#adventure calling emotions icons

[renthony]

Coming of Age at 30: Musings on A Wizard of Earthsea

by Ren Basel renbasel.com

Having nerdy parents meant I grew up surrounded by plenty of classic nerdy literature. Our home was filled with iconic science fiction and fantasy, and what we didn’t have, my parents gladly helped me find at the library. I never lacked passion or access to books, yet somehow I managed to skip right over the work of Ursula K. Le Guin.

How this oversight happened, I couldn’t tell you. I devoured every book about hidden worlds with wizard schools I could find—and there were many on the young adult market in the early 2000s. Though I read a decent chunk of them, somehow I never stumbled across the book that did it first: Le Guin’s 1968 classic, A Wizard of Earthsea. No, I didn’t find my way to Le Guin’s wizards until adulthood.

A Wizard of Earthsea introduces Ged, a boy with magical talent. Over the course of the novel, he attends magic school, grows into a young man, and earns his wizard’s staff. While at school, he is nearly killed when a botched summoning spell unleashes a mysterious and terrifying shadow entity. From there the novel follows Ged’s adventures as he seeks a way to defeat the shadow before it can kill him.

The novel is ultimately a coming-of-age narrative, and though I am an adult, it resonates. Ged’s journey with the shadow forces him to accept the darkest, most painful parts of himself, and it’s easy to relate that to my own struggles as I enter my thirties.

In a 1973 essay titled “Dreams Must Explain Themselves,” Le Guin wrote, “Coming of age is a process that took me many years; I finished it, so far as I ever will, at about age thirty-one; and so I feel rather deeply about it.” That quote convinces me I came to A Wizard of Earthsea exactly when I needed it most. In 2024 I am a disabled person in a so-called “post-COVID” world, still following strict safety measures as the rest of the world moves on. Every day I must exist in a world that fills me with fear and anger, and grief at what could have been before things fell apart. I have had to mourn the things—and people—I lost, and find new things to fill the void.

Entering my thirties has involved learning to love the self I have and react to the circumstances I’m in, rather than obsessing over a hypothetical version of myself that might exist if things were different. Just as Ged had to name and accept the shadow as a part of himself, I have had to face my own anger, grief, and regrets, and choose to accept them as part of me. Neither suppression nor avoidance of the shadow—of those difficult emotions; of that pain—can make it go away. It must be seen, and embraced, and processed.

While I’m sure Earthsea would have been relevant, and wonderful fun, to my younger self, I’m glad I came to it at thirty. The magic of a good story helps make confronting shadows a little less terrifying, and it’s true at any age.

_

Written on commission, using the prompt, “500 words about an Ursula K. Le Guin novel.”

Like this essay? Tip me on Ko-Fi, pledge to my Patreon, or commission an essay on the topic of your choice!

[jovial-thunder]

Downtimes, module editor, water temple

Happy summer! There's smoke in Portland but it's not too bad. Bless firefighters. Work on Lancer Tactics continues apace.

This month has been mostly focused on the largest heretofore-untouched section of the game: downtimes and the module editor for designing the sequences between combats. We're not planning on doing anything particularly innovative or new in its design — if you've played Banner Saga, Fire Emblem (gameboy versions), or Rogue Squadron you'll recognize what's going on here.

Repair, level up, have visual-novel-style conversations with companions, do some light choose-your-own-adventuring, and pick & launch the next combat. All pretty standard downtime fare — games have pretty thoroughly explored these patterns as vehicles for narrative at this point.

The unique thing that Lancer Tactics is offering on this front is an editor to make your own entire campaigns. Classic games like Warcraft or Age of Empires had incredible scenario editors, but making anything more than a one-mission map was solely the domain of modders. Over the last few weeks, we've gotten a full basically-visual-novel-editor working ingame where you can orchestrate NPC story arcs, clocks ticking, branching paths, and triggered events for all the stuff that happens between combats.

All of the campaigns we ship with the game are going to be made with these same editors, which'll force us to really make sure that they're solid tools. I think it'd be very funny to someday see someone like completely ignore all the mech stuff and just make a visual novel in this engine.

There's no new preview game build this month because adding this big section of the game means too many things are under construction. I'm happy with how fast we've been able to get this going, but making ingame editors is a lot of unglamorous UI piping and data refactoring work. Fingers crossed that it'll come together enough that we'll be able to get the first version of this editor in your hands in time for the next update

Other Changelogs

Carpenter has started re-making the tutorial level from the demo in this new engine, which is pushing us to add a bunch of stuff to the combat editor. I added triggers for playing arbitrary effects on the map, moving the camera, storing arbitrary data to the battle/module states, enabling/disabling/triggering other triggers, AND/OR conditions, and putting execution limits on triggers.

Triggers can highlight UI or actions (so it can be like "use the boost to get through!" and the boost button becomes all shiny)

New "camera start" zone type

Added a "hotspot" zone type that has a little floating title, and plastered the names of other zones on the map (visual style stolen from some Foundry VTT modules)

Added water, whose level can be set via the editor or triggers.

Added unmounted pilots who can mount up into Shut Down mechs. We continue to plan to not have pilot combat be a part of the core game, but it'll be useful for scenario or scripted sequences.

Added activation pips and template icons to the mini healthbar on units.

A bunch more portrait editor assets from Martina, including facial hair. Here's a check Carpenter did where he tried to recreate some official Lancer art ingame. ✨

Schedule update

Taking a look at our original date for the "bones" of the game ("finishing the battle engine, basic character creation, 2 mechs per manufacturer, and an a 'instant action' mode"), we estimated being able to get it done by the end of November. The emotional milestone for me on this front is getting the game to a complete enough state that I feel OK about swapping it in on the itch.io page.

I've been saying that the 3D cataclysm has pushed us back back about 3 months, and I think that's still holding true. Carpenter and I haven't officially made the call yet, but I think it's likely we'll need that time to port more mech content; here's a graph they made that shows about where we're sitting on the PC and NPC mechs for the "bones" target in terms of mechanics and action icon/sprite. 

(This data is pulled from a big table they made that includes ALL talents/gear/traits where we've been marking things off as we've implemented them. Very handy for tracking where we are.)

That's all for now. Tata!

[d6volution]

Corporeal.

Caine/Fem!Reader

caine wants to learn more about humans, so why not become one himself? surely, these new waves of emotions and new desires won't become an issue.

requested by: @kenenergy

tags: mutual pining, eventual smut, fluff, human!caine, lingerie, reader is down bad for caine but won't admit it.

Chapter one.

"I just don't know bubble! After letting them all down about the exit I feel... a little guilty?" Was that the correct wording? Humans were far more complex than he could imagine. But, oh, so interesting.. what could he do to learn from them better? He tapped the bottom of his jaw with a gloved finger in thought.

"Well, maybe you could—" Bubble began but Caine cut him off before he could get a word out, "Gadzooks you're right bubble! To understand them, I have to become like them! Of course! What a great adventure that'll be!" He exclaimed and extended his arms out in delight.

"I'll get a brand new.. body! All equip with artificial human emotions, looks, the works!"

Caine said , happily agreeing with himself. All it'd take was a snap of his fingers.

"Can I have body too, Caine..? I'd absolutely.. love to.. hug everyone.." Bubbles voice drifted off strangely at the end of that sentence and Caine stared... that certainly wasn't a good idea.

"Uh.. no!" He said just as cheerfully as if he were to agree.

SNAP!

the following day..

Knock, knock, knock!

The noise broke you out of your extremely light sleep. You got out of bed without issue, feeling groggy wasn't exactly a thing here. "Coming.. coming.." You sighed and pushed aside the fluffy comforter, rubbing your eyes and stretching out your body. It was still taking some getting used to.. you dragged yourself to the door and swung it open, Ragatha stood there, hands clasped in front of her. She gave a small wave, "Hey, y/n! Uh, Caine called everyone to the main hall, so I just came by to.. get you." Her sentence trailed off with a little chuckle as she pushed some of her red locks from her face.

"Oh, thanks Ragatha." At the mention of Caine you seemes unconsciously adjust your clothing and hair, what can you say? He's a charismatic man.. it was hard not to be a little attracted to him. Not like it would lead to anything, he certainly didn't seem to be interested in you humans, not anymore than playthings at least.

"Let's get going then, don't wanna keep everyone waiting." You flashed a kind smile at the doll like woman and you both walked together to where the others were already gathered, exchaning mundane conversation on the way.

"Well, well well glad you ladies could make it!"

"C.. Caine..!? What the [censor] !?" Your eyes were nearly popping out of your sockets and even ragatha seemed taken aback, mouth agape.

"We can't have that, y/n but I will give you a pass because I'm sure you are quite surprised by my apperance!" He said followed by a wacky sound.

"Yeah........" Zooble chimed in , "Welcome to the party."

Caine was.. human? His face was chiseled like an old timey talk show host. Dark brown hair was skicked back except a single curled strand hanging above his forehead ... he, of course, had on his iconic red suit and still held his baton, but he was just.. human now. And fuck was he handsome. Just what his goal?

