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runawaymun · 7 days

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so.. reading and looking at your fics and art kinda makes me wanna try my hand at some stuff too (they are just so beautiful and elicit so many feels), but. you seem so knowledgeable and familiar with tolkien/elves lore (and so does everyone else i've started reading in this community of elf-lovers on tumblr haha) and i'm most assuredly not. i don't get so many of the world-building allusions authors make about the history/culture/magic, which is easy enough to deal with when reading, but do you think i'd be able to write anything good with such limited understanding of the world i'm writing in? i'm not even confident enough for modern au's because idek that much about the character's relationships/connections with each other, y'know? but what do you think? would the holes i have or straight up inaccuracies rly weaken the story and interrupt the reader's connection to the world/character's, or could i still get by? tolkien's worldbuilding is so intimidating lol

Oh my goodness, this is such a sweet ask.

I'm really glad that you love my art and writing so much, and I consider it SUCH a huge compliment that it inspires you to make your own! That's what it's all about, honestly.

So first off I just want to address the anxiety around the lore-knowledge and the Tolkien fandom because listen listen listen, there are people of every level of knowledge creating art and fics here. Let me just say that when I first published And the Stars Shine the Same three years ago, I was mostly working off of film knowledge and some vague book knowledge, and I was petrified to post it because of how intimidating the Tolkien fandom seemed. I was so worried about getting this wrong and making mistakes -- so know that you're not alone in that, and it is a very common anxiety in this fandom. The thing is, when I posted that fic I found that people loved it, and that everyone was so nice, and really I have not had anybody (save maybe...one person off the top of my head) get very nitpicky about the lore/language/etc. Everybody else was very nice, loved the fic, and super receptive and friendly.

I promise you that there are so many lovely people in this fandom and that, while they're extremely knowledgeable they're also so friendly. Nearly everybody I know would be delighted if you came into their inbox and asked them a question about their specific area of interest with regards to the Silm and LOTR. There are amazing resources in this fandom, and everybody is very happy to help when asked. When I was getting started I mostly talked to friends, looked at other fanart (because honestly there is a LOT of information packed into how people portray characters in fanart for this fandom), and when I wasn't sure on something I just checked the wikis. I believe Tolkien Gateway is one of the best resources, though I also use The One Wiki to Rule Them All, and this is one of the best resources I've found for just a quick look at common Sindarin phrases, and for everything else I use Parf Edhellen which is an incredibly comprehensive dictionary for Tolkien's various elvish languages. And if you're not sure on something, just send a call out into the void because there are dozens of besties on Tumblr who are happy to offer suggestions for names or phrase translations. There's also so much information on Youtube.

I didn't even get around to reading the Silm and rereading LOTR until I felt like it. Honest to god I looked at the wikis and asked friends for most of the stuff I needed.

And I know how intimidating it can be to build your own story within Tolkien's world, but for me what I liked so much about his work is that--- while he is specific on some things, he's also very vague on others. There is a lot of room for interpretation and your own headcannons and worldbuilding. That was part of why I chose the historical spot I did for Stars and Boundless Sky, because it was sort of "dead space" so to speak with regards to Tolkien's own worldbuilding, and so I was able to play around and do my own thing without worrying too much about stepping all over lore.

But okay, all of that to say: yes you can write good stories without being super knowledgeable. Please believe me you can. You can write whatever you want, so long as you love it, and it is yours. If you have a story you want to tell in Tolkien's little legendarium then please, please do. Tolkien's legendarium is a mythology, and mythologies are meant to be retold and reinterpreted. Tolkien's canon is incredibly loosy-goosey. There are parts of unfinished tales where Christopher Tolkien wrote: "I really couldn't make sense of my dad's notes, so here's everything. Knock yourself out ig" (notably, "Of Galadriel and Celeborn").

And Peter Jackson was fairly faithful when it comes to the og trilogy. Like there are things that I take issue with that are pet peeves of mine, and I know that's the same for a lot of people as well. Everybody has their things they take umbrage with and things they like, but generally if that's your base for knowledge you're going to be just fine to start writing fic. If you decide you want to research more, then that's up to you and the story you are trying to tell! If you're working off of the Hobbit films, that's a little different, but in general the Hobbit fandom is pretty chill when it comes to that. I would suggest reading the book if you can find the time to. It's an easy read and short, and it is very, very different to the films.

With the LOTR books...I know a lot of people are book purists and that's okay, and a lot of people go "oh you really SHOULD read the books", but tbqh as a lover of both, I think the films do a good job of telling you the heart of the story (barring a few characters like...uh. Elrond, whom PJ absolutely butchers, but I digress sorry sorry). The books do add a lot and deepen the meaning for a lot of things, and flesh a lot of characters out (and they're just fun to read), but again... yes you can write good stories without being super knowledgeable. I will say that over and over again nonnie I am grabbing you by the shoulders and looking you dead in the eye: please write your story if you want to. Please do not be afraid to just give it a stab. If you find that your lack of knowledge is holding you back for some reason, just ask! So many people will be happy to answer your questions.

Fanfiction is for everybody. Tolkien is for everybody. You do not have to be the most incredible skilled writer or know the lore really well to be able to write it. Please believe me as a person who was scared to write for the Tolkien fandom and then fell in love: people really do not gatekeep much, and if they do they're assholes. I have met so many lovely, friendly, genuine people by creating stuff for this fandom. You will be okay.

So...ough this got long, sorry. But TLDR: Yes. You can write a good story. If you are worried about holes/the story/characterization getting weakened, try to find a beta reader. They're absolute life-savers. Barring that, start posting, find a friend who as insane about your blorbos as you are, and then share snippets and plot ideas with them and within that kind of community you can get a feel for what's working in your story and what isn't. All of my best friends I have made on here are people who read my fics and have been so helpful in offering suggestions.

There are many resources, everybody is friendly, it is not as scary as it looks. The most important thing is that you have fun. Write what you want to write. It doesn't have to be good. All that matters is that you enjoy it.

#this got huge but I am very passionate about this #nonnie i love you and i am gently holding you in my cupped hands #please go write your fic just for the hell of it and have fun #that's what I did and it literally reminded me why I liked writing #and I have made so so many friends in the process #<3

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ilynpilled · 1 year

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I have a lot of thoughts about Renly in particular and what he represents for different characters or in the grander narrative. I think he plays an interesting role for characters that he is relevant to. With Stannis for example we have the whole stoicism vs epicureanism conversation etc. But I also love to look at Renly from the lens that Brienne provides. He is, after all, an idea that she fell in love with. Emphasis on falling in love with the idea of him rather than him as an individual. So, through this lens, Renly becomes more of a concept than a character. And ofc we have the chivalric romance layer. Brienne, early on, romantic that she is, is in love with “summer” or naive idealism. Renly captures everything that is in the songs and stories she admires. His character, on the surface, IS that idealistic world that a dreamer desires.

"Because it will not last," Catelyn answered, sadly. "Because they are the knights of summer, and winter is coming."

"Lady Catelyn, you are wrong." Brienne regarded her with eyes as blue as her armor. "Winter will never come for the likes of us. Should we die in battle, they will surely sing of us, and it's always summer in the songs. In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining."

Summer ends and Renly dies because reality is more complicated. So when Jaime comes in, he also serves as a deconstruction of that ideal that Renly represented for Brienne, because he, especially in his youth, is also very much tied to this idea of naive idealism. Jaime, at the point of meeting Brienne, represents a more cynical confrontation with the horrors of reality. He is the disillusioned cynic who pisses all over songs and the fabricated reality they tell, while embodying everything Brienne seems to loathe. The confrontation with those horrors is what created a “beast” out of Jaime.

They saw nothing living but a few feral dogs that went slinking away at the sound of their approach. The pool from which the town took its name, where legend said that Florian the Fool had first glimpsed Jonquil bathing with her sisters, was so choked with rotting corpses that the water had turned into a murky grey-green soup.

Jaime took one look and burst into song. "Six maids there were in a spring-fed pool . . ."

"What are you doing?" Brienne demanded.

