#everyone should play this game it will rewire you

[psikind]

I meant it

[demilypyro]

Just wanted to say you were the one that got me into FFXIV

I'm now in Stormblood and I think my brain has been permanently rewired this is my favourite game now

Everyone should play this game it fucks

I'm literally always right

[blindbatalex]

bruins hrpf recs from the server #5

Hello again! The theme for this week was ✨ a fic that broke your heart ✨ Below are our recs:

rec lists so far: || week 4 || week 3 || week 2 || week 1 ||

A (Little) Slice of Heaven by Anonymous || willypasta || 11,541 words || reccer's notes: this fic rewired my brain. I read it months and months and months ago and I have yet to recover. 11/10 I come back to it way more than I probably should

(and i’ve got a plane to catch) you drove me all the way back by @fvcking-damage || mcgryz || 2,862 words || reccer's notes: this is some self-indulgent mcgryz angst i wrote a couple of years ago, idk what i was writing out with this one but. yeah

and turns to dust by adjacently || Jordan Eberle/Taylor Hall || 2,130 words || reccer's notes: i can eat taylor hall angst for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

between your love and mine by @blindbatalex || willypasta || 6,360 words || reccer's notes: This is a story about trying to reconcile two sides of your identity that are at irreconcilable conflict with one another, and what having your wings clipped like that at a young age does to a person.  I certainly broke my own heart while writing it.

dancing by @rasksmoustache || marcheron || 1,111 words || reccer's notes: This fic is so vivid and visceral and sad, it permanently altered my brain chemistry.  Unrequited (but is it really?) marcheron which gets the feeling of loving someone and being just a little too late so so well

Done & Undone by @ghostgeno || marcheron || 14,428 words || reccer's notes: 2023 Game 7, the aftermath. Fair warning: I don’t reread this very often because of how effectively it puts you in Brad’s headspace immediately after the game, in brutal, excruciating detail. And yet. And yet. If you feel like being taken apart and then put back together, if you want to feel all the loss and tenderness and love that remains despite the loss, read this fic.

good at secrets by @fridgefishwrites || prefix boys; mcgryz || 4,017 words || reccer's notes: this fic meant (and means) so much to me because it just gets what trying to live your life and build something beautiful while faced with unrelenting homophobia is like.  I love the non-linear narrative and the prefix boys but it was always Matt who stole the show for me in this story

like a stranger by blindbatalex || marcheron || 13,142 words || reccer's notes: not a fic alex hasn't read before (sorry bud) but i'm Obsessed with fics where the characters talk past each other and the angst compounds and this fic is a perfect example of that, amongst other things!!!

make no apologies by @sphesphe || marcheron || 3,757 words || reccer's notes: Brad gets himself suspended before the Winter Classic and Patrice takes it harder than he thinks he should.  He plays it off as fine, things happen, just be better Marchy but it isn't true. He's angry. After the game, Brad stops by, they have a talk and lo and behold, feelings emerge! (And much more!)

Sixth Borough by bookhousegirl || Jimmy Hayes/Frank Vatrano || 3,067 words || reccer's notes: The third in a trilogy of fics featuring this pairing. This is a very quiet little vignette featuring two former Bruins who were not stars and did not end up experiencing great success in their time here. It exists entirely in the gray of adult complications and disappointments, and refuses any easy catharsis, and is beautiful for those reasons. For those of us who cared about the Bruins in the (relatively) dismal era between 2015-17 it may come across as a tiny time capsule; for everyone else, I hope the delicate way it honors the hopes and dreams of those who don’t become hometown heroes, who don’t get the happily everafter ending, stays with you.

Westward Expansion by bookhousegirl || Jimmy Hayes/Frank Vatrano || 3,625 words || reccer's notes: Jimmy stares out vacantly at the coaster climbing the track. “Just because we’re from the same place doesn’t mean we’re from the same place.” When Frank takes Jimmy to Six Flags, he expects it to be a fun day, showing Jimmy all the rides he used to love growing up. Jimmy is distracted though, melancholy because Frank has so much promise and Jimmy took so long to get to where he is.

Wolverine Feed by @sphesphe || swaymark || 10,659 words || reccer's notes: fic that makes me ill each and every time i think about it

[puckpocketed]

get ready for avs essays, babeyyyyyyy!!! 

so i’m actually completely fine with it if you don’t find nate compelling but since you bring him up, i will start with him. 

the thing about fortnite gamergirl nathan mackinnon is that he is like. very talented and reasonably conventionally attractive and also soooooooo cringefail. he’s the league mvp and a stanley cup champion and he has a gorgeous fiancée and he’s rich and he’s smashing through joe sakic’s franchise records left and right.... and he’s succchhhhhh a loser (affectionate). he’s uncomfortable all the time. he doesn’t know how to act. he’s pretty private but also he’ll just Say Things that are way too personal with the exact same tone he’d use to. i dunno. tell you what brand of sneakers he wears. he’ll also reveal things about the most private man in sports, squidney crocsby, that are way too personal—and sid apparently is fine with this because he continues to be boybestfriends and next door neighbors with the guy.

everyone thinks he is soooooo serious alllll the time (in spite of the fact that he is goofy and silly when he’s out with the boys) but it’s just a combination of a) his face just looks like that b) he’s just intense in general. he’s equally unchill about how much he fucking loves the boys and how much he loves his tiny dog. and c) mostly we see him when he is at his fucking job? and when he’s at work it’s All Business. don’t make him do dumb social media shit or ask him stupid questions about whether or not he thinks preseason is too long, he’s! busy! come back when it’s puppy day. 

he’s so focused on being working harder and being better and improving everything about his game and yet!!! he cannot win a faceoff 💖 he trains with squidney all summer! every year!! you would think he could learn something from the guy. but no, he doesn’t even seem to try to win faceoffs sometimes. he’s also. not ? defensively responsible? i do not exactly expect him to play like kopitar, here. i don’t even think he should waste all his energy backchecking; like, that’s not the thing we need him for. but idk from a guy who is sooooo fucking smart about hockey, a little more situational awareness would be nice. just a thought! like, if he wanted to be better at things, maybe he could get better at the things he’s terrible at? (but whatever, this gives me more of an excuse to push my ondřej pavel -> big boys’ club agenda). like. nate is an elite 1C—except that he doesn’t forecheck and doesn’t defend and one of his wingers (jonathan drouin) is actually the playmaker and the other winger (mikko rantanen) has to take all his faceoffs for him 🥰 

his one and only love language is trying to convince the boys to come play with him (jo, jack eichel, mitch marner, jo again). he doesn’t like late games, because he doesn’t nap. and he doesn’t nap because he can’t sleep during the day. and he can’t sleep during the day because he drinks too much water, so he has to piss too much. babygirl, why would you volunteer this information 💕 he tells people to call him “the dogg” and then they do. he says awkward sentences that rewire my brain. he should be cool, but he isn’t!!!!! he extremely fucking isn’t.

this is my natemac thesis, you can take it or leave it (said with love!!!!! there are other players i am significantly more invested in getting people on board with). i think many other people can speak more eloquently than i can about everything impressive he does on the ice. but he’s one of my special little guys bc of everything else

i have no idea what to do with all this <3 I'm here because he just bonked my ducks into oblivion - im hoping this cures his dogboy depression (it was becoming so wretched that it had started leaking into my curated feeds) - and it made me think of this ask which i've been marinating. hello!!

fortnite legend natemack is the exact age to have grown up in the heyday of COD xbox lobbies, do u ever think about that . i think about that now. do u think natedogg is his gamertag. rpf people are you writing gamergirl natemack AUs yet? has that happened yet? (sorry i don't. i don't have any clue what tropes are popular. im just throwing stuff at the wall <3)

nate is an elite 1C—except that he doesn’t forecheck and doesn’t defend and one of his wingers (jonathan drouin) is actually the playmaker and the other winger (mikko rantanen) has to take all his faceoffs for him 🥰

^craziest description of a 1C i've ever heard AND the most compelling he has ever been.

also thank u for not makin some kind of eating disorder joke amongst all this. it IS that serious (to ME) and people do this so much and i think they're not as funny as they think they are <3 (<- WHO SAID THAT!!!)

