#I really enjoyed making Terra so so much. it's still my favourite

[pridoo]

I love at the end of MHJS (my hot Jedi summer) when Luke thinks he'll get a dog pile of cuddles from all three Dins but instead they're all propped up against the wall lmao I laugh every time I reread it! Especially because it hints at another comic of yours

But that got me thinking, are all of your comics connected? Are they parts of the same universe or are there some that take place in another AU?

Thank you!! ✨

And this is such an awesome question!

Short answer: all comics are "standalone" stories so they are not connected.

A bit longer answer: Because all of the comics are made by little old me, and in different times when SW shows aired, the comics have some connections and also vast differences.

When I was working on Heavy Metal Lover, only s2 of The Mandalorian had aired. I mainly wanted to try if I could make a comic at all, so I decided to pick up right from the end of the season. Also, this is my only comic where Din mostly doesn't wear the helmet.

Basically right after this one was done I started working on Terra Obscura, which I published when Book of Boba Fett was airing. My Luke was a bit more stocky back then and wore a black glove on-off. I wanted to show Din and Luke doing imp-riddance missions for the New Republic while Luke also struggles with thinking of re-building the Jedi Order (and strangely enough, I somehow predicted some canon events lmao). Terra takes place in its own universe.

Boil was a bit of fun and takes place in the same kind of situationship as Terra, where they do missions together. However, it's standalone from Terra, and I wanted to highlight the difference by giving Luke a bit darker hair. The premise is delish but much more lighthearted than in Terra Obscura.

My Hot Jedi Summer was such a long project (yeah, it took longer than 370 pages of Terra) that most of the current Star Wars shows have premiered by the time it came out, and s3 of Mando came out as well. in this comic, Luke is a Jedi academy teacher and Din's role is left open for interepretation (apart from co-parenting Grogu), but you can recognize the hut from the end of s3 in the comic. I wanted all comics have a bit of vague part on some aspects like how they parent Grogu and stuff, and Din's appearance hardly changes.

However – I love intertextuality and I don't mind at all if people see similarities in the comics' universes! They are mainly standalone stories because I love "firsts" so much and usually enjoy writing build-up more than established relationships.

As for the upcoming body swap au, it takes place in a situationship where Luke teaches Grogu sometimes and Din is doing New Republic freelancing. But it's not really that relevant to know to enjoy the story!

[scholastic-dragon]

This is the best idea I had

Imagine GN reader showing their best friend rocket their video games from terra, games like borderlands far cry 6 and their most favourite call of duty and maybe let rocket win a 1v1 match agains them

I don't play those games so sorry if this isn't exactly how you play, but I did my best. Rocket playing video games comforts and amuses me.

Also yes, fantastic idea friend

Rocket x Gn!reader

New Game

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: spelling mistakes, Rocket being Rocket

Summary: you show Rocket your favorite video games

The constant clicking of your controller was going to drive Rocket insane.

He'd been working on a new invention for the past hour and he'd have to rewire the same spot almost thirty times.

After you'd joined the Guardains you two had become instant friends, having the same sense of humor and level of sarcasm. You both enjoyed spending time together but doing your own things.

It took some work but you'd moved some of your gaming stuff down into his workshop. One wall had Rockets desk and filing cabinets and shelves with his things and the opposite wall had your screen, bean bag and several stacks of video games and movies.

You'd hung small lights all around the room, the ones above Rockets area were a warmer light and brighter while the ones above your screen were dimmer and changed colors.

You were behind him, your backs facing each other, spending time together apart.

Rocket sighed, removing his goggles, setting them on his desk and turning around. You were hunched in your bean bag, focused intently on the screen. Your fingers gliding over the controls, moving your character across the screen.

You'd turned the volume down to the lowest setting so it wouldn't disturb Rocket and normally it didn't. But for some reason today it was wearing his patience ice thin.

"Can you play that garbage later? I need to finish this project,"

You rolled your eyes, "You wouldn't call it garbage if you played it, I think you'd actually enjoy it," You sassed back, your eyes not moving from the screen.

"I don't want to play it, I want it to stop so I can finish this, and those games don't make sense anyways, I mean what's the point?" He crossed his arms, spinning his stool around to look at you.

"I'm glad you asked, I'll show it to you if you want," You finally paused the game and turned to him with a wide grin.

"It was a rhetorical question," He deadpanned.

"It's called Far Cry 6, and I think you'd enjoy it, it's from Terra and it's really fun," Your voice went high pitched, singing the last few words.

"If I let you show me the dumb game will you let me work in peace?"

"Yes, promise," You held your hand to against your chest, smiling and moving to the side of the bean bag, giving him room.

"I'm gonna regret this," He groaned, hopping down from the stool and sitting next to you.

You played for another 20 minutes, showing him the controls, the map, and all your tips on how to play.

He listened intently, finding himself somewhat intrigued at the game.

"Here, hold the controller like this," You adjusted his hand so he could reach all the buttons.

"Kinda uncomfortable," He had to stretch out his fingers to reach the top buttons.

"It's made for human hands, not snarky raccoons," You smiled at his glare. Despite how much he hated that word, he only allowed you to call him that: occasionally.

"Alright, let's start a new game,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rocket played for about an hour and a half, getting even farther in the game then you ever had.

"Careful, behind you!" You egged on, biting the collar of your shirt ad you watched the screen.

"Don't worry, I see 'em," He smirked, he'd gotten used to the strange controls and how to hold his hand to play comfortably.

"You're pretty good at this," Rocket waited for your backhand compliment but you simply smiled at him. "I told you you'd like it,"

"It's not that bad, still garbage but more tolerable now," He mused, pausing the game and moving the controller around in his hands.

"Wanna try my favorite game? You'll like it I promise,"

Rocket thought for a moment, he wanted to finish the wiring on his newest project and be done with it. But there was something comforting about playing these games with you.

"Sure," As your face lit up at Rockets statement, he'd knew he'd made the right choice. "Let's try it."

You crawled off the bean bag, going towards a large stack of games. You moved some of the cases, gently setting them aside or holding them until you had what you wanted.

"Here it is, Call of Duty," You took the disk out and went to swap out the CD's while Rocket looked over the case.

"Seems kinda violent," Rocket mused, waiting for your comeback.

"Oh, you haven't seen nothing yet,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being fair, you didn't jump right into a 1v1, you showed him how to play, the best spots to hide and all your favorite moves.

He seemed very interested now, especially since he now knew all your secrets and how to beat you.

"Alright, I think I'm getting the hang of this," Rocket smiled, staring intently at the screen. Never did you think you'd actually convince him to play, but it was kinda cute how excited he looked over it.

"You wanna bet?" You muse, getting your second controller out from a box under the TV screen.

"Oh so you're a gamer and a gambler, good to know," He paused the game, setting the controller down and smirking at you. "What's the bet?"

"Loser has to scrape all the mud from the hull of the ship before we leave this port."

Rocket gasped softly, narrowing his eyes.

Quill had- stupidly- agreed to take a job on a mud planet and you all had to take showers almost every hour after you went outside. There was mud everywhere, hence why you'd been playing these games for the past few days.

"Deal," You both shook hands, you moved back to your seat, plugging in the controller and setting the game up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was so easy to beat him.

While he did in fact get the hang of the game and how to play, he moved so slow. He was a great shot but always kept himself slightly open.

You wanted to beat him, you definitely did not want to scrape mud off the ship.

But you knew if you did beat him, he'd never play again. He's got a short temper and probably get mad and swear off playing all together. Even if he enjoyed the few hours he spent playing with you.

