#and I realized that she might complement one of my characters’ arcs quite well

[lieutenant-amuel]

Calculating characters’ ages so they fit into the timeline of the fic my beloathed.

[narutakijune]

About ATLA Relationship Arcs

So, this is me, finally trying to write some meta after lurking in my little tumblr corner for months! Hi!

Although I’ve tried to tag properly, if you are a Kat*anger and just want to enjoy your favourite couple in peace, this might not be the post for you. I am not trying to bash characters but I do have a lot of critical stuff to say about the writing.

Anyway, you have been warned and here is my story about my personal first Atla experience: I watched the show this year for the first time, and after the end of Book 1 I decided to look up spoilers, because after what happened to Yue, I wanted to make sure that Zuko and Iroh would be ok. So I knew what was going to happen: Kat*ang endgame and absolutely no Zutara at all. Still, by the end of Book 3, I was convinced that I had read wrong - that there would be an epilogue with a different ending or at least that Aang would only get together with Katara post-show- in that Korra series or something - because anything else wouldn’t make sense- right?

….

After I got over my shock and surprise, I went online and found out about that decade-long aggressive passionate ship war and how even the showrunners got involved.

And then I really worried that I might have missed a few points. Apparently ”Aang and Katara were the DNA of the show”, according to the creators themselves, and “Zutara could never have happened”.

Another popular anti-ZK argument I found was: Why do you always go on about Katara and Zuko? Just look at Zuko and Aang! They are the hero/ anti-hero and each other’s foils, their relationship is much more meaningful!”

So I tried to find out what it was that I apparently couldn’t see.

(Another disclaimer: I love analysing stories (like many Zutarians apparently) and this will get long and rambly. If you get bored to tears when people start talking about “narrative structure” you will probably not like this.)

Talking about narrative structure, I do believe that, in order to let your story, your characters and their relationships really shine, a good basic structure is important. There should be a recognizable development and individual parts of the story that build upon each other and lead to consequences and change, until there is a completed arc - because it is all about the journey that takes you to a satisfying ending, right? So that’s what I tried to do, with my personal Kat*ang vs. Zutara take, I tried to look at the structure and development of their relationship arcs.

The argument that threw me off track for a while is that compared to Aang and Zuko, Zuko and Katara’s relationship is not supposed to be that relevant for the plot. After all, Zuko is the foil, the anti-hero, the deuteragonist to Aang, who is the hero protagonist.

This is all true of course. But then why is it that in every finale, Zuko’s main opponent (and later ally) is not Aang but Katara? Why is it that their sun/moon, red/blue, fire/water dichotomy is so obviously highlighted?

I think one reason why Zuko and Katara are paired off so frequently in the story - as opposite elements, as opponents and as allies - is that they BOTH are Aang’s deuteragonists. While Zuko also acts as antagonist and Aang’s foil/mirror, Katara takes over the more traditional deuteragonist role of confidant / best friend/ narrator.

Protagonist Aang is what connects them, although they are on opposite sides: Both need Aang because he represents their hope to save their world. Very simply put, Katara protects him, so he can make the world a safer place again, and Zuko wants to capture him, so he can go home and be safe again. That rivalry between them is already established in the first episode, even before they meet each other: Katara, who hopes that the Avatar will return (as she tells everyone in the intro), and Zuko, who seems to be obsessed with finding him for more sinister reasons.

And just to make sure, I am not talking here about the characters’ feelings and emotions! This is just about the abstract roles they have been assigned within the narrative.

When regarding Zutara’s special connection to Aang and their rivalry with each other, it makes absolute sense to stress their “same but different”ness as well, visually and metaphorically: Red and blue, fire and water, sun and moon, arguably Painted Lady/Blue Spirit, and, when you put into account their story arc, also Oma and Shu.

With this basis, which puts them together and sets them apart simultaneously, their relationship already becomes very dynamic and interesting, even before you consider any romantic potential.

And here’s another thing, Zuko and Katara also have their own story arc within the main plot. Although they don’t have many scenes together before Zuko joins the Gaang, when they do meet there is always a new shift in their relationship and in quite a few cases their interactions are important for the main plot as well. If you just look at their “end fights” at each book’s finale, there is an obvious and consequential build-up, like any decent story arc should have:

Book 1 starts with Zuko as the powered-up enemy and Katara as the weak newbie waterbender. Both are battling over Aang. At the end of Book 1, they are finally established as equally powerful fighters but still fundamentally different (You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun!)

In CoD at the end of Book 2 happens the next step: they realize that they are not different at all! But Aang still doesn’t represent the same for them and they end up on opposing sides of the war again.

In the Book 3 finale, when Zuko has completed his own (anti-) hero's journey and Aang represents the same “hope” for both of them, they do not only join forces: Their “same but different”- traits make them such a uniquely suited match that they are even able to save each other’s lives during their fight with Azula (who in turn happens to be Katara and Zuko’s antagonist/mirror/foil).

And in addition to their own story arc they even get an individual recurring theme, which also appears in every book whenever their relationship status changes: The lost mothers, especially Katara’s mother.

In Book 1, Katara’s necklace (the symbol of Kiya) plays not only a major part in two of Zuko’s capture attempts, it is the reason for their very first one-one one encounter in the story.

Their first friendly connection in COD in Book 2 happens because they start talking about their mothers. And in Book 3, their final reconciliation (sealed with a very cathartic hug) happens after their life-changing trip which is, of course, all about Katara’s mother.

Again, I am not even trying to analyse their characters and motivations within the story - there are many metas that have already done that much better, more detailed and with screenshots. This is just dry structure and tropes and themes. But I think people recognize and connect with a well-structured arc, even subconsciously, which is one of the reasons that makes Zutara such a compelling couple. They complete and contrast each other, their relationship dynamic constantly changes, builds up, falls apart, reconnects. Such a setup is the perfect playground for a lot of creative takes on what-ifs and alternative scenarios and of course, shipping them romantically is extremely tempting - think of all the possibilities! It’s no wonder that the Zutara fandom is still so active decades after the end of the show. And it’s also no wonder that the Zutarians are known for “over-analysing everything”. You can only over-analyse if there is anything that gives you enough food to analyse to begin with. Which brings me to

KAT*ANG

I just go right to the top and take the quote from Br*yke themselves:

Kata*ng was in the DNA of the thing from the start…. [Zutara] was just dark and intriguing.

If you read this quote and then start watching the show, I would (grudgingly) agree that:

Aang and Katara understand and complement each other really well. Aang gives her the chance to have fun and go on adventures and in turn, Katara is his fiercest supporter from the very beginning, something that he really needs after he lost all his people AND has to find out that the world thinks the war is sort of his fault. In turn, the journey to the North Pole is as important to Katara as it is to Aang, because it is her dream to learn waterbending properly. That’s what she literally says when Sokka & Co try to banish Aang: (Sokka: Where do you think you’re going? Katara: To find a waterbender. Aang is taking me to the North Pole.) In that way, they are friends who give and take equally and are equally taken care of. They even have the last Airbender/ last Southern Waterbender status that connects them. The few times they have a fight, Aang does something in the end to redeem himself (perform some heroic feat) and Katara sees that she is right to believe in him.

Aang has this very sweet crush on her and it will be very sweet and wholesome when Katara will return his feelings at the end of their adventure after he has hit puberty. On the other side, there is also some heavy shipbaiting with Zuko: I save you from the pirates. The betrothal necklace. June and her excellent shipping taste. But in the end they are enemies, they barely know each other and, come on, it would be too dark and intriguing! There is no real threat against friends to lovers Kat*ang, the soft heart of the story. It’s very straightforward and there are a lot of simple “the hero saves the day” scenes for Aang but that’s fine! It’s not really my kind of ship but that’s not the point, it works for the story they want to tell.

End of Book 1.

In my - probably harsh- opinion, everything you really need to know about the Kat*ang relationship has been told by this point. If you want to be really mean, already by Book 1, episode 3.

That explains maybe why many (not all! but many) pro-KA arguments sound as if their shippers have not watched Book 2 and 3 at all. The Book 1 synopsis also perfectly sums up Bry*ke’s quote above. But then Book 2 and 3 are still there and I don’t know what happened but it seems as if they somehow decided that the Kat*ang story does not need any new and lasting input. Maybe because they were afraid that too much new development and change would stray too far away from their original Kat*ang vision. But there are still 2 more books and more adventures and Kat*ang somehow has to be kept apart until the finale.

So the tension in their potential romance is based largely on the question whether or not Katara will return Aang’s feelings. In general I don’t have a problem with that will-she-won’t she-technique. It works well in books where the love interest is not a POV or in shows/ movies where the love interest is not one of the main characters. But Katara is not only the female lead but also arguably the narrative voice of the whole story! As a result, this kind of writing makes Katara look as if she doesn’t have any agency in their relationship, which is not surprisingly a very popular anti-KA criticism.

Additionally, since her dream - learning waterbending - has been fulfilled by the end of Book 1, the relationship work becomes a bit one-sided. Of course Aang is the hero and his journey is the heart of the story. But in order to highlight their special connection it would have helped to give Katara another personal agenda, which Aang could have supported in some way. She is still the last Southern Waterbender and he the Last Airbender but this is not really explored in the Kat*ang relationship. And her other personal agenda, her mother, is already reserved for the Zutara arc.

Instead, in Book 2 and 3 the Kat*ang story is somehow all over the place. Of course there is new conflict and a few romantic scenes as well. But obstacles are either introduced too late or just dropped when not needed anymore, conflict is not resolved and their flirty, romantic moments never lead anywhere- and if they do, they lead to more conflict that is not resolved (yes, I am looking at you, EIP Kiss!).

Take for example Katara’s very sudden argument that they cannot be together now because there is a war going on. We hear her saying that for the first time in the very last episode (EIP) before the 4-part finale. That is too late to have any impact! That she has these kinds of thoughts was never even alluded to before. Not once.

Or the pattern Aang runs away/ is flaky - Katara is upset - Aang comes back and does his hero thing - Katara is relieved. In regards to their relationship arc, nothing changes here between Book 1 and the finale, only the stakes for Aang’s heroic performances get higher.

Or Katara being the one who is able to calm Aang down when he cannot control the Avatar state (which, in my personal opinion, is neither romantic nor healthy). This is also connected to the problem with the seventh Chakra, that Aang needs to let go of his attachment for her. I will be angry forever with how they wasted this for a possible relationship development! That Aang has to decide to either do his duty or save his forever girl (because let’s be fair, he did try to let go and only ran when he had the vision of Katara in danger) - that’s a fantastic setup!

But no, it doesn’t have any real consequences for Kat*ang at all. Instead there were only half-baked attempts – Aang does lie about his failed practice with Guru Pathik but the ultimate reason why his chakra is blocked is Azula, not his decision to run. Aang does try to let go of Katara for a little bit but then Azula shoots him. Nothing in Book 3 shows any change in his feelings that could have been a result of his instant let-it-go. If anything, he gets weirdly obsessive - which could have been used as a side effect of his blocked chakra but – again, no, nothing happens.

I suspect the whole thing was just introduced to create temporary drama for poor Aang, but it is never explained why Katara holds him back, what aspect of the attachment is blocking him or what would happen if he did let her go. Maybe they tried to make a statement about how love is more important than Avatar rules – which would have been fine but it’s also never properly explored. Instead, as soon as that plot point becomes inconvenient it’s simply dropped like a random rock™.

Compare all that to the Zutara arc, where both characters’ feelings about each other are always very much in the open, and where every interaction causes lasting effects in their relationship. Yes, it is unfair to compare that to Kat*ang, because up to the end of Book 3, Zuko and Katara almost never meet, while Aang and Katara spend almost every episode together – of course they cannot do meaningful things all the time. But on the other side, with Kat*ang, there would have been a great chance to show a subtle, gradual build-up instead.

It also doesn’t help that the Zutara arc seems hellbent on sabotaging every romantic moment Aang is allowed to enjoy:

There is Kat*angs first maybe-kiss in the dark before the background of the Oma and Shu legend. But it does not lead anywhere. Instead, Zuko and Katara almost reenact the legend itself in the Book 2 finale as two real enemies to almost-friends, including a glowy rocks-backdrop and the right costume colours, just so nobody misses the message.

In Footloose The Headband, Aang and Katara have a really sweet dance together, and everybody can see how they almost intuitively know each other's moves. This could be a great hint on how well they will fight together in the finale. But is it plot-relevant? No, because the final tag team is Katara and Zuko! While Aang gets paired off with random rock™.

Then there is Aang’s riding off to battle- kiss in DotBS, which Katara is not even allowed to enjoy, because keeping her feelings vague is apparently more important than character development at this point. It is the only romantic moment that gets mentioned again, but in a way that sinks the former cute and wholesome ship into the deep ocean, and the reason is - Aang is jealous of Zuko!

If all of this was only done for the sake of shipbaiting, then it really went out of control at some point.

In the end, the showrunners still had their reasons to choose Kat*ang, maybe because that corresponded more to their own vision, and there are still enough people out there who agree with them. Which is absolutely fine! In the end, what matters most is how you personally connect to the characters and nobody needs to defend their personal taste. But the typical anti-ZK claim, that all the Zutarians with their crazy analysis and rambling meta essays are reaching and delusional and that they desperately try to construct something that isn’t there, is not only a very lazy argument but simply not true.

And I’d claim that in spite of the canon choice, Zutara is technically the better written relationship. By far.

[riddlecrux]

Light seen through the windows: an analysis of windows as a literary tool in Elriel relationship

I would love to preface this meta with my favorite disclaimer that everything that I will be discussing is based on what I have gathered from SJM writing. The quotes used in this post will serve as a starting point for further analysis. Additionally, I will be using things such as symbolism, metaphors, and literary device methods to build up my reasoning and beliefs. On another note, this, as usual, is strictly pro-Elriel meta. If they are not your cup of tea and you wish to comment, please be civil and bring arguments supported by the text.

So many of us like to gaze and stare through the windows daily. Looking at the world behind the glass often is considered a form of tranquility that we feel. Windows are essentially doors that lead us to whatever lies behind them - the last border between being in one place and then in another. It isn't then surprising that windows serve as symbols and metaphors in literature. From the start, whenever I read a passage about windows in ACOWAR I was reminded of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. You may ask why?

Emily Bronte used windows as symbolism in her work. They are very important for her characters and their personal arcs. They are symbols of barriers, misfortunes that characters face. Windows there are metaphors of various obstacles estranging Bronte's characters from achieving their hopes - realizing that the dreams they had will be not fulfilled. As I don't want to get spoilery with Wuthering Heights, I'm going to draw conclusions in a very neat manner. Bronte used windows as a connection to nightmares that one of the main characters was suffering from - it ties to the fact that in his nightmares he sees the person he had loved, haunting him. Because of the relationship with a said woman, the imagery of windows in this particular scene symbolizes death, an obstacle that stands between both of them. Throughout the book, we also get glimpses of how windows might be used as a metaphor for social classes and the contrast between them, and how Heathcliff and Catherine have to go about it. Along with the windows, doors are also used as a symbol of trapping someone in one place, obstructing them from achieving their dream or preventing them from reaching out to their loved one. Not to mention that during a very particular scene with Catherine, she wants the windows open - a symbolism of her wanting to feel free, to connect with something she knows, she longs for. This leads to the conclusion that windows in Bronte's novel are symbols of life and death, they are the in-between - a symbolic barrier.

On the other hand, windows in literature signalize something called "art of watching", and usually it is connected to a female protagonist that observes life, events through the window. Not to mention, the most famous association to windows such as "windows to the soul" - which, of course, is more metaphorical. It allows us, the audience, to connect with the character's inner feelings, struggles, as we are presented with the emotional aspect of said person. They are the bridge between the inside and outside. Windows are also a source of light, which we humans crave. Looking through the window one can absorb the light, which can resonate as a symbol of growth and change. Metaphorically we see the light from the window when we feel a need to light up the darkness inside us. They expose us, our inner feelings, and struggles.

When I read ACOWAR I have noticed that SJM decided to use windows, quite clearly, in the indication of two particular characters. Azriel and Elain. For the first time, when we met Elain again in the third book the window is a big issue.

"The suite was filled with sunlight. Every curtain shoved back as far as it could go, to let in as much sun as possible."

We have a clear description of the sunlit room, curtains shoved to further underline the need for light.

"And seated in a small chair before the sunniest of the windows, her back to us, was Elain."

In the brightest place in the room sits Elain, in front of the window. She is exposed to the sun, to sunlight and is absorbing that light - which is highlighted during this scene (which makes it important to note).

"Her skin was so pale it looked like fresh snow in the harsh light. I realized then that the color of death, of sorrow, was white."

The sunlight exposes Elain, its harsh light makes her pale, almost translucent. Even Feyre realizes the graveness of this picture comparing this white hue to death. As you can see the chain of events in this scene played like that: sunlit room -> curtain swept away -> Elain sitting in front of the window -> sudden comparison to death.

"She had been always so full of light. Perhaps that was why she now kept all the curtains open. To fill the void that existed where all of that light had once been. And now nothing remained."

Feyre deducts that the need for light on Elain's part is a desperate call to brighten the darkness inside her - which perfectly aligns with the metaphorical usage of windows. Elain basks in light in a helpless cry for help. The very dark void that appeared within her after being Made eats her away. It sucks her immortal life away - the one which she yet didn't get used to. On the other hand, we as readers are presented with the fact that Elain is trapped. In this Fae life, in this room, in this situation in which she grieves for her past and many what-ifs.

Nothing. Not even a flicker of emotion. “Everyone keeps saying that.” Her thumb brushed the ring on her finger. “But it doesn’t fix anything, does it?”

Sitting in front of the window - a sunny one to be precise, which symbolizes life, growth, and change, Elain is presented in a contrast to her surroundings. To show that visible barrier that her person has to overcome. She realizes that her dreams are meant to be unfulfilled, that they are unreachable.

"My stiff, limping steps, at least, had eased into a smoother gait by the time I found Elain in the family library. Still staring at the window, but she was out of her room."

The next time we see Elain she is out of her room - her "cage", but even though she left the boundaries of her entrapment she still chooses to linger around the windows. As Feyre notices, Elain gazes through the window - we are obstructed from Elain's POV and it's hard to imagine what she could be thinking about. Yet the symbolic manner of using the window as some sort of mirror, a passage that happens throughout the series, allows me to think that the metaphorical usage of windows, in this case, isn't a far-fetched idea.

"Elain didn’t turn. She was wearing a pale pink gown that did little to complement her sallow skin, her brown-gold hair hanging in loose, heavy ringlets down her thin back."

SJM uses this sentence to highlight that it isn't just a quick glance out of the window - in fact, it is constant staring through it. It is important for us as readers to note that this thing, window gazing, is an occupation that lasts for long periods of time. It isn't something trivial, it is something that showcases the importance of said windows in Elain's journey.

“What are you looking at?” I asked Elain, keeping my voice soft. Casual. Her face was wan, her lips bloodless. But they moved—barely—as she said, “I can see so very far now. All the way to the sea.”

Feyre decides to ask Elain who is still gazing through the window. Her answer is very ominous and holds a great deal of importance, but also underlines the fact that she is drawn to the window. Not to mention that what she is seeing is the sea - another vastly discussed symbol. In this situation, I believe that the interpretation can lay in a more psychological aspect of the matter rather than a literary one. In the works of very well-known psychiatrist Carl Jung the sea "symbolizes the personal and the collective unconscious in dream interpretation". So from his notes there comes this annotation that caught my attention, "The sea is a favourite place for the birth of visions."

