#i have seen far further into the game's story then i guess most and it is insanely tone deaf and full of mean spiritedness

[precociouscoffee]

Dustborn is the most interesting game of 2024, i am baffled and enamored by every sentence,each new scene brings with it more knee slapping derangement. Most videos are only reaching for the surface level, and twitter people are just saying "le woke immigrant song game" I promise you these people have not passed the 1h mark and have no idea how weird it gets, it has been festering in my mind with each horrible, horrible decision each character makes, dustborn for me falls under the "so bad its good" metric for sure

[zcinderone]

Some ideas and criticism about case2

spoiler

I realized why people were so split and clueless right till the end. It’s because the murder itself was too simple, not too mysterious. You literally need only two existing facts to figure out whodunit a year ago: Only Teruko, Ace and Eden had access to the tape. Eden had alibi for the fish. Nothing in the resuming trial even helped further uncover or hide these two clues. Recalling the band is a bonus point as a physical proof for boss fight but not needed to know it has to be you! In classic DR cases you have to go through layers and layers of the murder mystery itself and when things are peeled and exhausted well enough, the candidate close to the last layer is most definitely the one. Yet this case is so unique: they only dabbled on the murder method a bit and quickly locked hard on two targets, effectively creating a delusion in your subconsciousness to expect some extra layers to unravel the secret when it really was the first and last one. But the case itself was so compelling because they went through such fantastical trivial things to construct solid conflicts and personal stories(which is arguably the best part in my opinoin about DR formula ) and consumed so much time. Had they switched order by chance and discussed the method first, it would literally be game over from the get-go.

Still, there are things I really feel that did damage to (further pefecting )the story.

1,Ace was in fact quite clever to figure out and pull such convoluted plan but locked this in a very narrow scope including himself. Their reasoning is well Ace choke her unconscious so people would lock some stronger dudes dismissing ladies I guess so he needed to imitate Nico which makes 0 sense and actually double locks him as that one would be strong enough and have been at the previous crime scene. And the explanation for all that is, quote Charles “ace is nothing if not unintelligent so he thought it would work” so simple and so incoherent.

 2, Water with fish, complete plot device, to help clear Eden and lock Ace, despite he can get water anywhere and more safely.

 3, Scuff on the floor, never mentioned again, you could guess it is from the struggle and it can make sense but it felt so off not even mentioning it in the closing argument.

4. Arei just didn’t wear her glove that morning. This one knocked me out hard.

There are still some things I don't find convincing but I somehow can forced myself to believe they could work and don't affect a great murder case. But these four I'm not so sure.

So far, I feel story-wise drdt still probably is the best I've seen but I genuinely feel this chapter didn't deliver a murder mystery(by itself not the whole trial) nearly on par. It's such a pity that there is some great chance already in its narrative that can make perfect sense out of a 3rd party twist(imagine how this would be received when everyone was fretting between Ace and Eden ). Every best wish to this masterpiece in the future, especially hope it can genuinely outsmart me, not in a "you believe I am way smarter but no I fooled you!" kind of trick-smart me way.

[calitsnow]

Is Hong Lu the tea ?

I really like this title but of course I'm not trying to imply that Hong Lu is literally tea but I would like to talk about a potential foreshadowing or metaphor (?) concerning Hong Lu and which takes place in the story Liu association 5.

It is not so much a theory but more of an analysis which serves to point at elements which seem to reinforce ideas we have about Hong Lu and to better understand or even guess what his canto will look like.

Summary:

Hong Lu is = to the tea of this story

The objectification of Hong Lu

Hong Lu is like water

Spoilers further below

I/ Hong Lu is = to the tea of this story

It's time to talk about the frames that initiated this over-analysis.

Frames that appear to be a rather trivial conversation about tea leading to a humorous exchange between the three characters. But is that really all there is to take from this exchange? What if there was a foreshadowing or/and a metaphor hidden behind it?

It's true that the dialogues at the end of this story, where Hong Lu discusses the ability of his left eye to shine, is more memorable. I admit that it was also the part that caught my attention the most at first. However, upon rereading this passage, I find this exchange very interesting to analyze.

So here we go:

I've seen some people discussing that Hong Lu's age is around 30 years (I think), but I couldn't find the post, so I'll rather assume that Hong Lu is between 20 and 30 years old, as many people (including myself) think.

And this is where it all begins, because when I see Hong Lu talking about a tea "fermented for over 20 years in an ideal environment" and described as "nigh priceless," I can't help but wonder if there's a direct parallel to be made with his character.

We already know that Hong Lu has lived a sheltered life, presumably since forever, in an environment isolated from the rest of the world by and with his family, until finally he joined Limbus Company, which became (it seems) his first experience of the outside world.

If we follow the idea that, Hong Lu is over 20 years old and that him joining Limbus Company was his first interaction with the outside world, then we can see his arrival at the company as if he was taken out of the closet, like the tea that was brought out after more than 20 years of fermanting in this "ideal environment".

It remains to be seen whether Hong Lu escaped this "closet" or if he was brought out for a particular reason.

All this to say that Hong Lu's life until the game’s events could be seen as that of tea fermenting for years before serving its purpose.

We can therefore draw a parallel between the fermentation of the tea Hong Lu talks about and the type of life Hong Lu has led so far: Hong Lu is like the tea, and perhaps this image can give us or confirm what Hong Lu's life was like and how it is meant to be seen: that Hong Lu was fermented within this familial environment to produce an individual nigh priceless.

[SD: Now, if I use the term "fermentation/fermented" to talk about Hong Lu, I will, of course, be referring to his sheltered life with his family, but it will be easier to use the same term to talk about both the tea and Hong Lu and to support the parallel.]

What's also interesting is that the ones behind the fermentation of the tea and Hong Lu happen to be the same: Hong Lu's family.

This, I find, reinforces the legitimacy of this comparison.

We can also note that Hong Lu often talks about the tea he savored while still living with his family, so in a way, tea is a reminder of home for Hong Lu or more precisely, his past life.

I know it's not much, but it could still be an indication inviting us to make this comparison or to pay attention to details where tea is mentioned.

Returning to this idea of fermentation, whereas we know that the fermentation of this tea is supposed to give it a unique taste or/and a unique smell, it's hard to say what the goal of Hong Lu's "fermentation" was.

Perhaps to give him a unique "taste," which for Hong Lu would equate to a predefined personality and/or identity corresponding to his family's expectations.

It may also correspond to the fact that Hong Lu was kept isolated from the rest of the world because: rich people's mentality that doesn't want to coexist with those they consider inferior. Who knows…

But ... I can't help but think that there's another reason for this, but it's still too early to really know which one.

II/ The Objectification of Hong Lu

Small parenthesis: Before continuing with the analysis of the tea, I think it's interesting to dwell on this parallel between Hong Lu and a precious object that might make us understand that the question of objectification is a theme that will be relevant for his character.

After all, if in this story Hong Lu is also supposed to be paralleled with, or even "be" the tea, then his status is reduced to that of a precious object brought out for special occasions or to boast to guests.

Moreover, in the same story, Hong Lu lets slip a phrase that might make us think he is reduced to the status of a precious object in his family's eyes, more precisely a precious stone.

Indeed, his heterochromia wouldn't be due to nothing since, if we follow the original plot of *Dream of the Red Chamber* from which his character is drawn, the color and glow emanating from Hong Lu's eye should be due to him being born with a magic jade in his eye (similar to Jia Baoyu (the character Hong Lu is supposed to be inspired by) who was born with a small magic jade stone in his mouth)).

So, a magic jade stone would be in Hong Lu's left eye or something equivalent that might, at least, looks like a jade stone.

And this discussion around his eye (and in a way, his "jade") is probably the first clue showing us that Hong Lu is reduced to this small stone that is the (only) thing giving him value (for his family).

Returning to the idea of objectification, this seems to be supported by the phrase I mentioned at the beginning of this parenthesis:

"To them… I was a gem of a child"

Which might be more literal than one might think.

What's interesting is that this phrase has the appearance of a "false truth" and of something trivial that might be more nightmare fuel than one might have thought if taken under a certain angle.

This seems to be a recurring mechanism in Hong Lu's character (and ties in with the novel's theme) where the first appearance of something can hide the exact opposite. This trivial phrase suggesting that Hong Lu was pampered by his family because he was their little treasure might actually be a phrase hiding a much crueler and darker reality:

That Hong Lu was literally a precious stone to his family and that his value as a human being was reduced to his eye, which seems to be what his family reduced his being to, if we follow this theory.

And Hong Lu seems to be trying to belittle or/and hide his situation.

Hong Lu was summed up to the precious stone in his eye, and that's all he was to his family: a precious gem.

And I mean, I'm fascinated by this atmosphere of falseness that seems to surround Hong Lu: everything seems to be a mirage, an illusion (pun intended).

