#i think they're both so good......... i'm super excited to see where their interactions go tbh >:)

[wisheswagered]

"Hmm. And you would say you're different, then?"

Frederick knows well of what Edgar speaks. Very rarely do people look under the surface of how a person presents themselves and see what lies underneath. But... to Frederick, that fact is both a source of grief and a shield to protect himself with. Sometimes, he hates how people look at him - being so easily fooled by his charming smiles and honeyed words, but those things are perhaps exactly what allow him to live in the world at all.

At those times, he's grateful for it. Though deep down he feels ashamed of the way he's unable to give up the praise and flattery of others, his persona allows him to pretend that he's someone else for a little while, and hides the parts of him he doesn't want others to see. The thought of someone looking past his outer layers and seeing what he's hidden leaves him feeling exposed, raw and ill with unease, and it's that feeling that he hates more than anything else.

So maybe the way that people don't look deeper is, in the end, something that he's glad for in a way. Yet... it's tiring. And somehow, Frederick finds he can sympathize with Edgar's expression of distaste, even in even if it might be hypocritical.

"...I've heard many things about you. You've quite the reputation." Frederick's sure that should come as no surprise. "I wonder if they know who they're really talking to, though..."

For Edgar's part, he, too, knows how he comes across: if anything, it is something he puts effort into, a suit of armor, a moat and drawbridge to prevent entry into the palace of the mind. (Though, he'd hardly put such value upon his own thoughts...) The reflection is uncomfortable, especially as he does not know the origin, what Frederick detaches from.

Assumptions slip in unnoticed, even as Edgar wishes anything but, wants to see things as they are, rather than what they "should" be. For example, Edgar can see the composer's posture, the way the fabric of his coat is made of a similarly fine material as the painter's own outfit, the hardened gaze.

Edgar would not admit such a thing, especially not to the one who catalyzed such feelings within him, but the similarity is exactly why Edgar keeps his arms crossed tight in front of him, keeps his eyes locked on Frederick, as if missing the next move could lead to disaster.

Then, the composer's voice strikes his ears, and he bites his tongue. He's sure the question is a trap, a way to expose himself. He knows quite well how to speak in the language that has stained him for so long. Then again, if he does not bother with such formalities, he could cut deeper into... he is not sure. "You could say that. Too many people, not enough seeing past the most surface levels." For all he loved the world, the people within it exhausted Edgar, made those voices within the paintings just a little louder. And for all he spoke, he did not mention that people did not wish to see him past the surface. After all, why would he, when the parts within were so soft, so vulnerable?

[patentedsun]

You guys I'm actually crying over chapter 204.5 (which is technically an ad for a certain company we're all boycotting btw) but ignoring the actual ad THE STORYLINE WAS SO??? GOOD???? the Natsu characterization in this was INCREDIBLE (be prepared for intense 100yq hatred) and it portrayed exactly why I fell in love with nalu in the first place....

Summary and analysis below (doesn't incl all the pages btw!!)

We start off with Lucy finding Natsu and Happy at her place, as always.

this is followed by him being like "do you think we'll peek or something" which... 100yq natsu would have... that IMPOSTER...

Anyways while she's taking a bath, Natsu and Happy are browsing around Lucy's room and find a book that stands out. (Btw right next to this book is her diary, 100yq natsu would've gone straight for that). However they end up accidentally destroying it and start panicking. They ask Lucy if they can "borrow it" and Lucy panics at first, saying it's precious and not to touch it, but relents when they say they found it "interesting".

fast forward, we see them worn out after trying and failing to find a replacement copy. ONCE AGAIN, they're doing this because it's something precious to LUCY. Not because they care about reading, or because the book has any value to them, but because they understand it's important to HER. Natsu (and Happy) going the extra mile for things that are important to Lucy is SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART of their entire dynamic.

continuing, Lucy walks into the guild and asks how they're finding the book, they say it's interesting. Lucy gets SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS and starts talking non stop ab the book. Happy asks her why this book is so important to her and...

Y I K E S.

So yeah, they ultimately decide that lying isn't it and they should apologize upfront.

this is so beautiful to me, idk like the imagery of them bowing so sincerely is so.... and like wow MASHIMA seems like natsu IS capable of acknowledging his own wrongdoings and offering genuine apologies. I'm not even talking ab the whole post tartaros situation no, I'm talking about fucking 100yq, where natsu actually physically hurts Lucy and doesn't apologize for it (AND IN FACT ITS PLAYED FOR A GAG)(IMPOSTER!!! NOT MY NATSU!!!)

Soooo Lucy doesn't take it well and runs away.

the fact that they didn't stop their search here. the fact that they EXPANDED it to other towns to try and find her the book THIS IS JUST <3333

Anyways, Lucy returns and reveals dozens of copies of the book...

My heart actually broke for her here because as someone who ig creates stuff as well, it really can be painful to have no audience interaction. And to have a book you wrote bomb like that...ouch... and of course she would've been excited, her best friends told her they found it interesting!!! my HEART. OUCH. and the sheer guilt on Natsu and Happy's faces here 😭 Once again, 100yq would've played this off for a gag...

And they all start bawling (and the ad comes in so I will stop there) but YEAH. THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL??? The way she's regretful too, the way they're still trying to apologize and make her feel better I'm :(. This is what makes nalu work and it feels like mashima is forgetting that ab his own work... they're both genuinely good and kind to each other... like not to get sidetracked but there has always been goofy fanservice moments but there were also so many wonderful, emotional, complex scenes with them with depth and maturity and I just feel like that's lacking now. So reading this was like getting punched in the face srsly because wow... THIS is the natsu I know and love ugh .....

[ppupkit]

Could you possibly do some Cait/Vi taking care of Maddie hcs? (I LOVE YOUR BLOG SM!!! YOUR HCS ARE AMAZING) -Mutt ⚜️

why hallo there mutt OF COURSE I CAN !!!! i am number one maddiecaitvi er trust me. ( i jumped around in excitement and stimmed like crazy seeing this ermm tehe (′ꈍωꈍ‵) ). also ohmigosh one of my names is mutt too how silly !! i apologize for the late response but here are the long awaited headcanons !!! also i appreciate your kind words so much my tail wags. ૮₍ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ₎ა"ﾉ"

cw(?) : 100% sfw talk of padded agere / petre

okay for starters i'm big into t4t maddiecaitvi and have been a transmasc butch vi truther since the beginning so i refer to him mostly as he / him but also sprinkle in some she / her as well. tmasc nonbinary vi is really really important to me as a transgender butch so if you're going to be mean or say something unkind about me using other pronouns for vi please just don't interact with this : C. i headcanon both maddie and caitlyn as transfem , not sure if that's relevant for these headcanons but just wanted to get that outta the way : 3

maddie's not really a talker as i mentioned before , being largely nonverbal or mute while regressed. on the rare occasion she's on the older side however vi is mam or mama and caitlyn is mummy. caitlyn calls maddie my sweet , sweet thing , baby , or pup while vi calls her pup(py) , nugget , munchkin or mads.

maddie's full name is madelyn but they never pull out the full name unless she's in Big Trouble. vi never really uses it , being the more laid back of the two but if maddie's done something Really naughty caitlyn'll hit her with the "madelyn graham nolen... what have you done ?"

