#Red Mage Reviews

[redmagedovei]

Final Fantasy Tactics: Monsters Only Challenge (Post Run Review)

Version Played: PSX

Rules: Ramza is a Mediator (NOT SCC style). Concentrate/Calc/Blade Grasp are banned, otherwise any secondary/reaction/support/movement abilities can be used. EVERY other party member MUST be a Monster. No two monsters from the same family may be used at the same time. Once per chapter, Ramza can change from Mediator to grind alternate abilities.

Goal: Any%

Challenge Rating: ★✩✩✩✩ Fun Rating: ★★★★★

Overview: I'll be honest. I set this one up on the schedule, as well as made it super lenient on purpose, since I was killing time until the Four Job Fiesta, and otherwise would've had to wait like three weeks with filler content. If I were to redo this, I would either make the grind happen at the very start of the game, or just make Ramza a pure SCC Mediator in the end. Now then. Monsters are very very powerful in Final Fantasy Tactics, in exchange for a number of drawbacks. For one, Monsters can't equip gear, meaning no extra HP, PA or Speed, nor any status resistences. Same with regards to abilities. Monsters can't gain new abilities (save for a specific support ability), and only a select few have the ability to heal. As such, most battles are played quite aggressively, since you're effectively a glass cannon a majority of the time. Early battles can be kind of rough, as high class monsters aren't available from the start. That said, Chocobos are a staple the entire game, and can be acquired from the very first random battle in the game. I guess the hardest battle under the rules I set would be Zeklaus Desert in Chapter 1? It's hard to remember. Letting Ramza basically do anything made it easy, since I could heal, revive, etc. It made a lot of battles, especially in the mid game a bit of AI looping. Kill weak monster, revive, rinse repeat. Which, I mean, it's -tactical- so it works out. Late game is completely free IF you can get a Tiamat and Behemoth. The Tiamat is especially important, since it can hit really hard, and multiple times, at a cost of unreliable hitting (a la Rafa/Malak). Now for the biggest thing: It's EASY to assume that low Faith is a free win button, and for a majority of the game, this is true! HOWEVER! Low Faith will make the Lucavi bosses resort to status effects, since they can't really do damage! This made the final boss especially difficult, since instead of Ultima/All-Ultima, it spammed Grand Cross. Low Faith is a double-edged sword after all! But otherwise, yeah, low Faith helps a LOT otherwise. It makes enemy mages a complete joke.

Final Thoughts/Recommendation: This is a really good "intro challenge" for someone looking to play with self-imposed restrictions, but want wiggle room to avoid frustration. It forces a different style of play, which can make a newer challenge runner more acclimated to playing under forced, clear rules. Plus, there's still room to add even more, for people who want a challenge. And Monsters are seldom used in most casual play, aside maybe Chocobos, so this helps learn a different side to the game. This one is a blast, and I recommend it to basically anyone, though definitely play FFT first casually, so you know what the game is like from start to finish.

[lilbittymonster]

That summoner glow-up though

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

something i noticed

A while back, I wrote this analysis reviewing how unfair the magic education system is in Twisted Wonderland. I would recommend reading that before this post, as it provides tons of context for what I’m about to talk about and add onto the discussion.

In 2-6 of the Tapis Rouge event, Vil has stylists from Luxe, a high end fashion brand, dress up Azul, Jamil, and Ace to be a part of his red carpet entourage. Once the boys come out in their new threads and makeup, Jamil and Azul, two individuals who are meticulous about details, provide some telling commentary.

According to those two, the team of stylists that helped them were mages. Azul further remarks that they were quite skilled mages and that having this kind of talent indicates a “first class brand store”. Their hair and makeup is also suggested to be done via magic, though this service is not normally performed for customers. Previously, we knew that skincare can be infused with magic (Vil does so with his own) and that magic can be used to style one’s hair (Jamil tells us in his Birthday Boy vignettes that he does his intricate hair with magic and used to take far longer with it when he lacked the precision). Idia states in book 6 that Jamil had no formal magic training before NRC, so that means Jamil was self-taught in his hair-handling magic.

… Okay but 😭 WHAT DOES THIS IMPLY ABOUT MAGIC AND CLASS??? Is it just a coincidence that the teams of stylists who staff a high class store are ALL mages? Surely not, given how uncommon mages are in the general population. The store (or maybe the brand itself?) must be going out of its way to hire them because I guess being dressed with magic is a more “luxurious” experience than the normal way. We can also guess from Azul and Jamil’s accounts that the degree of magic these staffers use requires significant skill and precision, which either means they need formal instruction or lots of practice on their own. Neither option is afforded to people with naturally low or no magic reserves at all 💀 meaning jobs like this are gated to mages only.

Now, this doesn’t inherently mean the rich and famous people who frequent these stores are also all mages (Kalim’s dad and Vil’s dad are two non-mages who are extremely wealthy and influential); the majority of them must still be regular people since humans seem to be the majority, and 90% of humans are non-mages. It also doesn’t guarantee that the Luxe stylists are paid more than a non-Luxe stylist (although I do think this is possible for a prestige brand, especially if we factor in commissions on sales).

What’s sticking out to me here is that there exists an association between magic and luxury. The reverse also appears to have some truth based on what little other lore we have; Ruggie states that there are not a lot of mages from his hometown, which could imply a history of non-mages being driven into poorer communities. It all fits together a little too well to seem coincidental… but obviously, Ruggie’s hometown is just one place and could be an outlier rather than the exemplar. We know that most non-mages must live an average lifestyle, not the extremes that Ruggie has experienced. Still, the claim that magic is typically associated with the upper class holds and it continues to be perpetuated in the lore.

