#finally played the game after a very long time and i think it's enjoyable again

[randyjadeyaoi]

has this been done before

[graveyardcuddles]

The early stages of Astarion's romance as he's just beginning to fall for the player are so precious to me. There are so many lovely scenes/moments with Astarion's romance throughout the game that it's really hard to pick a favorite. Obviously, the final romance scene in the graveyard is incredibly beautiful and makes me weep, and the conversation you have with him after defending him from Araj is brilliant.

But honestly, the one scene I keep rotating in my head, even months post game release, is the scene where he propositions you for the second time. I love how it's both incredibly angsty and also painfully sweet to me? I love the silly flirting he does, I love the fake-ass manipulative "I love you," he give you (that might have made me a lil mad first time I played). And I especially love how much you can read between the lines in those moments. Personally, I'm a big believer that Astarion definitely has at least a bit of crush on the player at this point, if not already actively falling for them. The "I love you" might not have been 100% real in the moment, but his responses for when you both accept and reject his offer are very telling.

A lot has been said about how he seems to be genuinely disappointed when you turn him down the second time. And I think he is a bit disappointed, has a bit of a hurt ego probably. But mostly he seems very self-reflective. He mentions how he got on his back so many times for so many people and none of it was memorable or enjoyable, unlike with you. That's such a vulnerable thing to admit, something that he doesn't necessarily need to confess to Tav in order to manipulate them. It's like he's trying to grapple with the feelings himself. That subtle pause and look in his eyes right after he wishes us goodnight? He wants to connect with us in a non-sexual way SO BADLY but just can't feel safe enough to at this point.

When you accept his offer, he plays it off cool at first. But I love how right before the fade to black he says: "There you are. Now you're all mine and I'm all yours...At least until morning." He's literally thinking about how long you two can have this time alone together. And his cute little "Let’s see where the night takes us~" with this little happy sway and smile he does it's like...he's so eager to just have this time with us. He might still be trying to "seduce" and manipulate our feelings at this point, but he's so obviously just happy to be spending time with his favorite person.

The feelings were complex and obviously may have felt tainted by his plan, but I feel like it's all a part of him learning to enjoy intimacy again. Which eventually leads to him learning to enjoy non-sexual intimacy with his partner in Act II and III. Idk I just think watching all the stages of him falling in love and learning to be worthy of love is so neat.

[coolsketchablestuff]

Welcome to my atrocious shipping chart, I apologize in advance

Their opinions on eachother:

Headcanons below:

I've been having a story going on in my mind and it's just progressively evolved over time and this is the culmination of that specifically, so I'll try to explain the context of it here:

MAIN THING HERE IS THAT THE BEASTS (for the most part) "GET ALONG" WITH THEIR OTHER HALF

In my au thingy once they get along both half's get stronger, as if the soul jam becomes more whole (yes the ancients still ascended and reclaimed their soul jams as the rightful owners)

Burning Spice:

Got defeated by golden Cheese Cookie, after she left and he awoke from under the rubble of his castle he went to seek her out, to continue the battle, he wanted to be defeated, to be bested by the only worthy opponent, it was his DESTINY to crumble to her hands, he desired it so much. When he found and re-challenged her, she originally did fight him, but upon seeing how badly he wanted to be destroyed she decided to make him one of her treasures. At first he HATED it and would remind her how he could destroy all of it if he wanted to, but after months of slowly wearing him down he's now her right hand cookie and personal guard, very quick to fight anyone who gets to close to her radiance, he is referred to by the kingdom as "his anarchist".

Shadow milk cookie:

(because his actual story will be coming out soon I'm so paranoid about having to retcon this in the future) he has defeated pure vanilla cookie, finally! After so long!!! But wait, why didn't this victory feel right..? Why was the soul jam not reacting properly? Upon vanilla cookie crumbling should it not go back to him? Spoiler alert, no, no it did not as he was not worthy of it and the light was actively fading, as he began to slowly feel weaker with the progressive fading, having to think fast and make a decision he was not sure if he'd regret, he put all of knowledge to use and revive pure vanilla, centuries of being the representative of knowledge sure does come in handy! Ever since that day and discovering if the light fades so would he, he's tried to stay close to pure vanilla out of convenience, over time it becoming an actual friendship, though he is still overly protective/possessive of him to make sure no one hurts him.

Explanation of the relationships:

Golden cheese

- appreciates how Pure Vanilla's kindness is not conditional and relishes in the praise, though she's worried over him slowly spending less time with White Lily

- loves how loyal Burning Spice is, she is aware he's obsessed with her but she interprets it as him being greedy for her attention (it kinda is ngl)

- has fun doing stuff with shadow milk cookie, they like going to events together like parties and just messing around, they can joke with each other comfortably

Burning Spice

- kinda obsessed with Golden Cheese, seeing her as the only cookie allowed to be stronger than him, he doesn't let other cookies fight her as they're "not worthy"

- mostly sees pure vanilla as one of Golden Cheese's treasures and feels an obligation to her radiance to protect him. Is too uncomfortable to get closer to PV because he reminds him so much of pre-corruption Shadow Milk

- the new shadow milk cookie is definitely more lively, and ever since SM got along with PV his pranks have become more harmless which is enjoyable, one of his oldest buddies

Pure Vanilla

- Golden Cheese is one of his oldest friends, after everything that has happened he doesn't want to lose his friends again, he's slowly spending more time with her as White Lily is busy with other stuff and after everything he just wants to spend time with his friends

- after learning to get along with eachother, shadow milk is actually enjoyable to be around! They can talk about intellectual magic stuff, enjoy food and drinks, play games like chess, or just spend time together in comfortable silence

- does not have any strong opinions on burning spice as they do not talk much, though he isn't sure why considering how often they hang out, PV is confident he's seen BS looking at him sometimes when he thinks he isn't looking

Shadow milk

- pure vanilla is calming, when they feel worked up over something he's always there, PV is helping him get along better with cookies

- Golden Cheese Cookie is (currently) his best friend, they jokingly got along under the pretense on not being huge on WL but their friendship kept improving

- it's too much fun to prank burning spice, like SURE he could just find something they both find fun but as long as BS doesn't how actual disdain towards them he's not gonna stop! He loves to tease him too :)c

If I think of anything else I might add It? Idk, genuinely I just like having good guys in media make the bad guys nice, I enjoy "I can fix him" so much, THE ANCIENTS FIX THE BEASTS I SWEAR

[vickyvicarious]

Jonathan's decision to play along today was very difficult to make. But, in the end, it was the right move. He set aside his anger and impulse to rebel... perhaps as much or more out of fear rather than just logic, but we do see his reasoning and it makes sense.

And honestly, I think he pushed his luck nearly to the limit anyways. Look at how Dracula asked. First, he waited a few days after everything that went down with the vampire ladies, perhaps to see if Jonathan would bring up the topic. If Jonathan does, maybe he had plans to lie to him again, to gaslight him about either never sleeping outside of his room, or about Dracula finding him dreaming somewhere else and helping him back to his own bed. Still, Jonathan's reaction to such a lie could very easily force an end to all this pretending. But since he never brings it up at all, Dracula knows he can continue his game. In fact, Jonathan is proving to be a very resilient player, one who has just enough struggle in him to make it more interesting, without being too unmanageable or ever close to actually get away.

Dracula gives Jonathan this 'request' "in the suavest tones" - he's really emphasizing his charm here, being extra friendly as he tries to make Jonathan feel even worse. But then, contrary to what he's seen thus far, Jonathan hesitates.

