#dwd reviews

[sasazusa]

A Date with Death — Review

Game Details: Release Date: December 7th, 2023 Platform: Windows, Linux, and MacOS Where to Download: Steam | Itch.io

Synopsis: "You're just an ordinary person... or so you thought. For your entire life, you've been narrowly avoiding death by pure luck... or is it something more? When a strange program suddenly appears on your computer, and someone claiming to be the Grim Reaper says he's come for your soul, your life as you know it is thrown upside down. As you delve deeper into the mysterious man that calls himself the Grim Reaper, you begin to wonder if fate brought you two together for a reason. Can you resist his charm, or will you fall for the one destined to take your soul?" — via Two and a Half Studios on Itch.io and Steam.

When I first heard about this game, I was super happy! I've always loved how "Grim Reaper" characters were written in media. Plus, he has a little axolotl plushie! I knew this game was up my alley, and I'm so glad I discovered it.

First, I'd like to say — he's absolutely my type. Grim has his share of tsundere moments, which I love since tsunderes are my favourite. He's kind, and he's honest. I really love the balance in his character. He's edgy and grumpy, but also has a soft side. I think that's what drawn me into this game. Also, he had me SWOONING within the first 20 minutes. He's a natural at sweeping anyone off their feet.

It's also hard not to tease this man. His blush. That damned blush. His reactions to the teasing are really funny, and my god, his pouty blush is so cute. It really pulled at my heart strings.

I find it really precious that he's trying to learn how to communicate with humans. The kaomojis are definitely adorable. (Y'all, I wanted to say "slang", but I had no idea if that would make sense. I hope you understand what I meant either way.)

I really enjoyed the MC's options to tease him. Teasing about marriage? About going on a date? Even coming over to your place? It's in the options, and I love that. It made this game really enjoyable for me. It made it feel more realistic to me.

I find it really sweet when it comes to MC and Grim's dynamic. "You're annoying, but I like listening to you." or "I hate having company, but I enjoy yours." vibes. I really enjoy their grumpy/sunshine trope. The trope is one of my favourites, so I really enjoyed reading through their conversations. And man, I'd love to read more between them.

Customization Praise!

When I first saw the extensive customization options for the MC's appearance, pronouns, and even an biography that you can type, I was so excited.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy otomes that have a set MC, but it makes the game stand out more when you're able to customize something that is uniquely yours.

You can also change around the appearance of your living space, and even the music anytime within the game.

I really give the developers credit. They shaped the game in a way that everyone has a different experience.

You can easily make a self-insert of yourself, or even an OC of yours with the options available, and that to me is very important.

Protagonist Praise!

As stated above, I'm really glad the game allows for customization of the MC. Whether it be with how they look and appear, their personality, and even their name/profile picture in the chatroom.

The one thing that stood out to me is the options you have. I've played my fair share out of otomes through out the years, but this game really tops it when it comes to what YOU want the MC to say and convey.

You can be a tease, be sarcastic, or even a mix of both.

It really gives you a even a unique playthrough experience. So, each time you go through the game, you may have a different experience than the last.

Art and Character Design Praise!

I absolutely adore the art in this game. From the background stills to character design — I really love everything about it.

Grim's design is so jawdropping. He's the perfect balance of edgy, but cute. (Each of my playthroughs, I wanted his jacket so bad. It looks so comfortable and is very fashionable.) PLUS, he has white hair. White haired anime boys for the win. (Kinda wonder what he would look like with black hair, though.)

As someone who has issues with their visions and bright colours, it really didn't mess with my eyesight that much. So, I really appreciate that the colours are more toned down.

Overall Thoughts and Conclusion!

This is one of the best otomes I've played in quite a while. Hands down one of my top favourites.

Each ending is unique, and I love that about games.

I really appreciate that this game is free with an option to purchase DLCs. I'm really excited for the upcoming DLC for this game! You best believe I'm going to purchase it the moment it's released.

This game has brought me comfort. It's made me laugh in moments I haven't felt quite myself, and I really thank Two and A Half Studios for that.

You can tell the developers and their team put so much love and care into this, and I really think that's incredible.

So, if anyone is looking for a heartwarming, bittersweet, and funny game, I highly suggest playing through this and giving it a shot. You won't be disappointed. Plus, you get to have some lovable moments with the Grim Reaper. That's a 10/10 in my book. :)

Final Thoughts: Rating: 10/10! Recommended: Yes, definitely!

