#i don't know if its just me but i feel like everyone has an affinity with a colour even if its n9t your fave

[aro-aizawa]

i like to think everyone has a colour associated with them, whether its just your fave colour or what you generally wear most of or what colour your bedroom walls are. i always associate the name sophie with dark blue, my mum is always a nice turquoise, i like to think my colour is a bright sunflower yellow.

if you have a specific shade pls tell me i adore when ppl have associated colours and tell me them, bc i think of them when i see that colour

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER LESSON 41 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | all lessons| season 2 | season 3 | lesson 40 | lesson 41.2 | lesson 42.1 | lesson 42.2

WE'RE HOME BITCHES

i missed my boys but i also feel bad for the nb!timeline boys bc they'll never see us again :( i miss them

HSHGDHDGD they're so stupid 😭 and ik they knew it was mammon's handwriting bc there's no way they didn't

:((((( i think i mentioned this in my lesson 40 breakdown but this is literally a physical manifestation of the login screen dialogue:

"my love for you transcends time"

if i was mc i'd be BAWLING y'all don't understand

this bg gives me war flashbacks to lesson 76 🫠 sad times man

PLEASE where did this come from 😭 everyone was all nostalgic and crying and shit and then he comes and pulls this outta his ass

NOT HE CALLED MAMMON A BROKE ASS BITCH (we been knew)

but on another note, how does he know the wallet is light if it's levitating ??? like does he feel the heaviness bc he's making it float or is he just bullshitting to piss mammon off 😭

giggling, kicking my feet, i missed her 🫶🏽 my wife, the loml

yk this would be a great time to have our affinity with her go up 😐 COUGH COUGH 😐 why isnt she dateable yet

isn't he canonically really good at math ??? like aside from just counting money

even tho it definitely comes from his greed

they're always downplaying his good qualities 🫠 hate it here /j

also side note, him getting assigned geography is a SET UP like 😭 we all know this man can't focus for the life of him. at LEAST give him math so he'd have a chance 💀

mc and mammon are ESPECIALLY cooked bc dia and barb decided to be tryhards and join every part of the competition

mc better than me bc i'd fight a bitch if he just up and left me after all the stuff that happened in the other timeline 😭 fym you're in the human world while i'm down here struggling

where did all of his development go ???? the whole season 3 arc where luke, mammon, and mc were on a train (?) together and luke learned to let go of his biases just got erased ig

Y'ALL WHAT IF HE BECOMES A DEMON

or what if it's michael messing with him even though he's fallen ??? the teaser has me paranoid idk

ANYWAYS overall 10/10 comeback lesson (i'm biased and i missed my boys 🫶🏽)

(i feel like the bonus story of the normal lesson needed its own post bc...😭)

[syn4k]

hi

i have some ideas about halos.

so heres the idea: someone with a strong connection to their god (or demon or whatever it is that theyre worshiping) gets a halo from their affinity with said god. these are granted specifically by the god themself so not everyone has them. depending on their specific relationship with their god, the halo will appear in different places!

here's my expanded ideas for a few, as introduced in the drawing above:

classic halo

its your standard everyday floating above the head halo, nothing special about it

normally granted to priests

collar halo

hovers around neck

for followers who are Really, Really dedicated to their god. i mean really dedicated. "i will do anything even if i don't know what 'anything' actually is" level dedicated. you know how dogs are, right?

some wear it casually, some wear it like a noose, some wear it like a necklace.

basically works like a normal collar but can only be manipulated at the god in question's behest

armband halo

hovers around bicep, which arm it is depends on the follower's dominant (or preferred if they're ambidextrous) hand.

amputee followers are rare but in the case that someone doesn't have an arm the halo hovers at an angle above their shoulder instead

generally reserved for generals and other military leaders within the god's army if they have one

the hand

appears around the follower's dominant wrist

only seen on those who carry out the plans and will of their god down on earth. gods tend to not get involved in messy stuff so they find someone to do the dirty work for them down on the mortal plane. is also a play on the phrase "right hand man"

voice

appears around tongue

i feel like this one speaks for itself, really (HA).

not for proselytizers- only for those who speak directly for their god

the follower in question may be selectively or forcibly mute the rest of the time. it varies depending on the person and the god.

eyes

also quite self-evident. appears as a glowing band around the followers' irises (or iris). if they don't have eyes then the halo settles around the level of their eye sockets instead.

whatever they see, their god can also. this isn't a 24/7 thing unless said god chooses it to be. still, they tend to not get a lot of privacy

there have been a couple of blind followers designated their god's Eyes on Earth, which is pretty damn cool if you ask me (and also more than a little bit fucked up)

ears

halo manifests vertically around an ear

works the same way as the eye halo does but for hearing instead

the exalt

rarest

only seen with gods and possessed followers

appears as a filled-in circle of light behind the god or follower's head- if you're familiar with catholic iconography you'll understand what i mean. if not, just look up the wikipedia page for halos (religious iconography) and scroll the examples of christian art including halos

followers are rarely possessed by their gods because commonly gods have enough power to manifest a form on their own and need no vessel. a god in physical form may hide or obscure their halo at will. however, in the case that the god is too weak to assume a form of their own, they will sometimes take over a follower's body to intervene directly in a situation. the follower's body will assume the halo in this case and it cannot be hidden

shoutout to christianity for giving me the idea for this one. i got my problems with the jesus fandom but their character designs fuckin slap

some notes:

followers of one god can only have one halo at a time. polytheists can have several at once, one for each god, although this is extremely rare

followers with halos can naturally see each other's halos. those without have to look harder and nonbelievers (of any god) often cannot see them at all

i didn't intend the collar halo idea to be interpreted as a sex thing but if you want to do that then you can ig. im not a cop

yes the halos are customized depending on the god! some of them put time and effort into it. most don't though

[empty-vessel-of-a-person]

Similarities and Difference I feel between Zayne and Sylus.

Note: Just my opinion. It's okay if you do not agree. We all have different take on Sylus appearance in the game and the whole update. MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS... YOU ARE WARNED.

The Game

The game fixes so many bugs. I'm so glad that I don't have to buy a new phone. Imagine downloading 2.3 GB for the new version then another 7+ GB for data and then it offloads all data of all of your memories. So the update is both has its good side and bad side.

When Infold says Sylus is coming, he is indeed coming!!! I mean the whole update is about him and the N109 zone. But setting aside the Sylus thing, the whole N109 zone is both scary and wonderful. The details and depth they put in the update are very gone. It's like watching a movie. If ever you watch Final Fantasy VII Advent Children or Spirits Within. It's giving me that vibe.

The transition from a light theme to a dark theme in the fighting scenes is good. We get to see the game evolve to a more serious side.

All in all, the update is so good and I really enjoyed it.

Sylus and Zayne

I can't help but think they are both ends of a ruler, it's like they are Morning and Nighttime. While they are both sharp tongues, Zayne will tone down and spoil M/C while Sylus leaves things as it is.

They may seem cold but they protect M/C at all costs. Just like what Grandma Josephine says, "By helping her(M/C) you are helping yourself"

That being said, Zayne and Sylus are always there to teach M/C what she needs to know and survive. While Sylus is more brute in handling things, Zayne is more of sarcastic but kind.

Sylus

I don't think he is in love with M/C.... Yet! He needs her, yes. But that does not necessarily mean being in love.

In Abyssal Chaos, M/C finds him a nuisance then when M/C asks if he is worried about her, he answers maybe leaving us on the edge.

To say I'm shocked on Sylus Relax Time: Palm, is an understatement. The first part is cute, but my head explodes when he bites our hand!!!! I'm so not ready for that. I waited so long to upgrade Zayne's affinity to get the Relax Time: Hands, just to be slapped by Sylus' first relax time. But then again, as a consumer, Infold purposely intends Sylus to be that way to get more girlies to the game. I can't complain about that.

I don't like his voice. You read that right. I don't like his voice (English Version). My sister doesn't know I'm playing while he is speaking. She says it's like a grandpa's voice. Infold should have chosen a younger-sounding sexy voice. A little bit like Zayne's but deeper. Again this is just my opinion. If you like it, you like it.

Now I know why Zayne never gets casual clothing like a t-shirt or sweats because they are reserving them for Sylus so Zayne and him will have a striking contrast with style and personality.

He is also a mixture of everyone (Xavier, Rafayel, and Zayne) Xavier on being oblivious. Oblivious because this guy doesn't seem to know how dangerously sexy he is. Rafayel on being witty. Yes, No, Maybe so? And Zayne for having the air of authority and control.

Final Thoughts

Sylus is sexy! Yes I said it... He is sexy. And women like dangerous and sexy. It adds to the excitement. It doesn't help that he bites our hands. Who wouldn't fall for that... Infold's Sylus team did a great job in shading the other guys in one swoop..

Thank you Infold for giving us more ways to earn Diamonds. I hope you also increase the weekly limit in earning chocolates.

The love interest page still flags 'Coming Soon'. I am still hoping Infold brings Caleb back. Yes, I love Caleb as much as Zayne! He is the only guy I'm interested in aside from Zayne. Don't you think it's a good and fair love triangle? Sylus has always been on a different level. Something Zayne and the other boys can never be and never compete with.

What's next? Since Glint studio is so addicting, I am hoping the next version comes with video shooting. I mean we are making a video shoot with the boys not just still photos.

Good job Infold!!!! You really hook me and my wallet!!!!

[exilethegame]

i've been having an itch to write an if game, do you have any tips? i feel like its a very bad idea to jump straight in head first yk?