No, but seriously, I don't know if these are coincidences or over-interpretation, but most of Hong Lu's stories and dialogues (especially those mentioning his family) are steeped in this atmosphere of smoke and mirrors.

It's all the more fascinating that these moments seem to be a glimpse, a warning of what Hong Lu's canto will be: deceptions everywhere. I find it impressive that even in Hong Lu's mechanics / construction and writing, everything brings us back to this impression that we're facing an illusion.

This last paragraph might not have been very clear, but I'm having a bit of trouble describing my thoughts, hope you’d get a part of what I meant.

III/ Hong Lu is Water

So far, this served to show that it was possible to draw a parallel between what's said about the tea and Hong Lu.

It's time now to look at the last element that might give us more to understand how Hong Lu sees himself or the shape his identity crisis will take.

Indeed, we know that each sinner, through their canto, gets through a sort of identity crisis.

They reconnect in a certain way with their identity and face or evolve from a toxic way they had of dealing with their vision of themselves and their identity: Gregor existed only through his mother's expectations and his trauma related to the war and him being dehumanized, Rodya lived through her guilt feeling responsible for what happened to her neighborhood and the view Sonya had of her, Sinclair also lived with his guilt but also his anger towards Kromer, Ishmael lived only for revenge on her captain, etc...

Well, it is still debatable whether each sinner listed and from future cantos are/will be at the same stage of "personal development" and if they all managed/will manage to detach from their past to live for their future (cough, *cough* Gregor).

But I think that, through their Canto, the sinners learn to reconnect (at least a little) with their identity, their true self by "eliminating" what hindered this recognition so far: Herman, Kromer, Ahab...

And I think that's the essential: this reconnection with oneself.

Moreover, I'm not saying that each sinner has renounced their past, forgetting it in a drawer to live entirely differently without it impacting them, but that they have learned to live for a future rather than for and through their past.

A canto thus serves (in part) to help the concerned Sinner reconnect with their identity and their vision of their life/self.

But how would this apply to Hong Lu?

On one hand, I think first by breaking this image of an object that Hong Lu may possess in his family's eyes and perhaps in his own if he was raised with this vision of himself.

But also by tackling this illusory image of himself that Hong Lu displays.

After all, despite the rarity of this tea, the only remark Faust makes is:

"Despite the intense scent, the taste is essentially blank…" and she emphasizes this again by calling it "scented water."

I find that this image of tea being "scented water" is perfectly reflecting the idea that it's a deception, that what we are presented with is actually an illusion.

Indeed, this description could be an excellent example/metaphor of what an illusion is:

"A false interpretation of what one perceives. and Appearance devoid of reality."

The reality of this tea, which is its taste, is masked by an illusion, its scent, which comes across much more intensely to drown out this reality.

I believe this description underscores one of the themes that I think will be very important regarding Hong Lu: this often blurry distinction between what is real and what is an illusion and the idea that what appears true is false, and what appears false is true. This echoes one of the most important passages in the book from which Hong Lu's character is drawn:

"Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true;

Real becomes not-real when the unreal's real."

We have seen many examples with Hong Lu where what he shows/says is either the opposite of what we thought, or the first impression was ultimately not the reality. For instance, when Hong Lu tells his story on the abandoned ship, we first think it’s a horror story before the twist reveals a truth radically opposed to what we thought.

The fact that Faust refers to water as a base is logical since we’re talking about tea, but it could also be an intelligent way to create a metaphor/foreshadowing with Hong Lu's behavior, which remains quite subdued and sometimes seems deceptive/false.

Moreover, this metaphor is made through an element that is more than perfect to describe someone who only reflects an image and is never their own reflection or lacks personality: water.

Transparent water can symbolize a lack of true substance or character. Similarly, a person whose personality is transparent can be perceived as lacking authenticity or sincerity. This transparency is masked by a scent to try to hide this emptiness and show the opposite of what it really is.

It’s a bit like Jack Vessalius in Pandora Hearts for those who know it.

Oswald describes Jack as water, as someone who only reflects an image, without true authenticity or a real identity of his own. In a sense, he is always playing a role.

It is also always interesting to remember that one of the most important characters in the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber," Lin Daiyu, who has a close relationship with the main character, Jia Baoyu, is a character associated with the element of water. She spends most of the novel being described as weeping or crying, and this is due to the “debt of tears” she promised to repay to the jade stone that helped her in her previous life when she was a flower. Lin Daiyu, being the reincarnation of the flower, repays her debt by crying in her new reincarnation. Hence her association with water.

But let’s get back to our main point.

Next, what’s interesting is the sentence Faust uses right after to criticize the tea she was served:

“I must wonder though, is there a good reason to pay such a stiff price for… for lack of a better word, scented water.”

We try to mask the transparency of this water with a strong scent, but in the end, it remains an illusion and doesn’t fix the real “problem” of this tea: it’s tasteless, without personality. Could Hong Lu then be just scented water that conveys an image filled with scent (that of a young aristocrat who has had an easy life and has been immersed in wealth all his life) to mask his lack of identity or self/ownness (is that a word)?

Hong Lu is merely scented water; he emits a strong and misleading scent that seems to suggest a certain vision he is or/and others have of him, but in the end, he remains just water to which a scent has been added. Perhaps this water couldn’t develop its own taste because it has been fermenting for over 20 years in an ideal environment, imposing on it a scent that has defined its entire identity.

This could also be seen as a metaphor that ties back to the idea of smoke and mirrors and that this image of a dandy that comes from Hong Lu is just an illusion whose scent is stronger and masks his real "taste".

And it also could be a way to reinforce this idea that Hong Lu try to hide or belittle the/his reality with a stronger "scent", masking the reality with something more noticeable even if it's just an illusion.

Hong Lu should then, during his Canto, learn to renounce the bases that has given him a bit of scent until now, what allowed him to be more than just water, to have an identity, to find a new one/ his true self that would be much more authentic and real.

[homestuckreplay]

Ditch The Clowns, Get The Crown

(page 627-636)

9/11/2009 Wheel Spin: Sburb Lore Verdict: YES! YES! YES!!!!

9/13/2009 Wheel Spin: being silly :3c Verdict: The Prankster’s Hammer Emerges :3c

John was pretty smart about how he got all those new cards into his sylladex. And now that he has twelve cards, does he even need a ‘detect collisions’? I’m sure he’ll be absolutely fine and there will be absolutely no throwing things off a cliff from here on out. Right????

Two huge things happen in these pages: we get a peek into Harry Anderson: Wise Guy by Mike Caveney, and John creates the pogo hammer, unlocking uncountable new possibilities with alchemy. They’re both super important, but my Wise Guy analysis will be a separate post because I found some weird and cool trivia, so here I’m just discussing the alchemy.

Alchemy is, historically, right at the intersection of science and magic. In that way it’s very cool that John has his breakthrough while reading about magic tricks, considering that up til now the process of punching cards has focused on the mathematics and data storage of it all. Stage magic, however, doesn’t create ‘real’ effects, only its impact on people is real. Alchemy seems entirely real – there’s no trickery, and John sure is holding that hammer. Taking the unreal (video games, the effects of manipulating the mouse and keyboard) and making them real continues to be Sburb’s whole deal, and right now I think Skaia’s power can be best phrased as ‘turning stories into reality’ – encompassing both meanings of creation/creativity at once.

Above are the totems for the hammer and pogo ride individually (p.618 – see bottom right of picture) and for the pogo hammer (p.632). They do all look similar, with a thicker part at the top and another thick section jutting out in the lower half. It’s not identical – the pogo hammer has some crisper edges compared to the smooth curves of the pogo ride – but the pogo hammer totem looks more similar to the pogo alone than to the hammer alone. This suggests that – from an alchemy mechanics perspective - the pogo is the base item, and the hammer is the combinatory or modifying item. It further suggests the idea of a ‘hammer pogo,’ which I imagine as a giant, rideable hammerhead mounted on a spring instead of a handle, one that John could ride to victory just like on p.496, but where his steed itself can bash the imps and John only has to worry about guiding it around. This might be slightly less dangerous than using the pogo itself, as he’d at least be able to hold on, and it would deal more damage. It could be created by punching the hole patterns for both items into a single card, creating more holes instead of less.

The pogo hammer is significantly more expensive than the pogo ride and hammer as individual items. The pogo ride alone costs 5 grist and 1 shale, the hammer alone costs 2 grist, and the pogo hammer is all the way up at 10 grist and 16 shale – the most expensive item we’ve seen so far. The rocket pack with its multiple insertions was technically a more complex item, but was cheaper on grist, maybe because it’s absolutely useless. It makes sense that the grist cost wouldn’t just refer to the components, but to how useful the output will be in the game, so that players can’t get access to gamebreakingly powerful items too early on. I would guess that the rocket pack on its own would be more expensive than the merged item, possibly requiring a grist type that John and Rose don’t have yet.

