#whenever i do worldbuilding i always want to think of those little things and build a detailed place

[cinastre]

ive been listening to the worlds beyond podcast recently and they way brennan and the others do worldbuilding just blows me away, like its so good and interesting but also so detailed!! all those little things that make up a culture and society are actually thought of and come up in small ways during play! like d20 worlds are also really good at this but aabria ericka brennan and lou are masters of the craft

#ardyx.txt #i dont know if its improv or they have a huge lore bible somewhere but god!!! #whenever i do worldbuilding i always want to think of those little things and build a detailed place #but i always feel like its me getting too bogged down in details that wont matter if i ever did something with the worlds #aaaa #i got distracted and im on mobile so i dont know if that last tag is an incomplete sentence

[bleachbleachbleach]

I hope this doesn't come off as rude or weird, and you are doing well! I'm dipping my toes into Bleach fanfiction and I have a question that might be more world-building-ish. We know there are prosthetics in Seiretei; do you think there are other assistive technologies (e.g. hearing aids) there? I mean, Mayuri seems to have...misplaced his ears and given himself a set of prosthetics/implants instead. Who do you think would be the go-to department for those things? I hope you have a good day!

Not rude or weird at all! I hope the amount of time it’s taken us to respond didn’t feel rude or weird; we are just… always on this strugglebus. 😅

I’m excited to hear you’re dipping your toes into Bleach fanfic! There is never enough fanfic on this website. <3 And WORLDBUILDING is involved? Say no more! And I love how much work the word "misplaced" is doing in your description. XDD Love it.

I do not have the canon citations for this handy, but it seems like a lot of the major bodywork in Soul Society is more the purview of the 12th than 4th. We know that Kira’s rebar job, and whatever else was required to anchor his being (more or less), happened at the 12th. If you want to be de-zombified, that’s the 12th. (Though in fairness, by that point Unohana was dead and Isane had more than enough to handle without also taking on special projects.) And Hinamori also had dealings with the 12th post-Winter War (which I’m sure was a gr8 environment for her mental health)*—but anyway!

You’ve already seen our post about accessibility/disability studies and the Gotei 13, which gets a little bit into my thinking re: 4th vs. 12th, so I’ll skip over that and say that in the present-day Gotei, the 12th is going to be your go-to for assistive technologies or body modifications.

But what does that mean for the availability of, research direction of, and cultural response to these things?

* Speaking truthfully, though, I think that maybe it… could have been? I mean, not interacting *with Mayuri* if ever she did, but other people in 12th.

I’ll share some of the directions I’d think in, if I needed this for fic. I’d love to hear about your own worldbuilding around this as well!

Availability/Usage Notes

Mostly whenever the Gotei needs something from the 12th, they just have it, because of course they do. Or Mayuri works some mojo and several episodes later they have it. So we could make the argument that if you need an arm, or new ears, or an eyeball, then the 12th can make that happen.

But what if it’s not that simple? Because the 12th also seems like the kind of place where people are… working on stuff, but might be driven more by curiosity than the desire to enact public good, or offer a viable service. Most of that stuff is probably prototype-only, and all of the time and materials and actual working samples may be few and far between. It’s ~artisanal~

And probably fairly dangerous! Or at best, not without risk, and perhaps not without a lot of other factors to need to consider and/or accept/deal with. We know that stuff from the 12th does… get tested, and it’s not like they don’t have the time/lifespans to be collecting longitudinal data, but I’m positive they do not have the kind of oversight and ethnics boards that we do, and it’s not as though our human history (and contemporary lived experienced) isn’t already populated with some pretty heinous intrusions of bodily autonomy/informed consent/etc., even with all that.

I’d be interested to know:

how hard it might be to get the materials required to create any form of assistive technology at the 12th, or to replicate a successful result.

how much risk one takes on, in accepting such a technology from the 12th.

what it’s like to then live with this tech

You might have a "simple" prosthetic like Kuukaku’s, or you might have a whole new arm, like Soi Fon.

Do you get a new arm and never look back?

Do those neural pathways require a different kind of maintenance than the original?

Are there treatments to keep the body from rejecting the new limb? Are there medications?

Are Mayuri’s implants the same as the ears his body came with, or do they function differently? Is sound still an interpretation of vibrations or is here now something else involved? Does sound sound like sound in the way that it does to others?

Research Direction

Kind of going off that, I think the impetus for the research that’s happening would also have a huge impact on how these technologies functioned and what they are intended to do for the user. 

Again, this is something that continues to be complicated (and often frustrating) in our world. You probably know this too well! But in general, a lot of the assistive technologies in our world have been developed for the express purpose of making X thing more accessible, in a world that is otherwise largely designed for some normative, abled prototype of a person.

I am…not convinced that is always, or even often, the case at the 12th. I’m sure they have many labs that do feel a focused direction to their research (military applications), but I don’t think altruism, quality of life, accessibility, or disability justice likely factor in all that often. So what does that mean for the forms of technologies that are available? What does it mean for the potential divide between theory and praxis?

I'm not saying the 12th approach is all bad (okay, some of it involves the completely ubiquitous, unremarked upon death and/or abuse of their research subjects, which seems Bad)--some of it is about genuine curiosity, and some of that curiosity is about understandings things that exist in ways different than oneself, and/or in understanding oneself as different from others. And I do think it's valuable for a lot of these guys to not be trying to "fix" some specific thing (more on that in the next section).

I think there’s a lot of potential here for different labs to have very different approaches to and visions for their research.

How many of them were given a problem that they’re supposed to solve practically?

How many of them observed a phenomena, and are working on stuff that will help them observe it better, or break open some new vantage point from which to observe it (replicate it?  harness it? destroy it)?

How many of them have a fetish they’re exploring?

How much slippage is there between these things, within and across labs?

Cultural Response

One thing I enjoy about Bleach is that while we don’t necessarily see a lot of visibly disabled characters, or see different ways of being highlighted in the narrative, we do see many different choices characters have made about their lives. And sure, maybe it’s not always an element of choice—maybe Kyouraku’s eyeball was seared into oblivion so bad there was no hope of any form of prosthetic or eyeball transplant or some other more magic-forward alternative.

But limb replacement seems fairly straightforward (and again, maybe it’s really not, and Soi Fon and Hacchi and Hitsugaya and anyone else who’s ever lost a limb just doesn’t talk about it); we know Kuukaku has all the money and connections anyone could ever possibly need in Soul Society, yet she has (chose?) a basic prosthetic. Tousen remains blind. And uh, this does get a bit weird at the end of the winter war with the bug-ifying and the exploding, but before things got Complicated, he spent centuries living life as a blind man, where his other senses took center stage and meaningfully shaped his experiences and way of being in the world. Atau doesn’t seem to have any visible hearing aids, but we do know that he signs, and that forms of communication other than vocalized speech are his primary. One would also hope that that means Soul Society has a signing Deaf community of which he is a part, as well.

In Soul Society, there’s a bunch of magic that can "fix" someone, but doing so isn’t a foregone conclusion, and there doesn’t seem to really be a prescription for what root someone would need to take. (Minus Yhwach telling Yamamoto he should’ve gotten a new arm.) There are characters who choose to make use of this technology or that, and characters who choose otherwise. These are all potential ways of being, each with their own considerations, both practical and persona. And it seems like there’s a lot more allowance for that than in many spaces in our world (the military, for instance).

At the same time, like that other post of ours points out, there’s not a lot of thought given to accessibility or support, so this has its limitations. XD And maybe those limitations come out of things similar to what I was talking about with regard to research directions—is there a goal of accessibility being foregrounded, or is it a bunch of dudes (who may or may not be part of the target audience for their tech, if there is a target audience at all) making/breaking shit? It might also have to do with the ways that shinigami bodies, even as they do seem important and not entirely afterthought, are not as critical to their existence as ours are. Shinigami are not as anchored to the body. Maybe this gives them a freer sense of the strictures that "must" govern it/relationship to it; maybe it also supercharges the forgetting, of the ways that it does materially impact ways of being in the world.

As far as what cultural responses to using or not using assistive technologies might be, I imagine a lot of shinigami don’t actually think about it that much, because it hasn’t occurred to them to think about it. Everyone probably thinks Mayuri is a weirdo, but probably not nearly as much as Mayuri would like, and probably not because he replaced his ears. There’s so much other stuff going on with that man. XD He probably wishes he got more of a reaction out of his "hmm… okay then" co-workers! But I like the idea that a shinigami’s sense of what is "normative" is relatively broad. At least where the body—the just-the-organs body—is concerned.

Since that’s not at all the cultural response to other forms of "deviation," like Hollowfication, for instance. Which is certainly a bodily change/non-normative way of being, but which is treated in an absolutely different way. THAT’S a deformity; that’s the grotesque; that’s incompatible with life in the Soul Society. That’s the line.

Anyway, that sure is a whole Post, but those are some directions and questions I personally find invigorating. I hope it was also useful to your own brainstorming, as a jumping off point or as counterpoint to the ways you want to explore things. I’d love to hear your own thoughts as well, and definitely feel free to tag us in any worldbuilding headcanons you choose to share! :)

#bleach worldbuilding #bleach headcanons #i was thinking about slime molds and hollows the other day and this isn't about slime molds but it did make me wonder about the different #labs in 12th and what they were like! #b3's new tagline: ATAM #always thinking about menos #shinigamiology #asks #thank you for this interesting ask!!

[naffeclipse]

So, about that specialty as a fanfic writer post! I've been thinking about it a bit and wondering what to say that isn't just repeating all my gushing I've already done about your writing in general, but then I realized the post says fanfic author specifically so I'm gonna focus on just that! (thinking about fanfic as its own kind of genre in a way, even though definitions like that can get pretty complicated on what constitutes what but I digress and it's just the start of the ask fkjghskjdgh)

So anyways! I think your specialty as a fanfic author, regarding what I know about fanfic, the communities, and all the shapes it can take, is the construction of a story and the way you put the characters of the source material in it. And I know this might sound pretty general for fanfic (your writing is so good in general after all XD), but I'd explain it like this:

You are incredibly good at creating a world, a plot, with its own rules that might be completely different to the source material, and yet the way you build the characters is very recognizable. Of course when it comes to Sun and Moon, there really isn't that much that canon offers to us, but the few aspects that we do have, the fandom has kept secure and transformed, analyzed, subverted and played around with them to create many wonderful scenarios! And I just absolutely love the way you play with all of them! And not just Sun and Moon! You clearly know a lot about fnaf in general and you apply that to make the AU you are working on all the much richer! The way afton is always this looming evil figure, in whatever version you are using (glitchtrap or the man himself), how you have had different versions of Vanessa, from a vicious antagonist, to a friend trapped by the circumstances (just like it's up to interpretation in the games!) and how there is also glimpses to such a wider story whenever you mention characters like Michael or Charlie, or even Freddy.

But then you are also very good at sticking to your plot! Fanfic is, of course, a medium to have fun and exploring all sorts of branches to a story is fun (and you do that a lot in your blog too, which I absolutely love and will always be excited about!), but when it comes to a world you have planned, the specific fanfic you are writing, I'm just so impressed how you can choose what to focus on, and while you imply things, you know what is relevant to the story you want to tell, and how to stick to it, even though worldbuilding about all the rest of the source material tends to be very tempting, but might not be what the story requires from a technical standpoint. Again, I feel there's no wrong way to go about fanfic! It's just the method you use is very, like, precise? And for what you want to achieve i'ts just perfect! You figure out what your structure is, what your plot needs, and the fun thing is that if we wonder about the rest, what goes beyond the story or little details you feel might not be able to be included, we can still send asks about them! So it's not like it's lost or anything. You have your beginning, your middle and your end and you nail them every time! It's so cool!!

So yeah! I think your specialty as an author of fanfic in particular, is your way of figuring out what you want to do with your story, structuring and building it really well, and knowing how to make the characters fit the world while maintaining all those little references to canon, no matter how different the world is to the source material!

Sources (aka fanfics I had in mind while writing this XD): Deep Dreams, Sleuth Jesters, and Cryptid Sightings.

Chaotik, I've been rereading this over and over and I am completely melted. I'm just a puddle now, thank you ♥ You are so sweet and kind, ahhh! I'm gonna smooch you on your head *smooch*

#i'm so happy rn #this ask has been one i've read so many times just because it gives me happy butterflies #chaotikanvas #compliments

[by-glass-and-waves]

Yeah while I'm picking at Courtship

Might as well wordvomit about Kallamar and Narinder's relationship if anyone cares for a little worldbuilding on Courtship's AU

So Kallamar is Narinder's older brother, and is known as a huge coward

As God of Pestilence, Creation, and Beauty, he's known for building, crafting, art, on top of controlling how healthy his followers are (being sick sure doesn't look pretty does it)

Kallamar was also an apprentice of Kudaai's at some point in order to learn blacksmithing etc and Narinder takes notice

How in the world can his brother, the biggest boast who can't even stand horror stories, be able to craft amazing weapons and armor out of rocks and crystal and not even realize how he they could help him overcome his fear for things? Like hello

In Narinder's eyes, Heket might be the strongest physically, Shamura might be the best strategist, but Kallamar has so much potential. Like the guy could defeat the other gods so easily with all those weapons he has under his robes, and he doesn't even whip out his staff. Sure, he's got his Cult, but... even then he doesn't focus on his primary Aspect as much as the others do, even his use of Pestilence is more passive, more a bare minimum thing (might have to do some more thinking around this though)

Nope, this Bishop holds onto his weapons like teddy bears and shrinks away behind everyone whenever they go against the other gods and their cults.

So Narinder gets an idea. How far can he push his brother until he finally fights back? How far can he heckle him before he raises his weapon against him, or even talk back or actually punish him? And no, petty passive aggressive shit. He wants to help his brother find courage at last, and gets to work.

He starts pranking hm, messing with him, scaring him, etc. Once Leshy becomes a part of the family, he joins in so he can impress his cool big brother without realizing why Narinder is doing this.

All Kallamar does is take it and cry to Heket and Shamura, who tell Narinder and Leshy that's not nice but Narinder thinks they don't understand why he's doing this

only when Kallamar finally raises a sword against him when they all go to imprison him does he realize what Narinder was trying to do this whole time, as Narinder is laughing and taunting him

And it's just some kind of fucked up bittersweet realization that Narinder loved him this whole time and was trying to make him better

Meanwhile Narinder is always shit talking Kallamar after the fact, downplaying how proud he is of his older brother

And it sucks, because they know there was a time where they could have truly bonded, but it's just regrets all around now...

man I hope this makes sense it's just like, there's some kind of tragic fucked up relationship they have and I love it so much more than Narinder's relationships with any of his other siblings

tl;dr out of love for his brother, Narinder kept fucking with Kallamar so he could finally stop being a scared baby and it didn't happen until they threw him in jail and they both look at it like :(

#cult of the lamb #cotl #cotl narinder #cotl kallamar #fanfic notes #cotl courtship #fucked up sibling love #regrets all around #i hope i got my idea across lmao

[iraprince]

If you'd never seriously practiced art, how would you go about learning the basics? What would you prioritize?

i think the first, most important thing to consider when getting into art actually has nothing to do with the technical stuff/foundations/etc (that stuff is all still important, and i'll get to it in a second). instead i think the most valuable thing to think about first is: why are you interested in learning? what kind of stuff inspires you? what kind of stuff are you hoping to make, what kind of stuff would be exciting and fun to make?

when people get into art really early, like the "i've been drawing as long as i can hold a pencil" types, those questions are already kind of instinctively answered. something like pokemon or clamp manga or certain movies/tv shows or comics you found at the library or things you saw in a museum lit you up and you started chasing that stuff, trying to create those feelings by yourself, and eventually later i think almost every one of us then has to dig those memories up after survival under capitalism beats that inspiration nearly to death and buries it under a million metric tons of absolute bullshit. i think one of the benefits of starting an art journey later is rather than the usual Got It, Lost It, Gotta Find It Again cycle, you have a chance to think about this stuff very consciously + deliberately, and start with those thoughts abt hopes + inspiration very clearly in hand, and i think that can make it a lot easier to decide what to prioritize -- bc the answer to "what would you prioritize" is i think a lot of that varies immensely based on every individual artist and what they want to do.

once you know what inspires and excites you, fucking devour it. find as much as you can. watch and read and study. once you've watched and read and studied a bunch of [X thing that inspires you], go google stuff like "media like [X thing] reddit" or whatever to find more stuff that's similar to it. whenever an image grabs you, ask yourself why. study it. trace it, copy it (copying and tracing are acceptable, valuable study tools! they just have to stay in your private practice stash, it's only a problem when u post traced studies and try to claim ownership of it. tracing from personally taken photos/3D models for backgrounds etc is also a great tool that professionals use all the time, but that's a dif subject so i'm not gonna clutter this answer up talking abt it). look at the art you like really really really fucking hard and ask yourself what you like about it, specifically. the more you do this, the more you'll start building an internal visual library of details and traits you really enjoy, and that library is an invaluable thing to draw from. it is always worth it to keep working on that library. (and, as an aside, whenever you hit a wall with drawing, where you don't know what to do next or you just feel like you're not improving or it's stopped being fun and you hate everything you draw? going back and working on the library again is a great thing to do.)

start sorting your inspiration into two different categories. do you actually want to draw this way, or do you just like looking at it? (my own personal example of this: i love LOOKING at very cluttered, gritty, hyper-detailed urban landscapes, like the ones in dorohedoro or tekkonkinkreet -- but i do not have ANY fun drawing things like that at all. i find it boring and unpleasant, no matter how cool and satisfying the end result would be. realizing there's a difference felt like a big breakthrough to me and clarified that not all art you admire is necessarily art you want to emulate.) find what it is about stuff u like looking at but not drawing that you can still try to find enjoyment in. (in my example, what i was actually drawn to about that style was the environmental worldbuilding it creates -- i can still do that in my art style in different ways!)

NOW, after all that, i'll talk a little about the technical exercises and foundations i think are helpful for starting out. i think everything i said before this is ten million times more important. there are artists out there who probably never do any of the foundational stuff and they're still making completely sick, out of this world shit, bc they know what they want to do and they're authentically following their voice. BUT, this just happens to be stuff that helps me make the stuff i want to, which is really the point of honing the technical aspect of drawing at all: technical improvement (i.e. being "good at drawing") is, for me, a way to help me communicate my ideas. trying to improve technical skill should always be in service of your ideas and your desires for your art, because your ideas are the point. getting stuff out of your brain and into an image that communicates what you want to communicate is the point. whether or not you're "good at drawing" is an accessory to that and should never be considered a major obstacle or a reason to quit.

- gestural figure drawing: i use this site, especially the class mode. there is a LOT to say about figure drawing and gesture drawing and it would prob be faster and easier for u to google it and do some reading on ur own than for me to try to type a bunch of stuff out myself, but i'll say that for me the main benefits of figure drawing are building speed, building confidence (in both anatomy knowledge + in your hand movements), learning to quickly identify what the most important/interesting parts of a pose are, and filling that visual library i was talking about before with info on how bodies move and connect, how to stylize + simplify body parts and poses, etc.

