#i have no thoughts on the collector. they are a delightful character but i am so head empty when it comes to plots w them

[theautisticwriter]

Love Letters: Yandere! Helluva Boss characters X G/N Reader

Characters- Blitzø, Moxxie, Millie, Loona, Stolas, Asmodeus, Fizzarolli

Show- Helluva Boss

Genre- romantic, yandere

Summary- Mini love letters from your not so secret stalkers admirers!

Warnings- swearing, pet names, yandere themes, mentions of planned kidnapping, stalking, delusional characters, unwanted attention

Word count- 1.5K

Extra notes- I have a Hazbin Hotel version of this uploaded as well!

key: f/l = first letter of your name, y/n = your name, n/n = your nickname

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By this point you know who it is y/n, I’m the only person COOL enough to send u romantic as fuck letters like the old people do

Sorry for eating the food u made last night, when i was raiding ur fridge it looked so fucking good (and it was, who knew u could cook :P). i left u a pony as a replacement, u can’t eat it but it’ll make u think of me ;) and that pony cost me a FUCK ton of money, collectors addition and shit. i know, bad fucking ass right??

the stupid shitty loud alarm u installed didn’t work when i came in, ud be much safer with me and loony. that’s the plan anyways babe, u have NO idea the fucking creeps that live down here, they’re all fucking animals and ur…not, a fucking asshole i guess.

i drew you smth (it’s the thing stuck on the back of the envelope with the glitter glu)

^glue

it’s me and u holding hands, like other couples do. we’re better than those corny fuckers tho, hence the crowns on our heads.

ignoring my texts, BLOCKING ME (still upset about this BY THE WAY) and then ignoring my very nice letters is kinda a dick move f/l, but it’s whatevs. everything is almost ready for ur move in. i cleaned up n everything :D

from the only bitch worth ur time,

blitzø

<3 (ignore that, moxxie threw a gun at me and my hand slipped, might fire him)

———————————————————

Hiya sweet cheeks!!!

It’s Mills here, just checking in! Via letter! Ain’t that just the fanciest little thing? Mox said it’s the best way to show thought and care to someone, so here’s all my thoughts and care, just for you!

How’ve you been? Good I hope, I’ve been just peachy thanks for asking! My Ma and Pa are super excited to meet ya one day, they’ve even started planning the wedding! Now I told them to slow their horses down, and not the overwhelm ya, we’ll get to that don’t you worry darlin.

Im just so excited to write this letter for you! Ain’t it so romantic?? I’m practically squealing in delight at the thought of you opening this and swoonin’, that’s what you’re doing, right?

Now i’m writing this on my break, and my boss really needs me back in the game! I got employ of the month! Most amount of kills, with the best and bloodiest results baby!

Until next time sweetheart,

Your Mills! ♡

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Hi y/n,

It’s Moxxie here, I was a little nervous to send this letter to you, but I always try to follow my heart, and my heart was telling me to communicate with you in the most romantic way I know how due to our current circumstances of being so far away. It’s hard, for the both of us i’m sure, but we’ll be okay y/n.

As much as I don’t get along with my father, he has been helpful with my preparations for your arrival. It’s a big deal, moving in together. I’m sure your anxious, I am too, but in the best way possible. Love is pure, and can make somebody feel whole, it’s a wonderful feeling. I never want that to be taken away from me, and you are the source of all my love. That’s why we need to be together, being only half a demon isn’t good for the soul.

We can do lots of fun things together as well, like go to the opera, or to musicals, or I can show you my shooting skills. My boss says that I have a pretty good shot, which is the biggest compliment he’s ever given me. And we can do things you like too, marriage is equal of course. Obviously, this will all happen later done the line, you’ll need time to adjust, and I understand that. I understand you.

I’m running out of room on my page, but I will write to you again tomorrow. Please respond? Just once, y/n? It’d be nice, to hold something from you since I can’t hold you yet.

All my love,

Your Moxxie <3

———————————————————

Uh, hi?

Wait, you don’t put ‘uh’ in letters do you? Or put wait whilst you think, fuck shit fuck

Sorry, I’m new to this. Normally I just send a text to people but, your phone is off at the moment I think? Or you lost it? Or you blocked me?

Either way, I’ll send you these stupid letter things until it’s back on. So, uh, what are you up to? Blitz has been up my ass about meeting you, heads up, when I come get you and bring you to our room he’s gonna go all psycho dad mode and integrate you, but he’ll back off after a while. He’s a dick sure, but he does want me to be happy. And your, likeable or whatever, so i’m sure you’ll get along.

Once you get comfortable at home with me, Blitz said you could work with me at I.M.P. You’ll be like the co-secretary or something. You won’t be put in danger, I won’t let that happen, you’ll just get to sit with me. We can watch things together, if you wanted.

I guess i’ll see you soon, how do you end these?

See you,

Love from,

Regards?

Bye y/n,

Loona.

———————————————————

My dearest y/n,

I hope this letter finds you well. I yearn for your presence here, besides me. It’s quite lonely without you, I will admit my dear. It would be oh so wonderful if you could write back. I understand you may be preoccupied with your current activities, but I can’t help myself from desiring a response. I know, it’s selfish of me to expect you to reply to my letters when you’ll be here with me shortly, but I can’t keep my thoughts at bay at the moment.

Your face is a constant in my mind, night and day, asleep and awake, your voice in my mind calms me when I need it most, your smile brightens the bleariest of moments and so on. You can imagine the difficulties I’m facing with no response from you, but that’s alright. If you can’t write back to me dear, I won’t pressure you. Your time is precious, and we will have all the time in hell quite soon. Isn’t that exciting?

I can give you the life you deserve n/n, any luxuries or mundanities you wish for will be handed to you on a silver platter. Or a golden one, if that’s more to your liking? We can properly discuss the specifics once we are together. How thrilling, the though of you and I together at last.

We truly are written in the stars!

Yours until the end of the sky and then some,

Stolas.

———————————————————

Hey there baby,

It’s been a while, huh? I’m sorry if you feel neglected babe, it’s so hard keeping in contact with you when you’re so far away hun. Wouldn’t it be so much better if you were here with me? Sure I’ve got a lot of meetings, being a sin and all, but I’d be at your beck and call n/n, you could even be my new excuse to leave those awful “business” discussions. They barely talk business with me, it’s just complete bullshit babe.

I know the lust ring can be intimidating, we have quite the reputation, but I assure you, love is not a foreign concept to me. Romance is one of my most favourite things! Though that’s a secret, let’s keep that between us, yeah? That side of me is reserved for you n/n.

It’s so boring over here without you, I feel like i’m just lounging around and last time I checked, I was the lust sin, not the sloth sin. We’d have so much fun together babe! Can’t you picture it? Even if you can’t yet, I can wait. Having you near me will be enough, you are enough just as you are.

Sincerely yours,

Asmodeus (Ozzie) xoxo

———————————————————

Heya cutie!

Letters are a lot harder to write than I thought they’d be y’know? I’ve rewritten this like 16 times already, sheesh. It just feels so awkward, I can’t see your reaction to my words which means I can’t fix any mistakes I’ve made :(. I’m sure I haven’t made any though! Right? This letters going really well so far and is definitely wooing you, right, y/n?

Hah, I’m asking questions as if you can reply right away. Silly old me, I don’t know what i’m worrying about! We’re meant to be together. I know it’s super sappy, but we’re like soulmates. Soulmates are bound to be together! That’s why I’m bringing you home soon, I can’t wait! I’ve got sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many awesome tricks to show you!

And, the best news, I quit my job!! ༘⋆-ˋˏ ༘⋆-ˋˏ This means, we will have a LOT more time with each other, and you don’t have to worry about Mammon being possessive over me, because fuck him! I’m my own clown! Or, well, your clown.

I can’t wait to see you! This is going to be great for us, I pinky promise :P

Love from,

Fizzarolli !!!! ༘⋆!!,-!ˋˏ!!!

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[zwy01]

Love, love, love, love your character designs! Happy to know that there are people like me who make OCs and for Noblesse no less!

How do you come up with the power and names for the Noble families?

I'm currently trying to redo my Noblesse OCs and I do not like their Soulweapon nor their family name...

Again love your art and designs! I'm always delighted to see it on my dashboard!

Thank you so much!!! :D yay fellow Noblesse OC maker!!

In my case for all four of my noble families I came up with their concept/powers/theming + soul weapons before I decided on their names so the names came last.

Volo: I thought it would be fun to have a third magic-aligned spell casting noble clan. Since the two that we know of have a lot of offensive skills I thought it’d be cool to have one that specializes in being all-rounders/support in the back. And I really like one of Lagus’ specialties being poison mastery so I was like hey what if I make a healer’s clan that can balance it out. For their soul weapon Octavio I am a crystal collector myself so I instantly thought of a crystal ball and went like “it’s gonna be so cool when it glows” and it’s nice to have a soul weapon that doesn’t exactly look like a weapon. For the family name actually I had a classmate back in high school who had this name and I just thought it was nice and I wanted a short one too so it was a good fit.

Pyradros: for this one I came up with the soul weapon Soleil before I had any idea of what I wanted to do with the theme/concepts/characters because I just love flails so much. So for this one I actually did it in a slightly different order where I came up with the lore and characters to fit the soul weapon instead of the other way around. The striking head of flails reminded me of the sun and it also fits the theme of destruction so I went with it. I also really like how Gradeus’ soul weapon has more than one form so I was like “ooh what if I paralleled this soul weapon to the life cycle of the sun” so that’s how I ended up giving Soleil it’s second form called the Red Giant and the family’s specialty of super aggressive attacks was decided. For their name I took it from “pyro” which means fire which also relates thematically to the sun.

Ceresthalassa: same thought process as the previous one. I decided that I wanted to make one with a trident before I figured out what I wanted to do with the theme/concepts/characters. From there I basically went with the mythological associations that usually come with tridents. I also thought it would be pretty cool to make a noble clan that is the embodiment of nature. The name is a combination of “ceres” for nourishment and “thalassa” for sea. I actually spent the most time (5 hours!!) trying to find a suitable clan name for this family because I wanted the name to fully represent the theme but I couldn’t find any that I liked that incorporated both elements so I just made one up by combining two existing words.

Paradiso: I am a lover of the color pink so the first thing that actually came up when I started with this noble clan is that they have pink hair. I decided on the theme/concepts/characters much later haha for some time I wasn’t really sure about what I wanted to do. Then I remembered about making non-combat clans and decided on a clan whose job is to be safety net for everyone else. The soul weapon is also a book for this reason. For the family name I just based it on the word paradise because it matches thematically with this clan’s lore of being the knowledgable record keepers + literature lovers.

And that’s my thought process! Hope it helps :D

Thank you again!! ❤️

[lucagray813]

Deal with the Devil

Rating: Gen

Word Count: 1,156

Characters: Lady Bone Demon, Macaque

Relationships: Lady Bone Demon & Macaque, Hinted Macaque & Wukong

Summary: The Six-Eared Macaque cannot be trusted but his offer to aid her righteous mission is a tempting one.

Additional Tags: Alternative first meeting, Pre-canon, fake identity

CW: Mentions of off-screen deaths and allusions to future murder

Link to AO3 Version

----

Lady Yèhè Nāra, the only woman to currently serve as an advisor to Governor Zhōu, was not known for ignoring protocol or disregarding propriety by slipping away from her handmaidens and guards in the middle of the night.

