#(which i do kinda mwahahaha) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

morgana-larkin · 7 months ago

Note

Mwahahaha hi I’m back to test your limits. I LOVED Want You Back sooo much. Can I request an alternate ending tho?? Where Mel apologizes and we’re like “oh cool thank u but I can’t believe u were willing to throw away a long term relationship without even talking ab it or letting me explain idk if I can trust u again what if something else triggers u and u just run away without making room for a conversation” and she’s like o shit ur right idk I promise never to do it again and we’re like idk bro u kinda broke my trust. And then BOOM. Sad ending. Maybe we fuck first and then decide in the end that we don’t wanna get back together w her. MWAHAHAHA

🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️. So I’ll be honest, I started writing this thinking there’ll be a whole lot of angst, turns out it only starts with angst then just becomes sad. I don’t know where it came from but apparently my brain deemed heartbreak, so I was like “ok brain” and just went with it. It starts off a bit before the smut part in the original. Not edited in the slightest and I hope you like it!

On another note: I got more prompts I’m getting through, you can keep sending them and I’m adding Marilyn Thornhill to the list of characters I write for.

Ti amo - I love you

Want You Back - Alternate Ending

Warnings: Alright where to start *checks notes*… angst and no comfort, no fluff, sad Mel, brief car accident mention, just angst and fluff, no happy ending, smut, good luck

Words: 4.1k

“Then what are you apologising for?”

“For 6 years ago, making a big mistake.”

“Wha-”

“I read your note.” She says, cutting you off. “I should have listened to you but I was just so angry that I couldn’t think.” She tells you and looks at you with guilt. “The real reason I said no to Gary is because I didn’t want to be with him because I still have feelings for you. And I felt so guilty about how I reacted and I unblocked your number when I got home after reading your note and read all the texts and I wanted to find you or contact you but I had no way of doing that.” And a few tears slip down her cheeks.

“I haven’t moved on, you know. I’ve forgiven you for that night but I haven’t gotten over you.” You say and Melissa is looking at you with wide puffy eyes. “I tried, I ended up living with a girlfriend for a year. But then she broke up with me when she wanted more and I didn’t. Said I was emotionally unavailable. Which I guess is true, you can’t develop big feelings for someone if your heart belongs to someone else.” You said and the look on Melissa’s face said it all.

“Who does your heart belong too?”

“You.” Melissa sucked in a breath. “When I saw you standing there in the break room after 6 years, I couldn’t believe it, and you still look beautiful and stunning.” She let out an airy laugh.

“You as well, you still look so damn beautiful. My heart belongs to you too.” Melissa then gets up and walks over to you and crouches next to you and holds your hand and you look down at her. “I want to be with you again, if you’ll have me.” She asks and you look at her.

A few tears slip down your face and you look away. “I do want to be with you again Mel but I can’t.” You tell her and she looks at you with wide eyes.

“What do you mean?” She asks, still full of hope that you’ll take her back.

“I mean I can’t.” You tell her and look at her. “You sacrificed a happy relationship and didn’t even think about anything or let me explain. You read my note and that’s when you finally knew you fucked up. If you let me explain that night then we might still be happily together now.” You tell her and she looks down at the floor with guilt. The hope she had fading away the more you talk. She brings your hand to her mouth and kisses it. She puts her other hand on yours and has yours in between both of hers.

“Please, let me make it up to you. I’ll do anything.” She says with tears running down her face and choking on her words.

“I really want to Mel, truly. But could you promise me that what happened won’t happen again? Can you promise that you won’t ever blow up at me and break up with me without letting me explain. I do love how passionate you are and how jealous you can be. It’s very sexy.” You tell her and you put your other hand on her cheek and wipe away her tears, she leans into your touch. “But you chose to let your jealousy take over instead of your love for me that night.” You tell her and she nods with a bunch of tears on her face.

“I’m so sorry y/n.” She tells you and she’s full on crying now. You get up and lean down to hug her. She grips onto you and puts her head on your shoulder and continues crying on you.

“I know Mel, I know.” You tell her and you rub her back soothingly. After a few minutes she calms down and leans her head on your chest near your heart.

“I really fucked up. If I were you, I wouldn’t forgive me either.” She tells you.

“I told you I forgive you Mel, but I didn’t forget. I need to protect my heart.” You tell her and she nods. Then an idea pops into your head. “When we get out of here, maybe we both need closure.” You tell her and she blinks a few times before she understands what you mean and lifts her head up.

“Are you saying we should have sex one last time?” She asks and you nod.

“It’s ok if you say no, it’s just a thought.” You tell her and she wipes away her tears.

“I like that idea.” She tells you and you nod.

“Ok, your place after school or mine?” You ask.

“Mine.” She tells you and you nod. Melissa moves to lean against a wall, legs up and arms around them, hugging herself. You on the other hand went to lean against the door. Legs up but head back on the door. “You shouldn’t have your weight on it in 2 hours or you’ll fall when they open it.” She tells you and you look at her.

“I know.” You tell her. “I’ll move before they do.” You say, except you fall asleep and you do indeed fall back when they open it. Fall back with a “ah.” Splayed on the floor with everyone looking at you. Melissa slowly moves her head to look at you.

“I told you not to lean all your weight on it.” She tells you.

“Ya ya.” You tell her and you get up and then tell them all a good night and walk to your car.

Barb looks to you leaving then to Melissa who’s still curled up on the floor. She walks over to her and bends down, Melissa shakes her head, fresh tears coming down her face. Barb wraps an arm around her shoulders and rubs the shoulder furthest from her. “She said she forgave me for that night but said she can’t get back together with me. She said she has to protect her heart.” She says through sobs.

“I’m so sorry Melissa.” Barb says and everyone looks at her with sorry expressions.

“I understand, I made a huge mistake that night that I shouldn’t have. I mean I should have let her explain why that guy was kissing her but I didn’t. I mean he forced it on her and she was trapped and what did I do? I didn’t protect her, instead I yelled at her and broke up with her.” Melissa says, so much guilt that she carries.

“Melissa, you had no idea it was forced on her.” Barb says. “I mean you were at the table when she went to get the drinks. You didn’t see anything except the kiss.”

“I know but I loved her, I still do. I should have let her explain. I mean she tried but I kept pushing her off, I’m such an idiot.” She says and cries again, this time on Barb. The others decide to leave to let them have privacy. And honestly they’re shocked, they were hoping Melissa would have a happy ending and they’ve never seen her cry before.

After a few minutes Melissa calms down then gets off Barb and wipes her cheeks to get the tear stains off. Barb lets her go and they both get up, Melissa wipes her pants to get the dust off and sniffles a bit.

“Do you want me to come over tonight? Keep you company.” Barb offers but Melissa immediately declines.

“No, I just want to be alone tonight.” She ain’t gonna tell Barb the real reason she’s declining, she might not understand it.

“Ok, but call or text me if you need anything, ok?” Barb says and Melissa nods her head. Barb helps guide Melissa to her car and watches as she drives out of the parking lot before she gets in her car to go home.

Once Melissa gets to her place, she sees your car in her driveway and you still in your car. She pulls up next to you and you see her. You both get out and you walk inside to the house. You look around while Melissa gets wine. She comes out with your favourite red wine and 2 glasses while you’re still looking around. After all, you did live here when you were together, and it changed a lot. First of all there was plastic on the couch again and you roll your eyes at that. There was more family pictures up, she must have done it when you took your pictures off the wall. And there was more on the table, behind the couch, you walk over and pick up one and look at it.

“You kept it.” You told her and she walks up and sees the one you meant, even though she already knew. It was you and her on your first anniversary, you took her to a Philly game and she asked you to move in and it happened on the same day. You were dressed up in your Philly gear and you were hugging her with a bunch of boxes behind you. You both had huge smiles on your faces. You looked at it and remembered the day, like it was yesterday, and a tear slips down your face. You put it down and you turn to her. You see her with the 2 glasses and your favourite wine, you can’t believe she remembers.

“Of course I kept it. It was one of the happiest days of my life.” She says and walks to sit on the couch.

“I see you also put the plastic back on the couch.” You tell her with an eye roll.

“Obviously, you’re the reason I took it off. So since you weren’t here to complain, I put it back on.” She says and you smile and walk over to sit down beside her.

“Are you sure you want this Mel?” You ask her and she does a big breath in and out.

“Ya, I think we both need this.” She tells you and you nod and you take the offered glass of wine. You think that maybe you’ll be able to trust her again and might get back together but for now, you both need closure.

You both down the drinks quickly and then you stop. You don’t want to be tipsy or drunk so you’d remember this. Melissa then gets up and holds her hands out for you to take with a soft smile. You take her hands and she pulls you up. She then guides you to her bedroom and closes the door behind you. She brings you to the bed and pushes you on it then crawls on top of you, knowing you like the view. She then leans down and kisses you and you grab her head to push her down more to kiss her harder.

You run your fingers through her beautiful locks of orange hair, admiring how it feels as you kiss her. You then gently start scratching and rubbing her scalp and she begins moaning. You smirk, remembering what drives her to make the noises you love to hear. Melissa feels the smirk and pulls back to look at you. “Being cheeky are we?” She asks and you nod proudly. Melissa smiles at you then goes down to kiss your neck. She really wants to suck and do small bites on your neck but she doesn’t know how you’d feel about it and you’re not hers anymore.

“You can leave 2 hickeys.” You tell her, somehow knowing exactly what she was thinking. “As long as they’re on the side enough for my hair to cover them.” You tell her and she moves your hair out of the way and goes to your neck and starts sucking. You gasp and buck your hips under her and Melissa smiles as she keeps sucking, wanting to make sure they stay there for at least 3-4 days.