I would fain have rebelled, but felt that in the present state of things it would be madness to quarrel openly with the Count whilst I am so absolutely in his power; and to refuse would be to excite his suspicion and to arouse his anger. He knows that I know too much, and that I must not live, lest I be dangerous to him; my only chance is to prolong my opportunities. Something may occur which will give me a chance to escape. I saw in his eyes something of that gathering wrath which was manifest when he hurled that fair woman from him. He explained to me that posts were few and uncertain, and that my writing now would ensure ease of mind to my friends; and he assured me with so much impressiveness that he would countermand the later letters, which would be held over at Bistritz until due time in case chance would admit of my prolonging my stay, that to oppose him would have been to create new suspicion.

I think he must have been sitting there making these arguments to himself in real time. Wrestling with his fear and his outrage and possibly losing most of his control over his expression and body language as he did so. And at first, this is fun for Dracula. He wants Jonathan to struggle like this. It's fun to watch. But then, the longer it goes on, the more real becomes the possibility that this will be Jonathan's breaking point. And if it is, if he outright says "no" even this once, then Dracula's entire game is ruined. He's just committed to wanting to keep Jonathan around for another full month. Jonathan passed the test with the other vampires. Dracula has been looking forward to this. How dare he spoil this -

Dracula's rage rises as he finds himself forces to make excuses and be convincing when he likely assumed he no longer needed to put in that much effort. Jonathan finally does agree, but he didn't do so right away. And it's a very fine line, because continuing to do this does in fact make him more interesting and fun in the long run, and thus perhaps allow him to live longer. Maybe after they separate for the evening (morning, being nocturnal) Dracula would actually look back on this moment with indulgent enjoyment. He pushed perhaps right up to the limit of what Dracula would tolerate, but he didn't quite cross it, so the game can continue. But at the same time, pushing like this (or rather, resisting being pushed before giving in) is extremely dangerous in the moment - because in the moment, there's still a chance Jonathan could cross the line. Dracula has a temper and he will take it out on Jonathan if he decides he's had enough.

It's that tightrope again. More of the same. But I just... love imagining this moment. Dracula's sickly-sweet smugness at the start, his utter confidence in his victory once again. And Jonathan - pausing. Saying nothing in response. Thinking it over, taking so long to do so, trying so hard to keep a neutral face but not fully succeeding, maybe keeping his head bowed so his expression can't be seen. Dracula's anger building along with almost a sort of desperation, as he lays out all this bullshit reasoning, maybe losing control of his own tone somewhat as he gets more aggressively vehement. The absolute tension rising, up and up right until the moment Jonathan looks up and agrees, when it suddenly dissipates. But the aftermath lingers, even in Dracula's victory. Even as Jonathan writes the three letters, one after another under Dracula's watchful eye. Dracula takes them from his hand, squeezes his shoulder in ostensible thanks, but such a clear threat. Jonathan's face twitching, a little spasm of fear and despair, at the contact.

It could be SUCH a good scene in an adaptation that emphasized the abusive dynamic here.

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Major Blog Update: Inbox Cleared, Life Updates, a big thank you and More!

First of all the big one:

The deed is done...The Inbox is dead.

Long live the inbox.

To get a fresh start, I've deleted the current inbox of all my asks.

The inbox memes, the nightmares...they're finally over...

ANYWAYS, feel free to send in any request you may have as per usual, just figured I clear that damn thing finally out considering I've had asks that are three years old in there.

Right now I'm really getting into Honkai: Star Rail since Natlan kinda killed my enjoyment of Genshin, but those gals I will still love and write for (I mean, I'm sure as heck not changing the blog url) so don't feel discouraged if you came to this blog because of my Genshin content. And of course my other fandoms are still good to rock and roll!

One last thing before the cut:

I want to thank EVERY ONE of you for following this blog and sticking around with my goofy ah for so long.

I genuinely get excited to read any message or request you put under my posts or inbox, whether it be feedback or joking around! And I know we have the memes going on about me being drowned, please know I do genuinely take the time to look at every single one that comes in everyday, even if I didn't say anything or respond. And it means the world to me that ya'll like my writing enough to continue asking of me.

You all are the reason I even put the effort I do in this blog for so many years, from my newer followers to those who have followed me since my first blog. I could not ask for a better group than ya'll.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks, and let's have a great year together!

ANYWHO: For those who care enough, this is what's been going on with me for the last few months.

Work:

As for why I've been absent for a while: simply put because I work a retail job. Thankfully nothing too bad, it's just normal scheduling and it IS work I very much enjoy and get paid relatively well. My love for writing is still very strong as is my simping, so no worries, I don't plan on going anywhere.

I DO greatly apologize for making everyone wait for literally ANYTHING, doubly so if you had an ask I didn't get to yet. I wanted to honestly save everything into my drafts, but alas I could only choose some select ones.

You're more than welcome to send it back in, and since things have calmed down I SHOULD be getting to them a lot faster.

Genshin:

In regards to what I said earlier about Genshin: Natlan kind of killed any enjoyment I had playing, characters were REALLY unappealing to me, it made my friends stop playing so therefore I stopped as well as that was the major reason I still had it installed. I don't really plan on adding anyone from Natlan or anyone else from that game in the future, so apologies if you were looking forward to that from me specifically.

Star Rail has been filling the hole in my heart and honestly? I have a lot more writing freedom writing the gals from there, but again, don't feel afraid to send me any genshin request! I still simp for my Mondstadt women after all.

Other things I've been doing/Ideas for the blog:

I've also been playing games (and getting distracted) with my irl friends and trying to catch up on my hobbies to prevent myself from burning out, Minecraft has been a big thing lately for me again: specifically Pixelmon LMAO.

For 2025 though, I plan to at least post an imagine once a week starting next week since things are still settling down and I have to get my work schedule.

I might also start posting (Eventually) my personal writing projects here to get feedback and possibly go to AO3 to post my crossover series since Tumblr isn't really the place to be doing so (Chief among them my FE3H AU: House Isekai), or if demand is high enough I'll post it here.

Oh, and with this major update I have once again updated my banner, not that it's really important, just that I put a good amount of effort in it, more than you'd think for how simple it is. I also want to see if anyone even gets my reference LMAO

Once this post goes live, I plan to add a few new characters, starting with the Commander from Girls' Frontline but we'll see how it goes.

I think that's all I got for right now, so see ya soon guys!

- Chris

[hyperfixationstation128]

A Question For My Fellow Dragon Age Enjoyers

So it's pretty much no secret that I've been in love with the Dragon Age series for a very long time, having played the Origins when I was 9 years old. Of course, as an avid lover of all things medieval fantasy adjacent or related, I fawned over the games and their stories. I love the lore and history of the world and after having completed the games, I can only say that I'm satisfied with how things ended. I love how the game sets up the potential return of Rook (either as a PC or not, I'd love to see them again.

But that brings me to my question. Well, I suppose it's more of an announcement. Since 2012, I have been working on a fancomic for the games. With the completion of Veilguard finally on my roster, it's my firm belief that I'm ready to announce the fancomic I've been working on for the past 13 years: Through the Eluvian.

Through the Eluvian is definitely a self-indulgent piece of fan work, but it's one I've worked on for years and am very proud of. Depicting the adventures of a girl from our world who is gifted an ornate mirror with strange carvings in its frame after the passing of the elderly woman she was a volunteer caretaker for. Being an avid rabid fan of the games and having studied it's lore to the point of being able to translate some Elven, she accidentally activates the mirror and is pulled into the world of Thedas several months before the beginning of Origins.

Finding herself not only in need of guidance and protection, she wields her encyclopedic knowledge of the games to guide each of its main heroes! Directing them down the path with the greatest outcome. Now, this might make her seem like a Mary Sue, but I assure you, she's not. Girly goes through it and has to come to terms with the fact that sometimes, no matter how hard you try to stop things from happening, they will happen anyway.

