronger if it this stick so I’m hoping for it.

- I think it also helps when Sonic is moviating Tails they used more a old and modern example (SA1 and Lost World) for his accomplistments so its using the more mixed stuff in a good way.

- Funny since Flynn was known for fixing the pre-reboot Archie direction and here Frontiers its bout refocusing characters to their more well liked portrayals.

- Actually curious since there been IDW mentions in this game meaning their trying to bridge canon between comics and games how its gonna be incorporate here on out.

- You can really tell their were running out of assets by last 2 islands when 4 th island basicially cutscene island. I will say I like the platforming challenge to reach the last towet as well as the buildup to Sonic’s corruption and how he keeps going despite it all.

- The plot is simple but I do like how it’s show to us, looking back it cool seeing the visions Sonic gets after a titan are the Ancients piloting it u know?

- Frontiers has def been up there for Sonic portrayals for me. Bring back an aspect IDW focus on the least and how he inspires and encourages people around them. Mostly showcase of how Sage is slowly warming up to Sonic and understanding his way of thinking.

- Funny how this consider Eggman’s more interesting portrayals and its mostly through the egg memos. I think Sage brings a dynamic to him we never seen before and lowkey glad it seen they’re keeping Sage for the future. It would be a waste to use it for one game.

- Like I really like the shot at the end of Sonic being around with the friends he been trying to save the whole game and then pans to Eggman being allow and somewhat mourning for the her daughter is sort of accidently created its good stuff.

- But getting ahead of myself I do like how the 5th island been more on level of challenging the player every they know it just collect all the emeralds, its smaller to thank god consider Chaos’ size.

- The final boss.....I liked it bbbuuutt I can understand why some won’t (have some friends or fall on both the pro and con of it) the first half is a cool setup but I feel wasn’t scaled to the appropirate difficultly level as I cheesed it pretty easily. I was also playing Hard Mode so I got the “secret” and I ironicially I think its what saved it for me cause once you figured out the play style its a matter of timing and focus. I felt like I really earned that victory and final cutscene. That said if they wanted this in the end they should have introduced this mechanic sonner and more frequent as its only in 3 minigames. (the minigames were cute btw)

- I love the credit songs but mann why is Vandalize only play in the lower difficulties? The song too much of a banger to cut okay.

- But yea overal I enjoyed my experience with Frontiers, there alot of flaws I can poiint when playing (night challenges, wanting a mini map,some jank, they really need to upgrade the character models now) but overall this game just feels like a love letter to Sonic fans! Your gonna one thing to enjoy about this game and I hope SEGA learns the right lesson going forward.

I feel excited for Sonic games again!

#sonic frontiers spoilers #frontiers playing #final thoughts #I hope you filter the spoiler tag cause I'm bout to go on a reblog spree

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letstalkaboutfandomsbaby · 3 years ago

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College is a scam, honestly. Yes, it can provide you with an intense focus in a field you're interested in and your diploma can help you with gaining a better wage once out of school....but it doesn't guarantee you a job, stable income, or all the skills that you many of us learn while working in our field of interest actively. College is just overpriced for the potential benefits and no guarantee of something better at the end of it but it can help guide you into your field so that when you start you're up to date with the changes that are happening within the work force.

I can see where you're coming from. I don't think it's necessarily a scam but im looking at it from the pov where i need a bachelor's degree to go to vet school yk? Like yes it was super overpriced and im still paying off debt and im gonna have a lot more after vet school, but if I'm able to do something that i love and am really passionate about then so be it yk? I definitely don't recommend it for ppl who have no clue what they want to do or don't care—i think you should enjoy the field you're in at least a little bit—but overall i think the pros outweigh the cons. I went to a big state college and it wasnt so bad, overall it was good but there would be one or two classes that i just couldn't wrap my head around or the teacher was totally unapproachable. On the flipside, i also met some incredible teachers that sparked my passion! My cells and development teacher made me more passionate about lab work and studying smaller parts of life like cells. My english professor inspired me to start reading in my free time again and now im binge reading entire novels sksksk. I loved genetics and ecology too, and i made a lot of friends along the way! I think it just depends on the person and their needs/career goals. I feel like a lot of ppl are pressured into going to college so they can have a stable income one day but they're not passionate about what they're doing. It sucks but idk how to fix it and im not going to school rn so it's not my top priority, but i do hope it gets better over time :)

#ask

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ellasadventuresinfandoms · 3 years ago

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Okay, back in May @isolatedphenomenon asked me if I had an les mis fic recs and I went "oh boy do I !" and then promptly fucked off and disappeared from tumblr for like 6 months...

Anyway on the off chance people are interested, here is my vastly too long list of my favourite les mis fanfic (that I'm almost 100% sure I'll have accidentally missed some of my favourites off of...)

The vast majority of these are main pairing Enjolras/Grantaire, so I've put those first, divided into multi-chaptered and then one-shots. Below that will be other pairings!

Multi-chaptered

• Witch Boy Series : magic AU, starting with Grantaire solving Enjolras' curse - this is just Incredible world building which gets better as it goes on - my favourite is the Babet interlude

• World Ain't Ready : you know how fandoms tend to have a fic that is just associated with it ? in my experience, for les mis this is it - and well deserved ! High school, fake dating AU with some of the most engaging writing

• BE : Enjolras is dragged back into theatre production, helping Eponine put on a production of Hamlet - really love the characterisation in this, and this is really one of those modern AUs that actually feels like real life - really good writing

• After the End : the definitive apocalypse AU in my eyes - les amis are an underground resistance to the dystopian government - really wonderful characterisation of Grantaire and the amis

• You never have to wonder; you never have to ask. : I tend to find fic by scrolling through bookmarks of a pairing, which means I often see repeats; this is a fic that if I see I just re-read cause I know I'll enjoy it - the amis sparked a failed rebellion, and now 18 months later Grantaire ends up staying at Enjolras' after returning to Paris for Marius and Cosette's wedding

• Your Heart on Your Skin : Soulmate AU with flower tattoos marking important emotions and events - wonderful concept and world building

• Impatient to Be Free : Daughters of Bilitis AU - if that doesn't make you excited I don't know what else to say to convince you (aside from saying the author is a simply wonderful writer)

• You Dance Dreams : Okay. Not to be over dramatic, but this fic did genuinely qualitatively change my life, in that it was the first thing that got me looking up contemporary ballet and now that's like one of my favourite things and big hobby So. Also its really great writing; music/creative arts school les amis with Grantaire choreohraphing the ballet for Combeferre's opera, with a heavy emphasis on Grantaire realising he really never actually got over Enjolras