You take her shirt off and you stare at her chest and stomach. You then feel her all over with your hands, on her chest, on her stomach, all over her back. When trying to feel her back, the bra gets in the way and you unclip it quickly. You take her bra off and push her back as she was kissing your neck. You look at her breasts again and you always remembered how amazingly full they are. You put your hands on them and squeeze them, you run your hands all over them and then you look at her. Melissa can tell what you want and she scoots up a bit then leans down so you can put her nipple in your mouth.

You’re still able to have a hand on her boob while your mouth is on the nipple and you’re loving it. After having a few one night stands and a couple relationships, all with smaller breasts, you love having a big chest to touch and look at. Melissa knows how much you loved her breasts when you were together, she let you have however long you wanted with her chest when you were together and she’s going to do that again right now. “Take your time and touch them all you want baby, I don’t mind.” She tells you and you hum and nod. You take your time swirling your tongue around the nipples and sucking on the skin, leaving hickeys on her boobs.

She then pulls you shirt off when you pull back and she runs her hands all over you. She unclips your bra and takes it off and runs her hands all over your chest and cups your boobs. She always loved your smaller chest, she’s able to fit the whole boob in her hand, a perfect handful. She then leans down and sucks and licks the nipple, knowing it gets you very wet. Your neck and your breasts she knows are the most sensitive on you and it gets you wet very quickly.

She then trails down your stomach with kisses and stops where the top of your skirt is. She always loved when you wore skirts, easy and quick access, especially since you loved flowy skirts instead of skin tight pencil skirts. She looks at you and you nod, then she pulls your underwear down and off of you. She takes a look at you in nothing but a skirt on, a cute skirt as well.

She then spreads your legs and sticks her head under your skirt. She places kisses on your thighs, trailing up and down until you're whining and begging. Then she places a kiss on your clit and licks a strip up your entrance. You moan as you feel her hot tongue on your entrance and going up to lick your entire pussy. She licks your pussy a few times before she goes to your entrance and sticks her tongue in. You gasp and moan as she does that, remembering how good it always felt when she did. Melissa knew your body very well when you were together, she always pays attention to what you like and don’t like. Right now she’s doing everything you like and taking her time, wanting to draw this out as much as possible.

While she’s sliding her tongue in and out of your entrance, she slides her hands up your body and land on your breasts and she cups them. You begin bucking your hips and she uses her elbows to pin you down. “Oohh Melissa, that feels so good. Oh you’ve always known how to pleasure a woman with just your tongue.” You tell her and she smiles. She then travels her tongue up to your clit and she sucks and licks it. You keep trying to buck your hips to get more pleasure but she has you pinned down and she doesn’t plan on telling you to stop moving, just wants you to enjoy tonight. Before you come however, a minute later, she pulls back and you let out a frustrated groan at her.

“What do you want me to do to you baby? How would you like me to fuck you?” She asks and you think.

“Can you lick my clip and finger me until I come then fuck me with a strap?” You ask her and she smiles warmly at her.

“Of course.” She tells you then goes to get the strap and comes back. She goes to take off her pants but you stop her.

“Wait, I want to undress you.” You tell her and she stops immediately and stands there beside the bed where you are and you get off the bed then kneel down on your knees in front of her. You undo her pants then pull the zipper down. You then slowly slide her jeans down, over her amazing hips and then down her legs, then she lifts one foot off the floor at a time to take them off. You then grip the top of her underwear and slowly pull them down off her pussy. You noticed a wet spot on her underwear and you smile when you see she’s practically dripping. You can’t resist lifting up a bit and licking her pussy.

She starts bucking her hips while you lick her and then start sucking on her clit. Her legs get shaky and she puts her hands in your hair to keep you where you are. Without pulling away from her, you gently push her and she falls on the bed in a seated position and she spreads her legs to give you more room. She still has her hands in your hair and she’s rubbing your scalp while murmuring praises to you and moaning. “Oh that feels so good baby. Oh keep going. That’s my good girl. Your tongue feels so fucking good on my pussy baby. You move your tongue so it’s now sliding in and out of her entrance and you put a finger on her clit and start rubbing circles on it. She moans and gasps and starts bucking her hips and you’re able to pin her down enough to keep going. She has one hand on the bed to keep her up and she has one on your head, buried in your hair, and keeping you exactly where you are on her pussy. “Oh baby, is this turning you on?” She asks and you nod. “Why don’t you touch yourself baby? Pleasure yourself while you pleasure me, but don’t let yourself cum.” She instructs you and you move your hand in between your legs and you start rubbing your clit and you moan. And since your mouth is wrapped around her pussy, your moan vibrates on her and sends a shot of pleasure right through her and she gasps. “Oh baby, I’m so close, make me cum my good girl.” She says and you rub her clit faster and move your tongue in and out of her faster as well. She jerks her hips and her legs are shaking, then she cums with a high pitch gasp.

You then pull your tongue out of her once you lick up all her cum then you stand up. You let her calm down as she’s breathing fast and then she hugs your waist and lays her head on your stomach. You know physical touch helps her calm down so you massage her scalp and then her breathing slows down. She then pulls you on the bed, on top of her and you fall on her. You think this might have been her plan as your pussy is right near her mouth and she aligns it with her tongue and then dives in. You lift yourself up just as she licks your entrance and you almost fall down due to the surprise and pleasure. You position yourself so that you’re leaning back a bit to cup her boobs and enjoy her tongue on your clit. “Lean forward and go on your hands baby.” She tells you and you obey right away. “My good girl.” She says and some more wetness goes right to your core, as if you weren’t already dripping.

She then is able to now slip a finger inside of your entrance like you wanted and you gasp, she feels how wet you are and slips another finger in, and then a third. You moan as she slams her fingers in and out of you and curls them to touch your special spot. You don’t last much longer and you cum with a moan. She then pulls out of you and while still licking you, she pulls the strap on while you come down from your high. She knows your favourite position with the strap is doggy style and then move to both on just your knees with your back pressed against her front. So she slips out from under you then gets on her knees behind you and slides the strap inside. She then starts sliding it in and out of you slowly, wanting to hear all your gasps and moans as much as possible. After about 5 minutes of that, and some begging from you, she pulls you up so that your back is pressed against her boobs as you like to feel them. You move a hand behind you, in her hair and she cups your boobs and thrusts faster in and out of you.

She then moves your hair away from your neck and she sucks and kisses your neck. While still having one hand cupping your boob, she moves her other one to circle your clit. The sensation becomes overwhelming and you would have fallen forward if she wasn’t holding you up. You end up coming 10 seconds later and Melissa doesn’t stop as she’s close as well.

She starts praising you and calling you sweet nicknames in Italian, thinking you forgot what they meant, which you didn’t. You don’t say anything, you just let her do that, and if you’re being honest, you find it sexy when she speaks Italian.

With the overstimulation and the hot redhead pressing you into her boobs and saying sweet things in Italian to you, you end up cumming 2 more times before she cums. She slows down in you before pulling out, and even when she’s coming down from her high, she knows not to let you go so you don’t fall forward. She ends up wrapping her arms around your waist and resting her chin on your shoulder.

After you both calm down enough, she lets you go and takes the strap off before running into the bathroom. She comes out with a cloth and cleans you both before throwing it on the floor with the strap, then climbs into bed next to you and you end up cuddling on her. You put your head on her boob and wrap an arm around her stomach, and a leg to rest along her waist.

Melissa has an arm wrapped around your back and pulls you closer to her, she then kisses your forehead and whispers “ti amo” when she thinks you’re asleep, you weren’t and heard her perfectly.

You both end up falling asleep.

Melissa awakes about 3 hours later to an empty bed. You ended up waking up before her and slipped out before she woke up.

On Monday, you continue to treat her as you were, as if you never had sex with her and it broke her. She ends up not coming in the rest of the week, Ava mentioning that she didn’t hear from her on Friday, causing Barb to go check on her.

While visiting her house, she gets a call from the hospital, informing her that Melissa was in a car accident and in CCU. She then calls you and the both of you visit her in her hospital room. Barb goes to see if she can get some food for both of you, leaving you alone with an unconscious Melissa. You were holding her hand and at some point she squeezed it, letting you know that she knows you’re there and that she’s ok.

When Melissa wakes up a few days later, Barb tells her that you switched schools and states and might not return to Philly ever again. Barb also let her know that you want to tell her “I’m sorry.”

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta

@imaginesmultifandoms

@idonothingalldays-blog

@sexysapphicshopowner

@dvrkhcld

@lilfartbox1

Let me know if you want to be added!

#melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti x oc #melissa schemmenti x you #melissa schemmenti #x reader #fanfic

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baskeigh-ball · 10 months ago

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Ignoring the fact that ibis had the ai paint feature a couple years before this whole ai fiasco, after seeing your post, I decided to try it out to see if it really held up. I already knew what you said made no sense, as even stuff like ai painting requires heavy human input that isn't just someone typing a prompt in a thing and looking through thousands of images and somehow still calling it 'art'. Really, it's just some weird advanced bucket.

The ibis ai paint... really sucks. I'm pretty sure it hasn't even been touched since it was added. No matter what I did, I got random colours and whatever colours I had put there looked like it were from a filter, not to mention how my lineart bled everywhere like it was blurred out.

Ibis isn't problematic for adding that feature as not only was it added ages ago, but it was also just a gimmick only added because a few more popular paid programs added them, like Clip Studio Paint. I highly doubt even the company took it seriously considering how poorly built it is. This is actually the one time I'm glad some feature in an app sucks so much.

Another reason why ibis isn't problematic by the mere feature alone is that, when you look at the artists making content during the time of that update, it was received with humour. It was something fun to try, but ultimately dismissed for actual artwork, as nobody would use it to fully paint their works. Nowadays we see something slapped with the words 'ai' and think that it's instantly bad due to the latest issues with it and big corperations/ certain production companies but it isn't. It's just a lot of people abusing what was previously some fun gimmick, which it can still be, and for certain apps, still is. Nobody throws pitchforks at character ai, after all.

