#anon-ish opinion ask game

[bobfloydsbabe]

you're a bad bitch who's too hard on herself

i don't know about bad bitch, but you're right that i'm too hard on myself. this is very kind of you to say, so thank you.

anonymously tell me your opinion of me

[thewalrusespublicist]

Hello! Love your blog and your takes, objective and sane and well researched chefs kiss! I had a blast scrolling through it like it was my feed yesterday lol can you elaborate on klaus and Paul if possible? People mostly talk about them like it’s already understood but I don’t understand 😭 I’m kinda lost on their (all of them, including stu) dynamic during the hamburg years specifically when it comes to Paul

Aww thank you anon! Tbh I was starting to feel a bit down about my blog and what I was putting out ( the eternal crisis on how to give full answers and opinions without being stupid, boring and annoying lol). So I really, really needed this. :)

Oh Paul vs/and the Exsis, it's quite a long one so buckle up.

Disclaimer: all of the people involved are essentially art kids/young adults who are famously the most exhausting people on the planet. Do not blame them for being dramatic, it's their natural state of being.

If we want to go into Paul and Klaus, we have to kind of start with the John, Paul and Stu. Now these three are a mess that's too big to go into here (though I have THOUGHTS about how Stu is utilised in the Beatles narrative that I'm more than happy to share if asked lmaooo). But in short(ish):

John and Paul had had an intense year and a bit of closeness. Then John meets Stu at art college.

John and Stu become c l o s e for many reasons (being peers, living together, similar artistic leanings + ego, Stu being a gentle guide to John, sharing art projects/poetry/long letters and feelings etc.) They became 'closer than two men' a friend had seen (remind us of anyone gang?). Most importantly, John could be open about his feelings with Stu in letters. If John had BPD which I subscribe too, I think Stu was his 'favourite person' and as Aunt Mimi said his 'special' and 'closest friend' from this period up until his death (though imho the transference back to Paul was starting prior to his death).

It's not clear what exactly happens as there's differing accounts but Stu uses his money to buy a new bass as John wants him to come to Scotland then Hamburg and play bass as he will 'look good'.

Paul doesen't like being relegated to the seat behind John and Stu when he used to sit next to John. He also isn't thrilled when he gets to Hamburg and not only does he get to sleep in the other room with just Pete but Stu cannot be arsed to play because he's hanging out with his hot new girlfriend Astrid (more on her in a sec). Our boy has spent a lot of money he doesen't have and given up on further education to be here and is jealous and annoyed.

Paul and Stu probably were friends and I think their mutual antipathy is overegged. HOWEVER, can't be denied that Paul is jealous of Stu and Stu is jealous of Paul (and getting flare-ups from increasing brain damage). John and Stu tease Paul and steal his money, Paul is mean to Stu (as are the others encouraged by John). Do I think John was playing games with both of them? Yup. They end up scuffling onstage because Paul said something about Astrid (not clear what, one account is that Paul said that Stu could borrow money off Astrid if he needed it which isn't really that bad a dig but who knows Yoko??).

Why is this dynamic important? Because it directly impacts the 'Exsis' (Klaus, Jurgen and Astrid's) group's relationship with Paul:

The Exsis were young artists living in Hamburg. They were artistic, cool, interesting and edgy. They were paramount in introducing the Beatles to cool new concepts, aesthetics and ideas. They also took themselves VERY seriously ie pretentious as all hell.

Astrid met Stu at Kaiserkeller and hit it off. They embarked on an all-consuming romance.

Letter from Stu to Astrid, c.1961

I've seen people say they were the proto-John and Yoko in terms of making their romance the whole world and influencing John years down the line and I can see that. With Astrid and Stu it's far more endearing though because they ARE young and the right age to have a relationship like that. Stu is popular with the Exsis in general and brings them into the Beatles group.

The Exsis didn't like or trust Paul. Astrid said later it was because Paul was 'too nice' which she herself admits is a ridiculous reason. The others also thought he was a bit of a show-off. It makes sense though if you're cool and edgy and want to stick it to the world to be sus about a guy being friendly show-off with seemingly no inner world. The other problem was a perfectly reasonable one imo, you're not going to like your friends frenemy who you don't connect with. Compound that with Paul not taking drugs as much as George or John and being in the other room and you begin to have a division.

Paul had been popular his whole life, like from what we know since-primary-school-popular. He had never been in this position before, let alone in a foreign country. I believe it became a bit of a brutal feedback loop. Paul's response to this type of behaviour consistently it to go more surface level, snide and passive aggressive. The natural response of any group with a designated 'ugh' person is to become more shady and exclusionary. The cycle continues and gets worse. Stu letters back home at this time says that in a shocking turn of events Paul is hated by everyone but Stu 'just feels sorry for him' (lmao OF COURSE you do Stu, its giving 'loathing' from Wicked lol). Klaus drew a lot of artwork of the early Hamburg Beatles that includes this highly unpleasant picture of Paul in 1961 which I think says a lot:

Klaus is also a musician and fancies himself a place on bass. When Stu leaves to pursue art, Klaus asks John if he could take over but John says that he thinks Paul is going to do it.

Klaus has later gone on to say that he thinks he was a better bass player for the Beatles' sound at the start and then Paul developed into being better for the group. It's one of those I cannot believe those words actually left your mouth and you are not deeply embarrased moments. But it's important to keep this desire and viewpoint in mind.

Klaus stays in touch with all of them and close to John and George, George especially. They visit Klaus on holiday in tenerife in early 60s and Klaus later draws the Revolver artwork.

This whole context of how they met and Hamburg is crucial and has to be taken into account when hearing Klaus' statements. Klaus and Paul started off with a lack of connection and with Paul on the outs, the Exsis got an incomplete view of Paul and an inaccurate snapshot of the Beatles dynamic overall. This is why when Klaus says 'Paul was always slightly apart from the others' and that 'divorce was inevitable' from early 60s we should remember that that is what Klaus is expecting to see as that's what he saw in Hamburg.

