#also i might change her hairstyle at this point in the story hmmm

[shierak-inavva]

i don’t even want to tag these i’ve been trying out a shorthand doodle style lately and opted for meme junk after horsing around the other day talking about elowen meeting feanor in the halls of waiting so obviously we had to compile some incorrect quotes that fit

[razorblade180]

Lasting Embers pt12: Family

Jaune:*walking down the stairs* Well look who’s having a midnight snack.

*Yang and Yujin eating french toast*

Yang:*mouth full* Hi hun...

Yujin:*waving enthusiastically*

Jaune:I’m guessing the market run was a success?

Yujin:Not only that, mom told me some very interesting stories. You never told me you once used the sword of destruction to fight your old partner!

Jaune:*looks at Yang* You started with that story...?

Yang:It’s a depressing but hardcore story; I’m surprised you didn’t tell her yourself. You had a death match with the undead invincible warrior.

Jaune:First, she wasn’t undead. She was just all grimm like and horrifying. Second, somehow I knew that would love telling that story. So I saved it for you to tell.

Yujin:I always knew you were a pretty cool dad but hearing that story just makes you even cooler! *eyes as wide as her plate*

Yang:*taking this moment to sneak over to Ruby* Hey there lil sis; feeling rested?

Ruby:*laying on the couch* Yeah, it feels nice to sleep on good furniture after a decade.

Yang:Is that the only place you sle-ow!

Ruby:*flicking her forehead* I know what you’re implying and I still think it’s very weird that you would be okay with something like that. Like extremely weird.

Yang:*rubbing her forehead* Don’t you think I know that? It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to happen to this family if we’re being truthful.

Ruby:Yang, why is my love life so important to you. I know things have been......difficult for me. However, I don’t think I’m desperate enough to sleep with my sister’s husband. That sounds like something out of Blake’s novels.

Yang:I know it’s just....if I’m being honest with myself I feel like I robbed you. You and Jaune have always had this special connection no one can match and frankly it always made me a little jealous.

Ruby:......

Yang:Also I can’t help but feel that if you had married him then you would’ve been spared this heart-ow! Stop thumping me.

Ruby:No matter how you slice it, Oscar’s death would’ve tore me up. Him being my husband was definitely fuel for that agony but I want to believe I would’ve mourned just as hard even if he wasn’t. Your intentions are weird but pure; I’ll be fine though.

Yang:*kisses her forehead* If my leader says she’s fine then I guess she’s fine. Do me a favor though and don’t lock your heart away. We both know Weiss is single.

Ruby:I’d be a little less concerned about my skills to meet someone and more concerned about your moves in bed. You’re ten years rusty and I know from that kiss you had with Jaune earlier that he’s been waiting for this night.

Yang:.....*red* That hadn’t crossed my mind. Shoot, that might have to wait. It would be weird it Yu-

Ruby:*standing up* Yujin let’s go get your sword before something happens to it. A grimm or person might take it.

Yujin:Crap, you’re right. All that work into making Tempered Steel and I forgot my poor baby in a fit of rage! *rushes out the door*

Ruby:I’ll keep her safe and you two....you know. *closes door*

Jaune:*looks at Yang*

Yang:Sooooo there’s still some french toast le-*caught off gaurd by a kiss before getting picked up*

Jaune:Not really what I want to eat right now.

Yang:J..just so you know, it’s been awhile for me. I’m probably out of practice. *embarrassed*

Jaune:You say that like I’m not. It’s been a long ten years. I don’t want to waste a another moment.

Yang:*crimson* Then by all means.... let’s go to bed. I am a little tired from today though.

Jaune:That’s fine *whispers* I’ll do all the work.

Yang:*laughs anxiously* So much for sleeping.

[Forest Clearing]

Yujin:......Was this a distraction?

Ruby:Yeah....

Yujin: I see. *closes eyes* Mom and dad are-

Ruby:Yeah.......

Yujin:*grabs her sword* Sigh, I shouldn’t have asked.

[the next morning]

Jaune:*peacfully sleeping in bed* Zzzz

Yang:*admiring him as she lays beside him* (who would’ve thought I’d miss the sound of him snoring? Sleeping without a care in the world.) *kisses his forehead*

Jaune:*smiles warmly in his sleep*

Yang:*smiles* I love you....

*knock knock knock*

Yang:Don’t tell me they were out all night? I feel kinda bad now. *puts on PJ’s and heads down stairs*

*Yujin and Ruby sleeping with headphones on*

Yang:Oh they’re inside. Wait, who’s knocking at five in the morning? *looks through the peep whole*

*A man stands there wearing a hooded cloak. Combat boots and leather gloves can be seen; a few strands of reddish hair visible*

Yang:Wait a sec, *opens the door* Adam?

Adam:*takes off the hood. Hair noticeably longer and laid down. A slight bang covers his scar. His horns have actually grown a few inches longer* Yang? You’re back?

Yang:You know, Jaune did mention you were gonna be showing up; I just can’t believe you’re actually here. *glaring slightly* not sure how I feel about it all things considered.

Adam:That’s fair; if anyone would’ve bothered to tell me you’d be back then I wouldn’t be here. Wait, is Blake...?

Yang:She’s alive and should be back in menagerie by now; or at least close to it.

Adam:Hmmm I guess I should’ve stayed back a day or two like Jacquelyn wanted. Oh well, no point in thinking about it now. *rubs the slight stubble on his chin*

Yang:*noticing a ring*..........How?

Adam:How what?

Yang:*shaking her head* Nothing! You uhh... look healthy. That hairstyle sucks though; you look a little emo.

Adam:Rude as ever I see. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m “dead” to the majority world. Walking around with a very iconic scar would raise some flags.

Yang:Still.....*movig his bang* you’re kinda fortunate you don’t use that eye to-

*yang staring at two blue eyes instead of one*

Yang:S...see? How on remnant do you have- *gears turning* how much luck do you have to have to get the chance to marry the one person who can open the vault to the relic of creation.

Adam:It was her idea; not mine. She insisted on doing it though.

Yang:You kept the scar though?

Adam:Fixing things is fine but, you shouldn’t forget that they got broken in the first place. This scar in a way started it all; only fitting it stays.

Yang:....Seeing you calm is jarring and uncomfortable. What happened to all that spite?

