#But if you haven’t I really recommend it
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
steddieunderdogfics · 2 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  @cuips-not-cute! cuips_not_cute has six fics in the Stranger Things fandom on AO3 and all of them are in the Steddie tag!
Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @cuips-not-cute:
he could be brave
blood is an aphrodisiac
honeyed affection
blinking red light
cyclical
"cuips is a master of taking the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. The amount of times I've laughed and cried at the same time reading his fics have been too numerous to count. Especially the depth of the sex scenes and the character beats and growth they portray are gorgeous to read - and also very titillating. I love Steve and Eddie in every one of cuips stories, adore the little mannerisms they are given and the way they interact with each other and other characters. Besides the inspiring prose cuips can pull off a plot like few other people I've found so far - since blinking red light is still ongoing, I'll just point to cyclical for that. I'm very thankful to cuips for writing and posting these stories and for being a very active part of this lovely fandom." -- anonymous
Below the cut, @cuips-not-cute answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!
Why do you write Steddie?
i don’t even know. i was happily in the ofmd fandom when i watched season 4 almost three years ago now (oh god) and then the characters… they got me. i fear they’ll never leave.
What’s your favorite trope to READ?
god, so many. they’re all kinda the same flavor though so i’ll list out what i’m always filtering for to find a new fic: bottom/sub eddie, creature/monster eddie, post s4, canon compliant, soft dom steve, sex pollen, spit kink, rimming (perhaps my FAVORITE ever thing to read), switch eddie/switch steve… the list goes on.
What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?
probably also rimming. there’s just something so romantic about eating ass. and i really love to stick with post s4 canon compliant aus, too, i don’t think i’ve written an actual for real au yet, though i do have an idea for one after brl.
What’s your favorite Steddie fic?
i don’t know if i can pick!! my ao3 bookmarks host my many all-time faves, but if you wanna go by the fic i’ve reread the most it’s probably the affliction of the feeling. it’s so fucking good.
Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?
YES!!! i have never written omegaverse!!! which is crazy, ‘cause i like it a LOT. i have a post-s4 omegaverse au kicking around in my head currently, and i cannot wait to sink my teeth into all the messy biology and politics that come with the omegaverse.
What is your writing process like?
chaotic, in a word. usually, i’ll get a fic idea while i’m balls-deep in writing another fic so i’ll shove it to the side and let it simmer while i finish that first one, then i’ll spend a good long while planning it out in ridiculous detail, and THEN i’ll start actually drafting. i like to have a fully fleshed out outline and a couple chapters written and edited before i start posting, and once posting begins i tend to deviate quite a bit from my outline but it’s all good fun.
Do you have any writing quirks?
definitely. i don’t like pointing them out for fear of other folks seeing them in everything i do, but they’re there. one that i don’t mind so much is my absolute abuse of the word “little.” everything is “a little” of this, “a little” of that, but i try to cut my usage down significantly while i’m editing.
Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?
i always TRY to keep a schedule but… yeah. it never works. i’m far too busy for one, but attempts are made. i’d like to one day write a fic in full before posting it, because i think it’d be a whole lot better if i let it sit for that long but lord, i sure do like getting ao3 comments on every chapter. they make the writing motivation go WAY up.
Which fic are you most proud of?
brl, definitely. that fucker is LONG and i’m barely halfway through it. i think i’ve done a lot of cool things with it and i’m going to do some more cool things and i’ve made a lot of really awesome friends in the process of writing it so it’s got some pretty insane sentimental value to me. it’s definitely going to be a fic i’ll miss writing once i finish it, but that’s what the epilogue series is for!!!
How did you get the idea for blinking red light?
from another fic!!! @racketghost is the author of one of my favorite things i’ve ever read, which is the good omens zach and miri au, closed set (https://archiveofourown.org/works/23320960/chapters/55862155 <- hyperlinked), wherein crowley has been lying about the existence of some angelic sex tapes to all of hell, and then he and aziraphale have to actually make the tapes. it’s awesome. it’s gorgeous. brl is one big giant love letter to this fic, because it means so fucking much to me and i think about it ALL the time. 
