#Cere’s Death is Not the Point of Her Story

[jonberry555]

New Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review Shorts

Games offer a Different Emotional Storytelling Experience #starwarsjedisurvivor #starwars #shorts:

Comparing #starwars Jedi: Survivor and Fallen Order Story & Gameplay #starwarsjedisurvivor #shorts:

Cere’s Death is Not the Point of Her Story #starwarsjedisurvivor #starwars #shorts:

Facing & Fighting Vader is Every Star Wars Fans’ Fantasy #starwarsjedisurvivor #starwars #shorts:

[wantonwinnie]

I want to make so many posts about Jedi Survivor (HEAVY spoilers ahead btw) but one of my first thoughts is what a cruel twist of fate the title for the game is.

I mean, by the end of the story of all the current or former Jedi who are major characters (Cal, Bode, Cere, Eno Cordova, Dagan Gera), only Cal survives. Jedi Survivor (singular) in the most literal sense. And each die in their own tragic way.

Eno gets killed just because Bode wanted to be an asshole (there was no reason for Bode under the circumstances to kill Eno when he could've left with the compass) and needed Tanalorr for what ultimately amount to selfish albeit understandable reasons. I don't know what it means but it's especially tragic because there's no time to even think about Eno's death. His death is meaningless. It just happens and not even to Bode's particular benefit. It's a perfectly terrible conclusion for the Jedi Master of the older age, for someone who was able to escape the needless death from a clone trooper's blaster but ended up getting betrayed by a trusted ally anyway.

Cere's death was heroically tragic and quintessentially Jedi. She tried to take down Skyguy and gave herself up to buy time for everyone else to escape. She could've ran but didn't. And this time facing Vader, she didn't use the dark side at all. She was able to put her dark past behind her despite facing a part of it again. There isn't much else to say; it's a dreadful end to someone beloved by Cal as his mentor and beloved by me too.

Bode's end is heartbreaking, almost inevitable, and ominous. He betrayed everyone for what he rationally believed was a worthy cause. He thought that he was doing everything necessary to save his daughter, his one true love left in the world. But in the end he sacrificed what could have been an opportunity for so many others to seek shelter to only give shelter to one person. And his daughter did not at all appear to be on board with his plan. Bode was given chance after chance by Cal to stop, to surrender, but he kept going. He probably told himself he was in too deep, that there was no other option, blinded by attachment. Despite being a former Jedi, he became attached to the point where he killed one Jedi in cold blood and was ready to kill another, all so he could keep Tanalorr for his own family. Cal could've taken his direction; kept Tanalorr all to his own family, sacrificing an opportunity for others in need. But Cal knew that others needed as safest a haven that could be mustered, and Bode was only looking out for himself, so much so that he proactively worked for the Empire.

Dagan's death shows another window in Cal's potential path. Dagan was always obsessed with achieving Tanalorr, blinded by its majesty even after 200 years in bacta. He never stopped to reevaluate, after the Nihil invasion, after Sanatari pleaded with him, after waking up in a new era. He never stopped, always kept going, never thinking, never taking a breath. And that would have ultimately led to Dagan accruing power for its own sake, not for the sake of helping refugees or even really concerned with stopping the Empire. Cal fortunately was self-aware enough to realize that he couldn't afford to be that obsessed with fighting the Empire via Tanalorr to see the bigger picture of who needed help and how. And Cal spent the past 5 years and much of the game never having a chance to stop and think. His contemplation allows him to see that Tanalorr needs to be for refugees, not just as a base of operations.

Like Bode, Dagan is a fallen Jedi seeking Tanalorr, but unlike Bode, Dagan is obsessed with it in the abstract, in concept only. He was stuck in the past (literally so stuck he spent 200 years in a tank!) while The High Republic Jedi moved on to the present. The Order of old recognized that places are meaningful but only to the extent they help people, and if it would put more people in harm's way to stay somewhere, they shouldn't stay. That simple! But Dagan got lost in Tanalorr's potential as an end in itself, and simultaneously forgot its purpose. Extrapolating the lesson, Dagan represents what happens when Jedi get attached to the Force as a source of power for its own sake, instead of it as a means for good.

[cardcaptorsakura96]

Getting To Know You

Fandom: Supergirl

Characters: Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers, Lillian Luthor

Summary: Kara and Lena run into a familiar face while on a trip to Chicago. Whether it is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.

Word Count: 3,015

Chapter: 1/1

Trigger warning: There is a mention of a death in the story. It happens before the events of the story.

Notes: This is for the Writing Workshop Week 3: Stories of a Place with @bettsfic and @books

Lena huffed as she finally got the coat over her body and zipped up. She looked down and smiled. It warmed her heart to see her six month pregnant belly. It took years to get to this point. She cupped her belly and started rubbing it.

“I can’t wait to met you guys.”

She looked up looking for her other half. She smiled when she spotted Kara coming towards her now all button up in her coat as well.

“Sorry I took so long. Clark had more photos that he wanted to show of Johnathan’s little league game.”

“You know that will be us in a couple of months.”

Kara cackled which caused Lena to smile more. Kara’s smiles were always the best part of Lena’s day.

“I already told Clark and Lois to be ready for the tons of photos we will be sending them soon. Speaking of….”

Kara slipped her arms around Lena and caressed her stomach.

“How are our little peanuts doing?”

Lena looked up at Kara pouting while holding her belly.

“We are all hungry.”

Kara kissed Lena on her forehead and said, “Let’s fix that. We can go to Ceres Cafe which is a couple of blocks from here.”

She held out her arm which Lena eagerly grabbed and headed out into the brisk October winds.

As they walked, Kara asked, “Are you okay to walk to the place? I could always fly us there.”

Lena sighed and rolled her eyes.

“It is only a couple of blocks. I think I can make it.”

Lena looked up to Kara pouting. She tried not to, but couldn’t help to chuckle.

“I just you and our little peanuts to be safe,” Kara muttered.

“We appreciate your attentiveness. You don’t have to worry about us all….”

Lena stopped and stared across the street. Kara noticed her stopping and eyes started to bulge.

“Lena, are you ok? Is it the babies? Do we need to get you to the hospital? Do we…”

Lena turned around and placed a finger on Kara’s lips to silence her.

“Nothing is wrong. It is just… Well, look.” Lena pointed across the street. Kara followed her finger and groaned.

“Your mother is here.”

“It is not just that. Look at what she is doing.”

Kara frowned and said, “It looks like she is standing in line for something.”

“And you don’t find that unusual?”

Kara looked at Lena puzzled.

“I feel like I am missing something here.”

“My mother has never waited in line for anything. She always claimed her time was too precious and would send her assistants to get her things for her.”

Lena started to cross the street with Kara trailing behind her.

“Why are we going in the direction of your mother?”

“To see what she is doing.”

“Do we really have to? Anyway, I thought that you were hungry.”

Lena stopped and looked back at Kara with huge round eyes and a large pout.

“Our little peanuts and I want to investigate.”

Kara sighed and shook her head.

“Fine, we can say hi. But if she does something even slightly shady…”

“I know. I know. We will leave immediately if she tries something.”

As they walked across the street, Lillian looked up and noticed them. She looked startled. Lena smirked. She has hardly ever able to surprise her mother before. Once they were in front of her it was a weird feeling. It was like they were strangers instead of family. Lillian went towards Lena to try to hug her, but stopped after seeing the glare on Kara’s face. Lena was surprised to see a wince on her mother’s face, but it was quickly replaced by one that was passive.

“Lena and Kara. What brings you to Chicago on this fine day?”

“The Art Institute of Chicago did an exhibit on the planet of Krypton. We showed up in support along with Clark and Lois,” said Lena.

“Ah, I heard about that event. It was a good gesture on their part.”

“Yes, it was just swell,” said Kara.

They all started at each other awkwardly as the line moved forward over the next couple of minutes.

Lena cleared her throat and said, “What is this line for anyway?”

Read the rest on AO3

[lesbian-cal-kestis]

it's all downhill from here (in the outer nowhere)

Summary: Cal Kestis is reminded of his past, causing havoc while trapped in a memory he will never forget. Title from Bleed Me an Ocean by Acid Bath.

Warning/s: Minor Character Death

Pairing: Merrin/Cal

Characters: Cal Kestis, Nightsister Merrin, Greez Dritus, BD-1, Kata Akuna (mentioned), Prauf (mentioned), Jaro Tapal (mentioned), Original Character/s

Additional tags: Cal Kestis needs a hug, he doesn't get one, canon-typical violence, angst, hurt no comfort, okay maybe there's a little comfort, post-Jedi: Survivor, Planet Jakku (Star Wars), panic attack, dismemberment (brief mention), Cal needs to understand that avoiding his problems is not a substitute for therapy, flashbacks, Order 66 (Star Wars), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD

Language: English

Word count: 3.1k

Cal Kestis was by no means a lucky man. 

Three of the previous missions he embarked on had gone sour, the Empire somehow finding him at every turn; he didn’t doubt this mission would be any different. Time and time again, the people he tried to help would be killed or captured or maimed or-

“Kid, grab some seat! We’re coming in on Jakku - lots of Imperial chatter going on there…” His pilot, the vertically-challenged hairball he’d been venturing with for most of his adult life, announced over the ship's communications system. 

Cal inhaled shakily, wrapping his hands around his lightsaber and fighting the urge to sense the few echoes he had not seen. Imps were never a good sign, but the young man could only hope the force would fulfil his request for a peaceful rescue just this once. 

The hyperspace travel time was long enough for Cal to familiarise himself with the Hidden Path’s target; an Abednedo male, relatively tall with a solid build, who had an impressive collection of communication codes stored in his safehouse. The codes also contained locations of hidden refugees throughout the galaxy, all hiding from the Empire for one reason or another, and the Path was bent on assisting them no matter the cost.

