4674 replies to this topic

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Oh, jeez...

[cc_loves_huey34]

Well I'm new to idoj and I just REALLY love TOSOT and I wanna fill out the survey. Ahem:
Faves
1. My favorite part of the story is the part on DJ's base when FL and FS are hiding in a little corner in the wall when they hear foot steps. I just love how FL discovered *ahem* "different" feelings for him. Well the details were like amazing and there's like so many things left unsaid that I'm sure they wanted to say
2. Welll, I don't have an absolute favorite quote, but a random quote that I love is when FL is re-talling what happened 10 years ago and FS says, "Do me a favor, live for me OK?" I thought that was really very sweet
3. Mara's greatest strength as a writer, in my opinion, is she pays amazing attention to details

Characters
1. First, FUTURE SHEEN. He's like (almost totally different than his 11 year old self! He's dark and mysterious and a total sweetheart. He'd, like, lay his life on the line for FL and I love that.
Also, Nav. Okay, so Nav is, like, really amazing! He has an awesome sense of humor and doesn't let the little things bother him. I think it's hilarious how others in the story think he's like a total douche, but he's actually a closet sweetheart. It was amazing how he gave up his life to save the woman he loved. And I absolutely LOVED how everything he stole was allll for his baby sister. That's sweet :3
2. My favorite female character would definately be Aroura. She's complicated and has a colorful past that makes her who she is. I respect that. Also, I totally love how she doesn't take crap from ANYONE. Also, she has an amazing amount of strength. I mean, she had the opportunity to kill the man who single-handedly destroyed her life, yet she chose to save him instead. Psh, I couldn't do that...
3. I REALLY hate to say this, but Lee is actually my least favorite character. I really liked him at first. Like, I thought he was going to be the sweet underdog type. But I really didn't like how he blamed everything on Aroura to save April's butt. Don't get me wrong, that was a very sweet thing to do for April, but he didn't even have the courage to tell her he loved her, yet he could sell out Aroura in a heartbeat....
4. In my opinion, Dictator Jimmy had the most challenges to overcome. He went from thinking "EVIL EVIL EVIL" everyday for a decade to all of a sudden having 100% different views of the universe and himself. He has to deal with everything he's done in the past and the fact that everyone in the universe wants him to die a slow and painful death. He has to live with all his guilt and conflicted feelings. Welp, that sucks
I think that April had the easiest challenges to overcome. She kinda had a choice in the way she lives her life. If she didn't want to, she didn't have to be a warrior. No one else had a choice at all. April has a whole planet and family full of people who love her while everyone else comes from a distraught past. And, on top of that, she has TWO guys in love with her

Character Relationships
1. My absolute F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E. pairing is Future Sheen and Future Libby. I dunno, I just really love them! I think it's cute how he loves everything she does. It's like he's been chasing her for like ever and now it's real. They're like total opposites to me. She's like so sweet and innocent and she's used to a controlled and comfortable lifestyle. While he's firey and spontaneous and loose cannon-y and black-humorish.
2. Actually, my least favorite is Nav and April. I TOTALLY love them as individuals (especially Nav... ) but I, like, can't see them together. I don't really understand them as a couple.
3. My favorite crack pairing (before I say, I just really wanna point out that I LOVE DJ and Aroura) is Aroura and Nav. They seem much more right I guess for eachother than April and Nav.
4. My favorite shipping moment is when Jimmy and Cindy are talking in the hallway after FJ kicked them out of his lab (jerk lol) and Cindy rests her head on his shoulder. SO CUTE
5. Not really a specific pairing in mind, but I would love to see Future Carl have a lady love! lol I mean, everyone else had someone to love, except Carl lol
6. FL and Aroura are my fave friendship because they have a friendship that canovercome anything. They have a true "through thick and thin" relationship. I love how they'd be willing to die for eachother, even when they haven't seen eachother in over 10 years
7. As far as the whole women vs. men thing, I love how a lot of it's like "anything you can do, I can do better" type of stuff lol

JN Universe
1. I think that Future Libby is most like her younger counterpart. Both love fashion, are die-hard friends for Cindy/Aroura, and both have some kind of feelings for Sheen. The future character that was a huge stretch for me was Future Carl. FC (at least in the later chapters) is much more sure of himself how far he'll let people push him.
2. I think Jimmy was the charcter best portrayed. He was very intelligent, at some ponts insightful, slightly arrogant, and had super conflicted feelings for Cindy. I thought that was pretty dead-on. I think Sheen was the worst portrayed. I dunno, at some parts he seemed a little too far-fetched. Like, I don't see him as THAT perverted. Lol
3. I think Cindy probably changed the most as a result of the adventure. She realized what she's capable of (good and bad) and it seems like she really doesn't wanna turn out anything like Aroura. She sees Jimmy in a (semi) new light and probably won't be quite as critical of him when they get back.
4. The plot point that I think tied in best with the show was the Jimmy/Cindy love/hate thing. It was pretty dead- on about how they admire each other then hate each other two seconds later.

