#actually or the third game for that matter

[askagamedev]

Thoughts on the Bioware restructuration/lay-offs?

I've long said that any AAA game studio, no matter how strong, is always 2-3 flops in a row away from closure. Bioware did very well with Inquisition, but Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem's sequential failures resulted in DA4 being their make-or-break release.

One factor was that 2024 was the first full year since 2012 that Bioware didn't have SWTOR on their books anymore - SWTOR went over to Broadsword in late 2023. For the past decade, all of the money earned by SWTOR (which is significant, the game isn't growing but it does more than earn its keep) was considered in Bioware's accounting. That sizable income helps offset the money being burned in other areas like ME:A, Anthem, ongoing DA4 efforts, and other internal projects (like the many failed KOTOR 3 pitches) to the accountants and executives. Without SWTOR to inject additional cash over the year, the Veilguard costs look a lot worse to the money people.

DA4 itself was a bit of a mess during development too. The development of the project that eventually became Veilguard was actually restarted at least twice - they were already working on preproduction for DA4 as of late 2015. The process was long and arduous, and the finished game was... mid? It wasn't underwhelming, it wasn't overwhelming, it was just... whelming. Veilguard also made the somewhat controversial choice to hang everything on sales and not go with post-launch DLC to help monetize further. This gamble really did not pay off. Veilguard missed its sales target by 50%, which was the third nail in the coffin. Each of these failures seems to follow the same pattern - significant dev time spent going in circles because the leadership can't commit to core elements of the game, resulting in something thrown together at the end in order to ship something.

As a result of these issues, the Sword of Damocles that dangles above every studio fell on Bioware. While Bioware remains as a label and the next Mass Effect game continues development, Bioware as a studio is no longer a stand-alone entity capable of building a full game from start to finish like it used to be. Bioware is likely no longer going to have as much of a cohesive identity like it used to - it will be a label more than anything else. If Mass Effect gets a green light for full production, they'll likely have to "borrow" a bunch of floating developers from EA's other studios to build it out, then disperse those borrowed devs to other EA projects once it ships and leave a small team to incubate the next "Bioware" project, at least until they can get two sequential big hits again and warrant a larger injection of funding to start growing again.

My heart really goes out to all of those who are affected by this - the Veilguard devs were really behind the 8 ball when they started and the current economic situation in video games isn't good. I hope that they're able to find something soon, hopefully at a studio that makes better high level leadership decisions.

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[fdelopera]

Exactly this. And it's worse, because most of them never actually read Susanne Collins' book series cover to cover. They just watched a few of the Hunger Games movies. Maybe they read the first two books. A lot of people found the plot of the third book, Mockingjay, derivative of the first two books (which it was), and because of that, they didn't bother to unpack the message within the book. Especially the ending.

If these dystopian kink leftists had actually analyzed Mockingjay, they would know that Collins was speaking DIRECTLY TO THEM when she wrote the Communist District 13 and Coin. She was writing these leftists a WARNING.

The ultimate message of The Hunger Games is that Communism and Fascism are two sides of the same Coin, and that totalitarianism and extremism are dangerous and evil, no matter whether they are coming from the Left or the Right. Remember that Prim, the sister that Katniss risked her life over and over again to save, was murdered by the LEFTIST EXTREMISTS in the novel.

At the end of the day, all we can do is be as human as possible with the life we are given.

But most Gen-Z leftists are so functionally illiterate, and they have been so dumbed down by their so-called "education," that they aren't capable of understanding the GLARINGLY OBVIOUS messages that Collins wrote to them in her book series.

i really feel like 90% of tumblr has a combo of dystopian kink and main character syndrome. they really and truly want to be katniss in the hunger games and it shows 😂🤦like, they’re desperate and entitled.

no reality, no original thought…just trying to live in a bad ya novel (sorry suzanne).

[kaija-rayne-author]

Do whatever you want, believe whatever you want. And using Veilguard as any sort of source for anything remotely related to canon Lore is just ridiculous. It's so... awful, IMHO, to use it to defend any sort of point.

I'm not certain if this would be considered critical, so I'll put it under a cut. Potentially critical of Veilguard.

Though I'm really just talking about the Lore.

I point out 4 massive retcons in Veilguard that blew my mind and that I see people commonly using as arguing points. And yes, if someone wants to pay me for the time, I can prove all of it with sources.

What little canon Lore they actually used in Veilguard? They twisted beyond recognition.

Just a few examples.

1. The blight is NOT, in fact, (or even in Veilguard) 'everywhere in the Fade'. It has always been contained to the Black City, that floats disconnected from everything else in the Fade. It's why the previously golden city is black ffs! Even in Veilguard, it's really damned obvious that the Fade isn't full of blight. We hop in and out of the Fade throughout the whole damned game like it's a shopping mall.

2. The Fade is not full of demons. Demons are spirits (people) of emotion. What usually twists them into demons is coming through the veil! The only reason there was the big demon in DAI is because it was attached to Coryphyfish. There's probably some, but it's an arguable point that an emotion spirit of, say, anger, or spite is actually a demon. Emotions aren't bad. They wouldn't automatically be demons simply because they reflect a negative emotion.

3. The veil has been canonically choking the life and magic out of Thedas for thousands of years. If the veil didn't come down, there would be no Thedas. This is clearly spelled out in canon. The veil was never meant to be part of the world. At the end of Trespasser, the veil is as holey as my grandmother's doilies. It's not as they tried to depict it in Veilguard, a firm, whole wall holding hordes of demons and the blight of blights back. That's such a bullshit retcon, and I make weird faces every time I try to figure out the mental gymnastics necessary for someone to come up with that idea.

