#also video games were a mistake i've realized this now

[chutzpahhooplah]

opening particular tags to find people shitting themselves in rage over cute fanart of a bat has felt like

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Omg hey I woul like to request something ! Ken x Reader (male, if possible) where the reader teaches Ken about the real world and they're also very in love. Thank you very much !

When Ken returned to the Real World again, he had a vision similar to Barbie's--realizing his owner was nearby.

Instead of a child....it's you, an adult who (like Gloria) inadvertently projected your own insecurities onto him while looking at an unboxed Beach Ken doll in your attic.

When you were younger, you really wanted to play with it unlike other boys who had action figures and nerf guns...but you were sorta shamed into keeping it boxed, as your parents said it would be more "valuable" one day.

Similarly..Ken had been stuck in a box all his life, trapped in the role of Barbie's accessory until recently.

So there's an instant connection when you two meet.

To make a long story short, you're like "ohhh hey I guess I kinda fucked up your mental stability, bro...you wanna come over and we can talk about it, man-to-man?"

He was very eager to go with you and learn more about your world beyond all the patriarchy and toxic masculinity.

You tell him about using your "male privilege" for good, and one defining example was when a random woman taps him on the shoulder, looking terrified and almost in tears.

"H-Hi, um..this is gonna sound really awkward but can you two pretend to be my friends for a second? This guy has been following me-"

"Of course." You reassure her, before looking to the confused Ken and telling him to go along with it.

The creepy guy comes along and backs off when he sees you two standing there protecting this lady, and once he's gone, she thanks you with hugs before leaving.

"I think I did a good job." Ken turns to you for validation, eyes shimmering. "Was that good, [y/n]? I mean playing pretend is all I've ever done so-"

"Yep. You did great." You chuckle, patting his shoulder. "I'm glad she thought you were a safe person to approach."

He nods and is giddy the whole way back home, especially when you get into your car and show him the different mechanisms, with him clinging to every detail.

These life lessons you're teaching him, however, made him think back to the "Kendom"...and he admits to trying to reinvent patriarchy there and feels ashamed of how he treated the Barbies.

He didn't think he'd open up this quickly to you, considering he never had any "manly" talks with other Kens (besides beach-offs).

But besides you being his owner, there's something about you that just made him feel...secure enough to do so. Like he could tell you anything.

You listen and reassure him that acknowledging his mistakes was a great first step to unlearning those toxic mindsets.

With all of that finally hashed out, you decide to show him the simple pleasures of the real world. Like cooking, watching TV, playing video games, etc.

Just mundane things you regularly do, with Ken picking up on some of your habits/routines as well as having some independence of his own.

You two grow closer as a result over the next few weeks, and you began falling for him and his humor and his charming smiles-

Yeah, you're 100% smitten for this doll who crossed worlds to meet you.

But you're not sure if he felt (or even could feel) the same way, since he was made to love Barbie and was...clearly still getting over his "breakup" with her. So you left it be.

That changes when you show him some emotional movie where the lead male characters showed vulnerability (ie Good Will Hunting or Brokeback Mountain) and he unconsciously holds your hand as he stares at the screen, tears staining his cheeks.

While the credits roll, your heart melts as he looks at you with those pretty blue eyes, his watery smile persistent.

"Th-Thanks for showing me this, [y/n].."

"Of course, Ken. Now you know that us guys don't always have to pretend to be tough. We're allowed to have feelings." You rub your thumb across his knuckles, a sweet gesture which makes him blush.

On the subject of feelings, he realizes that the ones he has for you are...leaning more into romance than "bromance" (yeah you taught him that term and it's part of his vocabulary now).

He becomes uncharacteristically quiet when you ask him what's on his mind, before he leans in to kiss you on the cheek. Purely on impulse.

You're both flustered at what happened, yet he panics internally when you don't say anything, trying to get up to leave so you didn't see him cry over the stupid decision he made-

"Ken, it's okay." You take his hands, convincing him to sit back down. "I had no idea you swung that way, but I'm...actually glad."

"Glad? Y-You're not...mad or anything?" He sniffles.

"Of course not. I....was planning to come out of the closet sooner or later. I just didn't know when or how to bring it up, but....I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore, thank god."

"So...does this makes us boyfriend and g....boyfriend?"

"If you want it to be, sure. I wouldn't mind a handsome doll being the love of my life." You wink.

Ken mirrors your smile, relieved to know you reciprocated his feelings.

Then he gets stumped on something and his eyebrows furrow.

"Wait...what closet were you talking about?"

Oh boy.

You just chuckle and give him a kiss on the lips.

Falling in love with a Ken doll from Barbieland certainly wasn't on your bucket list....

But you're perfectly content with that.

[deltamb3r]

Let me tell you, there are some fantastic artists within this community but your style and characters in particular get my imagination going like no other, it's immaculate. Pardon me if this is a stupid idea but something that struck me is just how most if not all of the truly terrible things to happen in the Lamb's life were due to Narinder. Their family being culled due to his prophecy and resulting in the endless nightmares, being forced into leading a cult, and ultimately being betrayed. Even though they seem happy together most of the time I imagine every now again hard emotions come down. I had the thought that on some random day all of the guilt and remorse built up inside Narinder just comes crashing down when he realizes just how many terrible things he's done. It's made even worse by the fact that he's allowed himself to freely enjoy and indulge in the Lamb's love and affection thus making him feel even more guilty. I had the scene in my head of Narinder being solitary while he stews in remorse which eventually leads to a breakdown. He feels as though he's beyond damned and yet allows himself to feel pure joy without truly making up for his mistakes. The Lamb comforts him and reminds him that even if they didn't choose to have the life they do, and by no means is it an easy existence, it's not terrible and in fact has turned out wonderfully. The very fact too that Narinder even feels guilty to begin with is also the best piece of evidence that not only is he worth redemption, but worth fighting to keep.

I don't know, it's a bit heavy but then my mind goes to heavy places, be it happy or sad. Thanks for listening and keep making incredible art.

It really makes me happy to hear this.

Yeah, Narilamb angst be really my bread and jam, and this ask inspired me so much on working on something.

I've picked up on writing a little short hurt/comfort story you can find here! :3

Thank you so much anon! <3

[harmonity-vibes]

A new beginning

Explicit 🔞 NO minors allowed

⭒❃Summary - After realizing her mistake, she returns to him to try and make amends. But is it too late to make amends?

⭒❃Pairing - Davis Mitchell x F!Reader

⭒❃Contents - Fluff, Angst, bestfriends to lovers, smut

⭒❃Word count - 1611

⭒❃ A/N - English is not my first language so if you spot any mistakes just bare with me. I'm sorry if I've made any syntax, spelling or tense mistakes.

This fic doesn't really follow the plot. I'm making my first attempt at writing a fic.

⭒❃ Credits - photos (pinterest) (edit by me)

For an autumn refreshment, the air isn't too bad. It's even mild. People are playing with leaves on the ground and children are running around laughing. But here I am, in front of my best friend's house. Well, former best friend…

I wonder if he's sitting on the couch right now, watching our favorite movie by the fire. Or playing video games.

I loved these little moments with him, it was relaxing and there was no judgment or criticism, we were just ourselves. Thanks to these moments, I had a crush on him, I actually fell in love with him. How could I not be in love with him, he's adorable, helpful, loyal, funny, a little destructive around the edges but he's also incredibly sexy.

I remembered that in high school all the girls were crazy about him, everyone wanted to be him. He was one of the best quarterbacks in our high school and I was proud of him, just like he was proud of me when I passed my science report.

I remember he often won games and I was in the stands cheering him on. I wasn't ashamed to shout his name so he'd know I was there for him. Those were the best years of my life.