You can tell just by the size of this that I'm procrastinating on something. Ima go and let this rot away in your askbox now lol

You really thought this would fade away in my ask box, mwahahaha /j

I wanna start off by saying thank you for holding me accountable, I will admit that I got buzzworded pretty hard in this situation lmao

This information came as a surprise to me-- I was seeing posts pop up within the past week complaining about the ai feature on ibis, so I assumed it was recent. As it turns out, after reading your ask, I discovered that I got a few wires crossed! Because yes, the auto paint feature I referred to in my post has been around for years now, and was never taken seriously anyways

So that was my bad (and yea ur right it's completely unusable, lmao)

But as it turns out, the feature that people have been complaining about DID come out recently. It was called the AI Example feature, I think the idea was that you make a simple drawing and the AI adds 99% of the detail and color, which I've seen a bunch of other programs do.

...and then it was immediately removed due to some pretty major backlash, which, duh

^ This is the only evidence I can find of the 11.2.0 update that included the AI feature on the actual site; their update history stops at 11.1.0. But there's also the news page about the removal of the update, so it's not like they're trying to pretend it never happened.

So tl;dr, I jumped on the hate train a little too quickly and never did enough research to figure out what the actual update was, and that it's been removed by now anyway (which I couldn't have known until today, ofc, but i did kinda post that thing about ibis today so it's still a pretty major oopsie)

I think I can say with confidence now that I agree, ibis paint isn't problematic to use-- they made a mistake with this update, but they actually listened to their users and removed it LITERALLY the next day. So, thanks for letting me know! I'll also edit my last post to prevent any misinformation, just in case people make the same mistake I did :]

#its a big relief that i dont have to learn how to use an entirely new art program anyway #so this ask came as a pleasant surprise #asks open #ibispaintx #now i just gotta hope i didnt get anything else wrong about the update

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desultory-novice · 4 months ago

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Noir, Noir! What do you think of the people who took care of Adeleine when she made it to Popstar?

"Oh, those guys! I haven't actually met many of them at all! (but when I concentrate, I can see a whole bunch of them there, which is kinda funny! Especially because they resemble the characters from my stories. How did I get it so right, right? Coincidences are crazy!)"

"But I know some of them, like King Dedede who is a PENGUIN - literally the best animals ever - and he's great and super tough and it's so warm and comfortable to be inside him and I wish I could stay there forever and not have to come out because I don't want to go back to the place I have to go back when I leave! He's the best and I feel really bad about that HUGE scar I gave him when I was........."

"...Hmm? Scar? Did I... Oh, maybe I meant scarf?! Cause we've got the same scarf! He doesn't wear his like a scarf because he's a king and he's got to wear his big fuzzy king robes instead but yeah!"

"And there's Kirby! Kirby's small and pink and I bet he'd feel real nice to hold and he's the biggest impediment to our plans and we have to **** him for sure this time even though he's so nice to everyone! He helped me out of a bad situation even though we just met each other! Can you believe that? He called me a friend and I don't have a whole lot of friends, so that's why I tried to disobey orders as much as I (eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye-eye)!"

"...Woah! Weird! It's like I glitched for a second?"

"He's not just Adeleine's buddy, he's also my little brother Gooey's best friend! There's probably no one Kirby can't win over!"

"And he's got his own theme song, you know!" "Here! I'll sing a few bars for everyone!"

~Kirby, Kirby, Kirby, that's the name of the game~! ~Kirby, Kirby, Kirby, now nothing's the same~! ~He's made of dream stuff, what a powerful puff~! ~Kirby, Kirby, Kirby's the star~!

>This goes on for a while... >Turns out Noir thinks the opening is rather catchy

---

PS: To any OC with the ability to record things but mostly @ivynajspyder's Techie, I would beg you to potentially possess blackmail footage of Noir enthusiastically singing his mixed-up take on the Kirby opening loud enough for everyone to hear.

...I want it to haunt him later. Mwahahaha...!

@kirbyoctournament

[Noir's Fieldtrip Masterpost]

AN: Surprise! It's a belated Cheery Noir ask!

Told you I'd try to come back to these / still answer some fun ones even though Noir is no longer presently in hyper cheer mode!

#Noir Fontaine #Noir's Field Trip #Kirby OC Tournament #Kirby OC

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spopsalt · 8 months ago

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Oh wait Odalia and Gus I can get but Belos

How did ALL 3 of these people fail your expectations. Explain in full details if you don’t mind.

Ok!

Odalia just got villianized with no depth, while I can understand wanting to showcase toxic parents, Alador got some kind of development, but Odalia just stayed the same the whole way through, which is pretty disappointing to me

Gus, he was mainly a background character, he got a bit of development and his own episode dedicated to him, but other than that he was just kinda...there.

Belos, for the most part I liked him, but I feel like they could've done more, he does have more personality rather than just "evilllllllllllll MWAHAHAHA" but not enough in my opinion, and if you wanna know the full length of his backstory, you have to look in the background which isn't a very good decision in my opinion, so while I do like his character for the most part, there are definitely more things they could've improved on

#the owl house critical #the owl house salt #the owl house criticism

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lilacskyflow-blog · 5 months ago

Text

My "The Nun" head canons because im desperate

Because I still haven't moved on with the maurine (yes I made them a ship name) ship these are my head canons a.k.a tweaks to the movie to make them get together🥲

In the first movie:

☆ Irene is not a nun, but only a helper or has connections with the church.

☆ She was only called because the church knew that of her visions.

☆ During this time, Irene was wondering if she would start becoming a nun since the other sisters at the convent where she was staying we're trying to convince her to be one.

☆ When Irene and Father Burke met, Irene told him what I wrote above, so when they went to Maurice's house to ask about the abbey, Burke lied to Maurice to back off because "Irene is a nun"

☆ Irene still took vows from Burke when they were about to fight the final boss/fight, but since it wasn't official and Burke was the only one with a position in the church that was there during that moment it doesnt count!! (Let's just say that when they got back, the church didn't allow it ;) )

☆ Since Irene isnt a nun here, the "Thank you for saving my life, Maurice" SCENE IS MORE IMPACTFUL

☆ In the last scene, Irene revealed to Maurice that she really wasn't a nun but she was just planning to🤣

Second movie:

☆ Okay so when Valak was there in the climax scene in the first movie, they actually didn't possess maurice!

So how did they go to boarding school?

Valak still has another portal but is inactive, which made it's barriers there weak, but since their main portal was closed in the first movie, Valak then went to that other inactive portal. There, one after another, Valak possessed innocent people, (after Valak posseses another person, their last vessel dies kind of thing) so the scene where the church noticed that people were dying left and right in the churches still happens, up until Valak makes their way to the boarding school where the eye of saint lucy is placed!

☆ So who gets possessed in part 2?

ITS THE TEACHER MWAHAHAHA (I kinda have beef with her character smh, but I think it's kinda appropriate that she gets possessed, im not quite sure how that happens but take it as it is! This is my head canon😭)

☆ Since it was the teacher who was possessed, she manipulates Maurice not to interfere with what Valak is trying to do BY SHOWING THAT SHE WAS KIND AND DEFINATELY NOT POSSESSED so that Maurice would not be suspicious of her, so expect some back and fourth scenes with the four characters in the movie.

☆ During the train flashback scene, SINCE IRENE DIDN'T BECOME A NUN, THERE IS MORE TENSION BECAUSE THEY BOTH ARE HAVING REGRETS FOR LEAVING SINCE THERE HAS BEEN SPARKS BUILDING UP BETWEEN THEM THAT ITS OBVIOUS ENOUGH THAT THEY BOTH THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THERE BUT DID NOT PERSUE EACH OTHER because Maurice was leaving and went to look for a job far from the church since he still is traumatized 🤩😭😭😭

☆ After that Maurice went looking for a new job and found it at the boarding school and the rest of the movie happens exactly the same.

☆ At the end of the movie, THE TEACHER DIES SO THERE'S NO ONE TO GET POSSESSED BY VALAK AGAIN AFTER A WHILE

(okay maybe I do have beef with her character.. ONLY because, if you really think about it, if the teacher wasnt there, and it was only sophie who was with maurice, THERE LITERALLY IS LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE WITH THE MOVIE)

☆ BUT— Maurice would still almost die and the thank you for saving my life scene happens AGAIN BUT MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL BECAUSE THERE IS A KISS AT THE END YESS!!!!! SWEET VICTORY!!!!!! WOHOOO THE SHIP HAS SAILED!!! After Irene kissed Maurice, maybe frenchie would even say "You even cut your hair after I left" (because yes, when i saw that irene had short hair for the movie, i immediately thought that she was broken hearted after they parted ways Hshshsh🫠) and Irene just laughes at him AND THE MOVIE ENDS HAPPLY EVER AFTER!!!!

It is cliché, but then again— it's my head canon😭

If there are any writers out there who miraculously gets inspired to write for them because of this, DO IT PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU 🙏

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wolfy1298 · 7 months ago

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Hum for the art request, do Farore from LoZ (however you imagine her), planting flowers/any plants using a skull (human or not) as a pot inspire you ?

Just in case you think I'm creepy for suggesting that I swea' I didn't mean to T^T. It's just idea symbolize the cycle of Life and Death T^T

Well you don't like it, then here is a question to sociolize :D ! I really love your animation, how do you come up with idea for them ?

I probably won’t have time to do the drawing request but it’s definitely a neat idea, so if anyone else is interested, here ya go!

As for my animation, I’m assuming you mean the animatics I’ve made? I don’t know which specific one you’re referring to so I’ll just answer it for all of them.

Ravio Singing about the LU bois: I had that song on repeat for who knows how long and went “ya know, this could be funny”

The AI one: I watch to much Vocaloid/Megaman/Digimon and technology tends to die at my hands so I figured why not combine all of it to explain my curse. I initially came up with the characters back in high school and I’ve just fleshed it out over the years for portfolio pieces. …..I realize that I never posted this? I don’t think???? My bad but here’s art for the characters

The Witch and Cat one: This was for my Storyboard class and we had the prompt “a pet owner drops some food, their pet eats it, and it becomes a monster”. I didn’t want to make my pet a scary monster and I had been researching Grimm’s Fairytales and German architecture for a different class at the same time so I kinda just used what I had and went with a story of a magic potion going wrong.