“Singing. ‘Six Maids in a Pool,’ I’m sure you’ve heard it. And shy little maids they were, too. Rather like you. Though somewhat prettier, I’ll warrant.”

“Be quiet,” the wench said, with a look that suggested she would love to leave him floating in the pool among the corpses.

Jaime is a gateway to a grim reality following the death of her old love, and in a way her old ideology, that recontextualizes the songs and this ideal world in them that does not seem to actually exist. But in an attempt to pull her and the reader into that same cynical world view, all three of us land on an interesting conclusion instead. Same idea as: “Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?” “That is the only time a man can be brave.” It is light existing along with darkness. A just knight can exist in an unjust world, and that is what makes them truly just. If everything fit the ideal like in the songs, true knights would not exist. True humanity exists within this dichotomy. It is not always summer. True heroism lies in the attempt of doing good even in a world that often does not reward it. Same idea as that one post circulating around recently about ASOIAF not being about nihilism, but rather the idea of “earned romanticism.” It is not cynical, it is the opposite. This is why, after Renly, Brienne gradually falls for an individual she actually comes to know, just as she comes to know the real world of knighthood. In AFfC, he starts to replace Renly in her thoughts and dreams. Jaime is not just a false ideal for her this time, but a more holistic representation of reality, with all of its complexity, beauty, flaws, and contradictions, and falling in love with that is more poignant.

#brienne of tarth #jaime lannister #jaime x brienne #valyrianscrolls

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theresattrpgforthat · 1 year

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Any games that capture the weird and oppressive mood of tloz Majora's Mask? I realise this might be way too vague but I can't think of how else to put it

THEME: Oppressive Grief (Majora's Mask)

Hello friend. I thought about how to replicate the feeling of Majora’s mask, and I decided to focus on the elements of pressure, doom, grief, and defiance. These following games will have at least some of those elements, although not perhaps all of them.

Afterlife: Wandering Souls, by Angry Hamster Publishing.

Afterlife: Wandering Souls is a macabre fantasy game set in surreal plane known as the Tenebris. You take on the role of a Wanderer—someone who died, but didn’t end up in Heaven, Hell, or any other traditional afterlife. Devoid of any memories of your life on earth, you find yourself in an endless desert filled with gateways. Search different planes of existence for clues of your former life - or a semblance of one. Along the way you'll encounter strange inhabitants, alien cultures, and other humans who’ve lost all hope and are bent on destroying you.

If you believe the theory that Link is dead in Majora’s Mask, then this game might feel similar. The creator draws from many surrealist art, including Guillermo del Toro, as well as Hayao Miyazaki. Just as Link meets people who resemble folks he met in his adventures in Ocarina of Time, players here could meet bits and pieces of their former life. This game also has a supplement called A Wanderer’s Guide To Limbos and Mirages, which dives further into the world of Tenebrae and asks you how your character will change as they venture into a world of weirdness and despair.

Stargazer, by Trollish Delver Games.

In the days of the sun's last gasp magic has returned to a ruined civilisation. The Song of Power can be heard on the wind: some believe it's the voice o the creator while others think the song is hastening the end of the world. Memory-tattooed magicians delve into deep dungeons to uncover black music discs that hold the secrets of magic while hedonistic kings shower themselves in treasures.

This game is much more dire than the other options on this list. As it is OSR, it will focus more on combat and dungeon-delving than connecting with the people around you, so I think it better reflects the corrupted dungeons of the different areas of Majora’s Mask, such as the poisoned waters of Woodfall Temple, or the animated dead of Ikana Canyon.

Bleak Spirit, by potatocubed.

Bleak Spirit is a storytelling game where you and your friends create a brooding, cryptic tale about a stranger in a strange land. Everything is falling apart, crumbling, corrupted, and the wanderer carries the potential for a return to past glories – or the power to sweep away all that remains.

You will all take turns playing the wanderer – the destiny-wreathed individual who is going to bring change to the world, one way or another. The wanderer is the one who faces the dangers of the world, who discovers the lore, and who will ultimately leave things different to how they found them.

Ultimately, Link doesn’t belong in Termina - he’s come from somewhere else, and he doesn’t want to stay there, he want’s to go home. Bleak Spirit is a GM-less game that lets the table dive into a world that is wrong, in one way or another, both creating the details of the world and narrating how the lonely adventurer meets every challenge.

The World Is Ending And We Are Very Large Dogs, by Eden.

The world is ending in one week. This we know for a fact. It is too late to stop it. It cannot be slowed down anymore. Especially not by you, because you are just a group of large dogs. All you can do is try and make the final days as best as you can for those that are near and dear to you. Your owners, your community, the other wild dogs in the park, whoever you hold dear.

The World is Ending and We Are Very Large Dogs is a GM-less collaborative storytelling game for 2+ players, wherein the players work to weave stories of bright moments in the face of Armageddon. The mood, intensity and tone of this game are up to you, the players, to decide, as the adaptable ruleset is designed for anything from a pulpy Mars Attacks-esque alien invasion to a a dark, mournful, melancholic ending.

This game comes with a number of various scenarios to reflect the range of tone you can play with when it comes to facing the end of the world. The dogs’ goal of doing their best to make their friends happy in the face of inevitable doom feels very similar to Link’s quest to help the people of Termina find peace even though their entire world is about to end.

Ten Candles, by Calvary Games.

Ten Candles is a zero-prep tabletop storytelling game designed for one-shot 2-4 hour sessions of tragic horror. It is best played with one GM and 3-5 players, by the light of ten tea light candles which provide atmosphere, act as a countdown timer for the game, and allow you to literally burn your character sheet away as you play.

Ten Candles is described as a "tragic horror" game rather than survival horror for one main reason: in Ten Candles there are no survivors. In the final scene of the game, when only one candle remains, all of the characters will die. In this, Ten Candles is not a game about "winning" or beating the monsters. Instead, it is a game about what happens in the dark, and about those who try to survive within it. It is a game about being pushed to the brink of madness and despair, searching for hope in a hopeless world, and trying to do something meaningful with your final few hours left.

If you really want to replicate the doom and hopelessness that the Clock Tower residents feel as the moon falls, this is absolutely the game for you.

Brinkwood SRD, by Far Horizons Co-Op.

This isn’t a game, but rather a system reference document for making your own game. I think this system is one of the best for creating a game similar to Majora’s Mask for a few reasons.

1. It’s built on Forged in the Dark mechanics, which give the players the ability to manage resources often at a cost. The players have to balance what is important and may have to make sacrifices to get what they want.

2. Clocks. Clocks are also great at imposing a sense of doom, by putting the characters on a clock and showing them what happens as time runs out. You could also include a mechanic that reverses the clocks to represent going back in time!

3. Masks. The masks in the original Brinkwood game transform their wearers, making them unrecognizable when they go on forays. You could use this mechanic to replicate a series of masks, all containing powers of beings who have died, in a story about a doomed world that your party is trying to save. What’s really interesting about this mechanic is that the Masks act as a separate set of playbooks that can be swapped among the party members, so that players can try out different powers and skill-sets. This is the biggest reason why I think the Brinkwood SRD would be fantastic for a Majora’s Mask kind of game.

(PS: if someone make this game please tell me about it)

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

ARC, by Momatoes.

Legend of the Forgotten Ballad, by coolwayink. (bigger version of the game on the way!)

#dnd #game recommendations #majora's mask #legend of zelda #loz #indie ttrpgs #tabletop games #asks #if nobody makes that majora's mask brinkwood hack then I will have to do it myself

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brucenorris007 · 3 months

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Akira Toriyama

Initially, I thought about describing what Dragon Ball means to me. How it was the first anime I really delved into, barring gateway shows; how my first exposure was a few minutes of episode 26, the way that Goku helicoptering back into the ring during his fight with Jackie Chun is what sticks in my mind.

I thought about trying to put into words the impact Toriyama's instantly recognizable art style had on how I viewed and thought about anime; how much influence his story had on my early development as a writer.

I considered sharing how I met my first lifelong online friends on a forum dedicated to fans of a web animation series inspired by Dragon Ball Z.

And yet. . .