John is truly acting on whims here. Not long ago he was furious about the imps using his pogo ride, swearing that no-one but him risks injury on the pogo ride (p.476) – but now he barely notices an imp bouncing on the balcony, getting the new one all messy with oil too. He’s got something new to feel overly passionate about, and it is HIS FIRST CUSTOM WEAPON. And not a moment too soon, given that the giant imp has presumably climbed up into John’s yard by now. Lots of combat-based games make it necessary to either upgrade your weapon with additional damage and special moves, or obtain new and more powerful weapons, in order to fight tougher enemies. Players are often able to choose what properties they’d like to imbue their weapons with, or will collect multiple and decide which one to use. In this case, John’s chosen the Bounce property, which allows for the weapon’s attack to ‘jump’ to a second target on a successful hit, stacking an unlimited number of times so long as the attacks continue to land. The imp on p.636 looks understandably scared about this.

The alchemiter, we’ve seen, can be used by either Rose, John, or the imps – I assume they’re the ones who made a whole bunch of regular hammers. John should definitely take the pogo hammer totem and stash it away somewhere, both so that he’s the only one who can use the upgraded weapon, and so that the imps don’t waste all his hard earned grist making a hundred pogo hammers. The imps are mischievous creatures due to the harlequin prototyping, but I’d actually guess this tendency is programmed into the base NPC, pre-prototyping. As well as directly attacking the players, enemies trying to deplete grist resources so that players can’t progress further in the game fits with Sburb’s punishing learning curve, and gives players another task to balance – protecting their carved totems and their alchemiter.

The cosmetic upgrade to the weapon is important too. Instead of a plain, uncolored hammer, the pogo hammer has a green rubber grip and a miniature green Slimer on top of the head, perfectly matching the one on John’s shirt. I know that I will choose a weapon that looks sick as hell over one that does a little more damage but has a boring design, because you gotta have an aesthetic when playing a video game and you gotta stick to it even more strictly than you stick to a mechanical build. John’s whole aesthetic being based around green slime (and perhaps magic, thinking back to his CLEVER DISGUISE) means this weapon is for him and him alone, and with that in mind, it’s poetic that he made it all by himself.

John is really, really excited about his creation, as he should be. He DID ‘make something totally sweet’ as he says to Rose, and I’m really happy to see him proud of himself for this. Rose is really good at this game, and it can be hard to play games with a friend who is a lot better than you, so it feels really good as a reader and a big John fan to see him get this moment of success.

[gafellique]

So I've been really into this visual novel, Scarlet Hollow, for a minute now. The devs are a husband and wife team who are better known for their more recent indie darling, Slay the Princess. Scarlet Hollow is kind of the red headed step child with fans though. People are hesitant to play it because it is steam open access because it is not yet complete. Which is fair - so many cool indie projects go unfinished and it sucks to get invested just to never get a complete story.

However, I fail to see the difference between watching a new TV show that could be canceled at the whims of its network versus an indie project that your support can personally help keep afloat. It's genuinely puzzling how many people in steam discussions get mad about the game not updating fast enough (ten dollars, one time entry fee that gets you every new chapter for free btw) when the devs have been transparent about their update schedule and what they're working on, super consistently, for years.

It's got like 500k worth of words, and lots of branching choices that make replay value crazy high. I still haven't gotten all the scenes possible in the chapters that are currently available (four out of a planned seven) and on my last playthrough discovered a particularly nasty ending to the most recent chapter that I've never seen anyone talk about on here or Reddit.

For better or worse, most of the in depth relationship mechanics are completely hidden from the player. While this allows for a more genuine roleplaying experience, especially for a first play through, it does make it a bit harder when you're replaying with goals in mind. It's an incredible amount of work under the hood that results in contextual relationships, and the amount of choices allowed to the player are staggering.

Whatever game you've played that is narrative focused and prioritizes choice mechanics is probably NOTHING compared to Scarlet Hollow's ability to let the player choose the direction of events, minor and major.

That's not even starting on the art assets. If you've played a visual novel before, there are typically three key assets: Sprites for general dialogue, environments to establish settings, and CGs for special moments that get illustrated out. Often these are important moments like romance, or action.

Scarlet Hollow uses so many unique sprites and backgrounds it's wild. Your general sprites are ofc the traditional 3/4ths view of a character facing the player, but often the sprites are positioned in an environment like a CG, only for you to realize they're sprites when they move closer or further away and interact with their environment. It's effective and illustrative in a way I wish more VNs embraced, but also means a shit ton more art assets to make, as well as up filesize of the game.

I haven't even touched on the story or characters, Jesus. Another time.

Well I guess this is a long-winded way to say if you're into visual novels I highly recommend Scarlet Hollow by Black Tabby Games lol. The first chapter is free on steam last I checked, and I do think it's a bit of a slow burn but ultimately an intriguing gothic horror I'm excited to see truly ramp up and play out. The next chapter will probably release in 2025 and is projected to almost double the word count of the entire game so far iirc. Keeping all those narrative choices in hand is NOT easy work. Oh, and the devs keep adding more scenes to earlier chapters. Fucking wild. I admire them immensely. They're so dedicated to the project and it's incredible to see what they keep coming out with.

[ohallthecrushes]

You're a storm in a teacup and I'm starting to like the chaos.

I've been written this story since the last episode of Criminal minds Evolution that I've seen, which was...around one year ago. And this is so far the longest story I've ever written. Damn. I'm impressed by my own hyperfixation on this. xd I've never published it anyway, cause honestly, it was for my own amusement. Kind of self-inserted main character, you know. But since I've almost lost the whole story, I've decided to put it here to make it immortal. Who knows, maybe there are fans of CME that will find this story interesting (or sick, or both, hopefully both) and who love Elias Voit as a character (I don't recommend falling in love with someone like him!)

Without further ado!

Summary: Evelyn is a young-troubled woman who's just escaped a highly guarded psych ward (twice, but this time causing havoc on her way out)

Now she's running through the city, hiding from police. A not-so-accidental encounter with a man named Elias Voit will change her life forever. And she'll change his. His seemingly selfless help is laced with danger, hidden agenda, manipulation, endless tension, and...love? Slow burning inteligent-idiots-in-love trope. But mind you, just because it's a love story, doesn't mean it ends well.

General warnings throughout the story: Manipulation, illegal activities, murder(s), Stockholm syndrome, kidnapping, explicit content, language, death... The whole pack. It's Criminal minds after all.

In this episode: Evelyn exhausted after spending the last few days on running and hiding, hops into a taxi with the intention to flee the city. Unfortunately, the taxi driver isn't what he appears to be.

Rain lashed against the windshield, blurring the city lights into streaks of neon. Evelyn was huddled low in the backseat. Her heart was hammering against her ribs every time a cop car was passing by. The man behind the wheel, a mid-age looking guy with a baseball cap on his head and bristle on his face, glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Looks like they got the whole damn city on a hunt." he rumbled. His voice was husky and low, laced with curiosity or complain, Evelyn couldn't decide which.

"You think so?" She forced a casual tone, but her throat felt dry. Elias, as the taxi driver introduced himself, had picked her up from an empty parking lot. It was a stroke of pure, desperate luck from her side. Luckily he hadn't questioned her request to "just go", and just taken her money and driven away. She couldn't believe her own daring to trust a stranger like that, but at this point, she didn't have a much of a choice if she wanted to flee the city.

Elias grunted, his eyes flicked back to the road. She studied his face in the rearview mirror – the crooked nose, the stubble, casual clothes... He looked like a normal guy, but there was something in his posture, in his glances, as if something untamed was beneath the surface. Intriguing, under normal circumstances. Now, it just made her nervous.

"Where are we going, anyway?" He finally broke the suffocating silence.

She shrugged. "Far away from here, I guess?."

Elias (Elias, he kept reminding himself, not Sicarius. Not yet.) stole another glance at her.

A few days ago he'd been captivated by the news reports – the "troubled young woman" who'd outsmarted highly secure institution in the state, twice. Twice! And the second time wrecked havoc on her way out. The arrogance, the audacity of it, it thrilled him. More importantly, it showed a kind of ruthlessness, an understanding of the game that most people lacked. She wasn't a killer, not in the traditional sense, despite the allegations against her. He could see that much. But there was a fire in her, a strong determination to survive and a capacity for violence that intrigued him. He figured that her sharp mind and cunning ability could be a perfect addition to his growing criminal network.

All he needed was her trust at first. He needed to convince her that he was the only one who understood her point of view. The only one who could help her.

He tried to form a connection, but unfortunately she wasn't interested in chitchat. His every attemp for conversation was deflected with dismissal. It seemed like his charm didn't work on her. Well... But at least he convinced her that despite the recognition, he wouldn't drop her at the nearest police station. He cleared his throat. "Don't worry, kid. You're safe with me." The words tasted strange on his tongue, like a foreign kindness. Feigned of course, but for now, it was enough.