Klaus wanted to be the bass player (and was holding out hope to join a band with George and John in the 70s), was really close with George and suffers as many did with 'John Lennon aspiring boy bestie syndrome' (JABBS). Paul had what Klaus wanted and from the Hamburg experience, you could see why Klaus thought he might have an in and may have been jealous of this 'shallow' Paul of all people having the connection that he felt he should/could have with John and George. As with most sufferers of JABBS, he took John's side with everything, always refused to say any regrets about his involvement in How do you Sleep and thought Paul was fine with the song because 'he was even closer to John than [he] was. (Again Klaus to put yourself in that level of closeness with John that it's comparable to Paul is ???.) JABBS and its secondary condition PMIETGSH (Paul McCartney isn't even that good shut up) are virulent diseases that incapacitate sufferers objectivity and judgement, so it's fair to say that Klaus is a source you have to take with a pinch of salt on the early 70s period.

It seems that Klaus and Paul did get on a lot better the older they got (probably without the jealousy complication of George and John) and developed a sweet friendship. Here is Klaus' tribute to Paul for his 80th:

Here is the jam session he's talking about:

He now wants Paul to live in his house lmao so things have gotten warmer. But Klaus and Paul's dynamic is a great example of how and why natural bias, little jealousies and spats can consciously or subconsciously influence our internal narrative and why we need to be so careful about not taking one perspective as gospel.

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

I'm not sure if you've answered this before or touched on the subject, my apologies if you have, but would a condom help protect you from most of the radioactivity of ghoul semen? Just a thought, because I've noticed a lot writers use Rad-X or RadAway as a catch-all to safe(ish) ghoul sex; whereas some say there's still damage to be done even with these. But have we considered a condom?!

WARNING: YET ANOTHER RANT ABOUT GHOUL CUM IMMINENT, BRACE FOR IMPACT

And thanks for the ask, Anon. I really do enjoy these ghoul biology questions.

I have touched on the effects of ghoul semen on humans before, largely in this post, but I didn't elaborate much on condom usage. We endorse safe sex here, but...well, let's just say there's a lot more demand for portraying no-condom fucking than there is for the opposite. For this reason, at least personally, I usually just use Rad-X and Radaway as a sort of catch-all since it's basically in-game magic. Plus, my readers yearn for the c r e a m p i e aspect of it all.

Besides, if I'm honest, I'm not convinced that a condom would be of all that much use when fucking a ghoul, at least an older ghoul.

I spent some time browsing through a few research papers and articles about how gamma radiation affects various materials to give a 'not completely bullshit' answer to this. I know a fair amount about how radiation can impact the body, but relatively little about how it can impact non-biological material. Turns out, it's quite hard on most things! Shocker!

I think the biggest determining factor about whether or not a condom would provide you any actual protection with a ghoul lover would be the age and transformation status of the ghoul. I've mentioned before how I theorize that they become more radioactive over time, even if they never enter a more advanced stage of ghoulification, like becoming a glowing one.

A newly-transformed ghoul would likely both have lower levels of radiation in their bodily fluids AND no sperm (as I elaborated on in my post about ghoul-fathered pregnancy), so a condom would really only provide protection from the mild damage and irritation that prolonged or repeated exposure to low-level rads would cause your vaginal/anal/oral tissue. Not to say that isn't helpful! No one really likes the idea of being all raw from mild radiation burns inside them, and sometimes you just wanna go a half-dozen rounds with your high-stamina lover with no stress. Besides, if you're not a ghoul yourself, less overall radiation exposure is an unquestionable good.

Older ghouls (and obviously those who are in more advanced stages of ghoulification), being more radioactive overall in this scenario, also have much more radioactive fluids. Obviously anyone who is pre-war would fall under this category, but frankly anyone who has been a ghoul for more than a few decades is probably gonna be pretty "hot" overall. Low rad-resistance/low endurance folks may need to strongly consider alternative forms of intercourse, especially if Rad-X and Radaway aren't available or sufficient. With partners like this, the condom keeping the semen confined inside it means it's effective in stopping things that have to actively work to infect you (sperm, viruses/bacteria, etc.), but radiation doesn't work like that. It can easily impact you negatively if you're simply close enough to the source of it without any direct contact. If I wrapped a polonium core in a condom and shoved it inside you, you would still get incredibly sick and burned, and I think essentially the same would apply to telling your older ghoul partner to use extant barrier contraception (condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, etc.). Honestly, if they have a high enough rad level, they may just literally melt straight through whatever you're using.

It is possible that ghoul-friendly contraception could be created, at least in my opinion. But it would be complicated and difficult to find something that "ticks all the right boxes", per se. For obvious reasons, you wouldn't want a lead wool diaphragm or a cadmium-lined condom or anything like that. I understand there are a lot of different polymers/plastics that are resistant to radiation, and I'm sure that some of them are made of components that wouldn't necessarily be harmful to have inside you, especially since some of them are used to manufacture things like radiation PPE (personal protective equipment like gowns/gloves/shields/radiation blankets/etc.). However, I don't have a broad enough understanding to say for sure whether or not any of these polymers would make for the sort of material you could manufacture physical/barrier contraception from. I have a degree in a biology-heavy STEM field and not a pure-chemistry STEM field for a reason. Either way, I feel like it might be a little hard to get your hands on material like that, at least consistently, 200+ years after a nuclear apocalypse, unless you could find a way to freshly manufacture it. If you're going older in terms of your search for a ghoul partner, you're probably better off sticking to Rad-X and Radaway, overall.

If I, personally, were president in the Fallout universe, whatever funds that were earmarked for scientific research would be reallocated to figuring out how to mass-produce and distribute a ghoul-friendly form of contraception. I think it would be a great healing step for what remains of America if all the ghouls and all the smoothskins could get in a big pile and just fuck it out. Vote for me.

[erabu-san]

Hello!!I want to start off with the fact that i ABSOLUTELY LOVE your art!!The way you draw characters is amazing,you draw them nearly the same as i hc them

I was scrolling through your blog (the art is beautiful please dont ever stop) and i saw some anons complaining and insulting you for drawing some characters (mainly characters from natlan and sumeru) with different shades of skin.While i dont know much about this topic i just wanted to share my opinion.