Even though all the girls wanted his attention, he stuck by me. He once told me that I was more interesting than any of them. I remember blushing and hiding my face on his chest. Just thinking about it made my heart beat faster. I miss her touch, her warmth…

I wish I could go back in time and tell her I loved her. If I hadn't been such a coward, I'd never have lost him. Instead, I went off to see someone else. Still, I kept thinking about Davis, how he'd managed to hold my heart in his hands.

I was stupid…

The door opens, snapping me out of my reverie. He's standing there, his gaze soft and sad at the same time. Did he know I was coming?

“(Y/N), you came?” “Wh-what? How did you…” “Come on in.”

He stepped aside to let me in, I stood there skeptical, but finally entered after his nod.

Why, did he let me in? He should hate me, though. His house was simple but very warm, everything inside was comforting. If I looked carefully, I could see that he had always kept our things in common. It brought tears to my eyes.

As if reading my mind, he approached me and smiled.

“I couldn't let any part of you go so I kept them.” “Why?” It was all I could manage to say. “Because you're part of me and I can't live without them.” “What do you mean?” I said, puzzled.

He looked at me as if it were obvious, as if all the pieces of the puzzle were in front of me.

“Come on, shall we sit down for a bit?”

He guided me to the small living room, and I sat down next to him on the sofa opposite the fireplace. There were already two mugs of hot chocolate on the base table. Was he expecting someone?

“To answer your question, I was waiting for you.” “I know you're mad at me…” “Who told you I was mad at you?” “After what I did you should be!” I exclaimed. “But I'm not and do you know why?”

I nodded so he could continue. Deep inside, my heart knew why, but it wanted to hear it from his lips. Even if the other side thought otherwise, how could such an incredible man love a woman like me.

“Because I've always loved you and even now you drive me crazy, and have since we were little. Every time my parents and I came to your house, I had…No I needed to see you.”

I couldn't help but blush at his statement, it was as if I were dreaming at that moment. I lowered my head with a smile on my lips as I realized it was real after all. “Tell me why you left with Ryan?” He gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger to force me to look at him.

“I left with him because I thought you'd never want me.” “That I'd ever want you?” Davis questioned.

The more we talked, the closer our bodies got, until our knees were pressed together. This sudden closeness gave me butterflies in my stomach and then his gaze on me drove me crazy. How had I not noticed all this before?

“I was madly in love with you and I still am. But I want to know one thing, do you have or still have feelings for me?”

I saw in his eyes that he was looking for an answer, an affirmation. So all I could do was offer him a tear-filled smile. He wiped away my tears with his thumb and brought his face close to mine, until our foreheads touched.

“I'm still in love with you, Davis, but I was too afraid you'd reject me.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He put his hand behind my neck and tried to pull me closer as if he still had distance.

“I could blow up the world for you, (Y/N). Oh lord, you know how much I love destroying things, but not you, you're far too precious to me.” We couldn't help but laugh at this simple sentence, admittedly cute, but a little psycho.

Standing next to him, I take in his features. His storm-blue eyes, his thin, pink mouth, his muscles trapped in his plain shirt and freckles dotting his face and little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He had become even more handsome.

“You know, I like it when you look at me like that.” He smiled wryly. “But stop!” I could bet that by this time, I'd gone all red.

I put my head in his warm chest and hugged him tightly. Meanwhile, he started laughing out loud and I felt his hand move up from my neck to my head to caress it. He always knew it calmed me. “I've always loved your laugh.” “I know.”

“That's a pretty pretentious thing to say, you know?” I laughed “I'm only pretentious with you.” “But seriously, what do we do now?” I murmured, intrigued. “We could start by taking our time and then see?” “You're probably right, only time can help us.” “When you have doubts, (Y/N) come to me, okay? I don't want to lose you again.” I nodded to let him know I agreed. “I'll also come and see you if I'm not well or have doubts too.”

He took me in his arms and tightened his hold on me, as if afraid of losing me again. Before I knew it, he lifted me onto his lap and caressed my back with his two large hands.

I felt something thick and hard against my crotch and knew I was close to his cock. I never imagined it would be big and hot. I know he told me to take our time, but after three years of not seeing each other I couldn't resist another minute.

I began to discreetly rub my clothed clitoris against him. This new sensation was driving me crazy and I wanted more. I felt his hands squeeze my buttocks and push me even closer to his erection.

“Please, (Y/n) don't stop.” He moaned

He kept asking me not to stop and that's what I did, I didn't stop. I rubbed myself even harder. His grunts and groans became very loud. He couldn't stop making these obscene noises, worthy of a porn movie. The fact that it was him having this effect made me even more excited.

He suddenly took my head in his hands and kissed me with such force. It was as if something had awakened. The grip of his hands was harder but softer at the same time. After open-mouthed kisses, we pulled back to breathe. Her eyes had become darker and more intense. I'd never seen that kind of look coming from him.

“Fu-Fuuuuuck, I knew you were meant for me, darling.” My hands survey his body, touching his pecs and bulging abs, until they reach his big erection. I cup it and start making circular motions around his cock. “FUCK! If you don't stop now, I'm going to cum in my pants.” “Oh yeah?” I smiled wryly. “Please, baby go slow, you're making me super sensitive.” “Don't worry, honey, we've got plenty of time.”

I placed my lips on her neck and began to suck the soft one below her ear. I could feel shivers run through his body, smiled in victory and continued with more determination. He started moaning and grunting again, but it was more desperate envy.

“Shall we continue into the bedroom?” “I'll follow you.”

I never thought my best friend would become my boyfriend…

[ashuribbon]

Ashur! How do you feel about Devsisters' racism in TOA? To me, as an African American, it is foul 😭

Apparently the GC Kingdom was close to getting misrepresented as well

In short, me @ Devsisters:

In long... (More under the cut)

I feel you, anon. I really don't blame you for being resentful about TOA's racism and how the Golden Cheese Kingdom was the closest we got to actual representation.

Trust me, being someone who is an indigenous SWANA (Iranian and Bakhtiari), it just felt really godawful that Devsis would just up their racism to 11, especially after the multiple Yogurca instances. I have close friends who are African American, one of whom not having played any CR games in years and just got back into CR through TOA, it just felt... unsettling that of all the things they did, they had to be that insensitive and stoop an all-time low. It's not my place to speak about either of these, but even I know that it's damning and insulting when you add Native American outfits as a prop for aesthetic (especially given how they were talking about why it shouldn't be treated as such) and depicting Africans as monkeys and demonizing voodoo. Also, Plaintain Cookie's design... yikes... /vneg

I'm even hearing about some people on Twitter mentioning that the people in the TOA Discord were literally downvoting any criticisms involving the racism in the game. The amount of ignorance I'm seeing is just so heartbreaking, especially since the CR community is extremely diverse. The whole "Devsisters didn't know!" and "They're just cookies!" shtick isn't going to save them from this one, especially considering they have made racist depictions in the past.

If I were an executive at Devsisters, I would actually go to people who ARE Native, SWANA, African, etc. and just ask them for advice and help on the do's and don'ts. Hell, I even recall having to go to people I know who are from cultures they represent for help on a character I am designing or get research. Even one of the people I know in the animation industry commissioned me to help redesign his DND character since he knows I'm SWANA. I can name different video games and movies that did a better job in doing the task of researching things and getting help from the minorities representing the culture than did Devsisters.

