#and how it offers an interesting reading grid for their arc

[sargepilled]

i'm truly speechless by sun bleached flies. the last two chapters are so beautiful i can't 😭 i love how logan finally got what he longed for: a peace within himself. that he finally accepts his omega status and also embraces it. how max becomes his protector, his confidante, and someone he can trust. i love that they build their life together and their family literally from scratches, away from their own respective families. i love the part on chapter 15 where it's max's pov and it's a back and forth between his dream for the future and also his fear from the past.

i don't know if you're done done with this fic or will you write a snippets/short fics related to this world? i would love to see how logan balances between motherhood, being a mate to a race driver, and being a race driver himself for indycar. or maybe like the future fic where logan and max grow old with more wrinkles, laughter lines, softer body, and gray hairs. it might be interesting but i understand if you have closed this chapter too.

what i just realised is that isn't logan and max has the same bright blue eyes and sand blonde hair? although max's hair is a bit darker than logan but i think max is also considered as a blonde. levi might be the most beautiful, good looking pup though, because damn, his parents are too!

and what i just remembered is that i think logan (the real one) has two sides: the fierce, american man but he also has that soft, shy european side. i love love love him on the 2024 grill the grid videos! he just looks so soft and a bit shy and his hair is so fluffy and he looks angelic in his white race suit 🥹 and i also imagine this logan as max's mate though. like fierce, lion max paired with this soft omega logan (like you said in the story: a lion paired with a lamb and they walk side by side).

and i'm also sad that this story has come to the end. eventhough you also have another WIPs but this one is my ultimate favourite of yours! i could scream it on the top of my lungs of how much i lvoe love love this story. not only the idea, but also your writing style and your dedication here.

i've also seen you write for carlos/logan too? i haven't read it yet but i will now! maybe i can entice you with the idea of alpha carlos/omega logan? i just love the idea of soft, shy omega logan paired with a fierce, protective alpha, whoever it is (max, carlos, oscar, etc).

thank you for writing such a beautiful fic! hope life have been treating you well 🤍

Your words truly touched me—thank you so much for reading all the way through and for staying with me from the early chapters. It means more than I can express, especially as this story now reaches its end.

Logan’s peace was one of the hardest things to write toward, because for so long he carried shame, grief, and a quiet kind of self-hatred. For him to finally accept his omega status—and not just accept it, but begin to embrace it—felt like the most important part of the entire arc. I wanted Max to be more than a love interest. I wanted him to be someone who offered safety, someone Logan could fully unravel with and still be held. I’m so glad that came through.

I really love that you pointed out the imagery in Chapter 15. That dream sequence, with Max caught between memories of hurt and this aching vision of something soft and real—I think that’s how healing often works. Not as a clean break from the past, but as a back-and-forth. For Max and Logan, that fragility and longing were always tied together. I’m genuinely grateful that you saw that.

It makes me so happy that you’d even want to see more from this world. I don’t currently have a sequel planned, but little moments—small scenes of Logan balancing motherhood with racing, or the softness of growing older together—have crossed my mind more than once. It’s definitely not a closed door. And knowing you’d welcome more… that helps, more than you know.

Your note about Logan and Max’s physical similarities made me smile—I’ve always found the shared visual aesthetics between them really striking too. And yes! While Max has those striking blue eyes, Logan’s are more of a greyish green—still sharp and expressive, especially under certain light. His beauty is quiet, almost unassuming at times, but no less breathtaking. And Levi is a very very blessed little guy, lol.

And your reflection on Logan’s duality—god, thank you for seeing that. That was so much of the challenge in writing him. I spent a lot of time watching his interviews and media to try and capture that balance: on Team Torques with Alex, he’s quick-witted, sarcastic, a little bratty even (which I adore), but in something like Grill the Grid, you see this incredibly soft-spoken, anxious version of him, with all these tender little tics. He’s cried more than once publicly, which only deepens my admiration for him. He feels everything so visibly, so genuinely. That emotional intelligence and vulnerability deserved to live in this fic—I wanted him to be as textured and real here as he is in life.

A lion paired with a lamb, walking side by side. That was the core of it all, really. Max didn’t need to tame Logan, and Logan didn’t need to be protected from himself—they just had to choose to walk beside each other, as they were.

You mentioned the possibility of me writing more A/B/O, and I wanted to thank you for that encouragement. Truthfully, writing within this dynamic is something I’ve approached carefully—while it can be rich and deeply emotional, it also requires a certain kind of balance. I didn’t want Logan’s suffering to be because he was an omega—I wanted it to reflect something much more real, something about shame and not being accepted for who you are. I also didn’t want Max to “fix” him just by being an alpha, but to be someone who saw Logan’s worth already and gave him space to grow. The A/B/O dynamics can sometimes flatten characters into tropes, and I knew I never wanted that for these two. That said—I’ve grown more confident as a writer through this fic. So while it’s still a challenge for me, I am hopeful that I’ll write within the dynamic again. Maybe with Carlos and Logan or Loscar!! The thought’s stayed with me for a while, because I am an absolute sucker for that shy, soft, Logan in any universe! 😅

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading and staying all the way to the end. For seeing the details I wasn’t sure anyone would. And for being so gentle with your love for these boys. You’ve made this journey even more special. ♥️♥️ If you do end up venturing into any of my other works, I’d absolutely adore hearing what you think!! Thank you endlessly Anon, again.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Iron 12 (Peter Parker x Fem!Oc)

A/N: Now let's start with Avengers! Getting closer to seeing Peter, lol.

I know, I know...

Words: 1,593

Masterlist:

Post-credits scene II  / Chapter 13

“Good to go on this end. The rest is up to you,” says Tony from the other end of the call.

"You diconnected the transmission lines?" Pepper asks. "Are we off the grid?"

"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy.”

"Well, assuming the arc reactor takes over and it actually works,” She continues

"I assume,” answers Tony. "Light her up.”

The huge sign forms a Stark when the lights come on.

"How does it look?"

"Like Christmas, but more... me.”

“Us!" says Lily after listening to the boring conversation between the two adults.

“We’ve got to go wider on the public awareness campaign. You need to do some press. I'm in DC tomorrow, I'm working on the zoning for the next three buildings,” says Pepper.

"That sounds so boring,” Lily complains walking to the couch, leaving her legs swinging on the armrest.

“I agree with the girl. Pepper, you're killing me. The moment, remember? Enjoy the moment.”

"Get in here and I will,” replies the redhead with a smile.

“Ew," adds Lily.

Since Tony and Pepper are finally together, they can't help but be more affectionate than normal, unfortunately the girl always has to interrupt them. She already has enough trauma.

When Tony reaches the tower, he walks on a platform where several robotic hands are responsible for removing the Iron Man suit.

The redhead continues to see the levels projected in the holograms. She leans back on the desk, waiting for Tony.

"Levels are holding steady… I think.”

Tony comes to her side, they talk, and then discuss the percentage of the great success of the reactor. All while Lily continues to get bored on the couch. The adults sit on the floor in front of the coffee table, surrounded by the armchairs, along with two glasses of champagne.

Blah, blah, blah, elevator, blah, blah, blah, money, blah, blah, percentage.

Lily sighs exaggeratedly to get their attention. They both stop talking and Tony watches her.

"Oh sorry, are we bothering you?"

Pepper purses her lips to keep from laughing.

"Actually yes,” the girl sits up. “I'm supposed to be able to do more things, go out more often.”

"And you did it.”

"From the house to the tower does not count, Dad,” She answers. "It's the same as before, only in another prison…”

"Don't exaggerate,” answers Tony. She sighs and falls back onto the cushions. “I don't understand why you’re bored. We’ve just made a breakthrough for the company.”

“One, your company. Two, I did nothing, just watched percentages, values, holograms. Bored!"

"I thought you liked that," adds Pepper.

"I want to do something else.”

"Like what, Smarty?"

"What about an Iron Man suit for me?" She says turning her head towards them.

Tony laughs out loud.

"It wont happen.”

"I had to try it…”

"Sir, the telephone," Jarvis interrupts. "I'm afraid my protocols are being overridden.”

"Mr. Stark, we need to talk,” says a male voice. Tony takes the phone from him.

"That sounds interesting," says Lily.

“You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message,” He pretends to be an answering machine looking at the screen, making Lily and Pepper laugh.

"This is urgent.”

"Then leave it urgently.”

But the elevator doors open, revealing Agent Coulson.

"This just keeps getting better,” says Lily. It had been a long time since they had seen Phil.

"Don't get excited kid. Security breach,” Tony complains.

"Phil, come in!" says Pepper getting up.

Tony looks confused at his girlfriend and follows her to where the agent is.

"I can't stay," answers Phil. He looks towards the couch where Lily greets him. "Hi, Lily.”

"His first name is Agent,” says Tony a little annoyed, but then he fakes a smile.

"We need you to look this over as soon as possible,” says Phil offering him a device.

Pepper is in charge of exchanging the device for his champagne glass, until it reaches Tony's hand.

"Official consulting hours are between eight and five, every other Thursday—”

"This isn’t a consultation," replies Phil.

"Now what did we do?" Lily asks, rising from the couch.

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asks, then adds quickly. "Which I know nothing about.”

Tony opens the device in such a way that he reveals only a touch screen, he gestures to Lily and they both walk to a desk in the back.

"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought — And I did not qualify," He huffs.

"I did!”

Tony looks at her.

"Who told you that?"

“Nat," She smiles.

"I didn't know that either," continues Pepper.

"Apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others…”

“Bingo," says Lily.

"That I did know.”

"This isn’t about personality profile anymore,” replies Phil.

“Whatever," says Toy looking at the screen.

"What are we watching?" Lily asks, as her father obstructs her vision.

"Wait, Ms Potts, got a second?" The redhead obeys.

Tony enters some codes.

"You know, I thought we were having a family moment," He complains.

"I was having 12% of a moment.”

"Oh, not this again,” says Lily

The pair try to argue again, but Pepper changes the subject.

"What is all this?”

“This is… this.”

Lily walks to see each screen, where the profiles of some people are shown. Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Thor.

Pepper sighs. "I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight,” She says.

“Tomorrow," corrects Tony. They both talk, but Lily's attention is still in the files.

"Lily?" says the redhead and the girl turns. "I have to go."

Lily walks up to her and hugs her tightly.

"Be careful,” the little girl whispers when they part. Pepper nods, strokes her black hair and kisses her forehead. She then goes back to Phil.

"Wait, so who am I staying with?" asks the girl looking at her father. The three adults share a look. "Jess is in class, Happy’s busy and you’ll go,” She points to Pepper.

“Actually…” Coulson begins.

"I'll find a babysitter," Tony interrupts.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Sir. For this we need both Starks.”

"What?" say Tony, Pepper and Lily at the same time.

"They need me? Me?" Lily asks in disbelief. She feels a tickling start in her hands, but this time she controls it and hides her hands behind her back.

"No, Phil, it's dangerous for a ten-year-old girl," says the Redhead.

"I thought she was on probation," adds Tony.

“Our base will be surrounded by qualified and knowledgeable agents to ensure Ms. Stark's protection. Besides, it’s only a search, in case the situation changes, she’ll be taken to Miss Potts immediately.”

Lily's gaze moves between the agent and her father repeatedly, waiting for an answer.

“What do you need her for? Specifically,” says Tony.

"Director Fury thinks two Starks are better than one,” He tries to joke. "His words, not mine, but everything’s explained in the files.”

"Is this really happening?" Lily asks to no one in particular. “Someone finally heard my complaints!”

“Hey, calm your sugar. I won't let you go alone like this,” Tony warns.

"So, can I go?”

Tony groans. He senses Pepper's confused look, but he ignores it. Even he doesn't know if this is a good idea, but the fact that the super agents need his daughter makes him curious, and he has a feeling that if he doesn't accept, they’ll try to get it some other way and that's worse.

The redhead sighs in defeat, waiting for Tony to have everything under control. Although that’s not common in him. She now must worry about both of them, but at least has the assurance that Phil will be around. She just hopes she doesn't regret it later.

"Please, stay safe,” She finally says to them, then he returns to Phil and the two leave the Stark tower.

Lily watches them until she's alone with her father. She turns to meet the man holding a hologram of a blue cube.

"What's that?"

"We'll find out soon,” He returns the hologram to the screen and looks down at her. "I'll prepare coffee and chocolate, you and I will find ourselves reading and talking about the new rules of the game."

"New Rules? I'm not six years old anymore, dad.”

He sighs and makes a face.

"These rules are not in case you break something, Lily,” He looks directly into her eyes. “You heard Coulson. We’ll be surrounded by agents, spies trained to do whatever they are ordered to do. And at some point that order can harm us.”

"But Mr. Fury-"

“I know we have given them permission for certain things like your training, but it was all happening under my watch and Jarvis's. This time we’ll have to go to them, and that’s a problem.”

She frowns, analyzing that information.

“But Nat and Phil… They wouldn't do something like that.”

"I don't know, Kid. We can’t take anything for granted.”

"It's not easy and anyone can fool you, Lils." She remembers Nat's words during her training. In the end she nods towards her father.

"So what do I have to do?"

“Pretend that everything’s fine, but you have to stay alert and try not to get too far away from me. I don’t know the real reason why they want you in this, but you should not believe everything they tell you.”

"This will be more complicated than I thought," She adds with a grimace.

"Don't worry,” He offers his hand. "You and I are smarter than they are.” Lily holds his hand.

Taglist:

@silenthappyplace @yourbonesareinmybody @aylauwuuniverse    @skittles-skittles @hufflepuffzutara @poetryislife0715 @21bruhs @heavenlymistakes @my-love-of-books @dielgonacoffee  @thelastpyle​

[aion-rsa]

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 12 Review: Diary Queen

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This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 12

The Simpsons Season 32, episode 12, “Diary Queen,” may be the sweetest offering of the series. It’s not only sentimental and self-esteem-positive, it’s downright edumacational. At least for Bart, who certainly learns a lesson. Thankfully, as the episode explains by example, he probably won’t retain it.

“What’s the matter, Bart? I figure you’d be used to failing by now,” Edna Krabappel once consoled the spiky haired kid who seemed so determined to get through school without schooling. Marcia Wallace, who played the Springfield Elementary teacher, died unexpectedly in October 2013. Edna’s death was first acknowledged in “Four Regrettings and a Funeral,” from season 25, when Bart wrote “We’ll really miss you Mrs. K” on the chalkboard. He only wrote it once. Her death was punishment enough. Both the character and the voice actor were instrumental in the chemistry of The Simpsons, and chemistry happens to be one of the few things Bart’s ever excelled at in school, even pranking a talent show in the “Haw-Haw Land” episode. But he gets his beakers crossed in the latest installment.

“Diary Queen” opens with an inspired West Side Story song parody, “Too Nice” replacing “Tonight.”  It’s time for Ned Flanders’s annual yard sale, and he’s on a holy mission to undersell eBay. Comic Book Guy is looking for a broom to play Quidditch on, Waylen Smithers is going to score some kitsch, and Ned will finally toss those fuzzy dice Maude bought him to the bottom of an impulse item box of jokes he did not get. The Flanders family are parting with their humble possession in a public bid for humility, in case no one notices. Ned gives up Rod’s teeth. Todd consigns his toys to the auction block on the grass. “Playing is a sin that we regret,” one of the Flanders kids explains.

Ned’s bizarre outdoor bazaar is the only segment which has any meanness in it. The Springfieldians want to take advantage of Ned, and openly mock him. Carl and Lenny turn the yard sale into a yarn brawl, and Jimbo’s gang buys commemorative plates just to smash them. It’s enough to send Ned looking for the fans he always carries around in case of stress-induced hot flashes. As Patty and Selma are flicking ashes into Rod and Tod’s baby shoes, it seems Nelson, Bart, and Millhouse are the only ones worthy to buy Ned’s treasured mementos. And, of those, only Nelson’s purchase is authentic. He buys all the bad words, like “adultery” and “fornication,” which Ned cut out of his old religious texts. Nelson has a genuine use for them, you can just tell.

Bart and Millhouse buy the books. Even without the offending admonishments, they swear they’ll still find useful ways to better themselves. Their haul winds up being the fiery centerpiece for a supercool skateboarding feat which no one will ever see. It’s an old joke, but we do get to notice how big Millhouse’s nose looks when he’s picking it. One book, which gives the title to the episode, is spared the conflagration of Bart’s daredevil jump: Edna Krabappel’s diary. Bart recognizes the Ds and Fs, and Millhouse recognizes the smell of Parliament Lights 100s. It’s very telling how these are the most recognizable clues. They are each ready-made character punchlines.

The diary is a font of information. Bart and Millhouse learn all the teachers work night jobs during school hours, and the many lonely secrets of Groundskeeper Willie. But their first use of it is inspired gaggery. Bart learns Superintendent Chalmers keeps his car keys behind the visor. The two kids not only steal the car but take advantage of a free yogurt offer at a car wash. The idea that taking the yogurt and ditching the car is a “perfect crime” is great kids’ logic. It is a little odd, however, that Springfield’s Chief Wiggum sees fourth grade car thieves as inspiration for a little personal time with Officer Lou, but it works within Simpsons logic.

The central point of the episode is Bart’s relationship with his dead teacher, and his relationship with himself. He actually believes someone he thought only saw him as troublesome also considered him “smart as a whip.” It leads him to believe he actually has potential, which he translates to: all the time he was showing his butt he was showing promise. This spurs him into thinking about getting seriously educated. Not only does he try but he succeeds on his first dry run, resisting the urge to draw a skeleton head on a multiple-choice test grid, and getting an A. Not only does he finally understand how his sister Lisa doesn’t suck, but he puts himself on the same level.

Lisa goes through all the stages of jealousy, and even realizes she’s on the verge of obsession when even her imaginary comfort pony begins to look like Bart. This makes it worse, because realizing he is the only thing she can think about only makes her dwell on it. Lisa is usually the family genius, and how she reacts to Bart doing well really depends on the circumstance and need for story conflict. For instance, when Bart had to apply geometry to miniature golf in an early episode, Lisa brought a Zenlike understanding of all things which putt. Lisa does Bart a disservice tonight in the guise of doing the right thing. It’s her MO.

Of course, Marge and Lisa don’t trust Bart’s recent good grades, but while he comes up clean to Marge, Lisa digs up the dirt. Bart correlates “cruel” with “lying” because “they’re both great.” He thinks he’s going to win a Spelling Bee just because he has the potential to do it. Would it have been less cruel for Lisa to let him see how far his belief would get him? She’s set him up for worse humiliations just for an edge at science fairs.

Millhouse gets a few good gags tonight. When Lisa starts developing a rash because of the stress of not crushing her brother’s potential, he pulls cream out of his fanny pack labeled “rash stash.” Groundskeeper Willie is a highlight of the episode. His character has one of the most interesting takes on passive aggressive behavior in comedy. It’s not that he gets it backwards, so much as he pays it forward: Terrorizing Bart with the idea of simmering a new pet into rabbit stew when all he’s thinking of is how much bunnies love stewed carrots.

