#they're basically the same but the timelines are slightly different

[literallyjusttoa]

I have been obsessed with the idea of Paris coming to the modern day in the same way Midas, Lityerses, and Medea did. Like, If anybody had some unfinished business, it's every citizen of Troy. Anyway here are some different little scenarios I've cooked up about how this silly little war criminal fared after making a mad dash for the doors of death in HoO.

Ok, so in this scenario, Paris is recruited by Gaea just like all the other spirits who come back from the dead. He ends up being tasked with working alongside Octavian. At first, he's driven only by grief and anger at the loss of his own family and city. As they approach Camp Half-Blood, Paris regularly remarks on how happy he is that's he'll be the one storming the walls this time. But over time, he slowly finds himself growing worried about Octavian's sanity. He tries to steer Octavian away from making reckless decisions, but Octavian refuses to back down. Paris sees the deadly fervor of his fellow soldiers in Octavian, and pulls away. From here we split off into two endings. 1. (the sad one) Octavian's fate plays out the same as the books and Paris just has to deal with how his actions unintentionally spurred the young man towards his own death. Or 2. (the happy one) Paris leaving is the wake-up call Octavian needs, and he pulls himself out of battle at the last second, breaking the cycle of hatred and wrath that started at Troy. Pick your fighter I guess.

In this scenario, Paris is not the only one who comes back from the doors of death. Half of the Argo II crew find him in Ancient Greece (Don't ask why he's there instead of Turkey idk shhhhh) And he's very helpful to them in whatever quest they're trying to complete at the time. All's well that ends well, except the OTHER half of the Argo II crew actually just met up with Hector on the other side of Greece lol. Turns out neither brother knows the other is alive, and the Argo II take the time to reunite the pair. I would specifically set this in BoO, and have the focus be on Jason and Leo as parallels for Hector and Paris, especially with them both thinking about sacrificing themselves bc of the prophecy (the whole "storm or fire" thing). Like, my idea is that a lot of emphasis would be put on Hector dying first, and how he sacrificed for Troy, and how Paris wishes he could've saved Hector. And Jason would come away from that thinking "Yes, I want to be Hector, i've made peace with making the final sacrifice to keep my friends safe" and Leo thinking "I'll do what Paris couldn't and give my life so that Jason doesn't have to" and ahhhh angst.

This is a ToA scenario instead of an HoO scenario. Paris and one of his siblings come back to life like in the last one, but instead of it being Hector, this time it's Cassandra. Idk when this would happen in the timeline of ToA, bc those books are so tight knit (maybe the infamous TTT to TON roadtrip) But I would add a little side quest where Apollo and Meg have to find Cassandra bc Nero's trying to kidnap her or smth. They run into Paris while they're searching for Cassandra, and the three of them team up for a lil bit. In this scenario, Paris works as a direct parallel to Apollo, all though he's a bit further behind on his redemption journey. Basically, Apollo feels like he's looking at slightly embarrassing old pictures of himself. When they find Cassandra, Apollo offers a genuine apology for everything he did to her. Emboldened by Apollo's example, Paris also opens up to Cassandra in a way he'd never done before. The two are finally able to air out their shared grief from Troy, and they set out to ... idk New Rome or the Waystation or smth. Either way they're a lot closer as siblings now, and Apollo promises to visit them once the Trials are over.

Of course, these are only my ideas that kinda fit into canon, I have a whole bunch more that go entirely off the rails. Anyways this pathetic little failure of a man has bewitched my body and soul or whatever I love rolling him around like a balled up chewing gum wrapper.

[writingwhilecaffeinated]

Hi readers of Unspooled Thread! Not sure how many of you this will reach but here's an update!

@velvetcovered-brick had been amazing basically as our PR person, answering comments, making posts, etc. Cause literally they're a saint.

But I wanted to also give an update on writing the latest chapter.

First, I am SO SORRY it's late. You know how a story won't update for a hot sec and then the author posts and is like "I'm so sorry, my cat died, a zombie apocalypse took place, and also I suffered a bout of malaria?"

Yeah, that's basically what happened. Quite literally, first, there were so family problems that happened, as soon as those cleared up my spouse and I left on a family trip for his nonno's 90th birthday. We were traveling too much so I didn't bring my laptop and I'm not as good as typing on my phone as I used to be. THEN I literally got sick the day we travelled back and have been recovering. I still can't fully hear out of my right ear. Woot.

There were various other things, but those are the main points. Meaning writing this chapter took WAY longer than usual.

However, I HAVE GOOD NEWS. I'm at the end of the chapter, writing the very famous Featherington Ball at the end of s2 and all that transpires. Some events shall change slightly, some dramatically, and some... well, you'll have to read to find out. ;)

I should be done today or tomorrow, but then we have to do edits. But I promise this means it's coming soon.

Now, I feel like there will be some questions when this chapter comes out, specifically with our beautiful Penedict and the progress of their relationship. Since it's a canon rewrite, @velvetcovered-brick and I very seriously look at each season and where characters are, and how they change and develop differently based on the new situations we have put them in.

You'll notice Benedict matured faster than in the show timeline. What I mean by "mature" is that he became ready for love much more quickly than in the show. In s1-3, Benedict is not ready to settle down. We believe he cares deeply about his sexual partners but that is not the same as enduring love. To fast-track him to that point but in a believable manner, we hypothesized that making him take on the responsibility of caring for another person, another woman, besides his sisters closely and deeply would help with this.

For Penelope, being so much younger, this was different. Even if she fell in love with Benedict earlier, we did not believe she would or should act any earlier than s3. We based this heavily on Nicola's observation that in s1, Penelope is a girl. In s2, to quote the great Britney Spears, she's "not a girl, not yet a woman."

But s3, Penelope? She's a woman and ready to own it.

Sooooo, yeah. There's my ramble. As a treat, here's an unexplained, excerpt of dialogue from the latest chapter we are finishing up:

“Is there something even more binding than a swear, Ben?” “A blood oath, perhaps? A tithing?” “Very well, then. As your new patron saint–” “Hold on! Are you not getting a fullhead, Lady Whistledown?”

[colourful-void]

[truly off the charts levels of aitsf nirvana initiative spoilers]

some thoughts on mizuki date and mizuki kuranushi

the whole timeline switch thing is admittedly: cool as fuck. love it conceptually. its neat as hell. in practice i think it required some of the game to be a bit... strained in logic and perhaps if we were less committed to clone Mizuki and some other aspects it would feel a little less like we had to rob Mizuki (Date) as a character to make it work.

I can explain why i feel this way:

Don't get me wrong, its set up really really well in a lot of places. i see now which is awesome. the set up isn't so much the problem, there definitely could've been a bit more in the set up but overall it's solid.

my problem is that, in order to make this work, Mizuki and Bibi need to be functionally indistinguishable from each other not just in appearance but in personality. NOW there are key differences I noted which was very good!!! I did see this, i just think like, the fundamental concept means they have to be significantly more similar than they are dissimilar and that makes for....

