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tyrantisterror · 3 years

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I did a four part series of trivia posts when ATOM Volume 1: Tyrantis Walks Among Us! came out, and that was pretty fun! You can see that set of trivia posts here if you’d like. I thought it’d be fun to do another now that ATOM Volume 2: Tyrantis Roams the Earth! is out - just one this time, because a lot of the trivia I talked about with Volume 1 still applies.

I’m gonna divide this into two sections: non-spoiler trivia, for things that really don’t give a lot of plot points away, and spoiler trivia, for things that DO give away major plot points. I recommend not reading the spoiler trivia until after you’ve read Tyrantis Roams the Earth!, for obvious reasons, and will put the spoiler trivia under a cut.

Ok, let’s go!

- So if you read ATOM Volume 1, you probably noticed that the book is split not only into chapters, but “episodes,” which consist of four chapters a piece. It’s kind of a nod to how the series owes a great deal of its DNA to various monster of the week shows, with Godzilla: the Series and The Godzilla Power Hour being obvious influences. It also allowed me to pepper in some illustrations and cheesy b-movie style titles into each volume.

- The first “episode” of Volume 2, Tyrantis in Tokyo, pays explicit homage to the giant monster movies of Japan, perhaps even moreso than the chapters that came before it. Given how much Japanese media influenced ATOM - from tokusatsu like the Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman franchises to anime like Digimon and Evangelion (hell, the title of this episode itself is a tip of the hat to Tenchi Muyo by way of one of its spinoffs) - it kind of felt obligatory that Tyrantis visit Japan and pay his respects.

- Tyrantis in Tokyo also fits in a tribute to another staple of Atomic Age pop culture: Rock and Roll.

- Kutulusca, the giant cephalopod that appears in Tyrantis in Tokyo, is one of the oldest kaiju in this series, dating back to the first iteration of Tyrantis’s story that I put to paper back in 2001 or so. It’s changed a lot since then, but its fight with Tyrantis goes more or less the way it originally did.

- Old Meg, the giant placoderm/shark, and Nastadyne, the bipedal beetle, both owe their existence directly to Deviantart’s Godzilla fandom. Old Meg originated as a dunkleosteus monster I submitted to a “create a Godzilla kaiju” contest held by Matt Frank, while Nastadyne is based on a Megalon redesign I made during the “redesign all the Godzilla kaiju” phase of DA’s kaiju fandom.

- The second episode, Tyrantis vs. the Red Menace, gets dark as we visit the USSR, which had enough REAL horror with atomic power in its history to make creature features seem a bit defanged by comparison. It’s probably the episode with the strongest horror elements - ATOM’s always been influenced by Resident Evil, and this is probably where that influence shows the most strongly.

- It also features the first fully robotic mecha in the series, the mighty Herakoschei! Its name is a combination of “Heracles” and “Koschei the Deathless,” with the former part being added by its Russian creators to make it seem a bit more international as they offer it to the U.N. in hopes of gaining aid for a very extreme kaiju problem they’ve developed.

- Most of Tyrantis vs. the Red Menace takes place in the Siberian Monster Zone. Its name is a reference to the Lawless Monster Zone in Ultraman, which is such a cool fucking name I wish that I wish I could go back in time and steal it.

- The next episode, Tyrantis’s Revenge, is... full of spoilers, so we’ll move on for now.

- The penultimate episode, Tyrantis vs. the Martian Monsters, is a love letter to MANY different sci-fi stories that involve life on Mars, though the most prominent of them is of course The War of The Worlds (one of my top 3 favorite books) and its various adaptations. From its tentacles sapient martians, the tripodal leader of the titular monsters whose name includes the word “ulla” which is uttered by said sapient martians, the plant monster made of red vines, the cylinder-shaped spacecraft the Martian monsters are sent to earth on, the copper-skinned stingray-esque flying martian who shoots lasers from its tail, and the fact that every chapter title in this episode is a quote from the book, the H.G. Wells influence is STRONG.

- The final episode, Invasion from Beyond!, is shamelessly inspired by Destroy All Monsters, although there’s a dash of “To Serve Men,” Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, and The Day the Earth Stood Still mixed in as well. It’s also sort of a tribute to my first “published” bit of a kaiju fiction - a rewrite of Destroy All Monsters that included EVERY Godzilla monster that had appeared at the time, which my middle school self wrote back in 2002 or so for Kaiju Headquarters, a kaiju fansite I’m not sure exists anymore. Invasion from Beyond! is just as ambitious (but hopefully better executed) as my DAM Remake, with dozens upon dozens of different kaiju duking it out, earthlings vs. aliens.

- There were three different documents I made to outline the final battle of Invasion from Beyond! It’s the largest episode of the series so far and more than half of it is that fucking fight. My inner child is pleased, though, so hopefully you will be too.

Ok, that’s all I can share without spoilers. READER BEWARE WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW THE CUT!

JUST MAKING SURE you know that SPOILERS will follow from here on out. Read at your own peril! YOU WERE WARNED!

(I’m gonna start with lighter ones just in case you scrolled too far and want to turn back)

- There’s a number of explicit Spielberg homages in ATOM Volume 2, from a “we need a bigger boat” joke during a chase with a giant shark to the fact that Invasion from Beyond! opens with a group of people flying to an island of monsters to review whether or not it should get more funding.

- When Tyrantis appears in the first chapter, I snuck in modified lyrics of The Godzilla Power Hour’s theme song. “Up from the depths”... “several stories high”... “breathing fire”... “its head in the sky”... Tyrantis! Tyrantis! Tyrantis!

- The two rock bands in Tyrantis in Tokyo have real life inspirations ala Gwen Valentine, albeit a bit more muddled than hers. The Cashews are inspired by The Peanuts (see what I did there), while The Thunder Lizards are a mix of The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper. I wanted The Thunder Lizards to be more akin to the myth of a famous rock and roll band than the reality - less the real Beatles and more the Yellow Submarine cartoon version of them.

- The song The Thunder Lizards write for Tyrantis was written to fit the tune of “The Godzilla March” from Godzilla vs. Gigan, though ideally if someone made an actual song of it it would be its own song. I got the idea from Over the Garden Wall, which used the Christmas song “O Holy Night” as a a starting point for “Come Wayward Souls.”

- Perry Martin, UNNO reporter and peer of Henry Robertson, is a nod to Raymond Burr, with his name being a combination of two of Burr’s most famous roles: Perry Mason, and Steve Martin from Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956).

- Dr. Rinko Tsuburaya is a few homages in one. Her name comes from Rinko Kikuchi (who played Mako Mori in Pacific Rim), while her last name is obviously in homage of Eiji Tsuburaya. Her being the daughter of an esteemed scientist is inspired by Emiko Yamane from the original Gojira.

- Nastadyne’s Burning Justice mode is named after a similar super mode from various Transformers cartoons, though it’s more directly inspired by the Shining/Burning Finger super move from G Gundam.

- Martians sending kaiju to different planets via shooting them out of cannons (with or without cylinder spaceships around them) is another War of the Worlds shoutout. So is martians living on Venus after their homeworld was made uninhabitable, actually.

- Kurokame’s vocalizations are described as wails in explicit homage to Gamera. His name can be translated as either “black tortoise” (a reference to the mythical guardian beast Genbu, which can also be construed as a Gamera reference thanks to Gamera: Advent of Irys implying Gamera and Genbu are one and the same) or a portmanteau of the Japanese words for crocodile and turtle - “crocturtle.”

- Burodon’s name is just a mangling of “burrow down.” It also sounds vaguely like Baragon, who Burodon is loosely inspired by. AND, since Burodon is sort of a knockoff/modified Baragon, that kinda makes him a reference to various monsters in Ultraman!

- The final battle of Tyrantis in Tokyo is sort of a hybrid of the finales of Ghidorah the 3 Headed Monster and Destroy All Monsters.

- The Japanese kaiju teaching Tyrantis the art of throwing rocks at your enemies is both a joke on the prominence of rock throwing in Japanese kaiju fights AND the tired trope of an American hero learning secret martial arts from a Japanese mentor ala Batman, Iron Fist, etc. In this case, the secret martial art is throwing rocks at people.

- When introduced to Herakoschei and its pilot, we are told that the strain of piloting this early mecha is so intense that many pilots have died in the process, with the current one passing out on more than few occasions. This is of course a Pacific Rim homage - sadly, no one invents drifting.

- Herakoschei’s design is a loose homage to Robby the Robot and Cherno Alpha, because big boxy robots are cool.

- The Writhing Flesh and ESPECIALLY Pathogen are both hugely influenced by Resident Evil and The Thing. Giant body horror piles of raw flesh, tendrils, mismatched mouths and limbs may be a bit outside the main era of monster design ATOM homages, but they fit the themes and bring a nice contrast.

- I came up with Pathogen long before Corona but MAN it definitely feels different in 2021 to have a giant monster whose name is a synonym for disease driving other creatures crazy in a quarantine zone than it did when I plotted out the story in 2016.

- The chapter title “Hello, Old Foes” is a riff on “Goodbye, Old Friend”

- Minerva, the kaiju-fied clone of Dr. Lerna, is meant to be an homage to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, which is a genuinely good giant monster flick. I am sure many of you will also believe I included her because I’m a pervert whose into tall women, but you’d be wrong! I included the seven foot tall Russian mecha pilot Ludmilla Portnova because I’m a pervert whose into tall women. Minerva’s inclusion was just coincidental, I swear!

- Since Promythigor is a play on the archetypal ape kaiju to contrast Tyrantis as a play on the archetypal fire-breathing reptile kaiju, their fight has a lot of nods to King Kong movies. Promythigor attempts the famous jaw-snap maneuver of Kong (with less success), J.C. Clark paraphrases the “brute force vs. a thinking animal” line from the King Kong vs. Godzilla American cut, and Tyrantis slides down a mountain to knock Promythigor off his feet in a reversal of Kong doing the same in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

- Tyrantis sliding down a mountain on his tail doubles as a Godzilla vs. Megalon homage.

- Though Promythigor is the archetypal Ape and Tyrantis the archetypal Fire-Breathing Reptile, I think it’s fun to note that in some ways, Promythigor is the Godzilla equivalent in their matchup, and Tyrantis the Kong. Promythigor has a slight size advantage, was scarred by humans performing unethical weapons technology, and is associated with violent explosions. Tyrantis is a good-at-heart prehistoric beast who humanized in part by his unlikely friendship with a human woman.

- Of course, in the context of the famous quote from the American cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla, they remain in their archetypal lanes. Promythigor is the more intelligent of the two (though not necessarily wiser), and Tyrantis is in many ways a brute reptile. Their battle is a rebuttal of sorts to the assertion that Kong is the “better” animal because he is closer to human. Promythigor’s near human creativity and emotions don’t make him the kinder/more benevolent monster, but instead fuel a very self-centered and destructive attitude that makes him the far more dangerous threat. On the other hand, Tyrantis, who is less intelligent, limited in communication with others by his reptilian mindset and instincts, and simple in his thoughts and desires, is nonetheless a sweet creature that is easily dealt with when others consider his animal needs and mindset. There’s a quote from Hellboy I love that probably sums up all of my writing thus far: “To be other than human does not mean the same as being less,” and that’s what the matchup between these two in particular tries to illustrate: the “less” human Tyrantis is nonetheless more benign than the “more” human Promythigor.

- Kraydi the psychic lizard began life as a soft sculpture I made of the Canyon Krayt Dragon from The Wildlife of Star Wars. The sculpture didn’t look much like the illustration, but I liked how it came out, and so I made it an original monster named Kraydi (see what I did there). Figuring out an explanation for that name in ATOM’s world was possibly the most difficult kaiju naming task in the series, but it worked out in the end.

- Kraydi and Promythigor having psychic powers is a result of my time on Godzilla fan forums in my middle school years. Most of the forums had OC kaiju battle tournaments, and SO many of those kaiju had a wide array of beam weapons and psychic powers just to win the tournaments by beam-spamming and mind controlling their foes into oblivion. There’s a special kind of rage you get when your original creation is beaten by “Fire Godzilla” because he has a genius level intellect and the power of unstoppable telekinesis. Kraydi began as (and still is I suppose) my attempt to do a psychic kaiju well, while Promythigor’s villainy being tied to psychic powers being forced on him is sort of my passive aggressive commentary on people foisting powers on a monster without any real thematic reason for them.

- Henry Robertson and Dr. Praetorius chewing out the laziness of people giving kaiju completely unaltered names of mythic beasts will probably be seen as a jab at the Monsterverse and/or the numerous writers in the kaiju OC scene who do the same, but it’s ACTUALLY a jab at my past self, who had DOZENS of kaiju whose names were just Greek mythological figures verbatim. There are dozens of kaiju named Hydra, Scylla, Charybdis, Chimera, etc., past me, try to make the names stand out! Oh wait you did. I mean, don’t pat yourself on the back too much, you still went with “Mothmanud” as a canon name and never came up with something better, but, like, good on ya for trying I guess.

- Dr. Praetorius takes his name from the evil mad scientis in Bride of Frankenstein, who basically has all the wicked traits that Universal’s Frankenstein downplayed in their take on Dr. Frankenstein. Ironically, ATOM’s Dr. Praetorius is a bit less evil than his fellow mad scientists in ATOM. I really like how his character turned out, he surprised me.