Read more

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The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 11 Review: The Dad Feelings-Limited

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The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 10 Review: A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas

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Subtle social commentary makes its way into the episode. As this is the first episode since the Trump presidency, it opens with a Bald Eagle flying a sign asking “Is it safe yet?” We learn Ned doesn’t find Bill Maher funny. A priest tells Bart and Millhouse reading someone else’s diary in church is not the worst thing you can do within the hallowed walls. Moments later we see the priest handcuffed and escorted past the pews by the police. We can only wonder what offenses are happening at Reverend Lovejoy’s competition.

Fat Tony (Tony Montagna) tells his henchmen his crime family doesn’t kill children, “We wait till they’re 18.” Lisa is kept up at night by the cold dead eyes of Mike Pence. Subtle subversive commentary can be found when Principal Skinner declares the drug-free portion of the school assembly a success because Lisa, the only one in the auditorium, tells him she doesn’t do drugs. But the scene comes shortly after we learn Dr. Hibbert is pushing kiddie-Xanax “sleepies” and “dopies” on her. The best bad side effects are “Portuguese insolence” and the “tendency to see yourself as others see you.”

The episode has quite a few sight gags which work well. The sign outside the Spelling Bee contest reads H-E-A-R, and we see one of the losing contestants ripping up a dictionary on the way to the exit. When Ned starts to preachify in the treehouse, he only stops because Bart is drawing back a trigger finger on his slingshot. Mrs. Krabappel’s beloved cat not only was not harmed during the making of the episode, but was a willing participant, according to the closing disclaimer. One of the stills in the photo montage is of Krabappel watching The Bob Newhart Show, which Marcia Wallace was a regular on.

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For the majority of The Simpsons’ run, Mrs. Krabappel was a sexually independent woman who was often “looking for a substitute to teach me a lesson I sorely need.” She began dating widower Ned in “The Ned-Liest Catch” from season 22. They married in secret and stayed together until her death in “The Man Who Grew Too Much.” The cause of Edna’s death has never been revealed, except in a non-canon, future-set episode. For this installment, Wallace’s two lines are taken from earlier episodes. “Diary Queen” will be her last appearance.

This is a different kind of arc for The Simpsons. “Diary Queen” is on an uplifting trajectory until Lisa knocks it off course, and ends in a sudden life-affirming crash. Bart’s final warning to Marge, “I’ll go over the edge if you try to make me feel better,” is wonderfully skewered, but the final twist is a dose of treacle. The episode was originally slated to premiere on Valentine’s Day, and is a sweet sendoff.

The post The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 12 Review: Diary Queen appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[geekmedium]

Favorite Doctor/Companion Teams

Because I want to spread some Doctor Who good cheer for Christmas. Also, I’m not doing the 9th or 13th doctor because they’ve really only had one team. Anyway...

1. The Original Team 

The ones who started it all. They would win by iconography, but even with that, they’re just a lot of fun to watch. This is the doctor at his most curmudgeon; he’s rude, fairly detached, and very much not the hero we’re use to. So they gave him a granddaughter who he cares for, and two teachers who act as the parents and honestly more noble, likable people.

It’s a family dynamic, one which we don’t see often. I appreciate that they were a team who grew to care for each other, but still had radically different approaches to whatever situation they found themselves in. And it is through this team up that the Doctor could mellow out and be a more straight up heroic figure. He learned from them just as much as the reverse.

2nd, Jamie, and Zoe 

Where the first team had a family dynamic to it, the second doctor had a more “bro” relationship with his team. He and Jamie are famously close, and if I’m not mistaken, Jamie is still one of the longest lasting companions. They joked around, had each others backs, and were just great pals. While Doctor Who was meant to be a teaching show, I believe these two turned the tone from edutainment into one full of Wonder.

As for Zoe, well I just like her. She was probably the first companion who could be considered of super intelligence. I like the Doctor and Jamie as two bros hanging out, but Zoe can be in there to keep everyone from getting along too well. Her intelligence could lead her to be smug, but she was truly loyal to the Tardis team. And I loved her interactions with Jamie as brother and sister.

3rd and Jo Grant 

I kind of like the Doctor with a ditzy companion. Despite not being remembered very well, I think Jo was able to occasionally pull her weight and she worked well with the Doctor. Plus their last scene together, when he says goodbye? Man, you could tell how sad that made not only them, but their actors as well.

4th and Sarah Jane

There were so many choices, but ultimately I can’t help thinking of this one as the best. Not only is Sarah Jane still considered one of the best companions, her dynamic with the Doctor was one of equal love and exasperation. She would often debate with him, grow frustrated with him, but still be with him through some of the most terrifying threats any companion had to deal with. And when it was time to go, she took it with good grace; she would always remember her time with the Doctor fondly, and only asked that he do the same. Magical.

5th, Adric, Tegan, and Nyssa 

Here we have the family dynamic back again. I just really like the Doctor acting like a mentor to Adric, with Tegan and Nyssa as best friends who act like the big sisters of the group. I feel that while the first Doctor’s family was a generational thing, with each passing something to the next, the fifth Doctor’s family was a group of siblings. They were kind of equals with each other, and they got into plenty of small arguments, constantly annoying each other, but with a kind of affection that made them want to be together even when they were mad.

I know it’s hard to write Doctor Who with more than 1 or 2 constant companions, but I personally like family dynamics the best. With the 2nd through 4th, there isn’t a ton to say because they got on very well. There were disagreements sure, but for the most part, they were great friends and always happy with each other. A family dynamic, like with the fifth ensured a lot more dynamic back in forth bickering, with everyone's different backgrounds playing off each other in a way unique to Doctor Who, that could bring people from different timelines and planets together.

6th and Evelyn

I’m going to cheat a bit by going off the grid into the audio dramas. No offense to Peri fans, but Evelyn is everything a companion should be. Tough, strongly opinionated, and incredibly empathetic, she provided a good foil to possibly the most selfish Doctor.

But what I loved most about her was that she was elderly. It provided a different dynamic to the Doctor, who occasionally acted the part of student to her mentor, instead of the usual status quo which is the reverse. Even more than that was her role in the story; she wasn’t there to be a young companion who realizes her potential under the Doctor. She was there to show that even if your bones don’t work like they use to. Even if you’re not most people’s ideal of good looking. Even if you’ve lived a life full of joys and sorrows, you’re never too old to start over. To gain new experiences, new joys, new pains, and new love.

I think that’s really beautiful.

7th and Ace

I struggled with if I wanted to add Bernice Summerfield to this team, because she’s great. But then I realized so much of what I like about the 7th Doctor and Ace works when they are a two person team.

The 7th Doctor is believed to be the most manipulative, actively using his own loved ones for the greater good. He can be cold and calculating in a way few other Doctors ever approached. And so that made his relationship with Ace all the more heartwarming. Here was this little delinquent of a girl, who thought she was worthless, and yet she was the only person in the universe who could bend the 7th Doctor to her whim; he loved her like a daughter, and the scenes where they interact is all the more special when you contrast them with the cold Doctor.

Having another companion kind of intrudes on this very intimate bond. I think Ace should be special to this Doctor. The one person who he would sacrifice himself before he sacrificed her. A companion who can be horrified with his more manipulative acts, but nevertheless stuck with him out of a loyalty to the first person who ever took a chance on her. Hurt Ace at your peril; the 7th Doctor will come for you.

8th and Izzy (plus Fey) 

Ignore that Izzy’s a fish, she isn’t usually.

This one is pure nostalgia. The 8th Doctor’s comic strip adventures were my first real introduction to the WHO-niverse. So while I’m sure Izzy is probably last on most people’s list (if they know her at all), she’ll always be my companion. She was probably the first pop-culture savvy companion who could offer a quip that stumped even the Doctor with how contemporary it was. She was finding herself on her journey with the Doctor, and had a character arc that I think inspired RTD when it was his time to reboot the series. Plus, from what I’ve read of other 8th Doctor material, he tends to be romantically linked with most of his other companions. Some people might like that, but I think you can tell from this list, I like my Doctor as a more celibate fellow.

Fey is someone who I think of as an intermittent companion. She helps out the Doctor a great deal, and her position within the universe is very unique and imaginative, but I wouldn’t want her in for more than a story arc or two at a time before moving on to another spatial-temporal James Bond style adventure.

10th and Donna

Like the fourth Doctor before him, I had plenty of options. I was even gonna pull a fast one and pick another comic strip companion, the self-centered businesswoman Majenta Pryce. But the 10th Doctor and Donna are special.

Not only is she one of the only companions the Doctor has called his best friend, when you get down to it, she was who he needed at the time. After the last two companions had ended in a sort of tragic romance, the Doctor was walling himself off again. Donna, however, came into his life as purely a friend. Someone to pal around with and banter with. For the Doctor, this must have been a godsend. No drama, no hassle, just true companionship in every since of the word. And she still has possibly the saddest exit for any companion to date.

Goodbye Donna Noble. You definitely lived up to the name.

11th, Amy, and Rory (plus River Song) 

The last family companionship on this list, and quite honestly, my favorite Tardis dynamic in the whole series. Why? Because it’s such a glorious mess that should collapse in flames but becomes something that’s just so interesting to think about.

The Doctor was Amy’s childhood crush she never quite got over. She eventually grew to love Rory, but both she and the Doctor were kind of dismissive of him. But does Rory angst and get into a love rivalry with the Doctor? Not really. He grows into himself, faces numerous dangers for them both, and by the end both Amy and the Doctor love the guy to pieces. And then you have River Song, who should turn the whole thing into a kind of Jerry Springer prize winner. I won’t go into spoilers, but what could have seemed creepy is actually a very interesting relationship with the Doctor. Though like Fey above, I think she works best as an intermittent companion who often goes off on her own adventures.

Still, they are the best family and if that’s controversial, it is the hill I will die on.

12th and Clara

The final companions are another friendship. In a lot of ways, this is pretty fun, because the 12th Doctor is an old curmudgeon like the first. But with all that he’s been through, it is interesting to see how they contrasts, especially in their companions. Because while the 1st Doctor was happy to play the cranky grandfather type, 12th had a genuine friendship with Clara.

They didn’t always get each other. They frequently disagreed, and could even be resentful. But when the chips were down, they would follow each other into hell together. The Doctor always tried to be a little more considerate for her than most others around him, and Clara tried to defend him against his critics. And while the end to their companionship could have been handled better, it was still an impactful parting between two friends.

So do you agree or disagree? Who are your favorite teams? I would love to know.

[archivallyminded]

Current Historical Reading Recommendations from a Former Cambridge History Student:

The War of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors: By Dan Jones: 

The crown of England changed hands five times over the course of the fifteenth century, as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. In this riveting follow-up to The Plantagenets, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest-reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors.Some of the greatest heroes and villains of history were thrown together in these turbulent times, from Joan of Arc to Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt marked the high point of the medieval monarchy, and Richard III, who murdered his own nephews in a desperate bid to secure his stolen crown. This was a period when headstrong queens and consorts seized power and bent men to their will. With vivid descriptions of the battles of Towton and Bosworth, where the last Plantagenet king was slain, this dramatic narrative history revels in bedlam and intrigue. It also offers a long-overdue corrective to Tudor propaganda, dismantling their self-serving account of what they called the Wars of the Roses.

Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation by David Horspool:

For many, Richard III is an obsession--the Richard III Society has a huge membership, and Shakespeare's Histories have contributed to, if not his popularity, certainly his notoriety. Now, with the discovery of Richard III's bones under a parking lot in Leicester, England, interest in this divisive and enigmatic figure in British history is at an all-time high. It is a compelling story to scholars as well as general readers, who continue to seek out the kind of strong narrative history that David Horspool delivers in this groundbreaking biography of the king.

Richard III dispassionately examines the legend as well as the man to uncover both what we know of the life of Richard, and the way that his reputation has been formed and re-formed over centuries. But beyond simply his reputation, there is no dispute that the last Plantagenet is a pivotal figure in English history--his death signaled the end of the War of the Roses, and, arguably, the end of the medieval period in England--and Horspool's biography chronicles this tumultuous time with flair.

This narrative-driven and insightful biography lays out a view of Richard that is fair to his historical character and to his background in the medieval world. Above all, it is authoritative in its assessment of a king who came to the throne under extraordinary circumstances.

Blood Sisters: The Hidden Lives of the Women Behind the Wars of the Roses by Sarah Gristwood:

The true story of the White Queen and more, this is a thrilling history of the extraordinary noblewomen who lived through the Wars of the Roses.

The events of the Wars of the Roses are usually described in terms of the men involved: Richard Duke of York, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII. But these years were also packed with women’s drama and – in the tales of conflicted maternity and monstrous births – alive with female energy.

In this completely original book, Sarah Gristwood sheds light on a neglected dimension of English history: the impact of Tudor women on the Wars of the Roses. She examines, among others, Cecily Neville, who was deprived of being queen when her husband died at the Battle of Wakefield; Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner who married Edward IV in secret; Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, whose love and ambition for her son knew no bounds.

Until now, the lives of these women have remained little known to the general public. Sarah Gristwood tells their stories in detail for the first time. Captivating and original, this is historical writing of the most important kind.

Tesla: Inventor of the Modern by Richard Munson

Tesla’s inventions transformed our world, and his visions have continued to inspire great minds for generations. Nikola Tesla invented the radio, robots, and remote control. His electric induction motors run our appliances and factories, yet he has been largely overlooked by history. In Tesla, Richard Munson presents a comprehensive portrait of this farsighted and underappreciated mastermind.

When his first breakthrough—alternating current, the basis of the electric grid—pitted him against Thomas Edison’s direct-current empire, Tesla’s superior technology prevailed. Unfortunately, he had little business sense and could not capitalize on this success. His most advanced ideas went unrecognized for decades: forty years in the case of the radio patent, longer still for his ideas on laser beam technology. Although penniless during his later years, he never stopped imagining. In the early 1900s, he designed plans for cell phones, the Internet, death-ray weapons, and interstellar communications. His ideas have lived on to shape the modern economy.

Who was this genius? Drawing on letters, technical notebooks, and other primary sources, Munson pieces together the magnificently bizarre personal life and mental habits of the enigmatic inventor. Born during a lightning storm at midnight, Tesla died alone in a New York City hotel. He was an acute germaphobe who never shook hands and required nine napkins when he sat down to dinner. Strikingly handsome and impeccably dressed, he spoke eight languages and could recite entire books from memory. Yet Tesla’s most famous inventions were not the product of fastidiousness or linear thought but of a mind fueled by both the humanities and sciences: he conceived the induction motor while walking through a park and reciting Goethe’s Faust.

Tesla worked tirelessly to offer electric power to the world, to introduce automatons that would reduce life’s drudgery, and to develop machines that might one day abolish war. His story is a reminder that technology can transcend the marketplace and that profit is not the only motivation for invention. This clear, authoritative, and highly readable biography takes account of all phases of Tesla’s remarkable life.

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marble (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize)

Hailed as "a masterpiece" (San Francisco Chronicle), the late Manning Marable's acclaimed biography of Malcolm X finally does justice to one of the most influential and controversial figures of twentieth-century American history. Filled with startling new information and shocking revelations, Malcolm X unfolds a sweeping story of race and class in America. Reaching into Malcolm's troubled youth, it traces a path from his parents' activism as followers of Marcus Garvey through his own work with the Nation of Islam and rise in the world of black nationalism, and culminates in the never-before-told true story of his assassination. Malcolm X is a stunning achievement, the definitive work on one of our greatest advocates for social change.

[recurring-polynya]

Hey, remember that metapost I did a week ago, when I joked that I was charmed by the idea of Renji and Rukia getting together immediately after the Soul Society arc and making out in the waiting room of the Coordinated Relief Station while waiting for Byakuya to get out of surgery?

Uh, welp, some fanfic fell out.

Fast Times at the Coordinated Relief Station [AO3][FF.net] (leave me some kudo/favs, you animals!)

Quality Assurance by @diademchiofthetripod

Rated T for salty language and make-outs.

Everything about this is just extremely disrespectful to Byakuya.

Rukia glanced at the clock over the nurse’s station. 1:17p.m. 

A little later than planned, but that was Ichigo's fault, as usual. She had wanted to check in with him and make sure he was actually resting and not destroying any beloved cultural institutions before she got tied up for the afternoon. He was not, as it happens, resting. He was mostly shouting, as was his way, but at least he seemed to be staying in his bed down in the recovery ward. She felt she had left him in good hands, between Chad and Orihime. Uryuu was there, too, although he appeared to be the proximate cause of the shouting.

“Has my brother been taken into surgery, yet?” Rukia asked the harried nurse on duty.

The nurse flipped through some papers. “Who is your brother?”

“Kuchiki Byakuya? Captain of the Sixth?”

The nurse didn’t seem to care whether he was the Soul King himself. She unhurriedly located the correct chart. “Yes. He was deemed well enough to have the surgery today, and they just took him in. It should be two hours at least. If you’d like to stay, go down to Waiting Area 4C.” She pointed down the hallway without looking up.

Byakuya’s head retainer, Seike, had offered to come down and wait, in case anything went amiss during the surgery, but Rukia had insisted on coming herself. It was probably the first time she had insisted on anything since she had come to live with the Kuchikis. Byakuya had been injured saving her, though, and this was something she wanted to do. To her surprise, Seike had seemed almost...charmed by her insistence.

Was it only two days ago?

Two days ago that Rukia had nearly been executed. Two days ago that Ichigo and then her captain and then Renji and then Ichigo again had come to her rescue. Two days ago that Captain Aizen had betrayed Soul Society and escaped with two other captains in tow. Two days ago that Byakuya had taken a blade through the heart meant to take her life. 

Byakuya’s condition had been dicey the first day, Captain Unohana hovering over him casting kaidou after kaidou, hesitant to do anything more disruptive that might tip him toward the worse. He had stabilized somewhat the next day, and Unohana had declared that, unless he took a turn overnight, he was well enough to undergo surgery to repair the damage and get him back on the real road to recovery. 

Brother will be okay, Rukia kept reminding herself as she walked down the hallway, eyes scanning the hallways for Waiting Area 4C. He’s so strong, he can survive anything. This was a bit of a new feeling. She was used to thinking of her brother as "intimidating" or sometimes "downright terrifying." Being proud of him was a nice change.

Ah, there it was, the placard proclaiming "4C". But as she slid open the door, she was surprised to find the room wasn’t empty. The first thing she noticed was a pair of long legs in black hakama stretched halfway across the little waiting area. The face of the other visitor was hidden behind a copy of the Bulletin.

“Oh, pardon me,” Rukia said, ducking head. “I didn’t realize anyone was--”

“Rukia?”

 1:28pm

Rukia blinked as the copy of the newspaper lowered to reveal a face that had once been more familiar than her own, now a little older and bearing significantly more tattoos than it did in her memories. “Renji? What are you doing here?”

Her old friend rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a familiar gesture that flooded her heart with nostalgia. “Uh, same as you, I imagine. Waitin’ around to hear how the captain’s surgery goes.”