Elain is a seer who constantly gazes through a window which symbolizes the in-between, life and death. These two are connected to one another and SJM used many things to further develop Elain's character as a powerful figure.

"Elain only turned toward the sunny windows again, the light dancing in her hair."

After the whole conversation Elain doesn't move from her spot, quite the contrary she returns to her previous activity. Gazing through the window. Once again we are reminded about the sun and light - which signalizes that Elain tries to undergo through the process of rebirth, but also tries to break free from the unhappiness that came with lost dreams.

"Something in my chest cracked as Nesta’s eyes also went to the windows before Elain. To check, as I did, for whether they could be easily opened."

Here we have an instance of both sisters realizing that Elain spending so much time in front of windows can be dangerous, as in her attempting to jump from them. Once again, the symbolism of death.

"More steps—no doubt closer to where Elain stood at the window."

Elain is still beside the window when Lucien tries to talk to her. Even alone she seeks the place next to the window to stare.

"But sunlight on gold caught his eye—and Elain slowly turned from her vigil at the window."

Elain is still by the window, for the whole scene she is there not moving an inch from it. Furthermore, the word "vigil" is also an interesting choice. There are different meanings of it, but I find these ones very telling and suitable for this instance: a period of sleeplessness; insomnia, a watch kept, or the period of this and a devotional watching, or keeping awake, during the customary hours of sleep. We can speculate about what happened to Elain while she was in the Cauldron, what made her so withdrawn from life and so desperate for the light. I want to believe that we as readers will get our answers in the next book since Elain being a seer with unknown powers makes her a perfect target for Koschei with which she has already had connections.

She looked away—toward the windows. “I can hear your heart,” she said quietly.

Again, during the whole conversation, she doesn't move away from her spot next to the window. Windows for her, start to become a symbolism of change and rebirth - the things she probably wished while being confined to her room.

Elain only stared out the window, unaware—or uncaring.

We have another mention about staring - which further highlights how important windows are as a literary tool for Elain's character. She seeks light, she wants to overcome this barrier that was thrown at her the moment she was Made. She, perhaps, watched through the window to observe the life which was stripped away from her and turned her into this immortal being. Or, maybe she just desperately wanted to brighten up the darkness that gathered inside her because of that whole situation. Another important thing to note is that this scene is a first moment alone with Lucien - her mate, which should have been very painful for her. The conversation also held a lot of weight, yet she valiantly stood by the window as if somewhere behind it she could find an answer.

“So it can’t be a perfect system of matching. What if”—I jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden —“that is what she needs? Is there no free will? What if Lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?”

Here we have an instance of "art of watching" in which Feyre observes Azriel and Elain through the window. By watching them she comes to the conclusion that both of them are better suited and actually can comfort each other in comfortable silence. The window here is used as a barrier to showcase parallels of two couples: happily mated Feysand and unhappily in love with other people Elriel.

"But I looked to Azriel, currently leaning against the wall beside the floor-to-ceiling window, shadows fluttering around him."

And here we are start with Azriel and windows (also in ACOWAR). He is another character that has an extraordinary connection to windows. He is often mentioned next to them and somehow parallels Elain's behavior - staring through windows, being near them.

"I blinked, realizing I’d been lost in the bond, but found Azriel still by the window, (...)."

As we can see Azriel lingers next to the window without moving away from it - as the scene progresses we know that the conversation lasts a good ounce of time, yet Azriel stands in his place by the window.

"Azriel didn’t so much as turn from his vigil at the window, though I could have sworn his wings tucked in a bit tighter."

The same wording, the same imagery. Both used for Elain and Azriel. Both of them keeping vigils at the windows, staring through them as if they could find an answer through them.

"The main room of the guardhouse was stuffy and cramped, more so with all of us in there, and though I offered Elain a seat by the sealed window, she remained standing—at the front of our company. Staring at the shut iron door."

This scene is when Elain is about to confront her lover - Greysen. It is underlined that she rejected her usual spot, which is by the window, and preferred to face the door. She was trapped, she knew that a very important discussion will take a place here. She chose to look at the door rather than at the window, which in this matter could symbolize hope for a change - she stared at the door which metaphorically means transition or imprisonment.

"(...) close to Elain’s side as she and my sister silently kept against the wall by the intact bay of windows."

Another instance of Elain and her being content with being next to the windows.

"I’d seen Elain staring out the window earlier—watching Graysen leave with his men without so much as a look back at her."

"Art of Watching", but also the window's symbolism of dreams that were unfulfilled. At that moment, we can assume, that Elain realized that her dreams concerning human life and her future with Greysen would only be unattainable dreams/hopes.

“What now?” Elain mused, at last answering my question from moments ago as her attention drifted to the windows facing the sunny street. That smile grew, bright enough that it lit up even Azriel’s shadows across the room. “I would like to build a garden,” she declared. “After all of this … I think the world needs more gardens.

At the end of ACOWAR, we have this powerful moment, in which Elain gazing out of the window sees sunny streets = life. A chance of rebirth, which also beautifully overlaps with the fact that she proposed building a garden! The in-between that she balanced on while gazing through the window for so many times turned from death and misfortunes into life and hopes of the future.

ACOFAS

"Elain politely refused, taking up a spot in one of the wooden chairs set in the bay of windows. Also typical."

From Rhysand's point of view, we can deduct that even they are aware of the fact that Elain and windows are something notable. It is a place where she feels comfortable and probably spends a lot of time.

"Beyond the windows, darkness had indeed fallen. The longest night of the year. I found Elain studying it, beautiful in her amethyst-colored gown. I made to move toward her, but someone beat me to it."

In previous quotes, we could gather information about how Elain craved the light and how desperate she was to lighten up her person. Here, we can see that she also started to embrace the darkness. She is again by the window, observing the darkness as if no one else was around her. And of course, the one person who goes towards her at that moment is Azriel, a personification of darkness in the books.

Azriel strode to the lone window at the end of the room and peered into the garden below. “I’ve never stayed in this room.” His midnight voice filled the space.

Azriel went straight to the window. And not an ordinary one, but the one through which you can see the garden. Life and light. I know many were theorizing if what kept Azriel so occupied by the window was Elain, but I would love to put some of my thoughts in this discourse. Yes, I do think that what caught his attention, or who caught his attention was Elain. However, Elain at that moment represents life and light - the things that are associated with windows. And if you spin it around you have Azriel=darkness, death staring at Elain=light, life. The in-between, the very initial symbolism of window in literature. Not to mention that in this scene we have Azriel watching the light and next we have Elain observing darkness.

“No,” Azriel said, not turning from the window.

Azriel remained at the window. “Will Nesta stay here if she comes?

“I’d still be surprised if they remember once the storm clears,” Azriel said, turning from the garden window at last.

We have a whole scene in which it is so heavily implied that Azriel was constantly staring through the window, not even bothering to move away from it. We also have another highlighted thing which is the fact that it was a garden window.

There was a tiny box left on the table by the window—a box that Mor lifted, squinted at the name tag, and said, “Az, this one’s for you.”

A small thing, yet a very sweet one. The fact that even his present was placed close to the window, which starts to become an Elriel thing.

ACOSF

"She’d barely slept for fear of Elain walking off this veranda, or leaning too far out of one of the countless windows, or simply throwing herself down those ten thousand stairs."

We have a reminder that during her stay at House of Wind, Elain was a symbol of death. She carried it on her while being associated with windows that were used as a source of light that helped her heal.

"Elain stood at the wall of windows, clad in a lilac gown whose close-fitting bodice showed how well her sister had filled out since those initial days in the Night Court."

Even when she visits Nesta, she takes the place by the windows. It is something that is strictly connected to her. As if the windows were part of her now.

Elain’s smile was as bright as the setting sun beyond the windows. “I thought I’d drop by to see how you were doing.”

Light, sun, life = Elain.

“You’ve got good coloring, I mean,” Elain clarified, striding from the windows to cross the room. She stopped a few feet away. As if holding herself back from the embrace she might have given.

SJM still used the passages to underline the passage of time that Elain spent standing next to the window. It is a place in which she feels good and perhaps safe.

"They’d sat in them, before this fire, so many times that it was an unspoken rule that Azriel’s was the one on the left, closer to the window, and Cassian’s the one to the right, closer to the door."

We also get the information that Azriel always was the closest to the window - which is an odd thing to add without a deeper meaning. As if to further build up that connection between him and Elain - that both of them are aware of the fact that they are also the symbolism of the allegory of windows. I believe that SJM really researched that light and darkness trope, with which she built and she is still building up Elriel. The windows are just another tiny nugget that further envelopes both of them as one. Because while Elain transformed from death to life, she still welcomed darkness and embraced it - and Azriel opened to the life and light, seeking it. As I said, windows are a literary tool, which perhaps wasn't the main idea in the SJM text, but the amount of parallels between both of them and even the same wording applied to different scenes tells me that it's yet another connection between them.

[kingwuko]

Wuko in the Comics: Ruins of the Empire: Book 1, Part 1

Welcome to my second post on Wuko in the comics. In this post I’ll be discussing the first half of Ruins of the Empire: Book 1. Wu is a prominent character in this comic trilogy, and there is lots of character development and exploration for him. There are also a lot of scenes with Wu and Mako together, and what’s more, there are a handful of visual parallels to Korrasami!

Ruins of the Empire

Book 1 of RotE was released in May 2019. The art style is different from Turf Wars- the colors are very vibrant and it almost looks like stills of the animated series. It takes place 3 months after the conclusion of the animated series, and there is lots of continuity following the events of Turf wars. Some major plot points that carry from Turf Wars include: Wu has been governing the Earth Kingdom, Korra and Asami are in a firmly established relationship, and Zhu Li is President of the United Nations.

Plot Summary

The first half of Book 1 of RotE highlights the transition of the Earth Kingdom into a democracy by focusing on the first state to hold its elections, Gaoling. Gaoling’s election is at risk of being disrupted by Earth Empire general, Guan, who didn’t surrender when the rest of the empire did. The Krew decides to accompany King Wu to Gaoling to ensure the election proceeds without interference.

Major plot points in the first half of Book 1

We start out with a flashback that sets the timeline for the rest of the comic. In Gaoling, Commander Guan is running an earth empire “reeducation camp” and has just gotten word that Kuvira surrendered, but isn’t planning to give up so easily. He insists that his “experiments” and the Earth Empire will go on, with or without Kuvira as the Earth Emperor…. Then we jump ahead 3 months to Republic City, City Hall. We start out with an excellent frame, the first of many Wuko Korrasami parallels! Get excited, there are SO many!

Bolin is working for President Zhu Li Moon now, because, why not? He just quit his job working with Mako on the police force, and now he’s Zhu Li’s administrative assistant or something. Zhu Li is going to be introducing King Wu for a “big speech” to the citizens of Republic City. Korra gives Wu a friendly elbow nudge and asks if he’s ready. (the first of many wholesome friendship moments between the two of them)

Wu is not ready, he’s nervous. He asks Mako to read his speech for him, and Mako says no way- but then he reassures Wu that he’ll do great. “Just be yourself” Wu is immediately comforted and says that Mako always knows the right thing to say and that must be why he keeps Mako around! (I can think of a couple other reasons...) Mako’s expressions are very stoic and closed off. He’s got his arms crossed and looks grumpy (I feel like I’m always saying Mako looks grumpy. But that’s the best adjective I can come up with).

Wu begins his speech where he announces that it’s almost time for the Earth Kingdom states to begin holding elections, starting in the state of Gaoling. Grandma Yin and cousin Tu are in the audience and Yin is booing Wu, and also yelling “Long live the monarchy” while holding framed portraits of Wu and Hou-Ting.

Asami, Korra, Mako and Varric are standing behind Wu, applauding along with the crowd (well, the crowd minus Yin). Korra and Mako casually compliment Wu, saying that he's doing great and almost looks like a real leader! Wu says that within a year there will be a peaceful transition to democracy. He gets bombarded by questions and panics and starts singing. He tosses his stylish hat into the crowd, which Yin catches and says “you’ll always be my king!” Mako covers his face with his hands, Korra says ”well you did tell him to be himself” and Mako says “this is NOT what I meant”. Sorry Mako. You know Wu better than anyone so you should have known a song was coming. Zhu Li takes the podium and Wu dramatically faints/collapses into Mako’s arms. I presume on purpose.

We cut to a scene of Kuvira’s trial. Kuvira, after being read the charges against her, pleads not guilty (because every thing she did was for the “greater good”), Suyin confronts her and Kuvira apologizes but Suyin isn’t having it and forcefully tells her that apologies aren’t enough, she has to take responsibility.

We move on to President Moon’s office, where Wu is sitting on a sofa and Bolin welcomes Asami, Mako and Korra in. Mako lampshades Bolin’s many career changes. Bolin makes a comment to Mako that just because Mako has “found” himself it doesn’t mean the rest of them have. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out exactly what Bolin is trying to say here. Is he referring to the fact that Mako has “found” his career as a detective? Or something else, like his true feelings for Wu? Probably the first thing but us Wuko shippers will happily apply it to the other thing.

Once everyone is settled in, Wu asks them to come with him to Gaoling for the upcoming elections! Mako is actually not thrilled, and tells Wu that they aren’t going to be there for him to show off as his entourage. Wu is like No, that’s not it! Well, yes, kinda. He wants their help dealing with the Earth Empire loyalists being led by Guan. The Earth Kingdom army is understaffed and Wu is worried the Guan will try to prevent the elections from happening. The Krew agrees that it could be a problem, especially since it could cause other states to back out of holding elections and allow the earth empire to rise again.

So the Krew plans to come to Gaoling to show support for the elections, hopefully deter Guan from interfering, and Mako says they will keep Wu safe. Zhu Li encourages Bolin to go as well. Wu is very excited to team up with Mako again! After they leave the President's office, Korra suggests going to go speak to Kuvira to try to gather intel on Guan- Asami is not thrilled and doesn’t want to go with her because Kuvira was responsible for her father’s death. Korra is understanding and supportive and they share a lovely little kiss before Korra heads off.

Korra arrives at Kuvira’s prison with Naga. We catch a quick glimpse into Kuvira’s mind as she remembers a moment from her childhood when she ran away from her parents-after her parents accused her of breaking a vase, the take away her toys and lock her in her room “for her own good”, and she uses her earth bending to break the wall and escape. This and other flashbacks attempt to make us more sympathetic to Kuvira so we can accept her redemption arc in the remainder of the comics. After her little flashback, Korra and Kuvira discuss Guan. Kuvira says she didn’t know Guan hadn’t surrendered, and that Korra should consider him a major threat because he is cunning and strategic. Then Kuvira tells Korra if she wants to stop Guan, she should bring Kuvira along to reason with him and convince him to stand down and surrender. Korra is not convinced, but Kuvira tells her to take time to think about it, and she’ll be there to help when Korra asks.

Meanwhile, Guan is rallying his troops. He’s got a sizable regiment of soldiers along with tanks, and is giving them a big speech about taking back the empire and rising from the ruins of defeat. He and his troops head out of their fortress, presumably to do exactly what everyone is worried about and stop Gaoling’s election.

Mako and Wu Scenes

Mako and Wu are featured in many scenes of these comics, together more often than not!

The very first scene with Wu, he is standing right next to Mako, in the same frame as Korra and Asami. I realize “standing next to each other” might not actually be ground breaking evidence for Wuko, but it feels like a parallel to Korrasami, and most importantly creates kind of an establishing shot, planting Wu at the center along with Korra. This is kind of amazing considering he was in only one season of the show and he was largely a comic relief character that I don’t think the writers meant for us to take seriously. There is a pattern of parallels in RotE with Korrasami and Wuko, and we don’t really need to reach for them. They are right there, visually.

We also get to see some lovely moments of Korra’s and Wu’s friendship. She elbows him good-naturedly. She’s kind and supportive. She compliments him. He does seem a little awkward but overall it seems he really fits in with the Krew now, and I find it really sweet. His characterization feels very different from the show. He isn’t obnoxiously flirting with every 'dame' he lays eyes on. He isn’t bratty, or materialistic. He’s still goofy and lands some comic relief joke moments, but overall he is treated like an actual character with substantial development and plot-advancing roles.

During Wu’s speech, Mako is staring like, way too intently at him while casually complementing how he almost looks like a real leader. (Well, up until Wu starts singing, and then his second-hand embarrassment seems more intense than the others, who mostly just seem a little stunned, while Mako has his face buried in his hands). Also, the running gag of Grandma Yin being obsessed with royalty has it’s funny moments during his speech, but I really like it because the fact that Mako’s grandma is reverent, affectionate, AND outspoken with Wu would probably create an interesting in-law dynamic, right? Also, during his song, the tosses his hat out to the crowd which Yin catches like a single lady catching the bridal bouquet, and says “You’ll always be my King!” I like to imagine that she now wears his hat everywhere, along with Mako’s scarf. I know I’m reaching but Yin wearing both their accessories is another Wuko moment in my mind.

Let’s also talk about Wu fainting. After his panic-singing, Zhu Li quickly takes over and Wu steps back and dramatically faints, saying “Wu down”- right into Mako’s arms. Why into Mako’s arms? Did he step back and strategically aim himself at Mako? Technically the closest person to him was Varrick. So he had to stagger back diagonally and fall back toward Mako on purpose. Did Mako catch him with lightning-fast reflexes? Korra was also right there and she’s the Avatar, you’d think she’d react quicker than Mako. Nope. The best explanation is that Wu for sure was intentionally falling into Mako’s arms, and Mako’s ‘protect Wu’ instincts kicked in faster than anyone else's because.. Well. You ship Wuko. You know what I'm saying. <3

During the conversation in Zhu Li’s office, once again, visually Mako and Wu are parallel to Korra and Asami. They are sitting next to each other on a couch opposite Korra and Asami. However, there is this one moment where Mako is NOT HAVING IT with Wu. When Wu asks the Krew to join him, Mako is like, why? For show? No way. He says “We’re not your entourage, Wu.” Honestly that was kinda mean of him to say. I’m not sure what to make of it other than Mako is suddenly grumpy because his brother (who was visibly offended by Mako lamp-shading his career-hopping) snatched away a tray of cupcakes a moment before. Still, Wu is quick to reassure him that it’s not like that at all, and delivers the news of Guan and quickly makes a case that it’s the practical thing to do considering the political climate. Mako immediately agrees after that, and quickly flips his script to “we’ll keep you safe”. And Wu’s triple “yes” response with an excited fist in the air is enough of a Wuko moment for me.

When they leave Zhu Li’s office, yet another visual Korrasami/Wuko parallel. Korra and Asami are in the back holding hands, and Mako and Wu are in the front with Wu’s arm draped around Mako’s shoulders. Wu is very happy that Mako is coming along. Says they should get a smoothie to celebrate, and it’ll be just like old times! I’m sure Wu missed Mako. Mako doesn’t seem quite as thrilled but at this point it's really just Mako’s face. He just always looks like that. Who knows what he’s thinking inside.

What this means for Wuko

So if you are writing some fanfic or just coming up with headcanons with the comics in mind, there is a lot of material to work with right away. They are in close proximity for most of their scenes. Wu is accepted by the Krew, and he is buddy-buddy enough with Korra to presume he’s probably been talking to her outside of the scenes depicted in the comics. So there’s some potential for wingman or matchmaker Korra, or at the very least she will be happy and supportive of them getting together since she has warmed up to Wu a lot. Both Mako and Wu have matured enough that a healthy relationship is within reach. Wu clearly has affection toward Mako, and Mako still has that protective instinct toward Wu, even if he looks like he’s not having a great time (But like I said, he looks like that all the time, so I'm pretty sure he just has resting bitch face).

