#the plot is developing the emotional growth is a little slow and by the time we get to chapter 5 shit is going to hit the FAN and don't want

[a-vague-yet-menacing-agency]

Every time I edit this fic I just keep adding scenes and length. Started as a quick jaunt and now it’s already 31000 words and two chapters away from the end and I’m still adding to the middle

Why am I like this?

how much could one person possibly have to to say about dimension 20 neverafter Modern AU?

[crooked-wasteland]

Stolen from @pinkandpurple360 anonymous ask.

"Blitz still has a long way to go with character development”

That's great. I can't wait to never see it.

This was an issue I tried working into my Fizzarolli Dissection but it kept feeling less about the character and more an overarching writing issue, so let's just take it here.

Every bit of character development in the series is inconsistent or entirely spontaneous. Stolas being in love with Blitz seemed like a slow burn until out of nowhere in Ozzie's he is so head over heels for Blitz in specific. Asking why Blitz only now is asking him out "after all this time", like he has been waiting on and expecting it despite that never being a thought towards their dynamic before. Going from being entirely obsessed with their sexual contract and seeing Blitz as a sex object to suddenly wanting cuddles on the couch with no strings attached?

That change was never shown in the series. It was never developed. There is no character growth, they merely are different to suit the new direction to the plot.

So again, I'm so glad Blitz has more character development to go through, can't wait for it all to be implied off screen like every other ounce of character we've been gaslight into believing has "grown".

If you never show it on screen, the dynamic, the relationship, the change, it never happened. Loona at the end of Queen Bee seems to get closer to Blitz but the next time we see her she's trying to assault him. We never saw any moment of change following the end of Queen Bee where we felt her character actually develop. Even after calling Blitz dad in the episode, she ignores him in favor of strangers at the party. She expressed clear disgust with Blitz before leaving with him, and her mild softening towards him at the end could just as easily be seen as nothing at all as it could be a character growth.

However growth requires reinforcement. If you never reinforce that moment meant something, it isn't growth, it's a cheap emotional scene to get a reaction from an audience. A short scene of Loona simply telling Blitz good morning to show some kind of change was all that was needed, but it was not as important to establish change in the characters as it was to have the most cringe scene in existence. Priorities.

One of the biggest issues with the series is how blatant the meta agenda of the writing is. They never allow the space to establish characters or change, instead citing these one off moments as “proof” of story when they do not amount to anything at all. There is unfortunately a distinct difference between a story and a scene, and it is painfully obvious by how Medrano and Nylan utilize these scenes that it is entirely for a superficial effect.

The relationship between Fizzarolli and Blitz similarly is extremely vapid and has no foundation to establish what their dynamic actually was growing up. Additionally, the two scenes of them being younger are fundamentally contradictory. Younger Fizz from The Circus is assertive and confrontational. He threatens to punch Blitz for being annoying and not playing the way he wants to play. He's bossy without necessarily being mean and not only knows he's popular, but also how to utilize it as manipulation, seen in how he draws attention to himself to spare Blitz the embarrassment of his failed joke. This Fizzarolli actually lines up also with the Fizz from Ozzie's. It's hard to claim that Ozzie's Fizz was "just an act" when as a literal child he has all the same traits

Then in the Special he is insecure, timid, has very little self esteem and is an anxious people pleaser with a mousy voice. There is nothing to establish this as the same person at all, and all the narrative context clues around his popularity does not support the direction of change this character has experienced. Fizzarolli has only gotten bigger between being what appears to be six years old and what I can only assume to be thirteen based on his cracking pubescent voice and gangly limbs. All we can go on is context clues and extrapolation, but arguing of a non-existent event that humbled Fizzarolli to this extent, while maintaining his stardom prior to ever meeting Mammon, is founded on nothing, when there is a much simpler answer.

His whole personality has taken a 180 turn for the sole purpose of the episode’s narrative. Fizzarolli being the pathetic whump he is in the episode is not founded anywhere else in the show, but we need that so people feel bad for him. There is no confidence in this writing. It shows that instead of believing the character is likeable as a whole for a complex personality, the only way anyone will like him is if he is just the softest jellybean in the bunch.

It is only this way because it suits the episode right here and now. And when his character changes, it isn't founded on any concrete narrative of growth and actions having consequences, but on what the writers need to get the audience to feel a certain way. So I say it again:

That's nice, I can't wait to never see it.

[bumblebeehug]

I think with natsu and lucy they have a mutual understanding that they have a deep bond and of course it's a little bit harder to physically see compared to gruvia because they are by each-others side all the time. I think if the writer's did present a lovey dovey nalu it would be boring to have it right out front and center bc they are both independently growing characters. The slow growth is what makes nalu unique. While gruvia progressed differently bc of the goals they share. If that makes ¢

i get your point! and i agree with you, the current speed of romantic development makes sense, considering the author and the characters. it would feel incredibly out of character if natsu and lucy had the exact same experience as juvia and gray - they’re in complete different situations! and their characters are completely different! (even if our boys are still as emotionally unavailable as they can be, just like you said lol).

now, what makes me a bit impatient is that natsu might have feelings for lucy - but compared to gray, we never see him hinting to the readers that he possesses these feelings. gray had thought bubbles that said “i wonder what juvia’s up to” and “juvia…💖💘💕💗💓💕 *looks out into space with longing eyes*”. natsu never has thoughts outside of battle, so we never see his emotions. we don’t know if his worried look after seeing serpent lucy is due to him worrying about the love of his life being played with by enemies, or if it just meant “huh, that’s inconvenient. gotta save my teammate!” (obviously he was concerned about her here, but without any thoughts from him we can’t know for sure)

i like how you mentioned their individual growths! lucy has come long way just during this month that the 100yq has gone through, and she’s slowly opening up about her feelings for natsu towards her guild! and natsu? well… i honestly can’t tell if he has developed as a character. in my opinion his development is nearly nonexistent - we got a small crumb of him chasing away other guys from lucy, and he is smart in fights, but i find that behaviour to be almost identical to how he was in the og series - except for the fact that the og series made him a bit more human, and not a living skit. still! maybe i’m just not good enough at reading fighting mangas! (i can admit that i’m mostly following the 100 years quest due to my commitment to the characters and their relationships, and that i care less about the fights and the quest plot, other than how it helps the characters grow. i’d love to be proved wrong about natsu’s development!)

i loved hearing your thoughts on this! i hope you see where i’m coming from as well, i find it interesting how people read the same pages and still notice different things! (and feel free to message me if you want to keep talking in private🥰)

[echoesofidentity]

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh- Review

Eileen is Moshfegh's debut novel published in 2015, although it certainly does not read like a debut. This dark thriller feels years ahead of the trope of 'disgusting women', the popularity of which is booming in current mainstream and literary circles- and largely in part because of Moshfegh herself. In Eileen we follow young woman Eileen Dunlop, who lives in squalor with her abusive alcoholic father. Her only respite from her family home, saturated with addiction, violence and mental illness, is her job in a juvenile youth detention centre for teenage boys. We learn very little about Eileen's work, except she is infatuated with one of the male guards and infuriated by her female colleagues- Eileen is not a girls' girl. That is until Rebecca starts working at the prison, and very quickly Eileen develops an obsession for the beautifully glamorous education director. Again we learn little about who Rebecca really is outside of Eileen's growing preoccupation with her, and Eileen is the true unreliable narrator. The final act of the book culminates in a shocking twist in which we discover Rebecca has developed an obsession of her own and taken it to the extreme. However, as the book is written from a first person limited perspective, and Eileen's focus is on Rebecca herself, there is little foreshadowing of the twist as our focus is directed elsewhere. Some reviewers have therefore criticised the novel for its sudden change in pacing from the slow meandering stream of consciousness of the first two acts, to the comparatively more action-packed final one. Whilst the drastic change in pace is definitely noticeable, in retrospect it is clearly not without warning, and an astute reader would likely predict the 'twist'. Eileen is not a mystery novel and its clues are hidden in plain sight.

