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essskel · 1 year

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Sorry for the late reply - and in general, we agree, but with time I get less lenient with roche, especially since in my opinion w3 served him a character assassination the size of temeria so I'm not excited thinking about their possible cooperation. The tragedy of iorweth's disappearence in said game aside, his w2 arc really could use actually killing roche, or having a last confrontation, at least.

But I'd like to offer that iorweth's dislike of roche is more personal than 'he's an awful guy who's done irreparable damage to my people overall'. I've reached vergen, and the first time you talk to iorweth you hold an enlightening conversation about his motives, opinions on other approaches to the racial conflict, and his plans. The gist of what concerns roche is: he's been determined to get his hands on him since roche (the choice of words makes it sound like he perhaps got more involved than just giving the orders) slaughtered every elf in the commando he was leading at the time. he implies the badges he wears (missing only the temerian one...) are of the other first leaders of those countries' equivalent of blue stripes.

I highly recommend re-playing or watching that part (especially if you've imported a w1 save, he talks about yaevinn), it gives great insights into his character and personality! In polish his mannerisms alone betray a great deal, though i can't speak on the english dub.

- karanfile

omg you sent this while I was drafting an answer to a different ask and I linked a video to the same Vergen dialogue! I agree, I think it's some of the best insight to his character, and also some of the most damning evidence against Roche and Blue Stripes.

wait, going under a cut bc I wrote too much ->

Also agree that as much as I wanted Iorveth in TW3, I don't actually have total faith that CDPR would have handled his new interactions with Roche in a way that felt respectful to the context - esp after the mess of the failed 'greyness' between their paths in tw2. Geralt would have forced them together, they would have had to come to some agreement about not killing each other, maybe it would have been good, maybe it would have been out of character and flattened their past motivations. Idk, there are probably some benefits to his absence.

I sort of brushed at it with this post, but what I want more than anything for Iorveth in the canon storyline, is for him to escape the notion that he exists in tandem with Roche - which tw3 didn't totally seem ready to do. I want him out! Give him a new conflict! (and a happy ending?? Maybe??) Give him more friendships outside of Geralt! Let him grow and be more sympathetic, let someone who understands his background write him! Or just let him kill Roche - their duel is a great scene in tw2, but man....Iorveth should have just stabbed him.

Also - yes, he does go into his background hunting Roche in that Vergen scene, to which Roche has nothing even close. I wasn't disagreeing that Iorveth has a more personal stake in their conflict, sorry if it seemed that way, only adding what I thought was some background context about their differences in access to support, and that I felt it was in still sort of an extension of Iorveth's desire to protect his people, not satisfy his own need to defeat this one man - but also it WAS that. Iorveth's motivations as a person are pretty impossible to separate from his motivation as a leader.

That wording was messy, I hope I'm making sense, but I'm definitely not disagreeing with you. And tbh, the more and more I try to dissect the writing in the tw2, the more I'm convinced that Roche should have been a villain all along, but also that I need to just focus on something else, because there's so much wrong with the game, and it's such a poorly handled discussion of racism in a genre (fantasy) that famously does not handle racism well.

Won't get into it to much cause tbh I'm not the one to lead this discussion, but because I'm rereading LOTR, I've been doing tandem readings about the racist roots of fantasy races like Elves, Orcs, ect, (One source, but there are many) and why the baseline concept of "this ethnic group is 100% NOT human, and different 'races' are verifiable biologically separate" is just making race science real and not actually adding to the discussion of oppression in the way that the creators (white creators, mostly) who do things like 'Elf racism' seem to think. (A short article abt this, specific to the film Bright) (A longer example that uses star wars as the basis for criticism)

Anyway, conclusions for now ig (I'm off topic, sorry again) is that I want better for Iorveth, and Roche is definitely not the vehicle to deliver that, but also I personally should not be looking to CDPR anymore to deliver thoughtful commentary on racial oppression.

#sorry LMAO this answer is like 4 different posts thrown together please dont think this is all directed at you #just my train of thought based on the points you made #ask #karanfile #double shot

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ten-of-imps · 1 year

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A little rant about LOTR books

Sam was a gardener. Frodo was his sir, he owned the garden.

The first nitgh the three hobbits are sleeping in the woods while leaving the Shire, Pipin wakes up and tells Sam breakfast has to be served at eight thirty and then asks him did he warmed up water to wash up. That's not friendship, that's not how or what you'd ask your friend when you wake up.

I don't think it's stated in the books but Sam is a servant. I guess him being a gardener should have been clear.

Why am I so concerned about this fact you may ask. Well, because then it puts a completely different lense on the story now, rereading this after so many years. The first time around I might have been too little to understand this dynamic, so it flew over my head, and everything was friendship, magic and later maybe even a little gay. But now this changes everything.

Maybe not everything, but looking in the future of the story, Sam sticking with Frodo seems a little bit more cruel. You stick with your friends and family until the end, not your boss. I know I need to take into account the time period, what was appropriate and how this relationship dynamic was seen differently then. And I'm trying but. They weren't friends, they had a business relationship, and also Gandalf made Sam go by threatening him with magic, even if jokingly, poor Sam had no idea.

#me #ten rants #lotr #Rereading lotr #2023 #the fellowship of the ring #tolkien

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redbootsindoriath · 3 years

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Observations made while reading The Hobbit after taking like a two year break, Chapters 14-19

I wonder if Bard being right was a sort of fantasy of Tolkien’s. “Wow you should have listened to the morbid guy all along! He actually knew something! Who’d’ve thunk!”

Throwing down the bridge didn’t stop the dragon from destroying Laketown. Many of those who are familiar with this blog know the point I’m making here.

A long black arrow retrieved unbroken after each use? I see you recycling Dailir, Professor. Couldn’t let it go, could you?

“...some of those who had before sung the old songs loudest, were now heard as loudly crying that the dwarves had stirred the dragon up against them deliberately!” This line is really cool, in my opinion. That’s all.