Cal jogged into the Stinger Mantis’ cockpit, sitting in the co-pilot’s chair - his rightful spot, now that Cere was gone. He looked back towards the cockpit section that allowed the Mantis to track communications from external channels, eyeing Merrin in her position, her eyes firm on the console. Her hair was tied up in a style that Cal adored - A neat bun with a few stray hairs that weren’t long enough to be tied up hanging down, framing her face beautifully. He couldn’t get over how gorgeous she was. 

He then looked to his left, opposite where the Nightsister was seated, and let his gaze rest softly on Kata. It was hard for him to believe how much she had grown and matured, even with her father's absence. She may not have been force-sensitive, but she made up for her lack of abilities with “space magic” - a term that Merrin laughed at - with her capabilities in marksmanship. 

“Cal, you are staring.” Merrin pointed out, her voice sending a wave of warmth throughout Cal’s body, her soft tone putting a slight smile on his face. 

Turning back to look out through the windshields at the barren planet below, Cal noted the Star Destroyers that weren’t far off from them; far enough away not to notice them, but relatively close to their mark. The planet reminded him of Jedha, with plenty of ancient sites burrowed beneath the sand, grasping at the force for somebody to tell their story to. 

Not today, Cal thought. I have somebody to meet. 

Descending into the atmosphere of Jakku, the city of Reetskii grew as they flew across the horizon. The Mantis crew marvelled at the structures they flew past, watching the sands of time move with the winds the ship created as it sped through, eager to find the Abednedo. 

There were few landing bays in the near-forgotten city, but it made sense to have less than 10 areas for spacecraft. Reetskii roughly translated to “the leftovers” in Galactic Basic Standard, having no minerals or ores to mine, and barely enough agricultural facilities to support the settlement - the perfect place to hide away from the Empire. 

Though, not perfect enough, it seemed. 

Upon docking, Cal eyed a stormtrooper squad, their armour gleaming harshly in the Jakkuvian sunlight. It was almost blinding, and had Cal not turned around, he was sure he would have had colourful spots dancing in his eyes from the glint. The Abednedo’s hideout was visible from the landing pad the Mantis was stationed on, his purple skin only just noticeable through a gap in the door. 

“You guys see that?” Cal asked, kneeling behind the ship’s controls to remove himself from the trooper’s field of view. “Small batch of troopers right near the hideout. Do you think they found out about the codes?”

“No,” Merrin replied, squinting to get a better look at the area around their mark. “I do not think they did. The Abednedo is still alive, his body would be dumped outside the building and covered in scorch marks if they knew of the codes.”

“They might want him alive.”

“They do not.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, Kestis. They have no reason to take him alive.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do, actually”

“Well if you know so karking much why don’t you just-”

Greez cleared his throat, eyes darting nervously between Cal and Merrin. The Latero knew things had been on edge for them lately, and stars knows what caused it, but they had a mission to focus on. Bickering like an old married couple was helping nobody. 

Rolling his eyes and standing from his crouched position, Cal put his arm out to the ship's console, BD-1 taking his place on his shoulder. 

The clock was ticking, and minute by minute the deadline to retrieve the codes was drawing closer. 

Exiting the Mantis to set foot on the dusty walkway of the landing bay, Cal walked with purpose towards the Abednedo’s residence, his gaze flittering around between multiple threats he took mental note of. Funny, he thought, we’ve been communicating with this guy for three cycles and we still don’t know his name. And it was true; the Abednedo was nameless thus far, merely being referred to as “the Jakku contact”. It made Cal feel uneasy, not being able to put a name to the face - it allowed his mind to wander too far, likening the Abednedo to… him. 

Pulling up the hood of his lightweight poncho, Cal continued to close the gap between him and the building the contact was located in, BD letting out a string of beeps and trills. 

There’s a lot of Imperials around here, the droid noted, Merrin might’ve been wrong. 

Oh, how Cal loved it when his little companion took his side during his and Merrin’s spats - it made him feel less lonely in the world. The boy let out a slight chuckle, more a huff of laughter than anything, and strode closer to the door that held the codes. His gait remained confident, to not give away his anxiousness about the entire situation. The force signatures that resided within Reetskii were ill at ease, almost screaming to Cal that something was wrong.

He ignored them. 

Knocking on the door of the hideout, Cal rocked gently on his feet, energy buzzing around him. A small security hatch opened, with a singular eye visible through it - the eye was waiting for a password.  

“Tanalorr welcomes you,” the redhead muttered loud enough for the individual behind the door to hear him. He picked up on the sound of a complex locking mechanism opening, the door sliding open just enough for him to squeeze through. Cal jumped as a large hand rested on his shoulder, his gaze rising to look at the being before him. 

Prauf-

“I got to give you the codes now, kid. Don’t know if you noticed, but the Imps are sniffing around like starved tooka-cats,” the purple-hued brown-skinned humanoid stated, his mahogany eyes trained on Cal, alerting him to the urgency of this task - but Cal couldn’t look away. He couldn’t move. 

Cal knew that he would struggle with this mission before the Mantis entered its two-day-long hyperspace journey to Jakku. He didn’t think he’d freeze up under the watchful eye of an Abednedo that was the spitting image of the second person in Cal’s life to sacrifice their existence so his could continue. Eyes beginning to well with tears that would forever remain unshed, the boy shook his head lightly to bring himself out of his catatonic state. 

“Yeah, yeah, the uh- the codes, right,” he stuttered, grabbing the data disk that contained the valuable information from the Abednedo’s outstretched hand (when had he outstretched his hand?), offering it to BD-1 for safekeeping. “Are you coming with us? There’s plenty of space on the Mantis -  the Hidden Path could use somebody as versatile as you,” he questioned, instilling his tone with a kind of curiosity he could not will himself to truly feel at the current point in time, his mind digging memories to the surface that he would prefer to have stayed buried. 

“That’s the plan, kid,” the contact replied, grabbing a small bag of supplies from a hook behind him. He was dressed casually, with clothing that would keep his large form cool in the desert heat. Cautiously stepping out from the hideout, the Abednedo took a wary glance around, ensuring the stormtroopers wouldn’t notice their hasty departure. 

The Abednedo signalled for Cal to follow him, so he did. Weaving through relatively small alleyways and passing by market stalls, it was evident that the red-haired human was being led a backway to the Mantis’ location. 

They couldn’t be more than twenty paces from docking bays when Cal heard it- the unmistakable shout of a stormtrooper alerting his peers to an individual running around with a lightsaber on his belt. There was no star system in which this could be good for them. 

“You! Stop right where you are, in the name of the Empire!” The trooper shouted, his blaster aimed directly at Cal’s heart. Looking back to the Abednedo, who already had his palms raised in surrender, he knew a split-second decision had to be made. 

Reaching slowly for his lightsaber, the trooper stalked closer to the unlikely pair - perhaps not all that unlikely on Jakku, but still unlikely - barking orders at Cal to not do what he was thinking of doing. Hearing the plastoid dog alerting the rest of his squad to the presence of the Jedi, he knew it was too late to stop what was happening. Blaster bolts began racing towards Cal and the contact, being easily reflected by the Jedi’s brilliant orange ‘saber, its glow matching that of the desert sunset that was encroaching on the horizon. 

The death of the reporting trooper seemed to summon two, three, ten more in front of the two men, most wielding blasters with a few baton-wielding hounds accompanying them. If he were on his own, this group would be easy to dispatch. With an ally in tow, however - not so easy. He would have to keep note of any stray blaster bolts, fired or reflected. He’d have to take note of who the baton wielders were targeting, he’d have to-

The hum of a crimson lightsaber. A scream so primal that it reawakened the abilities of the force that the padawan had lost during the purge. The unmistakable thump of a body hitting the ground.

Except this time, it wasn’t a lightsaber. It wasn’t a scream. It was a shout of surprise, and a body hitting the ground. A body hit the ground. It hit the ground, it hit the ground, it hit the-

An electrified prod woke Cal from his panic, reminding him he was still in a fight. Reminding him he wasn’t on Bracca, he wasn’t being stared down by Inquisitors as he helplessly watched his best friend be murdered in cold blood. He was on Jakku. He was on Jakku, gathering contact codes for the Hidden Path. He was on Jakku, following Prauf - no, not Prauf, an unnamed Abednedo - to the Mantis. 

An unnamed Abednedo that sat against a wall, head slumped, body motionless. An Abednedo that had thumped to the ground. An Abednedo that, like Prauf, was dead. He was dead. Because of Cal and his carelessness and his incorrect assumption that his lightsaber wouldn’t be seen. The incorrect assumption that nobody would notice him slow time, that nobody would notice him use the force. 

Cal couldn’t think. 

He couldn’t breathe.

Prauf, his body lifeless, the ever-present spark in his eyes dissipating, his force signature disappearing, the blade in his chest extinguishing. 

Lifeless. 

Dissipating. 

Extinguished. 

Dead. 

And then Cal was on the Albedo Brave, clones firing at him, his master urging him to activate the controls for the escape pods, and this time? This time, he would fight back. 

Cal spun his ‘saber in his hand, raising it above his head with determination and striking down any clone that dared to show its helmeted face to him. One, two, three, ten clones were dispatched, limbs and heads rolling across the deck of the ship, and as Cal turned around to check on his master, nothing had changed. 

His master lay lifeless on the floor of the escape pod, the rise and fall of his chest dissipating, his life extinguishing before Cal’s eyes. Dead.

One thing had changed throughout all the chaos and confusion felt by the young padawan. 

No last words were exchanged. 

And, Merrin was beside him.

She was resting a loving hand on his cheek, turning his gaze from his Master - no, it was Prauf, and then his Master again - to her. The warmth of Merrin’s touch helped slightly with grounding the boy, but nowhere near what either had hoped.

