#i am v late to the all for the game trilogy

[aandrewscotts]

seblaine fandom you would love andriel

[katyspersonal]

Can you make headcanons you have about Gundyr aka belated champion 🥺

Mine has always been how yknow, his prisoner chain is the ring of the embedded, and it says how the people wearing it become slaves of their own pleasure

So i think damn that man is freaky

Also the theory that ocelot= gundyr (ocelot was bred into being a champion, and gundyr's pus of man is also different from the others we see in game) just implies that gundyr is so ugly without his helm it made Gwynevere leave 🚬

Hey! Yeah I must admit that my Dark Souls loredigging is still a work in progress, especially considering in how many ways to connect the dots it offers! With ER and BB I always found a "more apparent" way to answer a lore question quickly, but as for DS trilogy I am soooo lost in opportunities fhhddffd So take most DS things I suggest as a 'draft'!

As for the chain detail: really good eye! It IS the same item!!!

You can certainly tell that it had some context change by the DS3 time! But I really think that using basically the same item is not coincidental! So think of this: why would those weak ass pathetic chains, with the links apparently small enough to be used as rings, hold back THIS guy? He is so huge and strong, so would not he be able to break them easily?

So the thing is.. he did. But it was a bit too late. In DS2 version this kind of chain did have connotation with "pleasure", or "temptations of flesh" like it was put in Key to the Embedded description, but it can mean variety of things. In the end, holding Gundyr back with this kind of chains likely made him not want to proceed with his duty (or what he believed it was, but I'll get to that later)! It was mental restrain more than physical making him limp, like being drunk, or a dream so comfortable and happy that you don't want to wake up from it. He broke them when he was able to overcome whatever brain fog and "temptation to stay" they inflicted on him. It was a willpower effort that he was eventually able to recollect, because from physical standpoint, again, these chains were nothing. Still very commendable that he broke through their effect; I think it is rare that anyone is able to do this!

Japanese original also says 古い王, so, ancient or old king more specifically! This is to nitpick that the emphasis here should be placed on how the mentioned king was relevant long time ago, rather than 'he was a king but not anymore'! It is about time passage. As for the helmet itself, I think it is the same as Marais Mask in ER: it depicts Gundyr's royal ancestor, not himself! As for why Gundyr was not included in my and @val-of-the-north's draft of the royal family across the games then....

BEFORE I CONTINUE My current idea is that he is not Ocelotte, but in fact, likely older than the twin princes! He might have been a generation older, or a collateral relative to the three children of Queen of Lothric! Also, without going on a tangent I want to specify that for now I do not think that Queen of Lothric IS Gwynevere! Gwynevere is mentioned in description in DS3 and mentioned by Yorshka, so refusal to namedrop her would be odd since her name is certainly not obscured! As for Queen of Lothric being connected with Gwynevere's item, same can be told about Rosaria who is not Gwynevere being connected with Gwynevere's miracles! Basically, I think Rosaria and Queen of Lothric are just descendants of Gwynevere! I am yet to decide the exact specifics but yeah.. Guess I have to write a whole character my darn self, but I don't mind fsdhfdh

That being said, I am not opposed to the idea that Gundyr might be 'hideous' under his helmet xD Whether it is result of corruption or just how he is! All appearances are valid! Just that it would be something special for him, not connection to Ocelotte 🤔

I am trying to double-check through Japanese script, and it seems to be more directly stated as 'the lenght/eternity of his mission was probably decided on from the beginning'! () (Tbh Japanese script being less vague IS the reason I can't loredig without these anymore) But regardless, yeah, I think whoever sent Gundyr to link the flame was setting him for the failure and a role of the judge! My current idea about it is that it was his own family that done him so dirty!

I think them being the variants of one another is not coincidental! Before Lords of Cinder, the method to link the fire was to nurture some randos into becoming strong champions, but it probably proven being ineffective! Heck, the Unkindled are those who failed to link the fire! They switched to "find some really powerful guys and burn them", but as they started to shy away from their duties (Melina shames Lothric for skill issue in the distance fdhfhds), the old practice with firekeepers and leveling-up randos became relevant again!

It was someone from the royal family. I consider maybe Queen of Lothric herself! She was like, 'hey Gundyr good news, Lothric refused to link the fire so now YOU can save the world :))))) HAHA TROLLED YOU LOOSER YOU ARE ACTUALLY NOW THE STEPPING STONE TO RESTARTING CHOSEN UNDEADS THING LMAO' ....okay I am trivializing hhfdsd But basically deceiving him, chaining him, letting him see the result of "his" failure and being stuck in the timeless dark until he is defeated for the first time was the plan to shape him into everything any "worthy" Unkindled would face and have to overcome! I have not decided if they really hated Gundyr so much they decided to throw him away like that or they saw his outstanding personality qualities and believed only he could do something so important out of twisted 'love'. That they chose him BECAUSE only he was in their eyes good enough to overcome all those traumas and become a perfect test. Leaning more towards the latter...

Okay, and I think not only he was deceived in this shit machiavellian way, but also someone else! Someone likely from within their walls too!

Not only Shrine Handmaid is strangely the only NPC still present in the 'dark' Firelink Shrine instead of being replaced by like, corresponding item, and not only she weirdly looks same as retired Firekeepers from Dark Souls 2 (!!!).. but ALSO she is notably blinded, whereas blinding the Firekeepers specifically became a thing in Dark Souls 3 time (!!!!!)

AND she strangely drops this item:

I think it is safe to assume that she is the person tasked to be a Firekeeper that never met her champion! Needless to mention that it is, after all, FROM Lothric Castle HOW you access the Untended Graves! Yes, what they promised to Gundyr was being a Lord of Cinder, not the leveled-up "chosen undead", so her own tragedy is connected with the state of 'dark' Firelink Shrine. And maybe with us the player. Gundyr went from Champion to Iudex after being bested "by an unknown warrior" and since WE fight him outside of time as a Champion, it is probably us who set him on this path. Same as how in Dark Souls 1's DLC area WE are the one who sealed the Abyss in the past. When it is not us, metanarratively, it is any other player xd

So yeah, the two characters are not connected as Firekeeper and the "chosen" warrior because it was simply not what was promised to Gundyr, but they are connected as part of the same plan to restart the old practice after the authorities took collective L with Lords of Cinder idea! (Though if Gundyr himself is of royal blood, it is a cute idea that maybe Handmaid was Gundyr's wet nurse in the past.. ;-; )

_________________

So yeah, it is less headcanons post and more pinning down my interpretation post! I am very bad with headcanons actually as I don't have imagination hshdsd If I forgot something I want to hear it, like I said there is too much Soulsborne information and my brain is starting to fall apart from it! But yeah, I think Gundyr was a person of many virtues from the beginning, and unfortunately he was just good enough to be used like this. (also cunning Queen of Lothric character ftw lol)

[amplifyme]

@randomfoggytiger

You wrote about What Rough Beast:

CATHY FINALLY WONDERED IF SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE AND FATHER DIDN'T ANSWER.

Right?? Finally, a breakthrough! You really should take a moment to read the script for this episode, as there's more to that scene than what ended up on the screen. Let me know if you need the link to the scripts again. I think in some ways Father was as willfully blind as Cathy when it came to the toll the killings were taking on Vincent. But then, to be fair, Vincent himself shoulders some of the blame for that. Which is part of the reason I so love the thread that Nan weaves throughout BW,BS of Vincent trying to figure out a way to address the issue with Cathy and backing off until it's too late to stop the freight train that was heading straight for him.

More under the cut.

Listening to the music Below is back.

Oh, Vincent, don't you know? Ignorance isn't bliss. He was thinking, "Nope. Not going to think about what's already gone wrong and what's still to come. Let's just take in a concert and forget all about it." I love how Nan expanded on this scene and how Cathy falls apart and Vincent gets grabby in his despair. He wants her so badly.

And, of course, Elliot's back; both in person and in impersonation.

Ah, Elliot. Vincent's rival for Cathy's affections. I can clearly remember watching this episode the first time it aired and being so upset that Elliot was doing this to Cathy, and to Vincent. We didn't have spoilers floating around on the internet back then - we barely had the www. We had no idea what was going on. I don't think I realized it wasn't Elliot in that penthouse until Paracelsus lit up the cigarette. Mind blown.

Vincent and Father's conversation about what Vincent is (and Father's uncertainty here is juxtaposed perfectly to "his" unabashed certainty in a certain climactic moment in the next episode) and setting up his "educated the man" for the finale when they discussed how books were all that kept Vincent from falling off the ledge all those years ago. "Father, I cannot control my thoughts. Father, I'm afraid"-- powerful stuff.

The "Am I a man?" scene is one of my very favorites of the entire series. Perlman was at the top of his game in the trilogy. Not a mis-step anywhere.

Cathy believes Elliot is in the wrong the ONE TIME that he's in the clear (and her "we are beyond" statement-- including herself in the "otherness" that is Vincent-- is touching and disjointed, because she has only ever embraced the parts of him that are "human"... which she says as much in the finale to Peter after the blood analysis.)

Yep. Nothing to add here.

Spirko having the gall to still publish his evidence after Vincent spared him from death and Cathy tried to reason with him (also... JUST SWIPE HIS EVIDENCE AWAY BEFORE HE CAN LEAVE. I understand Vincent was too wiped, but I'm sure he could summon something up or Cathy could put up more resistance.)

But it's like Spirko said: it's not personal, it's news. I may not agree with his methods, but you don't get anywhere as a print reporter unless you're tenacious and maybe a little amoral. But I did enjoy seeing him get the crap scared out of him.

Honestly, I think Cathy figured Vincent wouldn't let Spirko out of there alive, and when V just walked away, the shock of it hit her so hard that she wasn't thinking clearly - or at all.

Cathy choosing to say goodbye rather than fighting for their romance is... huge and frustrating and makes me look even more forward to Diana in S3.