Sumeru is based off of middle east,the majority of which has tanned skin (but its very mixed from what i know!).Natlan is based off of a lot of places (which is honestly another sign of racism in my opinion)I myself am from Turkey which can count as both middle east AND Europe (even turkish people dont know what we count as).I have a lot of middle eastern friends as well (Iran,Iraq,Sauda Arabia,Syria…) and they are brown or tanned and one of them is white!

i saw a lot of people say that “not every character needs to be black/brown” and i answer this with not every character has to be white.White,brown,black,asian,native american and every other race exists and every race deserves to be respected.No race should be insulted for wanting representation.No race should be seen as outcasts either.Wether that be white or black,no one deserves to feel like they are not fine the way they are.

I myself hc Zhongli as pale as a ghost to indicate that he is a god (as being pale is associated with being a superior being in chinese culture).I hc Xiao as tanned due to him spending all his time,day and night,fighting monsters.I hc Neuvilette has slightly blue-ish skin bc hes the hydro sovereign.I hc as black bc i like him that way.I hc Alhaitham as brown and so many more characters.Nobody would want to play a game in which there is no diversity.Diversity helpes the characters feel more real and gives them character depth.Diversity helps make Teyvat feel more real,like Earth itself.

But anyways this is just my opinion,i would love to learn more and hear everyone’s opinions.And if someone doesnt like your art they should just block you if they dont want to see it🤷‍♀️ Your art is amazing though so please dont mind those buffoons 🙏

Sorry it this got too long or complicated.English isnt my first language and im still learning

And dont even get me started on the body shapes of the characters

Hii !! Thank you so much ! 😭😭🙏

Yesss I completely agree with you !

And if I can be honest, I wasn't aware of this question of representation and diversity before Genshin Impact. Once, I saw a fanart with someone making a white character black, and in all of my ignorance, I was wondering why (a genuine question). So I asked my friend her thought (because I love hearing her opinions) and she makes me aware about representation in media, and issues they are facing to. And, wow, I learnt a lot ! Maybe it is a bit silly but, I always tend to focus on canon content, and all my HC was around interactions or their behaviour, and I never thought about their body appearance HC. And since I learnt that, my creativity developed a new skill ! So it is only recently I put HC on their physical appearance (like Sethos with dimples KKGEKDJS it ain't that much but it is fun, I guess HC on physical appearance is not my domain)

But it is thanks to Genshin, a game about exploring a whole world with diversity lore in each region, and what representation Hoyoverse used for making their game that I started to be into it. So yes, there is a lot of problem in genshin, making some rep worst. But without this, I wouldn't be able to learn more about SWANA culture with a thread I read on Dehya Nilou Tighnari Faruzan, Japan with Wanderer, Chinese with Yun Jin or recently on Hawai'i with Mualani and even on France United Kingdom with Emilie (i think I also read a thread about GaMing too...?). And what a surprise, I am close to France and UK but I never knew about Emilie's inspiration. Not only on character but also lore, and how some desert name in genshin is also part of culture (I don't remember where I read it tho !! Gosh i wish to reread it again).

I love genshin for its diversity whatever on region or lore but even on gameplay it offers us in our adventure. But I also agree on those who complain about character design ! Not only about representation, but about storytelling in character design (for example, you can't guess Xilonen is someone who forges ; her nails, accessories and hair would be on her way). And it happens that I receive some hate message (on tumblr and twitter. Mostly twitter) saying "this game is not for you, just leave" with some insults that I prefer to not share lol

I agree and also disagree. What do you mean this game is NOT for me ?? Searching our lost sibling, tragic lore, wholesome encounter, satisfying gameplay, vivid color landscape, with great characters, ALBEDO ??? Not for me ?! 🤨 My love for genshin is immense. But, I agree on the fact that.. yes. Indeed, I am not the target for genshin character design. I played a lot of gacha game, and it is mostly based on collectioning waifu with big boobs and big ass (you were a great game, Epic Seven...). When I look at hater's account on twitter, there is a pattern : throwaway account, account full of problematic opinion, or full of porn 2d woman with the basic hourglasses morphology big boobs big butt even on characters who are flat. It is undeniable that most of genshin characters are sexualised, and this, for sell them better. And, making them white is one of criteria to sell them better to those type of client 🙂‍↕️

I study sociology (i am a newbie tho, nothing deep) and I can extend this light analyse on what I learn : the success of Genshin, why there is such a contrast between Genshin players and their different profiles, the benefits Hoyoverse do and how difficult it is to satisfy all players (and so sacrifices are made, like characters design). It is all supposition tho BGKEJGJS but maybe if I do my last year of sociology and still into genshin, why not making my essay on it bahahaha

BACK TO THE TOPIC !!! (SORRY I HAD A LOT TO SAY) don't worry, since this anon hate, I tend to block everyone who try to argue or insult 😭 and just mostly shock how people are openly racist when they are behind a screen WOW lucky me I am not affected by those words ☠️ and all of this just because I draw Kinich black skin or Xilonen with a bit more textured hair...? That's so crazy ! Anywaaaay diversity is great and it works also on creativity too !! World is boring if everything looks the same, and it is also the same in Genshin ! Imagine in 4 years, genshin only released mondstadt 1, mondstadt 2, mondstadt 3.... I believe the game would be dead sooner if it was the case bahaha

And thank you again for all your compliments about my art anon !! I love drawing so much, and it is my source of fun and happinness <3 There is in some drawings I thought "wow !!! I improve !!" And i am so happy when people notice it too! 😭🙏

Don't worry abt your english, mine isn't the best neither BAHTVZJHGJZGAA

[crescencestudio]

Hello ! I'm really looking forward to the release of the game. Thanks for all your hard work, but I hope you're also taking some time for yourself and resting, it's important! Reading the anon's comment that they planned to make Kuna'a melt made me wonder (if this isn't spoiler-ish otherwise feel free to ignore this ask) what were the little things the MC does that could melt Alaris LI in a relationship? Like the little things that make them adore MC even more? And how do they react/act on it?

ahhh thank you so much anon!!! this past month or so i've been a bit better at not pushing myself too hard. i think a big stressor for me a while ago was trying to push out the betas on a monthly schedule, so trying to get fenir's to release in that kind of time span was a lot for me to handle. but since ive given myself a bit more flexibility (so it's more like 1.5 months or so instead) i feel a lot better ^^ thank u for checking in tho!

