#my evil plots are IMMACULATE

[virune]

Oh oh story prompt!

"After a rather long day, two very tired hedgehogs find out they've been sharing a secret resting place"? Hope that makes sense, just two hedgehogs being like "oi this is my isolated sleepy spot-" LMAO

Sonic was bone-tired.

Eggman had really pulled out all the stops today. Droves upon droves of badniks, all powered by a chaos emerald that the doctor had somehow managed to get his mitts on. Then, if that weren't bad enough, he'd even brought Metal Sonic along with him, if only to add insult to injury.

It was all over now, at least: with the help of his friends - Tails' smarts, Amy's perseverance, Knuckles' strength, and Rouge's cunning, the doctor's evil plot had been sufficiently brought to an end, one destroyed badnik at a time.

"Wasn't expecting you to join the party, Rouge," Sonic had told the bat, smiling at her as she dusted off her immaculate clothes.

"Well, let's just say I happened to be in the area." Rouge's replies always seemed to be intentionally cryptic, Sonic noticed. "And besides, any chance I have to knock that rotten doctor down a peg, I'll take. He's a nuisance for all of us."

"Hah! Can't argue with that." Sonic rubbed his arm, and then reached out a hand just as Rouge was about to fly off. "Wait! I - can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Big Blue." There was a twinkle in the bat's eye, one that Sonic only usually saw when Shadow was nearby. Speaking of which…

"How come Shadow wasn't with you? Is he… on a mission?"

"That's right." Rouge's eyes seemed to glitter even more, as though she could sense his disappointment. "Very important business. I'm sure you understand."

Sonic offered a smile. "Yeah."

"Why, were you hoping to see him?"

"What - I - no! I was just curious! You two are friends, aren't you?"

Rouge's hand found a place on her hip, pinning Sonic in place with a gaze that seemed to be able to find anything it ever searched for. She had always been so incredibly perceptive - especially when it came to Sonic's little… crush.

"Of course," she said, her voice smooth and nonchalant. It made his fur stand on end. "Don't sweat it, hon. I'm sure you'll get to see him soon."

Before Sonic could babble out a flustered reply, Rouge took off at last, disappearing into the darkening sky.

Wow, was it that late already? Despite his frazzled nerves, Sonic found himself feeling tired, mouth stretching open into a generous yawn. Well, since Eggman had been taken care of, surely it couldn't hurt to grab some shut-eye.

Luckily for him, he knew a nice little spot. Somewhere quiet and undisturbed. And it wasn't too far from here - at least, not at the speed he was capable of.

And so, with a final wave goodbye to his friends, Sonic vanished up the mountain in a cobalt blue streak.

---

Someone was in his spot.

Even from up on the bank, Sonic couldn't miss the orange glow coming from the cabin windows, nor the smoke billowing from the chimney. It was getting darker still, and somebody had stumbled upon this place and made it their own.

But who?

This old cabin had been left, seemingly abandoned, up on a mountain. Surely nobody could find it under normal means. Sonic himself only found the cabin because he'd decided to take a detour from his usual running path, winding up the mountain until he was pushing open the door to look inside.

It was a nice little cabin, too. Nobody came back to claim it so Sonic decided to… well, make it his own little place, so to speak. He didn't have any qualms sleeping outside, but sometimes curling up in front of a warm fire was nice too. So what if he wanted to indulge himself from time to time? He thought he'd earned that at least, saving the world as often as he did, and as he continued to do.

So to discover that someone else had snuck in while he'd been distracted made him a little annoyed.

He didn't want to just barge in the front door - after all, if they were capable of scaling the mountain, Sonic couldn't underestimate whoever was inside. Was it Eggman? Had he found the cabin somehow? Had he followed Sonic there and set up a trap?

Whatever the case, Sonic had to be ready for a fight.

He approached as quietly as he could; stealth was never his forte, but if he wanted the upper hand, then he needed to be delicate. After all, he'd hate for his beloved cabin to get destroyed in an altercation. Maybe he could take down the intruder swiftly, or find some way to lure them out before they fought. Keeping the cabin intact was his main priority.

Sonic went to peek through the window, but he grit his teeth with some irritation to find that the curtains had been pulled shut. Damn. What now? The front door lacked any windows or mail slot. How could he get inside without being noticed?

He saw it then. On the second floor. An open window.

Hah! Had the intruder completely forgotten to close it? Sonic took a couple steps back and gauged the distance - he could probably climb up. A running jump would be too noisy. So, giving himself a moment to stretch, he braced himself against the bricks and began to ascend.

His fingers hurt, digging deep in the crevices between each brick, but he pushed on. The window was inches away now. He pushed himself up, brushing the windowsill with his fingertips and hoisting his body up. Slowly, silently, Sonic climbed through and into the bathroom.

It was dark. But it was also empty. A good sign. That meant he hadn't been caught yet. He closed the bathroom window behind him before he tried the door handle, opening it as carefully as he could to avoid making any sound. It was so uncharacteristic of Sonic to move this slowly, but he tried his best, because his favourite sleeping spot was in jeopardy.

He tiptoed along the carpet at the top of the stairs and peeked down over the railing to see if he could spot anything. The glow was brighter from here and he realised it was coming from the hearth in the living room. Someone was using up all the firewood! Oh, the nerve. If they weren't dangerous, maybe Sonic could convince them to leave.

The first step creaked under his weight and Sonic froze, expecting alarm bells to sound off, expecting a trap to spring, expecting badniks to swarm him. Anything. Instead, nothing happened. The fire crackled. The peace continued on.

OK, well, he wasn't in trouble yet. He still had time to figure out who the intruder was. Taking a deep breath, Sonic made his way down the rest of the stairs. He was standing near the doorway now. The living room was just around the corner. He could see the shadows of a figure dancing on the opposite wall; whoever they were, they'd made themselves pretty comfortable on the sofa.

Sonic squinted his eyes. As he focused harder, he realised that the silhouette looked vaguely familiar. They weren't moving - were they asleep? - but he couldn't deny that the stranger seemed to have quills that turned upwards at the end in a way that was so distinct, so unnatural for a hedgehog to have.

He inhaled again, and he caught the unmistakable scent of lavender in his nose.

It couldn't be.

He turned the corner at last.

"You!"

Shadow jolted upright, the book he'd apparently been engrossed in falling from his lap and thudding against the floor. His red eyes met Sonic's, burning brightly against the glow of the fire.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Shadow asked.

"What am I - what are you?" Sonic cried, incredulous. "This is my cabin!"

Shadow removed the green woollen blanket from his legs to stand up. "Don't be ridiculous. I found this cabin months ago."

Sonic balked. That couldn't be right. He found the cabin. He'd been coming here regularly for weeks - months, even!

"I don't understand. This is my favourite sleeping spot. I didn't think anyone else knew about this place…"

Shadow retrieved his book from the floor, dog-earing the page he was on and sitting back down. "That makes two of us."

"So, spill. How often do you come here?"

"Couple times a month. When I have a moment."

"So do I." Sonic stepped closer. "Listen, I had to deal with Eggman today. Rouge was there. Where were you?"

"Elsewhere," was all Shadow answered.

Sonic clenched his fists. He was always happy to see Shadow, although he'd never admit it, but he wasn't happy about this new discovery.

"Alright, well. I'm pretty tired, and I wanted to rest here tonight…"

Shadow stared at him. "So?"

"So!" Sonic fumbled, gesturing vaguely to the door. "Leave! So I can relax."

Instead of leaving, Shadow tilted his head to the side. "Why don't we both just stay here? I'm willing to tolerate it, if it's all the same to you."

