#I'm glad you're here and think you should play the game regardless!

[postcardsfromheapside]

How I sleep knowing I didn't expect Lucanis to be some Shadow Daddy romantasy character before the game came out, and he was instead exactly like Mary Kirby said he'd be.

This is also how I sleep knowing my Bone Daddy is exactly the kind of freak we thought he'd be.

[pimenita]

I finished DATV so here are my thoughts:

First a bit of context: I became a dragon age fan around ten years ago, after playing Fable and looking for games that had a similar feel (and my 2 GB RAM PC could run) I knew DA Inquisition was out but there was no way my PC could take it, so I got Origins and holy shit… my 2010 PC could barely handle it too. When I tell you that the game craawwwled, that the best I could squeeze out of my computer was a stutter and that every quest must have taken me at least 3 times the normal amount of time they should have taken.

Dragon Age Origins is still one of my favorite games of all time, and as someone who joined the party very late, I'll admit experiencing that month of waiting for DATV was very exciting. After completing the game, I'll say the enthusiasm hasn't died down but not because the game is amazing, it's because DATV worked for me: it gave me what I wanted while avoiding most (most!) of the pitfalls of working on the 4th installment of a series that is close to being 20 years old.

We all know how turbulent the development of DATV was and how close to being cancelled for real it got. Is nothing better than the game we got? Not to me, I enjoyed it, I had fun, I'm still playing it (on my 2nd playthrough right now)

What saved DATV for me is what saves most everything for me: the characters. Some had good arcs, some had great arcs, and some were… there. But I never felt like they were a drag to be around. I like how they interact with each other, I love that nobody is calling anybody a slut or crazy (finally) because I get conflict, believe me, it's always fun to have your little guys wanting to kick one another's ass, but there was something so insidious in the way some conversations would go (Aveline and Isabela, just about every chat with Sera) that had me thinking it was more than just two characters tearing into each other. It was like the writer's barely disguised actual beliefs, if you know what I mean.

That being said, I know I'm not the only one that felt like some chats were too hamfisted, too on the nose—someone called the game Dragon Age: Friendship is Magic and I'm still laughing. I've seen the idea of "therapy speak" being used in books in ways that break immersion and I couldn't help feeling like some interactions the companions had were clear examples of this. What makes it weirder in my opinion is that the guys at bioware know how to write compelling conflict that makes sense and has a satisfying resolution. Let's take for example Lucanis' and Davrin's spat after the team fails to kill Ghilan'nain: they throw barbs at each other, then when they cool off they realize they were being asses, so they talk it out and make peace. Like adults, like a hardened assassin and warrior would. It adds to the conflict, it adds to the story, and it informs us of the type of people they are. Then there's Emmrich and Harding discussing a camping trip and waiting for my Rook to pick a side, and I'm like: dude you're both old enough to compromise? Also why do I care what you do with your time when we aren't fighting gods? Appalling stuff. Scrap it, think about better banter.

Then there's the huge elephant in the room: why is Thedas so sanitized? Is this the result of new writers not knowing enough about previous games?—it could be, they don't even know who Zevran is.

Or is it executive meddling?—maybe, there's a screenshot going around of the writers on bluesky (I think) where they vaguepost about critics of the game being right and how they (bioware team) fought against stuff that was included regardless. So, who knows.

On this front I will only reiterate that I'm glad Zev didn't show up. I already side-eyed Isabela (and also Taash) for her ideas about "treasure hunters" (read: pirates) and how they are actually good guys if you think about it (please, don't think about it too hard). Which, fine, let's say they really believe this, the same way the Crows believe they are freedom fighters or another vaguely Latin American coded thing; I understand that people entrenched in a system can truly believe what they're selling, but where's the other side of the coin? Where's the chats about the hurt they inflict on others to achieve what they want? The Crows have that one guy that ends up being a corrupt politician, and the Lords of Fortune… well, they are there.

Dragon Age is such a centrist series that I have heard just about everything about it. That it loves elves, that it hates elves, that it's pro-mage, that it's pro-templar. And it's because it has so many different factions that defend their ideologies that you can't say for sure what the writer's feelings are on the subject (and also because it's centrist, both sides are wrong bull most of the time). I swear I love Dragon Age; it's only because I care that I point out this stuff.

But that's the thing, I'm ok with both-sides-are-wrong fiction if it means it won't be a black and white take full of good guys telling me how good they are, while the bad guys twirl their mustaches evilly. And, unfortunately and except for a few cases (Solas) I feel like DATV dropped the ball here. Actually, I'm also fine with bad guys going full camp (Hezenkoss is one of the best parts of the game) just, you know, it has to be intentional, otherwise it feels like bad writing.

tl;dr DATV has very high highs, and very low lows, and I would've loved a more polished game, but I enjoy what we got and I will keep replaying it because of the companions and because it's a fun little game… most of the time at least.

[endversewinchester]

What do you make of the tellalegend scene? I loved it but saw some posts on how it could be dub/non con so now I'm not so sure anymore.

Hi anon! Let me start this by saying it was 100% consensual, as stated by Tella at the end of the book. I'm sorry people tried to ruin that for you. But since you have that doubt allow me to explain what I think Stephanie went for there in literary terms.

Spoilers for the entire Spectacular book under the cut!

So doing a small recap if you stumbled here unaware of any drama, Spectacular is by far Stephanie's spiciest book. In it, Tella gets kidnapped, bound, gagged and blindfolded (all of which are perfectly normal, canon compliant things in this universe) and given to Legend as a gift. They get intimate (he touches her parts at some point) and at the end of the book he gives her the letter she sent asking to be kidnapped AND Tella tells him she realized it was him before they had any physical contact, thus making the entire thing 100% consensual.

I know what you're thinking. "but Cami, If it's consensual how come Tella is sending all these mixed messages throughout the scene?"

I'm so glad you asked! She's not.

See, we all informally say Caraval is from Scarlett's and Tella's POV, but it is not. Caraval is actually written in the third person, with an omniscient narrator.

An ‘all-knowing’ kind of narrator very commonly found in works of fiction written as third-person narratives. The omniscient narrator has a full knowledge of the story's events and of the motives and unspoken thoughts of the various characters. He or she will also be capable of describing events happening simultaneously in different places—a capacity not normally available to the limited point of view of first-person narratives.

Now, just because the narrator knows everything doesn't mean he will tell you everything. Stephanie very specifically uses this tool in ALL her books to omit information from the reader. It is how she creates that illusion atmosphere we all love from Caraval, and she repeats that here in Spectacular.

While Tella knew it was Legend all along, the narrator chose to keep that information from us to build up suspense.

Now, that's a very tricky thing to do when the topic is romance and intimate relations because people can misinterpret what is happening. To discuss whether she should have or shouldn’t is very valid, but that’s not our topic here today. Regardless, she is aware of this. So what did Stephanie do to soften that gap?

She hints at it. First with the illustrations, in which you as the reader can clearly tell Legend is the one who kidnapped her, but also through text. Phrases like:

"A low laugh moved through the chamber, cool and dark, and Tella immediately recognized the intoxicating sound of it."

"Every inch of her tingled from the magic, dark dangerous magic that felt like candlelight dancing over her skin, ready to singe her if it lingered too long."

"If the Legendary Master of Caraval had kidnapped her, then she knew exactly what he would want. “You want to play a game?” “If you win, I’ll remove the blindfold.""

"Her fingers could feel the soft hair at the nape of his neck. She thought it felt like Legend. He kissed like Legend."

So there you go, anon. That's what's happening here. That's why the book is written a certain way. But don't worry, what happened between them there was 100% consensual. And Legend himself was very much worried about mantaining it as such. So much so that when Tella jokes she didn't know it was him he freezes with fear.

“When did you figure it out?” Legend asked later.

“Well”—Tella half shrugged against him—“that letter of mine in the box sort of gave it away.” Legend stiffened beneath her.

She laughed and reached up to cup his cheek. “Who knew that the famous Master Legend was so gullible?” Tella pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I knew it was you all along.”

Enjoy our blorbos and don't worry about bad internet takes ~

[lemonhemlock]

BG3 anon here. Glad to see you've finally dealt with Ethel! The trick with the Protection Against Evil and Good is really neat, when I first played the game I had no idea it could work like that! I remember putting one of the masks on my Tav and she got possessed by it so I ended up fighting her minions and knocked all of them out except one. I'll definitely use that trick in my second playthrough though, I already reached level 4 and will have to deal with her soon enough. By the way, to successfully knock out a character you can't use ranged attacks and spells on them, that might be why you got all her servants killed. Or, if you use such attacks make sure the last, dealing blow isn't one of those, but a melee one (so swords, axes, maces, thing like that). Also, try not to use poison on your weapons or inflict other lasting conditions (like bleeding) on your targets as that can fuck the whole thing up in case the character you want to knock out is one of those who can show up later in the game. You should be safe though if the game says they are knocked out and they don't die when you exit the combat.

I wouldn't worry at all about missing some any important items from Ethel. She had a nice staff you could buy (you'll find better ones soon enough anyway) and some potions of Hill Giant Strength which are great, but it's not like you can't go on without them. Plus, you will meet other merchants selling those.