MYE two cents looking thru a writer/narrative lens: just, like, skimming whatever the hell comes up about him, he strikes me as someone who is very sincere. i get that everyone calls it "intensity" but i think sincerity has its own power. idk. i think he's very brave for wanting what he wants so transparently and wholly. <3 fortnite legend nathan mackinnon you are in my crosshairs......

[gaybroons]

Talk Hockey To Me

( @ghostgeno's tag game)

The thing that got you hooked on hockey

Started reading “hey now, you're an all star (get your game on, go play)” by @buckyismybicycle while it was ongoing because even though I was 1) completely uninterested in hockey and 2) also uninterested in Stucky as a ship, this specific author’s works have always been phenomenal and with each new chapter email I started getting more and more intrigued until I eventually gave in and started reading it (literally so worth it everyone should read it). In the end notes of each chapter, HR (the author) would add some fun facts and extra context for the hockey related stuff (considering it’s a whole hockey AU) that made me go “huh that sounds fun” more than once but I was still not super into the hockey thing.

Until. 

I reached the chapter with a beautifully written match and I was like???? Is hockey like this irl?????????? This sounds so good?????????? Cue YouTube hacking into my brain and suggesting me hockey compilations which included the infamous Lick. I saw this random man just being a menace to everyone and decided he is now the love of my life.  (i usually omit the stucky fic part bc ppl have opinions about marvel that i do not want to hear lol. so if i told you abt this before without the full context i'm sorry!!)

Your first ever fandom friend

@hard4softthings !!!! Love is stored in the ao3 comment section uwu 

The jersey you would most like to own

I can’t pick one so I’m just gonna list in descending order: Marchand home jersey (with a C !!!!!!!!😤) ,  Pasternak (also home. Sorry it’s just nicer than the away version) , Quinn Hughes (the pride one because I’m obsessed with the design it’s so pretty) 

YOUR player (you only get ONE so choose wisely)

The rat king himself 🖤💛🖤💛🖤 can u tell I have a favorite 

A pairing that deserves more fic

Sid/Ovi ‼️ tuukks/pasta and Brady/Quinn too, there’s just so much potential for them. 

Your favourite on-ice moment

Picking is difficult so you’re just gonna get a bunch <3.

Bertuzzi stealing cousin’s stick and trying to break it

Marchy kidnapping The Child

pigeon

dancing with the stars

tuukks Exhibiting homicidal tendencies (rightfully so)

flower wanting to feel included

whole team under arrest

Brady Tkachuk: why is there a fucking animal loose on the ice he’s going to give me rabies

marchy waving to a booing crowd

marchy blowing kisses to a booing crowd

flower asserting his dominance tripping TWO first round picks

Quinn Hughes seeing a fight break out and says ✨no✨

Marner spinning like a ballerina

+ link someone else's art/fic/etc that you love & think everyone should check out

ART: 

this ADORABLE mcdrai art by @saviorified

MattMcDrai art by @adelphenium , obsessed with the blushing and the HAIR plz it’s so cute.  

Awfully pretty sid and geno art by @ceanspam

Captaincy transfer by @adelphenium I’m so weak for rat marchy, and ALSO bergy’s eyes <33333 i’m so <33333

the kiss of life by @stillfertile

FICS: 

The “All Caps” series by @makeit-takeit rewired my brain I’ve reread it countless times i think i can recite it by heart. 

“hard to be soft, tough to be tender” The Hanahaki fic by @hardforsoftthings I love love love the emotional progression AND denial in both of these fics (also, horny. Thank u) 

speaking of which, in less emotionally charged and more horny fics, the “spit cup” and “scratch that itch” non-traditional omegaverse doulogy by @ whitchbhitch (i do not know their tumblr)

+ link something you made & are proud of & want people to see

I’m honestly really proud of my flowertalbo fic, “Inevitably you will burn (as all living things do)” it’s really short (646 words) but I think I did a good job on it :>

Also, I find myself coming back to this one McDrai crack fic, “Oh Puck No!” idk what possessed me to write it but I had fun with it and i still find it silly and enjoyable lol

no pressure tags: @lindholmline @darkangel0410 @gilliebee @owchar1ie and anyone else who wanna do this!!!

[somethin-real]

Thanks for answering my ask....If you don't mind me asking (again), can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....

I am once again answering asks months later than I should have because time isn’t real and I never open my phone BUT I will never give up an excuse to talk about the stuff I like so let’s go

(This is in no particular order because besides the first two I can’t pick a favourite child)

1) interview with the vampire (tv)

God. This thing has taken over my brain chemistry. I first watched it as the first season aired a few years back and loved it then and now that the second season has aired I literally cannot stop thinking about it. I have watched every episode of this series at least four times, some more than others because I genuinely can’t get enough. It’s simply so perfect to me… the camp… the vampires… everyone should watch this at least once in their lives (I am also currently working my way through the books and they are so tasty)

2) nbc Hannibal

GUH. I strangely never talk about it but Hannibal was one of the first shows to rewire my brain like iwtv has. I first watched it back in high school I think after a girl I had a crush on lended it to me on a usb stick and I think it’s so perfect. I find it really beautiful in a real vile way (pos) and can watch it over and over without tiring (in fact I could probably recite many of the episodes off by heart which I wouldn’t consider a problem but Some People might). The relationship between Hannibal and Will is so palpable and harrowing and I genuinely once wrote an essay on it for uni (I got an eighty) because I’m Normal

3) life is strange 2

a bit of a random one, but ever since I played the first episode of lis2, I’ve been obsessed with it. say what you want about the lis games, but there’s something really lovely to me about Sean and Daniel. maybe it’s because it reminds me of my little brother, maybe it’s because the experience of being a Latin person in North America is so familiar, but it’s a really beautiful game and I’ve replayed it… seven times now? I think? I keep trying to get different endings but I’m weird about making people do bad stuff in video games surprisingly

4) red dead redemption 2

Look man. I like cowboys, I like the great outdoors, I like the idea that Arthur Morgan (gunslinging criminal) is actually a pretty princess. Maybe I’m projecting but he really is a beautiful woman to me. this is another game I’ve played way too many times even though playing the epilogue bit where you have to build the fence makes me want to die. also Javier and John should kiss and I want sadie Adler to be my wife

5) sarazanmai

Maybe a bit of an oddball but this is one of those anime that’s like looking at a car wreck. You simply cannot look away. What began as a strange, mythological mindfuck of a show slowly morphed into a beautiful story about queerness and friendship and love and I recommend it to everyone because I just think it’s so good

6) wildhood

This movie fundamentally changed me. It’s a Canadian queer indigenous coming of age film that I watched on a whim when I was scrolling through a streaming service on a lazy weeknight a few years ago, and I didn’t expect it to be something so beautiful and touching. It’s about a young guy named link who finds out his mother (who left him with his abusive father) is alive, and so he crosses the province trying to find her with his younger half brother and someone who’d saved him from some racist convenience store owner. It’s a visually really pretty movie, and on top of that the story is absolutely beautiful and makes me cry every time I watch it. I think I’ve forced every single one of my friends to watch this movie all the while I stared at them like this 👁️👁️ to gauge their reaction to it. please please please watch this

7) to be taught if fortunate by becky chambers

this book!!!!!! THIS BOOK!!!! I had to read this for first year English my first year of university and normally books I’m forced to read are never ones that have a hold on me but I genuinely could not put this book down. I’m also not really one for science fiction, but despite the overall premise (a bunch of researchers get cryo slept in space only to awake and find that a disaster has happened on earth, wiping out a majority of the population) I feel like it focuses less on the science fiction and more so on the relationships between all of the astronauts, most of whom are queer and in a weird pseudo poly relationship with each other. idk I just thought this book was really beautiful and fun and I think everyone should read it

8) jojo’s bizarre adventure

look. this thing had to make it on here okay. I put off getting into jojo for a long time even though I’d been thoroughly aware of it even back in middle school, and when I finally caved I watched all of it in about two months, shaking and gnawing at the bars of my enclosure the whole time. it’s just so silly and fun and I think kishibe rohan should be real (he is)

I was going to add more but my brain somehow isn’t working so I’m going to do some honourable mentions again in no particular order: yakuza series, death note, after dark by haruki murakami, anything by Allen Ginsberg, kill your darlings, it’s always sunny in Philadelphia, fellow travellers (book and show)

Thank you so much for the ask!

