#i ended up changing my opinion on some things in this I didn't square in on magnetic tape before

[late-draft]

Hello, Dema here!

First off—I have fallen desperately in love with your artworks. You have a very particular style, strong and fluid all the same, and I can't help but admire the way you draw and how you approach character design.

And talking about character design...

I saw your post about Zuko's bold design in S1 when compared to what we got in S3 and—as much as I love S3-Zuko—I completely agree with you. Something I've always loved about Zuko in S1 is just how striking he was, how much of a presence he had, even when he was being tossed around by a twelve-year-old. That being said, I love Zuko, I love him in armor and pointy shoes and with a ponytail, and I loved your alternative design for him.

What do you think about his S2 character design? How does it flow with the story beats and his overall character arc? Much has been said about the Hair-Growth-Means-Character-Growth (and I find it interesting, also, that he cut his hair again before joining the Gaang), but I'd like to know your opinion on how that translates to character design and how the decisions made in the show could be either good or bad in that regard.

Sorry about the long ask! I've just been thinking about this a lot, lately, and would like to know what you think. Hope you have a good day ❤️

AAAA Dema hii!!! I'm so happy I got a message from you, I didn't expect it!!

I'm super glad to hear, I'll wear it as a badge of honour and I must tell you that I also love your art, you wonderfully do volume and the shading done through a contrast of sharp and soft areas! Super solid anatomy too and I'd be lying if I said I didn't look up to your art!

Yess the character designs in the show actually are rather strong, I like a good balance between memorable and functional. Zuko is just *chef kiss* but, considering just how many appearance changes he goes through, some are bound to be weaker than the starting one. That said, I'm gonna go through a few of his S2 looks and make this reply long, ha!

The starting one when he ends up huddling with uncle Iroh with other poor refugees, fits extremely well for the narrative at the moment. It's actually one of my least liked looks for him, and that's great!! It's precisely how it should be, because he's also arguably at one of his two lowest moral points in the story - he basically lost almost all hope, no clear goal, nothing to fight for, he's desperate precisely because of the lack of orientation and thus his morals degrade and sink veeery low. He gets on my nerves so goddamn much in this period LMAO I want to beat him up, he looks like a recovering drug addict... annoying, entitled whiny jerk stealing food and anything shiny for his uncle, but even then he just does not cross the moral event horizon. Excellent characterization. He just looks atrocious and it's great because it fits this low point.

Next he gets the standard boyish square of a hair, no notes here...

But theeeen, he arrives at one of my favourite looks of his, and it's not just because the clothes fit him very nicely (I've seen fandom say they look too big for him which, maybe?? But it doesn't look like he's swimming in them to me) And a thing I've noticed which, maybe it was just an accident on design part but I'm not sure considering they colour coded the entire cave scene; in this part his clothes match the shape of Katara's, first one in bottom then the one in top. The collar is the same haf-circle design but I don't know, maybe there was a limited pool of clothes designs guide which they cycled through. Or, he really is meant to come close but miss Katara by a beat, like sine and cosine chasing each other.

But besides this outfit fitting the inconspicuous Earth Kingdom customer service persona, it also (perhaps inadvertently) does this VERY cool thing:

It makes his shape look closed off and guarded, supposedly non-threatening. It's most visible in his fight against Jet, whose shape is open and goes in many directions like an aggressive star. But then look at what Zuko's shape does:

When he attacks, it opens up to reveal the hidden aspect, again the aggressive star shape shows up! The same thing happens in "Zuko alone" episode but I think it's most clearly visible in this fight against Jet because here he has a direct contrast and comparing with Jet. I think this is an example where the outfit, whose similar design exists irl, overlaps with a great visual metaphor and enhances the narrative at that moment in story. He's still that combative firebender but he has to keep that aspect concealed most of the time. Plus it just looks badass as hell!!

Animators really knocked it out of the park with many frames. I think Jun was too early and missed his better hairstyle, but Katara was just in time.

I agree it's super funny how his hair in the Beach is awfully long, covers his face to an uncomfortable degree and then he apparently shortens it before joining the Gaang, insane behaviour Truly an "I'm so angry and depressed I won't show my face nor be capable of seeing anything because there's nothing nice to see in my life" look...

I guess all his appearances in S2 cover his mental states, but only one of them is extremely Extra (the tea server, doesn't even take the apron off and goes to fight) and I don't see any spot where a similar tier design could be shoved in, narratively speaking. So all in all, S2 did as much as S2 could have. More tea server arc please though, the Guru episode really feels like it skipped 800 km of plot and everything that happened in it is so crammed and pretty sus in terms of character behaviour.

[rollforfelicity]

Why Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Didn't Use D&D Combat Rules (And Why They Were Right Not To)

The D&D movie was really fun, and since at this point most of my friends play D&D (or at the very least other TTRPGs), almost everyone I talk to on a regular basis has also seen it and liked it. The consensus is that even though there's no "meta" that the characters are controlled by players sitting around a table, or jokes about the DM, the movie feels like D&D. The jokes feel like jokes people would make while playing. The constant pivoting from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C feels familiar to anyone who has spent an hour at a table deciding what to do, only to have a roll go sideways and screw things up. Before I get too far, I should say this post contains some mild spoilers for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

What didn't feel like D&D were the fight scenes. In one scene, a Paladin quickly dispatches a group of enemies before any of the rest of the party even acts, showcasing that even though he's kind of a square, he's an incredible fighter. In another scene, the Barbarian grabs and wears a helmet in the middle of a fight, using it creatively to get the upper hand. During a fight against a gargoyle, the Bard blinds an enemy by throwing a blanket over their head, but gets pulled along with them when a loose rope wraps around his leg. These are all pretty big moments in the movie, and Rules as Written, would never happen at a D&D table, because D&D combat doesn't work like that.

Here's what I think is interesting. The vast majority of the rules of D&D revolve around combat. It's not all of the rules, but most class abilities, spells, items, and rules have a combat focus. So why does a movie that functions partially as advertisement for the game spend so little effort to replicate the bulk of the content of the base game?

In my opinion, it's because, Rules As Written (or RAW), combat in D&D is not, generally speaking, narratively satisfying. Let's look at a few reasons why.

D&D is a game where, RAW, things either happen, or they don't. If someone misses an attack, nothing happens. If someone misses a skill check, nothing happens. DMs can work with this, but in the base game, there isn't a lot of guidance for what to do when a player fails at something they're trying to do. This may seem trivial, but compare that to something like Powered By The Apocalypse, which is much more narratively focused. In those games, a full miss means the Game Master changes things up. The enemy gets the upper hand. A new danger surfaces. An NPC is put into peril. Not only does the player fail at what they're trying to do, but something else, bad for the Player Character (PC) but good for the story, happens. On a mixed success, the PC might get what they're after, but at a cost, or with a complication they weren't expecting.

This calls to mind the example of the Bard throwing a tarp over the gargoyle in the final fight of the D&D movie. That's a classic example of a mixed success. He succeeds at temporarily blinding the creature, but in the process, he gets caught up in the gargoyle's rope and is dragged along for a ride. This is a dynamic thing to happen in combat, but wouldn't happen in actual D&D. Instead, a PC would either succeed at what they're doing, and blind the creature, or fail and not blind them. You could argue that the Bard's action was the result of a Natural 1, but that also doesn't fit RAW, because the Bard does succeed as what he's trying to do, and with a Natural 1, he would have failed and been pulled along.

D&D doesn't really reward player creativity. Something like throwing a tarp over a creature wouldn't be likely to happen in a session at all, because in the actual game, it would take a full action to do that, and depending on the Difficulty Challenge (DC) the DM sets, there's a good chance of a wasted turn. Creative actions end up a huge gamble, and when you're playing a game where it could be 20+ minutes before you get to take another turn (more like an hour if you're playing with a Wizard, amirite), you're disincentivized from "wasting" your turn to do something less than optimal. You can describe what you're doing to add to the narrative, whether you succeed or fail, but that brings me to my next point.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this question from Rise Up Comus since I read it a month ago. In D&D, a player can describe all kinds of flavor to what they're doing, and there's no change to the mechanics of the game. You could read this as saying "Oh, well that means you have the freedom to do what you want!" but if you look at game design through the lens of "what kind of play does this game encourage or discourage" the takeaway I have is that description just...doesn't matter to D&D. In my experience, that can lead to a few different unsatisfactory outcomes.

Both players and DM treat combat as purely rolling, and describing only what is required. A DM announces, "The enemy wizard casts fireball, roll dexterity save, take 25 damage. Turn passes to the Rogue." Sometimes players who describe what they're doing are seen as showboating or taking up too much time. Worst case scenario, the DM penalizes descriptive players.

Some players like describing what they do, others don't. This has no mechanical effect on the game. Players who aren't descriptive might be frustrated that an already slow process is slowed down even more. Descriptive players may become frustrated because there's no mechanical benefit to what they're describing, and spend time fruitlessly arguing with the DM that focusing on a weak point of the enemy should give them advantage. I think most tables fall into this category. It's not a bad game by any means, but not everyone is there for the same reason when it comes to combat.