Anyway, Fellow and Rollo were right—

[vultures-and-scavengers]

at some point i need to write a scene about cullen going through all of meredith's paperwork after she's killed. because she's a very specific type of evil, and its not exemplified in bronze statues creeping to life or in giant red swords.

no, her evil was written in requisitions for more lyrium to brand more tranquil. her evil is in reports of templar abuses that got shoved in a drawer and never reviewed. her evil is in the games she played between her officers (and dont tell me she didn't, she 100% did) and how all of them saw different reports and reviewed different information.

her evil is in petitions for aid from the city marked as denied. her evil is in rejections written at the bottom of enchanters' submitted reports. her evil is in transfer requests denied, for both templar and mage. her evil is in the books she removed from libraries and the edits to posted regulations. her evil is in the silenced warnings from templar recruiters regarding those who join their ranks.

hawke and cullen stopped meredith when she drew her sword, but the pen is so much mightier. and no one stopped her when she picked up one at all.

[yuurei20]

Twisted Wonderland the Novel English Translation Review: Excellent

Did a quick read-through of the English-language novel (not a word-for-word comparison with the original novel yet), and: it is an excellent translation!

Some quick notes about the more language-sensitive parts:

・As in the English-language game, Grim is referred to as a weasel in the prologue. In the original game, the original manga and the EN manga, he is called a Tanuki.

・Much like the EN manga, the original game/manga’s use of the word “egg” has been changed to “fledgling.”

・The incantation for Riddle’s unique magic is: EN Novel: "Are you ready for your sentence? Sentence first! Verdict afterward."

EN Manga: “Are you ready for your sentence? The verdict comes afterwards. Any last words?”

・The conversation where Yuuya explains where he is from is very similar to the original novel:

"I'm from Nihon," Yuya told him. "Ni-kan?" "Umm. Ja-p-an." Yuya tried the English name of his country, but that apparently did not click for Crowley either.

・The references to Japanese schools beginning in spring and NRC being more closely related to schools in Europe and America have been retained.

・Curse words have been changed into things like “punk,” “dunce,” etc., with Ace repeating “dodo” fairly often.

・The line where Ace tells Yuuya to drop the honorific from his name was changed. Instead, Yuuya thanks Ace by saying “I really appreciated your help yesterday” and Ace responds, “This isn't some highfalutin rich-kid school. You don't need to be so polite."

・The line where Deuce tells Yuuya to drop the honorific from his name was changed to Deuce protesting against Yuuya thanking Ace first instead of thanking him first.

"How come you said Ace first?" Deuce protested. "I'm first."

・Cater consistently refers to Ace, Deuce, Yuuya and Grim as “Acey, Deucey, Yuey and Grimmy. At least once he refers to Riddle as “Riddley.” No nickname for Trey.

・As there are no honorifics Yuuya refers to Riddle by his first name only, Ace refers to Trey by his first name only, and Deuce refers to Cater, Trey, Riddle and Malleus as “Diamond,” “Clover,” “Rosehearts” and “Draconia.”

・The incantation for Trey’s unique magic is: "White to red, red to white.”

・In the original novel Ace says “Thank you,” in English, while in the English translation he says “merci.”

・”Beastpeople” are called “beast people” instead of “beast men.”

・Yuuya reflecting on how Chenya does not use an honorific with Riddle was changed to, “Yuya had only ever heard Trey talk about him so casually.”

・The line about Cater using honorifics with everyone except Trey in serious situations was changed to, “He usually sounded so lighthearted when he called Trey's name…And Cater only said his name so seriously when it was truly important.”

・The EN game switched from “magical healers” to “medical mages,” and the novel went with ”magical healers.”

・Ace refers to Riddle without an honorific just once in the original novel. This is commented on in a line changed to, “You’re already bossing him around.”

・(There is a typo where Cater and Trey are talking about Riddle’s upcoming duel, and a line that Trey says is attributed to Deuce. Deuce is not in the scene.)

・(There is also a typo where Enchanted Mine (changed from ”Dwarf Mine”) is written as “Enchanted Mind.”)

・Ace’s original line of “the way a kid turns out doesn't determine the value of their parents” was written backwards in the EN game, but the EN manga and novel are both accurate to the original game/manga/novel.

・Cater’s line in the original game/manga/novel admonishing Trey for hiding his true feelings has been upheld in the novel as well as the EN manga, with only the EN game rewritten to Cater admonishing himself, instead. (This was possibly subject pronoun confusion.)

・Much like the EN game, Leona’s “Be prepared” was rewritten in the EN novel.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Mass text from Director Lazard:

Attention! According to my sources, the Department of SOLDIER is getting a surprise inspection by the President in less than 2 hours. Please wear your uniforms (shirt included!) and be on your best behaviour. If you have to, you can use the storage room 4903, but please no human or animal corpses this time. Use the incinerator in R&D. Please remember to pick up all your belongings after the inspection, let's not traumatise our cleaning staff again.

The Fire Olympics scheduled for Saturday is an unofficial event and we are NOT going to mention it to the President.

Kind regards,

Lazard

Inspection Day

• Lazard sends the email, then casually goes back to work, reviewing some documents, the norm. The SOLDIERs are a handful, sure, but trusts his men. They're good people and that's why he's letting them have the fire olympics. After all, they deserve it. They've been on his best behavior lately and—why does he smell smoke and hear screaming?

• He gets up and rushes out into the main hallway.

• First thing he sees is Sephiroth running from a determined Angeal and four other SOLDIERs. Angeal has a uniform shirt in his hands and the others are all holding tranquilizer guns.