Now, I'm not discouraging people from playing any Cookie Run game. I've played the games for years and still find it to be a piece of comfort since it saved me during my lowest point in life, so it means a lot to me as a whole. However, it's important to understand the issues and listen to affected minorities when we discuss about the racism in the Cookie Run games, and TOA is one of the games that we have every right to criticize. People shouldn't throw hissy fits when we say that Devsis shouldn't depict voodoo in a bad light, or depict those who are African as monkeys, or treat Native American clothing as an aesthetic.

As much as I love Tower of Adventures, I am begging that we take action and slap some sense to them and realize their mistakes.

[sunchaserwings]

Incoming rant about The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Herlock Sholmes from The Great Ace Attorney, and the BBC Sherlock (no major spoilers ahead I promise).

A preface before I begin; I was never a big fan of Sherlock Holmes or any adaptation of the stories. I've seen Elementary although I was very young so I only have the vaguest of memories of enjoying it, and my roommate had me watch a couple BBC Sherlock episodes when I was a tween/young teen. My mother claims she tried to get me into Sherlock Holmes but I'm rather skeptical. Anyhow, onto the story.

Back in March my boyfriend bought me the Ace Attorney games for my birthday which included the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (or Dai Gyakuten Saiban for those who are still stuck on the pre-localization names ;p). I was on my flight home from my birthday trip after I got the news my manager fired my brother while I was out of the state and figured why not, I'd start playing the first TGAA game on the flight. I'd probably enjoy myself and I couldn't sleep.

Second biggest mistake of the year (first biggest was trusting Les Schwab to do my brake job). I. Was. Hooked. I played the first case and fell in love with Kazuma instantly (he's so Zero shaped!). I played the second case and realized that calling him Zero shaped was way too accurate. We all know what happened there. Most important to this rant, I met Herlock Sholmes (more on my opinions on him later). I could barely put the game down but I had to take a break due to finding a new job and getting adjusted. I ended up finishing the game in June or July, one of the two. I finished the final case of the first game in one long 12 hour gaming session it was that good (my back didn't thank me though).

Now, the man of the hour: Herlock Sholmes. I didn't think much of him initially. He was simultaneously charming and annoying in the second case but as I played more he grew on me. I cried when the start of 1-5 happened. He clawed his way up into like the top 7 favorite characters at the time. The ending of the game with him playing his violin made me bawl my eyes out. I. Loved. This. Game.

It took a few more months to start and finish the second game. In between Adventures and Resolve I played Skyward Sword, Minish Cap, and some others so I had a healthy break. I came back to play Resolve and finished it like two months ago. It hit me in the gut just as hard as the first game did although there are a great many things I'd tweak and do differently. But Herlock Sholmes... man, he's not my favorite but he's up there underneath Kazuma and Van Zieks.

Anyhow, I finished the game but the hyperfixation had started and would not let me go. I've never been one to go out and seek fanfiction due to... personal stuff but I had a feeling I didn't want to go probe the depths of AO3 yet for fear of crying. I started a graveyard shift at my job which severely limited my ability to talk with people about stuff and also there's so many major spoilers but very few people I knew had played the game. A thought occurred to me, however. What about Sherlock Holmes audiobooks? I have an auditory processing issue which has made listening to audiobooks hard but I decided to give it a go. Perhaps it would satiate the TGAA hyperfixation hunger.

I found the ones produced by Magpie Audio, expertly narrated by Greg Wagland. Go check him out, he has over 77 videos of Sherlock Holmes audiobook recordings and all of them are a minimum of 40 minutes, often times far more. I went through over 30 hours of audiobook in a few weeks listening to these. Sherlock Holmes is such a good character and I can understand how and why he took late Victorian England by storm. And you know what the best part is?

Herlock Sholmes is the most faithful adaptation I have personally seen as a character of the original Sherlock Holmes.

They got so many of Sherlock's little idiosyncrasies right and you can tell the entire team were genuine fans of the books. I listened to Mr. Wagland's narration *and I saw 221B Baker of the games*. Especially the jack knife impaling the communications to the mantle being referenced in the game? The sheer mess of the flat? It's so good!

My roommate (whom is also a Sherlock Holmes fan) noticed my newest hyper fixation that spawned off of TGAA and that reignited his Sherlock Holmes obsession. He was a fan of the BBC Sherlock and now recognizes it was not a very great show but it's a comfort media for him nonetheless. He just dragged me into rewatching it and... okay, it's playing into a lot of inaccurate Sherlock tropes I don't like but goddamn Martin Freeman carries the whole show. I love his John Watson because it feels like a reasonable version of a modern, younger Watson. He feels real in a way. I do like the fact that even in the first episode, it's established that John and Sherlock can make each other laugh and smile just like in the books. I don't forgive them calling Sherlock a sociopath, however (speaking as someone with a brother that has been diagnosed with being a high-fuctioning sociopath). He's AuDHD to the max and deserves recognition in that department.

All of this to say, I can trace my current Sherlock hyperfixation back to Mega Man. Finding Mega Man in 4th grade led to watching the Ace Attorney anime in late 2021 which led to playing The Great Ace Attorney and that led to listening to Sherlock Holmes. I don't know why I decided to make this post but maybe I might start live blogging this shit? All in all, this is going to be a wild ride.

[simslegacy5083]

Not So Berry (Straud Descendants) Gen 9

Today's (9/23/2024) Episode: The Error of His Ways

Before he could make things even worse, Luigi fled into the gaming center, where he realized that he’d missed a text from his family.

Apparently, they’d found a quiet corner to play some board games on the second floor, and he started heading their way with a heavy heart.

He knew Noemi would be disappointed in what he’d done. How would this look to the public and his Project Daisy backers? He was positive it wouldn’t be long before the whole sad story saw the light of day, and he had no-one to blame but himself.

When he spotted his family upstairs the idea facing them made his stomach churn. He detoured to the restroom, barely making it into a stall before throwing up the remains of his breakfast. His embarrassment increased when he heard someone behind him ask “hey man, are you OK?”

Turning he found the fan who’d distracted him and Noemi from Skye at the start of their outing. He made a weak gesture of acknowledgement, and the stranger gave him a sympathetic look. “That was a crazy show you put on out there. Maybe next time just let it go man, it ain’t worth it.”

With no excuse to delay any longer Luigi settled at the small table where Noemi and Steven were enjoying a game of Don’t Wake the Llama while Skye played with a toy nearby. “How’d it go?” Noemi immediately asked, “Was she willing to negotiate?”

Luigi found himself having trouble forming his reply, finally grinding out “No, not exactly.” He then proceed to tell them the whole sordid tale.

“I know I screwed up.” he finished. “I was trying to protect you but as usual I made a mess of things. Its this stupid temper of mine. Something comes over me when someone tries to hurt the sims I care about and I stop thinking. I know you’re disappointed, and you have every right to be. I’m sorry.”

Little Skye, who had heard the whole thing, responded before his momma. “Don’t be sad. Daddy a big bad, you made the mean lady go away.”

Luigi felt his cheeks flush red with shame. Their little boy already had a habit of trying to solve his problems with violence, and now he’d gone and reinforced that bad behavior even if he hadn’t meant to. He was better than that and he had to start acting like it!

“No Skye” he replied “Daddy is sad, because he made a big mistake. Mommy and I don’t want you to act like that, its not OK to solve your problems by being mean to others.” Skye frowned but didn’t say anymore as he turned back to his toy.

Next Luigi focused on his grandfather. “I’m sorry to cut our outing short, but we really should go. I don’t think its wise for us to be out in public right now, and we need to get home and get ready for the awards ceremony tonight. Thank you for inviting us, hopefully next time it won’t end so poorly.”

Rising Steven said “I understand. I wish it hadn’t come to a fight but thank you for trying to get the photos away from those prying busybodies.”

