i think it's my own if-i-can't-see-it-it-doesn't-exist excatholic sensibilities but when it comes to the paranormal elements of yellowjackets i'm one hundred percent taissa. why can't lottie just be a kid lost in the woods without the means to control her mental illness, latching onto whatever feels realest in the moment? why can't the cultishness that later resulted not have been all of the other kids doing the exact same thing? reaching for whatever they could eat when they needed it? why does there have to be some creepy old ghost in a cabin when the human fears and exhaustion and needs of the characters are already carrying the entire plot easily? i think in the case of yellowjackets, like so many survival dramas, adding an extra element like that winds up overcrowding the story, especially when it's already playing around with how linear it is and juggling multiple dynamic characters and actors

Murakami and Ranpo

Some minor spoilers ahead for the third BSD LN, The Untold Story of the Founding of the Detective Agency." If you aren't concerned with spoilers, I did my best with summarizing the plot for anyone who hasn't read the novel.

In the third BSD LN, Fukuzawa and Ranpo are tasked with finding the culprit of an ominous death threat at a theatrical play. The threat is written as follows:

“An angel shall bring death, in the truest sense of the word, to the performer. —V.”

This threat fits perfectly with the play, which is a mystery play where each character gets killed by an "angel" who murders. However, the characters don't know if they're being killed by an angel or a regular person, because there's nothing supernatural about their causes of death (getting stabbed by a knife, poison, strangulation, etc.).

Each character was a former angel who had been banished from the celestial world, because they admired humans so much that God turned them into humans. Therefore, the characters in the play believed that an angel was sent after them to punish them for their sins.

This sets up two mysteries for us to follow:

1. The mystery of the real death threat, sent by "V" — who is the culprit behind it, who will they kill, and why?

2. The mystery within the play — is it an angel or real person killing each character, and why?

Paradoxes (and Things That Don't Make Sense)

The play is called, "The Living World is a Dream, the Nocturnal Dream is Reality," which is a quote from the real Edogawa Ranpo's work, but I couldn't find the exact source. The title proposes a paradox: reality is a dream, and dreams are reality.

Several other paradoxes present themselves in the story, but they appear most prominently in Ranpo's big speech where he solves the mystery of the play, and the murder simultaneously:

“The murder and the play’s story are connected on a deep level. This play reversed the tide of the narrative. A group of fallen angels tried to return to the heavens, but the angel of judgment tried to stop them. Meanwhile, the angel’s judgment was but a show, and the supposed victim, a human, faked it. The angel’s and humans’ roles were reversed, switching the judge and the judged. That’s the kind of play this was. "

"...the narrative is in reverse. Our structures have been swapped along with the victim and killer as well. In other words—he isn’t the killer, but a victim."

This reveal subverts the original expectation that the plot would follow two separate mysteries. Instead, the lines are blurred between reality and fiction, killer and killed, and dreams and reality because now the two mysteries are intertwined.

I think this part of the story is deliberately written to be confusing (or at least not very clearly explained) as to fit in with the themes found in Murakami's writing.

Who is Murakami?

Haruki Murakami is a famous Japanese author, and you may have read some of his famous works, "Norwegian Wood" and "Kafka on the Shore."

Since this is Bungou (Literary) Stray Dogs, Murakami makes an appearance in this light novel as the main actor of the play.

Before I go on to explain Murakami's role in the novel, I'll give a brief background on his real counterpart and explain how the theatrical play in the novel reflects the real Murakami's work.

Murakami writes in the genre of "magical realism", where the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred as magical elements are seamlessly incorporated into the story. I'll be using "Kafka on the Shore" as the main example for this point, since it's a great example of Murakami's expertise in magical realism.

In "Kafka on the Shore," there are 2 interrelated plot lines, alternating with each chapter, similar to the 2 supposed mysteries outlined at the beginning of the novel.

Like its moniker, "Kafka on the Shore" resembles a "Kafkaesque" style of writing due to its surreal elements that are bizarre and illogical in the rules of reality.

In an interview about this novel, Murakami said:

"Kafka on the Shore contains several riddles, but there aren't any solutions provided. Instead, several of these riddles combine, and through their interaction the possibility of a solution takes shape. And the form this solution takes will be different for each reader. To put it another way, the riddles function as part of the solution. It's hard to explain, but that's the kind of novel I set out to write."

The Outcome of the Play

In theme with Murakami's bizarre, magical-realism writings, several illogical events take place within the span of the LN:

1. Before the play even starts, Murakami (the character) and the rest of the cast completely disregard the death threat. Even though the logical and safe solution would be to reschedule the play, it is a very literal representation of "the play must go on" mindset.

2. Murakami gets stabbed mid-sentence, on stage by a white blade that magically disappears.

3. Murakami bleeds real blood and has no pulse, which would signify his death, but he doesn't actually die.

Despite all this, Ranpo is extremely good at observing various elements of a situation and putting them together to form a solution, much like how the interactions of "Kafka on the Shore"'s riddles form their own solution.

Ranpo appears on stage and makes an Oscar-worthy performance out of his announcement that reveals Murakami to be the culprit behind his own death. It doesn't make much logical sense that Murakami would fake his own death for a performance, but rather it's an action motivated by pure passion.

“I…,” muttered Murakami in almost a whisper. He raised his voice and continued, “I am an actor! I become someone I am not and live a life that doesn’t exist! My job is to expose what it means to be human! It doesn’t matter if I play the lead part or a minor part. It doesn’t matter if I am a villain or hero. I become them with every part of my body! There is no other job for me! This is the only way I can live!”

And here, Murakami reveals the final paradox of the play:

"But there is one thing that cannot be avoided while acting on the stage of life, and that is death! Death is not the opposite of life; it is life’s symbol and banner. However, it also provides a great paradox! Nobody alive has ever experienced it! That’s why to me, the greatest job of all would be performing the death of a person. Not death as a device or a mere convention, but real death that I could convey to the audience. That was the pinnacle of theatrical performance to me. And this is the outcome of my toil."

Murakami eventually gets arrested for the fake death threat and deceiving the police, among other things. The most notable moment after this comes in Ranpo's dialogue to Murakami:

“I thought you were amazing,” Ranpo suddenly said from behind as Murakami was being taken away. “I didn’t quite understand all of it myself, but I don’t think it’s something that just anyone could do. By the way, take a look at the audience. Look at their faces.”

1. Ranpo sees Murakami's act as something admirable, most likely because Ranpo appreciates a good mystery and had fun solving it.

2. Ranpo tells Murakami to look at the audience, to which he turns around and sees the faces of a broken audience who came to watch a play and instead witnessed a real not-so-real murder.

“You said your job was entertainment, right? But could you really call it that…when you look at their expressions?” For the first time, Murakami’s eyes showed a sign of weakness. “…I see.” A small voice, unlike what one would expect from a stage actor with a powerful voice, fell from the stage. “I was…only performing for myself.”

Murakami realizes that he traumatized his entire audience on his quest to reach the "pinnacle of theatrical performance." In his small world that consisted of just the stage, he failed to see the outside world and forgot to consider how his actions would impact others. It's also important to mention that it was Ranpo specifically who pointed it out to him.

The focus on the audience mirrors Fukuzawa's thoughts when Ranpo was giving his big speech before Murakami appeared on the stage:

Fukuzawa was at his wits’ end. From the playgoers’ point of view, the fact that people knew there was going to be a murder beforehand completely changed their view of the situation. Was it really okay to tell them that? But Ranpo showed no concern for the audience’s worries.

Ranpo, throughout the entire novel, is portrayed as this extraordinarily ordinary kid who means well but simply doesn't understand what others are thinking. He was taught that he wasn't special, but this only isolated him into his own tiny world, because the outside world was filled with things he didn't understand.

This leads to him upsetting a bunch of people by blatantly calling out things about them that shouldn't be called out, like the theater's owner Ms. Egawa, and even Fukuzawa at one point.

However, this moment when he calls out Murakami is pivotal because it shows how he's grown from this event. He's learned to be considerate of others. He's seen how he can upset other people with the things he says, and he's learned from that enough to show another person who's trapped in their own individual world.

Although Ranpo is depicted to be somewhat self-centered throughout this novel and even after it, Fukuzawa taught him that he isn't alone in this world. Because Fukuzawa showed compassion to Ranpo, a special fifteen-year-old kid who didn't know better in a world of monsters, Ranpo learned how to exist in a world where he was different from everyone else, and that was okay.

Thank you for reading! If you haven't read this LN yet, I would still highly recommend it because I didn't cover the entirety of the mystery, and it's a wonderful read to understand more about Ranpo and Fukuzawa's backstory.

Hiraeth Chapter 8: Accursed

Masterlist can be found Here!

Chapter Eight: Accursed

Note: Oh boy, this chapter was fun to write. It also comes in at my quickest chapter so far, and it’s five-hundred words longer! Two hours! Wow! I’m getting a little bit better at this! But I hope that wasn’t at the cost of grammar… I’ll have to double-check that one.

-~-

There was no need to look to the sky for the answers that they sought. It didn’t take very much intuition to tell that darkness would be upon them within the next two hours or so. The snowy conditions that they found themselves in didn’t help that in any. Cloudy weather always helped make things darker quicker than they normally would be, and that wasn’t something that they had planned ahead for. Still, neither of them was willing to take this little adventure of theirs to the road, light or no light. It simply wasn’t a very good idea.

“At least it’s snowing, right?” morgan asked casually as she wrapped her arms tiger around herself, trying her best to keep the cold wind out. The colder she became, the harder it was to walk, and they needed to get out of there as fast as possible. “What I mean is, the sky is always a little bit lighter when it snows. That might help us see a little better, right? Even if we’re in the woods?”

V considered her statement as he hurried forward, trying his best to ignore the wind that had gradually started to pick up as they carried on. His coat wasn’t thin by any means, but it was getting gradually colder the further the sun sank below the horizon. They were going to have to get out of the open air sooner rather than later if they didn’t want to develop hypothermia or frostbite. But either way, he was at least somewhat sure he understood what she was saying. Or he thought he was.

“You may be onto something there. It does tend to be a little bit lighter, and there isn’t really any meaningful foliage to speak of, especially on the trees.” V glanced up towards the sky, noting that the sun had started to fade, even behind the clouds. A slight glimmer of panic suddenly shot through him. Suddenly the idea of being in a cold, dark forest unnerved him. Perhaps he was just late to react and he’d felt this way all along, but he wasn’t sure that was important right now. “Things might be in our favor in that regard, but the real danger comes from the elements. It’s quite out, isn’t it? Much colder than it was a few minutes ago. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“I know, right? It is super cold out here all of a sudden, isn’t it? I mean, it was never that warm to start with, but this is another kind of cold altogether. Almost reminds me of the curse I was talking about before.” She shivered, forcing herself to hurry forward and closer to V in a hopeless bid to steal a little bit of his residual warmth by being in closer proximity to him. “Oh yea, I didn’t go into that yet, hu? You wanna hear about it now that we’re further from the road?”

He nodded, shivering along with her as he tucked his head down and drew his arms around himself closer. “I’d be willing to believe that there is something supernatural going on in regards to this weather. It feels at least a good ten or so degrees colder than it was before, and that is a lot for the temperature to drop all at once.”

Morgan shrugged and nodded, agreeing. “I’d check my phone and tell you, but I don’t have any reception out here. All I can really do is look at the time. This whole town is a dead zone for my carrier. Grandma used to blame the forest. She blamed everything she couldn’t explain on the forest. It was kinda annoying but funny all at once. I’m gonna miss her.” She looked mournful for a moment, her eye hazel eyes brimming with unshed tears. She wiped her face, the uncomfortable sting of cold air helping to pull her out of her momentary slump. She’d have to save her grief for when they escaped. “It’s probably rude of me to ask, and you don’t have to answer, but do you ever miss your family. I know you never met them, but do you?”

For a moment, V paused, taking several deep breaths. After a moment he wordlessly carried on, looking down towards the ground and then ahead again as though here were physically trying to put the past behind him. It was a touchy topic, and she’d been as tactful as she probably knew how to be when approaching something so sensitive, but it still hurt to contemplate. There were some things that he liked to keep private, and this was one of them. It was very much unlike him to indulge in such deep personal conversation with someone that he genuinely didn’t know very well, but there was something about her that almost compelled him to do so. Maybe it was just the part of him that didn’t like to see a sad child, and he hoped to distract her from the recent tragedy that she’d experienced first hand with his own somewhat painful experiences. He couldn’t imagine what kind of effect seeing your grandparents being murdered in front of you might have on someone. It was a wonder she’d escaped with her life.

Almost instantly, the superstitious corner of his mind considered that outcome a little harder than it needed to, putting him further on edge than he needed to be. Was it possible that she was…? No. There was no way. He’s seen enough horror movies to be able to say with certainty that he was simply falling into the depths of his own paranoia. She’s probably killed one of the men who she’d have to be working with the night before. That wasn’t at all conducive to the kind of tricks she’d have to be pulling on him in order to be in on this entire situation. If anything, they might have let her go in order to follow her, but it would be very illogical for him to believe that she was knowingly in on this plot to destroy the town. He needed to get out of that part of his mind. It didn’t help either of them.

In his momentary lapse of cognizance, he realized that he hadn’t given her any sort of answer. V mentally chastised himself for being impolite again, despite the fact that manners should have been at the bottom of his list of concerts at that given point. “... I tend to get lost in my thoughts, Morgan. Hopefully you’ll forgive my lack of conversation skills. It’s not often that I have long conversations with other people. Or conversations at all.” A sad smirk spread across his face for a moment as he considered the fact that this young teenager probably had a much more active social life than he did. But nothing about his upbringing had encouraged him to make small talk with other people. Quite the opposite. He was simply socially inept to some degree, and that was a fact that he was going to have to reconcile within himself. “I… I do think about them from time to time. And it never becomes less painful. If anything, it hurts more the older I get. It’s the not knowing, I think. Having no answers as to what happened to my parents weighs heavily upon me, but I don’t think I will ever be allowed such closure.”

Morgan gave him a hurt, sad look, taking a moment to brush her sandy brown hair out of her face. The wind refused to allow her to privilege of being able to see clearly, and her hair didn’t help that. She extended her hand with no hesitation, tapping him on his right side as if to gain his attention. V looked back at her, clearly unsure as to what her intentions were. When he noticed that she’d stopped for a moment, he halted and turned to face her, somewhat confused. “I’ve said too much, haven’t I. Forgive me.”

She shook her head, folding her arms. “You have to stop doing that to yourself. The blaming thing, I mean. It’s not your fault. People are just people sometimes. A lot of them are bad, but you deserve to be happy, too. Just don’t wait around for them to give it to you. Nothing good comes from that. Trust me, I know.” She started to walk again, hurrying past V as she tried to step through the deep snow that he normally helped flatten somewhat for her as a result of him walking ahead of her. There was a part of V that actually found it very funny how high she had to step in order to get her legs out of the snow, but he couldn’t imagine that she enjoyed having snow in her boots as a result.