"I'm sure you're all wondering why exactly I look—"

"Who cares," Jax said, arms crossed. Clearly annoyed, it almost seemed like Caine was mocking them in his opinion, "What about us? Does this mean we can get our human bodies back?"

Oh.. oh. You didn't even think about that, he's right. At least you'd feel a bit more normal here, surely there had to be a way. With a tinge of hope in your eyes you looked at Caine, waiting for his answer.

"Ah—" Caine raised a finger, but it soon fell. "Well.. no. This is simply coding, ones and zeros, Jax! Nothing more." He said, his grin a bit more charming when hes human, though now that you get a good look at him the 'coding' on him was too perfect. His skin had zero imperfections and his teeth were inhumanly white.

"So, our adventure today will be a little different! None of those devious little gloinks to steal your things away, no no! Just different trials for human emotions! Who will crack first!? Who will cry first !? Oh, the horrors! And I will be standing by to drink up everyones reactions!"

Everyone stood in silence, some annoyed some just downright confused. But, they didn't exactly have a choice but to follow through with the new adventure.

"Now go on my little superstars! Head to the dining area with the other NPCs!" He shoos you off but you purposely linger behind, waiting for the others to head off first.

"Yes, y/n, can I help you dear?!" He said , unknowingly in your personal space. But it quickly became apparent as his expression seemed to shift a little, usually it wouldn't bother him.. being this close to you but now, as a 'human' it felt a little strange. Causing him to clear his throat.

"O.. Oh nothing, I just.. wanted to say being a human.. kinda suits you Caine." You laughed a little and skipped off into the dining area leaving Caine with a flushed face. He touched his cheek, confused by the weird reaction he was having.. humans sure are interesting creatures.

Inside the dining area everyone was sat down with a the wooden mannequin NPC, they spoke to each person differently. Trying to provoke a reaction out of them, it must have been apart of Caine's way of getting you all to release different emotions he could learn from.

You took your seat in front of the wooden doll, [Y/N, welcome, you're late you should be ashamed of yourself.] The voice was robotic and out of habit you almost snapped back, but that's what Caine wanted probably. After all everyone was either close to strangling the faux mannequin or getting up to leave out of frustration. Caine made sure the trials pushed their buttons.

"God.. what is Caine thinking, this is so .. weird." Zooble commented, leaning back against their chair as their mannequin had been.. well out of commission thanks to them. "Hey.. where'd y/n go..?"

You found a way to sneak off, seeking out Caine again. You had more questions about this.. human transformation of his, not only that there had to be a way to get him to turn you all human again. It could be the first step to getting out of here.

You rounded the corner and shuffled back behind it, peeking past it to see Caine getting a haircut from bubble. "Anddd.. There!" With comically large scissors he snipped off a ungodly chunk of hair, without thinking Caine popped bubble and made all the chair he was sitting in disappear. His hair reappearing perfectly as if it hadn't been cut at all!

Your mouth dropped.

"Oh, y/n! Shouldn't you be at the trials? What slippery little snake you are, come now let's get you back!" He got close to you and you shuffled back, to avoid being instantly teleported back there. "W.. Wait! Caine.. I had a few questions."

"Questions? What about?" His eyes studided yours, "Oh, right, of course! This must be about my handsome new human face correct?" He said with a all to charming grin.

"Well, ... yes.. Don't you think you should have a human test the validity of your new... er.. body." You said attempting to close the distance between you, and he allowed it. You extended a hand and caressed his face, he looked at you with wide eyes.

"Did I.. perhaps get something wrong here?" He said a little confused, the close proximity between you two was causing him to flush uncontrollably. "Well, your face is a bit.. too perfect? Still so.. did you make yourself attractive on purpose?" You caught yourself tracing the features of his face and had to pull back.

"Well.. yes! Humans seem to respond well to, a more attractive face!"

It was getting a little awkward for the both of you, Caine cleared his throat. "Note taken! Will ..there be anything else y/n? If not then chop chop, your trials are almost finished!" He didn't let you answer, too confused and taken aback by these feelings coursing through his veins. He snapped his fingers and you were back in the chair with the damn mannequin.

Great.

Meanwhile Caine was still hovering in place, touching the same place you had caressed him a moment ago. "Humans sure are.. interesting, what a strange feeling!" He said and lifted his hat where bubble emerged from. "Day one, I will call a success bubble! One step closer to understanding these bundle of emotions we call humans!"

Later that night, Caine was sure everyone else was in their rooms before he too attempted to "sleep" it was apart of the learning process he thought. He desperately tried to push back the unraveling emotions in his body. Your fingertips, lips and even voice was encompassing his every waking thought.

Perhaps it would be smart to stay close to you throughout this experience. You are making his body and mind react in such strange ways and you've hardly done anything.

Surely, this won't have any repercussions later.

(next chapter.)

[journalofanoldsoul]

Couple Dynamics 💕 (Venus Composite Chart) - Part 1

Venus in Aries

🫶 "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005): This action-packed film portrays the fiery passion and competitive energy of an Aries Venus. The movie follows a couple who are both highly skilled assassins, showcasing their intense chemistry and adventurous nature.

🫶 Ross and Rachel from "Friends": Ross and Rachel's on-again, off-again relationship in the TV show "Friends" captures the fiery and passionate dynamic often associated with Venus in Aries. Their love story is filled with ups and downs, reflecting the Aries energy of intensity and impulsiveness.

🫶 Beca and Chloe from "Pitch Perfect": Beca and Chloe's dynamic in the movie series "Pitch Perfect" exemplifies the passionate and competitive nature of Venus in Aries. Their vibrant personalities and shared love for music create an exciting and energetic connection.

Venus in Taurus

🫶 The Notebook" (2004): This classic romantic movie depicts a deep and enduring love story, which resonates with the sensual and romantic nature of Venus in Taurus. The film portrays a couple's strong bond and commitment to each other over time.

🫶 Noah and Allie from "The Notebook": The relationship between Noah and Allie in "The Notebook" showcases the Venus in Taurus qualities of loyalty, stability, and a deep connection that stands the test of time.

🫶 Elio and Oliver from "Call Me by Your Name": Elio and Oliver's tender and sensuous relationship in the movie "Call Me by Your Name" represents the deep emotional connection and sensual intimacy associated with Venus in Taurus. Their story showcases the beauty and depth of a same-sex love affair.

Venus in Gemini

🫶 "500 Days of Summer" (2009): This film explores the complexities of love and relationships, reflecting the duality and intellectual stimulation associated with Venus in Gemini. The story delves into the ups and downs of a romantic connection with its twists and turns.

🫶 Jim and Pam from "The Office": Jim and Pam's relationship in the TV show "The Office" embodies the playful banter, wit, and intellectual connection that is often found with Venus in Gemini. Their journey showcases the importance of communication and shared interests.

🫶 Waverly and Nicole from "Wynonna Earp": Waverly and Nicole's connection in the TV show "Wynonna Earp" embodies the witty banter, intellectual stimulation, and adaptability of Venus in Gemini. Their relationship is characterized by playful conversations, a deep understanding of each other's minds, and the ability to adapt to one another's ever-evolving needs and interests.

Venus in Cancer

🫶 "The Fault in Our Stars" (2014): This heartfelt movie tells the story of two young cancer patients who fall in love. It portrays the emotional depth, vulnerability, and nurturing aspects associated with Venus in Cancer.

🫶 Jack and Rose from "Titanic": The iconic love story of Jack and Rose in the movie "Titanic" captures the tender and emotional connection of Venus in Cancer. Their love transcends societal barriers, and their bond is characterized by emotional support and sacrifice.

🫶 Ennis and Jack from "Brokeback Mountain": The relationship between Ennis and Jack in "Brokeback Mountain" highlights the deep emotional bond, nurturing, and protection associated with Venus in Cancer. Their love story is marked by secrecy, longing, and a profound connection that withstands the test of time.

Venus in Leo

🫶 "Moulin Rouge!" (2001): This visually stunning musical showcases grandiose gestures, creative expression, and passionate love. It reflects the dramatic and theatrical nature of Venus in Leo, where love is expressed with flair and enthusiasm.

🫶 Carrie and Mr. Big from "Sex and the City": Carrie and Mr. Big's relationship in the TV show "Sex and the City" embodies the glamorous and attention-seeking qualities of Venus in Leo. Their love story is filled with ups and downs, but their passion and magnetic attraction are undeniable.

🫶 Patrick and Richie from "Looking": Patrick and Richie's passionate and dramatic relationship in the TV show "Looking" captures the grandiose expressions of love and the fiery energy of Venus in Leo. Their connection is marked by intense chemistry and a desire to be seen and celebrated.

Venus in Virgo

🫶 "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012): This film explores the complexities of human relationships, mental health, and personal growth. It reflects the practicality, attention to detail, and healing potential associated with Venus in Virgo.

🫶 Monica and Chandler from "Friends": Monica and Chandler's relationship in the TV show "Friends" showcases the grounded and supportive nature of Venus in Virgo. They are a couple who deeply care for each other, displaying acts of service and dedication.