Rukia twisted her hands together. “Oh. That’s nice of you.”

“I’m his lieutenant,” Renji scoffed, as if this explained everything. 

“You’re still going to work for him?” she asked. “After all that happened?”

Renji pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Was plannin’ on it. If he’ll have me.”

Rukia glanced around the room. It really wasn’t very big. There were two banks of seats, almost like couches, on either side of the room, with a low table against the wall opposite the door, covered in out-of-date periodicals. She could either sit next to Renji or opposite him. His outstretched legs reached most of the way across the room. Self-consciously, he pulled them in, sitting up a little straighter. Gingerly, she sat down facing him. 

Why was this more awkward without a set of cell bars separating them?

He folded his newspaper and tucked it neatly in his lap. 

“How're you feeling?”

“Me?” she asked, surprised. “Fine. Tired, I guess.” Hanatarou had been by to see her the day before, and said that it looked like her body was finally starting to replenish her depleted reiryoku, which was a good sign, but it was also somewhat exhausting. “How about you? You were, uh, kinda busted up the last time I saw you.”

Renji laughed. “No kidding! All flesh wounds, though. I got to go home yesterday morning. It’s been over twenty-four hours now since I’ve been in a fight, it’s like being on vacation.” He paused thoughtfully. "At least until Captain Zaraki hears I made bankai. Then I'm really in for it."

Rukia swallowed. He'd made bankai, something only the most elite shinigami could do, and was sitting here talking about it as though it barely rated notice. Perhaps that was true, compared to everything else that had happened, but surely it was important to him. Abarai Renji, a boy of her acquaintance who once got a newt stuck in own hair, was now, strictly speaking, qualified to become a captain of the Gotei 13. She'd always known he'd be good at this.

She should say something. He helped save her life. He’d risked his career and his life for her. He’d...said some things, as well.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said cheerfully, as though he had merely strained a muscle instead of being slashed into large chunks by Aizen just a few hours after being shredded into small chunks by her own brother. Flesh wounds, indeed. "And congratulations on bankai. I'm sure no one's made the proper fuss you deserve over it, but it's a big deal." She wanted to say more. "I'm proud of you", maybe? But what right did she have, being proud of someone she wouldn't even talk to for forty years?

He looked at her curiously. "Thanks."

Rukia swallowed.  “I didn’t mean to interrupt, you certainly don’t need to entertain me.”

He looked at her, confused, then remembered his newspaper. “I’d rather talk to just about anyone than read a three-week old newspaper. And you’re not just anyone.”

Rukia’s cheeks colored. “I’ve been in jail. I don’t have anything interesting to talk about." She drummed her fingers on her knee. "You could do the logic puzzle.”

Renji laughed again. “I’m sh-- crap at those things.”

“Don’t!” she snapped.

“Huh?” He was taken aback by her sudden vehemence.

“Who do you think I am, Abarai Renji, that you would need to watch your language around me?”

He raised an eyebrow. “The lady of the Kuchikis maybe. The sister of my captain.”

“I may be those things, but I was your friend long before that, I don’t recall you ever holding back for the sake of my delicate ears. I would much prefer you continued to afford me the same respect.”

Renji’s mouth quirked up in a pleased smile. “Arright, m’lady. I’m shit at logic puzzles. You happy now, asshole?”

“They’re very simple if you have any brains at all.” She got up from her seat and sat down next to him instead, poking at his newspaper insistently. “Come on. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

 1:52pm

"There! Complete! I told you these were easy, when one is capable of basic reasoning."

She had spent a good ten minutes leaning over his arm and trying to explain how you used the numbers on the borders of the grid to determine which blocks should be blackened and which left blank, before realizing that he wasn't actually listening, just making approving noises and funny faces at her. Then she had stolen his newspaper and done it herself.

He scrutinized her work.

"What is that, a rabbit riding a skateboard?"

"It's very cute, I think. The author of the puzzle obviously has some real artistic talent."

"I think you gave up on trying to solve it and just drew a rabbit riding a skateboard."

Rukia gasped and made a shocked face. This was, of course, exactly what she had done. No one could solve these things, they were impossible. "Well, there's no solution in the back, so we'll never know shall we?" She tossed the newspaper to the side.

"Mmm," Renji agreed noncommittally.

Rukia sucked her teeth and put her hands in her lap. It occurred to her that she was sitting rather close to him.

She wondered if she should move back to the other side of the room.

There was a clock on the wall above the magazine table. They both looked at it at the same time.

 1:58pm

“Do you carry a spirit phone?” Renji asked, out of the blue.

Rukia looked back at him. “What? Of course I do. Why?”

“Well, if you didn’t want to wait around, you could just give me your number, and I could let you know if we get any news.”   

Rukia snorted. “He’s my brother and he got injured saving me. I know I’m not actually helping in any way, but it… I want to do this." She frowned. "You could go and I could let you know.”

He shook his head. “Nah, same. Also, he confiscated my keys, so I can’t get into the office, it’s not like I could get any work done.”

“He confiscated your keys?”

“Yeah. He kinda fired me. I don’t think he got any of the paperwork filled out, though, so I’m hoping he’ll either reconsider or forget about it. It was on the basis that I started a fight with Kurosaki Ichigo and lost and I feel like he doesn’t have a lot of high ground there.”

“Was this before or after he tried to kill you?” Rukia still hadn’t gotten most of the details of what Renji went through leading up to her rescue, although she'd heard about that part from Hanatarou. She supposed she could ask. They were going to be here for a while.

“Before, actually.” Renji sighed. “I probably should give you my number, in any case.”

“Why?” Rukia asked, suspicious of his motives.

“‘Cause your brother doesn’t carry a phone, so if you need to get a message to him when we’re out in the field, you can send it through me.”

“He doesn’t?” Now that he mentioned it, she had certainly never seen Byakuya with one. He also tended to use Hell Butterflies for even the most trivial communications.

“You didn’t know that?”

“He doesn’t talk to me. At least he didn’t used to. Things might be different now.”

“Mmm,” Renji agreed. He started reciting numbers.

“Hold on, hold on!” Rukia exclaimed, pulling out her phone. She had already started making a new contact before realizing that she hadn’t actually agreed to this. Not that she objected, his rationale made perfect sense. It just wasn't right, Renji tricking her into doing things. She glared at him over the top of her phone.

“1-1-3-8,” he repeated the last few digits, his face a portrait of innocence.

“Okay, I’m going to text you now, so you have mine. In case you need to reach him when he’s at home.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“He would love it. ‘Oh, my devoted lieutenant, Text Messaging me in his Leisure Hours,’” Rukia intoned over her typing.

Renji rolled his eyes, and glanced down at his phone. He blinked.

“Thanks for not giving up on me,” she had sent.

He looked back up at her and smiled. “No problem.”

 2:10pm

“They have tea down by the nurses’ station. I’m gonna go get some. You want me to get you one?”

“Yeah, sure,” Rukia agreed. 

She watched him stretch his back as he left, accompanied by an array of painful-sounding pops and cracks. Served him right for being so stupidly tall.

She wondered if he had ever learned how to make tea properly.

 2:16pm

“One tea bag makes one cup. They’re portioned that way.”

“We're not poor anymore, Rukia. We don't have to live like that.”

When he had returned, Renji had sat back down on the other side of the room, so they were facing each other once again. He took a sip of his tea, even though Rukia knew it was still brutally hot. 

“No. That’s not how it works," she tried once more. "More tea bags do not make it better.”

“If it’s bad, it’s because they don’t keep the water hot enough. Maybe you should leave the bags in a little longer to make up for it.”

“That’s not-- you know what? It’s fine. Thanks for the tea. It’s great.” Rukia blew on hers, icing her breath just a bit before she took a sip. It tasted the way a shakkahou smelled. This was exactly like being in jail again.

 2:24pm

Renji appeared to be checking his texts. “So, what are the rules for texting you?” he asked without looking up. “Byakuya pass-through only, or can I hit you up when I’m looking for someone to go out for a drink with?”

“I don’t go out much.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

He was no longer looking at his phone, but watching her with a look that she had never seen on his face before. It was appreciative, but nonchalant, with just a hint of Rukongai swagger. Was he… flirting with her? Impossible. The Renji of her youth had zero game. Had he acquired game? It had been forty years, he must have been doing something with his time besides lifting weights and getting tattooed.

“You can text me if you want. I can’t promise I’ll text back. I’ll tell you if you start getting obnoxious.”

“Deal.” He thought for a moment. “You aren’t seeing anyone these days, are you?”

She almost choked. “Me? No. Not even a little bit.” The only people who were interested in her were thirsty nobles trying to get into her brother’s good graces and Ichigo’s gross friend Keigo. She stared back at Renji, and very blatantly looked him up and down, keeping a stony scowl on her face the whole time. He’d always been good-looking growing up, but now he was downright hot. He’d finally filled out all that height with muscle, accented by those little glimpses of his tats you got around the edges of his shihakushou. “How ‘bout you?” she threw back.

He seemed to find all this very amusing. “Naw, not right now.”

“Why not?” She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “Look at you. Any girl in the Gotei would go out with you. Half the guys, too.”

He shrugged, and gave her a look that positively smoldered. “There’s someone I’m a little hung up on.”

 2:26pm

Rukia fisted her hands into the cloth of her kimono. “What the hell, Abarai Renji?”

He blinked and sat up abruptly.

“You are flirting with me, aren't you? Or is this just how you are with everyone, now? With all your… your… tallness and good delts and… and... strong jawline?”

"I dunno! You've been flirting with me this whole time!"

"What?! I most certainly have not!"

"Are you kidding?" He started ticking off on his fingers. "You showed off at something you aren't actually good at and then bragged about it, you invaded my personal space, and you criticized me when I did something nice for you. Just now, you checked me out in a weirdly aggressive way. I mean, that's obviously not how normal people flirt, but you might've well handed me a note that says, 'Do you like me? Circle yes or no.'"

Rukia took a deep breath and screwed up her face.

Renji leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “And before you start stammering out excuses, I'll just tell you: Yes. I. Do.”

They sat in a hospital waiting area, across from one another, leaning forward, in absolute silence. 

 2:28pm

“Um. Ummm,” Rukia managed. 

This wasn’t a surprise, not exactly. She could pretend that they hadn't said those things to each other as he carried her away from Soukyoku Hill, that she hadn't ended up crying all over his kosode like a dumb baby. That she hadn't noticed the hitch in his voice when he promised, to her and her alone, that he would never let her go, right before he tightened his hand on his sword and used what he thought was his last breath to scream his defiance at Aizen. These things had happened though, and they both knew it.

That's how things went between Renji and Rukia. They had a long history of keeping their feelings jarred up and left to ferment deep in the basements of their souls. Sometimes, one of them would say something just a little too heartfelt or there would be some physical contact that lasted just a bit too long and they would ignore it and go on with their lives , because what else were you supposed to do?

Talk about it, apparently, although Rukia didn't recall agreeing to this.

“I wasn’t real honest with you about my intentions when we were younger,” Renji was saying. “And I don’t think it turned out too good for either of us. Maybe this is a good chance to start things off on a different foot. I think you’re real cute and cool as hell and I can’t imagine anything better than being with you, if that’s something you’d be up for.”

Rukia’s mouth fell open. “You...and me?” she managed, trying to sound skeptical. It was a little bit difficult with her idiot brain flailing, 'He thinks I'm cute?' in the background.

“We used to be a pretty incredible team.”

Well, there was no denying that. 

“Things are different now. You’re a vice captain. I’m, uh, noble. I guess.”

“You guess,” he echoed, rolling his eyes.

“How would it even work?” she grumbled.

Renji shrugged. “I’ve thought about that. I’ve thought about that a lot, as it happens, over the years. It’s intractable. Nearly impossible. And in the last week, a human kid busted his way through Squad 11, your brother, and one of the most powerful magical artifacts in Soul Society. I committed treason. Three captains defected to Hueco Mundo. So my definition of 'impossible' has shifted a little, and uptight people bitchin’ about who I smooch doesn't cut it anymore.”

“Oh, you want to smooch now?”

Renji leaned back, stretching his arms up and resting his head on his interlaced fingers. "You act like you've never smooched anyone before, which I know ain't true. There's no reason to make a big deal outta this. It's not like I suggested we start coming up with combination zanpakutou attacks, I just asked if you'd like to get a maybe-more-than-friendly drink sometime."

"That's bullshit," Rukia snapped.

 2:32pm

"Excuse me?" Renji replied coolly.

"I know you, Abarai Renji! You don't even know what my sword does and you've thought about combo attacks, admit it!"

His ears turned a little bit red, and Rukia was pleased to finally have him on the ropes. "I do so! I read your file when I got sent to arrest you and your zanpakutou sounds rad as hell, do you blame me?"

"That's--" she started to exclaim, "--kind of sweet, actually."

Renji smiled hopefully.

"Ichigo says your bankai's big enough that a person could reasonably ride around on it?"

"Yeah, he was too busy to try, though, so you can have first crack if you want it."

"Stop trying to sucker me in!" Rukia protested, but it was clear from her voice that her heart wasn't quite in it.

"I'm not," replied, leaning back on his hands again and closing his eyes. "I just like you. When you're done being defensive and decide if you like me back or not, let me know, okay?"

Rukia was silent.

She considered some facts.

Fact #1: Young Renji, at his best, was one of the most excellent people she had ever had the privilege of knowing. 

Fact #2: Renji, in his Academy days, had been a real shit.

Fact #3: Rukia had recently had occasion to spend a bunch of time with some teens. It turned out that a lot of teens were real shits. Some teens even managed to exist as both a real shit and an excellent person at the same time.

Fact #4: Shithead Academy Rukia would have been absolutely over the moon if Shithead Academy Renji had told her he liked her. Utterly ecstatic. 

Fact #5: Vice-Captain Renji seemed to be a marked improvement over Shithead Academy Renji.

Fact #6: Rukia had spent a long time closing herself off from other people. Frankly, it had sucked.

Fact #7: Some jerks, some real shits, had recently wormed their way past her defenses and tricked her into being friends with them. Frankly, it had ruled.

Maybe it was time to let someone in again. Maybe Renji was a really good someone to start with.

 2:35 pm

Rukia stood up and strode across the room, which took all of four steps, even for her.

"Listen up, dumbass," she announced. 

He cracked open one eye.

"Here's how it is: I might like you. I haven't decided yet. You're kinda hot, and I respect that. You used to be a pretty good guy once in a while, so I'm giving you a chance, but that doesn't mean you get a free ride on past good behavior, you got that?"

He'd opened the other eye by this time, and they'd both gone a bit wide. He dropped his arms to his sides and sat up a bit straighter.

"None of this is because you rescued me, is that clear? You didn't even rescue me, really, more like ruined what was shaping up to be a pretty good execution."

"Technically, Ichigo ruined your execution."

"That's absolutely correct, and I expect you to stick to that." She put one hand down on either side of his head, looming down over him as much as her four feet, nine-and-a-half inches would allow. "We are absolutely coming up with combo attacks, starting immediately. When we fight Aizen, I get to stab him first. I will never make you come to noble stuff, but I'll get you in if that's something you're interested in. I can't speak for what Brother makes you do. I get veto power over all nicknames. You will let me wear your pink bathrobe whenever I want." She thought for a moment. "I reserve the right to add more things later."

She stared into his eyes, waiting.

"Is that it?"

"That's it."

He nodded. "I accept."

 2:38pm

She kissed him.

 Still 2:38pm

He kissed her back.

 2:41pm

Rukia had expected to surprise him and then tease him for getting flustered.

She had not expected to kiss him long enough for her neck to start to get stiff. This was not a problem she usually encountered.

She certainly could have stopped kissing him. 

That seemed extreme.

Instead, she hitched up her kimono and hefted one knee and then the other up onto the chair on either side of his legs and settled down in his lap, moving her hands to a less threatening position on the back of his neck. Renji sighed contentedly and slid his hands to her hips.

 2:43pm

Rukia placed her hands onto his shoulders and slowly pushed herself backwards, until she could see Renji's face again.

The first time she had ever kissed him, under the old dead tree outside their squat in Inuzuri, he'd made a face like he'd just been whacked over the head with a tree branch.

The last time she'd kissed him, drunk, around the burned down coals of a bonfire celebrating the end of their first semester at school, he had gazed at her with such longing and affection in his eyes that she almost didn't recognize him.

He'd gotten some practice since then, that much was obvious. She liked the look in his eyes right then: It had a little of that boyish longing and affection and a little bit of being hit over the head with a tree branch, but it had a number of other things in there she didn't quite recognize, too. A little Squad 11 ferocity? The rampant self-esteem of a newly minted vice-captain? Just a dash of stone-cold lust, the look that a grown-ass man gave a woman he was enjoying having in his lap?

"I don't even know you anymore," she murmured. "How am I supposed to know if I like you or not?"

"I'm mostly the same," he promised.

"I might be into the new you."

"I'm very different. Whole new guy."

"I think," Rukia said, tilting her head to one side, "I might be interested in finding out."

 2:43pm

Kissing again.

 3:18pm

Whack! Whack!

"Ow!"

"There is no--" Whack! "--making out--" Whack! "--permitted in the Coordinated Relief Station!"

"Isane--ow!--stop!"

"Oh, Rukia, is that you?"

"Yes."

Kotetsu Isane, lieutenant of the Fourth Division, tapped her rolled up newspaper in the palm of her hand as the two disheveled shinigami before her sat up and adjusted their clothing. "Rukia, I would have thought better of you! Then again, you do hang out with my sister, whose bad habits-- Lieutenant Abarai?"

"Present," he groaned.

Isane looked at Rukia with wide eyes. "Well done," she mouthed, before clearing her throat. "You will both be happy to hear that Captain Kuchiki's surgery went very well.”

“Great!” Rukia chirped, casually fishing something out of her sleeve. She stared at it in befuddlement for a moment before recognizing it as Renji's bandana and thrusting it at him.

“Can we see him?” Renji asked, trying to grab the bandana back without actually looking at it. He kept missing.

“He’s still heavily sedated,” Isane explained. “It will be a while before he’s ready for visitors.”

“Gosh,” said Rukia. 

“How long we talkin’?” asked Renji.

 7:40pm

Rukia listened very carefully, nodding at appropriate times, as Captain Unohana explained Byakuya’s status and the details of his recovery regimen. Occasionally, on the topic of restricted activity, the gentle doctor would glance back and make steely eye contact with Renji, who would take over on nodding duty. They paused outside of Byakuya’s room. “One last thing. Due to his unusually high spiritual energy, we had to give him a...lot...of painkillers.”

“Ahhhh,” said Rukia. 

Renji looked confused.

“He may act a little strange,” Unohana clarified.

“I’ve been on a pretty heavy load of those a time or two myself,” Renji frowned. “Never had a problem.”

Unohana’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline and she rolled her eyes so hard that in another part of the Seireitei, Zaraki Kenpachi sat up a little straighter. Renji did not appear to notice. “Of course, Lieutenant.”