After a moment to consider her words, he hurried after her, quickly supplanting her lead in order to make things easier for her. As much as he enjoyed watching her struggle pointlessly in the snow, he had to admit that it slowed them bot down significantly, and they had fought very hard to make sure that those hooded maniacs stayed as far behind them as possible. Any further delays only helped in their enemy’s favor. “Your right. Maybe a change is in order for both of us. We can start with a change of topic. I’ve love to hear that story now if you’re still willing to tell it to me.”

She shrugged, indifferent either way. “Sounds good to me. I’ve had enough sadness for one day. It’s not a super long story, but I think you’ll probably like it. It’s super spooky!”

V watched as she rested her chin on the backs of her nickels, raising one eyebrow. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was doing this just to mess with him, but he found it entertaining nonetheless. Morgan had a vibrant and interesting personality, and that was something that he appreciated in a situation like this. It helped distract him from the awful reality that he actually did have to walk through this forest and hope that the residents of the next town over were willing to help them. Or that there were any residents left at all. There was still a part of him deep down that had to wonder if there were simply working towards another worse deathtrap. He was pretty sure that neither of them could contend with that outcome in their current state. It was a terrifying reality that he was unable to face at the moment despite the obvious need to do so, and as such, he would redirect his attention to things that scared him considerably less. Once she was done with her story, he would revisit the bleak reality that they currently found themselves in, and try to come up with another contingency plan. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Morgan nodded in agreement, clearing her throat as quietly as she could. The super-chilled air wasn’t helping her breathing in the slightest, especially with all of this physical exertion added onto it. “Ok, so if I remember correctly it goes something like this. Basically, the land that this town sits on used to belong to a coven of witches like four or five hundred years ago. I think it was more like five hundred years ago. They came here because of some sort of witch hunt or something and they were hiding out to avoid being hunted down and killed wherever they came from. They stayed here for like a decade or something with their families, and then one day a group of settlers tried to move into town and they didn’t want them to so they asked them to leave. Long story short, the locals told the church or something that they were up here, and they were forced to flee, but when they left, the sealed some kind of cursed vault or something in a cave up in the woods, and they cursed the locals. Now every winter when the black clouds roll in, things just kinda go wrong for the town.”

V had to admit that this story was more interesting than he originally assumed it would be. “What kinds of things happen? In what manager do things go “wrong” for the town? I noticed that no one lives closer to the forest than half a mile or so. That’s how I was able to move here so cheaply. The woods weren’t an issue to me, and my landlord was eager to offload the property to someone.”

She nodded, taking his words into account. “I noticed that you lived super close to the woods. Your house is really old. One of the oldest ones around her. People moved into the inner circle decades ago when people started hearing voices in the middle of the night and just started sleepwalking into the woods. They’ve never found anyone who went into the forest alive. And then the farm animals just break the fences at night and run into the forest like something is making them do it. Well, sometimes. Other times, they find like a whole barn door torn off in the night and all the animals are missing their blood and stuff. Supposedly, someone kid went into the woods looking for their missing dog, and when they came back, their family shipped them off to some insane asylum. From what I’ve heard, they didn’t talk anymore. They just sat there and stared at the wall and didn’t move and didn’t react to anything that their family did. It creeped them out really bad. Then one day the dog came back, but they couldn’t find it. They would just hear it barking constantly, but there was never any indication that it was actually there. No paw prints, fur, nothing. It’s super creepy. They moved out after a year or so, and no one has heard from them since. And as for going into the forest…”

He noticed that she’d stopped to look around, an uneasy look on her face. He wondered for a moment if he should ask, certain aspects of her story making him uneasy. “What does the legend say about that?”

Morgan shook her head. “You sure you want to know? It’s pretty creepy, and it affects you way more than it does me.”

V gave her a funny look but nodded in agreement, now more curious than he was before in a morbid sort of way. “You have my attention, so yes. I would like to know.”

The young girl shrugged, seemingly resigned to her fate. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Supposedly the leader of the witches left behind some sort of prophecy. Apparently one day her henchmen would, and I quote, “descent from hell and search for a vessel for their lord, and their lord would rain hellfire down upon the lands, corrupting and rotting everything they touched in recompense for the crimes that they’d committed.” I hear that the original “vessel” was supposed to be that witch’s son who she had with the devil or something, and that because he was killed in the raid that ran them out of town, she said what she said. Either way, it’s spooky because that kid was like your age or so, and guys from the town like to go missing into the woods around their 20th birthday. That’s why all the guys between sixteen and twenty one leave every winter. Your like the only one who’s in town right now, and they tend to just walk off into the woods at night. It’s never really happened with the girls. Just the guys. Some of them said they were called to the place where the vault is located, and then they just disappeared during the night. Some of them even fell to their deaths after being locked in their rooms during the night to avoid this situation. They broke their windows and that was that. Others mysteriously died after being left in their rooms, and none of the doctors were able to figure out why. Those people lived a lot closer to the woods from what I remember.”

Despite his general resolve to consider folklore as just that, he was suddenly very uncomfortable. “They just… disappear? And this has been going on for hundreds of years? Have you seen it happen?”

Morgan looked very creeped out, but nodded in agreement. “My grandparents lived next to the house that the dog people lived in. I used to watch them run around the house looking for it, and I talked to their son once after the accident. He just stared at me, grabbed my arm, and pointed to the woods. Took like ten minutes for his parents to get him to let me go. Left a really bad bruise on my arm. The next day I swear I saw that dog. I’m not kidding. It was just sitting in front of my living room window, looking in at me. It didn’t move or anything, and I swear it was bigger than it had been before. And his eyes were just… black, and ash or dust or something came out of his mouth every time he exhaled like his breath was hot or something. Scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. That was the only time I’ve ever been sent home early, and I didn’t get to come back the next year. Most people got rid of their dogs after that, and from what I’ve heard, cats hate it here. They never go near the windows, and they are always stressed out or scared. A law was passed like three years ago banning them from the city for “health and safety reasons”, but we all knew the real reason.”

V found himself staring at her, actually unnerved by her statement. While it could easily just be the osmosis effect of an active imagination and living next to a house full of people that were clearly going through something mysterious and having to hear about constantly from the adults in her life, there was a part of V that believed that what she said was true. “... I believe you.”

A look of utter shock came across her face as they both subconsciously hurried forward, jogging towards the tops of chimneys now clearly visible ahead of them. They were close now, closer than they’d even been. But to what, neither of them knew. But what they did know was that there was only one way that they could ever find out, and that was to go down the embankment into the area and see for themselves. Even if everything in them was too scared to know the truth, they still needed to know. “Why do you believe me, V. My own mother doesn’t believe me. You have to have a reason, right? Tell me. Please.”

He looked away from Morgan for a moment before turning back towards her as they reached the edge of the woods, stopping to catch their breath for a moment. A sudden feeling of dread gripped V like a chest, threatening to crush every bone in his chest. “Would you believe me if I told you I’ve heard whispering coming from the woods at night recently? That I woke up leaned against the fence that surrounds my backyard and couldn’t remember for the life of me how I got there? Because I have. I’m certain that the only reason I wasn’t on the other side of it now is because it’s nearly twice my height.” He shuttered slightly, unwilling but unable to believe anything else. He was far from superstitious, but there was no denying what he’d experienced. I must confess that I’ve been seeing strange things like what you just described seeing with that dog for as long as I can remember. It stopped for a few years when I went to school, but ever since I’ve moved to this town, it’s started again. It’s infrequent, but it still happens. And the strangest part is that for a long time, I forgot that it ever happened. It comes back to me little by little, and I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Morgan stared at him, a concerned look on her face. It was as if he’d just informed her that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She looked down at the roofs below her and then back at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “I won’t pretend to know what’s going on in this town. I don’t know if I even believe in the curse. But I’ve seen enough spooky stuff in this place that I can’t explain to say that if you’re not lying, then we need to walk a little bit faster because that doesn’t sound good. And once we get out of here, I don’t think that either of us should ever come back.”

V nodded, assessing the quickest route forward that wasn’t straight down. They were on uneven ground, and neither of them needed to fall fifty feet to their deaths after coming this far. Mental and physical fatigue suddenly set in as he exhaled heavily, shivering both from their conversation and the elements. “I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anyone more in my entire life. Let’s get out of here before it’s too late.”

-~-

Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! I loved reading your comments on the last chapter! It’s always nice to hear from the people who read my fics. Well, unless they are those lovely people that contact me at least once a month to tell me how much they hate my au, but still. Just needed to get that off of my chest because dear god, it gets so old. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I’d love to talk to you about them. Maybe I’ll even throw a few inspirations and such for where I got the ideas for this in the notes for the next chapter. I hope you’ve all had a good week so far, and I hope to see you again on Friday. Take care!

David’s Fic-Rec Friday:  2020/03/13

Hey guys.  Sorry about the past couple of weeks.  Things have been... complicated.  And apparently it wasn’t the best idea to restart this series on Friday the 13th, as my computer froze while I was working on this and I had to do a hard restart, which deleted the first version of this post I made requiring me to have to go back through all my notes to remake it.  But at least I’m back now and we can get on with the recommendations.

Loneliness by AprilLilypegasi (aka @anxiously-unsatisfied-world)

To start off, we’ve got a sweet Logicality story.  Logan can sometimes forget to stop working after a while, but he can always tell when he does because of how lonely he gets.  After logicing himself into quitting for the night, he goes in search of comfort, and eventually finds his way to Patton’s room.  Invited in, he finds Patton knitting in bed, and when invited he immediately curls up next to him as he continues quietly.  Eventually, Patton invites him to stay the night, and he agrees with clingy gusto, as the two curl up together and fall into a restful sleep.  Such a wonderful tale.

you’re different by curiouscrush (aka @curiouscrushinc)

Here we’ve got a human au featuring analogical that’s up for interpretation.  Logan and Virgil are out on a hilltop looking at the stars and discussing novels.  Eventually Virgil points out how he likes that Logan is so different from anyone else Virgil knows while he feels like just another emo.  Logan reciprocates with his own views concerning Virgil’s uniqueness, and the two share a nice moment of friendly bonding.  Simple and sweet.

Fireflies by anamaleth (aka @anamaleth)

Now for some romantic Prinxiety to get my inner fanboy to shut up for a bit.  Virgil’s suffering from insomnia, but Roman’s being rather clingy and doesn’t just want Virgil to leave.  After a bit he comes up with an idea and summons a swarm of fireflies into his room to show Virgil.  And Virgil’s awe-inspired and adorable reaction is absolutely worth it for Roman.  Another short but sweet little story.

A Human Life by boredomsMuse (aka @boredomsmuse)

Now for a slightly less sweet outing, this time in a supernatural world featuring demons, witches, vampires, and even changelings.  Roman and Remus are twins, raised by a vampire named Virgil who found them after their parents abandoned them as babies.  Roman was supposed to be a changeling to replace Remus, but something went wrong and both boys were left behind.  And because of that, Roman feels guilty for robbing Remus of the normal human life he could have had, especially as he feels he has stopped aging.  But Virgil suggests that the two go traveling, to see the human world beyond the village that so derides them for their circumstances, and to help each other understand what they truly want their lives to be.  There are references of course to child abandonment, and obviously this features Remus and some supernatural elements, but it’s otherwise harmless and a great read.

Happiness by BlackWolfFire (aka @lizdoesprompts)

Another less than happy entry, this one is another Human AU featuring Moxiety that could be seen as either Romantic or Platonic.  Virgil is tired of having spent so long pretending to be happy when he knows he’s not.  But a chance encounter brings Patton into his life, and suddenly things are a little easier.  True, his bad days are still bad, and his thoughts can still turn dark.  But Patton makes it easier to face his complicated tangle of emotions, and for once he’s truly happy.  A wonderfully uplifting story.

Logan’s Diary by MarsupialsOfMars (aka @marsupials-of-mars)

An interesting character study in the form of a series of journal entries.  Logan decides to start an emotion journal at Patton’s suggestion so as to have a true scientific understanding of them.  What follows is eight excerpts from this journal over the years, from Thomas’ adolescence up through the most recent full video released (as of this posting).  There are mentions of complicated emotions and relationships, and it does mention Remus, but is otherwise okay.  And it’s a fascinating look at our resident cool teacher.

that’s not my name by enbyprinceroman (aka @lovelydodie)

Another prinxiety story that, while not outright romantic, definitely leans in that direction.  Roman is the resident enby scene painter for their school’s drama group.  But the group’s lead actor (an Unsympathetic version of Deceit) finds it necessary to misgender and deadname them whenever they address them.  Luckily, Virgil is there to knock some sense into him (literally), and to get Roman home safely to their shared apartment when they disassociate due to trauma.  As stated previously, this features graphic depictions of misgendering, deadnaming, disassociation, and a very Unsympathetic Deceit.  But if you can get through all that, you’re in for quite the good read.

Two Twins by dreemurrgirl (Tumblr Account Unknown)

To end it this week, we’ve got a slightly bittersweet tale of the two creativitwins from the time before the troubles in Thomas’ mind.  Roman and Remus as kids just love to play together in the imagination.  And while there is all of the complications yet to come, for now they just love being together.  Obviously this features Remus, and there’s some very obvious allusions to the current complicated climate in Thomas’ mindscape.  But it’s still quite an adorable read.

*****

And this week’s Featured Fic Writer is:

[Insert Your Proposed Name Here]

Yes, that’s right.  I’m asking you guys for your suggestions for writers to feature here in this segment.  To recommend someone, simply drop a note in my inbox or reblog this post here and I’ll add them to my consideration list.  There are no official rules or regulations for this, besides the fact that they should be Sanders Sides fanfic writers, but it is suggested that you focus on small time writers who aren’t as well known as the big players.

*****

Well, that’s it for this week.  I hope you guys enjoy these stories and give these authors some well deserved love and attention with some kudos, some comments, and maybe even a bookmark or two.

Also, if you’d like to know more about the Fic-Rec Friday project, or would like to see previous weeks’ recommendations, you can find all that information through my Fic-Rec Friday Masterpost.

And if you’d like to added to the Fic-Rec Friday Tag List, or if you’re already on the list and would like to be removed, just drop a note in my inbox and I’ll take care of it.

Until next time guys, be safe, and happy reading!

General Tag List:

@ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @panicattheeverywheremcr

Fic-Rec Friday Tag List:

@kunnuglegur-tortimandi @max-is-tired @creativity-killed-thekitten

Flash Review: My Sassy Girl (2017)

From left to right: Kim Yoon-Hye as Lady Da-Yeon; Joo Won as Master Gyeon Woo; Oh Yeon-Seo as Princess Hye-Myung; and Lee Jung-Shin as Lieutenant Kang.

Release Date: May 29 - July 18, 2017

Episodes: 16 hour-long (Netflix), 32 half-hour-long (Viki)

Available on: Netflix, Viki

I’ll try to make this quick and painless. This should have been a ‘Dropped’ review. However, for some inexplicable reason, I managed to complete it when it was clear 5 episodes in that this show was not gonna live up to my expectations. The remaining 11 episodes changed the tone somewhat, but confirmed my initial impressions overall. The show focuses on a Joseon scholar, named Master Gyeon Woo, who returns from China to instruct the crown prince, and his encounters with a rude and ill-mannered woman, by name of Hye-Myung, who later turns out to be the Princess. At the same time, there is a plot to overthrow the King which our protagonists naturally have to expose (and survive).