Okay like:

Mizuki and Bibi having the same scooter? Fantastic, it's mentioned early on that's abis provided, of course they're the same. having the same gun, sure even, it might be a 'mizuki custom' but if we assume mizuki date didn't actually care that much about her gun's specifics I totally see boss replicating the first one. I'm sure bibi would've wanted that too. Having the same PIPE is bothering me. Because now we're verging into some nature over nurture territory.

Mizuki Date loved that pipe when she was 12, it's something she picked up afaik after coming to live with date even, bcs she didn't have it when she was getting bullied in school. Her having one makes sense. But bibi has a pipe, seemingly because... Mizuki has one.

So then, was it a unique choice Mizuki made when she was younger, or does 'being mizuki' mean predestined to wield a pipe? (i can also see Bibi like, watching over mizuki and deciding she also wants a pipe but that's only slightly better because it's still externally denying the characters individuality) [A minor way of adjusting this could be having Mizuki Date only ever use the pipe, and Bibi only ever use the Evolver.]

There are some good moments of them being different i can recall off hand, bibi talking about her younger sister (mizuki) for example, to shoma, etc. but like. 90% of the time you're not supposed to be able to tell them apart. So they think the same way, and act the same way, and when you're playing a game literally in the brain of a character its hard to even pass off as just, presentation or a front. and i wanna be clear i know there are minor differences.

Bibi doesn't react to Date's appearance in the warehouse (because she didn't know him like Mizuki Date, but also looking back since that was in the past like, Mizuki Date wouldn't have reacted either.), I think there's a little difference in how bibi and mizuki treat boss, maybe? But since mizuki is still playing around with boss and giving her puppy dog eyes in the first investigation scene when That's Mizuki Date and not Bibi, it doesn't quite land.

Because the small pool of people who actually know, Ryuki and Boss and all have to TREAT Mizuki Date and Bibi basically identical for this to work. And again, you can stretch it. Boss is trying to maintain professionalism, etc. But it's another layer of them being... basically the same.

Mainly, my biggest problem is less everyone else and how Mizuki Date and Bibi think and act.

Mizuki Date and Bibi are allegedly two different characters. They're given two different backstories, and lived two very different lives. Despite that, aside from a few minor hints and character quirks, they behave and interact indistinguishably from each other. And that kind of cheapens both of them as people.

Like, we just had this whole game that had everyone saying "if this hadn't happened, if my father hadn't been killed, if this child hadn't been kidnapped, if So Sejima had just kicked it at 20, maybe none of this would've happened, life could've been so different" and then also showed us 'Even if your life was extremely different you would still think and act exactly the same'.

TC-PERGE and alcoholism was a huge part of it, but the cited reason for a lot of Ryuki's behaviour is the trauma right?? Like it comes up multiple times, but the unique traumas that both Mizuki's faced? I guess impacted them exactly the same. or not at all, in Mizuki date's case because we never get proper resolution on the whole 'you were adopted and then your adopted parents couldn't or wouldn't raise you properly so gave you off to Date, who then disappeared." i'm still entirely unclear on who was the guardian of this 12 year old child after that.

TLDR

i think a lot of this twist is really cool conceptually, i'm on board with a lot of it. But in practice, Bibi and Mizuki are only different characters because of their wildly different backstories. They think and act identically, despite having such different circumstances which should lead to different thoughts and actions. In a game where the final Somnium ends in a long chain of "What ifs" where it's characters ask if they could've lived differently had just a few things been different, the central characters appear to demonstrate that no, they wouldn't.

and that kinda bums me out.

[klm-zoflorr]

Fanon Lukas family tree!! Well, it's for my AU, but I'm sure we can make it work for canon as well ahah

& dark mode... it looks cool okay

I've been working on it for a month lowkey, ever since I started on that Evan/Naomi wip, just... Slowly building up lore and a story and characters and rough estimates of ages and tidbits of brainstorming and a timeline and daddy issues and coming up with names and in this case, well, superpowers too because that's what the AU is about. But anyways, I'm super excited to dig in further, because YES all of these characters pretty much have some amount of personality and interesting details about them so far. Woohoo!! It's also interesting for the same reasons Gerry is interesting; because powers pass down genetically!! Yeehaw!! I get to give them all slightly different versions of the same powers and see how it informs their relationships!

You can see here what was basically my very first version of it. How underdeveloped! It grew a lot, damn. Also some minor changes I made along the way, as for the reasons why... Well they're pretty interesting if I do say so myself, I'll talk about those later. Have fun spotting the differences if you'd like lol

Still, a few general notes so far:

I believe the only Lukases mentionned in canon are Peter, Mordechai (in the 1800's), Nathaniel (owner of their cargo company so presumably some sort of patriarch), Conrad (the guy who talked to the astronauts before shooting them into space) and Evan Lukas. To that I added Virginia, an OC but like come on we need some women represent around here. I've always interpreted Nathaniel as being Peter's uncle, so i put him there. Nathaniel should be the one in charge in my mind too, so I made him the grandfather of the main line/evan's line (because evan is sort of the main character here). I also wanted to keep peter away from the main branch because... Well i don't know. I just didn't want him to be Evan's dad I guess. Or else, you've got that specific branch of the family that gets all the spotlight and important canon characters, and everybody else kinda sucks. It's not ideal!

I originally planned on leaving Peter's branch of the family pretty blank to be honest just because I wasn't super invested into him. I thought he had a sibling and a few nephews and that was it. But then I relistened to mag159, realised he had 5 (wait, 4? Oh shit, did i fuck up. Uhhhhhh) A FEW siblings and that two of them were named, Judith and Aaron. So that was interesting!

Mostly the beginning of it was just figuring out the ages to get an idea of how they should behave and how it all fit in and how far down the line they should be, and then building around it.

Oh, yeah, and based on the few canon names we got, I tried to find names that fit in. The style was... Well. The lukases' names sound to me like they're very basic. Kinda trendy, kinda... What I thought about was "cute" actually. So i tried to keep the same vibe for the rest of my made up guys. Wee-woo. Annnnd ive been rambling again.

Oh, oh right, wait no don't leave yet there were still thing I had to talk about. Few important details I knew about at the beginning stages:

-Evan's mother is a Lukas, and she's very opinionated but kind

-I wanted Nathaniel's eldest son, the one who became Graham (no, not notebook eating graham) to have a son who resents him very much. So i did that

-Adeline! She's old as balls. And very nice. Iwant her to be my grandmawmaw

-oh, right, Mordechai 2!!! For him I thought of the power first, basically he can show you things that happened in the past without having witnessed them. It's a pretty great ability imo.

-Oh, yeah, uh, every Lukas passes down their family name no matter their gender lol.

[ad-astra-per-aspera-1389]

This is totally random, but as far as the JONAS (LA) X BTR crossover (either one, really) goes...

Macy's favorite of the btr boys is carlos, because sports, and also bc he's just fun to hang out with. macy seems normal and put together at first, but she loves physical activity, as we know from s1, and carlos (platonically) matches her freak in the places nick doesn't

Stella's favorite is...and isn't james. she's basically that post that's like "you're in his dms. i'm pissing him off, i'm ruining his day" but in the most convoluted way possible, they also, platonically, match each other's freak. all in all, stella would rather spend time with the other girls, and she obviously adores joe, bc he understands her thoroughly, but james is like...the opposite. they understand each other and fucking hate it.

