#but i'm more focused on hollow knight right now

[kayinnasaki]

Hi I'm not a bot. =[ Awhile ago, you mentioned something about how powerups in modern day metroidvanias, particularly in the indie ones, weren't good enough compared to the classics. Could you elaborate on that using some concrete examples so I can maybe get what you meant?

I don't remember exactly what I said but it was probably more along the lines of modern powerups being overdesigned. It's not that they're not good enough. In many ways they're arguably better. But pragmatically they miss the point.

The general modern pattern (that DOES slowly seem like it's becoming less "modern". We're going to see a post Hollow Knight shift for sure) is that you have some abilities, that ability is attack, the attack is a color, that attack breaks a certain type of block. The most extreme cases of this are like Guacamelee and Ori. Something like Metroid Dread doesn't quite do this, but it focuses on SO many different types of "keys" for the various locks (there's like… what, something like 11 or something kind of 'doors' in that game and every ability is a way to open a door?)

The problem that arises in these modern designs is that they treat the "lock and key" nature of metroidvanias as literal locks and keys. The point of the game is get the green move, look on you map, find all the greenblock places you haven't done yet, then go break a greenblock. This SEEMS like the right, sensible design evolution, but it turns what is supposed to be exploration into a checklist… and in a weird way everything suffers for it too. The cool dash can't just be a good dash, it has to be some weird hitting thing, and maybe a whole boss is built around it's movement, but now it's actual use case doesn't feel emergent, it feels planned, even if the older games were just as planned, blahblahblahblah.

So we go back to super metroid. The progression is 100% "lock and key", but it's designed not to feel that way. Some early stuff is (you need missiles to open a missile door and immediately find missiles) but it is instead presented as "PROBLEM AND SOLUTION" design. You need to go into norfair. Norfair hot?? What do??? Oh you found the Varia suit, you can go back to the hot place!

You don't need a color coded map to mark all the "locks" you can now open on the map, the thing that powerup solves is largely centralized in one sensible area. Every time you're opening a literal lock with a "key" like super missiles, the lock and the key are within rooms of each other. Meanwhile when you get a fun power up, you go back to certain PROBLEMS you remember, not the long gate rooms, or ice beam to escape the red tower area. You want to move through water, or grapple. You rarely have to remember "there was a colored door all the way back there", so there is no need to label it on the map. Sure you can go back and open the powerbomb door in the big pink room in Brinstair, but that's for bonus items, not progression. You are rewarded for exploring, not for completing your map-completion-pokedex. As such the powerups can behave a bit more naturally. They don't have have some weird dual purpose.

Compare this to Dread and everything is shoehorned into a type of door, with those cringy ass stealth doors and like pressure plate doors. None of the rooms are organized with the same type of purpose where you know where you want to bring your new item. Instead of letting you solve the problem by taking your solution to where it's needed, it just railroads you there. Powerups barely feel like powerups, they're just another part of illusion. You're just playing your part as he cog in the machine.

In games about exploring, you don't want to formalize the abstract design philosophy behind the games into system mechanics. The point is to try and maintain a plausible illusion!!! I was like "Should I tag this as Game Design" but I'm super scared of what Game Design Tumblr must look like

[maeve-is-annoying-about-books]

Dawntrail endpoint review

Or: Wow they really spent half an expansion setting up for this and I love it. You know the deal, spoilers and all. Random internet opinion machine go! ->

I feel like before I get into Heritage Found and Living Memory I gotta talk about Shaaloani. I'm really sorry but I feel like this area, above all others, is really reflective of how Dawntrail needed a hard editing pass. Just one.

To say it's bad would be a misnomer, but the area story as a whole is a little bit of a... a non-sequitur? We just got out of the Rite of Succession's big high point and now we're gonna visit Erenville's home but very little of what happens here relates to the story that comes before or after. A tweak or two and it'd flow a lot better, maybe a story more focused on how Koana's march of progress here affects people. This is a place balanced too far on the side of Reason, and perhaps Lamaty'i can send us here to add a little of the Resolve's flair and unite people. Or maybe I'd use it to focus more on reflection, and here we have something that really caught back my attention.

The trolley crew of the First are reflected here in the train crew and this? Was brilliant. It primed me to look for similar reflections in Alexandria's lands and was very rewarding and more than that I think it's a subtle show of the difference between souls and memories. The train crew are still the same intrepid enthusiasts at a core, true level. At least in terms of FFXIV's world, soul and memory are two different components of a person and the essential difference is demonstrated well with this tiny scene. I'd LOVE to have seen it more repeated across Shaaloani as the intersection between memories, souls, and even our environment.

Then Zoraal Ja happens, the bastard. He is the worst parts of the other three competitors for the throne combined. He always was, we just never see it because he's so obviously strong. There's no way he's insecure, right? But look again at his goal, he wants to unite the world, the only way he could possibly outperform his father and carve his name. He frames it as such a noble goal but the truth of it is what we see in the invasion. He is an insecure coward. He can't die for his cause like he demands others do. He's a piss-poor commander who only cares for terror. He borrows power from others and calls it his own. Lamaty'i thanks us, Koana accepts help, Bakool Ja Ja is at least indignant when his cohort joins the fight. Zoraal Ja is a sad man with a sad death. He'll devour those in his care if it means he can achieve his goal.

He never will. The blasted second head of his monstrous form says it all.

Sphene stands as the true counterpart to Lamaty'i. Wuk Lamat's arc wasn't finished when she took the throne, her plea to stay in Tural with her was proof of that. Like Sphene needing Zoraal Ja. And then, also like Sphene, she grows beyond this need and becomes more assured of her path, albeit it in a gentler and more loving way. If I were to put it in words, Sphene learned brutality from her dependence on Zoraal Ja, while Lamaty'i learns to be true to herself from the WoL's belief in her, thus bringing about the final acts for each, a diametric opposition both sides regret.

In the Dark Knight quests, the WoL (through their counterpart Myste) brings back the memories of others. Giving life to the thoughts of the departed. And it was just as unsustainable then as it is for Living Memory. We see how Myste has to constantly siphon living aether to perform this act and even then it's a vanishing and hollow thing. Most people who encounter our memories know they aren't really there. Living Memory is this act on a worldly scale. Living Memory devours life to produce itself. Living Memory is an eternal golden era perpetuated by feeding on the potential future and other cultures. It is, dare I say, colonialism made manifest. A foreign power who arrives without warning and takes and shapes a land and while it brings a higher standard of living, supposedly, the highest and most revered tier is beyond the reach or knowledge of most.

But. Living Memory is also a place to say goodbye. It's a heaven where you can rest easy knowing some piece of you will carry on and meet your lover again. Hang out with a long-lost friend. Make up with someone who became your enemy due to a mistake. It is an area filled with love and catharsis and beauty with a terrible price for its continued existence. But even if we found some way to infinitely fuel it, I don't think it would be any better of a place, because while your memories live on there, there is no one back in life who remembers you. No one to speak your name or trade a tale with. The people there are more dead than Gulool Ja Ja, a man who is remembered fondly, whose legacy binds disparate people together and whose wisdom guides a new generation. His hand still holds Lamaty'i's, even in death, while the Endless lose their place outside of this nostalgic world of twilight.

Just... fuck, dude. What an incredibly poignant story to tell, one that necessitated the story that came before. What a fitting one for the first expansion to come out after the TEN YEAR arc that led up to Endwalker. It's a story that asks itself how it can hope to stand up to the weight of a legendary legacy and takes its tumbles with aplomb to set the groundwork for a new tale to come. For a new generation and a new leg of the journey.

[nest-of-kyshf]

My personal interpretation of The Void (Hollow Knight)

To be honest, my interpretation of the void is possibly a bit… different than most others you see around. It does appear empty, yet I feel like that emptiness is because of it being above time itself, like, it flat-out can’t have a consciousness like any other thing that exists(if it has a consciousness at all). 

All conscious life in that verse is still bound to time, though wyrms with their foresight can prolly see/sense more of time/timelines in general, and that would likely REQUIRE having a mind that is just built different:™: in order to process that. Meanwhile, the void is unbound by ALL time, it’s ‘seeing’ all of the past, present, AND future all at the same time. Because of the void being so detached to everything going on, with its field of view of time being so vast, it likely can’t really be comprehended by creatures that live in a linear path in time- 

That’s only one part of the equation though, at least in my book, the other is this: It consumes everything about those who fall into it/succumb to it if it can, and I mean EVERYTHING. It does appear to prioritize the minds over the bodies of those it seeks to consume though, honestly, It could also be that in canon the bodies couldn’t reach the void for one reason or another- Pale King was sealed away in a little pocket dimension, the lighthouse keeper could’ve barricaded themselves inside of there before they succumbed, and the only other void-body that I remember seeing was in either queens gardens or greenpath (the one you get the collector key off of)which is… a bit far away from the void. 

It likely dosen't go out of it's way to consume things, mostly passively observing, but instinctively grabbing onto anything that gets too close.

