XxSparrow.In.The.SnowxX
 Author has written 6 stories for Harvest Moon, Ranger's Apprentice, and Pokémon. "A friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying 'Damn! We screwed up! But we had fun.'" //About Me// Oi! I'm called Sparrow for short. My penname was inspired by Owl City's The Saltwater Room, one of my favorite songs along with Fireflies. :) I've been around longer than it seems since this account is actually fairly new. ;) Now, normally I have a "one fic at a time" rule, which will be broken since I have too many stories I want to get out there. But I can manage my time and I like to finish what I start, so there's nothing to worry about there. My fandoms? I don't have it set on what fandoms I will write, but I'm currently on Harvest Moon and Ranger's Apprentice, but don't be surprised to see me write something for Zelda or Phoenix Wright. ;D There may always be other fandoms I decide to write for. ;D My interests? Seeing as I have an account on this site, I enjoy reading and writing, and as you can tell by some of my fandoms, I love my video games, especially ones with a good story. (Twilight Princess all the way, man! :D) //Favorites// I never get too personal with the info I put, but I love sharing favorites with everybody! --Books?-- There are so many books I adore, but I can sample it for you. ;) - Getting the biggest out of the way first, Harry Potter. Like every other reader out there, I love it's depth in character and plot. - I love Seven Realms. These books are just fun reads with great characters. - Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors. Though I have to go back an reread The Lioness Quartet one of these days since I scarcely remember it. - Seeing as I have written fanfiction for it, I of course enjoy Ranger's Apprentice. I find those book to be fun stories with fascinating characters and an enticing concept. - I used to enjoy the Warriors series, mostly for its social hierarchy and interesting plots presented in the first series. But after the original six books, they have greatly lost their charm. - War Horse is a book I've always loved. It's a short children's book, but I found it wonderful. The movie was great, and I hope to one day be able to see the play. - Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel was an intriguing read. While the writing style isn't my favorite, I loved a lot of the ideas and the characters the author created out of real-life people from the past (as well as those in mythology). --Movies?-- - I love animation, and I stand by that animated films are not just for children. A sample of my favorite animated films: The Book of Life, Lego Movie, Wreck-It Ralph, The Incredibles, Up, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt, The Emperor's New Groove, The Land Before Time, The Lion King, The Secret of NIMH, and so much more that it's impossible to name them all. - I love Tim Burton's old Batman movies as well as his Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and Big Fish. - Indiana Jones, Spaceballs, and yes, Pirates (CotBP mainly) too of course. Star Trek is also a favorite. The old Stark Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan is excellent as is The Undiscovered Country! And I can't forget Young Frankenstien or Hums-Friend would be most displeased with me. - Don't judge me, but I adore Pokemon: Spell of the Unknown. :) You probably judged me anyway. - When it comes to the recent trend in superhero movies, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy them. Marvel has been brilliant in their world-building and creating such a cast of characters. While I can't say a movie like Avengers is a thought-provoking movie with a rich plot, it's still a fun and very good film that does what any comic book movie should do -- it's what it's meant to be and I thoroughly enjoy sitting through it. - It's hard to say what my favorite movie is whenever people ask me. I have so many loves, but if I had to narrow it down to just one, I would say Life of Pi. There's something so beautiful, complex, yet so simple about this movie with its touch of magical realism that strikes me. It's the kind of work that my own storytelling aspires to be. It's visuals are also so beautiful and the acting is marvelous. One of my few complaints was that the tiger was almost too real looking, too CGI with how unnaturally fluid its movements were. However, watching it again, it started to seem more fitting for a film where we can't be sure what is and isn't real. --T.V Shows?-- - I don't watch television as much as I used to. I was always a fan of the original Pokemon, heck I even have the original theme song on my ipod! :D Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys were all apart of my childhood and I still love them. Jackie Chan Adventures was often on my T.V, and a great and timeless favorite of mine, Scooby-Doo. - I enjoy some USA Network shows that, above all else, include Psych. Hilarious and some good stories. :) I also enjoy White Collar, In Plain Sight, and Monk which I very deeply miss. :( - Other television shows I watch nowadays are Doctor Who, Merlin, and Sherlock. I finished Merlin with bitter disappointment, and I'm far behind on Doctor Who and Sherlock, not because I think they're uninteresting or bad, I'm just lazy and restless when it comes to seeing through long episodes anymore. - Yes, I do watch and enjoy Avatar: That Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. - On a rare note, I also love Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, one of the few anime I actually quite like (And old Pokemon episodes, but sometimes it's difficult to consider it anime even though it technically is. xD). I love the characters, set-up, display of emotions, the growth of the characters, and the political themes. - Speaking of anime, I've become a huge One Piece fan over the last year or two. Talk about masterful storytelling and characters! And I read the manga, which has absolutely awesome art that makes the anime look cheap (which I'm sure it is). --Games?