#amy is definitely more of a main character than silver is but when most people think hedgehog trio they probably think silver not amy

[sonknuxadow]

im still waiting on that sonic themed splatfest . btw. theres so many good choices for themes and sonic and splatoon just feels like a crossover that would be Fitting and Correct in a way idk how to explain. also if they ever did a sonic splatfest theme i would literally die if they did splatoon style covers/remixes of sonic songs to replace the regular music just for that splatfest. but they probably wouldnt go that far

[dontlookheswatching]

I wanna randomly ramble about my main au regarding ships real quick.

TRIGGER WARNING, PLEASE NOTE THAT I MENTION THINGS LIKE ABUSE, RAPE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE!! Please don't read if these things upset you! I want everyone to be safe, so if any of this is triggering, this is to tell you to scroll by!

I'm a multishipper, I've stated this on my blog before, I ship practically everything if I see it a certain way. But lore wise when it comes to my blog, relationships are specific. I might post a relationship chart one day, but basically, I have main ships, and then I have like a billion little side ships I enjoy but they wont make a big appearance on this blog unless they're random doodles unrelated to the lore, or part of a ramble or reblog. Im gonna list examples of each so people know what to expect in future posts where some of these ships are featured. If you want to unfollow me for some of these, I'm not stopping you, I'd highly encourage doing so if any of these ships make you uncomfortable, because I don't want anyone to stay on my blog if it brings discomfort.

Several main ships I have that'll be featured perhaps the most are ones like Jeff x Ben, which if not already obvious is the main relationship that'll be focused on. Another is Tim x Toby, they're both adults in my au, I do not support pedophilia whatsoever and if need be I have aged up characters to avoid this. Lastly, I have Liu x Eyeless Jack. I honestly dont know why I started shipping it but its really cute to me and it stuck and they're very dear to me. These three are perhaps the ships that'll be featured the most, but I'm having a brain fart like always and I'm already forgetting my own ships-😭

These are ships that'll be in the blog as well but they aren't as big and focused on. A example to start off with is Jane x Clockwork. I know, canonly, Jane is married to Mary, and I love that, but this is my own personal au so things are different, although in my heart Jane and Mary are definitely on top, and I might do doodles of them from time to time. Another example is Nina x everyone. No, not literally. She just has crushes that come and go ALL the time, and she flirts with everyone, so often to where no one questions it anymore. She had a Jeff arc and got over him and now she's living her life how SHE wants to. A few more include Nurse Ann x Judge Angels, Hobo Heart x Cody/X-Virus, Lost Silver x Glitchy Red, Jason the Toymaker x The Puppeteer, and Kate x Rogue. I have many more, but for now, I'm gonna explain the ones already listed since a few might seem really random. For Angels and Ann, Im just gonna admit, I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers or people who act like they hate each other but they secretly love each other deep down. For Hobo and Cody, in my au, they're both huge loners, and we're paired in a mission once. It was very awkward but the more they talked the more they realized they had a lot in common. I love them. Theres more lore to the reason I've paired Silver and Red together, but to sum it up, Silver had a massive crush on Ben, but Ben has his eyes set on Jeff and didn't return the feelings, and I didn't want Silver to be sad and alone his whole life, plus, they're dynamic is adorable. Sad pessimistic person x person who has seen whats under the sadness and admires them anyways. For Jason and Puppeteer, i saw a cosplay with them on tiktok and I couldn't help myself, I caved immediately. And lastly for Kate and Rogue I realized their characters have several things in common and I realized they'd probably get along pretty well.

Now, for side ships, I won't give an explanation, this ramble is already longer than planned. Im just gonna throw them out there with no context. EJ x Ben, Ben x Lost Silver, Nina x Kate, Tim x Brian, Tim x Jay, Jay x Alex(Yes some other marble hornet characters may be featured in the blog or in doodles), Jessica x Amy, Toby x EJ, Liu x Ben, and many MANY more, too many to state here.

Now that its out there, I wanna real quick talk about something I've reblogged a few days ago. Just because they're bad people who have done bad things, it doesn't mean they dont deserve love or happiness. Plus, the majority of these creeps were people who were wronged time and time again until they were pushed over the edge, it probably definitely wasn't something they had planned out since they were like 3. Now, despite this, some of them definitely aren't the best lovers to have, like Jeff, because again, these are murders and deranged killers. This is a super dark confession but theres A LOT of lore between Ben and Jeff in my au where things were AWFUL for them because Jeff couldn't get a grip on himself for the longest time. He's not like that anymore, and things are MUCH better for the both of them, but they definitely had an era in their relationship where things were beyond toxic. Beyond toxic as in Jeff was incredibly abusive, physically and mentally, and had a MAJOR alcohol addiction, and even proceeded to get Ben addicted to drugs at some point, sometimes going as far as raping him when he did not give consent. I won't give away too many details, but I will say, again, this is in the past and they've both healed over their traumas and managed to get through it together, and are in a much better state(A lot of breaking up and getting back together happened throughout this 'toxic era' though, and even after healing, theres still minor problems that I will not elaborate, they will be found out throughout the blog and maybe hints in some doodles.) But this is a good example of what a realistic relationship in this fandom with Jeff might look like. But just because people are deranged and definitely not mentally stable, it doesn't mean they can't try to change, and it definitely doesn't mean they dont deserve love unless they're as bad as Jeff was but with no intentions to change.

Im always happy to further explain any of this, but I will not tolerate harassment for the things I like. But anyways yeah thats my whole thing on ships im gonna go cry over my broken apple pencil now

-Max❤

[katymayxo]

What if Amy Rose had her own spin off??

With the release of Princess Peach: Showtime has got me thinking…imagine if we had gotten that similar experience for our fav pink hedgehog Amy Rose? Sure, you could make the argument that due to the bad reception of Shadow The Hedgehog (2005) when it was released indicated that Sega was not going to make any more sonic spin off games in the future (though I will defend that game for the entirety of my living existence because I whole heartedly loved it) but theoretically it could be a great concept to bring back because you could do so much with each character.

But in this case, I want to talk about the many ways of what I personally think could work if Amy had a spin off game.

1. Good Character Writing

Over the course of the Sonic franchise, there have been many interpretations of Amy some range from very bad to very good if you know what I’m talking about. If you want an in depth discussion of Amy’s evolution throughout the years read @ratrrriot post they do a great job of explaining it better than I ever could. But basically in short terms: showcase her love and compassion but is a fierce determined hero and willing to stand up for the people whom she cares about but retain both her bad qualities such as her stubbornness and so it would make feel more grounded and like a real person.

2. An Open World Format

Sonic Frontiers was a definite refresher for the format of Sonic games. The open world really helped how the open world is a great fit for Sonic games show casing how alive the star fall islands were and immersive gameplay experience can be. I know some people were mixed on that aspect but personally it was a welcome addition that helped with the story. In my mind, Amy would be going on her adventure led by her tarot cards as well as expanding her horizons and come across this magical and unknown land associated with love and kindness (one of Amy’s defining traits). The land would like some fantasy/ fairy tale inspired world with each level being more beautiful than the last and in a sense still being rooted into Sonic’s world with creative lore but with a girly twist on it one of the many things that definitely defines who Amy is and that some of the locations/ levels within the game could be off real life places or folklore.

3. Story

Sonic Frontiers and to an extent The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog were praised for being the first Sonic games in years to have a good story probably since Sonic and the Black Knight. Definitely can work if they have good writers. Amy would be in the game for obvious but maybe two or three more friends along for the ride too but having them be in the story instead of them just being in the background like Cream, Blaze and Silver or something? Have them develop into by Amy had impacted them in so many ways and how they want to return the offer. Explain how the fantasy world in the game came to be, the culture of it and their way of living, sacred treasures they may hold to keep the world in balance. Introduce characters from the fantasy world so you would feel more invested into the journey and having one of the inhabitants be the main antagonist an trusted ally to the team.

3. Costume Upgrades

Amy has had some very cute outfits upgrades most notably in Sonic Dash or Sonic Forces Speed Battle but you would have to unlock the outfits doing certain tasks or completing each level zones in the game that also help progress the narrative feeling as that they are essential. Again it doesn’t have to be the case but it would be a cool feature to have be put in the game as well as her friends getting costume upgrades too.

Again, this isn’t trying to force the game if it would happen. It’s just me ranting some of my ideas if an Amy Rose spin off game were to actually happen but I doubt it’ll be the case any time soon.

My Synopsis of names of the world in the game, the levels/ zones it can contain and what it would look like;

Location of the Story: The Petula Isles

Levels/ Zones:

Valley of Love:

Dreamy Skyline:

Crittered Cove:

Wintered Wonderland:

Jubokko Forest:

Crystal Caves:

Link to @ratrrriot’s post on Amy’s Evolution:

[inkabelledesigns]

Hey so have I ever told you guys about the most ridiculous thing to happen to me online as a teenager? Yeah I got trolled and harassed by the same guy for so many years that I lost count. And it was all because I told him you shouldn't steal people's Sonic fan character sprite sheets. Here's the story.

So as a teenager, I was really into those SSS Sprite Show videos. It was a genre of Sonic content on YouTube that consisted of Sonic and Shadow with Sonic Advance style sprites, and Silver with a Genesis styled sprite, over realistic photo backgrounds, using Speakonia voices to talk. The humor was often pretty terribly written. The three would often live together, Shadow would beat the crap out of Silver, Sonic was obsessed with the Sex and the City Franchise, Amy was constantly written to be a horrible, obsessive antagonist which sucked, and so many people would recolor Sonic Advance sprites to be their fan characters, which would slowly take over the show and lead to more wacky adventures, becoming more about them than the canon cast. Some were pretty basic recolors, others put a lot of effort in. And as I said, this was a genre, as in, multiple people made sprite series with this setup, all using the same voices and formula, and they all lived in the mansion with the SSS. They were baaaaaaad, but y'know, the kids were having fun, and I used to know a lot of people in this community. I even tried my hand at spriting and got actively told to quit by one of my former boyfriends so I couldn't be better at it than him. Yeah he was a peach. This is sarcasm, he was a dick and incredibly sexist towards me. Hell the amount of sexism I faced from guys in this community was kind of ridiculous. The stuff I went through just for being a girl on the internet in the 2010s was something else. If this part of the sprite community somehow still exists, I hope people have gotten better about that.

Anyway, it was incredibly common for fan character sprite sheets to cross over into each other's series, but not everyone consented to people using your sheets. So often, you'd email people your sheet, and only people who had permission would use it. That is, until some assholes leaked them. One of my friends had their sheet leaked and given to someone else who abused the use of it so much, and then there was all this stuff with emailing where some confident lil shit decided to flaunt that he had all these sheets he wasn't supposed to have. We never found definitive evidence as to who leaked them, but I feel confident that I know who it was. But the person flaunting it, I and this other person called him out. He was not only flaunting the sheets under a false name and using them in hisain account videos (often turning my friend's character into a bitch to make them look bad), but he was also making fake accounts to troll himself to generate sympathy and get people's attention off of it. And when we called him on this, he proceeded to harass us for the better part of a decade. Impersonating me on YouTube to say things I would never say in grammar I would never use, hell, he did that to a lot of people that would go on to call him out. He'd make entire videos on his main account telling us we were awful and to stop harassing him when we weren't, he was the one actively harassing us. The drama was real, and this continued to happen for YEARS after all of us stopped interacting with him, on YouTube, DeviantArt, it was bad, and it bugged me. I would be on vacation with my family, completely unplugged, and then come back to hundreds of messages gumming up my DA inbox from him under fake accounts.

But like, at a certain point you learn to block it out. Like as a teenager, I was worried people would think his impersonation was actually me, and some people did! But anyone who like, actually knew me wasn't fooled, and if you're willing to believe that sort of thing on sight without questioning it in the slightest, maybe you're not someone I need in my life or should care about the opinions of. It was a valuable lesson that not everyone is someone you need to hold in high regard. Be respectful, but also know that not everyone respects you, and their opinions don't need to hold as much weight for you emotionally as someone who does.

