#everyone on tumblr for the most part has been super nice

[allylikethecat]

I am both very excited and also very terrified to see The 1975 tomorrow 😳

[arsenicflame]

Bonus round! Do you use a queue tag?

[erose-this-name]

Kabru is such a brilliantly written character, one of the best in Dungeon Meshi (which is a high bar as it is, most of the main cast are similarly genius). 

His thing is that he is very friendly and nice confident and maxed out his charisma stat, but is also kinda ambitious and manipulative. But not in an overtly malicious way. Which kinda scares me.

The most impressive thing about him, writing wise, is that it’s all show-don’t-tell. He very frequently uses his charm and empathy and understanding of how people think in really clever ways.

We’re often walked through his thought process of how he does these social deductions. We’re never told he’s scarily charismatic, besides other characters reacting to him being scarily charismatic.

Kabru is a natural-born leader and social engineer with superlative skills in both, which makes him the perfect foil for Laios, who’s too autistic and unambitious that he’s not even the de facto leader of his own party that he’s the official leader of. He’s so bad at leadership that his party just, sort of, doesn’t have a leader. They just kinda argue and do stuff.

What’s also neat, and perfectly inline with Meshi’s general theme of clever and logical subversions of fantasy tropes, is that Kabru’s character design in no way clues us in on this fundamental character trait of his.

He’s sort of a human fighter / knight archetype, which in the language of fantasy RPGs is a class most would associate with being a white bread jock, chivalrousness optional.

(Laios subverts the same trope in the same way. It’s really funny that the walking exposition dump of the group looks like the character creator default preset spec’d as the most generic class available.)

If Kabru was a bard or noble and Laios a wizard, their character traits would be far less interesting

Even better is that we would expect someone who looks like Laios to have Kabru’s personality, and vice versa. Their character designs are flipped; the confident super charismatic leader is a short wide-eyed twink, while the slightly naive and very autistic monster enthusiast is a tall conventionally attractive Aryan lookin’ mf.

(see what I mean by Kabru being such a good foil for Laios?? No wonder everyone ships them, they’re perfect for each other!)

Yet, their designs also work for them. Kabru just has a face that’s easy to talk to, his piercing blue eyes and curly hair gives him a false sense of naïveté, while his iconic 👁️👁️ expression hints that there’s actually quite a bit going on inside his head. Meanwhile, Laios believably looks like someone who doesn’t know what hair conditioner is. His armor’s collar gorget thing is also pretty dorky.

You can’t trust people like that (I mean overly charismatic people with a manipulative streak, not blue-eyed twinks) because you can’t know what their real motives are. You can’t know they aren’t pretending, you can’t know they aren’t trying to or haven’t already manipulated you. How could you? When he has so much more social intelligence than you do, average socially awkward Tumblr user? He’s touched all the grass!

In episode 16 (spoilers, btw) Kabru finally meets Laios’s party, who he’s been trying to find and fight for the better part of the season, and he just decides that no confrontation is necessary. Like, immediately upon meeting the guy. Just from how Laios looked at him. He figures that since Laios didn’t seem to recognize him, they either have never met meaning he has the wrong guy, or Laios forgot meaning he didn’t think it’d be a big deal, meaning the treasure was a trap or something. Which is pretty in line with Kabru’s established ability to always roll nat 20s for every charisma and deductive reasoning check, so cool.

But he doesn’t even seem curious about which of those cases is true. (He might be interested to find out some of the treasure wasn’t dangerous, but accidentally got thrown off a bridge). Much to Rin’s dismay, he’d rather just not bring it up because that could upset the leader of the party he might be working with for the foreseeable future.

Actions speak louder than words. So, all we really learn in this scene is that Kabru’s goals and M.O. can change on a dime, and that he values reputation and political capital more than money and vengeance. More than his own party’s desire for those things. Not only is he someone with a silver tongue, but he knows its value and is determined to use it at every opportunity.

Kabru and his party might not be very good at fighting or surviving in the dungeon, in fact their frequent TPKs are a running gag. But, he also doesn’t need to be when he can just manipulate Laios’ and Shuro’s much more proficient parties into helping him.

So far, Kabru seems like the most likely one to become king of the dungeon or whatever the mcguffin is. He is the only protagonist so far who has said that’s an actual goal of his. He’s said that he doesn’t think someone like Laios who isn’t a born leader should get it.

In fact, Kabru seems to have very strong opinions on what kinds of people should be allowed to adventure in the dungeon, evidenced by the fact that he murdered an entire party over it, justified or not. Kabru seems to think that Kabru is such a leader, and he’s probably right about that, but what kind of leader? 

What would Kabru do with that kind of power if he gets it? Because I’m not sure. All I know is that he is the kind of person with the ability to use real political power to its full potential. For good, or for very, very bad.

I’m not saying that Kabru is evil or that he’s secretly gonna be the surprise villain. I dunno, I haven’t read the manga. He could just be a nice guy that’s just, like, is like that. Everything he’s done could be justified by the explanations he’s given. He actually reminds me a lot of one of my IRL friends, and I’d trust him with my life.

But, I can’t help but feel a distinct sense of unease whenever he’s on-screen. I try not to trust confident natural-born leaders like him right out of the gate. I don’t like that our instinct as humans is to blindly follow them without thinking about it.

Tyrants and psychopaths also use confidence and charm and a friendly demeanor to make people think they’re a good guy, while manipulating everyone into thinking their self-serving actions are altruistic. Benevolent, confident, skilled leaders do exist. But there exists many more snakes wearing their skin. Wolves rarely bother with sheep’s clothing, they dress as shepherds and sheepdogs.

Anyway, my point is that I think it’s kinda neat that it’s possible to overthink this much about a character whose probably just a nice guy that is the mirror opposite of an autistic person. Writing that kind of ambiguity is hard, and employing it in this way is inspired.

[alpaca-clouds]

Let's Talk About "Marvelfication"

Okay, let me try to get this out of my system, because I do have some thoughts on this one.

See, as you know, I finished Dragon Age: Veilguard last week. And I did enjoy the game. I never was that attached to the franchise. I really enjoyed Inquisition back in the day when it came out, but after doing two runs with it never have really returned to it. I also did play one of the older games, though I am not fully sure which one, because it was a long while ago. But I just never got that attached to the franchise. (Which mostly has to do with my own personal issues with High Fantasy.)

But that is not what I wanted to talk about. What I wanted to talk about is more the thing I have seen now multiple people call out: "The Marvelfication" as some have called it. And mind you, I absolutely do agree with this: There were several scenes in this game where I thought to myself: "This feels kinda MCU."

However, what I kinda want to talk about is the specific wording here: "Marvelfication." Because it is super understandable that the first thing that comes to mind (for me as well) is the MCU. But I think the issue is way deeper than "MCU is popular, so let's do something like the MCU".

A lot of folks on Youtube and other platforms have talked about how a lot of "tropes" that people blame on the MCU are actually older than the MCU. The reason people associate it with the MCU is moreso that the MCU is just fucking everywhere since it became this big thing. It is what defines the media landscape.

The big issue actually is another one, though: Those tropes are everywhere because in a more and more conservative media landscape they are considered safe. These types of jokes are not risky in any way. These types of characters are not risky. These types of stories are not risky.

It is stories that are set in societies that are messed up, and then there is a big conflict that only tangentally relates to the ways the societies are messed up in, and then that conflict is resolved but the status quo does not change.

And that more than anything is what I would criticize about the game. Outside of very prominently centering some trans issues, the game has taken very little risks.

I wrote about that a bit last week in comparison to BG3, how safe the companions in Veilguard feel. This shows so harshly in direct comparison to BG3, because really, Larian sat down with player and told you: "Those assholes are your companions. Take it or leave it." Those people I know who never finished BG3 mostly never did because they could not stand the companions. Meanwhile those who, like me, got obsessed with the game, mostly did it because it feels so fucking satisfying when you start to get through to the companions after they started out as those assholes. This satisfaction is something Veilguard never really offers you - because... Well, I can assume that some of these characters had some edges at some point. But whatever edges there had been, those have gotten smoothed down, so now everyone is perfectly sweet. Sure, they might argue a bit here or there, and if you make decisions they do not agree with, they are gonna be pissy with Rook for a bit, but that's the most of it.

Same with a lot of other stuff. There is basically no sexual content in this game. You get one sex scene that is super tame and you see nothing - and one to two kisses per romance. No risk.

Any no matter what kinda choice the characters make, they are all gonna be nice, you know?

There is one thing in the finale of the game that is kinda risky, I will admit. But I will not talk about that yet, because I knwo a lot of people have not finished the game.

But for the most part the game does not risk anything.

And really, that is the core of what folks call "Marvelfication". Because pretty much this is also the issue with Marvel and Star Wars and pretty much all American made media: Outside of some smaller productions, some of which do well with the tumblr crowd but barely get any attention from mainstream audience (*coughs* Interview with the Vampire *coughs*) there is little risk taken. The humor is the same everywhere because this humor is considered safe. The characters feel kinda samey everywhere, because those characters are safe.

It is why I have stopped going to the cinema, because these days there are barely any movies I consider worth watching. It is ironically also why I have recently watched a whole lot more Japanese stuff, because it is easier to find stuff there that does not play it that safe.

It is also why I do these days mostly consume western stuff that has a 18+ rating on it - because at least with that stuff I know that it probably is not gonna play it "safe".