It feels inadequate as a sendoff to a man who created perhaps the shonen hero. One of those characters that kids and teenagers worldwide literally responded to; raising their hands to answer his call, eager to partake in his fight against evil.

More appropriate, I think, to reflect on a few of the many lessons Toriyama gave us via Dragon Ball.

Life—and people—will often be confusing. Rather than running from what you don't understand, embrace and stew in the frustration of being confounded. That's the path to discovering what's truly important to you.

You will witness and encounter cruelty. Inevitably. Perhaps even disproportionately. But do not let fear of getting hurt dominate your life. Remember that there is also strength in kindness.

And that not all who are stronger than you wish you harm.

Find mentors. Anywhere you can; no matter how some carry themselves, isolation in excess will stunt your growth. No one achieves it all on their own. The forms your teachers take may surprise you.

But so will the culmination of what you learn from them.

Complacency is for fools. Life will dole out defeat. You will lose. Again. And again. And again. But you should not be discouraged.

Rather, rejoice that there are still summits you haven't climbed, that there's still more you can learn. Because life is an adventure.

And, of course, take to heart the teachings of the Kame school of martial arts; a philosophy not just for fighting, but for life.

Do not seek to grow so that you might impress or lord it over others, but for your own sake; to discover the best version of yourself and take even greater joy from life. But should anyone threaten you or the meek using their strength unjustly, make sure you set them straight!

Work hard, play a lot, learn all you can, eat well and rest plenty.

Such is the way of the Kame School.

You certainly worked and played, Mr. Akira Toriyama. I don't know that any number of words can properly encapsulate a human life. But I do know that you should rest easy, knowing how far your story reached, and how magnificently you inspired us.

See you again someday in Other World.

#Dragon Ball #Akira Toriyama #Dragon Ball Z #Son Goku #The one piece of art that isn't a screenshot is credit to #Jamie Loughran

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randomthefox · 12 days

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I wanted to love IDW when it came out, but then realized it never truly got me hooked with anything it attempted. The lack of humans bothers me too because Sonic's world just doesn't seem complete without them. I mean, what's Shadow's backstory is supposed to be now...? I'm glad it exists though because 1) it gives the fandom more characters to go wild with and 2) everything that can get people interested in the franchise is a good thing in my book. Heck, who am I to judge the comic enjoyers if I got introduced to Sonic through Sonic X and cannot objectively judge The Metarex Saga till this day. But your points are valid and I'm lowkey mad realizing that there were so many talented people working on things that somehow ended up being considered Ian's sole achievements...

IF the comics actually served the function of getting people "into" the video games then they wouldn't bother me. But that is clearly not what they're doing and not what they have ever done. People view the comics as a SUBSTITUTE for the video games, if not an overt superior replacement over them. So many of them flat out admit they want the video games to be turned into adaptations of the comics. They view the comics as the primary property and the video games are an albatross around its neck that they barely tolerate at best and actively cry for the downfall of at worst. The comics do not create Sonic fans, quite the opposite. The Sonic comics are made BY people who hate Sonic, FOR people who hate Sonic.

The other Sonic spin off media adaptations I don't care for but I can pretty easily ignore them. The only time they bother me is when people conflate them with the video games. It does genuinely annoy me when someone is talking about Game stuff and they just go off on a tangent talking about Sonic X as if that isn't a completely different continuity.

They should definitely be treated AS gateway drugs to get people Into Sonic. That is absolutely the purpose of a multi media franchise. They work as advertisements for one another. That's why they added a Movie Sonic skin to Sonic Colors Ultimate, it was a "hey you liked that movie? Well come check out the game look see this cosmetic makes him resemble the movie you're familiar with!" and stuff like that. SEGA doesn't own paramount or IDW the way Marvel/Disney owns their movie studio, they get the payout for the license but they don't make a dime on ticket or comic sales, so it doesn't benefit them to have the games act as an advertisement for the movies and comics - it needs to be the other way around, those alternative media projects need to direct people towards the games for SEGA to monetarily benefit from the advertisement. So if the movie or cartoon or whatever successfully brings people over to start playing the games, then they are doing their job successfully and I can't rag on them for that.

The comics are definitely NOT doing their job successfully. Nobody and I mean NOBODY puts down a copy of the comic and then decides "I'm gonna go buy that new Sonic video game." NOBODY finished reading Fang the Hunter and decided to buy Sonic Superstars to see how his story concluded. the comics are NOT acting as a gateway to Sonic. Because the comics are BY people who hate Sonic FOR people who hate Sonic. I find them intolerable. I refuse to tolerate them.

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dialux · 7 months

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Hello! Hope you're having a good day!! Idk if u got my previous ask, but I just wanted to know if you're still doing director's cut and if you are then could you do one for 'i imagined a dark world where the stars clamor to be inside us' aka the feanor and findis fic? I've read it so many times its insane and I just love it so much!! I'd love to know your thoughts when u wrote it

In your findis fic, at the end, is my understanding that feanor ended up making horcruxes or something adjacent to horcruxes right?

Combining these two bc I'm pretty sure they're from the same person!

Literally this started because of the LOTR/ASOIAF crossover AU, where Sansa's dropped into ME and mistakes Boromir for her father: I hadn't read LOTR in AAAAAAAGES and so I hopped onto Tolkien Gateway to learn more about the timeline. My search essentially went Boromir -> Third Age -> Age -> First Age -> Feanor -> SILM.

I then started reading the Silm (keep in mind this is in covid-lockdown in 2020) and found myself so absolutely disinterested in the Valar that I skipped all of it to go to chapter 6 (THEE Feanor chapter), and found myself very confused. So I hopped back onto Tolkien Gateway and used their incredibly useful family trees to keep everyone straight in my head. As I'm doing all of this, I'm struck by the similarities between the Finwean kids and the Stark kids, especially Findis/Sansa-- but at this point all I'm thinking is eldest daughter eldest daughter, nothing else. I put Findis into the crossover fic anyway (still know nothing about her apart from the TG page!) and get on with the rest of the Silm.

And then I find out that there are a number of similarities between Sansa and Findis beyond simple birth order, including favoring their mother, presumably being pious, etc etc. I start reading PoME and HoME. I start building an idea of Findis in my own head from, like, four lines total in all this reading.

Annoyed at the lack of canon material, I go to ao3. This is April of 2020; after filtering for languages, I get about a 100 works. I scan a few, but don't find the character I'm looking for. This is mostly because I've wholesale made this character up myself. I scowl at myself and sulk for a few days. Then I start writing. I post the story in a month's time, and in the process I've gotten so many feelings about the Silm that, a full three years later, I still haven't managed to deal with any of them.

Re: the story itself!! I personally think of the Finweans as a little bit incomprehensible, as more mythologized even to their own family than any normal elf; I wanted to explore that idea in the story, particularly how it feels when one person becomes a myth, and how it feels to be left behind when that happens. Feanor does it first, of course, but Findis isn't far behind-- chapter 2 is all about Feanor leaving Findis (and everyone else in his family, through Findis' eyes), but chapter 3 is very purposely from everyone's perspective but Findis, so we can see how it feels for them when she's walked away.

And yes, Findis does in fact create a couple of horcruxes. So does Feanor. They're good horcruxes, though, ig? Don't need murder, are simply like the... laboratory equivalent of soul fission, and yet with some ephemeral connection to the og soul. Afaik the Valar didn't ask before hallowing the Silms as well, so! Not exactly great when imperfect people have parts of their souls hallowed!