She grimaced, after all she'd been through, she didn't trust anyone. She was cautious about this taxi driver, but the whole city's police was out to get her so she didn't have any choice than to let this man help her. At least for now. It was suspicious that he said he wouldn't turn her in. He could have, he'd had a chance with every police car passing them by. And yet, he didn't. His motives unclear, but if he tried anything funny, she'd escape. She'd become good at it after all.

Suddenly the music playing at the radio stopped as the newscaster's voice filled the cab. "...authorities are still searching for Evelyn Thorne, the young woman suspected of..." The voice droned on, listing a litany of her supposed crimes. Each word was another nail hammered into the coffin of her innocence. She shot a venomous glare at the radio. "Dangerous and unstable," the announcer finished with a flourish. She snorted. "Dangerous by accident and not unstable," she muttered under her breath.

Elias kept his eyes fixed on the rain-slicked road ahead. "They always paint the picture they want, don't they?" His voice held a hint of something similar to understanding, and even shared cynicism. She glanced at him with a hesitant curiosity. He wasn't scared of her, not in the way the doctors, the police, even her own reflection had been lately. There was a calmness to him that she found strangely comforting. Didn't trust it though, not one bit.

"Yeah...you think they'll ever be interested to see the truth?" Her question sounded half rhetorical. She wasn't naive enough to believe in some grand reveal, some magical moment where everyone would understand. But she held onto that tiny hope that still lived in her heart that maybe someone would understand.

He didn't answer right away, the silence stretching between them. Finally, he spoke, with a low voice. "The truth is whatever you make it, kid. They can paint you a villain, but that doesn't mean you have to stay in the line." A slow, sarcastic smirk spread across her face at his words. His words were cryptic, and she couldn't decipher the hidden meaning if there was any. Nor she couldn't decipher his intentions yet, but a thought crossed her mind when she looked at the window – being trapped in this taxi cab was still a better option than hiding in the rain.

Catching a glimpse of her smirk, he felt a thrill course through him. Underneath the determination and defiance, there was something dark stirring within her, a darkness he recognized, a darkness he could nurture... He imagined that he would win her trust, bit by bloody bit, until she saw the world through his blood-stained eyes. Until she understood there was another path, a darker path, and he would be her guide. He would show her the beauty of chaos, the freedom in destruction.

Unaware of his thoughts she took a deep breath, relaxing her tense shoulders. Relief, a fragile thing, began to seep into her as she realized that this taxi driver probably really wasn't going to turn her in. But she couldn't relax fully. Fatigue was a relentless foe. The constant scanning for danger was exhausting. Not mentioned the lack of proper sleep.

A yawn escaped her lips. "You should try to get some sleep," he suggested, his voice gruff but not unkind. She lifted her eyebrow. Sleep? In a moving vehicle with a stranger behind the wheel? No, thanks. "I can't sleep," she muttered as she leaned her head against the window, watching the city lights.

He shifted his focus to the road. Her wariness didn't faze him. He was a patient predator, content to wait for the right moment. His determination and a confidence in his plan had made him drive for hours searching for her. Luckily it wasn't in vain. He had her now, a precious pawn in his twisted game. His hands tightened on the wheel.

His hideout awaited, a haven she didn't even know she craved.

The miles slipped by, measured by the rhythmic drumming of rain on the roof. Evelyn's eyelids, lulled by the monotony, began to droop in spite of her resistance until sleep, the traitor, finally claimed her.

Elias' lips curved into a small smile as he stole a glance at her. He had to admit, that even in a dim light, her beauty was undeniable. Porcelain skin, blue eyes that were a nice contrast against the dark curtain of her hair – a not so innocent Snow White lost in a storm.

She was sleeping for a while, but it wasn't a deep sleep, no. more of a restless doze with disturbing flashing images of police and doctors running after her. Soon she woke up with a jolt, by her stomach growling in protest. Great. Just what she needed – hunger on top of everything else. With a deep sigh, she rubbed her eyes as she looked at Elias and mumbled, "If I bribe you with imaginary money, would you stop for some food?"

He chuckled. "Imaginary money? Well, seeing as how the real kind seems to be in short supply for you right now, I suppose I can make an exception." Soon he pulled into the nearest gas station and she watched him disappearing into the brightly lit mini-mart. Even with the minimal reprieve, her nerves remained on edge. What if he went to call the police? Her knee was slightly bouncing as she waited for him with growing impatience. When he reappeared alone (ooff), he clutched two brown paper bags in his hands, one for her, one for him.

He turned to face her to give her the bag, the scent of hot dogs filled the car. "Here you go, Snow White. Two all-beef franks, just the way you like them… probably." His voice held a hint of amusement. She ignored the nickname as she finally had a chance to take a good look at him in the harsh fluorescent light. He was somewhere in his early forties with deep lines etched on both sides of his crooked wolfish nose, and intense dark blue eyes. His hair, a mess of short curls under the baseball cap gave him a surprisingly boyish look despite the stubble shadowing his jaw. He caught her staring, and a playful glint ignited in his eyes.

"Like what you see?" he drawled, a teasing lilt to his voice to see how she'd react.

A blush crept up her pale cheeks as she blinked surprised. "What? No, I mean... umm...w-whatever, sorry for staring..." She mumbled, her gaze darting away to the hot dog in her hand. What a fascinating hotdog... Her reaction was cute, he thought. He kept his gaze on her a bit longer than necessary. Could it be that she was attracted to him? That'd be an interesting addition to his plan, and a weakness he could exploit. His calculated mind was already thinking about the possibilities. It could be a way to bind her closer to him, to make her stay... He turned away and started the engine. If he played his cards right, he could have her if he wanted to, quite literally, body and mind. A chilling smile played on his lips. The prospect was undeniably interesting.

Evelyn focused on eating, trying to forget the awkward moment. The man had something in him, a charm maybe, but definitely wasn't her type. She hoped that he didn't think much of her reaction.

The relentless rain continued its drumbeat on the roof of the car as he drove away. Minutes had bled into one another, the city lights left behind... He looked at her. She was picking at the remains of her hotdog, her brows furrowed in consternation. They were on the outskirts now. Two-story houses with manicured lawns were lined the streets. An idea, dark and twisted, sparked in his mind. He was tired and needed a rest, but finding a motel, where someone could recognise her or where she could disappear on him, would be risky.

He slowed the car, his finger pointing out the window. "How many people you think live there?" The house he gestured towards was large, with two gleaming SUVs parked in the driveway.

She followed his gaze, slightly confused by his question. "Four, maybe five? Big family I guess..." she shrugged.

"yeah, too many moving parts. What about that one?" His finger shifted to a smaller house on the next block, a ramshackle structure that seemed to sag under its own weight. "One, max two? Probably some old folks or someone who's seen better days.. Or maybe it's abandoned?"

Her suspicion was growing until she understood his implication, though she couldn't believe it. "You can't be serious," she said, her voice barely a whisper as he drove the car at the back of the old house. Breaking into a house – a crime she'd sworn off just yesterday ago – was apparently back on the menu. And not by her choice this time.

He stopped the car and cut the engine. Then he met her gaze with his dark blue eyes. "We both know you don't have much choice, do you, Snow White? Do you want to stay off the radar or not?" His voice was a low murmur. He wanted to test her willingness to cooperate, and to see how far she would go to survive. Would she play along or woudl she defy him? He couldn't wait to see.

She clenched her jaw and furrowed her brows. Great... Of course the only person that wanted to help her was some kind of criminal himself. Normalcy, it seemed, was way beyond her reach. Stepping out of the car, she felt the rain chilling her skin to the bone. With a forced acceptance she hesitantly followed him towards the rickety house.

[cienie-isengardu]

I don't really agree with your takes on Kuai Liang. You hold him to a standard far higher than his circumstances allow him. You say he should have confronted the Lin Kuei but the moment he saw them, they immediately tried to kill him and Tomas without any chance. You assume Liu Kang helped him when an intro suggests Liu has left him on his own. You say he should have returned and taken over Lin Kuei, people who rejected him and never gave him a chance but take issue when he tries to get stronger to face them. You conveniently leave out the part Kuai wants others to not touch Bi-Han and Lin Kuei and that's why he's in Outworld to stop Bi-Han according to intros.

I think you're more than a little biased against MK1 Kuai. It's getting obvious.

That’s perfectly fine if you do not agree with my take on Kuai Liang. I’m not here to convince you or anyone to my ideas, simply explaining my reasoning since you asked 🙂 

“You say he should have confronted Lin Kuei but the moment he saw them, they immediately tried to kill him and Tomas without any chance.”

