#and I personally love the contest components of the games

[kingofanemptyworld]

and last (but certainly not least) of the current batch! Tsubaki!

Tsubaki’s Team:

Lopunny (Partner Pokemon)

Hatterene

Sylveon

Tinkaton

Aromatisse

Applin (gifted)

Fairy-type trainer extraordinaire, Tsubaki, enters the scene! It didn’t take long to decide on a type for Tsubaki to main tbh (like Hiiragi is dragon, hands down, and Ume grass), and I’m only a little disappointed that Lopunny’s the outlier here, because as much as I love Hatterene and think it suits Tsubaki, it wasn’t going to beat out Lopunny. This bunny is out there kicking the crap out of opponents and Tsubaki couldn’t be prouder.

Slightly adjacent topic, but I use he/him for Tsubaki because those are his canon pronouns that he uses himself. However! Trans!Tsubaki, or any non-cis iteration thereof, is also cool, so I absolutely had to give him the Trans Icon Sylveon. Happily, Hatterene’s color scheme is similar, so they’re both excellent additions to his team. As for Tinkaton… I didn’t know this pokemon existed until I pulled up a list of fairy types and saw it towards the bottom. I fell in love, instantly, and I firmly believe Tsubaki did as well. I love tiny characters with huge-ass hammers/axes/various melee weapons (Kikoru from Kn8 my beloved), my fate was sealed the moment I saw this. Aromatisse goes along with Tsubaki’s love of pretty things, in the form of being a walking perfume dispenser (and an excellent way for Tsubaki to run off assholes without having to lift a finger). In my heart Aromatisse is free of its pokeball most of the time and spends an ungodly amount of hours coming up with new scents for Tsubaki’s approval, good and bad. Tsubaki’s favorite is also coincidentally the one Umemiya liked enough to comment on it, so Aromatisse makes sure to spritz Tsubaki whenever it knows its trainer is going to meet up with Ume.

Applin is, of course, a gift from Umemiya, which he gave to Tsubaki the day he decided to take a break from his champion duties. Tsubaki had the same idea, so they’re matchy-matchy (and in love shhhhhh).

Fun fact! Tsubaki was originally a contest participant and holds three Regional Contest Champion Titles. Someone more fashion-conscious than me can imagine all the glorious costumes he wore on his contest runs. He still keeps an eye on the scene despite not having much time to participate these days and he’s particularly keen on up-and-comer Suo!

[cerastes]

Do you think at some point early on in Arknights the intent was to be a buildup to a more critical look at Rhodes as more morally grey than it first appears? Because when I started the game I was so sure that's where it was going. Popukar probably being one of the first characters you get, the idea of SWEEP, the understanding I had at the time of darknights doctor and y'know, the villains being who they are. I just thought it would be more of a thing.

I don't think necessarily, I think the intent was always to posit Rhodes Island as "as good as you can get while still being a relatively major power but not quite as big or resourceful as a state". I do think it bears mentioning that child soldiers/children and teenagers with a job as a concept don't seem to really carry a stigma as they do in the real world: The only real times in which these are painted in negative lights are when the conditions or results of these decisions end up in something negative:

Popukar was clearly indentured labor at the lumberyard. The part that's condemned is that she was miserable and practically a slave, not really that she was working per se, and she's given a job by RI later after Kal'tsit personally gets her out of there.

Frostleaf's being a child soldier even before Rhodes Island isn't really all that condemned, the effects it had on her psyche is.

Absinthe, just orphaned, is made a Rhodes Island Operator. This notion isn't rejected or truly contested, no more than "maybe we can send her somewhere proper for care". Hell, all the Ursus kids also get made into Operators.

Even outside of this, we hire children frequently: Bubble, Suzuran, Shamare, you name it. Sure, each has a context, especially Shamare who is Fucking Haunted, but the matter of the fact is that Rhodes Island isn't just housing them, it's also showing no real qualms with them taking the Operator Testing Battery and, if they succeed, hiring them. It's mentioned several times that Rhodes Island has many non-combat roles -- Angelina used to be a Messenger for Rhodes Island before taking the Operator test, Orchid was offered a desk job at Rhodes Island initially, and Weedy was a Rhodes Island researcher who explicitly worked out and trained so she could pass the physical components of the test -- but there's no real turn of eyes when a child says mmmm yeah I'll do the Battlefield Supporter Battery please, thank you.

Amiya is, you know, the CEO of Rhodes Island, and that IS pointed out in a "damn, fucked up" way, but what's being lamented is not her having a job, it's her having a BIG difficult job. I think no one would bat an eye if Amiya was a regular Operator under Theresa instead (granted, because she's the owner's daughter, but even without that link).

These are some examples of in-universe logic regarding the whole child soldier and kid with a job. I'd wager it's because life expectancy in Terra is pretty damn low from what we've gathered: Armed conflict, crime, Catastrophes, Oripathy, there's plenty of ways to kick the bucket in Terra, much like it was in Ye Olde Ages in real life, which is coincidentally an era in which by 16 you already were an adult and were expected to start having adult responsibilities.

Pre-Amnesia Doctor was definitely not a stellar person but it's always understood that they weren't bad as much as broken: Scout put it best that it broke his heart to have seen this kind educator and fun, loving individual become a heartless tactician. Even when described this way, though, it wasn't like Doc became this Brooding Evil Mass, it's still mentioned plenty that they were pretty beloved by most people and a person they liked being friends with -- Ace, Scout, and Amiya all corroborate this, and in flashbacks, you have Theresa being pretty warm with Doc -- but if you were a footsoldier, Doctor was probably your worst nightmare because you were disposable -- W, Ines, Hoederer and Flamebringer can tell you as much -- so we had less a villain or a vile individual and more a broken individual who was remolded into someone that could withstand the immense psychological pressure that came with having their role. That's not to sanitize pre-amn Doctor, it's to echo the game's own words on them as per the characters in the setting that knew them from back then, and who held both positive and negative opinions on them.

Looking at all of these from an in-universe lens, they all have coherent in-universe explanations. I also think they would have foreshadowed any sort of Rhodes Island Insiduous Vileness with characters or actions by now: Less than stellar, antagonistic high command, dubious orders to do some vile stuff, other such things. The closest we get to this is Kal'tsit hating Doctor's guts, but also Kal'tsit is a really good person and her hatred of Doctor stems from her knowing them pre-amnesia, seeing how that happened, and what Doc did in those times, particularly one big event that's pretty lore relevant.

You may have noticed the elephant in the room [SPOILERS FOR PEOPLE NOT DONE WITH THE REUNION ARC YET]: I didn't address the enemy part yet. That's because that's the part that I still have some conflicted feelings over: The real enemy, in the end, isn't Reunion's ideals -- which are shared with Rhodes Island -- but rather it's what Reunion has become, a false flag operation for the Ursus Empire to justify a war. On one hand, I like that, on the other, I do think it's something that should've been more graciously hinted at in the very early chapters, because in those very early chapters, you REALLY are rent-a-cops in essence, putting down the people you set out to help. Of course, it's not that simple and there's a nuance as to why and the business dealings and all that, but given the relative simplicity and pace of the early chapters, it really is easy to see it come across that way.

It does, however, ring consistent with what we were previously talking about, though: The essence of, more than the act or thing in itself. Or, in other words, in Terra, the onus of things seem to be placed on the result or context surrounding something more than that something in itself: Child soldiers are fine, unhappy and in-risk child soldiers are not. Teenagers with jobs are fine, teenagers with huge stressful jobs way out of their league are not. Revolutionary movements are fine, revolutionary movements with civilian casualties are not. And so on. There is DEFINITELY commentary that can be had about this, mind you, but that can be for another post in another blog.

With this in mind, I go back to what was first said in this post, I think the idea was always to posit Rhodes Island as "as good as you can get while still being a relatively major power but not quite as big or resourceful as a state".

[swampstew]

It's October! SPOOPY TIME ~ *throws ghost shaped confetti* ~ I am so excited to start this fun event! Reminder that this is a costume contest that YOU can vote in on October 29~ Vote for my mans, he worked really hard🥺

Character: Eustass "The Sexiest Captain" Kid Summary: Kid is going to steal the show away with his costume. He's a known murderer after all, and he's going to slay this contest as this villain everyone loves to hate. Word Count: 1,031

“OI! KILL! Get in here!” Eustass Kid angrily yelled from his room. He stared at his hulking form in the floor length mirror he had stolen from some place or another, eyeing the material laid over his body as he tried to piece together his idea.

The door pushed open as his best friend came through, hauling some pieces of metal behind him. Piling it next to Kid’s desk, Killer finally sized the redhead up, tilting his head as he inspected the idea Kid was toying with.

“When you said you wanted to be Sauron, I kind of assumed you’d go all in with an impressive armor -plated outfit. The helmet is coming out fine and I got the materials for the spikes but…what exactly are you trying to do here?”

Kid rolled his eyes, “It’s a costume CONTEST, Killer. I need to appeal to all of the judges.”

“I see. So you’re going for…skanky horror?”

“More like monstrously fuckable.”

“Well you’re on the right track. I’ll leave you to it.”

With a nod, Kid took the helmet prototype off his head, pulled the metal sheet plates from his body, and stepped out of the floor-length mesh skirt he pinned together.

His plan was to go as his favorite character. The baddest bastard in all of literature – Sauron Thee Lord of the Rings. He already knew the judges had personal tastes and preferences, and if he could hit all of them he knew he’d be the undisputed winner. Alvida liked to gawk, Buggy liked flashy, Mihawk liked weapons, and Crocodile just showed up for the party but had a soft spot for the classics.

The contest was in a few weeks so there was no time to fuck around. With a determined look on his face, Kid gathered his scraps and blueprints, spread his materials on the long work table, and grabbed his hammer to begin flattening the steel.

Strike upon strike echoed in his room as Kid worked. First, he flattened the metal sheets and used his body to shape the plates of his armor around his muscles, making sure to bend the metal to heavily emphasize the contours of his jagged edged form. When all the individual, scandalously modified armor components were formed, he welded the units together to create his costume – it consisted of: an extreme crop top plackart with connecting pieces for the pauldrons, couters, vambraces, spaulders, and rerebraces; tassets and extremely short cuisses that stopped mid-thigh for his groin; greaves for his legs; the helmet and bevor; the mace; and jagged additions to his sword.

Next was making the imposing spiky pieces that decorated the helmet, shoulder plates, thigh plates and shoes. Kid took thicker pieces of metal and manipulated their shapes to his design: long, wicked looking slats that could slice you up if you didn’t watch out. He also made spindly spikes in varying sizes, making much more than he would probably end up needing. Kid then soldered each addition to the base of the armor; the smell of iron, tin, and fire leaving a heavy odor in the air that lingered even with all the windows open.