Yes, the dialogue with Gandrel is different depending on whether or not you found out the truth about Astarion being a vampire. It's also a bit different if you meet him without Astarion in your party! Honestly, I don't know if knocking out Gandrel works. Some characters will appear later on if you don't kill them and choose to knock them out instead (like Minthara will) but for story reasons I assume, some others won't. It is possible the game will consider him dead regardless, despite him not being technically dead. The only thing I want to point out is that it makes absolute sense from a role-playing perspective for Tav to deal with him considering he's looking after one of your companions and let's be honest, it's not like a monster hunter will spare a vampire once he's done with it. After all, vampires are considered irredeemably evil monsters in their world. I do agree that him trying to get help from a hag is quite stupid, he should know better being a monster hunter, shouldn't he?

As for Mayrina, I don't think you can grab Connor without her knowing so I would ignore her cries...she's better off without his stinky zombie ass anyway.

you're very welcome about the Protection Against Evil spell!

i think that's where i failed with the masks, because i used ranged attacks and spells on them. it would have been way easier to incapacitate them first and then just fight ethel with 3 people. if you succeed in doing that, make sure that, when you loot their knocked-out bodies, you don't take their masks off. otherwise they die. just take their other stuff

i dunno if gandrel will appear again in this act at least but if he pesters me i will deal with him at the time :)) aside from seeking help from ethel of all people, i'm not sure i can blame him for hunting a vampire (conceptually-speaking). ofc, astarion insisted that he must have been hired by cazador, but i clicked the option of asking why would the gur work with another vampire?

he told me they might not be aware who they're working for. but you know. :)) i'm already aware astarion did do some shitty things to the gurs :))

i'll see if i can make it up to the gurs later on

yeah, you know, i feel like after all this work i'd have earned at least a persuasion check on mayrina! i did leave her her necklace and all. this was hilarious bc she started talking to the nearest person, which just so happened to be astarion, and i made him say very sympathising things that i'm sure he very much did not mean :)) and, after all this bashing, i do have to say i thought it relatively cute how, when you enter turn-based combat with him against ethel, he tells you smth like "if you want to save the girl, you have to do it NOW". i was expecting him to advise me to ditch her and save our necks or start blaming me lol. it's the bare minimum in this camp!

[cetra]

i really want to do an evil playthrough (mostly bc im obsessed with morally flexible gale), do you have any tips for making the most of the more empty game?

Making Gale kinda insane is reason enough to pursue this kind of playthrough 🧡 I WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU THE BEST OF MY ABILITY...... Although admittedly even i find myself struggling to make the most of the chunks of missing content which is probably obvious given how much I've complained about it on this blog 😭 BUT with enough time management and making peace with the fact that a bit of Emptiness is inevitable in some places (SORRY) you can still have a fun time going evil in BG3.

I assume that bc you're asking you've done a traditional good/neutral playthrough. If you havent done so already and this is your first playthrough….. I mean i'm glad I'm talking to someone as crazy as me since my first playthrough was also evil (+ submissive Dark Urge on top of that) but i think most people would recommend against going evil in your first.

so as far as missing content goes, you'll notice it's most obvious when it comes to quests and sidequests. for one, if you go the traditional route of raiding the grove you'll probably be missing a bunch of companions. Wyll, Karlach and Halsin. So you will naturally lose the first two's companion quests which span the entire game, as well as miss out on a certain quest in Act 2 that requires Halsin. Which really sucks. if I'm not mistaken you will also lose any and all story content involving the Tiefling refugees, and from what i understand those are some pretty decent stories and characters as well. You can circumvent the missing story content relatively easily though even if you'll have to rely heavily on side stuff and RPing your way around things. Here's my advice for that:

Going Dark Urge. i know people like to play custom characters, but Dark Urge will give you a lot of unique story content as well as quests (mainly in Act 3) which really fleshes out the narrative and makes up a little bit for the stuff you'll lose. If youve already played a resistant Dark Urge in another playthrough, you can go submissive in this one to shake things up (although it still may feel redundant, I know). HOWEVER: Playing as a submissive Dark Urge will definitely make the game harder, because in an evil playthrough where you aren't killing literally everyone you'll still have a lot of opportunities to not necessarily help people, but manipulate and lie your way into getting them to join you. if you're really worried about the game becoming harder, then I suggest not going Dark Urge. Otherwise i do recommend it if you're seeking more content for an evil run, and in my opinion there's enough stuff left open in their backstory that you can still fill in some blanks with characterization and lore (Or you can just retcon or rewrite certain stuff honestly. it's your character do what you want 🧡)

Doing both the Underdark AND the Mountain Pass. chances are you've probably done this already and you should be doing it anyways regardless of the type of playthrough, but it's especially important here because it really does add hours of content, opportunities to grind XP and find gear

Taking advantage of all the small little features that the game has to offer, like alchemy, exploring every area from corner to corner and reading every book and letter you come across. For the second, you'll definitely want to play as or keep someone in your party whos good at lockpicking and disarming traps because if you're venturing into every hatch and cave and crypt chances are you'll be doing a lot of that 😭 This suggestion is definitely more about just adding more time to your playthrough than it is actually getting the most out of the narrative, but the more exploration you do the more likely you'll find out cool stuff about the world of the game, get XP and gear, and even unlock some side quests or progress in existing ones. If you're a good little gamer though, chances are you're already doing this stuff and in that case I'm sorry my advice falls flat here

This post contains links to the checklists for each Act so you can make absolute sure you've done every quest possible. again, a few of them you'll lose, but you'd be surprised at how many you can still do. I'd actually say theres a lot

Depending on certain choices and actions, you may also lose Jaheira (although there is a way for her to survive even in an evil playthrough I think through deception?) and Minsc as companions, as well as allies like Isobal and Aylin. The latter is especially annoying because they really come in handy throughout Act 2 and Act 3 from my understanding. so because you lose them the game becomes a lot more difficult in places. If you want to get as many allies as you can and minimize the amount of times you'll end up being frustrated by the game's increased difficulty, i suggest (you can skip this part if you really don't care about the game becoming a bit harder):

Consider not using this playthrough as your Tactician run. Balanced is probably your best option if you want a bit of a challenge without it being impossible, but even THAT ended up being too difficult for me at certain points, especially in battles where I would have had allies in a good playthrough. Also don't be ashamed of needing to switch to the lowest difficulty if you're really struggling. or even using cheats or mods (Never let anyone bully you for doing these things)

Not killing Auntie Ethel and letting her ally with you in Act 3. this feels heinous I know, but this is an evil playthrough after all and believe it or not Gale actually approves. You can get her by accepting a task to kill someone from the pirate at Blushing Mermaid during the Save Vanra quest

This guide will tell you i think most or all of the other recruitable allies. Again , a good amount of them you will probably not be able to recruit by the time Act 3 comes around depending on how willing you were to kill them or commit actions that lock you out of recruiting them, but if you're okay with metagaming and finding an RP reason to help some of them and get them on your character's good side then by all means go for it.

Experimenting a LOT with builds and team comps. finding which builds make the game less clunky for you, looking at the bg3builds subreddit. Prepare to do a lot of respeccing and possibly using multiclass combinations that may seem weird at first but end up working beautifully. one companion I think you MUST have in a more difficult playthrough (and any playthrough let's be real because she's the best) is Lae'zel. Just keep her as fighter and exploit her action surge. Shadowheart, Minthara and Astarion are also excellent, and probably the other guys you'll want with you and Lae'zel switching them in and out as needed. Personally i keep Gale around, but he can admittedly be kinda squishy. Divination or evocation wizard + storm sorc probably works best for him, but a build's effectiveness is always according to the individual playing and their own play style so take any build advice with a grain of salt. If you plan on having your character killing some companions though, hirelings are a must here, and they should have decent enough variety that you'll find a team composition that works for you with them.

This got REALLY long and i need to sleep soon (Which means a lot of this might look jibberish or be full of typos/grammatical errors I'M SO SORRY.......) so I'll just leave things at that, but hopefully this is a decent place to start as far as preparing yourself for an evil playthrough goes. My ask box is always open any time you have other questions about how to make the most of this adventure or want to update me on how it's going :3 I hope you have fun, i've definitely enjoyed my time playing a terrible person in this game even if it leaves a little to be desired. Take care 🧡

[sapphire-weapon]

I'm not on Twitter and have no idea what happened today (mainly thanks to insanely toxic fandom shit, I do not have the headspace for that anymore) but as per your last ask, I'm sorry people were shitty to you today. I don't know what happened, but being dogpiled over ships is so stupid. Regardless, you're a talented writer and I absolutely adore your blog. I enjoy everything you put out and I'm saying this as somebody who's painfully neutral about Leshley/Eagleone lmao. The way you break down Leon, Ashley, Ada and others is so, so well fucking written and it's so lovely to see someone who can agree with my own opinions (even if I'm a relatively new and poorly articulate fan!).

My point: I hope hate never gets to you. You don't deserve it. Keep talking and writing, you're wonderful!