Sonic's mouth snapped shut. His face was warm, and not because of the fire. Absolutely not. There's no way he could relax with Shadow, of all people, around. Especially not in such a… comfortable, domestic setting. It was too much for him. He'd rather run a hundred laps through a blizzard than cope with his stupid feelings.

A hand patted the empty spot on the sofa, breaking Sonic from his thoughts.

"Sit. I want to finish this chapter."

Sonic frowned, willing his heart to stop racing. He eased himself onto the sofa next to Shadow, staring straight ahead. For some reason he was afraid to look. Shadow was much too close.

"Rouge recommended this book to me." Shadow's voice was soft and deep and it all but made Sonic nearly jump out of his pelt. "I'm about halfway through now. She expects to hear my thoughts on it."

"Oh?" Sonic dared to look, then, if only because Shadow's attention was directed down at the book in his hands. He scooted closer, just a fraction, to see what the writing was like. The scent of lavender was much stronger now. "Is it good?"

"I'm enjoying it," Shadow admitted. Sonic caught the ghost of a smile on Shadow's face and decided that he liked it, and would very much like to see Shadow smile more often.

"Good," was all Sonic could say, quite hopelessly, as he willed himself to relax into the sofa cushion. His eyes drifted closed for just a moment, exhaustion setting in as he basked in the soothing warmth.

"Let's agree that this cabin is off-limits for fighting," Shadow said. His eyes didn't leave the book, but Sonic wasn't so sure he was actually reading anymore. "It's too nice to ruin."

Sonic's mouth suddenly felt dry, but he worked hard to get his voice back. "Y-yeah," he stammered out, feeling like an idiot. "I don't think either of us will wanna give it up, right?"

Shadow hummed in agreement. "We'll just have to compromise. That means sharing."

"Sharing," Sonic confirmed. Despite himself, he found himself smiling at the idea.

Basked in the firelight, he snuggled just a bit closer to Shadow, whose body was as warm as the fire. He could probably get used to this, he reckoned.

Before he knew it, Sonic fell asleep to the scent of lavender and an arm around his waist.

[alisonthedeluluisback]

Rating movies about nazi germany I have watched

First of all, I want to make it clear that this isn't a professional review, it's only my opinion

I liked the proposal of the story being centered around a nazi family and the younger boy befriending a jew, but all of that goes down the drain due to the multiple historical inaccuracies: the children learned about nazism very early, so there is no way bruno would have been that innocent. Also, concentration camps wasn't of that much easy access. The appeal to emotion instead of actually building a deep plot also sucks. 5/10

I absolutely adored this movie, the plot is so deep, the construction around the persecution of Liesel's parents, her relationship with her adoptive parents, the brotherhood she had with the jew hiding in their house, her tough but sweet personality, her desire for knowledge. It was all so beautifully orchestrated, and also the historical accuracy>>>>>> 10/10

This movie will always be a classic for me. The way they portrayed nazis as they were, human, vulnerable, with a distorted view of the world but still seeking what they thought was the best. How they went deep down into the life in the bunker, the despair and hopelessness they felt. Also, the way they portrayed Eva Braun>>>> how she tried to sugarcoat everything not to suffer, how she threw parties in the hallway of death, how even in a desperate situation the greatest joy of her life was to marry the terrible man she fell in love with and was blindly loyal too. Everything is so heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Also, the historical accuracy is just a delight. 1000/10

This is a true punch in the gut. The terrible way he lost his family, the inhuman life he lived in the guetto, his part in the warsaw guetto riot, how he kept his beautiful talent immaculate till the end, when he lost the love of his life and had to see her married, the hunger, mistreating and fear that were a part of his daily life, his brave survival. Everything about this movie is truly sad. 9/10

I won't even talk much about this one. I start it laughing and finished it on the verge of crying. It is funny, heartbreaking, the perfect mix between comedy and tragedy, the true definition of bittersweetness. 100/10

Following the same road of the last one, there's this piece of art. It had everything to go wrong, but it went beautifully. They made something outrageous turn out funny without being offensive, and yet made a deep, tragic and beautiful story. The underlying romance between that ex-soldier and his assistant, the way jojo changed his mentality gradually, and his absurd view of hitler. It was surprisingly very historically accurate, but Im still confused about: how was jojo not sent to an orphanage after his mother died? How did he survive on his own? Anyways, this was a negative point for me, but still love it. 50/10

Okay, I absolutely love this one, but hate to death how they slipped over such simple aspects, like Hitler's personality. They made him hit a dog when in fact he defended animal's rights, they made him not give a shit about his mom being ill when in fact he loved her dearly. They changed his personality to make him seem even more evil. But, I also have plenty of positive points to talk about. I rarely see movies portraying Hitler's early life the way this one did, and how he ascended gradually to power. I love this miniseries deeply for getting into details about his whole life. They even aborded his abusive relationship with his niece. I can almost forgive the outrageous innacuracy with the characters and the altering of some details (how he earned his iron cross, how he met eva braun, how he treated fuschl), and I love it despite its defects. It also has some iconic scene: the bar fight, the munich beer hall putch, the trial. I wish I could give a 1000/10, but because of its innacuracies im giving it a 500/10

Nazis getting brutally slaughtered. Do I really have to say anything else? Also, Hans Landa>>>>>>>> ∞/10

[fruitsofhell]

I'm actually lowkey embarrassed that dissidia post got the attention that it did cause it's easily like, the lowest intellectual effort post I've ever made dbjdjf, so here's the follow up unhinged rant going over what I love about Kuja in Dissidia Duodecim.

Like I was saying, his writing in Duodecim is AMAZING, like everytime I think about it it blows my socks off. It would be so easy if just the whole game he was the Kuja he was during the plot of FF9, shallow, flamboyant, and callous, but they decided to pick up with his arc from the ending! Which is what I like to see in a spinoff like this, not just a rehash of old stuff but a continuation, a reiteration. And doing that also shows great grasp of what his character's about. Dissidia pulls from every mainline Final Fantasy game and isn't shy of the fact that not every game has the most complex villain. I often see Kuja too considered to be just a fun purely evil villain instead of someone with more meat on his narrative bones, which is insulting to me. Kuja isn't motivated by some deep darkness in his soul or a craving for violence and suffering like some other villains, all his actions were motivated by one thing, which was wanting to prove to his creator that he could create his own purpose and worth. It just happens that because he's insane, his methods to this is mass-murder and regicide. He loved life, and Gaian culture, and having a purpose, which is why he has those two massive changes of heart by the end, and is left feeling empty. The life he loved is ending, he scarred the planet that he loved, and the entire narrative he built for himself was null, its just over for him.

And that's where Dissidia picks up, because it understands that Kuja is not a being of darkness nor much of a sadist, he's just a guy who loved theatrics but had that beaten out of him by existential dread and now doesn't want to live anymore. And the only thing that would've given him any reason to live after his defeat, his brother - who was with him till the end and likely the only person from his world who doesn't want to kill him anymore - HAD HIS FUCKING MEMORIES ERASED. So what does Kuja do? He follows Zidane around and tries to help him, because like, literally he's just that grateful to him. Like??? That part's really important to me, cause it would be really easy to assume Kuja was bitter during his defeat, given his actions and apparent shallowness. But this game is SMARTER than that, and it understands that Kuja wasn't angry anymore, he was just empty and still deeply nihilistic. But actually given an opportunity to try again, he sticks to Zidane. Despite there no longer being an external incentive, AND ACTUALLY DESPITE FORCES WORKING AGAINST HIM. Like Kuja was placed on the Chaos side, surrounded by a sea of fellow villains who could produce all the bravado and destruction he used to enjoy, but he was so genuinely disillusioned with that afterwards, he goes out of his way to do right. Despite threat of annihilation by his peers and heroes he was trying to help! LIKE THE GAME GETS THAT HE ISNT JUST EVIL????? IT GETS THAT HE ISN'T JUST A SHALLOW SADIST????? It's fucking heaven-sent.