So, you swallowed your pride and let him win.

"Ha!" Rocket gloated as the winners tag came on the screen. "Oh have fun scraping mud, loser." Even though you were dreading the mud, it was nice to see Rocket happy like this.

"My games aren't that bad, right?" You nudged him with your elbow.

"Yeah, they're kinda...fun. Never thought I'd say something like that about a Terran thing, feels weird," You both laughed for a beat.

You reached over to exit the game and turn off the screen.

"Woah, woah," Rocket reached out, grabbing your wrist. "Leave it, I wanna play while you wash the ship."

Oh you were so going to beat him next game.

[bellqmione]

You asked for lots of attention in your inbox and I'm unsure if that was an open invite or for mutuals only but uhhh, here's a rant on why fate: the winx saga was an insult to me, personally:

Winx Club is an Italian magical girl show that is currently drip marketing for the release of its 9th season. Season 1-3 were made by Rainbow, and then seasons 4+ had some form of co-producing by Nickelodeon.

It was remarkable for its colourful sci-fi fantasy setting and itstackling of difficult topics for children. The main characters (who were all fairies) rode hover bikes and space ships and dated energy sword wielding fighting Specialists whilst all having a signature colour and a sparkly transformation. Stella had a full story arc on her parent's divorce, Bloom had an adoptive and bio family and had to navigate both of them, Musa had lost her mum, Aisha had controlling parents (and later lost her fiance), Tecna had emotionally distant parents who valued logic over all else, Flora was shy and reserved and had to learn to speak up for herself. It was great (at least for the first 3-4 seasons)!

As the seasons went on (most from 5+) it got targeted at a younger and younger demographic and soft reset the main characters from 20 somethings getting jobs and getting engaged back into being students and so lost a lot of its fanbase who had enjoyed watching the girls grow up and wanted to know where life post s4 would take them.

Then Netflix decided it was going to make a live action adaptation aimed at an older audience. I was Very Very nervous but I had hope. A Winx where Bloom could say fuck and blood could be shown would be cool, and maybe this time we could actually see the characters get married and then move in together instead of living on separate planets with their parents still.

The first sign that it was not going to be good was when the casting call went out and there wasn't a call for Tecna: my favourite of the 6 main characters. I was so confused as to why but was hoping it was because they planned to introduce her later (as in the original show Aisha wasn't introduced until season 2). And then the cast got released and they'd cast a white woman to play Flora (the latina coded character) and a maybe white passing maybe white woman to play Musa (the chinese coded character). They later changed Flora's name to Terra and hoped we wouldn't notice but kept the casting the same. (Only coded bc this is a sci-fi show and the characters are all from different planets, for all intents and purposes the character just are Chinese/latina/ect.) This then left Aisha (afro american coded) as the token black girl in the cast.

Speculation on my part: I think they didn't do anything to mitigate the backlash for Musa as they didn't perceive it as as bad white washing as they were doing to Flora, somehow. And I think they white washed Flora because they wrote her fat and figured a fat latina woman would be too much forced diversity or something, as if people don't just exist.

As a kid, seeing the Winx all being badasses saving the Magix dimension together whilst two of them even looked like me was really special. And they just white wash ⅓ of the main cast. Like,,, what?

Next up they released to the press that the reason they got rid of Tecna was because they were going for a more fantasy, less sci-fi vibe and so the Fairy of Technology wouldn't fit in anymore. And by "less sci-fi" they mean they're scrapping the whole setting of the Magix dimension and are instead setting it in a hidden magic society on earth (with the show taking place in Ireland specifically). No more space travel, no more alien princesses, no more hover bikes or energy weapons or the whole plot line of reintroducing Earth to magic that was s4. They couldn't even set it in the fictional town of Gardenia, Italy (where all the earth shenanigans in the original show took place). Scrapping Tecna for this reason is also bs but I'll come back to that in a moment.

Then they said they were going to make sure that they had boy fairies and girl specialists because the original show didn't and they were more progressive (ignore the white washing)... ... ... THEY HAD BOU FAIRIES AND GIRL SPECIALISTS IN THE OG SHOW STFU!! The main characters were six girls bc, wow, magical girl show aimed at little girls, and the only specialists we spent time with were their boyfriends because who tf cares about anyone else?? But background characters showed boy fairies and girl specialists from the beginning?? The fairy school literally had multiple named guy teachers. Like,,, tell me you don't care about this ip without telling me you don't care about this ip.

*sigh*

Anyways, I'll go along with their logic for this next segment i guess. So, you want to show more gender diversity in your three two different magical schools (that you smushed into one school for some reason?), you don't want to have Tecna be a technology fairy because not only have you scrapped all sci-fi but you've introduced a completely different magic system (I'll get to it). So how to kill two birds with one stone? Make her a specialist! They fight using technology and having a main character be a girl specialist/boy fairy would definitely get your point across!! But nooooo, just get rid of her entirely i guess.

Now we have some minor nit picks that one could gather from promo material before we get to the plot of the show. 1) the colours and fashions: everyone looks so drab and so dull. The bright colours and y2k fashions from the first show were part of its main selling power, now everyone is dressed like they're 35 and don't have the energy to put into outfit crafting despite all being 16-18. Especially Terra, probably because they gave up trying to dress someone fat, thanks guys. 2) they've gotten rid of the third big magic school, the one for witches and then smashed the remaining two into one. Why? To give more harry potter vibes i guess (which isn't something you should want to be emulating but w/e they don't care). 3) the magic system is radically different. Before every fairy and witch had their own domain (eg: fairy of music, witch of storms, ect) but now everyone is one of 6 different types of elemental fairy. Musa is no longer the fairy of music but instead a mind fairy, but the other main characters get to keep their domain roughly the same (though they have to share) with fire, water, earth, light, and electricity. (You might think "electricity?" why didn't they make Tecna an electric fairy but idfk guys, idfk) Oh! and they've scrapped fairy transformations, saying they're a lost art (Bloom does get one at the end of the season but all it does is give her bad gci fire wings and the sequence is boring and there's no outfit change??? In a magical girl show???). 4) they've scrapped the iconic main antagonists from the show, The Trix: a trio of witches who want to rule the magic dimension and have an eye on Bloom specifically, for one character called Beatrix (oh wow, very creative) who's an electric fairy and idk has some bad blood magic thing going on.

Then the show actually came out.

I'll be brief here bc I've already gone on long enough but to summarise it:

- the girls all hate each other for the whole season despite their easy friendship and talking about their problems being a highlight of the og show

- the dialogue feels like Riverdale but worse somehow, "snorting the midnight crack?" is somehow a real line someone says with a straight face

- they make these 16 year olds have sex on screen, please stop I don't wanna see that

- despite Terra's storyline being about not taking shit from people for being fat they somehow give everything fatphobic undertones regardless??? At least Terra and Musa are actually friends for a bit ig

- there's a love triangle where there wasn't one in the original series. Please for the love of god stop

- there's a weird polyam/bi thing happening with Beatrix, Riven, and original for this show bi character that is done in the most biphobic way possible and I'm still confused as to how they did it so bad

- Bloom's adoptive mum is abusive now?? despite her adoptive family being absolutely lovely in the original???

- Stella didn't get held back a year for slacking like she did previously, she got held back a year for blinding a student on accident but her mum is making her say it was on purpose??

- Aisha is a wet towel teacher's pet for some reason??

- yeah it's just bad.