- semi related, using reference. here's an ask where i talk a little bit about how i find and use reference. using reference can feel boring, or it can be a little more demoralizing than trying to draw without it (because the image is Right There and you can see all the ways your attempt falls short... sometimes that bums me out lmfao), but the cool thing abt ref is the more you use it, the more you start feeling confident about riffing with it and just using it as a jumping off point instead of trying to stay very loyal to the original, so it gets easier and easier with time. please try using reference! it can make things more fun in the long run, i promise.

- getting to know your materials: for digital work, this means learning keyboard shortcuts (and setting new keyboard shortcuts for actions/tools you use frequently), playing with all your brushes, etc. the more comfortable you get, the more easily you can work and the more time you can spend actually figuring out how you like to draw (instead of grappling with software that makes you feel kind of pissed off and overwhelmed). for traditional work, that means playing around in ways that might feel kind of boring, but will serve u in the long run. fill pages of sketchbooks with random marks to discover the range of specific tools. draw a circle again and again and again without lifting your pencil from the paper, trying to keep it on the same line as much as possible. make gradiant scales where you shade a long rectangle from dark to light as smoothly as you can. stuff like that! gain confidence in your hand and learn what it feels like to make certain marks -- i wish i could explain more what i mean by that, but i think you'll start understanding as you feel it.

- studies: again, there's so much out there on studies (master studies, photo studies, etc) and a trip around google is probably the fastest way to get into it; but basically, this is a structured way of doing the "interrogate everything you like and find out WHY" thing i talked about before. a study can really be anything; the point is you're picking a thing apart and trying to find out why it works, bc then you can apply that to your own stuff. here are some examples of composition studies i've done, as an example of something slightly different: 1, 2

- thinking of art as problem solving: okay, so this isn't a technical skill, but imo it's still a foundational one. this is also heavily influenced by my background in illustration (rather than fine art, etc) so grain of salt based on what specifically you want to do, but i think it still applies. as i mentioned before, art is (almost always) communication. you're trying to make sure the images you're making communicate your ideas and that your audience is more or less picking up what you're putting down. this is where people start confusing "struggles with technical skills" as being the same thing as "bad at drawing" when that's really not true. it will really, really help -- both with actually getting drawings done and with keeping morale up -- to approach a frustrating or challenging drawing not with the attitude of "i just can't draw this, i'm not good enough," but instead with the attitude of "okay. i can't solve this problem with my current skills. what's another way i can draw this that will still get my point across, but is within my ability right now?" when you can approach making art not as "it just plops out onto the page and it's either going to be Good or Bad and there's not much i can do about it," but as "i have something i'm trying to get done here, and maybe i'll have to try it a few different ways before something works," i think it opens up a lot more opportunities to succeed at what you're doing. It's more fun that way and i think it helps create understanding of how to replicate stuff that you're happy with and avoid experiences w art that frustrate you and wear you down.

those are, in my opinion, the basics! this is so fucking long! oh my god! sorry for being so longwinded and thank u for reading, i hope this stuff is helpful!

#long post #tutorials #resources

[cassandraclare]

Hi Cassie, ever since I started reading your Shadowhunters books I've loved the world you created and I'm amazed at how you manage to build it out more and more with every book you write. Do you have any tips or tricks regarding worldbuilding? How did you go about creating this amazing world?

I could write a whole book about world-building — in fact, there are lots of books about it! Every book, even contemporary fiction, requires world-building: you are always creating a sense of place, time, and character in a story, which is essentially what world-building is.

Obviously fantasy has specific elements of world-building that other genres don’t have, so that’s what I’ll talk about — briefly — here. These are a few steps you need to consider when you’re building a fantasy world, be it an open world or a closed one.

1) What’s your normal? 

You’re always going to establish what the norm is in your world before you do anything else. You don’t have to get into the nitty-gritty, but set your basic ground rules. Is there magic? If so, what’s the cost of magic? (Power is never free — it always costs in effort, knowledge, body parts, etc.) Does everyone know about magic (in which case yours is an open fantasy world)? Is it a secret (closed fantasy world)? What’s your time period? Tech level?* What are the major antagonists of your world? What are the biggest dangers? And finally, what’s the main thing your character wants? That may seem like character work, but it’s intrinsic to world-building. If your character wants above all other things to be King, for instance, then you know you have a monarchy. 

*Remember Clarke’s First Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. In other words, you can usually have magic or super-advanced technology, but not both, because they do the exact same thing in a story. Location spells are pointless if you have GPS tracking devices implanted in everyone. If you are going to have both, you have to figure out how what they do is different. Otherwise you are giving Spiderman the power of flight, thus rendering his web-slinging useless. So give it thought!

2) Make your rules.

Otherwise known as internal consistency. Our world is governed by natural laws that determine what people can and cannot do. A world you make up must be the same. What if only some people can do magic? Then you have to figure out who they are, why they can do magic, what rules govern the practice of that magic, how the rest of the population feels about them, and what that magic is based on. While you don’t need to — and shouldn’t — explain every detail of these rules on-page, your characters have to abide by them. We need to believe these are real people who are governed by an internally consistent set of strictures that shape and define their behavior. If your main characters live in a walled city that closes at night, show us that by having them worry about getting back before the gates shut.

3) Break your rules.

Half the reason you established your normal is so you can fuck with it. Stories are about conflict. They’re about the moment things go wrong, not about things going right. They’re about things suddenly not conforming to expectations. If you have a land ruled by a benevolent King everyone adores, assassinate him. (Even better if your main character does it.) If you have a world where women can’t do magic, you need a badass sorceress to rise. If parabatai can’t fall in love, make sure two of them do. If Shadowhunters are the descendants of angels, what happens when one is a descendent of demons? Once you build your world, your first question should be, What is this story going to do to change it?

4) Everything hews to a theme.

Think about the thematic implications of your world. If you’re building a low-tech, high-nature faerie world, think about the way not having tech, and having nature magic fill a lot of those uses, will influence the way the characters talk, the expressions they use, what they wear (nothing with zippers, nothing mass-produced) the way they live their day-to-day lives (alas, no flush toilets). For instance, the thematic character of the Shadowhunters books is defined by the overarching mythology of angels and demons. Seraph blades, which have to be activated by speaking an angel’s name, hew to that theme. Everything the Shadowhunter characters do is defined by their belief that they have angel blood (or fear they have demon blood.) Whenever I build new mythology into the Shadowhunter world, I have to think “Does this fit with who the Shadowhunters think they are, their priorities, beliefs and history? Is this something that could or would happen in this complex, small, militaristic society?” 

It can help to think of it as an aesthetic, as if you were putting together a house. Does this piece go, or does it clash with everything?

5) Small details. 

Little pieces that feel unique and true help build out a world. Rather than spending your time detailing the entire history of the Royal Family for a thousand years, create a room in the palace where the faces of royal enemies are dried, stretched and mounted in glass. Now we know the Royal Family is creepy, which is more interesting than knowing everyone’s grandparents’ names. Stuff that isn’t momentous is fine if it’s interesting. Random stuff I know about Castellane, the city in Sword Catcher: interior light comes from carcel-lamps, dentures are made from the teeth of dead soldiers, the Queen loves kalamansi fruit, and if you fall in the bay, a crocodile will eat you.  Think of the big world-building details — names of countries, the type of religion, the way magic works — as the walls, beams, and floors of your house. The small details are your paint, wallpaper and furniture. One is a structure; the other is the sense and character of that structure.

There’s a lot more to say about world-building, and I’m always happy to answer writing questions. It offers me an amazing opportunity to procrastinate. :) Good luck!

[procrastinatorproject]

Fic writer review, thank you to @thelaithlyworm  for the tag <3

how many works do you have on AO3?

Ten? Oh no, it’s actualy 12 now!

what’s your total AO3 word count?

86,468

how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Grand total of 1: Star Trek: Picard - although my latest offering might branch a bit into other Trek as well.

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

“Passengers”

“And a Barrel of Gagh”

“CMO’s Log”

“Preparations”

“Game Night”

Which is actually kinda interesting. I wrote Passengers, Preparations, and Game Night while the fandom was still a lot more active (especially in the Aramis in Space corner), so that makes sense. The CMO’s log has had chapters added every few months, giving it probably the most exposure of any of my fics. Barrel of Gagh, though? I think I’m gonna attribute that to Thimblerig turning it into a truly, TRULY brilliant piece of podfic. Also the fact that it’s whump involving a character played by Santiago Cabrera. ‘tis A Thing..... :D

do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I really try to! I love talking with people in the comments and just... thanking the people who found the time and energy to leave comments. But especially in the last few months I have gotten very bad at keeping up with the comments and now there’s about two dozen that I have neglected to reply to for a painfully long time 🙈

But I will get there! Because I love that kind of interaction!

what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

So far, none of them have had angsty endings. Angsty middles, yes, but not endings. I’m just a sucker for everyone being happy in the end. Or at least on the way to being better, and supported and cared for on that way.

do you write crossovers? if so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven’t yet, but I’m definitely not opposed. One of the threads of my 200k unpublishable whump scenes takes place in a continuity that has existed in my daydreams for... I wanna say six years at the very least, probably longer. It’s mostly straight-up Star Trek, but with the twist that it involves the Wraith, the telepathic, hive-minded alien race from Stargate: Atlantis that suck the life force out of you with their hands? Or, well, at least a variation thereof.

I once typed up the world building for that particular setting and it took me three hours to try and make it all make sense. So it’s... involved. But not necessarily “crazy”. And I’m not sure I’m ever actually going to publish any of the stories I have set in it (not least because that would envolve finishing any of them and bringing them into a form that is interesting to read for anyone but me...)

have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nope.

do you write smut? if so what kind?

Hm, not yet. I do enjoy reading smut, but only under very specific circumstances. I think I may eventually try my hand at smut, but the inner prude is still very strong. Writing about Rios and Xyr making out (which, honestly, was really tame, all things considered) made me melt in a puddle of blushing embarrassment, so full-on smut is probably beyond me at the moment. One day!

have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. Though litigating that in a fandom like ours would be... tricky. ST:Pic is way too small to steal stories outright. But similar or the same ideas pop up all the time. And it’s a complete coincidence. Reading the book that recently came out and that has a kinda similar setting to a lot of my stories (pre-season 1, early in Rios’s history as captain of Sirena, dealing with original characters, holo shenanigans, friendship with Raffi, etc.), I was struck by just how many elements, both scenes or story beats and little details, were similar to things that have cropped up in my writing. And it is entirely coincidental, because I am beyond certain that the author doesn’t read fanfic. Just... for legal reasons. Not to mention I wrote a bunch of the things I saw parallels to while the book was already in production, and some of them are only in my drafts.

So there is a ton of convergent evolution going on in this particular section of the fandom, and trying to litigate who came up with certain plot ideas or character beats when would be a sysiphean disaster. Some things are clear and whenever I use any of them I give credit where I can, but people will have very similar ideas. It just happens. So no, I haven’t had either a full-on story or “an idea” stolen, and I might change my tune if it ever does happen, but so far, I’m trying to practice equanimity, so I’ll be better at it should I ever need it.

have you ever had a fic translated?

Sadly no. My dad keeps complaining that all my fic is in English so he can’t read any of it, but honestly? I’m kinda glad for this very convenient excuse. Maybe if I ever feel like I want to practice my interpreting skills, I will give translating the stories into German a shot. We’ll see. Otherwise, if anyone feels inspired: Have at it! Just let me know, okay?

have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not quite. I have a draft of off-the-cuff worldbuilding that I wrote on Discord with @curator-on-ao3 and that I would love to turn into an actual short fic (letters from a conference on holo-ethics), but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.

what’s your all time favorite ship?

I don’t really do shipping.

what’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT!!!! One day, I will write the next installment of Star Trek: La Sirena! I have so many ideas for that continuity and those characters. I’m not going to abandon them!

what are your writing strengths?

Hmmmmm. Probably detailed worldbuilding? Ask me something about, say, a technological or cultural aspect of Star Trek and chances are, I have thought about it in the past or will come up with three different sets of intricate lore within half an hour. (Things like... the architecture of San Francisco, or Will there still be taxi drivers? or the treaty between IKEA Intergalactic and the Borg Collective, or the Universal Translator, or Emergency Services or Why There Are Very Few Ambulances On Earth Anymore etceterah etceterah...)

I’m also good at slapping together off-the-cuff plot ideas (if, say, you need an explanation for how Seven and Agnes ended up stranded on a desert island, I could probably give you three different scenarios pretty quickly. Just don’t ask me to make them poignant or actually write them.

I’m also very, very good at beginnings.

what are your writing weaknesses?

Everything that isn’t a beginning. Especially endings, or rather: finishing something, but also just... keeping momentum.

I think my dialogue is somewhat samey and not distinct enough between characters. (Also my witty banter is... let’s just say it doesn’t come to me naturally...)

And I also struggle with keeping things brief and to the point. I can write you 30k of whump covering a span of three hours, but fitting a whole story in the same space? Much more difficult!

I have also avoided writing full-on action so far, but where it has crept in it has always been a struggle and been workshopped a lot with the indefatigable beta.

Otherwise, I don’t know. My self-perception is always a little warped, so I’m not sure what other people would say my weaknesses are.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Oof. Well. I have used Spanish sentences in my fic and done the thing where they’re translated in the end note, but I’ve mostly done it sparingly. I’ve also done the ‘“What do you want?” he said in Spanish.’ It’s tricky. But I will likely keep doing it in some instances, even if it’s a bit annoying.

(It also really helps to have a native speaker of Spanish as a beta, even if it’s Spanish from a different region than you’re character.)

Speaking of regional: I’m also torn about the whole “phonetically writing out accents” issue. Some people love it, some people hate it, I’m really unsure because I’m not a native speaker of English, so I’m not even sure I’m consistent in my narrative voice’s regional quirks. So far, I’ve mostly gone with describing that an accent is happening, and only writing out when phrasing actually differs from standard English. Like Ian (Scottish) saying “dinnae” but not writing “I” as “ah” as you’d see on, say, Scottish twitter.

Though it can be a very useful tool if, for instance, you want to indicate a characters accent getting stronger as they get tired or upset. 🧐

Anyway, I don’t think there is one right or wrong answer here and everyones milage will vary.

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

Published? ST:PIC

Actually first? Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Pretty much simultaneously, though I did write more for LotR. On graph paper, mind, with my fountain pen turned upside down so I could write smaller. I still have folders worth of those stories that I urgently need to digitize before they fade and I lose them forever...

what’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I’m going to quote @thelaithlyworm here: I Love All My Children Equally! I honestly couldn’t say. They are different and I love them for different reasons but I love them all.

Thank you for the tag! ❤ I’ve kinda lost track of who all has done this already or has already been tagged, so feel free to ignore me! But I tink I’m tagging @curator-on-ao3, @aini-nufire, @29-pieces, @flowers-creativity, @highfunctioningflailgirl, @cristobalrios and @the-goofball. And anyone else whom I forgot or who feels inspired to do this!

#ask meme #writing #lili's writing adventures #this was fun!

[incorrectlumityquotes]

FULL REVIEWS: “Adventures in the Elements”

So you guys already know the whole story of how the episode aired in another country and all that jazz and I’ll be honest I’m totally one of those people who decided to watch it anyway.

It was an Amity episode! The temptation was too great. 

I’m going to do a fave five episode list after I’m done with these reviews so I don’t want to spoil it but this episode is probably going to be number one or two. I almost didn’t have to watch the episode to review. That’s how often I’ve watched this one. 

I’ve already said how much I love the cold openings for this show. Not only do they set up the start of the plot, but they also have some of the best jokes in the episode. 

“Hey, freeloaders!” If I ever have kids, that’s how I’ll greet them whenever I enter a room.

Luz is excited to start Hexside but Eda is more excited about her latest batch of human garbage. She dreaming of all the cool things she’ll get to do until she remembers that she has to meet Amity to get her Azura book back. Nice of Luz to lend her the book for four or five episodes. Big brain no count right now.

Luz meets up with Amity and we get the best kind of prize: a surprise. The twins are back! According to Amity, they’ve been trying to make up for what happened in Lost in Language. It’s good to know that the twins know the difference between humiliating your sister and almost getting her killed. Hooray for values I guess.

Another reason I really like this scene is because we get to see Amity really try her best to be friendly to Luz. She’s been antagonistic in every previous episode, so this is the first time we see her try to be friendly to Luz. We get to see Friendly Amity and Friendly Amity is more...protective than I expected her to be.

“Edric, Emira! Stop bothering her.”

Her raised brow and tone of voice also tells me that she was NOT expecting Luz to enroll in Hexside for the next semester. She’s really putting effort to be nice and helpful to Luz. I don’t think I’m wording it right, but I hope you get what I mean. Since Luz made the first move to making their relationship better Amity feels like she would do the same. Sorry, baby girl but that’s a slippery slope that you’re about to slide off in a few episodes. ;)

Amity the one who has to tell Luz that classes at her level require a placement exam and mastery of two spells and Luz remembers that we haven’t done a lot of magic learning in a show about learning magic.

Luz confronts Eda about it, but Eda doesn’t really care until Luz takes advantage of her pride. Eda decides it’s time for magic boot camp and that idea sets off King’s B-plot. Eda takes Luz to The Knee!

So powerful, it defeated John Cena. See if you were a wrestling fan you would have found that hilarious.

According to Eda, early witches came to the knee to develop their magic due to its strong natural magical energy. It’s times like this that remind you that everyone is living on a giant corpse. For kids!

But they’re not alone. The Slitherbeast also lives in the knee, but it won’t mess with you until the third act. And there’s also...

“I’m trying to beat Ed and Em’s highest score on the exam.”

We get more insight into Amity and the Twins. Even though we saw that in Lost in Language the twins were troublemakers who cut class, Amity still has to train to match their score. So Amity has to really work hard to get to the top while the twins (who before this had always given Amity a hard time) are naturally very talented. This actually explains so much about Amity’s freak-out back in Covention. I’m guessing that Amity doesn’t think that’s fair but it’s the hand she’s stuck with.

Luz continues to use the laziest plot device in all of fiction and lies about knowing powerful spells. Luz sees Amity training with a cool wand and Eda does this:

Even the twins have concerns.

Eda’s training does remind me of some philosophy I’ve been studying. What I took from the scene is that Eda does believe that magic should be wild and natural. It’s why she tells Luz to study rocks and eat snow (stay AWAY from the yellow snow). She’s trying to tell Luz that magic comes from the island. It comes from nature. Like The Force from STAR WARS. It flows freely from nature; that’s why she calls it wild magic.

Eda definitely prefers it over using Amity’s “wack training wand.” She probably sees things like that and The Emperor’s coven system as ridged, manufactured and other words that mean fake. Even the wand looks like it’s battery powered. 

Luz, however, is still an impatient kid. She wants to listen to Eda, but her lessons seem odd and Amity’s training looks more like what she was expecting. So Luz pulls another lazy plot device that I’m surprised they don’t more in a show with Eda in it: stealing.

Meanwhile in the B-plot, King wants to do his own boot camp but has no one to do it with. Except Hooty but he says nuts to that noise. King uses Eda’s potion to bring the toys to life. Unfortunately for him, King gets more Chucky than Toy Story.

