#this is book 6 in a series and we've been with most of these characters

[elrielffs]

What it all boils down to is that if GA/EL were actually endgame SJM did a piss poor job setting them up and especially in comparison to how much she did for Elriel, which is a couple that would go no where apparently??

It would just be unsatisfying imo and unfair in comparison.

Azriel and Elain already did the big romantic gestures.

Having to read them do them with other people will not hit the same.

Azriel giving Gwyn TT?

Gwyn calling Azriel's hands beautiful?

Azriel carrying Gwyn bridal style?

Lucien rescuing Elain?

Elain exchanging important gifts?

Lucien figuring out was wrong with Elain?

Elain bringing joy to Lucien to the point of laughing like he hasn't before?

[nexus-nebulae]

oh my god. that one "oc" we wrote who had DID that we came up with before our syscovery. that was not an oc. oh my god cody and blake why did you take five years to make yourselves known to us-

[twistmusings]

Character Analysis of the Twisted Wonderland Dorm Rooms - Savanaclaw

Thanks so much for your input on the first post everyone! Honestly a lot of you have much sharper eyes that I do, so I'm making it a habit to add addendums when people spot things that I don't.

At any rate, here is the examination of the rooms for Savanaclaw!

Dorm Room Character Analysis Series

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia

Leona Kingscholar

To start with the obvious, Leona is probably the most disorganized dorm that we've seen so far. He's noticeably left his clothes lying around the room. It's of note that he's got an empty hangar in his closet, which could mean that some of these clothes are clean and he cba to hang them up.

Leona has a chess set with three pieces displayed - what appears to be a Knight, a Rook, and a Pawn. I believe this may be a reference to the story arc of book 2, considering that Rooks are a powerful piece in chess. If we consider in terms of chess, if I had to guess, I would say the Knight is Leona (known for it's unique movement which can be used to strategize and take tactical advantage of board placement), the Rook would be Ruggie (known as one of the most powerful pieces in chess because it can move any distance in a single line so long as it doesn't jump another piece, thank you anon for correcting me on this!) because of his unique magic being the lynch pin of Leona's plan during book two, and Jack, or more generally, the rest of his dormmates, being the pawns, that are used to set a strategic defense.

Also of note, Leona has a plant in his room. Of course, it could be fake, but if it is real, it shows a nurturing aspect to Leona that is interesting given his characterization that we know of. Minor Spoiler Warning for Book 6 that has definitely been pointed out by other people, but we know that he lets Riddle rest on his lap during the book when he's knocked unconscious, so he does, indeed, seem to have aspects of a nurturer in his characterization that he tends to hide by being prickly. If I had to read further into this, I would say it's another aspect of his motif overall - Leona has the capacity to care a great deal about everything, but he doesn't because he isn't given the same opportunities as Falena, and so you see those parts of him come out in other places.

This may be a bit of a stretch, but I believe this pillow in Leona's room is intended to be a call-back to Lions and their manes. When Leona lays his head down on the pillow, the pattern would be splayed out around his head like one.

Leona, of course, has textiles in his room, which is mentioned to be important for his homeland in the Tamashina Mina/Cloudcalling event as they are handmade and the primary source of income for Sunset Savanna. This is of note because Leona is not the only one in Savanaclaw to display tapestries like this, but these tapestries are notably similar to those shown in the Tamashina Mina.

So this is going to be a very long and not particularly important sections, so feel free to skip if you CBA to read it, but I wish there was a little bit more information about the inspiration drawn for Leona's homeland because it could be particularly informative of the actual symbolism in the textiles. If we are considering what we know about his homeland, Leona mentions a few things that give us some hints as to the location.

Generally speaking, the Lion King is considered to be set in Tanzania, and this is in line with the Hibiscus and the Baobab that Leona mentions in the Cloudcalling event, however from my most definitely not expert research, a lot of textiles produced in Tanzania are wax dyed. (Mind, I am far from an expert in African Textiles.) This becomes important when Leona mentions that the tapestries and clothing in the Sunset Savanna are woven. While it's not always a rule, typically woven clothing and tapestries are dyed before they are woven, and weaving is what produces the pattern. With wax dyeing, the textiles are produced first, and then waxes are used to create layers of dye that are arranged in patterns. (This also gets called batik dyeing).

The left, above, is a Tanzinian Batik Kitenge Fabric from east Africa, while the right is a Ghanaian Woven Kente Cloth from West Africa next to Leona's Tapestry to show more of what I mean, which throws a wrench into examining this further because we are talking about two different cultures across the continent from one another.

The gist of this being, it does seem that Leona's tapestry and blankets would seem to be more in line with woven fabric as opposed to batik dyed fabric. If anyone has more information who is more versed in this subject, I would love to know more! Basically, this is the long way of me saying I can't exactly identify whether or not any of the tapestries or blankets in his room hold any particular meaning in their patterns or colors because I wouldn't know what culture it would be drawing inspiration from! To be quite honest, it is entirely possible this is a case of Twist mixing several cultures together to paint a more general picture of African culture.

To change the subject back to the room - Leona has a notable lack of study materials in his room. In fact, I don't see a single book in his room. If Riddle is the one who is the king of the little readers club, Leona was the kid who filled in all the stamps on the summer reading list to get the prizes without reading anything.

While it's not as prevalent as Cater or Trey, Leona's room features a lot of darker yellows and reds. It's possible that Leona favors these warmer colors, which is funny considering his rather gloomy outlook on a lot of things, as these colors are generally associated with happiness and passion.

The hidden mickey in his room is just below his overhead lamp.

Jack Howl

Jack, as we know, has a little cactus garden in his room. it is of note, his cacti are flowering, which is a sign that his little cacti are as happy as could be.

This might be a bit morbid, but if I had to guess, I would guess that Jack's rug is a synthetic wolf-skin rug given the jagged design on the edges. This is only a guess of course, as the bedrooms and backgrounds in twist tend to have a slightly flatter style than the rest of the game, so it's hard to tell if it's actually fur or not. Regardless, we see see a lot of the members of Savanaclaw's animals represented in small touches in their room.

Jack is pretty organized in comparison to the other freshmen! All of his books are put away, and even his weights and resistance bands are tucked away as much as they can be.

Jack seems to have soy protein, a protein shake container, and a stick of deodorant ready-to-go! Jack might be a bit extra with his workout routine, but at least he seems to be responsible about it by making sure he's getting the nutritional support he needs to build muscle and taking care not to smell rank.

Jack also has a textile on his wall. Given the Shaftlands seems to be generally inspired by Europe, I would guess that the tapestry is most similar to Nordic knitted and woven fabrics. The motif of the tapestry seems to be floral designs or snowflakes and pine trees. This seems to be a cute callback to how Jack likes to snowboard and how he comes from a snowy place.

Like the other first years, Jack doesn't seem to have decorated his bedsheets much. He does have a bedrunner in a flamestitch sort of pattern. Though the flamestitch pattern isn't commonly attributed to any one country, it is generally considered to be of European origin, adding to the European inspiration of the shaftlands.

The hidden Mickey in Jack's room is next to his tapestry.

Ruggie Bucchi

Mr. Pig. More seriously, Ruggie found it abandoned on the street and took it home. There's a meerkat version as well that Ruggie has mentioned getting in his Birthday Boy Vignette. He also mentions that it sings or lets out a happy squeal when you put coins into it.

Also, Ruggie has a framed photo on his desk, similar to Deuce. I would guess this is a photo of him and his grandmother.

Ruggie actually seems to read quite a bit! He has books in his bookshelf, as well as stacked next to his bed within easy reach to read there if he would like to. These don't seem to be textbooks, so it's an easy conclusion that Ruggie probably reads in his free time. My guess for the textbooks is that Ruggie likely downloads them online from a library resource. Or illegally. To be quite honest, good for him, textbooks are expensive for no damn reason.

Ruggie is also quite well organized - he doesn't have a lot of personal items in his room, but the ones that he does have are put away.

Following on that last point, Ruggie's lack of decorations aside from a handful of things likely lends to him being raised in poverty.

Interesting note, but Ruggie has roommates. In fact, a lot of the Twisted Wonderland cast do, but you can actually see snippets of Ruggie and Jack's roommates space in their cards. The freshmen are mentioned to have four to a room, so though I didn't include this in the first post, Ace and Deuce have two other roommates.

While it might be easy to assume that Ruggie's comforter is giraffe print at first glance, the coloration and spacing of the pattern actually leads me to believe this is meant to be the pattern of a spotted Hyena.

Ruggie's hidden mickey is on the wall next to his closet.

