#I am officially the nerdiest now

[overseer2020]

A Chronicle of Ethra

01- November, 2023

So, Wizards has forced my hand. I started what I call "The Heroes & Villains Project" as an afternoon's lark. It has since spiraled into a multi-year endeavor and now that Wizards has announced a collaboration with Marvel for its Universes Beyond imprint, I feel an even stronger need to get my project out into the world before even more of my original ideas get "stolen" by WotC and their impeccable spies. I'm kidding about the corprate espionage, but it has become increasingly hilarious/worrisome just how many great ideas I had years ago are now a part of the game proper. But you're probably wondering what am I going on about, who am I and what is Ethra?

Hello. my real name is unimportant (and honestly, a matter of some contention in its own right), but I go by Overseer on the internet. Over the last five or so years, I have been developing a custom set of Magic the Gathering for my own amusement. I will understand if you decide to click away at this point, because reading about fanfiction for a collectible card game sounds like the nerdiest pastime ever. Unless, of course you include CREATING said fanfiction. But I suppose somebody has to be reading all that fanfiction, and there is a remarkably healthy community that exists for the purposes of creating, sharing and playing with custom cards and sets, so I suppose somebody will be reading this as well.

I should probably leave more of this backstory as flavor to sprinkle in to the body of whatever it is I'm writing here, but I'm thinking of it now, and if I don't type it out it may never get written, so... About a year or two after I started The Heroes & Villains Project (H&V for short), I tried to establish a tumblr blog to keep track of/drum up support for H&V (moral support -- I don't expect anyone would pay for this work, but I'm not ruling it out). It was then that I realized I didn't have the discipline to keep up a steady reporting cycle and fell out of practice. This happened twice more over the years, each time necessitating a reboot of the format and backstory. I won't pretend I have a better handle on producing timely content this time around, but I am in a better position to get the project finished now and would very much like to see this done before an official comic-style crossover hits the shelves.

Hopefully, your expectations have been sufficiently set as I endeavor to ramble on about what H&V, Ethra, DDDs, Four-Color Adventures and REDACTED are all about. Oh, and endings are hard, so these entries might stop abruptly.

[the-quantum-flower]

day 01.

I didn’t start this blog to gain followers, or readers. I just wanted to make a diary stored in a public place. It’s sort of like hiding a notebook under the stones of the city’s main square - going out there every late night and adding some scribbles, and then tuck it back in the dirt and go back home, secretly hoping that when you open it the next night there will be a short “ah, you’re alright, mate” written at the bottom of the page. Fact is, I am alright. More than alright. And that’s another reason for writing this. I am intelligent. Not in the sense that I am good with numbers, or with anything, really. But my stream of thought is both entertaining and often somewhat consistent with reality. I was one of these children that always was praised for my wit and knowledge, and just like with most of the spoiled and moderately gifted middle class kids of my generation, it has made me sickeningly arrogant. I knew I wanted to do philosophy since I was around 10 and heard about Schrodinger's cat for the first time. For me, that experiment didn’t represent anything remotely scientific or practical. Instead, it was a doorway to the world of metaphysics, asking the question if there could be many realities existing at once. Without reading much about it, I started creating small, silly theories about how the world worked. Descartes and Plato joined me, and soon I was the nerdiest kid on the block (I grew up on a farm, so this statement makes zero sense). When I was 14 I took guitar lessons in a nearby village, and I remember seeing a sticker on a lamp-post, questioning the injustice of the world and warning about the dangers of globalism. When I came home, we had salmon for dinner in our big, modern dining room, and I asked my father was syndicalism was. Very, very left, he answered. Since then I took a new direction in my interests. Feminism. Liberalism. Socialism. I was very careful never to use any of these labels and I never joined any parties or groups: since if there’s one thing teenagers hates it is to be compared to other teenagers. I was sick most of my teen years and didn’t leave the house much. I still don’t. This has given me a lot of time for thought, and I’ve enjoyed it greatly. I fell in love with economical theories, and legal issues. The big questions about democracy and governance. In high school I came in touch with John Rawls, and remembered taking a lot of proud in a line I wrote on my final exam: I am not a leftist. I am a person who fights for the human rights. And if I were a right winger, I would ask myself why those two are always mixed up. I’ve studied international law for over four years now. My goal was Russia, at first. Then it became Israel-Palestine (can you sense the arrogance yet?). And it was when reading a translated speech by a Hamas official it all took a new turn once again. Suddenly, this wave of nihilism hit me with such force I couldn’t walk properly for days. I don’t want to out my love here on this site. So I am gonna call him HE, for the sake of anonymity. HE was a religious man until very recently. HE prayed, went to his place of worship and lived according to the rules of his faith. HE has told me he tried for a long time to fight the realization that was dawning in front of him. But he couldn’t, and he fell, rather unwillingly, into the deep, dark well of atheism. We sat at the park one day and he said he could still feel the pain of it. This burning, aching need for meaning, now forever there to be left unanswered. Once you know you cannot unknow. God’s left. And he’s not coming back. I tried to be supportive, and maybe I was successful - but at the time, I didn’t understand the feeling HE was describing. I’ve been an atheist all my life. Life has never had a meaning. There has never been someone watching over me from above. I didn’t experience this kind of loss. But now, I am pretty sure that I have. I think it’s been coming to me for a while now. But it wasn’t until I heard the words of the Hamas soldier I fully realized it: I don’t believe in politics. I don’t believe in human rights. There is no morals. There is no rights and no wrongs. There is no cause that matters. In the end, we are all just dying entities, with no power, no nothing - and nothing that we are today will last. No words, no arts, no conclusions. Even the most beautiful, political theory will be outdated before it’s even commonly known. The field of political science, or political philosophy is nothing but a self confirming, arrogant and lazy pile of circle jerks. The most you can possibly accomplish is to prolong a dying child's life by some years. And when that dying child is you, and all you see is the poisonous, bleeding, gray mass that is humanity - it’s quite hard to find motivation. Especially with this deafening ticking in your ears. This striking awareness of time passing. Aging. Wasting. I am wasted. I feel like that. I am a wasted life that has no direction, no meaning, no path. Intelligence just dripping from an abandoned sink in a third world subway bathroom. Desperately I am trying to leave some sort of mark before I move on. But there’s no tools, no patterns, not even hands. Just… slippery, wet awareness. And not the good kind. This of course doesn't mean I will stop. I will study my studies. Write my writings. And do the deeds that I think I should do. But I will also do something else. I will go back to the only thing I’ve ever found any meaning in - the theories of the world and the universe. This is what I want to blog about. I want to go deeper into the things that matters. The few things that actually gives us a tiny glimpse into a universe bigger than just human suffering. I think that is the only true purpose there is: Knowledge. And lasting knowledge isn’t found in politics, not in Rawls, not in law and definitely not in Israel or Palestine. I am going back to the fucking cat, since everything seems to start there. Quantum physics. Why not become self taught in that? I mean… How hard can it be?