(also despite half the main cast being princesses in the original show, now only Stella is and for some reason her mum is the monarch instead of her dad and her dad just isn't in the picture and instead of being slightly distant due to divorce her mum is just straight up emotionally abusive, in this new magic system where magic is done with emotion, so Stella has shit magic control?? Also Bloom is American now and not Italian. Idk just odd here i feel)

Uhhh, yeah, thanks for reading. Feel free to ignore this i guess ahaha I don't know if this is over stepping I haven't been a proper tumblrina for long

- 📟🧚

[frozen-fountain]

Nine People Tag

Thank you, @vcaudley!

Last Song: The Parasite by Swans. I get to see them in a few weeks!

Last Movie: I had to think about this but I'm pretty sure it was In Bruges, which I saw around the time it came out but not since. Banshees really made me feel overdue for a revisit.

Currently Watching: Still making my way through Cowboy Bebop slowly. Not because I'm not enjoying it, but because I can't manage time for the life of me.

Currently Reading: I'm up to The Tombs of Atuan in my Earthsea reread. It's my favourite in the series, and likely to remain so. I've also read the introduction to Anna Tsing's Mushroom at the End of the World, which I can already tell I'm going to be slightly too stupid for (worth forging ahead anyway).

Currently Craving: to not be in pain. I couldn't bring myself to go walking in the rain the other day, so I decided out of idle curiosity to see how long I could jog in place for. Good news is I can go for half an hour, which is a lot better than I anticipated. Bad news is my calf muscles were not happy about this sudden increase of their workload and they've been screaming at me ever since. It's a too much too soon pain and not an injury pain, but I still spent the weekend walking like I was trying not to disturb the worm.

Last Thing I Searched For Writing: screenshots of FFVII's Forgotten Capital so I can get a few details right.

Three Ships:

Terra/Celes (FFVI)

Mae/Bea (Night in the Woods)

Anthy/Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Tagging, if you're so inclined: @bowiesinspace, @ourspecial, @hrh-spinach, @keioschaos, @visualheresy, @laboradorescence, @runicmagitek, @danceswithdarkspawn, @tardisgater!

[baked-hylian]

Tagged by @hirazuki -- thanks buddy!

1.Three ships?

Two off the bat are Wangxian from MDZS and Hualian from TGCF, the third would be Zelink from the LoZ franchise.

2. First ever ship?  

Zelink was baby Carl's first ship

3. Last song?

In the Backroom by Syudou I will die on the hill that it's the best song used for the endings in the csm anime

4. Last movie?

Sonic the Hedgehog on Netflix, I really am not up to date on movies much anymore

5. Currently reading?

Well I literally just finished the second book in the Burning Kingdoms series, The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri. Now I'm currently on re:Zero volume 20.

6. Currently watching?

I've been rewatching Naruto. So much Naruto. Way too much Naruto tbh in less than six months I've plowed through the first part and most of shippuden (on episode 367 meow.) Although it helps that I'm skipping episodes that only contain filler content.

Started the new Trigun reboot and I really enjoy the use of CGI in it so far, tbh it's way better than I had anticipated and arguably, I think it looks better than the current Berserk reboot. However the pacing in the new Trigun feels, a little whack at times.

I'm also slowing watching The Untamed, as I can't get enough of Wei Ying and the actor playing him does such a wonderful job (same with Lan Zhan's actor)

7. Currently consuming?

Water

8. Currently craving?

The motivation to repot my one plant that is in desperate need of being removed from the terra cotta one I got it in before it dries out entirely because I can't be bothered to ever to remember to water it regularly.

____________________________________________________

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

Rules: answer the questions and tag fifteen mutuals.

1. Are you named after anyone?

A soap opera character, Days of Our Lives iirc

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last night because I was laughing so hard at my cat being stupid about something (this is a regular occurrence with her)

3. Do you have kids?

I mean, if you count the kind that walk on all fours and bark or meow at you? Then two.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I've never used sarcasm once in my life, ever.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their body language and how they carry themselves

6. What’s your eye colour?

Atm, a like blue-y green-y grey-y mess, with a hint of orange. Usually just depends on the lighting but I've never had a consistent results

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Horror movies

8. Any special talents?

Stupid luck. I don't win contests, or prizes, but I have the best luck when it comes to procrastinating something and still getting it done with the results I needed just in the nick of time. Getting my driver's license is a good example as it was only a week out from expiring after my booked drive test. Which I booked during covid, and when everyone was struggling to get booked within a reasonable amount of time, but I managed to luck out with the one time slot left available in my city.

9. Where were you born?

Canada

10. What are your hobbies?

Writing, reading, annoying my cat

11. Have you any pets?

We established earlier that these are my children, one cat and one dog

12. What sports do you play/have played?

I used to be pretty good at volleyball, but I was short and could barely spike the ball past the net, so I didn't make the team after the first year.

13. How tall are you?

About 5'4''

14. Favourite subject in school?

Writer's craft. It was the creative writing course offered at my school, but I mainly liked it because I had spare before it so I would always go home and get stoned before coming back to write lol

15. Dream job?

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be an author. It's something I still kinda struggle with due to something stupid that was said to me when I was 12, but I'm overcoming that.

I tag whomstever wants to do this! Because I don't have enough mutuals for it

[inkycherie]

Soft Asks

I came across this tag years ago, and had it saved on my drafts for the longest time. Only realised now that the original blog (sunnysideanon) has been deactivated.

What song makes you feel better ? I’ve currently had Seabird on repeat for months

Feel-good movie ? I have a bunch of ‘em : Julie & Julia, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Parent Trap (on rainy days), Chef, You’ve Got Mail, and It’s Complicated

Favourite candle scent ? Spring / Summer : Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede. Autumn / Winter : True Grace Portobello Oud

Flower you’d like to be given ? I love peonies and baby’s breath

Who do you most feel you around ? My sisters and my best friend

Three physical / and three non-physical things you like about yourself : I have beautiful expressive eyes, gorgeous curly locks, and great legs. I am kind, I love deeply, and I sing really well

What colours bring you peace ? Very earthy tones - terra cotta, muted greens, caramel, beige, and black

Tag people who make you feel good. On instagram : @/bananaramafish, @/paloames, @/valglpineda

What calms you down ? Jazz and coffee, and phone calls with family

Something you’re excited for ? Springtime ! And Flying back home in August

Ideal date ? Simple picnic by the lake, playing our favourite music, or staying inside a cabin on a snowy winter’s day

How are you ? I’m doing well, but currently very homesick

Comfort food ? Corned beef, fried eggs, and rice :)

Feel-good shows ? Boy Meets World, The Golden Girls, RPDR, As Told by Ginger

Compliment the person who sent you this number. I just answered everything by choice lol

Fairy light or LED lights ? Fairy lights

Do you still love stuffed animals ? I like them

Most important thing in your life ? Family is always my number 1. But coming in close second is my job which I just love sooo much.  I’ve been working really hard, and finally, I’m able to find my place in the company, and I am truly going really far in my career.

What do you want most in the world right now ? I want my family to fly to Switzerland so I can show them around, cook meals for them, drink wine with them, take photographs, and enjoy every single minute.

If you could tell your past self something, what would it be ? I am proud of you. After everything that’s happened, you’ve stayed true to yourself, and you never let the harshness of the world turn your heart cold.