Please go and support Two and a Half Studios! They have other games to play from, so if you enjoyed this one, I'd recommend checking the other ones out!

As of right now, A Date with Death has one DLC. Which you can purchase on Steam or through Itch.io.

Another DLC was announced, so please keep an eye out and support the developers when it's released!

Beyond the Bet DLC — Steam

[destinyc1020]

Okayyyy....So, I FINALLY got around to watching this "Don't Worry Darling" movie a few nights ago lol. Everyone kept saying how HORRIBLE the film was, and how bad Harry's acting was in it lol, so I'm sorry, but my curiosity just got the better of me and I HAD to watch it and see for myself. 😅

My Thoughts:

The Good:

I LOVE films that have a little bit of mystery like this...I love trying to figure out and guess what's really going on in a film, so this one was right up my alley.

Right off the bat, I kind of already suspected that what I was seeing was not what was real. I even questioned if they were really in that time period right off the bat. Like, something just seemed waaay too "perfect" about that little town. Immediately, I found myself thinking:

"This film reminds me of 'The Stepford Wives' and the 'Surrogates' movies". If any of you have seen either of those films, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Can I just say? I love Florence as an actress. Everything I've seen her in so far has been great acting by her. She does an American accent fairly convincingly well too... I didn't pick up on any "slip-ups" like I usually do when most foreigners fake American accents for films lol. 😅 I can't wait to see her in "Dune: Part 2"!

Also...LOVED seeing Chris Pine as a villain in this! And can I just say?? He was ZADDY! LOL 🤣 Something about him in this film was doing things to me lol.

Oh...and I LOVE LOVE LOVED the costumes, and that house! I love styles and fashion from the 1950s and 1960s. Everyone just always looked so classy and put together. People really took pride in how they looked back then lol. I loved vintage styles honestly. 😊

That home was to die for too...loved the architecture.

The Bad:

Honestly, the main gripe I had with this film was that there were just SO many plot holes! 🥴 It was annoying! Like, the movie teases you and teases you, and you're hanging on along for the ride, and then.... It just.... LEAVES you HANGING with sooo many UNanswered questions at the end! 😤

What was up with the airplane crashing in the distance that Florence's character saw?? 🥴

What was up with the mini little earthquakes that everyone was just used to? Was it trains? Was it leakage from the "real life"?

Why did Olivia's character know what was up from the get-go? Who told her? How did she find out? Did she ALWAYS know?

Why does banging your head against the glass cause you to get out of the VR realm?

How did Harry's character get his wife to be able to undergo the VR life? Was he drugging her? Were ALL of these husbands drugging their wives? Were some of these dudes just choosing random women to be their VR wives?? Like, what on earth?

When did Chris Pine's wife know that he was a fraud?? Like, was she always suspecting? OR did that ONE phone convo that she over heard do something to her?

Who were the men in red jackets? Were they all under VR simulation as well?

Why does killing you in the VIRTUAL WORLD kill you in the REAL WORLD, when everything that's going on is just FAKE anyway?? 🥴 That was the BIGGEST mystery to me lol. Didn't make sense AT all.

You almost felt like you watched the entire movie for no good reason when none of these questions were answered lol. I can see why so many people didn't like this movie.

OVERALL:

Overall, I didn't HATE the movie. The movie actually started off very promising in fact! I actually didn't even mind Harry's acting? I mean, he's not really an "actor", so for a singer trying to act, I actually didn't think he did THAT bad y'all lol. 😄 And as Olivia's film debut (is this her first directorial film?) it actually wasn't THAT bad.

I just hated all of the plot holes!

I also felt like actress Kiki Layne was SEVERELY UNDERused in this movie. I would have liked to have seen how she was before she became suspicious. I was actually interested in her storyline as well, but they kind of treated her character as an afterthought.

Anyway...I think people overexaggerated though how much they hated this movie. It wasn't that bad honestly. It was just something fun to watch on a Friday night while eating my dinner lol.

But boy did this movie have plot holes galore! 🤣 It didn't have to end so abruptly either.

