#i was in the character creation for so long i just saved and quit after

[fizzytoo]

cazz (he/they) | space scoundrel <3

[just-ornstein]

[JK]  My first job was as an Assistant Producer for a video game company called Interplay in Irvine, CA. I had recently graduated from Boston University's School of Fine Arts with an MFA in Directing (I started out as a theatre nerd), but also had some limited coding experience and a passion for computers. It didn't look like I'd be able to make a living directing plays, so I decided to combine entertainment and technology (before it was cool!) and pitched myself to Brian Fargo, Interplay's CEO. He gave me my first break. I packed up and moved out west, and I've been producing games ever since.

[JK] I loved my time at EA. I was there for almost a full decade, and learned a tremendous amount about game-making, and met the most talented and driven people, who I remain in touch with today. EA gave me many opportunities, and never stopped betting on me. I worked on The Sims for nearly 5 years, and then afterwards, I worked on console action games as part of the Visceral studio. I was the Creative Director for the 2007 game "The Simpsons", and was the Executive Producer and Creative Director for the 2009 game "Dante's Inferno".

[JK] I haven't played in a long while, but I do recall that after the game shipped, my wife and I played the retail version for some time -- we created ourselves, and experimented with having a baby ahead of the actual birth of our son (in 2007). Even though I'd been part of the development team, and understood deeply how the simulation worked, I was still continually surprised at how "real" our Sims felt, and how accurate their responses were to having a baby in the house. It really felt like "us"!

Now for some of the development and lore related questions:

[JK] So I ended up in the incredibly fortunate position of creating the shipping neighborhoods for The Sims 2, and recruiting a few teammates to help me as we went along. 

Around the same time, we started using the Buy/Build tools to make houses we could save, and also bring them into each new build of the game (correcting for any bugs and incompatibilities). With the import tool, we could load Sims into these houses. In time, this "vanguard QA" process turned into a creative endeavor to define the "saved state" of the neighborhoods we would actually end up shipping with the game.

On playtesting & the leftover sims data on various lots:

Basically, we were in the late stages of development, and the Save Game functionality wasn't quite working. In order to test the game properly, you really needed to have a lot of assets, and a lot of Sims with histories (as if you'd been playing them for weeks) to test out everything the game had to offer. So I started defining a set of characters in a spreadsheet, with all their tuning variables, and worked with engineering to create an importer, so that with each new build, I could essentially "load" a kind of massive saved game, and quickly start playing and testing. 

It was fairly organic, and as the game's functionality improved, so did our starter houses and families. 

The thought process behind the creation of the iconic three neighborhoods:

I would not say it was particularly planned out ahead of time. We knew we needed a few saved houses to ship with the game; Sims 1, after all, had the Goth house, and Bob Newbie's house. But there wasn't necessarily a clear direction for what the neighborhood would be for Sims 2. We needed the game to be far enough along, so that the neighborhood could be a proper showcase for all the features in the game. With each new feature that turned alpha, I had a new tool in my toolbox, and I could expand the houses and families I was working on. Once we had the multi-neighborhood functionality, I decided we would not just have 1 starter neighborhood, but 3. With the Aging feature, Memories, a few wacky objects, plus a huge catalog of architectural and decorative content, I felt we had enough material for 3 truly distinct neighborhoods. And we added a couple of people to what became the "Neighborhood Team" around that time.

Later, when we created Strangetown, and eventually Veronaville, I believe we went back and changed Pleasantville to Pleasantview... because I liked the alliteration of "Verona-Ville", and there was no sense in having two "villes". (To this day, by the way, I still don't know whether to capitalize the "V" -- this was hotly debated at the time!)

Pleasantview:

Anyway, to answer your question, we of course started with Pleasantview. As I recall, we were not quite committed to multiple neighborhoods at first, and I think it was called Pleasantville initially, which was kind of a nod to Simsville... but without calling it Simsville, which was a little too on the nose. (There had also been an ill-fated game in development at Maxis at the time, called SimsVille, which was cancelled.) It's been suggested that Pleasantville referred to the movie, but I don't think I ever saw that movie, and we just felt that Pleasantville kind of captured the feeling of the game, and the relaxing, simple, idyllic world of the Sims.