“Merrin, Merrin you need to go, the Clones are coming, and the Inquisitors, I can’t hold them off for long but you need to run,” he stammered out, breaths ragged and eyes darting around frantically, unable to shake the surroundings his brain had convinced him were real. The walls were closing in, or at least it felt they were to the Jedi. He felt small next to the Nightsister, his juvenile form from the Purge enveloping him the way a jaw plant would to smother its prey. Cal’s breathing continued to be erratic as he brought his hands to the back of his head, interlocking his fingers and rocking himself back and forth in a sorry attempt to release himself from the memories that plagued him. 

A distant voice spoke, and though Cal could not make out what it was saying, he could tell it was trying to comfort him as smoke shrouded him, followed by a flash of green and a feeling of warmth surrounding the young boy. 

He was so, so tired. 

Maybe he should sleep.

Something was wrong, Merrin could tell that much on her own. Even without force abilities as complex as Cal Kestis’, she had enough insight with the power Dathomir bestowed upon her to tell that something was wrong. She had already instructed Greez to start the engines of the ship, and to keep it idle until her return - she didn’t doubt her decision. 

Coming across a tide of amputated appendages and the smell of charred flesh, Merrin’s belief that Cal was in trouble further solidified itself in her mind. Seeing him crouched over a body, body shaking as he took harsh, jagged breaths. She had seen her Jedi like this before, when they had shared a bed at night and he tossed and turned so viciously that he unconsciously threatened to fall out of the Mantis’ sleeping cots. How could he be having a nightmare in broad daylight? Was he sleepwalking? No, he couldn’t be - he was awake when he left to gather the codes, and he slept as well as he could the previous night. Maybe it was what Cere had told her about all those moons ago, something that resembled a nightmare while the person suffering was awake. 

Merrin believed Cere had called it a ‘flashback’. She couldn’t be entirely certain, however. 

As she approached Cal, Merrin could hear him mumbling hurriedly, his sentences sporadic and nonsensical to ears unfamiliar with his past. He was sputtering about how he had failed, and how he was sorry, begging please Prauf I’m sorry, please Prauf, please wake up. The names changed from Prauf to Master too many times for Merrin to keep track. 

She had no idea how to stop this, she didn’t know if she could stop this, but Dathomir be damned if she didn’t try. 

Reaching out an ungloved hand, Merrin rested her palm gently on Cal’s cheek, softly turning his face towards her and away from the body of their contact. Cal had a far-away look to him as if he was looking through her instead of at her, as if he was standing on a planet and looking absent-mindedly to the stars. She rubbed circles on his jawbone with her thumb, willing him to wake from this nightmare, to come back to her and the gifts the future would provide.

And he did. 

Just not in the way she had hoped he would. 

The terror visible in Cal’s eyes tore apart Merrin’s heart, the tears in his eyes falling without shame. Her Jedi was being tortured by his mind, and though he was aware she was here, he did not wake. Spouting out obscenities about the Clones and the Inquisitors closing in, how they would hurt her and how he would hold them off for as long as he could, Cal rose to his feet. He ignited his lightsaber, in a stance that would allow him to block or parry any blows thrown at him, but there were no enemies nearby. There were no Clones or Inquisitors, nor were there any Stormtroopers nearby - he had already dispatched them in ways far more barbaric than Merrin had seen him use before. 

“At ease, my Jedi. You are okay, there is nobody here but you and me. Rest, allow sleep to overcome you,” she whispered tenderly into his ear, worried she might cause him to run. The magic she imbued into her words stopped his flight response, attempting to lull him into a dreamless slumber. Curling himself into the fetal position, Cal sat down and rested against the wall of a hut, interlocking his fingers behind his head. He was… scared. What had he seen that terrified him to the extent it made him regress into a child-like mindset? She could only wonder, as she knew asking Cal any questions while he was in this state would result in answers that made no sense. 

Allowing her magic to surround both of them, Merrin summoned them back to the Mantis, laying Cal down on the potolli-weave fabric of the couch cushions. Greez and Kata looked on with concern, but all she had to do was give a slight nod and they were off, making their way home to Tanalorr. 

Her Jedi could rest easy tonight.

[goldenteaset]

I'm having so much fun with Virche Evermore! It's exactly the level of Gothic Romance I wanted, and often more romantic than I believed it would be. Scien is currently my favorite, but perhaps that's to be expected from someone who continually got "Pragma" (or "Ludus") on Cupid Parasite's love quiz. XD

On that same token, though (just unlocked Yves' route): am I doing sci-fi "wrong" if I'm considering the science as a vehicle for emotion and character rather than something "plausible"? Because I keep seeing people complaining about that and I'm so confused.

Analysis and spoilers for Lucas and Scien's (pre-Salvation) endings under the cut!

For example, I started with Lucas' route first. I went into it expecting this quiet, grief-filled story of a man struggling to choose between dying as himself VS continuing the vital community role he loves (teacher) at the risk of losing that passion for teaching. As the route progressed, the conflict became more, shall we say, "man vs man", but to me it didn't seem to lose much in that switch? If anything, it became clear that sometimes in this story love "comes too late", but it's worth feeling and sharing all the same. The themes of cults and Weird Science (tm) are there to enhance those emotions and that sense of loss--they're almost metaphorical that way.

Where that does fall apart for Lucas' route specifically is how he as a character feels very focused on the spiritual, not science and medicine. "What is the nature of the soul? What makes us human?" I think the antagonist chosen for him falls flat because of this: Cappuchine acts in accordance with those spiritual conflicts for 99% of the route until he's suddenly The Most Science Person. His way of "loving/preserving" is genuinely fascinating if viewed as a foil for Scien, but as a foil for Lucas specifically? They don't quite mesh. (Love the evil lair and outfit switch though, very classic and classy!)

To wander back to my point: I think Scien's route (pre-Salvation Ending) gave me more Feelings because the spiritual and science themes are better woven into his and Ceres' relationship. Both of them have these suffocating, abstract mantles placed on them by others, and through each other they learn to embrace and reject those mantles simultaneously. "To err is human", and yet "what a piece of work is man". Scien never stops thinking of Ceres as a human being, even when things spiral. Ceres has her sky-high expectations of Scien dashed to pieces by his hand, and as a consequence can point out his flaws with impunity. Their love is exhilarating, born of madness and hope. They're nothing less than devotee and God, offering and receiving tribute and acceptance at their lowest points...but they're also nothing more than a man and woman who respect and love each other.

When Scien says to Ceres "If the world will not forgive you, I will," it feels like the first time that mantle of Godhood has worth. And so it's not surprising when right after this comes his huge moment of self-discovery: "to forgive is divine", but "to err is human", after all. His downfall in his Despair Ending comes from hubris--but also, fittingly, from Lucas, the one character (so far) who adores Ceres like a devotee but can't accept her flawed humanity.

The science of Reliver technology and Death's Curse are like spotlights shining down on them--whereas for Lucas and Ceres, those same concepts get in their way as much as they help illuminate their love. And yet I can't find it in myself to discard the writing in the latter's case. I'd rather a story be as flawed as the humans that made it. That way, the emotional high points can be that much more exhilarating when they hit as hard for readers as they must have the writers when they realized, likely mid-sentence, it's working.

[blytheblog]

Star Wars Jedi Survivor is a masterpiece. ♥️

!Warning: spoilers ahead!

I finally played this game. I'm happy because I managed to avoid any sort of spoiler before playing this game (since I had exams, I couldn't play it before), so I thoroughly enjoyed it (while for JFO I got spoiled the ending so I couldn't feel very fulfilled with it) .

What can I say about this game? I have no words. I'm speechless.

Let's start with the fact that I loved the first game, I fell in love with Cal, BD1 and the entire Mantis crew. I loved their dynamics, their stories and everything. So I had high hopes for this new game. And they managed to take those expectations and go even beyond them.

To me, it felt more of an interactive movie than a game itself. The graphics were amazing (even if there were few issues with frame rates, although they didn't prevent the overall enjoyment of the game in general).

The story and the characters were so well-written: the final betrayal of Bode, the death of Cere, another appearance of Vader and this time we could fight him (I honestly didn't expect that we would find Vader again), the final battles, the story between Cal and Merrin taken to a new step. I loved it all.

Also all those new skills and stances we could apprehend were amazing; the fact that we started with the abilities already learned from the first game and then developed new ones here was so on point, because it felt like we were growing even more with Cal, discovering new sides of himself and his connection with the Force.

One thing I adored with all my heart was Cal's darkness towards the end of the game, because as we know all Jedi go through a fight within themselves with the dark side. And feeling all those sentiments of hatred and rage with Cal, and embracing the dark side as an actual ability in the game was phenomenal. I low-key wished we could unlock a force choke ability (since towards the end of the game Cal was almost force choking that commander if it wasn't for Merrin). I really hope for the third game we will have something like this, because it would be so freaking cool.

Speaking of third game, the plot points for the next game are very promising. There's this fight within Cal with his dark side, his relationship with Merrin, and then there's the thing with Kata. And there's the Hidden Path too. It'll be interesting to see where they'll go from here, but it all seems very promising and I can't wait for it all.

Exploration was on point as the first game, although the planets to fully explore are just a couple (Koboh and Jedha), with one actually not being that new (Jedha was just another sand planet 🙃). Nonetheless, it was exciting discovering new characters and new boss fights while exploring, it was thrilling.

Also, I loved how in this game they added so many friendly interactions with animals: petting boglings and nekkos has become an obsession of mine 🥲😍

Also, the rumors were nice. It gave you the chance to explore even more places and meet new random characters along the way, and that gives a sort of authenticity to the game in my opinion .