The weeks passed as he worked on his project a little every day, determined to meet his deadline and take home the prize. Kid poured his sweat and blood into shaping, sanding, buffing, smoothing, shining, painting, and sealing each individual piece of his costume. The only time he asked for help was when he needed Heat to sew fabrics together. Kid might be able to bend metal to his will but not even he could thread something as small as string to needle with his thick, clunky fingers.

At long last the day of the costume contest arrived. The crew was pre-gaming and helping each other dress for the party. Kid didn’t want anyone to see him until he was fully dressed, locking himself in his room to shower and get ready.

With freshly dried hair that he didn’t bother to style, Kid placed his trusty welding goggles on his bed as he looked at his outfit. With a confident grin, the redhead dropped his towel to the floor.

Slipping on the first layer, Kid pulled tight black shorts over his underwear, the ends of the cotton spandex shorts had been sewn together with the mesh fabric to create leggings that he could tuck into his amor-plated sabatons. He pulled on a long-sleeved, extreme crop top made of the same cotton spandex and mesh, which did nothing to hide his nipples. Eyeing the way the mesh made his muscles look, Kid started the next layer.

Pulling up the tassets that were reminiscent of his belted war kilt, the cuisses sat comfortably over his thighs and looked menacing with the slats and spikes, as did his greaves. Over his torso he put on the customized plackart – it ran down to his forearms right over the mesh, covered his collarbones but stopped short just above his pecs. Stepping into the metal plated boots, Kid’s outfit was nearly complete.

With a quick hand, Kid swiped on burgundy lipstick and heavy, smoky black eyeshadow. From the closet he pulled out the new fur cloak he had Killer dye from maroon to black, snapping the clasp in place to hang from the backs of the pauldrons, between where the jagged spikes were soldered into the steel. Brushing his hair back he slid the helmet over his face, the generous gaps in the visor were just enough to show a passing glance of his makeup. Taking a step back, he pulled out a bottle of posing oil to make his exposed muscles gleam, rubbing it deeply into his skin.

For the final touch, Kid picked up 10 pointed claw rings he made with the extra metal he had, sliding each over his fingers where they sat snugly. Grabbing his sword and mace, he walked back to the mirror and gave himself a final verdict.

Frightening. Deadly. Slutty. Scary.

Perfect✨

With a grin and some badass poses, he took a few selfies with the cam-snail before he left the room. Roaring out to his crew, “Alright let’s crash this party Kid Pirates style!”

[galesdevoteewife]

Right back at you! Could you tell us about their wedding ? 8, 18 and 19 🥰

Hello hello!! Thanks for dropping the ask!! Loved to do more Wedding prompts!! ✨✨

8. Traditions - The overall ceremony was a much simplified version of the traditional Dekarios ones. Many customs involves seeking good luck and my HC Gale snorted at and skipped lots of them. "All that's needed are the right words, gestures and substance components." type of Gale who would ignore the regulations and superstitions.

It still serves as both family gatherings and singles mixers as the traditional ceremonies do.

Dekarios family dances and ice-breaking games.

The rings followed Waterdeep traditions.

All the traditions are from Dekarios or Waterdeep. In my world Menzoberranzan don't have this type of weddings.

18. I Now Pronounce You... - Zilvera inherits Gale's family name, becoming Zilvera Dekarios and Mrs. Dekarios. Gale smiles every time he reads or hears someone call her that way. Zilvera likes how it links their name like a pair, although she rarely introduces herself with the surname. Just in case, because she wouldn't want to stain its reputation on her behalf.

19. Guests -

🎶People were chatting, playing, dancing, singing, drinking, eating, mingling 🪕

A group of children made a bouquet for the bride using the flower decoration on the table. "We think you are beautiful," the brave boy holding the flowers at the front said nervously with blushing cheeks.

Astarion was flirting with the most innocent-virgin-looking cousin.

Shadowheart set up a drinking contest with bets, and made a fortune out of it. She can hold her wine and she skillfully cheated.

Lae’zel was bored until Shadowheart persuaded her to start a martial arts arena: "Shouldn't a true warrior be able to win with any weapon?" Contestants chose food from the table as their weapon. The loser would have to eat the food afterward. Baguette was a popular choice. SH again made her coin purse even heavier. "My animals need to eat, and I am a responsible owner." She said with a glass of wine in her hand.

Elminster was there. Gale was playing cool but he was thrilled inside. He opened a precious wine for his idol and Elminster played along as if he was here because he wouldn't want to miss the wine. Only El knew the true reason of his visit, the old wizard has always been a mystery.

The ceremony moved Wyll to tears. The magically chilled beer moved Karlach to tears. They both missed the food and air so much.

There were piles of wedding gifts.

Barcus and some of his gnome friends, from Ironhand and from Gondians, attended. He brought her a very fancy firework show as wedding gift. The gnome's visit was also a business trip; they planned to expend their business in Waterdeep.

Zilvera looked at Barcus with an arched eyebrow. He stood there stiffly, posing like a scarecrow. "Are you trying to give me a hug?" "I just feel like it’s appropriate for the occasion. You want it or not?" "Maybe, but I am not bending down. How about you jump into my arms?" "You wish!" "Hm." She smirked, it’s good to see the familiar grumpy face. "Here, take this. I brought you a wedding gift so you won’t blackmail me later. Find a secluded place and toss it into the sky, as high as you can…damp coal! I said secluded place! Would you ever listen to my instruction...!"

"…Listen. I'll only say this once." Barcus said while they both looked up to the sky, knowing the drow's ears would pick up his every word no matter how loud the fireworks were. "Zilvera, you are a better person than you think. You deserve all of this. May you always find inspiration and strength in your union, my friend."

In my HC post-game Zilvera was in close contact with Barcus, who was now leading the Ironhands and collaborating with the Gondians, to help them recover from Gortash's doing. They needed money and wanted their skills to be known, while the drow wanted to build her own merchant guild, so they hit it off. Zilvera grew increasingly fond of these little fellows for their impressive skills and their character. She especially liked Barcus; they had become true friends.

♡ Wedding Prompts ♡01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

I appreciate Barcus's character and quest line so much, his was lots of fun! ("We love collaboration. Challenge. Solving problems with the power of reason, creativity and invention". Yup that's my cup of character ☕) He also have this firework dialog at tiefling party, it was very him 😂

[cyberkiss2uu]

good morning pokemon community umm. gymsona w other gym leaders i think match their vibe ^_^ do nottt ask me what gen any of these ppl are from dude i play pokemon pearl and cant even tell u who the gym leaders are in that. i opned the pokemon wiki and scrolled

anywho more info and stuff below break hehehehehehehhehehe

> this is all copypasted from when i talked ab it in a server LOL

ermm okie side note my only pkmn knowledge is like. pearl. so my bad :3 but the way i made the gym it kinda pushes how gyms traditionally work ... its more like a game show [because i always loved doing the little interviews thru pearl and the contests n stuff] where theres 8 contestants and they just bracket their way down to the final battle against the gym leader/host who is. me technically. but jamie crown is their name ^_^

one fun thing i thought of was because its a live show u wouldnt rlly be able to .. leave and go to the pokecenter and heal or buy items.. so ud have an option to heal between rounds at ur little podium :3 all with pokecenter certified tech or whatev of course !!

because its not gym members i realize it doesnt rlly lend itself towards being a typical gym since it would be ppl from all over coming to compete thinking emoji.. but it kinda works as a like. elite four minigame LOL idk :3 i didnt think ab it too hard

and then in terms of the team i chose

> starmie to fit a celestial theme i have going on w my friends hehe i originally had jirachi but that seems. unfair

> luxray .. my fav pokemon and i originally was going to do an electric gym

> meloetta coz her earpiece thing is vry similar to the og design's earpiece and semi inspired the earpiece now

> and tinkaton for being super cute and also like wat if she helped build and repair stuff... ik the dex entries mention tinkaton being a thief usually but . thats ok i support womens wrongs

and then real nerd alert ☝️ the outfit i just redesigned i think comes together sooo well im so happy w it. the collar being mirrored on the top of the boots, the vaguely sci-fi aesthetic taht i love w the wavy patterning kinda veering towards like 80s and that retro-futuristic look that i love.. the capelet kinda looking jester-y [i looove a good jester aesthetic] plus theyre very 80s. gameshow host personality LOL.. the star tie is super cute i think and the little luxray star shapes around and even in the eyes <333 idfk im just so happy w it its so cute and awesomeee

also the visual of jamie tellinf starmie to use surf in a densely packed room with a high concentration of electrical components on live television is sending me into a FIT because they ARE bimbo enough to do that

and also the design alt and the old outfit :3 the last one is just an outfit i found looking at rhythmic gymnastic leotards n went OH THATS SO JAMIE hehe.. the old design is so dear to me and i still rlly like it but i love this new one a lot ^_^ idk i think their design will change a lot regardless because being a game show host i think they would have lots of diff outfits as opposed to a uniform but.. pokemon logic u wear the same outfit for the rest of ur life

[burninlovebutler]

1,000 Follower Party 🥹

when i came back to tumblr, i never expected to have the experience i’ve had or make the connections & friend’s i’ve made - friends that i consider some of my best friends now.

i also didn’t expect the love i’ve received for my writing, it has been truly overwhelming (in a good way obv) - my numbers aren’t the highest but i am so grateful for my time here & the people i’ve met - thank you for all the laughs, cries, screams lol they make me so happy. you all have shown me a kindness that is such a bold reflection of elvis 🥺 it’s so beautiful & it just makes me wanna pay it forward

and thank you for accepting me & letting me take up some space here 💗

**since i do get quite overwhelmed easily with asks (bc my adhd) i can’t guarantee that i’ll be able to do all of them or that they’ll be done quickly but i will try my best to do most!**

(this is long bc i’ve never done a follower celebration before so i’m making up for lost time lol prob nobody cares & this is prob lame but 😭 idk)

anyway send me an ask w one of these if u want ☺️💘

🍉 - About me / Commentary / Opinion

-tell me about yourself / introduce yourself to me if you haven’t already or ask me anything about myself that you’re curious about or just rant about anything!

-idk people come to me for advice often about random stuff ? could be anything you want or writing related! or ask my opinion on anything fandom related or not

👻 - Title Game

-send in a made up fic title and I'lI tell you what I'd write for it 💓

🤗 - Thoughts on you!

- self explanatory - if you wanna hear my thoughts about you💕

📝 - Quotes (specify which you’d prefer)

- random quotes from WIPs

- or fav quote from existing works

💿 - Playlists

2 options for this one:

Send me A or B & i’ll make/write a short 3-6 song playlist for you 💗

A - send me either austin or elvis + a fav trope / vibe / mini fic idea OR any of my fics regarding a certain scene or dynamic

B - send me either austin or elvis + your personal typa vibe/aesthetic/etc

(perhaps also include like what kinda music u listen to / any specific artist you like so i can include some if they overlap w my library ?)

ALSO - specify if you have spotify or not!