Adam:It lingers; there’s just not as much room for it as there used to be. Speaking of the relic of creation... *points to her arm* If it can make an eye then a limb should be easy.

Yang:*looking at it* It’s not like a need to get rid of this. Although, it would be nice to hug Yujin with two regular arms for change. I’ll think about it.

Adam:Speaking of the wild child, is she-

*Yang aggressively pushed to the side unexpectedly*

Yujin:*jumps through the door frame, arms stretched out excitedly* Sensei Adam!!!!

Adam:*side steps; Yujin face planting on the ground*

Yujin:*muffled* Why would you do that?

Adam:Last time I was over you lunged at with a sword trying to challenge me.

Yujin:*standing up pouting* I just wanted a hug.... *red*

Yang:*dying inside* (of all people)

Adam:*rubbing her head* You’ve grown like a weed. It has been almost a year since my last check in though.

Yujin:*ginning* Did you bring me a present!? You know my birthday was just yesterday right!?

Adam:I’m constantly traveling lightly and can’t be seen by regular people. Getting you a present would be difficult.

Yujin:Oh...*puts her head down* Huh? *sees a pendant shaped like the sun dangling in her peripheral*

Adam:*holding it* So I had this made secretly. It’s made out of a sun stone; Happy Birthday.

Yang:*eyes widen* (Is this even the same guy?)

Yujin:*Putting it on immediately* This is awesome! I can’t believe you did this. *hugs him*

Adam:*looking at Yang while trying to free his arms* You okay over there?

Yang:I....I’m coping. You being good with kid’s let alone my daughter is a reality I have to get used to.

Adam:If it makes you feel better, I don’t always have this type of luck when it comes to my kid. With all this is espionage I only really see them one or two months out of the yea-

Yang:YOU HAVE A KID!!!!!?

Yujin:I know right? *letting go* Honestly I’d rather have you tell me about her as a gift because he’s told me nothing about her!

Adam:Nope.

Yujin:Worth a shot *mumbles* a kiss on the cheek would’ve been a nice gift...

Adam:What did you say?

Yujin:*Blushing* Nothing!

Yang:Wait, are you referring to that one runt we found in that... *looks at Yujin* ...... *covers her ears* that slave and torture sight? Where you ended up a while back?

Adam:No I have a biological kid. I do count both of them as mine though. *trying not to smile*

Yang:Can I know about her?

Yujin*struggling and trying to lead lips* Aw come on! Why don’t I get to know? *ears finally uncovered*

Adam:Sorry kiddo, not that I don’t trust you to keep a secret but that sort of thing is best left for an actual encounter. I’m sure one day you get meet my desert rose.

Yujin:Desert rose? What does that mean?

Adam:You’ll figure it out one day; don’t think about too much.

Yujin:Fine.....Oh! Can I get one more present from you!?

Adam:I’m not teaching you a proper moonslice.

Yang:*shudders*

Yujin:Not that, but I still want to learn. I’m curious on who’s stronger these days, you or mom.

*both look at each other*

Yang:I’m done of you are; I miss punching you a bit. Those were simpler times.

Adam:You’re in PJ’s Yang.

Yang:Consider it a handicap. I’ve done a lot in ten years; I might be too much to handle.

Adam:*throws cloak off* Those are some bold words. I think you might’ve forgotten what this swordsman can do. *smirking*

*both looking at each other smugly. Tension in the air.*

Yujin:*hitting record on her scroll* Who would’ve thought being 15 was so great?

[inside]

Jaune:*hearing metal clashing outside* That didn’t take long. Pass the milk please.

Ruby:*making cereal* This will never change and the worst part is....

Jaune:It always ends in a draw.... *raises spoon* To nostalgia!

Ruby:*raises spoon* And the two of them at least not going for blood!

“Cheers!” *clink*

[abundantchewtoys]

Homestuck^2 re: Chapter 3 “How Are Your Feelings” p96-118

So, the next chapter appears to be about an attempted feelings jam.

I think it might be too early yet for the pursuing crew, so maybe we'll have a look at Karkat and Meenah?

Though if there's ever a way for the pursuing crew or Dirk's crew to meet up with the new teens, I'm fully expecting Vrissy to have a "mom?" moment re: Kanaya or Rosebot.

---

Page 96

OOoooh!! Okay, so I was wrong.

Hah, that does look like something Jake would do - build a fleet of wildy different space ships.

Plus, it's an emerald pirate ship... In pursuit of a great white whale- I mean shark. Hah!

So yeah... It's been three years since Rose and Kanaya were together. :/

I suspect the crew is made up out of Dave, Karkat, Jade (perhaps possessed) and Roxy. But that'd mean Jane had the run of Earth C for all this time, and Calliope is back there in a worsening political climate.

Hmmm... Maybe Roxy would have chosen to bring their partner along though. Even though Callie is upset by the presence of her other self. In any case, I wonder what they look like! Whether they're still a deadringer for Dave.

---

Page 97

Pfff, what an exhaust pipe. I love the visual pun.

---

Page 98

Woooww, this reminds me of Problem Sleuth / Midnight Crew visuals! So purple though. Whose room is this, Roxy's? (It might be closer to violet than purple.)

Ooh boy, Calliope's about to take over the narrative. So she hasn't let poor Jade out of her grasp, or at least not definitely.

---

Page 99

D'aaaaahh, she's a frickin devil now. PFfffffffff, this is Dave and Karkat's room! Glad to see Davekat's still canon.

I bet this might be a recurring occurence, Jade/Calliope coming in at the most impossible hours bearing ominous tidings.

Hihih, so she's taken over the command box only for now. I suppose it's a clever way to show she could still take over the narrative is she was so inclined.

---

Page 100

Dave is more upset with Karkat than Jade, pffff.

---

Page 101

Ooooh, new outfits! Wait, Calliope made herself a new outfit. :/ She's getting comfortable in that new body.

Karkat has a Time shirt for a pyjama, hahah. I'm pretty sure he fell on his sweater, which probably still bears the Cancer sign.

Cool to have a squinting version of Dave's sprite. Now all we still need is one with his eyes wide open, but this is a start.

I'd start wondering if Calliope's starting to be a bit lonely, reaching out to Karkat and Dave like this with her message. And yup, she does it all the time. Dave's blasé about it.