Luz steals Amity’s book and training wand and can do magic! Eda catches her and they get into a little argument before Luz launches a fireball and hits the only other creature that has been introduced on The Knee. What are the odds?

The Slitherbeast gets so pissed he grabs Eda and the twins. Amity decides to try to go help them and traps Luz in a barrier. 

“You’ll only get hurt.”

Amity is angry with Luz for taking her stuff and putting her siblings in danger, but she’s still putting the effort to be nicer to Luz. Even so this is were we first see the seeds of her crush. It’s not a full blown crush yet but there is a change in her behavior. It’s starting but it’s so small even Amity hasn’t noticed yet.

The B-plot has some of my favorite Hooty moments that really made me laugh out loud.

Back to the main plot (that I don’t have shots of. Come on, Owl House wikia) Luz is stuck in the barrier Amity put up an notices that the stars make the shape of the light glyph. Luz figures out that magic in The Boiling Isles comes from nature because here magic is nature. Since magic can not come from her, it has to come from the island. Even the snowflakes are all tiny individual ice glyphs. 

Luz uses her newfound knowledge with Amity to free Eda and the twins and put the Slitherbeast to sleep. 

And the episode ending is just...just great. 

“I’ll be haunted by my actions forever. Hoot.”

FINAL SCORE: 5 - Loved it.

This is my favorite episode so far. I really want to finish watching all the other episodes before I decide if this is my favorite ever but it’s up there. Like top three. We get worldbuilding, character building, jokes, lore, Amity, Hooty, Twins. It’s fun and meaningful. The revelation that magic comes from the island is something that I know is going to mean a lot to the main plot later but we’ll have to wait and see.

The B-plot here is one of my favorites because I just love Hooty and his weirdness. Every choice they make with him is hilarious. And after this we really get into the lumity zone. Stick around.

#the owl house #my works #full review #full reviews

[writing-frenzy]

Airplane Crossing Over Plots~

Like it says on the tin, these were ideas I had for crossovers involving our fav writer~ (EDIT: Thank you @guiltycorp for inspiring this a bit XD)

Now, I’ve mentioned before, with Airplane choosing the go home option, he ends up still with a golden core in all this mess but he needs to cultivate his body really carefully because of it. (come on, he put in all the time and effort to be an immortal master, he should be able to still have his bad ass skills; not to mention with it being a soul thing, because a golden core is just as spiritual as it is physical, so he will definitely still have it.)

So, sealing his core and having his Nascent Soul outside his body to relieve some of the pressure on it, (having it look like a little chibi SQH that usually hangs out in hoodie pockets or hiding in Airplane’s hair with an aura of disguise around it), Airplane has to go and actually work out, which isn’t too much of a hardship for him at least, seeing as he’s had years to get into a routine and survival instincts kicking in to help him out there.

And, he may have actually started taking school seriously again, actually applying himself, maybe even getting an online accounting job to help supply his income. When he’s steady with that, he finishes PIDW the way he had been leading up to, the ending that makes the most sense and satisfices the writer the most (and if it gives him some closure, he isn’t saying anything about that.) Now that he is finally free from PIDW, and has college and work to worry about, he writes whenever he damn well pleases, and whatever he wants to fuck what anyone says.

(He might or might not write some absolutely filthy porn whenever the mood hits him, and cackles how his fans both greedily read it and cry because his newer works are so tragic, even if they have happy endings at times. Yes, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky is a porn writer, but first and foremost is he an angst writer more~ His fan’s tears and cries just make him stronger kind of writer~)

(I just honestly want Airplane to write what he wants to now, that is one of the biggest motives behind all this honestly)

So, we have the set up :D let’s get to what we can cross over here~

First Up: ~Cutivation Group Chat~

Come on, how can one resist this? Plopping good old Airplane into this wild ride is one of the few things that makes me so happy in life. The thought of it makes me grin, especially since it can go two ways in my opinion~

First way: Airplane replaces Song Shuhang; like, just seeing Airplane, who was an Immortal Master and Teacher in those situations would be so funny, yet intriguing as well to see how he handles it, because you know he’ll be able to, just in ways no one ever expects. (Besides, that werid luck of Shuhang’s would be perfect for him, tho he won’t seek death like the other would~ :D Airplane still has a lovely sense of self-preservation~)

Second way: Airplane is one of Song Shuhang’s roommates. (for this, I’m going to say their Dorm was big enough for five peeps, because I want Airplane to have more friends damn-it.) Just... the imagery of the two neutral disasters getting into so much mayhem and hijinxs together, giving Song Shuhang not only a friend/brother in arms he can always depend and rely on, but also a steady source for learning and cultivation as well :D

(Also, Airplane and Gou Moumou being writer friends, the two of them able to bounce ideas on to each other (oh god, now you have inspired me, how dare you make me write this./hahahaha, you know you want too/ bitch turnabout is fair play/ ah fuck.) also: just the image of Airplane meeting Senior White and being completely unaffected because not only is his survival instincts going in overdrive, but also:

Airplane: ? He’s not my type.

Everyone: *jaws dropped*

:D Anyways~

Second Idea: Card Room (Rebirth)

Now First, for those who don’t know Card Room (Rebirth), this is an action/survival/mystery thriller BL Unlimited Flow type of novel; it follows one Xiao Lou, a medical professor who specializes with examining the dead, and his journeys through multiple rooms after having died in reality, the difficulty of each of these rooms measured with Playing Cards from 2 to K and with different types of rooms being sorted by their suits of Hearts (Mystery), Diamonds (Puzzle), Spade (Survival), Club (Luck/Money). The Goal of the story is to beat all the rooms and return back to the world of the living once more. To aid in this, people can get special cards to help them fight/ take care of their health/ or even just daily life essentials to be able to actually get through places. 

So... this means after getting all used to living once more and getting into his grove in the modern world... Airplane unfortunately kicks the bucket, yet again! Thing is, this time it happened after he played a card game with some of his roommates, I’m going to say poker, and they were betting who would do what chores. Aiplane managed to make out pretty well, and was pleased with it, so was very much bummed when he ended up dying yet again.  He goes through the room, some by the skin of his teeth, but with his cultivation abilities still usable (can’t stop something on a soul level here) he gets by okay. Though, all his cards either deal with writing, supplies, and the rare cultivation one at times.

He gets by at least.

Now, because this series gives me some emotions, here is one thing I will say: Airplane and Liu Ying end up partnering up and break through together, because damn it, Liu Qiao and her sis deserve some damn happiness ;-; Maybe Airplane and Liu Ying meet by chance, Airplane impressed by the young woman’s intelligence and Liu Ying can in turn be grateful for Airplane’s resourcefulness. Maybe even include the original girl that Liu Ying teamed up with, So we have three people already in your team to survive! (because surviving the rooms 2-4 is already damn amazing considering how hellish they get :D ) 

This is a fun crossover for me to imagine honestly, because it would be perfect to showcase Airplane’s skills in logic, reasoning, and pure survival our boy is known for; let that resourceful and logistic riddled mind out to play as he fights to get the fuck out of this world, even if The City of the Moon is beautiful and all.

:D So, those were the ideas I would like to really see, but here is some more for anyone curious:

Honorable Mentions: These are ones I would love to see Airplane accidently going into, and just going yikes, or nope! or even ‘Really?’

Lord of End of World:

... This story, it concerns me greatly; I like the worldbuilding, even has a few really cool girls in it, and I find the protagonist rather curious (to an extent, blackened Gary Stu that he is...) but does it make me cringe at times with the underage theme to it; it’s part of their cultivation and all, but god damn does the way this story push some of it really sqink me out, I had to drop it because it made me so uncomfortable, so just a heads up there. this is one of those stories that makes me want to write spite fiction, but also make me cringe at the thought of remembering it at times.

Anyways, so, how it boils down to it is that this poor guy, known as the Young Master of the Unground Palace, was abused in all the ways one can practically be abused, just so their Master can get stronger themselves by forming the perfect cauldron to absorb, but who manages to kill their master only to die as well. He ends up transmigrating into Gong Lixin, a 16 year old wealthy young master about a year (I believe) before the apocalypse happens... (Like I said, I have so many damn issues with this damn story, I cry.)

Just, on one hand, imagining Airplane in this world also makes me laugh (and maybe hope), because maybe here Gong Lixin could actually learn a cultivation style thats not only suited to him, but also doesn’t need him to dual cultivate all the time and rely on cauldrons (maybe get some needed therapy as well, Airplane knows some peeps; I can dream~), he can have a stable, reliable teacher here who will have no lust or attraction to him, Airplane helping the kid out at first because they look like they’re recovered from a really bad Qi-Devitation and the teacher in him can’t leave that alone. Airplane can also relate with the youth about transmigrating, maybe even telling him about his own time with that. (And Airplane can use his own cultivation to smack around any bitch looking sideways at his student, because fuck that shit, he is only seventeen and traumatized.) Just, turning this story into a cute mentor and discipleship and emotional healing would make me so happy.

Monster Inn Rectification Report

So, this is another Transmigration story~ MC transmigrates as a poor canon fodder son, who would have ended up in a vegetable state after being neglected in favor of the super amazing awesome adopted son. He then goes on to accidently inheriting a supernatural end for Monsters~

Like, this idea makes me grin evilly; though things will change up a bit, since both of Airplane’s parents have already split up and have their own families? Just, the Former An Ding Peak Lord running an Inn? :D Building it from ground up from bascially nothing? :D Oh, man, this man has run worse things, and even a Demon Kingdom, he got you~

Supernatural Movie Actor App

Its a BL about a guy with a split personality who does realistic (as in for real) horror movies through an app, to get his wish to come true.

This actually goes really good with my idea of Airplane wanting to be an actor and all, only to have his dreams crushed :D He doesn’t at first realize what he is getting into when he gets the app, thinking it might be a chance for him to still be able to do his dream, only, surprise, surprise, he ends up entering a real life Horror movie environment~ I’m really curious about what he would dream about~

I Have Medicine

:D Airplane and Gu Zuo interactions make me smile~ these two would be so fun, seeing them bounce off each other would be a treat.

So What if You’re Reborn

.... hahahahahaha, oh, the chaos that could be unleashed in this timeline would be glorious~

Running Away From the Hero

:)

#SVSSS #Scum Villain Self Saving System #Scum Villain Self-Saving System #Airplane Shooting Toward the Sky #Shang Qinghua #Cultivation Group Chat #Card Room (Rebirth)

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 1 for the first time. Random thoughts.

This show is kind of nice because I have no memories of the original She-Ra show, or even any of He-Man, honestly. I'm not sure if I ever watched the original, so I have no frame of reference for how the series is "supposed" to be. I can just take it and judge it as is.

Of the bat, all I know is that supposedly She-Ra and Catra get together as a romantic couple later, but I'm also a huge My Hero Academia fan and the fandom around me ships every character with every other character, so for all I know that might just be shipper wishful thinking I've been seeing and hearing. Given fandoms for Gravity Falls, Thor, and Supernatural ship even siblings together, I've learned not to trust anything except for what I see in the series for myself.

By the way, this isn't a review, just random thoughts and comments I'm having as I'm going through season 1 for the first time.

Episodes 1 and 2: Right off, I really like Catra's "No duh" response to Adora about the truth of the horde. She knows they've been lying to them and have been doing terrible things, she just doesn't care. If she and Adora play their cards right they could end up being the ones in charge and then they'd have all that power. Not necessarily to make things better but enough to where they could do whatever and live however they want. That's a good build for an antagonist. Not ignorant to the fact what they're doing is wrong, just simply so selfish that they don't care.

Episode 3: It really feels like there was no good reason why Glimmer didn't just outright introduce Adora to her mother and every reason she should have known it was a bad idea to try and hide her for a surprise. Being a former horde soldier she'd probably get treated with hostility if Glimmer brought her to the front gate but you'd almost guarantee Adora would get arrested or outright killed if she got caught while no one else knew she was there.

On the other side, we have Hordak being pretty intelligent in promoting Catra. He probably knows Shadow Weaver already doesn't like him, so it's not like he's losing anything making her upset with him, and it's clear she favors Adora way more than Catra, so that little bit of advancement towards Catra probably goes a long way in earning her loyalty to him and a person on the inside with Shadow Weaver.

Also, I'm not the only one who saw Madam Razz and immediately thought Adora had found her Yoda, right?

Episode 4: I don't know how it was in the original She-Ra and He-Man series but I kind of like She-Ra being this title from legend. Adora is not the first She-Ra, given what Razz was talking about with a Mara, so instead of being something new, impressing everyone with abilities they've never seen before, and creating the legend, Adora is placed in a position WAY over her head where she's having to live up to what came before her.

Episode 5: Calling it now, as long as her personality is genuine I think Scorpia is going to be one of my favorite characters in this show. She's...endearing, I think is the best word. She's like a mix of Kronk and a nicer Shego.

For a little bit I thought Mermista was voiced by the same actress who played Poison Ivy in the Harley Quinn animated series. She's not but they do have the same kind of Daria-ish inflections, thus by confusion. Given the prom episode, Sea Hawk feels kind of like her Kite Man.

Episode 6: Okay, now it's between Scorpia and Entrapta who are likely to be my favorites by the end of this. She's fun and quirky.

Episode 7: Quite the lore drop. Shadow Weaver was once a Mystacor sorceress known as Light Spinner. I like to imagine we'll get more on that later. Her haunting Adora reminded me of the Teen Titans' episode where Robin was similarly haunted by Slade. This didn't go as far as that but that's probably for the best, since TT had two and a half seasons to build that dynamic up with Robin and Slade while we're only now halfway through the first season.

Episode 8: Well dang. Again, I don't know for sure if Adora and Catra do end up together but boy do I buy why they're shipped together after that dance. Also, good on Bow for standing up for himself. It's clear that he'll always be Glimmer's friend and this won't change that but that doesn't mean he has to just accommodate her. I understand where her issues stem from but I am still glad he gave her a reality check. It helps him feel a little more like his own character.

Also, another nice little bit of lore and worldbuilding. Scorpia's a princess, the horde landed where her people lived, and they seemed to join them willingly.

Episode 9: Surprisingly don't have a lot to say about this other than I don't buy for a second that Entrapta is dead (EDIT: She's not). This was mostly action.

Episode 10: Not going to lie, this one kind of annoyed me a little, at least the first half. The conversation between Glimmer and her mother saved it a bit. It was a bit of a trifecta. You have the alliance breaking apart, saying that the loss of Entrapta only happened because they were all together...even though Entrapta only "died" because of her own machine obsession that caused her to deliberately walk back into the purging chamber. You have Entrapta who might be turning to the horde's side because she feels abandoned by the other princesses...even though they thought she was dead, and again it was her fault they got separated. And you have Glimmer refusing to tell her mother that Shadow Weaver's dark magic has caused her powers to go on the fritz and is causing her great pain. It just feels like none of this would be an issue if most of these people would stop being self-absorbed for three seconds and talk like any normal person would. It feels very CW drama, like something I'd see in a bad season of Arrow or The Flash. The only person whose issues I buy is Adora, who is basically a soldier who was never properly raised to deal with emotion or loss and is already struggling with the burden of being She-Ra, the legendary savior. I get why she's beating down on herself for not being able to do more even if nothing that happened was her fault.

Episode 11: JEEEEEEEEEZZZZ, that was such a good episode! Focused entirely on Adora and Catra and their past together. Like, just showing someone this episode alone could probably get them to want to watch the series. That was everything you needed to know about their dynamic and history together.

Also, that moment when Catra and her past self are looking at each other, while obviously Catra takes the opposite lesson, it reminded me of this fanart I'd once seen of Jason Todd, the Red Hood, looking at his past self as Robin. The past says to the future "You ruined everything". Catra could be happy but, ironically for someone who hates Shadow Weaver, she's probably going to be a lot like her, sacrificing everything for power and ambition.

Given the way she looked, I'm guessing Shadow Weaver is either addicted to the power of the Black Garnet or she suffered some kind of past injury and its power is the only thing keeping her going. Or both.

Episode 12: I'll be honest, Swiftwind being able to talk kind of gobsmacked and I needed a moment to recover. What a great voice they chose for that character.

So She-Ra is kind of like the legendary heroes from Rising of the Shield Hero, coming from a long line of people chosen to wield the sword. I tend to dislike chosen one types of stories because I think prophecy takes a lot of weight out of the character's actions, so this and Avatar are more what I like. The MC is special but not the only one who's ever been special and they can still easily fail. Their destiny was only to be able to use the weapon, not that they would succeed in any specific purpose.

And dang, Catra's turn against Shadow Weaver happened faster than I thought it would but I'm not complaining. That great "This is what you've really been preparing me for" speech and Hordak, again, being an intelligent villain. "Oh, this experiment could net me a MASSIVE gain and all it could potentially cost me is this rock I already gave away to someone who lately hasn't been producing any results and has been consistently disobeying me. Yeah, I'm going to let this play out."

Episode 13: That was kind of a brutal fight between Adora and Catra. Not the worst I've ever seen even in other shows for this age range (Samurai Jack, for example) but those punches are connecting and those claws are leaving marks.

Also, maybe I'm just misunderstanding the exact situation but shouldn't the good guys' side be called the Resistance instead of the Rebellion? Being a rebellion would imply they are rebelling against an established power or rule over them, but the actual conflict we are shown is the established power and rule that is the kingdoms of Eternia resisting an outside force that wishes to establish a new order over them.

Season 1 verdict: I'm into it. I'm definitely more invested in the villains' side of things but that's not a fault of the series, that stuff is just way more geared towards me than the current princess stuff. I actively am at attention whenever the horde main characters are on screen. For the good guys it's mostly Adora and the She-Ra stuff I'm invested it. That isn't to say I have any real dislikes for that side. Bow especially I'm liking much more than I thought I might. He has kind of this gravitational pull around him. You will be his friend regardless of how much you might want to resist. He's definitely the rock for everyone else to hold onto.

Minor side note, kind of like Korra in Legend of Korra, I love how even when her powers aren't active Adora is shown to still be pretty strong physically with how easily she was lifting people up at the prom.

And I was right, Scorpia is my favorite side character.

On to season 2!