The last time I logged into my old DeviantArt, I had like ten messages from deactivated accounts telling me to go fuck myself, from this guy, still impersonating someone else, the same way he had for all that time. It'd gotten a little less frequent while I was still active, but my account has been dead for years. I couldn't believe it, I haven't used my DA since I was what, finishing college? And the messages were recent, it was kind of pathetic.

Like, we just wanted him to stop stealing shit, and there he was, having learned nothing. Consent matters, if you have not been given permission to use someone's character in your creative work, you ask first, and if they say no, you respect that no. You don't get someone to send you their materials, abuse those materials, and then harass people for telling you to knock it off. Yeah, I probably could have been nicer in the way I handled things, I regret that, but knowing what I know now? Regardless of how I behaved, this guy had some unacceptable behavior. And I hope wherever he is now, he's grown up a little. Like, if I really lived rent free in your head for that long, all because I told you not to be a butt to my friend, to respect their boundaries, maybe I'm not the villain in this scenario. Trying to control my actions and obsessing over the fact that I thought you were doing something ugly, when I was an absolute nobody that no one took seriously anyway, isn't nearly as productive as working on bettering yourself. Like genuinely, I hope he's doing better. I felt no sympathy in the moment these things happened, but I do feel a little bad for him now. I've been there, in a place where I cared too much about people's views of me, and it left me wrecked and trying to people please far more than was reasonable. I changed all of who I was in an effort to be liked, and it didn't do me any favors, just made me miserable. It took me so long to learn that hey, you're likable and loveable just by being you, you're not a bad person or failing at being human, you just hadn't found the right people yet. And now you've found people who are in fact great people, and you're gonna be okay. (Yes I went through a character arc and changed as a person for the better, I am far from exactly the same person that I was as a teenager, I've grown. But I'd like to think that some of why people want me around and value me as a friend is because of things I've had inside me all along, things that are core parts of my character. As I often say, maybe being Kat isn't such a bad thing to be after all. Self love and self improvement is a process folks.)

Anyway another community's struggles came up on my feed today, and it reminded me of this story, that's why I'm telling it. To anyone out there that's had to deal with a troll, well, I can't say all experiences are equal, and the internet has changed quite a bit since this happened to me. There are some troll experiences that you can't ignore that will turn into something serious and bad, but there are others that you can brush off, because those trolls don't matter. And there are some that are a complex mix of it all. It's often not worth it to interact with someone that attacks you in bad faith. What I can say is that if someone makes it their life mission to take you down, without really knowing you? Think long and hard about how much time you really want to dedicate to that. Not everyone is going to like you, some people are going to hate you with no real basis or reason for it sometimes. Some people are going to believe things about you that aren't true. The best thing you can do is put your best foot forward, be kind, be courteous, be a thoughtful person, and surround yourself with people who are also kind and thoughtful. Of course, have some self reflection. If someone says your behavior is hurtful, really think about it and analyze yourself, work on yourself, we can always improve. But know that you're not gonna please everyone, and that in and of itself is not a moral failing. It's what you choose to do about it that matters.

The bottom line is this: You can't control how anyone feels about you or behaves, all you can do is control your own actions and make smart choices.

[randomthefox]

What do you think of some of my choices on the Digimon partners? I made sure to pick Digimon based on character personality and their main motivations/characteristics instead of 'which one is popular? I think this one...' like some people do. Arcadimon was the hardest, because I knew it was gonna be the one I wouldn't have been sure about the most...

Sonic: Veemon/V-mon

This is definitely the most no brainer one, I also independently thought of this and I think it's a perfect fit. Magnamon is definitely also the most Super Sonic of all megas lol

Tails: Jazamon

Hadn't heard of this one! I like him though. He combines Tails main things which is flying and being mechanically inclined. I was having a hard time thinking of a good partner pick for Tails personally. I think this is a good pick.

Amy: Shortmon

CUUUUUUTE! 💯 absolutely perfect choice holy fuck. I also like how it's a champion level (although apparently that was just made up by a reference book but whatever).

Knuckles: Vorvomon

Lava dragon. For some reason that fits really really well? Also apparently this boyo is a co-partner with Jazamon in their debut, so that fits pretty well for Tails and Knuckles being Sonic's right and left hand buddies. So yeah, good pick.

Big: Frogmon

Nuff said

Cream: Terriermon and Lopmon Version X

Not sure if you meant both of them would be X Antibodies or if Terriermon would be normal and only Lopmon is the X ver, but either way I think this is a delightful pick. Also for some reason I really enjoy Cream having two partners.

Shadow: Arcadimon (Perfect/Ultimate)

Yup that one's spot on. Fits his aesthetic perfectly. Also love Shadow having an Ultimate as his default partner.

Rouge: Witchmon

Pfft, perfect. Just oozes femme fatale energy. And love her having a champion as well.

Vector: Deckerdramon

Fucking rad. Maybe Vector's would have boom boxes instead of missile launchers.

Espio: Igamon

lol literally just fucking ninjamon. I mean yeah, what else would it be?

Charmy: Fanbeemon

ALSO one I decided upon myself, the instant I learned about Fanbeemon's existence.

E-123 Omega: Guardomon

Checks out. Though personally I might have gone with Gargomon for the sake of the Barret gunhands, but if Cream is gonna have Terriermon we wouldn't want to double up like that.

Blaze: Leomon

Dead cat walking. But for real, think this is a good fit. He could have a bodyguard type vibe for the princess too. Personally I might have gone with Gatomon or Black Gatomon, but then I guess their evolutions would diverge from the theme whereas Leomon stays a cat all the way up to mega.

Marine: Captain Hookmon

10/10 moving on

Silver: Exermon

Unusual choice I think but I love it, really fits Silver's aesthetic.

Infinite: Negamon -> Abbadomon

Fucking A that's perfect. Be careful who you bully in highschool indeed. Also not sure if it's meant to imply a warp evolution or if he'd digivolve up through the stages naturally, but personally I like the idea of it being Negamon when he's just the mercenary, and warp evolving all the way up once he gets phantom ruby infused.

Eggman: ??? (May possibly be his own creation)

My personal choice would be Machinedramon. Especially if we're talking the Digimon World version, specifically. Because in that case, yeah. Definitely fits as a "frankensteins monster" digimon choice.

This is why I wanted to ask you cuz you know about way more digimon than I do, I was either struggling with picks or going with really basic bitch choices lol. Definitely would accept all of these partnerships as canon in any kind of cross over.

The only ones missing are the Babylon Rogues and maybe the classic characters like Fang Mighty Ray Bean and Bark.

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: Sonic - Thanks for answering that Darunia. It makes sense, but I hope it's not weird that I'm a big TaiSmo and SonAmy fan 😊. As for Amy and Marta, they would definitely get along as friends, but if it's Post-Game Marta, she would see a lot of her old self in Amy and try to give her advice about pulling back (she would understand what that means by than). Also, Sonic is only 3 years older than Amy (Sonic is 15 and Amy is 12), so it's not that huge of a gap.

(Relevant to this post for context for future me and other peeps.) Nah, man, ship what ya like. If anything I’m probably an outlier in the Sonic Fandom because I actually like Big the Cat and next to Chris Thorndyke from the Sonic X series, Big is one of the most hated characters in the Sonic series. TaiSmo and SonAmy are, like, pretty mainstream ships. The only others I can think of are Sonic x Shadow, Silver x Blaze and Shadow x Amy with Knuckles x Rouge being pretty popular too but mostly because everyone’s thirsty for Rouge. I like the dynamic Sonic and Amy have in Sonic Boom a bit better because Amy acts a bit less like a petulant child when she can’t have all of Sonic’s attention and actually has hobbies outside of just... being Sonic’s girlfriend. Yeah, their age gap isn’t THAT big. But it flies in the face of what the culture of the USA deems comfortable. IRL, if they were in a schooling situation, they’d only be at the same school for 3-5 out of the 13 years they’d be school-aged and that’s... not a lot. Granted that’s a WEIRD framework, but the USA has a weird script for teen romance that usually involves them growing up together so in the USA at least, it’s framed as “weird.” The relationship is also right on the cusp of Amy technically being a child and Sonic technically being a teenager and that makes people uncomfy. There’s a sort of internet shipping “rule of thumb” in the west that generally seems to work for separating age gaps that people find comfy and age gaps that people don’t. Half the eldest member’s age and add 7 years and that’s the youngest the character “should” be dating or paired with. So 15 yo Sonic would be 15/2= 7.5+7=14.5. So generally the age gap people would be comfortable with Sonic in would be with someone basically his own age. Age gap problems tend to be less of an issue when both characters are adults. Add 10 years and Sonic becomes 25 and Amy becomes 22. 25/2= 12.5+7= 19.5. Amy’s well over the age people would generally be comfortable with Sonic dating. Now, granted, relationships are more than math problems. Age is just a number and it’s not a magical one. The number 15 isn’t magically magnetically repelled by the number 12. The reason that age gaps are a problem in real life is because a middle-schooler and a high-schooler generally have different levels of agency IRL. A 12-year-old is barely at an age where you might start giving them more adult chores like grabbing groceries from the corner store on the way home from school while a 15-year-old is almost at an age where you start teaching them to drive in the USA. If Sonic was 16 and Amy was 13 (which, I think, as of Sonic Heroes, are their canon ages?) Sonic would be able to drive and basically be allowed to do most things on his own, might even have his own job or whatever, and Amy would just start having more adult responsibilities. Now, of course, most of this doesn't matter, because Sonic and the others take a leaf out of the book of Japanese social norms. Kids are afforded more agency and responsibility because it’s expected that the community will help them if they need help. And even then, the Sonic series plays VERY fast and loose with norms from real life, to the point where Tails, an 8-year-old, can drive vehicles and fly planes and Amy regularly goes shopping by herself and Sonic probably only ever drives for fun because he can run literally faster than the speed of sound. Like, everything’s clearly loosey-goosey in the Sonic world. But kind of like how Sonic 2006 had that whole kiss with Sonic and the human woman and everyone (in the USA at least) thought it was weird, Sonic and Amy have an age gap that’s going to rub a lot of people the wrong way. But, like, at the end of the day, they’re cartoon hedgehogs and their world is different enough from our world that a fox can not only fly with or without a plane, but people trusted him driving the Tornado 2 around on a dang freeway to chase after the freaking President and no one really batted an eye. So, like, I have no problem with the ships, I just understand that in the USA there are many avenues by which the ships (in this case, SonAmy) is considered “probmelatique.” But, like, honestly, Amy Rose can wield a giant hammer and has most of the brain cells in the main Sonic crew, (Next to Tails maybe, but Tails seems to have only tech brain cells. He’s a kid by most other metrics, he’s just a tech wiz.) So, like, I can totally buy that the power dynamic between Amy and Sonic is pretty equal despite the age difference. I just understand the visceral reactions people would have to that age difference. It’d be cool if Rays’ Marta (The best version of Marta IMHO) talked some sense into Amy about Sonic while they were out shopping and they became best buds. Marta would be a cool big sis type to Amy.

[northoftheroad]

Hi! I'm really sorry to bother you! But I was wondering if you could give us a list of recommended stories with dick after his Robin days. Like after bruce fired him and he became nightwing? All up to the time he had to become batman? I really love your content by the way ☺️!!!

Gosh, this turned out to be even more tricky than the Robin list, and it's frightfully long!

One reason is that storytelling has changed since Dick was Robin. Back in the Golden and Silver age, with very few exceptions, comics were stand-alone short stories. In later decades, it's usually arcs that span at least a couple of issues. Some themes can run for a very long time. For instance, Dick was brainwashed by Brother Blood in New Teen Titans vol 1  # 22 (in 1982), and that would have consequences until The New Teen Titans vol 2 #31 (1987). 

There are also a looot of stories – apart from guest appearances, Nightwing is a regular/lead character in several books named New Teen Titans/Titans and suchlike, 1980-1996 and 1999-2009; Outsiders vol 3 (2003-2007); Nightwing vol 1 (1995) and vol 2 (1996–2007). In team titles, several characters compete for attention. Also, I have read and know the Nightwing books more than his team titles, so they will be more prominent on my list. 

There are a bunch of stories where Dick has a pretty small role and won't be in a lot of panels, but those panels can be "important" and often quoted when it comes to Dick. For instance, Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive, Hush, Under the Hood... 