Plus, with the nature of consumption, everything consumed becomes a part of the one that consumes- and with it consuming not only the body but the mind... every memory, sensation, feeling, all just gets… mixed into the dark mass of this thing that is unbound by time and therefore sees and processes things likely SO differently that it’s either incomprehensible, or the, and i mean THE worst overstimulation ever- 

Like I'm thinking, if someone were to comprehend it, it’d likely be a swirling mass of future, present, and past events mixed in with the memories, sensations, and everything else of all the things that have ever been consumed by the void mixed into one single, overstimulating moment. Even if it was just for a second, the aftershocks of just comprehending it fully would prolly cause your brain to just immediately short circuit and shut down due to being so overwhelmed.

Like, to try to describe it, I think that it’d be like suddenly seeing not only 360 degrees around yourself, but also seeing everything else around you in 360, as well as going through all of the taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight, and other sensations of every living thing around you ALL AT ONCE, without changing the way you process information at all.

Sure, the void likely can focus into a specific section of what it sees, (void given focus *nudge nudge*) but without the void actively focusing on a specific thing going on right now at that specific moment in time, it's likely so spread out through quite literally everything that it doesn't register as something that’s actually alive, even if you were to look at it in a much wider perspective- 

tho I also don't think that the void itself is conscious the way other things are, which just adds another layer of alien-ness that's going on-

[hamsamwich23]

Well hello there!

Howdy! My name is Sam and/or Mort.

I'm a 20 year old queer-asexual demiboy who uses he/they/it/xe pronouns. I am polyamorous and have one partner whom I love dearly💛

My main hobbies right now are creative writing and photography, but I also enjoy video games, roleplaying, cooking/baking, and reading in my spare time.

My bigger interests right now are Hello Puppets, 1nv&d³r Z¹m, Doki Doki Literature Club, Undertale/Deltarune, Cats Are Liquid, Pressure (Roblox), Regretavator (Roblox) and Cult Of The Lamb.

Video game interests (or games I Enjoy): Milk Inside/Outside A Bag Of Milk, Sucker for love! Games series, smile for me, Amanda The Adventurer, Undertale Yellow, Happy game, Night In The Woods, Limbo, Inside, *Omori*, The Dog Island, Minecraft, Needy Streamer Overload, *Bendy and the ink machine*, Yo-Kai Watch (1st and 2nd games), Hollow Knight, Okami, Backrooms games, Sonic Frontiers, I'm On Observation Duty, Among Us.

Show/series interests: Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, Adventure Time, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (just started), Tuca and Bertie, Nexo Knights, Ninjago, The Mandela Catalogue, Angel Hare

Music interests: GHOST/GHOST and pals, Lily Vane, RIProducer, Jack Stauber, Vocaloid, Peculiar audios, Penelope Scott

Misc interests/just stuff I like: Welcome Home project, Liminal Space, Moths, Space, The Backrooms lore, SCP Foundation lore, stickers, plushies,

*- I do not support the creator(s) behind these. And if anyone behind above listed interests has done something that I am unaware of then feel free to inform me.

I dabble in Self-shipping sometimes...I'm perfectly fine with sharing f/o's just don't be. Like. Weird or nasty about it? Like be chill be respectful and we're all good

My DMS are always open to mutuals who want to talk, or anyone who's interested in my AUS or wants to talk about mutual interests, however please note that I have physical and mental health issues as well as work a full time job and am not always active or able to respond. I just appreciate any patience when it comes to talking to me.

My Two current main AUS at this moment are:

Unreality Au: A multi-fandom AU inspired by weirdcore and horror themes where the world has been overtaken by a unknown curse caused by dark magic. OCs and Characters from Hello Puppets, Doki Doki Literature Club, Undertale (somewhat), Fetch from mf Fazbear frights, MAYBE pressure (as a little treat) and Hatsune Miku. This story so far is planned to be told through one shots and short fanfiction. Not every fandom listed here is part of official lore but is implied to exist in the same universe for my own little fun

If interested, you can follow my blog: @unreality-au-content-hoard

Dimension 2020 AU: Revamped I/Z au featuring my Z¹msona/OC Twenty rewritten (as when I was younger the au was poorly written/executed). The new summary of this story is as follows:

"After being lost and found as a mere smeet, Twenty is finally able to move past the incident from years ago and live a normal life among other young irkens within the academy. Everything is going very well...until one day..... everything begins to go wrong."

While I will post links to the official fanfiction when it is started as well as updates on Instagram, I will not be posting anything about it on Tumblr for my own comfort.

Aside from these projects, Writing commissions and trades are CLOSED for an indefinite amount of time, as I am too busy to fulfill any more work. However, requests for Unreality one shots or suggestions are usually open.

DNI

While I am fully aware that people will most likely ignore my DNI boundaries, I am still going to put them out here that I will just block you if I see anyone in my DNI interacting with me. I may even end up blocking people out of paranoia or due to compulsions. I very much utilize the block button.

You will be blocked if you are- bigoted in any way/shape/form, pr0sh¹p/c∅msh¹p/similar, ship discourse focused blog, LGBTQ+ discourse focused blog, Rad-exclusive, a pro-harassment antishipper, people against self-shipping and/or OC x Canon, support use of AI art and AI content, support creators like Viziepop and JKrowling (or anyone I'm uncomfortable with), people who believe "black washing" is a thing and/or defend whitewashing, L∅l¹/sh∅t& con supporters/enjoyers, people who call themselves "M.A.Ps" (pedos. You're pedophiles), and anything similar to what is mentioned above

Though technically, even if you are none of the above, I still end up blocking people out of paranoia or if they give me bad vibes. I understand that it is irrational, however it is for my comfort and mental health.

Kink/NSFW blogs are okay to interact, but if you're pr/ship or make fetish art of minors/siblings/ect then uhhhh get lost

Please do NOT talk to me about Ship Discourse, LGBTQ+ Discourse, The Walten Files (ill allow it if we're mutuals) I.Z Fandom Discourse, The Amazing Digital Circus (I'll allow it if we're mutuals), HazbinHotel/HelluvaBoss

Tags

Tags I would recommend blocking if they make you uncomfortable are:

woah sam that's REALLY gay - suggestive tag for future just in case(?)

morts sad time - vent tag

If you're interested in my works or talking outside my Tumblr, my socials are below!

Discord: hamsamwich23

Instagram: hamsamwich23

Wattpad: hamsamwich23

SquidgeWorld: hamsamwich23

And most importantly...

This blog stands with the people of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and the many other countries that are suffering and struggling right now. Below me is a post linking to resources to help these countries and more.

This master document was originally created by Seaweedlagoon on Twitter/"X" and reposted on Tumblr by user eggyolkperona3000

Thank you for reading!!

[aheckinmess]

In response to the results from my "What Am I Working On?" poll, I've decided that for those of you who want to see what's up ahead, I would be delighted to share it with you!

For those of you who do not want to be informed about upcoming writing and fanfictions, whether it's because you don't want to be disappointed if it's not posted or because you would rather be surprised when it comes out, I will put a divider here so you DO NOT have to read it if you don't want to. The only news I am sharing below this line is new and upcoming writing information. Read at your own discretion.

I wanted to take all of your responses into account, and this is how I am able to do so!

TLDR: You want writing news? It's down below. You don't want writing news? Don't read.

Writing News & Updates

Welcome all of you who want to be kept in the loop with updates and other fun ideas headed your way! Bear in mind, the ideas that I share with you will take some time to write, but I figured you all might be interested in seeing what's happening in addition to the regularly updated stories I have going on right now.

This is a compiled list of both current and future works that I'm working on.

CURRENT WORKS IN PROGRESS

My Hero Academia Imagines/One-Shot Compilation:

This work gets updated regularly every Saturday/Sunday right now. Should I ever need to skip a week, I will post an update about it. In addition to this, I'm willing to consider different requests should anyone have them, so feel free to drop a line in the comments (or in a message if you're more shy, like myself) and I'll let you know if I can work it in as a prompt.

A Reader Rendezvous:

The hope is to keep this updated at least once a month. There are a lot of prompts I have as works in progress for this compilation, but work has been busy so I haven't had a lot of time to focus on my x Reader imagines/prompts. Trust me, I'm as upset by this as you are. I have so many good prompts that are basically finished and just need editing! However, I don't work on these as consistently as I do the prompts for my MHA Compilation with Ichijiku (since it's updated every week), so please be patient with me. Same as before, though, requests are allowed.

Cursed, Not Cute:

This work is being updated spontaneously when the muse speaks to me. I went from writing 4 chapters back-to-back in May, and then not posting chapter 5 until Aug. 18 of this week. (although chapter 6 is in the works now). However, I know that it's a fan favorite, so rest assured that it's not forgotten. Since this fic doesn't have as clear of a direction for me right now, there may be long stretches between chapters, but I will try to keep it consistent.

Season of Serendipity:

This work is being updated spontaneously when the muse speaks to me. Similarly to CNC, this fic doesn't have as clear of a vision right now. Since I'm more hyper-focused on My Hero Academia at the moment, Jujutsu Kaisen kinda gets the short end of the stick right now, but I promise these stories are not just being dropped in favor of MHA fics. They all get just as much love!

Bashful Beginnings with Bengal:

This work is being updated spontaneously when I have time to get chapters written. I got into Batman: The Dark Knight in high school and was crazy about it for a while! Then, it died out and my friends rekindled my love for it by introducing me to Wayne Family Adventures on Webtoon. So, I've been writing about my OC, Bengal, for a few years now, but I haven't had time to edit her story in order to make it as polished as I'd like in order to post it. However, more chapters will be added. I just don't have a clear timeline for it. I'm going to say I'm shooting to get another chapter out before the end of September!