[red-dyed-sarumane]

what are some cool games u have played? dont matter if u mentioned before. tell me again tell me again :D

uhh hmm.

well okami is my all time favorite the art & the music & the message/story are all just incredible theres not a single time ive finished it i havent cried. i absolutely adore ryoshima coast ive spent so many hours just running around there to listen to music. which fun fact for u i only know about this game bc in about 6th grade i picked up okamiden bc i thought the little doggy was cute & was like fine i'll play as this boy if i get a cool dog and u cannot imagine how excited i was to find out u DID play as the little dog. i was SOOOOO obsessed literally my exact thoughts were 'if issun is ammy's celestial envoy then i am going to be chibis' i have a metric fuck ton of fan art i did at the time bc i thought it was quote "the epic-est game for ds ever" also cried every time i finished it. i was 13 so i didnt know what "being down bad" was but do know i was as obsessed with kurow as i was with d-ne later and now tenshi not a single irl friend was unaware i was in love with him. also fun fact for u bc at the same time i was also getting super into vocaloid i was so convinced my vocap name would end up as chibiP to the point i named myself that in pkmn x chibiP after chibiterasu of course. please enjoy my banger old art which is not even a fraction of my output

yume nikki is my next favorite game specifically the og that changed my brain chemistry as a kid. i adore that game so much its hard to put it into words. its just so unlike anything else. there is absolutely nothing in the game that can directly harm u theres no real health meter theres no way to die during the main play the absolute worst that will ever happen is u get stuck or woken up. in a horror game. which is already just amazing. and the whole horror aspect just plays on something i dont think is often done as well in many other things. ur alone. u wander and wander thru worlds that loop and connect and seemingly have nothing to do with each other. theres no dialogue; talking to npcs just gets u a noise or animation at best. ur entirely alone with just urself. its all dreams so u know everything is of madotsuki's own creation, another layer to the all u have is urself feeling. the art is just unusual i cant even say any of it on its own is in anyway scary. the whole thing shouldnt be scary and yet every time i start wandering in a world i cant help but feel unease. amazing 10/10 no other game will ever have what this gave me.

everyone knows i play pkmn the best is still pmd sky that also rewired my brain i still cant play it without crying.

its been a long time since i was really just playing it as the chapters released & got translated but 1bitheart is so so so important to me too. i dont kin for multiple reasons but if i did nanashi would be my first choice. like- without saying that to her i got my one irl friend to play once & when she saw how nanashi was she turned to me and went "this is just you" hes very important to me even now. absolutely loved the whole friendship sim & the story & its twists & the endings & their implications left me in shambles at 1 am on a school night. my fave charas are nanashi enri & saaya btw. i should replay this.

i also love the etrian odyssey series i love the character portraits (esp with the more recent games' color customization) i LOVE the dungeon art & i think all the monster designs are so cool. adore the whole make ur own map aspect keeps me so entertained to take a step & look around & chart all the walls & path ways. unfortunately i fucking suck at every single one i am not very good at strategy games so i end up stuck at or before the 3rd stratum. but thats okay its still fun to me.

the other one i'll talk about at length is spirit of the north another game i loved the art of. u play as a fox & get a partner spirit fox & i just love it SOOOO much. its also a game with 0 dialogue but theres A Lot going on it if u care to follow along & explore & dig into details & the game play is also pretty fun to me. this is the one game i started learning the speedrun btw thats also a very fun way to play it but ABSOLUTELY play it as intended first it has so much to offer

aaaand special mentions to omori, oneshot, witch's house, mermaid swamp, corpse party, & limbus company

[utilitycaster]

I saw your post about Bor'Dor and people wondering if there's a Twist of some kind and you mentioned Veth being one of the least popular characters for CR in passing. I think you talked about it elsewhere as well, and I had recently realized *why* I never really gave her a lot of thought. Because on paper she should be one of my favourite characters that I relate to the most--I read her comic and had a moment of "oh, I should really go back and reevaluate this character because damn". I took some time to think about it and I realized that, for me at least, the reason I never really gave her a lot of thought was kind of because of Sam, or at least the way he plays at the table. I find his antics distracting at best and grating at worst. I still mute his section of the ads whenever I watch because something about his energy just doesn't vibe with me. And like, I do love the moments where he does get serious and has a really good dramatic scene, but then a few minutes later he does something that takes me out of it again. This is of course, something that's a me thing, not a him thing. I'm fully aware of the fact that it's his game and he gets to play however he wants. Hell, if the others had an issue with it, they wouldn't have played with him in the first place. So I fully understand that it's just my own personal preferences regarding the type of humour and energy I respond to. But it is something I noticed after giving it some thought. I have hope with the Mighty Nein animated series I'll get to enjoy Veth's story a little more, since that was what happened with Scanlan (I went back to watch campaign 1 after watching LOVM, and I am having a hard time getting past the stark differences). So yeah, that's kind of the reason I never connected with Veth as much as I probably should have. I don't know if other people have the same views, but I'd be interested to hear why you think other don't like Veth (or at least don't respond to her as much as they do the other characters/players).

Anon, I am...not sure why you sent this. It feels like it really misses my point, and it's not something I can address. I've brought this up before but like, I don't always connect with the themes Sam tends to engage with, but I feel that when I've criticized his characters on other bases someone always brings up how they don't vibe with his sense of humor and like, cannot relate, can never relate, I actively enjoy the ASMR ad, and I don't know why I get unrelated Sam criticism - especially about his sense of humor, which is like...not even particularly weird or unusual nor excessive for the table. This is something that really needs to be a post you make on your own blog rather than an anon ask to someone who is getting a little weirded out that this keeps happening.

But I think more importantly my point is not "everyone needs to love Veth". There are plenty of reasons why Veth might not be someone's favorite character, and also it is completely valid to dislike a character based on your pet peeves! If you don't vibe with Veth as a character or Sam as a player, you are not obligated to try to rewire your brain to make it happen. But I do find it incredibly telling that "this character is secretly another race" pops up constantly as a popular theory, and then when a player actually took care and built a character based on that premise with all the implications it entailed, it was a comparatively unpopular choice. My point is "a lot of theories that hinge on there being some Big Twist Reveal really boil down to 'waaaah i think humans are boring and I play a kalashtar so I want someone else to play a kalashtar' without actually engaging in what the narrative would necessarily need to be to support this," and I find that a very, very strong argument against many of those theories as a result.

[icharchivist]

Sorry, drama again, just remove ask if you are tired/don't want to talk about it anymore and take care <3

I feel bad, but also I am kind of sipping tea, because when I was able to recognize his voice easily, because Lucifer, but... Welp... Somehow his voice never fitted Lucifer for me, both in gbf and rage of bahamut anime (didn't played the game) and generally when I head him I felt like I would like to punch him. No idea why, just his voice alone was pissing me off, the more I was able to recognize him in anime or game from sigh alone, like "it's you again, Sakurai". I have no idea why, seriously, it was few years ago and now I think it's kind of hilarious.

Tbf, I wouldn't mind recast or something, especially if it would help get Lucifer faster or something. *Sips tea* i feel so unable of emotions, like I should feel sorry and bad for those he cheated, but on the other hand... Will it change anything? My brain is rewired too much around Lucifer to really care... Oh welp, I will deal with it some day

I must say I am pretty excited for next stream. I think gbf mentioned earlier evokers 5* around this time and curious about Vikala uncap. Oh, don't they show trailer for anniversary around this time? Also I am finally getting close to my first transcend eternal and right now I am blocked by... Whorls and orbs, damnit. I think have most/can easily get most of materials for 150lvl and here I am... With not enough whorls and orbs, damnit *angy* Super Ultimate Angel Halo when with Super Ultimate Rewards, hmphf

Remember to drink water, but not too much!

ahah it's okay

I can't relate at all to how you feel about it since Sakurai was legit one of the first seiyuu i really obsessed over (he played two formative characters from my childhood that i was obsessing over when i was 13, ironically also paired with Suzuken, so i've had a lot of affection for his voice ever since, and seeing him paired with Suzuken in gbf again felt really on brand. All the more reasons for me to be sad), so personally i could never find he was out of place anywhere, it was just, ah, funny Sakurai following me around and giving me characters with similar thematic to haunt me!