Rule of Cool Table! Everyone describes whatever they want, the dice rolls don't really matter! Combat is generally pretty easy because fuck the rules, if it's cool for the dragon to die based on how the fighter described the attack, even if it's only the first round of combat, hell yeah let's do it! For players who like being more strategic and enjoy the confines of the rule structure because it makes things challenging, these tables can be frustrating. (If you're familiar with Dungeons & Daddies, this is essentially how they play D&D).

Because there's no guideline in the rules, people come to the table with different expectations. Some people want combat to feel like a strategy game, where following the rules in the most optimal way (or combining rules elements in an unexpected way) is mechanically rewarding (usually measured by damage output). Some people want to describe themselves doing cool stuff! Some people don't care about their characters looking cool, but want the story to be compelling. If everyone isn't on the same page, this can lead to players ending combat feeling unfulfilled, and when combat is the bulk of a rules set, it feels strange to me that there's no guidance for DMs or players as to how to incentivize the kind of combat your table is interested in.

This leads to a situation where combat in D&D is the part of D&D that takes the longest, that the majority of spells and abilities are focused on, but it is, narratively, the least satisfying part of the game, unless the table alters the base rules significantly.

If you're not familiar with other TTRPGs, you might be thinking "Okay, but that's why the DM is allowed to do whatever they want and make up new rules! My DM gives inspiration when we describe something cool, that solves this problem!" My critique isn't necessarily of individual tables. DMs and players come up with all kinds of mechanics that aren't in the rules. My critique is that D&D is a role-playing game that essentially has no incentives, and many disincentives, for role-playing during combat. For example, RAW, characters don't really have time to communicate during their turns, as each round takes about 6 seconds. There's no time for banter or negotiation between PCs and enemies. You can see this disconnect by the way people talk about D&D. How many times have you heard people say "I love D&D but I don't like combat?" How could this rift be rectified? Let's take a look at some other TTRPGs.

In 7th Sea, if you take the time to describe how your character is doing something, you get a bonus to your dice pool. In Thirsty Sword Lesbians, when you get a mixed success on a Fight roll, you and your opponent are given narrative prompts to build tension (like flirt with or provoke your opponent). In Kids on Bikes, you can fail or succeed rolls by different number ranks, which determines how significant the successes or failures are. In Wanderhome, you get a token when you "take a moment to bask in the grandeur of the world, and describe it to the table." In Good Society, each player gets a "monologue token" which they can spend to prompt another player to deliver their Main Character's internal monologue. I just played a bad-action-movie-themed game called Action 12 Cinema, where players can boost a roll if they call out the song that would be playing during this scene of the movie, and get an even FURTHER boost if anyone at the table sings it.

Each of those game mechanics gives you an instant understanding into the mood of the game, and the kind of stories its built for you to tell. Even if you've never heard of any of those games, I bet, based on the title and the move, that you could hazard a guess as to what playing the game is like. Dungeons & Dragons certainly has rules that add to the lore of the game, and prompt you to create characters that act a certain way. But when it comes to combat, players and DMs are left to their own devices. Some may see that as a strength of the game, but I see it as a source for a lot of disappointing play experiences.

And it seems as though, at the very least, the writers of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves thought the combat rules were narratively unsatisfying enough that they eschewed using any of them.

[himeryu]

– Love Rivalry: 44. this is me trying

kaveh x reader (still 2 years ago)

Alhaitham frowns, placing his phone into his front pocket. The cool breeze caresses Alhaitham's skin as he walks back into the cafe. Passerbys stand there in awe, with their attention focused on Alhaitham. They admire the handsome man, thinking that he might be the son of some celebrity! However, no one notices the annoyed expression on his face, which doesn't surprise him. Alhaitham is good at keeping his emotions in check. Though there are some instances where his feelings got the best of him, he did his hardest not to show it. Regardless of his efforts, he met you. 

Alhaitham recalls his conversation with you prior: how you noticed his unusual behavior. You were not wrong, though. Today has been a weird day for Alhaitham. Even a man like him is unsure of his sudden behavior change. Is it due to your influence? Suddenly, a small smile appears on his face just at the thought of you. He reckons that you probably felt the same thing before a sudden change in attitude towards the other. He was caught off guard by your new attitude that he thought you weren’t you; he thought you were possessed by a ghost. However, your habits remain, so he had no choice but to disregard his fantasy theory. 

Regardless, Alhaitham observed you, trying to match your new energy. Because of this, it leads to a change in his relationship with you. He is well aware of this change; he thinks it's for the best. Your clashing personalities and constant arguments were an obstacle to completing your project. But deep down, buried deep in his brain, is another opinion of his new dynamic with you. 

Alhaitham enters the cafe. His mind is lost in thought as he approaches your table. However, as his gaze lands on your table, you are no longer there. 

The class just ended, and you are on your way to the main hall. Heizou accidentally got your charger during your movie night with him and Childe, so you were on your way to meet him. While walking across the corridors outside the building, you hear someone call out your name. You stopped in your tracks as you recognized that voice. 

You turn to look at them. Your expression darkens as your gaze lands on their face. It's Alhaitham.

Ever since that day, you've been avoiding the stoic green-haired man. You didn't want to see him and wished to give yourself time. However, the constant messages from the man annoy you to the core-- almost as if your relationship with him went back to square one. Regardless, you put on a smile. "Yes?" You reply; however, the smile on your face betrays the venom hidden in your voice. "Do you need anything?" you continue.

Alhaitham stays put. His gaze lingers on your being, ignoring the multitude of people wondering what is happening. You and Alhaitham stare into each other's eyes for a few minutes before looking away, embarrassed. 

'What is with him these days?' You thought. Alhaitham was always weird; however, he has been weirder this week. 

After a few more minutes, you sigh. Alhaitham continues to stare at you, refusing to speak despite calling out your name. Your fingers run through your hair, "If you don't need anything, I'll be going." You turn your back on him, "My time is precious, and I need to meet with my friend, so I'll get going." 

"Your time is precious?" Alhaitham suddenly speaks up; however, you refuse to turn back to look at him. Annoyed, you furrow your eyebrows, "That's right." You continue, "I'd rather spend my time with my friends than someone who despises me--" 

Fuck

You immediately cover your mouth, realizing the words you uttered. You spoke too much. 

Alhaitham's eyes narrow, "Excuse me?" 

"I-it's nothing," You stutter, refusing to turn around and look at him. You try to dismiss the subject, but Alhaitham is persistent. With every word he says, he takes a step forward. Little by little, your back is directly facing his chest, and the distance between you two reduces. 

"Repeat it, [Name]." He says quietly, bordering whisper. His tone went from dictating to desperate. Why does he so badly want to hear what you said once more? Why can't he leave you alone when he hates you so? The tension between you two heightens, and you swear you can hear your heartbeat. You want to speak, but you can't-- afraid you may say something unnecessary. 

You want to leave; However, you don't know how.

But why? You could easily walk forward and ignore his presence, but something inside you does not. Do you believe there is sheer hope that everything you heard from him was all a dream? That your dynamic with this man would be like how it was? 

You can't just leave; you aren't that cruel-- yet. So, you need an excuse. 

"Why are you avoiding me?" Alhaitham mutters, making your breath hitch. "Why are you suddenly weird?" You stay put; however, Alhaitham chuckles lowly. "Why are we both weird."  

You stay quiet, not knowing what to say. Ah, you need to leave. 

You were about to reply, but loud laughter could be heard across the school's garden. You slowly turn your head to look at the source of the laughter as the breeze finally starts kicking in. Your eyes widen as you find yourself staring at a blonde man. The laugh was awkward, almost as if it was forced; however, you pay no mind. The cool breeze gently sways the loose strands of the man's hair, caressing his rosy cheeks. You stand there in a trance, not noticing the disdain on Alhaitham's face. 

Then, your eyes turn to the blonde's companion. Your mouth ajars in shock as you see a familiar ginger hair.

"Childe?!" You yell. Childe and his companion turn to look in your direction. The blonde man's face turns red, but you do not notice as your attention is on your ginger friend. Alhaitham's eyebrows furrow as Childe walks up to you, leaving his blonde companion alone in the garden. 

"[Name]!" Childe enthusiastically says, with a bright smile plastered on his face. "Are you going somewhere?" 

"Yeah," you reply. 

Childe glances at Alhaitham, and a devilish smirk creeps on his face. "How are you, Alhaitham?"

Alhaitham stays quiet. Childe continuously tries to engage in small talk with Alhaitham; however, Alhaitham does not respond. While the two were busy, you glance at the garden where Childe and his companion were, hoping to spot the blonde man. He was gone. 

"Anyways, [Name]," Childe says, "I thought you're supposed to meet with Heizou?"

Then you realize you finally found a way to escape. 

"That's right," You sigh. "However, I encountered some trouble. But since it is settled, I will be on my way."

Finally, you turn your head to look at Alhaitham. "To answer your question," You spout. "Think of everything you have said this week. Maybe, you'll find the answer to your question there."