---

Page 102

Welp! Jade's doing the Possesion 180-degree turn of the head now.

Return of the gross, oil-slick coffee machine from the meteor, maybe? :P

---

Page 103

Oh cool, at first glance Roxy's appearance is that jarring. Maybe her coup is a little shorter than before, but not as short as she wore it during the Meat epilogues, near the end. Guess she might be working through some of the same things as Candy Roxy and understanding she doesn't have to go all non-binary if that isn't where her heart is up at in.

Also, cool shades! Though, of course, a Heart is a bit of a faux pas perhaps, giving who they're chasing. :P

So Jade at least spent the first part of the voyage more silent. But as her powers grow, she has more control over Jade's body. :/

Cool, Dave has Karkat's shirt as part of his jammies. Roxy just went with a full on hoodie. At least I think it's her jammies, she's reading at the kitchen table but it's probably still night.

---

Page 104

Pfff. Welp. Yes Roxy, mirroring what you think your ancestors were doing ends up looking dumber when you actually meet them in person.

---

Page 105

ooooh, okay, so her hair is back to mirroring Dave's coupe. Roxy's hair is a bird pass it on. I love the sprite art, also of the kitchen itself.

Cool to have a comparison is size between meteor and this ship. Though with even less to explore, I can see how things might have grown dull around here. Also confirmation of Roxy's pronoun change, still a thing.

And I have a feeling Dave and Kanaya are in for a feelings jam.

Blaperile has a point, maybe Calliope commands the attention of the narrative, but she commands the narrative itself, so she can make the story follow Dave instead, as he goes to find Kanaya.

---

Page 106

Cool, even the inside looks like a pirate ship. Jake's quite taken with matters of appearances, practicalities be damned! :P

I suppose alchemizing a spaceship and a sailing boat would result in still a viable means to cross the void, the physics behind alchemization would ensure it.

---

Page 107

That appears to be a different hairstyle or hood. ... Is she wearing a grieving gown?

Maybe she's contemplating how she's ended up here, having to deal with another clown coming between her and her loved ones. I wonder how much harm she's wishing to heap onto Dirk, I mean.

---

Page 108

Aww, that rose in her hood.

And yup, Dave has it pinned down: they keep finding themselves either literally or figuratively chasing through the void, with no idea what's coming. You know, remembering how Dave saw the meteor as his first real home, I get the idea he might be the most in his element here. But he knows it's not a healthy pastime.

---

Page 109

She's wearing a ribbon much like Rose used to wear.

What story could Rose have reserved for reading to grubs, and what are the odds Vrissy knows the story as well, having been raised by Rose?

---

Page 110

It is on point for both Kanaya to read too much into Rose's story, as well as Rose putting all that symbolism in it on purpose.

... Aww, she's really hurting. But through the hurt she's started to wonder, perhaps in an attempt to limit her pain, whether she isn't being manipulated into feeling like this. At this point, it could really be either.

---

Page 111

Wow. Okay, Dave's really opening up here to Kanaya. It was actually a relationship I didn't really see evolving due to both of their inherent awkwardness.

But that's Dave for you. If you find a place in his heart, he'll die before he lets you go into harm's way alone.

---

Page 113

Turntable gesture! And okay, yes, via Dave it's shown Roxy's back to identifying male after the past few years.

Yes, his and Karkat shit has definitely changed, for one, Karkat almost unabashedly acknowledges they're matesprits back there in the kitchen.

And it's Kanaya who does the title drop after all, not Dave like I was starting to think.

---

Page 114

Awww, yeah, Dave is really the only one left of the old B1 crew in a normal state of mind. Here's to hoping his brush with Davebot doesn't leave him in a state like Callie.

And yes, Dirk has shown his true colours, and Dave is feeling like a runt for ever thinking he could be different from his Bro. :/ Poor guy, I feel for him.

Meanwhile, he innocently hopes that Dirk's influence was the only thing causing Jane and Jake not being good leaders for Earth. Too bad we know the alternative is far from good.

Though he's also oversimplifying, since he himself said that Earth C society wasn't sustainable in the long run, they just sped things up.

Aww, he admits to feeling more in his element out here. Yeah, I very much understand that. It's easier to deal with fewer people in your social circles, a lot of the time.

---

Page 116

Ah, the other side of the coin. Dave and Kanaya are bonding over Rose. Karkat and Roxy are kind of related as well through Dave.

Oooooh, so Calliope DID come along. Brave of her, with how "Jade" unnerves her so.

Karkat's right, the people that left weren't really so close to him as to others, he mostly here to support Dave! But of course we know he really would be good at leading at least a rebellion. Though it wouldn't really feel fulfilling either.

I wonder what's in store for Karkat, in fact, if it isn't to be a leader.

"KARKAT: I LITERALLY FOUGHT PEOPLE FOR CONTROL OF THE TEAM, AND WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING WAS LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY FRIENDS BESIDES KANAYA DIED. KARKAT: ACTUALLY, SHE DID DIE! KARKAT: FUCK! KARKAT: I’M ZERO FOR ZERO! ROXY: ur kinda an intense dude anybody ever tell u that KARKAT: NO."

Best interaction. Is Roxy really going to help Karkat deal with something here? :P

---

Page 117

Hah! Yes, well, I guess Karkat already has his win state the way he wants it! Though he's still feeling conflicted about it on some level, but that's just the type of person he is.

Roxy's REALLY gunning to make pancakes, hahah. Guess a part of her really is good at the whole caring thing.

---

I definitely like the pacing of the chapters so far. Good combo of visuals and conversation.