Rukia looked at Renji as Unohana went into Byakuya's room to check some of his vitals. “This is good actually. I’ve seen him on these a time or two before. He’s utterly cuckoo, but he thinks he’s fine, so if we can get him to agree to anything--like not firing you--he’ll remember it later and think he made the decision rationally.”

“That sounds...underhanded.”

“It’s how I got him to sponsor that Gotei 13 Eurovision thing the Women's Association put on last year."

"Squad 11 got robbed in that, by the way. You need to never mention it around my friend Ayesegawa."

It gave Rukia a bit of a warm feeling in her stomach, that he was already thinking about introducing her to his friends. She couldn't imagine how terrible his Squad 11 friends were. She couldn't wait to meet them.

 "I will remember that. But in any case, these are rare opportunities. We're basically obligated to take advantage of them. Trust me.”

Unohana reappeared, having finished her business. "He's all yours," she said, gliding down the hallway.

Byakuya was sitting up in bed, poking at a tray of food. His face was pale and drawn, his hair uncharacteristically non-silky, but he was most definitely making a very Byakuya facial expression.

“Helloooo, Brother!” Rukia said cheerfully, walking into the room. 

He looked at her, slightly lost for a moment.

“It’s me. Rukia. Your little sister.”

An extremely non-Byakuya-like smile spread across his face. “Kuchiki Rukia! My beloved sister!”

“How do you feel, Brother?”

“Horrid,” Byakuya replied. “Also, they have given me this slop. I would like to throw it out the window, but I cannot reach. Could you do that for me?”

“I’m sorry to say that you should eat as much as you can. You need to regain your strength.”

Byakuya made an extremely petulant face.

“Guess who else came to see you!” Rukia waved at the doorway.

A little hesitantly, Renji stepped into the room. “Hey, there, Captain. Glad to see you looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.”

“Abarai Renji! My loyal lieutenant! You may have forgotten, but I do not have a tail!”

“I did not forget, sir.”

“Kuchiki Rukia! Do you see this? Abarai Renji, my indomitable second, a man who fought by my side in the War for the 79th Bridge--”

“That was 800 years ago, neither of us was alive then.”

“--has come to see me! During his Leisure Hours!”

Rukia gave Renji a Look.

“Abarai Renji! If you are still the man you were when we stormed the Demon Realms together--”

“We definitely didn’t.”

“--you will throw this tray of food out the window for me!”

Renji walked over, grabbed the tray of food, opened the window, and hurled it out. There was a far-off thump and an indignant shout. Renji shut the window again.

“Renji!” Rukia hissed.

“He’s my captain," Renji shrugged. "It was a basically reasonable request. In the grand scheme of things."

“Truly, I chose wisely when I named you general of my armies and proclaimed that your family shall heretofore be a branch family to my own!” 

“You don’t have any--” Renji gave up. “To be honest, Captain, I really just want to know if I’m still fired or not.”

Byakuya lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “I will never fire you. You are my favorite.”

“That’s great news, sir. Thank you. At some point, I would appreciate it if you would give me the keys to the office back, but no hurry on that.”

“How fares the Manor, Rukia?” Byakuya asked grandly.

“Oh, it will run smoothly without you for a few days more, but everyone has been worried, Brother. They will be very happy to hear how well you are recovering.”

“I am counting on you to fill in during my absence,” Byakuya informed her. “If anyone does not afford you the proper respects, write their name down, and I will kill them once I am recovered.”

“That’s--" Rukia paused suddenly. "Do you mean servants, or other nobles? Because Lord Noragashi was by yesterday and he was very salty to me about you not being at home.”

“I will kill him,” Byakuya swore.

“Or you could… just not go to his next party or something.”

“Or I could attend and be handsomer than he!”

“Sure. Sure, that sounds good.” Rukia licked her lips and glanced at Renji, who nodded slightly.  “We have some other news for you, as well, Brother,” Rukia said gently.

Renji sucked in a deep breath and held it.

“Renji and I are seeing each other.”

Byakuya looked at Rukia very seriously, his eyebrows beetling. Then he looked at Renji. Then back at Rukia. “You are not seeing Kurosaki Ichigo, then?”

Rukia looked vaguely stricken. “Uh, no, Brother. Certainly not.”

“But you are seeing Lieutenant Abarai Renji? Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division?

“Yes, that one.”

“My faithful adjutant! Who has served me without question for over fifty years!”

“Six weeks. Sir.” Renji elected not to mention the treason.

“Come here, Abarai.” He tried to motion with his finger, but couldn’t summon the fine motor control. Renji came over anyway. “Closer.” Renji leaned down, glancing briefly at Rukia. “Attend me well, Abarai Renji,” Byakuya said in the same loud whisper that Rukia could hear perfectly clearly from across the room. “I have not always done right by my sister, but I have resolved to do so in the future.”

Rukia’s cheeks colored.

“It seems that she likes you.”

“She’s giving it a go, sir.”

“And it is self-evident that you like her.”

“That’s very true, sir.”

“And you are very much not Kurosaki Ichigo.”

“That is also very true.”

“So I shall accept this development and not require you to best me in combat. I suspect that, at this exact moment, you might actually be capable of doing so.”

“It’s possible,” Renji speculated.

“But I shall require your regular attendance at Sunday dinner.”

“With all the aunts?” Rukia asked, eyebrows raised.

“Withstanding the aunts is what it means to be a Kuchiki!” Byakuya proclaimed.

“For Rukia’s sake, I will do it,” Renji promised.

“Welcome to the family, my beloved son-in-law!”

“I’m not--”

“Let’s just count this as a win,” Rukia suggested. 

Renji smiled hopefully at her. It was, in Rukia's opinion, a very cute smile.

Rukia smiled back. She couldn't help it.

This was going to be an adventure.

 ~ end

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 19 August 2019

Quick Bits:

Aquaman #51 continues “Amnesty” as Aquaman, and now Aqualad, help the elder sea gods move in to their new home on Amnesty Island. There’s a lot of character building and reflection throughout this story and definitely feels like a calm before the storm hinted at by the cliffhanger and the “Year of the Villain” material. Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles are continuing to deliver one of DC’s best comics.

| Published by DC Comics

Bad Reception #1 isn’t a bad start to this horror series fully written, illustrated, and lettered by Juan Doe. The title is a clever play on both concepts in the story of no connectivity to social media and on a wedding reception. Utilizing a highly publicized wedding event that’s being promoted as “off the grid” to potentially commit a murder (or whatever actually happens at the wedding or after) is an interesting hook.

| Published by AfterShock

Bettie Unbound #3 sends her to Mars this go around to land smack in the middle of a conflict. Things only seem to go downhill from there. Great art from Julius Ohta, Ellie Wright, and Sheelagh D.

| Published by Dynamite

Black Mask: Year of the Villain #1 gives us Luthor’s offer and gift to Black Mask from Tom Taylor, Cully Hamner, Dave Stewart, and Wes Abbott. It nicely gives us some insight into Black Mask’s childhood, before changing him into essentially a parallel to a Marvel villain. There’s also a bit of a new status quo for Batwoman.

| Published by DC Comics

Blade Runner 2019 #2 continues to be a wonderful ride from Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Andres Guinaldo, Marco Lesko, and Jim Campbell. This is still a wonderful exploration of the tone and feel of the Blade Runner franchise in an entirely different setting with different people. 

| Published by Titan

Bloodborne #14 is going to mess with you as “The Veil, Torn Asunder” continues and our protagonist this arc keeps breaking with reality. It’s disturbing and unnerving, perfect for this series. Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson’s art just seems to keep getting better and better here too.

| Published by Titan

Bronze Age Boogie #5 is fairly insane as this penultimate issue careens through the past with a rather nasty battle between humanity and the Martian forces. The artwork from Alberto Ponticelli and Giulia Brusco is incredible. The back-up featuring “Moon-Thing” this issue from Stuart Moore, Shawn Crystal, Lee Loughridge, and Rob Steen is also great.

| Published by Ahoy

Canto #3 has some more interesting twists and revelations as this beautiful fable continues to unfold from David M. Booher, Drew Zucker, Vittorio Astone, and Deron Bennett. Continuing to build the story on storytelling is wonderful and your perspective on the slavers might change.

| Published by IDW

Criminal #7 pushes “Cruel Summer” forward as we get Ricky Lawless’ perspective on Teeg and Jane’s relationship and how it, and pretty much everything else, is ruining his life. Very interesting development of Ricky’s youth as he becomes more and more of a jerk.

| Published by Image

Deadpool Annual #1 is a heartfelt and funny story as Deadpool explains why he’s better than Squirrel Girl from Dana Schwartz, Reilly Brown, Nelson DeCastro, Craig Yeung, Matt Herms, Guru-eFX, and Joe Sabino. Actually, it’s more about Deadpool helping a young kid deal with Nightmare, featuring a hilarious trip through Nightmare’s realm, and a horrifying realization. It’s also really nice to see Reilly Brown back at doing some Deadpool.

| Published by Marvel

Death’s Head #2 is more glorious madness as Death’s Head, “Vee”, Wiccan, and Hulkling try to work out who’s going to be parts or who’s going to face Dr. Evelyn Necker (the alternate reality doctor who made Death’s Head II and apparently eventually this upgrade Death’s Head V) from Tini Howard, Kei Zama, Felipe Sobreiro, and Travis Lanham, yes?

| Published by Marvel

Eve Stranger #3 gives us some deep revelations on Eve’s past, her parents, and how she came to live with Delilah. David Barnett, Philip Bond, Eva de la Cruz, Lee Loughridge, and Jane Heir continue to deliver a deeply funny thriller here.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Excellence #4 deals with the fallout of the battle between Spencer and Aaron. It’s nasty, and further reinforces just how much Spencer’s father is a jerk. It’s interesting as to how layered and complicated that Brandon Thomas, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, and Deron Bennett are making this world, and yet the key motivating factors are still some of the most simple, basic human interactions and how we hurt one another.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Fairlady #5 is a rough one to end this on. Don’t get me wrong, this story is great. Brian Schirmer, Claudia Balboni, Marissa Louise, Lesley Atlansky, and David Bowman deliver another interesting mystery with gorgeous art, and an interesting tie to a previous issue, but the build up for an even broader mystery hurts. It hints at possibilities that may never be answered because this series is now cancelled. Still, this was great while it lasted.

| Published by Image

Ghost Spider #1 is a direct continuation from the previous Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider series, from Seanan McGuire, Takeshi Miyazawa, Ian Herring, and Clayton Cowles. As Gwen moves to the 616 to go to school, I guess it makes sense to relaunch the series with a new number 1, but, as said, it’s still continuing on the same story with the same creative team. Thankfully it’s a great creative team and story, so it’s well worth picking up.

| Published by Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy #8 is heartbreaking. Donny Cates, Cory Smith, David Curiel, and Cory Petit continue “Faithless” as we learn what’s going on with Rocket. It ties together much of his past with his Guardians tales and his current condition. Very nice character moments.

| Published by Marvel

Hellboy and the BPRD: Saturn Returns #1 begins a new historical mini from Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, Christopher Mitten, Brennan Wagner, and Clem Robins. This one’s set in 1975, but spans a wide time period as they discover more and more bodies. The mystery set up of who’s committing the murders is quite compelling, especially with the pseudo-occult drawings likely to have been drawn to give a misleading impression of the murders. But the real gold is in the character development, looking at how Liz Sherman is adjusting to some of her early years at the Bureau.

| Published by Dark Horse

History of the Marvel Universe #2 is again worth it alone for the absolutely stunning artwork from Javier Rodríguez and Álvaro López. Like the first issue, it’s a dry read, but it can be fascinating as Mark Waid, Rodríguez, López, and Joe Caramagna guide us through Marvel’s history.

| Published by Marvel

Killer Groove #4 is kind of messed up as everything practically goes to hell. I love the approach to flashbacks and hallucinations this issue, keeping the main characters in full colour while the rest are a grey wash. Really neat effect from Eoin Marron and Jordie Bellaire.

| Published by AfterShock

Last Stop on the Red Line #3 is still one of the most unique series on the stands, even as it gets weirder and more straight-forward as the secrets and truth start potentially sliding into place. The art from Sam Lotfi and John Rauch is incredible.

| Published by Dark Horse

Livewire #9 kicks off a new arc from Vita Ayala, Tana Ford, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Saida Temofonte, building on Amanda’s confrontation with PSEP and adding a new wrinkle on politics. It’s interesting to see the problem from the political perspective and addresses some of the issues that naturally arise from a government program sanctioned to abduct and murder children.

| Published by Valiant

Middlewest #10 introduces us to Abel’s grandfather and it goes about as well as you’d expect. More toxic masculinity, more “be a man” and “embrace your anger” nonsense, leaving Abel a confused and scared child. Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos are continuing to tell a very strong story here of abuse and survival in a magical realist way.

| Published by Image

Outpost Zero #12 asks some very important questions as it demonstrates that a portion of the colony certainly would rather keep their heads buried in the sand, ignoring the potential of alien life and secrets from their past, rather than confront possibilities of their future. Great character work here from Sean Kelley McKeever.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Pearl #12 concludes the series (for now at least) with some explosions, gun fights, and a new kind of order. Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, and Joshua Reed have really been telling a compelling crime thriller here, offbeat and with some oblique humour, with impressive artwork.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Psi-Lords #3 is another beautifully illustrated issue by Renato Guedes. This series is worth it even just for the artwork. We also get further backstory on the genesis of the Psi-Lords and the Starwatchers and the reason for sending the “Astro-Friends” to the Gyre. And some may not be what they seem.

| Published by Valiant

Savage Sword of Conan #8 continues “Conan the Gambler” from Jim Zub, Patch Zircher, Java Tartaglia, and Travis Lanham. There’s a great build of tension as Conan plays his game of cards and a wonderful twist as we go into the finale next issue. Nice detail on the trump cards.

| Published by Marvel

Strayed #1 is a very strong debut from Carlos Giffoni, Juan Doe, and Matt Krotzer. It’s a rather interesting concept of harnessing communication with a cat who can astral project, coupled with the horrors of humanity colonizing alien worlds. Stunning artwork from Doe.

| Published by Dark Horse

Stronghold #5 is a very interesting conclusion to this series, giving more information on the true nature and history of Michael, and setting up the potential for more stories somewhere down the road. Gorgeous artwork from Ryan Kelly and Dee Cunniffe.

| Published by AfterShock

Superior Spider-Man #10 sees much of Otto’s past come back to haunt him as his identity as the former Doctor Octopus goes public and he searches for who is trying to ruin his new life as San Francisco’s Spider-Man. Very nice build on Spider-Geddon and the most nightmare inducing character from therein from Christos Gage, Mike Hawthorne, Wade von Grawbadger, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles.

| Published by Marvel

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #2 is another fun issue from Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn, and Clayton Cowles. We get more on Jimmy’s family, his legacy, and Superman’s secret super powers, but it also introduces the next sensation who should be lighting up the charts, Pawquaman.

| Published by DC Comics

Teen Titans #33 elaborates on Luthor’s offer to Lobo. We also get more on the current state of the team and on just how far, and rather villainous, Damian and Djinn’s actions are now in regards to how they’re dealing with criminals. Adam Glass has been taking the team down a dark road for a while now and I’m interested to see how this blows up.

| Published by DC Comics

Transformers ‘84 #0 is a bit of an oddity, reuniting the Regeneration One team of Simon Furman and Guido Guidi to celebrate the 35th anniversary. It’s a one-shot tale set in nebulous continuity detailing trying to discover the Ark in medieval Earth. Great art from Guidi and John-Paul Bove.

| Published by IDW

Valkyrie #2 is another great issue from Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, CAFU, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Sabino as Jane takes on Bullseye. It’s a pretty epic battle, beautifully illustrated, that looks like it’s going to have some interesting ramifications.

| Published by Marvel

Vampirella #2 is liable to divide people further on this new run as it leans heavier into sex & violence and reveals Vampirella’s therapist as a potential misogynist with very problematic diagnoses for mental conditions. I mean, I don’t think “crazy vampire bitch” is anywhere in the DSM-5. Great art from Ergün Gündüz, though.

| Published by Dynamite

The Weatherman vol. 2 #3 reveals more information about the virus plaguing Earth and sets up even more problems in the way of Nathan, Cross, and co.’s attempt to restore Nathan’s memories. Gorgeous artwork from Nathan Fox and Moreno Dinisio. 

| Published by Image

Other Highlights: Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool #1, Batman #77, Daredevil #10, Faithless #5, Fearless #2, The Goon #4, Grumble #9, James Bond 007 #10, Jim Henson’s Beneath the Dark Crystal #12, Jughead’s Time Police #3, Lucifer #11, Magnificent Ms. Marvel #6, Marvel Comics Presents #8, New World, Powers of X #3, Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #3, The Ride: Burning Desire #3, Spider-Man: City at War #6, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #35, Star Wars: Tie Fighter #5, Star Wars Adventures #24, Tony Stark: Iron Man #15, Warlord of Mars Attacks #3, Wonder Woman: Come Back to Me #2

Recommended Collections: Age of X-Man: Marvelous X-Men, Age of X-Man: NextGen, Bloodborne - Volume 3: Song of Crows, Corto Maltese: The Early Years, The Curse of Brimstone - Volume 2: Ashes, Hawkeye: Private Eye, Klaus - Volume 1: How Santa Claus Began, Meet the Skrulls, Ophiucus, Saga Compendium - Volume 1, Spawn: Enemy of the State, Star Wars - Volume 11: The Scourging of Shu-Torun, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Villains, War of the Realms: Strikeforce, X-Men: Grand Design - X-Tinction

d. emerson eddy would like to be a mongoose dog.

[cookiefonster666]

hey it’s time for more homestuck epilogue ramblings, this time about jade

Again basically a mirror of a recent Blogger post. I have quite a few other posts about the epilogues on my blogs, but most of them I don’t quite feel comfortable posting here.

Content warning: This post contains some discussion of sexual content, starting from the header "The Candy (in Candy)". Read at your own discretion.

The Not-So-Wonderful World of Shafted Characters

Enter Jade Harley, the character who's been an odd spot in the comic's sprawling cast since day one. She starts as basically just a plot device but becomes a genuine wonderful character in Act 5. But after that point, she gets an upsettingly small amount of screen time and is rudely stripped from the on-screen dialogue reunions most everyone else gets. And by the time Collide and Act 7 happen, the comic has done away with dialogue. Yeah, that sure is fun.

So obviously, one of my biggest hopes for the epilogue was that Jade would get a full strong resolution, perhaps with dialogue "reunions" she should have gotten or with a major new role in the storyline. Jade did get plenty of dialogue early in Meat and some in Candy and it was pretty great, but what ultimate resolution did her character get? Fucking nothing!!! No resolution in Meat, no resolution in Candy.

