#thankfully I already had a sequel name drafted up

[maddiefriendlovesbilly]

My only explanation for this is that you should definitely read A Small Slice of Ethereal P.I.E. And its sequel Of Wandering Souls and Those Left Behind on ao3 or wattpad by enderamethyst (self promo)

[writinboutgames]

Neo: The World Ends With You Review

NEO: The World Ends With You is weird game.

It's a sequel to the 2008 cult classic DS game The World Ends With You. But it's also a sequel to the anime of the same name that was just released.

In terms of both story and gameplay, it's almost a rebooted version of the DS original. You play as Rindo, who has been drafted into the Reaper's game: a game of life and death, where you must reach rank #1 over the other teams or risk Erasure.

You walk around Shibuya listening to some cool J-rock tunes, solve puzzles, eat food, go shopping, and most of all, battle the Noise, creatures created from human emotion that want to kill you. Thankfully, there are no random encounters in this game. You can choose to fight random enemies by approaching them, or just run away and avoid them. The only other encounters are story critical ones, and fighting a few enemies in between will help you grow stronger, but isn't crucial.

The battle system itself lets you choose the actions available to you by equipping Pins with certain abilities. You will almost always equip a “Repeated Tap” pin that functions like a basic attack, along with a couple of different types to make you more powerful. Each pin has a finisher or a charged attack that will create a “sync opportunity”, meaning it's advantageous to do a full combo with one pin, then swap to another, because it charges an ultimate ability that lets you do even more damage.

Combat feels frantic and button mash-y, but there's enough strategy and precision that even early on which buttons you mash and when can be the difference between failure and success. For example, there's a dodge button that lets you avoid damage. As you progress the combat system adds layers of depth that provide a bigger opportunity for skill as the battles get tougher.

Overall, the greatest flaws of the battle system are twofold: it might overwhelm some people due to the frantic pressing of buttons required to play well, and it has very little in the way of control remapping. If you struggle to press buttons fast because you're new to games or because of a disability, you'll probably have to play on easy mode. That said, the game can be made easier by grinding enemies or by simply playing the game at a slower pace, so it may still be possible to beat for a newer player.

The thing that elevates the combat from decent to great fun is how it ties into everything around it. You can get extra rewards from battle by lowering your HP, but lower it too much and you'll struggle to win. Those rewards can be sold to buy food or clothes which power up your party, or used to buy different pins, which can change how you fight.

And each fight brings you closer to the next story segment. The story is generally straightforward. You have to get more points than the other teams, or else you die, and your characters try to achieve the objectives that will earn them points. Intertwined in the basic story is a mystery: what is the Reaper's game, why does it exist, and what greater forces are working behind the scenes? The characters are endearing, and avoid JRPG stereotypes by growing as people over the course of the game.

This story combines with the stylish art and music to give a really slick vibe to the game. It feels cool to live in this hidden world within Shibuya, and to indulge in the sights and sounds while trying to keep your characters alive.

The only caution I'd have about the story is that many of the finer details of the story are contained in the previous game. If you don't know anything, the story will still make sense. The three main character are brand new, and on a brand new adventure. But some characters will stand out as being from the previous game, which might make the story feel more shallow if you don't already know them.

There are always going to be two questions for a game like Neo: The World Ends With You; “Is it a worthy sequel to a 13 year old game?” And “Is it worth playing?”

The answer to the first one is unequivocally yes. There are some minor quibbles to be had about whether the story is quite as iconic as the original, but the gameplay and story both expand upon and hearken back to the qualities that made the original so special. I've been waiting for a sequel since the first game, and I wasn't disappointed.

The answer to the second question, thankfully, is also yes. If you like JRPGs, are interested in learning a somewhat strange combat system, and like the aesthetic on display here, you'll have a wicked good time.

[madokasoratsugu]

rain rain go away

[soutaku; AU where Souma is a part time cashier part time piano prodigy, and Takumi is a famous novelist who recently got fucked over by identity theft. 

but this fic is about getting caught in the rain and deals with none of that heavy stuff]

a/n: ayyyyyyy back w another au, will i ever fuckin stop. 

btw: u might notice i used 'yukihira' instead of 'souma' like i usually do here. this is bc ppl in this au mostly know souma as 'yukihira' so i used that. more details about this au coming soon. maybe. perhaps. idk lmao

ao3 / ffnet

The weather bureau’s cheery mascot mocks Takumi from his phone screen, beaming “a sunny 35°C, don’t forget your sunblock!”.

Takumi despondently looks down at the quickly gathering water at his feet, ears drowning in the sound of rainfall pelting down.