• philia : this one is an absolute classic to me, but not given nearly enough recognition - one of the more realistic college AUs ever written, and the writing of Grantaire is so good because it hits the perfect balance of sympathy and annoyance about his behaviour (that's a genuine compliment)

• Coffee Hooligans : fucking tragedy this never got properly finished, Enjolras leads the amis as social justice vigilantes and tries to hide the criminal bits of his life from R

• Fighting the Hurricane : Pacific Rim AU that's less an AU and more just placing the les mis characters in the Pacific Rim universe. Really good and riveting read, also super interesting depiction of Grantaire

• Weaving Olden Dances : Fairy AU - Grantaire "claims" Enjolras to prevent his execution - really good writing, love Grantaires characterisation

• Paris Burning : canon era (sort of) where cities have a physical being - Grantaire is Paris and becomes entangled in Enjolras' revolution - oh the world building is truly *chefs kiss*

• Euphoria is You For Me : Enjolras and Grantaire keep meet cuting in a wonderfully written Brooklyn - feels like a love letter to Brooklyn at times, and I really like the characterisation of Grantaire

• so please just fall in love with me this christmas : Enjolras works for the environmental company Grantaire volunteers at, and keeps getting secret gifts at Christmas - I sound a little like a broken record but the Grantaire characterisation is very good

• You Are the Moon : Wild West esque Space AU - Grantaire has to call on the amis to help rescue Valjean and Cosette, despite Grantaire leaving the amis 6 months before. On re-reading the Enjolras characterisation feels a little rushed, but overall fantastic story telling and the Grantaire arc is a Delight

• Pandemos : Enjolras is aphrodite, and seeks peace from all his suitors in R/Hephestus' cave

• Pining for You : Hallmark christmas romance - Grantaire returns home to work on his father's tree farm, and Enjolras is the lawyer helping prevent the farm being sold - cute as shit imo

• Once We're Kings : Fantasy AU - a country hosts a ball to marry Prince Enjolras and the rival country sends Grantaire as a fuck you - one of the best ways of doing Enjolras as a prince in a fantasy and just really nicely written

• Never Bitter and All Delicious : Fairy Godmother AU - yes really, yes its genuinely a very good read

• On One Condition : Fantasy AU - Enjolras is a bored knight who finally goes to check out the local dragon, which turns out to be Grantaire - I really like how they capture Enjolras' stubborn nature and it's such a well written soft growth of love between them

• That's How Easy Love Can Be : Les Amis work at a primary school; and its secret santa time! very fun portrayal of Enjolras

• The Lark and Her Lieutenants : re write of canon where Cosette is the leader of the revolution - just *chefs kiss*

• If You Tickle Us, Do We Not Laugh : Grantaire is Enjolras' secret android - really good at writing a relationship that's incredibly loving but just keeps being antagonistic and coming off wrong

One Shots

• True Colours : AU where you leave colours on the people important to you - Enjolras and Grantaire falling for each other is so soft and gently written its lovely, this is genuinely one of my favourites

• Keep It Kind, Keep It Good, Keep It Right : this one is so good to me, because it builds off my pet hatred of everyone assuming Enjolras doesn't care about (or at least actively show he cares about) his friends

• blooming : very soft post-dystopian utopia that has just a really wonderful sense of hope and light to me

• and the wall leaned away (or: The Pros and Cons of Tilling) : perfectly realised characterizations of the amis, Grantaire needs a date to her final year art exhibition - deals with anxiety over protest in a way that actually hits for me

• not just one of the crowd : R helps run a leftist bakery and bike repair shop - very cute characterisation, and I think more les mis fanfic should link to anarchist essays

• Lovesickness : Enjolras is an idiot and thinks he's sick rather than having a crush - the writing of Joly and Combeferre in this is some of my favourite depictions of these two

• If there's a rocket, tie me to it : absolutely heartbreaking sci-fi AU about the amis as doomed mecha pilots

• Where I Fall is Where I Land : Enjolras is a Roman commander as Rome's power is leaving England, and then meets the pict Grantaire (+ fun soulmark stuff !)

• You Started Foreign to Me : Enjolras moves to america and R is the overnight grocery clerk who helps her learn Spanish - cute fluffy lesbians with a wonderfully written driven Enjolras

• Love Is Touching Souls : very cute soulmate AU - and one I really love for really truly considering the implications of soul marks and creating historical lore around it

• Ten Years : R is a musician, and it non-linearly charts his relationship to Enj from high school to 10 years later

• put up with me then I'll make you see : Grantaire lives above Enjolras, and its christmas - I find it to have a very fun interpretation of pining Enjolras

• A Cat Called Trash Can : this was one of the first les mis fics I ever read (yes I know it says it was published in 2020, but I think it has to be a re-upload or something?) and it does still have a special place in my heart - Grantaire rescues a cat, but Enjolras is the only one with an apartment free to look after it

• Still I'm Begging to Be Free : inception AU where les amis have to rescue a sleeping R from his own brain

•I'm in it for You : cw: illness, cancer - R has cancer and is being a martyr about telling his friends so Enjolras drives him back from chemo

• walls come tumbling down : sky high au - a very good high school AU with the perfect level of campy superhero powers

• This brave new world's not like yesterday : Enjolras needs a job, so ends up working in a bowling alley with Grantaire and bonding

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

• In Defiance of All Geometry : les amis are a student co-op house, Enjolras and Combeferre are pining friends and Grantaire is the newbie

• Still the Same : this is very good writing and very compelling - if you can get over the (imo) plot hole of Enjolras working for the FBI. R was an art thief Enj put away and is briefly helping the FBI out, and Combeferre is Enjolras' husband

• To Kingdom Come : cw: war and PTSD from that, Enjolras and Combeferre are part of a group of refugees that have crossed into a more fantasy land, and Grantaire is a lone traveller from that land that attempts to help - that was a shit summary of this very emotional, wonderfully written fic about war and love in all forms

• Gonna need (a spark to ignite) : I always love a twist on a classic trope, and this is a very fun take on the soulmate AU - Enjolras loses feeling in his soul mark as a child, falls in love with Grantaire and then his soulmate, Combeferre, turns up

Eponine/Cosette

• Pretty Girls Don't Know the Things That I Know : simply stunning writing - perfect example of soft writing about a harsh world

• she knows her way around : Eponine and Cosette bond, ostensibly so Eponine can find out about her for Marius, and their interactions are so playful and realistic, its wonderful

• always find me floating on oceans : Cosette stows away on Eponine's pirate ship - I do always have a soft spot for eposette fics (not just cause I ship it) because they truly characterise Cosette in a really considered and interesting way

• There's No Making Love : I'm putting this under eposette even though there is some significant enjolras/grantaire content, because the Cosette characterisation is so fun and cute

• round and round again : this fic really beautifully translates Cosette's bad childhood and then isolated teenage years, and the impact that would have on her as an adult into a modern AU

• Underwater Thunderheards : this is based off the book The Scorpio Races, and is just a really nice short fic about longing

• How To Change The World Without Taking Power : Marius has a crush on Cosette and she's tried being polite and subtle in turning him down, so just ends up fake dating Eponine instead

• blood red fruit and poison's kiss : Snow White AU - Cosette as Snow White

• The Winters Cannot Fade Her : Snow White Au 2.0 - Eponine as Snow White - this was written as a pair to the one above which is just so cute to me

• marriage à la mode : Cosette and Eponine run a bridal shop together and it's very cute !