So, you'll have to take this for what it is. A very personal list, with stories I like (and remember), or have some fun panels, or are "important". Because certain stories are essential to the character's history, regardless if you like them or not. (And if you want more of Dick with Kory/Starfire, read the New Teen Titans titles.) If you'd like to see a synopsis before you commit to reading – because did I mention it is a very long list indeed? – the dc.fandom.com wiki page will often provide. 

(Or you could do the sensible thing, and see this as more of "the complete history of pre-Batman Nightwing, and ask somebody else for recommendations...) 

The Judas contract (when Dick becomes Nightwing). The New Teen Titans # 39-40, Tales of the Teen Titans #41-44, Annual #3. (1984) 

Trivial Pursuits. NewTeen Titans vol 2 # 32. (A nice breather, when the Titans try just to relax together. It goes as well as can be expected.) (1987)

Batman # 416. (First post-Crisis meeting with Jason Todd) (1988)

The Cheshire Contract. Action Comics Weekly # 613-618 (Dick helps Roy find his daughter.) (1988)

The New Titans # 55. (Dick learns about Jason's death when the Titans return to Earth after a long period in space. He goes to Bruce to talk and what follows is the infamous scene when Bruce hits Dick, says he should never have had a partner and tells Dick to leave and leave the keys with Alfred.) (1989)

Batman year Three. Batman # 436–439. (Flashbacks with a retelling of Dick's origin, during Bruce's third year as Batman. In the "now", Dick tries to reach out to Bruce and Dick's parents' murderer is about to be set free.)  (1989)

A Lonely Place of Dying. Batman # 440-442, New Titans # 60-61. (1990)

The New Titans # 65. (Tim turns up at Dick's place to learn what it is to be Batman's partner.) (1990)

Total Chaos. (In issues of Deathstroke the Terminator, New Titans and Team Titans.) (Mirage, a woman from an alternate future and who has illusion casting powers, takes the form of Starfire and sleeps with Dick, who is shamed by his team members for being unfaithful to Kory, even though this is rape. So, an important fact to know but not something I would recommend to read.) (1992)

Knightfall Prodigal (Dick's first longer stint as Batman. And he takes care of Tim and the Manor on his own!) In Batman #512-514 and three other titles. (1994-1995)

Nightwing Alfred's Return (Kind of fun, when Dick seeks out Alfred, who left Bruce's service because Bruce wasn't taking care of himself, in London.) (1995)

Nightwing vol 1 # 1-4. (I don't love this, but it is a milestone in that it's the first Nightwing solo series, Dick momentarily decides to leave the hero business, and gets his by now classic fingerstripe suit.) #1-4 (1995)

Like Riding a Bike. (Donna checks up on Dick.) The Batman Chronicles # 7. (1996)

(Nightwing vol 2 began in 1996.)

Nightwing vol 2 # 6. (Tim and Dick talk and fight crooks.) (1997)

Nightwing vol 2 # 12-16. (Batman pays a visit and Dick makes his custom made car.) (1997) 

The Flash plus Nightwing. (Dick and Wally on vacation.) (1997)

Then & Now. Teen Titans vol 2 #12-15. (The original four Titan boys find themselves fighting their past selves.) (1997)

Nightwing vol 2 # 25. (Tim and Dick talk and ride on train roofs. Dick has decided to become a cop.) (1998)

Detective Comics # 725 (A heart-to-heart between Bruce and Dick.) (1998)

The Technis Imperative. JLA/Titans #1-3. (1998-1999)

The Titans (1999) # 2. (The start of a new Titans team, Dick tells Superman to give them some room.) (1999)

Nightwing vol 2 # 32–34. (Dick at the Police Academy.) (1999)

Nightwing vol 2 # 35–39. (On a mission from Batman: To take control of Blackgate Prison. Afterwards, he recuperates at Barbara's when her place is attacked.) (1999-2000)

The Titans (1999) #15–16. (The original five Titans try to work out some difficulties.) 2000.

Transference. Batman: Gotham Knights #8-11. (2000)

Nightwing vol 2 # 45-46. (The Hunt for Oracle.) (2000)

Action Comics # 771. (Nightwing and Superman hang out and work together – what's not to like!) 2000

Gods of Gotham. Wonder Woman # 164-167. (2001)

Nightwing vol 2 # 54-58. (Blockbuster, Nightwing's main adversary in Blüdhaven, hires an old enemy of Dick's to deal with the vigilante: Shrike. A character from Robin Year One.) (2001)

Matatoa. Batman: Gotham Knights # 16-17. (Bruce adopts Dick.) (2001)

Who Is Troia? The Titans (1999) # 23-25. (A visit from the Titan's children from the Kingdom Come universe.). (2001)

Retribution. Batman: Gotham Knights # 20-21. (2001)

Nightwing vol 2 # 64. (Nightwing as Santa's elf.) (2001)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (in several titles). (Dick refuses to believe that Bruce can be a murderer and it causes friction with for instance Tim. Also, a big fight between Dick and Bruce when the latter says he is going to abandon his Bruce identity.) (2002)

Nightwing vol 2 # 75. (Flashback's to Dick's early years with Bruce. Plus the first appearance of Tarantula (Catalina Flores; a controversial figure in Dick's history, she straddled the line between vigilante and villain.)) (2002)

Hush. Batman # 608–619. (# 615 for Dick, but it might be confusing only to read one issue.) (2002-2003)

The Obsidian Age. JLA vol 1 # 68-75. (The Justice League members disappear, Dick leads a new team for a few issues. In # 73, Bruce is quoted:" The only time I ever feel pride is when I look at Nightwing. Sometimes I think he's the only thing I ever did right."). (2002-2003)

Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day # 1-3 (Donna is killed. Dick is devastated and declares that the Titans are finished.) (2003)

Nightwing vol 2 # 80-83. (Deathstroke is in Blüdhaven to kill someone close to Dick. Bruce asks when he will quit the force, Dick wants to stay as a cop, but when he saves Amy Rohrbach, she recognizes that Dick is Nightwing and fires him.) (2003)

Nightwing vol 2 # 86. (Dick, forced to rest after being injured, solves crimes on America's Most Wanted and drives Barbara up the wall.) (2003)

The Outsiders vol 3 # 1 (Roy talks Dick, who dissolved the Titans after Donna's death, into leading a new team, promising they will not be a family.) (2003)

Nightwing vol 2 # 87-100. (Definitely one of the darkest periods points in Dick's life pre-Flashpoint. Tarantula breaks up him and Barbara. Blockbuster destroys his circus, his home and kills people just for talking to Dick. Tarantula kills Blockbuster and Nightwing is too exhausted to prevent it, and afterwards, she rapes him (# 93). Not necessarily an arc I would recommend to read, but fans discuss it a lot.) (2003-2004)

The Outsiders vol 3 # 11 (Roy is angsting about going back to the hero business after narrowly surviving being shot, sparring and heart-to-heart with Dick follows.) (2004)

Under the Hood. Batman # 635-641, 645-650, Annual # 25. (2004-2006)

Nightwing Year One. Nightwing vol 2 # 101-106. (I honestly don't care much for this story, but it's good to know that it's one of several retellings of how Dick became Nightwing.) (2005)

Supergirl (2005) # 3 (Supergirl has a huuuge crush on Nightwing... ) (2005)

Silent partner. The Outsiders vol 3 # 21-23. (Dick goes ballistic when he realizes Batman has been funding the Outsiders, Roy admits Batman has been feeding him information. Only it wasn't Batman – it was Deathstroke in disguise.) (2005)

DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy  # 1-4. (2005)

Nightwing vol 2 # 107–117. (Dick leaves Nightwing, starts working for the mob and trains Deathstroke's daughter. I think the author has some kind of resolution to the crisis Dick had gone through the last years in mind, but Infinite Crisis got in the way. Blüdhaven is destroyed in a nuclear explosion.) 

Infinite Crisis. (DC had planned to let Dick die, he is central to the story even if he's not very visible.) (2005-2006)

Targets. Nightwing vol 2 # 125-128. (Dick hunts for a day job in New York and gets buried alive, which leads to some retrospection on his behalf. There's also fights with a guy with a weaponized armour.) (2007)

The Brave and the Bold # 15. Nightwing and Hawkman. (Deadman, inside Hawkman, says that Dick Grayson is the one guy that every crimefighter trusts.) (2007)

Outsiders: Five of a Kind – Nightwing/Boomerang. (It ends with Batman telling Dick: "Go back to the good fight, Dick. Leave the bad fight to us.") (2007)

Wrath Child. (A story from when Dick was fairly new as Nightwing.) Batman Confidential # 13-16. (2008)

Freefall. Nightwing vol 2 # 140–146. (Dick starts freefalling as a new hobby; Bruce is not pleased. And he gets a new daytime job, as a museum curator. Oh, and there's Talia al Ghul, too.) (2008)

Robin # 175. (Some fun panels with flashbacks with Dick and Tim.) (2008)

The Great Leap. Nightwing vol 2 # 147–151. (Two-Face wants Nightwing to save a life.) (2008-2009)

Titans (2008) # 10. (Dick leaves the Titans because he needs to go back to Gotham and "take care of my other family." (2009)

Nightwing vol 2 # 152-153. (That time when Ra's al Ghul called Dick detective. And Dick packed up and left New York to move back to Gotham.) (2009)

Batman # 682. (Just for the line about how Dick made colour come into their monochrome lives ;-) ) (2009)

Detective Comics # 85, Batman # 684 (Dick mourning Bruce) (2009) 

The Secret Six # 9. (Some of the members of the Secret Six feel they should be the new Batman.) (2009)

Battle for the Cowl # 1-3. (2009)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Best of 2019

What a year. By the time 2019 ended, I had seen over 130 new movies. It's actually probably closer to 150 but I lost count. There are a few titles I missed, such as The Dead Don’t Die, The Fanatic and Honeyland so obviously, this is not an all-encompassing, definitive list of 2019’s best, but it should give you a good idea of which films you need to check out if you haven’t already.

I usually like to save the #10 spot on my list for a movie that’s just for me. Normally, this would mean a giant monster movie, an off-beat creation nobody else saw, a comic book movie that spoke to my particular tastes or maybe a Canadian movie I know didn’t get the opportunity to shine like it should’ve. This year, that’s not happening. Trimming my list down to 10 was hard enough. I certainly wasn’t going to sacrifice one more to make it just 9. Let's dig in.

10. The Farewell

It’s been weeks since The Farewell and I’m still thinking about it. If I was put in the same position as Billi, I'm not sure what I'd do? Is it better to tell someone that's dying that their days are numbered, or should you spare them from that burden? Is it really them you’d be sparing, or is keeping the secret for your own selfish needs? Writer/director Lulu Wang asks serious questions about culture I had never contemplated before. There’s a lot for you here and even more if your family comes from mixed backgrounds.

9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I heard some complaints about Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) not being the main character of this film by Marielle Heller, from writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. It was the right choice. The plot has a cyical reporter meet Rogers and through their relatively brief interaction, learn what we knew going in. It delivers a moving character arc without having to stain its subject with flaws we didn't want to see. The quasi-meta presentation is what elevates it into top-10 status. That extra touch means it does a lot more than simply re-iterate what we saw in the 2018 documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?.

8. Knives Out

Knives Out is one of the most entertaining films all year. There are no profound moments of meditation, no earth-shattering realizations about yourself, just a mystery to be solved. All the suspects are so intriguing they could be the stars of their own movies. Put together in the same house as a dead body and you’ve got no idea who did it. Its screenplay is excellent. The twists are juicy. Everything ads up in a satisfying manner. Rian Johnson is already working on a sequel. I can’t wait.

7. Apollo 11

There are few holdovers from the list I made halfway through the year, which either says something about the strength of the second half of 2019, or the weakness of the first. Either way, you’ve got to see Apollo 11. It’s the closest thing to going back in time and being there when man landed on the moon. The tension and anticipation are overwhelming. Knowing what happened doesn't matter. The way the footage is assembled is nothing short of incredible. Why this documentary wasn't present at the Academy Awards is beyond me.

6. Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler should’ve been nominated for an Oscar. He wasn’t. I’ll bet you dollars to donuts it's because of his association with all of those brain-dead Happy Madison Production comedies. His history with cinema shouldn't matter. The movie is what matters. The fact is, this was the perfect role for him. It isn’t even that Sandler’s doing something different, it’s that he’s being used to his full potential. If you weren’t glued to the screen, eager to see what’s coming next, this movie would have you jumping out of the window screaming - anything to escape the anxiety the Safdie Brothers serve up with devilish grins.

5. The Lighthouse

Next on my list is The Lighthouse. Right away, the aspect ratio and black-and-white cinematography lets you know you’re in for something different. You have no idea. What I love so much about this film is the way it handles madness. At the end of the day, I’m not sure if I could tell you if Robert Pattinson’s character was crazy, if Willem Dafoe’s character was the nutty one, or if they both were. It shows you just enough to make you doubt your own sanity. It’s also unexpectedly funny, which makes it feel oddly genuine. In one scene, Robert Pattinson's Ephraim Winslow gets a hold of the lighthouse's logs. In it, his boss, Thomas (Willem Dafoe) recommends Ephraim be disciplined for masturbating excessively. Considering Thomas has been cavorting with some kind of tentacle creature up in the lighthouse (at least that's what I think I saw, I'm not so sure anymore), all you can do is laugh. What kind of loony bin is this turning into? One I'm looking forward to revisiting.

4. 1917

Shot in a way that makes it all look like one take, 1917 is a technical marvel. It hooks itself up to your circular system and steadily replaces your blood with pure, undistilled stress. As you're about to flatline, it stops and gives you a breather. A shot of a meadow untouched by the ravages of war; a reminder of what the soldiers are fighting for and of how utterly devastating armed combat is on humanity as a whole. Gorgeous cinematography, powerful emotions, magnificent production values.

3. Joker

Along with Godzilla: King of the Monsters (a movie they basically made for me), this was my most anticipated movie of the year. To get ready, I watched Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, two Scorsese films Joker director Todd Phillips drew a lot of inspiration from. For some reason, it seems as though many critics took offense to the similarities. Sometimes I understand differing opinions from mine. This time, I don’t. It’s a great film that warns of the dangers of letting people like Arthur Fleck (brilliantly performed by Joaquin Phoenix) fall through the cracks. Left unchecked, he discovers that by doing terrible things, he becomes a “better” version of himself. It’s not a drama. It’s a horror movie that spins the familiar Batman archenemy in a new direction but also stays true to the character. There are several scenes in this movie that are going to be permanently imprinted in my brain. Those stairs. Need I say more?

Runner-ups

Avengers: Endgame

Even if every single Marvel movie going forward is awful, this caps off the whopping 22-chapter saga epically. A couple of aspects bugged me enough that it could only manage to make the runner-up list but it's a terrific film.

Booksmart

The funniest comedy of the year. I think back to Amy and Molly using their hairs as masks and still can't manage to hold back a few chuckles months later.

Toy Story 4

This one was hard to cut. The only flaw I could find was that it isn’t on the same level as 3… even though they’re both 5-star movies.

Midsommar

I’ve heard the extended cut is even better than the original. I wish I’d had the chance to see it in theatres.

Jojo Rabbit

Audacious and heartfelt. I loved those scenes of Scarlett Johanson being a mom. Her agent might've dropped the ball getting her cast in Ghost in the Shell but she sure knew how to pick great work in 2019.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino brings us back to a time when Roman Polanski was simply a good director instead of a convicted rapist, movie stars were untouchable, and the death of someone’s wife under mysterious circumstances was nothing to raise eyebrows about. It’s not a movie that screams “here and now”. If anything, it’s regressive. That said, I cannot deny the experience I had watching it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kinda thing and I doubt even Tarantino could pull it off again. I wonder how many people went in knowing what happened to Sharon Tate like I did.

Marriage story

It’s nothing but raw emotion and powerhouse performances in this drama about two people you love going through a divorce. I always make it my goal to watch movies all the way through without any interruptions. Several times throughout, I was tempted to hit "Pause" so I could catch my breath.

Internet lists are everywhere. You know why, don’t you? They suck you in and when you get down to it, most don’t require all that much effort to put together. Except when I make them, apparently. These bi-annual lists always turn out to be difficult to put together. 2019's proved particularly arduous. I’m fairly sure that my #3 movie belongs there. Out of all the movies on this list, it’s probably the one I’m going to go back to most often. The other two? I’d say that technically, one may be better than the other but I think the other one is “more important” so that gives it the edge. What I’m trying to say is, they’re all winners and on a different day, I might even swap them around.

2. Little Women

I have only seen three of the seven silver screen adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s novel and I don’t expect any of the others to top this one. The secret ingredient to this one's success is Greta Gerwig. Writing and directing, she does so much more than merely translate the classic to movie form. She re-arranges the story to give the events a greater punch than they would if they were shown chronologically and puts a little more emphasis on a couple of key moments (that tear-jerking Christmas, for example) to crank up the emotion. She also makes it more modern without having to change anything about the setting or characters. Admittedly, the back-and-forth between the past and present is a little jarring at first - makes you wonder what Greta Gerwig could’ve done had she been given the de-aging budget Martin Scorsese was given - but that’s where the performances and costumes come in. It takes mere moments before you get what the movie is doing. I’ve said it already but it made me cry.

1. Parasite

To make this list, I didn’t go through all of my past reviews and check which ones were rated what. I thought back to which movies gave me the most vivid memories, which ones gave me the biggest reactions. I’m still not sure how I feel about the final final moment but there’s so much about Parasite that I admire. This would be a great one to watch with others just to see their reactions to the reveal about the bookcase.

[trinketprince]

Analyzing the IDW Sonic Issue #24 cover

Cause it actually gives us a pretty good insight on which characters will/allowed to appear in this series! (or at least I assume)

Ok so just to give some general context, Ian Flynn has said in a previous interview that classic era characters won’t appear. IDW Sonic, (at least for now, is strictly Modern Era)

So we can expect to not see these following characters in the IDW Sonic comic-verse for a good while.

Classic Versions of Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Eggman and Metal Sonic

Segasonic the Hedgehog (Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel)

Sonic the Fighters (Honey the Cat, Bean the Dynamite and Bark the Bear)

Sonic Triple Trouble (Fang the Sniper/Nack the Weasel)

Tails’ Sky Patrol (Carrotia, Focke-wulf, Bearenger, Witchcarter)

Sonic R (Metal Knuckles, Tails Doll) 

Silver Sonic

Battle Kukku Empire (XV, Speedy and Doctor Fukurov)

Chaotix (Heavy and Bomb)

But in IDW Sonic Issue #3, Sonic mentions The Hooligans, so at the very least they can mention the existence of classic characters. 

But this restriction of characters does beg the questions though? What is and isn’t off limits in IDW Sonic?

Apart from Classic Universe, there are three other universes that come from the sonic games. Boom Universe, (though quite loosely-considered as a universe) Storybook Universe and (a more sketchy, loosely considered as a universe) Chronicles Universe.

In the case of Boom!Sonic, given the design of Sonic and the rest of the cast, we can outrule Sticks the Badger and Lyric from appearing, not sure if they’re allowed to reference them though. 

In the case of Storybook!Sonic, they’re allowed to reference the storybook games (as shown in IDW Sonic Issue #16). However using characters such as Shahra and Merlina is also unclear (but I’d guess they won’t appear).

In the case of Chronicles!Sonic, given the whole Ken Penders thing, I bet that Shade and the rest of the characters won’t even be given an allusion to.

Well how about one-off characters? Characters that appeared once or a few times in Sonic’s adventures?

Well, this is where this cover helps! See, as of the current issue, IDW Sonic Issue #22, a generous amount of characters has appeared.

The Main Cast (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy)

Returning Cast from Forces (Wisps, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Silver)

Antagonists from Forces (Eggman, Metal Sonic, Orbot, Cubot)

IDW exclusive new characters (Tangle, Whisper and her former Squad, Rough, Tumble, Jewel, Dr. Starline and others)

Returning cast not in Forces (Cream, Vanilla, Cheese, Chocola, Gemerl, Blaze, The Babylon Rouges (In a spin-off comic))

Returning Villains not in Forces (Zeti)

That’s almost everybody we see in this cover... except for a few characters.

That’s right, some previously unseen characters like Big the Cat, Froggy, and Marine the Raccoon of all characters, are seen again.

In Big’s case, it isn’t as jarring. He was bound to appear sometime, being apart of Team Rose, appearing in Sonic Adventure, his role in the Sonic games is far too big to skim over. In fact we actually may have an idea on where he is in the current arc. In IDW Sonic issue #22, page 5, we see a speech bubble, “Froggy?! Where are you?!”.

While Big is not explicitly shown in the actual issue, he is most well known for this phrase and his love and concern for Froggy, his pet frog. This suggests he may be present in the Restoration HQ...

... His fate, however, whether he got infected by the metal virus or not is undetermined. 

After scanning the room for people who has not been infected Gemerl stated that every one in there are already in different states of infection. So unless Big has somehow escaped (which to be honest, his character seems to be the type to pull surprises)...

... Big is already infected and left behind with Vector, Charmy and Vanilla.

Now for Marine. Blaze originally came to Sonic’s dimension because she felt something was wrong. 

She is introduced to Tangle as a princess from another dimension who wields the Sol Emeralds. She eventually joins the fight against Neo Metal Sonic and taking back Angel Island. 

At the end of IDW Sonic Issue #12, she says her work is done and decides goes back to the Sol Dimension.

In the Sonic 2019 Annual Issue, there is a story that involves Blaze visiting Silver’s Garden. 

And according to David Mariotte, the 2019 issue takes between issues #12 and #15. So Blaze was still in Sonic’s universe until at most before the Metal Virus arc started.

In the Metal Virus arc, Blaze is absent, most likely already having returned to the Sol Dimension. So with the appearance of Marine, does Blaze return back to Sonic’s dimension in this arc? Does she bring Marine along? Why?

And the presence of the Babylon Rogues and Jewel in the cover coupled with the solicitation description for IDW Sonic Issue #24:

“The Last One Out" As the Metal Virus spreads, Tangle's hometown of Spiral Hill Village stands as one of the last strongholds of the uninfected. Sonic, Tangle, and the remaining heroes of the Restoration make a stand, but will it be enough?

And the fact that the last time the Rogues and Jewel were last seen was during the jewel heist at Mineral Museum suggests that they will appear there once more.

Does the appearance of Marine, who’s only appearance in the game series is Sonic Rush Adventure, and the Babylon Rogues, who only appeared in the Sonic Riders spin-off games, suggest that other one-off characters will reappear in this continuity? Like Tikal and Chaos from Adventure, Elise from 06 and Yacker from Colors?

Speculation:

Yeah remember when I said that Big is the type to pull surprises? I bet that in a later issue it will be revealed that Big got on the ship safely. However, Froggy is infected, Big, who cares for Froggy too much, couldn’t bare to leave him behind. I mean, that one throwaway dialogue could be a clue for what’s to come. He compromises the safety of the ship, spiraling the mood of the heroes down further. I think that someone of note is gonna get infected, other than Big. And that would send Cream’s mood to be even more desolate. 

It can’t be Tails cause he’s working on the cure, he’s got plot protection cause he needs to bounce back from his mistake (dropping the cure, and it’s incomplete). Sonic is plot protected as well and Knuckles is on Angel Island. Espio needs to avenge the Chaotix so he has a flimsy plot shield. Tangle is needed because something is definitely gonna happen in Spiral Hill, where Jewel is currently in, so she’s protected. 

I think it’s Amy. Just think about it, she’s one of the main 4, she’s the head of Restoration, she’s been doing so well, handling everything that comes at her, She is the face of the restoration and who many people rely on. She is Cream’s role model. And she promised Vanilla that she’d protect Cream. When you take her away, everything seems more hopeless and desolate, one of the main pillars of the sonic franchise has crumbled, and now the metal virus seems more dangerous than ever.