Sunny indeed.

He pockets his phone and hastens his steps; this inclined path was not doing his leather shoes any favours.

Takumi barely bites back a yelp when a gust of wind crashes into him full force. He stumbles back a step, then two, and catches himself just in time to prevent his untimely demise onto the muddy pavement.

His umbrella is not so lucky and snaps cleanly in half, accepting its end swiftly.

During a brief moment of sheer upset, Takumi considers screaming in frustration, but the heavy rain convinces him to start running instead. This doesn’t stop him from glaring at his umbrella in disbelief for the betrayal as he stuffs it into his chest to reduce wind resistance

Speaking of things to protect. Takumi clutches his briefcase closer to his chest, muttering a short curse at how absolutely soaked it felt. Thank god he’d moved on from hand written drafts to thumbdrives and technology. He might just kill himself if the final draft of his book was ruined from something as stupid as faulty weather reporting.

Amidst the storm, Takumi can make out a dimly blinking ‘24/7’ sign. An arm shielding his face from the rain, he sprints as fast as his already burning calves can take him.

The welcome jingle of his apartment’s corner minimart has never sounded more welcoming.

He does suck in a chilled breath when the blast of air conditioning hits his very wet back, however.

Takumi navigates the store with speedy ease, snatching two towels off a rack close to the automated door, and making his way to the register immediately. He slaps it down on the counter along with his briefcase, and he would have apologised for the unnecessarily sour attitude if it wasn’t for the fact that he recognised the redhead behind the counter.

Too many late night trips to the minimart during the past year -  whether it be a genuine need for something or just to get a breather from his work - had familiarised Takumi with him.

“Bad day?”

Takumi blinks the water from out his eyes, and smiles tiredly at Yukihira.

“Just the weather.”

And that was true. Takumi had been having the best day of his life, prior to this.

Doujima-sensei had informed him that his comeback debut novel was selling like hotcakes, and its sequel’s draft Takumi had brought today was right on track - just a few chapter revisions and finalising a few administration matters, and off to the printing press it would go.

Then the sudden downpour had started, turning Takumi’s forty minute uphill trek from the cafe back home into a desperate dash.

So now Takumi was left stranded and feeling like an old dishrag in his drenched peacoat and soaked leather shoes. Which, he had thankfully sent for weather proofing. He still had the possible loss of a good coat to mourn, however.

At least his hairdo was still intact. Takumi briefly slides a hand over his slicked back bangs, admiring the gel’s handiwork. Isami always did have a better eye for beauty products.

As Takumi thinks about how this would save him time later, he misses the way Yukihira swallows a little too hard at the movement and slips on the keys of the register.

“It’s really pouring out there, huh?” Yukihira says, quickly ringing up Takumi’s purchases.

“Yeah, I could tell.” Takumi rolls his eyes, and Yukihira responds with a laugh. Takumi pays in exact - he always does, when Yukihira is behind the counter. It’d become a silly little routine that Takumi was trying to see how long he could keep up.

Yukihira has the graciousness to rip open the packaging of one of the towels, handing it to a very grateful Takumi.

Takumi dries his face off first, then quickly wipes his neck. Yukihira leans on the counter with crossed elbows, tilting his head to one side, watching.

“No umbrella?” Yukihira asks.

Takumi wordlessly holds up his broken contraption. Yukihira’s eyes crinkle in a wordless laugh.

“That’s some real bad luck, Takumi. Wanna get another one?” He tilts his head to the other side, where a rack of portable umbrellas are arranged along the side of the wall, next to the newspapers.

“No thanks. I don’t think it’ll do much good now.” Takumi sighs, rubbing his hands in the warm cloth.

“I was gonna ask about a raincoat but it seems your coat is a pretty good rain -coat at this point.” Yukihira grins.

“Ha ha.” Takumi throws the towel in Yukihira’s face, and it smacks him with a satisfyingly wet sound. Yukihira makes a faux dying noise, before removing the towel.

“Then how about some oden? We just got a batch fresh.” Yukihira pushes himself upright, putting the towel into a plastic bag, along with Takumi’s other purchase.

Takumi’s stomach decides to growl in a timely fashion. He flushes beet red, while Yukihira grabs a pair of tongs and sing songs, “Yes it is!”

“Thanks.” Takumi replies, pressing a hand against the warm glass display, where a row of split containers with assortments of ingredients bobbing in hot soup seat behind. “I was thinking of grabbing a snack before - oh shoot , I hope the florists’ is still open.”

“Florist?” Souma looks up for a moment, stirring the soup with the ladle.

“Yeah. I need to pick up a bouquet.” Takumi smiles.