I guess now you have justifications to your kneejerks reaction lmao

of course i feel bad for the victims of it all first and formost, especially since both mistresses came forward with a lot of health issues due to the stress the whole situation put them through it's just. another layer of horrible. I don't think it's fair to think about the outrage in the sense of "will it change anything?" i think just having compassion for the people involved is enough. We don't even have to address it per se, it's not like our voice matters, but i think it's at least the minimum before talking about our grieves for fictional matters that don't matter as much.

When it comes to his roles, it's so tricky because it's not just GBF to take into account. None of the big franchise that relies on Sakurai's name has done anything to distance himself from him, hell, between those two scandals ff7 released a new game where Sakurai took back his iconic role, and mp100 got its new season where Sakurai's character is just as beloved as ever. And we know GBF brought him back for the NY's intro with Lucio as well. And i also saw a recent anime announcement of a brand new IP hiring Sakurai, while they don't even have the excuse of trying to stay consistant with legendary characters he played.

It's like everyone is agreeing it's a very fucked up things he's done but he's too associated to their brands for them to do anything about it. It's so wild and confusing and hard to really predict where it's going to go from here.

GBF alrready announced 5* Lucifer and i don't see them announcing a recast so far, so it's really difficult to know if they even can terminate their countract with Sakurai at this point.

(To this day the only efficient seiyuu scandal solving i saw was with a3 when one of the seiyuu came out as rancid and a3 and his company literally dumped him the day after everything about him came to light, and they replaced him in the following week by the actor who played his character in the stage adaptation of the game. Then in the month that followed his voicelines were completely muted from the game and they revoiced the whole thing with the new VA in the following year. It was so swift and efficient that now when i just see them all go silent and wait for it to get quiet again, i just think they don't think it's worth addressing to start with lmao. Tho we are talking vastly different level of crimes so it is probably not the best scale for me to judge that with).

Next stream should mention things about Evokers's 5* yes, and we're all waiting for Vikala's 5* announcement. They should also show a trailer for the new anni event there, so we gotta stay tuned.

Congratz on the soon transcendance! Whorls and orbs are the worst, sorry you have to deal with it o7 this is such an Eternal grinding thing to happen lmao. More Halo jail for you rip.

Thanks for the reminder, and same goes to you! take care!

[thinkingandthonking]

The Endless Game

There is a species on a planet where almost everyone plays a game. Here's how to play:

Secrecy - Discussing the game (like this) is taboo! They take it VERY seriously, the game is like life itself to them! Everyone plays on their own, or occasionally with partners or groups in secret that they're allowed to share with. Talking about the game openly is seen at best as weakness, as whining and inability to win, or at worst as weirdness, insanity, or lying.

Rewards - It used to have a point, something about increasing survival and procreation, but they already figured that stuff out. Now it's just played out of habit and prestige. Play to win, and keep winning!

Goals - Every player gets their own unique Goal. They're often similar, but each player should really consider their Goal special, personal, something important to THEM, that no one else can understand. Their key to Happiness. A part of who they are. The Goal can be given by more veteran players that brought them into the game, or at times it just appears in the player's mind after hearing about it or seeing it - and if the player doesn't reject that appearance, The Goal is set.

Conditions - The Goals are arbitrary, they don't actually do anything usually, but each player wires their internal circuitry so that achieving or getting near the goal activates the Happiness Engine inside them (Releasing feelings of joy, love, satisfaction, peace, success, energy, openness, hope, etc) And being far from the goal or failing at steps towards it activates the Suffering Engine inside the player (Releasing feelings of shame, anger, sadness, fear, disappointment, craving, loss, pain, numbness, etc)

Gameplay - Thanks to the conditions, the player always knows where he's at in the game and where to go! Always chasing the positive, and running from the negative. The goal of course has nothing to do with the internal engines, they're inside and always available, but interacting with them directly instead of through the game is also taboo.

Post-Victory - Once the goal is reached, The Happiness Engine is active for a while and there may be a rest period, or a period of desperately clinging to the Happiness and trying to keep it there forever. Then, a new goal is selected and the game starts anew with the Suffering Engine pushing the player forward.

Endless Content - Existence becomes a loop of fluctuating discontent, from mild craving and discomfort to abject misery and torture (All as a motivating force to reach The Goal), with brief periods of joy and happiness to reward persisting in the game and winning a Goal. Don't stop for too long, keep playing!

Difficulty - For some people, each goal gets harder and harder to achieve, as they are very dedicated to keep winning forever. Others get tired of the game and don't play it as seriously after a few wins, and so the intensity of the engines may lessen, or their goals may not be as important to them anymore.

Last Rule - Every player must forget that they are playing a game, and must treat it as objective reality. Even if they find out that the goals are meaningless and the engines are internal, they must come up with reasons to keep playing! (Examples: Because they must, because everyone is playing so it must be real, because the engines can't be touched besides by the Goals, because they've already invested so much into The Game, because there MUST be a way to REALLY win, because there can't possibly be a way out of the game, because if all of this has been a game all along then all the suffering was for nothing - and isn't that scarier than just playing some more? What if THIS TIME we win for good?)

Oh, and Sign-ups are automatic and non-consensual! We're already playing, what's the next Goal that'll make you Happy?

(Warning: If a player somehow finds out about the game and quits, they can start rewiring the engines (Reducing Suffering, increasing Happiness) without any external goal to chase.

Afterwards, it's possible to play in Creative / Casual mode, moving towards goals without the promise of temporary happiness (It's already available, why chase it?) or the threat of suffering (It doesn't need to move you when you're already where you need to be), or all that "seriousness and intensity" of the normal, Competitive mode.

But isn't that cheating? Where's the sense of pride and accomplishment?)

Go play, have fun, triumph over adversity, and keep winning!

[pizza-feverdream]

Wow these are actually good tag game questions. Gotta say reading through I agreed with a lot of your answers but I immediately forgot which ones lol

Here we go

1.) describe yourself through the eyes of a stranger? Scared looking or spaced out, quiet and maybe snippy (if stranger in particular is a customer)

2.) what is a quality you’d like to change about yourself? I wish I didn't get angry and mean when I'm overwhelmed, and I wish I didn't isolate myself instead of trying to make friends

3.) what is your worst potential fear for the future? That's I'll be chronically by myself. And that it'll be my fault for not having learned enough about how to be with people.

4.) which television series do you use as a form of escapism? I could watch Gravity Falls on repeat

5.) share a secret about yourself? I used to have a problem with maladaptive daydreaming, but then I learned I could write instead so I do that now. It feels healthier

6.) if you could choose any place in the world to visit, where would it be? why? I want to go back to Pennsylvania, for various reasons, but somewhere new? I wanna see what Canada is like. In the winter. Even though I'm 99% sure I'd hate it, I've seen snow about twice in my life, and I just want to see SO MUCH OF IT like in the movies? Idk

7.) what advice would you give your childhood self? Don't attach yourself to one person, and not try to interact with anyone else. Also, a lot of the time it feels like you've always been in a panicked, or depressed state, but you gotta remember that it's temporary and had a cause. You're not broken

8.) describe how you envision your ideal life partner? Just someone who is genuinely kind and loves me. Hope that's not too much to ask for

9.) what is your favorite environmental season? why? Winter. Cause that's the only time in Texas we have pleasant weather (60-70 degrees(or 15-20⁰, spiderlad)

10.) what’s one book you’d suggest every person should read? The giver series. Not everyone even knows its a series. It's very well-done, makes you think

11.) what is one song that’s able to bring you to tears? When love takes you in by steven Curtis Chapman. Havent listened to it in SEVERAL years, but that's something my mom used to play a lot and it hits me like a ton of bricks when I hear it in the wild.

12.) describe your best friend? :D Don't have one

13.) what was the premise of your last dream? I think I was at the dermatologist and she was looking at my head and telling me how dumb I was for coming in here, nothings wrong with you

14.) what’s your favorite warm beverage? Apple cider, next question

15.) name one musical album that greatly impacted your life? why? So just this year, I've made MAJOR leaps in like, differentiating myself from my family and figuring out what I like. This has included watching things like dhmis and toh and even anything on Cartoon Network that I previously wouldn't have thought to, or wouldn't have been allowed to watch. Thats also included branching out my musical tastes, and the first example of that was when I stumbled upon Jack Stauber earlier this year. It totally rewired my brain and I've been having so much fun finding things like that and discovering, Hey! I like this stuff! Me!