When writing honeyed affection, what was something you didn’t expect?
hmm, i don’t know? ha is, i think, a pretty easygoing fic with lots and lots of porn stuffed inside it, and that was all i intended it to be so i cannot think of anything i was surprised by!!
What inspired blood is an aphrodisiac?
i just wanted to write vampire eddie. it was july ‘22, kas theories were everywhere, i had to try it. these days i think i would change a LOT about it because my ideas and hcs surrounding the characters have evolved significantly, but i’ll write vampire eddie again and “fix” everything i no longer like about biaa.
What was your favorite part to write from he could be brave?
…the fisting. i genuinely think some of my best writing is in that scene, and while i feel the same way about this fic as i do biaa, the fisting scene will always hold a special place in my heart. i’m very, very excited to write the fisting chapter in brl because of this scene. fisting rules.
How do/did you feel writing cyclical?
i wrote cyclical during a very weird few months of my life, so writing it was sort of my way of dealing with all the insane shit going on around me, and i think it shows. in a good way, though, because cyclical is a timeloop fic so it needed to be a little angsty and insane. i’m stupidly proud of that fic. @ryeallytired actually BOUND it into a PHYSICAL BOOK and SENT IT TO ME and when i tell you that is the singular most precious object i own, i mean it.
What was the most difficult part of writing blinking red light?
PLOTTING THAT BITCH. GOD. i’m so happy to be actually WRITING it now, the planning was genuinely so brutal. my issue was that i was sticking too close to the plot of closed set (<3) which just… did not work for steddie. closed set’s premise centers around crowley lying about making sex tapes, yes, but he lied about them to PROTECT aziraphale, which is the messiest, kindest, riskiest fucking thing ever. and it’s awesome. in the early planning stages of brl, i was trying to put eddie in the crowley role of lying about having made sex tapes with steve, but it reallyyy didn’t work. there was an oc and i absolutely hated him, plus i didn’t like what that premise was doing to eddie’s character… ugh. it was a MESS. it took several rubber duck-ing conversations with my brilliant friend @lollaika and a rewatch of zach and miri to finally realize that it had to be STEVE who brings up the idea of sex tapes so that he could protect eddie, rather than eddie bringing it up to save his own hide (yikes).
Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?
oooh, lots. reallyyyy loved chapter 8 of cyclical with all of the pov shifts, that was super fun to write. i also really enjoyed writing the dry humping/sex tape convo in the first chapter of brl, and i’m stupidly excited to write chapters 12, 13, 15, and 17, because of specific scenes that will happen in each.
Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?
i do!! after brl is completed i’ll have to choose from two story ideas (because i cannot have two wips at once or i’ll get SO stressed), one being a semi-realistic steddie cowboy au based off my own experiences with growing up on a farm and featuring messy, earnest cowboys and not-fully-human eddie, and the other being the omegaverse au i want to write, which will have a very fun mix of vampire eddie, dubcon bitching, and accidental mating bites!!!
Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?
i cannot think of anything!! this was super fun :D
Thank you to our author, @cuips-not-cute, and our anonymous nominator! See more of cuips_not_cute's works featured on our page throughout the day!
Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!
70 notes · View notes
howlsofbloodhounds · 3 days ago
Note
why does color go after killer mainly? like what makes killer any different than dust or horror there? if i remember right, originally it wasn't the others, just killer and nightmare, but wouldn't color try to help the others too in other au's where they do exist, or am i overthinking/missing things?
I believe I answered this here, but as we all know the Bad Sanses are not canon. It’s just Killer and Nightmare, maybe Cross and XChara at some point who left/escaped either on their own or with Dream’s help, so it’s really only Killer in canon who Color is rescuing.
But if Bad Sanses were canon, or it’s an au where Dust and Horror are there, Color absolutely would offer to help them too. He’d make sure they know that they have someone in their corner if they ever want to take the option, but he wouldn’t force them—so it’s ultimately up to Dust and Horror if they want to take Color’s help, and if they do, it’d likely be based on many factors.