“For?” Souma scoops a hearty amount of soup and carefully pours it into a paper bowl.

“I’m going to a recital later.” Takumi explains. “It’s...an important performance to me, and I wanted to give the pianist something to show that. I mean, not that i’ll be able to hand it to them directly, with how performances generally work. I have a friend who knows them, so they promised to do me this favour.”

Erina had been surprisingly forward about it too. Something about helping Hisako with a few favours a while back, so this would be the least she could do for all the help Takumi had given her wife.

It was an incredibly uplifting offer, especially at a time when Takumi was still trying to brush the whole incident with name fabrications, ghostwriters and Mimasaka off his back.

To be able to thank the person whose music had encouraged Takumi out of his depressive slump was the only reason he had worked so hard to make his next novel a bestseller like it had become.

“That’s sweet. Did you get a good seat? Where is it?” Yukihira says, while handing Takumi his cup of oden. A few wooden skewers have already been stuck into the bowl, and Takumi takes the cup gratefully.

“Mmm. I got one in the middle, row L seat 17.” Takumi lifts a fishcake out, taking a bite. Quickly, he devours at least half of the cup’s contents before speaking again. “So this rain is really a downer. I still have to change, too.”

Yukihira stretches his arms above his head, then twists his torso to look at the clock behind him. “When’s it start?”

“Eight. But someone’s picking me up at six forty, so I have to hurry.” Takumi blows on a piece of radish before taking a bite.

“Eh, there’s still another hour and half, you’ll be fine.” Souma dismissively waves, and a part of Takumi agrees, but the more paranoid half screeches at him from the back of his mind.

“Still.” Takumi jabs at a piece of konnyaku, lifts it out of the cup and frowns at it. “Hey Yukihira, want it?”

“You don’t like konnyaku?” Yukihira asks, though he’s quick to lean over the counter with his mouth open.

“I’ll eat it if I have to.” Takumi says, popping the triangular piece into Souma’s mouth. He tries not to stare at Yukihira’s lips. “But I don’t really like it.”

Yukihira nods, chewing. Meanwhile, Takumi drinks the rest of the soup in one long gulp.

“Okay, i’ve got to go.” Takumi quickly tosses the empty cup into a bin nearby, stuffing his broken umbrella in afterwards. “But first.” He opens his wallet to pay for the oden, and realises a little sadly he doesn’t have change anymore.

He hands Yukihira a ten dollar bill, listening to the clacks of the register as it swings open and the clatter of coins as Yukihira quickly takes out change.

Yukihira’s fingers are warm as they press the coins into Takumi’s chilled palm. Takumi resists the urge to hold the hand a little longer.

“See you around.” Yukihira says, voice somehow softer than usual. Takumi gives in to the momentary urge, and squeezes Yukihira’s hand briefly, before moving his hand to shove the change into his pocket.

Grabbing his briefcase, Takumi flashes Yukihira a smile as the turns to leave. “See you.”

Yukihira raises his hand in goodbye, and smiles brightly back.

“I can’t believe you only arrived half an hour before your own recital!”

Erina’s aggravated voice is only partially blocked, with Yukihira’s childish attempt at covering his ears with both hands.

“I arrived before the performance, it’s fine!” Yukihira tries to reason, and he thinks he hears something in Erina snap when he does.

“Even so - !” Erina extends her arm, smacking Yukihira in the chest with a sheaf of papers. Yukihira recognises the hasty scribbles of musical notes as the one he’d handed to his manager just prior.

“What is the meaning of suddenly adding another piece into the performance? A new one, too!” Erina leafs through the sheets, scanning the piece. “And the title! ‘That feel when you see your crush drenched in the rain ten out of ten’? It’s not even spelt out!”

Her hands are shaking with pure fury now. “Souma, this is your comeback recital! You can’t just keep changing things like this!”

Yukihira blinks quietly. He takes in Erina’s stiff form, her contorted expression, and feels his soften in response. He rubs her head, careful not to mess up her hair too much.

“Thanks for worrying about me, Erina. But it’ll all go okay. If it’s that piece, i’ll be fine.” Yukihira looks off to the side, towards the curtains that part the wings from the stage.

Somewhere beyond that maroon drapery, past the lights and amongst the darkness of the hushed audience, a certain blond will seat, arms full of odd blooms.

Erina heaves out a submissive sigh. “...I know. I’m the one who knows your potential best, after all.” The statement is almost grudging.

Yukihira shoots his original co-debuter a winning grin. Erina returns it with a haughty sniff.