Yeah, had it been me, I would've gone Below with V no matter how much he protested. At that point she had nothing more to lose. Did they both think she'd just be able to carry on her life Above as though nothing had happened? They knew events had been set in motion that they couldn't duck for long. But, then again, if she'd gone Below then, we wouldn't have gotten the rest of the story, right? 😉

Vincent staring into the abyss in his dark room is FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORESHADOOOOOOOOOOWING, and a great eerie cap to this episode.

Did you notice the way he was trembling in that final shot? His whole body was just vibrating.

Okay, on to my favorite episode of the trilogy.

[rayne-the-neutrois-nerd]

12, 16, 18 for the ask game!

love the gerard headerbtw!!!

Sorry omfg I zoned out, I stared at my fuckin wall for like an hour and didn't even realize;; also thanks!! I saw that pic and went ah fuck... i wanna be that... gonna make that my header. I was gonna have it be the Unkillable drum head but it wouldn't fit right;;

12) Your favorite music genres?

Rock is definitely my #1, but I literally am willing to try anything out. I typically only listen to really upbeat or like, energetic music? Basically not like, slow sad or really sappy ballads, even if I like the song. The slow tempos sometimes bum me out. As long as its fun, I'll probably like it! But I grew up with classic rock, so thats always gonna be a fave.

16) Do you have any tattoos? If not, would you like to?

I don't because well, 1) they cost money, 2) I'm terrified of needles being anywhere near me (minus sewing needles... like needles specifically made to go into skin, those I hate)

But I do have ideas I'd love to get if I can muster the courage! This is gonna be a bit long, buckle in.

The first I would want is one that combines all the enemy emblems from the Kingdom Hearts series (not 100% sure how to design it but I just want a KH related tattoo, it's been in my life since I was 3). Emblems for reference:

The next is for Jonghyun, I want to get his name tattooed behind my ear, where he had one for his She Is album, except maybe on the other side and with a moon motif with it. Also it'd be the Korean spelling and in the She Is font. (This is the album cover, sorry its small)

And tbfh the most recent one is Franks "Unkillable". This one may phase out, idk, I've had a few tattoo ideas that have because I was just super fixated on a thing, but just... it's powerful man.

Oh and maybe some tarot card thing. Maybe a Page of Swords since I consider that my significator card.

18) Do you like reading? If yes, what's your favorite book?

Ofc I love reading, I want to be a fulltime author someday, reading kinda comes with the job! But even as a kid I was a big reader. Lately it's been... tough? I've read more than I have in years though.

Uuuuh I dunno what I'd say my favorite book is... But I can give some recent favorites! I finished the The Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos recently and I thought it was so good! Also the A Darker Shade Of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab was very good! I also read another book by her, Vicious, super quickly, it was like, villainy and best friends turned rivals and like macabre x-men and ofc found family and it was AMAZING! I own the new sequel, Vengeful, but haven't gotten to it yet;;

My to read list is so fucking long, but instead of reading physical books I keep reading fanfics that are novel length... whoops...

Also my current read is Fellowship Of The Ring. I told my bff Holly that I'd finally get to reading it bc LOTR is probably her favorite thing ever.

[foxfren]

"ask me about books" okay let's do this cause I'm curious and also bored (cause everybody is ignoring me irl *sad lol*) (also my apologies for any mistakes in English, not my first language and I'm too tired to check if everything is correct)

-Fav book?

-Worst book?

-Is there any book you have read, at any point in your life, that you're embarrassed about reading?

-Do you remember if you liked any book while you were a kid? Did you have a favorite one?

-Is there any trope/s you wish you could delete forever from existence?

-Do you read books in another language?

-Fav duology, trilogy, series, saga?

-What's your fav genre of books?

-Have you read a book so good you will die on the hill that everybody should read it and there should be a movie?

-Is there anything specific that a book has to have to make it your fav (like a city, a scene, a line)?

-Did you ever have a dream or nightmare that you wish you could write it down and make it a book?

-Do you read fanfics? If so what's your fav and your least fav?

I think those are all I could think of rn. Have a good day and night 💖💖

Hiya! Sorry for the late response, I’ve found myself incredibly busy these past few days (all is well though. Thank you for the ask!! :D

1. Favorite books:

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K. J. Charles

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

2. Least favorite books:

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

3. The only book I’ve been hesitant to talk about with friends is Lapvona, as it was senselessly horrific (which is also the reason I despise Lapvona). The only other time I see myself being embarrassed about books, is when I haven’t read the books everyone else seems to (e.g. I’ve never read the Hunger Games or Percy Jackson series, and am only starting to catch up now).

4. Growing up I really liked:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Last Dogs series by Christopher Holt

The Pigeon series by Mo Willems

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfisher

5. Book tropes (derogatory)*:

Miscommunication (when done only for drama)

Surprise pregnancy

Tall, dark, mysterious/murderous love interest that hates (secretly loves) the mc

Bullies to lovers

*I don’t wish for them to be 100% deleted, but I will personally be avoiding these like the plague

6. I typically read books in English, but I have a few I own in Brazilian Portuguese. I’ve read short stories in French, but not any recently. I’m currently learning Spanish and German, so I have a few books I want to read to practice :)

7. Really good series I haven’t finished yet:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

All of Us Villains duology by Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman

Villains series by V. E. Schwab

Guides for Dating Vampires series by D. N. Bryn

Renegades series by Marissa Meyer

All for the Game series by Nora Sakavic (I’ve read the trilogy but she’s coming out with a fourth book in the same universe, so I’m including this here)

8. Favorite genres:

Fantasy or sci-fi (with lots of subplots) when I have the time to emotionally invest myself in the book

Romance if I need a palate cleanse

Contemporary (audiobooks specifically) if I want to passively listen while I work

Speculative fiction (but like, there’s a specific one I don’t know the name to. When the story is written like it’s an academic paper but it’s about something fantastical like dragons or events that never took place). Speculative fiction in general also though, when I’m feeling like having a little treat :3

9. I’m very particular on book to screen adaptations, so maybe I’ll post about it later. Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield, and the Villains series by V. E. Scwab are books I’ll forever recommend to everyone though!!

10. What makes a book my favorite:

If a character questions their morality or the ethics of a system they believe in

The character finds out they’re not human (they’re a clone or robot, etc), and struggle with understanding their sentience

Angst. Heavy emotional angst. I want to see them cry and scream. However, there needs to be other instances before (and maybe after) in which they are incredibly happy and smiling and satisfied with their life. Contrast is such a powerful tool and I absolutely loooove seeing it used to its full potential

Repeating motifs. Not overly repeating, and every time it does repeat (even if only once), there needs to be significance

Drama. At the end of the day, I am a gossip girl at heart. If shit goes down in a book, I am telling all of my friends after immediately rereading it

11. I am a writer, I just haven’t published (yet?)!! I write down my dreams/nightmares bc I like journalling, but I’ve only had two I want to actually develop further. One was about a submarine, and the other was about a blue haired wizard :)

12. I read fanfic yeah!! They’re super fun, I appreciate fanfic writers so much omg!! I don’t have a specific least favorite, as I tend to dnf quickly if it’s not my cup of tea. I usually stick to DC fics; I particularly like Banshee In A Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee). If you plan on reading, pls check the tags as it involves heavy subjects!!

Thanks again for the ask, this was very fun!! :D

[partnersatfazbear]

Midnight Motorist - An Essay

I promised this awhile ago, but my thoughts on Midnight Motorist... This mini-game has literally kept me awake for hours on two separate occasions trying to figure it out, lol! So, reading the Updated Freddy Files *suggests, not confirms* that Toy Chica: The High School Years may be how William lured each child. I made notes on this, of course.

Although I listed who was used as a stand in for each, it has no bearing on the actual child killed.

The first, represented by Foxy, is already dead. I assumed this was a stand in for Norman/CC.

Second, represented by Freddy, was lured away with promises to help with homework.

Third, represented by Wolf. Run over their dog. We all know this is referring to Susie/Chica.

Fourth, represented by Toy Bonnie. It was suggested that their house be set on fire and then Chica uses her body to put out the flames. Best I could settle for this one was perhaps pulling a fire alarm at the restaraunt, or something similar.

Fifth, Funtime Foxy. Live hostages. Presumably luring a child away with promises that their friend / missing friend is in the back room.

Sixth, the Puppet. This one is the most interesting and why I'm including it here. Chica says "I'll come over to their house later, maybe break through a window, or set the house on fire and smoke them out [IIRC, I am paraphrasing a little]" The window, in my honest opinion, has to refer to Midnight Motorist. Scott has made a point of adding things in a following game to clarify the game before (starting at least since Sister Location). With the other one referencing Susie and Fruity Maze, I think this theory holds up, although it doesn't really help solve Midnight Motorist I think it's very important to note. (William has as much of an obsession with fire as Henry, huh?)

Lastly, there is Pigpatch. It's implied William would have knocked out a child and told them he rescued them after being "kidnapped". I really like this one.

The number of victims adds up to the number of children: BV, Freddy, Foxy, Bonnie, Chica, Golden Freddy, and Puppet.

Now that that's out of the way, I feel this heavily implies the footprints outside the window in MM are William's. The feet match the Glitchtrap suit, which most of us assume is a prototype for Spring Bonnie. Not only that, but obviously the springlock suits wouldn't work in the rain. Second, if you take some logic to it and see Charlotte as the first victim (no suit, no hiding the body, developing MO) then this killing would be the start of his MO--kind of an "in-between" point where he's evolving. Now, as to who the people in the house are...

In my fic, I kept the general idea that it was William as mustard man (thank you MatPat, this is my fav name for our mysterious fellow). Mostly because despite the evidence listed there is still a ton of evidence supporting it:

Later That Night - this is the name of the game file for MM.

Rain - Due to the in-game rain and this title its heavily implied to be just after Charlotte's death.

Grey Text - Michael is the only one to have the grey text and has similarities to Chair Person. (Note: I think Matpat did point out the color is slightly different, but it's still grey.)

Purple Car - William is the only one seen with a Purple Car back in one of the mini-games (FNAF 2, IIRC). To further support this, the car is also seen as an easter egg in the Dreadbear DLC of Help Wanted (with purple headlights). This is probably the most damning evidence that Mustard Man is William, in my opinion... but then how do the footprints make sense?