🦋 - Moodboards

similar to ^ playlists

send me A or B [+ the respective details] & i’ll make a 3-6 pic mini moodboard for you 💓

👀 - My fics

-ask me about any of my fics! send me one of my fics & talk/ask me anything about them like how i got the idea / ideas for certain plots or scenes or my writing process or my fav lines/plots/scenes or anything really idk

- or hints out of context 🤭 i love doing those

👽 - Head Cannons

-ask me about a specific fic of mine OR elvis/austin under a certain setting / trope / plot / pairing & i’ll share/make some head cannons for it

🌸 - Recommendations

-recommend some things for me! movies, shows, music, makeup!!/skincare!, tarot decks, books, anything & i’ll answer w some of my own 💓

since my writing process is rather lengthy & intricate i don’t like to write blurbs or take requests etc. so unfortunately i can’t be like y’all that can write/post a million lil stories effortlessly ☹️ i so wish i could, i’m just not built like that 😭

HOWEVER it seems just wrong for me to not include some sort of fic component in my celebration since i am mainly a fic blog SO

i decided i wanted to do a lil contest ??? idk lol

🦋winner will receive a imagine/one shot with the plot request of their choosing🦋

TO ENTER:

- make sure you are following me lol

- like & reblog this post

- comment 🍉🥀 on this post

- comment something that made you happy today 💓

- bonus entry: reblog this w proof that you took a drink of water when you read this 💗 (empty water bottle/cup or something!)

that’s it!

💗whenever the winner is chosen i will convene with them directly on what sort of fic they want & i will write one for them (tho it may take some time lol) 💗

✨contest will be open for the next 2 weeks & the winner will be chosen at random around then! [04.07.23]✨

tagging some of my fav people i’ve met through this blog/fandom 🥰

@cryingabtab @lllsaslll @presleysdarling @loving-elvis @samfangirls @bisexualwvtson @troubleinapinksuit @karamelcoveredolicity @lindszeppelin @succsessions @steph-speaks @luluthesandgoose @ab4eva @softsatnin @elvisfatass @homerow99 @michellelv @flwrs4aust @powerofelvis @elvisabutler @sournatromanoff @jelliedonut @sagesolsticewrites @fangirlwithasweettooth @thatbanditqueen @purejasmine @slowsweetlove @areacodefan @generoustreemystic @golden-kiwis

and so many more 😭 anyone whom i’ve inevitably missed due to my overly medicated rotting brain 😭

again i love you all so much 🥺 thank you for letting me be a part of this beautiful little family 🥺💗

-mel xx

[askbloatedbellyblog]

Helloooooo, i saw your genshin tierlist and was wondering why Cyno was on S tier? Since i feel like he'd be a SS burper.

Okay let me try this again since I had a whole bunch typed out but then tumblr decided to erase it all when I accidentally did the wrong keyboard shortcut. I'm trying to finally answer this because I have had a lot of asks for Cyno though I suspect many were by the same person.

Simply put, I admit I was wrong. I was partly trying to avoid putting too many on the SS tier but also since I made that tier list, there have been many events that have been outside of his mahamatra duties that have shown more of his personality and that in actually Cyno is a massive dork weeb.

First off, we now know that Cyno would definitely get drunk since he drinks when he's out with Tighnari and Kaveh. I can definitely see him drinking and eating too much while he's playing Genius Invokation (and maybe being like "everyone shut up shut up! I gotta concentrate!" on a move and then pull something really dumb and then deny it when he comes to. Very unlikely because he takes thing so seriously but could happen especially if they turned it into a drinking game which they definitely might do.) That and try to tell a joke to Tighnari or confess something and end up burping into Tighnari's ear (which then are even louder to Tighnari with his hearing).

I absolutely believe Cyno would make tons of puns about burps too when he wanted to like "Happy BURRRRPPPday. Get it? Because it's your birthday and I burped....I ate too much." "What color is a belch? Burple." "Did you hear what the Raiden Shogun said after she burped? She issued a royal pardon." "What do call someone like me that burps way too loud? A big son of a belch."

I also think that Cyno would use burps during his work like when he's cornering someone and or holding them up and they won't give him the information he needs "You won't give me the info I need? I eat hoarders like you for breakfast" and then burp real loud right in their face to intimidate them. Probably works wonders, or throws them off at the very least.

Another thing we've learned about Cyno is that he loves to roleplay and would definitely get into his role. So if he got to play someone that was a big eater, he would definitely keep it up and burp in his "character".

He's also very competitive as we've seen in the Inter-darshan championship, so if there was an eating component to that or another contest, he'd throw down and definitely release some epic belches. Heaven help Teyvat if there's a burp contest for a TCG card or an eating contest, because Cyno would NOT that losing that lightly.

I think there's more opportunities for him to belch as well, like having to eat Collei's cooking as she's learning how to do dishes, and drinking some of Tighnari's potions of things he's found in the forest that would make him gassy. I also think it's possible because he goes so long and being focused on hunting his targets that he probably makes himself extremely hungry because he doesn't eat during missions much and then when he gets back and the mission is done, he finally can go to the bazaar and gorge to bursting to get the calories he needs once again. Then he pats his stuffed belly and lets out several belches in satisfaction.

There's probably more options there but this is a good smattering of things that come to mind that might happen with Cyno.

[theoristprinceblog]

!SPOILERS FOR INANIMATE INSANITY!

im highly aware that i am late, yesterday was so busy for me but i managed to watch the new inanimate insanity episode as it was uploaded.

this episode has to be the best of this season by far, i was at the edge of my seat anticipating the entire time! ill begin with the floor, i theorized about the floor many times before the episode, and had a few theories about "the red spot".. one of them was correct! and that was very exciting! the floor is a very chaotic yet interesting character, hes unpredictable but only to a point.. floory never truly goes out of bounds, thats why this episode stood out to me the most! floory finally cracking and breaking from those chains, the island is nothing without him.

moving on to my next component, cabby! this episode was...not the greatest for her... but we learned a lot about her during it! cabby has such an interesting structure ive always wanted to know more about, being an object with wheels for legs, ive always wondered how she would bend/lean, she has proven herself worthy! her alliance with paintbrush was short but sweet! she set them off understandably but it was cute to see ... cabby is holding onto the last thinkers and now that paintbrush is gone... perhaps cabby will join the other side against yinyang. i have nothing to back that up, but its an idea!

next up, candle and silver spoon! their relationship grew a lot in this episode despite us not getting to see very many interactions. with their alliance being so close and candle having him under her control... eventually they will outnumber the rest and win the game. their strategy is the same as oj and papers in season one, if stay allies until the end, one of you will participate in the finale. when mephone4 asked everyone to verbally agree to leave the island... candle said "no", meaning she has no legal obligation to do so. mayhap even if silver leaves... candle will not. candle seems to be a subconscious replacement for mepad, being the all-knowing purple companion... mephone4 may not want her gone at all.

and paintbrush, oh boy, this one is a very tough egg to crack! they may be extremely easy to read, but not easy to write about! nonetheless... i have many thoughts, lets get to it. paintbrush had a large role this episode, the constant callbacks to lightbulb and baxter.. even the blimp was shaped like lightbulb! i called their elimination being foreshadowed and was pretty upset, but after some deep consideration i realized throughout the season they have been the least willing to participate, they just dont want to! they interact with other contestants but thats it. going back to inanimate island is the right idea for them, and i hope they can greet baxter with a smile when they return.

and last, but not least! bot!! i am probably most happy with this, bot is such a well done character and im so happy theyve finally found who they want to be! this episode gave them so much love and they deserved it.. if bot wins the show, im not sure what they would do with their prize money! probably distribute it... or use it to pay for reprogramming.. i want them to stay in the game longer, but i respectfully dont want them to win the show, theyve already won my heart! besides, fan and test tube are back at the hotel waiting for them.. hopefully they get to see eachother again. nothing personal!

well this ends my analysis on this episode, an AMAZING episode! if i missed anything, or you have anything to add.. note it!

[mitchbeck]

SWAMP RABBITS BRING BACK BEN FREEMAN

Forward set to reprise role as Swamp Rabbits captain in 2024-25 Season By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today that Swamp Rabbits captain Ben Freeman is set to return for his fourth campaign in Greenville for the 2024-25 ECHL Season, his fifth as a professional. Freeman joins Austin Saint, Colton Young, Ben Poisson, and Arvid Caderoth at the forward position. He additionally joins Max Coyle and Joshua Karlsson on the blue line for the 2024-25 roster. Freeman heads back to the Swamp Rabbits following the best statistical output of his career. The 6’5”, 205-pound center played in all but two games in 2023-24 and set career highs with 14 goals and 34 points in his 70 contests. Freeman chipped in an additional goal and assist in six Kelly Cup Playoff games and was named the seventh captain of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on January 19th. He played his 200th ECHL game on April 5th at Orlando. “I love Greenville as a city and am really excited about playing for Coach Mountain. From what I’ve seen and heard about returners and newcomers, we have a great core of players that will make this season both fun and competitive in pursuit of a Kelly Cup championship,” Freeman said of his return to the Upstate. “One thing I take pride in every year I’ve been here is the improvement in our regular season record. We’re super focused on building a playoff style of hockey so we can get out of the first round and make a deep run to the title, which is the goal from day one of training camp: create a culture in this team that focuses on player development and winning, above all else. “My expectation as captain is to emphasize that, while we’re all trying to get to the next level, we need to focus on being present,” he continued. “Winning is fun, but it can’t be done if everyone isn’t bought in. Winning creates opportunities, both short and long term, for all of us. Another expectation is to continue building personally. I’m always trying to get better, and I’m grateful I’ve seen that growth proportional with my output statistically. I can’t wait to get back to Greenville and look forward to another special year.” “Ben has become a major part of the fabric of this organization during his time here. It’s our goal to establish a core foundation of leadership going into the year and bringing Ben back was a major key in accomplishing that. Once that foundation is set, you have something you can build around, so Ben coming back in a major leadership role puts us in a great position to continue to grow an already great culture,” said Kyle Mountain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations. “True leaders don't need a letter to do things the right way, and we saw not only Ben, but the rest of our captains, lead and demonstrate our core values day in and day out. Ben is respected throughout the room, and I think over time his confidence and conviction as a leader grew. “It's a never-ending process, but Ben has taken great steps to grow as both a player and a leader, and we know that trend will continue as long as he's in Greenville,” Mountain continued. “Ben's consistency is one of his best attributes, and he tends to play better hockey as the year goes on. Offensively, he's got the vision and skill needed to make plays, but he also has a willingness to get to the difficult areas to produce. Just as importantly, his defensive abilities allow him to be disruptive, create turnovers, and get pucks back in our possession. His well-rounded approach to the game, combined with his consistency, have made him a key component to our lineup. We expect more of the same moving forward and can’t wait to have him back in the Upstate.” A native of Falmouth, Maine, Freeman, 28, enters his fifth season of professional hockey and his fourth with the Swamp Rabbits. He begins 2024-25 three games shy of 200 with the Swamp Rabbits and two points shy of 100 with the team, amassing 37 goals, 61 assists, and 98 points in 197 contests. Freeman joined the Swamp Rabbits following the 2020-21 season, in which he made his professional debut with the Wheeling Nailers and later captured the 2021 SPHL President’s Trophy Championship with the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Before turning pro, he skated four years with the University of Connecticut in the NCAA, compiling 77 points in 135 games. As a senior, he captained the Huskies and claimed the 2020 Len Ceglarski Award, presented to the player most exemplifying the qualities of sportsmanship on the ice in the Hockey East conference. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is an ECHL Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League member. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS HOWLINGS Read the full article

[nvc-nonviolent-communication]

Nonviolent Communication Doesn’t Work with Narcissists

Nonviolent communication is a great tool when it works. When it doesn’t, it’s a test.