#if you have any more specific questions i'd love to answer #(even if i took months to get to this i'm so sorry :(((((()#dialux answers questions #anonymous #my writing #findis fic

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ufonaut · 1 year

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hi !! you said that u don’t rly believe in the entire conversation around superheroes + facism and i think i agree with u but i would love to hear more of ur thoughts abt that as someone who is more into older comics than anyone else i follow (afaik) and i think that brings a much needed perspective to the whole discussion. kind of an ironic ask cuz i am asking u to contribute to a conversation that both of us think is kind of pointless but i’m just interested in why u feel that way cuz i also feel that way !

hi!!!! no, this is a great, i think it's an interesting/much needed conversation to have and i've never gotten into it at length so forgive me if i'm less than articulate but basically my jumbled thoughts about this always come back to that alan moore interview that everybody & their mother loves quoting when discussing watchmen and related material

which is funny because i do, in some ways, agree with moore! it's just that what should be applied only to the monopoly marvel movies have on the current cinematic landscape & their status as glorified us military propaganda somehow ended up being applied to all comics & superhero media as a whole, which is ridiculous.

i feel like moore's primary issue is that in the years since watchmen he's lost his love of comics and basically became a rorschach level nihilist about the industry as a whole -- generally understandable as a result of that level of success but concerning when people without his specific circumstances echo these talking points. see, moore used to love comics, i mean he used to be out-of-his-mind-in-love with comics and you can tell that much from watchmen's text alone & the real (very much real!) comic book history found in the text pages and the in-universe pirate comic that could only come from a die hard fan of the medium. hell, you can't write a good deconstruction of the thing without knowing it inside and out but he's by no means the man he was then and his work has lost its appeal to me for this exact reason.

anyway, moving on from that, the general belief seems to be that superheroes are quasi-fascist to begin with -- cops, in effect -- and that their popularity is a sign of a downward slide into fascism and the worship of infantile stories that do not challenge your worldview and offer only comfort. like, this is what the superheroes & fascism conversation often comes down to and in keeping with the watchmen theme, i'll say that's also the most common & nonsensical complaint i've heard about doomsday clock (that and the fact that it doesn't revolve around one single subject ala the cold war in the og book, which is also nonsense). the thing is -- there's nuance here! it's completely nuts to say that an art medium created by jewish immigrants in the middle of wwii is a gateway to fascism, it's just nuts!

the golden age of comics did feature heroes that were idealized figures who respected the law, that's very much true, but there were also heroes who were believed to be criminals (like rex tyler, the 1940s hourman was a wanted man in his solo stories) and the justice society stood for things like hope & friendship but not an undying pledge to serve the us govt. above all, their politics were as explicitly anti-fascist as comics ever got because they were fighting literal nazis! i mean, my god, there was nothing childish about the stakes of that era of comics even if they were aimed at audiences of all ages!

and like, i suppose it's the silver age and not the golden one that most people are nostalgic for and it's the silver age that moore deconstructs in watchmen but that same nuance can be found there and by 1970 (a mere ten years into the silver age!) this exact discussion was being broadcast to the world by dc comics. hell, whatever can be said now about the bootlicker tendencies of the likes of hal jordan & similar characters, denny o'neil was already saying then:

(part of o'neil's 1983 introduction to the green lantern/green arrow volume collecting the infamous 1970s stories)

i guess what i'm getting at is that anybody who believes comic books cannot be challenging or liberating or political or sometimes downright revolutionary and anything in-between simply doesn't know comics! like film, like literature, like any art form, its values are up to its authors but the automatic connection between superheroes & fascism in the eyes of so many people is completely ridiculous and the public perception of the medium cannot be left up to mcu.

#SORRY THIS IS LIKE. RANDOM THOUGHTS. BUT I HOPE IT MAKES A TINY BIT AMOUNT OF SENSE AND YOU GET WHAT IM GETTING AT #AND ALSO TYSM FOR THIS #asks #manicpixiedreamkiller

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insomniamamma · 11 months

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hi mamma!

I have been lost in your writing since I found it. I love that you write multiple one shots in the same universes, my attention span is unfortunately short and my memory not the best. I love when your female characters are a prickly and a lil' gross. Was pleasantly horrified when one of them blew snot rockets, that was kind of my favourite thing in that entire story. Currently completely lost in in your Prospect stories, and looking forward to bedtime when I get to read another one. I want to live in the worlds you create. Thank you so much!

OMG! I cannot tell you how happy this ask makes me ❤️!! I'm so glad that you loved the snot-rockets, because, dammit, if you've been crying real hard and you're all stuffed up that is a very efficient way to clear that nonsense and get on with your day 😁 And like? Human bodies just do gross things. We fart and shit and cry and bleed and ooze and get zits and grow hair in strange places as we age. You cry and your head's gonna fill up with snot. You punch some shit-talking spacer in the mouth and you'll end up with bloody knuckles.

As for the personalities of my female characters? They are self-inserts first and foremost. I've written them to be as inclusive as I can, but at the heart of it they are a way for me to weave myself into these worlds I love so much. And honestly? IRL I feel like I have very little control in my own life. So sometimes these women act like how I wish I could act. They say the things I can't. And sometimes they murder people.

I'm glad you're enjoying my Prospect stories. The Mandalorian was kind of my gateway to the Pedro Pascal fandom, but Prospect sunk it's claws in and refused to let go. Because of all the hype from The Last of Us a lot of people are finding Prospect and this just fills me with joy. Because everyone should see it.

Thank you so much for this lovely ask, my friend! This made my day ❤️

#asks #anon asks #lovely anon

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elibean · 8 months

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Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

no need to apologize! this is a great question, thank you for asking! i think i'll go with anime just 'cause it's easiest (i have a MAL and rank every series i watch from 1-10). i originally had movies in here but i think i'm gonna cut them out and just keep it to series and ovas. and "why do you love them" is an AWESOME question I never get! i don't know if i'll be able to explain myself well, but I'll try!

fullmetal alchemist ('03). why? this was pretty much my gateway anime. it's been over 10 years I believe since I've last seen any of it, so it's entirely possible that my opinion has since changed. but i definitely have nostalgia goggles on for it, and i know it is actually good, too haha

2. natsume yuujinchou (specifically seasons 6, 5, 4, and 3). why? some seasons of natsume i have rated higher than others, apparently. natsume is a special show. due to the nature of how long it is, there is the drawback that sometimes it feels like it repeats itself and tells similar stories. but even then it is just such a good story of found family and finding love after a life of strife, and it's just. very good. (i do think it should end soon though before it feels like it's just recycling old stories)

3. made in abyss. why? season 1 still stands out to me above the movie and 2. it was such a special experience. the art, the animation, the background art, the music, it all comes together to create such a fascinating world. the weak point would definitely be its characters, but even then everything else comes together so well that it doesn't really matter. it has one of the best first episodes of any anime (when the sun came up over orth and the music cued in I knew I was hooked) and I also adore season 1's ending; if the show never got a continuation, it could have ended right there and I would have been content (not a lot of other anime can say the same about their endings!).

4. steins; gate. why? it's also been a very long time since i've seen this one, so possible my opinion has changed. still, I remember being super interested after the first episode, and the following 12 that people tend to critique as being "slow" or a "slog" never really felt that way for me. there was always something fun and interesting going on. i compare this one with link click a lot, just because people tend to go the magica route and i firmly believe steins;gate is the better time travel show (though lc isn't over yet so maybe an unfair comparison. still it'd take a LOT for lc to reach anywhere near the heights of steins;gate to me). when okabe goes back over and over to try and save mayuri, i just remember being absolutely floored. really good stuff.

5. vinald saga. why? it's just such a well constructed story. and the author's comments about not wanting a world with war is so interesting, given how violent the first season is. it's really interesting to watch thorfinn grow and change (and i never understood the hate that he was too violent or annoying or a brat? he's just a kid who's lost everything, cut him some slack jeez). i love the last shot of season 1, corny as it is-- all the memories reflected on the dropping knife was great. and askeladd was one of the best villains i've ever seen. he's not even ~morally grey~ or anything; he's pretty strongly in the wrong, but his thinking and motivations and everything are so interesting and compelling. i don't think it's perfect; there are flaws for sure (i wasn't the biggest fan of how in s2 canute just. decides to turn his ships back after a small conversation with thorfinn lol) but it is very good.