Now, I don't want to give too much away about the story, so now I'll ask the aforementioned question: Would anyone be interested in reading a story like this? I think I'd still post it even if the answer is "no", but I want the opinions of my fellow fans and artists.

I'm gonna follow up this post with some pictures of the main character, Caleo Lazaar, once I'm off from work. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts! Any questions you might have are welcomed and appreciated!

See y'all on the flip side!

[calibratemehard]

Alrighty folks I finished the game. I will put non-spoiler thoughts here and then put my spoiler thoughts under the cut. Again, these are MY OPINIONS. I am happy to hear your thoughts but I'm not arguing with you because you won't change my mind.

* holy shit this is a big game

* Mournwatch is the best faction in my opinion. Idk they're just cool and not problematic lol

* there is some retconning of established facts, but I take it this way: it's been a long time since the original trilogy's events. Origins was canonically sometime almost 20 years before Veilguard - think of life 20 years ago, it was very different. A lot can change and gods coming back changes a lot. Factions grow and change and become something different. Also this is NORTHERN Thedas, an area we've never played in. With few exceptions we've always had companions from the south and learned information about the north second hand. I think that's important to keep in mind when people complain about things not staying the same or 'lore accurate.'

* I still recommend picking the same faction as your projected romantic interest

* The cameos are ... Fine. Again, it's been a long time in game. Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? 20 years? I think Morrigan is the most disappointing but my headcanon is that motherhood has really suited her, also a decision she made off screen that is explained to you during the course of the game also made her personality make a little more sense

* I think I liked this game because I went in with an open mind. I have always loved Bioware games for the writing and the companions and this game has those in spades. I loved how fleshed out the characters were though it doesn't approach the levels that say, Baldur's Gate 3 reaches. But overall it was an enjoyable experience, around 65 hours for me to finish just about everything. Though maybe shave off about 5 hours for the character creator, which was great.

Okay so now for the spoilers. DO NOT OPEN IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!!

* I maxed out all of my companions and factions and nearly 100% every area. There was no quest undone. I think that's why I got a good ending, namely Solas agreeing to bind himself to the Veil, sharing a big kiss with Lavellan, and walking into the Fade together. I did lose one member, Harding, and that fucking sucked. I haven't looked into spoilers so I don't know if switching her and Davrin would have made a difference cause Davrin is a Warden and would have fared better against the blight idk. I'll have to look into it. Overall I was happy though.

* I ... Should have seen the Varric twist but I wasn't looking for it so it just passed over me. I was devastated, but I think that it was well done and well earned. Still sad though. That was the second time I cried during the finale, after Harding.

* This felt like a Bioware game to me. It felt big, it felt complex, and the humor was always there. The QoL improvements and expansion of classes and abilities made this so much fun.

* I felt the romances were lacking a bit in content, though Emmrich had suuuuch a sweet and gentle romance. I loved it so much. They banged in a graveyard in what I assume is a coffin. A+ love him, love Manfred. I just wish I had kiss options a la BG3. I got spoiled. 😅

* I'll play this again. And again. That's how my brain works. I think they need to patch a sort of 'golden nug' option into the game and a new game plus to make things better. If there are DLC, I'll happily play them.

[deedala]

✨ weekly tag wednesday ✨

thanks for tagging me @heymacy @energievie and @mybrainismelted !! 💖

(disclaimer: there is presently a glitch with tumblr that only allows you to tag 5 people per line in your text posts. to remedy that, you can separate your tags into different lines as i have at the bottom of this post to ensure that everyone that's tagged knows they've been tagged!)

**

name: deanna

age: noel

your time zone: EST (or apparently EDT currently as its during daylight savings? when it goes from UTC-5 to UTC-4. Time is a construct.)

what do you do for work? i help color other peoples comics

do you have any pets? narp

what first drew you to this fandom? i had tried several times to watch shameless since it started but kept getting turned off by how gross frank was lmao. i really like cameron monaghan though and back in 2022 i was just in a good place (apparently) to finally push through (and skip!!) the gross frank shit and watch the show. i think i watched some of it. and then i went and just watched gallavich scenes on youtube? and then i went BACK and rewatched all of the actual show? over and over again lol. my love of cameron monaghan and shameless's vibe just finally clicked into place amen.

are you a morning person or a night owl? i guess moreso a night person since i suffer desperately from revenge bedtime procrastination. but also at the same time i dont like sleeping in very late either or itll feel like the whole day fucked. but also i wanna sleep for 9 hours.

what are your hobbies? tv and film enjoyer, drawing, reading, video games, being silly

how tall are you? 5'2" or 157cm (please help me reach the things on the top shelf)

if you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? iceland? ireland? new zealand? ...really into lands ig

favorite color? mint green

favorite book? the masked empire by patrick weekes still holds this spot

favorite movie? the fall, the eagle, love and monsters, princess bride, the mummy, vampire academy

favorite fic? intro to quantum dating, cooperative gameplay, fine art of falling for you, love is a ballfield, none the wiser, two of your earth minutes, the menagerie, apotheosis, ma--*the microphone is forcibly removed from my hands*

favorite musical artist: chappell roan, cake, petey, dove cameron

what is your average screen time so far this week? thats none of my business

what's the first app you open in the morning? discord~

how long have you been on tumblr? 12.5 years

finally (and i know this one is hard) tell me a fun fact about yourself: i dunno if its a *fun* fact but i used to be a licensed cosmetologist. i know how to do all the things i just realized i hate interacting with customers and could not bear to carry on with that a career after about a year of it lol

and now i shall tag some precious nuggets who can play or simply accept this offering of a🫸 face squish 🫷😚 @darlingian @too-schoolforcool @michellemisfit @thepupperino @metalheadmickey @softmick @callivich @vintagelacerosette @squirrel-fund @creepkinginc @whatwouldmickeydo @gallawitchxx @mickeysgaymom @suzy-queued @crossmydna @gardenerian @mmmichyyy @tanktopgallavich @rereadanon @heymrspatel @the-rat-wins @iansw0rld @loftec @palepinkgoat @themarchg1rl @jrooc @thisdivorce @blue-disco-lights @sam-loves-seb @sickness-health-all-that-shit @samantitheos @lee-ow @sleepyfacetoughguy @transmickey @lingy910y @tsuga-of-mars @ardent-fox @purplemagpie @captainjowl @wehangout @mikhailoisbaby 💖💖💖

[17magpiesinatrenchcoat]

Hello I would like to ramble about 9 sols… I’ve almost finished it and would like to talk about it :D feel free to yap with me in the comments too, none of my friends have played it yet so it would be nice to talk to someone about it hehe (in absolutely no order whatsoever)

‼️LOTS OF SPOILERS BEWARE‼️

ohhhhhhhh I LOVE THE MUSIC ITS SO GOOD…. no1 video game ost enjoyer here and I can say it’s so so good;; so many of the songs made me go :00 ITS SO GOOD

I’ve seen people complain about the dialogue and tbh I don’t get the complaints at all;; I LOVE the dialogue and I think it adds a lot and it’s a very good way to tell the story the game is telling and the people who whinge about it are stupid tbh I feel like people often confuse creative decisions they personally don’t vibe with with actual flaws which is really annoying like. man

aghhh SO MUCH LORE I love all the lore I want to know more…… oh but man. hearing about all the solarian’s rich history,, and knowing that ultimately they were doomed to extinction by one idiot is;: oh man. It Hurts