Apricity:

This story is completed. This was meant to be a 3-part one-shot series! Now, that's not to say that I won't eventually add onto it, but for the time being, it is complete and can be read as it is.

Hollow Harmony:

This story is completed. This was meant to be a 3-part one-shot series! Now, that's not to say that I won't eventually add onto it, but for the time being, it is complete and can be read as it is.

FUTURE PLANS & PROJECTS

By the Books:

Calling all Aizawa lovers! This is a fanfiction that I've been working on since I first got into My Hero Academia about two and a half years ago. Shouta Aizawa has always been the holder of my heart since I got into the show, and that will never change (although Enji Todoroki also holds my heart in his hands)! I don't want to give too much away, but just know this is an OC x Aizawa fic that is somewhere around 721 pages of nothing but slow burn, angst, and tasty delicious ✨C H A R A C T E R   D E V E L O P M E N T ✨. My hope is to have enough of the fic edited by the beginning of 2025 so I can start posting at the beginning of the new year.

Eye of the Beholder:

Once again, Aizawa lovers, this is for you! Especially if you love Dadzawa! Instead of having an Aizawa x OC fanfiction for this, this is a good old-fashioned Dad!Aizawa-Finds-Child!OC-and-Adopts-Her fanfiction. The idea for this fanfiction was actually born from By the Books, when I was wondering to myself how my character might act if she was hit by a de-aging quirk. And then Eye of the Beholder was born! This story was only just recently thought up in the past year or so, so there's only about 200ish pages for this one.

Ice Ice Baby:

While I know Enji Todoroki isn't a fan favorite in the fandom, that certainly hasn't stopped me from loving him (I mean, more for me, am I right?)! The idea for this story was born because I wondered how Enji might react having someone as emotional as me as a child. From observing the family from the show and manga, it appears most of the Todoroki children are all emotionally distant/have tucked away their feelings. Yes, part of it is because of the emotional abuse, but as someone who grew up in a similar household and still ended up a squishy, emotional bean, I decided LET'S EXPERIMENT! So, we get to see the havoc my little soft OC bean reaps in the hearts of the Todoroki family as she slowly pulls them back together. You can hate it if you want to, but I think it's absolutely adorable (and also about 250ish pages) and I'm rather excited for it. Consider this your warning about it if you don't want to read it.

Might:

We all love some Papa Toshinori. I just think it's absolutely cute and based on the AU fanart and fics I've seen of him taking care of Shigaraki, I decided I'd try my hand at writing some of it. This fanfiction is going to be Toshinori's goddaughter and her life of trying to be a hero after her parents die and Toshinori is left to care for her. It's got a little canon divergence, but a lot of the main canon events will be taking place for some tasty delicious ✨C H A R A C T E R   D E V E L O P M E N T ✨ with a lot of fluff and angst sprinkled in.

Permafrost:

Once again, I have an obsession with Enji Todoroki. Simply put, with enough love and affection, I think his redemption arc and character development could have been kick-started. So, this fanfiction idea was created before Ice Ice Baby with the same idea of "How would Enji Todoroki's character arc have changed if he had someone to actively show him love and affection up front before his children were born?" (Note: I am not saying that Rei did not love Enji. I am, however, saying that I read her character as being much more passive in her affection, as well as marrying him out of obligation instead of someone who might choose to marry him for different reasons.) So basically, think of this as my Todoroki family fix-it fic!

Other Ideas:

I have at least 300+ prompt ideas for MHA that all have little summaries written for them so I don't forget what my ideas were, but they haven't been written yet.

For JJK, I don't have much in the way of a full-fledged fanfiction planned out. (That's a lie: I have a fanfiction plotted out, but it's in collaboration with some friends, and thus I would have to speak with them before deciding to post anything.) However, I do have ideas for a compilation of one-shots, much like I have with MHA.

Also in the way of JJK, I have a Bartender Sukuna AU that I've started writing. It was inspired by someone on Instagram named pikkufrog, but it has my own spin on what it might be like. Maybe once I've gotten part 2 finished, I'll post it as a little two-part one-shot story. Or maybe it'll end up a full series, who can say?

I have two 30-day OTP challenges that I've been working on that I think would be fun to post. One is for Aizawa and one is for Enji. They both have very different plotlines but are both full of cuteness and angst. (Perhaps a dash of spice here and there.)

I've considered an Arranged Marriage AU for Sukuna in JJK as well, but we'll see if the muse sings to me on that one.

Finally, my big, ambitious project is to make a full-fledged fanfiction for every major character in MHA (and yes, I have compiled a list - we're at 38 characters thus far). Yes, it's a big undertaking and no, it won't happen overnight. However, since I enjoy the fandom and I like creating fanfiction within the world, I figure as long as I'm having fun with it...might as well!

CONCLUSION

In closing, I have a lot of ideas swimming around my brain constantly. Not all of them will ever see the light, but for the majority of these that I've shared with you, I want to give them a chance at life so I can share them with all of you! I hope this update gives you a look at what's happening, as well as some anticipation for what is to come.

TLDR: I have a lot of ideas for MHA and JJK. Most of them revolve around Aizawa and Enji, with a dash of Toshinori. Yuji, Sukuna, and Gojo are the ones I typically write for in JJK but those ideas aren't as fleshed out since I'm obsessed with MHA.

HAPPY READING!

[rwdestuffs]

I feel like the conflict was a bit more interesting when the cat wasn't a villain. It gave an actual conflict to the plot because we felt that both jaune and the cat were victims. But now that he's an antagonist (Admittedly, one with a decently compelling motive of wanting to know why he was left behind), it kinda feels… Hollow, I guess? I'm not sure what word I'm looking for is, but "hollow" feels like the most appropriate until I can figure out what word I mean. I know that I'm not looking for "unearned" though.

I really liked the conflict he had with jaune because it made neither of them the bad guy, nor did it make either of them the good guy. But now with this conflict, it really feels like it's black and white. The heroic knight jaune is now in conflict with the trickster cat… The Cat.

Which, props for doing that with the cat's new color scheme, I guess (Kinda obvious that it's now a black and white morality story going on, but interesting symbolism nonetheless), but holy hell is it boring. The conflict could have been the world and how different it is from the story that they know and Neo's singleminded quest for revenge, not the cat's manipulative nature.

We went from "Neither knew what happened to Alyx and Lewis at the tree" to "The cat did that because of his singleminded drive of figuring out why his creators left him behind."

I feel like something that would have been more compelling would be "The Cat is the ONLY ONE NOT allowed to ascend to the tree." He's the historian. He's the one that keeps records of what happens. And maybe he wants to know what would happen if he were to ascend, but he's not allowed to. So instead of all that, he's looking for someone to take his place as the record keeper. The whole "I want someone else to take up this job so I can live the life I want to" is a motive that is hard to fail.

Maybe this volume is here to deconstruct simple but still singleminded motives? Because if so, then way to go writers. It took you about nine years to deconstruct Ruby's singleminded goal of "Become a Huntress to help people" all the way back from Volume 2, but you did it! Yay for you! You get one clapping emoji for that 👏.

Look: I'm aware that the show is very much built around subverting expectations and stuff, but right now, I think we're at the point where the subversions are expected. Taking away the nuance and the shades of grey that were present prior to this episode wasn't interesting, all it did was just sorta make the cat feel like one of Disney's twist villains. Just there to be a villain for the twist. For a show about subverting expectations, doing the whole "Knight vs. Trickster" archetypal rivalry feels like staying on-brand with expectations, rather than subverting them. Kinda feels weird complaining about staying true to expectations in the same paragraph that I said that it felt like not subverting the expectations felt more like the subversion though.

But other than that rant about the cat, I really did think the episode did good. Focusing on Ruby's insecurities and deconstructing Neo's motives was well-done (by RT standards), and even having the rest of team _WBY admit that they did make mistakes in not reaching out to Ruby and instead expecting her to reach out to them was a good choice considering the strange reactions (And lack thereof) they had when Ruby initially blew up at them. It's a pretty good reflection of real life too. People who are hurting on the inside very rarely reach out to others because they always feel like a burden. I know I've felt that way before. Wish they had a better trigger warning for it though.

And while openly admitting that Neo's goals devolved into "I want revenge on Ruby for what happened to Torchwick" and showing that revenge will only lead to being lost once it's been obtained is an interesting way to go about the character, it feels more like the writers forgot that Neo was a character. Admittedly, she was thrown in last-second, so I can somewhat forgive it, but it still feels weird. Kinda wish they had done the whole "Revenge will make you feel empty" thing with a certain other character coughcoughAdamcough, but this is pretty good too.

And the beatdown that Ruby suffered, while brutal, was a great way of deconstructing the common complaint that has been prevalent since Mantle. That being "Team RWBY ends up hurting more than helping." And, despite my pessimism in RT, I'm looking forward to where the question that lies goes onto. Because maybe we'll finally get some Summer Rose scraps.

I want to meet the woman who inspired Ruby and raised Yang, goddammit.