[hbosscreations]

John Constantine Hellblazer: Dead in America Solicits

I've had weird feelings about this run for a bit, so I decided to look at the solicits all together and...am I the only one who gets a weird vibe from these?

One and two feel pretty normal and true to what happened in book. Issue 2 is a little overdramatic, but that's how you get people to buy. No problems here, good hype, though I do think it's hilarious that issue one is billed at 28 pages, which means that of the rest of the issues it's the only one not filled with ads.

Issue 3, the numbers have gone up, the description has gotten small, and this was also where I started to question just what was happening. This was where this series started telling 'stories about the American dream' in overlong framing devices that really don't have anything to do with anything.

For me, Issue 4 is Issue 3 done correctly, and the solicit feels fine. It's sparse on the details because we're doing a mystery, but I thought it felt a bit rushed. I think in the previous run, this owuld have been a two parter much like Scrubbing Up or Britannia Rules the Waves, and I think it would have been better served that way, but whatever, this isn't about my feelings.

Issue 5, my second favorite main cover and least favorite issue so far, feels deeply misleading considering what we actually get out of the issue. Issue 6 also doesn't really tell us anything that's the actual main focus of the book.

But then BOOM!

Issue 7 comes along and I was genuinely surprised that we were getting more issues, since I hadn't heard that the books were selling especially well, but I don't have the sales figures to back it up. Once again, the solicit is technically accurate, but I'm noticing a trend of the 'he's a corpse! he's got to deal with that!' in the solicit and the comic...not actually doing that in any meaningful way.

Issue 8 has the smallest solicits of the entire run and nothing meaningful happens. We could have scrapped this entire comic and gone straight to LA, but for John Constantine: Hellblazer, he hasn't really done any blazing of Hell in this book, so I suppose it was necessary?

Issue 9's solicit is a lie and a nothing burger. It tells us nothing, and for good reason, because once again, NOTHING PLOT RELEVANT HAPPENS.

I'm living for the Hanged Man tarot cover of Issue 10, but I don't know about number 11's solicit. It's the final issue, why isn't it beefier? Why doesn't it SELL the finale?

I have suspicions, thoughts and theories, but all of it basically amounts to 'not enough oversight'. Most of my problems with these books amounts to the fact that the story feels like it wasn't finished when they started producing the comic (That's a thing in the industry, I know, but it's also not a good sign for longevity or future sales, so I don't know why it's a thing), and that unlike the previous run, Spurrier doesn't seem to really have anything to say beyond 'look at how bad America is!' and it just feels very out of touch.

It also feels like we've opened the story to get more traditional characters involved without thinking about the ramifications of adding them. This story didn't need Dream, it didn't need Etrigan, it didn't really even need Swamp Thing. I still like the inclusion of Swamp Thing, but at the end of the day, this run feels like it's not interested in John Constantine, which is a problem when it's called John Constantine: Hellblazer and not 'Wizards in America: We Fuck Shit Up'.

[fuckyeahbaldursgate]

Viconia - Plot Support extraordinaire

Just to preface this as I don't want this to seem like I am hating on BG3 as a diehard fan of the original series because I really do love BG3. I've completed it twice now and think it will absolutely be joining my annual rotation of BG1/SOD/BG2 playthroughs but it has its problems, much in the same way that the originals themselves have problems as well.

So after my Sarevok post I wanted to treat Viconia to the same critical analysis as unfortunately I think she also gets the short end of the evil plot stick. I get it, evil characters can be hard to get right but again similar to Sarevok, in my opinion, her character regresses to evil Shar mook number one rather than actually being Viconia. Worse still she's entirely at the mercy of being wrapped up in ShadowHeart's backstory.

Anyway this is a bit of a deep dive into Viconia's issues in BG3. Spoiler warning for both BG3 and BG2.

1. No Grey DeLise.

Again, similar to Sarevok, another prolific voice actor that has done recent video game work seemingly not approached for the role. I can't help but think that some of this is down to the rushed nature of act three generally and Larian just having to get whoever they could for the job in the time that they needed it. Unlike Jaheria and Minsc there's no attempt to mimic her original VA or get someone who sounded like her so she ends up sounding completely and utterly different.

This version of Viconia sounds haughty and stuck up which while the original Viconia VA has a degree of arrogance, she is also pretty sultry. Haer'dalis even comments that she has 'the throaty voice of the most expensive courtesan' and Viconia deliberately plays on the stereotype of the sensual female drow with certain male party members for her own benefit e.g the male Bhaalspawn, Edwin, Sarevok and even Anomen (I cover this a bit here and here).

2. Her in game design...just isn't great.

Let's be honest, combined with the voice, Viconia's design basically makes her unrecognisable. She looks like a generic old drow lady to the point that I did have 'Is that meant to be Viconia?' moment when I first met her.

Now I appreciate there is minor controversy with Viconia's original BG2 portrait (which is probably the most recognisable image of her) because the artist actually used a famous porn star as the base for it.

For info, this was a common practice at Bioware at the time as they used to use lots of different images as bases for portraits. They finally got into legal trouble for it in NWN where due to various copyright claims they had to change quite a few portraits.

More recently, I think that Beamdog actually did quite a good job of recreating a faithful adaption of her original portrait in Siege of Dragonspear while presumbably navigating the original copyright issue.

In comparison to her BG3 portrayal, my first impression was she looks incredibly old. Now as far as I'm aware we've never been given a canon age for Viconia but we do know she was around for House DeVir being defeated by the Do'Urden house so she has to be at least 100 years old by the time of BG1... but her character level is between 2 and 6 (depending on the party's XP) so a relatively inexperienced cleric. With that in mind I definitely assumed she was on the younger side (maybe 200-300?). Either way 5e elves can live between 750 to 1000 years although there are instances in the Forgotten Realms books of drow living to over 2000. Now tack on the additional 120 years for BG3 in my mind it would definitely put her in the middle aged category but not necessarily anywhere near the end of her life. Critically she would be aging much slower than Jaheria but with those wrinkles she looks WAY older than her. I honestly feel cheated of an interaction between the two about how hagged and old Jaheria looks in comparison to herself.

In terms of her outfit, although initially she wears the Sharite mask and hooded outfit, which is good for concealing her identity, we eventually end up with Viconia in a spider adorned dress. This seems like a strange choice given the spider motif when she literally stopped worshipping Lloth for Shar - maybe she's being ironic? The lack of armour,when she's a cleric that knows there's a good chance she's about to have a fight seems kind of stupid. If you do choose to fight her, she then looks entirely comical in her light dress accompanied by an enormous oversized shield and mace.

For me though this really identifies her design problem: her leather armour was a critical part of her original design. Given that we only see portrait style headshots of BG characters, the decision not to include her leather corset with the three straps and the head band is really what makes her unrecognisable. It would be like removing Minsc's head tattoo or Jaheria's braids or Sarevok's armour (which even with all the problems I talked about in my post, at least he got to keep that).

My hope is that some enterprising modder out there makes a more BG2 accurate version of her in future. Larian, please give my lady her leather armour back or maybe even a justicar outfit!

3. Ignores her BG1/2 alignment, motivations and twists her original epilogue.

Now I do appreciate BG3 deliberately assumes that the events of BG1/BG2 are a little bit fluid, which Jaheria confirms this when she talks about the bards that tell stories of her slaying gods or bedding them depending on which one you listen to. But the game goes onto confirm certain events in Viconia's history that don't really make sense:

A.) The game confirms that Viconia did travel with the Bhaalspawn but not for the entirety of the game. Minsc informs you that after trying to dissect Boo she was expelled from the group. I have to admit this story didn't gel with me at all because it implies Viconia is some sort of chaotic evil idiot (reminder: Viconia is neutral evil with a 16 INT score and 18 WIS score in BG2) who would deliberately provoke a giant raging berserker man by murdering his beloved pet. Like that's the sort of thing I could see Xzar (who is completely and utterly mad) doing but not Viconia. What benefit would she get out of it? Maybe it would be a good tribute for Shar but that would be a pretty short term benefit. In fact in BG2 Viconia offers begrudging respect to Minsc for his effectiveness in battle, she knows he's powerful and she wants to be on the right side of that. Minsc for his part does what he does with many of the female characters, particularly in BG2 and makes her a proxy substitute for Dynaheir offering to protect her. That's not to say she won't insult people (Aerie and Jaheria or characters who she perceives as weak often get the brunt of it) but she's generally smart enough to stay out of an actual fight. Important to note that in any of NPC conflicts that end in a fight in BG1/2 (e.g. Kivan, Ajantis, Keldorn) it's never Viconia that's starts the fight.

B.) The Waterdeep cult.