OHHHHH HOW I ADORE THE THEME OF HOW RAGING AGAINST THE INEVITABLE WILL ONLY CAUSE HARM… literally all the things that went wrong in the story are from people trying to run away from death. but sometimes the only thing left to do, and the right thing to do, is to let go. ohhhhhh indie games about death and letting go how I adore you so

lady ethereal made me so fucking sad like. literally everything she ever did was to try and help her people but it all went so so wrong. the road to hell is paved with good intentions, truly. god her storyline hurts so bad. Im very glad yi could give her closure so she could move on,, also her section was by far my favourite ITS SO GOOD RAHHHHH

THE FENGS MADE ME SO HORRIBLY SAD TOO;; I hated them at first, I literally said “eat the rich” lol but. that was before I saw their final cutscene they’re so :(((( they didn’t deserve this. poor fuwa man im so sad I felt so so bad for her by the end

also their district was. oh my god it’s so eerie it made me so viscerally uncomfortable I was so on edge the entire time I was there… goddddd it’s so haunting holy shit the solarians are beyond doomed

I LOVE HOW THE PAVILLON REALLY BECOMES A HOME it’s so fun to see and I really love all the roomies<3 I wanna be friends with kuafu

ohhhhhhh shuanshuan totally reminds yi of heng huh…. ohhhhh that’s so tragic oh the tragic doomed siblings <//3 IT HURTS SO BAD THE LAST THING HE EVER SAID TO HER WAS SO HORRIBLE AND IYS JUST AUGHHHH,,,, HE NEVER EVEN GOT TO SEE HER AGAIN AFTER THAT,,, sorry im so incoherent I. They just make me so horrifically sad

OH OH this is the first game that made me say “what the fuck” out loud 10/10 lol (it was the guy you behead in the prison) AND SPEAKING OF THE PRISON god I felt so fucking bad for yi that entire section. the way he just falls pathetically if you try to dash oh my godddd :((

why did jiequan act so weirdly flirty towards yi. like huh is there something you wanna tell us dude (also side note: why do people ship them I would appreciate if someone explained bc I don’t get it at all HHHRHSHS or maybe it’s just because it’s not the type of ship that appeals to me at all,, hm)

JI IS SO FUCKING COOOOL HES DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVS;; suicidal immortal is such a tragically good character concept that should definitely be done more often I think (in fact, I want to make an oc like that) god I love him he’s so horribly tragic too EVERYONE IS SO TRAGIC and I really like how he’s so friendly towards yi it’s weirdly sweet… and his boss theme being named long awaited death AGHHHH……..

his zone makes me want to bash my head in tho. like genuinely I was ready to tear my hair out this game was made for smarter people I fear

oh and how I love yi’s character development so so much.. he went from straight up torturing the first sol he fought to really not wanting to fight them at all. even the fengs who he seemed really annoyed by,, he seemed genuinely sad by fuxi’s condition;; GAHHH morally grey character AND redemption arc this is the best of both worlds, he’s such a fascinating character I love him dearly <3

man I fucking hate eigong. imagine being the dumbass to literally doom your entire race bc you wanted to be immortal like 💀💀 girl……. also I know she gets Worse too so I wanna see what’s that about

I love yi did I mention I love yi he’s such a great character

ohhhhh that one sequence where you run across the invaded village to save the apemen and the MUSIC;;: one of my favourite sequences in the whole game man it was so goddamn cool

ok im all out of yapping now lol DO TALK TO ME IN THE COMMENTS IF YOUD LIKE ok goodbye 🫶🫶🫶

[iloveyakuza3]

If Kiwami 3 comes out, it will probably have an amazing gameplay, and everyone will be saying that it was all the game needed to become enjoyable, no more blockuza 3 !

Which is a shame imo, not liking a game for a bad gameplay is only logical but 1) there are so many other things to enjoy in this game and 2) yakuza 3 does NOT have a bad gameplay and I will die on this hill.

Its gameplay is just average yakuza level, not the best one but not the worst one (have you played kiwami 2 ?) and the block thing ? It does exist. In like, two fights, the first one being against Rikiya at the beginning of the game, the other being against Lau Ka Long far later. At least these are the only times I was bothered by the blocking during my entire playthrough.

Now, this is only my opinion, based on my gaming experience, which happened on a little laptop with a crappy gamepad. I was in normal difficulty, I am not a pro player, I got my ass kicked a lot of time but as I said, blocking has been a problem in only two fights ... heck I was more bothered by that when playing y4 and y5. But still nothing very noticeable, just your average yakuza first person fight.

So I've always been confused by the "blockuza 3" thing, that argument people are throwing to diss the game or even tell streamers not to play this one because it would be an awful experience ... I've seen people saying it was the worst yakuza game for this reason (again, have you played kiwami 2 ?) and I wonder if this is all genuine or if people were just convinced the game was gonna be bad they ended up having a bad experience after all. This really is the part that bothers me the most, did people really have the worst time of their life or do they just speak in hyperbole ? I really think the game suffers from a too harsh reputation based on flaws that aren't concrete enough to deserve that.

Other problems are pointed like the final boss being too hard to beat. I had no problem beating him, I even found it ... rather easy, but maybe I was overleveled at this point of the game, idk. Again, other games (like yakuza 4) have far worse final boss battles and I don't see as much hatred for the game as I see for y3 ...

Even people who like the game will diss the gameplay to push for kiwami 3, saying that a remake will save it. Which I guess is true, if people aren't willing to even try to have fun playing yakuza 3 then give them a remake with HD graphics and a fighting system made on a new engine, that will help.

I really hope Kiwami 3 won't suffer from the reputation of Y3 tho. I also know people are dissing the game for other reasons, I'll try to talk about that.

[dolphinavip]

Secrets- Chapter 1

Warnings: None

Pairing: lady Lesso x fem reader

Word count: 1732

Hello everyone! This is my first story and I hope you enjoy it!!

You had join the school for good and evil quite some time back yet not so long ago that most professors still considered you as new. You had began teaching only at the school for good for not too long before the two schools had merged together. Before the merge you didn't quite interact with your evil counterparts as much, only the quick glances during dinner, or in the corridors but after the merge meetings with the two sides were much more frequent.

Due to this a very unlikely friendship had sparked between you and the red head. It began with her looking at you during meeting yet ended up with late nights being spent in each others private chambers just chatting away or small walks around the gardens at night.

You sat in your office finally finishing up grading the last few papers. Long ago had night fallen yet there had been so much work to do that you didn't want to leave it till tomorrow. The clock finally struck 9 as you put away the last sheet of homework.

Dovey had asked you to discuss with Lesso about some lesson plans and her opinion about them yet you hadn't found time at all to visit Lesso. Glancing at the clock it wasn't too late and it wasn't going ti take long. Plus the lesson plan was for tomorrow and you didn't want to deal with an angry Lesso.

You knocked on the large oak doors of her office, with the light from the room peaking out. A audible groan came from the room before a voice came.

"Enter" she said sharply.

As you entered the room was in pristine condition, not what you had been expecting. Looking over at the Dean she was still busy at grading papers not even bothering to look up as you entered.

"Got lost Princess. Surely you need your beauty sleep?" She smirked briefly looking up from her papers amused at realising it was you at the door, putting down her guard.

You just scoffed making your way into her office "Dovey asked me to discuss the lesson plans with you"

"And can't you see I'm busy" she interrupted still refusing to look up as she carried writing away.

Mumbling something under your breath you stood up ready to leave which did catch Lesso's attention.

"Alright fine go on, don't go sulking" she glanced up gesturing back to the seat as she saw the annoyed look on your face.

After an hour or so of discussion a yawn escaped your lips.

"I think we should continue this in the morning" Lesso said abruptly as she looked towards the cloak, even she was exhausted from the long day.

