#there is So Much potential in terms of the complexity and depth of which their connection as enemies could reach

[snowswan-royalehigh]

My personal thoughts on Remarried Empress

Hi there! I'm not going into an too much of an in-depth analysis, so please take my words with a grain of salt. I'm going to focus on Rashta's past.

Rashta is a very well written character, she's shown to be naive and innocent, with underlying layers of cruelty and a character development towards greed which is wonderfully executed. However, the fandom refuses to allow her to have nuance to her character.

When the webtoon and novel start off, we already know Rashta is somewhat portrayed as a villainess, and during my first readthrough, I also wanted to sucker punch her in the face. (I would be publicly executed by Sovieshit) But when I reread I realized how much nuance I missed, and some nuance the fandom ignores entirely.

We start off knowing Rashta is a runaway slave. Which already starts us off on a generally sympathetic note, because we can tell she's had some form of a bad life prior to becoming Sovieshit's concubine. We know she has an annoying habit of speaking in third person, she's a crybaby, she's incredibly controlled by her emotions, she lacks critical thinking skills, and she doesn't even know how to read or write.

Rashta is incredibly easily manipulated, she shows that with her interactions with Sovieshit and especially Duke Ergi. Duke Ergi influences almost all of Rashta's moves, such as the Christmas tree wedding dress, which was a huge embarrassment. In defense of Rashta's lack of knowledge, she was a slave. How was she supposed to know about how these things, when she had spent her life, being forced to clean, with no hope of escaping. She hadn't even done anything to become a slave in the first place, she was made one so her father wouldn't have to pay for his crime. She was uneducated as can be. Reading and writing at that time was only for the highborn.

Rashta is confirmed to have had a lot of love for the idea of her children, and she carried that baby to full term. Imagine how mortifying it was when Lotteshu showed her that corpse. (How the hell did he even get his hands on the corpse. We should be focusing on that a lot more) So could we really blame her for running away, Alan abandoned her as well, and Lebetti always treated her like trash.

Rashta undergoes a corruption arc because of the people around her. Navier remarks in her head that Rashta has no one good around her to inform her, in the webtoon.

Now, imagine this situation from the point of view of Rashta. You just saw your supposed dead child with an obvious great amount of trauma via your whole childhood, and now, the emperor, an incredibly powerful man, has proposed to become your lover. He's going to give you protection, and most likely save you from your horrible life. Everyone forgets the power dynamic of these two. Rashta is the lowest in society while Sovieshit is the highest. What terrible consequences would Sovieshit's pretty ass conjure from rejection? Even the webtoon remarks that it's like a fairy tale.

Navier and the rest of the nobles are her enemies, because of how she was raised. She actually started off the webtoon looking up to Navier, and seeing Navier as someone she could basically worship, and believed that Navier would act as a motherly figure although she was greeted with Navier's justifiable pettiness although Rashta didn't know what she was doing wrong.

If Rashta was the protagonist everyone would be gushing about her, because she is manipulative, but so is Navier. The people around Rashta fail her, when she could've been so much more, and she has so much underutilized potential. Rashta would've been incredibly hyped up for kicking Navier out, and Navier would be seen as cold hearted and self centered.

TL;DR, Rashta is still an antagonist, but she is not a straight up villain. She's complex, and she's more human than any other antagonist. She's only hated on for being the 'other woman' and the fandom acts like she seduced Sovieshit for the funsies.

(Fuck Sovieshit, all my homies hate him!!!))

[rxttenfish]

How do the merfolk sound like? What kinds of noises can they make?

the short answer is: real big and spooky

it's actually kind of relevant to this chapter in caecilian, mostly because i realized there was a lot more focus that'd have to be put onto merfolk language here with aaravi's particular... Interaction. in longer terms, their vocalizations are complex and multi-faceted, utilizing the full breadth of sound available to them and within the medium of water.

merfolk have an incredibly large vocal organ that spans the length down their throat and to the bottom of their ribs. i haven't fully detailed out how it works because i still need to do a lot more research on specifically underwater vocalizations (and my personal pet theory that i think this is extremely under-researched for marine life beyond whales...), but i know it's huge, complex, and extremely important for merfolk interactions. it's capable of producing a wide variety of sounds, both high-frequency and low-frequency, and is capable of achieving some impressive volume.

it also means they're capable of closed-mouth vocalizations, which is why you get those descriptions of merfolk talking with their mouth closed and why holding their mouth closed won't necessarily stop them from speaking. for most merfolk, it's the norm. i'm not sure how much they actually use their mouth itself for vocalizations? their lips aren't very mobile, they don't like to reveal their teeth a whole lot, they don't have cheeks and have a much weaker seal for suction than a mammal. the most they use it for is the noise produced by snapping their jaws or clattering their teeth together.

merfolk also have some impressive auditory capabilities to match. this is another thing that i really need to do more research in... but it's also why their earfins are like that. merfolk very much did end up co-opting their external gills to also perform as external ears. they were already serving a role as a sensory organ, able to pick up vibrations in the water, temperature, differences in depth, etc etc, so it wasn't a huge jump to make, especially when they're already in the same place as the ear (since they're external gills. and earbones are modified gill arches). they almost certainly have some sort of "fat pad" in their internal ears as well to help pick up on vibrations as well — and there seems to be evidence that, because fish live in water and hearing is just a means of detecting vibrations, and as opposed to air which doesn't carry those vibrations as well as water, they can just... use their entire bodies as an ear? again, really need to go into it, but also i can't help but feel this is going to be woefully under-researched to begin with.

i've gone back and forth on it, especially with that research i still need to do... but the structure of the external gills themselves also helps act as an external ear. as in, they're large and sensitive to help them have this wide range of hearing and sound on land as well, potentially also helping in the water?, and help to guide sound back to their inner ear, with their ability to reposition themselves assisting to "refine" that sound. this is also an additional benefit to the cheek fluff and why i put it there in the first place. it serves the same purpose as the facial disk on an owl, further refining and detailing those sounds and providing multi-dimensionality. again, don't know how well this will hold up underwater! still need to work on that! but it's there!

anyhow. all of this is important, because merfolk are most adapted for long-range sound. visibility is poor in even the clearest of ocean water, and they're already playing with long distances between themselves and everything else and long distances even between other merfolk. light doesn't penetrate very far in water, and they can't rely on their sight even in good conditions, made worse if they dive to pursue prey or for safety or for any other reason. they're also highly social, with high social cohesion allowing them to hit far above their own weight and working together with more merfolk had greatly compounding positive effects on their own survival. they need to stay in touch, they need to work together, they need to know what other merfolk are doing and to reinforce those bonds.

most merfolk vocalizations, then, follow in the same trend as other large marine animals. they're noted as sounding very "musical", with similar long, haunting songs as whales and leopard seals, although with distinct features that makes it easy to tell them apart at a distance. they tend on the deeper side - they're large animals, and their vocal organs are large, and those deeper sounds travel further too. i've compared them to sounding like what a whale mixed with a tiger or crocodile would sound like, or to the person version of a cello or bass. it might be described as "growly", but think like how someone with a very low, smooth voice might still be described that way. they do have some infrasonic rumbles as an important component of their typical repertoire, so they can also come off like standing too close to a bass speaker. you can usually feel a merfolk talking as much as hear them.