🫶 Naomi and Emily from "Skins": Naomi and Emily's relationship in the TV show "Skins" embodies the practicality, loyalty, and healing potential of Venus in Virgo. Their connection is characterized by a supportive and nurturing bond that helps them navigate challenges together.

These recommendations and couple choices are based on the archetypal qualities associated with each Venus sign. While they may not represent an exhaustive list, they serve as examples to illustrate how the energies and themes of each Venus sign can manifest in romantic movies and famous couples. It's important to remember that astrology is a complex and nuanced system, and individual interpretations can vary.

I hope you have enjoyed this selection.

Stay tune for part 2…

xoxo J.

[luckyshinyhunter]

Fictional characters that definitely deserved better

💪Jen Walters (She-Hulk: Attorney at law)💪

She-Hulk is one of those shows I enjoyed because of the vibes, no surprise that a bunch of dudebros were doing their usual hate on the MCU crap again, especially going after this show.

I like how the show made Jennifer relatable and likable from the start, Tatiana did such a amazingly performance as the titular character along with matching her sassiness and wit like she have in the comics.

The possibilities of She-Hulk season 2 are slim to none, but I still have hope of Jen coming back in the future.

🛩️Andy Demayo (Steven Universe)🛩️

Even though he was kinda rude in his debut episode, but honestly, you would be confused and angry too if you see a bunch of strangers in your barn.

Besides Greg and the residents at Beach City, he rarely calls out Steven's dangerously daily lifestyle with the gems and shows that he cares about his recently known nephew.

After Gem harvest, he resolved the bittered distance and continue visiting his family, even showing at Garnet's wedding.

It was kind of a waste that Future didn't give him anything important to add, he would connect and helped Steven's dilemma with the fear of change, similar to his.

Also a hilarious fun fact, Andy's VA is Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

🐁Splinter (TMNT 2012)🐁

Honestly one of the most tragic characters in the show, from a broken man who lost everything, to a loving and protecting father who found a new lease on life, along with a family that care for each other to the very end.

He can be strict but he does care about his family and would die fighting for them, he literally died to save them and would do it again if he have to.

Hoon Lee's electrifying portrayal speaks for itself and the critical juncture of his past that parallels him and Shredder is another reason why the show is underrated.

I hate the backlash that this character has been getting and that people are labeling him as a bad father but he's not, the show literally has moments of him caring and protecting his family from danger.

🕸️Miles Morales (Spider-Man)🕸️

Without a doubt, Miles is one of the best Spider-Man characters of all. Pretty disgusting that people are using with the whole Miles Morales is Miles Morales crap to hate on a character that brings a new meaning for a iconic role model for kids.

Into and Across the Spider-verse done a outstanding job, making Miles's personal journey and growth so emotional and inspiring.

Sucks that the third film is going to take a long time to premiere, but at least the PS4 games also give him justice and continues shining Miles.

Miles Morales will forever be one of the best Spider-man, it just sucks that some people won't accept him continuously, but in some way at least there's some people who actually respect him as a character, knowing that he is in forever will be Spider-Man and that makes it him amazing.

📋Lois Lane (My Adventures with Superman)📋

My Adventures with Superman is a show that should be talked about especially on how well written it is, the show adapted Lois very well, along with her budding romance with Clark.

I literally hated how Lois gets treated like garbage by a certain amount of people after the whole secret identity thing, the show does prove that Lois is flawed and complex in a good way, making her likable and relatable, she makes mistakes but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing, everyone does.

The latest episode of season 2 really proves that Lois is a good character, showing her empathetic past and complicated relationship with her dad.

Also, Alice Lee's fun performance as the character is just top notch, whether she's happy or sad, she just nails Lois's character without a doubt.

🧬Morty Smith (Rick and Morty)🧬

This boy has been through enough, with neglectful parents, a sister that does care about him but is focused on her own life, Rick cares sometimes, but can be a real jerk. Morty is more you can be his own person the truth is some things can be holding him back, mostly his grandfather.

I'm glad that Rick is trying to change for the better, I remember I hated the way he treated Morty thoughout the seasons whether using verbal or physical abuse, it also sucks when he tried to do something good yet the universe basically just throws it back at him like a giant middle finger.

I'm glad that the later seasons proves that Morty could be a badass and he can handle himself, but I hope when the new season drops, they find a way to handle his trauma because he deserves a hug.

🎳Wade Whipple (The Sonic franchise)🎳

The Sonic films are underrated but it's problem is that it gets dunked on, especially thanks to a so-called outside of the box thinker.

But unlike the other live action films with bland and boring human characters, the human characters in Sonic are actually likable and memorable, among them is Wade Whipple.

I really don't think he's one of the worst characters in Sonic, honestly his sister and dad deserves to be on that list.

Honestly people hate him just because he have more screen time than Knuckles but one, because it's a TV show budget and Knuckles is in the show, they are acting like he never was in the show.

Two, at least it added layers and flaws that made him even more relatable and serves a purpose to Knuckles's journey.

Like with Tom and Maddie with Sonic, his friendship with Knuckles is another core example of why Knuckles work and his actor, Adam Pally's performance was great too.

🔪Sam Carpenter (Scream 5 and 6)🔪

Sam is another character that deserves more attention and respect than before, partially thanks to her actress.

Aside her rough past and learning the dark truth about her family, Sam cares about the people she loves and isn't afraid to fight for them, even fighting her own personal demons just to do so.

Melissa Barrera is a underrated actress, though Her performance in part 5 was good, I think she was just basically outperformed by everyone else, and it didn't help that she was getting bullied and criticize by bunch of toxic fans.

Scream 6 gave Sam justice and proves that she's a badass final girl, especially thanks to the crew and cast of the films who care and was there for her but thanks to a certain company that fire her for doing the right thing, what's the point of even watching Scream 7 without her and the core four but the good thing is at least it gave her and Sam a bittersweet ending.

🐝Chloe Bourgeois (Miraculous Ladybug)🐝

This one is a completely personal rant, I used to be a fan Miraculous. But after watching the season 3 finale, I feel like the magic of the show just basically disappeared, and seasons 4 and 5 was a huge sign that the show fully gone off the rails.

I remember hating Chloe in the first season and I'm pretty sure everyone else felt the same feeling too, but season 2 actually did the the most surprising thing, actually gave her some character development.

It might be baby steps but still development, she might have been spoiled and selfish sometimes but they actually do show that she has flaws.

Malediktator was one of the best episodes of season 2, they were able to showcase Chloe's vulnerability and it prove that she can change and still be a useful ally like the other miraculous holders.

She protected her friend from getting akumatized again, she almost got Mayura's miraculous, and heck, She literally defied Hawkmoth's control, unlike the other akumatized victims, that is basically spells hero-worthy.

But of course as always, Thomas is just too spiteful and that thinks that Chloe is not just worthy and replaced her with a bland, forgettable and useless character who only exists just because she is "better" than Chloe.

It's honestly just pathetic that her corrupt father who spoils her and the literal villain of the show, who done some horrible and awful things get a redemption arc, but a literal misunderstood child doesn't, it just proves that the writer's room just don't even know how to handle character development nor redemption arcs.

It's even more sad that the film actually treats Chloe better than the show does.

The truth is whether do you like or don't like Chloe, it's possible that she can change, it's just that Thomas is the actual problem of the show, I hope one day somehow Chloe might actually get a actual chance to shine as a character again but maybe in the future it could still could happen.

[lunanoc]

Tibetan Sea Flower (藏海花) Drama Review or Why I Think It’s a Laundry List of Crimes Actually

Because somebody had to do it

So the Tibetan Sea Flower (or 藏海花, or Adventure Behind The Bronze Door) drama, meant to be adapting the Tibetan Sea Flower novel, first sequel following the main eight volumes of Daomu Biji, has been out for a while now, and I finally got around to actually finishing it. And I have Many Things to say about it

That I can tell, a lot of people in the English-speaking part of the fandom have praised it for various reasons, and while I’m glad there are people who enjoyed it, I’m not one of those people, so for the sake of variety of opinion I thought I’d share my thoughts about it. I could honestly write an essay because that’s how many crimes this drama committed in my opinion, but no one wants to read All That so this is going to be an attempt at a highlight reel

TLDR; Tibetan Sea Flower is firmly at the bottom of my list of DMBJ adaptations with Lost Tomb 2.5. It’s only slightly above that because unlike Lost Tomb 2.5, Tibetan Sea Flower has a few redeeming qualities at least

First off, some things I did enjoy, or if not enjoy, that I can appreciate in a “there was a vision” sense