[originemesis]

@sonxfadam from xxx

It is quite laughable to have this soldier of heaven sing his father's praise and say that Cain of all people should be proud of him. Like it's some great honour. The first man has changed over the eons she claims. Just for Adam to petulantly fling his drink and garbage directly into the demon's face. That's the bully he grew up with. The father who could be cruel in his dismissal, terrifying in his anger and quick to make unsightly comparisons between his children. One of the many driving forces that led to Cain's own descent. However he's not scared of Adam, nor of heaven. Not anymore. And he just laughs. Throwing his head back and running a hand through his now dump and sticky hair. Furious. Annoyed. All that repressed hatred and spite from his mortal life boiling back towards the surface. He's completely past the subject of discussion, not that it had mattered much in the first place.

"Gonna hit me old man? Put me in time out? Bring out the belt? White knight and simp for your bitch like a beta cuck?" Sneered as he remains firmly in place. Not allowing Adam to show off in front of his little groupie so easily. "She so fuckin weak that she needs you to protect her from a few simple words? Wow... You two are a match, ain'tcha." "I'm not gonna do shit. Not unless you start something. So you don't need to get your loincloth in a fucking twist. Just reminding you, that if either of you lay a hand on me then you suffer the effects of my curse. Got an issue? Go complain to your boss."

@kugel-bitch

"Uh..." Wow...that is...not how she anticipated this exchange to go. Far be it from her to balk at the prospect of a spur-of-the-moment tussle. She's usually the first in line to throw a punch if the situation calls for it—but this is Adam's blood and as such, she's unsure of her right to say or do anything to sway the course of this potentially disastrous pissing contest. Pitter-pattering back and forth along the border of her commander's massive wingspan, she makes a few half-hearted and entirely fruitless attempts to worm her way through the wall of gilded feathers, eventually opting to clamber her way up the lengthy expanse of his spine to take her perch atop his shoulder instead, like a timorous parakeet, clucking, nigh skittishly, to herself. "Hey...come on let's...let's just go. Okay? This isn't worth a trip to the dry cleaners—" Feathers puffed, pupils pinned, she glares daggers into Cain through the space between Adam's curved horns, a breathy, goose-like hiss forcing it's way through pearly incisors. "—not over this asshole."

To still refer to him as the First Man really was a stretch for anyone who met him now. He'd so clearly become something else entirely- not quite man, and yet not quite an angel either. He sat at the head of a family of soldiers that were angelic in nature- yet shared more in common with flocks of geese at times than they did harp-wielding hippies, and yet for all their combined differences, his instinct to preserve their feeding frenzy of a bond far outweighed that than any allegiance he may have once held to a blooded life. Cain was simply no longer his kind- and that had started even before he had undergone any alterations in heaven. Because he wasn't some little bitch that had meltdowns when things hadn't gone his way in life. The flash of a gate shutting closed in his mind's eye and a path yet to be forged ahead with the brat's weeping mother by his side should be a reminder of that. Be a man about it.

Watching the soda drip streams down the punk's face itched a smirk out of him. If he didn't know the other any better, he may have thought he'd been crying if he showed up elsewhere with a face like that. Hollowed out eyes- sunken in bags that considered sleep as only an optional activity. A snort later and he rolled his, focusing on some lofty perch over the mess stood before him. He didn't like looking at him for very long- his face...it killed the vibes he worked very meticulously inside his false face to preserve. Not like he had to worry about the other taking the first swing, anyway.

"Aw, you'd like that wouldn't you? Out here crying for daddy's attention like the sad little creampie you are ~ " In more ways than one. His wings did give another testy flap as if feigning a hit with the fluff of feathers might crack the other's terms and conditions, or at least flap away the odious stench of the demon for a few moments of fresh air. "Well, news flash, dip shit: you're not even worth a tally in the extermination list, so~ pop off and seethe in shit. We both know you can't cope." He'd leaned down some on the side that Lute perched on, and he flicked his gaze up to consider...her suggestion? It was possible, but with the way he then pressed the visor of his face directly into her flank where one might find ribs on anyone else with her taken shape and preened possessively with his gaze flicked over at Cain, it was unlikely at best.

A knowing grin and a click of his teeth was all he got before Adam tucked his wings in again.

"And you're promoting Karen behavior? Get a load of this guy, Lute. Couldn't have been mine ~ I don't make little bitches " He rested his horn against the side of her shoulder as he did as the humans oft did and kept tweeting away with her as he turned to leave, Cain already forgotten. "Y'know, I think I'd be a real fan of laundry if it meant I'd pulled out and got to wash that loser of a stain out-"

[zeraorarb]

ahgaghgahghagah thank uuu!

(imma gonna talk abt stuff in order as it apprears in the post)

actually slughunter managed to find every single slugcat in every poll. i kept track of that and once they had trouble with one poll, but they also eventually managed to uncover the slug.

also remember that u are a slughunter too with 1 cookie!

I dont think Arisaint was that unexpected tbh. I admit its not as popular as fishstick, but i think it makes a lot of sense and was popularized by some artist drawing some content for em. And the same is here, I saw that if not treetop then this will go eye to eye with ai. Tho the fact that random placement in the bracket put ai sl and ai cl against each other before the finale must've helpt a non ai room get through to the finale.

aghahgahgha i get uuu. hope my calls for ai to not sweep so much arent too bad and its known that i exaggurate a bit. after all i defnetly can see value in them and can see that some plp are not voting cause of the character more then a room. im just happy something else also got to the finale and it is a damn good room and a reason why so many plp like the wall so much. And you are right maybe the true best room is the friends we made along the way.

Heh I'd love to one day restart this again and maybe do some mini polls like you said. I even planned to maybe have a seprate blog for slughunting too... Its just that i rlly need to step back for some time. And I know i dont need to explain myself or aything, most understand. Its just that as this poll ends, my final year in high-school starts and i will propably get buried by school work as well as working on my portfolio for uni. I honestly dont tink i will get to uni of my choise on the first try sadly, but i dont think it will stop my mind from overstressing and pushing me to spend every waking second on trying to get better. So maybe after all of the stresses of the final year will blow over i will return or not. who knows how the paths of life will carry us. But i will most definitly return for watcher dlc, as soon as the interactive map starts to include it and when everyone will enjoy it for a bit. Hope its just not gonna be during the same time as my finals hsghshgshgs I dread hk silksong coiming out when i dont have the time and seeing everyone else enjoying it but mee.....

And I'm truely greatful for your vital contributions to the poll! Your rb propaganda, ur rankings, ur votes, ur support, ur keen eye to my mistakes. It all truley helped to make this poll so much better! Hope you commenting other polls will go great for u too! And your art journey! It was always so nice to see ur thoughts and contributions.

I hope there will be more polls, like this too. If anyone wants to do the smaller mini polls or a slug hunting blog, go ahead! Just tag me so i vote in it too. Maybe i would even make a decent slughunter who knows. Before this poll ended tbh my mind was like "great now do the same, but with hollow knight", but i have to stay focused on school...

Pick Your Favorite Rain World Room, Day 313 FINALE

There is a hidden slugcats (10) in the rooms (they can be in any color). If u can see it comment or reblog with where they are and if u are first, u get a cookie! And this time u have to give a lil discription or an rb with em circled. You dont have to get them all at once in one replay/rb.

Credit for game screenshots goes to: Rain World Interactive Map, Rain World Wiki and me

[lichdragon-fortissax]

As previously stated, Fortissax is my favourite boss in Elden Ring. The other contenders who were very close to also having that place include Maliketh, Placidusax, Radagon/Elden Beast, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux, Malenia and Morgott. Mohg and Lansseax are also very fun, good bosses, but lost out due to several factors. E.g. In terms of Lansseax, I was overlevelled and thus didn’t fully experience it as it should’ve been. For Mohg, the fight was over too quickly. I ain’t summoning for him in NG+ now.

Addendum: I’m not saying Mohg is a short fight, he’s reasonably tangy, but I won’t summon for him in NG+ or any future saves because the two summons I had seemed to have respeced specifically to counter him from what I could tell from how much damage they did to him compared to what Mohg did to them, and that’s if he hit them in the first place. I feel if I had the full proper Mohgin’ time experience, along with Lansseax, they’d be higher on my list of favourite bosses. My fault, not theirs.

...

Oh yeah, I totally feel that with Mohg. I remember learning him on stream with friends, then decided to summon my mimic tear on a whim and just fuckin' SHREDDED him. Same with Maliketh, which I actually regret doing because of how low his health pool was. Radagon/Elden Beast were also fights that I really liked a lot visually speaking, but Radagon gets trivialized with parries so I eventually began to see them as just the Hollow Knight/Radiance duo fight in the back of my brain again, lmao. Which doesn't degrade them at all, the sheer sorrow of the Hollow Knight fight and the anger of the fight against the Radiance just have an emotional whiplash that is completely different to the heartpounding awe I felt when fighting Radagon and the Elden Beast.