[gamerpeak]

Maybe you’ve only heard of Dungeons & Dragons in passing. Maybe a friend or two are badgering you to give it a try. Maybe you’ve only experienced the stigma of a game that is supposedly only for the nerdiest of nerds. Maybe you tried it in your youth years ago but have lost touch.

Whatever your standpoint today, if you are a gamer in any capacity (video or board game), enjoy storytelling or creativity, or you just like hanging out with geeky people, you should give D&D a try. If you need convincing, or want convincing, here’s the first reasons to try, and usually the main factor in why people choose not to:

Reason #1: You Can Invest as Much, or a Little, as You Like

They are a few misconceptions/exaggerations around TTRPGs (Table Top Role Playing Games). One major false impression is that it requires a full-time investment from everyone involved. I’ve seen people retreat from an invite to play D&D because they believe it is all consuming, requiring players to devote time to creating characters and coming up with endless story ideas. Additionally, many people think dressing up and ‘doing voices’ is a mandatory practice, and when you sit down at the table, you are focused and in-character for the duration.

You can play D&D that way, treating the game as a full time hobby and turning up for each game in full regalia. Or you can just turn up, play the game, and forget about it until next time.

The only person that needs to do any amount of homework is the person hosting the game – the Dungeon Master (or Games Master). Their role is to set the scene, narrate what is going on around you in the adventure. All you have to do, at the most basic level, is describe what your character is doing or thinking: I try to take the gem from the pedestal? I smack the orc with my hammer. What do I know about this dangerous looking creature?

That’s the basis of the game. One friend describes an adventure as it unfolds, you describe what your character would do in that situation. If your actions require any skill or involve a level of challenge, you roll a dice to determine the success of your actions. Your character will have certain abilities and bonuses that make you better at some tasks and worse in others. Success or failure, the result weaves in the narrative.

There is nothing else you need to know as a first-time player.

Here’s the thing. You don’t even have to make the character. There are tonnes of pre-filled sheets out there, or your Dungeon Master may have characters for you to choose from. You also don’t have to buy dice. There are virtual dice-rolling apps out there, and if your DM is like me they’ve probably collected far too many sets of dice.

Furthermore, you don’t need to have any understanding of the rules, what dice to roll or what the stats on your character sheet mean. The DM is the holder of the rules. All you need to figure out is what awesome things you want your character to do, and the DM will direct you. As time goes on, picking up the basic rules helps things move smoothly, but there’s no rush at all.

Or You Can Be More Invested.

Buy the dice, and print of a blank character sheet. Sit down with the person trying to get you involved, and they’ll talk your through how to make a hardened warrior or a wicked spellcaster. Again, you don’t need to know what each bit of the sheet means or what the numbers are right of the bat; your DM will sort you out, and understanding will follow.

After a while, you can invest more time or be content with simply turning up and taking part, like any other board game. I love writing story ideas and enjoy building worlds and monster encounters, and I DM for many players that talk about D&D even when we’re not playing. I would say at least half of the people I DM for, my wife included, spend very little time thinking about the game once the session is over. They turn up, have loads of fun, but never do they feel that they have to turn up with pages of written backstory or a handmade costume.

There are the official guides that teach you the rules and give you all the character options. Begin with the Players Handbook. If you want to lead a group as the DM and lack experience, I heartedly recommend the Starter Set. It has a really straightforward campaign, mini version of the rules and a set of dice.

Your Best Friend

Your DM’s Best Friend

If you want to be more involved, bring a notebook to scribble down names, places and clues you gleam from the Dungeon Masters words. That’s it really: character sheet, dice and notebook.

The dressing up and character voice thing can be something you choose to do. I personally do voices when I am Dungeon Master, but never expect it from my players. Some DMs might ask you to say things ‘in character’, but very few groups will expect you to turn up ready to stretch your acting muscles.

Final Thoughts

If you start this game thinking it has to consume all your free time, take my words as reassurance that that is far from the case. This is a wonderfully entertaining game that can appear in all variety of styles depending on the players, the DM and what everyone at the table wants to get out of the game, but how immersed you get is up to you.

To date, I’ve played with and DMed for a multitude of people. To date, I’ve had just two friends speak to me and confess that the game isn’t for them. It doesn’t upset me that they don’t want to play D&D, what I appreciate is that they gave the game a try.

That’s it for reason #1. There’s many more reasons to play this fabulous game. More on that soon. For now, if commitment and scale of the game was putting you’re off, know now that this is a game you can play, enjoy and forget or slowly and steadily wrap your creativity around.