4. It's also a massive retcon that Solas lies. (Sigh. Yes. It really is. No matter what you believe.) He canonically does not. They rewrote his character for DAI so that he doesn't lie because it weakened the character. He was originally written as much more similar to Blackwall. They decided it weakened Solas as a character and made sure he doesn't lie. He obfuscates, misleads, doesn't answer, and is really good at letting people make assumptions or even leading people to make assumptions. Because that is what a Trickster does! But in all of DAI and Trespasser, he does not lie except once. At the Winter Palace when you ask him where he got the experience of court. No. A 'lie of omission' is not a lie by the definition or philosophical understanding of what a lie is. You, as the player, not paying close attention to what he says doesn’t mean he lies either! He is not the 'god of lies'. That's Epler's hate shining through. Throughout 3 games, many dlcs, books, comics, short stories, the Dread Wolf is known as the Trickster. The god of rebellion and sometimes the god of betrayal. He is never once referred to as the god of lies in anything pre-veilguard. It's. Bullshit.

And Solas is an absolutely terrible liar. He stumbles all over himself trying to do it in the winter palace. It's hilarious tbh.

There were more retcons. But I need to go help with dinner.

Just, even if you liked Veilguard, don't use it as a defense in any sort of discussion of Lore. Perhaps listen to us Lore fiends, instead? Because they shat all over the Lore for Veilguard.

Real talk? It makes you look ignorant to anyone who actually has been paying attention to the Lore.

FWIW? I'm not in the best of moods right now. Please think twice, then a third time before responding/reblogging in disagreement. (Unless you're polite and actually have sources I haven't seen. I'm usually willing to have polite discussions or answer questions. I'm also willing to stand corrected if people actually can prove me wrong with sources attached. A 'nuhn unh, Solas lies cause I believe he does', won't get you far with me.) Nor will using anything from DAV to support an argument. I've relegated DAV to the graveyard of not-canon because of the complete disrespect of the Lore.

And I'll just laugh at you if you try to attack me. Internet randos filling my responses with shit doesn't phase me, bother me in the slightest, or make me upset. I find it incredibly, laugh out loud amusing because I've lived through so much more than that in my life.

[oliveyougently]

Sick and Moody

Or, you're sick and Miguel is more than happy to help.

Tags: fluff, domestic comfort, hurt/comfort, reader is sick, reader is babied. Word count: 801

Enjoy!

“Cariño….” Came the familiar singsong, slightly teasing voice of Miguel. You grumbled, huddling deeper into the mountain of blankets you were buried in. Your throat was dry and raspy–it felt like you'd drank sand. Your nose was red and runny, stuffed with unpleasant congestion.

You'd been sick for three days, and this was arguably the worst one. For some reason, the lazy cold seemed to linger. No matter what you’d done it had stayed like a bad ex, unwanted but unwilling to leave. Miguel Had left you with soup, medicine and more blankets than you could handle and left for Spider HQ, but by the dawn of the third day it was obvious this wasn't a passing sniffle. You were undeniably sick. So, he actually took the day off (unheard of for the man) and stayed home to take care of you.

Not that you didn't love the attention and the sweet care from your beloved Miguel, but you had reached the point where you only wanted to be grumpy. Miguel, contrary to being annoyed by your huffy and childlike behavior, found it hilarious. What, so his little partner wanted to be childish? Then they'd be treated like a child. Miguel wouldn’t admit it, but he loved to take care of you and baby you. Especially since you refused his help when you needed it, the stubborn mule that you were.

“Lemme alone…” You grumbled from under the covers, voice pitched in a slight whine. Not that you wanted him to go. You would have thrown a fit if he actually let you alone. But this was simply the game you played, the back and forth banter and little lies that made for the funniest moments. Your groan only made him chuckle and pull down the covers so he could see you.

“There she is…” He cooed, pitching his voice to become even more annoying. “Miguel!” You practically whined, weakly thrashing to get it back. He held the blanket in his l hand, keeping you from budging the blanket an inch. Second to babying you, he loved to use his size against you. But, he knew you liked it too. He never, never used his size against you in a harmful way. Every time it was just for lighthearted teasing, if not for when you two were intimate. You loved his large body and he knew it.

“Why so fussy, bebito?” He teased, voice even more patronizing. You huffed, giving up the fruitless struggle and slumping in the bed, glaring up at him. He let out a rumbly laugh, resonating deep in his throat before holding up a bowl of soup. A peace offering.

Without a word you accepted it and propped up against the pillows, face still sulky. He sat beside you and watched you eat, smiling and occasionally tucking a loose hair back so it wouldn't bother you while you ate. The room quieted into a comfortable silence, both of you enjoying each others company. It was a quiet moment, but that was something both of you enjoyed. You had dropped the petulant childishness, content to eat the food he had made and bask in his presence. It was rare for him to be at home for so long, and both of you were enjoying it to the fullest. Miguel, on his part, was perfectly content to simply sit beside you on your sickbed, his large palm gently rubbing your thigh in the familiar and soothing circular movements.

Then his watch buzzed. Looking down at the device on his wrist, he squinted at the orange display, hair slightly falling forward as he leaned down.

“Ay. I forgot to work on the new suit for Spider 2003–” He moved to get off the bed, heading to his office. Before he could go, you grabbed his sleeve. He looked down at you, already half-standing. You gazed up at him with puppy eyes, blinking to add the the effect.

“Work in here?” You asked, voice edging on pleading. He smiled, letting out an affectionate laugh. He shook his head, moving to get his tablet and thence to come sit next to you, leaning against the pillows as he got comfy. You settled next to him contentedly, resting your head against his arm and relaxing again. The room eventually settled back into comfortable silence, the only sounds the slight shift of bedsheets and the tap of his calloused fingers against the tablet screen as he worked. You slipped into a doze, the comfortable warmth and the reassuring presence of Miguel lulling you to a cozy daze. You felt him shift, then place a soft kiss to your temple.

“Que duermas bien, cariño” He murmured affectionately, before you slipped completely into a deep, restful sleep.

Well, maybe getting sick wasn’t so bad after all.