It doesn't get to me, and I think it was frustrating for a lot of the people who tried to jump on me to realize that I was treating them like a joke. I'm done playing with them now, though. I got bored, and now I'm just blocking anyone who decides to be a clown.

Basically what happened was, I went to Twitter and I yelled at EagleOne fandom to stop trying to appease the rest of RE fandom by wringing their hands and insisting that the ship is purely 100% innocent and there's no basis in canon.

And then Aeon fandom found the Tweet and they went full

and they took the whole "no, actually, Leon and Ashley's shared arc in RE4make is, in fact, canonically romantic in nature" thing very personally.

What I learned today is:

EagleOne will never be treated as a valid ship in fandom because the rest of the fandom has beaten down the majority of EagleOne people into believing (or at least saying they believe) that the ship isn't valid. We are our own worst enemies, and we are the ones holding the ship back -- not Aeon fandom or anyone else. As long as EagleOne people continue to care about what the rest of the fandom thinks of us, we will never be able to enjoy the ship on our own terms.

There's a really weird and uncomfortable sex-averse thing happening in fandom that I kind of vaguely knew in the back of my mind was there, but I had NO IDEA just how prevalent and insidious it was. Half the people were going "no no no there's no there there in canon" and the other half were legit saying "why do you have to sexualize it?" (as though two people being attracted to each other isn't inherently sexual in nature to begin with?) or even going so far as to say that my brain has been ruined by porn, as though I'm not like. A full grown adult who has had several different dicks in my own mouth, ass, and vagina at varying points in my life.

When given actual evidence for the claims I was making, the people who received it shut the fuck up and never came back into my mentions ever again. It is possible to get people to second-guess the narrative that's been fed to them by fandom, but if there's a way to effectively do that en masse, I don't know what it is.

Slash fans are based as fuck, because their responses to my Tweets were "ok but in my head Leon is still getting railed by dudes" and that is, objectively and unironically, the best attitude I've seen held by any shippers in any fandom ever. They're right, and they should feel good about saying it.

I'm not trying to pull an "it was just a social experiment" because it wasn't, and I genuinely was trying to call out EagleOne people for being a bunch of spineless cowards who are dedicated to destroying their own fun, but a very interesting bit of social commentary did shake out of the whole situation unintentionally.

But like I said to the last anon, I'm glad you're here, bro. I'm glad to be able to provide a place in this fandom where people can actually have intellectual conversations about scripting, game design, and cinematography/film direction/symbolism without the fear of the mob jumping on them for daring to think a little bit (as opposed to not at all).

[korppuhiiri]

so i've been having a ton of fun with the new dragon's dogma!

like the first game, it does feel super janky and lacking in a lot of aspects outside of the combat and exploration, and this one in particular has some pretty glaring performance issues and such, but i've been enjoying it a lot regardless!

i have some more thoughts and screenshots of my characters under the read-more:

here's my main character and main pawn! i greatly enjoy creating cute and small male characters (and big, butch female characters to contrast) whenever games have the option to do so, and i'm glad that you're able to do just that even with the newly added beastren race! (the previews for the game only ever showed us huge male beastrens and much smaller, more dainty female ones, so i was a little afraid that the customization for them might be more limited in that regard) so much like i did when playing the first game, i have a twinky little dude as the arisen, and a big tough lady as the main pawn.

also, my pawn's ID should be 2YSNV29SKMIX, if anyone wants to look her up and hire her in-game! (i'm playing PC so i think she's only available there?)

something i was very pleasantly surprised by is that none of the game's more revealing outfits seem to be gender-locked or change appearance depending on your characters gender and/or bodytype (at least from what i've seen so far?). this means i've been having a blast hiring buff cat men as my support pawns, and dressing them up in the most revealing outfits i've been able to find.

(the game also lets you give men absolutely huge butts, which i mean, god bless.)

finally, here are some more screenshots i've taken so far! (i do wish they would let you freely control the camere during photo mode though – it's hard to take good pictures when you can only rotate the camera around your character...)

[4d-hypermoth]

Nintendo Direct 9/14/2023

This Direct is pretty much what I expected from the Switch at this stage in its life. One potentially interesting new game, plus a bunch of remakes and third-party/indie titles, as well as wrapping up the DLC content for all their games.

Another Code: Recollection was honestly the highlight of the direct for me, and I don't even plan on getting it. Maybe I should. In a sea of remakes of games that your average Nintendo fan my age already owns, seeing an obscure duology from the DS and Wii get another chance at life is great, especially with one of the games being Japan-exclusive previously. A genuinely nice little surprise.

Princess Peach: Showtime! looks like it's going to be Nintendo's last actual new game on the Switch. I'm not even sure what genre this game is supposed to be, but the outfits look snazzy as hell and I'm keen to learn more. Big win for the lesbians.

Splatoon 3 - Side Order is interesting, and I hope it impresses to a similar degree as Octo Expansion. Not much else to say right now.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door rightfully had people screaming. This, combined with Super Mario RPG's remake, gives me the slightest bit of hope that Nintendo might one day produce a new Mario RPG that everyone can agree is good. Hopefully this game has some new features over the original.

WarioWare: Move It! looks like a great game for parties and families. I'm very glad Nintendo still makes WarioWare, even though they don't sell very well.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong looks nice, but I've never had much interest in this series, and neither has the Nintendo fandom at large from what I've seen. At least this one's not centered around the Mini Marios. I'd be down to try it for the right price, which is most likely not going to happen with Nintendo. Very happy for any fans of the GBA original. Sad for all the Donkey Kong Country fans who got their hopes up.

Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is... yet another remaster. Except unlike the other ones from today, this one just looks like an upscaled 3DS game. I'm always up for new ways to play old games, especially ones that released on unique hardware like the 3DS, but with Nintendo's pricing this one's going to be very hard to justify.

Detective Pikachu Returns is at least a new game. I don't think I've met anyone who played the original. If you're into this sort of game, fantastic. While I'm glad there's finally a game where you can creep on people with Luxray, I'll have to pass.

F-Zero 99 just makes me sad. Another battle royale gimmick game that's going to disappear, just like Super Mario Bros. 99. Except this time it's with a series that's been dead for 20 years. Even without Pyoro's leak baiting us, this is a massive letdown, regardless of the quality of the actual game.

For the rest, everyone I know loves Dave the Diver, I just haven't gotten around to it. I'm surprised Riot announced Bandle Story here, but it looks nice. Contra: Operation Galuga looks kind of ugly tbh, and I don't know what to think about Tomb Raider I-III Remastered's graphics as someone who never played the originals. Unicorn Overlord is something I might look into, and I really need to play Wargroove so I can know whether or not to be excited for the sequel.

Something something trombone, something something amogus. The Funky Kong is real. 7/10 Direct. Some nice surprises, but remake fatigue is very real. For the final stretch of the Switch's lifespan, it's about as good as I could have realistically expected, if not slightly better.

[bahamutgames]

SAGE 2023 Postin' PART 2!!!

Hello! I'm back again! It's the weekend so I figured... why not? Why shouldn't I play more SAGE demos? So that's exactly what I did. Play lots of SAGE demos until 2 AM like a normal person. Here's what I played today that YOU should check out!!

Susan Taxpayer - by Punkitt

I've had my eye on this game for a bit now, and was totally blindsided when I randomly found out it was a part of SAGE 2023! I wasn't planning on playing demos today but when I saw this was there, I had to go for round 2. This game is lovely so far! Wonderful art, cute characters, and nice music that I swear to god is using a Rugrats soundfont sometimes? Regardless it's good. It's pretty neat because to me it sort of feels like a fusion between Wario Land and standard Mario fare (probably because it runs in SMBX2 which is neat.) This whole game is already looking great and I love all the office themed stuff and Susan is a little hot I won't lie. Looking forward to seeing this game more in the future!

Bun 'N' Gun - by Sharb

An interesting one I'd never heard of before! This is a game all about a cowboy bunny collecting bats in big open areas! It's all about speed but you also have a grappling ability that lets you swing from walls Spider-Man style as well as a gun that stuns the bats you catch. The best I could probably compare it to is the Knuckles/Rouge stages in SA2 just with a lot more speed focus. It's pretty neat! My only issue is that it can be SUPER dizzying running around super fast while the camera shifts around so quickly, which makes it hard to play. But it looks fantastic and has very catchy music in the few stages I played (didn't beat this one cause it's a little intense lol). With some more work I think this one's gonna be really cool! I think they should also add a radar to let you know when you're close to bats. It has Bunny Customization so 10/10 though.

Cosmogelica - by CyanSorcery

Every time I think I've seen everything you could possibly do in a bullet hell, someone comes along and shows me new ideas I never thought of before! This genre really is just evergreen! Cosmogelica is a delightful Bullet Hell with WONDERFUL graphics, fantastic music, tight controls, and hot furry girls. But don't let that cool you off because the most interesting thing about this one is the gel gimmick. Different stages are covered in gels with different properties (the ones I saw were gels that ignite when shot, gels that stop bullets, gels that damage you upon touching, ect ect) and both you and the enemies have to play around these gels as you go. But you can also use the gels yourself if you have certain weapons! This is SUCH a neat idea that I think has TONS of potential, especially where using the gels as a weapon is concerned. Absolutely gonna have to keep up with this one!