As you got up a chess box caught your eye.

"You play chess?" You smiled raising an eyebrow.

"Have enough time to join me in one game?" She questioned, picking up the set "I think beating a princess would be quite enjoyable"

You scoffed "i want to see you try"

After a couple of games, Lesso groaned as you pushed her king from the board.

"And check again" you smiled winking as Lesso composed herself.

"That was just luck and it's just again" she acted as if she didn't care she had been beaten yet looked extremely annoyed.

"Well I should get going, it is extremely late and I do suppose you need to recover from loosing this many times" you smiled again as you began to leave the room.

"I-" Lesso began before backtracking in her thoughts.

"Hmm?" You questioned as she stopped in her thoughts.

"Nothing" she replied quickly returning to her cold demeanour and nodded as you began to leave the room. 

"Same time again tomorrow?" She asked more gently as you waved good night "of course" you smiled back closing the door behind.

Secretly Lesso enjoyed the late meetings at nights even the late night walks in the garden. Although it was always cold spending some time with you seemed to make up for it.

————

In the morning during breakfast you sat at your normal seat as Dovey and Emma sat beside you. Busy in their talks you noticed Lesso enter the room, her hair was more of a mess than usual and she looked like she hadn't got even an hour of sleep. Lesso couldn't hide her discomfort with her leg pain flaring up, her face contorting  in pain as she accidentally put too much pressure onto her leg. She looked up to meet your eyes which looked on with concern before quickly glancing away, returning to her cold demeanour.

Even her mood was as bad as you saw her growl towards some Nevers you came in her way pushing the roughly aside with her cane hitting them in the shin much to their displeasure. She glanced between you and the spare chair next to Dovey. Honestly she didn't want to put up with her smiles and rainbows but just wanted to sit down.

"You look even worse than normal Lesso" Emma smirked glancing over.

"Thank you for that Emma," Lesso scoffed rolling her eyes.

"You sure your okay?" Dovey asked gently clearly concerned for her counter part.

Lesso just nodded before a group of Evers had came and interrupted. Before you could even talk to Lesso classes had already begun so you had to make your way to your room.

———————

You hadn’t seen Lesso all day, she hadn’t shown up to any meeting throughout the day nor came to your office for your regular walks in the garden.

You looked at the clock as it ticked past 8 then 9. Lesso was meant to be here an hour ago and for her to be this late was unheard of.

You had checked her office first to see if she was there. Although she wasn't you were met with a huge mess with papers all scattered across her desk, with the pot of pens and pencils spilt next to the desk. The lamp beside her desk still switched on. The room was completely a mess, a total opposite of what I was like just the day before.

Quickly switching off the light you head towards her private chambers which happened to be on the other side of the campus much to your displeasure.

"Lesso?" You asked ear against the door as you knocked on it.

Your face scrunched as you received no response from inside. Knocking again you listened impatiently from any noise from inside the room.

A loud thump brought you from your thoughts as something hit the door with quite some force.

"Nora it's me" you said more gently slightly pushing the door open.

Even though you could only peek into the room the scene in front was even worse than her office. You pushed open the doors completely searching for Lesso in the room.

"I said go away" Lesso commanded turning her back to face away from you not allowing you to see in her in this state.

Only then did you see her sitting on the floor to the side of her bed, leaned up against the frame. Her cane which she had probably thrown at the door lay beside your feet.

"Lesso..." you said barely audible reaching down for the cane.

"I do not require anyone's help" she hissed as she saw you approaching navigating round the mess of her room.

Lesso sat up straight, quickly wiping any tears threatening to fall and got up from the floor.

You looked at the state of the dean. Never even once had you seen her such in a weakened state, always being used to the cold and distant behaviour. Lesso frowned at the sight of you having pity on her- The Dean of the school of Evil. Yet here she was.

"I said I don't need anyone's help, especially from an Ever like you" she hissed once again, a tone of anger hinting behind her voice as she stood sharply.

"But..." you began

"Leave me alone" she cut you off gesturing to the the door, yet she still refused to look at you.

You paused, unsure of what to do before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind.

[aquatark]

Can I ask your opinion on Endless Ocean Luminous?

Thanks for the ask anon! :D

I've been trying to get my thoughts on this game together into something that makes sense for a while now, but no better time than the present!

tldr: I seem to like it more than most people! I think this game is alright though it's still very flawed, and I'm still enjoying myself with it, but it seems very clearly rushed and it shows. I'm still very happy that the series has a third entry at all, and am looking forward to the future of the series after this game!

...okay, now I'm gonna aimlessly ramble for wayyy too long lmao (spoilers under the cut if you haven't played)

So, to get a few of my biggest gripes out of the way:

Having completed it... the plot is god awful (esp the ending, iykyk). I think I would have preferred having none at all, but Daniel is cool

The English voice of Sera isn't ideal, though this is an issue other languages (like Japanese, French) don't seem to have

The setting, character development, and lore is much more shallow, uninteresting, and poorly-explored through gameplay than any other diving game Arika has made, which is saying a lot bc EO1's plot was invented pretty close to release, and is known for also not being great

The game doesn't run as smoothly as I'd like. maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I remember a time when devs didn't feel like they could release their game if it crashes as often online as this game does

Some of this game's creature textures are far less polished than they ought to be for a Switch game. Surprisingly, most of the ones ported from Arika's defunct mobile fishing game are fine! It's stuff like the megamouth shark and bigfin reef squid that really stand out to me as sub-par

I'm not as bothered about this as some ppl seem to be, but I would have liked a little more customization freedom, ala EO2's suit cuts

Many creature descriptions are copied verbatim from EO2, which I really dislike. wasted a perfect opportunity to highlight different aspects of creatures, not rehash the same tired and basic facts

Though I love the concept of dynamic time of day underwater, it's executed very poorly imo. Could have done with some more fine-tuning (something that could be said abt... a lot of this game lol)

All of this however only detracts a little from my enjoyment of the game overall.

The fact that something like the story can be shipped in the final product with a dev team that shares many many people with the original EO games (seriously, compare the staff lists on the wiki, I genuinely teared up seeing so many familiar faces again)... suggests to me that this game was subjected to crazy time constraints, though I don't have any concrete proof. Nintendo has been known recently to be anti-crunch with some of its biggest IPs, so maybe an Arika problem? Regardless, this game shouldn't have released in the condition it's in, and definitely should not be the price it is.

I really don't like being too negative though, so I won't be! After all, and this may be controversial coming from an EO blog... but the various flaws of Arika's previous diving games made this not be the biggest surprise to me. I mean, I 100%ed EO1, including collecting every salvage and getting all gear/hairstyles! Do you have any idea how hellish that is? I eat slop for breakfast!!

I've still been playing a lot of this game with my dear friend MDB (us pictured below), and there are a lot of things I like about it!

I will, for example, drool all over this game's sound design till the day my son "dies" in a tragic submarine accident. Ayako Saso (main talent behind Everblue 1/2, EO1/2, and Luminous' original compositions and sound in general) knocked it out of the park as usual, with the menu sfx feeling really Everblue reminiscent in a way I adore, and the music easily being some of the best in the series. I know many fans are disappointed by there being no vocal tracks, but honestly? While I like the fact EO1 and 2 had them, they simply wouldn't have fit in this game. So I'm chill about it.

I think the random generation and focus on multiplayer are fun and fresh for the series! I have EO1 and 2 when I want polished singleplayer gameplay, and this game when I feel like something else. EO1 and 2's multiplayer objectively sucked, so it's a really interesting angle to take. The gameplay loop is entertaining enough for me - I like salvaging, scanning creatures, collecting tags, and hunting orbs, both in solo and shared dives. The framework is solid, but could use a little more meat.