Too bad this movie had so much drama going on with the cast lol 😆 It didn't get such a great press tour due to all the drama going on lol. 👀

[routeunlocked]

A Date with Death Review

Time Played: 3.7 hours

I just finished playing (and streaming) this game, so I figured now is the best time to compile my thoughts. I only played through one ending for now, but I will play the rest off camera.

Spoiler-free review below.

Who doesn't want to date the Grim Reaper? Death Incarnate? Someone who doesn't judge you for your plushie collection?

Grim is absolutely my type. He has tsundere moments, he's incredibly kind, and he's always honest. I like that he has a balance of grumpy/edgy and sweet/innocent vibes. He's a pro at unintentionally sweeping anyone off their feet.

It's hard to resist teasing him though- his reactions are funny every time. Plus the pouty blush is priceless. It's endearing to watch him try to learn "internet lingo" to communicate with the mortals. You're doing great, babygirl.

The MC's options to tease him constantly really made this game enjoyable to me. They have the grump x sunshine trope going on, and that's one of my favorite dynamics of all time. I'd be happy reading conversations between them anytime.

That said, I'm also thrilled with the extensive customization options for the MC. Pronouns, appearance, typed biography, etc. You can even customize their bedroom! How cool is that? I loved adding little details that showed their personality, like bookshelves and plants. The addition of a pet melts my heart too. I adore my pet, so I'm glad the MC can have a pet they adore.

PROTAGONIST PRAISE

As I said before, I'm glad this game allows customization of the MC. You can pick plenty of options to shape their personality and background, so your playthrough might not be entirely the same as what I described above. I think you can easily self-insert or create your own character with the options available. Have fun making a protagonist you want to see!

OVERALL THOUGHTS

This is one of the best games I've played! I kept looking forward to playing more. I feel obsessed now that I've finished one ending and it's probably only going to get worse from here.

I appreciate this being a free game with DLC options. I hope to see more DLCs added in the future too.

If anyone's looking for a free game filled with heartwarming, bittersweet, and hilarious moments, then you should give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed with this lovable Grim Reaper. (Plus he's very pretty to look at.)

RATING: 10/10 RECOMMENDED: Yes!

[imasiriuslydirtydaddy]

just finished Don’t Worry Darling…

Y’ALL IM IN AWE. THIS MOVIE IS SO DAMN GOOD

obviously i’d heard it’s good and when i saw it’s one Netflix and had the motivation to watch i decided i’d better watch it then or i never would and honestly i didn’t think i’d be super into it

definitely one of my top five movies now

the acting is AMAZING Florence Pugh never fails ✋ and Harry Styles was great too- the car scene?! UGH SO GOOD

and the soundtrack was amazing everyone knows music adds so much to what the audience feels but guys- THIS WAS SO GOOD kinda reminded me of Squid Game’s music but the tone was so different cause of the visuals. in Squid Game that music gives you some kind of excited anticipation, but in DWD it has you curled up, tense, and ready to run. that shit kept me on my toes way more than those hallucinations(?) ever did.

speaking of ^ they confused me (mostly at first) but they add so much- it really helps you understand how Alice is feeling and why it’s making her feel so out of place and on edge

AND THE PLOT TWISTS PEOPLE GOOD GRIEF (spoilers here) as i mentioned the cat scene earlier, when Alice is being taken away, my jaw was dropped, my fingers lax, and my eyes wide. i was suspicious when they first got in and he said “I’m sorry” but their earlier conversation about leaving reassured me. until he started crying and the red guys game- HER SCREAMING AS SHE WAS PULLED AWAY AND HIS SOBS AND RAGE- HOLY SHIT GUYS IT WAS AMAZING

and when she found out the truth Jack made me so mad and then she killed him and i was like YES ALICE LETS GO (though i thought he was just unconscious at first) AND WHEN BUNNY CAME TO HELP (she kinda seemed a little crazy when talking about her kids ngl) AND BILL’S CHARACTER BREAK “this wasn’t supposed to happen they said this wouldn’t happen” AND THE OTHER GUY YELLING AT HIM UGH I WAS SO SHOCKED AND READY TO GOOOO

but it was so good 10/10 recommend

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina, I wasn’t around when My Policeman came out, and I’ve been looking for content, interviews, etc., but I haven’t found much. I even saw that Harry said something kind of unfortunate in an interview about the sex scenes. Do you know if Harry was busy touring during the movie’s release and that’s why he didn’t promote it much? It’s strange since there’s a ton of content for DWD but not much for MP. Or was he restricted from talking more about the film? It’s sad because I feel like MP must’ve meant a lot to him.