Croaking Around - by Scallybag

This is an interesting one. It opens with an ADORABLE cutscene and a really good story too that genuinely made me chuckle a bit lol. And I really think the gameplay has a lot of potential! But it also has a lot of odd quirks I'm not so sure about. First off, I LOVE that you use your tongue for grappling, and while I think the blue grapples work lovely. The main red (orange? I forgor) ones are super clunky and I think some sort of arrow that shows you the trajectory you'll travel after launching from them would help this game TONS! Also, it has a weird auto walljump feature that bugged me. BUT, it's a super cute game and I also think this one has a lot of potential. The creator makes some amazing Sonic art on twitter too I had to follow them immediately when I went to get their link lmao

Pangolin Cassowary - by Ocotilloisland

I'll admit straight away, I almost had to give up on this one. I could not figure it out for a bit! But I'm SUPER glad I stuck with it cause I actually REALLY loved it once I figured it out. You play as a Cassowary who can kick their Pangolin Pal around like a ball and then fly to wherever they end up. There's no jumping, you HAVE to kick the Pangolin around and trick shot them up walls and such in order to platform through the level. Again, it takes a bit of getting used to but it actually RULES once you figure out how it all works. I'm SUPER interested to see more of this. Cute art style too and for some reason I found the chip crunching noises to be oh so satisfying.

Yark! : A Kobold Adventure - by YarkDev

A GAME ABOUT A LIZARD GIRL??? YES PLEASE YES PLEASE YES PLEASE! This is a stealth game all about stealing stuff as a cute kobold! What more could you ask for? It took me a bit to figure out the controls, so if you try it I really suggest you go with keyboard + mouse and don't bother with a controller. But it's actually a super fun game. I sadly could not find the rod lol but sneaking about the castle, avoiding gaurds, and feeding the treasure chest random treasures was genuinely a blast! I think there's a TON of potential for this game, and I think if the controls can be smoothed out or allow for full custom mapping this game is gonna be sweet! Also, I'll admit, I'm absolutely head over heels for Rhiri SHE IS ADORABLE so 10/10

---

Today's selection were other games from the SAGE 2023 trailer I forgot about until today, as well as additional random picks that caught my eye with cute characters! Also no fan games today but I played so much Sonic Battle Rush yesterday that it makes up for it I think. Like last time I encourage you to play some stuff if anything catches your eye! And also if you submitted anything to the event let me know cause I'd love to see your work!

Now I am drop dead tired and can smell smoke in my brain (kidding) so I think I'm off to bed! Bye-bye!

[xsweetelegantdisasterx]

I'm so glad to have finished this one. 🙌 third Rampage story completed.

Here's to Mr. Smiley himself.

➻ Title: You're the only one I want.

➻ Summary: Giselle has been oblivious to her feelings for so long. After overhearing a conversation, she slowly realizes who should have her heart.

➻ Characters: Shogo & OC

➻ Genre: Some Fluff & Some Angst

➻ Word Count: Alot. {Sorry I'm wordy.}

Taglist: @stardragongalaxy

Shogo sat watching Giselle on her balcony, downing her wine, seemingly upset. Her boyfriend of three years once again stood her up. This time though, it was deplorable. Her birthday was supposed to be a big celebration, surrounded by her friends and those she considered family. He growled under his breath, waiting for a miracle to happen, for Takashi to actually think of someone other than himself. Shogo and Elle had spent a lot of time together, going shopping, eating at her favorite restaurants, watching her favorite movies. She was the one person he wanted nothing more than to be with. Her boyfriend was treating her wrong, which irked his soul like no other, but he wasn't about to over step his boundaries. He felt there was a spark between them, but knew that Giselle was torn.

Misaki, Zin’s girlfriend looked over as she saw the sight. She walked out towards Giselle, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Misaki with a half smile.

“Elle, you know you don’t have to take this from him.”

“Misa, he’s working, I can't condemn him for that.”

“Just like Valentine’s day right?”

Giselle took a sip, thinking of how Misa was right. He had avoided spending time with her on Valentine’s day. Blaming it on work, but on social media, was with his friends. Instead, Shogo spent the evening with her to make her feel better. She looked out seeing the lights illuminate the streets, annoyed by his lack of consideration once more. Just once, Giselle wanted him to match her energy. Misa developed a deep bond with Giselle when they met, due to Giselle being important to Shogo.

She looked over at Shogo. By all actions he was the one she should've picked. He acted more like her partner than Takeshi. She still remembered that day at the restaurant when Shogo and Takeshi got into it. They didn't know she was in the booth behind them.

“Takeshi, thank you for hearing me out. I just want to know why you keep Giselle when your actions scream you don't want her.”

The tapping stopped as Takeshi placed his phone down. “Iwata is it?”

“It’s Iwaya.”

“Right. Women like Giselle need to be in a relationship to feel like they have some meaning in their useless, mundane life. You see, I’m actually doing her a favor by keeping her; regardless if I ghost her.”

“Useless life? You pompous little prick. Giselle deserves better than this game your playing with her heart. She deserves the world and someone who would build theirs around her.”

“She's independent, so she'll survive.”

Shogo clinched his fists, he had a mind to drive his hand through Takeshi’s face, if it wouldn't hurt Giselle. “I hope one day you don’t realize how much of an asshole you are, so she can invest time into someone who truly cares about her!” His yell silenced the restaurant.

“I doubt she will. You see, even if our love is one-sided, she won't leave me; Giselle is too nice to ‘hurt me’,” he chuckled, “Now, why don't you two go prance your way back to the studio where you belong.” He picked his phone back up shooing them away.

Shogo stood up quickly, Zin pulling him back from making a mistake that could hurt his image. They left furious.

When Giselle came back to reality, she sighed. The pain she felt afterwards was worse than anything that had happened to her. She downed the last of her wine as she was going to make a change. Grabbing a box she went to her room throwing all of Takeshi’s items in it. Misa followed her slightly confused on what her friend had in mind.

“He said I was too nice, and my life is useless without him. I’ll show him.”

“Hell yes Elle!” Misa threw her glass down shattering it. “Shit. Sorry Elle, I got too wrapped up in the moment.” She grabbed a broom cleaning up her mess.

Giselle giggled, as she had other onlookers coming to see what the ruckus was. She focused on her task at hand though, filling up the box quickly. Shogo stood at the door leaning into the frame. He was glad she was making this decision, but wondered why the sudden change of heart with her. He overheard her tell Misa, word for word, what Takeshi said to him. Shogo never disclosed that tidbit of information, to try and protect Giselle of a broken heart.

Throwing the last article in the box, Giselle felt a slight weight lifting from her shoulders. It was well past time for her to cut ties, and start anew. She grabbed the box as Misa skipped besides her.

“Do you need a ride?” Shogo stopped her.

“Only if you don't mind, if not I can get a taxi or Uber.”

Zin grabbed Misaki’s hand as they decided to join. This was going to be a group effort. Giselle knew the code to his apartment, her plan was to drop it off as his house while he wasn’t there. Takeshi was supposed to be working, but she wasn’t prepared for what was to come.

Silently, they walked down the hall to his apartment, to not disturb the other residents. She typed in the code as the door unlocked, to sounds of moaning. Anger filled Giselle as her fists clinched tightly, turning her knuckles white. She slammed open his door seeing Takeshi on top of another woman. She grabbed the closest thing to her as she pelted it across the room hitting him in the back of the head. The girl screeched trying to cover up, rage coursing through Giselle's body.

“Seriously Takeshi?” Her yell startled everyone. “Your stuff is in the living room. You can play your stupid games with this broad.”

She shoved past everyone wanting to leave. She had feared this day would come, but wasn’t sure when or if she’d ever catch him in the act. Takeshi threw his legs over the side, rubbing his head. It was a surprise she didn’t crack his skull. He followed her outside trying to talk to her.

“Giselle, wait,” he grabbed her arm turning her around.

“I have nothing else to say to you, you’re not my problem anymore.”

He slammed her door, “Will you let me talk? I'm sorry.”

“Fuck off, you're only sorry you got caught. You have been the worst boyfriend. Cheating on me on my birthday? You showed you have no couth, many times, and I’m not lowering myself any longer to a tool like you. I deserve better than what you give me. Go back to her, she's more important.” She turned to Shogo, “Take me away from here please.”

“You’re making a big mistake! I won't take you back,” Takeshi was furious he lost Giselle.

“You don't have to worry about that, because that will never be up for discussion.”

After the long drive of silence, they arrived back at her apartment. Everyone was still there, but she proceeded to her room. She wanted to gather her emotions before she faced anyone; Misa included. She was right all along, but Giselle was living in the clouds. At this point, she didn't even know why. The breakup went a lot better, and she wasn't that hurt from it, so she didn't know why she was in the dumps about it. Shogo entered her room sitting at the foot of her bed. She turned her head slightly, not completely meeting eye contact with him.

“How did you know what he said about you, that day at the restaurant?”