-- - Harvest Moon, of course! That's just a fun and addicting game all around. My favorites are the 64 version and Animal Parade. :) - I adore Phoenix Wright! Great gameplay and awesome story to go with it! - I play a little bit of Zelda, but only Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, both of which I greatly enjoyed. - Most Mario games I've played from MarioKart to Smash Bothers to Mario Party! Oh, and yes, I play Pokemon. ;) - Starfox is one of my absolute favorite 64 games! Out of the entire franchise, the 64 version is the best story-wise and gameplay-wise. I'm also a lover of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. I've played some other Sonic games, but none as fun as that one nor with as good a story. --Musicals?-- - I love musicals! My favorites are Sweeney Todd and Young Frankenstien. Along those lines is now Wicked after seeing it a second time with much better seating. It was a wonderful play worth the hype. I saw the original Sweeney Todd Broadway show and it's just great! Much better than Burton's remake, I think. - Most recently I had the pleasure of seeing The Lion King, which has now become my absolute new favorite musical! I love it's unique design and effects used to tell the story...of all the plays, this was the best-looking. //Characters// Note: These are favorites, I just like putting characters under a separate section. ;) Also, just because I don't have a character listed, doesn't mean I hate/dislike them. Harry Potter: I love our title character, Harry. I understand many don't, but I'm the kind of reader who grows attached to characters we see grow throughout a series. I also love his companions, Ron and Hermione (though they made Hermione way too hot in the movies 3 and on. :P), Sirius, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Tonks (mainly in book 5), Snape (for his character depth -- he's someone you'd hate in real life, admit it), Draco (particularly beginning with the sixth book), Lucius, Neville (talk about character growth!), Luna (I adore her, shame she doesn't enter the story 'til book 5), all the Weasleys (save Ginny...and including Percy), Barty Crouch Jr. (I may be biased because David Tennant plays him in movie 4...), Voldemort (because we all need a good villian!), Narcissa, Doby, Winky. Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: Machiavelli and Billy the Kid. They're a duo pair made in Heaven. Dr. John Dee, Nicholas Flamel (In the first few books, he kinda fades to me later on), Scatach, Niten, Virginia Dare, Tsagaglalal, Josh, Sophie. The Seven Realms: Crow, Han, Micah, Amon, Cat, Raisa, Dancer. Ranger's Apprentice: Will, Halt, Gilan, Alyss, Tug, Selethen. X-Men: First Class: Charles, Eric, Mystique, Beast...Wait a moment, I liked everyone in this movie. :P Avengers: Everyone. C'mon, they were too well cast to NOT like any of the characters. Though I will say, Captain America is my favorite Avenger. ;) And I have much love for Loki, even if he's a madman. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: Most of the characters I like in their own way. Love the brotherliness of Ed and Al, and I love the Homonculi (with Greed and Envy being my favs). Hawkeye = Awesome power from a non-alchemist girl. ;) //Opinions and Thoughts// Regarding Ranger's Apprentice... - Okay, so a lot of people have consistently been doing female Ranger apprentices, usually apprenticed to either Will, Gilan, or Halt. Alright, I can live with that, but it's everywhere in the fandom! It's just become a cliche, and frankly when I see 'first female Ranger' I immediately think 'Mary-Sue', but I can't judge since I was never drawn to reading a female Ranger fic. What mainly bothers me is that it's just not realistic to have a female Ranger. Since the series takes place in the 600's, women simply didn't take on such occupations. It's like having a woman knight, which simply doesn't fit. Don't get me wrong, I love a strong female character, and Alyss certainly is in the series. Just...female Rangers? It doesn't fit with the time period the story takes place. - Something that has always bugged me with the series is the uncanny abilities of the Rangers themselves. But since that fact alone plays a role in the story, I've let it slide. What bothers me more is Horace's ability. He's incredibly skilled, yet he is so young and inexperienced. There really isn't a specific reason why he should be knighted at...sixteen...?...when he really hasn't gone through all the phases of Battleschool. Yes, I know he helped rescue Evanlyn, but that doesn't mean he has all the necessary skills. Will certainly didn't and had to continue his training. I may be over-thinking it, but it did make me wonder. --ROYAL RANGER REVIEW! SPOILERS AHEAD-- - So I recently finished The Royal Ranger and, I've got to say, I'm disappointed overall. It was a great book, don't get me wrong, but for an official final instalment to the series...I was hoping more focus would be given not only to Will, but