- Isaac Rossum, the pilot of the USA mecha Atomoton, is named for Isaac Aasimov, whose robot stories are to robot fiction what Lord of the Rings is to high fantasy. His last name is a reference to Rossum’s Universal Robots, which is where the word “robot” came from.

- The unfortunate pilots of MechaTyrantis in ATOM Volumes 1 and 2 are all nods to Jurassic Park. John Ludlow = John Hammond and Peter Ludlow, Ian Grant = Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant, Dennis Dodgson = Dennis Nedry and Lewis Dodgson.

- A good way to pitch Invasion from Beyond! would be “what if the staff and monsters were able to fight back when the Kilaaks tried to take over Monsterland?”

- Ok, here’s a fun joke that no one will get but me because it requires a very specific chain of logic based on some obscure and loosely connected nerd bullshit. There’s a rocker in ATOM’s universe named Sebastian Haff, right? One of his songs, “Darling Let’s Shimmy,” is referenced right before a mothmanud larva emerges from the ground in both ATOM Vol. 1 and 2. Ok, so, in the Bubba Hotep, an aging Elvis impersonator named Sebastian Haff claims he is actually the real Elvis Presley, having changed places with the real Sebastian Haff as a sort of Prince and the Pauper deal that went wrong. Got that? Ok, so, in UFO folklore, a common joke is the theory that Elvis didn’t die, but was rather abducted by aliens (or he actually WAS an alien the whole time - the whole “Elvis didn’t die, he just went home” joke in Men in Black is a good example of this). Ok? Ok. So, in ATOM’s universe, we can surmise that their equivalent of Elvis, whose name is Sebastian Haff, WAS abducted by aliens, and that his song “Darling Let’s Shimmy” is subconsciously influenced by his repressed memories from his time aboard the Beyonder spaceships, which is why it accidentally awoke a Mothmanud larva in Volume 1. There’s a lot of bullshit jokes I put into ATOM, but this is perhaps the bullshittiest of them all.

- One of the most common bits of feedback on ATOM Volume 1 I got was “I kept waiting for something to eat Brick Rockwell, he’s such an asshole.” And I had to smile and go, “Oh, yeah, guess he never got his, huh?” the whole time without letting on that he was going to die here all along!

- Dr. Lerna and Brick Rockwell’s nature as foils to each other is probably most apparent in Invasion from Beyond!, where both are given fairly similar situations - a nonhuman approaches them with a solution to a global crisis - and react to it very differently. I worry that some people may think they both made the same choice and got different results, and that that’s hypocrisy on my part, but I hope I wrote it so you can see how their choices and situations actually differ in key ways, and why their decisions, while similar on the surface, are ultimately very different, and thus result in almost opposite outcomes.

- So, when I planned out this book in 2016, I swear I didn’t know about the Orca from 2019′s Godzilla King of the Monsters. Having the plot hang around Dr. Lerna deciding whether or not to use a sonic device to rouse all the kaiju to save the earth was not INTENDED to be a Monsterverse reference - it came about from me looking at Pathfinder’s take on kaiju, who are all explicitly influenceable by music, and thinking, “Oh, wow, music and songs DO have a major connection with kaiju in a lot of media, I should do something with that.” Whem KOTM came out a few days after Volume 1 came out I realized I was kinda fucked here, because the comparison was definitely going to be made, but I’d also set this all up already and you can’t just change suddenly to avoid looking like a copy cat and make a good story, so... I dunno, I leaned into it a bit, but it is what it is.

- While most people will probably think they’re a reference to the Reptoids of UFO folklore, the Reptodites are more inspired by the Dinosapien of speculative evolution fame and, even morso, by the Reptites from Chrono Trigger. Me wanting to avoid the “lizard people control the government” conspiracy theory trope is one of the main reasons why Reptodites have this non-interference clause with humanity.

- Lieutenant Gray is a bunch of different humanoid aliens rolled into one - a little Hopskinville goblin, a little classic gray, a little this one weird alien with five-fingered zygodactyl hands, etc.

- There’s some Beyonder Mecha in this volume that are basically kaiju-fied versions of the Flatwoods Monster. The species that built them ALSO engineered the Mothmanuds, because connecting Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster is fun!

- Pleprah is, obviously, a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater.

- Tyrantis’s brush with death, in addition to being so very anime, was inspired by my dad outlining how mythic heroes often have to travel to the underworld/land of the dead before they can finish their journey. It’s one of the plot points that I’ve had planned for this series since middle school.

- I’m sure some will view it as hackneyed and corny, but as a person who’s battled with depression for decades, having Tyrantis’s choice to live be the big heroic turn of the finale was very important to me. Tyrantis incorporates elements of a lot of imaginary friends I made as a kid, and in many ways he’s kind of the face of my more positive side in my head. He’s been telling me to choose to live for a while, and while maybe to an outsider it may seem hackneyed, it’s just... very Tyrantis. He chooses life and kindness in the face of pain and struggle. That’s Tyrantis.

- Tyrantis’s powered up form is called “Hyper Mode,” which is another Gundam reference. Originally it was a lot gaudier and involved him turning gold like a fuckin’ Super Saiyan. I opted for something a little more toned down here.

- Also, speaking of KOTM references, I decided to make Hyper Mode Tyrantis’s final duel with Pathogen be a sort of foil to Burning Godzilla’s final bout with Ghidorah in KOTM. Instead of ravaging the city, Hyper Tyrantis’s pulse of energy rejuvenates his fallen allies, and as a result he is “crowned” not out of fear for his supremacy in the wake of killing a powerful enemy, but in gratitude for his kindness. See? Leaning into it!

- And now I can finally reveal that Yamaneon is ATOM’s equivalent of The Monolith Monsters - that is, a kaiju that is also a mineral. I took the “strange continuously growing rock” thing in a very different direction, though, as unlike The Monolith Monsters, Yamaneon is actually alive.

- At various points in the pre-writing process, either Promythigor, MechaTyrantis, or both were going to die fighting Pathogen. I ultimately decided to let them both live, with MechaTyrantis even getting his flesh and blood body back, because I think it’s more interesting and thematically consistent that way. They get a chance to heal their wounds by changing their ways.

- The Great Beyonder and Dorazor both almost didn’t make the cut, as I felt they didn’t have the same pull as villains that Pathogen, Promythigor, and MechaTyrantis did. But then I thought that could actually be the gag - build them up as the final boss, only to have Pathogen take their crown. I want to explore post-face turn Dorazor a bit more, though. We’ll have to see about that in a later volume.

- Volumes 1 and 2 make up what I call “The Ballad of Tyrantis Arc” for ATOM. I call it that because Tyrantis’s storyline in these two volumes was patterend after Chivalric ballads like Yvain the Knight of the Lion. Tyrantis, a heroic warrior who is kind but dumb of ass, learns of strange goings on outside his home and investigates. During his journey into the unknown he falls in love with a powerful woman, whose favor he tries to win. Through happenstance he is separated from his love and, distraught, wanders around fighting various foes to prove his worth, before finally returning to his love a better hero. Invasion from Beyond! could even be seen as a sort of Morte d’Artur, with Tyrantis and a bunch of other kaiju heroes (including Nastadyne and Kemlasulla, who are built up as Hero Kaiju of Another Story) take part in a huge battle that threatens their idealic kingdom (of monsters).

- Volume 2 isn’t the end of ATOM, but it’s designed to work as an ending if you want to tap out here. As a reader I feel a definitive ending is important, but as a writer I’m always tempted to revisit my beloved characters, so I feel giving closure while leaving a few doors open for possible future adventures is a good compromise between these positions. There will be more ATOM stories, some (but not all!) following Tyrantis and Dr. Lerna, but if you want to know that Tyrantis and Dr. Lerna get an ending and the resolution to their arcs such a thing promises, here you go. An ending, if not THE END.

#The Atomic Time of Monsters #A.T.O.M. Trivia

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allycryz · 3 years

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41. “Oh, [deity/expletive], do that again.” for Nerys x Emet-Selch

Oh hey it's actually giving me save draft options on asks now! And it ports over the italics!

5.0 Spoilers, set before the Mt. Gulg dungeon. Not sure if this one if canon–figuring some things out about that whole section–but it lives in the Nerys canon.

Rate E for eggsplicit, some angst

He approaches in that insouciant way he likes. Just as he had yesterday at the base of the ladder; with his musings and observations. This time his smile is dangerous and far closer to the Emet of the past few weeks than the almost-vulnerable man who appeared before.

“Well well, look at you.”

Nerys dissipates the spell in her hand, the other curling tighter about her maple stave. It is a beginner's tool, purchased furtively in the Musica Universalis. A far cry from the elm crook she’d carved herself not long before she gave up on conjury.

“He was right,” Emet continues. He comes to a stop before her, standing as she sits on the ground with her back against a large striated boulder. “If I recall…’my beloved is a woman of many talents. Mistress of the Lance, Wielder of the Awl, Goddess of the Needle-’”

“So you were watching.” He opens his mouth to remind her yet again of his proclivities and she waves a hand to forestall it. Miraculously, he allows it. “You’ve been so scarce since we came to Kholusia I feared we’d become too tedious.”

“Your group as a collective? Often. You in particular? Rarely.”

Nerys snorts. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

Emet continues looming over her with an expectant look. If she stands to meet him it would feel like a concession. Staying where she is...well, it ceded the high ground but is the better option. Especially when he seems to be in one of his fey moods. “You might materialize some time, actually introduce yourself to Haurchefant.”

“All in good time. Especially if you banish the dreadful light from this place.” He flourishes a hand at the horrifically bright sky and it hurts her eyes to follow the gesture. “This place offers very little shade. Inconsiderate of you, not to do all your heroics in Rak’tika.”

This is comfortable ground. Better than him asking about her activities or the strange place they’d been the last time they coupled–he holding her (and Thancred) at arm’s length even as he debauched them thoroughly. “That’s twice now you’ve braved the eldritch light to speak with me. I’m touched.”

“As I said, you are rarely boring. Now back to the matter at hand. Are your magical abilities as strong as your devotion to the Needle and Skillet? I myself have only witnessed your wind cantrips here and there.”

“I’m surprised you can’t tell, with your mastery of the art.”

“Mm. Well you’ve had some training but…” He tuts. “The structure of your magic is–if I may be honest–rather rushed and lacking. What do they teach in Gridania these days?”

“They are fine teachers,” she says with a furrowed brow. “But I decided to pursue the lance instead.”

“Not your taste?”

“Not my strength. Aetherwork yes, spellcasting and shaping no.” She shakes her head. “But I have been ordered to rest so...I thought I’d try it again to kill time.”

Technically the order of events is a little different than what she portrays. Blessedly, Emet takes offense with the latter half of her tale. “Is that what my art is to you, my dear? A distraction for you to while away the hours?"

“Oh no.” Nerys’ lips twitch. “Because that would insult my comrades as well. You deserve only the most custom and tailored attacks on your person.”

“Truly a Warrior and a Saint.” Emet at last takes pity on her squinting eyes and the hand shading against the sun. He sinks into a crouch with his elbows on his knees, hands dangling between his legs. It’s a shame sunlight bothers him because he looks radiant in it. “Set down your stave.”

“I need a conduit.”

“Mm. You are going to support your spell on your own to fully harness your mind to the task. Let us see if that does not help you.”

“Yes, Master Emet-Selch.”

His smile is lascivious. “Would that you called me so when last I ravished you."

“If you manage to get me to cast magic without my stave? I might consider it using it next time.”

“Such little faith,” he purrs. He shifts, resting his hands light upon her outstretched shins. “Go on then.”

Nerys suspects her wind magic is always successful because a dragoon is a creature of the air and its currents. She need only pull from the element wrapped about her. But Emet had come upon her attempting a sleep spell and he will know if she tries something else. The other domains–earth, fire, and so on–are not easy for her either. What can she pull upon without the stave channeling raw elemental magic into resources?

“Was everyone capable of magic?” She asks, buying herself the time to get centered. “Before, when the world was unsundered.”

Surprise flickers over his face a moment. He smooths it over, affecting the mien of an indulgent professor about to lecture. “Essentially, yes. Some excelled more than others, and in Am-...in the city I dwelled, we made especial study of it."

That first syllable reverberates through her. The light is gone, her dilemma is gone, the beginnings of thirst from sitting in the sun fades away–all she wants is to hear the name of the city. And the intensity of that need is greater than she has ever felt in her life, even for a needful being such as herself.

“Tell me-”

“We had different talents to be sure.” Emet continues, the faint presence of steel under his words as he takes control of the conversation. “Hardly any like me, with an affinity for the very lifestream from which I saved your friend. Others could manipulate the elements as easily as they breathed, outclassing your mortal thaumaturges. And some created their own way…”

His eyes go distant. The lecturer, the man determined not to be interrupted, crumbles in reverie. Nerys dares not breathe. This is yet another facet of Emet new to her–softer than that first night, his pale gold eyes warm, his mouth relaxed.

“She married her magic to her affinity for the sword. You might call it red magery but that pales in comparison to what she could do.”

He looks at her but she does not think he sees her. Bit by bit, his eyes focus and he pulls himself back to Kholusia; the hot, dry air; the dazzling sky. “Shame on you, tricking me into waxing poetic to put off demonstrating your magic. Get on with it and perhaps I won’t demand retribution.”

"And your hands? Are those to be a reward?"