In Viconia's epilogue, which you only get if you kept her for the end of Throne of Bhaal and you didn't romance her, Viconia goes on to do a few things which you can see below (obviously massive spoilers for BG2) :

So it feels like Larian has taken the first part of this ending but nothing else, which really leaves a lot of questions. We know Shar isn't entirely happy with Viconia based on her diary entries so why is Shar still giving powers to a woman that basically killed a whole bunch of her followers? Why is Viconia still working for a goddess that hates her? Why is she so accepting of Shar's plot to groom Shadowheart as her replacement? Why on earth hasn't Viconia got the fuck out of dodge, which is pretty much what she has been shown to do in the past? And this comes neatly onto my next point.

4. Viconia is just a plot device for Shadowheart.

I love Shadowheart and I love her arc but honestly Viconia being the Mother Superior just felt like a way of inserting her into the game in a way that didn't really fit especially when Viconia's diaries in BG3 show that she knows that Shar intends for Shadowheart to essentially replace her as one of her prominent followers/chosen. The whole plot ignores two critical points about Viconia and her backstory:

Firstly the reason Viconia left the Underdark in the first place was because she refused to sacrifice a child to Lloth and Lloth turning her brother into a drider after he saved her from being sacrificed. Now Viconia is many things, she's self serving, cruel and dedicated to her own survival at the expense of anything and anyone else (quintessential neutral evil through and through) but at the same time she threw away her position, caused the downfall of her house and got most of her family murdered to save a child. You're telling me she would then willingly go along with Shar's plan to deliberate plan to kidnap and repeatedly torture a child for YEARS whilst also training said child to replace her? My girl doesn't have many lines in the sand but harming children definitely seems like one of them. I actually wandered whether Shadowheart not liking to harm children / prefers saving them is not just about her being a secret Selunite but also a potential a hint of Viconia's influence.

Secondly, that plot seems to ignores Viconia's other primary driver, which is to survive: it's why she leaves the Underdark, it's why she travels with the Bhaalspawn, it's why she worships Shar and it's why she murders an entire cabal of Shar's followers after one person betrayed her. Now if we ignore that she has qualms about children, you're telling me that she would instead essentially train her replacement to be an amazing cleric who is 99% likely to murder her? I'm pretty sure Viconia would have tried to kill Shadowheart way before her becoming a justicar or simply skipped town as she has done before.

The alternative?

Personally I would have liked to have seen Viconia ultimately involved in a plot to overthrow the Mother Superior or maybe doing something even crazier like going after Shar herself out of revenge following her fall from grace after the events of the Waterdeep cult. Maybe she works with the Absolute to get her revenge and keep her divine powers - hell who better to help Ketheric with the Nightsong in Shar's temple then an ex priestess of Shar?

If not the Absolute then Shar's got plenty of enemies and Viconia has converted before. Maybe she could have joined the team to achieve a particular goal while giving fans of the original series the opportunity to have one of the original evil characters to join the crew. I would have loved to see the contrast with Minthara who is still fairly fresh from leaving drow society and a complete blunt instrument compared to Viconia's more subtle ways. Maybe Viconia would take the paladin under her wing, maybe introduce her to a new patron god (something I don't think is ever explained is how Minthara still retains her divine powers given neither Lloth or the Absolute are fueling them anymore). Shevarash the elven god of revenge, would be a fantastic fit for both of their back stories (which would also be a nice little throw back to Viconia's heated / sometimes fatal arguments with Kivan in BG1) presuming that Viconia could get over her disdain for the elven pantheon by that point in the timeline. The fireworks with Jaheria of course would be grand while Minsc I feel would be very conflicted given his mind's tendancy, as noted above, to sub in any female magic user as Dynaheir.

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

This has been ruminating in my brain and I have to get it off my chest: A Court of Mist and Fury is literally just some teenager's bad "Draco in Leather Pants / Ron the Death Eater" fanfiction.

[Under the readmore I reveal my true colors as a Harry Potter Millenial Child but trust me I have a point and know what I'm actually talking about here. There's analysis I promise. And I'm not going to spend a million years like, "And I think JKR is bad also!" because we've all been on the internet for this long and we know that she's a bad person. I do have an actual point to make about ACOMAF.]

For those who don't know Harry Potter (and didn't grow up rereading the whole series front to back every single time there was a book or movie releases like I did) - Ron is one of Harry Potter's friends. He's a wizard, from a wizard family, so there is some shit that he just doesn't know about the world, because he's always grown up around magic, and has been isolated from a lot of non-magic people. He also grew up in a poor, but ultimately loving family, and so while he has a lot of insecurity and competitiveness (due to being the youngest of six very accomplished brothers) he also has a lot of strengths - he's incredibly loyal to his friends, he's courageous and protects his family, he's not the smartest member of the group but he's resourceful and he sticks to his beliefs. Ultimately, he spends a lot of time acting pretty much like a dumbass, headstrong teenage boy (which he is) while evil wizards attack him and his friends.

Meanwhile, Draco spends the first few books being Harry's bully. He at first tries to befriend Harry because Harry is famous among wizards, but when Harry gets wind of how Draco treats people - like Ron, whose family is poor, and Hermione, whose parents aren't wizards - he turns it down. Draco spends the next several books parroting his parent's bigoted beliefs (for context, he's all of twelve when it's revealed that his family keeps an elf as a slave and he starts referring to Hermione with wizard slurs for non-magic people), trying to cheat at sports and beat them in exams, and generally being a whiny, annoying nuisance. This changes in Book 5, when Evil Wizard in Chief returns from the dead and Draco's parents immediately cozy up to him. They're basically portrayed as spineless sycophants who lied about supporting Evil and are mainly interested in aligning themselves with whomever seems to be winning - but Draco is thrilled by the importance of his family and the chance to finally, seriously threaten Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He gains actual power over them at school and immediately abuses his privileges, and generally takes enormous joy from being a bigoted little slimeball because he thinks he's finally winning their schoolyard rivalry.

Somewhere between Book 5 and Book 6, Evil Wizard in Chief takes an unusual interest in sixteen year old Draco. Spends a lot of time personally training him, isolating him from his family and causing him to isolate himself from the gang of bullies and fellow rich kids that he calls friends. Draco ends up so isolated that the only person he can talk to is one of the ghosts haunting an abandoned bathroom near his dorm. In the end, it's revealed that Chief Evil Wizard was grooming Draco to assassinate Chief Good Wizard, a plan which only barely failed (or succeeded, depending on how you look at it) because someone else was there to take the fall when Draco couldn't bring himself to actually commit cold-blooded murder.

And it's interesting! We spend considerably less time with Draco as a whole - compared with Ron, who is Harry's constant companion at wizard school and who has maybe the most "normal" personality of the group - so the mystery and changes of his personality make for a compelling story. It makes the previously unsympathetic Draco into a more fleshed out character. He has people who worry about him - and its hard not to feel sad when you read about a guy who is THAT depressed and clearly been in pain. But Draco proves again and again to be unwilling to change his ways. He only really agrees to work against the Evil Wizards when it becomes inevitable that Harry Potter will fulfill his destiny.

Harry Potter is a simple story of good and evil. The good guys win, the bad guys lose. There's basically no doubt as to who the bad guys are at any time. That's the point - it's a children's story that grows into a young adult story, maturity of themes increasing alongside the protagonist but never pretending to be more complex than that. Ron starts off like a normal eleven year old, gets moody and insufferable when he's fifteen, and reacts fairly realistically to trauma and stress before maturing into a hero that everyone can root for. Draco starts off like a spoiled bully, refuses to face consequences for his actions, and quietly slips away into obscurity as an adult, never expressing true regret for his actions but no longer bothering anyone either.

Fanfiction of the series takes these dynamics and flips them: "What if Ron's character flaws drove him to Evil? What if Draco was secretly a good person with strong values who was a victim of circumstances?" This is helped along by the fact that the movies basically gutted Ron's entire character arc (because they had no faith in Hermione Granger's character arc despite her being one of the best parts of the books) while Draco is played by Tom Felton, who is a good looking, friendly, and likeable person in real life. Hence, the rise of the trope dichotomy: "Draco in Leather Pants / Ron the Death Eater." Where Draco is a hot and tortured bad boy with a heart of gold, and Ron is somehow evil.

Now I was young for a lot of this - the forums and fansites, LiveJournal, FF.net communities before the NSFW bans - so I never participated directly in a lot of HP fandom drama but I do remember seeing the debates - should Hermione end up with this boy or that boy? I stood in front of a group of people for a midnight screening of the 6th movie (in 2009!!) fully insisting with their whole chests that the Ron/Hermione romance was garbage and that Draco or Harry would have been a better choice for her.