But as she carefully walked through quiet halls and then extravagant gardens to find somewhere isolated, she rather suspected that it would be worth her while.

The shadow that had made its presence known to her, and her alone, throughout the day waited until she had stopped before finally appearing before her properly as the outline of a grinning monkey.

She watched without alarm, as a solid creature rose from the shadow, the grinning monkey taking form before bowing to her lowly for but a moment before standing, eyes full of disrespect, "Lady Bone Demon, I'm honoured you would agree to meet with me."

She was not surprised he knew who she was, although she was curious what methods he had used to find her. She had not heard anything from her informants but a creature that could be one with the shadows could undoubtedly make for an impressive collector of stolen knowledge.

But still.

"I am Lady Yèhè Nāra, demon. And you have hardly been subtle - stalking me all day. Speak your piece before I alert the priests to your presence."

He chuckled, "Oh, we're playing that game, are we? My sincerest apologies, my Lady. I simply heard of your noble intentions to better this world and thought to offer you my services."

She was under no illusion he was interested in her righteous mission and dryly she responded, "For a price I'm sure. What services do you purport to offer?"

In contrast to her perfect poise, he was a creature of movement, at no point had he been still since he left his shadow, and now he paced as he gestured, his tone a parody of respect, "My Lady, you wish to change the world through honest means but I'm sure you know it is difficult, if not impossible, by those means alone. While good work is done for all to see, it is often supported by less... desirable actions from the shadows. An unfortunate but necessary evil."

"And what "actions from the shadows" are you suggesting would further my cause?"

He grinned widely, "Whatever my Lady deemed necessary. My shadows enable me to be a most impressive spy, assassin and saboteur."

She raised an eyebrow, "Saboteur?"

He looked delighted at the opportunity to explain, "Perhaps you have heard of the unfortunate end that the once venerable Lín family met in Shāndōng?"

She resisted the urge to smile.

The Lín family had held significant power in the province of Shāndōng but, as was too often the case, they had been horrifically corrupt, and she had perhaps been a little more pleased than decorum would allow for when she heard of their bloody end.

But she had also heard the rumours to which he was alluding.

"A peasant uprising. However I have heard rumours that their demise was truly brought about by whispers from the shadows sewing discontent, mistrust and madness. I am to believe that you were the originator of those whispers?"

He bowed as if he'd finished a great performance on a stage, "Some of my finest work if I may say so."

"Forgive me if I do not believe your actions were driven by righteousness."

He grinned, clearly unoffended, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I have my own righteous mission, one that you will find does not contradict your own. The Lín family were in possession of a number of scrolls that I liberated in the ensuing revolt. Scrolls that contain powerful and advanced knowledge on seals. An area of study I have heard you are most advanced in."

"And this is what you would ask for in exchange for your services? My knowledge of seals? And what do you intend to do with this knowledge?"

Though he kept up his foolish routine, she could feel an undercurrent of fury and agony, as he responded, "A dear friend of mine has been sealed away, I intend to free him."

She had long suspected the identity of this creature, and given his striking resemblance to the demon she'd heard had waged a war against heaven, she felt confident she understood his true intent.

He intended to try and break the seals that the Buddha himself had placed on the Monkey King's prison? And he wanted her to help him? Did he think her a fool? Powerful she may be but no-one was a match for the Buddha.

That being said, she did not believe what this demon wanted was at all achievable, no matter what knowledge she shared with him.

"You intend to do the impossible."

"Many would say the same of your own ambition, I'm sure."

What a laughable sentiment - he truly believed he could undermine the Buddha's power! And yet, this foolish ambition could be used to her advantage. His offer was tempting, and the likelihood of repercussions to her for engaging with him were almost negligible.

While she was confident in her superiority to this creature, it would be unwise to underestimate him. Demons were not a trustworthy bunch even amongst themselves - if she was to proceed with this partnership she must take every precaution to ensure she would not be betrayed or short-changed.

"I will consider your offer, demon. Meet me here again in three nights and if I deem this a prosperous agreement, I will have drafted terms for us to formally agree upon."

"Of course, of course. Although perhaps while you mull things over, I could do something to prove the worth of my skills to you? I'd ask for nothing in return for it in this instance, of course."

There was no reason to say no, and while she felt no need to test his abilities, who was she to turn down such a generous offer?

"Above the window outside my bedchambers there is a decorative piece, look there after midday for what I require from you."

He feigned confusion, "My Lady, I have seen it but surely such a location is inaccessible to you?"

His abilities better make up for his exceptionally disrespectful mouth.

She did not deign to answer and simply walked past him, signalling the end of this interaction.

She heard him laugh, "Of course, of course. A lowly demon such as myself shouldn't question you, my Lady. Forgive my disrespect, I'm sure I'll get the hang of these human rules of decorum eventually."

She did not need to look to know he'd once again disappeared into the shadows.

What a fool of a demon.

Despite, his clear shortcomings however, he had power and intelligence that were of use to her. And if she could find a way to ensure his loyalty then this could be a long lasting and lucrative partnership indeed.

--End--

LMK Fanfic Masterlist

[honourablejester]

Trying Out Some PF2e Character Concepts

Okay, so I was browsing around the character creation options for PF2e on Archives of Nethys, and playing around on Pathbuilder trying out how characters are actually built and what kind of feats and things you get as you go and how stuff gets added onto your character (sidenote: character builders are just generally addictive). And, some thoughts:

I was unreasonably pleased, when browsing character backgrounds, that ‘grave robber’ is an option. As is ‘back-alley doctor’, ‘junk collector’, ‘street preacher’ and ‘cultist’. Fantastic!

But grave robber in particular just … I immediately wanted a grave robber character. I dabbled around on Pathbuilder for a couple of iterations. I definitely wanted a Ratfolk character, but I flitted around a couple of classes. Because of the death thing, I tried out a Psychic first, and discovered that I adore Occultism as a skill and in particular several of the Occultism skill feats. There’s one called ‘Read Psychometric Resonance’, and I’ve no idea how useful it is, but it’s psychometry. You can examine an object and get echoes of past emotions from it! Psychometry is one of those niche things that I just love to see in a story/game, and I love that you can train that in Pathfinder. You can develop psychometry as a skill. Fantastic.

Things you can also get from Occultism skill feats: the ability to read auras (Aura Sight), the ability to contact the local ghosts so they can give you the psychic low-down on the immediate area (Consult the Spirits), the ability to make your magic just look weird and hard to identify (Bizarre Magic), the ability to make small talismans against magic/ghosts (Root Magic), and the ability to just start muttering ominous shit and confusing/scaring the hell out of one to several people around you (Disturbing Knowledge). I absolutely want to build a character completely around Occultism.

And there’s also … there’s a couple of Archetypes, which appear to be Pathfinder’s way of letting your character major in one class and minor in another class/archetype? There’s an Archetype for all the classes, so you can spec into a second class, but there’s also other archetypes. And there’s a trio that work really well around this concept that I was interested in: Exorcist (pacify spirits), Ghost Hunter (fight ghosts, spellcasting) and Ghost Eater (fight ghosts). For my second go at my ratty graverobber, I went for a Rogue with the Ghost Eater archetype, which seemed quite fun.

Also, on a different note, while I was trying out ideas for the ‘back-alley doctor’, another background that I adore for entirely un-noir-related reasons, I was looking at Heritages, which are to Ancestries what Archetypes are to Classes. As in, you can take feats from both your main ancestry and your heritage as you go, so you get much more elements of both, unlike, say, dhampirs in 5e, which mostly replace your original race. And, thing is, I was looking at a dwarf for my back-alley doctor, and tiefling is a heritage in PF2e (as, by the way, is dhampir). So I can have a fiendish dwarf. I’m not sure why I’m so specifically delighted by the idea of dwarf/tiefling hybrid, but I very much am.

And while I was browsing the tiefling feats, there’s a specific lineage, Shackleborn, that’s actually quite suggestive for our back-alley doctor. Shackleborn lineages are marked by velstrac, which appear to be sadistic surgeon fiends from the shadow plane, and shackleborn get the Fast Healing feat, because they’ve basically been genetically tweaked to last longer under torture. Which. If I wanted an incredibly noir twisted family history for a back-alley doctor dwarf …  

Now the only problem I’m having with this character concept is what actual class to put on top of this noir chassis. Heh.

Character building is just a really fun and addictive exercise.

[itcamefromthetoybox]

I am Become Barbie, Destroyer of Worlds

“Barbie: The Movie” comes out this month, and it’s looking like it’ll be a smash success, in addition to a really good movie! As you know if you’ve been following this blog, I’m pumped for this movie and have been counting down the days until it comes out. I’ve also been doing a series of reviews of current “Barbie” toys, which we’ll be wrapping up this week with an absolutely wonderful gift from my absolutely wonderful wife, “Barbie: The Movie Barbie!” Let’s see how the star of the show came out and if she’s a worthwhile edition to your Barbie collection.

Now, before we get started, I just wanna say one thing: last week when we looked at Ken, I said that because I had zero success finding the “Barbie: The Movie” dolls anywhere except online stores, it looked like the movie line was an online only exclusive. So of course, the very next day, I went to my local Target and found the movie dolls. The universe delights in kicking me sometimes.

The “Barbie: The Movie” toyline is the toyline released for the movie and is now available at mass retail. If you missed last week’s review, here’s a quick recap: the toyline is, obviously, centered around the upcoming movie, with dolls based off the cast, as well as vehicles and playsets. The dolls have a higher level of articulation, more accessories, and a bigger price tag than the standard dolls.

From what we’ve seen in the trailers, Barbie the character, played by beloved actress Margot Robbie, seems like an optimistic, friendly, cheerful go-getter with a wide circle of friends and a heart of gold. So basically my exact opposite in every way. When things begin changing in her world, Barbie sets off on a journey to the real world, accompanied by Ryan Gosling’s Ken, to get to the bottom of things. Other than that basic synopsis, I can’t say anything else about the character. The movie isn’t out yet. This is all I got.

This doll looks great. She has a very classic look to her, right down to the arched feet and the hairstyle, and is pretty much exactly what you’d want in this doll. She does a great job conveying Margot Robbie’s likeness without going into the Uncanny Valley, which is nice because you don’t want Barbie to scare children usually. Save that for the doll scene in “Small Soldiers.”

I absolutely adore Barbie’s outfit. She comes wearing a pink and white plaid dress, pink heels and a matching hair bow, and flower earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet, which all comes together to make a bright, cherry doll whose accessories scream “let’s enjoy a beautiful day.” It’s a really great outfit and I feel it does a terrific job conveying who this character is. Interestingly, this doll also comes with actual underpants, which is noteworthy because most Barbies and Kens just have sculpted underpants. I feel like it’s a nice touch and a good way to confirm that no, Barbie is not going commando.

Life in plastic, it’s fantastic!

In terms of articulation, Barbie has it going on! She’s covered in joints, which means she’s here to strike a pose atop the crushed bodies of rival dolls who thought they could stand against her. I’m really happy with all the joints she has, and I feel like kids will also like them.

Barbie, seen here after ruthlessly slaughtering Jem and the Holograms.