There are many reasons why this show didn’t click for me. The first and foremost happens right at the very beginning when a false accusation of rape leveled at the main protagonist is played for laughs (that incidentally never goes anywhere). Expect him to be called a pervert for several episodes as the writers secretly hope that’ll draw a few laughs. It drew none. Second, the Princess is not at all likable in these first few episodes. She’s rude, prone to violence, quick to level false accusations without looking into the circumstances (what makes her a hypocrite), and utterly irresponsible, never thinking about how her actions will affect the people around her, often with serious consequences. There is one scene where the Princess has an exchange with Lady Da-Yeon in which she basically accuses her of abusing her power to get her own way. Pot, meet kettle, as that’s exactly what the Princess keeps doing throughout the show, with the King punishing anyone else he can get his hands on but her. If that’s not abuse of power, I don’t know what is.

From zero to couple.

The show is blatantly trying to push the formula of the protagonists initially disliking each other only for them to eventually become lovers. I don’t have a problem with that formula, but there needs to be a reason to explain such a drastic change and I don’t feel the show ever provided enough of one. If you want an example of the formula done right, or at least considerably better than here, look no further than My Love from the Star (ironically, the lead actress there, Jun Ji-Hyun, also plays the part of the sassy girl in the movie this show is based on). There have to be moments where each person understands where the other comes from and why they act the way they do, and I feel that was missing here. This couple went from disliking each other to becoming lovers so fast that I was left wondering if I had missed some episodes. I hadn’t. To sum up this point: throwing two people at each other constantly does not a romantic relationship make.

I will admit however, that they were more tolerable, likable even, during the more serious second-half (more like around or after Episode 6) of the show. Hye-Myung finally starts to behave like the princess she’s supposed to be, and Gyeon Woo is the only character who remembers to move the plot forward every once in a while, for which I was eternally grateful. They even have some cute moments during their dating phase, to the point Hye-Myung briefly reminded me of Cheong Song-Yi in My Love from the Star. There are also some heartbreaking moments when the Princess dates the Qing Prince with Gyeon Woo as their translator that have no right to be this emotional considering where we’re coming from, but Oh Yeon-Seo manages to do a great job selling them. Sucks for the Qing Prince since who was a really nice guy.

Perhaps one of the best scenes of the show.

Another thing that bothered me from the first episode was how, well, modern the show felt. Everything from the humor, through how (some) characters spoke and behaved, to the way some rooms were decorated felt odd, out of place. I’ll readily admit I am ignorant about this (or any) period of Korean history, but I just couldn’t shake that feeling (which may turn out to be justified seeing as the show was based on a movie set in the present).

While I could further dissect this show and complain about things like how they handled the Qing Prince plotline, I am considerably more irked about the twist the show pulls as it draws near the end. During the second half, Gyeon Woo is starting to have nightmares repeatedly, leaving the viewer to guess whether these are visions or something else entirely. It would’ve been extremely odd if they had decided to introduce supernatural elements in the show at this point, but It turns out it’s the latter, as Gyeon Woo is remembering past events he had completely forgotten about and which end up playing a crucial role in exposing the conspirators who plan to overthrow the King.

BUT! And here comes the twist, Gyeon Woo ends up recalling that he was the one who started the rumor about the previous Queen having an affair, ultimately leading to her dethronement. You can imagine this does nothing to improve his relationship with the King and the Princess, and they both immediately shun him and blame him for all their troubles. I’m surprised he didn’t get the death penalty then and there. How very hypocritical of them, for let us recall that the document that misled a ten-year old (I’m just guessing here) into believing this was a forgery was meant to fool the King himself, and did indeed. Should he have turned the evidence to the police? Probably, and he did try, but we’re still talking about a kid who had just witnessed the murder of an entire family. Furthermore, once he realizes this was all a setup, he tries to make amends, although a little too late. So when you tell me that the King, who has been little more than a puppet throughout the show, has the gall to accuse Gyeon Woo, who was a kid at the time, of groundlessly spreading rumors when he himself, an adult and the supposed leader of the country, didn’t even try to investigate the matter further... it just confirms my initial impressions that the King is as useless as they come. The issue is exacerbated when the King once more falls into the trap of believing false accusations leveled against Gyeon Woo and his father, but by this point I no longer cared. Heck, I may have even been half hoping the conspirators would replace him with someone more competent (fat chance of that).

To drama or not to drama, that is the question!

I can level a dose of hypocrisy at the Princess as well, but I’d rather dispatch against Gyeon Woo a little bit because he clearly has some communications problems. When he confesses to the King he was the one who started the rumors long ago, that’s all he does. He provides absolutely no context for his actions, instead begging, “Punish me, punish me!” Then, when the Princess asks him if the rumors are true, he replies with a succinct, “Yes.” For a supposed scholar, he is suddenly very economical with the truth. I realize this is a kdrama, and having the protagonists suffer from a sudden lack of communication is a surefire way of creating drama, but this was borderline ridiculous.

What else? Ah, yes, the ending. I suppose I can say this show is at least consistent because the ending was just as disappointing. Gyeon Woo decides he wants to propose to the Princess and does so... to be rejected. The reason? The Princess wants to become a physician and travel to Qing in order to do so. Remember how I said this show felt too modern? Anyway, what bothered me about this scene is that only 10 minutes ago (and 13 before the episode ends) the Princess was begging Gyeon Woo not to leave (admittedly, his departure was of a more permanent nature). Then 4 minutes before the episode ends, the Princess leaves for Qing, and 3 minutes before the end she returns. Repeat after me: Pacing. Is. Important. Hasty and sloppy execution is a cardinal sin, I’ll get Meliodas to vouch for me. And we didn’t need to have any of it. We didn’t need to have a proposal, we didn’t need to have the Princess wanting to leave and become a physician. It added nothing to the show and only served to dilute the ending to the point of being unsatisfying.

Verdict: This is not a bad show, but it’s certainly an average one, and I’m putting the blame squarely on the script. Despite disliking the character of the Princess initially, I feel Oh Yeon-Seo does a pretty good job as does Joo Won. I’d like to see what these two could pull off with a tighter script. The supporting cast is mostly underwhelming, save perhaps for Gyeon Woo’s cute kid sister who’s trying to play matchmaker.

Rewatch meter: Low

As Above, So Below Ch. 7

Summary: Your average, mundane life as a college student is flipped upside down when the man you thought you knew as your next-door neighbor turns out to be the God of the dead. When Michael lures you down to Hell, everything that you thought you knew about the world is proven wrong.

Word Count: 2305

A/N: Y’all, we’re finally here: actual near-romantic interactions! Let me know how you’re liking this story, whether you love it or hate it! Have ideas? Cultivated your own little headcanons? Shoot me an ask, feedback is always appreciated and requests are always open!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7: Strange Magic | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

The once-comforting library has now grown to be a place of misery and solitude. A week, you’ve been spending every waking hour in there for a week, attempting to find some kind of loophole to help you get back home. Not only are you nowhere near through the vast amount of knowledge that the room holds, you also haven’t found any relevant information on getting out of a prophecy when you’re an unwilling participant.

In other words, you’re fucked.

You’ve taken to remaining in the library, choosing to wander instead of conduct anymore research. If you’re being honest with yourself, you’ve lost all hope. You wander around in the belief that a particular work will speak to you (the wand chooses the wizard, the book chooses the captive), but really, it’s the only way you’re not losing your mind and succumbing to the overwhelming sadness lurking just under the surface.

It’s interesting just how palpable the emotions of a living mortal are in the Underworld. Desa’s tried to explain it to you; how your aura’s dimmed considerably, which is why the various demons and creatures are either avoiding you or trying anything to cheer you up. You’ve been told that even Michael himself can feel the tilt in the atmosphere, but you haven’t been able to talk to him about it.

Ever since he got you out of Misty Day’s personal hell and the events that transpired after, he had politely avoided you. Sure, he would smile when you crossed paths and make polite conversation when you joined him for meals, but other than that your interactions were kept to a minimum. If you were being honest with yourself, this silent treatment was slowly driving you crazy.

Why did you want him to talk to you so badly? You felt no remorse for giving him the same treatment your first few days Below, so why did you feel so bad now that he’s returning the favor? He was infuriating on so many levels, could be scary when he wanted to be, didn’t really understand modern life, and was pretty delusional. Michael could also be sweet, playful, giving, and even occasionally kind. He was an enigma, and one you really wanted to figure him out.

Instead of wandering, today you’ve decided to settle on one of the upper levels of the library. Your legs dangle off the edge of the staircase, arms looped through the railing as you daydream. Your thoughts often go to your life back home, more specifically the everyday aspects that you once found boring. You wondered what your friends were doing, how their classes were going. You didn’t know how much time had actually passed up Above, since the concept of time on the two different planes was still so foreign to you. You want to know how your family is, what’s been happening at your job, you’re even desperate to learn news about the trashy reality TV stars you try so hard to avoid.

“Even if I couldn’t hear thoughts, you think any louder and soon you’ll be broadcasting to everyone down here.” Your eyes blink back into focus, and you glance down past the railings to see Michael on the ground level below you.

“I thought you promised me that you wouldn’t read my mind.” You frown slightly.

“I did, it’s not my fault that you’re loud.” He teases, lifting a finger to beckon you down. “Come down here, I want to talk to you.” Hoisting yourself up to your feet, you jog down the steps to meet Michael.

“Michael, I’m sorry-”

“I know you are.” He interrupts. “I’m not mad anymore, okay? Seriously, what you did doesn’t come close to all of the terrible things I’ve done to you lately.”

“I think we’re matching each other shot-for-shot.” Michael chuckles, nodding in agreement.

“I’ve heard that you’ve reached a wall with your research?”

“Yeah, the wall that’s been in my way from the minute I started trying to research.” You scoff, running a hand through your hair.

“I think I might have something to cheer you up.” You raise your eyebrows, gesturing for him to go on. “You’ve been interested in learning a little bit about magic, correct?”

“Yeah, but Madison’s been gone this week.” The situation at the River Styx ended up becoming a much larger issue that required Madison to travel beyond the Underworld.

“I know I’m no Goddess of Witchcraft, but I do have my fair share of magical abilities that I’d be willing to teach you.” Your eyes light up at this suggestion, and you grin.

“Really? You’d do that?”

“Of course.”

“When can we start.”

“Right now, if you’re up for it.” You bite your lip before nodding.

“I’d totally be up for that.” Michael can’t help but to smile at your enthusiasm towards this situation.

“How about a change of scenery? You must be getting tired of locking yourself up in here.” Michael takes your hand in his, and in a flash you’re transported out of the library. The rooms that you’re in now are ones you’ve never seen before. It’s a very modern-looking office, with a large red oak desk in the center. Books line the shelves that lean against the walls, some of them looking like they’ll disintegrate with a mere breath. Glancing through the doorway, you see a large four-poster bed, made of the same black material that makes up the throne and covered in red silk sheets. You blush when you realize that’s Michael’s bedroom. “You’re very good at deductions, (Y/N). I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, it’s just that my office contains my personal collection of spellbooks.” With an elegant flick of his wrist, the door leading to his bedroom closes.

“How long have you been alive for?” You ask, eyes running over the books of from various eras.

“Didn’t you know it’s rude to ask a person their age?” He jokes with a smirk. “You lose track of time after a while, and when you’ve been around for as long as I have, traditional ways of marking age become boring. I’ll let you make your own deductions based on that.”

“Okay, smartass.” You roll your eyes, taking a seat in the chair that Michael pulls out for you. Walking gracefully towards a bookshelf, he quickly peruses his collection before selecting one. He leans against the desk and faces you, book laying next to him on the surface.

“Now, you’re aware that everybody has some type of magic in them, right?” He waits for your confirmation before continuing. “I’ve been able to sense the magic you possess since the moment we met, it’s extremely powerful. Most people have one of two types of magic: light or night. Light magic is magic that is more nature-based. The four elements greatly influence light magic, and gifts like pyrokinesis and transmutation are extremely common. Night magic used to be known as dark magic, but the name was changed due to obvious reasons.”

“This is the magic you have?”

“Yes. It’s very old, ancient magic. It was called ‘dark’ for a reason; this magic is synonymous with death. Think necromancy, divination, things such as that.”

“So which type do I have?”

“Both, actually.”

“What?”

“Remember how I said most have one of two types? Only the Supreme witch, a witch able to master the Seven Wonders, controls both types. Even then, it’s a very small amount of dark magic that witch possesses, and Madison must give them those specific powers. You, (Y/N), have both light and night entwined together within you, and it’s been like that since you were born. Even I can’t harness both types.”

“And you’re sure about this?”

“Well that’s what we’re about to find out, isn’t it?” He teases, knowing that you’ll rise to the challenge he’s presenting. All-too-predictably, your eyes steel and you nod.

“Hit me with it.” Michael raises his right hand up in the air, and you watch as a book un-lodges itself from the shelf and flies right into his waiting hand. He grins at your wide eyes, standing and walking across the room to place the book back in its assigned spot.

“Your turn. We’ll attempt telekinesis first, the most basic of the Seven Wonders.”

“Hold up, what are the Seven Wonders again?”

“The most powerful gifts a person can have. Only the strongest witch in a generation can master all seven, and,” He smirks. “Those of us who aren’t entirely mortal. The easiest wonders are telekinesis, pyrokinesis, concilium, or mind control, and transmutation. The final three are also the most rare, because they require night magic to complete them: descensum, which you’ve seen the consequences of; divination, in which a person calls on supernatural forces to help answer a question; and vitalum vitalis, where you’d bring a living thing back to life.”

“Sounds easy.” You remark dryly, leaning back against your chair. You pull yourself up and out of the chair with a heavy sigh, turning to face Michael. “So how do I do telekinesis?”

“The number one thing is focus. You’ve never knowingly used magic before, but I’m assuming it’s happened without your knowledge. Have you ever felt a tingling-like energy thrumming just under your skin?”

“Yes, actually.” You’re only minorly creeped out at how accurate that description is.

“Focus on that feeling. Think about what you want to move, in this case the book, and focus on using the feeling to capture the book and move it to you.” Taking a deep breath, you copy Michael’s earlier actions and raise your arm towards the bookshelf. Concentrating, you can feel your skin crawl as energy forms under the surface. Unfortunately, that’s the most that happens. After two minutes of glaring at the book, you groan and throw your hands up in the air.

“This is fucking useless. It’s not even working and I pry just look like a crazy person.” Michael smiles sympathetically, moving to stand by your side.

“You don’t look crazy. Your issue is that you’re impatient.”

“Thanks.” You snort.

“I didn’t mean it like that. You’re just expecting it to be instantaneous like it is when I use telekinesis. You’ll get there, but seeing as how you’ve never knowingly tapped into your powers before, it’s going to take some practice. May I?” He gestures to your hand, grabbing it when you nod. Lifting your hand up to it’s prior position, he gently uses his thumb to relax your joints. “Magic’s not about being angry. It’s a gift that you possess, and it won’t work if you don’t treat it right and learn how to properly harness it. Close your eyes.”

