#i watched it immediately after i finished the trilogy and it genuinely surprised me how well it captured that specific feeling of the books

[wulfhalls]

ykw i think a wolf hall rewatch is in order

it's use of natural light beautiful subtle music and acting performances of all time have bewitched me body and soul

[shinysamurott9]

I finished Xenoblade X again today and... wow.

OK so, I played Xenoblade X for the first time last year in a marathon of Xenoblade 1, X, and 2, and honestly, compared to 1 & 2, I didn't enjoy it as much. It was the only one I didn't really know much about going in. I felt like it had a lot of good parts, but I hadn't any idea what I was doing because the game has literally no tutorials and I ended up stumbling through the game when I wasn't able to use my Skell, so I just didn't have as much fun with it compared to the trilogy.

However, after finishing Xenogears and the Xenosaga Trilogy, I thought it would be a good idea to give X another shot as a nice way to bookend playing the Xeno series, specifically after watching some guides and learning how the combat actually works (Thanks Enel)

And, holy shit. Out of every game I've ever played, this and DMC 3 are the ones I'm most glad I gave a second chance. I genuinely could not stop thinking about this game after I started playing again. Before I stopped pretty much as soon as I beat the final boss, this time I went literally all the way and completed the entire Mira Survey. I'm just gonna take this chance to go in and incoherently go off about about all the stuff I have in my head about this beautiful mess of a game.

Ok so the combat. Overdrive, is a completely balanced mechanic that doesn't allow you to completely take the main game’s difficulty and snap it over your knee like a fucking twig. Except it is. Like, it is honestly comical just how trivial almost everything becomes with the right arts on your build. And if you throw really busted arts like Ghostwalker/Ghost Factory or Blossom Dance into the mix, literally nothing can stand up to you bar the literal endgame superbosses, and a big part of that is just because a lot of them, Telethia in particular, are in positions where you literally can't fight them on foot and realistically survive without a highly specialised build. But with that proper build, that probably takes a lot of grinding, you can still beat them fairly quickly, save for Levael The Terminus, because it's literally in the middle of the ocean. All because of this funny counter gear.

Going along with Overdrive, is the amount of customisation this game offers you. Almost every weapon type offers you at least a couple arts that work really well alongside Overdrive. The build I ended up with at the end was a Knife, Dual Gun combination, mainly because Smooth Recovery, is an amazing art for Overdrive, and Black Butterfly and Full Specs are great compliments for an Ether Build with Executioner as the main Damage Art. Yeah sure I ended up using Ghostwalker/Factory like most Endgame builds, but hey that shit is comically busted, and I absolutely love abusing stuff like that, intentional or otherwise. Plus I do enjoy the idea of my Cross, Coraline, using the arts of Irina and Elma, her immediate superior officers in BLADE. Which actually brings me to,

I was honestly surprised at how much thought I ended up putting into my Cross this time around, but it was fun. Not just deciding on a good look both when creating her and finding what gear she'd wear, but also thinking about how her character woukd respond to the situations and dialogue options presented throughout the game. It's to the point that Coraline's basically become my first OC, depending on how you count Milton the Mythrakid I guess, since he's an interpretation of a character we know exists but we haven't seen or heard about. Either way I definitelywant to do more with Coraline. Probably gonna draw her some more as time goes on to get a better feel for the design as well as drawing her skell too just because.

That actually brings me around to the story. I'll be the first to admit that overall X's story falls short compared to the trilogy andveven Gears and Saga but it still has a lot of solid stuff that really git me thinking, in addition to stuff I only picked up the second time around, something Xeno stories have been fantastic with since the beginning with Gears. Obviously spoilers ahead as I talk some notable stuff in the plot

This moment really stuck out for me after simmering on it for a while. Because this idea that memories and the continuation of a person's consciousness are what make them who they are would continue as a prominent thematic plot point in the following games. Xenoblade 2 emphasises it the most heavily with Blades losing their memories with each reawakening, thus they lose their "contuity of consciousness". It's quite literally the central source of conflict for Blades and is everywhere in the main story and side content with characters like Praxis, Theory and Vess. Xenoblade 3 has this too, albeit as a more subtle background element with the Agnian and Kevesi Soldiers effectively being reset upon death as they are reborn, however there are still cases where things slip through the cracks, most notably with Eunie and Ashera. Yet despite that, Monica asserts to Eunie that whatever her past life was, it wasn't her and she didn't make it, all because soldiers simply don't have that continuity of consciousness.

Thinking about it now X has plenty of thematic ideas that 2 & 3 would go on to pull from. Things like a cycle of death and rebirth, something that Blade and NLA are trying to achieve with finding the Lifehold Core. As Lao puts it, they're the lucky ones who can come back as many times as they want. Lao's arc is particularly well done all things considered. A moment early on that stuck out to me was when they were discussing how Lin got her spot on the Whale as a way to repay her parents who were crucial in getting the ship going in the first place. Lao, whether he shows it or not, would have some misgivings about that, and Elma seemingly picks up on that and is quick to point out Lin's own skill were crucial in her getting her spot and that it wasn't just pure nepotism. It's really interesting to see Elma pick up on Lao's misgivings so early. If we do ever get an X sequel, which I do think and hope we will sooner or later, I'll be very curious to see where Lao's character goes from here. Speaking of characters who I really want to learn more about,

Elma is a really interesting character honestly despite the many unanswered questions surrounding her, it just has me more intrigued to learn more about her. The question of what her species and planet are like is one i really want to see explored someday. Funnily enough, 2 actually gave us a breadcrumb of that. Elma has a line when receiving a Seafood pouch item, one of her favourite categories, where she expresses fascination with the concept. "Making meals out of marine lifeforms, fascinating" which I've always taken as her species just straight up not having a concept of seafood. Idk why, it's such a minor inconsequential detail that isn't even from X but I always found that super interesting. Her designs are also two of my favourites in the Xeno series, especially dince they double as subtle references to Kos-Mos and T-Elos. I think I lean a little more towards Alien Elma though, something about the crystal hair is really cool to me.

A few other Miscellaneous things I can think of:

The sidequests are fantastic. While many are a little tedious, they do a really good job of building the world and fleshing out the natures and cultures of the different alien species that come to inhabit NLA.

The Affinity Missions go hand in hand with this, they do a great job of fleshing out all the different party members all the while giving you an avenue to learn their unique abilities. Most of those party members are also really well developed abd mostly compelling characters. Even the most if the ones who seem like assholes at first, like Boze or HB, do get better as their affinity missions progress. They clearly knew it was a great concept as it came back in 2 & 3 with the Blade Quests and Hero + Ascension Quests.

The ost is fucking incredible, I've been adding X music to my personal playlist over the course of my playthrough because there's so much good stuff in it. It's honestly criminal how much you end up missing because the Overdrive and Flight themes override 90% of them.

Skells are incredibly cool and a brilliant way to bring in the concept of mech combat systems from the previous Xeno games.

Phew, I think that's everything I've had to say. I've called out many of this game's flaws in other places and most of that I do still stand by. The game is in desperate need of an actual tutorial and QoL improvements. The game's draw distance can be quite frustrating at times trying to find specific things or characters and getting certain materials can be a really annoying grind, (Neinail Materials), but if you can put up with that there is a hell of a game there. I don't know if I'd consider it better than the trilogy, just because it has more complete stories, but it's quite close.

Overall I'm so happy I gave X a second shot and now I'll definitely be there waiting for a port or sequel. It's easily the most underrated game I've ever played. I'm confident it'll happen at some point but either way I'l likely have more Xeno stuff to play in the meantime if whatever's next is Xenoblade 4.

My reaction to this game.

[bookishofalder]

Just Breathe

Pairing: Adam Driver X Reader (GN!Reader)

A/N-In this fic, AD is single. Inspired by my own love for makeup and the alternate life I’d have enjoyed as a film makeup artist. I also think this ended up with the reader being gender neutral!

Warnings: Mutual pinning. Kissing. Caffeine addiction.

——————

You took a long, deep breath, focusing on clearing your mind and settling yourself into professional mode. This was a routine, which used to simply be automatic for you, until you started working this new movie trilogy and your world flipped.

Just breathe.

You had been ecstatic when you got the call-key makeup artist for the new Star Wars movies! It was an absolute dream come true, after years working hard as a makeup artist for smaller films and television shows, building your experience. Now you were the lead, which meant you were going to be working with main character actors, a chance to really prove yourself, under the direction of the production designer. You would get to design concepts for their appearances and execute the approved designs.

And not to mention, you were a huge Star Wars geek, having grown up watching the films with your dad, who was an original geek. You would watch them every year on his birthday together, a tradition that you carried out regardless of where in the world you were working from on set, you would stay up all night and video call him while watching, if you had to. You never missed a single year.

But now, it was years later and you were working on set of the final instalment, which was bittersweet in so many ways. You just needed to breath.

Because since day one of production on these movies, you’ve been in love with the lead actor, and it’s been chipping away at your soul. Because it’s one thing to imagine being with someone unattainable for fun, but when you spend a lot of time in that persons presence and over time realize how perfect they are to you, it can drive you up the wall.

Adam Driver was kind, funny and serious. He and you hit it off really well when you met, he was always keen to hear your thoughts on his characters appearance, and he’d even asked you recently to join him on the next press tour as his stylist and makeup artist. That in itself was an amazing opportunity, one that would continue to launch your career into orbit. You adored working with him, and spent a lot of your down time missing him, his corny jokes and soft looks and overall presence. Because that man took up a lot of space, which seemed to affect you in many ways, all good.

You felt like that character in Love Actually, played by Laura Linney, who was in love with Carl. Except, you were sure you hid it well, and you were always the most professional colleague. However, pining over a celebrity felt too ridiculous, too common, and you were hard on yourself constantly for it. You convinced yourself every morning that it was simply a crush, one that would fade if you kept yourself focused and reminded yourself daily of the type of person he could date, if he wanted to.

Yet, here you were, needing to breath, because he was on his way to the makeup trailer for end of day cleanup and you needed to get your head in the game, figuratively shoving your feelings down. Daisy had finished and left already, while your makeup assistant Bailey was hurrying about tidying the trailer, avoiding your station, and moving some of the equipment into the storage area. Soft classical music was playing on the Bluetooth speakers, and the smell of peppermint tea you had brewed was calming you somewhat.

Glancing in the mirror, you adjusted your hair, smoothed down your apron and internally chastised yourself for bothering to check. Setting down your tea, you looked over your set up, ensuring you had everything needed, though end of day was always the easier part on this set for you. You didn’t exactly envy the hard work that the SFX make up team had on both sides of the day, but you were always beyond impressed with their beautiful work.

The door to the trailer opened and immediately, you felt his presence. Adam stepped inside, wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, his hair and face still fully set to Kylo Ren’s appearance, which always made you smile, as the contrast was hilarious.

“Evening, y/n, Bailey.” He said, nodding to you both before sitting down heavily into his chair. He smiled at you warmly, looking tired. You quickly set a headband on his head, pushing all the hair from his face carefully.

“How are you, Adam?” You briefly met his soft eyes, which were fixed on your own. If you didn’t spend so much timing beating yourself up for liking him, you might have noticed his eyes often following you, or his soft smiles, or the way he sometimes stiffened when your hands ran through his hair or down his face as you worked on him.

But you never did seem to notice. “I’m good, tired today, this week’s caught up with me.” He rumbled. You hoped he couldn’t hear your heart rate pick up every time he spoke. Although, it had been like this for years and he hadn’t complained yet. Or he’d grown used to it. ‘Shut up, brain’, you thought.

“I’m not surprised, after the fiftieth take of this scene I got tired watching you!” It was true too, having to be on set at all times during filming meant a lot of time spent watching the actors at work, and since Adam insisted on doing his own stunts, a lot of the scenes he was in were physically gruelling. You didn’t know how he did it, and despite his words you knew if he was called back to set for any retakes, he’d spring from the chair full of energy and ready to work.

His dedication was an astounding trait that impressed you from the start, never wavering. His serious, hardworking personality only had you falling harder.

He chuckled at your words, his eyes closing automatically as you spritzed his face with a gentle solution you liked for removing the prosthetic scar. He kept them closed as you worked, peeling off the wound with delicate fingers. You didn’t know that he kept them closed because when you were really focused on something, you bit your lip in a way that made his blood warm, in a way that gave him trouble with tearing his gaze away.

“I saw Bailey sneak you a latte, though, which I’m pretty sure means I’ve won our bet.” Your hands stilled at his words, and he peaked up at you, a devilish grin quickly spreading across his face freckled, handsome face.

You faked offence, scoffing “I don’t know what you mean, it was decaf.” Adam gave a bark of a laugh at your lie, shaking his head.

“Just admit it, you’re a caffeine addict.” He’d been teasing you for years for constantly having caffeinated beverages within reach, and you’d recently, stupidly, agreed to a bet where you would stick to one a day for a month. If you won, he had to forever leave you alone about it, and if he won he could continue to tease you for infinity.

“I believe the terms of our bet allowed for one slip up, actually.” You pouted, jutting your chin out slightly. You continued working, getting his skin cleaned and recovered from the makeup, pretending to be unbothered by the fact that he had noticed Bailey sneak you the latte on set. And you tried not to overthink why he would have been looking at you in the first place.

Adam considered your words for a moment, “Yes,” he said slowly, “But today is only day two of this bet, and you’ve already slipped up.” You were smiling now, the joy evident in his tone was contagious. Still, you rolled your eyes.

“I’m only human, you know, but I am competitive.” You hoped you sounded convincing. You weren’t sure you cared about winning the bet, really.

He continued to grin at you, but made no response. You settled into a comfortable silence together as you made your way through the end of day skin care routine you developed for Adam during the first movie. You had one for each of the main actors, and they’d all impressed you with their dedication in following them. You weren’t good at giving yourself credit, though. Everyone knew a skin care routine curated by you was priceless.

“You need me to stick around, y/n?” Bailey asked, popping out from the back of the trailer where the storage area was. She gave you a pointed look, which you promptly ignored.

“No, go on ahead and start your weekend, Bailey, I’m almost done here, thank you.”

“Night, Bailey!” Adam waved. Bailey bid them both goodnight and left, leaving you alone with Adam. You cursed yourself, feeling foolish. You meant to be genuinely nice to Bailey, who worked hard and deserved the break, but usually you kept her around at times like this to ensure you weren’t left alone with the object of your daydreams. When no one else was around, you had no witnesses to any comments that Adam made that you might consider flirtatious. And while you assumed handsome celebrities like him would probably inherently flirt with others as second nature, you never understood why he would flirt with you. It confused you entirely.

You felt your nerves suddenly rear up, and your hands shook very slightly as you removed the calming sheet mask you had placed on Adam. His eyes followed your hands, but he said nothing. You’d been alone plenty of times before, but every time you would turn into a nervous, silly mess, overanalyzing every comment he made and every word you managed to sputter.

You didn’t know it, but Adam always wished for more time alone with you. He knew you well, and could recognize your nerves and always wondered why being alone with him made you nervous. He hoped it was because you liked him, but he was helpless at flirting, and didn’t know how let you know how he felt. He didn’t want to overstep, or make you uncomfortable. You were both technically working, and he felt you probably had much more appealing options for partners outside of work.

Tonight, though, for the first time, you were both exhausted, under caffeinated and, though neither of you would openly admit it, lonely. Years of longing the other, feeling hopeful, was going to catch up to you both tonight.

“Okay, head froward for me please,” He complied, and you expertly ran your hands into his hair, pulling smoothing serum through the thick locks with gentle care. As you focused, applying liberal amounts, you noticed Adam’s hands clench the chairs arms. “Is that okay?” You worried you’d hurt him.

He tilted his head back and met your eyes. He was so tall that even sitting in his makeup chair, his eyes were level with yours. It was nice not needing to adjust his seat, as you needed to do constantly for most of the actors, but it also meant a lot of time face to face, learning to read one another. Your hands were still in his hair. Somewhere in the back of your mind, a voice of reason was telling you to calmly remove your hands and step back. But the look he was giving you had you frozen to the spot. You’d never read that expression on his face before, his eyes were dark, serious.

His eyes searched yours for a moment longer, “Yeah, y/n.” His voice came out quiet, soft. You think maybe your heart would stop working, because he wasn’t looking away. You couldn’t understand his expression, he seemed to be searching for something in your own.

Finally, you managed to pull your gaze away. Quickly removing your hands, you stepped back, smoothing down your apron nervously, “I-I mean, you’re all set, Adam, unless you need anything else from me?” Why was your voice so quiet? And your face, it felt hot.