If you agree or disagree with what I’ve said, please comment below.

Thank You For Reading

By Rufus Scott

Why should YOU play D&D? #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Gaming #Blog Maybe you've only heard of Dungeons & Dragons in passing. Maybe a friend or two are badgering you to give it a try.

[sufficientsucker]

Your Friendly Neighborhood Pool Guy cp.1

“I can’t believe you lied to me!” Harry exclaims as he throws himself down in the seat next to me.

“I’m sorry, what have I lied about?” He looks absolutely ridiculous, his mouth hung agap, just flabbergasted, until he takes a moment to gather himself. After which he relaxes into the bus seat with a smug look across his face.

“You aren’t gay.” He says matter-of-factly. “Can’t be, not when you just kissed Gwen.” He elbows my side.  

“First off all, that has absolutely nothing to do with my sexuality. Secondly how in the- who told you?” Harry grin at that moment is completely predatory and somehow- youthful at the same time.

“Oh, sweet Peter, no one had to tell me, we all saw it happen. My, my, was that your first kiss you looked so shocked. Tell me, how was it?” I push at his shoulder as he shimmies up next to me wiggling his eyebrows like the perverted neanderthal he is.

“You of all people would that it was my first kiss.” He nods solemnly. “And I honestly don’t remember how it was because I was so shocked I didn’t really think about it.”

“Ugh, Peter Parker, the nerdiest, of all nerds, Geek King! Gets to kiss, the one and only Gwen Stacy and, and he doesn’t even remember what it was like! Only you Parker, only you.” Harry shakes his head laughing, but it’s just how he is, he teases even when he doesn’t mean it. “First kiss, huh? Would have thought you’d be freaking out.” He eye’s me septically.

“Oh I completely am.” I lift my hands so he can see the way the tremble, and he takes them laughing.

“You are so adorably inexperienced. You best be careful with who you let know of your naivety, someone might use that against you.” He smirks.

“Yeah? And who would want anything from little ol’ me, Harry?” He shrugs.

“Who knows Pete, who knows.”

The rest of the ride to the Advanced Science Museum is relatively quite as Harry is preoccupied with his phone and whichever girl he’s taken a fancy to at the moment. Harry’s affection is vivid and fleeting, how we managed to stay friends for so long is beyond me, but through all the years he’s remained loyal. We got close when Harry’s mom died and haven’t spend more than a month apart since, even then, when he can Harry finds a way to talk his dad into taking me with them. And Aunt May can’t get enough of him, thinks he hung the stars or something, I mean well, he did help me put the glow in the dark stars up, so.

And, and maybe I have a crush on him, okay. It’s not that unheard of to like your best friend alright. Really it’s not like I would ever tell him, so where’s the harm in liking him? God I’m pathetic, but there’s no time to thick about that because we’re here now. Flash Thompson is at the front of the bus talking loudly like usual but he’s also wearing the same shirt from Friday with the same stain at top hem, ketchup from lunch on Tuesday. How has no one noticed? Honestly that doesn’t matter, because he’s saying my name with a wicked look on his face and that’s never good.

“Parker.” He says lowly. “It’s not nice to make pretty girls cry, even if you are a fag.” Oh great. Harry stands from beside him and glares at Flash.

“I’d watch myself if I were you Thompson. What was it the principle said? One more slip up and you’re out? What would your dad say?” There’s an edge to Harry’s voice that’s equal part threatening and changellenging. Pure rage over takes Flash's face as he lunges toward Harry but there’s multiple seats full of people between them allowing his friends to grab him before he makes anything worse for himself. One of the teacher chaperones for the trip comes onto the bus at that moment.

“Flash? What’s going on here?” She asks, clearly tired of having to have these conversations with the boy in question.

“Harry started it!” He exclaims like a child caught red-handed, which I guess he really is.

“Flash.” She sighs in disappointment. “When are you going to start taking responsibility for your actions?” She shakes her head and turns to the rest of us. “Everyone please stand and exit the bus quitely. Flash you’re out first please wait for me.” He leaves reluctantly and everyone stands.

It doesn’t take long for everyone to line up outside the buses, where we wait for our wristbands. The Advanced Science Museum is doing a special exhibit on genetically modified animals and insects. It’s a collaborative work between Stark Industries and Oscorp. Harry stands next to me and proudly displaces his wrist for the teacher who promptly puts a band on him.

“You’re going to shit yourself Parker.” He says to me as she takes my wrist, making her look up at him scoldingly. “Sorry,” He whispers.

“Is that so?” I ask him, seeing how excited he truly seems now that we’re here.

“Oh yeah, so much science and all that geeky nerd stuff. Totally going to cream yourself.” I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips.

“I thought you said I was going to shit myself?” I pout and he looks at me grabbing my cheeks like he’s done since we were children.

“No pouting Parker, and yes I did, but think about it really, science turns you on and you know it.” The blush on my face in furious and spreading as he laughs because on it. He leans in close, almost too close, not that I'm complaining though and whispers. “Maybe I can get some of the official documents for you, hmm? That’s the kind of thing you get off too right?” I push him away as he laughs more. “I’m just joking. But seriously, I’ll see about those papers.”

“Harry, please.”

“Shh.” He presses his fingers to my lips. “No need to thank me.” I roll my eyes at him but then the teachers are give us permission to make our way inside. As we approach the counter a man in a suit makes himself known, raising his hands and guiding us into a half circle around him.

“Thank you,” He states. “I’m Obadiah Stane.” He smiles as the few who know his name gasp and begin to whisper to each other, and I grab Harry’s sleeve.

“You knew he was going to be here didn’t you?” I ask him.