I just wish some media took more risks. I want those medium budget projects back, that cost like 30-50 million, so can make a profit with 100 million at the box office, without doing billions. I want some stuff in there that is not a big IP. I just want... stuff.

Right now I am looking at the soon end of What We Do In The Shadows, mostly because it is one of the few things on right now that does some risky stuff. And I miss those SyFy low budget originals, because some of it was kinda risky. Ugh.

The issue is not Marvel. It is not even Disney. It is that the creative industries in the US right now mainly put out big budget stuff that because of that big budget needs to be loved by everyone.

And look, I am trans. Hence I absolutely do see some value in the fact that Bioware clearly took position and said: "Okay, we get to do one risky thing, so that thing is gonna be to incluse a variety of trans characters." Which I love and respect. But I kinda wish the game had not been quite that pretty and instead also included a bit more edges on the characters.

... But I guess in the end there is still fanfiction, where I can still make the characters messy. lol

[rei-ismyname]

Merry X-Men Holiday Special Highlights

Happy holidays, everyone! It's been about a year since I started posting about the X-Men on Tumblr and if it wasn't for all the lovely folks who engage and discuss it wouldn't be so enriching. I'm super anti-capitalist and anti cultural Christianity so it's less 'Happy Christmas' and more 'I wish y'all the best.' ❤️💚

I wonder if Lockheed speaks Hebrew

Here's Kitty Pryde celebrating Chanukah in Genosha and remembering her father. Leading the special with an explicitly Jewish character observing a Jewish holiday is great, but the notion of saving the world by becoming president of the USA is a dubious one. The USA is an imperialist entity built on deep seated systemic inequality and worse. Even the most progressive of presidents is beholden to that. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try, but Kitty is kidding herself about 'saving the world the right way.'

Nature Girl hates Christmas, and it's hard to argue with her reasons. The parts about warmth are weird to me because I live in Australia where Christmas is always hot AF. One of the few days I hope for rain, tbh.

I'm not sure if Bobby quite understood what 'eschewing capitalism' means but this looks pretty fun. That tie dye X-Men tee slaps and I want one. I wonder what Kubark thinks of this human holiday.

This story with Magneto coming around on the pointlessness of lighting menorahs does the rounds every now and then, though not as much as I'd expect. The kids are particularly plucky and eloquent, and the one who emphatically tells Magneto he's wrong is a legend. I'm fond of any story where Magneto rethinks his beliefs, and this is a nice one.

It took me a while to notice that this is written by Charlamagne tha God, possibly because it's kinda funny to imagine Ororo knowing who that is. Idk why, I've just never seen any stories indicating that she's into Hip Hop culture. I like that it's a rejection of turning the other cheek where bigoted assholes are concerned. You can't reach some people, and there's no obligation to exhaust yourself trying. Fuck em. The Michelle Obama mention is a bit on the nose.

Old man Logan is cutting firewood and being gruff, as he does. Kurt gives him a picture of himself, which is a baller move. I was under the impression that this Logan was an alternate reality Logan, and doesn't have a particularly close relationship with these X-Men. Nothing about Logans makes sense, sometimes you just have to accept it as cute and cool.

Glob does stuff! Is that meant to be mistletoe? We don't have it down here. He nails up some plant matter and then chills by himself. Little bit depressing, but I can't talk.

Bobby Drake has a party! Interestingly neither Jewish nor Christian, but a pagan holiday that's become a bit more popular (like Christmas and Easter.) Hope is watching Cable do... something, in a recorded message from when she was the universe's most unpopular baby.

Some kids are sharing the rumour that Magneto merked Santa, which is hilarious. It's obviously untrue, not least because Santa is Mags' mutant brother. Kurt lectures them.

Jubilee beats up Arcade (yay!) and quotes Home Alone, rescuing Shogo (who's spending this Christmas as a dragon in Otherworld.) I really don't like Arcade, though he has done two excellent things. Torturing Sinister and creating the Proletarian - worker's hero of the Soviet Union.

Nightcrawler and Storm show up and Christmas is really just a backdrop for a light anti-capitalist tale. Cool! I'd expect Cyclops to be in this book, but no. It's Chuck-less as well.

[learnthebreakdown]

I made this post about how moved I am yr addressed racism with Felice/Simon. It prompted me ponder issues about this fandom (starting how the nonwhite characters are treated in this fandom, and if people would sympathize with Wille as much if he was black instead of white, for example. But then it spiraled into other things as well) I've never had the courage to post about before, but yr gave me courage lmao (putting a disclaimer that I don't hate any of the characters as people...actually I adore most of them...except August). This season showed how ingrained racism is, it exists in so many "invisible" ways, where people can act as if it's not real since it makes them uncomfortable to deal with their own hidden biases, or worse, because they think their biases are actually justified. I've seen some mentions about how the audience of this show reflects the exact prejudices the show claims to criticize.

There's a notable pattern where even minor rich kid characters receive disproportionate sympathy/recognition and others face unwarranted criticism, reflecting societal biases and how we are conditioned. While tumblr has been better this season especially with time, tumblr (and esp other social media) sites often have much more sympathy for Wille over Simon, for example. Simon across sites gets a lot of undue downright vile comments from the fandom, or is just disregarded more. Part of this could be because Wille is the main character, and Simon's perspective was not shown super well in season 2, but Simon/Omar often get a lot of comments that aren't unsimilar to the racist and vile comments we saw Simon get in the show. It made me wonder- if Wille had not been white, if he had been black, would people still have found as much sympathy for him during his angry outbursts? How strange that many people seem to find sympathy for Wille and even August, but not for Simon, even though if we are being realistic...Simon is an equally complex character that has not done many bad things? How interesting that people barely discuss Felice's storyline, but there are people that gag over the rich white kids, stederika and henry/walter (especially after Felice's storyline this season, and when we have Rosh as a canon sapphic lower class girl). How wild that the girls' storylines- Felice and Sara's- are disregarded? People often act like Wille and Simon have gotten the same amount of hate, but if you've been in this fandom long enough and seen the overall situation, I think people know that Wille is favored over Simon overall, and the hate/disregard they get is not equivalent, especially considering Simon is the second lead.

I'm not saying all of this is due to prejudice, or that everyone who has ever done these things is an awful person, it's more just an observation that if we are honest with ourselves, hidden biases certainly play a role in ALL of our thoughts/behaviors. Even for those who may not actively engage in it, do we enable it? And with a show like Young Royals that is attempting to (not always succeeding, but an attempt was made this season) to critique these social structures of racism and classism, wouldn't it be nice if, as we go into this final episode, we look inwards and see what biases we may carry that affect our perception of this show, and more importantly, real life? Life imitates art, after all.

[darcytaylor]

Life Update

Hey everyone! ❤️

I just wanted to say sorry for being a bit MIA lately. Life has gotten in the way, and I just haven't had as much time to do my typical ramblings on here.

On top of all that, I’ve started dating again! 😊 There’s this super sweet man who’s honestly the absolute best, and I’ve been spending a lot of the little free time I do have with him. He’s been so wonderful, and it’s been nice to have that kind of connection again.

When I started this Tumblr, I had just come out of a long-term relationship, and this place became my outlet for some of my thoughts I wanted to get out. I was missing having someone to come home to and just talk with, and Tumblr became that space for me. It’s honestly meant a lot to me, and I appreciate this site and all of you so, so, so much.

I’m not planning to leave! But my priorities are shifting a bit, and with everything else life is throwing at me right now, I’m stretched thin. I’ll still pop in when I can to ramble and share my thoughts, just maybe not as often as before.

I also want to say how much I love being in the Bridgerton/Polin fandom (most days, anyway). It’s been a fun, chaotic, and passionate community to be part of, and I still have so many thoughts and feelings about everything that’s happening. I might be quieter, but I’m definitely still here!

I hope you’re all doing well too! 💕

Darcy

[cyncerity]

HAPPY 3 YEARS TO THIS BLOG!! 🎉💕🫶

i’m so happy i’ve been a part of this little community for as long as i have. everyone is super nice and inspiring and unbelievably talented, and im so glad to be posting content with people like y’all.

it’s absurd to think i’ve been doing this for 3 years and that i almost have 800 people here seeing it, but the love and support i’ve received over these years has been incredible. given that this is such a small community and i’ve either spoken with most of you or have at the very least interacted with your content, i feel confident in saying that every single person here is incredible in their own right and truly are the reason i stay here. you guys are genuinely the best, even if i forget to answer your asks or sometimes leave you on read for a while (i do that with everyone i’m so sorry) i mean it when i say that i do consider a good portion of you my friends. even if it’s been a while since we messaged or talked, you’re all awesome. and if i don’t know you personally, please feel free to message me! i love making friends, especially in a community like this that has time and time again proven to have some of the genuinely nicest people on the internet <3

i love writing and drawing and i’m not leaving here for a long while yet. the asks i’ve received saying that i inspired people to write, draw, or post are some of the nicest things i’ve ever received, and i truly mean it from the bottom of my heart when i say that those have changed my life. the self confidence and love for my craft that i’ve gained from being here is immeasurable, and that’s thanks to all of you, whether you’ve been here for years or are new to this blog.

