#he’s whining about it constantly

[petrichorium]

Jing Yuan is devastated that I can’t bite him while I’m healing btw. If u even care

[epickiya722]

What's so funny about seeing interpretations, over the years, of Midoriya being jealous that Bakugou is friends with other people in their class is that in canon, Midoriya easily made friends himself and barely batted a lash at Bakugou making friends. In fact, he was more likeable because at a time, the class didn't like Bakugou like that. In the beginning, Midoriya was freaking out that the class was actually talking crap about Bakugou because he wasn't used to that from others (as the school they went to, people would flock around Bakugou).

Like, maybe it's just me, but Midoriya being jealous like that just feels like it came out of nowhere for me. Like, the moment Kirishima even came into the picture, Midoriya already had him his trio with Iida and Uraraka.

[rickybaby]

Nate on the ESPN Unlapped podcast: “He’s got that goal, he’s got that hunger back. He’s back in a team that ultimately he feels that is home for him. You know, we talk about Charles and how close he feels to Ferrari and Lewis with Mercedes. I think for Ricciardo, it’s the same with Red Bull. He feels that’s his home.”

[theoryofwhatnow]

if i had it my way, the only thing i would ever draw is alex and nigel cuddling

[centaurianthropology]

Why Spenser Starke is a Fantastic Horror GM (and the Core Fantasy in Candela Obscura)

So, I have seen some rancid takes about Spenser Starke online. Less so on this webbed site, largely because people around here are not in a pissing contest to prove who’s the most cynical, superior, and dickish. But there have still been some mind-blowing ones, from “he says UM too much” (guess who else does that? Brennan, but I don’t see these people criticizing him), or “he describes scenes like shots in a movie and that’s BAD WRONG” (while you might not stylistically enjoy it, I for one adore seeing a new interpretation of how to narrate while GMing, and think he’s doing great).

But the two that rub me the wrong way most are that he “controls the narrative too tightly” and doesn’t allow the characters to meander too long before throwing them back into the narrative, and that he’s “too harsh” in that even mixed successes tend to net characters damage of some sort. I saw accusations of “GM vs Player” mentality, but everyone was clearly enjoying themselves and the experience.

And that, I think, highlights the fundamental disconnect between these complainers and what’s actually happening on the screen: they don’t understand the core experience.

They have likely never played horror TTRPGs. They may have never played TTRPGs period, and instead are armchair DMs based purely on how Matt and Brennan DM, not really understanding that there are a thousand other ways to DM. But if they have played TTRPGs, I would guess that they’ve exclusively played D&D or its ilk. And I say that because there’s a very clear belief here that empowerment and ‘winning the game’, as well as wandering about freely to create your own narrative at your own pace are all fundamental parts of the TTRPG experience as a whole. But they aren’t. They’re fundamental to D&D, yes, but this is not what players come to a game like Candela Obscura for.

Each TTRPG has a central fantasy playing out. In D&D it’s heroic empowerment. D&D is mechanically built around getting more and more power and eventually defeating the big bad. A good GM in D&D, like Matt Mercer, focuses on giving out challenges, but always helping their players strive to overcome and grow and become better. This self-actualization is at the heart of the experience.

Horror games are not about that at all. The closest to that fantasy is something like ‘Vampire the Masqerade’ or other World of Darkness games, which do feature power growth, but the core fantasy is actually about learning that you are a monster. And embracing power will lead to even greater monstrousness. The horror in games like this is both political and personal, and the system is mechanically built to accommodate that horror.

And if you watch LA by Night or NY by Night, you’ll actually see that Jason Carl employs a fairly similar narrative tightness to his storytelling as that of Spenser Starke. Because a huge part of horror is about establishing and maintaining a mood. To do that, a DM has to keep a tighter rein on pacing, cutting from scene to scene and moment to moment in a way that is more directed than in D&D, because that helps establish and maintain the vibe being created.

Candela Obscura plays, thematically, a lot like one of my favorite games to run: ‘Call of Cthulhu’. CoC is a game all about disempowerment. The power differential between the players and the monsters is vast. Combat is vicious, short, and deadly, and direct combat almost always ends badly for an investigator. There is an entire chapter devoted to running away for a reason.