What would you say to your future self ? We’re going really far, you and me. Let’s keep this smile up - everybody loves it :)

Favourite piece of clothing ? My Deiji Studios lounge wear(s)

Something you do to de-stress ? I take a long, hot bath

Best personal gift someone could give you ? I love written letters. Also I make songs for the most special people in my life, so it’d be nice to have songs written for me

Movie you’d like to live in ? I’d like to be in a Wes Anderson film just to see how Wes would portray me. How he’d see me in his eyes. But, tbh this is a tough one. For travel, food, and anything lovely, I’d love to live in Under the Tuscan Sun. Or maybe Mama Mia cos I looove Greece. But to relive my childhood memories, definitely Harry Potter minus the scary stuff lol

Which character would you want to be ? I haven't decided yet

Hugs or hand-holding ? Hugs

Morning, Afternoon, or Night ? Morning

Something that reminds you of home ? Definitely songs : Reminiscing - LRB, Our House - CSN, and Inside & Out - Feist

[yellowloid]

The first scene that jumped out to me was the moment in Terra Incognita when they're in the hallway and it all escalates and the "do you want me to distract you?" and then the "wanna see you pretty you are" and the "please, wanna touch you, wanna touch you so bad" ☺️☺️☺️☺️ you know how much I love that fic. It's one of my all time favourites! ❤️

And then in Of loving at will, of loving till death I also thought of the moment when Alex wakes up in a warm bed, the golden light, the sheer curtains softly blowing in the wind and the way Miles is the first thing on his mind. The vibe and image of this Venice, the way they're just overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of it and all the love they feel for each other.

Miles' speech 😭🥺❤️ I can't even get into it. It's truly the most gorgeous beautiful thing ever.

And lastly, in All's well that ends well, the moment they go to France and reminisce about their younger days together, of finding each other and their first kiss and all the glorious people they met along. The setting of that is just amazing!! 😍😍

Your writing is beyond beautiful and there are so many things that stand out to me, you're just that good!!! ❤️💜❤️💜

kdgjhdfhsh bestie!!! 🥺❤️ i'm just so happy that you enjoy my stuff so much and that so many of my favourite moments pop into your mind when you think of my works!!!

the dialogues (and especially the dirty talk) in terra incognita were just so fun to write - the whole fic was tbh. i was very much in love with the idea of miles distracting alex in a way only *he* could 👀 and alex getting super needy in the process because of course he had to😤

about the venice fic, that is so lovely to hear because i really wanted to give a clear idea of the setting, recreate the aesthetic and the vision i had on my mind, the whole dreamy romantic vibes of it all... the opening scene was definitely my favourite to write, with alex waking up to the sounds of the rousing city and to the daily realisation that he did in fact end up marrying the love of his life 💗 i feel like this fic didn't get as much attention as the others in the series, but i'm still very proud of it and thankful for the love it did get!

and then AWTEW... you know how fond i am of it as a whole and knowing other people in the fandom love it just as much makes my heart go 💞💞 every single time 🥺

thank you so much 💖

[nazmazh]

So the whole "cozy farming/town building/etc. games are colonialist/imperialist in nature" discourse that's going around these days:

Like, I firmly do believe that it's not the worst thing in the world to examine underlying reasons - Conscious or unconscious - For why something might appeal to you/an audience in-general.

And sure, there probably are some societal factors that lead to certain things being used as shorthand or jumping off points that do often go unexamined - Like, the idea of there being a terra nullis that you can no-muss-no-fuss-no-complicated history of colonialism/displacement/genocide is definitely one that does often just get used unquestioningly. And there certainly could be some interesting discussions about whether or not that should be such a default.

But, like, at the same time - This is explicitly escapism. Fantasy of a sorts (depending on the game/setting, it might explicitly not be the real world). These scenarios, unless otherwise stated are taking place in a true terra nullis - Nobody had to suffer anywhere in this place's history. Build your animal people village or cozy little farm without even having to think about this sort of thing.

But it's not always so simple, is it?

Any game that includes side-tasks centered around finding treasures/artifacts, exploring ruins, etc.? Well, now, that implies that this was not truly a terra nullis after all. And yeah, that can raise some implications. Much of the time, it still falls back to something like *Oh, they all died long, long before you/your current civilization got here - Don't even worry about it!"

And, like, I get it.

You don't want to think about your character's potential complicity/inheritance of a legacy of genocide when you're playing a cozy farm sim game. You just want to make a nice, efficient farm, and arrange found trinkets in a satisfying manner. You just want to curate your village to look like a 1:1 recreation of your favourite Skyrim town, but with silly animal people. Sometimes it's just the skin that's wrapped around your "make the numbers match up in a satisfying manner" exercise. Sometimes it's all about the stories and playing a role as given to you by the set-up.

And that's all fine.

You're allowed to have escapism without having to turn into Chidi from The Good Place, agonizing over whether everything is 100% ethical from all angles and possible implications.

And people are allowed to think about things from those points of view and decide for themselves if they really enjoy these sorts of games after all.

And there are some games out there that do invite you to think about these sorts of things - Sometimes explicitly, sometimes subtly.

Like, I play Satisfactory, which has a few of these elements - Terraforming an alien world - A supposedly true terra nullis as far as the scenario is concerned - And while resource extraction and manufacturing isn't a cozy pastoral farm, there still is a deep level of well, satisfaction, that comes with arranging things just-so, such that you have an aesthetically-pleasing factory colony, and one in which all of your processes' rates sync just right that it all flows smoothly to get you the components you need.

But it's also a running joke of sorts between me and friends who play about well, just how much sprawling machinery you can into a formerly pristine wilderness. The game might not outright say "Look how horrible this all is for the environment here", but you can't really look upon your creation and not see the horrible transformation the once beautiful natural landscape has undergone.

In the end, though - I've only despoiled a digital canvas, so to speak. No guilt needs hang over my head for finding joy in my colossal monstrosity of a factory. (Other than perhaps I need to work on improving my efficiency. I love my tangle of conveyor belts, but maybe I should plan my machines better so that they're not always backed up and stalled out).

And, like, these people complaining about Stardew Valley or Minecraft being imperialist and then saying people shouldn't enjoy them (Admittedly that last bit seems only to exist as a theoretical strawman to argue against and get mad at/about - I can't say I've honestly seen anyone claiming that nobody should be allowed to enjoy them) - Have they run out of complaints about other game genres? I know that nothing should get a free pass by merit of something else being worse, but I am curious as to where their logic would lead in terms of whether any games with any sort of abstraction/story should be enjoyed, ever.

Have... Have they seen other genres of games, at all?

Like, I also love the 4X genre, but that one explicitly encourages imperialism. The Xs include "exploit" and "exterminate", specifically. And yes, there have been criticisms of this genre too, but I can't say I've seen people vilified in the same way as this last round of criticism lobbed at cozy games.

There's plenty of games whose entire goal is just "kill everyone else" - PC, NPC, mob, etc.

Again, though - I'm not outright against criticism/reexamination of things from different angles or anything like that.

Honestly, the sci-fi and fantasy genres have had some absolutely fantastic developments stemming from the line of thinking of "Hey, does it feel a little off/icky to have expressly sapient races that are universally evil/bad and therefore okay to in-turn slaughter without hesitation?" This reexamination has led to plenty of games where Orcs and Goblins and such aren't just stock villains and cannon fodder - They have their own actual motivations beyond "Pillage and kill! Just because!", they're full-fledged factions that can be reasoned with, negotiated with - Dealt with in ways that don't necessitate violence.

Like, sure, if you have a certain style of game, you'll need foes. And making them "monsters" is often an easy strategy to avoid having to think about why it's okay/good/fine to kill them. But if they're all purely mindless or bestial, it gets a little repetitive - So, yeah, you add in ones that can think too. But at that point, they ought to have the capacity to question what they're doing and why, and thus, should have the freedom to not just default to doing bad guy stuff for the sake of it. And then from there - Writing them to always be evil anyway kind of does feel lazy/reductive and willfully, pointedly avoidant on a subject that should be considered.