OH MAN AND THEN HIS INTERACTIONS BEYOND JUST ZIDANE! That interaction he has with Cloud is one of my favorite things ever, it's just fucking rich with characterization for him. And then you have him freeing Terra from her spell because, can you believe it guys, he felt honest to god sympathy and compassion!! Insanity!! And then that leads to his relationship with Kefka which is immaculate! Everything about their relationship helps reiterate Kuja's helplessness as a character and villain, and just makes me fucking DESPISE Kefka. But in the fun intentional way. He's such an abusive, manipulative asshole to him, and it stings like hell to see Kuja once again end up as someone else's pawn BECAUSE HE WAS WILLING TO SPARE ANOTHER FROM THAT FATE. Like it's horrible for him, but it deepens his redemption.

Ok, and last thing is his VOICE!!!!! JD CULLUM!!! JD Cullum, I owe you my life, your Kuja is so delightful! It's just perfect. It has this androgynous softness to it, he switches between the theatrical and honest lines perfectly, and he sounds annoying!! That part is so important to me, if Kuja had a generic sexy villain man voice I'd be so disappointed, but like have you heard him in NT? I don't know why he sounds so happy in that game (I think Zidane has his memories in that one...) but you can hear his stupid little smile behind some of those passive-aggressive one-liners, it's the best! I have Dissidia Duodecim emulated on my PC just for Kuja's lines.

Final Fantasy 9 is criminally underloved by Square, and Kuja as beloved as he is is so often misunderstood and mischaracterized by fans. Dissidia being the only other piece of official media he has a role in and getting it THIS RIGHT brings a tear to my eye. The game in general is just really above average for a silly crossover fighting game, I can't speak for the writing of every character, but I know my Sephiroth friend has moments from that game that give them psychic damage (/positive). And for me, the Kuja Guy, it gives me plenty as well. But also some negative psychic damage cause why tf does he look like that.

[winterwhisperz-blog]

ALR

I’ve already exhausted the ears of anyone who listens to me with rambles of Touchstarved—and I fear if I bring it up again to them I’ll be taken to the gallows

So I’m taking my ranting to the actual fandom and in hopes I’ll be quiet after I actually type out my thoughts <33

SO

Buckle up I’ve got a lot to say

First tho: these rambles do have some spoilers for The Arcana and Last Legacy and of course— the demo for Touchstarved so bE WARNED

Ahem ahem

Ramble number 1 🤺

First off- IM JUST SO GENERALLY HYPED FOR THE FULL STORY

Like I love romance and all— BUT THE ACTUAL PLOT??

It’s just so intriguing to me

I’m so excited to see what the full on plot is going to be—

Like take The Arcana and Last Legacy for example

Us, as MC, are a magician’s apprentice with years of lost memories, tasked with the responsibility of solving the dead count’s death. Doing so in the timeframe of a masquerade that the Devil arcana crashes, presenting his idea of merging realms—with him as ruler.

Then in Last Legacy

We’re a human from earth that gets transported to a recovering magical world that was only a game back home. Come to find out an old evil is slowly resurfacing—

LIKE BOTH ARE SO COOL

So what is the full story of Touchstarved gonna be? ?

I’m assuming it’s a longer game than the previously mentioned, so I just- GAHHHHH

I can’t wait

I also wonder how much of a center piece Touchstarved MC is gonna be

Like what is gonna be our role? Why are we important to the overall plot of the entire game?

We already know why we’re important to our own story—duh. UHH lemme articulate this-

Like MC’s story is clear in the demo, we’re cursed with hands that corrupts whoever we touch—and we’ve come to the dangerous city of Eridia to find a cure. But I can’t WAIT to find out how that ties in with everything else.

Like how does our curse connect us to the LIs? To Eridia? To everything?

How much of a role does MC really play?

Like in Arcana, we aren’t just the one given the job of solving a murder, but we’re also the one with powers that can rival the Devil’s. We’re the Fool Tarot card—the start of the journey.

And in Last Legacy we’re not just the human from earth brought into an unfamiliar world, but also the human that wields a relic that once belonged to the LI’s ‘dead’ friend/captain. (A relic that is later vital in saving the world)

So I’m just— I’m so excited to see why Touchstarved MC is connected to everything. What decisions we’ll be able to make, and why those decisions will lead to either a happy or horrific ending.

I already love these writers—and I love the characters, and I already love the glimpses we have of the start of the plot.

Like the vibe and plot of the story is what really got me INTO touchstarved. (That and the characters are uhhh rlly pretty 👉👈 AND THE ANIMATED INTRO WAS IMMACULATE)

I’m just so hyped to see what the story is—and how the routes are going to end. Will it truly be happy? Will we actually end it by saving whatever evil is corrupting the world? Or will it be a bittersweet end, where it’s only happy because MC and whatever LI they picked—survived and get to be together?

Like we’ll probably solve things- but I just wonder how bittersweet and still tragic the writers will make it—like what if to gain one character’s salvation, we have to doom another? I think I read somewhere where the Devs said our choice of LI will result in consequences for another— AND I THINK THATS JUST SO

Muah muah

My heart will utterly break

Anyway—I’m just really excited for Touchstarved plot—can’t wait, mentally pained that it’s going to be like waiting for my sailor husband to return from sea. but I have faith it’ll be worth it- especially with how much love has already been put into it.

ALR

NOW UNTO RAMBLE 2

Ramble 2 😙

SO SO SO, now unto the romance hype

I’m vry excited for what the romance is gonna be like. Like, I’ve played a few of these games before. Mainly Arcana, Last Legacy, Mystic Messenger, etc.

And usually the romance starts pretty quick, (mainly due to these games being a bit shorter.)

But I wonder how fast or slow the romances are going to be in Touchstarved. Like, Mc is already pretty quickly attracted to the main cast(valid) but I wonder if some routes are going to be quicker than others?

And what are the CONFESSIONS going to be like?

I wonder if some routes will be slower or quicker than others?

Like my personal guesses for the quickest to slowest romance kinda goes like this: Leander, Ais, Kuras, Mhin, Vere

Okie Okie lemme explain my reasonings (I just like to ramble)

Leander feels like the type of character (if he’s not actually just using Mc) that clings, then obsesses over people he likes. And I can picture his romance starting pretty quick— I think the slower bit will be tied to actually getting him to be vulnerable—

Ais is already canon to get attached. So I can see his romance being a bit quicker.

It’s not like I think Kuras’ romance will be quick, but I do think it’ll be possibly quicker than Mhin’s. (Mainly for the scene where he keeps a hold on you when you trip. Especially if you pick ‘Can you step out?’ At the start.)

I am very curious how he’s gonna be in love though- it’s oddly hard for me to picture

Now Mhin—i can picture theirs being slower because they don’t just not want YOU to get hurt, but THEY don’t want to get hurt either.

And now Vere—I can see the physical parts of the romance being able to happen pretty quickly—but for Vere to actually like—develop sincere feelings? That’ll definitely take longer.

I can’t wait for it to happen tho

I also can’t wait for ✨feelings✨ to make drama. Like, what will the Senobium do when/if they find out Vere has like—genuinely fallen for someone 🧍🏻‍♀️ will they use us as leverage?

Will Kuras’ feelings for us make salvation harder to get?

IDKDBDBDNDND I JUST LIKE DRAMA

Alr Alr Alr- I’ll stop there.

