#(and the plot and character moments are honestly great considering this is supposed to be an excuse plot xD)

[annawayne]

Annaaaaaaaaaaaaaa T^T I hope you're doing alright today! Did you bake anything new recently!

For the writer's ask btw: 1, 4, 5, 8, 12, 14, 15, 23, 27 :3

Do it, tell me all about it! And I hope you have a great week :3 Thank you for blessing us with all your beautiful art and love T^T

Moon, hello (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

Thank you a lot for asking, and OH MY, that's a lot, but don't get me wrong, I appreciate your interest a lot T^T

Let me first tell you about baking: I baked only the plum pie recently, and it's already gone... But I plan to bake pumpkin muffins with orange cream soon :3

As for the questions:

1 - the last sentence you wrote

I've already answered this one a bit earlier here, but as I got around to answer your question, here's another sentences that I actually wrote the last one:

"I wonder, why can’t we notice… until we’ve lost it already?"

👀

4 - a story idea you haven’t written yet

Oh, I have this one story idea in my mind, based on this one art...

Can't say much without spoilering , but this story has some angsty development. Like, very angsty.

Other than this, it's also a story about how AruAni met and fell in love, so some kind of strangers to lovers, with a lot of immediate attraction and interest, all set in Switzerland, 1911.

The caption in the original post - "It was the love at first sight" - is a leitmotif of this whole story.

I've been thinking about it while working on this drawing, and I didn't consider writing it, but the more time passes - the more I think that, eventually, I'll write it...

5 - first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unpublished WIP

Uhm... Well, I think, the chapter 10 of MYLYSW counts for now, yes? If yes, so here we are:

"How to breathe without feeling the burden of the mission to be fulfilled; how to sleep without all the images of the world through the eyes of others; how to say a word without feeling obliged to remember a promise to come back; how to look at the sun and see in it the beauty of another day borning out of the velvet darkness of the night into the golden sunrise, and not to cross out another twenty-four hours out of one hundred and thirteen thousand nine hundred fifty-five hours of defined expiration of her."

Me and my damn love for the long sentences...

8 - if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

Oh, good question! I don't really have a lot of fics, but I think I would love to write for Neverland of (Our) Desires, the Fort Salta oneshot-sequel, where AruAni are caught in feelings and have an awkward-silly conversation about their boat *adventure*, with all these emotions and feelings of having the life ahead of them and not knowing what to do with it... Oh well, oh well, such a potential 🤌

12 - a trope you’re really into right now

Hm... Honestly, I've been into Forbidden Love or Star-crossed Lovers tropes recently...

It's quite canonical AruAni, to be honest, and I just love to think about it in different AUs and canon-compliant too, so yes, I would say these ones! And here a remark, that Forbidden Love/Star-crossed Lovers don't mean that it's a tragic ending - more like obstacles and a lot of angst, which challenge the characters and their love, and how it all develops within the plot.

14 - where do you get your inspiration?

You know, I thought I had a proper answer for it, but when I started typing it, I realized, that, in fact, I don't.

If I'm totally honest - I don't think I even have something special as "inspiration". I have ideas that pop up in my mind on their own, and then, I turn them into story or a moment in the fic, but I never particularly searched for it. I suppose, it's also a consequence of my constant art and literature involving, where I read/observe/study something, so I have this almost never-stopping source of new experience and knowledge, which leads to ideas and inspiration to create my own stories/drawings.

So, I think that my inspiration is constant studying and sources of knowledge.

15 - favorite weather for writing

Answered here :3

23 - pick three keywords that describe your writing

Moon, what a question *sigh*... Let's say:

evocative, raw and poetic

I thought of what to answer you on this particular question because it's a bit difficult for me to evaluate my own writing style, but I also remembered the words I received about it (including your wonderful feedback), and I guess, it helped me to pick these particular keywords.

27 - your favorite part of the writing process

Answered here, too :3

Thank you a lot for your interest and support, Moon, I wish you all the best and take care🖤

[azure-firecracker]

The X-Files Season 1 Review (First-Time Watcher)

(Any fans-please come talk to me about the show and send me asks-I’m obsessed!)

It did not take long for me to realize that this was going to become my newest hyperfixation show. It has everything I love in my shows-a strong focus on its main characters, campy sci-fi monsters mixed with some genuine creepiness, slow burn romance, banter. In short, it’s the perfect show for me. I was basically hooked right away.

Like all first seasons, it was pretty clear that the show was still finding its footing. There were some clunky bits to iron out and the show definitely found its vibe more and more as it went along. I would say it began getting overall more consistent around episode 10 (with individual exceptions before and after that).

In terms of episodes, I enjoyed almost all the episodes of this season even though I would only call a couple stellar. Most episodes were fun or at least had fun moments, and the banter between Mulder and Scully (what’s their ship name?) is enough to keep me going through even the clunkiest and cringiest plots.

Speaking of Mulder and Scully, it’s rare that a show can make me love two characters so equally but I really do. Although Scully is much more in line with my usual favorite characters (she is my special girl and I will do anything for her), I also have a special place in my heart for Mulder’s neurodivergent traumatized puppy energy. Of course they really go together so it’s natural that I love them both.

The only weighty criticism I have for this season is that I feel Mulder gets more spotlight moments than Scully. Not egregiously, but it feels like he’s usually the one in the final fight, seeing the aliens, figuring it out, etc. I do know that they were trying to break gender roles by making Scully the skeptic, but given that the aliens are so real…here at least she often came off as oblivious and she sometimes felt like she was tagging along on Mulder’s quests. Which SUCKS! Because I LOVE HER and she could be SO USEFUL if the writers LET HER. This is why I really loved the moments where she got to step up. Veteran viewers…want to tell me if this gets better?

That criticism aside, I could watch these two fight monsters for days, and I know the S2-S5/6 stretch is considered the show’s best, so I’m looking forward to that.

Individual episode reviews under the cut.

Pilot: Fantastic introduction! It did a great job establishing the characters and their dynamic pretty seamlessly, as well as introducing the alien lore in a way that we could digest. It wasn’t perfect and the story was a bit clunky at times, but it got me hooked and did its job well. I also liked Scully being the audience surrogate here. 8/10

Deep Throat: This episode really solidified the dynamic introduced in the pilot, and is packed with great character moments. It gets a HUGE boost from Scully exchanging the guard to rescue Mulder at the end. I mentioned living for the moments when Scully gets to step up, but I think it was necessary to put this moment so early. Because Scully is new to the X-Files and also clearly wrong about aliens, it was necessary to show us that she had a lot to bring to the table and that Mulder needs her. Also a special shoutout to Seth Green as a stoner. 9.5/10

Squeeze: A very fun monster of the week episode, slightly reminiscent of BtVS. Decently creepy with that 90s horror/sci-fi vibe we all love. Plus lots of great Mulder/Scully moments. (Also, despite my complaints about Scully being underutilized, I enjoyed Mulder saving Scully at the end. Rescuing one another from mortal peril is actually my favorite trope, as long as it’s balanced. In that regard, this season has been). 8/10

Conduit: Honestly this episode was a little slow for me, I felt like the pacing could have been better. I had a hard time staying interested. Also it was hilarious that this was supposed to be Iowa because Iowa does not have mountains like that. It gets a boost from the ending scene which in itself is a 100/10. 6/10

The Jersey Devil: Now this is campier and goofier than suits the show, and I feel like they realized that soon after this. The Mulder/Scully banter still made this a good time, but it wasn’t great. Also not helped by the fact that everything happened during the day (the only time in this show where the lighting was too bright) and the Jersey Devil looked like a normal person with some dust on her. 6/10

Shadows: I found the mystery of this one quite engaging. Back with those 90s horror vibes we love, and it kept me guessing right up until the agents figured it out. Negative points for the lack of Mulder/Scully banter though. 7/10

Ghost in the Machine: Was this cheesy? Yes. Was it objectively good? No. Did I enjoy it anyway? Yes. Who doesn’t love a killer computer? Also Scully crawling out of the vents was badass af. Objectively like a 6/10 but 7/10 for my personal enjoyment.