I think you mistake two separate events. I said he should confront Lin Kuei when he learned the truth about Bi-Han not aiding their father in need, right away when he defeated and captured his brother. Tomas thought he would do so, to take the title of Grandmaster and prevent further damage. But Kuai Liang outright rejected this idea, thinking Cyrax and Sektor would still stick to Bi-Han despite the grave accusation. In that scene Kuai Liang chose to cut his ties with Grandmaster, as was seen when he removed his emblemant of Lin Kuei, saying "You are my grandmaster no longer" . Which I guess could count as him leaving the clan. 

From story mode we know only that they took Bi-Han with themselves and a few chapters later, Tomas noted that Lin Kuei refused to aid Liu Kang. But as far as dialogue goes, neither Scorpion nor Smoke said they were attacked by Lin Kuei or in any other way persecuted and I don’t think there is any source claiming that for this specific point in time. Otherwise Kuai Liang and Tomas would either mention they needed to run away from their people to join Liu Kang for the battle or would not be there at all, if the clan wished them dead or hurt.

The attack you mentioned comes AFTER Titan Shang Tsung was defeated and again, comes from Scorpion’s ending and not story mode itself. Which is a second, separate event from the one I referred to in my previous post. In my opinion Kuai Liang should take control over the clan right away Bi-Han was compromised, because it was his duty as the second-in-line. And most likely he was trained for that possibility, as being Lin Kuei was a hazardous job and Grandmaster Sub-Zero was personally involved with doing Fire Lord’s bidding. So no, I don’t think this is holding Kuai Liang to a higher standard, as he is not a mere warrior forced to step in and solve the critical situation all by himself but a man raised as part of the ruling family and with a birthright to do so. Expecting Scorpion to do his duty hardly feels like demanding too much. But it is perfectly fine if anyone does not agree on this one with me. 

So yes, I say he should have confronted Lin Kuei and no, Tomas and Kuai Liang were not immediately attacked between chapters. Lin Kuei refused to aid Liu Kang and at this certain point in the story, it is all they did as far as source materials goes to my knowledge.

“You assume Liu Kang helped him when an intro suggests Liu has left him on his own. “

Yes, I assume so, as for me characters BIO and story mode are a more truthful source than intro dialogues that don’t give us the full context of the interaction, or characters’ endings that aren’t always 100% compatible with the next game (and I do acknowledge that my opinion about Scorpion's ending may change once the new story will be released). Sadly, I have no idea what intro dialogue you're referring to. It would be helpful if you could paraphrase it for me. I checked out MK Warehouse’s page but did not see anything fitting? Or did you actually mean Scorpion’s ending?

“You say he should have returned and taken over Lin Kuei, people who rejected him and never gave him a chance but take issue when he tries to get stronger to face them. 

Yes, as I said before he should do so right away when Bi-Han allied with Shang Tsung but was defeated in one on one match. Sure, the sources strongly imply for us that no Lin Kuei beside Tomas supported Kuai Liang which I admit is pretty surprising. I imagine there were still plenty of people who loyally served his father and to think all of them rejected Scorpion in Sub-Zero’s favor says a lot about the political mood within the clan. Me wishing for Kuai Liang to confront Lin Kuei right away after the failed mission is not saying he would succeed but he definitely could at least try. Instead all the story mode said on the matter is that he doesn’t think Lin Kuei will make him the next Grandmaster due to Cyrax and Sektor, which again raises a question why his socio-political status would be so low between his folks if BIO alone introduced Scorpion as a REVERED Lin Kuei Warrior.

(definition presented at Cambridge Dictionary)

If you meant “return and take over Lin Kuei” in regard to leaks, then again, I do stand by my previous statement. He should take an active part in bringing back Lin Kuei on the righteous path, reclaiming his home and position, if he truly was so dedicated to his duty and father’s teaching. Otherwise leaving Lin Kuei on their own terms may lead to another conflict and in result put Earthrealm at risk. I do not say doing so would be pleasant or easy for Kuai Liang, but what else could be a better way to honor his father and the tradition he revered so much than personally restoring father’s legacy? A legacy for which Scorpion rejected his own brother and future offered by Sub-Zero? Though again, feel free to disagree, as this is just my personal opinion. 

I take no issue with Kuai LIang getting stronger and preparing for the war. I would be quite disappointed if he didn’t do so, as he is warrior first and foremost. Last time I only pointed out that MK1 Kuai Liang has better means to face Lin Kuei than his previous incarnations even had. Which is why I rejected your statement Scorpion and Tomas had not enough time or resources to do anything. If we go with intro dialogues, it seems they used the given opportunity very well, as in the relatively short time Shirai Ruy rose in such power they felt ready to face Lin Kuei on their own terms. Or more precisely: hunt down Bi-Han.

Scorpion: Bi-Han's trail has led me to Sun Do. Li Mei: I'll abide no vigilante justice, Kuai Liang.

or

Raiden: How goes the hunt for Bi-Han? Smoke: I've never chased a cagier quarry.

You conveniently leave out the part Kuai wants others to not touch Bi-Han and Lin Kuei and that's why he's in Outworld to stop Bi-Han according to intros.

Conveniently leaving? Nah, the only reason I did not go into great details about all intro dialogues is simply the fact that those intros do not contradict in any way my statement. Both brothers are fully ready and willing to hurt each other to fulfill their goals and show little regret over this (with only Tomas actually preferring the reconciliation). Kuai Liang rejecting Kitana or Raiden’s help or Mileena's demands as he wishes to deal with Bi-Han by himself is not an example of Scorpion regretting the fratricidal struggle. Same with Bi-Han rejecting Havik’s offer

Havik: Aid me, and I'll destroy the Shirai Ryu. Sub-Zero: That is *my* privilege, Havik.

Funny though how you conveniently left that Bi-Han too rejected help from his allies in regard Kuai Liang at least once or that he actually is willing to make peace with Liu Kang (what most likely would stop the war between brothers)

Sub-Zero: You want peace? Let us be. Liu Kang: The Lin Kuei's sins aren't easily forgiven.

or that he is willing accept Tomas back if he submit 

Smoke: Are we to be enemies for life? Sub-Zero: Unless you submit, Tomas.

Which is not much, but frankly, at this moment it is more than Kuai Liang’s intros offer in regard to calming the clans war. Understandable, as Scorpion has right to be bitter and angry but even Liu Kang is concerned about his vengeance:

Liu Kang: You allow vengeance to consume you. Scorpion: I should not punish Bi-Han for his crimes?

But like I said, showing a bit of good will here and there or brothers seeing their conflict as personal matters that should be resolved between them does not contradict my statement that both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang are willing to face the other in fight and if needed, even hurt each other’s friends and family. So in all fairness, I’m not sure what you are accusing me here? 

I think you're more than a little biased against MK1 Kuai. It's getting obvious.

The thing I’m definitely biased towards is the NRS forcefully bringing back the Shirai Ryu vs Lin Kuei conflict that was solved in MKX almost decade ago. If you think this is a personal bias toward Kuai Liang then sure, why not 🙂

[themissakat]

sorry about taking so long to think of words, but i think i finally have good questions.

what are your guesses for where the 3rd game is going to take place? Visit a new location or return to old locations of the first 2? the forbidden west and carja and nora?

How do you think aloy and friends are going to develop? where could the game go to further the character arcs of the squad?

words are hard you're good

gonna put a readmore bc it has a lot of Forbidden West spoilers!!

My first guess would be that we'll see something related to the Oseram homeland, as its the only one of the main tribes (aside from the Quen ofc) where we've met their people but not been to their capital. I don't have 100% certainty on this because the Oseram are the most nomadic of all the tribes we've seen thus far, those guys are everywhere, so its hard to say if visiting a centralized leader would be applicable to getting their support, as opposed to getting in touch with individual groups like the Vanguard at Meridian or the group at Burning Ember.

I think it would be so cool to see the Quen homeland, and I've read some fics that propose the potential use of Zenith tech (like the shuttle, its just hanging out still) to travel those long distances faster. It would be interesting to see if they push the travel that far, as they played a little bit with that in Burning Shores and going to the San Francisco area, but Vegas to San Fran is a little different than crossing the entire Pacific Ocean.

as for the characters, I really hope to see Aloy continue to open up about accepting help from others and not shouldering the entire burden herself. One of my favorite arcs in hfw was how Aloy contended with Elisabet's "legacy", and how she, at first, accepted sole responsibility for it, to the point of pushing everyone else away from her. Her being the "key" to the facilities obviously put her in a place of "if i dont do this, no one else CAN", but I think that the introduction of Beta and the staunch support of her friends really finally pushed her into "it is okay to accept help".

I think that meeting Beta and contending with their differences despite their being genetically identical was a very needed push for Aloy, because it put a mirror up to her experiences and reinforced for her that she IS NOT just a clone of Elisabet, but her own unique person as well. I will keep saying it but their sisterhood breaks me and rebuilds me into a better human, i love them so much sdjfhsd

I do think we'll be seeing a lot of returning cast of course, including Avad and hopefully the Nora as well. I'm very excited for the introduction of Seyka to the greater group, because I'm curious how the writers will handle Aloy actually having a requited romance, instead of just being the subject of a lot of people's attention. ( my thread for talking about hfw is called "Flirting With Aloy Like It's An Olympic Sport" for a reason ).