HOPEFULLY, this will help me be quiet— because bro i’ve been thinking of Touchstarved nonstop for ages now 😭 my friends can’t take it anymore

Anyway, if you read all that, thank u <3 I hope you enjoyed my nonsensical ramblings.

I hope you have a vry good day, wear ur favorite shirt, smell a rose, and see a butterfly !!

[sprinklenoodles]

Alrighty, since my fav fic series won’t be updating this week, I’ll just go and talk about it on here.

Why?

Because it’s honestly awesome and it helps with the fact that I have to wait another week for a new chapter.

So, the fic series I’m talking about is the Ultimate Series by @seashellcosmos. The first fic, Ultimates (which is my fav so far) is done and the second one, The Show Starts Now, is being updated every week- most of the time.

And that’s already pretty great. Like, weekly updates?? But then there’s also the fact that every chapter is around 10k words. Yes, 10k. Like that’s just amazing.

So, we have big weekly updates. But that’s not even the best part bc the plot is immaculate. I’m not overexaggerating, it’s just really that good. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the plot twists and what not are just so good.

Like, let’s take a look at Ultimates first since it’s the first fic and the one that’s completed. It centers around the THH cast with Makoto as the POV (though, in later chapters it sometimes somebody else) And, instead of a killing game they’re just locked in the school... They also all have superpowers.

Though, Makoto... He doesn’t. Until he does. I won’t say anything more about that though.

Then there’s the multiple mysteries going on. Makoto keeps finding letters and videos and it seems like certain people know more than they let on...

Monokuma’s also just amazing in this. He ain’t evil, just a silly little bear robot. But everybody’s characterisation is just awesome. Like, as a very big Byakuya fan, I loved how he was portrayed in it. The same goes for the other characters, but Byakuya deserves a special mention.

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’ll also know I’m interested in another character... and this fic is a big reason for that. I won’t say who since they don’t show up until later, but despite what they did, I loved how they were portrayed in Ultimates.

Then there’s also the worldbuilding. Which is also just amazing. Like, as the fic goes on we get to know more about the world and it’s just so great. Especially the later chapters are really good at this.

Which leads me to the writing itself. As you’d could’ve guessed, it’s amazing. Like, even though the chapters are 10k, they don’t feel that big in the best way possible. I usually read each chapter twice cuz of theory potential and that’s just very easy to do. The downside is that I do sometimes spend a whole hour just making a theory or rereading, but that’s just me.

I really love writing theories (I’m a big FNAF fan) and this fic series gave me the opportunity to do that. Sometimes I’d write a comment that’s over 1000 words just cuz I was theorising. Obviously, that didn’t mean that those theories came true, but I did get a few things right! Which just leads back to how good the writing is bc you have all these puzzle pieces that just fit together in the end.

Like, in the second fic, The Show Starts Now, we just got an answer to a very big mystery and it just fit so well. Like, most people thought it would be one of two theories, but it ended up kinda being a mix of both... It’s confusing. Which just makes it wonderful.

A bit more about The Show Starts Now since it’s also just awesome.

It takes place around a few months (I think) after the events of Ultimates and it follows the V3 cast, with Shuichi being the main POV. The THH kiddos do show up, especially in later chapters!! They have a pretty significant role, so for people like me who mainly read THH fics it’s still awesome.

Shuichi’s also pretty interesting... I won’t say how though. I try to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

And, to read the Show Starts Now, you don’t really need to have read Ultimates. I recommend you do, but I know some people haven’t. Also, me and a few others did make a small recap of Ultimates in the comments cuz somebody hadn’t read it!

Then there’s the DR2 cast... who make appearances too. A bit more in The Show Starts Now, though they appeared briefly in the end of Ultimates. That’s all I say about them. Like I said before, no spoilers.

That’s all I’ll say about the fics, but there’s a bit more to discuss. Like, we somehow created a small fandom with these fics. On the fic, you’ll mostly see the same people comment and theorize. We’ll sometimes even theorize with each other!

And since Seashell is on here, it has only kinda grown. Like, they have answered so many questions from me and other people. Even my questions and ramblings about a dude who shows up for three scenes get answered and whatnot. Seashell is just that awesome.

And so are their drawings. Like I LOVE their fanart so much. It just looks sooo good and they even made some Byakuya & Chihiro fanart which I cannot thank them enough for.

I really mean it when I say that this fic series has become a part of my life and it really deserves a lot of attention. Not only is the writing perfect, but the author is an absolutely amazing person too.

So, check it out on AO3 if u want or just Seashell’s Tumblr! I can promise you it’s worth it!

That’s all I wanted to say. I just love this fic series sooo much so it was about time I talked about it on here... Especially since this is also like 1000 words already... I just like this series a lot :D

Also, to Seashellcosmos, I really hope you get better soon!! The fanfic curse is absolutely awful it seems like and has struck you again.

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

🎉 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🎉

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The candle pictured can be bought from Book of the Wick - use SHELVES10 for a 10% discount!

[instagram]

T Kingfisher is fast becoming a new favourite author of mine. This is my third book of hers this year and it’s my favourite yet.

The vibes in this are immaculate! There’s an eerie sense to everything at every moment and it really works with the growing feeling of urgency as the story progresses. There’s so much tension and fear and outright horror and I loved every moment of it.

I loved our core characters so, so much. There wasn’t a single weak link between them. They all had such distinct personalities and voices.

I really enjoyed the contrast between our POV characters. Cordelia is young, timid, afraid, poor and naive, whereas Hester was much older, loud, rich, opinionated and not easily fooled. Both were strong and determined in their own ways though.

Evangeline, the sorceress, was such a fun villain. She was truly evil in a very fairytale-like way. Ruthless and determined and wily and just an awful lot of fun to have them plot against.

I always forget just how much I love reading books with a great ensemble cast, an exciting plot, and little to no romance until I’m actually reading one but this really hit the spot.

I can’t recommend this enough!

[boring-horror-enjoyer]

Immaculate: Nothing New, But Not Bad

I just got around to having a little movie night with my husband and watching Immaculate. I will always love the novel of a movie theater, but oh my god I love being in my 'jamas with my cats and locking in on some film.

Sydney Sweeney is phenomenal. I have heard she's a great actress but not seen anything with her in it (to my recollection). Her guttural and raw acting style for this role did not disappoint.

Plot wise: this is definitely not a novel concept. I'm pretty sure this came out around the same time as The First Omen, which I saw and disliked for a few reasons, and there are a surprising amount of parallels between the two movies. If I had to pick the better movie, Immaculate is a no-brainer. If I had to pick even a top 5 of the religious horror subgenre spanning like, the last few years, I'm not sure this would make the cut. That is not a total knock on this movie, though. I think that if religious horror is your absolute jam, you'd be happy with watching this. You probably wouldn't put it on again, though.

It's a pretty literal title. They probably had some multi-connotation intention behind it, like, the immaculate woman holds the immaculate baby and her (religiously) immaculate body is desecrated by the people who believe the most in the immaculate. If you Google the definition of immaculate, all three of the definitions are showcased in this movie. I am officially done using the word immaculate now.

My monkey brain is annoyed they didn't show the "baby." There was a lot of gore in the movie and I figured it would get shown because of that, but I will give props to them for making me use my imagination. Good decision. It really helped the ending. The sounds were enough for you to know.

Cinematography: again, pretty literal. A lot of scenes involve height and perspective. The priest preaches from a level above the seats, the nuns or "ordinary folk" are seated below, and there are stairs leading downward to the "oooo evil scary" subfloor where they keep the "oooo evil scary" relic. Name a more literal positioning. The mood of the cinematography was nice, I love a broody/moody color scheme. The scene where Sweeney is posed like Mother Mary is impactful. I loved the focus on her expressions, it was giving Midsommar-May-Queen energy. Overall, good stuff.