Hi, honey. You can see whatever I have in this tag: MY POLICEMAN and MY POLICEMAN REVIEWS

I don’t think any of us know for sure, but it very much seemed like Jeff/people on Harry’s team/possibly Harry himself had a financial stake in DWD doing well. They tied so much of the promo to Harry, his tie, and his fans that it was just embarrassing. Everyone on his team/family made posts about DWD saying how excited they were blah blah blah. It was not quite crickets when it came to MP, but there was nowhere near the type of promo.

Harry’s comment about the sex scenes in MP was a classic case of H not articulating his point very well while trying to be supportive of the film. But the uproar came about because there was so much hate circulating around him because of the “queerbaiting” accusations and because people were sick to death of holivia.

So, he said something along the lines of so often gay sex scenes are just “two men going at it,” but in MP they made an effort to really show how tender the love making was etc. People flew off the handle because “who was this straight man commenting on queer media?” And “there are so many queer films with beautiful sex scenes and he obviously doesn’t watch those kinds of movies” blah blah blah. I felt terrible for him and I remember how down he seemed at his show the night after the uproar happened (I mean, “down” for Harry looks pretty upbeat, but you could tell the difference).

I think MP meant so much to him. He fought for the role. He was so much more serious, articulate, proud, when he was doing MP promo. You could tell how badly he was to be there (as opposed to DWD where it felt to me like l he was just doing his job).

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Lol at movie director fucked 🤣 anyone who calls that a publicity stunt is a moron - HS is piece of work (and that's being polite) and nothing could've shown his truer colours than how he treated Olivia.

The only person I felt bad was for Jason Sudekis - poor Ted.

I think maybe a few months before Jeff’s wedding (Olivia and Harry debut), I had watched a video of Jason, Olivia, and their kids in bed, laughing, playing, and talking about the pandemic and their creative projects.

Nothing is forever but dang, that picture of a happy family sure was short-lived. I only feel sorry for the kids.

(Incidentally, if anyone watched Ted Lasso S2, the shade was hilarious. That kind of shade comes from personal hurt, not a corporate contract lmao.)

Harry was so smug the entire time (he even pretended to care about feminism) until the DWD reviews came out. It wasn’t even the professional critics but the movie-watching public who destroyed him. Every scene he was in, the internal cringe of the fellow actors was as palpable as a set prop. I hadn’t noticed how terrible Harry’s acting was in Dunkirk, but DWD was too much.

At the time, I remember reading about roles for Harry in Marvel (a three-movie contract?), Nosferatu, Elvis biopic, Wicked. Chloe Zhao (Eternals) kissed his ass and wore his TPWK merch. I remember Olivia Wilde getting ready to direct a female Spider-Man flick and some other things. Sure is quiet now.

I’m really old, so I remember Madonna getting lambasted for Dick Tracy and finally semi-redeeming her acting in Evita. She wanted to be a movie star so much. Warren Beaty, who was smitten, wanted it too; he was hoping to be with Madonna the Actress. But talent is not always symmetrical; Madonna will always be known more for sugary pop and scandal. That’s how I see Harry— rich, famous, universally recognized. But still frustrated. Music videos, alas, are not movies. Posing isn’t acting.

Harry will be fine. Hollywood doesn’t seem to have forgiven Olivia.

[zot3-flopped]

Do you think harry will act again? Or is he not being casted anymore cause of the bad press from dwd and cause mp wasn‘t as in the forefront as the overhated dwd? With eternals 2 being scrapped that was the last movie news we heard when it comes to harry. I would adoreee to see him in a italy or greece based rom com. Can somebody write a script?

He received some unfair reviews for both films and seems to have stepped back for the time being, or we'd have seen him filming something this year. Directors still want to work with him.

I'd like to see him in a rom com set in Greece or Italy too! Love Actorry.