however, compounding this is the complexity of their vocalizations. most merfolk have a tendency to "play" with sound - stretching it out further than it has to be, or trying to make syllables rhyme when they don't, things very odd for a human to listen to. it's like they're trying to sing but there's no rhythm or beat to it yet, disjointed sound that's almost a tune but not there yet. accents complicate this further, although the full diversity tends to be lost on landfolk, because this usually manifests in them "playing" with their words slightly differently, producing slightly different almost-songs.

they also tend to just play with sound in the typical way. merfolk retain a heightened degree of playfulness throughout their entire lives, with a high neuroplasticity to match, and so they get an urge to "remix" sounds or just to roll them around and try them out, stretching them out like taffy or squashing them together. sometimes this means they'll repeat an interesting word or sound until it stops sounding anything like what it means, sometimes they'll just repeat and shuffle around sounds they know, sometimes they just try to come up with new sounds or stretch their vocal organ in new and interesting ways. this also means they're highly skilled as mimics - though, this is a learned behavior, not an innate one, and one that's mostly treated like a party trick by other merfolk.

they also intersperse their language with other sounds and vocalizations. merfolk are very used to trying to talk to each other without being actually able to see each other, so a part of this includes needing to pass along that emotional information as well. plus, beyond their fins, they just aren't very expressive, with far more limited body language than most.

but, mostly, this manifests in their language getting increasingly more complex. merfolk brains are already primed to quickly process and sort out a lot of different auditory information at once, and they take full advantage of their wide range of sounds in order to communicate, with their language, then, favoring a multi-layered approach that's very hard for other species to understand or decipher.

for instance, they might have a single word that they use when in close contact with the subject they're referring to. this word already has a sandwich of different vocal elements to it, forming one meaning when put all together. but, a merfolk will seldom ever use that word alone, because in order to grammatically make it work and string it together with another word, they have to move those different vocal elements so that the two words weave together and naturally "flow" into each other in accordance to a cultural sense of rhythm. then, this has to be repeated with the entire sentence, making sure that it naturally forms one whole block of sound that composes a series of sounds that all fit together properly with each other. also changing this is when they add in grammatical signifiers of emotion on top of their verbal cues and components, and they might add in locational signifiers to it as well, to create different clauses within the same sentence that weave over each other to make a string of meaning.

worse yet, merfolk can also shorten these sentences too, with rules for how to do so, effectively reducing entire sentences down to singular contractions.

and merfolk do like packing as much meaning as they can into their sentences as possible! i take a LOT of liberties when writing out the translated dialogue, mostly favoring what works best narratively over the transliteration of what's going on, not least of all because to literally translate what's being said would be to create a lot of run-on sentences with repeat information, even information that might be immediately obvious.

this occurs because there's also another mode of their languages: the fact that it's happening over distances to assumed lots of other merfolk.

merfolk are simply... very used to hearing other merfolk, all the time, at all hours of the day. and this is very important information to them! it helps them keep up with the social environment on top of the literal environment, evolved out of a need to be able to quickly coordinate themselves in groups when on hunts or in danger, each needing to immediately react to something that only one other merfolk might have seen.

and the modern extension of this is the fact that merfolk end up forming mental projections and maps of their entire environment and are able to know at any given time what's happening in any given place within it, regardless of how involved they actually are. they have to be able to quickly respond to social changes and alterations in dynamics, so constantly communicating what's going on and what any given merfolk's feelings are is important. their relationship hierarchy determines so much of their life and how they navigate the world and the other merfolk within it, that they need to immediately tell what the entire complex social dynamic is of any potential merfolk upon first meeting. they need to know what's going on over there in case someone's in danger, and they need to protect those close to them and respond to threats swiftly so that those relationships can be preserved.

it's a lot! it's a lot, and it can be even harder for other species to conceptualize, especially because merfolk tend to "think in 3d". as in, they already live their entire lives within a place where moving up/down is just as easy as moving front/back or left/right. they have to navigate three dimensional environments in a way a lot of terrestrial life doesn't have to, and they have to get used to quick changes within that. so, they tend to map their thoughts more like physical objects, with locational markers allowing them to sort through it more easily, or think about how things might connect or layer over each other in complex ways. this gets attached to words and grammatical units, but it also means a merfolk can mentally map out the exact physical location of all this auditory information with greater ease, and this can have a major impact on how they converse with each other.

a merfolk, even when alone, or with a group, or at any given point when they're not engaged in any other conversation, will often feel an impulse to... fundamentally, start narrating what's happening. as in, their languages also have a component that allows them to strip down to solely physical information too, allowing any given merfolk to map out a location without it necessarily needing to be a grammatically correct sentence in other ways. and this is because of that mental mapping through sound and conversation, that it's seen as polite to do so and helps others navigate and respond accurately to what's going on, but it also gives the participating merfolk a sense of community and interconnectedness.

this, all of this, can also be stripped down even further, in the same reason why all these strict rules about making all the different elements "match" is so important to them. as in, to a group of merfolk who are used to each other and used to each other's verbal patterns, they can be stripped down so far as to become shorthand for more complex locations and events. think of it like doctor's handwriting, and how they can write a full chemical name out with a gesture. it's complex information relayed quickly, which is EXACTLY what merfolk want when they go hunting.

merfolk hunts are... kind of terrifying to witness for this reason. all this care and effort becomes immediately clear as they are seemingly able to act as one, seemingly reading each other's minds to become one well-oiled machine. this is the end culmination of all of their thoughts of communal identity, the evolutionary pressure that led to their complex languages and complex relationship hierarchies and everything - that they can move and act so effectively that they're one body in many.

of course, this gets done for multiple other reasons in the modern day, but the whale and leviathan hunts still are a well-loved tradition and way of life, especially celebrated by many great nomadic families.

that said, some other sounds i've described merfolk as making, though usually more in the line of their vocal expressions of emotion than language proper: chirps, chirrups, whistles, clicks, chattering, trills, chittering, squeaks, honks, grunts, growls, rumbles, huffing, braying, purring, hissing, wailing, screeching, screaming, thumping, chuffing, and more! they cannot roar, but they can make infrasonic rumbles like crocodiles or large dinosaurs are theorized, and they do tend to scream like parrots in order to show extreme emotions (distress, yes, but also joy or excitement). i have some example audio here and there as demonstrations of what they sound like, and it swings wildly from cute and precious to horror movie soundtrack. :3

[storiesofsung]

Obey Me Rewrite - the Passion Project

Note: spoilers below the cut

I’ve always been in love with the game obey me and been super passionate about it as a long time fan however the game itself is kind of lacking.

Obviously it does what it does well, it’s a dating simulator about demons from hell but what I mean is it lacks potential.

I love the characters and their relationships with each other and the overall concept, that is what made me fall in love with it in the first place however I do have my own issues with the game not as a dating simulation but as a story.

To give you more context:

Characterization

- characters are given great potential with interesting backstories and fun personalities however the direction the game takes them completely wastes any sort of progression as interesting 3 dimensional characters

Example: Satan - he is shown to show personal struggle with a sort of inferiority complex with the way he was brought into this world (or hell) by people only viewing him as an extension of Lucifer and only as wrath, not as an individual living being. He works hard to create a name for himself and he prides himself on wisdom. He has a strong character and one of the best self restraint in terms of anger I dare say (he did attack mc but honestly from the way he was acting in Nightbringer it is progression) plus he is calm and collected and obviously by now a respected demon. Though he knowledgeable in itself, he still has issues to work with, one being working out his difficulties with Lucifer, (maybe) coming to terms with the way he was born and the trauma he went through when Lilith fell (he technically felt Lucifer’s pain). Instead as the series progressed we only saw him a soft cat boy, cmon 😀.