So that is about the halfway point of book 1. The next post I will talk about the second half of book 1. Some things to look forward to: a sauna scene, Mako, Bolin and Wu giving Kuvira the Bitchiest collective look ever, and Wu casually telling Mako that he loves him.

Wuko in Turf War

Wuko in RotE part 2

[septembercfawkes]

Save the Cat! Explained: The Middle

Now that we've addressed the beginning, we're diving into the middle of the Save the Cat! story structure. Also, I want to mention that you can find loads of story examples of this structure here, should you want to look at others. I realize a lot of us might be tired of Spider-verse at this point--but I find it helpful to use the same story to compare and contrast different structures. If we keep using different stories (like what everyone else does), then we miss out on some insights and conclusions we can't draw otherwise. Plus, all this is going to lead to bigger points I'll be posting on my blog far down the road from now. (In any case, this is the last structure I'll be using this story example.)

I realize for some, using the same story may be more confusing, especially if you are new to structure. Please feel free to take what works for you and leave the rest. Structure itself can be confusing to anyone who is learning. Feel free to skip the examples or even my own thoughts and opinions, if that best suits you (heck, or even this whole series). It's all good. And now . . .

The Middle

Break into Two (25)

Now that the beginning is completed, it's time to get to the middle--and in most structures, this is considered Act II, which is where the title of this term comes from. As Snyder puts it, "The act break is the moment where we leave the old world . . . behind and proceed into a world that is the upside down version of that . . . But because these two worlds are so distinct, the act of actually stepping into Act II must be definite." In the Hero's Journey, this is called "Crossing the Threshold." While the Hero's Journey focuses more on how this is the protagonist transitioning to the "special world," Save the Cat! points out that this is a moment where the protagonist chooses to go forward into the "other world" or, as he calls it, the "antithesis world" himself or herself. It must be a choice. If the hero is tricked, dragged, or lured, it will probably fall flat. Snyder also says that something big must happen here to lead to the protagonist making this decision. In my opinion, this is an event that can be big either internally or externally--it's significant. So in Star Wars, the event is Luke's aunt and uncle being killed, which leads him to decide to go on his journey. Big Event --> Protagonist Decides to Move Forward. 

In Spider-verse

After Miles finds the spider that bit him, he encounters Spider-man fighting Green Goblin and the collider. Peter asks for Miles's help, explaining that the collider could destroy all of Brooklyn, this and Peter's death are the big events that lead to Miles making the decision to move forward. He may not like the idea, but he won't be passive about it. He'll at least try to fix the goober and save Brooklyn.

B Story (30)

According to Snyder, this is where the B story of the narrative is introduced. In most movies, this will be a love story between the protagonist and the love interest. It's also a story that carries the theme. Snyder sees this as sort of a moment that smooths over the transition from Act I to Act II that we just saw, so it doesn't feel so obvious. The B story here gives the audience a break from the A story, that has had a lot of focus (and has gotten intense).

The B story often has a bunch of new characters. And in this approach, they are upside down versions of characters that were in Act I.

This doesn't have to be a romance plotline, but it's almost always a relationship plotline. It can be about best friends, siblings, parent and child, student and mentor, coworkers--the key is that it can't be wholly antagonistic. Even if the characters seem to be enemies or rivals on the surface, that barrier is broken down to some degree. In Moana, this is when Moana meets and begins trying to work with Maui.

Some say, this may not even need to be a human relationship. It might be about the protagonist and his car.

In Story, Robert McKee talks about how having a relationship plotline (of some sort) works well to balance out all the intensity of the A story (primary plotline)--they complement each other.

My Thoughts and Opinion:

And if you think about it, to me, it makes sense. The primary plotline typically weaves together the greatest external and greatest internal journeys of the hero. A relationship plot fits nicely in the middle of those two--it's more intimate than the external journey, but a degree distant from the internal journey, which gives the events of the story as a whole, more dimension.

In contrast, if you try to add another more external plotline, it might feel off, or if you try to add another inner plotline it might feel off--busy and competitive, since we already have plotlines for those.

A relationship also gives the hero someone to talk to about what's happening; he or she can bounce ideas off someone who is not closely involved, and possibly get another perspective of their problems.

While I appreciate Snyder including this term (as he's the only one who does it this way),

I personally disagree just a bit with the definition. I already mentioned how I think you could create a relationship plotline with (seeming) enemies, but I also don't think the characters in here need to be new characters. From some of the lines in the book, I can't quite tell if Snyder believes this or not. He seems to imply at first that the audience could have met them in Act I, but right after he says, "We did not even know they existed."

But loads of stories introduce B story characters in Act I and maybe even introduce the type of relationship the protagonist has or will have or has had with them. A lot of times, the protagonist runs into the love interest rather early.

So here's how I would explain this. The term B Story doesn't necessarily relate to introducing the B story characters or plotline, but rather is where that plotline begins to take a turn in development. Sure, it can be an introduction to a brand new person. Or, it can be a shift in a relationship already established, so that it starts a path to becoming something different. In this sense, even characters we've met in Act I, can turn out to be (somewhat) "upside down" versions of themselves--the hero will likely see a new side to the other person. The person may actually be totally different than what the hero thought, or maybe is cleverer, kinder, more capable, more understanding, than expected. It's simply (at least) a moment where the hero interacts with the other person in a way that hasn't happened before.

I also disagree somewhat with his thoughts about the theme. Yes, absolutely the B story should relate or touch on the theme in some way--I mean really, ideally, all "through" plotlines should. In particular, a relationship is a great place to have discussions about the theme topic. Maybe it's possible that the B story might address the topic more openly, but hands down the A story/primary plotline should be addressing the theme way more. I mean, it's the primary plot!

The difference is this: The A story shows the theme more and takes the whole story to do it. The B story allows more room for the writer to tell the theme, through the relationship plot line, and if not tell, show it in more obvious ways. Since all plotlines should relate to the theme, really, the B story may be a more simplistic, mirrored, exaggerated, inverted, or contrasting example of the theme. It gives more thematic power, understanding, refining, or complexity to the A story. It also sometimes (not always) reaches a thematic conclusion, earlier (which fuels the A story).

I'm not convinced the B story needs to always be a relationship. Instead, I think the B story is a plotline that (as I said above) fits between the protagonist's external and internal plotlines. Not as big and far-reaching as the protagonist's external journey, but not as intimate and personal as the protagonist's internal journey. For example, the A story could be about the protagonist fighting in a war and how that changes him. The B story could be about two business owners in conflict about how they contribute to the war efforts--not as big as the war story, but not as personal as the character arc. That, in my opinion, is a B story.

And often in many stories, a relationship will fit those requirements just fine. And often, in most stories, there will be an important relationship. But it feels narrow to say the B story is always a relationship.

Also, the B story is a plotline that feeds into the A story in some way, maybe literally or maybe only thematically. But the B feeds into the A, not the other way around--something that can be helpful to writers so they can discern what fits where.

In Spider-verse

Soon after trying to become Spider-man, Miles meets a Peter Parker from another dimension. He's almost quite literally an upside down version of the Peter Parker that died--different hair color, older, out of shape, at a low point in his life. Notice how he offers a more simplistic yet exaggerated version of the theme. He claims he loves to be Spider-man and always gets back up, no matter how many times he gets knocked down, but the footage actually shows the exact opposite of what he is saying. Miles and Peter have a student-mentor relationship plotline, which will allow them to address the theme a little more openly. It also fits between the Miles's external journey and internal journey, adding dimension.

Fun & Games (30 - 55)

This section is the promise of the premise.

It delivers on what the audience "came for." It answers their question, "Why did I choose this story to immerse myself into?"

So in Legally Blonde, this is where we see Elle trying (and failing) to fit into law school. In Elf, this is where we see Buddy trying to navigate New York. In The Emperor's New Groove, this is when we get to see Kuzco stuck as a llama. In an origin superhero movie, this is usually where we get to see the hero using his superpowers. If this is a buddy story, this is usually where we see the buddies clashing with each other in the most entertaining ways.

Snyder says this part of the structure is more concerned with having fun than with moving the story forward.

Think of movie trailers--this is the section where they get a lot of the clips from.

While I think the Hero's Journey would consider these moments "tests" of the Special World, I like the playfulness Snyder's perspective brings to this section, though "playful" might fit some stories better than others. For example, I wouldn't really consider the moments of this section in the Hunger Games, to be "fun," so I'd rather call them "tests."

In Spider-verse

After meeting the alternate Peter Parker, we get a lot of entertainment with the interactions between him and Miles--which contrasts experience with inexperience. They clash. But it's more than that, this is where we start getting to see Miles really learning what it's like to be Spider-man, as he has to encounter villains as Spider-man for the first time.

Midpoint (55)

I've talked about midpoints in other posts. In fact, I once did a whole post about midpoints. Save the Cat! has a different interpretation of what a midpoint is, in comparison to other structures.

What I hear from other structures is that the midpoint is the moment the hero moves from responding and wandering around, to being active and in a "warrior" mode. In order for that to happen, there must be new, significant information that enters the story, which gives the character a greater understanding of what's going on.

But Save the Cat! defines it differently. The midpoint still happens in the middle, but it's either a "false win" or a "false lose." The stakes are also raised (which actually fits into the other definition, because when new information enters the story, it raises the stakes so the character becomes more active).

Snyder zeros in on the idea of the "false win" or "false lose." Around this point, he says, the hero seems to get everything she wanted, but in reality, she hasn't yet learned what she needs to. It seems like a victory, but it's not. It's a "false victory." This is meant to contrast the "All is Lost" beat that comes at the end of the middle, which is described as a "false defeat."

"It's never as good as it seems to be at the midpoint," Snyder says, "and it's never as bad as it seems to be at the 'All is Lost' point."

This can be switched around, he says. So if you have a false defeat at the midpoint, you'll have a false victory at what would be the "All is Lost" point. This means the midpoint will seem like a loss to the protagonist.

My Thoughts and Opinion:

Using this structure, I sometimes feel like the word "false" can be a bit misleading. In some stories, this is exactly what happens. But other times, I'd maybe call it an "incomplete victory" or "incomplete defeat," or maybe even a "seeming victory/defeat." Because the heroes may succeed at something, but still be aware they have more work to do, or vice versa. They may not necessarily be completely misled. And it may actually be a sort of short-term victory/defeat. I mean, I get what Snyder's saying, but I think the word choice can make it confusing to some writers who are learning. But as always, understanding the concept is more important.

And while I think this approach works, I'm not completely sold on this idea yet, mainly because most stories will put an All is Lost beat and a Reward/Victory beat right next to each other regardless of whether the midpoint is a victory or defeat. I almost feel like it just depends on how you slice and dice structure rather than what the midpoint is. Near the end of the middle and the beginning of the end, there is almost always a sort of negative (-) beat (All is Lost), followed by a positive(+) beat (Reward), followed by another negative(-) beat (related to the the bad guys)--so doesn't it just sort of depend on where you draw the line? (I'm sure I've gotten too complicated for half my readers . . . moving on. 😆)

Anyway, maybe I just wish Snyder gave a clearer idea of what the alternate version looks like, beyond simply saying a false defeat midpoint goes to a false victory later and giving only one quick example.

In Spider-verse

Peter B. Parker and Miles (and Gwen) succeed in getting the computer from Alchemax. We also learn that if Peter and Gwen don't return to their proper dimensions, not only will they be glitchy, but they'll die. Doc Ock is given a tighter timeline to get the collider finished. Both of these things raise the stakes. And getting the computer seems like a victory.

Bad Guys Close In (55 - 75)

If the midpoint is a false victory, then all seems fine . . . until the bad guys close in.

"This is the point where the bad guys decide to regroup and send heavy artillery. It's the point where internal dissent, doubt, and jealousy begin to disintegrate the hero's team."

The antagonistic forces tighten their grip on the hero. So basically they are re-engaging with the hero. While Snyder doesn't say this, I think he'd agree that here they have become more cunning and conniving or maybe just more ruthless.

My Thoughts:

One thing I wish is that Snyder would address how this section may be different (or the same) if the midpoint is a false defeat (from his approach/perspective). Does this flip too? So that it's the hero that closes in on the bad guys? Then I wonder how much it matters--cause really, through here, in a lot of stories both sides are preparing and engaging in conflict. So I still think it largely depends on how you slice and dice it.

In comparison to other structures, I would say in the Hero's Journey, this would encompass "Approach the Inmost Cave" and begins to go into "The Ordeal." In the 7 Point Story Structure, this would include Pinch Point 2.

In Spider-verse

Peter, Miles, and Gwen, go to Aunt May's house, where they meet more allies and prepare to defeat Kingpin. Soon after this, Miles discovers that his uncle is actually Prowler. The bad guys close in as he leads them back to Aunt May's, and a fight breaks out.

All is Lost (75)

This is a moment in the story that feels like a total defeat. (It's the "false defeat.") All hope seems lost. All goals seem lost. Everything is doomed. At least that's what it looks like.

Save the Cat! adds a new technique to this moment called "The whiff of death."

It's pretty straightforward. Here either someone dies or at least, the idea of dying is touched on in some way. In a lot of stories, this may be where the mentor dies. But even in stories where there is no death, there should be the presence of death. It might be a dead flower or goldfish or news of a relative dying from somewhere far away.

This taps into the mythic structure of the Hero's Journey--where the old version of the protagonist dies to make room for a new version of the protagonist. Snyder shares this same idea. It's the old world within the character that dies. "All good, primal stories must have this. It resonates for a reason."

In Spider-verse

At the end of the fight, Uncle Aaron dies. The other spider people tell Miles he's not ready to be a superhero.

Dark Night of the Soul (75 - 85)

Now that everything seems lost, we need to take some time to show how the character feels about this. Save the Cat! says this is vital to the story. "It can last five seconds or five minutes." The hero needs to feel the defeat to the extent that she seems unable to continue. It's the darkness before the dawn. In order to learn her life lesson, she must be humble and beaten.

In The Hunger Games, this is Katniss feeling terrible after Rue dies--it seems that nothing pure and innocent can survive this world, and she can't protect the pure and innocent despite her best efforts.

In Spider-verse

Tied up, Miles is at his lowest low. He's alone and even more alienated from his dad. He seems to have failed in every way. . . . and next will be my last post on this structure, the end according to Save the Cat!

[gascon-en-exil]

I'm genuinely curious about your "Black Eagles most to least favourite" list.

Here you are.

#1: Hubert

Could there be any other? I remember back when there was a promo introducing the house retainers (well, Lorenz for the Deer) and everyone was saying that Hubert looked so obviously evil that there had to be some deeper explanation, that someone who took design cues from a two-dimensional villain like Fates’s Iago couldn’t possibly be Edelgard’s retainer. Then the game came out, and we all realized that Hubert was exactly as advertised and then some: a cold and calculating murderer and war criminal with his fingerprints all over almost every terrible thing that happens over the course of the story, as comfortable with chloroform and a razor as dark magic and down to perform unspeakable experiments on innocent civilians to turn them into war machines and then backstab his co-conspirators because he will suffer no rivals for his title of the Most Evil Man in Fòdlan. And yep, he looks like Dracula and Severus Snape had a one-night stand and their mpreg love child went to an anime convention...but when Ferdinand looks at Hubert he sees Mr. Darcy and the Phantom of the Opera and Edward Cullen/Christian Grey, and soon enough that snake in Hubert’s breeches will be singing quite the aria indeed. You do you, Ferdinand.

Ok, I’ve already rambled at length on Hubert’s bisexuality and the interesting things it reveals about both him and his two primary love interests, but I do also have to admire the sheer audacity both of Hubert as an incel/Nice Guy-flavored romantic false lead for Edelgard who never had a serious chance because of the self-insert fantasy and of the decision to follow that up with a trope-laden queer romance that perfectly counterbalances Hubert’s attraction to Edelgard and puts Ferdinand firmly in the place he was destined to occupy by choosing to side with the Empire. It’s nearly as outrageous as just how casually evil Hubert gets to be, as well as the immense potential for dark humor that lies with that. You have to bend over backwards to say that Hubert isn’t unapologetically, irredeemably evil, and if you try there will be significantly more fans just waiting to tell you that you’re wrong - myself included. He’s the Manfroy to Edelgard’s Arvis but so much than that, and I look forward to the point in the CF postgame where he effectively takes over the Empire in true evil chancellor fashion and unleashes the full extent of his horrors upon Fòdlan. He somehow got even better in the DLC too despite being absent from CS and getting no new supports, because the Abyssians in CF just can’t stop talking about his nefarious antics down there. I just can’t get enough of how good this guy is at being bad, and I love that FE gave us exactly what was advertised here.

#2: Ferdinand

Now here’s a case of the opposite, where what’s on the packaging didn’t prepare me for what was to come. If I remarked on Ferdinand at all during pre-release it was only to think that he might be part of a Christmas knight duo with Sylvain since the game looked like it wouldn’t have one of those. Early on there wasn’t much else to be said about Ferdinand; he was like Claude in that his popularity ran off a meme (except just the one rather than several), and in appearance and personality he was basically Lorenz with less ridiculous hair. But then came his supports, and his post-timeskip look, and suddenly Ferdinand blossomed into the subtext-laden fem with very bizarre taste in men - see above - that he could have only dreamed of being if he’d stuck to such well-trod ground as the Christmas knight archetype. We learn of his love for opera, his complicated relationship with his father, his worship of the hot mess diva Manuela and how he learned swordplay specifically to imitate her roles on the stage, and - yes - how some backhanded compliments and expensive gifts of tea turn him into a blushing Regency heroine. It all casts his unusually rote romances with women in a performative light (as opposed to Lorenz who is similarly performative but seems genuinely interested in the marriage market), to say nothing of his one-sided rivalry with Edelgard that brushes against jealousy over Hubert’s devotion to her more often than against romantic attraction to her, and that toys around with gendered behavior in a manner complementary to Edelgard’s own bucking of the gender status quo.

And while not to the same extent as Felix, I do appreciate that Ferdinand has two distinct arcs depending on the route - and unlike some who feel that one or the other detracts from his character as a whole I personally find that they complement each other well. In SS and if recruited to AM and VW he makes the hard choice to oppose his homeland, spending the timeskip waging a solitary battle against the Empire with his private militia and then joining back up with Byleth’s army at Garreg Mach because he knows Edelgard is in the wrong even as it pains him to depose the Adrestian emperor and leave his own status uncertain...not to mention fight Hubert, which merits a curious boss conversation as well as some extra lines in SS (plus the infamous Huge Hole™ remark that I will never stop referencing because it is hilarious) that, while not elevating Ferdibert anywhere near the level of Dimidue in terms of cross-route canon endorsement, nonetheless are suggestive of something deeper between them that exists even if they find themselves on opposite sides of a war. In CF by contrast Ferdinand gives into his craving for the title and holdings that Edelgard has just stripped from his father and embraces nationalism and his long-held ideal of what the office of the prime minister should to do as a means of justifying the Empire’s conquests. Of course in the process he also succumbs to Hubert’s, er, charms(?) and becomes the charismatic bureaucrat who is presumably saddled with the task of putting a positive spin on the Empire’s dystopian atrocities while Edelgard and Hubert do all the actual work...and Hubert does all the actual actual work, which includes a lot of murder and kidnapping and all manner of other things that he doesn’t share with his pretty lover and about which Ferdinand quickly learns not to ask. Two Jewels of the Empire, indeed.