✨ What Would Make the LIs Melt

Kayn: any compliment on their internal traits, so their thoughtfulness, their wit, their kindness, anything like that, especially when delivered in a genuine, meaningful way, will Do A Lot to them

Druk: anything really wholesome. kind mc's go a long way with this guy. offering him a flower you find on the side of the road, making a ketchup smiley face on his burger patty, just really cute actions like that will get him p flustered

Fenir: when you let him ramble for hours and hours and instead of brushing him off or just going like "mm-hmm", you show genuine interest in whatever he just said. so if you asked a follow up question, or you share an opinion that shows u were Really Listening to him, he'd absolutely melt

Etza: someone who is really protective could probably melt etza. so if someone was pushing their boundary and you stepped up to tell them to lay off, or even something as simple as their order was wrong at a restaurant and you made sure they remade the food for them. even someone who is just firm with etza and makes them eat when they say they're too busy---all of these things that have that assertive love to them will leave etza a little puddle

Kuna'a: not rly an action but more like someone who doesn't judge them no matter what, even at his worst. even if he's showing his ugly side, if you keep your arms open to him, flaws and all, that's something that would genuinely render them speechless

Aisa: passing soft displays of physical affection. tucking a stray strand of hair behind their ear, feeding them a bite of your meal. any casual action that shows the intimacy of your relationship

[sternentreue]

I saw your tags in a post and I am genuinely curious. What exactly are the issues you see with a Crow Rook romancing Lucanis?

Oof, anon, I thought long and hard (heh) about how to answer this without anyone organizing a witch hunt against me. I usually don't post any thoughts on what other people do with their OCs and their romances but you asked and I shall deliver.

Disclaimer: everyone is free to have their own headcanons, opinions, playthroughs etc., I'm not here to police anyone. These are all my personal thoughts on things and my explanation why I dislike the thing, and they are not universal and don't apply to every single piece of content.

So first of all, I don't see a general issue with a Crow Rook romancing Lucanis at all. When I finished the game for the first time and found out that you get special dialoge options with Lucanis as a Crow I was thrilled and I even liked the idea. The game itself gives you material to work with, which is great!

That being said my opinion on that shifted when I was exposed to the huge amount of fanwork of this route and how some (some, not all!) people portray their Rook and their relationship. There are certain commonalities that just rubbed me the wrong way and it took me some time to find out what actually bothers me about it. What a lot of these portrayals have in common come down to these characteristics: Rook is female, usually depicted to be in her early 20s and visually appearing to be even younger, they're mostly elves and have some kind of "stray picked up from the streets" backstory. So if you compare these characteristics to our dear Lucanis you might already see where I am going with this. He's a man, 36-ish years old, a human* and is going to be the most powerful man in the Crows, if not Antiva. There is an inherent power imbalance in this relationship that can't be denied - the relationship is unequal and this is what puts me off so much and reminds me of this TV trope:

[*the race itself is not my main focus here, but I feel like it is noteworthy considering DA's history of establishing a certain social hierarchy regarding humans and elves, see the Tabris origin, Alistair's romance, Fenris etc.]

While these uneven traits of the two characters in itself are just a matter of fact, I have a feeling that some (and again, some, not all) purposefully lean into these differences and exaggerate them, like emphasizing child-like behavior in their Rooks or attributing small features (tiny waist, hands etc.) to them and, funny enough, there is also an overlap with depictions of Lucanis as some kind of daddy dom or having Spite involved in a questionable sexual manner to give even more power to the male side of the relationship. And although I can't know for sure, I am certain that most of the players behind these Rooks are young women in their early 20s. And this is where I started to wonder: why do young women enjoy being inferior to their partner so much? Why do they want to lean into that? Why don't they create a character that sees eye-to-eye with Lucanis? Why do they just accept or disregard the fact that this makes Lucanis a sleazy predator (which he is clearly not from his characterization)? And I, as a woman myself, really worry for these young women because they can't seem to see the problem behind this power imbalance or purposefully lean into it and find satisfaction in it?

For me personally, this is a huge turn-off and I could elaborate even more on that but I'll stop here before I piss off even more people and get forcefully removed from the fandom. (Also I have way more thoughts and feelings about it and could explore every single direction this constellation could take but I'd be typing until next week, so... yeah, let's stop here.)

Again, please don't see this as any attack or judgement on your individual choices or headcanons, everyone can do whatever they want! These are just my observations and personal thoughts that I have on this specific constellation and why it is just not for me.

[mikafaery]

haii!! the blind date idea is so cool! ^.^ for that event, i'd like a soft-ish nsfw fic (if possible! i'm 18+ but i'm too shy to come off anon.. if it has to be non-anon for nsfw, sfw is fine too!!)

i use any pronouns and i'm omnisexual, so gender isn't a pref! i'm 18 years old and 168 cm tall, and i have black hair and blue eyes. i'm a college student, psych major, and i work part-time. in my spare time, i like to play video games, listen to music, draw, read, and write... i mostly listen to rock/punk,,, but i like more orchestral stuff too! i like world-building, and i write poetry and stories alike... my favorite color is jade green, and i really just want a partner who's loyal and treats me with respect... but i also want someone with either similar interests or who's passionate about their interests and will share them with me !!! no specific personality or appearance preferences, as long as they're okay with me being clingy and wanting to talk for hours,,,

i think that's everything... lmk if you'd like more info or smth!!! thank youuuu !! ^o^

Enstars Blind Date

Thank you so much for the submission! I pair you with Rei Sakuma!

Rei is someone who clearly loves rock music, with his love for playing instruments and is in a "rock" idol band

Rei is someone who is also very knowledgeable and a bit philosophical which would make him someone who would be good to have a long conversation with. Especially since he used to be curious about the world but had grown to be bored of it which would make his opinions and views on life very interesting or unique

Rei is shown to be someone who could be affectionate since it's shown by how he acts towards Ritsu in which he is affectionate towards his loved ones

The perfect date I would put you two on is a library date!

--------------

Rei asked you out on a date to the library in which you said yes! He noticed your love for reading and thought it would be the best place for a first date and to get to know you more.

You both held hands as you entered the library and the smell of books hit your nose. Rei told you all about his favorites that he's read in hopes you would reciprocate his feelings on it too.

While he skimmed through the books on the shelf with his arms crossed, his stare very focused. You noticed how focused he was and he noticed you looking at him.