[wellthatwasaletdown]

A lot of Harry’s acting trouble comes from his bad accent work. Or, non-existent accent work. In DWD he was an American who’d chosen the character of a suave James Bond type Englishman. I know JB has been played by a Scotsman, an Irishman too, but he would absolutely never be a northerner from NW England. He was trying in MP to be from the south coast of England but he was still a northerner from NW England. A suave southern English accent is such a default that they teach it in drama schools over here. (You would never know that Daniel Craig is from just down the road from Harry originally. So is the other guy in MP. Because they’ve done the accent work.)

In both films his character was playing a character with everything to hide, which was a lot for a novice actor, and he got hammered in reviews for being clunky. I actually think he was all right in DWD (worse in MP) but the scenes where had had to be a grungy American incel were diabolical. Then when he was shouting he sounded like he’d come off a regional soap opera about sheep farming. All they needed was a dialogue coach, 10 000 hours, and our British papers would probably not have reviewed him as harshly. OW should have pushed for that in my view.

The way you just slipped the 10,000 hours in there is hilarious.

[cantquitu]

So lately I found myself going back to 2022 posts and reading about dont worry darling and my policeman and how both projects were received and it got me thinking, do you think Harry will ever be welcomed back into the acting world? I know this is a weird question to ask but looking back I didn’t realize how truly bad the conversation on the internet was about him, people laughing at him, people saying it’s over, articles over articles talking about how he is so bad. It was just not a great reception and it made think would a director ever take a chance on him again cause frankly I would love to see him in another movie despite everything that happened. I think people just wanted to hate him at the time and found a way to do it.

Yes, I have zero doubt that Harry would be welcomed back to the acting world.

Money talks, and Harry makes money at the box office. Despite all the absolute nonsense surrounding Don't Worry Darling, it was commercially successful. The data showed that it was in large part due to Harry's draw. That's what will keep the offers coming.

I know the internet had lots of fun taking the piss out of him when DWD/My Policeman came out, but actually Harry acquitted himself just fine in DWD and the majority of critic reviews weren't that bad. Clearly he was out-acted by Florence Pugh (most people are), but he was fine, and in the lighter-hearted scenes his laidback charm and natural ease in front of the camera was evident. I can see people wanting him for the kind of roles where that is crucial.

He bit off far more than he could chew in My Policeman, he just didn't have the experience and skill to pull it off. I think most directors of those kind of films would be hesitant about risking him in a similar demanding lead role. But at least it showed his ambition and the kind of projects that he's interested in.

I'm actually more curious about Harry's own attitude to re-entering the movie world. Has he been too badly burned to go back soon? How did it feel? Has it made him more ambitious? He's someone who isn't accustomed to not being excellent at everything he does :)

[policemanofprincesspark]

He needs to quit acting in movies //

I think he has quit or we'd have seen him filming something this year. He last filmed in May 2021. He's used to being praised for everything he does and I think the dwd and mp reviews really upset him

Tragic.

I think he needed to do My Policeman though, so I'm glad he did. He was practically on his knees begging to be in that film lol. He obviously had a personal connection to it and wanted to tell his story in a way that he could.

Other than that, I don't think he needs to continue acting for the sake of acting.

[alarrytale]

Sooo I am more of a Harrie Larrie but now that Harry's tour has finished I'm just finding it hard to enjoy any of his content because we only ever see him when he's stunting. I hate his public image and I don't understand how anyone can be a fan of his if they believe his het persona and that his relationships are real and not PR. If they were real then he'd be the biggest asshole ever. Going from woman to woman and then dumping them conveniently when he's done with promoting projects. Cheating on them, dating their friends, taking his friends' girlfriends. Ignoring them in public and walking off and leaving them behind. Exposing them to the fandom early on and letting fans rip them apart, and not defending them or calling out fans like other celebrities do often when their partner is being abused by fans. Not doing anything to protect them, actually doing the opposite. Also dating really problematic women. Why would anyone approve of someone like that, let alone fantasize about being with them? The huge amount of hate that Olivia deservedly got, all he did was make a lousy comment in RS about how when he went on dates he had to warn the person that part of the fandom would say it wasn't real, which is nothing really. Fans went above and beyond to sabotage DWD and it was crickets from Harry. When he was 'with' Tess fans went and gave her books 1 star reviews. He said nothing. So on one hand we have everyone who comes into contact with Harry singing his high praises, how kind and caring he is, how protective he is of his loved ones etc. We see that when he's around people he cares about he's really affectionate and touchy feely. Yet with his public image we're seeing the complete opposite, and how he is around his 'girlfriends'. The lack of attraction, chemistry, care. Well now he's holding hands with TR, albeit badly, so it's clear they're pushing it as a relationship now. They're using a lot of the same tactics used for Holivia. I'm so tired of the gaslighting. That Harries are too dumb to see it and lack critical thinking skills so HSHQ takes advantage of them because they'll believe anything and won't question anything. They're sheep and it appears that Harry and Louis want a fandom of sheep.