Bard is just as keen on getting the treasure from Erebor as the others are because he wants to rebuild Dale. The movies made Bard more perfect and Faramir less perfect. What--

The mountain being an eleven-days'-walk away from Laketown just makes Middle Earth seem so much bigger.

I should have noticed this years ago, but the dwarves bragging on Smaug’s death when they had nothing to do with it reminds me of Eustace (from the Chronicles of Narnia) feeling "as if he had fought and killed the dragon instead of merely seeing it die”.

“[Bilbo] did not expect, of course, expect that any one would remember that it was he who discovered all by himself the dragon’s weak spot; and that was just as well, for no one ever did.” Not that he was salty about that when he was writing the book later, of course.

Touchy subject here, but I’m going to argue that 1/12 of the mountain’s treasure was a bit high of a demand by Laketown. Not downplaying Bard’s skill and courage in killing Smaug, but I’m saying he would have faced him all the same if there had been no treasure at stake.

Going to follow that up immediately with saying that I think Thorin and co. should have given them that much or more anyway, but out of pity, generosity, or in a move to befriend their neighbors and advance the local economy, rather than by force.

(Reminder that there are a heck ton of gemstones at the bottom of the lake after Smaug’s death.)

Anyway, the long and the short of it is that everybody has a point here and Gandalf is really the most levelheaded of the lot.

“‘Now I will make you an offer!!’” Anytime I think that using multiple exclamation marks at the end of something makes me seem unprofessional, I get to remember that the king of high fantasy himself did it sometimes.

Ah yes, metal spandex. Hasn’t made an appearance since Eöl. Good to have the cursed mental imagery back.

Book!Bard: “DUDE THE DWARVES ARE OFF GUARD, WE SHOULD KILL THEM NOW LOL!” Book!Thranduil: “Bruh calm down.” ... Movie!Thranduil: “AKDOJCMEHWUF TREASURE. THE DWARVES MUST ALL DIE. STAR GEMSSSSS!” Movie!Bard: “Bruh calm down.”

“‘...I have always understood that defeat may be glorious. It seems very uncomfortable, not to say distressing.’ ... ‘Victory after all, I suppose! ... Well, it seems a very gloomy business.’” And here we see the WWI veteran in Tolkien showing up again.

Thorin really went “I’d like to be friends with Bilbo again since I’m dying and won’t be able to keep my treasure.” Like...that’s his reason.

Beorn killed Bolg!! Beorn killed Bolg!!!!!! Yes please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fact that Bilbo was given one of Elrond’s handkerchiefs tells us that elves use handkerchiefs and for some reason this is making me way too amused.

Honestly, I understand the idea of the comfort of coming home after a quest, but Tolkien always makes it seem like such an annoying part of the adventure that I’m beginning to wonder if it’s even worth bothering.

#the man the myth the legends #beowulf except everybody is short #don't mind me #/end classification tags #and so it ends #finally #despite a ton of things coming up in the middle #and delaying me finishing reading the book #i have conquered at last #anyway i hope that at least one or two people were entertained by my commentary #it's been so long since i read the hobbit tho for real #maybe i should reread lotr too #i think it's been two years or so?#weird to think about that

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burningthetree · 2 years

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So glad you want to talk about writing because I want to listen! How about numbers 2, 9, & 14 for the happy writers ask game :)

Ah Cat I love you, thanks for the ask <3

2. Talk about a favorite comment you received.

Okay so I’m going to be super cheesy and say that every comment I receive is my favourite one. Any comment, whatever the content, always absolutely makes my day because it’s like, you read my fic and you took the time to comment? I will love you forever <3 but for the sake of this, I will talk about two of my favourite comments I’ve ever received:

The first one was on one of the last chapters of fmn, and it was this really in-depth reflection on the little things in life, and how my fic made the commenter think about it. I don’t know if I should name-drop??? But I genuinely know that comment by heart, I’ve read it multiple times and it just lives in my brain even though it’s been months since I’ve received it.

Another favourite comment of mine was actually by you, Cat!! It was the one to the last chapter of fmn, and I can’t really pinpoint what exactly it was that made me love your comment so much. Maybe it was your reflection on the last chapter or the story as a whole, or your compliments you had on my writing and how I used canon elements — I reread that comment so many times, I still think about it a lot, and it truly meant the world to me <3

9. What inspired you to write your first fic?

I’ll give you two answers, because one might be more relevant than the other LOL. The first fic I ever wrote was for the Lord of the Rings fandom, I was ten, it was a bad fic, but I wrote it because I loved lotr and I started reading fanfic and how much I wanted to write it too, so I did.

If we’re talking Haikyuu!!, then what inspired my first fic was your Zombie AU actually! I remember reading it while I was sick, and I hadn’t seriously written in quite a long while, so after I finished your fic I decided I wanted to write my own again :D

14. Share a snippet.

I had such a hard time choosing one without giving too much away LOL so here you go:

The view of the city lights beneath them was breathtaking. Every building, every street, every car was drenched in the red colour of the sun shining its last rays of light onto Tokyo. The passersby on the ground below appeared so small and insignificant, as if no one else mattered but him and Bokuto.

In a way, Akaashi supposed that was true. At least for him, nothing else was important anymore. The only thing that truly mattered was that he was with Bokuto, who looked at him with his golden eyes that put the sunlight to shame.

Akaashi supposed he could look at the brightest of stars and none would compare to Bokuto’s eyes. Akaashi hoped he wouldn’t ruin the moment with what he was going to unload on Bokuto, to make him understand why he had been overwhelmed earlier. His fingers fiddled together and one of his knuckles cracked painfully, which had him wincing slightly.