• Angeal is laughing manically while chasing him, screaming "HAHA WE GOT YOU NOW BITCH" and Sephiroth is heard replying with "I REFUSE. NEVER. OVER MY DEAD BODY."

• Genesis is crying. He's playing tug of war with his red coat while two 3rds try to wrestle it away from him.

SOLDIER: Commander, I understand why you're upset, but it's not part of the issued uniform!

Genesis: But I'm the Crimson Commander! The Red Mage of ShinRa! How else am I supposed to show that I'm special!?

• Meanwhile Kunsel stumbles out of Genesis's office looking dazed and petrified.

Kunsel: The amount of illegal shit in this man's office OH MY god. Zack! Hey Zack, help us drag some of this kerosene, gasoline, fireworks, Molotov cocktails, Dynamite, Sephiroth cardboard cutout filled with bullet holes, and what I hope isn't drugs down into the storage room...Zack? Zack, where are you going?

• Zack ignores him. He's holding a box of leashes and cages and looks as white as a sheet.

Zack, mumbling to himself: I knew this was going to happen one day. Okay, Zack, you got this. You got this, don't panic.

• And then Cloud stumbles out of Angeal's office holding a.... suspicious..plant.

Cloud: CODE RED. CODE FUCKING RED. HEWLEY HAD MARIJUANA IN HIS OFFICE.

• Angeal, who was passing by holding a struggling Sephiroth with duct tape over his mouth, stops cold in his tracks.

Angeal: I had WHAT in my office?

Genesis, hopeful: Oh! It grew!? <3

Angeal: YOU WERE GROWING WEED IN MY OFFICE???

• At that moment Zack walks buy with about 8 dogs on leashes and a cage under his arm that contains a feral hamster.

• But no one pays attention because Sephiroth has freed himself, tears away his shirt, and is running away screaming through his duct taped mouth.

• Angeal and the other SOLDIERs run after him, nearly crashing into a dispirited Roche coming in

Roche: Bad news, guys. How are we gonna cover the hole in the lounge wall from the time I drove through it on my bike?

• Zack walks buy with 3 pigs on leashes and an exotic bird on his shoulder.

• Angeal walks back in dragging Sephiroth. Sephiroth has his hands and feet bound. They put him in another shirt and are now left with the arduous task of tying his hair up.

Sephiroth: #$*@&!

Angeal: Woah! You kiss your mother with that mouth?

Sephiroth:

Angeal: Ah shit, man, sorry.

• Zack rides by on a horse.

• Genesis walks in wearing the standard SOLDIER uniform without his added accessories.

Genesis: No, no, noooo! I look so boring! How am I supposed to—ACK!

• Kunsel crashes through the ceiling and falls on top of Genesis. Genesis is now partially unconscious on the floor covered in white dust, and there is now a gaping hole in the ceiling.

• Kunsel: Guys, quick, someone help me burn these illegal documents I stole from the turks and was hiding in the vents!

• A few SOLDIERS run out of the elevator hacking and coughing with watering eyes.

Luxiere: Commander Rhapsodos's illegal items broke the incinerator.

• Zack runs by chasing 7 chickens.

• Cloud runs in.

Cloud: You're not gonna believe this! Remember the stolen materia the Turks were investigating a few months back? I found the stash here. The culprit is a SOLDIER!

Genesis: Well they're not going to confiscate MY loot!

Cloud: IT WAS YOU!?

• Zack passes by with what could potentially be all of the Chocobos in Midgar.

• Angeal finally gets Sephiroth into the complete, official SOLDIER uniform sans accessories. Sephiroth looks severely miffed and wants to run away, but Angeal is holding a tranquilizer gun.

• Zack walks by with an Alligator. It's notable to mention that the alligator has a name tag that reads Lacoste.

• And then Roche walks back in.

Roche: Im gonna pass out. Did you guys read the handbook? Article 38 says all SOLDIER operatives cannot have hair that exceeds 30 centimeters.

• Angeal looks at Sephiroth.

• Sephiroth looks at Angeal.

• Angeal pulls out a razor.

Sephiroth: OH NO YOU DON'T

• Both he and Roche run away screaming.

Genesis: Oh, I almost forgot about the stripper pole we installed in the gym. Better go take that down.

• Zack rushes by riding an ostrich.

Lazard: I'm going to get fired.

[the-black-mage-of-phantasm]

Red My Mind: A Red Team Fanfic Summary: While hunting for Christmas decorations, Diana learns a lot about the red team. Ao3 Link to Story, FFN Link to Story Art by the wonderful Pili BlueBerry on Instagram!

Current Chapters: 1

Current Length 10,441 words

Updates (Hopefully) Monthly. Next update, January 29th.

My gift for @thewholekittyandkaboodle for the @lwasanta secret santa gift exchange. Both art, and a fanfic! I was assigned to make a a fic centered on the red team, with one of the major themes being teamwork. And this gave me the idea to do a character study of the red team through the eyes of Diana!Thus, this story was born, and I teamed up with a good artist friend of mine, Pili, to make the cover! I tried to get this out by Christmas, but my job got busy, and this story took a life on its own, and what I had planned to be a one-shot turned into a three-shot. But still, I’m sorry for the delay; I’m gonna do my best to get out the next chapter in about a month. For those of you who follow Envenomation, know that there might be a one/two week delay because this fic has taken up a lot of my free time lately. Again, I’ll do my best to get it out soon, but, right now, I’m honestly feeling a bit sick, so I’m not sure how much writing I’ll be able to get done. And with that, these notes come to a close. Don't hesitate to tell me what you liked and/or didn't like about this chapter in the reviews!. This is Black Mage of Phantasm signing off. Peace!