“If you don’t mind me asking, though…,” Erina trails off, waiting for Yukihira’s nod of approval before continuing. “What made you decide to return? After all this time, and everything that happened….” Erina ends off uneasily.

Unconsciously, Yukihira moves his left hand over his right. Then he brings his hands up, spreading his fingers out before him. The scar that runs unevenly down from the joint between his third right finger and fourth and odd splotches of discoloured skin on both hands stare back at him.

The warmth from the brief squeeze before still lingers.

“This is my eulogy to mother.” Yukihira begins softly. “And also,” He shifts his weight onto one foot, so he can peer past the curtains and comb through the audience to mid-row L, seat 17. Upon seeing a familiar blond head, he smiles. “I found my muse again.”

“Does it have anything to do with this book of yours you had me bring?” Erina grabs the book she’d placed earlier on a spare music stand, and thumps it gently against Yukihira’s still outstretched arm.

Yukihira takes it, and thumbs to the very first page.

‘Dedicated to Souma; for gifting me with music that became my reason to try again’

Just then, Shinomiya’s loud, singular clap rings out through the backstage.

“Five minutes before we go on!” He instructs, a loud reminder for any lollygaggers.

Erina immediately reaches out to straighten Yukihira’s lapels, and snatches the book from his hands. She looks him directly in the eyes, all previous playfulness gone.

“Do it for them.”

Yukihira nods, a professional smile pinned to his face.

“Of course.”

And that’s the last thing Yukihira has time to say, before he’s ushered towards the stage and met with stadium lights and the roar of applause once more.

[obtusemedia]

Top 25 songs of 2019: Honorable Mentions

In 2019 — a commendable year to close out the decade, musically speaking — Gen Z’s budding stars fully arrived, while long-time stalwarts created some of the best work of their careers. There weren’t any albums that threatened the top of my decade-end chart, but the year still delivered a crop of solid records in a variety of genres.

This year, I’m doing my year-end list a bit early, because I plan on releasing my decade-end list around New Year’s. So before we do that, let’s kick off the celebration of 2019 with 15 great songs, listed in alphabetical order by artist, that just missed the top-25 cut off.

“People” by The 1975

Manchester pop-rock geniuses The 1975 have already dabbled in almost every genre under the sun. So a sharp pivot into near-screamo punk rock seemed inevitable.

“People” isn’t my favorite song of theirs — the best version of The 1975 is when they’re fully in ‘80s synthpop mode — but it’s still very effective. The crunchy, thrashing guitars fit perfectly with Matty Healy’s off-kilter vocals and apocalyptic lyrics. In a way, “People” is a sequel to their generation-defining 2018 single, “Love It If We Made It.” But while that song is anxious, the main emotion in “People” is fury. And it’s not hard to miss the message, as Healy screams it in the chorus: “STOP FUCKING WITH THE KIDS.”

“Baby Boy” by Kevin Abstract

BROCKHAMPTON’s boy-band/hip-hop collective is too chaotic to have a true frontman. But if there is one, it would be Kevin Abstract. And the Texan rapper/singer’s 2019 solo album, ARIZONA BABY, was a stellar showcase of his talent.

“Baby Boy,” a cooing, soft love ballad, is the record’s best track. Between the gorgeous melodies and the left-of-center production and singing, it seems destined for the soundtrack of a quirky rom-com. And it’s nice to hear Abstract flex his R&B chops.

“Everybody Here Hates You” by Courtney Barnett

This loosie single by Melbourne’s finest indie rocker is classic Courtney Barnett. All the ingredients are there: deserty guitars, a shuffling groove, and Barnett charmingly speak-singing her sardonic lyrics. Barnett’s clearly notched a lane for herself with “Everybody Here Hates You.” And frankly, if she never leaves it and keeps making solid songs like this, I wouldn’t mind.

“Twist The Knife” by Chromatics

Speaking of consistently excelling in your specific soundscape — here’s Chromatics! “Twist The Knife” has all the off-key synths, ghostly Ruth Radelet vocals and general nocturnal, cinematic sound you’d want from the mysterious group. Perhaps the one major difference is the thumping, 808-heavy disco beat. But, like with Barnett, Chromatics’ sound is solidified by this point. And luckily, they’re still the masters at soundtracking nighttime drives.

“Arabesque” by Coldplay

Coldplay returned this fall with two singles. One was “Orphans,” which had a conventional Coldplay sound (sing-along chorus! aggressive perkiness!) to contrast with an unconventional Coldplay topic (refugees). 

The other was “Arabesque,” which sounds like nothing Coldplay have ever done before. It’s got a hard-hitting Afropop beat, a French interlude, Chris Martin dropping the f-bomb, and most amazingly, a sax solo that’s nearly two minutes long. It’s a weird, jazzy detour for the group — and it’s incredible.