This is cut off so badly LOL whoops but it’s all I have, gotta deal with it <3

#asks #cat #thank you for making me talk about my writing #writing

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swiftzeldas · 3 years

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as i’m rereading lotr here are some of the best book moments i forgot about

“i don’t want to answer a string of questions while i’m eating, i want to think!” “good heavens! at breakfast?”

on caradhras when legolas asks if gandalf can’t walk ahead and melt the snow, and gandalf snarks back that maybe an elf should run ahead and bring back the sun, so legolas jumps on top of the snow and says “farewell! i go to find the sun!”

in lothlorien when the elves want to blindfold gimli so aragorn says if gimli goes blindfolded they will all go blindfolded, and gimli is like “NOW HOLD ON actually as long as they blindfold legolas too it’s cool” and aragorn is like “........we will all be blindfolded”

how the early scenes between the three hunters in two towers are literally just them arguing about what they should do next bc none of them want to make a decision

pippin pretending to the orcs that he’s the ringbearer and would be willing to barter the ring for his and merry’s freedom (i truly forgot about this and it’s so smart!!!!! pip doesn’t get enough credit for this!!!!)

#lord of the rings #i will add onto this as i read more i'm sure lmfao #text post

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random-jot · 3 years

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Books That Made Me

Tagged by @books-and-doodles to talk about some of the books that have impacted me most. Thank u for the tag!! This is a v cool tag - though it may take me some time to properly think about it

I've not put these in any particular order, just the order I think of them; I'm including some general favourites, some teen/childhood faves and maybe even some books that impacted me bc of how much I didn't like them - this should be fun, let's go!

1. The Lord Of The Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

Fantasy fan includes LOTR on their list? Who saw that coming? ;D In seriousness tho; I grew up watching the LOTR movies as a kid, so the story'll always hold a special place in my heart for that alone, revisting the books OR movies always feels like coming home. ALSO: I distinctly remember finishing reading the books for the first time, sitting in the school library, closing the final page of ROTK and thinking "I want to be a writer. I want to write something like that one day." So not only is this a franchise that I loved when I was younger, it is also the reason that I decided I wanted to be a writer in the first place, so in terms of 'books that made me' this one quite unequivocally fits the bill. This book literally made me want to be a writer.

2. The Silmarillion/Tolkien's Legendarium

What you didn't think I was done talking Tolkien did you? After I'd read LOTR I wanted to read more Tolkien and ofc the Silmarillion was on offer - I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few false starts on it, bc man that boi is d e n s e. However, after reading Silm for the first time I was blown away by it; the complexity of the lore and worldbuilding, the deepness and richness of the history to a world that I thought I loved before. These days, I've read Silm more times than LOTR (and maybe even - as a book - prefer it?) The stories of Beren and Lúthien, The Children Of Húrin, the rise and fall of Fëanor, the great war against the original dark lord Morgoth, the origin of the world itself, all of it together just stuck with me, it was just so beautifully intricate and so goddamned interesting to learn more about Beleriand and Middle Earth and Tolkien's world. Except for that geography chapter. That's one I admit I tend to skip on rereads.

(Just gonna pop a readmore here, as this inevitably ended up being quite long :D)

3. Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz

Before year 7 began, we were assigned a list of books by our school and had to choose one to read and do a report on. Me and pretty much every other boy I knew chose Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. Teenage spy & cool gadgets? What's not to like (other than the terrible movie adaptation). From there I was hooked on this series and desparate to read the other five books that were out (at the time). I remember the excitement when Snakehead, Crocodile Tears & Scorpia Rising were respectively announced, not to mention Russian Roulette? Never Say Die too, though by the time that came out I'd outgrown this series a little. Still, that doesn't take away from how big a fan i was, how much time i spent consuming this series (and coming up w/ my own story ideas for it, which I used to do a lot for things I liked). My love of this series is also partially what made me go see Kingsman: The Secret Service when it came out, which is one of my favourite movies, so i owe AR for that one. I'll always feel that nostalgic attachment for this series, and I'd definitely love to catch up with where the story is now at some point.

4. Goosebumps - R.L. Stine

The series that DOMINATED an entire row of my childhood bookshelf. Vividly remember trying to squeeze any new one I got onto that same shelf so they could all be together. Being honest Goosbumps books were always 50/50 in whether they were good or not, but there were some titles in that series that really did stick with me, either for the cool imagery/monsters or some genuinely scary sequences. How To Kill A Monster gave me nightmares and I adored The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena. Finding one i hadn't got already at a Scholastic book fair or at the school library was always such a thrilling moment.

5. Animorphs - K.A. Applegate

Well, I couldn't mention Goosebumps and not mention the other side of the same coin, could I now? I was never as big an Animorphs fan as I was goosebumps - in fact the reason I first got into it is bc there weren't any Goosebumps left in the kid's section one day at oxfam after school - but I still really enjoyed the books I did read. How often did I fantasise about being able to turn into a tiger or something because of these books? I only ever read about 5 or 6 of them, but it was fun to get a different perspective in each one & go on these mini-adventures, plus the concept behind the Yerks was just so terrifying as a child. No one to trust! I doubt I'll ever read every book, but I'd love it if netflix or someone did a Stranger Things-esque modern adaptation of it.

6. The Beano

While we're talking about childhood nostalgia, I gotta bring the Beano up. I happen to be a Gold Member of the Beano Club and you bet I've still got the card to prove it! I loved getting these delivered every week, seeing what Dennis, or Minnie, or Roger were getting up to. Though I was originally a staunch Dennis The Menace fan, Roger the Dodger soon became my fav. Always loved it when they did a crossover too, and soon enough I had a gigantic collection of Beano Annuals, both new and old dating back to the 60s. The word 'obsessed' gets bandied around a fair bit these days, but I don't think I'm being hyperbolic when I say I was obsessed with The Beano. I even had Dennis The Menace bubble bath at one point.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man - Stan Lee & Steve Ditko/John Romita

So I grew up with the Toeby/Raimi movies & loved them, plus just loved Spider-Man as a character. I've consumed a lot of SM related content over the years but I was genuinely surprised by how much I connected with the original comic run - a few years ago I got some TASM omnibus books, collecting the original issues & fan-letters which was super-cool to read just to see the original context of the character and how he grew from an obscure one-off to one of the most beloved comic-book characters today. My granny was going through a rough time around then, so I really connected with Peter's devotion to looking after his Aunt May. Sure, there were cheesy moments and some certain outdated things, but it was still really cool. I already knew I loved Spider-Man generally, but reading those Omni-Busses really cemented Peter Parker as one of my favourite fictional characters of all time.