Like, fine, I'll give a pass for Harry. But yeah, the guy who spends seven books referring to her with magic slurs is a better choice than the guy who was, at fourteen, too immature to ask her to a dance and gets jealous of her boyfriend. Sure.

[And to be transparent: There are some INSANELY good writers in the HP fandom who pull off these tropes with the most incredible finesse. I've read some superb Draco/Hermione fics. But for the purposes of this post I'm only talking about canon - what is physically on the pages of these books.]

The truth is that Draco was never a good person. When people questioned him and his values, he retaliated with spite. He never once regretted his cruelty or felt sorry for the people he inevitably harmed with his actions - he felt sorry that his life was difficult, and that he faced consequences for the evil he helped to cultivate and bring into being. It's easy to pity Draco - like all the other main characters, he's a child - but you're never meant to root for him.

Does this remind you of anyone? What if I told you that secretly, he was five hundred and thirty years old? What then??

A Court of Mist and Fury is just this trope dicotomy but worse because SJM is so fucking bad at actually writing consistent and believable characters. Like JKR at least keeps her characters consistent! Mist and Fury is just: Oh, it's revealed that Draco has been in love with Hermione since the very beginning and everything he's done - insulting her and her heritage and her beliefs, actively using magic on her to make her insecure about her appearance, driving her to tears multiple times, harming her friends and physically threatening her - was just to hide this fact and protect her. How noble! Draco being a bigot and a bully was just a cover for him being the REAL Hero of Prophecy the whole time! He's the only one who can beat the bad guys and save the world! Oh, and by the way, it turns out that Ron has been working for the Evil Wizards the whole time and all that other stuff he did - like standing up for Hermione against Draco's insults, and protecting his friends, and being willing to sacrifice himself for their sakes - was just a cover so we wouldn't suspect his true motives, which are don't worry about it! He's evil! He's been evil the whole time and you just didn't know!! Don't you feel stupid for having been tricked!? Just goes to show you!!

That's Court of Mist and Fury. That's all it is. It's cheap and stupid. It's trying to pretend that the series and the writing is more complex and deep and thoughtful than it actually is. And in doing so, it completely cheapens the ACTUAL purported messages of the books. Abuse is more complicated than Evil Wizards Did It. In SJM's work, we are presented with a story that ultimately has the heroine trade one toxic relationship for one which is still unbalanced and perhaps worse, but he has a bigger dick and a better aesthetic and more money, so she's happy now! He says the right words in the right order so he's totally a feminist and not an abuser, guys!! Everyone knows that the Good Guys can't do bad things, and if they do, its for a good reason, and everyone forgives and understands why they had to be Bad, and pities them for it. Its just so asinine. If you're going to label people as "Good" and "Evil" then don't tell me that your story is a complex and moving tale of empowerment and feminist fantasy. If you're going to write a fantasy than at least tell me how the world actually functions! ACOTAR's world is a vague blob of mountains and Velaris. At least JRK's magic system had fucking rules and make a basic amount of sense! At least her Magic Britain felt grounded in something solid!

If I wanted A Court of Mist and Fury I could just read Draco/Hermione fiction, and with a little sorting of the AO3 tags, I'd get a much more interesting experience.

[bl-bracket]

Bracket Stats #7

You guys know the drill by now. These are the cumulative stats for every bracket EXCEPT Best Kiss, Best Siblings, Build-a-BL, and Best QL Marriage Proposal. It's a little confusing because we just ended the Best QL Marriage Proposal one, but the changes in stats here are focused on the Most Unhinged Bracket.

There have now been 116 different dramas that have been in these brackets. 68 are from Thailand, 15 are from Japan, 6 are from China, 9 are from Taiwan, and 18 are from South Korea.

With this bracket we had 11 new dramas: 6 are from Thailand, 2 are from Japan, 2 are from China, and 1 is from South Korea.

The new dramas are: Dark Blue Kiss (Thailand), Dead Friend Forever (Thailand), Double Mints (Japan), My Eleventh Brother (South Korea), My Stand In (Thailand), Something in My Room (Thailand), Stay with Me (China), The Miracle of Teddy Bear (Thailand), The Shortest Distance is Round: Noir (Japan), The Spirealm (China), To Sir, With Love (Thailand).

Dark Blue Kiss and To Sir, With Love were both featured in the Best Siblings bracket, but this is their first time in an individual character bracket.

There have now been 235 individual characters featured here. 153 from Thailand, 23 from Japan, 18 from China, 16 from Taiwan, and 25 from South Korea.

There were 21 new characters featured. 11 from Thailand, 4 from Japan, 3 from China, 2 from Taiwan, and 1 from South Korea.

The 11 new characters from Thailand are: Bun (Manner of Death), Chalothon (The Sign), Jan (To Sir, With Love), Lhong (Tharntype: The Series), Mew (Only Friends), Ming (My Stand In), New (Dead Friend Forever), Non (Dark Blue Kiss), Nuan (Something in My Room), Taohu (The Miracle of Teddy Bear), Way (Pit Babe).

The 4 new characters from Japan: Aoyama (The Shortest Distance is Round: Noir), Ichikawa Mitsuo (Double Mints), Kurosawa (Ossan's Love), Tsuge Masato (Cherry Magic).

The 3 new characters from China are: Mo Yi (Stay with Me), Ruan Lanzhu (The Spirealm), Ye Zun (Guardian).

The 2 new characters from Taiwan are: Ai Di (Kiseki: Dear to Me) and Fu Yong Jie (HIStory 4: Close to You).

The 1 new character from South Korea is: The Parents (My Eleventh Brother).

If we include characters who have been in multiple brackets: 278 are from Thailand, 36 from Japan, 36 from China, 27 from Taiwan, and 39 from South Korea.

92 characters have been featured at least twice (opposed to 71 before). The average amount of times a character has been featured in a poll is 1.77 times (opposed to 1.64 before). The most amount of times a character has been featured is 8 which is Prapai (Love in the Air).

The average amount of characters per show is 2.03, the same as last time.

The Untamed and Kinnporsche: The Series are now tied for most characters who have won at 3, (Wei Wuxian - Poorest Little Meow Meow, Lan Wangji - Most Whipped, Autistic Swag, Xue Yang - Most Unhinged) & (Porsche - Most Babygirl, Tay - Most Gender Envy, Kinn - Horniest on Main), though since Lan Wangji has won twice, The Untamed has won the most amount of brackets total.

2 new actors have joined the ranks of having multiple characters: Book Kasidet with Cher (A Boss and a Babe) and Mew (Only Friends) & Heng Asavarid with Sky (Secret Crush on You) and Chalothon (The Sign).

We've now had 15 female characters with the inclusion of Jan (To Sir, With Love) and Nuan (Something in My Room)

[thebootycrusade]

Oh man am i going to catch some heat for this but someone needs to say it at least once, and my hot take after reading wottg, even after reading a few other review post from notable blogs here, is that the pjo fandom here whos 20s+ needs to realize that they arent the target age demographic/audience anymore. Ive been reading the books since tlt hit the shelves, and even with that much investment i recognize that these are, at their very core, books still written for older kids and early-mid teenagers.

We've had books where characters die, get tortured, and explore other heavy topics on page, but face it, we as 20somethings will never going to get a cannon rrverse book that fully addresses the trauma or ptsd these characters have throughout the series because those topics we want explored as adult readers are way too dry and a little advanced for that age group to stay engaged, and actually chronicling the healing from them wouldnt be so easily explored in a single series. The trio recognizes that they have been through a lot even in demigod standards, but having the ability to talk and articulate through that trauma isnt easy when youre still in it. Being an adult with hindsight, i can recognize that parts of my early life were traumatic, but in the moment, was i able to recognize it as trauma or ptsd? no, i just knew it sucked. while i was in it or slightly removed from it was i ever really thinking about it in any deeper form past "well that fuckin sucked"? no. (does it sound like a familiar demigod anyone?). was i able to recover from it neatly and concisely in a couple months or years? no. and the most important part: could i do so in a way that would sound entertaining or even the least bit appealing to a 12yo when put into writing? Fuck no.

Even switching it up to ricks actual storyline, are there really mischaracterizations? or do we just think people stay the same from 12-16 or 16-18 especially after taking into account everything in the books? or are we just rewriting cannon to "fix" the timeline because now its not following the fanfic fanon timelines and characterizations again. Percy is objectively an awful and unreliable narrator throughout the books, but because we are only ever shown his view of a situation we as readers have to discern if he is reading a situation wrong or if we are. We already know all three of the trio are impulsive, capable of bad ideas, and still (surprise surprise) figuring out how growing as people works because its already rare for greek demigods to live into adulthood, so of course things will happen or are witnessed by percy that can be observed as being completely out of character. Lets be real, the trios entire past 6 years have been "plans with just enough 'winging it' for the world (and conveniently you) to survive" and now that they are finally given some breathing room together, would they really be cognizant of or care if something was "in-character" and consistent with all their past choices? did you make all the same choices at 18 that you would have at 12? 16? hell even 17?