The fact they were finally able to realize the "Ancient Sea" concept that had been thrown around during development since EO1 is lovely. Despite having been a dinosaur kid, I'm not really knowledgeable on any of the species depicted in-game, so their designs don't bother me... I'm just a sucker for human ruins overrun by prehistoric life!

Though there are some categories of sea creature that I'm a little sad not to see anymore, like seadragons, sea slugs, and many marine mammals... I don't mind this game's different roster. I like the creature variety, because imo, it would have been a little boring and predictable to have the roster just be every creature that was previously in EO, plus some new ones. This system avoids the kind of problem Pokémon games are currently having, where they have so many critters that they can't possibly put them all in one game, but fans are upset not to have the entire dex ported, y'know? It's like playing EO for the first time again!

I've seen several people theorize that the series was "intentionally sabotaged with a bad new game, so that they have an excuse not to make any more EO games", and... I mean... all I'll say about that is that there's no use killing something that's already dead lol. There'd been no games for over a decade, and very little demand for one - why would a game company looking to make money put so much effort and money into marketing, development, pre-order bonuses, and My Nintendo rewards in order to create hype for a game that's bad on purpose... when they could have kept the series dead for free? Nintendo clearly believe the concept of diving games has legs (or fins ig), with a staff team who love the ocean and dive irl, and are trying new things to see if it sticks better than the previous four games they've made, which collectively sold worse than Luminous did.

It may not all be great, or even good, but experimentation and trying unconventional things is what made EO such a special series in the first place baybee! We just remember the parts of it we liked, and forget the really dumb stuff. The EO team has never been perfect, and I can see their smudgy fingerprints all over this game... I mean, these are the same devs who didn't notice a crash so bad it had their game recalled, and repeatedly yoinked copyrighted material without permission to use in their games... but that's a long post for another day lol.

Soooo yeah! Those are some of my thoughts! Feel free to express your own thoughts on the game here - I'd be curious what other people think, and I'd be more than happy to answer more asks on specific elements of the game, or just getting me talkin' about this game, or any other game in the series for that matter! Any EO questions at all, ask away~!

Thanks for reading, hehe! >( ')

[umemiyan]

41. “I wanna fuck you right up against the window.” 117. "Suck on my fingers."

𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙐𝙈𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙀𝘿.

𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡 𝗝𝗔𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗫 𝗔𝗙𝗔𝗕!𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥. ⌇ 18+ only, mdni / sleazy roommate!eren / fingering / exhibitionism / unprotected sex / creampie / 1k words

tysm for sending these!! i took some liberties with the dialogue itself, but i think it's still pretty true to the prompts hehe. this is my first time writing for eren 😭 so don't judge me pls. i wanted to challenge myself just a little.

prompts from this list:

41. “I wanna fuck you right up against the window.” 117. "Suck on my fingers."

In retrospect, you now realize how ridiculous it had been of you to leave your bedroom with nothing on but a shirt and a pair of panties when you weren’t home alone, sneaking into the kitchen of your apartment to quickly snatch something out of the refrigerator. Eren had been occupying his usual spot on the couch in the living room, playing through one of his video games but diverting his attention long enough to watch very carefully as you made your half-naked appearance. He’d quirked a brow in silence before catching your attention, beckoning you to come closer to him so that you couldn’t retreat back to your room without at least acknowledging his presence (and giving him an opportunity to observe you just a little bit closer).

Other people’s roommates could be pains in the ass because they left dishes in the sink or forgot to clean up after themselves in the bathroom, but Eren Jaeger was a pain in the ass because he wanted to be knuckle-deep in your pussy every time he caught a whiff of the opportunity.

And that’s exactly how he has you now—back pressed against the cool glass of the living room window, panties pushed to the side and his fingers lazily pumping in and out of you as he breathes evenly against your neck. He acts as though this is just another casual moment in his day, but you can feel the way his cock hardens through his jeans as he presses up against you, leaving you with no means of escape even if you wanted to break free from his grasp.

“Thought you knew better than to come around me looking like that,” he mumbles in your ear, savoring the slick sounds of his fingers pushing into you over and over again, slowly but with a finesse that makes your knees wobble. “Makes me think you’re doing it on purpose.”

All you can do is whine in response as he licks and then bites a mark into your neck, sinking his teeth in like he’s taking his time devouring you.

“N-not on purpose,” you finally manage to stammer out, though you wonder if your negligence truly had been somewhat purposeful, at least subconsciously. The slick dripping onto his hand makes it difficult for you to try and deny your current state of enjoyment.

“You sure? Because I don’t believe you,” he states, bringing his green gaze back up to meet yours. “You wanna be seen so bad? I can fuck you right here, right up against this window.”

The darkness outside makes it easier for your two figures to been seen through the window, illuminated by the dim light of the room as he holds you up against the glass. The idea of it doesn’t strike you as entirely negative, so you bite your lip and challenge him with your eyes.

That singular look is all it takes for Eren to slide his fingers out of your cunt and hold them up to your mouth, commanding you to take them in between your lips. “Suck,” he orders calmly but with firmness, watching with hazy eyes as you do just that, licking your juices off his skin at an indulgent pace.

Once you’ve sucked him clean, Eren wastes no time in lifting your shirt up over your breasts and giving one of your nipples a harsh pinch before flipping you around, forcing your chest against the window and spreading your thighs apart so that he can see the arousal that drips down them.

“Fuuuck,” he drawls, and suddenly your ears are met with the sounds of his belt buckle and zipper coming undone, hot and heavy cock filling his palm once he pulls it out and starts dragging it along your slit. There’s no warning for when he decides to push himself inside, filling you up in a single stroke and leaving you gasping for air as he stretches you open for everyone to see.

He starts a selfish pace and revels in the sound of your pussy sucking him in, squeezing his cock and soaking it with every roll of his hips. One hand comes up to hold you by the shoulder while the other finds leverage on your hip, fingers digging into your skin as he takes you with infuriating ease.

“Pussy’s so good,” he praises and throws his head back with a groan. “Want everyone to know.”

You’re too dazed from the way he strokes your insides to notice if there’s anyone in your immediate field of view who might be able to catch a glimpse of your roommate staking his claim. As mortifying of an idea it might be at first, there’s also something deeply arousing about it that makes you have no quarrel with being fucked like this; plus, the building orgasm in your core feels too delicious for you to have much of an objection to anything at this point.

“Fuck, Eren…” you choke out and clench around him, palms pressed flat against the glass and breath causing it to fog. 

He speeds up at the indication of your pleasure, desperate to have you cumming around him and to feel his own high wash over him. “Cum on my cock; don’t be shy,” he says between grunts, filling you over and over again with his length until you’re nothing but a mess of unintelligible noises and tremors. You obey his command within seconds and clamp down as the pleasure pulses through you, crying out with eyes rolling back into your head at the overwhelming sensation.

Eren’s thrusts only grow quicker in pace as he draws closer to his own release, breaths bated and your moans filling the air until he finally bursts at the seams. You’re shivering your way down from your orgasm as he starts filling you with his own, warm spurts of white coating your walls as you rest brain-dead against the window. He pumps himself until every drop has been spilled inside you, not wasting the opportunity to make an even bigger mess of you than before.

You feel his lips graze against your neck and then upon the shell of your ear as both of your breaths start to become steady. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he says evenly before withdrawing himself, pulling your panties back into place before his cum gets a chance to leak out onto the floor.

[sillyromance]

🩹,💗,❗️?

Good day, dear anonymous!