8. Green Lanterns - Sam Humphries

Let's stick on the comic front for a moment. Green Lanterns is a comic run from a few years back, following two new Earth Green Lanterns who get chosen at the same time - Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. They start as rivals but develop a really fun and close friendship as they have to work together.

However, what really cements this run in my heart is Jessica's character specifically - she may be a Green Lantern but she also suffers from extreme anxiety and the series doesn't shy away from the realities of what living with anxiety can be like. Especially as i was going through my own struggles with anxiety/depression at the time, I connected hard with that aspect of it. Plus, Sam Humphries, the writer, also suffers from anxiety, so knows how to depict it. It spoke to me on such a fundamental level and I love the reoccurring theme with Jess's character - that being a GL isn't about having no fear, but having the ability to overcome great fear - and she does that every morning convincing herself to get out of bed and go out into the world. That was something that really resonated with me.

Also the story itself is really cool, well-told and enjoyable to read. It's one of the only modern comic runs that I've bought every volume for, I was that invested.

7. The Cursed Child

This makes the list, not because I loved it, but because I FUCKING HATED IT. Since I've already mentioned I grew up with the LOTR movies and the Raimi Spider-Man trig, you can probably gather I also grew up with Harry Potter. I'm not as big on HP now as I once was, for a variety of reasons, but I still grew up with it and liked it a lot. I remember being excited for Cursed Child when it was announced. I remember getting the script-book for a decent price. I remember reading the first 20 pages or so, thinking 'okay... this isn't exactly what I was expecting.' And once the Candy-Lady started throwing muffin hand-grenades, that was probably when this turned into a hate-read for me. It wasn't all bad - some of it was just odd. But it felt like such a let-down, rehashing ideas from the original HP stories instead of being it's own thing, completely ignoring established traits of characters & established rules of the universe and also did I mention being fucking terrible. I was studying story-structure & story telling as part of my uni degree when I read this and let me tell you I was seething by the time I finished because of how bad the story was. Thinking back on it now still fills me with a potent rage. It is genuinely one of the worst books I've ever read. And I know people say 'oh it's better when you see on stage with the effects and everything' but that doesn't stop the base story from being absolute trash. I could go on and on about how much I hated this, but for now I'll say this is a book that made me - made me realise how much I could hate something.

8. A Song Of Ice And Fire - George R.R. Martin

OK let's get more positive. (Yes the show ended badly, good that obligatory disclaimer's out of the way, let's talk about the books now.) ASOIAF makes the list because it's the series that got me back into reading. I read a lot as a child and I read a lot now, but in my early teens I fell out of love with it. However, when Game of Thrones really began to become popular, I realised all my friends were reading the books of the series - and I was behind them. Not only was I motivated to read fast and try catch up, even overtake my friends where they were in the series, this series also showed me what modern fantasy could be. The grounded dangerous world made the stakes feel high, and it can't be denied that GRRM's character work is astounding, plus his intricate plotting in regards to all the intrigue and conspiracies and moving pieces that this series has to juggle is absolutely phenomenal. Juggling multiple characters and storylines across such a large world-map is damn difficult and even if we never do see TWOW, I still commend him for what he's managed to do so far. Not to mention, after I finished Dance With Dragons, I was so consumed by the series that nothing could feel the hole left by not having it to read anymore; it led me to spend two years devouring every fan-theory, sub-reddit, prediction I could find, just for a little taste of ASOIAF. Sure, the show left a sour taste and the wait for TWOW has dampened my level of investment in this series somewhat, but that doesn't take away from the effect it had on me at the time.

9. The First Law - Joe Abercrombie

So what I was saying up there about ASOIAF - How it was a series I was so invested in that when I finished, it was hard to find anything to fill that void? Well, in uni I read The First Law trilogy. Now that was a series I got invested in. I thought ASOIAF's characterisation was good? First Law is on another level. The Blade Itself was somewhat of a slowburn - I enjoyed the characters but did often find myself thinking 'ok but when are our main povs gonna meet? where's this going?' Before They Are Hanged I enjoyed more as it had a more traditional fantasy vibe - ragtag group on a quest, conspiracy in a city, war between armies and such. And then Last Argument of Kings... that book blew my damn mind. The complex characters and their grey morality, the dry humour of it all, the plot twists! The way Abercrombie was able to subvert certain fantasy tropes will still honouring other ones. There was legitimately a moment in Last Arg where I had to put the book down, I was so stunned by one of the big twists. After Last Arg I was pretty sure The First Law was my new favourite book series and reading the Great Leveller trilogy confirmed it. Sharp Ends and the current Age Of Madness books have continued being top quality. First Law has the top spot on my list of faves and it would take a very strong contender indeed to knock it off that throne.

10. The Gentleman Bastard Sequence - Scott Lynch

The Gentleman Bastard Sequence was a very strong contender indeed to knock First Law off that throne. First Law still has it's crown, but I will say I only began GBS this year and it's already cemented in my top ten, possible even as high as second place next to TFL. The Lies Of Locke Lamora was something I read just bc some friends had recc'd it, it was relatively small, and I wanted a book I could read in a week long holiday. I thought I might like it. Imagine my surprise when I absolutely loved it. TLOLL contained one of the most heartbreaking and shocking moments that I've read in fantasy and - devestating as it was - I think it was such a bold choice that that's why I liked it so much. The banter & friendship between the characters, especially Locke and Jean, the way all the flashbacks culminate by the end and you realise why we had them, the physical design of the world these books take place in. It was an excellent read. I liked Red Seas Under Red Skies just as much, if not more than TLOLL and I had so much fun with Republic Of Thieves.