given that this is an anniversary thing, i wanna thank @bittydragon, @baka-monarch, @wendy130, @darkeninganon, and @awesome-slime-lover for introducing me to this community. i was stalking their blogs on google far before i had an account here, and i only made an account so i could send them fanart, so you have them to thank for dragging me here lmao

i also wanna tag @plant-gt-thought-box, @kayla-crazy-stuffs, @blurrybunnie, @apersonstories, @funtimemoth, @mysticalblue09, @corysmiles, @pixy-stix-art, + some others who are not on tumblr anymore for being friends with me and actually being some of the kindest and funniest motherfuckers. Ik i haven’t spoken to some of you in forever, and i hope this isn’t coming off as parasocial, but you guys are awesome and i wish you nothing but the best (and if you wanna message more or get on vc again some time please lmk cause i am a social wuss)

and if i’m gonna list people i might as well tag the people who even if i don’t know as well, are all super talented and leave me marveling at everything they post on here (whether or not you post mcyt g/t anymore, you’re all still incredible creators who make me want to improve my own work): @eyes-eye-eyes (my /p wife <3), @wren-writes68, @jkknight98, @arc852, @brick-a-doodle-do, @oh-i-need-a-name, @quotemenevervore, @melissa-s23, @i-am-beckyu, @random-tinies, @archaxwii, @itty-bitty-rainbow, @goosedawn, @beansthough, @make-a-memory, @aslitheryprinx, @avengerofsquids, @thatoneteadrinker666, @shushiyuii, @x-pair-o-dice-x, @jammanthejam, @trouble-off-grid, @lunar-but-little, @frickfrackiwastakingabath, @chequered-career, @bio-nerds-corner, @dingbatnix, @cottoncandythetrashpanda, @sprite-addicted-artist, @colossal-red, @sheena-yuet, @quackxolotl, @local-squishmallow, @nobodywritingao3, @deity-of-keys, @astraymetronome, @a-xyz-s, and tumblr has now told me that i’ve hit the max of 50 mentions so i will have to reblog this with the rest of you (crazy to think that there’s that many of y’all but i really do want to shout out everyone) (also if you’re one of these blogs that doesn’t post mcyt anymore and don’t want yourself associated with it, just lmk and i will remove your tag from my list, just know that your previous work in this community was admired and appreciated <3)

also can’t forget the anons and the followers that aren’t outwardly a part of this community (don’t have g/t blogs, don’t have mcyt blogs, or just don’t post in general). i’m lucky enough that i’ve never received hate from an anon before, everything you guys have ever sent is so nice and you also have great ideas! I am so sorry if it takes me forever to share those ideas publicly, but know that each of you are appreciated. and for my followers, i truly wouldn’t be anywhere without you guys, so thank you for supporting me <3

anyway, i might be getting over sentimental about all this, but 3 years is a long time, and over that time i’ve grown very attached to this little group of creators and i just wanted to let you know how loved and appreciated you are

💕💖🫶💕✨

[rainbowsky]

Hi rbs ! This isn't an ask but a gratitude note. Thank you for creating this blog on tumblr. Your blog along with a few others on tumblr are like a breath of fresh air. When I first entered this fandom I was very lost coz I didn't know anything about the language or the very normal but key concepts of Chinese society and culture. I started my journey mainly on youtube and then shifted to instagram but both those places can get very toxic(thankfully I never used twitter, I'm so glad). Insta and YT have a lot of misinformation and most people don't even try to verify if its true or not. So my first few months in the fandom were very confused and generally disturbed. Ik this is not how a fandom experience should be coz fandoms are supposed to make you happy and comfortable. But then I stumbled across your blog here and for the first time I felt like a part of this fandom. I know that you receive a lot of other notes like this, I also know that you receive a lot of hate asks; despite all of that you still continue writing and showing your love for ggdd. Thank you for that. Your super long and extremely detailed analysis of many incidents about which there is misinformation galore on yt , were brilliant. Your critical perspectives on not only ggdd related stuff but even other lqbtqia+ related content were extremely interesting and thought provoking. People like you are the reason why fandoms are celebrated as a safe space- you along with many other turtles who continue to selflessly devote their time and hours to loving these two brilliant men who always inspire everyone to become better. Thank you💛.

Hope you have a nice day !

Aww, thanks so much for your kind words. I'm glad you've found my blog helpful.

I can totally relate to how bad things are on other sites. I came here originally from YouTube, in part because of how bad it had gotten.

I'm glad you're here. This little Tumblr community has been a peaceful oasis, and manages to stay away from some of the worst social media disinformation and nastiness. 💖.

[esmereldapearl]

Hi, this’ll be my first post so bare with me. I’ve never been one to actually post on different social medias and I’m newer to Tumblr too, so if I sound too serious or off that’s probably why. Anyway, to my point;

I am probably going to post a lot of theories or deep dives into different characters from different fandoms and this will be my first! So, here’s a deep dive into Virgil from Sanders Sides; (Spoiler warnings ahead for like EVERY episode)

Let me know if you agree, disagree, or just your thoughts on this if you can, I would like to hear them! I think it would be interesting.

Janus was talking in todays (05/25/24) video, it made me realize that Virgil could’ve left because he wanted someone to be honest with him and show him sincerity, both things Janus hated, and every secret Virgil had would be used against him, his own name was, and that’s why he was afraid to say his name to everyone and now he’s probably realizing Pattons going down the same path he walked, and he’s trying to help his friend but there’s no use. He became closer with Roman because he showed him honesty, he was mean but apologized for his actions and showed him who he is, good and bad, and showed him sincerity when he pushed Thomas to talk to Nico. Virgil showed Roman he was because he was less scared, Roman had shown him who he is and so he will do so too, the purple eyeshadow. In the cheering up episode he was showing things to Roman that he liked, something he didn’t do with everyone because he was afraid of it being used against him, and in the gifting episode he heard Janus against Roman and got angry at Janus because Roman is his friend, someone he can finally trust, someone who won’t use it against him (Janus) or tease him (Remus, DWIT) and he and Roman have a bond where they can tease eachother or make jokes but know they’re jokes because they have trust. Virgil probably realizes that the dollar bill with Roman was special because Romans afraid of Failure and hes feeling like he fails with all his friends who are turning on him, so to give him something personal, or as Janus put it, ploy to his ego, it helps with his insecurity that he’s not significant, Virgil gets that because he had to loose everything he knew to gain what he has now, which is scary and puts you at the bottom of a pit you have to climb out of.

If someone said to you, “I’m not angry” but looked super angry wouldn’t that make you upset? Or if you showed something to them and they said “I really like it” when they have a look of disgust on their face. This is something I feel Janus would do from his mannerisms in the newer videos with Remus.

I think that Janus is someone who can be easily trusted at first, the one you feel finally understands you or is finally nice to you but as you go on with being friends you realize it was all a lie, the relationship’s foundation was built on lies. Remus doesn’t care, nor has he left Janus so their friends. Virgil cared, and left, so Janus is angry at him and uses everything against him- maybe he did it before too. Maybe Virgil saw how the others acted towards him and changed his original motive, sometimes when you see something doesn’t have to be a certain way, you don’t want it to be a certain way. Example being, you can cut the grass with scissors but if you find that tedious or don’t like it, change what you’re doing, make it easier, make it nicer for yourself. Same goes with being around people, you don’t have to be around people who make you upset, or you realize make you upset, because that’s all you know. It’s scary, so scary from experience but when you’re on the other side it’s clearer, nicer, happier— and the fact that Virgil can trust someone so much now that he can finally show them something he likes or the purple eyeshadow is just showing how much better he is, even if it might seem like he’s walking backwards, he’s not, he’s in the clear for the most part.

Virgil is only “going backwards” with saying he’s like the cousin, I don’t think that means he wishes he was back there, I think he means that’s where he’s from, that’s what he knows more, he doesn’t exactly feel like a light side probably, so he’ll assume he just still feels like a dark side. He’s probably afraid that his relationship with Patton is deteriorating over Janus, he’s afraid Patton’s mad at him because of the “I’m not mad at you” but looks upset thing that probably happened with Janus.( I’ve had people do this and it does affect me like that so that’s why I’m saying this) But Virgil would rather protect Patton from him and have Patton dislike him than to stand back and let it happen I’m guessing- I could be wrong though. And, in the video where Janus and Patton are in the woods it’s noted that Janus doesn’t share much about himself to Patton, he might not want people to do what he does in turn.

Maybe that’s why Janus doesn’t like Roman, because he is mean to those he doesn’t trust and then once they know each-other is nice, and trusting and sincere. He doesn’t like him because he didn’t trust him without batting an eye, he realized what road he was on at the start and it crumbled a lot faster than anyone around hims did- immediate, or almost immediate distrust made Janus not like him since there isn’t much to use, just ploys to an ego and that is all. Roman is sincere towards Virgil and Virgil likes that, Janus could be angry that his friend is with someone new and angry at that friend. Janus can make all these remarks and they don’t matter until Roman speaks up and it’s Romans fault. Janus did what he did with Virgil to Roman, found what was important to him, an insecurity, and used it against him. Roman was quick to know the game, but he doesn’t know how to win the game.

All of this, or even some of it could be stuff that people have already realized and known, but I find it intriguing and interesting to think about dynamics and what goes on in peoples heads.

Again, if you want to add, or disagree please let me know, I want to hear what everyone else thinks about this if you’re seeing it- did you already know this? Do you disagree? What do you think is different?

Have a wonderful rest of your day and thank you for listening to my TedTalk.