In my fic, I explained it away as footprints from the evening before (it was the best I could muster at the time) but this is super weak :V So this kind of brings us to alternative theories. If it is William, the supporting evidence is... good evidence of that. So, the other options are:

A Child Victim's Family - This is my second favorite theory because I think it could possibly work for, say, TOYSNHK [The One You Should Not Have Killed, hereby pronounced Toy-Shnuck] (who I made Cassidy). The problem with this is the child's gender is referred to as male. And there's a huge debate on Cassidy being female in game lore and TOYSNHK/GF being male. It IS a gender neutral name and wouldn't be the first time Scott changed a gender (see: Puppet), BUT it's pretty weak since all the info we have on TOYSNHK is recent. It could be another child that isn't Susie, though, but why show some random child as opposed to an important one? PizzaSim's games all revolve around specifics like Puppet (the first to die overall) and Susie (the first to die of the main five).

Henry is Mustard Man - This is the theory my wife likes. I can sort of see it and I even considered it at one point, but there isn't much evidence to go on. Why is the car purple is the biggest wrench for me. I also have problems with Mustard Man's attitude ("This is MY house", "He'll be sorry") Even if Henry was torn up about Charlotte, I can't see him treating his kids this way. This would also heavily imply the missing window kid to be Sammy, which hasn't been referenced in the game lore at all. He was barely mentioned in the novel trilogy, even. This also makes Gray Text either Aunt Jen or Henry's wife. There's just not enough to support this, in my opinion.

UPDATE 5/28/21 - Please see this post analyzing Fazbear Fright’s story “What We Found” for a more detailed look at what I’m about to explain that supports the Henry theory: Also from the books, CC / Norman is now referred to as Evan.

For this to work, we must assume Henry is an alcoholic after Charlotte’s death. I think the “later that night” evidence becomes somewhat irrelevant, because if this was the night of Charlotte’s death it wouldn’t really make sense. Part of me wondered if it took place after FNAF 2′s Springtrap cutscene, but the footprints don’t match. It has to be Spring Bonnie or Glitchtrap. Also, Evan and Elizabeth have also died by this point because neither are seen in the mini-game in this theory. You also must assume, based on the story evidence, that Henry married / stayed with Mrs. Afton after William either “died” or they divorced--they had to have been together for an x amount of time as for Mrs. Afton to be living with Henry but also the fact that Mrs. Afton kept Michael and the purple car. Henry using William’s car wouldn’t be unheard of if Mrs. Afton kept the car and the house, I just don’t feel Henry would use it unless he had been using the vehicle awhile. This also explains the Bonnie-esque footprints outside since William would want to come get / visit his kid he’s [most likely] no longer allowed to see. He may even be taking Michael back to the FNAF 4 house (implying that the house we see in MM is Henry’s). Speaking of, if we assume William’s intentions are [likely] bad, he’s probably taking Michael back to experiment with the Funtime-Nightmares, if you believe this theory. I think this theory is probably true considering the random grave (which, in this context has no answer except a Twisted animatronic aka a Nightmare) AND because the blueprints in Sister Location SHOW the Nightmares on the display during Funtime Freddy’s repair, implying they are real and not imagined. This is also assumed to be punishment for Michael killing Evan. I think Michael goes WITH William because of his tumultuous relationship with a now mentally ill and drunkard Henry. Henry probably knows that William killed Charlotte and a common theme in some works is a parent seeing their child (or a murderer) in a child aka Michael reminds Henry of William, so he neglects him (which in itself wouldn’t be out of place for Henry, since he already wasn’t a very attentive parent).

The main issue with this theory is that it sort of assumes that CC was Michael and not Evan. I don’t think that’s the case, though.

While we're on this version, I also want to discuss evidence for the MM driver being drunk. Not only are you driving on the opposite side of traffic, the Files book explicitly states "crashing" into the secret road for the mini-game. Not that Henry couldn't be drunk, especially if he just found Charlotte dead, but... for me personally it seems a stretch. And I already mentioned the car.

William's Father - This is an interesting idea, but the foot prints kind of rule it out. At least there's an explanation for the car, though, right? Still, it doesn't explain the foot prints unless you assume maybe his father was more alike Afton than we thought. But then why bother showing us background on our killer so late with no pay off? I easily dismiss this theory.

A new theory, at least one I haven't seen posed yet:

Vanny - That's right. Vanny. What if she survived/lived? Some leaks even suggest she may be related to the Aftons. Mustard Man's color is similar to Princess Quest's heroine. It explains the footprints, but doesn't explain the car. This would make for a nice foreshadowing of Vanny, IMO, but it’s weak at best.

You know when Matpat discusses "that one puzzle peice that we're missing"? That's this entire mess of a mini-game. Don't get me wrong, the music is bawlin and it's fun to talk about, otherwise I wouldn't write about it, but it is undoubtedly FRUSTRATING.

What are your opinions?

I also wanted to point out some other interesting things from the Files book I haven't seen discussed: There is confirmation of two sets of gold suits. Not only is there the FNAF 2 phone call, but the text specifies between Spring Bonnie/Springtrap and Fredbear/Golden Freddy. IE: FNAF 4 suit is Springtrap but the one from Stage 01 is Spring Bonnie. This could be oversight, but... I don't think it is. I'm sure most of the fandom does ASSUME this anyway, but I felt it was worth noting. (In my fic, they are the same suit, but the second sets are upgraded after the original failures).

The poster behind Scraptrap. Nothing really interesting here, but there is an image of a building with two gargoyle (lion?) statues behind him. Presumably this would be a police station or Fazbear Fright. I just thought it was cool since I never noticed this in the image. My initial thought was this might be a reference to the hospital in Man in 1280, but that’s a stretch.

Jr's. This is the random building in Midnight Motorist in which Green Man says "gtfo" to our Mustard Man. I should mention I feel that is good evidence to it being William or Henry, depending what the building is. We can 100% say it is NOT a bar (in my fic, that's what I used, even though it doesn't make sense. I don't see a drunk person driving to a second bar so close to their home when they could have gone there initially, BUT then I am a home-drinker when I do drink, so I don't know the night life). The Files refer to it as simply "a restaraunt". Whether this IS a FNAF location (also referred to as restaraunts) or just some random eatery, it's something to contemplate. I am in the camp that it isn't FNAF 2, at least.

I have some other things from Fazbear Frights' Blackbird I wanna discuss, too, but I'll wait until the book is out to help you all avoid spoilers.

Now, this is all just my thoughts on it. Please don't take anything too seriously (as Scott says don't rack your brain on this, it's not worth it). I just think these are some points that haven't been discussed before.

Also, if you wanna read my theory on why Scraptrap is partly the Golden Freddy suit, I have that theory here.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk? <-- is that a dated reference? Probably.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #451

“taste the waste of their god’s grace & spit your hate upon your young”