The online popularity of the subversive genre of disgusting and unlikeable women seems to originate from Moshfegh's second novel, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, which has proven an undisputed yet controversial BookTok hit. Yet Eileen feels like its repellent older cousin, the black sheep of the family with the ultimate unlikeable but uncomfortably relatable protagonist. In Eileen Moshfegh pushes the emotion of disgust to its absolute limits with its deeply unlikeable main character, not through her actions but primarily through the internal monologue to which the reader is privy. Eileen has little in the way of plot, so the stream of consciousness from our main character is the main sustenance of the novel, which at times makes for uncomfortable reading yet at others feels repetitive and redundant. Eileen has a fixed hatred for fat people and aspires to be as thin as possible, a fact which we are reminded of repeatedly throughout the book. It is clear Moshfegh wants her readers to intensely dislike Eileen, and for the most part she achieves this, but there are certainly times when Eileen's hatred for fat people- among other groups of people- loses its shock value and simply becomes tiresome. In other instances, the repetition is an effective technique employed by Moshfegh to demonstrate progression of the story even whilst Eileen herself fails to show any character growth. The most notable of these is the repeated imagined imagery of the icicles falling from her house and causing injury to herself or others; Eileen's character arguably shows no progression from the start to the end of the novel, holding many of the same views despite the very influential circumstances she is forced through. However, the icicle imagery migrates from a figment of imagination to an event in reality, and Eileen's lacklustre reaction to it highlights how, despite the horrors she has just experienced, she continues her life largely unchanged in her outlook.

Throughout reading I could not help drawing parallels between Eileen and Eliza Clark's Boy Parts, a more recent dark comedy that again leans heavily on the disgusting women trope, and another BookTok hit. Both novels encourage the reader to think beyond black and white likeability of their female protagonists and seem to instead beg the question as to why we find their thoughts and actions so abhorrent in the first place. Both Eileen and Boy Parts' protagonist, Irina, are staunchly un-feminist characters through their utter contempt for other women. However, it is debatable whether in fact they are unfeminist, when in actuality they are portrayed as hating everyone equally, except for those with whom they become obsessed. For Eileen this is Rebecca, and for Irina it is a male subject of her photography, but both end up in a self-destructive spiral as a result of their passionate fixation on another person. Regardless, it is interesting that a generation of readers widely considered to hold strong feminist principals have become obsessed with this emerging genre that does not portray its female protagonists in anything close to a positive light, and perhaps this is its strength. The portrayal of disgusting women frees female characters from the societal expectation to be pretty, clean and kind, and allows readers to live vicariously through them, testing the limits of what women are and are not allowed to do.

[erisenyo]

@louandharrybby - wanted to pull this out of the tags because I wanted to say it was my first fic but not the first novel-length thing I'd written, and from that prior experience, I learned how I write in a way that is sustainable and fun for me.

Like I knew I couldn't post chapters as I went, I had to write it all out first or else I'd start to not want to write because of the pressure of needing to update. And I knew I needed a plan, I couldn't just sit down with a blank page and write and have anything good come out. I knew I needed to be excited by the characters' various emotional journeys and growth, not just in the main romantic relationship.

Which is all to say--things were cooking for while, and its a canon rewrite which gave me a lot of good structure to fall back on if I was ever unsure about where the story was progressing (and These Things Written is a fanfic of a fanfic which is worth calling out), but it was absolutely worth the time to figure out an approach that worked for me. It definitely takes fits and starts, but even if the writing is frustrating or feels disorganized--that is something you're learning about your process and approach, and there's a lot of value in that long-term.

A bit of a figure of speech (I think of the beats "hitting," like this emotional moment needs to land) but there's definitely a sense of rhythm to it too!

Like some emotional threads are higher-intensity than others (the main romantic Zukka arc of These Things Written, for example, vs Sokka and Aang's developing friendship) and so the 'noise' they make in the fic is louder in terms of reader head-space and character head-space and fallout. They require in-fic space to come back down from, if that makes sense, in terms of processing and breathing room and letting the moment really sink in.

So something high-angst followed by something quieter and softer, and being conscious of not stringing too many high-intensity peaks back to back (the Fire Festival + Aang and Sokka convo + Katara and Sokka convo in These Things Written took like an entire chapter to breathe after). Or too many high-intensity peaks of the same sort, too--an emotional love declaration has a different feel than an emotional breakup and it requires different framing and setup and post-moment beats. If you're landing devastating hits they need space to actually land or else they lose their impact, and soft moments need space to live and sink in before the plot overtakes them or else they don't feel as substantial..

I also think about tying those lower-intensity emotional threads to the high-intensity ones, like Katara and Sokka working through their evolving sibling dynamic in part through the lens of the Sokka/Zuko arc. Or the slow build of quieter moments to give something weight in momentum, like all the "dating" moments in the Ba Sing Se arc of These Things Known that were softer and cuter but also just a little bit off around the edges because of the way reality kept breaking in (or being intentionally kept out), and how that built up narrative tension.

So not precisely a sense of music to it, but definitely a feeling for the emotional peaks and valleys and build up and drop off, and thinking about how those moments flow together and how to give the best lead up and space to land the really important ones, and how to pull through the quieter ones in the pauses for breath.

[fuzzydreamin]

for the writer asks, 2, 6, 10, and 20?

2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

Oh, there are some lovely milestones and plot twists and just general bits of character growth that I am salivating over and can't wait to get to. But I gotta get there first! Terrible! Who decided this? Chronological order? Making sure the set up is worth the pay off? Bah!

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

Uh, well, I've only written for Nora and Preston's POV's so far. I like them equally so far, too. I think the most fun part about writing multiple characters is being able to switch things up between them and really get in their head - how they think and feel about things that differs to the others in each situation. I can't wait to get further in and be able to explore the other character's headspaces.

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Lizard brain has ✨Idea💡 -> Put rough idea on paper and make less rough. Do necessary research. Continue to add to and edit this document the whole way through. It's a guide. -> Start actually writing the story itself and then write write write write -> Edit, oh no the editing, dreaded editing -> Success? Or horrible rotten failure.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Sometimes I worry that people will look at the chapter/word count and think "That's too much." But then I remind myself that this is for me first and foremost and continue on.

Anyway, that is to say that I take a lot of time on parts of the story that might come across as more boring because I want to be able to add world building, character growth and relationships, and slip in little clues and hidden references that will come back up later on. There's no Nora falling out of the cryopod and immediately running off to DC or the like. It takes her over a week to get there. And that sort of continues on through the story - things just take time. But again, it lets me add all of that other necessary stuff to the story.

Taking time is just part of my process, and as much as I love writing the action scenes, whether a fight or just a big emotional moment or reveal, I don't think the focus of the story should soley be on those. You need the slow to make sure the fast hits right. I'm also trying to weave a whole web of things that end up interconnecting at later points - not just following one string. The fic is a bit of a rewrite/retelling after all, so I've completely thrown the "people know the source material so why go over it again?" to the wind. Because the ways things are either different or the same matters, so I can't just skim over them. If you read my fic then you're getting the whole story.

[gamora-borealis]

I think with vol 1 Gamora we see her have a slow transition from beginning to end of the film and she softens over time. She had a plan in place to leave Thanos and was ready to risk distancing herself from him. She goes from quick to anger and having almost no trust and fear of vulnerability to letting her guard down a little. We can see her nodding her head to Peter's music and offering him a gentle smile by the end. In vol 2 she's grown some more and is closer to the others and more open, but she still has rough spots and doesn't trust new people easily or read every emotional situation. Then of course by the end there's more growth and deeper relationships to the others. We get to see a solid arc of emotional and mental healing. We're allowed to understand the good and bad parts of her and to connect with her story. In Endgame 2014Gamora is just like vol 1 Gamora. We see how hard she can be but also that she cares and has a good heart. In vol 3 Gamora is very much like vol 1 Gamora only a bit rougher because she's a ravager now. But also she's basically vol 1 Gamora who didn't get to ease into changes. She was thrown into the future, found out she had been killed, was dealing with both 2018 and 2014 Nebula and had to then jump head first into a potentially universe ending battle against her abuser. If that had been me I would have had a nervous breakdown. There's so much that was going on and vol 3 never allows that to be explored. Her entire significant experiences in the future all happened between Endgame and vol 3 where people couldn't emotionally connect to it. The guardians aren't given space to sympathize with her and the audience is left with undefined backstory and no real plot for Gamora in the film.