Stuff You'd See On Your English Test
1. A major theme I see in the story is one's desire to change themselves. Like, every character at one point wanted to be different or better than what they saw themselves as.
2. One word to describe TOSOT: "Super-Effin'-Awesome-Sauce-A-Tasticly-Amaazing"! ( <-- Yes, that's one word...)

Miscellaneous
1. My favorite illustration: DJ and Aroura with intertwined fingers and their blue suits on
2. (My answer is totally, 100% biased but anyways) I think Future Sheen has THEE best character design. DJ did a lot of experiments on him, but despite that, hes totally hawt :3
3. (In case its not obvious by now lol) The object of my affections is DEFINITELY Future Sheen. I think he really grew up and changed (a little) in the last 10 years. He's been through a lot, and that makes him who he is. I think he's a total sweetheart underneath his rough exterior (and that's TOTALLY my type) Plus, he's totally hawt :3

[SheWolf]

I'm only halfway through the story but it's flippin' EPIC!! I shall do the survey when I finish...and GREAT JOB;)

[Mara=^.^=]

I'm only halfway through the story but it's flippin' EPIC!! I shall do the survey when I finish...and GREAT JOB;)

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

@CC: thanks so much for filling it out! That was a spectacular amount of detail I really enjoyed reading your answers, because your opinions were different from a lot of other people's. Glad to know somebody likes Future Libby


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[cc_loves_huey34]

Surveys rule!

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

OMG!! I just got an update on FF.net about a TOSOT update!!!!!! *cue fangirl squeal* EEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!

[Lizz]

I ROFLed. He totally does.

Thanks so much for filling this out, Lizz! You have NO idea how grateful I am. Hugs x 1000


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

I aim to please
And hey! My quote is in your Sig...I WIN!

[RocksmySocks]

Faves!

1) What part of the story did you most enjoy?

Any scene DJ was in (*COUGH*bias*COUGH*). No, really. I love that you decided to go all "what if Jimmy turned evil", because having an actual genius as a supervillian is AWESOME, but usually done TERRIBLY when people try to attempt it. So all through the beginning when you described what DJ had done to the galaxy, I was enamored. That's some wonderful, logical takeover right there.

2) What’s your favorite line/quote from the story?

Hrm. I'm not sure this counts, because it isn't really a quote per se, but the narrative where Jimmy and Cindy are on either side of a wall, both thinking with their heads against it and neither knowing the other is there is just awesome.

3) What, in your opinion, is Mara's greatest strength as a writer (characterization, sensory descriptions, etc.)? What could she improve on? (and no, "omg you're perfect don't change anything" doesn't count as an answer)

Mara's greatest strength is her ability to draw you in and make you want to read EVERYTHING, because the details are so interesting and necessary. There isn't a bunch of useless information thrown in, which is important in a story so people learn to pay attention.
I think an improvement would be more distinction between characters. There's a lot of "snark" in Mara's writing, which is great and hilarious, but leeches into pretty much every character or their thoughts/actions, and toning that down would probably help characterization. Also, a consistency in narration - POV, etc. In future works it'd be good to decide off the bat who's head we're in, or if it's truly an omnipotent narrator. There was a bit of a mixture in TOSOT, which was fine for the fanfic world, but this idea would help in keeping characters distinct in the future.


Characters

1) Who is your favorite male character, and why? (If you absolutely can’t pick one, name your top two)

Do you have to ask?

2) How about your favorite female character (same goes for this one)?

Cindy. (Not Aurora).

3) Who is your least favorite character, and what made you dislike him/her?

Carl (not FC) - he just seemed fairly useless. Sheen and Libby, too...the three of them rarely did anything of importance in the fic.

4) In your view, what character in the story grew the most/had the most challenges to overcome? Who had it the easiest?

Easiest? The three I just named above. Most challenges? Aurora, Cindy, and Jimmy. They had to actively deal with the situation and either be destroyed or see how their future selves were destroyed because of it.


Character Relationships

1) What was your favorite pairing (canon or otherwise)?

DJ/Aurora, for the torment lulz complexity and banter.

2) How about your least favorite?

FS/FL, to be honest. But that's because I'm not a fan of FL as a character, so I don't care that much about her romantic life.

3) Fave crack pairing?

Nav/Lee

4) What was your favorite shipping moment?

FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT SCEEEEEEEEEEEEEENE

5) Were there any pairings that you wanted to see happen that didn’t?

Nah.

6) Which friendship did you like best? (ex: Aurora/FL, Aurora/April, etc.)

Nav/Aurora. They amused me.

7) Is there anything that sticks out in your mind about the way TOSOT portrays women vs. men?

Not particularly. I think there was a good variety in personalities on both sides.


JN Universe

1) In your opinion, which future character seemed to be the most realistic version of their younger counterpart? Who was more of a stretch?

Cindy (aka Aurora) seemed the most realistic to me. You kept the cool intelligence and anger management issues in real well.
Libby seemed the most of a stretch to me. Other than her love for fashion stuff, I couldn't see her old personality like I could with the others. She seemed...softer somehow. I mean, I know she spent years with monks, but something still seemed off. I have the darndest time pinpointing what it is, though. But it's always bothered me.

