#but he also believes that might change in the future

[scarapanna]

What happened to peepaw in the new au ?

[For context]

After what happened in the spire, his subsequent awakening, and the unlikely capture of one of the beasts, Pure Vanilla seems to be doing relatively well despite the current state of things!

After offering crucial aid in the challenge that was defeating Shadow Milk, the ancient partook in those many council sessions regarding what to do with the now captive beast. Many had pitched their own piece of mind, with a frequent suggestion being that of sentencing him to 43 72 75 6D 62 6C 65.

Such a proposition is something that Pure Vanilla has shown heavy repulsion towards.

In the end, his suggestion would recieve the highest amount of votes (Considering both it's viability and the healer's knowledge of the spire, where he would awaken). This one being to take away Shadow Milk's power but not the souljam, as it'd be far more dangerous to wield compared to his and the rest of the ancients. As long as he's stripped access from his magic, it'll be left untouched.

The beast will be allowed to roam, but with constant supervision to ensure safety of everyone in his vicinity.

[brights-place]

Ace and his U.M (Unique Magic)

Ace and his unique magic I think was actually not suprising to me because I was guessing and rambling to friends about the signs created about Ace and his future unique magic. One where he could be so OP and copy someone elses unique magic... WHICH WAS RIGHT ALONG WITH THAT PERSON WHO ALSO THOUGHT ACE IS U.M WAS COPYING BRO WAS ALSO A PROPHET LMAO!! anyways

It took 4 years to see his U.M so YAYY we finally got everybody's U.M so here am I to ramble about how Ace just whipped out a huge uno reverse card to whoever he's going to verse

So heres a ramble from me!! someone who rarely analyzes things but wanted to ramble anyways! Also this might not make sense because Im not good at explaining stuff that well I MAY WRITE BUT ANALYZING STUFF IS TOTALLY OUT OF MY LEAGUE UNLESS ITS SOMTH I CAN GRIND FOR HOURS ON I mean it goes for TWST but I can't word it right at all smh...

Ace is U.M was offically shown in Book 7-290 where he instantly went to help his friends in the fight with riddle.

In battle Ace himself admits his fear of failure by sharing the fact that he's afraid of failing everyone while the MC is there to reassure him along with the fact Grim encourages him by telling him that Ace can do it because we believe he can. Their support, their encouragement and reassurance is what brings Ace the strength to continue on thats what helped build up to his unique magic

“I’m going to take your special treat! Joker Snatch (Or translated to Give me your trump card) After ace has casted his U.M onto Riddle whats even funnier is he used RIDDLES own magic against him collaring his housewarden.

Ace and his unique magic is known as ‘Joker Snatch’ which gives the magic user the power to steal or copy their opponent's unique magic. Same abilities as Azul and Trey with the two’s U.M which is “Its a deal” and “Doodle Suite”

I wanted to explain about how we not only got hints of it but right on conversations from Ace about it even before he got it.

To start off first is Ace is name. Ace Trappola

Trappola is the name of an old Italian card game that stands out as the first one in which the ace is considered the highest-value card, and ranks above the king.

The change for this was because of changed following the French Revolution in the 1500 after which the Ace was promoted to the highest card in the deck-11- a symbolic nod to the overthrow of France's nobility and rise of the commoner a single number that outeanks it all.

Because ace was traditionally the lowest card in the deck until angry French proletariats overthrew their monarchy.

In games based on the superiority of one rank over another, such as most trick-taking games, the ace counts highest, outranking even the king. Which makes me focus on the Red Tyrant arc when Ace attacked Riddle not only once but TWICE for the males seat as housewarden and when Riddle overblotted. Correction Three times as we add Riddles Dream where they have to fight Riddle. Ace standing up to people in positions of authority who are objectively stronger than himself shows how an ACE is higher then any other rank no matter what because Ace is himself someone who may be in a group yet by itself/himself is strong on its own/

With the hints laid between chapters and vignettes the whole Unique magic was dangling right infront of our eyes ALSO SHOUT OUT TO THAT PERSON ON TIKTOK WHO GOT IT RIGHT BECAUSE I KNEW IT TOO I WAS SCREECHING!! Ahem

A conversation in Ace is dorm vignette shows with him talking with cater how he was able to 'steal' skills from others paying attention, along with the fact he’s good at mimicking people’s voices and it was repeatedly said that he’s good at copying stuff / is a fast learner. He is able to bend these things to his own will at the same time. In the same vignette we also see that Ace is impressive short-term memory is confirmed he is adept at mimicking those around him, or both. In his dorm vignette, Ace learns multiple things from Rook in order to get the missing hedgehogs back into heartslabyul along with the fact he was able to easily copy Vil is strutting in the Fairy Gala event after heckling and mocking jack. Another example is Ace able to copy his brother & fathers magic tricks. His older brother is his only sibling, seven years older, a former Heartslabyul student and NRC graduate.

With the fact Ace likes to do tricks infront of people like Deuce to scare them entertained by their shock of him doing things that they wouldn’t expect.

Ace explains that it was his brother who taught him how to lie convincingly and that he learned slight-of-hand by memorizing his brother’s motions since his brother refused to teach him directly, and Cater compliments him on being able to pick things up on his own and think so quickly on his feet.

Ace explains himself that “Most things, you can imitate if you see ‘em enough and pay enough attention.” another example and hint for his U.M Riddle also takes Ace is memorization telling him that he should do the same to memorize the Queen of Hearts’ Code which Ace denies quickly stating his way of memorization is different to memorizing the ones for the queen of hearts. These examples show how Ace is able to adapt to situations copy others in situations rembering the slightest bit of details even witnessing their unique magics only once but is able to get the hand of them easily yet his U.M could mean he has a higher chance of gaining blot.

Ace is such a good character I can't write anything that explains much well but I do wanna improve on that but Ace is a character was the first one we met who was able to stand up to people in higher positions with help of the [MC] pushing him even without a U.M dealing with overblots and now somebody who was helped by [MC] again who cheered him on to BEAT Riddle in a fight again but this time with a U.M The start and THE END was Ace being beside [MC] who pushed him forward in these situations and Ace being able to be vulnerable hits hard along with Deuce WHO HITS HARDER WITH HIS U.M WHEN THEY TOOK DOWN RIDDLE YEAHHHH. Anyways thanks for coming to my yap session It probs wasn't explained well but to wrap it up. Ace is unique magic was right there infront of us building up. How he's a quick thinker, a fast learner able to understand something, pick up a trait from someone else easily since he was younger that he was able to do it himself without being guided to do so and facing both times against riddle with the help of [MC] to push himself harder even when he thought he was going to fail the time when Riddle Overblotted, and when Riddle fought them using riddles own skill against him. Though we don't know the drawbacks caused by Ace is U.M like I said he could have higher chances of overblotting do certain Unique magic he uses from someone else cause his body harm and changes? like with Leona would he have cracks in his hands if he ever used it because of the sand? with cater if he duplicates himself would he get light headed because his body isn't used to it like cater's is? does he have scars from trying to use someone else is unique magic knowing the drawbacks but harm will still happen? will his body ache if he used fae of maleficence ? we don't know what could happen to ace with his unique magic and the drawbacks so for now its unkown. Ace is such a good character and I'm glad we got his Unquiet magic finally and I'm so happy to finally see it now that we got it all <33 ── .✦ Back to where I was tweakin

[petrichal]

Role-reversal as a concept is really simple imo BUT things like change of environment and plot-related stuff personally makes this fic so fun for me to write :)

So I ended up writing a bunch for what was supposed to be a simple concept, wanted to compile my word vomit so far and, hey, maybe this might be enjoyable for people to read too, who knows (ᵕ,—ᴗ—,).

(⚠️ long post ahead!)

Timeline:

10 y.o - Ace swaps with Sabo before he sails off to sea, while Sabo goes back to Dadan's. The day after the explosion, Ace is found drifting on a piece of wood near Shimotsuki village by Marco who had been around the area with some members of the crew.

15 y.o - Ace eats his devil fruit on his "birthday" (the day the WB found him).

17 y.o - Sabo sets off to become a Revolutionary. 

18 y.o - [2 years before canon/Luffy sets out.] Ace gets his first bounty. It's been 1 year since Sabo entered the RA, and it's also when he finds out about Ace. (<- we are here) 

※ Some time when Sabo was 14-15 years old, he became aware of the Revolutionary Army when he first heard Garp mention his son in relation to it during one of his drinking sessions with Dadan. He went to a library in Goa's Town Center after the fact, saw some information and connected the dots, then confronted Garp about it when he visited next.

※ Garp doesn't know that Ace is alive prior to his wanted poster, but had heard a rumor of a kid on board Whitebeard's ship. The rumor came later than when he first heard of Ace's incident in Goa though (both did not seem connected), and it isn't rare for Whitebeard to pick up a stray, so he hadn't pressed on anything. He will later confront Whitebeard on Ace's whereabouts in the future.  