• Temporary Hold : I personally find this a really fun and very unique take on Cosette - with exams coming up she decides she needs to get laid on the reg and so hits up Eponine to act as if they're already long term girlfriends

Combeferre/Courfeyrac

• better than you had it : fake dating but kick it up an emotional notch - Courf and Ferre pretend to still be together after breaking up for a family event

• take flight, come near : nice and cute low fantasy, where Combeferre runs a dragon sanctuary and Courf finds an injured dragon

Rare Pairs

• The Future's Owned by You and Me : cute Enjolras/Feuilly with actual radical politics and real life organising difficulties and wins

• First Dates and Other Dangers : Combeferre and Grantaire agree to go on a blind date and it's awkward until it isn't - just cute !

• after midnight : Combeferre has insomnia and meets Grantaire in various all night fast food chains

• as you are : Bahorel and Jehan getting ready together

• Almost Romantic : Jehan works at a museum, and takes Combeferre on a little tour

• Understudy : Jehan/Combeferre, with Combeferre's insecurities regarding being seen as second best to Enjolras

• Here There Be Dragons : Courf/Enj/Ferre - Courf and Enj are superheroes and Ferre is the doctor that patches them up

• To Let it Occur (Laisser Faire la Nature) : Feuilly has a stupidly long stopover in Paris and meets Enjolras

• rule of three : Courf/Enj/Ferre as spies and loving boyfriends

• Good Rhetoric : snapshots of cute cuddly courf/enj/ferre

• subluxate, dislocate, replace : found family and chronic illness with Joly/Bossuet/Musichetta

• Strike stone, strike home (like lightning) : so this fic took one minor piece of lore about Tolkien's dwarves and made a beautiful j/b/m fic from it

• Almost Inevitable : Bahorel/Feuilly friends-with-benefits

• god only knows (what I'd be without you) : Bahorel/Feuilly with a closeted Feuilly and a beautiful Feuilly and Eponine friendship

#les miserables #fanfic rec #les mis #les miserables fanfic #les miserables fanfic rec

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the-bjd-community-confess · 3 years ago

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Dear 'Anime Bad' Anon: I Want To Help I pity your situation, so please have a list of weebshit that isn't moeified, or wherein the cutesy art-style serves a greater purpose. (Note: though they won't be soft marshmallow uguuuu, they may still have issues in other ways. Some may have aged badly with regards to how society views or portrays groups or beliefs, some may have upsetting content and dark themes, and some may simply not be to your taste. Note: Anime is a genre, not a monolith, and the disparaging stereotype that it's all cute girls uwuing over their brother s-s-senpai!!! is as much of a disservice as saying all western movies are just vapid cash grab superhero movie sequels with no inegrity or thought put into them. There are indeed a lot of superhero movies, but they're not all identical schlock (megamind vs venom vs kick-ass), but even more than that, there is a wealth of creative endeavor just beyond the veil of Marvel's cape: just as there are plenty of good anime if you dig past the isekai high school harem wish fulfillment genre that no one wants to keep making but people keep making because it prints money to a very small demographic of the animation equivalent of a mobile game whale thereby allowing this frankly quite-small industry to work on engaging and worthwhile series where the budget permits, Regardless,)

Mushi-shi: -Pros: gorgeous animation, tranquil vibes, episodic stories so you can cram in an episode between classes or on your lunch break. highly recommended by the literal-who typing this out. -Cons: some themes or stories may cause emotional distress, learning to tell apart Urushibara Yuki's characters is a learning curve.

Baccano-Pros: meticulously-researched 20s-and-30s-era mafia violence with a hint of the supernatural, as a treat, told anachronistically with flair and jazz music. practically made to be binge-watched. the novels are finally getting translated into english as well. -Cons: lots of characters to keep track of, fair bit of blood and violence, some scenes or themes may be upsetting, lots of jumping around between different time periods. See Also: Durarara, another series by Ryōgo Narita with a ton of characters and a plot with more threads an overpriced sheet.

Cowboy Bebop-Pros: incredibly well-regarded, space bounty hunters are cool, episodic series that slowly takes on a plot towards the end, fantastic animation, scoring, and even dub work. -Cons: some scenes or themes may be uncomfortable, some parts have not aged quite so well, the smart doll version of the main character is ugly, you're gonna carry that weight.

Trigun-Pros: starts lighthearted, develops an increasingly investing plot as the series goes along. fictional westerns are cool. this world is made of love and peace -Cons: some scenes or themes may be upsetting, and probably will be. gun violence is naturally present, but that ain't all of it.

Hellsing (standard or Ultimate. or Abridged)Pros: vampires killing nazis. the original adaptation isn't bad, the second adaptation (ultimate) is generally viewed as an improvement. abridged is a youtube parody version that was so popular the voice actors reference it in convention interviews.Cons: a Lot of violence, even trending to the gorey side of things. Uncomfortable Themes Everywhere, but it's a horror-tinged action series about killing nazis, so that's to be expected.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood-Pros: while the original anime was quite good, the second iteration is a large improvement. does to alchemy what naruto does to ninjas: It's Basically Battle Magic. the plot starts on a strong note and doesn't let up from there. -Cons: there are distressing scenes and themes that may or may not be tolerable to the viewer. there are moments of cheesecake and even an occasional joke or a moeblob here and there, and it's not all doom and all gloom all the time, but this doesn't detract from the abject horror-despair that comes to permeate this series as it progresses. finally understand why people on the internet respond so negatively to the name 'nina'!

[Mod: many more recs/reviews under the break, worth reading for those who like more obscure anime and animation]

Grave of the Fireflies-Pros: you will remember how to cry. it's a good reminder that one country's 'triumphs' often come at the expense of another country's people. -Cons: this movie is incredibly dark, do not watch if you are in a bad headspace. see also: Barefoot Gen, a similar tale but this time from the perspective of an actual survivor from Hiroshima.