[itsclydebitches]

I honestly have no idea how they intend to greenlight volume 10 if it's not been greenlit already. They've announced the final season of Red vs Blue and a lot of early day fans are in agreement that the end of RvB is the signaling of the end of RT in general. It's their second biggest money maker next to RWBY. After this new season, it's over. What do they do next? Do RT really believe that RWBY is popular enough to coast on for another decade? It'll be a miracle if it lasts even one more year.

Their viewership has been on a decline since Volume 6, they've abused so much of their animation department that there's almost no one left, most of their VA talent for RWBY's popular characters aren't coming back due to all the controversies, any spinoffs or soft reboots or whatever keep going back to the Beacon era and don't really do much to help with the overall problems that are down to the roots of the company.

They even made their biggest ship that kept what few fans are left canon and put out half assed merch that sold out in minutes, and somehow they still haven't managed to find enough money to greenlight another volume?

If they somehow miraculously get Volume 10 made, it's probably going to be the last.

The last few years of RWBY have really highlighted for me how challenging it is to define "popularity" and "success" nowadays. Granted, a good chunk of that is simply my own ignorance about how the production side of things are run, but it nevertheless feels like there's this intense level of ambiguity that wasn't there in the past (or at least wasn't as obvious). Fandom itself has always been an unreliable source because depending on the corner of the internet you're in, you can get a wildly skewed perspective without engaging with everything that contradicts how "good" or "bad" you think things are going. As you say, merch sells out in minutes, yet neither the finances nor the implied security of that seems to be enough to land another Volume. There are questions about whether this could be a marketing scheme, wherein Volume 10's future is simply being kept under wraps to drum up interest. There's the question of whether popularity matters at all when we've got companies cancelling and pulling undoubtedly successful shows, all according to their own, long-term algorithms. On the one hand the information surrounding RT is all about the abuse of their workers, another scandal, how this might all tie into the strikes... and yet most of this is nothing new and RWBY has still secured movies, a soft reboot, comics, and books. I agree completely with your list above of all the ways in which the series is struggling (massively) and yet RWBY has been "dying" for half its run-time. So is this the final nail in the coffin—the inevitable ending that's been a long time coming—or just another year where the fandom unintentionally cries wolf?

I'm not so naive as to believe that things were actually simple 'back in the day'—that's the nostalgia talking—but it still seems like things were simpler in comparison to what we've got now. TV and its media equivalents used to be—or at least felt like—a fairly straightforward journey of airing, ratings, syndication, cancellation, renewal, and then (eventually) the viewer securing a copy for themselves via VHS and DVDs. Now it's like, "What do I do with the newbie webseries eventually bought up by a major corporation and moved from a free watch, to a company-specific streaming watch, to a different, more expensive streaming watch, all of which has led to a decade of success with various spinoffs, but apparently this webseries still isn't making enough money to continue? Regardless, it and everything else I love to watch is inching more and more towards digital-only copies, a status that is inherently nerve-wracking, which means that if it does suddenly crash and burn (given that this is one of two series keeping the original company afloat) circulating this story and maintaining the fandom will be that much harder."

I find that depressing and I'm someone who thinks RWBY is pretty awful right now. I can't imagine what that ambiguity and the state of streaming media in 2023 feels like to fans still in love with the show.

So yeah. Idk how they intend to greenlight Volume 10 either.

[spellsword177]

Thoughts on Fence Challengers: Long Shot

At long last, it begins. Kings Row is headed to the State Championship Finals, Nicholas has the chance to show his growth as a fencer, and Seiji will help guide the team through its long fight to face off against Exton. Though I'm a bit behind in putting this together, a few things did stand out to me. 1. Starting with the smaller pieces, I look forward to learning more about the other competing schools. I like the introduction of girl characters and the parallels between Aiden and Adrienne. The subtle hints at Aiden's obsession over Harvard's love life and knowing Dafna's name was a nice touch. Bobby is cheerful as always and charmingly oblivious, but a little over the top with superstitions on the bus. I look forward to seeing their stories unfold 2. MacRobertson shows yet again why they are my second favorite team behind Kings Row. I'm sorry they will be the first team to face off against our boys, but it is promising to be a tricky match and not an easy win. Out of the few schools seen, they could prove to be some of Kings Row's strongest allies in later competitions. Marcus Washington in particular will be the most immediate threat and could be helpful especially for Seiji after MacRob is inevitably beaten. I suspect Lowther, MLC, and Halverton to be the next teams in that order. 3. It is unfortunate Eugene Labao will not be participating in the Finals. He is a determined fencer, and he will have several more opportunities to compete, but Nicholas has always been at the center of this series, and he has surpassed Eugene. The good news is he will still be part of the story as Kings Row battles its way to the top, and Aiden may once again leave an opening.

4. Seiji has come a long way from when he viewed Kings Row as beneath him. He clearly has a thing for Nicholas, but neither one will openly admit it. Win or lose the final match, I think he is finally finding his true place in the world. It will still be a long way to go before he faces off again against Jesse Coste.

5. Jesse Coste once again proves himself to be an arrogant prick who cares more about winning than actual friendship. I find it interesting how Robert Coste seems to have no idea about Jesse's fallout with Seiji. We've had a few hints about his personality in the books, but I'm curious to see who he is in the comics. I have little doubt Seiji and Jesse will face each other again on the piste. Time will tell how it all unfolds. 6. No one has come further than Nicholas Cox. He is not yet ready to face the best fencers, but he has proven to be a fast learner and is rapidly advancing. The name Nicholas Cox is starting to grace the lips of spectators. I look for him to have his rematch against Kyle Allen (his secret cousin) in future installments.

7. I was at first concerned about Nicholas leaving the news article with his note to his father, but it looks like it won't matter in the long run. His biggest secret will likely be revealed during the course of this story arc. It is the number one thing I most look forward to reading in future installments.

[two-braincells-in-total]

Me and @clarissaweasley-10 made a tig interview - she sent me questions and we both answered them

This is how it went (I'm literally quoting the messages btw):

ROUND 1

1. Who's your favourite character?

Me: "Avery or Gigi, I can't really decide between them"

Luna: "Avery or Libby or Gray(can't choose💀💀)"

2. Which is your favourite book? (+Any specific reasons)

Me: "I think that my favourite will be Games Untold when it comes out, because it's about all the characters from the OG trilogy that I'm missing rn and I'll probably be very sentimental as I read it, but from the ones that are already out, probably tig, it brings back memories, I feel nostalgic every time I think about it, but I'm also really loving tgg, jlb's development as a writer is really showing, but I felt very stupid while reading it because of all the riddles, so it's 2nd place"

Luna: "Speaking of the of series it's prob gonna be thl...l loved to character arcs and developments.."

3. Favourite couple (why?)

Me: "Avery and Jameson. They are the couple we've seen the most of for now and we just saw so much of them growing up as people and as a relationship that I feel like it's the most genuine (even tho all are) relationship in this saga. I really love rohavannah, but they still don't beat averyjameson in this"

Luna: "It's going to be Averyjameson/nash x libby (idk what their ship name is). Averyjameson cause they're just so pure and intimate and just everything a person would want in a relationship(or is it just me?)Nash and Libby cause they are just sooo underrated and they're story is just soo pure.. We need to talk abt their journey more"

4. If you could become any one tig character for a day, who would it be?

Me: "Avery. I want money. And to know the Hawthornes personally, this girl is living out my dream"

Luna: "Again deffo Avery.THE MONEY AND THE MEN? GIVE ME ALL OF IT NOW"

5. If you could go on a date with any one hawthorne brother then who would you choose?

Me: "Either Jameson or Xander. I really like how Jameson was as a bf in the books, but Xander is probably my favourite Hawthorne, so I'm split"

Luna: "Well for 5. Probably Jamie (l need to do crazy stuff) or Nash (he's my ideal type in many ways eco can turn down a rich cowboy gentleman?)"