※ Ace isn't allowed to be off the ship when he was younger in case of any danger from enemy pirates but made a habit of sneaking off on his own without any of the crew knowing sometimes. He'd spend his time in the mountains or making friends with the forest animals (for reasons unknown to him) after getting bored of being in towns. The crew had been lax about the rule until an incident when he was fifteen, resulting in Marco forbidding him from getting in fights for a while. 

※ Sabo met the Revolutionary Army by tracking them down. Word of mouth by the marines made the job easier, and he found himself joining after getting involved in a coup of a kingdom in East Blue. 

※ Sabo is not the Chief of Staff, nor is he anywhere close to being one at this point in the story. He initially judged Dragon for not being present for Luffy but understands that the risk of being connected directly to the leader of the RA would be dangerous. He'd share letters and drawings from Luffy with him at times, where Dragon would keep them in a drawer despite Sabo's playful insistence that he should pin them to his board. 

** This is a personal headcanon but I believe that (in canon) Ace still felt some guilt for not taking Sabo with them instead of letting Outlook drag Sabo back to High Town resulting in Sabo running away and getting blown up by the Celestial Dragon, and that Ace would have resorted to unhealthy coping mechanisms because of it- except, Ace is a fire logia, and he can’t get drunk because he’d just burn all the alcohol away. 

In this fanfic I kinda took that headcanon for Sabo and because he’s not a fire logia, he has an easy time drowning himself in his own misery. This gets progressively worse especially after he sails off on his own, when Luffy's not there with him.

(Everything below this was made before I started chapter 2, and they’re all just how I put together my thoughts so I could write ch. 2 & 3)

The Plot (up to ch.3):

Summary; In which I provide you with sea routes?? because why not:

(Kind of a bastardized version of this from One Piece Novel A, where the boss of an island under WB’s territory gets outed for being involved in slave trades.)

** “Feltor” is an island I made up and carried over from the original version of the story, but the region I specified in chapter 2 “Las Camp” is canon and was said to be one of Whitebeards’ territories. “Port Marina” is also made up, except it’s kind of a nod to Port Chibaralta.

Rumour says Feltor has been used by slave traders as a rendezvous point between ships.

Logbook received by the RA from Sabaody confirms that a “merchant ship” from Feltor frequently docks in the shipyard before being sighted near Sabaody’s lawless zone (Human Shop location).

Sabo & Koala go to Feltor to steal their logbook. The logbook records should tell them about the location (slave trader's base / Port Marina) the first ship came from before they transport passengers over to the "merchant ship".

I actually didn’t realize how stupid the route was (like wouldn't it be easier for all of this to be in the Grand Line instead??? ugh) and was too stubborn to change anything, but I got rid of the discrepancies and end up a happy writer because of it yippee ;_;

Of course this isn't all there is to it. I haven't written up the rest so the notes for Port Marina stays in their notes.

(This part is genuinely super self-indulgent. I need to have it make sense in canon worldbuilding and that’s why I write at a snail’s pace orz Moving on - )

Emotional Process??:

Chapter 2 was hard for me to write because I couldn’t keep track of how Ace and Sabo feel towards certain things (their main conflicts, what they wanted to do, what they feared or hoped, etc.), so I made a mindmap of their thoughts about stuff like that:

I tried putting this into text but how I put it [above] was easier to understand 😵‍💫 There’s a bit of dialogue that’s for the next chapter but don’t worry about that lol. If you can read through my atrocious handwriting then all the power to you :’)

This is genuinely not supposed to be a long fic and was supposed to be 4 chapters long, but that didn't go as planned lmao ⚰️ My target for now is 6 chapters (2 chapters + an epilogue, hopefully).

(If you've reached this far, here's an experimental draft of Chapter 1 that didn’t go anywhere, but I still consider it part of the story): 

Eight years have passed since Ace was shot at the age of ten, when he gripped Sabo by his shoulders and told him to be free.  It’s been eight years since he had worn Sabo’s clothes to act as a lousy decoy and sailed under his pirate flag - “Just the letter S on some crossbones? Come on, Sabo,” - and it’s been eight years since Sabo’s brother died because of it. Growing up without Ace had been a challenge he didn’t think he’d face. They saw his ghost sometimes, young minds longing for a voice gone too early, and it existed in the forest they used to hunt in and the room Dadan had for the three of them, now two. They seldom stayed in the treehouse anymore- too many precious memories they didn’t dare disturb- but Sabo’s heart was stronger because of it.  Colder, sure, but there was something about seeing bent nails hammered clumsily into the treehouse’s flooring and childish drawings on the battered wall that served as a reminder for what Ace had left, and before long, it hurt too much to bear. So Sabo stayed at Dadan’s, and after a while, Luffy followed him too.  It got easier to breathe as Sabo got older. Holding on to Ace’s memories and Luffy’s permanence by his side gave him some sliver of strength to continue, and if it wasn’t for them then it was his rage for the world above all else.  So he joined the Revolutionary Army at seventeen, and it’s been one year since then and eight years since he’s known hate like he was born out of it. 

.

The second truth came close to the first; That the world was rotten to its core, and it was why his brother was dead in the first place.  Because Ace's death made no sense. He was someone whose dreams were greater than anyone Sabo's ever met, someone who would stand tall and grin in the face of danger, someone who was destined for the world beyond Goa and the East Blue.  Ace whispered wishes in his ears, Sabo remembers, to be someone greater than his father. Maybe he can be his mother's pride, too, someone she won't regret giving up her life for.  Ten years of living, five years of wishing. A life cut too short.  (From Ace’s demise stands Sabo, this turncoat noble, the boy who was handed everything on a silver platter from a young age just so he could shove it all away, and, what, his dream is to write a book? That's all?) Luffy was the one to bring what was left of him back around, in the end.  It had been a week since they'd heard the news about Ace, and Sabo had spent most of his time in the forest to think, as he called it.  Sunlight pierced through the canopy of leaves above him where he swung his pipe against Luffy's outstretched punch. It made the boy stumble, and soon enough, his arm snapped back and made him fall to the ground.  “14 - 0,” Sabo exhaled. The metal pipe felt rough underneath his grip. He was distracted; His mind was elsewhere. “Luffy, this isn't really-” “No!” Came the petulant reply. Luffy got back up as fast as he went down and resumed his stance. “Next round!”  And maybe it was frustration, or maybe it was something more harsh, because Sabo could remember throwing his pipe down and sitting cross on the ground instead of parrying Luffy's attack. Sabo ignored how the punch missed him by a whole two inches and how Luffy tumbled forward in surprise because of it. He mussed up his curls instead, and he didn't really get what was making him feel this trapped, this suffocated, but all he knew was that he just wanted everything to stop so he could think.  “Sabo?”  But he couldn't really ignore Luffy completely, could he? Slowly, the blonde lifted his head up, and through the beaming sun rays piercing through the canopy, Luffy's frown fixed itself like a picture on his face.  “What's wrong?” Everything, Sabo wanted to say, but Luffy knew that already.  “Just tired,” he said instead before burying his head between his knees. “Oh.” He could feel Luffy settling down on the grass next to him and the boy leaned on Sabo's shoulder like he was worth relying on.  “I'm sad about Ace, too,” Luffy said after a beat. The mere mention of their other brother felt like ice nowadays. It froze Sabo, and maybe this was what he feared, this talk with Luffy.  “.... I don't think we'll ever stop feeling sad about Ace.” His little brother had nothing to say to that. He only pushed himself more on Sabo’s side. The morning was still young with birds chirping in their homes, and it filled the silence that lapsed in between them like some kind of healing balm. But that wasn’t enough. Sabo knew his wounds, and this one in particular was heavy and deep, something that couldn’t possibly be reconciled in just a week after losing Ace. (And the second truth, really, was that it was unfair of him to blame the world for Ace’s death, when he was the one who led Ace down that path to begin with.)  “Don’t you blame me at all?” Sabo found himself asking after the quiet started to feel unbearable. “If I hadn’t tried to leave, he would still….” “Sabo’s stupid,” Luffy said instead, and before Sabo could react in any way to that, “Ace saved you so you can be happy. Why would I get angry about that?”

Aaaand that's it! I really like thinking about this fic! Sorry it's a bit much but thank you for reading until the end!

[lore-grandma]

How the dorm leaders would up realizing they like reader/ when their feelings started to change (idk anymore)

Notes: I’m sure some of these aren’t accurate, it comes with the territory. Yuu is reader. I think if you’ve seen my posts about these kind of games, that you’ll notice a pattern that the mc is always reader. Idk what else. Um i might do the other characters, I will likely make a cop out and make ortho’s section platonic. Also I’m pretty sure that night raven will accept students at any age as long as you can read. So the reader’s age with change depending on the canon character’s age. At minimum reader will be a year younger than the guys. Now let’s go.

Riddle

Riddle gives off such love at first sight vibes, but would be in such denial. I think realistically Riddle would come to terms with his feelings after his blot. I mean if the magicless student stayed while he was at his worst, then there’s a bond there. You basically saved him and even if his mother does not approve, in his mind he sees you as a worthy partner. It’d take the whole dorm to force him to confess, he’d only confess if he knew for sure you liked him.