Katie and Frankie deserve the most insane sublot that builds up over time, until their scheme eventually collides with the main plotline and wreaks absolute havoc. they're ten years old and evil geniuses with famous brothers, you know the two of them meeting will bite everyone in the ass in the end.

I do think Nick and Logan would get along, but the thing is, logan is a science and math nerd and nick is a writing and music nerd. they're slightly different species of nerd. but I think nick would get along best with logan and kendall, bc even though they can go off the deep end sometimes, they're easier to handle than carlos and james.

I'm gonna ramble about Kevin and Lucy again bc I want to. it's so hard for me to imagine lucy with like, any other guy, just bc james is clearly gay, and the subplot with her and kendall was a total mess since he hadn't broken up with jo first... Anyway, they're both rockstars, and Kevin had a lot of character development in s2. he's kind, responsible, ambitious, and Lucy is headstrong, confident, and clever. I feel like they'd actually have a very normal relationship timeline compared to a lot of other ships/couples, simply bc by the time they're both in the narrative they're 18/19 and living on their own.

Joe...he would get along best with kendall, not just for the main character energy, but also bc I feel like they react similarly in a lot of situations, but joe is also a little more self-sufficient than kendall is, which isn't a bad thing, and is mostly due to living in la without his parents for a/multiple (depends on crossover fic) summer(s), whereas kendall's always had his mom and friends doing everything together.

Kevin's an interesting one, bc while s1 era kevin would definitely be best friends with carlos, by the time jonas la rolls around he's mellowed out. he's still a little dramatic sometimes, but post-HMA Kevin is very different bc of the responsibility for his brothers he gained over the summer. I feel like he'd sort of keep that older brother role he's grown into, so, besides his relationship with lucy, he's mostly helping clean up the trouble and not cause it. at the same time though, i think he'd get wrapped up in the katie and frankie subplot the most

Joe and Camille would also get along pretty well, mostly bc they have acting in common, with joe wanting advice from camille solely due to her years of experience. she's also easier to talk to than bigger names in the industry, so it's more of leaning on a friend instead of a mentor

Jo and Macy definitely spar every so often, mostly bc jo likes that there's another girl around that she can connect with about physical sports. it's not the same trying to spar with kendall, and now she has someone who's an even match against her.

Mona is one of the few people that aren't afraid to go toe to toe against griffin, given she doesn't work for him, and she's definitely screamed at him for Kelly's sake. gustavo is a little afraid of mona, and rightfully so. she's proud of that.

Still no one likes DZ

[tashacee]

Adding onto the AoC idea, the Chain ending up in the actual AoC universe (rather than just the same era from his own past) and Wild going to explain that look! baby him!, only to realise that this is some weird parallel version of his world where things just aren't quite the same (his own mildly tragic backstory, tampered with? An outrage?) And so he abandons Mission Explain Self entirely just to figure out how this version of him won the first time around

It takes a while of madly sprinting around playing tragic charades (and Wild internally screeching because why is sign just slightly different enough here that communication is still a struggle???) to figure out the key differences between their worlds:

1. Age didn't find the Master Sword in AoC until he was an adult, days before the Calamity and after all the Champions were chosen (Wild freaks out because how did Age miss it??? It was yelling at him for weeks from that random scary forest when he was 12???)

2. Zelda never hated Link because he didn't have the sword until they were already basically friends (Wild is visibly offended Age never had to deal with this too but also happy they could be friends immediately)

3. EVERYONE IS ALIVE??? (Wild starts sobbing as soon as he sees one of the champions. He seriously considers murdering the King. The Chain is Concerned)

4. (Optional angst) Guardians

5. (Optional angst pt. 2) It's only when they're leaving, literally stepping through the portal, that Wild realises there's probably also an ancient Ganondorf sealed away under Hyrule here, too. It's too late to warn them by then, even if he could communicate effectively, so once through to the other side he ends up just praying to whoever will listen that the other stories of Ganon are true, the ones where the Calamity is just an echo of a king long dead, from the era of the Hero of Time (he doesn't scream after praying for once and now the Chain is even more worried)

Sorry for the long ask! The differences in canon between BotW's backstory and AoC's fascinate me because it isn't even a regular timeline split, Terrako really was just out here creating weird alternate realities with the perfect new backstory that would make his mission work (and let the devs make a cool Master Sword cutscene they wouldn't be able to do with the actual BotW backstory without flashbacks to even tinier Link lmao. I can and will talk about the time travel in this series for way too long if anyone lets me).

Age never had to deal with the level of pressure Wild did as a result, and everyone was just way nicer to each other because they all had each other from the beginning of this little adventure for support (ignoring the ten years before that where Zelda was Struggling, her dad still sucks)

Also of course you can use the screaming after praying thing if you like! -Farosh :D

Age is seventeen, I reckon, and in comparison to Wild, is tiny. Even though he is a legitimate, fully fledged Hero in his own right, Wild goes out of his way to protect him, to the extent that it almost starts to chafe.

Still, Age can't bring himself to be mad when he finally starts to understand Wild and gets to know him better. Here is this Random Cat Boi who just is weirdly delighted that he didn't draw the sword until (in his opinion) it was almost too late? That he is just so happy that Age is friends with Zelda? And he looks at the Champions like they're walking miracles?

He'd almost be embarrassed if he wasn't so fond of Wild and if he wasn't so very good to him. He figures that Wild must be from the Sheikah Golden Age, given how much he knows about their technology - although it's more than a little alarming to see how violently he reacts when he sees a guardian.

(Age notices how Wild's hand drifts to the scars on his chest as it patrols past him and wonders if they could have lost control of their armies in the ancient times, if they could have turned against their hero)

(He doesn't bring it up because he's not rude, but he does go out of his way to quietly make sure Wild doesn't have to see the guardians (which is hard because Wild seems determined to show him all the best ways to kill one (they manage)))

As they leave Wild begins to pray harder than he ever has prayed before, begging the goddess to protect Age, to keep him safe. The Chain don't know how to respond to his sudden change in demeanour, but Wild just finishes his prayer and moves on.

A few months later they end up back in Age's era and he immediately runs up to greet Wild, pulling him into a huge hug. "Thank you!" he whispers into his ear.

Turns out that in his panic as he left through the portal, he turned around and managed to knock something over. Something old and ancient, and it revealed a passage. A passage into an old room full of a lot of tablets in ancient Zonai tablets. Enough for them to piece together what is underneath the castle, to prepare and to destroy it before it can hope to rise again.

And somehow, although it is an accident, Age knows that it is nothing short of divine intervention, and knows that Wild is behind it.