“Why?” You laugh nervously.

“Just do it, please. I promise I know what I’m doing.” Reluctantly, you let your eyes fall closed, watching as white spots dance across the black covering your vision. “Become aware of your other senses. Take some deep breaths and feel the energies in the room with each inhale. Let that sensation you feel under your skin envelop you. Imagine it gaining a physical form and becoming an extension of your own arm. Think about the book you want to grab, how heavy it looks, the color, the binding. Feel that power reaching out and growing from the palm of your hand. Can you feel it?” He whispers into your ear.

“Yes.” You mutter, feeling yourself making contact with something solid across the room.

“Open your eyes, look at the book, and close your hand to pull it towards you.” Following his commands, you watch in glee as the book comes away from the other works lining either side and floats in mid air. In your excitement, you lose your concentration and the book falls to the floor, but you’re extremely pleased that it worked.

“I did it!” You shout, turning around to face Michael. He’s smiling down at you, mirroring your glee.

“You did!” Your smiles dim slightly as you both stare at each other, glances wavering from eyes to lips. When you glance up, you realize how close your faces actually are, and that your hand is still gripping his. You release his hand and take a step back with an awkward laugh, face bright red.

“Thanks, that was...so cool.”

“Your slang amuses me, but yes, that was incredibly ‘cool.’” He teases you, a hand rubbing at his neck as he tries to hide his own embarrassment at the situation.

“Um, I should probably get going.” You jab a thumb in the general direction of the door.

“Me too. I’m sure Thanatos is searching for me, and I have some more business to take care of.”

“See you around, then?”

“I look forward to it.” You didn’t think it was possible to blush even more than you already were, but the heat of your face proves that wrong. Your head bobs, and you manage to open the door without having to turn around.

“Bye Michael.”

“Bye (Y/N).” He does the same two-fingered salute you had given him last week, making you giggle at the cheekiness. You wait until you round the corner before you let out a loud groan and rub your hand down your face. That wasn’t actually a moment; it couldn’t have been, not with the man who was still technically your kidnapper. It was just you not knowing how to show your gratitude, and maybe you’re developing Stockholm Syndrome? Yeah, that’s it, a logical explanation for why you came so close to kissing the Lord of the Underworld. Like most conundrums in your life, you choose to shove this off to the corners of your mind for you to deal with later. Instead, you excitedly open your bedroom door with your newfound telekinesis, determined to move as many things with your mind as you can.

Tag List: @queencocoakimmie @nana15774 @lichellaw @sammythankyou @sebastianshoe @pastel-cloudz @ultragibbycentralworld @grim-adventures58 @let-me-try-mom @uptosomeseriousfuckshit @dandycandy75 @trimbooohgodplsnoooo @alexcornerblog @dolceandchalamet @blackandwhitejoker @tickled--pinkmoodpoisoning @everything-is-awesomesauce @langdonslove @ccodyfern @henrycavillstalkingmustache @readsalot73 @jimmlangdon

Ari Aster's Search for the Soul of Horror

When I first saw Hereditary, I was mixed. On one hand, I appreciated the eerie imagery and the coy, teasing nature of the film. It maintained such a heightened level of tension and fear that I was constantly looking over my own shoulder (or up at my ceiling, later that evening) waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yet, when that did occur, when Aster finally revealed his hand and the final half-hour of the film kicked in, I felt almost betrayed. This was what I had been expecting in many ways, and yet to see it visualized on the screen felt like a cop-out, like Aster was trading the family drama, which had made the film so unique and accessible, in for something more pedestrian.

I’ve had time to reflect on Hereditary since that initial viewing, and it has grown on me considerably. While my original review for the film pinned it at 3 and 1/2 stars, I would now put it at 4 stars (perhaps even verging on 4 and 1/2). There are a few reasons for this, but the main one — and the one that this blog post is centered around — is his search for humanity in his filmmaking. In essence, Aster is searching for the soul in his horror.

I. Hereditary and the Tragedy of Family

There are a lot of quotes out there from Ari Aster, particularly about his relationship with horror. One of my personal favorites, “I often cling to dead things.”, perfectly preceded his sophomore film, Midsommar. Yet, the most interesting quote of his that I’ve found is also one of his most succinct.

"I don't necessarily consider myself a horror filmmaker."

Considering both of Ari Aster’s films are, in the most overt terms, horror films, this quote may seem odd. Yet, I think they also speak to the truth of what Aster is doing. This can particularly be seen in Hereditary, which I would argue is more of a horror film than his sophomore effort.

For two acts, Hereditary is a family drama more than anything else. Horror lingers on the periphery of the film. Occasionally we’ll catch a glimpse of what looks like a ghost, or we’ll meet a character who doesn’t quite make sense. We struggle to catch out breath after the film throws us a horrifying curveball, and we grieve with this family as its tragedy unfolds. In this way, Hereditary works more along the lines of something cold and harrowing, like an eerie combination of Lynch’s harrowing visuals in Eraserhead and the uncomfortable drama of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage. It’s in this exploration of grief that we see the first sign of Aster’s true vision, and the reason why the above quote is understandable.

Because yes, Hereditary is a horror film in the way we understand it: it’s scary, it deals with the supernatural, and it involves a lot of eerie, dark corners down which we often find something unpleasant. Yet, it’s also a dramatic tragedy: the visualization of a family overcome by grief, splintered apart by distrust, and eventually torn asunder by, if anything else, a desire to reconnect. The fact that it also includes demons and ghosts is more akin to the icing on the cake than the sponge itself.

II. A Fractured Relationship Is the True Horror In Midsommar

This is even more true of Aster’s sophomore effort, Midsommar. While it offers some similarly grotesque images and a harrowing narrative that is fraught with danger and horror, it’s not really a horror film — not in the way we would consider something like The Conjuring a horror movie. Aster’s goal is not to scare us, but to explore the deterioration of a relationship.

It’s here again that my previous comparison to Lynch and Bergman appears again (though, of course, I doubt Aster himself was consciously choosing this combination of styles; rather, it’s probably my personal adoration of these directors’ works). There are moments of genuine tension and fear, where I found myself gripping the edges of my theater seat. However, those moments are not what dominate the film — in fact, I would argue that horror elements dominate Midsommar much less than they did Hereditary. Aster keeps his focus on the broken relationship between his two main characters front and center. It’s their story.

This interpersonal story is what helps set Aster apart from other filmmakers out there in the horror landscape. You can feel the palpable bittersweetness in this film, particularly in its opening scene. As the film goes on, and we see the fracturing of this couple, I’m reminded of key scenes in the aforementioned Scenes from a Marriage. In Bergman’s film, the deterioration of the relationship is shown in words. It’s explore in arguments. In Aster’s film, it’s visualized in micro-moments, in glances, in harsh tones and inflections. It’s much more subtle, yet the result is similar.

III. More Than Just Jump Scares

With this, we come to the central difference between Aster and other filmmakers in the horror genre: he is searching for the very soul of horror. Rather the reveling in genre, he is using horror elements to explore humanity, to view what it means to be a person, to visualize these emotions of grief and loneliness that we grapple with on a daily basis.

While that may seem pretty ordinary in and of itself, it’s honestly a breath of fresh air for horror junkies like myself. When Aster is behind the camera, I know I’m not going to be subjected to cheap, deafening jump-scares. I know that there are going to be interesting characters at play, instead of cookie-cutter caricatures. I know that there is going to be emotional depth and resonance, in addition to scares.

Aster’s filmmaking recalls a certain type of horror film — Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, The Shining, Don’t Look Now, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. These horror films were scary, but they were also incredibly human. They explored the humanity behind the horror, the people behind the ghosts, aliens, and demons. That’s what gave them the legendary status they enjoy to this day. Even when you look at some of the more propulsive slashers that used to come out, like Wes Craven’s A Nightmare On Elm Street, or foreign horror films like Hideo Nakata’s Ringu, you can see this undercurrent of relatable humanism.

Sadly, this seems to be something we are missing in the horror genre. While big blockbuster horror franchises focus on adding to their cinematic universes, and while Hollywood continues its obssessive desire to remake every old property in sight, Aster is leading the charge to bring unique, honest, reflective horror cinema to the screen. He’s not alone, either! Jennifer Kent, Robert Eggars, David Robert Mitchell, and many other filmmakers are right beside Aster in this attempt to bring unique, profound horror filmmaking back to the silver screen.

Horror has not died, let me get that straight. While I prefer films that have a bit of depth to them, I will always enjoy something bloody and ridiculous, like the Friday the 13th franchise. There are tons of independent efforts that fly under the radar, and I even enjoy some of the big blockbuster films that get released. I just like to appreciate effort when I notice it, and Aster is certainly putting in the effort.

Who knows what he’ll do next, whether it’s horror or he decides to jump out of the genre and explore other stories, told through other lessons.

All I know is I’ll always be in the theater opening weekend for his films.

Shea Ernshaw: Winterwood | Lara

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance set deep in the magical snow-covered forest, where the appearance of a mysterious boy unearths secrets that awakens the enchanted, but angry, woods. Be careful of the dark, dark wood . . .

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

After experiencing the illuminative fairytale that was Ernshaw’s Wicked Deep, and being positively surprised by the eeriness of the atmosphere and winsome romance in the book, I expected a similar impression to be made from November’s release Winterwood. This book, although with a similar concept and the idea just didn’t sit right with me - realizing that I was encompassed by a sense of not quite disappointment, more of a dull indifference, which was a shame considering I see this as a really good book.

Ernshaw contemplates her work in a mixture of fantasy, mystery, and romance. The fantastical elements are usually tied to the old fairytales and give out a folklore note of supernatural tales coming to life. Fir Haven is a small town, known best for two things: it’s haunted woods and the Camp for Wayward Boys. The Wicker Woods are older than people, surrounded by a considerable number of haunted stories, from which most of them are true. The forest itself is alive, and the best to know that are the Walker women or, as they are known in town, the witches. Nora Walker isn’t a real witch, for the gift was weakened in her line of ancestry. She can do a limited amount of potions and some useful tricks, but she can understand the forest. She can walk the forest without being harmed and know how to come alive of it when the danger comes. So, that is how she eventually stumbles upon a boy who was lost in the woods two weeks ago during the snowstorm, not knowing the whole town would be just better if she left him in the snow.

"A sleeping forest will allow safe passage. But if it wakes, be prepared to run."

Ernshaw’s writing is exceedingly enjoyable, especially the way she slowly builds the tension, making her work more than a fantastical fairytale, but also a suspenseful set of events with thrilling and unexpected plot twists. It starts off as just some high-school romance, making it seem obvious how the story would end, but oh how the tides have turned in the way I didn’t see coming from far far away.

Still, no matter how much I enjoyed the plot and worldbuilding that this book has successfully intertwined, what is a good book without good characters? That’s the question I often ask myself – because I could love the book solely because of its characters, forgetting everything else about it - of course, if they’re interesting and well-developed, not reading something from the perspective of someone as dull as Nora Walker. I felt like both her and Oliver were excruciatingly unimaginative and boring, their thoughts and action repetitive and somewhat annoying. I couldn’t find a single aspect of their personalities to care about, especially their relationship because I’ve certainly seen praying mantises having more chemistry than them.

"Can you hear it? The moon is whispering your secrets. It knows your darkest thoughts."

Elijah’s Eternity: Part One

Author: eternityunicorn

Word Count: 1,396

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU

Warnings: Violence, Language, Possible Smut

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Summary: Elijah Mikaelson didn’t know what to expect when he encountered the strange archer in the night, but he certainly didn’t think his whole world would be turned upside down by it. Yet, he quickly learns that she is more than what she seems, having come looking for an Original after a large spike in supernatural being populations started cropping up on Earth a thousand years ago. Now, he must help her decide if the supernatural community should stay on their home planet or leave it for good? A task that is made more complicated along the way, as his life is changed forever.

NOTE: This is my first fanfic. OC is the main character from my upcoming book. There will also be elements from my book too. So, it's a fanfic with original elements.

——————————————————————————————————————

In the darkness of night, she moved with predatory stealth. She was on the trail of her target and closing in. This predator weaved in and out of the shadows, running along rooftops, leapt from one to the other with inhuman speed, until she had them in her sights. They were feeding in the shadows. She could smell the blood and just moments before had heard the piercing screams of their victims.

Damn....

She hadn’t made it in time to save the victims. Just one second too late. The poor bastards....

Still, there wasn’t time to mourn, pray, or berate oneself for failing the innocent. There was a job to do - justice to be had.

With her famous yumi bow and quiver of arrows, she struck the perpetrators hard from the vantage point the roof top provided swiftly. There were two of them and neither saw her coming. They were purified before they could even unlatch their fangs from their victims’ necks. There wasn’t anything left of them, due to her purification arrows.

Jumping from the tall building, the archer landed effortlessly at the attack sight, next to the poor dead humans that had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time. She assessed the dead briefly, saying a silent prayer for them, before she turned from the scene to leave. There was no point in reviving the human victims, though she could have easily if she had so chose to. Their lives would be tormented with the memories of the night, of being killed, and that was no live to live; paranoid, fearful.

Most humans couldn’t handle experiencing the supernatural world. It drove them to madness, especially when said experience was negative - like when they become some vampire’s dinner.

No, it was for the best to leave them as they were. It was better.

Speaking of vampires, the human world had been purged of anything supernatural long ago. Ten thousand years ago, to be exact. The otherworldly had been separated from the ordinary. So, it was strange to find vampires feasting upon human victims. Now, vampires were well known, but the ones that the archer knew were different. They didn’t put off an aura of dark magic, as though they were created and not born. The ones she knew of were born bloodsuckers. They weren’t creations. Yet, for the past thousand years or so, she had encountered an ever increasing number of vampires, all with that strange energy signature.

These creations were not supposed to exist, not in the world of men or the world of any mortal people. Yet, they were out there living amongst their human counterparts. It was troubling, but she knew that she couldn’t commit genocide upon an entire people, especially when their existence wasn’t necessarily their fault. But even if it had, such a thing wasn’t an option.

Furthermore, ever since the creation of this new kind of vampires, there had been a return of magic to the human world. Witches and werewolves had begun to return to the world of man, creating yet another issue, as factions were born with infighting and outright wars between the groups that often left a trail of bodies, mostly of innocent bystanders. This was why magic and the otherworldly had been removed from the Earth, because not all creatures of myth and legend knew how to live in peace. They needed their own spaces; territories that were their own to rule, separate from each other and more importantly, away from the mortals.

So, how had this happened? Well, the archer knew. She had discovered the truth long ago, but couldn’t do anything about it since she had other obligations, other peoples that needed her attention more. She had to wait, but the fighting and the bloodshed had only grown worse, driving her to begin searching for the source of this new era of magic and myth: the Mikaelsons. What she would do once she found them was uncertain. She wanted to assess them before making any decision.