Leona

Dear lord this guy would be such a slow burn. He definitely wasn’t fond of you before his blot. Of course after the beat down, he probably felt slightly indebted. Only a little. The he was probably was feeling those fuzzy feelings around the time you stood up for your friends. Like that takes balls, to risk it all. It’d take far too many close calls on both of your lives for him to finally confess.

Azul

Probably like a love at second sight. Like was definitely when he met you during the whole contract situation. Now he genuinely wasn’t considering it until the whole Jamil situation. Would’ve probably confessed after that, in his office, was basically forced by the tweels because of how much they teased him.

Kalim

Honestly despite how open he is, I don’t think he genuinely understands how love works. Shit just happens. Like somehow y’all are married. Probably got into a relationship a few months after Jamil’s overblot.

Vil

This one happens after a life long friendship, maybe starts to be planted in the ground during the training arc during his story. But it def took awhile.

Idia

It didn’t start because he knew you irl. I mean canonically reader doesn’t have much of an online presence, but I can’t imagine that idia makes any realizations during his whole overblot. Maybe his feelings start around malleus’s overblot but that story hasn’t ended yet so Ive yet to make that decision.

Malleus

I do believe he just either sees you as a friend or that human that he so happens to see on his walks to see gargoyles. Of course by the time that reader actually knows his name. Then malleus considers them a friend. I see malleus as oblivious to love but not in the way that kalim is. He’s probably more familiar with familial love than romantic love. The moment he probably realized it officially was when he realized he could lose his support systems i.e. lillia and you. Sure silver and sebek are fine company but there’s definitely a feeling that they’re treating him with respect because he’s their future leader. Also I know that so that I said that reader was going to be at minimum to be a year younger than the characters that’s being talked about. But like reader is human (I’m sorry guys) and doesn’t have any magic in their world, so unfortunately we’ll have to stick with a human age that would probably be a rough equivalent to the age of draconians. So likely ehhh 22 maybe? I’m not sure if the fae just age slowly or just age fairly normally (still slow but not to the point where in a hundred years malleus is still a literal baby) and matures mentally at different rates. Anyways I’m putting reader at a safe young age but not so old it feels like we’re pairing a teenager with an adult. Age is weird in these situations.

[dcviated]

Had it not been for the words and considerations that followed, Zach very well might have bit back at her Dodongo remark. Descended into the usual bickering he was known for. Deflective. Defensive. Confrontational. But- it would seem- softness beget softness. Vulnerable as he felt after saying the small piece he did- prickly to boot- the retaliatory snark would get to stay in his pocket. There were things he felt like saying, and so too did she. One of the bottled thoughts from before rises to the surface. Freed from usually restrained lips.

"So... huh. So he freaks you out too? Well, how about that. And I just thought they were like that to me because of... me, I guess." Eyes turn upward, briefly distracting themselves with a colored banner that was strung between two eaves. Did he really want to get into the hows and whys? "I don't know why they're all such assholes. But if you see something in them too, then I believe you- just means I'm more right. You haven't seen the worst of it, back at the barracks. When they- but... yeah."

Zach trails off. Zelda wasn't exactly subtle with her distaste for the topic. What with the errant wandering of her tone pushing into her next words, which- certainly take Zach by surprise. He stops in his tracks as it all registers properly in his ears.

"You want to choose me?" The notion feels ridiculous, the sort of development that others may dream of but it was the last thing on his mind. Maybe he really was slow? Should he have seen this coming? Or did he just not recognize how much he was trusted by the Princess? "You have to kick me to do stuff like this, and that's... the kind of knight you want? I... really don't get it. But. You are weird. But I also keep going along with it, so. Pft."

The sudden lapse of levity feels good. It loosens the sudden restraint he had felt in his chest not to mention the bashfulness of what that sentence and request entailed.

"You..." There's more there that she isn't saying. In her eyes. In her words. If Zach squints his eyes maybe he'd even start to see it too. How the world was swirling around this girl like a dark cloud. Distrustful of the knights. Visions. And now the King? He'd heard through word of mouth about the banquet. "I trust you, Zelda..." The confession slips out so carelessly that even Zach looks surprised to have said it. And the loud ringing of the bell interrupts whatever chance he has to cover it up.

The true funny thing, is the sentimental mood has Zach more willing to go along with things than ever. Scam is entirely unnecessary. He just needed to get onto another topic, this is a welcome venue.

"Ahhh, yeah! Mm. Sure. That's not too far- this way, right?" As if he doesn't know, having been there multiple times himself for one assignment or another. Katelynn often wanted to visit as well. Zach's efforts are redoubled, and it's his turn to be all too eager to have the subject changed. Not that the thoughts had left his mind. Looming over his future just like the spire of the temple with its long shadow cast like the hand of a clock over the gardens. Ticking slowly with the arc of the falling sun.

"Wha?! Hey! Let go of me! It's not my fault your slower than slower than a Dodongo!" She grumbled. Although, he did have a point about it getting later. Still, that didn't mean he could grab her so carelessly! It gave her a fright! However, he seems to fall in line next to her once he's satisfied that she won't run back, and for a moment Zelda could swear he's being soft on her and not all bristly like he usually is.

She should treat him gently. It was a rare treat to hear Zachary not blustering over something dumb like he had something to prove.

"Well, I try not to waste your time on frivolous pursuits too much? And you were right in that it seemed like a waste to head back after being half way there," Zelda responded as gently as she could trying to resist the urge to tease him for this sudden bout of softness. Maybe she should return it in kind, "You're the only one I can ask for stuff like this. Impa won't take me, and none of the other noble children will bother with me anymore. They all think I'm weird after the last incident at the banquet...." Zelda muttered.

She wasn't aware of how aware Zack was of court politics, or how she was viewed, but he didn't really have to be. Zelda's odd behavior was well known. It hadn't taken long for the other children to start calling her a witch after she'd had a vision at the banquet table. It had basically ruined her social life before it had even begun.

"...And I don't want to ask any of the other knights. They'd... do it, but..." A frown tugged at her lips as she thought of Fulk. He wasn't the only one like that.

"...A lot of the knight's... aren't trustworthy, I think. It's... the way they look at me. It's hard to explain, but it's like I get the sense that I'm.... in danger..." She muttered, trying to explain things to Zack as they walked. However, no one truly believed she had a sixth sense within the castle. They all believed she was just an odd little girl who didn't like strangers, "It's... okay if you don't believe me though. I know it sounds weird."

"Anyyyyyway...." She wanted to move on from the topic as quickly as possible. Zack thought she was strange, but in a pleasantly annoying way, not... In the way other people thought she was strange, "You just gotta get used to me taking you places! I'll have to choose a personal guard soon, and you're the only one I have in mind! I can trust you! Your eyes aren't evil! If I'm allowed to. Father might end up choosing form me, but I really hope he doesn't. He hasn't really been thinking clearly lately. I'm afraid he'll make a poor decision."

There she went saying strange things again. Eugh, it was hard when no one understood what her powers were like outside of Impa.

They were just gonna get cream puffs and go home? Aw. Already? It felt like the day just flew by.

The distant chime of a bell catches her attention though and an idea hits her like a giant boulder crashing down death mountain! She has an idea to scam convince Zach to let them stay out a little longer!

"Well, I have one more place I'd like to stop before we get food, if you don't mind? I haven't been to the Temple in ages. I should say my prayers before we get food and head back. Sound good?"

[ibijau]

writing endings is so damn hard, and definitely one of the things I feel most insecure about (along with beginnings and middles)

It's just hard to figure out what's satisfying and what's not. Something that's too neat and happy can come out as fake and unrealistic. Oh sure, everyone gets what they wanted? Seriously? But then, not giving the characters what they fought so hard for is also... that's not the sort of stories I write, and so it feels cruel.

Doesn't help that in this case the current plan is to have a big deus ex machina. Quite literally, since Medka is dying and at the last minute a god saves him due to various debts toward another god (second time this happens in the story, too, so I'm like... is it predictable? Is it boring? But also, this story is very much about a world that has gods in them so they should intervene, right??)

I'm just filled with many doubts, and maybe a little anxious about getting near the end of (the first stage of) this project

[true-blue-sonic]

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I am somewhat bothered by IDW’s sudden insistence that Silver cannot control his time travel and randomly finds himself in the past with no prior warning and without even knowing why he is there.Two reasons for that:

1. It is entirely unexplained why this is, how it works, what force is behind it, etc. My dislike for this ties in with the fact that apparently his future becomes good after his actions in the past make it so, but then it turns bad again before his very eyes. Again: how does this work? Time travel already makes no sense, but this makes even less sense to me than Silver simply arriving in a new bad future and going back in time again to undo the responsible disaster. Of course, there also wasn’t much explanation to how Silver travelled back to the past when it was still clear he was in control of it himself, except for the Sonic Channel drawing stating he does it with Chaos Control. But the idea that Silver himself is responsible for it, either through his PK or the Emeralds, seems a lot more plausible to me than an unexplained and unknown force being the cause of it.