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/nyll2e/going_in_blind_watching_season_1_for_the_first/

#she ra #she ra spop #random thoughts #reddit repost

[bronanlynch]

bi-weekly update

it sure has been a wild time here and tbh I had enough to do one of these last week and just. didn’t?? for some reason?? anyway

listening: the Promare soundtrack went on sp*tify recently so I’ve been on Promare soundtrack lockdown over here. I know Kakusei is the iconic Promare song but Inferno (the opening song) always makes me tear up??? love to experience emotions about a movie in a reasonable and normal way. so anyway my standout track from the OST is Piromare because I am so very not immune to sad soft piano renditions of a motif that is usually triumphant/cheerful/etc

reading: I have, for once, read a bunch of books. I got a giftcard to my favorite local indie bookshop for Christmas and finally got around to using it to buy two books I’d been looking forward to, Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (bi polyam Dracula retelling, kind of) and Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (gay arranged marriage space opera)

Dowry of Blood was very satisfying to me, someone who has lots of opinions about how vampires ought to be sexy and also terrifying, and I really enjoyed this specific take on vampire lore. also the formatting/pagination was really really cool and reminded me more of poetry books than prose usually does. for the first couple of pages there’s only text on one side of the page and then there’s one line on the back of a page and it hits really hard. extremely good and cool printing choices. would def recommend, but it is also explicitly an exploration of getting into and then out of an abusive relationship so. warnings for that in addition to the murder/blood warnings

also look at how sick this cover is (by Marlowe Lune, an artist whose work I really like in general)

I previously read Winter’s Orbit when it was on ao3 as an original work (called Course of Honour) and it was really cool to read a familiar story that I uh. read several times on ao3 but with added layers, because the author added a bunch of worldbuilding and an entire overarching higher-stakes political plot. I really really liked the added worldbuilding, and for the most part I enjoyed the new plot stuff, though at times I felt like it distracted from what I liked the most about the original, and there was one specific scene that was taken out that I was disappointed about. fave thing about the worldbuilding is when something is referred to by normal familiar words (like pigeons or bears) and then the actual thing is like, a fucking dinosaur that only vaguely resembles the word that’s used for it. very fun

also slightly mixed feelings about the framing of empire in the book, since there is some discussion about the consequences of imperialism and the resolution of the plot involves getting more rights and political sway for colonized planets. but the majority of the plot is about preserving an unjust status quo, and the representative of one of the colonized planets is working for the interests of the empire so that they can appear unified in the face of a larger-scale potential threat, which I’m not sure I love. and I also didn’t really care for the way the resistance movement (whenever it came up, which wasn’t often) was portrayed. so. on one hand yes there is a message of ‘empire bad and we should maybe try to be less Like That’ but on the other hand sometimes it did feel like the imperialism was an under-examined backdrop for a romance. like don’t get me wrong, I love the romance, I love the characters, it’s just that some of the politics didn’t quite do it for me and I think I just wanted More of things that just. weren’t the focus of the story

warnings for discussions of abusive relationships in this one, except this time it’s backstory for one of the characters, not something that’s present in the central relationship. and for all of the things that I wasn’t quite satisfied with, the parts of the book that are about like, learning how to be a person again after being in a situation where you’re not allowed to be yourself are still very well-handled and hit me real hard.

I also read a whole bunch of KJ Charles because sometimes all my brain can handle is marathoning romance novels, but I’m not gonna talk about all of them because this is already long enough (have not read the new one that came out today yet though that’s what I’m gonna do after this)

watching: Supernatural season 13 is incredibly boring and bad in ways that aren’t interesting or fun to talk about so I haven’t watched any recently. I did watch the first episode of Lupin, and really enjoyed it! will definitely watch more, though slowly because it takes too much of my brain to marathon it, partially because I know just enough French to almost not need the subtitles but having to read and also automatically trying to translate as I’m listening takes more brain energy. love a good heist though, and it has some good social commentary on race and class and crime

also the main character is very good. fucking superb you funky gentleman thief

playing: still making my way through the last mission of Knife of Dunwall. I made a bunch of progress since I whined at my friend about how hard it was and they told me to just stay in the building that has places to hide (the one you have to make your way through as Corvo, so I already know the layout, which helps lol) instead of the one that’s falling apart with nowhere to hide. who would have thought.

have also watched my roommate play lots of games and have thoughts on those too. Final Fantasy games (or at least the ones I’ve seen anything from, which is 7, 14, and 15) really appeal to me on a character/aesthetic/plot level but the gameplay looks like it would be bad for my brain. and yes all of those have very different gameplay but they would all be not fun for me in different ways. my roommate showed me like an hour of cutscenes from 14 last night that was basically a movie of tropes I love but holy shit I could never play a game where I have to wait for other people to be ready to also play the same part of the game before I can advance the plot

they’ve also been playing Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers (I don’t know which one the S stands for and at this point I’m too afraid to ask), which I do intend to play myself some day. it’s a sequel to Persona 5 with the same characters and damn they really nailed the feeling of seeing your friends again after not seeing them for a while, both in terms of. I care about these characters and am happy to see them again and also, they haven’t seen the protagonist in a while and they’re so happy he’s back and it makes me very soft. would love to reunite with friends whom I haven’t seen in a while

making: haven’t worked on cosplay but we did make some very tasty tortellini soup last weekend, and then last night we made fish & chips which was a lot easier than I was expecting and turned out pretty well? we just used frozen fries instead of like. frying them ourselves but we did make some very tasty lemon-garlic green beans

writing: well. I have a couple of things I’ve been noodling away at for a bit, and then a couple days ago I had a little bit of a breakdown and wrote 3000 words of angst in one sitting for an entire different new fic (Persona boys having a miserable time), and then yesterday decided to get in on a thing in The Untamed fandom of people writing short ““boring”“ domestic oneshots, and I love domesticity so I wrote one, which various reviewers have called “very sweet” and “a callout post” (it is both of those things)

I’m also organizing an event for P5 trans content because someone was shitty to one of my roommates over a trans headcanon and I got so pissed off that I’m running a prompt week now. love to have reasonable emotional reactions to things that happen in my life. why would I think about my actual problems when I could get petty and spiteful over someone saying that a fictional character couldn’t possibly be trans

#this one is real long i'm sorry #contains pictures of food under the readmore #tuesday no problem extended universe #dreaming.txt

[mediaevalmusereads]

The Black Tides of Heaven. By Jy Yang. New York: Tor, 2017.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Genre: novella, fantasy

Part of a Series? Yes, Tensorate #1

Summary: Mokoya and Akeha, the twin children of the Protector, were sold to the Grand Monastery as children. While Mokoya developed their strange prophetic gift, Akeha was always the one who could see the strings that moved adults to action. While Mokoya received visions of what would be, Akeha realized what could be. What's more, they saw the sickness at the heart of their mother's Protectorate. A rebellion is growing. The Machinists discover new levers to move the world every day, while the Tensors fight to put them down and preserve the power of the state. Unwilling to continue to play a pawn in their mother's twisted schemes, Akeha leaves the Tensorate behind and falls in with the rebels. But every step Akeha takes towards the Machinists is a step away from Mokoya. Can Akeha find peace without shattering the bond they shares with their twin?

***Full review under the cut.***

Minor spoilers under “Characters.”

Content Warnings: violence, blood, suicide

Overview: I kept seeing this book pop up on lists of non-Western fantasy and lgbt+ reading lists, so I took the plunge and bought a copy. The plot seemed interesting, and in many ways, it definitely was. There was rich worldbuilding and intriguing politics, and I appreciated the way gender was treated. However, as much as I loved the ideas in this novel, I ultimately felt that I was reading an outline rather than a finished product. There are a lot of places where things would happen or characters would do things and I didn’t quite understand why (other than, perhaps, to create drama?). If Yang had fleshed out those moments and made a full-length novel, I think The Black Tides of Heaven could have been a more satisfying read.

Writing: Yang’s writing is fairly well-balanced between telling and showing in most places. I had no trouble immersing myself in the world or the plot, and the sentences flowed together well so I never felt confused or lost. There were a few blips here and there - for example, when we’re first introduced to the character Thennjay, his backstory is dumped onto us in about a paragraph, which made me think the author wanted us to absorb it right away without doing the work to make it more significant or interesting. But otherwise, I think Yang’s prose was well-crafted.

Plot: This book primarily follows twins Mokoya and Akeha as they come to terms with their supernatural (?) abilities against the backdrop of political unrest and rebellion. We follow them from birth to age 35 as they struggle with their mother’s control, their gender identities, and their relationship each each other, all while some rebels are mounting a resistance campaign against the throne.

At first, I liked the idea of this plot, but ultimately, I felt like a lot of the important political stuff was unsupported or undervalued. The main conflict is supposed to be between the ruling class and a working class (teamed up with some from the disgruntled ruling class?), but it felt like the conflict was never established as part of the lived reality of people in Yang’s world. For example, we never see how the working class is treated - we don’t even see the Protector doing anything cruel or outright bad. She doesn’t actively manipulate Mokoya or try to use their prophecies to gain more power (at least not on-page). We just get the vibe that the Protector is corrupt or power-hungry with a few sneaky, ruthless deals thrown in here and there. As a result, the political conflict didn’t feel very important, so when a big plot point happens (like Thennjay being the next Head Abbot), I felt like we were told its significance rather than feeling its significance.

The same lack of support seems to also happen in the development of the romance(s). Whenever Mokoya or Akeha would fall for someone, it seemed to come out of nowhere. There is one which particularly feels like insta-love, and the love interest is so new to us, the reader, that it’s hard to see why our POV characters fall so hard for them.

I also felt like major scenes or sections didn’t build upon each other and seemed to be inserted for action or drama. For example, early in the book, the twins escape the monastery to avoid being separated by their mother. While they are out, they find a cave full of supplies and randomly have to fight a kirin - an extinct mythical beast. The significance of the cave or the kirin is never brought up again, and it turns out the twins never had to slip out and escape anyway, since they were eventually told they wouldn’t be separated. It made me wonder what the point of the twins being at the monastery was - what did they learn there that would be important later in the book?

Lastly, the time skips make the main conflict of the plot feel less urgent. I understand that with politics, conflict can continue for years and years; however, when a scene happens and then 10+ years go by, it feels like the plot isn’t really building up anything. I think to make these time skips more effective, Yang could have shown us how tensions keep growing year after year until there comes a moment where the people reach their breaking point (or some major development happens, etc). As it stands, I didn’t quite get that feeling.

Characters: This is story is mainly told from Mokoya’s and Akeha’s POVs (though the prose uses third person, not first). What I appreciated most about Mokoya and Akeha was their gender journey; in Yang’s world, children are raised genderless until they are around 18-20, when they are given the opportunity to choose (or “confirm”) their gender. I really liked the way Mokoya and Akeha talked about their genders - Mokoya speaks about “feeling” like a woman, while Akeha struggles to be a man despite being raised in a family of only women. They change their language to reflect their change in identity, and I liked that the world around them didn’t expect someone to choose a gender based on patriarchal expectations.

That being said, I wish there was a little more work put into developing Mokoya and Akeha’s involvement with opposite sides of the political conflict. To me, it felt like the decisions to get involved weren’t personal, and we’re told more than shown that certain things are significant. For example, Mokoya reveals at one point the extent of their involvement and complicity in the political plot, and it kind of just felt... empty. Like we weren’t shown Mokoya doing things, nor were we shown a scene where the outcome was determined by Mokoya’s involvement. We’re definitely told about it later, but we don’t get to see it.

I also felt like Yang asked readers to care about certain characters who had little involvement in the twins’ lives. For example, Mokoya reveals at one point that she is pregnant (this is long after the twins confirm their gender identities), and Akeha feels a longing to meet his niece. However, something happens to the neice that makes their meeting impossible - and this all happens in about 10 pages. So, I felt like I was being asked to absorb the emotional impact of this event without really having time to feel Akeha’s longing.

The niece is one example where it felt like side characters were mainly used to further a plot or as somewhat underdeveloped characters. While I liked the idea of many supporting characters, the book was so short that it didn’t feel like these characters had any time to make a grand impact. I would have liked to see more work put into establishing a few supporting characters as key pieces in this political plot, perhaps with everyone seemingly coming in and out of the twins’ lives to try to push them in one direction or another. The first Head Abbot is one example of someone who could have had a larger role, as is the Protector and Thennjay.

TL;DR: The Black Tides of Heaven is an intriguing novella with interesting worldbuilding and likeable protagonists. However, the disjointed plot feels a bit too rushed and supporting characters feel a bit too one-dimensional for this book to be a truly satisfying read.

[joeys-piano]

Writing Questions & Thoughts

Questions by @aquariwriter, answers by me (Joey):

How do you decide who your target audience is? Do you write the stuff you’d want to read or do you have specific readers in mind?

As a fanfic writer, deciding who my target audience is or even thinking about them to a great extent isn’t much of an issue. At least from my own experience and from writing for fandoms for almost a decade now, the target audience is almost synonymous to the shipping audience or ships in general. As soon as I slap a pairing onto a piece of writing that I’m working on, that pairing (largely on its own) is what determines what my target audience is. Because moreso in the fanfic community rather in original writing, it’s a lot easier to filter a community into its niche groups and for you to really get to know that group and what they prefer or at least, study the trends of content that they really gravitate towards. There are some 

But once more, I don’t put very much thought into who my target audience is. I don’t write for a pairing because I want something from the audience. I write for a pairing because there’s something about the dynamic I enjoy, maybe there’s something I want to explore, or maybe I really like the characters. Extending beyond shipping, I try to have that same approach whenever I want to write something ambitious or something that caught my mind and I want to frame that idea and write it for the community. It can all be traced back to what I want to do, moreso than me trying to guess and game what others would want to read. Because I’m going to be honest: a lot of what I want to create is not what’s popular or what people really want to gravitate towards. And vice versa, a lot of what people want to read is just stuff that I either refuse to write or just don’t really feel it.

So in that regard, I largely disregard who my target audience is, or any audience to speak of, and write what I want to write. I’m already the first reader of the work but moreso than that, I want to write something that I would enjoy writing. Because if I’m putting my time and energy to put it into fruition, it better be an idea that I’m excited about and one that gives me pleasure not only as an audience member but as someone who’s bringing it to life.

Do you plan before you write, or write as you go? If you do plan, what do your plans look like?

I plan a little before I write. If it’s a short story, I try to outline what the general trajectory is and really make sure that I know what the beginning is. I’m one of those writers who will desert a work if I don't know how to start it or can’t figure it out, so taking time to really understand my beginning helps me a whole lot in making sure that a specific work or three will be completed in the end. I don’t care too much if I deviate from my original plot sketch because as a discovery writer, I learn so much more about a story in the actual writing than the planning.

That’s something I’ve learned over the years when I’ve tried to outline and plan out really big, ambitious works. When I try to plan that far out in advance, it’s harder for me to understand the characters and their journeys and how the plot progresses. I can have a general idea of what it is, but the nitty-gritty is lost to me. Because when I try planning like that, it takes away the organic magic that I enjoy with writing and doesn’t allow me a lot of room to just experiment and let the story grow on its own and fester in its own way. The exception to this is when I’m worldbuilding because I like to formalize what the rules of a story are so that when I’m in the thick of it and am shining my flashlight down on my writing, I know what the boundaries are and can figure the best way that I want to break them.

  How do you decide which genre you want to write in? Is genre ever really something you think about?

Just like the target audience, I don’t even think about genre. Like with a lot of things, I let that develop on its own. I can have a general notion that I’m going forth but what it ultimately ends up? That’s between me and my laptop to figure out as I’m writing.

I don’t think about genre first when I conceive an idea. I think of an idea first, I think of the story first, and the genre is secondary and accompanies that. For fanfic, you can really get away with that because you don’t really have to abide by any rules or expected tropes. While in original writing, genre does set a precedence and expectations to what you have to have and to what you ought to do. It’s constricting in that way, but the almost formulaic nature of it makes it much easier to plan and know the beats and progression of where your story is going. The lawless west that is fanfic makes it harder to do that unless you have a really good grasp of what you’re doing or you’re plotting/planning more than just basic stuff.

  Do you generally come up with characters in order to fit the plot, or the plot in order to fit the characters? (which came first… the chicken or the egg lol)

Plot always comes first for me. I’m a plot-centric writer and it’s very important to me that I know where a story is going. I guess that ties into how my love for worldbuilding. I just want to know the rules, the world, the environment that the characters are in and how that environment shapes the characters before the characters shape the environment. I don’t even know what characters, what roles, what-have-you I want until I know what the story is and what are the chess pieces I need to pull this story together.

This could be from my nearly decade long streak of writing fanfic because the characters are already there for me, I just have to come up with a story and how that story ripples and contorts the character into something interesting to play with.

  Where do your best ideas come from? Where did the idea for your current/most recent WIP come from?

My best ideas come from the shower because there’s nothing else to do but think. It’s a great time to just think about introspective works and character studies and cool things I want to do with exploring different facades of a character. My most recent WIP (which I completed about a week ago) was an alternative universe for Bungou Stray Dogs. If you’re familiar with the BEAST timeline, you have an idea of where I’m going with that. To be honest, that idea came to me like a muse whispering in my ear. I didn’t set out to write that kind of story. But as soon as I typed the first line to that short story, I immediately knew what the plot was and what I wanted to do.

That rarely happens so I was really excited for that.

  World building… which aspects of your world are most important? 

In the past when I’ve done worldbuilding, political institutes and power hierarchies were really important to me. I wanted to know who had power, where and why, what they did with that power, and what were the consequences of it. From there, I get a sense of what “the rules” of the world are and the constraints I’m having to work with. Quite recently, I decided to worldbuild by using the customs of a culture first to set the benchmarks for me because for that specific world, culture was very important and that was where “my rules” were.

I guess in the end: the most important aspect of my worldbuilding is knowing what the rules are, what are my constraints for when I’m writing and with what the characters can do, and how those rules can be broken. Because by knowing that and doing that, I can get some really exciting things out onto the page and that’s where the true range of my writing and imagination stems from.

  What is one moral/lesson you hope people take away from your work? Or one thing that you want your work to achieve?

In general, I just want my readers to think. For short works, maybe not much. But for long works that are over 2,000 words, I want to cultivate seeds of thinking into my readers and getting them thinking about their own lives and their own experiences. Personally, I think getting your readers to think is probably the best thing you could do for them. Pleasure is up there too, but thinking and connecting and relating to what’s happening -- that’s more important in my opinion.

The reader can think about whatever they want: doesn’t matter to me if they think my story is boring, pretentious, going nowhere, what-have-you. But knowing that I got them thinking, that means a whole lot to me as an introspective writer.

#Joey Speaks #fanfic writer

[ten-ten31]

Dear Yuletide Writer

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you so much for writing for me! :) I can't tell you just how excited I am. This is my first Yuletide and I guess I'm super nervous, but also looking forward to it. :)

Please feel free to browse my ao3 (KitKaos) and/or tumblr to get an idea of what I stan, like, read or write. I hope I can give you some broad ideas and inspirations in this letter to help you plan. Do feel free to fall back on my general likes if the prompts don't do anything for you. Or just use the prompts, whatever works best for you. Oh, and should you, dear Yuletide Santa, want to write in German and not in English, then I'm definitely okay with that. I'm fluent in both, so whichever you feel more comfortable with. If there's something missing or if you have a question, you can reach out to me via the mods.

General likes: I'm a sucker for the old friends-to-lovers or even enemies-to-lovers (with all the drama of grudginly admitting that the other party maybe isn't all that terrible and all). Things I'll never get tired of include coffeeshop AUs, spy AUs, musical AUs, found families, fake dating, pining, crossdressing, drunken shenanigans, fish-out-of-water situations, pop culture references, etc. Just about any kind of scene you can sneak in there about cooking or eating food (also characters being picky about certains foods and other characters going to some lengths to accommodate that) will make me happy, too. I do have a thing for descriptions of food and expecially impressions of taste - and if you want to make it kinky: food play. ;) I also have a bit of a hand fetish - so descriptions of hands are always welcome. If you want to do it, I probably also won't say no to someone breaking the Fourth Wall, any kind of alternate history AU, crossovers of my fandoms, or even some lovely steampunk aesthetics.