Now, of course, I do have a few complaints. After all, nothing in life is perfect except for those special moments with the people we care for, when we’re truly connected and at ease, and even those moments are far too fleeting in the cruel passage of time. My first issue is the issue I usually have with Barbies: she can’t stand on her own. I know that’s always been a thing, but it still bugs me a little. Since this is a doll aimed at collectors, you might wanna make sure you buy a doll stand when you get her. My second complaint is with her heels. They’re pretty loose on her feet, which makes them really easy to lose. Considering how part of the point of Barbie is changing her outfits, the fact that doing so means you’re a ton more likely to lose a shoe really feels like a problem to me. Other than those two things, though, this doll’s really great.

She took the other shoe off so she could kick the Bratz’ asses without damaging her heels.

“Barbie: The Movie Barbie” is currently available at mass retail for about $25. While she’s specifically aimed at collectors, her box says she’s for ages 3+, which, considering how she has the small earrings, bracelet, and easy to lose shoes, feels a little young. Make sure the person you give her to isn’t still in the “let’s put this up my nose” stage, so you can avoid any uncertainties. And now, our moment of truth: would I recommend this toy? You bet your ass I would! This is a great Barbie! She looks great, she has a lot of articulation, her outfit’s cute as hell, and her accessories are on point! I would absolutely recommend this Barbie for your collection! “Barbie: The Movie” comes out this month, and I can’t wait to see it, but for now, this concludes our look at Barbie. Next time, we’ll be looking at a few different toys with no unifying theme before our next series of theme reviews, so that’ll be fun. Until then, this is JS signing off and wishing you Happy Toy Hunting!

[fourseasonsfigs]

I See You Han Ye - Official

I've been posting a little irregularly lately because of travel and work, but also because I was obsessively watching Legend of Anle. I finally finished it up! All 39 episodes plus the little bonus snippets at the end. Don't worry, no spoilers here, just figs.

I really love Han Ye as a character. He's excessively noble and good, and I adore him for it. Gong Jun did a beautiful, nuanced job playing him. He's such an internal, controlled character that I think it would be easy to have him come off as flat or two-dimensional. Kudos to Junjun - he's really worked hard on his acting, and it shows.

Gong Jun had a few really powerful scenes that I am not going to mention to avoid spoiling them, but you'll know them when you get there. I'll have to do a post on my thoughts on the show later, after all the eps are freely available.

Anyway! My fig friend (who is primarily a doll collector) was tracking the official Legend of Anle dolls, and gave me a heads up when they were released. (Super cute by the way) I did a quick search to see if any official figs had been released, and sure enough, there was. The same manufacturers that had produced the Word of Honor official figs had produced two figs each of the main characters - Prince Han Ye, Ren Anle, and Luo Mingxi, as well as a prop set. The other figs are cute, but I gotta draw the line somewhere or else my entire house just becomes Figville, Population: Too Many.

So, I just bought both of Han Ye, plus of course the prop set. I do love my props! They happened to land in warehouse the same time I was sending out an air package, so they arrived speedily on my doorstep in about 10 days. Here they are:

I don't have enough picture slots to do both at once, so today I'll post about the bottom two sets - the seated Han Ye and his props, and next I'll do the one with the veil.

You know I don't like to compare figs to each other, because each fig set is delightful in its own way, and in the case of the fan-produced ones, made with a tremendous amount of love and care.

However, since these were commercially mass produced, I feel fine saying that while these figs are cute, they are not as cute as the fan-produced ones. I've clearly been totally spoiled by my fig makers, in the best of ways.

BUT...you will be the judge!

The inspiration for this fig appears to be this scene:

He's in his study (surrounded by his props!), his hair is up in this guan we see in the picture, the outfit looks very similar to this, and he's holding a fan.

Like all PVC figs, this arrived in a sealed foil pack.

As you saw, he arrived with his chair separately.

Just like the Word of Honor official figs, this set also had the Tofu / Koitake brand names on the soles of the boots. Just like those figures, these also had the pants with the boots hidden under the fig - always a nice touch.

The fig sits very well on the chair. No issues at all with him sliding out or wrongly positioned or anything at all. I don't need to stick or glue him down, and I don't need to put him on a fig stand.

You know I love that they included his ring! I want replicas of all his rings on this show.

Like most figs in chairs, he doesn't sit fully all the way back in the chair. I think the proportions for the legs would be too long if they did.

As I mentioned before, the chair is well done. It's sturdy because it's so wide, and because he's leaning on one of the arm rests rather than standing straight up without further support.

You can see the pose really well from behind here - I like it! This scene was so cute in the show.

That is one big topknot! He looks good with his hair pulled back in his standard court look, but of course I love Han Ye's half-down hair the most.

He has a very cute little side profile with the little tiny nose!

They have his beauty mark under his eye here.

And we're back around. You can see a bit of the detail with the fastenings on his yuanlingpao, but otherwise his outfit is extremely plain. Which is a pity given how gorgeous all his costumes were for this show. I've noticed Tofu / Koitake doesn't tend to put much printing or patterns on the costumes themselves - it's generally just color based.

Even his guan doesn't have a ton of detail.

Alright! That's the full pic set of the fig itself.

The prop pack came individually bundled, with a box card. That made me laugh … I've never gotten a box card for a prop pack before! Sometimes I don't even get box cards for figs!

You can see here that there's a cutout in the desk for the fig's legs.

It's a cute set! I'd love more props for figs in general.

I did very briefly consider buying two sets of the props so I had an extra for one of my other Hanye figs, but in the end decided against it.

And here he is with the full set! Very cute.

Here's a top down version too so you can see him hard at work.

This fig looks quite a bit different than most figs that I have. To illustrate, here's a comparison:

I thought, oh, alright, his face is pretty wide. But then I compared it to a wider faced fig:

I'm just not sure. Maybe it's because of the molded nose and mouth. Also, I guess I keep comparing him to A-Xu, which doesn't make a whole ton of sense! I think I just automatically pair him up in pictures.

Here we have the box card and box for Han Ye, and here's the same for the props:

And just like that, I've hit my 30-picture limit per post. Come back tomorrow to see veiled Han Ye!

Material: PVC

Fig Count: 459

Scene Count: 31

Rating: A hard working Prince

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[55cdfc-f7a8b8-ffffff-f7a8b8-55cd]

reverse unpopular opinion game for the owl house?

Ok easy one first. Eda mom. Eda mommy also. I love her so so much and the Owl Beast is SO cool I was DELIGHTED the entire reveal episode for it.

Hunter the fan favorite. Hunter one of MY favorites because. Duh!!! Stupid edgy snarky boy with the literal and metaphorical mask who is actually just a silly nerd with Extreme baggage. Whether or not we find out more about the whole Caleb thing it's SUCH a cool thing Dana did with the grimmwalker plotline. Rip Flapjack you had the best name.

Camila CARRIES season 3 full stop. I had complicated feelings about her through season one (something something personal mommy issues skewing how I read her character you know how it is) but I've seen the light and now I know. Now I know. She's been through so much and she still stays strong and tries to fix her mistakes from when her own trauma was used against her and through it all she NEVER stopped loving and supporting Luz. She took in Vee and Luz's demon friends without a second thought. And she's a Star Trek fan. Literally what more could you ask for.

The Collector is like my FAVORITE genre of villain I live for fucked up little children with the power of god. It's always so entertaining and so, so horrifying. It's so interesting to see how the Collector tried to break a cycle set by their predessecors but in such a surface level and. Well. Childish way. He's a little confused but he got the spirit you know? SO excited for episode three to see this little jerk (affectionate) go OFF.

Raine. Where do I even start. Of course you have green hair and pronouns. The revolutionary with a violin. They're SO cool. I am legitimately in love with them Eda move over make room for one more.

Luz is just so. !!!!!!! I can never describe in words how much this character means to me I think. I'll leave it at Best Girl before I write an essay and start crying. (String Bean supremacy)

Everybody I didn't mention: Gus, Willow, Amity, Lilith, King, Hooty... I adore them all every character in this series is SO fun and charming. Even the baddies like Belos, Kikimora, Boscha are written so nicely and are all so intriguing! They aren't written hatefully just to be hated they all have their own character and motivations and reasons for being Like That. Characters are always my favorite part of a show so seeing such purpose and meaning crammed into every spare inch of these guys really butters my eggrolls.

And that's just the characters!!!! The world is so beautiful and full of life and the themes... the THEMES man... everything moves and breathes and works together so well. This show is incredible in every sense of the word.

[wegingerangelica]

It's been a hell of a year for you, darling! So, please answer any or all of the following, if you would?

End of the year Asks

Song of the year?

Album of the year?

Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

Movie of the year?

TV show of the year?

Episode of tv or webisode that defined the year for you?

Favorite actor of the year?

Game of the year?

Best month for you this year?

Something that made you cry this year?

Something you want to do again next year?

Talk about a new friend you made this year

How was your birthday this year?

Favorite book you read this year?

What’s a bad habit you picked up this year?

Post a picture from the beginning of the year

Post a picture from the end of the year

A memorable meal this year?

What’re you excited about for next year?

What’s something you learned this year?

What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

Favorite place you visited this year?

If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

Did you keep any New Year’s Resolutions?

Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one

Thank you, lovely Caffiend!

Song- Face It Alone by Queen. Bringing our beloved Freddie Mercury back to us one more time.

Album- Queen's re-released The Miracle Collector's Edition that my hubby gave me for my birthday.

Elley Duhe

Jurassic Park World Dominion

The Essex Serpent

I saw a 3D picture of The Twin Towers at GROUND ZERO. I thought to myself, "this sums it up."

Tom Hiddleston- Favorite actor of every year!

Game of 2022- Survival of the fittest.

None.

The Insurrection at our Capitol. War on Ukraine. My church Elder died. My Dad died. My Mom doesn't know who I am, etc...

Nothing from this year, but I would like to see Colorado Springs again.

I met a wonderful lady at church. She talked of all the states she's lived in and how her family is spread out all over the eastern US. She told me about her baking and the fruit cake she made for Christmas. After she and her husband left (we were at potluck), she returned to the bottom of the stairs, motioned for my husband to come over, (I did not see her), then she handed him her last homemade fruit cake and said, "Merry Christmas".

My husband showered me with gifts! The best one was The Miracle Collector's Edition.

I read The Night Manager Saga and I Love the Way You Lie again. Wonderful way to put all the turmoil out of your mind! I have been reading a lot of Loki fanfiction.

I am swearing like a sailor! I am truly trying to stop.

I will try at the end.

Ditto.

Thanksgiving when my kids were together with us.

World Peace! People getting along!

The eye opener for me was how hateful, cruel and harmful that some people are in this country.

We have a pug family!!! Our kids are all gone so we now have another family to love and care for! Max the dad, Angel the mom, Lilly Belle and Lila Mae the children, and JackJack the grandpa.

My sister in Lincoln, Ne.

Fence in the yard!!!

No.

Yes. A perfect mate for Loki to drive him crazy and delight the reader. She struggles with 3 personalities and has yet to learn her abilities.