2. To me, it removes a large bit of agency from Silver, and it does his character a great disservice. What I find admirable about Silver is that he chooses to save the world, every single time again. He chooses to go back in time to rescue his era through undoing a disaster in the past, and he chooses to go back to yet another future, find it in ruins, go back to the past again to undo it, in an endless cycle with the hope that one day the future will be a good one keeping him going. So for him to suddenly find himself in the past with no prior warning to solve a calamity he knows nothing about... I figure that also here he chooses to do something about it instead of idly sitting by, but tied in with the fact that it’s unexplained how 'Silver randomly finds himself in the past with no prior warning��� works in the first place, I simply can’t help but feel like it removes a powerful part of Silver’s character: being able to go face a bad world again and again, because he wants to bring things to a good end so badly. This might sound silly, but it makes him more like a play ball of fate being flung around than someone who works to actively defy said fate.

I think what would solve my dislike for it by quite a bit already is by having the comics (or the games, preferably even) explain just how in the world this works, and most of all who is responsible for just throwing Silver around in time like that. To me, it’s too significant a change of previously-established characterisations (because Silver has been clear multiple times he actively came from the future to the past by his own choice) to just randomly introduce in the way it has been done now, without any further information behind it.

[ornstein]

I thought my new meow meow in Lies of P would be Geppetto and yeah, he is, but it turns out Carlo is taking the crown this time.

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

My thoughts on Fell Exalt Chrom’s Forging Bonds, for those of you who aren’t following me on twitter...

[unproduciblesmackdown]

spinning off of "winston being fantastically (literally fantastical (literally related to fantasy)) clairvoyant (he is also figuratively clear-sighted / figuratively preternaturally perceptive just like, in the show. which is where this all comes from. plus him calling himself cassandra, always seeing the future. he really has always / continued to be thusly) and taylor literally has a broadsword" type fun and games that are very loosey goosey b/c billions aus go spinning off into their own separate dimensions super easily when billions canon is so rooted in its specific Stage Settings of modern day US law n finance battles in the office, sidewalks, and eateries:

the thought of winston & tuk and winston gets to be a fairy. jokes, please. changelings are right there with the common theory of "was this to explain disabilities & go 'something could go Wrong and the baby's not a Person and get rid of that,' unlike nowadays where people do that but go 'b/c that baby's disabled'" and also one goes Thinking Emoji about how apparently New Mothers and New Brides were susceptible along with New Borns to become swapped out with a fairy and now something's wrong with them and get rid of that. had to be about Something given that people apparently did act on changeling lore and martin luther is taking a stance like yeah another thesis, it's important to kill them And okay to kill them b/c they don't even have a soul anyways. okay thanks martin luther....meanwhile also witchcraft and getting after anybody for that too. and fairies generally as Problems, the etymology going back to [fate], the range like "ooh hehe causing funny little inconveniences just because" to more so "yeah they could cause life-threatening illness for that" and "yeah they'll just kill you"....and i think fairy/fey as respective noun/adj re: being gay is of Unknown Origin, like "gay" also is. and you never know, if being fey is like, well something's not right and it's dangerous, whether this is the inspiration....though by the time this slang starts turning up, and even in the time of prior possible origins / the roots in other usages / potential inspirations, theoretical actual fairies are surely becoming more Fanciful, this being around like, the 18th century, rather than "here's martin luther telling you to immolate! that! baby!"

but that like, you can have it all ways out here. the Always Small fairies i think being a later kind of victorian deal, rather than "fairies are shapeshifters & can become animals e.g. & May have a 'tiny little inches or millimeters high mode' but that's just a mode & the fact that generally though they just look like people, maybe with some stylistic variations and tells, means watch out" and i think wings came up ever, across yknow the various centuries and regions of folklore out here lmao and possible origins / influences yet further across time & regions & cultures, but again "always small and always winged" being a very relatively modern victorian deal. but we can draw on that to be sure when, additionally, a Potential mutual [would prefer to avoid] between fairies and humans (as opposed to "if your house or some shit is on a fairy path bestie just build them another door to walk straight through cuz they're Gonna") becomes "no, fairies mostly avoid humans more than the other way around" type of imbalance of any threat means like, well hey sure, the Real Self could then become a tiny little magical guy having fun with wing designs who is shy and elusive but maybe another fun little guy can accidentally become aware but then have a secret little hidden friendship hmm....

but then also just thinking of the version where you just look exactly like everyone else and live amongst them, changeling style. and potentially don't Know you're different, or at least not Why, b/c this is a "from birth" thing like hmmm ya don't say. and the whole thread where in some folklore fairies Aren't nonhuman, the difference is only about the separate fairy Realm you live in, which is different, with like "yeah sometimes fairies come from people who died." and alongside / overlapping with everything like "yeah you could disappear for a few days to that realm and then be like 'don't wanna / can't talk about it'" and whatever all various like "watch out for the liminal and unknowingly wandering or being taken into the fairy world and Then watch out for communing with them b/c then you could be Permanently affected, or permanently continually affected or vulnerable, or just stuck there. and we wouldn't want that" like well don't let them know your name but maybe try to find out their names b/c you can get at them in turn that way, don't get in on any food, don't get in on any parties. though variations, sometimes people getting whisked away for particular tasks that apparently Only humans can do. or forever potential for helpful / sympathetic fairy interventions in life. like fairies raising humans b/c their human parents were awful

also, that some classic Tests for "is your baby a changeling?" were very like, "well i guess if we drowned or burned that person and they just died about it....our bad," in the way that like apparently the way to go could be "put them in the fire. where they'll either burn or fly out the chimney." or "start going tf beating them with objects. so that they go away" like and they never stop beating winston with hammers out here!! or the classic "idk abandon them in the forest so fairies can take them back" like well they do also like [i prefer to pretend winston doesn't exist / forget that he does] lmao. this isn't really related. just the ol "ballpeen hammers kind of goated when it comes to putting someone in a sack and beating them to death" factor out here for your local changelings

also sure thinking of like ohh watch out for winston and his gayass Realm he exists in which is wrong and not of our own and potentially will forever change you with its gayass ways. uh oh don't get corrupted into a whole other powerful magical mode of existence if you commune with him in some deep fundamental nourishing ways. oh nooo watch ouuuut....one of the "you might be a changeling if" moments being "when they think they're alone do they act up?? dance??" like yeah i'm stimming and bursting into motion and making noises and existing wrong when i think i'm alone. Old Souls (theory as well that newborn changelings were secretly elderly fairies)....existence in the Fey Realm just making you different and out of place huh. and it would just be a guy though like either [undetectable except by already trying to kill them] and/or [actually just a human, fairies are just humans, fairies b/c they're in/from the fairy realm] but uh oh don't let him corrupt you. don't go hanging out with him and talking with him and partaking in his activities and embracing his ways. you'll be changed. you'll never fit in around here and be able to do things right ever again. we'll have to start beating you with hammers. and all for what. your weird gayass little guy and a whole possible other dimension of existence? vs all This? smh

[fairsweetlonging]

adding these tags from @duohensheng <3

i love how it's not just binghe too, but all the people around him, and how we as the readers slowly learn that everything shen yuan does as shen qingqiu is actually not the norm, but very much out of place in the world of PIDW.

we see everything from shen yuan's eyes, and to him, his kind actions make sense, so we think they make sense too, but they don't. liu qingge was stunned at being saved by shen qingqiu, not just because he thought shen qingqiu hated him, but because it was an entirely selfless thing to do and SQQ wanted nothing in return but a chance at friendship. liu qingge returns that tenfold later with undying loyalty because an action like that is one of a kind

the same goes for zhuzhi-lang, who was, thus far, abhorred by everyone who saw him; SQQ stopped gongyi xiao from killing him simply because he saw a creature defending its habitat, not harming anyone, and even said they were the ones at fault for disturbing and agitating it, while also (tho unawarely) helping zhuzhi-lang get the sun-moon dew mushroom he wanted.

you see it with ning yingying and the other disciples; shen qingqiu notes that when he returns to qing jing peak after traveling, ning yingying seems to have missed him more than she did luo binghe, that she wasn't a grieving wreck, but stronger than ever and delighted to see him. ming fang was the one to step forward when SQQ "died" to tell luo binghe that SQQ always believed in him and was heart broken for years; ming fang was even willing to die to avenge SQQ's death, only stopping when ning yingying told him that shizun would never want that for them, which, again, is very uncommon for a world that puts so much honor on "dying for the cause".

and with luo binghe specifically it's important to remember that binghe doesn't fall in love with his shizun the moment he's nice(r) to him, he's actually confused, acknowledging that he thought his teacher didn't care about him at all until shen qingqiu said he believed binghe would win the match (which, in binghe's limited pov, was an huge risk that put SQQ's and the sect's honor on the line) and then got poisoned to protect him. like, shen qingqiu threw himself in front of his disciple and got injected with an incurable poison that causes a slow, painful death, to protect binghe.

if it was just about kindness then binghe would have fallen in love with ning yingying, but he didn't, it's about how much shen qingqiu was willing to risk for him to protect him, how much shen qingqiu believed in him even if binghe didn't believe in himself (as it says in book 1: "no one had ever believed in him like this"). the other peak masters wouldn't have done that, they wouldn't have been cruel, but they wouldn't have let binghe sleep in their house either, or protect him so fiercely, or spoil him so much.

in short, SQQ inspires others to give back the kindness he gives them; "a drop of kindness must be repaid by a flood" as zhuzhi-lang puts it.