For favorite bosses, I think that mechanically Malenia and Maliketh are my top favs (MINUS THE FUCKING WATERFOWL DANCE, which can be dodged but is so finicky that it shouldnt be as dangerous as it is), with Rykard and Mohg coming in as close second for both the spectacle of their bossfights and how fun it was to fight them. Malenia and Maliketh are both Bloodborne-fast with their movesets, which matches perfectly with fast, aggressive fighters like me, and I enjoyed figuring out the trick to Malenia's fight, which is focused more around proper spacing than probably anything else in the game. Their design, lore, boss arenas, and voice acting are also spectacular- Maliketh's gave me actual fucking goosebumps when I heard his death-speech

The only major gripes I had with these two were a.) Malenia's waterfowl dance, and b.) Maliketh's low health. Malenia's waterfowl is perfectly dodgeable, but its not intuitive in the slightest, and is difficult to do if she initiates it right after you're recovering from an attack. The amount of damage done and the lethality of such a hard-to-manage move also makes the fight sometimes feel more rng than it should be, even though literally everything else that she throws at you is perfectly manageable. Someone mentioned that waterfowl dance feels more like a cut Sekiro attack than something that fits in Elden Ring, and I agree, because deflecting it feels like a much more viable strategy than dodging it. Her health regain is fine, I didn't have a problem with that at all.

For Maliketh, I really didn't like his first phase at all. I think they should have either made his second phase proc after you got 25% of his health down instead of 50%, or made him a two-healthbar fight like they did with Malenia. I'm guessing that the reason why they chose to give him such low health/make his second phase not last as long is because of the burn of Destined Death draining your health faster on successive attacks, but that could be fixed by just not making it stack, or to have it still stack but the health drain amount be decreased by a percentage if another damage modifier is present. Some more ground melee attacks would also be good for slower weapon builds, because as much as I love how he moves like a Bloodborne boss, very strength-focused builds are not made for speed in this game, and him bounding about and doing aerial flips can make him quite frustrating for those with slower weapons.

[ccliffjumperr]

Pinned post time!

Hi, I'm Birdie, read my bio for all the basic facts and stuff. I used to be @ jestlingnest!

Fixations and other interests!!!

Right now my interests are very focused on one thing. Transformers. But Psychonauts 2 is my special interest. A game I adore and you should play RIGHT NOW.

My interests include...

Fixations: Transformers

Obsessed: Psychonauts, Splatoon, and Darkwing Duck, Team Fortress 2, It Steals, Yume Nikki, Shadow Milk Cookie (specifically him)

I like a lot: Half Life, Cryptid Crush, Jazzpunk, Ultrakill, the Upturned, Greener Grass Awaits, Lethal Company, We Were Here Series

Past Fixations: Kirby, Hollow Knight, A Hat in Time, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Pizza Tower, Minecraft Story Mode

Stuff I like but I'm normal about: Fallout, Gregory Horror Show, Ducktales

and some more things that may show up on my blog now and then. If you ever want to shoot me an ask about any of these, do not hesitate! I love talking about them.

Other Facts!!

- number 1 V2 fan in the world (exaggeration. i just really like V2)

- i like birds so so so much

- fictional jesters are my favorite

- all i can do is play video games (and writing and art once a month like a werewolf)

- oh and i can also edit things too i do that a lot

Blorbo Collection

John Ward (Faith)

Helmut Fullbear (Psychonauts)

V2 (Ultrakill)

Pizzahead (Pizza Tower)

Pitaya Dragon Cookie (Cookie Run)

Lukas (Minecraft Story Mode)

Grant Cohen (Bendy and the Ink Machine)

Magolor (Kirby)

Lemm (Hollow Knight)

Commander Peepers (Wander Over Yonder)

Starscream (Transformers)

Blurr (Transformers Animated)

Shadow Milk Cookie (Cookie Run)

Other blogs!!

Other blogs to follow include my artblog ( @psi-kings-sensorium ) my psychonauts blog ( @feel-mobile ) my CR sideblog ( @shadow-milk-cookie ) my Darkwing Duck blog ( @negaduckie ) and my tfa blog ( @tfa-headcanons )

And I guess I'll add more stuff if needed! Have a Magolor plush and some images

[also-fours]

*Insert obligatory "I'm ready to be flamed comment here*

Okay so this was REALLY hard in some places.

Both Pyre and Iconoclasts are criminally underrated, but I feel Pyre more so fits that for me, despite the fact that I like its story more than Iconoclasts.

Deltarune, despite not being finished, had a big personal impact on me for obvious reasons if you know me.

It was really hard to decide whether I hate God of War or Persona 5 more.

i landed on persona 5

(Yes, I've played both, don't give me that "oh you haven't even played them" bullshit. God Of War has an RPG system that isn't really that deep, nor fun to experiment with, focuses too much on being cinematic, repeats bosses too much, and has too many walking scenes where you do nothing. Persona 5's too long, and its combat too repetitive and bland for me. I also can't stand most of its cast besides Kawakami and Futaba. I can certainly see the appeal in both, everyone's valid for liking those, I just don't like either of them.)

No, I don't know why I like TMNT Mutants In Manhattan either.

Miles Morales was fantastic, made improvements over the gameplay of the original, and improved on being a "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," but the story's a rehash of the first(not bad, it just didn't innovate and felt too same-y) and it was very buggy at launch. It's an improvement, a step in the right direction, for sure, but I find myself coming back to the original Spider-Man more. No offense to Miles though, Insomniac did great on that one, it's just I like the original more.

Been playing a lot of Mario Galaxy this year, it's really really lovely and relaxing!

yes i like the werehog in sonic unleashed

The Messenger is fun.

why does no one care about web of shadows

why can't i finish arkham asylum

we were robbed of a transformers devastation sequel

OneShot is OneShot. Play it. And cry.

i love madeline from celeste

FNAF 1 has the best atmosphere of the games, and VR Horror is something I avoid like the plague but fuck is FNAF Help Wanted a good and fun game...that took me a year to beat because i'm a pussy

Shovel Knight is a shining example of a Kickstarter program meeting all of its expectations and at most points blowing them out of the water.

Iconoclasts' story is something that had me on the edge of my goddamn seat. And fuck Elro. If you played the game, you'll know why.

Hollow Knight's art style is honestly what makes the game really calm for me in between boss fights, and when I'm NOT in Deepnest.

Smash Bros. has had a knack for making me super depressed, disappointed, or frustrated recently with the Pyra/Mythra and Sephiroth reveals most fresh in my mind, and even before those two if I'm being honest with Byleth, (Yes I know the game is Japanese and marketed towards a Japanese audience but you don't just shaft the rest of your fans like that, nor do I think people like Byleth or Pyra deserve their spots because Fire Emblem and Xenoblade aren't exactly what I think about when I think of the "Video Game Hall of Fame" concept that Smash has turned into) but I DO really love the game at the end of the day.

There are things about Avengers that I really like. But the lack of a post game, the repetitive use of capture the flag game modes even in the DLC, repetitive objectives, too little amount of villains, microtransactions, too little amount of comic costumes, TONS of glitches at launch, and lack of a roadmap make this game a letdown for me. Story's damn good though.

Ultimate Spider-Man...One of my first video games. (now you know why there's a lot of spider-man here)

it would take me hours to explain in depth why undertale is my favorite

alright post over go home

[professor-mor]

An unfortunate update

Hey guys, it's Adric again with a, less then ideal update on things for you guys.

So for those of you who have been following me you know some of the stress that me and my wife have been dealing with, we have had to file for bankruptcy, are stuck in a 9.5 X 11 room with a half bath, stuck with very little time to spend with each other, and all around barely managing to get by between 2 jobs each. Well today we were given some less then ideal news.

Today me and my wife got to have a sit down meeting with my Uncle (who owns the place we live) his older brother, sister, and both of their spouses. In pseudo polite terms they told us the following;

1. I need to stop focusing on my job at the comic shop that doesn't pay well and stop trying to do my online stuff that doesn't pay very well.

2. That I need to get another job despite my back problems and not physically being able to do 90% of jobs because I cannot stay sitting or standing for more than 60 minutes without extreme pain.

3. And this is the kicker, We have 3/4 months to get a car and move out. Period.

The problem with this is that, as where we *might* be able to make rent and car payments work, and we *might* find a place in time that is within out miniscule budget, we don't know what we are going to do. We have no savings from being forced to pay for my Wife's Ex's half of their old child support, many medical bills trying to take care of health problems that are still ongoing, and most recently filling for bankruptcy which has drained what little savings we had left.

Now all of this is, honestly, not you're guy's problem. It is mine and my wife's problem to try and figure out, I've not even been able to make content for you guys lately to have incentives to back my patreon or use other means to support me.

However, I am posting this with the slight hope that I can put my commissions out there enough, that I can get someone who needs a voice actor or a short writer for a project, or someone that wants SOMETHING within my skill sets that I can provide for a little bit of money, because we need to come up with something to be able to afford the deposits any place for a place to stay or car are going to want.

So please, if you can help at all, be it by commissioning my writing, voice acting, or even a Pokemon Sprite, or if you are able to back me on Patreon (I promise I have more content coming soon there, especially for you Hollow Knight fans), or even just a few dollars on Ko-Fi. Right now anything helps, because we are scared, and we don't know what we are going to do, because in 3 months, we might not even have a place to go home to at night.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for sharing this around where you can. I hope to catch you all soon, and I can't wait to bring your dreams to life.

Commission info: https://dbgreece.tumblr.com/post/188767257779/holiday-commission-update

Ko-fi: http://ko-fi.com/dbgreece

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DBGreece

[blackasmidnightcats]

QfG Rants and Remakes part 5

Big thanks to both @agathasarmy and @yarasquad for sharing their ideas with me and believing that I could actually make a coherent rant without being too swallowed up by my emotions and hopefully I'll be able to do the same here.