The epilogues did a LOT of things right, don't get me wrong. Each of the twelve creators on Earth C gets a good share of screen time and I think the epilogues are reasonably balanced in that regard—far more balanced than late Act 6 was. But the epilogues are incredibly imbalanced in giving characters resolution. Some characters had an astounding resolution arc that far surpassed my already high expectations!!! But for one reason or another, some characters get the opposite of resolution arcs—you probably know who I'm talking about. I'll have to talk about those another time. And as I said before, Jade doesn't even get a resolution. I'll discuss exactly how she doesn't get a resolution, first in Meat and then in Candy.

The Candy (in Meat)

Earth C Jade's first appearance in Meat is a conversation with Dave and Karkat about politics and romance. We quickly learn that she's in an unresolved love triangle with both of them. Continuing the time-honored tradition of Harleyberts not understanding how love works, Jade clumsily tries to set up a three-way romance with Karkat and Dave and misunderstands everything about the quadrants along the way. I found that scene absolutely hilarious and a surprisingly on-point satire of how fans think of character shipping. As per tradition, Jade tries to solve everyone's problems through a shipping grid because obviously that's worked spectacularly in the past. Also, she literally fucking says Dave and Karkat are "kind of like moirails". I don't know about you, but I found that one particular line to be the funniest shit in the world.

It's already apparent that Jade has changed quite a bit from last time we saw her. She's considerably more airheaded and free-flowing, and her most prominent trait now is her severe lack of social skills. This change makes a lot of sense considering Jade's history. She was still almost entirely human after ascending to god tier, but that has changed over the years. Now she has lots of dog hormones, a tail, and you-know-what. Not to mention this is the Jade that spent three years with John and Davesprite dead. It also fits into an interesting pattern I've noticed: generally speaking, the less screen time a character got in late Act 6, the more that character has changed by the start of the epilogues. Think about John and Dave, how much they retain from how they acted in A6A6I5. Now think about Jane Crocker. Jane FUCKING Crocker. I think it's no coincidence that the character fans have always regarded as boring is now basically a full-blown antagonist. Now think about Gamzee MOTHERFUCKING Makara. ... uh, actually no, I don't recommend you think about him. My point is, I'd say the epilogues succeeded at parodying the comic's fans while simultaneously paying tribute to them, and Jade's first dialogue in Meat is no exception.

The Meat

Next up, Jade presents the political situation to Roxy and Calliope and discusses a few more things in her Jade fashion until suddenly she falls into a coma, her soul now possessed by god tier Calliope who herself inhabits a different iteration of Jade. There she goes, that's the end of Meat Jade's character arc. She's now once more a shameless plot device pushed around by the whims of fate—how's that for going full circle? The few times afterwards where Jade speaks, it's only brief intermissions between being possessed by the Dead Cherub or getting knocked out by Dirk so he can have the narration back.

Basically, Jade ends Meat having completed an enormous circle of stupidity: plot device -> good character -> shafted character -> changed character -> plot device. It actually is a fitting ending now that I think of it, especially in the half that's more focused on tying plot threads. But it feels annoying considering what kind of ending Jade gets, or rather doesn't get, in Candy. Let's go over it, shall we?

The Candy (in Candy)

Jade's first appearance in Candy isn't too different from her first appearance in Meat: a conversation about romance and politics with Dave and Karkat, the two roommates who are (not) dating each other and both most certainly (not) dating Jade. A bunch of stuff I already said two headers ago.

... And then things get weird. Really fucking weird. Our heroes get paired into four romantic groups forming basically the Buddy System 2.0, which is even more unnatural and freaky than the first one was. Most of those groups start having kids, but Jade's group—her, Dave, and Karkat—has issues that aren't quite easy to sort out. Now here's where I have to talk about the elephant in the room: Jade's penis. Or as fans call it, "dog dick".

The middle section of Candy all but outright confirms what was once an absurd headcanon. At a glance, it directly contradicts what Hussie himself said about Jade before, that she only has dog ears and the rest is still human. But if you think deeper you can tell that Hussie didn't necessarily change his mind, but decided that Jade would start only with dog ears and then gradually gain more elements of a male dog.

Anyway, Jade's penis is enough of a confounding factor that she, Dave, and Karkat can't agree on a way to have kids. And then a few years later, Karkat becomes the hero he was always meant to be and the tragic breakup happens. Then after even more years of presumably a bunch of hemming and hawing, Dave and Jade FINALLY get married. That's amazing, right???? The ship that's been a fan favorite for longer than probably any other? And they're married after all this time?

Uh, no. Not really at all. Not too long after their overdue wedding, Dave has a touching conversation with his number one hero, Barack Obama. He confesses that he's living a lie and can't get over Karkat, or the long-gone Dirk for that matter. When Obama offers Dave to ascend to his ultimate self, he immediately accepts it over staying on Earth C with his doggy wife and becomes Davebot, now proud and ready to achieve greater things in paradox space.

With Dave having achieved what can only be described as one hell of an ending, what triumphant resolution does Jade get? That's right, fucking nothing! Dave leaving Jade behind to explore the White House is the last we hear from her in Candy.

grrrrrr i want more epilogues (or do i???)

And that, my friends, is one of many reasons one could reasonably hope for a follow-up to the Homestuck Epilogues. I'm too lazy to list all the possible reasons, there's just way too many.

So instead, I'll say the following: despite all the flaws, I'm still more than complacent in rereading the epilogues over and over instead of daydreaming about getting even more. It's just such a mass dump of material that you can't fully process after reading just once, much like Homestuck itself. My prior posts about the epilogues already read like someone that doesn't fully understand them, at least to me. Such is the beauty of Homestuck, it's absurdly fun to think and talk about.

Conclusion

I LOVE HOMESTUCK. I LOVE HOMESTUCK, I LOVE HOMESTUCK, I LOVE HOMESTUCK, I LOVE HOMESTUCK!!!

I

LOVE

HOMESTUCK

[glass-kilimanjaro]

Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Tyson was born in Manhattan as the second of three children, into a family living in the Bronx.[3] His mother, Sunchita Maria Tyson (née Feliciano; 1928 -), was a gerontologist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and is of Puerto Rican descent.[4] His African-American father, Cyril deGrasse Tyson (1927–2016), was a sociologist, human resource commissioner for New York City mayor John Lindsay, and the first Director of Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited.[5][6] Tyson has two siblings: Stephen Joseph Tyson and Lynn Antipas Tyson.[5] Tyson's middle name, deGrasse, is from the maiden name of his paternal grandmother, who was born as Altima de Grasse in the British West Indies island of Nevis.[7]

Tyson grew up in the Castle Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, and later in Riverdale.[8] From kindergarten throughout high school, Tyson attended public schools in the Bronx: P.S. 36, P.S. 81, the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (then called "P.S. 141"), and The Bronx High School of Science (1972–1976) where he was captain of the wrestling team and editor-in-chief of the Physical Science Journal.[9][10] His interest in astronomy began at the age of nine after visiting the sky theater of the Hayden Planetarium.[11] He recalled that "so strong was that imprint [of the night sky] that I'm certain that I had no choice in the matter, that in fact, the universe called me."[12] During high school, Tyson attended astronomy courses offered by the Hayden Planetarium, which he called "the most formative period" of his life. He credited Dr. Mark Chartrand III, director of the planetarium at the time, as his "first intellectual role model" and his enthusiastic teaching style mixed with humor inspired Tyson to communicate the universe to others the way he did.[13]

Tyson obsessively studied astronomy in his teen years, and eventually even gained some fame in the astronomy community by giving lectures on the subject at the age of fifteen.[14] Astronomer Carl Sagan, who was a faculty member at Cornell University, tried to recruit Tyson to Cornell for undergraduate studies.[6] In his book, The Sky Is Not the Limit, Tyson wrote:

My letter of application had been dripping with an interest in the universe. The admission office, unbeknownst to me, had forwarded my application to Carl Sagan's attention. Within weeks, I received a personal letter...[15]

Tyson revisited this moment on his first episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Pulling out a 1975 calendar belonging to the famous astronomer, he found the day Sagan invited the 17-year-old to spend a day in Ithaca. Sagan had offered to put him up for the night if his bus back to the Bronx did not come. Tyson said, "I already knew I wanted to become a scientist. But that afternoon, I learned from Carl the kind of person I wanted to become."[16][17]

Tyson chose to attend Harvard where he majored in physics and lived in Currier House. He was a member of the crew team during his freshman year, but returned to wrestling, lettering in his senior year. He was also active in dance, in styles including jazz, ballet, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin Ballroom.[18]

Tyson hosting the 40th anniversary celebration of

Apollo 11

at the

National Air and Space Museum

in Washington, July 2009

Tyson earned an AB degree in physics at Harvard College in 1980 and then began his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin,[19] from which he received an MA degree in astronomy in 1983. By his own account, he did not spend as much time in the research lab as he should have. His professors encouraged him to consider alternative careers and the committee for his doctoral dissertation was dissolved, ending his pursuit of a doctorate from the University of Texas.[20]

Tyson was a lecturer in astronomy at the University of Maryland from 1986 to 1987[21] and in 1988, he was accepted into the astronomy graduate program at Columbia University, where he earned an MPhil degree in astrophysics in 1989, and a PhD degree in astrophysics in 1991[22] under the supervision of Professor R. Michael Rich. Rich obtained funding to support Tyson's doctoral research from NASA and the ARCS foundation[23] enabling Tyson to attend international meetings in Italy, Switzerland, Chile, and South Africa[21] and to hire students to help him with data reduction.[24] In the course of his thesis work, he observed using the 0.91 m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, where he obtained images for the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey[25][26][27] helping to further their work in establishing Type Ia supernovae as standard candles.

During his thesis research at Columbia University, Tyson became acquainted with Professor David Spergel at Princeton University, who visited Columbia University in the course of collaborating with his thesis advisor on the Galactic bulge[28][29][30] typically found in spiral galaxies.

Career

Tyson with students at the 2007

American Astronomical Society

conference

Tyson's research has focused on observations in cosmology, stellar evolution, galactic astronomy, bulges, and stellar formation. He has held numerous positions at institutions including the University of Maryland, Princeton University, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Hayden Planetarium.

In 1994, Tyson joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist while he was a research affiliate in Princeton University. He became acting director of the planetarium in June 1995 and was appointed director in 1996.[31] As director, he oversaw the planetarium's $210 million reconstruction project, which was completed in 2000. Upon being asked for his thoughts on becoming director, Tyson said "when I was a kid... there were scientists and educators on the staff at the Hayden Planetarium... who invested their time and energy in my enlightenment... and I've never forgotten that. And to end up back there as its director, I feel this deep sense of duty, that I serve in the same capacity for people who come through the facility today, that others served for me".[32]

Tyson has written a number of popular books on astronomy. In 1995, he began to write the "Universe" column for Natural History magazine. In a column he authored for a special edition of the magazine, called "City of Stars", in 2002, Tyson popularized the term "Manhattanhenge" to describe the two days annually on which the evening sun aligns with the street grid in Manhattan, making the sunset visible along unobstructed side streets. He had coined the term in 1996, inspired by how the phenomenon recalls the sun's solstice alignment with the Stonehenge monument in England.[33] Tyson's column also influenced his work as a professor with The Great Courses.[34]

In 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush appointed Tyson to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry and in 2004 to serve on the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, the latter better known as the "Moon, Mars, and Beyond" commission. Soon afterward, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by NASA.[35]

Tyson in December 2011 at a conference marking 1,000 days after the launch of the spacecraft

Kepler

In 2004, Tyson hosted the four-part Origins miniseries of the PBS Nova series,[36] and, with Donald Goldsmith, co-authored the companion volume for this series, Origins: Fourteen Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution.[37] He again collaborated with Goldsmith as the narrator on the documentary 400 Years of the Telescope, which premiered on PBS in April 2009.[38]

As director of the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson bucked traditional thinking in order to keep Pluto from being referred to as the ninth planet in exhibits at the center. Tyson has explained that he wanted to look at commonalities between objects, grouping the terrestrial planets together, the gas giants together, and Pluto with like objects, and to get away from simply counting the planets. He has stated on The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and BBC Horizon that this decision has resulted in large amounts of hate mail, much of it from children.[39] In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) confirmed this assessment by changing Pluto to the dwarf planet classification.

Tyson recounted the heated online debate on the Cambridge Conference Network (CCNet), a "widely read, UK-based Internet chat group", following Benny Peiser's renewed call for reclassification of Pluto's status.[40] Peiser's entry, in which he posted articles from the AP and The Boston Globe, spawned from The New York Times's article entitled "Pluto's Not a Planet? Only in New York".[41][42]

Tyson has been vice-president, president, and chairman of the board of the Planetary Society. He was also the host of the PBS program Nova ScienceNow until 2011.[43] He attended and was a speaker at the Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival symposium in November 2006. In 2007, Tyson was chosen to be a regular on The History Channel's popular series The Universe.[citation needed]

Tyson promoting the

Cosmos

TV series in Australia for National Geographic, 2014

In May 2009, Tyson launched a one-hour radio talk show called StarTalk, which he co-hosted with comedian Lynne Koplitz. The show was syndicated on Sunday afternoons on KTLK AM in Los Angeles and WHFS in Washington DC. The show lasted for thirteen weeks, but was resurrected in December 2010 and then, co-hosted with comedians Chuck Nice and Leighann Lord instead of Koplitz. Guests range from colleagues in science to celebrities such as GZA, Wil Wheaton, Sarah Silverman, and Bill Maher. The show is available via the Internet through a live stream or in the form of a podcast.[44]

In April 2011, Tyson was the keynote speaker at the 93rd International Convention of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two-year School. He and James Randi delivered a lecture entitled Skepticism, which related directly with the convention's theme of The Democratization of Information: Power, Peril, and Promise.[45]

In 2012, Tyson announced that he would appear in a YouTube series based on his radio show StarTalk. A premiere date for the show has not been announced, but it will be distributed on the Nerdist YouTube Channel.[46] On February 28, 2014, Tyson was a celebrity guest at the White House Student Film Festival.[47]

In 2014, Tyson helped revive Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage television series, presenting Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey on both FOX and the National Geographic Channel. Thirteen episodes were aired in the first season, and Tyson has stated that if a second season were produced, he would pass the role of host to someone else in the science world.[48][49] In early January, 2018, it was announced that a second season of Cosmos was in production, and that Tyson would once again act as host.[50]

On April 20, 2015, Tyson began hosting a late-night talk show entitled StarTalk on the National Geographic Channel, where Tyson interviews pop culture celebrities and asks them about their life experiences with science.[51]

Tyson is co-developing a sandbox video game with Whatnot Entertainment, Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents: Space Odyssey, which aims to help provide players with a realistic simulation of developing a space-faring culture, incorporating educational materials about space and technology. The game was anticipated for release in 2018.[52]

Views

Spirituality[A] most important feature is the analysis of the information that comes your way. And that's what I don't see enough of in this world. There's a level of gullibility that leaves people susceptible to being taken advantage of. I see science literacy as kind of a vaccine against charlatans who would try to exploit your ignorance.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson, from a transcript of an interview by Roger Bingham on The Science Network[53][54]

Tyson has written and broadcast extensively about his views of science, spirituality, and the spirituality of science, including the essays "The Perimeter of Ignorance"[55] and "Holy Wars",[56] both appearing in Natural History magazine and the 2006 Beyond Belief workshop. In an interview with comedian Paul Mecurio, Tyson offered his definition of spirituality: "For me, when I say spiritual, I’m referring to a feeling you would have that connects you to the universe in a way that it may defy simple vocabulary. We think about the universe as an intellectual playground, which it surely is, but the moment you learn something that touches an emotion rather than just something intellectual, I would call that a spiritual encounter with the universe."[57] Tyson has argued that many great historical scientists' belief in intelligent design limited their scientific inquiries, to the detriment of the advance of scientific knowledge.[56][58]

When asked during a question session at the University at Buffalo if he believed in a higher power, Tyson responded: "Every account of a higher power that I've seen described, of all religions that I've seen, include many statements with regard to the benevolence of that power. When I look at the universe and all the ways the universe wants to kill us, I find it hard to reconcile that with statements of beneficence."[59][60]:341 In an interview with Big Think, Tyson said, "So, what people are really after is what is my stance on religion or spirituality or God, and I would say if I find a word that came closest, it would be 'agnostic' ... at the end of the day I'd rather not be any category at all."[61] Additionally, in the same interview with Big Think, Tyson mentioned that he edited Wikipedia's entry on him to include the fact that he is an agnostic:

I'm constantly claimed by atheists. I find this intriguing. In fact, on my Wiki page – I didn't create the Wiki page, others did, and I'm flattered that people cared enough about my life to assemble it – and it said "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist." I said, "Well that's not really true." I said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an agnostic." I went back a week later, it said "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist" again – within a week! – and I said, "What's up with that?" and I said "Alright, I have to word it a little differently." So I said, okay "Neil deGrasse Tyson, widely claimed by atheists, is actually an agnostic."[61]

During the interview "Called by the Universe: A Conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson" in 2009, Tyson said: "I can't agree to the claims by atheists that I'm one of that community. I don't have the time, energy, interest of conducting myself that way... I'm not trying to convert people. I don't care."[62]

Tyson in conversation with

Richard Dawkins

at Howard University, 2010

In March 2014, philosopher and secularism proponent Massimo Pigliucci asked Tyson "What is it you think about God?" Tyson replied "I remain unconvinced by any claims anyone has ever made about the existence or the power of a divine force operating in the universe." Pigliucci then asked him why he expressed discomfort with the label "atheist" in his Big Think video. Tyson replied by reiterating his dislike for one-word labels, saying "That's what adjectives are for. What kind of atheist are you? Are you an ardent atheist? Are you a passive atheist? An apathetic atheist? Do you rally, or do you just not even care? So I'd be on the 'I really don't care' side of that, if you had to find adjectives to put in front of the word 'atheist'." Pigliucci contrasted Tyson with scientist Richard Dawkins: "[Dawkins] really does consider, at this point, himself to be an atheist activist. You very clearly made the point that you are not." Tyson replied: "I completely respect that activity. He's fulfilling a really important role out there."[63]

Tyson has spoken about philosophy on numerous occasions. In March 2014, during an episode of The Nerdist Podcast, he stated that philosophy is "useless" and that a philosophy major "can really mess you up",[64] which was met with disapproval.[65][66][67][68] The philosopher Massimo Pigliucci later criticized him for "dismiss[ing] philosophy as a useless enterprise".[69]

Race and social justice

In an undated interview at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tyson talked about being black and one of the most visible and well-known scientists in the world. He told a story about being interviewed about a plasma burst from the sun on a local Fox affiliate in 1989. "I'd never before in my life seen an interview with a black person on television for expertise that had nothing to do with being black. And at that point, I realized that one of the last stereotypes that prevailed among people who carry stereotypes is that, sort of, black people are somehow dumb. I wondered, maybe ... that's a way to undermine this sort of, this stereotype that prevailed about who's smart and who's dumb. I said to myself, 'I just have to be visible, or others like me, in that situation.' That would have a greater force on society than anything else I could imagine."[70][71]

In 2005, at a conference at the National Academy of Sciences, Tyson responded to a question about whether genetic differences might keep women from working as scientists. He said that his goal to become an astrophysicist was "...hands down the path of most resistance through the forces ... of society". He continued: "My life experience tells me, when you don’t find blacks in the sciences, when you don’t find women in the sciences, I know these forces are real and I had to survive them in order to get where I am today. So before we start talking about genetic differences, you gotta come up with a system where there’s equal opportunity. Then we can start having that conversation."[72]

In a 2014 interview with Grantland, Tyson said that he related his experience on that 2005 panel in an effort to make the point that the scientific question about genetic differences can't be answered until the social barriers are dismantled. "I'm saying before you even have that conversation, you have to be really sure that access to opportunity has been level." In that same interview, Tyson said that race is not a part of the point he is trying to make in his career or with his life. According to Tyson, "[T]hat then becomes the point of people's understanding of me, rather than the astrophysics. So it's a failed educational step for that to be the case. If you end up being distracted by that and not [getting] the message." He purposefully no longer speaks publicly about race. "I don't give talks on it. I don't even give Black History Month talks. I decline every single one of them. In fact, since 1993, I've declined every interview that has my being black as a premise of the interview."[73]

NASA

Tyson,

Bill Nye

, and U.S. President

Barack Obama

take a

selfie

at the

White House

, 2014

Tyson is an advocate for expanding the operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Arguing that "the most powerful agency on the dreams of a nation is currently underfunded to do what it needs to be doing".[74] Tyson has suggested that the general public has a tendency to overestimate how much revenue is allocated to the space agency. At a March 2010 address, referencing the proportion of tax revenue spent on NASA, he stated, "By the way, how much does NASA cost? It's a half a penny on the dollar. Did you know that? The people are saying, 'Why are we spending money up there...' I ask them, 'How much do you think we're spending?' They say 'five cents, ten cents on a dollar.' It's a half a penny."[74]

In March 2012, Tyson testified before the United States Senate Science Committee, stating that:

Right now, NASA's annual budget is half a penny on your tax dollar. For twice that—a penny on a dollar—we can transform the country from a sullen, dispirited nation, weary of economic struggle, to one where it has reclaimed its 20th century birthright to dream of tomorrow.[75][76]

Inspired by Tyson's advocacy and remarks, Penny4NASA, a campaign of the Space Advocates nonprofit,[77] was founded in 2012 by John Zeller and advocates the doubling of NASA's budget to one percent of the federal budget.[78]

In his book Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier Tyson argues that large and ambitious space exploration projects, like getting humans to Mars, will probably require some sort of military or economic driver in order to get the appropriate funding from the United States federal government.[79]

Media appearances

Neil deGrasse Tyson was keynote speaker at

TAM6

of the

JREF

.