The Robot one: like the Cat one, this was also for school and based off a (more complex) prompt. Thankfully for me (and unfortunately for all you poor souls thinking that it would be happy), it was based off of one of my favorite tropes so I had a strong idea of what I wanted to do right off the bat. Something about robots discovering human emotions and not being able to handle it or embracing them despite it resulting in their break down always seems to get to me. And I was handed that on a silver platter mwahahaha. I also love ballet and music so I kinda just combined everything for a nice sucker punch right in the heart.

#tldr I listen to too much music and watch too many amvs

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penname-artist · 8 months ago

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Yo, some extra ✨lore✨ for the lesbian crack ship:

Miss Fritter's got a fair amount of tattoos – at least, those that aren't covered by scars. The most notable among them are the words on her hands, where below each knuckle they say "HELL" and "BENT"

She's also got a cut on her ear that you can see, which came from another such excursion of bodily scarring through her sport.

Speaking of sport, because this is human land here, they do drive vehicles in their crazy 8 races for the record, and most people's bodily damage is just from getting tossed around in their own jury-rigged scrap metal cars.

I seriously debated making the human equivalent cage fighting instead, but I thought that didn't have quite the same vibes nor the same free-for-all theme that crazy 8 racing has. And not to mention, that exists in our world anyways. I have been lucky enough to watch school bus figure 8 racing before, live in person. It's very messy lol.

But since I had that idea, yeah...Fritter's got a history of cage fighting too ;)

On the other end of the spectrum, Natalie Certain is in a unique predicament which is how she meets the madam: impressed with Cruz's skillset, she goes hunting for the inside scoop on the actual, statistical "learning" from all of the places Cruz initially "trained" in. Given the win at Thunder Hollow, that was where she ended up.

To put size into perspective y'all: Natalie Certain is a whopping 5'2", and Miss Fritter (without the combat boots, mind) is a solid 6'0". Add two to three inches for big boots. Beeg Woman...

Natalie's fascination is a hilarious evolution of "oh my God this place is so gritty and horrible, I hate this, I might die here" to "wow this woman is so in her element in this crazy and dangerous place...that's kinda hot"

Is Cruz involved in this? Maybe maybe. I'm debatey-bating. Either they're a love angle where Natalie has to choose between the two, or the three of them become a poly lesbian relationship and all you fuckers get to witness my unhinged lesbian madness. Mwahahaha

#cars 3 #pixar cars #miss fritter #natalie certain #cruz ramirez

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kkbardd · 1 year ago

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Oh my God I just read all of your asui stuff and even though I never considered this ship before I love it?? Like whenever I watch eva I genuinely don't think about the romantic lives of any of the characters because the themes of loneliness and low self worth speak to me more, but now that I've considered how toxic they can be my brain is on fire??? AAAAHH I CAN FEEL A NEW HYPERFIXATION HELP

AAAAHHH ALL ACCORDING TO PLANNN MWAHAHAHA

I’m so glad my toxic yuri agenda makes sense to ppl tho, it’s actually so fun once u get into it & the possibilities are endless T_T !!

I love ships in media but often times the the characters’ personal arcs are thrown aside to make room for romantic narratives, which makes sense but it still kinda sucks and it can feel a bit OOC at times. Thats why I like asurei so much, because they’re so fundamentally intertwined that you can’t NOT consider it. Since the ship itself is based strongly on their chara development throughout the show, it ends up feeling very real too! Also if you ever wanna do fluff, nge’s whole alt timeline thing is crazy convenient LOL

All in all, asurei 1 - kawoshin 0 . Thank u .

#hook line n sinker #I gotta recruit y’all to wage war against the kawoshin army #it’s an uphill battle but i believe in us #joking aside stuff like this makes me so happy 🥹#thank yewwww #they’re literally a match made in Heaven #ask

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chibishortdeath · 11 months ago

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Fuck it, Simon Belmont, because why not you basically themed your blog after him

You don’t have any specific numbers, so I’m just answering every question >:3c mwahahaha—

1. “Why do you like this character”:

A lot of reasons!!! First off, most of his games are super fun and some of my favorite platformers just in general. I replay CV1, Simon’s Quest, and SCV4 most often cause they’re a real joy to play! I also absolutely LOVE Simon’s story, I’ve considered making comics about it if I could ever get out of recent art block whoops, even though I’ve seen many people say he doesn’t have one (´TωT｀). His designs are really cool, he’s got great music in his games, there’s just a lot to love and I’ll explain more in detail in other questions.

2. “Favorite canon thing?”

I really like the concept that he looks up to Christopher as this legendary hero and then ends up considered the same kind of legendary hero by Juste and others after him. It’s pretty ironic, kinda bittersweet, especially after being hated for so long. Castlevania loves its cycles like that. Also just Simon’s Quest in general, I love that game.

3. “Least favorite canon thing?”

Ooo that’s very hard. There’s kinda a lot of things about him that aren’t explained or confirmed, especially personality wise, but I kinda like that in a way cause it leaves room for interpretation and whatnot. Idk hmmm. I’m gonna go with Grimoire of Souls in general. I had some hopes for it, but it ended up being kinda lame. A lot of the characterization was weird and don’t even start me on things like the Cursed Whip theory being in there 💀. So I just choose to ignore it and not consider it canon.

4. “If you could put this character in another media, what would it be?”

I have thought about drawing him as if he was a character in other series for ages lol. I’ve already drawn him as a Pokémon trainer, I’ve thought about drawing Castlevania and Soul Eater crossovers before, and I tried drawing him in the style of Resident Evil 1 but could not get the art style down. Idk put him in Fortnite or something that’d be funny we already got Solid Snake so Konami has been in talks with them I guess X,,,,,,,,,,D

5. “What’s the first song that comes to mind when you think of them?”

Probably either Simon’s Theme (of course lol) or Bloody Tears, but I do wanna mention that I have a YouTube playlist of songs I wanna make Simon animations with eventually (alas animation is HARD).

6. “What’s something you have in common with the character?”

Mostly negative things unfortunately d(;w; ). Like self comparison, doubt in my own abilities, trouble making and keeping friends, etc etc. Although a lot of these are based on assumptions and interpretations, as a lot of him usually is. Simon does have a really similar hair color to me on the NES box art tho so that’s cool.

7. “What’s something the fandom does with this character that you like?”

There’s a lot of really nice art of him!!! Usually portraits, but sometimes there’s other doodles and whatnot too :3. Cool fan redesigns too! I also have seen a lot of neat headcanons, a lot of which I’ve adopted. I also appreciate the Captain N reunion stuff for the most part, it’s pretty wholesome.

8. “What’s something the fandom does with this character that you don’t like?”

I’ve seen a lot of comics, especially around when Smash Bros Ultimate came out, that were really… weird. I think all of them could kinda be boiled down to “old = bad” in the way that the artists probably just found out he was from the 1600s and then decided to make him the Boomer to Richter’s Gen Z for whatever reason (ya know despite Richter being from the 1700s but anyway). Simon would either be the jerk in the situation and/or the butt of the joke. I don’t think that Simon would have any issue with any of the female characters’ outfits let alone start harassing them for it. I saw some comics that made fun of him for not speaking very much in some genuinely disgusting ways too. Like making him not able to read or practically just the generic caveman stereotype. Especially in cases where the artist would depict other silent NES protagonists really nicely after making Simon out to be a complete idiot and asshole. There was also the trend of making him generally be all “oh no witchcraft!!!!!!!!!! What sin!!!!!!! The horror!!!!!!!!” about like anything and everything. I guess a lot of this comes from Smash Bros fans not usually being fans of Castlevania, but I’ve seen it in the Castlevania fandom too just less frequently. There’s also the “Simon has no story” thing oof. I’ve seen people tell people to skip his games or play fan games instead before :(

9. “Could you be roommates with this character?”

Realistically, no, my room is too small for another person :(. If that wasn’t an issue, then yeah probably :).

10. “Could you be best friends with this character?”

I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO—

11. “Would you date this character?”

No, he’s probably married, generally feels more like a bestie, and I’m aroace lol

12. “What headcanon do you have for this character?”

Too many oh my god. I think he probably makes things. That’s a very vague sentence lol, but think like armor, knives, general woodworking, all his necklaces and headbands and stuff, etc. He generally seems like he keeps to himself and lives mostly alone, so I can see him doing all that by himself. He keeps some bones and teeth of things he hunts most of the time. A lot of people have him as the most super Christian of the family, but I see him as like Christian but really not organized or strict about it, if that makes sense? I’ve seen someone else describe the Belmonts as like “Christopagan” before and yeah I think that fits. Idk why but I have consistently drawn him with his cross necklace in his mouth sometimes. I headcanon him as semiverbal (I think that’s the correct term for it, basically like inbetween speaking and nonspeaking). I like to think he’s like really average height for the 1600s cause he’s about as tall as other townspeople and skeletons and stuff. Which is funny cause that’d make him like 5’5-5’7 ish and that’s kinda short in modern day lol. And I guess that makes his 8bit sprite being used all the time make more sense XD. I have way more, I didn’t even get into Simon’s Quest related ones, but I don’t wanna make this too long aaaaaaaaaaaa

13. “What’s an emoticon that reminds you of the character or you think they’d use a lot?”

Ok this is funny cause I actually do have one for this and it’s got context. It’s the “:3”. So I was watching a bunch of people’s playthroughs one night cause I was bored and ran into a channel with a toooooon of speedruns of maps from Harmony of Despair. Whenever they’d get to a boss battle they’d use the typing feature just to go “hi” with a different cutesy emoticon every time, but when they got to Dracula they specifically went for the “hi :3” and then went “oh no :(“ when Dracula started attacking and now that’s the way I think he’d text I guess.