to Halt, Horace, Evanlyn, Alyss, Gilan, (and maybe, for me, some Selethen?). Again, the book itself isn't bad, but let's look at it slowly: Reading the summary on the cover, I was certain that Halt was going to be dead and I feared the worse, though it quickly dawned on me that it was Alyss and, frankly, I quickly became upset with the book. We were left off with Will and Alyss's wedding in Lost Stories and now we begin knowing she's dead? Character death I don't mind, and for the scenario of the book, it fits well, but what would have been better, I think, was to end the series with a different story, Alyss alive, and then start with Royal Ranger maybe in a new series? If would have been nice if, at least, we were shown Alyss's death, saw the aftermath. I would have felt better, personally. That being said, I do like the effects it has on Will. I did enjoy seeing a more mature Will, older and even more experienced with hauntings from Alyss's death. It was said to see cheerful Will go, but at the same time I like that fascinating change in him and I almost wish it was explored even more (though the book does spend plenty of time on it). It's also great seeing mature Will from an outside, younger perspective since it truly gives us a feel for just how far Will had come and how many events had transpired between now and the first book. Now we move on the Royal Ranger herself, Maddie. Yes, I know, I'm practically eating my words from what I said earlier about my thoughts on female Rangers (well, in fanfiction anyway). The book did it...okay. Understandably they do acknowledge that she's the first female Ranger, and I was glad that John Flanagan didn't shove the fact too forcefully down our throats. It had a respectable amount of mentioning. Though her being Horace and Evanlyn's daughter...? I'd be lying if I said I didn't get the feeling of fanfiction here and there as I was reading (granted the whole thing was still well-written). Is she going to stay a Ranger? Will she leave and be queen? How will it work out for her in the future? Not going to lie, I'm not a huge fan of her character. I don't hate her by any means, but I felt like she adjusted too easily. I think it would have been more fascinating if, maybe, she relented on using Bumper for a while and still preferred Sundancer, for example. Towards the end of the book she did finally start to grow on me, but gosh dang it! It's the last book! The story is over before I truly got accustomed to her. I did enjoy the many references to the previous titles. That made me feel good, and I especially loved how some of the past references actually came in handy for the current situation, such as Will treating Maddie based on what he had learned from Malcolm. Small things like that I find brilliant. Dudes, a Ranger died. I've been waiting for that to happen! Finally! I've been waiting for an enemy who was capable of killing a Ranger, and I do like Rahul Jory. He was threatening, truly threatening to me. Not as good as Morgarath and his vulture-like appearance (I never forgot it...I do think I liked Morgarath just for that description of him perching like a vulture on his sickly white horse) but still pretty menacing. Although I do wish they went more into Liam, maybe telling us more about him, going more into how this guy was able to KILL A RANGER! I was disappointed to see that the Corps almost shrugs it off quickly and easily. Liam gets a quick mention at the end of the book, but really, I was hoping for more. I think Flanagan could have done so much more with this. As a whole, it was a good book. A very enjoyable book. But it still left me feeling empty. The book had a lot, and I think it could have been more brilliant if it were stretched over a few books. Maybe end the series focusing on Will and co. then start anew with this series and Maddie. The Royal Ranger feels more like a beginning than an end, which you can argue is a good thing for a series (the whole 'there's never really a happily ever after') but the book itself just opens itself up to a whole new slew of potential problems directly in our faces. Oh well. Maybe I'll write another fanfiction on it, one better than Dance of the Crimson Knives (Yes, I know people love that fic, but I can only think about how much better I could have made it...).Regarding Warriors... - I dropped the series after Sunset. I didn't even bother picking up the third series. First of all, Darkest Hour was a fine ending to the series if they just added perhaps a little epilogue and ended it at that. The series lost its charm after the sixth book. StarClan became kinda annoying, and I heard they granted POWERS to the cats in the third series! What?! No! StarClan isn't suppose to interfere. They're ancestors, they guide not give cats superpowers. They don't tell Firestar to make Brambleclaw deputy, they didn't help him in Darkest Hour when he wondered who to pick for deputy. They said it was HIS choice. Let me repeat what they themselves have said during the series: "You are not toys of StarClan". - Names. Warrior names have become out of control. They're supposed to describe the cat, not sound pretty and elegant. Blackfoot was named Blackfoot because he has black paws. It fits him perfectly. Tornear is named Tornear because he has a torn ear. Halftail is missing part of his tail, Crookedstar had a twisted jaw, Lionheart was loyal and looked like he had a lion's mane, Tigerclaw was a dark tom with long claws, you get what I mean? In the fandoms I see some of the most