You needed to get out of this trailer, away from this man-he was having such a strong affect on you. You rationalized that it was simply because you were tired, you really had cut down significantly on caffeine and this was the result, your sleepiness was lowering your defences and he was noticing you were acting strange. That was all it was.

Adam stood, frowning slightly, but didn’t move away from you. Now, he was right in front of you and you had to tilt your head back just to see beyond his chest. You glanced up at him, and his eyes seemed to soften.

“You’ve really been cutting back on coffee, haven’t you?”

You nodded, “Told you, I’m competitive.” Your voice was breathy, like you’d been running. What the hell was wrong with you, you wondered.

Adam smiled, “I know, I love that about you.” You thought maybe you were now hearing things, and simply stared up at him in surprise, his words genuine, warm.

“Thank-um, thank you, Adam, that means a lot, coming from you.” Now, you were basically whispering. Yet your voice sounded much too loud.

He tilted his head, took a careful step closer, the gap between you nearly gone now. His overall hugeness as he stood over you made you feel safe, and a jolt ran through to your core. “I love a lot of things about you, y/n. Like, how you’re face gives what you’re thinking away, if the person knows you well enough, and you know that about yourself so you try to hide it. You look away, before someone reads you-but I’ve gotten pretty good at catching your expressions,” The low timbre of his voice was doing things to you, and you couldn’t look away from Adam now, “And right now, I think I do know what you’re thinking. Can I test my theory?”

He was asking permission, for what you didn’t know, but at this point you’d have given it no matter what. So you nodded, “S-sure.” You saw the look in his eyes shift, his gaze moving to your lips.

Despite noticing this, it still caught you entirely off guard when Adam leaned down, his hands moving to your face, gently, and caught your lips with his own. So off guard, that you immediately moaned in surprise. You felt Adam freeze, and wondered if you’d messed up, but before you could open your eyes to check, he pressed you against the wall behind you and resumed kissing you with renewed fervour. You felt yourself returning the kiss, mirroring his movements, entirely caught up in him. His tongue ran across your lips and you parted them, allowing him to taste you as he deepened the kiss.

And you tasted him, his breath minty and overwhelmingly him, you felt drunk, dizzy. You moaned again, and he pulled away, still holding your face, “Sweetheart, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” He breathed, his pupils blown, face flushed. His gaze was intensely affectionate.

You had to catch your breath, “I didn’t think...I’m just a makeup artist, Adam, I-“

But he cut you off, shaking his head, “Don’t do that, how do you not realize how amazing you are, y/n? You take my breath away every time I see you, and it’s not just because you’re beautiful,” He punctuated his words with a peppering of kiss along your cheeks, “It’s how funny you are, how hardworking, your talent and vision, the way you take care of me and the others, how kind and sweet and goofy you are-I’ve been in love with you for a long time, for a million different reasons.”

Tears threatened at his words, and you had to work to blink them back, ���I think I’m dreaming.” You breathed, feeling silly, but he grinned, and shook his head. You returned the smile, gazing up at Adam in wonder, before reaching up with both hands to caress his face, the gesture so much more intimate than it had been when you worked on his skin. His eyes closed briefly, but opened again when you spoke, “I love you too, you know, always have.”

In an instant, his lips were on yours again, this time the intensity was burning, smouldering. Entirely too much and yet no where near enough. You pushed your hands into his hair and he groaned against you, his hands gripping your face and it felt like you couldn’t get close enough to him. He dropped one hand to your waist, pulling your body flush to his, then slid his other into your hair. You weren’t sure how long you stayed like this, fully ablaze in each others arms, but you never wanted it to stop.

When you did break apart, breathless and flushed, Adam was the first to speak, his deep voice sending shivers down your spine, “Would you like to come over to my hotel?”

You nodded, still standing close against him, “I’d really love that.” And you leaned up, on your tip toes, to plant a chaste kiss on his nose, unable to stop smiling.

Adam hugged you close again, planting a few affectionate kisses to your cheeks and hair, before stepping back, watching you as you gathered your things quickly. He took your bag from you as you pulled off your apron and threw on your coat, and you followed him out, feeling giddy.

“We might have to end our bet, by the way.” Adam held open the passenger door for you, when you reached his car, and watched your confusion at his words.

“Why’s that?”

He leaned down, his eyes dark in a way that had you mesmerized, “You’re going to need a lot of caffeine when I’m done with you, sweetheart.” He murmured softly, his voice laced with cheek, and yet you shivered.

You met his gaze, grinning, while internally you had to remind yourself to breath.

Just breath.

[some-stars]

Fic writer questionnaire! Tagged by @deputychairman, thank you!

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

65....just waiting for 69 so i can celebrate

2) What's your total AO3 word count?

288,609

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

okay, so, there's a lot so we're gonna collapse some. So, 16: The Witcher (games and show), Supernatural, Dark Angel, Glee, Stargate (both SG1 and SGA), MCU, Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, due South, DC (comics and movies), House of Leaves, Sense8, Harry Potter, Les Miserables (book), Doctor Who, and X-Men movies. Oh, and I wrote a lot of NSYNC RPF back in the day but you will never see it. (Unless you literally read it back then and remember one and want to reread it, I’m not ashamed of them if you were also in the pit with me. If that is the case feel free to ask.)

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?  

all some children do is work: this one surprised me, i did NOT think there was this kind of appetite for almost-gen turned-into-a-kid fic, but i do really like the fic itself so i'm contented with its acclaim

method: i mean, it's fake dating, written back when there wasn't much non-modern-AU fake dating in witcher fandom (possibly there still isn't?) so, not surprised

Emergency Pants: this is the one that the Claw chose back in 2012 bc i had written very pornographic tony/bruce about a month after Avengers came out so there was a big appetite for it. i don't much care for it these days except i do still think the tony voice is good

warm you like the sunshine: deeply unsurprised this one is popular (and it's one of my own fics that i reread a lot), it's extremely tender BDSM with a juggernaut pairing, that gets the readers

As often as from thee I go: honestly kinda surprised about this one, which is just a 2500 word confection i wrote for my own satisfaction, but it does have explicit sex and jaskier crying about his feelings so maybe it makes sense

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I almost always do, but usually just with "Thanks!" unless it's a detailed or lengthy comment.

6) What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

"Long black night, morning frost" (Les Miserables) for absolute certain. One of the very few fics I've written with an outright unhappy and pessimistic ending (although I found it very cathartic to write). For Witcher fics, "Kind" and "go ask alice" are about as sad as I get.

7) What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Almost all of them, honestly. There's a point in happiness of endings where you really can't distinguish degrees. Probably the most--not saccharine, but distinctly Happy Ending-ish is either "Water like a stone" or "Darling, if you only knew," which to my eternal shame are both Glee fics. In terms of Witcher fics...it's still hard to pick! I think the kidfic trilogy ended very, very happily; I think "If you live through this with me" ended TOO happily.

8) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you've written?

I do not, and I don't read them, at least not since the days of the late 90s/early 2000s when I once read a really good Highlander/X-Files crossover (oh, and Martha's cosmic horror fic where Stargate and Angel and I think something else all cross over but it feels quite natural and right). I don't like fusions, either, most of the time.

9) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Never! In 20 years! I've been extremely lucky.

10) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

ahahahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

yes...yes you could say i write smut. on occasion. you know, when the urge comes on me. i write mostly kink or at least kink-adjacent fic, but i've done some vanilla scenes too, and i write m/m and m/f and (occasionally) f/f. fun fact, my only rimming scene to date was in a f/f/f threesome!

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think so? I can't remember, honestly, which sounds dreadful but like...I don't READ the translation, because I am sadly monolingual, but I get a burst of delight when someone asks to do it (or to make a podfic).

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have tried--me and a friend once got like 12k deep into a co-written Tiger and Bunny fic--but it doesn't really work out for me. I am a massive control freak when it comes to writing and absolutely miserable to work with. (Although I wasn't so bad back when we wrote the T&B fic, we just sort of never got around to finishing it. Which is sad, because it was GREAT.)

14) What's your all time favorite ship?

Max/Alec from Dark Angel. I shipped it when I only started watching DA for Jensen's episodes, I shipped it when I fell in love with Max, I shipped it when I frantically hand-wrote notes about the fic I wanted to write, I ship it right now as I'm typing, I will ship it in my grave. Also it's not a het ship bc neither of them are heterosexual, thank you very much.

15) What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I only post finished fics, but in terms of things I haven't posted, I still think my "For A Good Time Call" fem!jaskier/yennefer(/geralt) AU would have been truly incredible. If you haven't watched that movie go watch it immediately so you can share this beautiful idea with me.

16) What are your writing strengths?

Ohhh, this and the next one are hard, because I truly don't know. Well, besides "porn." I am genuinely good at porn, which is HILARIOUS considering how many more sex scenes I've written than participated in. But overall, I have so much angst and neurosis and tenuous self-worth tied up in writing, I'm a very bad judge of my own skills. Also, it depends on the fandom! In some fandoms I'm good at dialogue, in others not so much. In some fandoms I'm good at pastiching the tone of the source and in others...Not So Much.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

If I had to pick a weakness, though, I'd say concrete imagery/detail. Like, the things that characters are physically doing either out of emotional reaction or just, they're doing something in that scene. Dialogue is usually easier (not sure if it comes out better, but it's easier).

18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?  

I used to be mildly annoyed at it but! Now! On AO3! You can put a footnote by the French or whatever, so the reader can jump down to read a translation and then jump right back up. I now feel that if you choose to include dialogue (or any words) in another language from the rest of the story, this is the only acceptable method.

19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

I remember vaguely in 1996 or so writing a couple pages of Kit whump for the Young Wizards books. I wrote some execrable nonsense in X-Files, but in my defense I had just turned 13. I don't THINK I wrote anything for Star Trek, which was my first fandom. Oh, and I attempted to write fic for Homicide, which I watched in 7th and 8th grade and lied about my age to get onto the good mailing lists (they were actually the bad, racist mailing lists, I would later realize, but again I was 13).

20) What's your favorite fic you've written?

Sorry to disappoint anyone who follows me for Witcher content, but it's either "The absolute absurdity of end-series items" (House of Leaves) or "A quite unlosable game" (Dark Angel). They are both Big Idea fics, and I feel like in both of them I got the Idea across brilliantly, and I'm truly proud of them and think they're the best things I've ever made. (In terms of Witcher fic, it's the kidfic trilogy for sure.)

I am not going to tag anyone because that always makes me mildly anxious, but if you read this and you want to do it you can say you were tagged by me! :D? :D?

[sepublic]

Starkiller Base was unnecessary

           Re-watching The Force Awakens, and… It’s occurred to me that, even more than I initially thought, Starkiller Base is a genuinely useless, pointless part of the plot that’s just shoehorned in for the sake of arbitrarily raising the stakes, in a blind attempt to redo the Original Trilogy while one-upping it at the same time; Taking pot shots at the original Death Star’s ‘absurdity’ to try to make Starkiller Base’s destruction feel more ‘involved’ and ‘sensible’ with having an inside job to sabotage and blow up key components, yadda-yadda; Almost feels like the writers are punching down at the Original Trilogy in a vain attempt to look more clever and ‘self-aware’, without considering how reckless power-scaling doesn’t work (Which we see once more and somehow even worse in The Rise of Skywalker).

           The thing about why the Death Star works is like… It’s relevant. It has build-up. We’re introduced to it from the start, the entire story revolves around destroying it; R2-D2 is important because he has plans to the Death Star, Vader is seen chasing Leia because she had those plans. It all comes around to and circles back to the Death Star, we have a sense of what it is from the start, there’s build-up. You NEED the planet-killing machine for the climax of A New Hope, because the only reason to go there is because, surprise- The Death Star IS there, it just arrived right besides Yavin IV!

           But Starkiller Base… When you watch the movie, it just pops in out of nowhere, amidst the pre-established plot threads. Without any prior context or build-up, we’re just suddenly treated to a shot of this huge, mechanized planet, and then Hux almost casually drops that the ‘superweapon’ is ready, and then suddenly it’s firing and blows up the Hosnian System. The Death Star is justifiable because it’s the first of its kind, Starkiller Base is the third. In canon and Legends, there’s a lot of side-material going into the sheer enormity and horror of the Death Star, the amount of manpower it takes to construct such a thing, its formation is treated with gravitas; And yet something WAY bigger and more advanced comes out of nowhere, from a group even less powerful than the Empire?!

           Again, you need the Death Star, it’s why the rebels are being chased, it’s why Leia was captured, it’s why R2-D2 meets Luke and then Obi-Wan, bringing up the Rebel journey; It’s why Luke’s aunt and uncle die, it’s why there’s no Alderaan and instead the Death Star itself to capture the protagonists when they arrive there. But Starkiller Base is pointless- The plot is about BB-8 because he has the map to Luke Skywalker, it’s about finding Luke through BB-8. Starkiller Base is just so casually dropped for something that should be so much bigger than the Death Star in the narrative… And likewise, we don’t need it for anything.

           Is it to prove to Finn that the First Order is dangerous, that he can’t just ignore its destruction? The thing is, he already has Rey’s capture to motivate his participation. Starkiller Base could not fire, but Finn would still help the Resistance infiltrate, because Rey would still be captured. It’s not needed for Poe and the Resistance to arrive on Takodana, because they came for BB-8 after getting that message, the Hosnian Cataclysm totally unrelated. You could argue it gives the Resistance an excuse to fight back against the First Order in the film’s climax… But that does not justify creating another superweapon, much less one as implausible and redundant as Starkiller Base.

           Like, maybe the writers wanted to REALLY return to the status quo, so having the New Republic be devastated was a requirement… But was it really? Just have the New Republic continue to be ineffectual, it’s even a plot-point in side material that its military is embarrassingly small; So just say the Resistance IS the full extent of that military! You still get an underdog situation. And again, if you really want to forcibly cut off any support for the Resistance… You don’t need a giant superweapon to one-up the Death Star. Just have the First Order demonstrate its traditional military power, by having a fleet invade the New Republic’s capital, unexpected, able to waltz in because everyone is so incompetently lax about these rising fascists; And with recent real-life events, it only makes more disturbing sense.

          Instead of getting a pointless superweapon, have a bunch of Star Destroyers attack Hosnian Prime and take it over, show a montage of destruction and civilian death, etc. This still establishes the danger of the First Order and how it’s quickly decapitated the New Republic and left it in shambles, setting the stage for the underdog conflict; But you don’t have to rely on something as absurdly over-the-top as Starkiller Base, which has no build-up to its unprecedented firepower besides “Oh yeah this exists” and then watching it fire and finding out firsthand.

          The death of trillions with the Hosnian System is senseless violence both in-universe and from a narrative, writing perspective… And again, this arguably establishes the First Order as a threat better, because they don’t need to rely on a superweapon; And even after The Force Awakens ends, the audience still knows that they have access to an entire fleet… Whereas with Starkiller Base, that threat is lost by the end of the film and thus made redundant. The scene could become even more disturbing if we straight-up see some civilians on Hosnian Prime welcome the First Order, adding additional world building that helps explain why the First Order was able to develop, how it got support- And again, being topical to what happens today. It connects with canon lore about the First Order’s supporters in other worlds (such as Coruscant), and could even be a callback to liberty dying with thunderous applause in Revenge of the Sith! We could still have the people on Takodana react in horror, through the Holonet’s broadcasting of the coup.

           Of course, this is Star Wars- And what’s more iconic than thrilling space battles and trench runs? Sometimes you want sci-fi fun and stuff for the sake of it, nothing wrong with that, that’s always important too… But again, you don’t need a giant super-laser to have that. Just make up something else; Like Starkiller Base is the planet that the First Order has taken over. Perhaps they intend to launch a bunch of new Star Destroyers, or are about to finish production of a whole new batch, which would make things even worse. Instead of destroying a superweapon, you could have the Resistance crippling the factories that finish these Star Destroyers- There’s your trench run! Have them blow up a power plant that’s running the factories, instead of a thermal oscillator. There’s still a victory at the end, and while the threat is far from over, time has been bought- And it makes the First Order’s immediate retaliation in the next film more sensible, adds to the idea that every second, every bit of progress helps, you gotta take what you need… Even an extra day to prepare and evacuate is a miracle that furthers the underdog motif.

           Plus, with a batch of Star Destroyers that need to be stopped- There’s still the need to rescue Rey. The Resistance still needs to cause damage at the First Order’s base, and Finn is still needed to infiltrate and lower the shields, while taking advantage of this operation for himself and Rey. Most importantly, you don’t get a contrived superweapon that only adds to the bland, carbon-copy standard of the Sequel Trilogy; And perhaps best of all, we don’t have to see Ilum retroactively bastardized and destroyed, with Starkiller Base’s identity revealed AFTER we see it get blown up… The legacy of the Jedi and its history is not further destroyed with the loss of this sacred planet of kyber crystals.