The archer had tracked one of them to a small American town in the state of Maine. That was where she was now, trying to find one of the vampire siblings she had heard so much about over the last thousand years every time she returned to the human realm. The place was so tiny and unassuming, just some hick town that it made her wonder how any vampire could hide there without someone noticing.

Unless, they were being compelled to overlook the presence of vampires.

A dirty trick, but an effective one, to say the least.

Suddenly, there was the appearance of another person directly behind her. She could tell that it was another vampire by the signature. She didn’t move. Thousands of years of fighting in battles and wars had molded her to know exact when to attack when snuck up upon. So, she remained perfectly still, knowing that she could outmaneuver whomever has dared to come.

“You’re the one that’s been looking for my siblings and I,” called a smooth voice, slightly accented baritone.

So, one of them had come out into the open. At last.

“Aye,” she replied, still unmoving, not even to turn and look at the Mikaelson.

“I’ve heard about you,” he told her. “I’ve seen the aftermath of an encounter with you. Your arrows have a strange magic, none of my witches can say what it is or where it comes from. All they say is that it’s of the gods.” He gave a slight scoff at that last bit, “So, my question is who are you?”

She grinned, despite the fact that he couldn’t see it, “Well, I’ll tell you now that I’m not a god. I’ve never liked such a title. Though, so many wish it upon me.”

“Then who are you?”

“Mr. Mikaelson,” she finally turned toward him, “I am Eternity. That’s all you need to know, because that’s all that is important.”

She could see the state of awe on the well-dressed vampire’s face. His chocolate brown eyes were wide and his mouth hung open slightly at the sight of her. It was a reaction she had seen countless times before in a variety of people. It wasn’t anything new, but as always, it was a rather amusing sight.

“What are you?” He asked softly, breathlessly.

She smirked mysteriously, “It matters not what I am.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Then what do you want from me?” There was suspicion in his voice, but no fear.

“Nothing. Yet,” she said easily, in a friendly way. “Just your company?”

Instead of being surprised by her answer, he seemed to collect himself then, regaining that level-headed suaveness she had heard one of the Mikaelsons possessed: Elijah Mikaelson, if memory served her correctly. He saw that she wasn’t a threat to him, for the moment, and had instantly shifted his demeanor back to his famous cool-headedness.

Eternity recalled the information she had collected on him. He was the oldest living male sibling since Finn Mikaelson was put to sleep nine hundred years ago. There was a sister that none of them knew about, but that was neither here or there. He was cool and calm under pressure, but could be quite violent if provoked, especially where his siblings were concerned.

Not that his violence was a concern. She was well equipped to handle such things.

Elijah gazed at her curiously, as if assessing her and her motives. He was asking himself if he should trust her. She could see the question in those rather pretty eyes of his. But, trust didn’t matter. She wasn’t looking to be a trusted friend. She was only seeking to gain all the facts about the Mikaelsons, and the rest of the supernatural community, so that she could decide what to do about the new breed of supernatural on Earth. Nothing more and nothing less. Even so, he had no reason not to trust her or she him in that moment, because they weren’t looking to be enemies, not yet anyway.

Finally, after a quick moment of quiet consideration, he conceded to her request. “Well unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of fine dinning around here, but I do know a little diner near by. We can go there to talk, if you’d like.”

“Lead the way, Mr. Mikaelson.”

“Elijah.”

“Elijah....”

WILD ARMS 2 - Millennium Puzzle

No, not the one from Yu-gi-oh.

This is a great little set piece for the game overall.  It introduces both a device and a plot point very early, both of which get brought back up much later in the game.  The story itself is a little odd, we aren’t told here what Lilka’s actually doing or where she is, other than she is trying to operate this magical contraption/facility with her sister’s instruction.  The dungeon is aesthetically fun and memorable, made up of ornately patterned blocks over a colorful nebulous kind of magical aether.  The dungeon and name would actually go on to inspire the much more elaborate Millennium Puzzle side quest in Wild Arms 3, with matching aesthetic.

We start with a real weird one: The Gohm are these humanoid cockroach looking enemies that make up most of the random encounters.  The frustrating part is that there’s really nothing to go off of as far as a source or inspiration.  The only related content I could find is a monster-of-the-week from the super sentai series, Dengeki Sentai Changeman, and a character from the manga  Konjiki no Gasshu!! (aka Zatch Bell!):

The Go-mu monster in Changeman doesn’t really bare any resemblance but the kana,  ゴーム , are exactly the same, and it does have an electric shock attack.  Gorm/Goomu, from Zatch Bell, is also a humanoid bug but doesn’t seem to share any more specific features like the electric attack or direct ties to magic that might place it in this magic puzzle environment.

Beyond that, the katakana ゴーム romanizes a number of ways: Gomu, Gohm, Gorm, Gome, Gomm, Gomme, etc... none of which really lead anywhere in the search.  Gorm most notably is the name of Gorm the Old, and Gorm Prince of Denmark, both of which are written in kana as  ゴーム, yet neither of whom appear to have anything to do with bugs, magic or electricity/lightning.

So... yeah...  Seriously, I have zero idea what the hell this thing is...

This one’s more concrete and despite the innocuous name, actually a really clever way to come up with a fairly original monster.  (The Blue Book also appeared in the original Wild Arms, also in the crest sorceress character’s prologue dungeon, the Sealed Library.)  The Blue Book enemy is, as its name suggests, a kind of compilation of magic information, in this case having access to most of the basic elemental attack spells.

And a clever little detail is that because the Blue Book is weak to fire (duh, it’s a book) the Flame spell is the one elemental attack it can’t use.

Over the course of the franchise there have been other book enemies as well, including the Necromicon[sic], Targum, and Adult Mag/Dirty Mag.  The Necronomicon is of course the famous pop culture icon of Lovecraftian lore, a detailed grimoire of old gods and summoning rituals written by one Abdul Alhazred.  As a fun related note, the first Wild Arms game features a major antagonist named Alhazad which is actually an error in reversing the transliteration from Alhazred to アルハザード(a-ru-ha-zaa-do).

Another fun obscure factoid, is that the Targum enemy is named after the early Aramaic translations of Jewish scripture from Hebrew.  Although the first Wild Arms game transliterated タルギュム(ta-ru-gyu-mu) as Talgium.

The Bogey is based on such a broad and archaic term, there wasn’t really a good visual to use for this: There both wasn’t any good quintessential bogey to really represent the concept, and of the various differing ones out there none were really any kind of inspiration for Wild Arms 2′s interpretation.  The bogey is of course the origin of the term Bogeyman (aka Boogeyman/Boogieman/Bogieman, etc...) and the two ideas are functionally the same.  Apart from being vaguely ghostly and/or jellyfish-like, I don’t really get “evil spirit” vibes from this design, though...

It also just has a normal attack and Drift, which wastes a turn, so those don’t lend any flavor to it either.  The one thing of any real relevance is that the Millennium Puzzle is later revealed to be a gate to the afterlife, from which Lilka tries and fails to pull her late sister back through, and later, fellow protagonist, Ashley Winchester; so, spirits and/or ghosts aren’t entirely out of place here, but once we take that into consideration the Blue Books start to make less sense.  And again, Gohm remains an enigma in and of itself.

So all in all the dungeon’s inhabitants aren’t super unified, apart from the very loose thread between the Bogey being a ghost, and the Blue Book being a grimoire making for a vague occult/supernatural motif.  Really I don’t know what to make of most of this...  It’s not quite “nonsense” as far as dungeon ecology goes, but it’s not as neatly coherent as the Withering Ruins or even  Green Hell from the other two prologues.

And then the boss of Lilka’s prologue chapter, which I wasn’t even going to mention at first, doesn’t actually appear in the dungeon itself.  The dungeon is part of a flashback to events that led to Lilka’s arrival in a small town where the boss monster attacks.  And honestly, even if I were to look for some thematic ties between everything here, I don’t think I could squeeze anything meaningful out of it.

Like... the boss monster is just named Olivier??  That isn’t just not-a-monster, that’s not even a thing.  It’s just a person’s name...  I don’t think there’s anything it could’ve been mis-transliterated from either, then kana is pretty straight forward: オリヴィエル(o-ri-vi-e-ru).  Oliviel?  Oriviel?  Orivier? don’t really make any more or less sense than Olivier does. (both Gorm and Olivier are Dutch names though...)

The one thing I’ve found is that the kana frequently come up in some fairly low budget Japanese games (and all more recent than Wild Arms 2) as the name of angelic figures, all women, and with epithets like “SwordSong Master,” “Fallen Angel,” “Dark Angel,” etc... which would suggest that the name ends in -iel and draws from some biblical source.  But that just points me to the archangel Orifiel/Oriphiel, which is remarkably close phonetically, but that ヴィ can really ONLY be read as a “vi.”  And even then, it’s a wild tangent, because there is absolutely nothing about the monster Olivier that suggests “angel,” fallen or otherwise, and the angel in question doesn’t associate with anything relating to the monster anyway...

Al-Quran, a scientific introduction

Al-Quran, the only book on this planet with text produced in the seventh century contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times.

Astronomers, zoologists, geologists and specialists in the history of the earth would all have been struck, just as forcibly as medical doctors, by the presence in the Quran of highly accurate reflections on natural phenomena. These reflections are particularly astonishing when we consider the history of science, and can only lead us to the conclusion that they are a challenge to human explanation.

There is no human work in existence that contains statements as far beyond the level of knowledge of its time as the Quran. Scientific opinions comparable to those in the Quran are the result of modern knowledge.

In the commentaries to translations of the Quran that have appeared in European languages, we have only been able to find scattered and vague references to them. Nor do commentators writing in Arabic provide a complete study of the aspects of the Quran that deal with scientific matters. This is why the idea of a comprehensive study of the problem appealed to us.

Religion And Science

There is, perhaps, no better illustration of the close links between Islam and science than the Prophet Muhammad’s often-quoted statements:

“Seeking knowledge is compulsory on every Muslim.”

“wisdom is the lost property of the believer.”

“whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make his path to paradise easy.”

These statements and many others are veritable invitations to humanity to enrich their knowledge from all sources. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that in Islam religion and science have always been considered as twin sisters and that today, at a time when science has taken such great strides, they still continue to be associated. Nor is it a surprise to learn that certain scientific data are used for the better understanding of the Quranic text. What is more, in a century where, for many people, scientific truth has dealt a deathblow to religious belief, it is precisely the discoveries of science that, in an objective examination of the Islamic scripture, have highlighted the supernatural nature of revelation and the authenticity of the religion which it taught.

When all is said and done, scientific knowledge seems, in spite of what many people may say or think, to be highly conducive to reflection on the existence of God. Once we begin to ask ourselves, in an unbiased or unprejudiced way, about the metaphysical lessons to be derived from some of today’s knowledge, (for example our evolving knowledge of the smallest components of matter or the questions surrounding the origin of life within inanimate matter), we indeed discover many reasons for thinking about God. When we think about the remarkable organization presiding over the birth and maintenance of life, it becomes clear that the likelihood of it being the result of chance lessens quite considerably.

As our knowledge of science in the various fields expands, certain concepts must seem increasingly unacceptable. For example, the idea enthusiastically expressed by the recent French winner of the Nobel prize for medicine, that living matter was self-created from simple chemical elements due to chance circumstances. Then from this point it is claimed that living organisms evolved, leading to the remarkably complex being called man. To me, it would seem that the scientific advancements made in understanding the fantastic complexity of higher beings provides stronger arguments in favor of the opposite theory: that the existence of an extraordinarily methodical organization presiding over the remarkable arrangement of the phenomena of life necessitates the existence of a Creator.

In many parts of the Book, the Quran, encourages this kind of general reflection but also contains infinitely more precise data which are directly related to facts discovered by modern science. It is precisely this data which exercise a magnetic attraction for today’s scientists.

The Quran And Science

For many centuries, humankind was unable to study certain data contained in the verses of the Quran because they did not possess sufficient scientific means. It is only today that numerous verses of the Quran dealing with natural phenomena have become comprehensible. A reading of old commentaries on the Quran, however knowledgeable their authors may have been in their day, bears solemn witness to a total inability to grasp the depth of meaning in such verses. I could even go so far as to say that, in the 20th century, with its compartmentalization of ever-increasing knowledge, it is still not easy for the average scientist to understand everything he reads in the Quran on such subjects, without having recourse to specialized research. This means that to understand all such verses of the Quran, one is nowadays required to have an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge embracing many scientific disciplines.

I should like to stress, that I use the word science to mean knowledge which has been soundly established. It does not include the theories which, for a time, help to explain a phenomenon or a series of phenomena, only to be abandoned later on in favor of other explanations. These newer explanations have become more plausible thanks to scientific progress.

There are also some very rare examples of statements in the Quran which have not, as yet, been confirmed by modern science. I shall refer to these by pointing out that all the evidence available today leads scientists to regard them as being highly probable. An example of this is the statement in the Quran that life has an aquatic origin ( “And I created every living thing out of water” Quran 21:30 ).

These scientific considerations should not, however, make us forget that the Quran remains a religious book par excellence and that it cannot be expected to have a scientific purpose per se. In the Quran, whenever humans are invited to reflect upon the wonders of creation and the numerous natural phenomena, they can easily see that the obvious intention is to stress Divine Omnipotence. The fact that, in these reflections, we can find allusions to data connected with scientific knowledge is surely another of God’s gifts whose value must shine out in an age where scientifically based atheism seeks to gain control of society at the expense of the belief in God. But the Quran does not need unusual characteristics like this to make its supernatural nature felt. Scientific statements such as these are only one specific aspect of the Islamic revelation which the Bible does not share.

Authenticity of Quran

Before getting to the essence of the subject, there is a very important point which must be considered: the authenticity of the Quranic text.

It is known that the text of the Quran was both recited from memory, during the time it was revealed, by the Prophet and the believers who surrounded him, and written down by designated scribes among his followers. This process lasted for roughly twenty-three years during which many unofficial copies were made. An official copy was made within one year after the Prophet’s death at the instruction of Caliph Abu Bakr

Here we must note a highly important point. The present text of the Quran benefited in its original preparation from the advantage of having its authenticity cross-checked by the text recited from memory as well as the unofficial written texts. The memorized text was of paramount importance at a time when not everyone could read and write, but everybody could memorize. Moreover, the need for a written record was included in the text of the Quran itself. The first five verses of chapter al-‘Alaq, which happen to constitute the first revelation made to the Prophet (S), express this quite clearly:

“Read: In the name of your Lord who created. Who created man from a clinging entity. Read! Your Lord is the most Noble, Who taught by the pen. Who taught man what he did not know.” Quran, 96:1-5

These are surely words in “praise of the pen as a means of human knowledge”, to use Professor Hamidullah’s expression.

Then came the Caliphate of ‘Uthman (which lasted from the twelfth to the twenty-fourth year following Muhammad’s death). Within the first two years of Caliph ‘Uthman’s rule, seven official copies were reproduced from the official text and distributed throughout a large area of the world which had already come under Islamic rule. All unofficial copies existing at that time were destroyed and all future copies were made from the official seven copies.