He just gave you a smile, "I'm looking for a good book to read for my trip to Osaka this weekend. Do you have any good recommendations?"

[ruassurvivalkit]

same anon here!! (let me just sign as 🍒, as I believe I will be a frequent anon in your asks <3)

you will NOT bore me at all if you share more, I would honestly love it because I'm a LIS TC yapper 24/7 as if my life depends on it.

but actually returning to Steph being different, I mostly feel this way because in BTS to me she seems more serious and like goody-two-shoes-ish if I may so... And in TC she's like this dork with a soft spot. and while reading her novel was really interesting experience, I felt like there she was like another person to both her games. even compared to her DLC. maybe because her pov was deeper and we got to see her from a more personal view, where she's even more vulnerable and insecure.

btw, what do you think about their relationship with izzie? do you find either of them slightly toxic to each other or is it more one-sided? no judgement either way, personally I'm still confused about my own perception of them. I can share my thoughts in other ask, if you want, but I'm just interested in your opinion rn.

also about recommendations: obviously forget-me-not comics, because it gives some new and interesting perspective on chenrich relationships and issue 4 in particular is really special for me because of their scene (it both angsty and romantic to say without spoilers)

also the whole comic series on the original lis, because a) rachel and max interactions b) pricefield being soulmates c) steph in the latest issues being cutie

also there is like some sort of guidebook or whatever on blackwell academy but there is nothing too special there for me except for the cursed steph image and her dossier (THIS GIRL IS A JOCK I WAS SO SURPRISED SHE PLAYED FREAKING SOCCER)

so yeah, can't wait to see your reply, have a great night or day or afternoon

Hello 🍒 anon!! Thank you so much for the patience and I'm sorry about the long wait, I just had a lot going on tbh and then forgot to answer lol <3

You are the realest mf for that, I depend on LIS sm (one of my special interests atm😼) and it's such a great series from the plot, the characters, and all stuff like that. Please please please ask me more questions bc I could yap all day but I don't know what you would find interesting!!

That's fair enough about the whole Steph thing! She is quite diff and I get where you're coming from, even tho I don't fully agree. She is very diff but imo she is the same as well if you get what I mean. On a person matter, I've changed a lot over the last couple years and that fact has helped me change my perspective on her as I'm a completely diff person (for the better, I hope) than I was a couple years ago and so has she. She still has the same fundamental personality imo but has changed and developed as a person🙏 that's just my opinion and I defo appreciate where you're coming from with your opinion!! I think that she has a lot of insecurity still but is able to hide it easy enough with her personality, which is quite common so I'd say her internal monologue and her externally expressed thoughts have some difference bc of this

I think that Izzie and Steph were slightly toxic for eachother and just not the right people to be in a relationship with eachother, but I do love the idea of them together (just not them in practice). I love love love both of them sm but I just don't think they are right for eachother, but I could see them being great friends. I think their relationship failed bc they were tryna make eachother into their ideal ideas of what the other one wanted them to be if that makes sense?? I don't think they could truly be themselves and comfortable around eachother.

Izzie and Steph both deserve someone who has their style of loving and is compatible to have a relationship built on trust, longevity and fits with their separate personality. This is why I love Chenrich sm bc they can help eachother in that way. I'd love to see the rest of Izzie's life in a comic or book, it would be cool asf. Please send your opinions, I would love to know them

I really need to read more on chenrich so thank you for recommendations!!!

Steph is such a soccer jock she's so adorable for that RAHHHHHH

anyways have a great afternoon/morning/evening and thank you for the ask, 🍒 anon!! Please send more and hopefully I didn't scare you off by taking ages to reply, i can try promise it won't happen again <3

[sunderingstars]

what were your thoughts on take a slice and god ish? Any reason why it's specifically will stetsons's cover? And also just your thoughts in general while making the nsfw playlist lol

ʚ 💌 ɞ hi anon, thanks for the ask !! here’s my thoughts on all three:

take a slice by glass animals

⟢ i’m not sure entirely how to describe it, but i love the sound of this song! the way the beat goes up and down makes it feel almost like walking, in that sort of slow and assured way emphasized by the strategic placement of drawn-out notes. this is one of those songs i feel “sounds” like sampo to me — especially the confidence of the enunciation.

⟢ the lyrics also have some great phrases i associate with him, like “i don’t ever wanna pick a slice / one is pretty but the other lies” (tying into his penchant for half-truths, as well as his multiple identities as brughel poisson), “shitty old pistola / shot a bullet through my wallet” (mirroring how he refers to himself as “old” in-game and generally adopts a very money-centric lifestyle), and “sitting pretty in the prime of life / i’m so tasty and the price is right” (once again with the money — he may not be in what most would consider his “prime,” but i certainly think he would be confident enough to still make business deals of the more risqué variety).

⟢ of course, the twangy instrumentals near the end steal the show for me every time. similarly to songs like le monde, the fast, jumpy chords remind me of elation, specifically the “high” of adrenaline. this could tap into sampo’s hidden side; the potential “infectious enthusiasm” he carries with him on a daily basis. just because he isn’t as overtly chaotic as sparkle doesn’t mean he lacks the “high” of elation entirely!

god-ish by will stetson

⟢ interestingly enough, the original god-ish by pinocchiop comes across as more of a sparkle song to me! however, the english translation of will stetson’s version changes just enough of the lyrics for me to feel like it fits more with sampo (plus the male vocals work as a connection to sampo’s voice).

⟢ for example, the original song in japanese repeats the phrase “i’m so jealous” in part of the chorus, while stetson’s version changes it to “it’s got me going mad.” in my opinion, “jealousy” fits more with sparkle’s unhinged and unstable sense of self, while “it’s got me going mad” feels more grounded as a potential wearing away of sampo’s tolerance of elation.

⟢ additionally, the original has lines like “that hair, those eyes, that mouth / that perfume, those clothes, that makeup” that put the song in a bit more feminine light (which could still work for poisson, but my mind just personally goes to sparkle) while stetson’s “with your ugly hair dye, and your eyes, and overflowing lies / and your scent, and your clothes, and all the blush you buy” feels a little more androgynous to me!

