Playing with words

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year! 🥳🙌 This will be another many updates at once post because so much has happened but I've been too busy to sit and compose a post!

First! Thank you to spikedluv for more DW points via holiday_wishes ! So much appreciated!!! 🥰

Second cool thing: I've won a few Discord Nitro giveaways ever since I started entering lots of them? Law of averages, so I've been cruising along with Nitro Classic (which is basically just Extra Emoji Powah - it's the discount version of Nitro) and I have a few months of classic credit stored up now. Then a couple days ago I basically won the jackpot: one year of Nitro Boost! 🙌🥳This is the fully souped up version of Nitro that costs $100! So I can boost the little B2 server again, which is awesome! (It means all members on the server can use more of our custom emoji and stickers and our icon can be a GIF one, plus a few more perks.)

Third: I spotted a new gift on AO3 and went rummaging through the tags at fandomtrees and ooooh! Can't wait!

And finally, the person translating my fics into Vietnamese has finished An Exchange of Kings now and the link is here!


In not so cool things: tumblr is basically totally non-functional for creators right now. 😭 It's probably them trying to fix their banned tags issue, but now any tagged post doesn't show. 🤨 So I'm not making any more GIFsets until they figure out WTF they're doing. Really sad that I might have to redo the tags on all the sets I've posted - that is at least a hundred sets.😭 I have two more weeks of work, so maybe after that?


November/December media

TV shows: So much quality content! I have been very happy with the TV offerings lately. I think I'll be trying Wheel of Time next, since the people in the Gendrya server are talking about it. (I read the books ages ago, so I don't think I'll be offended by the "narrative diversions" that husbands everywhere are complaining about!😂) 

Squid Game- I totally get all the hype over this series - it was sooo good! I started it one night, just to see why everybody was talking about it and flooding my dash with people in tracksuits. Watched two episodes, and then binged the rest the next day! It is very intense though - I can see why people just can't take the strain of it, and the seemingly cynically violent narrative. This show breaks your heart on purpose? I do like what it says about capitalism and human nature in the end though. I have caps for icons, so I will be working on those sometime!

explained S3- There was a chess ep and one on dogs! Awesome season!

The Mind explained- The last ep on brainwashing was uncomfortably relevant. 😖 Radicalization in small groups: it can happen to you! I want to watch the one on personality again - the different traits are really interesting! 

Lost in Space S3- I can't believe it's over! And I liked where the characters ended up, mostly, although I am sad it wasn't a little bit shippier for the pairings I was rooting for. 🥺 

Arcane- OMG this show blew me away! I think I actually like the love triangle on this show because it's such a fresh take on the trope and sooo heartbreaking?! Plus what a corruption arc! And the character designs and artwork and music were all just stunning together! Definitely going to re-watch just to be wowed all over again. 

Hawkeye- I did not expect this show to make me ugly sob because I'm going to be honest: I went into this not giving a damn about Clint. My fave was Natasha and I have been bitter for literally YEARS. This show had everything though - humourous banter, great character arcs/plot, awesome action sequences and emotional catharsis like whoa. 😭😭😭 So well done, and it totally blew away my expectations. Plus the holiday setting was perfect - my kiddo and I watched it all over Christmas and it felt so sublime! 

The Witcher S2- I liked it for the most part although Jaskier should have had more songs! Having Ciri a lot more central at last was great, and I also like the time spent with more of the minor characters like Fringilla, whose choices and struggles I find a lot more relatable than say, Geralt's? Although I don't like what they did with Yennefer since it was so contradictory and also not in the books?! 🤨(Yes, I am the annoyed husband here: what was that?!)


Movies: Only watched a couple. I'm hoping to see No Way Home in theatre soon though! It comes out here on the 7th!

Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings- This was such a fun romp and I kind of ship Katy/Shang-chi now. I loved how they were so solidly each other's person. 

Don't Look Up- I found this so depressingly realistic that I had to stop watching in the middle for a day. Like maybe it's satire but it felt terribly plausible.  


Books:

   Scythe, Thunderhead and The Toll by Neal Shusterman

In an overpopulated world where an ubiquitous, omnipresent AI has solved all mundane human problems like death and disease, there have to be those who must reduce the population instead. This was such a neat dystopian concept and I think the first book in this series was definitely the strongest, although all of them have several gut punch twists. The weakest part of the series was the romance - I just didn't feel it between the two main (young) protagonists. (Maybe I am over YA romance? IDK.) The third book is strangely structured too, because one of the minor characters from the second book gets a leading role for most of the first third of it - it's a jarring change when you're so used to his chapters being the occasional interlude instead of the main focus! I have a bunch of fic bookmarked for this, but for the mentor scythes, who had the most tragically separated for eternity soulmates story ever. It still makes my heart break a bit to reflect on it. 🥺

 A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

Ooooh this was such a good finish to this duology! I feel like anything I say will be spoilers for the first book, but the great worldbuilding continues out into the world around the city in the first, with a wonderfully diverse range of characters, and some realistically motivated characters? Like at first it seems like the author is playing to a romantic trope, but noooope, character was motivated by something deeper! 😅
A great YA fantasy read - I'm reccing this series to my kiddo for sure.


