#by all means he SHOULDN'T have this game and that people are willing to break into his house to get it back

[citricacidprince]

I finished Inscryption recently and, surprisingly, at the moment the one I have the most thoughts on is Luke of all characters and they are buzzing around my brain at max speed

[askhermesgrian]

Welcome to CAMP HERMITCRAFT! (Text Adventure Event) 04

(STARTING POST , PREVIOUS POST , POLL AT THE END!)

Art by @ahllohehn Writing by @askhermesgrian (asst. @ahllohehn)

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LAST POLL RESULTS

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Nothing good will come out of putting more attention to yourself, you thought. Grian would probably prefer that you didn't put attention to yourself either.

You were on alert about the presence inside the house and quickly ducked under the window as you made your way to your bickering companions, panickedly waving your arms around to signal them to stop yelling at each other.

"There's people inside the house!" you whisper-yelled, causing both Grian and Scar to pause and hold in their breaths.

"Ah, well, suppose we shouldn't expect Keralis and X to be anywhere else," Scar whispered back with a giggle, "Good call." (+1 rep)

You all glance over at the Big House one more time before Grian holds on the handles of Scar's wheelchair and starts scurrying away from the building, "Yeah, let's not... do this little game anymore. The sooner we get to the infirmary the better."

You nodded in shame and follow after them with an equally hasty pace.

(!) Missed Keralis' and Xisuma's 1st Connection Branch.

With the mishap surrounding your powers and the short-lived game Grian set upon you, your group find their way to the infirmary. A building that looked wider than it is taller. It was a mix between broken and comfy looking, especially with the arrows stuck all over the roof and the one that was barely holding up the sign.

Judging with the way that neither Scar nor Grian commented or reacted to it, you assume that the arrows were purposefully put there for decoration... You hope.

"Welcome to my second home!" Scar joked as he was pushed up the ramp to enter.

Scar and Grian looked more at ease when further away from the Big House, but as soon as you entered inside the actual infirmary, your relaxed states were cut short by a cough.

All you slowly turn your heads to look at where the noise came from with dread on your expressions, especially evident on Grian's and Scar's face while you were mostly left confused at the sight of another person.

"Well, if it ain't our two little troublemakers!"

"And.. oh! Another victim of yours?"

You were met with the sight of a tall and fairly muscular man. By first impression, you thought he was a rockstar from the 90s, but maybe that was because of how he styled himself with the addition of the long hair.

You could've sworn he was physically glowing. You had to rub your eyes to make sure you weren't imagining it, but the three continued to converse amidst your personal confusion.

Scar was sheepishly trying to excuse Grian and himself, "We haven't done anything wrong!" he defended, "I mean, I haven't done anything wrong. Grian howeve--" he was willing to add more, but one glare from his partner in crime had him shutting up with a sheepish smile.

It was then Grian's turn to defend himself, "I haven't done anything! Skizz, if I were to have done anything, wouldn't there be more patients by now?"

'Skizz' tried to look serious, but the guy still couldn't help but break out into giggles, "Sure, but it's more concerning to see that there even is one in the first place," he gestured to you, making you wonder just how many times Grian and Scar had escorted their 'victims', "And you just about missed Doc too."

(!) Missed Doc's 1st Connection Branch.

Scar kept quiet in fear for his safety as Grian grumbled under his breath for even more excuses. Seeing as neither of the two were willing to actually go ahead and explain anything, Skizz turned to you.

"So, what's up, lil' fella? What'cha in for?"

You thought that phrase was something to be used in another context, but you didn't speak up to correct him.

"I got... a bump on my head," you explained vaguely, wondering just how much you could reveal without getting Grian in trouble. Skizz seemed to sense that there's more to that statement and pressed further.

"Uh huh, anything else?"

You glanced at Grian, who seemed to silently beg you to come up with an excuse, but he had already faced away from you before you could confirm. Whatever you did, he doesn't seem to trust that you'd actually make up an excuse to save him so he was hunched over like he was preparing to be scolded.

"No, nothing else."

When you answered that, Skizz and Grian looked over to scrutinize your expression, looking for a secret or reason you're hiding, with Grian mostly looking over at you weirdly yet gratefully. When you kept a steady expression and didn't speak any more than that, you breathed a sigh of relief as Skizz decided to not ask further.

"Well, I'm no good at checking the medical stuff to see if you do have anything else other than a bump on the head," he said while beckoning you over to one of the infirmary beds behind a curtain, urging you to sit down, "So I'll do some basic healing and we'll see if I can call Doc back over to check on the rest."

"You troublemakers, on the other hand, will have to wait outside. Don't forget how you confetti bombed the infirmary last time," Grian seemed alarmed at that and he immediately tried to follow after you, only to be stopped by Skizz.

The boy in the red cardigan forced a cheery smile, "They need me for emotional support!"

"You already gave them a bump on the head, what other support would they need from you?" Skizz said lightheartedly, but it didn't ease up Grian's expression.

You were alerted at how eager Grian was to cling onto you now. But then again, you'd probably want to stick to your problem too after you possibly lost a supposed important magic thing from dropping it on their head. Who knows if there's actual side effects other than a bump on the head? If this camp had actual good doctors, Grian probably wouldn't be the only one in trouble.

There was still the amnesia and the weird powers. Is that information something you should be protective of?

You fidgeted on the spot as stubborn Grian had to be whisked away by an equally stubborn Skizz. Scar looked back at you and at the pair in hesitation before approaching you, taking your hand and quickly forcing a bird whistle into your hands.

You looked up at him inquiringly, silently wondering if this was a silent threat or some sort of metaphor. Scar gave you a sheepish smile, "I'm gonna be honest. That magic of yours isn't normal."

You blinked confusingly. So was he just acting amazed by you to make you panic less? "But... you said nothing is exactly normal here?"

"By mortal standards, nothing is normal here," Scar sounded much more serious than he had been for the past few minutes, "By the normal standards here, you're the.. abnork-- mm.. abnomnality," well, there goes the serious talk.

"What I mean to say is- whatever wrong happens, you'll have to prepare for it! Seeing as whatever was in the box had seeped into little mortal you," he tapped on the bird whistle you had in your hands, "This quest only remained in Grian's and Xisuma's hands so they know the most about it. But since me and lil' birdie over there have ac- accumerlated distrust with the infirmary volunteers, Grian can't control anything that'll happen here from now on."

Scar mimicked a bird's call horribly, "Use the whistle if something goes wrong. Grian usually answers to it. I do too. Mumbo would as well, but...." he trailed off and went quiet when he realized you wouldn't exactly know who he was talking about. (+1 Grian Connection, +1 Scar Connection)

"Well, just know that it's a thing we have as friends to alert for danger. You gotta whistle immediately so we could control the problem if your.. 'magic' goes wrong."

You examined the bird whistle nervously, "Is something meant to go wrong?"

"Well, it was called Pandora's box for a reason!"

Scar said that so joyfully you wondered if he realized just how terrifying that statement is. Not that either of you get to speak on it as Grian's squawking was getting louder outside.

"We'll be around, no worries!" Scar patted you on the shoulder one last time before wheeling himself away, leaving you to yourself for once ever since you woke up.

... But even so, it felt as if you're truly not alone.

Keeping Scar's comments in mind, you feel the urge to.. move. Do something. Something.

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PLAYER STATUS Watchers' notes: This is where you can all check your status as one collective player. Please pay attention.

General Status: Possible amnesia. Numbness. (!) The feeling of being watched is stronger.

Reputation Status: 9/10 (+1 from Scar) - You can only currently call; Scar and Grian.

Current Run Notes: - (!) You unlocked Scar and Grian's connection branches. Calling for help may be useful sometime, so don't lose the bird whistle. - (!) Skizz seems to have no faith in your companions. Just how often do other people end up in the infirmary because of them? - ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ||'∷ᒷ ꖎᔑ⚍⊣⍑╎リ⊣

[bananasfosterparent]

@thewillowbends Hope it's okay I moved to text post, it seemed like a better idea.

First, let me be clear: People can write whatever they want and I'm not saying they can't or shouldn't.

----

"If Tav is happily evil, then we’re back to the issue of limits in the narrative functionality beyond shorter works."

If Tav HAS to be a meek, regretful abuse victim in order for a story to be lengthy and meaningful, then that is 100% a skill and creativity issue of the writer. Either them not having the ability to see the story from another perspective, or them not having the creativity level to consider other canon-friendly manifestations of the Evil Tav x Asc Astarion relationship. Those "limits" you speak of are only limits if you allow them to be and don't let yourself grow as a writer.