Those were your parting words to Alhaitham. 

main m.list | series m.list | previous | next

SYNOPSIS You’ve been rejected by your academic rival, alhaitham, without even confessing or having feelings for him. You decided to go to a party to fix your damaged ego, so why are you suddenly making out with his roommate?

taglist

@dee-zbignuts @lxry-chxn @ducq @nikkicola @artssleepy @arraxthatsonjah @kunihaver @i-x4o @soohasoya @yae-raidenmyloves @aixaingela @09yyeol @nebulaera @bokutetsumu @kairxse @victoria1676 @thenightsflower @ti-lsy @alizaneth @abvolat @carnnieval @ultimate-imagines @ventisoba @skimm0nzz @slvdsjjk @succutie @empathum @saoiirsee @disa-ster @httpmitsuya @kunikuzushiit @semi-orangeapple @goodthingimsam @strawberry1894 @meep13r @leeyanyanyaaan @heart-cream @crueldinasty @justonemoreroz @boordbokee @moraxsimp69 @kkiryu @r4yyyyy @tartagli-yuh @raideneiari @kaekazuha04 @dazaiscum @mayasshitposts @kunikuzi @ruisann (taglist full)

[bubski-mcboo]

Why "No Nightingales?" It's a safe word!

@destructokitty34 this is for you - thank you for the inspiration.

So I was reading an article which I'll link here when it becomes relevant. This post is semi-related to the "Crowley put something in Aziraphale's mouth" theory, which I didn't subscribe to until a new, related theory hit me like a sodding truck.

Strap in my ineffable nutters, this is going to be a pretty long and wild ride.

It's their song, duh.

Well, yes.

It is heavily implied, though not outright stated, that the song A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square by Vera Lynn is Aziraphale and Crowley's "song" - i.e. a song that couples sometimes choose to represent their relationship.

At the end of season one, it was playing at the Ritz, and attention was drawn to it by God. It was not acknowledged by anyone in character unless you count the pianist actually playing it.

The end of season two is the only time we hear it referenced again.

We are led to believe that this was Crowley's way of ending it with Aziraphale, albeit with one last final attempt to get him to change his mind.

HOWEVER

Crowley has known Aziraphale for a long time. He knows Azzie's idiosyncracies, he knows when he's "going too fast" for Azzie, and has learned over the years how to gently and carefully nudge Azzie out of his comfort zone, such as introducing him to food for the first time, "the arrangement," and the holy water, to name a few off the top of my head.

Do we really believe that Crowley would make such a colossal mistake?

I concede it's possible that Crowley wasn't thinking clearly at that moment.

But here is what I think...

"No Nightingales" Is A Safe Word!

So, hear me out. Some of you may have already clunked the pieces of the puzzle together and already agree with me, and some of you might think I need to sit the f down. Both are valid, but let me say my piece anyway.

Here's how I came up with this theory.

The Clues

The theme of a couple having a song is smacked squarely in our faces with the Gabriel-Beelzebub reveal.

Sometimes a couple's song marks a particularly strong and important memory.

Sometimes a couple's song is one they happen to love, and it maybe reminds them of each other, but they never say it out loud, because they don't need to. They just know, because they never say what they're thinking, that this is "their song"

But also, sometimes a song... "Contains information in a tuneful way."

Okay, I know Crowley didn't sing it. It's the "contains information" part that I'm latching on to. I didn't think much of that line, other than it being a "mhm, yeah that's true" kind of moment.

Until now, obviously.

Aziraphale's Reaction

Look, look, look!

Aziraphale senses something is wrong, in a different way from before. He is on full Alert.

Look at Aziraphale's reaction. Sure, you could interpret that as,

"Oh shit, he's serious,"

but nah, see...

Here is the dialogue along with what I think the subtext is, based on Azzie's reaction: Crowley: "Exactly. No Nightingales." Crowley: "You/we are in danger." Aziraphale glares at Crowley. (taken from the audio description) Aziraphale senses something is wrong, in a different way from before. He is on full Alert. Crowley: "You idiot. We could have been... Us." Crowley: "Everything I do and say now isn't really me. It's going to hurt us both. I'm sorry. Aziraphale turns away and starts to cry. (AD) Aziraphale: "Pointing out and blaming our imminent and permanent separation solely on me is the worst thing you could do. Crowley kisses Aziraphale. Aziraphale: "I stand corrected."

Note that the emotional stakes of this kiss had it been as a means to transfer something, are not undermined due to this theory, which is crucial for a theory to stand in my opinion.

Aziraphale looks at Crowley with disappointment (also taken from the audio description) Aziraphale: "I HATE that you have corrupted our first kiss like this. I'm about to say something significant, perhaps, 'I can't believe you did that, or maybe even 'I love you,' but you've just told me we're in danger, so I have to be tactful. How do I say something loving and scathing at the same time? Oh, I know..." Aziraphale: "I forgive you." Crowley: "Don't bother." (no subtext here. He meant what he said).

It fits well with other meta

See here for @actual-changeling's post about how the kiss may have been with tongue, which in turn supports the "Crowley put something in Aziraphale's mouth," theory.

I am still sort of on the fence about this one, but it does seem far more likely in my mind now that I have this "safe word theory" living rent-free in my head.

To Conclude

My theory is that "No Nightingales" was a safe word, and this might support the "Crowley put something in Aziraphale's mouth" theory.

I will update this post later as this was sort of a messy, raw brain dump. I know I have more to say about this, especially relating to the beats leading up to this nightingale moment and what came after. There's also other meta swimming in my head which might be compatible, but I may have to think about separating those posts out.

But right now, it's 4.46am as of writing this and I need to go to bed.

[kyamo18]

Well, yes, I wanted to draw this as a short story.... Maybe I will do that in the future, but with different events.

On the planet Cybertron, in the darkest point, an isolated laboratory where a genius scientist was standing, alone in front of his computer screens, observing.

(Keyboard pressing sounds followed by tired sighs)

“The world has reviewed its experiments with the Thousand-Year Cybertronian State over and over again and over again...”

The fate of all geniuses is solitude with their research and work... Focus Shockwave "The world is talking to itself"

Shockwave : If I use the golden square formula instead of the golden triangle...

“Someone is watching from afar and quietly approaching.”

Shockwave : No no no this won't work maybe I should use more amgaspark

"Shockwave was at his peak until someone placed his hand on his large metal chest."

Shockwave : Aahhhh.... What!?

*He looks behind him and sees his work companion, an intelligence officer*

Shockwave : Soundwave?... what are you doing here?

Soundwave : I got some free time from our leader

Shockwave : This is not the answer to my question! Why are your hands pressing on my chest?

Soundwave : I just feel cold... Your chest emits so much heat that it is suitable as a heating source

Shockwave : illogical! You have indoor heating and you haven't told me why you're here yet

Soundwave : It's broken... *moves his hands away from his chest shockwave* Does it bother you that I'm here?

Shockwave : *turns around and speaks to him face to face* If that's the case, I can fix you...and no, it doesn't bother me that you're here.

Soundwave : Negative....shockwave You don't look well...Did I harass you?

Shockwave : *He walks away to pick up his work tools* No... it's not you that's bothering me

Soundwave : Do you want to talk about it?....humans here call it "heart talk"

Shockwave : It doesn't make sense. We don't have hearts. *Ends preparing his tools*

Soundwave : Positive... You're right, but we have sparks

Shockwave : This doesn't change anything soundwave... You have to stop likening our complex lives to the simple lives of humans

*Soundwave pushes Shockwave to the ground and becomes on top of him*

Shockwave : uuuhhhh.... Soundwave?

Soundwave : Who told you that human life is simple? Or is it less complicated than our lives?

Shockwave : Oh, didn't you like my opinion? *speaks arrogantly*

Soundwave : Negative... shockwave, you are not well. It is not your habit to say things without support by a scientific experiment

Shockwave : And what do you know about me *looks to the other side*

Soundwave : *comes closer to Shockwave's face* You know I can read your thoughts

Shockwave : Well... good luck finding something inside my head full of equations

soundwave: I admit it's not easy when you think about numbers... but I can tell you feel lonely

"Shockwave finally looks at Soundwave's face which was very close to him"

Shockwave : soundwave....you're so close

Soundwave : Positive...you feel lonely then! So you needs attention *comes closer and presses his body against Shockwave's*

Shockwave : What you're doing is illogical...

Soundwave : But it works *hand caresses shockwave*

Shockwave : soundwave... /////

Soundwave : Your body reacts perfectly. You love this

[fromtenthousandfeet]

https://www.tumblr.com/fromtenthousandfeet/762649366059204608/httpsxcom97901suestatus1837382052729311473?source=share

Yes seven and golden were definitely successful. The music that was chosen all have easy hooks and JK's by no means a bad performer. Also JK was extremely popular prior to his solo songs. And anon isn't wrong per se - I'd say JK is definitely the most known member of BTS right now. He should be shouldn't he? Comparing his activities to the only other two members who could've possibly competed - Jimin and Tae had a pretty limited rollout. They didn't go on extended radio legs in the west or otherwise, didn't perform at any big locations like times square or gcf or iheart, didn't have huge collabs with huge western artists, didn't get the Hybe / sb marketing team hounding every music critic, radio host or netting awards for them (imo VMAs are usually negotiated, I've said this before JK entered the picture so i wont be changing my opinion just because he won one - they wouldn't give it to some unknown but the fan voting is a formality). What I question is if goldens only purpose was to be successful for its own sake.