One thing i feel like people misunderstand in Luo Binghe's character is the belief that he would have fallen for any other peak lord that became his Shizun and was not absolutely horrible to him like Og!Shen Qingqiu was when that's just not likely. The reason why Luo Binghe fell for post-transmitgation Shen Qingqiu is not because he suddenly became a teacher who didn't abuse him and treated him like any other discipline, it's because Shen Qingqiu consistently went out of his way to be kind to Luo Binghe in a way no one else in the world would have, like, what Shen Yuan did may seem basic to some people, but in the PIDW world? Bro was being the epitome of unrealistic kidness and he did ALL that only for Binghe because remember, that's his little sheep. Luo Binghe wouldn't have fallen for any other peak lord who became his Shizun because they wouldn't have treated him with the same amount of kindness (and preferential treatment) Shen Qingqiu gave him because that genuinely did not exist in the PIDW world until Shen Yuan transmitgated

[traegorn]

while i completely agree with your assessment of realistically what a trump vs harris presidency will look like, i think the issue me and a lot of other leftists have is that there is no need to tell people (and effectively tell harris) that oh ofc we are gna vote for her despite these issues because trump is THAT bad and if you say you don't want to vote for her because her party is pro-war, pro-genocide, then you are condemning americans to a trump presidency. we know trump is worse! i don't want him to win AT ALL, but why would harris even consider even changing the language she is using (i'm looking at the absolutely stupid speech she was giving in michigan, given the large arab & muslim-american population there and given its a battleground state) if she thinks she is going to win on a not-trump basis? i know who i'm voting for on nov 5th if it comes down to it, but we need the democrats to THINK they are going to lose until the very last minute, we need them to feel like they can't just rely on being the lesser of two evils if we want any chance of a shift on palestine. because they very well might lose, for this exact reason (and i'm speaking again more to the votes of the arab & muslim-american population which is far more demographically meaningful than the votes of leftists) and if that happens, they have no one to blame but themselves.

So I'm going to tell you something important: You don't have the leverage you think you have.

Political campaigns are a machine that's been operating the same way for a long time on the Democratic side. The Republicans may have abandoned a lot of the old ways of doing things, but the Democratic party hasn't. And you've got people running these campaigns who are steeped in the "wisdom" of how you win.

And when a block of voters says they're not going to vote for their candidate, they tend to believe them. So they decide to go court the people who they think will vote for them. That's why you've seen the Harris campaign trying to court moderate Republicans who might be iffy on voting for Trump a third time.

Right now one of the reasons Netanyahu is refusing to commit to a cease fire is because he thinks Trump can win. If Trump wins, he has no reason to ever agree to one. One of the reasons he thinks Trump can win is because the polling is so close.

If you want to know why they've gone to the right recently, it's because they think they've lost the left. And since a lot of those leftists are claiming there's a line in the sand that they don't have the power to appease (because -- again -- they can't get Netanyahu to do shit right now), they're going to go for the centrist Republicans.

Also, there seems to be this weird notion that the only way to move the Democrats is during the election. That's not how you move people. You keep pressuring them during their term and it works. Like Biden is continuing to work on forgiving student debt even though he doesn't have an election ahead of him. Because they know that what he does reflects on the future of the party. Voting doesn't end this game, it's the start of it.

But none of it will matter if Trump wins.

[3nderstar]

.

[grimdarling69]

Another deaged Ellie and Dan, but Danny was reincarnated as Damian Wayne

Danny Damian because he was Damian now, wasn't he? He remembers now the Fentons, the GIW, Sam and Tucker, jazz. He wonders if they could have also followed him here. A part of him longs to see his fraid again, but are they his fraid still? He was a new person. Son of The Bat and Heir to the Demon Head. Something Dami he remembers reminding people of. If only Sam could see him now, he knows she'd love that. "Who's edgy now?" He can picture her saying. He can almost see Tucker laughing so hard he'd fall out of his seat.

Crack

The sharp sound of the thunder brings him to the present. He looked over at his clock, 3:00 A.M. The witching hour he can hear Ellie tell him with a mischievous smile on one of their flights around Amity Park. She loved to drag him and Dan sometimes Vlad if he was feeling friendly. Dan, his future evil self tormented by the deaths of all his family and friends, so hurt he got Vlad to rip his human half out so he didn't have to feel the pain. Ellie, his clone, created by Vlad to be the perfect son, too bad she was a daughter. Looking down at his stomach where their cores are now incubating, he couldn't help but wonder if Vlad had anything to do with this.

He shook his head as if that would rid himself of that thought. Vlad was a real fruitloop,but he would never purposefully endanger Dan or Ellie. Vlad, in his twisted and weird ways, did love them in his own ways like kidnapping and keeping him hostage to save Ellie. He had forgiven vlad for the desperate attempt to save his daughter, but incubating Ellie and Dan's cores would make him their father now, too. Ew, coparenting with Vlad does not sound like a fun time. He glanced down and lifted his shirt hesitantly. If he focused on his stomach, he could see a faint blue and red glow emanating from his stomach. Red, Vlads' color, he thought distantly. Hopefully, it didn't mean much. As if signaling him, the envelope they had carried with them to him fell off the bed carried to the floor by the slight breeze.

Lighting lumineating the bedroom, making the crisp white color shine for just a second. He tentatively reached down to grab it. He was being a baby. He was a trained assassin from birth, and his fear trained beaten out of him a long time ago. Some part of him whispered his father and Richard's teachings of being brave but not without fear.

He paused. Father would want to know everything. His past life, Ellie and Dan, the ghosts, being a halfa. He wouldn't understand, Richard would try to, but not even he could never really understand. He couldn't subject his babies to that. He couldn't live with the threat to being ripped apart molecule by molecule. His father's lack of emotional intelligence certainly would not help young halfas. He was fourteen again the age he was killed in his first life. The age he started facing ghosts from another dimension.

He started younger in this life. Killing younger, he learned to fight his whole life. Jazz would hate that. Jazz... he wondered if she was alright if she survived the attack... no, there's no time to think of that right now. He ripped open the envelope( like a band-aid, Richard would remind him), and he noticed Vlad's familiar fancy fruitloop writing immediately(he had fancy fruitloop writing now, instead of the chicken scratch Jazz chided him over). So he was right about one thing this had vlad all over it.

Dear Daniel,

Though I understand you might not be Daniel when this letter finds you. I have been reincarnated into another life as I believe you have as well. My new name is Alexander Luther. I own a corporation called Lexcorp. I unfortunately can not change the name according to my board. The idiot lot of them.

He snickered at that. His smile dropped immediately. Vlad was Lex Luthor, the archnemesis of Superman. Jon would most certainly not like this. He forced himself to read on before he spiraled further.

I regained my memories after an experiment went wrong. I know how original. My new incarnation was able to open a small portal that grew in size, and eventually, somehow Danielle and Dan fell through. The portal then exploded, and I regained my memories. Unfortunately, it destabilized their clone bodies. I couldn't grow working bodies in time, and eventually, I had to hope they could find you. I hoped somehow that the yeti doctor would have imparted some of his strange knowledge onto you that might save them.

Vlad, no Lex still wrong. Vlad was somewhat right about that. During one of his all things ghostly lessons from Frostbite, he told him of how in the old ages ghosts often incubated their ghostlings. A protective measure back when magic and spirits were more prevalent. He didn't really understand it back then, and he doesn't understand it much now, either. Apart from the fact he was doing it, he supposed. What if he did something wrong and he lost them? He doesn't think he could live out his half-life if he lost them again. He needed to get to Vlad, and quickly too so they could start building a new portal to the infinite realms.

If this letter finds you. Come find me immediately at these coordinates. I've gone deep underground to escape my new archnimesis's suoer senses. I've m started research on a new portal, but I'll need your endeneering skills. This world is severely lacking in ectoplasmic science and engineering. I am once again forced to start from scratch on my own. Once we get the portal open, you'll need to go straight to The Far Frozen.

It's as if he's reading my mind, I think jokingly.

P.s. One of my experiments may or not have regiven then my new DNA in an attempt to restabilize them.

Only Vlad.

Well, it looks like they actually were going to be coparenting after all. This was going to go great.