⟢ my favorite lines of stetson’s for sure are “with your quoting, and how you boast, and your reviews / how you’re good with people, how you joke, all of your views / that’s god-ish, baby, face the facts / like that, like that / it’s got me going mad.” i just really like how that description fits sampo to a t (his confidence, his sense of humor, his smooth talking, etc.)! comparing it to godhood fits especially well with emanator!sampo theories too.

⟢ overall, i like how chaotic the song is, talking about godhood as a state of being that reaches so far above others yet is also a place of chaotic insanity. it feels very elation-coded to me, as being intertwined with a path so fluid and chaotic would likely put “higher power” in direct connection with “higher insanity.” the middle of the song especially reads as multiple parts of sampo pushing against each other, with existential angst (“it’s really hard while doing nothing to keep growing old”) and bored elation (“i don’t know what crap you’re saying, but it’s putting me to sleep”) swirling around in the same space.

⟢ it’s especially interesting how, after these parts go back and forth, “disgust” enters the picture to shut everything down and vault the song into pure egoism (“so alone ‘cause you’re smarter than the rest / the best, the best”). it works as a quick, contained way to show how the psychology of someone like sampo might work when taking into account the chaotic nature of elation — over time, he likely developed coping mechanisms to shut down the warring sides of his brain when they get too exhausting. i don’t know if that coping mechanism has anything to do with egoism necessarily, but it’s a fun thought experiment!

⟢ quick shout-out to the end for being a banger too: “love ends in breaking up, or there something like / your life ends in dying out, or something like / man, it sure was interesting to peek from behind / i liked it more when i’d dance and not ask why / that’s life.” lots of interesting connections here, like the purgatorial existence of “something like” trying to quantify what the equivalent of mortal frameworks would be for a god, as well as longing for a past time of blissful ignorance. 10/10!

sampocore (sexy ver.) playlist

⟢ honestly, this was more of an exercise in battling my repression than anything else — i thought it would be interesting to see if i could find explicit songs that i thought matched sampo’s vibe, and so i did!

⟢ my personal favorites are taste of the divine by shaker, azee, & cobra (emanator!sampo goes crazy with this for sure — it carries across the specific vibe of eye-opening, almost religious sex that i think would be par for the course with an higher being like emanator!sampo), prada & versace by chris grey (a refined take on sampo’s con-man nature — he’s older and more mature, after all, and he’s nothing if not one to chase after expensive things), and sex money feelings die by lyyke li (something more introspective to balance out the adrenaline, a better look into how sampo might see sex as similar to money — a method of coping with his own existence).

⟢ overall, i see his “vibe” matching a lot of chase atlantic and chris grey songs with a sprinkling of doja cat mixed in for good measure. i tend to favor the refined side of things when it comes to sampo, leaning on more of the older, experienced con-man than the outward sleaze most characters probably see!

⟢ also, chase atlantic recently came out with “doubt it,” which i can interpret as being how sampo’s earlier elation days might’ve gone, especially if he found himself in a position of power as an emanator, etc.! (what can i say, “put your money where your mouth is” just speaks for itself LOL)

🪐 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ asks are still open for anyone who wants to request songs :))

[saintsenara]

If you're feeling the violence, I'd love to hear your thoughts on 1, 8, 18 or 25 😈

thank you for the questions from the choose violence ask game, anon!

1. who is the character everyone gets wrong?

obviously, this is caveated with read and write and interpret characters how you want, but sirius, 100%.

and i'm not just referring to the womanising, prank-playing, "you're not serious?"/"yes, I am" version of fanon, but also the dark-aristocrat!sirius which has been created in many fics to counter this portrayal.

i find myself really not fond of a sirius who is, at any one time, one argument with dumbledore away from becoming a death eater; who finds himself saying "mudblood"; who feels more comfortable around characters like lucius malfoy than he does lily; and who would happily take a hereditary seat [not a thing!] on the same wizengamot that will later sentence him to azkaban without a trial.

yes, sirius undoubtedly had a lot to unlearn from his childhood, and i think we are absolutely supposed to suspect that this included blood-supremacist prejudice. yes, sirius' capacity for arrogance and cruelty and ruthlessness are very voldemort-ish characteristics. yes, the difficulty sirius has with reconciling the fact that many death eaters are his own flesh-and-blood is obvious in canon.

but once he made the choice to stand against voldemort his rejection of the world he came from was total. as long as he loves james - and he will always love james - there is nothing on earth that could drag him back.

[i'm also going to answer this by mentioning the concept everyone gets wrong, because this truly does annoy me: occlumency.]

contrary to what you see if you read any snape-centric pairing, occlumency is not the total shutting down of all emotion. it is controlling your emotions, under enormous mental pressure, to an extent which allows you to lie fluently. putting up occlumency walls/shields is not a thing - or, not a thing as fanon uses it - and snape is not a good occlumens because he's emotionally repressed, he's a good occlumens because he's petty.

8. what is a common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about?

there is not a single soul on earth incapable of redemption.

i do not want to see another 1000-note tumblr post or 500-comment reddit circlejerk about how malfoy or snape or whoever you want to choose is irredeemable; that their crimes are so heinous there is never any space - in canon or fanon - for them to be forgiven.

the harry potter series is not morally spotless by any means, but one thing it does - in my opinion - do right is highlight the complex and combined power of failure, grief, regret, atonement, and forgiveness, and how this is a weapon in the face of hatred, rage, and arrogance.

and it's an important lesson! at some point in all of our lives we will fuck up badly - maybe even to the extent of joining a terrorist group intent on murdering our peers [i come from northern ireland, i've seen it happen; and this is in "peacetime", when the lure of the paramilitaries is a fraction as strong as it was during the troubles] - and we will long to be forgiven. and we will deserve it.

to be human is to have access to the fragile, beautiful possibility of atonement. even if you're as much of a knob as draco malfoy.

18: it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

the fact that hagrid is a death eater.

i'm being facetious here, but i would love to see more fics which explore the idea that hagrid's deranged buffoonery is all an act, allowing one of the most evil men in history to operate under dumbledore's nose.

"he is at hogwarts, that faithful servant". so true, my lord, and he's teaching care of magical creatures.