#3-4: Edelgard and Dorothea

I go back and forth on these so I’m not going to bother putting them in a definitive order, particularly because I like them for very different reasons that are difficult to compare. For Edelgard, it would be most accurate to say that I enjoy her potential much more than her execution; she gets some meaty material to work with as a lord and as the driving antagonist of the whole game outside of CF, and while I still prefer Micaiah for female lords there’s something darkly satisfying about her need for control and domination and her utter refusal to compromise or remain stagnant...except where Byleth is concerned, and Edeleth drags her down so badly that it would be painful if I cared more about that type of strong female character. Had the game axed the self-insert obsession (even if that meant axing her bisexuality along with it) and focused on her experiences during the Insurrection as the source of her worldview and motivations I’d be inclined to like the final product far more, because that’s a hell of a lot more in line with what she actually does and conveniently also maps to the life of a real world ruler with whom I’m relatively familiar and whom history regards in appropriately ambivalent terms.

Dorothea on the other hand is someone I can relate to on a more personal level, mostly as a sex worker. She’s similar to Primrose from Octopath Traveler, both of them prostitutes and playing coy with the implications of the RPG dancer class archetype, although Primrose hits a few more of my buttons for being former nobility and being motivated by revenge. Then again, I fully understand Dorothea’s anxieties about growing old without a man to take care of her, even if she loses me (and Yuri picks up from where she leaves off) when she dips into lesbianism as an alternative option. She’s got her ups and downs for me - I love that she brings up incest kink with Caspar as opposed to this series’s usual outright incest, while I love less her strange Ferdinand supports that are suspended oddly between friendship and romance and...something else undefinable - and I don’t have much to say on her life as an opera diva except that it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that she’s been turning tricks on the side and even got a sugar daddy to pay her way into the academy. Theatre and sex work have always gone hand-in-hand like that.

#5-7: Linhardt, Caspar, and Petra

This is why I couldn’t make up a list like this for the Lions or Deer, because most of their students would be in big clumps like this. I have no strong opinions on any of these characters; they each have their moments, but not enough to elevate them to where I actively like them or drop them down into real dislike. I suppose you could say I’m disappointed by how Caspar and Linhardt are visual allusions to Ike/Soren who do absolutely nothing else with that similarity except eloping in their paired ending...which is preceded by virtually nothing in the way of real chemistry. If I enjoy them for anything in particular it’s Linhardt’s wit and Caspar’s occasional bouts of emotional vulnerability, like his mini-arc in AM where he has to deal with his feelings surrounding Randolph’s death and then later gets an apology from Dimitri for it.

Petra is awkward all around as the game dances around her delicate political situation, and I also happen to agree with the VA who (if I recall) thought the character should have some sort of accent but wasn’t allowed to do one. (If anyone is wondering, based on her last name and Brigid being an island nation I headcanon it as a Celtic-derived culture, but as with my personal reading of Dedue and Duscur I know that doesn’t play well to the fandom at large).  All in all Petra feels like a more self-aware rendition of the exotic swordswoman archetype begun by Ayra in Jugdral, but there’s clearly still some work to be done on that front.

#8: Bernadetta

Ugh. With apologies to @capriciouscorvid for explaining how even unintentional disability representation can be taken as a positive, I just don’t see how Bernadetta’s character could possibly be considered a good thing when she’s so grating in almost all of her supports and most of her story and exploration presence outside of CF. All the screaming and high-pitched pronouncements of impending death get very old very quickly, and the part where she’s meant to be romantically appealing in her neediness and isolation is as lost on me as it would have been had it stemmed instead from a massive rack. Her supposedly sympathetic backstory doesn’t help much either, as it leaves me mostly with the thought that her father is an idiot because his methods obviously did not make her suitable to be a good wife. I also don’t care for how she’s one of several characters used to soften Jeritza (and that the way she does so is I think rather insulting to people with social anxiety, to liken it to a compulsion to commit murder), or even worse that people point to her Hubert support to try and say that he’s not such a bad guy and they’d be total besties just like Ferdinand and Dorothea (another pairing that doesn’t exactly scream BFFs). I mean, really....

[helihi]

The Good, The Bad, and the Dirty: RWBY Vol 7 Ep 4

Thank you for renewing your Punch Jacques Club Membership, I cannot confirm or deny that you’ll accomplish your goal this season, but we’re family.

Overall rating of the chapter: 7.5/10 

*Spoilers Ahead*

The Good

To start off this chapter, we learn more about the true dynamics of the Ace Ops and, more importantly, about Atlas Academy. At Beacon, teams are chosen by interactions and collaborative efforts during a recorded test. Ozpin chose teams based on trust, leadership skills, and bonds. In Atlas, teams are chosen based on effectiveness. The students are not viewed as people or individuals, they are viewed as numbers.

In the previous episodes, there were a couple of things that didn’t quite sit well with me: Harriet’s original comment to Ruby regarding her Semblance felt more mean than playful, and the fact that Marrow was everyone’s punching bag. At first, you might think that this is just playful banter between friends, like Yang and Ruby referring to Jaune as Vomit Boy from time to time, however, that’s not true. Since Harriet declares that they are not friends, you may realize that they are not “picking on Marrow”, they are actively bullying him. There’s no complements thrown his way, there are no mutual laughter or apologies, it’s just drag after drag after drag.

I have the slight feeling that Marrow might consider them his friends, and that’s why he’s letting the comments slide. We should also consider that he is the only Faunus in the team, and although I believe their comments don’t come from a source of casual racism, but rather at pointing out the fact that he’s the most childish of them all, we should pin that for now.

I get Harriet, there’s a difference between co-workers and friends. Though some times you may befriend your co-workers, playful banter and after office outings don’t translate to friendship. I say this as someone who has worked for a big company. There were coworkers I genuinely befriended, and other who I was friendly after office hours, but never hung out with outside work parties or outings.

That being said, I find it hard that you wouldn’t bond with those whose life you’ve saved before, the same who’ve saved yours. Interestingly, when Yang inquires about this and gets dismissed by Harriet, you can see the way Blake reacts in the background. Have we bonded over trauma? Is that all that this is?

Let me be clear: people can bond over trauma, but at the same time, going through a lot of things with a person can show you sides of them you never noticed before, you see them in a different light. That being said, Team RWBY’s enemies haven’t been random people: Cinder killed Pyrrha, their friend; Emerald was someone they trusted; Mercury framed Yang in front of Remnant; Adam was Blake’s abusive ex and his goal to destroy Blake and Yang was personal. During the arcs these characters have gone through, they have grown as people as they faced death, obviously they are going to bond.

This may have been pure coincidence, but it’s interesting that an anti-bee section of the FNDM posed the idea that Yang and Blake’s relationship is based on mutual trauma. This claim is ridiculous because both of them cared about each other before the Fall of Beacon. The traumatic event made their relationship take a turn, and realize some things that they didn’t notice before or made things clearer for them. (On a side note, Asami realized she had feelings for Korra when she thought the avatar was going to die at the end of book 3). Sometimes certain situations change your perspective about things and people.

I want to note that Nora’s comedic relief landed perfectly, and Jaune’s sass was on point. Once again James is presented as someone trouble seeking the best outcome through the wrong means. That being said, Tyrian and Watts plan seem to be to overthrow him and generate chaos through political manipulation, and as someone who comes from a country with high levels of corruptions and suspicious murders, this is true real. Also, don’t think James is a good poor guy trying to be his best. He’s actively choosing one portion of the kingdom over the other and dooming certain populations.

Next stop is Jacques “Scumbag” Schnee making his first appearance in the volume. TBH it was about time. Given how the opening frames him, he had to show up soon. Just like I expected the moment he started bickering with Ironwood, he turned around and will now help Watts. At first, Jacques might have had power over Ironwood, but now he doesn’t, at least until he get his seat at “The Council”, which I’m expecting him to win.

As someone with an abusive parent, Jacques’s mannerisms make sense. The shift from his violent approach to a more manipulative one are common abusive tactics of an abusive person when in public or when their victim stands up to them. My parent used to be more physically abusive when I was a child, but when I grew taller and stronger, they switched to a psychological one since I could defend myself. In this case, Jacques was super close to striking Weiss again, but stopped the moment one of her true dads stepped in (Ironwood).

Jacques using Willow to guilt trip Weiss was dirty and awful, and once again adds on to my theory that she might be the Winter maiden. Thankfully, like Ruby promised, Team RBY is right beside her.

Blake is ready to kill him, and Yang is processing how awful the man is. Ruby is utterly confused at his attitude. Following this, we find that Winter was siting for him to leave before showing up. She looks around to confirm that he’s no longer there, and Weiss points out “Winter, it’s nice for you to finally show up”. Just like I've talked about before, while Weiss got out of the abusive environment and found a real family (Team RWBY), Winter escaped Jacques by joining the military. James Ironwood is only missing one Schnee child to adopt, and we’ll get to that soon enough.

All our kids are now huntsmen! Congrats! Just like they say, the licenses feel hollow after all they’ve been through, and TBH I agree. It also shows progress for the characters, specially Yang who had the most superficial goal out of the 4 Team RWBY members. Regardless of that, it’s nice to see the goof around, take pics, and eat cake. Something I thought it was adorable is how Winter interacts with Penny: she’s so caring and nice. I love them.

We got a really good moment between Ruby and Qrow, and some background on Summer. The DC comics have helped us understand Summer a little bit ore, but this confirms that she was a brat (hell ye). Apparently, her last mission was a “Summer mission”. I really need those Team STRQ flashbacks. I bet Raven know more than we think.

I also think it’s important that Qrow pointed out how Ruby is not Oz since she doesn’t keep the secret to herself. I think certain conditions should be met to be open about Salems existence, especially considering current circumstances.

Jaune offering to protect little children is the most Jaune thing ever, never change boy.

Lastly, Watts finds an ally: the douchbag who married into the Schnee name. That small interaction with Whitley and Jacques might be a small sign of foreshadowing him having a reception arc. His father doesn’t trust him to invite his heir into the meeting, and he treats his son rudely. Whitley looks genuinely dejected.

Watts faked his death, that might be an indication why Ironwood doesn’t have a clear suspect yet. Now, he’s part of the Asshole Mustache club.

Anyways, next episode it looks like we’re going to meet Robyn. The sheep faunus and the tattooed guy next to her might have been part of her team.

The Bad

Those quick animations for cheap comedic effect have started getting kinda annoying. I wish they didn’t overuse them ass much.

The Dirty

Where’s Klein.

--

Final Rating: 7.5/10. Good, but not above expectations.

A.N.: Alost 18 mins, keeping up with the consistent episode length, congrats!

[auburnflight]

Height & Character Dynamics/Psychology: Tiger and Ox

Earlier, I realized offhandedly that most of my favorite duos in anime are about the same height. But in Juni Taisen, the dynamic between Tiger and Ox is one of my favorites... and contrary to what I’ve been drawn to previously in anime, their height is SO DIFFERENT! Why would the character designer do this?!

(The perspective in this screenshot is a little exaggerated, but essentially, their difference in height is 27 cm, or almost a foot.)

It started out as a silly question that I didn’t put much weight into, because I thought I was just momentarily frustrated at how hard it was to draw them into the same composition. But as I considered it, it became an interesting exercise in exploring character design, and specifically how the dynamics within and between characters are manifested visually. It’s almost certainly intentional, since when you have a group of interdependent characters, it’s important to consider how they look and visually play off one another when standing next to one another.

To put it briefly, I realized that in my other favorite anime duos, the two characters are meant to harmonize with each other. However, the dynamic between Tiger and Ox is one of stark contrast, and one way to show that visually is to make them very different in height. I’ve picked out some specific elements of their characterization for which this makes perfect sense:

Most obviously, and tackling them individually first: the decision to design Tiger and Ox in this way might be related to their standings as warriors, and to their self-esteem. 

Ox is probably the most highly regarded and feared out of the twelve warriors in Juni Taisen. He’s very sure of and confident in himself, even too much so. He is also one of the tallest characters in the series, second only to Horse. Meanwhile, nobody is really intimidated by Tiger (especially not Ox in the scene who appears entirely unfazed by her attempts to provoke him). And Tiger has low self-esteem, describing herself in the dub as a “good-for-nothing” and “cursed.” Just knowing these details, having Ox be very tall and imposing, and Tiger be average-to-short, makes logical sense.

As they interact in the series and are forced to form an alliance, a direct comparison between them also comes into question. And just as their heights are drastically different, their characteristics are immediately at odds: Ox is proud, cautious and systematic; meanwhile, Tiger is shameless, volatile and unpredictable. They don’t seem to match at all; rather, there is a clear friction in their personalities and in their ways of fighting. Their two characters are, in their essence, dynamic and contrasting, as opposed to harmonious. This makes it even more interesting when they’re able to work together more or less in sync.

Going a layer deeper, the visual contrast as it relates to height could also reinforce how they were/are in different places in their character arcs and personal growth. In her past, Tiger is repeatedly described in the novel as halting or regressing in mental age as she struggles. And she strives to become someone like Ox, who apparently understands far more than she does about being a warrior. In other words, she is now aiming for a point above her, which Ox occupies.

Tiger phrases this in her backstory as being like the difference “between an adult and a child.” And in terms of their design and their proportions, Tiger appears small and childlike when juxtaposed with someone of Ox’s stature. Tiger’s head appears larger relative to her body size. Meanwhile, Ox has a very smooth silhouette; the design of his clothes emphasizes his upper body and makes his legs appear longer; and his horns make him effectively even taller - all of these are visual elements that add to his height.

(Strangely, when they do meet again, Ox looks like he hasn’t changed at all, whereas Tiger has changed so much that he doesn’t even recognize her. Perhaps she hasn’t grown any more in stature, but she’s fought her fair share of internal battles.)

My character design professor also mentioned that highly energetic, “spunky” characters tend to be either very tall or very short. While Tiger isn’t the shortest in the series, she appears quite small when placed next to Ox. And she is indeed a lively character, even more so in contrast to his composed disposition (When she declares herself, she uses the phrase ikioi, which means “vigor, energy, spirit”).

These two do have underlying similarities, buried under layers that we can only reach when the omniscient narrator of the series hones in on their individual thoughts. They are an unlikely duo, and in a lot of ways, they don’t fit together well. But they complement each other powerfully enough to form a team that, as Nezumi describes in the novel, is “wicked strong.” In short, giving them a considerable difference in height just makes sense when you consider how wildly different they are as characters, and helps bring out this dynamism visually.

That’s the end of my ramble for now, though I’m sure soon enough I’ll find some other detail that I just have to write on~ 

[chrisodonline]

I figured I'd send this as an ask, because I think you could write a novel or two with this: I mean obviously assuming they all survive this and whatnot, how do you see Callen moving forward? Do you see this as say him building the walls so far back up that he doesn't let anyone in again? Or do you see something else? And lastly, do you think the outcome of the ATF IA thing will relate back to his wall building. How's Arkady going to handle things if Callen's testimony ruins Anna's career.

I’ve been mulling this over for a week and trying to organize my thoughts and make them more concise, but I’ll just start writing and hope that I stop at some point.

(This went long, obviously. Sorry, mobile users!)

1.”How do you see Callen moving forward? Do you see this as say him building the walls so far back up that he doesn't let anyone in again? Or do you see something else?”

I think that really all depends on how things go, exactly, following the finale.  There are certain narrative notes/arcs they may want to utilize the accident for, and, depending on which ones they choose, that would determine how everyone does following the incident.  If they callback to the fight Hetty and Mosley were having over Callen and his plot with Mosley this season, then he’d probably be at least one of the ones seriously injured.  (We’ll call this Scenario 1.)

If they focus on his desperation to keep the team together, then things would probably go differently -- still a few different ways. The only real personal stakes ever for G are his team; they’re his family.  It often seems like the job is all he has, but that’s not really it.  He’s always up for getting fired, and -- this is where I could go on about his self-destructive and risk-seeking behavior masquerading as performative cockiness -- often threatens to quit.  That tells you how low the stakes are when it comes to his job.  Someone in danger or his team/family even just potentially being in danger are the only times the stakes are high for him.  Again, there are different scenarios to use with this dramatically -- and I’m sure they’ll go with something we didn’t see coming.  

Possible Scenario 2A: He’s the first to wake up and seems to be the most “okay.”  It looks really bad, and this is his worst nightmare come to life: his team is dead, or so he thinks at first and is in shock.  This leaves a very serious impression on him as the season progresses.  I’m waiting on a blow up with Sam when they get back if he gets even more injured -- and even he doesn’t.  G knows Sam is Sam -- he had to go, it’s who is, and it didn’t pay to argue with him too much, but you know G’s going to beat himself up for letting him go.  We could actually see a flashback to the beginning of S5, when G felt the Sidorov/torture stuff was his fault.  (He also blamed himself for Kensi’s getting kidnapped in S2.)  He’s the one who agreed to help Mosley, and who didn’t want to get anyone else involved, really.  He’s the team leader, and he’s going to feel like he let everyone go despite knowing they should have taken more time to get stuff sorted -- even though none of them were going to stay behind, regardless of what orders he gave.  None of them saw anything about leaving or not as a choice. Still, we may see that Callen return.  That’s a long way to say I see some potential tension, even just temporarily, with Sam -- especially after Michelle’s death -- something I would have liked to have seen explored more as having an impact on characters on not just serving as a plot/catalyst for things with discussions about Michelle not her death’s impact on a relationship and not just passing mentions.  I still get frustrated that more people seemed concerned and asking G questions about the whole Anna situation rather than 1. his dad’s being handed over for torture/death and 2. how important Michelle, as a person and honorary family member, were to him.  

Still on Scenario 2A, sorry, got sidetracked: The “team appearing dead” or even just one member looking that way plus S5 guilt was relevant to where I was going, I promise.  I’ll move on to 2B shortly.  Losing them -- any of them -- is his worst fear.  The possibility of it looking very real would haunt him and set the stage for a full or even partial return of...Janvier.  Even if he doesn’t come back in full, if he just mildly starts screwing with G or hints at being a threat, it could throw him over the edge or send him spiraling into full-on paranoia.  Maybe Janvier sends a letter addressed to Grisha sending him condolences on the “loss” of his father and/or asking if he can be his plus one to Kensi and Deeks’s wedding (with the date, once they pick it) since he and Anna seem to be on the outs.  

Scenarios 2B & 2C -- not necessarily wholly separate from 2A: G is the driving force, with some help from Kensi, in getting, in getting the team to safety.  I was thinking he might serve as a distraction, and I read a fic recently and some other thoughts that suggest I’m not alone in this, as one possible method.  Spencer Williams will want answers for his son’s whereabouts when he realizes he’s gone, and I’m sure G can withstand some interrogation with cockiness.  Plus, like father, like son.  We also know that Spencer’s seen G’s face before when he was undercover.  (He’s also seen Kensi’s.)  Again, G coming face-to-face with Spencer and covering up for why his son’s missing and continuing to help Mosley would tie back to their arc this season while complementing that of his dad’s.  The other way is that G could be the one who recruits Max for help, again, because they did focus on the relationship between those two specifically.  I really do think Hidoko is alive, and she’ll help out.  There’s something very odd about how she “left.”  

Again, whichever direction they go in would help determine, potentially, how Callen comes away from all this.  I think he’s been relatively passive with Sam’s distancing himself from everything, which is in character for him.  His style of caring isn’t pushy, for lacking of a better word, and it’s probably a combination of how he likes to be treated so he assumes others are the same way (see also: leaving Anna alone following the investigation) and that he grew up with no good modeling of caring/support during his formative years.  Even the people who did watch over him out of caring/obligation, as he later found out, did so at a distance.  In order to get through someone else’s wall, you have to let yours down, at least a little, as well.  There’s a certain level of vulnerability and trust in letting someone see how much you care for them, and that’s why he can build these fake relationships as false personas but not as himself.  He often wants to help, he  just doesn’t know how.  So he uses the only skills/things he does know: smart ass remarks and turning something into a mission/op, which he has excellent strategy skills for.