Thank you for reading!! This was a request by one of my ao3 readers and I wanted to do some sick reader being coddled. I love the idea Miguel, workaholic that he is, slowly starts to set aside more time for you as you get closer. This could be before a relationship or during, I think it goes both ways well. Love you, and stay tuned! Planning to write more soon. <3

[honeyedfate]

kiss her you fool | 심재윤

pairing. jake sim x idol!gf!reader

as if accidentally convincing both of your fans on several occasions that you two hate each other wasn’t enough, jake had to go ahead and mumble some sleepily ambiguous words on a weverse live and involve the whole internet. to salvage whatever shreds are left of the plan, you are to attend a baseball game together.

genre. fluff

a/n. the third & last part to loverboy is here!! sorry for the wait i wrote 4 different drafts until i settled on this one lol enjoy!! xx

[ › first part ] [ › second part ]

jake is a chill guy. he’s cool-headed, efficient, steady under pressure, always on the side of healthy optimism. that’s the story he sells to others—and to himself. but deep down, he knows he might be a bit of a fraud. worse, he can feel it.

his hands are drenched in sweat as they clench and unclench inside his pockets, chasing an old gum wrapper around to distract himself. the tag of his shirt pokes at his neck, making him want to barbarically tear off his clothes in front of thousands of baseball fans.

but instead, he dutifully follows you through row upon row of seats and keeps his gaze on the back of your head.

so, yes. jake is a very chill guy.

you keep glancing back at him, the lower half of your face obscured by a black mask. still, he knows you’re flashing him reassuring smiles, and he feels bad for how nervous he is. if he’s not staring at you, his eyes are darting around, scanning his surroundings like one of the baseball players warming up in the field might suddenly climb the walls and come for him.

“i think these are it,” you say, glancing at your tickets before sliding them into your back pocket.

jake wordlessly takes the seat next to you, adjusting his cap to shield as much of his face as possible. he knows it’s futile—staying hidden is the exact opposite of why he’s here, but habits die screaming, or something like that.

his shoulders tense for a split second at the touch of your hand on his thigh, and guilt gnaws at him when you pull away almost instantly. he meets your eyes and musters a smile. not that you can see it beneath his matching mask.

“we can leave any time,” you say in a soft tone, looking at him from under your lashes. “i don’t care what the plan is. if you’re uncomfortable, we can ditch this whole thing and get ramen at cu.”

jake’s heart swells, wanting nothing more than to do exactly that, but he knows it’s his fault you’re in this situation in the first place. well, for the most part. he can’t tell you that, though. he knows you will just dispute it until he starts believing it himself, and that would only prove to him once again that his backbone inevitably snaps in the face of a pretty girl.

no matter that it’s his pretty girl, and he’d do anything for you anyway. breaking his spine included. the fact remains—he ran his mouth on live, so now he’s got to face the consequences. 

swallowing the lump in his throat, he shakes his head and threads his fingers through yours, tucking both hands into the pocket of his jacket.

jake grins. “no, this is fun.” you send him a flat look, but he just nods towards the field. “i’ve never been to a baseball game. now we can take it off our bucket list.”

“sure,” you say, sounding wryly amused. “we don’t have a bucket list but at least now we’ve got something to cross off. i’ve also always wanted to be on the kiss cam. guess it’s our lucky day.”

“lucky us,” jake says, his lips curling as he feels your hand squeeze his. he casts a glance around, then leans forward, swiftly pulling both of your masks down with one hand. it’s a brief kiss, just a soft peck that’s a bit inconvenient since both of you are wearing hats, forcing him to tilt his head. but when he pulls back, he sees the way you’re chasing after his lips, eyes still closed, and goes just a little insane.

you look entirely too pretty to leave it at just one kiss. you deserve all the kisses in the world, actually, so he captures your lips again, tasting the cherry gloss he bought you last week because he likes it a little too much. it’s the same one you wore on your first date together.

jake’s lips brush against yours once more, deeper and a bit slower this time as if savouring the moment. you sigh into the kiss and pull back to catch your breath, your lips lingering just above his. your eyes are still closed, but jake doesn’t mind one bit, taking the moment to let his gaze wander over every single feature of yours that he knows by heart. and would you look at that? suddenly, he couldn’t care less that he’s sitting in a huge stadium.

you tear your gaze away from his lopsided grin. “let’s save some of this for later, yeah?” you say, and jake is not ashamed of the groan rumbling in the back of his throat as he hides his face in the crook of your shoulder. how else is a man supposed to act when your lips look so plumb and kissable, and your voice sounds like that? hopeless.

you’re looking at him, a smile tugging at your lips when you notice an older lady a few rows down elbowing the person next to her, gesturing not-so-subtly at the two of you. under your breath, you mumble, “the ahjummas down there are looking at us.” 

jake leans back, glancing at them from the corner of his eye before lifting a shoulder in a half-shrug. “can you blame them? we’re not exactly hard to look at.”

“your modesty astonishes me,” you say, sounding unimpressed.

jake raises an eyebrow and leans forward on his knees, a smirk tugging at his lips. “we’d make beautiful babies, and you know it.”

you snort, shaking your head. “that’s what ni-ki said this morning. something about sacrificing himself for his future nephews and nieces because at least he knows they’ll be cute. i’m still not sure what he meant by that.”

jake cocks his head and pokes your side when you playfully mirror him. “he came down this morning when yuki was talking to us in the kitchen,” jake says, shifting in his seat.

he grimaces as he remembers the conversation with jungwon who was basically a zombie at that hour after having to stay up late as a consequence of jake’s faux pas on weverse. “ni-ki said he was going to take care of this for us. i didn’t know what he meant at first, but then sunghoon sent me a screenshot of what ni-ki posted on weverse. it was a selfie of him, facing the other way so his left side was showing.”

“wait, seriously?” your eyebrows shoot up, and jake nods, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

“yep. he called himself a martyr in the group chat. said he was taking one for the team.”

you gasp dramatically, holding a hand to your chest. “a martyr? for us? what’s next, a shrine in the dorm?”

jake laughs, clearly entertained by your idea. “i mean, we could probably arrange one. heeseung’s room is big enough to fit ten.”

you let out a small laugh, shaking your head. “that’s… actually true. but did it work?”

jake bites his lip, glancing at his phone. “i haven’t checked yet, but sunoo sent me a text earlier. apparently, engenes are seeing right through it.”