maddie being super clumsy leads to lots of spills. both spills of whatever's in her sippy cup and her falling over. oh my gosh it's gotten to a point where she's only allowed to be fed bottles no matter how small she is because otherwise she'll manage to get her juice , or milk ALL over da place. (－‸ლ) sometimes maddie will fuss or plead to be able to have a sippy cause she's a "big girl !". her puppy eyes work on vi but caitlyn gets a little frustrated dealing with the inevitable mess later if maddie gets her way. caitlyn giving both maddie and vi a stern talking to , wagging her finger at them. vi gives her a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of her neck a bit embarrassed. maddie struggles to speak but gives caitlyn her best sorry puppy eyes.

maddie is a bit hard on herself. if she knows she's done something bad she'll go straight to one of her mamas in tears , offering up her stuffie or a favorite toy for them to take away as punishment. caitlyn and vi are very very gentle with her , careful to speak with her about her mistakes , having many conversations while she's not regressed about punishments. they're very adamant about never depriving her of her comforts no matter what she thinks she deserves , taking care to make sure she understands when she's genuinely done something versus when her brain is being mean to her. "it was just an accident , sweet thing. mummy's not angry with you , you're a good girl for letting me know."

maddie lying at vi's feet whenever possible because he always gives her the best head scratches. she'll bark and whine if he stops , nuzzling at his hand if he's fallen asleep and she wants more scratches or pets.

maddie's a very silly girl , always barking and babbling nonsense. both caitlyn and vi listen very attentively , nodding along to her nonsensical barks. vi letting out the occasional gasp : "is that right , nugget?" caitlyn can't help but smile when vi's little encouragements cause maddie to wag her tail , getting her all excited. caitlyn will keep her hand on maddie's back , giving her little pets and pats to keep her calm and her body safe. maddie is a big stimmer being autistic and sometimes if she gets overexcited she can hurt herself or someone else.

maddie is super fussy about being padded , she's really shy about it , getting really ashamed whenever she uses her diaps. she can get super bitey when it comes to diaper checks if she's trying to hide an accident or she'll hide away from caitlyn and vi. caitlyn is the only person she'll allow to change her and even that takes some convincing. she'll get weepy in the middle of it , she just feels so stupid and silly. caitlyn is so sweet and gentle with her though , giving her all the reassurance in the world and so many kisses. giving her a little pat on the bum when she's done , ruffling her hair. "that's better , isn't it silly girl?" maddie will growl in response but yes it is and she's very thankful for her mummy.

whenever maddie wants something she'll go to vi. her puppy eyes are lethal , vi can never say no she's just too cute !! caitlyn has more practice with them so she's a bit more immune but even she has to give in sometimes.

vi loves playing with maddie , she's always down to play fetch with her or let maddie indulge in a little tug of war with a toy. vi's never actually trying to keep something away from her it's all just for play but maddie's too little to know that. if vi's feeling extra silly he'll bark back at maddie. caitlyn rolls her eyes every time but fails to hide her grin and gives both her puppies head scratches.

maddie has her own bed but she never sleeps in it while regressed. she sleeps at her mamas' feet on their bed. they welcome her to come snuggle but usually she likes to sleep at their feet because it makes her feel even more like a puppy !! maddie's a little guard dog for her mamas ! if she's feeling suuper super baby though she'll nestle in between vi and caitlyn , curling up in a little ball with her back against vi's chest and head buried in caitlyn's. she's gotta be touching both mamas or else she'll get fussy , she's just a baby after all she's still working on the whole object permanence thing x p .

oh my gosh this really got me to yapping.... and i've so much more to say however it is now 3:17 in da morning and this has gotten quite long so i suppose this is long enough for one part. hjfksjjnsmk who let mrs. autism out of her cage... i hope these are coherent i've not proofread ε-(´・｀)

[prismatoxic]

cause I need to hear more of your sweet thoughts bout those two freaks, favorite laichil moments that have been stewing in the back of the mind?

oh gosh ummmmm

well now that episode 11 is out i am so very deeply fond of laios's visual pan from kensuke to chilchuck's dawning, rage-filled horror at what's happened

i think the swearing was better in the manga--not because the anime let him say actual words (bc i think that's awesome) but bc in the manga i thought they were still running while chilchuck was doing this. good visual

OF COURSE THE BEST EPISODE 11 CHILAIOS MOMENT... TO ME... is when chilchuck tells laios they're going to have a Talk later

the dub delivery kind of disappointed me (as it always does) BUT IN THE SUB the way laios immediately agrees is so very much, to me, a "yes sir" moment. and if you read my fic you know i'm very into this

i have a lot of little canon moments that i'm super fond of and am very excited to see in the anime... my faves are often when chilchuck is being a hostile little goblin but i'm so fucking excited about what i assume will be episode 13. you know. because

um

okay i have a lot of thoughts actually (MANGA SPOILERS I'M SERIOUS)

so. chapter 30.

chilchuck goes to get the party's supplies from where they were abandoned in the house they had dinner with falin at, having his own character arc along the way. we have seen him try to convince both leed and senshi that the smartest thing to do will be to lie to laios and marcille so they can return to the surface. trying to continue in this state will kill them, but neither of them will rest if they think they can still find falin. neither senshi nor leed agree with chilchuck's plan, and leed insinuates he's a coward. chilchuck stays firm. even after he's clearly pushed off kilter by leed saying he should just tell the truth, we don't have any concrete reason to think he will.

then they return and senshi is struggling to keep a now-awake laios down. laios is wounded and weak and senshi is a dwarf but laios is so deeply, fervently determined to get falin back that he's very hard to stop.

chilchuck, by contrast, is not strong at all, but somehow his added presence gets laios to sit back down. chilchuck rests a hand on laios's shoulder and even before he says anything, laios is looking at him. he knows something is coming. i think he resents chilchuck for it, too--the implication that there's anything to be said here.

we don't know at this point what chilchuck intends to say. senshi still thinks he wants to lie and intends to stop him, but i think it's clear in this moment that chilchuck has changed his mind.

he kneels--proud, all-too-aware of "how his people are treated for their size" chilchuck kneels between laios's legs. and i'm not pointing this out for horny reasons, for once.

he's bringing himself closer to laios--assuming a position associated with pleading and willingly making himself not the authority in this interaction. he believes, wholeheartedly, in what he wants to do and what needs to be said, but...

he also knows laios is hurting.

laios is... devastated. he's terrified. he's angry. but he's also still laios, and he knows chilchuck, insofar as chilchuck has allowed him to. he also respects chilchuck. so this--a teary-eyed plea to do what goes against everything he feels--gives him pause. chilchuck does not beg, and he does not cry.