Happy endings all round I love these boys so much

...okay i may have an Age chapter now

[bunnakit]

(please bear with me this is the most convoluted question known to man, but whenever you post for asks I can't help but want to scratch my weird lore theory itch, sorry not sorry)

So, like, the chomer's got fancy magic powers, right? And there were those photoshoots back during Treasure where each member had some kind of prop, right? And we've seen a couple kind of appear in other mv's like the telescope showing up in Answer, or Mingi's lines all coming through the radio in Fireworks when he was the one who had the ham radio as a prop. And, arguably, the candelabra Seonghwa has in the photoset and then the lantern he has in Wonderland. (I personally like to think that there are a couple other magic pirate artifacts already in play and its just that whatever they do hasn't been relevant to mention in the diary lore or the point of the timeline we're currently at yet).

I was just kind of idly thinking about how Hongjoong had a wand in that photoset, which hasn't specifically shown up anywhere again in that exact same form, (and quite frankly how in the heck they would ever work a wand into an mv)

and then I was like 'a wand is basically just a long stick, how would you adapt-... wait a minute'

a cane is also basically just a long stick. That he has in Guerrilla and Don't Stop, (and I know Don't Stop is not part of main canon and its own thing, but I love how they just spin slightly different AU flavours of their own lore as it suits them, and the cane in Don't Stop is.... kind of significant in the mv soooooo)

This was my crazily-roundabout way of asking if you had any thoughts/theories etc about Hongjoong and wands/sticks/canes, normal, magical, or otherwise and the lore

AAH LORE ANON YESS thank you for gracing my inbox its always a treat

so i kind of have weird theories on this? my friend [@pop-off-nabokov] and i were doing some Cromer Silvia conspiracy board theories one night and we realized something really interesting about trends in ATEEZ MVs and their themes in general.

so the captains symbol looks A LOT like like The Wheel tarot, a card that essentially breaks down the alchemical symbols of life (with EIGHT in the outer ring)

and then you have their entire last album theme The World

the wands could either be a reference to a 'of wands' tarot or the wand-like objects shown here in The World

and one of the big themes i noticed throughout Halazia is Hongjoong and Seonghwa play off each other in a theme of 'as above, so below' - Seonghwa is bathed in light and on the surface and we meet Hongjoong as Wooyoung gestures down and the camera pans downwards where Hongjoong, dressed in dark colors, seems to be a figurehead of a different gathering.

as for the lantern in Wonderland, well, i've got something for that too

The Hermit also depicts a lantern!

we also have...

Judgement

and...

The Fool - okay this one is a bit of a stretch but the pose is pretty spot on and the meaning of The Fool feels very lore!San (and really, all of the boys entering their journey in the Z World)

so i don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that ATEEZ features a lot of nods to tarot and perhaps some of the artifacts may be related to them in some way. now if they're magic like the Cromer or not? who is to say. i certainly would love to find out the looking glass allows you to see through the dimensions or something similar, or that the staff/wand has the same abilities as the breakers or who knows.

and if we want to be extra ridiculous about it, well, i hope this is at least good for a laugh

please always come to my inbox with any thoughts or questions. i hope my answers are always at least a little fun to think about.

[osleeplessflowero]

my interpretations of different AU skeletons(for the Neighborhood AU)🌺✨

Sans

Your typical lazy guy and cool uncle that lets you get away with stuff and can randomly infodump about the wonders of space when possible. The most chill and comforting guy you could know. Pretty close to canon but just Slightly fanon. No, he doesn't know about Resets. He DOES know the Timeline theory exists as there are other versions of him literally walking around, but he has no clue about time suddenly stopping and restarting. That's something only Frisk and Flowey know of.

Papyrus

The coolest dude ever!!! A well mannered man skilled in combat training and happens to like a lot of action movies, especially ones like Batman or Deadpool for the more brutal themes and humor. (He watches them with various others.) He genuinely wants to see the good in people, and believes in being kind until proven he should think otherwise. He doesn't hate puns, he just hates when they're basic! When there's more thought put in, that's when he enjoys them, even cracking a few of his own. His favorite color is green.

Red

Another case of "cool uncle that lets you get away with shit", though in this case it'd be more like

"yo red I got in a fight"

"..did you win?"

"yeah-"

"good. 's all i care about."

He works on a lot of old junk to try and fix it up, it's a fun hobby for him. He's also in a band! Pretty skilled with the electric guitar. He's a bit more reserved when you first meet him but when he gets comfortable he'll warm right up to you. He even gets a bit more confident. Though he does have his moments where confidence seeps through anyway, like when he's performing.

Edge

Edge is the embodiment of Sass. If he has something to say he WILL say it. He's a bit cold to anyone upon first meeting them, kinda like a cat. But once he grows to appreciate one's presence he's a lot softer towards them, more welcoming. Especially when they understand him. He's also very stylish! Has a lot of cool name brands in his closet (that he'll share with you if you're nice enough/can fit the stuff). Also absolutely adores cats, Doomfanger is his number one though. Always and forever. He can also play the piano!

Blue

The most energetic guy in the group, and also the one that works out the most. You need him, he's there right away. He's very optimistic about things, and like classic Papyrus, wants to see the good in everyone around him. A walking green flag, one of the most trustworthy characters here alongside Papyrus. He's also kinda like a single father when he has to take care of Blueberry so that's a thing- it's kinda a mix of a sibling dynamic and a parent-child dynamic between the two. Is a coffee addict, just like Black. Take it away from him.

Stretch

One of the more chill and mellow characters, usually found high. But he's fun to be around when he isn't high as well, and can usually get along with people. He and Rus often get into chaotic shenanigans together, staying up late to do dumb stuff. You could probably see them building a tower of cards on top of Red's head while he's sleeping or something. His hoodies usually smell like honey, he has a bunch of them that look exactly the same like he's straight out of Charlie Brown. That isn't to say he doesn't have other outfits, though. He likes to write his own stories.

Black

Officer, it's this one, this one's the overworker!!! He's the wine aunt of the group. Has an addiction to coffee he shares with Blue, and also likes to indulge in different kinds of wine from time to time. He and Edge have similar fashion tastes, only he likes to go for shades of purple where Edge prefers Red. He often has to be forced to rest due to wanting to work on projects overnight. LOOOOVES to gossip about workplace drama and other things, and will be very happy to tell you about anything.

Rus

Get this man some sleep he is TIRED!! But yet he refuses to get rest until someone makes him. Rus is an artist, often doing commissions and working on silly projects with Stretch. He's probably one of the quicker ones to befriend you, and once he does his usual quiet demeanor fades away. Likes to lean on people he likes a lot as long as they don't mind it. He has some tattoos drawn onto his arms. They're just made with marker though, so he can change them anytime he feels like it.

Mars/"Horror"

Mars is one of the more reserved members of the group, he often instigates fights with Red because he thinks his reactions are funny. Will tell people like it is, and doesn't hold back either. If he doesn't like someone, he'd exchange very few words with them. But if he does like someone, he'll be more open to talk with them and slowly grow more and more comfortable. Yes he has the pet bird here too, it's in every timeline. He's still taking the time to adapt to a peaceful timeline where nothing's wrong. Has memory problems, and keeps a notepad in his pocket to remember everything crucial. Sometimes he has to be reminded to eat, because he forgets. Will appreciate anyone being patient with him. He can be a liiiittle bit of an asshole sometimes but we still love him.