Ice: Now THIS was the stuff. An objectively great episode of television. The tension, the paranoia, the fallout, seeing what our leads do under that kind of stress…brilliant. (Although my dad the geologist couldn’t help but point out that there is no ice sheet in Alaska). Very tempted to write an alternate version where Mulder actually is infected and Scully has to find a cure before the others kill him. That would’ve been interesting. Anyway 10/10

Space: Apparently people don’t like this episode but I enjoyed it. It had a ticking time bomb feel that I quite enjoyed. Also Mulder’s space nerdiness was adorable. 8/10

Fallen Angel: Similar to Conduit, this episode felt rather slow to me despite the fact that there was a lot happening. It just sort of failed to hook me, which is a rarity for this show. 6/10

Eve: This was FUN! I love when we get to unravel the mystery along with the agents and the plot twists definitely kept me guessing. Props to the child actors who did a great job. I did get thrown off by the many parallels to Stranger Things-even though this obviously came out first. 8/10

Fire: Once I got over my anger at sharing a name with Mulder’s horrendous ex, I liked this one. Both Mulder and Scully got good character moments here, with Mulder trying to shield Scully from all his drama and also showing one of his flaws-he’s susceptible to manipulation. Scully, conversely, was really the MVP of this episode and carried the investigation on her back. Also props to our bad guy of the week-great job being creepy! 7.5/10

Beyond the Sea: Immaculate. Probably my favorite episode of the season. Scully burying her grief in work and Mulder being gentler with her than he’s ever been. Scully’s family lore reveal. Both of them going toe to toe with this killer (forgot his name) and not knowing what to believe. Mulder getting shot and Scully getting FURIOUS. Scully’s complicated relationship forming with this killer while she also thinks about her father (rather reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs). Cinema. 10/10

Genderbender: So we have gender switching aliens who kill people…I’ll give the show overall a pass since it’s 1994 but I will not be revisiting this one. Extra points for Mulder yelling GET OFF OF HER at the guy who’s working his weird magic on Scully. Minus points for him blaming her for it after. 2.5/10

Lazarus: So we got panicked Scully 2 episodes ago and now we get panicked Mulder and it is GLORIOUS. I also found all 3 side characters-Scully’s ex as well as both criminals, interesting, especially as Scully’s ex began to mix with the bad guy. Minus points for not shooting the bank robber until after he started shooting up a room full of civilians, extra points for Mulder being great this entire episode. 9/10

Young at Heart: Episodes with creepy killers are always my favorite, and I loved seeing Mulder get toyed with. Reverse aging science…eh it’s not the main point. Minus points for the worst plan ever (let’s invite the killer into a crowded area and let him shoot at Scully even though apparently her bulletproof vest barely saved her), but extra points for Mulder angst. This man has so much guilt. 9/10

E.B.E: Honestly the plot of this one wasn’t super interesting but that’s not what we’re here for is it? Every Mulder and Deep Throat interaction? Perfect. Scully’s little « the truth is out there, but so are lies » speech? Immaculate. The ending where Deep Throat reveals his backstory and Mulder says « I’m trying to decide which lie to believe? » Cinema. 9.5/10

Miracle Man: A bit of a letdown after such a strong streak, but still solid. Pretty good! And I admired that they had the guts to kill the kid too. 6.5/10

Shapes: Another fun 90s horror episode, HEAVY on the BtVS vibes. And it actually dealt with all of the Native American issues better than I thought it would! Not necessarily well in every aspect, but I was expecting much worse considering Genderbender. 7.5/10

Darkness Falls: Y’all this was GOOD! I loved the sense of impending doom that was just present the whole time, and the melancholic feel of the entire thing. Minus points for the anti-environmentalist sentiments and for the blatant plot armor at the end (they really should have died…but then there wouldn’t be a show). 9/10

Tooms: While Tooms being let out on parole was a bit of a stretch, I enjoyed seeing Mulder stretched to his limit. He’s a good character to do that with. Tooms was an even better villain here than in Squeeze imo, because his craftiness really got to shine through. Huge bonus points for the scene in the car. « Mulder, I wouldn’t put myself on the line for anybody but you. » I’M DEAD. 8.5/10

Born Again: The most memorable parts of this episode for me were the thick fake New York accents and the fact that the kid was named Michelle so I kept quoting Derry Girls in my terrible fake Derry accent the whole time. 5/10

Roland: This was the only episode I hated. I could barely get through any Roland scenes-I thought the autism portrayal was clunky and unnecessary and I just don’t want to watch autistic people suffer. It pained me. There wasn’t even any Mulder/Scully banter to salvage it. In fact, it seemed they were barely in the episode at all. It gets half a point because Scully looked really pretty this episode. 0.5/10

The Erlenmeyer Flask: Now this was GOOD STUFF. I feel like since we know the aliens are there and there’s less mystery, alien-focused episodes so far have been slower and I’ve liked them less but THIS kept the pace up and the mystery going throughout. I was fully hooked. I was also WORRIED for Mulder at the end-I thought we were getting a season cliffhanger! And those chemical burns looked BAD. And I DID NOT expect Deep Throat to die OR for them to get shut down. Where the heck are they gonna go from here? I love it. My favorite thing about this episode was really getting back into Scully’s headspace for the last 10 minutes or so. With some exceptions, I feel like a lot of the season has been shown through Mulder’s eyes (part of my gripe from earlier), but the pilot was 100% Scully and circling back to her here felt right. I also liked that she had to do another hostage exchange-a parallel to the first time she really showed why Mulder needs her. So much to love here. 10/10

Idk how many txf fans I have here aside from my one post that made the rounds, but if you’re here congratulations for making it through my essay! Let me know if you’d like any more thoughts/analyses, and if you’d like shorter, episodic posts when it comes time for Season 2:)

[bookofmirth]

what do you think about ppl saying that the cauldron is corrupt means that maybe the elucien bond is indeed “fake” and that the trove trope links Azriel with Elain and that would be their plot

It's honestly funny that people are acting like they gained new information that somehow changes anything about mating bonds. All we really got in hofas is further confirmation that sjm is going to give everyone and their dog a mating bond, that it never goes away, and that mating bond = endgame. All of which we knew.

Setting aside the fact that that would supposedly be their plot - despite all of the actual world-threatening info they learned in hofas - let's talk about the cauldron.

We already knew that the Cauldron had been "corrupted". In acomaf, the Bone Carver tells Rhys and Feyre this:

“Long ago, before the High Fae, before man, there was a Cauldron … They say all the magic was contained inside it, that the world was born in it. But it fell into the wrong hands. And great and horrible things were done with it. Things were forged with it. Such wicked things that the Cauldron was eventually stolen back at great cost.

So this is not news. Why are they just now deciding that it means something?

Speaking of this reason, since Rhys knew in acomaf that the Cauldron was corrupted, and if every mating bond could be suspect because of that, then it stands to reason that none of them would be so hyped about mating bonds. Every character would be much more suspicious if they got one, and you know that Tamlin would be looking to delegitimize Feyre and Rhys's. But they aren't acting on that assumption, that the Cauldron is giving them something that is corrupt. If Rhys didn't know this info before talking to the Bone Carver, then he would have looked into it, knowing that Feyre was supposedly his mate. However, learning this info did nothing to keep Rhys from thinking that his bond was every bit as valid as he'd thought it was before. Feyre didn't warn either of her sisters, "hey, your bonds might be fake"??? If that information was supposed to be have implications for mating bonds, we haven't seen a single character act on that. For years in book time, and through a few mating bonds.

2. If the Cauldron were randomly making mating bonds, then we'd have to consider a few things, namely that it puts the validity of every single mating bond in acotar into question. Are we really going to go out here and say that chapter 54 of acomaf is meaningless? That Nesta and Cassian may as well cancel that mating ceremony because what's the point?

3. We don't know where mating bonds come from. Rhys, who knows more about the world besides anyone other than Amren, doesn't know where they come from. Rhys says maybe the Mother, maybe the Cauldron, but the fact is that the mating bond comes from SJM because she decides that when a couple is going to be endgame, she makes them mates.

4. If a person had used the cauldron to create a fake elucien mating bond, then... who? Why would they do that? They've been mates for 2+ years in book time and literally nothing has come of it? No one gives a fuck that Elain and Lucien are mates.

5. Mating bonds are from birth. It has been stated multiple times. It didn't happen because Elain went into the cauldron. It gets stronger when the sisters are Made and come across the wall, but it existed before that.

6. SJM has told us exactly what happens when a mating bond is rejected. In fact, from HOFAS, when Hunt was talking to Baxian about Danika:

“It was a potential minefield, to bring up his dead mate. To lose a mate was to lose half of your soul; to live without them was torture.”

From acomaf:

you were in love with another male, and had destroyed yourself to save him, and that … that I didn’t care. If you were going to die, I was going to die with you.

