#but it has some cutesy imagery and still holds up

[brokenmachinemusings]

actually, i’m putting this in a separate post since people usually don’t see my reblogs, but whoever animated train trial’s typography knew what they were doing. props to you. every character has their unique animation while drawing parallels between some of them.

li tianchen, our first character, has tje most out of them, namely 3 (which i noticed at least). qiao ling also has 3, but i left the li tianxi ‘reference’ in my other post which talked about observations.

li tianchen’s are as follows: something like twin stars (alongside a third smaller star towards the side), the first one being framed as in a photograph and the second one simply around the text. maybe worth noting the stars are four-sided and they are hollowed out. accurately representing the li twins, if you ask me. the other one is just another four-sided star, and a constellation around li tianchen. the constellation, again, has four-sided stars, which is quite interesting.

liu xiao has two, but i chose to show one. the other one is a heartbeat monitor which is behind the text, i’m not sure if it counted. a lot of the mv revolves around cutting and dicing like you’re playing fruit ninja, but liu xiao also has a lot of puppet imagery; in his lyrics, too, and he literally holds a wooden puppet at some point. (also, rewatched and the strings are ALL OVER his part, theyre very obviously puppet strings.) either way, the one i show is like a classy, old-timey architecture which i’ve had to clrd way too much of that i’d rather not. (also, is it just me, or does liu xiao’s look a lot like a butterfly?)

qiao ling also has three, but again, i’m showing two. mainly, i don’t feel like making a reblog. you can see the li tianxi one here. as for the ones i screenshotted, it’s a roundish cube, and some more cutesy framing, contrasting liu xiao’s elegant one which is slightly sharper, as opposed to qiao ling’s round imagery.

cheng xiaoshi’s is more brash and stable. two five sided stars at either ends, as well as a lot of cubes and angles for framing. the second one actually looks a lot like either a print with guidelines, or even a photo, or multiple square photos with different dimensions, different type of film. a lot of his animation actually revolves around him diving… well, quite obviously. makes sense why he’s a star and why he has a picturesque framing, mirroring qiao ling’s round one a little.

lu guang actually doesn’t have any specific ones, but he does have two, if you can call the second one a specific one. this one however… diamond shaped stars with a constellation like look. where did i see this one before, hmm. scroll up for your answer. this further solidifies the parallels between lu guang and li tianchen, i think. though, if we circle back, li tianchen’s is double-looped, which often represents “lies”, “two-facedness”, or other similar things. but also, lu guang’s is quite sectioned. or maybe the animator was rushing to get through the last part, or didn’t get enough assets to animate with. if you’re curious, the “other one” is quite literally three dots above the lyrics. groundbreaking, i know.

either way, i hope the animator for train trial got a raise. for the most part, they had ONE artwork to work with and still managed to keep it insanely interesting and engaging while giving colour and personality to all the characters, things that are uniquely them. quite amazing.

[love-toxin]

I am verrryyy interested in that horny hellcheer vampire AU, Ellie.

GIMME THE DEETS!!!!

>:)

(cws: vampire!hellcheer, f!angelface, post-s4, kidnapping, kinda yandere, friends to lovers, facesitting, f on f oral, size kink, breeding, tribbing, heavy blood kink and injury imagery, blood drinking, messy sex, tit sucking/lactation mention, threesomes.)

For one, both Eddie and Chrissy are still....kind of....alive in the Upside Down. It's been awhile since Vecna's been subdued so he doesn't pose much of a problem, and in fact, after the two of them had reunited they'd scoped out a home nearby--a big, sprawling mansion that they've carefully plucked through and cleaned up to make their own. It's three stories with slanted, black roofs and plenty of ornate rooms, with tall windows and a gothic structure that just tickles Eddie's fancy to the max. It's more intact than others they've come across too, and it's got dark-coloured furniture in soft blacks and vibrant wine red that just pull the whole place together, plus a fireplace in the living room! Those awful, root-like tendrils are dragged out or snipped away, the doors are fixed, the windows painstakingly replaced, and they even get lights working and candles so it seems a little less dark and dreary. Before long, they take up in it long enough that it provides some kind of warmth, and serves as a bubble protected from the danger and chilling duskiness of this other world.

But even though they can call it home, and they can cozy up next to each other as much as they want, there's something missing. There's some kind of void they wish to fill. They just can't put their pale fingers on it until they enter into the Right Side Up to do a little hunting for the cool season, since food is fairly scarce on the other side. It's hard to tell how much time has passed in the Upside Down, but when they stumble across you trudging through the snow in the woods, you don't look any different than when they knew you in life--just tired, but still beautiful. It's not even a question then, there's no debate; Chrissy and Eddie grab you and take you back to their world, too busy with gleefully snuggling you and kissing your face to be bothered by your kicking and frightened screaming. It's only until you punch Eddie and send him flying that they realize they're still in bat form, as it makes it easier for them to traverse Hawkins undetected, and they both transform to their normal selves before you can go running and crying back through the portal.

Yes, it's technically kidnapping, but once they have you sat in their living room next to the fire, a blanket wrapped round your shoulders, you're so happy to see them in the flesh. You seem so shocked when they casually mention their love for you, that they want you to stay with them from now on. But you find yourself agreeing, willing to do anything so long as you don't lose them again, and they just love that unquestionable devotion. But they would never take advantage of that, oh no--they hold each other to that promise secretly, that they won't use your sweet, people-pleaser attitude for their own satisfaction, not at all! No matter how easy you make it, or how much you want it....

That lasts for about a couple days into you living with them. Without much else to do, you've taken the task of cleaning up, even donning the cutesy dress Eddie had brought home pseudo-jokingly to fill your part as the maid. Even then, Eddie had seriously questioned whether or not you were teasing him intentionally--hiking up your skirt and wearing those thigh-highs when you know he's standing right behind you, and you never seem surprised when he makes himself known. Quite interesting indeed.

Unsurprisingly, Chrissy's the one that breaks first. Eddie finds out when he comes back from a perimeter check, and stumbles upon his partner riding your face on the living room floor. He's caught her before with her hand down her skirt as she watches you dust, but that's been relatively secret and easy to hide from you. He does it too, anyways, so it's not such a big deal. But Eddie's surprised not by Chrissy's wine-red face as she humps your mouth, but the sight of your nails dug into her milky thighs as you yank her back down and bury your face between them even deeper. Neither of them had wanted to rush you into something serious and scare you away, but when that happens, it seems to dawn on Eddie that maybe they were the ones missing all the signs themselves.

And that's how your relationship really started. Now, it's much more....intense. With free time aplenty and few responsibilities aside from getting blood and food and other mortal necessities for you, all three of you have plenty of opportunities to make the most of your quality time together. With their vampire traits, it makes it even better; Eddie can just keep going and going and going, breeding you over and over again until you're the one tapping out, because one more orgasm will have you passing out. And Chrissy's so strong, she can lift you even with that tiny frame and pin you down like you weigh absolutely nothing against her. Throw you around on the couches and the bed and the floor, whenever and wherever she feels like biting into her little maid and rewarding you for letting her suck a little bit out of you.

That happens quite frequently, too. Those times are more performative, they don't drink as much as they would from you since they want you to last--but they just make those little punctures on your neck and your wrist, and when the sting has subsided, they smear your delicious blood over your skin and let it drip all over their bodies. Chrissy usually latches herself to your tits, rubbing them with soft hands and letting them slide with the slickness of your own blood, just making the whole process messy and sticky and delectable. You'd think she's trying to get milk out of you with how hard she sucks on them, soothing those sore nipples with gentle laps of her tongue when she makes it hurt. And Eddie loves the show of watching you get covered with a sheen of your own blood, when he's too hard not to just be a voyeur any longer, he just goes animalistic once he's inside you. He absolutely has his way with you, your poor, precious human cunt stretched to the limit by how swollen you never realized Eddie could get when he's aroused--it feels like he might tear you apart with how stiff and how huge he feels against your walls. He batters your poor womb with thrusts like a madman, pulling your legs round his waist and daring you to give up and tell him to breed you. While she's still on top, Chrissy pulls your wrist down and coaxes more blood to drip on to his cock as he pulls out, lubing it up for him and sharing a coppery-tasting kiss before he starts fucking you ruthlessly again.

Only then does he get the idea to make it even messier, to nuzzle Chrissy's head aside and sink his teeth into the softest part of her neck, knowing full well how wet it makes her and that her cunt's drooling all over your stomach as she straddles you. He grabs her hair and guides her to bite him back, the deep indent of her fangs in his throat feeling like a drug as he throws his head back and cums right then and there. It's magical, glorious--and Eddie doesn't stop, of course he doesn't stop. He doesn't have to and doesn't even have to slow down for that matter, he just keeps hammering into you even when you're cumming and squealing and clenching around him as the blood loss and the ecstasy start making you dizzy. There's blood pouring down Eddie's chest and spilling out of Chrissy's mouth, the two of them absolutely high and drunk on bloodlust as they both keep humping you--Chrissy in a much more aimless manner, she just keeps dragging her puffy, slick-soaked folds up and down your belly until Eddie yanks her hips back, and settles her down to grind her clit right up against yours. And she can feel the vibrations from Eddie's thrusts as well as his belly as it slaps into her from behind, quickly gathering up a sticky patch of her arousal as he unintentionally helps get her off too. It's a bloody, sweaty, cum-sticky mess when their hunger turns to lust, and it solidifies that possession over you that they feel getting stronger day by day.

You're theirs, only theirs--theirs to kiss, to fuck, to breed, to feed from, and to mate with for life. You're theirs forever, and no force on heaven, earth, or whatever hellscape they live in could tear you from their undead grasp.

[plvtosun]

blancaposting! ongoing bulleted list of her traits, backstory, lil facts, character rxships, songs, etc

blanca edén tennebris*

born/raised in east los angeles

got in trouble for ditching her own first communion and playing with the crows in the cemetery outside the church instead. her dress got all dirty. ( → “i hate it! why am i wearing this anyway i don’t wanna marry jesus!!”) she said if her parents forced her to go through with it she was gonna bite the priest’s fingers. …they didn’t make her go through with it, they knew she would legitimately bite his fingers.

her immediate family is/was very religious, very traditional mexican-american. puro machismo. blanca’s an only child but during family functions she was expected to watch all the younger cousins inside the house while everyone else had fun. as much as she hates it she knows the rosary by heart. but she still has a soft spot for la virgen de guadalupe, to this day. the rose scent of the veladoras calms her down.

she doesn’t get along with her family much, except for a few older cousins who introduced her to metal and anime, and a tía she visited one winter break in mexico, who taught her how to do limpias de huevo for herself. the day that tía passed away was probably the worst day of her life.