[doubleca5t]

I posted 7,571 times in 2022

1,827 posts created (24%)

5,744 posts reblogged (76%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dingdongyouarewrong

@frenzyarts

@demilypyro

@shittywingedeyeliner

@master-thief-gray-shadow

I tagged 1,586 of my posts in 2022

#rwby - 125 posts

#the locked tomb - 122 posts

#doubleca5t oc - 111 posts

#gf art 🥺 - 76 posts

#frenzyposting - 73 posts

#frenzycore - 60 posts

#yang xiao long - 51 posts

#red mage lookbook - 50 posts

#blake belladonna - 39 posts

#nona the ninth - 37 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#hilariously iirc phoenix wright was not intented to be satire of the japanese legal system it just ended up that way by coincidence sjshdkg

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

“BDSM is sex for autistic people” post is funny to me because me and my bf realized that we’re both lapsed Catholics and to us it’s more like “BDSM is catholicism for gay people”

Oh the Catholicism/BDSM overlap might be even stronger than the autism/BDSM overlap

40,081 notes - Posted November 1, 2022

#4

should probably post this here too

41,385 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

#3

learning about a piece of media exclusively through tumblr posts is really funny because you'll probably get the wrong idea about the show in one of four very specific ways

Thinking something fun and light-hearted is a deathly serious social commentary

Thinking something dark or disturbing is actually a wacky comedy

Thinking something with no gay people is actually gay

Thinking something with gay people is homophobic

55,392 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

#2

Can I get a, uh, post?

56,407 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

116,900 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[jasper-pagan-witch]

2024 Grimoire Challenge Review - January Week 1

Well, I had to wait until Wednesday to get out of the house and get a binder and some paper for my challenge grimoire this year, so I basically speedran all of the December prep and the first week of January, because I will never learn and never improve on this habit of mine.

Keeping in line with other grimoires I've used in the past (such as the Epsilon Ledger and the Delta Book of Tarot Spreads), this red binder has been named the Eta Binder. I wrote down my proper name (let's go, trans mages!), tacked @2024-grimoire-challenge onto it to remind myself that that's what we're doing, and gave it a date of working. Since I started on Wednesday, that's 1/3/2024 (because I'm an American) to an unknown end date.

I had to scramble to come up with a list of 52 plants and stones to work on. I just went through the list of herbs and teas offered by my local ("local" being half an hour away) spice shop and capped it off with some Missouri flowers. For the stones, I just flipped through Judy Hall's Crystal Bible (somehow both a really good and really bad reference book) back and forth a bunch of times until I had a list of crystals I hadn't already done dives about.

As for my magical study ideas, I mostly just threw shit down that I've been interested in or have just gotten interested in. I gave each deity I worship their own bulletpoint and also split up the specific areas of pop culture magic I'm digging more into. I made sure there was a blend of comfortable old stuff, brand new stuff that I'm not sure of, and things that are generally outside of my purview.

Through the power of "work had too many 3-ring binder dividers", I have split my binder into seven sections - 1 is Plants, 2 is Stones, 3 is Work-Related Notes, 4 is Spells Designed (if I complete any, they'll be moved into my spell binder that also houses all of my correspondence lists), 5 if Journal, 6 is currently blank, and 7 is Empty Pages.

Then I finally got started on the actual projects. For the plant and crystal prompts this week, I used an integer generator online to choose two numbers randomly and received caraway (aka Carum carvi) and muscovite (aka KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2), so I used my normal research process for the two. It was actually pretty fun, if you ignore the fact that my hand hurt so much because it ended up being 4 pages (well, 2 pages but front and back) EACH of information drawn from books and digital sources that I was all but copying word for word.

As for the Work-Related Notes, that's where I've saved things like my Definitions page, Spellwriting 101 (in my practice), and a page about my Common Tools.

I will admit that I skipped the year outline, mostly because the passing of the year means near nothing in my craft. I don't celebrate any particular "magical holidays", I don't work by the moon cycle, I'm definitely not Wiccan and thus don't celebrate the Wheel of the Year, seasons just mean whether or not I have to wear a coat, and I don't care about matching particular workings to days of the week. I'm starting to think I'm just a deeply boring person, upon reflection.

Then we get to the Work Spaces / Altars page, and oh boy! I don't actually do...workings at my altars, so they're probably better described as shrines. I have my Primary Work Space (my wooden desk, the metal microwave stand I've stolen from somewhere, and the tiny red bookshelf under the microwave stand) that is an absolute MESS at every given point that holds whatever the fuck I'm working on, regardless of what project it is. I have a Thoughtform & Spirit Shelf (which is actually a partial shelf) in my big red bookshelf that holds the anchors for my thoughtforms but also my PokeFamiliar. I have five altars around my room that are currently holding seven deities, a candle for an eighth deity, the Lokifam, three spirits, the Unknown Benefactor, the symbol of an animal spirit I want to reach out to at some point this year, and Jasper's Casper (an adorable little ghost that my coworker and her daughter crocheted for me to celebrate the first anniversary of me working at the library).

Shit's a bit cramped in here!

And today, I'm writing about my Personal Practices that have made it into my craft. I'm actually working on this now, but I paused to write up this summary. It's pretty neat to think about all the stuff I've done that I still do.

Results: My hand hurts and my head is throbbing, but c'est la vie. This is a really fun challenge, and I hope it goes all the way through 2024, unlike when I tried to do the 2023 challenge and the host of that one vanished into the aether.