You are so right, anon. Seeing people fall for it is the worst thing tbh. The gaslighting is so hardcore that keeping your wits about you is challenging. In addition to that, people keep buying what they're selling while knowing they are feeding the monster. Being a harrie larrie must be worse for you in that respect since his fandom is largely gp turned sheeps. Some are also very young. I can't really blame them for buying into it all though. That's the goal here. It's still very sad and disheartening.

To your point about how Harry treats his female partners, i only want to add 'cheating, breaking up a marriage and dump her right after' (Lu*y Hor*bin). That is arguably the worst one to date. I also don't understand how you can be a het harrie and be a fan of harry styles tm. It's the same with het louies tbh. If a fandom of sheep is what they want then that's what they'll get. Eventually. But that is very unsustainable. So good luck with that.

[destinyc1020]

Z and her team hav been proving to b very smart with her career, esp compared to a lot of her peers. She may not hav a bundle of leading roles bt she produces/produced, has been 2nd billed a lot, and a fashion career that rivals even a lot of these nepo models. I think she is one of the most veratile yung actors we hav cuz she dsnt just do acting.

Z has said time n time again that she dsnt mind taking her time in her career and i think it has benefited her, shes alreast getting rave reviews wen it comes to Challengers (of course we will hav to see the numbers when it comes out). Her first major leading role, this took 10+ yrs.

I think of young entertainers (lik Harry S, Kaia G) who jumped into leading/co leading roles too quickly and it backfired on them. And now they kinda hav to reverse back into doing more ensemble roles (atlead with Kaia, nt sure if Harry is going to do acting in future lol) cuz they just werent ready for a leading role. Some ppl just arent patient with their careers, and i dnt think Z is like that

I have said time and time again Anon that Z's team has been very smart with her career for sure. I totally agree with you. I think she's done things the smart way so far.

She has made sure that she has multiple streams of income, and has become sort of like a Jacqueline of All Trades in the ET world, which can benefit you in the long run.

I think of young entertainers (lik Harry S, Kaia G) who jumped into leading/co leading roles too quickly and it backfired on them. And now they kinda hav to reverse back into doing more ensemble roles (atlead with Kaia, nt sure if Harry is going to do acting in future lol) cuz they just werent ready for a leading role. Some ppl just arent patient with their careers, and i dnt think Z is like that

I definitely think Harry may have jumped in a little TOO quickly when it comes to "Don't Worry Darling" playing opposite Florence Pugh, who IS a good actor. I think Baz was originally wanting Harry Styles for the role of Elvis as well if I'm not mistaken.

I just don't think Harry is the strongest actor.... at least, I haven't seen him in anything yet that makes me feel like he is the best out there. But he's not awful. I know some people were saying his accent kept going in and out in DWD lol.... 😅🤣

I've never seen Kaia have a lead role in anything tbh 🤔 (not even co-lead), so I'm not sure she's the best example for your point in this regard. She's actually done minor roles/parts so far in her career (which I think is SMART lol), so she hasn't really led anything yet.

[ladytanithia]

AO3 Twenty Questions

I was tagged by @dirty-bosmer Tagging @lillxart @gwilin-stay-winnin @skyrim-forever and @thequeenofthewinter (even though I know she's already done this!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

416,292

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, only Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, although I have written a few Breath of the Wild fics (one one-shot, one short 8-chapter story, and two long fics that are unfinished). Once upon a time in junior high and high school, my friends and I wrote each other stories about Duran Duran and Def Leppard, but those are on paper and too old for anyone to care these days!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

You know, I hadn’t really looked in a long time, so I’m surprised/not surprised to find that mostly my LoZ fics are the highest in kudos (they’ve been there longest).