(more under cut)

*“tenebrous”

she needs! her! quiet time! ex: if she’s working on a piece in an area that’s starting to get crowded and noisy, she gets overstimulated and has to leave immediately. some days she can handle noisiness, other days she can’t. (she can always handle the noisiness at concerts though)

her first kiss was a girl in her catechism class.

likes spooky and haunted things but she’s not about to go full zak bagans yknow?

her first and middle name were chosen to keep in line with the whole… devout catholic thing. blanca means white, “pure” in a way. the name was also chosen because it was her maternal grandma’s name, and she was a very pious woman.

she straight up saw la llorona once.

character rxships [updated 8/29]:

toki

she’s down horrendous but he doesn’t notice for a while because she tries to hide or she gets extra quiet when he’s around.

re: kids, blanca: …have you ever had to take care of a kid? like legitimately had to take care of one for a full day? a week? or while they’re sick? …try that out and get back to me. [personal hc that he does, in fact, try it out. the stickiness, the noise, the sensory overload at times despite a few cute sweet moments. yeah, cats and bunnies all the way.]

draws him cutesy (and brutal) pictures whenever he wants!

gets too shy to hold his hand at first and looks away the first time in true tsundere fashion.

cute spanish nicknames!

both t-shirt thieves, even though most of blanca’s shirts don’t fit him. he’s stretched a couple of them out. :/

skwisgaar

likes to mess around with him because of his high opinion of himself. all in good fun though.

calls him “ricitos”/“ricitos de oro” (goldilocks), which he acts like he hates, but lowkey? i think he likes it.

he’s allergic to cilantro, she has that thing that makes it taste bitter and nasty to her. “you’re not missing much. i don’t care what everyone else says, i’m convinced my third eye is open or some shit and that’s why i’m one of those people that tastes straight SOAP when i eat it.”

nathan

he came across her art on instagram and thought it was sick with the brutal imagery and that’s why he wanted her to illustrate the next album cover/tshirt designs, but aside from that, they didn’t get along too well at first because they’re kinda similar in the way they like to tease and mess around + they would butt heads a lot creatively.

eventually they’re chill though. blanca quickly figures out how to shut up and not say certain things even though nathan’s reaction would be funny, and he does the same.

not platonic soulmates, not mortal enemies. they’re pretty alright together. they pal around.

both fucking love chips

he’s the first to notice her crush on toki and he teases her in passing about it every chance he gets. ass.

murderface

refuses to go in his room. “no fucking way man you have all that old historical stuff in there! that shit’s haunted!”

↑ “la neta, la neta, la neta. que mala vibra traes, maestro.”

similar to nathan but she messes with him a little more because he’s pretty rough. she generally doesn’t get along with him super well but they have their moments where they can joke around and have fun. kind of like a cat and a dog.

walked in on him playing bass with his dick and quoted the “there goes the last lingering thread of my heterosexuality” simpsons line

pickles

when he opens up a little about his mom and family she gets piiiissed. she can relate. she high fives him after he finally tells his mom to go fuck herself.

tv binging buddies!

calls him “canelo” like canelo álvarez because of his red hair

second to notice her crush on toki. he doesn’t tease as much as nathan but he definitely gets a kick out of seeing how she gets around toki before they officially get together.

abigail

admires the way she gets shit done and thinks her curly hair is really pretty

tries not to get in her way when she’s working but loves her calming vibe. she likes to just sit with her in silence while she draws sometimes

begs begs BEGS her to let her do her makeup all dark and gothic. just once!

charles

similar to abigail, she tries to not get in his way too much and she admires how he handles things

feels like he’s kind of unapproachable, but he seemed nice and polite enough when she first met everybody & started working on the album art.

not much going on between them honestly

dr. rockzo

literally only puts up with him for toki but she sets boundaries on him being around quick. she doesn’t like how he’s taken advantage of toki’s kindness before

^ may or may not have put ojo on him once or twice because of this. three times… four… who’s counting though?

he’s gross, dude.

playlist! + youtube link and backgrounds for the songs here.

[kittykittyhunter]

[Circa October 2014] dried leaves crack under our steps. we cross fields, leaving rubber footprints in squelching earth. summer has reached autumnal glory and you are surrounded by a scorching haze auburn, ochre – gold. you become a story told beneath firedust. the skies spill emeralds. knitted scarves and woollen hats. i drink hot chocolate, rejoicing that beside you i have never been cold.

[steve0discusses]

S5 Ep10: Kaiba Embarrasses Himself on International Television Again

We start off this duel by teasing us into believing that this is a part of a theme park:

The Kaiba theme park is a weird mix of actual horrorscapes and animal crossing cutesy stuff...you can really tell what parts were Mokuba and what parts were Seto in this park.

But Leon takes it well, just kinda standing there as he’s done this entire arc--being a general forgettable nice boy who just...doesn’t do anything. Like he gets up, he plays cards, he sits down. Having him on top of a rock with melodramatic Little Mermaid waves crashing at his feet is laughably the opposite of Leon’s whole vibe.

Leon just seems like the type that listens to coffee shop ambient Youtube videos when he wants to amp himself up. This kid appears to attend a private school...somewhere...I think, and just went to a dueling competition in his school outfit because he literally doesn’t have a style of his own hanging in his closet.

Like Yugi wears his school outfit, but he does that ironically, to off-set the amount of makeup and hair spray he has in his hair. Leon wears the school outfit maybe because he admires Yugi so much, but is like “time for my rogue bow I wear in my hair. That’ll scare my competition.” He completely missed the point of the 00′s alt school outfit scene.

I do way too much art to not see the imagery. I feel like this is half my job, and playing “where’s the hidden Freudian meaning?” is half the fun of going to any art museum.

(read more under the cut)

Anyway, Seto got tired of no one paying any attention to him, so he stepped out of his 14-monitor mancave, he very quickly pulled his Dragon outfit out of the (dirty) laundry, flicked a couple sea crabs out of his pockets, spritzed it with Febreeze and called it “good enough.”

Like, is it just me, or has dragon jacket greyed out a tad from last season? Like it’s starting to get a little...worn? Like what funk is coming off of Seto Kaiba right now?

Also notice that he brought his giant stash of cards to the duel. He’s going to put on this show as if he’s not going to pull out the giant stash of cards. But like...he’s going to pull out the giant stash of cards. Like Hell boring ass Leon is going to play his deck of Candyland characters again.

Leon is declared a winner on Technicality and it’s like.

Damn Seto, for reals?

So congrats, Leon, you did literally nothing, again, and yet you mystifyingly  persist on this show. Clearly you aren‘t going to grow a second head out of that ponytail like professor Quirrel in the last act of this arc.

That’s when Yugi’s hazy memory recalls something from the Before Times of “that time period before I was possessed by a needy ghost that eats up 3/4 of my memories and time.”

So Schroeder is Atari. Neat.

Also, this makes Zigfrieds outfits a hell ton more endearing when you realize he’s this Willy Wonka game company owner making toys for children. Kinda makes you wonder why Seto’s such a stick up the ass in comparison when it’s like--dude Kaiba, maybe you could learn a thing or two about whimsy. It could really help out your inconsistent park.

Anyway, Kaiba quickly realized who hacked the park and so, understandably, he asked Zigried to leave, which...backfired?

Y’all card culture is a lot. Everyone in the audience covered their faces in shame because they were so embarrassed by Seto Kaiba and I’m like...not sure why? Because he didn’t do a duel? Against this guy who snuck into his tourney not unlike Rex and Weevil? This asshole?

Recall that the last time Seto played a guy who had a fake name it was Marik freakin Ishtar and he killed a LOT of people (actually, it was Alister, pretending to be Pegasus, but he also killed a lot of people so that still tracks). Card culture can’t seem to learn from their mistakes, although Seto clearly sees the problem with dueling a professional hacker in a digital card game on a hologram that may or may not be able to murder you. At least its not a magic.

And so, tired of being humiliated on television, Seto decides to bust out the dueling gloves (well, not those gloves. You know what I meant) and use the equipment he BROUGHT WITH HIM and clearly never intended not to use in the first place.

(I hope you enjoy this dutch angle that wasn’t quite dutch enough, so it just looks like they’re lounging)

Roland patiently walks over from...somewhere? I don’t know where Roland comes from whenever he pops up, but he waltzed over to hold onto this suitcase as if that’s a formal part of his job.

I say this so often but like...I don’t know what Roland’s job is. He’s like a valet/butler/duel referee/duel cheerleader/CEO/and I will spend the rest of this series trying to understand it. Part of me is like...could Roland be a temp worker at an agency who just gets rehired for a different Kaiba Corp job every couple of weeks?

That weird ass fourthKaiba, I will never understand Roland.

Just one letter away from being a Zigfriend, Kaiba. Just one letter away. I know this because I misspell friend a LOT.

Zigfreind? Zigfriend? Damn it, both of them look the freakin same to me, this sucks! Why can’t I spell friend without autocorrect!?

Just the amount these two fight when Seto clearly barely even remembers who this guy even is.

Leon shows up in the seats, pretending that he’s totally cool about winning on a technicality right after Zigfried went on a rant about how shameful, irredeemable, and mortally embarrassing winning on technicalities are.

He seems to take it pretty well, smiling, sitting next to Rebecca, and then dissolving right into the background because this kid’s whole deal is being way too nice to exist on this show.

Y’all we just had that art meme where people were redrawing that “How to draw manga face” and guys...that’s what our anime used to look like.

I mean look at that uncomfortable chin there, that tapers in for some reason. Those eyes melting off of her face. The lack of any 3d sense. This was an anime ideal for a very, very long time.

Anyway, the “how to draw manga face” is a perfect masterpiece and never needs to change. (But it is fun to make fun of it although I guess the person that drew it was actually a kid, which makes sense from a publishing perspective to have a kid make a book about how to draw stuff for kids.)