25: what is a common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing?

this is a call-out post for myself, because i complain about this all the time, which is petty and boring and i need to get the fuck over it.

yes, ideally stories will be britpicked, but, in the grand scheme of things, americanisms etc. don't matter.

we are all just having fun writing our little stories and drawing our little pictures and offering them, tentatively, to the world. we are creating something free in a society increasingly hostile to such things. we are finding community. we all deserve to be proud of what we've done, even if we don't understand how london geography operates or we think ron's slamming down a stack of pancakes and a 20oz soda every morning, and brits whinging about sweater v jumper or mum v mom [anyway, real ones know you call her your mam] doesn't contribute to that and should be avoided.

[other answers from this ask game]

[violettduchess]

I saw in one of your reblogs about time spent researching for fics that you won't use the word panties. I'm curious why (not criticism just really wondering! I love your writing and like to know what you are thinking🥰)

Hi anon 👋

First and foremost, let me stress that what I am about to write is MY opinion and NOT criticizing anyone who does not agree with me. There have been some super shady anons lately invading inboxes of wonderful blogs and I am not going to feed any negativity by someone taking my words and twisting them.

And I am putting the rest under the jump because it does get a bit NSFW

That said: I really don't like the word "panties" because to me, it has a childish connotation. Something "little girl"-ish about it and something immature. I know there are not a lot of choices when it comes to finding a word for that piece of clothing:

But undergarment or underwear or even describing the material (the silk covering you, the soft cotton of your undergarments, the lace now damp with your excitement, etc) sounds nicer than the word "panties".

The second point: My comment was referring to something I was researching for Ikeprince. Prince is a fantasy game and there is a certain register concerning the way the characters speak and a framework for the vocabulary associated with the game. To me, "panties" wouldn't be a word they would use. It is far too modern. Same goes for boxers, briefs, thongs, etc. All of these are modern words and I find them jarring when they are being used in the context of prince's fantasy setting. Another example of this are smut fics that use modern sexual terms: fingering, edging, doggy style, sixty-nine, eating someone out, pegging, etc. All of these terms are modern and feel like the writer is describing what's happening with that term instead of actually writing it out: describing the movement of the characters tongue or the way they are bending or whatever other sexy thing is happening.

Its the reason why my descriptions of prince characters are so heavily based in nature imagery. It makes zero sense for me to say something like "Gilbert's eye is fire-engine red" when that does not exist in their world. Yes a reader would get it but I feel like it throws the tone and mood of the fic off.

Thank you for the ask and I hope this answered your question!

[bobfloydsbabe]

I think you're pretty awesome, Helena. No anon from me! ✨

I think you're pretty awesome, too, Becca. Thank you ✨

anonymously tell me your opinion of me

[textingtroublesanswers]

Oh. Sorry. Didn't think it was asshole-ish of me. I'll try to be more considerate.

*𓄿 scribbled something down, muttering to 𓄿self*

Alright, don't ask for opinions on people. Got it.

-𓄿 Anon

Mick takes an angry sip of his coffee, still glaring at you through his shades.

"Uh, you wanna play a game or something?" Jeremy asks.

[if-confessions]

hi, just wanted to ask if you have an opinion on one star ratings on itch.io in general? i understand supporting authors, and i don't support mean comments on reviews. but it also feels dishonest to keep your opinion to yourself only when you have a negative view of a game. It seems like (in the cog-ish community on tumblr) sharing an opinion less than good for an if is frowned upon

i understand authors write for fun, and sometimes aren't looking for constructive criticism. but if the last part were completely the case, there IS an option on itch.io to just... disable reviews and ratings. opening yourself up to getting stellar 5 star reviews means opening yourself up to less than happy reviews as well

but, let me know what you think. you seem very insightful for these things!

Insightful XD you are too kind, Anon. I usually have some mild takes...

Long post ahead. TLDR:

use all stars available, it's there for a reason

reviews are good to get more information out of a rating

constructive =/= mean

don't want to deal with it, disable ratings

-------------------------------------------------

==> The whole range of stars in ratings should be used.

So, this is my current itch rating distribution:

As you can see, it is currently a bit skewed to the top. But that's because I tend to forget to rate a game after I play it*, and mostly because I am currently reviewing games and I wanted to start with games I know I've enjoyed in the past**. And also because I haven't played a lot of games recently... *which I only do in the first place if I actually finish a game, or gave it a fair shot. And you can't rate the game during the voting period of a ranked jam **the ones I didn't really enjoy may not be on itch either...

Even then, I am still personally in favour of using the full range of stars on itch by creating your own metrics to base your ratings* on. Not every game is worth a 5-stars and less-than-good games should not automatically get a 1-star. There are 5 stars for a reason! Use them! *My rating metric on itch is based on my enjoyment of the game/how entertained the game has been to me.

To me, ratings are part of the game making experience. They are a way to judge whether it is well received or not. And even if it doesn't feel good to receive a 1-star*, it is important to remember that not everyone will enjoy what you make, and they are still allowed to express that (what's the point of ratings otherwise...). *it's a bit like a rite of passage to get one :P

==> Itch Reviews... are not really reviews.

Even if they call it reviews, they are more small comments on ratings. Itch reviews are not visible on the game page, only in the ratings list of the game on the author side, and in the feed of the reviewer*. It cannot be perused by itch users wanting to know more about what players thought about the game. *if the reviewer doesn't remove it from their activity. Also sometimes visible in the global feed

They are more like personal messages from the player to the creator, rather than what you'd expect of reviews (opinion publicly visible*). This can be great for creators who want to hoard those private messages and keep it for themselves, or hide the more critical comments. But it might sometimes leads to getting irrelevant or less-then-nice messages**. And the most annoying part: you can't reply to them to correct some things, or ask for further details. *I guess you have the comment section where you could post a proper review? **itch allows you to report abusive and spam comments.

That's why I kind of prefer the system of the IFDB: your reviews and ratings are public, you can comment on reviews or indicate whether the review had been useful to you. And because it is much smaller than itch, reports are handled faster.

==> Still you should leave some comments with your rating.

Ratings give creators some sort of an indicator about the reception of the game, but, since ratings are highly subjective and everyone have different personal metrics when rating, they can't tell what when right and what didn't, how well or how poorly the game is being experiences... Only words can do that.

So I personally believe we should leave some comments with our ratings, whether it is good or bad, from full novelette-length reviews* to a few sentences. If it is criticism, then it should be shown constructively; if it is praise, it should be explicative. This will give the author some concrete elements to focus on to fix issues or continuing the project. *maybe don't do that on itch...