Do Not Want: rape/dubcon/noncon, watersports, scat, humiliation, A/B/O, soulmates AU, vampire/werewolf AU, second-person pov, character bashing of any kind.

*

Fandoms

Just two more thing before I go into detail: 1. The prompts below are nothing more than ideas - feel free to ignore them if you have a better one. :) 2. Not all of the characters need to be used in every prompt; pick and choose as desired.

*

Dial H for Hero (DC Comics)

- Summer Pickens, Miguel Montez

The 2019 12-issue run is just pure love! There is worldbuilding galore, relatable characters, a wonderful coming-of-age and initiation plot, interdimensional shenanigans, the question how Joe Average could get addicted to sudden superpowers, and so much fun with the concept of Superhero Secret Origins. Summer is a wonderfully strong and caring female lead and Miguel is a self-conscious little oddball.

As for prompts: Seeing more of their Metropolis adventures or Red/Yellow/Blue/Black Dial transformations would definitely be a lot of fun. Also, there's this cute boy Miguel asks out in the comics and I would love to see that first date. And what about Summer? She definitely won't be reduced to sidekick!

Feel free to include any other ((teenage) superhero) cameos you feel like. Please do not pair up Summer and Miguel romantically - although I don't have any problems with a fake relationship fic for them. ;)

Where to find it: Your trusted comicbook supplier.

Masks: A New Generation (Roleplaying Game)

- any / worldbuilding

I only just disovered Masks as an RPG, and ever since I started playing, it's probably the most fun rping I've had in a long time. I love that playbooks are not by the type of power but the type of problem each teenager faces personally. Like, how do you juggle school, first love, being different in a way no one should know about, being different maybe in a way people will immediately see, adults telling you who to be, chores, and being part of a young superhero team that wants to make a name for themselves? It's hard. And the best sessions alternate between deep emotional connections, hilarious teenage drama and great action scenes.

As for prompts: I would love me some good worldbuilding - so maybe there is a reason the Scarlet Songbird is still around? What was Halcyon City like back in the days of the Golden-Age heroes? What has changed since then? How do especially the older generations view the naming conventions going around for new heroes? Is there a code to follow? Who in Halcyon City pays for all the damage to buildings and infrastructure caused by superhero-supervillain fights? What was it like back in the olden days for the Golden Age heroes as opposed to now?  Are there cultural exchange programs with any of the alien races visiting from time to time? Give me a day in the life of an average Halcyon City citizen - they don't even have to be all that close to an epic fight or something. Just their way of coping with the daily madness of a huge city housing most of the world's superheroes. If you like something a little more character-specific: The one actual-play podcast that does it best in my opinion are the Theatre of the Mind Players with their "Future Shock" and "Past Tense" seasons of Masks. And I would love to read more about these characters. Have Sparrow and Figment finally get together. Give me a glimpse of how Horizon assembled his ersatz mom. What will Helix and Remix get up to?

Where to find it: The core rulebook is available from Magpie Games. The Theatre of the Mind Players’ Masks sessions can be found on Youtube.

Super Sons (Comics)

- Jonathan Samuel Kent, Damian Wayne

Super Sons is how I finally came to like and care for Damian Wayne - which, if you know me, is a major achievement! He is still a huge brat, don't get me wrong, but Jon's influence on him and the way he is confronted with certain issues he has... it's magical! It's wholesome! It's healing! They are both so fiercely protective of each other, and they both grow as characters from their experiences with each other.

As for prompts: So, dear Yuletide Santa, give me character growth and banter and friendship galore. I can see slumber parties at Wayne Manor or at the Kent farm. I can see them getting lost in space and time. I can see more adventures once they're at the same school. I can see a canon-divergence AU where Jon is finally admitted into the the Teen Titans at age 13 - how would that go? Or how about an Interrail Buddies AU?

If you want to write slashfic for them, I will not say no but would probably prefer to age them up a bit. I also most definitely don't mind any background appearances of any of their families.

Where to find it: Your trusted comicbook supplier.

Superman Returns (2006)

- any (Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Richard White)

I still love this movie a lot - not because it's particularly spectacular, but it treats the characters with love, it treats the legacy of the Reeve movies with love and it leaves SO MANY questions for fanfiction authors to answer. ;) I mean, I've been a Superman fan for a long time and I've discovered that I'm most comfortable with a Clark who wears a mask both as Clark Kent and as Superman, who isn't either of those two (and who is fallible). And whenever someone learns of his secret identity, they will see that he's so much more than either Clark or Superman. I know Lois is a fairly underdeveloped character in this movie, so I would love for her to be treated not just as a prize, especially since there were those years of her having to put her life back together after Supes just up and left.

As for prompts, I've always wondered about the different coping mechanisms (Lois turning bitter, Jimmy starting up daydrinking - WTF?!) and just how their day-to-day business changed without Clark and Supes there. Give me the Planet staff banding together to rescue Lois when she remembers just that second too late that there will be no superhero to save them (I also wouldn't mind any of the Bats helping out secretly, if that's up your alley). Give me Jimmy trying not to think too much and instead getting on Lois' nerves until he's rescued by Richard intervening. I am also an absolute sucker for continuation fics, so how do things settle down after what happens in the movie? I would love for some real Clark and Jimmy bonding moments, maybe even Jimmy finding out or having known all along and covered for Clark. I would love for some truce and real friendship blossoming between Clark and Richard, as they are both intelligent, compassionate, insightful men. If you want to include Jason anywhere, feel free to do that, as he makes for such a wonderful catalyst for disaster. Feel free to write gen or any canon pairings - I'm also okay with non-canon het/slash pairs (or threesomes) as long as they make sense in-universe. ;)

Where to find it: Sadly, the movie doesn’t seem to be streaming anywhere, but since it’s 14 years old now, you can buy it relatively cheap.

Young Justice (Comics)

- Tim Drake (but do feel free to have any of the other characters in the story, too)

No matter if you're into the old 1990s YJ comics, the companion comics to the cartoon show, or the new 2019/20 version of the comics - I love all of them! So much I don't even know where to begin... The snark! The lovable teenage stupidity! The friendship that goes above and beyond! My definite favourite is Tim, because he is such a bright, snarky, secretive, repressed little bird (the moment he takes off his domino mask to reveal a second one underneath? priceless)! I also love his deep friendship with the others because that's his found family. Yes, Batman is his mentor (even though Tim might understand B better than the other way round sometimes) and Dick is his older brother and idol (hero worship, anyone?), but Young Justice is where he wants to be himself and all of it.

As for prompts: Even though I did not put either Cassie or Cissie in my request as I want something Tim-centric, the dynamic with those two strong-willed girls is definitely something I would love to see explored more. Also how the dynamic with the bats is so very different than the Young Just Us dynamic. What's it like being the one without powers in a group of hormonal teenage superheroes? I also just realized that I would love to see more of Mister Sarcastic trolling the rest of the gang. Or how about: What if Tim had powers for one day? If you're into the 2019 comics, how about a 5+1 of Why Drake May Or May Not Be A Good Superhero Alias. If you want to include the rest of the gang, you're definitely more than welcome to. Tim and Kon's bickering and outright arguments in the beginning turning into such a solid friendship (or more) is something I can read about time and time again. Pretty much the same goes for Tim and Bart. Or how about some Wendy the Werewolf Stalker shenanigans? Why is having girls in your group a bad/good idea? How did Cassie's becoming the team's leader affect Tim's sense of self? Heck, if you feel like it, open up the love triangle Tim-Cassie-Kon since there's like a ton of history there. Oh, and anyway, why is Stephanie Brown never part of any of Tim's teams? Dear Yuletide Santa, do also feel free to include any of the other teens (I have a soft spot for Li'l Lobo/Slobo).

Where to find it: Your trusted comicbook supplier.

Overall, I’m sure I’ll love what you have for me, and I'm looking forward to reading it! <3

#yuletide 2020 #yuletide #dear yuletide writer #dyw #yulebuilding #cheftide #wrapping paper challenge 2020

[annakie]

An Annotated Mass Effect Playthrough, Part Nine

Previous Posts: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Wheren we run out of sidequests, so we head back to the Citadel already.

With the quest log pretty empty, I didn’t feel like flying around the galaxy hoping to bump into something Hackett wanted me to do already, so let’s go finish up some of those loose sidequests and pick up some more!

I didn’t grab a screenshot of this, but one of the mods (faster elevators maybe?  Or MERe?  IDK!) COMPLETELY removes the scanning component from getting on and off the ship.

I don’t remember the exact origins of this, but one tick Annakie Shepard has is... she really really fucking hates being scanned.  And it probably was because of how long the scanning bit of getting on and off the ship here took, but I used to always try to outrun it if possible, or at least put up the effort.  I’m so glad it’s not here at all.

The only acceptable scan is Chakwas scanning her for medical reasons, and even that is just barely ok.

Anyway, here we are, freshly not-scanned, heading right down to C-Sec to... oh no what’s this?

Ah.  Yes.   Mikhailovich.  Here for inspection.

One of the reasons I cheat in Paragon points is that it’s nearly impossible to ever make Mikhailovich happy unless you don’t come back to the Citadel for a very long time.  So maybe I could have gone to Noveria and done the Paragon Point Cheat, but one cheat or another, doesn’t really matter.

The Mikhailovich encounter is another one of those things that didn’t have to be in the game, but is great worldbuilding.  Not everyone agrees with the Normandy being built, or the turian design, etc.   Mikhailovich is right that some of the things we built here could have been tested in a lab, you know.  It was a huge chunk of money, but it’ll be wrong later in thinking it’s a waste.  He also again shows that people aren’t sure that working super close with the turians is a good idea, which, again, he’ll be wrong about, but it’s a good thing to see differing opinions on a lot of things.

Anyway, I like this bit not only for that reason but to see Kaidan’s salute.

Finally, after lingering at the dock for who-knows-how-long while the Admiral inspected our ship, we get down to C-Sec, ready to...

Oh what’s THIS now?

Time for another interview, this one a little more voluntary.  

Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News.

She’s a character I have very mixed feelings about.

On one hand, well, I used to love to punch her out.  And now I never do.

She’s clearly digging for an angle here in her interviews.  She’s reporting for humanity, not the council races or galaxy as a whole.  But answering her diplomatically here, she’s another character who questions you and what you’re doing, but doesn’t actually step over any lines.  It’s more when you get testy with her here, she gets touchy back.

It would be a shitshow with the fanboys I think if you took out the option to hit here.  But wow that moment... didn’t sit right, especially when it was an MShep doing it but it’s not a great look for Femshep either.  Nobody should hit ANYBODY unless it’s actually necessary.  Getting your feels hurt by a few tough, even unfair questions... does not call for punching.

Especially today when we’re already getting scary close to losing freedom of the press.  Being diplomatic with her really nets the best responses in 2 and 3, as well.

And maybe if we hadn’t just gotten raked over the coals by Mikhailovich it’d be less grating to then get questioned by a reporter.  But I find it interesting how the game keeps pushing and questioning Shepard, and maybe even trying to find holes where maybe Shepard or the Alliance isn’t completely right, or could be questioned.

Damnit, Chorban and Jahleed.  Just kiss, already, neither of you are trying to kill the other!!  

I do love that Chorban figures everything out based on your scans... just like... a couple of years too late.  Anyway, I already finished all the scans, no way I’m not finishing this quest with Chorban for that sweet XP.

And YOU, using a girl with no undercover experience and putting her in Chora’s de-- what’s that?  Conrad dies if I end this quest early?  SIGH.

Also... Gideon Emery.  So you’re fine.  All is forgiven.  I’ll do your dirty work.

Helena Blake!  I DEFINITELY won’t forget to go speak to her, get back on the Normandy, do another planet quest, realize I didn’t speak to her, then go back to the Citadel just to actually pick up this quest, then pretend later on in this update that I remembered to speak to her all along!

I mean, speaking as if I were someone who hasn’t played the next two games, this is DEFINITELY SUSPICIOUS right?

I guess in a way, we did pull our gun on Conrad all along.

Just give me the damn mods.

Honestly, I love this part of the quest because you can COMPLETELY fuck up by being too goody-goody.  I have probably had to reload after mindlessly clicking paragon answers more times than I care to admit.  This time, I remembered to not obey the law.

The second reason I wanted to come back to the Citadel is that after one planetary mission, Morlan’s Iconic Armor shop (which, again, is thanks to ME1Recalibrated) sells special armor for Kaidan, that looks like his ME2 armor, so he has his own unique look.  

A picture from later, once the armor texture is loaded correctly.  (Turns out it required a restart.)

I LOVE IT.  Thank you, MERecalibrated team!  Welcome to Kaidan’s look for the rest of the game.

Let’s head up to the presidium!

Whoops, shoulda brought Ashley along.  I’m sure whatever he wanted to talk about can wait til later.

BTW, that gif isn’t sped up.  

If you don’t have the console enabled and aren’t setting your out of combat runspeed to at least 800 whenever you’re anywhere you have a lot of running to do, then consider doing so.   I’ve found 800 is the perfect amount of fast without leaving me slamming into walls constantly

The annoying thing is that every time you have a major area transition or have to reload the game, you have to do it again, but after the first time it’s 4 keystrokes.

` then up arrow, then [enter], then ` again.

Also your companions may fall behind, but that’s only an issue for the places they have ambient dialog.  So mostly I start using it on the Citadel after going everywhere once, and then most of the time on the Normandy and sidequests.

Oh let’s talk to this nice lady.  Oh no, her sister has been kidnapped, how sad!

Well, the poor woman deserves my help, I’m sure it’s all on the up-and-up.  Sure, I’ll rescue your sister!  I’m glad we have this friendly relationship that will be profitable and non-lethal forever!

You DID know that Anderson and Udina comment on each major mission afterwards, right?  It took me more playthroughs than I care to admit to discover this.

Also, this is a kind of humanizing moment for Udina here.  He tells us how the council isn’t happy that we lost the prothean ruins at Therum, then Anderson stands up for us (we love you, Space Dad), and then he actually really backs off and says in a much softer tone “I know, I know.  But we all get judged on how you behave.”

And again, we’re not meant to love how he says it, but um, Udina is right.  Everything we do has repercussions throughout the Citadel, and sometimes the Galaxy.

Poor Liara, the only one left without an iconic armor in ME1.

Also, like Tali earlier, she hilariously has lines in quests we turn in or make updates to that she has no business knowing about.  I guess she read all the questlogs while traveling back to the Citadel.

While we’re here on the Citadel, let’s take a flycam visit around to the edge of the room, shall we?

So we’re heading out, towards this building, past the Mass Relay sculpture.

What you can see as soon as you’re near it and then over it, is that that building hides the seam where the water meets map.

From just beyond it, there’s the apartment-looking building, for whatever reason you can see through the textures on the other side, leaving just the roofs/floors visible (the slats).

It took quite a while to go this far, but eventually, you can find the invisible wall where the cars spawn from, and not long after, the map ends.  The map is very curved, btw, that’s no illusion.  There’s no chance you could see this far without flycam.

Looking back, you can see the bridges in the distance, but the Relay sculpture and where Shepard is standing is very far away, quite difficult to see even if the full-sized screenshot.

I love how huge these maps are.  It makes the illusions really work and the sense of scale works BECAUSE it is actually just... that big. 

Well, back to smaller issues.

Again, a great quest not only from a memorability perspective, but a worldbuilding one.

How does religion work in this galaxy?  Well, some people still have it.  Enough that there’s laws in governing how people are able to spread that religion.  I think that the council actually enacted a fairly sensible law here -- they cannot allow zealots to take over near the seat of government, but also people should be free to worship as they please.  

I myself am a person of faith who, despite being brought up in a HIGHLY Evangelical movement, now very much believes that people should be able to worship as they choose, (or not at all!) but also that faith is a private matter and shouldn’t be forced on others.  

So yeah, the hanar is being unreasonable, but should still be spoken to with respect.  It’s good that this particular hanar takes it well.

I am honestly dying to know how the hanar deal with the absolute proof that the Enkindlers were just... people.  I mean we saw the one hanar in ME3 react to Javik, but you have to think that the religion as a whole must get shaken up a great deal after the game ends.

Also... seriously read Mass Effect: Annihilation (the quarian ark book).

Anyway, I like resolving this peacefully and getting the hanar to leave peacefully.  Calling someone a big stupid jellyfish is hilarious in the moment, but not so nice once you think about it.  

Ah, Michael and Rebekah.

I love this quest because... it’s not cut and dry.

I don’t think either of them is wrong. I think they’re facing a tough choice and they both have good points.

For a long time, though, my response has been that it’s Rebekah’s body, her choice.  

But the funny thing was, this time when I was playing, I didn’t see this as just an allegory to a woman’s right to choose.  From Michael’s POV, it’s more of an allegory to Anti-Vaxx.  Obviously back in 2007 when the game came out Anti-Vaxx wasn’t nearly as much as a concern as it is now, so I love that this small part of the game actually grew more meaningful over time.  

Yes, there’s a SMALL chance you could hurt the child from the procedure, but a greater chance of harm if you don’t.  I had a harder time choosing this time, like, oh, am I going to lean a bit more towards being pro-choice, or pro-vaxxination?  I’m pro both of those things??

I still sided with Rebekah.  Mostly because I know the kid turns out OK either way.

Well, for a couple of years, at least.

Emily!  You changed your clothes!  What’s that?  You want me to plant bugs?  Won’t someone notice?

Guess not.  Not even this bug.

I’m sad that this is the last we’ll see of Emily Wong face to face.  But hey, a good reporter, and good person.  :salute:

Kahoku... thank you for finding out about Cerberus and telling us.  The first time we hear the word I think, in the game?  

You will be avenged.

Welp time to head up to the ship and go off on some sidequ--

I mean... Uh, time to go talk to Helena Blake, OBVIOUSLY.

(Also Liara you cannot climb that wall, stahp.)

I love them having just a bad bitch like Helena with her sneaky-plan to kill her business partners so totally above the board by Shepard, but hey, she’s just a concerned citizen giving tips to law enforcement, right?  She’s awful, and she knows it, and she’s cool with it.

Well, since Ashley magically appeared in the party without me going to the Normandy AT ALL, as long as we’re here, let’s go talk to Samesh Bhatia

A great moment for Ashley, remembering her friend, and treating her husband with so much care and kindness. OBVIOUSLY we can do this very easy thing for him.

Fuck, this just got a lot more complicated.

I love this quest because it puts you between a rock and a hard place.  Again, neither side is wrong.  Samesh SHOULD have his wife’s body back.  But it IS important research.

For a long time, I didn’t give a shit about the research and would get the body back, no matter what.

But so many more lives are saved with the research.  So this time I ask him to understand, and he does.  But it never sits quite right, either way.  

As my other SciFi favorite franchise* reminds us in one of its most poignant moments...  Sometimes the needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the one.

Okay now we’re heading back to the Normandy for the first time this update, and next time, back out into space!

*Star Wars is a Space Opera, not SciFi.