"Depending, perhaps. Or a punishment."

Nothing for it. She spikes her aether to start a spell. The magic in the world–she sees it and tugs at it best as she can, providing her own energy when it does not come to her hand. Haurchefant has talked at length about his forays into thaumaturgy. He and Alphinaud oft compare notes about the differences in their spellcasting-

His flexing fingers on her legs make every detail of those talks fly out of her head. What appears in her hands is formless and leaden at the same time, easily dissipated by a gesture–one of his aether hands, she realises. The ones he only brings out for more amorous situations.

“Who was she? The woman who married sword and magic?” Nerys asks, distracting away from her failure.

"Weave a spell correctly and I may tell you more."He leans forward and kisses the tip of her nose. "You my dear, have a brain that craves focus against the tide of thoughts and second guesses. That single-minded determination when you wield a lance...we must find how to get you there with magic."

"It is the vulnerability of it," she says with not a little exasperation. "I cannot snap my fingers and have magic perform my will. I need to stop in the flow of battle to create the spell and hope I am either quick enough or can withstand the blows that come my way."

"Plenty manage and they are not the resilient Warrior of Light or Darkness."

“I’m well aware. You said it yourself–I have a mind given to racing thoughts without something to keep it occupied.”

“Thus our current situation.” His hands creep higher up her leather-clad thighs. “Now...you love when I praise you in the bedroom. But outside of it? The fear of failure oft drives you. Two sides of the precious coin that you are.”

She swallows, trying to pretend he hasn’t read her utterly. And that he isn’t stroking purposefully now, fingertips grazing over the laces of her pants.

“Hm.”

"As always, your eyes give you away." He purrs. "Trying so very hard to not admit how right I am."

“I-I thought-” She widens her legs a hair and those swirling black and purple aether hands pin her thighs in place. “This was a magic lesson.”

"Mastery of magic and the mind are one and the same, hero. It's all about control. Now...if you would please try again…"

She stares into his eyes with her challenge as the magic around her coalesces in her hands. Her triumph lasts all of three seconds before another of those incorporeal hands sinks through her clothes to circle over aching flesh. Nerys’ breath hitches, the spell collapses in on itself in a half-hearted flash of light.

Some of it lingers in the air, making her lips and tongue go numb a few seconds, her eyes droop before she snaps out of it. Nerys manages to frown before his lips are on hers. Nipping lightly at her lower lip. She starts to return the kiss but he pulls back.

“Again,” he says. What feels like the tips of fingers brush against her entrance. “But if you don’t think you can-”

There is no chance of her magic affecting a man of his powers but ferocity propels her. The structure and shape of this iteration has its flaws but it feels like better. It would serve him right if she did put him to sleep and left him here-

Those tantalizing aether fingers press into her, a near-incorporeal thumb ghosts over her center. Nerys rocks against the sensation with a low, helpless sound pouring from her throat.

“Barely passable,” he says. “But a small improvement.”

She reaches for his shoulders, whining when the motion between her legs slows and stops. “Oh gods. Do that again.”

“You would be better served praying to me, my dear.” He laughs. “Though I am no more merciful than your gods or your Hydaelyn. But I do offer an actual path to salvation.”

Nerys tries to cause her own friction and isn’t surprised when more hands arrive to pin her down. He only laughs at her, white teeth gleaming in the bright sun and eyes dark. “I almost want you to fail, pet. You’re quite-”

The magic flashes out of her in a rush, without thought, without concentration, with nothing but instinct. It is the closest magic has ever felt to using her lance The spell is imperfect as always–she sees the poor construction–but it hits him full in the face.

His nose twitches, his eyes blink, he stifles a small yawn. Such a spell is not enough against him but it does something and she laughs aloud in triumph. “Don’t test me, Ha-”

The words catch in her throat with a strange sob. Nerys does not know what she was about to say or where it came from. She does not know why she feels so...disconnected and connected to him all at once.

His gold eyes flash and at once she is beneath him: shoulders pinned under his flesh hands as he straddles her core. The aether fingers flex rhythmically against her skin in time with...his heart? Nerys doesn’t know how she knows that, but she does.

“Emet?” She whispers.

There is a near-terrified look in his eyes. And then he kisses her in answer, a plundering so thorough she almost cannot return it in full. Every time they come together he shows her a new side of himself. This time is no different.

The first time: admiration, affection, desire.

The second time: distance, control.

And now: something raw and needful and the tide of him sweeps over her. She groans as his frantic hands work at her trousers, at the clasps of his robes. The aether between her legs moves with purpose to prepare her for him.

“Open your legs for me,” he hisses and her assent is muffled by another overwhelming kiss. Her body obeys at once, pliant beneath him. Just his urgency alone, the way he commands her, is enough to get her slick even without-

Her head jerks to the side and she curses at the sensation of fingers pumping into her. She expects a laugh but he shushes her instead, stroking her cheek. Pressing gentle lips at her brow even as his aether is replaced by him; hard, needy, filling her.

Emet holds her tight as he thrusts into her; all desperate sounds rather than teasing eloquence. His breath is harsh in her ears, his gloved fingers pressed tight into her skin, and he swallows every one of her desperate noises.

Whatever change has sparked in him, this is no longer about teasing her. He needs her, needs this, and she doesn’t care how this ends for her as long as he is helped-

His hand slips between them as if he hears her thoughts and she chokes on a sob. Shudders beneath the insistent pressure of his hand. It's almost too much to bear. And he does not back away but rocks and touches until she babbles his name–the one she has always called him–and digs her hands into the dirt. He seizes one, gripping it tight as he comes with a broken sound.

Nerys closes her eyes in the aftershocks. Above, the light burns through her eyelids with only his body providing some shade.

“Th-there," says Emet, breath interrupting his words. "A reward for a better spell."

"Emet." He looks so lost. The quip is only so effective without his usual haughty mien. She touches his cheek and he’s the one to close his eyes, as if savoring the feel of her.

He sits up slow. Seizes her hand to kiss the dirt-smudged knuckles. "I've been discourteous, after you told me you're on strict orders to rest. Do forgive me.:”

“Emet,” she says again. “What has you so scared?”

His laugh is soft and humorless. "When you are as old as me, hero, you will be scared of everything."

He does not expand and he sets them to rights with a flicker of magic. Any evidence is gone from her body and the ache of the light feels lessened now, from the cooling touch of his dark aether.

"Nerys," he says and she startles. Has he ever said her name before? Her mind is so overwhelmed by how he says those syllables–it must be the first time. He says her name like a prayer. Perhaps the first one he has offered in eons to someone not Zodiark.

"Nerys," he says again. "Master the light with all the focus in that fierce mind of yours."

“I...will.”

"Good." He stands. "...When I see you again, it will be when the last warden falls."

"I'll see you then," she says with a nod.

He is gone without preamble, without a farewell, without a kiss. And Nerys is left to wonder.

#lemon #nerys eluned #emet-selch x wol #emet-selch #shadowbringers spoilers #Ally writes

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radramblog · 4 years

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Every Boros Commander, Part 2

Where we last left off, I was shitting on Adriana, Captain of the Guard, who gives ACAB a pretty different meaning. Fortunately, most of the pickings this time aren’t quite as dire.

Depala, Pilot Exemplar (3rd most played as of writing)

Holy shit, a Boros commander with card advantage? It’s niche, but it was a first. Being limited to Dwarves and Vehicles does leave her with a problem a lot of commanders and tribes tend to have, which is being just a smidge under critical mass- but with the upcoming Kaldheim appearing to support Dwarves, and vehicles appearing to be a deciduous mechanic, I feel like it won’t be long before Depala is as powerful as her placement suggests. She is niche and mana-hungry, but basically the only Vehicle commander (and definitely the only Dwarf commander at the moment), so I suspect she’s here to stay for a while.

Tiana, Ship’s Caretaker (15th most played as of writing)

Tiana is possibly my favourite character lorewise in all of magic, frankly. She’s cool and cute and a massive dork and also someone who found her purpose in life, and frankly I love that for her.

She’s also a really interesting commander to build around, seeing as she has a unique brand of card advantage that leads to the addition of old and weird cards, which I’m always a fan of. I should really get around to building a Tiana deck, to be honest, though I already have 10 commander decks with an 11th in progress, sooooo…

Firesong and Sunspeaker (4th most played as of writing)

I’m surprised to see F&S this high, but the first unique Buy-a-Box card did expand into an archetype previously unseen in the combination in the form of Boros Spellslinger (Dalakos would later return the favour as an Izzet Equipment commander). Previously, you had to go into Pauper EDH and play fellow Minotaur Blaze Commando for this kinda deck. Like Depala, F&S are heavily played despite being niche, though the also have the benefit of being a RW minotaur commander, if you want to play White instead of Black in that deck for…some reason? The siren moo of Boros Reckoner speaks to us all, I suppose.

Sylvia Brightspear and Khorvath Brightflame (17th most played as of writing)

The only partner pair I’m discussing today on account of their monogamy. Knights and Dragons make a weird combination, seeing as there are basically no other cards that help them work together rather than apart. You could almost run them as a goodstuff deck if you wanted, seeing as many of Boros’s best creatures are Knights or Dragons, but largely I think sticking to one or the other is probably for the best. With that in mind, the pair are actually the only real commanders for either tribe within Boros- the only other Dragon is something we’ll get to, and the only knight is…Adriana…so…. The buffs given by either pair are excellent, and not something that either tribe gets easy access to typically, so I can see the appeal of them in that slot. At that point, the extra commander is just a bonus.

Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice (21st most played as of writing)

Oh, another Aurelia, and she’s worse this time. In seriousness, her ability looks like its likely to be targeting herself most of the time, and Mentor just doesn’t do enough in this format. She has enough keywords and power to Voltron, but I’m not expecting much interesting from her outside of that.

Tajic, Legion’s Edge (18th most played as of writing)

Tajic has 4 separate lines of text for some reason, and only one (ok fine two haste is nice) actually matters. Having a damage prevention effect is nice in the zone, but it doesn’t apply to himself, so if you’re planning on turning mass damage one-sided you’re going to need to protect him still. And like, what else does he do? He’s not a good aggro commander at all, his last ability is a joke, why are people playing this card? If I was in a mass damage deck I’d just play Gisela, at least she does something on the off chance she survives. Probably no-one is gonna go out of the way to kill Tajic, at least. Beats out Aurelia for biggest downgrade, imo, even if Aurelia fell from higher.

Feather, the Redeemed (Number 1 most played at time of writing)

Feather is the most popular Boros commander, by over triple the next most popular. It’s not hard to see why: she’s a cheap commander that turns any targeted cantrip into a draw engine, she synergises with so many random powerful cards that you can build her a fair few different ways, and she’s a cool story character getting a card 12ish years after her appearance in the Ravnica novels. She does so much and is so interesting that it’s completely understandable that she’s as huge as she is. I’m still never going to build her though, even with my funky Japanese copies, if only because I’m too much of a hipster.

Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero (13th most played as of writing)

Kinda funny that Gerrard’s little text that made him work in the command zone until recent rules changes is now a strict downside. Gerrard has his niche, with a Second Sunrise in the zone unsurprisingly supporting Eggs decks rather nicely, and synergising with a lot of just random bullshit. I’d probably never build him, and it seems pretty easy to make it degenerate, but I’m glad he’s here and he’s certainly better than the first iteration of the character.

Haktos, the Unscarred (12th most played as of writing)

I’m kinda surprised to see Achilles this high, considering how recent he is. He reminds me a lot of Progenitus, oddly enough, as a commander that would be good at Voltron but can’t get buffed easily by traditional means. I think adding equipment on the off-chance that it fits his heel is a complete mistake, but things like Silverblade Paladin and Exalted cards do exist, so fair play. He’s pretty hard to kill unless you’re boardwiping, and even then damage-based ones probably miss, so I can see the value in that. But that mana cost hurts to look at- hitting 2 mana of 2 different colours on turn 4 was a pain back when I played Trostani, and that was a green deck.

Stet, Draconic Proofreader (No data available)

Okay look, I tried so hard to find a way to abuse this dork’s ability but there’s just no good way to do it. Stet sucks hard enough that even if you are playing with Silver-Bordered cards legal I just don’t know why you’d ever run it. His art is pretty funny, I’ll give it that. We got Alexander bloody Clamilton and Surgeon Commander in the same cycle, keep in mind.

Winota, Joiner of Forces (2nd most played as of writing)

Having menaced standard, Winota is still pretty decent as a commander, even without access to her 7-mana blue payload. There actually aren’t that many beefy humans to cheat out in general, but considering how easy it is to enable her ability and the fact that she digs *6 cards deep* on trigger, I think you just kinda end up swarming the board distressingly easy with her deck. It’s shocking to see a card from 2020 in the top 5 like this, considering how the year has gone for the format in general, but like. 6 cards.

Zirda, the Dawnwaker (8th most played as of writing)

Look it combos with Basalt/Grim monolith in the command zone isn’t that neat. Zirda is pretty open-ended, but not especially powerful outside of the aforementioned combo. I find them much more appealing in the Companion slot, frankly. With that said, I do like that Boros is the colour pair getting access to Training Grounds in the zone, seeing as it works well with its other themes (Equipment mostly) and opens new archetypes (Cycling, etc.) up as possibilities.