"As it is, game is pretty blunt about how the story of spawn Tav ends"

The game is not blunt at all. The game gives us NO ending to that. It's up to the player. The closest we have to an idea of an ending for "spawn" Tav, is this datamined title card:

(read image description for transcription)

While this was cut from the official release of the game (like all the epilogue content), it still shows what Larian had/has in mind for the direction of the Asc ending. And it's got no hints about abuse.

Astarion tells you as much if you break up with him — “I would’ve ruined your love, used your trust.”

This is called metagaming. BG3 is not like a tv show where all the little dots connect and line up. BG3 is a "choose your own adventure" novel in video game form. It works just the same. So any choices or options you DO NOT select are NOT TRUE for your character in that playthrough. So nothing Spawn Astarion says in that ending matters in regards to a playthrough with the Ascended ending. Nothing Asc Astarion says matters in regards to a playthrough with the Spawn ending. In BOTH endings, he thanks Tav genuinely, fully appreciates the choice, is glad the opposite choice wasn't made, and wants Tav to choose what their next adventure will be. Both endings have to be worthwhile and feel satisfying for the player, and the best way to do that is to have Astarion genuinely appreciate what Tav has done, in BOTH endings. And he does.

"it’s a story about cycles and the destruction of life. It’s telling you what Astarion will become because Cazador used to be in his position."

It's telling who Cazedor was and his story. That doesn't mean Astarion is doomed to repeat it. Or that a specific ending IS him repeating it. There is no warning of such. It CAN go that way, but nothing in-game says it has to. Because breaking "the cycle" isn't one specific thing. And he breaks cycles in BOTH endings.

Astarion's story is about corruption and choosing to either become more corrupt (than he already is) or try to live by the rules of society and just accept how things are. In the Spawn ending he talks about the "cycle of power", meaning the cycle of vampire culture that thrives on a pyramid of power. He is free of that headache and appreciates that. As to the quote you mention, Astarion is speculating about ascension. He has no idea what would have actually happened, he can only guess. He is an opportunistic optimist so he'd more likely see the path he couldn't take as one he shouldn't have anyway. And having him say that in-game for that ending, makes that ending feel worth it for the player.

In the Asc ending, he breaks the cycles of loneliness, living in darkness, selfishness, hunger, and wants to treat his own spawn better than Cazedor ever did. Astarion hates the word spawn and chooses to call his future ones his "children" instead. He loves the sun, it's symbolic for him. Yet, he is fully willing, without hesitation, to give up something he loves so much, so that his "children" can thrive in a world that is shrouded in fog. He also takes on a consort (vampire bride/groom) and wants to share that power, something Cazedor did not do (as far as we know).

You can break away from Larian’s story, certainly, but a lot of fanfic writers are trying to stick to what was extant within the media itself. At some point, if you pull too far away from it, you’re just writing an original story, and the issue most writers then run into is…why not turn it fully original and publish it then?

Here's the problem with this: Larian's story IS BOTH endings. There is no metaphorical build up in the game that sets up *only* the Spawn ending as his "real" or "true" ending. It's a metaphorical build up that can have TWO different solutions. One being reject the power and accept life as it is. The other being usurp power and rewrite the rules. Ascension is never shown to be a truly evil or bad thing. The worst part of it is sacrificing the 7000 spawn. But if Tav/Durge rationalizes this, there are no real negatives. The only negatives may be if one does not vibe with his confidence boost and prefers him more docile. The whole last statement you've made and way of thinking makes it seem like his Spawn ending is the real one and his Ascended ending is just some "fun and sexy" alternative but invalid thing you can do.

His story arc is BOTH endings. They are both just as bad and as good as the other, it's just a matter of what works for your Tav/Durge and for you as the player. He does not have ONE TRUE ENDING. You choose the lesser of two evils. Which one is "lesser" depends entirely on the player and Tav/Durge as individuals.

If ANYTHING, writing Ascended Astarion as an abusive, uncaring, unloving monster is just writing an original story and not sticking to what is within the game itself. Not the other way around.

Also, as a last comment... a fanfiction does not have to be a 70 chapter epic. It can be 1-3 chapters and be a complete work. Or just one chapter. Or a few paragraphs. But Tav and Astarion being happily evil together shouldn't be a reason you can't write a lengthy and fleshed out story. That's just lack of creativity. Spawn ending fans outnumber Asc ending fans, and most Spawn fans have a negative view of Asc Astarion. So that's more likely the reason why we never see many happily evil Tav x Astarion fics.

[fairytalewonders]

Also nothing like my usual post, but I couldn't help but think of it.

For those of you that know about Danganronpa, particularly Danganronpa V3, I just had a thought I think might help people understand a character more.

You all know Kokichi Ouma, right? How Kokichi Ouma has a no killing rule in his organization? (Something that is probably important to have when your group mainly goes around committing illegal activities. The longer you do such things, the easier it becomes to do and the lines get more blurred. Which is why the rule probably exists and isn't an unspoken rule but one that's clearly outlined. Because members of the group actually have the potential to do such a thing.)

Well, that doesn't necessarily mean that Kokichi is morally upstanding like some like to make him out to be because all this rule does is ban killing. But everything else is on the table. Another way I just recently thought to put it in-- you know Batman, right? How Batman has a no killing rule? But he'll do everything but kill you? He will send you to the ER and brutally disfigure you if need be, but he won't kill you.

I think that's how people should start looking at Kokichi. Not a pioneer of justice like Batman, but someone who is willing to do everything but kill someone.

(Not that I think Kokichi would send someone to the ER. The fact that I think he was scared of Katio when he punched him makes me think Kokichi just doesn't like violence in general, and has a personal hatred towards the art of killing. But, I think Kokichi would be down for breaking-and-entering, as well as stealing and everything like that. I don't think that would bother him in the slightest.) (Though, Kokichi's seemingly personal hatred to the idea of killing makes me think something may have happened to him, which is a completely different analysis than this one, as such I will not be going into in.

Which, I would like to point out, I also think Kokichi was trying to get everyone killed by Chapter 4. If he figured out they were being watched, he probably figured out they weren't the only people to participate in a killing game, he also probably figured there would be future ones. So to stop the games, he would make it unplayable to the viewers. (In other words, even if he got the rest of his peers killed, they were doomed after the first killing, it was probably better from his perspective to ruin the game and prevent any future games from being held. Saving the future people, instead of his peers basically.) (A choice he and Maki, Kiibo, Shuichi, and Himiko would have ironically shared if that was the case.)

The reason I say this is because I'm frustrated with people making Kokichi this "soft boy" who did no wrong and was only trying to help everyone, or making him a horrible hypocrite with no values. When in truth he's morally grey, was long before he even set foot in the killing game, and was then put in a killing game that would make anyone's morals worse. If anything his actions are an attestment to how much he clung onto those morals and beliefs. (He was far from the only person that's actions that got others killed, and he didn't have the worse motive by far. It shouldn't be swept under the rug, but he shouldn't be automatically worse than every character for his actions just because of a rule he has with his organization. A basic rule that everyone in society has, though it normally doesn't need to be lined out.)

Which, this is just how I view Kokichi, and it may not even be accurate. Just a thought.

[yansimstorythatiwillnotworkon]

Amai Odayaka

Name: Amai Odayaka

Gender: Female

Class: 2-2

Club: Cooking

Persona: Lovestruck (Social Butterfly)

Reputation:

Overall: +63

Liked: +100

Respected: +100

Feared: -10

Crush: ???

Strength: Very Weak

__

Amai is basically the ideal rival. If Amai wanted to date Taro, not many of the players would even want to get in the way of it because Amai is just that sweet of a person. But that's where the problem kicks in, I think.

Amai is such a perfect girl that there's no real reason why the player would want to kill her outside of the game telling them to.

Amai is a great girl when you look at it from a game-making view, but I'm writing a story. She's too perfect and needs flaws outside of being hated by the selfish and psychotic main character that evidently doesn't deserve Taro as much as Amai does.

So, under the cut I'll touch into some more subjects. But do enjoy the art, I'll be making one of these for each student.

Amai Odayaka's only passion in life is her family's bakery. The Odayaka Bakery has been a well-known name for generations, any local grandparent could tell you. Growing up, Amai was always popular because of her early ability to bake and "being nice," some would say. Although I'm sure it's just Amai being a decent human being with great baking skills.