11. The Waking Land Trilogy - Callie Bates

This is a series I finished this year and really loved, especially the 2nd book, The Memory Of Fire, and I want to shout it out because it's not that well known and I say it should be! Each book follows the perspective of a different character in the story - Elanna, Jahan, and Sophy, respectively. Each of them has a really cool backstory & personality, the romance between Elanna & Jahan is so sweet, and like Gentleman Bastards, one of my favourite characters - Rhia - has a caffeine addiction. The magic system in these books is unabshedly magical and very cool, but what really makes these books stand out is that they are written entirely in first-person present-tense. The sense that the things that are happening to these characters are happening Right Now is very engaging, especially in tense or action scenes. It's a very cool series with fun characters & magic and a really good story at it's heart. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard of this one.

12. The Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb

Again, one I only read this year, but still was absolutely gripped by. Regal's villain monologue from the end of Assassin's Apprentice blew me away - now that's how you write a villain speech! Plus the exploration of how scary telepathy can be, the character of Fitz and his friends, his relationships with The Fool, and Burrich, and Verity and Nighteyes; all good stuff. It's easy to see why this is considered a classic.

13. The Kingkiller Chronicle - Patrick Rothfuss

This series was a big highlight from last year. The Name of the Wind was an incredible read, I loved getting to know Kvothe's character, loved the intricacy of the magic system and all of the segments that take place at the University. I do agree with the majority that The Wise Man's Fear meandered a little too much, but it did contain some fantastic sequences - the early continuation of Kvothe and Ambrose's rivalries, and the fight in the forest were particular highlights. Also The Slow Regard Of Silent Things was a beautifully written book and a really cool insight into the mind of Auri and how she works as a character. I'll reserve full judgement of the series for when (if) The Doors Of Stone comes out, but so far it's been a very enjoyable series to read.

14. Mistborn: The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson

I just recently read the first Mistborn book and loved it. Getting through a 700+ page book in less than a week is way faster than I normally read, so that should tell you that I got pretty damn invested in what was going on. Kelsier and Vin were fantastic characters & I loved everyone in the heist crew. More than that - so a few years ago I tried out Stormlight Archive and had a very tough time getting into it, which led me to just kind of write-off Sanderson for a while - however, reading Mistborn and liking it so much has renewed my faith in him and made me really want to have another proper go at Stormlight again. And, of course, I can't wait to finish the rest of Mistborn Era One.

15. Captain Underpants - Dav Pilkey

Let's end with a curveball, shall we? So, I read these books as a kid and loved them - they were funny, campy, goofy and just a good time. I was always jealous of George and Harold being best friends who lived next door to each other! However, what really gets them their place on this list is the fact that George and Harold put together their own comic books and sold them on the school playground. Being the impressionable sponge of a child I was, this inspired me to start making my own comic books when I was in Primary School, coming up with my own characters and stories, drawning them out and stapling the pages together, ink on my hands. If I'd never read these, I might never have made my characters 'Remo' or 'Pluto Penguin.' I might never had rediscovered those characters and modernised them into the OCs that they are today. I've released five of my own comic books online so far (shameless plug) and I'm currently writing some short stories to explore them/the world more, and the fact that the protaganists of Captain Underpants (of all things) were themselves comic creators, played no small part int he inception of that part of my life. So that's why Captain Underpants series makes it onto the 'books that made me' list.

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Okay, that's my list of books that made me I guess. I'm sure there's something I've forgotten lol, but I had fun thinking up these and writing them!

Oh goodness, I really don't know who to tag in this, so I'll just say that If you see this & want to do it you can absolutely consider yourself tagged by me. Even you. Yes, you!

#tag game #books that made me #books #reading #bookblr #lotr #the silmarillion #gentleman bastards #the first law #jessica cruz #green lanterns #spider-man #yes good #the waking land trilogy #the waking land #et al

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redsector-a · 3 years

Text

AO3 Ask Game

I was tagged by @themarshalstale which, thank you so much! I feel like I always get missed on these (I know why, it’s been 84 years since I published anything but still). 1. How many works do you have on ao3?

46 it seems. Which...look I’m slow man so that’s not surprising. lol Also crippling depression does not make for much production, at least for me.

2. What’s your current AO3 wordcount?

309662 according to the stats.

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

So do I could only AO3 or in like life? lol I suppose it should only be on AO3 since this is an AO3 ask game. Hrm. Basically AO3 can be summed up as: Marvel (in several iterations - all Avengers related) Torchwood Highlander But isn’t it more fun to consider my entire fandom life, which, I’m sorry, I’m old so...yeah. Not all of this is was published and beyond that a lot is not available anymore...which is likely for the best. Highlander Star Wars Babylon 5 Ronin Warriors/Samurai Troopers Marvel (again, several iterations also of note Avengers and X-Men both count) Torchwood Star Trek LOTR Stargate (SG-1, SGA) Mortal Kombat I dabbled with the idea of Potter fic but never got past the ideas stage.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1: You rearrange me till I’m sane Clint finds himself spiraling into a deep depression after the Battle of New York...until the Winter Soldier ends up saving him and inadvertently giving him a new purpose – to save the man that the Soldier had once been – Bucky Barnes. Not one to be outdone, the Soldier decides that his new mission is to ensure that Clint remains alive himself. Protecting a blonde man with a self-destructive streak is somehow very familiar to him. Through the back and forth of who is saving whom they cross the country and learn more about themselves and each other – and perhaps find a reason for living. 2: Five Dates Bucky Didn’t Realize He Was on And the One He Planned Himself To say that Bucky was surprised when Clint kissed him was an understatement. But it was nothing compared to the shock he felt when he learned they'd been dating for months without him realizing it.Clint gets whisked away for a mission before they have time to talk and Bucky is left to figure things out on his own - hindsight being 20/20 he can't help but wonder how he missed things the first go around.