I don't know if I have a point to all this. Yes, it's fine to enjoy things. Yes, it's often good to question underlying assumptions - Including and often especially things presented as "idealistic" and "harmless". Yes, consumption of media can lead to self-reinforcement if ideas, including potentially harmful or toxic ones. But also, yes, sometimes, things aren't necessarily as deep as they have the potential to be.

Sometimes it's just "If I had a small corner of the world to make my own, what would I do with it?"

Sometimes it is "If I could take over the world and make it align with my vision, what would I do with it?"

Sometimes it is "If I could take over the world and expressly be like, a cartoon supervillain, what would I do with it?"

People's escapism often isn't meant to be problematic. Or examine how things might be problematic.

Sometimes, it is something that would be expressly problematic outside the confines of the theoretical/simulated.

And that's fine.

It's fine.

People are allowed to enjoy problematic things.

People are allowed to indulge in fantasies that aren't completely selfless or altruistic. As long as they're not going out there and actually harming other people/the world/whatever -- What does it ultimately matter?

[imkylotrash]

Can I request a super fluffy Musa x reader please?

You most definitely can! I hope you like it. 💛 (also I know it’s not that long but I don’t want to add just to add if that makes sense)

Getting to know Musa proves difficult at best. She’s always walking around with her headphones on trying to shut out the world and you really do get it. If you could feel everyone’s emotions all the time, you’d need some sort of escape too. But seeing as how you’re sharing a room with her and Terra, you’d really like to know your roommates. Terra is a peach, she talks enough to count for her and Musa, but every time you look over at Musa, you feel like you’re missing something. You want to know her and you get a taste one night when Terra is having a not-so-secret meet up with Dane leaving you and Musa alone in the room. The clock informs you that it’s two in the morning when Musa shakes you awake. 

“I really hate to do this but do you think you can talk to me? I can feel the most horrible sadness and it won’t go away.” You sit up in bed shaking your head to wake up faster. 

“Sure. What do you want to talk about?” you ask patting the space next to you on the bed. She sits down with her knees pressed to her chest and even though you don’t know her that well, it breaks your heart to see her so affected. It can’t be easy living a life of always having to feel everything everyone else feels. 

“Anything,” she responds fiddling with her hands to keep her occupied. You think for a second wanting to find a topic that’ll actually help and not make everything worse. In the end, you decide on your favourite childhood memory of your mom. 

“When I was 5, I remember waking up in the morning to the smell of homemade cookies. I raced down the stairs and found a huge Christmas tree in the living room with all different kinds of ornaments and presents underneath it. I was so excited,” you say with a smile thinking back to that morning. You’d been reading all these stories from Earth about Christmas and how Santa would come with presents to the good kids and you wanted to experience that so badly as a kid so your parents went out of their way to make it happen. 

“My mom had been baking all morning wanting to get it just right. There were all my favourite stuff and then we just went into a sugar coma that day. My dad even tried dressing up as that Santa Claus man, but I recognised his immediately,” you laugh remembering the disappointment on his face from having been revealed so soon. It was the perfect day and you still thought so to this day. 

“Thank you,” she whispers and in a moment of bravery, you take her hand in yours hoping it’ll help her focus on your happiness rather than the sadness. Eventually, she falls asleep in your bed and you head out to the living room to sleep only to find Terra sleeping in the couch. Her face is all puffy and it’s clear that she’s been crying. 

“Makes sense,” you whisper deciding to sneak all the way outside to enjoy some fresh air. Over the next few weeks, Musa seems to seek you out every time people’s feelings get too much. You’ve never reminisced about your childhood as you do now but it seems to do the trick and you’re definitely not complaining about getting to spend more time with Musa. She’s funny and sweet and best of all she makes you laugh. It seems so natural when you finally do kiss. After that she doesn’t even use her own bed anymore, she just stays with you and she never wakes up in the middle of the night anymore. 

------------------

Tagging: @bitchwhytho @music-of-melody @amaru2020 @grey-girl @intoanothermind @artsyle @baueoud 

[pridoo]

get to know me tag game

Thanks for tagging me @stupidfatpenguin!

rules: tag a few people you want to know better; make a new post, don't reblog!

favorite color: I don't really have one! But I like moss green, black, terracotta and peach. And gold.

currently reading: Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith! And I've still got The Origins of Totalitarism by Hannah Arendt started but I might have jumped the gun there (I usually like heavy nonfiction and I've read her other books but this is a lot)

last song: Self Service 1999 Instupendo Remix by CFCF

last movie: I watched Turning Red this morning and loved it! I haven't enjoyed a new film this much in ages.

last series: I'm steadily on season 3 of Succession.. I watch a lot of tv though so there are usually like 5-7 shows I'm watching in no particular order.

sweet, spicy, or savory: Everything has its place and time?

coffee or tea: I have to start my morning with coffee (it's honestly kind of pathetic at this point) but I do enjoy tea when it's made in my snobby taste ahhah

three ships: DinLuke (yeah), Hannigram and hmm, let's say Newmann

first ever ship: Ever?? I uhh. I would say maybe NaruSasu but that might be too new? I was pretty much into my late teens when I discovered shipping.

currently working on: Terra Obscura part 2 (woo!!) and also part 3 since my workflow is feral (woo!!)

favourite piece of clothing: atm it's cozy, oversized flannels

comfort food: sushi is my go-to as a comfort, celebration and treat-yo-self meal

favourite time of the year: Summer and early fall, I like to wear sneakers and just throw on a light jacket or a t-shirt

fav fanfiction: It's really hard to say one but these past days I've been circling back to World Apart by @stupidfatpenguin! might be the multiverse-loving bitch in me, might be the softness that Din has for Luke no matter which universe Luke he is and how it makes my brain go brrrrr

-

For tags uuhhuhhgh g'night

[phoenixsoul13]

12, 51, 69, 73 for Joyce

14, 21, 28, 34 for Moira

please and thank you!!! ♥️🥺

thank you!! :D

Joyce

12. Your character has the opportunity to have one wish granted. Would the wish only benefit them, someone else (one person or multiple), or everyone? And what would that wish be?

omg, that's so tough. I feel like Joyce would sit and think on it a bit, 'cause she wouldn't want to wish for something that ends up doing no good in the long run. I think eventually she'd end up wishing that everyone would always have what they needed to live, food, a safe home, clothing, etc.

51. Do they find that they care what others think of them? or do they not really mind how others view them?

Joyce cares about what some people think of her. Like her family, friends, people in the Alliance that she respects. Basically people who she believes will set her right if she starts going down the wrong path. People in like Cerberus and the Terra Firma party she cares nothing about how they view her, 'cause they aren't worth it.

69. Do they enjoy facing their fears? CAN they face their fears? If not, what do they do in a situation where they’re forced to face them?

I don't think I'd say Joyce *enjoys* facing her fears, but she's definitely able to. Like when having to go underwater during the Leviathan arc, or fighting the thresher maw for Grunt's Rite. She uses grounding techniques (focusing on where she is physically right now) and promises herself she can break down later when the mission is over.