Lots of people have been deliberating on 2014Gamora and I think the most simplistic answer is they never should have killed 2018Gamora. Especially with only one film left. The contrast between her death in Infinity War and how James Gunn has handled characters deaths with far more agency and dignity stands out a lot. But in vol 3 it's so much more in your face how Gamora was treated compared to the other characters. In Infinity War she dealt with Thanos mostly on her own, was emotionally abused and then just as she's telling her abuser what he's done to her isn't love the movie allows her experience to be silenced when Thanos throws her off the cliff and actually receives the soul stone. Afterwards we are never given a chance in any other movie or show with the guardians to see them all angry or sad about what happened. In vol 3 we see every member of the team openly distraught over Rocket's situation. When he faces his abusive past he's not alone. When he stands up to his abuser his feelings aren't shutdown and he gets to win.

I think vol 3 had a number of nice character moments for Gamora and I was particularly happy she got to stab the villain. There are many aspects to the writing and characterization that are great. But it's hard not to notice Gamora's treatment compared to all the other characters has been pretty awful since IW. I saw lots of people excusing what Thanos did to Gamora after Infinity War or saying she wasn't really abused because Thanos got the soul stone. I now see some of those same people talking about how Rocket's abuser was actually a bad person and what he did was unforgivable. That alone tells me Infinity War should never have happened. Nobody should have been left feeling Gamora deserved what happened or that it was justified. James Gunn has said he signed off on and was okay with how Infinity War went down and I try to respect that but I don't understand him signing off on the message Infinity War sent about Gamora's abuse compared to the message he put out about Rocket's abuser. I don't get allowing a prominent character who was on her way to easily having one of the strongest arcs in the mcu, ending the trilogy the least developed character with the least amount of relationships to a story that she helped shape.

Yes Yes Yes! Great write up anon.

I think there could have been more Gamora stuff in Vol. 3, but it clearly was meant to be a Rocket-centric movie and there was so much going on considering they had to fit in Adam as well, so more stuff with her would have taken away from all that from a writing perspective. Not that that's fair to her character at all, but story/time-wise and knowing that Rocket is Gunn's favorite and this was meant to be his movie (whereas the last one was a little more Gamora and Nebula heavy), it makes a lot of sense.

We also have to remember: the timing of the James Gunn drama may have affected this too. The first time we see the Guardians again being in Thor 4 where it's just supposed to be kinda goofy and short was not ideal. This movie is 3 years late, and there were some changes made to the script (not huge, but probably some side-plot Gamora and Adam related stuff because the movie was further up the timeline now).

One thing I liked in Vol. 3 is they kind of have a moment where they take a jab at the "magic cliff" and how it doesn't make sense. I also struggle with Gunn's decision to sign off on her death. He seems to care about these characters a lot, even if Gamora isn't maybe his favorite like Rocket. It makes me wonder how much say he actually had in all of it, and how much it was just reassuring the fans (I'm skeptical of statements like this having become a Supernatural fan since 2020 lmao). From a writing standpoint, I can see how "Gamora having a big emotional death and Peter fucking everything up" sounds appealing, especially since they were desperately trying to figure out how to incorporate the soul stone and give the movie emotional depth. The soul stone was originally supposed to be tied to Black Panther/Wakanda, but their director wanted the movie and T'Challa's powers to be rooted in Wakanda/Africa (the flowers) and not some weird space thing (which makes sense!). So they probably came up with the Vormir idea and approached Gunn with not a lot of options. If Gunn had been the sole writer of IW/Endgame, I'm sure that even if he still chose to kill Gamora, that the stuff after Gamora's death would have been handled a lot better (as we see with Rocket and his abuser in this film). It's clear that Gamora couldn't have been brought back though because that would have meant Natasha also would have needed to come back, and the Avengers people clearly wanted her to stay dead (and that's a whole other problem ugh). Gunn probably was given story points he had to work with in IW/Endgame and write dialogue for, which I feel like he did a decent job of (Gamora spoke her mind as much as the story allowed and tried to sacrifice herself).

A lot of people have pointed out that sexism probably has some to do with how Gamora has been treated too (like if she was a male lead would it have played out like this). And you know, I don't think James Gunn is purposely trying to be sexist, but the dude is flawed (and admits it) and his writing used to be more problematic than it is now. It's maybe still a blindspot for him.

I'm also potentially processing this all differently because I purposely spoiled myself on some Gamora details last weekend before going into the movie (yesterday) to prepare myself (because if not I can get wayyy too invested and it hurts a lot). So I've had some time to think about all of this at a meta-level before I saw the film. I think I'm generally happy with how it turned out considering what happened happened in IW and can't be changed now. I kind of liked that Gamora had all this growth in Vol. 2, idk what path she would have taken in Vol 3. Everyone had to go discover themselves at the end. Would Starmora have broken up then? Adding the new challenge of making it a different Gamora was kind of more compelling in some ways, although I absolutely hate that that meant she had to die to get there (maybe if it was the same Gamora with no memories that would have been interesting).

I'm also very used to filling in all the gaps of what isn't on screen because that's just how my fanfic brain works, and I feel like Gunn writes such strong characters that it's easy to imagine stuff offscreen (and maybe that's what he wants us to do). So like, just because some of the Gamora / Guardians mourning her stuff happened offscreen doesn't mean it didn't happen. Gunn would probably agree with that. It still sucks that we didn't get to see it though.

[canbeanythinguwant]

Being okay with the WN ending

Okay yes, extreme tragedy re: the cancellation and I’m definitely still down for another network to pick it up… but I actually am pretty happy about the ending as it is.

We all KNOW they’re going to reunite. And I’m happy we have that. I think the way they were handled by the show makes them so compelling- aka the slow burn and the careful and so respectful way they built Ava individually & then Bea individually & then Ava and Bea together- a lot of it is in small tender moments that even though these moments aren’t the main story they’re a big reason that drives it.

The show just feels so big, the setup and development of the characters, all the different plays and dynamics are beaming with richness and potential that is so fun to experience- I don’t even have the time to go into Beatrice, let alone Lilith- that as much as I would love just one more season, I’m just grateful as it is that they built this world that I will be thinking about for the rest of my life. It’s such a special small little show that has impacted me more than say a fantasy show that contains tons of characters and information and plot and so many seasons enough to completely ruin everything by the end.

And in a matter of storytelling, it ends at a perfect spot to complete Ava’s character development. But luckily, we got more than that, we got Bea looking hopeful despite the unknown & actual confirmation that Ava has returned. (Plus doubled down confirmation from the series creator that she has).

But THIS ending was such a beautiful trajectory for Ava that it makes me so emotional; all of the themes of the show especially regarding Ava are SO so beautiful & one of my faves is her personal growth of learning what it actually means to live; from tragedy followed by an awful childhood- I can’t even begin to express my love for Ava’s personality despite all of this- which was basically not much of a life & then her life being taken from her so maliciously to being given a miracle & a second chance at life & OFC needing to be selfish about it- literally every choice she made for s1 made perfect sense & was so human- & THEN learning that purpose & meaning actually means family & love and fighting so hard for it & coming to realize & learn that the one thing that matters more than life is love.

[celtalks]

Time Warp in the Heartland: 'The Way Home' Defies Genres with Jaw-Dropping Finale

'The Way Home' Finale Leaves Fans Stunned with Time-Travel Twist

In a medium where it seems all stories have been told, The Way Home breaks the mold. Ever since its premiere, the family drama has been a slow burn of emotional story-telling meets subtle hints of the extraordinary. But as the finale aired last night, the showrunners catapulted the series from touching family narrative into the realm of sci-fi with a twist that left viewers' jaws on the floor. The series, centered around the lives of three generations of women, has carefully woven themes of redemption, love, and loss. Through its debut season, a tale of returning to one's roots to find what truly makes us whole was at its heart. However, the hint of strange phenomena kept viewers guessing, almost a whisper in the otherwise loudly emotional dialogues and picturesque scenes of a small town. It turns out, those little oddities were not just mere plot decorations. In a bold move that had fans reeling, the creators revealed in the finale that the troubled yet endearing teenage Colton is, in fact, a time traveler. The implications of this are staggering – all those fleeting moments where Colton showcased knowledge beyond his years or when certain events seemed inexplicably altered find their anchor in this revelation. Creators McKinley Belcher III and Marlee Matlin, lauded for their diligent sensitivity in depicting heavy themes like disability and trauma, assured fans that this revelation was embedded within the narrative right from the beginning. "We wanted to have an organic twist that would be a gamechanger for how we perceive family ties and the continuum of love through time," they mentioned in an interview. Belcher and Matlin's creative gambit has certainly paid off, sparking online debates and theories amongst the show's fervent followers. The fusion of real, humane moments with the allure of time-defying elements not only sets the stage for what is sure to be a gripping second season but establishes The Way Home as a genre-blurring forerunner. Their finale gamble hasn’t just opened the doors to infinite storytelling possibilities; it has morphed the image of the show, reframing its every episode in a light that demands a re-watch. Fans are now dissecting previous episodes for missed clues and praise the creators for laying the seeds of this twist so meticulously. The season finale, apart from its revelation, didn't shy away from its strength—character development. Even as the bombshell dropped, the episode intricately managed to uphold the personal growth of each character, making sure the sci-fi element enhanced rather than overshadowed the intrinsic human stories at play. Fans are surely aching for the next season while being stiflingly curious about how Colton's time-traveling feats will affect the family. With hands-on time as a literal narrative device now, The Way Home has already set itself up for a more complex, riveting continuation that could very well redefine the family drama genre. Stick around; the story of The Way Home is just getting started, and its journey promises to be as unpredictable as time itself. Read the full article

[dearwriters]

Hi!!!