[aro-aizawa]

alright so i finished up playing all of pokemon shield including the post-game mini plot, so here’s a quick fire list of all the things i liked about it and disliked about it before i go on to explain it in more depth (also spoiler warning). here we go.

what i liked:

the graphics, a little weaker in handheld form but largely unnoticeable unless you were looking for it. GREAT graphics when playing on tv mode.

the new pokemon. they were all really cute, and i especially loved the alternate forms and new evolutions of older gen pokemon.

opal, she’s hands down one of my favourite gym leaders so far only shortly followed by bede.

bede is a nonbinary icon as proven by the fact that they didn’t use any pronouns to refer to them until after the fourth gym, and the fact that when they’re in their gym uniform its trans flag colour. it may not be canon, but its canon in my heart.

gym battles are treated as they should be -- huge spectacles that gets people amped the hell up.

dynamaxing. its so goddamn satisfying to finish off a gym battle with your best pokemon as a fucking giant behind you, no matter their actual size. tiny pyukumuku behind you? badass. huge ass wailord? bad. ass. an actual baby pokemon? bad. ASS.

the wild area. introducing camping was a good system, it definitely helped a lot when you couldn’t exactly jump back to a pokemon center so you cook your pokemon some curry to revive and heal them. i imagine they took some inspiration from breath of the wild, tho i haven’t played it to really confirm.

what i didn’t like:

they cut so many corners in the game, you can definitely tell it was made in a hurry.

a minor note here, but for me i have this annoying bug that makes it so some pokemon have the exact same cry. its a sort of whooshing noise that you’d expect for a flying type pokemon, but it frequently appeared instead of well known and familiar cries. i can’t pin down exactly what the cause of this is, or if i’m hearing things wrong, but it was infuriating.

the towns are empty and barely even give you flavor text anymore. you might as well not speak to any npcs except shop keepers and named characters.

there is exactly three cute outfits and three cute hairstyles and that’s about it. i know a lot of this point is mostly about personal taste but please nintendo, we had such a good range in the previous game. 

don’t explore. there is literally no point in looking in all the nooks and crannies of this game, because i guarantee that if the game doesn’t tell you to go there, then there’s nothing there.

it’s too easy. it’s....actually crazy that i’m even putting this as a point, because i’m a strict believer in making games playable for everyone. but it’s just....too much.

the cut down pokedex will forever inject salt right into my veins. especially when they had the audacity to include one of the first starter pokemon, but not the other two. charizard is an okay pokemon but its overrated, nintendo please accept that.

the plot didn’t exist until suddenly it did and then it made no sense. 

i hate the fact that the team in this game were just delegated to fans. i understand the whole “fake out” thing they might have been going for by getting the player to think that they’d turn out to be bad, but no. it just sucks. 

fucking. swordward and shieldbert. i???? literally. have no. words. (i do but they’re super long so hmmm down below)

a game worth about £20 ($25) less than i paid for it. its a decent quality game, but not nearly nintendo quality. 

wow this post is longer than i expected it to be already. but anyways, the rest is super long and under the cut further going into depth about the points i raised. 

to start with, i’ll talk about the good points because honestly?? i really wanted to love this game. i really really did. maybe it was just the fact that at first i didn’t like sun and moon because they changed the formula so much, but it turned out to become my favourite game in the series. or maybe it was just that i don’t like being hypercritical of things i spent fifty fucking pounds on. either way, i wanted to like the game, and overall i sort of did but i sort of didn’t. lots of mixed feelings. anyways. onto explaining the good stuff. (or you can skip to “now on w the bad junk” for the bad stuff)

1. the graphics, a little weaker in handheld form but largely unnoticeable unless you were looking for it. GREAT graphics when playing on tv mode.

one of my favourite things about the pokemon series in recent times is seeing the process from 2d undetailed sprites to 3d incredibly detailed models. the most ambitious thing about gen 5 was the way the camera moved with your movements as you crossed the bridge, and now i just sometimes sit back and thing “wow 13 year old me would FLIP if she could see how good they got”. bc i kept just....admiring all the graphics and the quality of them. 

2. the new pokemon. they were all really cute, and i especially loved the alternate forms and new evolutions of older gen pokemon.

definitely one of my favourite things about the game was seeing the new forms of pokemon we already knew and the alternate forms they’d take when dynamaxed. i love seeing pokemon with new types that completely flip the script, like darumaka becoming an ice type instead of a fire type. or the fact that they gave mr mime a galaran form and it actually doesn’t look bad. 

i really loved that some of the galaran forms had unique evolutions, such as linoone evolving into obstagoon. or meowth into perrserker. it makes sense and i’m always super happy to see new evolutions for old pokemon, it keeps things interesting when pokemon other than eevee get new evolutions.

(tho that being said, still disappointed there’s still not another eeveelution. still holding out hope for that ghost type.)

3. opal, she’s hands down one of my favourite gym leaders so far only shortly followed by bede.

i’m not super well versed in the pokemon universe besides from gen 1 and gen 5 onwards (if you couldn’t tell), but its really refreshing to have an old gym leader that’s visibly elderly rather that just grey haired maybe retiree man. her personality was also really fun, it sort of felt like she literally had the most personality of all the gym leaders, which kind of sucked but it made me really love her character. 

and bede i didn’t wholly expect to really like as much as i did? i mayhaps might have spoiled myself a little on their gym leader status by dipping into the swsh tag here on tumblr before i fully completed the game. but still, they seemed just generally really annoyingly stuck up? but something endeared me to the darl and i just think it mostly had to do w the fact that opal took one look at them and declared they was her grandchild now. 

4. bede is a nonbinary icon as proven by the fact that they didn’t use any pronouns to refer to them until after the fourth gym, and the fact that when they’re in their gym uniform its trans flag colour. it may not be canon, but its canon in my heart.

argue with me on this point all you like, but you can’t deny the fact that in CANON they literally did not use any pronouns to refer to bede until after the fourth gym. the only mention of pronouns before that was their trainer card, which i did not check because good character development should be shown not told through an impersonal medium such as character cards. 

5. gym battles are treated as they should be -- huge spectacles that gets people amped the hell up.

i’ve always loved the way the league is set up, because it makes sense. the pokemon formula works and its interesting, but in previous games most people only vaguely acknowledge it as something every kid tries but doesn’t really complete. it’s already set up people love pokemon battles, there just wasn’t a spectator sport about it unless in the anime or movies. they’re just a thing that happens that none of the npcs care about. 

finally its treated like the spectator sport that it should be. like,,, hell yeah,,, 

(also do you think that in the pokemon universe there’s various stories/tv shows about made up kids completing the league and becoming champions? because i definitely do.)

6. dynamaxing. its so goddamn satisfying to finish off a gym battle with your best pokemon as a fucking giant behind you, no matter their actual size. tiny pyukumuku behind you? badass. huge ass wailord? bad. ass. an actual baby pokemon? bad. ASS.

i p much summed up most of my thoughts in this point well. but i love when pokemon are so visibly powerful. like these creatures have powers that we’d equate to actual gods like summoning whole storms, creating giant waves, create earthquakes and so much more. pokemon are so powerful and to see them become giant and have so much weight and power? its so satisfying controlling that and bringing down other giant pokemon. 