16.) what’s your favorite form of flattery? When I'll be rambling on (rare) about something I love and the other person is actually listening (extra rare)

17.) what’s your favorite painting? and describe how it makes you feel? I don't remember the artist, but did you happen to see the post circulating about the guy who's paintings looked like bad cgi or something? Those were cool

18.) describe your personal style? This is something else I'm just starting to learn about myself! Just... not enough to describe it yet! :D

19.) what was the last concept that inspired you? This is gonna sound really stupid, but seeing brother sister relationships in media, especially dramatic ones (think dipper and mabel or something similar) is making me want to, and kinda helping me, improve my relationship with MY brother.

20.) who was your very first artistic inspiration? I think the thing that finally REALLY got me into drawing was watching the Loud House, actually. It's not even a style I've ever used, but idk. Made me want to draw (also several different animation youtubers, you know which ones I'm talking about)

21.) how long have you used tumblr for? how has your style changed over the years? I got it this July lol

22.) what was your first cell phone? A little flip phone my mom had to buy minutes for off of cards. Well... is that a smartphone? If that doesn't count, then it was an IPhone 5s. I had that thing for years. It has all sorts of good pictures on it. It's in my room, but the screen is unresponsive, after the little boy I used to tutor went to toss it to me when we were playing online pool together, and it dropped on their concrete floor

23.) what is your favorite fruit flavor? Blackberry or cherry

24.) whom would you resurrect from the afterlife? which 3 questions would you ask them? I would love to meet Bob Ross. I don't want to ask him anything, just vibe

25.) if you could choose only one meal to eat for the remainder of your life, which would you choose? In all honesty, I'm very tired right now and this question is stumping me. Maybe I'll think of something tomorrow (she lied)

26.) which of the 7 deadly sins do you struggle with the most? and which the least? Most, envy. Least, sloth (mostly just cause I feel an all-encompassing, choking shame if I'm not being productive in some capacity)

27.) your latest obsession? and why? The song Mary on a Cross. I've heard it on tiktok ofc, but I actually LISTENED to it the other day and audibly said "oh, this is fantastic" I've listened to it at least 3x a day since. I'm not okay

28.) if you could domesticate any animal as your pet, which would you choose? A squirrel. That would be fun

29.) what’s your least favorite smell? So a couple years ago for my biology class we did a bunch of disections, but even those weren't as bad as the time in that class we blended up peas and mixed them with hand sanitizer. That was 3 years ago and it still haunts me.

30.) favorite mythological creature? and why? It's been a long long time since my pjo days, but I remember liking satyrs

31.) name a scene from a movie that makes you cringe? Anything family related, especially siblings. They CANNOT WILL NOT ever be able to replicate what that's like. It's impossible.

32.) favorite piece of memorabilia you own? I don't really have any? I made a Red Guy crochet little doll thing a while ago but idk if that counts

33.) your personal favorite oddity about yourself? One time a mutual told me in one of those "is the person you rb this from" polls that I was star coded, they said "cause she sees media she likes and NYOOOM she's off to go make fanart" and that has stuck with me

34.) favorite concert/show you’ve attended? I haven't been to any concerts, but when I was like 10 I went to see Frog and Toad the musical. That was fantastic (or I remember it being fantastic)

35.) what’s one thing you would tell to the last person who betrayed you? So far, luckily, no one had betrayed me, but there's someone who thinks they did, and I want him to know it's okay. Really.

36.) your favorite mantra to live by? Adam Savage said in Mythbusters one time "I reject your reality, and substitute my own!" Which I started saying as a joke, not actually taking a second to think about what it means. Then I thought about it, related it to mdd, got scared of it, then realized it didn't have to be about that. I still live by that, but now to me it means that yeah, the world is a shitty place, but I can make it nicer for myself.

37.) do you have any strange habits? When I come back from bringing a customer their food, I'll slap the little number tent thing against my hand, between my thumb and finger. Also, when I put socks on, if I don't turn the socks inside out and shake them off, and dust off my feet, my feet will feel dirty all day. Also I excessively flex my wrists when I get stressed.

38.) what’s your favorite white-noise to fall asleep to? I sleep with a powerful box fan every night, even in the winter

39.) what is your favorite gemstone? why? I've only seen a little bit if Steven Universe, but it made me look up what bismuth looks like irl and. I mean. Look

Wizard of Oz type shit. Lovely fantastic 10/10

40.) how do you choose to cope when you’re upset? I isolate myself, shut out sounds with headphones if possible, and if I feel up to it try to draw

41.) what are you currently trying to accomplish? I need to buy a car, and apply for a different job.

42.) what’s your favorite item you’ve purchased secondhand? I don't do a lot a thrifting, but I've found some decent things at goodwill

43.) describe your personality is only 3 words? Anxious, funny, tired

44.) how is your relationship with your parents? Very good, fortunately

48.) which animal would you be the most terrified to encounter? Polar bears. We watched a docu-series called Soemthjng Bit me. They're TERRIFYING

45.) an instrument you aspire to learn how to play? I don't actually see myself learning, but I used to play the piano and I would like to do that again

46.) relate yourself to one movie character? Paul blart, next question

47.) least favorite music genre? why? Country. You meet people who make it their whole personality down here and it sours it for me

49.) name a public figure you find to be overrated? why? Mr. Beast. I think he exploits people in low places for clout, under the guise of "charity"

50.) what purpose do you get out of using tumblr? It lets me connect to people when I otherwise never have the opportunity to

Let's see.. @mackthecheese @sebwritesstories it's a lot a lot so no pressure

50 Q’s

1.) describe yourself through the eyes of a stranger? 2.) what is a quality you’d like to change about yourself? 3.) what is your worst potential fear for the future? 4.) which television series do you use as a form of escapism? 5.) share a secret about yourself? 6.) if you could choose any place in the world to visit, where would it be? why? 7.) what advice would you give your childhood self? 8.) describe how you envision your ideal life partner? 9.) what is your favorite environmental season? why? 10.) what’s one book you’d suggest every person should read? 11.) what is one song that’s able to bring you to tears? 12.) describe your best friend? 13.) what was the premise of your last dream? 14.) what’s your favorite warm beverage? 15.) name one musical album that greatly impacted your life? why? 16.) what’s your favorite form of flattery? 17.) what’s your favorite painting? and describe how it makes you feel? 18.) describe your personal style? 19.) what was the last concept that inspired you? 20.) who was your very first artistic inspiration? 21.) how long have you used tumblr for? how has your style changed over the years? 22.) what was your first cell phone? 23.) what is your favorite fruit flavor? 24.) whom would you resurrect from the afterlife? which 3 questions would you ask them? 25.) if you could choose only one meal to eat for the remainder of your life, which would you choose? 26.) which of the 7 deadly sins do you struggle with the most? and which the least? 27.) your latest obsession? and why? 28.) if you could domesticate any animal as your pet, which would you choose? 29.) what’s your least favorite smell? 30.) favorite mythological creature? and why? 31.) name a scene from a movie that makes you cringe? 32.) favorite piece of memorabilia you own? 33.) your personal favorite oddity about yourself? 34.) favorite concert/show you’ve attended? 35.) what’s one thing you would tell to the last person who betrayed you? 36.) your favorite mantra to live by? 37.) do you have any strange habits? 38.) what’s your favorite white-noise to fall asleep to? 39.) what is your favorite gemstone? why? 40.) how do you choose to cope when you’re upset? 41.) what are you currently trying to accomplish? 42.) what’s your favorite item you’ve purchased secondhand? 43.) describe your personality is only 3 words? 44.) how is your relationship with your parents? 45.) an instrument you aspire to learn how to play? 46.) relate yourself to one movie character? 47.) least favorite music genre? why? 48.) which animal would you be the most terrified to encounter? 49.) name a public figure you find to be overrated? why? 50.) what purpose do you get out of using tumblr?

[missycolorful]

4, 15 and 25 pleasee??

Ooh, you gave me some real good ones, anon!