We see a little flashback of Schroeder and why he hates Seto Kaiba, and can I just say, I kind of love this little outfit. Kind of a shame that it’s stuffed into a flashback.

Which is when we found out that Zigfried thinks Seto Kaiba did a plagiarism.

Which is hilarious because it was Gozaburo Kaiba who was plagiarizing Seto, so like...who did it first?

OK guys. Lets talk about this.

APPARENTLY, there was some sort of contest to work with Pegasus...kind of like an architecture contest (which is a thing, when a city is doing a big project, they send out a call, and big firms will compete to see who builds it) and I GOTTA know what Pegasus’ theme was.

Like did he say to all the little rich kid geniuses “I would like something that makes my cards ALIVE, can you do that?” Then when Pegasus got a hell ton of holograms and was he like “But ALIVE--it makes it alive, right boy?” And when he was shaking the hands of each stupid kid was he like “So if I hypothetically put my dead wife on a card and slapped it into the machine--could she EXIST. Like...enough? I just need her to legally exist is all, and not like..literally of course...but enough literally to be a sin against God, can you do that?”

I just want to know if Willy Wonka Wonderkid Von Schroeder had any idea he was creating a resurrection chamber for a dark wizard. Like he has no idea that he dodged getting his business bought straight from under him and his soul shoved into a card. And it’s not like Schroeder was going to abduct Yugi’s Grandpa and ensure that Yugi would be there to save him down the road. Like I’m pretty sure Schroeder would have been sacrificed waaay before that whole island contest even went down.

Zigfried got so freakin lucky. I can’t believe he’s mad. But then again...

...the man swims in milk pools so like...maybe his logic center is busted? Maybe he wanted to die in a horrific murder island? I don't know what Zigfried is into, but I do know that because Zigfried doesn’t have millennium rod powers linking him to the millennium eye--so would it have mattered? There’s destiny reasons that Pegasus chose Kaiba.

Course...we never found out where the scales ended up, have we? We think it’s Shadi, but have we seen Shadi bust those out since Season Zero?

Man that would be a good plot twist that will absolutely not happen.

Yo, make horse guy into a dark wizard, show, I dare you!

Anyway, that’s all for now, but if you want to read from the beginning, here’s the link:

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

[jadelotusflower]

June 2021 Roundup

It's been a month of highs and lows. Every year my city holds a cabaret festival, and I've seen some truly amazing acts over the years - including Lea Salonga, Kristin Chenoweth, and Indina Menzel. This year's Artistic Director was the great Alan Cumming, and although due to covid he didn't quite get to curate the program he wanted to, the opening night Gala was still a highlight, as was Alan's DJ set at the pop-up Club Cumming afterwards, where there was much singing at the top of my lungs and dancing to pop anthems and theatre tunes. At one point Alan, dressed in a onesie and perched on the shoulders of a man wearing only sparkly short shorts, was carried around the dance floor while Circle of Life blared. Reader, I was delighted.

I was also able to see his solo show Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age, which was hilarious and damn, he can sing!

As for the low, I was meant to fly to Sydney for the weekend to see Hamilton, a trip I have been looking forward to for almost a year, but had to be cancelled because of a covid outbreak and border closures. The tickets have been rescheduled, but I'm still kind of bummed about it (while completely appreciating the need for covid safety, especially when our vaccine rollout has been completely botched by our incompetent, corrupt federal government)

Anyway.

Reading

The Hundred and One Dalmations (Dodie Smith) - With all the bewilderment over Disney's Cruella, I decided to revisit the original novel which I first read as a kid. It's funny, I had very vivid memories of this book, or rather thought I did, particularly the scene where Roger and Anita have dinner at Cruella's house that fixed in my young mind as utterly disturbing with all this devil imagery and the implication Cruella was literally some kind of demon, which must have been either a) my overactive imagination or b) an illustration, because it's not as clear as I thought it was. The strangeness is there (food with too much pepper, Cruella's inability to keep warm, the walls painted blood red) but not the explicit demon imagery I had remembered. There is a part later in the book recounting the history of Hell Hall and the rumors of Cruella's ancestor streaking out of the place conjuring blue lightening, but clearly child me was reading far more into the book than was on the page.

But I still wish they'd gone with this version of Cruella's backstory, because to me an aristocratic, ink-drinking, heat-obsessed, possibly-demon spawn, high camp villain is more interesting and rings far more true than plucky punk against the establishment.

Smith clearly had Facts About Dalmations to share, and she does really craft a wonderful animal-based story that the Disney animated film is largely faithful to. Key differences include: Roger's occupation (he doesn't have to pay tax because he wiped out government debt somehow?!?), Pongo's mate and the puppy's mother is called Missis, Perdita is another dalmation who acts as a kind of doggie wet nurse, Roger and Anita both have Nannies who come to live with them (Nanny Butler and Nanny Cook), Cruella is married to a furrier (who changed his last name to de Vil). Also odd, on her first description Cruella is described as having "dark skin" but later in the novel her "white face" is mentioned, so I'm chalking it up to 50's descriptors not having the same meanings they do today.

The Duke and I (Julia Quinn) - After being just whelmed by the tv series, I wasn't really planning on reading the books, but I saw this on the top picks shelf at the library and damn, the top picks shelf is irresistible. This is very much Daphne's book (and I had known each in the series dealt with the different sibling) so many of the characters and much of the plot of the show is absent, as are some of the more baffling elements of the show like the Diamond of the First Water nonsense, which I always thought was a strange character choice in that it stacks the deck for Daphne when her character arc is better served as somewhat of an underdog (in her third season, the kind of girl who is liked but not adored), and the Prince subplot which was always far too OTT even for soapy regency romance.

It's a breezy, fun read (that scene excepted), even if the misunderstandings are contrived and I'm never going to take "I'll never have kids because I hate my dad" as a credible romantic obstacle deserving of so much angst.

Faeries (Brian Froud and Alan Lee) - A lovingly detailed and illustrated compendium of Faerie and its inhabitants, drawing from a range of European (but primarily Celtic) folklore and mythology. Froud was a conceptual designer on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and the link is clear in the art as well as the focus on faeries as mysterious but oftimes sinister beings, where human encounters with them rarely end well. Lee has illustrated several publications of Tolkien's novels, and was a lead concept artists for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and there is a touch of Middle Earth here as well, or rather the common inspiration of the old world. A useful resource for my novel!

Watching

The Handmaid's Tale (season 4, episodes 4-8) SPOILERS - So when I last wrote about this show in the Roundup, I was complaining it wasn't going anywhere. Well, I'm happy to be wrong because they finally changed things up with June finally escaping to Canada. That part of the plot following the survivors and their trauma has always been far more compelling than Gilead, and so it was a welcome development even if I side-eye some of the choices (none of these characters is seeing an actual licensed therapist why?).

This show has always been difficult to watch given the subject matter, and that has not changed after the shift in power dynamics. I will give the show credit for showing a broad range of trauma responses, from Moira wanting to move on and not let it consume her, to June, a ball of rage and revenge on a downward spiral, to Emily, trying to follow Moira's path but being drawn to June's, to Luke, trying his best but utterly unequipped to deal with what is happening.

But it is very hard to watch June go down this path - raping her husband (I concede the show perhaps didn't intend for it to be rape, but that's what is on screen and framing it as just "taking away Luke's agency" doesn't change that), wishing death on Serena's unborn child, and orchestrating Fred's brutal murder by particulation, then holding her own daughter still covered in his blood and it getting smeared on Nicole's face (an unsubtle metaphor in a series full of unsubtle metaphors).

There are interesting questions being asked of the viewer, and the show (perhaps rightly) not giving any answers. I can certainly appreciate the catharsis of Fred getting what he deserves even if I personally find the manner of it horrifying, but where is the line between justice and revenge, is revenge the only option when justice is denied, when does a trauma release become cyclical violence/abuse - the show is, for now, letting the viewer decide.

Soul (dir. Pete Docter and Kemp Powers) - In a world full of remakes/reboots/sequels, Pixar is perhaps the lone segment under the Disney umbrella committed to original content. However, there does seem to be a Pixar formula at work directed to precision tugging the heart strings, and some of the film feels like well-trod ground. On the other hand, it's hard to criticise the risk of centering a kids film around the existential crisis of a middle aged man, even with the requisite cutesy elements (and of course, the uncomfortable pattern of yet another film where the black lead character spends a great deal of the runtime in non-human form - herein, an amorphous blob or a cat). But the animation is stunning, it successfully did tug my heart strings, and the design of the Great Before and the Jerrys is original and fun.

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under - Drag Race is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me, since I generally don't watch reality shows, and this is something I really enjoy even if I'm not invested in the fandom (which like many fandoms can be very yikes). This year it was time for the Australian/New Zealand (Aotearoa) queens to show their stuff, although it's been met with mixed reactions. Covid restrictions didn't allow for guest judges, relegating them to mere cameos via video calls, and its clear that Ru and Michelle really don't quite get all the cultural nuances - Aussie judge Rhys Nicholson was however always delightful. But it wouldn't be Australia without a racism scandal, with the great disappointment of the two queens of colour eliminated first, and one queen having done blackface in the recent past yet making it all the way to the top four.

In the end, the only viable and deserving winner was last Kiwi standing Kita Mean, and it was pure joy to see her get crowned. I do hope they fix the bugs and indeed do another season to better showcase AU/NZ talent.

Writing

A far more productive month - to try and get out of my writing funk I had a goal to try and write every day, even if it was only 100 words. While I didn't quite achieve a consecutive month, I did get a pretty good average, at least got something posted and two others nearly there.

The Lady of the Lake - 2441 words, Chapter 4 posted.

Against the Dying of the Light - 2745 words

Turn Your Face to the Sun - 1752 words.

Here I Go Again - 1144 words

Total words this month: 8082

Total words this year: 35,551

[brightwanderer]

Untitled Stardew Omens Fic (26)

(Index)

Winter 1

A neat, perfect two inches of snow has fallen overnight, and the whole damn village looks like something you'd put on a greetings card. Crowley has no idea who it is that gets up at the crack of dawn at the start of each new season and redecorates the entire place, but all that folksy autumnal stuff has been whisked away in favour of coloured lights and wreaths of holly.