I'd rate this a good 6 out of 10. I liked it, but did not love it. Sydney Sweeney's portrayal was absolutely wonderful and saved this movie from being a dull money-grab. When you're not introducing new impressions, it's so valuable to introduce new imagery. It's worth a watch if you like this theme of horror.

[fayesdiary]

hmm hmmmmmm.......Rhea, Veyle, and Faye for the character ask game!

Rhea

1) how much I like their personality

WTEGDGFSFDYDGFFG

I adore her. She's my fav 3H character by far. Just this mix of sweet and awkward and kind but with a boatload of trauma and repressed rage... She's the bestest <3

2) how much I like their design/aesthetics

Her archbishop outfit is great (although what is up with those hips. She barely has enough space to fit her organs), and general design is super pretty!

Also her Seiros outfit is 😳

3) how interesting I think they are

GOD. I feel like I could talk about her for hours if you caught me in the right mood. I want to inspect her with a microscope.

4) how well-written I think they are

As a character? Wonderfully, but her treatment in the story leaves a LOT to be desiered, often shoved to the background and generally getting treated like crap by the narrative for an alleged main character.

Also fuck everything about the SS endgame.

5) (if applicable) how much I like their mechanics in-game

her CF fight is pain and her SS one is pure agony

6) if I think they are a Good Person(tm)

For the most part, yes! It's clear all her actions were done with good intent (albeit a bunch of them were questionable but still, never cruel), and I think it's important to note that her vicious side only comes in regards to the man who literally committed genocide towards her kin or when she's being violently having her trauma of said man triggered.

Hell, her burning of Firdhiad is pretty much her lowest point and even then it only comes after she's being violently triggered and blamed for everything over and over. She's pretty much gone insane by that point and for damn good reason. Also you know, it's all your fault.

Veyle

1) how much I like their personality

BABY. She's the cutest but also constantly wracked with guilt and shame about being a Fell Dragon.

2) how much I like their design/aesthetics

I love her Somniel outfit and her evil outfit absolutely slays, but while I really like her main outfit since it's fluffy I hate her collar and ankle chains.

3) how interesting I think they are

A whole lot! Her relationship with Alear is the best, in typical younger FE sister fashion she's a lot stronger than she seems (they literally had to brainwash her into compliancy and even then it didn't work all that well), her guilt over her evil self's action (on top of just being a Fell Dragon period). Also she has a knack for making (magical?) trinkets and she lived on her own wandering around Elyos for quite a while, so :D

4) how well-written I think they are

The brainwashing/evil personality part is a bit iffy as always in FE plots, but other than that? She's great!

Something that keeps suprising me about FE writing is that while they're not... the best at writing female characters somehow they keep hitting the spot with writing younger sisters.

5) (if applicable) how much I like their mechanics in-game

She's a lot of fun! Her personal tome and dagger are great and her personal skills are quite useful :D

6) if I think they are a Good Person(tm)

Definitely! She's an absolute sweetheart, but at the same time I love the hc that her evil self is actually a part of her albeit exaggerated and twisted by Zephia and not just a personality that came out of nowhere. Doesn't help I'm playing Persona 4 right now.

Faye

..fun fact, do you know she actually got on Top 200 of CYL8? I'm genuinely shocked.

1) how much I like their personality

I really like it, mainly in the sense her obsession is portrayed negatively for once. I've seen a bunch of fans trying to "fix" her by toning down and/or removing her obsession with Alm, but I always loved more the angle of keeping it while pointing out how toxic and self-destructive it is and having her slowly grow out of it.

2) how much I like their design/aesthetics

Peak. Perfection. Immaculate. Well except maybe the lack of freckles, but that's why I draw her with them ;)

3) how interesting I think they are

It may be mainly due to projecting and overanalizing, but god. Soo much. Her trauma and horrible coping mechanisms, her huge trouble making friends and socializing with strangers, her fondness for Celica, her clinginess and yearning for both a place to belong and to return to the good old days at Ram...

Also she's a bisaster. It's totally canon trust me

4) how well-written I think they are

Hahaha... oh, terribly.

I'm not gonna pretend the writers ever saw her as anything more "the girl with an unhealthy unrequited obsession towards the protagonist we're apparently contractually obligated to put in almost every game". Like, I'm pretty sure all of her small nuances you can find if you start digging were an accident, and considering how she gets flanderized outside of Echoes, I'm almost certain that's the case.

(speaking of, the sole fact they managed to flanderize her holy shit)

5) (if applicable) how much I like their mechanics in-game

GOD I LOVE THEM. All of the effort they didn't put into writing her they put into her gameplay mechanics because they portray her SO WELL.

The fact she loses avoid when supporting Alm, her higher then average growths hinting at the fact she's trying desperately hard, her unique spells as a Cleric being either a way to ignore distance (Physic to heal from afar, Rescue to get someone literally close to her) and Anew, the only form of a Dancer you get in Echoes, costing so much HP portraying her self-destructive behavior in an attempt to be useful.

Just... screams

6) if I think they are a Good Person(tm)

Yeah... I'd be lying if I said yes.

She's a lot better than people claim she is, but still, between the obsession towards Alm and general (albeit potentially accidental) rudeness towards strangers and... less-than-stable state of mind, she's far from the greatest person to be around.

Still, she can be pretty sweet when she wants to, she apologized to Silque and actually accepted Alm's rejection which oh my god why do people keep claiming she's a yandere when she's actually capable of hearing no as an answer, and also she's unflinchingly loyal to her loved ones!

[the-owl-tree]

okay

I for some reason have a very strong feeling that I am gonna poke the bear by asking this

and I am very scared to

but

considering you like xenofiction and manga

what are your opinions on Beastars

runs away

you know what that's fair because i had to do a little circle around my chair when you brought up beastars because of how many feelings i have on it.

tldr: beastars first half is an original and immaculate story that grounds its issues in its world before metaphor, but falls so flat on its face for the finale that it essentially doomed its own fate to die with a pitiful whimper

spoilers for beastars

I adore Beastars (the first half at least). It is such a strikingly original world that roots all of its problems IN ITS WORLD - which is my biggest problem with allegorical works of art. Beastars takes every step to show how these issues manifest within its world and how people would respond BEFORE it tries to lean on the metaphor and that's what I think separates it from Zootopia. Beastars is a world before it is a metaphor. I love her artwork and I love the character design, her expressions and the way she draws teeth and claws are my favorite. Paru Itagaki is an amazing artist, she has this very sketchy style reminiscent of Q Hayashida that I adore and much like Q, she knows how to make scenes weighty and bloody and PAINFUL. You will FEEL IT when these characters bit and claw at one another.

Beastars justifies its high school setting because it is specifically about how this world informs the development of its characters. Them being in high school is a great way to show their growth between young people trying to figure out their place, their self in their understanding of their school only for them to change as they grow. It's fantastic! The rich way the characters interact and perceive one another, interweaving both animal urge and emotions is fascinating to read. Paru Itagaki's strength is in her character writing and interactions, I adored the high school romance because I understood WHY these characters did things the way they did and I loved all the care that was put into making sure that every aspect of themselves informed their actions.

Legosi is such a kindly and endearing protagonist. I like that's he's a little weirdo and proud of it, I like that he's consistently making an effort to understand others. His relationship with Haru is my absolute favorite and, well, that's why the second half was such a let down.