My favorite part of this drama was the first 4 or 5 episodes, and the choice to start with the tail end of volume 8 of the main story was a smart decision in that it gave a lot more emotional impact leading into ZHH proper. The start of the drama is fast-paced without feeling rushed, and while my opinion on the ZHH drama isn’t entirely based off of doing a one-to-one comparison with the book (mostly because adaptations inevitably change things to adapt to a new medium so they can’t and shouldn’t be one-to-one copies), the fact it followed the book to a T was a touch I appreciated. The cinematography, directing, and music for the most part are also a strong point this drama has going for it. I can also appreciate that the PingXie married vibes were off the charts to the point where every single time someone said “you’re the patriarch’s chosen one/friend” they might as well have been calling Wu Xie ‘Zhang furen’ it would have been the same thing. The addition of Ten Years Later (and the Fishing King extra which isn’t really an extra anymore since it’s been published as part of Ten Years Later) is also a decision I can appreciate in theory, and from a storytelling perspective makes for a fulfilling and thematically relevant ending. Chen Minghao as Pangzi also almost single-handedly carried the entire drama, iconic, thank you for your service king

Now that that’s out of the way, I can get into the meat and entire point of this post, that is some of the multiple crimes the ZHH drama committed because trust there are Many

I think the fact it started out so strong to me is what makes the rest of it worse. I’m not even sure if I can actually coherently explain the extent of the psychic damage this drama gave me by the time I finished it. There are sometimes significant differences between the drama and the book, which is something I expected because it’s an adaptation, and departures from the source material aren’t necessarily a bad thing. So it’s not that it’s different from the book that’s fundamentally a problem for me. What is a problem, however, is when an adaptation decides to make choices that fundamentally compromise the integrity of both the characters and the overarching plot. I don’t tend to expect anything from DMBJ adaptations, mostly because in general their quality varies, and they’re the main source of the misconception that DMBJ canon is a mess of inconsistencies and lack of cohesion when the original source material is by opposition generally both consistent and cohesive. The ZHH drama is one of those drama adaptations that decided to take the equivalent of a sledgehammer to everything from characterization and lore to any hope of cohesion between it and either the other drama adaptations or the books

The Zhang family lore takes the biggest hit. The casual obliteration of it is probably my biggest beef with this drama, and I can already hear people saying “but it’s not obliterated if it’s thematically adjacent, it doesn’t have to copy the book!. Now listen. It can be thematically relevant and not need to copy the book without creating completely unnecessary plot contradictions with the rest of the story, and as far as the Zhang family lore reworks are concerned, some of them aren’t even thematically appropriate, and sometimes are done in a way that’s?? Honestly baffling to me. Zhang Nian’s entire arc and existence is one of those, because he manages to make himself and the entire subplot that stems from him completely irrelevant by episode 20 where the drama just goes “...so anyway!”

There’s also the choice of having the tianshou (or the heavenly gift) be some sort of bug poison/disease that’s implied to be the only thing holding the Zhang family back from being “free” and living a normal life, and so from the moment Xiaoge decides to take on the mantle of Zhang Qiling for his own personal reasons (which is another issue I have), he alone bears the weight of the heavenly gift, and the rest of the family either disperses into living perfectly normal lives, or is at a bit of a loss as to what to do, which while this last bit is true to some extent for the overseas branch in the books, it stems from circumstances forcing them rather than a goal they wanted to achieve. I’m going to be very generous in blaming this change on censorship, but this alone, surface level as it is, is already contradicting the Zhang family’s most important thematic relevance in the story beyond the lore itself: the fact that they’re meant to be a family led astray by their own hubris and isolationist elitism, eventually switching gears from re: Queen’s Banquet an ancient people likely cursed by primordial entities beyond human understanding into becoming Other and seeking a cure for that, to a widespread and powerful clan pulling the strings of an entire empire for centuries upon centuries seeking a way to achieve true immortality

In the books, the Zhang family’s downfall is their own hubris that blinds them to their own failings to the point that eventually they lead themselves to being wiped out entirely by the Wang family, at least as far as the main branch is concerned. In the ZHH drama, their downfall isn’t even a downfall so much as it’s like they decided to retire and are having post-retirement depression. Zhang Nian is a pawn for the Wang clan, and in that sense he’s “relevant”, but his story is long-winded at best and undermines the impact and importance of the Wang family itself that ends up becoming a barely relevant footnote much like Sand Sea itself

The only thing I’m willing to believe is that Xiaoge either suffers from a more powerful version of the tianshou or is the only Zhang family member at present that suffers from it, mostly because we have no other living members of the main family alive to know if the tianshou ever became a burden Zhang Qiling alone carried for the rest of the clan. I’d be here forever if I started getting into how the ZHH drama somehow managed to lowkey retcon the Zhang family lore that was hinted at at the end of Queen’s Banquet, but it’s impressive how it managed to do even that. By the time it reached this point in episode 31 I was honestly just head in hands

Characterization issues in this drama also exist, and the three characters who suffer from it the most are probably Zhang Haike, and to a certain extent both Xiaoge and Wu Xie. Zhang Haike’s character is changed to the extent he might as well be a different character altogether so I won’t bother going into detail or I’ll be here for a while (TLDR; more or less erasing the fact he wears Wu Xie’s face permanently erases the somewhat antagonistic and overall complicated relationship he has with Wu Xie), but Xiaoge and Wu Xie have smaller changes that create contradictions down the line

Despite the drama mostly (but not entirely) disproving that Xiaoge specifically chose Wu Xie to carry on the task of tending to the tibetan sea flowers, it doesn’t discard the possibility entirely, which creates a number of problems, namely the fact that Xiaoge’s entire reasoning for going behind the bronze door in Wu Xie’s place and pushing him away the whole way up Changbai Mountain was to try and push Wu Xie out of tomb robbing and conspiracies altogether. Xiaoge sets up contingencies to help Wu Xie if he reaches specific points of no return, but going behind the bronze door is essentially Xiaoge doing the exact opposite of choosing Wu Xie to do a task, he’s aggressively unchoosing him. He also doesn’t ever relegate his duties as Zhang Qiling to other people

The same goes for the reasoning behind Xiaoge becoming Zhang Qiling being a deliberate move to help him find out who his parents are. This I can’t entirely discredit simply because the Three Days of Silence extra (the story of Xiaoge meeting Baima) gives no specific timeline or indication of his reason for going to the Jila temple besides that he was looking for a woman but he didn’t know who she was, and ZHH the book itself never talks about the circumstances behind Xiaoge becoming Zhang Qiling. The early main books place emphasis on Xiaoge’s driving force being discovering his identity and by extension his place in the world, so it’s not impossible to consider that might have been the case when he was a child as well. This is mostly vibes and not so objective, but the vibes are different, and to me Xiaoge becoming Zhang Qiling carries something more akin to a lamb offered as a sacrifice that accepts the role it’s been given, coupled with stepping up to a duty the Zhang family had essentially abandoned by that point, as opposed to doing it for strictly personal reasons. The same goes for the entire reasoning behind the tianshou wanting to kill Zhang Haike’s wife and taking control of Xiaoge to do so, because there’s irony in making Xiaoge, historically the least traditionalist Zhang alive outside of his actual duties as Zhang Qiling, Zhang family traditionalist number one via tianshou as if tianshou ever cared about the Zhang family’s isolationist politics or other earthly forms of power or symbols

Wu Xie is more complicated in that part of the problem for me is that I don’t particularly like Zhang Luyi as Wu Xie. Or in general as an actor. I’m aware this is a personal preference, but a lot of the more emotional moments were lost on me because to me he simply wasn’t conveying whatever emotion was meant to be conveyed convincingly. The biggest issue I have with Wu Xie’s portrayal outside of that is the subtle erasure of his character development. Reducing the Wang family’s relevance and impact cheapens their importance in the overarching story, which in turn cheapens the Sand Sea plan and its extreme difficulty, and the heavy personal cost of it for Wu Xie, which takes shape in the changes to the origin of his self-harm scars. Again, changing things from the book is fine, but when it alters what I consider to be a fundamental element in a character, it becomes a problem

The ZHH drama makes a point of showing that the first two scars that Wu Xie gives himself stem from what’s basically survivor’s guilt. He failed to protect the Zhang family, like he failed to prevent a situation that forced the Yinshaluo (I’m not sure that’s the name of the tribe considering all the place names in this drama are fake) warrior to sacrifice himself to stop the storm. Wu Xie punishes himself because he feels he failed, because he felt like he could have and should have done better. There are elements of that in the reasoning behind his scars in the Sand Sea book where their origin is explained, but the fundamental difference is that ZHH drama Wu Xie’s actions and reasoning come from a place where survivor’s guilt aside, he’s not objectively to blame for situations beyond his control, and in that sense, he’s “morally good”. Sand Sea book Wu Xie’s actions and reasoning come from the perspective of a man who deliberately orchestrated events in which he manipulated various people into becoming his pawns on a very high risk chessboard. Each scar represents a bad choice of move of the pawn that resulted in the death of his chosen sacrifice, so the element of failure is there, but the difference lies in the fact that contrary to the ZHH drama where he fails to save people, in the book, the people behind the scars are his victims that he willingly led to their deaths. He punishes himself because it’s his way of tolerating the intolerable from himself. Wu Xie’s amorality for the greater good in Sand Sea is such an important facet of his character, and by shifting the origin of those scars, it takes away from that element that the ZHH drama doesn’t hint at at all, or barely