Pleasantview started as a place to capture the aging feature, which was all new to The Sims 2. We knew we had toddlers, teens, and elders to play with, so we started making families that reflected the various stages of family life: the single mom with 3 young kids, the parents with two teens, the old rich guy with two young gold-diggers, etc. We also had a much greater variety of ethnicity to play with than Sims 1, and we had all new variables like sexual orientation and memories. All these things made for rich fodder for a great diversity of families. Then, once we had family trees, and tombstones that carried the actual data for the dead Sims, the doors really blew open. We started asking ourselves, "What if Bella and Mortimer Goth could be characters in Sims 2, but aged 25 years? And what if Cassandra is grown up? And what if Bella is actually missing, and that could be a fun mystery hanging over the whole game?" And then finally the "Big Life Moments" went into the game -- like weddings and birthdays -- and we could sort of tee these up in the Save Game, so that they would happen within the first few minutes of playing the families. This served both as a tutorial for the features, but also a great story-telling device.

Anyway, it all just flowed from there, as we started creating connections between families, relationships, histories, family trees, and stories that we could weave into the game, using only the simulation features that were available to us. It was a really fun and creative time, and we wrote all of the lore of Sims 2 within a couple of months, and then just brought it to life in the game.

Strangetown:

Strangetown was kind of a no-brainer. We needed an alternate neighborhood for all the paranormal stuff the Sims was known for: alien abduction, male pregnancy, science experiments, ghosts, etc. We had the desert terrain, which created a nice contrast to the lush Pleasantville, and gave it an obvious Area 51 vibe.

The fact that Veronaville is the oldest file probably reflects the fact that it was finished first, not that it was started first. That's my guess anyway. It was the simplest neighborhood, in many ways, and didn't have as much complexity in terms of features like staged big life moments, getting the abduction timing right, the alien DNA thing (which I think was somewhat buggy up until the end), etc.  So it's possible that we simply had Veronaville "in the can", while we put the last polish on Pleasantville (which was the first and most important neighborhood, in terms of making a good impression) and Strangeville (which was tricky technically).

Veronaville:

But my personal favorite was Veronaville. We had this cool Tudor style collection in the Build mode catalog, and I wanted to ship some houses that showed off those assets. We also had the teen thing going on in the aging game, plus a lot of romance features, as well as enemies. I have always been a Shakespeare buff since graduate school, so putting all that together, I got the idea that our third neighborhood should be a modern-day telling of the Romeo and Juliet story. It was Montys and Capps (instead of Montagues and Capulets), and it just kind of wrote itself. We had fun creating the past family trees, where everyone had died young because they kept killing each other off in the ongoing vendetta.

[JK] You know, I have never seen The Lone Gunmen, and I don't remember making any kind of direct references with the Strangetown Sims, other than the general Area 51 theme, as you point out. Charles London helped out a lot with naming Sims, and I'm pretty sure we owe "Vidcund" and "Lazlo" to him ... though many team members pitched in creatively. He may have had something in mind, but for me, I largely went off of very generic and stereotypical ideas when crafting these neighborhoods. I kind of wanted them to be almost "groaners" ... they were meant to be tropes in every sense of the word. And then we snuck in some easter eggs. But largely, we were trying to create a completely original lore.

[JK] Well, I think we kind of pushed it with The Sims 2, to be honest, and I remember getting a little blow-back about Bunny Broke, for example. Bunny Broke was the original name for Brandi Broke. Not everyone found that funny, as I recall, and I can understand that. It must have been changed before we shipped.

We also almost shipped the first outwardly gay Sims in those neighborhoods, which was bold for EA back in 2004. My recollection was that we had set up the Dreamers to be gay (Dirk and Darren), but I'm looking back now and see that's not the case. So I'm either remembering incorrectly (probably) or something changed during development.

In general we just did things that we found funny and clever, and we just pulled from all the tropes of American life.

[JK] The alien abduction started in Sims 1, with a telescope object that was introduced in the "Livin' Large" expansion pack. That's when some of the wackier ideas got introduced into the Sims lore. That pack shipped just before I joined Maxis in 2001; when I got there, the team had shipped "House Party" and was underway on "Hot Date". So I couldn't tell you how the original idea came about, but The Sims had this 50's Americana vibe from the beginning, and UFOs kind of played right into that. So the alien abduction telescope was a no-brainer to bring back in Sims 2. The male pregnancy was a new twist on the Sims 1 telescope thing. It must have been that the new version (Sims 2) gave us the tech and flexibility to have male Sims become pregnant, so while this was turned "off" for the core game, we decided to take advantage of this and make a storyline out of it. I think this really grew out of the fact that we had aliens, and alien DNA, and so it was not complicated to pre-bake a baby that would come out as an alien when born. The idea of a bunch of guys living together, and then one gets abducted, impregnated, and then gives birth to an alien baby ... I mean, I think we just all thought that was hilarious, in a sit-com kind of way. Not sure there was much more to it than that. Everything usually came from the designers discovering ways to tweak and play with the tech, to get to funny outcomes.

