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#i’m genuinely so proud of this fictional character and how far he’s come
mars-ipan · 3 years
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thinking abt how ever since edgeworth started making the change to be a better prosecutor and work on achieving the truth rather than a guilty sentence he immediately started getting in trouble with the higher-ups... the self-doubt that must have instilled in him.. especially for someone who was just forced to remember all of his trauma and come to grips with the fact that the man he thought was like a second father was actually a horrible person who never truly cared for him and in fact killed his birth father...
and edgeworth has had perfectionism drilled into his brain since like... 9 years old. imagine being “perfect” your whole life and when you start trying to heal from the abuse you never realized you were a victim of you immediately face backlash from the people whose praise you sought for YEARS.... the fear that you were making the wrong choice... damn....
#like. i can see why he faked his death. this was a man who had too much to deal with#and was so used to not having a support system that he didn’t (and still doesn’t really) even know where to begin asking for help#because for most of his childhood being vulnerable was considered a bad thing#but also like. he probably started seeing a therapist over in europe and the amount of growth he went through in just a year? amazing#he comes back completely confident that he’s doing the right thing (maybe not fully but ‘fake it til you make it’ is a good strategy)#and even when he’s still facing backlash. still getting in trouble. still having his badge threatened#he KNOWS he’s making the right choice and refuses to back down#because if he were wrong he wouldn’t be as happy as he was now. he would still be studying under mvk and cursing that man for ruining things#and like... whenever that self-doubt seeps back in (hard to say if it’ll ever fully disappear) all he has to do is look around him#and he remembers all the people that love him so dearly and how he would not be able to accept that love if he had not made this decision#and he trusts them- so he trusts that they love him for a good reason#and i just....#sorry i don’t normally rant about edgeworth but like. that dude’s been through so much#the amount of growth he went through in such a short time span is amazing. it’s silly but#i’m genuinely so proud of this fictional character and how far he’s come#i hope he is too. in whatever little universe he may exist in
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mynameisnowwyrm · 3 years
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Spoiler warning
TL;DR horrible adaptation, but very enjoyable on it’s own
(Also just wanted to say I was so sure I was going to hate this bc of what’s different but they changed so much the cartoon and the live action are barely connected in my head)
Okay my review will be split up into two parts: fate: the winx saga as an adaptation and as a standalone work
As an adaptation:
0/10. Maybe 0.5 if I’m being generous.
The things that were unchanged from winx club:
There are characters named Bloom, Stella, Musa, Aisha, Sky and Riven
Aisha, Bloom, Stella and Sky resemble their cartoon counterparts
Riven is an asshole
Bloom is a dumbass
Magic exists
The specialists exist
Main characters go to schools for magic and specialists respectively
The dragon flame is a thing
Witches exist
Other than that it’s a completely different show. The plot vaguely resembles season 1 of winx club only in that Bloom is trying to discover her true heritage. Musa, who is supposed to of East Asian descent is not, Flora was not included and in her place is a different character with similar powers, Tecna was excluded entirely ( I believe this was to distance the show from the futuristic elements of winx club and focus only on fantasy, which doesn’t make sense since they changed Musa’s powers ).
The magic system was changed. Fairies don’t on the regular transform since in the show the know-how to do so was lost, though Bloom does unlock the ability in the finale. Instead of each being a fairy of an individual concept, everyone’s powers ale element based, with Musa’s powers being changed to her being an empath. While this does feel more generic, it makes more sense from a world building perspective and I can see why they changed it.
The fashion is horrible. You will never be able to convince me teenagers dress like that. One of the reasons the original cartoon was enjoyable was all the colourful, fun clothing. The clothes feel dated and too mature for the characters, like I can see a twenty-something person in 2013 wear some of those outfits. It especially feels like a missed opportunity since 2000’s fashion is coming back into style.
The characterization of some of the characters compared to winx club was hit and miss. Riven was an ass and Bloom was impulsive and naive, which is accurate, but Stella, oh Stella was a disappointment. Stella was a jealous, manipulative bitch, which in context of her character backstory makes sense, but is so far from her original portrayal. Cartoon Stella was spoiled and at times self centered, but she was also genuinely kind, helpful and bubbly. To see her character take a 180 and become the all too familiar jealous ex archetype was upsetting.
Now, aaaaall that being said, I don’t believe we should judge this as an adaptation. They changed so much that it is quite literally a new story. So let’s see how it stands up on it’s own.
Summary, taken from the wiki
The series tells the story of Alfea, a fictional boarding school where teenagers study. The world inside this universe is not only magical and full of monsters, but it is also a world of real teenagers who do the most common things: make friends and enemies, go out and of course... fall in love. They are eager to find their place in this world. This universe is different from the one we have all known for a long time.
The attention is focused on a group of proud teens, also well-designed female characters. Sometimes they are heroines, sometimes weak girls. Sometimes they are friends, sometimes rivals. Of course, they are not perfect, but they are real. A group of girls who did not know each other until they are included in the same team inside a school that is strange to them. They will meet forces that are beyond their control and things they do not understand. But, throughout the series, they will find themselves, form an indestructible bond, and transform into powerful and strong girls, ready to change not only the supernatural world, but also ours.
Character summary:
Bloom is a newly discovered fairy from the human world who is attending Alfea college in the otherworld. There she meets her new roommates: chatty Terra, athletic Aisha, uptight Stella and stand-offish Musa. She also meets Sky, Stella’s ex, who is training as a specialist.Shortly before coming to Alfea, Bloom discovers she has magic powers by almost burning her house down and killing her parents. She is distraught over this and it is why she is eager to gain control of her powers.It is discovered that Bloom is a changeling, a barbaric practice where a fairy baby is exchanged with a human one. This leads Bloom on a quest to discover her true heritage.
Musa is an empath, she can feel the feelings of everyone around her. To shut them out and escape she listens to music through her headphones. This leads to her initially coming off as uncaring when Terra tries to get to know her better.
Terra is an earth fairy with a particular talent for making plants grow. She is very nice and chatty, eager to make friends, but not afraid to stand up for herself. She struggles with finding someone to like her and compares herself to “cool girl” Beatrix who has boys following after her.
Aisha is a water fairy who swims twice a day every day. She comes off a a good person who wants to make friends and do the right thing. She also tries to do everything in her power to protect her friends.
Stella is a light fairy and princess of Solaria, the realm in which Alfea resides. She is repeating her first year due to an event prior to season one where she lost control of her powers and blinded her best friend. She is very uptight due to her perfectionist mother and tries to exert control in every other area of her life, when this doesn’t work, e.g. when someone flirts with her on-again-off-again boyfriend she gets jealous and causes trouble. She is also generally rude to the people around her.
Sky is a specialist legacy and Stella’s on-again-off-again boyfriend who has an interest in Bloom. His father was a famous specialist and he was raised by his father’s best friend.
Riven is Sky’s roommate, best friend and a genuine asshole. He insults and antagonizes everyone around him and gets involved with Beatrix. He seems dissatisfied with the life of a specialist.
Beatrix is an air fairy with a lightning powers. She seems mysterious and looks to be the villain of the season. She has enlisted the help of Riven and Dane.
Dane is a first year specialist who first seems to be friendly with Terra but gets sidetracked after spending time with Riven and Beatrix.
What I didn’t like:
The world building is sparse and the magic system is generic. I feel like things could have been better expanded upon. Throughout the show they bring up archaic fairy magic but it’s never really explained how that’s different from current fairy magic.
The interactions between Riven and Dane come off as a bit queerbait-y although they could be setting things up for a second season.
Everyone is constantly so rude towards Terra. Even her supposed friends are mean to her. What gives?
Stella was constantly rude to everyone but by the end they are all the best of friends when she really hasn’t changed much. Also Stella being the jealous controlling ex archetype and not enough people calling her out on her bullshit.
What I did like:
For a Netflix teen drama there is surprisingly little sex between the teenagers. This might be subjective but it was refreshing for me.
Again subjective but I could definitely relate to Bloom’s antisocial teen flashbacks
Beatrix was a fun villain
Though the story might be a little generic, I felt it was compelling throughout. I genuinely wanted to know what happened next.
The story was well paced. It never felt like anything was dragging along
Overall:
The show was definitely enjoyable to watch. There is a lot of room for improvement. It sometimes felt like different plot lines were unconnected and the costume choices leave a lot to be desired. Aside from that they set up a solid story and likable characters (some of whom I love love and love to hate) which I very much want to see further developed in the future. As a stand-alone work 6/10
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joshslater · 3 years
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Twitching
Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.
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To my surprise people keep joining the stream. Usually it was only my friends and occasionally someone random that watched me play. Space strategy games are not the most audience-friendly. They require you to know a lot about the game mechanics, and they take a long while to play through a full campaign. But all my mates know the game, and are just here to socialize and sometimes provide a tip.
This evening is different though. It had started with some "Lucy333" joining what must have been almost an hour ago. More than 30 minutes for sure. But over the past 10 minutes I've gotten 12 more viewers I think. Suddenly there is a coin sound effect and the chat stream lights up with a donation. $2 from Lucy333 and the text "Hey, spaceboy! Take your shirt off!"
I can instantly feel myself blushing. I'm flattered for a few milliseconds. I'm aware of the streams with girls showing lots of skin to get donations. I've never watched any of them. I'm not even aware of any with boys in them, but I know they exist. "Thanks for the donation, Lucy. This isn't that kind of stream though, clearly." I'm just playing for my mates when we don't feel like meeting up or doing something else. And I know I'm not a looker, though not shockingly ugly like Pete. Honestly, if there wasn't a pandemic going on we would probably do exactly the same thing anyway, playing space strategy and talk Marvel.
There is a flurry of responses from the newcomers in the chat. "Do it! Do it!" says one Donnatrix. "It could be that kind of stream," says fluffy2000. Soon my mates start cheering on as well. It basically turns into a dare. I'm not proud of my body, but I'm not ashamed of it either. It just is. Fuck it. I don't know what I'm going to be teased for more, if I take my shirt off, or if I don't. I reckon if I do what they ask for they have less ground to stand on. I set the game speed to low, say "Ok then", take off my headset, and pull off my T-shirt.
I'm met with a torrent of cheers in the chat. "Now it is that kind of stream," says fluffy. Donnatrix drops $5 and the comment "YAAAASSS". It feels weird. I can't decide if this is a group of sorority girls that randomly and sarcastically sexualize nerds, or if they are genuinely supportive.
"Thank y'all. Now back to trade route 14 to Zephyr-C". My emissary mission hasn't moved far at this speed. I'm about to increase the in-game speed when I get another $2 donation from Lucy. "Spaceboy, keep the game in slow mode and jump over to Heavenly Bodies."
I have no idea what she is talking about, if she even is a she. Her message is instantly met with a wave of support from the other newcomers. At this game speed it would take hours before I need to take any action, and I'm already up a Whopper meal without having done anything, so I reckon I can play whatever they want me to play for a while. Who knew I was that easily bought? "I don't know what that is," I say into my headset.
A few seconds later Lucy sends me a private message with a TinyURL. "This better not mess with my game rig. If it's porn I'll switch back to the game." I say. "It could be that kind of stream too." fluffy offers in the chat. "He could use some porn tbh" my friend Mike responds. I click the link.
The browser loads something that looks like a web game. It's a character creation screen with a faceless, very neutral model on the screen. Looks like those posable figures you use when learning to draw. There are no controls, except a set of buttons that offers you to upload settings, import from Facebook, and similar. I click the Facebook one, click a few approvals, and a progress bar that only lasts a few seconds appears. When it is gone there is a 3D model of me on the screen. "Wow! This looks just like me." Whatever AI they have combing through my online photos managed to get almost everything right. I'm wearing some sort of speedos, but I don't own any, so that part was a miss, but the model looks spot on. "Whatever else they have in the game, I don't think they are going to top this."
A long list of sliders and customizations appear on the screen. It looks like an incredibly detailed character creation screen. I try moving the height controller and is met with a message box saying I'm out of credits, and that I need $10,000 to change my height to whatever I moved it to. Clearly not real money. "I can't change anything". Lucy responded I need to share it. I exit fullscreen on the game and move the browser over to my other screen so everyone on the stream can see. "No, you need to click the share button in the UI and post the link in the chat", Donnatrix writes.
A big gift-wrapped box appears in the corner of the game window. I click it and it presents the text "Hair color and style" with bold letters and below that a text message from Lucy "I think this will be cute on you." I click accept and the 3D model is updated with new hair. It's dark blonde or whatever the oxymoronic name is for it, instead of my usual rat brown hair. It's short on the sides and on top is a big swooping quiff. It looks utterly silly. "Thanks, nice one," I tell the stream. I see a lot of cheers coming in the chat, but I'm a bit perplexed about the "OMYFUCKING GDO!" from Mike. It's just silly hair.
Immediately a new gift box appears on the screen, and soon after a (2) is added on top of it, possibly indicating two gifts waiting. I find it a little bit cute that these girls are essentially playing with paper dolls, but digitally and modeled after someone real. I open the next gift, "Facial Features" from Julia_Awesome. I click accept again, and the doll on the screen is updated. Weirdly it felt like a flash of heat hit me, like those flame effects on concerts. The doll still looks like me, but pretty fictionalized. The face is much sharper, not just less fat, but probably also some bone structure changes as well. It's equally interesting and disheartening, like one of those really good mobile phone filter apps that makes you into a photo model. Makes you understand how unobtainable the Men's Health cover look really is. "Thank you, Julia, but I'm not sure about this look."
I'm ignoring the chat, though I see it is going bananas. I'll have to read that later when the stream is over. I open the next box. Another two has already arrived. This gift is from Donnatrix and is "Core Body", whatever that means. It feels like a gut punch. Perhaps not that, because it doesn't hurt, but it knocks the air out of me. Almost made me fall out of the chair. I'm confused about what is actually happening though because things don't make sense. My body looks deformed. It takes a moment before my brain stops associating what I see with HR Geiger's nightmarish paintings and start to understand what I really see. My body is suddenly a lot leaner and a hell of a lot more stacked than before. Proper abs muscles like a pan of Hawaii rolls.
I look up at the main screen for the first time in what feels like an eternity. The model on the screen looks ripped as well. How stupid can one person be? I turn to the side monitor and look at the window from the webcam. It's me, all new muscles, strong jaw, and a silly quiff on top.
"Hold up! Hold up! Hold up! This is insane! This isn't possible."
"lol, of course not" I see moving by in the chat. I go back to the program. Four more gifts waiting. I look at the model on the screen. I look at the webcam view. "Arms" says the next gift with the text "Promise to flex for me." Well, fuck Zephyr-C and trade route 14.
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kerikaaria · 3 years
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Premiere
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(Jungkook x gn!Reader) Oneshot, Established relationship
Genre: (G) Fluff
Warnings: None!
WC: 1.8k
Description: You’d do anything for your boyfriend, even if that meant sitting through the premiere for a horror movie.