I sigh and lean my head back down on my pillow. He committed the cords to memory before lighting the letter on fire with the lighter he kept in his bedside drawer. Point to assassin training. Jason would be proud. He supposed he could stay for a month or so before leaving, which would give him enough time to get away or think of some kind of mission to give himself. He shoots up. Todd had died and came back. He was a revenant. He couldn't stick around if he were to visit he'd know something was wrong immediately even if he didn't understand it.

He sprung out of bed quickly, but quietly, his foot steps perfectly silent despite his rushed mood of packing a bag. He packed a few pairs of clothes and lots of hidden weapons, some snacks he kept hidden for that should keep him fed on his journey but leaving any sentimental things behind. He glanced longingly at his sketch pad, but Vlad was most likely under the water judging by the coordinates he was given. Who knows if it would survive.

He checked the pack, making sure he got all he needed. He promptly checked it again. Twice. After deeming it sufficient, he willed himself to open the door. He mentally cataloged everyone in the manor. Pennyworth was most likely still in Father's room, making sure he actually listened to his insructions. Richard and Todd in Bludhaven and Crime Alley, respectfully. Cain and Brown in Hong Kong. Thomas was sleeping after his dayshift.

Everyone accounted for except Drake. He was most likely using Pennyworth's attention on Father to work cases. He just had to take the risk. For his ghostlings, for himself, Vlad. He crept down the hallways. He was opening the grandfather clock in record time. He went slower this time. He would use his powers, but his father had supernatural wards of all kinds in the cave. Who knows what they did. He was also admittedly trying to save his little energy for his voyage on the open sea. Light snoring hit his ears as he peered around the corner.

Thank ancients.

Drake was sleeping at the batcomputer, still in his Red Robin suit sans mask surrounded by his poor choices. Empty coffee cups and files spread around. He would still need to be quiet, Drake was a light sleeper, as was everyone else in his family. He grabbed the keys to his bike quickly, sneaking by. If he wasn't ditching his bike at Gotham Bridge, he would have disabled his trackers. He checked the gas and made sure he could make it. That's when he made his first mistake.

Putting the gas jug back down, he accidently hit another of one of his siblings' tools to the floor. He tried catching it without success, but it fell anyway, the loud clang echoing. Mistake number two.

Shit.

"Huh? What's happening?" Drake arose sleepily rubbing his eyes.

He froze. Mistake number three.

"Damian? What are you doing down here?" His eyes landed on him, and he spoke confusedly with his voice heavy with sleep or lack thereof.

He panics. He's blaming the pregnancy hormones on this.

He runs.

"Damian!" Drake responded to his dead sprint with his own. "Stop!"

He reaches his bike, and he turns the keys and prays. Luckily, it comes to life. He fumbles with his helmet it would hide his tears he needed it. who knows if he'll ever get to see them again. He shoots off down the tunnel. Flicking the cave door open remotely.

Another bike rears to life behind him. "Damian wants going on?" Drakes voice echoes in his ears. He can almost taste the concern in it amplified by the helmet. He ignores it and accelerates. He ignores the returned acceleration behind him.

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

Tim has no clue what made Damian panic enough to run away. He quickly ran to his own bike while swearing. Damian is already gaining distance on him. After another attempt at getting Damian to calm down and talk, he calls the only person Damian would actually listen to.

He hopes Dick will forgive him for waking him at five o'clock in the morning on his day off.

[treasure-mimic]

So, let me try and put everything together here, because I really do think it needs to be talked about.

Today, Unity announced that it intends to apply a fee to use its software. Then it got worse.

For those not in the know, Unity is the most popular free to use video game development tool, offering a basic version for individuals who want to learn how to create games or create independently alongside paid versions for corporations or people who want more features. It's decent enough at this job, has issues but for the price point I can't complain, and is the idea entry point into creating in this medium, it's a very important piece of software.

But speaking of tools, the CEO is a massive one. When he was the COO of EA, he advocated for using, what out and out sounds like emotional manipulation to coerce players into microtransactions.

"A consumer gets engaged in a property, they might spend 10, 20, 30, 50 hours on the game and then when they're deep into the game they're well invested in it. We're not gouging, but we're charging and at that point in time the commitment can be pretty high."

He also called game developers who don't discuss monetization early in the planning stages of development, quote, "fucking idiots".

So that sets the stage for what might be one of the most bald-faced greediest moves I've seen from a corporation in a minute. Most at least have the sense of self-preservation to hide it.

A few hours ago, Unity posted this announcement on the official blog.

Effective January 1, 2024, we will introduce a new Unity Runtime Fee that’s based on game installs. We will also add cloud-based asset storage, Unity DevOps tools, and AI at runtime at no extra cost to Unity subscription plans this November. We are introducing a Unity Runtime Fee that is based upon each time a qualifying game is downloaded by an end user. We chose this because each time a game is downloaded, the Unity Runtime is also installed. Also we believe that an initial install-based fee allows creators to keep the ongoing financial gains from player engagement, unlike a revenue share.

Now there are a few red flags to note in this pitch immediately.

Unity is planning on charging a fee on all games which use its engine.

This is a flat fee per number of installs.

They are using an always online runtime function to determine whether a game is downloaded.

There is just so many things wrong with this that it's hard to know where to start, not helped by this FAQ which doubled down on a lot of the major issues people had.

I guess let's start with what people noticed first. Because it's using a system baked into the software itself, Unity would not be differentiating between a "purchase" and a "download". If someone uninstalls and reinstalls a game, that's two downloads. If someone gets a new computer or a new console and downloads a game already purchased from their account, that's two download. If someone pirates the game, the studio will be asked to pay for that download.

Q: How are you going to collect installs? A: We leverage our own proprietary data model. We believe it gives an accurate determination of the number of times the runtime is distributed for a given project. Q: Is software made in unity going to be calling home to unity whenever it's ran, even for enterprice licenses? A: We use a composite model for counting runtime installs that collects data from numerous sources. The Unity Runtime Fee will use data in compliance with GDPR and CCPA. The data being requested is aggregated and is being used for billing purposes. Q: If a user reinstalls/redownloads a game / changes their hardware, will that count as multiple installs? A: Yes. The creator will need to pay for all future installs. The reason is that Unity doesn’t receive end-player information, just aggregate data. Q: What's going to stop us being charged for pirated copies of our games? A: We do already have fraud detection practices in our Ads technology which is solving a similar problem, so we will leverage that know-how as a starting point. We recognize that users will have concerns about this and we will make available a process for them to submit their concerns to our fraud compliance team.

This is potentially related to a new system that will require Unity Personal developers to go online at least once every three days.

Starting in November, Unity Personal users will get a new sign-in and online user experience. Users will need to be signed into the Hub with their Unity ID and connect to the internet to use Unity. If the internet connection is lost, users can continue using Unity for up to 3 days while offline. More details to come, when this change takes effect.

It's unclear whether this requirement will be attached to any and all Unity games, though it would explain how they're theoretically able to track "the number of installs", and why the methodology for tracking these installs is so shit, as we'll discuss later.

Unity claims that it will only leverage this fee to games which surpass a certain threshold of downloads and yearly revenue.

Only games that meet the following thresholds qualify for the Unity Runtime Fee: Unity Personal and Unity Plus: Those that have made $200,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 200,000 lifetime game installs. Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise: Those that have made $1,000,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 1,000,000 lifetime game installs.

They don't say how they're going to collect information on a game's revenue, likely this is just to say that they're only interested in squeezing larger products (games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Fate Grand Order, Among Us, and Fall Guys) and not every 2 dollar puzzle platformer that drops on Steam. But also, these larger products have the easiest time porting off of Unity and the most incentives to, meaning realistically those heaviest impacted are going to be the ones who just barely meet this threshold, most of them indie developers.

Aggro Crab Games, one of the first to properly break this story, points out that systems like the Xbox Game Pass, which is already pretty predatory towards smaller developers, will quickly inflate their "lifetime game installs" meaning even skimming the threshold of that 200k revenue, will be asked to pay a fee per install, not a percentage on said revenue.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Hey Gamers!

Today, Unity (the engine we use to make our games) announced that they'll soon be taking a fee from developers for every copy of the game installed over a certain threshold - regardless of how that copy was obtained.

Guess who has a somewhat highly anticipated game coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024? That's right, it's us and a lot of other developers.

That means Another Crab's Treasure will be free to install for the 25 million Game Pass subscribers. If a fraction of those users download our game, Unity could take a fee that puts an enormous dent in our income and threatens the sustainability of our business.

And that's before we even think about sales on other platforms, or pirated installs of our game, or even multiple installs by the same user!!!

This decision puts us and countless other studios in a position where we might not be able to justify using Unity for our future titles. If these changes aren't rolled back, we'll be heavily considering abandoning our wealth of Unity expertise we've accumulated over the years and starting from scratch in a new engine. Which is really something we'd rather not do.

On behalf of the dev community, we're calling on Unity to reverse the latest in a string of shortsighted decisions that seem to prioritize shareholders over their product's actual users.

I fucking hate it here.