Jupiter

Another guy that absolutely loves gossip, often talking about it with Black. He can be a little loud sometimes without meaning to be, due to his hearing struggles. Got his teeth and eyes fixed a few months after living in the universe, has a little gap between his front teeth. He loooves making sweaters for everybody, and acts a lot like a Mom friend. After taking classes he became one of the better cooks of the group!

Berry

I have a more detailed post about this guy already so if you want elaboration go there, but i can describe him in two words:

A MENACE.

[kylejsugarman]

as a dedicated andrea crusader i must know, how does au^2 impact andrea and jesse's relationship? do baby and brock get along? i'm picturing it in my head and🥹🥹

ANDREA CRUSADERS UNITE, u are one of the ultimate andrea understanders 🥺 so their relationship is a little different in au squared!! around the time that jesse infiltrates the recovery group and actually meets andrea is the same time that demi moves back to abq and tracks him and baby down. he and demi have a weird, semi-formal relationship for a while before they start developing romantic feelings for one another and during that time, jesse dates andrea. any initial plans to just sell meth directly to her as a recovering addict and put together his own walter white-esque "fund" for his daughter instantly evaporate when he sees brock and realizes that andrea is also just a single parent trying to navigate addiction. they're so similar and jesse, having not encountered anyone in this specific situation yet, kind of desperately clasps onto her. he really likes her and she likes him, but a big part of it is truly just. jesse desperately wanting to be around someone who Understands. and andrea does understand!! she has support from her mom, but she had to figure out a lot of this child-rearing stuff by herself and sees a lot of her slightly younger self in jesse. the way he wants to provide the Best for his kid, but doesn't trust anyone else to give it to her. she feels the same way about brock a lot of the time, even though she knows now that its not necessarily them vs the world.

the thing about au squared andrea is that she realizes through observing jesse's behavior and his feelings about raising baby that he's a very sweet guy who is great to be around, but they are not on the same timeline and she doesnt really feel like "dating" is the right arrangement for them. andrea's not in a place yet where she wants to incorporate a romantic relationship into her life and jesse, god bless him, has an overeagerness to him that tells her that he's diving into this because he badly wants A Connection, which doesn't necessarily have to be romantic!! she talks to him about this and asks instead if they can just be friends, so that's what they become. andrea is his dear friend :') jesse still cares very deeply for her and brock and tries to spoil them both (if he's going to get baby a swagged out play mat, then its only fair that brock gets a sick new transformer toy and andrea gets memory foam slippers for after long shifts on her feet at work. u know. if he's already going to be out). brock adores him, but is initially less enthused about baby because well. she's a baby. she can't really talk coherently or play a significant role in his games and he can't use his toys with smaller, choking hazard parts around her, so he doesn't really know what his mom expects him to do with baby while she and jesse are talking. but he realizes that it's actually kind of fun to assume a "big brother" role (brock's a sweet kid :') he likes to be helpful) and teach baby things; she basically copies whatever he does after a certain point, which is extremely validating to him. plus, she's a pretty patient, docile little playmate, so she can play the role of "building that is on fire that the brave firetruck must extinguish" with tremendous skill. the highlight of his month is when they all go to the zoo together and brock gets to feed a handful of feed to one of the giraffes while baby looks at him just shocked and awed like :O

andrea remains a source of support and eventually befriends demi too, but as things get darker towards the end of the show (post-drew shooting), jesse withdraws a little from her to try to protect her. he already feels responsible for tomas being murdered and drew's killing just reminds him of how nobody, no matter how innocent, is safe from this shit. andrea and brock are too important to him to endanger, even if it means cutting himself off from a good friend. demi visits them a few times while jesse is in captivity just to be around Someone and so baby can play with brock, but it's weirdly uncomfortable and baby isn't acting the same without jesse there and demi soon worries too that the cantillos might become endangered through association with them, so she reluctantly withdraws. once jesse escapes and he and demi and baby make the trip to alaska, he still writes a letter for brock that he gives to ed, but he also writes one for andrea. he wants to thank her for the support she gave him, for guiding him and baby through so much uncertainty, for being such a wonderful woman and friend. "i hope baby grows up to be like u. i want to make sure she grows up to be like u." andrea never learns what became of jesse and baby and demi after the news breaks, but she keeps that letter in her nightstand drawer along with a messy scribble drawing that baby made for her and the ticket stubs from that zoo trip. she doesnt care what the news says. she doesnt care what the dea agents who come to question her think of jesse or their friendship. she knew him, the real him, and she will always love him.

[nordiccowgirl]

I was thinking about the Sonic movies recently and noticed that the theme of the movie is reflected in the people that Sonic interacts with and builds a relationship with through the movie. And maybe all this has already been said before, but I want to put my thoughts out there. Long post ahead.

Sonic 1 is about finding and making home. Tom's arc is thinking that he wants to leave Green Hills for better things and then by the end, he realizes that Green Hills is where he belongs and, more importantly, where he fits and where people love and care for him. Sonic's arc is finding strength in the relationships to the people and place that he's called home and using that to fuel his defeat of Robotnik. Although it's mostly played for laughs and not something that should be thought about too hard, the fact that Green Hills accepts Sonic without question at the end shows that Sonic belongs in the town and that his place is with his family, even though technically, he doesn't consider the Wachowskis his family until the second movie.

Sonic 2 is about loneliness and building relationships. This theme is carried over a little bit from Sonic 1, but Sonic 1 was more about finding home whereas Sonic 2 is more about finding family. Knuckles especially reflects this theme, but Tails does to some degree as well with his comments about being seen as a freak in his home world. That's really all we get about Tails, but the fact that he sticks around through and after the movie for basically no reason other than Sonic's unconditional acceptance of his friendship says a lot, I think. Knuckles is the more obvious foil to Sonic and directly connected to the theme of loneliness.

Knuckles and Sonic are stated multiple times to have lost everything in whatever event happened between Longclaw and the Echidna tribe, but the obvious difference between them is that Knuckles grew up bitter and alone where Sonic grew up kind and alone - it's kind of implied that he's been on Earth and in Green Hills long enough to have kind of been raised by the Wachowskis before the movie timeline even started, but I might be stretching on that one there. I think some of Sonic's optimism is just being Sonic, of course, but I think it's important to see the ties back to the first movie as well. However, during the course of the movie, Knuckles gets to observe Sonic's love and friendship for the Wachowskis and Tails and it chips away at his certainty of what and who Sonic is. This coupled with the betrayal from Robotnik at the temple to the master emerald is what ultimately brings Knuckles into the found family and after Maddie says "let's go get our kid," the entire cast is pulled together in this theme of found family.

Side bar: Even Rachel's hilariously weird side story ties into this theme. She's slightly less hostile to Tom in Sonic 2 and is ready to throw down with G.U.N. to help Maddie save Tom, Sonic, and Tails - yes it's fueled by perfectly understandable rage against Randall, but it's still an improvement from her moments in Sonic 1, where she's so hostile, she clearly displays a subtext that San Francisco is not where Tom belongs. It's unnecessary, but it's cool that it still fits perfectly with the theme of the rest of the movie. I also love her and find her an amazing side character. No notes.