#mass effect #kaidan alenko #liara t'soni #ashley williams #conrad verner #bioware #gaming #video games #annakie's mass effect stuff

[comicteaparty]

June 1st-June 7th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from June 1st, 2020 to June 7th, 2020.  The chat focused on Phantomarine by Claire K. Niebergall.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Phantomarine by Claire K. Niebergall~! (http://www.phantomarine.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until June 7th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

copperine

Ooh I'll answer a few asap!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

As another creator/reader, I feel Phantomarine has a lot of good parts: 1. So it starts off thrusting us into the middle, which is unique. Even though we are underwater, the creator gives delightful warm palette. You can identify the spooky 'evil spirits' from the protagonist without the page looking cluttered. 2. I quite enjoyed Ch 2 (The Horizon Child) where I'm presented with more world building and how the story ties with the Red Tide King's lore. My favorite part is the Fracture Day Festival, the colors and the clever plot tactics written. 3. As for character(s), I love Phaedra's noble character. She is a future Queen and has a heroic presence. I also like Vanna, seldom I see great parent writing as her. She is both nurturing and an intelligent doctor. I admire how Lady Lazuli ties her job to Paval's condition. I have a soft spot for silly Paval, his character is both silly yet wholesome (he's not bratty <3) 4: So far, I enjoyed Cheth's interaction (in Ch 1) it told alot about his character; his tendency to shapeshift into different forms. I like his unusual character, hitting my nostalgia buttons for a good villain.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

For themes, it seems to explore family grief and sacrifices within the chapters I read. To have a stable life, one has to endure hardship such as Phaedra taking on the burden of her father's role. I enjoy reading that life philosophy theme not often explored in web comics. Also Vanna and Paval's interaction gives me good family vibes 7-8. I feel Phantomarine storytelling is intricate and expresses the vibe of an experienced creator. Tackling multiple plot points, stringing them into good beats; is tricky but Lady Lazuli pulls it off almost effortlessly. Initially chapter 1 left me with questions and it starts to reveal itself as the story progresses. I came into the story following Phaedra's adventure and will be in for the ride. 5. I have some favorite illustrations: this one http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-horizon-child/2-27-the-maritime-fair/ I love the colorful festival. and also the opening page was quite impressive with the crowds of souls, where they become silhouettes, yet convey enough visuals. I LOVE this page in Ch 3 (Fata Morgana), the way the words 'RUN' echos through http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-fata-morgana/3-33-the-dark-shoreline/ There's alot of things I like about it: pacing, the plot progression and as I struggle with stringing multiple plot points, I marvel at this skill in the comic.(edited)

Miranda

1. I love that the stakes are high after just a couple pages. There's no dallying and it draws you in so well. Also Cheth is just fantastic and his introduction is so well done! 2. I really loved Pavel eating pancakes and Pavel hiding in his stuffed animal hammock nest to point out a few scenes. It's so hard to choose a favorite moment, but sadly I'd have to say the end of Chapter 3 and just how that all unfolds. 3. GAH! Pavel? Ya...Pavel. Cheth is wonderful, but I feel like Pavel is so young but already has such an interesting personality and I love his spirit. 4. I really enjoyed Pavel and his Mom. But Cheth and Phaedra's interactions were very entertaining. But Pavel and Vanna are just so close and supportive it's just heartwarming sniffle because I know what happens And the warmth and love there stands out a lot against the harshness of the "convent-like" place and Halea's temple, etc. 5. OMG. where to start? I don't even know. I love it. I love the colors. I love the designs. I love the pages with all the tiny little details, they are wonderful. But I think one of my favorites is: http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-fata-morgana/3-34-the-prayer/ because I love the contrast between Pavel and Cheth and I think there's just a whole bunch of emotion in this page. 6. This might not be a purposeful theme, but in general I've caught a theme of how danger and bad stuff is handled and I love seeing such strength in all the characters. Phaedra with he just outright defiance, Pavel with his positive outlook and Vanna with love and compassion but also with a analytical mind. They all handle tragedy and loss in their own ways and it's very well done. 7. Everything. This is a very difficult question. 8. Use of color and characters that all stand out from each other.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

cracks knuckles Alright, let's GO! 1. I loved how we immediately know the stakes. We see Phaedra's personality in the challenges Cheth offers, and we know that she's well aware of the situation she's in. It gives it a mythological feel, of the hero in the underworld fighting to the surface. Only this time, there's a caveat; she's still technically an underworld denizen, but allowed to roam the land of the living. The colours set the mood very well too; I loved that the Red Tide King's ghosts were all rimmed in red, while the protagonist were either yellow or blue (diametrically opposed to the red.). And of course, Cheth; he's a wonderful villain opposed to the protagonist, and they have great rapport.

2. Oh dear, there are several to choose from. My favourite one so far is when Cheth asks Phaedra how many people were made into orphans after the war. It was that scene that immediately made me hooked onto the story; a story that went there and isn't afraid to go to that deep, dark place will always get me to keep reading. Another more minor moment was when Eddy was revealed to bully Pavel due to not having his family visit him; it's a great way of having an antagonist show that they are not truly all dark; rather, it's a morally grey area that the characters are in. Even an antagonist can have layers and it makes them seem more human. Finally, Vanna's passing into the Fata Morgana. The scene where she said that she was glad to have saved him, and where they said their goodbyes made me cry. As someone who's had to say goodbye to my own mom as she goes abroad....and not knowing when she'll be back, it hits a deep part of me. I really thought Vanna would be one of the main protagonists.....but alas, it was not to be.(edited)

3. CHETH! Hands down, CHETH! Notwithstanding my bias for underworld cthonic deities, I LOVED his personality. The fact that he reminds me of one of those deliciously personable villains from Disney helps a lot. And I loved how he never let's Phaedra forget that he is a threat, a blue/orange morality villain throughout; he uses his collection of souls to yell at her to be quiet, points out that she's a monster like him, and impersonates her dead father. But he also shows signs of not being a completely inhuman god; like when he shows a slight look of pity/sympathy for Phaedra mourning her father, or when Pavel mourned his mom's passing into the otherworld. Also, I don't see a lot of deities who fluidly go between genders like he does. It makes him so much more interesting, that he shifts into different identities that way. One of the best portrayals of a death deity I've ever seen.

4. Cheth and Phaedra. There's an interesting power dynamic going inbetween these two; on one hand Cheth is a literal god, and he holds a lot of power. On the other hand, Phaedra has shown time and time again to outsmart him both mentally (e.g. winning the questions) and physically (e.g. cutting off his hand). And yet Cheth recuperates from those injuries fast enough to go against her again. It's a back and forth game of David and Goliath. Interestingly enough.....Cheth seems to hold some measure of interest with Phaedra, as if she is an entertainment to him. However, there's also his slight contempt with where she came from, and it's as if however entertaining she is....he'll never forget that. Meanwhile, Phaedra outright wants to kill him....which I don't think anyone can blame her for. It would be interesting to see how their relationship evolves throughout the story as foes.

5. THE ART. IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. The colours balance each other well, the painting style gives it a soft feel, like going into a new world. But I absolutely, absolutely HAVE to give kudos to the details LadyLazuli gives in the backgrounds and the world in general; worldbuilding wise, it shows strong potential for show and don't tell. Several of these pages can be standalone posters themselves!

http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/king-of-the-red-tide/1-1-king-of-the-red-tide/

Several. http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/king-of-the-red-tide/1-31-the-echoing-graveyard/

I mean it http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/schooner-of-the-moon/4-1-schooner-of-the-moon/

6. One theme I'm really interested in and noticed is the idea of paranoia of the vulnerable/sick. Cheth has brought up the idea that a living soul is needed to help Phaedra; however, as she is a seaghost, many people would either be too scared or repulsed by her to aid her. And the seabitten were generally treated as needing to fear or be ashamed of their own "afflictions". Pavel and his mother, however, seem to take exception to that rule and are more interested in helping or accepting these afflictions, trying not to let the fear and paranoia prevent them from being charitable. It would be interesting to see how this theme develops more, as Pavel and Phaedra eventually meet. Would Pavel still keep to these views? Or will society....or....something else, convince him to fear them even more. Or worse, would his mother's death make him more frightened of the seaghosts?. I can see a lot of parallels with this theme to the lepers and other people with diseases; people were scared to even interact with the lepers and they were considered "dirty". It is a common and sadly still very prevalent theme in real life to this day.(edited)

7. I have to say....everything. It just sucks you in very easily.

8. The strength is that it reads like an epic, and not just any epic....a true to life one. The story and dialogue flows amazingly and the colours are vibrant. Overall, it's exactly how I imagine a perfect seafaring mythological story; sometimes I feel like I'm watching a film. I will note that one thing LadyLazuli nailed is pacing. She knows which panels to have dialogue and which ones to not. Sometimes we get dialogue and other times we're just....enjoying the atmosphere and the beautiful backgrounds. Hayao Miyazaki once clapped his hands slowly, making sure to leave a pause inbetween. That was ma, the emptiness, where there is no noise, but just the peace to enjoy and savour. Where there is no action needed. I think Lady Lazuli nailed the concept of ma perfectly. Because she lets the readers enjoy her world.

SkewricArt

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it! The backgrounds and color choices are stunning every single time. The page where we first see the fata morgana, with the off whites and ethereal blues looks absolutely haunting to me and it's a favorite (The Archer, 3.26) and the context makes me wanna CRY but that page is so incredible zjsfskf(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Wow, a mountain of words after the first day And all of them extremely kind. Thank you all so much! This has seriously lifted my spirits today

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

You are welcome, Lady Lazuli! I binged in 3 days. oh dear I feel like I was writing a book review more than a Q&A at this point (edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

These honestly feel like book reviews! Extremely passionate book reviews It’s a wonderful sight. And it helps me know what people respond to, and how they respond to it. I will be going back and reading these like direction notes, ohoho~

RebelVampire

What I like about the beginning is kind of how much world lore is snuck in. We learn a lot about Cheth, the state of the sea, how death works, get name drops of other people like Cheline. So without having this long narrative about the world, we get to know a lot about it in the conversation without that necessity. For favorite moment, it's probably when Pavel and Vanna met Halea. Cause I've never seen a scene scream danger at the top of its lungs or feel a child was so threatened by anything. My favorite character at the moment is definitely Pavel. Pavel is just a cute boy who wants to heal the ocean even as most of the adult's around him say "Nah bro dat bad." I also just think it's cute how much he takes after his mother in regards to his appreciation of science. I also just in general like his design. I enjoy(ed) seeing Pavel and Vanna interact the most. They had a super cute parent-child relationship. I like how Vanna kind of balances keeping Pavel in line while also acknowledging that he's ultimately kind of the odd man out both in regards to his physical situation and his beliefs that he shares with his mom. Just all around I love the artworks color. There's a lot of great palettes, a lot of atmosphere, a lot of great contrasts, etc. All around it's just beautiful colorwork that really knows how to make the mood of each scene and character work. As for themes the comic explores, definitely for me science and the opposition scientific pursuits science can face. It's easy to say "But science", but when people are afraid of science or just don't like new ways of doing things, it can become hard no matter how much promise your work has. And I think the comic captures this really well, while at the same time combining more fantasy elements that still blend together really well.

What I like about the comic's overall story insofar is, as a personal bias, the high stakes political plot where people are getting assassinated, souls are being bargained, and so forth. I am a sucker for that since even if it's not the main focus, it adds a sense of danger and high stakes that otherwise would not be presence. For overall strengths, I refer back to the art question. It is definitely the entirety of the beautiful artwork.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Once my work day is done I'm going to comment on some bits of feedback - before other questions come out soon! These observations are tickling my brain. Some are things I haven't even considered before which is extra fun as an author.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Something interesting is that... right now, I'm not entirely sure Cheth is the bad guy? Like, Pavel noted that the red ghosts don't actually attack people. And Halea is definitely all sorts of suspicious, despite being a follower of Cheline. Yet if Cheth isn't a bad guy, he sure didn't make any effort to convince Phaedra of that. So there's a question of who's actually responsible for all the stuff that's going down (all the assassinations, all the attacks, etc).

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Good point! Not only that.....but did you notice that the Fata Morgana has feathers? Kind like how the followers of Cheline do...

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I think the page where Pheadra reveals it's the year of the bonefish was the moment where I was like "oh, I don't think Cheth's bad. I think he's a lonely jerk trapped essentially by himself at the bottom of the ocean with a bunch of soulless dead people." Just the look on his face on this page and the second one make me think that it hasn't been his year in a long time. Or maybe ever XD which would probably turn anyone into a jerk. http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/king-of-the-red-tide/1-10-mark-of-the-bonefish/

And it maybe have also been that I had just finished rereading His Dark Materials when I originally read this but I very much hope at the end all of the Seaghosts are released from the ocean and balance is brought back to death. And I'll stand by my original comment at the end of the chapter still. Still team Phaedra as a Persephone figure at the end XD

I'm looking forward to actually meeting Cheline. Currently I'm pretty anti-Cheline (because I'm a Cheth apologist lol) but I imagine she will also be complex and neither 100% good or bad.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

@mariah (rainy day dreams) so it was YOU who made that persephone/hades comment!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

And it maybe have also been that I had just finished rereading His Dark Materials when I originally read this

@mariah (rainy day dreams) HDM is one of my favorite series ever so this pleases me MUCHLY. Absolutely a big influence!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

It’s an amazing book series. For quite a while I imagined what my daemon would have been when I was younger.

mariah (rainy day dreams)

@mariah (rainy day dreams) so it was YOU who made that persephone/hades comment!

Lol yes, that was me XD

@mariah (rainy day dreams) HDM is one of my favorite series ever so this pleases me MUCHLY. Absolutely a big influence!

@LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) It's so good has definitely left big marks on my own writing and I love seeing it's influences other places :3

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I feel Phantomarine storytelling is intricate and expresses the vibe of an experienced creator. Tackling multiple plot points, stringing them into good beats; is tricky but Lady Lazuli pulls it off almost effortlessly.

@Joichi [Hybrid Dolls] This is very kind! This is my first experience making any sort of long-form story, and my first-ever comic but I think my background in animation has given me a crash course in storytelling - how to convey information as simply/quickly as possible while still being impressive and fun to watch. I watch a lot of storyboards all day, so I'm sure that certainly helps! And I don't have any other stories in my head right now, so I guess I'm throwing everything I have into this one. There are still things I’m discovering as I go along, too. I know all the major destinations, but the paths between them are sometimes still a mystery to me. It's like a puzzle I'm solving slowly

6. This might not be a purposeful theme, but in general I've caught a theme of how danger and bad stuff is handled and I love seeing such strength in all the characters. Phaedra with he just outright defiance, Pavel with his positive outlook and Vanna with love and compassion but also with a analytical mind. They all handle tragedy and loss in their own ways and it's very well done.

@Miranda I like this very much. One of the main themes I wanted to cover in the comic is the idea of brokenness. The circumstances that break people, how they react to it initially, how they react to it as time progresses, and how they try to solve it... if they can, or want to. Being threatened by danger and darkness is absolutely a source of fear, and can lead to a broken feeling, so this lines up!

2. Oh dear, there are several to choose from. My favourite one so far is when Cheth asks Phaedra how many people were made into orphans after the war. It was that scene that immediately made me hooked onto the story; a story that went there and isn't afraid to go to that deep, dark place will always get me to keep reading. Another more minor moment was when Eddy was revealed to bully Pavel due to not having his family visit him;

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) YES. I'M SO GLAD.

4. Cheth and Phaedra. There's an interesting power dynamic going inbetween these two; on one hand Cheth is a literal god, and he holds a lot of power. On the other hand, Phaedra has shown time and time again to outsmart him... It's a back and forth game of David and Goliath.

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) I never thought about it like this, but that's absolutely the mood I wanted. A pair of characters in constant conflict, and even though one seems far stronger/scarier, there is more of a balance between them than expected.

6. One theme I'm really interested in and noticed is the idea of paranoia of the vulnerable/sick.

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) A lot of the big emotional segments of the comic are drawn directly from my experience with an illness I developed in my early 20s. I felt like I had lost not just my strength and health, but everything I had worked so hard for. There was also a risk of being physically marked by the illness, so everyone would be able to tell I was sick, and therefore write me off as unreliable or broken. I never meant to write a whole story about that feeling, but it seemed to happen on its own

I will note that one thing LadyLazuli nailed is pacing.

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) I think my pacing is incredibly fast in chapters 2 and 3 but it's only because I wanted to get back to the main story SO badly. But maybe the things I had to cut were unnecessary. I do like to keep the plot moving; with how long the pages take, I don't have much time to lose!

Miranda

(I have to second that pacing comment. You do it so well!)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

For favorite moment, it's probably when Pavel and Vanna met Halea. Cause I've never seen a scene scream danger at the top of its lungs or feel a child was so threatened by anything.

@RebelVampire WELL, GOOD By the time this story is over, I wanted people to feel physically ill whenever they revisited that scene, knowing everything that will happen. I hope I eventually succeed... (edited)

As for themes the comic explores, definitely for me science and the opposition scientific pursuits science can face.

@RebelVampire Ooh! This was unintentional from the start, but is absolutely something I'm exploring as I'm planning the rest of the story. I like where it started to go on its own, so I'll be doing more of it for sure

And it maybe have also been that I had just finished rereading His Dark Materials when I originally read this but I very much hope at the end all of the Seaghosts are released from the ocean and balance is brought back to death. And I'll stand by my original comment at the end of the chapter still. Still team Phaedra as a Persephone figure at the end XD

@mariah (rainy day dreams) I actually have a couple different potential endings in mind, depending on how the plot goes and how audiences react, so... nothing is out of the realm of possibility here for better or for worse!

I'm looking forward to actually meeting Cheline. Currently I'm pretty anti-Cheline (because I'm a Cheth apologist lol) but I imagine she will also be complex and neither 100% good or bad.

@mariah (rainy day dreams) Can confirm no one in this story is 100% good or bad. That is all I will say. As I scream internally.

Okay, that was a lot. More than good enough for now

Deo101 [Millennium]

Okay, so I finally managed to get caught up on this one. I've been meaning to for a while! I don't do very well with questions so I'm just gonna kinda ramble on about how much I absolutely love this so far. The worldbuilding is seamless, it never feels like infodumping even though a ton has been revealed to us. I'm also endlessly curious about everything that's been brought up. The kinds of themes being covered; Light and dark, Death, Nothing being quite as it seems (Cheth being sympathetic, and Halea seeming like she has some dark secrets...), The trickery, The need to do what's right, Just all of it! This comic is making me think, and that's really pretty rare! (For something to get me to think about it and theorize, I need to not get caught up on anything else... The pacing, the visuals, the way the dialogue is written and arranged, it's all very clear and easy to follow. I might not remember all the names, but I know who is who and I know who is being referenced) It made me cry, and I am so excited to see where it's going. It's really hitting everything I love about a good story so far. Really this is incredible. I'll be trying to keep up with the discussion this week!

I only read it once and I went through it pretty fast so forgive me if this is a crazy theory but I wonder if Halea died, and won back her soul? Or, if she was seabitten and traded more than just her eyes so she wouldn't die. I notice all of the seabitten people have red eyes, and hers being glass would certainly hide that. She also specified cremating phaedra, rather than burying her, and I don't know if that's customary or just cause it took so long to find her, but I wonder if it's partially to try and make it harder or impossible for phaedra to return... Not sure if that would do anything but hey why not spill all my thoughts while I've got the chance?