So much of it is a "figure it out as you go" kind of thing, but here's what I've learned, personally, and how I usually go about things!

1.) Figure out the kind of story you're trying to tell. That goes with any form of media. Is it a comedy? A tragedy? Is it meant to read like an old fairytale or a YA novel? What makes writing good is incredibly subjective, so it's important to find your genre + voice as a writer and play into your strengths. You can't satisfy everyone, so aim to satisfy yourself.

2.) Figure out who the player character is. What is their history? What's their role in the story? Why are they the player character? Figure out how much variation you want for them-- what's solidified about their past, and what's open for headcanons, and what's open for choices in-game?

3.) Treat MC with as much dedication as your main characters-- don't separate them from everyone else. People want MC to feel like an active part of the story. This is a generalization, of course, but I know myself and others enjoy an MC who has agency and feels just as fleshed out as the other characters in the story. I don't want MC to feel like a "observer" but rather an active character in the narrative.

4.) Plan out your game mechanics + the affinity system ahead of time. This is something I didn't fully do, and while it wasn't earth destroying, it has made coding unnecessarily messy at times on my end. Is it a stat heavy game or choice heavy game? What are the important stats, and how often will the player be able to influence them? I find the second part of that to be the most important, as you want to pace stat increases/decreases with the length + pace of the game. For example, in The Exile, MC's personality can only change in the first three chapters. Once MC is brought to Plaithus, their personality is locked in. This goes for other variables too-- sometimes there are only "windows" when they're able to be influenced. This helps me keep track of what's what and not be overwhelmed by the amount of stats I have.

5.) Plan out your cast, and make sure everyone has a purpose to the story. If you can't defend the presence of a character in your story, you might need to rethink their presence, or otherwise change the character. This doesn't mean they need to have a giant, crazy character arc connected to the main story, but rather that they bring something to the table that other characters don't. That being said, it probably is a good idea to make sure every main character in the story has some sort of personal story arc. It can be small, but it's nice to see how characters change over the course of a narrative, otherwise they might feel "static."

6.) Know why you're making your story. Is it for yourself? Is it for fun? Is it to make money? Is it to make art? Will it be public or private? If you're making the game public, prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for critique and external opinions. I think we, as creators, sometimes underestimate (especially in IF and on Tumblr) just how crazy things can get with reader/author interactions.

And, my final piece of advice...

7.) Learn to set boundaries and say no with a full chest. Your game is your game at the end of the day, no one else's. Do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled and write the kind of story you want to read. And, of course, be easy on yourself. Writing takes time and effort, and sometimes you'll hit hurdles. The most important thing is to be patient with yourself and learn to keep on going forward, even when the going gets tough. As I always like to say, writing slowly is better than not writing at all!

Best of luck if you decide to make the jump and write a game!

[jorisjurgen]

World of Twelve dashboard simulator #2

👁️ katarynadance follow

Freaks may say i want to fuck antonio sadisski from the bontarian boufbowl Love Arrow team. I'm freaks. I mean im freaks. I mean im freaks.

🌌 somethingquietplace

I wouldn't go that far, but NGL, I don't know how one might not develop an affinity for him... Very charming man! He might be the second greatest player after Khan.

Then again, my opinion on who the second greatest player is changes all the time, haha.

🌸 sadidaskickshoe follow

Ehh khan's been dead for centuries....! Let it go. I think he's cool, but thinking nobody will ever be better is crazy...

🌌 somethingquietplace

He developed most of the techniques still used to this day, just so you know. Visit a museum perhaps. It might be helpful?

🎃 sacriblo0ody follow

average khan fan showing how much criticism of his favourite misogynyst he can withstand.

🌌 somethingquietplace

And you're an average 16 year old child with Very Important Opinions trying to educate me nicely.

🧀 cheesefuckersupreme follow

Seeing somethingquietplace and sadidaskickshoe on the same post is kind of terrifying.

#worlds most toxic crossover? #20 callout posts gang real?

(1,582 notes)

🧀 cheesefuckersupreme follow

Guys they both blocked me ASFHFKDKGJSJ

Do i get a boufbowl fandom badge of honor now????? Did i make it in life?????

🦠 gorebludsac follow

I don't think it's a nice way to post, considering one of them is like neurodivergent and a minor, and the other is tumblr user somethingquietplace (diagnosis self explanatory)

🧀 cheesefuckersupreme follow

I'm sorry yeah i forgot that they're both diagnosed.

#ngl i feel bad kinda for both of them

(34 notes)

🌌 somethingquietplace

.

I hate adventuring with other people. Just being there and knowing I'll never be their friend. I want to say something, be in the conversation, but I never know what to say, and everyone already knows each other and

Well even when they don't yet know each other, obviously they'll prefer anyone else over me. They'll give up on trying to talk to me.

It's so weird... I hate everyone. Everyone has stupid interests and tastes. Just braindead things. Romance and fucking and fashion. And all of them have normal lives and normal families and once in a while they ask something about mine and I don't know what to say at all. And I want to be liked. Even if I have zero respect for anyone I want to like me. Is it weird?

I guess I'm just sad because I don't have that innate talent to pretend like I care about other people. Or maybe I wish someone actually liked me besides my family.

#delete later #...I really like this ''forbid others from reblogging a post'' function they added recently #When my dad dies I think I will finally kill myself I guess. #not osu #Honestly I can't tolerate anyone at my work. I hate them all and want them dead. #And I can't tolerate anyone close to my age. #They all insult me. Constantly. You know. #So the only people who like me are my family. #Its neverending. I can't take it anymore. #I think me only liking my family might be a self fulfilling prophecy but i don't care. #or so I think.

(2 notes)

🌸 sadidaskickshoe follow

people who post about their family issues on here are weird.... My brother isn't here but just the idea of him seeing anything on my phone makes me so scared to write anything!! 😵‍💫

#temp

(1 note)

🌌 somethingquietplace

I wish people would refrain from obvious vagueblogging about my deleted posts.

#delete later #not osu

(284 notes)

🌸 sadidaskickshoe

people who stalk other peoples blogs are so weird!! I think it's easier to follow one another. Because this is getting embarrassing for us both XD

🌌 somethingquietplace

Ok.

#Mostly I am following you because you said you liked Khan Karkass. #Even if you don't have good opinions (ones I agree with) on him.

(1243 notes)

🦠 gorebludsac follow

A second mad xelor explosive machine has hit the tumblr boufbowl fandom

#those.two.... are mutuals now. #i canrt stop laughing there are tears rolling down my face #remember when kickshoe told me in explicit detail how she wanted me to kill myself #or how quiet typed out whole 40 paragraphs of threats #and ended that post with ''youre wasting my time away from work'' as if hes not termianlly online too #this is historical for me and nobody else

(46 notes)

🪰 maldemal follow

She throw dice on my tabletop til i eacflipcity

🕳️ eviltreeman follow

Collect my Thirsty Branches

(459 notes)

🎭 syxxxxxaenika follow

Bruh someone tried to kill the prince again and missed. How the fuck does a fifth assassin in a row fail at killing the prince of brakmar!!!! I can't live in this stupid country anymore

🌸 sadidaskickshoe

Even if things suck i dont think killing royals is the answer..... 😰

(109 notes)

🌌 somethingquietplace

Was in a store recently. The prices were disgusting, and the worst of all, the Ministry of Moral Purity wants to propose a tax for being negative about the government... Are we in Brakmar now? Is this Brakmar we're in?

I have something very taxable to say but shall refrain.

🎭 syxxxxxaenika follow

Bontarians when something bontarian happens bontarianly in bonta: is this fucking brakmar

unlike you, I have the free speech to wish death on our royalty. I can say freely that I hope the prince of brakmar kills himself.

🌌 somethingquietplace

It's literally so easy to hate you even besides the holier than thou attitude... Your city has lava. Would a good place to live with good people have lava. Would a good place with good people have invented something called "the Brakmarian burial"?

🎭 syxxxxxaenika follow

You can't be saying that white-blue boy

#WHERE DID A RANDOM BONTARIAN LEARN A 500 YEAR OLD GANG TERM FOR BODY DISPOSAL?? #WHAT???

(24295 notes)

🪄 pantypervert69 follow

CALLOUT POST:

@/xellymelly has been selling re-bought goods from The Mad Xelor. Do NOT buy from her. Not only are they dangerous, they are also wildly past their expiration date. DO NOT USE ANYTHING YOU BOUGHT FROM HER. IT WILL KILL YOU.

🌌 somethingquietplace

If you have items made by The Mad Xelor, Kerubim Crepin from Bonta's Aux Tresors de Kerubim shop has a recycling program for all victims of this scam. He even gives out rewards for all the items you bring in.

I implore you to consider taking the things you bought to him, and making the world a safer place. (And "★bring some magic to your life★")

#not osu #I can personally vouch for this store's quality. It's very well known among some circles around here.

(4838 notes)

🚬 pigpigeazer follow

Everyone always jokes about the bad parts of classes but nobody ever talks about how generous the pandawa are, how honest iops are, how lively ecaflips are, and how empathetic sacriers are

🎃 sacriblo0ody follow

literally im always saying that!

🤖 athefogenesis follow

Except it always comes at the expense of mentioning that their religion makes them ignorant, addicts, or drives them to self harm?? We need to bully people who are hardcore about class tenets harder. You're destroying yourself for some all powerful reality-warping creature that doesnt give a shit about you

🤹 lancerclown420 follow

People like you give us atheist classes such a bad name. Everyone and everything in the world has a purpose, both those who follow a deity, and those who follow a primciple and

Actually they're a sufokian supremacist so nvmmmm

🧙 hupperschlongartor follow

THE NOTES ARE A FREE BLOCKLIST 💀

(637 notes)

🌌 somethingquietplace

.