[cloudcountry]

thank you to the three people that tagged me in the twst author spotlight ^^ irene, siren, and sapphy, thank you. i read what you said about me and i was very touched. i didnt think i would gain so many friends in such a short period of time, and you all deserve to be recognized for your contributions to the twst community!! :D

EVERYONE LOOK AT MY FRIENDS.

@tinyletterz, who has a beautiful soul and amazing writing. i've known her since my baby days on quotev writing for a fandom which shall not be named, and it's so such a pleasure being her friend. she writes twst x reader content and has a gorgeous series about flower languages that i think about a lot. thank you remy for helping me get accustomed to tumblr, you're the og!!

@shkrmpp, who was my first mutual that i'd never met before here. thank you for asking about jellyfish and being such a bubbly presence on my dash. shrimpy writes x reader content and creates adorable art!! their hair dye series with the leech twins is super cute and i find myself thinking about teh floyd part in particular very often ^^

@fukashiin, with the prettiest themes and the gorgeous art style. winou CONSISTENTLY writes absolute bangers that make me so giddy. this one in particular is one of my favorites, and her writing style reminds me of a soft summer breeze. she's such a bubbly person and its so fun talking to her, even if we don't talk often. ^^ she's one of the three people that keeps my deuce content afloat.

one could say many things about the beloved @hisui-dreamer!! from the way she adores her friends to teh way she writes, rinna is always soft and sweet. she radiates comfort and is such a soothing person, i feel so safe around her. she writes x reader content and every single piece is its own masterpiece. she's one of my closest friends on here and i wish nothing but the best for her every day.

@merotwst, who has a bucnh of adorable oc content (on @meromessy !!) and writes x readers!! ellie in on haitus right now takinga well deserved break. <3 but she writing is amazing and i am FLOORED whenever i see her art!!! it's literally so gorgeous and i don't understand how she does it. its crazy. how is so much talent in one person.

@siren-serenity is not only a lovely author of x reader content, but also a lovely friend. ^^ siren also has an oc named melody who is so cool!!!! she was the pastor at my wedding and fought TOOTH AND NAIL for that position LMAO love u renren!!! she really writes azul SUPER WELL and im so happy to have met someone so calm and soothing to talk to.

@officialdaydreamer00, aka nutmeg, is a rascal. an absolutely rascal but they're really the best. they have a yuusona with LORE and a bunch of really creative & cute events!! seriously nutmeg, nobody does it like you. if you want to see our favorite twst boys in strawberry dresses or recieve a pair of cute earrings, irene's blog is the place for you!!!

@the-v-lociraptor has STELLAR art. she was one of my firts mutuals on twst tumblr and i was terrified of talking to people but her vibes were very much "i am nice you dont need to be afraid" and sniffling scared me was like "OKAY I CAN TALK TO YOU" LMAO but yeah. she draws people so,,, full. thats the only word i can use to describe it. they just look s soft and alive and its really so amazing. i love her art so much!!

@siphoklansan is another artist!! i think about the art she drew from loona's heart attack with twst character weekly basically. it has been stuck in my brain since i started following her. sippy, its trully beautiful how you mix your culture and your art together. i remember you talking about it when you were drawing fairy gala stuff and it was just stunning. please keep doing what you're doing!! i hope your hiatus proves restful <3

@ceruleancattail is one of THE most creative writers i have ever met on this platform. every time i check out their account theyre talking about a new au or doing something different. they write x reader stuff and ar ethe biggest cater kisser ever (even if they wont admit it hehe!!) their writing is so refreshing, if that makes sense. their butler au is so goofy whaahwwahwah

@moonlit-midnight has the prettiest writing style :((( hannah is literally so sweet and it shows in everything you can find on this blog. THIS BLOG HAS PLATONIC FICS TOO!!!! DID YOU KNOW THAT?????? and even better, they're inspired by hannah's own friendships :((( literally the most wholesome thing. you can find x reader's here!!!

@iseethatimicy is an x reader writer and fellow azul kisser!!! she writes some really cute stuff for oour favorite silly little cephalopod AND AND AND AND HAS SOME OCS!!! THATA ARE SUPER COOL!!!!! shimiko and icy are both so cool and interesting 9EVEN THOUGH IM VERY SHIMIKO BIASED AAAAA I LOEV SIREN TROPES !!!!!)

@ryker-writes IS SO KIND. he gave me the sweetest set of flowers for his garden event :(( i still think about them and aaaaa i havent forgotten when he fought me over me being cool LMAO so goofy wahhwaawh!! HIS OC JAXON AND RIDDLE ARE LITERALLY SO CUTE :((( he writes x reader content & makes oc content!!!

@totallymem3 draws occasionally and omgggg meme's art is gorgeous. HAVE YOU SEEN HER DRAW AZUL. her art is so soft and its honestly adorable :(( meme is such a nice mutual too!!! like i met her on anon a while ago we've been besties ever since fr. HER ART REMINDS ME OF SPRING GO CHECK IT OUT PLEASE!!!!!

@z3llous is SO TALENTED!!!! another mutual that im liek WOW how do you exist??? he creates the most stunning twst fanart :((( THE OCTAVINELLE BIAS IIS SO REAL AND SO SO OBVIOUS BUT WOW.....WOW IS IT GOOD. zell is also a game developer and if you like cute little kitties and adventure games you should totally try it out here!!!

@cecilebutcher MAKES THE BEST OCS. creator of igor and saver of the universe. im not kidding igor saved the universe IDC WHAT YOU SAY ITS CANON TO ME. cece i sliterally the sweetest and soososososo creative i am eating up every crumb of igor content i get fed. OM NOM NOM. ofc junto is nice too and hes so sweet!!! GAHH you just put so much love and care into yoru ocs its so admirable :((((

@ang33333333l is another azul kisser that i became mutuals with a while ago!!! dolls love for sebek and azul is very sweet to see and her yuusona fauna is adorable too!! she also draws her yuu and characters sometimes!! :D she doesn't have a lot of oc content up on dolls blog yet but im looking forward to seeing more!! >:D

@leonistic deserves the most underrated writer of the year award. soru writes x reader content and is another super sweet mutual of mien (I KNOW IM SAYING THAT A LOT OKAY.) she writes aroace content and its literally feeds me. seriously. their aroace azul content makes me giggle and kick my feet and GAHHHHH !!! plus they have the patient to do matchups which is crazy and i love them for that ^^

@rains-asleep is the nickname master because he calls me straubs and thats such an adorable nickname :(((( HIS WRITING IS SUPER CUTE AND IT GIVE SME SO MUCH SEROTONIN (they write x readers btw!!!!!) they recently hit 500 followers (CONGRATS AGAIN!!!!!) and they also write for haikyuu, mha, genshin impact, and obey me!!!

@shinysparklesapphires is an artists that has a lot of cool ocs!! i believe navi was the first one i was introduced to and he's such an icon ^^ sapphy is also really into precure and produces a lot of content for the fandom!! i have yet to finish the precure series she recommended to me but its good so far and laura is the best so true!!

@datboredpencil has THE most STUNNING art. if you want idia x cater content this is DEFINITELY THE BLOG FOR YOU!!! each piece has so much love poured into it and i swear. YOURE ALWAYS LIEK "its a work in progress" BUT IT STILL LOTS SO LOVELY :((( YOUR USE OF COLOR IS JUST SO MUAH!!! CHEFS KISS!!!!!!! I ADORE IT

@twistwonderlanddevotee makes really pretty backgrounds!!! i actually used the isaac one she made for my private account AND ITS SO CUTE I LOVE IT I WANT TO EAT IT SWALLOW IT WHOLE MUNCH ON IT SHAKE IT AROUND LIEK A DOG TOY ANYWAYS. i am very normal about sofia's backgrounds. PLEASE GO CHECK THEM OUT its literally so unique?? like who else makes backgroudns liek sofia. Nobody.

@queen-shiba has an open inbox everyone!! you're welcome to send in requests!!! ^^ the queen of savanaclaw makes oc content for chuki, a really sweet kid taht deserves all the cookies in teh world :((( ALSO!!! she has an au for the tsavo man-eaters which is super cool!!! :O she passion for lions and tigers really is admirable and its nic eto see her talk about them :3

@beeirdos-buzzing-bogaloo has a gift when it comes to making ocs!! thule remains my favorite of the ones he has talked about because his design is just so neat!!! I LOVE THAT HIS NICKNAME FROM ROOK IS "MONSIEUR STARGAZER" :((( you have so many ocs that i havent even heard about yet...so im super curious to see what else you put out!!!

@dove-da-birb IS SUCH A GENIUS. they're one of my closests friends and their writing is SO BEAUTIFUL. they're also kidn of a little shit though so watch out /aff tehy write x reader content and draw sometimes, although i dont think theyve posted any of them. ^^ dove is SUCH a delight i promise you'll have fun every single time you talk to them. their energy is infectious and im genuinely really glad im the main target for their chaos. i would not have it any otehr way.