In a stunning first half with enjoyable character arcs and fascinating character development, the sudden plummet into shounen battle arcs with the I'm InSaNe Melon was a huge let down. The second half, I firmly believe NEEDED to focus on Haru and Legosi's relationship. It is the ANCHOR of the story, it is the complete heart of both character's and it is so firmly enjoyable because of the dynamic that Itagaki has written. But instead, the finale stumbles on half-baked concepts (they made jojo stands?? and did NOTHING WITH THEM?????), unfinished plot lines (louis was in the mafia and didn't go to jail, his father is still cartoonishly evil and its never resolved), and antagonists so boring and unoriginal that i was begging for the manga to just put me down. Not to mention the whole predator and prey thing is just....resolved? all of a sudden?? not very well explained? Oh yeah! The great whale says we can eat fish now, glad that elaborate building up of the market and its cultural importance in the city can be resolved! What a way to go!

It is such a horrendous finale for such an intriguing and original series. I can only be at peace knowing the final chapter was the date we deserved WAY EARLIER. I loved Legosi working as a delivery guy, I could've had an entire slice of life series around that but nope! Boring pointless battle arc time. Sucks ass.

It sucks because the first half is so so good and I highly recommend it! I don't want this series to go out with such a whimper but goddamn....the ending is soooo bad. If you're interested in it, dip out as soon as Melon appears I mean it. You'll be happier, just go read Beast Complex it's so much better than the finale please just trust me on this.

[zahri-melitor]

New(ish) Comics:

Batman #138: I’m reading this again as this is just such a great comic. Seriously Zdarsky, well done. So many different fight details here. I particularly noticed Bruce is demonstrating super-strength on this read for some reason – he breaks both Dick’s escrima stick and Tim’s bo staff, he rips the door off a car (??!!). There are so many neat details of ‘something is seriously wrong with Bruce’ here.

Blue Beetle #2: I like the note here that Booster is taking Ted away to heal somewhere else in time. I also enjoyed that all the JLI folk instantly nominated Tora to go comfort Jaime. And finally, I am delighted to see characters finally suspicious of Victoria Kord because! I have been so sus on her! Since her first appearance in Graduation Day! Her vibes are indeed off! (And it’s not just the clear autism – I do not get nearly these levels of ‘when do you turn out to be an evil plant’ from say Dani Garrett, who is also intensely female autistic about the scarab and her grandfather)

Birds of Prey #2: The art in this comic remains immaculate. I love the x-ray, out of panel drawings for passing between the ‘real’ world and the magical world. In terms of the plot – I’m still not 100% in here trust wise, but Thompson is winning me over, issue by issue, by reassuring me she understands the characters and is making considered decisions to justify why this lineup. I really really think they screwed themselves a bit with the way they announced the lineup – the vibes in the comic itself are far more clear on who’s a long term choice (Cass, Barda) and who are more likely ‘this storyline only’ choices (Harley, Zealot).

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #2: This continues to make me so happy in its level of fun and metacommentary. I love the collection of villains, because there’s one existing rogue in each line (Beefeater, Maxie Zeus, Gentleman Ghost) and the six new ones, though admittedly Linka and King of Cats are somewhat linked to existing characters/mantles. The goof levels are off the charts (I lost it at the “Guns don’t kill people. I kill people” line) Anyway come for Bea and Tora remaining extremely ‘on a break’ as they definitely don’t date…uh…siblings, stay for the shenanigans. Maybe Bea and Tora will finally get to kiss in issue #6 (the kiss will obviously be a cheek peck or an accident during a fight scene or something)

Shazam! #4: Garguax the Distressing, Emperor of the MOON! I love him. He’s so silly. Chew on the scenery a bit more, Garguax! Also Billy manages to avoid mind control by realising he’s about to have his first ever kiss with a bee supervillain and deciding he’s not cool with that. Go you, Billy. This comic remains deeply committed to serious silliness and Silver Age vibes (Mark Waid. Dan Mora. Do we need to enforce the ‘one gorilla a month’ rule from the 1970s on you?) which is exactly what I want from the Shazamily. Also Darla appeared, my beloved.

Warlord #22: this week in Skartaris Travis was fighting a werewolf! I would pretend this was a surprise revelation on the very last page, but given someone turned up and shot a silver arrow during the very first fight scene, let’s just say this revelation was signalled.

In addition to the amusement I always get when archery occurs in this title, Grell enjoyed two full pages of serpent bondage scenes. Enjoy some assorted scenes.

Oh Mike Grell. Never change.

[mcfanely]

One for All October, the Winners!

Heya, everyone! After such an amazing influx of content for our little event, Katydid and I are extremely excited to announce the winners of One for All October! Everything was absolutely amazing and because of that, we've added in some more prizes since we struggled so much to select the winners overall, we wish we could give prizes to every last one of you!

So we've got some second place prizes, along with a boat load of honourable mentions! So without further ado -

First place in both art and writing will receive prizes from both of us: a half-body color artwork from myself and a fic of a minimum of 2,500 words from Katydid.

Second place winners will receive a sketch from me and a fic of a minimum of 1,000 words from Katydid.

Honorable mentions will receive a snippet from Katydid.

First Place Winners in Art and Writing:

@coffeeandtoastforbreakfast for this absolutely beautiful and sad piece about the end of One for All and All for One, the colours? Immaculate. Do I want to get my hands on it? Yes I do (I kid I kid, but Coffee you better get this framed I was in awe when I first saw it, it deserves to be on your wall)

And @gojifan97 for Yoichi Shigaraki: The Sociopathic Hero, a very different and fun take on Yoichi’s character and an extremely fun read that Kat and I both adored! It caught both our eyes as something unique and awesome!

Second Place Winners in Art and Writing:

@artistichermit a terrifying Evil Yoichi, the lighting is so cool and the composition, we had to give it it's own prize! 💙

@figurativepieceoftrash for Ouroboros, an absolutely haunting story and the way it was pace and just the CONTENT? Beautiful.

Art Honorable Mentions:

I have to preface this with the fact that due to being strapped for time, I am unable to give out any honourable mentions (not that I don't have any, god I literally loved everything so much, you all are amazing I can't sing your praises enough) due to work commitments and a packed schedule-

Though here comes Katydid with an unending ability to write, an undying love for snippets and a LOVELY list of Honorables for you all!

@possiblycringe for Yoichi’s hero poster and Yoichi watching All for One and Second fight!

@marchsage with the lighting and the cold colours👀 (Fane speaking; this was up there with one of my favourites)

@littlemusic-muse, because just look at them both!💙

@2000dragonarmy because Kat and I were so happy this prompt spawned adorable art

@pastel-meadow0203 with this evil baby💙 evil

Writing Honourable Mentions:

@mamashenanigans COLD by MamaShenanigans, Can't go wrong with a horrifying creature and a dark setting!

@gentrychild Family by Gentrychild the brotherliness, the VIBES, loved it so much

@missremember Radial Crack by MissRemember, when I say Kat and I were theorising~

Hello There, Mini Me by SherlockianDemigod221 The innocence of little Yoichi had me melting

@metablood Growing up in his shadow by MetaBlood What an evil big brother, an organised psychopath right there!

@ilentari Revenge of the Little Brother by Ilentari We were cackling, it's what All for One deserves, I've read this multiple times

@chaoticargeltal Brains in vat, or when All For One watched the Matrix too much by ArgelTal Oh the horror of this realisation

Viva La Vida by Space__Cryptid Royalty AU AND AFO with a wife? Such a beautiful fantasy

Randomly Picked Honorable Mention:

@acanfullofspiders To Be A Hero by acanfullofspiders, the role swap, the PLOT👀

Finally, Katydid had a lot of trouble narrowing down the honorable mention list and really wanted to offer a prize to everyone, so there is an additional participation prize: anyone who participated in One for All October but did not win a prize can send an ask for the 5 headcanons game or fic title game. This is only open to One for All October participants and you can freely bombard my own asks or Kats!