I remember the Sonic movie creators saying that Shadow's arc in Sonic 3 is going to be an incredibly difficult challenge for Sonic, because Shadow doesn't have the same underlying emotional base that Knuckles does. (I couldn't find the article though, I'm sorry y'all - I'm writing this on Feb 2 and there has been a deluge of Sonic news today)

So this all got me thinking about the main theme that we generally see in Shadow's story - grief. Sonic Adventure 2, which they're going to pull from extensively for Sonic 3, is ultimately about how Shadow deals with the grief of losing his only friend/family. Yes, his memories were manipulated by Gerald, but even that stems from Gerald's own grief and rage at losing Maria, which parallels Shadow's emotional arc.

Sonic 3 is going to, if my theory and observations are correct and not just coffee fueled speculation on a cloudy Friday morning, explore themes of grief. Sonic himself is going to have to confront grief in a way that he hasn't yet in the movies before in order to get Shadow on his side (or as much on his side as Shadow ever is, amirite Shadow besties?) and that has me very worried about what that's going to mean. I love the Wachowskis but they're Sonic's family - if Sonic needs to confront the grief of a loss of family, one or both of them might have to meet the same fate as Maria.

Tragically, this would be a very strong tie in to the themes I've been discussing. Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 have been about finding home and family - Sonic 3 may be about maintaining that home and family, even when that family is gone. G.U.N. swooping in after Shadow starts running amok and killing Tom and Maddie would allow the movie to explore how Sonic deals with the loss of family versus how Shadow deals with the loss of family. Sonic, as he is characterized, would find a way to throw himself into the good of protecting Green Hills in Tom's absence - and eventually the Earth, because we all know how Sonic Adventure 2 ends - while Shadow deals with his grief by trying to nuke the earth until the end.

I would hate to see it but in a way that would make me absolutely feral, because as I said, I love the Wachowskis and I think they actually bring something to the Sonic franchise that other stupid human character inserts haven't, but I think that it would be a fascinating exploration of the Sonic and Shadow dynamic that we've never really seen before.

I can't tell if I want to be right or not, and maybe there's a less tragic theme that the movie could explore that could focus the foils of Sonic and Shadow. I'm sure there is. I'm typing this out mostly off the cuff and several years removed from my last revisit of Sonic Adventure 2, so I could easily be missing something. But I think that it's certainly an interesting way they could take the movie.

[all-pacas]

how do you think cameron and chase would handle a surprise/unplanned pregnancy?

panic and grim resignation

HAHAHa okay so. Okay. So. First of all: Cameron is, weirdly? Naturally? the only character on this show to state anti-abortion views. She and House have a talk about this.

So, unfortunately, that means: if there's a baby, Cameron is keeping it. Chase, unsurprisingly, never espouses any feelings on the matter. Personally, I don't think he'd have any issues with abortion for a number of pragmatic reasons that overrides any Catholic Guilt, but it doesn't matter: Cameron isn't getting rid of it.

As to what happens next, that depends a lot on where in their timeline we are. I've joked about them mutually babytrapping one another after Dibala and… yeah, but the timing really matters here. They actually seem to have talked about having kids, if Chase's "in ten years, we have three kids" little fantasy is worth anything, and they both idealize love and marriage (in slightly different ways) enough that I think they both assume you must have kids once you're married: if it happens early enough in their marriage (boy, an AU where Cameron is already pregnant when Dibala happens…), or late enough in their dating period, I think… they're okay with it. Mostly. It's something they both kind of expect will happen.

I mean, I absolutely think they're both going to internally freak the fuck out. Cameron idealizes marriage and relationships and at the same time is terrified of commitment in a very specific way: she doesn't seem to have any problem with the act of being committed, but you take away her exits and lock her in and she worries. You can't cut and run from a baby. Chase, meanwhile, clearly holds onto all his trauma and resentment and isn't in steady contact with his sister who he raised: his "idealization of relationships" is more in the vein of he desperately wants intimacy and attachment and To Be Loved, but has no idea what it looks like. Throw a baby at him, and I'm not sure he'd be any less scared: what if he screws this one up, too?

If this happens early enough in their dating, it's even worse. By the end of S5, even though Cameron has a freak out or two left in her, they've been together 2 years and basically live together: Cameron's issues are less about wanting to marry Chase and more about worrying he doesn't want to marry her; she's not actively looking for an exit ramp, she's just scared of not having one (if that distinction makes sense). But, like, FWB era pregnancy? Disaster. Neither of them are ready or willing. S4 era pregnancy? Hard to say (in large part because we don't see them), but considering their first subplot in S5 is "Chase feels shut out of Cameron's life because she doesn't let him in her house," I'm not sure they'd handle it well either. I sadly can see them both falling into an "a baby will fix our relationship!" trap, but at least by the end of S5 their relationship is fairly solid. As good as it ever got, anyway.

[stuck-in-the-box]

OOC: I have to say I LOVE how differently your Ted and my Richie (au) react to Tinky. I love how Richie thanks Tinky for fixing the arm HE broke, but Ted won’t play nice with Tinky at all.

I love how Richie would do a lot of things Tinky said if he told him too with not much convincing. He’s just so scared of getting hurt. I love how Ted listen until threatened with something horrific (etc. death) and even then won’t be sincere.

They’re just so interesting to me man, they’re so fun to play and so are the two Tinky’s

- Richie Timeline Au Guy

No because SAME-

The differences between our two humans are so fascinating to me. Like- you can tell that my Ted's been putting up with this shit for a while, so he's all sassy and quippy and trying to appear like he doesn't care (and trying to convince himself that he's become desensitized to it all), but then Tinky does basically anything and he's suddenly a shaking, terrified mess. And then there's your Richie who starts out as a terrified mess and just goes along with everything because he's scared as to what the alternative of him NOT could be. THEY'RE SO NEAT!!!

And then there's the differences and similarities as to how we each portray T'noy Karaxis! My guy is silly to the point of being horrifying, with the knowledge of the universe and the power to warp time and space to his will and the pleasure he takes in others suffering, but also the patience and temper tantrums of a moody toddler. He's incredibly petty and childish and gross and I love him so much. And then there's your Tinky, who's also incredibly silly and terrifying, but in a slightly different way that I can't quite put my finger on and it's AWESOME!!!