There’s so many more things I could get into about this drama, like how paralleling Wu Xie and Xiaoge as being similar feels like a fundamental misunderstanding of their characters because them being different is the entire point. It’s doubly ironic when NPSS said recently that the entire point is that they’re entirely different people who only after the ten years have passed meet in the middle where their trajectories truly parallel each other: one of a man who went from a god to a man, and one of a man who went from man to god. I could talk about how Mama Bear Pangzi is a carry-over from the Reboot drama that doesn’t accurately reflect either what Pangzi is like in the books or how his dynamic with Wu Xie functions in them. I could talk about how despite there being good intentions in adding those scenes, shoving in as many impactful moments from the main story and Ten Years Later + Fishing King as they possibly could ended up feeling like boxes were being ticked off a list and it took away from their impact to the point some of those moments felt off or bland. It didn’t help that whether it was a directing issue or a filming issue (not an acting issue because Zhang Kangle was overall a good interpretation of Xiaoge), Xiaoge had practically no actual chemistry with either Wu Xie or Pangzi. I could talk about this drama’s pacing issues where it yo-yoed between going fast then excruciatingly slow. I could talk about the irony of an adaptation managing to both take a sledgehammer to the source material in a way that’s honestly criminal, yet ironically also being one the least newcomer friendly DMBJ adaptations

It’s safe to say I won’t be watching the ZHH drama again. This post exists mostly for the purpose of expounding on why I didn’t like this drama despite its strong start instead of just saying “it was bad”

[temporalhiccup]

I'm trying to write about this without getting emotional, but it's pretty hard! Hah!

But it's been officially announced so I can finally talk about it! I'm the Lead Designer (damn) on the official Tomb Raider TTRPG (double damn). Shadows of Truth has a public playtest coming up soon, and I'm excited for folks to see what we've been working on!

It's been a wild ride and a fun time, but this is also the biggest challenge I've had to face as a ttrpg designer. Like many indie folks I've drawn inspiration from the media we love (Apocalypse Keys is proudly Hellboy-inspired, among other things!) while still making it our own unique thing.

Tomb Raider has been completely different, in that I have to do my best to translate some awesome video game history into a ttrpg experience. And I gotta be as true to the source material and experience as possible, while still centering what makes ttrpgs great!

Tomb Raider is also a franchise that's been around for almost 30 years and is a HUGE DEAL. It's hard to describe how much of an impact it's made on action-adventure video games, repeatedly! Lara Croft is easily one of the most iconic characters in video games and the genre, and her Adventures include (several) dinosaurs, wild transhuman demonic Atlantean stuff, and apocalypse-inducing artifacts.

But Lara to me, especially since the 2013 game, has been a truly amazing and conflicted heroine. The last three games that grounded her and made her vulnerable, while still creating intense experiences, really hooked me. I really wanted to honor the journey of Tomb Raider and make a really fun and thrilling ttrpg for folks.

But anyone who knows me, knows that anti-colonial design is in all my games. It's just who I am, and it's not something I consciously did at first. It wasn't even until I started designing ttrpgs, in my 30s, that I realized how important my personal decolonization process was, and a lot of that has helped me discover new aspects of my identity (including being a transmasculine person).

So, I don't need to tell you that a franchise called Tomb Raider has some colonial implications, right?

As development goes on, folks have asked me "How is the game anti-colonial?" or "How are you addressing the colonialism?" I want to start off by saying as a team we conceptualized what that could mean while still being true to the franchise. But since then, as Lead Designer, I've had to make hundreds of decisions that are reflected in countless design and structural choices. I can point to dozens of mechanics and things and describe how this is my personal attempt to present anti-colonial gaming, and I'm grateful for the help our team of consultants and playtesters in guiding me.

It's kind of wild, but in chasing after and reaching for anti-colonial design, I've had to figure out how to implement great tech from other designers, but also come up with lots of new stuff too. There's some really cool Adventure design stuff that is really hard to pull off in a PbtA framework where you play to find out. (Arguably, PbtA itself has a lot of anti-colonial play about it compared to mainstream ttrpgs and it's one of the reasons we used PbtA as a design framework but that's a whole other conversation)

I'm really so grateful for the support from the team! It's hard to feel like I'm good enough and can measure up to Evil Hat's faith in me, but they've been incredibly supportive and open, and it's been stellar. Crystal Dynamics has also been amazing to work with, especially because it was important to me that while we honor how awesome Tomb Raider is, we don't downplay the difficult truths of colonialism and its ongoing effects. And they were so incredibly on board for that! It's so rare for a marginalized person like me to be granted an opportunity like this, and I am determined to give it my all.

We've built a team that's been amazing to collaborate with, and @ostrichmonkey-games has been doing incredible work alongside me. I'm really proud of what we're doing as a team! I can't wait for folks to see it come together.

You can also check out the Polygon (!!!) article about the game, which gives you a sense of some of the cool mechanics at play!

I know it's easy to write off an IP ttrpg based on a really big franchise (and for good reasons, unfortunately). But I really do think we're doing something special here! I hope y'all will give the game a chance and check it out when the public playtest starts up!

[crazylittlejester]

We are always making Wars suffer in this house, man 😔

So fluffy headcannons time ✨

Wars was gifted an orange sapling by Impa even she found out he liked them the most, and he takes pride in having nurtured it to be able to have fruit. He likes to give his friends oranges if he has to many to store/preserve, and sometimes even makes baked goods from them as well.

Wars made a sort of birdhouse for the fairies he rescued during his adventure. He made sure that there was a wardrobe for their clothes and plenty of food while he's away. He has Linkle check up on them during his journey with the chain.

Is trans! Both he and Zelda are, and upon realizing as such, they just swapped lives and called it a day. It was an awkward conversation having to explain to the others why he had the triforce of wisdom instead of courage and can harness holy light. He likes to joke that the fates got confused and mixed them up by accident.

Doesn't know if he wants kids or not. Mask, Town and Tetra were all hellions and gave him more migranes than he can count, but those softer and more wholesome moments he spent with them also makes him want a kiddo of his own. Might just become the cool wine uncle who sees his neices and nephews as his own kids.

Animals love him. Every single one, even usually hostile ones. Wild nearly had a stroke upon witnessing a Lynel acting like a full blown house cat demanding pets from him. This also means cuccos love him to death, even though he is scared by them.

Ginger, bleaches his hair to hide it. Likes scaring kids by saying if they look him in the eyes he'll take their soul. Mask, upon being told this, said he didn't have one. This was the start of Wars' concern of the child.

Has a huge sweet tooth. Like, it puts even the fairies to shame. It is a miracle his teeth haven't rotted out his head, and that might be from divine intervention.

Cat mom, and he babies them. They are spoiled and chonky and love being cuddled and held like babies.

The scarf wasn't apart of the uniform he was meant to wear. In all honesty, nobody knows how or when Zelda got the scarf, or how it became a part of his attire. It's just apart of him now.

Speaking of the scarf. It's huge. Like it straight up could be a blanket if he unfolded it and laid it felt on the ground. It's his security blanky.

OUGGHH I’m so with you on these

- THE ORANGE TREE GOT ME MAN. HE’D ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO HAVE ONE OH MY GOD 😭

- He is SUCH a friend of the fairies, they all love him to death and I’ll fucking die on this hill. They absolutely adore him

- TRANS WARS REAL. Link in general is just such a transgender icon and I love him for it

- I headcanon him as ace so I don’t think he’d ever have his own biological kids, but look me in my eyes right now and tell me he wouldn’t take a kid in who needed it. Also he’s such a girl dad, yknow? (I am so obsessed with the idea of him being a girl dad I’m writing a fic about it-)

- I have this vision in my head now of the cucco’s lookin at him like “OMG it’s Link 🙌!” and they love him so much and he runs away screaming in fear. It’s such a clear vision too 😭

- I LIKE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ALSO THINK HE DYES HIS HAIR. Like we may have different headcanons on his natural hair color (for me I think it’s a dark brown) BUT SO MANY PEOPLE HEADCANON HES A FAKE BLOND AND IM OBSESSED.

- Oh he is SUCH a sweet treat kinda guy, I headcanon he has blood sugar issues, so small little snacks with a lot of sugar in them would be so good for him actually if his blood sugar dropped suddenly

- CAT MOM REAL. I think he’d have two of those hairless cats and he’d make sweaters for them. He treats them like his children, and he cried when Legend called them ugly (the cats are hideous but like in a cute way)

- Oh that scarf is fr gigantic and definitely bug enough to be a blanket. That’s his emotional support blanket and he takes extremely good care of it

[lemonswoop]

You're not allowed to make fun of my play hours for rebirth. I was only mildly obsessed with this game.

Full journal entry and more art under the post

Start date: 2/29/2024

End date: 5/11/2024

Platform: ps5

Hours played: 156 hours

Rating: 4/5

I went into this game from the perspective of someone who has grown up with this game,from someone who accepted that this was a sequel and not a true remake. I was excited to see where the series would go from where remake left off. And boy, was this a very long adventure. This game was a BEHEMOTH! Where to even start...