You can contact us for your prizes through our socials below. We will not do NSFW content and we reserve the right to ask for a different request. And please be patient since we have quite a few prizes to work on for this contest!

Katydid

Discord: katydid#9629

Ao3: Katydid

Tumblr: @aimportantdragoncollector

McFaneLy

Discord: mcfanely#3085

Ao3: McFaneLy

Tumblr: @mcfanely

[kanerallels]

Okay, I'm vibing at home procrastinating from writing so now's as good a time as any for this post that I owe @starbirdrising!

Behold: My Top Ten Fantasy Books/Series For When You Need Something With Magic And Kingdoms And Good Vs. Evil With Good Winning And Fun Adventures And Probably Dragons So Basically You Want To Read Narnia But Something New Would Be Fun:

"Valiant", by Sarah McGuire. I will recommend this book for as long as it takes the larger part of my followers to read it. It's a fantasy fairy tale retelling of "The Valiant Little Tailor", which is in the gray area between well known and "wait that's a real fairy tale??" where The Seven Swans and King Thrushbeard resides. The general plot is this girl moving to a new city with her dad, but due to unforseen circumstances she has to pretend to be a tailor to make a living. And then giants show up. And she accidentally gets involved. There is a bit of romance, but it's really, really good. Also the writing style is IMMACULATE and there's adoption. (this is one of the only single books on the list, the rest are series)

"The Dragon With A Chocolate Heart", by Stephanie Burgis. First of all, I should have asked for this for my birthday. Second of all, this is about a dragon who gets turned into a human. By a food mage. Have you heard of a food mage before? No, you haven't, but they're amazing. Especially when it comes to chocolate. So, said dragon sets off to seek her fortune as a chocolatier! Super fun platonic relationships, and there are DRAGONS

"The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making", by Catherynne M. Valente. How can you turn away from an incredibly cool name like that?? This is your classic portal fantasy-- girl travels by leapord to Fairyland, gets up to trouble with a Wyverary, and has to face off with an evil Marquess! Also it's a series, and the prose is freaking STUNNING. I reread the last one recently, and there was crying

"The Green Ember", by S.D. Smith. My sister just called this series "this generation's Narnia" and WOW is she right. The journey of two young rabbits as they discover their heritage and the war to save their world-- it's beautiful!! And also really funny

"Magic Marks The Spot", by Caroline Carlson. This one has PIRATES. It's about a navy admiral's rebellious daughter, who takes off to become a pirate instead of going to finishing school. It's funny and delightful and just such a good read!

"Breadcrumbs," by Anne Ursu. This rec is accompanied with a story, because I said so. So, when I used to actually have time and go to the library every week, I would always see this book. EVERY. TIME. It was weird. I ignored it for the longest time-- until finally one day I decided "may as well give it a shot" and brought it home with me. And HOLY HECK was it good. A retelling of The Snow Queen, this book is about friendship. And growing up. And it made me cry. And I love it.

"Storybound", by Marissa Burt. This one is a duology, and they're both amazing! The first one tells the story of Una, a girl who winds up in the world where stories come from. The sequel continues her adventures, and also introduces a character who I love so so much. He's so funny and carefree. Until he's not in which case holy SPADES IS HE COOL. Also I'm suddenly realizing this book may have inspired more of my WIP than I thought. I digress

"The Search For WondLa", by Tony DiTerlizzi. This is actually not fantasy. It is, in fact, sci-fi! It's about a girl who lives in an underground home with her robot caretaker. When their home is attacked, the girl escapes to discover that the Earth she thinks she was raised on isn't Earth after all-- it's another world entirely. It's got AMAZING found family, super cool world building, and it's just so fun!!

"Tuesdays At The Castle", by Jessica Day George. Okay it's been a while, so I don't remember the exact premise of this one. But as I recall, it's about a royal family who lives in a magical castle that can shift rooms and grow new parts as well! When the royal siblings' are under threat from foreign enemies, they have to work with the castle to protect each other. Super wholesome family vibes, and the series is really fun in general!

"Wizard For Hire", by Obert Skye. I could not tell you if or if not this is fantasy. But I can tell you that it's set in modern day, and it's about a boy who lived on his own from a young age after his parents disappeared. And one day, he finds an ad in the paper for a wizard, and hires him to find his parents. Shenanigans ensue (as well as really funny catchphrases and a lot of breakfast food. No one is surprised that I love this trilogy)

Well, that's all the room I have for now! This post was super fun to make-- I might make another bizarrely specific one like it someday! For now, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy some of these book recs

[cielospeaks]

game stuff (compiled. and no its not positive lol)

-go:

bruh a real one step forward five million steps back moment fr. we had samurai remnant (fun and enjoyable crossover event. only downside is only now i find out robot mozart and yui have the same voice actor and i aquiesced to not rolling her bc she wouldnt come home and now i am full of regret. tho to be fair robot mozart happened long after the event lol), valentines (awesome new servant! andromeda is cute and i feel completely neutral but not negative on the take on her character! charon was cool too), and white day (usually i am so irritated at the cut ins but charly is so good natured and honest i cant be mad at him. he just feels like the good energetic boy coming in to check on you every morning. and cyrano is just so peak -pacha meme- the rest of the cast was wonderful too). but then. oh then. you had to just fucking do main story stuff. like yea sure some cringily fanservice power level edge thing with d antes and j alter is inevitable and whatever. but bring sal into it??????? only to not give him fucking anything????? and then permanently delete him, lobo, and any other half tolerable avenger (angra ig. or kuroe?) bc the edgey op fanservice characters need their wangst. ugh. the plot isnt even out but i imagine its something like- sal is typecast into himself and hates every second of it, moz bullies him bc its moz and the feeling is mutual, but evil marie takes advantage of it and him and the fandom reads it as cute. same w d antes or j alter and him. im so done w their reaction to the trio it makes me just disgusted. if the two of them treated him better id be more on board but they dont. just bc sal believes theyre on the same wavelength doesnt mean its some cute fluffy nonsense you can just slice of life. i think it cuts personal bc ive believed to be on the same wavelength of others and thats why im so fucked up today is bc of what happened there. and above all i dont want sal to have to go through that sort of suffering, esp on top of all his other suffering.

also if i had a nickel for every time a fictional somewhat m arie a ntoinette has ruined the life of my favorite dead composer character i would have two nickles which is weird that it happened twice.

speaking of which

-dv:

this is the positives girls. antonio traumerei!!!!!! love love love. oh my gosh. it looks beautiful and antonio is beautiful. traumerei is such a good fit for him, it reminds me of the schumann song which reminds me of jack and rikudou. good vibes infinite immaculate vibes.

ricky seems to not be dead. i am so hoping hes secretly a ghost. like imagine if hes in the like reconstructed research vessel and then at the end is like "lol im not exactly alive lol" like that poke mon episode. i would lose it. tho if hes like cursed or something it makes me think of that kingdom hearts scene which i also find really funny.

mystery maid: aztec treasure eh

ghost sail ricky: aye

but all memes aside i hope he exclusively talks to inference or violetta bc they are easily the characters i can stand the most of the confirmed cast. i will get so disappointed if its just rehashed main story plot, esp bc i really dont like their interactions there. and violeta is so cute in this pls let them interact.