[JK] Possibly we were just testing the functionality of the Wants/Fears and Memories systems throughout development, and some stuff got left over.

[JK] I can't remember, but that sounds like something we would have done! I'm pretty sure we laid the groundwork for more stories that we ended up delivering :) But The Sims 2 was a great foundation for a lot of continued lore that followed.

--

I once again want to thank Jonathan Knight for granting me this opportunity and taking the time from his busy schedule to answer my questions.

[easy-there-leftovers]

I See You, Darling (2)

[Astarion x reader] Due to surprisingly overwhelming demand, the previous fic, along with this one and many more to follow, will now be part of a series!! It was honestly very difficult trying to come up with what happens next, but here we are. The idea came to me during a fever!! |Word count: 2.5k.| Based off of this post I made.

Part 1 here!!

Next part here!!

The reader believes they are in a dream. It wouldn’t be the first time their fantasies conjured up such an obscure, yet somehow realistic scene. And so they’ve elected to treat the experience with as much realism as one would observe in a dream; little to none.

Alternatively;An ex-art-student-now-traveler accustoms themselves to the party.

————━─━────༺༻────━─━————

“Shadowheart. Shadow…heart. Hm.” His gaze bounced between you and her. 

“I’m sure her parents meant well, but the name is rather ominous, isn’t it?” He leaned over to your side, not bothering to hide his blatant distrust. Lowering his voice dramatically, if anything.

“Unless she chose it herself. Which is even more worrying, honestly.” He chuckled out.

It had been no more than two bells after mornbright when you met Astarion. Since then, you’ve come to realize how…different your presence has changed the course of the story. Though more subtle than you expected.

It would seem as if you had met the elven vampire before the party was formed, which was strange as your last save point was far later than that and the forest had been quite a long way from the beach.

When you finally stumbled upon Shadowheart, he was quick to share his inner thoughts that you haven’t heard from the game before. 

As they continued with their quest to find a cure for the Illithid problem, expanding their party as they did so, you had tried to make yourself useful by doing the dirty work for them. Looting and opening crates filled with camp supplies, armor, and potentially useful weapons and artifacts could always come in handy for trade or for “artifact consumption,” as per Gale’s need. Sorting them for your group’s convenience.

And while you did not have more direct and immediate practical use for your course of study in the modern world, the research you’ve created and reviewed for character creation and world building was doing wonders for your survival.

Or as much as it can for a magicless, not so athletic human. 

The “runes” of the medieval ages that have been carved into stone, along with the basic history and background of the common races and deities of the fantastical world that tabletop RPG has offered puts you at quite an advantage.

Not to mention your experience with the areas of the game giving you the same effect.

But this library of information had also aroused something akin to suspicion and concern. It would be understandable if you were a simple traveler just like them, or perhaps even an artisan from the guild, but you were not as astute as either background.

So how could you have access to this much knowledge yet be unaware of more practical matters? It’s as if you had simply read about it from somewhere. 

Astarion had been quick to give an explanation before you could form one of your own that could poorly convince your companions. Although, perhaps his suggestion was more outlandish than anything you could have come up with.

“They came with me. Property and all the formality that comes with it. A family pet, if you will.” A perfect excuse to justify your constant proximity to him, and a likely explanation to being well read, but not well experienced.

You thought nothing of the title, your apathy to the non-hazardous labels of this world apparent.

The same couldn’t have been said about your associates who had a few comments about this disclosure.

“I am unfamiliar with the–well, I shall not say ‘culture.’ ‘Customs’, perhaps. I did not think your kind to house such breed of cattle. Perhaps they could be useful.” Was Lae’zel’s. 

“I assure you, they typically don’t. Humans aren’t naturally subservient to Elves, at least in this manner. This setup sounds more akin to slavery. Blink twice if you need help.” Was Gale’s response. 

“It seems like Astarion's from the upper city, given the embroidery on his armor. I wouldn’t put it past them to have servants that follow them around.” Shadowheart’s nose crinkled at the thought. 