A/N - Written for the lovely @aroseforyoongi ‘s birthday! We were given random prompts by picking two random numbers. My words were: Dedication and horror. AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO. HORROR???? I couldn’t figure out where to go with that! So I’m also giving a HUGE thanks to @eternalseokjin​ for being amazing and giving me the basis for this little oneshot! 
Happy birthday, Dianchie! I wish you all the best, always.
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You hated horror movies.
It was a mystery to you how people actually enjoyed being scared out of their wits as they watched a killer hunt everyone down, or a ghost slowly drove its victims to insanity. So why, one may ask, were you currently on your way to the opening premiere of a horror movie?
Simple—you loved your boyfriend much more than you hated horror movies.
Jungkook had been working hard at his dream of being an actor, getting his hands on any role he could. With each job, he hoped the right people would manage to see him and his potential in the few scenes and fewer lines he was offered and be able to make his big break.
This was the first big step to that for him. With a little luck, the director had picked Jungkook out at the auditions and offered him the lead role for the movie. And even luckier, it was a movie that a lot of people were looking forward to and was projected to do fairly well. If it did go as well as hoped, then maybe this could lead to that big break he’d been hoping for for years.
What kind of person would you be if you didn’t agree to attend with your loving boyfriend to the movie premiere of what could be the start of the future of his career? So of course, you agreed to come. Jungkook was really apprehensive when he asked if you wanted to go, knowing your severe aversion to horror movies, and you were absolutely sure he would have understood if you said no. But there was no way you could do that to him. If he could sit through hours of those family gatherings your grandma set up every year and deal with the back-handed comments from relatives you hardly knew about how he’s wasting his time on his dream, you could do this for him. It couldn’t be that much more torturous than that, right?
That’s what you kept telling yourself while you were attached to Jungkook’s arm, a smile on your face for the cameras. Much more important than your anxiety of sitting through the movie was the crucial real-life role you knew you had to play for Jungkook right now. He would never say it out loud in fear of putting pressure on you, but you knew that he needed you for support. The cameras couldn’t pick up the subtle hints you knew all too well that meant your introverted boyfriend was extremely nervous about making a good impression, and about how well the movie and his acting would be received by viewers. It was easy to shut down the anxiety when you knew he was relying on you to be a pillar for him.
As soon as the two of you made it into the room and found your seats you could feel Jungkook relax, body feeling lighter after being able to get away from the reporters’ questions and prying eyes. He loosened your grip on his arm so he could properly entwine his fingers with yours, giving your hand a firm squeeze as he leaned toward you.
“Thank you for coming, baby,” Jungkook whispered against your skin before placing a chaste kiss on your cheek. “I appreciate you being here with me.”
“Of course,” you responded, turning to smile at him. “You know I’m always here to support you.”
“Let me know if the movie gets to be too much for you, okay?” Jungkook said, squeezing your hand once more. “We can leave at any point if you need to.”
You had absolutely no plans to cut this short for him. Even if turned out to be the scariest thing you’d ever seen, you were already steeling yourself to sit through the entire film. But to comfort Jungkook, you assured him that you’d indeed tell him if you felt like you had to leave.
Once the lights dimmed to signal that the movie was about to start, you felt the anxiety you’d kept at bay start to crawl its way up your chest. You kept it tampered down for the time being, reminding it that these movies didn’t start out with the really creepy stuff and you still had some time before the ghost was going to do anything.
It was made even easier when you first saw your handsome boyfriend appear on the screen only a few minutes in. You always watched everything he was in, no matter how small the role was. But now that he was the main focus and in the center, you couldn’t help but to be even more proud of him than ever.
Jungkook loved to learn every detail he could about his craft, including having an interest in directing and filmmaking as well. Days spent listening to him critique filming techniques made you also moderately familiar with the subject. While the movie wasn’t doing anything much different than you’d expect from this kind of film, you immediately noticed everything that set up the mood for a horror story. The desaturated and dark tones, soft ambient music and sounds in the background rather than a full-sounding soundtrack, and the ominous feeling behind Jungkook’s character being left a whole estate by a rich relative he had hardly even heard about. It was honestly incredibly well set-up, even if the plot was a bit predictable so far.
By distracting yourself with picking apart the details of how the film was setting up the story and admiring Jungkook’s talent and good looks, you almost forgot what kind of movie you were watching.
Almost.
When the first genuine jump scare happened about half an hour into the film, it held up to its name by making you nearly jump out of your seat. Even though he kept it quiet, you could tell Jungkook held back the chuckle that bubbled up due to your overreaction. He quickly steeled his expression though, leaning in to whisper, “You doing okay so far?”
“Yeah,” you were quick to respond. “I was just distracted.”
“Distracted? By what?”
“By how talented you are, of course,” you easily answered.
Seeing the hint of a shy smile on Jungkook’s face and the tension in the movie having calmed down for the time being put your restless heart temporarily at ease.
But of course, it wasn’t too long until the horror aspect of the movie was pulling into full swing and it was ominous music, jump scares, and creepy old ghost lady creeping around every corner galore. You tried to continue distracting yourself with the well-done editing and admiring your boyfriend some more, but it only went so far. Especially when your mind forgot to remind you that what you were seeing on screen was fiction and not your actual boyfriend in danger.
After a while, you gave up trying to actually see what was going on and hid your face in Jungkook’s arm, letting the close proximity remind you that he was indeed safe and sound next to you.
“Should we leave?” Jungkook gently asked, whispering close to one ear while he covered the other with his hand to help mute the sounds of the movie for you.
You shook your head, determined to make it through this. “I’ll be okay,” you meekly replied after lifting your head up so he could hear you. “How much longer, do you think?”
“It should be getting close to the climax, and then it’ll be a lot calmer. Are you sure you don’t want to leave?”
“I can do it,” you assured him. You turned your head back toward the screen in time to see Jungkook’s character running down a hallway to try to get some distance from the ghost. I can do it, you repeated in your mind.
Honestly, you would have preferred a slasher flick. Demon ghosts had too much power and were too unpredictable in what they could do, and the idea of fighting something virtually intangible scared the living daylights out of you. But this was your current reality and you were going to make it through this for Jungkook.
He was right, and it wasn’t too long before the climax began building up. It was a little easier to bear despite the increasing tension, knowing that Jungkook’s character was close to stopping ghost lady—you certainly hadn’t paid enough attention to find out if she had a name. Soon enough, the climax of the movie hit its peak and things started settling down to a much more manageable finish.
It took another five minutes for you to realize you were still clinging tightly to Jungkook’s arm out of reflex. Letting go, you mumbled out an apology for no doubt hurting him and telling yourself to remember and check him for bruises later.
When the credits finally rolled, you felt infinitely more relieved. You slumped in your seat, Jungkook not holding back his chuckle this time.
Before long everyone was shuffling out of the theater and while Jungkook smiled endearingly at you, you were listening to what others had to say about the movie. It relaxed you and put a smile on your face when you heard people complimenting Jungkook’s acting and about the plot twists that they didn’t expect—and you didn’t really know about because you were too busy burrowing into your boyfriend’s shoulder to notice.
You were glad the two of you lived together because even just walking out to your car in the dark had you constantly looking over your shoulder, expecting a murderous demon ghost lady to be on your tail. On the way home, the two of you kept conversation light by talking about how well you thought it went. Jungkook was still nervous about what the reception would be like, but he was much more excited now as well.
It was when the two of you were laying in bed that Jungkook said, “You know, I’m really proud of you for making it through the movie, baby.”
Playfully, you rolled your eyes. “Good to know me watching a fictional horror film all the way through is such an accomplishment to be proud of.”
“You ran out of the room when we watched ‘Haunted Mansion’ because you thought it was too scary,” Jungkook deadpanned.
“It was! There’s a crystal ball with a floating head in it! How is that not scary?”
“The head wasn’t actually in there. Sorry to tell you babe, but a movie with a singing statue quartet isn’t scary.”
“Shut up,” you mumbled, running out of juice to argue.
“Seriously though,” Jungkook said after a moment passed. “I really am proud of you. And I’m really happy you chose to come with me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“I love you,” you said in return, knowing he’d understand that those three words held a lot more meaning than just that.
“And I love you.” Jungkook smiled as he pressed a soft kiss to your lips.
You would readily do this again for Jungkook if he ever starred in another horror film. But that didn’t mean you’d stop being a big clingy scaredy-cat about it.
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My ask box is always open!
Also, if you’d like to donate to my Ko-fi, feel free! Absolutely no pressure though :) You can also check out my Etsy shop for BTS inspired charms as well!
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wolfstarlibrarian · 3 years
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Hello dear readers, and welcome to the first installment of Beyond The Shelves!
This month’s highlight is one of the Librarian’s all time favorite authors, who always manages to capture love in a way that is balanced with reality. First, check out the interview below as well as some of their fics, and then come back later today for a list of fic recs they’ve graciously created for everyone! 
Name/Creative Type: Victoria / Author
AO3: RealtiyShowJunky
Tumblr: @theprongsletthatlived
What's your favorite thing about Remus & Sirius? 
I love the dynamic of tough, apathetic characters falling head over heels for shyer, kinder characters.
Canonically, Sirius has a mean-streak. Obviously, he suffers a lot throughout the series but as a teenager, we see him as a cocky and careless rich kid. Meanwhile, Remus is a mild-mannered “good boy” who remains kind despite experiencing tragedy after tragedy from a young age.
I like the idea of Sirius sensing this sweetness in Remus and being drawn to it because it is unlike anything he has really seen. Furthermore, Sirius is canonically loyal and loving, therefore there is so much potential in fics and AUs to explore how Remus taps into that.
What do you think your signature is?
I think my signature was originally humor, such as the banter in How Remus Got His Groove Back, but now it has slowly transitioned into rich jerk Sirius trying to woo the lovely Remus. And I’m not mad about it!
What advice would you give new authors?
Write exactly what you want to write! Even if the plot is overdone or seems so niche that no one will read it, the story will be good if you’re passionate about it. If you always write stories that you yourself want to read, you will never be disappointed.
And don’t focus on numbers or get upset that other people get more attention than you. Focus on the quality of your writing before anything else. Always work to be a better writer.
(Also, don’t write in your summary/notes that your writing is really bad or that you wrote the whole thing in an hour because I will believe you and not read it.)
What inspires you?/Where do you get your ideas?
I am inspired by the ridiculousness of everyday life! I think people in general are ridiculous and dramatic and I love to exaggerate that in fics. Real life is genuinely stranger than fiction most of the time.
Also, I think the fandom as a whole deserves a lot of credit! I think we bounce ideas off each other and inspire each other in so many ways.
What's a favorite fic you wrote and why?
Black Valentine is by far my favorite just because I feel like it best exemplifies my ideal writing style. I reread it and think it’s the funniest thing. I feel similarly about The Thing.
📚📚📚
Selected Fics Written By:
RealityShowJunky / @theprongsletthatlived​ 
How Remus Got His Groove Back After two years of noncommittal sex: Remus tells Sirius that he loves him. Sirius firmly rejects him. Remus tries to move on. Sirius is not happy. OR Remus Lupin becomes king of the cockroaches, Fabian Prewett writes a book, Gilderoy Lockhart is a catfish, and Sirius Black realizes he's a fucking idiot.
Black Valentine Remus and Sirius like to break up to make up. Lily and James just wish they wouldn't do it so loudly.
flesh and blood needs flesh and blood, and You're the one I need  In 1968, Azkaban State Penitentiary reported finding convict Sirius Black stabbed to death inside the prison hospital. In 2003, Hogsmeade P.D. finds Sirius Black's fractured skeleton in an escape tunnel outside the prison. Homicide detectives Nymphadora Tonks and Charlie Weasley now must try and crack two puzzles: how it's possible for a man to die twice, and more importantly—who wanted Sirius Black dead at all.
Just Desserts (Series) 
“Yes, Remus Lupin is gorgeous, smart, funny, and hands down the best lay Sirius has ever had. Sometimes, Sirius just can’t get enough of him—of his plump mouth or the sweetness that seems to radiate out of his pores. He’ll even admit that he does prefer Remus’ company to anyone else’s ninety percent of the time. But—just because your favorite dessert is chocolate cake doesn’t mean you’ll never crave a cookie, right?” 
I'm so proud (of being loved by you)  Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are truly, madly, deeply in love. There’s just one problem: Sirius’ best friend can never find out.
The Thing 
Sirius continued: “I thought this little guy could keep you company while I’m at work.” Remus laughed as the puppy planted lick upon lick across his face. “I love you,” he said. Sirius’ felt his own breath hitch. “I lo—” “I love you,” Remus repeated to the puppy, in a high-pitched voice Sirius had never heard come out of his mouth. “I love you, I love you, I love you!” /// In which Sirius buys Remus a puppy and immediately regrets it.
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zutaralesbian · 2 years
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top 3 characters in spop and top 3 in atla?
SPOP:
1. Adora: Once in a while I get in a mood where Catra is my fave (mostly because the over-the-top hate she gets makes me wanna love her harder) but idk…I just have such a big soft spot for Adora. I love that she’s both a goof and the heroic lead. That’s the kind of trope that’s usually only reserved for male characters. But I also love how complex she actually is and how she deconstructs the ‘chosen one’ trope and shows how harmful it can be for someone to have that much pressure constantly put on them.
2. Catra: She’s a great character and representation of the harmful effects abuse can have on a person. She has a lot of parallels with Zuko, who is one of my favorite fictional characters ever, so why wouldn’t I love her? (One day I’m gonna write a full meta about why those two characters are more similar than some people refuse to see). I’m proud of her and how far she’s come by the end of the show. She’s working on herself and getting better, while also having the understanding and love she deserves at the same time ❤️
3. Bow: Deserves better from the fandom! Bow is objectively the best person on the show morality wise and he’s due for more credit. He was the first person who offered genuine friendship to Adora without judgement after she left the Horde. He even attempted to extend kindness and understanding to Catra while they were still enemies. Bow is just the best.
ATLA:
1. Zuko: I’ve loved Zuko for years and he’s still a character that makes me emotional when I look back on him. An amazingly complex character with a great arc. And like Catra, representation of the harmful effects abuse can have on a person. I feel like I’ve already talked about him enough in the past so I’m gonna leave it at that lol.
2. Katara: While Zuko is my personal fave, Katara is objectively the best character IMO. (Basically while I technically love Zuko the most, I would still throw him under a bus for Katara). She’s flawed but in a lot of ways I think she’s the most justified character. Feminist icon. Has a kind heart but also strongly believes in her own morals and sense of justice. Like, I hate how people paint her as being mean or overly judgmental towards Fire Nation citizens as if she wasn’t the one who took on the Painted Lady persona in order to help a struggling Fire Nation village. After Aang, she was also the second Gaang member who gave Zuko a chance in Ba Sing Se. Her initial iciness towards him in Book 3 was in response to him betraying her after opening up to him. Anyway “you can’t knock me down” and “I’ll never turn my back on people who need me” are two of the most powerful quotes on the show.