[dollycas]

Cozish Wednesday - A Killer Clue (A Hunter and Clewe Mystery) by Victoria Gilbert #Review / #Giveaway @victoriagilbertauthor @crookedlanebks

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday! I am delighted to feature A Killer Clue by Victoria Gilbert. Even though it is more of a traditional mystery than cozy. A Killer Clue (A Hunter and Clewe Mystery) Traditional Mystery 2nd in Series Setting - North Carolina Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (September 24, 2024) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 163910643X ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639106431 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CBJGYXQ4 Perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Jenn McKinlay, acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert is back with more devious clues and deadly secrets as Hunter and Clewe take on a new case in the second Hunter and Clewe mystery. When Eloise Anderson, the owner of an antiquarian bookshop, arrives at the grand Aircroft estate to ask retired librarian Jane Hunter and eccentric collector Cameron Clewe for help, Jane and Cam expect a bookish inquiry. But the bookseller has a different sort of assistance in mind—clearing her mother’s name of a murder Eloise is convinced she didn’t commit. Eloise’s mother has just died after spending many years in prison for allegedly killing Eloise’s father. Armed with new information found in her mother’s effects, the bookseller is determined to uncover the true killer so her mother can rest in peace, even though the case is now colder than ice. When Jane tracks down the original detective from the investigation and discovers him stabbed to death in Eloise’s bookshop, Jane and Cam are sure this murder is connected to the cold case. They think it’s the same killer, but the police unfortunately have their own prime suspect, and this time around it’s Eloise. Cam and Jane’s cold-case sleuthing turns urgent—find who committed the murders or watch another innocent woman rot in jail as a cold-blooded killer walks free. Dollycas's Thoughts The word is out that retired librarian Jane Hunter and eccentric collector Cameron Clewe have solved some mysteries. This brings Eloise Anderson, the owner of an antiquarian bookshop, to Aircroft with a special non-bookish request. With her mother's recent death, she wants their help to prove her mother was wrongly accused and convicted of killing her father. While the case has gone cold, Eloise has found new information in her mother's belongings. That convinces Jane and Cam to look into the matter but then Jane finds the original detective in charge of the investigation stabbed to death in Eloise's shop. The murders have to be connected but the police have now set their sights on Eloise as their #1 suspect. Can Cam and Jane follow the clues to find the real killer so that Eloise can be cleared and her mother can rest in peace? Or will another innocent woman serve time for a murder she didn't commit? ____ All the characters I enjoyed in A Cryptic Clue are back! Jane Hunter and Cameron Clewe are more comfortable with each other and make a great team. Jane is good for Cam. Not only is she cataloging his collections and helping him investigate, but she is also working with him to interact and communicate better with others. She travels out and about following clues while he works the case from the comfort of Aircroft. His assistant Lauren is always nearby to help him in any way she can. Jane’s landlord, Vincent Fisher, and his lady friend, Donna Valenti are focused on one mystery they are anxious to solve. They are a cohesive group committed to finding the truth. All are well-crafted as are the characters brought in for this current story, like Jane's daughter who came for a visit and several suspects. This story contains three mysteries entangled together with a skillful hand, two regarding Eloise and the third a personal project for Cam. All had twists, turns, and surprises. Everything captured my interest. My armchair detective self was on full alert. I had a terrific time following each lead and clue right along with the characters.  I appreciated all the snippets about the collectible books mentioned throughout the story too. Ms. Gilbert's words set each scene wonderfully. Aircroft is a huge place and the grounds are filled with gardens and such a view. I felt like I was right there for the exciting showdown listening to confessions and conclusions and witnessing the frightening takedown. I had a theory that was partially right but so much was a total surprise. A Killer Clue is an intricately plotted whodunit with strong dynamic characters sure to entertain all mystery lovers.  I am excited for this series to continue. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent   About the Author Raised in a historic small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired after over 30 years in the library field, she’s worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director. Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, the Booklover’s B&B Mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Victoria lives in North Carolina. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/victoriagilbertauthor  Also written by Victoria Gilbert Coming January 7, 2025 This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Escape With Dollycas. I am giving away a Hardcover Copy! The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old with a US or Canadian mailing address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited. You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find something you like here and become a follower. Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow. Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page. Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries. Follow Crooked Lane Books on Facebook for 3 Bonus Entries  Follow Crooked Lane Books on Instagram for 3 Bonus Entries Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries. If you share the giveaway on Threads, X, or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link. The  Contest Will End October 16, 2024, at 11:59 PM CST The Winner Will Be Chosen Using Random.org The Winner Will Be Notified By Email and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar. Click Here For Entry Form     Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” Read the full article

[anosci]

Media Thread

im making a list of media ive watched/played/etc this year with brief thoughts. its going to be far less featured than my music list, but still a bit long. again mirroring twitter except this time because fuck twitter.

list below the cut

～January～

1/ Princes Arete (2001) I was sold on this movie under the premise that it's similar to Kino no Tabi. and… it is. kinda. Kino and Arete would be cool pals. Every character is interesting, which seems rare(?) Only real drawback: the hostage situation kinda really sucked.

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2/ Time of EVE (2008/9) the classic tale: androids indistinguishable from humans as an allegory for racism. but unlike DBH, this is actually really good. its a story that feels like a single thread in a vast tapestry that'd be fascinating to explore, but too bad: you only have 6 eps

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3/ Spice & Wolf (2008) i remember loving this show. i don't remember understanding the economics. I took notes this time. I still struggled. (spoilers for ep3) regardless: wow this is a good show. weirdly, I saw myself in the relationship portrayals. I guess that means its realistic?

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～February～

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4/ Spice & Wolf II (2009) i feel like this kinda fell off? :( like it tried too hard to be action-packed. and that worked sometimes. but that first arc was just… :( it feels like a case of "just needs an editing pass. needs a bit more focus" i'll treasure S1 more, after all

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5/ Double Fine PsychOdyssey (2023) absurdly captivating. i say that it's a miracle that any video game gets made ever. this shows that Psychonauts 2 was several miracles in succession. it's simultaneously illusion-shattering and inspiring.

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6/ The Owl House S1 (2020) finally sat down to watch this. it's GOOD. lots of worldbuilding to chew on, and then it picked up quite nicely. im immediately pouncing on S2 and feeling glad i was late enough to be able to marathon

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～March～

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7/ The Owl House S2 (2022) stumbling down the boulderest mountain and hitting every rock on the way down. the rocks represent engagement. i am engaged. i adore this show. it is a little weird to suddenly freeze mid-tumble.

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8/ Broken Age (2014) (Dr. Mick's LP) delightful start! brilliant, even! then the big bad is revealed and…. meh. I watched Dr. Mick's playthru tho, and holy shit that's some really cool commentary.

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9/ Double Fine Adventure! (2015) its a little unfortunate that the nature of gamedev means that the ending is kinda anticlimatic but good lord what an amazing journey. i'd watch a million of these.

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10/ Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) ok ok fine ill [finally] watch it …oh its good. like really good. its rly funny but in a way that fascinatingly beside the point? yeah I can see why some ppl didnt like this but i think its super fun

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11/ Nichijou (2011) a nice and cute slice of life thing… that occasionally breaks out some quality jokes. though only half of them landed for me. i feel like i would've gotten more out of this if I caught it at the time.

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～April～

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12/ The Owl House S3 (2023) i had a lot of reservations about the collector initially but having seen the entire arc: that came together nicely! still sad that it's The End, but like. good overall!

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13/ Penguindrum (2011) i DONT think i followed 90% of the themes and their connections. that said, i DO love the way metaphors are treated as "literal". confusing maybe, but i adore the idea of "paint what you feel not what you see" applied to storytelling.

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～May～

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14/ From the New World (2012) this has a mess of an opening (several) episode(s), but it eventually found its footing and became quite a cool action adventure… thriller i guess? i do take some issues with bits and pieces but it was a good watch overall.

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15/ GinGitune (2013) fluff. the lightest, fluffiest of fluff. melts in water. there are several elements that couldve been mined for drama and intrigue but they were all treated as background elements. (this isn't a bad thing, but it's not what you might expect.)

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～June～

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16/ Space Dandy (2014) dropped after ep4, but on good terms i guess? fun animation, funky vibes, sometimes even funny! anime johny bravo…or I think i saw a Dirty Pair comparison, which feels right. but im not meshing with the silly wacky high nrg antics rn. maybe another time.

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～July～

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17/ Death Parade (2015) rly misleading intro (i was ready to drop lol) rly rly promising setup by ep4 RLY good development and mildly biffed ending, but hard to fault considering its a 12ep. i love the aesthetics, worldbuilding, characters. overall i really really liked this!!!

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18/ One Punch Man S1 (2015) i forgot how fun this show is! and the great worldbuilding! i dont plan to move to the second season again tho. i thought about grabbing the manga instead but good lord it's way longer than i thought. oh well.

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19/ Flying Witch (2016) slicest of life with a la croix touch of supernatural. the normal slices didn't do much for me 90% of the time. but the supernatural slices? choice. (…mostly.) tbh i just want an entire season of that cafe.

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～August～

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20/ Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (2016) i was skeptical, but this actually worked rly well. for moment. a short, beautiful moment. most of the potential here was stifled by trying to add high school drama/plot. the comedy tho, at its best, had a vibe i havent felt since hayate

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～September～

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21/ Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan (2016) it is VERY EASY for a comedy show to slide from "absurdity = funny" to "this is just annoying". somehow, this never crossed that line, which was weirdly refreshing? not always a winner, but overall a good mix of laughs and superpower exploration.

21b/ edit to add: oh this was right after Sakamoto! Man. The two feel kind of kindred but Saiki is leagues better at staying fresh.

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22/ Viewfinder (2023) short but very sweet mind-bender puzzler thing. the story had a cool foundation but fumbled in execution imo. but the gameplay? top notch. felt great through and through. never too difficult. beautiful idea and beautiful execution.

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23/ Flip Flappers (2016) uncertain about the show at first, and then, after watching… im still uncertain. i did enjoy it, but I also felt outside the audience ig? a case where I can imagine a version of this show that knocks my socks off, but as-is it's just a fun ride

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24/ Fionna & Cake (2023) my expectations were very low and they were VASTLY exceeded! think this show is at its strongest when exploring characters w short stories, which was most of this. the ending felt slightly fumbled…i think it couldve rocked me but instead it was just :).

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～October～

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25/ Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (2021) i already played and loved this game, but happened upon About Oliver's playthrough and fell in love again. truly that is The Most outer wilds playthrough. good lord.

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26/ The Amazing Digital Circus (2023) interesting and filled with style… but not for me. i'd list complaints but basically all of them are strengths and favorites for someone else. yknow?

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～November～

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27/ Little Witch Academia TV (2017) as the credits roll, i find myself with two thoughts: croix was done dirty and wow this is SPECTACLE. aptly magical. oh also! it was quite fun to follow along with contemporary discussion

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～December～

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28/ Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) oh it's like. really good. i dont remember the movie so i cant compare but this stands well on its own and i love the character exploration, even if i dont like some of the uhh… what would you call that? scifi jokes? (spoiler territory soz)

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29/ Land of the Lustrous (2017) FLOORED by how much I loved this. qualms about the CG turned into admiration, the shading drawing me into the world. worries about annoying characters melted away to find admirable layers. THE USE OF SYMBOLISM kept me SO well fed. and the pacing!

29b/ cont: my only complaint that isn't a nitpick: i hate how it left so, so, so many threads loose. i faceplanted my dashboard during the decelerating pace between the first 10 eps and the final 2. i get that it's from an ongoing manga but that still felt maximum bummer.