3: Puck Luck Bucky Barnes is used to the ups and downs of an NHL season. He's used to the unpredictability of the game, knows that bounces don't always go your way, but that doesn't make a broken hand in the final third of the season any easier to deal with. Especially not when he ends up with an impromptu roommate/personal assistant in the form of one Clint Barton - his agent, Natalia Romanova's (rather attractive) friend he hadn't known existed before his injury.

It's just for six to eight weeks - what could possibly happen in that span of time?

4: Loose Lips Launch Ships

Based on the following prompt: “We go to school together and I think you’re cute and apparently you’re also the pizza delivery guy and my little sibling opened the door screaming hey sibling! you know that kid you’re in love with? you really weren’t kidding when you said his jawline could cut steel holy shit-” Bucky is the pizza delivery guy. Clint's younger (foster) brother has a big mouth.

5: Indelible Bucky Barnes has a pretty decent life – a good job, good friends, a cat that adores him - but something is missing. He’s always found body art to be beautiful and inspiring, and on a whim (and with the hope that maybe he can find what he’s missing) he decides to take the plunge and get a tattoo. That's how he meets Clint Barton. Clint's talented and compassionate and there is an instant spark between the two of them. It's not long before Bucky finds himself wondering and wanting more from the relationship despite the ghosts of the past that crop back up. Because Clint makes him feel normal in a way he truly hasn't for years...

(this was pre-Alpine so I was totally chuffed when canon confirmed Bucky’s status as a crazy cat lady (affectionate).

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not.

I really really really want to do it but I often times don’t end up doing it. There are a few reasons. First, I am akwward AF and bad at interaction adn I feel like just saying thank you would be...not enough? Second - I often times tend to like...turtle (aka retreat into myself) when life gets Too Hard/Busy which happens a lot to me (sigh) and then I miss the vague window in my mind in which it would be okay to respond and then it’s even more weird. I do love and cherish all of them. Like there was one months ago that made me go “hmm...I didn’t think I was going to do a sequel to that fic (You rearrange me till I’m sane), timestamp glimpses sure but a sequel hadn’t come to mind” but then the comment made me think! So...who knows? lol Anyway, I literally have been rereading some in an effort to try and get myself going again. Know that if you have commented, I love you.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

At the moment? Probably: Look at you look at me Bucky's in love with Clint - problem is he's really not supposed to be. For Winterhawk Week 2019 - Forbidden Love (I really don’t want to give away the spin in the fic but...if you’re familiar with the Secret Avengers Vol 2 run circa 2013ish (aka when SHIELD initially ‘took control of the team’) that’s a bit of a hint as to the spin). Were it done, Torch Song would be up there. ;) Torch Song Clint is sent back in time, via an alien device, to 1938. While he tries to figure out how to get back home, he takes up singing and entertaining to make ends meet and does his best to not disrupt the timeline.Then he meets a 21 year old Bucky Barnes. --- A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship.

7. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve ever written?

Does *wanting* to write crossovers count? lol I want, so badly, to do more crossovers and fusions (which...are kinda deeper versions of crossovers in a way). The only one I do have posted is a crossover between Highlander and Torchwood -

The Immortal Mr. Jones A series of vignettes (some long, some short) in the life of the newly immortal Ianto Jones. My most ambitions project that I have been working on since late 2011/early 2012 is a fusion of the Avengers with Stephen King’s the Stand. I will get that done at some point *shakes fist* The Stand, for those who don’t know it, is an epic 1000+ page novel about a flu epidemic (I know) that wipes out over 99% of the population and then two figures representing Good and Evil pull the survivors in two directions for a showdown. So basically it’s a non-powered modern AU set in that universe. It’s a passion and comfort project. lol

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes. Well, minor bitching back when I was in a prior fandom because I tagged a pairing in a fic but it was pre-slash and not labeled as pre-slash. I got hate on...I think it was Torch Song? And I’ve gotten hate on tumblr re me and my fic in general as well. Fandom! *jazz hands* Oh! And I’ve also been hit by those reviewers within Winterhawk (among general Clint pairings actually) who like rate you on either number scales or the “meh” scale. Which isn’t hate exactly but...it’s passive aggressive bullshit because I can’t believe none of them realize at this point that the authors can see their bookmarks - you know?

9. Do you write smut?

Yes. Do I write it well? I have no idea. lol

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of. Well...there was, I think, one of those reposting sites that had a few fics on it but I don’t think it was being passed off as someone else’s? I can’t quite recall. It’s why I have a note on AO3 about reposting my work anyway.

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not entirely, but sort of. Let me explain - I am part of a PBEM game; which for those unfamiliar since it’s a term that was most heavily in use 15-20 years ago, in which you basically do a round robin type writing thing but rather than everyone writing the same characters you write your own characters and you play off what other people have done. Another way of looking at it is it’s basically DnD without dice and written down rather than done out loud. You also don’t have to all be around at the same time. It’s a lot of fun and yes I have been in it for 20 years even though there aren’t many of us left but they are some of my dearest friends and fabulous writers. Wins all around. One of the other writers and I have actually toyed with the idea of doing a co-written fic actually, mostly because we work super well together and keep getting ideas for things but can’t really do them as rpgs since the pbem style isn’t used much anymore.

12. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Winterhawk probably. Though, let’s be real - Han & Leia are epic and amazing as are John & Delenn (from Babylon 5).

13. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Does wanting to expand The Black Stallion books as a wee child count? lol Not much of that was written save for world building ideas but there was a great oral tradition of telling stories to my friends. Otherwise...maybe a tie between Star Wars and Highlander. Star Wars was a love since I was super young but the writing bug didn’t hit me until around the same time Highlander was a thing as well.

14. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? You rearrange me till I’m sane for sure. Though Torch Song, if it were finished, would be tied I imagine (I suck at picking favorites). Honorable mention to Puck Luck and Indelible. Tagging: I have seen this like a million times (okay 5) so I feel like everyone has been tagged already that I know. But...I guess... @vexbatch @crazycatt71 @heartonfirewrites and @disruptedvice sorry if anyone has been tagged before.