#not osu #delete later #the thing is that. I never stopped hating him for ruining my life. #But the amount of hatred i feel ebbs and flows. Does it make sense? #This is stupid. So stupid... Like #oh nooo papycha... you neglected me as a child to the point of incurable mental diseases... #They would be better off if I was dead honestly #i need me and my dad to die. #I need everyone to die actually

(2 notes)

🦞 foggerfish follow

Apparently there's a big thing going on in demigod history community because Goultard (you know, the 4847372882843 or whatever year old son of Iop) undied again and was spotted somewhere around Astrubian border.

👽 cvt3-r41nb0w follow

MY WEDDING IS BACK ON NOBODY WILL HOLD ME BACK. He already married witches i can be the fourth

🗣️ thedarkwitchfromthatbook-is-gay follow

Isn't he gay

😈 osawhip666 follow

isn't he a mass murderer

🌌 somethingquietplace

Finally a reason to kill myself?

#I have to work with demigods a lot so... #Wish me luck in avoiding him like plague? #I had horrible experiences with him in the past #but talking about it would definitely lead someone to finding out who I am so... #I hope he kills himself and it sticks for once.

(447 notes)

🪐 8lunarcoeur8 follow

Heyyy

I wish people would stop rb'ing quiet's boufbowl gifsets considering the fact hes racist, misogynist, a freak, a bonta apologist (goes with the racism), has a fucking Maid, and likes some really weird things.

At least kickshoe has the excuse of being like a teen but this fucking guy is just something else.

🧙 hupperschlongartor follow

whatd he do? 🥺

🪐 8lunarcoeur8 follow

Says weird things about brakmar (x, x, x, x, x, x, x, and mooooore), is a freak (x, x), and a misogynist (x, x, x) (STOP STANNING KHAN KARKASS) also he's weird about huppermages and self described his class as an antihuppermage and even though it was like 200 years ago hes a wholeass immortal man and also is Still a weirdo about ecaflips.

(385 notes)

🌌 somethingquietplace

RE: the newest cancellation

I don't care about your feelings and I have nothing to apologize for.

#not osu

(1842 notes)

🦴 skellythievin follow

Not me honoring sram by stealing bones from the graveyard 😭

🦴 ougigou-woof-woof follow

LEGENDARY POST

#WHY DO I HAVE THE SAME PFP AS THE BONE STEALING SRAM

(59227 notes)

🌸 sadidaskickshoe

Yaaa antonio sadisski won as always!! They should put sadidas like him in the hall of heroes for our country ᕙ⁠ ⁠(⁠°⁠ ⁠~⁠ ⁠°⁠ ⁠~⁠)

👯 mirarynnnw follow

He sucks

🌸 sadidaskickshoe

Hi kill yourself :) /gen

#i was banned from using my phone but ill risk it all again to say that nobody will miss you!

(12 notes)

[beatcroc]

turns out i have to make an unnecessarily wordy thoughtspost about doombox too bc there is nothing about this character that isn't fucking ridiculous and also really funny and i'm kind of really obsessed with all of it. ordinarily i would just start firing but in this case I need to just. paste his bio and then go through it step by step because every phrase here is absurd when looking at how he's handled along with the other characters and the world as a whole. here we go

first sidenote: i should also add 'nonsensical' to the list of descriptors up there, because this is a fighting game and no doubt has the typical Bad Fighting Game Writing at play that doesn't really hold up when put under scrutiny as i'm about to, but understand that this is something i've come to love about the genre and its typically batshit lore, and it further enhances the experience for me. it's all utter nonsense and its my favorite shit ever.

the biggest thing to me that makes his entire shtick ridiculous is that he was explicitly made to be a weapon. like his express purpose is destruction and/or killing people, and he certainly has the disposition to be doing that. except that he is not doing that. he's out there playing Ball Game, evidently of his own volition.

i feel it is also important to highlight that he was not originally or intentionally a boombox; he just kinda lives in there. his own bio frames it as happenstance, but sonata's dlc skin lore** implies he isn't permanently stuck in there and can kinda just hop out and take control of whatever he wants whenever he wants. there is an entire goddamn tank just sitting there in the background of one of these stages. he is a weapon. there is heavy artillery readily available to him that he could be commanding if he wanted to, but he's not doing that either. he is still a boombox. i think he likes it in there. *there's an argument to be made that maybe he's not powerful enough to control something that large, or maybe just that switching hosts is really tiring or risky. im just saying though there's like a bajillion host devices better suited for A Fucking Weapon than a boombox, but he seems really committed to this for some reason. while im here btw it's fucking terrifying that he apparently can possess thing that are Not tech as well **as a side note from that the specific mention of her boomhammer is interesting. i don't think it's an intentional implication but i enjoy the idea he has an affinity for sound-based devices; i like to think the boombox left an impression on him with its being the initial thing he possessed and got used to

and then there is the berserking. the 'rampaging', as it is otherwise called. not exactly strange on its own given his temperament and designation, but strange for the way it's characterized as only a tendency. it's only that he's prone to rampaging. he rampages often, but not all the time. just often! what is he doing he is not rampaging? getting a custom trimmed jacket with his own logo emblazoned on it? like a nerd? and on the flipside, what exactly do these rampages even entail? because it's apparently not anything destructive or disruptive enough for anyone to care about stopping him under normal circumstances.

like how are you a giant angry "not exactly stable" weapon of a guy and everyone's like 'yeah that's fine. that's our doombox!' toxic's specific wording regarding his getting unfucked postgame is "back to his old raging self", which implies to me there's almost a certain fondness, or at least amusement, at his being like this. i know one of the core themes of lethal league is letting these oddball misfit dudes do their thing and freely be who they are, but like. is doombox sincerely just not a threat for that? like really? dice's interactions also sort of imply that his actually trying to kill someone is really out of the ordinary for him so truly like. db my man what ARE you doing out there. * re: toxic and dice's talking about him; i do also find it amusing that one of his defining traits is just being pissed off all the time. again, not surprising given his purpose/designation as a weapon, but funny in that it's like. how he's KNOWN; in the sense that it is immediately noticeable and a cause for concern for other characters to see he is Not angry. fuckin social barometer of a guy. local angry guy isn't angry, something's wrong.

the "reasons for playing in the league unknown" bit also strikes me as a little odd even though it REALLY shouldn't. i'm like 97% sure it's just written like that to make him seems mysterious and unpredictable and dangerous, but it's a weird thing to call attention to when you consider that...less than half of the other characters' reasons are known? raptor is there trying to get info on his dad, that one's well out there. dust & ashes i think have some kind of implied reason for being there as well but it of course isn't elaborated on, and grid is like trying to impress "the youth" and establish a profile or something. nitro seems like he might not actually be IN the league as an official competitor? it's just helpful for him to know how to ball for the situations he gets into with his investigations. everybody else's "reason" pretty much seems like they're just out there to have fun. and toxic says as much in the story mode intro! the game was developed for people to escape the monotonies of shine city! so to imply doombox has a separate, non-recreational reason for being here is weird. the easiest read on it for me is just that he was drawn to it cause it's intense and destructive but at the same time.... if all he wants is an excuse to wreck shit....why are you competing in a structured sports game with rules and shit my dude. you are a weapon. just go attack people. except that we've established that he doesnt really do that. so. once again. what IS he doing out here

----

aside from the bio though, there's of course random little tidbits of characterization throughout the game itself and they are all also likewise ridiculous.

he refers to himself in third person, which is always an amusing choice for a character in general. it carries with it a certain sense of ego, an awareness of and and pride in one's presence and gravitas. this was mostly just surprising to me bc before i started looking at everything, i'd assumed he was more or less mindless and, yknow, robotic; without much personality/reason for being there beyond being the Biggest Baddest Best At Ball Game Guy doombox is already very imposing, so this is frankly a well-earned sense of pride for him to have.....but it still doubles back to being funny again because, as i've established above, he could stand to be a hell of a lot scarier! but he doesn't seem to notice or care that there are many readily-available options for becoming more powerful and/or establishing himself as unquestionable top dog. so instead he is a boombox. third-person is also often used for characters who are a little dumb, and i think this applies to doombox as well. he is a weapon, and clearly a brute-force-over-precision type of weapon at that, he doesnt need smarts. i think this is also sort of hinted at with his voice lines; where the other characters have some kind of snarky phrase or one-liner for their kill/score voice line, doombox just goes "bye-bye". Which is still appropriately Disrespectful, but it's also very, uh... simple. again i just think there are... more imposing things a guy like him could be saying there, but i guess he hasn't got anything more than fucking. bye-bye.

anyways the ego thing i think is well-echoed by his stupid fucking jacket. none of the other characters have their logo as part of their design and i'm pretty sure the rest of the symbols are just game abstractions and don't exist in-universe, but like. doombox is just going around wearing a jersey with his own damn face on it. ok. to be clear i love his jacket but it is literally so silly for him to have that. imagine being the guy having to custom-fit a fucking boombox. did db pay for it? how? we're getting into unproductive territory here but you could ask a million questions about that jacket and they all have hysterical implications. while im on the topic of designs i'd also like to say that while i don't count any of the other blaze redesigns as "canon" like actual events the characters went through between games [like raptor in particular would have already had to have the stitches since that's his backstory, it's just they weren't a design point before], doombox is in a weird spot since the first game's design for him was very specifically referencing its HUD in a meta way for his flavor and that was pretty much the entire extent of his flavor; while in blaze he and the HUD are very much separate distinct things with their own flavor. there's more to talk about here later but as it pertains to design what im saying is i think he just went out and found a better and cooler boombox to be in between games. and also got a funny jacket. *actually i have no idea if there's even a Timeline here. the gut vibe i had been running on was that blaze happens a couple years after the original, but looking at it now that doesn't seem right. does blaze Replace the timeline of the first game? are there even Events in the first game to count as a timeline? do they run concurrently?

alright anyway the last point here is the 3rd-person thing is even moreso interesting to me though bc i was under the assumption that 'doombox' was something akin to a codename he was given when other people saw this big fucking Thang rampaging through the streets. but seeing as 1. he's definitely aware of it, and 2. not even the damn scientists who made him knew he was in a boombox [as implied in his dlc skin lore], i'm led to believe he came up with the name himself. the fucking tape in his cassette player does just say 'doom' on it so i am choosing to believe that's either where he got the name, or that he put that on there himself.