“Of course I did, Pete.” He throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer so I’m standing at an odd angle leaning against him. “Cream your pants yet?”

“I hate you.” I say pushing away from him and trying in vain to fix my hair.

“Aw, come on, no you don’t.” Harry smiles and it’s devastating. It always is when he smiles. Someone clears their throat at the front of the room, and I can feel the blush creep up my face.

“Orborn.” Obadiah says blandly.

“Sorry.” Harry ducks his head in apology, but I can see his dimples as he grin at the floor.

“As I was saying,” Stane continues. “This is exhibit displays a number or genetically modified animals and insects-” There’s a cough that sound suspiciously like someone commenting on animal cruelty, that goes ignored. “As such you must take caution, for even in their displays they are still dangerous. Shall we?” I feel Harry nudge my shoulder with his as everyone begins to move forward.

“I need to take pictures, Harry.” I definitely did not just whine at him, nope, not me.

“So take your picture quickly, and come on.” He doesn’t even turn around, and I take the chance to get him in the picture. I rush over to his side and try to get a look ahead and he huffs a small laugh. “Eager?” He asks and I just nod without looking at him.

“Here we have a few of our smaller specimens.” Stane says from somewhere.

“I can’t see from here.” I mumble, but Harry hears it.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there, it’s not like there’s a rush or anything we have all day. And even if we don’t see everything I’m sure Dad wouldn’t mind pulling some connections-” Harry whispers to me but I interrupt him.

“Harry, you can’t keeping having your dad pull connections for you forever you know?” He sighs and shakes his head.

“I’m just saying you don’t have to worry, Pete.” It’s quiet for awhile after that as everyone shuffles through the exhibit listening to Obadiah talk about one of the animals at length and then moves on. By the time we’re all at the insects exhibit it’s around four which is about when school would usually get out.

“Unfortunately we’ll have to cut this short Mr. Stane.” One of the teachers says. Stane gives a nod and apologies.

“I see, I’m sorry were weren’t able to get to the insects.” Everyone else smiles but are extremely thankful to be leaving. Harry pulls on my arm separating us from the rest of the group.

“Harry what are you doing?” I ask pulling on my arm to try and get back to the group but his grip only tightens.

“You want to see the insects right?” He counters.

“We’re supposed to be leaving-” He again puts his finger over my lips quieting me as he pulls out his phone obviously going to call his Dad. “He-ury.” I whine, yep I fucking whined.

“Dad!” He smiles brightly. “Yes it was great, but you see, well Peter is inconsolable, we didn’t get to see the insects. He just won’t stop crying.” I know I’m blushing from the way Harry’s eyes sparkle with mischief. “You will? Really? Oh Peter’s going to be so happy thank you.” The call ends and within the next second one of the teachers phones is going off. She answers quickly scanning the room to find Harry and I. “Sorry Pete.” He grabs me before I can react and pulls me to his chest making “shh”-ing noise to me.

“Harry, Peter,” She says coming up behind me. “Sorry, he was really looking forward to this.” Harry tells her. “Yes I know, your father called and said it’d be okay if you stayed and that he’ll send a car for you when you’re ready to leave.”

“Thank you.” Harry sighs holding me a little closer. “You hear that Peter, we can still see the insects.” He’s really playing it up for the teacher who touches my back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Peter.” I feel her leave and then pull away from Harry.

“You’re sick.” I tell him.

“You like it.” He says, and I shake my head going off toward the insects section.

“These are spiders.” I point out and Harry laughs.

“Yep, that they are Pete, what did you expect?”

“Insects?” I turn to him and he gives me a confused look. “Spiders aren’t insects.”

“They aren’t?” He looks around and shrugs. “Well we’re here so?” I roll my eyes yet again and start looking through each display case. There’s a few that have placards in front of them explaining what modifications the spiders have. In the middle of all the display cases came the largest, with a huge web slung across the center but no spider to be found.

“Hey, Harry,” He turns from the other arachnids he’d been looking at. “This one’s empty.” He squints into the display trying to find the spider.

“Huh, guess they had some test to run or something.” I nod along and begin to turn to the next display when something lands on my head. I freeze.

“Harry?” I ask sceptically. He hmms from a few feet away. Which means it can’t have been him, and then the fear starts to set in. My hands fly up without thought and I start patting my head furiously yelling the whole time and completely freaking Harry out.

“Pete, holy shit, what is going on!” He yells and then I feel it. This sharp pain radiating from the back of my right hand.

“Fuck.” I shout pulling my hand down only to watch a spider drop off my hand, I scream and look at the already forming bump growing steadily larger on my hand. “Harry?” My voice shakes and Harry looks at me in bewilderment. “It bit me.” And now I really am crying.

“Oh Peter.”

cp.2

cp.3

[distractionactivated]

Spoilery and wildly self-indulgent Thor Ragnarok reaction post:

Alt title: Odin’s A+ Parenting Strikes Back

Alt title: Kestor Was Right About Asgardian Imperialism

This film gets the Official Kestor B ExploringMCUAsgard Worldbuilding Seal of Approval. There was continuity in the set design – I fucking gasped when they went to the vault and it was the fucking VAULT but with better CGI – and the feel and I nearly cried when the Thor 1 music came on. A lot of the things I’ve been saying all along about Odin and Asgardian interrealm politics and history came up – it felt real, it felt right. It was 100% a critique of empire, thank u Taika Waititi, I’ve wanted this FOR FUCKING EVER. Asgard being built atop the bones of its warriors? Its murals behind murals? Its gold come from blood? Oh YES. I love that we saw ordinary Asgardians pick up sword and shield and go toe to toe with undead Einherjar. Fuck yes. I loved seeing Odin’s shiny bullshit wrecked. I LOVED SEEING ASGARD BURN.