#icyredfics #writing #winterhawk #long post

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theelfmaiden · 2 years

Note

8,18,21,40,41 for the LOTR & Hobbit asks?

Sofi! I hope you're ready! 🙌

Lett'ce do this! 💖

8. Character you cannot stand?

Goodness, I don't know! Saying that it's the bad guys would be easy, but even them I CAN stand. Okay, maybe movie!Azog, 'cause he's fugly and redundant.

18. Favorite soundtrack out of the series?

There're too many of those "little bits" in all Middle-earth soundtracks that I like a lot, but if I should choose one concrete spot in a track, out of all films, it'd be... the first 30 secs of 'Roots and Beginnings' from the 'Return of the King' soundtrack. What a peculiar motif to start 'Return of the King' with! I love it so much!

21. How old were you when you first read the books?

11, or 12? When they started shooting the 'Hobbit' films, I read all Tolkien books, so I could spoil the films... jk... 😅 Or?!

40. How many times have you watched the movies?

Too many times.

41. How many times have you read the books?

Oops. Well. I confess. I read both 'LOTR' and 'Hobbit' only once. 'Cause it was enough! Mutuals and other fans on Tumblr have been keeping me in-line with the entirety of the books' canon, so I haven't had any need of rereading them. Is there bias? Likely! Do I care? Not enough. It's more fun to listen to you, guys, rant about Gil-galad's hair color!

Tadaaa! Here you go!

Thanks for the ask, and take care as always! 🎉

#folks send asks? i react!#the 'LOTR/HOBBIT asks' ask game #sofi! you're on an ask ride this week! i love it! 😅💕

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lady-merian · 3 years

Note

For the LotR/Hobbit ask: 4, 6, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 23, 25, 26, 34, 39, 43, 46, and, lastly but not at all least, 10 for the silly answer(s), please and thank you. :D

4, Which movie from Lord of the Rings is your favorite and why? I think FotR is simply the best overall, and if I could only watch one of them for the rest of my life I’d choose that one. I did read the books before watching, (possibly more than once but I can’t be sure) but even so FotR played a large part in shaping my imagination of Middle Earth. Not that I don’t imagine some things differently, (or rather, independently) from the movie, but going to the midnight showing of FotR made a lasting impact on me.

6, If you could pick one place in all o Middle Earth, where would you decide to live? Rivendell, Master Gamgee.

(Or, we can pretend I have a green thumb and I might easily choose The Shire. I’d like to live in a hobbit hole, and if I’m wealthy enough to hire a gardener I would like that best.)

8, character you cannot stand? I have suddenly remembered the existence of The Mouth of Sauron. I loathe him enough that even though Movie!Aragorn should not have lopped off the head of a herald and ambassador, I can’t help cheering when he does. (It helps that all the formality is gone from the exchange in the movies and he doesn’t claim to be a herald or ambassador) Now he fits slightly more into the category of villain that I love our to hate, but he deserved a mention here

9, which popular character do you not like as much as anyone else? Movie ‘verse? Tauriel. Absolutely do not like. In theory, I might have liked her if she’d actually acted like a captain of the guard, but they tossed any of that out the window when they decided to make her fall for Kili and commit treason.

Book ‘verse? I’m trying to think of any and I’m drawing a blank.

17, favorite villain? O Smaug, Chiefest and greatest of calamities.

(I made this for my sister. If I’d been making it for me I would’ve made forelegs for him because I generally dislike the Wyvern shape, but I’m still rather pleased with him. I should’ve included a lego for scale. he big)

18, favorite soundtrack out of the series? (This one is harrrd!) RotK edges out slightly into the lead, (especially if I can count the complete recordings.) Not by much though! (FotR complete recordings has so many good ones too though, like Bilbo’s birthday party music, Both Ian Holm and Ian McKellen singing “the road goes ever on”, (separately, not together) and one of the hobbit drinking songs!)

19, favorite song from any of the soundtracks? (Harderrrr) At this particular moment I’d choose The Battle of the Pellenor Fields.

23, what is a headcanon about any of the characters you fully believe in? I like this one a lot

25, Character that you’d really like to clock? Denethor remains at the top of that list. Book!Thorin comes in second when he ignores Bard’s reasonable requests for aid just because the Elvenking is there.

26, ever cosplayed as any character? I haven’t, (unless you count cobbling together a really random ranger costume for outdoor fun) but I think I’d make a decent Eowyn without too much trouble My hair may not be quite golden, but it is long (at the moment) and blonde. Someday!

34, What’s a headcanon, or even something canon that you’ve heard that you really just cannot wrap your head around? There’s this one post going around that tries to show that most of the fellowship didn’t actually like each other, and it has maybe one or two things that are canon and a whole lot that contradicts canon, and I can’t figure out why anyone would take the fellowship of all things and try to invent petty infighting for them. I look at the evidence that they cared about each other even aside from anything to do with the Quest, and I simply cannot fathom it.

39, If you could say anything to the author, the characters, or the actors, what would it be? a hearty Thank you. To all of them.

43, what is one thing you never get tired of? rereading. I have indeed lost count of how many times I’ve read these, but my last count was over twenty times.

46, anything in the series you’d want to change? I answered one, but the second thing I’d change is putting The Scouring of The Shire in. Even if only for a super extra extended edition.

And I suddenly thought of one thing I’d add into the book: I’d mention Rosie Cotton sooner.

10, what’s your OTP in The Hobbit? ;) Bilbo/his armchair, teakettle, and pantry.

(Also Thorin/the Arkenstone.)

wheeee that was fun!