How well did JK really do? With Jimin we can see that his newer songs from muse did better than his older ones from face. Even though sgmb wasn't as popular with his fanbase or in English, it still did better than smf pt 2 and who obviously performed much better than like crazy. Jimin's success with face translated into more fans, more organized fbs and hence a better performance with muse even though he's enlisted and couldn't properly promote his album. I won't consider nlg a worthy comparison since it's just a fansong but let's compare SNTY to 3d or seven. That's fair enough right? JK only had a few weeks to promote it before he enlisted but I would still say better than being totally radio silent like Jimin for muse. Anyhow SNTY's success was very JK from BTS-esque coded. As in without all the marketing and hype, that songs success is what I would've initially expected from JK in the first place from chapter two before the insanity of seven. It did very well of course. But how is it that we went through such a huge hype cycle of the biggest global popstar who sang seven to rival western artists and BTS themselves, all that marketing and activities and then end up right back to the same situation with his music performance that he would've achieved with his popularity post-hiatus anyway. If Jimin is dependent on his fans for his chart performance then SNTY shows that JK is still dependent on armys but how are they both now in the same situation when one has industry plant level money behind him? (industry plant is just a factual moniker for me not an insult for example I love industry plants Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter). But where are all his new fans that he gained from seven and 3d?

If I invested so much money at JK only for his performance at the charts to revert back to the same level as it was before I did that, then I'd be questioning a lot. Of course scooter and his buddies probably still made a sick amount of money from seven and golden but as Hybe trying to make a new BTS, I'd be annoyed that my marketing budget for JK would have to stay huge to get the returns I want. He's no BTS - invest minimal budget and get huge returns. JK might still get the golden treatment once he's back - sunk cost theory is a thing after all. And while JK didn't quite become the next Justin Bieber like he was supposed to, he's still more successful than 95% of Hybe's other projects. Anyway I doubt people who aren't as deep into this as us can even tell his popularity isn't at the level it's supposed to be at. They'll just say JK is the most successful member from BTS because like you said marketing works. However JK in chapter two has shown me that unless he makes a serious breakthrough with his next projects - his merits as a solo artist are still inextricably tied into his groups fanbase. Which is fine since Armys are still huge and maybe that will be enough even though I feel he failed to net enough dedicated fans with his solo music. But I do wonder about the sustainability of this arrangement when the group returns or if the group decides to go on a more permanent hiatus. Will armys all convert to jjks? I guess we shall see.

Also sidenote I know Tae's music has never done as well as Jimin's and his popularity is more superficial than Jimin's but I still think he's more popular than the other members by far and he could've potentially gotten to Jimins level if he'd done a better debut solo album. Just clarifying since I bunched Tae and Jimin together here even though it's not 2022 anymore and Jimin has strided past Tae as a solo artist. Also they may have definitely not opted into whatever deal JK had - I doubt they were offered one but it's possible it was their choice too. I don't want to strip them of their agency. Tae and Jimin have seemed more wary of Hybe than JK I think

Thanks for sharing. Lots of good info here.

[utilitycaster]

as someone who gave up on c3 I stayed in the fandom mostly for lvom and now waiting for animated nein. I remember you having a lot of doubts about c3. did they get resolved? or did you find other things to appreciate? I would be interested to see your perspective since I tended to agree with a lot of your opinions when I was more active on tumblr.

Hi anon!

Good question. I feel the best answer is that some things have gotten much better, and some things have not been resolved but I am somewhat resigned. I'm putting the rest of my response below a cut because it may get long (might not! I don't plan out responses like this usually) and because some of this gets fairly speculative.

Let's start with the unresolved:

While I'm hopeful that the visit to Whitestone quenched the need for extensive Vox Machina appearances, I still maintain this campaign would have been stronger had the connections been more distant. I actually like Orym as a character, but I think the Keyleth connection does neither him nor Keyleth any favors (not because Matt's depiction is bad, simply because Orym feels overshadowed to me and because it means the party can always consider asking a L20 Druid to help them, even if the end result is a no). I also still don't like how few characters are of Marquet or have significant reason to be there, even as I enjoy the characters.

The plot is still heavily centered around Imogen's powers and her connection to Ruidus. I'll talk more about this below, but I think this could have been handled well, and I place the blame squarely on Matt here, but it's not and as a result Imogen gets little room to breathe or develop. I like her as a character, but she's perpetually overwhelmed; her best moments have been, for me, in the episodes before the main character status was more solidified, or in episodes centering other characters (some of the Bassuras episodes; Chetney's time with the Gorgynei).

Related to the above, this is a heavily railroaded campaign. That is not bad. EXU Calamity was pretty railroaded, as are many Dimension 20 shows. I think the problem is that this didn't have the needs of railroading met. The best way to think about it is that Matt is basically running a looser-than-usual but still extant custom module. There are specific beats to be hit. When you run a module, as a DM, one generally tells people you're doing it and to build characters surrounding it. I still don't feel that was done. I think that had Matt said "hey, this is going to be a Ruidus-centric, lore-heavy campaign; build characters who have reason to be interested or who'd go along" then yes, he'd have spoiled the surprise, but not by much, and I think the characters would be much more suited to the plot (higher int, more tied to institutions in Marquet, etc) and the pacing issues wouldn't exist because it feels like Matt has been trying to obscure the railroading; things have gotten much better following recent episodes because we got the full lore dump and now have an actual task. Some slightly different expectation-setting would have been transformative with not a whole lot of effort.

The good

The characters and their relationships have gotten much better. Getting rid of Delilah has resolved most of my issues with Laudna though I'm unimpressed with her build; Chetney, Ashton, and Fearne were always great; my issues with Imogen stem only from her being Designated Main Character which wasn't an issue with Laura's concept; I discussed Orym above; and FCG in particular has been totally changed. Giving FCG a deity and having them start to question their purpose following a meeting with Dancer fixed most of my issues. They are still pushy, but in a way that feels much more friendly than the initial intrusive way; Sam is finally settling into playing a cleric more capably; and I love every part of the Changebringer arc. I also am a sucker for the Chef feat. As a recent poll on this website indicated, I can put up with a meandering plot if the characters are compelling (*cough* this is why early Mighty Nein, or Vox Machina pre-Briarwoods, are still largely good) so now that the group has meshed it's much more enjoyable. It still took longer than I wish it had, I still would like further deepening of relationships, and I completely respect that people lost patience, but we got to a much better place.

The pacing isn't perfect - we're getting shunted from place to place in a way that feels like late campaign, and giving this group so much power and connections has meant we don't get to see a ton of the continent - but it's much better. The Yios casino episode was a highlight, as were Chetney's episodes, and I'm hoping the upcoming skyship episodes will have some opportunities for conversations. I am not terribly optimistic that we'll get tons of downtime before the apogee solstice, but I am hoping that the plot is this: Bells Hells and their allies thwart the plans of the solstice, everyone has to regroup, and there is time to cover characters other than Imogen in depth for a length of time before we return back. I still suspect this will be a campaign closer to VM's in length than the Nein's, but that's still like 100 episodes so I'm hoping it's like, solstice in the 50s, 30-40 episodes of other stuff, moon plot returneth.

The NPCs and worldbuilding are consistently great; I just wish we could spend more time with them. As I say above, I hope that we put the moon plot on hold after the solstice and can deal with everyone else's stuff. I in particular am fascinated by Ashton and Chetney's stuff; I also think Laudna's hiding a lot that would make her more interesting, and I would love to know the full history of FCG even if he's not terribly curious.

The speculative

I have said this is speculative a few times and I'm saying it once more. I don't know if this is true, but like. This is essentially what I would say to Matt if somehow we crossed paths and he said "hey, as a fan, I was wondering why the response to Campaign 3 seems comparably muted from your perspective."

My guess is that this is the last long-form campaign Critical Role will do. It's understandable; if this runs 100-ish episodes that puts us at the 9-10 year mark of almost-weekly episodes, not counting the covid hiatus, and that is a LOT for a busy group of people working on concurrent animated series and sustaining outside acting careers. This isn't a podcast; it's filmed on a full set and takes a lot of time. I suspect - and hope! - that there will be plenty more content, in the form of EXU seasons, one-shots, and even shorter campaigns with the main cast (a la D20). And if I'm proven wrong and a full-length Campaign 4 is announced in the future, I will be ecstatic to eat my words. I cannot stress how happy I would be if I'm wrong here. But that is my guess.

So what I think has happened is this:

Matt has lore he really wants to reveal and has been seeding through the past two campaigns

Matt does not want to tell the cast not to play a character they've been thinking of, because this is the last time they'll get to do it for 100+ episodes.

And I think those two things together explain everything we're seeing. The Ruidus plot has to happen...but he didn't tell the cast.

Anyway hope this helps! I really appreciate you saying you like what I've had to say in the past, and see you for the Nein series and any future one-shots!