It can also be Whisper, Whisper and Tangle’s spinoff series ends exactly before issue #23 will come out. And in the spinoff, one of it’s main themes is the friendship that Whisper and Tangle have. They’ve become close to rely on each other. And as much as I hate to think it, Whisper may be “fridged” to boost Tangle’s desire to save her friends in issue #23. A setup for issue #24, where the metal virus goes to Spiral Hill, where Jewel is. 

Now why am I mentioning Cream’s role here? Well it’s because Cream is the hidden star of this arc. Think about it. Charmy’s infection is the catalyst for Sonic to check up on Cream and her family. Gemerl’s main purpose is to protect Cream, and he is currently the protector of the uninfected, given that all other “protector” characters, are currently unavailable (Sonic is infected, Shadow has turned, Silver is busy, Blaze is not yet there, Omega is ripped, Vector is infected, Amy will soon turn). Chocola and Cheese, her friends, compromised Tails’s cure. Vanilla turned in front of her eyes. So many of the events are centered around Cream, and there will definitely be one more catalyst for her big role.

Enter Marine and Blaze. Cream is friends with Blaze, finding friendship with one another in Sonic Rush. And in the cover, we can see Cream holding hands with Marine. There will definitely be an interaction between the two of them considering that 

All characters in the cover are posed in a way where all interactions have meaning. (Babylon Rogues are together, Chaotix are together, Dark are together, etc.) Why pose Cream and Marine like this when they’ve never interacted before?

Both are related to Blaze in a way, mayhaps a humorous introduction may happen between the two “Oh Hello Ms. Blaze!” “I’m her real bestfriend!” etc.

If Amy does turn, Cream, for once in her life will be alone, Amy is gone, Vanilla, Cream and Chocola have turned, and if I’m right, Big is already infected as well. Even the more minor friends she has like Sonic is infected, Tails is busy, Knuckles is MIA and Vector (Sonic Riders), has already turned. Blaze will be the only person left, a sister figure that Cream can cling onto.

And as a final catalyst, A few more people will get infected, whether it will be Tails, or Sonic or Blaze, I can’t guess. But what I will guess is that Cream will definitely have a big role in this arc’s ending.

Aurgh! I’m just so excited for the upcoming issues, and seeing this cover definitely made my brain churn!! 

[loftec]

I was tagged by @wehangout for a thing! Whop!

Rules: Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. Tag however many people.

Black Sails

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The IT Crowd

Community

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

What’s your favorite character from 1?

Oh wow... Rackham, I can’t help it. But also like 90% of the main characters are my favourite characters, and Flint is a close second to Rackham, and ugh... love a show where I care intensely about (almost) all the characters <3

What’s your least favorite character from 2?

I know she’s a firm fan favourite, but I’d probably say Gina. Mostly because I felt like she remained a joke character when all the other characters were given depth and continuous storylines as the show progressed. Also Adrian for the same reason, but he never was a series regular.

What’s your favorite episode in 4?

It used to be Modern Warfare, and then for a long while it was Physical Education, and then it was Epidemiology, and then it was Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design, but! I rewatched some of season 1 the other day and oh, right now I think it actually is Contemporary American Poultry. Also. Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas. Just. A quick top 5 + 1.

What’s your favorite season in 5?

Season 3 has a firm place in my heart, but season 4 is such a fun watch, and season 5 is heartbreaking and amazing in so many ways, and I love season 2, and I think that season 1 has so many good points, and I think season six is incredibly important for the whole theme of the show... sorry season 7, I want to watch it again because I think I would like it better now, but it was a rough watch last time.

What’s your favorite couple in 3?

Moss + Roy + Jen friendship!

What’s your favorite couple in 2?

Jake and Amy

What’s your favorite episode in 1?

XIII

What’s your favorite episode in 5?

Becoming: part 2?

What’s your favorite season in 2?

Maybe season 2?

How long have you been watching 1?

Watched it all at once a couple of years ago, I’m so glad it was finished when I started.

How did you get into 3?

I think it was on TV, probably? I’ve rewatched it so many times since on DVD and Netflix and probably illegally in-between as well, so I can’t remember.

Favorite actor in 4?

Donald Glover

Which do you prefer: 1, 2, or 5?

What kind of question is that? I can’t think of three shows more different than Black Sails, Community, and Buffy, I prefer them all for different things! But if the question were which I’ve rewatched most, it’s Community.

What show have you seen more of? 1 or 3?

Let’s do some silly maths. 

Black Sails has 38 episodes at around 55 minutes each, which I have watched 1,5 times, roughly. This makes for 3135 minutes, or 52,25 hours, of Black Sails.

The IT Crowd has 24 episodes of around 25 minutes each, which I have maybe watched (conservatively) five times all the way through (+ 1 48 minute special, which I have watched once). This makes for 3048 minutes, or 50,8 hours of IT Crowd.

If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Professor Ian Duncan. He has his own office, he stays out of trouble but is still included sometimes. And he has a remote-controlled Christmas pterodactyl.

Would a crossover of 3 and 4 work?

Yes?

Pair 2 characters from 1 that would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

I’m a terrible shipper, I have literally never thought about this. I don’t know. Maybe if Rackham and Vane had hooked up in season two when Rackham was getting fed up with the more feminine points of his threesome arrangement, distracting Vane from his general douchiness and getting him off Eleanor’s back... maybe I would have liked Vane earlier? That would have been nice. But no, I don’t want that, it would upset so many storylines that I like... Billy could have used some love? Billy and Silver could have developed an unlikely and volatile friendship that could have turned into something else and made things even more heartbreaking coming to an end in season four, and bring another layer to Silver’s relationship with Madi. Ok! I did it! I actually kind of would have liked that!

Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

I mean, Buffy definitely. IT crowd is a comedy series and they don’t really ever go anywhere beyond the basement.

Which has a better theme song, 2 or 4?

Community! Although probably only because I can sing along, they’re both really good.

Tagging anyone who wants to do this!

[haonsnow]

Tails vs Amy: Underdog vs Slow Progression Character

...I’m doing this again. I came across @skull001‘s post about how they think Amy is the underdog of the Sonic series, not Tails. I’m pasting my reblog comment to help continue the discussion further since I had a lot to say. If Skull001 is reading this, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I just want to keep the discussion going. Also, I know the comment is very long, but I just wanted to make sure I painted a clear picture about the how Tails is an underdog and Amy is a slow progression character. Here’s Skull001′s original post. Now I’m going to paste my original comment below.

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

I agree with a lot of your points about Amy’s growth and her treatment in the series. However, I would still say Tails is the series underdog, because I believe Amy is more of a slow progression character. Allow me to elaborate:

An underdog is someone who is thought to have little chance of winning a fight. Some examples include Krillin from Dragon Ball Z, Wendy from Fairy Tail, and Joey/Jounouchi from Yu-Gi-Oh. The reason I believe Tails is the underdog has more of an in-universe reason, than an out-of-universe one. I believe it comes down to his role in the series and his self confidence. Tails, in and out of universe, is seen as Sonic’s sidekick and little brother. Thus, it is understandable that Tails would feel the pressure of doing what Sonic would need to do if he were to be absent in a dangerous situation. However, this would lead to Tails having self-doubt issues. You can see this in SA1, where Tails’ whole arc has to do with gaining confidence and not having to rely on Sonic all of the time. Therefore, Tails has to step up and stop Eggman from destroying the city on his own, and what do you know, not only did he stop the missile, he also destroyed the Egg Walker. Of course we as the fans know Tails is more than capable of taking Eggman down, but it’s not about us. It’s about Tails, simply needing to gain the confidence to get the job done, and that’s what makes him an underdog. He has the potential to do great things. He simply needs gain confidence and “believe in himself” *wink*.

A slow progression character is someone who is obviously not as strong as their companions or other main characters from their first appearance, and has to grow into the role (in this case a hero) over time. Some examples include Lucy from Fairy Tail, Nami and Usopp from One Piece, and Sokka from Avatar the Last Airbender. This applies to Amy as she had to go from damsel in distress in Sonic CD to eventually being able to stand on her own legs in future titles. Her growth comes from wanting to become more independent and capable, as opposed to Tails. Tails also wants to become more independent (SA1), but is already more than capable, and simply lacks confidence. A slow progression character also tends to find others ways of approaching confrontations in order to succeed than what is considered normal with other main characters. For example, in a shounen anime, a slow progression character may have to be more strategic in battle to win, as opposed to winning with brute force alone. This definitely fits for Amy. On more than one occasion, as opposed to using force, Amy uses to her words and kindness to help “win.” In SA1, when Sonic (or Tails) and Gamma are fighting, Amy runs in the middle of it to stop it. She not only manages to convince Sonic and Tails that Gamma isn’t bad, but she also manages to convince Gamma that working for Eggman is wrong. This would lead to Gamma leaving Eggman’s forces to go after the other E-series robots to destroy them and save the animals inside. Had Amy not tried to save Gamma or convince him that he’s on the wrong side, then we would have never gotten Gamma’s rather touching story, and Amy might have never been able to completely reunite the flicky family. Then, in SA2 when everyone else is off trying to stop the arc from crashing into the Earth, Amy finds Shadow, and realizes she needs to try her best to save the World, too. To do so, she believes the best thing to do is to have Shadow realize saving the Earth and it’s people is the right thing to do. She manages to do this by inadvertently reminding Shadow of his true promise to Maria; to give the people of Earth a chance to be happy. Without Amy’s influence, Shadow would not have helped to try and save the Earth, wouldn’t fulfill Maria’s dying wish, and the Earth likely would have been destroyed. And finally, in Sonic 06, Amy saves Sonic from Silver, and helps Silver to rethink his methods to save the future. She could have attacked Silver, and try to force him to stop. However, I think Amy knows that’s not the best way to go about it. Thus, she takes a different approach and tries to convince Silver that Sonic would never destroy the world. I believe her faith in Sonic has a strong affect on Silver, and would lead to him thinking about what truly are the right acts to take to save the future. While it would also take Shadow’s influence to have Silver finally see Sonic as a good guy, Amy still helped to start this change. Without Amy’s help, Silver probably would have killed Sonic, thus Elise would probably not be saved, Iblis would be released, and Silver would have helped to cause the End of the World. I know this may have gone on a bit of a tangent, but my point is that Amy’s more empathetic approach to certain situations not only helped save lives, but also the world.

Now then, to really run home the idea that Tails is an underdog and Amy is a slow progression character, let’s compare their roles and gameplay in some of the mainline games. Tails’ first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In that game, Tails can do almost everything Sonic can. He can roll into a ball, do the spin dash, and do a spin jump. He even has the ability to fly, which Sonic lacks. The big difference is that Tails can’t go Super, even if he collects all of the chaos emeralds. Even in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic and Knuckles have both Super and Hyper forms, while Tails can’t even go Super without the Super Emeralds. Then we get to Sonic Adventure, and Tails is shown to do just as much as before and then some. He can spin jump, roll into a ball, and while he doesn’t have the spin dash, his flight ability is still great. He even has a new tail attack. Basically, Tails has almost always been shown to be able to do a lot of the things Sonic can, and this would continue into some future games (Sonic Advance Trilogy, etc.) It should also be mentioned that Tails is almost always by Sonic’s side, thus he is almost always involved in the conflict because of this. Sonic tends to be more of the front runner, while Tails is right behind him, ready to help when need be.

Amy’s first appearance was in Sonic CD. She was not playable, as she was kidnapped by Metal Sonic, and had to be saved by Sonic. Despite being playable in multiple spin-off games, Amy wouldn’t make another mainline appearance until Sonic Adventure. It’s shown in this game that while Amy has some skills of her own (using her hammer, her hammer vault, etc.), it’s obvious she’s not very close to Sonic’s level. She can’t spin jump, spin dash, or even roll into a ball. By comparison, Amy does come off as much less capable. However, one must remember that this is the game where Amy decides to become more independent. Thus, this would lead into SA2. While Amy isn’t playable in the story, she does take a more proactive role, in that she manages to get to Prison Island on her own, helps Sonic break out, and as mentioned before, convinces Shadow to help save the Earth. You can also look at how she plays in the Multiplayer. While she is slower, can’t jump as high, and can’t spin dash, she has gotten better. She is faster, can spin jump, and do the homing attack. However, she still has growing to do. Which then leads into Sonic Heroes, where Amy finally reaches her true potential. In terms of her role, she is no longer a support character or a follower, and is instead taking role of leader in her own team, Team Rose. Throughout most of the game, she has to keep Cream and Big’s morale up, so that they can all save Froggy and Chocola. You can read more about this in this post. From a gameplay stand point, she is no slouch. She has finally reached Sonic’s speed, and can easily keep up with him. She can do almost everything he can: the spin jump, homing attack, rocket accel, tornado, etc.