6. this boy cuaght a merman. why? ok this one objectively does not deserve a 10. it's a 30minute ova about a boy falling in love with a merman. that's it. it's not incredible or amazing or ground breaking. buuuuuut it's my favorite soubi yamamoto ova and i adore soubi yamamoto and so she's getting a place on this list. she is responsible for animating, storyboarding, backgrounds, directing, etc etc everything in here, it's incredible (and she was only like 25, or something when she did it. fucking bananas). i love her please go check out her works (besides crystallization)

7. noragami. why? ok again probably not objectively THAT good, but this is one of the first anime that got me to read the manga, and here I am some 10 years later (ok a little less than 10 years because I didn't start reading the manga the year it started publishing, I think). noragami's MANGA is incredible and amazing and wonderful. but I do believe (much against the popular opinion amongst noragami manga readers) that the anime is also amazing, and YES that includes season 1. the crew behind it really loved the manga I feel (at least the director did, and there's proof for that) and adapted it faithfully and well. noragami is a story of found family and of turning your life and fate around, and it's very good.

8. she and her cat: everything flows. why? this one is only 4 episodes, 8 minutes each. it tells a story of a 20-something (actually she's still in college iirc) who lives on her own with her cat, and is trying to be an adult. but it's told from the cat's perspective. it's so sweet; the cat comments on how she "grooms herself" (brushes her hair, puts on her interview clothes) and "looks pretty" and things and it is just so great. i love the line (not a direct quote) "she opens that heavy door again today and heads out. on the other side of that door is a somewhat unforgiving, somewhat cruel world. but she's doing her best to learn to love that world. and i love her for that." just....so good (also the show made me cry)

9. yuru camp. why? second iyashikei on this list! SOL/iyashikei is actually my favorite genre of anime, generally speaking, but it can be hard to do it well. yuru camp ABSOLUTELY does it well. i read a commentary once ages ago, about how one of the great things about yuru camp is that the girls are allowed to just... be girls, and it always stuck with me. there's no fanservice, and these girls really feel like real characters who exist. there was another commentary (maybe same one?) about how rin is this introverted, more lonesome character, but she enjoys the solitude. but what's cool about yuru camp is she is never forced to change or become more extroverted; her friends accept her for who she is, nadeshiko will invite her out but not push her, and then sometimes she does go out! and she changes and becomes a bit more social, but never gives up solo camping. AND the more extroverted, outgoing character INSTEAD comes to embrace solo camping! what a cool idea, executed amazingly! so the characters are a strong point here, but the banter and camping is a lot of fun too. i still haven't watched the movie, but i'll get there eventually!

10. odd taxi. why? this one is 100% on the writing. it is so clever and quick-witted, it's a ton of fun to watch. i've never watched any other anime like it. the mystery/thriller aspects are a lot of fun too, and i remember reading reddit threads and theories on this one as it was airing. what was so cool is that they plant subtle hints that you can ABSOLUTELY catch if you have sharp eyes (i likely wouldn't have if it weren't for reading others' theories) and you can know things before characters do. lot of fun.

wow this was so much fun to write up! thank you so much for the question!

#asks #elaine2895

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maddgical-boy · 1 year

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☁️🌈☁️ — QUEERER THINGS STILL

based off of an original story i conceptualized in 2020, and returned to in 2022. still having trouble writing the actual story, though. fun fact, this is currently my only original paracosm!

BELOW THE CUT: -> the world -> the paras (you can also see more art and such of them on toyhouse)

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ THE WORLD

this universe holds four realms: earth, thefalym, nesitralia, and immeamund.

EARTH hosts your everyday humans, as well as humans with magical powers! these superpowered people are embedded in earth's history. people on earth have created rules and regulations to help people who are adjusting to their new powers, as well as new laws when they are used for evil.

THEFALYM is the realm of the fairies! these fairies are the only beings that have the power to realm-travel, which is self-explanatory. this is a matriarchal society, as the fairies worship a goddess named whalfaiya, who is said to have created both humans and fairies. she cast the humans out because they displeased her, and the fairies have held a grudge against humans ever since. this religion is called faiyism.

NESITRALIA is the realm of "the cores," aka the centric beings of the universe. these primordial beings embody what is at the core of life: - the void mother (darkness) - children of light (light) - plitonye, rumoncia, and fialeil aka the lovers (platonic, romantic, and familial love) - king demiltury (time) - hibocaus, nyochthex, and amidacala aka the meorysts (memory) - the elemental (the elements) this realm is said to be extremely dangerous to travel to, because in order to even have a chance at meeting these beings you must defeat powerful monsters that shapeshift to represent your inner demons and hardships.

IMMEAMUND is the realm of the dead. it is ruled by the eye, a being shaped like an eye and formed by writhing hands of many different colors. it judges your life and determines whether you led a good life (in which case you dissolve and your life energy goes somewhere else in the universe) or a bad life (where you are alone in the void and every movement causes you immense pain). in order to judge you, the eye must know how you died, as that is its gateway into your memories. if you can't remember or have unresolved business, the eye will give you special powers in order to help you on your newfound quest.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ THE PARAS

i couldn't find a picrew that could make all five of them (they're deceptively difficult to make wtf) , so i have different ones for everybody. i think it looks cute, they're like a mish mash of lil cartoons :>

☠️ . ☠️ (edited skin, gloves, hair clips / edited skin)

ENYA LIAO | 15 | they/them | agender aromantic bisexual

enya is the main character/parame, and has the power to kill a living being with a single touch (skin contact).

they live with their neglectful parents in the neighborhood of merryday, and claim to have a ghost that follows them around. they figure that this is a product of having these powers-- if you have powers of death, why wouldn't you be able to see ghosts?

they can only remember their life after the point when they began seeing this ghost (a few months before the story begins), which bothers them and ends up driving the story.

🧚‍♀️ . 🧚‍♀️

THIERRY ASTERIA | 17 | he/him | cisgender gay

thierry has typical fairy powers, namely travel magic, various spells, and battle magic. he specifically likes to summon daggers and guns.

he is from thefalym, but lives in the human world after being disowned for leaving faiyism. because his parents are high-ranking members of fairy society, he left the realm entirely so as not to be reminded of them. later on in the story, he becomes rory's boyfriend in a rivals-to-lovers-esque dynamic.

😈 . 😈 (edited hair)

NOELLE MIYAKE | 17 | she/her | transgender heterosexual

noelle is one of the miyake twins, she insists she's the older one but who knows if that's true? she has the powers to manipulate darkness, as well as turn into the darkness herself.

when she came out as trans, she was rejected by her parents, so she and her brother were taken in by their aunt. the three of them moved to merryday at the beginning of the story and become enya's neighbors! like her aunt, she practices shinto.

💥 . 💥 (edited skin, clothes)

RORY MIYAKE | 17 | he/him | cisgender bisexual

rory is the other half of the miyake twins! he has the power to control sound waves, as well as emit sonic blasts using his voice. (think marvel's songbird or dc's black canary)

he is mostly the voice of reason to noelle's energy, and was "the good child" in his parents' eyes. he left home with noelle after she was kicked out because he wanted to stay with her, and developed a deep insecurity of ever becoming like his parents due to their favoritism of him. he is thierry's boyfriend and is the main one to teach him about earth society.

👁️ . 👁️

MONA / JOANIE LIAO | 19 | she/her | nonbinary lesbian

mona is the name taken on by joanie liao after her death, due to her not remembering her real name. her powers, gifted to her by the eye, is a third eye on her forehead that she can open at will. it gives her the ability to see someone's true intentions.

joanie is enya's adopted older sibling, adopted when she was 12 and they were 8. they were killed accidentally by enya before the story begins, and neither of them remember the event until the meorysts uncover their memories. she is enya's aforementioned "ghost," which is actually just flashes of memory that enya has of her.

#paraportal #maladaptive daydreaming #immersive daydreaming #madd #queerer things still*#yay paracosm infodump time!#why do the images format so shittily (at least on desktop). WHY ARE THEY ORGANIZED VERTICALLY AND IN VARYING SIZES??#dont know how to fix it + too tired. bye #enya liao*#thierry asteria*#noelle miyake*#rory miyake*#mona*#mark stops daydreaming for a sec.txt

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dlrconlicense · 1 year

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So some thoughts on The Mandalorian S03 now that it's all said and done.

Spoilers ahead

I totally understand the criticism of this season by some, it did seem like Din Djarin and Grogu were a bit sidelined this season. But were they though? They were absolutely a part of how this season's arc progressed, that arc being Bo-Katan's redemption and the retaking of Mandalore.