@ashipiko has such delicious art!!! the colors are always so vibrant and the way she draws is so unique. truly, a staple of both the twisted wonderland and as3! fandoms!! her energy is always upbeat and cheery, its hard not to smile when youre talking to her!! truly the biggest ace kisser on thsi platform (probably in the world too hehe)

@shyhaya writes for a myriad of fandoms!!!!!! hayami writes an azul thing for me that made me lose my mind IT WAS SO GOOD. PLEASE check out this blog. you wont regret it. requests are open!! ^^ even twst content aside, im sure you'll find something you like sich haya writes for so many fandoms!! talk about multitalented :3

@thehollowwriter has so many gems. quinn writes every character in twst so well, teh writing is so immersive and just ughhhh MUAH!!!!! every piece with azul in it is such a banger and it makes me giggle and kick my feet :3 LITERALLY THERE IS SO MUCH X READER FLUFF AND ITS ALL GOOD ITS A CRIME I DIDNT FIND THIS BLOG SOONER.

@cyath, who has some of the PRETTIEST art i have EVER seen. they draw stuff based on my fics all of the time and i adore it so much. examples of their art can be found here, here, here, and here. do you understand what i mean. do you get it. their art style is SUPERIOR and i ADORE IT!!!!!! they truly have so much talent like damn save some for the rest of us hello!!!!!

@crheativity writes twst x readers!! she's a beginner writer so PLEASE PELASE SHOW HER SOME LOVE!!! right nwo she has some heartslabyul content that i havent gotten around to reading yet but i am SUPER excited to go through them when i get the chance!!! rhea is super fun to talk to hehe <3

and lastly, @jade-s-nymph who organized this whole thing!!! rubia is on hiatus right now but i've seen some of her projects and a few of the things she's written and they're all really good!! there's a lot of x reader content on her writing blog and self indulgent nymphleech content on her personal blog :3

[mrghostrat]

Hi bilvy! since the new year is approaching rapidly, i wanted to ask my favorite creators (that includes you! i love your art & your fics) how they look back on their 2023 tumblr year and which blogs made them happy to be here. i am very happy to follow you and hope you'll have a great 2024! 🧡

this is so very sweet, thank you non 😭💛

i'm gonna forget a thousand people if i try to list everyone, but i do have a few names i wanna express gratitude for

i've been trying to get back on tumblr for ages, and i could never get it to stick until this time around. i think a huge part of that is bc of @foolishlovers. right from the start, their tags made me squeal and laugh, and i love every SINGLE thing they post. following them was like having the finest of the good omens fandom curated onto my dash for me, and made it so easy to slip back into fandom after 8+ years of no fandom interaction at all. then they also turn out to be super nice and sweet and a wonderful writer?! so yea. thank you jane. i'm on here every day (which is something i desperately missed, and am so happy about) cause of you.

i also appreciate the hell out of @bunnakit and can't imagine my dash without them. we're friends from twitch that follow entirely different shows and don't understand most of each others posts, but seeing oat's enthusiasm for their shows and their gifs/meta/content just makes me really happy. i love seeing them enjoy themself 🥺

aaah and last one i think has to be @almalvo. we dont actually interact on tumblr much, but every day i pop into their discord or their stream and thrive off the community they've fostered. i found them by randomly searching "good omens" on twitch one day and stumbled headfirst into some of the most incredible artwork, by a person who is so chill and down to earth and fun to talk to. checkin in on malvo has become a favourite part of my day 😭

[ren-in--wonderland]

I was just accused of being a fascist and alt-right by an ex friend

As some of you might know, I was born and raised in SF, and was brought up in the woke mind cult. I did manage to break free of it though, and got to see how far I’ve come these past few days.

After the 16 election, I, like everyone else in the cult, was completely devastated and actually had a panic attack on election night. Yes, I was also sobbing.

But the next few days I started to regain some emotional control, + started wondering why so many people voted for him. Surely the entire country wasn’t what Queen Hillary and Messiah Rachel Maddow said it was? Was everyone a foaming at the mouth racist? What was the normal American thinking in voting for Trump? So I started messaging some people on tumblr and followed some light conservative accounts. Asking questions, coming to them with newspaper articles and exchanging what the other side was saying. And you know what the craziest part was? These were super nice people, nothing like what I had been taught, and they were SO much more tolerant and loving than the infighting and bullying tactics that I had been told was what politics was. The liberal news and MSM love to espouse how foaming at the mouth conservatives are, and claim that conservatives are the ones in a cult and won’t hear any dissenting opinions, whereas the left can’t agree on anything! While ignoring the fact that they say Vote Blue No Matter Who, and what they dissent on is a minute detail on an article that has alternative facts to begin with. Or rather, perfectly curated facts, and they decry about different pant suit colors.

I started to listen and reevaluate my views, and as I was 18, what I wanted to do with my life. Then I saw a buzzfeed article on how oppressive some 50s housewife guide was. When I read it, I remember thinking how much I actually wanted it. I had always been one of those super girly girls. Hell, I had 20 imaginary kids, rather than imaginary friends. I started looking for blogs like that, anything sort of ‘trad’ but it had actually not become a thing (and wouldn’t for about 6 more months), so I tried to curate my own version on tumblr. I started wearing dresses, I became my old self, rather than the depressed, on all the meds, foaming at the mouth, won’t listen to anyone that doesn’t follow my extremely narrow views girl that I had been.

Fast forward almost 10 years later, + I have a wonderful masculine hubby and I am a sahw. I can’t do cooking and cleaning at this point as I had some massive heart failure 2 years ago due to genetics (yes we are sure 😂 I was supposed to get this when I was 8, not 3x), but I am extremely happy with my life, am not on any psychotic meds, and have finally found a treatment for my disability where I can start healing my dislocated body and be able to take care of the house.

Then I hear from my mother this past weekend. A childhood friend of mine’s mom was at an art show my mother was producing, and had told her that my friend, G, had told the mother that I was posting fascist shit and super anti lgbt stuff. I get a phone call from my mother going off the handle at me, as my mother has slid into this cult in the past number of years since Trump. She claims that I must have a finsta, and wants to know what the hell I said to make my friend feel so ‘unsafe’ around me. My mom knows all of my social media accounts and knows all of my newfound views. She doesn’t like them, and jokes all the time about how I’m going to wake up and realize I was brainwashed and come back, but she leaves them alone for the most part. Even how I’m now prolife.

Here’s what was sent:

[hypersomniagame]

HYPERSOMNIA MARCH DEV LOG : "If you have love in your heart"

Hi! For all of you who follow HYPERSOMNIA, you should already know what the gist is here, but for those of you who are new, or just new to our tumblr, let me fill you in!

For 2024, I am trying to release a dev log about HYPERSOMNIA once a month, may come earlier, may come a little late, but I'm doing this to help give insight on to how the game is going, and to give me motivation to work on the game.

First things first, sorry about the incomplete drawing for this month's log. I've been sitting on this drawing for months and haven't touched it, and I needed a drawing for this months log so I thought "Eh, what the hell."

For this month, things have been a bit up and down, I've been focusing on more smaller stuff in engine this month, and bigger stuff outside of engine. So there's not a lot that's been added but there is new stuff that I'd like to share. :)

I'd like to start with the smaller stuff first, since I feel like most logs I've started with the bigger stuff and kinda run out of steam by the end. So it'll be along the lines of "Small in-engine stuff > Big in-engine stuff > News/closing thoughts".

NOW LET'S GET TO THOSE UPDATES!

Lots of menu work has been done this month, which isn't very exciting sounding but it's nice to be getting this stuff over with.

HYPERSOMNIA has a smaller resolution than RPG Maker MV's default, and the thing about that is a lot of content in menus doesn't scale accordingly, leaving stuff to get cut off and preventing the player from accessing information.

One of the things I've had to do is get the player's HP and HS to appear on the status screen. These usually appear on the main menu of the game, but since I use an alternate menu for screen space, they had to be relocated. (courtesy of SundialShark, I'm not familiar with JS so they've been a super big help with certain things in the game.)

The game's title screen also saw a slight improvement, I found a plugin that replaces the windowed options on the title screen with pictures, making them more customized. The title screen artwork itself will be revised later, as I whipped it up as a placeholder.

Also, do you remember last month's dev log? Specifically, the part of it where I talked about the equip menu in battle? Well shortly after writing that dev log, it was finished!

This works how you'd expect it to, you can equip/unequip eyes and give them to other party members. The only drawback to this is that touchscreen isn't fully supported I've been told, which is fine since this is a game intended for PC. It does work with controller though which is nice.

Speaking of battles, I've been working on special attack animations! I have the main 4's offense animations done.

My personal favourite is Jack's. Everyone else does it all cool but Jack aims like he's holding a gun which is cooler. I'll probably touch up Ross' animation, since it looks kinda weird to me. I think his head might be too small.

Also, would you believe me if I told you that isn't all the battle stuff that was done this month? This is where that "Big in-engine" stuff kicks in.

THE BACKGROUND SYSTEM HAS BEEN IMPROVED! (ALONG WITH ME DESIGNING SOME NEW ENEMIES!)

This took a bit of time to configure, but I replaced the old background system for a new one

(Which was originally set up with my buddy Majimjam of HYADES, awesome game that has a demo out RIGHT NOW!)

With Jengamon's EarthBound Backgrounds plugin, it's been really fun to just toy with it and see what I can make. I would try and run down how this works, but the funny thing is I don't even know how this works. Or, at least in full anyways. I know how to configure it and set up new presets for enemies.

That's pretty much all the in-engine stuff I've done this month, but I'm not out of stuff to talk about yet.

First, I recently wrote a thread on the RPG Maker Forums about HYPERSOMNIA, which you can read here!