“what are they saying?” you ask, genuinely curious.

“they’re saying belift gave up ni-ki for damage control,” jake chuckles.

before you can say anything in response, your phone vibrates, the sudden buzz pulling your attention away. you reach for it, ignoring jake’s whiny protests as you untangle your hand from his. “hello?”

jake pouts and scoots closer, pressing his ear against the backside of your phone. you roll your eyes and click the side button to turn the volume up, letting him hear the voice on the other end, your manager’s. “…are you in your seats?”

you hum and nod, nearly knocking jake’s hat off with the movement. “yea, we’re here. we got here a bit early, so there are still a few empty seats. but the game should be starting soon. what’s up? did something happen?”

“well,” your manager says, her tone uncertain, and jake’s heart drops. “about half an hour ago, minjun posted the dance challenge you and jake filmed for their tiktok. it…er, seemed to stir up a bit more of a reaction than we expected…again.”

you exchange a confused glance with jake. nothing about the videos seemed off—he’d double-checked, paranoid he might’ve accidentally done something ridiculous again, like giving you a lap dance or declaring his undying love on camera.

filming those two dance challenges had already been an ordeal. the pr team was relentless, adamant on pushing you and jake to drop as many microscopic hints as possible to suggest something was going on between you two, but it was so painfully awkward that you ended up with enough unusable footage to last a month.

jake had been a giggling mess the entire time, finding it all so silly, like he was on some overly scripted dating show. you, on the other hand, couldn’t stop tripping over your own feet, bumping into him more times than he could count. at least you managed to do it on beat.

regardless, even though filming the final video had been a struggle, it was ready to go. jake had made sure of that.

it was just another dance challenge, he thinks to himself, trying to push aside the unease creeping up. whatever’s going on now, it’s gotta be grey sweater guy’s fault.

“what do you mean?” your voice brings him back, your curiosity clear. “we didn’t do anything…right?”

“well,” your manager says again, clearing her throat. “since we couldn’t really get any dance footage of you acting like, you know, an actual couple—” 

jake snorts.

“—minjun ended up keeping the last few seconds of a video when he posted it to the enhypen tiktok page. he didn’t give us a heads-up before doing it.”

your eyes widen as you send a quick look in jake’s way. “is he going to get in trouble?” you say into the phone, and jake pulls a funny face. is that what he was supposed to feel? concern? apparently, he likes the guy even less than he thought.

“that’s the thing,” your manager goes on. “everyone seems to like it?” she sounds quite surprised about it herself, and jake has to strain his neck to make sure he heard correctly. 

“everyone?” he echoes in disbelief, and you nudge him when he inches impossibly closer, practically climbing onto your lap.

“what do you mean everyone?” you ask as jake moves back a little. “what were we doing?”

your manager lets out a long sigh, as if hoping you wouldn’t ask. “after you left for the game, minju and some of the others decided to go through the videos again, hoping to find something a bit more exciting. they ended up finding one where you two were dancing really well—everything was clean, no one was falling or laughing, and the chemistry wasn’t too forced.”

she pauses, and you can hear her shifting slightly. “but then, right at the end, you trip over your feet and… well, you kind of just leave the frame.”

jake frowns, meeting your puzzled gaze. you had filmed so many different versions, they have all blended into a nightmarish concoction of blurred memories, making it hard to recall which one she means. “i leave the frame and then what?”

the silence stretches on for a beat, and jake feels a spark of irritation bubbling up at the theatrics. horrified, he starts to wonder if he’s accidentally flashed the whole world and didn’t even realise.

“the entire thing only lasts two seconds, but you stumble, jake rushes after you, and you both end up out of frame—but we can still see part of it because of the mirrors. jake has his arms around you as you both tumble to the floor, laughing.” she says in a matter-of-fact tone, then adds quietly, “minjun removed the music at the end, so you can hear the laughter.”

jake doesn’t even know how to respond. sure, the company can post whatever they want of him, but they usually don’t. there’s an unspoken rule of decency and respect among the team, and he’s at least asked before anything goes up. this? this is just wrong.

he doesn’t realise that you’re voicing his exact thoughts into the phone until a loud cheer ripples through the crowd. a woman he’s seen on tv before appears on the big screen over the baseball field. she’s offering some welcoming words, and jake figures the match must be starting soon.

“—he’s lucky people are receiving it well, but he has to know that it’s not okay to just post that without our knowledge or consent,” you say, your voice tinged with more disappointment than frustration.

“i know, trust me. yuki and i made sure any future genius moves from him go through us—and you two—first. i know you're not mad, just…" she sighs, papers shuffling. “look, almost 80% of the comments are positive, calling you a cute, good-looking couple and all that. the rest are either in denial or upset, but it doesn’t matter. more people are for it than against it, so just enjoy the game. you don’t have to go through with what we discussed if you don’t want to. things are looking good, y/n.”

jake doesn’t pay attention to the rest of the conversation, having heard enough. he leans back, resting a hand on the back of your seat and absentmindedly draws circles onto your skin.

you mutter something into the phone and end the call, melting into jake’s side with a sigh. he coos, pulling you closer, and presses a kiss to the top of your hat while humming. “you know what?” he says quietly.

“what?” your voice is muffled as you rub a hand over your face, looking up at him.

he grins. "at least they’re also calling us a cute and good-looking couple. ni-ki will be a proud uncle to our gorgeous kids.”

you can’t help but laugh, hiding your face in his chest and, at once, jake finds it hard to be bothered by anything happening on the internet or even outside this stadium. he has you in his arms and the rest of the afternoon off to enjoy a baseball game. what concerns could he possibly have?

soon after, the players file out onto the field, and the match begins. both of you end up having a lot more fun than expected, and jake briefly leaves to go grab some food and drinks.

he’s walking back up the stairs, looking for you and not even avoiding eye contact with people around like he did before. right now, he’s just a guy hugging two cups of soda and a pile of snacks to his chest, wandering the rows in search of his girlfriend. 

he must look as lost as he feels because someone suddenly taps him on the arm. looking down, he sees the two older women from before. they’re grinning up at him, and jake hesitantly returns the smile, realising a moment too late that they can’t see it due to his mask. 