          And that’s better, because this trilogy about passing the torch, seems as insistent as Kyle Ron, the villain, on interpreting this theme as utterly wiping out all traces of the past, and leaving nothing for the next generation to work with. Which, I’m not surprised at a corporation thoughtlessly razing and salting the earth in selfish disregard for those who will need and use it afterwards, but still. And while a star that burns brighter than most thanks to its heart of Kyber IS a neat concept that could be worked with, especially with what Chirrut Imwe says, in addition to the motifs of flames of rebirth and the Phoenix… It’s not something that justifies the further eradication of Jedi history and effort on a level that even the Empire didn’t go, just to arbitrarily raise stakes with yet another uninspired superweapon.

           Like, the Duel of the Fates script and its concept of a device that blocks off all inter-galactic communication is MUCH more interesting, clever, and innovative than the Death Star Lite, and it hits closer to home in this age of internet and mass communication; In contrast to the Death Star, which fit more in its time as a criticism of the stockpiling and development of nukes, and how that tapped into the public’s fear at the time of nuclear Armageddon. And a device blocking off intergalactic communication provides good reason for why the Resistance doesn’t have the full might of the New Republic behind them, because they can’t even communicate to collaborate, and it adds to that idea of people made to feel ‘alone’ or whatever and thus isolated, so they can’t band together and rise up. That adds to Rey feeling alone, and makes Poe and Zorii’s discussion at the end of the trilogy that much more meaningful… Not that the Sequel Trilogy was planned to consider the latter, of course.

           (Actually, I wonder if it’s possible to cut Starkiller Base’s superweapon scenes from the film. Like a cut where any references to its superweapon, and the scene where it fires, is cut out; I think the film might still work that way.)

[lesbianmarth]

it’s been a while since i posted about aa but i just finished soj in its entirety tonight. here’s my new list so far

i still have to give thoughts on cases 4 5 and dlc so that’ll be under a cut. spoilers!

6-4: this was such a filler case, almost shamefully so. i don’t know why they thought they could manage to do this in the 4th case when every game with 5 cases has been pretty consistent about making the 4th case plot relevant, sometimes literally just a preamble to case 5. so yeah i think this one was kinda ass

the two things it had going for it: one, athena. in 6-2 i actually got confused about why i ever liked her, because in that case she felt like she was just acting the part of the Peppy Teen Girl With a Rowdy Streak that makes up almost every assistant character. But then as SOON as she started bantering with Simon in 6-4 i was like “oh, THAT’S why i liked her!” was nice to take control of her again.

two, uendo toneido. while i don’t think you can say the DID was portrayed with quite the necessary respect or kindness, it was handled better than i’ve seen other media handle it-- at least it’s not completely demonized. other people have written more on that in better detail so i’m not really the judge, but the basic point is that this witness was mad fun to read, and even the dumb jokes like the changing number of floor cushions were entertaining. thus why this case is in the “hard carried by one side character” tier.

especially since there was like nothing else going on. no connection to the main plot, only two other characters besides uendo, and for some reason the clown tits girl was here instead of the magic show case (and to be honest, she wasn’t enjoyable for me even BEFORE she did the standard aa female villain thing and changed her speech pattern as soon as she fell under suspicion). just a weird, nothing case stuck right around the point aa games usually enter endgame. And especially weird because...

6-5 part 1: inexplicably there are two separate cases in the final chapter and each gets one day of investigation and trial. such a weird setup, and it really shouldn’t work... but i think it kinda barely does. barely. it would still have been better to split it into case 4 and case 5 though.

i have a hard time articulating much on the first case bc it sort of blends together for me. the main thing is that the concept of it being a civil case where apollo and phoenix face off is really good. it was a good change of pace, even though you knew it was gonna be a murder somehow anyway. sarge was reasonably nice, i guess, paul atishon had some good animations and quirks (my favorite being when he tries to just walk away from the stand to avoid answering a question), and the logic of the actual murder was good enough.

but i especially got those strong “oh this is a FINAL case!” vibes during the segment in the cave, and that added so much to it even if not much of it was relevant in the first half of the case. the adventure feel reminded me of some of the (out of context bc i still havent played it) scenes i know from 3-5, which is a good association to invoke imo. and it did a lot to give apollo and dhurke time to bond.

speaking of which, dhurke, holy shit. what a KING. i don’t think i’ve ever liked a dad character in ace attorney this much. he’s so genuine and like down to earth that it’s impossible not to start liking him and believe how much he cares for his sons. the bit where he rescued apollo from the cave flood... i felt it in my heart

6-5 part 2: let me just get this out of the way: ga’ran sucks. her design after she goes full evil is so bad, she’s so malicious that it’s immediately obvious she’s going to be the culprit, her breakdown is ridiculous and just embarrassing to watch, and inga had already established way more charisma as a villain when he did the “those were orders of execution actually” bit in 6-3. with that said,

i actually liked it for the most part. the spirit channeling stuff was excellent imo-- they probably use it to similar or greater effect in 3-5 but as someone who again has not played that, i was surprised and almost impressed by how well it was applied. maya was relevant for something! it feels like it’s been ages!

rayfa was a little underutilized, i think-- her moment of determination where she stops letting ga’ran have control over her was alright but it fell flat bc it didn’t have any weight during the moment. i kept hoping she would like, wordlessly take of her shawl and do the little verbal preamble to the divination seance while ga’ran kept yelling at her to stop, but no, the script can’t be good like that, i guess. and since she didn’t get to be the investigation assistant for long, none of her charm in that role carried through.

but DHURKE!! oh my god! in a game almost devoid of emotional impact, his involvement in this case really hit. the way they painstakingly animated his death, the scene where he makes a promise with maya, and then the weight of knowing in hindsight that everything he did in the first part of the case was after he’d already died and just wanted to see his son again before passing on for real....... it hurt. i felt something during that section. this case would also be hard carried by him if not for the fact that i really liked the murder bits.

amara was good too--liked how they made her suspiciously serene and accentuated it with the lightning strikes to make her look like a hidden murderer character about to reveal herself, only to walk it back and confirm she was being forced to act that way. i thought it worked. nahyuta was boring though, i’m sorry-- i get the motivation with having to be a bastard bc his sister and mom were basically held hostage, but the only time i found him compelling in that mess was the bit where he removed his one fingerless glove and revealed he still has the dragon tattoo. that was it. athena was also completely unused the whole case (not even a single mood matrix? really?) and trucy one again went without any role of importance.

the ending also... yknow, a friend said they had to end it this way bc they never figured out what they were going to do with apollo (since following up on what they started in aa4 clearly wasn’t an option???) and just threw him on a bus to get rid of him. i agree with that-- he really feels thrown to the side, and with that i think trucy’s officially stranded with no hope of any character advancement. and the way they ended the game with phoenix and lamiroir deciding “yeah, maybe NOW we should finally tell those two they’re related” honestly felt insulting lol

but maybe the dlc case will let things go out on a high note...?!

6-6: it was okay.

it would’ve worked pretty well as a filler case in an older aa-- honestly i think it’d be one of the better filler cases, certainly worth replacing the shitty ones like 2-3 or 3-3 or, hey, 6-4. but whether i’d say it was worth paying for... eh.

the time travel conceit was done well enough, i think. the way they tied it back to sorin and pierce’s backstories was nice, and the twist about having two receptions was good, although they needed to treat that as a real twist with much more gravity. when the truth comes out it just feels like “oh of course that’s what happened” rather than a big surprise worthy of the Confessing the Truth theme. it’s sort of important because the case becomes a lot less interesting when you take out the time travel element.

far as characters are concerned, i think they needed more side characters to sell the whole thing-- another sprocket family member or another servant of the household. it felt a little limited-- sorin and pierce are pretty good witnesses and i like their quirks and their secrets, but the only alive woman (ellen) has very few traits and no connection to the deeper story of the case, so she falls really flat. the old aa characters didn’t add much- maya and edgeworth were just there for fanservice, ema didn’t get to do much other than acknowledge for the first time in years that she’s a big edgeworth fan, and larry is annoying as hell like he always is.

and oh my god i actually forgot while i was writing that, how they put in athena and trucy but only used them for brief slapstick where trucy would try to set athena on fire and shit. again-- no mood matrix? couldn’t even try once to fit those two characters into something?

i did like pierce’s transformation into his surgeon form though-- that was really cool. loved him doing surgery on a robot, taking xrays of the lawyers, and his breakdown was fantastic-- he would make a really good culprit if they didn’t whiff the last bit of pathos at the end. i don’t think he should’ve been aiming for revenge on sorin; it would have hurt much more if he was still loyal to the guy and never intended for him to be in danger, but the final “why’d you do it?” talk in the trial just felt flat and one-note, much like the one in 6-4.

... so that’s spirit of justice! not a super positive experience but i’m happy to say it’s done. as much as i want to go and replay dgs, i think when i do go back to ace attorney i’ll be replaying the trilogy for the first time since high school

[basil-films]

28-12-2020

The Godfather Part II (1974)

i’m not gonna lie, this movie was a lot to keep up with. it always feels like just when you’re starting to get it, there’s another key part that you’re missing except you have no clue what it is. anyway, here’s my not-so-analytical analysis // “things i’ve noticed list” of this masterpiece i wish i had the brain power to fully comprehend. this is definitely one that i’ll be rewatching dozens of times.

A Ceremonial Beginning (again)

an observation my dad actually made right from the start, is how both part I and part II start with some kind of ceremony. whether this was the director’s intent or not, i don’t know, but still: the first part opened at Connie’s wedding, a celebration of love, while this one opened to Vito’s funeral. the contrast of the two openings is a sign, signifying how hopeful everything used to be, compared to how hopeless they seem to already be now.

Rags to Riches Storyline

right from the start of the nonlinear storyline, we see Vito being treated almost like a peasant at the American boarder. since we already know everything he goes to achieve in his lifetime and that this is merely a flashback, we can’t help but notice that this is pretty similar to a “rags to riches” storyline. the purpose of a nonlinear timeline seems to emphasize Vito’s growth throughout his lifetime and show just how unpredictable Vito’s future will be, given that we already know how it ends.

Never in Private

another minor note that strengthens the connection between the past and present is how Michael’s talk with the senator was not in private, but with security in the room, just the way Vito would have done it. this is something we notice in the first film too, as the only times Vito’s spoke with someone one-on-one was with people, i forget who exactly but i’m sure Sonny was obviously one of them, he has a special relationship with.

while this is clearly just a safety precaution, it’s still noteworthy that this happens to be yet another trait Michael takes after his father, a habit of ensuring the safety of both himself and his family, as we find out later.

“Trying to fit in with other Americans”

one interesting cut between scenes (and timeframes) was between the scene of Vito half-innocently entering the United States (past) and Michael being insulted by the senator, being told he’s “trying to fit in with other Americans.” the concept of revenge, or even karma (if we see the “Americans” as the receiver of karma) is apparent with this one transition between scenes.

A Walkthrough of Life

It’s no surprise that the 3:22 hour movie is slow paced - just like any of the Godfather films. Other than detail, the only other reason a team would decide to make a movie this long is for the effect of it feeling like some sort of walkthrough of life and death. That’s pretty deep-sounding, but what I’m trying to say is that the entire film is paced in a way that makes you feel like you’re an outsider to the Corleone family, living each day with them.

Kiss of Death

This is one of my favorite parts. I watched this film with my dad so he had to enlighten me, but basically, there’s this this in Italian mafia culture called the “kiss of death.” When Michael finds out about Fredo’s betrayal, he kisses him smack on the lips, something you wouldn’t expect two straight mafia members to comfortably do. This is Michael’s way of basically saying, “I love you, but I’m gonna kill you.”

This raises the question of why? If someone betrays you, why wouldn’t you just kill them and get it over with (I’m talking about 20th century Italian gang culture here, please don’t turn me into the police)? The kiss of death goes to show that Michael genuinely cared for his brother and that Fredo’s slip up is one that hasn’t changed their brotherly feelings for one another. Instead, it simply means that Michael has to do what he has to do, no matter how much he may or may not want to.

Power Through One’s Family

The entire concept of both gaining power and becoming vulnerable is obtained and lost through one’s family. Whether that’s through one’s kids or his wife, if someone is messed with, the family of the perpetrator is the initial target and always in immediate danger. I think this says a lot about the values of these men. Despite their hard shells, they all know their biggest weakness: their own family.

Harsh Transitions into a New Color Palette

I’m not gonna lie, I noted this down without a specific example, but here’s my thought: Whether it’s between murder scenes and weddings or parties or whatever, there’s often these really contrasty transitions between scenes with completely different color palettes. I like this, because the two main elements of these kinds of films are family and brutal murder, some pretty heavy contrast, if you ask me. The palettes often contrast in warmth as well, leaving the warmer tones with close and family-oriented scenes, obviously. The transitions, though harsh, are an eye-opener to the unpredictability of the film and can really wake you up in case you’ve started to doze off 3 hours in.

The American Way of Life Designed by Italians

The scenes of young Vito’s first(?) murder that takes place in the crowded streets of the street market are possibly some of my favorite in the movie. The significance of that particular scene is that it reminds you that this isn’t the classic American Dream. The life all these guys and their families are after is the American life made by the Italians. The Italian culture is preserved through the body language, formalities//etiquette, etc, all while still aiming to ‘blend in’ with the American lifestyle.

I think this is beautiful, since it goes to show that their own culture isn’t something they’re willing to sacrifice for the sake of living in America.

Lonely, I’m still Lonely

There’s probably a much deeper meaning to the way the film was brought to an end, but here’s my take on it. The focus of the second film in this trilogy was Vito’s youth and Michael’s growth. Just like what my dad said when we watched this together, this is Michael’s film and his chance to grow into his father’s shoes. For this very reason, we finish on a shot of Michael sitting alone at the table, while everyone else rushes to see the surprise or whatever it was that caught their attention at the front door. This essentially leaves him alone with his thoughts, as he is after all ‘the next heir to the throne.’ He’s left in a state of deep contemplation over everything he’s just done, especially the murder of Fredo.

Sorry for another lengthy analysis! Feel free to skip around the topics and just read the ones that sound interesting to you :)

[quarterfromcanon]

27-29 for the get to know my favorites game

Hello, lovely! Thank you for these. :) Trios turned out to be a surprising challenge (I apparently have more favorite groups of four than three), but I’m pretty happy with the ones I remembered after giving it some thought. The final picks are under the cut! <3

Top 5 BROTPs

1. Paula Proctor & Rebecca Bunch (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) - Naturally, this was the immediate choice that sprang to mind. It’s the first relationship on the show I really fell in love with, and it’s the one friendship in the series that consistently tugs on my heartstrings. It’s flawed, complicated, and messy but the genuine connection underneath it all is strong enough that I’m hopeful they can work through their problems. I would’ve preferred to see more emphasis on that effort in the fourth season (and a lot more work on Rebecca’s friendships with Heather and Valencia as well), but I want to believe things improved between them after the finale. 

2. Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley (Stranger Things) - The general public opinion of Steve Harrington has been on such a journey since Season 1, bringing him now to a status of common fan favorite. As such, I think a delicate balance needed to be struck in finding a suitable match to team up with him on adventures. This person needed to:

A) Have good chemistry in their interactions with Steve

B) Bring a new dynamic to the table that he didn’t already have with an existing connection 

and most importantly 

C) Be a unique and engaging character that the audience would care about individually, so they didn’t get lost in simply being an offshoot of Steve’s story. They couldn’t be relegated to perpetual sidekick with little else to define them.

As far as I’m concerned, Robin Buckley fits the bill on every account. She’s artistic, resilient, loyal, and - especially endearing to me - a movie buff. She has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and a big heart. Being friends with Robin helps Steve take the specter of his high school self less seriously so he can put it behind him, and she helps him more fully embrace the person he’s becoming in the wake of that lost status. Having Steve for a friend helps Robin resolve some lingering emotional scars from school as well. It gives her an opportunity to share her authentic self with a peer and - to her relief and ours - find acceptance after revealing a pretty important secret. I can’t wait to watch the two of them be adorably nerdy and goofy bros at Family Video in Season 4, presumably with some daring fights against dark forces when they’re off the clock. Does saying I hope Kali comes to Hawkins somehow and bonds with one or both of them mean I can speak that into existence? I’m doing that now. It’s worth a try. If it happens in some capacity when the time comes, know that I will throw a One Blogger Party of epic proportions. 