When listing all of this off, it can seem like Amy could still be an underdog, and that mindset is understandable. A slow progression character can easily be mistaken for an underdog. The key difference is about their growth. With Tails and Amy, Tails has always shown to be capable in his own right, and has been a hero from the beginning. With Amy, she had to grow from being a damsel in distress she was before into the hero she is now.

[dxrkblaze]

Give ME ALL FOR THAT MEME BC IM A HO N I LOVE UR WIRITNG U FUCK

this just in: ru is gay and I love her HHDGSHHDDL THAnk u sm homie I cri,,, ❤️❤️

1) of the fic you’ve written, which are you most proud of?Hmm… probably all my colors? Like, there’s a lot I’d like to go back and change, but at the end of the day it was my baby for a good two plus years and there’s a lot of personal stuff sprinkled in there. It kinda shows my emotional progression throughout high school in the story, and while that’s def not why I wrote it, it’s cool to go back and look at it sometimes to see the things I used to say/think about. Plus it’s one of the only massive projects of mine that I’ve actually completed, lol.

Also I have a lot of love for amc just bc it’s so… different, I guess? Like, I’ve never really seen something like it fleshed out into a full-length story, especially not with silver and blaze. And the fact that it rlly touched several ppl and got them rlly into it… that makes me feel kinda accomplished when I’m not being a self-deprecating prick lmao. I rlly rlly wanted it to be my first fic to get to 100 reviews for a reason!

2) favorite tense (past/present/future)Definitely past, I tried present with the unforgiven and it just made it frustrating to write, lmao.

3) favorite POV (first/second/third/etc)I prefer writing in first person, actually. I think it simplifies things for both the writer and reader, and I’ve always found a lot more freedom to be creative when I write in first person.

4) what are some themes you love writing about?Lmao well, obviously romance is priority one for me, so most of my themes stem from that. I rlly love writing about class struggle tho, whether it’s someone low who’s aiming high or a noble who isn’t satisfied with such a high class. Morality also comes up a lot in my writing, I guess; tryna figure out what the right thing to do is, tryna figure out if this character actually did the best thing, all that good stuff!

5) what inspires you to write?Definitely music… sometimes I’ll stray from it and pick up some inspo from movies/stories/etc, but 99% of the time I’ll be listening to a song and suddenly come up w a fic idea from it lmao.

6) thoughts on critiqueI encourage it!! bc I think it’s the only real way to improve. Sometimes it can make me feel bad if I’m in one of those rlly shitty self-deprecation ruts, but still I usually get over it soon even when I’m like that. I know it’s for the better, and I appreciate everyone who’s ever been kind enough, and cared enough abt my writing to give me critique!

7) create a character on the spot…. NOW!UMMMM OKIE,,, what abt a snow leopard named Kyra… she likes to sit around n read n eat noodles… her main hobby other than reading is dancing. she’s v shy but she loves her close friends n BAM I just made her gay. She’s a lesbian, harold.

8) is there a character you love writing for the most? the least? why?Most - probably silver… his personality is always one I’ve gotten a lot of joy out of writing. He’s basically a walking contradiction, lmfao. He’s also pretty easy for me to self-project onto, idk why. Least - I’m gonna say amy for this one, just because it’s been hard for me to focus on more than one aspect of her personality and flesh all of it out. Plus amy is a somewhat overused character lol, I get a lot more fun out of writing blaze/tikal/others when I need a female role, even if it’s something simple

9) a passage from a WIPOh u kno I gotta dip into royalty au for this one 👀

–

It was nearly a fortnight before any word was received from King Pyrus. It came in the form of a small parcel addressed to Blaze, which held a note inside for her. The young princess jumped at the feet of the servant who had brought it in, and once it was lowered into her hands, she hurried to her chamber. Once there, she closed the door behind her and jumped on her bed, unable to contain her excitement. With a careful claw and an eager expression, she tore the parcel’s paper away. Before looking at what it contained, she snatched the note from her father, and brought it to her face. It read:

My Little Flame,

I am sorry I could not write to you sooner. I remain busy, but I finally began exploring, and I found something I think you will simply adore. It is a traditional robe (I believe it is called a kimono) from here in the Eastern Isles. It is just as beautiful as the land, and just as special as you are to I, my dear. We must make plans to bring you here one day, it astounds me each time.

Do not fret about the ongoings in the world, how ever much you have heard. Kiniti watches over us at all times, and she will ensure peace among all kinetics. Hopefully, I will depart in the coming few days, and we will see one another soon.

With love,Father Flame

Blaze, of course, merely skimmed over the second half of the note as a formality. She laid the message aside, and her jaw dropped once she held the kimono out. It was a beautiful shade of dark purple, with an equally enchanting design. Trails of dainty cherry blossoms sat on rugged branches, which climbed up either side of the robe. The silk seemed to melt between Blaze’s fingers; it was the softest material she had ever felt. She rubbed one of the sleeves against her cheek, and purred into it. When she turned the robe over, she gasped. A large, pink bow was already tied at the back, as if it had been made just for her. She slipped the kimono over her shoulders, and although the sleeves hung low over her arms, the length was just right. Blaze tied the pieces of ribbon at her waist, just as Pyrus had taught her, and words could never express how delighted she was with the gift. She could not wait to show her father once he returned.

As Blaze was fitting her tail through the bow on her back, Baxton entered the room. Whenever Pyrus was absent, it was usually Baxton who took up the king’s general duties. He signed letters, addressed the people, attended court; it kept him quite busy. The only responsibility he didn’t inherit was any control of he army - the sole post he would be familiar with. Quite the chore it was, but Baxton was always fond of his temporary sovereign role. At least in terms of the power he held, that is. In fact, Blaze assumed that he had been yelling at some servants not too long ago, judging by his flushed face.

The elder cat scratched his head. “Princess, did the king leave a letter?”

Blaze pointed to the note on her bed. Baxton scurried to it, and frowned as he glanced over the elegant handwriting. “Is this it?” he quizzed.

The princess nodded, and held her arms out with a smile. “Look, Baxi! Look at what father sent me!”

Blaze couldn’t quite tell what Baxton’s expression conveyed, but it was something between a smile and a scowl. The note crumpled in a quick motion from Baxton’s fist, and was thrown back onto the bed cover. Blaze didn’t think much of this as Baxton hurried out, and she walked to her mirror to admire the kimono again.

–

10) what are your strengths wrt writing?Hmm… I get a lot of ppl saying that I’m pretty eloquent when it comes to phrasing/word choices? I’m constantly tinkering with how things are said, even up until like 30 seconds before I publish smth lmao. I also like to think I never just string sentences together and leave it at that when I’m narrating, I pay a lot of attention to how different sentences/phrases flow together.

11) what are your weaknesses wrt writing?My main weakness would probably be going overboard on all the little things, like how a sentence sounds or flows and stuff like that. I end up being a perfectionist with it, and sometimes when I’m crafting/changing phrases around, I end up with a sentence that kinda drags on or tries to do too much.

12) what’s your favorite place for writing resources?Tumblr’s pretty good for me, actually. I rarely ever seek out resources, but I do reblog a lot of them that come to me here and they’ve been very useful to me in the past.

13) who are your favorite writers?Ok first off binch u@aurora-boring-alis (FF: aurora-boring-alis) Then my other peeps who also make the quality goodness™™ I can’t get enough of (some fanfic accounts more active than others)@maliwarm (FF: biteworsethanbark) @lordoftheghostking28 (FF: lordoftheghostking28) @weezernaut (FF: space mercutio)@ebachan (wattpad: witto150)

[inkabelledesigns]

When we were younger roleplayers

So a friend of mine recently uploaded an older comic she did detailing an experience from her youth involving her first time roleplaying. This story really speaks to me, so I’ll link it here for you to see. 

https://twitter.com/WolfenWingsShop/status/1135553476526821377 

You know, this makes me wanna tell some of my own roleplaying stories, because boy do I have a few. ^^’’’ My nutcracker friends Freckle and Pepper hear be joke about ‘The Night of Angst Mountain’ far too much, but that’s only been within the past year. The story I’d like to tell you today come from when I first came online, back when my only account was on YouTube and we roleplayed in the comments sections of our channels. 

Let me tell you the story of dreamerofchaos1 and her first time working as one of the Freedom Fighters.

Let’s set the stage. I was 14 years old, the year was 2011, and I had finally been deemed old enough to get a YouTube account. I’d asked my folks if I could have it for my birthday that year, which is March 29th. On April 2nd, my dad made a YouTube account for himself and then helped me to make mine, just so he could keep an eye on me should I ever need his help, but for the most part he wasn’t watching what I was doing. I had made this account intending to post tribute videos, you know, those fan art slideshows set to a popular song, and that is what I started out doing, but during that summer, I ended up hanging out with a bunch of roleplayers, and sometimes it was hard to distinguish fiction from reality. I’m still not sure how that started or how I ended up meeting these people, but we were an interesting bunch. A lot of this is really fuzzy for me

To start, even though we called ourselves the Freedom Fighters, it wasn’t at all the Freedom Fighters from the Sonic SatAM or Archie comics. We had a Sally, Tails, and Sonic who were barely present, otherwise, it was a lot of fan characters (most of which were recolors of Sonic, Tails, and Amy), along with an emo version of Kirby, Stitch and Angel from the Lilo and Stitch TV series, and a few others that referenced other franchises. We had a lot of fun on fictitious scenarios together, having picnics, fighting the Suppression Squad, it was a good time.

I didn’t stand out a ton among the good guys, but I definitely had my stuff together a little better. I didn’t have a character when I started interacting with everyone, but I developed one around the theme of my username named Dreamer. They were a tanooki that was an imaginary friend abandoned by their creator, a little girl named Ruth, that needed belief from other people in order to exist. Note that I refer to them as a ‘they.’ At that point in time, nobody online knew what my gender was, they all just kind of assumed I was a guy, and I didn’t say anything about it. I specified that my character was genderless, since why would an imaginary friend need to have a gender? But because you basically WERE your character unless you were in YouTube’s Inbox system, everyone thought I was a dude. To be honest...at the point in time, all of my friends outside of the web were dudes with the occasional girl that was super tomboyish. I was the girly one, I could never be “one of the guys,” and more than anything, that’s what I wanted. I’ve grown out of that now as an adult, I’m much happier just being me and not worrying what other people think about my body parts. I never directly lied about my gender, it was more that nobody ever asked, but eventually I did come clean about it. Unfortunately, the minute people found out I was a girl, my PMs (private messages, which are the same as DMs, but there was some amount of respect in actually keeping it private back then) got flooded with boys that wanted cybersex out of me, which was disgusting and utterly embarrassing, but that’s a story for another day.

The Suppression Squad was the main group of enemies, hell, the character you saw causing trouble the most was Miles, aka the Anti-Tails from Moebius/Anti-Mobius. That’s where I found two of my closer friends, Venice and Violet. Venice was the Anti-Silver, a fanmade concept as Silver never officially had an Anti version in the comics, using the concept art of Silver from Sonic 06 back when he was Venice the Mink. Violet was a fan character who was his girlfriend. Venice played a lot of different characters though, including a villain named No-Heart that had some Kingdom Hearts inspired elements. Sadly Venice, or rather Wyatt, dropped off the face of the earth, I never saw him again after YouTube changed its channel layout and everyone gave up our games there, but I do hope he’s doing well wherever he is. Same with Violet, or rather Whitney, I saw her a few times on deviantART, but not much. 