Winter's always been a bit of a mixed season for him. It fits with his image to dislike the holiday music and the cutesy decorations and the wholesome family imagery, so he's very much in the habit of grumbling about it all, but the truth is he likes the run-up to the Festival of the Winter Star. All the bright lights and the excitement and the hope, the way kids get so desperately worked up you think their little heads are going to explode, the way adults give themselves a little bit of permission to remember what beings kids was like.

The actual day, though, he'd be happy to sleep through (and he's tried on more than one occasion). All that life and vivacity vanishes behind closed doors where he's not invited, and there's very little as depressing as a microwaved Winter Star Deluxe Feast For One.

Still, it's a whole season away, and for now he's crunching through the thin skin of snow, crisscrossing the other trails of footprints in the town square, heading for the twinkling beacon of the saloon. When he gets there, it's a little busier than normal - Emily has friends visiting from out of town - and their usual table is taken. Crowley slides into one of the booths at the back instead. It's rather cosy, the lights a bit dimmer back here, the leather of the seats warming quickly against his back.

Aziraphale is late, as usual, so Crowley starts without him, as usual, accepting Gus's suggestion of spiced mead and finding it horrifyingly and addictively sweet. He's on his second glass when Aziraphale finally blusters in through the door, brushing snow off his shoulders and looking around for Crowley, and Crowley finds himself frozen with his glass halfway to his mouth.

If the village itself is a picture postcard, Aziraphale's some sort of seasonal figurine, bundled up in a big thick coat with a hat and scarf and are those mittens? He's all but buried in his layers, more cushion than man, and as he spots Crowley and smiles brightly, he might be the most desirable thing Crowley has ever laid his eyes on.

He forces a smile and takes a big gulp of mead as Aziraphale makes his way across the tavern. Slow, he reminds himself, go slow, and oh Yoba are those little twinkly stars knitted into his hat? Absolutely everything about Aziraphale's attire screams the opposite of what Crowley has ever considered sexy, and yet he's sitting here blushing like a stop light.

I want to unwrap him like a Winter Star gift, Crowley thinks, clearly and with something like desperation. Help.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Aziraphale is saying as he slides into the other side of the booth. He tries to unwind his scarf and take his hat off at the same time and the resulting tangle occupies him for just long enough for Crowley to get some deep breathing in. "Lively tonight, isn't it?"

"Mhm," says Crowley, trying not to notice how Aziraphale's shirt collar is rucked up over the neck of his warm woolly sweater as he shrugs out of his coat. "S'a party, all right."

"Oh, is that the spiced mead you have there? It is so perfect for these cold winter nights, isn't it? Do you mind if I—"

He gestures at the glass, and Crowley slides it across the table like one mesmerised. He watches Aziraphale lift it carefully in freshly de-mittened fingers, sniff it with the appreciation of someone holding a bouquet of lilies, and then sip it delicately, rolling the stuff around his mouth in appreciation. HIs eyes close for a moment. It's only when they open again, focus on Crowley, and blink rapidly in surprise that Crowley realises he's been leaning forward over the table.

"Yeah, it's, uh, it's nice, shall I get you some?" Crowley half-tumbles out of the booth, catches himself on the table. "Or the usual?"

Aziraphale looks at him thoughtfully for a long moment, and then takes another long, slow sip from Crowley's glass.

"Yes, I think I'll have some of this," he decides, as Crowley's knuckles whiten on the edge of the table. "We might as well get a bottle, don't you think?"

"Ngk," says Crowley, and flees to the bar.

[dixiesbizarreadventure]

Barefoot Gen

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”

-Ernest Hemingway

This film had me completely floored, from its visceral scenes to its accurate depiction of human behavior in time of crisis, perhaps one of the worst crises mankind has yet to face. I have trouble commentating on Barefoot Gen, simply because it feels like it isn’t my place. Not because of anything like nationality or generation; the film just left me stunned silent. I had never seen this film before, I thought it would be a cutesier film about a family overcoming the hardships that war brings. I expected it to be nice, but not have much substance. I couldn’t be more wrong, as Barefoot Gen doesn’t pull any punches. 

The Second World War was around 70 years ago, however, it has left a scar that still haunts many countries today. In terms of numbers, we had never before seen such widespread death and destruction. The finishing blow to half of this war was the atomic bombs, dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When one hears about the 100,000 lives lost when the bomb dropped initially, one of course knows that this is a tragedy, for even if you come from somewhere where Japan was a fearsome enemy that had done deplorable things themselves, such sudden, terrible loss of life is naturally not deserved. Barefoot Gen had a lot more graphic scenes and imagery than I would expect, but it all serves a purpose, it isn’t just for some cheap “shock value”. That purpose brings home the fact that the Enola Gay didn’t add up numbers, but took lives away. You see the nightmarish imagery of people irradiated beyond recognition, ambling in pain before their minds have realized that they are dead. However, what makes it so frightening is that it’s not a nightmare, it all truly happened, as Barefoot Gen is an autobiographical piece. Not only does it show us what happened, but the viewer is reminded, through Gen’s actions, that this innocent civilian child is forced to witness it all. 

Furthermore, the suffering depicted in the later parts of the movie couldn’t contrast more sharply with the beginning parts. Gen and his family are joyful, despite all that they lack, and ready for the future, the end of the war, and they are taken from him in a matter of minutes, as we watch them burn to death. The point that his mother brings up is crucial to the piece, the fact that Japan surrendered too late. With this, we are reminded of the futility of war. Gen’s father lost his life in a war he didn’t even believe in, Eiko and Shinji died in a war they didn’t even understand. One of the most unfortunate of all was Tomoko. She didn’t even get to die as a result of war, but from the strife that comes afterwards, something most people forget about. We see a parallel between the war ending after Gen’s family dying, and Tomoko dying after Gen and Ryuta are able to get the milk. Yes, the things that the characters wanted were able to happen, but when it did, it didn’t matter anymore. If Japan was able to hold out longer, and achieve its imperial goals, it wouldn’t matter, as their people would have been beaten down along the way. 

We don’t see the American pilots portrayed in a positive or negative light in this movie, and that’s important in correctly interpreting what Barefoot Gen has to say. It doesn’t take a woe-is-me attitude about what these people experienced, nor does it downplay any of the suffering they experienced. The people who perished in August of 1945 were victims, but they are not victimized in Barefoot Gen. The story gives a wider scope, telling a story of what happened to a family, consequences of a chain of events that shouldn’t have even happened in the first place. But like the grain his father spoke of, Gen, representative of the people of Japan, would rise again, his suffering would not be everlasting. Nowadays, Japan is one of the biggest advocates of peace in the world, so those who suffered would not do so in vain. 

I feel that Barefoot Gen is a true work of art, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

[chuurrykiss]

In celebration of giving in and making this account, I have ranked the Loona solos from my least favorite to favorite. Keep in mind I know nothing about music and I’m honestly really dumb. 

12. Around you- HyunJin

This song makes me feel lonely. The music video feels like I’m being stalked. There isn’t too much to say about this song, the vocals are average. The video, while being full of Loonaverse lore, isn’t as visually interesting as the other videos. The song isn’t bad by any means, but it isn’t my favorite.  

11. One & Only- Gowon

I hate Gowon’s raps in this song. It would probably be one of my favorites if the raps weren’t to pitchy. Her vocals are off, but it fits with the sound and tempo of the song. The music video is full of imagery and lore, but it isn’t my taste. I think Gowon’s visuals are so gorgeous. The music video makes up for the song. My favorite scenes are when Yves crowns Gowon, when Choerry drops that apple, and when Yves, Gowon, and Chuu run in the love4eva outfits.  The choreography to this song is super catchy though and I think it suits Gowon a lot.

10. Kiss Later- Yeojin

As the youngest of the group, I expect nothing less than this from Yeojin. However, because of her underdeveloped voice, her vocals come across as a bit annoying. I love how much subtle lore is in this video. Due to the cutesy nature of the video, you wouldn’t think that there would be so much alluding to the Loonaverse and the other girls.

9. Let Me In- HaSeul

I love HaSeul’s vocal’s in this song. Her opera training fits well with this song. It’s not in my favorites because of how plain it is. I forget about it and how the beat goes all the time. The music video though makes me feel so lonely. This seems to be a running theme in the more mature Loona solos, I think this one is more purposeful because of location though. I love the deep meaning and lore intertwined into the music video. The video is so amazing. HaSeul’s visuals are so amazing. I love her eyes; they are so beautiful.

8. Everyday I Love You- ViVi

Its disappointing people don’t like this song more. Vivi isn’t the most talented vocal but BBC picked out a wonderful song for her voice. The aesthetic of the song fits Vivi so well. I love the cutesy choreography; the little book move is so fitting. Although the video isn’t that deep, it still fits well into the world. I love how it ties in later with Yves’ solo. In short, this video is soft, and I love it.

7. Vivid- Heejin

This is where we get into my absolute favorite Loona solos. Vivid was what started it all. The first solo. The first member. Heejin is the God of the Loonaverse. I love this song, especially the acoustic version. It fills my heart with pure joy, and I get so happy listening to it. Vivid is the type of song you want to get up and dance to. I love how her voice fluctuates and the loud and almost colorful nature of the instrumental. The choreography is so catchy, I can see it in my head when the song plays. It’s so hard to put my love for this song into words. It was probably the second Loona song I’ve ever heard; it has such a special place in my heart.

6. Love Cherry Motion- Choerry

This song is legendary. The versatility has me quaking. I hate how Choerry is so sexualized in this song though (but like I can’t help but love this track). She isn’t the youngest, but she just turned eighteen I believe so it does make me a bit uncomfortable they gave her this song. The vocals are pretty, and the choreography is one of my favorites in all the Loona discography. This song is one big rollercoaster and I loved every minute. The amount of lore in the video is amazing. Choerry is a direct effect of the Mobius strip property of the Loonaverse so it is no surprise that her solo would have so much lore in it.  

5. Singing in the Rain- JinSoul

I love the quick and intenseness of this song. The instrumental is solid; Jinsoul’s vocals fit so well with the track. There isn’t too much to say about the song itself other than I just really enjoy it. BBC is so good at choreography that fits the girls, although I wish she had something a bit harder. She could be such a good dancer. I love the music video; it has such a cool concept to it.