One thing world-wise I’m less happy about is that it finally chose the answer to are Asgardians gods? And it chose ‘yes, the royal family are.’ Humph. Grump. ON THE OTHER HAND – if they were going to make that choice they did it in the most awesome way possible so I’ll give it a pass.

I will eviscerate everyone involved in the dialogue for this film. I’m not kidding. Do you know how hard I fought dumbass!Thor? DO YOU? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY YEARS I SPENT IN THAT TRENCH, ME AND OTHER PEOPLE? And now he’s all like, rambling for ten minutes about how he’s totes in with women warriors and babbling at Bruce Banner and freaking him out and dropping shit in Dr Strange’s place (I was very fine with the vandalism but not the fucking. dropping shit) and just. Oh my god I’m so mad.

Like, the actual character arc stuff? Like, if you describe to me the things that happen and he does? I love it. Great characterisation. Unfortunately, every word on the way was AWFUL. Every time he opened his mouth I wanted to fucking die. We spent the whole of Thor 1 curing him of his doucheness, folks! That’s over! That’s done! Holy Shit!

Look, I don’t talk enough about my absolute aversion to cringe comedy, to ‘awkward’ comedy, and to comedy in general. I hate it. And that was the weak point of the film. They assassinated Thor’s character, the subtleties, the nuanced intelligence, the learned gentleness – god I was writing a thesis on THAT shit playing Kehurie -

OTHER THINGS I AM MAD ABOUT: Fandral and Volstagg dying without a fucking word, Hogun with barely more, SIF NOT EVEN BEING MENTIONED. (and they died that way while Scourge got a FUCKign heroic death, which was also hilarious. Ugh.) Jane being written out in ONE, RATHER DISRESPECTFUL LINE.

Although on a Jane note, there is a lovely scene where Bruce and Thor talk science and I’m like, yup, can tell you’ve hung around with Jane some!

On a death note – look, I am mad about the Warriors, but if I was going to see Asgardians mown down the only way I’d be okay with it is if it was the goddess of literal death. I made my feelings on fighting death very clear when I played Riss Marlay, the Herald of Death, and I am okay with her being an unstoppable horrifying force. But still. Give them a fucking DEATH SCENE. Not just an offhand brush aside.

Loki was mostly great – I can FEEL the Loki discourse approaching in my FUCKING BONES btw – although I cringed myself to death throughout the entire play sequence. Awful. Vile.

Oh god, speaking of Loki, I’ve seen people salty that Valkyrie could beat him but  I’m never gonna be pissed about that bc obviously she can fucking flatten him, duh, it was Stephen Fucking Strange getting to yank him and Thor around like fucking toys, like, nah, that’s not what I wanna see in a THOR film. On an intellectual level I can get that there’s something interesting about his conception of sorcery (as something about idk portals or something) vs Loki’s conception of it as something with knives, but also I don’t want to watch some stupid fake American wanker with a shitty beard and a shitty face outwit fucking Loki.

HEIMDALL WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL. Like, lol at the amazing teleporting Asgardian refugees (alternatively, I want to see Hela hiking back and forwards to the mountains, with a backpack, while Thor whistles), but also Heimdall, Resistance Leader, Most Competent of Asgardians, is the most fantastic thing. I want all the Heimdall fic.

Every fight scene was spectacular. Genuinely, stunning. Especially when lightning was involved.

Of the new characters, I absolutely adored both Valkyrie and Korg – Korg was amazing every moment he wasn’t being played for laughs to the point of cringe comedy – and Valkyrie, let’s just say I’m GayTM. The moment Korg was like ‘these Asgardians, man’ – priceless. I loved her drunk mess of a self, I loved the way she moved, I loved the way she fought, I’m very PISSED OFF they deleted the scene that confirms she’s into women, I loved that she got to stab Hela through the heart for her pretty probably-girlfriend.

There was so much tragedy in this film that wasn’t ever – allowed to get real. Like, Thor watched his father die, learned he had a sister, got his ass WRECKED by her, and taken as a slave within about five seconds and he had the tiny length of half an Asgardian prayer (!!!!) to mourn before he was back to making cringe comedy ‘jokes’ at the expense of his old character. And there was Bruce, who – god, that ‘if I turn again I won’t come back’ was so horrifying and Thor just… brushed it off? Thor, who sat with Jane and said, ‘Jane, you must not give up. Because you’re right.’? Thor, who told Sif, ‘Live, and tell those stories yourself’? Thor?!?!

What was that Odin death scene? Like. the fuck? I loved the ‘my wife is calling me’ but like. He just. Vaporised????

That moment where Thor and Hela were like ‘he told you you were worthy’ was so real and again, like, immediately fight. Like, god, it was a cool fight, but also. (also HOLY SHIT AT THE EYE THING THAT WAS INCREDIBLE I’M FUCKING DEAD – but also can someone who’s seen the film enlighten me as to whether the conquerer!Odin mural had him missing an eye bc I can’t remember and if he is CONTINUITY ERROR because he lost that eye fighting the jotnar when Thor was a small child, long after Hela was gone.)

There was a lot of the awesome stuff about imperialism that wasn’t allowed to breathe as well.

Also, the nerdiest thing – I sat there watching the Grandmaster’s induction program and was like, critiquing it? From my perspective as an instructional designer? Holy shit, Kes. Holy shit. ALSO speaking of the Grandmaster that PRISONERS WITH JOBS LINE WAS ABSOLUTELY SAVAGE, LIKE, GET FUCKING WREKT CAPITALISM.

