#a bit more cyberpunk tho

[koreanthrillerenjoyer]

My spidersona would absolutely be in the universe of won kar wai cinema

[sorryiliketoscreenshot]

[chevvy-yates]

[NC_RES]-13062047-EUR-BU-NED de_wit_m_portraits_026_AFF_WA.file ///core:_thyjs_de_wit.file\\\

—

⚠️ READ: Please do not repost/reupload any of my art here or to any other platform, or I will be forced to do anything to get it annihilated.

[fereldanwench]

this might be the year i revisit my mea stuff

maybe

idk could just be the coffee talking

i had started going all again shortly before cp77 just took over my ENTIRE EXISTENCE and i do still have such a fondness for one dr harry carlyle

i love my ryder, too, although i think i'd have to age her up even more to get back in that headspace. iirc, i made her 25 instead of 22, but as of this april i feel like i can officially say I'm very much pushing 40 and I'm good to leave the 20-something experiences far behind lmao

and i was taking some pretty cool shots using the basic features of ansel and having no idea what i was otherwise doing. it'd be fun to revisit ~*virtual photography*~ in another game. i don't think anything is gonna come close to vp in cp77 tbh but mea is a very pretty game with very pretty characters uwu

[letsjam-art]

silly idea time

idk how this idea even started but the outfit i had in mind was way back from a doodle in 2021 or 2022, basically my 'what if' for temperance ending only instead of being wildly ooc and wearing a collared button up johnny becomes a cowboy. and because i was listening to vagrant song from wtwtlw (that whole ost really, and hardspace shipbreaker) i had the bright idea that johnny would finally become what his class in the ttrpg was an homage to and wander around collecting stories n telling them n kind of being a dead man walking/ghost story/witness/helper-bard r smthn but having been extremely tempered by the experience of v choosing to die for him, being shocked enough into actually thinking about his beleifs n what have you, humbled enough now to want to listen to others hed choose this path of wandering the continent of na, maybe for the first time in a long time actually taking in life around him yadda yadda. in my little scenario i also had it that even if/when the next corpo war broke out or the nusa annexed more free states, he wouldnt get involved like he used to, cause i think its interesting to muse on how a profound experience would greatly change someone so stuck in their ways like johnny. i think hed still be motivated by guilt and avoidance at first, but it would evolve into something more like a calling/altruism as he takes more seriously and uses more intentionally the time he was given as a dead man walking

also i realize how much of this 'outfit' is just putting v in a hat and calling them johnny like its some perry the platypus thing (also idk how to draw hats)

[sansevierias]

[nipuni]

Blog time Hello! We are back from our trip! I'd say I'm feeling refreshed but coming back to sweltering dry heat shut down that feeling very quickly. Now we are even more determined to move to the seaside within the year though 🏃‍♀️ It's incredible how much of an effect on your health the weather can have. These days we have been hiking for around 8 hours a day in the mountains and coast without breaking a sweat in 17-22ºc high humidity weather. In contrast, today back home we walked to the store five streets away in a dry 33ºc sun and we felt like throwing up and never leaving the house again lmao and it only gets much worse until september aaaa I can't wait to move out of the city and start a new colder and quieter phase of life where I don't have to dread the coming of summer every year!! But at the same time I've been feeling this trepidation about settling down somewhere permanently, I realized that every 5 years or so I get the itch to move somewhere new and it worries me a bit tbh, I hope it is just my fear of commitment acting up and the fact that we just haven't found the right place yet. And the longer we spend in this place the more we feel like it will be the right one so I'm hopeful!

We have also been watching more of David's filmography! we watched Des, Single Father, Recovery, Bad Samaritan and Deadwater Fell. We enjoyed Recovery, Single father and Deadwater Fell the most, all were really good!! then Des was decent and Bad Samaritan was terrible. But as expected David steals the show every time and you end up sitting through the most ridiculous scripts just to see him give it his all and elevate the whole thing with every scene lmao the sheer range of this man!! let me gush for a second, he goes from the most charming and pitiful train wreck you would kill to protect to the most terrifying monster of a person so effortlessly you can hardly tell it's the same actor. He is so outstandingly good at every role!! Anyway I love watching our little shows of our favourite guy with Nicolas everyday, it has been the highlight of my year 🥰

I've also been meaning to get back into games but I just can't find the right one! I tried the whole cozy farming/survival/sandbox game thing and came to the conclusion that it's not for me, I don't find them engaging enough so it ends up feeling like a time sink 😞 I also thought of going back to FFXIV but the new expansion doesn't sound like something I would really enjoy and while I love RPG I'm finding it hard to commit to 40+ hours of storyline lately, BG3, Cyberpunk 2077 and Disco Elysium have been sitting in my library for ages now and I can't bring myself to play them even tho I want to!! I'm hoping DA4 will get me back into the RPG mood. I've also played Hades II but I'm all out of content until release! Maybe shooters will do the trick, something fast paced I can play for a little bit as a distraction from work. I've been meaning to check how Warframe is doing too, I love it and haven't played in ages, and every time I check it's like a completely different game so that could be fun! but I'm rambling now, if you have any game recommendations let me know! I hope you are all doing well 😊 I'll get back to drawing now and will share some sea pictures later!