Thanks to this, Amai has built her whole personality around baking and has revolved her whole life around keeping her bakery as top-notch as possible.

More than often, the only time she hangs out with her friends is when she's baking with them or when they help her prepare a meal since that's all she really wants to do. Even if it means solitude, she prefers baking over anything else.

The only exception is teaching others how to bake, which is her second passion. This is why she so much enjoys her club, since everyone there is interested in learning how to bake. This is also why she takes an interest in Taro, because he's looking for a club and willing to learn.

She doesn't start hanging out around Taro because she fell head over heels in love with him. Rather, she was just doing what she normally did as someone passionate about baking.

Of course, I'm not saying that she couldn't. If anything, given enough time (NOT a week), I'm sure Amai could learn to take a break from her baking passion and finally enter a relationship.

Similarly, Amai has known Shoku longer, so with just a week's help from Ayano, I'm sure Amai would choose him instead. I guess what I'm saying is regarding Amai's love life, interference from Ayano could result in Amai or Taro losing interest in each other. Additionally, interference from Ayano could result in Amai gaining interest from her secret admirer, that being Shoku.

An addition to Amai's flaws could be this, though. Amai has always internally believed that her family's bakery was completely unbeatable. That there was no way that any bakery could ever be better. Because of this, I imagine that she's a horrible loser.

Someone beat her in a middle school baking competition? They must have sabotaged hers because there's no way her family's recipe could fail her. Her family's bakery is losing money because another bakery has grown more popular? They MUST be stealing her family's recipes.

In the end, I think a good twist would be that the other bakery was growing more popular because of their different style of treats. Basically, they take a basic treat and make something charming out of it, which is unique - something people might want to flock to the shop for.

Even Amai's parents don't believe that the bakery might be up to anything, but thanks to how Amai's centered her life, she wholeheartedly believes that there shouldn't be any reason why her family's bakery is failing.

[f1-disaster-bi]

FIC ASK GAME: Give me a fic of mine and I'll tell you a fact about that fic and/or ask a question you have about that fic.

Paparazzi AU anything you are willing to share I'm way to invested in this 😂😂😂

Papparazzi au my love 💖

Thinking about this ask during me feeling angsty and all I can think about is the first race after everything breaks.

Lando, of course, has the support of the team. He has most of the grid supporting him privately and publically. He has journalists calling out those that outed him, and he thinks maybe it'll be okay.

And then security shows up at his door and Jon is there looking tense and distressed, explaining to him that "There have been threats made", and that they're serious enough that McLaren have actually hired outside security to be with Lando whereever he goes this weekend. That if he wins or podiums, they don't think it's a good idea he goes out to celebrate unless it's a stricly McLaren only party where they can keep an eye on him.

Him and Martin have barely patched themselves back together, and Martin isn't there. He had a show. Lando had seen all the love Martin had gotten at his show the night before, but for Lando, he doesn't know if he's going to be walking into support or hate.

And worse, it's a mix of both.

There are fans that appraoch him, telling him they're sorry about the outing but admitting that it means so much to them to see someone like Lando on the grid and that makes Lando feel a little warm. He only ever wanted to be a positive role model to fans, not like this, but maybe it's a good thing?

And then there are those that yell slurrs, that try to throw things, that call out disgusting sexual things at him, asking him if he got his seat by bending over and Lando is sick to the stomach with it because before this, everyone he's ever come out to has been supportive.

He's been lucky enough to never face homophobia before, and to be able to pass as straight publically, but now he can't and there are people out there that genuienly would rather see him dead than with another man.

At one point in the weekend, it's thrown around that maybe he shouldn't drive, and Lando can't help but think "this is it. This is how I lose everything"

[youraveragedeltafan]

Jarod and Lola

A small rant fueled by a dubious take I heard on Jarod and Lola's relationship in both the game and first book, I've never fully read About a Girl so I can't vouch for that one.

((Now that I think about it, the OP was probably from a troll but it's too late I'm in too deep))

That being said. Spoilers.

TW for abuse and a brief talk about implied SA

Did Jarod abuse Lola in some way? It's likely, especially considering he slapped her in the first book. While it only happens if Lou decides not to do anything, it shows that Jarod is willing to hurt his child.

To be clear: hitting your kid is never okay. Even when he's trying to get her out of a dangerous situation, it's clear that smacking her did nothing, and that it wasn't an accident. It was retaliation for pushing off his hat. The direct quote is:

"The man’s long and thin fingers are clutching Lola’s bright red arm. The kid continues to flail, knocking back the man who loses his hat in the process. His response is immediate, a slap hard enough to knock her head off her shoulders." (31)

Lola's response directly after doesn't help

"The man sits at the wheel of the cab, and leers at Lola who flips him off. Once the car is gone, she stands up and dusts herself off." (251)

No reaction. We don't know what Lola was like before the Brigades, but I think anyone would be at least somewhat shocked after their parent hit them if it wasn't normal. Even if it was the first time, it's still entirely unnecessary. This was put there for a reason--to depict what kind of a person Jarod was before the attack. It shows that Jarod is not an innocent man who was pushed over the edge, and wasn't exactly a shining beacon of good or even halfway decent parenting before Lola's death.

Even without this, we already know Jarod is an objectively bad person. If we take away the nuance, he's still at his core a scary fictional bad guy who has it in him to hurt his daughter and kill people if they annoy him too much. So yeah, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he abused Lola even before the Brigades, and might have contributed to why she left. This is reprehensible on its own.

HOWEVER

It's okay to like Jarod and find him interesting, he's meant to be the archetypal stranger you shouldn't talk to in horror movies (the hitcher), and plays that part well. It doesn't make you a bad person to like Jarod. Look at it this way: just because you like the Joker doesn't mean you're gonna get a clown mask, rob a bank, then burn the money.

Back to Jarod though. I think if he did anything else, it would've been implied. If they wanted to go that way with his character (SA), I feel like it would be kind of irresponsible of the writers to leave it at small 'hints' (that for the record aren't really there). Making a shrine for your dead daughter isn't weird; the 'shrine' was in front of what was basically her bedroom--something parents of dead children tend to keep untouched. Being obsessed with your dead daughter, while probably unhealthy, isn't weird.

Just because Jarod has a short fuse and likes to threaten and kill people when his cold anger meter breaks doesn't automatically mean he gets some creepy sexual pleasure from doing so. It isn't implied like, at all. The closest things I can think of that's even remotely iffy without context is Better Be Good To Me, but even then it isn't about the crosser, it's about the cop.

TL; DR: Jarod, from what we know in canon, probably physically abused Lola before and after she joined the Brigades, however, there isn't enough evidence to say the writers (both book and game) wanted Jarod to be read as a sexual predator. To be clear: It's fine if that's *your* personal interpretation, as at the end of the day its art, but trying to stand on a moral high ground about a fictional character for something that was never remotely implied in game is really...yeah.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

Like a songbird in a cage, Anya has spent her entire life as the General's perfect daughter. He snaps his fingers, she jumps. He tells her to smile, she beams like she is made of the sun itself. But underneath all those games and glitter, she's working to destroy her father and save the city she loves.

When an undine sneaks his way into her city, intent on kidnapping her, she lets him take her.

Daios is plagued by the decisions of his past. Souls haunt him, memories follow his every move, and all he knows is that perhaps stealing this woman will absolve him of his sins. If he can bring her back to his people, then they can destroy the city where his hatred was born. He’s certain this will be easy. But then he sees the General’s daughter, and he knows nothing will ever be the same again.

Broken and damaged, he's certain no woman will ever love him. He shouldn't even try to encourage the mating instincts that ride him hard the moment he sees her.

But when he realizes that she's the same as he is, different from her people and on the outskirts of what others deem "normal", he knows he's a goner. Even if it means he has to risk everything to keep her.