[inquisimer]

2023 writing round up

bringing back this fun little year-end writing review from last year :3 it's always so fun to look back and see what all the little pieces and all the time adds up to!

tagging if you'd like to join in: @shivunin | @rosella-writes | @fadedsweater | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @kiastirling-fanfic | and @warpedlegacy

words posted: 109,617

additional words written: 84,453

grand total of words: 194,070

fandoms: 2 - Dragon Age & Dishonored

highest kudos: The Lie Upon Your Sleep at 20 - a bit of fluff & hurt/comfort with my healer OC Ness and Cullen

highest hit oneshot: to be seen feeling at 200 - a piece I wrote for my friend @dreadfutures as part of the DAFF Discord OC Swap. An exploration of her Mahariel as Warden-Commander and Teryn during Awakening and his life with Morrigan and Kieran in the Crossroads.

new things I tried: Writing non-canon romances! And participating in a lot more fandom exchanges.

fic I spent the most time on: hard to say, probably my unpublished Surana Lavellan rewrite! Of my published fics, I think it would be if our demons cannot dance - angst, hurt/comfort, and missing scenes for my anders rivalmance.

fic I spent the least time on: either Not Like This, a character study of Emily's guilt/regret as she flees Dunwall in D2, or I carried my own ashes to the mountain, some light hurt/comfort and fluffy friendship between Brosca & Zevran on their way back to Orzammar

favorite thing I wrote: any of my pieces with Siobhan Hawke, my Blorbo of the Year for sure. She's so different than the type of Hawke I usually play, being Red-Purple and leaning into the politicking aspect of her role in Kirkwall. I've loved exploring a Hawke who doesn't run away from Kirkwall, who stays and works within the system to make things better. And of course writing her different dynamics with Loghain and Sebastian have been both interesting and challenging for me creatively.

favorite thing(s) I read:

Things my heart used to know (things it yearns to remember) by NiriKeehan (@nirikeehan) - the gift I received as part of the DAFF Discord OC swap, an incredibly well-done piece of my OC Neria and Cullen finding common ground in their respective roles in the Inquisition

A Fool's Death and a Hard Choice by RosellaWrite (@rosella-writes) - an beautiful study of Warden Loghain leading up to and through DAI, his journey looking for Mahariel, how he meets up with Hawke, and his reunion with Morrigan & Kieran at Skyhold.

In Flame Forged Anew by Plisuu (@plisuu) - DAI as experienced by Connor Trevelyan, Templar turned mage turned Tranquil turned Herald of Andraste. He's a little fucked up by it all and this compelling story will tear you to shreds right from the start.

Dirty Little Secrets by SylvanRain (@sylvanraindrop) - DAI retold from the perspective of one of Leliana's agents, featuring the smoothest motherfucker Lavellan, lots of intrigue and spy shenanigans, and Cullen being both endearingly soft and Good At His Job

what we talk about when we talk about whalers by patho (ghostsoldier) - a collection of one shots set in and around the Knife of Dunwall DLC for Dishonored, ranging from lighthearted and funny to absolutely heart-wrenching ;-; beautifully well-done snippets that build out the in-game mechanics and lore!

writing goals for 2024: finish my Surana Lavellan rewrite up through IYHSB, which is when I've promised myself I'll start posting it again 😤 and also to finish at least one of the smut pieces that I have half-started in various drafts

new works: 21

template under the cut!

words posted:

additional words written:

grand total of words:

fandoms:

highest kudos:

highest hit oneshot:

new things I tried:

fic I spent the most time on:

fic I spent the least time on:

favorite thing I wrote:

favorite thing(s) I read:

writing goals for 2024:

new works:

[redmagedovei]

Pokémon FireRed: Flying Monotype (Post Run Review)

Version Played: GBA Rules: Only Pokémon that are Flying, part Flying or evolve into Flying types may be on the team at any given time. (Charmander OK, Scyther OK unless it evolves) No Legendary/Mythical Pokémon allowed. Goal: Elite Four (Any%)

Challenge Rating: ★✩✩✩✩ Fun Rating: ★★★★✩ Overview: Super simple without being completely free. Flying is a fun type with a lot of hybrids to keep some diversity. The lack of a Physcial/Special split kinda hurts, but that's old Pkmn for you! But this one was fun. A lot of mons made me surprised at how versatile some can be, casually! The team was as follows: Inferno?! (Charizard) Oberon (Butterfree) Manafa (Gyarados) Kweh ' v ' (Dodrio) Freyja (Scyther) Haruka (Dragonite) Final Thoughts/Recommendation: This is another on the list of good entry level challenge runs! I picked this one for its relative ease, since it was sandwiched between two other hard runs, at least in terms of intended scheduling. Truth be told, I wanted an easy time because I wanted a break between tougher runs. That said: Any monotype can be made easy or hard depending on the type used. Flying is relatively easy. Butterfree pulls a lot more weight than one might expect, and Dodrio is a beast in any capacity. Special attackers for my run were Charizard and Dragonair/Dragonite. Any other fliers might be viable, though. Not a lot in terms of walls, surprisingly. Just don't overlevel for Surge and remember that Brock doesn't actually have any Rock-type moves. (DISCLAIMER: Rare Candy cheat WAS used before the Elite Four to cut down on multiple hours' worth of grinding. This is justified to me, because I'm denying 'mons of extra EVs at the end of the game, and all I'm ultimately doing is cutting down on time spent grinding.)

[mothmonarch]

🔺 RESOLUTION 🔻

A red mage moth delivers their finisher! Personal illo.