MOVING on, another really good thing is that he does this

i just think it's funny he's continuing to use the thing as an actual boombox; i feel like that isn't something he necessarily Has to do. obviously he's susceptible to certain quirks and limitations of being a boombox re: mind control tape, but i don't think that means he has to play out its every function. i think he's doing that on purpose and i am filing it under "he likes it in there". hes listening to his jams.

also on a similar note,

this is also not important and i realize it's mostly just a quirky videogamey way to get around saying the robot kinda character is "asleep", but i do enjoy the implication that shine city's biggest terror is like out there running on 4 D-cells.

also i'm making this guy out to be a city street menace, and the vibe i had assumed for him before was like, a random encounter in the back alleys that you super do not want to run into; but his associated stage/hangout seems to be the desert/scrapyard? which i don't really have anything interesting to say to that, but it's definitely a different vibe for his character if he typically hangs out in more desolate areas.

---

i think maybe the most baffling thing doombox has going on is the apparent "rivalry" with dice. this is also bizzare from dice's side of things. what the fuck does it even mean to be "rivals" with doombox? what are they competing for? what kind of things does dice get up to that doombox would even give a shit about in the first place, let alone to be considered a rival in? i mean, like, the league, probably, but why dice specifically, out of everyone? would doombox's league rival not just be whoever's the [second] strongest there? i believe dice when he says they're evenly-matched, but there isn't really anything that implies dice is of particularly high prestige within the league so it feels like he shouldn't hold much interest as a target. to be fair dice doesn't seem like the type that would care about prestige, but again, if he's not out there flaunting his shit or trying to claim he's the best or whatever, why does db care? this would be a lot easier to understand if it was a one-sided thing on doombox's part like okay maybe dice pissed him off one day and he's still mad about it. whatever. that's the vibe they go for in story mode, but then there's dice's dlc skin description, which seems to run entirely counter to that and has dice as the aggressor:

when deprived of his usual sense and restraint, dice's first thought is I Gotta Go Fuckin Kill Doombox? even if he's over it under normal circumstances, it's clear both of them have some deeper-rooted beef in this exchange. there is yet another layer to this in that doombox is, weirdly enough, not really shown to be the kind of guy that's interested in revenge. again, going back to his own dlc description, he- and i quote- "couldn't care less" about the guys who made him capturing him and chaining him up. his only interest there is breaking out and getting back to doing his thing. if you want to be really generous, you could also read this vibe from the story mode epilogue: doombox was not the one hunting down the safety league, that was nitro. doombox was simply, as stated before "back to his old raging self". both of these to say, he simply does not seem to give a shit about people who have directly wronged him and only wants to Do His Thing. so. once again. what the fuck is going on with dice that they both have lasting beef here. i truly cannot fathom what either of them did to be so mad specifically at eachother. this rivalry is something they reference a LOT too like it's a big deal in-universe, or something otherwise really important to portray. like

lore so strong you gotta put it on an achievement!!!!! really!!!!! and there are no details whatsoever about this????? * while i'm here i'd just like to say have more questions about dice than fucking anything else in this game. sadly there's practically nothing to intuit from the game about any of his situations so i don't have much for coherent thoughts to post on him, but my god. what the fuck, dice. this rivalry is arguably the single strangest thing doombox has going on but it doesn't even break top 5 weird things about dice.

anyways, the final section and MOST interesting thing to me in all this is that, coming out of the first game, i was really under the impression that doombox is just the arbitrary final boss monster you gotta kill; no real purpose or personality his own to speak of, and most importantly just synonymous with the game itself and its aesthetics re: mirroring the HUD design. he certainly still holds the role of big scary final boss monster in blaze too, but blaze 1. has him much more fleshed-out as his own Guy, and more importantly, 2. doesn't really consider him a Problem like your typical big angry final boss monster. or at least not moreso than anything else going on in the game. he's not a threat to be eliminated, he's respected as a character and as a competitor in the league; and more than that he just seems to be... liked? as in, liked by other people in-universe? and he's liked enough that they'll readily help him out so he can keep doing his thing? i do think latch fixed him up postgame mostly bc he felt bad about being the one responsible for getting db brainwashed in the first place but like. the game could have just as easily gone "and then doombox was defeated yay" and left it at that. instead, they seem to have a vested interest in keeping him around. most transparently this is likely just a "we can't get rid of any of the playable characters or else story mode would be noncanon", BUT the point of this post is trying to read cohesive narrative sense into places there probably isn't any, and my read here is that doombox is a sort of inadvertent guardian of the league. for 1, he does still very much embody a lot of what the game [both The Videogame and the league itself] is about, but more importantly i think his presence is just really good at keeping a lot of the more minor threats at bay. if you try to fuck with the league, you will eventually be squaring off with doombox, most likely having freshly pissed him off in the process, and i can't imagine that goes well for who or whatever is in that situation. there's probably not much that wants to stand up to him by himself, and there's even less that can challenge the league as a whole unit; he's really just a good guy to have on your side like in general when you are running an illegal sports operation. i think at Worst toxic might see him as the league's funny little mascot but realistically i think she has more respect for him than that. either way i don't think he's going to care and it doesn't affect him much regardless. for this, doombox simply gets to keep doing his thing, whatever the fuck that may be. there are certainly still forces beyond his control at play here [as demonstrated in story mode by the safety league], and when these come into play, the league in turn looks out for him and keeps him on top of his game. i'm not sure if he has the, uh.... kind of cognitive ability that he could be grateful for this, but if nothing else, we know he seems to enjoy playing in the league, so he probably at least recognizes that he's not going to meet a lot of resistance in it and/or that it's a good environment to keep doing as he pleases. i don't mean for this all to sound so transactional, but it's hard to say whether he has much charisma in-universe for people to want him around for more "legitimate" reasons. likewise, there's also still a lot up in the air on how like... sapient doombox actually is. whether he can have complex motivations about anything or if he has some concept of "having friends" or if he can experience emotions besides rage; i tend to lean to "no" on those because i am really trying my damndest not to woobify this guy, but ultimately i don't think it matters much; in the end, he and the league are still mutually beneficial for eachother, and they still enjoy having the other around. and i think that's pretty cool :)

[slocumjoe]

Something I wish they did in fo4 is recognize when you’re cheating on a romanced character… I have a few ideas but I’m curious how you think this should play out in game

This is actually a pervasive...I don't want to call it an issue...roadblock, maybe? In games with romances. Seems like no one knows how to handle this.

Verilybitchie on YouTube has a great video called "bisexuality in video games" that goes into this, so if you don't want to read this, just go put that on in the background.

Also sorry this isn't a react, but I've always had Thoughts on this

So, since this is a Fallout blog, we're talking Fallout first.

In Fo4, you can romance every single companion in the game. Well, the romancable ones (sorry, Nick harem). The only requirement to romance someone is raise their affinity through actions or natural, slow-building of the stat (affinity will slowly raise itself over time), and then you select and succeed at the final romance dice roll. Sometimes there is a quest.

Already we have an issue, because there is no feasible way to logically date all these people. It isn't a numbers issue; it's the fact that most of them hate each other. If you're (you as the sole survivor) can romance and make Hancock swoon for you, its not likely you're the type that can reel Danse. You can't be the kind of person who Preston would fall for, while also pulling Gage. That kind of thing. It isn't that no one would be down to be poly, its that most of them have so few of the others that they'd be poly with. Again, Gage is not sharing with fucking Preston, and he sure as hell isn't falling for someone who Preston can love.

It's just so players can see all the romances, I think, but it's never...it's ludodissonance, I think. At most, a romanced character will hate it if you flirt with someone else in their presence, but I don't believe it'll amount to anything.

So, what would that amount to, IRL? Everyone would be pissed! Their partner has a secret harem that doesn't know its a harem! That's an awful thing to feel. But if Sole sat them all down and explained they wanted all of them at once...still wouldn't work. I don't think any of them would really be comfortable with poly, and all of them have at least one person would they wouldn't want to be poly with. For most of them, that person is Danse. Which is very funny to me.

The thing is, Fallout 4 is a huge game, and making a game is. Fucking Difficult. It is a nightmare. And you'd have to program in all of the different combinations of reactions. That's potentially 144 conversations, if you think about every companion reacting to you being with another companion. Then you have the potential of a companion reacting to you being with two other companions. Three. The number gets insane. And Fallout 4 is humoring us with the socializing/dialog as is, so that's obviously not happening.