4. Favorite headcanon - i'm a simple girl. I've always loved the hc that the children's appearances gradually change to include motifs from their parents, especially if they're adopted by a new parent. like, I already love all the updated Tallulah designs that, say, have a bit of black streaks in her hair or add a skull somewhere on her design for Missa.

15. Thoughts on the Code Entity and the Rebellion -

Motherfucker Codes, man.

But for real, their very presence has always been terrifying, and I kinda liked that aspect of it. They were unfair and frustrating to fight, but the islanders always found ways to fight against them. It became a learning game, a rather rewarding one at times, too. That said, knowing that the Rebellion works with them, and that a lot of the time, the Federation is the one that rewires them and causes them to become violent toward the eggs, adds a lot more intrigue. It makes you wonder about the Codes' true intent, their goals, if they even have any.

As for the Rebellion, I REALLY like how the Rebellion, esp. given its association with the Code, is not a clear cut good guy on this island. A rebellion like this against something as cruel and evil as the Federation feels like it should be the perfect way to fight back against the Federation, and so just about everyone should join, right? But the Rebellion also kinda sucks, tbh. they're pretty selfish; they don't care about the fates of whoever isn't suited for their rebellion. But there's still a lotta mystery with them, too, a lot of questions about them left hanging, so that makes me all the more suspicious of them.

25. Describe your quesadilla island persona (What would you do? Where would you live? What would you look like?)

oh man, I usually don't do personas/ocs for the fandoms i'm in (closest thing is mlp way back when lol). But I'd probably wanna live somewhat close to people but with just enough distance to have my own space (my introverted ass needs that peace and quiet sometimes lmao). If we're talking about living where the islanders are now, I'd definitely wanna find a place close to where Bagi, Philza, Cellbit, etc are right now. I genuinely think it's a very cozy little neighborhood they built, and I'd love to see more people congregate toward it. As for what I'd do, knowing how I play minecraft, I'll typically wander around aimlessly, wander into a mine somewhat unprepared, and I'd die a lot because I'm bad at combat lol. Also, I'd farm lots of chickens. And just farm in general, that's always relaxing. To be honest, I'd wanna say that my persona would just look like my minecraft skin, but my minecraft skin is Edward elric, which… I'll probably be changing soon sadly… I never really think about personas, or what mine would look like. If I was given the choice to be an animal hybrid, though, I'd wanna be an owl. I love owls :3

QSMP ask game!

[zivazivc]

Pinocchio AU

Okay people want the explanation for this comic so here it goes. It’s long and complicated and MESSED UP because of course it is, this is me. I’m going to write in points because my small tired brain can’t handle good english atm but basically to sum up the Adrien was a sentimonster theory or Pinocchio AU as I like to call it:

Young married Emilie and Gabriel can’t have kids. Gabriel reluctantly accepts this fate and even brings up adoption as a possibility once, but Emilie doesn’t want to hear any of that. She’s a bit of a Marinette in the sense that she pictures this romanticized ideal life for herself and a child—her flesh and blood—HAS to be in it.

They keep trying to get a baby while other young families Emilie knows keep growing. She feels left out and hurt and depressed, then her newlywed twin sister announces she’s expecting a baby too and something within Emilie just unhinges.

She eventually lies to some of her friends, who she was out for coffee with, that she’s pregnant too. She mostly does it just to see their reaction and feel what it would be like but it quickly spirals out of control where she just starts pretending she’s pregnant until you can’t even tell if she believes it herself.

Gabriel is confused at first because he hears the news second hand (a friend/family member congratulating him) so he’s apprehensive when he approaches his wife but she convinces him that they really are getting a baby and Gabriel is ecstatic.

It’s only later at a doctor’s check up that Gabriel learns that she indeed is not pregnant. The doctor even speaks to him alone explaining that his wife is in denial and that he should make sure she goes to see a psychiatrist, something she definitely wouldn’t do alone.

Gabriel is unsuccessful with that because he’s not entirely persistent, doesn’t want to be the guy with the crazy wife having to tell everyone she lied about being pregnant, and hopelessly believes she’ll just get over it eventually.

That is until her “pregnancy is near due”—her sister already had Félix in England a few months ago—and he stumbles on her transformed with her peacock miraculous (they already have both of them) creating a sentimonster newborn.

They have a huge fight about it but because Emilie refuses to destroy it, won’t tell Gabriel where the amok is, and Gabriel can’t just hurt the baby with his hands, Emilie just… wins. Fucked up, yeah?

Now she tried creating kids before this one, using her imagination to try and blend her and Gabriel’s looks but it just wasn’t working. So she decided to copy of photos of baby Félix because he already looked almost like a copy of his mother, and Amélie and Emilie already looked alike so it’s not so weird?—is what her mind was telling her.

She didn’t dare alter his looks but she decided to give the baby Gabriel’s eye color to include the “father” in some way. (Yes in that comic I made I gave Adrien a mix of green and gray but that was mainly to get the point across to the perceptive readers)

Now we got Adrien, a normal baby boy to the whole world except for Gabriel who’s forced into his wife’s fantasy through social expectations.

Why are we only at this point and this post is already so long AAAAAAAA!!!

Adrien physically basically grows in a way where Emilie just keeps changing his appearance to match what Félix looked like a few months prior.

Mentally he’s like a robot just taking in information without really needing to learn it. So Emilie decides when he says his first word, she decides when he learns to walk,… He knows how to walk, he just wasn’t given the command to do so yet.

But even so he does develop a personality over time, just slower, because unlike a normal child who’s always testing his boundaries, how far they’re allowed to go until they’re in real trouble, Adrien just can’t misbehave. At all.

But he does have his favorite foods and favorite toys, and jokes that make him laugh the most. The problem is just that Emilie could just decide that his favorite food is strawberries and he’d just start acting accordingly, rewiring his belief. 

He also isn’t allowed to argue or be mean to others which is why Félix thinks he’s a goody two-shoes weirdo while Chloé the brat adores him.

This behavior isn’t so hard to hide with a toddler who’s fickle but it’s harder and harder as the kid grows. Which is why the family becomes very secluded over time.

Gabriel always keeps distance with his “son”. He’s not Dad, he’s Father, he doesn’t do hugs and cuddles, he doesn’t say I love you. But Adrien knows he loves him because his mom told him so and he loves him back unconditionally because Mom said that’s what families do.

Now even though Gabriel is traumatized by this whole ordeal and knowing Adrien “isn’t real” freaks him out he does soften a bit over time. I’m going to give an awful example but like someone who hates cats softening for a cat that their partner/roommate decided to get/had from before. Continuing with this example: But still becoming appalled when the cat starts acting odd/unusually.

Okay I think you get the gist. Let’s move on…

Emilie loves her son more and more as he grows and his sentimonster behaviours start bothering her more and more too. She hates being reminded that he’s not a real boy by people mentioning he looks young for his age because Emilie forgot to make him grow for a while. She hates when he does everything like he’s told. She hates that he has no real friends because they’re afraid to expose him to the outside too much and without supervision. She hates to think about his future.

Her desire for him to be real keeps growing and is what drives her to search for a solution in the miraculous spellbook.

She cracks the script after years, when Adrien is nearly a teen, and finds a way to transfer the creators soul into a sentimonster.

It’s a long process that takes time and while she falls ill to everyone around her, Adrien becomes more real.

Gabriel starts realizing what’s happening when he notices Adrien hesitate for a second when he’s playing a video game and Gabriel wants him to do something, groan when he gets bothered watching TV, huff, complain, have slightly opposing opinions to his and Emilie’s, when he argues with his mother when she tells him she’s feeling fine; when he notices his son’s eyes are greener. Or is it all in his head?

He confronts his wife too late, when she’s extremely ill already, her normally vibrant eyes dulled match Adrien’s bluish gray, and he pieces together in his head what she’s doing.

Before Gabriel could properly think what to do to stop the love of his life from turning into a lifeless doll, in a fit of panic he tries to take her wedding band (where he knows Adrien’s amok is) to get rid of Adrien instead, but is unsuccessful in getting it off her so he snatches her peacock brooch instead (which she needs to complete the spell obvs) and breaks it. (Heyoo! broken peacock miraculous. things are coming together)

Because the spell was almost complete anyway it’s Emilie who falls unconscious. But she doesn’t disappear because she’s not a real sentimonster, she just becomes dormant like one.