I needed an advice can i ask you for it?

I'm writing a fantasy story.

Character A is discovering the world for the first time and cant fight, is rather naive but friendly, although a bit too pessimist.

The other one is OP, mysterious and grumpy.

The two get stuck together and A forces B to begin a journey.

B is practically both A's mentor and lancer.

And slowly they were programmed to become lovers (slow burn)

I wanted to ask you how you think I could develop their relationship without making it too cliche/forced.

Thabks and thank you for all the advices you have given already!

Building a Slow Burn Relationship

This sounds like a very fun idea, so let me gather some thoughts on this topic! Sorry, this might be a long one...

Braiding roses

If you frequent this blog, you may have seen me use this metaphor whenever it comes to building a relationship. I picked it up in one of Brandon Sandersons writing lectures on YouTube. Developing a relationship, especially a romantic one, between characters takes a lot of scratches and bleeding fingers. Essentially: Personal conflict. But with time and work you can braid the roses, so the petals face inside and the thorns face the outside. Your characters will let each other in and the thorns that were once pointed at each other, will now protect them. They form a bond against the conflicts they are challenged with in the story.

Of course this is quite the poetic way of saying: Human emotions are messy. Just imagine: What are these characters thorns and what are their petals? Their flaws and their good sides? Those are essentially the reason it's a slow burn, because two perfect characters in love would just be together, right? But characters who see the others flaws and struggle to accept them (because of their very own flaws) will need more time to overcome their differences. How will the two personalities interact with and inform each other to create conflict and how can it be resolved?

Key moments

I think it could be productive to think about key moments and their impact. This is the part of the big moments that show the depth of their connection. Think about "firsts". The first kiss, for example, would be a big one, but it can also be more subtle notions and they don't have to be all positive, like the first big fight. Think about meaningful points of connection or friction and lay down a path to use those impactful moments as mile stones. You basically reward your reader with those moments for sticking with the story. You give them what they want, so they don’t get bored during the slow burn.

Organic Growth

While the key moments are the big things we all want to see, the little things are just as important to avoid a forced romance. You can weave the romantic sub plot into the essence of the main plot by small gestures, to show the growth of the characters individually and as parts of a relationship.

You can establish this growth through techniques like the "Mirroring" of a scene. You circle back to things and show how the character now reacts differntly to a similar situation than before, thus being changed over the course of the story. Its about evoking a similar feeling with a different outcome to show change.

Think less about big moments more about little details and ways to show a growing relationship. Like the recognition of a need/desire in the other person and then fullfilling it as a way to show affection (in regards to that: maybe check out the principle of “love languages” and figure out how your characters would show their affection individually).

I hope this helped a bit.

Have fun writing!

[twopoppies]

Hi! I hope it’s not too annoying of a request but I was wondering if you or your followers can think of any fics that are kinda inspiring academically, especially regarding British literature, if that makes sense? I just finished rereading Come As You Are and every time I read it, it motivates me to read more and practice my writing because I want to be more like Harry from that fic hahaha and I’m looking for more fics which evoke this feeling since I’m starting my masters in October and I need all the help I can get. Thank you so much! (I absolutely love your master post and its my go to couple times a week!)

Hi sweetheart. Hmmm... I just reblogged my Dark Academia fic rec, but other than that I think it would be fics where one or the other are writers/poets etc. Not all of these are heavy on the writing/poetry, but they're all great fics.

Make Your Words A Weapon by @helloamhere (E, 36K) I recently read this a second time and it’s even better than I remembered. I love everything this author writes. This one just really hit me hard for whatever reason. Maybe it’s the way they explore Louis’ anxiety and coping mechanisms and pain and the way he pushes people away and protects himself, but also wants someone to push back just a bit and love him despite all of that. And the way Harry is the perfect foil for all of it, while also feeling like a fully developed character himself. Yeah, it’s probably all of that. Plus soul marks! (Musician Harry/Music Journalist Louis)

Our Lives, Non Fiction by @indiaalphawhiskey (E, 114K) this is, quite literally, the best fic I’ve read in years. It’s so well written, clever, funny, emotional, and sexy. Its draw you in immediately and you’ll end up falling in love with these characters before you know it. Don’t miss this one. Harry and Louis are both authors.

An Invincible Summer by Brooklyn_Babylon / @twopoppies (E, 45K) this one is mine, I hope you like it:

Never content to stay in one place for long, a few months down south researching for his novel seemed like an idyllic, slow-paced summer to Louis. He wasn’t ready for the blistering heat, the backbreaking work of watermelon picking, or how stifling the attitudes in rural Georgia would feel. And he definitely hadn’t anticipated falling in love with the farmer’s son.

The summer of 1946 would turn out to be everything worth writing about. Farmer Harry / author Louis

Mine Would Be You by @crinkle-eyed-boo (E, 115K) Beautifully written, flawed characters and an emotionally engaging and ANGSTY plot. Super hot smut that made me cry like a fool. Banter, OT5 friendship, and the gritty realness of New York as a backdrop. Loved this one. Artist Harry / Author Louis

where your lips land by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite (E, 12K) Ok, I’ve recommended this one a few times and I really do love it. Anyway, I love fics where the two of them are both artists of some sort (Louis is a poet in this one, Harry is a photographer) because it allows for another layer of understanding and connection and support. I particularly love the way Louis’ tattoos are woven into this story with layered meaning. And, as always, just beautiful writing.

you’re writing lines about me by snazzyasalways (T, 4K) This is gorgeously written on that Dreamy, poetic style I happen to love. Louis is a blind poet, Harry is a baker, Harry falls in love with Louis’ words, then with him.

another hazy may by deLILah (M, 41K) Another author who writes great fic after great fic. This one has that dreamy quality I love and there’s also something about it that, at times, reminds me of a little bit of a Raymond Chandler novel. I know that’s weird...but, yeah, it does. Anyway, I love this one. Such a good read.

I would name the stars for you (I would take you there) by orphan_account (M, 91K) This is just beautifully written. Angst. Mutual pining. Dumb boys. Beautiful descriptions of art and creativity and fame and beautiful poetry.

Little Technicolor Things by scary_crow (M, 72K) This is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I have ever read and it is an absolutely travesty that it’s not being talked about every day. This fic is gorgeous and poetic and romantic and heartbreaking and an explosion of metaphoric images and everything I never knew I needed but now that I have it I want to read it over and over and over.

But If This Ends by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense (E, 107K) This author referred to this fic as their “depressed vampire” fic while they were writing, and it is that. But it’s also a unique story with beautifully fleshed out characters, plot twists, and super hot smut. Go check it out! Vampire Harry / Writer Louis

24K Magic by @justalittlelouislove (E, 33K) FINALLY a category in which I can rec this author! I love everything they write, but this was the first one I’d read and it’s just great. Smooth dialogue, sexy smut, great description of character growth…just a really fun fic.

the best part of me (was always you) by @moonshinelouis-archive (E, 6K) Gorgeous writing. The descriptions of heartbreak and missing someone and still loving them were really well done. And I cried. Of course.

'Sup by MediaWhore (GA, 7K) Divorced, awkward Harry pining for silver fox Louis is a trope I never knew I needed, but I love it so much.

I Will Never Rust by stylez (E, 38K) I must have read this at least 5 years ago and I honestly don’t remember details, but my notes say “gorgeous, sad, sexy” so... I’m crossing my fingers that old me knew what she was talking about. It’s frat boy Harry so that could go either way. LOL! Student/Poet Harry.