3. Wynonna Earp & Nicole Haught (Wynonna Earp) - I had to use this specific screencap because it perfectly encapsulates the chaotic energy that makes me loves these two together so much. Their separate approaches to their shared work environment are at pretty much polar opposite ends of the spectrum, but they make a pretty solid team when they play to each other’s strengths and communicate. They also both love Waverly most of all, so it feels like they were bound to work out their differences eventually since neither would want to make her feel torn between her sister and her girlfriend. The hijinks they get up to in each other’s company are just top shelf. I look forward to at least a little bit of fun like that from every season. If I wind up having a lasting partner later on down the road, it’d be cool if their personality balanced well with my sister’s on this level. I’d also be really happy if I ultimately gelled with her person in a way that sounded unlikely at first but worked. Fingers crossed for both outcomes, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

4. Emily Thorne [Amanda Clarke] & Nolan Ross (Revenge) - I have two things to quickly clarify for those who are unfamiliar with this show.

#1 She has two listed names because she was born Amanda Clarke but goes by Emily Thorne for most of the series to hide her true identity. 

#2 Despite the impression this picture may give, Nolan is not marrying Emily; he is simply walking her down the aisle. 

These two are there for each other through so much - the looming threat of discovery, jail time, capture, near death experiences, heartbreak, the passing of loved ones, etc. - and they make it to the other side with a deep bond the likes of which they’ll never experience with another person. It is at times heavily one-sided because of how much drama Emily deliberately dives into, but it’s something that she tries to make up for during her more self-aware and less self-involved times. There’s genuine love and mutual respect there by the finale and it’s really gratifying to witness the journey they’ve taken together. 

[~Slightly spoiler-y closing statement after these brackets~] I was pretty sure I knew where the show was going with romantic ships by the end. I knew for certain it wasn’t my personal OTP for her because they’d already killed that person off quite some time ago. There was a part of me that could’ve found some contentment in leaving the story with these two as a couple. After all, one of my favorite ship dynamics is Reluctant Acquaintances to Best Friends to Lovers, but it was not to be. That being said, the platonic friendship they shared was a big part of the heart of the show and I cherish it for that. Nolan was a rare exception for Emily, a genuine bond formed in the years when she was tried to operate like her heart was made of stone. I also think working with Emily gave Nolan a sense of purpose and let him flourish in his area of expertise. I’m not sure how either of them would feel about the musical reference but, to slightly paraphrase from Wicked: because they knew each other, they have been changed for good.

5. Penelope Stamp & Bang Bang (The Brothers Bloom) - I have seen Rachel Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi in more roles since this movie than I had prior to watching it for the first time so, if anything, my fangirling over this friendship has gotten worse rather than more manageable. x) This post classified the film under the subgenre whimsical noir. It turns out that’s a style I instantly adore every time I stumble upon it. One of the titular brothers, Stephen, lives so deeply immersed in the variations of the world he writes for their heists that even those closest to him are essentially characters he can interact with on a daily basis. His feelings for them as people can get very muddled with his feelings for them as interesting OCs to move through narratives. A big trouble with this is that his living archetypes can often get reduced to clichés. He’s not always mindful of their nuances or allowing for the full range of their autonomy. Penelope is selected by Stephen to serve as the “manic pixie dream girl” who will be his brother Bloom’s forever love and Bang Bang is essentially presented as a “dragon lady” stereotype. I haven’t done a rewatch in years so I may be giving the movie too much credit here, but I remember this choice feeling at least semi-deliberate. It could be interpreted as a way to illustrate how Stephen warps real life to fit his vision. At least, I can definitely remember scenes that felt like they debunked the one-note assessments of these two. What I genuinely love, though, are the little moments when Penelope and Bang Bang are able to just spend time together with little to no interference from Stephen or Bloom. They share their hobbies and teach each other new skills. It feels like they truly perceive one another as whole human beings on a level that neither guy is capable of doing since they’re both so immersed in the drama of the plot. When the women are with each other, they get to be more than an extension of the men who maneuver them; they get to be themselves. Penelope is the only one Bang Bang clearly wants to maintain contact with once the heist is finished. I think that says a lot. Honestly, this is another BROTP that could slide to OTP. If someone wrote fic of them completely severing ties with the brothers and going off on their own - romantically or platonically - I wouldn’t be upset at all. 

Top 5 Trios

1. Luke, Leia, & Han (Star Wars Episodes IV - VI) - Oh dear, I’m overwhelmed just looking at a picture of them together. Star Wars has been a part of my life since childhood. Getting to watch the original trilogy felt like a rite of passage (when I was really little, Mom used to find things for us to do outside the room while Dad watched because she was afraid some of it might scare me). Princess Leia resounded with me on a level that almost no other fictional royalty has ever quite matched. Han’s wardrobe is still some serious #aestheticgoals and I would 100% wear replicas of his jackets and vests if I had them. I also remember thinking that Luke’s new look in Return of the Jedi was SO COOL with the all-black wardrobe and green lightsaber. Wow, imagine that, an edgy costume change that shared vibes with the common Disney villain color palette called to me as a baby fan of antagonists and antiheroes! Who ever could have foreseen that sudden spike in appreciation? :P Anyway, one of my lingering sorrows about the more recent trilogy is that we never got to see all three of them as aged adults in each other’s company. I still wanted our new cast to get their time to shine, of course, but I do lament the absence of at least one little trio reunion.

2. Luna, Neville, & Ginny (Harry Potter series) - The Silver Trio, pictured here with the first set of three that comes to mind when thinking about the books and movies. I do still love Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but I’ve found a growing appreciation for this other team-up over the years. They’ve been through a lot too, even if they are not always present where the main action is. Bullying, loss of parents, manipulation of the mind and body, abuse at the hands of authority figures - they’re all left with internal (and probably external) scars to bear. There’s also something to be said for how strong they all were in the school year set during Deathly Hallows, when the Golden Trio wasn’t around to inspire and unite those who wanted to stand up to ever-increasing tyranny. It can be easy, unfortunately, for them to get written off based on the oversimplified stereotypes that have gotten associated with them. People remember Luna as being weird and spacey, Neville as awkward and hapless, and Ginny as bland and lovestruck. They’re all far more nuanced than that, and they accomplish great things while fighting for and beside their friends. I’m planning on doing a re-read of the books at some point, and I really look forward to revisiting these brave kids.

3. Irma, Marion, & Miranda (Picnic at Hanging Rock) - Ah, yes, my very recently discovered darlings. I have many thoughts about them all. I’ll try to keep this as condensed as I can while still making sense. Some spoilers will follow, although those won’t answer every question the story poses. There are audience members who ship the above characters as a throuple, which I totally get, but for me it’s like soulmates of a different kind. These three have met at a point in their lives when they all burn with compatible intensity. They long for the same dream version of youth, for a way to begin life free from the confines of a world that won’t accept all their hearts contain. While the people that surround them may not be willing to bend the rules, nature itself appears to show them mercy. How often do we see a story of girls who just... love other women so much that a sacred location goes, “Y’know what? I’m gonna help you escape your restrictive society. Permanently.” This miniseries definitely depicts the setting as being involved in messing with the investigation, as a mystical place that befuddles unwanted intruders. I love the way these three fortify each other in times of pain and fear, and there’s something deeply moving about how standing side-by-side helps them defy the odds.

4. Sarah, Alison, & Cosima (Orphan Black) - Okay so, technically, when I picture our core team in this show, the net is a little wider. My mind tends to also include Felix, Mrs. S., Kira, Helena, Donnie, Delphine, and Scott. However, I think you could kinda argue that those characters have a stronger connection to one of the above three than they do to the other two. Thus, this ends up being the central triangle. They’re all such solid performances and the fact they’re all played by the same person is incredibly impressive (not to mention the, like, twelve other clones Tatiana brings to life throughout the series). Watching them go from tense strangers to sestras was wonderful. I’m glad they had each other through the increasingly complicated web of lies and schemes they had to unravel and survive. 

5. Galavant, Sid, & Isabella (Galavant) - Remember how James Marsden was in Enchanted? If you dialed down the deliberately cartoonish quality of that performance and allowed for more not-so-G-rated humor, I feel like you’d have a general sense of what Galavant is like as a character. Sid is his squire and Isabella is a princess whose mission happens to combine with Galavant’s, albeit fueled by different driving motivations. They find themselves involved in a lot of shenanigans because of Galavant - even in his own universe, he’s into the whole dashing knight thing more than is strictly necessary - but they make a fun little team to follow through the world of this musical television series. I’ve gotten fuzzy on the details since I watched it air live four years ago, but I remember the series being enough of a summer feel-good time that I’d be game to revisit the show again someday.

Top 5 Family Relationships

1. Stevie Budd & The Roses (Schitt’s Creek) - The whole fish-out-of-water setup for this series was already pretty fun in and of itself, especially given how outlandish their lifestyles evidently were before the show begins. The thing that makes it special, though, is how the absence of all their expensive distractions finally helps them prioritize being a family. The Roses do a lot of work to reconcile who they were with who they find themselves becoming in the present. It’s sweet to see them collectively conclude that growing closer to each other is one of the few things they do not regret in the slightest. They also silently agree to adopt Stevie along the way and, boy, does that give me a lot of Big Feelings, particularly in the later seasons.

2. River Song & The Ponds (Doctor Who) - I think it’s been like seven years or so, give or take, since I watched Doctor Who with any regularity. These three have resurfaced in my mind many times since then. They all love with such fierce and unwavering devotion, spanning lifetimes. It’s fascinating - and often heartbreaking - to learn about the things they’ve experienced and endured. Oh gosh, and once the show reveals how River’s story overlaps with theirs, and you pay attention to how she looks at them, IT HURTS but it’s so engaging to watch. The emotions are all flooding back just remembering them now. Argh, what great characters... </3

3. The Tico Sisters (Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi) - Rose appears in two installments of the third trilogy, but this is the episode that has both Tico daughters. We never get to see them interact onscreen in the film, but I still feel the bond between these sisters so intensely. I found out later that Kelly was present for the filming of Paige’s death scene (which happens so early in the movie that it doesn’t feel like a big spoiler - please forgive me if it is). I’m glad that was something they decided to do behind-the-scenes, because it definitely informs Rose’s grief. She’s sitting in the dark, picturing her big sister’s final moments with such horribly vivid detail that it feels like she was there, and yet she can’t do anything to change how it ends. The shape of the sisters’ necklaces immediately establishes that they were a unit even when acting independently, that they felt like two halves of a whole - all they had left of their family. Now there is only one, and that fact is a weight around Rose’s neck both figuratively and literally. It serves as a visual reminder of how she carries Paige’s absence always, trying to discover and embrace who she is on her own while still honoring the memory of a relative she loved so deeply. I think she reaches the end of Episode VIII feeling like she’s someone of whom her sister would be quite proud. I’m very proud of her, too. 

4. The Tyler Siblings (Wonderfalls) - Jaye is comically different than the rest of her family, and the show establishes that right out the gate when we learn that she’s the only one whose name doesn’t rhyme with the rest (left to right, the others are Karen, Sharon, Darrin, and Aaron, respectively). Her relationships with her parents could certainly lead me off on some analytical tangents but, predictably, it’s the sibling stuff that interests me more. I think it could be said that all three do more living inside their heads than they do out in the world, and that they’ve all grown up to be borderline loners (Ironically Jaye, who is considered the most troubled, is the only one I remember being shown to have formed and maintained a friendship). Aaron’s a very philosophical and analytical person, so you get the sense he talks to himself more than to others, although he still manages to resurface from those deep contemplations so he can goad and tease his sisters from time to time. Sharon is high-strung, competitive, and brings that “disaster lesbian” energy to basically every social interaction she has. Jaye’s standoffishness seems to stem from both the difficulty of fitting in with people and the fear that connections will fall apart once they manage to form at all. They’re all just messes trying to make the best out of the situations they face, and I appreciate that. I also enjoy how prominently the Jaye and Sharon sister bond features throughout the show’s only season. It starts out on pretty rocky ground, but they grow a lot in regard to how willing they are to communicate and express their love for one another. 

5. The Brothers Proctor (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) - The family dynamics in their house are in need of some serious work, without a doubt. I’m just really touched by how close these two have become without Paula’s notice. It’s possible they always were, in that we-fight-but-we-care way that siblings can often be, but the supportive side of that really moves to the forefront as they get older in the series and it warms my heart. There’s such a glaring difference between The Household As Paula Views It and Things That Are Happening While She’s Not Paying Attention. I can’t help using fic as a way to explore that. I happily find excuses for her sons to make pop-in appearances, just to check up on them. I'm so pleased that, as of Season 4, they seem to have become fairly well-adjusted in spite of everything. Oh, and I am still not over the revelation that they attend renaissance festivals together, in character, for fun. What precious cuties who would no doubt dislike me referring to them as such! Paula, please give them an extra hug from me! 

[pepperony3000-archive]

Favourite avengers movies scenes?

So I’m not sure if you mean The Avengers movies proper, or MCU movies in general... so I’ll answer both. ;)

Fav Avengers scenes (in no particular order):

1) Natasha’s first scene in the first Avengers movie. I know everybody on this hellsite hates her now but like... that scene is just brilliant! It shows just how easily Natasha can play people around her, and she’s not afraid to put herself at genuine risk in order to manipulate people. It’s why she’s the master manipulator. She will let herself get captured and beaten up in order to get what she wants from her target just as easily as she’ll let herself don a fancy dress in order to get what she wants from her target.

2) The science bro “saved [my life] for what exactly” “I guess we’ll find out” scene in the first Avengers movie. It’s such a good scene, and really showcases why I love this dynamic so much. Tony acknowledges that Bruce finds himself trapped... there’s something inside of him that he just can’t control. And Tony doesn’t dismiss it. One might almost expect him to be dismissive of Bruce since he earlier so flagrantly pointed out how much he liked Hulk. In the Banner vs Hulk argument going on inside Bruce, he’d already allied himself with Hulk.Except in this moment, he also allied himself 100% with Banner. He tells Bruce that Hulk is only a “monster”, because he just hasn’t learned how to 100% control it... and points out that it’s Bruce’s life that was important enough to save and protect. I just love it.

3) Tony: “Please be a secret door please be a secret doorWall: *is a secret door*Tony: “Yay!”

4) Thor showing up in Wakanda in Infinity War. I cheered. I screamed. I celebrated. It was amazing

5) Gamora’s death and Peter Parker’s death (yes I know I’m cheating and doing a two-in-one here). I was never really a huge fan of Gamora... although she and Nebula are the only GOTG characters I even came close to really liking. But she was written so perfectly in Infinity War, I genuinely loved her death scene and it’s one of my favorites.And... I don’t think I need to tell y’all why I love this one, do I?

6) Steve’s... Wanda-vision I guess? Which honestly? I think it was the moment that I am going to believe started him in such a negative downward spiral that he became... not a character I could like.He comes face to face with the world he knew, with the woman he loved and lost, with the reality that... who he was and what he used to dream about could never happen. I think that scene is why he couldn’t really bring himself to sign the accords. When Tony appealed to his nostalgia he almost gave in, but I think he was just looking for an excuse not to.Because for him... the Avengers was the only compensation he had for losing everything. And he was afraid that if they were operating under the jurisdiction of someone or something else, it would not be what he needed it to be anymore.

Fav MCU-in-general/non-Avengers scenes (also in no particular order):

1) Tony Stark building the Iron Man suit in a cave!!! With a box of scraps!!! What’s not to love about these scenes? RDJ looking hot af with his bulging muscles, the cinematography being absolutely GORGEOUS, the music being perfect, the tension being palpable, and the joy and exuberance when he’s finished exhilarating. (Bonus points for how devastatingly sad their escape ended up being... rip Yinsen)

2) Pepperony dancing in Iron Man 1. MY GOD the sexual tension! There is a reason this ship is such an OTP it practically transcends even the word shipping! These two are perfect in literally every way and I will fight you on that.

3) Tony Stark building a new element in Iron Man 2. It’s like version 2.0 of him building the Mk 1: Bulging muscles? Check! Amazing cinematography? Check! Music? Spot on perfect. Tension? Well... slightly less palpable, but they’ve literally been buillding up that Tony’s dying this whole movie and he finally actually has a chance to save his own life! Exuberance upon completion? Check!The only annoying thing is when Coulson interrupts the montage to be intolerable...

4) Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers, and Howard Stark “do you... fondue” scene. My GOD it was amazing. My son Steve Rogers when he was still my second favorite character in the entire MCU being amazing and awkward, Howard being oblivious to how much he’s just exuding pure flirtatiousness here (haha that’s a lie, he knows exactly what he’s doing to poor Steve), and Peggy WTFing at her idiot guys. I love it.

