Meet the Team: Nate T.
Who are you?
I am Nate Tamblyn and I am very sleepy.
What games or stories inspire you?
I love really loose narratives that get distracted and go down tangents before they get back to their point; they flow where the most interesting path is rather than being the most efficient way of telling the story. It feels like the author is genuinely enjoying the story they are telling as it is naturally revealing itself to them. Rayman 3 is a great game that definitely follows a narrative like that, it's so loose and has this extreme flexibility that makes it hard to describe without sounding like you're retelling a memory of a dream. Terry Pratchett's writing is also very similar to that and his use of footnotes is always really enjoyable.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure also does this and will also quite often change perspectives between characters, so that the audience has the highest level of suspense possible - if the villain is being super cunning and crafty then we see things from the protagonist’s perspective. But when the protagonist is going to triumph, we switch to the villains perspective, so we cannot see the unbelievable solution the protagonist has come up with. I love it when writers just hone in on the most interesting thing, and leave you guessing as to where the story will go. In other words, a narrative so malleable that it can just bend to show you only the nicest of curves. Sexy, sexy narrative.
What's your ideal breakfast?
I hate eating breakfast and currently I have to only eat low FODMAP food. If I lived in a perfect world I would be not having low FODMAP and I would not be allergic to popcorn and popcorn would have a lot of vitamins and I could eat it for every meal. That's the dream. Or like garlic bread, that's also very good for any meal. Or very specifically cold toast that you get on school camps with the butter they give you in individual containers scraped across it.
What are some characters you really like?
One of my all time fav guys out there is Bakura from Yu-Gi-Oh. Ryou Bakura, Yami Bakura and Thief King Bakura - all the Bakura is good for me. I really like it when stories have those sorts of villains - Yami Bakura is a minor antagonist for the majority of the show, always trying to get all the Millennium Items, but doesn't pose as much of a threat as the other villains hanging around - until the last arc where they learn about his past and all the pieces come together of what he was doing the entire time. Hidden in plain sight.
I also really like characters like Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, his development from where he begins to who he becomes is so interesting to watch and is an important lesson for how people can see the error of their ways and change. It's important for people to be able to grow and change, and while they might of done horrible things in the past - if they are making an effort to no longer be that person, then that is admirable. You don't have to and shouldn't forgive them for things that they have done that have hurt others in the past, but you should accept that this person has changed. I don't think people should not be wary of people who have done terrible things, but there should be space for them to grow and move past it and be better.
I have similar thoughts about Kylo Ren from the new Star Wars trilogy, although his story is not complete, so I don't know where they'll take it. I like villains with interesting internal struggles or horrible backgrounds that have lead them to becoming who they are today. I also like really pathetic villains who have no reason at all for what they are doing, like Jack Spicer from Xiaolin Showdown. Because his motivations and loyalty are so weak he will basically side with anyone depending on what he thinks might benefit his immediate needs at the time. I also really like that with characters who aren't even villains, like Merton Dingle from Big Wolf on Campus, where the running gag is he'll ditch his friends and side with the monster of the week so he doesn't die.
I also like Eijirou Kirishima from Boku No Hero Academia because he is perfect and he wears crocs and I also wear crocs and wish I had his cool teeth.
What's your favourite song?
Current: Marrow by Ezra Vine
Historical/nostalgic: Whenever, Wherever by Shakira
What is your favourite and least favourite trope/cliche?
I like: When two people are going to stay at a hotel/motel and there is only ONe BeD AVAliABle and they have to SHarE. Give me that TRASH.
I hate: Bury your gays - obviously a very horrible trope and I hate seeing it in media. I think it happens less and less these days, but I still see it around.
You're pretty cool, do you want to come for dinner sometime?
Let me eat popcorn.
What do we need to see more of?
More Trans/Non-Binary characters in media, especially ones as main characters that don't DIE and are played by trans and Non-Binary actors (if there are actors involved).