73. If your character knew what they know now when they were younger would they do things in their life differently?

i'm trying not to laugh, but I've just got this image in my head of Joyce being like 🧍‍♀️ realizing that "oh shit, the reapers are gonna be here in several years", but she knows no one will believe her, so she goes into like... historical research instead of the Alliance. Reapers aside, I would definitely say she'd try college instead of going into the Alliance after highschool, even if she wasn't sure at first what she wanted to do. Almost anything had to be better than that. D:

Moira

14. Do they have someone that they consider to be a family member, even if they’re not related to your character by blood? What was one of your character’s favourite moments with them, and what makes them so special to them?

Even after Ada and Garrus break up, I think Moira kinda still feels like Garrus is kind of a (n annoying) brother; she's fond of him, even if he gets on her nerves sometimes. He was special to Ada, so he's special to her. On Omega, he lets her get involved a bit with the Archangel team, which is honestly more trusting in her capabilities than any of her family would let her do. One of her favorite memories is the tiny memorial they have for Joyce after they meet up on Omega, mostly sharing favorite memories and watching some of Joyce's favorite vids.

21. How does your character decide if a person is mature or not?

How well they take being criticized, and how willing they are to consider other people. Moira unfortunately isn't very patient with people who fail at these two things (especially the latter).

28. When your character was younger, how did they picture themselves growing up? Does it differ from how they really turned out?

As a child, Moira thought she was gonna grow up and basically do two things: spend time with family, and do art. It's... both the same and not. She's not spending time with as much of her family as she thought she would (not helped by her parents being killed), she has friends to hang out with too, and she doesn't have as much time for art as she hoped since she has to have a job(s) to help pay for her and Ada's apartment.

34. Has anyone ever given your character a really important gift? What was it? Do they take care of that gift today or have they since lost or broken it?

🥺 When she turned ten, one of Moira's birthday presents was an easel that had belonged to her great aunt Amelia, who had wanted it to go to someone in the family, but Moira was the first in a while to really show a passion for art. Moira doesn't really use it for making art, but she does have it set up in her room to hold her favorite recent painting.

[catiuapavel]

the character i least understand

There is a level of apathy to Amarant I cannot get behind. It doesn’t help that you’re not given much of a context as to why he behaves like this.

interactions i enjoyed the most

The way Garnet interacts with the rest of the cast (namely Zidane, Steiner, Vivi and Eiko) is really good. In all the franchise, she may be the character with the most growth and the most interesting dynamics around her in general imo.

the character who scares me the most

Look Zorn and Thorn are not exactly scary in their regular state(s?) but then they turn into this 

And this was their true form all along? Unsettling.

the character who is mostly like me

I related to Garnet a lot growing up and still I think she is the most like me in the game. But admittedly she’s more the character I’d like to be the most like. I relate a lot to her reflections regarding her weaknesses, her vulnerability and her sorrows and unfortunately less so to her growing confidence and her boldness.

hottest looks character

(Unfortunately I am like this)

one thing i dislike about my fave character

My favourite character is Kuja and honestly, I don’t have to look too far to find something to hate about him, I just have to see how S-E writes him out of his own game.

one thing i like about my hated character

I hate Brahne because they made her so stereotypically evil (and slapped typically alienating ideas of what evil people look like onto her) and yet, in the same time, they manage to depict Garnet’s feelings for her with incredible depth.

In Garnet I see a moving portrayal of a victim of domestic abuse who can’t let go of the love she feels for her mother, even after all the harm she’s done her. Often when dealing with an abusive parent, there are those who can’t help but retain some aspect of affection for them. Garnet’s words for her when she died echo this complicated notion and overall felt very convincing and personal. It’s hard to reconcile the nuances of her death, and the nuances of Garnet’s feelings with the blatant evil characterization but that scene speaks to me nonetheless.

a quote or scene that haunts me

Honestly I find the entire Bran Bal segment haunting, in the best way possible (the discovery of Terra is my favourite part in the game). There is something so hollow about it, so souless and melancholic which makes the atmosphere unforgettable.

a death that left me indifferent

I think none left me entirely indifferent but Kuja’s death might just be the one I cared the least about (which might sound odd considering I like him the most).

a character i wish died but didn’t

Fratley: It’s not that I hate him (I just do not care for him), I think Freya first having to mourn their relationship and then having to mourn the man himself, with all the complicated feelings it entails would have been great in this game.

my ship that never sailed

Ruby/Lani... But one can dream, there is still time for this after the game ends. Imagine being a mercenary and returning to see your crush’s play in Alexandria every now and then. I want this for them.

[mangop1e]

my Thoughts about mcc14, because this is my blog and the official year of no cringe (in that i will no longer regard my interests as cringe and enjoy them wholeheartedly and post about them if i want)

overall !! it was a really fun event, i was watching blue bats punz pov and they popped off so it was a really good watch for me, the updates to the games were sick as hell and i cannot wait to see these get more refined as we go along plus see what they have in store for bingo and sands of time

putting everything else below the cut for the sake of all the mutuals i have on here that have never interacted with a mcyt in their life! 

so. will preface this by saying i’ve watched every mcc live starting with mcc9 and am . just very very into this tournament, i’ll probably do a little analysis post next mcc because i just find it all very fun !! and tumblr is like a void i can scream into and sometimes it screams back so it’s the perfect place to let myself ramble. that being said, here’s my thoughts on this mcc from the blue bats punz pov, with vague knowledge of what happened in a few other povs

build mart: so sue me, i’m a build mart fan. the new map build is INCREDIBLE and i love the choice of elytras rather than the scuffed boats!! the new addition of the golden build is really fun too! not something that could necessarily be changed but build mart is definitely a killer for teams that don’t have good comms and coordination, and having it as a first game can really shake some teams and cause a drop in morale that could affect the rest of their performance in the event. overall, though? im loyal to build mart and i think it only got better with the updates

tgttosawaf: i love how pedantically long that acronym is <3 i think some of the changes really threw players into the deep end, that one round where they had to break the wool in the targets to get through especially, and terra swoop force Definitely threw some players that are otherwise cracked for a loop, especially if they were unfamiliar with the map, but this one was also super fun to watch!! definitely a good game for the first half of the event

sky battle: at long last, sky battle returns <3 as a shameless inniter sky battle is one of my favourite games simply because i Know tommy will always pop off, but it’s also such a fun twist on classic minigames like sky wars and a faster version of skyblockle done super well! i like the new map layout a ton as well, the little towers in the middle ring plus the structure of the innermost ring made for some really interesting plays all around. this game’s another one that can go south really fast if your team comms aren’t great, but definitely more forgiving than build battle, and a hell of a lot more adrenaline-inducing!! in terms of the updates i think this one was probably one of the best, tied with build mart.

survival games: survival games was CRAZY i do think this is one where you need to get good rng with your loot pickups as well as have good team coordination but it’s definitely a really fun pvp game!! only thing i will say is it can be a bit bland next to the rest of the crazy games in mcc but it’s definitely a classic and depending on how its played (cough red rabbits cough) can definitely turn things wayyyy around for a team!! very high stakes in a fun way

hole in the wall: god :sob: the glitch. ohhhh hbomb you and your glitchy ways. this glitch was definitely a new one compared to the usual “spam-space-bar-and-pray” glitch that our dearest tommyinnit has taken advantage of before, but i honestly can’t really blame him too much for using it? it did give aqua an advantage but it’s only slightly different from falsesymmetry using the spam-space glitch to win a few rounds of hitw in a more recent mcc (would have to double check which one, but i do remember hbomb taking note of this when he was reviewing mcc vods the day after). hole in the wall has been a glitchy bastard for as long as it’s been in mcc and it was truly hilarious to see hbomb clip through walls, so - all in all i think if the glitch could be fixed that’d be great but it was still a fun watch! also, pete zahutt is CRACKED.