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30/

[rhpsdys]

🎻👉🏽👈🏽

THOUGHTS FOR STEIN:

honestly i am ROLLING with raine being a weapon. violin crossbow is so funny && your brain is huge. i actually think raine would be a little older than stein but this works well too tbh, there's something really interesting about like... a parallel between spirit n stein as a weapon-meister pair && raine n eda. maybe there's even someeeee mentorship. maybe,,,, i actually think raine could've been a young teacher at the dwma when stein was a student, && now they're both teachers, so THAT'S fun. i feel like a team-up is in order at some point. raine n eda had a falling out at some point so raine doesn't have a current meister, hence why they're just kinda... stuck working at the school. also i think something that's fun for them is they both have their Things™ outside of collecting souls — stein with science && raine with music. i just think that's neat. stein reminds me of a slightly more fucked up darius && i think raine would get a kick out of fondly annoying him. like the way an older sibling screws with a younger one. with all this said give me blackstar too. feral children for raine.

THOUGHTS FOR VEX && GILMORE:

i still haven't seen tlovm (it's at the top of my watch list tho) so i have been scouring the wiki a little but immediate thoughts are: vex && raine half-elf moments... ok actually wait the further i dig the more interesting this gets. what if raine was living in syngorn... they were probably one of the only other half-elves there, working in a library or something... anyway i just (clenches my fists) care a lot about raine being a historian && their library being a sanctuary for all, no matter what verse so anyway... something something raine being one of the only people to be really accepting && maybe they were something of a mentor... one singular friend... i am vibing with this but u tell me if i'm totally off track. as for gilmore, i adore him i've written with a gilmore on another blog before && i just think he's neat, raine thinks he's hilarious, i think they would be besties. like stein, he's probably another one that raine enjoys lovingly annoying. pov ur shaun gilmore && raine whispers is standing outside ur shop playing their violin bc you have a bet going that they'll be able to attract more customers (this bet is one-sided. you did not agree to this.) again tell me if i'm being insane i don't know these characters.

THOUGHTS FOR MIRABEL:

i have to shove all my characters at mira because i love her. put her in toh right now. the madrigals are witches && she was born without magic. raine is teaching her bard magic anyway. raine taught her how to play the accordion. this was too easy. next question.

PLOT & DYNAMIC BRAINSTORMING.

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector’s Edition: Curated Jamie Greco

Jamie Greco can do it all-- write comedy at its peak, punctuate it with witty dialogue, then snap it sideways to highlight a deeper sentiment under its surface. Her characterizations are so *it* for me; she’s easily a top favorite of mine, as well as one of my “comfort read” authors for the days I just want to giggle and clutch my growing Grinch heart. 

*Note: If individual Gossamer links don’t work, go to the Jamie Greco's main page and select the fics by name. I am but a mere mortal and Tumblr is a tricky beast. (Also-- If there are other/more links to these fics, I would love to be directed their way so I can add them to the list.)*  

Loose chronological order below~

Jamie Greco (I have a whispersofx link, but no idea if it’s connected.)

Truth or Dare 

““So you'll drive me home?"

"Of course.  In two hours."

"That's it, I'm outta here."

"No, no no, Scully.  Just give me ninety minutes."

"I've given you ten hours."

"Not to mention the best years of your life."

"Ha.  Ha." 

"Just kidding, Scully.  I'm sure you have a few good years in you."

"Thanks a lot.””

A stakeout Truth or Dare doesn’t shake out how Mulder would want, as Scully is a taskmaster when it comes to winning and circumventing.

Quirky Foibles (Gossamer) 

“There's something in the woods that wants to make an entree out of me; actually made the attempt and I am grateful to it.  I'm in ten kinds of pain and I'm shivering and slightly nauseated and I have to figure out how to express my gratitude to what I think is a Mothman.   Does Hallmark make a card for this? Most likely not.”  

Mulder is one happy camp in shock in Detour. His rapid flow of thoughts are so delightful and grin-inducing.

Truth AND Dare (Gossamer) 

““Ever entertain the idea that Skinner finds you enchanting and that's why he keeps calling you into his office for all of these bogus meetings?"

"Yeah, Mulder, I have thought of that.  His eyes all but sparkle with enchantment while he's reaming me out for having the highest cell phone bill in the department.  And last week, when he wanted to discuss our latest travel vouchers, I thought he was going to drool all over the front of his suit."

"So you have noticed.””

After a long meeting, Scully joins Mulder for another game of dares and truth (leading to Mulder grabbing for Scully’s lifeline to see if it matches his long one.)

I love, love, LOVE Jamie’s style of writing-- she has the character’s speech patterns down to a T and never falters.

Scarlet (Gossamer) 

“...when she touches me, I can see her colors co-mingling with my own without being muddied or diluted in any way.  No, her colors are becoming my colors; they are feeding me.  My fingers are taking on her hues like a chameleon, and now my wrists and my elbows.  It's like a miracle.  Maybe it is a miracle.  If she's an angel, maybe this is her way of showing me.  Maybe I will simply absorb her truth and her faith and her loyalty.  I know now that those are her colors.”

Mulder-- high on injected hallucinogens-- tries to get the “truth” from Scully about her hidden angelic aura; then pivots to pick a fight with Skinner over his “unprofessed love.” He will regret that one later.

This. Is. So. Sweet. Hilarious, yes; but so innocently adorable that the tooth rot it gives me is (mostly) from Mulder’s pure, unadulterated devotion... okay, and Scully’s concern and confusion melting into something more vulnerable.

Someday He’ll Laugh (Gossamer) 

““Mulder!" I cry out, demanding his attention, but he is stubborn in his new found attempt at destruction.  "Mulder!"  I repeat, louder, but he doesn't hear.  His world is infinitesimal.  What isn't inside his head doesn't seem to exist.

I slap my hand against the glass and scream his name with every bit of the force he has used to invoke me.  He pauses, remains still and cocks his head. Am I within or without?  I slap my hand and he looks at it, focusing and drawing near.”

Angst at its best-- Biogenesis Scully can barely look at Mulder in his cell, tormented by his torment. Slowly she grasps her last ounces of courage and goes to give him hope, and something to hold onto.

I am not an angst person: too often the quality of Mulder and Scully’s character is lost to the machinations of the plot or newest injury. But Jamie blended these two so well that this fic stands proudly on its own two feet.  

Sentinel (Gossamer) 

“I am the sentinel. It wasn't the original intent, most certainly not; not in the way which I define the role today.  I was perhaps the sentinel of the FBI's protocol in the eyes of those who sent me to him.  At least that was the way I saw it at the time.  A sentinel of the facts, of propriety, of scientific thought: that's how I perceived my position.

I was that sentinel so briefly.

I resigned that commission before I realized I had done so.”

Sein und Zeit Scully reflects on her duty to Mulder shifting and changing as her loyalty grew into deep love. Now she stands between Mulder and his loss-- self-destruction and recovery.

The last two lines are just the perfect clincher for this fic... 

Breathing (Gossamer)  

““There's absolutely nothing the matter with me." 

"Okay, then why has your skin just taken on the hue of heaving ocean?" 

"Don't say heaving, Scully."

"Churning?"

"Scully..." 

"I don't believe this."

"Now imagine my surprise."

"That you, Fox Mulder, the unshakable, unmovable poster boy for strong constitutions, are set to queasiness by the thought of the most natural activity in the world." 

"I am not--”” 

Alone-- Mulder and Scully are bumping along to Lamaze: quipping, reassuring, then detouring to eat sweet potato pie and ice cream. 

This is, by far, my favorite S8 story (which is saying a lot, because S8 is MY season-- despite its NUMEROUS flaws-- and where I end canon.) I have many near and dear S8 fics... but THIS. I will always return to read over and over and over. It’s them. That’s Mulder and Scully. Wow. My very simple needs are met and more in this. It’s a fic with only dialogue... how is it THIS amazing? 

It’s perfect that my list ended on my favorite fic-- totally didn’t plan that. “Must be fate, Mulder.” 

Enjoy! 

[nighttimepixels]

TALK TO US ABOUT MASS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN AN INSANE MASS EFFECT/SHAKARIAN TRASH PERSON SINCE 20-FUCKING-11 AND LEMME TELL YOU THOSE FEELINGS HAVENOT TARNISHED A SINGLE FRACTION IN THOSE TEN YEARS OH MY GOOOOOOODDDSSSS!!!!!!!

I DEMAND A PLAY-BY-PLAY UP TO THE MINUTE OF YOUR REACTIONS TO EVERYTHING!!!!

you are so valid and I totally see why everyone I've ever mentioned it to loves the hell out of it

aksdjlsdfj I meannnn if you want to hear my rambling about it then hell yeah

Okay, gonna put this below the cut to save everyone else XD also- since I'm not leaving this Mass Effect obsession anytime soon, if you're not interested in seeing occasional posts about it, please feel free to block the tag "night plays ME"~

(mild spoilers ahead??)

((also for real I mean it when I say this is rambling as hell lol, apologies and no stress if absolute no one reads all this))

OKAY SO Mass Effect 1-

Stars help me, I was honestly hooked right from the start?? Like even in Legendary Edition (the combined trilogy just re-released in one "can play it on one system + minor improvements", for anyone who doesn't know) where it's smoothed out, of course it's obvious that ME1 is a decade old... but the foundation for these relationships are all there and gods I love them already.

Like - Kaiden right off the top is a delightful good fightin lad, what the hell. I've heard that he's viewed as 'bland' by a good portion of the fan community but I dunno, he's a delight and even more complex by the time 2 rolls around and you encounter him on Horizon, it was honestly Ashley I was way more meh about - mostly because before you can learn about her family history/etc, she comes off as hella xenophobic and I was immediately offended for my growing space family that she didn't like/trust all the aliens around, pfff.

(she gets redeemed a bit through further actions/evolving thoughts, but I thought in retrospect it was a bummer that they didn't flip the order there, give her a chance to be liked before the complicating factor of being so rude about aliens >:c that then she could grow from... ah well. Apparently she has a good arc but uh, let's just say I chose Kaiden at the "key junction" in the latter part of the game so I won't be seeing anymore of Ashley uh... anytime soon, haha.)

Garrus??? Is??????? The ABSOLUTE best???????????

I liked him from the start, I'm always a bit of a sucker for a rogue-detective "the system won't bring this bastard to justice, so I've got to" type and all their moral shadiness XD But he just gets better, honestly, and where I'm at in ME2 (right before the Reaper IFF mission, as of typing this, with everyone's loyalty!) I am only digging myself deeper into this hole-

-*wheezing* okay anyways -

Wrex is AMAZING I love fightin' middle-aged krogan bastard, gods. Liara is great too, I'm a sucker for a wlw relationship (playing fem!Shepard, so) - buuuut I'll admit she's a bit more one-note in ME1. Last week while I was still on ME1 I remember hearing (while trying to dodge spoilers) that her arc is really good, though. I think they leaned a little hard on the 'innocent but sexy' sterteotype on her (so despite the yikes aspect of a few of the things I've learned in ME2, lol, I actually really like the complexity that's been added to her character.)

Saved Liara first, so by the time I got to Noveria and had the standoff with Benezia there was the chance to have emotions over Liara having to face her TwT and of course, I made the questionable but quality decision to free Queen Rachni heheh. no ragrets

More than a blow-by-blow of my choices though I totally wanna take the chance to say that even in the mild jankiness of ME1 (goddammit, the Mako.... please..... please just go up this impossible cliff I just want to resource hunt-) the way that the lore, both obvious/key to main plot and the lesser/filler/background/world-building kinds... I just love it. It incorporates it well, you can go ham in the codex learning more, or just dive into the basics - it's clearly a complex galaxy (and they do an even better job in 2 of fleshing it out further), and it never really felt overwhelming. It was pretty natural figuring it all out-!