Another things I absolutely loved in this game: the freaking SOUNDTRACK. Guys, seriously, the music had a ton of impact, especially in the final cutscenes: Cere's death with Cal beside her, the final fight with Boss, the trip through the Abyss. Seriously, kudos to the composers, because music is so meaningful to me in a movie, or in this case a game: the right music can do magic, but the wrong music would kill the mood in a second. I have been listening to the soundtrack album a lot, no kidding.

Cameron Monaghan is an incredible actor, that's nothing new (especially if you've watched his roles in Shameless or Gotham, which I LOVED); so I could basically feel what Cal felt, his acting was top tier *chef kiss*.

Having said so, there were more pros than cons while playing this game (the cons being as already said just some small issues with frame rates, nothing really big).

I will definitely be playing this game more and more times, and probably won't ever get tired of it. The new game + with the red lightsaber? YES SIR.

Thanks Respawn for gifting us this beautiful piece of Star Wars story.

[amikoroyaiart]

Hey, it's been a while.

I heard that you finished playing Jedi Survivor.

Awesome!! 😃

Overall, what did you think of it? As for me, I thought it was excellent, and I hope we get a third game in the future 🙂

Oh I have a lot of thoughts about this game, I will put them under cut since they will contain major spoilers :D

Graphics were amazing. I was so excited when I saw Coruscant. It's beautiful, I keep going back to that planet and keep imagining Corries there. Tanalorr was beautiful as well.

When it comes to gameplay I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love all the new fighting styles but all the acrobatics and jumping made my hands sweat so much. I don't think I've ever swear as much as I did while I was playing Survivor XD but it's just me struggling with these types of adventures games. Fighting was awesome. While I love all the new quests, I was a little bit overwhelmed with stuff to do on the planets. At some point I had to force myself to stop doing side quests and finally progress the plot because people were spoiling the game everywhere while I was still in the beginning of the plot... (I wish some people understood that not everyone can finish a big game as this one during one weekend...)

As for the story, I liked it, I was living for all the High Republic bits. I kinda wish there was more of it. Overall the plot was an emotional rollercoaster and I cried like a baby during the last hours. Cere's death was tragic, especially when she called Trilla in her last words, Bode's betrayal hurt me so much.

Speaking of Bode, such an amazing character. I only wish his end was different. While I stared being wary of him, I did not expect him to be a Jedi. I love the bromance between Cal and him (or even romance, I already read some fics with them haha) and I understood Bode's point of view and why he did things he did. But I feel like the end was a little bit too extra. I get that we needed a villain but I wish Cal and Bode came to an agreement. I cried like a baby when I found the echo of Bode an his daughter singing the Ghost lullaby. I really wished them the best.

As for the romance between Cal and Merrin I still have mixed feelings. It's just that I see their banter more as siblings' banter rather than flirting but I am happy for the people who ship them! <3

I think that's it. I am still trying to digest the story as I only finished it yesterday and there is still so many things to discover for me. It's a neat game, maybe not always for me when it comes to gameplay but I have my fingers crossed for the third part.

[paxesoterica]

The Witch from Mercury: The Story So Far

So, a lot of developments happened in the first part of Witch from Mercury that will almost certainly affect events in the next part, but it occurred to me that some folks, for various reasons, might not remember everything and be a bit confused. Below I have written a cheat sheet of plot points for anyone who might need or want it; enjoy : )

Note: Contains spoilers for the prologue, the Cradle Planet short story, episodes 1-12, and the season 2 trailer; also very long

*The Holder system of the Asticassia School of Technology gives both status recognition and the hand of Miorine Rembran in marriage to whichever student pilot proves themselves the best by mobile suit dueling. The current Holder is Suletta Mercury, who, after defeating the school’s other top pilots, promised Miorine that she would not lose any duels, which all but guarantees the two will be wed on Miorine’s next birthday. The system was instituted by Miorine’s father, Delling Rembran, the President of the Benerit Group, but it is unpopular with other CEOs of rival corporations in the Group, and there is a possibility they might opt to nullify it in the event of Delling’s death.

*Suletta’s interactions with her mobile suit, Gundam Aerial, has shown that Aerial has some degree of sentience, but this is currently known only to Suletta and her mother, Prospera Mercury, and has not been explored in detail (yet). This sentience is possibly related to the fact that Aerial is currently the only Gundam that does not harm their pilot due to data overload, and instead seems to handle that function herself, but the reason why that is has also not been explored in detail (yet).

*The revelation of Aerial’s status as a Gundam, which had been outlawed by Delling around the time he ordered the attack on the Vanadis Institute, prompted Miorine to form a company called Gund-Arm Inc. to prevent Aerial from being dismantled and Suletta from being expelled. Miorine enlisted Earth House, a group of Earthian students who had befriended Suletta and whose mechanics had repaired Aerial, as her first employees. Due to the influence of Suletta and Earth House, Miorine researched Gund technology, and opted for the company to manufacture prosthetics. Earth House was present for an attack that took place at Plant Quetta and survived thanks to the actions of Nika Nanaura.

*Guel Jeturk, former heir of Jeturk Heavy Machinery and ex-fiance of Miorine, lost his status as Holder after being defeated by Suletta. This disgrace resulted in him being ousted from his house and camping on school grounds, and eventually running away from his family to join a construction company, only to be captured by an Earthian mercenary group called Dawn of Fold as part of their plan to attack Plant Quetta. Guel escaped and attempted to combat Dawn of Fold in a stolen mobile suit, but instead battled and mistakenly killed his own father, Vim Jeturk. Guel’s current whereabouts are unknown, and his half-brother, Lauda Neill, has become the new CEO of Jeturk.

*The boy that most know as Elan Ceres, heir of Peil Technologies, is actually referred to by Peil’s four CEOs as Enhanced Person No. 5, a boy whose memories have been erased and body reshaped to appear identical to the real Elan, who uses body doubles to test pilot Gundam Pharact to avoid the harm or potential death that most Gundams inflict on their pilots due to overloading them with data. No. 5 is the successor of No. 4, who duelled with Suletta and seemed likely to become her friend, until the CEOs of Peil decided he was no longer useful and murdered him; no one is currently aware of No. 4′s death, or that No. 4, No. 5, and Elan are all different people, except for the CEOs of Peil, No. 5, Elan, Belmeria Winston, and possibly Prospera. No. 5 is currently an employee of Gund-Arm Inc., but was not present at the Plant Quetta incident.

*Shaddiq Zenelli, the heir of Grassley Defense Systems, is unlike his father, Sarius Zenelli, who wants to abolish Gundams. Shaddiq instead sees Gundams as potentially useful, and attempted to seize control of Gund-Arm Inc., but was defeated by the combined strength of Suletta and Earth House in a duel. Shaddiq then used his connection with Nika to contact Dawn of Fold directly, and hired them to attack Plant Quetta and assassinate President Delling, with the intent to cause chaos for the Benerit Group. No one knows that Shaddiq is responsible for the Plant Quetta attack, except for his lieutenants in Grassley House, the leadership of Dawn of Fold, and possibly Nika; Vim was also aware, but his death rendered that irrelevant.

*During its attack on Plant Quetta, Dawn of Fold revealed that it had two Gundam pilots of its own, Norea Du Noc and Sophie Pulone. Sophie briefly fought Suletta, but she and the rest of Dawn of Fold retreated when Suletta displayed the increased firepower of the Rebuild version of Aerial. It seems likely Norea, and possibly Sophie as well, will infiltrate Asticassia and threaten Nika with a knife.

*Prospera has affirmed her identity as Elnora Samaya, a former Vanadis pilot, wife of Nadim Samaya, and mother of Ericht Samaya. Her former colleague, Belmeria, suspects that Prospera desires revenge against the Benerit Group, and Prospera has outright confirmed that to Aerial, but the exact nature of that revenge is currently unclear. Despite the fact that Delling ordered the attack on the Vanadis Institute that killed most of Prospera’s colleagues and family, Prospera is currently working with him on a secret project called Quiet Zero, which for reasons unknown, requires combat data from Aerial.

*As CEO of Gund-Arm, Miorine purchased a space ship that can carry all of Gund-Arm’s employees, and has offered friendship to Feng Jun of the Space Assembly League, a group that previously offered to smuggle Miorine to Earth, but about which little else is currently known. After a misunderstanding with her groom, Miorine affirmed that she no longer wishes to run away and instead wants to marry Suletta, but the two were then separated during the Plant Quetta incident. Miorine encountered her father, Delling, who mentioned Miorine’s mother, Nortette, and hinted that there was more to her death than Miorine had known, but was then critically wounded trying to protect Miorine. After Dawn of Fold’s retreat, Miorine and Delling encountered one of the mercenaries, who was killed by Suletta with brutal force, which horrified Miorine. Two weeks after this, Delling remains in critical condition at a Benerit hospital with Miorine by his side.

*Suletta’s previous doubt and anxiety about her relationship with her bride, Miorine, was resolved just before the attack on Plant Quetta. When the two were separated, Suletta sought out Aerial to fight back, and encountered several mercenaries, who were then killed by her mother. Prospera demonstrated an unusual level of influence over her daughter, and persuaded Suletta that killing was okay to protect the people you love. Suletta then drove off Dawn of Fold, and saved the lives of both Miorine and Delling, but acted very out of character in the process. Two weeks later, she is waiting for Miorine to return and will likely be dealing with the dueling challenges issued while Aerial was being repaired. The issue of Suletta being Prospera’s daughter and looking like a grown up version of Ericht, but only being 17 years old while the attack on Vanadis seems to have taken place 21 years ago has not been addressed (yet).