Janet Chui

ILLUMINATION

Janet Chui

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ILLUMINATION

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Jan 30, 2023

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Photo by Alex Green at Pexels

Editorial Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions and perspectives of the author. Narcissism is a mental condition that requires Psychological treatment. Abused victims need professional treatment. The contents of this post can only be taken as words to seek professional help. It does not represent the publication’s point of view nor implies our endorsement.

Nonviolent communication is a way of stating your feelings and requests to another person that facilitates compassion and connection. Whenever I know clients or friends who struggle with communicating with their loved ones on difficult topics, the four parts of nonviolent communication give them a game plan for that conversation. It’s a great tool that helps them assert their needs without veering into distractions and mudslinging.

Author’s own diagram

Nonviolent communication (or NVC for short) offers a bit more structure than the standard advice of using “I” when describing our feelings; it also distinguishes itself from violent communication that may jump to accusations and “always” and “never” statements. Violent communication can sound like: “You’re such a slob! I’m always doing the dishes and everything around the house even though we both work!”

Same request for help in NVC: “I feel disappointed and resentful when I’m alone cleaning up after dinner, especially when we both work and I cook. I’d like to feel that we’re a team and would enjoy cooking more if you could help with washing up.” (Feelings, observation, value, and request in that order.)

When we state our needs and/or values along with our request (eg. “Could you do the dishes every time I cook?”), it also sets the parameters of the conversation so that the other person doesn’t need to guess what we want. It stays out of exaggerations and statements that can put the other person on the defensive.

When two people care about each other, they care about each other’s perspectives, values, feelings, and needs. Negotiations are balanced and open. NVC works well between healthy people in good-faith relationships.

It bombs with narcissists.

The first time I observed this was when the nonviolent communicator was a five-year-old. She had been merrily singing along to a favorite song when, obnoxiously, her grandfather and senior (by at least 6 decades) mockingly sang nonsense words to the same song and laughed. The young girl stopped and said to him: “When you make fun of my music, I feel like you’re making fun of me.”

“I’m not making fun of you!” was the immediate reply.

The five-year-old remained remarkably calm. “I didn’t say you were, I said that it felt like it.”

“I wasn’t making fun of you!”

“You were making the song sound bad.” The conversation kept circling the older man’s denial until the five-year-old huffed and made her request: “Well, please stop doing it.”

The exchange didn’t end there but that’s the gist. I’ve seen more examples since, but this one stuck in my head for years. I knew the girl well, and to hear the NVC script out of her (and at 5 years old) made my jaw drop.

Photo by Alex Green

So if a child can practice nonviolent communication, adults have no excuse not to practice it. Trouble is, all four components of NVC fall flat when attempted with narcissists. Here’s what you can expect.

1. Narcissists will not agree with your observation of reality.

Fragile but inflated egos depend on being exemplary and above criticism, so narcissists will contest your version of reality, especially if your observations imply they’re capable of fault.

Denial and gaslighting will be go-to responses, even if screencaps or witnesses are on your side. They may also bring up irrelevant or irrational counterpoints: “How can you imply I’m selfish when I just gave the cleaner so much vacation time?”

The narcissist can do no wrong and needs to maintain their self-image of savior or hero. Barring that, they can settle for playing martyr or victim, so be prepared for DARVO, when they level all accusations and faults upon you.

DARVO: If You Know a Narcissist, You Need to Know This Term

You’re not crazy, but the narcissist needs you to think you are.

medium.com

2. Narcissists will invalidate your feelings.

“You’re oversensitive” is an easy one. Or, they will argue that you are wrong because you’ve stupidly misinterpreted their actions — or putdowns, or text messages, or backhanded insults.

Another possibility (much like the accusation that you’re oversensitive) will be to control the conversation with explanations of your wrongness because how feelings are only for the weak and feeble-minded. Except when it’s their feelings, of course!

Example: “Only babies and woke idiots are going to be offended about what I just said!”

Narcissists will use any argument or manipulative tactic to let you know that your feelings don’t matter.

3. Narcissists will argue with your needs and values.

People with narcissistic tendencies just fancy themselves better than everyone. If you have different interests, values, ideals, or needs from them, they see this as evidence of your intellectual, moral, spiritual, and even genetic deficiency.

Work-life balance? That’s just laziness! Privacy? You must be antisocial or have something to hide! Self-care? For self-indulgent degenerates! Creative or unusual pursuits? Frivolous and unproductive wastes of time! Struggling with health or financial difficulties? You must have done something stupid or it’s karma!

These judgments can flip-flop or be hypocritical (the criticisms never apply to them), as differences threaten the sense of specialness or superiority they cling to desperately. They are not content with acknowledging differences; it’s all about their superiority.

Even if you may share things in common, you can expect there to be some hint that you’re going about it wrong.

4. Narcissists will undermine your boundaries and requests.

Anyone who’s spent any amount of regular time around narcissists will lose sense of their boundaries and personhood — or lack them altogether, as children of narcissists often do. It’s can be a struggle for them to articulate their needs because they were not encouraged to identify, prioritize, or voice them — especially when it was deemed in “defiance” of their parents.

If anything, many children and partners of narcissists often feel shame for having needs because they are diminished and punished for them.

If you suggest a route or ask for a narcissistic driver to slow down, they may speed up or drive even more recklessly because you “dared” to tell them how to drive.

If you request a narcissist to trust you with more independence and time alone, they may impose more rules and checks on you.

Small asks may be granted, but more frequently, the narcissist conveniently forgets after some time so that things go back to the way they were — with them in control.

Face-Saving Culture

Some cultures have practically enshrined ways to coddle narcissists and hide or normalize narcissistic abuse. Variations of “don’t make them angry” (with “them” meaning abusers or bullies) put the responsibility and blame on victims for the transgressions they endure.

Confucian, hierarchical, and some religious cultures have rules about not contradicting one’s elders even when they’re wrong or hurtful. “They’re doing this for your good” is often trotted out to defend those privileged by generation; Women and children frequently bear the emotional burden of men and/or parents lacking self-regulation, self-reflection, and self-responsibility for their mistakes and hurtful behaviors.

Funny all these movies feature characters who are POC. We know.

Cultural norms created and perpetuated by abusers and victims such as “don’t talk back”, “don’t disrespect your elders”, and “they’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice” have codified and restricted communication in ways that can make addressing abuses of power nigh impossible.

“Face-saving” is essentially a set of communication rules in East Asian culture that keeps powerful and older individuals protected from embarrassment.

Translated example of a face-saving statement: “I’m sorry I displeased and inconvenienced you to the extent that you had to instruct me (with abusive language and actions).” Bracketed words usually implied rather than verbalized.

Narcissists have fully exploited these cultural norms to place blame and shame on their targets and victims. Instead of “there’s no excuse for abuse”, face-saving cultures frequently save privileged people from embarrassment and accountability by turning it into a conversation about respect and gratitude, which flows ever upwards. It’s the same with apologies. (Hence the meme!) Respect, dignity, and the benefit of the doubt rarely trickle down to subordinates and children.

Nonviolent communication may thus fail or be distorted in certain contexts, such as those with strict cultural hierarchies or power differentials. It’s not necessarily a flaw on NVC, but it just works best between parties in a healthy and mutually respectful relationship.

Ask vs Guess Culture and Nonviolent Communication

NVC is much easier in one of them. Guess which.

medium.com

The Case for Nonviolent Communication

NVC remains one of the best ways to initiate tougher conversations and keep them focused on solutions and meeting needs. NVC has been described as a way of facilitating requests between parties. When practiced by all, it keeps triggering statements and accusations to a minimum and focuses on constructive words and actions.

NVC comes with a learning curve for those who struggle with identifying their feelings and needs, but it’s worth learning as a life and self-care skill.

In situations where NVC does not work, it can be a useful tool (especially for codependents) to “suss out” unspoken cultural or power dynamics, and/or narcissistic behavior in others.

I hope that abuse survivors can benefit from nonviolent communication: Sometimes it’s not that you didn’t communicate “perfectly” or clearly, but that the other person has no interest in hearing you. And that’s not a “you” thing.

[project1939]

(What's My Line?: The first black contestant I've seen on a game show all year, top left, and Edward R Murrow top right and bottom.)

Day 82- TV and Radio: 

TV: 

Burns and Allen, season 3, episode 9, “Gracie Sells a Swamp so Harry Will Buy a TV Set,” December 4th, 1952. 

Beat the Clock, December 13th, 1952. 

What’s My Line?, season 3, “Edward R. Murrow,” December 7th, 1952. 

Radio: 

Fibber McGee and Molly, “Bowling Team Championship,” December 2nd, 1952. 

You Bet Your Life, December 3rd, 1952. 

Bright Star, “The Boxer,” December 4th, 1952. 

Today’s episode of the radio show Bright Star was the final surviving one from 1952. I’ll miss being able to listen to it. It wasn’t a perfect show, but it was always breezy and fun, and the time just flew by. The only things I didn’t like about it were one of the comic relief characters in the office and the fact that George felt the need to go around punching any man who challenged his masculinity. I think the main problem the show had was timing- by late 1952, radio was not the place to be anymore. Television was. 

What’s My Line? was interesting for a few reasons today. Number one- finally we had a non-white contestant on a game or panel show! I’ve been watching them for the whole year of 1952, and every single person has been white. (Obviously with radio shows, I cannot tell.) Recently What’s My Line? had their first and only black celebrity guest so far- Eddie Anderson- but I’d never seen a black contestant. This guy was the head of the board of parole in Ohio, which is pretty cool in and of itself for 1952! The other most interesting thing was Edward R. Murrow as the celebrity. He did fantastically well disguising his beautiful baritone voice. He’s pretty dreamy when he’s smiling and more lighthearted! I’ve loved his editorials- he speaks so eloquently and was an important voice of progressivity. He’s definitely an intellectual hunk in my book! 