“I was there, I was meeting a client for lunch when I heard the discussion. After you left, I called them and scheduled else where.”

Shogo dropped his head. The hateful words he tried to protect her from, inevitably found their way to her.

“I hope you aren't mad at me for not telling you.”

She smirked, “Why would I be mad at you? You tried to protect me, I can't be angry.”

He scooted closer to her, “But that was for naught, because you ended up hurt anyways.”

“You're not the one who hurt me. You've never hurt me, and I know you never will. This is just something I had to learn for myself. I'm better off without him anyways,” she stood up, “let's go. Everyone is about to leave.”

Shogo followed her out as Elle's apartment was emptying. He was stopped suddenly by her, confused on what she needed.

“Shogo, can you stay? I want to be around my best friend.”

He looked back at his friends as he ushered them to leave without him. He locked the door for the night as they relaxed on the couch. Giselle brought blankets and pillows for them, since they were having a night together. They only got through a full movie, before Elle passed out. Shogo laid in front of her covering her shoulders up, tucking her more in.

A smile formed on her lips as she looked at him, noticing he was almost hanging off the couch.

“Aren’t you afraid of falling?”

“I already have,” he nudged closer to her.

When Giselle woke up, she noticed the house being quiet.

Hmm. Did you really leave without saying goodbye Sho? She collected her thoughts walking through the house. Suddenly, she heard her keys jingle outside of the door. Right when she opened it, she saw a whole new Shogo. Sure, he was dressed the same with a snack hanging out his mouth, and his hand full of groceries, but he was different. The whole aura that surrounded him was enchanting. She rushed to help empty his hands, looking away suddenly. It was for sure written on her forehead how extremely gorgeous he was to her. She placed the groceries down before heading to the bathroom.

Giselle stood in front of the mirror as she was in complete shock, how she never noticed him before. She always looked at him, but not like that. The smile that he gave her, behind the snack, was burning through her mind, taking up space rent free. The cold water felt awesome, helping calm her down. She heard a light knock, followed by his sweet voice.

“Ellie, I’m gonna make you breakfast. That’s why I was gone, I hope I didn't upset you.”

Even the way he said her name had a nice ring to it now. She inhaled slowly opening the door.

“I’m not upset, was just curious where you were, that’s all.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem kinda far off like something is bothering you.”

“I promise I'm fine Sho. Do you need help?”

He shook his head abruptly, “Nope that would make the point, of me making you breakfast, obsolete if I had your help. You can just keep me company.”

She smiled following him to the kitchen. Him being there made her feel better. Giselle sat at her bar watching him whip together her favorite, a sausage omelet. Hardly anyone knew that she loved them so much, she was impressed that he did. Shogo noticed her staring at him through his peripherals, he smirked as his back was to her.

“Are you going to ask me or not,” He broke her trance.

“Ask what?”

“How I knew.”

She looked over at the window, knowing he could read her mind at this point. “I’m curious.”

“I know you like the back of my hand. I wouldn’t be your best friend if I didn’t know what you liked; or what makes you the saddest, but you choose to hold it in. I'm also observant and receptive of your emotions, and just hope that I'm never in the same room while your heart shatters.”

“Sho-"

“I mean that, it controls my mood. Your emotions controls my mood,” He placed a beautifully arranged omelet in front of her with a cup or coffee.

She slowly bit a piece as her taste buds were in full ecstasy at the moment. Giselle placed her fork down, trying to come up with the words to tell Shogo how she was feeling. Everything that she rehearsed in her mind, sounded so much better there. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, she was just scared with everything that recently happened.

“Sho, I-"

“I didn’t tell you all this for you to feel pressured to say you like me back. I just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to look very far if you want someone who cares.”

He sat down with his own plate eating, glancing at his watch. It was getting close for him to have to leave, but for the first time, he was dreading going.

“If you have to leave Sho, you can. I don’t expect your life to be put on pause for what happened. I won’t mind, I might even take a nap.”

He smiled his half smile, nodding his head. He was going to finish his plate first. They ate in silence, before he stood up to excuse himself. Giselle jumped up wrapping her arms around him.

“Thank you Sho. You’re always the one to stay by my side.”

“Always. Now get some rest. Text me later if you need me,” He lightly cupped his hand around her face.

Giselle nodded sending him on his way. From the moment he left, she replayed his words in her head. Over and over like a record stuck on one song. Every time she tried to lay back down, he ran through her mind. Her phone went off seeing Misa’s notifications. She was bored at the studio and wanted Elle’s presence there.

At first it seemed like a bad idea, not wanting to bother or distract Shogo, but then again she noticed a difference when he wasn't around. Also, she would be there for Misa, not just to see him so it would be okay. Sure, it’d be a bonus, but she was going to do her part of their friendship. Giselle looked in the mirror, getting freshened up. Her clothes were waiting on her to make her final decision, as she stood wondering what he'd like her in. Misa sent another series of texts telling her to hurry up, just as she finished dressing. She grabbed her keys heading to the studio.

Their songs could be heard down the hallway, as her heart sped up. She got to the door as she froze, hand stopping just before she reached the handle. She was blocking the door as she couldn’t put it in motion to turn it. A hand placed on hers drew her back to reality.

“You okay Ellie?” Shogo was glistening from dancing so hard.

“Sho,” she brushed her hair behind her ear, “what a coincidence that you’re here.”

He grinned lowering his eyes in confusion. “Yeah this is kind of like my second home. You gonna come in?” He helped turn the handle as Misa pulled her in.

Shogo went back to formation as he chuckled. It was apparent that Giselle was becoming bashful around him, he thought it was cute.

“I’m glad I wasn’t bleeding out, it took you long enough Elle.”

Elle nodded not hearing what was said. Misa snapped in her face. “Misa, when did you know Zin was the one for you.”

“Hey whoa. You have to get your own, he’s mine.”

“What? No, I didn’t mean it like that, I don’t see Zin like that I promise.”

Misa was splitting at the side with how worked up Giselle seemed. “Relax, I know he’s not the one you’re inquiring about. It’s about Sho isn’t it?”

“I’m actually not sure. I just feel really different around him. Something has definitely changed between us, but we haven't done anything differently.”

“Maybe you’re finally letting him into your heart.”

Giselle looked over at Sho seeing him laughing with the others. His smile was quite calming to her.

“I guess. I also find it weird I'm not upset about ending things with Takeshi.”

“Elle, he was a tool. The one that's perfect for you, hasn't been able to keep his eyes off of you since you met.”

Shogo looked over at Elle. He did look at her in the most adorning way, but she was clouded by horrible decisions. Zin pushed him forward to talk to her, since they decided to take a break. He laid his head in her lap causing her to gasp. Elle placed her hand on his head, subconsciously stroking his hair.

“Are you planning on staring at me the entire time you’re here?”

A smirk curved Elle’s lips. He caught her glancing, even while dancing.

“If it’s an issue I can stop.”

He opened his eyes gazing into hers. “You do and I’ll never forgive you.”

A light shade of pink crept across her face. It took her so long to realize that her true love was disguised as her best friend. He never made her feel less about herself. If she ever needed him, he was there on a drop of the dime. With all the chaos that ever surrounded her, he was the peace. Shogo was her tranquility, simply put. Her eyes were wide open now, and she wasn't going to lose him.

There was a risk for them taking their friendship to a whole new level, but he was worth it. To her, he was worth everything.

“Can we talk after you guys are done?”

“Of course Ellie,” He raised up inches away from her face, “Where at?”

“My apartment.”

Shogo nodded as he returned to the group. Elle was nervous to talk to him about them and where they were going to go, but she felt it was necessary. She just hoped that what he said earlier, he meant it. Back home she had an elaborate plan to cook for him. Elle made spaghetti for him, since it was his favorite dish of hers, homemade garlic bread included. Just as she pulled out the bread, her door opened. Shogo looked refreshed, getting a shower in before coming to her.

“You can literally smell this down the hallway,” He smiled sitting down at the bar in front of her.

Elle smirked as she cut the bread. Her sauce was his favorite, and she had a way with the meatballs she made. He wasn't much on them, but hers was his favorite. Elle made his plate sitting it in front of him. He leaned over taking the fork as he dug in. Finally, she sat down to eat. The meal was quiet, but it gave her a chance to gather her thoughts.

“You okay Ellie?”

“Iwaya, I have to be honest. What’s on my mind is scarier than any thoughts that have crossed it,” she continued to look down.

By this time, she had his full attention. She got nervous as she looked up at Sho, feeling like a weight was about to be lifted off her shoulders.

“If whatever you’re thinking is causing you turmoil, you don't have to tell me right now.”

“You need to know Shogo, that when I go to bed, I think of you. When I wake, if I don't see a message from you, I get this weird feeling. I feel a sense of happiness when you are around me. You have always been my person and I'm sorry I haven't noticed before. I don't want to look past you any longer.”

He smiled turning their chairs to face each other. “Are you confessing to me?”

“I am but I'm scared. I'm scared of what might happen to us.”