This is the point in the story where Gabriel makes it seem like Emilie ran away or something like that—basically disappear. Now he’s living knowing he has an almost sentimonster wife in the basement, knowing he almost killed his son (or her), and having to care for a son that suddenly became much more alive, questioning, arguing, angry, screaming, not accepting, crying, grieving, staring at him with Emilie’s eyes.

Instead of becoming a real parent, Gabriel shuts him out.

Soon Adrien evolves desires for socializing, company, getting away from the suffocating home which eventually leads to him going to a public school.

He slowly starts to live life freely without the restrictions that were put around his thoughts.

Gabriel has an even stranger relationship with Adrien now because he still loves him in a way but also holds resentment toward him. But mostly he sees him as something valuable.

The show happens here…  And now finally we get to the comic…

Gabriel gets a hold of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses. (There’s no epic fight in his lair as you see there’s no Ladybug in the comic but that’s not really important)

What’s important is that Gabriel had deciphered the miraculous spellbook with the help of Emilie’s notes and had decided to use the unification’s “wish” power to awaken Emilie.

He’s aware he’ll need to sacrifice something for the wish to come true and he’s certain Adrien should be enough because the soul inside him is literally the one thing Emilie is missing.

✨Adrien (poor boy just lost his miraculous) is taken to Gabriel’s lair, where he finds out his father is Hawk Moth, sees his mother, learns he’s a sentimonster, and that he’s going to become a sacrifice ✨

Of course the last part is not what happens. It’s Gabriel who ends up being sacrificed.

I can’t decide if Gabriel ends up sacrificing himself because he changed his mind in the last moment while Adrien was screaming for him to stop, OR  because he didn’t love Adrien enough for him to be considered an equal exchange for his wife… O.O

But anyhow…

Emilie wakes up with Gabriel’s soul within her (hence the bluish gray eyes in the comic).

Adrien is traumatized for life.

This took me hours to write… I knew there was a reason why I didn’t want to do it. I hope I didn’t forget anything and my brain made sense of it all

Well there you have it, peeps. The Pinocchio AU. It’s as messed up as my sleep schedule. Good night. 

[leonstamatis]

on the other side of this coin, if you've never read blaseball fic before -- or heck, even if you have, but you want recs anyway -- i have a few recommendations for authors you should check out. in no particular order:

hayden waveridden - i'm biased on this one, but honestly, it doesn't matter. hayden wrote some of the first blaseball fic, ever. and also some of the most prolific across every era. if you've so much as looked in blao3's general direction, you've seen something by them. but you know what? hayden has written nearly 100 fics for this fandom, and i guarantee most of us haven't read them all. go find a new one. go read an old favorite. they're all worth it.

atticus paopuleaf - atti is. hold on i'm just kind of staring into space trying to think of the best things to say, because so many of the fics here are just. my favorite, ever. the lore takes are like nothing you'll see anywhere else, whether it's a completely original idea or a slight (but nevertheless genius) reinterpretation of widely accepted canon. start with the totluis; the characterization in those fics makes me endlessly happy. from there, everything is excellent and well worth your time.

hen waltztangocache - i think hen is like, one of the coolest people in the world. but focusing on fic, there's so much here that plays with format and genre in incredible ways. i am still not over the twists in "so much left to recover," which is one of my favorite fics of all time. but also, hen has a lovely series of ficlets about every chicago firefighter -- a huge undertaking, and a great way to understand the team dynamics and broader lore in an approachable and delightful way. hen is funny, and xir writing is, too. but sometimes it's also horrifying (positive, loving), and sometimes it's so romantic it makes my teeth ache, so there's something for everyone.

robbie babytriumphant - realizing i read a lot of firefighters fic. whatever. robbie regularly writes interpersonal dynamics that completely rewire my brain. the prose is so weighty and it has so much depth beyond just the words on the page. the characters feel real, and lived in, and reading every fic makes me feel absolutely bonkers. i know the leon/andrew campaign might have felt like a bit and a goof, but my love for that ship is 100 percent completely because of how well robbie has written them and how much those fics hurt me (deeply positive), so those are a great place to start.

stara novelsinourheads - man, it's so rare to find someone who puts so much of themself into their work this openly. stara doesn't just do prose; there are incredible twines and multimedia works, solo zines, and all kinds of fun adventures well worth your time. and somehow, no matter the format, every single work manages to feel deeply honest and personal and a little like reading a diary of someone you knew a long time ago. it's all haunting, and beautiful, and lovely contributions to the broader lore.

marn baliset - oh, you know marn. marn, the one who made derrick krueger famous? marn, the creator of tillman henderson? i'm joking a little bit because while those might be the things marn is known for, there are SO many fics here that go well beyond those bigger names and delve really deeply into other characters you probably haven't heard of. i frequently have to take breaks from reading anything marn writes because the evocative imagery and beautiful prose makes me stop in my tracks. also, the pacing? everything is set up so perfectly that you won't even realize how far along you've gotten until the end whacks you in the face. marn turns reading into a game of connect the dots and save points, and i love it. i love it SO much.

sonder moondragon8 - sonder is so clever. i love the setup of all of these fics, particularly when they delve into weird and outlandish concepts. a sentient apartment without anyone to take care of, or a fic told through a pastiche of references and quotes that will make you cackle and scream by turns. sonder also dreamed up the shuffle au concept for the zine jam, an idea that still haunts me to this day -- especially considering it's basically what fall ball turned out to be, proving sonder has some kind of future sight the rest of us can only dream of. i just really do love so much of what's here. it's all wonderfully transformative and unique.

cynda cyndakip - ah! the polkadot patterson liker!! i feel like every time i see cynda on my dash there's something about some longfic lurking just under the surface, soon to appear and ruin us (positive). cynda's works about the moist talkers provide such a perfect picture of team life and local worldbuilding, and it all engages with canon in such a heartfelt way that allows room both for the tragedy and for the recovery from it. i do not know that anyone in this fandom loves a single player the way cynda loves the dot. it's admirable, it's impressive, it's worth poking around to see what the fuss is about.

impern impernia - there are some fics that you read that just never, ever leave your brain. you move on from the fandom, you forget about canon and various other things, and still, that fic will come back and have you clutching your chest with the mere memory of it. impern has like... four of those? for me? i don't know. i don't bother counting. i just know when impern writes something, it will be achingly sincere and lovely, and sometimes it will tear my heart right out of my chest, and i will not recover. i will love it, though.

those are just a handful that i could think of without too much digging. there are always more, and you should see what you can find out there on your own. there are so, so many good writers in this fandom, and i have plenty of additional people i would love to shout out if this post were not already far, far too long. anyway, i've got some reading to do. hopefully this list helps at least one other person to join me.

also like. in general. there’s a lot of blaseball fic published in the time since s24 with <10 kudos. i bring that number up because i assume that means not many folks have seen them. it’s been pretty quiet on blao3 for a hot minute! so…

if you have any blb writers you have been fond of in your time as a fan, whether that was coronation or expansion or way back in discipline, check their ao3 profiles. chances are they’ve kept writing and there’s a lot more for you to read. the writers have never made a habit of stopping when the game does. branch out and explore the stories they’ve told, now that the sim won’t be giving us any more. and be sure to leave kudos and comment when you do!