[variousqueerthings]

@autistic-puffin tomorrow we hit nine's regeneration and in honour of that my partner and I are going to watch all of the special behind-the-scenes for season one before we get fully into the tragedy of ten, because we own all the boxsets (in fact, I own a boxset from 2006 that is squared out to look even more like the tardis -- it's... very well-used shall we say, we do not use it for watching, but keep it with fondness) and therefore all the special features! up until s7 anyway. (I might get the rest, because I definitely want capaldi's last season + whittakers, and it wouldn't be complete with the ones leading up to that)

and tonight we watched an interview that eccleston did ahead of the launch and it just cannot be overstated how gracious this man seems to be/have been about playing this role and what it meant:

some highlights:

he said that he was hoping he might be the first doctor to a generation of 8-12 year olds at the time and I almost cried, because I was 10/11 at that point, and he was, he succeeded

I mention that because I know that for years he kind of felt like he didn't, and he's self-effacing (a bit comedically, but I wish he wouldn't be) in the interview too, preparing almost for a bad reaction

he did mention that a couple of early reviews hadn't been kind, and that it hurt and I just!!!! you don't understand!!!! you became part of the trajectory of my life!!!! you're one of the reasons I love stories my guy!!!!!! you were great!!!!!!

he said he quite liked the whovians (although he seemed unsure if that was or wasn't a polite term 😂) because they don't ask about your private life, they ask what it's like to be a time traveller and about the tardis

he mentioned that a big change was that it was attempting to move away from a patriarchal model of the doctor and the helpless "assistant" and that rtd was good at writing women (he's said that several times, but I like how open he was about that opinion in 2005 when you don't even really hear many actors today use words like that)

he also - and I found this charming - admitted that apart from some of the things like regeneration and the reveal of what a dalek really looked like, he wasn't so big into doctor who, because he didn't have a "camp sensibility." it just tickled me that he used that phrasing, because it's such an accurate identifier of that early low-budget (set wobbling, as he called it) aesthetic. kind of hinted he was more of a trekkie😂 which you know. I'd call that a camp sensibility too, just differently

at one point the interviewer directly asked him about whether he'd regenerate at the end and he eloquently avoided answering the question, but I do always feel that pang that he really did all the legwork of reestablishing this iconic character, only to not feel quite... welcome. for a long time. I know he's since (I believe) more embraced that his turn is iconic to so many of us, but it's sad to see it in the moment

he said he took the role because rtd is a great writer, because it was challenging sexism in the writing of female characters, and because he'd always been told he was too serious and "not funny or charming" -- me + my partner + her husband like "YOU'RE SO CHARMING!!!!!! SLANDER!!!!!"

it's very funny being someone for whom the doctor was your first eccleston role, only to later on watch his other stuff and be like... let my boy be whimsical dammit! he's so good at it!

[knit-with-it]

Do you know resources that explain how to knit in simple terms? I can't understand spacially what's happening with most demonstrations online and your blog seems very knowledgeable!

Well I haven't checked the basics in about 10 years but I can take a look and try to compile some stuff!

Probably a large amount of info under the cut!

So when learning to knit the basics, there are probably 4 things you need to learn.

Cast on

Basic stitches - Knit / Purl

Cast off

Weaving in ends

Knowing the basic stitches at this point is best because even though there are a ton of variations, most of them (if not all of them) are just alterations of those 2 (ex. K2tog = knit 2 stitches together).

Cast On

I find this video is good at explaining the slip knot in a simple way, and one variation of the cast on method. The creator goes very slow and it's very easy to view what they are doing.

This video is also really good at going over a bunch of different cast on methods, as well as talking a bit about the down sides to them!

If videos aren't your thing and you'd prefer pictures, this post is also really helpful!

Basic Stitches - Knit and Purl

This video shows a pretty good explanation on the basic knit (K) stitch.

And this one is good at slowly explaining the Purl (P) stitch.

I'd recommend this channel: Sheep and Stitch. The woman who does the tutorials goes slow and the videos are bright and easy to follow (in my opinion)

--------------

My Notes:

For knitting and purling the most important thing is to know where your "working yarn" is.

Knit stitches have the working yarn "in the back" meaning it's on the side of the work that isn't close to you: the back.

Purl stitches have the working yarn "in the front" meaning it's on the side of the work that IS close to you: the front.

*I think it's also important to note that what you see as a classic "knit" pattern isn't just straight knitting. What we call stockinette stitch is one row knit, and the next row purl. To knit all rows creates "garter" stitch which is a bunch of half loops.

Stockinette Stitch (when done, the edges of this WILL curl by nature and to get rid of that you need to block the work)

Garter Stitch (made by knitting every row)

Cast Off

This is the easiest and best cast off method in my opinion. I use this for all of my projects because it's easy and if your tension is consistent, then the final project looks really clean!

*There are a few different methods for casting off by for beginners I recommend starting with this one unless the pattern you are using calls for a specific method.

Weaving in the Ends

Once you've cast off there are going to be threads of yarn leftover. It's very important NOT to just cut these, as the work will probably just unwind itself over time. But weaving in changes depending what the work looks like. To properly hide those threads, knowing how to do it with different work types is important.

Here's how to weave in Garter Stitch

Here's how to weave in (the back) stockinette stitch

Here's how to weave in seed stitch

There is also a 'magic' weaving technique for stockinette stitch that I actually picked up a while ago on Tumblr, but my silly self didn't save the post after learning it so I'll update this post if I ever find it again. (if anyone knows what I'm talking about please link it!)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the absolute basics you need to know! I'll also try to link some beginner projects that seem fun and easy to follow.

Projects

Here is a page with 10 simple beginner patterns including hats, dish clothes, little hearts, scarfs, and bookmarks.

Here is a blanket pattern that uses smaller squares. It's listed for "upper beginners" but once you get the first 2 squares done I think it's a perfect blanket pattern since you can use many colors!

Here is a link to a ravelry page with 60 simple knit patterns, but I personally think some of these (if not most of these) look a bit difficult.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I could keep listing projects, but the thing about getting into knitting is you should make what you WANT to make, not what's easy.

My first project was a huge blanket I made by just knitting the most simple squares and sewing them together. My mother attempted to make a scarf, but didn't have the patience for it and hated it, so she stopped knitting.

My recommendation is to think of what you want to make, think about the time required for that (many projects take much longer than you think) and decide if it's for you.

The websites you are most likely to find patterns are:

Ravelry: This is the Knitting/Crochet website where you can find pretty much any pattern. (Free/Paid patterns available) *you do have to make a free account to save/download/view patterns*

Pinterest: Pinterest is a great website for finding patterns and having more recommended for you. The issue with this one is being able to distinguish between knitting and crochet, as sometimes the tags are not accurate and searching for a knitting pattern instead gives you a bunch of crochet ones. (I'm not salty about this)

Personal Blogs: Searching through google is another good way to find some creators who keep their patterns on their blogs, but pinterest and ravelry will likely be easier resources for this

If anyone else has any websites or resources they'd like to link, please do!

Good luck creating and I hope this is enough resources to help you get started!

[vex-cti]

[LONGPOST] I just finished... Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

I wanna write down all my thoughts before I delve into more in-depth online opinions. I'm writing this on the same day as having done the last two chapters of the game, so I may have not had time to process the story completely. However, I've been playing this game for the entire month and I got a lot to say. Obvious spoilers ahead, but I'll still try to keep some things vague enough.

Okay Square Enix, you win, I'll use photo mode

Graphics in video games are like how attractive a dessert looks, it doesn't dictate how it will taste, but it makes you want to try it. Rebirth feels like one of those games that is finally showing what the PS5 is capable of, with environments extremely rich in detail, superb lightning that's both colorful and conveys the right emotion for each scene, this is the prettiest Final Fantasy has ever looked, even compared to 16 which had some optimization issues and dull lightning in some areas, specially towards endgame. No single location in Rebirth feels half-baked, what used to be single screens and flat textures in the original have been completely re-imagined to have their own identity. I will talk about more about the open environments when I talk about gameplay and exploration.

Reliving the moments: Going above and beyond

The cutscene direction for this game is absolutely phenomenal, I love that they have amped up the campiness of the original 7, while also being faithful to the serious and emotional moments. What shines even more in Remake is the excellent writing when it comes to the characters, their performances are full of charisma, and it made it clear to me why the cast of seven ended up becoming so iconic to gaming as a whole. Every scene with these characters interacting, no matter if it was the dullest of sidequests, made everything entertaining. But the best part of Rebirth, like its predecessor, it's when it brings back the iconic moments we all wanted to see. The Junon Parade, Costa del Sol, Red XIII and Cosmo Canyon, Barret and Corel, and many more of these moments have barely altered from how they happened originally, reliving these moments feels like watching a high production TV Series based on a book you loved as a kid. If you love the original FFVII but have no intentions of playing the remake due to how things change, I at least recommend you look up the scenes that do stay faithful.

Some things left me wanting

Still, Rebirth only covers up to the end of Disc 1 section of the story, and has some blatant teases from trailers and the game itself that left me wanting. The Planet's weapons are mentioned and different versions appear, but there's no Diamond or Ruby weapon superboss yet. Both Cid and Vincent make their debuts near the final chapters, but are not playable for now, which left me a little disappointed. And this lets me segway perfectly into the other best part of Rebirth...

Can I just say I love the portraits in this game? Love me some PNGs

When I first played Part 1 of the Remake saga, I felt like I had no idea of what I was doing with the combat, I found the action-hybrid system too complicated and visually cluttered I felt like I was brute forcing every fight and not really enjoying myself. I finished the game and didn't come back to it until early this year where I decided to do Hard Mode for the Platinum, and this time I had a way better time, now understanding the combat system and each fight better. It makes for a flashy, semi tactical game with very visceral and satisfying animations, powers, character building thanks to materia, the importance of positioning, blocking, switching aggro, it felt like the realization of what games like FF12 and 13 aimed to be.