“The only thing that will happen is we will work out what ever is headed our way. If you love me, and I know I love you, then nothing will go wrong,” He ran his thumbs along her cheeks trying to dry her trailing tears. “Ellie, I will never break your heart. And these tears you’re crying, I will dry up the best of my ability. All we can do is take it one day at a time.”

Elle placed her hand on his, intertwining their fingers. His touch was soft and gentle.

“I love you Iwaya.”

He placed an adorning kiss on her forehead, “I love you Giselle.”

They closed the space between them. She finally had the happiness she had been searching for, it was just hidden in plain sight all along.

[screechingkingdomhottub]

RATING DIFFERENT MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING SERVICES (UK)

Soo bit about me is im bisexual, trans, autistic, depressed and have had some Bad Coping Mechanisms so trigger warnings for sh, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism and addictions, anything else lemme know and i'll edit this. When I was a young boy, I realised bad things in my brain and after struggling finally got encouraged to reach out for help, here's how i'd rate my experiences. First though, regardless of any of these ratings you should seek help, because even if the help sucks which it might, you get a little boost in your brain that you're trying and it could be the difference between 1 day but that 1 day is special. I believe in you. As someone who has been struggling for 10 years now, it does get better but your struggle doesnt magically stop. So this is in no way me saying "all help sucks dont bother" but the exact opposite like always choose to seek for help.

First we have Mr Big Boi Jo AKA the samaritans, I have reached out to them so many times since I was like 13. The email feature is amazing like being able to sorta control when you are willing to not only send the message but also check the response is wonderful. I'd pour my heart and soul out and then be able to step away and recover from that vulnerability, be excited for when I'd get an email back, if I didn't feel like responding in that moment then I would not have to. But they have a tendency to sign post you quite easily like i've been sent to chris at lgbt , childline, some autism stuff that rubbed me the wrong way. It can feel kinda like you're getting dismissed and told to bugger off. "But that's not what they're doing!" oh right i forgot people in mental health crises should think more clearly, how dare i think they may have thinking issues and be sensitive in those times, ridiculous of me /s so I'm gonna rate them 6.5/10. This also probably depends on who you get. I'm gonna have to DQ chris@switchboard.lgbt because I genuinely forgot I had any interaction with them, they seem alright and I suppose if you're struggling with gender and sexuality they're worth a shot? I'm rather comfortable in my identity now so I don't want to take that resource away from people for any experiment like this. CHILDLINE - Not just that one phone number you call if your parents are abusive. Genuinely childline is so misrepresented due to what we classify as abuse like if you are under 18, you can go on childline and play games, have a live chat feature with counsellors, ask on message boards, view message boards or send as an email instead of the chat. You can choose! I think it would be amazing even for adults but once again, no stealing resources. "But I have DID and it's complicated cause my little needs help-" dude I'm not qualified for that, you probably know more than I do like don't put this on me. I cannot remember one negative experience with them. I just remember being scared and messaging people, OH AND THE NOTES YOU CAN ASK THEM TO READ NOTES SO THEY'RE CAUGHT UP ON STUFF EVEN IN LIVE CHAT. 9.5/10 would be a 10 if I was still a child but I'm unfortunately 23 so im bitter. It may have changed but now but I strongly encourage people to try it because I didn't want to because I thought it was only for kids being physically abused, it's also for like teenagers who are self harming. SHOUT - Oh Shout, you are the most 50/50 out of these. I genuinely use SHOUT more than samaritans now but it can go really bad. I message and am like "hello i wanna drink myself to death" but if i do that on like friday nights or something, the wait times are massively long and I've found some other way to soothe myself but when they are there they do talk very gently, they offer valid resources about things like as pdfs this time not just links to websites of people that can help. It's similar to counselling in person imo so it's about vibes sometimes. 8/10 or wait/10 damn those wait times KOKO - I'm glad it exists but haven't found much help from it personally. I do like that it sorta puts less stress on people that want to help social media accounts in crisis like that's a very important thing we didn't have when I first had the internet and it caused a lot of damage but in terms of the rating of how it helped 4/10.

GP - OMG GPs right? Anyone in the UK that's been to a GP for depression will immediately be thinking "oh right a WALK ADN SOME TEA RIGHT??" because that's always your first offer. Always. I should also mention I never went to CAMHs because of how my GP saw me, I went to a different centre for at risk youths in a different town in the most wonderful and bizarre therapy I've ever had but that place has shut down and there's absolutely no way other people have had that experience because whenever I say this stuff to people they may as be looking at me like I'm talking about narnia. GPs don't really seem to take you seriously until you're 18. But people don't seem to be really listening, your antidepressants aren't gonna stop your depression. They're going to fight it a little bit but you gotta do other stuff to get the endorphins and that's where the walks and exercise come in. People will bitch about theirs not working and they don't listen to what the GP says like "they keep upping my dose cause it isnt working!" then you find out that person has been drinking every other day which cancels those meds out. So with all that said, GPs are getting a 5/10. Some of mine were really helpful, some sucked, age is a big factor.

I hope you are able to use this info or even just now be more aware of all the help you can get in the new year. It's time to get happy again <3

[elegomez]

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who got skeeved out - I hadn't seen the background of the actual creator, but uh, yikes.

that is seriously how they get people, though, and deeply concerning - generally, the way you get people to get interested in a religious idea is to frame it to them in a way they can relate to, and claim to provide solutions to problems people face. (Also applicable to pretty much any way of viewing and dealing with the world, from fascism to humanism.)

for example. there's a big billboard up outside my apartment for a church, with the words FEELING LONELY? and the church location/name/etc. that's not the worst approach for recruitment. a lot of people feel really fucking lonely, so hey, why not go. Most likely, they'll find people they might get along with, at an organization they don't have to pay money to get into. they'll find kinship and so on with these people, and in many churches there's a hell of a lot of "listen to what the preacher/priest says and don't question it." So you like these people, and you're often encouraged not to disagree, so if you hear an awful opinion from anyone, they're likely to think, well, that person is so nice, they can't really mean THAT/if THEY think that it MUST be right.

Christianity and churches falling out of popularity in the US and Europe has mostly meant that a lot of young people (especially in cities) haven't really been exposed to it - but they also haven't been exposed to the problems of communities like that either. Usually the age factor is enough to get young people uninterested in hanging out with meemaw and peepaw at church, but - there seems to be a lot of recruitment via ideas and the "wonderful Christian lifestyle". (Trying to remember where I saw someone talking about this - it was about a Mormon vlogger who essentially does not follow any Mormon dress regulations, presents the religion extremely pleasantly without getting into any of the realities of it, and talking about how it lures people in without expecting people to go to church. Anyone remember?)

I don't know how intentional it is, but this feels like the same concept aimed at groups who don't watch vlogs, but are in fandom spaces - young people who haven't been raised religious* and don't know the mess organized religion can be, see the jesus fanart and think, oh, I like that person who makes cool art! I can relate! I want to read the stories that comes from, just like when I see minecraft animatics and want to play the game! and then it opens the way for more Christianity.

I can hope that the people getting involved are critical enough to want to turn it into something happier than many of us experienced, but I sure don't like it combined with the current social, political, and economic times!

*(I am using religious intentionally here; a great number of religions, regardless of where they come from, have been used to enforce awful things, to keep their own people under control or to enforce against others. That does not mean religion is ontologically evil, or that people should be banned from religion, discriminated against based on religion, or made fun of for religion. They can also be a source of inspiration and community to people. But that doesn't mean the problems in each one shouldn't be discussed, and that people shouldn't think about what they're getting into/what beliefs they're potentially espousing by joining up with a given religion.)

>browsing tumblr, minding my own business >start noticing this cute, fluffy, fanart-style jesus + other bible characters art popping up everywhere, kinda shippy but always sfw >not that weird for my circle, vibes feel wrong though >dismiss it and move on with my day >now approaching critical levels of fluffy jesus fanart, becoming inescapable >alright, let's go in the notes >FULL of people saying shit in complete earnest like "this has done more to convert me to christianity than anything irl" >BAD! VERY ALARMING! >look into what the hell is op's deal >evangelical christian teen who pivoted to this after getting a MASSIVE following making like minecraft youtuber animatics or something (500k youtube subscribers, 300k twitter followers, etc.) >exhausted frankenstein.jpg >my corner of the web is completely saturated with the stealth proselytizing of this hip young christianity influencer

[phandoz]

Morning Debrief

For Week 8 @writer-wednesday

Summary: Benjamin Miller is a better gossip than cook.

Pairing: Frankie Morales x F Reader

Rating: Explicit, 18+ Only folks

Warnings: Some swears and brief mentions of sexy times

A/N: Gave myself half an hour to vomit this idea out of my sleep deprived brain at 1am and for that, I apologise.

"I'm sorry about the eggs."

Benjamin Miller apologised sheepishly from where he sat opposite you.

You smiled down at your plate. As much as he tried, he really was a terrible cook.

"Don't worry about it," you managed to get out through a half chewed mouthful. "They're a bit like my brain at the minute," You speared a chunk of the white rubber that was once an egg. "A bit rough around the edges."

"I heard you get in late." He mentioned offhandedly. "Good night?" It seemed like innocent, light conversation but you knew Ben well enough to know better.