Loyal Knight and True by rainbowninja167 / (E, 52K) Really original story, mystery and magic, great characterizations. All around a very good read!

Turning Page by purpledaisy (M, 68K) This author does a wonderful job with their characterizations which makes their fics such a pleasure to read. This one really has you rooting for curmudgeonly Louis and skittish/secretive Harry to figure their shit out and fall in love. If you like this one, make time to read this author’s fic, Walk That Mile – it’s one of my all time favorites. Sports journalist Louis.

Black with Autumn Rain by Whimsicule (T, 93K) This author is a favorite. If you like intense, creative stories, with complex characters and tight dialogue, you should read all of their fics. This one has the flavor of a Daphne du Maurier novel – dark, creepy, and moodily romantic. Plus a supernatural edge. It’s so good. Journalist Harry.

That Sounds Fake But Okay by dancingontheceiling (E, 113K) This one has a little bit of everything: Enemies to lovers, fake relationship, famous/not famous... plus, really good writing and some sexy smut scenes. Actor Louis / journalist Harry.

Sing When You're Winning by hazmesentir (NR, 91K) another one I read ages ago, but I always like this author’s writing and the premise of newly out footballer Louis and journalist intern Harry who somehow snags the interview, is such a fun one. And I don’t know why it has an NR rating, there’s plenty of smut.

feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream by togetherwecouldbealright (M, 123K) I read this one so, so long ago that all I remember is that I loved it, that there’s some really romantic and sweet moments, and that my notes from way back when only say, “OMG this one is so good! And I’ve barely gotten to the smut!” HAHAHAHA! Journalist Harry/prince Louis (this fic has been deleted, so the link is to a download).

[cesimnida]

[KDRAMA REVIEW] Our Beloved Summer

I am a sucker for slow-burn romances, angst and all that and this one is just right up my alley!!! If you love those things, I definitely recommend OBS for you! To be honest, my mind's a little clouded and I am not yet done crying as I am drafting this but I want to write this as soon as possible so I won't forget the feeling.

Note: I want this to be as spoiler free as possible but I might have spoiled some minor things.

Our Beloved Summer is one of my most anticipated dramas; Wooshik's acting got me ever since I saw him in Train to Busan and I really liked Dami's performance in Itaewon Class. I haven't watched The Witch Part I yet though but yes, I'm planning to watch it soon (maybe this weekend?). Initially, I expected this as a typical rom-com drama where they were high school friends whose relationship developed through the years and ended up as lovers in the present. Amazingly, adding up the ex-lovers trope SERIOUSLY SEALED THE DEAL FOR ME. However, I started the drama 3 weeks late because I was trying to finish another drama before committing myself to OBS. Since reading the plot, I was pretty sure that I won't be able to finish any other drama once I start this because I will be so invested in it. Turns out I was right and thankfully, I managed finishing my previously currently watching drama before starting it.

Watching Our Beloved Summer was such a treat because the story-telling and transition is so smooth even though we have two timelines - the past and present lives (or documentary) of Ung and Yeonsoo. Even with this, I never felt confused while watching which is a plus for me as I get confused with alternating timelines easily. Additionally, I LOVE the OSTs! The songs play just in time to make a scene more meaningful and emotional which was very effective in triggering my tears most of the time. I have also read the OST translations and I kid you not, being able to know the meaning behind the lyrics adds up to the emotional effect of the songs every time it's played in a certain scene. I never NOT cried hearing There For You ever since I read the translations, I swear! The lyrics are related to their story, it felt like they're Yeonsu and Ung's letters for each other. It was such a wonderful feeling being able to watch a drama that can make you feel like you are also involved in the story because watching Our Beloved Summer made me feel like I was watching Ung and Yeonsu’s story behind Ji Ung's lenses.

Dami and Wooshik went above and beyond my expectations! The ✨chemistry✨ was over the top, their micro-expressions and the little details they add in their acting (e.g., those on cue tears, facial expressions, little adlibs, etc.) made a big difference and they definitely owned Yeonsu and Ung. They made themselves as their characters and it's hard to imagine different actors playing the roles they played in this drama. Actually, the supporting characters did a stellar job as well! This is why I really liked the ending: they gave their friends and family their well-deserved spotlights in the last episode! Honestly, this is one of the best endings I have ever watched, they wrapped it up so beautifully I'm so speechless, all I did was cry happy tears.

Our Beloved Summer is not just about ex-lovers meeting and falling in love again but instead, it's a tale of two individuals finding the path in confronting their fears and past that haunts them, being able to overcome these with the help of the people they love most and of course, themselves. It's about acceptance of past mistakes, forgiveness and growth. They also perfectly showed that healing is a painful process but it isn't impossible to overcome if you have the right mindset and a good set of support system - that quality is better than quantity and communication is always the key. And most importantly, it showed us the beauty in finding a love you thought was lost and it taught us to trust the process - that there's always a chance in discovering what you truly want for yourself and being happy again.

It's heartwarming to see the relationship and dynamics they have with the people around them. Even though small in numbers but it is of good quality - just what they needed. It made me realize that having just the right amount of people you can trust is the life I wish to have. Having these people around and sometimes telling them what they needed to hear allowed them to grow outside their comfort zones and realize, albeit later than I expected, how lucky they are for having them in the good and bad times of their life. Being able to witness their journey was such a ride and I'd love to experience it all over again by re-watching it!

Thinking of it, the plot is simple but it was written and executed so beautifully and will most certainly stay in my heart for a long time. The way they showed us the different love languages being present in the leads' relationship added a different kind of intimacy to the scenes, it's such a wonderful thing to watch. The journey was full of tears, happy and sad, but definitely worth it! My only complaint is that I thought this was a rom-com but why do I feel like I cried most of the time? Lol. But still, 100/10!

Thank you OBS team! That was a good run. I'll probably have a hard time watching a new series so I'll just bask into the OBS greatness for now.

[aeolian-mode]

my grievances with BNHA

(Spoilers below) I’m long-winded today cos I had some Thoughts to get off my chest in regards of how I feel about the storytelling of BNHA.

TL;DR: I don’t think Horikoshi understands the value of ma. Maybe he believes that his target audience would grow impatient, and I have to remind myself that BNHA is a shonen and is made for young people and my storytelling tastes probably aren’t what he’s marketing towards- but I still think there is a lot that could be improved about BNHA if Horikoshi spent a little bit more time in the slow moments, and valuing the emotions and relationships of the characters instead of rushing to the next plot point. He also made way too many characters, which is typical of shonen, but the more characters he has to cover, the harder it is for him to provide content for all the people who have picked a favorite character out of the sprawling cast. Everyone is forced to find satisfaction in table scraps, but if he stuck to a strong core cast, there would be plenty to go around. Long version:

"Ma” is an extremely important storytelling concept. Ma is the Japanese word for 'negative space.' In visual art, negative space is the empty places on the canvas where there's nothing important to look at. After all, if every single square inch of your canvas was filled with something exciting to look at, like character faces or action scenes, your illustration would be very hard to take in at a glance, there'd be no distinction of character silhouettes and nothing would be readable. The same concept applies to storytelling. You need ma to achieve a greater emotional impact when the heavy, loud moments occur.  Let's take a look at how Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli writes ma. In My Neighbor Totoro, 80% of the film is slow-paced slice of life moments where two sisters explore their new house, and discover supernatural creatures living peacefully beside them. Then, at the end of the movie, something distressing and horrible happens to the two sisters' mother, who has been hospitalized since the beginning of the film. The film's final 20 minutes or so are about them discovering this distressing event, and the emotional climax of the film feels extremely powerful because we were given time to live with these sisters, observe their peaceful daily life, and grow attached to them. Suddenly, something important to them became jeopardized, and we care. 

Miyazaki often uses ma with food. Characters cook for each other, or eat together. The detail of the food in the animation is often exquisite. Miyazaki and the Ghibli animators want us to notice the way light refracts through the glossy surface of an egg on toast, or the lines of fat on bacon sizzling in a pan. He wants us to exist in these quiet moments of daily life.