Secondly, some of you might've seen this already but I decided to cut FIREBALL from the game's soundtrack fully.

There were a multitude of reasons as to why, but the biggest one is I just don't feel like FIREBALL fits HYPERSOMNIA anymore. The vision has shifted since 2021 and I feel like music for battles could reflect it better, so FIREBALL was scrapped.

The song was uploaded to my personal YouTube channel though, so you can still listen to it here.

Third, THE NEW TRAILER IS ALMOST DONE!

There's still a few things that need to be touched up, but the music and footage is all fully recorded! All that's left to do is throw it in the editor and refine it until it's finished.

I'm very proud of this trailer so far, and I think it'll blow every other trailer I've made out of the water. My goal for this trailer was to improve the editing and I think that's definitely one of the highlights for this trailer.

I'd really like to post a quick sneak peak, but everything about this trailer I feel will be such a surprise that I don't want to spoil it. You'll just have to wait for the Mother Direct!

And that's it for this month! Slow but steady progress is how I'd sum up March. I'm definitely looking forward to the future. Mostly because I'm going to a restaurant with family later today, but next month will have more in store. Like my birthday! Big things coming.

Thanks for reading to the end of the dev log, same as always, these are fun to write. I appreciate you reading them!

If this is your first log you're reading, or even your first time seeing ANYTHING relating to HYPERSOMNIA, I got a whole bunch of links for you to check out if you wanna know more about me and my stupid little game.

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

STEAM

UNIQUE INDIE RPG'S [SHOW US YOUR GAME!]

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[yuki-boshi]

Kai no Kiseki - Act 1 Part 1 English Summary

Table of Contents

Hi all, I've been getting a lot of feedback and most of it has been really great. Thank you so much for reading these posts.

I just wanted to quickly mention that: this isn't a substitute for an actual translation. It's just a summary. I may miss points or not cover everything. Thank you for your understanding.

in addition, this Act is also super long so I am breaking it up like this and will make a separate post when I finish a bigger portion of the Act since tumblr also has a text and picture limit.

It takes around 10 hours for Van and the gang to make their way back to the capital. When they arrive, they run into familiar faces like Judith, Quatre, Aaron, Yume, Paulette, and more.

After a well-deserved break, the next day begins with everyone sporting their new outfits. Aaron, decked out in his fresh, stylish gear, boasts that he's quite the package and plans to do 4SPGs with flair. Quatre throws in a snide remark, wishing the "package" wasn’t so full of himself. Bergard, on the other hand, thinks Aaron pulls it off, while Feri praises Quatre's new look.

Quatre's outfit was suggested by Agnes and Judith, but he’s still adjusting to the brighter colors, as he usually prefers darker tones. His drone headset has also been miniaturized, no longer covering his ears, which has improved heat dissipation by 30%!

More antics follow, with Aaron teasing Judith by calling her a 痴女 (chijo -- despite fan translations, it means "kinkster," not "whore"), which naturally makes her mad. Agnes then enters the room with drinks, and everyone turns their attention to her new outfit, blushing as they compliment it.

Judith tries to nudge Van into saying something, and with a sigh, he admits that while her old outfit was good, the new one is nice too, albeit a bit embarrassed as he praises the craftsmanship of the fabric.

Agnes blushes at the compliment. Aaron is stunned, joking, "Did the old man actually say something nice?" while Quatre gets a bit jealous, wishing for Van's praise. Agnes awkwardly returns the compliment, saying she likes Van's new outfit as well.

Shifting back to more serious matters, the group talks about the space program, which is all anyone in the capital is discussing. The film industry is even pushing for an astronaut movie! Emilia's popularity is also starting to rival that of the “Sword Maiden,” and the group agrees that Emilia must be “her” (Hermes).

Aaron recalls hearing her being called a major during the coup, but discovering that she was once an ace pilot surprises him. The conversation shifts to her father, Commander Harling, and his role in Operation Mille Mirage, where Cassius Bright entrusted him with full command of the Republic's forces. Everyone is impressed, realizing the level of trust and importance Harling holds. Bergard also chimes in to praise him.

Van, however, remains suspicious about the involvement of various groups like the CID, MK, and Ikaruga in the space program. Agnes pulls out her Genesis and mentions how Epstein warned them they’d need it before the year 120X (1210), recalling Dingo’s words from Kuro 2 about the impending crisis not being averted.

Judith suggests they get moving to uncover more, but Quatre reminds her she has other plans. Judith looks confused, only to receive a call from Nina, asking where she is as she was supposed to attend an event together, including a pre-event for the Golden Requiem movie. Judith, realizing she forgot, panics and says she’s on her way.

Van and the group then decide to head out, running into Yume tending to a group of swallow birds. With some time to kill, they explore the town, stopping by the 4SPG board.

While talking to Paulette, a short scene plays where she asks Quatre’s FIO robot to pick up groceries for her.

The first 4SPG involves someone badmouthing the Laguna bathhouse. Van questions a nearby woman, who mentions she saw the culprit from the shadows, a person with green hair and a citrusy scent.

Later, the group visits a house where they meet two new residents of Old Town, Genie and Luke. They’ve heard about ASO and its accomplishments. Genie, realizing the time, gets upset at Luke for not waking her up earlier. Quatre comments that the two seem to get along quite well.

At the bathhouse, a patron suggests that the culprit might be a disgruntled customer who was reprimanded and is now acting out of spite because he finds it amusing. However, he grows irritated when Van starts asking too many questions and, notably, has a citrusy scent himself. Suspicious much?

You can also run into Graham, the racer from Kuro 2, who mentions he came to the Laguna bathhouse because Van recommended it.

Speaking with Aniya provides a keyword hinting that the culprit could be a rude customer. Meanwhile, the old ogling men suspect it’s a regular patron.

Once you’ve gathered enough clues, Van asks Agnes to identify the culprit. It turns out to be the first customer with green hair. When they confront him, he admits to the sabotage, saying the bathhouse had become too crowded, and he wanted to preserve his peaceful visits without drawing more people to the place.

Van then asks Agnes what action to take:

Option 1: Clean up the mess.

Option 2: Spread positive word of the bathhouse.

Option 3: Get banned from the establishment.

If you choose Option 1, Agnes tells the patron that his actions were dirty and wrong and suggests he help the bathhouse for a month. The patron, feeling guilty, agrees to extend his help for two to three months, earning praise from everyone for Agnes' quick and cool decision-making.

You’ll also come across Eddy from Kuro 1 and Kuro 2, the clueless bad boy that Baselia (the NPC girl who wanted attention from her dad by getting kidnapped) has fallen for. Eddy mutters to himself, trying to build up the courage to "get something," though after two games of buildup, it's probably obvious what it is. Talking to his mom Brenda reveals she’s concerned because Eddy has been deep in thought, but she instinctively knows it’s nothing bad.

You can freely explore other parts of the capital.

At Trion Mall, a Vega event is taking place on stage. Off to the side, Quatre mentions that he’s always loved astronomy, and now with the space program, he feels like the universe is even closer to him. Risette finds it neat that the space program has brought out this kind of joy in him.

At the event, the group encounters two new idols performing Planet Rain, a song that educates people about the space program in a fun, musical way! Prince Sherid, Kilika, and Kaela are also present. The group chats about how the space program’s excitement has allowed the Prince to attend the concert without heavy security. Van notes the CID must be busy since they aren’t around, and Kaela, frustrated, reveals that as the Prince’s bodyguard, she’s not thrilled about him sneaking off to a live concert. Despite her annoyance, the Prince is impressed by Gramheart and the space program, which worries Agnes. The Prince then tries to join the crowd for an otagei performance, much to Kaela’s horror as she pleads for him not to.

At the Liberl shop, Lila is being photographed by Nicole. Lila tells the group she’ll be away for a few days, and a different cashier will manage the store in her absence.

At the T-Phone store, you’ll encounter Moira and Bart from Kuro 2. Bart mentions he helped his mom, Moira, set up her phone since she struggles with technology. Moira, on the other hand, is thinking of getting a second phone for Bart and discussing a monthly payment plan with her husband.

When visiting the Stardust Cinema, the group reacts to a movie poster featuring Judith in a leading role. Aaron makes another rude comment, joking that he forgets she’s an actress and not a 痴女, which prompts Feri to scold him.

-----

4SPG

A man named Joann believes he was scammed after investing in a space company that’s since ghosted him. Van and Agnes meet him, and Agnes bluntly tells him that he’s likely fallen for an investment scam. Joann explains that he got swept up in the excitement around the space program and invested through a middleman who promised to buy stocks for him but disappeared after collecting the funds. Quatre notes that the company in question, StellaTech, is legitimate but never had any public investment opportunities since it’s part of Verne.

The group starts investigating by talking to the bank exchange, confirming that StellaTech isn’t a publicly traded company: it's fully funded by the government and Verne for the Startaker project. A visit to the Verne store confirms this as well.

To catch the scammer, Van poses as a potential investor and tracks the conman to a rooftop. Van lets Quatre handle the interrogation:

Option 1: Ask about his connection to rocket development.

Option 2: Question the technology disclosed during the listing.

Choosing Option 2, Quatre picks apart the scammer’s lies, debunking his fake knowledge of StellaTech’s offerings. Agnes steps in to question the legitimacy of the stock listing:

Option 1: Timing of the stock release.

Option 2: Future demand for satellite technology.