“Falling” by Dude York

Seattle indie rockers Dude York wrote a song about a topic you don’t hear much often in music: romantic complacency. The couple in “Falling” isn’t a bad one — lead singer Claire England makes it clear that she’s having a great time. But she also calls the relationship “practical,” and describes it as a very casual, low-stakes romance. “Falling” brings up the question many long-term couples ask themselves: Weren’t there supposed to be butterflies? Is it bad if our relationship is more cozy than passionate? It’s an intriguing subject, backed by killer rock production.

“Tough Enough” by Ex Hex

Ex Hex’s sound is knowingly old-school. The rip-roaring El Camino-rock of “Tough Enough” could’ve easily been a Pat Benatar or Joan Jett single in the early ‘80s. And that’s what makes it great — who doesn’t love Joan Jett? “Tough Enough” isn’t something you have to think too hard about; it just kicks ass.

“Summer Girl” by HAIM

Asking HAIM to give you a sleek retro-pop song is like asking Spoon to give you a nervy indie rock single: they’ll deliver the goods. But the San Fernando Valley sisters gave their formula a few tweaks with “Summer Girl,” their best single since their 2013 debut.

Instead of their typically slick production, HAIM opted for a barebone, funky ‘70s groove. The vocals rarely go above a whisper. And the most prominent element of the song is a honking sax riff, which sounds like it comes straight from A Tribe Called Quest song. But all these changes don’t erase HAIM’s strongest quality: their solid-gold hooks. And you’ll be humming that doo-doo-do-do-doo chorus for days after hearing “Summer Girl.”

“Nice To Meet Ya” by Niall Horan

I had no expectations for former One Direction member Niall Horan’s new single this year. I didn’t love his previous white-guy-with-acoustic-guitar style, so I didn’t plan on enjoying his new stuff.

But “Nice To Meet Ya” thankfully ditches the acoustic guitar. It’s an extremely late-‘90s breakbeat banger. It’s less Ed Sheeran and more classic Robbie Williams. The song it really reminds me of is Republica’s deathless jock-jam classic “Ready To Go” — all propulsive energy and power. “Nice To Meet Ya” is a bit less aggressive, but it’s still a ton of fun and shows that Harry Styles isn’t the only One Direction alum that can produce a great solo track.

“Hey, Ma” by Bon Iver

At this point, Bon Iver can write these beardy arena-folk anthems in his sleep. But that doesn’t make “Hey, Ma” any less of a great update of that song. Amidst the occasional synth bloop and awkward Boomer-esque weed references (not sure anyone’s unironically said “toking on dope” in a while), the single features one of Justin Vernon’s greatest melodies. If anyone’s wondering how Bon Iver became one of the decade’s premier indie acts, the soaring chorus and powerful melody of “Hey, Ma” is an indicative example.

“Juice” by Lizzo

If it weren’t for a certain baggy clothes-wearing teen, Lizzo would’ve easily been 2019′s biggest breakout artist. But although “Good As Hell” and “Truth Hurts” were her biggest hits, those two songs came out way before 2019. Out of the songs that the Minneapolis popstar actually released this year, “Juice” is the perfect demonstration of her irrepressible charisma.

“Juice” is the best-possible combination of Bruno Mars’ retro-funk exercises and a defiant Kelly Clarkson anthem. Lizzo sounds like the most confident, extroverted person on the planet, slyly bragging about her and her friends’ prowess. It’s not quite on the level of “Uptown Funk,” but “Juice” is still too fun to resist.

“Sucker Punch” by Sigrid

“Sucker Punch” is just the latest edition of a wonderful musical tradition: the sleek, icy Swedish pop song! Wait...*checks notes* turns out Sigrid is actually Norwegian. A country that has less ABBA-style pop and more death metal.

But regardless of what part of Scandinavia she’s from, Sigrid’s “Sucker Punch” is still a textbook-perfect bubblegum single. With its bouncy vibe and explosive chorus, it almost sounds like a lost hit from 2011 or 2012 — a golden age for pop. Sigrid’s thick accent and energy just adds to the charm. Old-school synthpop isn’t in vogue anymore, but at least Sigrid is keeping it alive for now.

“Hurry On Home” by Sleater-Kinney

2019 was not Sleater-Kinney’s best year. The Olympia indie legends’ new album, The Center Won’t Hold, received lukewarm reviews. The momentum from their 2015 reunion was mostly sapped. And most critically, longtime drummer Janet Weiss, one of the best in the biz, quit abruptly, saying she was essentially told that she was no longer a “creative equal” in the group.