7. the wild area. introducing camping was a good system, it definitely helped a lot when you couldn’t exactly jump back to a pokemon center so you cook your pokemon some curry to revive and heal them. i imagine they took some inspiration from breath of the wild, tho i haven’t played it to really confirm.

i really appreciated the change that started in pokemon let’s go with some pokemon being visible and easy to encounter wandering through the grass. it makes it so much easier to search for the one pokemon that you don’t have in your pokedex yet, or if you’re looking for a specific pokemon to join your team.

i love how large and expansive the wild area is, and with the camping system you can just explore and fill out your pokedex without ever leaving if you’re fully stocked up on supplies. it makes you really believe the whole “yep this kid isn’t just blasting through the whole thing in one day”. kids sleep in tents on their journey with their pokemon and cook curry for them all. adds a nice level of immersion and convenience. 

.

jesus fuck this is so long and i haven’t even gotten to my criticisms yet, is anybody actually reading this chunk of text??? well rip to you my friend and thank you. but now on w the bad junk.

1. they cut so many corners in the game, you can definitely tell it was made in a hurry.

they did a decent job considering it was in development for only two years w one only for the concept and the second actually making it. but they cut so many corners it doesn’t quite feel like a true installment into the pokemon universe. it feels like it was made by another dev studio rather than gamefreak. like how fallout new vegas and fallout 3 barely feel like the two installments in the same franchise. 

this point sort of leads into many different points that i raised, so i’ll explain those a little bit more in depth there. but to sum it up, the easiest way to see it is just how...flat things are. if you only pay attention to the things the game directs you to, then you will not miss a single thing. flavor text is less about adding depth to the world and more just...pointless. it adds. nothing.

and in the post game when sonia gets a new assistant, even though she plays a fairly important part in the post-game plot, she doesn’t get a name nor a unique character model. she get’s a generic doctor model yet it’s treated like we should feel betrayed that nameless npc 234 went behind sonia’s back and stole from her. 

OH! and i almost forgot!!!! but that one part where rose is trying to talk leon into something “mysterious”??? they straight up just used images!!!! like,,,, what???? you didn’t have time to program the minimal animations for that?? who’s fault is that for pushing the release!!! give your employees time to work at a decent pace and not crunch them to reach an impossible goal. game freak, you don’t have to release a game every november.

2. a minor note here, but for me i have this annoying bug that makes it so some pokemon have the exact same cry. its a sort of whooshing noise that you’d expect for a flying type pokemon, but it frequently appeared instead of well known and familiar cries. i can’t pin down exactly what the cause of this is, or if i’m hearing things wrong, but it was infuriating.

also p much just explain this in the point. BUT it happened all. the. time. the only pokemon i know for sure was effected by the bug was gyarados, because instead of the roaring cry i heard the whooshing sound that was probably meant to be another pokemon’s cry. it sounds wack when im saying it rn bc im not 100% convinced i wasn’t making this up, but it was the sole reason i turned the pokemon cries to get drowned out by the music and sound effects.

3. the towns are empty and barely even give you flavor text anymore. you might as well not speak to any npcs except shop keepers and named characters.

i touched on this previously in 1 but basically walking around a town and talking to npcs will not get you any interesting dialog. going into the houses/rooms, and you’ll only get one npc who’s all like “i’m brushing my hair!” and that’s about it. there aren’t any items tucked away in houses or corners of buildings for you to explore or battle people. when you acknowledge that there’s no flavor text from npcs all the towns feel practically empty whereas in the previous games it actually alive.

not to mention how little the diaglog changes? like it may just be my faulty memory at play but im pretty sure that the npcs in the previous games had more dynamic dialog in which they’d change what they said depending on your action in the town or for the plot. after a major event just happened, if you walked around and talked to everyone in that area they’d talk about it. but that happened like....once.

4. there is exactly three cute outfits and three cute hairstyles and that’s about it. i know a lot of this point is mostly about personal taste but please nintendo, we had such a good range in the previous game. 

one thing i loved about the series was the increasing freedom in customisation of trainers. fashion kept getting wider and with more variety, clothes that were still cute and i’d frequently have about 2k because i just kept buying them. by the end of my playthrough of swsh i had almost a million saved up because i didn’t like most of the clothing options. i found one outfit and hairstyle i liked a quarter of the way through the game and stuck with it until the end. they drastically cut down on the options, and that sucked. 

5. don’t explore. there is literally no point in looking in all the nooks and crannies of this game, because i guarantee that if the game doesn’t tell you to go there, then there’s nothing there.

again, already touched on this point but one example i know is this. when you go to the energy plant to battle rose, or go to the roof to battle eternus, i expected to go back to it when the event was over to see if something was left behind or because i’d been locked in a cutscene and unable to explore before, that meant there would be something now. but nope. don’t bother. even when you think you might be able to do something fun, don’t try until the game points you in that direction itself. if something interesting is going to happen in the game, i assure you they will point it out for you. 

6.  it’s too easy. it’s....actually crazy that i’m even putting this as a point, because i’m a strict believer in making games playable for everyone. but it’s just....too much.

hard games disinterest me. if a game is renowned for it’s difficulty, then i will avoid it. i don’t care if defeating dark souls is a badge of honor for your stubbornness or skill. i simply don’t enjoy playing a game that makes me want to quit in frustration because i am not good at video games. i appreciated how easy the games have been in recent years because it makes it a lot easier for me to actually complete them and enjoy them, it’s why i have trouble getting into the earlier gens of pokemon. 

but when it got to the point where after only about an hour or two of dynamax farming, by the time that i got round to the championships i was literally one shotting every single pokemon. even when i didn’t have super effective moves. i was almost 20 levels ahead of the competition, and blasted through the whole thing in a total of 10 minutes battle time and 30 minutes dialog and cutscene time, with a 20 minute pause for a phone call. 

i defeated leon with only very minimal struggle. i couldn’t one shot all his pokemon, i will admit. i two shotted them. i went into the championship fully stocked up on potions and revival items and left with all of them. none of my pokemon fainted or even sustained major damage. 

while satisfying feeling that you’re op enough to utterly annihilate your opponents, there comes a point where it’s just “why bother i know i’ll win” which kind of sucks. 