14. “Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character”

How does one properly explain how much this guy slays in one aesthetic term—

15. “What’s your favorite ship for this character?”

Oooooo, in canon probably like his wife (Selena) and/or the Mysterious Woman (who could be the same character depending on what theories you go by), but outside of that Simon Belmont x Getsu Fuma and I can’t even explain exactly why, but it’s pretty cute.

16. “What’s your least favorite ship for this character?”

Any BelmontXBelmont shipping ugh, it’s unfortunately really common on some places… also the whole Lucas or Pit or whatever other child character thing the smash bros fandom had ugh. I guess I also just don’t see the appeal of shipping any of the Belmonts with Dracula.

17. “What’s a ship you don’t hate but it’s not your favorite?”

I’ve also seen people ship him with Solid Snake, Palutena, or Bayonetta before. Ummm he doesn’t really have a lot of other characters he’s shipped with tbh. Idk I saw someone ship him with one of the priests from Simon’s Quest once.

18. “Relationship in canon you admire?”

Unfortunately he doesn’t really talk to people enough in game to form canon relationships 😔

19. “Relationship in canon you don’t like?”

I don’t even know if I can answer this one for the same reasons as the above 💀💀💀. I guess the townspeople hating the hell out of him, but I don’t hate that cause it’s kinda integral to the plot???? Yeah idk lol

20. “What character is the ideal best friend for this character?”

Simon and Shanoa would get along a lot I think. Sara too. Hmmmm… I think he and Alucard would probably also be good friends. Christopher too for many reasons. Simon just really needs friends my poor dude is out here in Dracula’s Castle and the Romanian countryside after being cursed alone like this poor guy :’(

21. “If you’re a fic writer, what’s your favorite thing to do when writing this character? What’s something you don’t like?”

I have not written much at all, however what small comics I have done I looooove to make sure to sprinkle in whatever symbols he has in the games into it. He has a lot of cool things ranging from like rose thorns to The Hanged Man card and a lot of them end up meaning things like martyrdom and whatnot idk I made a post about it a while ago :3. I also like specifically Simon’s Quest speculation stuff, like what if scenarios for the vague, left open spots of it. If it’s not something super angsty or lore heavy, it’s usually just wholesome character interactions or doodling him being comforted by Christopher or Trevor cause I was sad or something lol. As far as things I don’t like writing uh idk that’s hard, maybe just any kind of filler scenes cause I’m not very good at those oof. Dialogue is hard too 💀💀💀

22. “If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like/don’t like to see in fics?”

I’ve mentioned a lot of things I don’t like seeing in uh question 8, but things I do like is when people really try to go full horror with him. I’ve seen some Simon’s Quest fics (sadly there’s very few :’3) that really try to get that same feeling of anxiousness and dread the game does and I love that honestly. It’s a really dark story in the series! I also saw one that went psychological horror with it with him kinda losing himself a little at night it’s just ough it’s cool :D! Simon is a horror protagonist! Make him afraid!!!

23. “Favorite picture of this character?”

Again, too many!!! X3

24. “What other character from another fandom reminds you of them?”

Not from fandoms I am in (yet, hopefully I’ll get into these), but Ragnvaldr from Fear and Hunger I’ve heard is just directly inspired by him and Alfred from Bloodborne also, to me, seems heavily inspired by him. The whole Vilebloods section seems very Castlevania inspired tbh. From other fandoms I’m in, that’s hard to say, there’s not really any I don’t think.

25. “What was your first impression of this character, is it the same as now?”

Well I got into Castlevania through Smash Bros and at first was completely indifferent about him, he was just kinda fun to play as. Then Richter got me to play SotN and actually get into the series more. I had no idea I had SotN on XBOX360 for a long time, but that made it pretty easy to start playing. And now I am absolutely hooked and Simon is my favorite character so uh yeah X3.

26. “Freebie!”

I guess I just say anything? Ok, I am currently half trying to cosplay Simon’s Simon’s Quest design rn! I have like everything but the armor, but I’ll have to wait a while to be able to get materials for it oof. But yeah :). Hopefully that works out.

Ok yeah that’s pretty dang long wow, but yeah, thanks for the ask!!!! I am happy to rant about Simon anytime :3

#castlevania #castlevania games #text post #simon belmont #asks #ask game #yay! Simon :3 #I feel like I could probably go on even longer with other questions but uh yeah #more reason to do more of these ask things they’re fun :)#incoherent rambling #idk if I should put a cut somewhere in this cause WOW that is LONG jesus #hmmmmmmmmmmmmm idk #I should post some of the Simon and Fuma art I have sometime when I’m not feeling weirdly self conscious about it—

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edogawa-division · 1 year ago

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ARB Birthday Special 2023: Kaoru Shinozaki

~~ September 15th ~~

“There is no great genius without a mixture of madness.”

“Zzzzzzz…. Gah! I'm up! I'm awake! Oh shit, you scared me! Don't do that! I can feel my heart pounding! Huh? Is this a present?”

“Why are you even giving this to me? It’s not like my birthday is anytime soon. Wait, what do you mean today is my birthday? Athena dammit! I forgot again!”

Voice Lines:

“I can't believe I forgot about my birthday for the second year in a row. I mean, I did spend the last few days working on an invention. Oh well, I might as well see what chaos I can get up to today.”

“Alright! “Operation: Birthday Bash” is a go! Mwahahaha! Major intelligence agencies all across the world are currently waking up to a malware virus that I just sent to their servers!*giggles* It's nothing too bad. All it's going to do is forcibly take control of their speaker systems and play “Never Gonna Give You Up” on repeat all day. Take that you fuckers!”

“Hi Mama, Papa, Nii-san. It's me. I’m doing alright, just turned 23, but I'm sure you all knew that.*sighs* Lately, I've been thinking about what my life would be like if the accident never happened. I think…I would've been miserable, and isn't that a horrible thought? I never said this, but for all that you loved me, none of you ever bothered to understand me. How could you? I was too different. What? You don't think I heard you talking at night? That you thought I walked the line between genius and insanity. That you thought I would grow up to be a villain? That some days you were even afraid of me? Ha! A part of me resents you for that even now.”

“You know A.D.A is usually the first one to wish me happy birthday, but I haven't heard from her all day, which is pretty strange. I think she’s planning something because she asked me a while back if I had any plans for my birthday all while looking like the cat who ate the canary. Ehhhh…I should probably prepare for the worst. A.D.A can get pretty vindictive when the mood hits her.”

“Yurikoooo! What did you get me? Noooo! Betrayed by my own mother! Next thing you know I’ll be left out on the cold streets to fend for myself. Oh, the horror! *wheezes* Okay, okay, I’m done! Oh, come on, Yuriko! It's my birthday. Let me live a little! Anyway, did you not really get me anything? Hahaha! I knew you’d never let me down! So, whatcha get me?”

“A string of numbers? Wait, are these what I think they are? Fuck…Yuriko that place is literally one of the best guarded networks in the world. I could spend years attempting to hack it as Delphi, and even then, I would only be able to make a dent in their firewall. Literally, the only ones allowed to have access to that place are the top and, I mean, top dogs of the underworld. So why? Why give this to me? Why give me access to… somewhere where I make the worst of my genius blossom to life with no consequences? A storm, huh? You can count on me, Yuriko. I promise.”

“No wait Kanra! *crunch* K-K-Kanra it seems like your birthday hugs get stronger every year huh? My ribs certainly can tell. Oh, what are we waiting for then? You know I love your cakes Kanra! Hahaha! Okay, then what did you get me?”

“Pfffffftt! Kanra that thing is nearly as tall as you are! Hahaha! No, but seriously Kanra thank you. I've always wanted one of these. How did you even get one anyway? This thing is kinda of expensive. *wheeze* Kanra please! You can't treat a fight like it's a Pokémon battle. Hahaha! Never change Kanra.”

“A.D.A! There you are! You're even in your android body, too! So I can only assume you have something special planned for me today. A.D.A…your grin is kind of scaring me. The last time you grinned like that, you didn't let me have coffee for 2 weeks. Oh gods, you are banning me from coffee again! A.D.A, please! I need coffee to survive! A.D.A…you’re still not filling me with confidence, but alright, what did you get me?”

“Uhhh…A.D.A? This is just a piece of paper with a time and a set of directions on it. Of course a…A.D.A WHAT DO YOU MEAN DATE??? Y-y-you…dinner…him…error…error…asdkhgkjiwenfkdklyyxgsitzfzjfzkfoxyoaryhdftwehadghffnjkelfhewnejwnjb…*faints*”

Yuriko Lines:

“Happy Birthday, Kaoru. *raises eyebrow* Does it look like I'm carrying a gift for you? *sighs* Are you done with your little charade Kaoru? Birthday or not, please do not wail like you’re the ghost of a Victorian child. Really? Do you truly believe I would get you anything? What kind of mother would I be if I didn't get my own daughter anything? Now I'm sure you’ll find this quite interesting.”

“Not just any set of numbers, Kaoru. I had to pull quite a few strings for these numbers. As you know, there's the black market which even a regular citizen can get access to if they look hard enough and then there's █ █ █ █ █ █ █. A global network of various dealers and brokers, hidden behind a series of codes and unknown numbers. Where only the truly dangerous lie, both people and items. It’s so well hidden that not even the various governments are aware of its existence, or if they do, all they know is rumors. Kaoru, I won't lie. A storm is brewing and heading our way. I’m not sure when or how, but I’ll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to make sure the three of us survive. If that means giving you access to someplace where you can be the worst version of yourself, then so be it. I know Kaoru, I know.”

Kanra Lines:

“Happy Birthday Kaoru! *hugs* Eh? Sorry! Guess I got a little too excited. Ah! Nevermind that! Come on Kaoru! I have your birthday cake in the kitchen! First I have to give you your present! I hope you like it!”