3. Azula: We love a lesbian antagonist! Azula is one of the most complex characters on the show. I loved that she was actually a capable villain…like, there are times where she won and she was a legitimate threat to the heroes. But I also do think she deserved more understanding, both from the narrative and the fandom. She was a brainwashed fourteen year old girl and I hate the ableist way the comics treat her.
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theyre-just-blocks · 3 years
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Alright buckle in because I have a few things to say about Big Q's stream.
There will be spoilers under the cut!
BUT!
Let me just start off by saying, Quackity hyped the fuck out of this stream and he did not disappoint. It was even better than what I could've imagined and therefore every scene just had me grinning of ear to ear in anticipation and delight.
Of course, I have a lot of thoughts and I might rewatch it again to better understand somethings, but as a c!Quackity enthusiast, you probably know that I have a lot to say.
HOLY SHIT DID I LOVE HOW CINEMATIC IT WAS!!
The lighting, the scenes, the soundtrack, the acting, the cut scenes, everything! It was so well put together and the divisions of chapters made it even all the more enjoyable. As someone who wants to study film, I really appreciated and enjoyed the cinematic elements Quackity added into this stream. It was absolutely insane.
LAS NEVADAS
Quackity put a fast one on all of us who thought it was going to be called L'Vegas, and while I think L'Vegas sounds cool, I think it's cooler that Quackity named it something else. It shows that this is something completely new and fresh. It doesn't hold ties to any of the older civilizations. Also, the fact that we didn't get to really see it?? Just an outline?? And holy hell is it HUGE. I'm so excited to see the actual thing.
Jschlatt
Schlatt coming back wasn't a huge possibility for me until today. The more I talked about what could happen and the more theories I saw, the more I was convinced that maybe he'd come back. I didn't want to get my hopes up though, so I tried not to be excited about the fact that Schlatt might return. AND THEN HE DID. There was his voice with that quote about someone's worse times and then his name was in the "STARRING" and I was just so happy. He, Quackity, and Sam are like my favorite members on the SMP so to see him involved in this was amazing. Also, he and Quackity's dynamic never fails to make me laugh.
MEXICAN DREAM
MD MY BELOVED! I cannot wait to see what Quackity has planned for him because I absolutely love this character and miss him so much. Still a little foggy on what the hell is going on with him or how/why he's visiting Schlatt, but I'm excited to see him in the lore again.
Badboyhalo
I expected to see Bad on the stream, as he and Quackity's relationship was deteriorating over the Egg thing. Big Q had told him he'd continue to get in Bad's way, so I thought that the Eggpire would make an appearance at the casino or something. However, that wasn't the case, it was just Bad having a conversation with Big Q and then being shown the kind of power Quackity has. Let me just say, Bad's acting today was on point. I was genuinely a little scared of him due to his voice. So kudos to him man! That was amazing!
Awesamdude
Of course, I was excited for this stream in part of Sam being involved with the building and whatnot as well. And as always, Sam brought the A-game acting of making my heartbreak over how fucking tired and sad he sounds all the time. He and Quackity's conversation, as an Awesamdad and Duck son enthusiast, made me both happy and sad at the same time. Him not wanting to let Quackity visit Dream after what had just happened and Quackity manipulating him into thinking it was a good idea just,, oh man. And then Sam bending the rules of the prison to let Quackity have weapons in the cell!! AND GIVING QUACKITY HIS WARDEN WEAPONS!! AAAA SAM MY BELOVED.
Quackity
Man, Big Q himself. He's one of the best actors on the SMP, hands down. The way he gets super into character and works around technicalities and bloopers while still being in character?? Amazing. I love his character so much. The amount of layers his character has is just,, amazing but I refuse to call this some kind of villain arc, though it does worry me. HE MADE THE SCAR CANNON TOO!! The suit he was wearing wasn't what I had in mind for Vegas vibes, but it was cool. But all in all it was just an amazing performance on his part.
Dream
God, I hate this fucker (the character). He really thought he had the upper hand in the conversation when Quackity came to visit up until Quackity pulled out the ax. The terror in his voice scared the shit out of me (loud ass mf) but to hear Dream scared? Oh man, that was such a wonderful feeling. He's finally getting what he deserves.
The Story
My dumbass really thought that today's stream was going to be a grand opening of Las Nevadas, huh? Though, I think I enjoyed the stream a lot more because of the fact that I didn't know what was going to happen. I really enjoyed the whole breaking it into chapters though, as a storyteller I thought that was hella amazing. I just had so much fun with this story and I can't wait to see where it leads.
El Rapids
Why the fuck did I get emotional over a fictional country in Minecraft that was based on a Hillary Clinton snapchat vine? Please, that ending was beautiful and I got sentimental about the flashbacks and Quackity moving on from that part of his life.
The ending
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING AND WHY WAS IT SO GOOD?? It scared the crap out of me though because it caught me off guard but I thought it was so cool. The transition was perfect, the chips?? The calendar??? Amazing, showstopping, wonderful, confusing, perfect. I loved it.
All in all though, this stream was amazing. It's crazy to think that they're taking this Minecraft roleplay to cinematic levels. It's so fun and I'm just,, so proud of how far it's come and how creative not only the fans get, but the ccs themselves to do these streams for us. It's just crazy and I love it so much.
I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg though. This is just the start of something completely new and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.
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cybernaght · 3 years
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Guardian rewatch: episode 10
The tone of this recap is going to be the crackiest so far. The production quality plummets dramatically here, in a way which is as unintentionally hilarious as it is endearing. I have very little of import to say on events of this episode, and there is nothing much for me to hyper focus on, so a lot of this write-up are snark and bad jokes. Apologies in advance. I would not be getting annoyed at a show I did not care about. 
Day two of the Road Trip starts with Zhao Yunlan waking up with a splitting headache and his own jacket draped carefully over him. I choose to believe Shen Wei left it there. 
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Zhao Yunlan wakes up - and discovers that Wang Zheng had slipped a sedative into the party’s water, effectively knocking them all out. He even discovers that she left her doll-body behind as a decoy; thankfully, it’s still Li Siqi and not the blow-up doll from the previous episode. 
With the daunting realisation that he’s been betrayed, Zhao Yunlan instantly spirals into hurt and anger, and this is the moment Shen Wei chooses to appear out to nowhere. He enters offering comfort, his entire focus on making Zhao Yunlan feel better by assuring the man that his subordinate is not one of the bad guys, but rather one of the self-sacrificing ones. How SID manages to function when it’s full of people with non-existent sense of self-preservation is beyond me. 
“Professor Shen, why are you okay?”
Zhu Hong narrows her eyes. Zhao Yunlan’s look is the one of vulnerability, not suspicion, almost as if he is silently asking to please not be betrayed by his newest partner.
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“I didn’t drink the water she gave me.”
Another thing I would like to question here is the reasoning behind Shen Wei waiting until the morning with this. He knew that Wang Zheng was about to do something, since he refrained from drinking the water she offered. Everyone else being unconscious would be a perfect opportunity for him to go full Hei Pao Shi on her, or follow her quietly, or do literally anything but wait for the morning. 
“What is your purpose of coming here?” Shen Wei asks because he needs to know how much Zhao Yunlan knows. He does so with a perfect set of puppy eyes. 
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We cut to Wang Zheng entering the chamber which houses the pillar/totem, and witness the absolute devastation of her hearing her love’s voice for the first time in a century, as he mistakes her for the enemy and calls her a rat.
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I should say that while I’m not always on board with Li Siqi in this show, props to her for acting her heart out opposite a literal pillar. Her reunion with Sang Zan is incredibly touching; she really is wonderful here.
Flashback 1. The execution of Ge Lan. 
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This method of execution seems so inefficient, I actually tried to find if it has any legs in history. As my research yielded exactly no results, I am guessing this is the producers showing hanging without actually showing hanging. They kind of accidentally made the whole affair infinitely worse. People are weaker than gravity, the angle offers no possibility of the neck being broken, so this would be a very slow, and very painful death. Yikes, is all I can say. 
Flashback 2. The montage. 
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Sigh.
This imagery is so carelessly contemporary it’s killing me. I’m not saying it’s completely impossible for the heart shape to have been known to represent love in this fictional tribe on a fictional planet. I’m just saying it’s a boring shorthand for romance, made worse by the fact that so much of the show’s imagery is otherwise fairly intelligent. I am not angry, I’m just disappointed.
Wang Zheng and Sang Zan’s reunion triggers another earthquake, which is felt all the way back in the village, and shortly thereafter Zhu Jiu interrupts the couple, knocking Wang Zheng out. This - her being knocked unconscious - cuts to Zhao Yunlan wincing while clutching at his temples, which almost implies that he can feel it when his people are in danger. Which would be very cool if true. 
Shen Wei, in the meanwhile is remarkably good at keeping his Professor’s mask on the whole time, offering enough information without betraying his own knowledge or motives, but it is clear by now that Zhao Yunlan starts to see right through it. 
The chief sprints into action when Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng arrive, instructing the two to join him in investigation. Shen Wei opens his mouth to volunteer to come with, but ends up hesitating before saying anything out loud. 
Zhu Hong, too, makes a move to go after the three men, but is firmly instructed to say behind and look after Shen Wei. She proceeds to loudly explain that this is the wrong time and place to be fussing over this guy. 
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Shen Wei looks like he has no idea what to do with this display of emotion. 
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Zhao Yunaln whispers to Zhu Hong to watch the professor for him: which could equally be him manipulating the Yashou into staying, or a sinking realisation that Shen Wei will actually try to join them either way, or genuine desire to find out what the professor will do next. Or, indeed, a combination of the above. Zhu Hong will attack her task with conviction. 
Sure enough, Shen Wei finally voices his desire to go with the group. Zhu Hong reminds him that he has his own people to look after and instructs him to return to the house with barely contained resentment. 
Shen Wei will predictably try to sneak out very shortly afterwards, and will be, equally predictably, caught by Zhu Hong. Why the man who can teleport would not just teleport out of the house before proceeding on foot is anyone’s guess. 
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“He surprisingly views you as a good friend”, says Zhu Hong when she stops Shen Wei from leaving. “You surely noticed it, right?”
He certainly did, although he will always have trouble realising that he is actually cared about in a way which is anything but casual. 
Shen Wei obediently sits down and follows Zhu Hong’s instructions as she attempts to hypnotise him. Those instructions are anything but subtle. 
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“Professor Shen, look at the flame closely”.
Meanwhile, the other party has successfully deduced the location of the Hanga tribe cave/shrine, and heads there, only to find no visible entrance. Thankfully, gaining access to the mountain is not particularly hard for the party. Mostly because this part of the mountain is made of foam.
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This is where I want to metaphorically pat Guardian on its non-existent head, cooing, “Oh, Guardian. Baby. What have you done.”
On the bright side, this is also where Guo Changcheng accidentally shocks Zhao Yunlan with the Fear Stick, and Chu Shuzhi literally gives him a thumbs up. Those two are a duo for the ages. 
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Youchu appear to fight our heroes, and after the first wave is eliminated, Zhao Yunlan decides to go inside, leaving the other two fend them off near the entrance. Considering that the beasts are all hiding inside the cave, rushing in without backup seems incredibly ill advised. Zhao Yunlan instructs Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng to run away if the danger becomes too great. Which he must know surely that they would never do: his department does not leave people behind, and his subordinates will never abandon him. 
To no one’s surprise, the cave is crawling with Youchu. Zhao Yunlan goes on the offensive, kicking the feet out of the monster, but failing to incapacitate it. I am going to do my best to ignore how the scale of the beast fluctuates as it falls down, and focus on Bai Yu’s excellent reaction when his character realises that he is about to very much die.
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Luckily for our protagonist, Hei Pao Shi sends a ward his way with a note, warning him of the danger ahead and ordering him to return. Zhao Yunlan makes no move to do as instructed and uses the upper hand he’s gained on the Youchu to get out his gun. Before he can fire however, he once more experiences the painful flashback of the devastation this gun carries, and freezes.
This is when Shen Wei shows up in person, jumping in front of the gun and gutting the beast.
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The jumping in front of the gun part of the action is sweet, because it indicates, albeit indirectly, the absolute trust Shen Wei must have in Zhao Yunlan’s instincts, knowing that the man will not accidentally shoot him in the back. 
The gutting itself happens in reverse grip, with Shen Wei being easily within reach of the beast’s long stabby claws, and as such really questionable to me in terms of logic. I would have not minded it if he had been moving through the space in front of the beast, slicing it while passing through. That would be at least an indicator of both speed and dexterity enough to make me believe Shen Wei made a clever avoidance of the claws. But he doesn’t: he just materialises dead-on in front of the monster and the later just.. lets itself be killed. 
Let’s just say that maybe the beast is supposed to be deliberately slow here, and park the long essay in regards to the bladework until the next episode. 
“Chief Zhao, are you alright?”
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Everything about Hei Pao Shi in this moment screams of Shen Wei-ness. Well, maybe not the sword. But the obvious concern, the tone of voice, the general air: it’s all Shen Wei. It’s remarkable that Zhao Yunlan does not see it. Or maybe, I suppose, he does, without even realising it. His cheeky grin suddenly appears; the corners of his eyes crinkle, as he goes into a very long-winded, almost flirtatious away about thanking Hei Pao Shi, teasing him for not always arriving on time. 
Unperturbed, Shen Wei chides Zhao Yunlan for not listening to his warning, and Zhao Yunlan defends himself in a very playful kind of manner, adding that he’s not leaving his people behind. To Shen Wei, this is to be expected, so instead of arguing he goes into a lot of detail on how the road ahead is dangerous, as if he is not really expecting Zhao Yunlan to accept help. 
He is wrong of course: proud though he may be, Chief Zhao knows when he is outgunned and outnumbered, and only grins, happy for the Envoy to join him on his mission. 
Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan exploring the cave is interspersed with pretty damn harrowing scenes of Zhu Jiu torturing Wang Zheng as her trapped lover screams for mercy. It’s a lot; in fact it’s so much even the cave ghosts attempt to intervene, because while they may be very much pro-murder, they are evidently anti-torture. 
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As the two keep exploring, they bump into another three of the beasts, which Shen Wei slays in three slick moves. It’s actually pretty cool, despite slightly sketchy teleportation effects.
“Wow!”
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(Apparently, this “wow” made Zhu Yilong corpse so much he nearly laughed his mask off. Which sounds adorable)
Shen Wei proceeds to inquire Zhao Yunlan about the gun, party to confirm that it is indeed the dark energy weapon he knows, and partly having noticed that the other man failed to fire it. I wonder how many times Zhao Yunlan froze in the past, considering how easily he once again slips into his mask of playful deflection, claiming that he never planned to fire the gun at all. It’s almost tragic how this person keeps feeling like he needs to prove his own capabilities over and over again. 