Plus the interesting implications of resource hunting amongst the sapient races, and the little side missions you better bet I did every one of- there's so much rich depth in the story if you do 'em!! (And that lead with that Keeper side mission...? Looking back, damn, clever foreshadowing-!!!)

And oh my gods, Ilios??? hell yeah. I loved that mission so much, especially having Garrus & Kaiden with me when talking to the hologram/computer, and more than anything, that last sprint in the Mako trying to get to the jump before it closed-???

yeet the boi-

Also mannn I love a good setpiece, and having to go up the side of the elevator, space-side?? such a cool setup!!

Plus it felt good having been Paragon enough (as simple as the good v bad vibe system is, I don't hate it, lol) to avoid one of the Saren fights, ngl. And the er, "second fight" with Sovereign-Saren.... hell yeah

... I'll admit I had to double check my choice re whether to save the Council. I did in the end, but I swear, sometimes the way they phrase things I'm like ".... okay but Garrus is right, defeating Sovereign is more important than these few leaders??????" woops. Listen, priorities, is all I'm saying..... (￣ヮ￣|||)ゞ

'Course later they emphasize (in ME2) that there were 10,000 people on that same ship and I was like well I wouldn't have second guessed if I'd known that, I mean c'mon-

Also I did indeed romance Liara in this one, so I got that scene ;Dc But,,,, I also knew by the end that I was totally gonna romance Garrus in 2 since he's an option then finally,,,,, lemme tell you the guilt as I waffled over whether to romance Liara bc of it. hahaha.

Aaaaand Mass Effect 2-

So I'm only up to right before the Reaper IFF Mission, so I don't know the ending, etc etc lol. That said, I've just finished every side mission I've found with the exception of the Shadowbroker Quest and the Arrival Quest (I've heard the latter basically leads into ME3, and the former is best either right before the Omega 4 jump or in postgame).

So from the start - fuck yeah fuck yeah what a high adrenaline start Shepard noooooo but also yes save Joker aH-

The motion comic too hot damn nice job

I loved this setup, seriously - especially forcing Shep into this situation, having to work with/for Cerberus, and the compelling reasoning given behind "why" they do what they do (I especially found it a good point that the Salarians have the Task Force, the Asaris the Commandos, the Turians the- etc... like, true, when you put it like that, having a similar group advancing human interests/solving human interstellar problems is pretty reasonable...). That said, I love too that it really isn't shied away from how Cerberus is nonetheless fucked up - or its at least done fucked up stuff.

Listen, I still think some messed up stuff is gonna be revealed in 2's endgame......... after that Horizon mission and the Collector's ship???? TIM I SEE YOU YOU SHADY MF-

aaanyways lol...

I'm so so glad on a gameplay level they nixed the Mako style exploration. A few Hammerhead missions are fine and a lot more focused than the slippery ass navigation in that glorified ATV, pfff. The probes are a neat way of getting after similar resources - and more importantly, having good levels and some good hubs (the Zakera Wards, Omega, Ilium, etc) is way way more fun than having a more 'sprawling' space that is.... a lot of empty nonsense, lol.

Then there's the fact that we get Joker right off the bat and you can interact with him so much - and him and EDI??? Get out gods I love them. Kasumi is so right when she says they sound like a bickering old married couple lol. I have a terrible feeling that some shit is gonna happen with EDI..... but I don't think she's evil as-is, at least.

Side-eying the hell out of those "access forbidden" parts of her that she doesn't even know.... and the fact that her AI core has a locked door access................... something's gonna happen gdi LEAVE OUR ADOPTED AI ALONE.

(Also Joker pls stop fracturing your thumb on the mute button)

Also please save me there are so many hot aliens in this game,,,,, the xeno/monsterfuckers really comin' through strong in the sequels............... doin' the lord's work........................................

In general, I love how many levels ME stepped up in two with complexity and interwoven narratives!! Like, to the point it'd be almost a drag to replay ME1, even though it was fun going through it (if occasionally a bit tedious with the cookie cutter rando planet science/mine facilities, lol). Like, just from how fun and interesting ME2 is, mostly! more of all the pre-introduced races, plus new ones, plus more filling in of intragalactic politics, and more interesting implications of all these space-faring races mixing....

Also gods WREX and his planet holy shit,,,,, fuckin' hell yeah my man get their shit together and also adopt Grunt yes good-

And Mordin??? My singing semi-evil scientist best friend forced to confront his choices more than he thought he ever would have???? With some of the best ongoing general report chatter of all the companions??

(when I tell you I choked on my coffee when I talked to him after confirming romance choice w/ Garrus and that 'pamphlet' and 'anaphalactic shot if ingesting-' kajsldkfjsldfjk)

Like, fuck, the fact that they actually dive into the mixed morality and horrors of the genophage, and you can confront Mordin on it, for good reason, yet he still stands his ground, until finally some bits of his loyalty mission seem to... affect him, and I'm guessing might set up things for 3 with him? Unsure, but either way, damn, the fact that they start to dig into it...

And Taliiiii my beloved forbidden alien wife TwT her loyalty mission was SO GOOD. I love how varied they all are?? Getting to defend her and discover what she'd unwittingly been a part of-!!

Zaeed is a bastard but tbh I love that he is and that he's unapologetic in him - and Kasumi omg, best thief. A heist?? Gods, yes- I love our couch lounge chats XD

Samara is..... illegally.......... she's an illegally powerful and beautiful and eloquent MILF...........................

(.... listen I'm sapphic as hell and I'm kicking my own ass for picking her up last aksjdlfksjdfl - but her loyalty mission, damn. And seeing how there's this interesting cultural subset, and the struggle with the Asari in that they unquestioningly accept/respect justicars, but also know that the impact outside their culture is a diplomacy nightmare waiting to happen-)

,.,,,,,T,,, Thane,,,,,

I am weak for morally implicated murder dads okay?? And that voice??? His mannerisms?????? How you first see him, and that prayer after assassinating her...???????? And his history/his people's history with the hanar, gods I love how messy it is, it feels so much more real!

Also Jack is a mess and I love her (and want to get her some therapy, omg), and her and Miranda nearly duking it out after you've done both their loyalty missions??? so good and makes a lot of sense-! Honestly I would love more interactions between teammates on the ship, but there's already so much the devs had to balance I can't blame 'em for minimizing, heh. But suffice to say I also love Miranda and Jacob, even if I'm softest for my alien crew XD Hell yeah Jacob, we'll get loud and spill drinks on the citadel indeed TwT

.... I could write a whole essay on how much I love Garrus oTL Perhaps because he and Tali are the throughlines from 1 on your 2 crew, I have some of the strongest feelings about them... but genuinely, he was one of my favorite companions in the first game, and how you find him as Archangel in two? Getting to help him fight his way out after he's gone nearly 48 hours straight fighting off three gangs alone, jfc. His vengeance quest and what can happen there.... That line? fuck me, that line -

It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Grey? I don't know what to do with gray...

How DARE you come for my heart like this, devs holy shit

(also, some other choice faves so far from the series from him include We can disobey suicidal orders?? and This wasn't in my training manual... [in 1, if you have him with you @ th Thorian fight] and his whole.... pop the heat sink - in his romance ;Dc)

asdasdfksadjfkl like I said I can write an essay on him PFFF suffice to say I'm very looking forward to his romance scene and where things go in 3

But yeah gods I'm just gonna keep rambling if I'm not careful lol. Gods I don't even know what to talk about it's all so good and while I can understand people roasting the obviousness of Paragon V Renegade (v neutral) choices/alignments, I think they do a pretty damn good job in 2 of pushing it further - to the point that there were some times that I accidentally got renegade points and I wasn't that mad, haha. There's so much fun in the interactions that I just have a good time anyways~

I have so many thoughts about TIM (The Illusive Man) and Cerberus.... theories evolving galore............... and like, what the hell!! Omega 4 going to the center of the galaxy is such a cool twist, goddamn - though my heart still breaks at losing Kaiden (his line if you haven't romanced him?? about feeling like he lost a limb when he lost you??? holy shit.... but I also can't blame him for not trusting Cerberus to the point of it affecting his ability to trust Shepard... like fuck Shep go after himmmm) I'm really excited to see where that goes since he comes back in 3, and what the fuck happens with Cerberus bc while I love the fact that obviously there are a lot of people in it for the right reasons, doing good work, there are those that are doing the opposite, and I have a very bad feeling about where TIM will end up landing....

All that said though I need to do the Reaper IFF mission (where I'm lightly spoiled as to getting That Boy, but not how/what happens to make it so - just that it's apparently wise to have all your side missions done before getting him...) and the actual Omega 4 jump. So we'll see what happens and what I think about it from there heheh!

.... major kudos and genuine props if you made it here to the end, I am so sorry for not editing on condensing all this, and appreciate you so much ;w;

[transgamerthoughts]

What I Found In The Leaves

Last August, as the lease to my apartment was about to end, the roof began to smolder until the place I lived was full of smoke. When all was settled and done, my apartment had no roof. My room was spared and most of my things were okay—this part of the story being set in late capitalism, I am required to assure you that the things I purchased were okay too—and I decided to leave New York City to return to New England with my family. One of the first things I did when I arrived was look at the sky and imagine I was up there. Falling or sailing or flying. It didn’t really matter. I wanted to touch a cloud, to feel the whipping wind.

I promise… this is leading to something. In the months since, in spite of comfort and proximity to my family… in spite of the arrival of my nephew into this world—a child I would climb a mountain and punch God for if I needed to—and in spite of a happy job… I have spiraled into depression. My solution was work and writing. To throw myself into my job and to, somewhat foolishly, take on the task of novelizing my favorite game: Skies of Arcadia. Because if you’ve read my work long enough, it always comes back to Arcadia. I am proud of that project but it sparked a yearning in me. To truly connect to the world I was writing. It lit a fire. Before we proceed, let me be clear that by depression I don’t mean the woes of pandemic living or some disaffection with the reality of entering my 30s. I mean a deep and painful darkness with all the implications therein. Regardless to say, my efforts to combat it drained me. To the point that I burnt myself out and with some prodding from my boss, took a vacation. Which I am currently on. This is not the first time this series of events has played out. I made a promise to myself when I started vacation: no writing. I am breaking it because I have found, yet again, a moment where I must desperately drain the wonder in my heart and attempt to explain to you that I think there are magical things in the world, and that I believe there is some type of magic in art—in that strange alchemic or shamanistic way—that transfers to us. This will be my second attempt to explain it, and to explain what it has to do with video games. (Forgive the indulgence of this introduction by the way; an editor would surely have cut it all but I need you to understand two things: I am in pain and there's a part of that pain which I think points to something important.) This is a story of ritual and tea. Of how my senses and imagination came together to send me on a journey around a fictional world, in search of heroes who both do and do not exist. As part of my love for Skies of Arcadia, I’ve become something of a paraphernalia collector. I bought an old light novel from ebay, I used my rudimentary Japanese skills to set up a warehouse dropbox so that two fan magazines could be sent there and then subsequently shipped to America, and I have drank tea based off the game. At the time, I wanted to collect the little tins the tea came in; they seemed excellent collector’s items. What I found with my first round of tea was art unto itself; balances of flavor and spice and blends that symbolized characters and connected me to them. These were crafted by a dedicated fan and fellow writer. I don’t have the time to sit and research all the ways in which tea is used in ritual. Because I am tired and older and depressed and writing a blog post that perhaps thirty people will read. Regardless, to my delight I found that the tea-maker had created blends based off the various moons that dot Arcadia’s skies. For those who do not know the game, which I assume is many of you: each nation of the world rests under a magical moon. There are six, with one—a Black Moon—theorized to have gone missing. Here was my opportunity for a journey.