...and he never talks about how he feels.

but he does, here: he doesn't want to lose his friends. and he does mean all of them, senshi included. he has three people to think of--three people whose lives he cannot in good conscience allow to be put at risk any more than they already have been. even so, he acknowledges that however laios feels about falin is probably incomparable.

but he tries to give laios hope--he gives him a plan of action. he says we will come back. he tries to impress upon laios that this isn't defeat and it isn't surrender, it's being safe. it's giving themselves an actual fighting chance at getting falin back.

laios doesn't want to... but he also doesn't say that. all the things he's feeling haven't gone away, but he's also aware of just how big this situation is if chilchuck opened himself up this way. chilchuck does not and never has done this. up until the fight with the red dragon, you could be forgiven for assuming chilchuck is just a contracted coworker who's a little fond of the party and nothing more.

senshi and leed, the only people who knew chilchuck's plan to lie to the others, don't openly acknowledge his change of heart... but they back him up. they pitch in to push laios just a little further, to get him to agree.

and it works.

so. um. episode 13 will be good i think

[strangerthingsfanworkrecs]

Artist Highlight: Talanashta

This week, we're highlighting @talanashta! All recs this week will be for their work. @talanashta writes, and makes graphic designs at @talanashta-graphics. If you want to see all their work, check out their website! (which they also designed and maintains) We're highlighting Talanashta for their incredible Stobin dynamic.

We strongly recommend checking out their UnderTale crossover fic -- Fallen Down, which they also did a bunch of fantastic graphics work for. Talanashta answered some questions about their creative process and their work under the cut

Why Stranger Things?

I had read a few Stranger Things fics way back when the show first came out and knew a bit about the show, but at the time I hadn't been drawn in. (This was immediately post-season 1.) But then as the show continued, and Steve became a bigger part of it, and Robin was introduced, I got sucked in fast. I love both of them so much!

What's your favorite ship (platonic or romantic) to create for?

Stobin. They are my OTOTP, above any other pairing in any other fandom, and I'd like to think that comes through in my works. I have so many emotions about these two, it's ridiculous. Pretty much if I've got both Steve and Robin in one of my fics, that's it; they're the main focus.

What's your typical writing process like?

I have a bit of a hodgepodge of styles. It really depends on if I have a plan in mind or not. Sometimes I'll write with a super detailed outline and stick to it, but most of my works I just go with the flow and write where my creativity takes me. If you ask anyone, though, I'm a notes person. Any of my fics that involve actual planning end up with pages upon pages of notes.

What got you started on making graphics?

For the things for my site, I just wasn't finding resources out there that were what I wanted, so I started making my own. Plus I wanted my accounts to have my own creative touch on them, instead of someone else's.

What's your typical designing process like?

Vibes. 100%. I have a couple styles I like, so I pick a theme or color scheme and just build on those. Like for my seasonal stuff, I'm just like "What's Halloween-y? Pumpkins? Toss some of those in there then!" I use Canva (the free version) for making most of my graphics, but I use Krita for anything Canva can't do.

What has been your favorite project so far? Why?

Fallen Down is for sure my favorite. It's very fun to see these two familiar characters going through a very new situation like this, interacting with other characters I love. It's got a bit of mystery, some adventure, friendship, the works. I also have a very loyal fan of the story who leaves me very detailed comments that always make my day!

What has been your hardest project so far? Why?

Kinktober. I've been doing creative writing for over 15 years now, but I only recently dipped my toe into occasionally writing smut, and boy, did I struggle with it. It's like any skill, and I just didn't/don't have a lot of practice. I ended up only filling a few prompts for it and called it good.

Have you ever had a creative block? How did you get over it?

I don't have too many issues with that, in general. I feel I'm a pretty creative person. Over the years, though, I've learned a few tips to help when I come across a stumbling block. If the story isn't flowing, I go back a few paragraphs and try again. Usually, the direction I'd been taking the story in just wasn't the right one, so I don't force it.

Is there a big source of inspiration for you? Books? Art? Games?

Stranger Things isn't my only fandom, so some of my inspiration comes from what's going on in other fandoms. I read a lot of fanfiction if I'm being honest, and that shapes a lot of my ideas.

Is there an upcoming project you're particularly excited about?

My Eddie Munson Big Bang fic! I don't want to spoil anything, but it follows middle-school Eddie just after he moves in with Wayne. In the fic, their neighbor at the trailer park owns a dog. It's a very "horse girl" fic, with Eddie and this dog and their developing friendship. It's got some angst, but it works towards a lot of positive feelings and a happy ending.

Is there anything we didn't ask that you'd like to add?

If anyone out there reading this ever wants to talk about any of the things I've put out there (my site/coding, my fics, my art) or ask more questions, feel free to DM me! I'm always happy to chat.

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 26th May ✨

None of the audio dramas I’ve been listening to have pulled punches this week. My head’s a mess! 

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E10.5) I was nearly crying within the first 30 seconds of Stephen’s message. God, how beautiful!! And what a heart-wrenching reply. It makes me so happy that they both have a place they feel like they belong but I don’t know where they’re going to decide to settle when they are FINALLY reunited. I have not forgotten Leo’s most recent bit of research though …. Them sharing a space might make them cat 2 or lower ☹️ what if they're reunited only to find they can no longer interact?! What if there were three super driven, smart and talented people working on this problem together? . . . and what if two of them kissed?? 

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (153) How is Valerie finally making a smart motherly decision (clearly spending time with Dr McGowan is good for her) and the smart decision is Lady fucking Ethel fucking Mallory??? I am BEYOND excited to find out what she’s been up to. I also love these Buck Silver scenes so much, I could listen to a whole show just about them, but the beauty of the Hallowoods is getting all that and more! 

Also, what the fuck, Voltaire? I think this has to count as one of the scariest scenes so far… right? I feel like I need to relisten to work out if Voltaire could be the Instr2mentalist from the timing of the killings. Vincent and Voltaire’s relationship has got me wanting to read In The Dreamhouse again.

🤴InCo by @itmeblog (S3E38-39) eek secret ambassador ships!! I wish Nova hadn’t disappeared so she could hear about this!! 

🖥️ The Magnus Protocol (17) hmmm, Celia you are a duplicitous one… I don’t know what’s going on with you but it makes me like you even more. 

🍎 @notquitedeadpod (XXXIX) OH NO. OH what a NASTY decision to have to make!!!!!!! POOR ALFIE. I think he made the right choice but STILL. GOD. Who just . . . has a vampire bear trap ready to go?? 

🧋 I finished part one of @hinaypod season one and what a treat! I love arcs where characters come into their power and Ashvin’s story is no different!! As much as I like him and Murphy together, Donner clearly tying himself in knots about it (and how much he cares for Mari also) is just - ugh. Put it in an IV. I’m really excited to see how the story progresses! 

I'm a little excited and a little scared for the TNT episode this week because it features yours truly as a little ghostie!! 👻 I'm trying to be cool about it but I also missed Travelling Light so so much this week so looking forward to that, whenever it might arrive! 🚀 

[pikagatogirltits]

Magic the Gathering x Marvel Set Speculation: Creature Types

I'm pretty excited for the upcoming Universes Beyond Marvel set. I've already made one post where I just rambled about random bits of speculation I had about the set, but I've still been rotating some ideas in my head and I've decided to do a focused dive on a subject I love to think about: creature types. I'm gonna break this up into three sections to try and give it a little structure but it'll probably be a bit rambly within each section. The first two sections (Species/Races and Classes) will focus more on broad strokes that take into consideration both legendary and nonlegendary creatures...I'm not going to try and guess every possible type random legends might have. The third section will be more for me to speculate on specific characters that I think might have especially interesting types. I'll repeat some of my thoughts on creature types from my other post here too so they're all in one place.