I can't tell you the last time My Hero Academia actually had an extended scene of ma. Maybe it was the bench scene, where Eraserhead and All Might share a moment. It was a powerful scene in the manga, and it was powerful because it wasn’t about the plot at all. It was about the intimacy between two characters who have grown close over shared adversity, and All Might struggling to find purpose in his hard life. After this scene, however, the story has been one distressing event after another without any breaks to breathe. And, since it has so many characters, it has failed to prioritize the emotions of significant characters. How did Eri feel when Aizawa was maimed? Who is watching her? How did Inko feel when she saw her son mangled, even after All Might promised to protect and raise him? How much raising has All Might actually done in Midoriya’s life? It seems every time the two of them have a conversation, it’s about One for All, not about Midoriya’s growth into manhood or his emotional development as a suffering teen who’s picked the world’s worst profession. Will we get assurance on the safety and wellbeing of favorite heroes like Fatgum and the Big 3?  Will Mic and Aizawa properly grieve Midnight? What about the rest of the UA staff? How does Nezu feel when UA was turned into a safe haven for civilians? How have the parents of all these students processed all this grief? How has Class 1-A handled their painful struggle? The story has been, instead: >heavy, distressing, lengthy action sequences where everyone is hurt >immediately following that, a prison breakout >immediately following that, scattered moments of characters in a hospital with dramatic flashbacks of their lives and burdens, yet none of them fleshed out to their fullest potential because there’s too many injured characters >immediately following that, heavy and intense emotions all focused on the plot of One for All, yet All Might is a mute ghost and has no actual bonding with Midoriya since they don’t even speak to each other >immediately following that, more heavy and intense emotions as Horikoshi rushes to show that Izuku is gone and has slapped together letters about his departure >immediately following that, more villains attacking heroes and civilians because of the prison break. There has been no ma. We haven't had a single quiet moment that isn’t focused on bulldozing into the next plot point or action sequence. What about a scene like Eraserhead sharing a meal with Eri, or talking to her calmly about life? How about the neglected characters like Fatgum and the Big 3 recovering in their own way? How about the moms of all these hurt children actually coming in and getting involved in their lives? How about the students of class 1-A trying to do something fun to diffuse the tension and show how they have grown close as friends or a found family? Sometimes Horikoshi tries to show ma in tiny snapshots rather than entire scenes; for example, there's a snapshot in one of the earlier chapters of Aizawa putting Eri's hair in a hair tie. This is a single panel. It's not enough to have a single panel. What we needed was an entire scene or chapter dedicated to Aizawa and Eri and Friends. Show her with her found family, show her going out in town or playing with a cat or talking to Mirio or Aizawa for an extended period of time. Show us scenes about nothing particularly important. 

When your story is plot, plot, plot, you're deciding that human moments and human interactions aren't important. And at the end of the day, no one watches a show for the plot. They come to be validated as a person, and relate to the characters. I came to MHA because I relate to All Might, his disability, and his desire to be strong and fight through his suffering so he can selflessly help other people. That character resonated with me. I saw myself on the screen. Unfortunately MHA stopped being what I came to see a long time ago. I’m here because I like drawing my favorite characters, and the fandom has introduced me to a lot of wonderful friends, I’m not ready to give it up. But I wish it had more of what I was hoping to get out of it.  I understand that making a manga is extremely difficult. And I understand tons of people enjoy it and have no issues with it whatsoever- all power to you! I just haven’t gotten what I was personally hoping to get, and this is why. :( ANNNND SEASON 5 JUST STARTED AND IT’S AN ENTIRE SEASON OF CHARACTERS I DOOOOON’T CARE ABOUT AT ALLLLL! HEY WE REALLY NEEDED AN ENTIRE SEASON DEDICATED TO CLASS 1-B CHARACTERS THAT ARE COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY IRRELEVANT AFTERWARDS, THEREFORE WASTING SCREEN TIME ON FORGETTABLE UNIMPORTANT SIDE CHARACTERS INSTEAD OF THE CORE CAST THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED CONTENT ABOUT ALSO THANKS FOR FORGETTING ABOUT DADMIGHT HORIKOSHI  

[lafayetteworld]

Robin 2021

Okay, so it's been a while since I've been actively posting on tumblr, mainly because I haven’t had time. That being said, the commentary I am about to make on the Robin 2021 series is not meant to offend anyone and while I am particularly critical, I also acknowledge that some people genuinely like it/prefer the direction its's going in. And that's fine. But I did want to break down why I feel the current series is just 'meh' to me at the moment and it’s not necessarily because Damian is potentially being shipped with a newly introduced character.

Please be aware, that there are lots of spoilers. 

So, to start off, I am a big fan of the older Batman and Robin (2009) series, where Damian had partnered up first with Dick and later Bruce (2011). I do no think they are flawless, certainly. I think, in particular, the Nobody plot - excluding of course the interactions between Batman!Dick and Robin! Damian which are gold - was very good. In just a handful of issues, I think we were offered a great insight into Damian's character and how layered he is. 

My first thoughts when I heard about Robin 2021, based on the announcement: Damian will follow his own path, for some reason he retains the Robin moniker which is weird but okay, it does seem like something he'd do I suppose. He will participate in mortal kombat-sort-of-tournament, which will showcase his abilities and in the process, 'he will seek his own destiny' (which I believe was a line used in the actual announcement). The reason he wants to win? Initially, it appeared to be only because he wanted to prove to be the world's best fighter -- which by the way, how is only a tournament of this level only coming up now? Anyways, ignored that. Not a big deal. The idea of watching Damian fight different opponents was appealing either way.

The art of those comics is perhaps nowhere as striking/appealing as Robin 2021 and there's certainly not as many elements to it, but there was just something about it. I stopped reading comics after, for reasons I can't recall but I do remember finding out that Damian was killed off sometime after. I was super heartbroken over it but luckily I found out about it right around the time DC decided to bring him so really I had to wait a short while to see the little shit being Robin again.

I am not as familiar with the arc on Alfred's death but I know Damian watched what was basically his grandfather figure die in front of his eyes. How it was addressed after was rather poorly and that's a discussion for another time, just as it is that hot mess of Gleason's Titans.

 My hopes may have been too high in thinking we will be offered the introspection we'd seen in Batman and Robin, or him deciding what type of vigilante he wants to be. Like who remembers Damian admitting 'sometimes I don't know who I am or what I want' or him saying he does not wish to be like Nobody. That was so poignant.  

First issue of Robin 2021 was a disappointment. I know that there's a lot of damage to the character that had to be addressed but why did he die from like the beginning? Why is it the first thing we see is the author's OC defeat him? I mean, we really didn't need that to find the tournament's rules. Anyway, I was so sold on the art that I could have overlooked all that, except then the art became inconsistent so.....

Do I think Flatline's design is awesome? Yep. Do I like that she is potentially a badass female fighter? Sure. Do I like her abilities? Somewhat? They haven't been explored that much. But to me, having an OC appear out of nowhere and kill the character I was hoping to watch mature/develop is a bit underwhelming. Then, we start getting references of how poetic it is that Damian may fall in love with the first girl that kills him. I thought it was funny at the beginning but subsequent issues only seem to point that actually, the author does want to use Flatline/romance in this journey of growth that Damian is undergoing. I mean, we really shouldn't be romanticizing that she killed him? The girl is serious about winning too. That she caught him off guard is actually rather awesome but I don't think it had to mean anything more than Damian meeting a potentially dangerous fighter and that he needs to be less reckless.

Damian is a pretty complex/difficult character with a lot to figure out. Why does he need a girlfriend? Why can't he have friends that helps him grow or mentor figures? Him and Rose have such a great dynamic, for example.

I see a lot of people saying 'well, he's a teenager boy so it's normal'. Yeah of course it is. But why can't it be the opposite? Damian isn't a normal teenager. Out there, may be teenagers who feel the same. They don’t care about this stuff. 

It is so frustrating, and underwhelming. Not because there's anything wrong with Damian having a crush. Not because there's necessarily anything wrong with Flatline. But because there's no need.

Why is it just because he's a teenager he has to have a romantic interest? If romance is introduced in a plot, surely it doesn't have to be just because 'he's a teenager'. And if he does, why does it have to be an OC that hasn't been explored very well? Flatline could be a seriously cool character without needing to be a romantic interest for Damian and vice versa, Damian has so much to figure out on his own. So for me it's not the shipping that’s an issue, it’s the reasoning and how it may perpetuate clichés when there’s other angles that could be explored. 

