Thursday, 7 February 2008

It's a Mary Sue fic.

Today I post something of a parody.

You see, in the world of fangirlism and fanboyism (although not restricted to), one will often come across an original character in fanfiction who displays an unrealistic, clichéd personality. That is, she is beautiful, kind, seductive, powerful and talented, amongst other things. This, boys and girls, is a Mary Sue. They are usually the result of an over-obsessed fan wishing that they could be in their fandom of choice and more often that not, a result of the fan desiring a romantic relationship with their favourite character. Back in the day, I used to write Mary Sue fics. Like, real ones. This was when I was totally obsessed with Duo Maxwell from Gundam Wing. Surprisingly, I never did the same (I think) with Sanzo from Saiyuki, even though I was about ten times more infatuated with him. Anyway, this Mary Sue parody. The fandom I’m writing for is G.I Joe, because it’s freaking awesome. Although if this was a serious MS fic (HAW HAW, OXYMORON) I probably wouldn’t pair my retarded character up with any of the ones that my MS has relationships with. Seriously. I don’t actually have a secret crush on Duke. I’d go for Zartan or something. The basic plotline and character of my Mary Sue was decided by the Mary Sue litmus test which, in theory, should be used the other way around. You write your plot and character first and then use the test to see if she/he’s a Sue. I haven’t done a full tally yet, but the last time I checked, she was on about 160 points. Note that you only need 70 points to be considered a MS. One of the criteria to score a whopping 20 points is to use a variation of your name. Real name, online name, whatever. So those who knew me back in the day when I used the screen name Akura (and I still use it on occasion) will groan and slap their heads. You’ll discover the rest of the horror yourself, if you choose to press on. As for why I’m writing this? I DID IT FOR THE LULZ.

Onto the fanfic.

---

Chapter 1.

She stood on the deck of the ship, the small waves dipping and curving along its edge. The cool, salty sea air brushed lightly against her golden skin and caused her long, dark, blue-black hair to sweep against her face. It was a very lovely face – one that was shaped like a heart and had nary a blemish. Her sharp eyes, shrouded with their long lashes, flickered over the military base ahead. It was G.I Joe's base; her new place of occupation. A small smile of excitement caused her full, red lips to curve upwards.

She knew that the ship would be reaching the dock shortly and gave a sigh in her soft, melodic voice. This attracted the attention of one of the ship's crew, a young lad by the name of Nathan, who bounded over. “What's up, Miss Akura?”

Sighing again, she leaned over the railing. “Nathan, what if... what if they don't like me?”

Nathan seemed puzzled. “What makes you say that?”

“Don't you think I may seem a little... odd to them?”

“Odd?”

“My eyes,” she said sadly, lifting her head. “They may think I'm a mutant of some sort.”

“Nah!” The boy laughed. “Trust me, Miss Akura, they're good people. They ain't gonna shun you for somethin' like that. 'Sides,” he added bashfully, “I think your eyes are real pretty.”

Akura smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Nathan. Your kind words have made me feel better.”

“It's no problem! But now, let me go grab your stuff.” The boy raced off as Akura watched him do so. She always had a knack for getting other people to do things for her, regardless of whether she wanted them to or not. She just hoped that her new workmates would not fall under that same spell. She needed independence. But her main cause for concern was that her co-workers might place themselves in danger for her sake. It had been this way all her life, ever since she had left the orphanage. Certainly, she had grown much stronger since the time she spent there, but perhaps there was still a kind of sadness about her that made others want to help her? Whatever it was, she hoped it was not pity. She couldn't stand the thought of being pitied. For despite her past, she wanted to let everyone around her know that she was just as strong as any of them.

*

Duke stood in his office, staring at the files he had been sent two or three weeks ago. Most of them were the standard administration files and what-not, but there was one that was particularly interesting. It was a notification of transferral or in other words, the profile of a young woman who had been recommended by the government. Running his eyes down the details, he noticed that she had previously employed by the national army, which did not necessarily mean that her skills were wonderful. But if the government had taken notice of her, she had to be a decent soldier.

Not to mention that she wasn't that bad a looker.

Just then, the door to his office opened and Shipwreck walked in. “You wanted to see me, Duke?”

“Yeah, I did. Apparently we've got a new recruit arriving today.”

“Oh, I get it.” Shipwreck folded his arms. “You want me to go get him from the port?”

“Oh come on. It's not as though the port's miles and miles away. It'll give you a chance to go out, smell the sea and what have you. Besides,” Duke pushed the photo that was included with the other files towards him. “She looks like your type.”