P.S. Imma change the title of the next Rants and Remakes cause it's definitely not focusing on QfG anymore and it's gonna focus of AWWP so yeah...there's that to look forward too.

Chaddick & Yara + Tagatha interlude

Note: This post was originally gonna be titled "Chaddick & Yara + Mourning the Departed" and would have turned out as how it is explained below but as I was writing about Chaddick I realized that I needed to talk about something concerning Tagatha and realized that this post would have been too long for all three so I gonna move the "Mourning of Departed" in its own post. Hope you guys understand. Tagatha has a strong pull with me.

Imma actually gonna outline this cause I need to organize my thoughts and at least with this I could remember the direction that I would be heading.

First part's definitely going to talk about how Chaddick and Yara's death is bs

Then imma explain why them staying alive would have impacted the TCY storyline a lot more meaningfully (p.s. this is where the Tagatha interlude will be found)

And last (and this has been moved to its own post so stay tuned for it), I would also like to nitpick Soman's obvious lack of thought when it comes to the characters that have departed (mainly Callis and Lady Lesso and August Sader) and how it should have affected the characters (mainly Sophie and Agatha)

How Chaddick and Yara could have helped the storyline better

WARNING: I realized while writing this that I kinda made Chaddick and Yara more flawed than they are writen because I have to think about their character growth and they can't have that without having any flaws. So expect some more drama with these two than needed as I share my thoughts on how their characters could have went. They get better in the end believe me.

So I think that everyone in the fandom is one with the idea that Chaddick's death was one of the MOST worst decisions that Soman made.

As @agathasarmy said it once, Chaddick's death is more frustrating than sad because of how out of nowhere it is.

Via @agathasarmy:

but… Chaddick??? dying??? IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SERIES????

IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE, AND THE ONLY WAY IT MAKE SENSE IS COS SOMAN OBVIOUSLY DID IT TO INTRODUCE RHIAN AND THATS THE SHITTIEST THING ABOUT IT

HE REDUCED CHADDICK’S DEATH AS A PLOT DOOR WITHOUT PROPERLY SUBSTANTIATING CHADDICK’S CHARACTER FIRST SO INSTEAD OF US TRULY MOURNING HIS LIFE WE’RE JUST LEFT WITH THIS HOLLOW FEELING OF WHAT HE COULD’VE BEEN AS AN INTEGRAL CHARACTER TO THE PLOT

THIS

Chaddick's death felt hollow because it was a PLOT DEVICE. It didn't (or at least Soman didn't) conscider Chaddick much of a character but a means and once this happens some deaths can be very very hollow.

Like his POV chapter was very hard to read all because especially once you find out that he's dead by the end of it (SHAME SOMAN, SHAME) because his story and plot had so much potential. We weren't able to properly feel sad about his lost because we didn't get to know him better.

It just feels tragic. So much potential lost, all because Soman wanted Tedros to feel vulnerable because he lost his close friend.

WHICH SOMAN DIDN'T REALLY NEED TO DO

I explained already why this is bull and I'm gonna explain later what could have happened for Chaddick's character.

But in summary on why Soman didn't need to do it: EXPECTATIONS

Chaddick and Tedros would have been stressed out with all the expectations and comparison with Arthur and Lancelot. One wrong move could have broke them apart easily.

But Soman could have also not wanted to deal with Chaddick against his Sophie obssession so there could be that too.

SHAME SOMAN

Now, Yara.

Our little Soft Girl

She should not have died.

She really shouldn't have

W h y ?

Because her being alive would have impacted the story more than her death ever did. Just like Chaddick.

And if the problem was what she could have affected in the storyline in TLEA, then she could have been on the sides like. . . as Tristan from time to time or something.

Her being alive would have not affected or change TLEA at all. Like if more important characters like the Coven and the League can fade into the background then so could she.

But I really don't imagine her being in the school for New Evil with Aric as Dean. No, maybe Yuba could have hidden her with the League and she could have accompanied Princess Uma when they were getting Tedros and Agatha and then accompanied the Leuge or something.

Really it would have been that simple. C'mon.

Plus Kiko has been reduced to wreck after that. At least, with Yara being alive she could have fixed herself a bit more.

Okay

So in summary again: CHADDICK AND YARA SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED AND SHAME ON SOMAN FOR KILLING THEM OFF

Now, let's get to the juicier part, what could these two have contributed to the TCY storyline.

On Chaddick

It's pretty obvious what Chaddick's role should have been. He should have been important to the plot because his role would have been about breaking the comparison between the Past and the Present (see Soman, it could have been integrated into your canon plot) between him, Tedros, and Agatha to Lancelot, Arthur, and Gwen.

I'm pretty sure that Camelot has its eyes on these three.

It's pretty freaking convenient that they all have a predecessor to be compared to. And I'm pretty sure that it's not just Camelot who notices the pattern. I mean the whole freaking Woods read about this affair.

So Chaddick, along with Tedros and Agatha, should have been the ones that break this chain. It could have symbolized that Camelot was entering into a new, better era after a similar relationship broke it.

Like, a King, his beloved Queen and his most trusted Knight brought hope but ended in a Tragedy.

Now, another King, his beloved Queen and his most trusted Knight are skeptically judged for having the same pattern and they instead bring the Glory that first trio didn't

With Tedros, Agatha, and Chaddick united with each other bringing Camelot out of its traumatic experience with Tedros's parents, Camelot finally accepting that these three are not the same as Arthur, Gwen, and Lance and fully supporting them DESPITE the fear, would have been a much stronger message of that 'the past doesn't always repeat itself.'

Because with Rhian being known and most propably remembered as Tedros's most trusted Knight and betraying him in the end, it's like a copy of what Lance technically did to Arthur.

It just further proved that Camelot's King would always be betrayed by the ones they trust most.

Sadly for Arthur, he was betrayed by both Gwen and Lance and they left him alone.

While Tedros still has Agatha but without Chaddick the lesson simply is not learned.

Chaddick was integral to this formula because Camelot would have had to face yet another propable tragedy for their beloved King in the hands of the people he loves. With Tedros, Agatha, and Chaddick, complete, proving that they could do better despite having just a strong a bond as what Arthur and co had and Camelot accepting and trsuting this, the previous wounds would be replaced with new Hope.

Because even if that whole affair happened and ruined the Kingdom, at least they have proof that it's not always gonna happen that way.

And that's why Rhian being remembered as Tedros's Knight hurts this idea. Cause he betrayed him too.

Anyway, hopefully I made my point with this legacy thing.

Plus Chaddick and Arthur's Round Table training him. WHY SOMAN WHY?!?!?!

And now, imma explain what I think should have happened with Chaddick and how his character development and his role should have played out.

Because Chaddick is a pretty well rounded character, his POV chapter proves that he's brave, and is willing to die for his friends and what's right, and there isn't really much flaws to him aside from that he can sometimes make the most worst decisions despite being pretty wise.

I honestly cannot tell if he is stupid sometimes or Soman just does this to him cause PLOT.

Fandom I need help with this. Give me some opinions.

Like. . . he's wise enough to know what was right, examples being warning Tedros about Sophie and the first to listen to Agatha in AWWP, but also dumb or ignorant enough to bully Agatha in Book 1 and that VERY IMPORTANT THING ABOUT completely ABUSING Tedros is AWWP.

Like I'm kinda confused with him.

Well maybe we can say that he's a bit ignorant and maybe was raised with privilege so that's why he bullied Agatha in Book 1 and kinda wisened up in Book 2 about her.

But I am not excusing his attitude towards Tedros in AWWP because that was messed up. Well, AWWP was messed up so there is that but if we have to acknowledge that mess and have some closure then I vote for it to come from Chaddick and Yara.

Like maybe the reason why Chaddick is more wise now is because of that very experience. Maybe he could still be a bit guilty about it and that kinda messes with his mind cause he still thinks that Tedros is still the same boy those years ago in their second year and Rhian uses this to his advantage.

Actually, thinking about it this makes so much sense.

Like instead of AGATHA having the trust issues (thought I wouldn't completely vanish it, just not at the same level as she does in canon) it's CHADDICK that has them. Cause he's always kinda gets haunted by what happened in AWWP.

I mean Tedros replaced him with ARIC of all people when he failed to retrieve Agatha. There has to be some animosity between them since. I can imagine that Chaddick kinda felt like him and Tedros could never be as close as when they were during their first year. And he would totally understand it if Tedros never really forgave him for what happened and was at peace with it even if he didn't have enough guts to find a closure for it. He'd respect his friend first and foremost.

But then comes Tedros, all fine and inviting him to be his Knight like that would mess Chaddick up.

He propably couldn't believe it at first and maybe even kindly refused the offer at first but then he sees the heart break in Tedros's face and Chaddick realizes that Tedros really wanted this.

Tedros still sees Chaddick as his closest friend despite what happened in AWWP. And maybe after some thinking, Chaddick realizes that he still wants to have the bond with Tedros like what they had in Book 1. So he accepts.

But of course, they've changed and Chaddick still gets eaten by guilt because I think that he's the kind of person that knows that he did something wrong and wants to repent for it.

So instead of that wise friend that Tedros had in Book 1, Chaddick can't trust his judgement about Tedros because he's scared he'd go too far. So he kinda just agrees to Tedros's ideas and doesn't really give advice. Tedros kinda notices this and tries to talk to Chaddick about it but Chaddick would be all formal to him. Tedros, I don't really know, would think that it would be for his sake with the comparison with Arthur and Lance and all. So he kinda just goes along with it.