And that’s a summary of The Witch from Mercury, as of April 8th, 2023; what tomorrow holds, we shall see : )

[saemi-the-writer]

XV , XXIII and XXIV for all of your Arcana OCs please 💫

Thank you! *rolls up sleeves* now, here you go:

Btw: cheating a bit and giving 2 theme songs for my OCs!

XV.) What does your MC do to get ready for the day? Do they have a routine?

Niamh is a (very) early bird and has indeed her routine.

She's usually up around 5 o'clock in the morning, after getting washed and dressed, she does her morning exercise - physical then magical - followed by a long meditation. Once Niamh is done meditating, she makes her bed and then goes to prepare breakfast and some lunch boxes. After eating and washing the dishes, she goes down to the shop for a quick check-up and cleaning if needed. Niamh burns some incense in the room for readings and eventually prepares or finishes brewing some potions. If she has some time to spare, she will sit for a bit and read a book or do some crafting.

When Asra is here, she checks on him and wakes him up if needed and the two finish preparing the place before opening.

XXIII.) What is your MC’s theme song?

 I see Fire - Celtic Woman

This would be Niamh during the Plague, right before her death, but it also fits resurrected Niamh.

Rasen - Chihiro Onitsuka

Look, if I could make a show of my AU, this would be my pick for the ending song animation!! (Me crying in "I can't make animatics">_<)

Here's the lyrics translation: Wherever I am, Something is dying, I try to cast off My rusting wrath.

Chorus: I change into a bird Flying away from the crowd My doubts change into feathers I freely shake them off of all of it Life My life My fragile life Finally, I've realized...

This arm stretches out Changing into a branch or thin air Forgetting about you I reach Paradise

In a crowd of people The pace is violent I secretly run away from someone Who clings to my legs

(Chorus)

Life My life My precious life Finally, I've reached it.

XXIV.) What is your MC and their LI’s romance theme song?

Anywhere But Here - SafetySuit

This song screams "Asra" and the pairing to me. The "love that will never be" is when the two still have some doubts and haven't confessed yet.

-------------------------------------

XV.) What does your MC do to get ready for the day? Do they have a routine?

Réamann's routine is quite similar to Niamh's until a point:

He wakes up early and does his morning exercises then meditation before anything else. After his breakfast, he grooms and feeds Ceres then he checks the to-do list he prepared the previous day. Depending on his schedule, he either starts practising his scales or does some sketches. If he has to meet a client for a painting, he checks the commissioned art he made and/or only prepares his material. Once he's sure that everything is ready, he checks to see if he still has some spare time for a morning stroll either to the docks or the forest, or just to get some pumpkin bread. When the time comes, he passes by his sister's shop to get the lunchboxes she prepared for him before going on his day.

XXIII.) What is your MC’s theme song?

 Never-Ending Story - Within Temptation

It definitely reflects a lot about the way Réa sees the world and his "philosophy".

A spark inside us - "The Princess and the Goblin"

This is a bard song, you can't change my mind! Plus, it fits Réamann's optimism.

XXIV.) What is your MC and their LI’s romance theme song?

I bring you a song - Bambi

I know I already picked this song for Muriel my post "Disney themes", but come on! "I bring you a song" / "I'm singing for you" ? Of course, it would make me think of Réamann and RéaMuri!! 😂

-------------------------------------

XV.) What does your MC do to get ready for the day? Do they have a routine?

This family is full of early birds! Erwin is another one! His day starts at 4 - 5 o'clock, and he starts with a cup of strong tea, a bowl of rice porridge and his solo morning training which consists of:

50 lap races

a certain number of press-ups, push-ups and stretchings

training against a dummy - first without weapons, then with his sword

a sequence with his sword on his own

He takes a quick shower/bath afterwards and eats a solid breakfast. Depending on the day, he visits the forge and helps start the fire and sharpens some blades. After that, he checks the schedules and goes to meet the soldiers from night patrols to listen to a quick report. If something needs to be attended to, he goes himself or sends the vice-captain and reports to Nadia if anything is amiss and she needs to be notified.

XXIII.) What is your MC’s theme song?

 Shattered - Trading Yesterday

Post-plague, Erwin became depressed. Niamh died of the plague, the family is grieving and Lucio was "murdered" by fire and he couldn't save him. Poor guy was feeling lost but still tries to move on for his remaining family and loved ones, despite his struggles.

I'll fight - Daughtry

It shows Erwin's kindest and most caring side. He's not one to fight out of pleasure or just to show off, he mostly learnt to survive and protect himself, then he chooses to use his skills to protect his loved ones. Whether "fight" is used figurately or literally, he'll fight for them.

XXIV.) What is your MC and their LI’s romance theme song?

Promise of a Lifetime - Kutless

"The pledge you made to me" <- Erwin definitely made one to Lucio! And not just for his position as the Captain of the guards and bodyguard :p

These two are pining idiots too

[fuzzytrashbird]

hi ok so if you’ve known me for a while (especially from a few specific discord art servers) you might recognize this character

her name is Ceres, i made her in arouuund 2019? and she was named by someone in a server. since the first concept, she’s gone through many redesigns and many story rewrites, which you can read a bit about below

you may be looking at this and thinking “mel. her face is covered in all of these. why is that?” or you’re not thinking that which is also valid. either way, that’s why i’m here right now talking about her. Ceres, being one of my personal favorites of my OCs, has had her face hidden since initial development because i HAD planned to do a visual novel with her where her face was revealed and it was this whole major thing. frankly? don’t remember most of the details now. 

her whole story then was that she didn’t really have any memories from before she was 15, she was just lost and taken in by a witch who was like “this child is mine now” (probably should’ve reported a lost teen in the forest with amnesia to authorities but oh well!) and she happily lived with this witch and the witch’s daughter until she accidentally got the witch killed via potion gone wrong and ran away from home because she couldn’t face her mistakes. 

THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!!!! (not by a lot though) the amnesia is still a thing, she still gets adopted by a witch who REALLY should’ve thought more about taking in a random teen in the forest, and she is there when the witch is murdered. She also runs away from home, as she blames herself for the murder of the witch because of one TINY thing she did. 

long story short, Ceres jokes about thinking Eleanor, the witch, is an immortal being while in the village near the forest chatting with a local, as it didn’t seem Eleanor had aged since taking Ceres in years ago. this offhand comment sparked rumors throughout the village that managed to make their way to nearby villages and hit the wrong set(s) of ears. this, over time, leads to Ceres being informed Eleanor is in fact not human, and a certain man deciding to attempt (and succeed? at) murdering the ‘immortal’ being in the woods.  Ceres accidentally reveals Eleanor is, in fact, more than human, when said man was asking her prying questions and she gets nervous enough to make things obvious. upon watching the man murder Eleanor, Ceres runs away from the home, though not very far, as she doesn’t really know the world outside of the forest and village.  All of this led to Ceres wearing the veil thing over her face in hopes of hiding from Eleanor’s daughter, Bianca, as she feared Bianca blamed her for Eleanor’s death. Bianca didn’t blame her for anything, but she was still scared. 

but that’s stupid? or at least i think it is. so!!! i’m no longer hiding her face lol honestly don’t know why i did hide it initially like what was the point but here she is!!! i love her and i think she’s so pretty so i was always like why did i hide her face waaaahhh 

my beloved forest witch <3 

also sorry about being ramble-y its 3 AM i’m in pain from a headache and back issues and i’m veeeery tired but i wanted to post this LOL 

[jedimastre-archive]

Laura's personal review of Jedi Survivor; spoilers ahead !

The game overall has a few bugs but since playing it on release that isn't too surprising. There are some game breaking mechanics though, like your alternative Force powers just stop working sometimes and you need to go back to the title screen in order to fix them. If you are playing on PC, the FSR ( AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 ) makes the game visually fuzzy and there is nothing you can do about it. Hopefully they will implement DLSS. The fuzziness is worse around Cal's character model. This doesn't effect the frame rate at all either so its just visually something you'd have to get used to a bit.

The fighting mechanics start out simple but get a bit more complicated later in the game. You can learn additional moves through the skill tree that can add to the arsenal but I think that is a bit overwhelming. At least for me. Lightsaber combat feels nice, you get quite a bit more selection on stances.

Story wise I think its very well written with a few things here and there that might need some clearing up later. Like how Cal is aware that the Republic was thwarted by a Sith Lord, was this something Cere just knew or found out from someone and then just told Cal or is this just something Cal just knows? I love the utilization of The Path as a story point, building a hope of something more like with the rebuilding of the Jedi Archives. Or at least the attempt at it.

The fight with Vader was both expected and unexpected, I say this because we faced Vader in the last game and I am aware of him being around but didn't really think I'd see him again.

I know a lot of people are going to thump me for this but Cere's fight against Vader was actually really unique and cool. The very fact that she can hold up for as long as she did for that fight is amazing in itself. It is a contrast to her last altercation with him where she got yeeted into an abyss almost immediately. I say I am going to be thumped because Vader is often portrayed to the masses as a very very powerful and unyielding force to deal with. 99% of the people who go up against him are dead on the spot. But I like believing that all though he is this powerful being that has so much power, that resistance isn't entirely impossible. Vader isn't perfect and he is far from the warrior he used to be. Giving Cere this piece was really a nice touch to her story and made her death all the more impactful.

Cal's fight with the dark side is a common one but done in a way he had to deal with due to circumstances. The fact that Jedi are defined really by being touched by darkness and depending on how they react to it is what makes them who they are. The fact that Cal is doing this without a Master's guidance, without other Jedi peers is both devastating and painful to watch. But you see that his training and experiences have shaped him into a very good person and a very good Jedi. He learns to lean on his friends and those who care about him and that is so important.

Facing darkness you learn that it is something he still contends with even at the end of the game. It is a nice touch and something that adds incredible substance to his character.