As a science communicator, Tyson regularly appears on television, radio, and various other media outlets. He has been a regular guest on The Colbert Report, and host Stephen Colbert refers to him in his comedic book I Am America (And So Can You!), noting in his chapter on scientists that most scientists are "decent, well-intentioned people", but, presumably tongue-in-cheek, that "Neil DeGrasse [sic] Tyson is an absolute monster."[80] He has appeared numerous times on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has made appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Rachel Maddow Show.[81] He served as one of the central interviewees on the various episodes of the History Channel science program, The Universe. Tyson participated on the NPR radio quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in 2007 and 2015.[82] He has appeared several times on Real Time with Bill Maher, and he was also featured on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as the ask-the-expert lifeline.[83] He has spoken numerous times on the Philadelphia morning show, Preston and Steve, on 93.3 WMMR, as well as on SiriusXM's Ron and Fez and The Opie and Anthony Show.

Tyson has been featured as a guest interviewee on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, Radiolab, Skepticality, and The Joe Rogan Experience podcasts and has been in several of the Symphony of Science videos.[84][85]

Tyson lived near the World Trade Center and was an eyewitness to the September 11, 2001 attacks. He wrote a widely circulated letter on what he saw.[86] Footage he filmed on the day was included in the 2008 documentary film 102 Minutes That Changed America.[87]

In 2007, Tyson was the keynote speaker during the dedication ceremony of Deerfield Academy's new science center, the Koch Center, named for David H. Koch '59. He emphasized the impact science will have on the twenty-first century, as well as explaining that investments into science may be costly, but their returns in the form of knowledge gained and piquing interest is invaluable. Tyson has also appeared as the keynote speaker at The Amazing Meeting, a science and skepticism conference hosted by the James Randi Educational Foundation.[88]

Tyson made a guest appearance as a version of himself in the episode "Brain Storm" of Stargate Atlantis[89] alongside Bill Nye and in the episode "The Apology Insufficiency" of The Big Bang Theory.[90] Archive footage of him is used in the film Europa Report. Tyson also made an appearance in an episode of Martha Speaks as himself.[91]

2010 Space Conference group portrait: Tyson with fellow television personality and science educator

Bill Nye

In a May 2011 StarTalk Radio show, The Political Science of the Daily Show, Tyson said he donates all income earned as a guest speaker.[92]

Tyson is a frequent participant in the website Reddit's AMAs (Ask Me Anythings) where he is responsible for three of the top ten most popular AMAs of all time.[93]

In Action Comics #14 (January 2013), which was published November 7, 2012, Tyson appears in the story, in which he determines that Superman's home planet, Krypton, orbited the red dwarf LHS 2520 in the constellation Corvus 27.1 lightyears from Earth. Tyson assisted DC Comics in selecting a real-life star that would be an appropriate parent star to Krypton, and picked Corvus, which is Latin for "Crow",[94][95] and which is the mascot of Superman's high school, the Smallville Crows.[96][97] Tyson also had a minor appearance as himself in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[98]

In May 2013, the Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2013 (H.R. 1891; 113th Congress) was introduced into Congress. Neil deGrasse Tyson was listed by at least two commentators as a possible nominee for the position of Science Laureate, if the act were to pass.[99][100] On March 8, 2014, Tyson made a SXSW Interactive keynote presentation at the Austin Convention Center.[101]

On June 3, 2014, Tyson co-reviewed Gravity in a CinemaSins episode.[102] He made two more appearances with CinemaSins, co-reviewing Interstellar on September 29, 2015,[103] and The Martian on March 31, 2016.[104]

In 2016, Tyson narrated and was a script supervisor for the science documentary, Food Evolution, directed by Academy Award nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy.[105] In the same year, Tyson made a guest appearance on the Avenged Sevenfold album The Stage, where he delivered a monolog on the track "Exist".[106] In 2017, Tyson appeared on Logic's album Everybody as God, uncredited on various tracks, and credited on the song "AfricAryaN"[107] as well as on "The Moon" on Musiq Soulchild's album Feel the Real.[108]

In 2018, Tyson made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory as himself, together with fellow scientist Bill Nye, in the first episode of the show's final season ("The Conjugal Configuration").[109

[elitechoice]

Places to Travel

In the study, Big 7 Travel found that people were also more likely to add a destination to their list if they had seen it on social media, and 33% of people research vacation destinations on their Instagram feed. "With over one-third of our readers saying they look to Instagram for travel inspiration, it makes sense that cities with colorful neighborhoods (such as Cape Town’s Bo Kaap) made the cut," says Clayton-Lea.

Bali topped the list of the most popular bucket list destination on earth, but there were also some unexpected picks. "The top 10 list has a lot of the expected dream destinations, but there are a few surprises on the list: Paro Valley in Bhutan, for example, or Virunga National Park in the Congo," says Clayton-Lea. "I think this shows a great appetite for a need to get off the grid and can only assume that social media (and Netflix, in the case of Virunga!) is responsible for spreading the word of these amazing places."

An interesting factoid uncovered in the study: Most people have an average bucket list of just 11 places, with the hope of visiting seven of those locations during their lifetime. No matter how many places are on your bucket list, this ranking will get you dreaming of places near and far. Read on for the top 50 bucket list destinations in the world and what Big 7 Travel had to say about each one.

1. Bali, Indonesia: "You’ll find beaches, volcanoes, Komodo dragons and jungles sheltering elephants, orangutans and tigers. Basically, it’s paradise. It’s likely you’ve seen an image of Bali on social media at least once in the past seven days, as it’s such a popular bucket list destination for 2019."

2. New Orleans: "The lively city known for its street music, festive vibe and a melting pot of French, African and American cultures is well worth the trip. NOLA is a city packed with adventures at every turn and should be on everyone’s must-visit list."

3. Kerry, Ireland:" All the way west in Ireland is one of the country’s most scenic counties. Kerry’s mountains, lakes and coasts are postcard-perfect, and that’s before you add in Killarney National Park. The unique small towns such as Dingle add to its charm."

4. Marrakesh, Morocco: "This ancient walled city is home to mosques, palaces and lush gardens. It’s known as The Red City thanks to the color of the brick walls surrounding the city. The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre."

5. Sydney: "Sydney is known around the world as one of the greatest and most iconic cities on the planet. Amazing things to do aren’t hard to find; the city has gorgeous beaches, great cafes and world-class entertainment on offer wherever you look."

6. The Maldives: "This tropical nation in the Indian Ocean is made up of more than 1,000 coral islands. It’s home to some of the world’s most luxurious hotel resorts, with white sandy beaches, underwater villas and restaurants and bright blue waters."

Paris, France.

7. Paris, France: "One of the most iconic cities in the world, Paris tops many people’s bucket lists. You’ll see so many famous landmarks here: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame cathedral—the list is never-ending."

8. Cape Town, South Africa: "Cape Town is a dream location to visit: endless natural beauty and clifftop views, pastel pink neighborhoods and turquoise waters."

9. Dubai, U.A.E.: "The high-flying city of the U.A.E, Dubai is one of the most glamorous destinations you’ll ever visit, and is particularly popular with Big 7 Travel readers."

Sunset In Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

10. Bora Bora, French Polynesia: "Bora Bora is Tahiti's most famous island. How do overwater bungalows and underwater adventures sound to you? To us, it’s everything we could want from a bucket list destination."

[marjaystuff]

Elise Cooper interview Lisa Harris and her new book, The Escape

The Escape by Lisa Harris brings to life the world of a U.S. Marshal. The book has non-stop action as the Marshals try to figure out the bad guy's next move, with most of the story about a criminal on the run. Harris does a great job of showing how the Marshals would hunt for an escaped convict and what the criminal does to avoid them.

The story begins with US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn transporting two prisoners across the country on a private small plane. The plane experiences engine trouble and the pilots crash-land in the heart of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. After Madison and Jonas regain consciousness, they find everyone dead except one of the prisoners.  To find him they must negotiate the rugged and remote backcountry through Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Both the Marshals and the fugitive play a dangerous cat and mouse game to bring him back to justice.

This story is very suspenseful and is an edge of the seat thriller.  Readers will not want to put it down so when they start, they should make sure there is plenty of time to finish it in one sitting.

Elise Cooper: Why the US Marshals?

Lisa Harris:  I wanted to do something different.  I found this occupation really interesting.  This is the first book in a new three book series where each book will have a different plot.  

EC:  Will there be an over-riding arc?

LH:  Yes, it will go through all three books.  They are trying to find out who killed the heroine’s husband and why is the killer leaving a black rose.

EC:  Did you do any research?

LH:  I did some on the Internet, spoke with a source, and read a book written by a US Marshal as well as using a lot of imagination.  I found that there are so many different aspects to their duties that include witness protection, finding a fugitive, transporting prisoners, and guarding people.

EC:  You have the heroine saying she might move to Portland Oregon.  Why would anyone want to move there?

LH: LOL. I actually grew up there.  Since I wrote the story Seattle and Portland have changed a lot.  I do have a lot of good memories, but would not move there at this time, although my roots are on the West Coast.

EC:  How would you describe the heroine, Madison?

LH:  Strong, vulnerable, determined, focused, patient, and guarded.  She reads people well.

EC:  How would you describe the hero, Jonas?

LH:  He wants to make the world better.  He hides his hurt with his work actions.  Jonas is a good listener, a loner, and very dedicated.

EC:  How would you describe the relationship?

LH:  They are able to heal each other from the hurting.  Right now, both are taking it very cautiously.  Both know what it is like to fall in love and lose that person; although each did it in different ways. She lost her husband, and he had an issue with his girlfriend so neither were looking for a relationship at this time.  I want to explore the relationship over a longer period of time.  They do have a lot in common and understand each other.  

EC: The bad guy had women attracted to him?

LH:  Yes-he is very manipulative and charming.  These women knew he was accused of doing some bad stuff and had no business in helping him.  They felt he offered them something they needed.  It is very sad, but definitely a reality.

EC:  What about the setting?

LH:  I chose a place like Idaho because it is very remote.  I actually took that train that was in the story.  I wanted to write places they would travel that I know about.  I think the places chosen can set the tone including the weather, harsh wilderness, and places they cannot really get help except for those people who lived off the grid.

EC:  I like to ask authors about what they write in the book. Did you ever experience harsh turbulence?

LH:  Yes, but on a large plane not a small plane.

EC:  What about snakes?

LH:  I am not afraid of them but would like to avoid them.

EC:  What about the food favorites?

LH:  I never tried hot dogs with cream cheese but know it is a Seattle cuisine food.  I do love clam chowder soup.  My dad would bring in crabs from the ocean. I would love it.  

EC:  What about the TV shows?

LH:  I watched all the “Castle” episodes and my mom is a fan of “Gunsmoke.”

EC: Can you give a shout out about your next book?

LH:  It will be out in July and is titled The Chase.  It will continue the backstory on Madison’s husband being killed.  The plot has them searching for four bank robbers.  I am also working on a novella where Madison and Jonas first met.  It can possibly come out the beginning of next year.  

THANK YOU!!

[holytheoristtastemaker]

Welcome to our guide to the must-have web development tools of 2020 so far. If you regularly write front-end code for web applications, then you probably have your go-to set of tools. A boilerplate that serves as a skeleton, a UI library that helps you make things dynamic and interactive, a build process that might include one or more tools to scaffold out the files and directories you'll need. You might even have a set of CSS and JavaScript utilities that you go back to time and again. Or maybe your tooling is a couple of blank files, your code editor and nothing more (which is absolutely fine, especially if you’re new to the scene). Whatever your toolset looks like, it's always beneficial to take a peek at what's out there and what’s new in front-end tooling. To that end, let's roll out 50 of the most interesting and practical web development tools that you should know about. Most of these are fairly new, having been released at some over the past year, while a few have been around for a little longer and have only started to gain traction during the last 12 months. Whatever the case, you'll most definitely find something in this list you can use in a project soon. We've organised the list into sections, to make it easier to navigate. You can use the links to jump straight to the section you're interested in, or just browse the whole list. Want even more? Here's another list of amazing web design tools, and be sure to check out our list of user testing software tools, too.

01. autoComplete.js

Get it here

A small library to add auto-complete functionality to a form field. Offers loose and strict search modes, customisable minimum number of characters before offering suggestions, optional callback functions and more.

02. indigo-player

Get it here

A modular, easy-to- customise JavaScript video player with advertisement support out-of-the-box so you can enable pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll sponsors for embedded videos.

03. Simple-keyboard

Get it here

An elegant, responsive virtual keyboard component that offers ready-to-use demos of both mobile- and desktop-style keyboards. The demo keyboards are gorgeous but you can also style one easily to suit your brand.

04. fslightbox.js

Get it here

A vanilla JavaScript lightbox plugin that can display images, HTML5 video and YouTube embeds in an attractive and usable overlay. Offers React and Vue versions and the ability to upgrade from the free version if you want to get your hands on more features.

05. Rallax.js

Get it here

Parallax shouldn’t be used heavily but a simple dependency-free solution like this one is a good option. This has good performance and an easy-to-use API for starting effects, stopping, speeding up and the ability to chain .when() methods for queuing actions.

06. FrenchKiss.js

Get it here

A super-fast internationalisation library with an extensive API. One example customisation it offers is the ability to deal with a language that has multiple pluralisation rules.

07. Moveable

Get it here

Make any element on the page draggable, resizable, scalable rotatable or even warpable (like the perspective tool in a graphics editor). You can also enable grouping and snap-to-guides functionality.

08. Hotkey

Get it here

Trigger an action on a specified element by means of a shortcut key, combination of keys or sequence of keys pressed by the user. The documentation has suggestions to ensure good accessibility.

09. Freezeframe.js

Get it here

Add play/pause functionality to animated GIFs on a page. Trigger play/pause via hover, click, touch event or by an external element that serves as a play/pause button.

10. pagemap

Get it here

Add a scrollable 'mini map' to long web pages, similar to what you find in the Sublime Text code editor. It’s arguable whether this is more usable than a scrollbar but you could implement this with the scrollbar disabled for a native feel.

11. lax.js

Get it here

Vanilla JavaScript plugin to add responsive and mobile-friendly. Add play/pause functionality to animated GIFs on a page. Trigger animations, transitions and parallax effects to pages while the user scrolls. Get started with the presets or create custom effects.

12. Project Wallace

Get it here

This is a CSS analysis tool with a dashboard that lets you track the complexity of your code, including the number of lines of code, amount of selectors, quantity of declarations, specificity, use of !important, performance bottlenecks and more.

13. DebuCSSer

Get it here

An unobtrusive CSS debugging tool that works as an option for manually adding an outline to one or more elements. Include the script, then hold the CTRL key to outline an element or CTRL-SHIFT to outline all.

14. Animated CSS Burgers

Get it here

A small library of animated mobile hamburger menus that should satisfy your needs should you require a slightly different menu style in each project.

15. DropCSS

Get it here

A fast JavaScript module that compares a page's HTML to the CSS, then returns the latter with unused code removed, saving valuable bytes in page load time. For more on unused CSS, see the accompanying box.

16. CSSFX

Get it here

Yet another useful and unique set of plug-and- play CSS animations and effects. This one includes a wide variety of effects – some require more than a single HTML element but they’re easy to add to a project.

17. CSS Grid Generator

Get it here

For anyone first getting into the CSS Grid standard, having a visual helper will be a huge boost. This generator is a great way to learn the features and create practical grid code for all your layouts.

18. Darkmode.js

Get it here

There seems to be a dark mode craze lately. This project lets you add a dark mode toggle to pages, utilising CSS’s mix-blend-mode property to handle the dark/light modes.

19. ARC Toolkit

Get it here

Chrome extension by the Paciello Group that integrates with DevTools to provide extensive accessibility testing as part of your development and testing workflow.

20. Clarity Dashboard

Get it here

A user-testing platform from Microsoft. Add a script to your page then replay user sessions to see how users interact with your site or app.

21. GraphQL Editor

Get it here

This is a useful online editor that enables you to speed up the creation of GraphQL schemas. GraphQL is a popular new technology that serves as a more efficient alternative to using REST.

22. jsonbox.io

Get it here

Free JSON storage that 22 offers users the ability to store, read and modify JSON data over HTTP APIs using various commands such as GET, POST, PUT and DELETE.