At Christmas, he commented on how he felt everyone was avoiding him.  I think that was more loaded than just a reference to Sam and Finn.  (I can only theorize and headcanon, though, to account for the lack of mentions for his bio!fam and Anna.)  As Hetty noted last season, his walls were starting to come down, but it seems like he’s now facing walls from other people -- which could cause some regression.

2. And lastly, do you think the outcome of the ATF IA thing will relate back to his wall building. How's Arkady going to handle things if Callen's testimony ruins Anna's career.  

See? About 1200 words in, and I’m just getting to this second part.  Oops. I’ll answer the end first.  I would have preferred Anna’s being Arkady’s niece he was close to for that very reason.  I think they’re friends, and it never really boded well that he’d date his friend’s daughter.  I don’t think he sees Arkady as a friend, outwardly, but we all know he doth protest too much. Until the retcon in “Rage,” (Rageret? Ragecon?) Arkady really was the longest relationship G ever had.  At the same time, I think Arkady’s feelings for G are even stronger than he lets on -- similar to how G is.  Arkady’s probably known G for a long time, or even just known of him, and has a more uncle-y affection for him.  I could see that he cares about Anna and he cares about G, and they’re two of the most important people in the world to him from a paternalistic standpoint, and he just wants them to be happy. That being said, of course there could be some strain on the relationship.

As with the ATF thing, I touched on that above, a little, I think.  I do think if the relationship with Anna ends, that’s 2/2 that didn’t work out well. I could easily see G making jokes about just giving up and joining a monastery.  That being said, the whole ATF thing confused me on several fronts.  I’m not sure how G could either save or sink Anna’s career.  There’s no way to actually lie about a weapon that wasn’t there unless he says he threw the gun away, which ???? Anna also seems to have made peace with things, so I’m sure she gave a statement saying exactly what happened.  I get that G wants to help, and isn’t always great at knowing what to do (see above), but I see no way for this to actually be a decision he has to make.  There is understandable hesitation as we saw in his testimony, and that’s the drama in it -- he knows what will happen, but does he really have a choice?  (If they make him lie, I’ll be pretty frustrated because there’s no logical way, whatsoever, that a lie could save anything.  He’s also already given a statement earlier.)  

I know others have drawn very clever parallels to Anna/Kensi and careers, but this arc/plot still leaves me confused, if I’m being honest.  They’re playing it for drama and relationship strain, but it’s not inherently a situation that brings it.  I feel like Anna still could have made the comment about her career not being everything to her, but that it was where she was now -- and that sort of solidifies that she and G take, at the very least, a break because the distance is getting difficult.  

She’s a rookie and has to prioritize the job, and maybe she is trying to figure out who she really is -- since she left a steady job and was more freelance, in so many words, for years.  She avoided stability, and now she has to figure out where she wants to go.  That’s where she is right now, as she’s still young.  This would contrast with G, who, as he told Sam, was more than happy with the status quo.  He’s not someone who thinks about his future, and never really has.  He’s not a big plan kind of guy.  Anna hasn’t been a big plan kind of girl, and that’s how they connected, but she’s also never stopped to try and figure out if she will always want to be that person.  They could have parted ways for that alone, and it still would have had some effect.  You could have had dramatic scenes, such as her being distant because she was busy with her job, and then she finds out that G never told her about the situation with his dad or his sister.  She’s already mentioned to Sam how Callen’s walls go up and down, and she has a hard time figuring him out at times.  With the job she pulls away, unintentionally, and he doesn’t pull her back when he needs her or reach out.  She starts to realize that maybe this is just not the right time for the relationship.  

Or, they could have gone some other route. Maybe they will.  I just think there was more drama to get out of the situation with his dad and Alex, who, I know had other commitments but could still get a mention, than with this arc.  Just my humble opinion. 

As this is coming in at about 2,000 words, I think I’ll cut myself off.

Sorry it went so long! And sorry it took so long! 

Thank you, as always, for asking!

[magic5ball]

Nature Trail to Hell Arc V: Back into Hell (II)

Chapter 2: The Reunion

“Face me, demon!” the Shatster kept at with his cleaver, breath forming fierce clouds in the air. First I was right scared, sharp object and all that, but seeing how I was a ghost, it wasn’t really a problem.

No, the real probelino was getting Shatner to NOTICE me for a sec.

You know how in the movies they’ll show ghosts moving stuff around like its’ nothing? From experience, I can promise you that is GRADE-A BUNKO! When you’re spectral, you don’t have muscles and living stuff, so while going through walls is pretty neat, it also means lifting a q-tip is a complete workout!

Fortunately, my ghost lungs were still in working order, and with a bit of work I could make my breath mist. From there, I just blew on a wall, painted words on with my index finger, and… voila! Instant messaging without the phone!

SHATER YOU NERD IT’S ME

The big guy, for his part, stared like he’d just seen a ghost, which wasn’t really surprising.

A few seconds of gaping like a flounder at my little message, he stared just to the left of me, coughing out

“W-Watterson Tostig? After all this time?!”

YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT, BOOGER BRAIN.

One more deep breath.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?

“R-right!” Cried Shatner. “I’ll get us some tea!”

                                                        .   .   .

My mouth was too stiff to tell him I’d rather drink sewage than something that came from a vegetable (tea does come from vegetables, right?), so I kinda just sucked it up and went along with it.  

Without even asking me what I wanted, Shatner led me to what I can only call some sort of break room.

           Empty, grey place, lit only by a birthday cake with ten little candles at its’ center. Surrounding this cake, like the world’s crappiest campfire, were a pair of overturned egg crates. I plopped my keister on one of those crates as the big guy left for the kitchen. I could only sit there, teeth chattering, wondering how my dinosaur friends were doing. There, in that barren room, paralyzed, helpless, barely able to move my teeth, realizing what a stupid not-really-a-full-fledged plan I had was, I realized something. A great, sudden revelation that strikes like lightning but leaves just as quick, but changes your life forever:

Global Warming is never there when you need it.

And who would barge in at this moment with all the grace of a sixty ton mammoth but Shatner, carrying two piping hot mugs of plant juice, a hideous abomination (‘sweater’, he corrected me) draped over his shoulder.

The sweater faded right through me as he flung it on my seat. Then, he added

“And don’t bother trying to eat the birthday cake. Bloody thing’s frozen solid by this point ( believe me, I have tried) and those candles may very well be the last source of heat in this blasted wasteland!”

Not like I could sneak a bite anyway, being spectral and all that.

Instead, I inhaled the steam coming off my tea, just the slightest bit of feeling returning to my limbs. Then I exhaled on the table, writing

WAIT. IF THE ONLY HEAT IS FROM THAT CANDLE, THEN HOW’D YOU MAKE THE TEA?

“Well my friend, that warmth you feel is the product of none other than yours trulys’ body heat!”

Just like that, I wondered if it was possible to un-inhale something. Then I remembered breathing out is a thing and felt real dumb.

“But try as I might to conserve body heat, I find it slowly, inexorably lost to the throes of entropy.” He waxed, making me forget my woes for a sec. “But enough about me, let’s talk about you. Specifically, your state of life. Or lack thereof. Because I do believe you have been dead these past few weeks. I’ve even seen the body! So-“

he said the last part real quick, like emphasizing something, “How did you get here, Watterson Tostig? How did you do it? Or are you simply an apparition brought on by the steady diet of Salisbury Steak I have subsisted on for the past few days?”

IT’S WATT, YOU NERD!

I set the record straight, really digging my index finger into the table.

“Watt. Yes, yes. My apologies.” He countered. “Now as you were saying…”

Of course, I didn’t really feel like writing down the whole story then and there. My ghost index finger was starting to get right numb. There had to be some quicker way! That’s when I remembered that, besides moving through walls, ghost can also do a crazy little thing called possessin’ folks! Now, they were never real specific about how they do that in the movies, but I figured it couldn’t be THAT hard.

Long story short, it took a good ten minutes to cram my ghost body into the Shatster’s confused mouth. If I’d only waited a year later, I’d have found you’re supposed to go through the butthole.

Not that I would have done that, anyway.

It was warm, in Shatner. Warm and moist. But most important, I could mentally project the entire story up to this point into his thick noggin in seconds. Every single crazy adventure I’d been through over the summer. By the time I’d I could see his face reflected in the linoleum floor, gaping like I’d told him the moon was made of rotten bananas.

“I’ve seen a great deal of oddity in my life,” he began, “And I can safely assure you that what you have just describe transcends nearly all of it.”

Not sure if the guy was complementing me or not, nor did I care, my eyes more focused on the beef jerky poking out of his pen holder (which all nerds have). I grabbed it, shoving the thing into his (our?) mouth.

Actually tasted half-decent! (Then again, most things taste half decent after you’ve been eating nothing but stale Cheetos and air for the past few days).

“What’s this? Tastes fancy.” I asked.

“Reconstituted Salisbury Steak.” He replied “Hilda’s terrible management of this camp irreparably botched up our food deliveries, so it was cast upon me to find a substitute.”

“Speaking of that, how did you get back here, anyway?” I asked, my voice coming out of his mouth, which was kinda weird.

“Well, if you must know…” he began. And I sat, realizing what massive torrent of WORD I had unleashed.

Shatner lectured me longtime, but the short of his story is: he ran right back home to where his little spider was waiting for him. Amazingly, he had memorized the path all the way back to his house. But when he got there, it turned out his aunt had in fact kept his spider fed, and was none too pleased with her nephew’s devious act of truancy.

“Though knowing Auntie, she was likely more furious at me for having doubted her responsibility than for absconding as I did.” Is how he put it.

After that he was dragged back to camp with all the ceremony of a death row inmate. And not metaphorically, either. His aunt literally dragged him by the collar all the way back!

“When we got there, it didn’t seem so bad. It was, I daresay, idyllic: birds chirping, sun high in sky, glowing jade green as it filtered through the tree leaves…(an entire page’s worth of pretentious crap yours truly has cut out for your own sanity), but the moment she left, the grand curtain of deception dropped, starting Act I of Hilda’s terrible play.”

           Of course, calling what Hilda did a ‘terrible play’ is like calling the first day you got soap in your eyes ‘an experience’. Kind of an annoying thing about the Shatster: rip the guy’s arm off and leave him bleeding on a cold linoleum floor and it would just be a ‘minor inconvenience’.

(Incredibly long and kinda violent) story short, Hilda basically started using Ms. Hoebag, now demon possessed, as her puppet,  giving the kids complete and utter control of the camp. Almost made me wish I stayed. Almost.

“The trouble was, this age of prosperity lasted but a few paltry hours. For as lofty as Hilda’s goals were it seemed she was not so adept at ensuring food and electricity were paid for.”

This little statement almost made me drop my jerky.

“What, did she not leave any teeth for the food and electricity fairies?”

“As a matter of fact, she forgot to pay the camp’s bills.”

“What?”

“You know, bills. What the grown-ups use to pay for stuff?”

“That’s not what my Dad told me.” I protested “He says we get it from the food and electricity faeries. I have to leave my loose teeth under the bed as payment.”

I could see Shatner’s left eye twitching. Poor guy just couldn’t handle not being the smartest in the room.

“Anyhow,” he continued, “as I was saying-“

           Without bills being payed and whatnot, it wasn’t long before Hilda stepped in to form a government, a government based on SHARING! How in the name of all that is good in the world the other kids agreed to that, I’ll never know, but apparently it had something to do with Vernon hiding all the ice cream sandwiches under his bunk. And by ‘government’, Hilda basically set up the exact thing Ms. Hoebag had going! Well, except for turning me into a martyr. And claiming everything she did was my will. Not exactly a fan of that. So once Hilda had set up her sharing policy and assigned some of the kids to enforce these laws (who might I mention were the SAME LOSERS WHO KISSED UP TO HOEBAG) it was time to vote on a camp currency. Since everyone liked ice cream sandwiches, those were chosen. Problem was, without the electricity the sandwiches melted fast as, well, ice cream in the summertime.

“Though I am not completely certain regarding the details of the matter, it seems Hilda proposed a plan to make it Christmas every day. The logic being, of course, that since Christmas is cold, and ice cream thrives in such frigid conditions, by making it cold the camp could preserve the last of the ice cream. After they sold their collective souls to a demon under the guise of a “character building activity”, their wish was granted… in the form of the most infernal, unsavory aspects of what I quite frankly consider an incredibly cynical interpretation of the winter solstice.”

“X-Mas…” I whispered, on account of that’s what we called ‘Evil Christmas’ back at my home.

Didn’t know what to be more amazed by: the fact that there was Christmas in July, or that in spite of everything, there were still mosquitoes buzzing around.

           At this point, Hilda realized that she was going to have to make the camp some money, because they (and by ‘they’ I mean she) desperately needed heat and they weren’t going to make any singing old Russian choir chants in front of the mess hall, even if it did make for some admittedly awesome camp postcards. So the kids at arts and crafts were assigned to make Papier-Mache Yugos. Amazingly, they sold because at the end of the day, they were still better than the real deal. Too bad most of the cash went into purchasing tigers. With the rest of the money, they were able to afford sixty pounds of Styrofoam, which Hilda told everyone to rip up and pretend it was heat.  (How the FUDGE does that even work?!)

“And such is the camp I arrived back at that terrible day, when Auntie returned me.”

Now, you might have noticed this has been a bit long, but gosh darn it, its’ still shorter than the little spiel Shatner gave me!

“And so I arrived here.” He sighed. “Slowly freezing to death in this wretched Gulag. At first Hilda made me haul snow like everyone else- pretended she never knew me! -before she saw my talents might be able to produce something edible from the snow. Like I could just pull food from thin air!”

“So how’d you do it?”

“You might remember our altercations with regards to the camp’s disreputable offal known as ‘Salisbury Steak’.”

“So what of it?”

Shatner wretched open a pair of creaky wooden doors leading into the floor, after undoing several rusty old locks. Even with the darkness, I could see something fleshy, pink, and BIG!

“”Oh. You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

[scriptfeature]

Hi, I was wondering if there was any blog that could answer questions about grief and loss in general? I searched for script grief/ script loss but nothing came up so maybe they have a different name(? Or if you know anyone who could answer questions related to that topic Thank you! ^^