2) Which character from the JN gang was best portrayed? Worst portrayed?

Best portrayed was probably Jimmy. I think you did well with him dealing with the whole "omg I turned evil" idea, and you kept his "genius babble" spot on.
Worst was probably Sheen. Your Sheen was HILARIOUS, but his jokes tended to be more off color than what the show had, and something about that didn't ring as true to me. Not that he didn't make me laugh, he was just different overall than the show.

3) Who do you think changed the most as a result of the adventure?

...DJ? Since you know, he turned into FJ? But if you're not going "literally", then Aurora, for coming to terms with her anger (in a way) and looking to help make a positive impact.

4) What plot point was the best “tie-in” with the TV show?

I liked having April back, and her eventual friendship with Cindy/Aurora. The whole Gorlock thing was awesome to see again.


“Stuff You’d See on Your English Test”

1) What are some of the major themes you see at work in this story? (Themes are broad, overarching concepts – for example: the nature of evil, redemption, etc.)

People are shaped by how they're treated, and that means treating some in a better way can help them become a better person. There is no permanence - things can always change.

Also, atonement for past actions. I don't think that needs a further explanation.

2) If you had to pick ONE word to describe what the story is “about”, what would it be?

Consequences.


Miscellaneous

1) Which illustration is your favorite? (post a link or describe it)

I like the DJ/FJ "head in hands" picture. It's an older one, but it has a lot of raw emotion in it.

2) Look-wise, who has the best character design?

Probably FS. He just looks awesome.

3) If you’re a fangirl/fanboy, who is the object of your affections and why? If you’re not a fangirl/boy, pretend you are anyway and answer the question.

I'm not one, lol, but I think I again have to go with DJ, because I like me.

[Mara=^.^=]

I think an improvement would be more distinction between characters. There's a lot of "snark" in Mara's writing, which is great and hilarious, but leeches into pretty much every character or their thoughts/actions, and toning that down would probably help characterization.

My friend Sarah's always busting my chops about this too. She's like, "Mara, cut the crap, not everybody is as witty as you".
Which is totally a compliment, and does not dissuade me one bit from dumping snark everywhere I go.

Carl (not FC) - he just seemed fairly useless. Sheen and Libby, too...the three of them rarely did anything of importance in the fic.

Carl was completely useless. I loathe his character in the show, so it's no surprise that I only gave him lines begrudgingly. But dude, Sheen totally served a purpose...keeping me, the author, entertained.

3) Fave crack pairing? Nav/Lee

How did I know you were going to say that?

Future Libby seemed the most of a stretch to me. Other than her love for fashion stuff, I couldn't see her old personality like I could with the others. She seemed...softer somehow. I mean, I know she spent years with monks, but something still seemed off. I have the darndest time pinpointing what it is, though. But it's always bothered me.

I can't figure it out either. It didn't bother me at all in Volumes 3 and 4, or even in the beginning of Volume 5, but I felt like something was off about her character once they really got into the thick of things on the base. I wish I could put my finger on it, because it's recently started to bother me as well, and if possible I'd like to go back and fix it. Unfortunately, I think the problem *may* lie with the role FL plays in the story, which basically boils down to "acts nice and does stuff that makes Aurora react emotionally". I think as the fic focused more and more on Aurora, FL became less of a character, and more of a tool I used to explore Aurora's vulnerabilities and strengths. FAIL.

Worst was probably Sheen. Your Sheen was HILARIOUS, but his jokes tended to be more off color than what the show had, and something about that didn't ring as true to me. Not that he didn't make me laugh, he was just different overall than the show.

You are the second person to point this out to me, and it came as a real surprise the first time I read it, because I've been laboring under the delusion that my Sheen was actually spot-on. I continued to believe this delusion until about two days ago, when on a whim I went back and read my old fic "Me, Myself, and Two of You". While I've come a long way in terms of writing, character complexity, and timing, my old Sheen was SO MUCH MORE ACCURATE that I actually felt a pang of guilt for having corrupted his character so much. I think it's because, in TOSOT, my inspiration for Sheen's character comes almost entirely from Win, Lose, and Kaboom, where he was acting a bit more off-color than usual.

I'm not a fangirl, lol, but I think I again have to go with DJ, because I like me.

Of course


Thanks Katie!


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[RocksmySocks]

Thanks Katie!


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

No problem!

[Mara=^.^=]

Slight spoiler for next chapter?


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mystic]

I seriously can't wait for the next part and what will happen with Aurora and FJ.

Beautiful drawing Mara . Are those peach colored lips on Aurora?

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

I thought I saw an update on it on FF.net... And AWESOME finished work, Mara!!! Saving it!

[Katia11]

whoooo shmexy!

[SweeneyxxTodd]

Slight spoiler for next chapter?


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

I thought I saw an update on it on FF.net... And AWESOME finished work, Mara!!! Saving it!

That was the chapter I already posted on IDOJ...I just uploaded it under a different name.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Oh, whoops!

[Mara=^.^=]

More of Ni-NaJ's awesome painting:




He looks really pissed.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[SweeneyxxTodd]