awful names. Granted, I'm not the best myself, but people need to stop giving their cats names that just don't make sense. Diamonds and jewels are unknown to cats, they don't know what dragons are, they never call a kit 'Dirtkit' for the 'make dirt' saying, a cat would never be named Rainbowkit because there are no rainbow-colored cats, and cats don't know what wolves are because wolves don't live in the area where the story takes place. Regarding game systems... - As we go on we're coming across newer and improved game systems. They've gone from simple black-and-white GameBoy to the camera-installed wi-fi DSi and the new 3DS. Understandably this is fanfiction.net and not GameFAQS, but as a gamer and a gamer FF writer, it seems appropriate to talk about this. I've discovered that recent game systems, particularly the hand held systems, have been given a lifespan. My DS Lite has been a loyal system for years and had in the recent weeks begun having minor issues which turns out can become more common and more serious. Why? Because it's been given a lifespan. Knowing my DS has a lifespan was unsettling. My GameBoy Color still works like new and still is fun to play despite its age. I don't have absolute facts, but I think part of it is contributed to the new features the newer systems have. Wi-Fi, camera, touch screen, the DS's are becoming more complex. There's more that can go wrong compared to the GameBoy Color that was purely for game playing. The way I see it, why do you even need a camera on your DS? Do we really even need the Wi-Fi? Frankly I hardly even use the touchscreen (though it's rather handy for typing in names of places. ;D). I just want to play the game. Makes me feel ripped off, but I still turned in my DS Lite in exchange for the limited Zelda edition of the 3DS. Good deal at least. And it's pretty. ;) Regarding Harvest Moon... - First, I'd like to talk about the franchise itself. There are lots of people who believe that the old games are the best and are faithful to the originals. I don't feel this as much with HM. I like future games because they improve upon it and add more things for players to do. Newer does not equal worse and older does not equal better. Granted, not all the newer Harvest Moon games are as good as, say, the 64 version in my opinion (*coughcoughIslandofHappinesscoughcoughGrandBazaarcoughcough*) but I like having more choices, being able to play as a girl, able to customize my life more, having an enhanced courting system and more to gain after marriage. - Going off the previous bullet point, I want to talk more about A Wonderful Life. I do have a special attachment to this game since it was my first game in the franchise, but ultimately I feel it lacks compared to other game systems. The good? It has nice graphics, I like seeing the town age and develop, watching your kid grow and you change. The bad? It's utterly boring. There's hardly anything to achieve since the house upgrades are given to you as well as most furniture, there are no festivals save the 'hidden' ones that aren't much of anything, the courting is not as fun nor as challenging/realistic as in previous and newer games, and once you earn enough money, you have nothing to spend it on after you have the milking, processing room, and pond. I start to wonder why I bother watering my crops everyday or milk my cows. Amazingly, I managed to get through the whole thing. That I'm proud of. Regarding Thor 2011... - I'll come off honest in that I'm not a huge fan of the film. I don't hate it, but I don't really love it. It was definitely well-casted, particularly with Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Regardless, the movie felt poorly written, the character of Darcy was utterly pointless, and Jane and Thor's relationship wasn't very believable. I was more interested in Loki's story arc than the events on Earth. Despite my bittersweetness with the movie, I do quite enjoy reading fanfics on it since I still enjoy a lot of the concept of the movie, particularly the dynamic and relationship between Thor and Loki. I also have to say that Thor made me feel incredibly sorry for our villain to the rare point where I cried for him in the end; it's certainly intriguing that Loki is an antagonist of sadness and emotion rather than lust or greed -- for the most part at least. He's a character I felt for and almost supported because I saw where he was coming from, and no matter what he did, he seemed to be less liked among the others whether he attempts to be a pacifist at the film's start or finish what Thor tried to do by the film's end. - On a side note, I have been reading some LokixJane fics lately, a pairing which I actually don't much support at all. However, admittedly, I have read a few Lokane fics that, surprisingly, turned me over -- at least in the fanfic universe. I'd never support it for canon. Just goes to show you what any well-written fic can do for you. ;) Regarding The Legend of Korra... - For a long time, just like many fans, I've been anxiously looking forward to Korra. Fics were being written about it more than a year before it's release and fanart has been hitting the internet as soon as the first teasers pictures came about. I loved the first three or four episodes of Korra, but after that, I felt it starting to fade. This new series had all the right set-ups going from the industrial revolution of TLA to 20's for LOK. I loved the more modern setting, I loved the characters they've given us to start, I loved how the show was ready