6. Least favourite character?

Me: "Emily. I don't want to hear about her, not only was she the cause for Jameson and Grayson's trauma, she was just irrelevant. She was dead the entire time, BUT WAS STILL MENTIONED IN EVERY BOOK!!! I was so happy that we only got the mention of the cliffs in tgg, but Calla is gonna be the new Emily, I'm calling it and I don't like it"

Luna: "Emily.Laughlin. self explanatory "

7. Character with the best arch?

Me: "I love Grayson's arc. The way he slowly started to trust people more and now that we see him as more open in tgg, I feel like a proud mom. He might've been my least favourite Hawthorne brother in the other 4 books (not saying I didn't like him tho!) but I absolutely love him in tgg"

Luna: "Gray. I have ranted abt this in an entire post lol.. The way he went from a jerk to a broken guy who just tries to hide it from the world to a man who accepts the he's human and can make mistakes... Seriously he is one of the best written characters ever to me personally"

8. rank your villains

Me: "Idk if I'm listing everybody, I might've forgotten someone, but this is it:

1) Tobias Hawthorne - literally the reason behind all of this. He was awful to his grandsons and an awful person in general and I hate the way he put an innocent girl's life at risk like this.

2) Eve - I get why she did it at first, but atp it's not even about her bad childhood, she's just jealous and bitter. I'm pretty sure she's behind Savannah finding out what happened to Sheffield and Gigi's kidnapping

3) Sheffield Grayson - I think this is self explanatory. I'm glad he died

4) Vincent Blake - he wasn't even there for that long, but was the reason behind the things that went down in tfg, so he's more relevant than the ones bellow him, but I didn't really care about him, like, at all

5) I don't remember who the villain in tbh was, or if there even was one, but whoever it is, I'm pretty sure they're on this position

6) Skye Hawthorne - I don't have much to say about her, but she did try to kill Avery and was an awful mom, so there's that

7) Drake - abused Libby and tried to kill Avery. He's bellow Skye because he was working for her, but they're pretty much same level

8) Emily"

Tumblr was in a bad mood and it did not deliver Luna's message

9. Do you think Eve would get/deserves a redemption arc?

Me: "I don't want her to get one and I don't think she deserves one. Maybe at some point in tfg she deserves a redemption arc, while it was still about her bad childhood, but now that it isn't, she should just stay a villain. She keeps doing them dirty for no reason (and I kinda enjoy just hating on a character without feeling guilty about it, I love hating people). I also like that one of the major villains is a woman, I love female villains as characters, they're usually very complex and I think she's interesting, I just don't like her as a person" (more details about what I think abot her can be found on my most recent reblogs)

Luna: "Seriously Eve is such a complex character. On the one hand l just want to fling her off a cliff and on the other l feel kinda bad for her like she did go thru some pretty horrible stuff. But the point is she got a chance to start a new life, a chance just like the one Avery had, but she just let it go waste and now she's never gonna have another chance.. She makes a pretty good villain and idk about the actual chances of her getting a redemption arc (most villains don't) but we'll probably understand her character in more depth later on"

10. If you could do one thing the the cliff then what would you do?

Me: "I don't really understand this question, sorry 😭 If it's what I'd do at the cliff (?), I'd just point a middle finger at the place that Emily died, purely out of spite"

This is another message that was not delivered

11. Say you get to work for the Hawthornes. What job would you want-PA, Makeup artist,Hair stylist,designer, manager,or therapist

Me: "I want to say manager, but idk if I'd handle the stress. Probably therapist will be a better option for me"

Luna: "Definitely therapist i am a good listener (+what are the odds of getting a Female Therapist x Rich Traumatized Boy arc with one of the Hawthornes?)"

12. Fun activity to do with Avery and each of the Hawthornes

Me: "Idk if you meant together or separate, so I'm just doing both:

Together - strip bowling, idk why, I just feel like it

Avery - I'd ask jer to teach me how to play chess

Jameson - maybe going on one of those car rides

Xander - I'll try to mess-around-and-find-out my way through robotics with him

Nash - I'll go to a concert with him

Grayson - maybe I'll attempt a sword fight, idk, seems interesting"

Luna: "Avery-talk about books cause she seems like a book nerd to me Jamie-speed driving Gray-sing/learn to play violin(I'm a rather good singer myself and it would be nice to sing with someone else for a change) Nash -he's a cowboy so ride horses? Xander-EAT SCONES, CHOCOLATES,BUILD CRAZY STUFF, WATCH EMBARRASSING VIDEOS OF THE BROTHERS"

13. Which Hawthorne do you think does it the best-💀

Me: "Jameson. Don't even attempt to fight me on it"

Luna: "the internet connection got damaged sorry" (this is the message I received, I assume that my answer wasn't delivered, but I didn't get her answer)

ROUND 2

1.lf you could live through any of the books which would you choose?

Me: "I want to say tgg but I know that I'm too stupid for the riddles and won't make it out through the first door, so I'm saying tig, because, randomly inheriting money and meeting 4 hot men sounds fun"

Luna: "IKRR. And then one of them threatens you while the other flirts with you? Double ya" (I assume this is supposed to be the answer to that question, the messages got a little chaotic because of the connection)

2. Gray and Jamie are drowning. Who would you save?

Me: "That's a mean question. But I have to say Jamie, sorry Gray"

Luna: "You are supposed to say JAMIE love..Gray is a good swimmer remember??"

(We later came to the conclusion that the word "drowning " suggests that Gray's skills are no help, therefore the question IS actually a dilemma)

3. Are there any songs that remind you of any tig character(s)

Me: "Not specifically a character, but I've never been in love by Lauren Spencer Smith reminds me of Max and Xander a bit"

I don't think she sent an answer, just said that ships work too, but it's possible that it just wasn't delivered

4. Fun activities to do at a sleepover with the girls

Me: "Maybe sneak out and make the Hawthornes freak out. I saw a fanfic with Avery and Lyra doing that and it sounds super fun"

Luna: "OMGG I READ THAT FANFIC TOO!!!NGL IT SOUNDS SUPER FUN"

I feel the need to mention that I almost deleted the draft at this very moment because it wasn't saved, I panicked, thinking it was gone lol (but really, this is long, I don't wanna rewrite it)

5. Who would you want to go shopping with from the tig universe?

Me: "Probably Avery. I feel like she has a good style and will help me out"

Luna's answer wasn't delivered once again

6. Say you're having classes with the Hawthornes which period would you want to have with each brother?

Me: "I'd like to have math or science with Xander - he's definitely amazing at math and it's my best subject too, so I feel like it would be fun to have someone else who's good at it in the class

Probably history with Nash, literature with Jamie and art with Gray. Those three are chosen purely on vibes, i don't have explanations"

Luna: "Me too I'd have history with Nash based on the hunch they he's good at it plus staring at him will at least prevent me from downright falling asleep"

7. What would your reaction have been were it you that inherited close to 38 billions and four hot guys

Me: "I'd panic and probably faint" (+ in a later message: "Honestly, I'd be too stubborn to let the money go")