Species/Races

Existing creature types I expect to see the most of are Human (obviously), Mutant, Alien, and Robot...

I don't really think any of the various species of aliens really need their own creature type... they can all happily chill under the Alien umbrella

For IP reasons I expect Mutant to solely be used for characters with the X-gene...a lot of other characters that are "mutates" by Marvel terminology will probably just be typed as Human, with a few other exceptions...

Honestly, I think the Marvel sets might only need to make two IP specific creature types: Inhuman and some kind of catch-all for all the various gamma mutates (Hulk and related characters)

The Inhumans are enough their own thing within the context of Marvel that I don't think they really fit in with any existing creature type

Hulk and the other gamma mutates (She-Hulk, Red Hulk, Abomination, etc.) also don't cleanly fit into an existing type...kind of. In a vacuum, I would probably use Mutant for them...but like I said earlier, Mutant is probably going to be reserved for X-gene related characters. I don't really have a super solid idea of what to use though. You might be able to get away with just using Hulk as the creature type, as a lot of these characters have Hulk in their name, but I don't know if it's actually the best choice.

You could maybe introduce a Mutate creature type to handle the Hulks and certain other characters, but I feel like there would be a legitimate concern over its similarity to Mutant, especially in a set where I think there's a decent chance of Mutant typal being a theme.

There's one other IP specific type I could see them making: Asgardian. Personally I think it's unnecessary, Thor and related characters could just as easily be given the God type instead of making a new one, but that might depend on what Marvel wants.

Speaking of the more magical/supernatural side of Marvel, while I don't expect to see them in as high of a quantity as the four I mentioned at the top it should be noted that we could possibly see a non-zero number of Vampire, Elf, Dwarf, Troll, Giant, Demon and/or Devil, and Spirit creatures.

Oh, and between the Savage Lands and also characters like Sauron, Old Lace and Devil Dinosaur I think there's a good chance we can expect at least a few Dinosaurs

Classes

Now I've seen some speculation on the idea of using Hero and Villain as class types in this set but personally I really hope they don't. First, it will reduce that backwards compatibility of the set, which is something WotC thinks about with the popularity of eternal formats. Captain America will interact with more cards as a Human Soldier than as a Human Hero. Second it just looks monotonous, especially in conjunction with how many Humans we'll be getting. What's a better set of creature types for Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye: Human Soldier, Human Rogue, Human Archer or Human Hero, Human Hero, Human Hero?

So setting aside the types I don't think we'll see, how about the ones I think are likely? I think some types we could see multiple of are Soldier, Warrior, Rogue, Scientist, Detective, Assassin...and maybe Ninja, Pilot, and Wizard and Warlock as well.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Citizen make a comeback just so we can get cards that represent civilian characters without just typing them as Human... although I could see Advisor getting some use here too for characters who are lawyers, journalists, or politicians.

Specific Character Speculations

A slight aside at the beginning of this section: if there is a set that really could benefit from finding some way to make the Legendary supertype not eat up so much space on the typeline, it's this set

Also, me listing a character here doesn't mean I think they're 100% certain to get a card, I'm kind of just idly speculating about characters that could have some unusual types.

Rocket Raccoon: I've heard a couple of different stories of Rocket's origin but apparently the (current) comic canon is that he's an earth raccoon that was abducted and genetically enhanced by aliens so I think Raccoon Rogue would be a good fit

Groot: I could see them using Treefolk, Alien Treefolk, or Alien Plant for Groot. Small aside, but I really hope there's at least one card with the flavor text "I am Groot."

Blade: Warrior is a likely choice for a class type, but the real question is how they'll represent him being a dhampir. Human Vampire seems like an obvious pick but Legendary Creature - Human Vampire Warrior is probably going to really push the character limits of the type line. Depending on what aspects of him they want to emphasize I could easily see them dropping his class type if they really want to emphasize his dhampir nature and just type him as Human Vampire...but if they don't want to skip a class type they could decide that Vampire Warrior works and just not bother differentiating him from full vampires.

Ghost Rider: Is Ghost Rider fully skeletal? I could easily see Skeleton Pilot or Skeleton Warrior depending on if they want to emphasize him as a motorcycle rider or a badass fighter...maybe even Skeleton Rogue

The Thing: How non-human do you have to look before you stop counting as Human for creature type reasons? According to the Marvel wiki he's considered a human mutate so technically he could still be a Human... but I could just as easily see them making him an Elemental just to add some variety to the creature types in the set. As for a class you could get clever and make him a Pilot because that's what he originally was, but I don't really see a The Thing card caring about Vehicles so I think Warrior is the best call.

The Lizard: The best possible creature type for him would possibly be Human Lizard Scientist but that might have space issues...but honestly Lizard Scientist is novel enough I wouldn't complain.

Venom/Carnage/other symbiotes: This is less a speculation about their creature type (Alien would probably suffice) but a different typing adjacent question... I wonder if we could justify making them Enchantment Creatures with Bestow to represent other characters wearing them.

Namor: Oh dang, I forgot Marvel had Atlanteans. If we wanted to maximize backwards compatibility I could try and argue we could lump them under Merfolk... but honestly they could also make Atlantean its own type and future proof themselves for other IP that feature inhabitants of Atlantis that are a separate species from humans (like a Universes Beyond: DC for example.) Oh, and Noble would be his class.

You know, I could go on and on trying to guess random characters' creature types so I'm gonna cut myself off here. Maybe one of these days if I get sufficiently bored I'll add onto this post. If anyone else has some ideas for fun Marvel creature types or wants to debate my ideas don't be afraid to add on a reblog or comment. I'd love to talk about this kind of stuff.

[sussysatann]

MY THOUGHTS - HALLOWEEN EVENT: SPECTRAL SOIREE

[Spoilers for a Twisted Halloween: Spectral Soiree under the cut!!]

OKAY, SO...

I started playing TWST around February/March time this year, so I haven't been able to play the first Halloween event from last year. Though I'm missing context from what happened in the previous event, I still enjoyed playing through the story. There were some good moments during the story and really seemed like the stakes were high, but I can't help feel that the ending diminished that and left me feeling unsure. The ending twistune was super cute! It was nice seeing everyone come together and I did find the ending humorous, but also wished it had leaned into those high stakes more and have actual consequences for it?

I haven't seen many people posting about this event. I thought there'd be more posts about it since it's a new second part - I didn't realise until much later on that the EN server already had the event later last year. Why would they re-release it in August?? It's such a strange choice, but I've seen many people theorize they did it to prepare for the Masquerade event, which might be next (I will scream if it is i have been SO EXCITED to play this!!) and will hopefully happen either in September or October. We will have to wait and see...

Anyways,

Short story short, I liked the event. The never-ending Halloween concept was super cool and the ghost fights and possessions really upped the stakes, making for a really suspenseful and fun story. There were several memorable moments throughout, one of my favourites being when Leona and Ace were trying to get Floyd to not touch a possible dangerous artifact and Ace questioning Leona's entire party boat story afterwards. I really loved the group pairings in the spectral realm, it was so nice to see the different dynamics and interactions they had with one another. Riddle, Ruggie and Ortho's conversations about adventures and puzzles were so sweet!