[stormyoceans]

*sits at the table across from you, takes one cookie and dips it into hot tea* it al started at one of the workshops i think? my memory of this is vague, but if i remember correctly p'x said they just improvised for 15 minutes straight. I'm not an actor and for me it's impressive! next let's talk about vice versa bts. one of the most anticipated scenes in fandom (THE nomnom scene) exited everyone from the trailer. and you know what? jimmy improvised it. in the script puen should just feed talay. if it wasn't enough for you when episode aired it turned out that sea played along and improvised talay nomnoming puen's face in return! good for you? i have more! one of yours (and mine) most favourite moments from the horny puen: pillow scene? did you know that in the script puen only had to hug the pillow? the horny puen was all jimmy's creation actually. yep, live with this information. personally i adore this fact and want to pat him on his head for that. let's also talk about cheesy puen. the scene in ep 12 when puen wears talay's glasses and talay feeds him? yes that was jimmy again. isn't he so precious? mmm what else... episode 10 i think? when up and aou sleep and puen wears his llama hat and says 'should i wer it like this?)' jimmy (agaaaaain) thought it'll be nice to make a parallel to the scene from episode one and sea played along and straightened his hat. as you can see the most iconic scenes in the series are jimmy's creations and i love him for that so much. in kazz interview jim also said that he improvised really a lot but the most scenes wasn't included in the end. what else his cool mind could have thought up is anyone's guess. hope this helps :) *bites off wet cookie and sips tea*

LOVE HOW YOU'RE JUST SIPPING YOUR TEA NONCHALANTLY WHILE IM SITTING HERE GOING WHITE KNUCKLED BREAKING MY FINGERS LEAVING CLAW MARKS GRINDING MY TEETH INTO DUST ABOUT TO START BITING CHUNKS OFF THIS TABLE AS I FIGHT FOR MY LIFE TRYING TO PROCESS THE AMOUNT OF FRANKLY INSANE INFORMATIONS I'VE JUST BEEN GIVEN

i will easily accept the glasses scene in the last episode being improvised because it was a cute little one and as someone who's been wearing glasses since a very young age im acutely aware of people's weird compulsion to want to try them on BUT WHAT – AND EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE – THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THE FUCKING NOMNOM SCENE WASN’T SCRIPTED???????????????? IM RECREATING THE ISABELLE ADJANI GOING TITS OUT INSANE SCENE FROM POSSESSION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OFFICE. IM IN HYSTERICS. DOCTOR JIMMY???????? SIR????????? SON????????? WHAT ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH?????????? THAT'S METHOD ACTING GONE TOO FAR PUEN REALLY TOOK OVER HIM FOR A HOT SECOND THERE. WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY POSSESSED HIM TO EAT OFF HIS CO-STAR’S FACE NOT ONE BUT THREE!!!!!!! TIMES!!!!!!!!!! AND SEA JUST GOING ALONG WITH IT AND DOING IT RIGHT BACK???????????? OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! always knew everyone on that set was absolutely deranged guess i just wasn’t fully aware of the true extent of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THE PILLOW SCENE ALSO BEING IMPROVISED WHAT CAN YOU EVEN SAY TO THAT I FEEL LIKE IM BEING OBLITERATED BY A WAVE OF ENERGY MOVING AT SUPERSONIC SPEED THROUGH MY BRAINSTEM. the only reason im not taking the first plane to thailand to personally fight jimmy is because he’s also ???!!!?!?!?!!!?? responsible for the most universe rearranging clock stopping brain rewiring parallel i’ve ever seen in my life???????????? aka the hat scene aka THE SCENE THAT SINGLEHANDEDLY CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE THE GAME TELEVISION AND THE FUNDAMENTAL MAKE UP OF MY PERSONHOOD????????? THE SCENE THAT IRREVERSIBLY ALTERED THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF MY BRAIN??????????????

GMMTV IM IN YOUR WALLS I NEED YOU TO RELEASE EVERY SINGLE FOOTAGE YOU HAVE ABOUT THESE TWO JUST IMPROVISING SHIT

[natasha-improvises]

Learning When Not to Apologise

Written for Day 18 of @spop-palentines: Apology. 

 “Scorpia? Entrapta? You’re both here,” Catra acknowledge, her voice much more shy than normal and awkward, “I mean… I heard you would be, which is why I brought this cake and hot chocolate. Both in miniature.”

She’d attempted to make miniature cake over and over again, but with the tiny size it was difficult to get the cooking time right. The first few were overcooked and dry, then she’d gone too far the other way. Bow had come up with the genius idea of making a tray bake and using cookie cutters to cut out a miniature cake. She’d gotten one which was allegedly a “robot shape”, but it really did just resemble a blob.

“It’s to say sorry again for the way I treated you,” Catra’s ears drooped and her tail hung limply, but she shook herself and marched forwards to deliver the treat.

“I don’t want this,” Entrapta handed it right back and Catra curled in on herself dejectedly.

“It’s not poison. I tested it first. It’s edible and… It wasn’t bad,” she told her.

“I don’t think that’s what Entrapta meant,” Scorpia frowned, “You need to stop. We’ve forgiven you.”

“No. I was a monster. I need to make amends. What if… Entrapta, I’ll help you with that weird experiment you were talking about. You can… Test it on me,” Catra gritted her teeth at the thought of how wrong that could go, “And Scorpia I’ll… Listen to your open mic night routine you’ve been practicing.”

Scorpia and Entrapta exchanged a look.

“That won’t be necessary. Really, Wild Cat. It’s fine,” Scorpia insisted.

“Yeah. I can just use Emily. I rewired her so she has a similar immune system to Etherians. It won’t kill her if it’s poisonous, but her lights will turn red,” Entrapta explained.

They said they’d forgiven her and yet every time she suggested doing something, the excuses would start, then it got awkward and they’d leave soon after.

“Is that a good idea? You remember what happened last time you made some tech go red,” Scorpia was saying to Entrapta, but like the poisoned Emily: Catra saw red.

“I’m trying to apologise!” Catra screamed at them, causing them both to gape.

She quickly retreated, clenching her teeth. She wasn’t supposed to yell.

“Excuse me one second,” she said in a forced calm voice and made a considerable effort to slowly leave, rather than sprinting off.

Her face was burning. How could she mess up like this? No wonder they didn’t want to accept her paltry gestures. Now there was one more thing to apologise for.

“How’d it go?” Bow asked when he’d spotted her leave, after she’d had a chance to regain her composure.

She jumped.

“Lurk much?” Catra let out a sigh, “They didn’t want the food. I spent days trying to get that right and it wasn’t good enough. Then I offered to do all this dumb stuff they like and they refused. It’s not like I’m surprised. They keep saying they’ve forgiven me, but after the way I treated them…”

“What did they say exactly?” Bow asked.

Catra shrugged, “That I don’t have to and they’ve forgiven me.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” Bow suggested, “They’ve forgiven you and they just want to go back to being friends.”

Catra shook her head, “I need to do more. They deserve a better apology.”

“Catra, are you doing this for them, or to make yourself feel better?” Bow asked.

Catra bristled, “Them, obviously.”

“Then maybe you should try listening to them and stop trying so hard. Maybe instead of trying to punish yourself into doing things to make up to them, you could just hang out. What sort of things did you used to do together?”

“I would yell at them and they would do my bidding,” Catra crossed her arms and scowled.

“Ok… Maybe a board game. You liked that one we played with Glimmer and Adora the other day,” Bow suggested.

“It’s not supposed to be about what I like,” Catra sighed.

“Yeah, it is. It’s supposed to be moving on, spending time with your friends where you all enjoy yourselves,” Bow clarified, “Try it. I think it’ll make everyone happier.”

Catra narrowed her eyes. That didn’t sound right. She’d been trying to emulate Adora’s “put everyone else first” attitude, because she’d seen that work.

“I’ll try it,” She allowed.

Everything she’d tried so far just seemed to drive her former friends away. This couldn’t exactly be worse.

*

“No! I lost again? How do I keep losing?” Scorpia asked as the blocks tumbled down.

They were on their fourth game of the night. The first one had been a strategy game, so of course Catra had won; the second was scrabble and Catra was sure Entrapta had made up that stupid word, but the dictionary had agreed with the scientist; then Catra had won a luck-based game; and poor Scorpia’s pincers hadn’t stood a chance at Jenga.

“In your face!” Catra declared gleefully: she’d always loved to win.

“This has been fun,” Scorpia commented, “It’s almost a shame to leave.”

They’d agreed to make it the last game as she was meant to be seeing Perfuma later, and wanted to make an effort.

“Yeah, we should do it again some time,” Entrapta nodded happily.

“Maybe you should have taken me up on my offer to hang out sooner,” Catra stuck her tongue out.

“Your suggestions were dumb,” Entrapta shrugged, grabbing up some blocks with her hair to put away.

“No they weren’t!” Catra scowled petulantly, “You love explaining your theories to people!”

“But you don’t. We don’t want you to spend time with us out of obligation, or some apology. It’s only fun if all three of us are having a good time,” Scorpia explain.

Oh. Perhaps that’s what Bow had been trying to say before.

“We could do another game night then, or perhaps a movie night?” Catra suggested.

Soon Friday nights were reserved exclusively for the Super Pal Trio’s get togethers and none of them would have it any other way.