Review:

A girl who has spent her life trapped in a cage under the reputation as the General's perfect daughter yearns to break free... but she never imagined she'd find freedom and love with the very undine who takes her. Anya has spent her life as the General's perfect daughter, her every move monitored and being forced to do everything he asks. She yearns to be free, and she has a secret, she's been working to take down her father and save the city she loves. When an undine sneaks his way into her city, intent on kidnapping her, she willing goes and asks him to take her. Daois is plagued by his mistakes and his past, of the decisions he made that lead to the death of his people and the bodies that haunt him. He is plagued by guilt, thinking he is a monster, unlovable, and wants nothing more than to atone for his sins. Yet when he meets Anya his entire world shifts. He has always hated humans, yet he wants nothing more than to shelter her and protect her. He was just suppose to kidnap the general's daughter in order to strike against the general... yet he has found himself completely bewitched by the strong and kind woman that has fallen into his life. Can they make a relationship work despite their differences? Oh how I loved this book! The romance was so sweet and well done and I adored how caring and supportive Anya and Daois were to each other. Despite their differences, they perfectly fit together. I have to say I adored this even more than the first book and I had so much fun with the first one. I can't wait to see how the third one goes and would absolutely recommend this series for anyone who enjoys the Shape of Water and Merman/Mermaid/Sea monster romances!!

*Thank You Emma Hamm for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[kaijuboarcreations]

Maybe I'm just talking to the wind here but now that the Bvz tag is blowing up to unexpected proportions I want to put my two cents out there for a couple of things. Also spoilers are a big part of this so read at your own risk.

The fact that Barok is racist is an obvious character flaw and not a good thing clearly. It is never stated to be a good thing, it was never put in place as a way to try to justify racism. Why would a Japanese team make a game with a Japanese protag and try to paint racism against Japanese people as a good thing? They also wrote Barok to be an adversary and in many ways esp in game one he plays the role as the xenophobic British empire itself trying to beat down a foreigner. But that being said he is still his own character and that becomes more clear in game two. There's no shortage of racism for racism's sake in the games. Several witnesses and perpetrators like Asa Shin/Jezale Brett, are racist because they live in a society that perpetuates the idea that the British Empire is above the rest of the world.

So let's look back at Barok. As we find out, he was raised in a household were likely his first interaction with any Japanese person on a personal level was in the form of Genshin, who was his older brother's friend and colleague. He looked up to his brother and consequently looked up to Genshin until the Professor situation came about. Obviously we learn that the trauma that Barok experienced at the loss of his brother was not really Genshin's fault (but you know vigilantism may not have been the best answer to the situation he and Klint found themselves in) and obviously it was not the fault of the Japanese populous as a whole. Trauma can make you do shitty things. Does it justify them. Absolutely the fuck not. Even if Genshin was the Professor and Klint was an innocent victim it still would justify nothing. That being said, grief has a way of creating irrational emotional connections to certain things and given that Barok lived in a time where mental health surrounding grief and depression were either never addressed or landed you in a facility were they basically tried to torture the sad out of you meant there was no way for him to get assistance in breaking out of his emotional cycle. Place on top of that, he would have been surrounded by people in British society who would have validated his racism, and now he has an easy scapegoat for his grief. Does that mean it's ok. Again of course not. Even van Zieks himself admits to that.

If van Zieks racism prevents you from enjoying him as a character, no judgement at all. But if you think anyone who likes him is some kind of racism apologist, that just seems like a very unfair judgment.

For one thing he is a fictional character. Liking a character who does bad things is not a reflection on someone's moral compass.

On top of that everything i said above about van Zieks comes down to a very important conclusion, and one that has led me through the transition of hating him with a burning passion to coming to love him. By the end of GAAC he absolutely can and seems to want to get better. Even in the last case where he admits to himself and Ryunosuke that his racist comments are unawarented, wrong, and unfair... that's progress. Even if its miniscule. All Barok wants is the closure he never got and by the end of the last case he has it and can begin his road to recovery. One which Kazuma of all people is willing to stand by him for. You can see through the course of the second game that he makes fewer hits at Ryunosuke's race (simply referring to him as "learned friend"). He intends to make progress. He was not always racist and he doesn't have to be for the rest of his life. Doesn't mean it was ok for him to be and that he shouldn't apologize and make up for his actions. It doesn't mean that anyone is required to forgive him either. But liking a character for intending to make progress doesn't make someone a bad person or apologist. Id argue it's the opposite. As I said I hated Barok for a good chunk of game play and maybe him not having the chance to do a whole lot to make up for himself in game isn't enough by some standards but at the end of the day it was Ryunosuke's story not his, and it seems the writers were intent to say Barok's story goes on from here and the end of Ryunosuke's exploits in London are marking a new beginning for Barok in which we as the player can read into in our own way. Because I highly doubt we'll be getting a spinoff of a spinoff featuring the man. Maybe I'm just an optimist who wants to see the best in this particular character idk.

[gemini-sensei]

Hawk x Reader Angst

I don't know what this is and it ends kind of abruptly, but I hope you enjoy it. Just sorta came to me 🤷‍♀️ (unedited)

What if Reader is a former Cobra Kai who wants to be on the good side, but everyone makes it a lot harder for her to become one of them. They give her a hard time because she was in Cobra Kai for so long, did a lot of thing she greats, said even more things that she regrets. She does everything in her power to apologize and make it better, apologizing so many time, but it doesn't seem to work. She starts to think that everyone hates her and becomes withdrawn.

When everyone makes plans to hangout, she's not invited and she doesn't even try to come along after a while. They go without her and she just stays home. After all, she knows they only tolerate her because she's a good fighter.

There's only one person who gives her the time of day and that's Hawk. He understands the position she's in and tries to keep her spirits up. He's the only one willing to spar and train with her. He gets a few side eyes for it, but he doesnt care.

Things come to a head when everyone gets invited to a party. There's tension between the Cobras and Miyagi-Dos, but they keep their distance for the most part. Reader sits alone for a while because both sides don't want to be near her and everyone else has other people they'd like to hang out with. So she ends up getting a drink and keeping away from everyone.

Hawk eventually finds her all alone in a room, a few empty beer cans at her side and a fresh drink in her hand. He takes one look at her and knows she's fucking wasted. He sits with her so she's not alone, but she looks at him and asks him why.

"Because you shouldn't be alone right now," he tells her taking the drink from her hand. She barely has a grip on it. He takes a sip of it and sets it down out of her reach. "And you should probably stop drinking."

She shrugs. "What does it matter? No one cares."

"That's not true."

"Everyone hates me."

"Not everyone."

She stares at him. "Name one person."

"Me."

"Liar."

She looks away from him with a roll of the eyes and stares at the ceiling. They're just sitting against a wall, doing nothing. She feels like the weight of the world is on top of her, the pressure ready to make her implode.

Hawk shakes his head, ready to make his argument to her when she breaks.

"I just thought that I could do some good after everything I did... but I can't," she says and it's unclear if she's talking to him or to the empty room. She sniffles, then the tears start to shed, making tiny rivers down her cheeks. "I can't make any of it right. It's too late. I fucked it all up and now I'm going to die alone, stuck here, died to a life of loneliness."

"Stop that-"

"Everyone else is so much better than me. Good and kind and fighting the good fight. Sam and Miguel are gonna get married one day and have a ton of kids and grow old together. They'll get to be happy for the rest of their lives once all this karate bullshit blows over and I'll be all alone all because I thought I was somebody in Cobra Kai-"

"Reader-"

"But was a nobody. I was just a stupid puppet in this stupid game and now everyone hates me because I was rude and mean and tried to hurt you guys. I'll be all alone while you find a hot girl to be with and Demetri will become this crazy stupid rich guy with his own tech empire. You guys will be set for life, happy while I'm nothing but dirt-"

"Stop it!"

Hawk grabs her face and looks into her eyes to ground her back in reality. Her tears are fat and endless, her face hot with the havoc her emotions have beared down upon her. She cried hard, as if a damn has broken and her heart is gushing. It's wretched. It hurts. But as he stares into her sorrowful eyes, he realizes she needs to let it out.

So he hugs her and let's her sob into his chest. He holds her tight, trying to keep her pieces together as she crumbles. He never thought he'd see her so low, especially after training with her in Cobra Kai. If people though Tory was tough and mean, Reader was on a different level.

She didn't hold back, even when it came to people on her own team and the other Cobras had been careful around her. They knew if she wanted to, she'd kick them into next week, but that girl wasn't in Hawk's arms at the moment. Wherever she is, she's left Reader weeping in his arms. Maybe it's because she's drunk, but he doesn't care. He saw this coming from a mile away after the way everyone was treating her.

"It's gonna be okay," he tells her. He doesn't know if that's the right thing to say, but it's all he has. "They'll come around."

Reader shakes her head. "I don't know if I can do this anymkre..."

He frowns, rubbing her back gently. "Then don't."

She looks up at him, red and puffy eyes glossy. There's something lost in her eyes, hazy with drunkenness. "What would I do then?"