Akiri, Fearless Voyager (7th most played as of writing)

Haha, Brion has more decks than Akiri. That’s probably since it only released a few months ago. Of course, I’m not including the other Akiri, so this is the first time we’ve seen her on the list. But apart from that, Akiri was somehow the first of these commanders to actually say “draw” on it. Her synergies with Living Weapon (and the recent equipment cards that do the same) are pretty sick, though her second ability will end up costing a lot of mana over time if you have to use it. I think its hilarious how much more value this gives you than Adriana for doing the thing Adriana wants you to do, at 2 less mana.

Also, she’s probably the best general for Kor tribal? I guess you could go Akiri/Black partner so you can play Orah in the deck. Someone build this! Kor like equipment, Akiri likes equipment, lets go.

It’s only just occurred to me that Akiri gives you more for attacking other players than Adriana does. Fuckin hell, man.

Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant (25th most played as of writing)

Bell finally getting a card 15 years after his fictional death was a welcome treat, but the exile-related ability is frankly awkward and abusing it to 1 or 2 hit commander damage is pretty difficult. Still, having impulse draw in the zone makes him probably just the best generic #goodstuff commander. I’m surprised he’s as low as he is, but he only released a month ago (at time of writing) and we got an absolute stack of legends (including 2 other Boros ones and the partners) in the same set.

Reyav, Master Smith (28th most played as of writing)

Reyav is neat since he combines 2 of Boros’s more traditional archetypes, being Aggro and Voltron, into one damage doubling dwarf. I suspect his lack of play is again due to the other legends in the same set and that it only dropped a month ago, because there’s no way he deserves to be below Munda. Also, he’s 2 mana! The only other 2CMC Boros Legend is partner Akiri! How did that happen? I think he deserves better. You can suit him up and get dunking real quick.

Wyleth, Soul of Steel (16th most played as of writing)

Our final general is Boros’s second ever Precon commander, and the only one with flavour text. He’s got the space for it, considering how much work that second line is doing. I appreciate that Wyleth, despite being superficially similar to Akiri, plays pretty differently, as he prefers Voltron while she prefers spreading equipment out. I assume Wyleth would be a lot higher if the precon itself was included, but there’s no way of knowing how many people are playing just the base deck, so who knows.

A CHALLENGER APPROACHES!!!

Koll, the Forgemaster (no data available) This bloke got spoiled between me writing most of this and going to publish it. I can see a few easy combos with his first ability, especially seeing as Grafted Wargear is a card. Playing fairly though, his first ability feels kinda slow, and not being able to protect himself is a huge drag. The second ability feels kinda stapled on, as its a way of giving you a bonus since the first one doesn’t do shit for tokens. But like, just don’t equip them, lmao. Awkward, but has potential.

And that’s the lot of them! Uhhhh yeah that’s all I’ve got, stan Tiana kthnxbai

#ramble #mtg #edh #commander #boros #Tiana best girl

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undertheinfluencerd · 3 years

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https://ift.tt/2WX9LGx #

The Abomination (Tim Roth) may have a bigger future in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than fans realized. Marvel already announced that Abomination and his alter ego, Emil Blonsky, was cast in She-Hulk on Disney+. However, the gamma-powered monster’s surprise appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings indicates the Abomination will have an even greater presence in the MCU than first thought.

Abomination has only made one MCU appearance in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk but the massive brute has the distinction of being the second supervillain in the MCU after Jeff Bridges’ Obediah Stane/Iron Monger in Iron Man. Abomination’s human side, Emil Blonsky, was a British Royal Marine working for General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt). Ross enhanced Blonsky with the Super Soldier Serum but he was still no match for the Hulk (Edward Norton). Blonsky then infused himself with Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood, which mutated Blonsky into the creature dubbed the Abomination. However, the Hulk defeated Abomination in Harlem and escaped capture. The Abomination was apprehended and held in cryo-stasis within S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Alaska facility called the Vault. That was the last time fans saw the Abomination, although he was mentioned in the Marvel One-Shot titled The Consultant. The World Security Council intended to release Blonsky so he could be part of the Avengers but that plan was foiled in favor of the Hulk joining the Avengers instead.

Related: The Avengers: What If The Abomination Had Been Recruited

Shang-Chi shows the Abomination cage fighting against Doctor Strange’s Wong (Benedict Wong), Doctor Strange’s partner as part of Xialing’s underground fight club. In the MCU timeline, it’s been about 15 years since Abomination was last seen in Phase 1 and while he was left in the cryo-prison The Vault, he’s now in the Raft, as briefly shown when Wong takes him back in the wake of their fight. How that change of location happened is unclear, but since Tim Roth is also reprising Blonsky and Abomination in She-Hulk, it may be revealed when he eventually meets Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), and play what’s been described as “a significant role” in the show. The Abomination was also, of course, a major league villain who possesses Hulk-levels of power, making him “a 30-megaton nuke” on the loose, in Secretary of State Ross’ verbiage.

As surprised as fans were to learn the Abomination will appear in Shang-Chi, Tim Roth may have been equally astonished to have been contacted by Marvel after so many years. There were initial plans to include the Abomination in Avengers: Age of Ultron but those obviously never came to fruition. In a 2017 Reddit AMA, Roth was asked if he will ever return to the MCU and he replied, “I don’t think Marvel will ever use me again, but it would be fun.” Because of the Hulk’s complicated film rights, which are owned by Universal Pictures, there are no more Hulk solo movies on the horizon. The advent of She-Hulk Disney+ TV show allows Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk/Bruce Banner to continue playing major supporting roles in other MCU properties and it opened the door for Tim Roth’s long-awaited comeback as the Abomination.

Whether the Abomination will further appear in the MCU is unclear, but there are questions off the back of how Wong interacts with the hulking monster. That seems to suggest that Wong has been training him and that the pair have an established camaraderie, rather than being enemies. Following on from the Phase One plan to bring him in as an Avenger, Abomination could potentially be a possibility for the next iteration of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers 5 and he could also be recruited by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis Dreyfuss) to join the new team she recruited U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell) for in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Since there’s a relationship with Wong already, some fans speculate that Abomination could possibly impact Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Either way, the Abomination is on the verge of a major comeback after sitting out MCU Phases 2 and 3.

Next: Shang-Chi: What Worked & What Didn’t

#marvel #avengers #marvelcomics #spiderman #mcu #ironman #comics #captainamerica #thor #avengersendgame #marvelstudios #xmen #dc #marveluniverse #art #cosplay #tomholland #hulk #disney #comicbooks #dccomics #peterparker #tonystark #blackwidow #marvellegends #endgame #deadpool #marvelcinematicuniverse #loki #bhfyp

The post Abomination’s MCU Future In Phase 4 After Shang-Chi | Screen Rant appeared first on undertheinfluencerd.net.

#entertainment, screenrant #tumblr #aesthetic #like #love #tumblrgirl #follow #instagram #photography #instagood #likeforlikes #s #likes #art #cute #o #girl #followforfollowback #a #tumblrboy #grunge #fashion #photooftheday #tiktok #l #photo #sad #k #frases #f #bhfyp

#Undertheinfluencerd

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o-w-quinlan · 4 years

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Favorite Digimon from each V-Pet, part 1

Inspired by the recent V-Pet popularity poll, I thought of going through each iteration of the Digimon V-Pets and determining which are my favorite digimon introduced by them.

For today: The original Digital Monster (1997-1998), and the answer is very easy for me:

I’ve liked Andromon ever since I rewatched Digimon Adventure. His first appearence is wonderfully atmospheric, foregoing the fantasy elements of the previous episodes for pure “sci-fi” (soft sci-fi, but still), clearly aping “Terminator” for the tension and succeeding. Andromon was then mostly forgotten... until the Dark Masters arc, where suddenly we learn that he’s been fighting Mugendramon on his own for years, and he’s even become badass enough to trade blows with Piedmon himself (for a few seconds, but this is a minor character going up against the main villain of the arc). His later role in Digimon Tamers was also good, though admittedly he was only Andromon for a short time there. The Next manga has him as the leader of the resistance against Barbamon, helping Yuu overcome his trauma, fearlessly fighting a hopeless battle against Chaosdramon and his forces. Personally, he’s also been my ace in several Digimon games, and carried my team through a lot of the later portions of Digimon Story: Moonlight.

Design-wise, he’s my favorite example of how crude these first cyborg designs were. Later on, they’d become more polished and complete, clearly showing that the Crack Team had gotten better at this, but the half-finished look of this first batch remains my favorite. It gives the impression of being a process that is being perfected, the very start of a new type of creature. It also highlights how horrible it might be, as the uncovered parts of his body hint at what exactly might have been done to create him. It feels more “real” than later, cleaner designs.

His profile indicates he was one of the first “artificial” digimon to be created by the Crack Team, alongside Boltmon, and that he lacks any will or emotion. I picture a silent Andromon, unmoving inside the Crack Team’s base as the emotional Boltmon is "consigned to oblivion in the darkness”, uncaring for his fellow creation’s suffering. I picture the same Andromon, years later, being upgraded to HiAndromon and suddenly becoming self-aware, being able to feel, remembering how he stood by and did nothing as someone who might as well be his brother was banished. It’s a shame no digimon product (barring a Heroes card) has ever done anything with the backstory hinted at in these profiles, because its fascinating to think of the possibilities.

My favorite line for this digimon is: Choromon -> Caprimon -> Kokuwamon -> Guardromon -> Andromon -> HiAndromon. HiAndromon was explained above, and the reasoning for the pre-evolutions will come at a later date.

Honorary Mentions: MetalGreymon (virus), MetalMamemon, Coelamon, Raremon.

#digimon #Digital Monster #Andromon

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a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan · 6 years

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LinkedUniverse Fanfic Ch. 10: Noontime Nightmares (pt. 1)

Stop! You’ve Violated the Law!

So, you’ve stumbled upon this original post for my Linked Universe fanfiction. That’s okay, it happens to everyone. As of March 2021, I’ve uploaded the entirety of this fanfic to my Archive of Our Own page. Along with finally giving the story a name–Oops! All Links: A Linked Universe Story–I made substantial edits to some of the chapters. These range from minor stylistic revisions to fixing a gaping plot hole that kinda completely broke the character conflict in the earlier chapters. I also renamed and renumbered (but not reordered) the chapters. Specifically, this is now Chapter 12: Noontime Nightmares.

The AO3 iterations of these chapters are the definitive versions. So, if you would like to read this fanfiction, please do so on AO3, right here. With this embedded link. Hehe. Geddit? Link?

Note: My screen name on AO3 is FrancisDuFresne. Yes, that is me. I am not plagiarizing myself.

Anyway, for posterity’s sake, the rest of the original post is below the cut.

That dark forest the Links entered last chapter of my @linkeduniverse fan narrative? Yeah, it’s pretty dark. Part 1 of 2. Word Count: 2418

Nearly all light was blocked by the forest’s dense tree canopy. The heroes were glad they decided to light their lanterns, but even they seemed to not be able to pierce more than a few yards into the darkness. Wild was reminded of a similar forest north of his Hyrule Castle. He hoped they would not encounter the monsters he did there here, too.

The Links spent two uneasy hours walking through the woods. Twilight hadn’t sensed anything strange in his wolf form, but that didn’t sate their feeling they were being watched. Wild still had two arrows nocked on his bow; Warrior instructed him to fire at Twilight’s signal. Warrior was determined to neither get ambushed nor be defeated in one.

“I don’t like this,” Hyrule whispered. Holding his lantern at arm’s length, he still could barely see Legend ahead of him.

“None of us do,” Legend replied. “Unless one of us does. Does anyone like this?”

Time smiled. At least one of them was trying to keep the mood light. “No, I can’t say I’m very fond of this.”

Wind, used to sunny days on the high seas and night sky starlight playing off the water, agreed. “Yeah, not the biggest fan.”

Twilight was put on edge by the suffocating darkness. His heightened senses as a wolf could barely pierce it. It brought to mind the dark cloud that sent the group out of the illusory world of the burning village. That thought unnerved him even more. There was nothing except the faint scent of his friends behind him and darkness ahead.

Three more hours of this? He thought. I almost want something to happen… Wait.

A new scent appeared. It was familiar. The stench of rot and death, a few yards ahead and to the right. Looks like I jinxed it.

The Wolf barked and pointed his head in the direction. With no hesitation, Wild loosed his arrows. The THWIP of the them hitting a target bounced and echoed off the trees. Now fully alert, the others clipped their lanterns of their belts and drew their weapons. Wild nocked two more arrows as Sky moved ahead of him and Twilight.

They walked slowly towards what may be a slain monster. The light of their lanterns fell upon a stag pinned to a tree. It was dead. Two arrows stuck out of its neck; that they expected. What they didn’t anticipate was a massive spear skewering the poor animal through its side. The weapon was long as Time would be tall with Twilight standing on his shoulders, and nearly as thick as a small birch tree. From what was exposed of the head, it seemed to be a jagged, razor sharp rock of some kind. It was shoddily tied together with old ropes.

The stag, pinned to the tree by the spear, seemed to have been dead for a week at least. Flies buzzed around it, and it reeked horribly. Hesitantly approaching it, Sky’s lantern showed it was missing its hind legs. He gagged. He turned back to the group and shook his head as if to say, this isn’t good.

“What the…” Hyrule said as he inched toward the carrion. “What could have done this?”

Wild’s thoughts raced. “Something big. Hinox, maybe?”