[pralinesims]

// 24 favs of 2024 in no particular order

A bit late maybe, but well. It's not like we're having 2026 currently, so I'm still doing this!

Tagged by @ethelgodehel @living-undead @eljeebee @salemssimblr, thank you SO much <3 (and if I missed anyone, I am super sorry!). Everyone who feels like doing this tag aswell, please feel tagged by me.

Like last year, I also have some unnecessary personal commentary following under the cut.

Influencer Aaron IS MY LIFE, like look at this little bitch losing control over himself on livestream

Vale just wants to be left alone

"TO WHERE?"

Imagine you're waking up out of anesthesia and the first thing you're seeing are Maggie's huge orbs staring you down

Vale, but with the goth slider dragged up even higher

He's so relatable

Did I already mention I love his sense of style?

She looks like she's made out of icing

I need to engrave vampy Kaia into my eyeballs

I can't explain how sweet she looks here. Even tho she is badass with that leather coat she still looks like an angel.

I love my 'lil recreation of my Cyberpunk 2077 character

Techwear + Devyn = perfection

SHE IS LIKE A DEER TO ME, so extremely precious and gorgeous

EMILIO AND HIS SISTER JULIETA ARE SIBLING GOALS

Theeee soulmates out of all time!

and here comes the collection of my fav Aaron edits:

16. His eye expression there is just so sick to me 17. Obsessed with pink on him 18. He's like the opposite of Gina. Dressed up cutesy af, yet still looks like the whole world just pissed him off cause of his perma frown lmao 19. Him with his natural wavy hair........ I luv 20. He looks especially mature to me there somehow? Suits him sm 21. The slutty cowboy aesthetic suits him SO good, but I also feel like it's bc hats generally always suit his face well. 22. The bleached brows are such a LOOK 23. Someone said to this pic that it has a vampire techno vibe and it totally solidified my love for it 24. BABYGIRLLL, and I do not mean Aaron. I love that he's a cat owner and I love this little creature named Moira even more

[m1kad00]

How it would be like to be in a relationship with them (Cyberpunk 2077 Characters)

Characters included: Judy Álvarez, Young!Viktor Vektor, Muamar Reyes, Misty Olszewski

Reader: fem. reader for Judy, otherwise no pronouns mentioned :)

Judy Álvarez (fem. reader)

-Judy is a really REALLY good girlfriend

-literally the best romance option in the game

-she was probably a bit nervous to actually tell you she had feelings for you, because of her last relationships/crushes

-but after you assured her that you indeed loved her back she was over the moon!!

-date nights include going to her lake house and having a good time

-she wouldn't care for "fancy" dates, just you and her sitting on the roof of a house and just talking for hours

-she'd also invite you to go diving with her to show you her old hometown ("I'm picky about my girls" JAZGHDZABJSIGIB)

-Judy loves gifting you stuff and hanging out with you!

-she would gift you a BD she made of her favorite moments together (probably copied it too, because she also wanted to look at it

-she's a messy girl, won't put anything where it belongs

-but she's not lazy, she'll clean eventually (probably)

-she's the big spoon

Young!Viktor Vektor (gn reader)

-you first met him when you went to watch a boxing competition

-then you saw that GORGEOUS boxer with ENORMOUS talent

-he won the fight (pretty easily, even tho he doesn't even have any chrome)

-you went over to congratulate him and he was super friendly

-of course you went to his next competition, and to the one after that, and so on

-it got so bad (or good) that Vik was even expecting you

-he began to look forward to seeing you in the crowd

-it even felt like he was fighting just for your entertainment

-at some point he just asked you out, it was obvious you'd say yes

-you went on a few dates and eventually got together

-anyone from miles away could tell he was down BAD

-when he eventually got second place on one of his competitions he found the courage to tell you he'd stop boxing

-you were fine with it of course, it's his life after all

(Ripperdoc husband is better anyways lol)

Muamar Reyes (gn reader)

-let's be real, you were one of many

-he is a FINE man, had a lot of money and he was one of NC's well known fixers

-what more could a person want?

-he really thought he wasn't the one to settle down, until you entered his life

-normaly you wouldv'e just been another merc

-but there was something about you..

-he probably confessed to you, and you returned his feelings

-after you started dating you guys spent more and more time together

-you watching him fix cars, driving around NC or just chilling together at his place

-he's a cocky bastard, so you would have a few arguments over little simple things, but you would eventually forgive him because he's just an sarcastic ass most of the time

-but when you both are overlooking Santo Domingo, without anyone disturbing you two he'd eventually talk about his feelings and how much he loves you

-also he would tell you about his life growing up in Santo, becoming a corpo and then eventually turning into his now-self

-he also would like to have kids at some point, but if you don't want any he's also okay with that (he'd also be fine with adopting)

Misty Olszewski (gn reader)

-she's a super sweet girl!!

-she met you months after Jackies death

-Misty never would have thought she'd get over what happened to him

-but there you were, listening to her problems and taking things slowly

-so after a while, you two fell in love

-you guys could talk for hours on end about the most random things

-also random tarot-board dates and doing silly stuff!