So imagine my surprise when Rebirth made it even better. Fundamentals are still the same, new skills were to be expected, but my favorite new addition are synergy skills. Not only do you get special commands you can perform with your partners in the party with extremely satisfying animations, you also have synergy real time action commands which reward you for being more reactive and agressive, now adding perfect blocks and counters, now every time you play with a different team composition you're gonna feel the difference of having Barret or Red or Yuffie as your partner, as you get access to different skills.

They also help you build ATB for characters not actively controlled at any given time, which is an excellent quality of life improvement. My only nitpick is that despite the menus allowing you to have 3 different party compositions and even allowing you to set the leader for each, Cloud is mandatory. Cloud is of course good at everything, so it's not the worst thing, but it does suck that I can't play as a team of Barret, Red, and Yuffie at any time in the open world. Though you can do that at virtual combat challenges or the colliseum. This feels like an oversight.

Fortunately, this meant I was playing around different characters all the time, because they're all great, and it feels super satisfying to set the right materia for each one according to what you envision them to be and complement their abbilities. Some are obvious: give Yuffie the steal materia, give Aerith healing materia. But who gets to be the mage, the debuffer, the buffer, the tank, that's up to you. I found Red XIII + Darkside materia works extremely well thanks to his Reaper Claw abbility and his health regeneration, sort of like a bestial Dark Knight, great crowd control and support all around. Cait Sith takes some work to get used to, and requires lots of setup, but his luck based gameplay can have some serious benefits, I'm sure he will come in handy in hard mode. Yuffie plays almost identically to her DLC, and she is excellent for handling boss fights with multiple parts or different weaknesses.

Exploring will either be fun or tedious, depends on who you ask

I feel like the other primary component of the gameplay, which is the exploration and traversal, will be a bit more divisive. It takes tropes from standard open world games like towers, points of interest, fast travel, loot locations, hunts, there is nothing new or original about it. However, that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Completing areas feels like I'm playing a collect-a-thon akin to Sonic Frontiers, where while it may not be the most exciting thing in the world, it is very relaxing for me, as I take in the sights and look for ways to get to new areas and find the next rare fiend. What I enjoy about the world design is that areas are not large, but are very packed and designed in such a way where you can't get everywhere by just looking at markers on the map, sometimes you do have to look for clues on the environment to get to where you need to, meaning you're looking at where you're going more than your tracker, which is great, but you still get the benefits of one. So it's a nice compromise, not as open ended as BoTW or Elden Ring, but not as braindead as a Ubisoft game. However, completing these areas can take a while, and if you're like me and plan to do all of them, don't be surprised when each area can take you up to 10 hours if you want to do everything.

"No seriously Cloud, I'm still waiting!" -Sephiroth, 100 hours into your game file

If you remember FF16 (I love that game too btw), you might remember how universally hated the sidequests were, not so much for their stories, but for their large amount and lack of variety. It seems like Rebirth is an active effort to avoid those same mistakes. Most sidequests in this game has you doing something different, have an entertaining story or character development attached to them, or even have you doing something dumb like bringing chickens back to their sweet innocent mother, or following an Ex Shinra employee in some brutal gold saucer challenges. I won't say every sidequest is a winner, at the end of the day, they're still busywork, and never will a game make you feel good saying "Congratulations on your progress, you have unlocked even more sidequests to do!". Still, I have to commend them, they do not bombard you with them, you can do a few at a time and be good for the next area, and the rewards allow your party to access more skills.

They have some of the most fun music too

The sidequest also introduce an excuse to have you do more of the minigames and take on their harder difficulties. And BOY did they add soooo many minigames, I could not believe I was encountering a new one what feels like every hour. There's something both horrifying and admirable about the devs commitment to bring back the spirit of a ps1 classic in this way. Have you noticed that triple AAA games basicly don't do minigames anymore? Yea fishing games are still around I guess, but Rebirth is not ashamed to harken to those videogamey roots and sheer goofiness. Red football, Fort Condor (love the reinterpretation), Super Dolphin Sunshine, and so many more. Enjoy youself with these minigames, and pick your least favorites too because there will be at least one that will make you want to break your controller. Contenders for me are Glide de Chocobo for it's terrible camera, and Gears & Gambits for having an overwhelming amount of Gambits for such a simple minigame (even FF12 had you start with a small amount). Still, there is more bad than good here. What I was not expecting was a brand new card game, akin to Triple Triad in 8 and 14: Queen's Blood.

*Insert Yugioh abridged reference here*

Not only did I not expect a new card game 2 hours into the game, I did not expect it to be so good, and have me thinking about different deck builds, deck synergy, strategies, and ways to one up your opponent with some smart plays. Queen's Blood is an extremely fun time sink and nice break from all the combat and normal exploration. It can be overwhelming at first, and having so many different cards with effects each is a hassle I've seen many not even wanting to bother with, finding some of its rules to be too confusing. I will say that if you're not constantly updating your deck with better cards you won't be making much progress, but you also won't know what cards are better if you don't play enough to get what your objective is, so it's best to start getting into it the sooner you start the game. Do make sure you take note of some of the later puzzles and challenges, as they can teach you strategies to make comebacks on hard duels.Screw the survival challenges, though.

But the journey isn't quite the same, after all

Perhaps the stuff I have the least things to say about, are the new elements to the story, which are more prevalent during the beginning and ending sequences of the game. I was honestly intrigued at the start, the tension and anxiety felt in this unknown timeline Zack has walked into, and the mystery surrounding the true fate of our protagonists, as it shows you bits and pieces of more information the further you progress, I was curious to where things were going. Unfortunately, the ending provided even more questions than answers, and I still feel like it's not as emotionally impactful as perhaps it intends to be, maybe due to the lack of clear information. I understand it wants to keep itself vague with the idea of multiple timelines and universes colliding, or what Sephirot's actual plan is. But it does make things like the Whispers feel even more pointless than when they showed up in Remake, but at least their presence has been reduced, as expected. Areas where changes to the story were most effective were when they were not pointed out to be a product of a split timeline, like the conclusion to the Junon festival, or the Gongaga reactor sections.

But of course, what most people were more curious about, was how was the ending going to change, we all knew it was going to be different no matter what. And while I feel like these convoluted elements do take off some of the emotion of the original scene, there is one element which does seem to align these new events with the emotions of the original: Cloud himself. For he experiences the events of the ending differently from the rest, and it's left unclear how reliable is his perspective. Add Sephiroth's manipulation of Cloud's emotions and he becomes this genuinely creepy and ruthless shell of himself. This new problem does not completely go away by the end, as Cloud is not fully aware of it yet. But with how the new version of the ending has unfolded, it left me with these feeling of doubt and... hollowness, confusion, not sure if to be sad, or hopeful. Which I feel is exactly how Cloud feels as well, as his human nature is questioned.

Despite thinking a faithful story remake would have been more satisfying, I can't deny these new events had me thinking about the story of FInal Fantasy 7 in ways I could connect emotionally to it even more. Perhaps, what this game truly achieved for me, is remind me just how much I love this franchise, for its extremely creative worlds and creatures, to its unique stories and unforgettable characters. Rebirth is a celebration of Final Fantasy, a joy to look and play, to relive and to guess. It's got one more part to prove if these changes to the narrative were really worth it, nonetheless. And honestly, I hope they don't keep relying on vagueness as much.

But when they are not being vague, I promise you, every moment, old or new, will feel exciting.

[dreamlikepoetica]

Life as a Scorpio / 8th House Stellium

Okay, I don't know if it's Saturn entering my isolation house that I feel like this, but I feel so blue. I just want to blurt what kind of hardness that I experienced so far in my life... and how it seems that it will never end. Because I was born with it. It attached to me. I simply couldn't detach as I wanted.

But, life as a Scorpio in the 8th house, with 8th house stellium, Mars squaring these placements, Saturn squaring these placements, I feel cursed. People hates me. I will never be anyone's favorite.

Thanks to my Aries ascendant, I don't care. I don't live for them. My ego can feed herself, I don't need anyone's attention to live my life. And when I'm in this mode, I feel the happiest. I know what I want, I go after it. I dislike something, then I leave it, remove it, or change it. So simple.

And it happened almost naturally when you were younger, though. I was free. I fought everyone for myself. I didn't listen, because I never asked for any opinions in the first place. I have my own progress and research and consideration before I decide something. Of course, my Libra moon will consider some decisions to death. I calculate. I plan. Although I enjoy the rush of recklessness.

Other times, when I get too much into my moon, I become so attached and want people to show that they value me. But, for some people, I mean, my parents, there will never be enough.

No matter what I do, what I have done, there will never be any appreciation. No. There will never be.

As I became an adult who earns money, my 8th placements came through. People look at me and think that I have this big amount of money piled up somewhere in my bank account. They always think I have savings. But, it's just that I have my priorities right.