Michiko to Hatchin-Pros: an actually diverse cast of characters tangled up in a messy and very humanizing story, interspersed with Shinichiro Watanabe's particular flare for adventure. -Cons: some scenes or themes are very likely to be distressing. can be tricky to find, too.

Mo no no Ke (not the ghibli movie, though it is also quite good.) -Pros: incredibly unique art style and pacing that draws heavily from japanese theatre traditions, every screenshot is wallpaper-worthy. -Cons: may cause motion sickness. it is a psychological horror series, and one that does not need blood, nor gore, to cause visceral emotional response in the viewer. scenes and themes will be distressing- as really, that's the point.

Tokyo Godfathers-Pros: a transwoman, a (self-identified) homeless bum, and a runaway teen girl find a newborn in the baby on christmas. incredibly wholesome, somehow, and grounded in reality, with wonderful animation from the tragically late satoshi kon. -Cons: it is grounded in realism, and sometimes, people are dicks. mild transphobia warning, too, but in-universe- the transwoman herself is portrayed with kindness and allowed to be her own (wonderful!!!) person. still, viewer be mindful.

Kino no Tabi (the first series is my preferred, the second is shinier but lacks emotional impact- in my onion.) -Pros: mostly episodic, very unique series that can be gritty where it counts and kind where it matters. -Cons: some scenes or themes might be disturbing. finding it's not easy, either, and unfortunately, i don't think the novels are being translated right now, either.

Spice and Wolf-Pros: it's mostly about economics. there are shenanigans, a harvest god, and a slowly burgeoning romance, sure, but it's still mostly about economics. -Cons: there are moments of cheesecake and comedy, and moments that may cause distress to the viewer. it may or may not be to your taste.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica-Cons: yeah i know, it's moeblobs. -Pros: you're gonna watch 'em die, though, in case that may interest you. it's quite a good subversion of the magical girl genre overall. somehow volks hasn't made an MDD of anyone from the series and i will never understand how that didn't happen.

Wolf Children: Ame to Yuki-Pros: watch a family grow together as a newly-single mother does her best to raise her twin children after the tragic loss of their father. -Cons: keep tissues handy. certain scenes or themes may be uncomfortable.

Lupin III (Red Jacket, Ghibli, and the new 3D animation are all A+) pros: heist comedy elevated to an art form before half (or more!) of the people reading this were born. the english dubbed series that used to air on adult swim is a treat. cons: this franchise started in THE SIXTIES, so naturally, some shit has not aged well. certain series (fujiko mine) are darker than others in themes and material. the 3d movie that released recently is an excellent starting point.

Samurai Champloo-Pros: breakdancing samurai, a fascinating roster of characters, and a superb soundtrack by the tragically passed Nujabes. -Cons: it was made in the weird era of the transition from analog to digital animation and so the /series master/ was animated at a painfully low resolution, so even if there's a bluray out there (I haven't looked,) it will be an upscale, which doesn't always look the best. as well, there are scenes and themes that may make the viewer uncomfortable here and there.

The Works of Studio Ghibli Oh, I'm sorry, Ponyo too suffused with childhood wonder for you? My Neighbor Totoro not depressing enough? In addition to the infamous Grave of the Fireflies, Studio Ghibli has made a wealth of movies that aren't aimed squarely at the kodomo (children's) sector. -Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: climate change existential dread, the movie -Castle in the Sky: government obsession with obtaining weapons of mass destruction destroys everything beautiful, the movie -Pom Poko: human-caused deforestation and urbanization is destroying the natural world and all that live in it, the movie -Princess Mononoke: industrialization will be the death of everything beautiful in the world, the movie, with a side of sometimes everyone (and no one) is the villain when everyone is simply trying to survive -Howl's Moving Castle: The Physical Manifestation of Depression is a Liquid Ooze, the Movie, also War Is Bad It's not all depressing, but let it never be said that Hayao Miyazaki was subtle. Whisper of the Heart is a good coming-of-age story, Kiki's Delivery Service is a classic, Tales from Earthsea is divisive among fans of Ursula K. Le Guin but I personally liked it. From one studio alone there is a wealth of opportunities.

And that's really the point. These are just some from the top of my head. There are so very many options outside of the cute-girls-doing-cute-things genre that I couldn't list them all if I was here for a week. Or as Madoka Magica so ruthlessly showcases, even series that appear a certain way on the surface might not be what you bargained for once you look into them! These are all (I think) mostly older, mainstream-appeal series that should be easy to track down, too -- there are all kinds of singular animations like The Diary of Tortov Roddle, crowdfunded experiments like KICK-HEART, Masterpiece World Theatre renditions of classic (western) novels that never get talked about, films like A Silent Voice that confront social issues- and of course, series like Rozen Maiden that helped popularize this very hobby!

There is literally an ocean of content to explore from Japanese creators alone, and it opens up even more if you look into works from other parts of Asia- just look at how popular manwha have become, or Chinese animations like Leafie, a Hen Into the Wild! It's a genre unto itself, with all the breadth of content and inter-industry problems that come with it, and without any of the respect that similar art forms have been granted over the years. The way an entire culture's art form is often disparaged, disregarded, and belittled- and by extension, the way most of Asia's animated endeavors are often rolled up into that reductive dismissal along with anime and manga- is honestly Not Great, and there is absolutely a thread of xenophobia that runs through it. The industry has so very many problems (low wages, poor training, overwork of everyone ever, archaic financial modules, the exclusivity and breadth of merchandising necessary to turn a profit and how it leads to consumer burnout and disconnection over time, and yes, the way minors are portrayed not just in anime, but in Japanese media in general- and how much of that is actually bad (some of it is indeed,) and how much if it is cultural difference (I've heard people call the scene where the family in Totoro bathe together problematic because of the nudity, but I've also only heard people say that from the West)

-- none of the actual problems affecting the people who produce this medium are gonna improve when the general response to "animators frequently have to live at home to survive" is "that's what happens when you're a weeb." It's 5am and I'm gonna point out the problems in the narrative around how we discuss this genre of entertainment because it's important, damn you! Regardless, thank you for coming to my unasked for and overlong TED talk about animation on a doll collecting drama blog, feel free to call me a pathetic weeb etcetera on your way out- but while you do so, might I suggest you also go watch a choice animated series! My current go-to is Bofuri, which is a cute-girls-doing-cute-things moefied isekai series that I refuse to apologize for watching. Be free. (The battle scenes are great and it captures the feeling of learning to play a new MMO with your friends better than most video-game-based anime I've seen in a long, long time. does anyone even still remember .hack? how about serial experiments lain...?)