Also speaking of the Grandmaster, that Grandmaster/Loki subtext was basically text. Like, that bit where the Grandmaster’s brain stuttered when he looked at him? Like. uh. More Valkyrie queerness, less queer villains, PLEASE. Or you know, the same amount of queer villains but EXPONENTIALLY MORE GAY VALKYRIE CONTENT.

IN CONCLUSION – eight emotions at once, at full volume! Argh! Argh! I cried hysterically in the credits for ten minutes! I nearly burst into tears a dozen times because it was simultaneously SO WRONG and SO RIGHT! Emotional whiplash! Burning the emotional candle at both ends! Aaargh! I spent half the time with my hand over my face in embarrassment and the other half in joy!

[spoilingstories]

DuckTale: A Reboot Done Right!

Anyone else die a little inside when they here another reboot is happening? It’s not that reboots are inherently bad, but in the last several years they are rarely… good. You have reboots like Teen Titans Go! that have character names in common… and that’s pretty much it. They don’t pay any attention to what came before and are counting on potty humor to carry them. You have reboots like Sailor Moon Crystal that is so similar to the original source material (the manga/comic) that you could almost read along. There are people who appreciate that sort of thing, but it takes absolutely no risks. You have reboots like the newest Beauty and the Beast movie that just miss that mark. They took some risks, but they wanted so much to honor Howard Ashman (in no way is that a bad thing) that few of their changes really made much of an impact. You don’t really have reboots that take too many risks that don’t pay off, because reboots in general are a safe and quick cash grab for companies. They know that people will watch the reboot if only for curiosities sake. But doesn’t it make more sense to re-imagine a show in a way that grabs the attention of not just those who remember it and loved it, but those who have yet to discover it.

But more and more we are getting reboots that not only highlight what we who grew up with it love, but takes enough risks that it feels fresh and new audiences are willing to take part. You can see it with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (in its 7th season), the live action Jungle Book from 2016, Spiderman: Homecoming, and most recently the new DuckTales series on Disney XD.

When I first heard about the DuckTales reboot, I was conflicted. The more artwork and promos that got released the more conflicted I felt. I wanted to feel excited, they were showing us how much potential this has, but with all of that potential the harder the crash would be if they did not meet it. With all of this hanging over it, what did I think of the new DuckTales? It was more than I thought it could be!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

You could tell from early artwork that they were trying to distinguish Huey, Dewey, and Louie from one another. They got separate voice actors for the triplets and worked to make sure they had distinguishable character traits, which hasn’t been tried since the infamous Quack Pack series. And it really works. They didn’t focus on making the characters “hip and cool” (which ultimately dates the series), but instead focused on the boys and thought about how each one of them would relate to the world, their family and friends, and each other. And they did it. From this one episode that Huey is the most responsible and the nerdiest of the three, that Dewey is driven by the challenge and is most interested in the epic-ness of adventure, and Louie is very clearly about the gain, and the more gain and the less effort the more interested he is. From ONE episode. I love it when I can get an idea of a character from that little of information.

Webbie is also nicely updated, and while I thought that she was going to be a copy of Mabel from Gravity Falls, there are more than a few differences. While they are both imaginative, adventurous, hyper girls, Webbie is far more isolated and insecure. Mabel makes friends everywhere she goes, but Webbie actually asks the boys “Are we friends now?” after she captures them and explains that she lives in the manor with her grandma and studies literally everything to do with Scrooge McDuck. Webbie’s imagination also has a darker, espionage flair, while Mabel’s is sunshine, rainbows and sparkles. And I really love Webbie. I liked seeing her try to figure out how to relate to kids her own age. I liked her problem solving. I loved her voice. It was a happy update from the 80s and her high-pitched voice that sounded more like a 3-year-old than someone who did contribute on the adventures.

Watching Donald in this was awesome. You could see that he is still our favorite ill-tempered duck, but there was something that we’ve never seen in Donald, parental care and worry. He is very much like he is in early Scrooge comics, still temperamental but you can tell that he cares about his family. But something that hasn’t been explored before is the idea of an estranged relationship between Donald and Scrooge. It’s very intriguing and gives the writers room to grow, to repair possibly lost trust with Huey, Dewey, and Louie acting as that bridge between them.

Not much was changed with Launch Pad McQuack and I wouldn’t want it to. The only change I could see was that Launch Pad was already working for Scrooge as his chauffer, so we will move on to Beakly. I like that they made it so that Mrs Beakly was aleady working for Scrooge as his house keeper. It fits with his character to not hire more people than he deems necessary to run his house and having Mrs Beakly already living there means no one else has to be introduced or hired. But from a few lines that aren’t explained, you get the feeling that there’s more history between Scrooge and Beakly. The exchange that the two of them have in his study hints that Beakly knows him very well, working for him for a long time and probably going on past adventures with him. We know from Webbie that Beakly has trained her to “be ready for anything” but keeps her at the mansion with her. I see a correlation between Beakly’s and Donald’s attitudes towards their families and wanting to keep them safe and out of trouble. And while Beakly’s relationship with Scrooge has not suffered the same way Donald’s has, she still doesn’t want to risk Webbie to adventure.

Now Scrooge. Scrooge is the same greedy duck we all know and love, but we can see these days he doesn’t go adventuring the way he used to and he is bored. Why he stopped hasn’t been explained, but there’s time to explore that. He doesn’t like the thought that his adventures are over and that he should (in a sense) retire from those days. He doesn’t want to become a doting old man that spins tall tales for the next generation. Then Donald comes back into his life with his great-nephews in tow and they turn his world upside down in a way that he’s missed. Yeah, he shows off a bit for these kids, but whatever happened in his past with Donald I think is influencing him, because he tries to keep them safe. And at the end of it all, he invites Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie to come live with him. That is huge to me! I feel like he didn’t just offer his home because they suddenly found themselves homeless, but because he’s realized how much he misses his family.