"You could say that. What is this, your morning debrief?!" Your eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"That's exactly what this is and you are trying to avoid the question. You pulled, didn't you?!" He waggled his eyebrows at you, thoroughly pleased with himself.

"You could say that."

Your eyes remained on your plate but you could see Benny lean forward in anticipation. Here we go.

"A lady never tells though I suppose..." He trailed off dramatically.

"You know, I think that's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me."

He held his hand to his heart in a mix of sadness and offence but you both grinned like idiots at each other. Your efforts to dodge his prying would only last so long. You knew this from experience.

You had originally stumbled into each other's lives when you had moved to town and were looking for somewhere to live. You needed a room and you suspected that he needed to fill a lonely house with some company more than anything. Regardless, the two of you had fast become close friends.

The kitchen was quiet bar the sound of cutlery on plates as you both persevered in eating Benny's abomination. The silence didn't last long as he tried again for more details.

"So, who is this mysterious stranger you met after my fight?"

"After your fight?! You're taking credit for it then?

"You could say that."

Using your own words against you. He was feeling cocky today. You scoffed as you took a sip of your now lukewarm coffee.

Benny wrinkled his nose at the mug in your hand. He gave you shit for it ever since sending you some stupid BuzzFeed article that said people who drank black coffee were more likely to be psychopaths. You might just prove that this morning.

"All I'm saying is that he must be a massive fan of mine if you met him at the bar during my celebratory drinks."

You smirk. If there is one thing that will make him back down it is playing him at his own game. If he wants details, he'll get them.

"He was massive alright." You replied nonchalantly.

Benny's eyes widened and he choked on the last of the eggs he had been shovelling into his mouth. "I didn't think anything could make this breakfast taste worse, but there you go. I think I've lost my appetite."

He pushed his chair back, deliberately letting the wooden legs grate over the floor like nails on a chalkboard. He smiled innocently as he stood, knowing the noise made your eye twitch in annoyance every time, before turning his back to you at the sink.

"Good for you though. It's about time you got back out there after that last asshole."

He was right about that.

"Well, I'm glad I have your blessing, oh wise Benjamin" you joked, trying to lighten the serious turn the conversation had taken.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah I do." Did you ever. "Thanks Ben."

You saw a shadow cast from behind you appear on the floor. This should be good. The figure crossed the threshold silently into the kitchen and you soon felt warm arms slide down to your waist before giving you a light squeeze. You let your head fall back until it hit a solid stomach, closing your eyes as a warm smile spread across your face. You felt pleasantly loose this morning despite the late night activities you engaged in with the man now stood behind you. Late night, early morning, it was all a blur. One hazy, sweet, orgasm filled blur that left you wondering why the hell you hadn't done this sooner.

"I just want you to be happy." Benny continued none the wiser, the sounds of him viciously scrubbing the blackened pan filling the room. "We've been living together for like, what, three years now?"

"Mmmm," you replied distractedly as the arms around you slid up to your shoulders, "Best three years of your life, right?"

"Obviously, but you're like a sister to me."

A nose in the crook of your neck gently nudged your head to the left so plush lips could latch on to your neck.

"You deserve to be happy. I keep saying the same thing to Fish you know. You two are as bad as each other."

Teeth grazed across your skin before a tongue darted out to sooth along the same path. "Oh yeah?" You managed to smother the waver in your voice. Why hadn't you done this sooner?

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I caught him checking out your ass the other day though, that's a step in the right direction I suppose."

"Francisco Morales..." you tsked in mock scandal before a calloused hand squeezed your breast through your tank top in response, thumb flicking across the nipple teasingly.

"You know if lover boy were still here, he would be more than welcome for breakfast, right?"

"Oh, he knows." The man behind you stood up straight and moved his hands innocently to the back of your chair as he finally announced his presence.

Ben's back straightened immediately. "Fish." He turned, hand on one hip in his best attempt at an overprotective brother stance. "You old dog." It might have been intimidating if not for his shit eating grin.

Frankie bent down to redirect your fork of eggs to his own mouth. After chewing for far longer than expected he politely declined any future offer of Benny's.

"I think I'll pass on the offer of breakfast. Jesus Christ Ben, you still can't cook for shit."

"Well you're more than welcome to do better."

"I can and I should. But, I actually had something else in mind for breakfast and it doesnt involve you."

"Ugh, in my own house Fish?! This is a kitchen. People eat here."

"I can eat here if you want."

You happily watched the back and forth between the two friends over your coffee as Benny's jaw dropped the moment he got the innuendo. You also found yourself subconsciously rubbing your thighs together under the table, the skin there anticipating that same delicious scratch of facial hair from the night before. This confidence. It was a good look on Frankie and damn if it wasn't doing something for you right now.

"You know what, I'm going to the gym and then I'm going to Wills. I can't deal with this right now."

"Don't hurry back." You chirped

"You sure?" Benny looked right at you as he stage whispered. "Fish is getting pretty old these days."

"It's not so bad," you shrugged. "Flying for all those years has really paid off for him. Great with his hands. He does this thing-"

"Alright. Just stop." Benny held a hand up, the other hastily snatched his keys from the counter, and headed for the door. "Just message me when it's safe to come back or something."

"Fine." You conceded, "But as I was saying-"

"No! Bye!" The door slammed shut and Ben's truck could be heard starting up only moments later.

You looked up to Frankie where he stood at your side as you sipped your coffee, licking your bottom lip for the stray drop that may have been intentional on your part.

"You know," Frankie cleared his throat, dragging his eyes from your lips back up to your eyes, "I read somewhere that coffee before sex gives you better orgasms."

"Honestly, what is it with you guys and your shitty BuzzFeed articles." You rolled your eyes.

"Benny sends me at least one a day." Frankie shrugged.

"What is he, like fifteen? Of course he does."

You swayed your hips just a little bit more than usual as you crossed to the sink, placing your dishes inside for later when you could think about anything else besides what Frankie had planned for you.

Before you know it he is behind you, hands gliding down your sides before slipping into your sleep shorts, grabbing a handful of each bare cheek.

"Well, their research wasn't conclusive. You going to finish that?" He nodded to your mug.

"And you are nothing if not thorough are you. Bottoms up, Morales" You wink over your shoulder as you tip your head back onto his shoulder to drink the rest, the angle giving him a clear view of your cleavage while pushing your ass back into him.

"Mmm, bottoms up." His voice rumbles next to your ear, giving your ass a playful slap. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

Tags:

@tuskens-mando @littlemisspascal @asta-lily @radiowallet @aliwritesfic

[thezestyone]

For your newest ask game: may I ask for Motonari, Shingen, and imma throw one you won't be expecting Hideyoshi?!

I can be shy at first, but once you get to know me I will talk your ear off (and overshare lol). I'm also quite sassy once I get comfortable. Have a dirty sense of humor (my mind lives in the gutter). But I'm also sweet when I want to be and when you're important to me I'd do anything for you.

@writingwhimsey, I really wasn’t expecting that last one, ha ha.

Here is what they think upon first sight:

Motonari:

To say he had no idea how to handle you would be an understatement. A woman as shy as you having the entire Oda Forces wrapped around her finger? Just how did you do it? He has to admit, he was curious to find out, though he still kept a fair distance from you, losing his usual sharp tongue. Throughout your time together, he finds there is a hidden edge behind that shyness, and he becomes even more intrigued by you, especially when the dirty jokes come to play. You were nothing like he had expected, and he would be lying if he said you didn’t fascinate him. You were like a locked treasure, and he was more than eager to pick that lock. He will find this connection with you that he finds in no one else, and he would be very eager to keep you around. You two would click just right, though your introduction may be a bit rocky at first. He would find himself very comfortable by your side, wanting to hear more about you and treat you to the finer things in life. Don’t tell anyone else, though, because he would grow embarrassed. No one has ever softened this hardened pirate before, and you’d be mistaken if you think he would want you not by his side. He craved your sweetness, he craved you, and he would make that abundantly clear with time, despite what you decide the two of you would be. He’s selfish with you, but in all the right ways.

Shingen:

You were every man’s dream, Shingen would think, as he casted those gorgeous gray eyes at you for the very first time. You were so shy with how strongly he came onto you with his flirtatious ways. He just had to interact with you more, and was he glad when he was able to have that opportunity the next time you two would meet. The more closer you two grew, the more he discovers just how sassy you can be with him, which would make his day. You were really fun to flirt with, he would discover. Almost too fun, when things seem to be taking a serious turn. At the end of the day, the ball is in your court, and you may decide if you want to be more than friends with this flirty warlord, or remain close friends who flirted back and forth while eating some sweets. Whatever you decide, it was bound to be a very enjoyable time. Despite being an enemy against Nobunaga, he would treat you ever so kindly, giving you the complete princess treatment. Even if you weren’t a princess by status, he would have treated you like a princess regardless, it was his style. However, he found himself wanting to find more with you, despite himself. Perhaps it was the initial shyness and then the sass. You had many delectable layers that he couldn’t get enough of, and was he a glutton for you and your sweetness.