Luigi nodded “you’re welcome” and allowed himself to be wrapped up in a big hug before gathering his family and heading on his way.

Back at home, Noemi pulled her husband aside for a chat. "I'm glad you understand that what happened today wasn't OK." she began "But like you said, that understanding doesn't help you in the heat of the moment. I think it's time you see a professional about managing your anger.“

Luigi could only nod "You're right, as usual. I need to record an apology video too." He shuddered "Those things are so cringe, but it has to be done.”

“Cullen texted while we were in transit, and the fight is already trending on SimTube. He said if it was anyone other than the Paparazzi, or any week other than right after the Pancakes incident, I’d be cooked… but it's still not good. Entering therapy for anger management will help sell my sincerity."

"Thank you" he went on "For being you. You inspire me to do better, be better. Today was terrible, but it was also the first fight I've had in a long time and that's largely due to your influence. I'd be lost without you, or maybe behind bars." 

Noemi smiled. “I much prefer being the only one who puts you in cuffs. Now let's find our baby and get ready to mingle with the stars. I'm crossing my fingers that after tonight you'll get to add "Starlight Accolade Award Winner" to your resume!"

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[desultory-novice]

Clearing out the backlog~ with another lightning round~  [REALLY OLD ASKS EDITION!]

-Which planet did Magolor really want? -Nightmare and Hyness and portal magic -Marx's Wings and Mistelteinn -Music: The Last Strike Comparison

Correct! In Japanese, he goes from suggesting he wanted to rule Halcandra to declaring himself overlord of the entire universe! In English, he does seem to state that Popstar will be first!

(Of course, in the Japanese, he ALSO states that he'll go ahead and rule Popstar first. So it all ends in the same place. I do wonder if this was a case of the translators having to translate the games cutscenes with no context. If they didn't realize this scene took place on Halcandra and not Popstar, it would have been perfectly logical to assume "this planet" was referring to Kirby and the gang's planet. Not that rare of a mistake in the world of video game translation!)

But there is that indication that his original (?) goal was Halcandra. Of course, post DX, we know he himself isn't Halcandran, but he seemed to have staked a lot of his hopes and dreams on discovering something there, so it's not too farfetched that he would have been mainly interested in acquiring the cradle of Ancient civilization.

...Or was that the crown already manipulating his mind?

--

I meant to answer this one ages ago and I am so sad I didn't...

Anon, if you're still around, I'm sorry I got it wrong but yes, you are ALSO so very right! And wow, I did not realize the exact same portal is used by both (Parallel) Nightmare and Hyness!

...And in both cases, it's to summon Galacta Knight! It really makes you think they were definitely connected. To use the same kind of magic like that? (To even KNOW that magic!) There's just got to be something up with these three. I'm sure of it...

The portal Parallel Nightmare uses to summon D-Mind is still a bit unusual, looking like a twisted dimension rift though

Of course, even a year after this ask, I'm still trying to puzzle out the mystery that is King D-Mind and the Mirror World and if it has any relationship to the Parallel Worlds. My current hypothesis is that Dark Mind may not just be a Nightmare/Dark Matter fusion but something...even more powerful?! Stay tuned for more!

And yeah, Marx's is not the SAME but close. Of course, it wouldn't be that weird for this to be the case since I'm also almost 100% that the majority of his powers including the wings and the goop and the splitting in half came from Nova ie: the Ancients.

(The question is, as you bring up, is this Elfilis magic or something the "magic-using Ancients brought to the table on their own?)

--

It took me forever to answer this but welcome to the era where Dess refuses to shut up about Marx's wings being a creation of the ancients!

I've already made my post about the wings going haywire (like...the...master crown...) but they're just like the Master Crown! Marx's wings are just like the Master Crown!! The question is... how? How was Galactic Nova able to grant Marx something that was just like the Master Crown? (Albeit, flawed. Or are they flawed... since he's able to maintain more control over them than Magolor was?)

Since the Master Crown brought forth Magolor Soul, this also helps explain that curious flash during Marx's moment of empowerment when we seem to see a vision of Marx Soul.

Seriously these two are SO alike in every other way. Why would this be the place in which they're different? I'm going to become obsessed with this now, I swear...

I have only fanon-heavy theories on why Marx has not been taken over fully by the....hmm, the Master Wings(?) while Magolor was. Mostly relating to the difference of Marx being a "magician" (a creature naturally in tune with magic) versus Magolor being a "wizard" (someone who learns to manipulate magic.)

Or heck, if we go full Dess fanon mode, you could assume that Marx's nature as a Noddy and Noddys being tied to the Fountain of Dreams (another Ancient artifact) is why he's not been consumed by them? ...Yet. But as I've been thinking about this, I can also see the Master Wings as another reason why Marx Soul might still be a lingering part of Marx while Magolor Soul was defeated...

-

I have discovered something since joining this fandom...

I'm TERRIBLE at recognizing musical motifs and references!! I can barely tell when one song is a remix of another (; _ ; ) and I tried to listen to these two in order to hear it but in the end, my brain got too caught up in the flashy colors and effects... 

However, I think this is neat and most definitely intentional! (After all, even if I can't make all the work that does into the songs, we all know that the HAL sound team puts a lot of work into it, Kumazaki too with the detailed naming and such.)

The more we discuss things, the more plants and hearts and more become key symbology throughout the series, and the fact that the Dreamstalk is like Jack and the Beanstalk meets the Yggdrasil and Mistilteinn is well.. Mistilteinn I wouldn't be surprised if the connections continue to, ahaha, grow! (And I know we're both going to be there pouring over them! So excited that the new HAL recruitment notice means we'll be seeing another Kirby game!! ...Even if it'll be a 2~ish year wait!)

[blazehedgehog]

Recently I’ve been playing, and loving, Penny’s Big Breakaway and it’s made me realize how stiff official Sonic games have felt since Sonic Heroes. It feels fantastic to chain moves together as Penny. While I don’t want a Sonic game to play exactly like Penny’s Big Breakaway I do want to enter a similar flow state while playing. Sonic Team seems allergic to making any gameplay/movement options that allows for flow… do you have any idea why?

That's the 65-million-dollar question, isn't it.

Several times over the years I've pushed back on the idea when people say Sonic "can't work in 3D." Of course Sonic could work in 3D, it just takes the right team to build it. The concepts and principals of a Sonic game are not exclusive to 2D. You can build a game on those ideals in 3D and it will work just fine.

If you go back and watch my "How Do We Fix Sonic?" video, I also put forth the idea that a lot of 3D Sonic games are the way they are because Sonic Team does not trust the player. To some degree, rightfully so: there's a growing pile of one-level fangame demos where some college kid tries to do 3D Sonic "right" and while a lot of them are okay, I think it makes for an easy case to see why official Sonic games have so much scripting in them.

When you're going that fast, and you're that acrobatic, it becomes very easy to make some incredibly dumb mistakes. It's not that nobody can play that game, it's that a game like that might struggle to achieve mass market appeal. Sonic is, first and foremost, a pick-up-and-play game. I've been thinking of that term a lot lately since the release of Ring Racers, and it basically means a game you don't have to learn. A game where you turn it on and know everything about it instinctively.

The entire pitch for Sonic was a game you could play with just one button. Easy to start playing, difficult to master over the long term. It's a tough balancing act. Especially when you're aiming for a game that a 10 year old can play.

When I was 10 years old, I couldn't even stay on the road in Super Mario Kart. That's what we're working with here.

So they make Sonic into this guided experience with heavy scripting where they can insulate the player from making dangerous mistakes. Lots of spectacle and minimal friction.