“you’re three rows up, darling,” the woman on the left with the big, blue-framed glasses says, nodding over her shoulder and vaguely gesturing to where you’re sitting. his face lights up when your eyes meet, and you raise a hand to wave at him. he thanks them and makes to walk up the stairs when she stops him, placing a hand on his arm.

a small voice in the back of his head screams ‘stranger danger’ in capital letters at him, but he brushes it aside, trying to figure out what she could possibly want and whether that might be his kidney or one of the napkins he’s holding.

“you have a very beautiful girlfriend,” she says in that ambiguous, sage voice that the elderly have, and he’s caught off guard. not due to the voice, of course, but the mention of you. jake blinks, processing her words before nodding slowly.

“she’s not, erm, i mean, of course, she’s—”

the woman in the green cardigan laughs delightfully, eyes twinkling with amusement. “sweetie, breathe. we’re not the cia. you can talk about your girlfriend. in fact, you should. it keeps you both young.”

jake is too stunned to muster a reply. he eyes them carefully, wondering if this is a weird interaction or if he’s just never talked about you to anyone before. a second later, he realises—he really hasn’t. not to a stranger, not to anyone.

the thought repeats in his head, looping like a broken record. he’s never talked about you to anyone. and yet, it feels like praises about you live right on the tip of his tongue, like they’ve always been there, just waiting for an opening. so he tries it out. “her heart is even more beautiful,” he says shyly, testing the words, rolling them over like he’s trying to get a feel for them. “which is near impossible but she somehow makes it work.”

it feels weird, to be honest. like he’s revealing a well-buried national secret and endangering the country. the two women share a meaningful glance that doesn’t go unnoticed by him. his stomach twists. jake’s gaze flickers toward you, and an overwhelming wave of emotions crashes over him.

it’s more obvious now than ever. jake is stupidly in love with you. so much so that he has made an utter fool of himself time and time again in the name of keeping you a secret. like love could be something silent, something that exists in the shadows without growing restless. like it wouldn’t claw at the walls of his chest, begging to be let out.

he truly did think loving you quietly would make him feel better about everything. safer. less exposed. but now, faced with the weight of his own realisation, he sees how wrong he’d been. what was the point of all that caution if it only made him feel like this—like he’s been holding his breath for months, maybe even years?

now, he’s given the chance to do the complete opposite. and for the first time, he wants to take it. he wants to love you loudly, unapologetically. because it’s what you deserve. because it’s what he wants.

he exhales, glancing back at you. you’re focused on your phone, scrolling through something with a tiny crease between your brows. probably checking the responses to the tiktok, probably making sure minjun hasn’t ruined both your careers. always so careful, so thoughtful.

“she’s… incredible,” he says, the words tumbling out before he can second-guess them. but they feel right, sitting on his tongue like they belong there. he doesn’t need to say more than that. doesn’t need to explain how you always make people feel comfortable, how you remember the smallest details about everyone you meet, how you laugh with your whole body like it’s the first time you’ve ever found something funny.

the women smile knowingly, and jake lets out a soft breath, something inside him settling.

“i’m very lucky.”

“she’s lucky, too,” the green cardigan woman says, her voice warm. “treat each other well, yes? a love like yours is rare. don’t do it the dishonour of keeping it in the shadows.”

jake lets out a small, breathy laugh, caught somewhere between flustered and amused. he ducks his head, rubbing the back of his neck, then nods—not just out of politeness, but because he hears her. really hears her.

the woman gives his arm a gentle pat before turning back to her friend, their conversation shifting elsewhere. jake exhales, then moves, crossing the distance between you in quick strides, taking the steps two at a time.

“should i be jealous?” you greet him with a teasing smile, taking the snacks from his arms.

he snorts. “they were just being nice. said you’re beautiful, by the way, and something about…” he hesitates, eyes flicking toward the field. “well, just… nice things.”

you watch him for a second, noticing the shift in his expression. but you don’t press, just shrugging it off and pulling down one side of your mask to take a bite of your corndog. your gaze drifts back to the cheer team as they work the crowd, the energy in the stadium picking up.

jake tries to focus, eyes darting to the blur of blue as cheerleaders and fans break into coordinated moves. but his mind keeps wandering back to what he’d just been told. normally, he’s not one to easily take anyone’s word as gospel, but this time, he can’t help it. it’s not just that he agrees—it’s the fact that he’s surprised by how much he does.

didn’t he spend all week trying to wrestle with this? he doesn’t want to put his relationship on display for everyone to pick apart—that’s the last thing he wants. but now, sitting here with you by his side in jamsil baseball stadium, he can’t shake the feeling that it doesn’t matter.

he glances at you, completely unaware of his thoughts, and all he sees is his person. someone he never doubts. someone who loves him, and someone he loves in return. does anything else even matter?

occupied by his thoughts, jake doesn’t realise what’s happening around him until the clapping starts. he blinks, surprised, as you turn to face him, bright-eyed and joining in with the crowd. he looks around, confused for a moment, until his gaze lands on the jumbotron. instead of the game, it now shows a couple in the stands, both wearing the rival team’s merch. the man leans in and gives the woman a sweet kiss on the lips. her face turns red, and the crowd erupts in cheers.

it’s the kiss cam, jake realises, and reflexively claps with everyone else as the woman shyly hides her face behind his shoulder. the excitement echoes through the stadium, the chant growing louder.

he can’t help but smile as he watches them, their laughter infectious. “they’re adorable,” you comment, gaze still fixed ahead, oblivious to his smile. jake’s chest tightens, but the feeling isn’t quite discomfort. more like the recognition of something he hadn’t known he’d been longing for. something he now sees clearly.

your mask is hanging off your ear as you absentmindedly sip on your drink, and jake is so glad to see your lips again. it’s like running into an old friend he’s missed. sometimes, it feels like he spends more time missing them than actually getting to kiss them.