I can save money because I have lived with so little. I use things until they break and need to change it. I can live with so little and I don't get greedy when I have more. I save it because I might have lacked in the future. I don't thing gadgets are a must. I don't waste money upgrading gadgets or gettings cars. I save them. I don't have much. But I always have for the dry season.

These people, who often the closest to me, see me as resource that they think they can leech into. I feel bad for thinking like this, but...

It gets more real because it has happened a few times. Each time there was an urgency, for example, like when the refrigator at our home got broken, they came to me, putting their sad face, asked me to buy it. After I bought it, what? No thank you whatsoever.

They often came to me to ask quite a big amount of money to buy this, to give to that, blablabla, but never was there any thank you for me. After they got what they wanted, they would get back to their nature. It seems like they acknowledged that I am financially independence, but hating me because it made me in a more powerful (or secure) position then they were. And they hate to be in that position.

I will always be the cold-hearted one. I will always be the heartless one. They will never love me. As my other sister.

I had realized I couldn't compete with her and I had made peace with that. I mean, she has exalted moon in her 7th house. Everyone loves her. She never goes wrong. Even though she often do wrong, it will always be my fault. She will do nothing and my parents will praise her. I will do the most and they'd still have some things to criticize. It has been like that since I was little and I remember everything.

She always had a birthday cake and I barely had birthday greetings. I loved reading the most, but they bought her my favorite book that I have been asking forever. Everyone praised her for being the cleanest one, but I had cleaned the house since I was at the fourth grade and I still got the first rank at school. But yeah, I am the most self-centered around here.

When I was away from home for 7 years, I saw them getting closer and happier. But I didn't feel like that when I was home. I didn't experience that home. That home didn't happen to me.

In this house, 5 of 6 of us have majority of earth and air placements. Guess what? I am the only one with water and fire placements. So much water.

It's been forever since I thought that I don't belong here. I was always happier to be far away from home. No matter how much I wanted to experience that home, I will never happened to me. Because I simply didn't born with it.

And I made peace to that reality. And it's fine for me to experience that home from faraway. No matter how heartbreaking it is.

ngch. march 9, 2023

[cozy-comfy-cuteness]

So... I fucked up

I went to the doctors and he said i likely had lupus. i got blood work done and he was sure about it. i asked to be referred out to a rheumologist, for a second opinion before doctor #1 didn't think I needed medication.

she... didnt think i had lupus. she ran her own tests and came back and said it wasnt lupus. that it would probably never be lupus. to stop worrying about it, when people have lupus, they will know.

it doesnt matter that damn near every afab and some amab people on my mom's side has lupus. she said i had a positive ana because of the autoimmune diseaes that run in the family and losing weight would help the inflammation and cardiac risk (which was very very high).

so... i started tracking again. it lasted a week and a half. it only took that long before i was panicking about what to eat, crying in the car while eating lunch. it made me feel fucking terrible. i let the fatphobia in the medical field almost cause me to relapse. hell, it might even be considered a relapse. i dunno. but i know better.

and when i was looking up the causes of inflammation in the body, weight can have some relation to it, but you know else does? depression, anxiety, trauma, ptsd, and other shit like that. things that i have had since i was 8 years old. and tracking my calories is going to cause me way more stress and mental health issues than it would help with whatever i wanted to change.

so i will focus on health promoting habits, which i already knew is better. eating more fruit and veggies, is good. getting more movement, is good. getting more and better sleep, is good. managing my stress, is good. tracking my calories and freaking out and rocking back and forth because i ate something i "shouldnt have" is NOT going to help my wellbeing. at all.

I am happy i have a good therapist and an amazing husband that i can talk about all this stuff with. i was sending him the food log at the end of the day to prevent myself from restricting. i just wanted to track where i was at and what changed i could make. 2 days ago i told him that i had cake and i felt horrible. we got cake because at work we won an award and they got cake for everyone. my husband asked if it was that the cake didnt make me feel good, or if eddy was trying to fuck shit up lol. i told him i didnt know but i didnt think tracking was helping. he was understanding but also was worried it was my ed trying to be lke "oh dont track, just dont eat." next day i told him now i was feeling during lunch and he agreed it isnt best for me and i needed all the snuggles and cuddles and wanted to make me feel better.

he is amazing. he doesnt know anything about tracking and it was me who wanted to share it with him to make sure that i wasnt relapsing. it honeslty helped. part of the ed is hiding and lying about shit, so when my ed wants me to hide stuff, i tend to tell my husband because i know its the first step to a relapse.

i am not back at square one, but i am working on getting back to feeling more like myself.

fuck medical fatphobia.

[thatiranianphantom]

Okay, my thoughts on the new description.

(some under a cut because, you know, it's me and I share many opinions that perhaps I shouldn't)

In the style of @raymondebidochonlifechoices's hilarious recap of RAS' interview, though perhaps a bit less hilarious.

The seventh season of Riverdale goes where no season of Riverdale has dared to go before—the 1950s!

Wonder why we've never been there before. Not because it's fucking stupid, but because it took till now for Ted Sullivan to have this absolute brainchild that will revolutionize the show.

Picking up where last season ended, Jughead Jones (Sprouse) finds himself trapped in the 1950s. He has no idea how he got there, nor how to get back to the present. 

The writers: We watch our own show, what are you talking about? We remembered that plot point, didn't we! Aren't you proud of us? Huh? Aren't you?

His friends are no help, as they are living seemingly authentic lives, similar to their classic Archie Comics counterparts, unaware that they’ve ever been anywhere but the 1950s. 

Oh rats, because typically, they are an absolute bastion of support and assistance.

Archie Andrews (Apa) is the classic all-American teen, coming of age, getting into trouble, and learning life-lessons

S1-25 year old teen - absolutely insufferable Archie is back, and this time, he's even more unaware! Hopefully with less grooming, especially from a show that is convinced it's making a profound social statement.

Betty Cooper (Reinhart) is the girl next door, starting to question everything about her perfect life—including her controlling mother Alice (Madchen Amick)

Somehow, some way, we are still circling the same plot about abusive parents. And you know how this refrain goes, people. Alice is horrendously abusive, she cries, we are supposed to forgive her. Looks like something ripped straight out of s1 but peep the absolutely no implication of anything BA related.

Veronica Lodge (Mendes) is a Hollywood starlet who moved to Riverdale under mysterious circumstances;

California and not New York???!!!! So exotic! Very wow! What an incredible stroke of genius, Roberto! They have not been shy about pumping the Varchie up, have they? It also usually only exists in addition to another ship....

Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) is the Queen Bee with a withering wit and a secret longing

I mean, Cheryl's plot has functionally never changed, so I don't know who's shocked at this, except for maybe the writers thinking it's revolutionary to recycle Cheryl's S2 plot instead of her S1 plot. Note that Mads and Vanessa's Instagrams are and have always been a pantheon of spoilers and it does look like they're doing a lot of filming together.

Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) is an activist fighting for the Black students of recently integrated Riverdale High

.....I can see my brain. I can literally see my brain, my eyes are rolling so hard. How do we make an already insufferable (my opinion, stressing that here) character even more insufferable and pretend we are making a profound social statment, something we are absolutely incapable of making? Toni is an activist for integration!

(real talk, I think we'll see very little of this plot, as we'll see very little plot for the secondary characters)

Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) is a “square” crooner wrestling with his sexual identity

Kill me now, my dear followers. And hey, spec here, I feel like Kevin may be dating Betty?

Reggie Mantle (Charles Melton) is a basketball star from farm country

The one thing I hope is true. God, I hope my dear himbo Reggie is back.

 Fangs Fogarty (Drew Ray Tanner) is a greaser who’s destined to be an Elvis-type star

Seriously, what ammunition does Drew have on the writers that he keeps getting brought back? My thought is they're going back to Kangs though, if we're going the OG way.

It isn’t until Jughead is visited by Tabitha Tate (Erinn Westbrook)—Riverdale’s Guardian Angel—that he learns the cosmic truth about their predicament.

Just....one facepalm is not enough. Five hundred facepalms are not enough. Tabitha, a character that is to put it generously not well loved and has been around for two seasons, is the Guardian Angel???

We know that they resolve Jughead remembering by the end of the premiere, per RAS, so I honestly wonder if Tabitha's role in S7 is very light. If Jughead forgets, her role is essentially moot and we have seen very little of her in BTS.

Anyway, my dear fellow sufferers, let's get through this together, one last time before we are finally set free.

[ivycorp]

for the fic ask thing:

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP. (because really why would one not ask that?)

💭 What is a headcanon you have about your own work?

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

It took me a while, apologies! Thank you for the ask!

🖋 I am currently enjoying my vices and typing up another fic for @transingthoseformers TFP AU, so a snippet from there:

A few hours later, an explosion shook the Nemesis.

"Sir, the Autobots boarded the ship!" one of the Vehicons announced, but the SIC only let out a long-suffering ex-vent as he turned to Soundwave with a request to get the humans moving in the straight way towards the invaders. The blue mech shot out a quick affirmative ping, as he turned on the schematics of the ship, drafting the quickest route to the advancing Bots.

"Maybe we could tell them to just… wait?" suggested another soldier on duty. The Air Commander looked him square in the optics, as he leant down, sarcastically letting out a "I wonder why didn't I think of that, hmm… let's test it out, shall we?"