Despite not being the main focus of the story, there are SO MANY moments where Aloy interacts with romance and attraction that I can't see them not resolving that plot point for her and Seyka. I, personally, expect it to be tied into the concept of "after", of the future she will have once the future of the planet is secured. I personally headcanon that Aloy will struggle with this concept, as she has been completely goal driven her entire life, and to finally achieve that goal is something she has never considered.

I want to meet Federa and Zo's baby ofc. I dont have too many other specific thoughts about character arc resolution for the rest, aside from that I hope Erend finds something worth fighting for, as he has lost SO MUCH and at times seems to be the most lost amongst the group. He has his heart in the right place, but I feel he is very deep in his grief for his sister still, whereas a lot of the other characters have more specific goals or people to inspire them onward.

I can't think of any more specific thoughts atm sjdfd except, Gildun beloved, Burning Embers crew beloved, good characters all around.

[readordiebyemilyt]

Here's the next round of scary movies I've enjoyed this October:

Return of the Living Dead: I'd never seen this one before: it was at the Last Picture House last weekend, and I had a lot of fun. The punks were great, the zombies were scary (and looked fantastic), and Clu Gulager was, to my surprise, a serviceable action hero. (Also, I like a deus ex machina when it's exactly what the military industrial complex would do to "solve" a problem.)

Ju-On: It's been a long time since I first saw this movie, and I'd forgotten how it plays with time: each section focuses on a different character, and how they're cursed in different ways. Rika's story bookends the film, and even her eventual understanding of what happened in the house can't save her, but it's a haunting journey.

Killer Fish: The MST3K version of this features a great song, Crow as a killer fish, and, you guessed it, piranhas eating people.

Halloween: I watched this with Rifftrax, as I do most years: it was the first movie at the Dusk Till Dawn event at the drive-in on Saturday. There are so many sequels, and at least three continuities I can think of. (Four?) But this one is the first, and it's still the best.

Halloween II: I'll be honest, I tuned out for parts of this one, mainly because I wanted to finish an audiobook. It has its moments, and the use of Mr. Sandman is a great musical leitmotif, and we start to get into the druid stuff that comes up in movies 4, 5, and 6. Probably the scariest thing is the fact that most of the hospital staff act like horny teens, which they're of course standing in for for the sake of the plot.

Christine: Another first time watch for me: the fact that the cursed car Christine has, in 1983, what look to be LED headlights that she uses to blind her victims further proves the evil of that invention.

The Shining: Again, there are parts of this movie that I just sort of tune out, especially since this watch started around 2:30am. The scariest parts IMO are when Jack yells at his family: this movie is full of effective visuals that stick in your head and an iconic soundscape. In many ways, it's a beautiful film, and every time, I wish Scatman Crothers didn't die. (Spoiler alert: he doesn't in the book! He becomes an important part of Danny's life!)

The Most Dangerous Game: Can we go back to some movies only being 63 minutes long? I just think it would be a nice change of pace: not every film needs to be two hours long. Anyway, I watched this with Rifftrax, and it was fun. A man hunts people for sport, Faye Wray is there, and the protagonist here seems very unmoved by the deaths of his best friends in a shipwreck. Maybe he's in shock? Or maybe they didn't have time for that trauma when the whole "our host is trying to kill us" plot point was coming.

Ringu: Still compelling and deeply disturbing even after all these years: Sadako is one of, if not the best, modern horror icons. I'd forgotten that her victims die not from fear, but because of her incredible psychic power, which she possesses even after death. Also, the way to break the curse is interesting, because in theory, would-be victims could just keep showing the tape to others, copying it, then instructing others to repeat that cycle indefinitely, with no one dying.

Nope: This is my favorite Jordan Peele movie so far. It explores the consequences of thinking you're chosen, or just a mere spectator when, in fact, you are a participant in whatever entertainment you consume. So in watching this, you the viewer are engaging with spectacle, and seeing the characters try to survive that very thing. As a former English major, watching this always makes me want to write an essay.

[lurkingshan]

Hi, thanks for answering my question about your favorite shows of the year (so far). Since I've been following your blog for some time now, I can't say I was totally surprised by your answer. Although, seeing the killer paradox on your list did shock me. I had no idea you've watched that show. Anyways, i'm really happy you asked me about my own list. I've had an idea for quite some time about which ones would actually be part of it, even though i'm not done watching most of them. I guess I've been feeling optimistic about all of them (ironic, isn't it?). Sorry for the big rambling. Without further do, here is my list of favorite shows of the year so far (in no particular order): Lost ( kdrama, 2021, 16 episodes, not completed), Unknown( Taiwanese drama,2024, 12 episodes, completed), Shooting stars ( cdrama, 2024, 34 episodes, not completed), Tender light ( cdrama, 2024, 28 episodes, not completed), imperfect us (Taiwanese drama,2024, 8 episodes, completed), living with him (jdrama, 2024, 8 episodes, completed), dead boys detective (british tv show?, 2024,8 episodes, not completed), begins youth (kdrama,2024,12 episodes, not completed), mood indigo ( jdrama,2019, 6 episodes,completed), the queen's classroom (jdrama, 2005, 11 episodes completed) and the office games (thai drama, 2023, 16 episodes, not completed). I can't say I would recommend all of them, but they all made me feel something, so there's that. Honorable mentions for story of kunning palace and a journey to love.

Ooh, good picks and some that I really like on that list, too! I have not seen Imperfect Us and I just looked that up--will add it to my list! And glad to see you watched Mood Indigo! I hope you'll continue and finish the Pornographer series, I really love the final installments and a lot of people haven't seen them.

Re: A Killer Paradox, I like to keep people guessing! No, but really I just watch all kinds of stuff, and I loved that drama. It was a fast, intense binge so I didn't really post about it, but I thought it had such an assured vision of what it wanted to be (and what it wanted to be was pretty weird in such an interesting way). Its visual storytelling was great and I really liked the themes and ambiguity about morality in the story, and how positively ACAB it was. I also love Choi Woo Shik fr fr and I like that he sprinkles in such off the wall projects.

[wevelocityteampresents-blog]

The long-running Pokémon comedy manga from CoroCoro Comics is finally entering its X and Y storyline! Popular Pokémon are showing up one after another. The antics of the protagonist, Clefairy, are getting even more intense!

-Translation of the blurb for this volume.

So, here we are. Pokémon Pocket Monsters XY. The next Pokémon Pocket Monsters saga. It's also where I feel that this is where the manga began to drop off in terms of quality.

Before we get to the characters, I first want to take a minute to talk about the cover of this volume.

One of the more noticeable things is the art style. It seems to have taken a more exaggerated route with more rounder curves and edges for the characters' bodies and clothing. (Like with Red's hat and Clefairy's head.) The other thing you've probably noticed is the addition of speech bubbles.

This detail has confused me ever since I first saw the cover for this volume years ago. I've never seen characters talk in cover artwork for manga. The only other place I've seen something similar happen is in American comics.

Something like this is unheard of for Japanese manga. (At least for me anyway...) Judging from the covers for the other volumes in the XY series and the ones that follow, this might have been a one-time gimmick that Anakubo didn't feel like replicating. A decision that was probably for the best.

Moving onto the characters, Conkeldurr is one of Red's most recent captures (he was caught sometime in the second volume of Pokémon Pocket Monsters BW) and is basically the new Tyrogue. I don't know why Anakubo picked Conkeldurr as Tyrogue's replacement. I guess he thought he had the best design that fit the tone of the manga alongside his art style. I'm sure I'll learn more about his personality as I go further into this series.

Another character you might have already seen is Green. He shows up in this series as a recurring character. It might seem a bit weird to have the original series rival show up so frequently in a new saga that also takes place far away from Kanto. But this actually works to some degree. In the X and Y versions, there's a character in a Pokémon Center in Lumiose City who talks about how the original series rival traveled to the Kalos region and wasn't keen on learning the country's language.

While the character doesn't show up in the games, he does in this manga. A similar thing also happened later in Pokémon Adventure's XY series with Blue showing up to help X and his friends. With that info in mind, it's cool to see how Anakubo took this small easter egg and expanded upon it to serve as the basis for new stories within the current saga.

I'd translate the chapters right away. But I'm too busy finishing up some important assignments for school. (I'm also trying to get ready for Christmas.) I'll get back to them once the holidays are over.