In a way, this series was made because of Jon Favreau's love (and obsession with) of his character on Clone Wars and his background. He got to explore and flesh out the lore of basically "his" people along with the guidance of Dave Filoni.

Of course, he was was going tell a story about Mandalorians. Din Djarin is our gateway into the Mandalorian culture, sub-culture etc. Din Djarin and Grogu actually changed Bo-Katan's view on the world, her people, and leadership. At the beginning of this season, we saw a dejected Bo-Katan. She has lost her way. Din and Grogu helped her back on her path. Their relationship evolves in a good way. Grogu now has another parental unit and Din Djarin gained another powerful ally and confidant.

(side note: I wouldn't mind if they had gotten together, but am totally fine with them not. I did get co-parenting vibes throughout the season though)

I also do feel like the live actions projects finally allowed Dave Filoni to tie up some ends that were left in the animated series. He definitely want to give the Mandalorians a fitting resolution. While she was definitely front and center of this season, and I do feel like scheduling and Clickers is part of the reason, Din Djarin and Grogu were instrumental in completing her arc.

They did have some character development, Din's pledge and the growth in his diplomacy, Grogu using the Force not for offense but defensively, it's subtle but it's there.

I think the only episode that I thought was a bit jarring was "The Convert." I didn't particularly like the episode but I don't think it wasn't important. This does plant the seed as perhaps the explanation of the start of "The First Order", but then again Dave Filoni was always tasked with things like this. Clone Wars was created to make the Prequels make more sense and more compelling. It was like watching the more serious, political episodes of Clone Wars, whereas the divisive "Guns for Hire" was more a planet-of-the-week episode of Clone Wars.

Speaking on "Guns for Hire", if you really ignore the whole cameo stuff, it's really fun to see a in-universe Star Wars police procedural. That and "The Mines of Mandalore" end up being the two episodes I really liked this season.

I was particularly surprised how neatly they wrapped up the story. In a way, it was a rather smart ending. You can leave them as is, but judging from the conversation with Carson Teva, it allows for a soft reset of the series. Jon and Dave can resume the task of the week format of the show in later seasons, while linking to the bigger scope of the Mandoverse and Mandalore. We can always check in on Mommy Bo. No, I do not think Gideon is dead. If Maul lost half his body and lived, Gideon is alive getting a bit flame-broiled. But seriously, they couldn't allow 30 puppet seconds for a "See you later, Mom!" scene with the boy?

I was a bit disappointed we didn't get unmasked Din Djarin this season. It's understandable given Pedro was in Canada with his other adopted child for a good chunk of production. But it narratively it also made sense. He literally just fell and almost drowned bathed in the Living Waters, no way he is going to remove his helmet any time soon. By the way, does anyone else play "Which is the Mando?" when they watch? I am definitely convinced it was Pedro in some of "Guns for Hire" and "The Spies". The way the helmet moves and where it sits is quite telling.

#The Mandalorian #spoilers #Din Djarin #Bo-Katan Kryze #Grogu #Moff Gideon

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silverbrume · 2 years

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MI6 Cafe Creators Tag Game

(Thanks for the tag, @3nigm4art!)

We’d love for people to keep getting to know each other after this year’s 007 Fest, so we’re starting this tag game!

Rules: Answer the questions, then tag 3 new people to complete this. Also, tag the person who tagged you and @mi6-cafe so we can reblog your response.

Note that when we say ‘fanwork’ in the questions below, that could mean a fanfic, gif, fanart, headcanon, cosplay, crocheted work---any kind of fancreation counts!

1. What work of yours challenged you when you were creating it?

This 00Q piece inspired by @dixkens Did I Fall Asleep? The whole time I was making it, I kept thinking, why did I make my life hard and choose a scene with four people?? I'd never drawn more than two people in a scene before this, so it was a lot of figures to finish. In addition, I wasn't sure how to keep the focus on Bond and Q when there were other characters around. Finally, Q isn't wearing glasses in this scene, so I couldn't lean on that salient feature. All good challenges!

2. What is a fanwork you’ve seen which gave you a new headcanon about a character?

This amazing Bond/Felix/Della headcanon post by wehaveacavetroll. I hadn't seen either of the Dalton Bond movies, so this ship was not on my radar at all, nor was ace!Dalton!Bond. Both were delightful revelations :)

3. Is there a fanwork that you really want to make, but you haven’t started yet?

There's a Dalton!Bond and friends piece I have in mind that I need to level up a bit more to accomplish. I'm imagining Pam flying the small plane from the end of Licence while Kara plays the cello balanced on top, with Bond dangling from the plane and Q dangling from Bond's hand and talking into his broom walkie-talkie :D

There are also a lot of fanfics I'd potentially like to illustrate as well!

4. What fanwork of yours surprised you, and how?

It surprised me when I made my first sketch of Dalton!Bond and it came out in a realistic style, because I'd only been doing cartoons/chibis for months before that. Maybe I needed to sketch him using realistic proportions before I felt ready to experiment with a cartoon version. Or maybe I needed to do cartoons for a few months before I was ready to try a realistic style!

5. What themes/styles/subjects are common across many of your fanworks?

Perhaps music and musicians? I'm still early in my art journey, so it remains to be seen.

6. What other fandoms do you create for, if any?

Inception!

7. Is there an artist that you like to listen to while you create? Or one whose work always inspires you?

I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks, video game soundtracks, and classical music. I go through phases of obsession as I discover new games and movies--currently, I'm really into the NTTD and OHMSS soundtracks. Otherwise, John Williams is the soundtrack composer I listen to the most, since I grew up on that music.

8. Share a fanwork that you’ve found yourself thinking about weeks after reading/seeing it.

The first fanwork that rearranged my brain was an epic Glee fic called All the Other Ghosts by rainjoyswriting. It made me realize that fanfiction had the power to tell stories that no one else would, stories that might resonate more deeply with me. It was the gateway to another world!

9. Finally, share where you post your works!

My tumblr fanart tag

Next I’ll tag: @mr-iskender @samanthahirr @dixkens

#mi6cafe #mi6cafe creators tag game #artists on tumbr

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ravageknight-eternal · 2 years

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HALO: GREEN AND BLUE; an Essay

One of my favorite moments in *Halo* can be completely missed without so much as a blink. You can (and I certainly did) *run* right over it, several times. In the level *Requiem*, attempting to reactivate the Cartographer and beneath a gleaming Forerunner bridge, is a strange artifact at the end of a small chamber. It’s a medallion, the omnipresent symbol for the Mantle and Reclaimers. Interacting with it yields a brief but meaningful interaction between Cortana, the Master Chief, and the mysterious environment around them. Cortana recognizes bits and pieces of Forerunner lore, Chief understands that it holds no pragmatic value in saving his friend and returning them home, and Requiem beckons. Silent, unknown, and rich with an ancient history.

I played through *Halo 4*, and subsequently ran right over this little piece of storytelling, numerous times. And now, after discovering it, I have played through and interacted with this medallion of the Mantle. It’s overall tiny addition to an already meaningful campaign to me represents something genuinely exciting for what the future of *Halo* could mean. *Halo 4* especially is rife with what 343 has manifested in different forms across all of its entries. Wandering around Requiem especially: things feel big, beautiful, majestic, in a way that is entirely unique to that game. Even the smaller, “on-rail” hallways and rooms feel *big* in the sense that at some point in development, even conceptually, it feels like a prime direction to be explored was genuine exploration. Guns down, monolithic spaces with an ethereal and mysterious vibe that feels like they would’ve been even more impressive, more meaningful, with something like that Medallion in *Requiem*: sentinels unfurling from Forerunner gateways like eerie metallic insects, the vividly alive machinery of the Shield World moving and pulsing as John and Cortana quietly converse.

*Guardians*, as well, explored this formula further with the actual realizations of its weapons-down missions. The two protagonist fireteams in a beautifully realized space, interacting briefly with NPCs and scannables. This was one of the best parts of that game, and felt like a deeply exciting glimpse into the future. Sanghelios and Meridian especially highlighted the depth of *Halo* as a universe, whether it was hearing Grunts alongside their Elite counterparts admiring a sunset, or hardy frontier types on an Outer Colony telling Spartans to get lost. Cheesy as it could be, *Guardians* felt like a step towards worlds that were more alive.