“Ta-da! Your very own giant Mareep doll! It is not! I can see over it! Hm? Oh right. So every time I beat someone unconscious I rummage through their wallets and steal all the cash they have on them. Why not? Winner’s rights! If people wanna pick a fight with me they better be prepared to fork over some cash when they lose!”

Bonus! A.D.A Lines:

“Kaoru my dear! Happy Birthday! Oh, I have just a little something special for you today. *grins widely* Hm? Hahaha! Don’t be so scared, Kaoru, it's nothing like that. I will admit that it was a bit hard to work on the plan without you noticing, but I succeeded. Now, here I have something for you!”

“Why is it the time and location for your dinner reservation for your date with that pretty goth boy! Of course! He seemed surprised when I asked him. He was under the impression that you would be spending your birthday with Yuriko and Kanra, but I waved off his concern and told him you would love it if he took you out for dinner! Oh dear, her mind is erroring. Are you alright, Kaoru? Kaoru? AHH! SHE FAINTED!”

#hypnosis microphone #hypnosis mic #hypmic #hypmic oc #hypnosis mic oc #edogawa division #wicked requiem #shinozaki kaoru #kuromiya yuriko #akemi kanra #a.d.a #alternative rap battle #arb #happy birthday kaoru 2023

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otakween · 2 years ago

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Digimon Adventure 02 (Blind Watch) - Episode 34

Meh, this one was kind of weak. In fact, the plot is starting to feel a little too random to me. The Archnemon/Mummymon's plan is basically just "destroy these holy point thingies because mwahahaha." Like, they don't even really know what they do. And then BlackWarGreymon is kinda just aimlessly going through the motions not sure what he's doing is right. It's just like...I don't really care lol. Can't wait to move on from this arc.

Digimon introduce: None. But...there was that weird dragon-like digimon in the distortion. We just don't know its name yet.

Notes:

-The whole premise of this episode where Iori is agonizing over how he doesn't understand Takeru was kinda dumb. He's like "angry Takeru, kind Takeru, which is the REAL Takeru??" Uh...people are three dimensional Iori. It's not that confusing actually. Also, is hating darkness really that questionable?

-I realized that the whole Jogress evolution thing is a good time saver since they can essentially do 2 evolutions in 1. Anything that cuts down on stock animation is a plus in my book!

-Archnemon and Mummymon have quickly become quite one-note. I feel like they could do more with their characters but they're starting to feel like Team Rocket...

-So we get a plot twist where Angemon evolves into HolyAngemon instead of doing a Jogress evolve with Ankylomon. That was probably the most exciting part of the episode. For starters, apparently the holy stones can evolve digimon, but does it just work on Angemon because he's holy? Second, the I'm glad they're drawing out the Iori/Takeru Jogress a little longer, especially since the boys haven't bonded enough yet.

-The explanation of the multiple worlds distorting and combining was interesting and nice and simple for once. I guess it's a different concept from a multiverse since there aren't alternate versions of the characters in each worlds. If there's a "real" and "digital" world, what could the other worlds be I wonder...

#digimon adventure 02 #digimon #anime #blind watch

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plumblossomcafe · 2 months ago

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Ch.63: Silent Seeker of Knowledge

Paimon: Hellooo? Haypasia? Hey, there's nobody here... Hmm, maybe she went out to look for some food. Let's try looking around the area!

Paimon turns around and leaves the cave

Faint Sound: Clatter...

Aether/Y/n: "What was that sound? It sounds like it's coming from inside the cave..."

They walked further into the cave and looked around, finding an unconscious Haypasia.

Aether/Y/n: "It's Haypasia! Is she okay?"

Them and a mysterious little creature walk toward Haypasia at the same time from different angles and see each other upon nearing Haypasia as they ran into the curious being again, it seemed to have been given quite a fright.

???: !?

The mysterious little creature leaps into the air and disappears as Paimon returns

Paimon: There you are. Haypasia! Are you alright?

Haypasia: Uh, ughhh... So hungry... *cough* Need... water...

Y/n: *kneeling in front of her* She looks famished, though she somehow has more energy than I expected.

Paimon: There's no way we can get her to eat in her current condition. Let's try finding some water first.

They turn around

Paimon: Huh? Wait! Why does it look super foggy outside all of a sudden? Anyway, let's go look around!

After exiting the cave

Paimon: Huh? How'd things out here end up looking like this? Wh—What happened!? And where are we?

Aether: Relax, Paimon. There must be a logical explanation for all this.

Paimon: Really? Oh, maybe you're right... Let's go investigate the area.

As they investigated further, they had to unlock and enter a bunch of different areas, puzzling them even more about the situation they're facing, soon they entered an upper platform where they encountered an Abyss Herald.

Abyss Herald: Hahaha! Well, well, well. Looks like we meet again!

Paimon: Ah! The Abyss Herald! What are you plotting to do in this strange place?

Abyss Herald: Strange place? Plotting? Hehehe... You needn't worry about such things, they don't concern you!

Around 20 seconds after the Abyss Herald initiates Dark Descent

Paimon: Huh? Wh—Why can't we beat this guy...? Paimon doesn't get it. We've faced others like him before — what's wrong this time?

Abyss Herald: Though you may have managed to avert countless crises before, your good fortune was bound to end sooner or later. It's time you realize how weak and powerless you really are!

Aether: Our journey will not end here! I still must find my sister!

Abyss Herald: Your sister? Mwahahaha! Oh, pitiful Traveler, are you really so ignorant? Or are you just living in complete denial? Her Highness has long since forsaken you. Your meager existence in her eyes is that of an annoying bug only to be stepped upon! The bonds of love and family which drive you to find your sibling are utterly gone! Your journey is meaningless! But don't you fret now. Today will be your last. Now die!

Aether/Y/n: Ugh! Huh... "What was all that just now? Strange... It feels like I was just dreaming for a moment there, but I can't remember what I saw..."

Paimon returns

Paimon: Hmm, what do we do? We haven't seen Haypasia anywhere out here... Oh, there she is! Quick, let's see how she's doing.

Haypasia: So sweet... Mmm...

Paimon: Well, the good news is that she's still conscious. Hey! Why'd you guys drop her food on the floor like that!?

Y/n: Sorry, we uh... kinda zoned out for a second there.

Paimon: Uh, are you guys okay? That's really not like you... Anyways, we can talk about this later. We'd better make sure she's alright first. Whoa, wait a sec! Look at all this fruit lying around her. We can put that to good use!

After giving the semi-conscious Haypasia some water and fruit juice...

Haypasia: Ugh... Who's there!? Tighnari, is that you? *sees Aether, Y/n, and Paimon* Ah! Huh?

Paimon: It's okay, you can relax, Haypasia. Tighnari sent us here to bring you some food and water. Here, we have a letter that he asked us to give you.

They gave Haypasia the letter from Tighnari.

Haypasia: I see, so you're friends of Tighnari. I apologize for all the trouble I've caused you. I'm grateful that you came so quickly to save me. You even brought all this fruit.

Paimon: Uh well, actually, we didn't bring the fruit. It was already here when we arrived. We were kinda wondering about that, actually. When we found you here, there was all this fruit lying around and even some juice dripping from your lips... Uh, how did you end up like this anyway?

Haypasia: Oh? Really? Hmm, I seem to understand now. All the fruit was likely from my, uh... neighbor. Must have come by and saw me like this.

Paimon: Your neighbor? You mean there's someone else living nearby?

Y/n: Is it a little round creature?

Haypasia: Oh? So you're able to see them, too?

Aether tells Haypasia and Paimon everything that happened after entering the cave.

Paimon: Wait, hold on a second! You say that before we arrived, you and Y/n saw some mysterious creature and suddenly had a strange dream? Isn't that a little too crazy to believe?

Haypasia: No, I actually do believe what the Traveler is saying. I myself had a similar experience once before and ended up scaring my timid, little neighbor here. You needn't worry — he means you no harm. He only dragged you into the dream because he hoped to buy himself a little time in order to scurry away.

Paimon: So Haypasia, just what kind of creature is your neighbor exactly?

Haypasia: I'm not sure what it's called, to be honest... But I do know that they have some sort of deeper connection with the Dendro Archon. I know this because the first time I saw them was also the exact day my consciousness was able to form a connection with Irminsul.

A flashback begins narrated by Haypasia

Even after I opened my eyes and stopped meditating, my heart was still pounding, and my mind was racing with all the knowledge that I had touched. And at that very moment, I suddenly noticed a small figure at the opening of the cave. In my curiosity, I began to walk over to the creature. They must have already been used to me living in the cave because they didn't seem to mind me approaching them. They just kept doing whatever they were up to. It wasn't until I crouched down next to them that they suddenly realized that I could see them.

The flashback ends

Paimon: Oh, and then?

Haypasia: And then, I had a dream... By the time I came to, they were nowhere to be seen. I was convinced they'd never show up again, but sure enough, I saw them nearby a few days later... and they weren't alone. I feel like they aren't as afraid of me as the first time I approached them, but I never would have expected them to save me.

Y/n: Sounds like a great neighbor.

Haypasia: Yes, no doubt about that. By the way, Tighnari mentioned in his letter that you had questions for me regarding Irminsul...

A Curious Sound: *rumbling*

Haypasia: Ehehe... Sorry about that. Sounds like just drinking juice still isn't quite enough for my stomach.

Paimon: Well, if two people hadn't dropped the food earlier...! Ugh, anyway, looks like we'll need to prepare something ourselves. Besides, Paimon's getting hungry too! Let's eat first and talk about Irminsul later. Alright, we're up! Today's menu will feature Sweet Madame and a Radish Veggie Soup! You'll love them, Haypasia. They're our specialties, after all!

Haypasia: *drooling* Oh, I've never tried any dishes from other nations before. I certainly look forward to it! It's been so long since I've had a decent meal, too. To be honest, the last time had to be when Tighnari came to visit.