-she'd also read your futures and would teach you to read hers

-she's SUCH an artsy girl (trust me)

-you two would upsycle thrifted chlothes and do random Trends, like the one where you make bracelets based on the others eye color or the Trend where you paint eachother

-she has a thing for plants and candles

-your shared apartment is FULL of them (also those Fragance sticks)

-it constantly smells like a perfume shop

-she's a cat person, you guys would have a black cat 100% (if they'd still exist)

[shallyouobeyme]

For the “spicy” prompt im imagining Platonic Yandere Batfam discovering your internet history, and having a confrontation about how you’re far too young for such things (reader is a full adult, not that the Batfam sees it that way).

I sadly already have something written out for today, but I really love this idea so I decided that I'd just go into the concept a bit as well - I mean I make the rules to this so I might as well use that power.

Okay, so I don't really write smut as of now because I don't read it and I do have not a lot of real-life experience so I figure it might just be a lot of cringy blabbering. But let's go with the 'spicey' meaning that horny adolescents will probably think of when reading the word in the context of fanfiction.

Now you're probably somewhere in the span of 16-20 in this scenario, old enough to live independently on your own, but young enough that the batfam can somehow justify it in their mind to treat you like a precious, fragile, little toddler. Sure, some of them logically know that you're basically a grown-up, but with how much effed-up shit they see every day they don't really wanna admit that to themselves and rather chose to act all 'I do not see'. And while that's all fine and dandy for them to do, it doesn't change the logical facts. Fact number one: You grew out of binkies and blankies like a decade ago, for god's sake Dick stop trying to make me take ten naps a day with them. Fact number two: Like I said, you're kind of (definitely) an adult and assuming that you have not always been the coddled little Wayne-baby that the Batfam wants to see you as you've probably been exposed to adult things before and aren't sensitive with seeing them. Like, guys, I was reading the news daily before you crazy people kidnapped me - stop talking about international crises as if the countries are people who have minor disagreements, okay? Fact number three: there comes a time in an adult's life when they might be craving a somewhat more intimate partner in their life - and no, Damian, I don't mean the bestest friend in the whole world forever, I mean a guy or a gal or a nonbinary pal who can rock your shit, if you get my drift (never dare say that to Damian out loud tho, you will be having your mouth washed out with soap). So while it might be a giant oversight on your part to not realize that all your precious internet time is completely monitored, you still probably haven't expected to be sat down by Bruce, Dick, Jason and Alfred and get a lecture on how you're way too little to look up these kinds of things (you looked up TikTok videos and happened to watch a few with TikTokers dancing in slightly less covered clothing) and how your mind is too undeveloped to grasp these big things you searched for (you looked up a statistic on the rate of kidnapping victims to get killed) and how you should keep playing your safe games instead of these violent ones (you looked at a game trailer for Cyberpunk 2077).

All your arguing falls on deaf ears. They just don't wanna hear that you're not their little, innocent baby. The only good thing is that they don't think you have enough logical thinking skills yet to properly grasp the situation so you'll be punished very lightly (a month without internet privileges). Once you're allowed to go online again though, you'll have to make do with the special kiddy-pad they got you with all the safety features and parental controls installed. So yeah, might wanna get used to being without the internet from now on...

[vsaintsin]

Writeblr Re-Intro

Yo! I'm V Saintsin. Or V or Vin or Saintsin or whatever you want to call me that sounds right on your tongue. I'm a self-proclaimed Social Media fumbler who got a late start to the party and has never quite figured it out. I hate how hipster and edgy it sounds to say "I'm bad at social media" but like I used to work with some people who actually managed the social media accounts for the business we worked for and there were rules and whatnot and damn, I think online media is just not my medium. That being said, here I am! Hah

I'm an author and general mess who's hoping to be the miracle man (somebody who makes a living writing silly little stories). I do use a pseudonym but please hear me out when I say I didn't realize how edgy it sounds, it just has some sentimental value to my personal life. I'm so sorry that I sound like I'm in my emo phase HAHA

About me -

He/Him Transguy from the American Midwest (arguably the south, depending on who you talk to, but the older people still say "Sodi-pop" and "ope").

I'm dysautonomic, bendy, permanently sleepy, and a survivor of Crappy Doctors Who Suck At Doctoring.

I like DnD, Pathfinder, Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk, Dragon Age, and other things in that vein.

I do make art of my stories and characters (Tablet is currently not working so I'm in a dry spell).

My writing background is predominantly ancient, dusty RPs from as far back as the foopets days and fanfic writing on Quizilla - I am an old and wizened elder of the net.

My formal education was music performance and behavioral neuroscience, I don't really know how I got where I am.

This is not my first rodeo with tumblr but it is the first time I have anything to SAY instead of just lurking.

In the event of malfunction, you can put me outside for 5 minutes and I'll probably factory reset.

My existence as I know it hinges on a massive number of sticky notes plastered throughout my room.

What I'm lookin' for -

Idk, whatever? I'm down for most things. Did you write it? Cool, let me see. I'm not too bent on genre or anything, just fascinated by the art of storytelling.

A bit tentative with fanfiction but that's just because if it's not a fandom I'm familiar with I am rather clueless about what the hell is going on and if it's a fandom I am familiar with I HUNT DOWN THE DEEP LORE.

I like art a whole lot, including fanart. Also art advice, love seeing things from different perspectives and learning something new.

Mutuals, really, for any reason. Building better connections on here, getting to know people. I am hideously bad at this but I try.