Speaking of puzzles and escape rooms...

I can't help but feel a little bit pissed off at Lilia and Malleus for putting them through all this. But then again, they didn't know what was going down behind the scenes and weren't informed of the ghost fights, so they're not entirely in the wrong for that.

But they DID make it incredibly cryptic in the worst way possible, to the point where even the teachers were concerned. Students vanishing into thin air, appearing to be kidnapped, is not something that'll get taken lightly. Especially when Lilia was yelling outside Silver's dorm, seemingly getting kidnapped too. That really must've fucked him up, especially since no-one else heard him scream. I felt so sorry for him - he genuinely thought his father was in danger the entire time, only to find out he was helping Malleus host a grand party for the ghosts. Obviously I'm glad they ended up being okay but MAN that wasn't fair on him. Sebek as well - they both thought Lilia and Malleus were in peril and were so genuinely distraught over the whole situation, it made me pretty annoyed that they didn't think through Silver and Sebek's reaction to something like this.

On the one hand, it was the ghosts' fault for fighting and possessing students. On the other hand, Malleus and Lilia are also to blame for the setup of the 'prank'. And on the other other hand it was also technically the students' fault for fighting the ghosts in the first place, but when you're put into such a seemingly dangerous and unpredictable situation, you go straight into fight or flight mode. I don't blame them for reacting the way they did.

That aside, I also kinda wished that the event was actually that dangerous, that Lilia and Malleus really WERE possessed. Imagine if there was an actual boss fight. An actual enemy. Someone who genuinely DID want an eternal Halloween, and needed the mirror shards to create a mirror portal to the human realm and take over even more bodies of the living. A ghost uprising if you will.

Imagine the teachers and the few survivors having to fight off an entire army of possessed students with a genuine intent to harm.

Imagine Malleus and Lilia being genuine threats and holding the prefect and Grim captive while everyone is trying to fight back without overblotting.

...That might be a little overkill.

BUT.

It would've been interesting to see actual consequences arise from this. I can especially imagine the prefect being really affected by the Spectral Realm.

They're already in a world that's not their own, so being thrown into that world's literal afterlife would really mess them up - whether emotionally or maybe even physically. Maybe they get really sick once they get back, maybe they were (unknowingly?) on the verge of disappearing permanently. Maybe that's why they were so worried about joining Malleus and Lilia. Because they were scared of what could happen to them, Grim not really understanding that. I love that Ace was so concerned about them both, he really is a great friend and I kinda wished these concerns were brought up a bit more.

Anyways, if you've made it this far thank you for reading!!

Feel free to add on to this, I'd love to know your thoughts and opinions! ♡

[70yearoldmanpussy]

Hey so this is my proship sideblog where I can be a little weirdo perv. Not going to publically share my main because I'm followed by too many antis on there but if you're my mutual on here and want to know then I can send it to you. Also don't wanna share my real name on here because it's not a common one, plus the fact that I'm into very specific things and characters could easily identify me and that's the last thing I want, so just call me by my username.

I don't think I'm ever gonna post explicitly NSFW content here because I simply don't feel comfortable doing so, but I will say sexually suggestive things and I won't stray away from it, neither will I censor myself when talking about it. It's not gonna be anything super intense or horrifying because I'm still new and nervous about this stuff, but I still advise to interact only if you're sure you can handle what you'll see. Make your own judgement

Anyway time for the fun stuff. When it comes to media I'm into RE4 remake the most right now but besides that when it comes to toxic ships I just use my OCs (don't get excited they're just for my own SICK enjoyment and aren't meant to be super fleshed out.) I like dadson (particularly and especially when the son isn't an adult and both of them are trans), age gap (in general not just child x adult, 40-50 year difference is the good shit), daddaughter (under some specific circumstances, they also both have to be trans or at least the dad does for me to care), and toxic/abusive relationships are good too but not by itself, it's not the main dish for me it's like the additional spice on top to enhance it. Not really into lesbian stuff or momson at all sadly, it just does nothing for me

I don't want this blog to be treated as a big deal or for it to become one, it's just to have fun and that's it. This account is mine therefore I'm gonna post what I want on it. I'm tired of having to hide the fact that I'm a proshipper when being proship used to be the norm for fandoms, and I really want nothing more than for it to become the norm again because this discourse only spawns bad things. As respectfully as possible, if something you see online grosses you out, look away.

[naniskys]

hi!!!! gmmtv part 2 is happening soon so i wanted to ask you a few questions :)

what kind of shows are you expecting?? what kind of shows so you want to see??? which couples do you want to get a show and which couple do you think will get one??? is there anything you don’t want to see at all???

<3

sorry anon this has been sitting in my inbox for over a month, but it's gmmtv24 p2 eve so i'm finally getting around to answering it :)

ngl i haven't been super up to date on gmmtv stuff lately + a lot of my favourite actors aren't in the lineup which is kinda sad :(

NEVERTHELESS, let us proceed with the fun stuff hehehe

Predictions

Based off what artists have leaked + reddit detectives + my general delusions: (first 5 with asterisks are ones i'm extra excited for!!! :D)

**firstkhao mafia romcom directed by p'jojo - fk have a series confirmed by khao himself, and all their interactions with p'jojo ever since that first sus ig story makes this one almost 100% confirmed for me (maybe not all the details exactly, but fk with p'jojo at the very least).

**estwilliam cp debut - ALL THE DETECTIVE WORK HAS CONVINCED ME, after greatinn and thorfluke were successfully sussed out before part 1, i have faith that this is gonna come true too 🙏

**KRISTSINGTO COMEBACK - YOU DON'T JUST BRING BACK SINGTO WITHOUT EVERYONE CALLING FOR THIS and there's nothing gmmtv loves more than the big bucks so we all know this is happening 😌

**bounprem's vampire project reannounced (possibly with a new trailer) - i think this one's a given and probably why bp will be there. i'm not sure how long this whole sws gmmtv overhaul has been in the works for, so i dont know whether they'd have filmed a new trailer or not, but i'm expecting some more gmmtv artists to be added to the cast as well.