“Hinox aren’t that big,” Four said. “Only ten feet, max.”

“Yours, maybe,” Wild replied. “Mine are giants. Five times my height, easy.”

“Oh.”

“What’s a Hinox?” Wind asked. He said it almost as if not wanting an answer.

“Big, muscle-y creatures,” Legend explained. “One-eyed, love bombs…”

“Love bombs?” Wild scoffed. “What kind of Hinox are you guys used to?”

“Something more explosive than yours, apparently.”

Time didn’t like this one bit. “Cut the chatter. We need to be on guard. This thing probably likes prey that stand around and talk.”

“And something tells me we’re the perfect prey,” Hyrule muttered.

Suddenly, Twilight barked again. Following the wolf’s snout, Wild pulled his bow’s string and let two arrows fly. Another THWIP. The heroes warily followed the sound. Their lanterns’ light fell upon a what looked like a fox, again affixed to a tree. The entire font half of its body seemed to have been torn off. This time, a man-sized halberd held it in place. Time pulled it free. He shook off the fox and held the weapon out to the others.

It was finely made, with smooth curves, a polished head, and stained wood. The blacksmith who made it was clearly a skilled one. The materials looked expensive. “This is no traveler’s spear,” Four observed. “This belonged to a knight.”

“So,” Wind ventured, “where’s the knight?”

Warrior looked down at him with one eyebrow raised. “Do you really have to ask?”

“Not really.”

“Figured. Well, it looks like whatever thing is, it’s several yards tall, can use weapons, and has a taste for raw meat.”

“Hm…” Wild put all these pieces together in his head. “I’m definitely thinking a hinox like the ones I’ve seen. Funny, I had to fight one in a forest like this.”

“At least you’ll have experience, then,” Hyrule said. “Plus, you have us now.”

Twilight was still transformed. He was trying to pick up any other scents. As his companions were talking, he picked something faint up. What’s more, he felt a soft rumbling under his paws. Almost like multiple sets of footsteps… He tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, but it was all around them. He looked to the others. They hadn’t noticed any of it. He transformed back.

“Guys, we have company,” he said. “From all directions. Sounds like footsteps and smells… not good. Worse than this carrion.”

“Yep,” Wild confirmed. “Hinox.”

“Is that plural?” Legend asked Twilight.

“Yes.”

“Great.”

Warrior looked to the resident amnesiac. “What can we expect?”

“Five times our size, fat, dim, sometimes armored around the legs. I usually used spears because it’s not safe to get too close to them. They’ll create shockwaves by beating the ground with their hands, and like jumping and crushing people under their rears. Time, pass me that halberd.”

Time handed it over. He was better with a sword anyway. Wild took it and tossed it between his hands, as if checking its balance. He readied it in both hands and took a stab into the darkness. Then he twirled it into one hand, then the next, then back. The hero nodded, evidently pleased with the quality of the weapon. It also gave him an excuse not to use his shield, which he stole from a Stalfos and wasn’t comfortable at all.

“Twilight?” Warrior asked. “How many did you sense?”

“I couldn’t tell for sure. Four or more.”

“Then I’m not sure if we should split up.”

“I should be able to take one myself,” Wild pointed out.

“Right. Pairs for the rest of us, then?”

Before anyone could respond, the footsteps Twilight heard began to become audible to them. A few seconds later, the stench hit them too. Twilight was right, it was coming from all directions. “We’re being surrounded,” Sky said. “We might want to get creative with our weapons.”

“I agree,” Time assented. “If swords aren’t working, don’t hesitate to use anything you need.”

Now the footsteps were growing louder. In a few seconds, the monsters would be upon them. The heroes’ lanterns were infuriatingly dim in the oppressing darkness. Warrior pulled out his Fire Rod. “I can’t take these shadows, we’re sitting ducks!”

He held the Fire Rod aloft and ignited the tip with a layer of flame. The firelight illuminated not four, not five, but nine Hinox less than ten yards away. Wild’s description of them was accurate, the others silently confirmed. The reek of the monsters filled the heroes’ nostrils, forcing them to hold back gags. They readied their weapons. Swords and shields glinted from the fire. “New plan,” Warrior whispered. “One-on-one. Got it? Break.”

In a flash, Wild stowed his halberd and drew his bow. He nocked three arrows and fired them straight into the nearest Hinox’s single eye. The giant monster recoiled with a deafening roar, reached up to its face, and tore the arrows out of its eye. Blood splattered the ground, but the injury didn’t seem to bother the Hinox. It kept moving forward. Wild gaped at it. That usually did some serious damage. Only nine arrows left... Wild thought. Got to conserve them.

The others saw this and stared at the monster. Not many creatures can take three arrows in the eye and keep going. Wild slung his bow over his shoulder and drew his new halberd. He rushed at the Hinox. It stared down at this tiny man sprinting at it, confused by the sight. Most things ran from it. Undeterred, it raised its hand to squish the puny thing. As it was about to bring the three-fingered hand down, Wild jumped to the side. He readied the spear.

The young hero’s feet skidded on the leafy forest floor. Taking a half-second to ground his feet, he stared down his target. Aiming straight at the Hinox’s fat gut, he let loose a flurry of stabs. Again and again, the finely-crafted halberd pierced the monster’s tough skin, sending blood into the air. Wild felt flecks hit his face as he attacked. He worked his fingers furiously, turning the spear slightly with each stab, the axe-like head digging in and tearing flesh as it exited.

The monster roared in either fury or agony, Wild didn’t care. Its entrails torn, it stumbled onto its back with a deafening THUD. Wild ran around to its side and jammed the halberd between the Hinox’s ribs. He used the spear’s handle to vault onto the monster, pounded his boot into its chin, and leapt upward. He twirled the weapon above his hand, secured his grip on it, and spiraled downward.

The halberd’s head bored straight into the Hinox’s eye. After three rotations, Wild righted himself, dug his boot into the monster’s forehead, and jumped to the ground. The roaring stopped. The felled monster ceased its writhing and went limp. Wild cast a look at it to ensure it was dead. Satisfied with his work, he went on to help his friends.

…

By now, Sky was working on his own Hinox. He drew his Beetle and shot it to the side. The flying weapon distracted the brute. It swiped its hands through the air, trying to swat it down. The hero saw a moment to strike. He rushed to the monster’s leg, hoping to cripple it. He raised the Master Sword and made an inward slash. The blade struck the wooden guard the Hinox wore on its leg. It was stuck.

Sky yanked on the handle to free the blade from the wood. One tug didn’t work. Two. Three. The blade came free and Sky stumbled backward. By now, the monster remembered its prey. It turned back around to face Sky. Spotting the puny Hylian, it crouched down. It was preparing to jump. Sky remembered Wild’s words and turned tail.

He was several yards away by the time the Hinox’s enormous behind slammed into the ground. The shockwave still threw him forward. Narrowly dodging a faceplant, Sky managed to get back on his feet. The Hinox was coming for him again. Sky’s eyes darted around the monster, trying to find a weak point. There! he thought. Found one!

The young swordsman spotted what he was looking for. The wooden guards the Hinox was wearing were held in place by some frayed ropes. That was something Sky could work with. He drew his scattershot and filled the its pocket with pellets. He pulled back, aimed for the eye, and let go. He knew it wouldn’t do much to stop the brute, but it would distract it. With the monster blinking away the tiny ammunition, Sky made his move.

Taking off at a sprint, he replaced the scattershot with his sword and ran underneath the Hinox. At just the right moment, he made two deft swipes. The ropes sliced apart and their load fell to the ground. The Hinox was still trying to figure out what was happening when Sky ran back the way he came. He held the Master Sword aloft and charged a skyward strike. Lowering it to his side, he ran under the Hinox and spun on his heel. The charged spin attack sliced clean through the monster’s legs. Sky ran clear before it collapsed in a heap on the ground. It wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

…

The world froze. Wind was holding the Phantom Sword aloft, using its time-stop ability. All sound and breeze stopped as he dashed around the Hinox. He had to make the most of this moment. He took his hookshot out mid-step, held it in his right hand, and readied it. He aimed up and chose his target.

With a squeeze of the trigger, the chained weapon fired out into the stagnant air. It dug itself into the side of the monster’s head. Wind knew it wouldn’t dig deep enough to do any serious damage, but he wasn’t planning on it. He picked up more speed as he sprinted. By now he was directly behind the Hinox.

The hero kicked his feet off the ground into a high leap. At the apex of his jump, he squeezed the trigger on the hookshot again. The chain retracted, shooting Wind into the air. Using the momentum of his leap, he rushed up to the monster’s neck. He raised his sword. A split second from hitting the Hinox, he swung the Phantom Sword.

SWISH! The blade cut straight through the nape of monster’s neck, severing its spinal cord. Wind felt time begin to restart. He planted his feet on the slowly collapsing Hinox’s neck and pushed off into a backflip. He landed on the ground and was just retracting the hookshot’s tip as time resumed fully. The titan collapsed on forest floor. In quite literally no time, the young hero had felled the giant.

The Phantom Sword was exhausting to use without the fairy Ciela’s help, so Wind took a moment to recover his strength. He looked up at the rest of the fight. The others were still working on their Hinox. He could just barely see them through the darkness. He smiled at the sight. The Hinox looked tough, but his friends seemed to be having an easy enough time fighting them. Nice, he thought. Gimme a sec, boys. I’ll be right there.

#linkeduniverse fanfiction #linkeduniverse #my own #my writing #fanfic #Noontime Nightmares

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artemis-entreri · 5 years

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[[ This post contains Part 2 of my review/analysis of the Forgotten Realms/Drizzt novel, Boundless, by R. A. Salvatore. As such, the entirety of this post’s content is OOC. ]]

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Generations: Book 2 | Legend of Drizzt #35 (#32 if not counting The Sellswords)

Publisher: Harper Collins (September 10, 2019)

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Additional Information: Artwork for the cover of Boundless and used above is originally done by Aleks Melnik. This post CONTAINS SPOILERS. Furthermore, this discussion concerns topics that I am very passionate about, and as such, at times I do use strong language. Read and expand the cut at your own discretion.

Contents:

I. Introduction

II. Positives II.1 Pure Positives II.2 Muddled Positives

III. Mediocre Writing Style (you are here) III.1 Bad Descriptions III.2 Salvatorisms III.3 Laborious “Action”

IV. Poor Characterization IV.1 “Maestro” IV.2 Lieutenant IV.3 Barbarian IV.4 “Hero” IV.5 Mother

V. World Breaks V.1 Blinders Against the Greater World V.2 Befuddlement of Earth and Toril V.3 Self-Inconsistency V.4 Dungeon Amateur V.5 Utter Nonsense

VI. Ego Stroking VI.1 The Ineffable Companions of the Hall VI.2 Me, Myself, and I

VII. World Breaks VII.1 No Homo VII.2 Disrespect of Women VII.3 Social-normalization VII.4 Eugenics

VIII. What’s Next VIII.1 Drizzt Ascends to Godhood VIII.2 Profane Redemption VIII.3 Passing the Torch VIII.4 Don’t Notice Me Senpai

Mediocre Writing Style

I admire some authors for their lyrical phrases, some for their poignant imagery, some for their rapid-fire dialogues, and with so many others, for their ability to show a true mastery of language. I have never felt this way about Salvatore's literature, which will probably never win any awards for its diction if it remains consistent to its current level of quality. Salvatore has his moments, which I've described in the previous section, but sadly, they range from being vastly to overwhelmingly dwarfed by the rote and tedious writing practices he employs. It doesn't help that in addition to the employment of unimaginative diction, Salvatore writes a lot of long and laborious scenes full of words that serve little more than to fill up space. There is so much telling instead of showing, a problem further compounded by the exhausting amount of poorly-chosen anecdotes which he relates that, despite being a nonstop action book, Boundless is very hard to pick back up after putting it down. And, of course, there's the repetition of the same themes, of the same kind of things happening to the same characters, that certainly doesn't help the predictability.

Bad Descriptions

For every good turn of phrase I mentioned earlier, there exists a score of bad ones. If I were to give examples of all of them, with the other things I'd like to discuss, this article would end up being as long as the novel itself, so I'll simply point out the most cringe-worthy ones.

The metaphor that takes the cake for the worst of the book is, "The horde had come, and now it pounced upon them misshapen humanoid forms, the wretched lesser demons known as manes, shambling out of the brush like an army of humans risen from the dead." Basically, what is happening here is that Salvatore pretty much wrote, "those demons came shambling out like zombies". It doesn't matter how much one dresses up a turd, the most one gets from the effort is a fancier-looking but just as stinky piece of excrement. Furthermore, the dressings that Salvatore uses in this example are flimsy and unsatisfactory in substance, with the vague adjective "wretched" that's as descriptive here as his customary usages of "magnificent"/"fine" and the tedious repetition in "humanoid" and "human". Additionally, it begs the question of why Salvatore specified an army of humans in a world in which the undead of all races would shamble, or, better yet, why not simply say "zombie", for a zombie is a prevalent and known theme in both the Realms and our world. It would've been one of the few ways Salvatore uses a shared concept without incurring a world break like he normally does.