After a delicious meal together, Y/n told Haypasia about her and Aether connecting with Irminsul...

Haypasia: Even though everything you mentioned was in Tighnari's letter, it's still hard to believe you both were able to connect with Irminsul... immediately after smelling Spirit Borneol for the first time. It took me nearly three years before I could do so... And everyone at the Akademiya even lauded me as a genius. You should know that some researchers spend their entire lives without ever successfully connecting with Irminsul as you have.

Paimon: So why does this incense allow people to connect to Irminsul?

Haypasia: The ingredients used to make Spirit Borneol primarily consist of plants created by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. These special ingredients are conducive to heightening our senses to the Dendro Archon's power. Since the root of the Dendro Archon's power lies within Irminsul, we can occasionally tap into her powers to peer into the depths of the earth.

Aether: I think I understand.

Y/n: *nods*

Haypasia: Naturally. Anyone who can establish a connection with Irminsul on their first ever attempt must be a person of great understanding.

Paimon: Hmm, makes sense... But Paimon's got a question! Why were they sensitive to the smell of those plants for such a long time?

Haypasia: That was primarily due to their body's unique constitution. Stimulated by the incense, they could perceive the Dendro Archon's power and experienced a sensory overload, hence the adverse reactions. Taking in any scent similar to the ingredients of Spirit Borneol would cause adverse effects. Not to worry, though. It appears you have already fully recovered. Technically, your body should still be sensitive to the powers of the Dendro Archon, but unless you are using intentional meditation techniques, the scent of Spirit Borneol should no longer trigger such reactions.

Paimon: Whew, well, that's a relief.

Haypasia: I must admit, I am quite envious of your abilities. Even if it meant suffering from pounding headaches for the rest of my life, I'd consider it worthwhile so long as I could connect with Irminsul at will.

Paimon: Whoa, you're really serious about this whole thing, aren't you?

Haypasia: Haha, I am a researcher, after all.

The mysterious little creature seems to be at the entrance of the cave, almost as if it's listening in

Haypasia: As a member of the Rtawahist Darshan at the Akademiya, my main area of research is the stars and their connection to the fate of living beings. But there is still so much we don't know, especially regarding the mysteries that lie in the starry skies. Which is why I must turn to the all-knowing Irminsul for answers. If only my perception wasn't so limited... Unfortunately, I can not guarantee that my every attempt to attune with Irminsul will be successful or that doing so will leave my consciousness intact. I am currently in the stage of training known as "Satyavada Life." Many researchers in Sumeru have lost their minds while seeking to attune with Irminsul during this stage.

The mysterious little creature is still at the cave's entrance, confirming that it was listening in

Haypasia: Sages have said that Irminsul contains divine knowledge, and touching such knowledge without the proper preparations and abilities will only lead to one's mind caving in on itself. That's why we meditate alone. We need to ensure that our minds will be calm while minimizing the possibility of involving anyone else.

Paimon: Whoa, so knowledge from Irminsul can be super dangerous! Don't you ever feel afraid of the risk, Haypasia?

Haypasia: Of course I do, especially during nights that are pitch black with no moonlight and dead silent without even the sound of insects.

Haypasia turns to the cave entrance, and the mysterious little creature jumps and disappears

Haypasia: However, I've been feeling better as of late. I don't get as scared anymore knowing that I have a little neighbor living nearby. I believe that being able to see them is a sort of blessing from the Dendro Archon. Heh, but what's strangest of all is that they're clearly an envoy of the God of Wisdom herself, and they have the curious power to make people dream.

Paimon: What's so strange about that? It doesn't sound so out of place for a divine being, does it?

Haypasia: Well, it's strange because nearly nobody in Sumeru can ever dream.

Y/n: Huh? Is that true?

Haypasia: Yes... Well, to an extent. Only children can dream in Sumeru. Adults, however, never do. The sages say that wisdom implies rationality, but that which occurs in dreams is often neither rational nor logical

Aether: Reminds me of the dream we saw from the Aranara... It was a big, chaotic mess...

Haypasia: Yes, if one struggles with anxieties, those emotions could influence their dreams. The fact that the people of Sumeru do not have dreams is seen as a blessing by the sages. They believe that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, the God of Wisdom, is keeping us away from the foolish delusions you encounter in your sleep. I was born into a family of scholars in Sumeru City. Ever since I was a child, my parents would always tell me that I'll know I've grown up once I stop dreaming. I studied hard, enrolled as a student in the Akademiya, and went on to become a researcher. *sigh* Sure enough, I never dreamed again. But then, on the day, I scared the little Aranara... I suddenly saw a dream again. It was incredible. Though I don't exactly remember what I saw, I clearly recall the feeling... I suddenly felt like I was a child again. Back then, I was foolish and ignorant as any youth would be, but I was free of fear... Maybe dreaming isn't as bad as we've made it out to be.

Y/n: "True though, I do get nightmares most of the time, I do get nice dreams, but still, it's horrible not being able to dream once you're an adult"

Haypasia: Ahem... Just be sure not to speak of this if you travel to Sumeru City. They'll look at you as if you've lost your mind.

Paimon: So, do you have any thoughts about the things they saw when they connected with Irminsul?

Haypasia: Sorry, I'm afraid I don't have any answers as of now. All I can say is that what you saw is a memory contained within Irminsul itself. Hmm... "world... forget me..." What could that possibly mean? Agh, if only I could ascend past Satyavada Life and begin Paripurna Life, I might have some more answers for you. *sigh* If you two are ever in the area again, please be sure to come and see me.

Y/n: Thanks, Haypasia! We wish you luck in your endeavors.

Haypasia: There's no need to be thanking me. You three are my saviors! Besides, I'm already looking forward to tasting some more of your cooking, hehe.

They continue chatting before settling down for a good night's rest.

Paimon: Now that we know Haypasia is alright and had the chance to ask her some questions, Paimon thinks it's about time to head back to Gandharva Ville.

Ghulam: Think about it, Tighnari. Refusing to join is tantamount to burying your head in the sand! I understand that you're a Forest Watcher and that it's your duty to combat the effects of Withering Zones, but isn't it evident that such work is not a lasting solution to the problem? As Sage Khajeh clearly stated, your presence and guidance in Sumeru City is pivotal in finding a cure for Irminsul. How could you possibly refuse!?

Khajeh: Keep your emotions in check, Ghulam. Let's at least listen to Tighnari's reason for declining. We're here to invite him to the Akademiya, not to cause a scene.

Tighnari: Sage Khajeh, I am truly honored that you came here in person, but I'm afraid I must still decline your invitation. I am merely a Forest Watcher. How could the great minds of the Haravatat have any need of someone like me?

Khajeh: Haha, well, it turns out that your refusal letter had some implications on your master's reputation. He is a renowned Sage of the Amurta, after all. So now, I've come here in his stead.

Tighnari: I see. Huh... Well, I figured that, given his temper, he would come here and berate me personally.

Khajeh: Tighnari, your master is an integral part of this effort, and now he requires your assistance.

Tighnari: And what exactly does my master need of me, Sage Khajeh?

Khajeh and Ghulam exchange looks

Khajeh: You'll know once you've arrived in Sumeru City, that is.

Tighnari: And how long will I be required to stay?

Khajeh: There's no definite answer as of now.

Tighnari: Do you mean to tell me that despite coming all the way here to Gandharva Ville, you still can't answer the questions I laid out in the letter to my master? If that's the case, then I'm afraid I can not give you a definite answer either.

Ghulam: Tighnari! But you—

Khajeh: *sigh* So be it... Come, Ghulam, we're leaving.

Ghulam, Khajeh, and the others take their leave. As the trio walks past the departing group as only Khajeh and Ghulam look at them, especially, Y/n.

Paimon: Uh Tighnari, what was that all about?

Tighnari: It's nothing. Some people from the Akademiya wanted me to go to Sumeru City to assist them with a project, but I had to refuse on account of all my responsibilities here. But all that can wait, how did things go with Haypasia?

Paimon: It was quite the eventful trip! But the main thing is that she's safe and sound. She answered a bunch of questions for us, too.

Tighnari: Very good. Now that Aether and Y/n have made a full recovery, there shouldn't be any reason for you to tarry here longer. I assume you will be heading to Sumeru City, correct?

Paimon: That's right! We want to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali and ask her for advice. Do you have any idea on how we can find her?

Tighnari: Sorry, I'm afraid I don't have any advice for you there.

Y/n: Well, do you at least know anyone we can try asking in Sumeru City?

Tighnari: Hmm, let me think... My trips to Sumeru City have been fairly short, and most of my acquaintances are researchers... Oh, how about this... I'll write you a letter of introduction that you can give to a researcher I know. He's from the Amurta Darshan and is adept at gathering information. Asking him might prove worthwhile. Also, when you enter Sumeru City, you'll probably end up receiving something like this item here. *holding a leaf like object* I'm not sure if it will ever come in handy for you, but maybe you can give it a try.

Paimon: Oh? What is it?

Tighnari: It's called an Akasha Terminal. It's a tool produced by the Akademiya that utilizes the legacy of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Some say that this item is the very basis of Sumeru's reputation as the City of Wisdom. Needless to say, this device and its usage fall under the Akademiya's expertise, so I'll leave it to them to show you how to use it.

Paimon: Great! Next stop, Sumeru City! Ah, but wait, before that...

Y/n: We need to say goodbye to Collei.

Paimon: That's right! Tighnari, we have something important to say to Collei before we leave. Is she doing better now?

Tighnari: Yes, she's doing much better. After being confined to her bed all this time, I thought a little walk would do her some good. Last I saw her, she was taking the path towards the north crossing. She knew you three would be leaving soon, so she must have wanted to see you off.

Paimon: Thanks, Tighnari! Alright, let's go.

Tighnari: Farewell, and good luck to you three.