There are a few roleplays that stick out to me from that time. No Heart stealing Dreamer’s heart and having them fight for the villains temporarily is one of the finer memories, hell, when I had her betray everyone and join the bad guys for real later on was quite fun. Duking it out with an evil clown and Anti-Guy from Paper Mario was kind of cool too. But the one that really sticks out to me is the one with Albert Wesker. Now, Albert Wesker is a Resident Evil character to my understanding, but I have no idea what his story is, and I wasn’t smart enough to look it up as a kid when this was going down. This guy came out of hecking nowhere, I never did learn who played him in the end. I remember he was going after everyone with needles, and once pricked, they’d be under his control. Dreamer of course had ended up kidnapped and trapped in wherever his domain was. Being the rebellious and narrow-minded child that I was, I had Dreamer go off on a long speech about how Wesker would never win, and good would always prevail over evil, blah blah blah, it had to have sounded so stupid and naive to him. 

And then he killed my character. That had never happened before. Another player ended up godmodding them back to life with a “revival seed,” but like? It was so garbage. I felt so bad about it after the fact, like yeah, we beat the bad guy, but I felt like a dirty cheater, and I was! But it dawned on me why it happened later on in time. There was no formal system to how any of this worked, just a set of unspoken boundaries that were never crossed, and therefore a lot of godmodding happened, where people would be defeated who shouldn’t have been, powers were unfair, etc. But the thing is, I was one of the few who ever bothered to get creative with my attacks and have some sort of strategy, which in turn meant that I was often the one doing most of the fighting. During the Wesker stuff, I was the only one online that actually had any of that going on, the rest were content to play damsels in distress, that’s why my character got revived. I think Wesker showed up one more time after that and there was a fair fight before they disappeared, but dang. It was an interesting experience. I think it was the fact that I was the only one doing anything in battle that I opted to join the bad guys for a while, not to mention the good guys weren’t all that great to me. There was a lot of hugging and saying “you’re one of my best friends” all the time, but no one meant it, it was just fluff. 

I wasn’t there for fluff, I was there for action, to do something, to challenge myself. Yeah, I wanted to make friends, friends with respectable people who were interested in actual plotlines. But I didn’t find that there, I didn’t find that anywhere in an RP community up until recently. Things have changed with my style over the past eight years. I’m a lot slower to jump to combat nowadays, in fact fighting hardly ever comes up, which is nice, even though I do have times where I miss it. I think I’ve realized that I’m happier being in a smaller group, about three people, where we ask each other about the plot and figure out where its going with a mix of improv and planning. One day though, I’d love to run an RP blog where I invite a bunch of people to participate in the chaos, one where I get to run the story and challenge them to survive. That was the idea behind OATS, maybe one day I’ll be able to run it. For now though, I’ve got some bigger fish to fry than roleplays. ^^’’’ Still, it was fun to reminisce on this, I hadn’t thought about this for a while. 

[milquetoast-on-acid]

There's No Place Like Home, A Reactionary Post

Let's Party with the crew of Prognosis Homicide!

Major Crimes, S2xE9: Episode Review

That Amazing Cast of Prognosis Homicide Wresting with age, Not past their prime The Concept of Home Lust is in the air...

(FYI this is rather image heavy)

After The Deep End's heavy heavy episode - we dive into comedy. One thing that this show does very well is balance out it's heaviness with it's lighter episodes. Something a little show called Deep Space Nine was so also very good at as well. And if you know anything from me in this blog it’s that I’m a huge fan of that show. Seriously go watch it. I’ll wait. 

Instead of the show opening up at the scene of a murder - we get Provenza at the shooting range. It's a nice change of pace because sometimes I think that this show follows too much a pattern.

You have to give the props department their due. Their so creative, this board stands out so much because they can't show a penis on cable tv. So instead they take that part of the photo of their dead guy out and replace...with a leaf. ;)

So obviously a crack at them not being allowed to show the guys penis. They can blow some guys head away but penis' and vagina's shown in a non sexual way are off limits?

Also you have to love Mike’s facial expression here. 

That Amazing Cast of Retirees

Also can we talk about the cast they threw together!? Marion Ross, Tim Conway, Ron Glass, Doris Roberts and Paul Dooley. The’re all so wonderfully outlandish and I just wonder how much of their characters are based on MC’s crew. I'm also sure there's plenty of references from their shows that I've missed.

Like this one...

Marion Ross

"Give me that door knob, darling. There's a trick to keeping this on. You probably wanna talk to Howard."

I’m sure she doesn’t mean this Howard. The one that owned a hardware store. ;)

Ron Glass

Paul Dooley

Enabran Tain the head of the Obsidian Order for the Cardassians in Deep Space Nine.

Doris Roberts

Tim Conway

Wresting with age, Not past their prime

This whole entire episode is about a quirky group of retired show business senior citizens put out to pasture. But their whole planning and execution of the murder of their landlord proves otherwise.

Even the dilapidated state of their complex verses the way they spruce it up like a shinny new penny by the end of the episode. I love how they tint the film this 70′s yellow color that give it a sickly palor. And after the retirees fix up the Shangri la the colors are bright and vivid. 

Their show... About a pathologist that come across murder's that the police missed and helping them investigate. 

It's a knock off of Diagnosis Murder and Murder She Wrote.

Scarface

I love how Scarface sounds so unbelievable and that it sounded like the retirees were making him up to point the finger at him. Only unbelievably the guy actually existed. I also love how he walks in while Provenza is ranting that the guy can't possible exist.

Also Scarface...

And Scar...face!

Provenza’s DNQ

Just like with the senior citizens who are the focus of their investigation Provenza, as the squad's senior most member struggles with the prospect of possibly having to retire. The very first thing that anyone says in this episode is a crack about how ancient Provenza is. 

"He's been scoring my targets since I became a Lieutenant." "Sounds like he had good long career." Then at the end of the episode when Provenza shoots the target but with glasses this time. The guy scoring looks like someone just shot his dog. 

Why did Provenza not ask Sharon to step into her office? He wanted to talk to her about his DNQ's but didn't want anyone else to hear his business so instead of just brushing it off he could have just asked her to talk in her office.

The Concept of Home

The Shangri La & Rusty’s Home

After Kris's mom runs to Sharon to tell her that her and Rusty can't be friends anymore I thought that was the last of Kris until Kris spills the beans about the letters. One thing about Kris coming back Sharon and Rusty's conversation. Is that Rusty is learning from his mistakes and that he probably shouldn't have listened to Jack's shitty advice because of how much it hurt Kris.

I think my favorite thing about Rusty’s storyline in this episode (and I admit, I didn’t really pay much attention to it. I feel that the Rusty/Kris storyline has sort of played itself out at this point) is the bracelet that Kris gives to Rusty. Which is really the only way their storyline connects with the Seniors. 

I really love Kris and her Mother's whole idea about the bracelet. They'd both obviously had been thinking about Rusty's life and how he's not really had a home until now. She talks about how the plate was real silver and that home is a viable thing. Maybe Kris had wanted to build something with Rusty but that's not what the bracelet really means in the whole context of the story. It's about how Rusty has built a home with Sharon. Home is now viable for him. A concept he may have not thought possible most of his life.

What I like about both stories is that home was more than a physical place to The Retiree's of the Shangri La and to Rusty. Home is really about family. That's the entire reason for them killing their landlord. It wasn't really about where they lived but really the people they lived with. Their family. ‘

Lust is in the air...

I never noticed this hilarious line until my most recent watch of this episode. 

Larry hitting on Amy: Why check out a dead guy when I'm available? 

They all look like you...my ex-wives not the bags. Not to mention Mary’s wonderful reaction. She’s slightly uncomfortable, definitely awkward and trying not to show it. 

Speaking of lust...

Sharon & Andy

I love it when Sharon threatens people who think their too high and mighty and above the law. 

That fucking smirk! Could you be more obvious? Andy really loves it when Sharon takes charge of a situation.  I really love how at first glance the two of them couldn’t be anymore different. But really the two of them are like puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. 

Sharon and Andy sit next to each other during the trial. Andy smiling at Sharon in amusement. While Sharon looks away trying not to laugh. Is this what their like at the movies?

What I don't like: I really could have done without Rusty/Kris subplot in this episode. I did like the braclet thing as I mentioned earlier but honestly it wasn't needed.

What I like: I love how much this episode is a giant fuck you to society thinking that if your past a certain age you don't matter anymore. Networks and their whole idea of a targeted audience. Plus, there's that jab about not being able to show a penis. MC is a show that has a cast that is mostly 50 years plus. With four of their main actors 60+ and through it all it's remained a very quite yet popular show on cable.

[queerfictionproject]

Queer Fiction Rec List #1: Contemporary Novels

WLW:

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour: A love letter to the craft and romance of film and fate in front of—and behind—the camera from the award-winning author of Hold Still. A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world. Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance. [Notes: Hold Still seems interesting, although I don’t think it has any queer narrative or characters. It also deals heavily with suicide, so a warning in that respect]. 

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp: Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun.10:00 a.m.The principal of Opportunity high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.10:02 a.m.The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.10:03 The auditorium doors won't open.10:05. Someone starts shooting.Told from four perspectives over the span of 54 harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival. [Notes: Obvious violence here. Don’t worry, they survive]. 

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira: It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more -- though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was -- lovely and amazing and deeply flawed -- can she begin to discover her own path. [Notes: The LGBT romance is a side romance, although it is given as much attention as the main one]. 

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley: In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever. Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily. Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept separate but equal. Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another. Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

About A Girl by Sarah McCarry:  Eighteen-year-old Tally is absolutely sure of everything: her genius, the love of her adoptive family, the loyalty of her best friend, Shane, and her future career as a Nobel prize-winning astronomer. There’s no room in her tidy world for heartbreak or uncertainty—or the charismatic, troubled mother who abandoned her soon after she was born. But when a sudden discovery upends her fiercely ordered world, Tally sets out on an unexpected quest to seek out the reclusive musician who may hold the key to her past—and instead finds Maddy, an enigmatic and beautiful girl who will unlock the door to her future. The deeper she falls in love with Maddy, the more Tally begins to realize that the universe is bigger—and more complicated—than she ever imagined. Can Tally face the truth about her family—and find her way home in time to save herself from its consequences? [Notes: This is the third book in a “loose series”—apparently they’re pretty much stand alone.]

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz: Etta is tired of dealing with all of the labels and categories that seem so important to everyone else in her small Nebraska hometown.Everywhere she turns, someone feels she’s too fringe for the fringe. Not gay enough for the Dykes, her ex-clique, thanks to a recent relationship with a boy; not tiny and white enough for ballet, her first passion; and not sick enough to look anorexic (partially thanks to recovery). Etta doesn’t fit anywhere— until she meets Bianca, the straight, white, Christian, and seriously sick girl in Etta’s therapy group. Both girls are auditioning for Brentwood, a prestigious New York theater academy that is so not Nebraska. Bianca seems like Etta’s salvation, but how can Etta be saved by a girl who needs saving herself?

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld: Darcy Patel is afraid to believe all the hype. But it's really happening - her teen novel is getting published. Instead of heading to college, she's living in New York City, where she's welcomed into the dazzling world of YA publishing. That means book tours, parties with her favorite authors, and finding a place to live that won't leave her penniless. It means sleepless nights rewriting her first draft and struggling to find the perfect ending... all while dealing with the intoxicating, terrifying experience of falling in love - with another writer.Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, the thrilling story of Lizzie, who wills her way into the afterworld to survive a deadly terrorist attack. With survival comes the responsibility to guide the restless spirits that walk our world, including one ghost with whom she shares a surprising personal connection. But Lizzie's not alone in her new calling - she has counsel from a fellow spirit guide, a very desirable one, who is torn between wanting Lizzie and warning her that... BELIEVING IS DANGEROUS.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan: High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief. Her Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when a sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction between them is mutual. Struggling to sort out her growing feelings and Saskia's confusing signals, Leila confides in her old friend, Lisa, and grows closer to her fellow drama tech-crew members, especially Tomas, whose comments about his own sexuality are frank, funny, wise, and sometimes painful. Gradually, Leila begins to see that almost all her classmates are more complicated than they first appear to be, and many are keeping fascinating secrets of their own.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King: Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions--like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl. As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better. In this truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything--and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking real love.  