Luna: "Id die and then they can literally fight over what's left over my dead body"

~~~~~~~

So, Luna, if you're reading this, feel free to fill in the gaps (how did we pick that one day when we both had bad connection?). I really enjoyed talking with you and I'd love to get to know you more, feel free to crash in my dms whenever you want ❤️

This was very fun to do!

[mr-saavik]

Midyear Book Freakout Tag 2024

Haven't done this in a few years and no one asked for it but here we go

1) Best book:

Lots of contenders for this, but I think it has to be A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. Fantastic writing on a great subject

2) Best sequel:

I haven't really read any traditional sequels where a story continues on from another, but any of the Sherlock Holmes books/short story collections works for this. Maybe The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes or The Hound of the Baskvilles as favorites? Idk

3) New releases you want to read

Henry Henry by Allen Bratton, but idk when I'll get to it because I'd need to get an interlibrary loan

4) Most anticipated release

I'm lowkey bad at keeping up with whats coming out BUT I am excited to read Failure to Comply by @librarycards

5) Biggest Disappointment

Probably Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong because I had heard it was great and a good introduction to writings on disability, but ended up being a very mixed collection of writings and a lot of it just felt meh

6) Biggest Surprise

Perhaps Zong! by M. NourbeSe Philip? Not surprise in the sense that once I knew what it was I thought I wouldn't like it, but surprise in the sense I had never heard of it until I was assigned to read it in a class about literature of the Middle Passage

7) Favorite new author

Virginia Woolf. I've read Orlando before but I don't really remember it; reading A Room of One's Own made me realize I love her writing style

8) Newest fictional crush

Closest answer I can give to this is Sherlock Holmes because I do love that bitch but idk if "crush" is the right word for it or if he counts as new if I was familiar with his character from the Granada tv series

9) Newest favorite character

To not repeat saying Sherlock Holmes, I'm going to say Merricat Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle even though I've read that before, so again, it doesn't really count as new

10) A book that made you cry

None despite historically being a known crier

11) A book that made you happy

Uhhhhh I guess one of the Sherlock Holmes ones? I tend to read sad shit and reviewing what I've read so far this year there isn't really "happy" material besides that

12) Most beautiful book you've bought or received

Big fan of these two

13) What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Well. Finish what I'm currently reading (Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, Noor by Nnedi Okorafor, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle), also read Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam because I have it out from the library, same with The White Album by Joan Didion because it is also in the massive book of nonfiction work from Didion I have out from the library, and I think Sara @colors-changing-hue & I are going to attempt to finish all of the Sherlock Holmes books by the end of the year but we've been slow on that recently so we'll see if that happens (to complete the series we'd nees to finish The Return of Sherlock Holmes and then read The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes). Besides all of that for fun, once classes start back up I will be reading a lot of Shakespeare for my class on his early plays, some medieval romances for a class on that genre, and probably some books about Hitchcock because I'm taking a class on his films and the professor teaching it usually assigns a few whole books to read besides articles & stuff

[lutawolf]

TharnType Ep 6

I know this is a long time coming, guys! I'm sorry. Things came up and Tharntype is not an easy series. It involves really thinking and looking below the surface. There are many layers to the book and the show. And for a while there, I just didn't have the energy.

Onto episode 6. Let's bring the pain episode. To recap, Type is making the change from victim to survivor. But with that change comes triggers and emotional upheaval. Which sadly but naturally has Type trying to get back to what he deemed normal.

We see Type smiling as he communicates back and forth with Fai. Sometimes we lie to ourselves, lie so strongly that even we believe. Yes, I'm back to normal! Yes, I'm happy! At least until something happens to show that we've been lying to ourselves.

We see Tharn telling Type that he knows what type of food he likes. Not because Type has told him, but because Tharn pays attention. This makes Type uncomfortable because it means something to him, and he doesn't want it to. You can see the struggle in the way he asks Tharn what he likes, but then tells him that he only asked one question. Type is struggling to put his walls back up.

What I love is that Tharn can see the small things and take them for the huge growths that they actually are. It's not easy to change guys, especially if it's changing your trauma protection techniques, even if they aren't good for you. Example: women think that they should be nice and friendly to men, that this will protect them. It's actually the opposite, being nice and friendly can often put us in dangerous situations. Things we know better than to do, but we don't want to appear rude and unfriendly or cause upset. But going into a hallway void of anyone but one man and few exits is stupid and dangerous. It should go against our survival instincts, but we've been conditioned to not hurt feelings. What other animal do you know that pretends to like their opposite sex when they feel threatened?

Now, for someone who has learned this lesson the hard way. Defenses are tight, high, and strong. Few people actually understand why, but I would argue that it's actually more naturally than how we are conditioned to behave. I get it, we're humans and social structure dictates friendliness, but at what cost? There has to be a middle ground, and it can be a struggle to find it.

Tharn pays a lot of attention to Type. He knows what he normally behaves like, so he knows that Type is acting out of character. It makes him suspicious. Which he should be concerned, as we find out. Techno lets it slip. There is a huge blow up. Tharn tells Type that he is his, and Type hits him. Now what we have to figure out is if this is a trigger or not. You trigger someone with PTSD and it's dangerous. But Luta, he didn't hit those other people who triggered him! No, he didn't, he said nasty things but didn't hit. But Tharn is becoming Type's safe space and his constant. Those people can be in the most danger when someone with PTSD hasn't yet gotten the help they need. PTSD is emotional confusion with the past and the present. A stranger is easier to differentiate than someone close to you. I'm not saying this is right, I'm just explaining how the snap to violence can happen. It doesn't mean someone who loves us should accept it, it means we need help.

What we see from Tharn is actually pretty common of PTSD partners. More hurt than harm.

Let's talk about the 10 rules for casual relationship: 1) Never get jealous. 2) No emotional involvement. 3) Don't cross the line. 4) Can become exclusive, but not necessarily. 5) Don't share partner with friends. 6) If a partner wants a real relationship but not with you, then don't cause a ruckus. 7) Don't be overly attentive. 8) Both partners can have many lovers. 9) BF/GF is priority. 10) If caught. Game over.

This screams the need for control. Type is feeling out of control right now, and that's something he needs badly. It also says that he doesn't really want a gf, he just wants control back. You see this especially in his talk with Techno because the last thing he wants is for Tharn to get over him.

Tharn really knows Type. He's calling his bluff. Then Type says he isn't coming to his gig, so he thinks he has lost.

I truly love this series, and it's for the raw moments like this. I've talked before about the fact that there are couples who burn bright. Who need the drama because drama has been such a large part of them that they don't know how to live without it. That's this couple. In a normal relationship, Tharn would smoother his partner and Type would constantly be fighting with an outside source. That would traumatize that partner, but together, they are balanced and happy. Maybe they aren't healthy, but relationships are made up of behaviors, and all behaviors can be characterized as healthy, unhealthy, or abusive. However, the behaviors may look different for different people, and what is unhealthy for one person may be abusive or healthy for another.

Type is telling Tharn what happened, and he says, "The slap was nothing compared to what I did to her." I've said it a million times, but Type is actually a very good person. He just isn't perfect. He doesn't fit the moral standards that everyone thinks he should, but that doesn't make him a bad person. He is a person still on the road to growth. As Tharn says, "Type has some self awareness."

A shy Type is adorable. And they are now official.

This moment is everything. It's Type pushing his way out of his comfort zone. Showing Tharn that he is trying.

Giving a protected piece of himself to Tharn. Letting him know that he trusts him. From the way Tharn gulps and says Type's name, it's everything he has ever wanted from Type.

They are far from a perfect couple, but they are perfect for each other.

That's it for episode 6. Drop me some likes and comments to let me know that you want me to keep going! 💜💜💜

[alexilulu]

Books* I Read In 2024 #25: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run (Hirohiko Araki, Shueisha, serialized 01/19/2004-04/19/2011 in Weekly Shonen Jump for the first 24 chapters followed by Ultra Jump monthly thereafter)

Paraplegic former horse racing star Jonathan "Johnny" Joestar is drawn into the Steel Ball Run race across the length of the United States when a chance encounter with the mysterious Gyro Zeppeli causes him to briefly regain the ability to move his legs, leading him on a bizarre race to capture first and the mysterious corpse parts that have been scattered across America in the distant past.

Oh, how far we've come.

I think I first read any of Araki's work in 07-08, the days when the license was mostly dead in the water, with the biggest non-manga adaptations of Araki's work being a very strange 6 episode OVA adapting Part 3, Stardust Crusaders, and the best translations available (because there wasn't an official english translation, of course) was roughly two steps above unreadable.

Getting into his work back then was not for the faint of heart. Araki is a singularly unique talent in the manga sphere, for better or for worse. At the best of times, I find his action paneling almost incoherent, often spending 30 seconds or more puzzling out the series of moves they're contorting through to arrive at the next legible panel. Add onto that some truly stilted, fanwank translation that feels like your uncle trying to tell you how to work on a carburetor on his Firebird at the best of times and is at worst hitting the 'yare yare' button as hard as it can, and you get some baffling sequences.

Some of them were better than others on this; Part 3 and 4 were much beloved because they had a consistent, relatively readable translation. Part 5 was not because multiple groups tried and failed to make anything of it, typically because they really wanted to make the big bad's Stand, King Crimson, more complicated than it ever needed to be. Part 6 had a girl and as such was cooties, but could be understood by a human because the translation was better than average.