If you pick Option 1, Agnes points out that companies typically go public at the fiscal year's start, not in mid-September. Plus, given that the Startaker Project is a classified national endeavor, it would be unwise to reveal its patents through a public listing. The scammer becomes nervous and tries to leave, but the group corners him. Van demands the brokerage name supposedly handling the stocks, and the scammer stammers, naming Keith Securities. Van does a quick search with his Xipha and finds no record of such a company, calling the scammer’s bluff.

Faced with exposure, the scammer falls to his knees, pleading. Van gives him a choice:

Option 1: Threaten with MK Corp.

Option 2: Involve the CID.

If you choose Option 2, Van threatens to involve a cold-hearted CID analyst who could easily have the scammer taken away for tarnishing the national space program's reputation. Terrified, the scammer agrees to return the stolen mira and turn himself in to the police.

Joann thanks the Spriggans, to which Van replies, "That’s what we do!" Aaron, ever blunt, criticizes Joann for falling for such an obvious scam, while Quatre advises him to do better research next time. Agnes mentions that she’s reported the scam to both Verne and StellaTech to ensure the fraud is properly handled. The group reflects that taking on this 4SPG was worthwhile, as it confirmed the big companies' involvement in the Startaker Project.

At the Central Marche, Van and the group encounter familiar faces. Kyle and Makino, the duo from Kuro 2, have returned, and their presence unlocks the fishing mini-game.

Close by, near a bench, they find Hamilton and the two dancing sisters, Saara and Shahina. The duo has been invited to perform in the capital, and Hamilton reflects on her last visit during the Arts Festival (end of Kuro 2). Agnes recalls how Hamilton left for work in the East, while Quatre mentions that he bumped into her and Esmeray in Basel just yesterday, leading to some lighthearted talk about Risette's health.

Feri, curious as always, inquires about Hamilton’s connection to Saara and Shahina, prompting Saara to explain how they met before their debut, just as they were making their way to the capital. Van can't help but note the sheer number of connections the Spriggans have made with people from all walks of life. Saara also mentions that she and her sister are now represented by the same agency as Judith, and they'll soon be heading back to Tharbad with a tour planned in August of next year in the Republic.

Hamilton reveals that she's heading back to Basel the next day, needing to meet with Tausend, who’s back as the CEO. Aaron, never one to hold back, makes a sarcastic comment about Tausend's return, to which Quatre confirms he's been back for two months. Hamilton thinks it’s tied to the restructuring for the Startaker project, to which the group can only respond with a collective, “I knew it…”

Before leaving, Hamilton briefly hints at something more serious, catching the attention of both Van and Quatre. However, Agnes decides to hold back from pressing the issue, with too many people around.

On Station Street, the bustling energy of the capital is evident, especially with the second phase of the Startaker project officially in motion. Van suggests exchanging intel with the guild, but before that, they take a moment to enjoy the sights, with Agnes taking a particular interest in a cute orbal scooter.

Inside one of the shops, the group finds out that Rosalie of Zecht Arms: once facing serious charges managed to post bail and then promptly fled the country. Elsewhere, Towa and a few teachers gossip about one named Sonia-sensei, who’s dating someone from Internal Affairs but has recently been ghosted. Towa, in her usual determined fashion, encourages Sonia to be more upfront, causing a bit of surprise among the others.

At the Bracer Guild, familiar faces await. Zin, Fie, and Renne are present, with Renne sharing that her younger brother Albert is now the new Student Council President. She also reveals that she’s leaving Calvard to return to Liberl after the semester.

Van notices Elaine’s absence, but is reassured by the receptionist that she’s on guild duties. Fie and Van exchange information about the underground scene. Despite the mafia and Heiyue maintaining a stronghold, nothing major seems to be brewing at the moment. Agnes, always perceptive, suggests the space program is the reason the CID is staying quiet, a point that Renne agrees with.

The group then shifts the conversation to the Society. After a quick recap of their previous actions in Liberl and Crossbell, it becomes clear that more members are lurking beyond just Walter, Lucrezia, and the twins. This information surprises the group, especially as it hints at larger threats on the horizon.

Just then, Alvis overhears Zin and walks in, clearly annoyed to see Van. He’s still nursing resentment from the events of Kuro 2, though he begrudgingly admits he’s willing to cooperate with the Spriggans if needed. Regina, more straightforward in her approach, agrees with Alvis, prompting Van to tease him for his tsundere attitude. The two eventually leave for their Outskirt patrols, but not without a final jab from Van.

Renne takes her leave, throwing a playful wink at Van, who offers his help whenever needed, especially for any “gray” areas.

Fie, preparing to depart from the capital, suggests teaming up with Elaine for future missions, mentioning how well they worked together during the Zolga incident. Zin supports this idea, but the receptionist cheekily teases Van about always pairing up with Elaine, flustering him.

After the banter, Fie reflects on the events of Kuro 2, expressing admiration for how everyone came together. Zin comments that with the CID focused on the Startaker Project, it’s more important than ever for the guild and Spriggans to collaborate, and he looks forward to working with Van.

Upstairs, Lashkar, now working part-time with the Guild, has made strides in overcoming his guilt from the Creil Village incident. His newfound determination leaves the group impressed.

Outside the guild, a woman laments that she lost her job and is struggling to find another, as so much of the city's focus has shifted toward the Startaker Project.

4SPG:

In the back-alley, Van and the group encounter Colt, who seems deeply troubled. As they delve into his situation, it turns out that the 4SPG was about him, detailing his involvement in a shady part-time delivery job. Worse still, his personal information was held as blackmail. The team feels conflicted about accepting the request, with Agnes questioning whether this is more of a straightforward crime than a typical 4SPG. However, Van decides it’s worth hearing out.

Meeting Colt, he confesses he’s a college student who got lured into a job run by the anti-immigration groups or maybe even the mafia from Kuro 2. Desperate for money, he delivered something suspicious but later received a file with his personal information, a clear threat to ensure his silence. Colt explains that he’s ashamed of falling for the scheme, having worked hard to attend university, coming from a modest countryside background. If this got out, he'd be expelled, which is why he turned to the Spriggans for help.

Van agrees to help, reaffirming his stance that no one should be dragged into the underworld and suffer because of it. Quatre reveals that someone else, named Largo, is also caught in the same web of deceit. Tracking Largo down in the Seiden District, they discover he’s even more deeply involved. Largo agrees to cooperate, but only if he can return the dirty mira he’s earned. The group uncovers that the items being delivered are guns.

FIO, Quatre's robot, analyzes the odor on the gun and detects a seafood-like smell, with an estimated 78% likelihood the deliveries have been passing through the Central Marche. Following this lead, they track the culprits to the Duul Family, a mafia hiding out in the sewers. After defeating the mafia members, the group faces three options:

Delete the personal information and hand the rest to the Guild.

Leave the decision to the victims.

Completely destroy all the equipment.

Choosing Option 1, Van erases Colt and Largo’s data, allowing them to start anew. Colt expresses his relief, finally able to sleep in peace, while Largo thanks them for helping him escape a life he thought had no way out.

In the Seiden District, Van decides to exchange information with the police.

Upon arrival, Nate fawns over Agnes, much to Van’s irritation that he doesn't get any nice treatment. Daswani also cold towards Van is chalked up to police professionalism, but Aaron can't help but tease, mentioning Daswani’s family trip to Montmart. Daswani then notes that the CID (Calvard Intelligence Division) has stopped cooperating with the police, effectively ghosting them. This makes their job much harder, and Daswani wonders if Van knows anything, given his connections to Rene Kincaid. However, Van and the group admit they’ve been left in the dark too, even within MK.

As they continue their conversation, Nate inadvertently reveals a case involving a couple’s quarrel, where one person ran away and rescinded their request for help. Daswani scolds Nate for breaching confidentiality, but Aaron remarks that such cases are common.

At the Hotel, they find Baselia, upset that Eddy (her situationship) has been avoiding her. Agnes wonders if they had a fight. Baselia admits she’s been struggling to focus on her studies lately, worried that Eddy might hate her. Rumsfield, the now-receptionist, remarks that the hotel’s business has picked up, preventing him from being Baselia’s personal assistant anymore, a shift he sees as an opportunity for growth.

----

Another 4SPG involves clearing a monster from the waterway. Van unlocks a new ability called Awakening, and the group encounters a new mechanic where certain enemies can turn invisible, requiring the use of Shard Search to detect them.

----

Main 4SPG: After defeating the boss, the Guild Receptionist contacts Van to inform him that Alvis and Regina have lost contact with the Guild. With Fie and Zin tied up elsewhere, they ask Van to check in on them. Heading to the Western Suburbs of Edith, the group admires the view of the Trion Tower. Aaron teases Feri for being a kid, while Quatre comments on Edith’s population growth, including a significant rise in immigration. The outskirts of the city are slowly becoming part of the suburbs.

Upon arriving, they attempt to use the Xipha but are met with signal interference. Hearing sounds of combat, they rush over the hill and find Alvis and Regina fighting a large monster. Van steps in to help, marking the first time he’s officially teamed up with Alvis in three games. After the battle, communications are restored, and Regina, worried, tackle-hugs Alvis, who brushes it off with his usual aloofness. Feri teases them, calling the pair "lovey-dovey," but Alvis remains stoic.