to take us in a new direction by giving us an avatar who knew three of the elements all ready and that we got a chance to see Korra learn airbending. This show was well approached, but faltered in the end. Firsly, I felt that the romance threw everything off. Yes, I was expecting cheesy teen romance, but I wasn't expecting it to be so much of a focus. The love triangle was distracting, Asami herself was a distraction and I almost wished she was just written out (though I do appreciate a non-bender on the team). Asami had potential to be great, but ultimately she was simply in the way in my opinion. Bolin served no purpose other than comic relief, they aimed for him to be the new Sokka, but he's not at all. At least Sokka could take things seriously, Bolin just cracks jokes at everything. It's annoying, not endearing. Why does MAKO have to be the only one to be severely worried for Korra when she's kidnapped? Bolin's a good friend of Korra, he doesn't have to be a darn love interest to show his worry. And Mako, that jerk is just playing two girls. I wanted to like Mako, I wanted to support Makorra, but I couldn't buy it. - More on the finale, I wanted to say that my first and foremost issue with it was the very end of the episode. WHY IN THE WORLD DID KORRA GET ALL HER BENDING BACK JUST LIKE THAT? It was...well...stupid! Then she becomes an energybender and just gives everyone's bending back and fixes all the damage like it was nothing. There goes my hopes for a spiritual journey in season two in order to gain her bending back. Aang...I love you...but why? WHY? And how was Korra able to access the spirit world then? Because she was at her lowest point? THAT was her lowest point? What about when she was kneeling before Amon about to get her bending taken? Why couldn't she activate her spiritual side during, I dunno, the BATTLE that didn't much happen? And why can she suddenly airbend? You know, for the season to be titled BOOK ONE: AIR we see her do NO airbending training episode two during the premiere. Also, in regard to Amon, I felt his his backstory was just infodump via Tarrlock. I don't hate the backstory, but...really? Infodump? C'mon, man...And when did Mako and Asami break up? Mako and Korra just...it just happened and I guess we're left to assume Asami is alright with it. I dunno...I hope season two will somehow make up for this first season. //My Stories// --Completed-- Poisonous Wish : My three-shot for the 2011 June Writing Contest hosted by the Village Square. It's a cute little JuliusxCandace fic which I am quite fond of. :) It's a Harvest Moon fic. Dance of the Crimson Knives : I always wanted to write a story about a Ranger going bad. I've wanted to do so since I first read Ruins of Gorlan. Will has always depended on his uncanny abilities, but he never assumes his enemy also has such skills. It's a way to put Will to his greatest test! --On hiatus-- Beneath the Ashes : A Harvest Moon fic based on 'A New Beginning'. I love writing for Harvest Moon simply because I think of all my fandoms, it has the most fanfic opportunity because there's so much that can be filled in and added and played with since it is an RPG. This fic is coming along slowly since I'm so busy in life, but I still look forward to it all the same and the crime twist I'm putting in it. 10/29/13: I'm putting this story on hiatus and I'm temporarily taking it off Fanfiction for revisions and story improvements before I get too far. --OneShots-- Fate's Tragic Turn : This is just a little angsty oneshot to make Gilan a more appreciated character. I feel like he's not given enough in the series, and he's a very fascinating Ranger. Here's his moment of glory. Deliverance : It was a spur-of-the-moment inspiration. There's nothing special or exciting about it, but it does leave open the possibility of being continued, which is still in the air. Masks and Talents : Another contest entry for the Village Square. It's a subtle ChelseaxVaughn, though not too focused. Bonds That Bind Us : A Pokémon fanfiction that involves the trio of Ghastly, Haunter, and Gengar as they live their lives in bliss in the Pokémon Tower...that is until a couple of unexpected visitors pop in. -- Future -- These are fics that may or may not come into existence. Untitled Emperors New Groove Fic : A couple of years have passed since the first film and suddenly Kuzco finds the world - and lives - falling heavily on his shoulders when new forces rise to threaten those he holds dear. -- That's all I'm going to tell you. ;) Everything is laid out and it's ready to be written, but I'm putting this fic on hold. Untitled Harvest Moon Fic : It will be a Tale of Two Towns fic that introduces Lillian to the two rivaling towns of Konoahana and Bluebell, the basic set-up for the game. There's more to the tale, however, than a fued over food and Lillian has to uncover the truth and reunite the towns through dangers and struggles thick and thin. . Untitled Legend of Korra Fic : This would be a rewrite of the first season of The Legend of Korra since I was rather disappointed with the finale and some elements of the episodes leading up to it. Untitled Lion King Fic : I love The Lion King, I hate the sequel. My reasons against the sequel are for another story, however. This one is in the works as we speak and will follow Simba during his reign as he struggles to not only be a good king and father, but to keep his pride together in the midst of a brewing conflict. |
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