Who are you subscribed to on YouTube? A shitload of people. Do you like to go to the farmer's market? Yeah, sure. What will (or was) the color of your wedding dress be? Probably black. What's your favorite melon? I don't really like melons, actually. What was the name of the last pet of yours that died? Teddy. :( When was the last time you wished the day would just get over with? Literally every day. Seriously. It's funny, I dread fighting to sleep at night, but I also just want it to be time to sleep so time will pass. My life is just so fucking boring that I just... wait for something exciting to happen. Name one person you've never had a fight with: Tez. What are you currently listening to? "Sex Metal Barbie" by In This Moment. What would you rather have: cat or dog? I prefer cats. Who is your least favorite person in real life? Probably my sister's husband. Do you ever watch anybody's live stream of... anything, really? I'll sometimes watch live let's plays. Does your house have security cameras? No. If you go grey as you age, would you dye your hair or let it be? I'll be dyeing it. What was the last establishment you stopped going to due to bad service? What happened? I'm not sure. What soundtrack do you listen to the most? Silent Hill 2's, definitely. Was there a family secret you weren’t told about until you were an adult? I don't know if it's really a secret, but I didn't know until this year that my dad did some really dangerous drugs before us kids were born. Do you have an opinion most people you meet seem to disagree with you? Yes. What’s something you like to have many options to choose from? Food, ha ha. Feels great to have a full kitchen after a grocery trip. What’s the strangest decorative object you own? Nothing "strange" to me. What’s a thing you couldn’t imagine doing with your life right now? One biggie is having a baby. I just... could not imagine. My life would plummet. What’s been your proudest moment? Graduating in the top percentile in my high school graduating class. What’s the filthiest non-pornographic movie you’ve seen? Omfg, Sausage Party. That movie was so gross. Do you know anyone who doesn't seem to be fond of animals? Thankfully, no. I don't even think I could befriend someone who doesn't like animals. Are you planning any outings or trips anytime soon? Whereabouts? No. Do you know anyone who has a phobia of a certain animal? Yeah, like me with whale sharks. Is there a particular brand of technology/electronics that you prefer? Not really, no. Is there a singer whose voice gives you goosebumps/chills? Amy Lee's. And is there a singer whose voice you simply can't stand? Yeah, such as Bob Dylan. Are there any authors that are particularly dominant on your bookshelf? Tui T. Sutherland, but only because I read their series Wings of Fire. Have you seen any photographs or videos that made you smile today? I'm sure on Facebook at some point. Which item in your fridge are you most looking forward to consuming? Does the freezer count? If so, this Healthy Choice grilled chicken pesto bowl I have in there. I am like addicted to them. Has anyone you know got into a new relationship lately? I don't know. If you menstruate, do you experience much PMS prior to it? It varies month-to-month. Have you ever had a tattoo covered up or added to? I had my Markiplier tattoo essentially redone by a better artist. I also plan on getting my "ohana" tat covered, as well as my "how rare and beautiful it is to even exist" one (I adore the quote, but it's not an original design, which I don't like having anymore), and I want to move and redesign my "perfectly flawed" one because I want a bigger tattoo in its location. Can you remember the last time you had a sudden change of mind? Yeah; I'm pretty sure I like-like my friend Girt now, something I was never entirely sure about. When was the last time you did something on a whim? *shrug* Were you raised by both of your parents? If not, then who raised you? Well, I guess both, but Dad didn't do a lot of the teaching part about life and stuff. Have you ever began a relationship with someone you knew for less than a week? No. Has one of your friends ever tried to ‘hook you up?’ Yes. Colleen tried that with me and Girt and only succeeded in making us very uncomfortable. She said something I wanted to slap her for that I won't repeat. What is your card game of choice? Magic: The Gathering. What is your favourite books series? I think my favorite series of all time was the Shiloh trilogy. I adored both the books and movies. Do you prefer landmarks or street names when being given directions? You'd better give me landmarks, ha ha. Do you read the prologues in the beginnings of books? Of course. What was your favourite gym class moment? There're such things as GOOD gym memories in school? Do you think that ocean boardwalks are fun? Yes. Do you dread when people ask you to sign their yearbooks? No, I always thought it was very flattering that they even wanted mine. Do you have a favourite Scooby-Doo movie? The Phantom Virus one. I had the video game as a kid, too. Could never beat the damn thing. Do you think it’s cute when toddlers try to run away and fall down? No? I don't like seeing children - or anyone - fall. Do you enjoy listening to your grandparents tell stories of their past? So, this really only happened once, and it was coincidentally the day I learned of her pancreatic cancer, but before Mom told me. I had an assignment to interview someone of an older generation about how various sources of media affected their lives, like the development of TV and such, and she really got into it. It was very interesting to learn about. Do you have a crush on someone? I guess I do idfk. If so... what does his/her name begin with? "D." What attracts you to them? More than anything, the fact he's been there for me without fail. Both single and when I was with Jason and he was interested in me, he's just... been there and has made an effort since high school to be in my life in one way or another. Do they know that you like them? Not anymore, no. We dated for a few months, but I broke up with him because he felt more like my brother, so I would assume he doesn't think I do. Maybe he still is family to me. I really don't know what I feel. If they don't know, why didn't you tell them? I might at some point, idk. We just haven't talked in a while. Name two people that you miss: Jason and Megan. Have you ever seen Titanic? When I was in the hospital, yes. Everyone was crying, lmao. Have you ever swam with dolphins? No, but I would. When was the last time you had a stomachache? Now. Mother Nature finally visited me after three whole fucking months and is v angry. What's going to bed early for you? Like 7:00. Do you want to have a big family in the future? Of pets! Human kids ain't for me. What was the last thing you did that gave you a rush? Hell if I know. Favorite Nicholas Cage movie? Ghost Rider. Have you had your Covid vaccine yet? Which one, if you have? Yes. I got Moderna. If you've had your vaccine, did you experience any side effects? I did on my second dosage. I was OUT of it the day afterwards, but then I was fine. What's the next item of clothing that you intend to buy for yourself? I need new bras badly. What Facebook groups have you found the most helpful? It's called "Not Just A Pet Rock (Python regius)" and is a group for advanced ball python husbandry. It is very informative, but I will say there is a SHITLOAD of very rude elitists. Do you like your butt? Why or why not? NO because it's a PANCAKE and I want CAKE. Have you ever personally been a victim of homophobia? I personally think so. When Sara visited and we were trying to go to my older sister's so she especially could meet her, Ash entirely ignored Mom's messages. I know her homophobic husband well enough to nearly be able to guarantee he didn't want us coming over because the kids "don't need to see that." Ash kinda does what Nick says, so... you know. Do you think you’d be happier if you had a pet? I know I'm happier with pets. Who was the last person you went on a date with? Sara. Were you ever hospitalized as a little kid? No. What’s your favorite way to curl your hair? It's too short to do that. At what age did you start swearing? However old I was in 7th grade. What is something you physically can’t do? Clean up vomit lkdsjal;sdkjfa;lkwd. I can't clean up my pet's or even my own. I literally can't. My mom has to. What do like better, apples or oranges? Apples. I don't like oranges. Around the holidays, do you hope for snow? Yes!!! What are your top two favorite bands? Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica. How many people do you 100% trust? Like two. Maybe. Do you care what others think about you? Way too much. Has anyone ever called you a bitch? My grandmother has. Did you watch Teletubbies when you were younger? Omg yes, I was obsessed. Do you have any licenses other than your driver's license? I don't even have that. Could you live the rest of your life without eating meat? No. Not because I don't want to, because I do, but I would have an extreme protein deficit if I did that. Besides meat, I don't like enough protein-rich foods. Have you ever had a rolling backpack? Yes. Did you make any money today? I haven't made any money in a very, very long time. I'm only ever paid when someone hires me to take pictures for them. What was the highest place you've ever jumped from? I don't know. Definitely not very high. Have you ever gone swimming in a river? Yes. What was the last souvenir someone got you? I have zero clue. Do you have a favorite remix of a song? Hm. Perhaps this techno-y remix of "Psychosocial" by Slipknot. I don't know for sure, though. What do you think is the most saddest sounding instrument? Either the violin or piano. Do you really pay attention to the ratings on movies? Nope. Do you have a favorite species of wild cat (tiger/lion/cougar/etc.)? Probably clouded leopards aesthetics, but I think lions overall. If you had $500,000, what would you do with it? Pay off school debt as well as help Mom with various financial issues, buy new glasses, buy Mom and I a new house and car, get Venus a great tank with all the optimal supplies, get LOADS of tattoos, donate to various charities, adopt a few specific pets, travel to Yellowstone, get laser hair removal on my legs and teeth whitening... There are a lot of possibilities. Did the last person you touched lips with have a kid? Just scaly ones. :') "First loves are never really over." Is this true for you? Yeeeep... Did you like Michael Jackson before he died? I didn't really have an opinion on him. I know/like a couple songs, sure. What are some things that would make you break up with someone? If they became abusive, started doing drugs, acted arrogantly, didn't understand my mental conditions and were unwilling to be emotionally supportive, stuff like that. What was the worst breakup you've ever had? Ha, the one with Jason. For. Fucking. Sure.

[vakariaan]

Mass Effect Tag Meme 🚀

Tagged by @fiannans and @babykrogan  ❤

• I am a fan since: 2019 - I know I was super late to the game but 2018 was when I got the gaming bug. I did technically start it in 2018 but it didn’t bite until the January when I rage quit The Descent DLC for DAI and had to try something else lol

• Favourite game of the series: ME2 because it’s building a family and while it is dark it doesn’t feel as dark as 3 and also with 3 you’ve got the END OF IT ALL looming ahead of you whereas 2 is right in the middle and feels comfortable and just...fun and less urgent?

• Mshep or Fshep? I’ve only played FShep and I am in love with Jennifer Hale’s voice always.

• Earthborn, Colonist, or Spacer? Spacer (Mama Shep!)

• Biotics or Tech? Biotics

• Paragon or Renegade? Paragon (I’ll always choose Renegade interrupts though)

• Favourite class: Vanguard, I like the mix and I am very much looking forward to LE where weapons will apparently not be locked?! Cause being stuck with a pistol in 1 was IRRITATING. 

• Favourite companion: GARRUS (I mean obviously...you’ve seen my name...)

• Least favourite companion: I don’t think there’s anyone I actively dislike (except maybe ME1 Ashley) but I have my faves and don’t think about the others most of the time lol

• My squad selection: Garrus always. ME1 first playthrough was Garrus and Tali but that has now changed to Garrus and Liara, ME2 is Garrus and Kasumi or Garrus and Miranda, ME3 Garrus and Liara

• Favourite in-game romance: G A R R U S   V A K A R I A N

• Favourite NPC: Anderson or Joker

• Favourite Antagonist: Saren is SO interesting and I wish he was there for more of the trilogy.

• Favourite loyalty mission: Garrus (ofc) but Kasumi’s is a lot of fun

• Favourite mission: ME1 - I constantly flip flop between Feros and Noveria, ME2 - Archangel (don’t look at me), ME3 - Ardat-Yakshi Monastery sticks in my mind the most idk why?? Priority Earth messed me up BAD.

• Favourite DLC: Citadel (ofc) and Lair of the Shadow Broker (”What kind of guns does this ship have?” “It’s a taxi, it has a fare meter!”)

• Control, Synthesis or Destroy: Destroy

• Favourite weapon: ME1 - Pistol, ME2 - Sub Machine, ME3 - Assault Rifle (overal assault rifle is my fave)

• Favourite place: The Citadel

• Favourite Quote: (you know what’s coming) “Forgive the insubordination but your boyfriend has an order for you. Come back alive. It would be an awfully empty galaxy without you.”

Tagging:  @roguetimebot, @pavusdorian, @mimozka, @the-darkling and anyone else who wants to do it CAUSE LEGENDARY EDITION IS COMING, BABY!

[darth-bagel]

30 Questions Tag Game

Tagged by: @mercurypilgrim. Thank you a bunch 💙✨

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 5 blogs you are contractually obligated to know better.

Name/Nickname: Well, Bagel is self explanatory, but my friends usually just call me Molly.

Gender: Female--but i’m feeling more and more comfortable with skewing towards genderfluid

Star sign: Cancer ♋

Height: 5′0″ (yes. im p smol)

Birthday: June 29th. And my favorite way to spend it is by playing dnd with my friends *stares suspiciously at 2021*

Time: As I write this, it’s 2:41 PM. I got home early from work and I’m gonna make dinner and play swtor. Two days off, finally~ 

Favorite bands: I listen to a looot of music, so it’s a huge mix, also just a few songs from most artists but-- so uh, the best indication of my favorites are my character playlists. It’s all over the place. So like, Dire Straits, Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy (just asserted itself with 5-6 songs and stayed) The Score.

Favorite solo artists: Also see above. But: Hozier. Possibly the only solo artist I know and listen to every single song from. 

Song stuck in my head: currently? The entire Hozier (Special Edition) Album. I brought it on myself by listening it to sleep.

Last movie: Shawshank Redemption, last week I had a movie morning. I watched Green Mile just before it. It was a day tm.

Last show: I’m still slugging through iZombie, like 4th time. I’ll finish it one day damn it.