Patrons $1+ will get a look at how I made this, including recreating the magic of Red Mage's 90 finisher Resolution from FFXIV, in the upcoming monthly review! patreon.mothmonar.ch ⚔

[yostresswritinggirl]

Poly kavetham + MC brainrot (unedited rambles) not for the Loud House Trio because this is a different brand of shenanegains:

A symbol of Alhaitham's discreet love for Kaveh is how he indulges in bickering on the various public message boards around Sumeru City. Alhaitham prefers to keep to himself and typically avoids engaging in useless arguments. But when those messages have been written by an impassioned and very drunk Kaveh... it's very cute to him, and he can't help but toss some oil onto the fire, so to speak. Not that he'd ever admit this to Kaveh.

One day, a new message in unfamiliar penmanship appears.

"Archons, you two argue like an old married couple. Just kiss already."

Beneath his headphones, the tips of Alhaitham's ears turn red. He is irate and intrigued by whoever is blatantly invading the very obviously private discussion (on a public form, for all of Sumeru to see) between himself and Kaveh- though, that is what one rationally ought to expect. It should really be more of a surprise that no one had weaseled their way into these discussions before now.

He considered tearing it down but an opportunity struck him. Alhaitham had not planned on confessing to Kaveh- his pride wouldn't allow it- and Kaveh was too dense to realize that the sheer volume of attention antagonization Alhaitham directed his way was, in fact, affection. But maybe if he let this little jab of a message, this little embarassing, playful swirl of script be, Kaveh might get the hint. So Alhaitham left it alone.

The intruder's identity doesn't remain a mystery for long. Kaveh brings home a fellow scholar to assist him with a new project; an Amurta scholar whose main focus is psychology. As they work on their study proposal- one that aims to maximize the desired mental state for the intended purpose of a particular space (such as the "perfect study room," etc)- Alhaitham reads through their current rough draft.

Though he intended to review it critically, he instead finds himself entranced by the familiarity each loop and curve of the hastily scribbled letters. The more he reads the more certain; this scholar, brought into his home by his roommate, is the sneaky meddler. He decides to let the secret linger while investigating their motive. What reason does Kaveh's new friend research partner have for goading on their relationship?

The house's dynamic continues as usual; Alhaitham throws a sarcastic comment at Kaveh, resulting in a flustered, frustrated response. His sharp eyes capture the shudder of the guest's shoulders as they restrain a giggle, their lips tight yet unable to refrain from a slight curl upwards.

For the first time he and the Amurta scholar make eye contact.

They flash a grin. Childlike delight fizzles behind their eyes, mischevious, and he swears he can see the bubbles popping into new little plots. To instigate. To tease.

What's worse, perhaps, is that it's a knowing gaze. As though they had expected the Acting Grand Mage to figure it out as quickly as he did. As though they dared to poke and prod despite knowing Alhaitham's influence, his sharp tongue, his aversion to people. No- not just dared, but rather, enjoyed it. Both his nature and the flushed cheeks of his roommate when oil spilled on the fire.

And they had the gaul to so graciously, innocently thank Alhaitham for allowing them to use his space to prepare their research proposal.

So that was their motive: entertainment. A front row seat to witness the absolute chaos of Alhaitham and Kaveh's almost-relationship.

He wasn't about to let them get away with it. Oh no- if they wanted to see it so desperately, they were going to become a part of the show.

[Aka: MC meddles with Alhaitham and Kaveh's messages to instigate their relationship. An invisible wingman/lady/person that no one asked for... the hero Sumeru City needs, but does not deserve! The mischevious little BRAT that is going to nudge Alhaitham and Kaveh until they KISS!

Except, MC didn't expect to become a part of that complicated relationship while egging it on... such is the consequence of messing with Alhaitham and Kaveh at such close proximity.

Bonus points if Tighnari is a sort of mentor figure to MC and they have inherited some of his sass!

Even MORE bonus points if they're a beastkin / Tighnari's younger sibling who met Kaveh personally during some of those nights Tighnari invited Kaveh over for dinner!]

Insideous, you're back! And with a huge banger post this time, oh my goodness! This is a whole ass fic already *places hands on your shoulders* You, my good friend, definitely should consider that writing blog plan

Perhaps irate isn't exactly what I would imagine Alhaitham to feel about the situation, but otherwise it's so goood, especially the revenge of dragging them into it as payback hahaha - it's the perfect example of "fuck around and find out" the Alhaitham way. The mischief and the mischievous, I feel more sorry for Kaveh who would then be stuck between this scheming duo, he's the perfect middleman (which is bad for him)

Actually this also reminds me of a dynamic I wanted to write in the future, although in the story it was Alhaitham that's nosy

I love it ohhh you definitely have the knack for it, maybe we can get more of these three in the future? *opens palms*

[theizzifromosaka]

Monster Never Cry

Been a while, huh? I’m back for another Monster Girl review, I feel this time more than any other I need to introduce what I’m reviewing

Monster Never Cry is a Gacha game whose premise is you are the recently defeated Demon Lord, tasked with rebuilding her army and retaliating against the warriors who got you. There’s also a weird meta aspect to it where the whole thing is an MMO, but it’s a mobile game. Who’s playing this for the story? Nah, like most mobile game players, I’m here for the PNGs. Like actually, I would never have given this game a shot if not for the whole monster thing. We got a lot of monsters to cover this time, I’m reviewing every fem presenting monster available in this game, so I’ll be going through each entry quickly.

Coronis

So she’s like an archer crow lady? Not really a monster is she? That artwork doesn’t really do her favors, but the alt skin looks pretty nice.

Lilith

Not exactly an original idea but it’s executed pretty well here. Rich fancy vampire princess, what else can I say?