~Anonymous

#BJD #ABJD #BJD Confessions #TrueBJDConfessions #Anime

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ankhisms · 3 years ago

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ok just doing some fun comparison thoughts between den-o and ooo, as of writing this ive just finished the 14th episode of den-o.. will maybe add onto this comparison as i watch more of den-o :)

- both ooo and den-o have themes about human desire/wishes which is interesting to compare because it does seem like ooo is much more focused on the idea of human desire in general and the pros and cons of human desire whereas so far den-o has been more about what people wish they could change in their lives and what people say they want vs what they truly want.. im also starting to have a hunch that den-o is probably going to eventually have some focus on characters wishing they could change the past or dwelling on the past since theres such a heavy emphasis on "dont change the flow of time, dont go back in time to change things"

- both ooo and den-o have characters who are possessed by red monsters, both monsters are related to human desire/wishes, but with den-o its the main protagonist being possessed vs. shingo himself being a pretty minor character while ankh is one of the three main characters. which is kind of a funny comparison like thinking about if ryoutarou got possessed and then he just rarely showed up as a character outside of one of the four imagin using his body. also both ryoutarou and shingo have their hair change color when possessed even if with ryoutarou its just small color extensions vs. ankhs hair

- idk if im misremembering how long it took for the plot of ooo to pan out but it feels like with ooo you kind of got an idea of the general direction things might be going pretty early on with like alright theres these monsters and we gotta collect the core medals or shit is going to be fucked and ankh wants his core medals back so hes helping eiji. vs in den-o im still kind of left like ??? whats gonna happen with the larger arching plot, which im assuming might start to kick in more now that weve introduced all four of the imagin that possess ryoutarou but it still feels like theres more kind of slice of life stuff happening along with the fighting and where its like okay yes we are fighting the monsters and stopping the past from being changed but like we dont have a lot of answers about whats going on besides those objectives and we only recently learned that hana is from a doomed future and we still have very little background info on ryoutarou and his sister and their life. idk its not a bad thing that its slower paced im just comparing the two shows and it does feel like ooo knows where its going and is like alright we are on our fucking way strap in vs den-o is taking its time with laying things out and not really having a very clear conflict or danger looming ahead besides "the imagin want to change the flow of time, weve gotta stop them"

- also both possessed characters in ooo and den-o have sisters that are very concerned about them, but hina knows that her brother is possessed and grows to see ankh as another sibling vs. so far ryoutarous sister has no idea that hes being possessed and is just overall concerned about his health because of how bad his luck is? also ryoutarous sister overall seems like she has some kind of amnesia going on about her past and is kind of a side character in the show so far vs. hina being very present in the story and very aware of the past and the possible future. i love hina

#kr deno lb

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catty-words · 4 years ago

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Hello cory! Have you seen the promo pictures for S2 of NHIE with the pro/cons list for Ben and Paxton? Any thoughts?

honestly? head full, thoughts racing so. thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble!

it’s been my experience that promotional materials released for new seasons of television shows are overwhelmingly from the first episode, and i doubt the nhie photos are an exception. so, keeping that in mind that these stills are likely all just kicking off the undoubtedly wild ride that will be season two, let’s discuss the love triangle.

right off the bat, i love the implication that devi’s not ready to make a hard and fast choice about which boy she’s most interested in. and i honestly should have anticipated this because it’s not really about the boys, and it never was!! it’s about how devi’s relationship with either of them reflects back on her. so of course our girl—image-conscious, hyper-intelligent, and romantically-inexperienced as she is—isn’t going to rush headlong into one relationship over the other. she’s gonna take the time to consider what each choice offers her. and, ultimately, what she’s boiled things down to is the way being with ben enhances her (or rankles her, as it were) internally vs. the way being with paxton enhances her externally.

which isn’t fair to paxton, right? his journey in season one was all about coming to appreciate devi as more than just what the high school caste system has dictated her to be. namely, weird and nerdy. so the fact that devi is looking at paxton and only seeing a hot, popular guy who’s bad at school speaks to how little she actually came to understand him as a person. we, the audience, know that, more than being hot and dumb, paxton is loyal, hard-working, and self-conscious about his reputation for being bad at school.

and that conflict between how paxton appreciates devi for more than what she is on the surface vs. devi appreciating the image of paxton more than she appreciates him as a person makes me very interested in the scene from this still:

the expression on paxton’s face here strikes me as open and vulnerable. likely, he’s laying his heart on the line—in front of his bros, no less, if i’m identifying the background actors correctly—and i’m so, so excited to see how being confronted with this version of him that’s so different from the one she keeps in her head will affect devi. will she continue looking at him and only seeing the myth, or will she slowly start to accept him as a whole person? how long will the process take? how long will paxton put up with devi appreciating only the image of him and nothing deeper? no offence intended to him, but will he notice that’s happening at all or will he continue to be pretty clueless about her deeper motivations? i don’t know, but i’m very curious to find out.

as for the ben side of things, i’m obviously partial to how much deeper his and devi’s relationship is—internal vs. external and all that—but i also really like the vibe i get from the picture overall, which is that devi is looking at a deeper connection and a surface-level image boost as being equally important. they’re really not comparable at all, but it makes complete sense for devi to value them in a similar way. in fact, i’d argue that her characterization thus far puts paxton at an advantage. she’s way more interested in surface-level image than she is in the promise of deep connection and intimacy.

anyway, what i like most about ben’s side of the board is how his pros and cons interact with and enhance each other. devi likes that he’s smart, but in the past he’s used that razor-sharp wit to be kind of a dick. ben challenges devi, but sometimes the challenge turns to bitter rivalry. ben has the advantage of being hella rich as a potential image boost, but he’s not conventionally attractive so it’s a mixed image boost at best. and the thing that pleases me about the way these descriptors all reflect back on each other is how it speaks to devi’s complete and total understanding of ben as a person. what’s good about him is also bad about him and she sees all of that, much in the way he sees all of her.

setting aside both boys for a second and focusing solely on devi, i love her pleased-as-punch grin in the photo. as a pop-culture savvy and—i love her, but let’s be honest—exceedingly self-involved character, it makes sense that the drama inherent in a love triangle is not lost on her. privately, she’s having the time of her life discussing the possibility of two different relationships when, at the beginning of the school year, she was stuck praying to the gods to drop some fictional dude in her lap and setting her sights on a gay guy in the meantime.

(side note: i’m expecting devi’s going over these pros and cons with eleanor and fabiola and i’m really nervous about the way this could set up the fact that she learned nothing at all last season, re: being a better friend. sure, a love triangle is a big deal and eleanor, being pop-culture savvy herself, is probably equally excited about the prospect of drama, but i hope against hope devi’s not about to let this situation overshadow her friends’ needs for another season)

anyway, though she’s privately having the time of her life, in practice...