Snatching the photo up in his hands, Shipwreck squinted at it for a few seconds before looking back up at his commander. “Is it April Fools' or what?”

“Nope, no jokes.” Duke smiled, clapping the marine on his back. “You'd better hurry, though. Her ship arrives any minute now.”

*

Akura stood at the port with Nathan, her luggage piled neatly beside her.

“It's been fifteen minutes, Nathan. Suppose they aren't actually coming to pick me up?”

As soon as she said those words, a jeep drove up with Shipwreck inside it. He leapt out in an obvious attempt to impress her. He succeeded, with the young woman, obviously amazed, smiling.

“You must be the new arrival, am I right?”

“Th-that's right.”

“I'm Shipwreck, miss.” He hoisted one of her bags up onto his shoulders and began loading them into the jeep. “And what's your name?”

“My name's Akura. Akura J'Mir Richards.”

“Whoa. Nice name! A nice name for a beautiful lady,” he winked at her, and she blushed slightly. Of course, she was used to people complimenting her on her looks, especially men, but there was part of her that always felt slightly embarassed. She was wondering though, if Shipwreck had noticed.

“And hey, those are really nice eyes you've got there.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “You truly think so?”

“I mean it! It's not everyday you see a cute babe with different coloured eyes, right?” He had taken her hand, and was leading her towards the jeep. He smiled kindly and opened the door for her. She got in gracefully, still holding onto his hand. As the jeep began to move, she looked back at Nathan, who waved at her. She waved back before turning around and once she had done so, felt as though an old chapter of her life had closed.

However, another was just beginning.

---

More faggotry to come.

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Asian Drink Special #3

Oh jeez. When I saw this one, I just knew I had to buy it.



Apparently made in Vietnam. Well, someone had to come up with the idea.

1. Originality - I don't think anyone else has ever sat up and gone 'Hey, I've got a great idea! Why don't we make a drink flavoured with the extract of artichoke?'
And should it really be brown in colour? I know that when I poured it into the glass I said 'What the HELL' several times.
2. Taste - Personally, I love artichokes. I can't get enough of them. But then when I saw this, it was kind of horrifying. I mean seriously, it's an ingredient you put on pizza and on antipasto platters and now you're making a sweet drink out of it? It's a world gone topsy-turvy. So I took a swig, expecting the worst...
... and for some strange, unexpected reason, it tasted like a grass jelly drink.
Grass jelly may seem a tad weird to those folks in the West, but over in Asia-land, it's about as common as Coke and lemonade. And it's not bad. So because the supposed artichoke drink tasted like grass jelly, it has this sweet but earthy kind of flavour. Which was pleasant, but too normal to my Asian tastebuds. That didn't stop me from throwing it out, though. [6]
3. Your standard can. It's got English AND German on it, which is weird considering it's a product of Vietnam. [1]

4. Price - $1.17. Yeah, I suppose that's ok. It's cheaper than your normal soft drink anyway. But whether anyone is actually churning out a profit from this drink is another question. Really... [7]
5. Other - I said above that I threw the drink out. Well, it was only after I had bought it that I realised this, which I guess is my main reason for only drinking half the can:

OVERALL: Whoa, it's expired, grass-jelly-tasting artichoke juice from Vietnam! [8]

In other, non-consumable related news, the No More Heroes soundtrack is awesome. It's like my ears are having an orgasm.

Thursday, 17 January 2008

Cloverfield (Possible spoilers)

Saw Cloverfield today, the movie in which a giant monster attacks New York City. No, unfortunately it's not Cthulhu.

It was pretty good; the way it was filmed was very effective considering the movie's setting and storyline. However, anyone who didn't follow the promotional websites for the movie will probably be scratching their heads and wondering where in the hell the monster actually came from. I spotted a single visual clue, but as I said before, if you didn't follow the viral marketing sites, you would probably disregard it. I thought this was both:
A) Quite clever; and
B) Quite stupid.
Polar opposite opinions, I know. On one hand, it, well, rewards those who did their homework before hand with... with... the feeling that they maybe probably perhaps knew where the monster came from. I have a basic theory, but it doesn't make sense if I try to explain it.
However, on the other hand, it gives the viewer a sense of mystery and/or panic: "OH SHIT WHERE DID THAT MONSTER COME FROM IT COULD HAPPEN TO US IN REAL LIFE ANY WHERE ANY TIME". Some of the dialogue adds to this sense of uneasiness, with one character making a point about the fact that humans have barely begun to explore the depths of the ocean.

Also, whoever said that you never really saw the monster, just glimpses of it, was probably telling a half-truth. SPOILERS, SORTA - In my opinion, it looked like a combination of these three dudes.