What I write -

Science Fiction with heavy subjects that matter to me - trigger warnings on a story-by-story basis.

High Fantasy (eventually books I think?) characters and their backgrounds for DnD and Pathfinder - I have been tempted to share these to help people get ideas or just for free use?

Things that I delete because I have crippling imposter syndrome and publishing makes me nauseous (doin' it tho).

Stories that I hope will make people feel less alone or that people could relate to, stories that I wish I had when life was worse and I was reaching out for anything I could find to keep me afloat, stories that try to be critical of things that SUCK in a way that's any helpful.

Lots of curse words and cussing (that's just how people talk 'round here), dubious science, things that I hope might make you cry but in a good way though.

Character-Driven stories that revolve more around the development of the person and less around the plot itself if that makes sense.

I've put blurb things below for my primary project/series which features a grumpy, queer, 37-year old chain smoking Frenchman and his misadventures with life and love and unbridled rage. If any of that sounds cool stick around and hang out? (This part is a plug bc I did a thing and I'm proud of it) And if my books sounds interesting the first one is 99 cents on Kindle and you just need a phone and a free app to read it!

THE SECRET OF LIFE (Published) - Sci-Fi/Psychological Thriller, Bi M Lead, Lovers to Enemies, AI but the oldschool cool kind not the real world thing that's stealing our future

Carlisle-Trystan Antoinette is a mercenary on a hard road, navigating life and death itself in an infinite cycle started by powers above his understanding. He has one mission - warn The Dianican Space Station of the coming threat and put a stop to a war that would encapsulate the whole of the Sol System before it can ever begin. Unfortunately for Carlisle, reality is a tenuous thing, made up only by our understanding of it. At least, according to his Psychiatrist, who tells him that there is no war, that he was never a mercenary, and that what Carlisle is experiencing is a severe but manageable psychotic break. Stripped of his combat enhancements, his bio monitor, and everything he's every known, Carlisle has a decision to make. Does he give in to the thoughts and memories, so real that he can almost taste them, or does he live a life of comfort and ease, returning to a husband and daughter that he left behind?

TWs: Domestic and War Violence, suicide, rape, medical trauma, grief, drug use

THE SILENCE OF ANGELS (Due 2024, TSoL 2) - Betrayal and Rage, Learning how to love again slow-burn romantic subplot, Learning how to Dad, A general inability for any one thing to just go right

(Quick Rough Blurb that offers no spoilers for TSoL) Making connections isn't easy for somebody who's accustomed to burning bridges. Isolation has always been Carlisle's mantra for surviving his life. Playing a role comes second nature, pretending to be the man that everyone else wants to see in him. When an old friend is murdered Carlisle finds himself as the primary suspect with all evidence pointing to him so clearly that even he calls to question what he is capable of. Unwilling to believe that he could commit such a heinous crime, Carlisle sets off to find the truth of his friend's death - was Carlisle framed or does he truly have the capacity to bring such harm upon those he loves? Old and new bonds will be tested, faith broken, and the future of everyone called into question as lines are drawn and sides are picked.

TWs: Violence, mentions of SA, graphic character death, more grief, more death

I don't know what else to say... Later!

[breadnabreadd]

✦ Oh boy! Here we go.

I created a LMK Au just for funsies. A furutistic, high technologic world with cyberpunk vibes! (Because I absolutely love this type of aesthetic)

✦ the picture above is just a quick drawing I did of Macaque in this AU. I will get into details about the AU while showing a few infos of a few LMKs characters alongside with their designs. (Just a reminder I'm still creating the AU and it's my first time making one. It might be a little messy, so I apologize if it gets too messy--)

Oh! And by the way, the characters on this AU follow the same basic formula as the original characters. So it doesnt have much changes, other than the world they live in, their clothes and a few events.

✦ MK, The Monkie Kid

• Its the same thing as our little MK from the animated series, he works at Pigsy's Noodles as a delivery boy, is the Monkey king's biggest fan and is his successor and pretty much the basic stuff.

• He learned about the Monkey king with Mister Tang. He is a huge fan.

• Tho he isn't a great expert, he knows how to how to fix computer cases, machines and vehicles and build stuff by using old pieces (he learned with Pigsy and Sandy, just in case his delivery vehicle breaks in the middle of the road or a something start malfunctioning in the noodle store). As we can see, he works more in the hardware part.

• He likes to collect the old pieces of old devices that people throw away in the city's old graveyard. It's like a type of recycling. (That's also how he find the Monkey king's staff but that is a thing I will tell in details in another day--)

• He loves to draw!!! Hooray!!! He also likes to play games. Is always playing video games with his best friend, Mei, on the arcade or online.

✦ Mei, The White Horse Dragon Girl

• She's a programmer/developer of softwares (Yes I know that in I drawing I said she's a "hacker but a bit clumsy" but actually i wanted to say shes a programmer. I was sleepy, it was 2 am, and my brain wasn't braining 😰😰😰---) with a few knowledge about hardwares. She created her technological helmet system with MK's help. (Her helmet it's similiar to Iron man's helmet from inside.)

• She built her own motorcycle, again with MK's help. She participates a lot motorcycles race just for funsies.

• Loves to play games. I guess I could say she is quite of a professional gamer? She play to win. But when she is playing with MK or with other friends, she doesnt care losing or winning, she only cares about enjoying some quality time with them.