**new perthchimon bl - i hate myself for not staying up to date enough on perthchimon news lately😭 but i swear someone somewhere strongly hinted at it ???

new joongdunk bl (more adult setting??) - again, i swear i saw someone somewhere confirming/hinting at this, but idk

At least 1 more gl announced - 23.5 is going pretty well and i think they're gonna keep trying it out (emibonnie? viewjune? janjane?)

lego lykn's acting debut + mark pakin main role - As confirmed by the people themselves in livestreams (just grouping them together for shits and giggles lol) also leads me to think some of the other lykn members might dip into acting? 👀

gemini in a het series (with prim or a newbie) - definitely expecting non-bl works for both gemini and fourth, and i've been seeing stuff about geminiprim?? 👀

Wishlist

perthchimon non-school bl directed by p'aof - i will happily take them in whatever capacity we get but i'd love to see them with p'aof in a more mature setting + with a solid good plot

perth in a bl with a different cp partner - i love perthchimon and i love dangerous romance with all my heart, but i also love mixing and matching all the blorbos and i'd love to see perth opposite some others (gmmtv would give us ohmperth if they weren't cowards)

more plot-heavy bls where romance isn't necessarily the main thing - i want to see some less tropey works, where the non-romance plot is more the main focus of the the show

midnight museums s2 - this is not in a million years happening, but a girl can dream 😭😭

dark romance/something more gritty - honestly thing gmmtv does best with their lighter shows, which is why i think it'd be interesting to see them branch out a bit more

another bounprem bl 🤪 - this probably wouldn't have even happened before the gmmtv switch, and don't think it's gonna happen now, but bp are my day 1s and i'm always gonna root for them, solo or together 🥹🥹💞

sports bl !!!! - i've been on a sports drama kick lately, and gmmtv has plenty of sporty people, so make it happen!!

a proper enemies to lovers bl (WITHOUT a childhood meeting reveal) - i need them to truly DESPISE each other's guts before they get together

heartliming spinoff 🫡 - geminifourth's best work imo and i don't think anything will ever beat it for me <3 it would make for such a good show if it's executed well (i have full faith in gem4th and p'aof), it's been too long now, but i would actually die if this happened

a platonic friendship-based show - i just wanna see a really good friendship group (which we can make gay in the headcanons anyway lol) and put them in situations, whether it be crime fighting, trouble making or anything in between honestly

be gay do crime - need i say more? (why are half of my wishes lowkey the same thing reworded 💀)

I think that's all i have in mind (for now). Happy gmmtv24 part 2 everyone !!!! <33

[honestmouse20]

I am Back from vacation! Thought on new ninjago season under the cut :)

First off, I just wanna say that I watched it at 6am in my hotel room with headphones while my friend slept next to me lol. So I watched it all again yesterday too. Turns out I'd missed a Lot.

I really loved the pacing in this! Each character to me felt like they all had something to do and it all went towards the plot. Wildfyre learned to slow down and let herself heal, Kai and Nya both learned the paitence and tecnique to do Rising Dragon. Lloyd OFC got a Lot to do with his visions and panic attacks! I really liked how they handled his mental health in this one. Cole being back didn't feel forced! he was there bc Bonzal was essential to Ras' plan. Sora got a ton of development and I do wonder if they'll have her learn spinjitzu in part 2. And of course, Arin. Boy is Going Through it. It's a nice parallel to Lloyd also having a rough time. While Lloyd is haunted by possible futures, Arin is terrified of not being Good Enough to contribute to the team Or to make his parents proud.

This post would be hella long if i rambled about everything i loved in this season But I wanna highlight Some of my favs!

Cole and Geo Constantly holding hands and leaning on eachother (and geo's flashback to s1 being changed so they're holidng hands More)

Bonzle's whole arc and how she's a person now! Hella trans implications and also just a really sweet story when they show that she Does have agency and her creator Does recongnize and care for her

Sora and Arin's dymanic continues to be Really Good! I like how the initial excitement for being a ninja has worn off and they're starting to struggle.

Speaking of Arin, I stg that scene of him and Ras fighitng in the last couple episodes makes me think we're gonna get a dark Arin arc. Maybe he won't Stay evil (I don't want him to be a villan but they Could go that way if they want) but seeing Lloyd's reaction to his student turning sides would be very angsty and Very good

Also Lloyd in this was So good! Even tho he's trying very hard to be a Master and the keeper of the monastary, he's struggling and these visions are only making it harder on him. I'm sure we havn't seen the end of these visions and I'm sorta hoping they'll come to some big breaking point for him in part 2. Where he'll have to drag himself back up and Never Quit despite everything falling apart just like the visions said it would

Once again this show made me like kai again lol. HIs relationship with Nya and Wildfyre is So good and you really can see the similarities in how he interacts with them!

lloyd's power confirmed to be life????

why is no one talking abobut that ? did i read it wrong???

Onto some things i didn't Quite like but definatly didn't hate!

Ras' master is like 90 percent gonna be the Overlord. I'm aprehensive on this bc he's not really my favorite villan. Plus like he was Just the villan in crystalized so i feel like it's too soon for him to come back. once again gonna give this show the benefit of the doubt bc they've done a lto of stuff Really Really well. I'm just sorta hoping it's Not the overlord. Plus the powers were golden and that's Not the overlord's colors

what is timeline?????

i thought the shorts were two years after s1 and that s2 was gonna be between the shorts and s1???? but now the shorts are at the Beginning of the season and ryu is a teenage dragon? how long has passed? If it's been a couple years since season 1, it's a little less believable that arin and sora havn't progressed much fruther in their training. also no one Acts like it's been years?? But if it's Not a couple of years and Ryu just Grew up like that it's still a bit iffy. Ik they probably won't tell us exact times but I hope it's implied or Something bc im hella confused

so, tldr: This half of the season was Fantastic! From the animation being Incredible and the relationships between the characters being super interesting and realistic, this season was a ride from start to finish! I'm excited, and a bit scared, to see what part 2 brings!

[mochiwrites]

Mochi I am currently trying to digest the fics/drabbles you posted right now and I am just.. they're so good I'm so excited for the parrot coven au but also the last life au is so full of confusion(for the characters I mean) I will have them rotting in my brain for a long while now

The LL au wip/fic already has enough context for both Scar and Grian that us the readers knows what exactly is going on but we also get that they dont and it just makes me hng I WANT THEM TO TALK ABOUT IT SO BAD I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY. THEY ARE SO CONFUSED ABOUT EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW I JUST !!!!

Then the drabble is already very intriguing since we dont know what happened and what will happen soon, and that is so intriguing I need to see more of what happens.. so much surrounding in mystery right now ehehe also I love the peak into how they acted around each other at first. First impression are always interesting to me (also when we know more of the au I will look back on the drabble and grip my hair saying "oh my god")

for now though I'm just.. digesting what I just read.. thinking so hard..

overall I loove your writing and as always, I'm so excited where it goes (also if your last life au continues I will not be complaining!)

-🎵

:D !!!!!!!!

the last life wip has me feeling Sooooo normal I??? there's just something about third life grian being dropped right in the middle of last life right after killing his scar... he's a total mess of complicated feelings and then he's in another death game and he's being forced to find his footing on such short notice (and don't even get me started on 3rd!grian with the southlands and mumbo....)

but grian and scar are so confused about one another at I've got a few ideas that I look forward to writing, specifically last life!scar dealing with a guilt ridden third life!grian while also accepting his companionship and feelings and AUGH!!!!

and the parrot coven I'm so !!!!! exploring their early relationship is super exciting especially since we know where the three of them are going to end up at the end. their first interaction is really fun too -- I'm planning on playing around with their first meeting and I definitely want to expand on that drabble in a bigger fic >:3c

but ueueueue ty!!!! I'm absolutely looking forward to working on both aus more :D

[variousqueerthings]