Yeah, I'm not kidding. I found it a bit hard to be intimidated. Gwoemul's monster was much more awesome. Aesthetically, anyway. I mean becuase, really, if you were to put Gwoemul's monster up against Cloverfield, there wouldn't be a contest.

All my gripes aside, it was a rather enjoyable movie. Just make sure you're not surrounded by teenage couples making out like I was.

[7.5/10]

Sunday, 13 January 2008

Bargain of the Century

I picked up a little piece of nostalgia from Target the other day, the item in question being:

Now, guess how much I paid for this. Go on, guess.

Eighty-six cents. No, seriously. I did a double-take when I saw the price come up on the scanner because Target being Target, I expected it to be about $15 or something. Anyway, this is going to be kept in its packaging until the price skyrockets. Which probably means that it will be buried with me in its original packaging.

The supposed confirmed No More Heroes launch date is the 28th of Feburary. Preorder bonuses? Yes please. Although nothing can top what Japan got.

Incidentally, Happy New Year, everyone. Yes, I realise I am twelve days late. My resolution is to make my handwriting legible. Anyone who was at school with me knows just how important this resolution actually is.

Thursday, 27 December 2007

Because I do not speak their language

Oh boy! The EU version of the No More Heroes website is out. For people who cannot read Japanese (ie. me), this is awesome. Also, more (new) wallpapers, coming in January? I hope so!

The shame. I am actually more excited about NMH than I am about MGS4. Now Australia just sits tight and hopes that it doesn't get banned when it gets over here.

On an extremely similar note, another game I am excited about is the new Bionic Commando. Looks like the old school is getting a makeover. Fingers crossed that the old school doesn't become a pile of crap like Final Fight: Streetwise did.

Monday, 24 December 2007

Asian Drink Special #2

Today we have the Baige Aloe Vera drink. Some of you may cry foul here and say that since I enjoy aloe vera, it's not really a test for a bizarre Asian drink. I am inclined to agree, but the main reason I bought it was the colour of the drink itself. It's this creepy greeny-yellow colour, like someone had pissed straight into the bottle and added aloe vera.



Thankfully it doesn't taste as bad. Not that I know what piss tastes like.

1. Originality - I know for a fact that whenever I have aloe vera (to consume), people who haven't seen me drink it before exclaim "What is THAT?" So I guess if one did not know that there is more to aloe vera than just for health purposes, you'd be pretty surprised too. However, putting the aloe vera in some weird juice concoction gets extra points. Hell, after reading the list of ingredients they put in the drink, I STILL didn't know what I was drinking. [7]
2. Taste - Surprisingly enough, it didn't taste too bad. That being said, I did wince slightly everytime I made a sip. How to describe the taste? It's sort of sour, with this pleasant aftertaste. I have to say though, that it smells a lot better. It smells delightfully fruity. [5]
3. Packaging - The second reason I bought this drink was the delightful bottle it came in. It's pure glass with some fancy print on the front. It is lovely, but it was a real trial trying to get it open. My whole family took turns trying to open it. Buy this drink if you want your family to bond. [6]

4. Price - $3. Seriously, for a crazy drink with even crazier packaging. Though if you ask me, the bottle is worth $3 alone.
5. Other - I spent ages trying to figure out if Baige was an ingredient before realising that it was, in fact, the brand name. Oh, those crazy Asians!

And while I'm at it, Merry Christmas, y'all. Hope you get everything you wanted.

Sunday, 16 December 2007

Oh look!

Looks like my Michigan review was finally posted on the K7 SINdicate.

So maybe very few of you have heard of it. Maybe you'd like to come over to my place sometime and sample its bad-ness. But you could always just read the review and it would put you off it. Maybe.

Michigan: Report from Hell

Also, OPs. It sucked balls. Which I thought was kind of strange considering my marks were better-than-average this year. Fuck you, QSA. Fuck you. Did any of you dudes get OPs you were not expecting? If so, I guess we can blame the grade.

Thursday, 6 December 2007

A rather long look at the bestselling novel that is now a major motion picture!

The following entry is really actually quite lengthy. Just sayin'.

I have these fundamentalist Christian relatives. They're not bad people. Actually, they're quite ok. Well, my male cousin and my uncle are. The aunt and the female cousin are too uptight for my liking. And I mean, they DID make us watch a documentary on how the United Nations was a Satanic affair, but hey. I'm sure it was just because there was nothing else on TV.