Back at the Guild, the group discusses the odd occurrences. Zin recounts a similar experience with a beast showing up where it shouldn't and a similar comms issue. Elaine also wants more information on this, and Van agrees, as he needs to speak with her anyway. Fie prepares to leave for Basel, while Alvis gives a half-hearted thanks before departing.

Zin, feeling bad for how often Van has dropped by the Guild, suggests meeting at his place at 1 PM to discuss things further. Fie says her goodbyes to Feri, and the group decides to patrol unfamiliar districts in the meantime.

In Old Town, at Zecht Arms, the group learns that Rosalie fled after being bailed out. Zecht Arms weapons are rumored to be in Edith, and they follow a series of leads, eventually reaching Yazan in the Central Marche. Yazan initially hides the fact that he possesses one of these weapons, but after some persuasion, reveals that he found it lying around and didn't want it to fall into the wrong hands. He was planning to break it apart and sell it. The group learns that the weapon is equipped with a limiter, making it legal, but removing it would make it extremely lethal.

They are given two choices:

Buy the weapon with the limiter enabled.

Buy it with the limiter disabled.

Opting for safety, Van chooses Option 1, acquiring the weapon with the limiter intact.

Feri Connect Event: Van and Feri head to the Grand Prix area for some rock climbing. Van’s age catches up with him quickly, while Feri seems to be a natural. She offers him some tips, and although Van makes some progress, he ultimately falls and gives up, unable to even lift his Xipha afterward. Feri wants to keep going, but Van admits defeat.

Suddenly, Fie shows up (even though she was supposed to have left for Basel already). She suggests joining in, saying it's a good way to unwind before her trip.

The two compete in a friendly race and afterward, they sit beneath a billboard reminiscing about Aida and the events of Kuro 2. Fie mentions how she wishes she could have been there. Surprisingly, Van eventually catches up to them, leaving Feri impressed since she thought he had run out of strength. Fie praises Feri, treating her as an equal, and takes her leave.

Feri then opens up to Van about how impressive Fie is as a frontline Bracer. Van asks what Feri plans to do next, now that she’s had her coming-of-age ceremony and been chosen as the Priestess of Flames. Reflecting on the people she’s met and everything that’s happened since the prologue, Feri acknowledges that there’s more to life than just being a Jaegar. She realizes that she, too, can become anything she sets her mind to.

Yume Connect Event:

Van takes Yume out shopping, having been given money by both Paulette and Viktor to buy Agnes a birthday present. They finally decide on a sentimental picture book, hoping Agnes will appreciate it. However, Yume notices someone holding a toy camera and expresses her own desire for one. Though the outing is supposed to focus on Agnes, Yume admirably puts her own wishes aside. Impressed by her thoughtfulness, Van buys her the camera anyway, jokingly calling himself a softie.

Back in Old Town, Yume explains why she wanted the toy camera: to capture precious memories. She reflects on how much things have changed since Van came into her life, noting that even her mother and grandpa seem more energetic, and Maxim has changed too. She expresses her desire to cherish the present moment, which she considers her best life, and wishes the same happiness for Agnes.

Viktor appears, noticing the camera, and gives Van a stern look for overspending. He insists on giving Van some money back, which Van tries to refuse, but Viktor demands he take it.

---

Levre District: Van and the group visit the 10th district, Levre. Quatre comments on its beautiful, varied terrain, and the others agree. Judith casually mentions that she’s been here at night punishing corrupt politicians as Grimcats. Aaron, surprised, asks when she even joined them, considering she was late earlier in the act. Judith brushes it off, saying she already finished her previous event.

Agnes invites the group to her father’s home after they finish their activities, offering to prepare lunch. While exploring, Agnes points out La Provence Café, noting that Albert and Odette often study there. Talking to an NPC named Mylene, they learn that she’s Odette’s mother and expresses gratitude to the group. In the chapel, Bergard admits he’s never been to this one before, and Agnes shares trivia about climbing to the bell tower. Feri is excited by the idea. Approaching the park, Feri comments on the great view of Trion Tower and the city, and Agnes mentions that Levre’s best feature is its sunrise, if you wake up early enough to see it.

They check a bulletin board but find no 4SPGs. However, a ripped piece of paper on the back raises questions. Van asks Bergard for his thoughts, and you have several options to choose from:

Option 1: Prank by a Child

Option 2: Code for a Crime

Option 3: It was a 4SPG

Option 4: It's a Mystery

I chose Option 3, and Van concludes that it was likely taken down after three days, since he doesn’t frequent the area. This choice rewards you with 2 SP.

----

Agnes’s Home:

Upon entering Agnes’s home, her dog Alphonse enthusiastically jumps on Van. Gramheart, taking a break, is surprised to see the group and invites them in. In the living room, Van asks about the space project and whether activating Phase 2 ahead of schedule was planned. Gramheart confirms it was due to everyone’s hard work. Aaron bluntly asks if the Dummy Unit is meant to represent an AF at all, as it looks nothing like the ones in the previous game. Van and Feri both give Aaron unamused looks. Gramheart laughs, saying the new model was built from the ground up and to look forward to its debut on launch day. Van asks if it's being tested in secret, but Gramheart jokingly suggests Van could be a test pilot if he’s that curious, even offering to suggest it to Kincaid. Van, flustered, begs him not to.

Bergard, suspicious, asks about Gramheart’s involvement with the Organization. Gramheart insists their agreement was just to ensure they didn’t interfere with his plans. After the discussion, Gramheart points out that the house is 70 years old. Judith’s Grimcat device suddenly glows, catching her off guard, though Gramheart seems unfazed. He leaves soon after.

As the group explores the house, Van reflects on its age, noting that it must have been built during Sheena Dirke’s time in the Third Republic. In the living room, a vinyl player plays "Life Goes On" (or "Days Gone By" from Hajimari). Upstairs, Van, Quatre, and Feri explore Agnes’s room and find Epstein’s notes. Feri notices the name “Herschel” in the notes, and the group immediately thinks of Towa.

In Gramheart’s office, they discover three photos. The first is of a young Gramheart with Agnes’s mom, Sophie Claudel, and her grandmother, Liliya, Epstein’s adopted daughter. The second photo shows Gramheart as an adult, now a military officer, with Sophie as a high school student. The final photo shows Gramheart, Agnes, and Sophie, with Agnes looking about twelve years old. Van notes that Gramheart doesn’t look much different now. Agnes walks in, explaining that she’s never met her grandmother, Liliya, but thinks the photos show a nice expression. Van jokes about how the Claudel family genes are strong since they all look nearly identical, but Agnes disagrees, saying their personalities are all different. She then remembers she was supposed to be cooking and hurries off.

Outside, Van and Aaron chat as Aaron plays with Alphonse. Van asks if Aaron is a dog lover, leading to a story about Aaron’s childhood in rentals where pets weren’t allowed. He would wander the streets, petting random dogs. Meanwhile, Bergard notices the flowers are arranged in a way reminiscent of the Middle Ages. After eating Agnes’s sandwich, they think about Grendel Zolga’s last words about the resets, and  how the “observation” from the Eighth Genesis still isn’t over. Van wonders if the observing was meant for the Demon Core that Van had and wonders what could the observation be if it’s just observing the negative aspects of mankind and what it’s trying to accomplish.

They bring up the name “Herschel” again and wonder if it’s just a coincidence that Towa shares the same last name. Bergard clarifies that it’s no coincidence: Towa’s grandfather was a well-known astrologist in the Erebonian Empire. Their conversation is interrupted when Odette and Albert show up, with Albert a little annoyed to see Van at Agnes’s house. Odette teases him, saying he’s been whining about not seeing Agnes in a while, even though exams are over. The group encourages Agnes to help them out, while Van suggests the others handle the 4SPGs, since the Student Council can’t always rely on Renne and must grow on their own.

---

And that's where the SAVE option finally appears. So much content!

I will make another post, thank you if you made it this far.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for wanting to stop talking to a friend who's in crisis Ok I know how the title is going to make me look but please hear me out: I met this friend group back in 2021-ish and have gotten to know everyone pretty well. They're all nice people and like most people struggle with various degrees of mental health. One person in particular has been going through a bunch (cat got lost, mother has terminal illness, etc.) and I've been talking to them to hopefully provide a break from all their struggles. Problem is that they're a really, really dry texter and will just vent to me unprompted sometimes. Most of our conversations go with us saying hi and how are you. Then when I ask them "Hey what did you do today?" they say "Not much" or "I dunno" and then ask me what I did that day, ask for hugs, or just to tell them that things will be alright. I don't mind the "Not much" part as I definitely have days where I don't do much. However it does feel super repetitive and almost like a "Why did you message me in the first place?". On top of that I try to move the conversation forward past whatever they're dealing with and they never respond back or they barely have anything they want to talk about. When I try to ask about their hobbies or what they're currently doing I get very short answers or they just stop responding entirely. Same for when I try to tell them about what I'm doing. Personally I've been in mental health crisis situations and have my own mental issues to deal with, so I understand going to a trusted friend for comfort and I'm 100% fine with talking to those in need of support. I'm just absolutely struggling to help them or talk to them if they barely seem interested in continuing the conversation past the basic "Hi! How are you?". It's gotten to the point where I absolutely dread getting DM's from them and I hate that it's gotten to that point. They're super nice and a good person, but I just don't have the energy to carry out a barely there chat with someone who seems highly uninterested in talking about anything.

So Tumblr, AITA?

What are these acronyms?