I shall also mention another fact of great importance. We shall examine statements in the Quran which today appear to merely record scientific truth, but of which men in former times were only able to grasp the apparent meaning. In some cases, these statements were totally incomprehensible. It is impossible to imagine that, if there were any alterations to the texts, these obscure passages scattered throughout the text of the Quran, were all able to escape human manipulation. The slightest alteration to the text would have automatically destroyed the remarkable coherence which is characteristic to them. Change in any text would have prevented us from establishing their total conformity with modern knowledge. The presence of these statements spread throughout the Quran looks (to the impartial observer ) like an obvious hallmark of its authenticity.

The Quran is a revelation made known to humans in the course of twenty-three years. It spanned two periods of almost equal length on either side of the Hijrah. In view of this, it was natural for reflections having a scientific aspect to be scattered throughout the Book. In a study, such as the one we have made, we had to regroup the verses according to subject matter, collecting them chapter by chapter.

Source Authors

Dr. Maurice Bucaille

Dr. A. A. B. Philips

°•   ❝  A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest... because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her. ❞                ― Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith L o a d i n g….. ❚Password Required❚ « ∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘ » L o a d i n g….. ██░░░░░░░░ 20% ████░░░░░░ 40% ███████░░░ 70% ██████████ 100% → Aᴄᴄᴇss Gʀᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ Fɪʟᴇ: The Last Völva ❚Do you wish to continue?❚ ✔ Yes No Ｆｉｌｅ  ｌｏａｄｅｄ   ｓｕｃｃｅｓｓｆｕｌｌｙ． ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ » Qᴜᴏᴛᴇs « ❝ They burned my mother on the pyre and baed me watch, the told me this was the punishment that waited me should I dance with the devil as she had. Little did they know the devils blood runs through me stronger then it did through her. ❞ ❝ Thou shall not suffer a witch to live. ❞ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ » Gᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ Iɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ « ✥ Ɲαмє ✥         ۵ Cassiopeia Nypan ✥ Ɲαмє Mєαηιηg ✥          ۵ Cassiopeia: 〘 Pronounced ka-see-ə-PEE-ə 〙The Queen Cassiopeia, wife of King Cepheus of the mythological Phoenician realm of Ethiopia, was beautiful but also arrogant and vain; these latter two characteristics led to her downfall. Other iterations have the definition mean “The Seated Queen” or “She Whose Words Excel”          ۵ Nypan: 〘 Pronounced: N-ah-ee-puh-æ-N 〙Meaning unknown however Lisbet Nypan was an alleged Norwegian witch. As one of the most famous victims of the witch-hunts in her country, she was also the penultimate defendant to be executed for witchcraft in Norway. ✥ Ɲιcкηαмє/Aℓιαѕ ✥             ۵ Cassie             ۵ Cassia             ۵ Hex 〘 An alias occasionally assumed  〙             ۵ Völva 〘 A formal name due to her status and abilities  〙             ✥ Agє  ✥           ۵ Born 1806           ۵ 200+ 〘 She looks to be in her early 20s  〙   ✥ Ɠєη∂єя ✥           ۵ Female   ✥ Sєχυαℓ σяιєηтαтιση ✥           ۵ Bisexual ✥ Sρєcιєѕ ✥            ۵ Half human Völva/ half Jötunn ✥ Occυραтιση ✥            ۵ Witch            ۵ Fortune teller            ۵ Con-artist ✥ Aƒƒιℓιαtισηѕ : ✥              ۵ Herself.              ۵ Her father 〘Occasionally 〙              ۵ SHIELD  〘When under duress 〙 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ » Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟ Iɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ « ✥ ƤєяѕσηαƖιту ✥             ۵ Cassiopeia is a dark and twisted girl, after watching her mothers public execution at a young age she learned to hate the world. She worked for her own benefit for decades, believing she was alone in this world. She is cold and not compassionate to those she knows, due to the fact she has no true ties to the mortal world she cares little for those around her. There is a darkness inside of her that she masks with callous remarks and a cold demeanor but it has revealed itself and when it does people suffer.             ۵ When she learned of her fathers identity she became obsessed with gaining the attention of her only blood relative. She reached out in every manner she could think of until eventually her work was acknowledge, however due to the trickster nature of her father she has often times found herself committing horrendous acts to please him.             ✥  ƑαмιƖу ✥ ┃ Ƥαяєηтѕ: • Father:  Loki Laufeyson >Status:  Alive • Mother:  Isobel Nypan >Status: Dead. • Half-Sister: Hel >Status: Alive (well technically undead) • Half-Brother:  Fenrir >Status: Alive • Half-Brother:  Jörmungandr >Status: Alive • Half-Brother:  Sleiphir >Status: Alive • Half-Brother:  Narfi/ Nari >Status: dead • Half-Brother:  Váli (He is only mentioned as the Son of Loki once) >Status: alive ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ » Pʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ Aᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ «         【 Natural 】 ✥ Ɛує ƇσƖσя ✥            ۵ Green ✥ Hαιя ✥           ۵ Dark brown almost black           ۵ It is usually kept long and falls to her mid back.             ✥  Sкιη Ƭσηє ✥                ۵ Pale ✥ Ɓσɗу ƁυιƖɗ ✥         ۵ Tall and slender, she is not athletic but has a well toned body. ✥ Hєιgнт ✥          ۵ 5'7 ✥  Ɯєιgнт ✥           ۵ 130lbs ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ » Wᴇᴀᴘᴏɴs ﹠ Aʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs « ✥ Ɯєαρσηѕ ✥            ۵ Her wit            ۵ Her magic            ۵ Daggers            ۵ Her looks ✥ AвιƖιтιєѕ ✥         ۵ Ƭєℓєкιηєѕιѕ: Nypan is capable of moving objects with just her mind alone, this is usually physicalized through hand movements and other gestures which seem to just be an extension of practice and not necessary. We have yet to find a limit to these capabilities whether it be distance or weight of the object, it seems that once she puts her mind to something it is within her power. ۵ Sєι∂/ѕιgнт: One of the abilities which we know for use comes from this “Völva” Abilities is something the Sagas call Seid. In the stories the witches use a combination of song and a ‘magic stick’ to enable her soul to travel. She seems to be in a trance during this, and can see and hear things others can’t. the Saga’s claim that she can communicate with spirits during this trances as well predict the future.  In this state she can predict the future, answering the questions about the future and fate that the participants in the circle ask her. This is one of the Völvas most historically feared and coveted abilities, predicting the future. ۵ Iммσятαℓιту: Nypan is over 200 years old in the 21st century but appears to be in her mid to early twenties, photos from the early 20th century show she has not aged since then and has lead us to believe much like the Asguardian’s we have discovered she posses a form of immortality or extended life. ۵ Ɛχρяєѕѕιση: This last known ability of Nypans is best described as Expresion. It is by far her strongest and most untapped power. She herself as referred to it as Expresion as in her words “it mimics how I feel and what I want to do.” We have seen her level houses with it, corrupt bodies, grow plants and heal the injured. It seems to be the most basic and yet harmful force of witchcraft we have found. It is unclear if this is something she gained from her father or a combination of her parents as no power like this has been recorded. ۵ Ƥѕισηιc’ѕ: Cassie can manipulate many psionic powers, she can create a variety of shapes, and manipulate energy to create constructs. She usually uses this to create, shields, weapons, but can also use it to help heal others. It is a rather versatile ability. And due to her young age (for her race) she has yet to realy push the boundaries and discover what she can do. ۵ Ɓℓσσ∂ Mαgιc: Due to Cassies powerful blood she is able to use it in many different kinds of spells and rituals. Some examples can be, using her blood to melt metal, open locks, lock spells and much more. it is an old and very misunderstood magic that few witches feel comfortable using. ۵ Ƒσяcє ƒιєℓ∂: While this is an extension of her psionic abilities, Cassie can create force fields to protect those within a fight foot radius of her. however the limitation to this is that her shields must be connected to her body and she can not extend them beyond a small area. It is the weaker of her abilities since she is not used to having to protect others, or find the need to. Like her expression abilities, It is completely dependent on her will and her desire to protect those around her. ✥ Ɯєαкηєѕѕєѕ ✥             ۵ Iron:  A metallic element that possesses strong supernatural properties, although Iron doesn't hurt witches, it blocks their powers. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ » Bɪᴏ « ✥ Hσмє-Ƭσωη ✥             ۵ Mobile             ✥  Ƈυяяєηт яєѕι∂єηcє: ✥            ۵ Mobile           ✥  Ɓισgяαρну ✥ 《  Oяιgιηѕ 》 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Cassiopeia is the daughter of Isobel Nypan and the Norse god Loki. Her mother Isobel was a famed völva one of the last of the practice, who traveled Northern Europe and the british Isles telling fortunes, reading cards and making potions for any who could pay. Due to the dangerous nature of her work in the eyes of stronger growing Christians, she was forced to continue moving throughout Europe to keep from being punished for her crimes. While on one of her many trips in Sweden Isobel encountered the God of Mischief, intriguing him during one of her more grandiose performances. Their relations lasted no more then a night however as both parties parted the next morning with little care for what had happened, it wasn't until a month later that Isobel discovered the consequences of the night. Nine months later, in the dead of winter, while Isobel was taking shelter from a winter storm in a Swedish inn Cassiopeia was born. Her mother could tell almost immediately the girl had inherited her magic, as well as abilities from her father she could not yet discern.  After a few months spent in the Inn Isobel returned to the road taking Cassiopeia with her. 《 ƐαяƖу Ɩιfє 》 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ It soon became obvious that Cassiopeia was far from human as the years went on, her aging was considerably slower than any normal child. Something that was quite hard for her mother to deal with but which pointed to her more then human ancestry, despite her aging slowing her mind grew rapidly. She often gained the reputation as strange in towns they visited as she spoke and acted with a manner befitting someone much older then her apparent physical age. Isobel continued her shows of magic, staying no longer than a week in each town they visited and all the while instructing her daughter on the basics of witch craft. Cassiopeia was a natural, gifted with hands which spun the natural magics with an ease she became her mothers helper, impressing many who saw her with her natural born ability. Her gifts were not all good however, a fact that became quite apparent as she aged and her temper grew, she could manipulate the world around her with a though. Throwing objects, opening doors, and commanding much darker forces to her side when she was angry enough. Her mother sought to teach her how to control her powers and while she was not entirely successful she managed to keep much destruction at bay. For a long time they traveled like this, however it did not last as long as either of the women might have liked, on Isobel’s tenth birthday her mother was caught by the local christian zealots and tried for witch craft. While it was no secret that Isobel was a practicer of mystic arts, something she used to help the women of the communities she arrived in, she was prosecuted all the same. The dark truth of the matter was however that the act of witchcraft that got her arrested was not her won doing but Cassiopeia’s. Having disliked the name a man called her mother and her as they past she had struck out, injuring the man severally with only her mind. For this crime her mother was found guilty and sentenced to burn. Isobel Nypan was the last woman to be convicted and killed for witchcraft in Sweden. 《 Oη нєя σωη 》 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

After the death of her mother Cassie managed to escape from those who had caught them and lost herself in the forest. She spent months inside of the dark woods mourning the loss of her mother and of life as she knew it. In the woods she learned to depend upon her magic, using the forces inside of herself to hunt and overcome the harsh elements. No one is quite sure of how long passed between her escape into the woods and when she finally left but what is known is that her first act was to take revenge on those that had taken her mother from her. It was a group of christian missionaries who were ultimately responsible for her mothers demise and so she hunted them down tracking them across the whole of Sweden. That act itself took over a decade, however each man she found met a grizzly end. Torn apart by the darkness inside of her, each death was a savage act that the human world attributed to animal attacks. However anyone with any magical sense could easily see the truth, however as power like Cassie’s had yet to be in her world- many were left stupefied. There was one force however who was not as mystified by the girls powers as the mortals were, the all seeing Heimdallr. He recognized a force which was not human and his gift of foresight lead him to the inevitable conclusion of her truth. Another child of Loki was raising hell on the world below. Time moved faster for Cassie than the events which unfolded above her however and after the murder of those responsible for her mothers death she continued her mothers work. For well over 100 years she worked as a medicinal woman, selling spells, potions, fortunes and much more to those who asked for them. Of course as she had learned in her early childhood, many of the ‘services’ were nothing more then cons, and with enough trickery people bought whatever she sold them. 

 《 Hєя Ƒαтнєяѕ Ɗαυgнтєя 》 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Her father was told of her existence years before she was aware of his identity, his disinterest in the half mortal was the start of a toxic relation between the two. However as the years progressed into the late 1800’s the young Völva who now appeared to be in her late teens despite nearing her hundredth birthday was living up to her fathers name as a trickster and con-artist on earth. She had been run out of many of the villages in the north of the Neatherlands and seeking to make a knew and better life for herself she bordered a ship and sailed for America. In america she found promise in the Spiritualist movement which had started in 1848 and by the time she reached Americas shores in 1855 was in full swing, she used her abilities to stage seances and ‘communicate’ to the deceased. She made quite a stir with her moving performances that she soon grew to a kind of stardom, one that few people could combat. Even the firmest of believers fell victim to our magics, she truly had a knack for convincing the public she was communicating with those they had lost. She gained a reputation much like the famed Fox sisters, only she never fell from grace. Instead after almost ten years of making a living conning the innocents she had created enough of a mess with the natural order of things that many of the Gods were angry enough. Another of Loki’s children causing chaos, much to the distaste of all involved. At the same time the gods were puzzling over what to do Cassie was causing problems for herself on earth, the media was beginning to catch some more troubling sides of the famed Miss Nypan. Namely the broken lives she left behind and the lack of change they’d seen in her over the ten years. She still looked to be nearing her twentieth year and it was beginning to sour the mouths of many. Cassie however was not quite ready to give up the life of spiritualism and so she continued with her shows, charging more and more as she went along. By now people had begun to find themselves anger with her and it brought the attention of local Witches to her door. The Witches were part of a coven, one of the oldest covens in America who had had enough of her flaunting her powers to the public. However almost the second they met face to face the witches realized she was not like them. This revelation came as a shock to Cassie, as her mother had never openly told her she was different than any witch or Völva and she had never met another magic user before, she had thought herself normal for her situation. Now intrigued by the seemingly young woman the witches began attempting to discover her heritage and what other creature had spurred her creation. What they found shocked them all, a spell which used her blood to track others who shared it found her father to not be on earth, instead when the mist of the bowl cleared she was looking at the rather angered face  of the God of Mischief, his identity only revealed through the conversation they over heard. The coven now utterly shaken by the revelation of the apparent half god in their presence left her with no further help for fear of brining the wrath of the trickster down upon them and their coven. Cassie however did not feel the same way, and instead of trying to keep her head down and out of the way of his potential wrath she decided to attempt to get his attention. 《 Oвєѕѕιση 》 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ With the realization that she was not alone in the world anymore Cassie became all but obsessed with finding her father, hoping that he might hold some answers to the mystery of her unnatural powers. It was not to be however as her father was no more interested in her than he was in any other mortals, so her acts grew more and more out of hand until he finally relented and the two met face to face. The trickster lived up to his name and over the course of the next century Cassie found herself caught in his webs multiple times, committing horrendous acts in hopes of winning his favor. However each time she completes his task she has won no more of his favor then she had before, while a part of her knows this she is to driven by the desire to belong to not fall for his games. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

» Aᴅᴍɪɴ «

This account is mostly going to be Norse Mythology however due to lack of content I will be posting Marvel related things, and in some posts tying Cassie into the Marvel universe simply so I have a diversity of content. If you want to rp please just comment below or on any of my posts and I will be happy to. → Ƭнιѕ ρяσƒιℓє ƒσямαт ωαѕ cяєαтє∂ ву мє, ρℓєαѕє αѕк вєƒσяє υѕιηg ιт

Winter 2019 Anime Season, What I’m Watching:

My Roommate is a Cat is easily the cutest series this season, possibly the cutest in the past several seasons. Your mileage may vary, depending on how much you like cats, but for me the show is a delight. Following a reclusive young author who recently lost his parents (the only people he interacted with on a regular basis) as he bonds with a stray cat he decided to take in on a whim, the show cleverly splits its time between the viewpoints of the human protagonist and the cat. The smartest thing the series does is show both viewpoints of the same events, first from the human, Subaru, and then from the cat, Haru. And somehow, even though we’re viewing the events for the second time, Haru’s view is more compelling. The show is by turns genuinely funny and genuinely touching. Subaru reminds me of a less extreme version of Handa (from Handa-kun and Barakamon) in that he’s socially inept and usually assumes the worst intentions from those around him. Haru is a somewhat feisty young cat who thinks she’s protecting her strange, hopeless human. Haru is a bit rough around the edges after spending much of her life as a stray, and her tough attitude keeps the show from getting too saccharine. As it stands, the show is just the right amount of cute, sweet, awkward, sad, and funny. Very high on my watch list.