But at least the trio delivered one stone-cold Sleater-Kinney classic single before they imploded. “Hurry On Home” is a sleazy, thunderous hard rock jam that would’ve snugly fit on their last album, No Cities To Love. It’s got a bit more of a robotic groove, thanks to producer St. Vincent, but the crunchy guitars are still there. Carrie Brownstein’s sardonic vocals are still there. And that trademark Sleater-Kinney intensity is absolutely still there.

“Superbike” by Jay Som

Jay Som’s stellar 2017 debut album, Everybody Works, dabbled in dream pop, but also dipped its toes into many other subgenres. But the lead single of her sophomore album, “Superbike,” is pure hazy ecstasy.

“Superbike” has a bit of Alvvays in its DNA, particularly in the atmospheric guitars and whispered vocals. But Melina Duterte added a bit more California bliss to that formula. The track sounds like the soundtrack to a tranquil jog down the beach, with the sunrise in the background.

“God Is” by Kanye West

Kanye West can’t sing. He’s warbly and incredibly off-key. And that’s why I love it when he genuinely tries to do so.

Jesus Is King is a mediocre, one-note first draft of an album, but it still has its moments. And my favorite moment on the record is when West puts his lack of vocal talent on display. “God Is” features West trying his darndest to belt over a sample of gospel composer James Cleveland’s song of the same name. And he falls pretty flat on his face. But there’s something still powerful about that, like someone badly singing in church, but with so much conviction. It humanizes West.

[muthur9000]

S.D.Perry talks about Weyland-Yutani Report

Excerpt from AVP Galaxy forum

A general note on canon, which may answer a bunch of questions–bear with me if you know this already, as I’m sure many of you do: it would be all but impossible to create a consistent universe for any franchise, or explain every contradiction therein. The Aliens universe has movies, books, comics, video games, more movies, etc. Editors quit or move on, publishing rights change hands, directors have their own ideas (and since movies are where the big bucks are, they will inevitably win), writers don’t have time to read a tenth of everything, and there are ALWAYS financial considerations… it’s inevitable, if a movie makes money, more of them get made. If one or more of the sequels tanks financially, or is so badly executed that fans hate it, the mother company–in this case, Fox–is likely to politely ignore it, and focus on the cool franchise aspects for the next project, which is not always successful. This makes canon flexible, as contradictory as that seems. I don’t have an inside line to Fox or anything, but have worked in a number of universes (Aliens, AvP, Predator, Star Trek, Resident Evil, etc.) and I find that this is usually the case.

predexo, watching something you felt to be canon getting shot down is rough–it sucks to have one’s choices made for them–but thankfully, in this day and age, we get to keep copies of the things we care about. Whether or not someone else says it’s legitimate, who cares? That shouldn’t change how you feel about the movie/book/whatever. It’s your right to enjoy what you enjoy, and if the Man makes bad decisions, it’s your right to take your money elsewhere.

Other stuff: - At the moment, Aliens has its own universe, Predator has its own, AvP has its own. That may change, but again, I don’t know anything. For this project, I was strictly in the Aliens universe. - Hicks does mention in passing that there were already some Marines at Hadley’s Hope. That is a reference to one of the new novels, I was asked specifically to put it in. - Would I write a book narrated by Morse? Sure, if asked. Morse is hilarious. - I didn’t know anything about the new Prometheus movie, except that I was asked not to speculate (much) about the alien’s origins in this book. Well, I know one thing, but if I spilled, I might be flayed alive. - For the timeline, I was told to always defer to the movies as canon, and occasionally the movie novelizations for additional detail. So, comics, original works, and games were mostly left out, except for a few references I was specifically asked to put in, to help promote some of the newer projects. I wasn’t asked to exclude anything. I’m not actually sure how it finally turned out, as there were several uber fan continuity checkers hired on to look for mistakes. - Using the actor names for the characters was an Aliens thing, so when I had characters with only a last name listed, I put in the actor’s first name. I didn’t know if Fox would sign off on it, but they did. My editor, Chris, who was awesome, BTW, also thought it was a good idea.