Dealing with Bode's betrayal was hard for me as it was for the characters involved. You grew to love him, to look forward to his interactions only to be stabbed in the back and feeling almost empty. I liked that they interacted with his daughter like an adult -- they told her they wanted to ask her father to give back something he stole. And his daughter seeing how her father has become was the right way to handle the situation rather than Cal going in and murdering her father out of hatred.

This game all in all has a 8.5/10 from me, if they would fix the bugs and the visual effects it would be higher. The world is incredibly huge and there is still so much to do after the fact. I look forward to playing more later.

[casliveblog]

Custom Toonami Block Week 193 Rundown

The Witch from Mercury: So this is a “shit hits the fan episode” Guel is gunning for Shaddiq with the Witch Hunters backing him up. This causes Shaddiq to hit the ‘fuck it we ball’ phase of his plan and goes out to confront Guel to stall until they can move his father to a new location. He also lets everyone out of the closet of hostages, leaving Norea to go on a rampage and try and destroy the school while Fake Ceres #2 tries to stop her because he’s suddenly developed empathy thanks to relating to someone that just doesn’t want to fucking die. The school goes into lockdown and Suletta is surprisingly passive during all this since yeah her main weapon is currently literally on another planet, and Petra gives off every death flag in the world so she can die tragically in front of her. Chuchu concludes her struggle with relevance by getting a new mobile suit to fight off Norea’s Gunbits and even reunites with Nika to get it tuned up. Guel and Shaddiq air their grievances and talk about how they’ve always hated each other and Guel’s brother kinda accidentally overhears how he killed their father so yeah. Shaddiq’s just mad that his bloodless coup has become a lot less bloodless and Miorine’s now the scapegoat for all of it and Guel’s sick of his ‘you know if you’d behaved I wouldn’t have had to make you kill your stupid father’ bullshit and the fight ends in a draw with Guel’s suit destroyed and Shaddiq and his supports’ being incapacitated with the Witch Hunters surrounding them. Meanwhile in the school Fake Ceres is trying to talk Norea down and gets her to calm down and think life might be worth living just enough for a sniper to take her out, they don’t call this episode “The End of Hope” for no reason. Ceres goes berserk and everything’s basically neutralized at this point but like half the school is fucking dead so that sucks. The gang tries to talk to Suletta about it but Suletta is the kind of person who processes trauma better through action than communication so they all get to work to help the relief effort. I really liked this one, Fake Ceres’s feelings for Norea kinda came out of nowhere but their moment was nice and the fight between Guel and Shaddiq is really cool and shows how Guel’s grown as a character and has taken his own variation of Suletta’s message to heart.

Castlevania: Lenore continues her griping about not being useful once war is the norm, and how Carmilla’s just gonna keep grabbing until her whole kingdom collapses, the basic stuff we’ve heard before and instead of talking to someone who can do anything about it, she tells Hector which granted he makes her feel heard and shit but he’s literally the only person who physically cannot resist the methods of this place. Alucard leads the town survivors to his castle and we kinda get the speedrun version of him sharing his story with the head lady and them hitting it off but I’m willing to accept he just kinda gets it up for anyone that’s not afraid of him, like father like son I suppose. Sypha’s observing how shitty everyone’s been about putting their lives back together and realizes it’s because they’re still being fucking taxed despite literally not having a bucket to shit in and stands up to the court lady about it before Trevor wakes up a bat demon who plants the court lady with a magical homing device to lead the vampires to the king since they’re probably staying in the same maze of catacombs. Also Isaac is finally here at Carmilla’s place and ready to ransack it and get revenge on Hector. I like how Carmilla’s kind of an afterthought despite her being the one that had to shit in Dracula’s pudding, like it really says a lot about Issac that betrayal pisses him off more than active malice.

Delicious in Dungeon: Kabru and Shura’s group finally get back to the surface and discover the elves are already here to discuss taking the dungeon from them and destroying it by force, not only to get their hands on the soul-trapping spell but also to stop it from doing the eldritch shit dungeons tend to do when they get too big and dangerous. Kabru was apparently orphaned by such a dungeon extermination plan and warns against just rushing in and makes a convincing enough case that the elves decide to slow their roll a little, mostly because Kabru’s smooth and definitely scheming something and they wanna fuck around and find out. Like if the elves can destroy dungeons that easily why don’t they do it sooner before the local genocide shit starts happening? Either way back with the main group, Izu senses Laios’s partner ghost that’s been following him since they saved Falin and that running gag is finally done as he agrees to listen to the ghost and the whole group is teleported to a town that’s been around for a thousand years, coexisting with dungeon monsters and immortal people. Izu’s kinda nerfed and is basically Nezuko during this arc thanks to the monster-pacifying barrier and the group just kinda run around checking out all the cool town shit like the first episode of a One Piece arc. They go on about how Laios is the prophesized hero to conquer the dungeon and beat the mage which will undo everyone’s immortality which they’re fine with because they’re in the later stages of Who Wants to Live Forever. A neat touch is that Delgal who the Mage is currently looking for was originally from this town and received instructions from a chimera to go out and spread word of the dungeon which he was the one who started the whole “Beat the mage and find the One Piece” prophecy but he’s also who the Mage is currently looking for despite the fact we confirm here he died. Now we establish people who leave the town die and become ghosts so he may be looking for his ghost but given Delgal died on the surface that’s probably where his ghost would be and it’s been a few hundred years so it’s probably been exterminated by now. We get some navelgazing about how without death or hunger these guys have no reason to do anything and are just pantomiming living their daily routines so they don’t go insane and it’s really unnerving but also maybe it’s just because I grew up in a modern and overstimulated society but with free time if you’re a whole community there’s gotta be all sorts of shit you can do to entertain yourself like this isn’t Jinako Catagiri getting stuck in a skyboulder for thousands of years, this is a whole town that can evolve however it wants without fear of death or age like they literally have each other and can write libraries of books or invent new technology since they don’t have to put all their resources into just surviving but the “they don’t need to suffer so they don’t have to grow” philosophy never really sits right with me, like I get where it’s coming from but I think people can grow without being on the brink of starvation and death all their lives and that moral’s always dangerously close to saying that suffering is the point of life and that’s not something I’m willing to accept.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: So we actually get a followup on Fern’s staff being broken and her being mad Frieren told her to throw it away since it’s basically a jigsaw puzzle where all the answers are stick. However after Denkin visits Richter’s shop to tell him to rally himself and try again for the next test in three years, Frieren also visits him and gets Fern’s staff repaired. The gesture reminds Fern of Heiter telling her that even though Frieren’s not good with people, having no natural aptitude for socializing does make her extra sensitive to hurting people’s feelings so she’s really quite caring. Meanwhile Serie takes on the proctoring of the final exam, taking over for her student who became the first one to pass the test under her, Serie lamenting that he grew as a match to Frieren but is too advanced in age to be her equal and noticing that even he can’t see she’s holding back her mana just like Frieren does despite it being a huge pillar like hers. It’s kinda interesting that Serie asserts Frieren basically carried everyone through the tests resulting in a weak crop larger than they intended but like Frieren actively made the second test harder for everyone and kinda jacked up everyone’s chances on the first, if anything Denkin’s the one getting everyone to band together and improve their chances. The last test is basically having everyone walk into a room and Serie telling at a glance that they can’t pass because they’re frozen by her power. Frieren comes up and despite not being afraid of Serie, she still fails because Serie’s butthurt that Frieren just goes around doing whatever she wants instead of mastering useful magic, though Frieren gives the story of how she met Himmel as a child and showed him the field of flowers spell and tells her not to underestimate where useless things can get you since her dumb flower spell literally saved the world. Meanwhile Fern comes in and immediately recognizes Serie’s holding back since she’s watched Frieren do it her whole life, impressing Serie enough to try and take Fern off Frieren’s hands, though Fern obviously refuses but still passes overall. Kinda fitting since Frieren didn’t care about titles and shit anyway just kinda funny that Fern outranks Frieren now and is the reason they’ll get to go further North, I mean I guess she always outranked Frieren since Frieren literally doesn’t have a rank since she’s older than the system but yeah.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: It’s a Nanami episode so yeah we’re basically in for the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen in my life. Her new Team Rocket plot to humiliate Anthy and Utena is to… make really spicy curry and for some reason this… makes them swap bodies… like they don’t even pretend this makes sense in any way. Either way Nanami has to go to India to find the spice she used in the curry and the gag of her getting chased by elephants in increasingly improbable ways just fucking breaks my brain, this show is the stupidest fucking thing ever and I love it. Meanwhile Utena and Anthy have to walk a mile in each others’ shoes and it’s kinda neat, they don’t swap voices or anything so it’s just the VAs doing impressions of each others’ inflections and I would never call the voice acting in this show great or anything (it doesn’t help that the sound quality makes it sound like these lines were recorded in a closet so that’s not the actors’ fault) but they do a pretty good job of conveying the difference in personality with just their tone. Utena!Anthy gets approached by Saiyonji and experiences the genuine love he has for Anthy that almost makes her forget what an abusive jerk he is until he sees him making fun of her in his diary and she rightly tells him off in a hilariously gleeful way, very demure. Nanami returns with the spice (there’s a Dune joke in there somewhere) but thanks to slapstick shenanigans it gets destroyed. Later they discover they never used the super rare spice (because yeah why would they sell something that takes 200 years to make in a fucking store and put a label on it that’s like ‘super spicy, doesn’t swap your bodies at all’) and it turns out Anthy’s cooking just… does that? Like idk if this is plot shit because she’s the Rose Bride Reincarnation of Dios or if it’s just like that because this plot makes no sense and Nanami had to get trampled by elephants six times but I could see it going either way. Anyway everything’s back to normal and ChuChu and Saiyonji swap bodies next, truly the best timeline.  