Now you add in the pressure of deadlines and budgets. A fangame like Sonic GT can spend five years as an alpha still figuring out its level design, tweaking its mechanics, before finally releasing a four or five level "game." Whereas an official Sonic game probably has to make a pitch, get to alpha, nail all of its controls and mechanics down relatively early. Probably within the first year of development at least, if not within a period of months.

Then they have to build a game for those mechanics. And, with being so scripted and directed, they can't deviate much. Once they're locked in, they don't have a lot of wiggle room to redefine what the game plays like.

That even goes for researching better ways to do things. I don't think these guys were given much of a chance to stop and think. Sonic Adventure 1 came out in October 1998 in Japan, that team moved to America to work on the September 1999 United States release, Sonic Adventure 2 was announced probably not even six months later, it came out within 18 months of its announcement just in time for that team to crank on the super rushed Gamecube port, which segued into an equally rushed port of the original Sonic Adventure, then their first multiplatform release on a third-party engine just a year or two later, followed by a sequel less than two years later, and another sequel less than two years after that...

Running and running and running and never stopping... and, well, I guess this is just what Sonic in 3D plays like now, right? That's the precedent. Sales are relying on not alienating people who are used to the way these games play.

Plus, it also depends on who within Sega is involved. I tend to agree that we shouldn't pin decisions all on one guy anymore for how many developers are actually involved in a game (200+ for Sonic Frontiers), but it's hard to deny that in the Morio Kishimoto era of 3D Sonic games, they've made a dedicated to effort to lock Sonic down and script his movements more than ever. Starting in Sonic Colors all the way up to the most recent Sega of Japan games, player movement is more restricted and automatically controlled than any other Sonic games to come before it.

Even Sonic Frontiers, for all of its open zone gameplay, once you touch a rail or one of those floating platforms, it tries to restrict and control you as much as humanly possible. Helicopter parent game design. "Do it my way exactly, or stop playing the game."

And I think all of this just collides with itself and makes a big ugly mess. I think it's telling Sonic Unleashed is such a cult favorite given its the closest thing we've had to a decent reboot of mechanics, even though it's still trapped in a lot of that scripted spectacle design.

[tenebraevesper]

Five Nights at Freddy's (Movie Review, Part 1)

I had finally watched the Five Nights at Freddy's movie, and I the only thing I have to say about it is...

I LOVE IT! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

Honestly, this movie was everything I, as a FNaF Fan, could ask for. I will admit that there were some things that were missing that I wanted to see, mainly due to changes in the script and the characters, but as a movie adaptation of one of my favorite video games, there was barely anything I could find to complain about.

Like, I don't know what movie the critics have been watching to call this movie mediocre or bad or whatever, because it was far from that. Objectively, it wasn't peak perfection, but I personally adored every second of it. I believe that the criticism surrounding this movie is just another Super Mario movie situation, where the critics cannot handle a movie that gives fans exactly what they wanted.

While I cannot speak for non-FNaF fans, since I've been with the franchise since its humble origins, I do believe that FNaF Fans will love this movie and enjoy it. This movie is a love letter to the fans and it shows.

Now, this was the non-spoiler review. Below, I'll add the spoiler review because I need to talk about my favorite moments from the movie.

If you haven't watched the movie yet, you can skip it.

MOVIE SPOILERS!!!

Oh, boy, where do I start even?! *rubs hands gleefully*

I suppose I'll start with the main characters, Michael ''Mike'' Schmidt and Abby Schmidt.

I genuinely enjoyed their characters in the movie and I loved their brother-sister dynamic (as someone who has younger siblings, they definitely nailed that part). Mike is a very relatable character, having to step up as a guardian for Abby while also clearly processing his own grief in regards to losing his younger brother, Garrett Schmidt and his parents.

He is doing his best to protect his sister and solve the mystery behind his brother's disappearance, acknowledging that he is flawed, yet loves his sister. Once he is given the job as a night guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, he not only learns about the Missing Children Incident, but also hopes that the Ghost Children could help him learn more about his brother's abductor. It is clear that he feels guilt for letting his brother getting kidnapped, because he was supposed to watch over him, yet got distracted, and now he is obsessed with fixing the past.

The one scene that made me incredibly emotional was when Mike started dreaming of his family again and the Ghost Children offered him to reunite with them in his dreams in exchange for something Mike would give them. Mike, in a moment of weakness, promises them anything, just to be together with his family, only to realize that he made a huge mistake when he learns that he gave them Abby in return, and he immediately regrets his actions and tries to save her. I believe that this is also the moment where he finally let's go of the past, because he needs to focus on the present and on Abby.

Speaking of Abby, she's definitely having the best time in her life being friends with a bunch of haunted animatronics, and honestly, I'd love to switch places with her (and yes, I know what happens later on, but we'll get to it).

Note, Mike, Garrett and Abby, are clearly parallels to Michael ''Mike'' Afton, The Crying Child (aka Evan Afton, according to what fans dug up) and Elizabeth Afton, even though they aren't related to William Afton. However, the things we know about them are present in their Movie!Selves, with Mike feeling guilty over the death of his younger brother and being obsessed to make things right, and Abby, similarly to Elizabeth, getting too close to the animatronics and almost suffering being springlocked inside an animatronic suit that resembles Circus Baby (or more accurately, Ella from the novels).

As for the Animatronics themselves, I absolutely adore them! X3

These guys have SOOOOO much personality and are really expressive, and I knew exactly what they thought and felt at every waking moment, even though they never spoke, unless it were the Ghost Children. There were a bunch of little moments, like Foxy's humming and Chica's Cupcake being an absolute menace that I loved, but I did miss Freddy not playing Toreador March or the animatronics having the game screams. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every single moment of them being on screen, especially since I knew these guys were real and not just CGI constructs.

I also love how they just switch from being happy and friendly (especially around Abby)...

...to going complete Murder Mode around everyone else.

Seriously, the look Freddy gives to Mike clearly screams ''You will be the next to get stuffed into an animatronic suit.''

I also loved the animatronics hunting down the thugs Mike and Abby's aunt has hired to get Mike fired. These guys were the highlight of the movie (along with another character, but I'll get to that soon enough). I know some people complained about there not being buckets of blood and gore, but to my knowledge, FNaF was NEVER about gore or being a slasher flick. The veterans of this franchise know that the main appeal of FNaF is its lore and the trail of breadcrumbs and puzzle pieces we are still try to understand to this very day. If you want gore, go watch The Banana Splits Movie or Wily's Wonderland. Or any other slasher flick.

Also, screw you Balloon Boy, you both jumpscared me and made me laugh. Seriously, BBs appearances were hysterical. X3

Speaking of which, shout out to MatPat and CoreyxKenshin:

I definitely had a laugh when MatPat was interrupted during his Food Theory on lunches and Corey always getting the weirdos entering his taxi.

Moving on to Vanessa Shelly....

...or rather, Vanessa Afton.

Yeah, I'm not gonna skirt around this reveal, especially given people were interested to why a character from Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, a game that takes place during the 2020s-2030s is doing in a movie that adapts a game taking place during the 1990s.

The answer? She is the movie version of Elizabeth Afton (whether she has siblings or not is unknown, but I doubt it; after all, Elizabeth from The Silver Eyes didn't have any siblings either).

I will admit, I do like that the movie combined aspects of Security Breach!Vanessa being the Reluctant Follower and covering for her father's crimes (or rather, not wanting to get involved with them) along with her knowledge of Freddy's by virtue of being the daughter of one of the founders. Unlike Elizabeth, she manages to defy her father at the very end of the movie, and gets stabbed as a consequence. Don't worry, she is alive, but also stuck in the hospital.