In Dragon Age Inquisition, you can flirt with everyone, pretty sure, regardless of romance status. If I remember correctly. But if you romance someone, than try to pursue a romance with someone else, person 2 will waggle their finger at you like nuh-uh-uh, you very naughty boy! Even when it doesn't make much sense for them.

The Iron Bull, for example, i think would be down for a poly relationship. Sera, maybe, I could see that too. Josephine is a manager, so I can see her liking the idea of delegating her love life to an outside contractor when she doesn't have the time. There are romances, here, that could have multiple people. But DAI says no, you can't. But it gets real loosey goosey with what is and isn't cheating.

So, I played that game as a dude, and obviously I went straight for Cassandra, my buff book nerd warrior princess darling. I flirted with no one else. No one. I romanced her and her alone.

BUT.

For those not in the know, Dorian is a character in DAI. His thing is that he's gay from a homophobic country, and his dad tried to conversion therapy him via magic. You go take him to meet his dad, since he showed up looking for Dorian. Dorian spells it out for you that he's gay, since while its kind of obvious, he keeps it hush due to. Well. His experiences.

You have the option to tell Dorian you've been with the same gender yourself. It's marked as flirty if you're a guy, not sure if its the same as a woman. But for a male character, this is flirting with Dorian.

Later, when you talk to Dorian back at home base, you have some options to comfort him, because obviously he's kind of upset. One of these options, I knew to be saying you actually think better of him, and think he's been very brave. I picked this the first playthrough, because I felt it was more genuine and kind.

Second playthrough, I also picked the "I'm gay too" option from earlier.

When I picked the "I think better of you option" back at base...

I'd flirted only with Cassandra. I was dating her.

And my guy and Dorian started sucking face in the corner of a library.

NEVER FLIRTED WITH HIM BEFORE. All I did was say I was also gay, and then I said I thought he was strong for going through the shit he did. Thing is, you can romance Dorian immediately following the end of that quest. So, I tested something. We just made out for like, five minutes. Wanna date? "Aren't you with Cassandra?"

So, the issue here with DAI is that it doesn't always account for...oddities. For example, The Iron Bull will flirt with you hardcore if you flirt with him, but you try to pursue him while in a relationship, he won't. He'll tell you you have great tits and that he likes being pegged, all while making suggestive faces, but the moment those birds come to roost, he's out. What? Why not? Josephine would totally be down to clown with two beefy Qunari men, Bull would be down to clown with Josie! Why is this here???

Again. Games are really hard to program. And that's after you've written all the actual story.

For DAI, I can think of three romances that would be down for poly. So, you don't have much to do there. But there's still other things you need to account for. You can't acknowledge one thing, and ignore the others. If I threesome with Sera and Josie, what happens if I try throwing Bull into the mix? What happens if I break up with Sera? What happens if we ditch Josie, and add Bull, when Sera is a lesbian? Get the issue? Relationships are fucking complicated. Especially when you're the asshole having to puppeteer them in every possible direction, in the name of player freedom.

In the other direction, we have Stardew Valley. I compare it to a child's xylophone toy with utmost affection, its very plinky-plonky in nature.

SDV works on a heart system. 8 hearts with a bachelor or bachelorette, you can offer them a bouquet and start dating. At 10 hearts, you can propose and get married.

If you marry someone, you can date as many other people as you like. You might get a cutscene where your spouse is jealous that you're giving someone else presents, but they don't actually acknowledge that you have a side piece or two. And this jealous cutscene only plays with...a side piece of the same gender as the spouse. So, the character Shane doesn't care if you and Emily had sex in the woods, but God Forbid you give Elliot a duck feather.

HOWEVER. If you reach 10 hearts with all romance options of one gender (meaning you reach 10 with all of the boys, or 10 with all the girls), you get a cutscene where all of the boys or girls confront you with your cheating, and they're all pissed at you for, like, a week in game.

HOWEVER HOWEVER, you can skip this by carrying a lucky rabbit's foot in your inventory. If you have the foot, the cutscenes just play as you hanging out. So, the boys, rather than confronting you, just have a friendly game of pool, and the girls will just chat, I think. So, the only real acknowledgement that you have multiple partners can be skipped.

On the flip side, there's Skyrim. There is no flirting in skyrim, at all. You wear a necklace, and if the person is available, they'll comment on the necklace. You get married, and then you can never divorce your spouse, or get a new one. It's the game equivalent to church kids getting married right out of high school and sticking with it.

The only game I've ever seen handle this, and handle it well, is Hades.

Hades Supergiant my beloved.

In Hades, you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades trying to escape the underworld, because Hades got full custody in the divorce and Zag wants to see his mom on weekends. I kid but that's literally the plot.

Zagreus used to be dating the fury, Megaera, who also works for Hades as an enforcer and guard. She kills Zagreus in his escape attempts. Their relationship ended poorly, and its heavily implied to be because of Zagreus being a shithead to her. She's pissed at Zag, but with enough time and Zag making amends and apologizing, she is more than willing to be friends again.

Then we have Thanatos, the god of Death. He's always busy, and you never hear of him until a certain point in the game. It takes a long time for him to show himself. When he does, it's with a ringing bell, and the area turns green with his presence. He and Zag have a much more complicated relationship, as they've both carried a flame for each other, and never acted on it. Thanatos will appear to help Zag kill enemies before he starts showing at the hub world.

Finally, we have Dusa. Dusa is a floating gorgon head. You know Medusa? Cut off her head. That is Dusa, as her own entity. She's the shy, skittish, workaholic maid for the house of Hades (the hubworld) and has an obvious crush on Zagreus, day one. Whenever you talk to her, heart effects appear, and she quickly flees. She's attracted to Zag, but she's so skittish, building a relationship with her is more like trying to make a stray cat accept pets and treats. She's down, but she needs to get comfy around Zag, not feel so shy.

You can romance all three of these people! If you romance Thanatos and Meg, they'll show up in your bedroom, and you have a brief conversation about how this relationship will work, and if you're down, all three of you hook up. Then, for the rest of the game, you have a boyfriend and girlfriend! As for Dusa, they know about her, too, and she knows about them. Dusa just can't or doesn't want to have sex, so she's more of Zagreus's platonic partner. It's hard to explain. They don't have sex because Dusa isn't into it. It's very cute and sweet.

But the point is, Than, Meg, and Dusa will get together and figure out what they want, then approach Zagreus and see what he wants, and they all work it out from there. This is possible because there are so few romance options, and the writers accounted for people wanting all three. That's actually the intended path! But either way, Supergiant considered how romance would work and function in the setting they built, and how their characters would react and adapt.

Since they were working with a small number of characters, they could easily slot in different paths and choices. You can turn down Than, Meg, and Dusa. Turn down two of them. Accept all of them! And by having characters that like each other, you don't have to worry about Person B looking at Person C and gagging at the idea of sharing Person A.

The problem with romances in video games is that, if the game isn't, specifically, about the romances, you're not going to get a fully-realized experience. Hades has two gameplay modes; the escape attempts with the combat, and the visual novel side of the game with the developing relationships with all of the characters, romances or not. Hades very much puts both things in the spotlight—and it gets away with it, because Zagreus is a fully-realized character, who is not customizable and has no player input. Zagrues decides things on his own, not because a player pushed a button to accept a quest. You don't get to puppet him around. You get very few choices in dialogue with Zagreus.

Most games with romances, you play as a customizable character, who can be anyone, and do anything. The game devs have to account for that. To account for that, everything has to be squishy, and maliable, and that means that nothing really...matters. It can't! If you put too much importance on something, but the player has x amount of freedom, there's a chance they could miss it, or break it, or do something to render it moot. In Mass Effect 2, I believe, you have the choice to save the space government. If you let them gov die, in the next game, the new government is just...the old one in different suits. Letting the gov die is a big fucking deal, but because you made it a choice, you can't expend too much time and effort on realizing the consequences. Because you also need the timeline where the gov was saved. Why would you put so much time into an optional thing, when its possible most players will choose to do the intended path of saving the space gov?

Well, its the same for romances. Why put so much time into paths and consequences that some people won't see? Why would you write discussions of Sera wondering why you thought she'd have sex with Bull, a man, when most people aren't going to do that? Why would you write 144+ reactions to you cheating on all of the fallout 4 companions?

Writing is both very easy, and very hard. Getting ideas is easy. Working out the kinks in those ideas is hard as shit. Add a deadline, a budget, and lots of investors waiting expectantly, and lots of shit gets chucked on the cutting room floor.

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour: Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann

Order

Add to Goodreads

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Welcome to the Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places Blog Tour with Berkley Publishing Group. (This Blog Tour post is also posted on my Wordpress book blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Synopsis:

Lucky Hart has an affinity for the supernatural, but almost no one takes parapsychology seriously. She’s estranged from her family, has lost her friends, and has been rejected from graduate school—twice. But her big break finally arrives when she gets insider info about a troubled production company. Every actor on their new show mysteriously quits after spending three nights inside Hennessee House, an old Victorian with a notorious reputation.

This May, Claire Kann, the author of The Romantic Agenda returns to the page with LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES (Berkley Trade Paperback Original; May 21, 2024), a heartwarming, fun, and thrilling supernatural romance for fans of scary stories and love stories alike. Kann’s debut was loved for its asexual representation and diversity wrapped in a delightful love story. Her newest features the same things her fans know her for but adds an unforgettable paranormal aspect.