Also, why the hell is Alfred used to drive Flatline's likeability? If Alfred is Damian's guilt manifesting, then that's actually Damian thinking that?

'I like this one, Master Damian.'

Seriously. I really hope we end up finding out that was tied in with Flatline's ability or something. So, Williamson won't explore Damian's guilt over Alfred but he'll give us a panel where Alfred (or a manifestation of him) is basically giving his thumbs up for his OC. That doesn’t sit well with me. Not so early in the series, anyway. 

Why is this whole manga thing keep coming back? Yes, Damian reads manga. I loved this addition and I think it's great that Williamson actually brought it in. The fact that it was Flatline who found it seems cliché. And no, I don't think it's a parallel between the shojo manga characters and them two. I really hope that particular manga has a deeper meaning than that. The fact that we keep seeing the blood sprayed (or is it cuts? not sure) on it does seem to hint at that.

There were some good moments. Damian and Dick. Basically every single interaction between Damian and Ravager. The whole Damian and Conner could have been developed better, because it seemed rather sudden they had a heart to heart when Damian can be such a distrusting little shit. Damian reuniting with Goliath.

Why is it that we're five issues into this series and it's all over the place? I don't dislike it. The art is great, although there's so many inconsistencies. But it's been super hard to feel in any way about it other than just 'meh'.

Issue #6 was boring. I didn't mind Flatline and Damian analysing other fighters, it was interesting actually, but that it's still being framed as heading towards a romantic relationship is so.....well, eugh.

Overall, I just don't feel there's enough...substance? Damian does interact with a wide variety of characters and there are a lot of things going on - batfamily searching for him, Ra’s Al Ghul (which was funny yet so odd the way he was characterized), the whole tournament and magic island, so on.

Flatline is not the issue for me, but rather one part of why the series has not managed to appeal to me. I do feel there's a bit too much of her. Or rather, there's not enough of her as a character and too much of the whole 'they're teenagers so they'll have to end up having a crush on one another because he's a boy and she's a girl who literally stole his heart'. Like, I wouldn’t mind having Flatline or other fighters background explored, just to see the types of people they are and so on. 

I wish there'd more of Damian's inner thoughts too. If not that, then give us more fights. Not just snippets. It's a tournament. Let's see how badass they all are. Damian’s fight scenes in #6 were beautiful but brief. I hope the next issues will give us more of that.  As someone who does like Damian x OC fics, I can’t blame the author for wanting to hype their own OC, but I am also a great fan of friends to lovers, slow burns, friendships can be just as great as romantic relationships, of taking the time for mental/emotional growth. 

Anyways, if you've made it to the end of this commentary, I applaud you. Once again, if you do like the whole Damian x Flatline thing, that's cool. I don't, but I do understand to an extent why people find it appealing. And if you think the Robin 2021 series is amazing, then I am happy for you -- I wish I could be this enthusiastic about it.

P.S just saw the cover for issue #7 or is it #8 ? I think I may cry.

[thesimperiuscurse]

08.04

It’s The Kingston Legacy’s sixth anniversary, so here’s a throwback post to celebrate! Last month I forced myself to reread the entire legacy, and while I stopped, clicked off the tab, and emitted a soundless scream of pure cringe numerous times (I wish I was kidding)—the past generations are actually not as terrible as I remember. I think enough time has passed for me to detach myself from the childish storytelling and look back in nostalgia. 

Thank you to my fellow Wordpress writers who have come along the journey, some for many years now, through every high and low. It’s astounding how much has changed in the legacy from when I was 15, and 21. Follow me down the (very) long memory lane, as I reminiscence about each story and my perspective on them now ❤

Generation 1 — Fern (2015)

To my shock, I found myself genuinely enjoying Fern’s story. I think this was because the first generation was purely me commentating on gameplay, and not trying to write a story (that’s when the cringe began). I was inspired by one of the original stories, Alice and Kev, to make a homeless sim and document her struggle for a better life: Fern, a snobby aspiring writer. Reading this, a huge wave of nostalgia hit me, and it reminded me of how wonderful Sims 3 gameplay is. Although I’m long past it now, there’s real heart and life in the design. I think it speaks about the rich personalities and quirks that I could write a whole life story off it. It was super fun making Fern camp out at Old Pier Beach, stealing from townie picnics and roasting apples on the fire, finding little ways to scrounge money, giving her a makeover in the salon, watching the townie dramas unfold around her. Although she faced homelessness two times and a shitty first husband (yeah, fuck off, Xander), Fern grew into a strong and independent yet sweet and gentle character, in love with the ocean like her great-granddaughter comes to be.  

I never actually addressed this, but she (and her love Christopher) passed away in the story between the end of Gen 3 and start of Gen 4. It just felt weird to make it a big deal because they never died in game—still ‘alive’ and well, scattered across different backup saves and the bin.  

Generation 2 — Briar (2015)

Briar’s story was strange, because it was half gameplay and half story, which meant that there were things that just did not... make... sense. She was quite an ‘unreliable’ character to follow because of her Insane trait. The plot revolved around her as a fresh detective, investigating supernatural phenomena in Sunset Valley. Her character arc was almost the opposite to her mother’s: a naive, optimistic, silly girl hardening through trauma into a cold and ruthless police chief. Ash’s death was the one moment I felt true sadness in this legacy, because he did really die. Imagine me actually getting emotional over my characters, lmao. Wild. 

Also, Max is OP. To this day he is one of the best male characters in my legacy, a healthy and supportive best friend (to husband) in stark contrast to the following generation. 

Fallen Angels — Cherry (2016-2019)

Yes. It’s this generation. Square the fuck up, Cherry. I will fight her any day. Old readers will know of my pure hatred for this story. It’s been about two years since it thankfully ended. My verdict now?

It’s not quite as horrifically shitty, Gabriel and Lilith being a lot nicer than I remembered (Gabriel’s only a bit of a dick at the start), but it still has glaring problems, such as the pacing and clumsy handling of sensitive topics. The story would have been far nicer if it focused less on Cherry and Luc’s relationship and their respective issues, more on the found family and her relationship with Gabriel (which was rushed due to me despising the story by that point). During the first chapters, I was cringing spectacularly at the combination of Luc’s initial jackass behaviour and Cherry’s whining. Toxic as FUCK. I had to skip 3.8 and 3.9 entirely. These two (because of my own shameful mistake) tainted the generation in my eyes, and even though all of the characters grew from their toxicity, I can’t really see past that guilt to the better parts of the story. 

Jade has been telling me for years that this story isn’t all bad, and upon forcing myself to reread, I can see what you mean. I’m sorry LOL. Something that pleasantly surprised me was the writing quality (just the prose, not the actual story mechanics... lmfao), and Raphael, who made me smile every time he appeared. Every single careless, sarcastic line of his was a banger. The pictures are something else I like, too. Many of them stand up to the best ones in En Pointe—the fiery, gritty, industrial tones of Bridgeport just hits different. The world was rich and immersive, which is missing at the moment in En Pointe because of me being too lazy to build a proper Los Angeles world, but Act III is set in Boroughsburg so I’m excited to get back into the city scenes. 17 year old me wasn’t mature enough to tackle dark themes, but at least the visuals for them were nice, I guess. The atmosphere of the story I really enjoy. It’s just the toxic characters and way-too-angsty moments that ruin the whole thing for me. 

En Pointe — Evangeline (2019-)

And here we are now! The early chapters are kinda painful to read because 1) Mako looked so ugly and 2) the dialogue was so clumsy and generic. I sighed in relief when Chapter 5 came around, because it was then both of those aspects really began to improve. Eva’s voice was simple, with her punchy remarks, much less romantic and descriptive than Cherry, so it was interesting to see her voice becoming more complex and layered as I more understood her character. Also, me visibly struggling with the natural lighting and only getting a handle on it 7 chapters later has me shaking my head. 

I’m already beginning to identify issues with the story, mostly with character arcs and pacing. It’s a strange combination of fast pacing (spanning half a year in 8 chapters) and Eva becoming surprisingly comfortable with Mako’s touch due to their unusual pas de deux circumstances. It’s curious how real life time actually played into the pacing of the story—because of the slow publishing schedule, less time has passed in the story as real life, so it’s almost as if the time jumps were made up by real life time, making the jumps feel not too strange. Reading consecutively, however, Evako’s relationship growth doesn’t feel slow burn... a little underdeveloped, in a way, despite their lengthy conversations. I think that’s because of Mako being such a reserved and mysterious character, and that I’ve unconsciously come to rely on Tumblr to give more depth to the characters/relationships. Luckily, pretty much everyone who comments on the story also follows me here, so this dual-platform storytelling is okay, I suppose. I want to post more of #Mishako since there just isn’t enough time to explore their bromance in the story!