Also, her being William's daughter in the movie opens a huge can of worms for her Game!Character, given how Game!Vanessa (aka Vanny) is known as Vanessa A.

Now, let's get to our main attraction... in part two, because Tumblr won't let me post more than 30 images.

LINK

Five Nights at Freddy's (Movie Review, Part 2)

[artistic-vixen]

I have been thinking back a lot about the things I was apart of back during my middle school and highschool years.

I was largely in the Markiplier and Jacksepticeye fandoms for the longest time, still am. Something I always come back to that lingers in the back of my mind is Puppet Collection. It was the first and only ARG I partook in. Now I don't remember much of what happened as that feels like such a long time ago.

I do remember one thing, I remember breaking the game by creating a group dm. Not realizing that I had added a mod. Luckily I was allowed to stay in the game though because it was a genuine mistake. But I will say...I remember that I had been crying a lot when it happened because at that time I was so into the Puppet Collection story and game I thought it was real.

I, no longer have the account that was used for said ARG on Discord. I also remember that because of Puppet Collection, I created what some would remember was called the Tainted Souls ARG.

An ARG based around Darkiplier, back then I was young and naive to think I could do something as big as Puppet Collection or really any other ARG.

Hell the moderators of PC had been brought in to help...but I remember that there was a lot of fighting amongst my team and theirs.

Now...was Tainted Souls a perfect thought out ARG? Hell fucking no. In fact me and the mod team were flying by the seat of our pants because We didn't plan anything. We didn't stretch it out, we didn't have documents made. We just winged it.

Now I'm sure you're wondering why I am bring this all up. And no it's not to create another Tainted Souls ARG. Although I've thought about a sequel or hell even redoing Tainted Souls better than it was.

But no, the reason why I bring this up is because...I want to make a video. A well researched video think like Night Mind, how he does videos on various args and such. I want to do something like that, but I want to cover Puppet Collection, Tainted Souls and other JSE and Markiplier based ARGs. So to anyone who was apart of Puppet Collection, Tainted Souls, hell Ominiscience. I want to get into contact with you whether it be through discord, email, or tumblr messages.

And to anyone who were players in these ARGs I'd also like to hear from you as well, I want perspective from both mods and players of these ARGs.

I want to talk and get as much information about these ARGs so that I may cover them in youtube videos.

@corvidazed and any one else please.

[bandtrees]

for the warriors ask game :D

🗺 : first map you ever watched?

🖼 : first amv/pmv you ever watched?

(I used to watch MAPs religiously those are my jam)

yay thank you! warriors ask game except the questions are all weird and niche as hell!

know: my memory is bad. i've been into wc for... well over a decade now, so these are probably not accurate xP my first warriors video was i believe a spoof video about ashfur and squirrelflight, but my first map and amv? uhhh unsure!

🗺 : first map you ever watched? - i didn't actively watch maps as a small kid, or at least i don't think i did? the first map that i entirely remember watching was during my second major warriors phase by the time i was closer to... 15 maybe?? as opposed to my earliest memories of wc which are from when i was 10 or younger lol. little fang, which is making me genuinely super misty eyed to rewatch, it's just so so good, from the style to the designs to how well it gets into jayfeather and his family with only animation and music, the composition of every part is so good, the designs, all of it. the sole reason little fang is one of my favorite songs to this day it might, miiight, have also been evelyn evelyn? that one was certainly one of the first maps i ever watched that stuck with me. the dovewing kinnie has entered chat

🖼 : first amv/pmv you ever watched? - i cannot remember. i watched sooo many amvs as a kid. not my FIRST amv, probably, but one of the earliest i recall is ashfur's revenge, which is delighting me so much to rewatch. this one was formative for me, i miss the style of flash-animated warriors amvs that (obviously:() aren't around anymore. i also have such a soft spot for tigerclaw is not one of thunderclan, one i was thinking about the Entire Time i was writing the exile scene in spottedfur's pride lol. i still love it so much, this is my first time rewatching it in like... a decade, im sure. its so good. im kind of blown away as i rewatch these that they ARE as good as they are, cuz i feel like it's common in the warriors fandom to treat old amvs as some cringeworthy lost art (in general i have strong opinions on how (unintentionally)cruel the internet starts being to things as soon as they enter "nostalgia" territory) - but there's still, like, genuine talent in these. there's a reason these amvs were as popular as they were, and not because we were all cringe 10 year olds who didn't know better, lol. also reminds me of tigerstar and the dog pack(be prepared) - which is one i have the most vivid memory of watching on my family computer, hehe. in general i love corvus katana's stuff, past and current oh my god i will never get this ask posted because i keep remembering ones that helped, like, form a lobe of my brain growing up. HOW TO SAVE BLUESTAR'S LIFE YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS!!!! I AM TOTALLY NOT CRYING REWATCHING IT. YOU ARE. YOU ARE. cant believe i had a phase where i hated bluestar - i think everyone did because they spontaneously realized she was imperfect, immoral even at times, and made mistakes but hadn't developed the media comprehension to realize she was... actually meant to be complex and troubled and not just a perfect leader. god. bluestar. god. god. g (im also gonna use this question as a chance to gush about old amvs that i remember that are unfortunately lost to time: a hollyleaf one to hurricane by thirty seconds to mars (!!!! THIS ONE WAS SO FORMATIVE BUT IM LIKE 80% SURE ITS LOST MEDIA), bluestar heart heart head (PLEASE tell me im not the only one who remembers this one!!! i was devastated to learn it wasn't iconic or reuploaded anywhere (as much as i also think, again, in the nostalgia-sense, people act entitled to things like old amvs or people's art or whatever else)), NIGHTCLOUD GIRL WITH ONE EYE CHANGED MY LIFE?and... probably more of course that aren't coming to me now xP

i. didnt expect to ramble as much as i did with this? i just can't put into enough words how formative warriors amvs and the like were for me growing up :'DD they were my major start for digital art and animation (something i did a lot when i was younger but fell out of over time, but god i'd love to animate again, maybe do a classic wc amv to spottedfur's pride or something lol)

thank you for the question! I am so incredibly normal about warrior cats.

[dr-jem-nutcase]

MvA: The M Files, take-a-peek, pt. 5

Chapter 6:

Dr C's origin story video was a 20-second one-take recording of his accident, so there's little to no room for any deviation from the movie. Still, may this NOT disappoint

Gotta love alliterations but carnage means "widespread murder". And I don't think this sort of kids' book would be willing to show a bloodbath

I just realized, where are the stairs leading to those massive doors?

A pin-up in the audience, wth? Even the guy to her left is saying the same thing

Genetic teleportation device. Makes sense cuz teleportation was the topic of scientific research & experimentation in both Fly movies but this time the bug mutation is intentional. The video game only talks about the genetic part: recombinant DNA (fact: this term wasn't coined until the 70s, so Dr C was ahead of his time). Thanks, M Files, for a better elaboration beyond just a scientific machine

Is it just me or have the illustrators eventually said, "heck with it! let's just get this done & over with!" and got lazy? Taking a look at the last two chapters/the last post, I'm beginning to wonder

Ok, we get a better visual of Dr C's hairstyle. I put this pic in a grayscale filter and his hair in the movie was definitely darker than this ash brown-blond color (I like to think it's dark brown)

That shirt & tie. So much for that turtleneck. But from what I've gathered, the illustrators for a number of kids' books about the movie were given art references (besides the concept art) from DW months before the movie came out. Dr C's swap from the tie to the turtleneck didn't happen until later in the making of the movie; pretty much all the concept art of him show a shirt & tie. I don't know about you but I wanna see that reference art, every piece of it! As a fan of this glorious franchise, may my prayers be answered!