These days, it's much easier to be a JoJos fan than it ever was in the bad old days. Official anime adaptations of the first 6 parts are now complete, all of them have received dubs as well as official subtitles, the manga is translated through Part 6 officially, and Part 7 will start releasing in English for the first time in Summer 2025, and an animation adaptation is already confirmed from Lucky Land Communications (the team at David Productions producing the anime, which has been on Crunchyroll and was captured by Netflix for Part 6).

Part 7 is my favorite Jojos part.

There's a quality to Steel Ball Run that isn't present in his work previous to here. It's most easily attributable to the change from Weekly Jump to Ultra Jump (a monthly release schedule vs WSJ's weekly releases) that has given him much more freedom and page space to work within. Part 7 is lush in a way his previous work simply isn't, because of the nature of manga production, and it completely changes the feeling the manga has. This is true of the few other monthly releases i read regularly (Bugle Call is another Ultra Jump production that is getting an English release later in 2025 and I'm dying to get an official translation of), so it tracks, but it feels momentous somehow. Individual panels are shockingly rendered, even in the middle of what are for Araki standard action sequences that would ordinarily drive me nuts to follow.

Part 7 also has a much more focused cast that helps produce a tighter narrative, which I feel may be a reaction to the at times jam-packed crew of primary stand users in Part 6 and 5 that led to a lot of confusion around who was where when. Johnny and Gyro have a few people they end up running into repeatedly like Hot Pants and Mountain Tim, but the primary cast of main and antagonist characters is less than a dozen characters! It means you get to spend a lot more time with Johnny and Gyro being dudes out on the wilderness, which is to its benefit.

I won't get into the story here, for the protection of my friends and loved ones who haven't gotten to experience peak yet, but Part 7 is the most cohesive, narratively pointed stories he's ever done, and even if the very last chapter feels halfhearted, it still feels powerful and momentous to the end. So, I hope you take the napkin with me when it comes out in english.

[romancomicsblog]

My Top 10 Anticipated Superhero Projects for 2025

After a year with very few projects from both Marvel & DC Comics, 2025 is set to be an action packed year full of some of the weirdest and most fun Superhero projects we've seen in awhile.

Don't get me wrong, I loved The Penguin & Agatha All Along, but both felt like nice surprises as opposed to projects I was looking forward to.

With DC in a rebuilding phase, and Marvel in a retooling phase, I'm eager to see who will come out on top at the end of the year. While Marvel has way more projects, DC has a few that can easily be among the best, if not THEE best of 2025.

Here are my Top 10 projects to look forward to in 2025.

10. Wonder Man

Yayha Abdul Mateen II returns for his third major comic book role in the upcoming Disney+ series, Wonder Man.

Simon Williams is entering the MCU in a big way, that seems to be leaning into the more acting part of his character. Very little is known about this project besides Ben Kingsley will be returning as Trevor Slattery and "Wonder Man" is a role within the universe.

Wonder Man is a superman like character, who is typically an Avenger and more often than not is a B-list actor in universe. This gives Marvel a lot of room for some Hollywood fun and to take some liberties with the character.

I'm a big fan of Wonder Man, Yayha, and it seems like a big swing for Marvel. If it's anything like WandaVision or Agatha All Along, I will be watching.

9. Marvel Zombies

A spin-off of Marvel's What If, Marvel Zombies is set to bring back some of my favorite MCU characters, including Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, and even our first look at Blade.

First look images even include a look at Zombie Ikaris, Abomination, and Dora Milage.

What If episodes have been a little hit or miss for me, but even so I'm still excited for this miniseries.

I'm not sure what to expect from this show yet, but if it is anything like the comics from Robert Kirkman, I am pumped and ready.

8. Gen V - Season 2

While it is yet to compare to it's original, The Boys spin-off Gen-V has set up quite a few storylines and proved it's a show worth watching and standing on it's own.

Set in a college for Supes, several students have to uncover a mystery at the heart of Godolkin University and discover what it means to be a hero.

With interesting characters, powers and just enough connections to The Boys, it's a show worth watching that many more people need to checkout. With that cliff hanger, the ending of Season 4 of The Boys, and unfortunate passing of Chance Perdomo, I'm interested in seeing how they move the story forward.

7. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

It's about time we got another Spider-Man animated show huh?

In a universe where Peter is mentored by Norman Osborn, Peter Parker must become Spider-Man in this homage to 60s comics, and take on a myriad of his classic villains, with heroes like Nico Minoru, Daredevil & Doctor Strange.

I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man and all the animated Marvel projects on Disney+ so far. While I am patiently waiting for a trailer, I am very optimistic for this.

In a less stacked year this would be higher on the list, but until we get a look it can't break the top 5.

6. Thunderbolts*

The first major film on my list, Thunderbolts feels like Captain America: Winter Soldier meets The Avengers, both films I love.

After several of the antiheroes of the MCU get framed by an unknown entity, they must team up to find what they are missing and become the Thunderbolts.

This is one of the few MCU teams up that have been built up over different projects, so I'm hoping this is a satisfying conclusion and good set up for Avengers: Doomsday.

While I wish the team was different, the cast looks great and the direction looks very fun. And with The Void as most likely the main bad guy, we are likely gonna get a very emotional ending.

Here's hoping it is a winner.

5. Peacemaker Season 2

Even though the DCU starts this year with Creature Commandos, the live action starts with a certain film and Peacemaker.

Peacemaker season 1 revolves around a team of agents looking to stop a mysterious alien invasion and save the world.

With the show now taking place in a connected universe, and Rick Flag Sr out for revenge, we're up for some excellent television.

The first season was some of the best of James Gunn's genius, and with the budget and the stakes rising, I'm excited to see the performance John Cena brings to this one.

4. Fantastic Four: First Steps

I didn't put it fourth on purpose, I swear.

After decades of waiting, we are finally getting a proper Fantastic Four film.

Little is known about this film, but with Galactus as the main villain, and retro futuristic 60s vibe, this film feels like a huge distinct swing, and nothing get's me more excited than that.

The cast looks phenomenal, the costumes look perfect, and I am just giddy thinking of them joining the Avengers in the next Avengers film.

3. Superman

My most anticipated film of next year, James Gunn will be taking on the Man of Steel himself Superman in 2026.

With an incredible cast, director, and several ties to the Justice League, Authority, and hopefully more, this film is crucial in setting the tone for the DCU moving forward, and maybe superhero films in general.

Whether this is a success or failure, this will be a turning point.

2. Daredevil Born Again

My boy has returned.

A sequel to Daredevil, Daredevil Born Again finds Matt Murdock back in NY city, with new enemies and old looking to take over Hell's Kitchen.

Daredevil is one of my favorite television series, and with so many characters returning from the original, including Kingpin, Punisher, Bullseye, Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, this season is going to be explosive.

I'm hoping it has direct connections to Echo, Moon Knight, and other street level heroes, perhaps leading up to another crack at Defenders. Whatever the case, this could be the best show of the year. And it would be my number 1, if it wasn't for...

1. Invincible Season 3

He's in for the fight of his life.

With the stakes higher than ever, an incredible voice cast, animation to beat and a performance unlike any other from Steven Yeun, Invincible has continued to surprise and top itself.

After Mark Grayson gains his Viltrumite powers, he must become Invincible, and find out the ups and the massive downs of being the worlds most powerful hero.

With _______ coming for a huge one on one, a massive war on the rise, and massive repercussions from the finale, this season is all I can think of for next year.

And thank god there will be no massive breaks in-between the season.

Thank you for reading! If you like this, be sure to follow me on all my socials here! And let me know what you think: What is your most anticipated superhero project of 2025?

[tremendouskoalachild]

10 Fandoms, 10 Characters, 10 Tags

Thanks for the tag @bluntblade! We're pretending star wars isn't a thing because it would get really monothematic otherwise lol

1. The Last of Us - Ellie Williams

(thanks so much for this gif! the trailer it's from still gives me chills)

l love Ellie so much. She's my daughter and she's literally me. She has hella PTSD and survivor's guilt and she will get more of both! Witty, talented and so good. She loves so much. She's so fucked up. She's even gay 🌈

2. His Dark Materials - Lyra Silvertongue

Pretty sure Lyra's character development rewired my brain as a kid! She's a lovable child with many flaws and grows into a wonderful girl striving to make herself and the world better. She loves so much.

3. A Song of Ice and Fire - Daenerys Targaryen

(I mean her book character but I wanted to keep the gifs on theme a bit lol)

Dany beloved... She's a child she's a mother she's a conqueror. She inherited such a weighty legacy but all she herself wants to do is protect other girls. She loves so much. Her last chapter was 🔥🔥🔥 and she's gonna be so fucked up if we ever get the next installment.

4. Dune - Lady Jessica

She has so much interiority and agency for the story she's in! So much intelligence, control and POWER! She loves so much!

5. Blade Runner - Luv

Love my fucked up replicant murder daughter. She wants recognition! She wants love!! She's the best angel of all!!!

6. Red vs Blue - Agent Texas

She's so fucking tragic y'all. Saving the universe and having existential crises entangled with extremely fucked up family drama. And still finds the time to kick Grif in the balls. Most badass character in her show by far. SHE LOVES SO MUCH

7. Alien - Ellen Ripley

Do i even need to say anything. She's Ellen Ripley.

8. Harley Quinn - Poison Ivy

Social anxiety queen!! Protects the environment! Very fucked up but considering the cast of this show she's well-adjusted actually. Supportive friend to Harley. Then supportive girlfriend to Harley. Love my girl.

9. Spiderverse movies - Miles Morales

We've all been crazy about him for half a year now. I love him and so do you.

10. The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Baru Cormorant

Cheating a bit since I haven't finished the book let alone the series but she's so!!!!!!!

no-pressure tags: @gaymothperson, @kaleidoscope1967eyes, @system-of-cells-interlinked, @my-last-brain-cell-is-socrates, @laz-laz-ace-pilot, @voidcat-senket, @ireallyamabear, @the-force-awakens, @drpepperfucker, @ct-hardcase