..And now a word from today’s best sponsor: The 1953 Sylvania Huntington model Television set! Here is a big screen TV- 21 whole inches!- for the modern age! Only Sylvania has Halolight- a soft cool frame of light around the edge of the screen that is kinder to your eyes. Because we all want an extra ring of light around our TV screens! This new model also has the sensational Strat-o-power 508 chassis! Because it seems to be required that every TV manufacturer have some kind of meaningless mumbo jumbo name for a component you’ll never understand! Doesn’t Strat-o-power sound cool?! It’ll give you reception for distant fringe areas and for all VHF and UHF! Whatever those are! So remember- Sylvania is “The Top TV for ‘53!” 

[caparrucia]

💥

💥 How do you feel about criticism?

I mean...

Okay but jokes aside, I do have thoughts about criticism and fanfic!

Personally, I love criticism. Criticism is not the only way to learn, but it's definitely one of the best and fastest ways to get better. Feedback is awesome and should be encouraged!

But there's the caveat that we're talking about fanfic, and fanfic is primarily a labor of love. People do this shit for fun, and sometimes people forget that.

There's also a difference between criticism and critique, and I feel tumblr is super bad at nuance and understanding the difference. Criticism is aimed at the author, it's made with the expectation the author will see it. You're engaging the author in a conversation because you have opinions about their work and you want them to know it. Whether the opinions are positive or negative doesn't really change the fact you're actively trying to get a reaction from the writer. Critique is aimed at the work. Critique is not necessarily aimed at the writer, nor should it expect a direct response from the writer. Critique is an exercise on the reader's part to contextualize and analyze the work and it's component parts and what its effects are.

The way I look at it is like this:

"The way this fic handles death makes me sad" is criticism, "the way this fic portrays romance is a good example of the recent trend of coffeeshop AUs" is critique.

I think the difference is valid because sometimes you want to say something about a fic in its context, but it's not a comment on the work itself or for the writer to interact with, and yet people insist on throwing it at the writer anyway.

There's a very contested point of view that insists because a work is put out in the open it's free game for criticism and critique, and I don't entirely disagree. If you put your work out there, it's out of your hands and people will interpret and find meaning in it in ways you can't control. If you can't make peace with that, the only option you have is to not publish at all.

But the people who tend to go hard on that stance tend to be the people who like to abuse the concept of criticism to be abusive towards writers under the guise of criticism. So I'm also perpetually resisting the urge to remind people they're hissing and frothing over fanfic, and in the large scale of things, fanfic doesn't matter.

On the other other end of the spectrum, you have critiques about the way fanfic in specific, and on a broader sense, fan culture as a whole, reproduces systemic oppressive structures that other and ostracize fans that aren't white or cis or straight. And those critiques are super valid and important should not be just ignored or demonized as people trying to "censor" fandom. Because it's not about censoring bigotry, and that's what tends to make people frothy. It's not that you're not allowed to write bigotry in your stories. It's that writing bigotry in your stories should ideally be a choice, not an unexplored, unquestioned reflection of your biases.

Fans of color have been particularly loud in explaining how aggressively racist fandom can be, when it comes to pointing out "hey, all those slave AUs you keep churning out are super racist" and people immediately going "this is right wing propaganda trying to silence us all!" Like, critique is a great tool to start conversations about the kind of art we're making, because if fanfic wants to be considered art and people want to keep insisting they're "Hugo winners" because they post in AO3, you kinda have to be open to the idea that critique is part of that legitimized existence. You can't have it both ways: you can't claim fanfic is a niche hobby people do for fun, and also insist that it's a bastion of representation to make up for media censorship.

Mostly I just wish people could take these discussions in good faith.

Me, personally? I try to approach criticism and critique in good faith. But I'm not here to be anyone's punching bag and when people are clearly just in it to be abusive or insist on making me responsible for their choices? (Ie, I clicked on the link and it said there was porn and there was porn in your fic and now I'm traumatized, HOW DARE!) Yeah, no. Fuck that. That's what the block button is for.

[actionadventure2022]

Best Action Adventure Games

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is an amazing recreation. It is truly a creative, thoughtful rendition of the Marvel property. After playing the game, I'd love even more than anything to plunge into the world that created this group of heroes with a ragtag look. And at this moment, I'm thinking I truly will because I have fallen additionally in love with the world. Regardless of the world truly being inundated with superheroes appearing on the silver screen, it truly is only in the past decade that we've been able to provide gamers with seriously distinctive and relaxing games based on comic book components. With Guardians of the Galaxy, players can play among the most enjoyable comic book games available, which can distinguish themselves on their own from the tremendously well-known MCU brand and which can lovingly alter the abundant, illustrated world that it is based on. The original hurdle Guardians of the Galaxy needed to overcome was distinguishing it from James Gunn's vision. The films "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2" were fantastic, bringing the Guardians to the forefront and adding much-needed character to the individual pre-"Avenger" films. Without a doubt, Eidos-Montreal's job is cut out for them for their upcoming film. On its initial public appearance, Guardians of the Galaxy was mocked as a copy-and-paste-style version that was a copy-paste version of its MCU counterpart. Nonetheless, nothing will be any further from the facts than you already know.

Eidos-Montreal certainly uses Gunn's style selections to create. Star-Lord presents a ripped-far from the world of Earth from the 1980s and is obsessed with the sounds of his time. Characteristics like Rocket Raccoon's aggression and Drax the Destroyer's tendencies to be a literalist are on full display within the action. The acting and direction of those films happened to be superb and functioned to describe the non-comic personalities of these characters. Yet still, after virtually two hours during the contest, I had no idea what to think of Chris Pratt or Bradley Cooper. I believe there may end up being some gamers who are unable to distinguish these two characters from one another because of the way their brains work. However, it's not as big of an issue as it was in the past year's Avengers play, where those titular characters and actors weren't provided with enough product.

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most conversational little games ever made. You will find a good number of RPGs loaded with inane conversations with NPCs that are one-offs, but I am unable to imagine the number of terms and pages that make up this game's script. From page 1 until the very end, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot are talking nearly nonstop. In a sense, people could consider this to be the "Gilmore Girls" game. The raucous banter between all five characters in the show is unstoppable. And, while that word may have negative connotations, I cannot think of a better word to describe it. Discussions are threaded through quests, fights or idle strolls, dogfights, and life-threatening episodes. Conversations are a constant stream of words, as Groot may discuss his trademark "I am Groot" as Rocket translates, while Gamora and Drax tend to be engaged in their specific dialogue. The characters can speak, but it never feels like they are speaking without purpose. Every word, every stupid joke, or cruel comment is based on a thought-provoking perspective that the writers employed to make the characters more distinct. It never felt like an unnecessary flood of verbose rubbish. This truly is the way the Guardians communicate in their groups and with each other. One thing Guardians of the Galaxy greatly benefits from is the structured gaming experience it provides. Without multiplayer or games-as-a-service game mechanics to satisfy, the overall game seems highly polished as well as curated and, above all, ample in detail. As you progress through the story, you will be able to switch between your home on the Milano, the Guardians spaceship, and the various locations you explore throughout the game. Each place you visit is very different from the other, as it is a place that feels alien to the touch in kaleidoscopic color. In between missions, it's enjoyable exploring the ship to find interesting objects to chat with, talk with the staff, and if you're a worrier like me personally shut the fridge door, which is always open in your kitchen on the ship. If you uncover items hidden in each world, you'll also be able to have another conversation with other Guardians, which will give their characters and background and provide some of the most intimate connections you'll have in the video game. You'll also have a variety of options for dialogue—usually, they ask you to choose with one Guardian or another, make decisions on how to respond to an issue, or determine what the focus of your team should always be. These selections may alter the circulation of the adaptation of the story, as certain possibilities could affect your relationships with different groups of people or your relationship with the team. You can choose to go against Rocket repeatedly, in which case he may start to feel a bit petty, which could limit his truthful willingness to assist your future. These choices don't appear to change the narrative in any way However, you can play them according to "what sounds" significantly more enjoyable at the moment.

The fight is thrilling. You control Quill in almost every moment of every battle, and you legitimately look like the leader of the Guardians. Drax and Co. all provide their strengths, and they'll fight by themselves, but they're influenced by Quill. Each hero presents a unique power in battles, such as crowd control (Groot) or the ability to conduct enormous problems (Gamora). The way you use their strengths can determine the course of the fight. In fighting, gamers go around firing their guns at foes and dodging, making use of Peter's rocket boots. As close Peter is to an opponent, the more harm he can cause. Firing would not last forever, as ultimately the guns will overheat, but can be swiftly recharged when you hit R2 at the appropriate time. Like Peter, the players are expected to battle with a tactical sense in their minds. Through storyline development or abilities points, Peter, along with the remaining Guardians, retains four abilities that aren't locked and are put on the encounter keys. Peter's abilities tend to be turned on by clicking the left stick. It may feel somewhat clumsy from time to time during battle. The team's abilities are activated by holding down the L1 button while aiming at the enemy, hitting an appropriate face button for a specific teammate, and after that, pressing a face button that is assigned to the player's specific ability.

Puzzles play an important part in exploration, but they aren't especially tricky. The variety of worlds and locations is done to perfection. I was fascinated by the places to go off and find some treasures, such as, for example, particular elements to supply to my sexy colleagues to study much more about their valuable past and get a hold of the latest clothes to equip. The assorted locations are breathtaking to look at, and every single one is unique due to its vegetation and monsters. Lady Hellbenders' animal sanctuary planet is truly lush with greenery and strange humanoid sculptures. There's also the chance to explore spaceships and the massive spaceport "Knowhere," which resides inside the skull of a massive celestial being. Hidden crafting elements are scattered all over the world, which lets you upgrade the perks. While at a workbench, Rocket can improve Star-Lord by making him new equipment systems that are represented as benefits. You will discover fifteen in total, ranging from faster shield recharge, greater wellness, and reduced time required to complete a perfect dodge. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is all you can want from a Marvel videogame that is the best of both electric situations and thought-provoking junctures. The images immediately grab your attention with stunning views and vivid shades that range from neon lights and the markets at Knowhere to the sprawling scenery of Lady Hellbenders' Seknarf Nine. To go along with the video game's unbelievable visuals are the facial animations.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart pursues the happenings of 2013's Ratchet & Clank: Inside the Nexus and Expression Franchise legendary characters Ratchet and Clank, in addition to the introduction of a new character playable in Rivet. While Rift Apart actually does technically follow the events of Into the Nexus, it can be played out in its own game without knowing about Into the Nexus. It is the first game created for the next-generation consoles. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is truly intended to highlight all of the distinguishing characteristics which make PlayStation 5 such an appetizing purchase.