Both CoC and Candela are built on danger, vulnerability, and a constant sense of tension. And Spenser is fantastic at all of these. He keeps his narrative laser focused, moving between moments rapid-fire to keep up that tension, and to introduce new dangers. He is a ‘vicious’ DM only in so much as even mixed successes hurt. But this also keeps the tension up by keeping the characters and players on the edges of their seats. They are almost never safe. They are almost never well. They are constantly juggling dwindling resources. They are underpowered, vulnerable, and afraid.

And that’s the core fantasy here: exploring fear in a safe way. Being stressed out in a way you can leave behind as soon as the scene is done. Constantly living on the edge, fighting the odds, and knowing that you likely won’t succeed or will only do so at great cost. And he is masterfully keeping that intensity running through each session.

He gives characters time to talk about themselves, time for scenes to play out, until he feels the tension begin to flag, and then he pushes on. He never lets the air go entirely out of the narrative sails. He has a great sense of when a character needs a moment (his use of the red PTSD lighting exemplifies how closely he’s paying attention to his players and adjusting the setting to fit their moods). He sometimes pushes on, gets pushback from a player who wants another beat, and is always happy to give that to them. He keeps the pace up, but is always very careful to make sure his players have what they need to still enjoy this particular experience.

All this is to say that Spenser is absolutely killing it at being an exemplary horror GM. His sense of pacing and tension, his ability to direct action while still always embracing player autonomy, and using the mechanics of the system to never allow them to feel entirely safe are all great tools in a horror GM’s toolkit.

Horror games are not for everyone. Certainly there are plenty of people who only ever want the hero fantasy of D&D, but I think it’s important to recognize what the goal of a game is, and what constitutes success within those parameters, rather than parameters that only exist in an audience member’s mind, because they don’t really get how horror games work.

[wolfertinger]

Can you explain the misuse of funds a bit more? I thought he's using the money to escape from his abusive household but if what you said is true then god that's scumbag behavior

this is word of mouth so it should be taken with a mine of salt.

"

anon for safety, cannot provide ss sadly but salem used his kofi money to buy a dildo. plus hes asking about fursuit shit while apparently needing all the money to escape home or whatever. fucking liar

"

i can comment to remembering in the past when puppy would e beg, such as claiming their mother would throw them out when they reached 18 only for them to become 18 and nothing happened. several times i remember them begging for money to eat. then posting massive amounts of mcdonalds (this was the context around the infamous pups gotta eat post. just to give you an idea of the amount of food bought). salem has never had to truly mature so it is not at all a stretch to say he has no money management skills.

[eomma-jpeg]

hmmmmmmmmm

I think.... I've decided that Milly likes when her romantic partners make noise. Like I think she loves to know that they're enjoying themselves and so its Milly's whole goal to make them be as loud as possible with lil whimpers and moans. She demands that they be louder, stop holding back bc that's what she wants ! She wants to know they're having a good time !!!!!

[diskusaurus]

My biggest issue in Epic the Musical is Odysseus, actually. In this essay, I will....

[merakiui]

The horror movie vibes from your last Jade thought… shivers. Like, I know a lot of your work is unsettling, but this one really takes the cake in how much it bothered me (in a good way!). It’s totally in character for Floyd to forget and for Jade to play along, but my gosh, poor reader is gonna have trust issues for the rest of their life, haha.

I have to ask, though, what does Floyd do when he comes back and finds the apartment empty? Is he curious and ask Jade? Or does he shrug it off and assume that the reader knows that the Leeches are well taken care of and can pay for the lease?

I know you’ve talked about Floyd coming for reader’s rescue or at the very least going again Jade in the Sk! Jade series, but would he do the same for this recent thought?

I always love reading your yandere stuff and coming to the conclusion that as usual, Floyd is actually the most sane in thr group.