[littleredwritingcat]

Thirst Trap: Chapter 17 Missing the Lie

“Rodney Sturge, you give that back this minute!” the woman demands. “It’s a Tumi weekender, for God’s sake! I know you don’t understand what that is, but-” This woman - she's handsome, older, nearly immaculate with auburn hair streaked silver. It’s thick, spilling around her gently lined face and over the shoulders of an expensive looking trench. The collar of a white shirt pokes out from underneath, and her long nails are a bright orangy kind of color. She smells like John's distant memories of department stores, and is not the kind of person who belongs on Crockett Island - except… “We have a problem,” Bev says, and motions towards the stranger. “Erin’s cousin seems to have called in reinforcements. God only knows what she’s said and who she’s said it to.”

Well, well, well.

It only took being isolated for a week of Covid-y fun for me to have time enough to pump this out.

What can I say?

This chapter does a lot of heavy lifting.

There is a terrible loss, John Pruitt tries new foods, and Sturge learns about designer handbags.

If you're reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me this long. I already have the ending plotted and planned, but I care about this story. I want to finish it well.

So, beautiful readers, I hope it'll be worthy of your patience.

@purplelupins @everythingbutresolved @aherdofbees @iowacaptive @girlwiththenegantattoo @quirkquarkquack @madsmilfelsen @cardinal-copiarion @mareyshelley @agirlinherhead @the-redheaded-league @prettyblondguys @jyngerpeach @yepthatsacowalright @gorillaprutt @honey-tree-evil-eye

[wilcze-kudly]

Fondly remembering how the Great Mouse Detective (1986) altered my brain chemistry.

The mystery; vincent price playing that gay evil little rat; the abject queerness of every single adult character; the immaculate vibes of being a tiny lil guy in victorian london; the ridiculous plot of replacing the QUEEN with a LIFE SIZED ANIMATRONIC; the shockingly terrifying moments with fidget and Rattigan; the bad and unsuble references to british oppression of the irish; the absolute banger songs, I mean Goodbye So Soon? absolute banger; the obvious gay sexual tension between Rattigan and Basil; HER

[gemsofgreece]

Different anon: what is so good about To nisi? I have heard that lots of people like it but not why, and it doesn't sound like anything I'm typically interested in so I never gave it a chance. If you have time to explain what it did well, I'd be grateful. It'd help me better understand if I should put it on my watch list.

Where do I start... What it did well? EVERYTHING lol okay anon, you're asking a Tumblr blogger about one of their most favorite shows... fasten your seatbelt

To Nisi did basically everything perfectly. It is a show that was produced with a big budget and in a very respectful and artistically healthy way. What I mean by this: To Nisi is based on British author Victoria Hislop's book "The Island". Hislop received a big offer from Hollywood for the rights of the book but she agreed to a much smaller deal with MEGA channel instead, sacrificing a lot of money in order to a) have more artistic control throughout the making of the show and b) remain more accurate and considerate to the story and its setting by giving the job to Greeks in Greece. Hislop collaborated extensively with the director and the screenwriter (Mirella Papaoikonomou) and the show is as a result both the vision of the author AND all the insight and nuances the Greek creators could add. It is in short a big project where everyone put the story and artistry above profit and selfish ambition.

And it worked. I have read the book too and I can tell you that To Nisi is one of the few instances where the TV adaptation is better than the book. The rough outline of the plot is the same more or less but the TV show added SO MANY layers and side characters which in the end turned out to be invaluable key elements that you can not imagine the story without anymore. Every plot change or addition the TV show made was a resounding improvement and success.

The story is realistically sad so it might not be everyone's cup of tea. The show starts sadly, it ends sadly and it is also sad in-between. Even when good things happen, your happiness is cut short by a tragic event. Even worse, its entire background is based on a very real fact; the story of Spinalonga island, the biggest leper colony in Greece, so it is very sad throughout. It tackles the grave topic of leprosy, the suffering and marginalisation this once terrible illness caused. There is a catharsis of sorts in the end though, but it does not happen in the ways you would wish and is not experienced by the ones you wish... Of course all this is intentional and you have to be prepared to be left with a bittersweet aftertaste.

From a technical aspect, the show is perfect. The cinematography and direction are immaculate, the production is accurate and rich, the soundtrack is heartwrenching and gripping. In fact, everything is designed, performed, shot and laid out in a way that successfully makes me emotional every time. So many scenes break my heart or make me a ball of conflicting emotions and the more intense scenes are also masterfully materialized with music, cinematography and the plot itself always building up tension perfectly. Like I said, the show has the sinister tendency to show something very bad happening during something very happy and it's... evil *sighs* it turns you into a rollercoaster of feelings. A lot of ugly crying for me too.

The acting is amazing. I would say that this show was the peak moment for most of the actors involved. Not only it has elite leading actors (Mainas, Lehou, Stankoglou, Hilakis, Skafida, Nousias etc) but a large part of the side characters are played by extras who were inhabitants of the villages around the setting! And somehow everyone gives an Oscar worthy performance for some reason. Even the kids who are like 7 years old. When I say that they give immaculate performances, besides successfully bringing to life their own complex character, I also mean that everyone brings perfectly into life an age long gone. Unlike what you may see a lot nowadays both in foreign and Greek productions, it's not at all like modern people squeezed into old-fashioned clothes and houses. All characters look like the era they come from, the way they speak, they carry themselves, the way they stand. Even the small kids. They all look and act like the kids you see in vintage photos and movies. Also, the story unfolds from the late 30s until the early 70s (and then jumps to the present) and every decade is represented accurately. In fact, I believe all this period drama trend in Greece started after To Nisi set an example. Still, none of the following series approached how well To Nisi succeeded in this.

Lastly, the show is just so... human. It's full of characters with virtues, flaws, who commit mistakes and have a desire to give and take love in the way each understands. Even the darker characters are kind of forgiven in the end for being humans and making mistakes. There is a lot of understanding in what led them there. For example, Evgenia Dimitropoulou supposedly plays the "villain" of the show or the character people love to hate but in the end the show forgives her for being a young flawed human doing human things that just... uhhh... weren't very wise and caused a shitstorm of far worse and darker consequences she didn't expect. And this happens with other characters too. There is neither judgement nor apologism at all, but cruel life bringing the punishment every time, all the same. Even characters who are the epitome of virtuous suffer the woes of life with punishments far greater than the mistakes they committed. For me, the message is that people aren't ruthless and they are capable of great virtue, but life is cruel. It's very idealistic in a very pessimistic way.

BONUS: I love that all love stories - romantic or not - in this show are very passionate and profound but there are two contrasting and intense main love stories in the second half of the show: one being very lustful and controversial while the other is very innocent and pure (I don't mean the one of Lehou and Mainas btw). My point is, I have never seen again a portrayal of a love story between two so reserved and traditionally, conventionally "virtuous" characters being so passionate. Usually love stories between such characters are very mellow and watered down. This one just hits differently. There is such a fierce desire and it's just portrayed so... innocently, with such a sensitivity and respect. Sorry, I don't know how to put it into words. It is just so strong it blows the lustful one out of the window (although that one is very hypnotic and strong too). I mean this show really has eros (and all love really) transcend to a higher spiritual level, just like old literature did and I loved that a lot. In fact, it heightens all emotions. Or that's how I experienced it. But love especially is portrayed wonderfully in this show.

BONUS 2: The characters are very engaging and most of them are also very lovable which makes you suffer even more with every misfortune that befalls them. Also, I actually like Anna's character. Not as a role model obviously but as part of the story, as the fateful female. I am not saying more in order to not spoil anything.

Adding the two main songs of the score that perfectly capture that duality of the emotions To Nisi evokes in me.

In case somebody didn't notice I have such a fan meltdown right now...