Here are some examples of comments I got with ratings of CRWL : only gotten 6 total, which is 5% of all ratings

ngl that second one stung (I think cried for an hour...) but nothing was false about it. It definitely needed a re-write and I was being a bit dramatic. It might have been a bit harsh, but it is a good example of a constructive comment

I know itch will never enforce it, but I do think leaving a sentence or two of constructive comment on lower ratings should be a bit more of the norm. Being constructive doesn't mean it is overly negative or mean, it should target elements that do not work and explain why it doesn't (and maybe how it could).

Sidenote: this is not a place to request things or changes from the game/creator, obviously.

==> If you don't want any 1-star ever, don't enable ratings.

Getting a 1-star rating or a bad reviews might usually be a rite of passage when putting your stuff out there, but you don't have to suffer through them if you don't want to.

Itch allows you to disable ratings and reviews (and even comments) for a reason*. Enabling it is a bit of a gamble, you don't know how people will rate and what they will say about the game. It could be a flood of stellar reviews or a barrage of terrible ones, or a bit of both, or... nothing. If you don't feel like you could handle getting some low ratings or more negative comments (like the middle one screenshotted above), then I would advise you to disable them. *it will also affect the visibility of your game in the browsing section if you are worried about that

I personally think it helped me build a thicker skin and grow as a creator* and a person. Getting long reviews** about how how my game wasn't working and why felt to me like the reviewer respected me enough to give my game a fair shot and explain their reasoning behind their view. I know I don't have to agree with everything, and I don't have to take every piece of criticism on board, but they all have made me think about my games differently. *probably more the IFDB reviews than the ratings here, because they were more constructive and explicative. **Damnit, can't link it. It was a review for this game, but locked in the forum because the reviewer had submitted a game too.

[welcometogrouchland]

luz noceda for the ask game

Anon you caught me right before I was Abt to go to sleep but I can't not do this. It's for my girl (feel free to send me more while I sleep btw these r fun)

favorite thing about them: LITERALLY WHERE DO I EVEN START. She's one of my top ten protagonists of all times. I love the lessons she learns, the way she learns them, I love watching her grow and struggle and thrive. I love her so so so much. To keep things simple(ish) I will say that my favorite thing about Luz (which I've mentioned once or twonce before) is that she's an objectively cringey, very ND coded kid who's still given the utmost love and respect from the narrative. She gets to be objectively fucking uncool and this story still loves her. And it's nice it makes me feel loved by proxy

least favorite thing about them: I mean, I'd say in season 1 it's the tendency to flatten the boiling isles and it's people into 2 dimensional tropes for easily comprehension, but that's also one of my favorite flaws of Luz and the narrative always makes an interesting point out of this attitude. Maybe it's the suicidal ideation bc it really scared me the first time I watched thanks to them. I knew nothing bad was gonna happen (within reason), this is Disney, but I was like DAMN THEY'RE GOING THERE!!!

favorite line: okay I actually cannot in good conscious choose one bc my friend once informed me that me and Luz just. Talk the same. Same silly idioms and phrases same whimsical expressions and syntax same humour, etc etc. It's a chicken egg situation and do not know who started it but I know that it's frighteningly accurate. So I'll just go for the safe classic "the only thing I've ever really wanted was to be understood" bc. Y'know. Best moment in the whole show and everything

brOTP: LUZ AND HUNTER DREAM TEAM I LOVE THEM SO SO MUCH!!!! OH MY GOD. Close second is Willow tho

OTP: you guys already know I'm here for lumity but I will let you guys in on the fact that when I first watched the show and was still on the early episodes of season 1 where Amity is a dick I was firmly on team willuz. I still love them <3

nOTP: Luz and Hunter. It's just really not for me, even if I can see why it appeals to others. I'm too attached to the familial reading of their dynamic and the doors that opens up analysis wise. Also my irl brother is a hunter kinnie and I just outlined my credentials for being a Luz kinnie so /j

random headcanon: she played guitar when she was younger! The one in the basement belonged to Manny and he'd sit her on his lap and show her simple chords and riffs. She got a ukulele so she could practice. Then when Manny died she fell off playing it bc it felt wrong doing it without him, even though she still played uke sometimes. She picks it back up though during the season 3 timeskip and post canon! Also she was born in New York and lived there til she was 2/3, at which point she moved around a few states until landing in Connecticut at the age we see in the thanks to them video diaries (I wanna say 7 or 8?)

unpopular opinion: I also think Luz gets characterized as more bitter/vengeful/surly than she really is, especially in fics set around season 3. She wants to be happy, to have fun with her friends, she just feels like doesn't deserve it. Also I low-key think Luz is like. A genius. Just in an unconventional way. She rediscovered a lost form of magic and then taught herself it all on her own. She probably struggles with long division but I mean it when I say she is literally a genius imo

song i associate with them: TOO MANY TO NAME MAN!!!! LITERALLY!!!!! The ones on my brain rn are sweet hibiscus tea by penelope scott, underground and life on mars by david bowie, people pleaser by yet to bloom, towards crescent park by bad moves and fine, great by modern baseball

favorite picture of them

Tie between the iconic "to be understood" frame (boarded by Emmie Cicierga) or like. Literally any Dana art of her but specifically the "see you in 2023" gif cycling through all of luzs most iconic fits. I love both of those sm

[solaaresque]

mugi for the ask game!!! - 🍑 anon

tsumugi!

sexuality headcanon: pansexual !! love is love~

gender headcanon: cis guy but he's gnc asf. all of switch are actually...

a ship i have with said character: natsumugi... shumugi also !! iirc they have interacted before...

a BROTP i have with said character: sora and tsumugi !! also i like nagisa and tsumugi friendship, and ritsu and tsumugi interactions during demons in ! were so funny...

a NOTP i have with said character: eimugi, mostly due to the unhealthy idolization between them

a random headcanon: TSUMUGI HAS LOVE HANDLES !!! i hc him to have a sort of pear-ish shaped body? yeah

general opinion over said character: blorbo in law !! i could pour hot soup into his lap and he'd probably apologize, but what else can i say from a child of divorced parents /hj on god we need to get you some therapy.