"Anything you want," he tells her. He pushes some of her hair out of her face. "Thisnisnt working, so find something else."

"But... but what would you do?" She looks so confused and drunk, but somehow sure of her question, as if it's a question she should be asking.

"Why would it matter what I'm soing?" he asks.

She blinks at him. "...what?"

He sighs and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay."

She's stopped crying, but Hawk waits a while long before offering to take her home. She accepts and he helps her up. They leave the party without incident, though Reader is leaning on him the whole way to his car. He gets her seated and buckled up, then starts driving.

She starts playing with the radio and he tells her to stop, so she sits back in the seat. But she can't sit still, so she's shifting and fidgeting. They don't talk much, not that she's saying much that makes a lot of sense.

When he gets her home, he manages to get her all the way to her bed. At that point he's dragging her, but he doesn't mind. As soon as she's laying in bed, she's practically a ragdoll. She's mumbling to him about how sorry she is that he has to do all of this for her because "I just can't do anything right, huh?" He tells her that's not true and it starts a small argument while he's taking her shoes off for her.

The next morning, he takes care of her whilst she's hungover, thinking she doesn't remember most of the night. Things are quiet, but he doesn't leave her side much until he has to. When it's time for him to go home, she's crawled into bed again to sleep off the dull ache left in her head and he says he'll see her around. But the next time he goes to the dojo, she doesn't show up.

Everyone else is a little confused, but not complaining. The next day she isn't there, they think she's sick. Then the next, they start to question it. Reader was a great fighter, why would she just up and quit? Hawk figures she at least remembered a part of their conversation that night and couldn't be happier for her.

However, the next time they're at a competition, he sees her in the crowd. And as the day goes on, he realizes she's only cheering for him.

[rimeiii]

Using WHB as an excuse to talk about gaming (pt. 2)

With the character voicelines being revealed in WHB and Xeno Cocytus Crucible FA gaming/Arknights x MonHun event grinding in the background (I stopped at 2 FLB copies by the time Xeno Crucible ended), it's about time I talk about one of my favorite things when it comes to talking about games, that being character development through voicelines! Because these voicelines come a long way to actually describe how a character actually is, and it's often these little details that can make or break a game for me.

What do I mean with these tiny voicelines? It's those little cut-ins, those quotes characters throw out in battle. For me, a good quote is one that displays aspects of their personality without making it seem like those aspects are the sole part of their personality.

(More under the cut, along with a spoiler warning for the What Makes the Sky Blue trilogy from Granblue Fantasy, as well as both Integrated Strategies 2 and Guide Ahead from Arknights!)

WHB's in-battle quotes seem to really hammer in the fact that they're in a war and are out for the angels' blood. Which is completely fair - this is the main premise of the game, after all. But there are several standout lines for me personally, especially in the context of their brief character introductions.

First of all, Naberius. Cool, calm, and collected - demons aren't exactly keen on pissing him off because he can shapeshift into a cerberus in his rage. He himself isn't fond of getting angry and going on a rampage, which I feel is exemplified in his quote.

To me, this is an indication of the ability to keep his emotions on check, so that he won't rampage on the battlefield. It's a warning of sorts, a "You won't like me when I'm angry", spoken with an air of confidence and mastery of his own abilities. Not quite unhinged, he still has his wits on his head - that is, until you push him enough for him to fly into a rage.

Now, you want to know who's unhinged period? Dantalian.

I compared Dantalian to Executioner Specialists because that's really how I envision his fighting style - specifically Kirin R Yato's second skill. Get up close and personal, beat up a prime target while drawing attention to yourself, retreat and go into hiding while finding another opening. Dantalian offering his enemies to write on his skin actually plays well into his character design, with the writings on his skin, as well as him fighting up close and personal just to feel fear!

Also, important to note that it would seem like he's taunting the angels. Given what we know about him, I think it's more than likely he's pissing the angels off by implying that this is definitely his victory, not the angels'.

And on the other side of the coin, we have a relatively sane individual whose only priority is to defeat the angels - Leviathan!

My baby boy, despite his jealousy and agoraphobia, is still able and willing to fight for the sake of his people on the battlefield. Very task-focused, he also shows signs of protectiveness towards his fellow demons on the battlefield - perhaps, it shouldn't come as a surprise, considering the fact that he is a beloved king.

In fact, it would seem his mindset in battle is 'battle first, emotions later' - his battle quote comes off as very...detached, for lack of better words. No threats, no taunts, simply a promise to eliminate all hostiles.

For a less detached yet equally serious person, we turn to Marbas.

He is sharp and succinct in his delivery of treatment progress. Efficient as well, because you're in the battlefield, and injured people will keep on rolling in until the fighting is over.

Another way I like to see skill proc voicelines getting utilized is characterizations that may not necessarily reflect only their fighting styles. Some voiceline cases in Arknights may be similar to WHB, like Lumen - but the delivery by all of his voice actors makes it clear that our therapist fish man Jordi Fontanarossa simply isn't someone used to combat. He is, by his own admission, just an ordinary person - prone to anxiety, focused on his job as a healer. He brings a briefcase into the battlefield in his chibi sprite for crying out loud.

While Lumen's voiceline essentially has the same 'function' and setting as Marbas's voiceline, in the sense that they are stating the progress of their healing, Lumen's delivery is noticeably more frantic compared to Marbas's calmer delivery. Well...he is one of the few people who asks for some time to breathe upon being asked to lead a squad (placed on slot 1 in the squad formation screen).

Contrast this with the more battle-hardened but equally dedicated Executor, real name Federico Giallo, an executor from Laterano's Notarial Hall and literal angel with a shotgun. He is extremely dedicated to his job, and his reference to 'breaking the taboo' is one directed towards one of the Sankta's laws.

See, the angels of Arknights, the Sanktas, live under a set of rules universally known as the Law. One of these rules is the fact that they cannot aim their guns at fellow Sanktas, lest they become a Fallen. However, there are known exceptions, such as the climax of Guide Ahead with both Pope Yvangelista and Andoain shooting at each other, as well as executors like Executor/Federico being allowed to shoot and kill fellow Sankta if they are proven to be a danger. Hence, his mention of breaking the taboo.

As for fellow, non-Sankta Laterano citizens...we turn to Fiammetta, a Liberi and Mostima's keeper.

Fiammetta is often seen as a dry and serious woman who's tired of the shit her coworkers put her through (finballs spiked with peppers, the many codenames her superiors gave to her, wing stickers on her back, and more). She is driven by anger towards Andoain, not being able to forgive him for an incident in the past - the exact same incident that turned Mostima into a Fallen. She really only flies off the handle when facing him, all but telling him that even if the entirety of Laterano would forgive him, she would never do so. "I will sodomize and face-fuck you", anyone?

Yet she keeps her prickly attitude outside of facing Andoain, and it shows - the delivery of this line in particularly sells it. It's dry, matter-of-fact, and borderline sarcastic - she's not actually sorry for forgetting to hold the shot back. Her hot-headedness and emotionality really does show here, in spite of her relative calmer image. And honestly, I'd argue this is how she really is - I often get the impression that she really does care and worry about the Doctor, even though she insists that the things she does are due to contractual obligations. She just doesn't get easily flustered.

And what about someone who's at least a little bit unhinged yet attempts to keep themself sane? Then we turn our attention to Shalem.

Shalem is a man who defected and ran away from a mysterious theater troupe known as the Crimson Troupe - who are actually assassins in disguise. The things he experienced in the past, including the Crimson Troupe, was enough to break him, and his emotional stability at this current point in the timeline is...let's just say less than ideal. And what better way to reflect that in his absolutely unhinged laughter in one of his battle voicelines?

The Crimson Troupe is the main antagonist of the second instalment of Integrated Strategies, Phantom and the Crimson Solitaire. Here, he is the Operator you get by playing the game mode, and he is the one who decided to save Phantom - otherwise known as Lucian, the man who massacred several of the troupe members and is being brainwashed by the troupe in the events of the game mode. So, Shalem ends up taking on the mission to save Phantom from the troupe.

Shalem apparently also has the same VA as Leviathan, btw.

ANYWAYS! One last thing I really like to see in terns of voiceline usage is making them reflect character development! It's present in the unlockable voicelines as you promote and increase an Operator's Trust in Arknights, but I do feel it's done really well in Granblue Fantasy. As an example: meet Sandalphon.