At the moment I’m not happy with the story, but it’s fine. I’m learning. There’s more than half the story to go, which means plenty of time to reflect upon the issues and improve. I’m really looking forward to Eva and Mako’s character arcs in Act III. At the moment their relationship is based on their natural chemistry and respect for each other, and since they are yet to face trials their bond isn’t super deep, but Evako are still my favourite couple in the legacy thus far, and feel much more real than any character I’ve written before. It’s been very interesting for my aro ass (and being way more logical than emotional) to figure out a dynamic that is actually compelling to me, because most of the time when I look at romance I’m just like 😐🤨 I’m liking it so far but we shall see how everything unfolds, because I have barely any idea what’s going to happen beyond Act II, lmfao. 

That’s it for my incredibly long throwback! I hope it was at least nice for the OG readers, and interesting for anyone else who managed to battle through this essay, haha. This family has been an integral part of me growing up, as a person and writer and artist (what I’ve developed in visuals I apply to architecture), learning a great deal of awareness about real life through story research, which is pretty cool now that I think about it. I’m aiming to finish En Pointe by the end of 2022. I’m excited for what unexpected changes are to come!

[leaderoffestivals]

Black Cat Rhapsody: Chapter 2

Keito: A cat that knows how to take the elevator on its own... Does this kind of thing really happen in the real world?

Season: Summer  Author:  Mitsuki Characters: Eichi, Keito Proofed by:  Twitter: junsweats (EN)                      Tumblr: ryuseipuka (EN) ohcheckmate (CN)

<A while ago, ES Building Meeting Room>

Eichi: Oh my, and I thought I was early enough; I didn't expect you to already be here, Keito.

You’re as fastidious as ever, arriving at the meeting room so early to prepare the materials for the Producer in advance—

No—are you reading a pop culture magazine? That’s not really your usual style, is it?

Keito: Hmph. Don't get me wrong, this is just a film and television magazine I’m using as a reference for work. It contains information about popular movies that have been recently released.

ES has been making quite a few plans to enter the film industry recently, hasn’t it? I just thought it would be prudent to learn more about it.

Eichi: Wait a minute. The page with the promotional poster you’ve just turned over, I remember seeing that movie in a cinema before...

Keito: What, this page?

Eichi: Yes. Before we graduated from Yumenosaki, didn't we discuss an animation about cat spirits in great detail?

Keito: Yes. Of course I remember. These two are indeed from the same series. According to the content of this movie, this is regarded as a prequel to that work.

Eichi: Haha. Keito seems to know what it’s about really well. I guess you went to watch the show after I recommended it to you, after all.

Keito: …Even though you spoiled most of the plot for me before I got to watch it. Fortunately, the work itself is fascinating enough. The speed of updating new content for the series is a little on the slow side though, so it often took a long time to discover what happened next.

Eichi: That’s right. In the beginning, this work was only published as a web animation series on an irregular schedule, and each episode was only a few minutes long. I didn’t expect that it could reach a level where a movie could now be produced for it.

It must have gradually accumulated a lot of popularity in recent years. It’s really gratifying to hear that the movie has also achieved excellent results at the box office.

Keito: After all, as long as the work itself is outstanding enough, it will never be buried in an uncelebrated corner that no one cares about.

For me, the highlight of the movie was the setting and development of the relationships between the characters. Although the reversal of the position of justice and evil isn’t a new concept, it all became very moving when combined with the character’s growth and emotional development.

Eichi: Yes. When I first watched it, I really didn't expect that that character to actually be the antagonist of the show.

The night scene beside the bonfire had been so heartwarming, and the wandering cat spirit thought that he had finally found a home, but it all actually ended up being that kind of ending.

However, I can relate to the behaviour of the antagonist. After being forced into a desperate situation, in order to protect the last safe haven for his own kind, he didn’t hesitate to use even the dirtiest and cruelest of methods…

Just like what I did at Yumenosaki. With an executioner’s blade in hand, I went around destroying and hurting those whom I could have called friends...

However, in order to end the polluted and lawless state of that time, and to establish a stable order, all of my actions were necessary.

And if I could do my life all over again, I would probably still make the same decisions... After all, this is also an obligation of the "Emperor".

Keito: …Why did the subject suddenly become so depressing? You really like casting yourself in the role of the villain, don’t you?

At the end of the movie, humans and spirits achieved a balanced co-existence, and the protagonist also found his own happy ending. To describe all this from the viewpoint of a tragedy only reveals your own bad taste, you know?

Eichi: Haha. Ultimately, a happy ending for the protagonist is a tragic one for the antagonist, right?

After all, when everything the antagonist had planned for failed in the end, he chose to end his life by his own hand. This was also very in-character and worthy of respect.

Of course, I have no such plans to follow suit. At least, until the future I want to see is realized, no matter how bad the situation is, I will do my utmost to live.

Keito: I think so, too. After all, you’re a rampaging gangster who will live a long life.

In short, if you ever have a need for me in the future, do not hesitate to call. 

Eichi: Haha. If so, that’s the same as saying that you’re on the villain’s side, you know?

If I think about it carefully, Keito is indeed similar to the character with ice abilities in the movie. Even when the antagonist revealed his true colours to the little protagonist, he didn’t stop him, and was exceedingly loyal and reliable to the very end.

However, that character's taciturn behaviour is the complete opposite of yours. Why don't you try being less preachy today, Keito?

Also, if ever you find tasks that are too difficult to complete on your own, I, too, will be there to assist you ♪

Keito: Hah? How do you actually have the audacity to say this? Why don’t you give a thought as to who’s the one most responsible for my gastric pains? You’re simply incorrigible.

If you really wish to help me out, then don't spend the whole day thinking up ways to raise havoc in situations that require your serious participation, like agency meetings.

Speaking of which, it’s almost time for the meeting with the Producer... Oh, there she is.

Eichi: Oh, my. This is truly a case of “speak of Anzu-chan and Anzu-chan appears”… Keito, you wouldn’t have learnt some secret Producer summoning technique behind my back, have you?

Keito: …Anzu, please ignore whatever this capricious guy is saying, and just take a seat.

Hmm? Why are you holding a cat in your arms? Animals are strictly forbidden in ES Building. You should be very aware of this rule.

You’re saying that when you entered the elevator earlier, you found this cat inside, sitting quietly all on its own? And you were worried that it would be caught between the elevator doors, so you brought it with you?

Keito: A cat that knows how to take the elevator on its own... Does this kind of thing really happen in the real world?

Eichi: Haha, Keito’s thinking of the little black cat from that animation aren’t you? In fact, the kitten that Anzu is holding looks quite similar.

Keito: All black cats look pretty much the same, don’t they? However, since this cat looks clean and well cared for, isn’t it more likely that it is someone's lost pet?

Anzu, you’re saying that someone has posted about searching for a lost cat in HoldHands?

"If you see a black kitten in the ES Building, please contact us, thanks very much!"... It’s posted by Tsukinaga and Mikejima. What are they doing, bringing a cat into the building and then losing sight of it? Truly incorrigible.

So, Anzu has already updated them with a message, that's good. Let's take the time to settle today's work arrangements before they arrive.

Eichi: Oh my. Anzu-chan is struggling to hold onto the kitten while retrieving the materials from her bag. Here, let me hold it for you.

It's alright, it's not heavy at all. Oooh, that’s good. So tame and obedient! It seems to be a clever and affectionate kitten.

You’re offering out your paw, do you want to shake hands with me? Okaaay, let’s shake hands~♪

Here, let me stroke you on your chin and tummy, it’ll be enjoyable, I promise. ♪

Keito: …Eichi, there should be a limit to slacking off, even for you! If you can't behave yourself, then give that cat to me!

Eichi: Oh? Even though Keito’s saying that, it’s actually because you want to monopolize the kitty’s attention, don’t you? Can it be that seeing it get so close and familiar with me has got you feeling jealous?

Haha, I’m just kidding. Let us start the meeting, even as I continue enjoying this luxuriously furry experience. ♪

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Chapter 1 |  2  |  3  |  4  | 5 (End)