A close second in the diction mediocrity contest is, "as if Yvonnel's breath, blowing them out, was that of a magical dragon, one designed specifically against the life force of a demon." Why a "magical dragon"? Are there non-magical dragons that breathe magic? Not that there exists a type of dragon in Forgotten Realms lore with a breath weapon that is specifically designed against the life force of a demon. However, as is par for his course, to counteract lore not agreeing with his lazy constructions, Salvatore doesn't bother to research an appropriate in-universe analogy. He completely invents one but doesn't actually develop it, not that doing so would be appropriate in this context, but the creation of it is wholly unnecessary for the sake of a poor analogy.

Another awful passage is, "with horrid creatures -- half drow and half spider -- all around the drow women and filtering back through the many shadows of the forest. Scores of these horrid mutants milled about..." It's bad enough to use the adjective "horrid" in an empty and vague way, but to do it twice in quick succession makes it seem like Salvatore doesn't know how to describe driders. By itself, a half-drow half-spider creature isn't inherently abominable. There's an increasingly large number of art pieces featuring dark elf arachnid centaurs, with beautiful humanoid faces and torsos attached to streamlined spider bodies that would even give arachnaphobes pause. What makes driders menacing, which Salvatore has described himself in the past, is that they're not these romanticized images of spider centaurs. Their humanoid torsos, rather than looking like they should belong to supermodels, are bloated and misshapen such that they're more reminiscent of the flesh beasts of nightmares. They have vicious mandibles protruding from their cheeks, sometimes multiple insectoid eyes, making their faces look more decidedly non-elven even with pointed ears. Admittedly, the physical appearance of driders has fluctuated through the D&D editions, but it's as though Salvatore couldn't be bothered to look up what their current iteration is. Maybe he did try and couldn't find a definitive answer, in which case he could've approached the drider's description in a more evocative way, for example by describing how the tips of their arachnid legs were sharp like swords digging into the earth, or perhaps by mentioning their aura of menace as they regarded the dwarves whom they towered over with hungry anticipation, as though the shorter folk were their cocooned victims waiting to be devoured. Or, even referencing how the driders came to be, the excruciating transformation process and fall out of favor with their goddess, both of which would've rendered them at least slightly unhinged.

Some descriptions consist of fewer words, but are just as bad. For instance, Jarlaxle's bracers are at one point described as "magical wrist pouch". This evokes an imagery of literal pouches hanging from around his wrists, dangling like a pair of testicles in the wind, testicles that shoot out magical daggers into Jarlaxle's hands. Another similar example doesn't contain an analogy but is just as bad is, "a smallish man dressed in finery worthy of a noble house. His face was clean-shaven, his hair cut short and neatly trimmed." This description is so ambiguous and features adjectives that have been applied so frequently to other characters that it could have easily been Artemis Entreri, except it is someone quite different (Kimmuriel Oblodra). Putting aside how jarring it is to use "man" to describe male drow, there's a world break here in that drow shouldn't need to be clean-shaven, as they can't really grow facial hair, but at least there's the nice detail that Kimmuriel is apparently short-haired, contrary to what many assume of him to have long hair. Nonetheless, what happened to the usage of the word "short"? Furthermore, why not just state a height for Kimmuriel and put it into his character bible? To be fair, I've speculated that Salvatore doesn't use character bibles, but it's never too late to start.

Salvatorisms

Boundless sees a return of what I've dubbed “Salvatorisms”, which are clichés and poor sentence structures that Salvatore abuses frequently. In Boundless, there's more than just those Salvatorisms dragging the narrative down. It's disappointing to see a professional author, especially one who'd been working in the field for over three decades, fail to follow a rule taught to amateur writers. Making the New York Times' Bestsellers' list does not make the usage of clichés, such as "merry band of misfits", acceptable. Especially considering how it's not even appropriate in the context that it's used for, namely, describing Bregan D'aerthe. Even though it's a priestess of Lolth who is considering the mercenary band this way, it's so incredibly unlikely that she'd think they were jolly, which the meaning of that cliché specifically includes.

In Boundless, we also see a return of the “how [character] [action]ed!” sentence construction, after a refreshingly complete lack of any in Timeless. This is one of Salvatore's favorite ways to tell and not show, for stating how a certain thing performs a certain feat doesn't, ironically, actually ever convey how that thing is done. There's a new overused Salvatorism to add to his cliché stable, namely, the “up went”, “down went”, and other similar ways to open a sentence. There's nothing wrong with these kinds of phrases when used sparingly and with variety. As it is, the flavor of the text is quite intolerable, seasoned as it is with an excess of one type of additive. By the same token, in a fight scene between Arathis Hune and Zaknafein, Zaknafein's superior prowess is indicated by the sentence, "Except Zaknafein wasn't there". This sort of device can be effective to convey surprise and the unexpected, again, when used sparingly, but unfortunately, it is yet another one of Salvatore's favorite writing practices. The sentence is hardly even a proper sentence, but is used as its own paragraph.

The telling and not showing approach in Boundless extends beyond the diction. On numerous occasions, it's almost as if Salvatore couldn't be bothered to actually demonstrate how something is true, but instead, just tells us that it's the way it is. One way that he does this is through the usage of rhetorical questions, for instance, "Could anything be more invasive and traumatizing than having your body stolen from your control and turned against you?" I'm not sure if any of his readers can actually answer that question from personal experience. It's almost as though Salvatore did that purposely to minimize the possibility of someone realizing that different strokes exist for different folks and that the most traumatizing scenario for one person could be very different from that of another person. That aside however, a question like this leaves little room for imagination, and is even a bit bullying, for it corners the readers into having to answer "no" even while the scenario painted prior to it was not powerful enough to solidify that impression.

Another way that Salvatore tells rather than shows is to use empty comparisons that lack a frame of reference. For instance, the reader is to understand Athrogate's strength and resolve through, "A lesser fighter would have fallen away in terror. A less sturdy person would have simply melted before the reeking horror." The problem with these statements is that they don't serve any purpose. They state the obvious, and are a poor attempt at being evocative. They have the same effect as simply stating that Athrogate stood his ground and didn't falter, except being more verbose and less effective.

It's not just word usage that's repetitive. Boundless sees a continuation of the theme of having the same sort of things happen to the same characters. It's as though each character is a designated target for certain motifs, with those motifs not being applicable to other characters. For instance, Entreri appears to be the go-to target for torture, and after being made the one with the repeated childhood sexual assault, the sexual victimization in Menzoberranzan, the victim of rape by a succubus in Neverwinter and the over seven decades of enslavement, I'm getting very sick of seeing him the victim of yet another long-term grueling experience. Meanwhile, Drizzt is as holier-than-thou and full of sanctimony as he was in Timeless, and it's not a flattering look for him. I'm not sure if Salvatore thinks it is, but it isn't so much character consistency as stubborn obnoxiousness. In Drizzt's journal entry, he writes, "I fear that Zaknafein's transformation will not come in time to earn friendship, even familial love, from Catti-brie or from our child, and in that instance, it will not be in time to earn the love of Drizzt Do'Urden." Drizzt then goes on to state, "But he is my family by blood, and she is my family by choice. I have come to learn that the latter is a stronger bond." While the message that's attempted to be conveyed here is a very important one, the validity of it is harmed by the context. It's very unfair for Zaknafein to be presented as though he were more akin to the other Do'Urdens instead of the unconditionally loving father who didn't hesitate to put himself in harm's way, including dying in excruciating and humiliating ways so that his son could have a chance at freedom. This is yet another scenario in which Salvatore creates unnecessary drama while ignoring facets of his story that have genuine dramatic potential. Zaknafein is not the type of character with whom Drizzt should have to choose between family by blood and family by choice, as he's already shown that Zaknafein is trying his best to adapt to the new world. It is true that there are few opportunities for Drizzt to flaunt his moral beacon in Boundless, but there's nothing wrong with that, and should've just been left as it is, but it's as though Salvatore can't write a Drizzt novel without Drizzt having to be sanctimonious and preachy. It was wholly unnecessary to villainize a non-villainous character to repeat some of the same old tired writing practices.

Also in the category of repetitive and tired themes, albeit one that doesn't further butcher the characters, is the catching of projectiles in one's cloak. This is a phenomenon that happens so frequently in the Drizzt books that had a reader no knowledge of the purpose of cloaks, they might think that their main purpose is to act as an anti-missile system. Cloaks originally became common because they protected the wearer from inclement weather while allowing access to the wearer's worn possessions. In D&D and other games, it became an additional equipment slot and as such, gained an practical value as well. A cloak without enhancing properties would actually serve as a detriment in a fight, acting as a loose and difficult to control extension of one's body that can be easily grabbed by the opponent, something that's accurately made a point of in The Incredibles. I suppose that there could exist a magical item like a Cloak of Missile Catching, but this isn't what any of Salvatore's characters ever wear. It's difficult to give Salvatore points for coming up with a creative use for what's basically an aesthetic item because it's just so impractical and unrealistic. It doesn't help that he repeats this motif so much that it approaches ego-stroking levels.

The second most major contributing factor to Boundless' tediousness is the obscenely large amount of recollections strewn throughout the book, making them overall more unsightly than the plastic polluting our modern day oceans. In the scenes set during the current timeline, almost at every turn we're given a history of what so-and-so is, or who so-and-so have associations with. These reviews, although brief, make up for their concision with their frequency. I can understand why Salvatore does this, for Timeless wasn't as standalone as he'd hoped, but his attempted method to rectify this fact in Boundless is more distracting than enlightening. Especially considering that much of the reviewed content is along the lines of, "Drizzt, trained in the ways of the monk by Grandmaster Kane", ergo, telling us how awesome Salvatore's protagonists are rather than shedding light into the significant events that shaped what is happening in the current book. When a significant event is mentioned, it is done so in such a cursory way that all a new reader would know is that something happened in the past that relates to what is happening presently, but otherwise it's like explaining different colors to someone who's never had vision before. For instance, "this was a trick Kimmuriel had used before, and very recently with Drizzt in Menzoberranzan, creating a telekinetic barrier that absorbed the power of every strike, magical or physical, holding it in stasis, ready for the magically armored person to release it back." This recap does manage to explain the relevant mechanic, however it also alludes to a very significant event, yet it's unclear what the purpose of it doing so is. The reference to what Drizzt did in Menzoberranzan doesn't say enough to allow anyone who hasn't read Hero to understand, but someone who's read Hero should remember the details of the climax of the book. So much of what Boundless presents is like this, retreads that make the novel tedious to read for those who have been reading, and probably only serve to further confuse those who haven't. Who is Salvatore writing for, then? Those who continue to throw money his way but never pay enough attention to what happens in his books to remember the climaxes? Are these the kinds of people that any author should point to as "proof" of their literary excellence?

Laborious "Action"

The one aspect that drives most of Boundless' tediousness is the sheer amount of long and boring action sequences that are wordy and not much of anything else. Salvatore's action scenes are more reminiscent of IKEA furniture assembly instructions than descriptive imagery, except that IKEA instructions are actually visual enough for one to use in constructing a pragmatic (and sturdy) physical object. Salvatore's action scenes are reminiscent of the type of smut in fanfiction that gives fanfiction a bad name, namely, cut and dried descriptions that are more like making a grocery list than painting a picture. At the very least, Salvatore's action scenes are not too anatomically ridiculous (yet), which makes them slightly better than the kind of fanfiction referenced.

An example of a grocery list action scene is as follows:

There's so much going wrong in this passage. The inconsistent specificity of each element makes the whole feel like an incongruous collection of parts. Jarlaxle hooking his fingers on a jag in the stone is clear enough, as is flipping over, and rolling his feet can be understood even if vague, but how all of that ties together is as clear as a chunk of obsidian. How Jarlaxle pulled himself around the base of a mound isn't articulated, other than that he did it while keeping his momentum, which is superfluous because any acrobatic maneuver would keep its momentum because momentum is what makes those maneuvers possible. It's like the only basic physics concept that Salvatore understands is gravity, because "he fell with gravity" is one of the few things he doesn't spell out in his action scenes. In any case, specifics like if Jarlaxle went left or right aren't what's needed, but rather, how about some evocative imagery like, "he snapped like a whip around the sharp turn"? I'm not saying that's the correct analogy to use, I honestly don't know, because I have no idea what's supposed to be going on in this passage. The same is true of what's said of Zaknafein, which while a bit better, is still painfully dry. Some of the stuff doesn't make sense, for instance, how did Zaknafein leap on the wide base of the stalagmite? The base of a stalagmite is that which the stone formation grows out of, inside the rock itself, does Salvatore mean that Zaknafein propelled himself off of the side of the stalagmite near its base? The rest of the sequence, it's unclear what Zaknafein is flipping over and running along. Is it still the same stalagmite, or a different stalagmite? All of that is just words words words, except, of course, the one thing that's clear enough: that Drizzt is awesome and so is his dad.

Another grocery list action scene is, "A glance left, a glance right, and off he sprinted, up the side of a stalagmite mound, leaping, spinning, somersaulting, to hit the ground in perfect balance and at a full run." What this scene brings to mind is more along the lines of a Driver's Ed course followed by the Sky Dancer toy from the 90s rather than the agile moves of an acrobat. Again, an excess number of words are used to little effect, and all that's conveyed is, "Zaknafein is awesome". I almost feel like he should be clad in skin-tight black leather and be wearing high-tech sunglasses.