Again, I think this game did not miss with its characters. They were as charming and lively as they were in part 1. One thing I loved most was Cloud himself. Cloud in the original was a broken and unreliable narrator, but with the game medium moving from pixels to 3D, letting Cliuds perspective shine seemed to be the focus and highlighted Cliuds crumbling mental state. Towards the end, Cloud went from unwell to downright scary. Creatively, I think the focus on Clouds warped perspective, that can't be entirely trusted, was a good move.

Now onto "that scene." The one everyone and their brother knew was coming. To me, that scene is the "Luke, I am your father" and "Snape kills Dumbledor" of gaming. It's hard to be in the gaming sphere and not know about it. And because of that, I'm probably going to have the unpopular opinion that it's not obligated to emotionally hit in the way that the original did. Actually, making it hit the same way it did in the original would be a near impossible, herculean creative task. It's damn near impossible to make an iconic moment that hinges on shock his hard when 90% of the audience it sitting around saying "-and this is the part where she's going to die" (I know I was guilty of that as the moment drew closer).

With that in mind, I think they made the correct creative call. They doubled down on Clouds broken and unreliable perspective instead of the original emotion players had 20 years prior. The whole scene is playing out from the pov of a man who barely has a grasp on reality instead of the shock and sadness present in the original. They chose to focus on the moments surrounding it, like the trials of the main cast living out their most traumatic moments (of which Barrets and Aeriths hit me particularly hard). Those moments hit way harder knowing what was about to come.

The themes of loss, to me, weren't in the inevitable. It was in the loss that surrounded the inevitable.

It was in the last ditch date before Aeriths death where nothing went right.

In Cloud, losing his sense of self and his unwillingness to accept loss.

In Zack's false sense of freedom and choice no matter what path he chose.

It's in the parties loss leading up to that moment and what they still stand to lose.

In the false hope of Biggs and Wedge surviving.

In the timeliness where Aerith doesn't join the life stream and can't cast Holy, a time where humanity accepted its inevitable end; a slow creeping death.

Thinking about that hit a lot harder than what I already knew was coming. Everything seems to be hammering home that despite their best efforts, fate is a lot harder to change than they thought. That loss is still the main overarching theme, even if the story of "how" is told differently. It was those moments that tended to hit me a lot harder.

Speaking of Clouds' character, there is one shot in particular that really stood out to me as well done. After Cloud gets ahold of the Black materia, Barret takes it from him. The shot of Cloud demanding it back is shot in Barrets' perspective, intentionally making Cloud look small and not totally in control from a simple camera switch. He looked like a petulant child. As a big appreciator of creative uses of camera angles to tell story, that one was just *chefs kiss*

This is a series I'm still very much along for the ride, and I have to let it play out. I have my gripes, as I always will even with my most beloved series, but so far, I'm pleased with how they played with expectations. The game play loop was fun enough for me to sink hours into and i got plenty of laugh out loud moments from this journey.

The wait for part 3 will be a long one!

"Loss... it engulfs fleeting moments of joy, transforms them into rage, sadness, and hatred."

[dungeonsandblorbos]

Campaign/Character Intro: The Orphic Uprising and Amazonomachy, feat. Nina Grayson

Status: Completed System: Cypher

About: These were two continuous arcs that together formed the first campaign with my university TTRPG group. It was a homebrew story set in the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, following a small group of simultaneously inept and hyper-competent demigods from Camp Half-Blood on their various (mis)adventures. Out of character, we called ourselves the Confusion Crew due to the sheer absurdity of some of the shenanigans we got up to. It was delightful.

Genres: Urban fantasy, YA Rating: Teen General content warnings: strong language, mature humor, immature humor, fantasy violence, teenage protagonists, second-hand embarrassment. Posts may not be tagged due to the generally mild nature of most of this campaign's content. Tags: #confusion crew, #nina grayson

story and character details under the cut

The Story

The first arc, The Orphic Uprising, was a short and sweet 10 session wonder. Our story began with a simple game of Capture the Flag gone horribly wrong as Camp Half-Blood was invaded by a skeletal army and a beloved NPC was killed. In the aftermath, we received a prophecy:

Children of Night and lords of the deep Conspire together in the midnight keep. When the twice born God is lured and bound beneath, The impossible is tasked to the daughter of the laurel wreath; The islander shall face the Cyprian boar, And beauty's blood shall open the door; The forgotten son of Spring shall be returned. Through faith and song life can then be earned.

Once the party is determined, we're given the keys to an old model of the Sun Chariot and immediately set course for California and the Underworld.

The second arc, The Amazonomachy, ran almost three times as long, a whole 27 sessions over the course of about 9 months. It's set roughly a year after the last arc, and began with a simple game of Capture the Flag against some visiting Amazons that went horribly wrong when the Amazons turned it into a full-blown raid on Camp Half-Blood. Apparently, the new queen of the Amazons somehow got it into her head that, just as the Olympians overthrew their parents, the Titans, it was high time that we, the demigods, overthrew the Olympians, and she didn't want Camp Half-Blood getting in the way of her mission. Our intrepid heroes from last summer, together with two new unlucky campers who happened to be in the wrong right place at the wrong right time, sneak out of camp and set about sabotaging the Amazons' efforts. And if they fail to do that, well, they can still stop the queen from becoming a new god and killing the old ones . . . right?

The Blorbos

I played Nina Grayson (depicted above), who was an incredibly skilled gymnast, modern dancer, and rock climber—and why wouldn't she be? She's a daughter of Nike, literal embodiment of victory. How could she be anything but the best? Failure was simply not an option for Nina, and while she preferred to avoid failure honestly, the fear of it was so strong that she had no qualms about fighting dirty or playing tricks if that's what it took to win. She was impulsive, headstrong, extremely determined, and nigh-unkillable, with a mean right hook and a poor sense of self. She wasn't very good at making friends, but lucky for her, the rest of the party didn't leave her much of a choice there, and by the epilogue, she had more emotional support than she knew what to do with! Nina was a menace both in and out of combat because she put all her points into strength, speed, durability, and dirty tricks, and nothing into charisma or smarts. Truly, a himbo lesbian queen (literally, in fact, because I think she ended up canonically becoming the queen of the Amazons in the epilogue). Iconic himbo acts of hers included solving a hidden object puzzle by punching a horse statue in the face, getting set on fire and putting it out by drenching herself in monster blood, solving a locked door problem by punching the lock in the face, splitting the party to play double agent without telling her friends she was only fake-betraying them, and solving a vengeful goddess issue by punching her in the face so hard it temporarily killed said goddess. At some point she also acquired the nickname Larry?

Her two best friends were Chuck Hickey, an appropriately chaotic son of Dionsysus who grew up on his grandparents' vineyard, played by my lovely husband @somethingclevermahogony, and Beatrice Starveling, an incredibly musically talented and equally exhausted daughter of Apollo who made Orpheus look like a chump, played by the incredibly artistically talented @hamletphase (who I think has commissions open rn!). These three were part of both arcs, and I love this trio dearly. For the second arc, we were also joined by the iconic bromance duo of surfer dude Cameron "Murph" Murphy, a son of Epimethius ("god" of hindsight) who got himself into a lot of chaos but somehow always had the right tool for the job, played by the fantastic @ostrich-runner, and wannabe fuckboi Bryce, a totally not bisexual disaster son of Eros. And last but not least, there was our team pet Hops, a funky little alcohol grain demon who looked like if a cabbage patch doll was an actual baby-shaped root vegetable. We fed him illegally acquired beer and Chuck carried him around in a baby björn, or occasionally threw him like a football at our enemies and used him like an Entangle spell. Only the best food and enrichment activities for our darling grain demon!

[officialidontbelieveinhumans]

Which Mythical Creature Matches Your Star Sign?

Ever wondered which magical creature matches your star sign?  Strap in for an enchanting journey with our ultimate guide to your astrological spirit animal!

Aries: Look alive, because your spirit animal is the Dragon, breathing fire and brimstone and all things fierce. This creature’s all about that bold, burn-first-apologize-never vibe that screams your brand of gutsy. Use your inner dragon to torch any obstacles in your way! 

Taurus: The dreamy Unicorn is just your speed, bringing all the chill vibes of a lazy Sunday morning. Rely on the peaceful Unicorn to steer you through the rollercoaster of life with insight and clarity.

Gemini: Fluttering into your life is the sprightly Fairy, as vibrant and chatty as you are. This little winged advisor is all about sprucing up your communication talents and sprinkling some sweetness into your words and expressions.

Cancer: Dive deep with the Mermaid, your go-to for all things heartfelt. Get cozy with your inner sea creature and splash around in your feelings—it’s about getting as snug as a clam in those emotional waters.

Leo: You get the Phoenix because obviously, who else could match your flair for the dramatic? Let this fiery fowl reboot your life every time you need a fresh start. 

Virgo: Call forth the Gnome, because someone needs to keep things tidy around here, and it might as well be your spirit animal. This little pointy hat-wearer is all about keeping your pencils sharpened and your ducks in a row.