23. Accessibility Insights

Get it here

A Chrome extension, 23 Edge add-on or native Windows app to run accessibility testing. You can do a quick test for the most common problems or show visual overlays on a page to examine colour contrast, ARIA landmarks and more.

24. Measure

Get it here

This one is part of Google's new developer hub, providing a one-stop online tool to test your content for vital concerns such as performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO.

25. Chart.xkcd

Get it here

A quirky JavaScript charting library that generates charts in sketchy or hand-drawn manner in the style of xkcd, the popular web comic. Might be a great option as part of an informal app design.

26. useAnimations

Get it here

A collection of simple, customisable animated icons that you can plug into projects on mobile or web, offering a React version and the ability to edit the pre-made animations either in Lottie or Adobe After Effects.

27. Strikefree Music

Get it here

A growing library of audio clips you can use in things like videos and podcasts without fear of being penalised for copyright violations. You can optionally create your own custom beats or randomly select one that's already been created.

28. ZapChart

Get it here

A neat online tool to build shareable data in chart format. Just plug in the numbers for the x and y axes and this app will generate a bar chart downloadable as PNG or shareable via URL.

29. Optimole

Get it here

An image optimisation service and CDN for WordPress. Includes features for serving device-appropriate images with lossy or lossless compression, optional lazy loading and lots more.

30. Mixkit

Get it here

A collection of HD videos and illustrations, filterable by categories and free to use anywhere in commercial and non-commercial projects, without attribution.

31. Static Site Boilerplate

Get it here

A non-opinionated and feature-rich toolkit for building static sites. Offers automated builds, a local dev server, production-level optimisations (such as code minification and image processing) and has support for a number of modern front-end technologies (Sass, ES6, etc).

32. Base Web

Get it here

A React-based UI framework with a vast suite of components that range from complex functionality like a payment card component (ie input mask for different credit card types) to low-level features such as FlexGrid and Layer for composing your layouts.

33. Materialize

Get it here

A responsive front-end framework with a slew of CSS and JavaScript components. Includes components for form features, layouts, mobile-specific and more – all based on Google's Material Design.

34. Scene.js

Get it here

An extensive API for controlling things like animation timing, transitions and effects. Want some more?

35. Quasar

Get it here

A Vue-based UI library with components to help build single-page applications, progressive web apps, hybrid mobile apps and desktop apps with no unnecessary bloat.

36. React Simple Img

Get it here

A lazy-loading image solution for React projects that uses the IntersectionObserver API and the new Priority Hints standard for an elegant image-loading solution.

37. React Animation

Get it here

An easy-to-use animation library for React that lets you easily add unique pre-built animated effects to page elements based on content changes and loading or enables you to build your own.

38. React Redux Loading Bar

Get it here

A progressive animated loading indicator bar for React projects, with the ability to add multiple loading bars on a single page that indicate different items loading independently of each other.

39. react-image-magnifiers

Get it here

A set of responsive React components to magnify and zoom in to high-res images on mobile or desktop, similar to the zoom feature available on shopping sites like Amazon, which enables you to drag while zooming to examine specific parts of an image.

40. RIFM

Get it here

React component to convert any HTML form input into formatted input. For example, if a user types something in all lower case, you can force upper case (or just about any preferred format) as they type.

41. Remote Development

Get it here

An extension pack for Visual Studio Code that enables you to use VSCode's full set of features remotely by SSHing into any folder in a container, remote machine or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL for short).

42. Fabulous

Get it here

This lets you edit CSS Properties in a sidebar in VSCode. Will display CSS from different sources including CSS-in-JS libraries, .scss files, <style> blocks in the HTML and styles tied to library components (Angular, Svelte, Vue).

43. packtracker.io

Get it here

A tool that tracks and analyses your webpack bundle on every commit. Helps to avoid oversized assets, npm package overuse and redundant content to ensure better overall app performance.

44. Flutter

Get it here

Google's UI development toolkit for creating natively compiled apps for web, desktop and mobile. Produces an app for all platforms from a single codebase, offering flexibly UI to boot.

45. Packem

Get it here

A JavaScript module bundler that purports to be twice as fast as its main competitor, Parcel. Still in alpha at the time of writing but a promising tool that could be your go-to bundler in the coming months.

46. Pika

Get it here

A multi-featured toolset that includes npm stats, package search, a CDN and Pika Web. The latter lets you add dependencies to a project directly in the browser without webpack, Browserify, etc.

47. Commento

Get it here

A lightweight, ad-free, privacy-focused commenting system you can embed in your web pages, usable via their cloud service or self-hosted. Includes Akismet spam detection, sticky comments, voting, Markdown support and more.

48. Just

Get it here

A build task library with an easy-to-use API to compose chained, parallel or nested tasks during your build process.

49. Git History

Get it here

Easily browse any file's history on GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket. Just select a file URL then replace github.com with github.githistory.xyz and an animated, visual history of the file will display.

50. Sublime Merge

Get it here

A fast, search-friendly Git client (Mac, Windows, Linux) from the makers of Sublime Text. Offers syntax highlighting, integrated merge tool, side-by-side diffs and more.

[anythingisabookmark]

The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson

This recommendation has fundamentally changed the trajectory of my year. And possibly the next decade for me. I knew about the challenge facing us with climate change, I was well aware and delved into the movement in 2008 after Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth came out. Back then, I was actually a youth. One of the generations that would be directly affected by the impending climate disaster. I was energised and optimistic, but with only dead ends at a higher policy level, my steam soon ran out.

I avoided the resurgence in eco activism/awareness in the last few years. I saw headlines counselling the new ‘eco-anxiety’ that has come about from leaning too far into the science and politics of Climate Change. Why would I give myself more anxiety about something that I can’t fundamentally change, as an individual or even through an activist group? Isn’t that what the world doesn’t need - another privileged white woman buying activewear from recycled plastics and blaring on about beeswax wraps?

In this frame of mind, and also in an anti-sci-fi context, I came to The Ministry for the Future. The first chapter about the Indian Heatwave seemed like an interesting and plausible inclusion. It’s likely that the hottest places will keep getting hotter. These are countries closest to the equator. These are largely developing nations of black and brown people. Then the ‘Ministry for the Future’ is set out by the 2025 Paris Accord. Yes, also something that would come out of the UN. Unlikely to drive real change. Something else that Greta Thunberg to scold as well intentioned yet lacking real change.

The 7 or 9 (I returned the library book and can’t remember specifics now) areas within the department were fascinating. Each represented a key threat to the climate, and Robinson took us on a journey to explore the solutions that were mostly all existing ideas that were implemented as intended. I didn’t think glaciology would interest me as much as it did when reading those passages. The bit that was the turning point for me (and it seemed like the future world) was Saudi Arabia’s coup. (Spoiler alert coming). It seems like such a simple chain of events…. Saudi Arabia as a nation fails. New government keeps oil in the ground. Becomes rich from carbon coins. Oil prices skyrocket worldwide. Renewables and EVs suddenly become ridiculously affordable. Power grids worldwide are transformed.

To get the world’s grids to renewables that quickly is a huge idea. It could really transform the future of the planet. Don’t ask me how much, I’m not a scientist, but if anything these ideas and happenings in the projected future of the book make it clear that real change comes at a policy level. We need our lawmakers to start listening and doing better.

I didn’t really care for Mary and Vadim’s story arcs at all. I wasn’t in the book for great literary characters and didn’t want half baked ones. Mary lacked depth, and so did everyone around her.

I’ve recommended this book to everyone that will listen since. I’ve also listened to a few podcasts with Robinson, and added his other books to my reading list (though I won’t read too quickly, as I don’t want to get KSR-fatigue!). I also added a slew of other climate and environment related books to my list, as now it’s important to me, I need to read up and across the topic to understand as much as I can. I don’t consider myself an environmentalist, but it’s becoming clear that issues are intersectional. Helping the environment helps everyone.

Lateral reads and viewing

Project Drawdown explains how the solutions work in very accessible terms, with details available for the nerds.

How To Save a Planet podcast from Gimlet Media is one that I've heard about for awhile but never tried. Now I'm hooked. Alex Blumberg and Ayana Johnson are fantastic hosts and do a really good job.

Dense Discovery is a weekly newsletter that I've been subscribed to for some time that has great sustainability info.

Project Wren allows you to calculate your carbon footprint and offset in one go or in a monthly subscription. I'm now aware that there are many services that offer this, this is just one.

Anything David Attenborough is a good companion piece when learning about the environment.

Seaspiracy on Netflix has a bit of a vegan propaganda vibe to it, but worthwhile and makes me reflect on my power as a consumer to purchase sustainable (?) fish.

[dazzledbybooks]

The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction. For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition. When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death? Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49629448-a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bb61Do B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin-roseanne-a-brown/1134858719?ean=9780062891495 iTunes: https://books.apple.com/book/a-song-of-wraiths-ruin/id1478613303 Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Song-Wraiths-Ruin-Roseanne-Brown/9780062891495?ref=grid-view&qid=1587062543544&sr=1-1 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin-1 Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Roseanne_A_Brown_A_Song_of_Wraiths_and_Ruin?id=AQAAAEBs_nG-DM Excerpt: https://aerbook.com/books/A_Song_of_Wraiths_and_Ruin-261829.html?social=1&retail=1&emailcap=0 Review: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown is the first book in a new young adult fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore. I was so excited to dive into this book. I have been looking forward to it for months. This book takes a bit to get into at first because there is just so much world building and introduction to the characters and their lives in the beginning. I really liked every second of it. The folklore behind this story is amazing. I really found myself wanting to know more. I think the gods and creatures are very interesting and I look forward to reading the sequel. Let's talk about love. I feel like the "love" or "relationship" between Malik and Karina came across very insta-love. I really wish it had more depth to it. Don't get me wrong I think they would be great together, I just wish we had a bit more of a build up vs jumping right into that relationship. Let me also say that romance doesn't play a huge part in this book. I am not too worried about it either. When it came to the magic system, I do with is was explained a bit more. We get so much explanation of the characters and the world that I felt like the magic system was a bit lacking. It wasn't explained to the reader why magic wasn't common and it wasn't explained why some people randomly get magic. I definitely feel like the magic system is lacking and it leaves the reader with a lot of questions. \ Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will be participating in a reread starting June 12 with a group of people. Why would I want to read a book I just finished? Sometimes when I liked an ARC so much, I like to reread a finished copy to see if anything changed. Other times, I just really want to reread the book. I look forward to diving into this book again ASAP. Definitely check out A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. Pre-order Campaign: Link to the pre-order submission form: bit.ly/ASOWARCampaign A pre-order/order from any retailer or a request to your local library will get you: * A bookmark! * 2 character cards featuring Karina and Malik! * A limited edition signed bookplate * An exclusive digital fairy tale from the A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN world! An order from indie bookstore Books With a Past will get you: * A bookmark! * 2 character cards featuring Karina and Malik! * A limited edition signed bookplate * An exclusive digital fairy tale from the A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN world! * A handwritten note and personalization from the author! Rules: * You must submit proof of purchase/library request. Screenshots and photos of receipts are fine. * Only orders and library requests dated through June 30, 2020 are eligible * Only orders made through Books With a Past (https://ift.tt/3dLSqUg) will receive the note and personalization. * All swag will be sent out on a rolling basis starting June 2nd * Entrants under the age of 18 must obtain parent/guardian permission before entering About the Author: Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. Writing was her first love, and she knew from a young age that she wanted to use the power of writing—creative and otherwise—to connect the different cultures she called home. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her journalistic work has been featured by Voice of America among other outlets. On the publishing side of things, she has worked as an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing. Rosie was a 2017 Pitch Wars mentee and 2018 Pitch Wars mentor. Never content to stay in any one place for too long, Rosie currently teaches in Japan, where in her free time she can usually be found exploring the local mountains, explaining memes to her students, or thinking about Star Wars. Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18395190.Roseanne_A_Brown Website: https://roseanneabrown.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosiesrambles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosiesrambles/?hl=en Giveaway: Prize: Win an ASOWAR bookplate, bookmark, two trading cards, and access to the exclusive short story (INT) Starts: June 2nd 2020 Ends: June 16th 2020 a Rafflecopter giveaway Tour Schedule: http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/04/tour-schedule-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin.html June 2nd The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post June 3rd BookCrushin - Story Behind The Cover + Instagram Moonlight Rendezvous - Review + Favourite Quotes A Dream Within A Dream - Review Small Stained Pages - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes Vee Reading - Review Lit lemon books - Review + Favourite Quotes June 4th The Paperback Voyager - Review Colby Wilkens - Review Kait Rose - Review + Favourite Quotes Belle's Archive - Review + Video Interview Sage Shelves - Review SeizeThePage - Review + Playlist Paws and Paperbacks - Review June 5th Bookish Looks - Tell Your Story in GIFs Write, Read, Repeat - Review Books.Bags.Burgers - Review + Favourite Quotes Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Dream Cast Black Bookwyrm Reads - Review Enthralled Bookworm - Review + Mood Board by blogger June 6th A Court of Coffee and Books - Review + Favourite Quotes Utopia State of Mind - Review Morgan Vega - Review + Favourite Quotes Tea.Books.Magic - Review + Instagram Caitsbooks - Review + Favourite Quotes + Mood Board by blogger Books and Ladders - Review June 7th Kait Plus Books - Character Interview Hooked on Bookz - Review + Favourite QuotesBiblioJoJo - Review The Layaway Dragon - Review + Favourite Quotes In Between Book Pages - Review + Favourite Quotes Empty Kingdom - Review + Favourite Quotes + Mood Board by blogger June 8th A Gingerly Review - Mood Board bforbookslut - Review L.M. Durand - Review + Mood Board by blogger Dazzled by Books - ReviewConfessions of a YA Reader - Review + Favourite Quotes The Reading Corner for All - Review

http://www.dazzledbybooks.com/2020/06/a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin-blog-tour.html

[hippieeloquent]