Meiji Tokyo Renka is yet another historical otome series (seriously why do so many otome anime have historical settings?) featuring a high school girl being sent back in time to the Meiji period. This is, of course, one of my favorite time periods just for the clothing alone. The character designs are varied enough to make all the guys stand out from each other and the colors and backgrounds are lovely. The heroine, Mei, is much more comical than the standard otome heroine and is refreshingly proactive in her own story. She’s surprisingly independent in a time period when that was probably frowned upon. There’s a strong supernatural element to the story, not even counting the time travel aspect. There are spirits in this series that only certain people can see, Mei being one of them (and it’s nice that there are several others in the main cast who can as well, preventing her from seeming too conveniently special). It seems like these spirits can come in many forms, from cute animal spirits to literal ghosts to characters in novels springing to life and escaping the books to run amok. The show is certainly not dull. The romance is almost shoved to the background to make room for spirit shenanigans, but I’m not complaining. One of the more fun otome series in recent memory.

The Promised Neverland is easily my pick for best show of the season. It has a fantastic setup, with a first episode twist that I did not see coming (I knew something was going on, but my guess was way off the mark). It has a unique art style that makes it stand out, fluid animation, awesome opening and ending themes, a kickass heroine, and some heart-stopping cliff hangers. It’s the show I look forward to most each week. There’s only one minor quibble I have with this series, and that’s the weird way faces are drawn. The mouths seem too high on the faces, to the point that I kept thinking their mouths were their noses. I’ve gotten used to it as the episodes rolled by, but every now and then I still notice it. It’s just... irritating. Still, that’s a super nitpicky  complaint for a show that’s otherwise excellent on every level with consistently high quality art and writing. At the very tippy top of my watch list.

Boogiepop and Others is a sequel (I guess?) to a much older series called Boogiepop Phantom that I watched many years ago. To be honest, it’s been so long that I don’t remember most of the details about the original anime. I just remember that it was a somewhat gloomy show that focused on supernatural mysteries and was episodic in nature. This newer series has an updated art style with more modern character designs. It’s also easier to follow, and has a stronger focus on action, whereas the original focused more on atmosphere. Special mention should go to Aoi Yuki’s phenomenal voice acting. She really brings Boogiepop to life and carries the show, much like she did as Kino in the recent Kino’s Journey anime. The show has great music, with my favorite ending theme of the season. Has a secure spot on my watch list.

B Project Season 2, an otome series about cute male idol groups, has seemingly decided to dial back the focus on the whole otome thing and instead showcase the borderline BL relationships between the boys. Seriously, there are several episodes in which the heroine, Tsubasa, is barely there at all, and even when she is, the series gives no real indication that any of the boys like her as more than a friend. Instead, the boys seem to be in love with each other (which is fine by me). This season adds a new boy band to the three we already had, which I felt was a little unnecessary. The new group really doesn’t add anything to the story. The music is nice, especially the ending theme, and the character designs are attractive. The series seems to have taken a page out of Tsukiuta’s book and now uses CG for the more elaborate dance numbers. The problem is that they don’t look nearly as good as Tsukiuta’s and definitely don’t blend well with the 2D animation around them. Overall, the series is cute but I still think of it as “less fun UtaPri”.

Fukigen no Mononokean Season 2 was a bit of a surprise for me, since I didn’t realize it was being made. I enjoyed season one very much with its pastel, candy-colored art and sweet, mostly light-hearted stories. And of course, the main draw of the series was the budding friendship between our two leads, Abeno and Ashiya. Season two keeps all of those elements and adds a very interesting mystery concerning Ashiya’s father, as well as an overarching plot and an actual recurring “villain” type character. The stakes are raised considerably, but the overall tone of the show is still fairly light and gentle. Seeing the cute mascot character Fuzzy (a white, furry youkai) makes me a little sad though, since it reminded me so very much of my cat (also a white furry creature named Fuzzy) while watching season one, and Fuzzy has since disappeared. Which reminds me, the youkai in this series are so adorable, varied, and charming. Very high on my watch list.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a comedy about two overachieving high school students who are secretly in love with each other but are too prideful to admit it, so they set traps for each other to try to force the other to confess first. It sounds like a dumb setup, to be honest, but it actually works surprisingly well. The two leads are likable despite being petty and stubborn. Even though they’re extremely talented, they have tons of quirks and they’re both completely clueless when it comes to love. There are a few fun side characters as well. The show is hilarious, with three skits per episode. There’s also a touch of sweetness as their affection for each other comes across as genuine. Anyone who’s ever been in love can relate to some of these moments, of going to great lengths just to increase your chances of being near the person you like, or making little changes to your appearance just to see if you get a reaction from them. Or, of course, the disappointment you feel when your carefully laid plans get ruined. The series uses humor and extreme reactions and hilarious facial expressions to convey these feelings, resulting in a highly entertaining show.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover Run With the Wind Hinomaru Sumo Best of Season: Best New Show: The Promised Neverland Best Opening Theme: The Promised Neverland Best Ending Theme: Boogiepop and Others Best Male Character: Subaru (My Roommate is a Cat) Best Female Character: Emma (The Promised Neverland)

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #219 - Anastasia (1997)

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) The prologue.

The very first few musical notes of the film’s score establish a key element which we will see throughout: a light and playful darkness which helps to accent the film. It fits the fairytale tone well, for that is what Anastasia is: a fairy tale. I’m not too familiar with Imperial Russia or the revolution which marked its end, but as I understand this film is FAR from historically accurate. I think that decision works well for the filmmakers, as making this more of a fairytale with fantasy elements allows for more room to play around (while also not being beholden to history).

Another reason the prologue works - other than setting tone - is that it establishes all the necessary backstory the film needs in a sleek and easily digestible way. We understand what happened to Anya/Anastasia, we understand Rasputin’s anger/motivations, we understand the pain that Anastasia’s grandmother will feel, we see Dimitri’s role in it all, everything comes through clearly. I like that.

2) Okay, question: Why does Rasputin only care about killing Anastasia and not her grandmother if he vowed to kill all of the Tsar’s family? Wouldn’t the grandma be a part of that equation?

3) Here is how it went the first time I saw this film:

[Music builds to a swell as we see St. Petersburg] Me [sarcastically]: “Oh GREAT, a song about how wonderful communist Russia is.” Lyrics: “St. Petersburg is gloomy, St. Petersburg is bleak.” Me [after a moment]: “Oh.”

4) “A Rumor in St. Petersburg”

Whereas the prologue established the world of the past, this song establishes the environment the characters are currently in. We understand really quickly the stakes which motivate Dimitri, why he wants to get out of St. Petersburg, and just how much of a hubbub is around the rumor of Anastasia’s return. Beyond that though, the opening is an appropriate first taste of the film’s original songs. St. Petersburg is a big opening number befitting of a Broadway show (which this film now is) and is greatly enjoyable, much like the rest of the songs will be.

5) Anya/Anastasia.

When it comes to the performance of Anya (I’m just going to call her Anya moving forward since that’s what the film does), the credit must go in equal parts to Meg Ryan and Liz Callaway. As her dialogue actress, Ryan is Anya’s actress the majority of the time. The actress is able to infuse her character with warmth, humor, heart, strength, resilience, and a little bit of sadness all in a captivating way that fits the character design. But Callaway must get the credit she deserves as well, for she is able to take all of the qualities Ryan gives Anya’s dialogue and match it in her singing. This is no easy task, as sometimes having two performers doing voice and song CAN be distracting. But the pair blend beautifully and are able to support the character to the her fullest.

6) “Journey to the Past”

As “A Rumor in St. Petersburg” acts to set up Dimitri’s motivations, “Journey to the Past” sets up what drives Anya. Her search for who she is, for who she was, and any family that may come with that. While that subject matter (Anya confronting the unknown) could be bleak, the song is wonderfully uplifting and inspiring. You ROOT for Anya because of it. You’re invested in her and honestly I think its the best song in the piece. I just love it.

7) I get “Frosty the Snowman” vibes from the ticket seller saying, “No exit visa, no ticket!” Is that just me?

8) Dimitri.

With much less singing (and certainly less solos), John Cusack plays much more of Dimitri than Jonathan Dokuchitz. Dokuchitz contributions are crazy important and well done, something which he deserves due credit for, but it is Cusack who has the responsibility of developing Dimitri more. Cusack’s through his voice is able to expand on Dimitri’s lovable rogue quality, but when he develops into a much more caring person it seems natural. Cusack through his performance is able to blend these two aspects perfectly, showing Dimitri’s heart and vulnerability in an interesting way as the film continues.

9) “Once Upon a December”

A hauntingly beautiful number, this tune always felt befitting of a ghost story to me. As at home in Phantom of the Opera as Anastasia. This is one of the songs which best demonstrate the dark flavors this film dabbles with and it fits perfectly with the rest of the soundtrack. Its wonderful, slightly creepy, and very fascinating.

10) The chemistry is great between Anya and Dimitri, specifically when they’re bickering. Their initial bickering is wildly fun to watch and it translates into trust, love, and respect much more than some live action film couples. It’s an important aspect to nail in getting the audience behind their relationship and the filmmakers do this well.

11) Kelsey Grammer as Vlad.

I like Kelsey Grammer in most things, and this film is no exception. As both the speaking and singing voice for Vlad, the experienced actor gives the rotund figure an incredible amount of life which helps us as the audience get invested in him. I just like it.

12) Hank Azaria as Bartok.

It’s Hank Azaria for crying out loud, what more do I need to say? The veteran voice over and character actor enables the lovable henchman to steal every scene he’s in. Bartok doesn’t even interact with any of the main heroes, just Rasputin, but that alone gives him enough comedic material for Azaria’s vocals to carry us away. All in all, it is an incredibly fun and entertaining part.

13) Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin.

Back to the Future is my favorite film, so having Christopher Lloyd in anything is a treat for me. His vocals as Rasputin are INCREDIBLE! He’s playful evil, having a ton of fun in the part which means the audience has fun too. Rasputin is a brilliantly entertaining villain (especially considering he’s stuck on the sidelines for most of the movie), with the physical humor brought about by his decaying corpse leading to some gross/great comedy bits! Rasputin is one of my favorite non-Disney animated villains of all time (if not my favorite). He’s great and has an incredible villain song!

14) “In the Dark of the Night”

Lloyd doesn’t song this song, instead its performed by legendary veteran of voice over work Jim Cummings (Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Ed from The Lion King, Ray from The Princess and the Frog, and MUCH more). Cummings KILLS IT with his vocal work, making Rasputin both fun and threatening in the number. The tune is dark, epic, and evil throughout. One of the best villain songs in animation because - more than above else - the threat just amplified considerably. We understand Rasputin is not someone to mess with and this song establishes that in a wildly entertaining way. I love it.

15) The scene which best shows Anya’s and Dimitri’s chemistry has to be when they’re on the train.

Anya: “Dimitri, do you really think I’m royalty?”

Dimitri: “You know I do.”

Anya: “Then stop bossing me around!”

Vlad: “She certainly has a mind of her own.”

Dimitri: “Yeah, I hate that in a woman.”

16) I really enjoy this film, but one of the things in it I found odd is that the main protagonists go almost completely unaware of the supernatural elements which threaten them. Not until Anya and Dimitri face Rasputin at the end are they conscious of it. If I were to change one thing in the film, it would be that.

17) I always found this little bit of dialogue funny, because Dimitri does think Anya convincing people she’s Anastasia is a lie but we as the audience know better.

Dimitri: “You don’t know if it’s a lie! What if it’s true!”

18) “Learn To Do It”

The Pygmalion elements of the film could easily have been dull filler until we reach the end, but by condensing it to a charming and fun number Anya’s evolution into Anastasia is an interesting and integral part of the story. The number is one of pure joy, life, and entertainment, speaking to the relationship this trio develops on their long journey to Paris. It holds up against the other song quite well.

19) The waltz between Anya and Dimitri is a key turning point in their relationship. It’s the most vulnerable they’ve been with each other up to this point. I like that.

20) Anya’s dream.

There’s a nice sense of heightened reality in the dream’s visuals which (with a unique color palette) helps make it feel beyond reality. While cheerful in appearance, mixing the scenes with Newman’s score means we understand there’s danger even before we see the monsters in Anya’s head. The way the film cuts between dream and reality also works well, as the flow of the scene is never disrupted. All in all, it just works.

21) Angela Lansbury as the Dowager Empress.

Our first encounter with the Empress in modern setting shows her off as grumpy, jaded, and impatient. But what’s important is that we understand WHY she’s this way. The audience sees the tragedy in her not only through the film’s prologue but also through Lansbury’s performance. That heartache is wonderfully present throughout and when it turns to joy at finding her Anastasia the effect is wonderful. But more on that later.

22) Bernadette Peters as Sophie.

A broadway legend, Peters actually objected to Sohpie’s curvy appearance since she herself had actually lost weight. Despite this, the actress (much like Grammer with Vlad) breathes a wonderful amount of life into Sophie. It’s hard to imagine anyone performing the charming and energetic character since she just feels so natural/alive. While relegated to the third act, Sophie is definitely a memorable part of the film and Peters’ performance is an important part of that.

23) “Paris Holds The Key To Your Heart”

In terms of how the tune serves the story, it stands to set up Paris as a location much like “St Petersburg” did in the opening with its titular city. But beyond that, it allows us to juxtapose how far the characters have come. This is it, their final destination, which results in a joyous night on the town. Anya is the happiest she’s been in a while and Dimitri has grown up a lot, ready to let go the woman he cares for so she can have what she wants. Like many of the others, the tune is wildly entertaining and just takes you on this wild night in Paris wonderfully.