✦ Liu'er Mihou, The Six Eared Macaque.

• Pretty much same as the original Macaque. (Lost his eye in the past with a fight against Sun Wukong. Omg betrayal. Yknow the deal-)

• Here he is a Hacker/Cracker.

"But what is a cracker?" You may ask. Now it's time for my nerd/TI studant side take over. A cracker it's a mean hacker. The cracker breaks/attacks the systems and webs for their own benefit, which it's for illegal purposes. Now a Hacker it's actually a job, which their purpose its to find the security breaches and ways to how break it, so then they can make the security stronger and prevent invasions/attacks at the system.

With that being said, Macaque is a hacker/cracker. So he makes defense systems to himself and breaks into other systems for illegal purposes.

• He got these gloves that helps him hack things better, he created it himself. He create floating holograms like it's a tablet screen and can hold on these holograms using these gloves. With a simple touch he can steal database from a device and hack it's system. (He can hack machines, computers, tech weapons and even the light system.)

• He got his shadow magic too, same as the original one. Shadow clones, shadow portals... but he kinda makes a fusion between his magic and the technology he invented to himself. (Before anyone say it. YES! I got heavily inspired by Sombra from Overwatch. 😔)

✦ The Monkey King, Sun Wukong

• Yeah, the Monkey king. The great sage equal to heaven. The silly who made a havoc on heaven---

• HE GOT THAT HUGE MECHA WE SAW IN THE ANIMATED SERIES BECAUSE HE DOESNT LIKE USING HIS KAIJU FORM !!!

But he doesnt use the mecha much. It has been CENTURIES since he last use it. Now MK is the one who uses it because he is Sun Wukong's successor.

• That's not his "Monkey King" royal clothes. It just some casual/comfy clothes to use in everyday life.

• He already knew who MK was. MK is a stone Monkey just like himself. Wukong have been watching the kid grow up from far. He grow a bit attached to the boy.

Sun Wukong surely wasn't expecting to MK being able to lift his golden staff, so he think in the opportunity to make him his sucessor and teach him how to use his new powers. (Yes, I was lisiting to "the horse and the infant" song. How did you kn--)

Oh God. That explanation was long.

✦ Welp, that's all for today!

I will post more stuff about the AU in the future. And I still need to think a name for it...

It is clear I got heavily inspired by Cyberpunk, techwear, overwatch, New Gods: Nezha reborn, Arcane and other stuff. I'm sorry, BUT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT AESTHETIC AND VIBES!! HHHHHHH-

✦ I'm a huge nerd. 🤓

[quitealotofsodapop]

What would the swk's think of our boy tang?

LMK: Complicated. Since LMK!SWK had such a student-teacher (maybe even fatherly) dynamic with his Tripitaka, it feels weird to be sitting down and chilling with someone wearing his face but none of his graces. Wukong sees Tang as a friend, and a darn good one too! It's just that... he gets wistful thinking about his old mentor...

HeroIsBack: "Liuer!?" Instantly assumes from the hair and outdated robes that Tang is an older version of Liuer, and panics thinking he missed out on seeing him grow up. After his Liuer wanders in and confirms Tang isn't him, HeroIsBack!SWK breathes a sigh of relief. Ultimately thinks Tang is lazy, but is a good person to banter with over noodles.

Reborn: "...whomst?" He knows for a fact that his Sanzang is alive and well, and that Tang lacks his master's mole + baldness, so to see someone with the Golden Cicada's soul just sitting there in this new world is a bit jarring. Thinks Tang is a lazy coward. But one who's getting better at it.

NewGods: Is really quiet. Sits down next to Tang without breaking eye contact, like he's trying to figure something out. Once Tang breaks the tension by introducing himself, NewGods!SWK takes on the vibe of an old man who thought he recognised an old friend. NewGods likes Tang's sense of humor (and in noodles), but is clearly a little sad when the scholar talks about the Monkey King's adventures and companions.

Netflix: "When did grow your hair out??" He just met his Tripitaka, so he's just getting to know him. He likes Tang though! He loves hearing the stories about himself, and he loves how chill Tang is about Netflix!SWK's more anxious habits. He hopes his Tripitaka is as cool as him...

2000sCartoon: "Hi! You smell like my Master! But you are not him! Prepare to be vanquished!" :3 Assumes by gut reaction that Tang is an imposter demon and tries whacking him with his staff. LMK!SWK has to pull him off to explain. Afterwards he treats Tang like his "back-up master" and gets confused when he gets conflicting intructions from the two of them.

Smash: "What the fck. I was only gone for like a few days!" I hc that his Tripitaka is a younger guy (Smash Legends do be having fantasy cyberpunk vibes), so the first time Smash!SWK sees Tang, he's thinking his Tripitaka (or "Trips" as he calls him) has aged rapidly. Afterwards tho, he treats Tang like a boring history teacher. Yawning and making paper airplanes mid-backstory intro and all.

Edit; forgot Meihouwang

Meihouwang SWK & LEM: They have no idea who the Great Monk is, but they really like Mr Tang! He tells all these cool stories about monkey heroes and friendship, and he lets them flip through his books! He'd be loved as a storyteller back on the mountain.