From acofas:

I still saw that moment, in my sleeping and waking dreams. How his face had looked, how his chest had not risen, how the bond between us had shredded into ribbons. I still felt it, that hollowness in my chest where the bond had been, where he had been. Even now, with that bond again flowing between us like a river of star-flecked night, the echo of its vanishing lingered. Drew me from sleep; drew me from a conversation, a painting, a meal.

7. She has also talked about mating bonds in the highest praise; here are some examples.

Mating bonds = endgame in sjm world. She creates them because she wants that couple to be together. It's really that simple.

[a-usernamelol]

Some Allan and his dad writing vomit

I was bored, somewhat in a bad mood and wanted a pick me up, so I wrote two pages worth of no plot, pure softness, happy Allan after being adopted by @the-chaotic-scilla-aster original character Milo Sullivan Calix, or just Calix, as Allan usually knows him by. Keep in mind I have not checked this for grammer or spelling mistakes because I kind of made this in the spark of the moment, so honestly grammer wise it’s probably terrible LMAO Enjoy my delulu bs lol

Gold rays of sunshine poured through the window, forcing all in its path to bask in its supposed glory. The rug shone ever brighter in the warmth, each strand reaching up into its light much like glowing plants. The table was firmer in the light, standing tall so the wood might reflect the light in its glory. 

Allan, on the other hand, had squeezed himself and a blanket into a shadow against the wall, where the light didn’t reach, curled up in a pile of pillows on the couch, comfortably snuggled away in his little fortress. He had the blanket wrapped around every part of him, feet holding it down and his lip’s gently cuddled against the warmth, as if some great wind would rip it away in an instant. 

He was so small, for someone who could be considered tall. His knees were pulled up against his chest in a way that couldn’t possibly be comfortable for more than an hour, yet he had been in that position throughout the night. 

Then, his silence was interrupted by light steps wandering over, someone much larger and stronger than him, who chuckled at the sight of the boy curled up into nothing. He sat down next to the pile of pillows and reached over to pet the pink hair that glittered reflections of the light, defiant to the boy’s wants of shadow. 

Allan stayed perfectly still, as if trying to fake his own death, trying to ignore the fingers pleasantly brushing his hair, hoping to wake him up gently. Eventually Allan took notice that they weren’t going away and he grumbled pathetically, squeezing himself closer into his blanket, which only made the stocky old man laugh and reach over and pull him up a bit by the shoulders, which in turn only made Allan complain more.

“Get up, the sun has risen and so must you, you comfy thing.” Calix cooed gently as Allan dragged the blanket against his mouth again, the pillows he had so meticulously built around himself tumbling onto the floor in a great ploof of stuffing. 

“You have a room you know.” The old man continued, causing Allan to grumble once more.

“I was comfy.” He bemoaned.

“That, I gathered.” Calix messed up Allan’s carefully combed hair by mussing it with his gigantic palm. Allan squinted in mock irritation. 

“Come. I made eggs on toast.” Calix continued, getting up from the couch, causing Allan to feel the couch shift. Allan defiantly plopped back down, as if to fall asleep again. Calix let out a loud laugh, and turned to walk to the kitchen. He looked behind him at the tiny mass of blankets.

“Well I can give your plate to your beast friends, if you're not hungry.” At Calix’s empty threat, Allan seemed to gain motivation and- still complaining- he got up and stood up, immediately getting bombarded with the sunlight and blinking to keep it out of his eyes while he adjusted. He huffed and wandered over to meet Calix by the kitchen table, immediately being met with Coin, one of his many nifflers, eating scrambled eggs from a small bowl. He raised an eyebrow.

“The little one heard me cooking and seemed to want a share.” Calix explained, Allan shrugging as he sat down at the table. 

“I s’pose he got out of the pen then.” He sighed. Ever since he had moved to Italy to live with his newfound father he had had difficulties figuring out living situations for his many beast friends. Firestarter, his Phoenix, had been the easiest. He had a perch with grasses and toys in Allan’s own room, connected to the wall. Allan’s many nifflers were kept in a pen outside. He had been forced to part ways with Highwing, eventually just giving her to Poppy and her grandmother to take care of, and The Lord Of The Shore had stayed with Poppy as well (much to her delight). He had given up his two puffskeins and various magical birds besides Firestarter to Professor Howin, who promised to give them good homes away from poacher activities. It broke his heart that he could no longer keep as many pets as he once did, but he reminded himself that they all had good homes where they would never be hurt by poachers, and that they would lead better lives than if they had stayed with him, cramped in a pen.

Still, even if it was to his dismay, it was for the better as he had a home now. Someone who wanted to take care of him like family. A guardian. He would have to track down the hole in the fence the nifflers kept getting into. It was getting most irritating to take care of their escape plots. 

He sighed and took a bite of his breakfast, the bread squishing under the pressure of his teeth and cleanly coming apart into crumbs. He sighed happily. It felt nice to have something fresh that wasn’t made by bound hands like at Hogwarts, but rather by someone openly offering to care for him. He felt loved. And it was nice.

Calix sat down across from him at the table and smiled as he watched Allan’s pleased expression.

“It’s good, I take it then?” Calix chuckled, sounding pleased at Allan’s happiness. Allan nodded in reply as he tasted the egg and practically melted inside. He leaned against the table and watched Coin sniff out its bowl after only taking seconds to eat its contents. Allan could see the vivid display of disappointment and so he ripped off part of his toast and held it out to the niffler, who took it in his tiny paws and immediately started eating it in gulps. 

Calix chuckled as he watched Allan affectionately take care of the small beast as he himself finally began digging into his own meal.

“No wonder you have such a knack for beasts if you take care of them like that all the time.” Calix smiled as he skewered a piece of egg with his fork.

“I spoil them.” Allan hummed as he distractedly watched Coin happily dig into the bread. Calix watched for a moment, soaking in the sight of Allan leaning his chin against his palm and holding himself up so he could happily watch Coin eat.

“Good.” Calix nodded, thinking to himself for a moment. “Best to show your love for them not only to gain their favor but also their friendship. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that make it the clearest, son.” 

Allan hummed softly, watching Coin finish the bread and he smiled, looking over at Calix with the sweetest expression, his violet eyes glittering with the light of the sun. He seemed so happy, and so very loved.

[fencecollapsed]

Just watched your video on grace chastity, really good stuff!! I never thought of her that way, but she is honestly so compelling now. Was wondering, in your video you seemed to express you didn’t like parts of npmd? I’m personally not a huge fan of parts of it either, even if I love other parts. Would you be willing to share your thoughts on this?

hi! I'm glad you enjoyed the video, thank you! <3

yeah I can share some thoughts, I have a lot haha

so my biggest problem with NPMD is that I simply do not care about the Lautski plot thread. I think it's boring! I think their relationship in this story is hollow and bland and not emotionally engaging, which is a problem when the emotional climax of the story is staked on them. and I know it works for a lot of people, Lautski became one of the biggest HF ships after NPMD's wide release. I don't wanna discredit that, but I just don't see it.

I don't care about this relationship. the two weeks they have to hang out freely without Max's interference happens offstage during a timeskip and we don't get to see them at the football game together. the only scene they have one-on-one together in act two before CAITIA Reprise is them pretending they don't like each other. the show gives me very little to root for in terms of their dynamic and chemistry other than their first banter-y interaction at the beginning, and even then I think their first interaction is better in Abstinence Camp.

I have a big bias for Abstinence Camp Lautski, I think their chemistry is significantly more believable and charming in that story. they don't spend half of it pretending they're not into each other, for one. it's cuter, and we actually see more of their dynamic. just works better imo. I think their plotline in NPMD would work better if they were written more closely to the AC appearance.