There are much more examples of this in fact all of them have such wasted potential, I’m not going to go in depth (unless someone asks me to hehe) but a very notable mention I would also like to make is

Example 2: MC - I’m not going to comment on how they are dull or has no personality because actually they can be very sassy depending on which options you choose. Also the mc is supposed to just be a self insert so I understand that enough. Anyways what I would like to give note to is the fact that mc forgave belphie right away after he I don’t know KILLED US? Or should I say, more accurately, the game forced us to forgive him so we would have the belphie lovey dovey options (no hate to belphie stans I’m just saying). What I mean to say is that we shouldn’t have not forgiven him you know, honestly it’s more of pacing. We COULD have forgiven him and actually that would be interesting development and a look into their backstory as angels, however there was no real progression towards forgiveness or us even being remotely scared of him (I may be wrong on this but I remember belphie and mc becoming besties real quick with no hard feelings) like the snappy mc incorrect quotes I think would actually fit well into the story as well as proper talk and real progression towards forgiveness.

2. Concepts and storylines

This is slightly less of an issue but I do take slight to the way the game handles storylines. Season 1 was the best (in my opinion) because it was less of “uwu mc marry me” content and more of demons being demons.

Alright so this really bugged me but I don’t like how MC is a a descendant of Lilith, like I know the brothers and Lilith are not blood related and are honestly more found family and that MC and Lilith and so far related (in terms of how many generations were between them) that they barely share dna I believe (in terms of physical dna and all that good stuff not the angelic powers) but I’ve always found it kind of gross but I guess that’s just a me problem…

I’m going to take the next part of my issues with concepts and storyline as general as possible but it’s really long but… hell doesn’t feel like hell, or should I say devildom doesn’t sound like hell

There is technology in other depictions of hell (like Hazbin hotel) but that’s done better because it’s not so emphasized (I know DDD is part of the game but I think they drive the technology bit overboard) it’s a lot less subtle and hell just feels like an abridged human world with slight magic involved.

The demons don’t even act like demons or look like demons, as hot as their demon forms are they look like emo teenagers that just discovered hot topic like girl bye 😭. They don’t act remotely demonic like sometimes, and everything just seems like a cosplay is the best way I can describe it. I know it’s 12+ and not 18+ but I really enjoy the more gorey fanfic versions of obey me concepts because that feels like hell, it brings out emotions in me of shocked scared and surprised which is what Dre me into the game in the first place, not a bunch of boys going to play dress up and harass the MC.

I have much more problems with the game( I still love so obviously I’m gonna play it) but this is more of a rant and I just played Nightbringer so I hope there is more lore that resolves some of my issues but yeah!

I’m not that skilled of a writer or anything but I would really like to try and rewrite obey me as a kind of “real hell” as a passion project, obviouslt no characters, or anything trademarked belong to me this is more of for fun. Again I’m not that experienced so if anyone would like to give me tips on how to write or would lousy like to chat about obey me, about this rant and other issues or just obey me in general feel free to dm me I’m always looking for more obey me stuff hehe but yeah, or actually honestly I just want your opinion on this.

I know it’s not that deep it’s a game about horny demons but it still means a lot to me and I hope you guys understand where I’m coming from. Thank you.

[kitkinnie]

One of your posts mentions that you construct languages. If so, how many languages have you constructed and what are they like in terms of phonology, grammar, potential writing systems, and degrees of construction?

Thank you for your time and have a nice day.

there's not a way for me to know how many languages i've constructed since i've loved making up words since i was a kid, (and ciphers and fonts are one of my special interests!) but i suppose "officially" i've made two! the first one is a bit old and unorganized but it's called Startale and is the language of the gods and magic in my fantasy novel/world (the world is called Aevolin)

it's very rudimentary and grammar and writing systems follow english pretty closely because i just. made it up as i went along basically and i didn't know what i was doing

this is pretty much the only thing that is in any kind of organized manner on Startale but it's just the alphabet + magic wheel

i do have lore on some of the other languages in Aevolin but they aren't real conlangs, just like. background information.

now onto the much better one ! this language is called Ukliir and is the universally spoken language of my alien race, the ukli.

i still don't think i make languages/conlang the way most people do (i don't even know the international phonetic alphabet) but... whatever , i'm having fun! i have a lot more information on Ukliir and it's a lot more structured and organized than Startale was.

Ukliir is written downwards and is very sharp and flat since originally it was written in the sand of the beaches on Niko (the planet) and then onto a long-leafed plant which served as rudimentary paper.

There are a few more misc. rules to the language you might be interested in - verbs always end with -i, so the word for teeth is rach and the word for bite is rachi (and the word rach makes you bare your teeth/is similar to a snarl)

the ukli have four fingers on each hand, so they use a base 8 counting system (that i'm still struggling to wrap my head around - math is my worst subject) and every number ends in -o.

ukli are genderless, so every pronoun like he/she/they/him/hers is replaced by the simple and versatile "uut" :] (aat is you, eet is 'i' or 'me', and eetaa is 'us')

Niko and the ukli are a big passion project of mine. After creating Aevolin (which was very generically just fantasy world but i tweaked the races. i'm still proud of some of the concepts, like elves being based on bugs and dwarves being based on moles) i knew i could be more creative and more unique and do my own completely original thing, hence creating a more complex and in depth world and race. i'd totally love more Niko questions!

[20somethinggirlieboy]

I COULDN’T HELP BUT WONDER…

How the Hell Did Dating Become So Dump-Friendly?

An essay by Nery Sommers

Introduction

Dating in the 21st century has undergone a significant transformation. The traditional dynamics of romance have given way to a more casual, disposable approach, leaving many to wonder how and why dating has become so dump-friendly. In this essay, we will explore the factors contributing to this shift, including the rise of dating apps, changing societal values, and the impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.

The Rise of Dating Apps

One of the key factors responsible for the shift towards dump-friendly dating is the proliferation of dating apps. The advent of technology and the accessibility of smartphones have made it easier than ever to connect with potential partners. While this convenience can be a blessing, it also encourages a disposable attitude towards dating. Users can quickly swipe through profiles, discard matches that don't meet their immediate expectations, and move on to the next without investing much time or effort.

The "Paradox of Choice"

Psychologist Barry Schwartz coined the term "paradox of choice" to describe the overwhelming impact of having too many options. Dating apps offer a plethora of potential partners, but this abundance often leads to feelings of dissatisfaction and an endless quest for someone better. In this quest, people are more likely to give up on a current partner or connection, leading to a dump-friendly culture where it's easy to walk away in search of an elusive "perfect" match.

Changing Societal Values

The values and expectations surrounding dating have also evolved over time. In the past, relationships were often approached with the intention of finding a lifelong partner. Today, the emphasis has shifted towards personal fulfillment and self-discovery. People are more likely to enter relationships with the attitude of "I'm in it for myself" rather than "I'm in it for us." This self-centered approach can make it easier to end relationships when they no longer serve one's immediate needs.