Sadora

This design is great, among my favorite in the whole game. It’s a shame it’s stuck on a mid tier monster, in terms of gameplay. Creepy animated dolls are what got me to try out Bloodborne, we don’t see enough of them and this one is among the best I’ve seen.

Undine

I think she’s a water elemental or a minor deity or something. It conveys that idea well enough, and the harp angle is interesting but it’s just not really for me.

This does give me the opportunity to address what I’ve referred to in the past as the “paint her blue” problem. Monsters in this game have a small chance to be shiny like in Pokémon, and in many cases the shiny has a more human skin tone. I previously expressed distaste for this trope but this game’s monsters make me reconsider my opinion.

Sylph

This game has a few plant girls and they all have the same problem, they’re all pretty much just girls with plant bits on them. This one’s pretty good though, and I like the Mario reference in her shiny, intentional or not.

Oul

I think this one’s supposed to be a Djinn? Her title implies she’s some sort of mage and in game she acts like a merchant, so I’m not sure. The design is pretty busy, and I think the shiny should have been the default. Something about Genie girls with purple hair just feels right, couldn’t tell you why.

Unrelated, I’m real excited for Risky Revolution. It’s crazy that it’s actually getting made now.

Arachne

Basic spider girl, and it’s not really trying to be anything else. It’s pretty good for what it is, though I wish they’d committed to giving her extra eyes instead of those weird red patches.

Gurnius

For a mid tier monster her design is very busy. You see a design like this and immediately think it’s gonna be a rare strong monster, that’s not just me right?

Daisy

The one exception to the weak plant girl designs in this game, and it’s on a low tier monster. Cactus cowgirl is way too good an idea to waste on a low tier in my opinion.

Siren

I think she’s a forest nymph? It’s a fun design, if a bit basic. Butterfly-winged forest fairy ladies are kinda a dime a dozen so I don’t have strong opinions.

Why is her name Siren though?

Rabby

“Boxing Champion”.

It’s a good rabbit girl design, though I’m obligated to point out: That’s not a monster, it’s just anthro.

Pania

“Forest Priest” is about as helpful as “Boxing Champion”, though it at least gives us a habitat. My headcanon is she’s a Duende. It’s a passable design, cute little girl stands out in this game.

Sarcophagurl

Another Frankenstein girl has appeared in this series, and honestly? I like this one a lot. The eyeball theme is a bit incongruous.

...“Mech Maiden”? In what way?

Vespa

I think she’s supposed to be a succubus, which is kinda funny as she’s one of the least malegaze-y designs in this game. The alt skin amends this, and considering Succubi are sex demons honestly I think it’s fine. Pretty good design, all things considered.

Zenobia

Dragon Girl with a sleek design. The outfit here is an absolute disaster but if she was wearing full armor or even a t-shirt and khakis she would be completely fine, pretty good even.

The human skintone on the shiny makes me uncomfortable, probably because it accents just how awful that outfit is.

Octasia

I’m not sure what she’s supposed to be. I guess she’s like Ursula from Disney’s The Little Mermaid? So she’s a Mermaid? Mixing vertebrate and invertebrate features is always a risk in my opinion and I don’t think it works here.

Medusa

Like straight up? This game’s also got “Dracula” so I guess so. Another otherwise good design ruined (in my opinion) by a weird outfit. I do really like how this game does animals though, with those Rareware-style googly eyes. It really helps this game’s designs stand out where they show up.

Palaeophis

Another Mermaid, assuming Octasia is, in fact, a mermaid. This one’s name shoulda been Siren. Mostly naked is par for the course for Mermaids so I can’t really fault this design for that, but I will once again complain about it being busy. Weird for a design with almost no clothes.

Kukulkan

That Mesoamerican deity is eating a girl. That’s brutal.

Jokes aside I would like this design drastically more if the girl aspect was removed and it was just the winged serpent part.

Nafisa

This design scratches the same part of my brain as Aigis from Persona. Not really sure what’s up with that floating head but I can’t help but like this one. Creepy doll girls, I’m telling you.

Mischa

Pretty good design for a Beegirl, but once again, that’s not a monster, that’s just anthro. Hold on, why is the Succubus named Vespa and not the literal Vespid?

Venus

It would’ve made more sense if Sylph, the man-eating plant girl, was named Venus, as most man-eating plants are styled after Venus Flytraps. It still works for a thorn girl, but the same issue Sylph had is present here. She’s got thorns and flowers coming out of her but she is essentially just a girl.

Kurarith

Anthro Jellyfish girl. Mixing Vertebrate and Invertebrate features like Octasia. Just like with Kukulkan she’s kinda just a girl attached to a monster, and like Zenobia she’s got a stupid outfit. Really a showcase of every design decision I don’t like this game has made, but interpreted instead as a jellyfish themed outfit it’s actually not bad.

Tarani

This character has not been added to the game yet and I cannot begin to guess what kind of monster she’s even supposed to be. Maybe a Satyr? Angelic Beast? Dragon Girl? This one’s just bad, sorry. I hope they reconsider the direction they’re taking these designs in.

The Demon Lord

Arachne was just A Spider Girl, The Demon Lord is THE Spider Girl. Kinda an interesting choice to make the leader of the Monster Forces a spider. It’s an alright enough design, reminiscent of Kumoko from So I’m A Spider, So What?, specifically in how a girl pops out of the spider’s head eventually. Didn’t like it there and I’m not huge on it here either, though the girl pops out pretty early here and replaces the spider’s head.

I’m overall kinda surprised at the quality of the designs here, even when the designs are weak there’s usually at least a good idea in there. Is it worth putting up with a Gacha game for? Probably not, though I think I’m gonna stick around at least just to see what new characters they add.