7. the cut down pokedex will forever inject salt right into my veins. especially when they had the audacity to include one of the first starter pokemon, but not the other two. charizard is an okay pokemon but its overrated, nintendo please accept that.

sorry to charizard fans, but please acknowledge that it’s overrated. its design is basic, and already has multiple different forms. the fact that they passed over the opportunity for the creativity that dynamax venusaur or blastoise could give, for another basic dragon design is so annoying. 

not to even mention the fact that they didn’t even bother to keep the rest of the starter pokemon either. i vaguely remember one time some nintendo employee or big shot saying that the best thing about it is that every pokemon is at least one person’s favourite. the underused or underloved pokemon will always be ONE person’s favourite, and that’s why you can get the whole pokedex. but y’know fuck that philosophy in the name of getting the game out on time. when they could have very easily pushed the release date back. i’m lucky that most of my faves got included but i know that a fair amount did not. and i’m pissed. 

8. the plot didn’t exist until suddenly it did and then it made no sense. 

9. i hate the fact that the team in this game were just delegated to fans. i understand the whole “fake out” thing they might have been going for by getting the player to think that they’d turn out to be bad, but no. it just sucks. 

these two go so hand in hand, that i’m taking the time to address them together considering in every single previous game so far the team has had some HEAVY influence on the plot in one way or another. they’re always linked to the legendary pokemon of the game and they’re always included in the overarching plot, either by driving the player to act or subtly there. 

i kept seeing team yell show up and trying to work out how they were going to join the plot. were they a cult doing Science Shit in the background trying to revive the legendaries? was marnie the leader of this cult and going through the league to distract people from her totally devious going-ons? or would it turn out that marnie though the team harmless but really it was a front for her relative’s secret cult? 

nope!!! they were annoying roadblocks who added literally nothing to the plot. 

and when i realised that, it was the seventh gym battle and so far the only plot i’d glimpsed at was the mysterious explosions in hammerlocke city and the overarching tale of the sword and shield that had been obvious since literally the first time sonia started to talk about it. there had been no plot. there was literally no plot other than the gym battles which sonia and leon specifically called out to “leave this to the grownups, you two just focus on the gym challenge”. 

and when i got my eighth badge and was completing the equivalent of the elite four, i was still confused as FUCK because where the hell was the plot???? and then the whole weird ass “we have to save leon” from a meeting with.....a chairman? how about you wait just an hour jfc it’s not that bad? he’s not being held against his will? the chairman wasn’t doing anything obviously evil or even hinted at? 

the whole thing was vague and rose’s motivation was just ??????? i don’t know???? i still don’t exactly know what the whole deal was. it came out of nowhere and made. no. sense. it had completely lost me. along with the fact that they were suddenly introducing dynamax raids like we hadn’t already been doing that so many times in the wild area????

which leads me to my next point.....sigh. 

10. fucking. swordward and shieldbert. i???? literally. have no. words. (i do but they’re super long so hmmm down below)

first things first, is that i hate everything about these characters. from their names, to their designs, to their motivations, to how they’re handled in canon. it was shitty and while i had fun playing with the whole “this is what a champion does after they beat the previous one” thing, it was just in general really bad. 

like, i cannot get over how shitty their designs were. their hair was literally a sword and a shield. i kept thinking “wow swordward has a penis head that wiggles when he moves” and couldn’t take a single thing he said seriously. i literally wanted to weep at the horrible character design. 

not to mention the suddenness of their whole schtick. “yeah we’re royalty and we’re “”””CELEBRITIES”””” even if none of you have heard of us”. like what????? the fuck????

it just sort of pisses me off to an astronomical degree that this low quality shit was jammed into a pokemon game when they were getting so good at storytelling. it felt like game freak were hammering me with a club while singing “YOU PAID 50 WHOLE POUNDS FOR THIS IN PARTICULAR!!!” like,,,, thanks. thank you. thank you for waiting until after i’d finished the game to really hammer home that point. 

which somewhat leads me to my last point that really just sums up the majority of my thoughts on the whole game:

11. a game worth about £20 ($25) less than i paid for it. its a decent quality game, but not nearly nintendo quality. 

if i knew what i knew about the game know, i wouldn’t pay fifty fucking pounds for it. it physically pains me to spend more than £30 in one sitting, that i actually winced while i was buying it even though i was being 100% optimistic that i was going to love it. at most i’d pay £30 for it, but only then. it’s a good game to really distract you and power through but other than that, i don’t see it as a game i’m going to come back to so i can complete the pokedex and i certainly am not going to buy the other game so i can play it again unlike how i’ve done in the past with my favourite installments. 

maybe i’m just picky, or i don’t buy games often enough, but i really would not classify this as a quality installment in the pokemon franchise. if you get a free copy, or just the opportunity to play it for a few hours then fine it’s a great game. but not quite something you should want to spend your money on. but don’t pirate it. that’s a fast way to get bugs.

to sum this whole mess of a post up: immediately after finishing the game i said to myself “now time to go play a REAL pokemon game” before booting up pokemon moon.

[fytaem]

What drives SHINee Taemin to continue being a "Genius of hard work" - Behind Budokan concert through which he proved his true value【part 1】

{171101} Modelpress (tr: mredwardsanders — do not delete credits) Taemin (24), a member of boy group • SHINee, who made his Japanese solo debut last July. Growing from a cute young boy into a matured man brimming with sex appeal, and continually captivating his fans with amazing performances, he is of course [acknowledged] for his innate talents but is at times called a “Genius of Hard Work.” About his Nippon Budokan solo stage in July which showed the true value of “artist Taemin” and deeply impressed audience. And also about his Japanese drama which most likely was a new surprise (discovery) for the fans. He talked about his reasons for deliberately choosing a “super busy” path at model press interview. 