...she seems really uncomfortable to be stuck in the middle, and i am intrigued by the potential of her shutting both paxton and ben down because she just can’t handle the responsibility of juggling their interest in her. i mean, look at ben’s body language here. dude is part Notice Me, Devi!! part side-eyeing paxton with some blatant Back Off energy. and though paxton is, naturally, much chiller about the vibes he’s throwing off, he’s still projecting a similar competitiveness back at ben.

since she’s wearing the same outfit in both photos, i do wonder if whatever happens in shapiro’s classroom prompts her and the girls to go back to devi’s place and make their list of pros and cons. having some ridiculous mid-class outburst be the reason the three of them spend a whole scene discussing devi’s love life would make me feel better about devi’s relationship with fabiola and eleanor since there’s a difference between her insisting on the triangle as a topic of discussion and school day events prompting the discussion. but i digress.

i will leave you with this final and only semi-related note: ben in a jean jacket my beloved!!!

#never have i ever #devi x ben #devi x paxton #nhie meta #anon #replies

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dameferre · 4 years ago

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can we see a snippet from the "penpals!" courferre one :0

of course! i will warn you this will. most likely never see the light of day BUT it’s based off of ‘the year of secret assignments’ by jaclyn moriarty, a... kind of ridiculous book i bought at a charity shop at like. age 10? or something

basically these three sets of teenagers are assigned pen pals at a neighboring school, and hijinks ensue, with one set of penpals giving each other secret assignments (hence the title), the other set of penpals being a girl who writes to a guy who uses a fake name (that plotline ends horribly, it would not have done so in my fic lmao)

one finally one set of penpals (a boy and a girl) decide to start having practice dates, so the guy can hone his skills and ask out a girl he likes, and the girl can critique his form, and... i mean i think we all know how this goes.

anyway, it’s half in letter format, half actual writing the story. here’s a snip! (under the cut because i. couldn’t help myself)

Official Assessment of the Second Meeting By Chance executed by The Lord of Flowers, Combeferre, henceforth referred to as the Subject, as reviewed by Courfeyrac the Ravishing, henceforth referred to as The Operative.

NOTES

When the Operative (and Guest) approached, the Subject smiled very nicely. It was a sort of surprised, warm smile that lit up his face. Did the Subject practice his ‘oh I was hoping to see you and I’m so glad I have’ smile in the mirror?

The Subject did a very good job of consoling the Guest, and as it turns out, the Subject’s height is not as offensive as previously thought, as he holds an umbrella perfectly.

The Subject was much more relaxed this time, and funny, and his hair fluffed a little in the humidity which was adorable. He had a great way of explaining things to the Operative without being patronising, and teased admirably. The Operative spent a good 80% of the walk laughing, but upon writing report can’t remember a specific instance of hilarity. The Subject should have more memorable jokes next time.

Overall, great work Combeferre. You’ll have Feuilly falling over himself to get to you in no time.

Yours,

Courfeyrac the Ravishing

Courfeyrac,

You seem to be losing your touch; that last review lacked the mildly insulting bluntness I’ve grown so accustomed to. Does this mean we’re becoming friends?

Anyway, I’m now, as you would say, ‘balls-deep in tech week’ and halfway through my descent into the deepest pit of hell. The entire production is an original script written by a friend of mine, named Jehan Prouvaire, who decided to rewrite the final scene this weekend. They’re my friend, have been for years, but even I wanted to murder them slowly. The cast is hard at work trying to learn the scene, while I had to stay late last night redoing all the cues.

The worst part of it is, the new ending is fucking fantastic, so we can’t even stay mad at them.

It’s exhausting. Literally exhausting; I got three hours of sleep last night.

Anyway, I’m writing this as a way of avoiding calculus homework. Not that I wouldn’t write to you if I didn’t have calculus homework, but it is harder to just ramble on about my life now that we’ve met in person. I don’t think I ever would have told you about Feuilly if we had met before we started writing. There was something in the anonymity that made it easier, like writing into a diary. I hope you don’t take this as an insult- what I mean to say is that now that I know you, I want you to like me. And by extension, I want you to know a lot less about exactly how lame I am.

Anyway, I wanted to say I won’t be able to make a meeting by chance this week, though I know telling you that ruins some of the fun. If I’m around next week, which is really looking less and less likely every time an actor misplaces a prop or mic pack and I am forced, once again, to weigh the pros and cons of murder, I’d be happy to accidentally run into you on my way home from school.

Side note- Avi(my brother) comes home next week, which lines up nicely with Mom’s birthday and means he’ll be able to see the show. It’ll be nice to have him back. I think you’d like him; he’s the attractive one in the family, and the extrovert. He’s also a mechanical engineer who medal-ed in track when he was my age. Basically, he got all the good genes, but he’s too nice to admit it.

Anyway, calculus beckons.

See you on the other side, Combeferre

p.s. Only you would practice a smile. Mine was genuine, I swear.

My Dearest Combeferre,

FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE STARTS TOMORROW HELL YEAH

I mean, yes, technically the other guys on my team have been practicing for two weeks but I have sadly been out of commission. BUT NOT ANYMORE BABY THE BITCH IS BACK

This will help distract me from the pain and yearning as I wait a whole week to see you again. I’ll be wistfully wandering the moors before Saturday, mark my words.

I’m also fascinated by the idea of a brother who’s you, but more attractive. Does it hurt to look at him directly? Do strangers fall in love on the spot? Is he officially considered a menace to society because he’s caused traffic accidents and ruined weddings by walking past at the wrong moment?

Someone should put a stop to him before things get out of control! No man should wield such power.

The idea that you, of gorgeous cheekbones, perfect hair, jawline, and eyes and face in general, notorious multi-tasker, valedictorian and walking encyclopedia, not to mention polyglot, could think someone else got the good genes means either you are humble to the point of actively lying to yourself or your brother is a minor deity.

Courfeyrac, I can hear you saying, flattery really isn’t necessary.

But it is! Enjolras, who I’ve mentioned before and is my best friend in the whole world, is gorgeous to the point of being inconvenient to look at. I’m a notorious flirt, I know this, and I’m good at it, but we’re not even in the same league when it comes to making people question their sexualities. He walks into a room and you can see half the people inside mentally decide they’re bi-curious. He’s also a raving lunatic and antagonistic asshole, which he openly accepts and takes pride in, but try to tell him he’s attractive and he looks at you like you’ve just suggested he’s got wings or a tail. So what I’m trying to say, I think, is that I’m used to people not realising how good looking they are. And bludgeoning them with compliments is my way of dealing with this.

Anyway. Getting sidetracked.