Free Vacation Rental Listings

What's on your own travel bucket list? If you're like lots of people, the more you travel, the harder places you supplment your bucket list. So when the editors in the website Big 7 Travel announced this list with the world's top 50 bucket list destinations, we stopped in your tracks and started checking off the boxes. The website surveyed its 1.5 million-strong social audience in order to determine the most effective bucket list places all over the world. According to Sarah Clayton-Lea, head of quite happy with Big 7 Travel, this can be a first-time the site has assembled this list. "Bucket list travel was a trend that sprouted time and again in the past surveys when asking our readers what type of travel content they most enjoyed consuming," says Clayton-Lea. "So, our curiosity got better people and that we desired to know which destinations people are hoping to see for 2019/2020." READ MORE: "Why You Should Skip Iceland And Go To These 9 Under-the-Radar Places" Today In: ForbesWomen Coronavirus Travel: Is This Your Chance To Book The Cheapest Vacation Ever? Lessons From Coronavirus For Future Climate Change Public Health Crises 6 Ways Being Selfish Can Make You Successful The results of the world’s top 50 bucket list destinations include some from the most beautiful places on earth. "White sandy beaches remain a must-visit for most, with vibrant cities also making a physique on the lot of people’s bucket lists," says Clayton-Lea. Countries with naturally beautiful scenery and world-famous landmarks came out on top: 22% with the destinations on their email list have white sandy beaches, while 52% are iconic cities. The famously colorful Bo Kaap neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. The famously colorful Bo Kaap neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. GETTY PROMOTED Deloitte BRANDVOICE | Paid Program Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey: Exploring A “Generation Disrupted” Mitsubishi Heavy Industries BRANDVOICE | Paid Program What Does It Mean That America Is A Net Exporter of LNG? Google Cloud BRANDVOICE | Paid Program How To Spot The Biggest Tech Developments In the study, Big 7 Travel found out that individuals were also more prone to add a destination to their list whenever they had seen it on social networking, and 33% of individuals research vacation destinations on his or her Instagram feed. "With over one-third of our own readers saying they appear to Instagram for travel inspiration, it feels right that cities with colorful neighborhoods (like Cape Town’s Bo Kaap) made the cut," says Clayton-Lea. Bali topped this list from the 50 most favored bucket list destination on earth, but there was also some unexpected picks. "The top 10 list has a lot of the expected dream destinations, but there are some surprises on their email list: Paro Valley in Bhutan, as an example, or Virunga National Park within the Congo," says Clayton-Lea. "I think this shows an excellent appetite to get a need to get off the grid which enable it to only believe that social networking (and Netflix, inside the case of Virunga!) is liable for spreading the word of the amazing places." An interesting factoid uncovered in case study: Most people have the average bucket list of just 11 places, with the hope of visiting seven of these locations in their lifetime. No matter how a multitude of locations are in your bucket list, this ranking you can get hoping to see places near and a lot. Read on for your top 50 bucket list destinations within the world and what Big 7 Travel was required to say about each one of these. Overlooking the jungle one of Bali's highly Instagrammed swings. Overlooking the jungle using one of Bali's highly Instagrammed swings. GETTY 1. Bali, Indonesia: "You’ll find beaches, volcanoes, Komodo dragons and jungles sheltering elephants, orangutans and tigers. Basically, it’s paradise. It’s likely you’ve seen a picture of Bali on social media at least inside the past 7 days, as it’s this kind of popular bucket list destination for 2019." 2. New Orleans: "The lively city recognized for its street music, festive vibe as well as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures is worth the trip. NOLA is really a city packed with adventures at every turn and should be on everyone’s must-visit list." 3. Kerry, Ireland:" All the way west in Ireland is one in the country’s most scenic counties. Kerry’s mountains, lakes and coasts are postcard-perfect, and that’s before you decide to add in Killarney National Park. The unique small towns like Dingle enhance its charm." El Badi Palace in the Marrakesh medina. El Badi Palace inside Marrakesh medina. GETTY 4. Marrakesh, Morocco: "This ancient walled city hosts mosques, palaces and lush gardens. It’s known as The Red City with thanks to the color from the brick walls around the city. The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre." 5. Sydney: "Sydney is well known worldwide as one in the greatest and quite a few iconic cities on the planet. Amazing things to do aren’t nearly impossible to find; the location has gorgeous beaches, great cafes and world-class entertainment on offer wherever you look." 6. The Maldives: "This tropical nation within the Indian Ocean consist of more than 1,000 coral islands. It’s the place to find some in the world’s most luxurious hotel resorts, with white sandy beaches, underwater villas and restaurants and bright blue waters." Paris, France. Paris, France. GETTY 7. Paris, France: "One with the most iconic cities within the world, Paris tops many people’s bucket lists. You’ll see so many famous landmarks here: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame cathedral-this list is never-ending." 8. Cape Town, South Africa: "Cape Town is really a dream location to go to: endless pure beauty and clifftop views, pastel pink neighborhoods and turquoise waters." 9. Dubai, U.A.E.: "The high-flying city in the U.A.E, Dubai is one from the most glamorous destinations you’ll ever visit, and is also particularly favored by Big 7 Travel readers." Sunset In Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Sunset In Bora Bora, French Polynesia. GETTY 10. Bora Bora, French Polynesia: "Bora Bora is Tahiti's most well-known island. How do overwater bungalows and underwater adventures sound to you? To us, it’s everything we could want from a bucket list destination." 11. New York: "New York is just one of America’s most fun states. With charming upstate scenery, world-class cuisine and culture and more activities than you may fit into one lifetime. The city’s five boroughs all have special features; it’s extremely hard to narrow it down" 12. Dubrovnik, Croatia: "As George Bernard Shaw once said, 'Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik.' With its winding streets, cliffside beach bars and UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old Town, it’s no surprise Dubrovnik is such a popular spot." Carlton hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carlton hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. GETTY 13. Edinburgh, Scotland: "With the historic Edinburgh castle looming over the location, culture in spades and wonderfully friendly locals, that is one in the world’s greatest city breaks." 14. Rome, Italy: "Whether it’s your first time in Rome or maybe your 50th, the very best thing about this city is that you’ll always discover new things every time you stroll the scenic streets." 15. Paro Valley, Bhutan: Paro Valley is famous for its monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes. Tucked between China and India, Bhutan is often a mysterious country that prides itself on sustainable tourism. You’ll find Paro Taktsang here, a Himalayan Buddhist sacred site." At the Jal Mahal Palace at sunset in Jaipur, India. At the Jal Mahal Palace at sunset in Jaipur, India. GETTY 16. Jaipur, India: "Jaipur is famous as the ‘Pink City’ for the pale terracotta buildings. This was originally carried out to impress the visiting Prince Albert during his 1876 tour of India by order in the Maharaja (Sawai Ram Singh). Even today, it’s illegal to color buildings any other color." 17. Waikato, New Zealand: "Waikato, an area in New Zealand’s North Island, has massive underground caves, lush rainforest as well as the buzzy capital of scotland - Hamilton. But the area’s main attraction? A Middle-earth adventure for the film list of Lord in the Rings. Hobbiton Movie Set retains the first Hobbit holes in the making of the films." 18. Havana, Cuba: "Cuba’s capital is actually 500 years old along with a riot of color. Brightly painted buildings and vintage cars make Havana a photogenic dream." A take a look at Tokyo Skytree and the town skyline through the Tobu Levant Hotel. A view of Tokyo Skytree and town skyline from the Tobu Levant Hotel. PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN BLOOM 19. Tokyo, Japan: "Visiting Tokyo is similar to going to the future-flashing neon lights, incredible technology-yet there’s still a refreshing sense of culture and history." 20. Antarctica: "Earth’s southernmost continent, Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime destination. Nowhere else can equate to the ultimate remoteness of the snowy place. It’s not an easy day at make, but you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views in the white wilderness, icy sea kayaking and whale sightings." 21. Vancouver, Canada: "Vancouver is in the middle of water yet towards the mountains and possesses world-class art, restaurants and loads of other attractions to hold you entertained." 22. Los Angeles: "In an urban area with year-round sunshine, glam bars, beaches and hikes, you will find endless incredible experiences to take pleasure from in Los Angeles. It’s no surprise there are almost 5O million ‘LA’ hashtags on Insta." In Kruger National Park, South Africa. In Kruger National Park, South Africa. GETTY 23. Kruger National Park, South Africa: "The Kruger National Park is often a vast space in northeastern South Africa that is home to an enormous array of wildlife. The park has safari experiences of all, allowing you the opportunity escape busy city living and obtain back to nature." 24. Santorini, Greece: "Santorini is really a number of islands; Thíra, Thirassiá, Asproníssi, Palea and Nea Kaméni. Beaches with volcanic black or red sand and clear blue waters get this a perfect holiday spot. With its famous Santorini sunsets, it’s not surprising that it’s one with the most favored bucket list destinations." 25. Moscow, Russia: "Russia’s cosmopolitan capital, Moscow can be a beautiful destination to see in almost any season. Colorful domes and bell chimes ring out from over 600 churches within the city, and also the a sense history is immense. Culture lovers will likely be impressed while using museums and ballet." 26. Singapore: "Singapore can be a small island city-state off southern Malaysia which punches way above its weight on the global level. It’s today's city with colorful buildings, futuristic bridges and a cloud forest." London's Westminster Bridge. London's Westminster Bridge. GETTY 27. London, England: "Pretty pink restaurants, futuristic space-age toilets and jungle skyline views are just some of our favorite things about London. And of course, each of the classics: Big Ben, red phone boxes and world-class museums and galleries." 28. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: "Rio de Janeiro is definitely one of the most iconic cities inside the world with instantly recognizable landscapes and landmarks." 29. Petra, Jordan: "The ancient Nabatean city of Petra in southern Jordan is flanked by beautiful red rocks and steep gorges. The world wonder is undoubtedly Jordan’s most beneficial treasure and greatest tourist attraction." 30. Hong Kong: "Famous for its skylines and vibrant food scene, what most people don’t know is the fact that 70% of Hong Kong is mountains and lush parks. Colorful playgrounds and sci-fi apartment blocks give HK an enviable edge." Beach and sea waves shot from above in Barbados. Beach and sea waves shot from above in Barbados. GETTY 31. Barbabos: "Barbados is one of these magical holiday destinations that everyone desires visiting. Who wouldn’t put this on their bucket list? Nestled inside south of the Caribbean, it offers stunning beauty and wonderful local culture and is also the perfect place to unwind." 32. Amsterdam: "Forget about cliched images of smoke shops and gaudy red lights. From floating flower markets to bohemian neighborhoods, this city has all of it." 33. Santiago, Chile: "Santiago can be a cosmopolitan city with the best of Chilean culture; art galleries, design shops and handicraft markets, as well as lively Latino nightlife. You’ll stroll through historic neighborhoods with pretty winding streets and charming bars and cafes." 34. Cairo, Egypt: "Cairo is one in the most ancient cities within the world. Sitting for the Nile river with wonderful museums, vibrant culture and friendly locals, it makes for an excellent holiday." Biking in Copenhagen. Biking in Copenhagen. GETTY 35. Copenhagen, Denmark: "Copenhagen’s rustic fishing ports, modern graffiti and winding red brick streets are just some of computerized devices this kind of beautiful bucket list destination. It oozes Scandi cool from every corner, with top-notch food, stylish design plus an always hip atmosphere." 36. Seoul, Korea: "Seoul is a vibrant metropolis where old-meets-new, with pop culture (K-Pop!) alongside Buddhist temples. 37. Laucala Island Resort, Fiji: "Laucala Island Resort can be a private island in Fiji, in absolute paradise. It is one kind of three small islands from the northeast coast of Taveuni in Fiji. There are coconut trees, a sustainable farm and miles of beach, along with coral reefs, postcard-perfect beaches and lush rainforest." 38. Providencia, Colombia: "The Colombian island of Providencia is the perfect mixture of South America along with the Caribbean. It’s best noted for Crab Cay: an unspoiled little island where all there is certainly to accomplish is snorkel and lie on the beach." Photographing Machu Picchu, Peru. Photographing Machu Picchu, Peru. GETTY 39. Machu Picchu, Peru: "The best way to have here? Arrive at Machu Picchu in fashion on the 360° Train which will bring you over the Peruvian countryside on the lost city. The wide, panoramic windows are fantastic for taking in the scene, and so they serve Pisco Sours on board." 40. Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo: "Virunga National Park is one of the most biologically diverse areas on this planet and home to the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas. It’s filled with lush rainforest and has received even more attention considering that the documentary Virunga." 41. Lisbon, Portugal: "Lisbon, the hilly capital of Portugal, is postcard-perfect featuring its cobbled streets, pristine waters and local Atlantic beaches." 42. Hanoi, Vietnam: "Hanoi-the capital of Vietnam-is recognized for its rich history, busy street life and centuries of French, Asian and Chinese influences all blended into one bustling city. It’s a great base by which to explore the North of Vietnam, including Halong Bay and Sapa, while also experiencing the comforts of a contemporary vibrant city." A take a look at Honolulu's Magic Island And Waikiki Beach. A view of Honolulu's Magic Island And Waikiki Beach. GETTY 43. Hawaii: "From the busyness of Oahu on the romance of Maui and off-the-beaten-path adventures on Lanai and Molokai. The Hawaiian Islands are pure paradise. Explore colorful canyons and waterfalls and eat one's body weight in fresh poke." 44. Ibiza, Spain: "While you’ll have your share of techno club experiences, Ibiza is also one with the most beautiful Spanish islands, which has a pretty Old Town and scenic beaches. Spend the afternoon on the beach along with the nights in legendary clubs." 45. Beijing, China: "Beijing is China’s political, economic, and cultural center, with six Unesco World Heritage Sites in this city alone. Discover Forbidden City, street food dishes of Peking duck as well as, the Great Wall of China." 46. Budapest, Hungary: "The capital capital of scotland- Hungary, Budapest is often a fairytale city in Eastern Europe. The city itself is separated from the 19th-century Chain Bridge that connects the hilly Buda district with flat Pest-hence the name Budapest." Photographing Vernazza in Cinque Terre. Photographing Vernazza in Cinque Terre. GETTY 47. Cinque Terre, Italy: "Is there anything prettier than the therapy lamp of centuries-old seaside villages about the rugged Italian Riviera coastline? The five towns (Manarola, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare) are made for bucket lists." 48. Buenos Aires, Argentina: "Bookstores occur palatial theatres, tango dancing within the streets and brightly painted neighborhoods. These are just some of the thing that makes Buenos Aires so beautiful." 49. Las Vegas: "With the bright lights, party atmosphere and endless what to see and do, it’s it's no surprise that that Las Vegas has become a glittering global tourism destination. Take a chance inside the casinos prior to the early hours or see world-class entertainment." 50: Matterhorn, Switzerland: "The Matterhorn is one with the world’s most iconic peaks-the pyramid-shaped mountain, that's very difficult to climb, is considered to get the most-photographed mountain inside world." For details on Free Vacation Rental Listings take a look at https://vacationrentalsbyowner.page.tl/Free-Vacation-Rental-Listings.htm http://vacationrentalwonderland.jigsy.com/ http://vacationrentalslist.website2.me/ http://im-creator.com/free/vacationrentalsbyowner/vacationrentalsbyowner https://5e6b6fcf17666.site123.me/blog/vacation-rentals-by-owner

[entergamingxp]

Granblue Fantasy Versus Review — Curves and Lines of Gran Designs

March 6, 2020 11:00 AM EST

Arc System Works proves to be the best fighting game developer with Granblue Fantasy Versus.

There have been so many facets of my life that have changed since I started working with DualShockers. Most notably, my gaming habits and interests have completely changed. There was a time where I believed long single-player experiences were the best games the medium could offer. Games like Mass Effect, Skyrim, and World of Warcraft were the peak of game design. Now, that is entirely not the case.

I have begun to favor much tighter, shorter experiences. Games such as The Messenger, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Emily is Away are among my favorite games of all-time. This also includes competitive gaming, arguably the tightest, and shortest experiences you can have in a video game — especially with the fighting genre. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing most of the modern lineup you would see at EVO (Mortal Kombat 11, Samurai Shodown, and Under-Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]). Each feels familiar but makes slight deviations to create a wholly unique experience. Granblue Fantasy Versus by Arc System Works and Cygames is no different.

“Granblue Fantasy Versus is maybe the most intuitive and beginner-friendly fighting game I have ever played.”

The one aspect of Granblue Fantasy Versus you will quickly notice in your first match is the visuals. They’re legitimately stunning. It is one of the best looking fighting games I have ever played. The amalgamation of the character designs, the bright environments, and aggressive animations all flow so well together. Everything is just so clear, which is both visually pleasing, and helpful for gameplay. It’s on par with Dragon Ball FighterZ, another Arc System Works game that arguably is the best looking fighting game of the past few years.

While I do think the overall visual quality is fantastic, the animations, specifically during the opening match cinematics and the super special “skybound art” moves, are a bit off-putting. The game runs at a solid 60 fps, but the character model animations look like they run below 40 fps. This is to simulate the motions you would see in an anime. A similar technique was done with Dragon Ball FighterZ‘s opening match cinematics. I understand the appeal of using this animation technique, but it just feels out of place, especially when the rest of the animations surrounding it are in 60 fps.

The actual gameplay of Granblue Fantasy Versus is not unlike other fighting games. There are light, medium, and heavy attacks. The fourth input is character-specific. It is all fairly standard. However, there are a few facets of its gameplay that really deviate from the norm.

Similar to Dragon Ball FighterZ, and to a lesser extent Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r], combos are executed automatically by simply pressing one of the three attack inputs. The button you press determines if it is a light, medium, or heavy combo. It is incredibly simple and very approachable for players who may not play fighting games regularly.

Adding to Granblue Fantasy Versus‘ approachability is how special attacks are executed. Instead of inputting a quick button combo (i.e. quarter circle+light attack, etc.), you can simply use variations of R1 and a direction on the d-pad or analog stick (if you’re using a DualShock 4); pressing the heavy attack input while executing special moves with this technique will give you a stronger special move. Additionally, inspired by Granblue Fantasy‘s roots, there are cooldowns for these special moves; the stronger the special move, the longer the cooldown. Of course, there are traditional inputs for special moves (called technical commands), which are beneficial as they have shorter cooldowns.

If that didn’t seem easy enough, any basic attack can be canceled into a special move. For example, your auto-combo might be three medium attacks in a row. Well, at any point during that combo, whether it is after the first or third input, you can cancel into a special move. This includes “skybound arts” which can be done by pressing quarter circle+R1. These are essentially super special attacks you can execute once your meter (known as the SBA gauge) is full.

Granblue Fantasy Versus is maybe the most intuitive and beginner-friendly fighting game I have ever played. Because of these simplified inputs, pulling off effective combos is a cinch. However, the game’s accessible nature should not be mistaken for lack of depth. I’ve played hours of this game and I am still getting whooped by other players who are far better at reading their opponent’s moves and executing even more intense combos. Every time I felt like I learned enough to be competitive, I then discovered something entirely new. It’s disheartening because I’m terrible, but it keeps me wanting to learn more about its systems and get better an using them to my advantage.

“Granblue Fantasy Versus is a must-have for fighting game fans.”

Learning the basics and even some of the advanced techniques of Granblue Fantasy Versus can be done naturally by playing the traditional Arcade Mode or going into Free Training. However, there is a tutorial (called “Mission Training”) that can teach you these basics, as well as some easy combos to get you started. There are also character-specific scenarios that will test how well you can defend, maneuver, or punish certain moves.

Much of the Mission Training is helpful and will get you started in Granblue Fantasy Versus, but it will do only that. Other fighting game tutorials, like the ones found in Mortal Kombat 11 and Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r], explain everything you need to know in tremendous depth. It’s impressive how much more I know about playing a fighting game because of Mortal Kombat 11‘s tutorial. I can’t really say the same about Granblue Fantasy Versus‘ tutorial. It is by no means bad, but I wish it went into the nitty-gritty of it all.

Everything you have learned can be tested online against real players. Overall, I would say the online experience for Granblue Fantasy Versus was positive. Out of the few matches I played online, it never felt like there was a noticeable amount of input lag, or that the match itself was lagging. It was a smooth experience throughout my online time.

While much of my time was getting absolutely crushed in Ranked, you can play casual online matches in Granblue Fantasy Versus via its lobby system, which I absolutely adore. When you first boot an online lobby, you will get to choose a cutesy avatar based on one of the few characters, as well as your default character you will fight with. The lobby I was in was aboard a skyship, which can hold up to 64 players at a time. Aboard the ship were Granblue Fantasy Versus arcade machines, which essentially act as the queue. A play can then approach the same connecting cabinet and fight against you. Again, everything worked as intended, but was unexpectedly adorable as well.

If competitive fighting games aren’t your bag, there is a single-player story called RPG Mode. To put it simply, Gran and his skyfaring crew are tasked to save the world from an evil long-haired man named Beezelbub who plans on restarting the entire universe. I put it simply because it’s entirely forgettable. In the moment, I was interested in its story, but it gets so monotonous by the time you get to the third level, I would just finish the quests as fast as I could.

My qualms are mostly pointed at the lack of variety the quests hold. The majority of these quests task you to simply kill the enemies on screen, or kill as many as you can within a certain time period. Enemy variety is mostly stagnant, until the latter half where darker versions of those enemies appear. It just gets tedious and boring.

It is interesting that the mechanics do switch up a tad bit during these portions. Since there are multiple enemies on screen, you are not constantly facing an enemy like you are during Versus Mode. Rather, your left and right movements determine where your attack will land. It is akin to a side-scrolling beat-em-up but with fighting game controls. It is novel at first, but that novelty wears off very quickly.

“To put it simply, Gran and his skyfaring crew are tasked to save the world from an evil long-haired man named Beezelbub who plans on restarting the entire universe. I put it simply because it’s entirely forgettable.”

There are moments called Raid Battles that do change things up but only for those few moments. Raid Battles are more akin to the traditional mechanics of Versus Mode, as you are only facing one opponent. However, these can range from other characters on the roster, to giant dragons. Each one of these bosses felt unique, both visually and in gameplay, and are really the only reason to check this mode out.

After you’ve completed each quest, you’ll earn weapons and abilities you can equip. This is where the RPG elements come in (along with the previously mentioned special moves). Each weapon features one of six elements: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark. Weapons also feature skills that help increase your attack or HP. These weapons can be upgraded with the in-game currency which will increase the actual level of the weapon, with skill shards which will level the weapon’s skills, and by feeding it copies of the weapon to increase the level cap.

“Granblue Fantasy Versus is such an amazing fighting game.”

When you equip a weapon, it becomes part of a grid, which you can add more weapons to, giving you more attack power and HP. As such, it promotes some experimentation, as you can add any weapon to the grid. However, Granblue Fantasy Versus‘ CPU fighters are so easy to take down in its default difficulty, you hardly have to tweak anything. I was perfectly fine with just using the auto-select feature, automatically places weapons on the grid for you.

The RPG Mode also features the Tower of Babyl, which is an extension of that story that adds a plethora of missions. There are a total of 100 floors, each following either one of the few quest structures from the main story. Along with unlocking Hard Mode after you beat the four to six-hour story, there is plenty to do once the story is done. You can also play cooperatively with another player, which may distract you from the tedium to a certain degree. It’s just too bad the majority of the quests are so repetitive.

Granblue Fantasy Versus is such an amazing fighting game. The mechanics are both intuitive and full of depth, making it a solid choice for both fighting game casuals and veterans. The visuals are gorgeous, with an animated aesthetic that allows it to stand out amongst the crowded genre. Its online features, although simple, are functional and allow you to really test out everything you’ve learned from its decent tutorial. The only downside is its RPG Mode, which may be filled to the brim with monotony, but it still has moments that are worth checking out. I cannot recommend Arc System Works and Cygames’ newest fighter enough. Granblue Fantasy Versus is a must-have for fighting game fans.

March 6, 2020 11:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/granblue-fantasy-versus-review-curves-and-lines-of-gran-designs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=granblue-fantasy-versus-review-curves-and-lines-of-gran-designs