Taemin appeared to the interview room chatting with the staff(s). He was extremely busy having come to Japan from Korea after finishing filming a program that extended past midnight, but he greeted us with his [sweet] smile as usual. ― I heard that you arrived in Japan this morning. Taemin: Yes. The variety program filming lasted until late [at night] so I organized my belongings right after getting home, then I got on the plane after sleeping for about an hour. ― Thank you so much for your time despite your busy [schedule]. Taemin: Not at all. I just arrived from Korea so I’m sorry if my Japanese is a little weird / off (laughs). I personally volunteered to “be busy this year” ― Then I will begin by asking about the Budokan [stage] in July first. It was a dense hour and a half that condensed Taemin(-san)’s world-view, I was deeply impressed. Taemin: Thank you. ― I was told that you prepared within a very limited amount of time. What was your schedule specifically like during the (several) months leading up to the concert? Taemin: It really went by in a flash. SHINee activities, the drama shooting, and preparation for my Korean solo album…they all started together. I prepared while feeling the pressure of possibly not making it in time for Budokan, which was my first first solo stage. As expected, I do feel that I was a little short on time, but I feel relieved now after finishing it without any trouble. ― Didn’t you feel disarrayed with works/jobs in various genre starting all at the same time? Taemin: I told the staffs this year that “I’m okay even if I’m really busy.” I think I’m currently in a [state / position] where I’m the most excited and have the most energy so I thought if it’s not now, physically, I won’t be able to do it [in the future]. ― You’re still so young yet you already feel such a sense of urgency. Taemin: I wanted to do what I can while I can. I thought that I wanted to try my best. A stage that was completed by digging deep into “Taemin’s Identity”

― The show had 13 songs including the encore; the staging / production was quite elaborate for each song. You also said during the MC that “I had a hard time choosing because there was so much I wanted to do,” what were your thoughts leading up to the day [of the concert]? Taemin: First, even I wasn’t sure of how my color or image would turn out; so in a sense, as a way of introducing myself, I wanted to show a new (unprecedented) image as Taemin, a single individual, rather than as SHINee’s Taemin. When I thought that, there was so much I wanted to challenge. For example, for the song “I’m Crying,” the dancers are dancing and acting as if they’re in a musical; I tried to create a stage where even I, the person singing amidst all this can concentrate in its world-view. I also veiled my face with the outfit’s hood(ie) so [the audience] could better conceive the emotions in the song. ― You really put together (The stage / production was put together) really delicately. Taemin: I didn’t want to do something ordinary. I wanted create things no one had ever challenged before, things people haven’t really seen before in my own way. I prepared with with a lot of thought[*]. [*] with a lot of thought: having a hard time deciding, mulling over choices

― It takes heart to send out a new image to the world, you might have worries like “I wonder how people will respond?” Taemin: You’re right. Of course I do think that you need courage but I’ve been doing this challenge of changing my hairstyle many times when promoting as SHINee in Korea so…(laughs). ― That’s where [you point to] (laughs). [*] [*] As in “of all things you could have mentioned, you use changing your color as an example” Taemin: So I think there’s a part of me that’s used to (changing my image) (laughs). ― That was an unexpected point [you brought up] (laughs). Despite having the choice to have fun together with the fans at close distance, the constitution this time was one with a story and coherence as one show. I believed that this too was a huge challenge. Taemin: Right. Of course I thought that it was important for many people to sympathize (to connect with the audience) even more so because it was my first stage, but more than that, I fixated first on showing Taemin, the person distinctly in a relatively short amount of time. I did think, “I wonder if it was better if there were more songs where [I] could connect [with the audience]” ― No, it was very beautiful. Singing “Itsuka Kokode” with the piano at the end, you finished [the show] leaving a lingering feeling (afterglow). Taemin: That was also my idea. ― Purposely leaving out the MC, it was really beautiful how you ended in a way that stirred our imaginations. Do you have songs that you’re especially deeply attached to? Taemin: “Itsuka Kokode” and “I’m Crying.” “DOOR” is also cool but the ballads that I sing while focusing on my own emotions are memorable / unforgettable. Singing while playing the piano was a huge challenge for me. I wasn’t very good at it actually. My skills on the piano is still lacking so I couldn’t focus on singing. How can I do it well during the concert…I prepared feeling really pressured, but I finished it without problems. It became a challenge that I succeeded for me.

― That’s going to give you a lot of [self-]confidence. Taemin: Yes. I think I’ll be able to sing a lot more [*] while playing the piano from now on! (laughs) [*] more often ― Did you practice the piano until the last minute? Taemin: Yes. Really, until the very last minute. ― That means the most nerve-wracking time was waiting for you for the climax. Taemin: Right. Dancing and singing is something I can do / manage so long as I have energy but it doesn’t go that way with the piano. ― It requires a different skill. Taemin: Since I have to pay attention to the small details.

― For “DOOR” you were bound by ropes and bandages, it was a stimulating (exciting) stage. Taemin: “DOOR” was also a challenge. I think the presentation of the choreography that Nakasone Rino-san made was wonderful. She guided me so that I could express to the detailed parts [of the song / choreography]. ― How was the Budokan stage surrounded by the audience 360°? Taemin: It really makes me lose track of where I am! At first, we put “North” and “South” lables but once the [song] starts I don’t have time to look at them (laughs) ― Was that something you didn’t expect during your preparation period? Taemin: If I include [my activities] in Korea, it’s been about 10 years so I thought that if I tried the 360° stage, I would be able to do it right away (laughs). But when I actually [performed on the 360 stage] it was a bit difficult. There’s no reference so I would gradually but steadily go out of position (laughs). This was especially the case with “Sayonara Hitori.” ― It also became a new asset for the stage / performing then. Choreographer Sugawara Koharu, whom you worked together for “Sayonara Hitori” “Flame of Love” and your newest release in Korea, “MOVE” said on her radio program that there was a period when you were feeling down struggling with the mental pressure/burden while preparing for Budokan. Did you talk to her about your problems? Taemin: Right. She’s really kind and she would notice right away when I’m troubled / fraught. It’s hard for me to constantly stay happy so at times I would become sad and feel stressed but when that happened, Koharu-san showed me videos of my favorite [artist] Michael Jackson[*] and cheered me up. Casual words like “Do your best” also gives me a lot of strength. She’s someone I respect, of course in regards to dancing but also as a person. [*] It’s actually written “videos of Michael Jackson whom/that I like” My motivation is “myself,” I want to come through every challenge[*] and grow [*] all sorts of 