5) Steggy’s first and last kiss. It’s fine. I’m fine. I don’t need happiness or anything. It’s not like they were perfect together and going to the future ended up just ruining Steve’s personality. It’s not like they deserved to be happy together. (Bonus points to their final conversation. THEY DESERVED THAT DANCE DAMMIT!!! I will never forgive the Russo’s for not making the scene where Steve visits old!Peggy longer and have it end with him gently picking her up in his arms and sway-dancing with her. THEY DESERVED IT!!! WE DESERVED IT!!!)

6) The entirety of Iron Man 3. I’m sorry but I cannot pick out one single scene from that movie that’s my favorite. That movie is massively underrated, simply because comic nerds were annoyed that it wasn’t predictable like literally every other movie has been (and were annoyed by the narrative basically telling them to stop being racist little fucks).Bonus: the Iron Man 3 post credits scene. For some reason people have sorta been hating on Bruce for that scene lately. I genuinely don’t get why! Like... that scene wasn’t about Bruce not caring about Tony! That scene was about how Bruce cares about and is so comfortable around Tony that he can relax around him. He can fall asleep around him. And Tony? Tony didn’t actually care. If he did he wouldn’t have immediately started another story about his “original trauma” immediately after their little snark fest.

7) Scott being toddler-sized in Ant-Man and the Wasp. That was just pure hilarity through and through. I loved every second of it.

8) JANET VAN DYNE!!! I’m sorry, but Jan is my literal favorite. Tony is (obviously) my favorite MCU character, but if I’m being perfectly honest with myself he’s probably my second favorite Marvel character... second only to Jan. She is amazing and badass and perfect and the fact that MICHELLE ACTUAL-GODDESS PFIEFFER PLAYS HER somehow makes her even better. Can the third movie in the Bug Trilogy be all about her? I just need more Jan. I don’t care if it’s a movie about Jan and Hank, or a movie about Jan and Scott, or a movie about Jan and Hope. I just want as much Jan as physically possible. I know that that isn’t a scene that’s a character but... I’M SORRY IF A SCENE HAS JAN IN IT IT’S AUTOMATICALLY ONE OF THE TOP BEST SCENES IN ANY MOVIE EVER I’M SORRY I DON’T MAKE THE RULES.

9) Basically any scene with Okoye. Honestly, Danai Gurira surprised the FUCK outta me with her talent. All I knew was that she was in The Walking Dead (which I’ve admittedly not scene) and so dismissed her as probably not being super talented because... well have you heard the reputation that show has gotten?Anyway... her performance continually impresses me, and she’s absolutely amazing! But my favorite scene specifically was the scene... I think it was between Nakia and Okoye (I’ve only watched that movie once... I KNOW I’M AWFUL) after T’Challa dies and Okoye basically says she can’t go against Erik because she is loyal to the THRONE of Wakanda, even if her heart is loyal to other people.

And I was GOING to do top 5 Avengers moments and top 10 non Avengers moments, but since I did 6 Avengers moments (plus a cheat), I’ll stop at 9 for non-Avengers moments.

And hey... while we’re at it:

Send me asks about anything you want my opinion on

[bygone-age]

Heyho! I I would really like to read a little short fic about Ned/Cat and writer/editor au :D

Finding the Right Words

Hope you like this! Apologies in advance for any mistakes re: the publishing world, it’s not something I know a lot about. Also, sorry it’s A LOT later than I intended it to be.

******

Catelyn Tully was a legend at Riverrun Publishing. She could turn anything into a best-seller - most recently she’d turned Tyrion Lannister and Bronn Blackwater’s foul-mouthed, barroom tales into a hilarious road trip diary that had spent six months on the King’s Landing Times top ten best-seller list, with two of those being spent at number one and she had done it on an almost impossible deadline.

After twelve years as an editor, she had reputation enough that she could practically pick her own projects. It was those skills that her uncle hoped would turn a stiff, ponderous historical manuscript into something that would sell.

“So, what do you think?”

Brynden Tully sat opposite his niece and waited while she finished looking over the work before her.

“You said it was boring.”

Brynden was surprised. Cat’s brother Edmure had passed the manuscript on, saying that it was “about as exciting as watching a puddle dry up” and he himself hadn’t been able to see how the mysteries of the north had ended up seeming so… dull.

“It is boring. There are stories in the north that can thrill and terrify at the same time and this just makes some of them seem flat, lifeless even.”

“Are you sure you read the same thing I did? I thought it was fascinating and I haven’t even read the whole thing. I mean it’s stiff and it needs polish and we’ll have to do something about the length, but there’s definitely something here.”

Cat paused for a moment and looked at her uncle.

“I’m curious, why did you take this on if you weren’t sure about it?”

“His agent is a friend and I knew his father - we were all at university together. Rickard Stark was a good man and a good friend, what happened to him and his eldest boy was bloody horrendous and Eddard - Ned - has worked his arse off to keep the family afloat. This project is a passion he’s had for years, Rick Karstark is sure that this can be a success and I thought so too at first, but after reading more of his material, I’m just not that sure anymore.”

Cat sat back in her chair, surprised. Her uncle wasn’t a man of many words, so for him to speak so strongly about this meant it was important.

“I’m not saying this because you want me to, or because his father was a friend of yours, or because you know the agent, I genuinely think this is a good idea. People love myths & legends and there hasn’t been a proper in depth study of the Northern myths and histories since you were a boy. It’s written, not just by a northerner, but by a Stark! That alone could make it more popular than Tyrion and Bronn’s book. I can work with this, you wouldn’t have come to me if you thought otherwise.”

Brynden smiled and stood up.

“Somehow, I think I knew you’d see something in it. Thank you sweetheart.”

Cat smiled and rose to follow her uncle out.

“Thank me when we’re at the book launch. Right now, just wish me luck.”

“Well then, good luck, but I don’t think you’ll need it.”

Brynden left and Cat turned to her secretary. It was time to get to work.

“Jeyne, could you call Tyrion Lannister and Bronn Blackwater and reschedule tomorrow’s meeting for Friday. Tell them I’ll meet them at Crossroads Inn at 12:30 and then call the Inn and book the usual table. After that, call Eddard Stark and set up a meeting for tomorrow at 10:30, then could you clear me for the rest of the day please and then get yourself home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?”

“No, I’m going to be reading for hours. You get yourself an early finish, but if you could tell the front desk I’ll be working late that would be great, thank you.”

With that, Cat returned to her office and started preparing for her meeting with Eddard Stark.

******

The Next Day…

Eddard “Ned” Stark sat in the waiting area of a very nice office at Riverrun Publishing, waiting for his new editor to finish up her phone call. He’d heard of Catelyn Tully of course and like most people, he’d read the “Lannister book”, but he couldn’t help feeling like she was his last shot.

It had been Benjen who’d suggested (well technically, he’d insisted. His younger brother had told him to “stop being a bloody martyr and get it out there. You know I can look after things here”) that he try and get his manuscript published and if he were honest, he’d been glad of the excuse to do something on his own - he loved his family of course and he’d never regretted the decision to return home to care for them after his father and his brother had been murdered, but it was exciting to think he might get the chance to share the stories he’d been raised on.

Getting an agent had been surprisingly easy - he’d run into his father’s cousin, Rickard Karstark at a conference at his old university and told him what he intended. “Uncle Rick” had been very enthusiastic and offered to take him on as a client almost immediately. Rick had been very supportive, spending months helping him to develop the beginnings of a “platform” (he still wasn’t quite sure what that was, but it had got people talking and that  was a good thing), offering advice and he’d even suggested a publisher - Riverrun Publishing, now run by Brynden Tully.

Which brought him to where he was now. Originally, Edmure Tully had been assigned by his uncle to oversee the book, but apparently had to back out, citing family reasons. He knew the man was about to become a father, but he’d also had just one short meeting with him before a fortnight of calls that weren’t returned. Last week Brynden had called and had said that he would look at it himself, but yesterday he got a call from Catelyn Tully’s secretary arranging today’s meeting. He was beginning to think that he’d been kidding himself about this whole thing.

“Mr Stark?”

Ned looked up, jolted out of his rather maudlin reverie. He stood up and offered the woman in front of him his hand.

“Ms Tully? Pleased to meet you and please, call me Ned, almost everyone else does.”

Catelyn smiled, a beautiful, charming smile that immediately had Ned captivated, which surprised him because he wasn’t one for foolish romanticism.

“Then you can call me Cat because I don’t think I’ve been called “Ms Tully” since I was in school!”

He laughed and when she smiled again, he decided that he’d rather like to see more of them, a notion which strangely, didn’t surprise him at all.

Curse you for a romantic Ned Stark. You’ve only just met the woman and this is no time for a relationship.

They sat down at the conference table in Cat’s office and got straight down to business.

“Well then Cat, what do you think? Am I kidding myself? Is this a mistake?”

“A mistake, kidding yourself? Absolutely not. This is some of the most fascinating work I’ve read in a long time and I never kid myself that I’m unique - if I enjoy it, others will too. It needs work mind you and we need to discuss what we’re going to do about the length, but this is absolutely achievable.”

As he listened to her, Ned could tell she was absolutely genuine - if she said it was achievable, then he believed her and he believed that she would help him get there. He’d seen the look in her eyes when she was talking and saw the fierce intelligence blazing there, but he’d also seen the excitement and that told him she wasn’t just going to treat this like any other job. It was a heady mix and one he was finding as compelling as that smile of hers.

Stop it. You aren’t going to get a book published by going soft eyed over your editor, even if her smile does light up the room…

Ned shook the thought from his head and willed himself to concentrate on his book. Unfortunately, Cat had noticed that he was distracted.

“Ned? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Sorry, I just let my mind wander for a moment. You were talking about the length of the book?”

“Books. There’s definitely material here for two books, three If I’m right.”

“Right about what?”

“Right about you not telling me everything. How much have you left out of this manuscript?”

He wasn’t surprised she’d worked that out - he already knew that she was intelligent.

“A lot. Some I didn’t fully understand myself, but others I just thought there’d be no interest or belief in - mostly stories about the Great Wall and most people think that was some sort of myth. I want to tell people about the real history of the North, not open it up to ridicule. Besides, Dad used to joke that if you went too far back into history, you might get lost!”

“I can promise you the North won’t be ridiculed, I just want to help you tell the whole story and that means going back to the beginning.”

Cat paused for a moment, smiled and then her voice went lower and more intense.

“So, Ned Stark, I think we should get ourselves lost, don’t you?”

And that is the exact moment Ned knew he’d fallen in love with Catelyn Tully.

******

One Year Later…

The sun shone over Winterfell, the ancestral home of the Stark and Ned sat at the window of the “Lord’s bedroom”, watching his wife sleep, marvelling at the changes the past year had brought.

A year ago I was just falling in love with her, now we’re married.

Getting married hadn’t been the only unexpected thing that happened this past year, his book had taken on a life of its own, becoming a trilogy that had become one of the most anticipated history series in many years and thanks to a massive amount of pre-orders, the first part of that trilogy would be almost guaranteed an immediate entry on the King’s Landing Times Top Ten Best-Seller List went it went on sale the next day, following a huge press preview and launch later on that day in the Winterfell Great Hall. Oh he’d hoped and wanted it to do well, but it looked set to do better than he’d ever imagined it could and he was proud of that.

He’d always tried not have too much of an ego, believing it made you lazy and careless, but he was happy to admit that he was glad everything going so well - for himself and for everyone that had helped him on the way.

I didn’t get here on my own and Cat has done so much more for me than than simply edit a book, she became my friend, my partner, my love.

Ned looked at his watch - almost eleven, two and a half hours till the launch.

Time to wake Mrs Stark.

He crossed to the bed, leant down and kissed her bare shoulder.

“Morning love. As much as I would like to let you sleep for a while longer, we don’t have that luxury.”

Cat stirred and still half asleep, turned towards him.

“Morning? You haven’t let me sleep too late then?”

“It’s just gone Eleven. I know you wanted be up earlier, but you’ve working yourself far too hard, especially these past few weeks, you’ve been throwing up most mornings for nearly a fortnight and you won’t go to the doctor.”

She sat up kissed him on the cheek and smiled, that clever, secretive smile she wore that always seemed to say “I know something you don’t know”.

“Actually, I went to the Doctor yesterday while you were at White Harbour. Luwin took me.”

“Why didn’t you say? I would have taken you myself, White Harbour -”

“- was important. Besides, I had an idea of what was up and I -”

She paused for a few moments, sliding out of bed, putting on a robe and taking a small white envelope out off her dressing table.

“- I wanted to to tell you myself that you were going to be a father.”

Cat held out the envelope and Ned’s hands were actually shaking a little when he took it off her and pulled the photo out.

After a few moments, he stood and pulled her into his arms.

“This is best thing you could have told me and at some point, you know I’m probably going to say all of the wrong things, but before that, I love you and not just because of how much you’ve done for me, not because you married me, not even because of the baby, I’ve loved you since you said we should “get ourselves lost”. For a year you have been -”

Ned never got to finish that sentence. Cat didn’t need him to, so they spent some time doing something much more enjoyable.

A little over seven months later, Robb and Sansa were born, just as the start of Summer was announced. A new era in Westeros had begun…

******

Well, there we are! I know this has taken a long time, but I hope you think it was worth it and that you enjoyed it.

You’ll notice I changed things up a little at the end and made Robb and Sansa twins. This is because I want to expand on this AU and I thought the dynamic would be interesting in future fic. I’m going to make a few other changes too, but I think you might like them!

[assignedknivesatbirth]

ask meme thing

rules: choose any three fandoms (in any order) and answer the questions.

tagged by @sean-the-pawn

fandoms:

The Walking Dead

Gorillaz

Final Fantasy

the first character you loved:

Daryl Dixon. He was super complex and interesting in the first 3 seasons, plus he had this adorable baby face back then.

Noodle. From the very beginning way back in phase 1 she was always my fav. My love for her grew exponentially in p2 and 3 as she got some good characterization, but p4 has unfortunately dropped the ball with Noodle. I still love her though.

Squall Leonhart. Not only was Squall my first fav FF character, he was the first character that I really related to and connected with. His inner thoughts were a perfect mirror of 13-year-old me. Still are, if I’m being honest.

the character you never expected to love so much:

Carol Peletier. When I first started watching, and began to realize just how often TWD killed off characters, I was expecting Carol to be on the chopping block at any time. She just didn’t seem like the kind of person who could make it in the zombie apocalypse back then. I was very shocked that she survived the s2 finale. But somewhere between s2 and s3 I fell in love with her. Her story is the most compelling of the entire cast, in my opinion.

Murdoc Niccals. He’s a gross, crass, rude, disgusting excuse for a human being most of the time. Plus back in the day, younger me was kinda put off by the whole Satanist thing. But now I love him dearly. I don’t know why, but I do.

Hope Estheim. When he was first introduced I immediately wrote him off as Tidus 2.0, only even more insufferable because he was like 14. But Hope had a surprising amount of development and maturity in XIII and the other 2 games in that trilogy, and he became one of my favs long before I finished the first game.

the character you relate to the most:

No one, really. Well, maybe Carl Grimes, in a weird way. Can’t really explain it.

Again, no one really. Possibly Noodle, but only in p2 or 3.

Lightning Farron. She’s closed off, unnecessarily harsh to the people that love her, feels the need to isolate herself, wants to hit people when she’s mad, and even though she’s very competent she always ends up feeling like she’s letting everyone down. That got deep, I’m sorry.

the character you’d slap:

There’s been plenty, but right now? Negan. Preferably with something sharp in my hand.

Probably Murdoc. But I’d do it out of love.

Seymour Gaudo, ew.

three favorite characters in order of preference:

Carol Peletier, Carl Grimes, Michonne

Noodle, Murdoc Niccals, 2D

Lightning Farron, Balthier, Yuffie Kisaragi

a character you did not like at first but do now:

Father Gabriel. I could’ve strangled him in most of season 5, but he grew on me a bit over time. Then he became pretty awesome.

Cyborg Noodle. It’s kind of a long story but the gist of it is this. I was out of the loop after p2, so I didn’t even know Gorillaz was planning on continuing until one day, BAM. There was the Stylo video. Now when I first watched it I hated it for a number of reasons, but the big one was Cyborg. I didn’t know anything about what was going on so at first I was all yay! Noodle’s not dead! Wait.... is she.. a robot? Has she been a robot all this time I’m so confused??!? So anyway, I did a little digging and discovered that the Noodle in the video was a cyborg duplicate made to replace the original in the band. Noodle was my fav so this actually pissed me off quite a bit. I remember being genuinely mad. So Noodle is actually dead and they’ve just replaced her with this robot look-a-like and everyone is just totally ok with this? Seems a little silly now, but back then I was really sore about it. So even later, when everything got sorted out, I still kinda had a chip on my shoulder about Cyborg. I didn’t like her at all for a long time. I didn’t change my mind about her until just last year, actually.