Bro, I could do a whole case study on these guys /silly

[vacantgodling]

hiiiiii work is wild today. so i have a question for you.

i'd like to hear about some of the different foods available in tcol!! regional delicacies, staple crops, rare treats... anything you can offer me.

or, alternatively, tell me about some of the main cast's favorite and least favorite foods!

oo this is an interesting question in the sense that food, flora, and fauna are like my least favorite worldbuilding things so... i tend to build them in such a "dude because i said so" kind of way. there is no rhyme or reason to it it just has to happen when i need to think of something LMAO

all of that to say this will be extremely all over the place PFF.

so the one food i DEFINITELY know exists is a labyrinth honey loaf, which is like... basically a sweet bread. i mention it in mukul's profile, because that's currently his biggest goal--to make the perfect batch of one of these. the reason it's so difficult to make is that it basically requires labyrinth honey, which needs to be tempered like chocolate. but its hard to temper because its slightly explosive if you cook it at the wrong temperature, or it just turns to uneatable sludge. its an absolute delicacy if you can make it correctly though and that's why he's very fixated on it atm. (he loves baking). so i think a lot of labyrinth foods from its strange flora and fauna are just kind of Like That. amazing if you know how to cook it but absolutely dangerous to try and work with LMAO.

when it comes to regional delicacies.... i gotta get more into the weeds of city worldbuilding. each major city in terrae is basically its own cultural center (though some influence each other; kingsburrow and lathsbury aren't too different culturally because they're so close to one another and were established at p much the same time in history) and i have somewhat vague inclinations about each of these... but its sort of next on my list of to dos.... my long... neverending list of to dos..... (y'all should see how long the timeline is now and if i told you how much shit i still needed to figure out... GOD) anyway though; i do know that Diisaians in general are huge drinkers.

in general, one of the first crops in terrae that existed was because of the god of harvest, alcohol, and partying KIBARUM waaaay back in like the 100s, when eros and argos were first being established. and that was a crop which i'm just worldbuilding on the fly rn but its kind of a cross between wheat and rice. like similar properties of both. don't ask me how it works, idk man. but its something that can be grown dry in one way and creates a certain staple grain, but the same crop can also be grown in marshy/swampy lands like how rice is grown (cuz eros and argos are very marshy/swampy) and it acts differently. a multifacted, fast growing crop that can be manipulated in a variety of ways based on the fact that in the early days of terrae, shit was BAD bro like 2/3 of the pop was passing away like every year or something ridiculous like that due to monsters until the citadel of Argos was finally finished.

but that's more into the history weeds and my forte and not related to the question at hand so i will steeeeer away from that.

said crop... which i will name eventually... can be made in a multitude of ways like i said like it can make breads, porridges, slurries, meals (like corn meal or grits), etc. its pretty much the basis for the terranean diet altogether because its so versatile. the only place where it doesn't grow is kiskkaddon because kisk is a giant "all consuming" desert. tm.

in kiskkaddon and diisai, speaking of, they're the only places on all of terrae where there are "wild monsters" aka monsters who were not driven by lath and ensio into the labyrinth, just bc those lands weren't connected to terraneans and terraneans ventured into those lands tm. they live virtually alongside monsters in these regions and have created cultures centered around fending off and killing these free roam monsters, who, tend to be weaker (but still a problem) than labyrinth monsters bc they aren't affected by the influence of either The Thicket or The Demon King (i'm just saying words at you now sorry). all of this to say, diisians and kisks are very good at cooking monster parts, better than other mainland terraneans.

i could keep going to stall but tbh that's a long enough rant. i need to figure all of this out more anyway, but first things first i gotta name this crop LMAO

[just-a-carrot]

Hello Carrot!

Ok so I was the anonymous poly asker but since I wanna draw some of the Au’s I yapped about I don’t see a reason to ask anonymously anymore.

that and I was originally soo terrified of asking a question cause I’ve been in many many toxic fandoms (I had to be hyped up to even originally ask my question )

First of all, this fandom has been one of the nicest and most respectful fan bases I’ve ever encountered.

Second, Ow was one of the first media’s to ever make me shed a tear I honestly loved everything about Ow (I also developed I mini obsession with Jerry, that and I sounded like an absolute crazy person playing the game while on call with friends and during arc 5 I out of nowhere yelled “NO MOTHER JERRY”)

But the reason I wrote Is because I got an Au idea and ist been plaguing my mind all day.

Basically at the end of every arc Iggy wished for smt and the two that stuck with me where the wish he never existed and the wanting to make his friends happy one.

And in the Au that popped up he kinda gets that wish with everyone waking up back at home with like a déjà vu feeling and since I think bucks ended up there too ig the reason she goes to wonderland is to save their kid.

They all end up in Wonderland at the same time with the feeling of wanting to find smt and end up hearing a conversation of one of the bunny soldiers scolding someone for exploring all by himself and that dinner would be soon.

Fast forward and their at the town and find the younger versions of Bucks and Gidget and they offer to take them “home” witch is similar to Gidget’s house in arc 5 but with the downstairs area being filled with toys and plushies with caretaker bunnies running around and the upstairs being more nicer and put together kinda like an apartment

They they end up meeting Iggy who’s like also kind of a caretaker with him occasionally joining the kids for dinner or to play games with them on their request (which refers slightly back to the wanting to make all his friends happy wish)

But the others want him back of course, which would lead to like a minor conflict of him not wanting to leave the kids but also wanting to make Wonderland safer because it was not safe when he first entered etc.

I’d dunno how I’d end it might make a comic about it cause I feel like there’s some potential in the Au I’ll have to see.

BTW SOO SORRY IT BECAME THIS LONG !!

I’ll most likely take a brake of asking questions (and also learn to yapp less) to focus more on drawing Ow stuff until I get a good grip on how to draw everyone.

Again soo sorry for yapping this much 

ahhhhhh i'm sorry you felt nervous!! i get it though it's really hard for me too to reach out or message someone / send in an ask, etc.

i never mind long asks! though i don't always know how to respond very well all the time lkdjfad so you'll have to sometimes forgive me. and hahaha i'm really glad you liked jerry!!

that sounds really interesting. like an AU where somehow the kid versions of them are also there in wonderland or something?? unless i'm misunderstanding. admittedly the "make my friends happy" wish was the wish he made AS a kid (and why he's now stuck in loops trying to make them all happy, except that he can't), but i could see like, some interesting possibilities where it somehow becomes even more morphed and convoluted with the different versions or something, perhaps if like, there just get to be too many different timelines so they all start to converge perhaps. i've never thought about something like that before

a version of wonderland that's NOT all messed up even when they're adults would be particularly interesting to explore. well, i suppose that's what bucks, gidget, and orlam experienced at first when they first went in LOL

[incomingalbatross]

So thoughts on the Gravity Falls episode of Amphibia, after a second watch of it.

It's very much in the spirit of Gravity Falls for AU versions of its characters to exist in other worlds, but I think that it's interesting that this isn't a Frog Gravity Falls... It's a different frog town that just happens to contain Frog Stan, Frog Soos, and Frog Gnomes (Fromes, as they're labeled in the Museum).

Also worth noting that all the Amphibia evidence suggests Anne is from the prime Gravity Falls Earth, but she hasn't met anyone else in either place who seemed like a counterpart of someone from the other world. Amphibia is not Frog AU Earth, generally speaking - it's very much its own thing.

Then there's the Frog Shack itself:

First off I love that it's on the main street of a completely different frog town but it still has to simulate having evergreens around it. <3 That's essential.

But also hoo boy is it clear that whoever built this place was in dealings with Bill Cipher. It is UNMISTAKABLE. So. That's concerning.