4. new- Yves

Ugh, the energy. I love the choreography to this song too much. Yves has such a big part in the Loonaverse, her song shows her becoming free and loving herself. I can’t even express how refreshing I find this song. Her energy surrounds me and gives me strengths to go on. The scenes with Vivi ties so much together. I love how much power her solo has. Yves is so talented; I am so elated they gave her such an amazing solo.

3. Heart Attack- Chuu

Chuu is my bias so it was obviously going to be up there on my list. Our queen of vocal came through with some amazing chops in this one. The pace is so fun and makes me want to get up and dance. Chuu’s video also has a lot of references to other members of Loona in it including being parallel to Yeojin’s “Kiss Later.” I love the unrequited love with Yves that’s shown throughout the Loonaverse. She does it for the gays. The power this song holds… They played it at pride so be happy.

2. Eclipse- Kim Lip

The vocals in this song melt me like a candle. With this solo, Kim Lip summoned the other Odd Eye Girls to the Loonaverse and this made my day. My love for this song is so immeasurable. The choreography is another one of my favorites, it has so much power. I love everything about this solo, I mean there is a reason it’s number two. Eclipse is THAT song. Even NASA agrees.

1. Egoist- Olivia Hye

This song is four minutes and seven seconds of Olivia telling me I am worthless. The whistles, the vocals, the VISUALS. Homegirl was a trainee for one day before debuting… Her power. She’s pretty young too but look... I love this song and I am one year younger than her so for me, it’s okay but old men, stay away. I love the overall message of love Loona has in their songs; self-love, love for others, and love for the world around you. I don’t know where Loona would be without Olivia, she does complete them so well as the twelfth member. My gay comes out when this song comes on and don’t even get me started on the choreography. She did not come here to play these games. Once again, I leave you saying, “Stan Loona.”  

Sorry for any grammatical mistakes lol

[rutilation]

another day, another stressful chapter.

Okay, first of all, I fucking called it.

Which also means that Phos’s very first interaction with Cairngorm was them respecting Cairn’s wishes even when Ghost was willing to cajole them into their partnership.  Oh boy, do I ever love being hurt! 

But before I dive more into my favorite disaster gem, I’d like to talk about a few of my observations of the first half of the chapter.  Y’know, I was looking forward to a chapter focused solely on the earth gems, so that I could finally figure out how I feel about Euclase, and not be stressed out by Cairn for one (1) month.  But it seems Ichikawa does not want me to have a god-damned break.

Well at least I figured out how I feel about Euclase.  Turns out they only said those kind words to Phos in order to manipulate them, and they completely misinterpreted what amounts to Phos’s acknowledgment of their own mortality as mere insecurity about their low-hardness status.  I’m not sure if they’re going to have this same mindset by the end of the story, but for now it seems they are firmly in camp stasis-and-conformity-at-all-costs.

At this point I think it’s been enough of a reoccurring element that we can add sleeping vs restlessness to the list of thematic through-lines of this work, be it Phos’s restlessness, Kongo’s frequent naps, the gems’ hibernation, etc.  Furthermore, the opening of the anime played a lot with this imagery.  If you think about it, the opening is essentially a series of images of Phos breaking apart and being put back together, and Phos waking up three times in a row.  The director of the anime has stated in an interview that he had a chat with Ichikawa about the overall themes of the work, so I think it’s safe to say that the use of awakening imagery in the opening is very deliberate.  My first instinct is to see awakening as a metaphor for enlightenment, and sleeping as a metaphor for ignorance and stasis, but I’m not super sure of my reading.

I’d also like to talk a little about robodad.  There are a couple of contradictions in his character that have been bugging me for a while, and I might as well talk about them here.  Going back to the early chapters, he got pretty mad whenever the gems acted recklessly behind his back.  Like in chapter one towards Morga and Goshe, and then again towards Phos in chapter eleven.  But despite the fact that Phos has made a much, much bigger mess than either of those incidents, Kongo has made no effort to stop Phos.  Sure, he stonewalls Phos when they try to ask him directly about what he’s hiding, but ever since volume four, wherein he realized that Phos was suspicious of him (they weren’t exactly subtle about it,) he pretty much gave Phos free reign to chase whatever subversive, rebellious whim they desired.  I keep getting the impression that he wants Phos to defeat him, and that’s why he stopped getting on their case for insubordination the moment he realized that they had more ambitious aims than mere trouble-making.  In fact, the way he simply shuts Phos down when they try to get answers out of him, instead of doing his best to explain what he can, like he is with the earth gems right now...it almost seems like he’s trying to goad Phos into antagonizing him.

Which is why I’m really curious about why he refuses to release the Lunarians--and his words in this chapter do seem to confirm that he’s intentionally not releasing their souls, and isn’t just broken.  He holds the Lunarians and humanity in contempt, but I find it hard to believe that he hates them more than he loves the gems, so whatever’s stopping him from praying must be pretty significant.  That would lead one to the conclusion that there’s some terrible consequence that would come from him releasing the Lunarians, and I’ve seen people float the idea of a seventh meteor coming and wiping out the remaining life on earth as soon as the last human souls leave.  The little moment in chapter one in which Phos mistakenly thinks that seven meteors had already hit the earth would seem to foreshadow that.  But the thing is, if the consequence of praying for the Lunarians is that dire, then why hasn’t he lifted a finger to stop Phos?  Why hasn’t he tried to find some way to impart to Phos the peril of what they’re doing, even if he can’t directly tell them what’s going on?

It’s all quite mysterious.

Okay, back to my wayward child.

First of all, this reeaally hurt.  I had been afraid that this might happen since chapter 67, but since it hadn’t been brought up, I thought that they weren’t going to reject the name Phos got for them.  Turns out, I just needed to be more patient!  They haven’t mentioned what they’re going by, so for now I’m gonna keep calling them Cairngorm.

Regarding their explanation for why they stabbed Phos...

I mean, I know that the tone Cairn is going for here is disdainful indifference, but isn’t this just a roundabout way of saying that they don’t have the guts to talk to Phos?  This has been on my mind ever since chapter 68, but Cairn seems awfully skittish about actually confronting Phos, don’t they?  The fact that they were willing to allude--albeit vaguely--to what happened in chapter 67 in front of Yellow and Padpa, but were completely unwilling to even tell Phos directly that they were breaking up with them, much less explain why, seems rather telling to me.  The fact that they apparently couldn’t stand the thought of an awkward ride back to the moon and had to make sure Phos was unconscious for the duration just compounds this.  (This is all assuming they weren’t secretly trying to destroy the pearl eye.)

Honestly, when Cairn decided they needed to involve themselves in a mission they told Phos they wouldn’t go on, and behind Aechmea’s back no less, they forfeited any chance of convincing me that they actually don’t care, and no amount of shit talking is going to outweigh their actions when said actions tell a very different story.  While it’s still too soon to say what exactly those portentous lines about Cairn being a good actor really mean, they’re definitely relevant.  The only question on my mind is whether or not they believe their own bullshit.

To sum it up, it seems that Cairn is once again in need of some Antarc advice:

But instead, the only advice they get nowadays is from their controlling boyfriend who pays lip service to valuing their autonomy but then throws a temper tantrum the second they stop acting like his personal dress-up doll.* 

Something I found really unnerving was Cairn’s reaction to Aechmea’s little fit of pique.  They looked uncomfortable with being screamed at, but they didn’t seem the least bit shocked, despite the fact that Aechmea looked Like That, which raises the possibility that this isn’t the first time Aechmea has lashed out at Cairn like this.  Yikes.

Furthermore, once they start talking to Aechmea, the confidence with which they held themselves the past chapter-and-a-half completely dies, and they’re back to being drawn in that vaguely off-putting moe style, and they’re back to expressing themselves in a way that seems more juvenile than how they were acting moments before.  So, the cutesiness is definitely an affectation, though I doubt that anyone is surprised to have that confirmed.

A few months ago, I assumed that Aechmea was manipulating Cairngorm to a specific end, but it’s looking more and more like he sees Cairn as, like, a shiny new toy that he doesn’t want getting dented.

And finally, that glove that Cairn is wearing.  I didn’t notice it the first time I read chapter seventy so I didn’t bring it up in that essay, but they sure are covering up the symbol of their weakness and reluctance to change, aren’t they?  Embracing one’s weaknesses and failings has been a major theme of the series, and there are several visual metaphors that allude to this.  Phos’s kintsugi arms and Dia using their octahedral cleavage to their advantage to defeat Shiro are the examples that initially spring to my mind.  While the plot of the series is twisty, and the characters are often duplicitous, I find that the imagery and visual metaphors are pretty consistently trustworthy--albeit up for interpretation.  So, while there are many things in the series that I’m not sure about, I’m pretty sure that Cairngorm’s left arm is getting replaced sooner or later.

*hey guys, remember how there was an entire omake in which the joke was “Cairngorm sure does dislike all the frilly, impractical pajamas that Red Beryl is forcing them to wear.”  That was a thing. 

[aion-rsa]

Lord of the Rings: 6 Games That Brought Middle-earth to Life

http://bit.ly/2Le95WM

From text adventures to MMOs, Lord of the Rings games have never been in short supply. Here are some of the best...

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Phil Hayton

Apr 29, 2019

The Lord Of The Rings

There's no shortage of franchises, across the vast world of multimedia entertainment, that have tried to translate their success into a video game tie-in. Look at the huge pile of Star Wars games, for instance, or the sizeable stack of superhero games on the horizon.

While these releases will usually coincide with a blockbuster film or TV series, occasionally we get to experience the magic of our favorite franchises in video game form before Hollywood gets its hands on it. A great example of such a franchise is the work of J.R.R Tolkien, which has enchanted the imaginations of readers since before video games were even a thing.

Today, we are going to journey across six iterations of Lord of the Rings video games, exploring how each title brought Tolkien's vision of Middle-earth into the hands of gamers...

The Tolkien Software Adventure Trilogy 

1982 | Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum

While trying to explain text adventures and microcomputers to a modern-day gamer might be a bit like showing a spaniel a card trick, it’s important to look at the humble beginnings of franchise-based video games. Microcomputers such as the Commodore 64 are where it all began for digital Middle-earth, with the release of The Hobbit Sofware Adventure in 1982.