Commitment Phobia

Commitment phobia has become more prevalent in modern dating. The fear of settling down and the allure of endless possibilities drive individuals to keep their options open, leading to a lack of commitment in relationships. This commitment-averse mindset contributes to the dump-friendly nature of modern dating, as people are less inclined to work through challenges and instead opt for an easier way out.

The Impact of Technology

The role of technology in shaping dump-friendly dating cannot be overstated. Online communication, which often lacks the depth and intimacy of face-to-face interactions, has made it easier to disconnect and break up with someone through a text message or a few clicks. This depersonalized approach further desensitizes individuals to the emotional consequences of ending a relationship.

Conclusion

The evolution of dating into a dump-friendly culture is the result of a complex interplay of factors, including the rise of dating apps, changing societal values, the paradox of choice, commitment phobia, and the impact of technology. While modern dating offers many conveniences, it also comes with a challenge: balancing the pursuit of personal fulfillment with the ability to build meaningful, lasting connections. Understanding these factors can help individuals navigate the dating world more consciously and foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 3x5 Thoughts

(Hello hello last week was so bleak; turns out I was pretty significantly ill and as soon as my doc and I got things figured out and I got on antibiotics, I became a human being capable of thinking consecutive thoughts and enjoying the things I like.)

One of the things I like is TV show Ted Lasso. I think this was my favorite episode of the season. Or at least it was the episode that, at the end of watching, gave me the most concrete I love this show and I love the pacing and I love the story being told and I love these characters feelings I’ve had all season…and I’ve basically felt that way on some level after every s3 ep (with the exception of 3x4, which left me very unsettled, but also, I was very sick). 

Rebecca:

I am so…proud of her?!

Her panic when she didn’t know who to put as her Emergency Contact broke my heart. She’s so aware of the things she’s lacking right now, even as she does have people she loves. 

I absolutely love that Shite in Nining Armor was stupid John Wingsnight’s stupid fiancee’s slip of the tongue. I love that Rebecca had no chill in asking her to confirm what she said. I love that John was wearing his idiotic double-Manchester scarf, and I love that in the later scenes in the episode Rebecca was also wearing an asymmetrical scarf with a color gradient. 

I absolutely loved every single thing about her choice to see a fertility doctor. Right after the ep ended, my wife said that she thinks that in the end, as Rebecca looks back on her life, she will be comforted by the fact that she tried, that she sought the information, that she admitted to herself that there was something she really wanted and chose to go after the information she needed to find out if it was possible. I agree completely. Also Hannah Waddingham played every moment with that phone call in her office so, so perfectly. Her face always says a million things. 

Keeley:

(I already understood that Keeley was bi but) Keeley is bi! Jack is bi! They hit it off and are having fun! 

I think the moment when they’re drinking vodka and Keeley says she used to be a happy person is one of Juno Temple’s absolute best acting moments in this entire series, and I say that as someone who generally absolutely adores the choices she makes as Keeley.

The complexity of where she is in her life warms my heart so much. She’s learning a million new things every day. She’s attracted to Jack and feels a connection that she wants to explore. She’s still hurting over Roy and is able to admit that. 

It really broke my heart that she didn’t register that Rebecca was calling her, even though I completely understood why she didn’t. If I was in that situation, my phone would be the last thing on my mind. But I love that Rebecca’s first call was to Keeley, and her not picking up is very much in conversation with Rebecca’s lack of obvious Emergency Contact, I think. (Keeley would be a great Emergency Contact! It was just one phone call! But it hurts! Is it weird that I keep capitalizing Emergency Contact?)

I have mixed feelings about how all the Shandy stuff went down. I would have preferred it if Shandy had continued to be a more nuanced character in terms of her potential and her skills. Maybe we haven’t seen the last of her? I think that based on what happened, Keeley was right to let her go, but everything Shandy had to say and do in the first few eps of the season felt like there was a lot of depth behind it, and since she’s a person of color in a vastly majority white office environment it doesn’t really hit quite right that her firing felt primarily like a lesson Keeley needed to learn. I did really love her bridge-burning goodbye speech, though. Who wouldn’t want to yell “fascist fucks” in an awkward corporate setting?! Team Shandy. 

Nate:

Nate practicing with his mom: adorable.

Nate being really really into Taste of Athens in Tooting: stressful.

Nate beautifully articulating why it’s important to him and refusing to go along with Anastasia’s ridicule of the place: lovely. 

Beard and Roy (and a little Trent) and Ted and Coaching:

I love how much of a duo Beard and Roy are this season, and how fiercely Beard was ready to go to Kansas even while there were so many things happening with the team. That was a genuine act of family right there! And Roy got in on the action too, with his horrifying assault fantasy! The weird love between all these men sends my heart aflutter! 

I’m also endlessly fascinated with Ted once again having the beginnings of a panic attack in very close physical proximity to his fellow coaches. I’m into Trent’s gay Let the Good Times Roll mug. 

One of my favorite things about last week’s episode was Ted’s decision not to drink before the call with Michelle; it was really important that he didn’t numb himself before saying the things he needed to say. And for weirdly similar reasons, I kinda like that he was defaulting to pouring some water while the call with Michelle connected, then he switched to whiskey at the mention of Jake having taken Henry to the park. Whenever Ted is alone, the choices and things happening physically (his kitchen looked quite neat in that scene, and the open peanut butter wasn’t fighting for counter space with other items) tell so much of the story, and I’ve continued to love how that storytelling is handled.

Ted had a good parenting moment with Henry! His father’s lesson about anger transferred to Ted and then to Henry! Ted’s dad never met his grandson, but he helped him today! (Also, the absolute CRINGE image of Henry performing an apology rap…the incredibly dorky apple doesn’t fall far from the incredibly dorky tree.) It’s not lost on me that after this major parenting win, then a successful staving off of the panic attack by reminding himself that Henry is okay, it only takes a tiny bit of prodding from his team to return to finer coaching form. I love that he rips the sign further. I have been curious about whether or not he’d talk to the team about Nate, but so much time passed between 3x4 and 3x5 that maybe we’ll never know about that. But I love that in the 7 weeks between episodes, the sign stayed up in its ripped state, and I love that he addresses belief more concretely than he’s ever done precisely by taking the concrete symbol out of the equation. 

Higgins

Higgins brought the problems with the coaching staff to Rebecca! He continues to be one of the bravest people on this show. 

I love how stricken Rebecca looked when he got the words out, too. Her desk was positively strewn with biscuit crumbs. 

And he was smart about psychics and said the thing that I really hoped would be the whole point of Tish, in terms of this being an opportunity for Rebecca to see some things more clearly.

Rebecca and Ted:

OK, my brain is full of all the stuff I just talked about, but my brain is mostly full of that hallway scene. Yeah.