Aaaa I'm so happy to hear that it was unsettling to read! I think Jade works really well in eerie plots. I have so many concepts for him: snowed in at a cabin in the mountains with an attractive stranger (Jade), falling down a steep slope in the forest and breaking your arm or leg, so you have to rely on Jade to help you (but his intentions are not so nice), mafia bosses Jade (and Floyd) subtly harassing the poor maid at the maid café they like to visit in the daytime (imagine trying to draw a cute cat on his omurice and your hands are shaking because he's so scary. T_T), etc etc!! Many ideas for Mr. Jade. <3

Knowing Floyd, he probably wouldn't think anything's immediately wrong. Since the semester has ended and his study abroad has wrapped up, it makes sense that you might have moved out or left for the extended break. Floyd probably asks Jade if everything worked out with him and you, and Jade smiles serenely and tells him that the two of you got along swimmingly. Floyd's happy to hear that. It wouldn't be very fun if his brother couldn't enjoy his time at the apartment if he didn't get along with you. He probably shrugs it off and leaves it at that. No use dwelling on something that's no longer important. Floyd is too carefree sometimes. ;;;

I think it depends on how close you are with Floyd in this concept. On one hand, this is his brother, who he's known since birth, and you're just...you. He's only known you for a year, maybe two, or maybe even less. If Jade's happy with you, then Floyd doesn't want to ruin that. Besides, kidnappings don't really faze him. The family business is not exactly the sweetest or most legal thing in the world, so he's probably been exposed to lots of bad things and has just become desensitized. Knowing Jade, he's probably taking really good care of you, both with his own funds and their family's money (which is quite the large fortune). Floyd knows Jade will take good care of the things that are his, so it's not like you're living starved and naked (though knowing Jade, that could be a punishment. orz).

I also think Floyd's views of love and affection are more rooted in his upbringing. He doesn't love like humans do. He loves like an eel merman would because that's how he was raised. He knows more about the way of life in the ocean than he does humanity, so sometimes love is a little more aggressive under the sea. But that's just his normal! All merfolk are a little predatory; they're natural-born hunters, after all. And sometimes love is scarce in the sea. Some merfolk won't ever find love or reproduce, so it's important that they find someone they can cherish forever. Floyd won't take that away from Jade, but if he likes you as well he'll definitely want to share.

[puzzlekinq]

cant sleep because im seething with anger

[golohours]

do we have an actual new example of what they've supposedly said, or are we still on vague "they were mean!" shit?

still vague shit as far as i’m aware unless we’re counting sniff’s “he told me to take a joke 😣” bs

[bloodwards]

when you have an incredibly stressful d&d session and come away from it frustrated and dreading the next one and two days later your DM has a Talk with you about you playing or not playing your character a certain way ✌

[kakusu-shipping]

I would show up to work with a mask on and wave Koro-Sensei's concern off that it's just a little cold it'll pass I'm fine to work I'll take it easy and he'd dote all over me and take anything I even attempt to work on from me and mach speed finish it so he could ask me if he could get me anything and offer me hot soup and tea and a back massage

But if I stayed home for 2 days or more he'd show up at my door whining and crying about how much he missed me and how worried everyone was (they're not, it's just him) and how I absolutely have to come to school tomorrow no matter what

And then I'd show up in a mask the next day and scenario 1 would play out the exact same way.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

we all clear on that point now? yeah? yeah??? good.

[glass-trash-bab]

I'm livid today and I don't know why

[petrichorium]

There's a theory that Mimi/Snow Lion and Snow Moon is the same lion, and that Qingzu was the one renaming it (basically taking two characters from the original name and combining them - the character for moon is part of 'Wave-Treading') which means that Snow Moon/Snow Lion/Mimi is dead. This theory is supported by Jing Yuan's English voice actor, but I assume he's under an NDA until the second part of the Luofu story is released, so I'm not sure I trust what he says. HOWEVER, since there's a lion being present in a lot of JY's official art, I cannot fathom that he hasn't gotten a second (or third or whatever number we're up to) lion. He may have preferred smaller pets originally, but I'm sure Mimi changed that. also, fun fact, from what I gather, 'Mimi' is the Chinese equivalent of 'pspsps'. He really is bad at naming things

YEAH okay yeah that’s what it seemed like to me wrt mimi/snow lion/snow moon. I guess we just have to wait to figure out more >:( like every other story aspect I’m chomping at the bit to know more about >:(((((

I think it could go either way wrt mimi being the only one or him getting more after!!! Selfishly I just want there to be ambiguous ones that could be female bc. I am simply a sucker for men who dote on their female pets 💔 but tbh I can work the idea I have w mimi if I need to