In the book, Lucky Hart falls in love unexpectedly on the set of a paranormal investigation show. But she’s soon forced to choose feelings or career when the mansion she’s examining doesn’t want to share her attention.

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES is a sweet take on a haunted house story, giving readers a charming single-dad, workplace romance setup and highlighting the experiences of an Ace, Black heroine. If you can’t get enough Halloween all year round, or like your romance with some mystery on the side, this is the perfect novel for you.

My Rating: ★★★

*My Review and Favorite Quotes below the cut.

My Review:

I enjoyed this story. It was sweet and wholesome and just a tad spooky, with a plucky protagonist, a super sweet single dad, and an adorable kiddo. Plus some other really great characters I wish we'd gotten to know more about. And Hennessee House of course.

While I for the most part enjoyed reading this, it was far too long and sometimes really dragged. It took me forever to finish reading it. If it had been shorter, I think I would have enjoyed it more. There's not enough substance there to warrant the length imo.

I really liked Georgia and Xander and I wish we'd gotten more of them. They balanced out Lucky and Maverick's intense insta-love thing they had going on.

I liked the asexual representation, although it sometimes got a little preachy and didn't always 100% make sense to me. But I'm willing to chalk that up to "everyone experiences asexuality differently." That's definitely a type of queer rep we don't often get in romance books so kudos to the author for including it as an integral part of Lucky's romantic experience and not just a sidenote.

The supernatural aspect I enjoyed but found to be very confusing at times. There were multiple times while I was reading that I got tripped up and had to stop and go 'wait, what?' because suddenly I had no idea what was going on.

The first time it happened was at the very beginning when Lucky is lying to Xander and team in hopes of getting the job. She tells the reader that she's lying, but not what the truth is or why it's important for her to lie, and I never felt like the lying was necessary. Lucky doesn't always explain herself very clearly, and she sometimes assumes that people will understand things when they (and the reader) definitely don't.

It was a fun story, not too scary, with just enough supernatural elements to be really unique. I think cutting a little of the length and adding in more of Georgia and Xander could have made it even better.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

A year ago, if someone told Lucky her experience being a nanny would inevitably lead to making a ten-year-old her partner-in-crime in a sentient house, she absolutely would've believed it.

[vatnalilja]

Leave Your Body and Soul to Me | Hanamaru

In the midst of the rainy season, you and Hanamaru find a bit of refuge from the downpour in each other's arms.

It's just short fluff for the mansions #1 ダンディ! 1,145 words. No smut.

I wrote this with a feminine reader in mind, but it is gender-neutral. POV 2nd person, present tense

After your long, warm bath, you collapse in bed and stare at the dreary gray on the other side of the windows. The rainy season has come to the mansion and has had various effects on the inhabitants. Though stuck indoors, you enjoy the soft pitapat of raindrops on the glass panes and the flickering candlelight's cozy mood. You bunch a pillow under your chin and watch streaks of water trail down the window until your door creaks open behind you. You glance at your visitor, discovering Hanamaru holding two steaming teacups as he lets himself in.

"My Lord, I have some tea."

He pushes the door shut with his heel, then brings the cups to your bed with a shrewd look. Though he only brings you tea, he makes the act seem inappropriately decadent. You sit up with a smile, take a cup from him, and warm your hands on the ceramic. Without asking for permission, he sits on your bed and yawns.

"The rain has a way of making tasks difficult, doesn't it?" he asks.

"You're saying the rain makes you even lazier?" you ask.

"Perhaps, but I think the Lord might like to lie around as much as I do," he says.

You sip your tea. "It's true I've been feeling a little down lately."

"I wasn't judging you. I was merely observing that our interests . . . align."

"I haven't forgotten about what you said, you know."

He lifts his brow. "Oh, really?"

"About being the one to warm my bed. I can't believe you just said that out loud. In front of everyone."

He laughs in a way that conveys he has no regret over how he acted. It never truly bothered you; besides, he only articulated the desires of every man in the house. Crudely, but honestly. Perhaps that's why no one yelled at him.

"My Lord never objected," he says.

"Hanamaru."

"Days like today are meant for climbing under the covers and relaxing, don't you think?"

"And you'd be the perfect company for it?" you ask.

"Your words, Lord, not mine."

You tut your tongue and set your teacup on the nightstand. It's unclear why he developed such an instant affinity for you. He claimed to have a rude personality, but upon meeting, you felt no distance from him—a distinct difference from almost every other man in the mansion, most of whom took their time warming up to you. Perhaps the reason was that for the past several years, his only company had been children.

You crawl beneath your duvet and flip it over you until you disappear. After several moments, you feel his weight shift on your bed as he inches closer to its head. When he's at your side, you draw the bedding back and give him a grin devious enough to make him pause.

"What are you doing, Hanamaru?" you ask.

"Checking on my Lord," he says.

"Just doing your duties, then."

"Absolutely." He slips his hand under the duvet, and when you don't stop him, most of him follows, forcing you to the center of the bed. "Should I get comfortable?"

"Only if you want to stay," you say.

"How long will you be in bed?"

"If you're wondering whether you ought to get your sake—"

"I am."

"Then hurry and fetch it."

Pleased by your response, he stands and backs out of the room with a lopsided smirk. You occupy yourself with a book from the library while you wait for him to return, and when he does, he's barefoot and missing his tailcoat. His hair is wet, and he's holding a large bottle and two small cups, all proof of his run between the house and the villa.

"Where did your things go?" you ask with a laugh.

"I left them at the front door—they'd yell at me if I tracked water all through the mansion," he says.

He sets the sake down next to you, then turns away and shakes the water from his unruly hair. You're already pouring two cups when he lands heavily on your bed, causing you to splatter several drops.

"O~to, careful with that." He takes the bottle and finishes pouring for you.

"Maru, are you allergic to buttoning your shirt up the entire way?" you ask.

"It's a lot of work, isn't it?" He hands you a cup.

"No, it's not."

You savor the flavor of the sake. It's much nicer than you expected, with a crisp taste of apples. It was meant to be enjoyed, not hammered at until drunk. You weren't sure what he'd bring, but it defied your expectations.

"Maybe I should take it off so I don't get your sheets wet." He works the bottom buttons free and lets the front of his shirt fall open to reveal the rest of his well-defined chest.

You finish your drink and reach out to set the cup next to the bottle, letting your arm brush against his bare abdomen. After peeling his shirt from his body, he drops it to the floor, then slides under the covers again. He brings a comfortable warmth with him. When you cozy up to his side, he curls his arm under your waist and tugs you into his side.

"Maru . . . "

He hums in response.

"You may be unsophisticated—your words, not mine—but you're a good man."

"Oh? What did I do to deserve such praise from the Lord?" he asks.

You huff and poke him square in the chest. "Just accept my compliment."

"Ah, cute." He snags your finger in his hand and squeezes it beneath the duvet. "Which is exactly why I want to protect you."

You try tugging your hand away as your ears burn, but it's useless. Instead, you push as much of your face into your pillow as possible, refusing to look at him. He chuckles as he moves his grasp to your wrist and shakes your arm.

"Come on, now. Show me your face. When you do that, I can't see the Lord's shy face very well, now can I?"

"I'm not being shy," you mumble into your pillow.

"Then what is it?"

"I'm being annoyed."

"In that case, I like it even more."

He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and lets his weight sink into your bed as he rests your hand on his chest. You lift your head and watch him for several seconds, studying his facial features. Breathing a soft sigh through your nose, you rest your chin on his shoulder, then let your eyes flutter shut. Before long, the soothing sound of the rain lulls you into a peaceful state. His heart taps a slow, gentle rhythm beneath your palm that blends with the patter of the droplets on the window.

"I wish this could last forever," he whispers.

Though you say nothing, you agree.

[calamitaswrath]

Man, I have to say though, as much as I ended up enjoying Future Redeemed (and honestly also Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as a whole package), it's just becoming more and more clear to me that what I actually enjoyed about Xenoblade Chronicles - as in, the first game - are just aspects of it that Monolith Soft and Takahashi really don't seem to consider to be important to their vision of the franchise.

Like, while one of the most frequent complaints that I have seen about Xenoblade 1 is the sheer number sidequests, I never really saw that as a negative. Sure, there a whole bunch of really rather basic quests, but I didn't have too much of an issue with those, as they are easy enough to complete, and the bits of flavour text you get with them give some insights as to how the people of Bionis and Mechonis and Mechonis interact with a given type of monster, material or collectible. And the quests given by named NPCs I think are just downright great, because while plenty of them start simple, the absolute vast majority of them are only parts of longer chains, that all establish complex relationships between NPCs in not just a specific area, but across multiple areas all over the world. The NPCs in this game feel like genuine people that you can get to know, and with the branching quest system, like someone you can actually have an actual impact on.

Games like X and 3 of course also have an Affinity Chart, but I think that by the very nature of their story premises, these games both don't really have the same kind of grounded feel to it that 1 has. In both games, you can't really get the sense that you are getting to know someone who is just living their life normally because they either already survived the destruction of their home planet (in X) or have a fundamentally abstract way and understanding of life that I find harder to relate to (3, which honestly even applies to people in the City). In 1, by contrast, there's of course the entire war against the Mechon, but even with that, the way in which it affects people comes off as more of a disruption to everyday life of these people, rather than something that is fundamental to their entire being as you get to know them. There's a reason why the fate of Alcamoth after Mechonis Core hits so hard, and why I find it difficult to even care for what happens to Indol and anyone on it towards the end of 2. Anyway, also doesn't help that in X and 3 I find it fundamentally more difficult to actually keep track of the Affinity Chart because there isn't really a good way to view it in its entirety or anything that's designated as a proper "middle point" for it.