Quick disclaimer that Script X blogs ONLY do Writing Advice, not life advice.Also, obviously, trigger warning for DEATH!! because…obvious reasons?  ^^ But on that note…Apologies for this being long (lordy did it get long, wow); but oh, what a weighty subject you have picked! Hopefully this post helps people out, though, because this is one of those Universal Themes that gets very complicated to handle very fast.You’re right that there isn’t one ScriptX blog devoted specifically to “grief” or “loss” - but that’s partly because those are pretty broad subjects that could actually connect with several depending on context.Off the top of my head I’d probably suggest:@scripttraumasurvivors because death is a COMMON traumatic event or trigger, especially if it happens to someone they know, and is sudden or violent, or they witness it themselves, or it just reminds them of something that traumatized them previously.  TS is sometimes a bit slow with asks but that’s because they get SO MANY, so please be patient with them, they’re very nice :) (Also, FYI they are totally fine with multi-part Asks too. So if you have a specific plot in mind, “Feel Free to Get Wordy” with them!)@scriptshrink - for how people might deal with it in therapy or how it might result in mental illness; though that blog is on Hiatus at the moment, as I write this, it could be a valuable source! If the death results in a trauma which results in PTSD, for instance, Shrink has a “Demystifying the DSM” post about the requirements for it, that could be helpful. (Also keep in mind that even if the resulting impact doesn’t rise to official PTSD diagnosis, it could still include symptoms of PTSD, such as nightmares or shifts in self-perception etc. PTSD is a diagnosis for getting to a certain critical mass of symptoms resulting from trauma of very specific kinds, but some of the symptoms can still happen independently of full diagnosis; for instance there’s an “Acute Stress” disorder that is more temporary, which Shrink has also done a “Demystifying” post on, and you can show just one or two symptoms from either disorder without “having the disorder”, and it could still be a realistic approach to how trauma and loss effect people psychologically. I’d lean towards looking at what TS has also written about PTSD though if you go this route, as they’ve got a great post going into what those same symptoms manifest as, or feel like, that is a great complement to the more clinical coverage over at ScriptShrink) @scriptstructure MAYBE could help too, in the sense of helping you plot out a good narrative arc with a death or grieving character in it; Mason gave me some GREAT advice (it’s in ScriptStructure’s archive if you poke around!) on writing an arc with a character whose child is killed off early in the story to drive the plot; though my question was more about how to humanize the kid character so she wasn’t flat as a character or her death emotionally meaningless outside the Plot, Mason’s thoughts on the matter went past that, and were VERY insightful and helpful in terms of how to write such an arc, and definitely have impacted how it’s going to be portrayed. :)Believe it or not, the mods at @scriptflorist might have some advice on this too come to think of it! Check their archives, at least, because there’s a post where they replied to one of my asks about how Mexican American families might send botanical condolences to each other that you might want to check out! That post was FANTASTIC for exploring things like how “out of it” fresh grief makes people, or how people who work in a profession where they regularly come into contact with grieving people, deal with that and how that grief looks and feels to other people than the character who is experiencing it directly.@scriptmedic could maybe answer questions on how say, doctors and paramedics handle grieving or upset friends and family. (Her Ask box is open at the very beginning of each month if you choose to include this element in your story and want to ask about it; please note that she empties the Ask box at the end of the month, so you may need to resend it if she doesn’t get to it in the first month you send it) I KNOW @scriptcriminaljustice has done at least one post explicitly addressing Death Notifications; search their archive as it’s quite a good post, the external links given there included some very helpful information, such as common immediate reactions to grief when a sudden violent loss happens, and how to handle it professionally from a police perspective when you have to inform someone they’ve lost a loved one. And finally, last but absolutely not least!: @scriptpastor could help you write a priest/pastor/minister giving comfort to a grieving person or family. It’s definitely in the category of “pastoral care”, so if the character is religious (especially if it’s in a branch of Christianity, which is closer to ScriptPastor’s own training), this one a great person to ask to advise you on writing the stuff related to that, as comforting people is a huge part of clergy’s duties. :) Could probably also give you ideas both on how clergy and other would-be comforters would approach grieving people, and how grieving people tend to act in the aftermath of a loss, especially when they’re say, at a funeral or wake, or when they first start to reach out to others? Worth a shot!(So tldr maybe ask ScriptPastor first XD)To kick off your research though - I’ll also chime in with some advice and thoughts based on what I’ve learned over time (simply by being lucky with what I was exposed to). This consists of two Big Things To Consider:1.) Different cultures, religions, and even subcultures approach death and loss differently. Things like a character’s religious beliefs and cultural background impact reaction to a death significantly. For instance, some religions and cultures believe the dead never really leave us, many are relatively “accepting” of death, while others…aren’t. Someone who doesn’t believe in any kind of afterlife or continuance of existence (e.g. a hardcore atheist) might have a very different approach to a sudden untimely death than someone who believes their loved one is going to Heaven or will hang around in some way. This might seem like a pretty obvious thing to point out but it’s important to keep in mind: beliefs about death, and how they’ve been raised around or away from the concept of death, factor in a lot to how they ultimately could react.Some people keep a careful, clinical distance from death; they live a safe, quiet, healthy life with modern medicine keeping everything tidy and sterile, so does everyone else they know, and their exposure to “death” or “violence” is just like, movies maybe……making it a much more shocking, devastating experience to brush against; death of a loved one is usually worse, the more unprepared you are for it. The more distant a possibility it seems from you, the more horrifying it is for it to finally come knocking In contrast, to those who live under the shadow of violence or disease, or who are in professions like “surgeon” or “mortician” - people who stare human mortality in the face almost daily, and sometimes have a morbid sense of humor to cope with it - it’s less shocking. Less unexpected. Still awful, but less of a suckerpunch.And that’s not even considering how different cultures approach the emotional turmoil that can come with loss. For example, several Latinx cultures accept as commonplace and normal,  intense displays of grief (think like, tossing yourself weeping and wailing over the casket type displays); several Asian cultures (e.g. Japanese, Filipinx) more generally favor emotional restraint, so “intense emotional displays” wouldn’t likely be encouraged - grief would be more likely to be internalized, or bottled up, so as not to ruffle feathers or cause a bother. Which doesn’t mean it won’t hurt; they’re just trying desperately to keep it to themselves. Or else they could keep it to themselves just fine but so and so who wasn’t expecting it is wailing on the coffin and oh lord, what do…In other words, grief/loss - and the aftermath of it all - will have different impacts on your characters depending on their culture, and their personality, and their profession, and their subculture, and of course, the circumstances… …and also all of those same elements of the characters surrounding them, which impacts how in turn how the surrounding characters interact with the grieving character (which in turn impacts the grieving character! And maybe even the plot, especially in character-driven or Mystery or Thriller works!). For this reason, if you’re writing characters in cultures other than your own?I advise you to please do research on that circumstance for that culture, such as reading up over at @writingwithcolor (NOT a ScriptX blog but I trust them about as well as one), or by finding and asking people from that culture about how their culture approaches death and grieving (…politely! And only if they’re willing to answer questions! Don’t harass people for this info, really really don’t); likewise with religions other than your own, or sometimes professions outside of your own; please do some research. It’s an important topic. You have more wiggle room than you might realize in terms of individual emotional arcs with grief, but you can’t afford to get something really wrong about cultural approaches to death and grieving.  It will add richness and resonance if you get it right; it will take away from your work if you get it too wrong.Don’t be scared to do the work; your writing will benefit, and maybe, so will you! Just make sure you’re prepared for Upsetting Things to be heard, and pace yourself! :) 2.) You’ve heard of the Five Stages of Grief?Yeeeah. About that. This is a very modern-day-famous psychological model for “grieving” and how it (supposedly) happens, also known as the Kubler-Ross model, or DABDA (for the acronym Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance, which you might be most familiar with it from);  but there’s some serious flaws with, if nothing else, how it’s usually understood or applied by laymen and especially in fiction. Here’s the problem with how it’s usually viewed, vs lived human experiences:-Not everybody goes through the “Stages” of grief in the listed order. Everybody quotes it as DABDA, and fiction ALL THE TIME depicts people going through the stages in specific DABDA order, and often in rapid progression to boot. This drives me (and I’m sure quite a few psychologists) nuts! Put simply: The human psyche is NOT that consistent!Yes, some people go through them in that listed order (there’s a reason, after all, that it got listed that way). Some people even go through them rapidly…but plenty of people take months or even years to grieve (or even never quite stop grieving their whole life, depending on how close they were to the person). And plenty of people can not only experience the “stages” out of order, but even bounce back and forth between several “stages”! (Including for example, hitting Acceptance after a few months, only to become Angry or Depressed when the anniversary of the death or some other reminder pops up)- NOT everybody who suffers a loss goes through ALL the “Stages” of grief, regardless of order. It’s entirely possible to skip one or more “Stages” entirely. Yes, really.Heck I’ve seen someone seemingly jump straight to Acceptance before! (The loss was I guess not sudden, and they apparently had a firm religious belief that their husband was in Heaven. They were seeing me about preparing something for a memorial service for him, so the death was really recent, and they seemed totally fine, even happy, which is extremely atypical, but, well…there they were, smiling at me and totally relaxed because “It’s okay; he’s with the Lord, now!” - see what I mean about religions impacting this?) That’s…rarer, mind.  Usually you get SOME sort of emotional or cognitive disruption, even if they really do believe their loved one’s soul is intact and fine somewhere. But like… you can skip straight over Denial or Anger or even Bargaining pretty easily! It all depends on the character, and their circumstances, including the nature of the loss and their personality (e.g. people tend to hit Acceptance a lot sooner, sometimes even before a death happens, if it’s not an unexpected loss; when I lost my grandmother a few months ago, for instance, it was after a long period of having to worry about and care for her as she declined mentally and physically, so I was prepared for it a lot better than say, my mother, who was still firmly in Denial right up until her mother died).So to recap:Yeah, they can have them out of order and may skip some entirely; some never achieve full “Acceptance” of a loss; some never Deny it; some bounce back and forth purely between Anger and Depression, some never get Angry, only Denial/Bargain/Depressed states etc…this is because:- The “Five Stages” are better described as “States” of Grieving.They are POSSIBLE reactions, but never the ONLY possible reaction, and certainly can’t only happen in that specific order; they are states you can go into and out of and heck, even have simultaneously (Anger and Depression aren’t actually mutually exclusive, for one!) - in short?It’s not an orderly, predictable chain of events. At all.Western culture in modern times (MODERN times, mind you, not like, 300 years ago) believes pretty widely that it does happen in a specific order, that it has to, and that it’s weird to say, not have a Denial or Anger or Bargaining step… but it doesn’t have to happen in that order, and it’s not weird if a person experiences it differently from the “listed” order. It’s perfectly “normal” to never experience some or even most of those states in response to a loss.It’s also perfectly “normal” to experience all of them…in that order or otherwise, or to fluctuate between them, sometimes more than once.It’s normal to backslide right out of Acceptance.  It’s normal to experience SLIGHT versions of them; to experience for instance, a tiny flash of anger but no real capital-A ANGER! - - or to be “sad” but not outright Depressed (in fact, some skeptics have lobbed considerable criticism at Kubler-Ross proponents because they feel it’s led to a rise in people being misdiagnosed with “Depression” when it was really just understandable, temporary “sadness” that didn’t rise to the clinical level)tldr…People can experience a lot of things when they grieve. They can also not experience a lot of things when they grieve.Grief is complicated that way. Grief is awkward. And unpredictable; uncomfortable - messy, just like the thing that triggers it.And like the loss itself? It will always, ALWAYS be specific. Unique. Personal. No two people will grieve the same death the same way.  Even the same person might grieve the same loss differently at age 16 than they would at age 60. And different losses will feel different to the same person, and the same loss will feel different to different people. Or even the same person, on different days or at different hours.They might feel mostly angry at their father for dying of lung cancer, but feel everything when their mom gets in an accident. They might feel relief when Grandma “finally” passes after a long illness, and then feel bad and guilty that they can’t connect with everyone else who’s bawling their eyes out at the funeral.They might resent their well-meaning Aunt or Mother or Born-Again Brother for saying “he’s in a better place now”… or they might be only able to keep it together at all because they keep telling themselves that.They might get PTSD. They might not. They might recover; they might never get over it. They might recover at all only after years of talking it out with people who shared similar experiences, or they might only be able to get over it when other people finally shut the hell up and stop reminding them of it.They might be fine - except…for once in a while, when they’re not.Story time.I was relieved when Grandma died, because it meant less suffering on her part. And because it was devastating to see her slowly lose her mind to Alzheimer’s, while her body also fell apart more than she ever wanted to admit it was. I don’t know if she’s “in a better place” or not, but she’s not suffering, which is better, and it’s…so much less. Because it was so much; too much to deal with for the three long years we did. She loved us; she kept worrying about us, telling us not to burden ourselves; she’d rather have gone quickly in the hospital like she did, than for us to keep running ourselves ragged, and I know this. I knew it then, and still know it now. I felt more pain at seeing my mom upset when she died, than at knowing she was dead, because she would have been okay with it if she’d had her mind still intact enough to know what was going on, and she wasn’t…going to get any better. She hadn’t been, and she wouldn’t. She was over 95 years old, and it was a miracle she lasted that long. It was a relief. It was a relief, mostly, when she died. Because I felt I’d already gone through the grieving, ahead of time. I was mostly just…awkwardly patting my mother’s back and then giving her distance to sort out her own grief. Because I didn’t know what to say. She was grieving; she still needed to. I was okay, though. Because we could finally move on. I had already hit Acceptance.I still cried at her funeral a week later. I cried, because the pastor made us talk about what she meant to us when she was alive. Nobody else spoke up first, because it was awkward, when he asked us “what do you think of when you think of Ruth?. There was no eulogy prepared; we sat under a tent in a light rain and it was up to us to do it, and the silence for that long moment became oppressive, claustrophobic. So I blurted out:  “Love”.He made me elaborate. And when I talked about how ridiculously, frustratingly self-sacrificing she was, how I knew she wanted to give and give and give, how I used to take care of her and I worried for her and she was always trying to put others first, even then, to literally terrifying extents - I cried a little. I had been fine for a week, and then digging that salt in just hurt, and I cried.But I was fine after that. For months.And then…A teddy bear that she’d gotten from a volunteer at the rehab place less about four months before she died. She’d given it to me, for Christmas, because she was stuck in the rehab place and “couldn’t get out to shop”, and she didn’t really “need it” and she saw I liked it. (See how she always thought of others? Guh)I had been cuddling it sometimes, because it was really soft, and I’m one of those very tactile people.  I had been cuddling it for months, since before Christmas, since she gave it to me. And then one day, sometime after the funeral, I looked at it again and…I didn’t cry. But I felt…sad.Sometimes I cuddle it and I feel better.Sometimes I can’t stand to look at it.It’s in a closet right now, because this week I had too much to worry about and didn’t want a freaking teddy bear to be a downer. I don’t think I could stand to donate it though. At least just yet.I felt relief when she died, but in the aftermath? I feel kinda sad. But not all the time. Just sometimes. Just randomly - except it’s never truly random. It just feels like it is, because I’m never prepared to feel sad looking at a cute, fluffy stuffed animal with a bowtie.Grief is…weird.Grief is all over the place.Grief can be anything and everything.Or it can be nothing. Up until it’s Something again.I’ve made myself sad, a little, thinking about that - but now, as I hit the end of the post I’m…suddenly smiling a little (because it might help someone, yeah? This post? Maybe!)I might cuddle that teddy bear in a few minutes. I just realized that, I might actually cuddle it, and not even feel sad. Huh.Grief is weird.And THAT’s the best advice I could ever give on How To Write About Grief and Loss. :)(….yeeeah that wasn’t very tldr. Sorry. XD)-Mod Vorpalgirl 

[jamesginortonblog]

SALLY HOLMES

JUL 25, 2017

No disrespect to Jude Law, but he isn't the hottest man of the cloth to grace our TV screens this year. The divinely sexy James Norton has been blessing our Sunday nights playing vicar Sidney Chambers on Grantchester this season—and he takes the hot clergyman cake.

In addition to his day job solving murders and preaching sermons on Grantchester, you might recognize Norton from his roles in Happy Valley, War and Peace, and Death Comes to Pemberley. With his period good looks, the actor doesn't want to get pigeonholed as an old-fashioned heartthrob, but as the complicated Sidney, Norton delivers the kind of drama we still love today.

On Sunday night's penultimate episode, Sidney was presented with an ultimatum by Amanda (Morven Christie), the divorced woman he's loved―and whom we've been rooting for―since the star-crossed lovers first met. "It's me or the church," she tells him, before closing the door in his face.

"People ask me what I would choose, and I would hate to be in that situation," Norton tells me over the phone. "Poor Sidney." Here, the actor talks Grantchester drama, adoring fans, and how he really feels about taking his shirt off.

First off, I'll just tell you, I texted my mother telling her I was going to talk to you, and she responded, "OMG." She's a very big fan.

I love your mum. It's so funny—when I'm walking around, whoever comes up to me, whatever age they are, they always say, "My mum absolutely loves you." I owe my career to the mums.

That's not a bad thing! What do you get recognized for the most?

It's a mixture. Grantchester is the most far-reaching. I've been to some weird places in the world and I didn't really appreciate how much and how well it sold in Canada. I'm on the Saint Lawrence River, and this lady in a canoe is like "OH MY GOD! You're the vicar!" In the UK, the young people will have watched Happy Valley and a little bit of War and Peace. Everyone always asks me, "Oh, is it really tiring [being recognized]?" Most people are really polite and lovely. But it actually happens so seldom, and also everyone's so charming and lovely about it. It's actually fine! People are quietly coming up to you saying, "Love the work." Great! That's very kind.

Have you ever had any crazy fan reactions?

Occasionally. I'm not very good at social media. I don't really—I occasionally get sort of quite [crazy mentions], which you have to take with a pinch of salt. When Happy Valley came out, I remember some people losing the line between reality and the arc of the story. I can think of an instance where one woman was standing behind me and I turned around and she saw my face and just let out this horrible scream. But generally I've avoided the mad crazy fans. The Grantchester fans particularly are so loyal and love the show so much. Sidney and all those characters—they're so personable and so beautifully drawn, so I think people really feel a great affection and warmth towards the show and them.

The second to last episode just aired in the US, and it ended in this very dramatic moment where Amanda says to Sidney, "It's me or the church."

Yeah, she spells out the final ultimatum. In the series, the central tenet is love vs. duty. Sidney loves a good conflict. He loves to wrangle it and sort of crash into an existential crisis. There's nothing bigger for him, really. As he says, if God is love and the person he loves is Amanda, then why should his duty to the church preclude him from that relationship? What [Grantchester writer] Daisy Coulam does so beautifully is set up these conundrums, these uneasy ethical debates, and there's no answer to them. They are the ultimate star-crossed lovers because the time dictates that he's gonna do his job, and he's not able to marry a divorced woman. But he's a young, passionate, hot-blooded man, a romantic man, who is deeply in love with one person and has been for years. And yet he loves God and he has made this vow to serve God.

It's a gift for an actor because it's that wonderful sort of gray, messy area. Good drama is all about the middle ground, and that's what Grantchester nails beautifully. People who watch the series, their reactions are divided. Some people felt like he should choose the church, and some people felt like he should choose Amanda. It really was a testament to how cleverly drawn that central conundrum was. People ask me what I would choose, and I think I would hate to be in that situation—poor Sidney. But it was a really rewarding headspace to explore for an actor. It was really exciting to play with.

The show also tackles some interesting themes, like the tension between homosexuality and faith at that time―after Leonard tries to commit suicide, Sidney comforts him, saying, "You are who you are, you can't fight who you are."

I love that. I love the fact that it's so much more than just a procedural. We've got these incredible characters like Leonard, and not only do we have a murder mystery, which now comes second to the overarching narrative and the characters' journeys, but also [Daisy Coulam] manages to weave in these topical and poignant debates of the time. This, as you said, or how the last season dealt with the death sentence and issues of race and racial equality. Without being sanctimonious or preachy, it's just really thought-provoking. I love those scenes of Leonard's. They're two men who are born into the wrong era. There's a moment in the last episode—Leonard finds his voice and that storyline evolves. Obviously, I won't tell you what happens. You can look forward to that.

So what is next for you?

We just finished filming McMafia, a new AMC/BBC co-production, which is very different from anything I've filmed before. It's an eight-part, big-budget exploration of the modern-day mafia and the globalization of organized crime. Without really realizing, Hossein Amini, who wrote Drive, and James Watkins, who is the creator and director, managed to create the most zeitgeisty show possible. With everything that's going on with Trump and his son, and Jeff Sessions and James Comey, everyone speculates about what corruption looks like. This show is also a little glimpse behind the curtain at financial corruption. It's a really good, Godfather: Part 2–type story about a man who gets sucked into the mafia, and I'm very lucky to play that role. I've got some press to do for Flatliners, which is coming out in September. And then I have time off and a bit of breathing space to find the next job. I don't know what it will be, but I'll keep you posted.

These projects and 'Happy Valley' sound different than the period dramas you're known for: 'Grantchester,' 'War and Peace,' and 'Death Comes to Pemberley.'

Do you think you have a period drama look?

Well, I think every actor runs the risk of falling into one of those pigeonholes. I was so lucky with Happy Valley, because most actors go into a job because they're inquisitive, they want to learn about the world. And a great way of doing that is to put yourself in different headspaces and worlds and periods. If you just do the same world and the same role, then it becomes less of that. Some people like that, and they choose that stability and know what they're good at. But the chance to transform is the most exciting thing. So I was really lucky when the people at Red [Production Company] took a punt on me for Happy Valley, because it allowed me the opportunity to go on a huge transformative journey.

I went to good schools and I sound sort of London, I think, and the way I look can be seen as period, but Happy Valley was such a detour from that, and now people are more willing to entrust me with slightly different roles. For example, the McMafia role is definitely similar, this man who carries a real darkness. I would hate to be put in a rut. The plan is always to complement the last job with something completely different.

I read in one of your interviews that you support male objectification. Is that correct?

It was slightly taken out of context. I don't support male objectification at all, but it often comes up in conversation—how you feel about taking your clothes off in a scene. And all I was saying was that you can get on your high horse and fight it, because sometimes there are scenes like that with no story in them. Or there can be two prongs to the scene—one that sparks story, and the other providing something more titillating. For me, as long as it predominantly serves story, then I don't really mind. All I was saying was that we've spent so long fighting against women being objectified, so it's about time men had to do a little bit of that as well. As long as it doesn't divert from the story and compromise the credibility of a project, then it's fine. It's done in good nature.

But I generally don't really search for the kind of meathead roles. Sidney is the least meatheady—he's a vicar who drinks too much and smokes too much, he's not a gym buff. I took my clothes off at the beginning of an episode and the papers love to run that story. You know it's gonna happen, but it's fine. You can get on your high horse, but it doesn't matter because you've probably got a little bit less of a right to get on that high horse.

You can give the people what they want as long as it makes sense in the story.

Totally. Exactly. And it's fun in a way, and I have very little right to be shouting in comparison to some of my female colleagues and counterparts who have had to deal with it over the years.

Is there any role that you haven't done yet or would love to tackle?

I haven't done much theater in the last four years and I really would love to go back on stage―my training at drama school was very classical, very theatrical. I did loads and loads of Shakespeare in drama school and I've not done a single bit since leaving, so I would love to do a bit of Shakespeare. I know it's massive, but I'd love to do Hamlet just to see if I can. I think that's the ultimate challenge and best sort of storytelling there is. I don't know if I have roles that I have a burning desire to play. But there are a lot of fascinating individuals out there and I get given these amazing opportunities, so I'll wait and see.

[furederiko]

September 1st!!! And it's the first (of hopefully more) Random-News-Digest of the month...

Quick update before I start! Nope, my situation hasn't really improved since last time. Things are still going haywire and uncertain on my part. Which means I'm still not too sure if I will be able to post more frequently this month as well. But this is a NEW month, and I always want to start anything with a fresh and optimistic mind. So at the very least, I'm going to TRY to post more. Here's hoping... Also, expect this R-N-D to be more... 'Digest' than usual. After all, I actually decided to do this on a whimsy when I woke up this morning. You can expect things to be more shorter and compact this time around. So without further ado, let's start!!!

DC Films

The news in this category has been quite a shocker lately. Martin Scorsese wants to make a stand-alone "Joker" origin story without Jared Leto? And then there's that Leto and Margot Robbie's "Joker and Harley Quinn" movie, that is being fast-tracked to come following "Suicide Squad 2"? It's a new title that was first rumored to replace David Ayer's "Gotham City Sirens", though recent report suggests that all-female movie is STILL in development as well. To complicate matters, "Suicide Squad 2" already lost a potential director, and with Will Smith's busy schedule, it won't start production until late next year. Ouch!