When did I create this blog: Good question. Somewhere last year, late summer? At least the darth-bagel one. My main was around since like, 2017? I was nearly an adult before I discovered tumbler xd

What do I post: random swtor things, but mostly just a lot of screens and my army of oc’s. also ramblings, and writing. i try to keep it all swtor oriented tho.

Last thing I googled: okay, it was ‘tresor berlin coins’. some delivery guy dropped few pink plastic coins with “tresor berlin” on it and i was very curious. it’s a night club with underground music and techno-- now we all know.

Other blogs: my main blog a.k.a @elvhenyoung . I have AO3, there’s nothing on it yet. and that’s most of it. 

Do I get asks: I do! I am working on them, slowly. Maybe not a huge amount but they, accumulated on me. I have so much writing to do xd

Why I chose my url: So. I am working in a bagel shop, it’s my third year at this point-- and one day I just made a joke about a Darth Bagel sandwich we could make-- we never did. But the name stayed with me. So. Now I am a Darth Bagel. (I started calling my one other coworker a Grand Moff Bagel so. we are on brand)

Following: 712 (that’s a lot o.o)

Followers: 65.

Oh wow, hellow there! 💙✨

Average hours of sleep: I try to do 8 hours, bc work. I am still v tired all the time. I could use more xd

Lucky number: Idk. But 13 seems appropriate.

Instruments: I tried piano, but eh. I like singing tho, I’m not good at it, but I like it.

What am I wearing: Layers. It’s like -14 C today. But I just got back from work so I have some black pants, Leia t-shirt, sweater and a hoodie. I’m probably gonna change into something more comfy soon.

Dream job: I don’t know. This job I have is not so bad--my boss is an insufferable ass, but it pays well enough.

I once wanted to have my own cafe tho? With games and dnd and ungodly amounts of good tea. But for now I’ll just settle for a stable job that doesn’t drive me mad.

Dream trip: I’d love to visit all my friends in America one day. And see some of the cities as well, although at this point I do have friends all over. So, uh. I’ll make a list one day XD

Favorite food: things with cheese. and spicy. idk, i just like food.

Nationality: Polish.

Favorite song: NFWMB by Hozier. I am predictable yes, it just reminds me of things. 

Last book read: Dragon Age: The Calling by David Gaider. But I also have the Prequel Trilogy Novelization started-- i’ll get to it eventually.

Top three fictional universes I’d like to live in: 

1. SWtOR (duh, I’m gonna bunk on Sylvas's ship)

2. Dragon Age (yes, i know, shh)

3. Can I like... Critical Role’s Tal Dorei? 

Tagging: @chaoticspacelesbians @thedinalixlegacy @sith-nb @blueburds @ajoloart (no pressure from this bagel, so only if you’re comfortable~)

[findafriend]

internet buddy? wya?

hiiiii I’ve been feeling really lonely and I would really like to make some friends online. i miss texting late into the night about random shit so pls don’t be shy in hitting me up ;”)

oof so here is just a smidgen about me to sweeten the deal (hopefully lmao)

* im eighteen years old (almost 19!) and hopefully by some time of this year i will be a freshman in college. i say hopefully because my anxiety and tendency to procrastinate are working v hard against this LMAO

* i am obsessed with something different every week and when I say obsessed I mean OBSESSED.

* im very much in love w anime and adore ranting ab it uwu

* uhh i really like cats 👉👈

* music makes me happy. pls send me song recommendations.

* i read a lot of fanfiction. idek why,, i just really like it. ESPECIALLY MANHWA/ MANGA. love that stuff as well.

* I’m a great listener!! don’t ever be shy about ranting to me about something!! pls i don’t mind!!

* very book obsessed. very. very (my favorites are: all for the game, the captive prince trilogy, raven cycle, lotr and in other lands!)

* well send u memes non stop :((

* im also pretty into kpop (it’s a complicated situation 🥺)

* i have a very strong passion for writing and could rant ab it for HOURS.

*

I respond very fast and I never sleep so like basically I’m always available lmao. honestly I’m really chill and it’s ok if we take a little bit of time to hit it off, I’m patient about these sort of things!! if you’re interested pls hmu on my discord: thiccuchiha#6496

if you’re going to reach out please be 17+!! i would prefer to talk to someone close to my age ✨💕

[professorspork]

today in the Andromeda Galaxy, GLITCHES TRIED TO KILL ME BUT I MADE IT WORK. or, well. Helen made it work, actually, and I was very grateful. (Elaaden, what do you have against my triangle button working? and wtf was that Nomad bug where suddenly I could see through time and the world contracted and my hair turned white????)

anyway.

this morning I joked to Helen that I was feeling very “I love all of my crew equally”/“I don’t care for Cora” so today I made a concerted effort to get to know her better--and tried a few Nomad combos where she wouldn’t sound like the fun police. (turns out, she and Vetra get along great! and also when I put her with Peebee she gets very self-conscious about how she’s totes not appropriating asari culture and it’s v embarrassing. on the OTHER hand, she makes fun of Peebee for peeping on Jaal and like, again, wtf, let me have my ot3.)

I started out finishing up that Morda drive core mission that glitched, and of course I gave the krogan the drive core in exchange for the outpost because I LOVE KROGAN and also RYDER LOVES OUTPOSTS. win/win tbh. but honestly the best part was getting to pick the dialogue option talking to Addison “fuck Tann” and Ryder actually getting to say fuck! it’s the little things.

after closing out Elaaden I decided to try and finish up a few errand-y missions like scanning plants, etc. in doing so, I got to play soccer with my very best friend Liam which was a heartwarming lot of fun, and fought TWO architects because just one was not enough. Peebee’s ex stole our beloved Proof Of Concept (I know the bot is called Poc, but honestly I think full-naming it is much cuter) and I was all “of course I’m gonna help you we’re in this together” which threw Peebee off her game because she’s still thrown every time someone cares about her. I AM, AGAIN, CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH, GENUINELY SAD I’M GOING TO HAVE TO CHOOSE AMONG ROMANCE OPTIONS. this experience could not be more different from the main trilogy, where I romanced Liara out of a sense of obligation/curiosity faaaaaar more than any genuine interest or investment, and wasn’t tempted* to deviate from that by anyone else along the way. there are a thousand mechanical reasons why I think romance works much, much better in Andromeda than it ever did in the main series--among them the very pointed focus on found family throughout, the more nuanced ability to craft a unique Ryder by doing away with paragon/renegade and instead having the more robust conversation trees, and the overworld chatting on the Nomad giving EVERYONE the amount of personality off the bat that my OG crew had to like bite and claw for for two and a half games-- but like. I’m not gonna lie a big part of it is just that I just think more of these people are more interesting as potential partners. I THINK I AM AN ANDROMEDA GIRL. 

* well that’s a lie I would have romanced Tali in a heartbeat if I weren’t playing fem!Shep and that was illegal. and I’ll probably romance Sam Traynor after that. so. it’s not a total bust.

but I digress. 

saved that scientist’s baby on Voeld, and afterwards had my first ACTUAL, HUMAN conversation with Addison about--shockingly--the nature of friendship. I was genuinely surprised and pleased! look at us go! I also did some spying for that STG agent, and got the world’s most badly delivered “gee, are you really going to believe that old coot?” speech out of my main suspect, which was hilariously insulting.

and then, partly due to Helen’s advice and partly because, again, today was Learn To Appreciate Cora Day, I finished out her loyalty mission! I was shocked to find Sarissa alive after all the build-up-- I was certain that after that long a drum roll for how key she’d be in the Initiative’s growth that we’d find her mega-dead-- but as Helen pointed out to me, the trope is Don’t Meet Your Heroes, not Your Hero Is Probably Dead, Actually. her whole “be calm, soldier” routine @ Vedaria was kind of grating in the moment but is very cute after the fact, so fine. the whole muted sounds and gravity tricks of that final fight were super fun, even though I did accidentally jump into space once or twice. the big biotics lightshow was v impressive, but after I took a pretty hardline stance on Sarissa: come clean and shut up, and you’re fired. I did get a little offended when the asari captain was like “you could have killed us all, it was only dumb luck that Ryder found us” bc EXCUSE ME, SOME OF IT WAS DUMB SKILL, but still. it was good to get that all settled, and very good to hear Cora say what was immediately obvious to everyone but her, which is that her compulsion towards mentors and plans would have made her a poor Pathfinder but makes her a perfect XO. 

then I hit level 50 and spent a lot of time upgrading my gear, and like-- a kind god would have put the loadout console next to R&D and the buy/sell screen so I wouldn’t have to run up and down the Tempest corridor like an idiot. but whatever. Baby’s Fourth Beam Gun TM (an Avenger with a beam emitter) is working out splendidly, I’m slicing and dicing with my asari sword, and I’ve just put seeking plasma bolts on my Eagle which delights me. still shopping around for my ideal sniper before I commit but we’re getting there! 

then I went to start the new planet, but then realized Ark Natanus was right there, and ended up backtracking twice. First I ran back to the Nexus thinking there’d be another fun homecoming cut scene for the asari like there’d been for the salarians that I didn’t want to muddy with adding turians, too, only that didn’t happen. boo! I did remember to check on my mom, tho, so that was nice and emotional. then I went back to Netanus to start that up, only to realize I was wearing a very ugly and entirely face-obscuring helmet-- and once it was clear the entirety of the mission was going to be me emoting at Rix, I restarted the mission with a different armor loudout. yes, I am that vain, but only because opportunities for mlm/wlw solidarity are rare in this game (Gil’s been quiet lately, lol) and Rix deserved my best. though after doing all this, I am wondering: why do all the SAMs have different voices? surely making even one AI as smart and unique as SAM is difficult; then making each Ark’s SAM unique feels like an unnecessary burden? but whatever.