Yuna. For some reason when I first played FFX I really really disliked Yuna. The reasons were pretty juvenile, but in my defense I was like 15 at the time. I grew out of my hate for her in time, and grew into loving her. She still sucks in X-2, but that game was a mistake.

otp(s):

Daryl/Carol, Rick/Michonne

Oh no ya don’t! Not touchin’ that!

Balthier/Fran. We’ll leave it at that.

I tag: @syb3rstrife, @laerec

[son-of-alderaan]

The Fate of ‘The Last Jedi’ Is in His Hands

NICASIO, Calif. — Skywalker Ranch, the 5,000-acre spread that George Lucas established here in Marin County, is hardly a shrine to the “Star Wars” movies; the quiet campus has no giant Yoda statue or Death Star murals. If you weren’t looking carefully, you might have missed Rian Johnson, the director and writer of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (due Dec. 15), having breakfast in a guesthouse on a recent August morning.

Mr. Johnson has established his genre bona fides as the writer-director of the time-traveling neo-noir “Looper,” and as a director of TV shows like “Breaking Bad.”Now, he is picking up the baton from J. J. Abrams, who reinvigorated the “Star Wars” universe with “The Force Awakens.” That wildly successful 2015 film — the seventh chapter of the galactic saga — began a new adventure for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess (now General) Leia (Carrie Fisher) and introduced the enigmatic Rey (Daisy Ridley) and her sullen nemesis, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

“Star Wars” is a gargantuan franchise, and Mr. Johnson, 43, is a soft-spoken, unassuming man. But right now its destiny lies in his hands, and he said he was free to make the movie he wanted. No requirements were imposed by Mr. Abrams or Kathleen Kennedy, the Lucasfilm president, who did not hesitate to call for significant changes on the stand-alone “Rogue One,” the coming Han Solo film and “Star Wars: Episode IX.”

On a break from finishing the sound edit for the movie, Mr. Johnson spoke about the making of “The Last Jedi,” “Star Wars” characters new and old, and Ms. Fisher’s death in December. Here are edited excerpts from that conversation.

How important were the original “Star Wars” films for you?

“Star Wars” was everything for me. As a little kid, you get to see the movies only once or twice, but playing with the toys in your backyard, that’s where you’re first telling stories in your head. It was so emotional to step onto the Millennium Falcon set, because that was the play set we all had when we were kids. Suddenly, you were standing in the real thing. There’s this rush of unreality about it.

How did you learn you were being considered to write and direct a new “Star Wars” film?

It was really, really out of the blue. I had a few general meetings with Kathy Kennedy when she took over Lucasfilm. I never thought I was actually in the running, because I assumed every director on the planet would want to be doing a “Star Wars” movie. And then it was sprung on me. It was like a bomb dropped. I suddenly realized, Oh, this meeting is about this. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was freaking out. But I also said, “Can I think about it?”

Why the hesitation?

After “Looper,” I had been approached with other franchise stuff and gotten used to saying no. And I knew this would mean so much to me — the worst thing I can imagine is having a bad experience making a “Star Wars” movie.

Do you think Ms. Kennedy was surprised you didn’t accept immediately?

She was slightly confused, I think. The next few days, I couldn’t sleep. I thought I was going to do a pros-and-cons list, but the truth is, it was more a decision from the heart. There was no way I could not do this.

How much of the story of “The Last Jedi” was dictated to you, either by events in “The Force Awakens” or by Lucasfilm?

I had figured there would be a big map on the wall with the whole story laid out, and it was not that at all. I was basically given the script for “Episode VII;” I got to watch dailies of what J. J. was doing. And it was like, where do we go from here? That was awesome.

So there’s no one telling you that your film has to contain certain plot points, or that certain things have to be achieved by its end?

Nothing like that. But it’s the second film in a trilogy. The first film got these characters here. This second movie has to dig into and challenge these characters. I wanted this to be a satisfying experience unto itself. I didn’t want it to end with a dot, dot, dot, question mark.

What inspiration did you draw from the raw footage of “The Force Awakens”?

Rey and Kylo are almost two halves of our protagonist. It’s not like Kylo is our Vader. In the original trilogy, Vader is the father — he’s the one you’re afraid of and who you want the approval of. Whereas Kylo represents anger and rebellion, the sometimes healthy — and sometimes not — desire to disconnect from the parents. It’s my favorite kind of quote-unquote bad guy, because you can genuinely see what their weakness is.

“The Force Awakens” left you with many significant unanswered questions: Who are Rey’s parents? Why did Luke flee? Who is the mysterious villain, Supreme Leader Snoke? To the extent that “The Last Jedi” answers any of them, did you feel obliged to consult with J. J.?

If I had questions — what did you think this was going to be? What were your ideas for this? — I could always ask him. But those questions only address what these characters want and how they get there.

Take the question of who Rey’s parents are: If you get the information — oh, it’s that! — who really cares? I know a lot of people care, but it’s interesting as opposed to impactful. Now, what is my place in the world? Where do I come from? Where do I belong? O.K., I understand what the weight of that is. We could play with those questions and their answers to have the biggest emotional impact on these characters.

You get to give Luke Skywalker his first lines of dialogue in this trilogy.

That was the first thing I had to figure out. Why is Luke on that island? And I didn’t have any answers. But it’s not like you can just pick anything you want out of the air. I grew up having a sense of who Luke Skywalker is. It guides you to a very specific path. I know he’s not hiding on the island. I know he’s not a coward. He must be there for a reason that he believes in. You’re finding a path forward, but there end up being fewer choices than you think.

Since you grew up a “Star Wars” fan, were you intimidated to work with longtime franchise stars like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher?

It took a while before I could sit across the table with Mark and not, every three seconds, think, I’m talking to Luke Skywalker. With Carrie, I felt we connected as writers very quickly. She spoke her mind, man. They both did. Anyone whose life is that weirdly tied to a character like this, where you drop a script in their lap and say, “Now it’s this,” there’s no way it’s not a discussion. But they were both so engaged in the process, and trusting. The fact that both of them at some point said, “O.K., even if this isn’t what I was expecting, I’m going to trust you” — that was really touching.

Ms. Fisher died shortly after she finished filming. How did you absorb this tragedy? Did you feel as if you had to alter the movie? 

When she passed away, we were pretty deep into postproduction. When we came back to the edit room after New Year’s, it was so hard. We went through all her scenes. I felt very strongly that we don’t try to change her performance. We don’t adjust what happens to her in this movie. Emotionally, you can’t help recontextualize it, now that she’s gone. It’s almost eerie how there are scenes that have an emotional resonance and a meaning, especially now. She gives a beautiful and complete performance in this film.

What is your working relationship with Colin Trevorrow? [Editor’s note: This interview took place before Lucasfilm parted ways with Mr. Trevorrow, who was to have directed “Star Wars: Episode IX.”]

It’s been very similar to J. J. and I. I’ve given it some trajectory forward, and now I get to see where another storyteller is going to take it. I’ve been available, and he’s shot me questions. But I’m pretty much sitting back and seeing how it’s all going to come together for him.

What does “The Last Jedi” mean?

It’s in the opening crawl of “The Force Awakens.” Luke Skywalker, right now, is the last Jedi. There’s always wiggle room in these movies — everything is from a certain point of view — but coming into our story, he is the actual last of the Jedi. And he’s removed himself and is alone on this island, for reasons unknown.

We hear a voice in the teaser trailer say, “It’s time for the Jedi to end.” Is that Luke speaking?

That’s him. It sounds pretty dire. That’s something that we’re definitely going to dig into. The heart of the movie is Luke and Rey. It follows all the other characters, but its real essence is the development of the two of them. And it’s absolutely tied up in that question of, What is Luke’s attitude toward the Jedi?

And Han Solo returns as a Force ghost?

Han Solo as a Force ghost, obviously. And Jar Jar, he’s Snoke. Everything I’m dropping is gold, right here. (x)

[uomo-accattivante]

If there’s one thing for certain about Annihilation: it’s that it’s going to be really, really weird. It was an absolute certainty when I stepped on set last year and saw production stills of psychedelic mutations – plants shaped like people, decaying bodies merging into swimming pool tile, tentacle-looking black ‘growths’ filling every nook of a lighthouse… The imagery was more than spectacular – it was truly otherworldly. So it comes as no surprise that over a year later, Annihilation has run up against some studio hesitation, a recent Hollywood Reporter article suggesting less than desired test screening results prompted the nervous studio to release the film internationally on Netflix only (Annihilation, though, will still be released theatrically in the US). This news – while disheartening – actually fulfills the promise of the film I saw being shot: a singularly odd and bold exploration into alien mutation, genetics and marital dysfunction. The fact that Annihilation didn’t please every audience member at the Burbank 16 only makes the film seem all the more intriguing and singular.

Annihilation, based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, follows five women (including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tessa Thompson) as they journey into an environmental disaster zone where something otherworldly changes the genetic make-up of everything within. The film marks something of a departure for filmmaker Alex Garland – whereas his first feature, Ex Machina, was grounded in practical (albeit-distant) tech & science, Annihilation is far more rooted in the surreal. As Garland himself is wont to say – Annihilation, at its essence, is a “journey from Suburbia to Psychedelia.”

In my interview with Alex Garland, presented below, he discusses the surreal oddity of Annihilation, re-writing the script, breaking through sci-fi tropes and his thoughts on the international Direct-to-Netflix release. For the full interview, read below.

(Of note: a small portion of the interview was conducted on set; the rest conducted two days ago via phoner)

I just watched the new trailer, which looks great. How involved are you in the marketing materials and trailer?

ALEX GARLAND: I’m not really involved at all. I know some directors get very involved in trailers and posters. Some even cut their own. I stay completely away from it. I just see my job as making a film. I don’t trust my own judgment with trailers and posters because so many times I’ve seen a trailer and thought that looks fantastic and then the film bombs. Or I see a trailer and think that looks like a pile of shit and then the film does amazing. So I have no judgment. I just stay away.

Jumping back to the beginning — how did the book [Annihilation] come to your attention?

GARLAND: I had a story I’d wanted to tell for a while and I’d been discussing it with [producer] Scott [Rudin]. Then Scott said I should read this book, Annihilation. So I did and I could see how the novel and my particular fixation would dovetail.

What spoke to you about the book?

GARLAND: I thought it was really beautiful and strange and also genuinely original. Really original material is quite hard to find. It’s subjective but I just felt truly surprised and engaged. I found the process reading it to be a powerful experience.

Was there any theme in the book that spoke to you in particular?

GARLAND: It was partly this feeling of originality, but if there were something apart from that, it would be the atmosphere. It has a really particular dreamlike atmosphere and I found that really fascinating.

It looks like you’ve made a number of changes from the book to the film. What were those key changes?

GARLAND: It’s just a different set of preoccupations. I’ve worked on some very faithful adaptations that are like holding a mirror up to the source material. Never Let You Go – which I adapted a few years ago – was really a very faithful adaptation… I did another adaptation, Dredd, which was a semi-faithful adaptation. It was very faithful to a character but less faithful to the world. This is probably more of a free for all. It’s a very dreamlike, very beautiful novel and it worked well for my purposes. I loved what [author] Jeff [VanderMeer] had done but one thing I know… Years ago I used to work as a novelist and I know that novels & films are independent of each other.

The book is fairly open-ended. Does the movie answer any of the questions the book raises?

GARLAND: The movie has its own questions. Some of which… the fundamental questions that the film poses, it does answer. When I wrote this – I knew there was going to be a trilogy [of books] but I hadn’t read the other two books. They hadn’t been written so I saw this as a contained thing. I tend to think of stories as contained things, not necessarily requiring further stories. The novel, though, was written very consciously as the first part. It’s a short novel. Jeff very clearly had the intention that he would be unfolding the story as it went along. I had the intention of completing the story.

Now that there are two more [books], do you want to continue that story along with him?

GARLAND: I’m more interested in contained stories.

How similar was the initial draft of Annihilation to the eventual production draft?

GARLAND: I think probably like eighty percent or something like that… I’ve written [scripts] where things have changed hugely. The first draft of Ex Machina is extremely different than the finished film. That would be like 10% of the original draft stayed into the shooting script. On this, though, it was seventy-five or eighty percent…

What changed on Annihilation?

GARLAND: It was partly to do with how the conceit of the story is set up and it was partly to do with how the ending, approximately the last thirty or thirty-five minutes are executed.

Did you ever send a draft to Jeff VanderMeer? Or ask for his opinion?

GARLAND: Oh yeah.

What did he say?

GARLAND: Well – the film and the book are in some ways very closely related, but in other respects very different from each other. The truth is – you’d have to ask Jeff what he really felt, but what I felt was as a writer, [he] understood how and why the two things were different. He was very open minded about giving us creative permission as filmmakers to just go ahead and do the best we could.

How much impact did Jeff have after you sent him a rough script?

GARLAND: I always talk to people and listen to what they have to say. So he had that imprint and we discussed it quite a lot. We’d have two, three-hour phone conversations going through it all. And he’d say, ‘Tell me why you’ve done this? What’s the justification for doing this or that?’ So for example – a bit like the film Stalker – the characters in Jeff’s novel don’t have names and I, for tonal reasons, thought I’m going to have to give them names. In a film with this kind of execution, it would be slightly too arch if they’re saying, ‘Hey, Biologist, come check this out’ It makes it too other. This film is weird enough…

When Natalie, Jennifer and the rest of the cast join the film, do you polish the script to suit the actors?

GARLAND: What we do – and I always do this – is we do a two week rehearsal period. The rehearsal period is not actually to do with affecting performance, but it’s to do with making sure everybody gets why a scene exists and why the lines are the way they are. Then the actors have absolute open permission to say I’m not really sure about this line, it doesn’t really fit in my mouth, it doesn’t really feel right to me. Then with all of us sitting around the table, we work on it. We change it right then and there and put it in the script. There’s a lot of openness. As long as the meaning and the intention stay the same, it’s not really a problem for me. Really what you’re doing is you’re handing over the ownership of the character to the actor. So if the actor has a way they want their character to do something, you have to listen to that and make sure it’s accommodated.

How did the characters change during this rehearsal period?

GARLAND: Each of the actors made the characters more their own so that they… My approach to directing is to not do very much directing. I’m mainly interested in what the creative group individually and together are thinking. Whether it’s Tessa or Gina or Natalie or Jennifer – they’re all taking the character, thinking about it and morphing it into the performance they want to do.

How much research do you do into mutation and genetics for the script?

GARLAND: I did a bit. I have a friend who’s a geneticist. We would have long conversations about the nature of mutation and its role in evolution and its role in just our day-to-day existence. We talked about it a lot, but it’s not the same type of science fiction that Ex Machina was, which had very explicit concerns about consciousness and AI. This is a much more dreamlike and fractured landscape.

So would you say the movie is far more surreal than grounded in reality?

GARLAND: It’s definitely more surreal. The first conversation I had when I was meeting actors or having production meetings was that the film is about various things and various themes but the basic underlying principle is the journey from suburbia to psychedelia. We’re going to start in suburbia and end in psychedelia. That was the underlying principle.

How do you map that out so that there’s a gradual transformation from reality to psychedelia? What is the process to make sure that follows a linear path?

GARLAND: I think you hit it immediately – which is that you have to map it out. If you just begin in psychedelia, you get diminishing returns right away because you’re stuck in a deeply strange place and you stay in a deeply strange place and then you get acclimated to a deeply strange place and then its not strange anymore. So we didn’t want to do that. We wanted to build to it, from normality to something very strange and earn the strangeness. Then we discovered that you have to map it – because we knew where we had to get. What we discovered is that sometimes you have to put your hands on the story’s back and give it a shove. It’s like you’ve got a hundred miles to travel so you better start clocking up miles or else you won’t get there. [We needed] to give it these moments of propulsion where suddenly you drop down into another level of strangeness and then another level and just keep pushing it.

How cognizant are you of breaking traditional sci-fi and alien tropes?

GARLAND: I tend to say that I’m very cognizant of them but then you’ll say something and I’ll realize I’m not… But one of the things we were interested in on this was an experience of something alien that was truly ‘alien’. That had all sorts of elements to it – not just about how something physically appears, but also about what it is and how it acts and separating it completely from the way we act. [I didn’t want] to make human type assumptions about it in terms of motivation like it wants to steal our resources or take us back to the galactic federation or anything like that. We wanted to do something truly ‘alien’.