Pressing the intercom active, the flier started speaking in an even tone:

"Autobots, cease fire. Your humans are being directed to your location as we speak. You will not be stopped from leaving this vessel if you comply."

Moments later another explosion shook through the Nemesis, with some very loud yelling in the distance.

The jet turned the intercom off, not breaking the optic contact with the Vehicon, who looked horrified.

"Any other bright ideas?" she asked, and the soldier shook his helm negative.

"I am putting you down for cleanup duty in that sector later, so you learn something," the SIC promised dryly. He really needed this day to end.

💭 headcanon about my own work... I don't think I really have any, at least am not consciously considering whatever is in my head anything beyond a "huh would be fun/tragic"

I might be inclined to say that the mafia!Burns family AU technically shows that (at least in my opinion) there would be very little change needed to the characters themselves to make the situation work in a much shadier setting, but I don't know if that's enough to consider it headcanon...

💻 research... I do it rarely, usually checking up small details whenever I catch myself doubting recollection of a particular design or timeline.

I usually don't dive too deep, but I admit that for the one non-TF fanfic I am writing I caught myself checking 1910s slang in the UK and stared at myself for a while processing that xD

[inkbutterflyuniverse]

I just saw the Miraculous movie. This review will contain SPOILERS. There will also be comparaison with the show. I know some people will tell me that I don't have to compare because it's very different but I cannot not compare it because I've seen the show and that's why I have some opinions about things.

And I'm sorry to say that I didn't really liked the movie. Yes the animation was gorgeous, I recognize that, but other than that the plot wasn't convincing for me. So what's following is a ranting about things that make no sense/that I didn't like.

I will begin by the most important thing: the relationship between the love square. I didn't believed it at all. No part of the square was good for me. I felt like there was no build-up at all between the couples. Marinette likes Adrien because he gave her his hand and because he's beautiful. I can understand, it's not very different from the show where she likes him because he gave her his umbrella. But what lacked for me was everything else. They had that discussion at the fair but that's all? I know that it was just shown in random pictures to say that time passed and that they became friends but they didn't had a real conversation? There was the first one at the fair and the one about Emilie but that's all? They didn't show me Marinette being really in love with him.

Same thing for Chat Noir and Ladybug. Yeah she's amazing and you're in love. But give me something? The little spare was nice but that's not enough to make me wanting them together... They really missed the chemistry they have in the show, as partners.

I also need to talk about the songs. I hate most of them. I watched the movie in french and had to pass it in english for the songs, but it wasn't that better... I don't understand why Lou is doing LB's singing voice. I know Jeremy really likes her and she worked for the franchise before, but I'm not really a fan of her voice. To believe that in english it's the amazing Cristina Vee who's voicing Marinette and that they still choose Lou, is very weird. I felt like her voice lacked of power for the songs. Like in the first one, at the end gets closer, the music goes in crescendo and you except something like a note change to go with it, but no she stayed in the same tone all the song. There wasn't a moment where I was like "yeah girl". And Elliot who's doing the french singing voice for Chat Noir is not a good choice. His voice clashed so much with the speaking voice! For Marinette it can still work, her voice is just more mature than when she's speaking. But for Chat Noir? Absolutely no. I don't have anything to say to the person who voiced him in English, but that because I didn't really listened to the sonfs after we got like three of four... 😬

I didn't cared about the akumas, they were there that's all. None of them really marked me. The first one was literally a gargoyle while after that we just got the mimes with powers. It's like Gabriel did nothing except giving them power, they weren't transformed...

Marinette being extremely clumsy at the beginning makes me roll my eyes because it was too much, and I didn't like that she suddenly stopped being clumsy because she was Ladybug?! The girl is a walking cliché: clumsy, no friends, and bullied by the rich girl... Adrien give me nothing he had no characterisation except when he told Gabe that he wasn't his dad anymore, that was great. I didn't understand why Chloe was so sure about Adrien, they NEVER interacted. Gabriel was just pathetic. He is pathetic in the show too, but at least he's an intresting character. Because at the beginning we didn't knew he was Hawkmoth, then it was confirmed it was him and his reasons were kinda understandable. He wasn't a great dad but he was sure he was doing it for Adrien too. Here it's just for him.

Now let's talk about the most important thing: the revelation. The movie just proved why revealing the identities is not a great thing. In the show every time we got a revelation or almost had it, they built-up the the tension. There was always something proving why keeping it secret is a great choice. Their secrets identities are the heart of the show. Without that no love square. The movie revealing the identities was such a bad move. "I will take your earings by magic" okay Hawky you're overpowered nice to know it. And the whole thing with Chat Noir, half of his mask is gone and you're recognizing him? What does that mean about the magic in the suits? It's not a thing here? Because if only half was gone the magic could still work. But I know I shouldn't try to find a real reason when it's for the purpose of the 'plot' that he needs to know it's his son. And after that he straight up detransformed himself to apologize to his son?! Bro that's not credible at all. At least for me. Why would you suddenly stop your plan? You could have tried to convince him to resurrect your mom... So yeah, I hated that part.

Another thing I was curious about was the lucky charm and the cataclysm. It was said that Chat Noir was the destruction and when we saw the green lightning when he was with Hawkmoth, I supposed it was that. But how to explain that they're a special sort of superhero if their only powers is the super suit and their weapons? At least Ladybug could purified the akumas but all the damage they caused was repaired by the city? Notre Dame, the fair, everything the akumas in the pictures destroyed, weren't repaired by Ladybug...

And when she understands that she can repairs it, it's because of the power of love? Just that? Love? Don't make laugh, it's 'ridiculous' would say Chloe and I would agree.

So I can understand that she didn't unlocked the capacity to repair things but the lucky charm is the thing that makes Ladybug her. It's not just a random objects to beat the akuma, it's something that shows her creativity and how smart she can be. I really missed it.

Now for the last seconds wtf. Emilie is on a bed of flowers and there's no glass coffin?! Her body wouldn't be like that if it's been more than a year than she died and she wasn't preserved. I feel like in the show the coffin helped her body, but here it's so laughable.

In conclusion the movie is not a great movie. The show has a lot of flaws but this movie has more. As an introduction about Ladybug and Chat Noir it could work. As a movie for kids it could work too. As a movie for fans of the show it can't work. Maybe I would have liked it better if I had no knowledge about the show, but I still doubt. It was very kid oriented, and very fast. The movie could have been a great retelling of the story but I feel like Jeremy Zag proved once again that if there's a team writing the show it's for a reason. He didn't understood the concept of the show and tried to do something but failed.

[shylittlefrogg]

What is your opinion on the ML season 5 finale? What would you have done different?

Sorry I left this in my box for a while. too many things that I was concentrating on and put aside for later. I also procrastinated a bit eh.

I had to think about this for a bit and rewatch some episodes and think

Honestly though, I think it was a good season, slightly down but hey, good enough to keep me going to see what happens next.

"Staying to see the fire in the garbage dump and how the new firefighters try to put it out" basically

Felix's background story, consolidating the sentimonsters a little more, revolting the love square, giving the Miraculous to other people. I think those were pretty good things.

I personally wish they would have left Scarabella and Kitty Noir for more chapters, like maybe three and expanded things more with them while Adrien and Marinette did their thing and I don't know, maybe see that things were starting to get difficult for the new heroes and decide to help them??

It would have been nice and cute, something more natural to get the Miraculous back

thinking thinking about maybe Adrien getting Zoe in a group that knows her identity, both of them helping each other a little maybe

"Cat Friends"

Yeah, give Zoe more things instead of just using her conveniently and keeping the status of equal identities with someone who knows on each side

And honestly it gives me headaches that Adrien and Marinette were the only people without Alliance in their school group, more ADRIEN of all people, I feel like they don't make that much sense. (Also, Marinette broke her spine in that scene where Hawkmoth pushed her, no, I don't make the rules, it's basic physics)

Definitely trying more of the Sentimonsters thing from past seasons and not just something that came out of nowhere.

large parts of my complaints go to the end.

First with Chloe, she's honestly not my favorite character but I'm emotional with characters with family trauma, Chloe, Felix and Adrien being the main ones in canon, and emotionally with Kagami and Sabrina.

Chloe doesn't deserve to end up with her mother who can't even remember her name, disowned by her father according to the scripts, and without any friends or anyone else to cope. Alone with her abuser as her only support, that's... just tragic.

Felix's part in the play leaves me emotional, painful, I have already communicated what goes to my mind when a broken stuffed animal appears and I am happy that now he is better with his mother who seems to love him very much (although where was he while his father mistreated him??? I would like that to be resolved).

Finally Adrien.. He doesn't deserve to be lied to, not after all, not now that his father died and he's being praised as a hero, as a good father, when he wasn't, when he literally spent an entire chapter as Chat Noir talking about how his father sucks and ending that episode by locking himself up in fear of hurting others because of something his father caused him.

I feel bad for them and I personally would have changed that.

with Chloe being taken by some relocation program because her parents are definitely not doing good if she's in her care all that happened.

give her a good rehab family

and Adrien learning the truth, either as Adrien or as Chat Noir, because Ladybug had to have said something to her partner after so many trust issues they had before, right ??

Right?!!

I feel like the biggest problem with this season is that they didn't seem to follow a cohesive character evolution.