If it mattered less, I could………………[you know how this one goes]

[jackienautism]

I just saw that post about your thoughts on the counselors and I'm curious, have there been any major changes since then?

i just skimmed the post youre talking abt (i write a lot huh) but honestly? i haven't had TOO many major changes since. JUST REALIZED ITS COMING UP TO AYEAR SINCE I POSTED IT IN MAY? THATS SO CRAZY TO ME WTF but anyway

nvm ill read through exactly what i said. the post is here btw

dylan: still pretty much the same opinion as back then LMAO i did have a more recent convo abt dylan (which def changed some thoughts abt him. esp related to his potential adhd and lack of a filter) but i stilll don't like him, sorry

nick: same thoughts as before honestly. i still think he doesn't deserve abi in the slightest. and his involvement w/ emma's dare still makes me very upset, ESP when the fanbase refuses to acknowledge his involvement in it lol. i dont doubt that racism comes into play w/ nick and his whole lack of a story and such, but i jut. i cant stand him

jacob: i take back the flip flop thing btw. i lowkey cant stand him. but to be honest:? ive gotten WAAAY less tolerant of male characters in general lately. and jacob is not exempt from this lol. i have yet to play TQ again (it's been quite a bit) but! maybe after we play tonight things will change. ill prob rb again if things do

ryan: HOWEVER. DO YOU KNOW /IS/ EXEMPT FROM MY "I HATE ALL MALE CHARACTERS" MINDSET? RYAN ERZAHLER. 100%. i love him lots and ppl r very mean to him fo r no reason. i talked abt this briefly in my angourie!cady post but just. when characters show certain autistic traits that YOU ALL cant deal w/ or understand, suddenly theyre a shitty person? they don't care abt their friends? theyre boring? KILLS YOU

max: he also is a pretty respectable guy to me i love you max. but as i said originally. i dont rly think abt him much

emma: she def had the biggest shift for me while playing the game for the first time!!!!! but in terms of like. if anything changed from when i wrote the original note? i dont rly think so tbh. reread waht i wrot eback then it rly makes it seem like i hate her 😭😭😭😭😭 I PROMISE I DONT..... I ACTUALLY LOVE HER SO MUCH...... SHE MEANS A LOT TO ME....... i just cant stand how she acts towards abi sometimes. def my biggest criticism of her. but at the same time. i understand WHY she acts the way she does. she means sooo muchto me. and esp seeing all your talk abt autistic emma? i just think that makes sooo much sense fo rher.and i LOVE it so much

kaitlyn: i dont even feel lik e going throuhg it all but. i feel like she may have gotten a little lower since i wrote that post? just bc i tjhink toooo many ppl think shes better than she actually is bc of her association w/ dylan? it pisses me off sooooo bad. and ive made posts abt this before but like. her character in general still aggravates me 😭 and i DO still stand by what i said in that og post. theres jsut... shes not that complex sorry guys. esp compared to EMILY? lLIKE. i know its unfair to compare the 2 but its pretty damn obvious that thye were going for another emily in kaitlyn lmao and they FAILED. MISERABLY

abi: oh.. abi oh abi i love you. i still hold her so close to me. she is so me for real (beats anyone up who says tjhat she's Them) i mean who said that

laura: LOVE U LAURA!!!!!!!!! i still dont have like TOO many in depth thouhgts abt her but just. know ever since i began roleplaying as her shes become THAT much more beloved and :] i love you girl

THAJK YOU FOR SENIDNG THIS IN!!!! AND SORRY FOR TAKING A BIT TO ANSWER

[cadybear420]

Cadybear's Reviews- It Lives Beneath

Welcome to the fourteenth official Cadybear's Reviews post! Today I'll be talking about It Lives Beneath, which I have ranked on the "Diamond Tier" at 10 stars out of a possible 10.

Like with its predecessor, there’s not much to say on it that hasn’t already been said by everyone else. It’s amazing all the way through. 

Funny how we get ILITW right after OG HSS, and then ILB right after HSS:CA. Love to see the first two MC-switch stories be released next to each other, just as their predecessors were. 

Unlike HSS:CA though, this one was strongly written and actually relevant to its previous iterations. Not to mention, it actually had a meaningful reason to have only minimal usage of its previous installment’s characters when switching MCs– being that it takes place in a completely different locational setting from Westchester and Westchester High. There’s even one recurring returning character that’s actually heavily relevant to the story, and even outside of the returning character, the smaller cameos of the past characters are actually kind of meaningful to the story. 

Bringing back Tom to be a love interest for the new MC was especially a smart move, as it helps solidify the connection between the two books and we get to expand on his character a bit more. Not to mention he’s an amazing love interest too. Like, that part in their lake day premium scene where MC can win a giant stuffed teddy in the carnival game and Tom gets upset when he didn’t win one because he wanted to put a giant teddy in his passenger seat so he could go into the carpool lane??? And then you can have MC give him the teddy???? Yeah, I’m obsessed. 

But even outside of the characters and cast utilization, Beneath as a whole holds up really well to Woods. The nerve scores come back of course, because it wouldn’t be It Lives without nerve scores. And not only that, but they vastly improved it from ILITW’s nerve score system too. 

In Woods, the only real consequences of low nerve are the fates of the characters in one chapter. There are a couple of nerve checks midway through the book, where the characters will talk about how they’re currently feeling. But you don’t see any real consequences and hardcore effects until Chapter 15. 

Beneath, on the other hand, had a nerve score system that was much more complex and fleshed out. Not only does it account for a group nerve score, which affects if anyone even dies at all, but there’s also a variety of potential consequences spread out through the chapters rather than all the fates concentrated into one chapter. Stuff like whether or not Parker will shoot Kelley and then leave the group, whether or not Danni would sell out to Astrid’s temptations, whether or not Tom would save MC from getting their finger bitten off, whether or not Imogen could stop her mom from taking her Power, all take place at certain moments throughout the later chapters and really emphasize the sense of danger our characters are in. 

And they remember these other outcomes too later on. Whether or not Imogen will be able to keep her power, affects whether she’ll be able to recruit zombified Diavolos or whether MC will remember the incantation to take someone’s Power (they’ll have a bit of trouble with it if Imogen’s able to keep her powers, because she cut off her mom in the middle of the incantation!). 

It’s this level of attention to detail that, while it’s easy to say OG HSS > HSS:CA, I’m having a harder time deciding which of the two It Lives books is better. I personally preferred Woods because I found the MC more flexible, their necessary background better established, and the characters much more compelling. But in terms of how fleshed out the lore and nerve score system is, it pales in comparison to Beneath, without a doubt. I plan to go a lot more in-depth about this in a separate “ILITW vs ILB” post. 

Overall, ILB does a great job with its story and with continuing the franchise. While I love that we got fans to make the third part of the anthology (and said third part does a lot of things that not even PB’s best works could even think of doing), PB should still be ashamed of themselves for canceling the sequel to this.

[dolphin1812]

Hugo held rather strange opinions on religion, which, while most prominent in the convent digression, make a brief reappearance here:

"His worship of his father had gradually become a religion, and, like all religions, it had retreated to the depths of his soul. Something was required in the foreground. Love came."

His statement makes lots of assumptions about what religion is and how it's practiced (something that must "naturally" retreat, rather than something much more variable), but it also does distinguish between Marius' love of his father and his "worship" of him, which is interesting. His feelings there are complex, and his "worship" has been "retreating" (ex: being less of a Bonapartist).

The military metaphors are back, albeit indirectly. Marius hides from M Leblanc (and reveals himself to Mlle Lanoire) behind statues of famous military figures (Leonidas and Spartacus), thus connecting himself to them. M Leblanc responds by moving towards The Gladiator, positioning this whole chapter as an unspoken battle between Marius and M Leblanc (presumably, in Marius' eyes, for Mlle Lanoire; given her confusion over the handkerchief, this may all be in his head, with M Leblanc having noticed him and moved for other reasons).

The handkerchief is embarrassing, but it's also very Marius; he immediately constructs a romantic fantasy in his head around it without considering other possibilities (the brief sentence where we learn it's M Leblanc's is a great example of Hugo's humor).