I’m flattered you use me as a method of procrastination! I’m gonna make myself a button that says ‘more interesting than calculus’ and wear it with pride. Also, is writing to pen pals not mandatory at the Academy? We’re given a half hour block during the study period. When we first started, Enjolras said the whole thing was “infantile and outdated and a waste of time”, but at this very moment he is on page six (6) of his latest aggressive correspondence to his mystery R, even though I saw what R sent him last time and it was, I shit you not, an envelope that was empty except for a tiny (approx. 3 centimeters long) rubber chicken. For context, the one before was a thorough analysis of wage inequality written entirely in pig latin.

I hope one day I meet this person, even if immediately afterwards they steal my kidney or turn me into a newt or whatever minor trickster gods do these days to pass the time when they’re not torturing my best friend.

Anyway, gotta go, stay sane, don’t kill anyone unless you really have to, and if so lemme know and I’ll help you get rid of the body. I know a guy.

Courfeyrac

p.s. I already like you, idiot.

#this little wip exercise is bad for me it makes me want to keep working on all of these lmao #elle writes things #elle answers your questions #anon #courferre

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grailfinders · 4 years ago

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Fate and Phantasms #117: Fuuma “Evil Wind” Kotarou

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re bringing you the younger of the Fuuma Clan ninjas, Fuuma Kotarou! Fuuma is, well, a ninja. Strike from the shadows, weaken and confuse your enemies, and hide in plain sight with this build!

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Here comes the sun!

Race and Background

We need feats more than anything else in this build, so we’re making Kotarou a Variant Human, giving him +1 to Dexterity and Intelligence. He also gets proficiency with Performance to take on the guise of people who aren’t ninjas, and the Actor feat for a boost in Charisma and to make his disguises even more effective.

Much like “being an oni”, there isn’t an explicit “ninja” background. That being said, the Criminal background is a pretty good substitute, giving you Deception and Stealth proficiencies. Surprisingly, ninja aren’t fans of the legal system.

Ability Scores

To no one’s surprise, your Dexterity is pretty high. Your sneaking and stabbing are both tied to it, after all. Your Charisma is also up there, ninjas gonna disguise. After that is your Intelligence- ninja plans are complicated, your brains have to be up to snuff. Your Constitution isn’t that high, but you don’t plan on getting hit anyway. Your clan spent a lot of time creating the perfect food and completely ignored the flavor, so your Wisdom isn’t particularly high, but we’re dumping Strength. We just don’t need it for this build.

Class Levels

1. Rogue 1: I don’t feel I like need to justify this class. Starting as a rogue gives you proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saves, as well as four rogue skills- Acrobatics, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Perception. Avoiding people, influencing people, influencing people, and avoiding people, respectively.

You also gain Expertise in two skills, doubling your proficiency bonus in Stealth and Performance.

If you’re using a finesse or ranged weapon (you should be) and attacking with advantage or against a creature distracted by an ally within 5′ of them you can add your Sneak Attack damage to that attack once per turn. Finally, you learn Thieves’ Cant. It’s a language.

2. Rogue 2: Second level rogues can make Cunning Actions as their bonus actions. This allows you to Dash, Disengage, or Hide, all very important skills for a ninja.

3. Rogue 3: As you could probably guess, you’re an Assassin. This means that at level three, you learn how to Assassinate your targets. Your attacks against creatures that haven’t taken a turn this combat is made with advantage, and attacks that hit surprised creatures are automatically counted as critical hits. To further this advantage, your sneak attack grows to 2d6 bonus damage.

4. Bard 1: A good ninja can use the threat of attack just as effectively as any weapon- You know that better than anyone, and put it to good use with your Suspicious Shadow skill. As a first level bard, you gain proficiency with Sleight of Hand for some Genjutsu skill, and you can give Bardic Inspiration to your party members to sharpen their skills. You get a number of dice equal to your charisma modifier, and you regain uses on long rests.

You can also cast Spells using your Charisma to cast them. Friends allows you to frighten and deceive opponents more readily, and Message lets you send information without being overheard to party members who aren’t also rogues. For first level spells, Disguise Self helps you perfect your “totally innocent monk” disguise, Illusory Script lets you write almost indecipherable code, Color Spray can blind your enemies, and Bane further weakens their resolve. If the targets fail a charisma save (dc eight plus your proficiency bonus plus your charisma modifier), they subtract 1d4 from their attacks and subsequent saving throws for the duration of the spell.

5. Bard 2: Second level bards are Jacks of All Trades, giving you half your proficiency bonus for any skill check you’re not proficient in. You also learn a Song of Rest for more healing during short rests, and the Longstrider spell for just a bit more mobility.

6. Bard 3: If we want to put pressure on our enemies’ fighting spirit, there’s no bard better at sowing paranoia than the College of Whispers. You get Psychic Blades to turn your inspiration dice into psychic damage that you can add to your attacks once per round to make up for lost time in regards to your sneak attack. You also learn to instill Words of Terror into anyone you talk to alone for a minute or longer, forcing a wisdom save and becoming frightened of you or another creature for up to an hour if they fail. If they succeed, there’s not indication that you tried to do anything, but you can only use this feature once per short rest.

For non-magical influencing, you also get Expertise in Persuasion and Deception this level.

You also get second level spells this level, so grab Invisibility for the perfect escape/ambush.

7. Bard 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to become a Piercer, making your daggers slightly more consistent and giving you even deadlier critical hits.

You also learn True Strike, which might actually have a purpose if you need to assassinate someone in one blow, and Cloud of Daggers to set up traps for any guards following you after that assassination you just did.

8. Bard 5: At fifth level, your Inspiration dice grow to d8s, and you become a Font of Inspiration, giving you new inspiration to use every short rest instead of every long rest. The pressure you put on your enemies can now cause them to completely lose track of who is friend and who is foe. Enemies Abound forces a creature to select its targets at random for up to a minute after failing an intelligence save, with a chance to re-roll every time it takes damage.

9. Rogue 4: Use this ASI to round up your Dexterity and Charisma for more inspiration, more AC, stronger stabbings, and better spells. A really good level for you overall.

10. Rogue 5: As a fifth level rogue, you can use your reaction to make an Uncanny Dodge, taking half the damage from an attack. I’m not sure if you’ve looked at your health total recently, but you’ll probably want to use this one a lot.

11. Rogue 6: Use your third round of Expertise to become really really good at Acrobatics and Intimidation.

12. Rogue 7: Seventh level rogues get the coveted Evasion, letting you completely ignore damage when you pass a dexterity check and take half damage if you fail. Given the number of casters you hang around with that know fireball, this is a good pick.

13. Rogue 8: Eighth level rogues get another ASI, which will let you pick up the Mobile feat for extra movement speed, the ability to ignore difficult terrain while dashing, and an effective disengage on whatever you try to hit. The most ninja of feats.