(And yes, he’d still offer his help even if Dust and Horror weren’t kidnapped like Killer was, but made deals with Nightmare. Because he knows what coercion is.)
For example, Horror still has his brother and AU back home. He’d want their safety from Nightmare ensured. Does Color have the means to assure him of that? There’s also the fact of: would Horror and Dust trust Color?
The bond between Color and Killer and why it’s different from others Color has helped (for example, there’s even some old abyss sans cstuff im talking about with toffee about how Color helped saved Abyss!Sans after Abyss was kidnapped by Nightmare), I’ve already talked about in many, many posts; highlighting their similarities and differences. These two are basically mirrors.
If Color grows to create a bond with Dust and Horror would probably depend on certain factors, and I would definitely recommend checking out @3idiotsandarainbow (centered all around this concept) if you haven’t already, but he’d help them too if they were there.
He wouldn’t force his help on them or encroach on their autonomy, but he’d work hard to earn and maintain their trust, and their safety—and he’d fight to protect their freedom. Even if he does call them out on a lot of shit they wouldn’t like hearing. (And they’d probably have a lot of criticisms and suspicions about him.)
48 notes · View notes
yeta-drewit · 11 hours ago
Text
Wenclair fic recommendations
I’ve read way too many. About 115.
Also all of this are finished fanfics. I believe.
MY TOP ONES
-Hunting season by gobreakaneck. OMG THIS FIC, a season 2 fic, angst to the max, slow burn to the max BUT REALLY GOOD SHIT. Like it’s good guys trust. Unfortunately it’s part one of a series so yk I was left crying for more at the end.
-Yours, Eurydice by hanjisgirlfriend- SAD AND CELEBRITY AU. Enid is an actor, Wednesday is a famous writer and they are neighbors and they share letters with pen names because they don’t want the public to know. ITS CUTE.
-I pledge to you (my blood and soul) by Whatiscolor. WRITER OF THIS FIC I WANT TO TROW HANDS. This is genuinely one of the saddest fics I’ve read. Forced marriage Au WITH A LOT OF ANGST. I’m not joking I cried. Angst was angsting.
-Purgatory would be beautiful with you by Emilywritesatuff- Just Wenclair stuff but Wednesday is kind of acting like a werewolf but she isn’t, it’s kind of like they are mates and Wednesday acts like it. I just like it.
-Christmas Eve(L) by miliamin- Fake dating and Christmas what else can I say?.
Weird Aus
-Let’s get political by WishaDream - Gomes and Esther are campaigning for the same government position. Esther tells Enid to hate Wednesday but she can’t. They hate each other in public but almost kiss in secret. Don’t let the weird au get you it’s actually really good. I like the political comments in between the actual Wenclair story.
- Just the taste of you/ blood in the water by littlebirdonair - another weird au but this time Wednesday is an assassin meant to kill journalist Enid. My best description of the story. Enid "I talked to an assassin Yoko" Yoko "omg girl!. Have you told the police?! How are even alive?!" Enid "Omg girl it was the hottest thing ever, she was so fucking hot" Yoko "wtf girl” (Warning there is one explicit scene. I skipped it as it was really short and I’m not interested in that)
-The Heart Knows No Death by viienrose - Enid is brutally murder by her pack and the Addams family can bring her back to life if she wishes to. Wednesday helps Enids soul process her death and the possibility of coming back. Sad shit but kind of cute Wenclair.
- Driving to my house in the middle of the night by AtomicJellyBean - Wednesday ghostbuster, Enid has existential crisis and is a park ranger and a very popular fanart comic came from this story.
-Strawberry and Lilacs by thislonelyrealm - not Nevermore high school au, Wednesday is new in town and Enid has live there her whole life (she also beats up Tyler). I made fanart of one scene.
- So this is love by LoriLoud- season 1 rewrite. lowkey insane and deranged. Not joking. I’m not rereading it so I may be remembering wrong but just so yk how crazy it is they kiss while Esther is literally burning. It gets so bad I think Yoko is the only survivor. Bad representation of the Addams family but a fun read.