The Hobbit by Beam Software was the first of four titles to be released on microcomputers of the time, with each game covering part of the LOTR saga. As you might expect, fancy visuals and audio have no power here, with the player's imagination and ability to read being the key parts of the experience. If you’re unfamiliar with the text adventure genre, the player is essentially given a description of the scenario that they’re in, which then requires an appropriate command to be typed in response. The best modern-day example of this is the Black Mirror episode "Bandersnatch," which features a similar text adventure, albeit with more psychological trauma.

The Hobbit was followed by another 3 titles by Beam Software: The Fellowship of the Ring, Shadows of Mordor (No, not THAT game), and The Crack of Doom. Each title also included its accompanying paperback novel as an added bonus, which was a fantastic way to introduce new fans of the time to the franchise. Meanwhile, here in 2019, a simple manual with your game is like finding a golden ticket in your chocolate bar.

You may have noticed a heavy emphasis on referring to these titles as software, which is probably wise considering it’s a text adventure. In terms of excitement, these games can’t really hold a candle to the arcade adrenaline rush that was in vogue back in the ’80s. However, this format is a perfect starting point for adapting a beloved work of fantasy into an interactive format, without doing anything silly, like turning it into a spaceship shooter. Despite the only visuals in the game looking like a Microsoft Paint masterpiece, the actual interactive functionality and depth of content within these games were the perfect way to experience Tolkien's fantasy epic at the time.

The Lord of the Rings Vol. 1 

1994 | SNES

As we leave behind the horrors of cassette and floppy disk load times and move onto the luxurious world of '90s video games, we also get to experience the birth of LOTR action-adventure games. Produced by Interplay Productions, The Lord of the Rings Vol. 1 is an action RPG for the SNES, which resembles the likes of Secret of Mana.

The graphics weren’t exactly cutting edge and the gameplay itself left a lot to be desired, but in terms of its presentation and atmospheric soundtrack, this was a great start in terms of introducing gamers to Tolkien’s work. Not to mention this game supports four-player co-op via a multitap adapter, which allows players to take on the role of various iconic characters such as Frodo, Samwise, Legolas, and Gimli.

For a game based solely on works of literature, Interplay did a fairly good job of converting it into an action-adventure. The 16-bit world painted in this title does a good job of assisting the imaginations of gamers, who didn’t have much imagery to draw from until the dawn of Peter Jackson’s films.

The Fellowship of the Ring 

2002 | PS2, Xbox, PC

Considering that the first New Line Cinema film based on LOTR was released in 2001, you’d assume that the officially licensed game was based on said film, right? Well, no actually, the 2002 Fellowship of the Ring game published by Vivendi Universal is yet another title based solely on the original book.

Featuring an action-adventure style, with a similar feel to the likes of Fable, this title features practically the same story as the first film, with certain sequences having an uncanny similarity. Many great adventure game aspects reside within this adaptation: item collection, puzzles, stealth, and combat all make the experience feel like a true video game translation.

The game’s story itself does do an adequate job of telling the story of Frodo’s departure from The Shire, yet was perhaps at the mercy of being compared to the films, which were ground-breaking for the franchise, after all. Let’s be honest, we know the difference between Ian McKellen and the voice of Professor Utonium from The Powerpuff Girls (No offense to Tom Kane).

For those unaware that this game wasn’t associated with the films, it’s likely that the rich environments and adventure style gameplay gave players a chance to walk merrily across Middle-earth in the bare feet of familiar characters.

The Two Towers/Return of the King 

2002 | PS2, Xbox, GC

Despite Vivendi’s LOTR title being released just months before, EA also managed to get their hands on the license, with the added bonus of being able to make games associated to the films. Debuting in 2002, the movie-based titles featured less adventuring and more action, with core aspects of the gameplay being based around wiping out hordes of enemies during movie sequences.

While these games are definitely an effort to immerse players into the films, rather than the books, they still serve as a great way to deliver an interactive version of Middle-earth’s conflicts. Strangely, The Two Towers covers events that took place in the first film, which is perhaps down to the fact that EA couldn’t make a whole game based on that part of the story.

The following title, Return of the King, uses the same mechanics and style established in EA’s first title, which proved to be popular. Luckily, the series managed to avoid the stigma associated with movie games (i.e. that they're cash grabs), with legitimately fun gameplay and a respectful translation of the original story.

The Hobbit 

2003 | PS2, GC

It may have taken until 2012 to finally get a film adaptation of the first part of Tolkien’s epic fantasy, yet this didn’t stop our old friends Vivendi Universal from taking matters into their own hands. Even though Vivendi first Middle-earth title failed to make the impact it desired, Inevitable Entertainment teamed up with Vivendi to create The Hobbit in action-adventure form. 

This cutesy adventure featuring Bilbo Baggins bears a resemblance to The Fellowship of the Ring, with some slight changes, such as a more light-hearted aesthetic, faster movement, and a more fluid approach to combat. The developers also took some liberties with the dialogue and voice acting, being more confident in their approach, rather than repeating the first game's attempt to sound like the movie actors.

It’s easy to compare action-adventure titles like The Hobbit to others in the genre, but for what it's worth, this game is an amazing way to experience Tolkien’s fantasy prelude. With its colorful environments, quirky characters, and enjoyable gameplay, The Hobbit is a refreshing way to delve into the story of The Lonely Mountain without having to endure unsettling CGI.

The Lord of the Rings Online 

2007 | PC

Most major movie franchises have tried their hands at MMO titles. While many of these attempts have failed to capture the success of juggernauts like World of Warcraft, with Lord of the Rings Online, a combination of a beloved world and a dedicated fanbase has managed to keep the game alive since its release in 2007. 

The game features many of the MMO tropes that you’re familiar with, yet it puts emphasis on placing the player into the shoes of a citizen of Middle-earth during the third age, which matches up to the events of the novels. Unlike a lot of MMO and sandbox games, LOTR Online draws its attraction from having rich lore and landscapes that have already been established, which does well for attracting new players. The fact that this game is also now free to play means that players can experience a big portion of Middle-earth without the need to splash out.

There are numerous games that we haven't mentioned among these six key titles, and honorable mentions should go to the LEGO-themed games and the likes of Shadow of Mordor. Certainly, gamers aren't short of access to one of the best fantasy stories ever told. And with the recent announcement of Daedalic Entertainment's action-adventure game about Gollum, we can be sure that Middle-earth will stay in the palms of gamers for many years to come...

from Books http://bit.ly/2VGcstT

[plotlinehotline]

"Overused” is Overused: Understanding Clichés and Tropes in Your Writing

I hate writing advice.

That’s my little tongue-in-cheek joke for this post, because the irony of what I’m doing literally as I type that statement is not lost on me. It’s true, though— I honestly think that advice is one of the most damaging things to a writer’s mindset. It makes them second-guess their methods, their ideas, and even whether they truly have what it takes to be a *~*writer*~* in the eyes of the rest of the world.

It’s a truly unfortunate thing, because it’s so important for writers to be able to share their experiences and successes. The problem is that these experiences get passed around in a game of It’s-Been-Ten-Years-Since-This-Essay-Was-Written Telephone, and the original intent of the advice (and sometimes its actual meaning!) gets lost along the way. They become these overarching blanket statements that offer broad limitations without reason or potential alternatives.

One of the greatest offenders of this is the idea that you ought to avoid clichés in writing. I’ve been part of online writing communities for a while now, and by far the most common concern I see is some variant of, “I’m thinking about doing [x], but I’m worried it’s too cliché”. It’s an epidemic amongst writers, and it absolutely infuriates me that so many writers have come to doubt their own work just because some vague internet grapevine has told them that clichés are to be avoided at all costs.

Because I’m so infuriated by this (and because I’m super extra and actually have a relevant platform on which to discuss this), I’m going to take some time to explain the actual meaning of this particular piece of “advice” and why it’s far less of a concern than you’ve been lead to believe.

To begin, it’s very important to address the fact that there’s a fundamental misunderstanding surrounding this idea. This starts with the fact that the terms cliché and trope are mistakenly thought to be synonymous, or otherwise become confused with one another. Before I move forward, I want to offer the proper definition for both.

A cliché is a particular phrase that’s been used often enough to become commonplace. In writing, they’re generally used to create a specific image or tone that we can take for granted that the reader will recognize.

She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. It was raining cats and dogs, but she still stood with her arms to the sky, laughing like she didn’t even notice. She turned to me and winked, and I felt my face go as red as a beet. In that moment, I knew that I’d give my right arm to be with her.

A trope is a convention used in writing to give meaning to aspects of your story. They’re used as storytelling shorthand to attach identifiable qualities to your plot and characters— recurring themes that exist throughout history to guide stories.

Examples of tropes include the hero’s journey, the character’s fatal flaw, the comic relief character, the hero with a dark past, and the Mom Friend.

I’ll be the first to admit that there are similarities between the two— both are used to help readers understand parts of your story, and tropes can be specific phrases as shown in the cliché example above. The key is to separate the two in your mind and think about them only by the definitions above.

It’s important to do this, because part of the central misunderstanding is that “cliché” is often used in daily life to describe ideas as a whole that have been overused (think of the “I’m holding up the tower!” pic that literally everyone takes at the Leaning Tower of Pisa). I get the confusion and concern here, I really do. The most important thing to remember is that clichés have a specific meaning when it comes to writing. No matter how often you may see a particular theme or character arc, it is and always will be a trope.

With that out of the way, I’d like to discuss why this should be good advice. The truth of the matter is that clichés should be avoided where possible because they give the impression of lazy writing. Writers and readers alike take the imagery for granted and rely on these tried-and-true phrases to add physicality to their prose instead of finding unique descriptors; while it certainly gets the point across, it comes across as more of a 2D picture from a magazine than a scene from the movie adaptation we all know our books are destined to have.

To illustrate this, let’s take a look at the example above with all of the clichés removed:

The world had never experienced a beauty like hers— neither had I. I just watched as she stood there, arms to the sky as the rain pelted her relentlessly, soaking into her clothes and hair. She smiled as it ran down her face, laughing at each raindrop, finally turning to me and winking. She could have just been blinking the water out of her eye, I don’t know, but my face was hot and I suddenly found it hard to look at her. I stared at my shoes, willing them to take a step for once so I could go and join her.