[reilleclan-blog]

So errmmm apparently Neil is a Zionist which I'm being honest when I say this. I don't pay attention to actors or actresses or ppl that are part of development teams unless it's something I'm super fixated on. Like cyberpunk and cowboy bebop and naruto shit like that. So i didn't know that the Neil dude was a Zionist I didn't even know his name until a couple days ago cause ppl were talking about him saying something about Ai.

So I started reading on the comparison of tlou and Israel conflict and idk it kinda grosses me out that a story about revenge and change and identity , had something to do with "Israel vs Palestine" tbh . (Yes I'm gonna sound uneducated) but I didn't know shit about why Israel and Palestine were constantly going at it but it seems like Israel are just being blood thirsty bullies. (I really only started hearing about it just recently ) but yeah I'm ngl I'm kinda confused why was that the "inspiration"

I understand not Neil is the only person helping out when making the story but he was the back bone of it all. And idk I feel so weirded out lol. I didn't get a hint of Israel politics (prob cause I don't know shit about it ) but there's political stuff in everything and everywhere but yeah I'm so confused but then again he's a Zionist so ig it makes sense it's in his work. .. damn idk if I want part 3 anymore lol

So I just read the article I see the perspectives a lot. And I said this while I was playing thru the game but them explicitly letting the audience know Dina is Jewish was a choice. And most times when something explicitly says "this person is Jewish" idk it's usually for some weird reason. The article talks about "Jewish ppl surviving" and idk (dude bare with me it's 2am and I sped run thru the article I know I'm not writing a essay) some other stuff like they talk "oh this is an issue" but don't talk about a relative solution of the problems "the cycle of revenge" but why is revenge so powerful.

In the article Neil says something about "universal hate" and i genuinely don't think that exists I GENUINELY don't believe that. It takes zero effort to love and care for someone but to hate someone b/c "hate is universal" .. sounds a bit white supremest im ngl. B/c if someone justifies enslaving another person because of their skin color or b/c of their religion.. or being different in general .. u sound insane. So yes Tlou2 has Israel and Palestine propaganda. Ngl I hate those type of fans that just deny everything just b/c it's not explicitly said. There's a ton of evidence to back up the claims in the first place. AND AGAIN U CAN LIKE SOMETHING BUT ALSO GIVE CRITICISM ON SAID MEDIA . U DONT HAVE TO BLINDLY LIKE SOMETHING(but honestly most ppl wait for some random white dude to say the same fucking thing then somehow everyone starts agreeing lol) after finding that out tho it kinda makes my tummy feel icky inside. If Ellie and Abby were two white dudes I wonder if I'd have enjoyed the story as much lul

The article "not so hidden Israel politics of tlou2" from vice

I feel like I still have more to say about the game but this is it for now. And do not come at me sideways about this fucking game I will block u idc I hate annoying fanboys that dickride everything and hate different perspectives

[toskarin]

Honestly tho, people keep calling Cyberpunk a disaster but I don't think that's fair anymore. Yes, the game was buggy as hell at launch and the devs couldn't fully reach the heights their original vision promised, but especially now that the lion's share of the bugs and issues and whatnot have been fixed and reworked and ironed down, Cyberpunk 2077 is still a damn good game with a great world, great characters, and a great story. And the tie-in Trigger anime was the single best thing that studio has ever made, by a lot. And I'm including the stuff that Trigger made back when trigger was Gainax, like EVA and Gurren Lagann!

sure, but make no mistake, it was absolutely a disaster

regardless of what improvements were made, it obliterated cdpr's reputation (making arguably the most expensive game ever released isn't something you can do without a nearly perfect reputation) and was initially a financial nightmare to the point where they had to cancel their extensive plans for future support

they bit off significantly more than they could chew and heavily mismanaged things to the point where (with the gift of hindsight) it's remarkable that the game released at all before some investor could freak out and pull funding

I think it's probably the most gorgeous urban environment simulator that's ever been released, but its reputation remains a black mark of the time a B studio bluffed a little too hard

they'll probably never get that much money to work on a single release again. it was so scary that other studios will probably struggle to do it in the near future, too

[felassan]

its that time again! 🍵 

Thoughts/wonderings on Dragon Age: The Missing #4, under a cut due to spoilers for The Missing -

I'm probably becoming a lil unhealthily obsessed with this building. what do we think it is? the Archon's Palace is the highest building in Minrathous (tho I guess not, as it has sewers and this is floating). A Circle? it has a similar shape to the logo for the Circle of Magi. the meeting place for the Magisterium senate, lording over everyone below from high above? whatever it is it looks cool and it must be important to be featured on the map. I wanna go there (๑*ᗜ*)

I love Neve Gallus' design. it's fresh and cool, and she just looks so cute and neat okay. also full of detail - the snake pattern on the headpiece, shoulder 'scales' and scales elsewhere, collar & jacket like one of those hooded snakes, snake-'tailcapped' footwear (rather than steel toe-capped), the serpent belt and of course most of all the beautiful snake design of her prosthetic limb. 10/10 character/costume design

this page had me on my knees basically. my heart.

surely this panel is a new meme format hh? same goes for the one where Varric is saying "Then perhaps all this is linked" and Harding says "And we've led them here"

you walked into the wrong neighborhood bro

I also liked this pair of illustrations, they had a nice 'bookend' feel and reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings.