The party already had such an interesting rapport. Not entirely comfortable with one another to divulge everything, but loose enough to have semi-pleasant conversation with.

You thought this as you sorted out the fruits of your collective labor into neat pouches and bags, keeping items similar to one another factioned into their respective holding space. The chest being closer to Withers more than you’d like, but it was nice to hear the ramblings of an…undead person? Hearing someone continuously talking allows you to be more productive.

You’ll admit, handling enchanted armor and crystals does make you a tad nervous but you’re comforted by the thought that it will not be you who wields it in battle.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Gale approaching your direction. Possibly to ask for his share of the camp supplies just a little earlier to sate himself as you had an abundance of it for now. You regard him with your back turned and he stops for a bit.

“I will say that I don’t have the lightest of feet, but I figured myself better at sneaking around.” It’s not his fault that he got caught, but the bright purple robe and the smell of the oils you’ve been crafting for them are particularly noticeable.

“You are, but I’ll assume you're not exactly in the best shape after dealing with a few goblins.” You hold up a bottle of a healing potion, swinging it a bit with your fingers to indicate that the smell had warned you of his arrival.

“You’ve got a keen nose on you. Must be from all of Astarion’s training but, speaking of which,” He nears himself to your crouched form, going in to lean against a very old and empty crate.

“Gale, wait–” Right as your warning leaves you, they seem to evade him as falls right through the wood. A comical layer of dust and lichen pluming out from the force. He tries to quickly recover from both the physical and emotional damage as he brushes himself off to make himself presentable once more. 

“Ahem, as I was saying,” He again makes his way over to you, settling for just standing close as his attempts to look unbothered temporarily cost him his ego.

“I was serious about what I said before. While I don’t know what to make of our pallid friend just yet, as enigmatic as he is, what he said before is quite confusing. Best make haste away from here if you want your freedom while we’re distracted with this worm problem.” His tone suggests a genuine concern which confuses you.

You’d be lying to yourself if the label of the set up didn’t sound odd, but you’ve never expressed discomfort as there was nothing all too worrying about it on your end. It was mostly for show, and you had as much independence as Tav would have in your game.

You endeavor to quickly dispel his worries.

“You don’t have to worry, I’m very satisfied with my servitude under Astarion. He’s very lenient and reliable, and I’m better off with him than on my own." You return to your task of sifting through your materials but pause and look back up at him to continue.

"I do thank you for turning my way though. Your concern is much appreciated but unnecessary.” You lowered your head a bit to show your thanks.

“Well if someone as generous as yourself says to trust you on this, then I have no choice but to concede! I’ll keep a watchful eye and offer guidance, should you need it. Also, do we happen to have something for—” As he asks you for some sort of salve, just a few ways off, your eccentric “handler,” of sorts, watches the two of you interact.

Don’t get him wrong, such matters don’t really catch his attention, but being an elf does curse him with the ability to have extensive hearing. Something that he thinks Gale knew, and something you forgot. That would explain the lack of distance between you two.

He thinks it’s amusing how the wizard is trying to make conversation with you as if you were some foreign creature. His usual eloquence nowhere to be seen, and you seemed as unbothered as ever. Like how he usually saw you when you conversed with someone through a crystal.

It was a phone, not that he knew that though.

“They’re a real nice one, aren’t they?” Karlach says from her side of the camp which was nearer towards his tent and yours.

“Hm, yes. While that may be an admirable trait, it’s hardly going to get them anywhere if they keep this up.” Astarion huffed out, not very keen on your altruistic playstyle so far.

He doesn’t know much about what you do and don’t know, all he knows is that you do know of the events to unfold and could be the key to defeating his master.

 All he needs is to keep you at his side. So he’ll allow you this much freedom.

“Oh come on, you. You can’t seriously think that after everything. Our camp’s pretty well maintained because of ‘em, not to mention the connections we’ve been able to get!” She fortifies her statement by knocking on her chest, the engine humming within feels lighter and newer since you’ve informed her of the tiefling blacksmith at the grove. 

He hums in response, returning to reading his book as he thinks about his growing hunger. He’ll have to hunt soon enough. While your positive reputation occasionally reflects on him by proxy, it can also reflect negatively due to the alleged nature of your relationship. If he wants the journey to a way of understanding the tadpoles to be a more comfortable one, he has to at least prevent their trust in him from diminishing.

~

Night falls later than he’d have liked, having waited for everyone to be asleep so that he may prowl the forest for sustenance.