Sandalphon started out as an antagonist in the first What Makes the Sky Blue. Blinded by hatred and anger towards Lucifer, he vowed to destroy everything the Supreme Primarch held dear to his heart - which just so happens to be the Skydoms. He even goes so far as to drop the player character down to the endless skies near the end of the event! His Grand version (the Earth version) is him at his peak, after absorbing the four tetra-element Primarch's wings to use as his own.

He is rendered in an 'imprisoned' state until the time the second What Makes the Sky Blue event rolls around, and the Paradise Lost sub title is fitting. Because by this point, Lucifer is killed by Beelzebub by decapitation and his body taken by Belial to revive Lucilius, leaving behind Lucifer's head for Sandalphon to find upon leaving the angelic cradle he was imprisoned in. Lucifer bequeaths his Supreme Primarch powers and role to Sandalphon, fulfilling his original duty - to serve as Lucifer's replacement should he one day fail to perform his duties. But there is no fanfare to this event, and Sandalphon is left with many regrets and unspoken apologies towards Lucifer, his first friend and companion in their mutual loneliness - with Sandalphon always remaining behind while Lucifer often left to tend to his Supreme Primarch duties. This is the Sandalphon that is the base of his event version (Light element).

A large chunk of his character development is resolved on the final instalment of the trilogy, 000. Here, Sandalphon vows to see through Lucifer's wish for a blue and peaceful sky, and he fights off Lucilius and Belial just to do so (Beelzebub was first weakened by Lucilius and then sealed away by Cagliostro, so err...better luck next time, Bubs). A lot of parallels happen to tie off loose ends - Sandalphon uses the wings of the tetra-element Primarchs to fight toe-to-toe with Lucilius on Michael's insistence, Sandalphon is now the one to say "ittekimasu (I'm going now)" instead of Lucifer who now says "itterashai (I'll be waiting)", and the player character is the one who grabs on to Sandalphon's hand to save him from a deadly fall to the bottom of the skies. This is the version being showcased in the above vid, as a skin for his Earth version - the version itself being a 5* uncap for the event version from Paradise Lost (the uncap material is the event reward).

All of his voicelines reflect his promise to Lucifer now! In order (as translated in the GBF Wiki):

This is the power of an angel/Primarch. Use it well.

I won't let you destroy our wish!

I will annihilate you...

I will put an end to all calamity...Ain Soph Aur!

Which is insane because the other previous versions of Sandalphon, not counting his Valentine's and summer alts? They're a touch too emotional, a touch too angry, and a touch too hateful (Earth). The summer alt also reflects some character development from The Maydays event, and hnghhh Primarchs are good give playable Gabriel and my second Michael weap (or should I say Fire PnS-) please I am a suffering Water and Fire main

Anyways yeah! Voicelines gud. Tiny character snippets gud. Me likey.

[joviantwelve]

XYZ🕒ul, Tetris, Carmichael; 1 5 7 12 14 19 20 23 25

OKAY ITS TIME TO GET AROUND TO THIS THING LET'S GO

obviously going to be long, so under a cut it goes:

1. What memory would your OC rather just forget? XYZoul: they'd prefer simply not thinking about their life as a Physical Corporeal Entity at all, and leave it at that. Tetris: until we see more native viera stuff ingame, I like to think she was a guard or something for her village, and thus got into encounters with "intruders." she would mostly follow protocol, though their appearance and behavior is what got her curious about the outside world in the first place...I think she wishes she would have left sooner, instead of mindlessly fighting what were (sometimes, I mean you got that imperial presence and all) completely innocuous people. Carmichael: Uhhh well, a lot of it has to do with Ivanna...not just any one thing though, unfortunately. she was a toxic girlboss, and there's a lot he needs to unpack. to roughly sum it up, he was treated more like a funny curiosity than like, an employee.

5. How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want? XYZoul: IIIiiii would say to the point of risking innocent human life. since it's a cyberpunk setting and all, there's some tech out there that integrates with brains directly, so...they wouldn't want to directly mess with that. unless it's attached to a capitalist pig, of course! hyuk! Tetris: she will break bones if she has to, given her training I mentioned above...but she PREFERS it not to come to that, considering it's more along the lines of what she used to do. sadly, because this is an MMORPG, it does often come to that Carmichael: lmao he takes a loooong time to develop any sort of assertiveness. so, not very far. even if he's trying to make a point in a discussion, he'd be very polite about it, and likely get talked over. this may change if Azriel has any say about it, though!

7. What’s one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them? XYZoul: their design, mostly. it took a loooong time for me to come up with something I was happy with beyond just their face. I'm glad that they seem to be popular, because...it was a lot of effort. I googled a lot of retro computer mascots for ideas, only to discover a lot of the actual period mascots sucked LMAO?? turns out ""webcore aesthetic"" was more what I was actually going for. Tetris: I feel like most WoLs are bound evolve with the game's narrative, but design-wise...I did fantasia her a couple times, for mostly minor aesthetic reasons. she used to be brown, but then I saw a lot of fellow viera with the brown skin/white hair kind of look and felt stifled LMFAO so I made her grayscale instead to be kind of like a snow bunny. I also gave her heterochromia with this because I am cringe and free (and also a resemblance to my OC Hyacinth that worked out in another funny way (spoilers for that 2nd link)) Carmichael: WELL since he was originally for TTRPG, he didn't really have like, "his" own story. I feel like giving him that (which includes a relationship) just adds a whole new dimension to him. It actually feels weird playing him in a TTRPG setting nowadays, because it's like, oh no, his arc is gone!! his BOYFRIEND is gone!!

12. Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways? XYZoul: being a hacker in a cyberpunk setting is just inviting self-destruction by trade, if you ask me. always going to get a little too cocky and end up hacking someone you shouldn't :/ Tetris: Not usually, but I think the anxiety of being The Chosen Hero takes a toll sometimes and requires some management. For example, this screenshot was taken immediately after the Elpis arc, because I thought it was an appropriate reaction to what I just experienced, ghfdkjghfdg Carmichael: he's WAY too modest and self-conscious and it holds him back from more bold behavior. like question #5 up there...he just doesn't know how to have a voice. he will get better about this.

14. How does your OC want to be seen by other characters? XYZoul: if they had their way, they would remain anonymous forever, and then one day simply stop posting and fade into an urban legend that never gets solved. unfortunately, that won't happen Tetris: If you think she is cool and dependable, that's all she could really ask for. She doesn't really mind being "the big one" in a friend group. sometimes literally, because tall. Carmichael: HE WANTS TO BE USEFUL THAT PART OF HIM WILL NEVER CHANGE 🥺

19. How does your OC behave when enraged? XYZoul: Hacking your Internet of Things Devices to cause general mayhem and get the last laugh Tetris: The Power of Incredible Violence. I think this is just because she has viera voice 5 (which sounds like this in combat), but my friend group started joking that tetris is just generally violent, which I feel like informed her backstory idea in the end?! I don't think she's like. a killing machine or anything. but IF things come down to a fight, she's game. you bet I picked all the angry options talking to you-know-who at the end of Endwalker Carmichael: I like to think he can still keep his composure, it's more in the words he chooses and the actions he does. you may be thinking "haha, carmichael saying fuck?" but HONESTLY.....I CAN'T SEE IT?? I feel like if he was giving an Angry Speech to a Bad Guy he'd use like colorful insults from the 1900s or general sarcastic politeness before he'd resort to the intense informality of "fuck." he definitely knows how to weaponize snark in there somewhere

20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest? XYZoul: No, they don't really have anything to be jealous of!! they're the only XYZoul out there! I think they might get jealous if another cool hacker showed up online, but if anything I think they'd try and get in contact as a potential friend first. strength in numbers and all that Tetris: Not really, but I think if she dwells on it too hard, she's kinda bummed at the fact she had to get exiled from her community to integrate with anyone else out in the vast wide world out there, whereas everyone else seems to be able to live in the same place all their lives and still travel around if desired. what the fuck is up with that Carmichael: YES ACTUALLY LMAO. like you might not expect it from him, but through roleplaying with Bee, we decided that the next CEO of his old company, who had previously dumped him as he didn't need an android, then turned around and got a new sexy robo assistant anyway. and Carmichael finds this out. and actually gets mad about it for reasons he can't articulate. it's the kind of jealousy where he just vents to Azriel for an extended time to the point where Azriel is like "oh this is a Hangup for you, huh"

23. What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express? XYZoul: I think like...genuine vulnerability. their anonymous persona allows them to perfectly craft their image online, so nothing about their actual life is shared anywhere. but I feel like all that restriction might just be them bottling it all up...which can't be good. Tetris: I think being a general outsider to the rest of the world has been a wild ride mentally. Like, there's all this history and political drama she would have never known about if she didn't leave. Feels weird, like damn, I could've been helping people out here this whole time?! She doesn't really like talking about her past before Eorzea, I think maybe because she feels ashamed of it. She is an actual exile after all. Carmichael: trauma. basically his entire character arc is realizing how traumatized he is LMFAO it's not fun.