I’m very impressed with what Disney XD has done so far. This feels like it’s going to be an awesome adventure. It pays homage to what has come before, but it changes what needs to be changed to bring it into the 21st century. I recommend anyone who hasn’t done it to check out on YouTube and I am anxiously waiting for the official premiere of the series this September 23rd.

[guessmonsta]

those roommate scenarios are so cute!!! do u think u can write somethin fluffy abt the one where kuroo crawls into his roommates bed? maybe w some cuddles and feelings talk (or maybe nsfw) but anything is u like is ok!!! ty!!!

I had fun with this one :')It was 3:36 AM.Again. Lately, it was becoming troublesome for him to fall asleep on certain nights. Today was the fourth time this week that he found himself idly staring at the ceiling, waiting for time to tediously pass on until he could officially, ‘wake up.’ The middle of the night was deemed eerie, to him, the only noises to be heard were the deep rumbles of the furnace and the soft peeps of swallows by the ocean. An hour ago, the soft giggles of his roommate contributed to the concoction, but had slowly died out. He completed whether or not he should go bother her, it wouldn’t be the first time that he had done so. It wasn’t even the first time this week that he had done so. She never really minded, curling right up next to him in response and holding a conversation with him until she passed out again. He didn’t want to feel like a nuisance, bothering her at such a sacred hour, but his inner asshole compelled him to. He sat up in bed with a moan, his back cracking melodically as he arched backwards. The cold draft from the window hit him hard as he slipped from underneath his duvet, a silent tail of cusses escaping him. The floorboards creaked underneath his heavy footsteps, as if they were calling upon her, warning her of her impending doom. When he came upon her bedroom he stopped, noticing how her usually locked bedroom door was now open with a hairline crack. She was expecting him. It almost made his heart melt, really. This girl was honestly the sweetest person on earth, a gift from the heavens, and he wondered how he ever managed to get acquainted with someone so ethereal. He opened her door a tad bit more, slipping through and sitting on the edge of her bed. The first time he had done this, she freaked out and threw her phone at him. He couldn’t blame her, really. It would’ve terrified him too if in the middle of the night, someone decided to suddenly shift the entire weight of his bed. The black eye he received from the cellular impact still hurt, though. She shifted slightly, clutching onto the pillow she held between her arms a bit tighter. He crawled underneath the duvet, prying said pillow out of her grasp and replacing the void with his own body. She must've been awake, because he swore he heard a giggle when she shifted closer to him. “Tetsurou, you’re fucking freezing.” She whispered into his chest, gazing up at him through the dark. Kuroo chuckled, his fingers subconsciously tangling themselves into her hair. “Yeah, thats why I came to you, the hottest damn thing in this apartment.”“I would say something snarky back but… I’m too tired to tell you to stop hitting on me.” Kuroo chuckled, snuggling closer to her warmth. She had a heavy electric duvet, and it was an honest to god miracle. Underneath said duvet and cuddled up to her warmth brought upon the coziest situation he had experienced in his entire life. “Hey, __, you’re so hot… you denature my proteins.”“Oh my god, get out of my bed.”“__, __, are you a hypertonic solution? ‘Cause you make me swell, if you know what I mean.”She rolled her eyes with a smile, shifting herself so she came face to face with him on the pillow. “Hey Tetsurou, you must be the acid to my litmus paper, because everytime I touch you, I turn red.”Kuroo blinked, and she blinked back, a satisfied smirk on her face. He had been hit on with what had to be the nerdiest pickup line ever to be uttered, but he could feel himself get red in the face. “How’d you come up with that one?” He pondered. She shrugged, brushing some of his fallen bangs out of his face. “I learn from the best.” “Aw, thanks babe.” He lifted his shaky hand to meet hers, balancing their fingertips together, before lacing them together. He felt his heart thump, her soft gaze melting him to the core. “Do you plan on sleeping at all tonight?” She peeped.“Yeah, I dunno, probably. I had like, three monsters today, so I dunno if my body will necessarily let me.”“I could stay up with you… I’d need like, four espressos, but I could.”“Nah, nah. I can’t do that to you.” He hummed, running the pad of his thumb across the back of her hand. “You need your beauty sleep.”“Sleep is for the weak.” She sniffled. “Besides, tomorrow's a Saturday.” Kuroo didn’t respond, letting go of her hand and drawing her into his arms. They were chest to chest, his heart beating all the faster. She looked eerily content and it irked him. How was she so serene in a situation like this? “You know, Tetsurou, if you need help sleeping, you could just watch one of your shitty documentaries. Those are always a big help for me.”“This is the last time you bash on my documentaries.” He demanded, trying to keep a straight face as he taunted her. He just couldn’t though. “Those are interesting, __. You just aren’t a science major, you wouldn’t understand.” “You might as well just say, “It isn’t a phase mom, it's who I really am.” and you’d be getting the same point across as the one you're trying to make right now.”“What happened to being too tired to sass me, huh?” He poked at her side, causing her to jump a bit and slap his arm.“You replenished my sodium levels. They’re at a all time high now.”“Go to sleep.” He muttered, catching her eye for a moment before he flicked her forehead. She winced, then brushed it off. “One day, I wanna pull an all nighter just so I can see how your damn hermit crab escapes that cage every night.” “He wouldn’t do it if you we’re watching.” Kuroo snorted. “How do you know? Hermit crabs don't have the mental capacity.”“Well my hermit crab does. I raise my children well, y’know.” She giggled at this, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’d love to see how your children turn out, Kuroo Tetsurou.”“I’d love to see how our children turn out.” It took Kuroo a solid five seconds before he realized what he had said, and immediately, he froze up. She wore a stunned expression, her cheeks practically glowing red. “Well that's a new one…”“God I’m sorry, it's late and night and-”“Don’t worry, Tetsurou.” She cut him off, tilting her chin upwards and planting a soft kiss on the tip of his nose. “You’re cute.” Kuroo felt his stomach twist, his heart race, and his face burn all at once. He tried calling out to her, but she didn’t respond, her face buried into the crook of his neck. He inhaled, then exhaled deeply, letting the nerves subside deep inside of him. Its was 4:18 AM.And he was glad he didn’t sleep.