I mean, yes, there's a lot of nostalgia to the 60th anniversary, but I think people will conflate that with "automatically a bit shit" because a lot of nostalgia Stuff isn't that great after a glut of lazy nostalgia-based media over the last x amount of time, but that assumes that it was bad because of it being nostalgic, and not because it was irony-poisoned, self-conscious, and unwilling to interact with the changing times and therefore a poor copy of the said thing it was being nostalgic about, rather than continuing a story. the familiar phrase by now of "all nostalgia, no sincerity"

when I'm not a fan of what one might call "nostalgia"-stories, it's not because referring to the past is automatically bad writing, it's because the writing is stale and really often it's because it reveals that whoever made the new thing definitely didn't get the same out of the classic thing that I did, and at the same time is patting themself on the back for idk. something. doing the same thing again, only this time around worse (often it's that surface level interaction with tropes, rather than themes that outs them -- and yeah, that's in the trailer, but specifically the trailer is giving very little away, so knowing they're hooking people in with a bit of allons-y or the slap or donna being sassy, while keeping the things I'm really excited about a bit more mysterious, I mean... that just makes sense?? Yeah, I recognise the callbacks, but the really important things aren't being revealed yet, like the inverse of terrible movies that show all their biggest set-pieces in the trailer, because that's all they have to offer)

and I don't see people pre-judging the potential 60th on those criteria, just on the word "nostalgia." I mean, obviously we can say this might be bad, but it's sort of a nothing-statement, and it seems kind of unfair to say that rtd would do this, when he's not done that before, specifically on a show that is super nostalgic to begin with (that is, the longest-running scifi show of all time), of which rtd was a massive fucking nerd

I assume because it's three specials with dtennant and catherine tate, but also yeah, why the hell not be nostalgic both about classic!who and the series that you created that rebooted the show (the answer is "because ten isn't the only doctor that matters," and personally, again, rtd being a massive fucking nerd, feels a bit like putting words in the man's mouth that he's never said, specifically about a show that he's super nerdy about)

feels like people are putting the stance out there that they're ready to hate it and then they can always go, "oh it was surprisingly good, actually," in case it is good, rather than be just excited going in and risk disappointment, but it's a bit boring to be honest

tempering excitement is all well and good, until it makes you the irony-poisoned one, where all nostalgia is kind of stupid really, you don't even care that much, and you know this is going to be shit, and actually looking back rtd was never good if you think about it, and ten is overrated, and david tennant isn't even a good actor actually, and catherine tate was just a shitty comedian, and you've preemptively decided to refuse to enjoy yourself

it's an anniversary, that's when the nostalgia comes out, and has done since the 10th anniversary in (checks notes) 1972!

[justagalwhowrites]

AHHH !!! I just finished chapter 11 for Lavender, and I can't wait to see readers interactions with the other characters from the show, and i have a few questions about the series..

How far do you plan on taking the series, based off of the show/games?

Do you plan on killing off Andrew or leaving him behind in the QZ?

If you are, is there a specific reason why?

Do you plan on having more series with Joel?

i hope these questions aren't too difficult and/or spoil too much about the series.. i'm just super excited and i have so many theories

i love your work ! it's some of the best writing i have seen in a long time, i'm literally in love with your series Lavender and Beskar Doll, they're both too good 🥇🫶

OMG hi bestie!

SPOILERS FOR LAVENDER BELOW

I tried to avoid making anything too spoilery but warning anyway!

1) This will run through Season 1 of the HBO show at least! I know fuck all about the games lol. Once we get closer to that point I may look into either a) extending with one shots or b) making this ending different enough that TLOU II wouldn’t happen. BUT we are going to get a “Joel on a rampage through the hospital” scene!

2/3) Andrew will live! He’s staying behind in the QZ. His life is going to be a bit of “what could have been” for Doc had she prioritized different things. Andrew has a few big plot points left (mostly good, one bad) and his relationship toward Joel is going to be a bit of a moving target. Once they settle in Jackson, Doc is going to want Andrew to come there but I doubt she would ask because the journey is so rough.

4) I probably will eventually! I’m definitely going to have a one shot AU with this series where the outbreak doesn’t happen and Joel and Reader have dinner. I don’t have an idea to explore with Joel otherwise at the moment but I’m sure I’ll come up with one once I obsess over the character enough lmfao! I’m a very character driven writer so if I can think up a great character to throw in the mix with Joel and see what happens, I will. Right now, I have a plan for another Mando series with a very different FMC (grumpy/sunshine vibes) and potentially a rivals to friends to lovers with Javier Peña once these are done. I’m also waffling on sharing a few chapters of a novel with all OC to get thoughts from folks as I consider querying and whatnot, so that may pop up here, too.

Thank you so much for reading my fics! It means so much to me that you enjoy them and are excited about where they’re headed!!! Love you!!!!!

[kquil]

HI POOKIE~~~

It’s okay, I’m glad you’re back on track now woohoo! The cold is hitting here, I’m unsure how cold it is where you are but make sure to stay warm and eat meals that build up your immune system! Oh—moisturise yourself too! ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

I’ll make sure to show more of my geeky side hehehehe (๑>◡<๑) the least I can do is show my appreciation towards your work. I know I can count on your for domestic fluff and I’ll surely tweak when the babies are teenagers, rest assured  (⸝⸝> ᴗ•⸝⸝) 

HAHAHAHAHA! Good to know I’m not alone laughing maniacally. And I’m glad with what you’re doing with Mr Dumbles, war made him make some crazy decisions that I don’t necessarily agree with—I think he could have done so much better, but alas! War makes you desperate. Nevertheless, we have reader to change the outcome ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

OH EM GEE~ the motherly golden trio!!! I think my frontal lobe just developed. I am so excited just hearing about it!!! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

I’m so glad I plucked up the courage to write in your inbox, you’re honestly the first author I’ve interacted with this way—you make it easy to talk to you ( > 〰 < )♡

here is me giving kissy: 

(˶ ˘ ³˘)ˆᵕ ˆ˶) !!

Can’t wait for the blacks and Damocles + Ruth’s family friends era

I will definitely give my random theories or whatever comes to my mind mwahahahaha

-

OF COURSE ITS THE LEAST I CAN DO AHHHHH!!!! *faints cause you called me a darling again*

I yap a lot but I love talking to you so I hope you don’t mind me constantly going back and forth to reply to your responses 

ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )

NOT YOU CALLING ME A TREAT AGAIN *faints* hehe thank you, I love these emojis too! YOURE CUTER!!! And thank you for cheering me on (づ> v <)づ♡

I’ll do my best to send the resources soon! I usually use social media to keep myself updated mainly Instagram and TikTok sometimes. 

*faints cause you called me your friend*

-

I have yet to read the new chapter, I read the preview though! So, I’m very excited to read it once I get free hehehe

I also saw a new sirius fic you posted, I’ll probably be reading that first since it’s short mwahahaahah

I saw the tag games you played, you look so cute in one of the slasher smth au!! I think you’d be pretty useful especially with how naturally comforting you are, people need that everywhere. If we don’t have emotional/mental support we’d all collapse in such a state. Idk you personally so besides this I can’t comment much on how you’d be “useful” haha.