14. Rogue 9: Ninth level assassins gain Infiltration Expertise which... isn’t really that good, even if it is flavorful. If you spend a week, you can create a new identity, as long as they aren’t already an existing person. This includes clothing, letters of introduction, and any certificates you might need for the disguise. This lasts until you give creatures an obvious reason to suspect you aren’t who you say you are.

15. Rogue 10: Use this ASI to become a Skulker, which will help you hide while lightly obscured, stay hidden if you miss with a ranged attack, and see in dim light. You don’t have darkvision, and lights would give you away, so this is the best option you’ve got.

16. Rogue 11: You now have Reliable Talent, meaning you’re guaranteed to roll a 10 or higher on any skill checks that you’re proficient in. If you haven’t noticed from all your expertises, you’re pretty good at skilling things.

17. Rogue 12: Use your last ASI to bump that Charisma up again for stronger spells, stronger persuasions, and more inspirations/psychic blades.

18. Rogue 13: Your final Assassin feature turns you into the perfect Impostor, allowing you to copy a person’s speech, writing, and behavior after observing them for three hours, and giving you advantage on any deception check you make to keep up your disguise. You probably don’t even need that advantage by this point, but why not take it anyway.

19. Rogue 14: Fourteenth level rogues gain a Blindsense, allowing you to know the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you. It’s not quite dark vision, but if it gets the knife into someone’s throat it’s good enough.

20. Rogue 15: Your final level gives you a Slippery Mind, giving you proficiency with Wisdom saving throws. Falling for your own illusions would be silly.

Pros:

You can do a lot of damage in one go if a sneak attack connects, and thanks to your Psychic Blades, you can make all of that psychic damage, which is extremely difficult for most creatures to resist.

You are really, really good at influencing people. You have expertise in every charisma skill, reliable talent, and ways to gain advantage on those rolls (which, by the way, are at a minimum of 26 atm.) You can be anybody, anywhere, at any time.

The same thing applies to your stealth skills as well, with a minimum of 26 in every stealth check and ways to go completely invisible, you’re only going to be seen when you want to be.

Cons:

You were only in bard for a couple levels, so you don’t have a lot of spell slots. Fortunately, most of your spells are there to complement things you can already do normally, but you’ll still have to keep the long term mission in mind at all times.

The later assassin features aren’t that good. You’re almost never going to have a spare week outside of your normal between-mission downtime, and it’s likely you won’t have three hours to burn watching some guy either. Of course this is entirely dependent on your DM, but don’t expect these to do anything in a pickup game.

You don’t have a lot of Concentration spells, but the ones you do have are a big deal, and your ability to hold onto them isn’t amazing. That being said it’s not like you’re planning on getting hit in the first place.

#Fate Grand Order #DND 5e #FGO #Fuuma Kotarou #Fate and Phantasms #Rogue #Bard

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feralfeed · 4 years ago

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JULY UPDATE - Premium Currency, Season Passes, and ANOTHER Premium Shop... oh god why

Hello all, this is an overall rundown and analysis of the July update, and first impressions of it’s features. Please note, that I’m going to be a tad bit hypercritical of the whole thing- I’ll be honest about the pros and cons, because I genuinely want to see this game become amazing. There will be a TL;DR at the bottom - I encourage you to read that if nothing else, because I want to make an important point there.

Season Passes

Okay, this feature struck me as a bit... strange. When I first saw the name, I immediately thought of the way Fortnite and Epic Games make money, which didn’t exactly leave a good taste in my mouth. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is a free feature... and once again disappointed to see the premium version.

Rundown:

By completing tasks assigned to the player in a challenge board, you unlock points to earn a wide variety of prizes, from items, to likes, to avatars, and even customization options for said avatar. However, the bulk of these items are under a 900 star fragment paywall, which translates to about $10.

My Breakdown:

Not gonna lie, this ain’t great. It does throw some new items at the players, which is nice and all, but honestly, there really isn’t much incentive to actually complete the challenges if you aren’t buying the premium pass. How “good” the items you can earn for free strongly remind me of how “good” the nonmember items back in Animal Jam were. And they are RARE - when you get to later in the list, there are very few items marked as “free”. Wildworks may as well have just dropped the concept of a premium pass, and just made the entire season pass cost money. Plus, while the update claims that you can earn points for the challenges “just by playing the game”, this really isn’t true. Most of them are such oddly specific tasks, I would need to go out of my way to complete nearly every single one of them. And the ones that are “normal gameplay” challenges have OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH numbers. For example, crafting 15 common clothing items. I would need to waste a LOT of materials to do that, since most players pretty carefully plan which items to craft for which looks.

Star Fragments and the Astral Shop

I’m not gonna pretend that this wasn’t coming. Most free games require premium currency. But while the game is still in beta?

Rundown:

Fer.al’s new premium currency. It appears that buying sanctuaries and avatars with straight money was more of a placeholder - the royal boutique now serves the exclusive role of selling star fragments, which you will now spend at the astral shop. On average, 1 star fragment costs anywhere from 1.25 cents - 1.1 cents, depending upon which bundle you buy. This means that a 300 star fragment sanctuary in the astral shop costs about $3.53.

My Breakdown:

I don’t really have too much to say about this, to be honest. I’ve expressed my fears about monetizing an unfinished game in previous posts. After the dragon, there was no going back.

The Notification Tab

A nifty new tool that notifies you on challenge progress, and your friends getting on and offline. There may be other things it notifies you of as well that I haven’t seen yet. Overall, a useful new feature.

Selfie Camera

Another feature on the better side of things. Although, it is a little mundane, it does one-up just taking a screenshot - you have the ability to zoom in and out, and turn nametags on and off. It creates a “gallery” folder on your computer that opens with an in-game button.

Undying

You can also now undye your items. Someone will need this after a regretful decision, I’m sure.

TL;DR and Final Concerns

The reason that I took such a critical tone in this post is that Fer.al, in my opinion, is heading down a negative path. Currently, the game has no real substance - which is fine in itself, given that it’s a work in progress. However, they’re already introducing a LOT of paid content, and not only paywalls, but do-hours-of-pointless-miscellaneous-tasks-walls. In a way, the game is becoming pay-to-win. So long as “winning” the game is having the best items and the best avatar, winning is no longer free. Fer.al is such a beautiful game, and beautiful concept, and I hate to see it turning out this way. Wildworks needs to give the game more substance- more goals- more reward- more story- SOMETHING, before they start to introduce such steep in-game purchases. They’re going after a teen/adult audience, and most of us can’t dish out money to play dress up anymore.

#fer.al #jamblr #news #rant #my content #animal jam #everyone in city fera is doing trades specifically to complete challenges #its sad #ferablr

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