Whozits. Lol

Srsly? Portable phones, or phones that didn't require a cord, were a thing of dreams in the 60s. And what kind of haircut are you guaranteed? A trim? A buzz cut? And chocolate tastes AWFUL after you brush your teeth, and the average adult doesn't drink hot chocolate on a regular basis. It's coffee, if anything. Or even more realistic in the early 60s: a phone that lights a cigarette. You ever watch mid-century period dramas like Mad Men or Call The Midwife? Every other person smoked back then--anytime, anywhere! But this is a kids' book, again. Smoking/tobacco use is nowadays a reason for something not to be rated G. Istg, my inner historian has been doubled over & screaming in pain since this chapter began! Ok, enough whining

The fat guy's constant *ahem* cracks me up tho

Was this presentations of scientific discoveries or a glorified science fair? Dr C had discovery in mind while the fat guy had fair in mind. Imo, that genetic teleportation device was way more practical than a phone with hygiene & hot chocolate powers, not just super scientific

Unsurprisingly, Doc had his own fanbase on a university campus

Say "they called me crazy but I'll show them" without saying "they called me crazy but I'll show them"

Ok, is it just me or did the color pallet change on this page?

Didn't think that the machine was red. Also, the shirt is now black

"Whoops! I made a mistake!" "Just keep going, Jim. We've got a deadline."

So, he's just going with it without actually testing it on something else? That IS mad

I wish we saw more of his face in this instead of the back of his head

Dr C foretold Neil Armstrong's famous landing-on-the-moon quote

O...m...g. You can tell the illustrators had the hardest (or laziest) time with this chapter. I can barely look

A PhD in dance, mind you. A PhD in anything doesn't make you a faultless god

Oh! And go back inside if you want peace & quiet. And if you must, lock the door

Now both the tie and shirt is a different color

Reclining in the trash can, lol

I'm honestly the university campus hasn't been entirely vacated at this point

Welp, if climate change doesn't work, we know where to go...wait this was the 60s. Never mind

So, you've got a washing machine, an oil barrel, two tires, a traffic cone, maybe a bike chain and...what else?

That day, the middle of September 1962, a distinguishable sound that would haunt a secret prison facility for generations to come was born. This lines up with my h/c that being partially human mentally on top of the trauma of the accident brought on some amount of insanity

That tie must be magic. It changed colors again

Omg! Just call that slipper out for what it is!

"Hey, Jim? What's that shoe thing people wear in the morning?" "I forget. In this panel, it's in a junkyard, so just call it an 'ugh'."

In the movie... "Ooh! An old ugh...I mean, slipper!"

That is one heck of a net for that tiny fishing pole

The antennae sticking out of the net

Ooh, Monger's a major now, but how'd he know about Dr C?

But srsly. Is this chapter perfect? No. But I like it for giving "human" Dr C a bit more time than just a 10-second camera footage of a hottie in a lab coat getting into a giant cylinder. I don't know about anyone else, but it gives me more of a comprehension that Dr C's a human being with a cockroach head and tendencies, not just a strange anthropomorphic bug person

Epilogue

The End! Oh, wait!

So the jetpack has a flamethrower? Hot dang...literally

Link lifting a weight with his tail, lol

Blue-eyed Dr C with a gold tie pulling out...what is that? A bra? The illustrators must hate his guts

Poor private Grime. And what are the monsters supposed to do with potatoes? I think B.O.B. & maybe Insecto are the only ones who would eat potatoes, and Dr C might try potato battery experiments. But why so many? Did Monger stop by local gleaners or a food bank/pantry? Was this a donation of charity? Did he accidentally go over the top with potato crops at his farm? I don't get it! But quoting Samwise Gamgee, "Po-Tay-Toes! Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew!" There's probably a thousand and one things you could make with potatoes. Like vodka--oh, wait! Kids' book

Grime must've been like one soldier online who said he could cook minute-rice in 58 seconds. Still, I feel bad for the guy. Do you know how hard peeling potatoes can be on your hands after a while? Ow, ow, owie...

Overall, not a bad book. Disappointing every now and then, but hey! Kids' book. It was kinda expected. The watered-down, non-violent breakaways from the movie had its ups and downs. Like providing some explanation of details of the origin stories in the movie, like why the tomato and dessert topping. Or the idea that luring a monster into a trap is the ultimate way to capture one, MUCH more scaled out and less violent than fighting them until you get the upper hand and force them into submission and/or tranquilizing them, like tranquilizing Susan and then tying her down when she became too drowsy to fight and eventually consciousness in the movie instead of luring her into a trap (like, how would you lure a confused, scared 50-foot bride into a trap when all she can think of was her fiance's safety and why people were wrapping a rope around her arm?). If you thought this book was a disappointment through and through, I read the graphic novelization, and it is a bigger disappointment than anything in this book. More watered down, the illustration was terrible, and some of the rewritten scenes didn't add up with the events of the movie, like wth. I think I threw it out

I hope you enjoyed this take-a-peek series as much as I did. And maybe I can share the second half of the entire book, a story called Brain Pain, a silly entertaining story about the four monsters (BOB, Dr C, Link, & Insecto) in the facility some time before Susan showed up. Maybe :)

Again, none of this belongs to me, as much as I wish it did

[caitlynnrosespn]

Another Rant. More Like A Response.

So I was going to make a video about this because I have a lot to say. But I realized that the stutter I thought I had gotten rid of Freshman years comes out heavily if I'm pissed, which I currently am, so I'll just save use the headache and type this out.

Also tagging @apexious cuz they wanted to see this.

Look. I could totally tag people. I could name names. But I'm not going to. Because at this point everyone has probably either seen this post or knows who this person is. And goddamn do I have a lot to say about them.

Number 1: If you're gonna call me out call me out bestie. Coming after me for a post I made expressing discomfort at a NSFW self ship is fine and all, but then you go ahead and say stuff like "adult people can have adult thoughts about other adults" when my post was referring to a fanfic written by a KID? Get your facts straight before you say anything that's public. Here's the thing, was my post in poor taste? Quite possibly. Was there an adult way to handle it and get the results you wanted? Oh yeah. Did you do the adult thing? Nope! Instead of either A. taking it to a private message and explaining what was wrong or B. making a respectful post that highlighted what was wrong in a mature way, you made a disrespectful, arrogant, self righteous post bashing an entire fanbase despite the fact that only a few people were at large. So now, instead of placing the responsibility of accountable parties, which I would have been included in, and allowing to own up and apologize, you have now not only included yourself into the problem, but also blown the problem wayyyy out of proportion. May I remind you that we are a fairly tiny fandom based on a video game directed at children? I've been playing since 2012, so believe me when I say these games have come a long way. Hell, these characters now in fanfics didn't have names until The Traveler season happened. Remember the days of referring to characters as "the coach from One Kiss" or "Jessy's guy in Swish Swish" or "P1 in Lean On"? Yeah, that was surprisingly not that long ago. So it is responsible to believe that the concept of NSFW or self shipping in a fandom is relatively new to us. Shit, we are not going to act like a normal fandom! This fandom is very different then others, so if we make a mistake like bagging on things that are all normal in other fandoms, then be fucking patient! Call it out in a respectable way, and let us fix it! We always do!

Next, the other problems you discussed? Are they currently in the room with us? I have not seen these problems like, at all. There is no mass shitting on people who have comfort characters. People who fetishsize and disrespect characters? Hell yeah (we took care of people like youngjackissohot and others), but not genuine comfort/kinny characters. The vast majority of us have a comfort character and that's why we are in this fucking community in the first place! Maybe i'm just blind as a bat, but I have not seen anyone tear apart anyone watching maps on Youtube. Bitch, most of us don't have a Switch so those maps on Youtube are our saving grace to stay in this community. Is this happening on another site, like Reddit or Twitter? Cuz if so maybe you should have gone and bitched to them instead of complain on here.