And you know what else is concerning? Frog Stan. Not that he's slightly eviller than our Stan, I'm okay with that (it's not like he even killed any of his waxworks, they're FINE). My concern is WHERE IS HIS FAMILY??

This is set in 2019. Even if his personal timeline isn't in sync with GF's, Bill has been dead for seven years. Where is Frog Ford? Where are the frog Mystery Twins?? Why is Frog Stan apparently alone in his hut with just Frog Soos, trying to make money??

I'm worried about this Stan. If things didn't get better for him in 2012, when will they get better? If he's got the same background as canon Stan, something has clearly gone sideways. :(

Returning to the multiverse considerations, however, I have some points: Frog Stan makes a couple remarks that imply he thinks his frog world is weird; he dismisses Frog Soos's musings on the multiverse in a way that sounds exactly like "Stan dismissing things he secretly knows are real"; and he HAS A CD WALKMAN. WHERE DID HE GET THAT.

He SAYS he got it from Newtopia but we later learn Newtopia has seen zero multiverse travel for a thousand years. Anne & Co. didn't bring this one, or she would have recognized it and said something. STAN. WHERE DID YOU GET THE HUMAN TECHNOLOGY.

Anyway. My working half-explanation for Frog Stan is that he is A) probably not originally from Amphibia but B) definitely did some dimension-traveling sometime in the '00s, somehow. Was he a frog when he started? Unclear. Is he a basic Portal (Frog) Stan who's been traveling since the '80s, is this his own dimension that he had to return to, or is there a more complicated backstory? Don't know.

BUT if he's met other Sooses that would at least explain why this one is "Frog Soos." :P If he's not in his own dimension, that would explain why he's not in a version of Gravity Falls and doesn't have frog niblings around (though it doesn't explain Frog Soos or the fromes), and any kind of portal travel would explain the Walkman.

Unfortunately, if he built the Curiosity Hut after coming to Amphibia, this suggests he made a deal with Bill at some point. :/ And I'm still very concerned about where his brother might be and if he has any remaining hope of finding him.

(It's fine though! It's fine. Our Pines Family can find him at some point and help out, probably. They're good at that. Especially if Anne meets them and is able to tell them about Frog Stan.)

[reddy-reads]

moon day books (books for 7/20/24)

Moon Day* is coming up, and that sounds like as good an excuse as any for talking about some books

Here's my list, rationale is below the jump

The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal

by Becky Chambers, Record of a Spaceborn Few (or The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. Or Psalm for the Wild-Built)

The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett

So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin

Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries series

*Moon Day is the anniversary of the first Moon Landing, July 20 :) I'm aware it's not really a holiday but I love the idea

The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal This is a really excellent series. It's an alternative history of space travel. It has lots of women, and there are characters of colors (although they're thus far limited to the supporting cast). They're exciting, emotional, and gripping. I loved these books.

SUMMARY: A meteor decimates the U.S. government and paves the way for a climate cataclysm that will eventually render the earth inhospitable to humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated timeline in the earth’s efforts to colonize space, as well as an unprecedented opportunity for a much larger share of humanity to take part. One of these new entrants in the space race is Elma York, whose experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too—aside from some pesky barriers like thousands of years of history and a host of expectations about the proper place of the fairer sex. And yet, Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions may not stand a chance.

2. One of Becky Chamber's books, probably Record of a Spaceborn Few or perhaps the Galaxy, and the Ground Within.

These are both standalone set in the same series. Record of a Spaceborn Few follows multiple characters whose lives intersect but are not especially intertwined. All these characters live on or are visiting the Human Fleet, which is the uh the… vessels that humans left the Earth on, as we jettisoned ourselves into space? I mentioned this one a little while back in conjunction with the waves hands Ship of Theseus and museology thing. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within like… doesn't have humans in it? It's basically a book-long bottle episodes, and it has themes of what is the significance art, what does it mean to negotiate one's identity as an individual and with respect to one's group identity. (By this I mostly mean like. the characters are all nonhuman alien species, and several of them negotiate their relationship between being a "typical" whatever vs being themselves.) One thing I love about Becky Chambers's books is that the aliens actually feel alien to me. They don't just feel like a different kind of human, they feel like they have meaningfully different biology and this affects their worldview.

Also on my Becky Chambers thoughts is her book Psalm for the Wild Built. I love how she spins the setting, presenting a very rosy concept of how humans could renegotiate our use of the planet we live on. One of the appeals of the Lady Astronaut series (above) is the realism. For the Psalm for the Wild Built, it's kind of the opposite; I love the… almost courage of imagining "what if we collectively did do better? What might that look like?" In a world where cynicism seems like a pragmatic form of self-protection, this sort of imagining almost seems brave.

3. For a slightly off the wall book idea, how about Sir Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero?

I love this book, it's a relatively quick read due to its format. The art is gorgeous. The story is wry and warm in that special Discworld way, and altitude is a factor in the story :) So that's the moon connection.

Cohen the Barbarian. He's been a legend in his own lifetime. He can remember the good old days of high adventure, when being a Hero meant one didn't have to worry about aching backs and lawyers and civilization. But these days, he can't always remember just where he put his teeth… So now, with his ancient (yet still trusty) sword and new walking stick in hand, Cohen gathers a group of his old -- very old -- friends to embark on one final quest. He's going to climb the highest mountain of Discworld and meet the gods. It's time the Last Hero in the world returns what the first hero stole. Trouble is, that'll mean the end of the world, if no one stops him in time.

4. As a YA lover, I have to include a shout-out for So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane. This is the first of the Young Wizards series, which I love, and the characters (and I believe Ms Duane) LOVE the moon. It's really heartwarming, it reminds me of those videos of the astronaut talking about what going to the moon means to him.

Nita Callahan is at the end of her rope because of the bullies who've been hounding her at school… until she discovers a mysterious library book that promises her the chance to become a wizard. But she has no idea of the difference that taking the Wizard's Oath is going to make in her life. Shortly, in company with fellow beginner-wizard Kit Rodriguez, Nita's catapulted into what will be the adventure of a lifetime—if she and Kit can both live through it. For every wizard's career starts with an Ordeal in which he or she must challenge the one power in the universe that hates wizardry more than anything else: the Lone Power that invented death and turned it loose in the worlds. Plunged into a dark and deadly alternate New York full of the Lone One's creatures, Kit and Nita must venture into the very heart of darkness to find the stolen, legendary Book of Night with Moon. Only with the dangerous power of the wizardly Book do they have a chance to save not just their own lives, but their world…

5. Not to be cheeky, but if that's too wholesome, perhaps The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin will hit the spot? :D

This is the way the world ends. Again. Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

6. Final one. Why not use Moon Day as an excuse to reread Martha Well's Murderbot Diaries books? (Paper-thin excuse: MB's favorite TV show is… sanctuary moon!)

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

[I said I wasn't going to add Andy Weir's The Martian because it's a gimme, but I'm a liar! I also love The Martian. Yes I know it's on Mars, not the moon, but! Humans! In! Spaaaaace!]

If you made it this far, what do you think? What books does "moon day" make you think of? Which books are on YOUR list?