When a book or movie is called Annihilation – that gives the impression of being fairly pessimistic and cynical. Is that fair? Do you see the film as pessimistic or cynical?

GARLAND: It’s definitely not cynical at all. It’s actually quite heartfelt. It has elements of sadness and melancholy in it but there’s also a visceral propulsion to it.

How timely do you find the film given all the constant talk of nuclear war and annihilation?

GARLAND: Do you know what – I don’t think that’s timely. I think we’ve had a real problem with this for a long time. I grew up under the threat of nuclear war and people being very worried about it when I was a kid. That faded away for a bit and now it’s back. But there’s always some kind of existential thing that people are worried about for good reason.

Recently it was announced Annihilation would be released on Netflix internationally. What was your reaction to that?

GARLAND: Disappointment really. We made the film for cinema. I’ve got no problem with the small screen at all. The best genre piece I’ve seen in a long time was The Handmaid’s Tale, so I think there’s incredible potential within that context, but if you’re doing that – you make it for that [medium] and you think of it in those terms. Look… it is what it is. The film is getting a theatrical release in the States, which I’m really pleased about. One of the big pluses of Netflix is that it goes out to a lot of people and you don’t have that strange opening weekend thing where you’re wondering if anyone is going to turn up and then if they don’t, it vanishes from cinema screens in two weeks. So it’s got pluses and minuses, but from my point of view and the collective of the people who made it – [it was made] to be seen on a big screen.

Annihilation opens on the big screen in the US February 23rd.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

William Gibson interviewed: Archangel, the Jackpot, and the instantly commodifiable dreamtime of industrial societies

William Gibson's 2014 novel The Peripheral was the first futuristic book he published in the 21st century, and it showed us a distant future in which some event, "The Jackpot," had killed nearly everyone on Earth, leaving behind a class of ruthless oligarchs and their bootlickers; in the 2018 sequel, Agency, we're promised a closer look at the events of The Jackpot. Between then and now is Archangel, a time-traveling, alt-history, dieselpunk story of power-mad leaders and nuclear armageddon that will be in stores on October 3.

It's been nearly 20 years since I first interviewed Gibson and in the intervening decades we've become both friends and colleagues. He was kind enough to submit to an email interview again, in advance of Archangel's publication.

Cory Doctorow: This feels like an intermediate step between today and Agency, which is, in turn, an intermediate step on the way to The Peripheral. I know that when you first wrote The Peripheral, you didn't really know what The Jackpot was... Is this you taking successive runs at either side of The Jackpot, trying to get up to the edge of it so you can get a better look at it?

William Gibson: It feels like that to me now, but the whole thing’s been completely unintentional.

Mike and I (Michael St. John Smith, the actor, who’s also a screenwriter) started bouncing things around after I’d finished The Peripheral, which I assumed would be a one-off, but I found myself still in the grip of the “stub” alternative timeline thing, so Archangel wound up with a similar mechanism (rules of time travel invented, as far as I know, by Sterling and Shiner). Meanwhile, Agency was conceived as a book set in 2016 San Francisco/Silicon Valley, but treating contemporary reality there as if it were a near future (which of course it feels like to me, because I’m old). But I’m also slow, so Trump got elected before I’d finished, and suddenly I had about half of an ms that felt like it was set in a stub, a world that never happened. Extremely weird feeling! So I had this one extra thing to be pissed off with, about Trump! But then I wondered what would happen if I considered it as exactly that, a stub, but to do so I felt I needed to hook it up with the further future of The Peripheral, the London of the klept. Meanwhile, Archangel had been coming out from IDW, and when I went down to meet them at ComicCon, in 2016, the possibility of a Trump win naturally came up. So, through to November 8th, part me was looking at that, and the other part was No Fucking Way, and, well, you know.

For the record, in the graphic novel's script, pre-election, the Pilot winds up where he winds up in the comic, but it’s a nice WTF moment.

CD: You've written screenplays and novels but not, AFAIK, comics. You're on record as thinking that the comics previously adapted from your work were visually disappointing. You are one of the most visual writers I know, a font of extremely specific and striking visual details -- tell me what it was like to be able to collaborate with drawing-type people who could make visual things happen? How did it compare to screenwriting, how close did it come to your mind's eye, did this scratch some long-felt itch to conjure those visuals up and make them tangible?

WG: Well, previous attempts were well-intentioned, I don’t doubt, but comics have gotten a lot more sophisticated in the meantime.

Maybe because I'm a very visual writer, I don’t actually have any specific urge to see someone else render the things I’ve already seen, myself, in mind’s eye.

That said, the process with IDW was extremely gratifying. The talent and experience of a lot of professionals, all bent toward making this thing right. And budget not an issue, just a question of what could be drawn and fit in available space. You want an atomic explosion, you’ve got it!

CD: You once told me that Neuromancer was optimistic because it only featured a couple of limited nuclear exchanges instead of the holocaust we'd all be expecting. The futures you've written this decade all feature much more grave catastrophes, with much higher death-tolls. Is your optimism (such as it was) waning?

WG: I think I was relatively optimistic then, and remain so, but less so. I’ve never felt that my optimism, such as it was, was particularly logical. Often it felt deliberately quixotic to me.

But I’ve also observed a tendency, over my years as an sf reader, for sf writers of a certain age to give the After Us The Deluge speech, so I promised myself I’d try to be watchful of the onset of that, try to fend it off as best I could. I suspect that when people notice how much of the world they grew up has already ended, it’s quite natural to feel that the world is ending. Because the world one knew quite demonstrably is. But it always has been ending, that way. You can read the ancient Greeks, say, doing it at great length. When younger, though, this sounds like something one can simply choose to avoid, just as old people, to the young, appear to have made some sort of inexplicably terrible decision to become old.

There aren’t many catastrophes in my work, in our traditional cultural sense. There’s the California quake that forms the backstory of the Bridge trilogy, and the somewhat deliberately goofy Singularity that closes it. Otherwise, the catastrophic landscapes are simply human civilization, ongoing. The Peripheral introduced something new, for me, with the idea that our cultural model of catastrophe is still largely one of a uni-causal event of relatively short duration. We are ourselves of relatively short duration as individuals, and thus do we look at the world. Is our widespread use of fossil fuels a single extended catastrophe? Did it become one at some relatively late point? Is our species itself catastrophic (see Sterling’s “Swarm”)? Would it seem so to tigers, could they consider such things, and know that we’re on the brink of bringing about their extinction? I don’t see why it wouldn’t.

It seems to me in retrospect that Ballard’s work had a certain arc, in its employment of catastrophe. Early on, he’d unleash catastrophes of the sort our culture recognizes as such, though with wonderfully poetic results. As he continued, however, the catastrophe became humanity. Not a world made desert, or drowned, but a world made Cannes writ large, and terrible through being the very opposite of deserted.

CD: One place where this catastrophic business wraps around to touch your visual sense is in the cyberpunk aesthetic: for decades, you've been frontrunning the mainstreaming of bohemian subcultures. Archangel features gorgeous, eyeball-kicky sequences in an illegal nightclub in war-torn Berlin, with lots of well-dressed weirdos (there's also a Bowie-esque protagonist in the cast of characters). Today, it's hard to imagine a genuinely underground culture that isn't also something you can buy at the mall, with a few exceptions (e.g. extreme racist alt-right Pepe trolls who have to order their t-shirts off the internet or get them in a flea market). Can you imagine an uncommodifiable futuristic bohemian subculture that today's post-cyberpunks could deploy to make really edgy teens and young people? (Scott Westerfeld suggested that tomorrow's punks might opt for acne in a post-zit world)

WG: I accepted Sterling’s description of bohemias as “the Dreamtime of industrial societies” immediately, but I also took it (and still do) to imply that that might not be true for post-industrial societies. Bohemias were the product, if Sterling was right, of societies in which information was relatively unevenly distributed, specific information being what you needed in order to auto-other yourself into subculture. Roots of “hip”: to know, to be "with it”. A more universal, post-geographical availability of information seriously messes with that, because you don’t need to physically go to Montmartre or the Haight to get with it.

Mr. Baby’s club in Archangel is envisioned as a scaled-up version of what you get when Berlin’s Weimar bohemia becomes a platform for the postwar black market, so imagine it as primarily extra-legal, but staffed in part by pre-war counterculturists.

It’s interesting to consider the Pepe trolls as a subculture, because if they aren’t, why aren’t they? Yesterday a friend showed me a passage from Joshua Green’s book about Steve Bannon, Devil’s Bargain, describing René Guénon as an influence. So I checked out Guénon’s Wiki for the first time. Highly recommend it. Trippy, as we used to say! Guénon was, among other things, a convert to Islam (albeit a raging esotericist along with it, so not just any Islam) and otherwise deep into Egypt. So in the way of things internet I wound up diving his correspondence with Julius Evola, who kept him up to date on what Aleister Crowley was up to, and explained why this Jung character was even more dangerous than Freud. Both these guys, Guénon and Evola, were obviously total hipsters (in the original sense of the term). Subculturalists, unmistakably. With-it dudes. Whatever “it" was.

But then I never felt I truly understood many aspects of what I’d experienced in the countercultural ‘60s until I got a prof at UBC whose central interest was the mass psychology of fascism. Guénon and Evola and, hell, Bannon, come with big deja-vu, that way. Guénon also influenced Andre Breton (doesn’t surprise me). So the Pepe trolls, however distantly, have this weird lineage, which feels countercultural to me. (Is Bannon hip to the Dark Enlightenment?)

Subcultural “cool”, it seems to me, is inherently commodifiable. Subcultures may have pre-dated cool, but I wouldn’t bet on it. There was a countercultural boutique in Greenwich Village in the 1890s, called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the first I know of. Sold the outfit a girl needed to self-other into Village-ness (but she still needed cigarettes, too).

CD: Last question: When I first interviewed you, 20 years ago (!!), we talked about why Japan was a wellspring of cool futurity and China was (in the cyberpunk pantheon, at least), an also-ran. Now, Chinese authors are winning Hugo awards and China is projecting more heavy zaibatsu-style force into more territories (including orbit) than Japan ever dreamed of. In The Peripheral, China is a mysterious, closed technocracy that may or may not be the source of interdimensional semi-time-semi-travel. Now that you've written two more books that circle The Peripheral's future, are you homing in any more on what role China plays in this future you're playing in?

WG: In The Peripheral, I thought of China as a much more sophisticated and advanced species of klept. So that “the” klept, as Netherton thinks of it, comes out of the jackpot controlling everything still habitable that isn’t China. Which has become some sort of super-advanced sphere of its own, with little need of dealing with outsiders. Which gave me this other, unknowable realm, a sci-fi Faerie, where impossible magic can conveniently happen without my having to invent an explanation for it. But that’s not any literal prediction for China. That’s me using China as a plot device.

What I wanted from Japan, when I started writing sf, was that it was Japan. It was wonderful for me that it was Japan during the Bubble, because that slotted perfectly into my being sick of sf futures basically being America. But that was really just another excuse for me to write about Japan. The thing that makes me nuts about Japan, as near as I’ve ever been able to express it, is the way in which all of all their culture, their stuff, seems to be fractal. You can break it down into smaller and smaller bits, and each one is still Japanese. For whatever reason, I’ve never gotten that from China. For me, Japan’s gotten steadily more interesting as that Next Big World Player thing has receded. I don’t want to hang with whoever has the most money and spaceships. I want to hang with whoever has the best shadows, the most exquisitely weird and poetic history of being whacked with alien technology, becoming the first industrialized Asian nation, trying to take over their side of the world, getting nuked for their trouble, and inventing the Walkman. I think it’s probably something like you and Disneyland: I’m just so there.

https://boingboing.net/2017/09/22/the-jackpot.html

[cryptoriawebb]

War for the Planet of the Apes: review

*Captain Kirk voice* “CAEEEEEEEEEEEESERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

There was a lot I loved about this movie. A lot. That isn’t something I say so easily. Especially with trilogies. Over the last couple of years, sequels and “threequels” as they say haven’t have been all over the movie map. Some have leapt levels above their predecessors, while others miss the mark by such length it’s all you can do not to cringe. Still, some hang squarely in the middle, neither good or bad, memorable or forgettable. This is especially true for reboot films: X-men, Star Trek and now Star Wars come to mind. Ironically, all three serve both as reboot-prequels to three iconic franchises. You can argue til the cows come home which of these is more successful (much less which are better in terms of content and characters) and maybe one day I’ll write up my own thoughts: I think it’s pretty obvious who the winner is.

I mean, of course, Planet of the Apes (like I said, one day I’ll do a comparison; that day is not today.) I don’t know how these movies manage to maintain their ongoing success…I mean, I do, but it’s so rare to see in Hollywood these days.  So many movies rely on the same, tired plots, conflict and cardboard character chemistry. More often than not I find myself walking into a sequel on eggshells: will it be good? Will it maintain its predecessor’s pace? Will it exceed my expectations? Will I remain engaged and attached to these characters? This movie checks off every box. Well…most of the boxes, but even so, this is the one trilogy I trust to deliver the same excitement promised in its trailers. I’m honestly awed by that, even all these years later. So many of their predecessors got it wrong: the original sequels, Burton’s remake…how, I wonder, how have they managed to get it right after so long?

(I ask because I’ve lost a lot of faith in Hollywood, not because I don’t understand creative mechanic.)

Right, staying on track—this is about War, not the franchise overall.

I absolutely adored the opening text sequence. Paired with the ambience, it was so subtle and eerie and immediately sucked you into the mood. The lingering words (rise, dawn and war) didn’t feel corny or excessively enforced, either. Actually, the summaries themselves remained on screen long enough to read through without rushing—I would know, I rushed through the last segment fearing it would fade before I finished. It didn’t, so shout out to the editor.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of opening a movie with battle sequences but it works very well for this setting and storyline, especially given how the last one ended. It didn’t last too long either. In my opinion, fight scenes and battle sequences should be like cinnamon to French toast: included to enhance the flavor without overpowering it.  I will say it took me a little while to figure out why there were apes fighting on the human side but that’s probably because I haven’t seen the previous film in some time. I really liked the whole ‘donkey’ concept, too…although ‘like’ isn’t the right word. Sad, maybe, to see how these traitors chose to survive and knowing despite what they’ve been told they likely won’t be spared.

That’s an odd thing about this movie: yes there were a few standard Hollywood plots but the way they were presented prevented them from feeling stale. To watch Caesar struggle with the death of his wife and son, this empathic leader who never wanted war…it’s so different from watching, say, Magneto give in to heartache, or Logan, or Spock in the new Star Trek films. Caesar carries himself with a different weariness, one that isn’t guarded or hesitant and mistrusting. He’s a different kind of survivor, a leader aware of his importance without letting it go to his head. He’s good. Genuinely good and despite the biblical parallels circulating these movies that goodness feels grounded, tangible and vulnerable. Capable of wavering if pushed too far…yet even when it was, it never shattered completely. I felt I could see the conflict swarming him throughout this movie: that part blinded by rage and grief that seemed to give up on everything but revenge, and that goodness that kept him going, kept him from falling completely into self-centered destruction.  I’m in awe of Andy Serkis; each time he takes on Caesar his performances get better and better. While I must confess there were a few times I felt the camera lingered a little too long on his face (which of course isn’t his fault), he never wavered, and gotta throw a shout out to the visual effects department because they outdid themselves again. We might still live in an era where CGI characters look distinctly computerized, but technology has come a very long way, and each year past closes that gap a little more.

Maurice definitely came into his own as well. He was starting to in the last movie, from what I remember, but here I really felt like I learned who he was as an individual. Like Caesar, he too, possessed an emotional heart, yet more rational and empathetic, able to maintain a neutral outlook when needed. Doing this helped highlight Caesar’s diminishing ability to do so as time went on, and while, again, it brought up points used often in films, it worked without feeling tired. The more I think about it, the more I realize these tropes actually help this budding world: a second civilization rising to prominence, dealing with self-doubt and personal loss and shaken loyalty—humans have dealt with for centuries. I adored his relationship with Nova. It reminded me a little bit of Zira and Taylor from the first film, although with far less strain and a lot more trust. It’s both sweet and sad, knowing where the relationship with apes and humans will ultimately go—where it’s heading already. On a slight side note, part of me worried Maurice would die; I’m glad he didn’t, he’s always been one of my favorite side characters.