Interestingly enough, in this particular case Hei Pao Shi actually does own up to a weakness. It’s calculated: he knows this is something Zhao Yunlan must already be aware of, but still, “full disclosure” is not something Shen Wei usually does when it comes to his own capacities. 
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What he admits to, on the other hand, does not seem very consistent with the rest of the show. He says that he can only use half of his power above ground, which - okay. But he also states that he can’t spend a lot of time here, and I am a little bit… confused? He lives above ground. He spends absolute majority of his time here. I really don’t want to think of this as a writing inconsistency, so please let me know what I have missed; I’ll appreciate it. 
Hearing the admission, Zhao Yunlan grows serious for once, asking which they they should be going next. Shen Wei barely smothers a smug smirk seconds before he scries the surroundings with unbelievable panache.
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Show off
Unfortunately, his search does not yield any result, as whatever readings he is getting are muddled by the Hallow. Luckily for them, and to Shen Wei’s great dismay, Zhao Yunlan has the Dial on him which he is uses as a compass. 
Shen Wei’s wordless reaction conveys a million questions from “what the hell?” to “are you completely stupid?”
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Instead of asking any of those things, he settles for a more neutral “I’ve told you not to use the Hallows.”
“You are very much like a friend of mine”, remarks Zhao Yunlan. 
Which is, incidentally, also the title of this episode. 
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Even behind the mask it’s clear to see Shen Wei’s blind panic as he realises he may have just blown his cover sky high. Fortunately, Zhao Yunlan reads the reaction as bashfulness rather than existential despair, and laughs it off. 
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Now that they know which way to go, they finally make it to the chamber which houses the pillar/totem, which now has Wang Zheng tied to it. 
This show sure does like tying their characters to totems containing souls of people significant to them, huh?
In all seriousness though, as parallels go, this one is… uh… unparalleled. 
(I am so very sorry.)
Zhao Yunlan makes a move towards his trapped subordinate, but Hei Pao Shi, again in a way which is extremely Shen Wei-like, grabs at his arm, stopping him in his tracks. 
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Zhao Yunlan obediently halts, and calls Zhu Jiu out, correctly guessing that the Undergrounder lured them here deliberately. Shen Wei, on the other hand, relays in a hushed tone information what he had observed so far: namely, that the Hallow stored here is the Dire Awl, and that something is incredibly fishy about Wang Zheng.
As he does so, he is staring at Zhao Yunlan’s lips. It is neither the time, nor the place, but hey, I’m not complaining.
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They have a brief discussion about the next moves, in which Shen Wei just says he would like to try something, and Zhao Yunlan nods, letting him do it without asking for any details. 
Flashback 3: the Backstory. 
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We hear the full tragic tale of Ge Lan and Sang Zan: how they met, representatives of the warring sides of the conflict, two people from two different worlds; how their love did not stop the awful bloodshed; how it could not be enough to overpower the politics; how it lead to Ge Lan’s death, and, finally, how Sang Zan could not bring her back to him. They hear how the man changed once he lost the only person he cared about. 
Zhao Yunlan is visibly moved by this story, recognising echoes of it in himself. 
“The most basic dignity of a man is to ensure that the person in his heart stays safe. If the person I love gets destroyed in my own hands ruined under the system I established myself, it’s very likely I’ll hate these people more than I hated the former tribe leader.”
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How much did he harden after his mother was taken away from him? How much of his initial hatred of all those from the Underground stems from that day? And, of course, how much will it break him when he will not be gifted this dignity in his own future? 
Shen Wei is near vibrating with how much his very soul resonates with the tale he has just heard. He, who has met someone from the other world, who was lost that person, is visibly weighed down by his own memories.
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“That’s right. Even if they’re cut into a myriad of pieces, the hatred would be hard to dissolve.”
Zhao Yunlan stares at the other man, astounded, wondering what hardships and losses the Envoy endured in his long and eventful life, as the episode draws to a close.
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And I am left here trying to soothe my aching heart, bruised once more by this show’s relentless fatalism. 
Next up, episode 11: Oh Boy Do I Have Sword Opinions 
---
Notes. 
Look. It’s been a long week okay. Besides, I am basically marathoning my way through Zhu Yilong’s entire filmography. 
The normal service in terms of analysis will hopefully resume next week. 
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hecallsmehischild · 3 years
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Recent Media Consumed
Books
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. About ten or fifteen years ago, I tried to read this and was totally overwhelmed by it. I kept it around, hoping maybe someday I might be able to read it. I finally have, and here are my impressions: WHY SO MANY NAMES. WHY YOU HAVE TO NAME EVERYBODY, AND EVERY TRIBE OF PEOPLES, AND EVERY INANIMATE OBJECT, AND EVERY LANDSCAPE FEATURE. WHY. *ahem* So. I have a general comprehension of the events of The Silmarillion, but I dealt with it by doing what you do for an impressionist painting. I (mentally) stepped way back and let all the names flow by me, and if there were names that were repeated a lot, then I mentally attached appropriate plot points and character details to those names so I could track with who they were and what they were doing. And, actually, I found myself able to hang on and enjoy the book for the most part. This is going to lead into a re-reading of the Lord of the Rings books, since I haven’t read those in about as long…
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I haven’t read some of these books since pre-teen years, with one required re-read of The Two Towers in high school (i.e. it’s been many an age since I’ve read these and my memory of the stories has been far more heavily influenced by the movies). In re-reading the first book, I was struck by the extreme tone shift for the Elves and Dwarves. Elves seem much closer to happy, mischievous fairies than these ethereal, solemn pillars of elegance and grace the movies show them to be. And Dwarves are far more bumbling and craftsmanlike than the movies show. Aside from that, The Hobbit was a pretty solid adaptation from the book, and the book also reminded me that this story was the first time I experienced “NO, MAIN CHARACTERS DON’T DIE, HOW DARE YOU,” and probably was the first book to make me cry. I must have been 8 or 10 years old. I FORGOT HOW MUCH THIS STORY INFLUENCED ME.
A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell. I have a longer-than-usual list of things to say about this book. First is that it was just that level of difficult that I was struggling to understand while reading it (on Audible), but I think I got it. Sowell has several base concepts that I see repeated throughout his books, though he does like to dedicate whole books to specific aspects of the same topic. He is pretty damn thorough that way. So, for example, I would put this book in the middle of a three-book spectrum of similar concepts: Intellectuals and Society (most concrete and easiest to read), A Conflict of Visions (next-level abstraction, a little difficult to read), Knowledge and Decisions (root abstract concept, very difficult, I have not been able to get past chapter 2). The second thing I have to say is about a couple interesting concepts it proposes. Its whole point is to help readers understand the roots of two ways of seeing the world that come into severe conflict politically, and he calls them by their root titles: the constrained and the unconstrained visions. He traces the path of each back through the intellectuals that most spoke of them (tending to contrast Adam Smith with William Godwin and Condorcet). Though he leans heavily toward the constrained vision (based on reading his other works) he does his best to make this book an academic study of both, with both of the visions' strengths and flaws and reasoning and internal consistencies fairly laid out. In doing so, he helped me understand a few things that make this situation really difficult for people on opposing sides to communicate. One of them is that root words and concepts literally mean different things to different people. I had some vague notion of this before, but he laid out three examples in detail: Equality, Power, and Justice. It was kind of astounding to see just how differently these three words can be defined. It makes me think that arguing about any specific issues rooted in these concepts is fruitless until first an understanding has been reached on terms, because otherwise two parties are endlessly talking past each other. Another really interesting idea he brought up is the existence of “hybrid visions” and he named both Marxism and Fascism as hybrid visions. This was especially fascinating to me because I have seen the accusation of “Nazi” flung around ad nauseam and I wondered how it was that both sides were able to fling it at each other so readily. Well, it’s because Fascism is actually a hybrid vision, so both sides have a grain of truth but miss the whole on that particular point. In any case, this was a little difficult to read but had some fascinating information. For people who are wondering what on earth this gap is between political visions, how on earth to bridge the gap, or why the gap even exists in the first place, this is a really informative piece.
Movies
The Hobbit & Fellowship trilogies (movies). I mean, it’s definitely not my first watch, not even my second. But I went through it with Sergey this time and that means the run-time is double because we pause to talk and discuss details. This watch came about partly due to Sergey’s contention that Gandalf’s reputation far outstrips his actual powers, so we ended up noting down every instance of Gandalf’s power to see if that was true. Conclusion: Gandalf is actually a decently powerful wizard, but tends to use the truly kickass powers in less-than-dire circumstances. That aside, this movie series was always a favorite for me. I rated The Hobbit trilogy lower the first time I saw it but, frankly, all together the six movies are fantastic and a great way to sink deep into lore-heavy fantasy for a while. And I’m catching way more easter-egg type details after having read the Silmarillion so it’s even more enjoyable. (finally, after about a week of binge-watching) I forgot how much this story impacted me. I forgot how wrenchingly bittersweet the ending is. I forgot how much of a mark that reading and watching this story left on my writing.
Upside-Down Magic. Effects were good. Actors were clearly having fun and enjoying everything. Story didn’t make enough sense for my taste, but it was a decent way to kill flight time.
Wish Dragon. So, yes, it’s basically an Aladdin rewrite, but it’s genuinely a cheesy good fluff fest that made me grin a whole lot.
Plays
Esther (Sight and Sound Theatres). < background info > This is my third time to this theatre. There are only two of these in existence and they only run productions of stories out of the Bible. The first time I went I saw a production of Noah, the second time I saw a production of Jesus. My middle sister has moved all the way out to Lancaster, PA in hopes of working at this theatre. My husband and I came out to visit her. < /background info > So. Esther. They really pulled out all the stops on the costumes and set. I mean, REALLY pulled out all the stops. And the three-quarters wrap-around stage is used to great effect. I tend to have a general problem of not understanding all the words in the songs, but I understood enough. I highly recommend sitting close to the front for immersive experiences. This theatre puts on incredible productions and if you ever, ever, EVER have the opportunity to go, take it. Even if you think it's nothing but a bunch of fairy tales, STILL GO. I doubt you'll ever see a fairy tale produced on another stage with equal dedication to immersion.
Shows
The Mandalorian (first two seasons). Well. This was pretty thoroughly enjoyable. It felt very Star-Wars, and I’d kind of given up after recent movies. Felt like it slipped into some preaching toward the end? Not sure, I could be overly sensitive about it, but I enjoyed this a lot (though I did need to turn to my housemate and ask where the flip in the timeline we were because I did NOT realize that the little green kid IS NOT ACTUALLY Yoda).
Games
Portal & Portal 2. Portal is probably the first video game I ever tried to play, back when I had no idea what I was doing. Back then, I attempted to play it on my not-for-gaming Mac laptop. Using my trackpad. Once the jumping-for-extra-velocity mechanic came into play, I just about lost my mind trying to do this with a trackpad and gave up. Later I returned to the game and played it with my then-boyfriend on a proper gaming computer. Now, after having played several games and gotten better at "reading the language" of video games, I decided I wanted to see if I could beat the Portal games by myself. Guess what. I BEAT 'EM. Yes, I remembered most of the puzzles in Portal so that's a little bit of a cheat, but I'd say a good 2/3 of Portal 2 was new puzzles to me. It is crazy how proud I feel of myself that I could beat Portal 2, especially. Learning how to play video games at this age has really knocked down the lie, "You can't learn anything." Though I still suck at platformers and games that require precision. Since I find those types frustrating, I probably won't be playing many. Games are about enjoyment, so I'll push myself a little, but not to the point where I can't stand what I'm playing.
The Observer. I like the concept and the art but I don't think I could keep trying to play this game. It's really depressing. My in-game family members all died of illness or accident or committed suicide. I also kept getting executed by the state. In order to keep us all alive I'd have to do pretty terrible things that I have a hard enough time contemplating even in a fictional setting.
Baba Is You. Fun and interesting concept, but I got stuck pretty early on. Don't think I want to push as hard on this one.
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sepublic · 4 years
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Wing it like Witches!
           Let me tell you- I was WORRIED this episode would make me sad and angsty, but instead it just made me happy and all warm inside! I know that sounds super-corny but like…
           I LOVED this episode! I was worried from the promo pic that Boscha’s bullying would really get to Luz, Gus, and Willow, but… It didn’t! I mean, it still got to WILLOW hence the entire episode, but otherwise Luz and Gus were less “Wow I’m really being reminded of my insecurities from bullying” and more “I can’t believe she ACTUALLY did that. She wasted her entire school day doing that. This girl is NUTS, is she okay back home?”
           (The more I see of Boscha, the more I have to wonder if she IS okay back home… Obviously not crippled with self-loathing to the extent that Amity is, but never mind.)
           What’s really surprise to see though; LILITH IS A RED-HEAD!?!? I remember seeing that first pic of young Eda with two other classmates, one of whom was obscured and the other had glasses; And I thought, is THAT girl Lilith, could it be? Is the girl with the obscured face the one who stole Lilith’s lunch money, potentially that favorite character from Season 2 that Dana alluded to? My mind is racing, but either way young Eda and Lilith are utterly adorable! I do have to wonder if what Lilith had to say about Eda’s bad memory was just a jab, or something more… Given that the show has alluded to Eda possibly having amnesia with MORE than just her curse…!
           Speaking of which; LILITH AND EDA GETTING ALONG! Well, sort of- I mean they’re technically adversarial by the end of this episode, but only technically. Lilith knows where the Owl House is, finally; And we get to see in this episode just how capable Hooty really IS as a security system, surprisingly enough! He even manages to capture LILITH; Though to be fair, she may not have been super-invested in the mission given this was her sister we’re talking about, but still! Coupled with Hooty mercilessly tearing apart those toys in Adventures in the Elements, and I have to wonder if he’s ever, like… KILLED people before, y’know?
           …Maybe I don’t want that answer. Regardless, I love Luz’s little cheeky interference with Eda’s game, but Eda still manages to win by her last trick; Just pure, genuine skill and talent! That was a twist, I was expecting Eda to have another cheat or to be caught by Lilith, but as I said before… Eda isn’t humble, and for a GOOD reason! Lilith ain’t no slouch either, and I love that King willingly donned a cheerleader outfit just to offer support! I mean, maybe Eda MADE him, but otherwise he didn’t seem to have much of an issue so long as it was just at home!
           And… I LOVE the little small moments between Eda and Lilith, where… Lilith KNOWS she has to turn her sister in, she’s getting desperate, but it’s also low-key breaking her heart to do this! And when she loses the match and just… FALLS on her knees in despair, questioning herself, and Eda picking her up? Giving her that signature ring, just to make Lilith look better? I… I LOVE these sisters, why can’t they make up?! Lilith isn’t even aiming to imprison Eda, she just wants her to join the Emperor’s Coven and continue doing stuff alongside her, like old times!