H-whateverthefuck is by far my favorite planet to Nomad around on. I’ve been complaining about the lack of low gravity mechanics since the Mako in ME1 (WE WENT TO THE MOON, THE LITERAL MOON, OUR MOON, AND NOT EVEN THAT HAD LOW GRAVITY?) and so this felt like pure vindication. (also, in general but very aggressively NOT for this planet because of the radiation, shout out to the Nomad for letting me get out no matter how poorly or vertically it’s parked, because lord knows I glitched the Mako many times trying to pause and get out in ‘impossible’ places the Nomad handles with ease.) anyway. the concept of a broken-up planet is terrifying, and the reality of it was eerie as all get-out. what neat execution!

and speaking of a neat execution, I’m so relieved going with the interrupt and firing at Meriwether while she held Sid worked, because I was again legit scared I might get Sid killed. as you’ll recall re: my Jaal loyalty mission, that’s the second time I was genuinely quite nervous there would be real consequences to screwing this up! I give the game a lot of credit for building a world where it feels like I really could screw up that badly. I’m very proud/fond of Sid, and the whole security camera mechanic was delightful-- a more fun version of the kind of stuff KOTOR always made me do. back on the Tempest, I decided to flirt with Vetra while the flirting’s still good, but tbh her flirt option (“I care about Sid bc I care about you”) wasn’t even all that romantically valanced, if you ask me! but also I love that Sid’s idea of justice is fast-tracking having cats in Heleus. 

phew! with so many big things now out of the way, I’m not sure how much dithering I can/should do before continuing with the main mission. but that’s a decision for future me.

[kareofbears]

bullets 1, 2, 4, 8 and 9 would u kindly bear?

YOOOOO V!!!!! howdy!!! kinda crazy that you wanna hear me keep yelling about things but i am SO not complaining (honestly my beta is so tired of hearing me talk about these things lmfao). not to mention i love this specific ask post so im like, salivating. i’m assuming the same ask since i havent reblogged a numbered ask game list yet? and im also going to assume that i should just go in deeper about 8 and 9 since i answered that one already but hey, no problem i got a lot to say about dialogue.

1. What’s something you’ve written that you know is OOC and you just don’t care?

first though, i wanna talk about ryuji (story of my life). i like to write him as someone who’s actually really smart when it comes to people, and he knows how to work with them. i like to write him as someone who’s sensitive who has extremely high E.Q. 

cool, and now it’s sumire time. 

look. writing sumire, you have to make her at least somewhat ooc because she ain’t got much going on in canon!!!! if i write her exactly as she is in canon it would be like speaking to a cardboard cutout--you’re not gonna get much out of it. she’s written too blandly for her to be interesting, but she has these tiny aspects ingame where she’s actually quite complex. she’s selfish, actually. she’s an outsider, even in the third-semester. i think she’s quite conniving, and she’s not as naive about the world as people might think she is. but all of these are just hints and the game doesn’t do anything with it!!!! i have my problems with sumire (a lot of them) but she truly doesn’t deserve the hate she gets--she doesn’t deserve hate, she deserves criticism. that’s why ive been writing her quite a bit lately, i wanna breathe live to her in a way atlus didn’t. 

2. What’s the most overrated thing you’ve written?

ugh. it absolutely has to be this fic called “Visiting” i wrote for the marvel fandom. i won’t link it because i think its really cringey and self-indulgent, but it’s on my ao3. it got pretty big for some reason, but it’s so...blegh!!!! i hate remembering i what i wrote in it!!!! another one is probably my fic called ergo, eraserhead which i will link because im quite proud of it still. on the flip side, i dont think any of my persona 5 fics will ever get as big as these two fics, and i’m so relieved by that. 

4.Something a commenter did point out that you wish they hadn’t.

oof...someone pointed out a flaw in the plot. not technically mean or anything, like they were quite nice about it, but i remember being devastated. i was on the skytrain platform when it happened and i was just so sad for no reason lmfao 

8.Something you love to see in dialogue.

hmmmmmmm i love to see interesting dialogue. very vague, i know. i like it when the author has obviously taken time to think about the dialogue, maybe even going as far as to say it out loud to make sure that the flow is smooth. i like dialogue that does more than one thing--instead of having boring dialogue that’s obviously just there to ensure that the viewer can understand the plot (i’m looking at you, star wars prequel trilogy), it also serves to help the viewer understand who these people are and what their dynamic is with their group. dialogue is really really hard to write, and that’s why good dialogue is something that should absolutely be praised.

9. What’s your fandom’s most overused trope?

alright if you want me to bring up soft!goro i guess i’ll do it (sike ive always wanted an excuse to yell about fandom akechi). obvious disclaimer: yes i know fandom is the space where people are allowed to interpret what they want with whatever character they choose, but this is my overly long persona 5 post, and if i’m asked to complain i’m going to complain. 

i talked more about it in this post, but i’ll say the gist: every character has a fundamental value that i believe you should never compromise on, because if you change it or get rid of that value, you are no longer writing that character. you’re allowed to change whatever else, but that value should not be changed. an example is akira’s love for his friends: you change that, you’re not writing akira anymore. you change haru’s motivation for kindness in the face of adversity, that ain’t haru anymore. but these are just my examples--different authors can have different fundamental values for different characters. 

so back on soft!goro, my fundamental value for akechi is his cynicism. he will always always assume the worst in the world, even if he’s finally moved on from what happened to him. even if he finds people to love who love him back, even if he escaped to another country where knows his name and he doesn’t have to hold up any appearances anymore, i believe that that cycnism will always be a a part of him, for better or for worse. so soft!goro is an interesting concept, because it reminds me something very specific: it reminds of the end of p5r bad ending where the bad reality prevails and akechi turns into someone unrecognizable. because...that’s what soft!goro is. 

soft!goro is akechi without the cycnicism--you take that cycnicism away, and you’re not writing akechi anymore. you’re just writing some random guy at this point. and no, it’s not because i don’t want him to be happy--if anything, i have so many ideas of a grown up akesumi fic that i’d love to write. no, it’s because i think even in the far future, he will still have this core belief. it’s an unshakeable fact about akechi. it’s what made him turn into who he is, it’s what led him to commit attrocities, it’s the reason why he died. that cycnicism is engraved in akechi, no matter therapy he may get, or whatever love interest he has, you can’t get rid of that pessimistic outlook that he has. 

of course, there’s exceptions to every rule. for example, i have an idea of wriitng an akesumi fic post akechi’s first therapy session. but i’m just saying that as an overall factor: to get rid of akechi, is to murder this complex character for someone generic. 

[commenter2]

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart trailer analysis

For those that haven’t heard yet, Insomniac Games has released a trailer for there new Ratchet & Clank game yesterday, called Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

I don’t think I need to say how excited I am for it but I’m going to anyway. IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS GAME ! For those that haven’t heard about it yet, here is a link to a video showing the trailer for the game as well as gameplay of it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsnG-3-r6-Q

The game looked so amazing that I did na analysis of the trailer last night and thought Id post it on my Tumblr page for anyone to read. HUGES spoilers ahead. Also I apologize or the spacing as for some reason I can't separate the paragraphs any longer then they are now.

First is the trailer

First off we get a shot of the amazing animation of the game till Ratchet & Clank drop in, literally, but did they just come out of a dimensional rift ? This has to mean the Dimensionator has to be involved in this somehow. We then see another amazing example of the games design and graphics of what looks like planet Sargasso (which would be cool to go to again) till Clank brings up how they need to get to something, the Dimensionator maybe ?, till he is distracted by an Antropod/Terratrope followed by another rift releasing robots shooting at them and though I’ve seen the trailer already, I quickly got a Dr. Nefarious vibe from them.

Then something unexpected happens as Ratchet RIDES the bug and uses it to take down the robots ! Now I haven’t played Spyro in years but that charging attack reminds me a bit of the charge attack Spyro uses in the games, did anyone else think that? If that was on purpose then its nice to see that Insomniac Games still remembers there roots which gives me comfort with them making awesome Spider Man games in the future without worrying about them ignoring there Ratchet & Clank fans.

After some animal handling gameplay, Ratchet and Clank are thrown into a rift and we see a series of shattered pink/purple glass images of places only for them to quickly grind and slide though two planets, maybe existing ones at the night one kinda looks like Veldin while the city one could be Metropolis or Meridian City, with Clank saying the dimensions are weakening which again backs up the idea of the Dimesinator being involved.  I do want to say that during the quick grind rail segment, the Grind Boots looked much better in design compared to there previous appearances, which were kinda lazy in my opinion. I hope this means they and the Gravity Boots will be different in appearance instead of in color. I should also say it shown that you can DOUBLE JUMP while grinding, which is a cool small change for the iconic mechanic.

We then see Ratchet ride another animal, this time with wings, on planet Torren IV which though I’m not 100% sure I think I saw a Hoverboot boost pad. Could the Hoverboots be in the game ? Before I continue I want to say the idea of Ratchet riding and controlling animals is a really awesome idea, not only would this be an interesting twist to combat in the game but it would also be another interesting way to travel throughout the levels, which Id be ok with doing IF the Hoverboots aren’t in Rift Apart.

Either way this ends quickly as Ratchet & Clank hop to another planet, a new one according to them but again teleport to planet Ardolis where Ratchet fights robot pirates (AWESOME) who are dealing with a creature. I wonder if Captain Slag and Rusty Pete will be in the game ? During a fight we see Ratchet uses a new weapons, specifically a new BLASTER like weapon that has a rapid-fire feature, which I am thankful for cause I couldn’t take another game with the Combuster.

The fight quickly ends as the explosive barrel explodes and Clank gets thrown through a dimensional rift and is separated from Ratchet, NO ! but also AWESOME cause it gives a A Crack In Time like vibe. The hype is then taken up a notch where its revealed that Clank is on a planet run by none other then DR. NEFARIOUS, Clank saying they are to late, meaning those robots at the beginning WERE his and he is somehow causing all of this, maybe.

Speaking of which Im not sure how I feel about Dr. Nefarious being the main antagonist of ANOTHER game. Don't get me wrong he's still an awesome character but it would also be nice to face a new villain for a change, plus it makes me nervous that this could mean Nefarious could be defeated once and for all which could ruin a big part of the story of the R&C trilogy finale I made some time ago.