Finally, here's my last fic of the year for newyearcntdown 

Title: Cold Hands (Cold Feet) (Joy and Harmonny for the Season Chp 3)
Fandom: The Queen's Gambit (TV)
Characters/Pairing: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts, Jolene DeWitt & Benny Watts, Benny Watts & D.L. Townes
Word Count/Rating: 2424 words, T
Summary: Counterpart to the previous chapter: Whatever did Benny get Beth for Christmas?
Link to AO3 here

This was expanding on the backstory of the last chapter of Exchange too - I wasn't planning to write that in when I first saw the prompt, but the more I thought about that other meaning of Cold Feet, the more I wanted to add it. I was originally going to write eight stories for this community and only finished three, but I am keeping the option open to post a couple more on AO3 even though the community on DW won't be open for cross-posting!

I was still reeling from something that happened in July, so I wasn't able to read much (books or fic), therefore Ted Lasso and Rom-communism were the gist of my media consumption last month. 

S2 thoughts thus far: 

I really trust these writers? They write in a way that's both emotionally honest and funny, with homages aplenty, which is smack dab in the middle of my sweet spot. And there's unexpected twists, but not the Shitty Shock Value variety. That and a series about people being thoughtful, kind and accountable for their actions is really what I need right now. 🥰 There was so much griping on Reddit and twitter about how S2 was too positive until things started taking a darker turn in the last eps, and now it's gone the other way (F- this character! I thought this was a feel-good show!) And um. LOL Ok fandom. Like, no,( Cut for TL S2 spoilers ) It is still absolutely the highlight of my week, and I am already bummed about how our free Apple+ is going to run out just before the last ep drops. 😭 While we all loved and needed Ted's #BELIEVE philosophy during COVID, I think his arc this season is about the limits of "just being positive", which I think is really cool? 

Anyway, since there were a metric tonne of rom-com references, I also re-watched:

You've Got Mail (Did NOT age well - Tom Hanks plays a creepy jerk in this and by the end I was actively rooting for him NOT to get the girl, although I already knew the ending and I love Tom Hanks as an actor. Very weird to have a totally different perspective this time around.)

Sleepless in Seattle (LOVE THE KID IN THIS! Also the depiction of Sam's grief was so poignant.)

When Harry Met Sally (CLASSIC FOR A REASON. Also I forgot Carrie Fisher was in this, which.😍)

Jerry Macguire (A sports agent who wants to do ethically better things for the sake of his clients - really seeing the Ted Lasso inspo in this!)

Notting Hill (Okay, great casting but the story was so ??? Princess Anna insisting IT'S TRUE LOVE *swing a flaming brand* kind of forced? Forgettable.) 

Love, Actually (Hahahaha baby TBS is so baybee I can't wrap my head around how he was actually 12 when he did this role. Like no wonder he still looks like a teenager.)

Book-wise this was the only thing I finished, but it was AWESOME. 

 Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

I love how the author made a minor character from Theseus' myth her main character and that this follows Ariadne's little namedrop mentions in other myths completely from her POV. Canon compliant, so it ends up tragic/bittersweet, but it gets there with such empathy and understanding for her choices. I might buy this one.  

Shadow and Bone! Eeep! It was just so pretty. (Especially Ben Barnes and those keftas!) I loved the Six of Crows character plotlines a lot more than the Alina/Mal/Darkling stuff, TBH, since most of that was fresh, new stuff (and I just like all those characters better, period) but it was all pretty good despite the Typical Chosen One and Best Friend vs Abusive Hottie Love Triangle narrative driving the main plot. 

Also finished The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and I am going to miss having a new Marvel show to watch every Friday with my kiddo. :( Loved Bucky's whole arc in particular although I am super disappointed we didn't get more of the Dora Milaje. I was totally shipping Bucky/Ayo because of that obvious trust and connection there - like the way he just KNEW it was her when she left him her own Kimoyo beads as a signal?! All the way until the Utterly Shocked and Disarmed look on his face and her CURSING him for betraying them. I wanted the backstory implied there and was so sad we didn't get more! (ToT) 

Sam's arc felt really solid too -- I love that the show actually went there and addressed the racism head on. Now sure if there will be a S2 or just a new Cap movie?