[sweetsarsaparilla]

Please help, Overwatch fans

Okay this is the nerdiest shit ever but it’s too late to turn back now --

I don’t have a twitter but can someone ask the official Overwatch twitter if Torbjorn’s kids from the Christmas comic have names?

Because otherwise I am going to be stuck in baby name website hell for the next few days.

[glamglaremusic]

SXSW 2018: Q&A with Pretty City

Pretty City are the only SXSW alumni on our showcase, having played the festival in 2016 for the first time, and returning again this year for a second time. Two years ago was also when we instantly became friends with Drew Schapper (drums), Hugh Matthew (vocals, guitar), and Johnny Rock (guitar, vocals). Now, the former three-piece is complemented by bassist Ken Hennessy, and it will be exciting to see what my favorite Aussie band can do live, now that they are four.

To get an idea what Pretty City looked like in 2016, check out our photos from their shows at Tellers and the Aussie BBQ.

The best visuals though are nothing without the music, and if intelligent, fuzzy guitar driven rock with cracker beats and great lyrics is your thing, then go see Pretty City live, when they play the festival in Austin, but also when they are heading over to Europe for a 27 days tour. Listen now to the single “Nothing Happens For Free” from their upcoming album “Cancel the Future”, out on March 23rd.

Then read on, to learn a bit more about Pretty City:

Q: On a long flight, what takes your fancy most: sleep, music or movies? We all have our flying rituals, and it’s a mix of podcasts, music, movies and books. I personally, take the chance to read books or watch movies. On the way to Europe last year I actually watched the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy back to back, which was pretty up there as one of the nerdiest things I’ve done. We then proceeded to quote the movies at every possible opportunity, which both prevented and caused us to all go a bit insane.

Q: If movies, are you more likely to rewatch old favorites or catch up on new releases? For me, it’s usually rewatch old favourites. But that’s the kind of person I am. I’m the same with books and music actually. If I love something, I’ll read it or listen to it for the rest of my life. I don’t love much, but when I do, I do it obsessively.

Q: As for music, which album or playlist must always be on your phone/iPod? My absolute must haves for music are all Beatles albums from Sargent Peppers’ onwards, and all Pink Floyd albums. The Beatles are one of the few bands that all four of us all agree on, so they always get a good run. But on a personal level, Floyd is definitely my safety blanket.

Q: Not only are you traveling to the United States to play SXSW 2018 and record new music in Portland, Oregon, but in April you’re heading to Europe. Are there any specific food items that you’re looking forward to? In America, I’m really looking forward to eating some Texas BBQ. Last time I was in Austin, I was a vegetarian, which is a difficult prospect, so I can’t wait to eat some smoked meat. In Europe, I’m really looking forward to the chocolate and the beer. Both are truly wonderful in Europe.

Q. Why are you recording in Portland? We’re recording in Portland as we really wanted to work with our agent, friend, and collaborator, Dominik Schmidt. He lives in Portland and has been a huge champion of ours. We knew he’d be the right man for the job, and we can’t wait to get cracking on album 3.

Q: Anything else you really liked while being on tour in Europe last year that you hope to repeat or expand on? I absolutely loved Europe. I felt so at home there. I guess the thing that always shocks me when we play internationally is how warm and hospitable everyone is.

Q: How do even prepare for such a long trip? Any special tip? Work out which days you can do laundry. It gets pretty miserable getting around in dirty clothes. Planning laundry runs is essential.

Q: You have a new album “Cancel The Future” coming out March 23rd. Which of the songs on that record do you especially enjoy to perform live? I think our favourites to play live are definitely Nothing Happens for Free and Simone. They’re just so much fun for the band. We hope the crowds dig them as well.

Q: I hope you will play your super catchy single “Nothing Happens for Free”, which runs on repeat in my household (and if it is not on, I hum it anyway). Haha – we’re so glad you’re enjoying that tune. It’s definitely a band favourite and we’ll most certainly be playing it at sxsw.

Q: Which of the already announced acts for SXSW 2018 do you want to see? I’m really excited to see I am Snow Angel, Girl Skin and The Lulls, which is very convenient as they’re all playing our showcase. I’ve seen some very small clips of all bands online and they all sound fantastic, so I can’t wait to see them. I’m also looking forward to seeing Go Fever, which features friends of ours, and we haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them perform yet.

Q: If you could choose to live in a decade (music, style, etc.) which one would it be? I think from my obsession with Pink Floyd it’s probably obvious that it would be the 1970s. I also love funk, and the 1970s were also the heyday of that genre.

Thanks so much, Drew for providing answers to all our nosy questions. We will make sure to stop by your show on 03/13/18 for the Australia House has their showcase, and are super psyched to welcome you just one day later on 03/14/18 to the Official SXSW glamglare Showcase, where you will close out a certainly spectacular night.

“Flying” is another fantastic song from the upcoming “Cancel The Future” album, and got a video treatment. Check out the video out here and stay tuned for the entire album – which we could already listen to, and fall in love with:

See Pretty City live on March 14th, at The Iron Bear in Austin, TX at 12:00 am.

Add Pretty City to your favs.

Stream Pretty City on Spotify:

Photo credit: Catherine Belanger