Libra: Glide through the skies atop the Pegasus. Aim high, and let this winged horse elevate your aesthetic game to new heights—bringing you beauty, balance, and a touch of divine equine.

Scorpio: Here comes the Griffin, all regal and fierce and a tad bit intimidating—just like you. This mythical manager helps you strategize and slice through life’s messes with the precision of a well-aimed claw.

Sagittarius: The Centaur is your co-conspirator, blending human intellect with horse-like stamina. Gear up for deep thoughts and long treks in pursuit of wild adventures and sage insights.

Capricorn: Nessie, aka the Loch Ness Monster, is your clandestine spirit creature. Hold your secrets tight and your tactics tighter as you wade through the foggy realms of business and bureaucracy.

Aquarius: Stomping through your life is none other than Bigfoot, an icon of uniqueness and a legend in his own right. March to the beat of your own drum with Sasquatch by your side, breaking norms, and blazing trails.

Pisces: Your guide is the Wizard, steeped in the arcane and brimming with creativity. Stir the cauldron of potential with your wise old mentor, conjuring magic and artistry as you go.

[koishua]

koishua's miscellaneous wip list!

say boo and pressure me into finishing these numbers <3

listed: 24/80 proper wips. had to sift through 250 drafts and veto most of them bc honestly we all know they weren't going to see the light of day!! have a suzu icon representing me rn <3 gonna be giving the other wips to the mooties who sent in for the ask game i created ages ago

№1 ) love till the sun sets | heeseung est. 15k

№2 ) from under the magnolia tree | beomgyu est. 10k — on february fourteenth, exactly five years ago, he’d gifted you a small magnolia tree he’d named after you. he’d said that he would love you for as long as the sapling you’d planted together would live. he’d even said that he would watch as it grew bigger and older with both of you taking care of it. he'd said that it would be the most beautiful thing in town. you'd believed him.

№3 ) we were beautiful | sunghoon est. 5k — you were fifteen when you’d first fallen in love with your childhood friend, seventeen when you’d called him your boyfriend, and eighteen when you lost him to life. broken apart by circumstances and necessity, everything you’d built up with him had fallen apart overnight. by the time the dawn of your nineteenth birthday had arrived, you’d no longer have the name park sunghoon present in your everyday life, only contained dearly in your memories and a journal, his name scribbled mindlessly on each and every corner of the aged pages.

№4 ) dear cupid | jake est. 15k — desperate to have his feelings of two years reciprocated, he finds a leather-bound book falling by his feet in the old campus library containing a guide on how to summon the very real and very quirky god of love and desire, cupid. in his next life, jake would come to write a book on why you should read holy contracts thoroughly before signing your name off in blood.

№5 ) man up | heeseung short fic

№6 ) ikigai | niki est 10k — lonely and trying to cope with the deeply settled rage at the world, reader stumbles upon a peculiar boy in the middle of a bridge and falls into a conversation with him where she utters eight damning words. the world consequently stops spinning and the univers halts as it is. time comes to a stand still and the only two ppl able to move happen to be her and the boy beside her. cue the next seven days of adventures in the dark streets, lit only by the streetlamps in the outskirts of tokyo.

№7 ) pocket locket | m. jaehyun short fic

№8 ) foreign exchange student!beomgyu drabble

№9 ) death is for those who stay | heeseung short fic

№10 ) the world and all her pearls | ??

№11 ) do yourself a flavour | ?? — ice cream parlour, r2l

№12 ) i blinked and suddenly i had a valentine | ??

№13 ) enha dates gone awry (in the best ways!)

№14 ) take you out | sunghoon assassin au short fic

№15 ) a conversation between the lost and unloved | yeonjun est 3k

№16 ) mothers and fathers | yeonjun est 5k — a conversation about hungry mothers and forgetful fathers with yeonjun, an unlikely friend from a country you've never been to.

№17 ) signs that enha are dating

№18 ) "why did you give me wings and want me to fall?" | ?? — hunger games-esque!au

№19 ) notes unread | sunghoon — letters you'd written for each other, unsent and unread.

№20 ) enha and your cute little secrets

№21 ) everything sucks, just kidding! | yeonjun short fic

№22 ) do not touch | jay est 5k — bnha!au, living with a quirk damning you to eternal loneliness, not being able to touch or be touched in fear of the other's demise, jay loves you from afar. he loves you without a single touch.

№23 ) i could drown myself in someone like you | gaon short fic

№24 ) dude, go to therapy | beomgyu text fic — your number neighbor just so happens to be choi beomgyu, your old nemesis from high school. it's too late when you find out about it, though, because you'd already dumped all of your emotional baggage on him. worst of all, he seemed to be concerned and not at all like the beomgyu of the past.

[willowisapillow]

☂️🍑 Y2K Peach, My Beloved 🍑☂️

jksdjksdwk Istg I need to draw other Mario girls, but I always end up drawing Peach in the end I’m just currently too obsessed with her, plz help me 🥲

Drew this as both a (belated) 18th anniversary to Super Princess Peach (damn, I can’t believe this game is the same age as me 💀), and as a (also belated) birthday gift for one of my buddies from DeviantArt, @therosypinkprincess .

We both really like Peach, so I felt like drawing her a sweet little present. I suggest you check out her art if you have the time, it’s absolutely beautiful and so pretty 💖💕

I wanted to start this before October 20th rolled around, which was the day Super Princess Peach first dropped in Japan (and coincidentally the same day Super Mario Wonder also dropped), but I was starting to get a little burned out after trying to complete a bunch of Spooktober and Blacktober art, so I had to put it on hold. Fast forward to a couple of days ago, I finally had the motivation to continue the art, with a few changes.

I love Super Princess Peach. It’s one of my favorite Nintendo DS games, and I love that Nintendo finally realized that it was time to give Peachy some justice by letting her go on a solo adventure. This time she got to save the day all by herself, and also rescued her mans this time.

Games like this, the Smash Bros. series, Mario + Rabbids, SMB2, and others prove that Peach is more than just a pretty-faced damsel, and is far from a “dumb blonde”, or an, “airhead”. She doesn’t always get kidnapped and is clearly capable of defending and taking care of herself and uses her hyper-feminity to kick ass.

It’s perfectly a-okay if you prefer other Mario ladies over her, but it bugs me so much that she’s so often just categorized as only a damsel because she’s girly, kind, empathetic, and soft-spoken.

Also greatly annoys me how often in stuff like fanart, fanfiction, and animations, she’s always made a punching bag, demonized, or made weaker to make the other ladies look better in comparison. All of that is just no 😃

And regarding Super Princess Peach, I never understood the whole, “sexist” accusations that people were calling the game all because Peach had different emotions in the game. She ain’t the only one who uses her emotions, the rest of the cast has different emotions too, but unlike them, Peach can actually control hers. So, all in all, I just personally find the whole, “sexist” claim kinda goofy ngl

Honestly speaking, I only have one gripe with this game. I wished that they did a little more with my boy Perry’s backstory, because it sadly didn’t go anywhere, and it hints that his kidnapper might be at large. Other than that, the game is still pretty solid, and it definitely holds up. Especially the music, it’s got a couple of bangers.

As you’ve guessed by the title, I wanted to go for a more Y2K feel not just aesthetic-wise, but also fashion-wise. I went on Google, and searched for a bunch of outfits from 2005, the year SPP came out. I went with this outfit I found on Google, and since it had pink in it, I definitely knew that it would be perfect for Peach. There’s also this 2005 Fashion Fever Barbie that also inspired this outfit.

And speaking of which, at the time of sketching the art, I was also watching some Y2K stuff that I grew up with to get me in the mood, and that included some CGI Barbie movies (because Barbie is such a movie icon ✨) such as The Barbie Diaries and Fairytopia. There’s also other stuff I watched like Winx Club, Totally Spies, and the Bratz TV Show.

I wanted to put her hair in pigtails, along with giving her peach fruit earrings because, well… that’s literally what she’s named after. Also included a little easter egg reference to her final smash in the Smash Bros. series if you can figure out where it is 👀

I really loved how this art turned out, though I wanted to give Peach the whole, “down-to-earth, wholesome, sweet girl-next-door” type vibes with her new outfit, with a hint of some girly pop. Kinda similar to characters like Lizzie McGuire, Betty Cooper, and Disney ladies such as Snow White and Giselle. I think I succeeded with it, both her and Perry look kawaii af ❤️

And for those of you who can't read Japanese, the text on the left side just reads, "Peach and Perry-chan!". I just put it into Google Translate, and thought that it would go well with the art.