I bought teas based on each moon, and one based on the world itself. I will post a separate collection of all my individual tastings and reviews later. The important thing is this: I had been given an amazing gift. With these teas, I had something of that digital world which was actual. When we play games, we hear them and see them. Perhaps with certain haptics we can feel them. But we do not smell them or taste them or literally consume them. Eight teas, eight chances to smell and taste that wonderful world. To touch the clouds. Quem quaeritis? This is a famous question asked by an angel to the three Marys visiting Christ's tomb: his mother the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, who is the sister of Lazarus—the man Christ brought back to life after his death. It means: “whom to do you seek?” I was journeying, one tea cup at a time, around Arcadia. From continent to continent, I tasted their spices and experienced hints of their values, their cultures as expressed through the tea. The question played in my mind: Quem quaeritis? Whom was I seeking? The answer is complicated. First, I was seeking something of myself. The part of me that understood magic and wonder. The part of me that believes in the soul and believes that art, in allowing the complex interaction of creators and characters with players, performs some type of soul-magic. It impresses upon us, real and actual changes. I was seeking that piece of me; that part of me that understood that each cup was a ritual that brought about a communion with a distant world. I was searching for the younger part of me that believed in wonderful things. 

I drank the teas in the order our heroes travel the world, and in doing so I was performing a sort of perseveration of their journey. I communed with some place distant and followed in their footsteps. Which answers another half of the question. Whom did I seek? I sought my heroes. I sought the adventurous Vyse and his dogged determinism, I sought the firecracker Aika and her swift rushes to action, and I sought Fina. The woman I wish I could be: feminine, slight, beautiful, kind, brave. Quem quaeritis? All of this sounds like nonsense and when I try to explain the nonsense, I feel a deep embarrassment. To care in the 21th century, particularly in America, is to be weak. To be publicly vulnerable is to make yourself a target. You must be hard and solid as a rock. You cannot believe in magic or else you are doomed. But here I was, chasing myself and my heroes one cup at a time. And I need you to know that it hurt to do that. 

I went to the corner store today to buy some energy drinks. When I got back home, my father asked: “did you find what you were looking for?” I told him “That’s a very complicated question.”

Let me explain. Let me do the thing that I feel I cannot do well anymore; let me do some game criticism. In the world of games, the entities we control exist as two things. They are actors; manipulatable bodies, guided by code and controller inputs, that we guide around as we see fit. In this way, players have extraordinary power. In some ways, it is a… fraught power. We can, as Soulja Boy did, leave Braid’s protagonist in a perpetual flux state: jumping and rewinding. Back and forth, forth and back. Eternal puppets for our amusement, avatars for our power fantasies. Sometimes, as in the case of a game like Skyrim, our controllable actors are little more than flesh suits But actors are, more than anything, just… avatars. Video game actors are also characters. Within their worlds, which are fictional, they have motivations and wants and desires and dreams. They want to live and grow and succeed. Cloud Strife wants to defeat Sephiroth and uncover the truth about himself, Joel wants to protect Ellie and survive in a cruel world. Arthur Morgan wants to find a calmer life and redemption for his sins. They are, as characters, people. But since they are also actors, we can deny them their hopes and dreams whenever we want. We can have Cloud while away his days gambling at the Gold Saucer and, if we want, we can force Arthur Morgan to murder to population of an entire town. The core truth of a player's relationship to the character is this: we decide if their dreams are fulfilled. I find that troubling and I will try to explain why. But first let’s be clear: I do not think the character in games are sentient entities. I outlined this relationship of players and characters in a GDC talk a few years ago, using highly rhetorical terms and my reward was the ridicule of countless gamers who questioned my sanity. Some made videos about my presentation. It was hell. To be a woman, perhaps especially a progressively minded trans-woman, in games is to know a very real hell. To this day, I cannot go a week without some type of horrid experience on the internet. Some judgment of my worth, some assumption about my competency, or in the worst cases some proclamation about my right to live. No doubt this is part of why I needed my vacation. But here is why I find the player/character/actor relationship troubling. It is not merely the abstract notion, the thought experiment that elicits fun but meaningless philosophical natter. The reason I find that relationship troubling or at least complicated is because for all of their fiction, the characters in games can give us real things. They can, through some type of power—a deep power found in the act of story-telling itself—impart aspects of themselves on us. For instance, they can teach us lessons which we then carry into the rest of our lives. My father, for reasons I can’t recall, once told me: “the meaning of life is to serve others.” Though he does not know it, that truism has been etched into my soul. It is a “thing” that my father has given me. But my father is not the only person who has etched something into my soul. Vyse, that dashing pirate, has etched many things into my soul. For instance: “impossible is just a word people use to make themselves feel better when they quit.” That is etched on my soul too. Just as much as anything my father has taught. So we come to the heart of it: what does it mean that Vyse can so alter my being and values, and that he can do it with the same strength and “realness” of my father? What does it mean for a character, who is also often an actor that I guide, to give me such a powerful gift? Because let us be clear: values are “real” things. When I tried to explain that I believe that certain things are actually true, for instance that looking at landscapes does mean that we are looking at something real…. I spent an afternoon with former Jeopardy! contestant Arthur Chu and a cohort of Twitteristas attacking my philosophical surety. So, again, fuck the internet… I digress.. Let’s explore: I believe in the realness of things because of the depth of the emotions those things make me feel, and I refuse to believe that life is just endorphins, hormones, and instinct. That music or games or anything else can make us weep for joy is proof-positive to me of the existence of a soul; of an ineffable thing that is “us.” Not necessarily all enduring but certainly extant. And if this thing exists, it can be acted upon. I know this because my father, with his truism, changed my soul. Changed the core of me. I know this because Vyse and the others did so as well.

I’ve written that games criticism is a kindness; that it seeks the good in art and attacks the banal explicitly because art is beautiful. I write today to suggest this: art is magical. It alters us, not metaphorically, but in the ways it can affect our souls. Which brings us back to character and actors. I control Vyse since he is an actor and I am a player; but he is a character with dreams and hopes and personality. And values. Wonderful values which he shared with me. So what does it mean now that I can send actors to their doom? What does it mean that I can control them utterly when I know for a fact that they can affect and change me? I do not have clean answers for this. Perhaps there are none. Perhaps all I have written is silliness, even as I beg you to please understand. Please. 

Understand the power of stories, understand it in the way that Tolkein did when he said: “Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else … may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds.” Understand that I am telling you that the locked thing is your heart and soul, and that just as a lover or parent or mentor can open that thing… so can the people we meet in our fictional journeys. Vyse is not just the captain of a ship. He is my captain. That means something. Art is ritual and play is ritual. In creation, we place something of ourselves in another thing. In play, we allow ourselves to be transmuted and changed. This is magic, of a sort. I am left wanting however. I followed the path of my heroes in as literal a way as I could, pulling on new senses to understand the world they live in and touch their skies for a fleeting moment. But I cannot reach them; I am Tantalus in the mire. Ever reaching, ever chasing. For that moment I can be the person that my heroes trusted me to become. Note by musical note, word for written word, tea cup by tea cup, I am chasing my captain. When I went back to my apartment the day after the fire, I looked up at the spot where the roof used to be. All I could see was blue sky and I thought I might fall into it. Perhaps in superficial ways I have shared something with my heroes; I have tasted something they have, even though the tea is not actually from Arcadia. It was merely a conduit to my imagination, to the transformed parts of my souls. Yet, I did not find him and I could not find myself. Which is why it hurts, in spite of how wonderful it was. Quem quaeritis? He is not here. So I will keep sailing after him.

[theindiegamereview]

Meet the creative team: “Spellstone”

Are you a collectible card game (CCG) fan? If so, read on, because this week we spoke to the makers of Spellstone, a free-to-play (F2P) casual story-based fantasy card game that features vibrant, colourful, hand-drawn art on hundreds of beautiful cards that you can acquire and use in battle, both against the computer and other players!

TIGR: PABLO and DUSTIN are artists who have worked on Spellstone's art, helping create some of the iconic characters Spellstone fans know and love. We asked them how they came to work on the game, as well as what intrigued them about this project.

DUSTIN: I was working as a contract artist when I was asked to create some sample cards for a potential CCG, which is something I'd always wanted to do. The samples I submitted eventually led to me getting a contract to create the initial art for Spellstone. After about four months, I was offered a full-time position. I had such a great experience working with the team that I jumped at the opportunity!

PABLO: Prior to starting work on Spellstone, I remember doing an art piece to test my skills. I greatly enjoyed that because I particularly liked this game's art style - which is actually similar to my own! There were still slight differences though, so I've had to adapt a little. Blending my own personal style into an existing one was challenging. But something that intrigued me about Spellstone was the variety of factions in the game. Each and every one opens up a big array of possibilities when it comes to creating a character. I felt my options were unlimited and I loved it!

TIGR: Spellstone features many different cards and characters. We wanted to know who conceptualises all this, and how much creative licence artists get when crafting a character. FERNANDO, currently the main artist for the game, gave us more insight.

FERNANDO:  That Spellstone has such an immense variety of characters means it's a complete and delightful dish for artists. It's hugely gratifying to find such visual diversity with which to play with. You're completely free to create, as long as you respect the game's universe and visual language.

As for the process, the concept of what a card must look like and how it must be functional in terms of gameplay comes from the guys in the game design department. Very creative people... sorcerers maybe? I don't know. Haha!

From a brief but concise description they give me, I can get a sense of what kind of character and action they want to see in a card. Once I have all the information I need to start sketching, my favourite hour finally begins: creative hour!

If the card description involves an existing type of character, like a goblin, part of the fun has to do with the way you depict that character, situation, action and specific emotion. There's also some freedom to create from scratch if needed - that's exciting and challenging! Sometimes the ideas come from a mix of characters, and that's when the laboratory inside my mind starts working: I press a button and something cool, spooky or funny comes out - whatever the game requires. Other times, new concepts require that I look for approximate references of what's needed, so that serves as the starting point. No matter what, it's always a very enjoyable process. Sometimes we have to make corrections, that's true. But as with everything in life, this is necessary for things to work properly. You may have to redraw stuff, but finally the card is done - it works, it delivers and it entertains!

  TIGR: In Spellstone, cards can be upgraded from a single to a dual to a quad, and we really like that this sometimes tells a "mini story" of of sorts through the artwork. Some are funny (we just love Honeycomb Lobber!), some cute (Bomb Spirit is soooo adorable when he’s angry!), some uplifting (Aurora Shaver ranks among our favourites), and some, um, a bit disturbing, to be honest (Cleaverstorm Hunter, anyone?!)! And some are just sad - we can't help but feel sorry for the poor li'l forest furries that presumably got devoured by Alphamech Stalker! We asked the team how they came up with ideas for all these tiny narratives, and MELINDA, one of the game designers, told us more.

MELINDA: When I was younger, there were a few creatures in video games that terrified me. One of those I remembered most was Medusa, an air jellyfish from Ecco: The Tides of Time. While traversing through a water pathway in the sky, Medusa would try to pick up Ecco the dolphin and fling him off the path. Tetraspout's concept came from that, and you can even see poor little dolphins getting swept up in its attack!