Lautski basically splits main plotline spotlight with Grace's story, and because I'm so much more invested in Grace's story it sometimes feels like a waste of time whenever we snap back to the romance. mainly near the end - I don't think it's a huge problem throughout, honestly. but CAITIA Reprise is supposed to be like, THE big emotional moment of the story, this huge climax where we think Pete will die. and it does absolutely nothing for me! I feel nothing during that scene, I never have. and I understand the intent behind it, yknow? I understand the misdirection, and if it works for you emotionally then I'm sure it's really effective and that's great. but for me, because Grace's sacrifice is the one that actually happens and we spend all that time dealing with Steph and Pete's emotions rather than hers, it just feels a teeny weeny bit disappointing. like that time could've gone into a little exploration for Grace's thought process. I can pick up on the implications that lead to her ending, it's not difficult, but it would be nice to be shown some of that stuff too, dyou know what I mean?

it's just gonna inherently affect my opinion of the show when I don't particularly care about one of the two main storylines hgjskf

I think the Grace plot thread is extremely strong though. all things considered. she carries the show for me and she carries it so well that it makes up for the weaker elements. honestly better than the strong parts of Black Friday imo - I think BF has more to work with but it fumbles the bag more because the focus is spread thinner. both higher highs and lower lows. NPMD is still a more satisfying watch to me because the Grace story is so strong, while BF never feels like it quite comes together or gets the best use out of all its characters and ideas.

neither of them are as strong or satisfying as TGWDLM though. that show has a masterful balance of all its emotional throughlines and all of the characters get their proper amount of exploration for the story. even parts I don't particularly care about never feel like they're getting too much focus that it's distracting. it works the best at what it does, I think.

anyway yeah that's my main thing. I don't think NPMD Lautski is very well-developed and I'm not invested in their part of the story. it takes away from my enjoyment of the whole a little. also I don't love the barbecue monologues segment and Just For Once, I think that whole part is too long but that's more of a preference thing. I've read the positive analysis pieces on Just For Once, I totally get the intent and I don't even think it's objectively unsuccessful. I just think whether or not you like that song has a lot to do with if it emotionally resonates with you, personally. it does not resonate for me so I don't really care for it. just doesn't hit. that's just me though!

[couldpolyamorysavethem]

NAGISA KASHIWAGI, MAKI SHIJO, and TSUBASA TANUMA from KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR

Justification:

"man. MAN. MANNNNNNNN. those three idiots (affectionate)! they're perhaps one of the most unbelievably frustrating side-plot love triangles I know about, for one singular reason: literally so many of their repetitive problems would easily be resolved if they could just realize that polyamory is an option!!

and don't get me wrong, I could honestly say about the same about a lot of love triangles in media in general to varying extents, but these three in particular are especially ATROCIOUS at this, because for hundreds of chapters they are just stuck in this perpetually stagnant state of "Maki being the jealous sad tragic angry third wheel to the sickening sweet little love-dovey couple Nagisa and Tsubasa, her best friend and the boy she likes respectively", except the moment you look at some of the things between them, you realize that polyam is the only thing that makes sense for them!! if only it would occur to them this is something they can do!!

for context, just look at their freaking relationship:

Tsubasa and Nagisa: As a sickeningly sweet side-character couple, they are always very lovey-dovey, clingy and handsy with each other. Tsubasa is the one who first confessed to Nagisa, with a kabedon to express the crush he has had on her. Nagisa agreed to go out, but wasn't sure that she actually felt any romantic feelings for him except through her possessiveness/jealousy of him when it comes to the idea of Tsubasa being with anyone else. Their relationship continued to develop, with Tsubasa altering himself to suit Nagisa's liking, and they gradually become a very physical couple who can't keep their hands off each other. Maki always watches them in great pain and jealousy, because she is in love with Tsubasa, but her affection and loyalty for her best friend ultimately always prevents her from trying to destroy their relationship.

Nagisa and Maki: Childhood best friends who really care about each other to this day. Ever since they first met, Nagisa has been really admiring of Maki's everything, her intelligence, strength and kindness. Nagisa strongly desires to be like Maki, causing her to imitate her every move and develop interest in things Maki likes. (Maki says it's actually kind of cute in a way, when mentioning it, Nagisa's always going "Maki, Maki, Maki") In fact, it is specifically because Maki likes Tsubasa and Nagisa saw them getting along and Tsubasa being so nice and kind to her beloved friend Maki despite Maki's sometimes difficult personality, that Nagisa even started to become interested in Tsubasa at all to begin with. During the Hearts festival at their school (a festival themed after hearts and everlasting romantic love), Maki is sulking as usual at all the happy dancing couples when Nagisa approaches her, inviting her to dance, saying she wants to dance with her because "you're supposed to dance with the person you like most" in response to Maki telling her to go dance with her boyfriend, and further affirming her love for Maki by giving a clear "of course" to Maki's question as to if Nagisa likes her more than she likes her boyfriend. Internally Maki remarks that Nagisa is the one person she just can't bring herself to hate.

(As a side note, Nagisa is actually generally implied to be attracted to girls as well in some other chapters. Also, Nagisa says that until she finds out Maki likes Tsubasa, she had actually never imagined that Maki had the capacity to fall for anyone. All things considered, it's incredibly easy to interpret her as being in love with Maki all along on top of liking her sweet boyfriend as well, and just never thought she had a chance with her and thus never made any attempt to pursue Maki.)

When Nagisa finally finds out near the end that Maki has been in love with Tsubasa all this time Nagisa was dating him, she is horrified to realize that her "devout admiration" to Maki has ironically ended up hurting "the one she loved so much" (canon narration; referring to Maki), and dumps Tsubasa that day despite being very sad and crying a lot over it; she does love Tsubasa after all. When Maki goes to confront Nagisa about it (as Maki has a good guess as to why she did that), Nagisa explains it's a choice for her between Maki and Tsubasa, and between them she chooses Maki. Maki vehemently goes against Nagisa's decision and yells at her that she would never let Nagisa suffer in her place like that, and swears with her hand cupping Nagisa's cheeks that she wants Nagisa to stay by her side and watch her get over Tsubasa and move and, and Nagisa will be there to see her pull through it all. Nagisa tears up and blushes, thinking that the girl she has admired for so long is still just as smart, strong, and kind as the girl she first looked up to all those years ago (exact words from the narrator; combined with her expression and the glowing background, this panel is very romantic). She concedes and says "in the end, you are still the one I love the most".

TL;DR: Nagisa has always loved Maki more than anyone, and she also clearly loves Tsubasa; and for her, both affections are intertwined very deeply. Maki is hopelessly in love with Tsubasa and also deeply loves Nagisa, and is burdened by these conflicting emotions (she can't bring herself to hate Nagisa and she wants to love her friend without jealousy over the crush getting in her way). Tsubasa is just head over heels for Nagisa as before, even after dating her passionately for a year, and he also loves Maki at least as a good friend. Polyamory won't solve all their problems immediately and some issues with jealousy might remain, but it'd be a wonderful start and an immense improvement from all the stagnation and pain!! ahh save them polyamory save them" - Anonymous

[mdhwrites]

The Owl House's Problem with Genre

So this is more a general lesson of: You are supposed to set your expectations for something by the genre set forth by it. If you're consuming a tragedy, you need to understand that fundamental flaws in who a character is are going to doom the entire cast. That doom is inevitable for them by who they are as people. However, if a RomCom tries to pull the same trick for angst and sadness, that's when you get the Third Act Breakup in both its good and infuriating incarnates because, well, it's two genres about joy more than pain.

So what does this have to do with The Owl House? Well, it's something that I struggle with as a writer myself because I can blend genres some and that makes it hard to entirely quantify what genre a work is in. TOH has a problem where the genre will often shift between various episodes.

Like let's look at the first episode. Pretty firmly, that is a comedy adventure. It's got some fun jokes tying into the problem, the action is silly and the powers are a bit goofy to play up the comedy even as they're in danger and the show is telling a lot of jokes pretty rapidly.

Jump over just two episodes though and you have the first episode with a comedy B plot. Sure, Eda and King are having a comedy adventure of sorts but Luz? That one is magical slice of life. It's somewhat comedic but calling it an adventure feels a bit like a stretch. Yes there's a fight eventually but it's much more about the societal issue presented and making friends with some cute banter that you'd expect from a light hearted show. The fight is barely a fight and is over quickly so it just... comes across as something you'd see in any magical school show. Not necessarily bad but not in the genre TOH claims to be. Covention is very similar where there's not actually any real adventure element as it just does some world building until its fight scene mostly. Even then, besides a quip, the fight itself isn't funny.

And mind you, SOME genre blending is actually a good thing. A comedy knowing when to slow down for a serious moment is good. Times for a party to breathe in town can lead to great chances for sides of characters you otherwise wouldn't see. There's a genuine back and forth to be had there.