(now after having said that it's time for me to backread and see if i've embarassed myself)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

does mental calculations No, no. This checks out with what's been stated so far. Theory is legitimate! And... is focusing on all the right things

Deo101 [Millennium]

phew lol

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Ayy, you finally read it!

Was it as good as we hyped it up to be :p

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah, Ive been meaning to read it i didnt need to be so thoroughly peer pressured... ;)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Sorry I haven't participated in this book club yet ;; I will before the end of the week, I promise

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Also WOW what incredibly kind words again. Thank you!! And did it really make you cry?? I'm always so confused when people tell me that - I keep thinking there's too little story there yet to cause tears

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah ;a;

I work with children

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Maternal love resonates very strongly with me

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Ohhh god. Um... okay... then.... checks notes Have a bucket ready after chapter... six, ish??

Deo101 [Millennium]

so just the line "I didn't know how much it would hurt. How... how did you handle this pain...?" really got to me

(sorry had to go find it so I could get the qote)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

AHHHH

Yess

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

That scene was a slog to get through. Every penstroke hurt.

Deo101 [Millennium]

and yet you say "I'm always so confused when people tell me that"

-_-

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

for me it was these lines

the obvious ones lol

Deo101 [Millennium]

spoiler that

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Maybe I don't think people are getting as hurt as I am

Deo101 [Millennium]

you dingus

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i did...

Deo101 [Millennium]

oh my god I must have clicked as soon as you sent it

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

you-

Deo101 [Millennium]

sorry I obsessively click while I'm reading things

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ugh what even is the point of spoiler tags when there are people like you around

Deo101 [Millennium]

people who click every spoiler tag even if they know they dont want whats underneath? or people who click with reckless abandon

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

BOTH

(sorry off topic i will stop now)

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah so anyways back to my theories. I need to remember them now, you DISTRACTED ME.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

your theories were too good, i didn't want to be shown up

Deo101 [Millennium]

ugh. I don't remember but it was something about what must have been used to save pavel. It must have been some kind of a relic like the one phaedra needs (which can complete her and her friends souls, again, This would be assuming that being seabitten involves a part of your soul being taken which I assume to be true), something like phantomarine which repels the seaghosts (This would be assuming that seabiting as a disease is akin to being a zombie, which I am less convinced of because it turns you into a fata morgana- not a seaghost, but there could be some reason for that difference), or something with a sacrifice (goes along with my other theory)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

It's similar with me, I don't often see good parent writing with indie comics. (I'd love to read more on good family writing) So Phantomarine convinced me of Vanna's believable maternal nature. I was counting the pages, and you have a good pacing, it has a good balance of world build with showing in pieces. I'm impressed because I've drawn comics for afew years but it's always a learning process whenever I draw a new series, explore new themes. So I admire your skills(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

Also, Cheth suggested that there is not really a way for souls to come from nowhere. They are consumed by the ghosts or him, And in Phaedra's case she had to split her soul among her friends; they couldn't get theirs back, they were gone. I'm at least partially convinced that The relic will be a way to steal someones soul to restore your own, or that there will be some kind of moral dillemma with needing to feed on other's souls to bring yourself back. I don't think it will be a "and then everyone gets out scott free" sort of deal

again I read it once and really fast so I'm assuming a LOT here sorry if im like. way off base

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

WOA

I love that. I felt like there would be something about relic that was too easy

I really like that theory

Deo101 [Millennium]

continuing the last little bit, I think that there is potential, if it was a sacrifice on his mother's part that he is alive now, that pavel is going to start deteriorating and his seabite will begin to spread. I think I could imagine phaedra giving up the part of her soul she has to restore his or something.

okay im getting crazy now sorry GASJDGKLGJSKLGD

depends on what's gonna happen in chapter 6 that rips our hearts out I guess, doesnt it?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

hm, i'm not sure phaedra would do that. i think she has too much of an obligation to her country to give up her soul to a random kid?

Deo101 [Millennium]

well theres a lot of development that would happen before then :/ Just a thought!

im not saying "yeah this is what its gonna be"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i know

Deo101 [Millennium]

but I think phaedra does have a lot of growing she needs to do, in many directions

and. she's also clearly compassionate towards children. who have lost their parents. just. as an addition

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

@Joichi [Hybrid Dolls] My brain is a web of red threads connecting random pieces of paper The first chapter took me about 2.5 years to complete (I was slow... and Photoshop is slow... and work was overtime-y... and crowds are a terrible idea, please don't do them) so it gave me lots of time to build up the story beyond it. And I didn't post it publicly as I went along - I went back and changed a lot of things as I came up with new ideas. It's only now that I feel comfortable enough to say the machine is 'rolling' But there were some elements that I only came up with, like, a week before posting a page?? The Fata Morgana didn't exist for the longest time, for example, and now they're crucial to the plot. But you don't see me mention them at all in the first chapter I'd go back and change that if I could.

Deo101 [Millennium]

not a random kid I thought it was p obvious that hes the living person who would be willing to work with a seaghost

and then they'll get to know eachother and phaedra is gonna be changed by his big heart.. obviously...

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yes of course

wholeheartedly looking forward to them meeting

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

wholeheartedly looking forward to them meeting

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) ...THIS SUMMER

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ayyy

Deo101 [Millennium]

coming soon

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING

literally

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

STARRING!

A bunch of people who all don't know anything!

Join them in not knowing anything!

Deo101 [Millennium]

hey! all the time and effort more than shows

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it's a reference to all the dang mystery and complexity in this webcomic!

like dang, claire, why you gotta make us think?

was trying to relax, geez(edited)

not even your characters know what's going on

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

only one does

...sort of

......ish

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Cheline?

Deo101 [Millennium]

probably whoevers doin the dang murders(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

...Keep thinking

Deo101 [Millennium]

omg

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

someone we know so far?

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

nods

...Claire STOP NODDING

IT'S DANGEROUS

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

second guess would be halea, but i don't think she knows about phaedra or about the specifics of vanna's research. third guess Vanna(edited)

hey

Deo101 [Millennium]

guy who died I forget his name and hes not in the cast list(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

maybe that's why you got rid of her(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

wait he didnt die my b he was silenced(edited)

thats my guess

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

I still need to read the most recent chapter ahh

Deo101 [Millennium]

im so sorry. fish you lulled me into not spoilering. I'll go edit

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

oop

oh claire left

did one of us get it right

Deo101 [Millennium]

probably me

imagine us elbowing eachother trying to get through the same doorway, here(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Everyone wins. You all get candy.

But no answers

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

cool mail it to me

my address is 2938..

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah i noticed all my theories didnt get answers either... damn. waiting is hard.

fish you've got my address too can you just pass it along, thaaaaanks

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it'd be cool to read the book club back in like

a year or two

:0

finally a chance to doxx someone

what i've always wanted

Deo101 [Millennium]

I feel like this is implying i'll forget my theories. I wont. they live in my brain now.

literally forgot them in the middle of this conversation

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yeah but i might forget your theories

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Go put 'em in the theory channel where I can't see them. Even though I've seen them now OHOHO

I am literally not allowed in my own theory channel

Deo101 [Millennium]

wait WHAT? you made a channel you couldnt see...????

I would die

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

oh what you can't see the theory channel? always just assumed you lurked there

Deo101 [Millennium]

we are polar opposites I will go off about all my plans if someone even hints at me that they want them

maybe i could learn a thing or two from you.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i would too but no one ever asks

Deo101 [Millennium]

I wont. but I'm sure I could

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I do not! I don't want anyone thinking I've stolen their idea, and I don't want my original plans to be changed... so... Off-limits

Deo101 [Millennium]

That's fair ^^

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i thought you had several plans :0

how are you choosing between them?

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I have told the full story to... um... three people so far? And by told, I mean... screamed at them

I have minor changes I can make to the ending, but the pathway to them is pretty much the same!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

woah, okay!

i don't think anyone would think you stole their idea though

if anything, i think they'd feel smart for getting it right!

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah I'd just be like yesss I was right

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I think, before the theory channel opened, I saw one theory that was spot-on

And I was like you children are smart

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

time to look through chat logs

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

HAHA. Best of luck

Deo101 [Millennium]

but there is a history of some people having literally been sued for ppl stealing their ideas from their fanfics and whatnot

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i've heard if you send an unsolicited pitch to a big studio they will always return unopened partially for this reason

Deo101 [Millennium]

so its safe for you to not see them.. but I would be sad in your shoes. but I can tell that you're definitely not like me in this aspect. Plus your story is really pretty clearly woven very tightly to be a mystery and I have a feeling you want it to unravel in a specific way, where spoilers would actually change how it's percieved.

vs. yknow. spoilers don't change how ppl read my story. so I get it! I hope to one day write a story i need to keep secret tbh

n youre doing a good job of it, clearly

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yee. It's "aaaaaa" now, but I can't wait to be "WOAH" when secrets are finally revealed!

Deo101 [Millennium]

and then the re read party

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

THough to be honest, I'm looking forward most to character interactions, not worldbuilding details

Deo101 [Millennium]

I'm not, I want to know the mystery!!!

I mean im looking forward to the character interactions and all that yadda yadda

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

even just like, "pavel and phaedra meet" is enough to keep me engaged :)))

yeah for me, i don't usually care as much about world details

I'm more like

I wanna see what happens to Vanna!

I wanna see Cheth sad

I want to meet Phaedra's friends

And I want to know everyone's backstories

which is probably not possible to piece together from present plot details

Deo101 [Millennium]

Anyways phantomarine kicks ass and I've already sent it to someone asking them to read it.

also full disclosure I thought that phaedra's name was phantomarine for like a long time

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I am absolutely fine with this.

By Twitter naming conventions she will be Phaedra Phantomarine anyway

Deo101 [Millennium]

I was literally just imagining. one sec.

I need to do an edit. one moment please.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Zelda is a cute boy\

love playing as him

Deo101 [Millennium]

I was gonna edit her introducing herself as phaedra phantomarine but I'm struggling to find the perfect page for it

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Well I'll just have to draw more of her then

I really haven't drawn her looking happy or confident very much yet

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

She always looks so cheerful and sure of herself in concept art

and then in the comic it's like

">:(" "D:"

Deo101 [Millennium]

the range

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

She's just... stressed

A very stressed character

Deo101 [Millennium]

Lord do I feel that

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. In what way do you think Pavel’s story will with connect with Phaedra’s? How might the two help or hurt one another as they pursue their individual goals?

10. Do you believe that Phaedra will succeed in her quest to restore her and her friends’ life? What challenges do you think she will face along the way? Also, what do you think will happen to her even if she does succeed given the shady origin of her death?

11. Why do you think Pavel and Vanna were attacked? What does this have to do with them being given Phantomarine? Also, what might this all have to do with their chance encounter with Halea and the coincidental Fata Morgana attack?

12. What do you think Cheth’s ultimate goals are besides collecting souls? What do you think caused Cheline and Shoshana to banish Cheth during the Fracture, and what might all this backstory have to do with the seaghosts and potentially fixing everything?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Miranda

9. Well I definitely think they will work together to help restore souls...in some way....and I'm thinking Cheth might guide Pavel towards Phaedra, either knowingly or not. Or Phaedra will come to save Pavel. But I think they will work together for the most part and be able to commiserate over their lost parents. Once they get the relic, there might be some tension regarding how it is used. 10. As people mentioned, her soul is split between her friends. I think she'll be able to restore her own soul, but likely at the cost of her friends dying. I agree that the relic Cheth told her about can't be as easy as he made it seem. There has to be some trick to it. I think she's already facing her challenges of trying to help and get help as a partial sea ghost. I think there will be a bigger challenge once she gets the relic for the afore mentioned reasons. I think her coming back will upset certain people significantly. But I don't think know enough about Halea's plan to know just how upset she'll be at that. 11. Possibly, sea ghosts are drawn to Phantomarine, but are unable to get close enough. So they swarm because it's a beacon to them. So while the Phantomarine protected them, it also put them in the line of fire. I'm liking the idea that Halea was seabitten and that ties in to why she has glass eyes, so discovering another seabitten that's survived is going to be very interesting to her. I'm not sure what it had to do with the Fata Morgana attack besides drawing the swarm towards them. From what we've seen, Fata Morgana seem to appear where there are a lot of sea ghosts. But they very well could be Halea's assassins.

12. I think he wants to return/go on land (as he been on land before) and return to his "rightful" place. Maybe they banished him because he was preventing people from passing on properly, so they banished him thinking he would be less able to meddle with the passing on of souls. But obviously that didn't work. I would imagine if Cheth leaves the sea somehow, the souls he's gathered would be able to roam the earth as well, and that could just cause chaos for the living. But maybe it would also require him to leave his souls to pass on finally, leaving the ocean at peace?

Deo101 [Millennium]

I keep thinking about how the sea keeps being referred to as being "broken", and I wonder so much what that means. Could have something to do with the nature of cheth being banished off shore, and perhaps the existence of phantomarine itself? It seems to be linked with the seaghosts and him, and we've already seen prices being paid to gain power, and I assume the price that a god would pay is far steeper than what humans do... And then that leads me to thoughts about why cheth would have been banished. I think he knows something, or his sister wanted more power, or something like that. The people very obviously are dead set against hating cheth and loving everyone else, and I can't help but think how history is written by the Victors..

RebelVampire

My friends, just as a reminder, even if you spoiler tag here (which is fine for the chat), spoilers cannot be hidden in the archives.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Are we not supposed to talk about them? I'm a little confused sorry

RebelVampire

No you can. I'm not gonna stop it. Just saying it as a reminder.

Miranda

I was just spoilering for people that maybe aren't caught up that wanted to read in this channel.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I guess if people read everything after the fact, spoilers will still show up in the conversation's archived state but hopefully no one reading it will be unfamiliar with the comic. At least I hope so. Dunno why they'd be reading the archive and not the comic

Deo101 [Millennium]

Kinda what I was thinking, I was just worried we were being like, edged into "hey maybe stop doing this thing in particular" but idk what that thing would be

RebelVampire

I have no clue why anybody would be reading an archive before the comic, but sometimes people be crazy? XD But again, just as a reminder in case there's super secret information that reveals all.

Deo101 [Millennium]

My theories are too good apparently

I'm kidding. thanks for the reminder!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Your theories are indeed very solid. I didn't intend to write a mystery, but here we are

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Alright! my turn to give this comic more love! 1. The absolute Tension that was created between Cheth and Phaedra, and the fact that we jump right into this conversation involving SO MUCH! It's an incredible way to start off with so much intrigue and suspense as to what happened with Phaedra, her crew, her father, her family- and to have it all tied to a challenge set by Cheth to essentially put all the pieces together- sublime! What a way to kick off! 2. My fave is probably the beginning of chapter 2, with Pavel and his wee adventures and curiosity about the sea. It really gives that light to show just how much potential Pavel has about uncovering those mysteries of the sea he so lovingly interacts with (and on the same hand the one who gave him his pain and purpose). 3. Vanna. Hands Down. She's loving, she's fast acting, and she's someone who holds that ground for characters. I also really love Fata Morgana for her design and her energy. Super chaotic and mysterious hunter of death for the red tide king? sign me up. 4.Lady Halea and Pavel! That was such an interesting moment of her being knowing and foreboding at the same time. I can't wait to see what more of a role she plays in the future! 5.http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-horizon-child/2-1-the-horizon-child/ This is my favourite panel, along with the entirety of chapter 3's colour vibe. Claire has an incredible way to create and lead with atmosphere and design- the characters and world feel so well lived in and alive. Each page is given breath and love, it's astounding to see! 6. I love the theme of honour and accountability that Phaedra leads with in the beginning. Her drive to defeat the wrongs done to her by the red tide king, and her perseverance to do more for those also affected. Pavel and his themes of hope, light, and a second chance also really strike such a chord with me. He's a character that has the power to alter the decisions of those around him for sure!

7. Phenomenal and wonderfully put together. You can instantly tell that this story is going to be a classic with the way it's set up, and with the care and thought of each chapter reading like an epic, Phantomarine has a lot to offer! 8. There are so many to point out, but I definitely want to re-iterate the design. It's insanely solid and so recognisable on it's own. I love the lore and the thought that was out into making this world as alive as it is!

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

9. I think Pavel is more or less a 'bringer of light' I think his decisions will cause major rifts in the story, and help Phaedra through looking at her situation with a different perspective. I think he's a really strong character! 10.I do believe that there is going to be loss and love along the way, like any long journey. The amazing thing about this is the possibilites of their actions, and where Phaedra may actually end up in the end. Her firey personality certainly can be her down fall to a degree, but I think that her goal will be reached in the end, though perhaps not in a way she expected ! 11.Vanna certainly knew more than she let the readers know, and Fata Morgana (and cheth) knew of that potential on that island. Im also feeling like Lady Halea, shady as she is, knew about such a possibility of an attack (but that is based on my own personal hunches !) 12. Cheth misbehaves and he's ready to make some waves in the water (literally ) I think he's ready to strike against his imprisonment, and Phaedra and Pavel are his 'potential pawns' along the way. I don't know if he is really behind a larger part of the plot, tbqh, and think that he's more so an opportunist who's ready to get out of time out. Halea and the gang on the other hand strike me somewhat differently

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Krispyyy these are all so lovely AHH

And some your readings are spot-on I’m so glad

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I think peoples’ reaction to Pavel is such a pleasant surprise. I was very unsure of adding him initially, and some people have said that seeing him right after ch 1 made them worried to keep reading... but he’s absolutely the link between the two conflicting sides of the world. I honestly tried to think of kid characters I liked in various forms of media, and ones I DIDN’T like. I considered him a challenge, and I wanted to do right by him. If Phaedra is the brain of the story, and Cheth is... whatever Cheth is... then Pavel is absolutely the story’s heart. He’s so important.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I did find Pavel as a good refreshing take on the 'energetic boy lead' or deuteragonist in this case. At first I thought he was that usual rascally boy who does what he wants. I think of Hogarth in Iron Giant. But the nice bits of sympathy you put into him, made him a stronger character.(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Hogarth is pretty much a perfect child character in my mind. Still learning, still reckless, but capable of understanding deeper concepts than most would expect. His naïveté drives the story, but not in a bad way.

Deo101 [Millennium]

I absolutely love Pavel. He rings true to the kinds of children i work with, rather than the endlessly annoying types that are for some reason more typically depicted

Granted some kids are annoying but not usually how they're shown to be

Miranda

Oh Hogarth. I love that movie

But yes. Pavel is such a great character. There's so much to him and he's only a child but it doesn't make him seem less childish...if that makes sense

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Yes or you didn't run into the issue of him making adult choices even though he's a child. He feels like a geninine child character. I second with loving Vanna(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I admit at first I thought, oh no, unrealistic child character, but I kept reading to see Phaedra. But then you really proved my first impressions wrong as the chapter went on

Also, Vanna

Vanna's great too

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Pavel has actually skewed a lot more toward Aang from AtlA. He doesn't have this grand destiny on his shoulders, but in terms of his maturity, and trying to see the good in things, that's absolutely him.