  TIGR: We asked the team if there were any cards they particularly liked creating, or found challenging to conceptualise. IVÁN, a colorist who worked briefly on the game, chipped in, as did TONY and RHADA, two of Spellstone's game designers.

DUSTIN: I loved working on the goblin cards! You could get silly with them. Frogs were a lot of fun too - the variety of colours made them interesting. For me, the water cards were challenging but I grew to love working on them.

PABLO: My favourite characters are Goblins! You can play around with them, making them look funny even when the card is telling a dark story, like a massacre. All of the cards were challenging to create!

IVÁN: I enjoyed working on Hedron The Critical Threat, Zyd The Unhinged, and some awesome Insect cards that have yet to be released (as of the time of this interview). I mostly liked them because of their cool concepts and Fernando's awesome sketches. Hedron in particular was a technical painting challenge, as it has textures, transparencies and glow!

TONY: As something of an artist myself (/sarcasm), the card I am most proud of has to be Dinged Waptor. Or really any of the cards I did for the April Fool's event, which is about the only time the art team lets me anywhere near card art. :) For April Fool's, I decided it would be funny to try my hand at drawing some cards I felt players would enjoy. So the first year I drew some original characters that consisted of a few stick figures, a chicken, and a bomb. The response was good, so the following year I continued the tradition, eventually going through and tracing some famous cards like Winged Raptor. My one rule while making these cards was that I could not erase what I did!

RHADA: We used to sell boxes that contained two new premium cards instead of one. We thought of making both cards in the box thematically linked. At the same time, while brainstorming concepts for dragons, I thought we could try to make cards that formed a bigger picture on the battlefield when placed consecutively, side by side. The initial idea was a serpent whose artwork overflowed into a second card, and after some iteration, we stumbled upon the idea of a dragon dance. The result was very cool!

TIGR: With the Spellstone story campaign recently concluded, we asked what was next in store for Spellstone fans. Would there be anymore new characters and amazing art to look forward to?

TONY: Absolutely! While the main story has come to a close, we still look forward to adding new characters, cards, and art to the game that lets our artists have fun and shows off the world of Spellstone.

TIGR: And finally, the most important question of all: would real-life Spellstone merchandise ever be made available for fans of the game? We really want a plushie of the adorable Bomb Spirit (complete with detachable bombs, perhaps?), as well as his angry counterpart, Firebomb Spirit! Also for Quetee Que and Adorabilis, please! And would there ever be any actual physical Spellstone cards produced for collectors?

TONY: I would personally love to see real-life merchandise, but we currently do not have the means to take on such an endeavour. Maybe one day we can strike a partnership with a team that can make this happen!

We thank the Spellstone team for their time and all the wonderful art assets that accompany this interview! Check out the game here on Kongregate, on Steam, or on mobile - three different ways you can enjoy this fun, cheeky and adorable CCG!

P.S. We just had to include our favourite card: Darkwater Adonis - don’t be fooled by his charms!

[fortunatelylori]

Thoughts on Otis Molyneux

I hesitated somewhat before making this post because the fandom seems to have settled on Otis being “a good man who made one terrible mistake” and who am I to rain on anyone’s parade?

Inner goddess: A very opinionated woman … that’s who … No one keeps baby down!

Well … since you put it that way …

My very first meta on Sanditon revolved around the idea that this show is Andrew Davies’ homage to Austen’s entire body of work. And since I discovered a very interesting link between Otis and one of the more misinterpreted Austen characters, I couldn’t resist. Particularly since every time I read a remark on Otis, I end up going:

He is a most fortunate man! Everything turns out for his own good! He meets a young woman at a watering place, gains her affections, she consents to an engagement! He treats her abominably, she bares it like a saint! His aunt is in the way, his aunt dies! He has used everybody ill and they are all delighted to forgive him! He is a most fortunate man indeed!

Emma is perhaps Jane Austen’s most transgressive novel and, while it is not my favorite (that’s Persuasion in case anyone was wandering), I think it’s the clearest indication of her genius. In Emma, Austen not only spoofs herself, as the old maid Miss Bates, but also pulls off a master stroke in concealing her villain, Frank Churchill, not only from the characters but also from the audience.

Austen villains are usually charming, fun and attractive, most of the time far more so than the hero that will eventually win the heroine’s heart. What Austen does with the likes of Wickham and Willoughby is show that superficial charm and a pretty face are poor substitutes for substance, integrity and a value system.

In order to drive that point home, her villains usually suffer a fall from grace: Wickham gets exiled to Newcastle (the degradation!) and is stuck with Lydia for the rest of his life; Willoughby gets ousted by his aunt, told off by Eleanor and publically canceled by Mrs. Jenkins.

Whatever it may be, all of her villains suffer some consequences (even if it’s just not getting the girl as is the case for William Elliot in Persuasion). All except one: Frank Churchill. As Mr. Knightley’s frustrated speech above shows, Frank is so fortunate that by the end of Emma, he gets everything he’s ever wanted and everyone continues to love and cherish him as if nothing had happened (with the exception of Emma and Knightley).

And because the characters move on from his betrayal so quickly you can barely get a glimpse into their POVs, so does the audience. By the end of the book, most of the readers are as pleased with Frank as the people of Highbury.

I can just imagine Jane Austen cackling with joy at our silliness.

Just because there are no consequences for Frank and because all ends well despite his efforts to the contrary, it doesn’t follow that he should be absolved of responsibility. For all his professed love for Jane, Frank involves her in an imaginary extramarital affair, flirts with Emma in front of her and ultimately humiliates her at the picnic. For all his friendliness and affability, he is less than generous to his father, uses Emma for his own motives and is secretly chopping at the bit to see his aunt, the woman who raised him, dead so he can inherit her fortune. Despite what his endgame would suggest, Frank Churchill is an immature, selfish man who is used to getting his own way with little thought or care about how that might hurt other people.

Which brings us to Otis “I fell in love with your soul” Molyneux.

But, but … I hear you say … Fortunatelylori, he did suffer consequences. He lost Georgiana!

To which I say don’t bring out the pity parade just yet. Because in losing Georgiana, Otis’ actions are reduced to an unfortunate youthful indiscretion by the characters (Georgiana and Charlotte) as well as by the people watching. Because he shed some resigned tears and spoke prettily about how much he loved Georgiana’s soul, everyone is “delighted to forgive him”.

But just as with Frank, is his love for Georgiana enough to absolve him of his wrongdoings? Should we cheer for their potential reunion or think she deserves better, the way Mr. Knightley thinks about Jane? And while we’re on the subject, what are Otis’ crimes? He clearly never meant to cause Georgiana’s kidnapping so what’s the big deal?

What gets lost in Charlotte’s “you are insensible of feeling” rebuke of Sidney is that Otis isn’t a victim of circumstances nor is him honestly being in love with Georgiana a get out of jail free card. Otis is a gambling addict who has amassed debts so vast that the man who is trying to collect them resorts to kidnapping a teenager to get his money back. And that’s just one guy he owes money to.

Does he love Georgiana? Yes, in his own way he loves her just about as much as he loves losing money at cards. What do you think would have happened if they married? Because me thinks Otis would run through that 100.000 real quick while simultaneously loving the hell out of Georgiana’s soul.

Which brings me to Otis’s less than agreeable character traits: lying and manipulation. He lies to Georgiana from the first moment he meets her. Worst yet, he takes advantage of her vulnerability and he encourages her to rely solely on him for emotional support:

Georgiana: I was uprooted. Lost. In despair. Otis restored me to life. Those 3 months were the happiest I’ve known.

That sounds great and all but what happens after he’s gone from her life is that Georgiana feels like she suddenly has no one and nothing. Because her entire sense of self was tied to Otis.

He also allows Georgiana to believe that her guardian is a racist monster who is keeping them apart because of the color of his skin when he knows full well that’s not the case and also that Georgiana needs to have a good relationship with Sidney for the foreseeable future at least.

In order to keep up the charade, he takes active part in poisoning Charlotte against Sidney and very much enjoys playing the wronged party in this whole scenario:

Otis: But then your friend, Mr. Parker, took it upon himself to rip us apart.

Charlotte: However painful that might have been, Mr. Parker must surely have had Georgiana’s best interest at heart.

Otis: Then you clearly don’t know Mr. Parker as well as you think.

 Lying is so ingrained in Otis’ modus operandi that he can’t help himself from doing it even when there’s not even the slightest chance that he can get away with it:

Beecroft: Oh, yes! The famous Miss Lambe! Mr. Molyneux speaks of little else. Miss Lambe this, Miss Lambe that.

Otis: That is a lie! If I mentioned her it was only in passing …

Beecroft: I’m not the liar here. You told me a wedding was imminent. That her fortune was as good as yours. I never would have let him run such a debt otherwise.

Otis: All I wanted was to buy a little time … If I had known even for one moment …

What was that about Sidney not having good reason to keep you away from Georgiana, Otis?!?

Also look at him running the eluding responsibility obstacle course like a pro:

Otis: He’s sold her! The villain has sold her!

Charlotte: What?

Sidney: In return for a promise to buy his debt, she’s been handed to some dissolute named Howard. Even now he’ll be dragging her to an altar.

Charlotte: An altar? But that cannot be allowed without your permission.

Sidney:  No. They have no such laws across the border. There they will marry you with impunity.

Otis: Had you only allowed us to marry!

Otis has gambled himself silly, bragged about Georgiana’s money to the worst possible people, disappeared from public view (he hasn’t picked up his mail in weeks because he’s in hiding from the debt collectors) and his reaction is to put all the blame on Sidney. That is not the behavior of a well-balanced adult. This is the behavior of a gambler who thinks he can talk his way out of anything because he has “game”.

This brings us to his last scene with Georgiana when everything comes into focus. If you really think about it, there is not a single moment during their relationship where Otis isn’t lying to her, including the romantic separation that hit everyone in the feels:

Otis: I’ve gambled. That is true. But whatever they tell you, I never gambled with your name.

Notice how the first thing out of his mouth is manipulative. “Whatever they tell you” i.e. turst no one but me. I’m the only one who is telling the truth so listen to me as I lie my ass off right now.

Otis: I never boasted of your wealth. I boasted of you.

Two lines in and he’s already lied twice. You can actually do a play by play of what he says here and what he says in the Beecroft scene.

And then comes the coup de grace!

Otis: It was pride. That is all! And Lord knows, I have paid for it!

As consequence of his gambling, hiding from his creditors and running his mouth about Georgiana’s fortune, the woman he loves was kidnapped, Charlotte almost got raped and Sidney is however many thousands of pounds lighter for paying off his debts. So bring out the waterworks for Otis, guys! Let’s not forget who the real victim in all of this is!  

Alexa, play Despacito.

Otis lies so much he has ended up internalizing his lies to such an extent that he has turned himself into a victim. His narrative is ultimately rejected by Georgiana, leaving him pained but that shouldn’t fool you into thinking he’s a good guy. Neither he nor Frank are moustache twirling villains but their flaws and the way they allow those flaws to affect the people they supposedly love speaks volumes about their character.

Maybe, eventually, they both grow up. Maybe Frank becomes more selfless and starts treating others with respect. Maybe Otis never gambles again and becomes the responsible civil rights leader he wants others to see him as.

But as things stand at the end of their story line, I, for one, am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s sadly too late for Jane to pick herself another husband. But I haven’t given up hope that Georgiana will shake Otis off like a spot of English rain.