But it shouldn't ALWAYS be contrasting like that, especially with your main character. Luz actually has VERY little to do with the comedy side of the show. Almost always, there's a moment or two in an episode but the majority of the comedy is either through comic relief characters or explicitly through the B plots. She does just enough comedy to get her character across (which is part of why it fades from her so much in S2B) but no more. Sometimes, she's even gone from the adventure elements too because Luz is too caught up in romance or drama or slice of life stuff to even be put in peril, or isn't until the very end. Like Hunting Palisman has a couple cute jokes but it's mostly a serious affair... except for giving Hunter shit. Otherwise, the show honestly treats Luz mostly seriously. She isn't funny to me as much as she is cute when it comes to how she's trying to express herself which is fine for an adventure, much more questionable for something specifically branded as a COMEDY adventure.

But if it's not the greatest comedy, what genre fits TOH? Was it just listed wrong? Well, pretty much EVERY genre falls into this sort of problem with TOH. It's not a great slice of life because it's not inventive enough to make many of these situations interesting. It's most archtypical episodes are considered some of its worst. It's not a great adventure because the action is pretty meh most of the time and there is zero threat to the main characters so there's no tension. No threat/tension means it's also not good horror. It spends a LOT of time on romance but all of its romances are bland and samey and when they are together as a couple, they often struggle to do anymore than fluff. As a drama, there's never any consequences to anything so the angst feels hollow as it just makes an episode feel bad then moves on. And finally, as a fantasy show, its magic is really basic, kind of boring and there's nothing unique to its world or rules that don't make it feel like it's not just the modern world with more teeth and that's not great fantasy.

The best stories know what they aren't as much they know what they are. Genre blending is a good thing but there's a point at which you're just a composite sludge. Master at nothing, impressive at little.

And there is no genre TOH impresses with.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[cerseimikaelson]

HI I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH THE PLOT FOR WOTG AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DISCUSS MY FAN THEORIES WITH SO HERE ARE MINEEE:

Since the plot is taking place over halloween week, we might get trio in costumes, either as a part of the quest to outsmart a monster or something, or as a satisfying ending to a hard quest

Annabeth's architecture skills will def shine while they're reconstructing hecate's mansion (hopefully we get more of annabeths supposed fanclub)

Since the description starts with the three of them settling into Hecate's huge mansion, there will definitely be fun times of them living together and percy will DEFINITELY have a "i cant wait to do this in our future when we're old" moment

People have been debating on the UK cover of the books. some say annabeth looks black. some say that its just like that bc of the shadows, but i saw someone say that it might be HAZEL because of the purple looking shirt and she's black and shes definitely going to be involved in the story because she is associated with gale the polecat and hecate herself (so hazel is the old friend whos gonna make an appearance)

For the new friends??? i have honestly no idea but im gonna go with a new hecate kid like blanche in cotg

I'd love to hear your opinions and your fan theories as well!!

Heyyyy finally a fellow WOTG fan!

First of all HALLOWEEN. I definitely think Annabeth has never been trick or treating before (as a result of her not having a great childhood, running away and living at Camp Half Blood since she was seven) and Percy is going to be on a mission to fix it. I can't wait to see Percy's memories of Halloween (what he dressed up as, what Sally did to make it special) and probably the quest will end with the trio eating candy or something.

Hecate's mansion is the PERFECT Halloween setting. She is the goddess of magic and dabbles in potions and enchantments. What better place to celebrate Halloween than a gigantic mansion with hidden rooms and trapdoors and magical labs and whatever. Of course the trio will demolish the house in seconds and will have to rebuild it (Cat in the Hat anyone?)

PERCABETH petsittting!!!!!

The old friends might be Hazel, considering Hecate is her mentor, sounds like the person to call for tips on how not to piss her off. But she will probably be at Camp Jupiter, so she probably won't make a physical appearance. Maybe in an Iris Message when the trio calls her in a panic.

New friends.... I truly think Alabaster Torrington might be it. Or a completely new character, probably related to animals of some kind, considering they will be looking for a mastiff and a polecat all over New York. All gods have animals as sacred symbols, is there anyone whose domain is more relevant to them? Demeter, maybe?

We will probably get some more Percy and Poseidon interaction, those are always cute (in an awkward, I have no clue what to say kind of way).

That's pretty much it, I think. Thank you for the ask bestie. Did you read the Chalice of the Gods? Any thoughts?

[generalluxun]

You say that 'Strong Female Characters' are rarely allowed to struggle. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? How much can a person struggle and still be called a “strong character”? Is the common standard in mainstream fiction different between men and women? Is Felix a strong character? Is Gabriel a strong character? What about Andre Bourgeois? I’ve got a feeling Astruc considers Andre a strong character.

Felix is not a strong character. He is a Wiley powerbroker, but we saw the moment things didn't go his way he folded like a deck of cards in front of Adrien and Kagami in Emotion and had a breakdown.

Andre is a sack of meat and little more.

Gabriel is... strong in a sense? the show is very inconsistent on this front. It has taken time, planning, willpower, and determination to preserve his wife and become hawkmoth in the first place. Facing setback after setback and continuing on, also takes strength. S5 kind of goes all over with him in a messy way though so in the end it's. 🤷‍♀️

Marinette is supposed to be the 'Strong Female Character' in the show. She has all the earmarks of the old stereotype. She is good at all things, she plows through and always ends up winning. Her mistakes are trivialized and her victories amplified. This is a shame because honestly, a Marinette who struggled a little more would be a heck of a lot more compelling(seen in the movie and in lots of fanfiction)

But wait! you say, she struggles a lot! Her struggles are all self-inflicted, and while self inflicted struggles are valid, they can't be the *only* struggles someone faces. No one was ever a serious 'threat' to her love story with Adrien. Kagami was allowed to get in the way for one whole episode (and this after Marinette herself had Luka waiting in the wings) Adienette was just waiting for the train to arrive at the station. On the super side there was some build up of tension early on, but when the main char's power is 'Win the battle with this thing' it's hard to heap too much tension. Not only that S5 very quickly turned losing all the Miraculous into just the status quo of one akuma at a time. *They were fighting Monarch with paintball guns and winning* No stakes.

Before Emotion/Pretension I would have said Kagami qualifies as a strong character. She struggles in love and friendship, but she works and tries to find a path through. Her greatest enemy in love is also one of her first friends. How's that for a challenge? Watching how she interacted with the adrienette dynamic from day 1 up to Protection was great. THEN she got foisted off onto Felix as a prize and sold out Ladybug. Girl deserved better.

There are plenty of strong female characters (which is different than 'Strong female character') in other media though. Adora, Luz, Willow just to name a couple off the top of my head.

The problem with finding them in ML is that the plot tends to jerk them around randomly. Like, I would like to say Ms. Bustier, because she holds to an ideal and does work to keep to it until the end. But she also ignored one of her students doing zero work in her class for multiple years. That's... not good. That is what makes you think the strength might be vapid apathy instead. See how hard this is?

Oh hey! Duh, Alya! Alya is definitely a strong character. I mean, she's the one who gets Marinette on her feet. She threads this path of upholding her morals while tempering them with reality. She doesn't hide behind 'identity rules' to avoid tough decisions. She *trusts* people, though it can be a risk. She helps those around her whenever she can. Yes she's stuck holding the idiot ball for plot purposes now and then, but it's so blatant when it happens I can't count it against her.

[utilitycaster]

I know the unpopular opinions meme finished ages ago, but id love to hear yours on Chetney, especially given the uthodurn arc. I suppose for more specific direction since thats quite a broad ask, what would you say is the fandom interpretation of Chetney’s character, and how does your opinion/interpretation of him differ and why?

Absolutely - and questions like this one are always welcome!

I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by the fandom response to Chetney this week, which was by and large positive. But with that in mind I think that honestly, it's hard to pin down a definitive fandom interpretation of Chetney's character! Some of this is probably the circles in which I engage and what people put in the main tag, but I think at this point people who felt he was comic relief or a shallow joke or "just couldn't get him!" have either quietly adjusted their expectations or have left the fandom, or have always been people only watching for one character and ignored him from the start.

So I think the thing that differs in my opinion, to be honest, is just that like....I've never reduced him to mere comic relief? Like, he's an extremely funny and ridiculous character, but he showed a great deal of emotional depth from early on; if you didn't pick that up from his rapid turnaround on Dorian it's pretty much impossible to miss in his quiet conversation in the Heartmoor or the way he takes FCG's also ridiculous backstory about Shithead completely in earnest. These two things, as I've mentioned many a time before, are not in conflict! I think Chetney definitely skews far more comedic than, say, Fjord; or obviously more so than other Bells Hells party members Imogen; but like, comedy, tragedy, and horror are all connected by the same tissue, separated only by timing, perspective, and expectation. We know Travis can do a ridiculous character with heavy plot beats as we've seen with Grog; we also know that sometimes the funniest jokes come from more serious characters (again, I think an underrated moment of hilarity in C2 was Caleb's early "you look like a nerd").