Xenomorphine, lots of questions! You get your own section. I’ll go by number. I would cut and paste the questions, but last time I did something like that I totally messed it up and looked like an idiot. Hopefully you’ll remember the questions from context. 1. Let’s see… alien shape is based on the host’s DNA, you already know that. We didn’t discuss age-related morphological changes in this book. As SM mentioned earlier in a comment, this book is a Company report, and while they have plenty of theories, they don’t know everything about the aliens… 2. …Or Hicks! I’m not privy to everything canon–there are so many projects connected to the universe, contradictions occur all of the time–but as I may have said earlier, the editors that work in established universes try to focus on what really works, ignoring stuff that won’t support their project. We’re always struggling (writers, editors, game makers) to define and make sense of an ever changing universe. Every new movie adds or contradicts. The universe is so big, there’s a lot of room to just make up new stuff, which happens plenty. 3. I’ve been doing Aliens related novelizations since I started writing, 20+ years ago, so nothing surprised me, really, though I had to take my vague assumptions and firm ‘em up with some actual science. This was a pretty research-intensive project. I learned some neat stuff, though, mostly about insects. 4. Fox wasn’t involved until after I wrote the first draft… I was asked to include some references to the new Titan books and the new game, asked to take out a detail here or there for style’s sake, but nothing unexpected. The Fox contact, Josh, was very nice, and super enthusiastic. 5. I did not contact Mr. Giger… again, this is a Weyland-Yutani report, not a definitive encyclopedia on aliens. Plus, I wouldn’t have had the nerve! 6. Yes. Writing for big franchise universes is tough– there’s so much that you have to try not to contradict–but Predators are wicked cool. I think if this book does well, Fox is open to doing something similar in the Predator and/or AvP universes, but again, don’t quote me. No promises were made! :) As a mostly work-for-hire writer, I’ll write whatever… Aliens, Xena, My Little Pony. Preference doesn’t really play a part, and I’m not at a level where I get to pitch book ideas. 7. Hmm… If I had to do more, probably Resurrection, just for symmetry’s sake. I was not a fan of the movie, and of course, the USM ran the experiment, not the Company, so they (WY) were very dismissive of the whole thing. There’s less detail there than elsewhere. If I got to pick for fun, I’d do more with the prisoners on Fury 161. Just cuz. 8. No. I’ve had to write fast (did a novelization once in 21 days; for me, that’s fast) and have certainly at times been sloppy, especially at the beginning of my career, but if I couldn’t appreciate the source material, understand what makes it magical to some people, then I wouldn’t be very good at my job. I know that paint by the numbers writers exist, but I don’t know any personally. To write contract work professionally, one must always embrace the inspiration, IMHO. If I can’t, I’m at least a decent enough writer to fake it.:) Luckily, I’m an Aliens fan. 9. I had some influence over layout, but in a very roundabout way. My editor sent me some of the movie images, then I came up with a general script. He and I went back and forth on that, trying to strike the right tone, trying to give format and opportunity to the artists. The artists made art, and it went back to us, finding or writing text that would fit, captioning things. It was a very interactive experience. So I played a part in the final look, but really, a very small one near the beginning. 10. Once I turn in a final draft, and all of the last minute touches have been made, I have NO IDEA what happens next. Some writers, presumably the smart ones, find out everything they can about when their work comes out and how much and what format; me, I like to write, and not much else. I’m a terrible business person. I’d love to see it on my Kindle, though!

[freshkookies97]

Schedule

Alright, guys! So, I figure it’s about time I posted an update on what I’m working on. I feel odd for not posting a fan-fiction in so long, and for the lack of activity on this blog. So, please allow me to explain. 🙏🏻☺️ (this is going to be very long, and there are trigger warnings, so read at your own discretion)

I have a bolded headline for those of you that would like to skip my emotional and trigger sensitive spiel.

I don’t expect any of you to actually read what’s been going on in my life, but at least I had the opportunity to release everything I’ve been holding in. 

Not only have I started another blog (my third active blog total), but I’m going through immense emotional problems right now. My mom and step-dad have been fighting lately, and it honestly feels like I’m walking on glass shards for most of the day. I know they won’t get divorced because they still love each other at the end of the day, but something needs to change. Things need to be amended.

Also, school has really been stressing me out. I’m only taking two classes right now, Composition 2 and General Chemistry, and as easy as they are for me, given my education and knowledge beforehand, I’m struggling thanks to ... ... good ‘ole procrastination, one of my most difficult demons to deal with.

I’m about 6+ assignments behind in Composition 2, not only thanks to absence, but procrastination as well. Most of them are in-class assignments, some I didn’t know existed and some from absence, and the others are things like the pre-writing, outline, and rough draft of the essay that is due next Tuesday (the final draft)! I’m just having a wonderful time! (Note the sarcasm. 🙃😂)

Not to mention General Chemistry! I missed one quiz. One, and now I’m missing a whopping 50 points! Did I mention my take-home midterm is due this Saturday? I haven’t even started it, and it is now Friday. Not to worry, I’m fairly confident I can complete it efficiently. 👍🏻

I haven’t told any of this to anyone. At all. I’ve been internalizing all of this for nearly the past month. So, now, surely you can realize how stressed and overwhelmed I am, and why I haven’t been active lately. Well, let me tell you, my tale of misery doesn’t end there!