HOWEVER I think we can all agree that the biggest thing about this trailer is that while Clank is calling for Ratchet a blue and gray/white colored female Lombax with a robotic arm appears wondering who Clank is talking about, which again gives off A Crack In Time like vibes and…..she’s carrying a hammer ? A bit odd since Lombaxes are affiliated with wrenches but its still an amazing idea. Then we get the name of the game which though I hate to say, the text makes it looks a bit bad as its looks poorly rendered especially at the "and" section and what’s that thing between the words Rift and Apart ? Is that a dimensional rift ?

Other then that the trailer is amazing.

Now for the gameplay

So Marcus Smith does confirm some things about Rift Apart like how this will be a full length game and how those things teleporting Ratchet & Clank were dimensional rifts that will allow them to teleport form planet to planet which though cool its goanna be a bit sad not being able to use Aphelion in the game, I wish she could have more speaking roles in games as she IS one of the last few things from the Lombaxes.

He also says that the new graphic allows them to put something called ray trace reflections on Clank, which along with some other people I’ve seen, I agree makes him look really odd. Hopefully before the game comes out they fix this by toning it down  and maybe add a bit of white in there like his older appearances. He then says that the planets are denser with new creatures and that Ratchet has a new arsenal, which sounds perfect to me. He then states that R&C is close to the company’s hearts and can’t wait to show more of it, which again gives comfort.

We get to the gameplay and immediately were introduced to a new mechanic where Ratchet uses a gadget called the Rift Tether to go through a yellow rift similar to that scene in Avenger: Infinity Wars where (spoilers) Thanos uses the stones to pull Dr. Strange closer to him, pulling the area around him towards him in the process. We then see Ratchet fight a Thug for Less enemy, which is cool but not surprising since there were many signs that this game would make references to there other games and this is confirmed seconds later where we see Ratchet fight some Sandsharks. We also get to see several new species of aliens here.

During the Sandshark section we do see a NEW comet strike as unlike in previous games the Omniwrench is thrown diagonally and it looks like it returns to your hand faster. I feel like this change was done for the new female Lombax as I feel like she can do the same thing but since her melee weapon is a a hammer, it wouldn’t really work (or make since) if thrown horizontally, and it would be confusing to have two character with two different ways of throwing there melee weapon. Though I’m not that big a fan of changes I don’t really mind it, heck maybe its a one time thing.

After some more chaos like a giant tentacle creature coming out of the portal, similar to the one in the trailer, and what looks like an Ultra-Mech Unlimited crashing through a walkway Ratchet and Clank were in we get some interesting content in the next cut. One is Ratchet saying something about “break reality” again telling reality is coming apart because of theses rifts, quickly followed by Clank saying Dr. Nefarious has come out of hiding after years of hiding to take over the universe again which means that this IS a post Into The Nexus game, as I’ve seen some people debate about if it is or not.

We get another new game mechanic during the fight with some thugs. It seems that Ratchet can now jump to his left or right in order to avoid incoming damage by using a thruster on his boots, could this mean the Hoverboots are really in the game but are damaged ? It would be cool if during the game Ratchet & Clank or Ratchet goes to Azimuths house on Torren IV to find something about the Dimensionator but also find a part needed to fix his hoverboots thus letting Ratchet use them to get around, especially if the part of the trailer of Ratchet and Clank getting separated IS true.

Were also introduced to new weapons here. One is called a Shatterbomb, the bomb glove weapon, The Enforcer a shotgun like weapon and the Burst Pistol which is the blaster shown in the trailer and would explain its rapid fire ability. The most interesting weapon shown so far is the Topiary Sprinkler, a weapon that when thrown forms into a sprinkler that can project plants around it and shoots out a stream of water that can stop enemies in there place, plus I bet the plants around it is a form of defense system to protect the sprinkler for a time.

The gameplay ends with Ratchet destroying some Robomutts and going though a hallway where a statue of Dr. Nefarious or a mech in his image can be seen but also there is a moment where a purple energy ways rushes through the surrounding areas, just like in another R&C game but that’s for another post, no spoilers now.

Wow that was a lot to write but that’s because there was SO MUCH going on in theses trailers and I’m pretty sure I missed some things. I’m already working on a theory on what’s going to happen in this game, which will most likely come out during the weekend so stay tuned for that.

What were your thoughts on the trailers ? What was your favorite moment in them, and did you noticed anything in them I didn’t talked about ?

[broadway-book-badger]

Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

From time to time I like to talk about books here on tumblr.com. We’re just about half way through the time that has been 2020, and thanks to lockdown etc, I have already reached my Goodreads goal of 50 books, and I feel like talking about some of them. I’ve seen many people doing versions of this tag on YouTube, but I don’t do that, so instead I’m going to answer the questions here because why the hell not.

1. Best Book read so far in 2020

Picking one is too hard, so I’m going to say Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, and Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare as a top three. All chunky fantasy and sci-fi titles, but well worth it. 

2. Best Sequel read so far in 2020

The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky are books 2 and 3 in the Broken Earth Trilogy by N K Jemisin, and they were fantastic. This series is well deserving of all the awards that it has won, and I highly recommend it. I’m also going to shout out The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black and The Toll by Neal Shusterman for being great series finales.

3. A New Release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Due to bookshops being closed, a reluctance to buy physical books from Amazon and the debate of waiting for the paperback, there’s a few. I need to read King of Crows by Libba Bray, the final book in the Diviners series. I also want to get a hold of The City We Became by N K Jemisin and Burn by Patrick Ness, new books from authors I enjoy.

4. Most Anticipated Release for the rest of the year

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan, the final book in the Trials of Apollo series, comes out in September, and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green comes out in a few weeks. I read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing last month, and loved it, so I’m excited to see what happens next.

5. Biggest Disappointment

I’ve read a few duds, which were generally books I’ve had for years and years (often picked up second hand) and finally decided to pick up, then get rid of. My expectations for these were pretty low, so they didn’t disappoint me too much. The real biggest disappointment was the huge stack of library books I had to return unread due to coming home from University for lockdown. So many sequels I’d been waiting for...

6. Biggest Surprise

While a lot of the books I’ve had for ages and had low expectations for were not great, that was not the case for all of them. Gloss by Marilyn Kaye was one such book. I thought it would be a fine story about teenage girls working at a magazine, but it was so much better than I was expecting. I really enjoyed it, especially the 60s setting and directions taken with the romantic storylines.

7. Favourite New Author

Not new to the world, but new to me. I’ve started reading the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley, and I’m really enjoying it. These period romances sort of read like a more grown up Eva Ibbotson, one of my childhood favourites, so I’m excited to read more.

8. Newest Fictional Crush

I’m not above a fictional crush, but I can’t say I’ve picked up any new ones lately. I reread the Hunger Games a few months back though, and was reminded of my love for Peeta, one of the first book boys I loved.

9. Newest Favourite Character

I wouldn’t say that I’ve discovered any new ride-or-die all time favourite characters, but one of the character arcs I really appreciated was that of Benny in Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I loved watching her come into her own over the course of the story.

10. Book that made you Cry

It’s been a while since I’ve had a serious cry at a book, but tears were shed at the end of The Stone Sky by N K Jemisin back in January. The culmination of Essun realising she’s not alone, to her sacrifice, to the explanation for the 2nd person narration - good, but v emotional.

11. Book that made you Happy

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett. I’m so glad I’ve finally got into Discworld, the sense of humour here is so absolutely my cup of tea, and the plot in this book of witches vs vampires was excellent. I also just finished The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, which was a sweet rom-com which also made me happy, although in a slightly different way to Pratchett.

12. Most Beautiful Book you’ve bought this year

There hasn’t been a lot of book buying in 2020 for reasons, but before all the madness started, I got a hold of Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon because it was FINALLY out in paperback (though possibly more pretty, the hardback was just too big for practical reading). You can see it in all its glory in the picture at the top of the post.

13. Books to read by the end of the year

I really hope I can keep up my current momentum through the summer, because I am reading so much and it’s great. I’ll probably slow down come September, but we’ll see. I’ve just discovered that I can still borrow ebooks from the library even though they’re closed, so I’m planning on finishing some series that I started borrowing such as Crazy Rich Asians, Three Dark Crowns and Renegades. I also want to read more Terry Pratchett, because I’m loving everything I’ve read so far. Luckily, there are a lot of Discworld books!

[ask-the-guiding-light-cast]

Guiding Light turns two years old today!

It’s crazy to think this all began only a couple of years back... and also hilarious it falls on the same day as “International Mystery Dungeon Day” over on Twitter. More after the cut. This is gonna be a long one, so I appreciate anyone willing to read this. ^^

For a long time, I had been a casual consumer of fan fics. It started in the late 2000s when I was in a Spyro craze thanks to the more story-driven Legend of Spyro trilogy. I had an itch that I needed scratched and FFN fulfilled that to some extent. I also looked at some Mario fics, including Paper Mario: The Temple of the Sun, which I greatly enjoyed and thought did a good job adapting the formula that made Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door so beloved and putting a unique spin on things.

But it was until the early 2010s that I actually started getting back into Pokémon games with Gen V. After Emerald, I fell out of touch with Pokémon for a time. When Gen VI came around, I dipped my toe into the fandom through Twitch livestreams, but also through reading a few anime-based fics that are very long and still going, even now. 

At the same time, I ended up buying PMD: Explorers of Sky... and damaged my cartridge before I could properly finish the game with my Vulpix/Riolu team. So, I watched cutscenes for what I missed on YouTube, then got Gates to Infinity and, later, Super Mystery Dungeon and had fun with both of them... though more for the stories and characters than the actual gameplay. Truth be told, I don’t care much for roguelikes at all.

It was during the gap in time between Super’s release and the first official footage of Sun & Moon in mid-2016 that I found myself hit with a recurring thought: “What if someone made a PMD story where the hero and the partner are forced to fight one another with the fate of the world at stake?” I wound up (loosely) brainstorming an idea for a PMD story revolving around an antagonistic Hoopa character who would use its ring portals to collect entire communities, including the Pokémon living in them... all so that he would never be bored. This would lead him to “collect” the partner to add to his “toys,” so when the hero shows up, he’d sic the partner on them.