[robo-dino-puppies]

ok I finally finished Inquisition and… well I'll try to be brief(er... just kidding, I'm incapable of being brief) - I was interested in the story buuuuuut it was by far the least ~*fun*~ of all three for me to play, mostly because I was playing an elf and and due to dialogue choices (or lack thereof) it ended up feeling frustrating compared to previous games. knowing what I know now about the story, I really wish I'd gone with a human instead. however I enjoyed Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser quite a bit more than the base game and I'm interested in seeing what happens next!

attempting (hah) not to spend fifty paragraphs on it I'll just say that it was A Trial to try to play an elf the way I wanted to, which I expected to be able to do because I had a great time with it in Origins? it seemed like most companions reacted to me saying "hey, you know I have my own beliefs, right?" (if the game even gave me the chance to do so) with "that's cute. ANYWAY-" and I ended up spending much of the game full of resentment on behalf of my poor doomed Lavellan.

I remember a convo I had with Leliana in Origins where I was able to challenge her on her preconceptions about elves, and I'm pretty sure there were times when characters challenged me about my biases against humans, and I just thought that was very cool! but I'm struggling to think of any times where that happened in Inquisition… it felt like it was written very shallowly with the ability to play a non-Andrastian/non-human, and that was… uh. frustrating.

my Lavellan basically knew her life as not-the-Herald was over when the camp started singing after Haven, and it never really got much better for her from there. I liked the cast of characters, but they felt more like... work friends? vs the previous two games' dysfunctional families (beloved). and the fact that Lavellan was reluctant about her role/an outsider made romances feel a bit squicky to me, because so few of the characters seemed to recognize that! I thought Josephine was adorable, but then during the balcony cutscene she called me "your worship" after I chose a flirt - despite me taking every opportunity to say I wasn't sure I was divinely chosen etc. - and I was like "welp I guess we're done with that." (I don't fault her for it because she's the ambassador and it makes sense in-character, and I still think she's adorable! but it just... felt bad.)

it's possible the dialogue options I wanted were there, I guess, just hidden behind paraphrasing? but I hhhhhate playing dialogue wheel roulette SO MUCH - I don't find it fun when it makes you sound like a real idiot or an asshole. I didn't actually want to disrespect my companions' personal beliefs (Lavellan was open-minded! she just didn't like the Chantry as an organization), and some of the "aggressive"-sounding options seemed like they would be too rude, so I avoided them unless I was really pissed off. but given how wildly the spoken line can vary from the paraphrase, maybe I should have chosen more?

(let's just say my Opinions on the Chantry - which I've seen no further evidence to revise - were cemented in Origins when the dude in Orzammar asked me, an obviously Dalish elf, to help him build a chantry and convert dwarves. I am a perennial and compulsive quest-completer, but I purposefully abandoned that quest with great prejudice. which is literally the first time I've ever done that in any game. so.)

then there were a bunch of gameplay/technical things that were small when looked at individually but when piled together with that lingering feeling of resentment just made the experience feel like a chore.

OH and as much as I personally love Morrigan, Lavellan was getting reallllll annoyed at having her human-splain Dalish culture in the temple. my face was basically a permanent >:[ for that whole section. (I don't care if the Dalish are "wrong" about their history - my character still would have at least known who Mythal was. and not asked about it. like an idiot.) partially for this reason I did not hesitate to have Lavellan do a cannonball into the well, good idea or not lmao.

also. I didn't even get a puppy this time. Cullen got a puppy. why didn't I get a puppy?! couldn't even let me summon a wolf like in Origins? uncool.

I think Cassandra (and her [disgusted noise]s) and Dorian were my favorites. (Dorian was the other person I flirted with, which obviously didn't work out for me for a different reason than Josephine lmao, but I appreciated that it let me say "no hard feelings/we can keep flirting" and then the game actually carried through with continuing to give me flirt options. perhaps I felt like Lavellan could bond a bit with him being an outsider too, and I loved the end slides in Trespasser that said they communicated all the time through a crystal awwww that's cute.)

all that said I had fun playing Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser. I was very interested in all the spirit stuff with the Avvar, VINDICATIONNNNN learning that Ameridan was both an elf and a mage, and of course learning more about Solas/what is actually going on with the history of the elves. (The Descent started out interesting and I was excited because dwarves! more dwarves yay! gimme the dwarf lore!!! but I felt like it just sort of fizzled out at the end? and it felt weird to just say "ok cool see ya never probably" to Valta and just... not follow up on anything? also I hated the final boss even on super easy baby mode. T_T)

I angrily disbanded the Inquisition and gave a big middle finger (singular since I only have one left *pffff*) to Orlais/Ferelden/the Chantry, which was somewhat satisfying.

it probably would have been a less depressing experience if I had played as an at-least-marginally-Andrastian human… but. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ oh well. and even though I knew there was Something Up with Solas I didn't know exactly what so it was fun finding that out along with my character. (I made a lot of decisions that he agreed with so we were good friends - or I thought we were - and I felt like the final confrontation was quite impactful, and it was satisfying to say "watch out because I'm coming to stop you.") I do think having my Warden and Inquisitor both be Dalish makes for an interesting perspective on the elf stuff.

[skxawngonearth]

Theories about the ikran in Frontiers (spoilers)

So what we know from the Ubisoft Forward panel, we’ll have to bond with an ikran during the game (guessing it’ll be mandatory for the main story). From both previous trailers and now the panel we can assume that the ikran will have a set colour (the green as seen below), although we seem to be able to name them personally.

However, from the panel as well as the pre-order editions we also know that there’ll be cosmetic options for the ikran (so far 1 unique and 1 cosmetic skin are confirmed by the Gold and Ultimate edition) 

My guess at this point: the blue skin is the unique skin (probably selectable through the game menu), while the headpiece/saddle is the cosmetic set from the Sarentu package. 

The one aspect I’m actually curious about now is how the co-op might change our apperance. Will player 2 to an entirely new character (possibly another Na’vi from the program?), or will we play as the same character?

From the first look footage it most likely seems like that the ikran might be changed (though I can imagine that’ll be if one of the players has the Gold or Ultimate edition). The character could also be just a cosmetic change, though with the picture quality I’m not entirely sure.

Note: I do realize the ikran in the final trailer are not 100% identical to the ones from the first trailer. But due to their striking similarity, I assume the current pair is the polished version (since they do have more detailes which probably were added after the initial trailer) 

Aside from that, I think the green rider might have the Sarentu cosmetics on, while the blue could be the “Child of two Worlds” skin.

Alas, I do hope that with future DLCs/Twitch drops we will get the chance to further customize our character/ikran (since we already got a token from the Forward stream via Twitch drop), and Ubisoft does still release skins for AC Valhalla

[eeblouissant]

Oh you reblogged the character ask game, yay!! I'd like to ask numbers 7, 21 and/or 22, and 24 (since you mentioned other fandoms 👀) for Dorothy :)

I just love these ask games, I get so chatty when my interests are brought up & I feel like the only people that ever want to listen are the friends I’ve made here 😂 I’ll reblog any ask game that comes across my dash for a chance to ramble haha!!

7: what’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I feel like our corner is very dedicated to portraying the girls exactly as they would be (sticking very strictly to canon, with the exception of, well. You know. The three of them being married. Which arguably is just barely not canon) & this is something I love so dearly. I’ve been in big fandom spaces in the past & have had to distance myself from favourite characters when their main portrayal happens to be far outside of canon. Dorothy is a very good example of this; she presents far from who she really is on the inside. It kills me on an entirely different level to see characters taken at face value, and to be extended and projected that way. For example, Dorothy presents herself with a very dominating presence, someone who is cold and who likes to be in charge. However!! That is very much not the case. In fact I don’t thing that description fits any of the girls. That’s just not a character type you’re going to get with this show. What I can’t stand is when people don’t pay attention to the media they’re consuming, & even more when it’s on purpose (ignoring canon and key character traits/experiences for the sake of it) - people who choose to pay attention to a version of a character they’ve created in their head. Good for you! Create an OC if you’re going to do that!!! Don’t ruin my favourite characters with your wildly out of character headcanons that you push as canon lmao!! Because it will always lead to others that haven’t actually seen the series they’re from thinking it’s canon & further spreading that agenda. Drives me up the WALL. The lengths some people go to to defend these fabricated versions of characters so far beyond who they really are is nuts!!!!

What I’m trying to say is that I love, love love how much care is put into every portrayal & piece of fan media I’ve seen from this fandom. Oh my goodness - if any characters deserve it it’s these four. Of course we’re only talking about Dorothy here but there’s no specific character from this show that deserves it more than another. (Speaking specifically about Dorothy though, I really adore how carefully her trauma regarding Stanley is handled here, in every aspect. It’s really lovely to see.)

21: if you’re a fic writer & have written for this character, what’s your favourite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

I’ll start with something I don’t like; I don’t love writing Dorothy that much 😅 mostly because I relate to her so intensely that I sometimes catch myself straying from her character, or projecting bits & pieces of my own experiences onto her. She can be tricky to write - so I guess it’s not that I don’t like writing her, she’s the tricky. Younger Dorothy especially - lord. She’s real hard not to project onto. Harder scenes mostly, not my favourite. But at the same time so interesting I can’t resist.