-Parce que toi et moi, ca fonctionne (meme si ca ne devrait pas) by bogteats- Eurovision Song Contest AU. Enid is a French singer and gay, the Addams family is a Spanish band (my Mexican ass is sad they had to be Spanish) it’s a really cool celebrity au with Enid trying to hide she is gay. It’s not in French guys.
-The proposal (Wenclair’s Version) by NyxSmols- apparently is the 2009 movie The Proposal but make it Wenclair. Idk I haven’t seen the movie but the fic was cool. Honestly Enid was giving Debbie at the beginning of the fic and I’m all for that.
Normal AUs
-Vortex by Alotofconfusion- Wenclair childhood friend au. I think it’s cute. Enid is pretty much adopted by the Addams, no one believes Enid that she has a gf, they call each other business partners.
- Imprinting is such a bitch by King_boo - Season 1 rewrite where Enid imprints on Wednesday the moment they meet, so its season 1 if they both immediately liked each other. Slight gaslighting by Wednesday but she works on that.
- Like two Mismatched Pieces Put Together by ShadeNeverMadeAnybodyLessGay- Wenclair childhood soulmates. Enid is abandoned but adopted by the Addams. Just cute kids stuff.
-Cool about it by randomiska - they are in college and they are fake dating to stop their friends from trying to get them together. Obviously it backfires.
Normal ig?
- Everyone comes to Yoko’s by Sincerely_Sierra- Yoko gets the gays together. Yoko is stressed about the gays and she just wants them to stop bothering her.
- What does he have that I don’t? By Kofeew_milkk- Enid hates that Wednesday smells like Tyler. Cute scenting fic.
-Sweet nothings by Hymenopus- They simp for each other while being in opposites sides of the country. They exchange letters and gifts.
-San Francisco by bishopsinclair_(dustydandelions) - Set during the break, Wednesday goes to San Francisco and werewolf chaos ensues. Blood wolf stuff.
- Raven in the den, wolf in the nest by Barbara_lazuli- Fake dating to spite their moms, it’s really cute specially Enid and the Addams family. There are references to the animated movie, I love Parker.
-Downside of Visions by CelticWolf55- it’s a sick fic and it’s very cute.
To make yourself sad
-Bubble Gum bitch by wishadream - Celebrity AU. Depress actor Enid and assistant Wednesday that doubles as a therapist. They don’t end up together but it’s still cute.
- I’ll love you (from the shadows) by mickeroni -technically not a Wenclair story but it’s a Weems story about her being a sad gay for Morticia and projecting towards Wenclair. She goes to the wedding.
-You drive me crazy (baby) by Sincerely_Sierra- Yoko angst, Enid angst, everyone angst. It’s a taking care of a fake baby trope but what I thought would be like domestic fluff just made me sad. YOKO LOVERS READ THIS SHIT.
Fluff no plot
- It’s just a werewolf thing by WelshCakes68 - Enid blames her gayness on the fact she is a wolf, Wednesday is so whipped she accepts this excuse. Oblivious homosexuals.
Silly ones
- Woes of the Heart by 1unluckystudent - It’s just Enid crashing Wednesday’s and Tyler’s date and being like super jealous and really funny. This Enid behavior is what I want from Enid if Wednesday gets another love interest.
-Potion problems by batzeus99 - Switch personalities and it’s super cute and I think it’s like really funny seeing Wednesday act all happy. Enid just acts like Pip from AGGGTM.
- I’m your garbageman by cowardnthief - Wednesday asks Enid for help on a crush she has. Enid is the crush and she is also obviously to it.
- Black Butterfly by misscanteloupe- Wednesday is jealous and makes Enid hug her while Ajax watches. Wednesday just hates Ajax and I find it hilarious.
Parent fics (because I like this type of content)
-Werewolves made with woe by omnical - Podcasters try to investigate the Addams family. Enid gaslight them into going into the house and absolutely scares the shit out of them. Enid is scary but she is trying to protect her kids.