(Mild) spoilers below:

This is a bit of a reach, but the contrast between the statues is interesting. Marius is given two figures from vastly different backgrounds: the Spartan king Leonidas and the gladiator/rebel Spartacus. Both are admired for their military feats, but they're very different in terms of class, implying that Marius himself straddles these boundaries and/or has the potential to do so (ex: to be a king or a rebel). M Leblanc, on the other hand, is just the gladiator. He's not named. He's simply a generic statue made to represent another figure known for combat, but also most likely marginalized in some way (ex: being enslaved). Leblanc/Valjean, then, is stuck in this position on the edges of society, his "glory" never being recognized because society doesn't even acknowledge him by his name. Like many gladiators who succeeded in a field that was highly valued - combat - he cannot be praised as who he is; society devalues him and then forgets him.

Gladiators also fought for entertainment specifically. In a way, Valjean is like a gladiator in that sense as well. We read about his escapades and are entertained, even if they mean great suffering for him. It's an indirect criticism with an implicit call to action: if we don't want to be like the Romans who watched people fight for their entertainment and neglected/abused them, then we must look out for the Jean Valjeans in our own societies.

[the-heartstring-chronicles]

For @para-amour and any others looking for P/C fic recs

These are some of my fave fics and authors so far:

Spontaneity by theramblinrose, I love babyfic and this story Spontaneity has one of the most loving and in character birth scenes of a P/C child where they are both present that I've seen to date in fic. You can find it linked below.

Spontaneity by theramblinrose

Then there is Cave Baby by Mighty_Oak_Roots. Basically Beverly watching "her friend and captain" Jean Luc handling an infant in an emergency situation and enjoying both his discomfort and his caring nature towards the baby in equal measure, with some longing for what could be and a cute last scene that definitely is romantic and potential family P/C. It can be accessed at the link below.

Cave Baby by Mighty_Oak_Roots

Now for two novel length fics

I loved Snow Falling Softly by Mackillian. I read it last year and was invested from the start. Without giving too much away, if one likes the plot we have this season with Jack, this is similar but on an extra intense level in terms of emotion, complexity and dynamics. It's set during TNG and It also allows Wesley to react to the storyline and process his own emotions about not being an only child and the circumstances! Highly recommend. It is however over 500 or so pages when downloaded as an epub, so even online, it is an all weekend read, at least. Link is below.

Snow Falling Softly by Mackillian

I had barely started In The Depth of Winter by Mackillian last year when I got pulled away by stuff in another fandom. It is the sequel to Snow Falling Softly. It redoes All Good Things in a way that centers the fallout from Snow Falling Softly. It seems just as good so I am looking forward to finishing it. It is 700 pages in epub though so it may need two full weekends to read. Link can be found below

The Depth of Winter by Mackillian

I am also including this single chapter vignette In Paradisum by Mackillian because it is the sequel to The Depth of Winter. I have not read it yet but skimmed the first few lines and the writing seems on par with the two novels. You need to read them to understand this piece. Link to In Paradisum ready below

In Paradisum by Mackillian

Now for authors from whom I recommend reading everything they've written for the pairing:

I am absolutely loving everything I've read so far written for P/C by pktechgirlus. The style is spot on and very emotional while also at times being humorous and steamy. My favorite so far from this author is the story "Never And Always" but all I've read so far are incredible. Some are semi explicit, some are not (Warning, not all end happily) Here is the link to the author's TNG fics,

pktechgirlus's TNG Fics for P/C

There is also one for them from the Picard era which I love too, you can find that below

Vignette by pktechgirlus

And finally, the author I feel has the most solid, in character grasp on P/C in totality. @ussjellyfish. I adore reading their work because they understand the multi facets and deep humanity that is at the core of P/C. They can both perfectly write P/C playing on the holodeck, or saving each other from certain death even by committing violence in defense of the other or breaking laws/oaths. They keep P/C's love paramount, but also allow for mistakes to be made by each and vulnerability to be shown. Even the way they write physical intimacy between P/C feels like P/C and not "insert couple here" and I usually skip sex scenes now because I've been in so many fandoms that reading those scenes are a dime a dozen , but not those written by USSJellyfish, they actually make me care about seeing these characters enjoy each other.

They have both long novel length fics for P/C that are part of a series. and shorter one shot pieces.

The novel series starts with the fic Fair Trade and is several novel length fics long. I haven't finished the entire series yet but I am enthralled by what I have finished of it.

And some of my favorite shorter fics of theirs for P/C are Kindling and Lifeline, both are hurt/comfort fics of a sort. Kindling is explicit.

As I said though, I recommend reading all of their fics for P/C so I am putting a link that leads to all of their P/C fic below.

USSJellyfish's P/C Fics

(They also write Beverly/Kathryn fic, Beverly/Deanna fic, Riker/ Beverly fic, and other pairings on TNG, Fic for several parings on Discovery, and for several on Voyager including Chakotay/Paris and J/C. so much to read!)

Happy reading everyone, I hope this list was helpful!

[writing-in-verse]

So I Finally Read Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

There will be some level of spoilers so do be aware all who enter here.

I was apprehensive at first when i heard Cassie was writing a book in an entirely new setting, a new adult book no less, after writing YA for as long as I can remember. I've seen authors attempt to pivot to a different age bracket before and it is a challenge if you're not fully prepared for it.

Sword Catcher is entering the space where Game of Thrones and Gentleman Bastards have long ago carved out their right to be there and became titans of their own. It was surprising then to see both authors of the above had read Sword Catcher and had given a review for the back of the book - George R.R. Martin's quote and name was displayed proudly on the front of my edition for added flair.

It was a bold statement of intent, to sit among giants and share the space meant Cassie was putting her best foot forward. I don't want to suggest Lynch or Martin 'allowed' or 'gave permission' for Cassie to be in this space but they did vouch for her, showing a creative respect which carries weight and expectation.

I'm so happy to say Cassie pulled it off.

I'll admit I was cautiously optimistic about Sword Catcher, about Kel and Connor and Lin, a slightly worry that perhaps Cassie's years as a YA author could hold back the potential of this new work. If in being really honest, Shadowhunters is very important to me and I think part of me was unsure about leaving it behind.

Cassie's ability to build a world here is striking in it's ability to never overwhelm the reader with context and exposition without losing any of the depth and complexity you'd expect from a novel concerning kings and kingdoms. You come to learn of Castellane's long and muddled history over time, never giving away more than is needed to make the world feel complete but without throwing nonsense terms around which would simply not be remembered.

The class divides that permeate the work, held up by proto-capitalist greed and the politics of nations happening atop a towering hillside is fed in lockstep with the rest of the plot, holding enough information in front of the reader without giving the whole mystery away. Woven throughout is the Ashkari people, very clearly a Jewish analogue, a nation with no homeland other than the one their communities reside in. Locked inside the Sault after nightfall and looked upon with distrust, othered because of their ability to use even limited magic. I'm certainly not selling the tact and nuance Cassie brings to the world and the people who live in it but it's beautifully presented and should be applauded.

I don't have much to say about the characters, mostly because I can see their journey has just begun and I'm excited to see them all grow and change as the narrative unfolds. What I will say is Lin can do no wrong, Kel is just a fella, and Connor is one of the best written protagonists for how deeply flawed and naive he is and yet I simply cannot wish him ill.