The rest were sound asleep in their bedroll as the skirmish from earlier on in the day had proven to be sufficiently tiring. The crackling fire surely brings a lulling warmth that he supposes he’ll have to miss out on for a while.

As he begins to slink off into the darkness, he looks back to gauge his surroundings and catches your form from across the settlement. It seems you were tallying away the items in the shared chest and double-checking to see that everything is checked and balanced with your records. 

Your shoulders jump at his suddenly standing form, but try to understand his intentions. You mouth, “where?” with a very confused face, to which he responds with a simple shushing motion and waits for your acknowledgement.

You nod slowly, and he holds your gaze before sneaking off once again.

‘He’s coming back, right?’ You wondered. The progression of your experience now in comparison to the game was vastly different, and you didn’t know if all scenes, or only some, would present themselves in this world. You assume he planned to hunt, and while you trust his abilities, you want to make sure he’s attended to properly should he be harmed in any way.

So after retrieving a few potions, a journal, and a pencil, you stashed them in a satchel and positioned yourself at the base of the tree in the direction he left in. You weren’t particularly sleepy tonight, and planned to pass the time in wait of your companion. 

There wasn’t much to do in this century to keep yourself entertained. The only things you’ve found so far were a few instruments and all manners of journals and inks.

The inkpot that you picked up appeared to be red this time. The game of, “which ink dye will I get this time?” will have to be the most of your entertainment for now. Not all too different from home, you suppose. And while writing keeps your mind at bay, illustrating all manners of wildlife have proven to be quite the fun exercise. 

You’ve made a few notes on creatures that you and your company have encountered. The visual elements of a drawing allowed you and the others to keep track of materials that could be salvaged from them, and their resistances to certain attacks. 

Though as much as you liked depicting such lifeforms in paper, you’ve come to be very interested in portraying your vampire friend.

Evidence of your interest present in the pages filled with his likeness as you search for an unmarked page. You’ve made a few of the others, yes, but anyone who would gain access to your journal would surely see which member of the group you favor more.

You continued to draw, and occasionally write, on the parchment as you waited for Astarion to come back. All sense of time evading you as you focus on the task at hand.

A perfect opportunity for a tired rogue to surprise an unsuspecting human.

“And what are you still doing up, little one?” He appears from behind the very tree you rested against, causing you to spill a bit of ink on your thumb.

You clicked your tongue, not at all annoyed by the character but by your absentmindedness and now stained appendage.

“Sorry, I was just waiting for you.” You sealed the inkpot, and gathered your materials. Effectively, but unknowingly, hiding your work from peering eyes that were the same deep red as your finger.

“I’m very flattered, darling. But couldn’t you wait until morning? I'm sure this couldn’t have been all too important, yes?” He gestures to your satchel, referring to your journal, but you misinterpreted it as him asking for your medical supplies.

“Oh, that depends. Are you hurt, by any chance? I stayed awake in case you might've needed help tending to yourself.” You opened the pouch to reveal its contents to him, your stained thumb in full view.

The sight makes him sigh out, but is thankful for your offered service.

“I’m alright, nothing of interest happened while I was away.” He considers telling you about the nature of his little…'escapade.' He's unaware if you are of his condition, and he doesn’t wish to out himself if not necessary to avoid possible conflict. So he settles for advising you to rest.

“We need you well rested, my dear. You sleep. I’ll keep watch.” The dialogue is familiar, and you can’t stop yourself from letting a small laugh out as you responded with an equally familiar line

“Thank you. I’ll sleep better for that.” You lower your head as you usually do in gratitude.

“The pleasure is all mine.” He mirrors your gesture, albeit in a way that is most appropriate for someone of his character. “Sweet dreams.”

You walked back to the chest. Returning the potions and ink you’ve plucked from the supply, but keeping the rest of the pouch’s materials with you as you turn in for the night. Awaiting the promise of further study that a new day typically makes.

As Astarion is left with his own thoughts, a sour taste still in his mouth from his earlier meal, he thinks about the man in the journal you kept. He did not see much, only a vague outline of the figure. He thinks about who, or what, it could have been but dismisses the thought rather quickly.

He has no time for a mysterious person with hair less perfect than his own, touching his untainted locks as he does.

————━─━────༺༻────━─━————

Thank you everyone for your interest in the series!! As per the request of some, I'll now be adding a taglist!