[affinitystoryblog]

I recall seeing a poll asking abt whether you should make Atheria and Ceres immortals or mortal ascended to godhood at some point (but it also feels like a fever dream lmao), either way I can't find the poll anymore so I assume you've already decided how you'd go with it?

i did make a poll about that a while ago yes! i kinda figured it out tbh. am i fully satisfied? not yet, but i dont think i will be until i actually take the time to sit down and write out their story.

i did decide to go with immortals born divine, because i just could not make mortal ascended to godhood work, but i did write some more details on their relationship and how they are with each other. i also decided that i wanna go the rose quartz from su route with atheria. beloved by all who knew her, but she actually has some skeletons in her closet. idk if i should reveal what i decided to go with because its so deep story and i tend to be less lenient with spoilers for book 2, but if u guys reallllyyy want to know....there is a cycle of life and death being broken with atheria and ceres...atheria will do anything to keep ceres by her side, way before ceres would do the same for her.

[goldenteaset]

2023 Fic Writer Year In Review (Part 1)

These came from this ask post here, but I felt like answering them in chunks on my own, similar to what I did in 2022. I was a lot happier this year. :D

Answers 1-10 under the cut!

What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

Messing with formatting and POV in "An Act of Husbandry" (Virche Evermore, Scien/Ceres)! I think it turned out great, thanks to the Despair Ending that inspired it having a lot to work with. I definitely want to try it again!

2. How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!)

...I have no idea, actually. ^^; A lot? Let's go with that, yeah.

3. What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer?

Being honest with what I want to write makes the act of writing go so much easier. Also a lot of things I thought I'd never consider writing I absolutely would if given the right characters.

4. What piece of media inspired you the most?

A lot of media, not even ones that I wrote fic for! Cupid Parasite wound up being a huge inspiration just for how it handled the different "love types" in each route so effectively. Baldur's Gate 3 has helped me put into context how I want to write Legato in Ligature. Virche Evermore has made me adore visual novels as a medium more than ever. Anne Rice's books once again reminded me of why I write in the first place...I could go on. XD

5. What fandom(s) did you write for this year?

Alphabetically: Berserk, Death Note, Granblue Fantasy, Trigun ('98 and Stampede), Touken Ranbu, What in Hell is Bad?, and Virche Evermore.

6. What ship(s) captured your heart?

This was the year of Legato x A Good Chunk of Trigun's Cast, with special mention going to Legato x Vash, Legato x Meryl and Legato x Knives x Vash. Allan x Lynette from Cupid Parasite also occupied my thoughts a lot, but I didn't feel the need to write fic for them. ^^; Also, coming in at the end of the year: is that Scien x Ceres from Virtue Evermore with a steel chair?! Yes it is, and I've never been happier to be bludgeoned.

7. What character(s) captured your heart?

Legato waited 10+ years before setting up shop in my heart and I still don't know what happened. Later, Scien kicked down the door and Ceres apologized before also stepping in too.

...Also, I feel it's worth mentioning, but good lord was this ever Belial's year as well, even more so than the last five. Confound this man and his ability to make anything sexy as long as he's involved!!

8. Did you write for a new fandom or ship this year?

With the exception of Berserk, GBF and Touken Ranbu, they were all new this year! (And even GBF had new faces, like Lodi.) In general I let myself run wild.

9. What fic meant the most to you to write?

...Hmm. It says something that there are so many contenders this year, doesn't it? Every time I think I have an answer, two more options appear. In general, there were points where I really felt characters' emotions as I wrote, and I hope readers felt the same.

10. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

Again, a really hard question! XD But I do have an easy answer for that: Baby Princess Training Diary (GBF, Belial x Lyria and Belial x Lyria x Djeeta, rated E). It's a combo of being happy that I finally knew what I wanted out of it, and also just...I love Lyria so much and wanted her to have the best possible time, "even" in a kinky, dubcon story like this one. For whatever reason, she brings out Belial's most Dangerously-Caring Boyfriend Energy, and there are moments in this where I had to look away because they were so cute together! And adding Djeeta into the mix made it all the sweeter. It just wouldn't stop, even when it was time to edit. The fic itself isn't going to be to everyone's tastes, and I knew that, but still. It was just so fun...

[faivsz]

once i read this post i just had to write this out, but most of it feels like im just repeating what you said so i apologize in advance

Cal's journey on trying to move past The Fight and, as Greez put it, being 'more than a lightsaber' is such a well written struggle. It's all that he's knew- Being one of the few Jedi left, he was immediately put into a war and became a child soldier (a pre-teen at that, leading an entire battalion of clones alongside Jaro Tapal). After his master's death- He was alone. Cal hid himself, shut himself off from the Force, and lived a life working under the Empire who caused it all. Rather than acknowledging, understanding, and coming to terms with Tapal's death, he avoids it entirely, becoming evasive when inquired about his past. He has his regrets and guilt. When Cere and Greez finds him, he's reminded that he is a Jedi and has a responsibility. He's a protector of the Light and he had the ability to protect what is left of it. Through Cordova's recordings and Cere, he's also given a new perspective and lessons- He will struggle, he will face the darkness, but failure is not the end. There are those who are willing to fight. Of course, throughout his journey, it's difficult- For a while he believes that given a enough time, Cal and the Mantis crew could make an impact or even a noticeable dent in the Empire. They were small, sure, but there's that thought "with them, we can do it." He's a loyal guy- So much so that he's willing to throw himself in harms way to a point it kind of irritates the rest of the crew. Yet, it doesn't last. The Battle Scars novel kind of goes into this- Cal and his bond with the crew is put to the test and their differences begin to show. They all have their own goals, and Cal's wish to fight the Empire head on wasn't shared. Cere wanted to leave behind mementos of the Jedi for future generations to look to, Merrin's struggle in finding herself after being away from Dathomir for so long, then Greez whose getting old and wants to settle down. The idea of bonds and relationships confused Cal. He inquires Cere about what defines such, but even she couldn't give a good answer. It's a hard topic to understand. His relationship with Merrin, especially- There was always a romantical subtext with her and Cal yet it was never verbally acknowledged. He even gets jealous as Merrin temporarily got into small romantical relationship with another character in the novel. Though, throughout the book, we can see their love for each other conveyed through small gestures or indirect affirmations. Then the story of Survivor comes in. He has a new crew he's connected to, friends and allies. Cal's grown and matured- He has more experience. Things begin happen rapidly, left and right- He loses his crew, and is essentially alone again. Cal still holds a small grudge (although some more than others) against the original Mantis crew for departing ways, but with how things are turning out, he has to get over it and slowly heals the wound they left him with and lets them back in. During his ventures, he meets other people, hearing their stories of how the Empire affected them, how they ended up where they were, or their relationships with their companion. They're all individuals who lived their own life and made their own decisions despite dark times. Like the Mantis did. After they defeat Dagan, it seems like all is going to work out well. Cal was rekindling his relationship with Cere, which seemed to hit the hardest during the split. He even tells Cere that she could relocate the archive on Tanalorr, a telltale sign that he's come to recognize Cere's objective is just as important as his own. They were all excited for Tanalorr- It was a spark of potential and hope.

They all care for each other deeply in their own ways, but for Cal, acknowledging that he truly loved them meant that he had everything to lose. Attachment was dangerous, yet, in a way, was one of the few good things he had. Maybe it was time for him to leave behind the Order's teachings. Merrin making the move to abruptly kiss him during the Jedha jump started this. Had she not made the move then and there, Cal most likely would have kept his feelings to himself and push it down. With her initiation and Bode's previous prompting Cal to consider pursuing his feelings, he's once again come to the aspect of love vs his dedication to fighting. As soon as he's about to move forward, it all crumbles down. Cal isn't exactly given proper time to grieve, either. He's the person that either internalizes (as you pointed out), ignores his own conflict and own wants so he can focus on the bigger issue, or even shuts down once it becomes too much. We see all of this in the aftermath of Bode's betrayal. What hurts especially is that Cal, how many hours later after being knocked out, experienced Cere's death through a Force Echo. Not only did he leave her so he can confront Bode, his mentor that help set him on his path and rescued him on Bracca was dead because of it. The path to Tanalorr is a "sacrifice millions to save one person" or "sacrifice few to save the masses". Bode had asked at some point that once the Empire had came for them, would Cal be able to guarantee Kata's safety? It's a hard question to answer. But Cal was willing to give Bode another chance, because that's who he is. He wants to see the better of people. Even after meeting the person whom Bode is desperately trying to protect, they still can't see eye to eye, and it's the final straw.

Cal's finally pushed to the edge- He's lost almost everything and was betrayed by the person he's learned to trust and saw as a brother. His strength and compassion was used against him. Everything Cal bottled up, he lets it all out through the rampage in Nova Garon. He's unravelling, he's losing himself.

Bode and Dagan were prime examples of obsession that led them to harming the people they loved the most. Cal's seen what the dark side has done to people (Ninth Sister, Bode, Dagan, etc.) and how it can change people quickly (like with Cere). He almost followed the same path of crossing the line, yet Merrin was there to keep him grounded (similarly to how Cal was there to remind Cere back on Nur). Cal's reminded that vengeance isn't him. He's remorseful, realizing the person he could have become had it not been for her. They come to the decision to give Bode just one more chance. It can be said that since Dagan's the representation of obsession of the fight, Bode represented the immense obsession with the fear of losing a loved one. He already lost his wife, and was willing to do whatever it took to protect Kata, even going as far as to hurt her. The final stand off between Cal and Bode, Cal didn't shoot first. Bode tried to, and it was enough to tell Cal that Bode was truly lost. If he was left alive, he wasn't going to stop. Essentially, they were both just two people trying to protect what they have left. Cal needed to do what he had to. At the end of Survivor, he's scared. They technically won- They had access to Tanalorr, but inevitably lost more than what was gained. Cal's faced with uncertainty, walking forward blindly as the Empire expanded. Now he had Cere's legacy to add on and Kata to care for.