Collei: Ah, I've been waiting for you three. I, uh... Well... ugh, never mind. I guess I should just wish you three a safe and successful journey.

Paimon: Thanks for waiting here just to see us off, Collei. We're headed to Sumeru City.

Y/n: Please take care of yourself, Collei.

Collei: Don't worry about me, big sister Y/n, I can take care of myself. My condition won't be getting in the way of my duties. I want to be a Forest Ranger, after all! It's up to me and the others to protect the rainforest here. And uh, well I'm sorry... I should have told you both about my condition when we first met. I just wanted you two to treat me as a normal friend, not some girl that needs your sympathy... But I guess now I understand that the most important thing is for friends to be genuine with one another.

Paimon: There's no need to apologize, Collei! We should be thanking you for trusting us enough to be your friends and sharing your past with us. We're probably still gonna worry about your condition, but that's because we're friends, and we care about you!

Collei: Thank you, that means a lot... Uh, before you leave, I have something for you.

Paimon: Oh? What is it?

Collei: It's my recipe for Pita Pockets! I told you that I'd give you a copy, remember? My handwriting is a little messy, so please don't laugh.

Paimon: Yay, thanks, Collei! Now we can eat those scrumptious little pitas whenever and wherever we like! And they'll be extra delicious if Y/n makes them!

Collei: I hope that whenever you eat them, you'll both remember your time here in Gandharva Ville.

Aether: Of course, we will!

Collei: Well then, I, Trainee Forest Ranger Collei, bid you three farewell. Please visit Gandharva Ville again. The rangers will always be ready to assist you here.

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wearesorcerer · 3 days ago

Text

But as I am not a Brit and do not commit drive-by argument -- or rather, since I started this, I'm going to continue it. Mwahahaha. Cut for length.

That would check out if we didn't roll for stats (you're a kitty cat? then you get Dexterity 16, no variations), or if everyone in the world rolled for stats, PCs and NPCs and monsters (so the +2 to the Dexterity of all kitty cats will result in statistically more dexterous kitty cats in comparison to, say, orcs in the general population of the campaign setting).

Although I do kinda see the appeal of the first one as far as stat generation goes, the second one is spurious: the only reason we don't roll for stats for everyone is because it's too time consuming on a DM's part to stat every single NPC as an individual. It's something that has gradually been phased out: in OD&D, BECMI, and at least AD&D 1e (possibly 2e), you did roll each creature's HD to determine HP -- and in many cases they didn't have ability scores listed, which makes me wonder if those just didn't exist for them (they were only their combat block) or if you rolled for those, as well. (My experience with editions before 3rd is too incomplete for me to know one way or the other, which I find to be a failure on my part.)

For the longest time, rolling stats was presented as an option for minor NPCs (and there was a whole stat array in older DMGs for semi-randomized stats for NPC adventurer-types by class to meet in the middle).

We roll PCs that way because, originally, they weren't guaranteed to be heroic in stature: it gave a way of potentially representing anyone. (This is also no doubt the origin of the Prime Requisite: you had to be this tall [have a stat this high] to enter [take the class] and you got a bonus to XP if you were so much over that threshold because the stats didn't give bonuses and penalties as frequently as they have since 3rd edition.) Or, at least, we did: I've found that dice rolling is the least preferred method of character generation in 5e both in presentation and in play. Mostly, we use the "Standard Array" (Elite Array in 3.x; standard was 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8) or a point buy setup that is meant to generate the same results and utilizes the same caps (8 - 15).

I'ma split things up a bit for your next paragraph.

If you get a +2 to Dexterity from your species, the combination of what you rolled and where you're assigning each roll could still result in a clumsy, Dex 6 kitty cat. (Which should not be impossible! Not all kitty cats are the same! And even if a tiny minority of them are clumsy, people are allowed to be special, and adventurers are expected to be special.) So if the stat adjustment from your species doesn't guarantee you'll end up in the average of your species, what's even its point? It has no point, if you ask me.

That literally is the point.

The best example I saw of this was Baggi the Half-Orc Barbarian, a character a friend of mine played in undergrad. Baggi had an Int of 3. Since I was taking a linguistics course at the time, I had found out that animals like chimps (in 3.x, capped at Int 2) had vocabularies of about 300 words and related this to Baggi's player, which she used as guideline's for Baggi's speech: she knew some words in Common and some in Orc. Even though her Wisdom was decent, she had to be directed a lot and caused problems for the party -- realistic ones, as the player in question had worked with mentally disabled people (especially kids) long enough to pull this off.

And everyone loved it. Baggi was the most memorable of the characters in that particular campaign. The incidents other players got into were memorable, but Baggi was by far the most interesting and memorable purely as a character.

(I'll come back to racial Int penalties, which is where this whole thing started, later.)

Raistlin Majere's notoriously poor Constitution also comes to mind. He managed to work in setting despite his frailty, frequently as a plot point. Hell, my first "Rogue" (it wasn't a Rogue, but it pretended to be one) had a Strength and Con of 3 and 4 (no, I don't remember which was which).

I can't think of an instance where a character has used a racial bonus to offset an extremely low roll, but it's not an outlandish idea. Hell, it's fairly strategic: if you roll well on most stats but have one that's really low, matching it with your racial bonus aids in the extreme. I've done it numerous times with low but not horrible rolls.

I hatehatehate this notion that you have to have high stats to work in the game. Perhaps adventurers need high stats to survive, realistically speaking. Perhaps they don't: people with disabilities have lived and even thrived in communities of humans since there were humans. There's a wheelchair user in the middle of splash art in the new PHB! (Doing nothing but posing in a situation-inappropriate accommodation, I might add: it's clear the character is probably an Artificer, despite that class not appearing in the book, and yet the chair doesn't have mechanical legs or a levitation device or whatever.)

But of course that's how 5e works: there are no racial penalties and the preferred methods of stat generation aren't rolling dice, but choosing an array or point buy, neither of which can give you a stat below 8 (and now nothing higher than 15, so whatever).

I've seen people talk about removing the abilities altogether since at least 3rd and more often now because they're not really used and no one has a low score. I think that's a shame, as having meaningful drawbacks that come up a lot is a great source of characterization. But I've said that already.

That's the logic which gave women a strength penalty in older editions.

The notorious Strength cap for women in 1st edition AD&D isn't the same logic at all. It flat out ignored that the different races didn't necessarily have the same underlying biology, for one, since caps applied to all races, and had nothing to do with stereotype. Which we're getting to.

(Next couple of paragraphs were continuation of the same thoughts I've already discussed. Moving further.)

Benefits: pick a +2 and a +1 stat boost OR or 3 +1 stat boosts, an origin feat, two skill proficiencies, and one tool proficiency, take 50 gold, off you go. Isn't that liberating?

I like that idea in practice, but y'know what that is? The same thing as giving each character a non-class progression with a bonus feat at 1st level and every level divisible by X (3 in 3.x, 4 in 5e) and assigning points or whatnot to skills. Like in 3rd edition. Which the backgrounds wanted to avoid by being packages and giving RP advice.

But more importantly, those bonuses? That's already represented in game by assigning your ability scores to fit your class. You are a Rogue with a high Dex because of backstory reasons, which is why you assigned your high roll to Dex. I'm not against the notion of class (or background) giving you ability boosts also so as to mitigate the problem of insufficiency in the stat generation mechanics, but taking it away from something that also has justification (biology) and has more justification to be static than upbringing doesn't make sense.

I'm not going to belabor the issues of racism in D&D. They are manifold and beside the point. But I will point this out: the logic behind having races give ability score bonuses is the same logic as having races provide racial features. It's biological determinism. And having an elf get +2 Dex fits with how elves work, whereas having your background give you +2 Dex is just "hey, I have more points from my point buy!" But I said that already.

As things currently stand (2024), race accounts for your size (almost always Medium, with being Small not mattering all that much), speed (pretty much 30), aging rate (purely cosmetic), whether or not you have Darkvision or resistance to something (which you can and will get, either outright or an equivalent thereof, via items), and something analogous to an origin feat that doesn't quite match (Elf Lineage vs. Magic Initiate, Halfling Luck vs. Lucky, etc.). Or, to go down to what's left that separates one from the next, a not-quite-feat and cosmetics. That's not just boring, that's irrelevant. And as far as biology goes, it's unrealistic. 5e had already downgraded so many races to a point like this already; now it's an extra step in character creation that exists because LotR had a fandom. It's to the point that the leading game in a genre that works really well for xenofiction cannot actually do xenofiction anymore: approaching racial personality traits gets questionable very quickly and biology seldom matters. At least the racial bonuses (and penalties!) made your choice of race material.

Undecided about D&D 5.5 and the 2024 rules

Pros:

Weapon Mastery

Cunning Strike

stat boosts and skills moving from Species to Backgrounds

the PHB rules glossary and the DMG toolkit (for ease of use)

origin feats, and general feats giving +1 to a stat

easier to homebrew player-facing rules (because feats and subclasses are more streamlined)

some big changes, some minor tweaks

Cons:

power creep (full assessment pending until the MM comes out)

uneven power creep

stealth makes no sense

they fully bailed on the skill system

strains suspension of disbelief even more

less support for homebrewed monsters

some big changes, some minor tweaks

The CR system needs playtesting with the new Monster Manual, so assessment pending. We're probably gonna see much more dangerous monsters: Cure Wounds straight up doubled the hp it heals, and healing in general is a lot more generous. I don't know if that bloat was necessary, or motivated by anything other than "players can do MOAR damage now, buy our new books to be COOLER!", followed by a domino effect.

At this point, I'm torn between incorporating a few 5.5 rules to 5e, or a few 5e rules to 5.5, or whole other subsystems to either (I'm looking at the skill system of Level Up a.k.a. Advanced 5th Edition, it's interesting), or abandoning D&D altogether (because I'm tired, not because it's that bad). But I'm pretty sure I won't adopt 5.5 as is.

Assessment pending.

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