           And Eda… Eda still needs her autonomy, but she knows that Lilith isn’t some cruel person. She knows that Lilith loves her sister and wants the best, that she’s in a terrible position; Eda knows how stifling the Coven System is, and while being beneath Belos provides a lot of power… It also provides a lot of PRESSURE as well! Sure, Lilith chose this… But Eda still believes that Lilith is deserving of kindness and compassion!
           (Let me tell you, considering I don’t think we’ve seen any Eda clips past this episode, I was LEGIT afraid she’d get captured by the end… thank goodness!)
           What’s also fascinating to note is that Emperor Belos was in charge since fiftyyears ago; Given the speculation that Eda isn’t as old as she looks, this indicates Belos is PRETTY old himself, by a large margin; Especially when one considers how long-lived Bump is! It’s a small moment telling us how he established the Coven Heads five decades ago, but I really appreciated it; And in general, this episode seems to be our final, light-hearted breather before we get into the REALLY heavy stuff… Keep in mind, our last two episodes were originally planned to air side-by-side, like a two-part season finale! On a lesser note, we see the Heximal System teacher giving a History lesson, confirming what I suspected earlier; That some subjects include students from all tracks, simply because the subject-matter applies across any and all covens, and History is one of them! Love the small world-building here!
           Given how we don’t see anything else of Willow and Gus past that scene in Belos’ treasury, I have to wonder… What if those two get captured, and only Luz can escape? Amidst King –and possibly Eda- being taken as well, Luz might be looking at a one-man operation here! Which just makes her all the more impressive… Like looking at her now, even if she DOES lose against Lilith; She’d still have been going toe-to-toe with the Head of the Emperor’s Coven, even if only briefly! Luz has come a far way away from where she started as just a powerless human, and has amassed FOUR glyphs; Light, Ice, Plant, and Fire!
           And BOY HOWDY is she good at them! Seriously, I bet she could’ve easily beaten Boscha in a Witch’s Duel if she wanted; Though it’s worth noting that according to Willow, Grudgby is apparently the only language she speaks… Given that shot of her room at the beginning, I have to wonder if that’s where her MAIN self-worth lies in! In the beginning Boscha acknowledges to herself that she’s hated, ‘so long as she is feared’; And her monologue low-key gives me, “Doesn’t know how to make friends so copes by putting herself above everybody else and overinflating her own self-importance under the impression that people are just secretly jealous!” vibes. (In some ways she’s like Grace from Infinity Train…)
That aside, I just get a sensation of pride from seeing how adept and adaptable Luz is, and the way she learned Fire from Boscha of all people –Which I called!- is both hilarious but goes to show what kind of a learner she is… I feel like Eda, like we’ve watched our kid grow and get stronger and I can’t WAIT to see what she pulls off next! Amidst her learning Magic and then defying the Coven System… you go Luz, YOU GO!
           And, it seems I’m not the only person who shares this sentiment! Even after Boscha’s bullying, we don’t see anybody beyond her gang make fun of Luz and co.! When Willow gets trashed poured on her, some students are watching, but… They seem kind of disturbed by it all? They’re not outright vouching on her behalf like Luz, possibly because Boscha is watching; But still! It is SO cathartic to see Willow being beloved by the entire school like that, even if she’s keeping her friend-circle to a select few; People LIKE her, and it’s what she deserves! Like Luz, I’m SO proud…!
           I’m still disappointed we didn’t get the names of Boscha’s other friends, but I really like their inclusion here! I liked how they all seemed rather uncomfortable with seeing Luz forfeit, only to be made Boscha’s target practice; And how Luz is so bright, bubbly, and infectiously-cheerful, spreading her good will to others! Like, this girl is TOO kind, and so loving… She has no bounds and I love how those other girls are even affected by Luz, genuinely enjoying her and wanting to be friends, alongside having Willow as a teammate! I have to wonder if they’ll ditch Boscha after this… Or at the very least, try to talk her down as friends of Boscha that she actually cares about and vice-versa (compared to Amity, who has always been cold towards Boscha, hence why her talking wouldn’t have made a difference)!
           Speaking of Amity… C’mon, girl. Your CRUSH is showing, the way you’re getting flustered, imagining seeing Luz in a ‘cute’ uniform and everything… Gus being utterly confused, but you can tell that the gears in Willow’s head are turning and honestly; She’s all for it, likely! I think this is the first time Amity has had an ACTUAL crush on someone she can talk to, instead of some distant figure or a fictional character! It’s so heartwarming seeing her navigate it, getting to actually deal with feelings like a kid is supposed to be allowed to do! And Luz being clueless… That, or she thinks Amity is into WILLOW, which makes a lot of sense too!
           (After all, Luz knows that her parents wouldn’t approve of her being Amity’s girlfriend… But Luz, you have NO idea how much she cares, she literally loves you more than she fears them! And Amity, knowing that her parents wouldn’t approve and struggling with this no doubt, but her love for Luz is really shining through over all of that!)
           To put it simply; Luz is FRIEND-shaped, she’s lovable, there’s no escaping liking her! Maybe Boscha will always be a bully, and I know one might call it ‘cliché’… But honestly I’d love to see Boscha eventually warm up to Luz and HER infectious positivity as well! Also, I saw that twist with the Rusty Smidge coming from a mile away, and I love how Luz low-key gets into a genuine rant over it! Although the loss doesn’t matter, as Luz’s team was clearly more adept and Boscha’s friends don’t seem interested in forcing Luz and her friends to do all of that other stuff…
           Anyhow, I love seeing Amity stand up for her friends, and when she says that her social life has improved because she’s with Luz, in spite of Boscha’s claims… I really CAN see her standing up to her parents, sometime later! I speculated a while back that depending on how her and Luz’s relationship in Enchanting Grom Fright goes, it’d really impact what Amity does later down the line, and I was right! But it IS worth noting that Amity may not yet know that Luz has to leave… King and Eda know, and the former mentioned this in front of Willow and Gus! It’s possible that Luz has laid out her plans to return every summer (and during winter break and whatnot), which would definitely lessen Amity’s angst by an infinite amount! And seeing as how she has instantaneous access to the Demon Realm, who’s to say she can’t pop in every day, after school! Sure she might not be actively living in the Owl House anymore, but otherwise…!
           On another note with Amity, I love her and Luz getting to geek out over The Good Witch Azura, and it’s funny to see the show confirm what I wondered about earlier; About Amity secretly making Azura references in public, under the knowledge that nobody would recognize them and realize she’s a nerd… But LUZ does now, and the two can bond! Also, Amity getting to have fun with Luz and co. at the end, being CARRIED by Luz, fully accepted into the home… I know you also have the library as a safe space Amity, but you’ve also got the Owl House as well! And it seems Hooty bears no grudges, either!
           Also, someone speculated recently that Amity has her goth-sense from Lilith… and given the implication that Lilith dyed her hair, I can REALLY SEE IT! I’m disappointed we didn’t get any interactions between the two… But the way it was set up, I feel like if Eda and Lilith were there they’d be too busy cheering on their kids respectively! Or not, we’ve seen them prioritize their feud in Covention… But back then Luz and Amity weren’t on the same team!
           Back to Amity, it’s interesting that she used to be on the Grudgby team, and was good at it, even being CAPTAIN when Boscha wasn’t; But then explicitly quit when she accidentally hurt some of her ‘friends’ merely once. Even if she never cared for them in the past, even if this was before she met Luz and learned to be kind and open again… She was ALWAYS someone who was self-conscious of her actions! And sure, the issue is that Amity is a LITTLE too self-conscious, constantly berating herself, holding herself accountable for every mistake… But regardless, it says a lot how guilty she feels to have hurt her teammates, even if it was an accident and a one-time incident that resulted in victory!
           I’ll probably do ANOTHER post about it later, but it says a lot; How Amity feels like she should step up as a Blight, and she DOES outshine the others… But because of that inherent guilt but also compassion, she actually quits Grudgby out of guilt! Which leads me to the idea that even if she tolerated Boscha and co., she wouldn’t have wanted to hurt them; Again, because she’s critical of herself, but also because Amity isn’t cruel and it may have reminded her of how she treated Willow! I have to respect and fear for Amity on quitting Grudgby after that…
           Again, I think she has the issue of being too overtly-critical of herself, and that it’s honestly THE issue that defines her problems; But on the other hand, I feel like Amity’s parents would’ve been displeased to see their star child quit the team, just for hurting some ‘lesser’ witches? I’m scared for what may have happened to Amity, but it also says a lot that she made a potentially defiant move simply because she didn’t want to hurt yet another friend…
           (That, or her parents wanted Amity to focus on Abominations and other studies, and coupled with Amity’s guilt, it was the perfect opportunity to get her off the team. Which would be sad, but not surprising.)
           Anyhow, I just think it’s interesting that Boscha and co. don’t ever seem to have any resentment towards Amity until recently. It’s possible Boscha DID dislike Amity up until she stepped down… But it makes me wonder if Boscha, like, looked up to Amity and wanted her approval and attention? Given how she’s always framed as following Amity… Perhaps Amity stepping down led to Boscha taking the spotlight, and so Boscha feels indebted towards Amity for her fame (and potential source of self-worth)?
           Last but DEFINITELY not least; Somebody else (I’m sorry I keep forgetting) alluded to how in Understanding Willow, there was the issue set up of Luz meaning the best for friends… But also sometimes invading their privacy, or overriding what they want, so she can live out her fantasies at the same time! And, like- A big part of her IS doing this for her friends, that much is clear… But Luz does have an issue sometimes with clearing fantasy from reality! It’s a more advanced lesson from the one she learned in Episode 2, continuing off of that, and I LOVE it!
           Like, I really do LOVE how Luz recognizes in this episode that even if a part of her is motivated in helping Willow, she’s also using this as a chance to live out her underdog Azura fantasies, and how Willow points this out to her… and Luz realizes that she’s right! She actively MAKES a change to her behavior, and makes up for it by fixing Willow’s hairclip and even forfeiting on Willow’s behalf and taking all the punishment… All because she doesn’t want her friend to be uncomfortable! Man, Luz is SO ridiculously kind, I keep saying she’s my favorite but she REALLY IS! What a lovable dork, no wonder Boscha and her friends are falling for her!
           (Also RIP Skara, you were the fourth one in a team of three. Although given how she helped carry Luz and Amity in the previous episode, amidst already having more screen time… I can see this as a way for the writers to give more of a spotlight to Boscha’s other friends, while subtly acknowledging that Skara likely has gotten over her bias towards Luz and the others. I wonder if Boscha also noticed and that’s why she was left out; That, or she’s the least-skilled? I dunno, but it was neat to see and I’ll overanalyze the moment regardless!)
           On a lesser note; Willow’s last name is Park, which is a Korean surname! Coupled with her VA’s ethnicity and Willow/Tati Gabrielle being listed amongst other Asian rep characters and VAs, and I think it’s safe to say that she’s the Boiling Isles equivalent to Asian; Which let me tell you, is VERY nice to see!
           Overall, this was an AMAZING episode! It was a heartwarming, feel-good episode that reaffirmed character relationships and love while still expanding on them, adding in more friends to the group… It was pretty much nothing but happy moments and revelations! Obviously things are setting up in the next two episodes to go REALLY crazy, especially with Luz potentially getting banned from Hexside for defying Lilith and Belos… But it’s clear to say that she’s left QUITE the good impression on the administration and students! And I can see some even vibing with Luz’s ideas even after she gets kicked out… Perhaps Luz will unknowingly start a rebellion of sorts?
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ethelindawrites · 2 years
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October 6
Fictober, Prompt 6 - "Didn't we already have this conversation?"
Original fiction.
Warnings: nothing much, a very vague, passing allusion to past abuse of a side character.
I swept into the front hall as the footman opened the door, his timing as impeccable as always. I gave him a slight, grateful nod. The chill of autumn followed me in, leaves swirling as several more people followed me in. I would have preferred to leave them outside, but my temper had not quite tipped over into outright rudeness.
Yet.
“Your Grace,” my butler bowed, stepping forward to take my cloak and gloves as other servants materialized to help my guests, uninvited though they might be.
“Thank you, Julian,” I told him, catching his eye. He would see the tension and annoyance in my own furrowed brow, but the lack of true fear would let him know that all was well enough for now. The slightest hint of tension eased from his still perfectly upright posture, and he bowed.
“If you and your guests will follow me, Your Grace, I took the liberty of having hot drinks prepared.”
“I have always envied your household staff, Duchess,” one of the hangers-on simpered as we settled into the parlor.
“Too kind,” I murmured, sipping my tea, into which Julian had kindly slipped just a little something extra. Extraordinary man. It had already occurred to him, as it should have occurred to me before now, that with the hour already so late, they would all undoubtedly have to stay the night, which meant that I would have to host them again in the morning, my least favorite time of day.
My manor was not large as such things went, and my lands were deliberately isolated. This worked well for discouraging guests in the general sort of way, but worked against me once they were already here.
At least I could probably get them all packed off to bed relatively soon, and retire to my own rooms.
“Daria,” Aled murmured, coming over to sit in the chair closest to me with his own cup, his voice lowered. “Can I please ask you to reconsider?”
“Didn’t we already have this conversation?” I asked, voice low but crisp with renewed annoyance. “I will not.”
“But the other lords…and the Temple—” He stopped as rage flashed over my face. I had myself under control a breath later, but I should not have let it happen.
“The Temple,” I said carefully, “have no say in how I govern my estate.”
“They do if you are—” he hesitated, glancing quickly to make sure the others were talking amongst themselves before continuing, “if you are using dark magics.”
“I am not.” I held his gaze without a hint of hesitation.
At last he slumped back, looking away and sighing. “All right, Daria, I believe you.”
“I should hope so,” I told him, acerbic as I sipped my tea. I wished Julian had put a little more liquor in it, but it was for the best. “How long have you known me?”
Aled smiled wryly. “Most of our lives. I don’t remember the exact year.”
“Neither do I. Are we truly getting so old as all that?”
He laughed. “Perhaps we are.”
He was not, at least in his looks. He had always been a handsome man. If things had been different…
But they were not.
I summoned up a better façade of graciousness, and played hostess for another hour before I was able to get them all escorted off to rooms in the guest hall. I could send them all on their way after breakfast without being thought ill-mannered.
It grated that I had to consider such things at all, but I had to tread carefully.
After the last of them had disappeared from the parlor, I remained, too fatigued even to make my own way upstairs for the moment.
The fire had burned low by the time Julian and my personal maid, Lara, and one of the newest junior maids, Maddi.
“How have you settled in?” I asked Maddi, and she did not seem too startled to be addressed by me, so the others must have warned her.
“I’m well, Your Grace,” she dipped a brief curtsy to me. “Thank you again for…for giving me somewhere to go.”
I wanted to wave away the thanks, but did not like to be dismissive of the genuine emotion behind her words. She was not the only person I had brought into my household because she was not safe in her own home the way she should have been, but she was the most recent.
“I appreciate your work,” I told her truthfully, and then rose so that she could begin gathering the dishes to bring them back to the kitchen.