Enter *Halo: Infinite*. Lauded rightly for its detailed environmental storytelling (and criticized for an incomplete open world), *Infinite* feels somewhat like a step back. Maybe less instead of a deliberate drop in quality, and more because of a lack of capitalizing on those previous successes. FOBs, marine squads, and High Value Targets are all positive additions, but are lacking in connection. Imagine a *Halo: Infinite* where singular marines or rescued squads could be interacted with as NPCs, ascertaining the location of areas of interests or even just hearing a story of how someone was captured, a war story from back when this particular veteran survived against the Covenant. Imagine interacting with hidden Forerunner terminals and unlocking new ways of transport and exploration like hidden passageways, teleports, or interesting tools of engagement like friendly turrets and Sentinels. *Halo: Infinite* has all the tools to create a cohesive narrative-connected-world, and instead drops the ball.

- An exciting way of telling stories in Halo should reflect the mindsets of its characters. Cortana was curious, but driven by cleverness and an infiltrators mind. The Weapon is curious, but guided by naive excitement and interest, perfect for introducing complex concepts to generalized audiences. Master Chief (and Blue Team should they return) is pragmatic, determined, and fiercely aware. Locke (and Fireteam Osiris should they return) are more multifaceted, made up of specialist/intelligence operatives, somewhere between cautious and curious, intuitive to out-of-the-box solutions.

- Marines are a staple of *Halo*. Elites, NPC Spartans, even Sentinels and other Forerunner constructs should become outlets for genuine interaction. Let me talk to my allies at a FOB, let me engage with freed marines or even have little things like radio chatter out in the field, etc. *Far Cry 5* does this surprisingly well where any number of NPC groups can be interacted with, spoken to, and information gleaned. The world feels much more alive and fluid where instead of placing a marker on a map I follow, I can listen to someone directly, and then follow said directions at my leisure or pace.

- Give me tools, mysteries, and adventures to interact with. The environment of Zeta Halo is absolutely stunning. It’s also incredibly empty of anything that feels remotely *present*. There’s nothing to touch, nothing to stumble into that responds to the presence of a Reclaimer or a Meddler. Nothing. Nothing replicates that brief, wonderful moment under the bridge in Requiem. Zeta Halo especially is fantastic for this kind of innovation because it seems at one time or another that was the intention: large caves, Forerunner pylons, and numerous empty chambers seem to indicate heavily that one point or another the environment was much more lively. Give us signals that lead to Domain-intertwined areas, or terminal areas filled with more than just a few shielded enemies and an upgrade cache.

*Halo* has an astoundingly rich universe. That’s why we’re here. Regardless of the mistakes and missteps 343 has taken in each of the entries into the franchise, I am in the belief that the games have improved in one way or another, even if they’re small or isolated. *Infinite* is the skeletal outline of something that could be so much bigger, so much more immersive, and innovative.

#halo #gaming #halo: Infinite #halo 4 #halo 3 #gaming essay #review #exploration #RPGs #rpg

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pt-disconnected · 1 year

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Anonymous Ask Responses #20

This one is pretty delayed, sorry about that. But I will say there's some interesting ones here. And some amusing ones. But with that out of the way, let's just get straight into it.

————————

First, some from before the latest iteration in the series. Lots of these ones, so I'm sticking with ones I found interesting.

@prhthezanko:

"Oh interesting~ Toriel now knowing about the soul being Player's... Now thats gonna bring up a lot of questions, especially the way they found Kris in the first place. Though I do have to ask, how is Player going to go around town to the other Dark Worlds without being seen by others?" As we saw earlier, the group made their attempts to hide the Player while headed to the school (with it succeeding to fool everyone except Berdly). However this won't be how it happens every day, so that will get complicated for the group as time goes on.

———

also @prhthezanko:

"Ah yes, Toby is the one who planned this all. Toby created a connection to another world to get a more immersive story. Though, he didn't plan on it being literally immersive. Here's a small idea, since this time travel is inside said world, and not in the Overworld, it more like an auto pilot, and to keep the paradox, it automatically disconnects at the point to prevent timeline corruption. I don't think Gaster would risk a temporal paradox that might endanger his plan, right~?" Mmm, more like the game window can be open at a given point in time. Normally this would flow with time the same as any other situation, but with the altered SAVE data, it gets a little screwy since it isn't pulling a character in the game back in time, and thus not affecting the actual timeline at all. Everything goes the same until a new element, the Player, is introduced. And since the Player has gone in and out of the timeline already, the game simply works around that- if they encounter themselves, then they likely either change future events or just get pulled back again. This might be due to an error in the code of the 'gateway', since there's not supposed to be two of the same character at any given point. That's part of why the Player needed the avatar in the first place. Errors in the code do usually cause the window to close however, which could mean one of two things. One, the Player is spat back out of the Light World into the Over World again. Two, they become trapped in the Light World until they manage to reopen the 'gateway'.

We'll see which of these options works best for story purposes. :)

———

"I hope I didn't miss anything here but will Kris play as a party member given that the player is now an individual character that isn't controlling Kris anymore?"

It's less because the Player is an individual character and more that Kris no longer has a SOUL that can get hurt. But we don't fully know that whole mess yet. We'll see soon enough.

———

"When kris was kicking player in part 8, the only thing I thought of was John Mulany saying 'stay down on the ground you motherfucker' lol" Kinda what Kris was doing. They were sick of the Player choosing for them and wanted to exact revenge, and when they can't fight back it's a lot easier to do that. But, well, we saw what happened in the end. Hitting someone while they're down is a cheap fighting technique, and that's kinda why I put it here. Kris was willing to use such low blows because of how aggravated they were.

———

"I just realized that in part 8 when player tellis kris to “strike them down and get their freedom” it was referencing the asgore fight in undertale where asgore tells frisk to do the same thing"

Close, but honestly not quite. Asgore says (word for word) "take my soul, and leave this cursed place". But it definitely was a part of what that scene was based on. A small part admittedly. It also is a nod to how the SPARE function works in Undertale, outside of the Asgore battle anyways. You don't fight back- you take each hit, and you just grin and bear it, continuing to try and connect with them and see what they're like. You never really think about what it looks like from the other side though...

———

"Seam saying the stuff about the player just makes me think of the snowgrave route"

I wonder why? Maybe it was intentional? :) But seriously though, if someone who did the Snowgrave route for fun had gotten this sort of situation, things would be a lot worse. And no, I'm not gonna go down that path for any spin-off stuff. Too dark. (Doesn't mean I'm gonna stop anyone else.)

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@prhthezanko:

"Oh I love the details. The souls, the fact that Player will still have control (assuming nothing stops that), and so much. Here's an interesting thing, What would happen if the Player would reset just after Disconnection? Would they be able to go back before the Disconnection or would they end up at the point of Disconnection? Basically, would they be able to reset where Kris would have the soul still or would the Disconnection of the soul lock them out of the previous saves."

The timeline for that segment is fixed- anything that has been witnessed by the Player becomes a fixed event. Timelines are weird, but I'll try and explain it.

The timeline of the Light and Dark worlds is, in a way, separate from that of the Over World. The game is more or less a 'gateway' into a particular time and place in one of those worlds. Normally, the timeline is just an A to B line.

But when the Over World gets put into play, things are different. With the Player witnessing things from outside, those events are locked into place- anchoring points of sorts. This means that if the Player sees or experiences an event, it can't be reset. This is because of the distinction between Kris and the Player. Kris, being part of the world, would pull everything else back with them- otherwise there would already be a copy of Kris there, and that would break things immediately.

But the Player, upon arrival, hadn't existed until then. So while they can go back in time, they don't actually pull the rest of the world back with them. This is why they saw themselves at the Heaven/Hell gate split- they hadn't pulled the edge of the timeline back. As mentioned earlier, encountering themselves directly, with the added notation of directly changing the timeline by altering their past self, would likely cause an error in the 'gateway'. But things like this, where their past self is left unaltered, are stable, and will remain in place.