- Plans of Joy by southernsunrise- They try to have kids. It gets sad but trust it gets better. (Warning miscarriage)
-Double trouble by Pieck_Simp- Wenclair twins. Wenclair moms fighting prejudice against their kids.
Obviously what I like you may not like. Some of this are entertaining but not good representations of the characters. I understand some may have poor writing but it’s fanfics guys not a novel. I encourage you to think critically and not get influenced by this fanfics, not everything you read is good and a representation of good behavior, some of these have questionable behaviors that go unpunished because it’s a fanfic. So do keep that in mind and don’t base your behaviors solely on fan fiction.
41 notes · View notes
weena-mercator · 1 day ago
Text
Seeing these tags has me
Tumblr media Tumblr media
But yeah if you have not seen The Swan Princess, I do highly recommend!! I think it holds up really well (sometimes I watch nostalgic movies and am very disappointed) and it’s FUNNY. Like so many great little bits from it are forever ingrained in my brain.
There are parts of the movie I’m doing my best to stay true to (and essential lines I incorporate) but some things that just won’t make it in because it just doesn’t make sense (the whole Princesses on Parade part, for instance).
Also as you can see in the summary, unlike the movie, Phoenix and Miles aren’t betrothed, they’re best friends who are betrothed to the sister of the other - and so it’s not enemies to lovers, it’s childhood best friends to lovers… although for Derek and Odette “enemy” is more of a silly thing (plus they must’ve had SOME good childhood moments that we don’t get to see in This Is My Idea) rather than true enemies (Spike and Buffy being my prime example of that trope)
I wanted to make sure I am writing something that is captivating enough on its own (also adding in my own Fey lore and AA spin) to be enjoyable regardless of if you’ve seen the movie or not… but also if you have seen the movie, you get some special treats of very specific things that are said/happen. And hey, maybe for those who haven’t seen the movie, it will make them want to watch it either in between chapters or after!
Finally posting my first nrmt fic
Okay it's the 30th anniversary of The Swan Princess movie so it is time to release my nrmt AU fic - The Swan Prince!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I'm so excited to share this, I started working on it in like, July or August I think. So far only the prologue is 100% done but I have my ideas all scripted out for the rest of the story, just need to focus on writing more (I'm kind of intensive with my editing... but thankfully I have very cool and helpful beta readers)
If you love nrmt and especially if you love royal AUs and ESPECIALLY if you also love The Swan Princess, I hope you give it a read and enjoy - I'd love to hear from anybody who reads as well, comments on the fic or on tumblr!
I can't wait to do more concept art for the outfits and such...
Oh also happy birthday to Franziska - I decided to headcanon her birthday as Nov 18th since it's National Princess Day lmao (and I keep that consistent in the other fics I'm working on, as well as all the birthdays I established for characters in this story, because it's just funny to me)
19 notes · View notes
genderlesssnake · 11 months ago
Text
I just started rereading Artemis Fowl, and now I’m very confused about Lazuli’s genetics.
Spoilers for the end of The Fowl Twins book 3
So, Lazuli is supposed to be a hybrid of elf and pixie with a little bit of goblin, and at the end of the last book it was revealed that her mom was the fairy that Artemis gets the fairy bible from. Initially I thought this was really cool, but while rereading the first book I realized that her mom is a sprite? Does that mean that her dad is also a pixel with a bit of goblin, and Lazuli’s phenotype just doesn’t show any sprite traits?
I considered that maybe Artemis mistook the fairy for a sprite when she actually wasn’t, but that seems unlikely since she had green skin, which as far as I know is only a trait that sprites have.
21 notes · View notes
bepomepo33 · 4 months ago
Text
Does this count as spoilers? I dunno but I’ll tag it anyways.