he’s about to reply when you suddenly choke, your back straightening in surprise. out of the corner of his eye, he sees people turning their heads, and even though the music is still blasting through the speakers, he’s sure he hears gasps rippling through the crowd.

without thinking, he shifts his attention away from you and glances up at the jumbotron for confirmation—and there it is. the two of you, front and centre, framed in a pink, sparkling heart.

his eyes flick to you as you glance around, your expression a mix of confusion and discomfort. it’s strange to see you so flustered when you’re usually the calm, collected one, especially in situations like this. but here you are, shifting awkwardly under the attention.

a voice from the crowd calls out, “kiss her, you fool!” followed by the sound of cameras clicking as everyone starts pulling out their phones. more voices join in, chanting in unison, and jake can see the tension in your body. you look uncomfortable, clearly not used to this sort of attention, and it’s hard to ignore.

he feels a wave of protectiveness, wanting to ease the situation and make you feel comfortable. seeing you out of your element like this—normally the one who knows how to handle everything—hits him differently. he’s already made up his mind, though.

this whole thing had been part of the plan from the start, and he’s not going to let it stress you out any longer. he wants to kiss you, right here, right now, because it feels right. it’s not about the spectacle, it’s about showing you how much he’s proud to have you by his side.

plus, you have quite literally already told him three times how being on the kiss cam was something you’ve always wanted to do before the game had even begun.

jake huffs a quiet laugh, his body moving on its own as he shifts in his seat. his gaze locks with yours, and he can’t help but grin at the sight of your panicked smile.

“guess we’re famous now?” you quip nervously, trying to make light of the situation. jake tries hard not to laugh, but the sound of it escapes before he can stop it.

he pulls down his mask, the crowd’s excitement swelling around you both.

he leans in, lowering his voice so only you can hear him. “what do you say?” he murmurs, tilting his head slightly. “can i kiss you?”

he can see you thinking it over, your brows furrowing as nervousness peels away and you weigh your options. he already knows what you’ll say, but he still gives you the space to respond.

“we don’t have to do this, jake,” you whisper, the soft tone in your voice trying to make sure he’s comfortable too, even with thousands of eyes on you.

he smiles, the tenderness in your voice unfailingly melting him even more. “we don’t,” he agrees with a small shake of his head. “but i’ve never not wanted to kiss you, and i’m not starting now.”

your lips part slightly, eyes flickering up to his. the shift is almost imperceptible, but you feel it—his sudden insistence, the way he’s making this moment so much more than just a joke. the kiss cam, the crowd, all of it suddenly feels like less of a spectacle and more like something personal. something you didn’t expect but, deep down, have always wanted.

it’s strange, this feeling, and for a second, you almost don’t know what to do with it. the uncertainty that used to cling to you in moments like this is fading, replaced by something that feels surprisingly soft, sure. jake’s not just trying to make a spectacle of you; he’s actually trying to share this with you, to let you know that this is something he wants too.

your heart skips a beat. there’s no need for words, but you’re caught in the moment. a quiet nod is all you can muster, small but certain. “okay.”

his smile spreads before he even realises it. jake leans in, movements slow but purposeful, drawing it out just a moment longer. the kiss is tender, soft at first—he feels your breath mingle with his, the warmth of you close, the way you fit against him. it’s not rushed, not for the camera. it’s real. it’s something he’s wanted to do for so long, but this—this feels more like an act of love than just a kiss on a jumbotron.

you smile into it, and jake can’t help but grin too, the way your happiness settles deep in his chest. he knows the crowd is cheering, but all he can hear is the soft, breathy sound you make, the one that means you’re happy. the one that makes everything inside him flutter.

when he pulls away, the roar of the stadium hits him like a wave, but it feels distant, almost muted. you tuck yourself into his side, the sound of your laugh soft and light. there’s no turning back now. the world can know, and in this moment, jake couldn’t care less.

‘operation: no hate, just date’ has done its job.

he presses a quick, sneaky kiss to your temple, his grin still lingering, all warmth and love. he wraps his arm around you, pulling you just a little closer, the moment between the two of you nothing but pure joy.

alright. maybe jake is not the chill guy he thought he was. but in this moment, he doesn’t need to be.

all he’s ever wanted to be was a lover boy, and now it feels like he’s finally on the right track.

taglist: @jakeslvt @username-111222333444555 @pjselee

[edgy-ella]

So I can’t speak for the Heroes stuff (I spent $20 on Heroes in 2017, got nothing out of it, then uninstalled the app and refused to touch a gacha game ever again), but as the number 1 Fates apologist I’ll throw my hat into the ring on this.

To preface my positions on each game/character:

Fates is probably my most played game of all time. Since I’ve played it across three different 3DSes and two different laptops (via Citra), it’s hard to get the exact numbers, but believe me when I say it’s definitely over 1000 hours, probably closer to 3000 if I’m being honest

Three Houses is my most played Switch game of all time at 1000+ hours

I main Byleth in Ultimate (along with Sonic lol), but use Corrin as a secondary

I don’t have any pictures of it anymore but when I was like 16(?) I dressed up as Corrin for Halloween lol

And yeah, I think Corrin is a little overhated. BUT, comparing them to Byleth specifically, I get why people are a little more brutal, and it’s not just because Three Houses is the “better” game.

First of all, smash fans absolutely did not welcome Byleth on arrival. Hell, I was in the middle of playing Three Houses when they got announced and even I was pissed that they got in instead of characters like Dante or Rayman, characters I wasn’t even all that invested in in the first place (both now and in 2019, the only character I really want in smash is another Sonic rep). To this day I think Byleth’s moveset would make more sense on Anna, FE’s pseudo-mascot, than it does on Byleth. Smash players only started to warm up to the Ashen Demon after they started performing really well in tournaments.