Being the only of my dad's brothers who permanently resides in Brisbane (a mere three minutes away!) my uncle's family are REQUIRED to buy me birthday presents each year. Not really. I'm sure they'll stop next year when I can surely afford my own religious books that I don't need. Yes, they buy me religious books each year for my birthday. Last year for Christmas, they did buy me a book of Singapore ghost stories, which I thought was hardcore for them. Yes, this gives you an idea of what they usually get me...

Last year or the year before, they bought me a novel called Left Behind, the first in a series of books about the apocalypse. The Christian apocalypse. It's under 'inspirational fiction' in Borders. Apparently it's a real hit, hit enough to spawn 15 other books, an album, a PC game, graphic novels, four movies and a decent amount of spin-offs. Note that I used very neutral terms. Anyway, I decided, yeah, the Apocalypse is a pretty neat concept. So I sat down and read it for its entertainment value. Let's just say that after five chapters I became so mind-numbingly bored that I had to stop reading. The book's somewhere in the storage room. I was also given the movie on old-school VHS. Needless to say, that, too, is somewhere in my household where no one cares to look. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful. It's just that, well... let's just say that the words 'don't judge a book by its cover' really applies here. And I could just as easily have buried it under a mound of stuff when I realised it was a religious book.

Anyway, back to the real point of this entry, which is to share with you the book I was given for my birthday this year, titled One Night with the King.

Read that title again. Maybe it was just my horrible, tainted mind that clouded my innocence when I ripped open the packaging, but I thought... you know. It sounded like a bad porno film. But I supposed I'm not alone - my dad agreed with me.

But it is a religious book. What could a book with a name like have to do with religion? Well, anyone who attended Sunday School and/or a Christian school (or is just plain smart) is likely to have heard of Queen Esther, the lady who became the King of Persia's main squeeze and saved a bunch of Jews. This book is basically a dramatisation of the biblical tale. When I say dramatisation, I actually mean sappy, romantic reworking. It was also turned into a movie, which apparently sucks balls. Thanks to the former school captain (who knows her biblical stuff), the whole tale of King Xerxes and Queen Esther was that they didn't fall in love. I guess those romance novelists are willing to try anything to rake in the bucks.

Entertainment-wise, it's not as bad as Left Behind. I did manage to get up to chapter fourty (they're relatively short chapters too) before deciding that the sheer hilarity was not enough to keep me going any more. Although I do wonder why I waded through 323 pages. There were some amusing parts (although I'm about 99.9999% sure that the humour was NOT intentional) which I present to you here in a less-than-concise collection of laughable quotes from One Night with the King. Yeah, you can stop giggling about the name now.

Page 40, Chapter 3:

When he awoke, the tent stood dark but for a few candles his servants had lit in the corners. He rolled upright and fought to regain his clarity. And then he was reminded of his impulsive threat to Agog:

I have some raping to do.

No comment needed.

Pages 97 and 98, Chapter 11:

Realising that God was real, palpably so, actually filled me with a fresh resentment that I could barely contain within my reserved demeanour. Somehow, dealing with my anger toward Him was easier when He had simply been a relic of tradition, a remote institution of my ethnic heritage. Knowing that He was real and approachable, and that I could personally experience those realities, made Him the perfect arm's-length target for my rage.

Oh, so you wanna do the barroom tango with God, eh, Esther? Boy, I wonder who would win. I honestly do.

Page 164, Chapter 20

Rough hands groped at places no one had ever touched before.

That is the absolute weakest way I have ever seen molestation described.

Page 202, Chapter 25

As for matters of the bedroom, Hegai knew far less, yet more than anyone else. Xerxes was an adventurous lover, I was told - assuming he truly fancied the girl. He had spent his youth with captures beauties from Alexandria, Damascus and Cush and had found that a woman in fear for her life made for a vivacious and compliant partner.

Oh... oh my. I can imagine my fundamental Christian aunt reading this and saying "Oh my goodness! This kind of filth should not be allowed on our shelves!" Seriously though, I haven't seen her since she gave me the book, but expect details of a confrontation during the Christmas season when I see her next. GATHER YOUR WHORES FROM ALEXANDRIA, DAMASCUS AND CUSH! WE'RE GONNA BOOGIE LATE TONIGHT!

Page 218, Chapter 27

"What's the matter?" I finally asked.
"What do you mean, my lady?" asked Shakel, the handmaiden nearest me at the time.
"Everyone is acting strangely. Is it my request for quiet? Did I offend you?"
Shakel looked over at the others, then turned to me with a faint smile. "It's not that. It's just that you look so beautiful. You truly are the loveliest woman in the whole Palace. Truly. I imagine we are all asking ourselves the same question. How could Xerxes see you and not fall in love on sight?"