Also watched Space Sweepers and Raya and the Last Dragon last month and both of those were awesome too. <3 

Only read 4 books though:

 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

This was basically President Snow's backstory/Corruption Arc tale and I didn't love it? The other Hunger Games books were a lot more compelling and exciting -- some of the stakes just felt non-existent because we already know Snow survives to a ripe old age. Also it was loooong and kind of tedious. But it planted the seeds of Snow's Particular Grudges against mockingjays, a certain song and District 12, I guess? I just don't really understand why this book? I never felt the need to Understand President Snow's Deepest Motivations and I actually don't think we got to a believable Final Mental State for him to end up who he is either. :(  

 The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Also not a big fan of this one. :( I love fairy tale tropes, and I've had this on my to-read list forever (although I don't even remember where I got the rec from) but I was intrigued by the premise: there's basically a series of Grimm's Fairy Tales the POV character's narrative is wrapped around. So you know these are not lovely, happy things; they're basically Horror with a Moral. But not only do you never get all the tales (Seriously?) the characters were all pretty unlikeable or unrealistically motivated to boot. The book geek who was actually willing to risk his life to enter the horrible fairytale world was the only one I found relatable! XD 

 Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

So after two disappointments in a row, I decided on a Novik book as a pretty much surefire hit and whew! :D I just love Temeraire! His protectiveness over Laurence is on full display while they go on a trip to China. Love the worldbuilding in this and Temeraire and Laurence discussing moral/ethical dilemmas. Already have the next book in the series ready to go too! :D 

 Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

So I delayed reading this because I didn't want to get my heart broken with Major Character Death For Realistic Consequences reasons like a certain other Bardugo book. *glares*( SPOILERS ) Written with such verve, vibrant characters/dialogue and thrilling pacing too. *happy sigh*

Next up: Fugitive Telemetry (the newest Murderbot). 

How is everybody sleeping on this movie? It was so much fun?! And funny. Kristen Stewart was the perfect casting choice as Sabina; I LOVE HER and I want a sequel so bad although I'm guessing it didn't do well at the box office which Ugggghhh. Also Sam Clafin as the bratty billionaire playboy was freaking delightful. LOL And can you believe not a single woman gets iced in this film?! I know, whaaat? No dead woman as beautifully tragic collateral damage? Is this even a Hollywood movie? Add in Patrick Stewart and Noah Centineo and I was just !!! HOW IS NOBODY ELSE TALKING ABOUT THIS. Plus the soundtrack is sooo good! I loved a couple of the tracks when it dropped, but I love the whole thing now that the songs have context.

Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska were also wonderful casting choices- Jane was amazing and I totally felt like Sabina, gawking in awe at her sheer competent badassness the whole time. Elena the wide-eyed, well meaning innocent is never my favorite kind of character, but Naomi Scott is so lovely that I just went with it. 

Seriously the first few minutes of the film set the tone just perfectly. Sabina, in a sparkly pink dress and long blond wig:

"Did you know it takes men an additional seven seconds to perceive a woman as a threat? Isn't that wild?!" 


Also the commentary on other movies is delightful:

"Cars that go fast really furiously."

"Burt Lancaster. Birdman."
"Isn't that Michael Keaton?"
"No, he was Batman."
"No, Ben Affleck. He's Batman."
"I mean, is he?"

lololololol buuuurn


Also this exchange: 

"But- but he flirted with me!"
"Honey. A man can love you and want you dead."
"Yeah there was a gunfight at my wedding."
"Wait- you're married?!"
"Naw. I was the better shot."

XDDD Please tell me somebody else has seen this! I need to make icons. 

Jetlagged but getting this down quickly:

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets- pretty CGI but terrible, plot and character-wise, excepting Rihanna's short (but amazing) performance.

Atomic Blonde- Decent action/spy movie with great period music and background. Charlize Theron's parade of outfits are TDF and her fight sequences are jaw-droppingly brutal. Sadly the Plot Twist!!! thing just got old by the third time around and of course they killed off the lesbian character who inexplicably didn't leave even when given intel that she was going to get killed, like WTF.. 

Kingsman: The Golden Circle- So terrible I stopped watching partway through despite the promise of Pedro Pascal. Why are we still killing off female characters so less competent male characters can shine in 2018? RME

Wonder Woman: I watched this again, but I still didn't fall in love with it the way most of my f-list did this summer. IDK- the whole "Love Is The Answer" thing didn't work for me, although the emotional journeys of the characters were great. 

Fast & Furious: Of course they killed off (and mostly ignored) the badass female characters but still a fun ride. Gal Gadot apparently did all her own stunts. I then watched twenty minutes of 2 Fast 2 Furious which was laughably low budget for a sequel? And realized I started on this franchise in the middle, whoops. How confusingly did they name these? So I skipped to

Fast Five: Yeaahhhh totally shipping Han/Gisele! :DDD An Asian man that's allowed to be attractive to women in a Western film, whaaaat?! Plus Dwayne Johnson vs. Vin Diesel was exactly the kind of Meeting of OTT Machismo that works for me. I plan to watch the sequels.

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How was your year, f-list? I've only seen one of these up so far, would love to see more! :D