But that was as far as I got with the idea. I ended up graduating college and took a job with late evening hours. It left me pretty tired and exhausted and unmotivated to do much of anything. I withdrew from the parts of the Pokémon community I was involved in.

Then the Generation VII games came out and, while divisive in the fandom, I found myself really liking some of the concepts. There were so many times when I thought, “Gee, I wonder what this would be like if it were in a PMD game?” For example, one of the ideas I had was a sort of edgy rival rescue team akin to Gladion, which would have a Midnight Lycanroc, a Zoroark, and a Type: Null character in it.

So, toward the end of 2016 and early 2017, I started creating an idea for a Choose Your Own Adventure story with the intent of putting it on this really small forum I was a part of. It would be a Gen VII-themed PMD story, but because I didn’t think that sounded interesting enough, I decided that, not only would the human keep their memories, but they would be from the real world and be a major Pokémon nerd. The idea was that the choices the readers made would affect the relationship between the human and partner. I even came up with a point system. The more points the readers earned for their choices, the “closer” the relationship the hero and partner would have and the happier an ending the story would get. If the hero and partner couldn’t stand each other, one of them would likely end up working with the bad guy and winning. If they became steadfast friends, they’d work together to save the world.

Unfortunately, the forum shut down before I got too far into planning it, so I shelved the idea and continued focusing on my job. And things stayed that way for several months, until I ended up getting into med school and scrambling to move.

During the downtime I had when I wasn’t doing moving related stuff, I decided to look at FFN again and found Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Defenders of Warmth. I wound up reading through the entirety of the story quite quickly. I guess you could say it sparked something in my head. The fic itself focuses on what, at the time, was the newest Gen (Gen V). It also has multiple humans and is set on a continent separate from the canon locations (which were just the Air and Grass Continents, since Gates and Super didn’t exist when the fic was written). In short, it renewed my desire to pursue my idea of a Gen VII-flavored PMD story.

So, I set about creating my story outline. It is so... so much different from the actual story, though I’ve gone into that in previous posts (search for #amby answers). Originally, I used Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time as the framework for the fic: an alien invasion in a colorful, comedic world. I took more specific cues, too. Zero was meant to be a (mostly) silent antagonist a la Princess Shroob, for example.

The problem was, I really didn’t have much confidence in myself or my abilities. I’d like to say I was writing for myself, but I really did want validation, too. I think any author is lying to themselves if they say they don’t feel this way at some point. Because of this, I figured if I put the fic on FFN, it would get ignored. The site’s huge! There were, at the time, around 85k fics in the Pokémon section alone. (That number’s since gone up to over 90k!)

Given I had experience with forums, I decided to post it to Serebii, because the fic community seemed much smaller and more open to giving feedback to one another. In an effort to try and, y’know, establish some connections, I actually read other pieces and reviewed them before posting any stories. This also helped me build up a backlog of chapters and prove to myself I enjoyed writing this enough to keep going.

When I finally did post the fic, it was a bumpy start, for sure. I do think I made a lot of mistakes out of the gate, including uploading chapters way too quickly for readers on Serebii to (reasonably) try to keep pace. That probably cost me a few potential readers... or made them silent readers who I never ended up hearing from. Which is why I’m especially thankful to @girl-like-substance (who I can seem to tag, drat) for all of the well-thought-out feedback given throughout the fic’s run. I don’t think I would’ve made such significant strides in my writing otherwise... and there are plenty of long-running fics where the quality tends to stagnate.

In any case... it was thanks to a request from @deliriousabsol to put the fic somewhere more mobile-friendly that I chose to mirror Guiding Light on FFN starting in October 2017. I would’ve kept going on Serebii had she not asked so nicely, so she’s the one you can thank for it showing up there! (She’s a fellow author who does cyberpunk-themed fics and art and her characters have cameoed in the fic.)

And, honestly, I’m just... beyond shocked at what wound up happening to the fic once it hit FFN. Well, actually, for the first several months I was lucky if I even got a comment when I put up a chapter. I’m not sure any of the people who first commented on FFN still follow the fic anymore. I haven’t seen/heard from them at all, so I assumed they moved on with their lives.

In any case, around March of 2018, the word count on FFN passed 300k and... somehow, the fic starting getting more attention. Like, a lot more attention. This was... not really something I was even remotely prepared for.

(Yes, this means there’s gonna be a giveaway. More on that later.) I never would’ve thought I’d reach a number like this. I never imagined I’d meet another PMD author who’d be willing to do a fun collab (thanks @virgil134, Spiteful Murkrow, and Namohysip). I really did not imagine that I’d ever get fanart of characters that I wrote (huge thanks @thebreak-ofdawn, @ask-nicky-and-others, and @cresselia92). I mean, above everything, I not expect the fic or characters to resonate with anybody the way it wound up.

A part of me feels like I don’t really deserve it. I’ve made a lot of serious gaffes with writing this. When initial Serebii feedback had people intrigued by Shane’s jerkass attitude (when I didn’t actually intend for him to come off as a jerk), I dialed things up in the hopes I’d keep their attention. It probably cost me readers. Then there’s the slow pacing of the early episodes and the mistake of making Special Episode 3 as long as it was... which my speaks to my (bad) tendency to give into some of my strongest impulses even though I had an outline I was trying to stick to.

And, I mean, there’s also some of the “shamlessly shameful” stuff I’ve done with the fic. I’m not fooling myself. Guiding Light has grown progressively more furry and, uh, probably fanservicey, too. All the big furbait (and some scalebait) ‘mons are accounted for. There’s a lot more sexual humor when I initially promised myself I would stay away from romance and keep everything platonic. I practically turned Xerneas into waifu bait, if some of these asks are anything to go by. This blog certainly didn’t help in that regard. Maybe I’m just being my usual nervous self? 

I am worried that this fic’s performance has, somehow, affected my thoughts and behavior. There are very popular fic authors who let their popularity get to their head... or chose to open up Patreons (something that makes me uncomfortable) or start doing things like taking commissions for written pieces, which is understandable... though I think it’s an easy way to lose your passion for writing. I guess some of that worry stems from a debacle I learned about on a Discord server I’m in, but that’s not something I’m comfortable discussing publicly. 

And I haven’t even talked much about the blog itself. Like, it somehow passed 100 followers? Where? When? How? I don’t actually draw stuff like many other Pokéasks. And, like, for a lot of folks, I have no idea if they’ve actually read the fic or just check in on the blog. It’s the same with the fic, I suppose. If you’re a silent reader/follower, I would really love to hear from you! I promise... I don’t bite or anything. I’d love to know what (if anything) you’re thinking. And if you’re a blog that’s following this one and we haven’t interacted, please feel free to reach out! It’s honestly hard to tell if people like what I’m doing, so any feedback is always appreciated.

In any case, if I haven’t lost you by now, I guess all I can say is... thank you. Thank you all so much for all of the support... whether it’s on the fic, the blog, or both of them. I really do hope this final episode can meet your expectations. I’ll try my very best to make this an ending to remember. Nothing would make me happier than to hear you guys enjoy it and feel it does justice to the PMD series.

Sorry for all the rambling. The inbox is open again if you’d like to send any messages for the ficaversary. Again, thank you all so much! You’re the best!

[thegeeksanctum]

My top 5 favorite Batman Actors (Spoiler: Not George Clooney)

So in honor of Batman’s 80th anniversary. I figured I’d list my top 5 favorite Batman actors. So let’s start with number 1.

1. Ben Affleck (Batman V. Superman Dawn of Justice,Suicide Squad, Justice League)

I know this pick is very controversial. Given how panned the films are by the critics and how it divided the DC fanbase. Full disclosure I will admit I was not a fan of his casting when it was first announced. However I am very glad I was wrong about him. Ben Affleck nailed the role of playing of a grizzled veteran Batman who has been fighting crime on the streets of Gotham City for twenty years. The warehouse scene in Dawn of Justice has to be my favorite Batman scene of all time. Not to mention I loved his chemistry with Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman). I am sad we won't get to see him in his own standalone film or let alone have Ben direct it himself. Despite his short stint as the character, Ben's Batman will remain my favorite.

2. Michael Keaton (Batman & Batman Returns)

Alright I kept going back and forth whether or not I would list Michael as my number 2 or 3 and you will see why when I post my number 3. I ultimately decided to go with number 2. Michael’s Batman will always remain special due to my childhood memories. The 1989 Batman film was my introduction to Batman. I remember seeing the film when I was five years old and I was fixated on the Batman character. A fixation that not gone away almost 30 years later. The two films he did rank high among my favorite Batman films. Batman Returns is actually my favorite Tim Burton film.

3. Kevin Conroy (Batman Animated Series, Justice League, Arkham video games, Injustice video games etc..) This is cheating I know since this is the only one listed who is a voice actor rather than appearing in live action. However it feels wrong to deny him a spot in my top 5. Even with just his voice, Kevin Conroy captures the character of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Batman the Animated Series is without a doubt my favorite cartoon show of all time. I am glad Kevin Conroy has stuck long aroundafter my childhood voicing the character in various cartoons, animated films and the Arkham and Injustice video games.

4. Christian Bale (The Dark Knight trilogy) For many, Christian Bale would probably be their number one Batman. However he's my number four for the sole reason that I couldn't rank him higher than Michael Keaton or Kevin Conroy. Christian did a good job of playing Batman if he existed in the real world. Admittedly the Batman voice was a bit jarring and the fighting style could have been improved it doesn't take away the fact his take on the character is loved by so many and for many is the standard for anyone who takes on the role now. I will be honest I would have watched a fourth movie with him in the role if there had been one.

5. Adam West *RIP* (Batman TV Series) For many people who grew up in the 1960s or loved the reruns. Adam West is their Batman. Much different from the other Batman on the list but still I loved the portrayal despite how much more lighter and campy it was. The TV series played a huge part in why I love Batman. I still go back and watch the reruns from time to time. The late Adam West has left an enduring legacy as Batman.