On Tuesday night, merely 30 minutes before I was supposed to be attending my 6:30pm-9:00pm Composition 2 class, my bird, the African Grey, Zeus, pulled a can, a metal can... full of food onto his foot. Now, surely, you’ve dropped a can of soup onto your foot at least once in your lifetime, right? Imagine the effect it would have on a bird that’s toes are thinner than your pinky finger.

He started bleeding. Everywhere. My mom’s arm was covered.

So, I had the fortunate opportunity of missing class to rush to the animal hospital with my mom hysterically crying in the passenger seat, arguing with me on the way I decided to take to the animal hospital. Thankfully, we had called beforehand, and the routine animal hospital we usually frequent for whatever our birds need, was able to attend to Zeus, and we, as in I, didn’t have to drive us 45 minutes away with Zeus still bleeding out. See, the danger when a bird his size starts bleeding so much is that he’s very small, which means he can lose all of the blood in his body very quickly, and well, die.

Now, you can understand my mom’s hysterics. Not only due to the risks, but it was her beloved pet! Understandable circumstances for the reaction.

So, the doctor bandaged his foot, dressed him in a plastic cone with a fleece covering over it that encircled 1/4 of his wings to prevent him from picking at the bandage, and sent us home with antibiotics and pain meds. Unfortunately, my mom had work, which meant either I or my step-dad would have to watch him in case he fell over and couldn’t get up, to calm him, etc. I was tasked with the observation first.

My mom had him wrapped in a towel (something perfectly safe, and is done in the vet’s office to handle birds), and I was to watch him and calm him. Well, not even 5 minutes later, he bit me (surely out of stress and/or frustration with the contraption encasing his body), and that’s all it took for me to have a complete mental/emotional breakdown!

It was a lovely night.

So, yeah. I’ve been having a very hard time. I won’t even begin to describe my personal feelings on these matters, and the depression that’s been plaguing me for the past 1-2 weeks. I’ll just say that it’s been rough, and get onto what I’m sure everyone is anticipating: a schedule!

Or the shell of a schedule, anyways, because nothing has a set date. 🙃

*** NO MORE TRIGGER WARNINGS FROM HERE ON ***

Schedule/Update:

First off, I would like to state that I’m considering a sequel to “White Lilies,” featuring Taehyung and reader, should anyone be interested, message me or comment on this post if you would like me to write it!

Now, to begin with what I’m working on!

An unnamed Jimin and fem!reader, and Hobi and fem!reader fan-fiction in which Jimin and Hobi are reader’s dance teachers, and both of them are in love with her, unbeknownest to reader, of course. This was inspired by the Highlight Reel that BigHit released. I have to thank one of my real life best friends, @kpopworldposts, for providing me the idea, and aiding in the construction of the plot. Also for her continuous support of my works, including being the first person to read any fan-fiction I write that I think I might actually complete. 😂 /// Genre: Romance, Angst. Expected completion: — ? It’s honestly nowhere near completion. I haven’t even named it! 😞 However, if anybody would like a teaser of what I’ve written so far, I will gladly provide! I was already contemplating it to be honest.

Other than that, I don’t really have anything planned. I have a few other fan-fictions that I’m heavily working on, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever post them, mostly because they’re heavily filled with angst and personal insecurities.

I’m sorry that there are so few things to look forward to regarding fan-fictions I’m writing. Feel free to message me if there’s anything you’d like me to write! My inbox will always be open. ☺️

Thank you to those of you who took the time to read my spiel. I appreciate it. I know it was lengthy, and probably not very interesting, but it means a lot to me that you took time out of your day to read what’s been going on in my life. I’ve been having difficulties with recognizing my worth in other people’s lives, so I’m really grateful if you decided to read it. Thank you. 💙

I will try to post more as often as I can, but those of you that read my rant know that I have a lot going on. So, I won’t bore you with even more details, just know that I’m doing what I can when I can.

My blog mostly runs on queue now, and I think that’s how it’ll be for a while until I fix myself and my problems. Not an easy task, but I know I can do it. It will just take time. So, forgive me for the lack of activity. I’m trying my best.

I look forward to posting my next fan-fiction, starring Jimin, Hobi, and reader in their angst and romance filled love triangle.

Thank you again. 💜

Stay strong.

~ Alexis ~

🌸