It's very narrow and not terribly smart to box characters into a tiny contained archetype with no room to spread out, and Travis is particularly good among the cast at creating characters who defy those boxes. Chetney is an old weirdo with a high voice who says truly preposterous things; he is also someone whose life took an unexpectedly sharp slide downward following an impulsive decision, and who then, improbably, found that what many would consider rock bottom was in fact one of the greatest things that ever happened to him. He's incredibly passionate about what he loves, and vocal about what he dislikes, and deceptively insightful, and has a strong sense of justice and a remarkably good sense of how far he can push people with his over-the-top bravado without wearing out his welcome. He's even (heavily implied to be) bisexual.

I also think, and here's where "oh shit we need to catch up on the entire campaign on the Bells Hells page on the wiki" is really benefiting me, people underestimate how quietly instrumental Chetney is in many of Bells Hells decisions. He was not just the person to clock Dusk, but also the person to broker the compromise; he served as one of the more levelheaded party members following the disastrous fight with Otohan; he's consistently been the one to ask Imogen to actually consider her relationship with her powers; he was the one who convinced Delilah that she needed them leading Delilah to give Laudna a moment; and it was ultimately his idea to fly the skyship into the key. As of this level, he literally is the brains of the operation, with a +3 INT modifier to Orym, Ashton, and Laudna's +1 (and Imogen's +0 and Fearne and FCG's -1's). He has an overblown public sense of pride, but is remarkably willing to set his ego aside when he is not the focus. And for all he loves being a werewolf, he also does take responsibility for the harm he has done without wallowing in guilt. (Not that exploring guilt isn't valid as well, but I think Chet's approach is an admirable trait).

To be honest I think anyone who's not on board with Chet is uncomfortable with those final notes. Either they're one of the stragglers still on their "but Grog had a 6 INT and despite having five entire years to get over this during which Travis has consistently played characters with at least a +2 to INT, I shall not change my perception" bullshit, or, more realistically, are uncomfortable with the fact that Chetney (and, on a meta level, Travis as a player) both without hesitation will take the lead when appropriate or needed, but also will step aside when the narrative is not about him with absolutely no ego or resentment. I think that last bit really throws people off, especially people of the 'if the show cannot be interpreted as secretly centering my blorbo at all times I'm going to go into my tantrum hole' persuasion.

[mislamicpearl]

3Below and Wizards in Retrospect

You know, even though the Tales of Arcadia fandom generally considers 3Below the weakest out of the three series, after watching it again I gotta say, that's giving it too much discredit! In regards to pacing, humor, and atmosphere, it's got a lot more in common with Trollhunters than Wizards did, and even if it might've been a bit more on the sillier side for some people it still had the same amount of heart as Trollhunters as well - the same way I came to love the Trollhunters as a team and family unit, so did I come to love Aja, Krel, Varvatos, Stuart, and even Mother and the robot parents. Aja and Krel especially are such a precious pair of siblings, I love how they bicker and argue over silly things but always look out for one another.

The only thing I could say I didn't like about the show was Colonel Kubritz. My gosh what a stupid annoying hypocritical b*tch! None of her actions made sense and I just wanted her to die every time she was onscreen. Easily my most hated villain in the whole franchise.

As for Wizards, I was right with people in thinking the show was too fast-paced when I first watched it, and I do still wish that it'd been given more episodes. But now it's just 'cause I would have really liked to sit with the show for a bit longer! After seeing it again, I'm honestly incredibly impressed with how much they packed into it without sacrificing any of the great characterization, development, and world-building that I've come to expect from this franchise. While it is technically fast, it didn't feel like it - there was never a point where I thought "oh wait, we're doing this now?" and that might be due to me already having seen the show (though I did forget a lot of the details), but even with that I think the episodes flowed very nicely into each other. Characters were given slower moments to express themselves and their fears, and each next step of the plot was made clear and had a logic behind it. So I think the difference between a show being short and fast rather than being fast-paced is that you always know where you are with the characters and plot.

Now unlike 3Below, which could be viewed without having seen Trollhunters, Wizards doesn't have light filler episodes (which contrary to most people's complaints about them are sometimes essential in a plot-driven show), or a self-contained story, and doesn't really stand well on its own like either of its predecessors - but it didn't really need to. It's a long movie-sequel to Trollhunters focusing on a different area of the story, specifically its history and magic.

And that's cool! Sure I would have liked a third self-contained story about Douxie and new wizard characters (I know the Zoe character was originally supposed to be a deuteragonist alongside him and I do wish we could've seen more of her and tech wizardry), but the show still did a good job making him a likable protagonist, as well as give us a few new characters to love like Deya and Lancelot. The only thing I would nitpick about the show is that I'm not too big on how much of a shift there was with Morgana, who was the big final boss in Trollhunters but is now shown to be on the good side. Like, at least it could've been mentioned before that she used to be an advocate for magical creatures before she fell into dark magic.

But with that all said, my original point is just that this franchise is great. Trollhunters is still unequivocally the best but 3Below and Wizards are also really really good follow-ups. Here's hoping the movie proves to be just as good or even better!

[pitynostars]

ok so first things first, i loooove gatwa's doctor so much already. if nothing else, i love the masterclass in acting he's putting on, his expressiveness is so impressive. he brings a very fun energy to the role

the church on ruby road has me feeling a bit mixed as well. the plot was kind of meh, and i didn't like how in the alternate universe ruby's mum was just so mean without her. it didn't make sense. like what makes ruby so special, hm 🤨 what's this one white blond baby got that all the other babies in the world don't 🤨 i know the point was to show how much ruby meant to her mum, but like. there are other ways to do it than have a complete 180 in characterization.

i'm honestly not super interested in the mystery of ruby's parentage (which apparently seems like it will be a huge thing unless they're just making stuff up to fake us out, in which case, good on them). but i don't want it to be some big reveal i'm sorry 😩 especially not because if it is, people will bend over backwards to say how great storytelling it is when they'd never say that if moffat did a plot like this. i hadn't even considered the possibility really, when i'd first watched it, i thought it's just not that deep, but maybe i'm wrong. the people who are theorizing that ruby is rose and tentoo's daughter are sooo funny though like

ur only saying that because she's blond and we all know nobody on this show can be blond without being related to The Blond(tm) 🙄

that literally means they abandoned their kid. yes. such good parents 😫

i also feel like we didn't....really get to know ruby that well? i'll reserve judgement to give them more time obviously, and millie seems very green (not a judgement on her, and she and ncuti seem to have a lot of fun energy together) so there's still time and there's a lot of time in general for the stories to get going, and it had to do double duty as a christmas special and an intro episode for both new doctor and new companion so like, my feelings may also change with time. anyways those are my thots for now

yesss i was sold on gatwa very quickly i just hope he doesn't become 10th doctor rehash number 2345932853845 i am so tired. give him something new. also praying him and ruby don't have a romance angle there were a couple of moments in CORR i was like. GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT AGAIN.

CORR plot being meh i agreeee but also xmas specials plot is a lot of times like a wafer and as someone who watched it quite roasted ngl i kinda appreciated it 😂

YEAH omhg tho with ruby disappearing and her mum (i want to say carla??) completely changing as a person??? i get that the point was supposed to be like one little change can make such an impact etc etc as well. but also i was just like. .... ok but what about the other kids wasnt good enuf ???? maybe i'm a cynic lol. but fr have another MORE kids on the wall bc she's trying to fill a gap she doesn't know is from what !!!! IMAGINE.... especially with it being sort of set up as a doctor/companions parallel oh my god

nooo oh my god i know what you mean about rubys parents i like that theyre setting it up as a counter to 13s "it doesn't matter i'm good as i am my past doesnt define me" etc. but i really want it to not be interesting. i want her parents to just be like. normal people who had to make a hard choice lol. oh my god. i just realised. we're gonna go thru a fucking rey star wars arc with her im gonna lose it byee... imagine she ends the series like "im ruby doctor" :) i would quit watching.

but yeah 100% it's gonna be a big thing. atm i dont care but i guess we'll see and hope they do something interesting with it.... prayers she's an alien tbf

rose and tentoo would be terrible parents tbf i said what i said.