-Aggro Crab - END DESCRIPTION]

That fee, by the way, is a flat fee. Not a percentage, not a royalty. This means that any games made in Unity expecting any kind of success are heavily incentivized to cost as much as possible.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A table listing the various fees by number of Installs over the Install Threshold vs. version of Unity used, ranging from $0.01 to $0.20 per install. END DESCRIPTION]

Basic elementary school math tells us that if a game comes out for $1.99, they will be paying, at maximum, 10% of their revenue to Unity, whereas jacking the price up to $59.99 lowers that percentage to something closer to 0.3%. Obviously any company, especially any company in financial desperation, which a sudden anchor on all your revenue is going to create, is going to choose the latter.

Furthermore, and following the trend of "fuck anyone who doesn't ask for money", Unity helpfully defines what an install is on their main site.

While I'm looking at this page as it exists now, it currently says

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

However, I saw a screenshot saying something different, and utilizing the Wayback Machine we can see that this phrasing was changed at some point in the few hours since this announcement went up. Instead, it reads:

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming or web browser is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

Screenshot for posterity:

That would mean web browser games made in Unity would count towards this install threshold. You could legitimately drive the count up simply by continuously refreshing the page. The FAQ, again, doubles down.

Q: Does this affect WebGL and streamed games? A: Games on all platforms are eligible for the fee but will only incur costs if both the install and revenue thresholds are crossed. Installs - which involves initialization of the runtime on a client device - are counted on all platforms the same way (WebGL and streaming included).

And, what I personally consider to be the most suspect claim in this entire debacle, they claim that "lifetime installs" includes installs prior to this change going into effect.

Will this fee apply to games using Unity Runtime that are already on the market on January 1, 2024? Yes, the fee applies to eligible games currently in market that continue to distribute the runtime. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

Again, again, doubled down in the FAQ.

Q: Are these fees going to apply to games which have been out for years already? If you met the threshold 2 years ago, you'll start owing for any installs monthly from January, no? (in theory). It says they'll use previous installs to determine threshold eligibility & then you'll start owing them for the new ones. A: Yes, assuming the game is eligible and distributing the Unity Runtime then runtime fees will apply. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

That would involve billing companies for using their software before telling them of the existence of a bill. Holding their actions to a contract that they performed before the contract existed!

Okay. I think that's everything. So far.

There is one thing that I want to mention before ending this post, unfortunately it's a little conspiratorial, but it's so hard to believe that anyone genuinely thought this was a good idea that it's stuck in my brain as a significant possibility.

A few days ago it was reported that Unity's CEO sold 2,000 shares of his own company.

On September 6, 2023, John Riccitiello, President and CEO of Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U), sold 2,000 shares of the company. This move is part of a larger trend for the insider, who over the past year has sold a total of 50,610 shares and purchased none.

I would not be surprised if this decision gets reversed tomorrow, that it was literally only made for the CEO to short his own goddamn company, because I would sooner believe that this whole thing is some idiotic attempt at committing fraud than a real monetization strategy, even knowing how unfathomably greedy these people can be.

So, with all that said, what do we do now?

Well, in all likelihood you won't need to do anything. As I said, some of the biggest names in the industry would be directly affected by this change, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they're not just going to take it lying down. After all, the only way to stop a greedy CEO is with a greedier CEO, right?

(I fucking hate it here.)

And that's not mentioning the indie devs who are already talking about abandoning the engine.

[Links display tweets from the lead developer of Among Us saying it'd be less costly to hire people to move the game off of Unity and Cult of the Lamb's official twitter saying the game won't be available after January 1st in response to the news.]

That being said, I'm still shaken by all this. The fact that Unity is openly willing to go back and punish its developers for ever having used the engine in the past makes me question my relationship to it.

The news has given rise to the visibility of free, open source alternative Godot, which, if you're interested, is likely a better option than Unity at this point. Mostly, though, I just hope we can get out of this whole, fucking, environment where creatives are treated as an endless mill of free profits that's going to be continuously ratcheted up and up to drive unsustainable infinite corporate growth that our entire economy is based on for some fuckin reason.

Anyways, that's that, I find having these big posts that break everything down to be helpful.

[corinthianism]

SOMETHIN' STUPID || VIKTOR

pairing: viktor (arcane)/fem!reader additional tags: viktor's pov, viktor is a certified yearner, maybe ooc, unrequited love that's actually requited, no physical descriptions for reader other than having dainty fingers and being shorter than viktor, hopefully correct use of czech pet names, barely proofread synopsis: the ever-brilliant viktor finds himself drowning in feelings for his colleague, so what does he do? bury them, of course.... until he learns that love is not something you can just ignore.

author's note: hello everyone! it's been a long, long while since i've written anything so i thought i would try and see if the ol' writing machine (aka my brain) still works lol. this is more of a blurb than anything so please go easy on me. also trying out something new by writing in present tense (lmk if it flows well!) viktor might be a little ooc but i'm still trying to fully understand him. hopefully my characterization of him in future fics (if any) will be more faithful to the viktor you're all familiar with. anyways, enjoy 2k words of viktor yearning like CRAZY 🫶🏼

Viktor doesn’t know how much more of this he can take. How many more times would your eyes meet from across the room at one of those parties he never really wanted to attend in the first place? How many more times would your fingers brush in the early morning, when he accepts the steaming sweetmilk that you so kindly got for him? How many more times would your laughter intermingle softly late into the night, when exhaustion took over and your writing started to look more like chicken scratch rather than letters?

He might just go insane.

How was it possible to want someone this much? Maybe he’s experienced something like this before, in tiny amounts, for people he hasn’t thought about in years. Deep down, he knows that even if he added all of those fleeting romances together, it would still only be a fraction of what he feels now. For you.

He can’t pinpoint that exact moment in time when everything changed. There were definitely a few of those moments that stood out more than others, but none of those instances were the catalyst for whatever this is. But they certainly don’t help his case.

A few words of encouragement.

A book recommendation.

A smile— so soft, so intimate, he briefly allows himself to believe that it was meant just for him. Something precious for him to keep, to be his and his alone.

In the dim light of the lab, he finds you asleep on your desk. The humming glow of the hex crystals leaves you blanketed in a gentle blue. He’s heard tales of this before, from when he bothered to listen to such things. It would happen just like this, they said: his heart would beat so fast, it threatened to leave his chest entirely. His skin would burn with something unmistakable, a feeling that left one in a state of simultaneous confusion and clarity.

He feels it all now and he finds it polarizing. It’s too much and not enough. He chases and runs away from it at the same time. A part of him wants it to stop, to go away and leave him forever for the sake of ending this game he’s painfully losing… but a greater part of him hopes that it will grow and grow to the point where maybe you’ll notice and do something about it. His palms get a little sweaty just thinking about making the first move. Symptoms of a lovesick fool.

The soft sound of your breathing quiets the pounding of his heart, prevents the wretched feelings from overflowing and spilling everywhere. Even if it was just for tonight. Tonight, he keeps his lips sealed, fights to keep himself from reaching for you. It would be unbecoming of him.

His eyes land on you again, observing how your head rested on your arms. Understanding hits him then, why you’re so bothered by seeing him stay at the lab so late that he ends up falling asleep. That position couldn’t have been comfortable. Of course, he knew that from experience, but it’s your comfort he’s thinking about right now. He wonders if this is what you felt whenever you woke him up and implored him to go home.

Surely not.

No, he can’t wrap his head around you possibly viewing that act the same way he does. Not when he wants to bottle this moment, wants to capture the preciousness of seeing you like this. It just can’t be the same.

So can you really blame him if when he finally rests a hand on your shoulder to wake you gently, he lets it linger there for just a little longer? An infinitesimal piece of time that he claims for himself. He never thought himself to be the sentimental type, but he cherishes it all: he cherishes the way you blink slowly as you returned to the waking world, and your tired murmur of his name that makes his chest tighten.

It’s just a wisp of a moment, never really tangible enough for him to hold in his hands, but he cherishes it all the same. It’s burned in his memory, in his very being, the same way everything else about you is. Every piece of you that you so generously gifted him.

“You should go home, darling.”

The word slips past his lips before he could even think about it. But he allows himself this one indulgence. He can’t help it. He’s always been a bit greedy.

“What time is it?” you ask.

“Far too late for you to be here,” he answers.

You huff out a breath of a laugh, “That’s rich coming from you.”

He finds himself smiling. How does someone manage to be so endlessly endearing without even trying?

It takes an embarrassing amount of effort for him to pull back his hand from your shoulder. Had you been more awake and had the room been brighter, he might’ve schooled his expression into something more neutral. Something to hide the unbridled adoration in his eyes. He doesn’t do that now. With the shield of darkness to protect him, he lets the mask come off. He lets his affection for you wash over him in waves. It would’ve been liberating, if it wasn’t for the tiny detail that that affection was unrequited.

Still, he says your name with utmost care. “You must go home and rest.”

To his surprise, you listen. You mumble a tired "okay” and gather your belongings, slipping on your coat. “You should go home, too, Vik.”

“I will. Soon. I just need to finish a few things.”