Oh yeah, eventhough the movie won't arrive until April 5th, 2019, director David F. Sandberg teased that the most lighthearted DC Film movie "Shazam" will start production very soon. Yet we don't even know who's going to play Billy Batson, nor his grown-up version. While Matt Reeves is going back and forth his version of "The Batman", saying it's not part of the DCEU, and then it IS. Please make up your mind! Jon Spaihts was rumored to be re-writing "Justice League Dark", though said rumor has been cleared out by The Wrap. The irony in that, is because he was among the writer of "Doctor Strange" for Marvel Studios!!! First Joss Whedon took over Zack Snyder for "Justice League", and has officially been given a writer credit (his involvement is 33% of the movie!!!). And don't forget how Patty Jenkins used to be attached to the first Thor sequel. So Spaihts's name being thrown into the rumor zone didn't feel as 'strange'. What I'm trying to say is, I won't be surprised if more people related to Marvel Studios will end up doing DC movies for Warner Bros in the future.

Clearly, this proves that WB STILL doesn't have a plan nor idea of what they are going to do with their DC Films. A concerning truth, but is definitely far from being a surprise nowadays. I guess since the current DCEU doesn't really have a clear future (despite the success of "Wonder Woman"), WB is already thinking about creating another Universe to complement it. Perhaps, if this one works better, then they can simply erase the one that Snyder started. That's the point of "Flashpoint", right? We'll see. Yes, we'll see...

X-Men Universe

Can't believe it took this long for some people to realize that... as long as Simon Kinberg is still in charge (in ANY capacity), fans probably won't be getting the 'true' X-Men movie they have always wanted. People seems to forget that he was the writer of the disappointing "X-Men: The Last Stand", and supervised the dreaded "Fant4stic Four". Now his upcoming directorial debut, "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", which he also wrote... is already put into a giant question mark, thanks to Kinberg's recent comment.

I admit, I've grown to DESPISE the term 'grounded' in recent years, because it is (ab)used as an excuse to make shitty underwhelming products. But seriously, what good will a "Dark Phoenix" storyline get by making it... grounded? That arc is meant to be a galactic interstellar adventure, involving alien entities and otherworldly stuffs. "X3" was already its grounded version, and it did NOT work. So why bother going the same route? Is this movie 'doomed to fail' then? It's unclear. But I certainly won't be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Just remember how that grounded take on "X-Men: Apocalypse" performed...

Marvel Studios

Marvel is celebrating the late Jack Kirby's 100th birthday this week. Studio's president Kevin Feige revealed on Twitter that the upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok" is produced as a love-letter to Kirby's work. Not unlike last year's "Doctor Strange", that served as a clear tribute to Steve Ditko. Actress Evangeline Lilly also celebrated the occassion, by sharing the first official image of her character Hope van Dyne, wearing the updated Wasp suit from "Ant-Man and the Wasp".

About that last one... I totally DIG her hair-style, because Lilly always looks much better with a long hairdo instead of the one she had in the first "Ant-Man". The suit on the other hand? I'm a bit mixed. I don't know why. Perhaps because I was expecting more... yellow/gold in the color scheme? Then again, Peyton Reed and Marvel Studios might be going with Wasp's red-black scheme once again, because it's the one designed by Kirby. Especially with Janet van Dyne being in the movie (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and the report that Michael Douglas' Hank Pym will be suiting up himself in the classic white-red costume.

The writers of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" are set to be back for the sequel! Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are also involved in "Ant-Man and the Wasp", so there's a possibility they might end up becoming the next Markus-McFeely of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Assuming all the stars are aligned, they will reunite with director Jon Watts (who was already in talks to return) to work on the first Marvel Studios after "Avengers 4" ends the current Phase 3. Here's hoping this team will keep deliver something better, without losing that irresistible youthful and innocent charm that the first movie exuded.

Marvel TV

When this post goes up, Marvel's "The Inhumans" should be arriving in IMAX theatres everywhere. Not sure if it will be available in my country, but it's surely a definite for the US region, because ABC will begin broadcasting the series on Friday, September 29th, 2017.

According to recent report, the response to its premiere was... much positive. In fact, it's a far cry to the supposed 'disaster' that occured at the Television Critics Association Panel. Is this surprising? Well... not quite. I mean, one man's trash can end up becoming another's treasure, right? So I predict that the overall review, when it officially hits, will be mixed at best. Remember, this is still Jeph Loeb's and Scott Buck's work. Each or both have ruined a show (or two, if we count that much-anticipated crossover that came out last month... or more if we put into account their past forays) before, so there's no assurance that they won't strike again. But I'm honestly glad to hear some people actually enjoying it. Hey, there's one for everyone, right?

As for me, as I said before, I personally won't be seeing this on the theatres. Based on the lackluster trailers and underwhelming clips released so far, I'll have to give it a hard pass. Beside, considering my current financial issue, wasting money for uncertain things can be considered 'suicide' anyway. I'll probably going to hold back on watching the series as well, until the reviews for all episodes are out. Thanks to my doozy experience with the recent Netflix 'crossover mini-series', I'm going to be extra cautious with Marvel TV now. Because really, spending 8 hours for a boring and/or disappointing show felt like a tremendous waste of time. Doing so isn't going to do me any good.

QUICK UPDATE: Embargo for the full reviews hasn't been lifted when I wrote and upped this essay into queue. Those reviews have been made available NOW on various sites, and well... turns out it's as BAD as many initially said. Since I'm too lazy to modify the entire category (although it's only 3 short paragraphs LOL), this note will do just fine as a follow up. My original writing sounded more 'positive' anyways. LOL.

Meanwhile, things are looking A LOT better for Marvel's "Runaways". It seems response for the first episodes was more than great. It is currently being praised as very faithful to the source material, despite its various 'tweaks' (for example, one character was a mutant in the comic, but the copyrights prevent that to exist in live action adaptation). Not that it should be a surprise anyway. When the writer of the comic is directly in charge as consultant, we know that at least things are going to be close to the comics. Might this be the Marvel show to wait for this year? Probably, but I digress. I'm still going to be approaching this one with extra caution. If recent Marvel TV shows are any indications, then we can't really expect it to be... evenly balanced. Some of them had okay to good run in the first half, only to falter into a massive dud in the later half. Yes, even "LEGION", and the 4th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". They started out strong, but ended rather... disappointingly. Considering the same people behind them are also supervising this, said similar treatment can also apply to "Runaways"...

Netflix

It's already September, and I haven't finished Marvel's "The Defenders" yet. How come? The mini-series surprisingly BORED the hell out of me! A full review for it was meant to go up as my first post of September (yes, this R-N-D is its last minute replacement). That's the initial plan anyway, because I still haven't seen the last two episodes. Seriously though, when you've already lost any single urge to do it, there's nothing else you can do right?

Thanks to that, the internet had already spoiled me about what's going to happen to Simone Missick's Misty Knight. I don't even need to READ the whole article to figure out what will become of her... right hand. Yes, the headline already gave it away, and my minor knowledge of the character in the comics was more than enough to lead me to said conclusion. And then the image spreading on social media solidified it. Mind you, I still don't know how or what caused her to lose that body part. My quick and easy guess? Likely by Bakuto, considering up to episode 6, Misty had only spoken with one particular supporting character from the other series: Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing. And it's also about her... KATANA, as if it's not obvious enough. Expect Misty to be armed with a prosthetic arm in the 3rd Season Marvel's "Luke Cage".

Yep, if you're like me, hoping for a "Heroes for Hire" show that includes the Daughters of Dragon... then we might as well swallow that wishful thinking. Why? It probably won't happen until the 2nd Season of Marvel's "Iron Fist" is out. Going by math alone, that means we have to wait another 26 episodes, and at least another two years. New season for "Luke Cage" will likely arrive in 2018, while the one for "Iron Fist" might probably land in 2019. Yeah, two years indeed. This is why you can't really expect much when it comes to Marvel TV... *sigh*

"Stranger Things" released a set of character posters for its 2nd Season. They cover the returning cast, as well as the new additions. What's interesting about these posters, is the strong nod to Steven Spielberg! And being a series set in the 80s, that folded-magazine style is also pretty neat. I hope this 2nd season will be as great as the 1st, and unlike most other Netflix shows.

One more thing! It's a rather old news, but worth bringing up. Netflix is currently collaborating with TOEI Animation, to remake the popular shounen-series "Saint Seiya". Titled "Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya", the new series will be created in full CG style. If you're curious on how that might look, think of it like several parts of TOEI's "Precure Dream Star!" movie that was done completely in CG, or their recent "Sekaisuru KADO" series. The latter in particular, already has a character design that's looking VERY Saint Seiya-ish (could it be intended as the warm-up to this one, then? probably). First season will be 12 episodes of 30 minutes, and will cover the "Galaxy War" to the "Silver Saint" Arcs. Yoshiharu Ashino is directing the new series, Eugene Son is the story editor and head writer, Terumi Nishii will be handling the character design, while Takashi Okazaki is doing the armors.

This news is intriguing, because it can end up heading towards into two different territory: actually good, or downright Bad. The latest "Sailor Moon" reboot that immediately divide old and new fans, is a great example of said situation. "Saint Seiya" is among the beloved titles to those growing up in the late 80s, so you can imagine their negative reactions if this remake doesn't suit their taste. The series doesn't have a fixed release date for now, but I believe we can expect it to arrive on Spring 2018. My only hope is that it retains Shingo Araki's anime style compared to Masami Kurumada's manga ones, because it has been pretty much the 'signature' of the series for the fans.

Disney XD Series

I saw the one-hour premiere of the "DuckTales" reboot not long after it aired, and great goodness... I'm LOVING it. I used to have a minor issue with the voices of the nephews before, but that concern quickly faded away when the story started rolling. It's just so engaging and fun to watch! My only complaint, is that it takes too long for the next episodes to start airing. But we're now in September, so September 23rd is just around 20 days away. Shall we start counting down for more Scrooge McDuck's adventure, then? I wonder if Disney XD will debut the first episode of "Big Hero 6 the Series" in advance too? Hmmm....

Pocket Monsters

"Pokemon GO" has been greeted by Legendary Birds Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, and Lugia last month. Starting yesterday, August 31st, 2017, Niantic has continued the streak with the Legendary Dogs Entei, Raikou, and Suicine. Unlike the Birds, these ones are going to show up as region-based for a particular duration. Entei will be in the Europe and Africa region, Raikou in the America, and Suicine in Asia-Pacific. They will then switch places on September 30th, 2017.

This is great news, right? NOT exactly. While I DID feel overjoyed when the Legendaries were first announced, what came next was nothing more than disappointments. The fact that Niantic is focusing too much on Raid Battles to debut these special Pokemon, had caused inconveniences to some (if not MANY) of its players. Sad to say, yours truly is included in this cluster.

Here's the deal. In order to capture ONE Legendary, it first needs to be defeated in a Raid Battle. Unlike normal Raids, it's a group effort that requires around 15-20 players to be on the spot at the same time, working together to take one down. So what happens when you're a player... living in an area, that does NOT have the privilege of having at least the minimum number of players? You can only bite your nails while grunting and sighing with disappointments, because there's really NOTHING you can do. I've lost count how many 'futile attempts' I've done, singlehandedly (seriously, because there's NOBODY around) trying to defeat one. I've now arrived to the point where I simply couldn't care less about any of them anymore. Which is sad, because I was sort of hoping "Pokemon GO" would be there to help me go through my current situation. I mean, when that role has been surprisingly taken over by a repetitive, kid-oriented game called "Magikarp, Jump!"... That's saying much, right?

Of course, this shouldn't be an issue if "Pokemon GO" is still enjoyable as a single-player experience. Players who can't capture a Legendary, could still focus on doing anything else. Problem is, there's NOTHING much to do beside that. Niantic is too focused on the multiplayer 'Team Gameplay' aspect of this game, that it neglects those who play individually (whether by choice, or who are simply forced by circumstances... like yours truly). The new 'Gym System' was nice, but lately I've noticed a concerning trend: the turnaround has gradually becoming very slow. Many Gyms in my area, have Pokemon with ZERO motivations. Worse, they are stranded there for days (I can personally attest to this, because mine are among them!). That means many players no longer visit the Gyms. To put it simply, this game is just not... FUN anymore for everyone. Only for the 'privileged'.

Niantic can actually fix this, by start releasing Generation III as soon as possible. Adding a horde of new Pokemon, even if not all of them (honestly, releasing 10 new species per month would be a fun options), will give these 'unfortunate players' a renewed 'purpose' to go out and play the game. Otherwise, it's really a dry boring-ish land. IMHO, Niantic could and should've tried another method with the Legendary Dogs by... I don't know... letting them in the wild, like what happened in the core "Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal" games. Then again, it's probably too much to ask for. I mean, Niantic doesn't even allow something as simple as having these Legendaries added as silhouettes to the Pokedex after encountering them. And that's the only thing I've been hoping for... *sigh*. For now, unless Niantic shakes things up big time, my days with the App is numbered. And I'm going to be just another entry to the long list of players who have already walked out due to disappointments...

One more thing for "Pokemon". A quick detour to the TV side! Kanto Gym Leaders and Satoshi's former travel companions Kasumi and Takeshi (or Misty and Brock in the US version)... are coming to Alola this month!!! Many fans are obviously pleased to hear this! After they have been unceremoniously snubbed in the 20th Anniversary movie "Eiga Pocket Monster, Kimi ni Kimeta!", they are set to show up in the series instead. Takeshi in particular, is the character I've been waiting for. After all, his VA Yuuji Ueda is still a crucial part in the series as the voice of Sonansu/Wobbuffet, so he could actually show up a lot more! This pair will be making their Alolan guest appearances on the September 14th and 21st episodes. Which got me thinking: How awesome will it be if Satoshi's other travel friends show up at the same time too, right?

Street Fighter

"Street Fighter V" has welcomed its 5th DLC character for Season 2. As speculated and rumored before, it's indeed Menat, the Eyes of the Future. She is also confirmed to be the apprentice of Rose, by the way. This makes her the first completely NEW character to the franchise, because Kolin, Ed, and Abigail have all showed up before in other games. Judging from her quick and... arguably pointless appearance in Ed's Story Mode, Menat has a fantastic Egyptian-themed design. The mummy queen alternate costume however? Yeeesh. You can check out her reveal trailer online, or you can just get her right away because she's already available since early this week.

Menat's arrival after Abigail, pretty much confirms the identity of the 6th and final DLC character: Guy's teacher, Zeku. His name was already leaked before by Event Hubs' Flowtron, and his report has been proven to be on point until now. So I guess all we need to wait is CAPCOM's official announcement, right? Seeing the release pattern (Ed on May 30th, Abigail on July 25th, Menat on August 29th), we can probably expect this last Season 2 character to arrive later this month, if not late October. So tell me, are you excited about Zeku?

[thesffcorner]

Archie Vol. 4

I did not think, this is where the series would go. Archie Vol. 4 collects issues 18-22 from the rebooted series, written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Pete Woods. It follows Archie and Veronica as they are back together and trying to make their relationship work, while Betty goes on a date with Dilton. It pains me to say this was my least favorite volume, because Pete Woods was my favorite artist. His pencils are so detailed and cartoonish, and I love the way he draws Archie and Jughead. His close ups have so much feeling and expression in the faces, and his colors are bright, sunny and perfectly complement his artstyle. Too bad he got to work on the darkest possible arc of the series! The thing that bothered me the most, was absolutely the tone. The first two issues have nothing to do with ultimately happens. Issue 18 is Archie trying to go on a date with Veronica, and realizing that she and him no longer have anything in common. In parallel we follow Dilton and Betty where they slowly realize they actually have a lot in common, and geek out at an auto show. There’s a really good moment, where Dilton takes some faulty advice from one of the salesman, to try and woo Betty by quizzing her on cars, and she knows all the answers. Issue 19 has to do with Mr. Lodge tricking Veronica into presenting an award, when in reality it’s a speed dating contest to find her a date from the most eligible and bright young men in the area. Both of these plots are typical Riverdale stuff; some romance, some self-actualization and growth and mostly harmless stuff. But then we get to issues 20, 21 and 22, and things go south. I won’t spoil what happens, but I will say that thing revolve around a drag race, and you can pretty easily guess where this is going. However, the plot felt… intensely contrived. First off, the reason Archie agrees to the race, is because Reggie threatens to tell Veronica that Archie might get kicked off the football team? What? I don’t remember that being mentioned at all before; I honestly didn’t even know Archie was on the team, we’ve never seen him practice. Secondly, why would Veronica care even if Reggie did tell her? She played polo and has never showed any interest in football, or dating Archie because he was an athlete. Then, we have Betty going after Archie. What was she hoping to accomplish, even if she got there before the race started? After it started? How was that going to help? Issue 21 is a whole damn mess. We have the various characters from Riverdale getting called to the hospital, and it’s more slapstick, which is completely ill placed considering what just happened! And then issue 22 has most of the cast reminiscing about the character, and it could have worked as a powerful moment in a different series, but not here, where the most serious thing that had happened so far was Archie possibly having to move to Singapore for a year! The ending came entirely out of left field; it wasn’t earned, it wasn’t well written and I honestly hate it. I hate it enough to where I’m considering quitting the series; I don’t see myself liking the outcome.

goodreads

[toinfinityandbeyondrc]

Events: Clean The World & Social Justice Reflections

Event 1: Clean The World CEO Panel & Volunteer Opportunity Reflection

By: Buzz Lightyear

While attending a Clean The World discussion panel and speech at the Crummer Graduate School of Business, within Rollins College, I learned a lot about sustainability and how it plays a major role in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Along with the speech and panel, was a volunteer function that took place directly afterwards in the same building. As a space ranger, I actually learned quite a lot from the entire experience and can’t wait to tell all of the other toys! This opportunity has allowed me to expand my knowledge in many areas and I can now say that I feel more empowered to take on greater responsibilities but also to make actions that will help benefit society as a whole in aspects of public health and poverty. During the event’s panel and speech part, the CEO for Clean The World discussed how his organization came about and I couldn’t help but think about how inspiring his efforts were in ensuring that his organization continually follows sustainable practices. Clean The World constantly innovates to solve global issues and save lives. The CEO had an idea to clean and recycle all of the soap bars that hotels throw away each day (which is in the millions) and sends them to over to countries that are in great need of soap. The soap bars are just about the size of myself and as a toy, I don't really know much about soap but I suppose that these humans use it for cleaning. I’m generally cleaned every few months by Andy’s mom with the use of an antibacterial wipe and ill say soap might be a better option for me as we toys cant stand being wiped with those chemicals. Clean The World has a very intricate process for cleaning the soaps and reforming them to get them to those in need. The soaps are melted and then formed into brand new soaps that are included in special hygiene kits. These kits are then sent to relief organizations, local shelters, third world countries, low-income areas and many others. After the speech, I knew that I had to get involved in some way shape or form so I quickly jumped into someone’s backpack so that I could follow them to the volunteer opportunity area. In this area, Rollins College students were helping assemble special hygiene bags that were being sent out to Puerto Rico and southern Florida to help those affected by recent hurricanes. After I walked into the room, they had an assembly line process for all of the products going into these hygiene bags. I jumped under one of the tables and started to assemble kits, but had to continually hide as no humans could see me in my alive since I am a toy. Knowing that a heroic ranger like me aided in helping others was eye catching for me and I’m very glad that I was able to get the opportunity to help. While the humans weren’t looking, I also grabbed a few photos of the experience on my intergalactic phone. I hope to volunteer again for Clean The World in the very near future as I really did find this experience truly remarkable!