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC? XYZoul: ok this is dweeby but I've had the whole clock/compass duality thing in mind for at least 10 years now. it just seems obvious to me, a clock is time, a compass is directional space, so like, spacetime, duh, and yet I rarely see those two symbols juxtaposed together in anything. they're both circles with funny hands! it seems so braindead to do!! so it's cool having a character kinda catch on that helps get that out there lmfao Tetris: bnuuy. idk, I was, like, so stoked viera were in XIV, it made me actually go through the campaign in full for once. I feel like it's a combination of FFTA nostalgia, and also that viera are gender for me, I guess. I also appreciate that I can put her in a suit. thanks Carmichael: he's cute :3 and also like the first OC I made where I was trying very hard to be self-indulgent. concept, character design, character development, the whole shebang. I try to do this more and more nowadays, but he was where I really started focusing on, uh, writing what I actually wanted to write

[sparrowhero]

Wait. Can you please explain on the post more about breakups bc I feel like Keigo does cave as send a "i miss you" text only to get hit with "okay and i miss half of my favourite groups that disbanded this year you ain't special 😒" two days later. Dabi nearly caves but gets a txt and it really boiled down to "my therapist says you need to see a therapist and find better positive impacts in life, you are 👌closed to living like you exist in an rnb music video" and he's left staring at the screen since this is the only text he's gotten in three months Shigaraki looks like he only plays Genshin Impact and buys body pillows I don't think he has any real hope in life...

Keigo definitely caves because while he is pretty much invulnerable as the Winged Hero, Hawks, he is softer than a marshmallow as Keigo Takami. He's going to try to kill you with kindness even if that last text hit him so bad his soul nearly left his body. Being as real as possible he is probably the reason you broke up, be it because he's too secretive or he did the Noble Thing (coward) and broke up with you to protect you so he knows that he's got to take a bit of a ribbing. You're killing him a little bit with that but he's kind of just glad you're answering back and don't have him blocked. He knows intuitively he's gotta take a bit of a ribbing if he even has half a chance to get back on your good side. Once he knows what he wants and is truly willing to work for it, he's a golden boy, but prior to that it's kind of easy to be on and off with him LOL. He thinks too goddamn much for his own good, really.

Dabi, on the other hand, is like "...okay." because that has definitely killed any motivation to come and see you because that shit hurted and genuinely offended him. He is definitely going to say some out of pocket mean shit back that is probably true but that shouldn't be said in the manner he delivers that text back. Turn off your phone if you don't want to cry. He's available so long as the break up is amicable, but he's not crawling back to ANYBODY no matter how much it hurts. He's got a lot more pride than Hawks when it comes to interpersonal relationships like this. If he can cut off a mfer he tried to kill out of jealousy as a TODDLER he can cut off ANYBODY but he MIGHT reconsider if you are appropriately contrite if you want to see him again. Unfortunately he's also not above making everyone know he's your ex and all that entails just in case you wanted to get cute and switch sides to the heroes or smth like that. You can BOTH lose. Dabi's toxic trait is that he loves to get even.

BE NICE TO SHIGARAKIIIIII. S1 Shigaraki does in fact have a shit ton of figures and stuff but I truly don't see him as a 2D wife/husband/spouse guy bc he inherently hates things that are pandering. He has no gatcha fave. He's more of a collector and video game completionist (he has a Nintendo 64 in one manga panel so you know he's one of Those Guys) than a '3D people are worthless' kind of shut-in. Definitely the majority of the effort has to be made by you in the beginning but he is not unsalvageable he was just brainwashed by Evil Grandpas who encouraged selfish behavior. If you come back and are like "I'm sorry about how that happened but you need to respect my boundaries" or smth like that and he'll be like ".....Fine." and actually take it to heart. His friendship with Spinner I think is a good example of that and he's probably the one who helps you guys out the most should you get back together. Everyone clap for spinner right now.

[ghostlyvelvetheart]

Idea 3: Pizzaplex is an engineering disaster waiting to happen.

An idea that I don't see brought up that often, is the idea that the Pizzaplex is not constructed well.

Remember in FNAF 6 when the tutorial unit said this?

"There may be times when you purchase something of questionable quality, and we don't blame you. Cutting corners is just good business."

Keep this statement in mind while I bring up my next point. As someone who's taken an engineering class, when you are constructing a building, there are a VERY large number of codes (rules) that you need to follow for every conceivable part of it.

Fazbear Entertainment would probably find it a lot cheaper just to pay off the people inspecting the plex than to actually put money into making sure everything is up to code.

They would also try to construct the building as cheaply as possible, trying to "cut corners" wherever they could. They use substandard materials and contractors that don't double-check their work. They built the mall itself over the subterranean remains of their old restaurant, despite this making the ground very unstable.

This all works in my mind because Fazbear Entertainment has been proven to follow the "be as cheap as possible" and "maximize profits by any means necessary" approaches many times in the past.

Here is just one example of a code being violated, according to Section 1006.2.1.1 of Utah Building Codes, "Three exits or exit access doorways shall be provided from any space with an occupant load of 501 to 1,000. Four exits or exit access doorways shall be provided from any space with an occupant load greater than 1,000." We only see 2 public exits in the game, and the Pizzaplex likely holds well over a thousand people at any one time. What's worse is that one of the exits, the only one designated for emergencies, requires a VIP pass in order to be used.

The building also doesn't appear to have ANY fire extinguishing systems, or at least not enough of them considering the pizzaplex burns down in 2 of the endings. In one of those endings the entire place is destroyed after Glamrock Freddy sets some plushies on fire in some random gift shop. This just shouldn't happen, at least not that easily.

If Fazbear Entertainment is willing to do this to cut costs, who knows what else they have done?

It's why, in my mind, I don't have Gregory live at the pizzaplex after the 3-star ending. Freddy would calculate that it is statistically safer for Gregory to live in his box than at the plex. He instead lives with Vanessa, creating opportunities for them to grow closer.

BTW This has happened in real life, even down to the shoddy construction and profit maximization. It was the Sampoong Department store collapse. Link

Some things I want to consider beforehand: how long had Ness even been stuck at the megaplex for? Did William let her go home ever or even pay rent? Did she have roommates, or perhaps, a lover who she stayed with (yeah, I'm referring to Luis here.)?

Assuming the last one so that she has a place to stay, because otherwise, Ness and Gregory may both wind up in a cardboard box (hey that's a new idea).

Taking Gregory as far away from the disaster waiting to happen as possible and Gregory getting not only a mother, but also a father in the process, is what that kid needs. Sure, he has Freddy already, but the shilling of overpriced junk food is not good for a child's health in the long run, and sometimes rules (specifically shady company policies, which Fazbear Entertainment is notorious for) need to be broken, and Freddy isn't a fan of breaking rules. (Assuming Luis is the guy behind the arcade conspiracy message, but also based on his emails in AR) Luis on the other hand is fine with bending and breaking rules if it's for the safely of others or generally for the better. Besides, an orphan getting three new legal guardians is better than one, and Luis being one of them it makes Gregory's parent-teacher evenings a bit less awkward.

Gregory's new parents would probably do everything they can to keep him from having to interact with Fazbear Entertainment again, because thankfully, somehow Gregory managed to get away with the property damage, and flukes don't happen twice. Ness and Luis would definitely pour a LOT of support into any Arts careers or anything not related to robots that Gregroy may think of pursuing. If or when Gregory does pursue something coding or robotics related (Arts and Technology intermingle a LOT. You can't have one without the other), they'd support him just as much, but also do everything they can to make sure nothing bad happens to him like with what happened to them.