Clichés fall flat because they aren’t specific to you as a writer— they aren’t at all indicative of your unique style. Your story loses so much when it’s not told in your own voice, so you shouldn’t rely on old phrases just because you know people will automatically understand them.

While the argument could be made that tropes fall into this same category, I would point out that tropes serve a deeper purpose than clichés. Where a cliché would act as filler, a trope would act as a foundation. Tropes are tools (most frequently, structural tools) that guide the story through plot/character development and tonal themes to give your reader a general idea of what they’re signing up for when they read your story.

Example Time!

Say that you wanted to write someone a love poem. You do your research, sifting through decades of poems to pick out the best phrases and metaphors, and you end up with the following:

Your eyes are as deep as an oceans Your eyes shine like stars They’re like windows to your soul I get lost in them every time I look

The poem is essentially a cut-and-paste of phrases from every cheesy romance novel out there, and will most likely leave the object of your affections wondering why you’re so obsessed with their eyeballs.

Alternatively, you hand them this:

Roses are red, Violets are blue...

and things get a little more interesting. Sure, the opening to the poem is a cliché in and of itself, but it sets the stage for whatever you want to fill it with. You could go with something traditional and make it cutesy, you could subvert the trope by dropping the rhyme scheme for dramatic or comedic effect, you could even revive the old 2015 “gun” meme. The world is your oyster!

The point is, the poem hasn’t been written for you. Sure, it follows a similar structure to poems that have been written before, but where you take it is entirely up to you— the opening lines are simply the prompt to make way for your own creative license.

Let’s be real, here. 

I get that everyone wants to make something new and exciting that comes entirely from their own imagination. It’s the dream! The idea that anything we write could potentially be sourced back to an existing piece is super aggravating, and you don’t have to tell me how discouraging it is to have something that you’re genuinely proud of suddenly fall flat because someone says, “Hasn’t the teen dystopia thing been done to death?” or “Didn’t Star Trek do an episode like this?” or “Penney, this is just a Star Trek fanfiction with the names changed to Dirk and Spork, please stop.”

To be totally honest, there is not (nor will there ever be) a single piece of writing on this earth that’s 100% original. Everything is based off of a story that came before it, or had plots and characters that were cherry-picked from the millions of plots and characters that existed previously.

Even more honestly, people like it that way. Tropes help us to identify our favorite genres and characters, guide us to stories that we may like based on those preferences, and open our eyes to new stories and authors that follow those tropes in a slightly different way. 

In short, embrace your tropes. Learn to recognize them and how they can be used and reimagined, and build your story out of the wonderful things that come of that knowledge. Be like me and waste a billion hours in the rabbit hole that is TV Tropes!

Most importantly, write the way you want to write and don’t let anyone else tell you how to do it. They’ll have their time when you’re ready for peer review. Right now is your time to do as you please, ignore all writing advice you see online, make a few mistakes, and do it all over again because that’s what writers do! Get out there and make some beautiful, cliché-ridden, trope-y masterpieces.

Love, Penney

[b-e-h-o-l-d-e-r]

(Movie Review) Alita: Battle Angel

https://letterboxd.com/do_om/* * * 1/2

Sometimes its the little victories that make or break a film for me. For anime fans, those little victories from Hollywood adaptations are so few and far between that anytime we get a half decent/ not COMPLETELY FUCKING bonkers shit movie, its a victory we are more than willing to take.

I never read “Gunm" the manga but the anime film adaptation was a definitive classic alongside Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Guyver and Neon Genesis Evangelion for any teen who grew up in late 90’s Australia.

Like it or lump it, Alita: Battle Angel is the most faithful translation of anime into a Hollywood film that I have ever seen and I’ve seen every horrifying misshapen mongrel offsrping that the Hollywood/ anime pairing has made over the years (ewgh, I just remembered Dragonball Evolution and threw up in my mouth a little bit).

Video games and anime seem to constantly bear the brunt of the film adaptations being so horrible that the fans scream frantically in frustration of not being able to be openly admit their love of a series without being ridiculed thanks to the one release of a film that everyone hears about and is now the first thing everyone thinks you’re referring to when you talk about it.

Normally I’m sayin “if you’re not gonna do something different with the story/ setting, why adapt it at all, just watch the original” but considering the track record, I just want to see if it can be done without completely fucking it in attempts to make it more “understandable” for foreign audiences.

And, hey, SUCCESS! They didn’t really drastically change anything. They swapped out Ido’s dead cat for a dead daughter, giving him and Chiran a fuller backstory which allowed the parent issue subplot with Anita a tad more potent (in the anime, Ido, simply allows her to become a Hunter and even goes to introduce her to the other members at the bar). Yugo’s fate is pretty much 1:1 except in the anime when he climbs the pipeway up, its pretty much as if his mind is snapped and his desperation has made him kinda loony, which I think makes the scene all the more fucked up. Here in this adaptation it kinda loses a bit of steam. Then lastly, in the anime, after Yugo’s death, Alita and Ido send up a balloon into the sky with some of Yugo’s robotic remains and the tone is melancholic and whistful. In this film they opt for a more optimistic/ hero’s end with Alita having become the ultimate gladiator and standing in open rebellion to the arch enemy, Nova.

On the subject of what they changed/ what they didn’t, the fact that this movie remains so visceral with some truly disturbing imagery at a fucking PG-13 rating is an amazing achievement in itself. I watched the anime as a teen in an era where the only anime you got was incredibly cutesie/ kidsafe or incredibly violent and disturbing. If anyone was upset about the offscreen death of the dog in this film, in the original that death is very much on screen and packed with blood and intestines. Very few PG films manage to retain a sense of horror on screen whilst still being acceptable for younger audiences. Good job.

WETA has made another amazing milestone achievement in CGI with blending its mo-cap, vfx to intereact seamlessly with its real life cast, set and props. Their goal of sticking Alita’s anime facial features in a real setting could have been a real fucking eyesore to look at but it very quickly just fits. The VFX in general was very on point aside from the Motorball sequence getting a tad “Transformers” in its hectic nature. I really wished I saw this in 3D, some incredibly badass visuals which made good use of depth in its cinematography thanks to Bill Pope ASC (The Matrix, Speedracer).

Ok, so I’m all for the faithful adaptation and the incredible vfx, how’s the story hold up? Well, honestly, the original did not have the greatest plot ever and so this film kinda follows suit. There’s a lot of cliche’ dystopian broken dreams, empowerment, revenge with the love story in there but ultimately was never the real big draw of this franchise in my opinion.

On the whole, the story is not going to blow anyones socks off but there are some plotlines/ moments that have stuck with me since seein the original and I don’t think films have to have a story that is only superb as a whole otherwise it gets junked. There are some elements of the story that completely worth salvaging.

- dragged out from the vault at https://letterboxd.com/do_om/

[willard-writes]

Smog Ponders, a Xylitol Drabble

< Yo yo, Muno here again. Been a while since I wrote something, but for a while I was focused on my Bean roleplaying and inspiration for some stuff didn’t really click. But this time I felt something, due to imagery in my head. Simply put I was thinking about the movement of the physical state of the Gasmoxian deity, The Smog, and I just sort of ran with it. >

< This is more or less like a free-form first person writing, I just typed as I went. Also feat. even more characters, Glycerin’s trio of hybrid spawn, Lithium, Citric, and Chlorine. To sum that up shortly, Lithium is the eldest, the only one that is of two Gasmoxian species, and is very much the warrior out of all their half-siblings. Citric is the middle child, half bug half human, all arrogance. And Chlorine’s the only one that is truly an optimist, the bubbly type, considering well they are half something completely opposite to Gasmoxia entirely. >

Divine intervention, a construct of mortals that I've always found myself intrigued with, the concept of one so powerful that looms among all life needing to interfere with the affairs of others. It is interesting to me, because I have so much power, yet one thing I've loved doing this past little while is just watching chain reactions upon chain reactions, imagining the possibilities yet to come, yet I need not lift a finger. What can I say, the royals that I created are just so perfect, they give our beloved universe more than enough to work with. If there was anything that I could credit that dear sweet voice within the back of my conscious with, it's that their life brought so much dismay, only to lead into the joy that was Glycerin III.

But alas, sometimes watching is not just quite enough, I wish to truly observe, to truly see the wonders within the walls of the luxurious palace that has been maintained for many thrilling centuries, and when I wish something, when I am so deserving, I will get it. It's not like it is at all difficult, to break a fragment of my smoggy essence and look from the point of view of my distorted visage. The process is not difficult, neither is getting used to travelling on my four legs, the lack of any heartbeats coursing through me as my upper pair of arms proudly positioned themselves behind my back. Anything past the physical aspect is not any hindrance either, as much as a spectacle as it would be to see the overseer roaming around, it is exceptionally easy for me to do my act of slipping into the castle, completely unnoticed. Anyone who sees one of my eyes glancing in their direction knows to look the other way regardless.

No matter how glamorous the royal building is, the cutesy decor doesn't even flinch as I pass it by, my steps silent, not a single tremble in my lower-heavy build. I feel absolutely light on my feet, actually, as I start climbing the stairs, all my eyes going in different directions, catching glimpses and taking notes of every little thing. Losing myself to the little bits of souls within me having their own remarks on the matter, I soon found myself at the highest floor of the palace, the location of the queen's quarters herself. I consider entering, but she seemed occupied enough, the sounds of chittering and clicks from what I presume is another sleepless night for Glycerin, wasting away to the bright lights of television. I cannot say I particularly envy her state of temporary bliss and numbness, filling her life with as much as she can to shove aside any sorrow, her swarm not being the only thing that eats away at her.

I would speak to her, encourage her to bring Oxide home, but she doubts I even exist. Besides, I can just do that on my own, she's done so much already with letting his co-ordinates be known, his presence still lingering as he wants to keep up with what is going on in his planet that he should rule. He's stubborn though, I don't think I could bring him here and establish any sort of my own mark on planet Earth, his spawn wouldn't do me any good for giving my being some sort of leeway or territory onto that planet. How hard it is for a god to ease it's way into conquering a world with it's own four hands and one hell of a silver tongue? Maybe Citric could be of use for that, they seem particular naive, wanting, and foolish... like a human should be.