Other thoughts:

Minrathous looks kinda cyberpunk and (despite what Harding says in the opening panels) feels quite clean in this comic

Is that the person tailing them lurking in the doorway that Harding is catching sight of here?

These holes in Varric's ear seem to be new. What happened? Injury from the leopard attack?

confused a bit by the perspective flip in this issue. In issue 1, Varric was more like 'stop', and Harding was more like 'talk to him'. it's flipped around a bit here.

Varric smiled when he thought about Neve and then lit up when he saw her. she calls him an "old friend". I wonder how they met and how long they've known each other. something to do with varric's spy network?

This panel felt a bit meta hh.

When Neve says "Your friend is quite intense" is she referring to Solas or Harding?

Then we come to the two main things we learn in this issue:

We learn that Solas has been in Minrathous causing trouble. He's been attacking Venatori locations in the city, stealing artifacts from them and freeing elven slaves in the process, which has greatly angered the Venatori. The Venatori now want revenge and a "bunch of rebellious elves" are "causing trouble throughout the city, presumably in the name of the one who freed them". I wonder if the artifacts weaken the Veil, are connected to the idol somehow, or are simply sources of great power that Solas either needs for himself/his plans or that he simply thinks should be taken away from the Venatori so that they don't cause harm using them? Tevinter Nights showed agents of Fen'Harel seeking artifacts and referenced rumors of elven artifacts that strengthen the Veil, like the ones from DA:I. freeing folks also makes sense, "I am not a monster" and it's something he has a history of doing

In this issue we also learn that Neve works with a group called the Shadow Dragons, who have been trying to help the former slaves. indeed they're trying to help anyone who is held as slaves in Minrathous. this is our first time hearing about this new group. they make it their business to help those in need and Neve makes it her business to help them. I'm a bit ¿ about their name, just due to how it sounds, but it's exciting to learn about a new group/faction. Each issue of this DA:D prequel comic has shone a spotlight on a faction - Grey Wardens, Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons. two new, two old. it's a nice balance. and it brings to mind the common fan theory/speculation about the PC of DA:D having a different faction background depending on the player's choice. at the very least it feels like a way of saying 'these four groups [or characters from them] will feature in a significant way/be 'players on the board' in DA:D".

thinking about the Shadow Dragons' name in an in-world context, like thinking about why they may have chosen their name: dragons are emblematic of Tevinter. dragon imagery is everywhere there, dragons are a symbol of power and Tevinter heraldry shows a dragon. the Tevinter Imperium is a 'dragon', or several (metaphorically) - Magisters, ruling over the classes below. the "shadow dragons" feel like "the other side" of Tevinter, the side in shadow, the underside, the 'anti-Tevinter'. I'd guess that they are the "Tevinter you forgot", i.e. the Viper's faction. (and if you look at Tevinter heraldry, there is also a snake 'in opposition' to the dragon.) before Missing #4 I wondered if “the Tevinter you forgot” "means they are a group of folks who have fallen through the cracks in Tevinter society or who are the downtrodden in Tevinter society. is it some sort of uprising or anti-Magisterium movement?" - here we learn they're trying to help people Tevinter 'forgot' like slaves and former slaves. I also commented "from the story it sounds like the dark-clad card dealer is the Viper. the magister in the story is afraid of him and tries to claim that the Viper is just a tale, implying that the Viper’s name has become known as a sort of shadowy, stealthy urban legend in Minrathous and that it has a sort of bogeyman effect on magisters." Shadow indeed. Neve later comments that the Shadow Dragons are trying to "help anyone held as slaves in Minrathous". I think it was in the Dorian short story in Tevinter Nights that there's a reference to how there's now an anti-slavery movement in Tevinter. Is that the Shadow Dragons? you can see possible echoes of "the Tevinter you forgot" in later comic dialogue "The Shadow Dragons have vowed to help us restore our dignity. To get back the lives that were stolen from us by the Venatori. To make sure we don't have to scrabble in the dirt for food and warm", imo.

I wonder if Dorian, Mae and the Lucerni know anything about the Shadow Dragons? maybe they've done some work together?

and while the Viper/Viper's faction/the Shadow Dragons themselves didn't appear in issue 4, issue 4 still highlighted them, continuing the pattern I speculated about, of the DA Day short stories (Evka/Antoine/Wardens, Teia/Viago/Crows, Strife/Irelin/Veil Jumpers and Viper's faction/Shadow Dragons), one from each of those short stories per issue.

Varric is still having a bad time. also he was born in 9:1, and so if DA:D is set in 9:52, he's now over 50. from these comics, he's feeling old and tired. I don't expect that he'll be a companion in DA:D. more like an advisor (off-field), a contact or quest-giver, or the person that recruits us.

"But why? What did he get out of it? Surely, he wanted something in return" was an interesting line. because like on one hand "I am not a monster", he has a history of freeing people who were enslaved and he's shown as valuing freedom and not enjoying needless suffering. setting people free definitely is the only decent thing. but he's also smart and does things with purpose, always playing 4-D chess, and has been outwitting Varric and Harding at every turn throughout these comic issues, always one step ahead. it seems like a 'it's both' situation. like two birds, one stone. he would free people and it's the right thing to do, and he also gains from it strategically. Varric lampshades this in the final page: and it's three stones, actually. Solas freed people, dealt with the Venatori on his tail and slowed Varric/Harding down long enough to escape all in one move.