With everything that's happened and all that he's lost, Cal has to reconsider his stance and his fight against the Empire. He may not fight them head on as he did before- There were other ways of facing the Empire. With the Hidden Path beginning to grow as word spreads, Cal also has people to protect, and they needed each other more than ever- He doesn't want to risk losing more than he already has. They were but a few people on a small ship- maybe Cal needed to focus on what he has now, rather than the bigger picture. In conclusion, Cal has to keep moving forward. He knows this. One of the things I love the most about him is that, despite everything that's been thrown at him- the trauma, the loss, the struggle- Cal forces himself back up and keeps going. He doesn't know what's going to happen, but Merrin reassures him that they'll work through it, just as they have done before. Survivors adapt. He has a legacy to carry, yeah, but he's now he's learning to be something more than that. He has their teachings and lessons. Cal's gradually allowing himself to properly feel and acknowledge them. His selflessness is what harms him the most, but at the same time he's also selfish when it comes to people he loves. He needs to let go of of it all in order to grow. You can love, but they too are their own person that have their own lives. They can support one another regardless.

Kata, in a way, is a starting point for this growth. Cal and Merrin lost their families at a young age, and were left alone. Kata, having lost her mother to the Inquisitors, now lost her father. She may seem understanding of the situation, but processing it is different. While they all faced loss, the big difference is that Kata has them to help guide her through it all. She has support from them that Cal and Merrin didn't for years. They need to give her space and time without becoming overbearing, but they'll be there. It won't be the last time they'll face the darkness, but they aren't alone.

I have thoughts about Cal's trust issues and I'm going to make it everyone's problem

(with special thanks to @cal-with-a-kesett-tape and @weadapt's problem cause they started this blubbering mess)

It hit me like a brick earlier.

Cal knew the Mantis crew loved him.

Love wasn't enough to make them stay.

Cal has never had the chance to really sit down and think about what attachments really were and how they feel. Hear me out.

This started about Cal's trust issues. I started thinking yeah, the way his Mantis crew family left all of a sudden really shook them and he kind of replaced them subconsciously with a new crew, a new family. A couple of quick notes:

- Lost his master

- Loses all his friends on Bracca (it's implied in Jedi Survivor post-game dialogue that he had other friends besides Prauf that he left behind)

- Prauf

- Crew he grew to love left him jarring his whole world

- Lost his "new" crew suddenly and all he has left of that memory is Bode so he kind of clings to Bode unknowingly

- Bode betrayal shatters him

- Clings to the idea that he and Dagan could work together - for a split second you can see in his eyes he sees it all. He and Dagan, hair flowing in the wind, swinging lightsabers, fighting the empire together, rebuilding the order together, it's romantic really. That lasts all of 2 seconds and he's so confused.

- He loses Cordova, a man he had a pseudo-connection through BD-1 with for so long

- Loses Cere, his second master

- Has to literally kill Bode and live with that

That said, I started thinking yeah he probably doesn't really realize that how deep that all goes within him or how much it actually comes down to his lack of really knowing what attachments are. This is going to cause so many trust issues and him closing himself off because he can't handle the reality of losing more people, especially after Bode shattered his inner-most circle. How's he going to let people in again?

Then it hit me like a brick.

There's a big reason why he sees so much of himself in Dagan. Dagan's attachments turned sour - it went the Vader route of being possessive. His obsession with Sentari's project and Tanalorr was a product of not being able to let his attachments go. That's pretty clear in the game, and mirrored in how Cal has allowed "The Fight" to become his attachment.

Jaro's last words are, "Hold the line" right? We know how he now has this deep engrained need to be needed. He has to fight for something. Yes, it's all he knows, but it's deeper than that, it's the last thread he has to his master. What would happen if he let that go? Cal hasn't really sat and thought about that yet.

Not only that, Cal has internalized his loyalty to this cause as like. A familial thread. The fight was his thing and the Mantis crew became his family, filling a void. The fight is their thing. And for the first time in his life Cal feels safe again. He's finally got some solidly dedicated efforts and people he can depend on. So in them leaving the Fight behind (for good reasons!!) Cal can't reconcile that leaving that isn't leaving him too, (or as @cal-with-a-kesett-tape puts it, abandoning him) it's like denouncing loyalty to him too. He just can't separate that connection and his own attachment. Maybe that's reaching and obviously there's more to it, but I dunno guys, I dunno!!

YOU CAN LOVE EVERYONE SO MUCH AND YOU HAVE TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CAN AND WILL LEAVE OF THEIR OWN VOLITION!!

AND HE CAN'T DEAL WITH THAT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT LOVE GETS POURED OUT IN HIS LIFE. CAL'S LOVE LANGUAGE IS LITERALLY LOYALTY AND QUALITY TIME AND THE FIGHT.

Again, there's a part of Cal that just never got to stand beside his master like the Padawans of the Republic Era got to and ask all their questions or be scolded like the way Ahsoka did about being too attached to her Master. She had to dig deep and understand what that meant, how to acknowledge it, and how to let it go. Cal has Cere but maybe she just assumed? Who knows. Cal obviously struggled with it more than anyone realized. No discredit to Cere, I just don't think it ever really crossed her mind. Or, you know, Cal's stupid stubborn especially with Cere. Maybe he just ignored her in classic Cal fashion.

All that stemmed from this:

The romance aspect.

He knows taking a romantic step forward is a risk in general. And yes there's all that subconscious hesitation because he's a Jedi. But there's a bigger problem at play with Merrin.

I have to wonder if he did in fact know how she felt about him before she left. And if he did, it's just so much worse.

To him, all this buildup of love and trust. Down the refresher the day she left. So I wonder, maybe a lot of his hesitation isn't about him accepting his feelings. Maybe he gets it. He just struggles with letting someone in again who, in his mind, so easily let him go. He now has to come to terms that he wants to ask her to stay. He has to acknowledge in his mind that he wants her enough to be ok with letting her back in, knowing she's her own person and there's a chance she has to go do her thing someday and he might just have to let her, and that would be ok.

Romance aside, he has to go through that the whole game. Letting the Mantis crew in again. Working things out with everyone, hearing them out, seeing them in their element and finally being at peace with the split - knowing they all made the right decision even if it hurt.

So all the parallels worry me, because yes, he may be more self aware. He might've learned a few lessons, might be more at peace with a few decisions, but the way he just stands in shock at the funeral pyres is just worrisome because you know he's internalizing things. Right when he feels like he's making a step forward, he's taking steps back. The darkness is there now too, and he's going to struggle, because he has more to protect.

This whole experience in survivor was such a crucial point in it but at the same time we know, it's also simultaneously reinforcing his fear of further abandonment and more trust issues, and also his fears of the dark side so I'm kind of nervous to see. Where is all of this culminates to in the next game because he's learned for sure but I also feel like some other things maybe got reinforce that shouldn't have.

Right when he was learning to move on from his attachment to the Fight, he has a new thing, rebuilding Cere's legacy and keeping Tanalorr safe. It's almost like he's doubled up on all of it. Maybe he'll learn to be at peace and let things go but for now, sweet baby boy's trust issues are off the charts!!!!

Anyway maybe none of that made sense and you don't have to agree these are just thoughts after all! Take care!

[frozenpinesmp3]

what did you think to the story in jedi survivor? did you see the betrayal twist coming? I personally didn't and everything from then on was insane (in a good way)

putting it under the cut to save space and spoilers!

i did NOT see bodes betrayal coming until like the last two minutes before it happened. bode was my bestie the entire game! noshir did an amazing job and i was also lured in by his past performances of charles and kotallo, both characters im a huge fan of so that definitely compounded the problem lmao that’s on me

everything following the return to jedha was absolutely insane and breakneck. playing as cere was really really cool even if i was in complete panic the entire time. i also really liked that throughout the entire imperial invasion some of the npcs (i think?) were remarking about how the full strength of the imperial army was coming down on the hidden path. and in the back of my head i was like “yeah. except one crucial mechanical breathing element. but they wouldn’t do that twice”. and then they DID. vader showing up with a boss health bar had me shaking in panic so bad it took me four tries to get through the fight but fighting my old friend anakin was very fun

i was on discord voice with my sibling and after vader killed cere they pointed out that cal didn’t catch her immediately he had actually experienced her final moments with his psychometry. it had been hours since she died. EYE wanted to die like actually that was so evil of them but it’s so good.

the isb base section had me feeling all sorts of things. i kinda went apeshit no mercy on those imperials so it was super fun to have the “embrace the darkness” ability show up after leaving bodes quarters. i say super fun so i don’t have to fully consider the implications of cal using the dark side because that’s a next game problem! but it does set up a really interesting arc for cal re: accepting the darkness in him but not getting lost to it so i’m excited to see where that goes!!

and then the final boss fight with bode ;_; it made me so sad that he was consumed so completely by fear that he couldn’t see that his death meant his daughter was in more danger than if he had lived. its heartbreaking. and merrin and cal tried so hard to make sure kata didn’t lose everything like they had it makes me sooo..

yeah. the final act was absolutely fucking insane in the best way possible. i’m really excited to see what happens in the next game. obviously since we have no confirmation on what happens to cal after his adventures after the fall of the republic (to my knowledge) i am scared for him. but i’m trying not to think about it! he has a new baby sister to look after!

i had a blast playing this game. i thought it was a great follow up that took a lot of great gameplay and story elements from the first one and built them or modified them in interesting ways. cal is in my top 2 star wars characters and one of my favorite collection of pixels <3 i already miss him

okay, this got long lmao. i’m gonna go hunt down all the collectibles now >:)