Previous review:

[oldestmakkapakkafan]

OK TOUCHSTARVED DEMO REVIEW!! I JUST FOUND OUT THIS EXISTED YESTERDAY AND STARTED PLAYING

So I was scrolling through tiktok and got THE video of the trailer, immediately started playing which is surprising from me because I normally only procrastinate for everything, even for things I like. But yesterday was a good day it seems.

I started the game and after the short intro selected "the unnamed" backstory I think it's called?? I don't really remember but it was the one where you ran away from your cult village or whatever. For two reasons.

A. I didn't want to have exclusively witty one liners as my dialogue. (The criminal backstory)

B. I'm already playing the arcana (the mage backstory)

Of course I'll play the demo with each one of them later but rn I'm doing various play throughs with variations of what I feel like my own choices would be.

Now for how I like it overall, IT'S SO GOOOOODD!!! I loved everyone just from the trailer alone, everyone except vere, I just really hate his archetype. Let's say me and red haired otome guys have a long time beef, ancestral beef if you will (I'm looking at you castiel...). I just don't like the playboy who is also really mean for no reason and only flirts by making a fool out of you. Anyways, enough about someone I don't really like.

First KURAS, he's soooo my type 🤭 long hair, dark skin, calm and collected! Soo cute, I like his dialogue and interactions in the demo, I haven't unlocked his red option so I feel like he was a little too distant for my liking but I know that'll probably change with the full game (I assume he has one, I mean I got ais' and leander's without even trying).

Now Ais, tbh I tried to stay loyal to kuras but Ais is so hot, cool and kinda flirty... I WAS GIGGLING SO LOUD AND PUNCHING MY PILLOWS, I'm not always for bad boys bc it isn't really done right most of the time (in my opinion) but Ais is really something else.

And lastly Leander, he's hot and sweet, I don't really have much to say about him, I can tell he's the easiest route, at least for me. He's the type of character I can get the good ending of with my eyes closed. I mean we might as well be kissing him by the end of the demo. I still like him tho. I'm just more normal about him than I am about Kuras and Ais. And I can already see him being a fan favorite, so I better like him because all those fanarts are about to infest my feed.

As for mhin and vere. They're not really that interesting to me, I'd say my top would be like this

Kuras and Ais (yes, I just decided I like them both the same)

Leander

Mhin

Vere

Ok now the fan girling is over. Time for SERIOUS BUSINESS!

Art Quality? 9.5/10 soo pretty, the street and city sheets could use a bit more work though. It's kind of underwhelming at the beginning when you see the city and it doesn't really stand out. But maybe it's just me.

Dialogue quality? 9/10 it doesn't feel repetitive, it's immersive and even when there's some corny lines here and there, I'd say it's vere's fault for being a devious bad boy archetype. Because that dialogue is only present with him 🧍‍♀️

And that's it. Even with the wall of text I just wrote I've only played once three routes with the cult(?) Backstory. I will probably write more text walls as I get deeper into the fandom and game.

[thevalleyisjolly]

Just watched the D&D movie and I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed watching a movie so much!  All the characters are great and you can tell the actors are having a blast, the plot is well paced and cohesively written, and the humour is genuinely funny - I haven’t laughed so hard in years.  It strikes a fantastic balance between a fantasy adventure movie and a D&D game - there were so many moments where it’s clear that “Oh, she just rolled a Nat 1″ or “He failed that Insight check and is now perpetually suspicious of the NPC” or “Yeah, no D&D party has ever come up with a plan that actually works, time to improvise.”

Spoiler-y part of the review under the cut:

I love the setting - the world feels lived in and real, and I’m always a sucker for travel montages where you see the characters tiny against the vast landscape.  The cinematography is great and does really creative things that don’t feel out of place or over the top, and the practical effects are really impressive.  My biggest dislike is the fat dragon, it was completely unnecessary to make him a fat joke.  I also think there are elements of the red wizards plotline that maybe got left on the cutting room floor because there were a couple of unexplained things - what’s the horn? who spoke to Sofina from the shadows? did Forge know she was a red wizard all along? 

I loved Holga being divorced, more characters in media should be mutually but a little painfully divorced, and I love that her and Edgin explicitly have a sibling-like co-parenting relationship.  Xenk is my autistic love and he played that Aragorn-eavesdropping moment beautifully (as he plays every moment beautifully).  I don’t care about how many Wildshapes she got, Doric’s confidence in herself and seamless comfort with her own abilities was a really refreshing subversion of the naive young woman trope.  I also like the subversion of the trope that elves are really haughty for no apparent reason, where elves were actually the ones to welcome and accept her when humans wouldn’t.  I like how Simon’s story presented a different angle on sorcerers, where it’s not about mastering uncontrollable powers or going full-on glass cannon mage, but rather growing into his magic by developing his self-confidence as a person.  Edgin’s character journey was really well thought out, and I love how he never once used a spell in combat and just went around hitting people with his lute.  And of course, Hugh Grant is a delight, I’m loving his camp villain era.

Also, this is how you have people of colour in fantasy.  Not just a couple token individuals (or one non-human, usually monstrous, race played entirely by POC), but actors of colours as elves and half-elves and halflings and humans.  There were actors of colour in the main cast and there were actors of colours in the background.  They were never singled out for a “diversity” moment, but they were always there.  It wasn’t perfect, but it’s a good step in the right direction.

So much more I could say about this movie, but a strong 8.5/10 for me.  A great movie if you don’t know anything about D&D, a fantastic movie if you do.