Either way, this whole grounded appeal also manifests itself in the party for me. Admittedly, when you just judge them by the main story, the only real characters that truly receive proper development are Shulk and Melia (and sort of Dunban), but I think their backgrounds (as well as the Heart-to-Hearts focussed on one particular dynamic) do a whole lot of work in still making them work. All four characters from Colony 9 have their childhood friend dynamic that gets explored in Heart-to-Hearts, and the people in the colony actually know them and acknowledge them. Sharla likewise only really has the refugees from Colony 6, but she does have a similar dynamic to them. Riki of course got his family, and also gets some interactions with the Nopon of Frontier Village. And the only character that isn't really grounded, Melia, is acknowledged to be a bit out there in comparison to the others, but gets integrated nonetheless. Contrast that with the party in 2, where outside of Driver and Blade relationships, no one really knows each other before the start of the game, and Rex explicitly hasn't been in his actual hometown for a literal third of his life, the other party members are either royalty, beings with an inherently different way of life from humans, or Tora, and everyone either has these over-the-top personalities or backstories. . . even if I didn't have all of my other issues with 2, I don't think I ever could really get attached to the party there the same way as I do in 1. And while I think the party in 3 is better about this, there's still the fundamental issue of the core concept behind their lifespans and how it affects them making them just inherently a bit more difficult to relate to, even if the childhood friend dynamic between Noah, Lanz and Eunie is appreciated. X meanwhile doesn't even really have a party dynamic for the vast majority of its main story mission runtime, which admittedly just isn't what the game is going for, but I still kinda miss whenever I review the cutscenes of the final chapter where that sort of thing does briefly pop up.

And even beyond that, 1 just has all these little things that flesh out its setting, like proper descriptions for both materials and collectibles (with everything in the strange category even being explicitly named by party members, which is just such a nice little touch!), which for some reason no other game in the series actually has?? Like, I can understand it for 2, since that game had a somewhat rushed development with limited staff to make it come out in the Switch's first year, but 3 still doesn't have either of that, and X only ever had descriptions for collectibles, but not materials.

Of course, at the end of the day, Xenoblade 1 still has many similarities to the other games - even if the story is more grounded in my eyes, it still goes for an over-the-top shonen anime style very often. But it feels like the other games leaned into that way more, at the expense of everything else that made 1 what it was. Idk, there's just a reason why Majora's Mask is one of my favourite Zelda games, if not my absolute favourite. I just like getting the feeling of having a video game world where the people in it could conceivably live there and feel real, even if none of them are particularly deep. I don't doubt that I'll enjoy future Xenoblade games if 3 is any indication, but unless Monolith Soft seriously rethink their approach to them, I don't think I'll ever love one in the same way as I do 1.

[mihai-florescu]

Regarding the five star four star and 2 three stars for each unit thing they tend to do my biggest wish is for himeru/kohaku and tatsumi/mayoi centre. Idk how to explain it but hiiro and rinne were the focus of the main story and aira and niki felt like they got a bit of character from that too (more than their other 2 members at least) so this just kinda feels. Right? I've seen people theorise that they'll address kaname or that he'll wake up and I don't doubt that logic, I just hope if so kohaku and mayoi can be of some significance. I think kohaku and mayoi are decent to bring attention to because despite himeru trying to be distant at first I think he definitely is most fond of kohaku, and don't ask me about tatsumi and mayoi you're talking to a ttmy shipper I'll be here all day. Basically I just think if himeru and tatsumi were to go through the horrors their unit mates would be there for them but those two in particular somewhat understand them a bit better. Before anyone tells me these 4 were in the romantic date scout I know. I've simply decided to remove it from my memory because I could never hate a story more than that one.

I've just ranted about alkakurei to you now. It's good to be back I guess

Im hoping for niki to have a really big moment in the tour personally, as well as aira, in a different light than what we've seen so far. I just...wish i cared more for them than i really do. And I wish i could make myself care, but alas, i can live with it just fine actually. The card distribution, well, im trying to keep track of when they've had cards last already/who's still due. Tatsumi still needs a ts2 so im counting him out of the possible tour 5stars (could be a 4star), but everyone else i think is eligible from that perspective. Oh......ohhhh.....it just came to mind, but you know how they did the altered and graduation tours? Tatsumi's ts2 could totally be running during the alkakurei tour, and be related to the story in that manner. Im willing to bet on this actually, nevermind, he's definitely getting a tour 5star in the gacha. And kohaku getting his fs2 then as well would be so cruel...higgles. rip alkakureiPs. Himemayo tour 5stars sounds plausible. But so does amagi bros to parallel their main story 5stars, or any other combination... idkidk im going to stop speculating until we have more information. Um. Checkmate anime is coming out first and i will be focusing my attention and obsession there, sorry. My knightspilled checkmateholic eichip swag.

Im not sure if you meant you actually hate romantic date /srs or if it was said in a "omg i hate x thing its gonna be the only thing i think about for days" way. I feel like you meant it /srs but im personally a fan of the story poking fun at fandom behavior, giving into and critiquing at the same time, as well as the insights into himeru's psyche. The game with affinity points from the other characters is just in himeru's head and a manifestation of his subconscious, where he thinks no one's love for him can grow as he doesnt let them actually know Him, the person beyond the himeru persona. Only tatsumi who loves everyone could still love him. And thats also pissing him off.

They both approach and view things, relationships, motivation etc so differently, a lot of himeru's internal monologues are filled with "negative" feelings (jealousy, pride, paranoia etc. Even the earliest we know of him is that he ran away from home because his dad remarried and he couldnt accept it, he's been like this forever. And yet, these feelings arent fitting with the perfect ido persona, so he bottles them up, with the occasional slip ups. Himeru's presence and slow opening up in crazy:b of all units, the group driven by their feelings and desires, is so so important to me.) whereas tatsumi just...has so much love and acceptance (although as much as they're an important part of his character, it's just as important that he also has his own wishes and desires and he does act on them, moreso than himeru at least. Like his hobby of driving recklessly, which he doesnt do because he cant drive well, but because he wants to do it like that and to experience the fun even if it's unconventional or incomprehensible to others). And this gap in their mentalities and approaches to life is scary for himeru. It's a hundred times harder to love and save another than to hate or break someone down (paraphrasing from another enstars quote lmao), i can empathize with himeru having complicated feelings about tatsumi's character that he doesnt understand himself, so he defaults to calling him unpleasant rather than having to unpack it. Let aside that beyond the difference in approaches they also have a complicated past, it's easier to just blame tatsumi who can take it seemingly unscathed. I think romantic date is fun to read both before and after having experienced obbligato...especially moreso after, when youre aware of the foreshadowing and further developments (this has been my experience with most of akira's gacha stories he's written in es2 era)

Im not a tthm shipper in the traditional sense of "i want to see them date" cuz i think what they have going on is much more fascinating and nuanced than that and it'd do the relationship a disservice imo. I was gonna say it's also fun to put these characters who struggle with understanding each other and actual romance and love in general actually in every sense of the word together but thats kind of the entire cast. A lot of my favorite dynamics at least, that have had varying degrees of success and development. However, it is something i enjoy, obviously, so i will always remain fond of romantic date...wah i rambled about this for a very long time, i'll stop now!

[elfhunk]

i really didn't like barbara (2023) but i think the thing making me feel most bonkers is the idea that ken goes outside like this in public:

and all he can remark upon is how respected, cool, and powerful he feels. how everyone likes him, and respects him, and it's nothing at all like how people look at him in barbieland. that he feels, specifically, no violent intentions towards him, while barbie is grappling with the concept of the male gaze for the first time.

and this was a problem for me, and it haunted me for the rest of the movie. because do you know what it actually feels like to be man dressed in public like this? to put on your funny little cowboy outfit and romp around with your gal pal?

you're not nodding to a bro finishing his set at the gym. you're not getting fist bumps and handshakes from random men on the street. you are getting called slurs.

you are getting literally nothing but barely contained homophobic contempt from men who immediately clock you as a gross, weird, queer freak. this is a one way ticket to being called the gay slur of the day, and the movie just sort of hopes you forget homophobia exists and how men enact homophobia onto each other constantly.

i don't know how this happened, but it remains a glaring issue for the rest of the movie. the ken characters dressing in sexual, hyper-masculine archetypes of cowboys and every imaginable type of jock is supposed to be a joke about guys being dudes and how ken dolls used to dress but it just... loops back around to feeling pointedly homophobic, when these are aesthetics that have been 100% adopted by gay men?

like, any salient conversation about the patriarchy doesn't function when your toxic alpha males are dressed to go to a circuit party. this is what i wore to pride.

as a man who does dress like this pretty often, and loves to go to the gym dressed like this to work out and feel sexy and confident... it felt really bad? and really mean for no reason? like, these are aesthetics that gay men adopted because we like being men, and we like playing these male archetypes to such campy extremes precisely because straight men stop finding it appealing and it lets us enjoy all of the fun parts of male identity we didn't get to enjoy when male spaces were toxic cesspools of homophobia that pushed us out.

i accept the possibility that i am being dramatic, but i think it is an issue for me that barbara (2023) thinks its funny and absurd for men to dress like this, and plays the visual of it it so often for comedy while the boys wrestle and grab and tease each other that it begins to make me feel really unwelcome.

making fun of guys being dudes so much that you accidentally become homophobic is not new! and i always hate it! but in this instance, it did really did make me, a doll collector and barbie fan who is also a gay man? a gay man who really loves and has a deep affinity for the idea of being a wonderful supportive ken to all of the wonderful barbies in my life? who also dresses in slutty little neon gym shorts sometimes because it makes him feel confident and sexy in a form of masculinity that has been queered into something empowering?

it made me feel really gross. i did not like it at all.

also i hated allan.