Tumblr media
It’s Suffrin time lmao
289 notes · View notes
corpsentry · 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
edited my pants
104 notes · View notes
sluttyten · 2 months ago
Text
Fact: Haechan was totally my bias tonight, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him like oh my god the way he moves is just mesmerizing and hearing him singing live has me fully like 😍
And Jaemin!!!! I swear the entire city of Chicago loves him, every time he was on screen or speaking everyone screamed so loud (I don’t blame them), and he did his entire ending ment in English which was so good!!!
I love all of the dreamies and I absolutely hate that the concert is over and it’ll be god knows how long before I get to see them again, but they kept promising to see us again very soon and that the album is coming with a cute and sexy sorta Hello Future vibe, and I kept waiting for Mark to drop the date because he kept teasing us with talking about the album.
But now it’s over ☹️ and they get to go home and rest for a bit before the European leg of the tour at least
Also I handed out all of the bracelets I made, which I’m so happy about and I got compliments on them, on my hair, on my shirt and my photocard holder which I made so I was like so happy ☺️☺️ everyone is so sweet and awesome, and there’s one girl that was handing out her fanart of Mark and it was so so so cool and I’m so glad I got a little copy of it
22 notes · View notes
thatgoddamngingerundercut · 3 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
I’m not crying you’re crying
13 notes · View notes
lilidawnonthemoon · 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
#The Atypical Family#I haven’t enjoyed/ been so moved by a drama in a very long time ❤️#just finished it I cried so much & SO hard haha#I was completely immersed and engaged from beginning to end which is rare (12 eps is a good length too)#I didn’t expect it to have so much depth and be so touching going into it I just wanted something different#mental illnesses complex interesting characters complicated -toxic- family relationships fantasy fated lovers found family...#well written and WONDERFULLY acted!!#the whole cast was amazing but the two leads were just outstanding wow#never saw either of them in big roles and now I’m a huge fan of both#Chun Woo Hee I’m so in love with you#I’m usually more touched by the female lead (actress/character) but the male lead actor was acting his ass off and made me SOB many times#his scenes with his daughter Ina oh I was a MESS and of course the lead couple scenes together <3#I also haven’t been that impressed by romance lately in shows but theirs was truly beautiful (and again: really well acted)#I could relate to parts of most characters: Dahae Donghee Gwiju Ina..#a poetic emotional rollercoaster and my favorite drama this year so far (by far)#now I want to carry on watching Queen of Tears (mainly for my Queen Kim Jiwon I’m her number one fan) and watch Lovely Runner too#but it will be hard to beat this one and I highly recommend it!!#deserved more love & attention#my mom loved it too it standed out to her and she watches ALL the kdramas lol#forgot to mention the magical OST I see you by the oh so great Lee Sora and her bewitching voice <3#I also haven’t been so moved by an ost in a long time it added so much to the atmosphere of the drama & really transported me into its worl#korean drama#2024#shots#cinematography#jang ki yong#cheon wo hee#Claudia Kim#park soyi
15 notes · View notes
iwritenarrativesandstuff · 2 years ago
Text
There’s always been something that bothered me about whenever I try to explain the concept of Hatoful Boyfriend and most people’s immediate reaction is “oh! Like Doki Doki!”. My response is always just “…I guess?” because I could never quite explain why that felt wrong to me but I think I finally can put a finger on it now.
(To be clear, I’ve played and enjoyed both games. They’re both fun - this isn’t a criticism at all! I just think they’re, at their cores, two very different things. Also I don’t spoil anything for either game here beyond the obvious; that is, that these games are not what they seem to be at first glance, which I’m pretty sure most people know going in. If that amount of spoiler still bothers you, then stop reading here and play the games first!!!)
When people compare the two games, I 100% understand where they’re coming from. It’s the same gimmick I suppose: cutesy looking or joke visual novel actually turns out to be a smokescreen to hide the horrors within. But. Like. I feel like that’s where the similarities end.