ace race: whoo boy. ace race. honest opinion? i think the map is REALLY cool and has a lot of potential, but there was a lot of confusion and bugs that need to be fixed for next time - the fact that the players could reset back to a previous checkpoint, the general confusion over where to go which cld mean they need to add more directional arrows. overall i’m really really excited to see how people will perform on this map when they’re more familiar with it and some of the kinks have been worked out on the developer end. i do think scott had a Huge advantage here and it was really prominent due to the fact that this was a new map for everyone aside from him, albeit him seeing a much earlier version that wasn’t the same as the version that existed in the event, and it would definitely be wise of noxcrew and the developing team in the future to be more aware of how much involvement scott has in the gameplay side of testing. the general confusion and checkpoint resetting also did Not help anyone and i do think a few teams really lost out this event because of the issues with ace race, but this map has a ton of potential and im really excited to see what they do with it in the future.

battle box: oooo battle box !! this one didn’t really leave too big of an impression on me but the new map was definitely interesting!! the fact that the way to get to the middle was a bit unclear was ,, definitely interesting to watch :sob: but you can’t go wrong with battle box to be honest. solid team pvp game!

parkour tag: PARKOUR TAG!!! having this as the final game was so fun :] the map they had this time was complicated which definitely comes with its pros and cons: pros being that it creates potential for a lot of really interesting routes and unique usage of the area and environment, and cons being that it can feel really cluttered and overwhelming especially when its your first time playing. overall i liked the fact that it was busier but i think striking a better balance between full and barren could really elevate parkour tag from a good game to a great game

dodgebolt: blue bats </3 they had a fantastic run in the games and had an awful dodgebolt and sometimes that’s how it shakes down !! i always always love the unpredictability to the final winner that dodgebolt gives - the first place team pointswise isnt guaranteed a win, reverse sweeps have happened multiple times in the past, and dodgebolt is always nail-bitingly exciting to watch!

misc thoughts: i do think aqua had an advantage but from the sounds of things scott and noxcrew will be taking genuine criticism into account for next time and have learned from this event, i DONT think that removing parkour warrior was unfair because it wasn’t an event that noxcrew could ever successfully balance by making it hard enough to not have the same guy dominating every event and creating a gap, especially when played later, that no other players had HOPE of reducing and i think parkour tag was a really really fun alternative to it especially since runner and hunter play to diff strengths of the team members and it has a bit more strategy to it plus team comms than parkour warrior did, and i think build mart is a good game and i WILL die on this hill

if you read this far, fantastic, you madlad, i appreciate you

[youngerfrankenstein]

And so! Three years, almost to the day, since it came out and I have finally finished Kingdom Hearts 3.

I liked it! A lot. The Disney world were a little hit and miss, but the hits were really good, and Arendelle sucked. Overall I enjoyed them, the Toy Story world was probably my favourite, and it is always a joy to watch Disney characters interact with the original characters, with some particularly good moments in this one. The world design was overall really fun to run around in.

While I probably prefer the weight and magic system in the KH1 combat system and BBS’s customization I quite liked the combat in 3 as well. The Keyblade form changes added some fun variety and while I didn’t use the Attraction Flows that often they were kind of great? I just get a kick out of seeing monsters fall to a teacup ride.

The story is, well, it’s Kingdom Hearts. The series has been less and less interested in actual conclusions as time goes on. Hell 1 had a bit of that problem. But also, it’s Kingdom Hearts, and I’d be lying if I said every tearful reunion didn’t make me want to sob with joy.

Strangely my biggest problem with the story is how much the endgame felt like a retread of KH2’s Radiant Garden middle bit. (Fight a giant group of Heartless, party member(s) “die”, “Oh you were secretly playing into my evil scheme”, etc.) But the actual ending? Loved it for the most part.

Roxas, Axel and Xion were reunited! And Isa reconciled with Axel and joined the group. Roxas got to be friends with the Twilight Trio for real. Terra, Aqua and Ventus all get to go back home together! Repliku give up his chance at existence for Naminé and Riku honours his wish! The Disney characters reunite with their loved ones! Most everyone gets to just relax at the beach! And Sora will be fine sooner or later, the boy just gets damselled more than the Disney princesses. But I really do hope that most of the side characters get to just have their happy endings. Start with a somewhat clean slate! Not that I hold out much hope there.

I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t getting tired of “Oh look! An even BIGGER bad!” And even knowing it was coming the Xigbar reveal still made me roll my eyes.

Overall I guess my rankings for the major console releases are: KH1 > BBS > RE: CoM = KH3 > DDD > KH2, though I love them all in their own way and the rankings are very subject to change.

[jumpship90]

2 and/or 11 for kisses prompt please

apologies this took forever but I had this whole scene pop into my head for Jaq and Phin and needed a little more time to get it right! It ended up 1500 words, so more under the cut to spare you all scrolling

11 - “welcome home kisses”

Phineas grumbled to himself beneath his breath as he stalked down the corridors of the Hope, the lights about him gradually dimming to a glow as the ship entered its night-cycle. Usually, he paid little heed to the processes programmed into the ship to aid with the regulation of circadian rhythm. His own lab ran on a perpetual day setting that allowed him to work as long and as late as he pleased and he was quite happy keeping to his own schedule. To his displeasure, that had recently become disrupted.

The source of his consternation had started near two weeks ago. It was the first evening after Jaq had returned to their work at the New Hope Centre and he had sought to distract himself from the inevitable homesickness that plagued him after their departure by ploughing ahead with his work. He’d been leant over a microscope when he had realised he was struggling to see the specimen on the slide below. At first, he had blinked in confusion, then he had realised, no, his ageing eyes were not failing him just yet, everything really was suddenly beginning to grow darker, the lights powering down around him in a simulated sunset.

“Computer, lights up,” he barked, still squinting at the specimen.

“I must remind you that the Hope is now entering its approved night-cycle, Dr Welles,” the flat mechanical voice intoned, echoing about the laboratory.

He scoffed. “Override it then.”

“Negative, Dr Welles. I am unable to override the health and security programming for this ship. To do so would be a violation of employee wellness protocol 3.14 subsection a.”

“Nonsense.” He straightened up, hands on hips and glaring at the speaker mounted on the wall. “This is my lab and I am in my personal time. Override.”

“I am unable to comply. This unit cannot overrule administrator updates.”

“I am the administrator!” He tapped his foot in frustration. A warm orange glow now filled the room. He would never be able to work in this.

Phineas huffed and shuffled over to a terminal to check the settings, there had clearly been some kind of engineering error. He tapped through the controls for the lab – air scrubbers, chemical cleaning processes, heating, security logs – ahh, light settings!

*error, password required*

“What in the void?” he muttered. “Computer, who last updated these settings?” Someone was going to regret interrupting his work.

“Settings last updated by; Captain Jaq Evenshaw.”

He sighed heavily at that. He should have guessed. There was little the two of them disagreed upon but his lack of sleep was the main catalyst for the few arguments they had.

Phineas’ fingers flew over the keys as he inputted password attempts. No, it wasn’t their anniversary, nor was it Jaq’s birthday and his own didn’t get him anywhere either. He tried again using variations on “The Hope” until eventually, the screen locked.

*error –too many incorrect passwords entered. Access denied. No further attempts may be made for 24 hours. Please contact your administrator*

“Fine,” he growled. “Two can play at this game.” He would just have to attempt a manual override then.