🩹 - healing vore:

I think it's very interesting concept which has a kinda joint base with comfort vore but still stands out of other vore scenarios as a unique thing. There is a mix of two directly opposite actions: sending someone inside your stomach and... healing their wounds with this! Using such unusual combination, artists get an endless amount of angsty and comforting scenarios - and also a great push of their imagination limits: their characters can possess anatomical features no one ever thought of before. As for the action itself, it's just very good for a pred to know that they won't ever feel lost or helpless in case their prey friend get into trouble which can lead to the latter being badly injured. The prey feels safer too when knowing their big pal is around... Sensations are pretty enjoyable as well: the feeling of your ache being instantly eased by the miraculous liquids, combined with a soothing vibe of the cozy stomach massaging you is unspeakably beautiful...

So, I definitely love such way of healing!

💗- the most favourite trope:

Well... I suppose: a gentle pred/ a kind and submissive prey. If there are these two, I will love any scenario from safe to fatal. Although, there is one I love the most:

Safe vore/reformation:

A prey comes home after a really rough day; the pred sees it, however, their little friend doesn't admit it. Instead, they just head to their room and start working again - or go to the kitchen, seeking for something to eat... Meanwhile, they big partner watches them silently for some time. The pred hasn't dined yet. But they know perfectly what they want for a snack right now - so, the big guy grabs the shorter one in a nice, tight embrace, saying the prey they were going to dive right in without any delay. The latter tries to protest at first, but quite soon they submit to the gentle cooing and warmth of the pred's hug: the little one sleepily thanks their partner and, finally, gets swallowed up; settling in the warm belly, they gladly sense their sore body relaxing and their mind clearing as tender walls move around them, the gurgling mixing with the pred's calm breath and heartbeat and creating a comforting symphony of natural peace which helps the prey to doze off. The pred feeling good for their friend and for themselves smiles and rubs their visibly rounded stomach which is lovingly churning over its favourite meal...

❗- discovering vore:

I'd say it has been a long way. I remember when I was four me and my father often played a game: he was a monster and I was its prey who had to avoid being eaten. Of course, everything was just for fun: we messed around a lot, giggling and encouraging each other; he often wrapped himself up in a large blanked to seem bigger and "scarier" and then "attacked" me in the darkness with a "monstrous roar". Usually, everything ended up with him "devouring" me which he always loudly announced while I was still laughing after a great session of tickles. I think, that's how the fun began...

The older I got, the more I felt that something strange was going on with me. I was fascinated with snakes who could swallow their victims whole. Sometimes my grandma asked me to read aloud some fairytales - but if it was Red Riding hood, I couldn't help but lowered my voice as it was coming to the "tense part" because I felt quite uncomfortable about it. Especially, because I saw that exact scene in a way I wasn't able to really understand.

But all I knew was that I liked it. It was just... special.

There were other things too; but it is too much to tell. If shortly, there were thoughts. They came to me periodically; and when they did, I sank in them for an hour or two. Then I was trying to imagine myself as both a pred and a prey - and what it should feel like to be one or another.

Once I decided to search in the Internet for something that could satisfy my needs... And there it was. Vore.

I won't lie if I say that I was scared at first due to my mind, basically, connected vore with cannibalism (the mistake many people make when they come across it for the first time)... I literally suffered after I figured out it was I seeked for. Consequently, I tried to block this part of my nature by completely denying it. But things were getting only worse: I couldn't concentrate on my usual businesses, I felt terrible, I was reading and watching EVERYTHING vore-related, even if I didn't like it at all - but I just had to ease the painful pangs attacking my brain. So, after some time, I gave up. I thought it was the best option because that way at least I wouldn't go crazy about the things and I would be able to go around my day without uncontrollable "hunger" I had for vore. That's what saved me.

Slowly, I understood that I wasn't bad or weird. I was simply built like that - like many other nice people, and there was nothing in vore that would really mean harm to anyone. My mom who was aware about my problems supported me as much as she could - and she accepted my interests without any negative words about it. After giving myself freedom, I could study and filter the information I was consuming and, finally, I discovered what I TRULY liked. I calmed down at last. That's when the blog was started which turned out to be the finishing dot in the book of my struggles.

Now, I'm into vore from the bottom of my heart - and I'm not ashamed of that! As many say, it's OK to be different since there is no threat to others. Our features are what make us - us. It's the truth we should never forget about.

[nintando64]

Well come and well met, my Brave Little Spark

It's been a year to the day since I started my second attempt at playing Final Fantasy XIV (at least it was when I started writing this post). And I've... uhh...

Played it a little bit. And in that span of time, this girl has become such a big part of my life. So I wanted to talk a little bit about that journey and how Sophiane Dailemont became such a big part of my life. More assorted ramblings and screenshots below the cut (Contains Spoilers for the entire game, yee be warned). No tags for this one. This post is for me.

"Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll consider us square."

One thing I do when I play RPG's is create a character who is kinda like me, but never actually me. I put a little bit of myself into them, then I let the true personality of the character shine through as the game progresses. But I wasn't really doing that this second time around. This was a second attempt after all. I was mainly playing through the story again to refresh myself. So for most of ARR I was just kinda... playing the game.

And I still had a fabulous time. I am a certified ARR Enjoyer after all. While there are... one or two segments I still don't necessarily think belong like corrupted crystals I still think the rest is incredibly enjoyable. I think the introduction to the primals is great, I love the company of heroes section, and the raid on the waking sands is such a great "Welcome to Final Fantasy XIV" moment.

But once I got to the end of ARR, thats when her character started to take shape. And thats exactly when I game I was already sold on sunk its claws into me and would never let go. I decided to work my previous attempt into my headcanon for Sophiane, and have ARR be a shared journey between the two, and my other character (who I may write about in the future)... well, she's dead.

And the journey transformed into a journey of loss. Of moving on. Of figuring out how to build a life that's lived for yourself. And the story of FFXIV is very compliant to that kind of tale. A tale of loss, and of fire and faith.

But its not just a tale about grief and suffering. It's a tale about the bonds we form, about leaning on each other. Its not a tale where things magically get fixed, where we go from bad state to good state. And thats what I came to adore about the 2.X patch quests. Through all the intrigue, the politics, and the loss. It was where the theme of the bonds we share starting to take root. And also help me cement more of Sophiane's job identity.

Throughout ARR I had just kinda juggled jobs to keep things from getting overleveled (I started off on Materia and oh does the Road to 90 buff ever have hands). But having gone through the patch quests as a Paladin, it organically lead me to moving onto Dragoon for Heavensward. And what an amazing choice that was.

If ARR was where Sophiane started to take shape. Heavensward is where she truly came into her own as a character. This wasn't the tale of a brave hero. Of unflappable stoicism. But the journey of a scared and timid girl. Now aimless and afraid after having lost the beacon and guiding star of her life. The cheers and adulation of those around her ringing false in her own ears. Undeserved, unearned.

Which rang true to me. I myself struggle with imposter syndrome, and I guess that's the part of me that ended up being given to her. But what she does with it, the way her story evolves and grows shows just how rich and unique her struggles are. Watching someone learn the strength to stand back up on her own two feet.

It was around this time that I was filled with so much creativity. There was so much here to put to page. I used to write long ago, and this game filled me with the overwhelming urge to pick it back up. There were so many details here, ones that I knew at the time and ones that I would uncover later, that I needed to express. And it filled me with so much joy.

And as I detached myself from Sophiane and let her become herself even more, I got sucked into the game even harder. I began to plan and prepare how I would take on the MSQ. Making sure I got the experience right. Including letting her go where I never could.

A story of inadequacy, of guilt, of feeling lost without a guiding star and mentor. Its no surprise it led us to here. Seeking support, absolution. Wrestling with the darkness inside. Wrestling with the questions of whether or not she was a good person. It was these moments that really let her kindness shine through.