Your face twists into a frown, “No, you’ll do that tomorrow.” Before he can interject, you speak up again, “Just… come with me? It’s late and I don’t want to walk home alone.”

His brain refuses to reconcile with what his eyes see: the trepidation written all over your features, the way you clutch the lapel of your coat just a little tighter. He knows it’s a trap, you just want to get him out of the lab but how could he possibly reject the promise of a few more minutes with you? The chance to pretend, even if it’s just for those precious few minutes, that he was taking you home as someone more than a colleague? More than a friend? Only a fool would say no to you. Or perhaps he was a fool either way. He really must be going insane.

He says yes almost instantly.

It’s cold in Piltover tonight. It makes his bad leg ache more than it already does, and so his strides are a bit more careful. He doesn’t say anything about how you also slow down to match his pace but he appreciates your considerate gesture nonetheless.

The moon hangs in the sky big and bright, making everything around you seem softer. It’s picturesque. Almost romantic. He tries his best not to entertain that thought for much longer. Instead, he focuses on what you say to him so he could ignore the traitorous thoughts his mind conjures up and the way his knees were protesting because of the cold.

Conversation with you is easy— terrifyingly so. It was one of the first things he noticed about you when you first met.

Early on in the process of finding sponsors and securing funding, him and Jayce quickly realized that they needed help. Yes, Jayce is a friend of the Kiramman family. Yes, Viktor is Heimerdinger’s protégé, but they’re academics. At the end of the day, Jayce’s warm personality could only do so much when he was still greatly inexperienced with navigating these more political spaces and for all of his experience and perceptiveness, Viktor knows he’s no good at sweet-talking sponsors, either.

Enter, you.

Caitlyn Kiramman was the one to recommend you, her former tutor. Jayce was quick to back her up, remembering that you were also Academy alumni; a particularly strategic businesswoman. Viktor was hesitant at first, knowing that a third party could complicate things. Hextech was born out of the dream to help people. He worried that bringing business and politics (even though he knew it was necessary) into the mix would warp Hextech into something it wasn’t. Jayce convinced him to take a gamble, and it seemed that the potential of Hextech was enough to bring you back to Piltover from your travels across Runeterra.

It took him a while to warm up to you. You weren’t nobility, but most definitely well-off. Even more so after your years as a business consultant to organizations all over the continent. He respected you, sure, but Viktor had a hard time trusting someone who was so… privileged. How could you possibly understand how important it was that Hextech remained a beacon of hope for the less fortunate? Perhaps it was naive of him to think that way, as much as he hated to admit it.

But true to your reputation, you delivered exactly what they needed. You bridged the gap between Viktor and Jayce’s hopes for Hextech and the support they needed from sponsors, protecting them and their inventions from being taken advantage of.

Suffice to say, you earned his admiration.

Never in a million years would Viktor imagine that you would captivate his entire being, too.

It was daunting. Scary, really. Especially now that he’s beginning to understand the full extent of his affections. Years and years of burying that softness from his youth deep beneath the armor of his intellect— all that hard work diminished by a pretty girl. Gods, he really is just a man. Not even that. With you, he feels like a highschooler with a crush. It’s painful. Downright humiliating. But he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not when you link your arm around his, laughing at something he said. Was he really that funny? Probably not. He’s just happy to make you laugh.

“You don’t have to be nice about it. Salo is a grade-A asshole,” you grinned. “We both know it. If I have to spend another dinner with him present I might actually stab a fork in my eyes.”

He smiles, “Ah, but that wouldn’t save you from his incessant chatter.”

“I’ll stab the fork into my ears too."

“I might just follow after you,” he hums, “you’ll have to check if it works first, though.”

Your friendship blossomed when your visits to the lab became less for work and more for leisure. You wanted to visit, wanted to learn more about what he and Jayce were working on and why. Everything after that was just dominoes. You, with all your fiery passion and sharp wit, have become a permanent fixture in his life and now? He could hardly imagine life without you in it. You're one of his dearest friends and, much to his dismay, that makes his current predicament even more challenging than it already is.

Before he knew it, the two of you were standing in front of your apartment building— one of the most luxurious in Piltover. He could only imagine how much it cost, though he knew for certain that your penthouse probably barely made a dent in your wealth. He’s gotten somewhat used to your differing lifestyles, but he’s never completely able to not marvel at it. A gust of wind kissed his skin once more as he turned to look at you.

“This is me,” you say, gloved hands in your pocket and your lovely, lovely face framed by your hair and ruby red scarf. He recognizes it as the gift he gave you a year ago now. A spur-of-the-moment purchase on one of the rare occasions he was actually outside Academy grounds. He remembers thinking that the color would look nice on you. He was right. He finds himself holding onto the seconds before he has to go. “Thank you for walking me home, Viktor.”

“Of course,” he nods but the calmness of his voice don’t match the way his eyes bore into yours. “It’s only proper.”

“Proper?”

“Yes. Proper. I am a gentleman, after all.”

His accent comes out thicker, emphasizing the words more than he means to.

“I didn’t take you for someone who cared much about propriety,” you tease.

“Is it because I’m from the undercity?” he deadpans and he relishes in the look of horror on your face that replaces your grin.

“What? No!” you exclaim, smacking his arm when you realize he’s just joking. “You. Are. Impossible.”

A laugh bubbles out of his chest, “Oh, that’s cruel. You would hit a defenseless man? How heartless.”

“Shut up. That cane of yours is a weapon of war. Don’t think I haven’t seen you smack Jayce with it.”

“If I hit him with it, he probably deserved it.”

“Poor Jayce,” you laugh as well. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Viktor smiles.

“I do not think you could even if you tried, lásko."

He freezes and so do you. The laughter—the music—that you shared for the briefest of moments was thoroughly snuffed out, leaving you both in a silence that threatens to swallow him whole. He didn’t mean to do that. He didn’t mean to speak so gently, but there is not a part of Viktor that could withhold this sincerity from you. Specks of the truth, of the confession he’s barely managed to wrangle into submission and lock away somewhere dark and unreachable.

He pulls back on instinct. He’s shown too much, said too much. You don’t move. He is petrified.

Your eyes widen and he sees his reflection in them, staring back at him. This is it, he thinks. He’s crossed the line and he’ll have to deal with the crushing blow of your rejection.

You manage to compose yourself and what you say next is… well, unexpected. Your tone is light, clearing the air and allowing him to breathe again.

“Do you say that to every woman or am I a special case? I’d hate to be part of a roster.”

He’s taken aback, but he feels a weight lifted off his shoulders. You are a miracle in his eyes. Washing away his worries with a kind smile and a few choice words. He laughs again and this time, he doesn’t stop himself from speaking the truth. It’s now or never.

“Surely you know by now that you are singular,” he whispers, his accent a pleasant drawl in your ears. He takes a step forward. It is gravity that pulls him in, not the Earth’s, but yours. A force that he can’t help but be drawn to. Not that he would ever dare to resist it now that his fear has shrunk down to something a little less debilitating.

His face is inches from yours. You don’t move. He gets a little braver.

“I do not appreciate your implication that I would pay attention to anyone else,” his voice is low, honest. “As if anyone could compare to you. As if you don’t hold my very being in the palm of your hand. Miláčku, I adore you. Don’t you know that?”

There is a hint of pleading in his tone, begging you to understand the full scope of his feelings from those few words so that he wouldn’t unravel before you, a bundle of nerves and petals the same shade as your scarf.

“Say something. Please,” his fear rears its ugly head once more. “Say the word and we’ll pretend this never happened. I will remain your colleague and nothing more. A friend, if you would allow it.”

“What if I don’t want that?” you ask, your own voice a little shaky with uncertainty. Maybe it was also fear. That, he’s not quite sure.

Viktor doesn’t fully trust what he’s hearing, thinks it to be a figment of his deluded imagination, but his heart is screaming at him now to push forward.

“What is it you want, lásko? Tell me and it shall be yours.”

You're almost breathless when you finally respond, “You. I want you."

The world stills. Time itself screeches to a halt. There is only you and him, together in this moment that he knows will be woven into the threads of his soul. He has never known euphoria quite like this. He can’t name it yet, doesn’t know if this is love. He can only hope that it will be.

When he looks into your eyes again, he does not see his own terrified reflection. He just sees you. And the sheer intensity of your gaze that rivals his own. Have you always looked at him that way? Was he just too blind to see it?

“Do you mean that?” he finds himself asking. He has to— has to make sure that this is real.

You smile again, dainty fingers intertwining with his. It is a gentle smile, a hopeful smile that answers his question before you even open your mouth.

“I do,” your voice is so gentle and yet it squeezes his heart. “I’m yours, Viktor, if you’ll have me.”

He brings your knuckles to his lips, places a reverent kiss on them like you’ve given him the world. In a way, that’s exactly what you did. Maybe his lips were always meant to be on your skin, worshipping you like the goddess you are. It feels too natural for it to mean anything else.

And for the first time in a long time, he allows himself to hope.

“I would love nothing more.”