Julian and Lara bowed me through the door, then followed me up to my rooms, a habit too old now to require words.
“All is well then, Your Grace?” Julian asked, stationing himself by the door as Lara followed me behind the screen and helped me out of my gown.
“For now,” I told them. “For now.” I hesitated, then admitted, softer, “I’m not sure how long we have. People are beginning to suspect. Even if we have enough time to prepare…I’m not sure it will be enough.”
I did not like to admit to weakness in front of any of my people, but these two had been with me too long and through too much to truly worry about that. I could give them nothing less than the full truth.
Even Aled had not earned that, much as I wished he had. But he was too set on seeing me “redeemed” in the eyes of the other lords and especially the Temple. He wanted a reconciliation.
He did not see what they really were, what they were really doing to people. Not just to me and mine, but to everyone. I didn’t care about everyone, but those who had sworn themselves to my name would have every protection that I could give them.
“We will succeed,” Lara said firmly. “You are powerful, and Julian and I becoming more so. We can win, if we have enough time.”
I smiled at her, and let her help me into my nightclothes, though they were far simpler than the formal gown. “If I have any hope, it is because of you two, and the rest.”
“We are glad and proud to serve you,” Julian said, his light eyes steady as Lara and I stepped back into the open.
I was glad and proud to have them.
“Get some rest,” I said aloud, knowing they understood. “We will confer more tomorrow after my guests have gone.”
“Your Grace,” they murmured together, and went out.
Alone, I went to sit near the fire, staring into the flames. After a moment, with just the slightest narrowing of my eyes, the dancing light shifted to blue, then to green, then to violet, and then back to their natural red-gold.
Dark magics, Aled had called it. But then, that was what the Temple called it.
Whether it was truly dark or not I was not yet sure, but it was power that the Temple did not want me to have, and that alone was enough to make me want to have as much of it as possible.
With a last, grim smile at the fire, I rose, and retired to bed.
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birdies-be-free · 3 years
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Thoughts on Akutagawa's fate following ch. 88
Throwing my hat in the ring on this subject following new developments, because as a prior vampire fanatic and Akutagawa Stan I've been trying to come up with some possibilities. I base a lot on themes throughout BSD as well as what we know of the real life authors here, touching a little on vampire tradition. I also feel a bit more confident in these thoughts under the premise that this is the final arc of the series.
Spoilers for the latest chapters/anime only:
There's a lot of debate on whether Akutagawa was truly dead or not before being turned by Stoker. We've seen him and various other characters survive grave injuries without mystical intervention (ie. Yosano), so it's not totally out of the question that he was still technically living at the time. Fictional works with vampires vary tremendously, however when it comes to mythology and legend it tends to be the case that vampires come from the dead. Because of that I believe he did legitimately die, but there's plenty of opportunities for that to change based on BSD lore. Considering we see Gin change over almost instantaneously after Higuchi's attack, it's hard to say that there's time for death to occur before turning, so that process could function differently from being changed via the main source (Stoker in this case).
All the same I'm not entirely shocked over the possibility that Akutagawa will be dead by the end of the series. Before everything became revealed, I was concerned over his respiratory health plus the fact that real life Akutagawa eventually killed himself. Once it was hinted that he would parallel Oda in a way, I felt even less confident that he would make it. We've seen evidence of Akutagawa changing and growing as early as ep. 11 with Higuchi's rescue when he steps up and apologizes to her, and from that point his treatment towards her seems improved/he's not physically or verbally assaulting her anymore. The changes continue as he cooperates with and acts as defense for Atsushi and gives his support to Kyoka in redirecting her path to a meaningful life. Even at times where he's fighting back against Atsushi, he makes statements towards the good Atsushi has in his life and tells him that his past in the orphanage being abused and ridiculed doesn't define who he is today.
We did see a genuine smile from him before going down, so perhaps he does feel enough at ease by saving Atsushi and therefore fulfilling something meaningful to his dedication to Dazai and drive to make him proud, not to say Dazai is the only basis in this action (we likely wouldn't see him smiling if that was the case). Rather than lose them both by not acting, Akutagawa could get Atsushi out of danger to regroup and continue the fight. I've seen others note how his keeping the promise to not kill by just knocking out the man attacking them in the ship led to Fukuchi getting distracted catching up with him and others, allowing Atsushi to properly escape without being tailed. We see in their tremendous capabilities combining Rashomon and Beast Beneath the Moonlight as well as in the cafe scene in the Beast AU that Atsushi and Akutagawa are kindred souls, yin and yang (their hair colors being the most obvious symbolism). In circumstances that do not automatically have them pitted against each other, they laugh and relate to each other, and I feel with that continued freedom they would become incredibly close and be a major source of healing old wounds together.
If inevitably he isn't revived, I think Asagiri will give us a meaningful last scene for Akutagawa. Asagiri has a wonderful way with writing deeply emotional, meaningful scenes, such as Dazai's response to Atsushi over the death of the orphanage director, and in a very major character death I'm confident we'd get the same efforts. Akutagawa's certainly done a lot of evil and destruction in his life yet in the end acted in unity and for the greater good, not just to prove himself or please Dazai. It would be late, but I have a lot of hope on the idea that Dazai would act very symbolically on the matter. Make sure he was laid to rest somewhere meaningful maybe? Hell I go as far to consider that when this arc is over that Dazai may finally commit suicide following Akutagawa's death, just as real life Dazai had, though in this case it being more of Dazai feeling that he did his part in becoming good, saving the innocent while combating evil, and forgoing his past rather than as an act of grief. Dazai creates a lot of humor surrounding his mental illness, but it is a major point to his character pulled directly from the real Dazai. Once again referring to the Beast AU, he follows through with committing suicide once he has done his part in the universe to bring Atsushi and Akutagawa together and to give Oda the chance to live peacefully, even if it means losing his friendship.
So that's my major thoughts there! Feel free to share any thoughts on the subject(s), and we'll see in the coming months how things begin to progress!
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81scorp · 3 years
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21 tips for writing humor
 This was not written by me. It was written and uploaded to deviantart  Jan 13, 2017 by DesdemonaDeBlake.
All credit goes to her. I just copied and pasted it here.
There are many theories as to the nature, science, and reason for humor. It's an element of human behavior that seems objective in the skill that is required to execute it successfully, and yet just as subjective for how unpredictably it can hit every individual audience member. Today, I'm going to talk about the various forms that humor takes, and give you some tips for making your humorous story a success. To start with, lets look at what I will call the “five scales of comedy”. (Please note that the following is not intended as definitive list of the only sources and scales of humor in the world, only the ones that I have been able to identify within my own life, time, limited understanding, and culture. Also note that I will use the word “Humor” instead of the word “Comedy,” simply because I do not want this discussion on genres to be confused for the type of story that is opposite of Tragedy.)
The Five Scales of Comedy
A story or other source of humor can usually be found along the lines of five different scales. These are: High Humor vs Low Humor, Sweet Humor vs Acidic Humor, Distanced Humor vs Close Humor, Predatory Humor vs Reflective Humor, and Clever vs Ridiculous Humor. These scales stand apart from the sub-genres of humor (dark, slapstick, dry, etc...), and have to do with how the humor affects the audience. Note that there is no “best” type of humor; there is only humor that works in different ways and which impacts different sorts of people. So wherever you find your story in the scales, know that there is no need to change it unless you want to. Also, the names of the scales are just that—names. Just because your story falls into the category of “low” humor, doesn't mean that it is any less valuable than “high” humor.
Range 1: High Humor
Within the range of High vs Low humor, what we are discussing is the how large an audience we are trying to reach. High humor involves jokes and comical situations that are only understood by a very select group of people. An example might be a comedy series that focuses its humor on the experience of working in a corporate office (like … The Office), or perhaps political commentary. These are only funny to those people who have shared the experience or the political knowledge of the person generating the humor. Basically, the higher the humor, the more the entire set-up begins to resemble an inside joke. This type of humor is excellent for gaining the interest of select demographics who you may want to address. For example, if you only want to talk to nerds (I say non-insultingly because I am one and am proud of it), you might have lots of references to science fiction and fantasy.
Range 1: Low Humor
On the opposite side of the range, you have Low Humor. Low Humor deals with topics, jokes, and situations that are more universal to the human experience. An easy example of this is a fart joke. Everyone in the world farts, and most people are in touch enough with their inner child to think that it is funny if the joke is skillfully set up. Again, there is nothing wrong with low humor; and in certain situations it is even preferable. The lower your humor, the larger your potential audience can be. Other examples of low humor might be family life, slapstick, and situational comedy based on everyday experience. Shows like Spongebob Squarepants, for example, involve such a low degree of comedy that people of all ages, demographics, and locations across the world are able to find delight in it.  
 Range 2: Sweet Humor
The next range of humor, Sweet vs Acidic, deals with the intensity of the humor itself. Sweet Humor involves jokes, situations, and characters that require less pain and cynicism to appreciate. For example, a story that involves simple characters bumbling around, making mistakes, overcoming, and becoming better people for it would generally fall into the range of Sweet. We don't laugh at their misfortune (or if we do, its lighthearted and with limited consequences, like slipping on a banana peel), we laugh because their situations are joyfully amusing.  
An example of this are the sort of jokes and humor found in Youtube “Lets Plays,” like those of Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. We don't laugh because of anything bad happening to these people (or the characters that they play); we laugh because they are eccentric, silly, and joyful in a way that also makes us feel joyful. This form of humor can be tremendously encouraging and uplifting to the types of readers who enjoy it.
Range 2: Acidic Humor
On the other hand, we have Acidic humor. Much like with food, most people have strong preferences and limits to how acidic (spicy, sour, or bitter) they like their humor. Acidic humor deals with laughing at topics that are increasingly serious or even tragic, such as death, illness, social injustice, etc... A popular example of acidic humor is South Park. Those of us who enjoy acidic humor will find ourselves laughing at topics that would otherwise likely bring us to tears. The power of acidic humor is that it helps its appreciators to cope with the difficult truths of life, and also to acknowledge problems that we are otherwise tempted to ignore because they are too hard to think about.  
An example of an issue addressed in South Park is the elderly, their treatment, and our fear that we will face the same. Sure, when we watch an episode we laugh when the younger characters mistreat and abuse the elderly in the community. However, a conscientious viewer will then begin the chew on the issue, once the episode is over. We'll look at our own actions, and begin to wonder if our treatment of the elderly is just as bad. Because of the acidic humor, these difficult truths come to the forefront of our minds, we gain the courage to actually think about them, and we can even bring them up in discussion with others. This discussion can then lead to people changing the world for the better.
Range 3: Distanced Humor  
This range has to deal with the necessary emotional distance we need in order to be able to appreciate a certain level of humor. Even with lighthearted humor like slapstick, which has very low acidity, the audience needs to be distanced in order to laugh. For example, if I watch Bugs Bunny wallop Elmer Fudd on the head with a mallet, it's generally pretty damn funny. I know that these characters are both flat cartoons with limited depth to their character, and that as non-beings they don't really feel pain. Therefore, I don't have empathy to Elmer's pain (because it is really non-existent), and I can laugh. However, if the show were to show me Elmer's life, how he's been a vegan but famine has caused him to need to find meat to feed his family, and how he struggles to even shoot at a rabbit because it makes him feel like he's betraying himself; then I'm not going to laugh if Bugs hit him with a hammer. I'm too close, and need emotional distance in order for my empathy to not get in the way of my humor.
Range 3: Close Humor
We do not need distance in order to find something funny. With close humor, the jokes and situations actually rely on how well we know the characters and how much we empathize with them. An example of Close Humor is Scrubs. In the show actually find ourselves within the mind of the protagonist, JD, and seeing the entire world through his eyes. He tells us about his insecurities, his genuine pain, his fears, and we actually really care about him as a character. Yet, we find humor in his minor misfortunes and even in his silly victories. The closeness of our perspective amplifies the events that happen in his life in a way that distanced humor cannot achieve. For example, when he stutters and says something embarrassing in front of someone he idolizes, we find ourselves giggling. If Elmer Fudd were to stutter in front of someone he idolized, we wouldn't laugh nearly so hard because we can't possibly understand the stakes of the moment or why meeting this person is so important to him. We need to be close to a character for Close Humor to work.
Range 4: Predatory Humor
With the range of Predatory Humor vs Reflective humor, we are discussing who will be the “butt” or target of the joke. (Note that a joke does not necessarily need a butt, as we will discuss later.) While often used in a negative way, in order to bully and shame others, predatory humor is not a bad thing in and of itself. Predatory humor can be used to tackle and harm negative constructs and ideas in our society. For example, Fairly Odd Parents used to frequently attack neglectful and abusive parenting. Note that the while Timmy's (the protagonist of the show) Parents were frequently the butt of jokes, they were also not the real target (just like parents in general were not the target). The targets were their selfish and non-reflective actions that had damaging effects on their son. We can use predatory humor to attack ideas, and point out the evils that are so often overlooked in society. The trick is to always keep vigilance of your own mind, actions, and motives to makes sure that you do not become a bully who targets the people themselves. Because even if someone acts in an evil way, bullying them will never cause that to change.
Range 4: Reflective Humor
On the other side of this range we have Reflective Humor, which serves to make fun of itself. Again using South Park as an example, the creators would often make their own beliefs and ideals the target of their ridicule. For example, it's fairly clear that the show speaks in favor of LGBT rights and for their being accepted as equals in society. However, they also go as far as to mock people who are so over-enthusiastic and pro-LGBT (to the point of hypocrisy). Another example is when the show begins to teach a moral lesson, the writers will often make fun of themselves through the character of Kyle for being so preachy. The effect of the show making fun of itself is two-fold. First, those of us whose beliefs South Park mocks feel like the show is being fair. Thus, we continue to listen to and respect the views of the creators, even if we don't always agree. Second, we trust the messages of a story more when it has the integrity to point out its own failings. Note that unlike with other scales, Reflective and Predatory Humor can actually be interwoven so that a joke or story makes fun of itself just as much as its target.
Range 5: Clever Humor
The last range of humor that we'll discuss is that of Clever vs Ridiculous. This range is fairly self-explanatory, but the core of its nature is what sort of punchline is delivered at the end of a humorous situation. Clever humor takes the audience expectation and amplifies or twists it to an unexpected place. You can see this in the work of comedians such as Louis CK and Demetri Martin. Martin, for example, has a humorous bit about doorways that say “Exit Only.” The joke then involves his compulsive desire to tell store workers that they underestimate the potential of those doors by about 50%. The delivery of the punchline is true and logical, but it such a way that it humorously exceeds audience expectation.