YEAH i know what you mean i feel like that about gatwa too i think its hard making the first intro for both an xmas special because it has to be kinda silly and rompy so you cant rlly get too into the grit of the characters?? still reserving judgement on them both, but its taken me a while to warm up to like. everyone in dr who since bill--- wait i take that back i loved bel in flux from like her first scene but she's not a doc or companion.

[sing-in-me-oh-muse]

Writer Highlight from Writers Sanctuary

Each month on Writers Sanctuary, a Discord server that nurtures writers of all kinds, highlights a writer and asks them questions about their writing process. This month's writer is Chai_ki!

@Chai_ki

Ao3 Profile: Chai_ki

Works:

Fervor Lullaby was fun to write and it honestly just flowed. I think that’s why I like it so much.

Can I Take Your Last Name was my first attempt at humor and I had a ton of fun writing it.

The Cadence of Leaves was my first multi-chapter fic and even though I haven’t posted in a while, I’m on track to finish it!

What is your writing process? How do you approach a fic or original work? (e.g. Are you a Pantser? Plotter? Do you focus on dialogue before description? etc.)

Pantser, now there's a great term! I would have to say that I am definitely more of a pantser but occasionally will try to plot. Most of the time I just write as things come and hope it all flows well. 😅A lot of my ideas come from music. I usually can imagine a scene in my head during a song and then that scene grows (if I'm lucky). Original works have been hard as I have a tendency to want to over-explain things and feel like I can't get the characters back stories across well enough. That's one of the reasons I love fan fiction, those reading already know the characters so I can just dive right into the story.

What was your first story and why did you finally decide to write?

Ooo this is hard. My first ever story was one about cats I think. It was in 1st or 2nd grade. I've had random other stories since then. My first Miraculous fic was titled "Affinity" and I first posted it on Amino. It's one I would like to rewrite (and finish) at some point, but I have a few other projects to finish first. I have always loved to write and as stated in answer 1, I struggle with over-explaining my characters. I fell in love with Miraculous and then found out there was this entire community of writers and realized I had found my version of heaven. That was in 2018 and since then writing for the fandom has been one of my most relaxing hobbies.

Where is your favorite place/time/conditions to write?

This one is easy, mostly. I can honestly write just about anywhere - so long as I don't have other responsibilities to attend to in the moment. I prefer to have music playing, usually it's songs that have inspired my current work, but I can write without it as well. So long as the ideas are flowing, I'm able to write!

What is your favorite pairing, platonic or romantic, and why?

Fandom specific would be the love square. I honestly can't really say why, I just know I adore them. I think a part of it is because I see bits of myself in each character, both in cannon and fanon. I also love the dynamic between Alya and Marinette. Alya reminds me of my best friend of 25 years in so many ways and I find I end up writing from personal experience with them. In terms of anything other than my own writing, I enjoy a variety of parings and ships and enjoy seeing how other creators bring them to life. (Not fandom specific I have a few parings that I'd consider an OTP, but that would make this answer way too long. 🤣)

Do you have any thematic elements you’re interested in or that consistently show up in your writing?

To be honest, I haven't thought much about themes in my writing. I suppose my main theme is cutesy love stories, friends being there for each other. Stuff like that. I'd love to get good at writing adventure or humor, but I'm not sure I'm there yet. I do have a WIP that is an adventure story. The prompt is a Goonies/National Treasure AU I was given in the MWG for December's event. I'm struggling with it, but I also enjoy the challenge. One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers and I feel like I use that in every story I've posted so far.

How do you deal with writer's block?

Music. Just about everything comes back to music for me. Sometimes I get disheartened if I'm stuck but I've found that listening to music, be it a new song, band or old favorite always sparks something creative.

What do you do if you have too many ideas?

I feel as though that's a normal state of living for me. 😅At any given moment some idea for something is floating around in my mind. (Along with a constant radio of song.) If one idea really sparks an interest I will hyper fixate on it, otherwise they live in my head, rent free. Truthfully, I should be noting them down somewhere...

You said that Fervor Lullaby (which is adorable) was fun and easy to write because it "just flowed." How long did writing the one shot take in that flow tate, and have you ever been able to get back into it for any other pieces?

Thank you! 🥺 Fervor Lullaby took about 3 hours in total to write. I saw the prompt and the ideas just kept coming. Ironically this story didn't have a song to spark it though I found a very fitting one to go with it once it was done. Sadly, I haven't been able to get back that fast of a flow since then and IRL stuff has limited my writing time significantly over the last 6-ish months. I hope to get back into writing more now that things have slowed down a bit. Seeing other creators is always inspiring and I am grateful for the Miraculous community!

---

Join Writers Sanctuary today and sign up to be highlighted on Tumblr and the server!

[sunny-rose]

Watched the first episode of the PJO TV show and I have Thoughts.

Warning: this is long, entirely too nitpicky, and written like an English essay (sorry). It also isn't wholly positive so there's that...

I've come to accept that we'll probably never get a perfect adaptation of PJO but that doesn't mean I'm not slightly disappointed by the amount of small details that were omitted or outright changed for the television show.

It's very minor, little touches that at first appear insignificant or trivial but ultimately lead to a watered-down story and an experience that lacks the depth the books have.

The first thing that comes to mind is when Percy pushes Nancy Bobofit into the fountain. Not only could we have avoided the Disney Effect Budget rearing its ugly head, having the ambiguity from the book would have added a great layer of mystery to who Percy is and what his powers are.

In the books, Percy doesn't see Nancy go into the fountain at all. He states, "I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain" (9). I'm no film director, but a good way to interpret this scene might have been to have a quick cut - like implying that Percy blinked and she was in the fountain - instead of showing her being Force pushed into the fountain. It keeps Percy's powers ambiguous and continues to build up intrigue. It's about the suspense of that moment, rather than showcasing Percy as a demigod early.

Another detail I wish they'd left alone was the timing of Percy learning that he's a half-blood. I understand that they wanted the explanation to occur early in order to keep viewers watching and have them understand the premise but I think it was a mistake to have Sally bring it up on their trip to to the cabin because it ruins the tension. It's implied in the books that Sally knows something happened to Percy at Yancy, but she doesn't want to push him on it. And Percy doesn't want to mention it because he doesn't want to cut their vacation short: "But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that" (40). This is EXCELLENT characterization. We can tell that Sally is stressed, that this cabin is her escape. Percy mentions, "As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face" (37). Percy, sweet, kind, Percy doesn't want to ruin his mother. He knows this trip means a lot to her, that it's a brief moment away from Gabe and the complications of her life and he doesn't want to take that away from her. It's STRONG characterization and allows us as viewers to see Percy as something more than a trouble kid; he really loves his mom. Having Percy learn about being a half-blood at the cabin helps expedite the plot but it takes away from a genuinely sweet and good moment for him, takes something away from his character.

I'm not even going to talk about omitting the Fates I'm going to admit full stop that seems weird to me. It's such a small detail, could've been like a ten second scene that adds to the weirdness and mystery but they just didn't?? Go for it?? That's fine. (Honestly they probably should've cut out Grover telling the principal that Percy pushed Nancy into the fountain and replaced it with the Fates but hey. I'm just a uni student).

My final gripe about subtext erasure from the television show is, of course, Gabe. I can absolutely 100% get behind the idea of why they turned down the implications about Gabe. This TVLINE article by Keisha Hatchett contains interviews with the crew of the PJO TV show and in one of them, Rebecca Riordan explains that, "When you see it visually, it is triggering and difficult to watch. That is why we came at Gabe in a different way, because this isn’t supposed to be a horror show." I can absolutely agree that toning Gabe down was the right choice, especially considering the age range for the television show. I just wish it had kept a bit more of the subtext. Having Gabe shake Percy down to cash might've been a little much but there were smaller details in his conversation with Sally that could've been kept that would've flown over kids' heads but had allowed more mature audiences to realize that Gabe wasn't just your average douche.

In the books when Sally asks to go to Montauk, Gabe asks, "So this money for your trip... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?" (35). As a child, the implication of this completely and totally flew over my head. Even as a high school student this line didn't seem weird to me at all. It was only now, in my last year of university, as I was rereading the series, that I thought to myself, "That's so controlling wtf." To imply that Sally, a woman with a job, is being financially controlled by douchebag Gabe is pretty chilling and although it is undoubtedly still abuse, it's also something that I think wouldn't go too far. As it stands, Gabe feels a little bit toothless and if they stick to his canon fate, it'll feel a little bit unwarranted. In that same TVLine article, John Steinberg mentions that, "When you’re reading a story, you can read past the parts that could be upsetting if you’ve stopped to give them more thought. You don’t really get to do that with the show. It’s all in your face and it’s all presented in a much louder way.” I think that even keeping just this one line isn't too "in your face" but still gets across how much of an absolute jackass Gabe is.