And you don't think we should benefit from your presence in this community? Ok Jesus, sorry you're leaving! Seriously though, while I appreciate everyone in this community and think you make an impact no matter how big it is, this is a classic case of "someone got a little too big for their britches". Sure, we hate to see you go. But like you said, you haven't been active since Lover Coaster (which you couldn't even remember the name of btw-how in the absolute fuck are you going to get involved with Fandom matters if you can't even name the last season you remember?) and we all survived without you. So don't pretend all of a sudden you're some hotshot celebrity whose mere absence in this community will affect anything. I have a few good fics that I am updating frequently that I know people will enjoy, and I've active for a good while, but I know if I fell of the face of the earth right now my absence in the fandom won't cause any major issues. Get a reality check.

Lastly, you're dealing with a fandom here. A group of humans who are all flawed and all make mistakes and all have their moments. If you're not happy with the ugly sides of that, then I'm sorry but you don't deserve to benefit from the many good sides. We are by far the least problematic fandom I have so far heard of. For the most part, we are kind to each other and care for each other and we love each other. If we make mistakes we make sure to fix them and then we carry on. If you have a problem with us not always getting along and us sometimes having our moments then don't let the door hit you on the way out.

I'm sorry you have to see this side of me, but come after this family and call us nothing more than a group of fucking assholes and see what happens next bitch. Cuz next time I won't hesitate to nane names.

[drainowl]

I've run out of sketch work I feel somewhat proud of posting, looks like I'm actually gonna have to get to work if I wanna have something worth presenting.

Sadly I have no grand revelations or thoughts to share as I spent most of the week indulging myself and playing video games, particularly Dark Souls 2. One small notable thing I did was open Godot game engine and program a first person character controller, of course its rather primitive and doesn't feel good to control, so I still have a long way to go before I have anything close to a game but I'm still gonna use this as a dump for design notes based on my opinion of Dark Souls 2 for future reference. Not that I'm even making a game akin to Dark Souls in anyway.

So starting off Dark Souls 2 feels like a fan game that missed the point of the original mechanics and narrative and just went overboard. The main progression of the game has many obscure and arbitrary objectives that practically require a guide to find. The first game also had this problem when it came to some of its deeper mechanics and optional content but not along its main progression path, completely blocking players not in the know as well as destroying the pacing and flow when you inevitably have to stop and look up a guide.

The UI on item pickups only shows the name and category icon rather than the small preview of the first game. Together with the increased amount of pickups, players are often overwhelmed with items that build little intrigue to use them. Making for a big, cluttered inventory of unused items and equipment.

The feeling of creating an interconnected, coherent world that can be learnt and in turn rewards players for doing so is lost from the first game and replaced with mostly linear runways that build up in the warp menu, slowly making it more bloated and hard to navigate. The warp mechanic really just exists as a crutch for the level design, as well as breaking the pacing of the game when your forced to warp back to the hub area to level.

The combat has become far slower, the enemy AI nerfed. The dodge roll feels particularly harmed, although it could be argued it was due a nerf. Its animation gets little distance, making it feel awkward to use, the invincibility frames gained from a dodge are tied to a stat that is not explained to players, meaning new players main form of defense is removed in a way that is hidden from them, this is insanely frustrating. For players that know about the stat, it is given priority in character building, making player choice less emphasized and builds more uniform.

Bosses, which I though were a highlight of the first game. In Dark Souls 2, bosses are often easily cheesed by walking around them, attacking, then healing if they manage to land a hit, as often they just leave big gaps of time in-between attacking for players to do so. Often times you'll fight a boss only to die and realize you don't have the MacGuffin to beat them, which once again is often left unexplained, souring all the bosses and making them feel more like a cheap trick rather than the actual test of raw skill they were in the original Dark Souls.

The new healing system, honestly isn't all to bad. life gems are easily obtained and abused, not great for balance but for a game with poor balance anyway, its a decent remedy. The actual nerf and added progression of regular healing/Estus at first feels like a mistake... which yea it is, players need more than 1 Estus to make it through the hordes of enemies the game throws out in the first level. At least feels like a step in the right direction for the balancing of the game, giving the player more renewable healing as they progress. I wouldn't be surprised if the wide range of healing options available to players at any given time is why the balance is so off throughout the game as opposed to Dark Souls 1s more reserved approach to healing.

Now that I've run out of actual gameplay mechanics to complain about and could really only nit pick from here on, ill touch on the story. Its the same story as Dark Souls 1 spelt out through an annoying, on the nose and mostly forgettable bloated cast of characters.

I disliked Dark Souls 1 as I played through it, but as I looked back, I realized most of my problems stemmed from my bad decision making in a world that left so much choice up to the player and my own lack of perception. As I learned and became better it slowly made its way into my favorite games list... The word "most" should be emphasized, there are some moments of genuinely horrible design, but I thought the same might be true for Dark Souls 2 which is why I gave it so much time to win me over and went on to beat it. But sadly, it just ended up becoming a further lesson in poor design. Although I know there are many people who enjoy it, I personally would not recommended.

[eponymous-rose]

Tagged by @faejilly , thank you! I will once again tag anyone who wants to!

Were you named after anyone?

Not intentionally, but when I was about 12 my mom suddenly realized that my name was a variation on the name of her cousin, who also happened to be one of her best friends, so retroactively I'm named after her!

When was the last time you cried?

Oh man, I'm moving soon and I get really attached to places, so I've been pretty sniffly. Add to that the fact that I made the mistake of looking at cat pictures/videos too much on social media and now all my feeds are incredibly sad stories of people losing their pets. :( So yes, a couple days ago I was pretty weepy.

Do you have kids?

Nope!

Do you use sarcasm?

Probably on occasion. I don't think I sell it very well, for the same reason that I can't be mean in video games.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Whether or not they're walking a cute dog.

What’s your eye colour?

Brown

Scary movies or happy endings?

Probably happy endings overall, but scary movies can be fun!

Any special talents?

I can tell you if there's a 30% chance it's already raining.

Where were you born?

Canada! Somehow been in the States for nearly 11 years already.

What are your hobbies?

Playing piano, video games, reading, hiking (intermittently), writing (still more intermittently), D&D, apparently collecting Pokemon cards in the year 2023.

Have any pets?

A lovely little cat named Clara! I adopted her from the shelter at seven months old and she's somehow four years old already.

What sports do/have you played?

I went to soccer camp every year in middle-high school, I tried out for the basketball team in high school but left tryouts halfway through when a moment of clarity revealed to me that most of the people in the gym were the same ones who were always weirdly mean to me in class, and I fenced competitively (epee) from eighth grade through college, and also coached for a bit. Also did "ballet" and then actual ballet from 3-13 (I participated in the Dodge Instructors Every Time They Want You To Go En Pointe challenge until they suggested I leave), which was the hardest workout of the lot, for sure.

How tall are you?

5'7"/ 170 cm

Favorite subject at school?

Loved them all, but in grade school it would've been English and Math. In college it was a Music 101 class and a 400-level fluid dynamics class.

Dream Job?

Doing interesting and helpful research, teaching cool classes to motivated students, working with teams of people to make the field a better place, mentoring students one-on-one and helping them learn about the world, all at a workplace with a focus on "no work outside of work hours" and with sufficient remuneration and job security that I never have to get a new job. Which is what I'm doing now! So yeah, I really love the job I'm doing right now, and this is the year I put together my tenure package so fingers crossed on that last point.