-🌸

my darling! hello again! i missed you so much!

awww~ thank you for always thinking of me, it has gotten quite cold where i am so i'm staying cosy and warm always, i hope you are too now that the cold is hitting you; the two of us will be devouring all the soups and hot chocolate hehe~ (✿˶◕‿◕˶人◕ᴗ◕✿) 

you're always such a sweetheart, what did i do to deserve you?! thank you thank you thank you, i can't say it enough ( ˶˘ ³˘(⋆❛ ہ ❛⋆)!♡

don't worry, no traumatising war is happening yet so Dumbles is safe to be around, but our reader isn't taking any risks, not when it comes to our babies, yes ma'am!

your frontal lobe just developed from that?! haha! you're so silly but yes! the motherly golden trio are going to be a force to be reckoned with! unstoppable! ᕙ( ᗒᗣᗕ )ᕗ

oh goodness, really? you know, you aren't the only one who's happy you came into my ask box, you're such a sweet person and i adore talking to you no matter if it's about my writing or not, you're just that wonderful to talk to -- conversations go both ways, my love (⸝⸝> ᴗ•⸝⸝) i'm only matching your lovely energy

i adore all the kissies and happily reciprocate! ( ˶˘ ³˘(ˊᗜˋ*)!♡

bahaha! you're so silly! (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑) imma catch you! yoink! (づ。◕‿◕。)づ

i don't mind at all, i love seeing you in my inbox! please write in my inbox as much as you want, my darling (。>\\<)♡

lol i'm happy to have introduced you to these emojis, they're super cute and add the perfect touch to messages -- i love seeing you use them because your words become so much more animated to me -- please take your time with the resources, i don't want you to feel rushed, you come first, always especially because, yes, you're my beautiful friend now and there's nothing you can do about it!

take your time, my darling! my writing isn't going anywhere and i'd much prefer that you lovelies take your time with reading the updates than rushing to read it and not being able to enjoy it as much

hehe~ enjoy biker boy sirius, he deserves all the love (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)  and those tag games, i'm really spoiled being included in so many, it's a shame i barely have much free time recently to participate but they're always fun to do -- and that's super sweet of you to say, from our interactions, i can confidently say that same about you! you speak to me beyond my writing and it shows just how considerate you are, in your words, we need people like you everywhere too and aren't i lucky to be friends with such a person? hehe~ (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)♡

[syrupspinner]

i didnt beat Affogato

they keep calling this magenta-haired lady a bleeding heart

so this games premise is that you're a witch that runs a coffee shop. don't worry it's not cozy. instead you go into people's mind palace and play a reverse tower defense game (tower assault?). I think this is done really well, especially considering how novel it is. the difficulty pacing is a bit spotty (more on that later), but I think it provides a decent challenge overall, especially by the halfway point. I am a little complacent with my cards, though. the game encourages you to switch up your loadout by introducing new cards that synergize really well with certain approaches, like the moon-sun-high priestess[!] deck where you shuffle your cards in and out. but once I fully leveled up some bread-and-butter cards like strength and the world there aren't a lot of combos that don't work well. but hey, that's a good thing! level up and approach with your favorite units instead of relying on the predetermined winning combo. I always value build freedom in an RPG, and this does really well. also, the gameplay itself is just so unique and interesting.

the first thing you'll probably notice about this game is the persona inspiration. you spend time progressing visual novel side stories (with an in game calender) with the NPCs to power up your tarot based rpg minions. personally, I'm one of those people that are super invested in the persona series, but I've mostly experienced it through letsplays and longplays and that kinda thing. the furthest I got was in 4, and that was pretty underwhelming, but I digress. I'm not sure how well this was implemented... I didn't finish any of them until the endgame, and this seemed pretty in line with how the difficulty progressed, but that means I didn't really get a chance to play around with the units you get as a reward. that said, the stories are all still really well written! natalie's felt a bit meandering in the beginning, but most of them felt really directed as fun little side stories that fit the theme of a devil mystery. also, the grand plot with Sera's whole demon shards thing is great, love the episodic nature where you meet new characters and it sets up new gimmicks for the rpg gameplay, great stuff. the dialog can be a little... meh at times, but I found it charming a good 70% of the time, which is a passing grade last I checked

the third genre this game employes, beside visual novel and reverse-tower-defense-rpg is... coffee minigame. honestly, it seemed a little half-baked. you have to make coffee for your social links pretty often, but people usually just want an Americano or sometimes a mocha. seeing all the weird drinks on the menu and the dedicate spice submenu made me excited to play around with orders kinda like VA-11 HALL-A, but people are usually just straightforward about wanting simple drinks, with like one or two exceptions in the whole game. I'm glad it's there, because the coffee shop makes for a good way of justifying Affogato (the character) getting dragged into drama so much and it'd feel a little awkward if there was no interactivity, but I feel like it was ultimately underutilized.

also the art style is cute. I love the chibi tarot guys and the talksprites... honestly the best way I can describe it is like, they look like they were designed like they should been tweening after a 4/5 star gacha pull, but that's not a bad thing per se? they're detailed and have a pretty stylistic feel by anime standards (no shade to anime, but you know what I mean), but it's weird to break the association in my brain.

I also wanted to talk about the voice acting! it's available in both Japanese and Chinese (I assume Mandarin). I don't listen to a lot of spoken Chinese, so it was actually pretty neat! I liked picking up on little linguistic idiosyncrasies, like how they have to pronounce it "Affojato" since Mandarin doesn't seem to have a hard g sound. also, the voice acting just did a good job at fitting and emphasizing the characters. mephista totally stole the show for that, but it helped with stuff like recognising that Dave was meant to be suave and handsome in a way that can't really be conveyed with text without going overboard. so, well done chinese voice actors!

okay. last thing i wanna talk about here - i think the game is good, and you should play it, but there is one level i have been stuck on for days. without spoiling too much, its the level you play with eva after you collect all the shards. its bizarrely hard. im playing on normal difficulty and there are so many things that are designed to kill you instead of challenge you. the level is so big and there are so many of those stupid laser enemies that i could not have any units survive long enough to kill all five(!) boss targets. i have been stuck on this level for days after spending no less than like half an hour on the hardest levels before this point. i had to switch to easy mode, and i think it is a failure on the game's part that it couldnt properly balance the default difficulty.

in addition to that, i only managed to complete 3 out of 5 of the games' social links. the only problem with this is, im not sure how youre supposed to do that with everyone? im pretty sure the game literally doesnt give you enough time to fully level everyone. i only opened the store like twice, and those were both in the morning and the only time you can advance the social links is the evening. i extended every chapter as long as i could by avoiding the boss to keep talking to people, and i still didnt have enough time. now ill need to do an entire second playthrough if i want to get the related achievements, including the one for collecting all the witch cards. i am incredibly dissapointed

the plot took such a weird turn at the end there too, so much stuff about sera just came up out of nowhere, and the turn the chapter takes is so sudden and unfitting in my opinion. it felt like when a show is told that this is gonna be their last season but theyre already halfway through writing so they need to cut stuff and write in stuff thats lets them have some finality

all this worked together to really sour this game for me right at the end. also i lost my save file but i dont hold it against this game, that was my fault. if this was any other game id power through from the start and try again, but this just has too many unfun caveats that im just gonna move on

if this game still sounds neat to you, by all means check it out. this is all just my opinion, and you might click with the game a lot better than i did. the core of the game is pretty solid, its just the execution that ruined it for me, but even that was forgivable until the end. im gonna see what befun studios puts together in the future, maybe a sequel where they iron out some of the flaws would work really well?