Speaking of Nova, I’m super curious about her character and possible future development. I’ve heard more films are in the works, I’m just not sure how far ahead they’ll jump. I hope not too far. I want to see this new civilization before we launch to Charleton Heston’s time, and like I said, I want to see what happens to Nova. Will she regress into a primitive state? I’m not sure how long Nova lost her voice before the apes found her. The Colonel devolved so quickly part of me wonders if Nova might be some kind of exception. If not, then she’ll probably become the first example of apes coexisting with animalistic humans.

I’d also like to see what happens to Cornelius. One thing I can’t tell about these films: if these names (Bright Eyes, Nova, Cornelius) are designed as a throwback favor to fans or if these characters are meant to grow into the ones we see in the original movie, however closer to modern time it is. Maybe their significance are important to characters and become popular and circulated in their society centuries after their original use…I hope the former is true, only because this new world is a little more interesting than the popular 1960s “NUCLEAR WAR DESTROYED ALL THE THINGS” post-apocalyptic settings.

I think if there’s any character I’m iffy on, it’s Bad Ape. You know, the hermit who learned to speak while living in a zoo. I did find the outsider angle interesting—we really don’t know how apes in other parts of the world have evolved since the Simian Flu outbreak. I also loved the nod to their future society’s uniforms (which I initially didn’t catch; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the first film.) I just wasn’t sold on the humor. It felt very out of place in an otherwise intense movie. I kept getting a “Disney dopey sidekick” vibe from his antics—added to lighten a mood I don’t believe needed lightening. I mean, it wasn’t so jarring it completely severed the tone, just nudged at it, created a small ripple and I didn’t particularly like it. I liked Bad Ape as a character, though. His past, like I said, made him unique and an outsider in different ways than Koba’s followers. He and Nova both stand as interesting parallels: she can’t speak but understands (at least somewhat) sign language, while Bad Ape doesn’t understand it but can speak almost as well as Caesar.

As far as characters go, I think the Colonel is the last one worth nothing. I only vaguely remember Rocket from the last film and I have no recollection of Luca or Winter. Blue Eyes, I had hoped, would play a larger role, given his significance in the last film, but I suppose his character arc could only go so far without fading to the background or losing someone close to him…at least in the Hollywood handbook. Even for a franchise like this one. Although the love interest, side note, I kinda felt was shoe-horned in there. I realize two years have passed, but it’s hard to engage in so short-lived a relationship, on-screen.   There was one soldier I took interest in, too, the survivor at the beginning of the film. What was his name, Preacher? I thought he’d play a larger role, apart from the wary observer. Perhaps that’s all he needed to be. Either way, I’d have liked to see more development.

I’d like to go back to the Colonel again: he, too, followed the same “similar yet different” pattern the rest of the characters maintained. I’ve seen a lot of movies over the years, and ‘General Badass who believes the different species is expendable’ is no stranger to the silver screen (Avatar, anyone?) I almost wrote him off, during that scene he spoke with Caesar. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s cardboard villains (alright there are a lot of things I can’t stand but this really irritates me.) Imagine my surprise when I learned the intent of his to-be wall. He wasn’t the commanding force of all or most survivors at all, but rather the boxed in outsider trying to survive. I don’t agree with his methods of course, much less the treatment and execution of his men but it was interesting, from that sort of psychological perspective: how far fear will push someone. Fight or flight and all that.

His final scene with Caesar broke my heart. I knew what had happened of course—admittedly not as early as I’m sure others did but certainly from “where the hell is he?” I also admit I thought he was going to use his remaining humanity to kill Caesar (both at first and then when Caesar put his gun down.) Begging for death and killing himself spoke more of his own humanity, and I use that term in reference to the humanness in him, rather than compassion towards others. The tight shots of their faces didn’t help. Part of me wonders if that was intentional, beyond capturing the emotion. I believe it was the Colonel who noted that Caesar’s eyes were almost human: in those final scenes, the eyes were front and center and you could see the almost animalistic terror in the Colonel’s, while tortured conflict filled Caesar’s. I still maintain the close-ups lingered too long but it was an interesting contrast nonetheless.

I’m not sure how I feel about the Simian flu reverting people to animalistic creatures. It’s certainly an interesting take, but it almost feels like a plot device, as opposed to regressing naturally which I believe happened in the original film? The more I consider it the more I wonder if these reboot prequels will shorten the distance between present day and ‘Planet of the Apes.’ Instead of, what was it, two thousand years, crunch it down to two hundred, if that. This does, admittedly, heighten the horror, and I do like that…but I also like my continuity (ignoring the original disastrous sequels.) I guess we’ll see what happens.

Let’s see, what else…

I took particular note of the score, something I don’t always do. One of those things where, at least in my case, it tends to weave its way through the brain as part of the mood, subconsciously. Rarely does a score jump out at me unless it’s either unusual (Tron Legacy, for example) or I make a point to listen. I’m not sure what about the music stood out to me, this time around. I will say now that I have noticed I found the choice for the more humorous elements worked—not too subtle, not too loud or excessive—but still felt a little out of place.

The set design, too, I feel worth mentioning. While I haven’t watched any behind the scenes I’m assuming it was, in large part, computer-generated. I tend to be partial towards practical sets; it speaks to the creative individual in me, always marveling over how it manifests in others. That isn’t to say I didn’t appreciate them as they were, especially as someone with a fascination towards abandoned buildings. The gift shop stands out as my favorite of the ‘human’ sets, although my favorite overall has to be the ape society before the ambush. Not only did I love the design, but found it practical and appropriate for the skills developed by the apes since the flu broke out; still primates, but more and more human with each day gone by. It’s amazing and fascinating to see how they’ve developed and knowing where they’re ultimately headed.

I think the last thing I want to mention is Caesar’s death. I thought Blue Eyes said the distance from their home to the desert was a long one…I realize since then they resumed their journey from a different location, but I find it a bit odd Caesar managed to survive with a bleeding wound. If their new home is far enough away from human life, how far did they have to go from the facility? It really is just a minor quibble I have; I wouldn’t have had him go any other way. I’m going to miss him though. Caesar and his journey are half the reason I enjoyed these films, he’s such a compelling character. I hope whatever comes next can hold together without him.

All in all, really liked this movie, would definitely recommend. I think the first two were better, but I was far from disappointed. RIP Caesar, I’ll miss you.

[thebookbeard-blog]

December is for Star Wars.

At least that's what I decided at the end of 2015 after watching The Force Awakens, a movie that re-kindled a love and passion that had been dormant since my teenage years. I went back to the theater three more times. I left each showing feeling like a kid, in the best of ways. I was, at almost thirty years old, Star Wars trash once again -- a label that I happily and readily accepted. I began to consume more SW-related pop culture. I started watching Star Wars Rebels, which in time I came to realize captures the spirit of the original trilogy better than almost anything else. I started reading some of the comics being put out by Marvel at the time, chiefly Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader run, a brilliant piece of storytelling on its own. Then I started to explore some of the books set in the Star Wars universe. 

The trash of the thing.

The first SW book I ever read was Claudia Gray's Lost Stars. My expectations were low: Star Wars is such a visually rich setting, after all, and I had doubts as to how well it would translate to the written word. If anything, I only expected a fun romp through the Star Wars universe. I certainly didn't expect it to be an arresting and heart-wrenching piece of fiction. But it turned out to be both. I loved it enough that it was the first book I picked as a favorite read for last year. And I loved Gray's writing enough that I would eagerly pick up whatever she wrote for the expanded universe next. The fact that this happened to be a story that focused on Leia increased my interested only by a hell of a lot.

Bloodline features and older, wiser, slightly weary Leia, still serving in her function as a Senator for the New Republic. At the beginning of the story, tired of all the ceremony and hypocrisy of politics, she's determined to retire from it all, but not before engaging in one last diplomatic mission which she hopes will do some actual, genuine good for the galaxy -- not to mention serve as one final adventure. That this adventure should prove to uncover a vast and deep conspiracy that threatens not only her personal safety and reputation but the fate of the entire galaxy should really come as no big surprise -- this is a Star Wars story, after all.

Gray's portrayal of Leia is beautifully nuanced, and balances the political and personal aspects of the character with grace and aplomb. This is a Leia that is a brilliant and savvy politician, as well as a bad-ass who knows how to handle a blaster and is ready to throw down at a moment’s notice.

Leia lifted her blaster, losing her sights on Rinnrivin’s guard — and targeting the central strut of the tunnel support directly overhead. One bolt held the entire thing together. That bolt was no larger than a child’s fist. At this range, in semi-darkness, perhaps one shot in a thousand might be capable of destroying that bolt. But Leia made the shot.

In short, the very same Leia that we all know and love. The same Leia that the late, great Carrie Fisher brought to life. Gray's capable prose does her more than enough justice.

The story is made all the more interesting by the fact that it deals heavily with politics, something that the prequels tried to do with very mixed and muddy results. It’s one of the more fascinating aspects in Bloodline however, and the intrigue and West Wing-like drama of it all carries the story through. That the political landscape of the novel happens to look very much like our own just adds a more surreal and slightly ominous layer to it all. 

Gray has gone on record to say that Bloodline wasn’t written as commentary, but it's pretty hard, especially after the events of last November, not to view the story as a reflection of our current reality. Part of the reason that Leia wants to retire has to do with the Senate devolving into a two-party system -- parties that are themselves fragmented into conflicting fractions. She laments how "every debate on the Senate floor turns into an endless argument over ‘tone’ or ‘form’ and never about issues of substance." And try to read this bit of dialogue and tell me it doesn't sound like something you’d find on a recent think piece.

“Surely you won’t deny the New Republic is committing mistakes of its own.”

“Not the evils of tyranny and control.”

“No. The evils of absence and neglect.”

And, of course, there’s the now viral quote at the close of the book that has gained new relevance in light of yesterday's marches:

“The sun is setting on the New Republic," Leia said. "It's time for the Resistance to rise.”

Indeed. 

Bloodline is both a brilliant character portrait and relevant social commentary. Claudia Gray can write Star Wars like no other and I will read anything she writes in this universe.

After dealing with the heady but heavy themes of Bloodline however, I figured I was due some for some warmth and comfort. At which point I usually turn to a Rainbow Rowell book.

I love Rainbow Rowell. I love her quirky and clever and passionate writing (if there was a book equivalent to Gilmore Girls, it would be a Rowell book). I love her amazing and uncanny ability to make you fall for a character in almost no time at all.

This same talent is brilliantly showcased in Kindred Spirits, a slim novella that, over the course of sixty-two pages, manages to have more character development than most sprawling, brick-sized novels.

It's an unfair gift, really.

This is a story about three Star Wars geeks camping out in desolate line in front of an Omaha theater for the premiere of The Force Awakens. It is lovely, and it is charming, and it is so wonderful. I finished the story in one sitting, desperately wishing there was a full-length novel featuring these characters that I could immediately pick up. Heartwarming and beautiful.

And so December rolled around once more, and with it another Star Wars film, because Disney will never be stopped.

But of course I loved almost everything about Rogue One: I loved its beautiful and beautifully diverse cast, I loved its relentless and brutal pace, I even dug its CGI missteps. It's a dark, dark film, to be sure, but it also seems very apt and timely. Rebellions are built on hope, etc.

I picked up the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization by Alexander Freed because I kept coming across good reviews. I was skeptical -- I had tried to read Alan Dean Foster's adaptation of The Force Awakens and found the writing style so tedious that I couldn't get past the first chapter. Thankfully though Freed doesn't seem to suffer from this: his writing style is relatively spartan and straightforward, which serves this kind of story well. Even so I was still very much surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this, and even more surprised at how much more depth it managed to add to the story. 

One of the main criticisms about the film is that we don't spend enough individual time with the characters too feel much of anything when they meet their ultimate fate. Which is fair: movie's are all about the external after all, whereas in books and comics you can delve more into the character's feelings and motivations -- literally get inside their heads. This is what Freed does in the novelization, and to great effect. We get so many details regarding each character's background, personality, and motivation.

Cassian stashed his paranoia in the back of his brain -- out of the way but within easy reach.

Jyn knew the sounds of occupation well. They were the sounds of home.

Baze did not limit his targets to those who might spot the blind man, but he kept Chirrut under observation nonetheless; where the Force would fail Chirrut, Baze would not.

And it does affect how you feel about the characters as the plot happens to them. This is made most evident in K-2SO's final scene, an already heartbreaking moment in the film, but here Freed adds one last final touch that makes is all the more tragic and all the more beautiful. Totally evil stuff, but good nonetheless.

This device isn't limited to the characters either: for the more technical aspects of the plot we get things like communiques and log entries interspersed throughout the story, and they are also used to great effect. In a particularly brilliant entry, we get to find out just how Galen Erso, with the help of sheer bureaucratic nonsense, ensures the flaw he engineered in the Death Star reactor remains in place. A detail that is both morbidly hilarious and also incredibly realistic.

I do think that one of the things that makes the movie such a visceral experience gets totally lost in the translation, however, and that is much of the action. Freed does a serviceable job, but the action still very much slows down and lack urgency and tension. Darth Vader’s big scene is an absolute show-stopper in the movie, for example, whereas here it reads as very much anticlimactic. 

But that is admittedly a minor criticism that applies mostly to the third act, and I do think that the material and information that was added to the story more than makes up for it.

Highly recommend reading this before you watch Rogue One for the eight time.

It was raining. It didn’t rain in L.A. It was raining in L.A. and I was Princess Leia. I had never been Princess Leia before and now I would be her forever. I would never not be Princess Leia.

And then there's Carrie. Oh Carrie.

December was a particularly tough month in a particularly tough year. Too many artists I admired passed away, and then halfway through December I went a personal loss that left me dazed and numb. Then Carrie Fisher died, and it all struck me as once, and I was just sad for a long while.

I had downloaded The Princess Diarist shortly after finishing the Rogue One novelization. It seemed like an appropriate follow up, and I've been meaning to read Fisher's stuff for years anyway. It stayed unread on my tablet for a bit (the aforementioned personal loss took any desire I had to read much), but I picked it up immediately after learning of Carrie's death. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

The Princess Diarist is about Fisher looking back on diary entries she had penned in the late seventies, during the filming of Star Wars. It's a meditation on fame and growing up in Hollywood and being young and growing old. It's a wonderful read. Raunchy and hilarious and clever; whimsical and melancholy. Brutally honest and full of life truths. I highlighted a great many passages:

The crew was mostly men. That’s how it was and that’s pretty much how it still is. It’s a man’s world and show business is a man’s meal, with women generously sprinkled through it like overqualified spice.

I looked at her aghast, with much like the expression I used when shown the sketches of the metal bikini. The one I wore to kill Jabba (my favorite moment in my own personal film history), which I highly recommend your doing: find an equivalent of killing a giant space slug in your head and celebrate that.

Back then I was always looking ahead to who I wanted to be versus who I didn’t realize I already was, and the wished-for me was most likely based on who other people seemed to be and the desire to have the same effect on others that they had had on me.

I don’t just want you to like me, I want to be one of the most joy-inducing human beings that you’ve ever encountered. I want to explode on your night sky like fireworks at midnight on New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong.

Because what can you do with people that like you, except, of course, inevitably disappoint them?

I wish that I could leave myself alone. I wish that I could finally feel that I punished myself enough. That I deserved time off for all my bad behavior. Let myself off the hook, drag myself off the rack where I am both torturer and torturee.

I was sitting by myself the other night doing the usual things one does when spending time alone with yourselves. You know, making mountains out of molehills, hiking up to the top of the mountains, having a Hostess Twinkie and then throwing myself off the mountain. Stuff like that.

Trying relentlessly to make you love me, but I don’t want the love -- I quite prefer the quest for it. The challenge. I am always disappointed with someone who loves me -- how perfect can he be if he can’t see through me?

I call people sometimes hoping not only that they’ll verify the fact that I’m alive but that they’ll also, however indirectly, convince me that being alive is an appropriate state for me to be in.

I had feelings for him (at least five, but sometimes as many as seven).

Time shifts and your pity enables you to turn what was once, decades ago, an ordinary sort of pain or hurt, complicated by embarrassing self-pity, into what is now only a humiliating tale that you can share with others because, after almost four decades, it’s all in the past and who gives a shit?

This is a joy of a book, but it still made me sad. Sad that I never got to read and appreciate her written work while she was alive. Sad because the beautiful gem of a person who wrote these true beautiful things was now gone, drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra, and we'll never, ever see her like again.

“Carrie?” he asked. I knew my name. So I let him know I knew it. “Yeah,” I said in a voice very like mine.

Good night, Space Momma. Thank you for you voice. Thank you for being so unabashedly you.