But when he had made his way to the panel beside the door and popped it open, Phineas had discovered Jaq had done something fiendishly complicated with the electronics that even several hours of tugging at wires and messing with the circuits hadn’t been able to untangle. He’d felt a tiny spark of pride flare even as their work vexed him. It was excellent craftsmanship after-all and it was difficult to be too angry when their heart was in the right place. They worried about his health, he knew. All the same, he would be having stern words with them when they returned. Well, after the two of them had caught up and he’d had them explain the clever little trick they’d pulled.

Defeated, he had given up that first night and been forced to turn in at the ridiculous hour of 20:00 and it had been the same every night since. The enforced curfew was irritating but he had to admit, he had managed to get caught up on his reading and even played several hands of cards with his colleagues that had proved surprisingly enjoyable. If Jaq were here, he supposed it would have given them a little more time to indulge in other activities, though he did pride himself on always ensuring he finished work a little earlier than usual when they were back. A sharp pang of longing gripped him as he made his way back to his quarters. Hopefully, it would not be too long until they returned.

Distracted as he was, at first Phineas did not notice the glow of the lights from beneath his door. He swiped his security pass and stepped inside, halting abruptly at the sight of a familiar tatty rucksack sat beside the wall. His heart leapt in his chest. They were back!

He shuffled into the room, expecting to find his partner sat at the desk typing up notes on their project or perhaps lounging on the bed watching an aetherwave serial. Instead, Phineas was rather surprised to be greeted by a half-naked figure sprawled atop the sofa, a copy of tossball monthly open on their chest and their mouth hanging open, soft snores escaping them. It wasn’t the first time he’d returned to his room to discover Jaq passed out on the sofa but they were usually dressed.

He padded across the room as quietly as he could. Jaq slept quite deeply but they were prone to startling if awoken suddenly – an old habit that he could sympathise with. He crouched beside them and smiled down at their sleeping form. Their skin had tanned a little from their work planetside, darker at their calves, fading to pale at mid-thigh then back to a darker tone across their torso and arms. It must have been hot down there over the last few weeks and he knew Jaq had been focused on getting the dormitories built. He guessed they’d stripped down to their shorts, sweating under the Terra-2 sun, muscles straining whilst they laid the foundations of the buildings he’d seen in blueprints scattered across the desk. That was a rather lovely image, he thought as he settled a hand against their shoulder. He did so enjoy watching them work.

“Jaq?”

They didn’t move other than to give a snort that really shouldn’t have been as endearing as he found it.

“Jaq?” he tried again, running his thumb over their skin, and this time they stirred, bleary eyes cracking open. They blinked up at him several times before their eyes sprang wide and Phineas abruptly found two arms flung about his shoulders and Jaq’s enthusiastic embrace sent him toppling forward onto their chest. He could only laugh as their lips met his temple then left a trail of hurried kisses down his cheek before eventually finding his mouth. Phineas sighed and returned their eager kiss. Jaq’s leaving was always an unhappy necessity of their lives that Phineas’ never relished, but their return was always so sweet it made it that much easier to bear.

“Missed you,” Jaq said eventually, drawing back just enough to press their forehead to his own, keeping their arms wrapped tight about him. Phineas hummed in amusement.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

Jaq sniggered and kissed him again and he caught a faint hint of toothpaste on their tongue. It seemed they had been getting ready for an early night.

“Whatever are you doing on the sofa?” he asked, disentangling himself a little to get a better look at them.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Jaq said and gave him a sheepish grin. “Only, I guess I was more tired than I realised.”

It was now that he registered the humidity in the room. Clearly they had indulged in a long hot shower before his return. He noted Jaq smelt of his favourite shower gel and the briefs they were wearing were the same ones he had previously suggested complemented their build. Ahh, so they’d scrubbed up in anticipation of an evening together.

Jaq stifled a yawn with the back of their hand. “I’m not sure I’ve got the energy for anything besides watching a serial though, sorry.”

He smirked down at them lounging atop the cushions. Regardless, they were certainly a welcome sight to return to and he appreciated the effort.

“Not to worry. We have plenty of time for catching up. You are staying a while, aren’t you?” he enquired, suddenly concerned this was going to be one of their flying visits. He braced himself for disappointment but to his relief Jaq nodded and stroked at the stubble on his cheek. He’d have shaved if he’d known they were coming home.

“A few days at least,” they replied and grinned up at him. “Why? Got something planned for us?”

Phineas pursed his lips in response, tapping a thoughtful finger against them. “Oh yes, I have some particularly interesting activities in mind for you. Starting with fixing your tampering in my laboratory.”

“It’s not tampering, it’s updating in line with the new government regs on workplace wellbeing,” they said with a shrug. “Sleep is important, Phin.”

“Ha! So says the person passed out on my sofa in their underpants!”

“Because I’ve spent two weeks grafting on a building site,” they shot back. “It’s completely different.”

He sighed. “Fine. But as you have disrupted my work, you’re going to be making it up to me during your visit.”

Jaq grinned at that and he kissed their nose. “Now, off to bed with you,” he ordered with a chuckle.

He rose to his feet, Jaq scrambling up with him and wrapping their arms about his waist. “Only if you’re coming with me.”

[almostreading]

alright fate: the winx saga thoughts, in no particular order. i think this is so long that i have to hide my shame under a “read more” thing. 

so many of the storylines and dynamics were super predictable, i feel like they just did a storyline roulette with a few basic ass tropes 

i am absolutely convinced that sky was played by at least 3 different blonde main actors because he looked completely different in every single scene

i hate what they did with stella. i get that they wanted to have some basic friendship drama but the generic mean blonde with a tragic past is one of my least favourites archetypes, even if they do redeem her. 

similarly, the way they butchered flora/terra. can we have a fat character whose main personality trait isn’t just being insecure, nice and shy? also the whitewashing? disgusting.

you can have character growth and good arcs without going for the most basic personality and plotline, please god just use something new.

speaking of, fat girl falls in love with the secretly gay best friend? tired. please give fat girls relationships in 2021

do i even need to talk about the outfits? even if netflix was so set on keeping it a dark adaptations you could have still had crop tops! and glitter! and fun colourful things! the winx outfits are even super trendy rn so what was the reason?

extra tragic wardrobe points for only dressing terra in tragic unflattering tents.

they tried to include this weird feminist angle? in such a glued on, on-the-nose way? like please yes winx needs to be feminist but the characters just had these weird generic one-liners and then nothing else.

if you had closed captions on: constant magical swooshing/twinkling

the villains were so underwhelming. the monsters had no actual interesting motive and the reason the bad guys were the bad guys was this weird twice-over miscommunication thing that really did not logically lead up to what it lead to in the last episode

most of the dynamics outside of the core friend group were.... somehow very confusing and shakily built? 

this might be an unpopular opinion but i think it would have been way more fun if they’d made bloom go evil, since they already basically threw all the source material into the trash and it would make sense with netflix’s general storylines. 

WHERE ARE MY MAGIC TRANSFORMATIONS

beatrix was also one of my favourite characters and they just! take her out! for most of the last two episodes! the wasted potential

i actually screamed at the cgi fire wings. how were they so bad and so underwhelming? the wings were one of the only things i was looking forward to and they did not deliver

it was super entertaining, though, even if it was Not Good. as a known lover of hate-watching things, this truly was the perfect show.

i’m just sad that netflix things the only thing that teens/whoever the demographic for this show was will enjoy a show is to make it a dark adaptation of the source material. i would have been so much happier with colourful and fun things. there are other ways to age up source materials than just making them super grim and wannabe sexy!