The amazing year 2016 PS4 update of the first Ratchet & Clank made for an entertaining retread of its very own, but it was iterative-this walked so Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart could run. It's awe-inspiring, indeed, how the game runs. The Rift away shows the PS5 an intense workout. This provides you with sweeping artwork of characters and models for the characters, along with lighting and effects, that don't appear outside of the spot in a 3D-animated movie, and its particular fluid combat could spotlessly feature tens of opponents and projectiles on the monitor all at once, without any issues. Getting errors out of the way early on, there are only a few errors throughout Ratchet & Clank: Rift Away, but they're small. At one point, I noticed myself jumping onto a ledge only to be caught in some geometry, resulting in a quick demise. But since quicksaves are extremely easily placed and there's no punishment for dying, these little troubles just didn't bother me even somewhat. My brain stayed deadlocked on the artwork, the storyline, and the battle. All of them seamlessly connect and are so incredibly captivating that it is hard to get angry when something goes wrong.

At its heart, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is very much a new platformer meets third-person shooter game and, while it's not an open-world game, the design of the levels makes it appear as if you're part of something larger, which is why the illusion is right there, including quests and subquests that aid you in exploring these new universes. Similar to former gaming titles, you have the mechanic wrench you have been using to smash crates like Thor, which allows you to collect bolts, which are later used to buy new products and improve your existing models. The process of leveling up can help you when you are on your final quest, in particular, the bad guys that you encounter. When you ride on canines, grind like Tony Hawk, float around jumping, smashing, fighting, exploring, and meeting new friends, one exciting new feature is your ability to tether to portals. When you connect to portals, this allows you to be teleported to another location, which is truly useful when fighting against enemies or wishing to solve mysteries. Just keep in mind that you will need to reorient yourself from time to time. Another innovative mechanic is the phantom dash, which allows you to rewind reality to reach another location faster, which again works for double jumps. As well, while Ratchet and Rivet are alike in the way they play, fans of Clank will be delighted to learn that, once again, you get to manage this bot through puzzles and mini-missions, including an alternate galaxy spider named Glitch (Sara Amini) who hacks. Also, there's KT, who happens to be the alternate world's Clank and is also a fun brand-new character from the series.

Buy Cheap Games for PlayStation.

Combat is well-handled via the game title and you have use of a wide great diversity of totally different arms, from common blasters to a couple of absolutely clever suggestions which I'm not going to discuss here, such as power-ups that have been purchased through your bolt collecting. However, the game isn't without its challenges in certain instances, especially if the adversaries start to gather while you try to shoot with aplomb to save your life. Fortunately, the developers have included a few level stages, and if people simply want to relax and take in the story without too much stress, this is certainly an alternative. Nevertheless, on those higher difficulty levels, ammunition is scarce and the boss battles are indeed an obstacle, but not quite on the very same scale as Demon Souls.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

In the form of an action-adventure Kena: Bridge of Spirits lets players explore a vast and varied world to defeat evil spirits and cleanse the land of corruption. Armed with a sword and capable of drawing upon spirit vitality, Kena is truly adaptable in what she will do. The plot is told through fully-voiced cutscenes, some of which use the in-game engine, while some use fully animated CGI All of which look like something definitely from Pixar or Dreamworks. The animation is stunning in the spiritually charged universe that borrows from historic Eastern cultures. When you assist the spirits of one group while other arcs explore the same serious narrative template quality of the screenplay, this is a universe that's not difficult to lose yourself in, and the cast list is truthfully enjoyable because they each traverse a path of love and loss in their unique way.

There are a variety of quests and jobs you can perform, some as simple as finding the Rot and putting a statue back in place, and others that require the next step and trying to test your accuracy using the bow during a shooting challenge that unlocks another Rot. One of the things I completely love is the chests with curses, which are close to a specific combat task to overcome ( across the fast region) that you must accomplish as a way to open them. Nothing can be said to be a challenge in Kena: Bridge of Spirits is more complex than a Fallout quest, but every little thing is fun and corresponds with the things you've done in other games, such as Sly Cooper as well as the aforementioned PS2 classics.

Besides these, you can find many collectibles to be found, and the game even outlines exactly how many you need to locations across the globe. In the meantime, before we jump into the fight of Kena Let's talk about the rot that I talked about in the last paragraph. These tiny black blobs of a creature tend to be certainly delightful, along with the form the game's title makes use of them is incredible. When you gather the blobs, they prove useful in numerous steps. The most charming aspect is that you simply don't need to spend a lot of time with them since they won't die, as most NPCs do in battle scenarios. This is handled via "they truly are terrified tiny beings and you must build up their courage by fighting to increase the meter", which is a great method of explaining the amazing moves they offer. Operating these could result in significant damage, but it is extremely beneficial on occasions when your overall health is compromised. The Rot becomes increasingly useful in lifting objects to search for more Rot, moving statues back to their original positions, and even moving boxes to assist Kena in getting to difficult-to-reach places. You will find an extremely powerful rot capability; offering them the liquid of a bloom them all into a rushing cavalcade of rots that resemble their specific original phase and can take out the corruption along with unlocking and healing distinctive areas. However, they're not completely useless to you, since they can feed the corruption flowers when you've cleaned the opponents' free, purifying the spot you are in.

Here you can buy cheap games, from all categories whether we are talking about action adventure, racing, sports, strategy, or shooters.

Although the action aspect of the entire action-platformer game is very strong, the platforming portion is a bit less luminous in comparison, specifically the bouncing. Invisible structures are generally awkwardly present as players attempt to jump over rooftops or platforms they're not meant to reach. The design decision for it to be essentially vertical was a mistake, not simply because it's uncomfortable, but because it also creates the impression that you can reach specific surfaces, which the invisible wall structure eventually keeps you from. Kena: Bridge Of Spirits might attract some aged influences, but the way this assembles the parts of the mystery makes it appear very contemporary indeed. The video game will charm you with its lovable universe, only to smack you around a little with its ferociousness. While the gameplay is the weakest component, however, overall, Kena is a great time that should not be forgotten.

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Top 5 D&D spells?

I eagerly welcome any and all chances to rant about D&D, thank you for providing this one

Because I tend to like spells more when I'm able to personally experience them, this list is relatively low-level, allowing me to pick ones that I've played myself and can employ multiple times over a single adventuring day.

1. Silvery Barbs. This spell has existed for barely a month and I am already absolutely hooked. Enemy succeeded on a Strength contest to keep the rogue from stealing their weapon? Silvery Barbs. Someone decides to finish off an NPC you wanted alive? Silvery Barbs. You like having advantage on your attacks and you happen to have an open reaction? Silvery Barbs. If you're a DM, just make sure to clarify that it can't touch Legendary Resistance. (Thanks to this spell, Fey Touched also edges out Shadow Touched as my new favorite feat.)

2. Inflict Wounds. ...I really have no justification for this other than that necrotic is my favorite damage type and 3d10 at 1st level makes my monkey brain get the grabby hands. I know Shadow Touched as "the Invisibility + Inflict feat".

3. Alter Self. I just adore the versatility and lovely Simic flavor of this spell. You can effectively disguise yourself, or give yourself fins and gills, or formidable natural weapons... it's great.

4. Moonbeam. Druid is one of my favorite classes, and I just like the aesthetic of this spell. My first played character, Ellywick the earth genasi spore druid, used it to deal (what at the time felt like) big damage and I remember feeling so giddy that I was Doing Something. Later, my Kessig human twilight druid Soleil used it as a beacon to carve a path through a horde of undead during an Innistrad D&D session, and that felt epic.

5. Counterspell. Listen, I'm a smug little blue mage who likes saying "in response" during D&D games.

Honorable mention: Clone. As an 8th-level spell with pricey material components, I have never actually played a character with the capabilities to cast this, but I just think it is unbelievably cool and I know I want Xena to learn it when she gets high levelled enough.

[sole-cuore-amore-e-droga]

Belgium brings their ex-vocalist back to Rotterdam 2021

Here we chop chop boys like we chop chop wood

This review space would’ve been reserved for Belarus. Unfortunately, their broadcaster was not ready to make nice, and ultimately refused to serve EBU with anything but not-even-so-thinly-veiled propaganda, so much so that EBU, after all they’ve given the time for them for to snap out of it, finally had to be like “bye bitch” (- Lizzo) with enough push from the fandom, and informed everyone that Belarus will miss this year’s contest <3

Which means that I don’t have to deal with 41, but with 39 writeups to do overall, if my timing permits! The Roop could’ve always used a little less competition, anyway /j

Speaking of The Roop’s competition, time to aim at another one of their semifinal folk with a review. Come forth, Belgium!

ARTIST & ENTRY INFO

Hooverphonic, eventhough they’re not as big of a name as Flo Rida, is the biggest act to compete in this year’s Eurovision, and even had lasted longer as a thing than Flo Rida. He barely even got his proper famous kickstart around in the 2000s. Hoover have been around at least for 5 years more than him, if “Years active” section on Wikipedia is anything to go by. And back then they were just known as Hoover, correct. Their lineup of singers has changed for quite some time, but otherwise the band since its inception is rooted in basically two men: Alex Callier and Raymond Geerts. They used to have a keyboardist too but was he a part of their glory years in 2000? No? Thought so, he’s irrelevant then. In fact, their first vocalist wasn’t even present on their first album, so they went to have another one, who did just one album with them before 2000 and left. Now I’m only constantly and consistently bringing up 2000 because that’s when they had their break out moment in relevancy - after they changed their singer once more before they found someone called Geike Arnaert - the woman you’re seeing on the MV’s thumbnail right now, and not someone certain for whom there was a public outcry for she is the only Hooverphonic component that’s not coming back from 2020 to 2021. But more on that later. I’m here to present you the break-out hit, for those who just don’t know:

I used to like to think of Hoovers as trip-hop sensations, well not in the style of Massive Attack because they have their trip-hop sound with actual hip hop thrown in, Hooverphonic’s style is that but with a tinge of symphonic.

Well, “Mad About You” wasn’t really the only hit they had, before that they got a bunch of minor and domestic hits, and their music was used for soundtracks. So it’s a little bit cheating still to think of “Mad About You” as their breakout hit, but that’s still the biggest song of the band. If I were to recommend you stuff from them that aren’t necessarily the biggest hits but still, “The Night Before” with yet another one of their vocalists is pretty good.

So when I tell you that Hooverphonic is a band of a very long career. Well some bands do survive a lot without having their lineup change for 10+ years, but Hooverphonic vocalistes come and go sometimes, and for 2020 forray, when they were first announced, they came in to that talk show studio where they were guests in with a promising little starlet Alex Callier found at The Voice Belgium (for the Flanders region) and was her mentor there, Luka Cruysberghs, as their current vocalist.

Is it just me or her and Stefania Liberakakis look like they could be cousins?