It's messy right now guys, I know, I'm kinda butchering Chaddick's character here but I promise it gets better and in my mind he'd be like this for only Book 4. He'd be Wise Chaddick again right after. Just give me a chance to explain.

So they have this kind of miscommunication thing that Canon Tagatha had in QfG instead and that would have made so much more sense and here's why;

Warning: this is officially where the Tagatha interlude starts so if you wanna skip it (why though???) find the sign that states it's the end. It's gonna be in pink too.

The fact that Tagatha was having a miscommunication failure was kinda off with me because 1) they've been over this in AWWP and TLEA. In TLEA Tedros has absolutely no problem with pushing Agatha to share more when she wouldn't and 2) he could easily read her like a book, especially when it counts. Like he could get her favorite food wrong but he always seemed to know what Agatha was having trouble with and was there to help her out and is not afraid to call her out on it (i.e. the Cinderella thing, he was on point there)

Imma provide some examples of Tedros totally getting Agatha when it counts;

AND THIS

AND THIS TOO

WAIT THERE IS MORE (The Tagatha Moment)

AND LET US NOT FORGET

THIS IS WHY TLEA TAGATHA WILL ALWAYS BE BEST TAGATHA.

I get that Agatha's insecure about herself and maybe she was kinda influenced with the Excalibur thing (but I highly doubt it though) but it's no reason for her to get to the conclusion she did at the end of QfG.

I mean girl, you were always thinking that Tedros would be a Great King in TLEA and that's why you've been so insecure about yourself. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT???

Someone call me out on this PLEASE. I'm hurting myself by judging her too hard.

I can imagine that she would be sceptical with Tedros's ideas and kinda doubting him about it (you guys have no idea how much it hurts typing this) but I can also imagine that she would never doubt that Tedros's heart is in the right place even if she thinks that the way he gets there isn't always the best.

Like we have literal proof that Tedros gets Agatha almost like Sophie does and the best thing is that I'm sure that Tedros would think of the best in mind.

The mess in QfG makes no sense because they should be over this miscommunication bs and it should not have been a thing.

And if it was because of the stress with Excalibur and his responsibilities as King that made Tedros suddenly not get Agatha then WTF Soman!?!?!? I did not ask for this. They were literally about to die in TLEA and yet they could still joke and tease each other and have these cute little scenes with the other.

Instead I got Rhian's b*tch ass being Tedros's therapists when he knows sh*t about this boy and Agatha doubting Tedros like he did something horrible. (Well he did for trusting Rhian but i digress)

I could have had more of these cute Tagatha scenes instead. Like, is it too much to ask for these two to just show their love for each other in other ways than "I will save you" and "You're the best thing ever and I don't want to lose you for this horrible thing that I did or say" like give me small softer moments anytime.

Tedros gently teasing Agatha when she's being difficult and Agatha being totally trying not to show that she's smitten over it.

Agatha trying to be romantic at the most outrageous moments and Tedros being like "?????" but totally finding it cute.

Other character just not getting these two when they do and they are just as confused.

These are the kind of scenes I wanted from them. And if I have to use Chaddick to get it then so be it. (I'm sorry about this, I'm mostly projecting at this point and these really affecting my personal opinions on this matter but I'll try to tone it down a bit so that it's still coherent)

Note: this is the official end of the Tagatha interlude but i'm not keeping any promises that it'll be the last

Anyways, Chaddick and Tedros, they have more reasons with having communication problems because;

They have not been together for a very long time and they've both propably changed since

AWWP. So far, the two of them have had horrible experiences as the last thing that they remember about each other.

As I explained, I headcanon that Chaddick has a somewhat formed a sort of PSTD with it and is very scared that he's gonna mess it up.

I'm not even going to try to explain the PSTD thing cause I feel like I'm not gonna do it justice but I hope you get what I mean.

Chaddick must have become more unsure of himself after AWWP and he must still be trying to fit this new Tedros with the old one that he used to hang out with in Book 1. It would have been a good comparison to show that Tedros has indeed change and grown since then.

Like Chaddick kinda feels like he needs to intervene when Tedros shares a very outrageous suggestion but doesn't know how and kinda ends up in a mess.

Basically imagine Tagatha's problems in QfG and apply to Tedros and Chaddick instead.

And Chaddick would have been suspiscious about Rhian from the beginning. He's a smart savy guy afterall.

So Rhian kinda exploits this and gets the two boys against each other. Because say that Tedros and Chaddick have this big fight propably like the one when Agatha comments that Tedros was being a horrible king but Chaddick's the one that said it instead. Say that this happens around the middle of the Book and it's the final straw between them because they haven't been properly communicating and all the pressure on them. Rhian could easily worm his way to Tedros's side and replace Chaddick nicely. Cause unlile Chaddick, Rhian would make Tedros believe that HE'S the one that believes in him the most.

So they kinda fall apart and Chaddick and Tedros are trying to understand where it all went wrong.

Agatha would try to understand each side and get them to better terms again but she can't do it alone plus a-hole Rhian is butting in.

I imagine that, for me, the logical person that Chaddick might approach on his dilema with Tedros might be Ravan.

Cause the two of them basically think the same way and are usually calm and wise. The only difference would be that Chaddick's more active while Ravan's more passive and choses to observe before making a move. So he calms Chaddick down when he's being too impatient.

Chaddick and Agatha would be talking of course. And I don't know why but I imagine that they're more numb to all the gossip about the three of them especially around each other because they're both sort of level headed and wise then when they're with Tedros individually.

And I imagine this is where the Tagatha drama happens. Only after Rhian cause I wanna be clear that without him, Tagatha would have been fine. He also tries to break them up by saying that Agatha sides with Chaddick and that she doesn't have much faith in Tedros too.

Agatha's going to deny this of course (because it's all bs from Rhian) but Tedros has been too stressed and vulnerable that he sorta starts to believe it and Agatha gets frustrated that Tedros is choosing to believe Rhian when she's known him longer and after everything that they've been through.

But Tedros isn't fully under Rhian's spell. I would have put several times when they would doubt each other especially when Rhian talks crap about Agatha and Chaddick and it would be beserk button for Tedros so Rhian doesn't really go there.

Now Chaddick would be having his little personal battle with himself and Ravan and Agatha would be there to support him and give some advice.

The real kicker would have been when Rhian is adored by Camelot as Tedros's Treasured Knight, someone better than Lancelot and Chaddick kinda has a heartbreaking moment because HE'S supposed to be the one that was known as Tedros's Treasured Knight not this stranger. Not this stranger that stole everything from him especially his best friend.

Agatha hears about this and reflects the time when she gave up her own position as Tedros's queen in TLEA and remembers that Tedros knows her and all her monsters and has been the light to help her fight them.

So she and Chaddick have this talk and she tries to concinve him that Tedros wouldn't want for Chaddick to just give up on him like that. Chaddick thinks about it but is still not completely convinced but Agatha reminds him that Tedros CHOOSE HIM to be his Knight and Liege and they both have to fight for it.

It's Ravan who finally manages to get Chaddick to gear when he asks Chaddick if he's going to regret anything he should choose to either regret letting Tedros go and not fighting for their friendship or make a complete idiot of himself but fight for their friendship instead.

So Chaddick does the latter but everything is too late and the Rhian thing happens as I explained in the first Rants and Remakes post and Chaddick gets tossed into jail with Tedros.

It's in book 5 that I imagine their relationship actually starts to heal itself and they both try to get through everything. I haven't thought of all the kinks out yet but I imagine a lot of fights and Chaddick just kinda shouting what he thinks before he startsvthe regret it and Tedros being this physic and just getting Chaddick too like how he does Agatha.

Again, I haven't thought of everything yet but I'll share it when I do

Now let's move on to Yara

On Yara

Yara would have been more influencial alive then dead and I already explained why how she could have been handled in TLEA cause where I really see exploiting her is in the storyline of TCY.

With the Balance vs Chaos in mind as well as the Lady of the Lake villainess plotline, Yara could have been the answer to this.

She'd be a living reminder of everything that all the characters went through in AWWP and how horribly toxic it is to everyone. Especially those like Yara who lives in the between.

Like with the Lady plotline she would have promoted ultimate purity for both Good and Evil and doesn't believe that each side could be able to understand each other so she thinks that she's promoting Balance that way and that letting each side corrupt the other is Chaos.

She would have believed that Yara is an abomination to the Balance because she is the embodiment of the idea that you can choose some charcteristic from two sides and still be yourself.

Plus with Yara alive the other characters would be forced to rethink their ideals and how to approach this new possibility and reflect on the old ways that have been hurting the ones that are similar to her.

I imagine that Yara's gonna have an internal struggle with this like she's still trying to understand it herself and as she tries to understand it the more that the other characters do as well.

I haven't actually thought out her actual detailed storyline just yet and even though I wanna say more I know that I might butcher her character as I go on but I definitely know her importance to the possible story.