And yes, Vanna is absolutely essential to his character. I specifically wanted a scene where she had to turn on the mom face. Pavel's not perfect, even if he's well meaning. He still has to be careful.

Miranda

ya, maybe that's it. He doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders like most kids in shows these days. He just has kid problems.

copperine

I love Pavel, he feels very genuine to the world and his life

copperine

He feels very confident and naive at the same time, which is something I relate to (from when I was a child anyway) but I don't see portrayed as well and real-feeling that often

spacerocketbunny

Ok FINALLY JOINING THIS TEA PARTY, here we go: 1. Phantomarine has an incredibly solid start, from foundations to characters to motives, everything is so concrete and CLEAR. We enter in with huge stakes and high tension, it's immediately gripping and very effective! 2. So far is the introduction of the Fata Morgana! The chapter starts pretty tense and it goes from "can we trust Halea?" to "OH NO WE CAN'T AND EVERYTHING JUST GOT 100 TIMES WORSE" Wonderful execution on this scene, it's tragic and all the heavy hitting moments and spot on! Plus I love the FM's design it is just so GOOD 3. My favourite would have to be Halea so far! There's a lot of shifty mystery behind her and I'm super intrigued to see what her business is all about. Also would it be fair to say that the Fata Morgana is an instant favourite at this point? might be soon but have I mentioned that I love that design yet? LOL 4. Cheth and Phaedra I think is just a no-brainer there.The tension, the drama, the high stakes, Phaedra's conviction and Cheth's underhanded tricks, it's all there folks 5. The art is so fluent and feels like a beautiful whimsical puzzle that all fits together so perfectly. The environments are solid and thoughtful, the character's expressions are clear and amusing, it all just goes together wonderfully

spacerocketbunny

There's so MANY strengths for this comic, it's fun, it's beautiful, the pacing is impeccable and the characters are so strong and unique to each other. Everything about it is just so MEMORABLE, there really isn't anything I don't like about this comic. it's the kind of work that you can see getting easily adapted into animation/movies/WHATEVER it just has everything going for it honestly!

I'm not super great with speculating about events and all that but I will stand on top of a mountain to SCREAM MY PRAISE FOR IT

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

SPACEEEEEE

Would you actually like to know something fun about the Fata Morgana? TOO LATE I'm gonna tell you anyway

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

TELL US

copperine

YES

TELL US

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

So just before I had finalized the design of the Fata Morgana, @FeatherNotes(Krispy) had sent me this guest art for the hiatus

And I was like........ that's a freaking awesome motif I haven't thought of. Like a cursed halo.

copperine

a cursed halo.

@LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) yes

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

So... I had the mummy/bandage motif already set, but I knew it needed more. So I slapped some of those rectangles all over the fata morgana as... like... cursed jewelry that evoked the same mood as those divine bands.

SPOILER

ET VOILA

copperine

Omfg

That's incredible

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I couldn't do a full halo, but I could do lots of smaller ones

I loved that idea so much. Like... black bone jewelry, mourning a dead king

And I was like SOLD

So congratulations. Cartridge directly influenced a major design in Phantomarine

copperine

God, I aspire to that kind of thing

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ditto......damn

and it's one of the best designs too....

okay...gonna try my hand at round 2

spacerocketbunny

YAY OH MY GOSH THAT MAKES ME HAPPY

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

9. I believe that Pavel will be that living soul that helps Phaedra find the relic. But here's the thing....he just lost his mom to sea ghosts. The question is that while he's usually really helpful....would a part of him be scared of the seaghosts, and in extension, Phaedra? Would Phaedra be positively influenced by Pavel too?

Furthermore, Pavel and Phaedra both lost parents in violent ways; Phaedra lost her father last year, while Pavel just saw his mom seabitten and vanish. I think they can gain solace/a sense of camaraderie from that common factor.

10. Even if she does succeed, she'll always have people try to kill her. I wonder....I really wonder....if she'll consider abolishing the monarchy in place of a democracy for the islands. Phaedra seems to want to save everyone, but like other people have mentioned.... what if she can't? I think she's going to lose someone....and if it's not her, it'll be someone

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ohhmyy gaoihhhgs that is so cool Claire!???? Im so happy that that inspired u to make....the Bae even Bae-er

copperine

@FeatherNotes(Krispy) you're famous

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

11. Halea seriously....she gives me the creeps. And I think the Phantomarine was supposed to protect Pavel and Vanna from being attacked or seabitten. But unfortunately, someone wants to silence them....and Vanna wasn't close enough to the phantomarine to be protected. I think as soon as she saw Pavel was still alive, she didn't like that....that someone who was seabitten hasn't been taken yet.

If she IS in control of the Fata Morgana, or specifically, CHELINE, wouldn't she want more to flow through the ranks. What if they found a treatment, or worse, a CURE for the fata morgana? Doesn't that mean their assassin army could be diminished? What if it meant, I don't know.... less power for Cheline? If there's one thing that the gods in Phantomarine don't seem to like, it's their power being questioned.

12. Deo made some VERY good points. Cheth strikes me as a trickster god....but he's also not stupid. What bothers me is that he's not an omniscient god; he is only tied to whatever the ocean tells him. But like Deo said...what if that's the point, to prevent him from knowing more? Was he banished because he wanted more power? Or was it because he knew too much AND opposed Cheline?

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Man... I have a theory for something that might happen later down the line, but it makes me sad

Vanna returns as an assassin

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I wonder if Cheth/Cheline have had an arms race and they are trying to outcompete each other....somehow. And thousands of years ago, Cheline won. Because she had a mortal on her side. But this time....maybe Cheth is trying to use Pavel/Phaedra as his mortal champions now, just like how the Greek gods used their champions in the Trojan war. Like someone said....Phaedra and Pavel may just be pawns in Cheth's great scheme of things, and maybe he ultimately wants to be free of his chains.

Also....who said that the relic ONLY brings back seaghosts? What if it can bring back Cheth too? Maybe Cheth is just using Phaedra to bring him the relic so that he can escape the sea. Food for thought.

@snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights) with how the panels introducing the Fata Morgana seemed to mirror Vanna's face.....I think you might be right. And she'll try to kill Pavel.

It's a lot easier to kill someone if they're frozen in fear.

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

ok I've only read chapter 1 so far but I'm just bowled over by the sheer beuty of the comic. Going to try for the first round before going on to the next chapters just because I want to gush about it a little.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Snuffy... I had the same thought

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

1. The opening scene is an instant win. The challenge and how the dialogue naturally reveals the stakes and the strengths and weaknesses of both Phaedra and Cheth make for one of the best openings I've ever seen in a comic, print or web. Just amazing. 2. Favourite moment in Chapter 1 was the turning point- right after Phaedra won her bet, and how she crossed a line that leads to a pretty underhanded emotional attack on the part of Cheth. Master strokes. 3. As a favourite character I have to go with Cheth, though I like Phaedra as well. he's just so deliciously sleek and evil, and his shapeshifting and soul possessing are very entertaining- thanks to the wonderful art that illustrates it. Great work. 4. I haven't seen more characters yet than Cheth and Phaedra but their interaction is superb. I will be surprised if I get to prefer another set and not those two interacting going forward. 5. The art shines the most when Cheth does his thing with the various shapes he takes and souls he wears. Going to hold on answering the other questions until I've read some more.

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

Finished reading through, but it's 2 am and I won't be coherent answering questions. Gotta wait till tomorrow but I had to say, what a compelling tale. So glad I got to read it. Bookmarked to stay on for the ride. Congrats!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

You're very kind. Thank you

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

6. I think there's nuance on and about a wide range of issues. From religion and faith to politics and bias, discrimination and the fear of death. Complicated, fascinating stuff. 7. I like how characters feel alive, each with their own agency. I also like how it might come down to a competition on who actually is the villain- don't want to spoil anything. 8. The comic's strengths are many- art, plot and dialogue deliver an engaging story with good suspense. I'm a sucker for suspense, so I'm hooked (edited)

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

9. It seems Pavel might be the living person Phaedra needs, with enough quid pro quo to keep them on the same team at least for a while. 10. I'm not actually sure. I'm leaning towards 'yes' but the story might surprise me. If she resurfaces alive, she will have to deal with plotters in her court for sure, and perhaps uncover truths about their clergy that will be ...let's say at least uncomfortable. 11. I think the attack has everything to do with their chance encounter with Halea, considering the warnings they were given. I also have this inkling that their connection to the throne might be a bit more complicated that the average islander's there, which is why they were told to run and hide. 12. Cheth reminds me of Loki a lot (including the male/female ghost wearing) so I'm assuming he pulled a prank or attempted something that potentially would break the world, or some such thing, which got him banished. I'd expect his goal is to escape his banishment, which might then make him more likely to be a big and deadly threat. The seaghosts I think are connected to him directly which is why he knows everything in the sea, or some such thing. But I'm still forming my own theory on that so I can't say I feel confident making any kind of guess on that!

Once again, congratulations @LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) I thoroughly enjoyed this.:)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

7. I also like how it might come down to a competition on who actually is the villain

@Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight) Ooh. Maybe there are still two! And it’s just a question of who is worse

12. Cheth reminds me of Loki a lot (including the male/female ghost wearing) so I'm assuming he pulled a prank or attempted something that potentially would break the world

@Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight) The Loki/Lady-Loki similarity was something I realized far later than I should have. It’s totally true! Might have been a subconscious influence. I always thought the idea was awesome

And thank you very much again for checking it out!

RebelVampire

Given that Phaedra is basically a ghost and Pavel is basically the only person who likes them, it is destiny he will be the only living person who can help her. However, my impression of Phaedra was that, at first at least, she may be overly concerned with her own goals and kind of forget that Pavel is just an adorable boy who needs help. So I kind of feel why Pavel will help her at first, it won't be a two-way street for a while. I definitely think Phaedra will succeed, but I also definitely think that won't be the end of it. Cause there's clearly a conspiracy to kill her. So sure, she may succeed, but then whoops have to stop corruption and the work is never done. As for challenges along the way, I'm sure there's gonna be some occassional Cheth's appearances of mocking. Mostly, though, I think it's gonna be protecting Pavel from the various dangers of the sea. I'm just gonna go definitive on this one with my theory. Halea is the one who had Phaedra assassinated and Halea somehow controls the Fata Morgana. And when she saw that whoops, maybe no more minions, she had Vanna and Pavel attacked cause they were clear threats of power. Cause Halea's power is entirely derived from the fact the sea is broken. If you unbreak the sea, no more power. So gotta maintain that status quo. As for the Phantomarine, I think it's more that in order to escape the dangers, Vanna and Pavel would probably have to travel far away from the safety of the lighthouses. I think Cheth just wants to be not trapped. I kind of feel like there's some unfairness going on here and that while maybe Cheth wasn't the greatest person, but also probably didn't deserve to be cast into the sea forever. And if I'm honest, I think it probably is what made the world worse than anything else.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Solid answers, all of them. Sometimes the strongest theories are the simplest ones

boogeymadam

Oh nO these ended up so long asdfg my bad 9. They’ll probably be connected by a shared-quest. They can help by retrieving things for each other they couldn’t otherwise. We know Phaedra’s gonna need someone to go on land for her and retrieve that Sacred Relic capable of reviving the dead, so I’d be curious to see if Pavel would need the opposite for some reason. Whatever the case, my vague theory on how they’ll connect revolves around Katja! Simply because she seems like the perfect friend for him (and tbh, anyone). And because Pavel seems to like quite a few Seaghost animals like Salty Joe..... and because petting and playing with a fluffy sweet dog is exactly what Pavel deserves Hurt?? Is a more difficult question. I would imagine it’s Cheth related. So far Pavel has shown a lot of sympathy for Cheth and could almost be considered a fan of him based on the costume he wore to the maritime fair. Meanwhile Phaedra has very personal reasons for despising him. 10. Hmm.. Maybe… All the twists and turns in the story so far have taken me by surprise so I really don’t have a clue what kind of challenges she’ll encounter next, or whether she’ll end the story alive. LadyLazuli doesn’t seem to be afraid of breaking reader hearts (and i say that with love lmao). Almost certainly Phaedra have more challenges involving her dad. I’m very curious to know more about him and if he’s as honorable as he seems. If she succeeds, assuming she learns about Vanna’s Seabite cure from Pavel, perhaps she’ll make that a more widespread thing so Seabitten children aren’t abandoned at the aquifier. However, seeing as she was assassinated (or at least Halea claimed she was) she’d probably have to unravel the mystery of whoever is out to get her before she can safely return to the living life, or risk ending back where she started.

11. My interpretation of the exciting latter-half of chapter 3 is this: The instant Halea learned that Vanna cracked the code to curing or at least strongly delaying Seabite, she made up her mind to have her and Pavel killed. For some reason she doesn’t want knowledge of the cure to spread. Perhaps so she has more Fata Morganas under her control? So meanwhile, knowing how Halea operates somehow, Garth gave Vanna the Phantomarine a means of protection, one that a Fata Morgana would not be able to destroy with a bone arrow perhaps. His reasonings for summoning Cheth are very mysterious to me, but I think someone Garth once cared for, this “Snowbelle”, may have had a positive-enough interaction with Cheth that Garth thought “yeah okay I’ll trust you to help my friends” :0c 12. I haven’t picked up on a clear indication of Cheth’s goals, so I’m pulling this mostly out of my bum, but I think it has to do with his skull. It’s on an island so he can’t reach it (unless the lighthouses go out apparently, http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-horizon-child/2-21-golden-feronia/ ) and Vanna makes it sound like something terrible would happen if he could reach it. His manifesting and wearing all these other souls, but never appearing close to any of the bonefish imagery makes me think he can’t assume that form without his skull being in the water, but maybe that would unlock some other powers too. Maybe that would undo the banishment, and he’d be free to leave the sea. Which is really funny to me that only once he unlocks fishmode, can he go on land lmao. What he’d do once he’s got that freedom tho, who knoooows I kinda think the relic Cheth told Phaedra of could be the skull, but it’s so... huge… Phaedra and her friends would have no means of getting it into the ocean that I can think of. Maybe they don’t need to in order to revive themselves though?

WAIT i sent that and it just clicked for me that seaghosts can go on land but Cheth can't so whether or not the lighthouses go out, that skull's off limits. but still.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

boogeymadam

13. most looking forward to meeting Phaedra's friends and learning more about the world they live in. Every place we see is dripping with character and a unique atmosphere and unexpected purpose, like the aquifier vs. the venue Vanna and Pavel were in at the end of the maritime fair. 14. It's just such an absolute treasure of a comic, one that is immediately so intriguing that I couldn't have stopped after the first page if I wanted to. (And with a premise and style like this, who would want to!) Its tone is whimsical and a wonderful balance of heartwarming and heartbreaking. Makes me feel nostalgic for old animated movies. Also the pacing great! Phantomarine can pour so much progress and into a single bubbly page and then others have thoughtful pauses that allow for plenty of breathing and digesting of that information. Aside from it being just overall enjoyable, it's also great learning material~

Miranda

13. Honestly, right now I’m really excited to see Cheth and Pavel interact. But besides that I’m looking forward to Phaedra and Pavel uniting 14. KEEP IT UP YOU BEAUTIFUL PERSON YOU! WE LOVE YOUR COMIC AND IT BRINGS JOY TO OUR HEARTS. But seriously. It’s a work of art and you are telling an amazing story in a spectacular way.

Ryccomics

I eschewing the prompts I cannot find them anymore. Good: First, love the art, and color scheme. Second, probably the best backgrounds I have seen in a webcomic, they useful for the telling the story. Love the crowd shots, and the people in the crowd being detailed and different. Pavel’s design quite unique. I really adore the self-contained story of chapter 1, it set up main character, their goal very efficiently, and at least temporary villain (we’ll see about that later). Chapter 2 and 3 I was little less keen on, now we are focussing a different set of characters, and I am waiting for the stories to re-converge. Although, the Vanna death(?) scene was very well done. Most of dialogue has this will matter later tone to it. I feel confident the story has a direction, and a route to get there (this very important given the nature of web comics).

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

13. I'm looking forward to Phaedra and Haldea interact. That should be juicy. 14. Just keep on going. You're doing great!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

13. I can't wait to see the lore unfold in Phantomarine. It's a world that I want to keep exploring along with the protagonists. And I do want to see how the crew would react and cope to being seaghosts and what that would mean for their relationship with Phaedra. And of course, Cheth. I want to see more Cheth. 14. Claire, your webcomic is amazing, and just want to say that you're doing a wonderful job with it. Please keep up the good work, and I look forward to reading and drawing shitmemes for it

eliushi [a winged tale]

Everyone has already said so much more eloquently of what I wanted to say! I also love the very creative use of typography and background art as Pavel ran through the house to escape in the last chapter. Excellent suspense and tension! As always, looking forward to more!!

Jiblish

Ahhhh I’m late but 13. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the threads come together and seeing all the tension that has been building up unravel. It’s always cool, in stories with different viewpoints happening simultaneously. to see them all crash into each-other. More specifically with Phantomarine, there’s so much we feel like we know and don’t know so it’ll be exciting to get more pieces to the puzzle about people’s true identities and intentions as time goes on. Oh, also, I hope my man Garth is doing okay haha 14. I’ve said this before, and people have said it here, but you can tell this story was crafted with love and somebody with the intense desire for good storytelling. It’s wonderful. Keep doing what you’re doing! We’ll be excited for whatever you cook up next

RebelVampire

I am looking forward to learning more about Cheth cause I really feel like there's something deep just under the surface that's waiting to burst out and scream surprise. As for final words, this is all around a beautiful comic with some really interesting lore with lots of detail and thought put into it. And I think that along makes it worth a read even if it's not your cup of tea!

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Im looking forward to seeing how Pavel really develops. I've said in my questions before that I believe he's a character that has the power to alter and change the course of events-! I think he's going to really turn Cheth on his head with these next new pages too. Also, Fata Morgana is DEF a fave, i want to know so much more of her purpose in the cogs and gears that turn the story U-U All in all, i cannot express how much I truly love this comic. I discovered it a while ago and was instantly hooked with the visuals, characters, and power of story. There's definitely a sense that Phantomarine will easily become a classic amongst the webcomic medium, and that it's certainly a work of art to keep tabs on!

eliushi [a winged tale]

I love the comic layout, the colours and the theme of Phantomarine! It really feels like I’m watching a show since it’s so polished with great movement between each panel. I’m super looking forward to all the character developments and unraveling more mysteries

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I wanted to thank everyone for your kind words before this Book Club officially closes up. I've jumped into the webcomic community without much prior experience or exposure, and I've been amazed by the outpouring of kindness and guidance from everyone I've met, including the people here. Thank you for all the encouragement this week - to me, Phantomarine's story is just barely getting started, but to know it's already this well-received is very affirming (and a little overwhelming!). I consider it my duty to deliver a satisfying story from here to the end, and I'll keep aiming for that goal until my job is done. Big hugs from me, and thank you very much for the feature! I'll have a blast looking back on this in the future

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Phantomarine this week! Please also give a special thank you to Claire K. Niebergall for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Phantomarine, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.phantomarine.com/

Claire’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/phantomarine

Claire’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Phantomarine_

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