All went smooth and dandy, until Alex started spouting stuff about Eurovision the fans found not amusing, such as calling Eurovision a circus or something, later begging and pleading to medias that his statement was “lost in translation” - now I would say it happens to the best of us, like for Tornike, but deep inside I think I know Alex meant what he meant, inside or outside context. Because everything just went even more sour when everyone found out Hooverphonic were missing from the common song “Love Shine a Light” for the 2020 consolation programme in place of Eurovision, and when they were forced to explain, Alex just straight up said he didn’t like the song, so he decided to not do it. Fuck, I myself don’t adore the 1997 winning song, but I like it, and would’ve still done a piece of that song out of respect. Take it or leave it, god damn. Also they were noted to be the only people plugging in their other material in the time when Eurovision 2020 artists on the consolation programme were either saying inspirational stuff or “hope to see you soon!” or a combo of both, once again, courtesy of mostly Alex. Now I’m not saying his ego is bigger than Kirkorov’s... of fucking course not, no one has an ego bigger than Kirkorov’s. The only thing that can beat him in that regard is if someone booked Kanye West for Eurovision last minute.

Following 2021, they were very excited to jump on the “leave 2020 songs behind” train, while a few artists like VICTORIA and The Roop rallied for to keep their entries in tact if they were allowed to. And with that, in late 2020, they went ahead and celebrated the 20 years of “Mad About You” by getting rid of Luka as a vocalist and bringing back the aforementioned Geike to reprise her part. Seems pretty reasonable, but for the Eurofandom it was simply seen as a dick move, and mostly for the reason that all 2020 artists deserve a 2021 chance, even if they’re band members. What felt more dickish is that Luka was straight up told “byeeee u’re no longer our bandmate xo” on a Zoom call between band members. Like, it’s fine to be told you’re fired in person, even if still humiliating, because what’s the other better way? What’s equally worse is to be told this via email, but the email you were sent was sent like a few months ago and you only read it NOW. At least I guess that proves we know what the “sad and losing game” was that Luka asked to be released from now, heh.

Not to worry Luka-stans, as Alex will still have her, just as not the part of the band anymore. But instead give her a solo career. Yeah well we’ll see how long that lasts.

With the 2000 glory heydays lineup of Hooverphonic we have their entry be “The Wrong Place”, as the completely quite different song they promised (or didn’t) when saying that they will certainly and absolutely get rid of their old one for the 2021 if they had a choice. What they didn’t get rid of is the theme of the worse part of relationships - “Release Me” is about probably wanting to be let go of and released rather than kept by the side when it’s probably not working out. “The Wrong Place” is one of those episodes that probably happened during then - they had a house conflict, she chose to have a smoke to forget about it, the man’s after her Johnny Cash T-Shirt. Not much else to say about the song’s technicality fortunately than I’ve already said so much about the band, so how does it fare in the Hoover-lore, for me?

REVIEW

See, I would like to root for Luka ever having her chance to get to experience Eurovision if she wishes, but maybe it’s lowkey for her own benefit she wasn’t the chosen vocalist for the song, as Geike could do “Release Me”, but Luka wouldn’t be able to do “The Wrong Place”.

“The Wrong Place” is well-suited to the first vocaliste’s melancholic blend-in timbre, and a singer like Luka would sound a little too light on this with her soft-spoken sound of her voice. Besides, I don’t think she could be old enough to relate to the lyrical subject’s domestic struggle issue. Not to say 20 year olds don’t smoke and drink, it’s just that “The Wrong Place” feels a little bit too much mature enough.

Although I think that both of them could absolutely rock the music video visuals.

The song itself is very Hooverphonic. They used to do this kind of standout triphoppy sound back in the days, but as of lately they kind of grew out of the label to do more of the music that kinda sounds like movie soundtrack music. Idek the exact label I could give it to their music so move soundtrack music it is I guess. It has a decently paced structure (could’ve done without the overly repetitive ending where they repeat “you’re in the wrong place” over and over, like ffs I know where I am!!), and interesting lyrical choices. Such as “organic cup of... tea”, as in, WOW! HOOVERPHONIC HAS ENOUGH WITH THE TEABAGS FULL OF GROUND AND GRINDED TEA! THEY WILL ONLY MAKE TEA FROM PURE HERBS AND FLOWERS, AS IT WAS USED TO BE DONE! and acting like her Johnny Cash T-Shirt is the kind of prized possession her man is not allowed to wear to rub it in her face. Imagine if it was something more mundane. “Don’t you ever dare to wear my... pink polka-dot T-shirt”? Damn right it doesn’t seem to suit the mood lol.

It’s not what I exactly wanted from Hooverphonic, but probably what I subconsciously needed from them anyway, ever since they were announced for 2020. I only got into “Release Me” sometime AFTER the contest, “The Wrong Place” is a bit more instant to stand behind. So well done to them to commit to their craft.

Approval factor: I guess I do have to stamp this with my stamp of approval. It’s nice and all. Follow-up factor: “The Wrong Place” follows up as a more of a Hooverphonic discography track after the fairly average and overlookable “Release Me” (eventhough the latter has the tinge of theirs as well because it’s a more symphonic ballad, and they do have symphonic stuff on their discog afterall). As a Eurovision entry, it comes across as even better somewhat, and even slightly more standout, but that might not necessarily work in their favour. Qualification factor: And that’s because they’re absolutely stranded in the semi with too many qualification choices to name. Belgium gets to be a bit quasi-obvious, but they’ve failed with a Hooverphonic-penned song before, plus, the pop girlies of this semi are more likely to eat out a band like this alive, but I wouldn’t exactly say Belgium is doomed to fail either, because I am positive Hooverphonic will think of something. I’m just saying that shocking things can happen every now and then.

INTERNAL CORNER

Well, considering Alex Callier is not running his mouth this time as much as he did so last year’s season, I think it’s safe to say that Hooverphonic have had nothing to write home about.

No, wait...

Well I did mention that Luka got replaced as one of the events that happened to Hooverphonic’s lifetime, but thank God that Alex promised her a solo career, right? Right?

Well, apparently, we’re getting towards it.

And the first lyrics of her first solo forray post-Hooverphonic-vocalist-duties features the lyrics about possibly her making someone “regret it”. Lol now watch this song to be a karma kick into Hooverphonic’s ass if Belgium happens to not qualify this year. Luka forewarned y’all with sharp precision.

Annnnnd that’s pretty much it, besides the band jumping on the trend of turning their entries into a Festivali i Këngës 59 acoustic night European version by presenting their own acoustic version of this track. I did not have the kind of courage to link to the Azerbaijan’s “slow version” on their review in fear of overruning my post even longer than they would usually be for these reviews, but at least it moves people to a certain degree

Well, my question of the days is, does “The Wrong Place” in acoustic make you sad twerk?

ANY LAST WORDS?

Belgium’s big weakness is when it comes to stage their entries, notably for the last two years where the Eurovision actually happened. Sennek was awkwardly put in the middle and succumbed to the curse of Lucie Jones of grimmacing too much and therefore ruining her score in the process, possibly. Eliot was just simply upstaged by the decision to include big drums on stage. Alex Callier acknowledges all that sort of thing, so if anything goes absolutely right and Hooverphonic manage to make it to Rotterdam (which I think they can do because Belgium and Netherlands are neighbours lol? unless their lockdown rules get super strict in May), he should get on to mending all the flaws that Belgium had in the past for staging, and have a spectacular vision. Because it’d be sadly hilariously ironic if Hoovers miss out on the final due to the staging again. Can’t just constantly blame the vocalist - Geike would be flawless live, if Hooverphonic trusted in her for so many years. Can’t blame the song - it’s not too bad. So staging, I guess.

Good luck Hooverphonic, you’ll certainly need it. Also can RTBF consider that they could send anything else from the Wallonian music scene other than The Voice Belgique acts~

[haechanhues]

My Analysis Of Enhypen (From I-Land mostly) and I was going to do it straight out of watching it, but it was like 2am and the next day I was sick so today it is :) (Edit : It took a couple of days to even write it) and I also watched some Enhypen videos so.... yup but I’ll try my best to keep it to my observations with I-Land and like the behind videos 

Sunoo

- My expectation of him : I thought he’d be the loud one like San/Wooyoung  is in ATEEZ from the get go but he was so shy at first. Watching him open up and spread who he is as a person was one of my favourite parts of the show. He also became more confident in himself and his abilities. You may think differently but if you take the first episode and last episode as examples, you’ll be able to see his level of comfort in showing his qualities as a person.

- In saying that, his expressions, especially in brighter concepts astound me. Like in those concepts, he just has the spotlight. For real, for real. He can also do intense concepts too. Amazing. He also has a voice that surprises me, like you’d expect his voice to be slightly higher but it’s among the lower tones (I don’t know the tonal scale)

- He doesn’t really take too harshly to teasing or when the other people poke fun at him. He takes it in good stride (Though nobody should go overboard) He just accepts it as it is with a smile or maybe a little sigh or even just teasing back. He knows it’s all with a good heart. I find that really admirable - it’s not an easy trait to have. Also the fact he can joke with the others as well.

- I love the way he monitors others, especially his members, and like he can make a person feel good. Like the way he without any hesitancy will help style another person’s hair if they asked or whatever. He just wants to do well, together. He wants to share his happiness with other people and I think that’s such a reason to love him. He also is the first to emphasise the beauty in every person. He brings attention to it in such a beautiful, caring way. He also can see the bigger picture so easily and so thoughtfully. Always looking for others.

- In saying all this, I have a theory that he was chosen as the producer’s pick because he has this ability to him. Like a moodmaker is someone that keeps the team’s spirits up and provide the stress relief and I feel he’s more than that? He has absolute faith in other people and can bring out hidden components of a person they didn’t really know they had e.g Sunghoon during Chamber 5/ The Heeseung Aegyo fiasco. Like he has this flamboyancy and shamelessness to him that you can help but join in or that it’s alright to join in.

Sunghoon

- My expectation of him : I thought he’d be a refined person, with a real likeness to someone with a status of a prince. Regality to a tee. But he’s got such a dorky tender heart. He’s so incredibly handsome. I know this is a really shallow and obvious observation. Anyone with two working eyes can see the boy is incredibly gorgeous. But he just leaves you in awe. He’s arguably the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen. I also love how shy and bashful he can get. 

- The way he cherishes the people around him. I feel from the very first episode, he’s not necessarily a social person, but you can tell he wants to get along with everyone.  He’s so comfortable to be around and you want to try anything in your power to make him smile and laugh and be your friend or whatever. During I-Land, you can see it from the way he talks about his sister and his friendship with Jake and the other I-Landers. 

- He’s a massive dork. Like he doesn’t know how cute he is. And because he’s got that Prince look to him and that title attached to him, when you see him being dorky and screeching you can’t help but like that paradox. I think Episode 10 was his episode and that one VR segment too. Like he’s so funny and just he’s a soft spot for me I think. The ‘Pork Slice’ part I want ingrained into what made my life a life worth living. 

- As a leader, it was so interesting to see him work. He helped K a lot with his leadership when Sunghoon left the team. He takes a couple of steps backwards for other people, and at times it scared me, but it ended up so right for him in the end anyway and I’m thankful. It helped people see what kind of a person he is and I’m glad he had other people looking after him. He also is careful and accepts suggestions and sincerely works with each of them. He makes observations on his own too. 