I summary, Sword Catcher is an almost flawless first entry into a series I could see becoming a favourite of mine and I cannot see where it goes next. What a dazzling and captivating read.

[berrieswherewelie]

What are some Servamp ships/headcanons you have?

That's a really broad question, which is dangerous because I love to hear myself talk, but I'll try and answer as best as I can!

Generally I like a lot of ships; I like most of the more common ones in this fandom and you can convince me of (almost!!) anything if you're passionate about it. But there's some I love more than others!

Speaking in broad terms I enjoy Servamp/Eve ships especially. I like the power dynamics of the vampire who holds the power and the human who holds the leash; and they're all so well-written in the manga that it's hard not to get invested in their complexities. A Servamp and their Eve complete and complement each other; and there's something really sexy about a bond that manifests in both a physical chain and a mental/emotional link.

I also love Servamp/Servamp ships! Especially now that we know a bit more about their past (though most of it remains shrouded in mystery, which is intriguing in itself). The Servamps are really the only ones who can even try and understand what it is like to live as they do, which I think gives their relationships the potential to be so rich and bittersweet; and since they're a varied bunch you can get so many flavours by combining them.

My favourite Servamp/Servamp ship - so much so it gets a paragraph of its own - is Jeje/Lily. They can be extremely sweet; they've known each other for centuries, they're so very comfortable around each other (especially in the extra materials), their aesthetics go amazingly well with each other. They can be extremely sad; they're both tangled up in a scheme that resulted in Lily (more or less) causing the death of a woman Jeje loved, and though the paths that took them there have yet to be unravelled, they're most likely quite dark. They are polar opposites, with an immaculate repressed/slutty dynamic that I love deeply; they are the same in their shared disdain of their long lives. They're also both very pretty.

On kind of the other end of the spectrum I also love Touma/Tooru. I think Touma's disdain of Tooru and his general way of being an asshole are so much fun to write! But I struggle to give them depth, so I don't really manage to write long or meaningful things about them, and most of it is just hatefucking. I love it when my friends talk to me about them, though, so I can fill them with some substance.

My favourite Servamp ship, finally, is Lisono. I should not go too in-depth about why I love it, because I've already been yapping for way too long, but the relationship canon gives them is the most beautiful and complex in this manga, and rife with love and conflict, and I love spinning it beyond what we're shown, into what they might be like in the future. I am so excited to see the culmination of their arc!

(Since I am a smut-focused account, I also think they're the most interesting sexuality-wise - Misono who is inexperienced as can be; Lily who carries significant trauma with him.)

[distort-opia]

Hello! A friend of mine asked me which comic would be a good example (for newbies) to understand the conflict/character of Batman the best? W Joker especially

its a bit difficult for me to recomend them stuff because they don't have a lot of knowledge outside the movies.

Thank you!

Hey! For Batman's character, a decent starting point is simply Batman: Year One. After all, it's been very influential for Bruce's characterization in the Modern age, and despite Miller's misgivings, it is a good story. Although when it comes to a comic that encompasses the conflict at the heart of Batman (connecting to Joker, but not only)... my heart will always go to Batman: Ego. Absolutely suggest it to your friend, it's such a beautiful and in-depth character study of Bruce and the way he relates to Batman. It also doesn't require much detail in terms of setting, so it works for a beginner.

When it comes to Batman & Joker stories that might work well with someone starting to get into comics, I think it's best to go with the classics. So much of the current Batman & Joker dynamic has been defined by stories like Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth, Batman: The Killing Joke, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. These are also comics that can be read as standalone without knowing too much of the embedded timeline, a good thing for someone with a general knowledge of the Batman universe. Batman: The Man Who Laughs and Joker: Devil's Advocate would also be good stories to get into, for similar reasons (though if they'd like to read in a chronological order, tell your friend to read The Man Who Laughs first, then Arkham Asylum, then The Killing Joke, and then Devil's Advocate; Dark Knight Returns whenever, since it's not canon). For more good Batman & Joker stories, I also have a list of recs here, though some of these require more comic-specific context.

I hope this helps, Anon! It is indeed tough to recommend to people how to start with comics, since there's so many potential ways to do it, and it's such a confusing terrain sometimes. But I do think getting a taste of the essential reads and seeing if they spark more interest is a good way to go. If your friend likes these stories and wants to get more seriously into comics, they can try to follow more complex reading lists afterwards.

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: Neferura

Author: Malayna Evans

Genre/s: historical

Content/Trigger Warning/s: death, murder

Summary (from author's website): Neferura, princess and high priestess of Kemet, knows her duty is to her people. When your mother is the great pharaoh, it’s hard to forget. But Neferura’s unique position at court comes with high stakes for her country, especially when she’s forced to serve her vile half brother, a man determined to stop Neferura’s potential rise. 

Peace, it seems, never lasts for women who wield power in the open. Especially when they cross a vengeful man. 

When Neferura overhears Thutmose’s plot to end her mother’s rule, she knows he must be stopped, no matter the cost. The discovery of a mysterious tattooed wisewoman and her shadowy network of spies offers an uneasy alliance. But the wisewoman wields more power than Neferura knew possible—power with the potential to rival her own. Neferura must decide where her loyalties lie andhow much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves before everything crumbles at the hands of a tyrant. 

Buy Here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/neferura-malayna-evans/19997426

Spoiler-Free Review: The word that I think best applies to this book is “adequate”, in that the characters and plot all seem to largely function as they should, and the worldbuilding also works quite well. There’s nothing about any of those things that I think functions terribly. But there’s a certain lack of depth that I was expecting to find, and didn’t.

The first contributing factor to this is the choice of narrative tone. Using Neferura to narrate the story is interesting, and telling it from her POV is also interesting, but the TONE used? Much less so, given that it reads like young adult instead of adult, which is what I expected when I picked up this novel. Nothing wrong with that age group, of course, but this book wasn’t marketed as such, and so I was expecting a higher level of maturity from the story than what I got. Maybe this is because the author writes middle grade books and hasn’t quite got the hang of writing for adults just yet? I don’t want to think this is the case, but it’s possible, given her bibliography.

Another issue is that the lead character and narrator, Neferura, seems to lack layers and nuance to make her a sufficiently compelling character and narrator. Because of this, Neferura’s concerns, while they SEEM genuinely troubling, feel narrow, because she doesn’t have enough layers to her to feel like a fully fleshed-out person. This is a problem with the other characters, as well. Hatshepsut, for example, is portrayed as a secondary villain in this novel, but her characterization feels so narrow in comparison to the historical reality of who she was. My perspective might be influenced by the fact that I read Kara Cooney’s Hatshepsut biography, but I think that there could have been more complexity and nuance in the way Hatshepsut was portrayed in this book. I’m not saying she cannot be portrayed as a villain; I’m just saying that there needs to be more nuance. The same goes for Thutmose: he’s easy to portray as unlikeable, and was portrayed as such even in Cooney’s biography, but even in his unlikability there’s room for nuance. There were moments when his behavior seemed psychopathic, which would have been an INTERESTING path to take, but the portrayal isn’t given any additional angles or nuance.

What makes this even sadder is that there are plenty of aspects in this book with immense potential. The worldbuilding, as I’ve said, is incredibly well done, and I appreciated the author using actual ancient Egyptian terms for things like the Nile and Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple. There are elements that are also really fascinating: that whole bit with the tattooed wisewoman and her spy network would have been incredibly interesting to explore vis a vis the themes of societal change and potential revolution that were touched upon (but not really explored) throughout the novel. Sadly none of these get the attention and development I think they deserved.