[kanansdume]

I agree with all of this that you're saying about Anakin (I'm not a fan of his, so I can't honestly say that I LIKE him because of his nuance nor do I truly believe in his redemption, but I also can't deny that he's SUPPOSED to be sympathetic and that the nuance surrounding his character is what makes the entire storyline more nuanced since it is, in essence, his story), but I wanted to touch on one of your tags:

[id: tags that read #i shouldn't have expected nuance from disney #but oh well]

I've had people say this to me before and I feel like it almost lets the current era of Star Wars a little off the hook when it makes bad content and we don't have to do that. Because it isn't even entirely true. Not for me, anyway.

Because it's not like Disney CAN'T create more well-written content that is more in line with Lucas's own themes and messages. We have both the Obi-Wan Kenobi show and Rogue One/Andor as prime examples of this. All three of these stories have pretty major themes that touch on things like attachment and letting go, selflessness, and sacrifice. They're VERY Lucas-like themes, very JEDI-like themes. And while Rogue One and the Kenobi show have been controversial, Andor was received pretty positively as a well-written show.

And even the things that have moments of inaccurate Jedi criticism like Rebels and the Cal Kestis games, Jedi Survivor and Jedi Fallen Order, are still generally focused on the same themes of selflessness, sacrifice, and letting go/non-attachment. The main characters of both stories have identities focused around being Jedi and how important that is to them and it ultimately ends up looking pretty similar to how the Prequels Jedi ended up looking (whether the creators of these stories realize this or not). Reconnecting with that heritage openly and proudly is VITAL to their well-being and positive growth.

So you CAN expect nuance from "Disney" because there have been MULTIPLE different mainstream stories created within this era that have been more nuanced and more Jedi-positive. There have been multiple different pieces of media that still clearly had themes that were similar to Lucas's own.

Which means I absolutely hold them to a higher standard when shows like Ahsoka and TBB and The Book of Boba Fett come out and are just... flat and sloppy. None of them had to be that way. And while it's entirely possible that part of the reason they're all terrible is because Disney as a studio has stepped in and caused problems, I find it hard to believe that that's the ONLY reason they were bad. I have seen Disney-era Star Wars that was SO GOOD, that made me cry, that even made me see Star Wars in a new way. Disney Star Wars CAN be good and I refuse to brush off shows like Ahsoka being fucking trashfires that intentionally break Lucas's worldbuilding and shit on the Jedi as just a Disney problem. It's not. It can't be. Disney Star Wars can be better, it just takes a creator willing to DO something better and give us what we deserve. Sadly, the dude in charge of the Ahsoka show just isn't that person.

You shouldn't feel like Disney Star Wars never has anything to offer. It's given PLENTY of really wonderful additions to the franchise and you don't even necessarily have to look that far for them, either. Just because the Ahsoka show happened to be a bad offering doesn't mean it should be representative of everything that comes out of this particular Star Wars era. Don't give it that kind of power, it certainly doesn't deserve it.

It's continuously frustrating that this show REFUSES to condemn Anakin for the things he's done or even really explicitly call him out on them, and they even go so far as to basically decide none of it even MATTERED.

But all they can say about the Jedi is that they failed.

When asked what Anakin was like, all Huyang says is that he was "intense."

The worst Ahsoka says is that he was "more dangerous than anyone realized" and then two episodes later she's calling him a "good master" despite everything he did to her and the rest of the galaxy. She never ONCE condemns him for committing a genocide against the Jedi and hunting them down for over two decades. She never ONCE condemns him for enslaving the clones and betraying their loyalty and using them as weapons against the Jedi they loved. She never ONCE condemns him for trying to personally kill HER.

He jokes with her, he gets to say that he wants to protect her, he gets to guide her into choosing to live, he makes recordings for her that she still uses years later. Anakin gets to be "more" than just his failures.

But the Jedi, somehow, do not. The Jedi are ONLY EVER their failures. Ahsoka never mentions them otherwise, she never remembers them fondly at all, she has no stories or connections about any of the other Jedi, she constantly disregards Jedi protcols as foolish and ridiculous at best.

The best thing they can say about the Jedi is that the "idea of them" had merit. But Anakin gets to be a GENUINELY good Jedi Master, more than just a good IDEA.

And this just feels like the WORST of double standards to me.

[canthurryloveandfilm]

Phantom Thread

I initially saw Phantom Thread in the theater when it first came out. I was at the peak of my Daniel Day-Lewis obsession and honestly did not have any idea what to expect going in. All I really knew was that there were gorgeous gowns and some kind of love story, but I was not expecting the dark and twisted path the characters would go on in their efforts to gain and maintain love. There was an unpredictability to the watching experience for me, each scene making the relationship more concerning and complicated. This unpredictability is one felt by the characters as well, the couple at the end of the film almost recognizable from the one we meet at the beginning. Reynolds is a man whose life is defined by strictness and routine. He is extremely particular, demanding that everything be a certain way, and the other people in his life only work to maintain his schedule and home in such a way. Even from his first date with Alma, Reynolds proves to be extremely analytical. He has Alma undress and takes her measurements, analyzing her body and assigning her numerical values. Reynolds is a planner; he has an exact vision for how every aspect in his life will go and lashes out if this does not come true. However, the inclusion of Alma in his life throws a wrench into his plans. She is bold and does not quite fit in with the rest of the house, but in an effort to stay begins playing a game with him, breaking out the poison and becoming combative. She is able to break down Reynolds' strict way of life, removing him from his comfort zone and bringing the relationship into a territory he could never have expected. A relationship is an unpredictable, constantly-shifting entity. There is no way to plan for how relationships will occur. The control that Reynolds wants to have in his relationship is something that is impossible to obtain. Relationships are not something we can entirely control. As we change as people, relationships change with us, shifting in ways we are never able to predict.

But, what kinds of things cause change to occur? One thing Phantom Thread speaks to is a fear of losing a relationship. I have many friends that have been with the same person for years and years, even if they shouldn't. A relationship that has lasted a for a long time tends to become almost a part of us. We have spent so much time in this relationship that it is hard to remember what it's like being single or just unattached to the same person we are now. There is a very real fear that relationships are slipping out from under us. We can feel them moving away and the distance widening, even if we do not want to be free of this relationship. For Alma, she can clearly feel that the relationship is falling out of her control. Alma feels like an outsider in her own home, the distance and the tension between her and Reynolds growing. Additionally, Alma is experiencing jealousy, as Farrell describes it in his article. Alma desires Reynolds' love and affection, enjoying her position as his muse and wanting him to appreciate her. However, she fears the loss of this position when other muses of Reynolds come into the picture. When he designs a dress for the princess, Alma is afraid that she is losing her role as Reynolds' inspiration to another, fearful that the princess will take her place. The fear of a relationship falling apart is a terrifying one for many of us. There is a desire to preserve the relationship through any means possible. But, while most people would simply ignore the problems or try to work through them, Alma takes the extreme route, poisoning Reynolds to ensure that she will not be replaced. She establishes herself as a force of power within the relationship, willing to do whatever it takes to ensure her position as Reynolds' lover and muse.

Part of Alma's fear of loving the relationship is a fear that she is not necessary in Reynolds' life. Reynolds is a fiercely independent individual, extremely exacting and controlling in all facets of his life. When Alma moves into his home, it's as if she is a ghost walking through the house. Reynolds has his routine and she is merely an interruption, with Reynolds functioning perfectly fine when they are apart and treating her as if she is in the way when they are together. It feels as though she is only a tool to him, brought out only when necessary and put away when her function as a muse is completed for the time being. Alma fears that she is not needed, easily replaceable and removable without creating a significant impact. When thinking of this film, I am always reminded of the verse in the Cheap Trick song "I Want You to Want Me." The song goes, "I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I'd love you to love me. I'm beggin' you to beg me." These words reflect the exact position Alma is in. She is desperate to feel wanted and needed in the relationship, not content with being treated almost as an afterthought. She is facing a loss of control in her own relationship, Reynolds taking power and dictating the dynamics to fit his own life and ideas about how the relationship should look. But, Alma wants more than this: she wants to regain her power and control, poisoning Reynolds to create a situation where she is in a position of power. In this state, Reynolds needs her to care for him and begs for her presence, effectively switching their dynamic. Alma is able to regain her autonomy and take control of her relationship, alleviating her fears of being useless and of Reynolds moving on from her. Though this is an extreme example, this is a concept many people can relate to. Love is often seen as having mutuality, both partners having an equal part in the relationship and working to make one another feel loved. This is what we want from our relationships and, though we will not go to such extremes as Alma, we will attempt to give our relationships balance and make our partners feel needed and included in our lives.