Throughout it all, Sophiane developed a shield of bravado. Physically stronger, but emotionally much weaker, this was the beginning of a destructive spiral. Sure she appeared much more cocky and self assured, but it was all a thin veneer. And I think Shadowbringers was the perfect expansion to field that.

Shadowbringers is many things, it is the single greatest standalone story in the series after all. But it is at its core a story about the connections we make. And I believe its these connections that make our Warriors of Light who they are. I know they made Sophiane who she is.

The care, the admiration, the concern showed by friends one and all. The desire to connect, to know and understand. It's a desire I can definitely relate to. Up until the end of Shadowbringers, I was on the Materia DC. I had decided to create a character there for all the benefits of course, but also as it was a place I could adventure on my own. But after Shadowbringers I... wanted to share this experience, and so I world transfered over to my friend on Gilgamesh. There, I was able to start talking to people, and made new friends. Joined new communities. And finally took the multiplayer part of this massively multiplayer online RPG seriously.

I got over my own sense of worries and anxieties around playing the game and just... played the game. Slowly but surely, of course. While it started as just being able to run DPS roulettes without anxiety, I have since started to work on my tank and healer anxieties, and they're going well! But back to Sophiane.

All the prep work I was putting into Sophiane. All the countless hours of side questing, of narrative creation, of ensuring I approached the MSQ just right, it was all for Endwalker. By now, Sophiane was... mostly okay, but still wrestled with survivors guilt. Dwelling on the loss of her friend, the very fact that I started this obsession with. And what a fitting expansion (I keep saying that), given the overwhelming number of callbacks to ARR.

While i've been writing a lot of information and facts and fleshing out her character, this scene was the first time I felt compelled to write a story with Sophiane. It was nothing more than a slight expansion of the scene, but it was the first time I let Sophiane speak. Endwalker, the expansion of Hear, Feel, Think was the expansion she got to finally express herself. My Sophiane master doc has 15k words and counting (and will never see the light of day).

And while ever since Heavensward I've basically made a tradition of being the trailer job for the expansion, this time, I chose to take on Endwalker as a Paladin for a different reason. It felt... right. After all she'd been through, it felt right to let Sophiane return to the role of valiant protector. Paladin has always felt like Sophiane's ARR class. As an Archer, and a Lancer, she felt... timid, unsure. It wasn't until she felt the security of steel and shield that she started to come into her own as an adventurer. Outside of pursuing the lance further in the Coerthas section, she was a Paladin, but cast it aside after The Parting Glass. So returning to Paladin was a card I was always saving for when the time felt right.

And right it felt. Endwalker soon got to work making me feel rewarded for all my effort, all my preparation. All my investment.

I felt rewarded for becoming so attached to Sophiane.

And Endwalkers themes felt perfect next to my own themes for Sophiane, as if the narrative had been tailor made to be perfect for just me. I wonder how many other people have shared that sensation.

And... everything came to a head at Ultima Thule. Sophiane's journey, my own journey, they were reaching the end. Finally grasping the weight of her presence and the impact she'd had on the lives of those around her, she finally got to stand tall, alone at the end of everything.

I was... consumed as soon as I headed to Ultima Thule. I would not, could not dare stop before I reached the end. And I am ever grateful I did. Ultima Thule is the pinnacle of any gaming experience I have ever had. Because I made it so. Because I role-played.

Which... leads me to the one instance where I broke from tradition, where I didn't use the trailer job for an expansion.

I imagine that smirk already tells anyone who recognises it what comes next, but... My one big criticism of Shadowbringers is Ran'jit. While his place as Thancred's antagonist is was well done and the Thancred solo instance was one of the great solo instances, Ran'jit always felt hollow in opposition to Sophiane. Forced, contrived. As we returned to the source and were confronted by Fandaniel, who revealed that Zenos had a hard-n for a rematch, it clicked.

Zenos was right back in Stormblood. He and Sophiane are birds of a feather, two sides of the same coin. Through all the anxiety, the suffering, the thing that kept Sophiane getting back on her feet was the thrill of battle. And after a healthy dose of Trauma and some good friends, she was finally able to actually think about that and understand that.

And as she did, once she knew that Zenos had become a reaper, Sophiane screamed at me to let her become one as well. She wanted the rematch to be on equal terms. To bring her all to bear against him. And while I loathe edgy classes (the reaper role quests did make me roll my eyes a couple of times) I pushed through it and let her be a reaper.

And oh how WORTH IT it was. The GOAT solo instance. The reward for a long and worthwhile journey.

at 4:38am one May morning, I finished 6.0. And FFXIV cemented itself as my forever game. But, so close to Dawntrail, the grind didn't stop, I had so much preparation to do for my first expansion. The cycle continued once more.

Once Dawntrail arrived, I just... let myself enjoy it. I knew Sophiane extremely well, and I trusted in my own ability to have fun and...

We had an absolute blast together. And a year later, I wouldn't give her up for the world. Happy Birthday Sophiane. I wonder where we'll be in a year.

How long you've wandered, burned bright as a star.

[scarred-but-still-smiling]

Last play session, I made a good bit of progress and got some Important Lore™,, finishing up about halfway through the Eldin region rift quest. Here's my thoughts on All That.

Ngl I fully expected Hyrule Castle to be the final dungeon, it often is, but damn I was surprised

Really enjoyed it though!

The first stealth section took me about half a dozen tries to get past but it was still a whole bunch of fun

The second one was much shorter, so a lot easier, but still enjoyable

Love me a good "hidden passage under the throne" dealio

The boss was great too! I've always wanted to play a good ol' game of Dead Man's Volley!

It took me a couple tries, naturally, but hot damn I enjoyed it

Okay so this is when The Lore happens and it seems like the triforce doesn't exist in this cycle, or at least it's not Called That

Like, again, I'm really just a bit over halfway thru the game, so maybe things get revealed later, but this is really interesting to me

The only way I can see this fitting into the existing Zelda timeline is if it's far enough in the future, after such a long period of peace, that the triforce has been all but forgotten?

The specific design of the travel clothes is very familiar though, I think it's based on lttp Zelda? Am I remembering that right?

So it turns out the white horse at the stables was not, in fact, Link's

Fuck man I love this game's art style so much it's so charming

I love how people react now when I do sidequests for them

It makes sense though, like, you're just minding your own business and then suddenly the Actual Princess Of Hyrule, daughter of The Actual King just wanders up to you and asks you what's up

And so you tell her bc she's The Princess so you do what she asks of you, that's how it works, but you don't expect anything from it

Then like a little while later, The Princess comes back to you and informs you that, remember that thing you were worried about? She's taken care of it for you

Like it's no big deal

Like she's not the heir to the throne helping out some random guy find his cat who decided to disappear on him

Anyway the Gorons are so fucking adorable in this art style

Also the new chief whose name escapes me atm is very sweet and also a mood

I'm so mad that ppl seem to be so hard on him, especially himself

Like, no duh he's stressed and frazzled about being the new chief; he got the job, like, what? Last week?

Also his dad just died, he's still mourning, cut him some slack

Like bro no one is super amazing at a leadership position in their first week, it's totally fine you just need time to get into the swing of things

Actually, backtracking to the castle dungeon, the fucking. Cloud with arms that smashed thru fighting Link was. Unexpected.

Like I selected the option to go back to the overworld and turned to check the charging progress on my phone during the cutscene that's always been the exact same when suddenly That's New

My first reaction to him getting crystal'd was "now you know how it feels" like that made any kinda sense

Anyways, imma get a few hours in before I have a late dinner and go to bed