Range 5: Ridiculous Humor
Opposite of Clever Humor, we have ridiculous humor. This is when the punchline of a humorous situation is so absurd that we can't help but laugh. And example of this is the Spongebob Squarepants episode where he and Squidward get lost while delivering a pizza. They become lost in the wilderness and spend the episode becoming more and more so. Then, right at the end, Spongebob exclaims that they are saved because he's found a big beautiful boulder, the likes of which the pioneers used to ride for miles. And, to make matters even more ridiculous, the boulder works—driving just like a car. We find humor because the punchline is simply so grandiosely absurd that we can't help but enjoy it. Note that both Clever and Ridiculous humor require a great amount of skill and thought to pull off successfully, it's just a matter of your preference and your target audience.  
The Five Sources of Humor
Once we identify what type of humor we are employing by using the scales, the next thing to consider is what makes our stories funny. This is something of a challenge, because we don't generally put much thought into why humor makes us feel the way it does. The humor either hits or misses, and we laugh or we don't. Making matters even more complicated is that there are so many theories as to why and how humor works—with everyone from Aristotle to Freud interjecting an opinion. But if we look at the particular sorts of things that make people laugh, we can improve how we use humor in our stories.
Source 1: Misfortune  
Whether a cartoon character is slipping on a banana peel, or a character in a romantic comedy finds themselves in an embarrassing situation, the misfortune of others seems to be the most popular form of humor. This is why slapstick and funny home videos have been so prevalent in modern humor. Plato and Aristotle seemed to believe that this was because such humor made the audience feel superior to the characters being ridiculed (Superiority Theory). This seems especially true when we see unlikable characters (like the villain in a children's cartoon) experience misfortune in a comical way.  
Though Superiority Theory has its place, I would assert that there is an alternative way that people enjoy misfortune. Perhaps the experience of slipping on a banana peel or being in an embarrassing situation is funny because of our own memories of experiencing the same thing or something similar. Freud and others theorized that humor was a release of energy (Relief Theory). Maybe our camaraderie with the character, mixed with emotional distance from the scene we are watching, creates a safe space to release our own stored feelings of pain or embarrassment. Thus laughter really does become a healing force.
Source 2: Absurdity
In his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus”, Albert Camus defines and explains the absurd.
“It's absurd” means “It's impossible” but also “It's contradictory.” If I see a man armed with only a sword attack a group of machine guns, I shall consider his act to be absurd. But it is so solely by virtue of the disproportion between his interaction and the reality he will encounter. […] Likewise we shall deem a verdict absurd when we contrast it with the verdict the facts apparently dictated. (29)
Though Camus is not talking about humor (rather the existentialist question), I think that the absurd is a source of humor. Audiences are often entertained by the absurdity of a situation. And by looking at Camus' explanation, we can hypothesize that this form of humor comes from the disproportionate contrast of action and situation. An example of this might be one of the last battle-scenes in Braveheart. In this scene, victory looks unlikely, the dramatic tension is high, and it seems to be the most serious moment imaginable. Then, upon being signaled, the protagonist's soldiers pull up their kilts and reveal their bare asses to the enemy. It's so unexpected and so absurd, that many people cannot help but to keel over laughing.
This scene is completely disproportionate to what we would expect to see in this dramatic a moment. The action does not suit the situation, but in a strange way it also kind of does—with the action juxtaposing itself against the situation. Perhaps, just like with misfortune, absurd humor creates a needed release of energy, connected to our own sense of existentialist absurdism. The absurd could then serve to release our feelings of despair in a positive light. The show, Rick and Morty, seems to be built on this connection between absurd humor blended with existentialism and nihilism. Of course, this is just a theory. What you'll want to focus on when writing absurd humor is the relationship of your characters' actions to the situations that they find themselves in. Are they lost in the desert? Have them climb a boulder and ride it home. The stronger the contrast between action and situation, the higher you'll make the potential for absurdity.
Source 3: Wit
Wit is the essence of Clever Humor; its the pithy intelligence that makes us laugh because of all the thought put into a situation. When we hear a witty joke or are part of a witty situation, we find ourselves moving in a forward humorous momentum, instead of the backwards and diagonal momentum of the absurd. But we don't stop at the expected location. For example my mother called me a few months ago, asking me if I was going to wish my brother a happy birthday. The expected response for this sort of set-up/situation is to answer “Yes” or “No”. But I went forward and beyond “No” by asking why she wanted me to congratulate my brother for being one year closer to death (I have an acidic sense of humor sometimes). This reply was much more thoughtful than what my mother expected, and pointlessly taken beyond the realm of reason. Therefore, she found it funny.
Perhaps there is an element of the absurd in any given amount of witty humor. It's as if we are taking extra steps to be as intelligent and rational as possible—ending with us standing somewhere close to the absurd. Using Camus' illustration of absurdity, the soldier with a sword wouldn't necessarily attack the machine guns, but instead go home, refusing to sacrifice his life to be a metaphor. You can see this sort of humor in Youtube series such as How it Should Have Ended. In this series, animators take a closer look at popular movies and then make efforts to enforce logic in worlds and characters that didn't have them. This includes having Severus Snape use his time-travel gizmo to go back in time and kill Voldemort before he became a problem—an action that is so logical that it erases the need for any of the Harry Potter stories to even happen. So when you create witty humor, look to take things beyond the realm of expectation—aiming for the absurdly reasonable.
Source 4: Anti-humor  
Anti-humor is when something is so unfunny that it becomes funny, sort of like puns. As we find delight in the absurd and the unexpected, humor and jokes can begin to feel predictable. We begin to look for the solution in jokes, and we're usually smart enough to begin to be able to predict it. In this case, the expected becomes surprising. An example is the classic: “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.” If you haven't heard it before, this anti-humor joke is actually kind of funny. A great example of this are the great collection anti-jokes found online.  
You can take anti-jokes to the next level using extremely acidic humor. This is where you take serious, grievous, or tragic topics and use them as the punchline for your joke. For example, a joke about a fatal illness is not funny because the person making the joke finds that topic amusing (otherwise that person needs some counseling). A joke about fatal illness can be funny to some people for the exact opposite reason—because of how dark and unfunny it is. Again, I believe this ties into a release of negative energy while in a safe space, and the processing of difficult emotions. If you plan to use the extreme form of anti-humor, please note that many people have very legitimate reasons for not enjoying it. So be careful, and give your audience some sort of forewarning so that you do not spring something so emotionally charged on them without their consent.
Source 5: Familiarity and Value
When I was taking university writing classes, I had an extremely eccentric professor who had all sorts of mannerisms that were unique to him. In the moments when he was particularly eccentric and acting out of his true nature (which he was quite comfortable with), I would find myself laughing, even if the situation wasn't funny. I think others can relate to this, as we all love to talk about fun people that we used to know, and find ourselves laughing even when what we are remembering isn't particularly funny. We laugh because those people acting happily out of their own nature gave us joy, and so anything they do creates a laughter that feels akin to humor.  
This mirth through familiarity can be accomplished in stories as well. In Bob's Burgers, for example, we really don't even begin to understand the humor until we develop an attachment and feelings for each individual character. Sure the situations are mildly amusing, but true laughter and humor doesn't begin until we know the characters, their likes, their dislikes, and who they are deep down inside. Once we know that, we laugh as each character acts out of their nature. When we see Louise (one of the protagonists) act with mischievous intent, we laugh even before we know what she's doing because we are happy that she is about to act out of who she really is. Note that this is a rather difficult sort of humor to pull off because you have to create a relationship between the characters and the audience before the humor will be possible.
General Tips for Humor
Tip 1: Create a patterned and uniform blend of humor for your story.
When you choose what sort of humor you plan to use in your story, the best way of maintaining audience enjoyment is to keep it constant. Just like when we watch a stand-up comedian, we begin to develop a taste and sense of expectation for whatever we are watching or reading. Over time, your audience will begin to really appreciate the flavor of your humor, and that appreciation will make your jokes increasingly funny (so long as they are creative and continue to be intelligently crafted). The pattern will also make all of your jokes seem, feel, and become purposeful. Your audience will enjoy this much more than if you seem like you are desperately trying to milk the humor from anything you can get your hands on (you perv).  
I recommend you begin by analyzing the origins of humor in your story's world. Is the world simply absurd, with unseen gods of chaos just dropping coconuts on people's heads for pure amusement? Does the humor come from a specific character? A group of funny people living in a serious world that they must learn to cope with through humor? A funny narrator with a unique perspective on life? Once you figure out the origins, determine where your humor will fit on the scales (it doesn't have to be on any extreme, you can stay in the middle of the scales and still be hilarious); and then figure out the source.
Tip 2: Create a genuine story with genuine characters, in order for humor to gain the most power.
If we value stories in terms of how much people enjoy and remember them, the best humor stories are those with good plots and characters. This may seem counter-intuitive when your intent is to make your audience laugh, but think of it this way. If an audience wants just concentrated jokes, they will read a joke-book. Your audience is choosing to dredge through the murky waters of story in order to find the humor with more difficulty because they want a blend of story and humor.  
An example of this is the movie,“Austin Powers.” Many people, myself included, watched these movies before we ever watched the James Bond movies that they were making fun of. And we enjoyed them greatly, and laughed the entire way through. Why? Because the characters and story, ridiculous as they were, were good enough that we actually invested our interest and emotions into them. As an added bonus, the story has become timeless and respected in its own right. Even if we face a future where nobody knows who James Bond is, the Austin Powers movies will be able to stand on their own merit because they are more than just jokes.  
Tip 3: Be careful about dating yourself.
Speaking of parody and humor losing its ability to be funny, let's talk about references that date our stories. Humor at the expense of popular culture (movies, politicians, celebrities) is a fun ploy of high-humor. It's especially useful for nighttime comedy shows that will be lost to time anyways, within a couple years. When you are writing a novel, however, you are trying to create something that will last a bit longer than that. Additionally, novels take a lot longer to write than an episode of a late night comedy show. This means that by the time you publish and people begin to discover your book, they may not know who the vapid pop star you're making fun of is. Your humor will be lost to time, and your book quite possibly forgotten. Of course, I'm not telling you that you can't use this sort of humor, just that you should be aware of the risks it holds.
Tip 4: Mark every line that is supposed to be funny, and make sure that it is.
Nothing detracts from a story or from a spirit of jovial humor so much as an obvious joke that falls flat. It's like watching an acrobatics show. If the acrobat falls on their face too many times you'll either be embarrassed for them or you'll empathize and start worrying for their safety. Either way, you won't find the situation amusing. In your own personal copy of the manuscript, mark every joke for analysis of whether it actually succeeds and whether it serves to empower the story. Then, ask your editors, test-readers, and writing partner to circle every point that they genuinely found funny. Be sure to pick test-readers who fall into the niche you are writing for, as well as those who do not. If nobody but you marked a specific joke, then you need to either get feedback for how to make it funnier, or else cut it.
Tip 5: Write within your own expertise and authority.
This does not mean that you can't laugh at things, and poke fun at things that are outside your realm of expertise, so long as you have done your research. But consider the power of an insider making a joke about something that you are a part of vs an outsider doing the same. It would be like the difference between me calling most writers narcissists (as I am one, and know that it is pretty true in most instances) and a politician making a joke and calling writers narcissists. I mean, what right does that asshole have to judge us, even if it is true? The point is that your jokes gain power when you can tell them with the confidence of an insider. Not only that, but your audience who is a part of the group at the butt of the joke, will be much more gracious and feel far less attacked when the joke comes from one of their own.  
Tip 6: Humor is personal  
Humor is something that is highly individual to specific groups and people. For example, I do not understand, nor am I really able to appreciate most British or Spanish comedies. This is not because they aren't funny; they are just as valid and hilarious as every form of comedy that I do enjoy. The reason is simply that because of either how I was raised, my life experiences or because of who I am by nature, I can't enjoy them any more than I can enjoy olives on my pizza (seriously, I hate them). It doesn't matter how artfully these types of humor are composed, there is simply no effect akin to joy, amusement, or laughter when I come across them. In other words, the problem is me and not them.  
All this is to make three points. First, it may be more difficult to find test-readers and worthwhile criticism for humorous work. Even if I'm really good at critiquing stories, I will not be able to give you any helpful feedback if your humor doesn't match with mine. And that isn't your fault any more than it's my fault. It's just a difference in taste. Second, humor is as personal and close to the heart as any other story or craft. When you create a joke, you are channeling whatever emotions and mixes of experiences have led you to the type of humor you have. So recognize the emotional bond between yourself and your humor.  
The third piece of advice is for those on the other end of the spectrum, those experiencing the humor of others and perhaps trying to give advice. Please recognize that others' sense of humor is just as valid as yours. Whether their sense of humor is simple, complex, dry, witty, dark, acidic, sweet, or anything in between, it is their sense of humor and not yours. Be careful in how you voice any attempts at criticism, as there are few ways to break your friends' trust and confidence as completely as when you tell them, “That's not funny.” You might as well be telling them that their heart sucks, and they are a sucky person.  
Instead, acknowledge the differences in people's humor, value it even if that humor makes you uncomfortable, and voice your criticisms accordingly. Try: “This joke wasn't successful with me, and might be perceived as racist/bullying/insensitive to some readers; so seek other feedback to see if it's just me.” You will voicing just as honest an opinion, without formulating a direct attack against the person who has trusted you with something so delicate to them.  
Weekly Recommended Watching: Doraleous and Associates by Hank and Jed. (A free animated fantasy Youtube series that manages to successfully mesh several humor types with an over-arching plot. Examine how even there are plot elements that are serious and even sad, the series maintains its humor through well-balanced distance and wit. And if this form of humor does not amuse you, that is perfectly valid and your own unique sense of humor is still a valuable thing.)
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just-the-hiddles · 3 years
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Writer’s Spotlight | Winterisakiller & Winterisakillerwrites
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Another Writer’s Spotlight and this week I featuring @winterisakiller​ \ @winterisakillerwrites​.  This is actually one of the first fic writers I found on Tumblr and I feel honored to feature them today.  She is the queen of angst and ripping my heart out.  Yes I have “yelled” more than once “fix it now!” at them after reading one of their stories.  They write killer OCs and are a genuinely great and supportive friend
The Basics
Any other names you want people to call you?
Cait
How long have you been writing fic?   
Oh goodness, since I was 12...so fourteen years give or take.
What fandoms and/ships do you write?
Currently Tom Hiddleston RPF and in that fandom Tom and OFCs. I also used to be active in the AFI fandom writing mostly slash fic, with the occasional OFC throw in.
How did you get started writing fic?
I have always loved making up stories in my head. I started reading fic ages ago (Hanson fanfic to date myself) and found myself going....I can do this, so I did. My first fics are horribly embarrassing and thankfully aren't to be found anymore. But it was good practice and it gave my the excuse to put pen to paper so to speak.
Story Recommendations
Which of your stories are your favorite?
That is a tough question, its like asking me to chose my favorite child. But if I had to I guess I would say its a tie between my two multi-chapter stories, Love & Great Buildings and Get Better. I love L&GB because it was the first long fic I wrote on my own from start to finish in YEARS. And Tom and Rosie have come to mean so much to me, especially being my first foray into the Tom fandom. Get Better I love because it let me explore the Tom I had created in Brave Face and let him find the happy ending he felt he no longer deserved. Cath (the main OFC) was such a fun character to explore as well. Building their relationship was a challenge (mainly trying to get them to cooperate with me) and one I enjoyed immensely.