Granted, a lot of the Byleth hate came from timing. Some internet commentators like Schaffrilas will want you to believe that it’s actually somehow Corrin’s fault that Byleth got so much hate on release, but really, Nintendo has no one but themselves to blame. Byleth had the monumental task of being the finale for the game’s first batch of DLC in a DLC pack otherwise full of third-party fighters. An expectation was set, and Byleth broke away from it for what most fans consider a lesser product. Compare that to Corrin, another blatant advertisement character. Not only was Smash 4’s DLC more focused on first party rep (Mewtwo, Roy, Lucas), but Corrin was announced alongside Bayonetta. Therefore, they went mostly under the radar. Probably helps that Smash 4 Bayonetta is one of the most broken characters in smash history.

But we’re not here to talk about smash bros fans. We’re here to talk about fire emblem fans.

Like I said, I agree that the hate for Corrin and Fates as a whole is blown waaaay out of proportion by most FE fans. Fates has some of the most memorable levels and involved mechanics in the entire series without ever detracting from the main strategy gameplay (unlike Three Houses, where most of your playtime will be spent at the monastery). Units are customizable without sacrificing individuality. The route split feels meaningful, with very few shared maps across all three routes. It’s challenging, but fair. Can we please stop saying that this is the worse FE game when Shadow Dragon is right there.

What about Corrin specifically, though? Well…

Really I think the Corrin hate when compared to Byleth boils down to a few key factors:

Fates’ marketing. Fates’ marketing put a lot of emphasis on its narrative and how Your Choices Matter™. However, in the game itself, there’s only two choices the player can really make: the route split (predetermined for most players by which version of the game they bought), and killing/sparing Shura in Conquest. There are level by level side objectives, but these rarely if ever impact the narrative. So when the story goes somewhere you don’t want it to go in a game that told you that Your Choices Matter™, you get frustrated, and therefore you end up blaming the player avatar for not acting as you would in that scenario. Three Houses similarly lacks a lot of serious player driven choices, but the game’s story was marketed more on the intrigue of crests and the Three Houses™ themselves than on idea of seriously influencing the story at every turn.

Fates’ writing. This is a dead horse at this point but it is a serious knock against Corrin. It also goes hand in hand with the previous point. Personally I don’t really care in a game where I can just skip all the cutscenes, but there really are a lot of overly contrived plot points in Fates that tends to bring the whole experience down for others. Sadly, Corrin and Azura end up being the biggest victims of these contrivances by virtue of being protagonists. Rewatch that cutscene after Conquest chapter 15 and tell me this game isn’t even the slightest bit bullshit. Takumi’s legitimate grievances with Corrin are all forgiven at the end of Conquest. In Revelation everyone ends up blindly trusting Corrin enough to literally jump off a cliff for them. The list goes on and on. Ultimately I think Azura gets hit with this the worst, but I see why people pin these on Corrin as well. Byleth on the other hand, doesn’t get moments like these because they’re not the active force in the game’s story. The house leaders are.

Byleth is not the only lord in Three Houses. Unless you do Silver Snow, Byleth will always have Edelgard, Dimitri, or Claude to round them out. Dimitri and Claude are beloved by fans for their distinct personalities and interesting motives, and say what you will about Edelgard, but at least she’s not a “dialogue choice generator” like Byleth is.

Reverse classism. Basically a fancier way of me saying “people think Byleth is cooler than Corrin.” Corrin grew up in a big fucking castle with a squad of retainers at their beck and call and loving adopted siblings that would visit whenever they were lonely. Corrin has the Chris Thorndyke problem—it’s hard to feel bad for them being “isolated” when they live with a bunch of servants that act like found family members. Byleth, on the other hand, is a mercenary living with their badass war hero father, both of whom have essentially been on the run from the church for decades. So purely from a backstory perspective, Byleth seems more grizzled and “real” while Corrin comes off more like a spoiled rich kid, even if that’s not what they actually are.

Presentation of their powers. Why can Byleth time travel? Why does god live in their head? Why can Byleth use the sword of the creator? They have god’s heart inside their chest and the sword of the creator is made out of her spine. How is this information revealed to the player? A slow burn over the first half of the game, with further details elaborated on in specific routes. Why can Corrin turn into a dragon? Why can Corrin use the yato? Corrin’s real dad is a water dragon. How is this information revealed to the player? In the library hidden behind a cipher and some paid DLC you need to buy on top of all three routes. Part of the reason people call Corrin a Mary Sue is because the origin of their powers is barely, if ever, presented in the main plot.

Silent protagonist vs. speaking protagonist. This one’s a bit more divisive. A lot of people prefer and/or have an easier time relating to silent protagonists in gaming because they rarely do or say anything that the player themselves wouldn’t do, so they can place themselves in their shoes better. This often leads to the protagonist coming off as an observer, or someone being led through the story rather than an active participant in it, which is definitely the case with Byleth. Comparatively, Corrin talks and Corrin acts. But some of Corrin’s actions are very, very dumb. Now, I don’t think this works with Byleth because they have too much lore for me to project myself on them like they’re a Pokémon protagonist and too generic/“samey” dialogue choices for me to truly role play as them like a Persona protagonist. I think for the role Byleth serves in the game’s story, they’d be a much better character if they just talked like normal. But it’s a disconnect some players face, so it’s worth bringing up.

That being said I think as far as being an actual character is concerned I like Corrin way more. Don’t get me wrong, they do some interesting stuff with Byleth, but it’s all undermined by the fact that they don’t talk. I struggle to get attached to them when they can’t meaningfully contribute to a conversation. For all Corrin’s faults, at least they can interact with others. Byleth feels like they exist more as a prop for the other characters. Which is fine, but it’s not ideal.

Also female Byleth is totally the canon option because if you play as male Byleth you’re basically forced to marry either a Corrinsexual like Flora or one of the child characters (otherwise you miss out on someone’s kid). Her being gooner bait for the foot fetish weirdos is just an unfortunate consequence of that lol

It's 5am where I am so I'm no doubt gonna regret posting meaningless whining about my favs compared to other characters when I wake up but rn who tf cares

I'm still incensed under the surface about how Byleth gets a better reception than Corrin, and how Corrin specifically is represented in a grand scheme of the FE franchise, mostly with Heroes.