Since the Player witnessed and directly influenced the disconnection of the SOUL, it is a fixed event. If they were to alter it, then things would just revert to an earlier state before the attempt to change it. Paradox protection of sorts. If the Player never disconnected the SOUL, then they would have never been there to stop themselves from disconnecting the SOUL. Another error in the timeline.

I will say that the particular situation you bring up is interesting. It could have many implications. However, for the time being, the Player is not going to stop themselves from disconnecting the SOUL- likely only to encourage it- and none of the in-"game" characters can change it either...

———

"I’m guessing gaster will be the reason why player will go back in time again"

"Wait player will go back in time again. how far back will they go?"

Firstly, Gaster may be involved, but that remains to be seen. We'll see sooner or later.

Second, it could be a variety of possibilities. Could end up going back to the beginning of the story. We have no idea.

———

And now we return to asks from after the most recent story segment. If your ask from before that point wasn't responded to, I sincerely apologize. There's just too many of them to get all of them in one post with a reasonable size. This on its own is a whole AAR segment on its own! (Also back to the usual indicator for between questions, eight lines instead of three)

————————

First, a few of the reaction "asks".

"Ooh things are getting interesting!!"

"I’m excited to see what happens next!"

"Ooh it’s about to go down!"

I'm glad I can make the story enjoyable enough for you all! It's honestly fun to write whenever I'm not dealing with writer's block ._.

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"I wonder what will happen now" (x2)

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"Wait so where did player sleep when they were at Kris and Toriel’s house" (also x2)

Probably either the couch or one of the chairs. Pretty simple. (Though I will say I get the confusion.

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"Yay you’re back!"

Yeah, kinda ^-^; I still have lots of stuff going on and Christmas break was more hectic than I thought. But I'm still gonna do my best...

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"'You went off-topic. Again. You do that a lot. Can you just, for once in all these interactions, just get the information out?' Lol player is literally all of us"

...isn't that the point? XD

But seriously Gaster is the master of monologue. Susie could probably just sneak behind him and scare him to give him a heart attack and win. We don't need three hours of riddles and stuff when you're gonna explain it anyways with five minutes of actual information.

But of course, such is his character and personality.

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"Player: I know I said I wanted to be a part of this game but this is not what I was expecting"

Player: sees the game doing stuff without them Also Player: WHY DID I GET SUCKED INTO THE GAME THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN

I mean seriously, you see a game doing weird things and don't stop to think "hey that's weird maybe I should just not mess with it"

and instead say "oh cool I want to mess with it and put myself in"

and then are surprised when you are literally put in.

In all seriousness though, you hit the nail on the head.

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@hypnonerdcookiepatrol:

"So the player is staying in the dark world"

For now anyways. :)

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@prhthezanko:

"At long last, we end up at the part where we decided to see things through. But now, this is when it all changes, right~? Will the Player get the timeline control again since Kris should be disconnected? Or will there be some unintended side effects of meddling where you shouldn't? Time will tell, and reality shall break.

Determined to see the end, the Player ventured recklessly, but now, they will face the consequences of their actions, and the consequences shall be seen by them firsthand. Will Gaster keep them there because the soul is needed for his plan, who can tell~?"

...holy crap you just wrote that description they have on the back of the book what the peck

Anyways, we'll just have to see how it works out with the Player in the mix. We don't quite even know what we're dealing with in the first place! So yeah, definitely gonna be a tough part to write.

I will say that I'm gonna try not to go down the path of Chronology (another really good fan-continuation to Paper Trail, go check it out), so while there may be bits and pieces inspired by that, it's not going to be that at all.

So yeah, this one may take a while to write. I need to figure out a lot of unknown factors.

That being said, I'll do my best to make sure it's a really good part. I sadly can't guarantee anything (since I personally have no idea how good it is until I post it and see reactions), but I will strive to do my utmost.

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And with that said and done, Anonymous Ask Responses #20 comes to a close. I hope you all understand how difficult it may be for this upcoming story part, plus college difficulties on top of that. However I do have a few ideas already, so it may come out sooner or later depending on how much I can weave together.

Thank you @prhthezanko for continuing to send interesting asks with pretty much every iteration of AAR, and sorry if I do miss your asks sometimes ._.; and also thanks to all the Anons, the asks do keep me somewhat motivated (even though I'm pretty sure there's a few asks that are from the same person, hah).

Hopefully the next part of story will be good, as it definitely is gonna be a tough one to write. But until then, I'll see you all later!

#undertale #deltarune #paper trail #lynxgriffin #pt disconnected #anon asks #hypnonerdcookiepatrol #prhthezanko #the gif #time travel: complicated as always #what is the gateway #good question #i don't know either

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inkabelledesigns · 2 years

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second question: how does age work? You wrote that Auran found the gateway to the human world in "modern times". That implies that he's really really old? Same thing came into my head when I read through the stuff on your Odette doll. Idk if it was intended and maybe I'm just overthinking but the way everything was written felt very "unaging folk" to me. Also pardon the weird phrasing in the last ask, 1) character limit 2) it's 1am I should definitely go to bed

You are a-okay Rubin, this makes sense and I'm happy to answer! So this is one of the details that I really love diving into. This may get a bit long.

What if I told you the flow of time in Equinox was dependent on someone's lineage?

Equinox is a land of fairytales, and as such, it is very magical. The original story of The Nutcracker happened here hundreds of years ago, and Hans and Clara inherited the land to rule and care for as their own. And they were happy doing so for many years. But along the way, there was a horrible coup against the royal family from the mice that resulted in the deathof Queen Clara and her two daughters, and when this happened, the world fell asleep. Clara is important to Equinox, it was her bravery and love for Hans that broke his curse and brought the land back to life in the first place. With her gone, there's no more wonder, no more magic.

That is, until someone new comes along and finds the entrance to the kingdom. I don't have a name for this character yet, but she finds herself stumbling into this magical realm much like Clara did in her youth, and her touch wakes it back up and starts the flow of time again. For as long as she keeps the doors between worlds open, time will pass, and the same goes for her descendants, all self proclaimed guardians of the realm. Some keep it open for just a short time, a few hours, maybe days, whereas others keep it open for months or years. One descendant, Thilda, keeps it open for a significant amount of time, as she falls in love with a doll who lives on the other side and visits him often. Thilda is the grandmother of the newest guardian, Marigold Sycamore, Marie for short. By the time Auran and co. end up meeting Marie, time is a bit screwy, I don't know how old he is exactly by then.

But this also lends itself to a very interesting note about aging. Dolls don't age the same way humans do. A doll is built to look a certain age (usually an adult since doll children are illegal in this world), and they look that age forever. Granted, when a doll is first brought to life, they do need some time to adjust and develop mentally, but the way you see a doll's age has more to do with their maturity and the condition of their pieces than their appearance. Dolls also live a lot longer than humans, but they can and do die. A doll's memory is stored in the different parts of their body, and the more you replace your parts, the more memory you lose, so there isn't much incentive to keep replacing your pieces unless you want to forget everything. When a doll reaches the end of their life, they tend to go somewhere where nature can reclaim them and their spirit is preserved. The Forest of the Forgotten is one such area where this is commonly the case.

Odette is trickier, because she used to be human before entering Equinox, but her curse has changed her. She has the shape of a human, but she is both part swan and part magical lake, as is her husband, Siegfried. While not immortal, the two are frozen in time with everyone else, so it's very unclear how old she is once we get to modern times. I know she's still around though, Marigold meets her at some point.

To be hones there's a lot of timeline stuff I need to work out. But I know that Clara dies within Auran and Loraine's lifetime. Because the second adventure they go on together, about six months after they're created, is with the royal daughters, who are close to ten and twelve years old respectively. And I know that they're about preteens/teenagers by the time disaster strikes, meaning Auran and Loraine haven't been around for all that long before the world falls asleep. Sorry, this was musing for my own sake, I haven't thought about this in a while. X'''D

#auran dulce #auran nutcracker #chronicles of equinox #odette #passage of time #aging

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