― After [completing] this Budokan, do you have any goals for the future[*]? [*] Goals: challenge, tasks Taemin: So I would have more stamina to spare (reserve stamina)[*]; it would be nice to ease on dancing, and take the balance towards singing. [*] Sorry I can’t come up with a good phrasing for this. He means that he doesn’t want to constantly be at his limit physically when performing. (I’m guessing it’s to give him more room to concentrate on other things so he isn’t as preoccupied on just pushing through a performance) ― If you were to give a score to this concert (Budokan)? Taemin: Eh, is 100 points the full score? ― Please go with that! Taemin:…Hmmm, it’s hard to give a score after all. ― Is it hard to express it in a number? Taemin: It’s really difficult! It’s just that, it’s always the same after finishing a concert but I’m always left with more desire than happiness. ― Like, “I want to do more next time!” Taemin: Yes, that’s right. ― Seeing your concert this time around, the fans were also saying, “Taemin is a genius of hard work” Taemin: No no…. ― It was a stage where we felt that strongly but where does your motivation (strength/drive) to constantly work hard in order to grow come from? Taemin: Hmmm…. I think I’m influenced by various things. For example, like developing your emotions and imagination by watching movies and seeing sceneries is one of them but I think it’s important to build experience outside of practice. I’m someone who regards both as important (treasures both). ― So [it’s important to] balance your ‘on and off’ (work and personal life)? Taemin: Yes. I don’t know exactly know why but when I take a short break from practicing dance and watch various videos, then practice again, there really are times when I improve even more. ― What’s your greatest motivation for you recently? Taemin: Recently, myself. Really! ― You are your own motivation. Taemin: Recently, I’m attempting various things in both Japan and Korea but I want overcome them and continue being “me” (someone) who grows even more. Should I say “myself” who’s grown more than myself from yesterday – a new “me”. It’s hard to put it in words…. Please help me! (and he seeks help from his manager) Everyone: (laughs) ― It’s fine, we all understand you! In Taemin-san’s case, is there an aspect where you grow as you draw in (engulf / involve / swallow up) everyone else around you? Taemin: I haven’t grown to that extent. When I see TVXQ-senpai, I understand exactly what that (“to engulf everyone”) means but I think I still have long way to go. ― I think it means… that people are struck seeing Taemin-san work hard, and are moved (to action) Taemin: I think it will still take me a long time to be like senpai (TVXQ) but..I would like to continue to grow.

[wizardimpersonator]

Oc questionnaire answer all the prime number questions

1. Your first OC ever? 

oh man

technically, I have two. Mainly because I don’t remember which one came first, so I’m just rolling with it.

One was an embarrassing edgy emo warrior cat named Shadowstream, she even had cringey anime hair and everything. Fucking awful, lmao.

The other was a Mary-Sue white wolf named Crest, she was very plain except for a little mark under her eye, a scar on her nose, and white wings. She had animu hair, too.

We don’t speak of these two.

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs? 

probably Keegan, Eigengrau, and Carius. they’re my children and I make them suffer but I still love them lmao

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

Oh, definitely! Unfortunately, I’m never as attached to them as I am to the OCs I make myself, so they don’t often get to see the light of day.........

i feel so guilty

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?

Already answered!

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

Oh yes! Carius, Aedus, and their squad are in my Ashwings story, Eigengrau and his sister Moortje have their own plot with Keinus, and I’m actually (attempting to) maing a comic for Keegan, Avery, and Blake!

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”?

OH BOY IMMA MAKE A PUN

AEDUS, MY SUN

GET IT

SON??? SUN????

WOW I’M FUNNY

although for real tho Aedus is basically a sunshine filled teddy bear who looks out for everyone and I love him

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs?

hAH

i have many

Keegan for starters, as well as Jaxa and one or two of my other demon characters that might show up later in my comic :3c

17. Any OC OTPs?

Damien and Lucien, my two demon babies I got from a friend. They are, in fact, gay for each other

my good sons

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

I’m sure you all know Keegan at this point, she’s genuinely a comfort character for me. I don’t even know why, tbh. She’s an all out bitch and is the cause of more than one death, but I can’t help but get distracted thinking of her. Because of this, she’s pretty well developed in terms of character!

There’s also Carius, too. I love her so much, my poor baby that’s been through hell and back but still keeps going. She’s never going to be the same ever again, but she’s not giving up.

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

hooboy

I hate to drag this back to keegan (actually i dont) but she was EXTREMELY different when I initially made her.

We don’t talk about that Keegan.

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going?

Avery, probably. She’s stubborn and stoic, and if you told her there’s demons in there you can bet your ass she’d break in and shoot ‘em down.

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)

hmmm, let’s pick Moortje!

She’d reblog artsy things, probably. Book quotes, monochrome gifsets of nature, etc etc. She’d have a modest theme and an overall quiet tone to her blog. I don’t think she’d really say much about herself there, just a vague description like “My name is Moortje, I live in Germany. A library is a home.” or smth

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human

Emil. Something about them just seems..... off. They move too fast, they’re too agile. There’s no end to their stamina. You could try and snap their spine but they’d still get back up. And with a smile on their face, too. Their elegance seems a little too refined. A little too perfect. And that’s not even getting started on their even more questionable abilities, like their ability to manipulate gusts of wind with only so much as a raised arm. What even are they.

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)

Of course! Mostly my friends, aha. I’m sure they’ll be fine with some dumping of their stuff, lmao. I’m not gonna @ them but i’ll put their URLs down so!

(keegan drawn by @ sugurghost look it’s so cute aaaaaaaa)

(art goals—i mean arl—I MEAN @ inkedscraps drew Emil. i almost cried when she drew this and posted it)

(and lastly, Carius as drawn by @ mewpaws wowee this is the cutest carius i ever did see)

honestly guys I get so happy when people give me art of my ocs. makes my day tbh. like, when I saw that Carius drawing up there, it was the first bit of random fanart I think I’ve ever gotten on tumblr. Made my day.

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess

Usually I tend to favor either painfully shy introverted characters, or the snarky/bitchy/asshole-ish characters. And for looks I usually give them some sort of bangs or hairstyle covering their forehead, that’s just how I do it :V

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?

hooboy

i can assure you that keegan has been snatched away by many a person

she’s so good tho i can’t blame these people tbh