"Corrin gets positions and authority when he doesn't deserve it!" then silence for Byleth when he gets a teaching position, and later either the archbishop spot or outright becomes king of an entire continent.

"Corrin's dragon powers aren't used in the plot enough!" Byleth's powers are only ever plot device fodder, are mechanically indistinct from other FE protag powers before and after him, and have terrible ludonarrative applications.

"Too many people worship Corrin!" About 70% of the cast's morality when defecting from their home (and sometimes partaking in harming it) is dictated by Byleth having enough tea parties with them, after being enrolled in a job he wasn't qualified for

"Corrin's character and personality is bad" Byleth doesn't even have one, he's just a dialogoue choice generator

"Corrin is the worst FE rep in Smash, had the worst trailer, and is representative of FE having imbalanced representation" FE has a clone/Echo fighter problem and consolidating Roy, Lucina and Chrom into Marth as alt skins a la Bowser Jr. would auto fix that controversy given the Smash community's "if I don't see it, it doesn't exist" approach to character slots; there is no universe where a trailer showcasing one of the worst villains in 3H-and the FE series as a whole-is better than even the cringiest lines in Corrin's trailer; there is more unique properties and applications just in Corrin's side special than there is in Byleth's entire kit, which was really a mish-mash of different Smash archetypes, inlcuding ones other FE characters covered. Not to mention the fucking PNG Sothis Final Smash with the embarassing lip flaps, jesus.

Every problem that Corrin is accused of having, Byleth does it worse. Every problem that Byleth gets jabbed with, eventually gets redirected back to Corrin for "starting it."

And it's seen as justified, because why? Well, 3H is a "better" game of course! After all, it's the best selling one! If it sold that much and was so well received that means it must have done everything exponentially better than Fates did! (ignore the fact that Fates was the best selling game in the series before 3H please). Why wouldn't Byleth simply be objectively, immutably better than Corrin in every metric going by this logic?

And, like always, CYL is gonna reaffirm this again for everyone. Cuz why wouldn't Byleth get so many votes last year despite him getting a great Christmas alt just the month before? He deserves it after the female version already won after all! And why wouldn't he win this year when he's guaranteed an Emblem alt in the future, and most likely to be on one of Valentine's, Children, or Wedding banners?

It made sense for the Robins to win one after the other cuz they're cool and awesome and not weak and annoying, so it makes sense for Byleth too!

Why would Corrin get this "it's his turn treatment" when he's not a good character and the female version only won because everyone knows she's just dumb fetish bait 🤪🤪🤪/s

It's just... so infuriatingly transparent. Even Male Alear isn't hit with this quite as hard tbh, because at worst he had half the votes Female Alear did, whereas M!Corrin at best had barely over a third of F!Corrin. And that only fuels my perspective on how M!Corrin, for all his alts, always feels like his presence is treated compulsory and obligated, and F!Corrin is always sold with "she's hot, who cares" in mind.

FE fans made it clear that Corrin's character was hated, so the solution became to sell the Fem one for horny whales, and have the Male one just slightly behind in numbers to keep up the illusion of fairness (while always making him inferior in gameplay).

All that just for Byleth, a non-character, to get every excuse and love from a fandom that hated Corrin for the same issues he has. Crazy.

[paeinovis]

I feel like people who think franmaya is just sticking two characters together haven't played the second game 😭

[shinysamurott9]

Was digging through old clips and found this. If you're thinking about getting Xenoblade X DE or are on the fence about it, here's an example of just how absurdly powerful you can get in just the original game.

This isn't even close to the upper limit btw, there are far more powerful builds possible and I can't even imagine what kind of shit will be possible with DE's additions.

[sonknuxadow]

jim carrey as gerald also sucks btw . i already didnt think he was a particularly good choice for eggman because it feels like hes just playing himself and not eggman but seeing them take a character whos entire deal is being long dead but still impacting the story through his grief driven actions and bring him back to life and make him a main character and also turn him into a silly jim carrey character is making me turn into the joker

[chinko-kun]

I guess it is a good thing that I was bat shit last night and read a fanfic in whole (up to the latest update). I noticed Ao3 was being a dildo so after fighting it, I got it to go full story mode and just read.

Comedy gold is the latest chapter, the author was like "I might scrap this whole thing". Gurl, you wrote nearly 200 publish pages and finally got to ONE (1) shippy moment between Ophelia and Thorn (talk about SLOWBURN, y'all) and it wasn't really a moment because he was just giving her CPR when his grandma yeeted her ass in a frozen lake.

Is the fanfic bad? Is it ran through Google translate then not beta read to make a lick of sense? Is Ophelia totally OOC?

All yes but I am in for the long haul, y'all.

[biblicalhorror]

Thinking about Life is Strange 2 and the absolute dust it got paid compared to the other games in the series. It's the ONLY video game I've ever played where someone in the story has Special Magic Powers, but it's not you. It's your little brother. And your father has been killed in a police shootout, and your little brother is just a kid who is so confused and terrified that he levels a whole block with a telekinetic boom. And then you, a teenager just a few years older, have to guide him to safety and try to parent him and help him use his powers for good while also dealing with the same traumas in your own life.

Also, there's a level where you just clip weed buds. Phenomenal game.

[inferno-silentdragon]

"I wanted to go back to a time when nothing had changed. It was the best year of my life."

"I did."

"Was it fun?"

"Yeah."

A scene from the ending of my all time favorite story, Swim Against the Tide by @tsukithewolf! This story has meant so much to me and I had to make sure I did something for the technical ending (So excited for the epilog as I queue this)​

[xamaxenta]

Man the overwatch spellbound/caster skins actually kinda suck

[elizabethnightingale4]

[weedle-testaburger]

latest video essay idea: elaborate character analysis of captain quark

[snowstories]

[Timmy Turner voice] I wish every Links Meet AU that uses Marin as a phantom to haunt and traumatize Link goes to hell no matter what