I also think that although it was a strong choice to have Sally stand up to Gabe immediately, I do have a bit of an issue with her characterization. One of the first paragraphs you get when you meet Sally is Percy specifically stating, "I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even more or Gabe" (33). The books make it a point to show that despite Sally being on the quieter side, it doesn't mean she isn't an absolute badass. She's calm, rational, and cool during the Minotaur scene and then of course kicks ass during The Battle of Manhattan. The books have proven over and over again that Sally's kind, sweet nature is a strength and not a weakness. I can absolutely get behind seeing this side of her earlier in the TV show, I'm just concerned that they're forsaking her softer nature for something more "cool mom." Part of what I like so much about Sally is her kindness, the way she seems to be the embodiment of a warm hug on a hard day. It's not the vibe I got from her TV show counterpart.

Okay that's it, that's all my grievances. I've only seen the first episode and despite this mega page of my negativity I still think that the show is pretty good! It's infinitely better than what we got before and I can tell that there's so much passion and love put into the show. The young actors who are portraying the starring roles are absolutely brilliant, they're killing it, and I hope they have a bright future. I think the show looks great considering it's a Disney+ show (I've seen your special effects, Mouse) and I genuinely hope that the show is enjoyed by old fans and new ones. My brother said, "Hey, the first half was pretty cool" before the pacing kinda nosed dive off a cliff - high praise indeed.

I'm probably still going to watch the show, just to sate my own curiosity (though I'm probably NOT going to write another English essay on why I wish we'd kept some subtext) and I hope that everyone who's sticking with the show enjoys it. I don't think it's bad by any means, I'm just a pretentious literature nerd and this is how I digest media.

So yeah, here's to another decade of Percy Jackson!

[hypnotichyenascrunchyrollcatchup]

The Strongest Magician in the Demon Lord's Army was a Human

Broadcast: Wednesdays at 22:00 (JST) Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Themes: Isekai, Reincarnation

Synopsis "Maou Army’s strongest magician" I'm called. Ike, a demon capable of capturing a fort alone. Clearing away enemies with immense magic, he is without a doubt a monster awed by friend and foe. However he has a secret he can’t tell other demons. "I, actually I'm human you know." Using modern knowledge to keep his secret, he became treated as a great commander and the driving force of the Maou's army.

First Impressions

Going by the summary alone it wouldn't have drawn me in enough to watch. It's a very stock standard fantasy anime plot, you got your secretly a human trope, and on top of that why is the big bad always a demon lord? To further my skepticism, the intro makes it look like there's going to be some sort of harem involved. Also, I will say that while it doesn't really look bad it's always a little disappointing when anime relies on CG too much, like they can't even be bothered to draw the main character when he's in disguise sometimes.

After watching though, I've gotta say I'm interested to see where it goes. The protagonist, Ike, both literally and figuratively puts on a mask to hide his true nature. He's not exactly interesting as a main character, because secretly wimpy isekai protagonists aren't that uncommon. Even Ike's appearance under the mask is very standard, sporting the anime equivalent of a "literally just some guy" haircut, although that might be a purposeful choice.

I suppose what's interesting to me is the way that Ike goes about hiding his true intentions. He's very averse to killing people, making up clever excuses to convince the other demons why sparing the humans is a good strategic idea. It is sort of questionable to me though, because he makes it seem like being human is the only reason he would have mercy like this. Is it a race thing, like would he be ok killing non humans, or is there something inherently evil about being a demon that it's so unheard of for them to have this policy? Also, if he's so against killing why is he even working for the demon lord in the first place?

Anyway, by the end of the episode, we finally get a sense of what the rest of the series is going to be like. Ike visits the demon lord with the only living demon that knows his secret, some sexy witch lady that made a weirdly out of place comment about expecting him to grab her boob when teleporting him to the castle. As reward for a good job capturing an important trade town in only a week, the demon lord puts Ike in charge of overseeing a city on the front lines of the war. In those brief first moments as demon...mayor, Ike orders that the town's walls be rebuilt, and since having humans work on it alone would take too long he orders that the demon army stationed there work alongside the humans around the clock with double wages. It was pretty cute seeing all the orcs, pig men, skeletons, and the like working menial tasks next to the humans even if it was pretty lame the demons were CG.

I'm wondering if the purpose of this anime is to show how treating people with proper decency works out for everyone. I think that'd be pretty neat honestly, so consider my interest piqued on this one.

[svtellify]

What caused you to move Flashback up in your rankings?

i'm going to link you to my review of flashback from when i first read it here, so you can get an idea of what my thoughts were.

as for now, it's not so much that it moved up a lot in my rankings or anything, it's just that i appreciate the events of the plot more in conjunction with everything that's happened.

at this point, i might as well put together a proper ranking of the series, so stay tuned, i guess?

flashback is still a very polarizing novel in the sense that there's a lot set up that feels a lot like waiting for the other foot to fall. the three most important plot points i can pull from there are in regards to the vacker legacy, fitz, and alvar. there's unfinished business there, and sure, there's probably another hive of those trolls (like in stellarlune) but i think this is the big fight that book 10 (elysian) is going to give us. for that, i can appreciate it.

outside of that, there's a lot that fitz says and does that is very much unwarranted for, unless it's followed up with a solid corruption arc or total betrayal.

we're also left in the dark about whatever it is that keefe and alden talked about, which i find odd, especially considering it probably had nothing to do with sokeefe.

for the most part though, i do pretty much agree with my initial thoughts.

i do have a few annotations to add, and i'd be interested in knowing what other people thought of these moments, because they were all bookmarked for a reason.

keefe saves fitz a lot. i would've liked to see fitz full on lash out just so we can get some kind of confirmation regarding what direction his character is going in. this will he-won't he kind of characterization is what's making him the most unlikable because all things considered, he's still one of the good guys, just with the attitude of someone not so great. there's some character development in legacy and a little in the opposite direction of legacy in stellarlune, but it keeps going back and forth.

sophie is someone with immense power and she's incredibly aware of her responsibility. fitz acts like a kid and he's incredibly entitled despite the power and status he holds in the elven world. there's a gross power imbalance when it comes to their relationship too, and it shows when he idolizes her and simultaneously has issues with her authority (which, considering the women in his family, he shouldn't.)

all things considered, fitz has been hurt by the neverseen the least. biana, dex, even the song siblings, have been directly targeted far more than him. the most fitz has experienced happens in legacy and it's after wylie's been tortured and everything. keefe's situation is more personal, and coupled with the emotional and psychological abuse he's grown up with, he definitely blames himself for the neverseen's attacks.

but for fitz, who meets with lord cassius just to learn more about alvar, despite cassius also being an empath who lived with gisela, to blame someone he's supposed to consider his best friend? yeah, there's no amount of justifying that, even in anger. there's a lot keefe could have said back, especially in regards to the way he treats sophie, but he holds back and while i respect keefe for that, i can't forgive fitz for it.

not sure if i have any notes saved around this point, but it's just an extension of the way fitz treats dex and it's just. he's in a position where he knows (fitz "i like being a vacker" avery vacker) so i'd find it hard to believe he doesn't know how unwarranted his attitude is.

wylie was more of a well rounded character in flashback and i definitely appreciated that!

considering the events of legacy, this was hypocritical at best, blatantly disrespectful at worst.

edaline's one of my favorite characters and i love how giving she is, and how kind she is to keefe, who's got lady gisela as the standard for mothers.

anyway.

i think the biggest problem i have with flashback is that honestly, fitz wasn't much of a problem to me in books prior to flashback. sure, he's not my favorite in the previous books, but the change in his character, rather, the more we learn about his character from flashback onwards, he stops being likable. and an unlikable character at the forefront of the story who's supposed to be the main love interest? it's not great.

there's also a lot that happens with the trolls and everything that happens really gets built up in the last 1/3 of the book, which is also the reason why stellarlune doesn't rank as high for me either. while stellarlune attempts to get somewhere and intentionally drags things out so we can build suspense, however, flashback drags. sophie and fitz spend a long, long, long time in healing center and the plot lulls there.

as for the rest, i think my initial thoughts covered it pretty well. there's not much more i could add that i haven't already covered in my analysis of fitz and review.

what were your thoughts on flashback?