#Hobbit & LotR asks #Tolkien

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idratherdreamofjune · 4 years

Note

Apen or Faramir, Endeavour "Neverland" or "Coda", Leverage "The Wedding Job" or "The Juror #6 Job", Chara's wardrobe or Melete's wardrobe, beaches or prairies, The Perilous Gard or Fire and Hemlock, St. Claire or Alvarado siblings, swords or shields, Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh, "Gutair" or "Gosh", leaving or coming home, LotR or SW (prequel) costume design, Avidan or Velvare, Enel or Aquil for creating a distraction, Sutcliff or McKillip, Bhatair or Berlyne in a tight spot, & Ansam or Melly.

YIKES

Okay - first a disclaimer I should have included in the tags when I reblogged that prompt post: sadly this will not be responded to in graphics (I’ve seen a lot of “this or that” graphic responses and those are great but I don’t have the guts to take that on. Though. I could try to do one random graphic response per ask/asker.... Hum...

[Prompt post]-->[Make me choose]

Back to the ask at hand: quite a lot of tough ones!!! There will be spoilers.

Apen or Faramir - sorry sports fans, Apen is really an excellent young man but there may not even be a single character who is better than Faramir in my mind.

Endeavour “Neverland” or “Coda” - “Neverland” is not one of my preferred episodes even taken alone, as the subject matter is too dark for me personally. Meanwhile “Coda” functions as “the usual, not to say obligatory,” crime show bank robbery episode. XD That’s a good thing, because I enjoy bank robbery episodes. :P Of course the ending with Joan leaving is ROUGH but she lives so it’s okay; there’s always next season!

Leverage “The Wedding Job” or “The Juror #6 Job” - These are both good, but while I really enjoyed the mafia spoofs and fake FBI act from Parker and Hardison in “The Wedding Job”, courtroom drama takes the cake for me. :)

Chara’s wardrobe or Melete’s wardrobe - probably Melete’s, because Chara defaults to a more girly, pink look. Melete also tends to be more eyecatching and interesting (if unpractical).

beaches or prairies - beaches! As long as it’s not crowded (I’d take a private prairie over a packed beach any day).

The Perilous Gard or Fire and Hemlock - Perilous Gard all the way!! Fire and Hemlock is certainly a good book (and I need to reread it for sure) but The Perilous Gard got into my heart immediately and is dear favorite. Kate and Christopher are somewhere near the top on my nebulous list of ships.

St. Claire or Alvarado siblings - !!! After a lot of consideration, I’m picking the St. Claires. I think. They need more love (not from fans - just in general).

swords or shields - my first instinct is to go with swords, but maybe that’s just because they get more screentime (or page space hah). Sting and Anduril come to mind, and of course The Sword of Martin the Warrior! However I actually am especially attached to Captain American and Wonder Woman specifically because they use shields more than swords/guns/etc. (though, of course Captain America uses his offensively quite a lot. It’s the concept, okay?! XD )

Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh - definitely Ngaio Marsh. She can be a bit hit-or-miss (her penchant for the theater and formula for wrapping up endings are a bit worn), but some of her books are almost comparable to Dorothy Sayers mysteries - while Agatha Christie never comes close, in my opinion. Christie always seems a bit flippant about crime, even when she’s trying to be serious. And while Christie’s settings are good, Marsh’s are sometimes magnificent. Also I think Ngaio Marsh’s secondary characters go deeper than Christie’s. Anyway. Thank you for coming to my TED talk, as they say. :”P

“Gutair” or “Gosh” - if that second one is Gudrun and Joshua, that’s a no from me. The main thing I’ve always been disappointed in Joshua over is how interested he was in Gudrun while Bhatair was still ... in the picture (I was going to say “eating” but that’s just weird and vague). And once he wasn’t, they sure got married awfully quick. :/ Plus, despite all the tragedy, “Gutair” has my support.

leaving or coming home - COMING HOME. Leaving has almost nothing to recommend it (except that it sets you up to come home at some point). I suppose if one were to leave WITH family then that would be okay. But I haven’t gotten to experience that lately.

Costume design: LotR or SW Prequels - Both have their good points, but based on sheer wearability of my favorite pieces in each, LotR wins by a long shot. Padme’s outfits are my favorite in SW, but by and large they look far from comfortable-for-everyday, let alone adventure-ready.

Avidan or Velvare - Avidan, because Velvare constantly has me wondering why I even care about him, whereas Avidan is a lonely prince doing the best he can despite being raised by that jerk. Avidan is making mistakes but I believe he’s trying to do what is best for the country, and I also believe hope he wants to do better. Velvare has yet to convince me of that, and seems driven more by his own interests, affected by whatever phase the moon is in (I mean, come on, he’s made some strange decisions). He’s shown some remorse but has yet to try to change, as far as I can see (arguably Avidan is in the same place in that regard, which is why I said “hope” hah).

Enel or Aquil for creating a distraction - !!! Another hard one, but more entertaining to consider. Seems like six of one, half a dozen of another, to me. XD Aquil seems to have a much better grasp of what he can do, curse-wise, which might come in handy. Except he frequently accidentally (? presumably) messes up on directions. Meanwhile Enel would probably go about following the plan and then end up breaking his leg or a window or accidentally tripping you. He reminds me of Sid the Sloth in Ice Age, now that I think about it. Aquil is probably the safest choice after all.

Sutcliff or McKillip - Sutcliff!!!!! McKillip’s books are good but she’s never gotten to me on an emotional level like Sutcliff. Also I can’t connect as well with her settings, they usually feel a little too castle-on-a-cloud. Enjoyable to read about, but not as livable as the landscapes in Sutcliff’s books.

Bhatair or Berlyne in a tight spot - Bhatair might be a better fighter, but I’d trust Berlyne to have my back and do what’s right, no matter what.

Ansam or Melly - Melly is sweet, and no offense meant to dog fans, but I prefer horses. Especially such a smart and loyal horse as Ansam! Too bad we haven’t seen more of him. Yet. Now, if it were Pigeondove vs. Ansam... that’s a little harder.

#The Silver Eye #this or that #meta #Valia #asked

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