24) The fallout between Dimitri and Anya when she finds out his INITIAL motivations is particularly heartbreaking, largely because those are no longer his intentions. For the first time in his adult life he’s actually trying to do the right thing, which creates incredibly high stakes for him (which we see when he freaking KIDNAPS THE DOWAGER EMPRESS! Also in how he turns down the reward for finding Anya). It’s a wonderful if painful moment.

25) When the Empress first meets with Anya she’s guarded and dismissive, which makes sense. It’s self preservation at this point. But that just means it is all the more wonderful when she realizes it IS Anya, that neither of them are without family anymore, and she can finally let herself be open to happiness. (Although, it’s kinda weird that all of Anya’s memories come back at once.)

26) If I ever go to a high school reunion (which I don’t plan on doing), I gotta use this line.

Rasputin [upon seeing Anya]: “Look at what the years have done to us. You a beautiful young flower, me a rotting corpse!”

27) I talked about this a bit more in note #16, but I wish Rasputin took a more active role in the plot. That there was more interaction between him and the heroes. I really like the action of the climax, where Anya and Dimitri go at it with him, but I wish I’d had a bit more of that in the film.

28)

Rasputin [thinking Anya died]: “Finally, the last of the Romanoffs dead!”

You know, except for her grandma.

29) I love happy endings which aren’t really endings (when they’re done like this, not so much when they’re cliffhangers).

Sophie [when she learns Anya and Dimitri eloped]: “Its a perfect ending!”

Empress: “No, it’s a perfect beginning.”

Anastasia is one of the more underrated animated films out there. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic - great music, memorable characters, an awesome bad guy, strong voice acting, a strong story - but not nearly the following of Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin. If you haven’t yet, I would recommend putting in Anastasia.

Shape in Steven Universe

Analysis

The use of shapes is a very important part of the character design process. A well-designed character has a distinct and identifiable silhouette. Silhouettes can convey personality, make a character more memorable, and allow them to stand out among a cast. One show that I think put a lot of thought into silhouettes is Steven Universe. The times I’ve seen this show playing on TV, what always stuck out to me was the diversity of shape among the characters—short and tall, thin and thick, sharp and round. The show utilizes a combination of rectilinear and curvilinear shapes to make each character unique. For example, compare the first two characters on the lineup. The first character’s boxy hair and form contrasts with the curves of the second character’s hair and dress. There’s special consideration put into the combination of shapes that make up each character, making each one unique from each other. 

Glossary

1. Shape is the external form or appearance characteristic of someone or something; the outline of an area or figure. As a verb, to shape is to give a particular form. As artists, we shape our characters outward appearance by using shapes. 2. Abstract means no recognizable objects. Abstraction is a sliding scale from realism to completely non representational. Abstract shapes can be used in backgrounds and textures.  3. Biomorphic is a free-form pattern or design with a shape suggestive of a living organism, especially an amoeba or protozoan. 4. Curvilinear shapes are s-curves. Curvilinear shapes inform Jessica Rabbit’s character design and can represent a winding river vanishing into the distance. 5. Distortion is exaggeration, contortion, reform, slant, twist, or warp in ways that depart from reality.  6. Idealism asserts that the physical world is less important than the mind or the spirit which shapes and animates it. Idealists choose the soul, the mind, or the psyche over the body, the material, and the historical. When ideals (of appearance, or proportion for example) regulate the way an artist represents the world, her work can be described as Idealistic. The leading artists of the High Renaissance - Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo - are all associated with varying forms of Idealism, as were ancient Greek sculptors.  7. Non-objective shapes have no object as a reference and no recognizable subject matter. Non-objective shapes are often used to simplify design shapes. Geometric shapes such as a triangle, square, and circle are abstract until you put them together to represent a house or a smiley face. One Minecraft block, away from the game, is a non-objective shape. Inside the game that same block, depending on it’s color and texture could represent a part of a landscape, sheep, or sword. The block as part of a character or environment inside the game would no longer be abstract. 8. Positive Space is the subject, focal point, or areas of high interest in any composition. Negative Space is the area around the areas of interest. All compositions balance positive and negative space. Yes, stuff in the negative space can point to the focal point to make it most obvious. Positive and negative create a whole. Every composition is a combination of positive and negative space. Wield the positive and negative spaces with control and story-telling magic to become a design master. 9. Realism, or Naturalism, attempts to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality or exotic or supernatural elements. In the visual arts, illusionistic realism strives for the accurate depiction of lifeforms, perspective, and the details of light and color. 10. Rectilinear is a boxy shape made with straight lines. For example, the screen you are looking at is a rectilinear shape filled with little square pixels, and pixels are also rectilinear. A storyboard is a series of drawings in a linear set of rectilinear frames.  11. Representational means objects that players can name. The object represents something from the real world, or something that has the verisimilitude of realism. A cartoon bunny can represent a rabbit without being realistic. Representational is a sliding scale from realism to almost abstract. 2 dots and a curve can be arranged into an abstract pattern or they can be arranged into an emoji that represents a smiley face. 12. Silhouette is a profile or shape that is easy to identify. 13. Squash and Stretch are shapes profiles that emphasize motion. The stretched position shows the form in an extended condition. When you do a sit up your belly squashes and your back stretches.

What are some good manga that you recommend

Hello Anon!

You didn’t really specify a genre so I’m going to just throw a couple out there for various genres, hope that’s ok lol

I originally put this under a read more line but it wasn’t working! Trying to figure it out but until then sorry for the long post!

Action/Adventure

Boku no Hero Academia / My Hero Academy

this series has gotten very popular recently, and has an anime!

ongoing (as of July 2017)

recommended if you like heroes, school-setting (at times), character development! - adolescent characters with a lot of growing to do in many ways, friendship building and bonding, badass mentors/teachers

not recommended if you don’t prefer adolescents in an action setting, semi-slow progress (some people may think the series is slow-paced in terms of story progression), there’s going to be a character you’re almost guaranteed to hate/dislike…

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu / Assassination Classroom

completed! 180 chapters

an anime

recommended if you like action in a school-setting, lots of comedic scenes, unique antagonist, heartfelt touching moments that you wouldn’t really expect from this story

not recommended if you don’t prefer an immature and childish tone/feel of story, not too action-heavy, a lot of characters, the art style is different so watch out for that

Bonus (cause I’m shamelessly pushing my preferences onto other people):

666 Satan / O-parts Hunter

completed! (2007), under 80 chapters

pretty old

fun fact: the mangaka is the brother of Masashi Kishimoto, the author of Naruto, so the art will be very similar. While there are other similar elements, the story is very different and has a more fantastical theme

recommended if you like adventure, unique weapons/powers, unconventional plot and theme

not recommended if you don’t prefer older manga, sensitive to blood/gore (though not as extreme as Attack on Titan/SNK), slight dip into tragedy genre towards the end, if you’re deeply religious? I guess??

Adventure-Romance

Hanatsuki Hime

completed! under 10 chapters

a bit older manga

recommended if you like simple plots, fantasy/supernatural world, supernatural elements in your romance stories, characters with strong qualities, pretty artwork

not recommended if you don’t like heavy romance in your adventure stories, slightly slow pacing, shoujo eyes, (kinda a spoiler but) a as-close-as-family bond turning into a lovers relationship

Kanata Kara / From Far Away

completed! under 60 chapters

older manga

recommended if you like a hardworking but sensitive heroine, girl mysteriously entering a different (magical) world, amazing female characters of different ages and body sizes that are almost never sexualized, dynamic and complex characters, realistic elements e.g. you actually see the girl’s hair grow longer as time passes!! like where else has this happened?!? this was literally mind-blowing to me, also new world means new language - this manga actually took that into consideration

not recommended if you don’t like the “power of love” trope, big shoujo eyes lol, not action heavy, fantasy/supernatural genre, semi-slow pace to adapt to new world, bit of a rushed ending

…

side note: if you prefer more action than romance, most shounen manga do have romance, but I’d personally recommend Noragami or (among the top shounen series) Fairy Tail. (and O-parts Hunter! *winkwink*)

…

Shoujo-Romance

Wish

completed! 23 chapters

older manga again

recommended if you like supernatural elements of religious origin, angels, demons, cute characters that are signature CLAMP characters lol, unconventional love story, ANDROGYNOUS characters

not recommended if you don’t like androgynous characters, big shoujo eyes, slow-pacing in some parts, bittersweet endings, if you’re deeply religious?

Ao Haru Ride / Blue Spring Ride

completed! 50 chapters

has a Japanese drama adaption

recommended if you like a classic shoujo school setting, not so classic shoujo heroine, characters changing and trying to change, some realistic introspection of school life and relationships, friendships valued just as much as love relationships!, lovely art

not recommended if you don’t like those classic shoujo lack of communication problems, a male protagonist that is a jerk sometimes (and can’t suck up his problems), love triangles (so many)

I’d also recommend Sakisaka Io’s other works: Strobe Edge and Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare

both are in high school settings

places value and importance on friendships!! especially Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare

both have typical shoujo tropes (misunderstandings, love triangles, etc.)

Bonus (on the off chance you haven’t read or watched it yet):

Fruits Basket

completed! under 140 chapters

an anime

older manga again (it’s a classic, what can I say?)

recommended if you like a bit of supernatural mixed in with your romance, a whole family that act like protective older siblings to the female protagonist, unique story lines for almost every character, unique characters/personalities, heart-wrenching/tragic backstories, strong friendships!!!, mostly a school-setting

not recommended if you don’t like older manga, big shoujo eyes, seemingly idiotic heroine, a lot of characters, unresolved problems/issues/story line (it’s only towards the end really, the part when you feel like you need more when there actually could and should be more to tell, only my opinion!), art style develops as you read- it’s interesting to see

Comedy-Romance

Soushi Souai / Love With Each Other

ongoing as of July 2017

more on the lighthearted side, very sweet

recommended if you like light story/reading, comedic scenes, short but sweet romantic scenes, school-setting, comedic take on the bad boy-good girl romance pairing

not recommended if you don’t like little to no plot/story, snippets of daily life, lack of natural love progression (since we only see short snippets)

Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun

ongoing as of July 2017

an anime

recommended if you like entertaining and amusing characters, abundance of comedic moments/scenes, some cringe-worthy comedy, shoujo trope parody, some slice of life though exaggerated

not recommended if you don’t like lack of seriousness, 4-koma style manga, misunderstandings that lead to comedy rather than drama, pitiful heroine with unfulfilled love so far, slow and little love progression

Josei-Romance

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten the chance to explore the Josei genre much, and only ever read a bunch of short series and one shots. I have limited recommendations for this one.

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii / It’s Difficult to Love an Otaku

ongoing as of July 2017

recommended if you like slice of life genre, lots of comedic scenes, dynamic relationships, relatable characters, just overall relatability, light-hearted tone of story, amusing characters and relationships

not recommended if you don’t like little to no plot/story, lack of serious scenes, short scenes and chapters

Koisuru Nante Kiitenai

completed! 3 chapters

short read, cute and simple

recommended if you like office/work setting, coworker romance, romance with a rocky start before warming up to each other, female denying her feelings

not recommended if you don’t like short stories, female protagonist who slightly lacks confidence (but she’s not unlikable), jerk coworkers

Bonus: 

Barairo my Honey

completed! 13 chapters

a bit of an older manga

recommended if you like some supernatural elements in romance manga, unique story, a female protagonist that says whatever is on her mind, a closed off love interest that slowly opens up, some other cute cliches

not recommended if you don’t like big shoujo eyes…or more like shoujo eyelashes lol (even though this is not shoujo), serious lack of story depth though it has a plot, the art style is slightly off-putting

Shounen Ai-Romance

Hidamari ga Kikoeru

completed! under 20 chapters

recommended if you like college setting, characters falling in love naturally, slight angst, slice of life genre, honest attempts at communication between the lovers, friendship evolving to relationship, sincere and vulnerable protagonists, character with hearing impairment/hard of hearing!

not recommended if you don’t like slow buildup (in the beginning), lack of exciting scenes (if you know what i mean), some miscommunication between characters

Fujunna Renai

completed! 3 chapters

quick and easy read

recommended if you like school setting, simple story, unrequited love, slightly slice of life genre, bit of angst

not recommended if you don’t like some drama, miscommunication between characters, love triangles, slightly drawn out scenes where the character is trying to figure out their feelings, not much lovey-dovey scenes

Yaoi-Romance

So I’ve chosen manga that are as PG and SFW as I could possibly find, though I know Yaoi tends to…not be lol

Hana no Miyako de

Hana no Mizo Shiru

these two manga are related, with the second one considered a sequel to the first

completed! both are relatively short, sweet, and simple reads

fun fact: they are created from the same mangaka as Ten Count (which is quite a popular manga)

recommended if you like romance in a school setting, a love story with natural progression and isn’t too forced, angst angst angst (do you like pain, cause I do)

not recommended if you don’t like slightly slow-paced romance, lack of scenes that are …exciting, forbidden lovers theme and heart-wrenching angst in the first one

Psychological

Oyasumi Punpun

completed! under 150 chapters

mature genre/tag, has very mature themes (ages 18 and up please)

recommended if you like complex characters, complex and realistic relationships, relatable situations and story, slice of life, some angst, mature themes, thought-provoking symbolism

not recommended if you don’t like toxic characters and manipulative personalities, irresponsible and abusive characters, main focus on characters’ daily lives/problems, abstract character style (you’ll understand when you see it), frustrating and highly triggering situations/scenes, somewhat disconcerting art style, suicide warning!

Parasyte

completed! 64 chapters

an anime

a much older manga

recommended if you like action, sci-fi, heavy plot, character development, complicated antagonists, tragedy genre, violent and intense situations

not recommended if you don’t like older manga, relatively simple artwork, slow story buildup, gruesome murders/deaths, blood/gore, some unanswered questions/plot holes

One shot Manga

Just a few of the many, many collections of one shots out there

Romance/Shoujo 

Akuma ni Itsukushimi no Te o by Tagaki Shigeyoshi (AKA Ogawa Chise - different pen name depending on the genre! interesting right?)

supernatural

Gyu…tte Shite Ii? by Shiraishi Yuki

school setting sort of, typical shoujo feel

Shounen Ai/Yaoi

Gokujou Dessert by Ogawa Chise (AKA Tagaki Shigeyoshi)

school setting, kinda NSFW (compared to the mangaka’s other work…)

Mousou Cherry by Kamon Saeko

school setting, this is a small collection of one-shots, NSFW! 

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That’s it for now! Thank you so much for the ask, this was super fun! As you can see I favor a lot of older manga, so this list is kinda biased.

I’m sure there are better ones to recommend but I can’t remember them ):

Please let me know if I left out any “warnings” about the manga that I listed. I actually haven’t read these manga in a while, (some I haven’t read in YEARS) so I forgot some things. I’ll be editing and adding to this list as I remember more about the manga that I’ve read.

Hope the list isn’t (too) disappointing!