- This can be interrelated but I think a large massive part of why he’s in Enhypen is how hard he works. He works diligently and wholeheartedly. He’s a quiet powerhouse in that respect. He does his work without the need for attention but solely to improve his skills as a performer and for his future. He doesn’t care if his hands get dirty. As long as one person, even if it’s himself has faith in him, he’ll do it. 

Heeseung 

- My expectation of him : I thought he’d be known as The Ace and hardworking and etc. It wasn’t a wrong assumption but I think we can go into more detail. He’s a really talented person and I mean that with every fibre of my being. From the very first episode, he’s labelled as the ‘Ace’ and it continues throughout the programme so when he does debut, it isn’t too much of a surprise, if at all. 

- Too be honest, I’m not really sure if this counts but I’m going to add it anyway. His relationship with his brother (so hilarious) is such a heartwarming moment. In I-Land he was one of the older ones (I think) and someone with a leadership role and so a lot of people relied on him. But it was great to see he had a good support system who he loves and adores with all his heart. The way his older brother is a source of energy for him really made my heart go into overdrive. So fucking cute. 

- As a leader, I feel a bit like stupid for mentioning it cause it’s so obvious, but he’s got leadership skills. (Duh) But like as a leader, he works on the synergy of the team. He’s patient, stern and is usually almost on the right path. He’s someone very reliable and his objective is clear. He wants to fit the concept as well as he can and makes sure that everyone is on the same page without anyone falling behind. 

- He also has the ability to let loose and have fun. He makes jokes and tries things out because it looks fun. He’s under a shit ton of pressure, especially on I-Land as the ‘Ace’ and I’m grateful he’s able to enjoy his time with the other contestants. He actually plays around quite a bit and his smile is so wide and bright, it’s so nice to see. 

- Even though he’s not the leader in Enhypen now, he has a role of being a caretaker. He helps out when he’s needed (e.g Helped out Taki for the BTS performance) He’s a really thoughtful and understanding person. He’s always the first one to state problems and then come up with solutions. When someone feels bad for getting criticisms, he takes it as his own as well. He doesn’t want to succeed solely. 

Jake

- My expectation of him : No joke it’s just Aussie, at first. He was the first Enhypen member/I-Land contestant who I ever learnt about. I also think he’s a little like Eric from The Boyz. Slightly. Just, not as crazy. Like it’s weird just seeing a not-loud Eric and/or a crazy Jake. Also, he’s really attractive. I don’t know exactly why he’s so attractive but there’s something about him you just can’t describe in words. 

- His debut astounds me the most. Not because I didn’t think he could do it. But because he had such a short training period and even as a trainee he had to exceed hundreds of others (500 others/499 others?) to be let into the company. He’s just got this natural luck to him as well. Imagine that. He’s also quite an adaptable and fast learner. He always seems to improve with every little thing he learns and it always has such an impact. 

- He’s got a charming way of performing. He may not be as rich in skill training as the other contestants or members and often gets criticism for it. But every time he had a performance where you forget about it. He’s got this irresistible charm on stage. You want to learn more about him, watch him more and he plays his role really well. 

- His eyes are so sparkly and they just lure you in. He’s currently one of the only boys I’ll accept lip bites from (I usually find them cringe). But he makes it look natural. He gets so excited with new possibilities - new opportunities of fun, to get to know other people and know the people he knows more. He always engages with every situation with eagerness and acceptance. 

- As I mentioned before, he’s the icon of growth. Yes, everyone knows it. But you don’t look at him and see his inexperience nor the lack of skills in comparison. You want him to debut immediately and grow with him. Out of all of them, I feel like you look at him and apply yourself in his shoes. You want him to succeed and to learn and to grow and you want to hold his hand during the whole process. You want to watch and do the same with yourself. 

Niki

- My expectation of him : I thought he was going to be a mood maker of the team cause I saw a lot of compilations of him being groovy and weird. It’s a weird thing to say but he reminded me of seaweed in the game of Seaweed (I don’t know how to explain this game to anyone, it’s kind of like tag I guess except when you get tagged you have to act like seaweed in the ocean) or like those inflatable balloon people at car autos or something. Weird analogy but- He’s actually quite chic. 

- From the very first episode and all to the very end, he’s a very skillfull dancer. He picks up the dances quickly and he’s such a small person but he has this way of performing large gestures that astound you. He was a really meticulous teacher too. A stickler for details. He’s very satisfying to watch dance. When he’s in the zone of dancing, it’s really beautiful and you just want him to perform more and he could do the same dance again and again and it’d still have the same impact it did the first time. 

- In I-Land, in the earlier episodes he struggled with the team aspect. He was amazing individually and could lead the team well during dancing. But wanted to show the best version of himself and forget about the rest of the team. BUT, if you look at him now, he knows the importance of his teammates and strives for the best. He also allowed himself to open up emotionally and cried more and adored more. (I noticed this moment especially with Hanbin, Sunoo, Taki and those who were eliminated) 

- During the show, it didn’t really show Niki enough being playful. I think we got to see cheery Niki when he received the hanbok from Jungkook. But you can see it better in the behind I-Land videos with the sheep costume that Jungwon wears and during Enhypen’s debut. But my favourite moment is when Jungwon wants to sneeze and he looks at him and he’s like ‘Jungwon hyung ANDWAEEE’ and his voice and everything is going to be stamped into my head. 

- He’s practically made to be an idol. His dancing is one thing but when he takes pictures and has to fit concepts that his hyungs find awkward, he just does it with such a chic way of doing things. He knows where to angle his head and he’s gotten so good at expressions. Off stage, he’s chic yet playful and extremely loving with his hyungs. 

Jay

My expectation of him : First of all, the whole reason I’m into Enhypen is because of him. He’s the reason I watched the show. He’s almost always my avatar on Rhythm Hive. I expected him to be confident and good at everything. He’s also really good looking. Like, the type of guy I’d have a crush on if he lived in my country type of crush. 

- He’s a great speaker. His ability to give feedback and constructive criticism is an amazing feat. He points out problems carefully and constructs a solution. He does so in a way that he creates a feeling of trust and faith. I’m terrible with criticism, like I can accept it but I don’t know how to reply to it. But with Jay, I actually want him to provide feedback. 

- He’s a really intense performer. He’s just constantly burning and his gaze is like a promise. He uses emotion to perform harder and to outdo himself and to prove to others that they’d regret making their decision. He is very emotional and it shows when he performs. A really determined person to do well in everything he does. He’s got this wild and untamed look in his eye but his body is very controlled and confident. It’s seriously a good look on him. It’s really attractive. 

- His leadership qualities are amazing. He knows how to utilise everyone’s talents to make the team standout more. He has an in depth understanding of everyones personalities and talents enough to put them in the right position. (That sounds like a report card). He’s also not as hardheaded as I had expected him to be, he’s flexible and is able to listen to everyones opinions and communicate on an equal level. He helps out without taking complete control over the situation. 

- He’s the moodmaker! Yes, he’s responsible for about 95% of the memes and quotes in I-Land. I don’t think I have to quote them. In saying that he’s pretty much the victim of Enhypen and I-Land pretty much. 

- I think the way he is so emotionally driven is what makes him stand out. He is the epitome of a fiery personality. He’s so unapologetically him and also open about what he’s feeling and what he’s aiming for, which is considerably quite new considering how boys are kind of taught to suppress their emotions. He also doesn’t let his emotions dictate how he treats a person. He treats them fairly, even when he’s disappointed or angry at someone. Watching him succeed and sometimes fail and promise to come back, genuinely felt like he was destined for it and wasn’t waiting for Lady Luck to shine on him. He goes and does shit done himself. He invokes so many emotions and empathies in other people. 

Jungwon 

- My expectation of him : When I was watching KCON:TACT 3 I was really attracted to his voice and they way he talked and danced. Though I didn’t expect to end up biasing him to the point of no return. Never in my life have I loved a boy quite like this. I don’t know it feels different. It felt different with both Haechan, Kyungsoo and Sunwoo but this is all so different this feeling right here. Warning : This is going to be extremely biased. Like no joke. I’m sorry, this boy is just going to have longer lines but I’ll still keep to the same bullet points. 

- He’s so lovely. So so lovely. He has this ability to smile and have fun and tease and make little comments. His eyes are like hypnosis. You’re able to look at him, see the uplifting of his smile and every one of his facial features are uplifted so it makes his expressions brighter, more welcoming and more trusting.  He’s got broad shoulders and like someone you want to cuddle and watch with stars in your eyes. Like that chick is so right, ‘you’re someone I can’t live without now.’ The way he reacts to such comments, bashful smile and the whole hand over his mouth. He’s so pretty. I don’t want him to be sad or whatever. 

- He’s so accepting of other forms of life and doesn’t care for status, wealth, age or whatever. For him, if they’re part of the team, they’re part of the team and he’ll look after them as a team member. He puts his importance on things that actually matter and looks to create an atmosphere where he can be relied on and that others feel comforted. He has fun and talks with others with softness and makes others feel engaged. He’s so fucking attentive. Like he understands other people well and has high observation skills. Like if one is upset, he’ll just quietly go to comfort them and give attention in a soothing matter. He’s also got a soothing voice. I love hearing him talk. 

- The hidden ACE. He made an impact during the competition at significant times. I think the reason why many contestants and him, himself went down the ranks was because they were previously in the higher ranks and were believed to be safe. But as a vocalist, he has such a clear and stable voice. You can recognise his voice immediately, even when I wasn’t a Enhypen stan, I could recognise his voice even without knowing who he was. But as a dancer, he’s so amazing at it. Like, his popping and his ability to do intense choreographies. As a performer he understands nuances, meanings and the concepts of a song and understands his role in the performance. Him getting praises was my favourite thing ever. I think he was a favourite among the producers. Though when he did have stumbles, I was so worried for him. Like no, I refuse. 

- He’s got an optimistic way of thinking, without being overcompensating. Basically when things don’t necessarily go the way it was set out to or when others suggest another way of doing things, he takes his time to think about it and decides. He basically uses it as a tool to grow and adapt in order to produce the best results. Now that I’m thinking about it, rather than being optimistic, I would say he’s an opportunist(?) in a sense. He’ll accept the suggestions and has this greed to live up to and exceed the expectations. This is easily seen when Jungwon isn’t doing too well doing part 5 and ends up swapping with Heeseung. And he also has this greed. It’s a greed I’ve never seen before. The goals are the same but in a way that’s different?; He doesn’t  want his grandmother to be devastated if he is eliminated, he wants to be an artist that does music he loves, ‘it’ll be even more impressive if we can go beyond their expectation’. He uses the current happenings as a way to exceed them and to go beyond capacity. In short he’s a realist without being stuck, he’s an idealist without being too high up in the clouds, he’s optimistic but not unrealistic. It’s inspiring, he’s inspiring. They all are but Jungwon has my heart at the moment.