Which story are you most proud of?
Honestly, Imperfect Tense because it was such a painful and difficult story to write. And it makes the only story in which I absolutely could not stand the Tom I created. He is a selfish in it and a coward and it costs him everything in the end. He had so many chances to come clean and be honest and he ran from each and every one until the truth finally was revealed and by then it was far, far to late. I love the OFC in the story, Molly, because she sticks to her guns. She loves Tom, trusted him implicitly, and he broke that trust and no matter how much she loves him, there is no way she can forgive him. And she sticks by that, even when the circumstance she finds herself in would be so much easier with him actively involved. So long story short, I'm saying Imperfect Tense because it wasn't the story I wanted to tell but the one that it needed to be.
Which of your stories do you think is the most underrated?
That is another tough one. I think I am going to have to go with Becoming. For one its a general Tom fic, not an OFC or reader fic, which meant it definitely didn't get a great deal of traffic. For another it was a challenging fic, for me, because I had so many ideas about what I wanted to explore and narrowing it down to focus primarily on building the relationship between Tom and his son and how that impacted Tom as a person (the guilt, the confusion, and the desperate need to get this right).
Someone is new to reading your stories, which story/stories should they read first?
I guess I would say either the Last Minutes & Lost Evenings series (Tom and Rosie) or the Brave Face series. Though any of the one shots I've written are good jumping in points as they are mainly independent stories (unless otherwise marked).
Which Story did you do the most research for?   
Honestly, Get Better (and in the same vein its prequel Brave Face). Get Better because it was sent in and around the London Betrayal run and I wanted to be as accurate as I could be. Brave Face because I did a LOT of looking into Tom's schedule at the time (2014-2016) as it played a very big role in the way I was writing Tom's character.
Which Story was the easiest to write?
Surprisingly, Brave Face...It almost seemed to write itself. I seriously blinked and somehow a 13,000 word story appeared. It never happened before and I seriously doubt it will ever happen again.
The Writing Process
What is your favorite part of writing?
When I get to that one part of a story...The one I can't wait to tell because its been sitting in my brain, begging to get out. And when I get it out exactly, if not better than, how I saw it in my head.
What is your least favorite part?
Editing is a bitch. So is trying to start something and not being able to get the words out the way they need to be. If that makes any sense.
Describe your style in 1 to 2 sentences.
Character driven and full of emotion. Mainly angst.
Who are some of your writing idols and/or influences?
Fanfic wise? I am in utter awe of @tilltheendwilliwrite​. Everything she writes is amazing and beautiful and my god I want to be her when I grow up. I also adore WhittyOne (on AO3), her Pastiche series is stunning and heartbreaking and beautiful. The relationship between Tom and Michelle is one of my absolute favorite fictional relationships. The love and trust between them is something out of this world. Traditional writers, I really don't have any one I strive to be. I read a lot (though as of late its been more fanfic than anything) and will try just about anything as long as I am invested in the characters.
What programs do you use to write and/or edit?
I write and edit mainly using Word. Occasionally, I will fiddle around with Google Docs, but Word is my norm.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Probably more of a panster, though I have been trying my best to be more of a plotter (at least in the basic sense) so that I at least have a general direction to move in.
Do you write RPF or not?
Yes.
What do you think are your writing strengths?
I think my strength lies in my ability to capture emotion (both the way my characters express their emotions and the way they don't) and I think I'm fairly decent at dialogue.
What do you struggle with?
Detail and description. I am working at getting better at describing the world around my characters. Trying to make the world more technicolor and less black and white.
Favorite Trope?
I'm a sucker for unrequited love and mutual pining.
What is the best piece of writing advice you have heard?
Actually its funny that you ask, I was talking with @evieplease last night and she mentioned that the best way to catch any errors or to see if what you've written works, read it aloud. And honestly, I had never thought of it until that moment and my god it makes so much sense.
What would you say to a new fanfic writer starting out?
As dumb as it sounds, just start writing. If you have an idea, run with it. Explore and try new things.
What is a random bit of research you have not managed to work into a fic yet?
I can't think of anything off the top of my head.
What is your favorite random detail from one of your stories?
I have an entire relationship background plotted out for Tom and one of my OFCs that will never feature in the fic(s) they are in, but gives me such a better understanding of them as a couple.
Any goals or WIPs you want to share?
Right now I am in the middle of writing Chasing Marigolds which is an idea that sprung from a tumblr game I participated in back in September of last year. Basically people sent story titles and the game was to come up with a summary for the title you were given. @lettalady​ gave me Chasing Marigolds and I came up with a basic summary and a few days later, the overall plot of the story. Flash forward to about a week or so ago, when my brain decided I HAD to get the story out. I'm only one and a third chapters into the story as of now, but I am excited about it and I cannot wait to start sharing it.
This or That
Fluff AND Angst
Smut AND Fluff
Reader Insert or OC
Ojne Shot or Series
Canon Divergent or AU
Pepsi or Coke
Coffee or Tea
Sweet or Savory
Until next time peeps, toodles!
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dweamsy · 3 years
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   It’s been repeated so many times especially on mcyttwt about how there’s no unproblematic person or unproblematic medias but I think people clearly don’t actually understand that or actively have that mindset, and not only in the mcyt fandom but just the internet in general.
  I think most people who are saying that are only have mcyts in mind when they’re saying it, and I think they’re acknowledging to make themselves feel better about stanning these people. Because mcyts mistakes and their past are more highlighted and more known because they’ve got threads written on them and the mcyts in question (talking about Dream Team/fboys here specifically I don’t keep up with other mcyters) actually acknowledge those mistakes and address them and apologizes for it = more people know about it. People including their stans are more aware that they’ve made these mistakes and have said insensitive things in the past. And that’s why they’re the ones labeled problematic
  When in reality you know, this applies to everyone and everything.  That’s why I found it silly when people mcyt stans only feel bad about their mcyt interests, or when former stans moved to other fandoms and then become a whole mcyt anti and drag them for the mistakes (especially if they’ve defended those mcyts when they were still a stan LOLLL that must be embarrassing for you) when their new fandom isn’t unproblematic either in fact sometimes worse.
  Like…. Kpop groups with a shitload of cultural appropriation or insensitive jokes. Celebrities like music artists or actors there’s been plenty who’s done ca as well, or remain friends with actual pedos and racists, or portray their characters incorrectly. And you know I used to think this “nothing is unproblematic” thing only applies to real people but they apply to fictional medias too. Like, even if fictional characters can’t do anything wrong because they’re fictional, the people who create them could be problematic. Sooooo many authors literally so many are terrible people even if they write good books.
  And even if the creators of these fictional medias isn’t on social media and they seem alright, you can find problematic aspects in their medias. I love Game of Thrones and ASOIAF but they’re definitely created with male audience enjoyment in mind and how they portray a lot of minor female character sexually or make HUGE age gaps relationship have romantic implications. A lot of fantasy authors low-key support incest and horrible age gaps relationship and it shows in their works. The big Marvel actors have made insensitive comments, Chris Evans is openly pro-military brooo. My favorite series, although the author haven’t done anything wrong as far as I know, I can tell from reading it he’s a bit sexist with how he potray his female characters 💀
  Like these fictional characters can’t do anything wrong obviously, but the people who play them or create them might. And of course you can apply the “separate art from the artists” mindset, but even if you do if you watch those medias(piracy excluded) or buy them, you’re still giving money to the problematic people who created them. Or if you run fan accounts or make fanworks for them you’re still promoting them in a way. In fact I think I’ve actually lifted or financially support problematic creators who make fictional content more than I have supported not-unproblematic mcyt ccs by watching their stuff in cinemas or getting other people to watch or read them. (not saying it’s something I’m proud of or that it’s a good thing btw)
  And I think the majority of people don’t understand or aware of this. It shows with people outside the fandoms who act like mcyters are the pinnacle of all evil but then they run stan accounts for celebrities or creators or fictional medias that are objectively A LOT WORSE. Or what even more annoying, ex-mcyt stans who stop stanning and then turn to other stuff (sometimes not even less problematic than most mcyts) and act like they’re morally superior for being able to stop stanning.
  Now I’m not saying these people need to drop their interests. There’s faults in every super popular fandom and you’re only going to be miserable in life if you’re looking to only enjoy something that’s completely unproblematic and morally perfect. But I wish people would stop being annoying hypocrites. You’re not superior for enjoying one thing and actively hating something when they’re both very similar. It shows that these people are just incapable of critical thinking when they actively talk about and support something that is not-unproblematic but acts like mcyt fans are the spawns of satan.
  (Also not saying that mcyt is better than other fandoms btw they’re definitely not and this whole post isn’t meant to be defending them although I’m aware it can come across that way)
  Another thing is that I wish people (only a small portion of people do this and only on twitter as far as I know but they’re people I see regularly so) stop feeling bad about liking these mcyts. Like I know they use “no person is entirely unproblematic” to make themselves feel better for liking mcyt. You’re not a bad person for liking mcyt 😭Obviously it doesn’t make you a better person either, but some people genuinely makes themselves feel miserable thinking they’re supporting only mildly good people and if not because of their hyperfixations or whatever they would want out. Goddamn it’s not fun seeing people hating on their own interests.
  I think some mcyts the Dream Team especially are not bad people. I think they’re good, they’ve actively tried to be better more than most famous people I’ve seen and been fan of, and they’ve created a community that’s although sometimes terrible, are a good change in the gaming community. Like the gaming/twitch community have been horrible and actively promoted actual harmful ideas. The DSMP community as toxic and stupid as it is sometimes, it’s better than let’s say—Pewdiepie’s, or just the general gaming or twitch community. Them and their fanbase are bringing good changes for this side of the internet, and you shouldn’t feel like an evil person for liking them, just like how you wouldn’t feel like an evil person for liking Rainbow Rowell’s books or for liking Twenty One Pilots (both who I think are worse than mcyt, Dream Team specifically. Also not saying this makes Dream Team saints btw I DON’T THINK THAT AT ALL)
  I don’t know where I’m going with this I guess people (me included btw) should be more critical of their interests and especially don’t feel morally superior for liking certain things over the other. You’re a loser for watching Minecraft as much as you’re a loser for stressing about how much streams a music artist got and you’re also a loser for making fancams of animated children characters 💀 It’s online fandoms we’re here to have fun and giggle a little bit everyone need to relaxxxxxxx
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solacefruit · 3 years
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For the ask meme, 3) and 17), please? And maybe 25) if you're up to it? Irrelevant but I'm the Tormentil- missing/Harrierpaw ruddles from Ailuronymy – I love your writing too, it's amazing! (I'm very excited for a potential Riverclan full-length story, like MAMS, at some point – even if I have to wait quite a while)
Hello there! Thank you so much for saying so, that’s lovely to hear. Please don’t hold your breath for a Riverclan novel, though! It’s not even on my concept list at this point and there’s a lot of other stories, including full-length ones, I’m going to be attempting first. So it’s not impossible for me to write a Riverclan one--it would be pretty neat to have a novel for each clan--but I can’t promise it’ll ever happen at this stage. Maybe! But also maybe not. It’s a mystery for me too.
Now on to your questions!
Send an ask: get to know the author.
3. What order do you write in? Front of book to back? Chronological? Favourite scenes first? Something else?
For all my Warriors work so far, I’ve written from beginning to end. In part that’s just because of the episodic nature of chapters, but also I’d say that’s my default approach for all my writing. When I get into original fiction--and especially big original fiction, novel-length work--I expect I’ll be taking a much more flexible approach, probably jumping around based on the vibe sometimes, but I like linearity because the first draft is really just getting the building blocks on the page. After that point, then you start really sculpting and being clever with it and moving bits around once you have a sense of the whole.
But for me, I think that first stage is more about getting a clarity of purpose and a rough outline--and that can be done pretty well with front-to-back writing. 
17. If you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?
Don’t sweat it. That stuff you think is important is completely not important at all. You’re doing all this nitty-gritty obsessive researching and “world-building” pointless, mundane aspects of the world because you: 1. are procrastinating actually writing; 2. have been tricked into thinking that’s what the “good” “serious” fantasy writers do, because that’s what a lot of boring old guys you don’t even like to read do and brag about, and you’re still believing can’t be a good fantasy writer without that, because that’s the popular image of a fantasy writer; & 3. are scared if you’re not perfect and exact in every detail, people are going to tear your writing apart for being “inaccurate” or making a mistake. 
That’s no way to live. You don’t like doing it, really. You’re trying to preempt criticism from people who weren’t ever going to like your writing anyway, and I think you know that. You’re trying to imitate authors you don’t even want to write like, because you think what they write is kind of boring and flat and it’s really straight and you sort of hate it, but you feel you should since it’s what’s “right”.
But you’re not being authentic to yourself, or your vision, or your talent, or what you want to write, and you should be. 
It’s really not your fault you feel this way, but you’re going to be so much happier when you realise this version of a fantasy writer is all total hokum and not your style and instead start writing what you want to, the way you want to. People are really going to like what you’re bringing to the table. It’s going to set you apart and you’re going to love writing fantasy that’s a bit weird and kooky and self-indulgent and fun and queer and all the things those old books just aren’t. 
I can’t stress how liberating it will be to put on heart-shaped pink sunglasses and decide that the most important thing your writing has to be is genuine and fun for you. You never wanted to write realist fiction anyway. Secondary worlds forever. 
25. Copy-paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of.
I thought about it for a bit because something I never do here is share any poetry I write, despite writing a decent amount of it. Partly that’s just not this blog’s audience, but also a lot of it I hope one day to put into publication, if only in a little chapbook. That said, I wrote this a while back on commission for someone’s character who was deathly ill and his lovers left behind, so I don’t mind sharing it now. It’s a tanka set (5-7-5-7-7, a bit like a haiku). 
summer has four hands,  he remembers, and twenty  loving fingertips-- and it doesn't end, ever;  it lasts a lifetime--at least, in his heart--even as his own fingertips grew slow and cold, his hands too weak to return a touch, to reach out and hold on, to find comfort in their  warm skin and promise them that he would be okay: each new winter weighed him down with the too-familiar  tiredness of a body with not quite enough life in it, like a garden under the frost, cold and withdrawn at the edges of the leaves, waiting for a sunrise that isn't coming. The ground, he remembers, was solid as stone under the snow that last winter, a final  cruel laugh from the world, as though giving him to the  earth--as though burying a lover--was not hard enough for them already-- but it was a pain that time alone could heal; so he waited, in the place so near and so far away, until the seasons moved once more and time brought them to his open hands, ten fingertips made of light, never to let go again. when he remembers the living world, he thinks of it better than it  was and forgives it for the brevity and falling snow.
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