Hideyoshi:

Though he came across as very rude and standoffish upon meeting you, Hideyoshi knew internally that you were no threat. You have this sweet aura around you that made that very clear. He had to be cautious regardless, due to his position. The more time he spent with you, the more he found out that, uh oh, he may be catching feelings. He insists on treating you like a sister, though you retort back every time he tries to pull that card. You were not having any of the sister treatment, which made Hideyoshi feel like a fish out of water. How should he be treating you, then? It didn’t help you always looked out for everyone in the castle, and had a sense of humor that made him feel weak. He watches over you to the point the castle starts spreading rumors that he may just be your lover. How shall you proceed? Hideyoshi would never push you to do anything you weren’t comfortable with. He couldn’t deny that this infatuation he had with you made him feel conflicted. If he liked you this much, he was certain the others in the Oda Forces would like you that much as well. He would overthink the whole situation, so please, give this clueless altruist just one sign if you wish to seek something further with him. He will surely take care of the rest, being the meticulous man that he was.

[666writingcafe]

The Brothers Are in The Loop...Kind Of

Author's Note: "Lucifer" = "Satan (Lucifer)"; "Satan" = "Lucifer (Satan)".

"So, you're telling me that Satan here is actually Lucifer on the inside, and Lucifer is Satan on the inside?" Asmo asks incredulously.

"I didn't think it was that complicated, but yes," I respond.

"For real?" Beel chimes in. Lucifer nods his head.

"No way!" Mammon exclaims.

"Eh," Levi nonchalantly adds. "The whole switching bodies story is standard anime fare. I've seen it a million times before."

"This ain't an anime, Levi! This is for real!"

"Ugh, I can't believe this is happening," Satan states. "How am I going to explain this to Diavolo?" Great. He's impersonating Lucifer now. I should have known he would take advantage of the body swap like that. The brothers laugh, which allows for Satan to continue doing his Lucifer impression.

"MAAAAAMOOOOOON?" The Avatar of Greed laughs even harder.

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Lucifer responds sarcastically.

"Maybe save the impressions for later," I say to the brothers in response. "There are more important things to deal with right now."

"Yeah," Beel agrees. "So Lucifer, are you two going to go back to normal eventually?" A valid question, except he addressed it to Satan, not Lucifer. Regardless, Satan answers,

"According to the literature on this subject, the effect is supposed to last for several days." Great. I have to have two additional demons in my head for who knows how long, plus I have to continue hiding the heterochromia I've developed as a result of all this.

"Aww, lucky," Levi whines. "That means you get to skip school and hang out in your room playing online games all you want until it's over. I'm so jealous!"

"First of all, that's something you would do, Levi," I tell him. "We can't exactly do that in our case. Both Lucifer and Satan are important figures in RAD's social hierarchy, so they have to go to school despite everything that's happening right now."

"Are you insane?" Satan asks.

"MC's got a point," Lucifer responds. "If we stay home, people--especially Diavolo--will probably start asking questions."

"Yeah, and if you try to play it off like you're sick or something, then he'll worry even more," Asmo adds. "He'll show up here at the house and insist on taking care of you."

I mean, we could just tell him, I think to myself.

NO! Satan and Belphie shout in my head. Don't ruin the fun!

Not for the same reason, but I do agree with them, Lucifer responds. I don't want him knowing I've allowed a mistake like this to happen.

So, in the end this is all about saving face, huh? Satan asks, irritated at his brother.

"Until we return to normal, Satan, you are to stay with me whenever possible," Lucifer orders. "Understood?"

You've gotta be kidding me! Satan shouts. Oh no, I don't think so! Hard pass!

Then do it for me, I tell him. After all, you're the one that performed the spell on my eyes. That's gonna wear off eventually.

I don't like this any more than you do, but it seems we've got no choice, Lucifer states. I need to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't take advantage of the fact that you look like me to cause trouble.

Fuck off, Belphie snaps.

"Fine," Satan grumbles. "So, whose room are we staying in?"

"If you give me something to eat, I'll let you use my room," Beel offers.

"No thanks. If we sleep in your room, you'll end up sleepwalking over to me and taking a bite out of me in the middle of the night."

"Just so we're clear, I'm not letting you use my room," Levi nearly growls. "I've got too many priceless figurines and super-rare posters in there."

"We know," I tell him. "That's why I was going to suggest that they stay in my room."

"No way!" Mammon exclaims. "I won't allow them to sleep with you!"

"There are too many things wrong with that statement that I don't have time to get into, so I'll just say this: Mammon, with all due respect, shut the fuck up."

[jindallaebe]

a deep, disgruntled sigh seeps from his lips as alex busts his ass for not preparing a korean meal for him upon his homecoming. jindallae knows alex's personality and sense of humor, so thankfully it doesn't feel like a knife in the back, but at the same time, he still thinks he's being ungrateful. as far as he knows, alex has been spending most nights alone since the men he's become entangled with have busy schedules, so if anything, he should be glad that someone is willing to cook him a homemade meal, regardless of what it is.

"and here i thought that serving you a classic pasta dish, which is supposedly your favorite, would please you," he quips back, tone playfully scathing. "but fuck me, i guess. next time, if you have requests for the chef, let me know ahead of time. asshole."

before sitting, he reaches for the bottle of red wine he took from work; carefully releasing its cork, then pouring two hearty glassfuls for them both. tonight's a celebration, after all, even if alex is consistently trying to rain on the parade. for once though, jindallae's in a good mood, and the other's playful jabs and whining aren't cutting him too deeply. honestly, it's almost shocking to him that instead of giving the heat right back to him, he's letting each quip ricochet off of him, as if he's equipped with some type of armor.

once he's ready, he takes his seat, and as he tucks himself under the table, he shakes his head. "look, next time you come over, i'll give you korean-canadian fusion, just like you." picking up his glass, he takes a sip of the wine; its dry flavor alighting his tastebuds in all the right ways—the perfect apéritif. the owner of the restaurant recommended this when he told him what he was making, and the old man knew what he was talking about. when doesn't he though? "you'll get your favorite korean meal, and some of those beaver tails on the side, especially since you were such a good boy and set the table so nicely. thank you."

there's a smug smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, and he relishes in the compliment that he's been given. jindallae doesn't exactly need it, he's confident in his abilities, but he's always welcome to having his ego stroked. "i can assure you, it not only looks delicious, it'll taste delicious, too. i don't fuck around. your twinks could never make you somethin' like this." he teases, then motions to raise his glass. "cheers, man. i'm glad you're back." not bothering to make contact, he takes yet another long sip, then motions over to his utensil; digging in.

the savory essence overloads his tastebuds, the richness of it delicious in a way that he, personally, loves. he realizes that some may find this dish heavy, but he's all about it. hopefully alex is, too.

"what'cha been doing now that you're back, huh? do you have a job, or are you just sitting on your ass playing video games and pretending like its work?"

"i came all the way from the other side of the world for your cooking and you can't even bother to make me real korean food?" alex 'complains' in the way he often does, where he really doesn't mean a single word he says but says it all anyway. it's just to be annoying, just to get a reaction. even if he was genuinely disappointed, he really can't be that upset when he gets a whiff of the dish drifting from the kitchen; jindallae is a very talented chef after all.

"i guess the side dishes kinda count... i'll let it slide, i guess," he jokes more, though he rises to his feet to wander over. he lets curiosity guide him and he watches over jindallae's shoulder (as best as he can, the man is a freaking giant) as he drains the pasta and stirs in the egg sauce stuff. alex can cook, but it's not nearly as masterful as his friend's abilities. his experience is more utilitarian than artful he lived in a dorm with a handful of gamer boys for a couple years; someone had to feed them half-decent food before they killed themselves on a diet of instant ramen and energy drinks.

it's enough that he's not confident in attempting to make beaver tails on his own, even if he wants jin to try it. alex and hot oil do not mix very well and he's a little bit afraid of accidentally burning down the kitchen. better to plant the idea in his more experienced friend's head. "they look like a beaver tail, see?" he makes sure jindallae gets a good look at the pictures on his phone. other than the long, round, flat shape of the fried dough, there's really not much resemblance. but alex isn't going to admit that. "if you start selling them at the restaurant and make a fortune, you have to give me a cut for giving you the idea. got it?"

a long sigh escapes his lips the moment he's asked to do even the simplest task. alex will do it, but that doesn't mean he won't be a little bit of an ass on purpose first. "really? you invite me over and you make me work for my meal? you're a terrible host, jin." he rants, eye rolling and everything, even as he makes his way over to the fridge to do what he's asked. it's not that big of a deal, he's just intentionally difficult. it's more fun that way. "i can't believe you're making me slave away in your kitchen. you don't even pay me. you're the worst." he's sure to 'berate' his friend the entire time he's arranging the dishes on the table.

but for as much of an ass as alex is, even he can't find anything bad to say as the main dish is served. it smells fantastic and somehow looks even better. "honestly?" his only act of 'revenge' is to drag out his response, taking his sweet time to form the words to review the dish by appearance alone. "it looks great," he finally speaks, a grin on his lips as he takes his seat. "i can't say you outdid yourself because i know you're good at this shit, but i guess it came close or something."