At the same time I love writing her. What I love most is writing her to fill in the gaps of her story - that has always been the most interesting thing for me to write. The boring things, random little snippets of her life I guess. Sometimes I’ll jot down a paragraph or two when I’ve got nothing else to do on a train ride home. Don’t get me wrong, I live for the drama that came with her marriage, but ahhh there’s something about thinking of all the thoughts & feelings she must have had as a new mother getting to know her kids - & how she responded to Kate while she was an only child. The change that came with her son nine years later, how that affected Kate too (would Kate have smashed a plate dramatically the way Dorothy did when Phil was born? I think so lol). Anyway, I like the random & boring bits most :)

22: if you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

I love seeing Dorothy get to show that happy bubbly side we don’t see very often in canon :’) anytime I’ve read a fic where she gets to be unapologetically happy & a little aloof it brings me an infinite amount of joy. That’s her!!!! That’s the real her!!!! ahhhhhh!!!!! She’s just silly she just wants to have a little laugh!!!! (thinking about how she was canonically the class clown. She just wants to make everyone giggle & maybe get to giggle a little herself 🥲)

I’ve mentioned it already, but … the mischaracterization… please lord spare me (and HER!!!). I can take this no longer I cannot deal. I’m so sick of it - I could count on my hands how many authors I trust to read a new fic about/involving her from - when!!! Will people stop leaning into her safeguard!!!!!!!!! She’s not that way!!!!!! Oh my GOD!!!!

24: what other character from another fandom of yours reminds you of them?

this is an interesting question 👀👀 hmmm … I’ve always been a huge poison Ivy fan, & Ivy from the recent Harley Quinn series reminds me a lot of her now that I think about it. I am also, very unfortunately, violently hyperfixated on the game genshin impact & have been for a good few years now, so naturally I’ll have to assign her a character - I think she & Xianyun have a bit in common for sure!! If even just in mannerisms & general outlooks on life. (Pictures below in the order I mentioned them!)

[xenodile]

Alright, I finished Lies of P on stream today, so I guess I can give my review of it.

Very solid overall, strong early game makes an excellent first impression, with a few little nitpicks that turn into consistent frustrations as the game reaches its finale. The music and presentation is excellent, combat feels smooth and responsive, if you're familiar with Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Lies of P will feel comfortably familiar.

In terms of replay value from multiple runs, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The weapon modification system of mix and matching handles and blades to create totally new weapons to fit any kind of stat spread means Lies of P has the largest weapon catalogue of any Souls-like I've seen, so there's always a new weapon to try out whenever you start a new run. The flipside is that the game is completely linear and only has 2 endings, so if you're looking to vary up the sequence of your run you'll likely be disappointed.

The game is also quite challenging, and not always in the best way. Of the game's 13 mandatory major bosses, 6 have two health bars, three of which are fought back to back. Furthermore, the game touts its perfect guard system to force enemies to stagger and break their weapons, but by the halfway mark these systems feel less and less impactful. Later in the game, you encounter enemies with no weapons to break or weapons so durable that you'd have to do nothing but perfect block so many attacks, or so much poise that if feels like perfect blocking has no effect. It turns from a reward for good timing and skill to the bare minimum to progress as not perfect blocking will causes you to take tremendous amounts of damage from blocked attacks.

On the subject of the game's difficulty, Lies of P inherits Sekiro's perilous attacks, in which the enemy glows red and plays a sound effect to warn of an unblockable attack that can only be stopped by a Perfect Guard. While Sekiro gave the player many ways to deal with different types of unblockables with the memorable Mikiri Counter, jumping into a head stomp, and so on, fatal attacks in Lies of P are binary. Either you perfect block or you take unavoidable damage, and the timing on some of these attacks is very finicky. An overwhelming number of enemies in Lies of P have attack animations that consist of a laboriously slow wind up into near instantaneous active frames with no tell or warning. These attacks are effectively unreactable and so they only way to deal with them is to just...keep getting hit until you fish out the right parry timing by chance and then hope you can repeat it. It's very frustrating, especially when most bosses can have multiple attacks of this nature. Some enemies also have grabs or true unblockables, which cannot be blocked or perfect blocked, and the game does not give you the courtesy of warning you which ones, which can further add to the frustration.

The game's story is enjoyable and engaging, with plenty of little secrets to uncover and leads to pursue that give the player things to think about, the but its english localization is...subpar. While I cannot confirm it as such, I was told by someone in my chat that the game was machine translated, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. It's hardly the worst case ever seen, but the english script has some very awkward grammar and syntax in multiple areas, as well as clumsy word choice. The actual voice acting is excellent for most of the cast, it's specifically english grammar and word choice that seems off.

The game's greatest weakness is its pacing. As you near the 80% mark of the game, a significant change occurs in the game world that signifies the coming of the end, ramping up to a grand confrontation that just...drags on and on and on for far longer than it should. The final area has more checkpoints than any other zone in the game and is an agonizingly slow crawl through a generic gray environment with almost nonsensical enemy choice and placement. Progressing this one area took me almost 10 hours by itself when most other sections of the game took me 2 or 3 at most when I was thoroughly exploring and backtracking for items and sidequests, and it utterly ruins the sense of urgency the game's narrative attempts to instill in you when you arrive.

As I said before, I do like Lies of P quite a bit and would easily recommend it to anyone that enjoys games like Sekiro or Bloodborne, but it has glaring flaws that are all the more prominent when help up next to the game's good points. The frustrating, unfun bosses stick out when you remember all the incredibly fun bosses you fought before and after them. The slow dull irritating sections linger when compared to the faster paced and more engaging parts.

The game clocks in at a very impressive length if you're scrounging for secrets and optional areas, and given its overall quality I would say it is worth its $60 price tag, but only if you are already acquainted with other game in its style as I've mentioned previously.

[whining-ylthin]

Ylthin's Media Thread thingy for the tail-end of 2023 and 2024:

Normally I'd do it on Twitter but I fully expect that site to collapse in 6 months.

Glen Cook, "Czarna Kompania"/"Cień w ukryciu" ("Black Company"/"Shadows Linger") (Rebis, 2009 Polish edition, 2022 reprint)

I'm starting this list somewhat off the curb - I've finished the 2nd novel from this omnibus release just now, but I've also read the first one earlier this year... and I don't have much to say about either, honestly.

The prose is kind of clunky and awkward in a way that takes a moment to adjust to, and without directly comparing the Polish translation to the English original I can't tell how much of this unwieldiness is due to poor translation job and how much of it is just inherent to Cook's style. You're not reading this book for its characters, either - most of them are memorable only because of constant exposure, as names that you eventually learn to map to a broad role in the story or one, maybe two vague personality/appearance traits. What carried me through was what I can broadly describe as "vibes" and long-term significance of Black Company books - or maybe the wave of genre-fiction they were a part of. It certainly wasn't the first grim and gritty fantasy series out there, and the backside blurb's boasts about how Cook "brought the fantasy genre down to the level of common men" are very overblown (the books are literally about an evil sorceress' plan for world domination clashing against her messy divorce with her Dark Lord husband and a prophecy about the "divine savior" figure coming back to further piss into her breakfast), but I can still notice the seeds of interesting ideas being planted here and there, and the grit (while going for a very predictable "everyone is utterly miserable and the whores will give you all the STDs" route, and feeling more like catnip for 14-year-old boys rather than genuine "maturity") fortunately doesn't cross the line into unbearable edgelord territories yet. It was a part of the same wave of dark fantasy that either molded me directly (through Sapkowski's The Witcher novels and "Berserk"), indirectly (through a thousand imitators years down the line, from local fantasy authors of the 2000s to video games - Heroes of Might & Magic 5 in particular was retrospectively very blatantly inspired by Warhammer Fantasy), or infected me with sudden-onset brainrot in my mid-20s (Warhammer 40.000), and I can definitely feel and appreciate it even if I find these books to be rather mediocre so far.

I just wish I could get my hands on Moorcock's Elric books without going through a dozen hoops, but I guess I'll make do with Cook, Erikson and the odd Warhammer novel for the time being.

Oh, and this cover art? That tattered "dashing rogue" look, that borderline fractal leather-and-cloth patterning, the random spiky structures in the background? The long bob hair and goatee look straight out of the music video for "Imperium" by Machine Head? A cover that makes you think not even of actual early 2000s buttrock, but of Stuart Chatwood emulating it for Prince of Persia: Warrior Within's soundtrack? Hillariously mismatched with the actual novels. I haven't seen a choice this baffling since reading my dad's faded mid-90s pulp booklet edition of Ursula LeGuin's "Rocannon's World" paired up with either Vallejo or Frazetta sword-and-sandals artwork.