Between You and Me by Marisa Calin: Phyre knows there is something life-changing about her new drama teacher, Mia, from the moment they meet. As Phyre rehearses for the school play, she comes to realize that the unrequited feelings she has for Mia go deeper than she’s ever experienced. Especially with a teacher. Or a woman. All the while, Phyre’s best friend—addressed throughout the story in the second person, as "you"—stands by, ready to help Phyre make sense of her feelings. But just as Mia doesn’t understand what Phyre feels, Phyre can’t fathom the depth of her best friend’s feelings . . . until it’s almost too late for a happy ending. Characters come to life through the innovative screenplay format of this dazzling debut, and unanswered questions—is "you" male or female?—will have readers talking. [Notes: Alright, so. This one sounds like it could get sketchy, but we’ll try it out anyway].

MLM: 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.  

Bi-Normal by M. G. Higgens: Brett Miller is one of the kings of Elkhead High. Everyone knows the kings rule the school. Football stars. Pretty girls. The in-crowd. Brett and his buddies are the tormentors; nobody messes with them. Then Brett meets Zach …”It’s a crush. I’m crushing on a friggin’ guy. That’s sick. And I don’t know what to do about it. … I want these feelings to go away. At the same time, I don’t want them to go away.” And his life is turned inside out. Everything he knows about himself is wrong. And he doesn’t have anywhere to turn for answers. He’s heard the word “bi” before; it has nothing to do with him. But in his gut he knows. And he doesn’t have a clue what to do about it.  

Trans:

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky:  Alone at home, twelve-year-old Grayson Sender glows, immersed in beautiful thoughts and dreams. But at school, Grayson grasps at shadows, determined to fly under the radar. Because Grayson has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: “he” is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender’s body.The weight of this secret is crushing, but leaving it behind would mean facing ridicule, scorn, and rejection. Despite these dangers, Grayson’s true self itches to break free. Strengthened by an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher who gives her a chance to step into the spotlight, Grayson might finally have the tools to let her inner light shine. [Notes: This is actually middle grade lit, one of the first of its kind].

I Am J by Cris Beam: J always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would understand who he really was; a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a "real boy" and started covering up his body, keeping himself invisible - from his family, from his friends...from the world. But after being deserted by the best friend he thought would always be by his side, J decides that he's done hiding - it's time to be who he really is. And this time he is determined not to give up, no matter the cost.

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher: Everyone has that one line they swear they’ll never cross, the one thing they say they’ll never do. We draw the line. Maybe we even believe it. Sage Hendricks was my line. Logan Witherspoon befriends Sage Hendricks at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. As time goes on, he finds himself drawn to Sage, pulled in by her deep, but sexy feminine voice and her constant smile. Eventually Logan’s feelings for Sage grow so strong that he can’t resist kissing her. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she was born a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage. Once his anger has cooled, however, his regrets lead him to attempt to rekindle their friendship. But it’s hard to replace something that’s been broken—and it’s even harder to find your way back to friendship when you began with love. [Notes: This one.... does not look like it will be the best, so read at your own risk. I could be wrong, though].  

Being Emily by Rachel Gold:  They say that whoever you are it’s okay, you were born that way. Those words don’t comfort Emily, because she was born Christopher and her insides know that her outsides are all wrong. They say that it gets better, be who are you and it’ll be fine. For Emily, telling her parents who she really is means a therapist who insists Christopher is normal and Emily is sick. Telling her girlfriend means lectures about how God doesn’t make that kind of mistake. Emily desperately wants high school in her small Minnesota town to get better. She wants to be the woman she knows is inside, but it’s not until a substitute therapist and a girl named Natalie come into her life that she believes she has a chance of actually Being Emily.

Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis: Teenage twins Ysabel and Justin Nicholas are lucky. Ysabel's jewelry designs have already caught the eyes of the art world and Justin's intelligence and drive are sure to gain him entrance into the most prestigious of colleges. They even like their parents. But their father has a secret—one that threatens to destroy the twins' happy family and life as they know it. Over the course of spring break, Ysabel and Justin will be forced to come to terms with their dad's new life, but can they overcome their fears to piece together their happy family again?

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff: Gorgeous, sad, and hopeful Brooklyn, Burning is a love letter to Brooklyn, a love letter to music booming from the basement, and most of all, a love letter to every kind of love (but especially the punk rock kind). [Notes: This is really vague, but from what I understand, its about a trans teenager not finding love at home, so they “search for it on the streets”.]  

Luna by Julie Anne Peters: Regan’s brother Liam can’t stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister’s clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam’s family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives?Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen’s struggle for self-identity and acceptance.

Asexual:

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford:  From bestselling author Natalie Standiford, an amazing, touching story of two friends navigating the dark waters of their senior year. New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?

Bonus Round: 

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition. [Notes: Obviously, this one seems a bit.... out there. But I know a lot of people seem to like it, and it has just about the whole spectrum of representation. I say have at it].

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan: Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light. So they carry on in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and openly. Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran, homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self? [Notes: WLW +trans (obviously).I’ve heard the ending isn’t great, but there’s no death.] 

Boyfriends With Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez: Lance has always known he was gay, but he’s never had a real boyfriend. Sergio is bisexual, but his only real relationship was with a girl. When the two of them meet, they have an instant connection–but will it be enough to overcome their differences?Allie’s been in a relationship with a guy for the last two years–but when she meets Kimiko, she can’t get her out of her mind. Does this mean she’s gay? Does it mean she’s bi? Kimiko, falling hard for Allie, and finding it impossible to believe that a gorgeous girl like Allie would be into her, is willing to stick around and help Allie figure it out. [Notes: WLW and MLM.]

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger: Russel Middlebrook is convinced he’s the only gay kid at Goodkind High School.Then his online gay chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school’s baseball team. Soon Russel meets other gay students, too. There’s his best friend Min, who reveals that she is bisexual, and her soccer-playing girlfriend Terese. Then there’s Terese’s politically active friend, Ike.But how can kids this diverse get together without drawing attention to themselves?”We just choose a club that’s so boring, nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it Geography Club!”Brent Hartinger’s debut novel is a fast-paced, funny, and trenchant portrait of contemporary teenagers who may not learn any actual geography in their latest club, but who learn plenty about the treacherous social terrain of high school and the even more dangerous landscape of the human heart. [Notes: MLM and WLW].

[willreadforbooze]

Hello All My Buddies! Into the books!

Linz’s Updates

I’m so behind on reading this week it’s embarrassing. But I had to watch The Circle finale, and I FINALLY started watching The Bachelor. Holy shit does production get these women druuuuuuuunk. I’m almost at THE champagne scene.

What Linz read:

 The Bride Test by Helen Hoang: The “sequel” to The Kiss Quotient was like, fine. They DEFINITELY address the female protagonist’s ethnicity in this one, so that was a good start, but it was still, I dunno, just okay? It had that issue a lot of ok romances had where so much could be cleared up with a good conversation, and that takes me out of the fantasy. Also needed more sex.

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: uuuuugh I am not happy about the review I’m gonna have to write about this. Uuuuuuuugh. My stomach hurts.

What Linz is currently reading:

 Reverie by Ryan La Sala: Contemporary fantasy about a teen boy who loses his memory, because of a magic accident, and he and his friends have the ability to get pulled into other people’s super real magic-infused fantasies/”reveries” and the friend squad is able to make sure the reveries get handled so no one gets hurt I think? It’s a little confusing how the magic system works so far, and this might hit my DNF pile.

Followers by Megan Angelo: Two-storyline novel–one about two girls now who do something insane to get super famous, and one in the future about a super-influencer who’s trying to escape her life. I’m explaining it super poorly, but I’m only 3 chapters in and I am LOVING it, it’s so weird.

Minda’s Update

No update from Minda this week—she’s on baby watch!

Sam’s Update

IM ON VACATION!!!!!! Currently at the airport waiting to board my flight. Seeing one of my best friends and then headed off to ALA! See you there!

What Sam read this week:

Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi: Folks this book was fan-fucking-tastic. I love my kids. I love them so much.

What Sam’s currently reading:

Angel Mage by Garth Nix: This is Nix’s newest book that i’m listening to on audio. This is a society that relies on calling upon angels to help them do stuff. Heal, build, spy, etc. When a plague wipes out an entire country, their descendants are suddenly unable to be touched by magic or the same disease overtakes them. Now you can imagine the power dynamics of THAT situation. Anyway, Lilith (of COURSE that’s her name) has some master plan that involves four strangers. The audio was the incorrect format for this book but I finally became interested and then my loan expired so now I gotta wait. FINE.

Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call: This is an adult fantasy in a super interesting world. Aanev wants to pass his exam to be an Avatar, a soldier against all magic aka evil. His father figure, Sodar, is the village priest and it’s clear he has some secrets. Aanev has his own too. I’m really really enjoying this so far. Slow start but I’m happy.

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White: This is a weird aurthutian retelling where Gwen isn’t really Gwen but Merlin’s daughter sent from Merlin’s exile to protect Arthur from an unknown threat. I’m only a bit into this but I’m happy with how it’s going so far. Kiersten is really good at hooking me into stories.

Ginny’s Update

Whatsup! I’m currently in Utah and because Sam is on a plane, I’m the one writing this update! It’s been a good week with 88″ of snow, lots of skiing, and finding out that the local minor league baseball team is the SALT LAKE CITY BEES! The fact I now know this is amazing. Oh and also plenty of reading.

What Ginny Finished Reading:

A Pineapple in a Pine Tree by Eve Pendle: MMMM the drama in this was delightful. Both of the main characters are genuinely likable so it’s easy to spend the entire book rooting for them to go ahead and work through their differences. So yeah, this book was adorable. Goddamit, am I the only one who has been rating the books I’ve read during our weekly wrap-up?

Becoming RGB by Debbie Levy and Whitney Gardner: This graphic novel does a really good job of hitting some of the highlights of RGB’s life. I’ve read a lot about the Supreme Court so a decent amount of the information wasn’t new to me, but this way the information was shared was fantastic. I really want to read this book with a small child (come on Nephew, stop being a baby! (that’s a lie, I love my baby nephew)).

A Woman Of No Importance by Sophie Purnell: There are a lot of books about history where it’s really easy to see the bias of the author, this is one of those but seems more deserving than many books. It’s clear that spy, Virginia Hall, didn’t want accolades even though she clearly deserved some. She was a woman spy sent into some of the most dangerous places in Europe during WWII. It’s pretty badass. Whether or not you agree with the author (and I think it’s pretty clear I do) this is still a really interesting look at how spy networks functioned behind enemy lines.

The Christmas Princess by Patricia McLinn: This was a free book from Amazon and I’ll sum it up with I spent a good portion of the book trying to mentally rewrite large sections to make things make sense. The main characters are a member of the State Department that is protecting a woman that has a passing resemblance to, but ISN’T, the lost princess of a country that blah blah blah diplomacy. Honestly though, my biggest complaint is that looking up tidbits about DC does not equal having any understanding of the distance between the Washington Monument and Arlington Cemetery.

Currently Reading:

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson: This is a book that Linz ended up sending to me and is an ARC coming out much later this year. Because of that, I’ll probs write a review. Elizabeth has a child out of wedlock and ends up marrying spy Adrian after he attacks her carriage in a small attempt to salvage her reputation. Then there’s a MURDER. This book is definitely easy to read and even though I had obvious thoughts about who the bad guy was since very early on, still a gripping read.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski: Surprising no one, I’m a very stressed individual. I think reading a book that focuses not on reducing the amount of things that stress you out, but what your body needs to really let the stress relax could be really helpful. Sidenote, listening to this as an audiobook while stretching has been a surprisingly good choice.

Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart: This is the third book in the series and while I really like it, I’m having a bit of a hard time getting through it. Constance Kopp continues to be really cool and I enjoy reading about the variety of cases, I just find myself continually frustrated by the way women in society were treated. I’m about halfway through so I’m definitely going to finish. Just a little slower going for me than usual.

Until next time, we main forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Ginny, Linz, and Minda

Weekly Wrap-Up: Jan 13-20 Hello All My Buddies! Into the books! Linz's Updates I'm so behind on reading this week it's embarrassing.