[violetsareblue-selfships]

Hi April!! ^-^/🎫 <- is for you

~ @botanists-little-cookie

Okay, I've held onto this for a while but I'm gonna finally gush about Zayne hehe :3 I honestly don't even know where to start since my brain's usually just !!! a lot when I think about him.

Like everyone usually sees him as cold or stoic, but he has such a teasing, playful side too. It's a lot more subtle (and honestly kind of sarcastic) but it's there. And he seems to go along with a lot of the mc's antics if they're harmless (like the mc told him to talk to a plushie and he did and in the secret fairytale card they had like a little roleplay session lol) -- and also teasing her for thinking that he mostly hung out at museums by bringing it up again playfully and all that

But he's like the sweetest ever?? All super gentlemanly and caring and just <333 (like I don't have it unlocked yet bc it requires affinity level 70 but there's something of him helping the mc with dealing with her period cramps and whatnot and he's so caring about it and <333)

It's so obvious (to me at least) just how much he cares about me (gonna start saying that instead of the mc bc my s/I is technically not her) but like helping me fall asleep, taking care of me if I'm ever feeling sick or stressed out just <333 he'd also be the type to do good morning/goodnight texts if he's able (aka not in surgery at the time) especially if he knows that I like it

(exhibit a :3)

(exhibit b ^^)

Also the way he works me into his schedule - like with the new memory and all that "when would we be able to meet up again" and he literally pulls his phone out that second to check his schedule and say that he's free next Sunday - like he's so eager to see me again and it's just the cutest (also that last line before the kiss scene kills me - "if I'm able to see you Sunday, I'll start getting excited Thursday." like aaaaaa that's so cute

(like look he literally pulled the phone out so quick to check his schedule <3)

And his voice is so soft and lovely when it comes to me (not to say I don't like the cooler, more stoic tone either but the softer whispers kill me) and I love that you can save your favorite lines to relisten to bc I have so many that are literally because of how soft he is or because he's laughing in the audio and it's butterflies every time <333

Also he's so pretty like it's unfair at times. I have so many screenshots of this man bc I just can't help it and he makes me feral I swear (like the medical rescue memory all I could think about was biting him like help me) and I seriously get so giggly and giddy over him, it's silly (he'd find it cute though… hehe)

Might do a picture dump just because!!

Like aaaa!!! he's so pretty!!!

(to the left - the medical rescue one i mentioned aka i wanna bite him | to the right - the new card absolutely KO-ing me with this!!!)

And like I didn't touch on the Myths stuff (the Foreseer thing) but that lore is so angsty and everything - it honestly will deserve its own post once I get all the cards necessary to go through the entire thing - all I know is I'm going to think of it every time I think about jasmines and all that

Anyways I think it's evident I just adore him so yeah :D And i give you a cookie if you read all of that hehe

[odayaka1]

Chapter 6: Knowledge of Seals

[

STATUS UPDATE

CHAKRA QUANTITY : 5 TAILS

COMBAT POWER : 6 TAILS

9 TAILS WITH OCULAR POWERS

ABILITIES

TAILED BEAST BOMB – LVL MAX

• ANY SHAPE WITH ENOUGH STRUCTURAL BALANCE, CAN BE USED FOR THE BOMB. EVEN A FINGER SIZED BOMB CAN ERADICATE A MOUNTAIN ON DETONATION.

]

Wow I just threw some chakra bombs to pass my time and the level went up by so much that it maxed out.

I think it's due to my new control. The bomb now comes to me as easy as breathing.

Now I don't want to train in chakra control. I feel bored, so  I started rolling my 150 meter body on the floor.

Lets train harem style shadow clones for a month as relaxation.

As I created a mountain full of clones turned into naked women and a notification came.

[

ABILITY UPDATE

HAREM STYLE SHADOW CLONES: LVL 9

• A SKILL FORMED BY A BORED FOX JUST TO KILL TIME AND STEAL SOMEONE ELSE GLORY.

• CAN BE USED FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATION DEPENDING ON USERS INTENTION.

• SKILL OF DEGENERATE PEOPLE.

]

'Oye-Oye! Don't go and say all those things like it's true. I mean I did steal it to mess with Naruto but I am not a degenerate.'

Why is it still a level 9 system ? What does it lack to reach level 10?'

[

NOTICE

ACCORDING TO THE TECHNIQUES IN DATABASE THERE IS ONLY REAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS REQUIRED WHICH HOST DOESN'T  HAVE AS HOST HASN'T  SEEN NAKED BODY INCH BY INCH TO HAVE AN PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF IT.

ONLY THE ORIGINAL CREATOR 'NARUTO UZUMAKI' REACHED LEVEL 10 IN THIS TECHNIQUE AFTER STAYING WITH JIRAIYA.

]

So Naruto was more of a degenerate than I thought. Well now back to training.

For the next five years I went on intense grind in which I took the topic I liked the most, the seals.

Seals are divided into several categories: Basic seals. This includes the same and more knowledge that Uzumaki have till advanced levels.

Like sealing chakra in things, affecting senses, gravitational seals.

There are many seals like sensory seals, chakra blocking seals, 4 element seals etc. These are all in beginners level.

In intermediate level. It comes to the knowledge of sealing living beings, making soul weapons.

The Death Reaper seal was also included in it. It is one of the most forbidden knowledge of Uzumaki. Now I know its variation without any price. I also have a counter for the same skill.

Cursed seals are also part of the course. Better than what pedomaru could even think of.

Seals for conscious or mind palace altering. I even got enough knowledge to make better seals of tailed beasts than them.

Advanced seals are way above the previous level. They consist of seals to slow time or increase it.

It can create teleportation channels amongst two seals with enough chakra provided.

Gravitational forces can be altered in larger planes or areas like a whole city.

I was able to learn how five elements or other elements are mixed to form Kekkei Genkai also known as bloodline limits like wood style and many more.

Just using seals and having enough element affinity which is no problem for me being a beast with all affinities.

I made seals with the knowledge and imprinted on my body which negates my weakness to wood style and also my tails sensitivity is now under control, yes even the ears.

These weren't  shown on the system panel as it was not an ability but a seal.

[ABILITY UPDATE

SEALS – LVL 6

• ADVANCED LEVEL SEALS ACHIEVED

• ENTER THE UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX ELEMENTS LIKE TIME, SPACE, FORTUNE.]

I just scratched the surface of advanced seals as it is a vast topic.

After advanced seals there are forbidden seals which divulge information regarding the forbidden knowledge of the universe like altering fate, increasing luck without any consequences.

In the advanced version fortune requires equal exchange like for your lucky day everyone around you has a bad day.

These types of seals are usually affecting the flow of reality which one should not touch unless they have a proper grasp or understanding of their nature, they always have a chain effect on things like a time loop.

'Mess with reality and it messes with you, huh'

I will never use this seal. I made a seal to passively increase the quantity of chakra while maintaining the quality. It is  very slow but I don't  have to focus on it because it's automatic and I can focus on other things.

It will let me handle the other things on my plate as I leave the chakra to the seals. Creation of seals is only limited by your imagination. It is not just a set of action or pattern, it requires sequence and what outcome you desire from the seals. 

Depending on your thinking process you can make the worst seal using the best knowledge and you can also create the best seal just using the basic knowledge.

[tabinavi]

some albums i enjoyed! 11-16-24 honestly, last few months has been a very weird period of music for me. i have been listening to an unprecedented amount of music lately. it has to be an album per day at this point. despite so much music entering my stream of consciousness, i have not given any of them time to develop and linger with me for more than four days at most. definitely feels like an empty period despite how much i'm engaging with, but some albums do cut through. i guess this post will help me realize to slow down and enjoy my time. anyways…

System of a Down - System of a Down (1998)

been going through the discography of comtemporary metal legends System of a Down. it's been such a wild and insanely fun listen through their short run of current albums. i think all these albums are still very important to today's politics and culture. while the band has much stronger album experiences later in their career, i find the self titled to be of immense replayability. i think it's because of my affinity to debut albums; they always tend to present a band ripe with ideas and juvenility. i think this album also has a bunch of quotable lyrics too. "EVERYONE NEEDS A MOTHERFUCKER"

Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970)

going back in time is Sabbath's classic Paranoid. you can see i'm having a genre phase here. guess which one! i had listened to this album years ago— passed it off. that doesn't matter anymore, cause this album is so damn forward thinking. i've listened around Sabbath's other albums during the Ozzy era, and this one just sticks out too much. i don't know what makes this album seem so different from all the other rock albums released during this time. the songwriting, production, and themes seem so out of this plane. i could have Hand of Doom repeat that bass line forever too.

The View From This Tower - Faraquet (2000)

this amazing lp from short-lived math/hardcore band Faraquet has also been in my ears a lot. doesn't keep the metal theme here— maybe if i showed this to my mom she would say its metal. the production, songwriting, and structures are so beautifully put for a hardcore record. the album is off-kilter, hypnotic, yet pleasing. this album keeps you interested all the time, and i want to dissect every rhythm played. i highly recommend this one to any music fan.