Oh, right, I almost forgot about my reason for lingering around here, the other chain reactions. Softly skittering my way down to the penultimate floor, the guest rooms for those that the queen likes to keep close, I twist my head around, just to check if there is anyone nearby. No guards, nor one particularly sneaky mantidfly. Lithium is an everyday sight though, I am more interested in the visitor, slinking my way to another door, disappearing into nothing before materializing in the room's interior.

I can't help but absentmindedly smile as I look around the room. Very well kept, but not unexpected, just different. This very certain guest very much liked to keep things tidy, even when there were maids at their service, they would rather keep things very convinient and simple, or maybe it was just a habit that is already well into their natural life. Or both, both is plausible, as well as very fitting. One of my lower hands gripped onto the end of the bed, my upper eyes looking at the being way up ahead, small and snug underneath the blanket. Odd, seeing little Chlorine without their eyepatch, but their other eye could close just fine. What a peculiar thing that was, that every tiny thing in their other eye was completely intact, but just nonfunctioning, but it can't be helped, life is a miracle, but defects and disturbances are even more so.

My curiosity continuing to be very piqued, I took some steps closer to the comfortable half-nymph, and in an instant, their eyes shot open, staring at me as their mouth opened in wonder, two sharp fangs very much visible, but not giving the vibe of hostility. I thought about staying to chat with them, hearing this small voice ask what I was, presumably already too eager to know more about what lied beneath this half of their heritage, but to keep them wanting answers, I covered Chlorine's functioning eye, merely chuckling as I turned into nothing once more, the black mist covering up their vision as I fled, gone in the blink of an eye. This was for the best, or so I thought, there was potential for a lot, if Chlorine went around asking their genetic family about me, the tale of the Almighty Smog itself.

I considered doing another round of the palace before retreating back into the planet's atmosphere, but as my visible being came together, I heard something drag itself across the ground nearby. shifting it's weight slightly. Not moving from my position, my head turned in place, craning a bit to get a better look. It was Lithium, somehow awake, their red slit-like pupils glaring at me, exposing their sharp teeth beneath their beak. Now that was the aggression I had very much avoided.

Turning my body, thinking about how they were much more wise than their younger siblings, I had expected to hopefully have a word with them, but they charged at me immediately, their curved sword stabbing right through me. I didn't flinch, merely holding up all my arms.

"Sorry, I mean no trouble, dearest Lithium. You've become so capable, perfect for the enforcer in a family of twig-like bugs. But you were made for fighting, were you not? Well, figuratively speaking, of course. I'm impressed that you didn't think of holding back."

"..."

"You can respond to me, we're family, no? You know about your guardian deity, yet you immediately aren't very keen on me. You never came across to me as a heretic type."

"..."

"Please, remove your blade, I don't want my nothingness affecting such a fine weapon. Was it crafted just for you?"

Yet, they continued to stay unresponsive as they backed off, the blade of their weapon retreating into the hilt. They just continued to glare at me as their four legs scraped against the ground. Finally, they said something. "Keep quiet. You want your subjects to not associate their deity as some nighttime nuisance? If not, then keep quiet." They finally turned their head as they went back to their room.

Oh, if only you understood diplomacy, Lithium. Very unbecoming of a substitute prince, to be so strong, yet so silent. Oh well, if that was my cue to bid adieu, then so be it.

[tourguideexpert-blog-blog]

10 of the best small towns in the US: readers travel tips

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10 of the best small towns in the US: readers travel tips

To get a real feel for the diversity and quirkiness of America, visit its small towns where fascinating history, regional cuisine and great scenery are just some of the attractions

Winning tip: Helper, Utah

Helper is an old mining town 100 miles or so from Salt Lake City. It had been in decline for years but a steady flow of artists who cant afford SLC prices are moving in. The old, run-down cinema still displays a poster of the last film shown in the 1960s. Its rich history of immigration and mining, plus its Butch Cassidy links, is reflected in the fascinating contents of its antique shops. The residents were pleased and perplexed to have an English couple turn up in town. We heard stories of the towns past from a retired actor carrying his three white poodles who had moved in a decade ago from LA. He told of the huge increase in the towns population when miners came down from the mountains at the weekends, the bars and bordellos doing great business. The town is a sort of living museum and anyone interested in American culture would delight in spending time here, chatting with real characters full of stories and legends. Go before this place disappears. Its authentic and unforgettable. Pappi

Poulsbo, Washington

Photograph: Alamy

On the Kitsap peninsula 35 minutes by ferry from Seattle, this picturesque little town highlights its Nordic heritage the town saw a lot of immigration from Norway and Finland particularly while remaining distinctly American. Grab a coffee and a doughnut from Sluys Bakery and head over to the water to see sail boats drift against the backdrop of the 8,000ft Olympic Mountains. A stroll through town reveals numerous galleries and antique shops. Grab some food at Tizleys then head over to the Valhll Brewery to try some excellent local beer. And dont forget to visit Mora, voted one of the best ice creameries in the US. halfpennybuddha

Marfa, Texas

Contemporary art gallery Ballroom in Marfa. Photograph: Stevens Fremont/Getty Images

This is the quintessential small Texan town out in the states far west. It has a remarkable art scene with several galleries. It also has the Marfa Lights. It might be desert gas, locals having a laugh or atmospheric conditions reflecting car lights, but its been going on for more than a century. People go out and have fun and wait for them to appear. The town is also relatively close (in Texas terms) to the beautiful 8,000ft Davis mountains. Lee Franke

Essex, Connecticut

Photograph: Alamy

A colonial seaport midway between New York and Boston, Essex embodies every Hollywood cliche about small town New England but does so in the most winning way. There are white clapboard federal-style houses with the Stars and Stripes aflutter, classy boutiques and a corker of a tavern. The Griswold Inn, opened in 1776, making it Americas oldest continuously-serving hostelry. It has a collection of firearms on the walls and serves up delights like lobster pot pie. If it all gets a bit cutesy, wander down to the Connecticut river to inspect the boatyards and yachts. George IIIs forces attacked in 1814 and torched 28 ships there, but the cheery locals wont hold it against British visitors. manofmode

The other Las Vegas, New Mexico

Photograph: Richard Cummins/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

For those interested in the old west, this town (700 miles east of its Nevada namesake) hits the spot. The city museum hosts Teddy Roosevelts Rough Rider Memorial Collection, full of artefacts from the late 19th century wars in Cuba and beyond. Its easy to visualise Billy the Kid and Jesse James riding into this town. Bed down at the 1920s Spanish colonial-style El Fidel (doubles from $45, +1 505 425 6761, no website) on Douglas Avenue with ceiling fans and tiled floors that take you to another era. Also on Douglas, drop into Charlies Spic and Span for some fine New Mexican food and friendly service. klokan

Roanoke, Virginia

Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

A quaint town that serves as gateway for some serious hiking and driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mill Mountain Park offers nice views and lovely trails and a picture by the Roanoke Star at night is a must. There is plenty of stuff to keep you entertained enjoy some locally roasted coffee at Little Green Hive Coffee & Smoothie Bar or at Sweet Donkey Coffee House where pumpkin spice latte is on the menu this fall, and spend the day at Center in the Square visiting their four museums (including the pinball museum), the Mill Mountain Theatre and the shops and restaurants around the venue. The lovely Historic Roanoke City Market is open every day and is a foodie delight. cheesecake79

Beaufort, South Carolina

Photograph: Michael Runkel/Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery

A stay at the luxurious Rhett House Inn (doubles from $219 B&B), epitomises the glamour of Gone with the Wind. The surrounding streets are lined with grand antebellum mansions shaded by mature oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Strictly speaking, it feels as though we should be over the state line in Georgia but Beaufort is a willing stand-in: much of Forrest Gump was filmed here instead of Alabama. The town, which is on low-lying Port Royal island, was also the setting for The Big Chill movie. The towns Old Point historic district is a delight; we took a carriage ride with the Sea Island Carriage Company and visited the towns delightful art galleries before chowing down at a waterfront eateries on Bay Street. Julia Hammond Johnson

Boulder City, Nevada

A statue in tribute to workers on the Hoover Dam, in Boulder City. Photograph: Alamy

Built in 1931 to re-house workers on the nearby Hoover Dam from their tented slums, this small town is only a dice roll from Vegas. The Boulder Dam Museum (entry $2) focuses on the social and human cost of that engineering marvel (and is curated by the son of a former Ragtown inhabitant). It is located in the elegant, colonial Boulder Dam Hotel (doubles from $80 B&B), built in 1933 to accommodate VIPs visiting the dam construction site. Bronze statues adorn the quaint streets, depicting the history of this sympathetically planned settlement where spacious parks were integral in providing recreational opportunities for its first citizens. Casino-free, its a genteel and friendly antidote to Sin City. rja123

Shipshewana, Indiana

Photograph: Alamy

This fascinating town is halfway between Detroit and Chicago, making it a perfect stopover on a road trip. This small town with a population of around 700 people offers a fascinating insight into an alternative strand of American culture: the Amish. The Menno-Hof Amish and Mennonite Centre is the best place to start your visit; guided tours allowing an insight into the culture of the town and its people. A subsequent horse carriage tour around town will let you sit back and learn more about the workings of the place. The bakeries are filled with fresh cinnamon-rolls and the flea market every Wednesday presents a fine array of Americana memorabilia. ID7840980

Guerneville, California

Canoeing on the Russian River at Guerneville. Photograph: Robert Holmes/Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

About 90 minutes drive north of San Francisco, youll find the laid back town of Guerneville. Charmingly rustic, but with a wonderful food and wine scene thanks to its Sonoma county location, since the 1970s the town has become a welcoming resort for the LGBT community. At its heart is the Russian river, with canoes, kayaks, umbrellas and beach chairs available for rent. Check out the excellent bistro Boon Eat + Drink, featuring a menu using local, fresh, seasonal ingredients. Darina1983

This article was amended on 3 November 2016. An earlier version said Poulsbo is on the Olympic peninsula; it is on the Kitsap peninsula.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us