See, DDLC’s whole point is to be shocking. It’s intended to make you jump and disturb you. It’s primarily a horror game with you, the player, as its focal point, and as a result the characters are only really there to be used by the story. The majority of the characters, with the exception of one, are pretty straightforward and lean heavily on the tropes commonly used in dating sims so the game can later distort them in increasingly horrific ways - with the intent of shocking and scaring you. The characters are more tools to be used to tell the story and create the experience than fully fleshed out people, which I think works out well thematically for DDLC. It’s effective in the sense where the characters aren’t really what draws you in, but rather the premise and the anticipation of getting a good scare out of it, with some existential stuff mixed in there for a pretty cool experience. You came to get scared right? Well that’s what you got.
But Hatoful is very different because its intent is not to shock or scare you necessarily. Hatoful, since its initial development, has been designed to make you care. Hato Moa made the game intending for people to start it because of its ridiculous concept, but then to discover it’s depth along the way. Hatoful doesn’t want to jump scare you. It wants to tell you a story. It delves into horror, that’s true, but the horror is much more psychological and it stems from the character’s actions. It’s a character driven story at its core, and it does this by taking itself seriously. It knows it’s completely absurd and leans into the absurdity, but the character interactions are real, so that when actual plot begins to happen, you’ll wonder when you started getting so attached. The characters twist typical dating sim tropes again, but this time to ask “hey why is this character like this? maybe it’s not so straightforward as you think”. And then the game goes a step further and reveals that there is an actual in-universe reason for its insane setup of “a human girl goes to bird school which is for birds and dates pigeons”. Hatoful is less tongue in cheek and more completely unabashed about it’s ridiculous premise and plays it straight - which in turn makes its serious moments shockingly genuine. That, to me, is why it works. The point is to delve into the characters. The plot is driven by the characters. It’s horrifying at times because the characters will sometimes make or be forced to make horrific choices. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a cohesive story. It’s just asking you to dig into it a little further to get there.
Tldr; DDLC is a cutesy facade and Hatoful is unabashedly absurd. DDLC wants to scare you and Hatoful wants you to care. DDLC uses its characters as tools for the experience while Hatoful’s whole point is the characters.
Editing based off a reblog that made me aware I was not completely fair with DDLC here (again, still trying not to spoil too much): The experience in DDLC is heavily based on its thematic content. When I say “the characters serve the experience” and “it wants to scare you” I don’t mean this shallowly, and I think it can and has been frequently misinterpreted in this way. In DDLC, the horror comes from the situation. In that sense, it’s thematically appropriate that the characters are tools in that way - that’s actually part of it and you are meant to feel bad for them - their situations, issues, and personalities are thematically relevant and sympathetic. I shouldn’t have juxtaposed “to scare you” and “to make you care”; that was far too simplistic a summary to the point where it is inaccurate. They both want you to care - a story only has power if you care about it. But I do still feel strongly that DDLC’s draw is the terrifying situation it impresses on the player, and the self-aware questions it asks (in which characters are put through the existential oppressive wringer to emphasize these themes), while Hatoful primarily relies on you slowly but surely acclimating to the absurdity so it can tell what is simultaneously an off the walls story that is also genuine and believable for the characters you’ve grown to know.
75 notes · View notes
an-absolute-trainwreck · 4 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Look im not done with it quite yet but you guys need to read this book ok
Like talk to your librarian or a book store employee or find it online but you like I HIGHLY recommend
Go in kinda blind, just trust me bro
6 notes · View notes
always-andromeda · 1 year ago
Text
I always wondered how James Somerton could crank out such many well written video essays in such a short amount of time…
Because he’s stealing the words of literally dozens of writers who are better than him. 😀
21 notes · View notes
folkpunkfishercat · 1 year ago
Text
folk punk homies who are your favorite trans artists?
15 notes · View notes
isthatovid · 1 year ago
Text
Tumblr media
from sleepytown: a southern gothic childhood with codeine by donna tartt 1992
17 notes · View notes
simplydm · 8 months ago
Text
I knowww I’m months late but the last four minutes of Pearl’s s9 finale are So moving I just cried a little bc she really captured the beauty and magnitude of the hermitcraft s9 server in a way that I never really understood until then
13 notes · View notes