Yet another example of writing that only conveys how awesome Salvatore's characters are is, "the barbarian came to realize that this foe was far more akin to Drizzt or Entreri than to what he'd expect from a pampered Waterdhavian lord. The man's sword worked in a blur, every movement sending it at Wulfgar in a different angle, sometimes a slash, sometimes a stab, sometimes a punch from the hilt." The first sentence in this passage, although not describing any action, tells us a lot more about Wulfgar's opponent than the second sentence, which does actively describe the man's actions, even to a new reader whom wouldn't know about Entreri's history and what makes him what he is. Furthermore, there's a stuttered nature to the second sentence, with the "blur" description disagreeing with the choppy rhythm of the specified attacks. Rather than a blur, the noble's attacks feel more like a predictable pattern of programmed thrusts from an automated training dummy.

Boundless wouldn't be the first Salvatore book in which I'd wondered if he'd confused himself with his writing. One example of what leads me to think so from this novel is:

What is even going on here? Did Salvatore switch Zaknafein and Jarlaxle's names by accident, intending for Zaknafein to be the one caught by surprise? Zaknafein's "don't wait for us!" suggests that he knows what's going on and has some level of confidence in the circumstances, yet as is demonstrated later in the passage, this is not the case. Indeed, later in the sequence (not shown), Jarlaxle is the one in control, deploying a back-up plan to guarantee their safety amidst the chaos. Yet, it's unlikely for Jarlaxle to scream, and Zaknafein to gasp, so perhaps Salvatore meant what he wrote. It's all too convoluted to tell, however. Further, while its a trifle nit-picky, wouldn't the command to "Let 'em fly, boys!" come before the quarrels were discharged? I mean, these are quarrels that do make things like stalactites explode, both powerfully AND beautifully, but dwarves have a lot of discipline.

Perhaps the most tedious action sequences are Zaknafein's extensive training montages, like the one in chapter four. It takes up literally forty percent of the chapter and proceeds in excruciatingly dry detail. The entirety of it is too long to quote here, but there are a lot of statements like, "hands across his belly to grab the hilts of his swords at his hips, right forearm over left", "he turned his right wrist as that sword came across bringing it vertical in its sweep, then shortening the cut, while the left went across perfectly horizontally, with full follow-through and even a step with the left foot in that direction", "he went to a series of same-hand, same-hip draws, where he brought forth the sword on his left hip with his left hand, right hand for the right", and so on. It's like Salvatore is writing The Dummy's Guide to Drow Swordfighting, as these sentences are more like step by step guide points than flowing combat moves. It's actually worse than that, because more than likely, these moves are more theatrical than actually practical, such that anyone who followed such a guide would indeed be a dummy, and quite a dead one at that if they expected to survive in drow society like that. And there's just so much of it, such that it begs the question of if Salvatore had a word count quota that he had to fill.

Finally, after a refreshing break away from it in Timeless, the standard Salvatore C-rated Hollywood stop motion fight scenes are back. Speaking to many members of the SCA and historical combat re-enacters and fencers, including ones who have read Salvatore's books, have taught me that most of the combat scenes, specifically concerning the usage of swords, are totally wrong. A consensus among the actual martial artists is that there's a lot of slashing when there should be stabbing, and the way that the characters conduct themselves in combat is more akin to sports than martial arts, being particularly evocative of hockey. It isn't surprising that Salvatore's inspiration comes from hockey, that is what he knows after all (more than swordsmanship and D&D anyway), but it seems that rather than improving his knowledge with research, he supplements it with popular themes in movies. Something like, "slowly they closed, though, until they were but a few strides away, when both, as if some silent understanding had passed between them, leaped into the air and roared" feels more like a transcription from a live action sequence, for in reality no purpose is served for two combatants to leap at each other roaring. It's a waste of energy, especially as the two have been aware of each other's prowess for a while and are not easily intimidated. If this scene was something that we were watching rather than reading, the sound effects might enhance the the drama, and while imagined sound effects can do the same for a written scene, something as bland as simply "roaring", just makes the whole scene banal.

#ooc #Boundless #legend of drizzt #Forgotten realms #R A Salvatore #book review #Generations Trilogy #Artemis Entreri #Jarlaxle Baenre #Kimmuriel Oblodra #Yvonnel Baenre #Arathis Hune #Drizzt Do'Urden #Catti-brie #Athrogate #drow #drider

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qcpmedia · 6 years

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Spotlight: Christopher Turner

THE CREATOR & WRITER OF “DIAL EXCES” TALKS HENSHIN, TROPES AND BELIEVING IN YOUR VISION

by Chris Clay

QCP: First of all, Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. As a fellow henshin fan, I was immediately intrigued when I first saw some of the art for your project Dial Exces. What exactly is Dial Exces & how long have you been working on it?

Chris Turner: Thanks for asking me! Dial Exces is my take on the tokusatsu genre but infused with comic book storytelling. The series follows 17 year old Marcus Dubel who's been granted a fighting suit in order to combat monsters that have begun appearing in his world. I've been working on it for roughly 6 years or so now. This version is actually the second iteration of the story after I decided to give the plot as massive overhaul a couple of years ago.

QCP: What made you decide to reboot?

CT: I made the decision to reboot the series after reading The Almighty Street Team, issue 0. It was one of the first time that an indie comic really resonated with me, that featured characters of color that didn't feel like a troupe [...] It made me take a good long look at what I was doing & I thought to myself "there's no reason a Black kid can't work as the lead in this story that I want to tell". Once I felt that weight lift off of my shoulders, I was really able to hit the ground running & start crafting a narrative that worked the way I needed it to.

QCP: What was your goal when you started writing this character? Do you feel like you had themes in mind when you started, or did it develop more as you got into the process?

CT: Well, initially, I had one goal in mind & that was to show that a person of color could be a henshin hero, if done properly, or any sort of hero for that matter. Over time the overarching theme of the story came to me [...] we're all connected to each other; no man is an island. The things that we do effect the lives of those around us. That's the main theme in the story of Dial Exces.

QCP: Sweet! I always found it odd that Henshin Heroes are so rarely Black.

CT: Exactly! [Laughs] I think sometimes we either limit ourselves or we don't police ourselves enough when it comes to the characters we make. I'm trying to find that sweet spot where people that look like me can see a hero that's like them but isnt just a Black version of "insert character name here." Sometimes that's ok but I think it happens a lot more than it should.

QCP: I agree. What do you feel is the best thing about being a creator right now? Do you think there's something special about making comics in 2019?

CT: Well-- and this is sort of a gift & a curse here-- I think it's good that we live in a world where you don't need to get the ok from the "gatekeepers" to make comics. If you want to make a comic you can make one & that's awesome. Now the flip side to that is that there are a lot of creators out there-- because you can just make a comic whenever you feel like it-- that are putting out comics/characters that just aren't very interesting or compelling & as a whole it can make indie creators look bad. There's still a process to this & a lot of creators are skipping steps just because they've got the skills as illustrators, but their ideas aren't where they should be. They could be with more polished, but without critiques or at least someone who'll be brutally honest with you that you can bounce those ideas off of, you run the risk of putting out a mediocre product as opposed to a great one.

QCP: Totally agree! No offense to anyone, but the endless sea of Toriyama-lite stuff? Yikes.

CT: [Laughs] Yup!

QCP: It seems like a lot of talented storytellers are selling themselves short, which is sad.

CT: They are, man & it definitely doesn't have to be that way but I think you have to be willing to take a good long look at what you're doing & honestly say "is it good or not". If you're just coming out the gate with each and every idea that pops into your head, if you're not taking a second to stop & say "is this the best thing for the narrative?" or "is this really any good?", then you're probably on the wrong track.

QCP: Can you tell us about Dial Exces?

CT: The story takes place in a world were creatures called the Dolm have begun to appear. The Dolm are superior to humanity in every way imaginable-- faster, stronger more durable-- they're a real threat. That's where Marcus Dubel comes in. He finds himself on a sort of an anti-Dolm unit being run out of the world's most prestigious hospital. As the youngest member of the crew, he's paired up with a woman named Ellery Mathis who's been fighting the dolm for the better half of a decade. She becomes a mentor to Marcus as he adapts to the life of a soldier.

QCP: So Marcus lives in a pretty bleak world, eh?

CT: Well, it's not too dissimilar from the world we live in. There's both good & bad, but a lot of the bad parts he's not aware of until he joins the fight.

QCP: Do you have a target date for the webcomic release? Where can future fans find it?

CT: The pilot or issue zero will drop early 2019 & it'll be available to read on dialexces.com. The site is undergoing some renovations right now in preparation for the launch of the webcomic.

QCP: Awesome! Thanks again for your time, Chris!

CT: It was my pleasure man! Thanks again!

#Spotlight #Comics #henshin #manga #Dial Exces #black artist #black writer #black creatives #mangaka

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kyndaris · 6 years

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The Long Journey Home

With the release of Origins, the Assassin’s Creed series moved away from the tried and true formula that was synonymous with the title. Odyssey continues to buck the trend of telling a linear story with the main objective of assassinating renowned historical figures by giving player’s choice and having their decisions reverberate later on. In this iteration, Ubisoft has delved deeper into the role-playing genre, providing players with branching endings and even allowing them to choose the main protagonist.

In my playthrough, I selected Kassandra. The canon choice. And also because after Avaline, Evie and Shao Jun (from Assassin’s Creed Chronicles China), this was a rare opportunity to play a female lead.

Just like Origins before it, Odyssey gives players a massive open world to explore. This is not just a single city. Oh no. But an experience built upon traversing the entirety of the Greek Islands as you set out on finding your family and dealing with pesky cultists along the way. Cast as a misthios, it is also infinitely easier to be pulled into the affairs of hard-on-their-luck civilians. Especially with the promise of drachmae. I spent countless hours helping out the people of Greece, proving myself a greedy war profiteer with no thought on who was to the win (though it was Sparta that was ultimately victorious - following on from actual history with regards to the Peloponnesian War).

The game, just like the last one, starts in the middle of battle. And when using Ancient Greece as a setting, there can only be one true starting point even if the actual game is st several years afterwards. As the screen fades in, you take control of King Leonidas during his final stand at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Through this iconic moment of history, players are able to become accustomed to combat and taste the power that will come after twenty or thirty hours of play time. Unfortunately, there were no great proclamations such as ‘This is Sparta!’

Alas.

Once the battle draws to a close and the great king is slain, the game opens with Kassandra preparing for the day ahead on the island of Kephallonia. From there, it’s a hop, skip and jump into the main story that was both a personal journey of heading home and the distractions that befell our chosen hero. Like the great Odysseus, Kassandra’s quest to reunite her family is not as simple as it may first appear. The presence of the Cult of Kosmos and the hint of a greater destiny involving Those that Came Before provides a steady drip feed for lore enthusiasts.

What surprised me, during the ending, was the revelation that the Cult of Kosmos was actually a force of chaos. Though many reviews drew parallels that the cult were proto-templars before the events of Origins, in actual fact, Kassandra (or Alexios) are actually trying to bring peace and stability to a world that has been fractured by infighting. As players soon learn, chaos and order are two parts of the same coin. A balance needs to be achieved. And with it, a new hero needs to arise to set things right.

The world of Ancient Greece is rich in things to do. But it is also steeped in myths and legends. The tales of Perseus, Theseus and Herakles are considered great feats that are considered fact instead of fiction. One of the main missions that players are presented with is sealing off the city of Atlantis. In order to do so, several artefacts need to be collected from monstrous creatures. Each one is a challenge for the unwary - from the Minotaur to a Gorgon to a Cyclops and a Sphinx.

In the vibrant world that Odyssey builds, the Gods themselves are also a part of life. What amused me greatly was the fact that the Cult named your long-lost sibling Deimos (one of the twin sons of Ares) and the player character names their horse Phobos (the second twin). There was lot of inter-connectivity within the game that warmed the cockles of my myth-loving heart.

That is not to say that actual historical characters were absent. In her long journey, Kassandra encounters a colourful cast from sophists such as Sokrates to eager politicians in the making: Alkibiades. As players are able to choose who they wish to romance, I made my disinterest quite clear.

All in all, I enjoyed my hundred plus hours with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Ancient Greece was a delightful sandbox to dive into with many things to uncover - especially historical locations. To sweeten the deal, the game is gorgeous. While I did experience the occasional stutter, these were mere surface blemishes considering the behemoth-like size of my experience.

Though it will not be gracing our consoles next year, this blogger will still be eagerly looking forward to where the franchise takes us next.

#assassin's creed odyssey #assassin's creed #video games

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docgold13 · 3 years

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365 DC Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

June 21st - Sir Ystin the Shining Knight

Ystin heralds from a medieval Camelot of a different dimension. This Camelot was being besieged by a hoard of demon-like creatures called The Sheeda. With the kingdom about to fall, Sir Galahad knighted a young squire named Ystin as part of a final stand against The Sheeda.

Ystin managed to sneak into the Sheeda’s floating fortress to in order to steal back the sword Excalibur. He did not realize that the Sheeda fortress exists in multiple dimensions and multiple timelines all at once. Ystin succeeded in re-obtaining the mystical sword along with a winged horse name Vanguard; yet when he attempted to escape he arrived not in medieval Camelot but rather modern day Los Angeles, California.

Ystin struggled to make sense of this strange new world while also evading a Sheeda agent dispatched to regain Excalibur. He did not realize it at the time, but he was part of a secretive team of superheroes that was the second iteration of The Seven Soldiers of Victory. These heroes work separately but in concert and by doing so were ultimately able to defeat the dreaded Sheeda.