☂️ 🍑 ☂️

[hugemilkshake]

Hey Can I request a scenario where a gingerbrave, his friends, and pure vanilla cookie get save by the reader/Darkwing Duck

Plot: After GingerBrave and his friends many adventures they decided they needed a break. so they decided to visit a new city called St. Canard with pure vanilla cookie by their side (because if I remember correctly mostly everyone is a child besides chili pepper I think) but they were not expecting some members of the cookies of darkness to be there and with some members from The Fearsome Five (maybe no Negaduck but that's your choice). They tried beating them but there were too many of them to take down. They are now cornered in a alleyway thinking that they are goners but a lot of purple gas enter the alleyway then they all heard St. Canard's hero iconic introduction "I am the terror that flaps in the night"

Enjoy the milkshake! Now usually I won’t do any mixing of fandoms but this is the only exception because of the absolute whiplash I got from this because I actually like really darkwing duck 😭 so anon if your reading this I want you to know that you caused me some emotional distress (in a good way)

The terror that dashes through the night

-platonic-

The group had been traveling for the entire day, their journey had come to a halt when they found a city on an island, mist surrounded the island and by the time they got across the bridge the sun was already setting.

“I’m hungry! Your king demands you bring me some food!” Custard Cookie lll whined as Chili Pepper snapped back “Can it kid! We’re going to grab some food alight?”

The group started to make their way towards a diner that was still open. The diner was empty as the group walked in.

“So, you guys not from St. Canard aren’t ya?” The cookie behind the counter spoke to the group. Gingerbrave was the one to respond “Yeah we are new here! I’m Ginger-“ “I guessed as much, because no one, and I mean no one travels around the city looking all fancy and at this time” the cookie said while gesturing towards Pure Vanilla

“Why is that..?” Strawberry Cookie questioned. “Thieves.” The cookie responded “The crime rate is only being controlled by some doofus in a cape”

“Great. We’re going to get robbed.” “Pointy hat can you try to be optimistic?” “No.” Wizard Cookie was not to happy about this situation. You can’t blame him though, they were probably going to get robbed.

The group wanted to find a hotel since the cookie in the diner wasn’t going to give them any service. It was dark and the wind blew some trash across the vacant streets. Pure Vanilla told the younger cookies to stay by him because he had a bad feeling

“This maps not very useful…” Strawberry Cookie mumbled as she jumped at some noise. “Yeah! This map doesn’t even lead anywhere!” Custard exclaimed. Pure Vanilla had to calm them down so they wouldn’t panic soon

“It’s alright everyone, we’ll find somewhere to stay… soon I hope..” everyone wasn’t reassured by this. The group soon heard some giggling and then some shushing from the shadows.

Three Cookies emerged from the shadows. They were from The Cookies of Darkness. Pomegranate was the first to speak. “Looks like your lost” soon Affogato came out of the shadows, only having a sinister smile.

“Heheh… you cookies took a wrong turn” a cookie in the shadows said, Affogato and Pomegranate looked at the shadows, both unimpressed and annoyed.

“Matcha Cookie. Your wee meant to follow after me.” Affogato sighed. Soon a cookie who vaguely resembled Dark enchantress “Grrrrr…. Can it! I did it! You just can’t see!” The cookie who is apparently named Matcha Cookie said

Pomegranate soon looked back to the group. “I highly suggest that you hand over your soul jam if you don’t want things to get nasty” soon some cookies they’ve never seen before came from the shadows and practically surrounded them.

The group was about to engage in combat when all of a sudden some purple smoke engulfed them all… and then a cookie spoke…

“I am the Terror that dashes through the night…”

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

PoE: Actual Thoughts

This is going to be my last post regarding the discourse that I was responsible for starting. A lot of people probably think I hate the movie and am Lily Orchard 2.0 because of what those like spot-the-antisemitism claim. I’ll be leaving my actual opinions on it as well as the fandom and why I don’t love it as much as I used to. Contrary to what Zionists like Emperorsfoot claim, I can think for myself and have my own beliefs.

TPoE used to be one of my favorite movies. I wrote an essay back in 9th grade encouraging people to watch it because it had great music, great animation and an emotional story one could appreciate regardless of their religious beliefs. I still think it’s a good piece of filmmaking and has its place in theological and historical discussions. James Baxter worked on some of the animation sequences and would later create iconic moments from shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe.

So what’s the problem? Well, the reason my opinion towards has soured is multifaceted. Being an anime fan has played a role in me seeing it as just another movie as opposed to the greatest animated film ever due to watching movies such as Spirited Away, Suzume or The End of Evangelion. Its fandom is another thing I dislike. Some say you can’t let fandom ruin something for you but if a majority of the people in a fandom are jerks, then it’s valid to not want to engage.

While it was wrong for me to call it “Zionist propaganda”, I have gotten anon hate from its stans including suicide bait. So many of the people in the notes of the post as well as the OP were either transphobic radtrads like griseldafury21, “vote blue no matter what” liberals like Short-wooloo or all the fandom Zionists like Prismatic-bell. YouTube comments are full of “anti woke” creationists using it to trash modern Hollywood, which is terrible but not for the reasons they claim. Liberal Zionists do use it to support their view of themselves as perpetual victims who can do no wrong. Killing people is okay as long as they’re oppressive in their eyes, whether Egyptian or Palestinian.

So maybe I do dislike it but not because I think it’s a bad movie or propaganda, but because it’s fandom has soured me towards it. One could certainly use its liberation message as a commentary on the oppression of Palestinians but that probably won’t get any support from the movie’s top fans. The behavior of the hardcore fans is what has turned me off to it, especially their concern trolling over gofundme scams. Same reason why I’ve been less enthusiastic towards Steven Universe. Still has a place in my heart and was a big factor in my anime obsession but the amount of fans who are racist milquetoast liberals has pushed me away from the fandom. I don’t single out Jews for being Zionists either. I would be disappointed if Rebecca Sugar supported Israel but I’d feel the same about Makoto Shinkai, Hideaki Anno or Dwayne McDuffie, if he was still alive, and others I admire. I judge people based on their actions and principles, not their religion or ethnicity.

So that’s what I actually think of the movie and it’s fans. Some of the songs like “When you believe” are pretty emotional and as someone with a complicated relationship with my brother, the conflict between Moses and Ramses does get a tear out of me, even if that’s not what happened in the Bible. I still have fondness for it, but many of its hardcore fans have ruined it and people’s lack of willingness to criticize any aspect is disappointing. Criticizing it or SU does not make someone Lily Orchard or Lindsay Ellis as people can develop their own opinions without influence. The Prince of Egypt is a great work of art in my opinion but it’s not above criticism and the way people use it as well as other “wholesome” media as a shield should be talked about more.

[danielfeketewrites]

DOCTOR WHO TOP 10 - 9th Doctor

Ninth Doctor. I love him, you probably love him too. He's great. Let's go.

10. The Cruel Sea

Rob Shearman's very weird comic strip. Admittedly, I love it to bits. While I think Shearman wasn't entirely sure about what he's doing, the result is still by far ninth Doctor's best DWM comic. (Okay, I also really like Scott Gray's Monstrous Beauty, it just didn't make the list.)

9. The Beast of Babylon

I love xenofiction and Doctor Who should do it more often.

8. The Sin-Eaters

Ninth Doctor's Titan comic book run by Cavan Scott is on the whole pretty solid. (And preferable to ninth Doctor's 2005 DWM run, which just has too much Gareth Roberts to be any good.) I can definitely recommend the whole thing. Not everything in there is amazing, but there's a lot to like about it.

This story is my personal highlight of the run. Twisted, clever, and fun. The Sin-Eaters just slaps.

7. The End of the World

The moment Tainted Love starts playing, you know you're in for something amazing.

I just love this episode... It's the first episode of New Who that really gets to show off the scope of "the alien" in this universe. I adore the creativity of it, the energy of it. And Lady Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17, of course. So many iconic moments in this one.

6. Bad Wolf / Parting of the Ways

The big finale, of course. Huge, emotional, epic... but also featuring some biting satire about the landscape of television. The perfect finale to the first series.

5. The Stealers of Dreams

My favourite ninth Doctor book. It's kinda Cartmelian in it's premise, but also deals with the new reality for the eu - Doctor Who being back on TV. This is a stunning Who novel and it should get a lot more attention than it does. Steve Lyons is awesome.

4. Monsters in Metropolis

Historicals about film history are great and there should be more of them. Also, this one made me cry, so there's that. I love Monsters in Metropolis so goddamn much, thank you John Dorney.

3. Planet of the End

After listening to the first series of Big Finish's The Ninth Doctor Adventures, one gets a pretty clear sense that Respond to All Calls is the strongest of the four boxsets, by a pretty wide margin.

My favourite of that boxset has to be Planet of the End by Timothy X Atack. There's just something about the size of the ideas in this one... Fred is an amazing character, the Incorporation are truly villainous... Just thinking about this one makes me want to listen to it again.

2. Dalek

Rob Shearman resurrects Daleks. Well... just one, to be precise. But it's all he needs to craft one of the greatest Dalek stories every. Every line is gold, the story is poignant and meaningful, the characters are memorable... And it's a Base Under Siege story where the monster is trying to get out instead of getting in. What more do you want?

1. The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances

What else could it be? Steven Moffat's Hilarious & Horny Horror For Children, also known as The Empty Child two-parter, has become such an iconic and defining bit of Doctor Who. I feel like everyone loves it and for good reasons. It's absolutely deserving of all the hype and acclaim. And... You know... Everybody lives!