Overall, this book was something of a let-down. Hobbled by an underdeveloped protagonist, a juvenile narrative tone, and a lack of exploration of interesting themes, this novel left me feeling nothing much at all. This is an immense pity, given the potential of other elements in this story, but it is what it is, and perhaps other readers may find something in it to enjoy.

Rating: two and a half lotus blossoms

[ablogmadebyjose]

SUPREME GEOMETRY | THE NINE ARCH BRIDGE

Topics of interest

Shadow Play | Contrast, balance, duality

Very familiar in terms of colours, theming, and potential narrative. Could have been a fun experiment to attempt at but my only fear is that it may end up looking familiar compared to my darker tones weekly explorations.

Scan Lines | Digital age, consumption, analog

Not entirely similar to the style I've been attempting for the past 7 weekly explorations yet it leans more towards a digital narrative that my past work haven't quite touched yet (aside from weekly exploration number five).

Supreme Geometry | Boundaries, abstract, simple supremacy

This was the topic I was "recommended" to attempt. As seeing that I want my final three to be strictly illustration based this would be another perfect opportunity to use perspective as I haven't used much of that in my batch of work.

CHOSEN TOPIC -> SUPREME GEOMETRY

The second final illo of the semester! This week I was tasked to attempt supreme geometry. I immediately knew that I had to attempt perspective for this one, not only would it ensure that it would look visually different but it would challenge me to attempt something new that I have never done often enough. This also marks the first weekly exploration that I can call it a proper illustration, one of the first that I actually feel satisfied with illustrating.

Creative Concept

From the start I wanted this to be really different in terms of colour and composition. Inspired by supreme geometry I played with shapes and even some more complex forms to create a sunset bridge setting inspired by the recent sunset that have been occurring lately. Despite working with what are mostly 2D shapes I added shading to create depth as I believe simple shapes can be so much more than just 2D flat objects.

Description

As mentioned before, I want to ensure that these three last illos are fully illustrative and this and this definitely suits that guideline, exceedingly too! This illo is somewhat different than my usual art style which I think helps it to differentiate it from the other 8 weekly explorations. I experimented with colours that I don't use that much such as purples and greens. Yellow and orange seemed like good highlight colours for shading and the suns in the composition.

For this one illustration I didn't use my usual overlay texture technique and instead used photoshop's grain and texture to fulfill that air spray-like texture that's seen on this week's exploration. It really helped tie in the shading and shapes as without it, it looked to artificial and lacked the retro futuristic feel I wanted to emulate.

This turned out to be one of my favourite illos in this semester's batch and I loved the process behind it. I've been wanting to attempt this sort of style ever since semester one's batch of illos but I never got around to it. This illo is inspired by the end of the semester and the weird bliss I get during the final two weeks of school. Sad that school is over and I'll have to say goodbye to my friends and not having a consistent workflow of design work that I love doing, yet happy as I get to go back home and see all my old friends once again and the usual summer activities that occur during that time.

Final illo is next week, I think I've got something good coming up!

KEYWORDS FOR INSPIRATION

Retro

Perspective

Neon

Radiate

Growth

Futuristic

ROUGH -> PROCREATE

FINAL -> PHOTOSHOP

Text version:

[prancingnougat]

(Cheery) Games for Combating the Post Final Fantasy XVI Blues

After beating FFXVI, I got super down - not because I disliked the game, quite the opposite. I loved it so much that now the experience was over, I felt that all-too-familiar void, and I suspect that I'm not alone in that.

So I went back to play some of the more recently released games that I bought (from the past 5 years or so), a few of which I never beat. As much as I loved and appreciate 16 for everything it is, I really wanted something lighter in terms of themes. I figure this could be a decent list for people who might want another RPG-like experience. These are very different, however - I'm focusing on games that are available for purchase right now, and games that are a little on the brighter side, thematically. Your mileage will totally vary, but some of these are fun games that appealed to me and they might appeal to you too!

Bravely Default 2

Play me if you like: job systems, rewarding level grinding, sidequests galore

The original Bravely Default 1+2 are Nintendo 3DS classics that absolutely stand the test of time, but can be a little expensive/hard to find. BD2, on the other hand, is available on the Nintendo eShop and for PC. It is great if you're looking to get back to basics in regard to story and RPG mechanics - but that's not to say the gameplay is lacking. Far from it, BD2 has one of the most fun job systems I've ever encountered. The cast of characters is charming, the graphics are lovely, and I've found it relaxing after the intensity of FFXVI. Plus, all the job outfits are outright adorable (especially Beastmaster, my beloved)

Harvestella

Play me if you like: unexpectedly good stories, loads of character depth, farming simulation, light-but-fun action RPGs

If you liked FFXVI for its story, I think you might appreciate Harvestella's strange but wonderful sci-fi fantasy narrative/world. While it's much lighter on the action, and its job system isn't quite as involved as the Bravely Default series, it's still a completely unique experience that blends light farming sim elements with classic RPG fun. It's similarly relaxing as BD2 in the sense that you're encouraged to take it at your own pace and focus on your own favored play style. It completely took me by surprise with it's story, and I tend to be pretty picky about that sort of thing. It's also available on Switch and PC!

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

Play me if you like: action sidescrollers, more in-depth farming elements, mythological settings

This is definitely one of the most unique games I've ever played, and while it's completely different from FFXVI, it can potentially serve as something of a palate cleanser after going through such a dark story. Sakuna has one of the most complex farming systems, one that is impacted by your exploration. It also helps determine your character's stats. You explore the wilderness as a little goddess who lives away from her celestial home, opting for the life of a common rice farmer. While the focus is on rice farming as opposed to many crops like other farming sims, it's a fun way of centering yourself in between your more wilder adventures. It's on Switch, PS4, and PC!

Rune Factory 4 Special

Play me if you like: much lighter humor, light crafting systems, loooong stories, farming and marriage mechanics

You can probably tell that I have a thing for action games with farming elements. RF4 is my favorite in the Rune Factory series, and though there's a newer title with RF5, I found myself consistently enjoying this one a lot more. It's a humorous story that knows when it hit the right beats with it's sincerity, all while being just the right amount of challenging in regards to the action, with its pacing also controlled by your own gameplay style. It's wildly different from FFXVI, but it's one of my go-to games for cheering myself up after something heavy. And now that it's available on multiple platforms, more people can enjoy it too!

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Play me if you like: strong ensemble casts, FFXVI's hunts, flexible job systems, MMO-style combat, challenging sidequests and superbosses

While this is easily the "darkest" game on this list, I still find its story very hopeful while balancing more serious themes. It is the culmination of everything good about Final Fantasy from the PS2 era; a long and interesting story that remains engaging throughout, phenomenal monster hunts that will push you to really engage with the job system, and satisfying sidequests with lots of loot. Plus, it's another Final Fantasy! I could suggest just about any game in the series, but since this one is a redone version that is now available on a ton of platforms, it's easily my biggest recommendation for anyone who wants a longer game in a similar vein as FFXVI.

Those are just a few games out there that might help itch some very specific scratches you've still got after playing 16. While I absolutely LOVE FFXVI's story - heaviness and all - I know I needed a big break before going and replaying it. Hopefully they bring someone as much cheer as they've brought me!