Marooned in the modern world, Ystin chose to use Vanguard and Excalibur to act as a superhero, battling supernatural threats. The Teen Titans attempted to recruit Ystin yet made the mistake of sending Kid Devil as their emissary. Yestin mistook the horned hero as a demonic villain and attempted to slay him. Kid Devil escaped and the Titans ultimately decided the young knight was likely not a good fit for their team.

Some time later, Ystin was later made a member of The Demon Knights in their quest to discover Avalon and destroy the vampire known as Cain.

Many have assumed that Ystin is a young man, while others have assumed he is was born assigned female yet identifies as male. While he does prefer male pronouns, Ystin stated that he is intersex, possessing both male and female sexual characteristics. He sees himself as neither man nor woman but rather both. The hero first appeared in the pages of Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1 (2005).

#365 DC Comics Heroes #DC Comics #Shining Knight #Ystin #Seven Soldiers of Victory #Demon Knights #cut-out #paper art

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brevoorthistoryofcomics · 6 years

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The mailman brought my subscription copy of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, another oversized installment in writer Steve Englehart’s excellent year-long run. Having left Marvel behind, Englehart agreed to do a year’s worth of Justice League stories for DC, and negotiated that they be of extra-length so that he could service the huge cast the series had. Long-time JLA artist Dick Dillin was productive enough to be able to turn out a 34 page art job every month--so for about a year, that’s what we got.

As I’ve mentioned previously, Englehart did for JLA much the same thing that he was known for on AVENGERS earlier. He focused on characterization and overarching plotlines, while at the same time drawing assorted strands from throughout the DC universe together in the manner that he learned from his mentor Roy Thomas. In this particular story, he incorporates aspects of DC’s supernatural titles into the mix, in particular Phantom Stranger.

The issue opens with sorcerer Count Crystal summoning the demonic lord Azgore and pledging to provide him with the souls of the Justice League in exchange for mystical power. The bargain struck, Crystal transports himself to the JLA satellite headquarters, where Superman is on monitor duty, and promptly kills the Man of Steel. So yeah, that’s an opening! Meanwhile,.on Earth, Green Arrow and Black Canary and Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been out together, in an attempt to put an end to their long-running feud. Black Canary laments that the League’s dopey rule about not duplicating powers prevents Hawkgirl from becoming a member.

In the midst of this conversation, an alert from the JLA communicator comes in, but there’s nobody on the comm channel. Suiting up, the four heroes beams up to the satellite, only to discover Superman’s dead body. As the confused quartet tries to make sense of this, the Phantom Stranger steps from the shadows and indicates that he sent the emergency signal--not just to them, but also to Batman and Wonder Woman, who also arrive. Now they are seven, a mystic number, and equally balanced male and female, so the Stranger can perform a seance to contact Superman’s spirit and learn what transpired.

Superman’s angry spirit gives the team the lowdown on Count Crystal and demands vengeance, but the Stranger is hopeful that the Man of Steel can be restored. He mystically tracks Crystal to, of course, Rutland, Vermont, this time not at Halloween as was typical with the place. Crystal’s Carnival of Souls is parked on the outskirts of the town, and the JLA moves in to confront their foe, only to be outclassed by his mystic might.

A pause here, as it’s about this point in the book where this ad ran. I was very excited by the prospect of a Showcase revival, especially one headlining a new iteration of the Doom Patrol, whom I had loved in reprints. So I would definitely be on the lookout for this book in the days and weeks to come.

Back at the carnival, the JLA find themselves mystically transported onto a roller coaster of death, where assorted magical menaces attack them along te way. Green Arrow is no help, having been struck by the sedative arrow that he’d earlier launched and Count Crystal. Only the Phantom Stranger has an effect on the creatures that assault the team, and he conjures them into substance so that the League can combat them--but he falls from the coaster car and the ground rushes up to meet him fatally. Like Superman, the Phantom Stranger is dead.

In the spirit realm, Superman has found his essence drawn down a spiraling path, to the domain of Azgore itself. He fights back valiantly, but he’s not Superman here, merely one more soul for Azgore to snack on. But he’s rescued by the surprise appearance of the Phantom Stranger’s shade--the Stranger allowed himself to be killed so that he could come to Superman’s aid. Hell of a plan, that. Back in the material world, Count Crystal has become enamored of Hawkgirl and spirits her away, while leaving the remaining Leaguers to combat his fearsome puttylike demon minions. Hawkgirl appears to succumb to his charms until she can get the drop on him and rescue the League.

At this point, Azgore has had enough of this nonsense. He’s given his power to Count Crystal, and the Count hasn’t been able to feed him even one Justice Leaguer. It’s far easier for him to cut his losses and simply consume Crystal’s soul--which he does. And as dawn breaks, the exhausted but intact Justice League counts their blessings and savors their victory--until a voice rings out from off-panel. A voice belonging to the Red Tornado, the android Leaguer who is dead. How is Reddy back again? For those answers, we’d need to come back next time. To Be Continued!

And finally, the issue closed out with another installment of my favorite feature, 100 Issues Ago in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA. This time, the focus was on #45 from 1966, the story that introduced the League’s recurring nemesis the Shaggy Man, a gigantic, unkillable, unstoppable artificial Sasquatch creature who was running amok. The League eventually bested Shaggy man by having the scientist who created him make a second Shaggy Man, and then pitting them against one another and sealing up the cavern in which they fought behind them.

And I suspect that this ad represented my first awareness that there was a Superman movie being made. I didn’t enter this contest myself--and in fact i was relatively blase about the prospect of a Superman film. This was still before the era of Star Wars and the big budget special-effects blockbuster, so movies as a whole were only of limited interest to me at this point. That would change.

#Justice League of America #Steve Englehart #Dick Dillin #Phantom Stranger #death of Superman #Showcase #Doom Patrol #Superman the movie #Shaggy Man #DC

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ethanalter · 7 years

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How to make a sexy sea monster and other 'Shape of Water' secrets revealed! (exclusive)

yahoo

Guillermo del Toro’s romantic fairy tale The Shape of Water represents a breakthrough in human-fish relations. That’s not just because this lovingly crafted homage to classic ‘50s creature features is up for 13 Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. It also pushes the envelope well past love stories like Splash and The Little Mermaid, where men and mermaids enjoyed relatively chaste romances. In contrast, The Shape of Water’s lovers — mute janitor, Elisa (Sally Hawkins, a Best Actress nominee) and South American river god (Doug Jones) — get hot and heavy during the course of the film, instantly making them one of the most memorable interspecies couples in movie history.

Del Toro recognized early on in the production process that his love story hinged on audiences finding the Fish-Man as attractive as Elisa does. So, he devoted more than a year — and hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own funds — towards sculpting a version of the creature that was, to put it bluntly, a total stud. “It needed to be very attractive, a creature you could fall in love with,” the director remarks in this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip that Yahoo Entertainment is premiering today. (Watch the video above.) Del Toro handed that challenge off to top creature designer, Mike Hill of Legacy Effects, who built a suit for Jones that was further enhanced in post-production by Dennis Berardi, head of the visual effects company Mr. X, which oversaw the effects work for The Shape of Water.

Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones as the lovers in ‘The Shape of Water’ (Photo: Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection)

The technique was pure hybrid,” Berardi explains to Yahoo Entertainment in a separate interview. “Generally speaking, when you see the body and head movements of the Fish Man—or the asset as we called him — that’s Doug Jones in a suit. But whenever you see him underwater, then he’s animated. I would also say that every single shot where you have the creature onscreen, the eyes and brow area are digital, because the way the mask worked, the eyes were a thick resin plug that didn’t articulate. Our methodology was to work from the eyes out, preserving as much of Doug’s performance as possible. But every single shot has varying degrees of visual effects in it, from micro-expressions like eye blinks to full-body animation.”

Unfortunately for Berardi, visual effects was one of the few Oscar categories in which The Shape of Water missed out on a nomination, with nods instead going to Blade Runner 2049, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, Kong: Skull Island, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and War for the Planet of the Apes. But he and his team absolutely share a role in the movie’s success, infusing the creature’s costume design (which is up for an Oscar) with additional life. Having collaborated with Del Toro on both Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak, Berardi has regularly enjoyed a front-row seat to the director’s creative process. Read on for additional trade secrets behind The Shape of Water and its strapping Fish-Man.

It started with a sketch. Berardi’s first glimpse of The Shape of Water‘s aquatic heartthrob was as a two-dimensional sketch in one of the notebooks that Del Toro always has on hand to jot down ideas and images as they pop into his brain. (Some of those notebooks have been published in anthology collections.) “He showed me a sketch of their embrace,” the effects supervisor remembers, referring to an early version of the clinch between Elisa and the “asset” that appears on the movie’s poster. “It was such a romantic image, and he told me, ‘This is a movie that’s in love with love.’ You had a creature that had to be a leading man that Elisa had to fall in love with and that the audience had to fall in love with. He told us right at the beginning that this wasn’t a monster — it’s an intelligent being with a soul, and eyes that had to be soulful and deep.”

The creature also had to be a top-notch swimmer whose movements read as pure poetry in the water. To aid with that, Berardi had his team study Olympians like Michael Phelps as a starting point. “Those guys are powerful and swim somewhat gracefully, but nothing as graceful as what Guillermo really wanted. So then we looked at dolphins, sea lions, otters and seals, and settled on this hybrid of a humanoid swimming, with a bit of a dolphin kick. Seals actually became a lot of inspiration as well, because they move slipstream through the water very gracefully.”

Junk in the trunk In one of The Shape of Water‘s standout sequences, Elisa and her lover act consummate their powerful attraction in a bathroom that she transforms into a makeshift water tank. It’s an erotically-charged moment and del Toro takes full advantage of his R-rating, allowing the two to see, and touch, each other’s naked bodies like any homosapien couple would. Boundary-pushing as this scene may be, it stops just short of the final frontier: merman genitalia. And that’s just fine for Berardi, who would have been responsible for helping imagine what the creature’s junk might look like. “Guillermo’s got too much taste for that,” Berardi remarks with a laugh, pointing out that Elisa and her friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer) instead discuss her lover’s size after their intimate encounter. “His inspiration for the movie was when he was six years old watching Creature from the Black Lagoon and hoping that the creature gets the girl.”

That’s a note that del Toro passed along to Hill as well. “This thing has to be attractive to a woman,” the creature designer remarks in the above clip. “My directive was that I wanted to make him handsome.” For his part, Jones clearly appreciated the matinee idol physique that Hill crafted for his aquatic alter ego. “My lips are a little fuller, there’s a strong jawline and the body they sculpted on me is very athletic. He’s handsome in a fish-like way.”

Hawkins and Jones in an embrace in The Shape of Water (Photo: Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection)

The shape of (digital) water If the Fish-Man was a hybrid of practical and digital effects, the water he calls home is almost entirely digital with one notable exception — the aforementioned love scene in Elisa’s bathroom. “That’s the only scene where we had the actors in water, ever,” Berardi reveals. “We had a water tank that we built and submerged the bathroom set, with the actors, in the tank. It was done in such a safe way that they could just be hovering around the surface with footholds and handholds. They’d film for 20 or 30 seconds, and then come back up easily because the water level was just above their heads. Sally and Doug were both game.” Everywhere else, though, the H20 was all CGI, and even with all the advancements that have been made since The Perfect Storm — the movie that Berardi cites as a breakthrough for digital water effects — simulating water is still one of the most difficult jobs for an effects house.

Interestingly, the most challenging shot involved another tank of sorts, the iron lung capsule that serves as the creature’s prison as he’s transported from South America to the Baltimore research facility where the film’s events unfold. “There was no water in that capsule,” Berardi says. “It would have been way too unsafe to have Doug in there. But we had to see water sloshing around through the glass while the asset is in there. The creature also had to slam his hand on the glass, so his digital hand would have to come through the digital water and hit the glass. All of that is 3D and volumetrically rendered. That was the shot that kept me up at night.”

Richard Jenkins and Jones in The Shape of Water (Photo: Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection)

Here kitty, kitty Cat fanciers will be happy to hear that no real felines were harmed in the making of The Shape of Water. The same can’t be said for the computer-generated cat that the creature chows down on while hiding out with Elisa and her friend, Giles (Richard Jenkins). And the Fish-Man is a messy eater, too, getting blood all over the floor and himself. That may sound like a big turnoff, but del Toro felt it was crucial to showcase his hero in his less glamorous moments. “Guillermo didn’t want to make a traditional Beauty and the Beast-type story where the beast can’t really be himself. He’s eloquent, strong and heroic, yes, but he also needs protein!”

For the first part of the scene, Jones worked with an on-set cat wrangler to provoke a flesh-and-blood feline into a hissing fit. When the time came for the creature to open the cat’s head like a Pez dispenser, Berardi’s team took over. “We put a green sock puppet in Doug’s hands, replaced that with a digital cat and then severed the head. We went through about 25 iterations about what the cross section of the neck needed to look like, and showed Guillermo the grossest ones we could devise — anatomically correct with the spinal cord, nerve endings and all that stuff. We totally went there with it. That was also a moment where we took over Doug’s head and did it digitally: we fluttered the gills and had water spray off of them. That was probably one of the most fun things for us to animate.”

The Shape of Water is currently playing in theaters and available on digital services. The film arrives on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on March 13.