As I explained before, if in TSY was Good VS Evil and that the TCY was about Good AND Evil and how both sides need each other to grow and develop and that the importance of the School still teaching Good and Evil in its most purest form is so that they'd all have a guideline to go by but the curriculum has become more flexible with their beliefs OF Good and Evil and that every student just have shades of grey but choses to go by these either of the two and can still be a Hero or a Villain then Yara could have been the right person to show that it doesn't matter if your not completely on one side and was given the characteristics of the other, it matters what values you choose to follow despite it and how tou choose to use it to help everyone else for the better.

Cause it's canon already that it doesn't matter what they are, it's what they do that counts.

NGL I'm not completely satisfied with how I explained Chaddick and Yara I feel like I didn't do them justice here and I will definitely get back to this when I have organized and fleshed out my thoughts on them

Anyways, if you guys would like to add your own thoughts to this post pls do.

[goldendroid200]

So I have a Sci-fi Project...

This semester I have a science fiction class and our final project is writing a short story. However, our teacher is letting us do whatever we want for it. So I'm doing a graphic novel.

What's it about?

It's about the planet Trappist-1G, in the Trappist-1 solar system (it actually exists. Check NASA), where there is an underground world plagued by a creature called 'The Entity'.

The story itself starts with a scientist going to the planet to see if it's habitable. She ends up discovering the underground world where she meets Key, a small bio-mechanical being. They both end up exploring the underground world together.

I still need to come up with a title.

Can we see concepts?

Sure.

This is the first bit of concepts I started with. Mostly to do with the architecture and ideal looks of the locals. And a hunter-bot in the bottom-right corner.

These are concepts of more types of hunter bots and an early concept of the 'villain' (no, not the Entity)

Who are the main characters?

There are three characters who were once the Royal Children of the world. Here they are.

'Key' - Half-ling who is destined to be the new hero of Trappist-1G. Not much of a talker. Ends up giving his life force to save the entire planet.

EXTRA NOTES: I decided to give Key only one arm because I thought that could be the type of thing where people go, "What happened to you?" My friend who I showed this to found him adorable, so she and I took the liberty of calling him "small boi" from time to time.

'Shade' - The last former princess of 1G turned ninja vigilante. She feels a strange connection to Key that reminds her of her family, so she's really protective of him.

EXTRA NOTES: I kinda based Shade off of Sheik from Legend of Zelda and Hornet from Hollow Knight. My friend and I call her "ninja girl".

'Saber' aka 'The Fallen' - The former prince of 1G who was supposed to be the original hero. During his final battle with the Entity, he fell and was used as a puppet, being corrupted by it over the years. Even now he waits for when the new hero rises and strikes him down and restore peace to the planet.

EXTRA NOTES: As you can tell from the original concept, Saber's name was originally going to be Blade. But with Shade and Blade in the same story, there was bound to be confusion. I also wanted this character to have a 'Kylo Ren' characterization, if you know what I mean. No nickname for this poor guy, sadly.

Here are the final designs for the characters.

As for the Scientist, I have yet to draw a concept for her and a name. I've just been focusing on these three so far. This character is made to be like the humans in Transformers, if you know what I mean.

What was your inspiration for this?

My main inspirations for this came from Hollow Knight, Transformers, Bionicle, Legend of Zelda, and the movie '9' (with the ragdolls).

What are you going to do when it's all done?

After it's done, I'm turning it in to my teacher and that's it.

...

...

...

JK! I'm also gonna upload to a new Tumblr blog made for that story. So stay tuned in for that. ^-^

When will you upload this?

Sometime during the summer. Hopefully sooner. We'll see.

Welp, that's about it.

... I don't know how to end this... oh well.

[eversall]

jimon + kissing in the rain?? (i'm a sap i know)

this is definitely a little more angsty than i thought was gonna happen so i’m sorry!!! feel free to like resend me another prompt or something if this isn’t exactly what you imagined

also wow only three more days until 2b…how many prompts can i fill before the new season fucks me over? 

The rain is relentless, beating against Jace’s shoulders and soaking him to the bone. His thin shirt offers no protection, clinging to his skin, cold and clammy, and he impatiently pushes his hair out of his face as he looks around wildly, trying to find a flash of anything in the pouring rain outside the entrance to the Seelie Glade. 

“Simon!” He calls again, anger seeping into his voice, because fuck, here they are again, back to square one, running away from each other, terrified at the fragile thing between them. From the moment Jace met his gaze, brown eyes worried and hostile next to Clary, he’s known that Simon is something, and it’s so easy to push and pull at him instead of facing down what it really means - 

But he’s here now, right? Blindly stumbling through the heavy rain, teeth clenched tight against the shivers wracking his body, his mind focused with a single-minded intensity on finding Simon, on making this  - making it worth that tenuous something that’s been building up. 

“Simon!” He yells again, and he’s desperate now, turning in circles, looking for a flash of brown hair anywhere along the trees, boots slipping in the mud as he spins. “Fuck, where are you? Is it that repulsive to think that we could - “

“You’re really one to talk.” Simon appears suddenly, as quickly as if he’s been there the whole time, the distortion in the raindrops falling the only indication that he used his vampire speed to get here. Jace’s breath catches in his throat, his heart suddenly pounding faster, and it’s stupid but he can still remember the way Simon had looked, his voice raw and anguished as he’d confessed to the Seelie Queen that he would save Jace from the spell. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jace asks, swallowing hard, his courage from the past few minutes leaving him in one sudden rush, voices in his head clamoring with all the reasons that this is a monumentally bad idea. 

“Emotions cloud judgment, Simon,” Simon mocks, his voice low and angry, his gaze sharp as he glares at Jace, “You don’t know anything about this world, Simon, or my personal favorite - you’ll never understand anything - “

“Hey, no - that’s not - you know that’s not what I meant.” Jace says quietly, softly stunned, because those are - those are the things he says to himself to convinces himself that he doesn’t deserve good things. It’s the echo of the world Valentine drilled into him, and it’s been - it’s all the people around him who drowned that out through sheer force of will, loving Jace hard enough to make him feel like there’s something bigger out there in the world. People like Maryse, people like Izzy and Alec and Max, people like Clary, and people like - 

And Simon, who smiles like it’s going out of fashion, makes it easier to breathe sometimes by just being himself, genuine and honest and everything that makes life bright. 

“It’s what you think.” Simon says, just as quietly, bitterly. “I accepted a long time ago I had no chance with you, Jace.” 

“You don’t know that.” Jace says tightly, crossing his arms and feeling his heart begin to shatter just a little bit. 

“I know it.” Simon looks at something far away, his eyes fixed unseeing on the trees behind him. “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not going to be the person whose heart you break. I’m not Clary, and I’m in love with you, but - but you’re -”

Quick to anger, and quicker to hurt, the Seelie Queen had whispered when Jace had been caught in the throes of an errant spell from one of her Knights, I cannot help someone who collects darkness around them like a cloak to wear proudly. I cannot help a liar, unless someone tells the truth for him.

I will do anything, Simon had said then before Alec or Izzy could say it, and it had shocked everyone into silence, the only sounds left the pained gasps coming from Jace, writhing under the spell’s grasp, his eyes fixed on a trembling Simon. I will do anything, I love him. I love him. 

Now, staring at Simon shaking apart in front of him, stumbling back, Jace reaches a hand out and tries to reach Simon, tries to fix this before it breaks, tries to be the man Simon seems to see in him. 

“I’m in love with you.” He murmurs quietly, and Simon shakes his head harder, turning away from him and stumbling a few steps away, audibly heaving ragged breaths. 

“You’re not.” Simon says, misery laced through his words. “You can’t be.” 

“Don’t lie to yourself.” Jace says, and his voice is stronger this time, determined. “Don’t break my heart.” 

Simon makes a wounded noise, a sound of anger and desperation, and he whirls around faster than Jace’s eyes can track, crossing the distance between them and crashing his lips into Jace’s. His arms come up to clutch at Jace’s back, nails digging in sharp enough to hurt, pinpoints of pain against the chill of the rain. His mouth is slick and open under Jace’s, lips insistent and rough, a slight hint of fangs peeking out. Water cascades around them, raindrops trickling into the heated space between them, kissed away as Jace grasps Simon’s hips and tries to pull him as close as physically possible. 

It’s cold and miserably wet, but Jace feels like he’s just climbed a mountain, adrenaline pulsing hotly through his veins as Simon expertly licks his way into Jace’s mouth and groans deliriously under him. His chest feels to big to contain the rapid beating of his heart, swelling with hope and fear and hurt. He doesn’t want to let go of this moment, of the way Simon’s wet, bedraggled curls brush against his forehead, how Simon tucks Jace’s sopping wet hair behind his ear with gentle, questing fingers, the way Simon’s body pushes in closer, closer, closer. 

“I’m so scared.” Simon pulls away long enough to say into the space between them, the words quiet and lost in the tattoo of raindrops against the ground. Jace bites his lip and watches Simon’s eyes, tries to pinpoint the exact shade of darkened brown that’s staring back at him. 

“So am I.” He says hoarsely, and Simon doesn’t say anything back, doesn’t have to. Standing under the rain, watching raindrops slip across Simon’s face and pool in the hollow of his collarbone, he thinks that they both know this is something they can’t let go of, can’t be selfless enough to give up. 

“We should get out of the rain.” Simon says instead, tracing a thumb down the wet slope of Jace’s cheekbone, and Jace smiles faintly. 

“We should.” He agrees, and instead kisses Simon again, the rain beating in time with his heart.