Also, at first I wondered if the brown-haired elf was sort've projecting his own perceptions on Solas (with the "his kin" lines). but look here. the leader of these Venatori has a pouch round their neck. the others don't, it's prominently placed and it's consistent on this Venatori in every panel they're in here. and where have we seen that before? around the neck of the Venatori stalker that saved Varric from the leopard in Issue 3. I think we're supposed to conclude that the ringleader of the Venatori that attack the elves in this issue is the Venatori person that's been tailing Varric and Harding all throughout these comic issues. the Venatori ringleader seems to recognize Varric in a later panel, with the "You!". They fight and Varric starts demanding answers from the Venatori leader. but then, just as he's about to get answers, the brown-haired elf intervenes and kills them at that very moment. they won't hurt their people anymore, and conveniently also (more than one purpose to things again..), now Varric and Harding won't get any answers. and also this:

another - not two, but - three stones. when the brown-haired elf kills the Venatori ringleader, A) preventing them from further harming his people and B) preventing them from giving any answers to Varric and Harding, C) the killing blow also cuts that pouch from their neck. a very specific thing to depict. presumably in the chaos of the Venatori leader's death (you can't see the elf's hands in the very next panel) the brown-haired elf has grabbed the pouch, and part of his goal all along was to take it. I think we're supposed to conclude that the pouch contained the crucious stone and that the brown-haired elf works for Solas. so the "You're too late, I already have the crucious stone" letter from issue 3 was a Solas fakeout, the Venatori at that point in time did in fact have the stone (having beaten Solas to the vault, and as-shown by the Venatori who saved Varric from the leopard having the pouch around their neck), and the events of issue 4 were part of Solas' plan to steal it/steal it back from them (and going by Neve's earlier dialogue, it's not the first artifact he's stolen from them). so two things here: one, Solas' 'three stones' are actually-actually four (free the slaves, deal with the Venatori on his tail, delay Varric/Harding long enough to escape, and steal the crucious stone artifact from the Venatori [my head hurts]). and two, the brown-haired elf was working for Solas after all. he'll give the pouch (and the contents, the stone) to Solas, "he set us, his kin, free" wasn't projection considering that he does work for him, and him being there in the alleyway when he was, with the information that he had, was part of Solas' plan to escape and get the stone. otherwise, it's pretty convenient that one of the former slaves at the place Neve's aware of where former slaves have been eating scraps, at the time when she takes Varric/Harding there, just happened to have helpful info about the meeting that Varric/Harding needed and also happened to kill the Venatori leader and in the process cut the pouch from their neck. idk if it means all the elves here were working for Solas or just the brownhaired one or the brownhaired one & the blond one, but yea. definitely the brownhaired elf is I think.

Neve fighting was cool: staff-less magic and then as a mage using a dagger or shortsword.

party combo-kill! ice spell + finishing blow - a comic depiction of Shattering :)

Brown-haired elf missing his elven ear here.

A cool panel. Also, you can't see his other hand..

just really liked these two panels :) also, they missed their chance, they missed this chance, in this, a comic called The Missing... is that why it's called that?

[clenches fist] vowing to protect Neve and her good heart at all costs

and he stole the crucious stone artifact from the Venatori.

I am not sure that I agree with the premise of this article that BioWare retweeted, that The Missing is required reading before DA:D. I enjoyed issues 2 & 3 a lot! I was hoping for a bit more from the end of issue 4, perhaps a small Solas appearance like at the end of Dark Fortress or just a bit more insight into his plans or things in/the setup for DA:D. finishing on the Dread Wolf mural from the DA:D TGA 2020 trailer as a reminder was neat but the highlight reveal from these comics as a whole was definitely the new mural depicted in issue 3.

"He knows us too well, we need to find/use people he doesn't know" is the same conclusion that was reached at the end of Trespasser (and Harding was present for that conversation). I guess the meta irl reasons for The Missing are: A] since it'll be almost 10 years irl between games, to refresh folks about that conclusion and the fact that it will be a new PC and why it has to be 'someone he doesn't know', since most new players to the franchise at DA:D aren't going to buy years old DA:I and DLC and play til it the end of Trespasser B] fill some irl time C] do some marketing/advertizing and D] highlight these four groups/factions and introduce the two new ones (Veil Jumpers and Shadow Dragons) in advance of DA:D, and possibly highlight these specific characters (Strife, Teia, Evka etc) the same way (though I speculate those characters are more like DA:D 'contact' cameos rather than that they will be companions themselves). Certainly if I was Varric at the moment when Harding asks "So who are you thinking?" at the end here, after the events I had experienced and people & groups I had met in recent weeks, with those being fresh in my mind, I would be thinking about the Grey Wardens, the Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons, both as groups and terms of the mental list of people that I had recently met who Solas doesn't know. again it makes you think about the popular speculation that the DA:D PC will have the background of being from one of these groups. also, those 4 groups aren't ones which were referenced in Tevinter Nights as keeping an eye on Solas/as Solas having some info on them in turn (unlike some other groups like the Mortalitasi, the Executors, the Ben-Hassrath etc).