Dalliances with Dunmer (86)

Link the Anachronism (55)

Larissa’s Tale: Before the Hero (46) – this pleases me; my first story with an OC and a lot of research

Khajiit: Stranger in a Strange Land (45)

Starting Over: A New Woman in a New Hyrule (38)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Absolutely! While I write for myself and have to remind myself of this daily, it’s always nice to know that someone else has seen and enjoyed my labors of love. Readers who comment are rare and precious. And at least 2 of them have become actual friends!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Dalliances with Dunmer – but that wasn’t the end of the story, just the ending of the 2nd book in the story.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

What Might Have Been – because it was MEANT to be an alternate ending to the angsty one.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not usually. When I first started putting DwD on AO3 and fanfiction, one person called it dogshit and another person went on a mean, scandalized rant about Miranja’s “fatherless behavior.” But a dear friend told me, if there’s no controversy, you’re not doing it right, and I left the flame in the comments for that purpose!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Smut/romance/erotica – various levels depending on the mood and the characters’ relationship. There’s been everything from cuddly fluff to heart-pounding romance to jizz-in-your-pants or call-the-priest filth.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I can’t answer that definitively. I started a crossover (Khajiit) between BotW and Skyrim (a friend used Skyrim to wean me off of BotW, and now I live here forever), but I haven’t even gotten to the crossover part and now it’s been 2 years since I played BotW, so we’ll see where that goes.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. I can’t imagine why anyone would, unless they were training an AI!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes, just a silly little back-and-forth scenario with my OC and a friend’s OC. It’s not on AO3, but I’m hoping it will be soon!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Of my own, or anyone’s anywhere? Mine, of course, would be Miranja and Talvas. Elsewhere… I like to ship Kvothe and Devi in The Name of the Wind – if for nothing else but the hate sex!

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I want to finish all of them except the Link and Zelda stories, since those are moot points by now.

16. What are your writing strengths?

From others’ reviews, I’d say characterization and description. I like to get inside the characters’ minds and hearts, think up back stories for them that might have made them the way they are, make their interactions with other characters as genuine as I can. When describing a scene, I almost focus more on the sensations than the actual physical presence of, or situation of, things. What is the character seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting, and how does it make them feel? The feelings are what you remember, not the details. (Unless you’re Sherlock Holmes.)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Second-guessing myself. If someone says the story’s moving too slowly, I pick up the pace and skip the less important stuff that was kind of important to me. Then someone says I’m rushing the story, so I rewrite it and flesh it out the way I wanted it to begin with. Like, I BELIEVE I’m pretty good at re-reading and assessing the pace, but then I let someone else tell me I’m doing it wrong. Also, allowing things to distract me and keep me from writing until I don’t even remember where I was at.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If it’s relevant to the plot, then of course! Otherwise, if it’s just idle chatter, that feels like extraneous flaunting on the author’s part. Look what I can do! Haha!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

As many things as I’ve been a fan of, I’ve never thought of writing my own fiction about them until I beat Breath of the Wild. Because I wanted so badly to know how they would turn the kingdom back around, I decided to write my own continuation.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Larissa’s Tale or Hrefna’s Crush. Shorter stories, but special to me in different ways. Larissa was kind of a self-insert character but better-looking, who got her hands and other body parts on Link before Zelda did. Hrefna’s Crush was sort of a birds-and-bees and starting to have crushes story, where Sondas Drenim is the object of her crush, and Miranja is the competition she loves but envies.

[lageografiademicamino]

UMK 2024 Song Review - Cyan Kicks

Again the hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö has officially started!

Cyan Kicks - Dancing With Demons

Cyan Kicks is a Finnish alternative rock/electric pop band established back in 2016. They had their big break in UMK 2022 when they came second with Hurricane losing to The Rasmus. I do remember for rooting for Hurricane two years ago!

Since then, they've been busy with making music and touring around Europe. This shows. They've also mentioned themselves the growth of confidence and experience, and especially the vocalist Susanna. This time around they're bolder and loader but still not losing their familiar energy and sound. But it's inevitable to compare their 2024 entry to Hurricane of UMK22 and perhaps their biggest contestant might actually be themselves from two years ago.

For many the 22 entry was instantly memorable and still is and the question is can DWD do the same?

Dancing With The Demons is the first of seven UMK24 entries to be released. And what a start it is!