In terms of gender, I made a few very interesting observations while attending the event. During the panel and speech, there was a mix of both male and female students, however as soon as the panel ended, only one gender group stood around for the volunteer function. In the room, it was all females with the exclusion of me of course and a few males with Clean The World. As far as the group of student volunteers through, I observed only females. I thought that this was very interesting that all of the other volunteers were female, leading me to question if volunteering and wondered if women tend to get more involved than mane with volunteering.  

 I’m sure that there were a lot of factors to consider and that because the entire women’s lacrosse team came, some men might have figured that there was enough help and didn’t stay around. If an entire men’s sports team appeared and there were just a few women, I am sure that the few women would feel that an entire sports team would be sufficient. As a space ranger, I do appreciate all of the others who helped build these bags and it was nice knowing that at the end of the day, I made a difference in the lives of others. I believe that its very important to help others and also address public health issues as we don't often think of the illnesses and diseases that others might go through. These clean the world bags mostly benefited children in developing countries and countries that have suffered from recent hurricanes. Clean The World works to provide these individuals with soaps, shampoo and other products that reduce the cases and spreading of illnesses and diseases, such as pneumonia. We may not always think of the health of others or even the collective health of the world, but health does affect everyone and making sure that we are preventing others from illnesses and diseases in return prevents the further spread of global illnesses. When I get back to Andy’s room, I will be sure to tell all of the other toys about my findings.

 - Buzz Lightyear

 Event 2: Social Justice Panel: Creating Change Panel

On Wednesday, October 4th, in the Busch Science Center building at Rollins College, I attended an event related to social justice and creating change. As a space toy, many of the issues brought up were ones that I’ve never really considered previously. I feel as if I now have a much better understanding of the issues that humans must deal with. To be honest, the issues that us toys go through don’t sound as bad. The panel attendees were all non-profit social justice leaders that study different issues in our society. One of the individuals actually happened to study women issues, while some or the others worked on studying race issues and how we can work to create a better society for all. The mission of Rollins College is to promote global citizenship and responsible leadership, so this panel actually complemented the mission of the Rollins College very well. The individuals speaking on the panel included Anna Eskamani, Rasha Mubarak, Michelle Suarez and Robin Harris. Yulissa Arce, unfortunately did not make it to the panel but I am sure that she had an interesting social justice position and story. As Anna Eskamani kicked off the panel, she informed us of women issues and how she has been working to support equal rights to prevent the discrimination of women. She mentioned her feelings in regards to how society lacks a better understanding of what social justice is and how it can be achieved. Anna is passionate about social justice and explains that we all must build relationships that are meaningful and also break barriers that might be causing inequality and other social justice problems. I felt that her speech was particularly interesting as all of the toys in Andy’s room are working night and day to build relationships, despite our differences in values, character traits and appearances.

Rasha Mubarak, grew up in autism protests and believes that everyone has a story that is important to recognize. She also mentioned that we should not easily judge others based on their gender, race or identity. She believes that it is important for all of us to use our own capacity to make change and achieve social justice. The reason that she got involved with social justice was primarily due to 9/11. She realized that it was often being concluded by most Americans that all “Muslims and Arabs” were linked to the unfortunate event, even though this wasn’t the case. Rasha wanted to begin working to provide services for those who were Muslim or Arab to make sure that they would no longer be stereotyped or demeaned as human beings and citizens of the United States. Many of the social justice panelists actually had a breaking point or an event that caused them to get started all of the sudden in regards to brining about justice. Rasha’s event or breaking point was 9/11 and Anna Eskamani’s (which I haven’t mentioned previously) was actually a speaker who came to her high school and told everyone not to have “sex before marriage”. She felt that the speaker was very wrong in the way in which she conducted her speech and as a result, Anna walked out and swore that she would have sex before marriage. I thought that the story was a little inappropriate and interesting way to introduce her but I can certainly see how it relates to social justice. It relates to social justice because social justice really is what the individual feels needs to be changed and she felt that the speaker was in the wrong for the way that she conducted the speech. As Buzz Lightyear, I haven’t necessarily considered social justice before and how it relates to us toys, but it is something very interesting to start thinking about.  

Michelle Suarez mostly happened to get involved in climate justice and started in 2014, while she was living in Columbia. She also got involved with raising awareness over issues surrounding the keystone pipeline because she felt that what the government was doing was very wrong. She is a community and climate social justice organizer with Organize Florida and recognizes that members of society who are struggling need to be helped. She is a part of the organizations disaster relief team and a little over a year ago, she met with families of pulse victims to release information to them that was not yet available. She was a part of the team who had to actually sit down with the families of those affected and read a list of who had been sent to the hospital and were in critical condition. She explained that when she had gone over the entire list, families would assume that their loved ones did not survive if their name was not read aloud. This task was very troublesome for her as she could barely keep herself emotionally stable having seen what others had gone through. All of the other individuals on the panel also discussed the pulse shooting and how it had a major negative effect on the local community of Orlando. They also brought up the recent and unfortunate Las Vegas shooting and how that is beginning to become a social justice issue as well.

Lastly, Robin Harris joined in on the discussion and introduced herself. She is an activist and faith leader from Texas, who received her degree in political science. She began her movement by pointing out the inequalities in our society and advocating. Now, she is a member of the NAACP and has a lot of responsibilities but she advocates not to earn money, but because she wants to do what she feels is right. None of the social justice leaders were involved in this career to build economic wealth, but rather to point out issues and solve them, which I really do value. Ms.Harris went to an “extremely white college” and had an “extremely black attitude” as she described. This was a mostly Christian college and she was raised under the idea that she would have a husband and raise children after college, but she “came out” and changed a few things about her life. Instead of having kids and raising a family, she realized that she had other priorities and started focusing on gender and race issues. All of her experiences had allowed her to recognize how important faith and activism are, so she began protesting and writing about her experiences. She was actually arrested for protesting outside Mark Rubio’s office over gun control and spent time in jail multiple times. Like many of the other panelists explained, seeking out activism is a heart thing and is not monetary. As Harris describes it, building resilience is simply knowing how to solve issues and getting involved for the better of humanity. One of the most important things to her is learning how to say no and verbalizing her thoughts to all members of society, even in the event that they do not agree with her.

 - Buzz Lightyear 

[goingtosee-theworld]

im toolazy to make a header

Pet’s Questionnaire

Name: Pet

Characters: Jane Porter, Howl Pendragon, Eva Grimhelde, Roger Radcliffe, Calliope Harper, Daisy Duck, Jake Long, Lymantria Khan, Al McWiggin, mystery character 10 wow when the fuck did i get so many

Pick a thread from the past six months that you’re proud of and talk about why.

What HAVENT I been proud of in the last six months haha---ok jk jk.

Not really a thread but the whole arc of Howl turns into demon bird was really a thrill to write. I was a bit slow with it because school (ahhh schoooolll), but I was really proud of how it all ended up. From the intial unbecoming—which was short, but action-paced—to the kidnapping of the egg, to Kiki searching for Howl, then the reunion with Mel, and confronting Suliman—ugh it was so action-packed and fun and the egg has yet to unveil herself dun dun dun. (I do realize the first few paras of this fell before the six month line, but we will ignore that).

One of the things I find difficult in writing is, well, action sequences when a lot of things happened at once and this whole arc was full of them, so it really forced me to think about character placement and what a good next move would be. And I want to thank MK and Lauryl for being good partners with this (and being patient when I was slow) and just giving me a lot to work with and ugh yeah.

An honorable mention is the Titsy closet thread (lmao) not just for the smut but because I think that moment was like really character defining for both of them. There was a lot going on. It was also hot and steamy.

Another honorable mention is MILANO BREAKS INTO A MUSEUM AND WAKES A MUMMY AND OH GOD THE REPURCUSSIONS ARE JUST BEING FELT AHHH. Yeah that still has to play out but wow it is fun.

Identify a challenge you’ve faced in this rp. Reflect on why this is a challenge for you. Are there any strategies you can develop to overcome this challenge?

I’m too shy. And I know that is my one big weakness. And I know it might not seem that way in the group chat because I’m a jokester and I say weird shit and am generally jovial and talkative, but like one on one I am…so…anxious and shy and asdkjadlks. I swear to god no matter who you are if we’re talking one on one I get really anxious and im like oh god they noticed I was typing but then I realized I didn’t say anything oh god I feel awful maybe I should clarify wait no I shouldn’t wait no I should wait no it’s too late //screaMs and then I think you hate me. Rinse, repeat.  

This is a challenge, of course, because it makes it really hard for me to plot—because it’s not just me going to approach people, but like people approaching me and I don’t know WHY because 9/10 I love their ideas/they love my ideas. And like I am trying my best to slowly get over it. Im trying to branch out and hit more people up and I am starting by outlining my goals for my characters and then trying to contact people who would be relevant and hopefully I don’t like combust with anxiety whilst doing so wish me luck;;

Pick one of your characters and talk about their growth (we recommend choosing an older character, but it’s up to you! ) What about their story has surprised you? What are you proud of? How have they changed from their original inception to now?

I did Howl last time so now it’s time for Miss Jane Porter.

Ah, Jane, Jane, Jane. SO like a little TMI background into the creation of Jane. I’ve roleplayed Jane Porter for like 6 years now. My original Jane was much different from this Jane. This Jane grew from quite a dark time in my life and her early days were very reflective of that dark time (only getting darker for those first months I had her). Thus, without me even intending it, she got quite depressed. I hadn’t expected it, but that’s the sort of thing that happens when you trap someone who never wanted to make a real commitment in a small town.

Jane was supposed to be fun, energetic, just happening to be weighed down by a dark secret—what she is now is more reflective of what I wanted for her. Instead, the idea of being trapped in one place, the idea of death lurking at the corner of her vision consumed her. She was lonely. She shut herself to the world. She regressed in a way that I did not anticipate. The only way out was for her to crash and burn.

So, I made Jane crash. I gave her everything she feared—the chance of falling in love, the potential of a child, a glimpse of a life that she could live in another world, basically what could be’s that she had been trying to stay away from. And she crashed and those few months were her darkest (like right after rejecting Milo, the time jump, then the pregnancy thing).

Now she’s coming back around. What’s fun with Jane (and by extension Milo) is that they have this—and I’m using a Lauryl ™ term for this—complicated happiness. Where they are happy, but ya know, there are issues. At their best, they are an unstoppable team—they hunt demons, they sneak into museums, they make each other brave (they are both brave, I think, in different ways, but the way that they are not brave is exactly what the other is brave in, so it like complements each other). But at their worst, they become scared: Milo frets, Jane avoids, Milo overanalyzes, Jane tries not to acknowledge. And so far there hasn’t been a real issue with that, but they should have a Talk sooner or later.

I’m proud that Jane was able to pull herself up. But what I want her to do is recognize her problems. She’s very avoidant that way, turning to alcohol/sex when she’s really down or simply ignoring the little things when she’s on a high. She fits her enneagram type to a tee. She ignores bad things and just tries to focus on something new, something exciting, something good. But she needs to recognize problems and work to fix them before they become Big Problems.

Pick another character and talk a little about where you WANT them to go. What are your plans for them for the rest of the year?

I’m going to go with Daisy on this one.

So Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. My little flower. Daisy is always weird for me because literally everything I ever planned for her went in the complete opposite direction. Date Stan? Nope. Interact with Tito just for fun? Lol. Fake-date Lou in the Hogwarts-verse? Hahaha. Even the long term things ended up getting derailed by events (titsy wasn’t supposed to like get together for a bit, but then valentine’s happened, for example). So with Daisy a plan is more like a rough guideline. (which is so FUCKING META IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE LITERALLY PLANS EVERYTHING AHHH)/

There are two paths I envision for Daisy: the first requires a lot more work, but may be more fulfilling in terms of character development and lead to a happy ending. The second is more comfortable and honestly, more unexpected and might be more interesting.

The first is that Daisy rejects the notions of class and wealth she was bred into, which as I mentioned before, would require a lot of work in changing her thinking, but it can be done. Not to be super Sorting Hat Chats in here (okay but when are we not), her primary is Ravenclaw and right now her system is in a bit of a flux and she’s trying to rebuild it. She would need the right type of influence—not just from Tito, mind you, because she feels that she is biased should she solely listen to him (Daisy’s quite analytical and logical and will try to put her own feelings aside when it comes to that decision). It would need to be a mix of outside forces, and this I can see ending in her graduating and doing what she wants to do, instead of what approved jobs her mom would have picked out for her (so maybe trying to strike it out on her own and starting her own lifestyle blog, or working at a smaller company, or maybe one focused on social justice instead of just haute couture idk) and most importantly, choosing her heart over preapproved options.

Now this is the option that would represent the most character growth, but my hesitation? It’s cliché. It’s a bit overdone. It’s Rose from Titanic. It’s been done, and for the way it would pan out with Daisy, it would not be super unique. Would it be the happier ending? Well, yes. I’ve not closed it off completely and tbh I am a sucker for happy endings, so this might be the way to go, I’m just leaving room to think of option two.

Option Two is that Daisy decides that her whole system of class and wealth and status is the one for her. This would just need little nudges from her family, from her friends of high status, reminders of people who have fallen, glimpses into a future that is glamorous and glittering—where she has access to her wealth and name and can use that to better the lives of others. Without having to focus on meeting her own needs, she can turn to the world. (That would be the argument there). Now this has a clear end for Daisy—she graduates, she moves to London or Paris or New York. Will she be satisfied? We won’t know. Her story in Swynlake will end. It ends with a whimper, not a bang. It’s classy, it’s literary, it’s Sister Carrie achieving her dreams, yet feeling empty in her rocking chair..

Now these two options are by no means the only paths for Daisy to follow (and heaven knows she’s done an amazing job at skirting around literally every other plan I’ve set up for her)—so we will see! Maybe it will be some weird combo of those two. Maybe something will happen to expedite one or the other. Maybe she’ll turn into a zombie.

OPTIONAL (REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T DO THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE): In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 strengths and talk about why you think it’s one of your strengths.

Uhhhhhhhhh. Srry ive felt bad about my writing lately but here goes:

Structure: now this is like. A weird one?? Idk it stood out to me when I wrote Ly’s one-shot about her brother, but I like playing with structure and having set forms and beginning sentences certain ways and having repetition and idk this is weird but I really enjoy doing this so I do think I do it well.

Description: I think I do this well. When I do it I mean. I try. I think I do it the best with magic, Howl’s and Ly’s specifically. Also Daisy’s outfits lmao.

Humor: This one I will say I do well. I make myself chuckle.

OPTIONAL (REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T DO THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE): In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 areas of improvement.

Dialogue: last questionnaire I said I did dialogue well but I take it back. I feel like all my characters sound the same. Idk. Except for like Howl maybe, and Roger. I guess it’s like the cluster of Ly/Daisy/Eva with their weird accents that don’t actually exist in youtube videos so I cant quite pin them down.

Setting: im really trying to improve on this! And just add like little details in general! It’s still a work in progress but it’s getting there!!

Like action/forwarding things this is vague: I remember very specifically in one of my creative writing classes, I had written something I was very proud of and someone told me something along the lines of “I enjoyed reading this and it was well-written…but it was just people sitting around and talking for the most part. Nothing happened.” And that really resonated with me because ya know, I do that well. I do sitting around and talking and thinking and longing and sighing quite well. It’s the like actually furthering things along part I am bad at. This rp has definitely forced me to do that and I am definitely improving, but it is still something I need to work on.

OPTIONAL (REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T DO THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE): Reflect on other writers you love– in the rp or out! How have they influenced you? What do you love about their writing that you want to bring to your own?

Every1 is great, again. 

IF YOU DID THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE: Alright, now pick an item from the Wishlist you completed in January that you’ve started to pursue. How far are you from completing this goal? Talk about the steps you took to make it happen.

Jane and the cheating thing. Not that Jane is going to cheat, not by a long shot. (Actually in the most recent of my replies to the Jane/Paul thread, I think Jane like drunkenly had the epiphany that she was just lusting over Paul because he represented her could-have-beens—will she remember that come morning? Find out.)

This is a thing that I don’t think will be resolved-resolved till Jane brings it up to Milo whenever they have that Talk that they need to have that’s kinda been building up haha.

I actually can’t remember if Lauryl offered Paul as the sacrificial lamb first or we had LADS interact with all our characters and Jane and Paul kinda hit it off (they’re both naturally flirty)—but whichever one it was, we took it off and just kept playing with it. It did take a brief hold up as my school picked up (darn you school), but I think it’s back on track and combined with this mummy plot. Well. Should be a fun time.

IF YOU DID THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE: Pick another item on your wishlist that hasn’t happened yet. We’re gonna do a MOCK-PLOT!!! Pick a character who could help with this goal, and plan at least three threads or “steps” that would kick-start this plot. Need help? Remember to look at the plotting tips and tricks! See the end of this questionnaire for an example. You do not have to follow through with the plot as you planned it here– but it can kickstart brainstorming and get you thinking in terms of cause/effect.

Ok im cheating a bit for this and picking a character with a plot that I did not have on the wishlist (and then adding someone that I did bc why not)

LYMANTRIA GOES OFF THE DEEP END

Have someone further influence Lymantria into believing that she’s nothing without her magic (Mel or Mellie)

Lymantria seeks someone who will take Fey’s with her. They do the drug together. (Alice)

A trusted friend notices what’s going on and tries to intervene. (Maui or Meg)

Lymantria does not listen. Stronger forces must get involved (depending probably on who it was in the previous thread but most likely Esme or Copper/law enforcement in general (lmao or both)).

DAISY ADMITS SHE NEEDS THERAPY

There’s a thing that’s supposed to happen which will result in a big fight. (Tito)

Daisy most likely will go to Lou for advice. (Lou)

Most likely, she will not feel any the better from that and will probably save face since she hates seeming weak (especially in front of Lou lol) and then will be like let’s do what normal college aged girls do and go clubbing! And then get a full blown panic attack while clubbing. (Annette probably does daisy have any female friends idk---oh maybe Hermes tbh)

Either ends up at home or in the hospital, and like the boys will come so this is between Tito/Lou idk who is more likely to suggest that to her. Heck maybe Stan. Or ya know maybe a medical professional—Minnie? Sweet? Idk this end part is really up in the air and I think depends on what happens in the previous part.

AL LEARNS ABOUT FEMINISM

While online gaming, Al is confronted by a female gamer who calls him out for being a chauvinist. He relates this experience to a friend who further calls him out. (Gogo)

Al wants to find out what the heck he is doing wrong. Don’t women have it good already? He seeks out a woman he knows who has a better education than him and a better job, because he was definitely qualified to get into a good school he just couldn’t ya know and he wants to find out /why/ women think they are at a disadvantage. (Nala)

Al can’t believe it! He tries to find a man whom he respects who agrees with Nala. (a man Al respects—Wade, idk. Who is a nerd here?)

Finally: write a NEW wish list for the upcoming half of the year. It’s fine if you use a lot from your previous wish list if you still haven’t completed them and you still want to!

1.       Family connections—leftover from my last list, but in the works as we speak mwhaha

2.       I know I have already had a few love triangles, but I want one where the two outer points are like actually close and would hate to hurt each other by picking the love interest (like Angelica-Eliza-Hamilton, tbh) ‘cuz the ones I have right now the two outer points don’t really care about each other remotely.

3.       POLYAMOROUS RELATIONSHIP—who knows, could be the solution to the above conflict haha.

4.       Threesome—I’ve been pitching this endlessly. Someone write a threesome with me.

5.       Explore Jake’s magic: I think his is the most undeveloped. I need an opportunity to bring it to light. I want him to either heroically help someone OR get in trouble and have to face the Dragon order repercussions, etc ,etc.