Well gag me with a spoon. Turns out Esther is a Mary-Sue. A pretty hardcore one too.

If that wasn't enough, we now have a fuckload (first and last swear word, promise, unless you want to count the phrase 'sucks balls') of typical romance-novel dialogue and description. Not that I ever read them, of course, heh heh. The romance-fest goes on for, oh, I dunno, five plus chapters? But the ultimate part of the book, its climax (no pun intended) is in these next two paragraphs.

More than ever before, the world consisted of me and the King. The closer we came to the bedchamber, the smaller the world became - until it had shrunk down to little more than the space between our lips. The moment our litter nudged the landing of the Palace entrance, the King was on his feet. He turned to me and swept me up into his arms. Xerxes nearly sprinted through the short hallway into his bedchamber, calling good-humoured condemnations of death along the way to any functionary who dared intrude.
I was still held closely in his arms when we entered the room. He used his back to push the giant door shut. Then, as soon as the great clang of its closing stopped echoing, he looked at me with deep longing and, yes, love. His next kiss was both intimate and powerful. I was shaken to the core of my being. Next, he laid me on the bed, and I can tell you no more.

What have we learnt from this escapade?
1. You should never turn biblical stories into works of romantic fiction
2. You should never turn biblical stories into works of romantic fiction and turn them into movies
3. My fundamentalist relatives should really just give me cash from now on
4. I have far too much time on my hands.

Monday, 3 December 2007

Asian Drink Special - An Introduction

Everyone who read my previous blog knows that I did some crazy stuff for the sake of entertainment, such as hooking up with boys while pretending to be a 13-year-old girl and cooking some weird foodstuff off the top of my head. Consider this to be the newest addition to the group (possibly bumping the 13-year-old saga out of the way - all interest has been lost).

Asian supermarkets. I don't know about you, but I find them to be just a tad dodgy. Chinese herbs? They smell so weird that even if they were expired you'd probably disregard the use-by date and throw it into your soup anyway. And why can they sell everything so cheaply? But if there's one category of Asian consumables that has always fascinated me, it's got to be the beverages. And I'm not just talking about the green, black and whatever-other-colour-you-can-think-of tea, I'm talking about stuff like asparagus juice. Combine the weirdest drinks with one of the dodgiest supermarkets to shop at and I'm usually afraid to drink things as simple as carbonated apple juice because I can't read Chinese/Japanese/Korean for shit. As I result, I really do not know what I'm getting, unless the bottle or can has one of those nifty translated stickers on the back. Alas, this is not the case all the time. Oh, and my paranoia might have something to do with this as well.

Without further ado, I welcome you to the Asian Drink Special, where I review an Asian drink. Well done, Captain Obvious. Review scores are based on:
1. Originality - Let's just say that if I ever pick anything like asparagus juice up, it will get a 10.
2. Taste - It may taste really, really good. Or if it causes me to throw the can in horror on the first sip, it will get a 1. Or a 0. Or a negative number.
3. Packaging - What's the point of having a drink if you can't drink out of the bottle? Bonus points for frickin' sweet packaging that you will never EVER see the Western world willingly use.
4. Price - No sir, I would not be happy if I had paid $5 for a drink I hated (see point 2). Then again, if I had paid $5 for a drink I liked, I would probably still be unhappy. 5. Other - Was there some crazy thing that happened while I was drinking (or attempting to drink) the beverage? Other notes here.

First up, Sangria melon soda.



Gettin' cool. Seriously.

1. Originality - I guess in the Eastern realm, there is nothing TOO weird about melon-flavoured soda. But if you were to shove it in a Westener's face, there is a relatively high chance of them either freaking out or wondering (out loud) what the hell melon soda is and what it would taste like. [4]
2. Taste - It tastes pretty good. I'm sort of a fan of the artificial melon flavour though, so feel free to take three or four points off the score if you don't think it's your thing. [9]
3. Packaging - As you can see in the pictures above, the Sangria melon soda comes in a nice aluminium bottle. Forget glass, aluminium is the way to go. However, the bottle is a bit too flimsy for my liking, which is probably the only thing stopping me from using it as a bottle I carry around with me. (That and I haven't been out of the house.) [7]
4. Price - At $2, it's cheaper than most soft drinks that are available. [10]
5. Other - True Fact: Whenever I took a sip, I could hear this weird buzzing in my head.

OVERALL: So it's not too weird. And it's pretty tasty, not to mention cheap. It's definitely something I would buy again. [8]