The song is kicked off with a promising electronic beat and it builds up nicely towards the first chorus which I have to admit I'm slightly disappointed that it's not grabbing enough. Personally I'm liking the second verse and Susanna's interpretation of the lyrics here. I even saw somewhere a Lady Gaga comparison.

Instrumentally this is very rich and there's a lot to take in. Lots of volume which makes me worry if Susanna's vocals which are rather light in here, are strong enough to carry it through? Even though I know she can sing live obviously. As seconds turn into minutes there's more volume, more instruments and more noise coming up!

A lot of people have criticized the bridge but my musical (rock) taste is generic enough to love it actually. I'm loving the "follow me's" here. In three minutes it's tricky to get an instrumental part squeezed in but DWD manages to do just that. The whole band is clearly involved in this with 150% and musically this can be quite overwhelming. The ending is as load as the beginning. Lyrically not the best of songs but this wasn't the band's strong suit in 2022 either.

This is well and heavily produced track that can be blamed of sounding a slightly bit too mainstream and plastic lacking originality and organic sound. However, this is a question of personal taste. Live performance we don't need to worry with this entry because as we remember from UMK 22 - they'll nail it.

Visually this is impressive. Susanna and the band rocking under the rain (she was actually with fever when shooting the video!) and everything we see supports what we hear. Sexy, load, wet, explosive. It's actually difficult to listen the song without its video because that's how astonishing it is! And the pair clearly belongs together. UMK music videos have come a long way!

What do you think of the first UMK24 track and would you vote for Cyan Kicks to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!

[goongiveusnothing]

YES it's a terrible storyline, this idea they're each others long lost star crossed lovers was just completely unbelievable. the only thing we saw them do together was have sex.

I fully believe Harry's participation in this movie was to satisfy the Gayrries sex fantasies of him with men and also to possibly get him more recognition as an actor if it had done well and gotten good reviews. It failed at both. Some Gayrries were satisfied, but I think deep down most realized he isn't actually gay because of how bad the sex scenes and the chemistry between the main characters was. Otherwise, why aren't most of them talking about it anymore? I've seen more people say they liked DWD even though that was surrounded by a ton of drama and people hated Olivia.

definitely. i think he knew the queerbaiting would be perfect for his audience to finally see him fuck a man. it's the only thing he knows full well his fans have always wanted from him.

and he also knows that when straight actors play queer male characters, it's total oscars bait. it's a bit less now of course, but i think harry still thinks old school about this and thinks that voters are still incredibly in awe a straight man would willingly be romantic with a dude and make it look good.

but yes, it flopped for what you said. the chemistry was appalling. nothing from harry's end. total deadness. and exactly. they claim harry has chemistry with every man. that this was his big gay outing. surely he'd want to go all in, surely we'd see how natural this was to him, the REAL him, finally we could see what a fantastic tantalising gay lover he is! how he seduces men! how he only has chemistry with dudes!

and it's awful. one reviewer said the scenes between them almost looked like rape because of how uncomfortable harry's character was, but i don't think it's the character, i think it's harry's acting.

and his sexual prowess is fucking bizarre. those devour face kisses he does on top of people's whole mouths, right away, without any build up. like does he know how to build up in sex? does he know what foreplay is? right away it's a big devour your entire face kiss as though that's what passion and sexiness is. but it's not, it's the slow burn, the real chemistry, the feeling we're watching something truly building up between people. he clearly doesn't understand that.

the fact that none of his fans ship him and dawson, and that those gifs or discussions or fanfic of the movie are almost non existent says it all. i never see anyone for example on twitter with a harry MP avatar. his fans realized it was a dud, got off to the sex scenes, and then pretended it never happened.

[harrytheehottie]

If Harry wanted PR so bad and Tayrry was just PR, don’t u think he would do everything in his power to not sit in the background while at her play? The man does everything in his power to not take attention away from her and her cast mates

Exactly. But they say him going at all takes attention away which isn’t true. Harries are a very small % of the internet. The people that matter have gone to see that play and gave it great reviews and it’ll definitely be up for awards. That’s because of the sheer talent of the writer and the cast. Not because Harry is dating the lead actress. Don’t you think if that was the case and he had that much leverage in the world he’d grab DWD / My Policeman more than just a fan voted peoples choice award lol.