Thank you to @rey26, @shyminnie07, @lynnloveshobi, @iggee-rose, @automnepoet, and @tiannamortis for asking to be tagged!!

[dduane]

The first part of that last message got me curious -- given how long-running of a series YW is, how do you keep track of All That when writing a new entry? Copious amounts of notes? Re-reading the entire series backlog? Keeping a fully-functioning simulation of the entire YW universe running in your head with perfect accuracy? (only mostly joking with that last one)

And somewhat-relatedly, did you have any plan or idea when you started for how long YW would run? Or was it more of a "I'll keep writing about this universe until it stops churning out ideas," type of thing and that point just (very thankfully!) hasn't happened yet? I know for per-book purposes you're a proponent of outlining (I swear I'll try writing to one one day Q_Q) but do you also apply that to a series as a whole?

Let me take this backwards, as it may make more sense that way.

Particularly when doing series work, outlining is more vital than usual for me. (Which is saying a lot.) Some of the most basic reasons for this are laid out over here.

The simplest one, though, for series outlining, is logistical. Without having achieved a sense well in advance of what events (or effects of events) are going to be most formative or important (or both) for the characters in a series, you won't have allowed yourself time to think about them enough. And to fail to spend enough time on this is to cheat both yourself and the books in the series. (And your readership.)

If you're smart, you learn very early on that attempting to save time by shortchanging or omitting the planning stages is potentially profoundly destructive. You need to have a plan... and you need not to let anyone make you ashamed of needing one. Putting off your detailed character-interaction and event planning in the name of some magically occurring fit of inspiration, or theoretical bid toward creative spontaneity, will serve neither you nor your creation. You can throw "Hail Mary" passes all you like... but you'd better be damn sure there'll be someone in the end zone to receive. ...If not Herself.

...And just in case you're worried, your initial plans can be really loose! They don't have to jump out of your head full-formed like some local war goddess after somebody hits her dad in the head with an axe. The plan for the Middle Kingdoms books—after The Door Into Fire dumped me gasping by the side of the road and left me a few minutes to breathe—was nothing more than "Now that his boyfriend's finally upped the ante beyond all expectations, Freelorn finally gets off his feckless Would-Be Robin Hood shit and gets to work becoming king." I then spent the next decade thinking purposefully about how that was going to happen, and writing the second book in the series—while sufficiently working out the fine details of the climax (and beyond) to then be able to get busy executing the third book. Even though there was a change of publishers between the beginning of that series and the end of it, the basic dead-simple MK plan from a very early stage quickly became detailed and robust enough (because the series was short enough) to withstand the change. Not least because I'd been thinking about it in a general way since the early 1970s... and continue to do so, pretty much daily. The Door Into Starlight is still hanging fire...

YW has been a different story—quite literally—because the only plan extant at the start of things was, "Everybody slowly gets older (and slowly closer)." I always knew there were going to be more than the original three: there was way too much interesting ground to cover to just stop with those. (I've never yet succeeded in finding out who started the rumor that there were only going to be three books. Over time it's become one of those things you just shrug at and move on.)

(Adding a break here, because this does go on a bit. Caution: contains publishing skullduggery, plans ganging aft agley, approximate word counts, software recommendations, and value judgments.)

("Now wait just one minute. 'Feckless would-be Robin Hood shit'? Can she just say that??")

The circumstances surrounding the writing of Deep Wizardry and High Wizardry, though, made it plain to me that I was not going to be at the then-publisher (Dell) all that much longer. By the time HW came out, they were already starting to pull away from midlist books and authors in order to spend that part of the budget on best-sellers... so it became plain to me that attempting to construct a long arc with/at that publisher would have been folly. Because who could be sure what was going to happen next, and blow everything I'd built to smithereens?

Sure enough, when I finished A Wizard Abroad, Dell declined to pick it up (even though the books had been selling steadily and increasingly strongly in paperback). This annoying validation of my concerns—and my shiny new agent's—made it plain to me that further books in the series were going to need to be thematically driven, rather than mostly character-event-driven, and almost entirely capable of being taken as standalones. Any long arc was going to have to be one that could be suspended, or reworked, with little warning. Because what happens to you once, in publishing, doesn't at all mean you're immune to it after that.

It wasn't until the YW books were picked up by Harcourt in the mid-90s, with a strong editorial team behind them, that I felt confident enough to start building longer-arc material into the books, beginning with the arc that kicks off in The Wizard's Dilemma and more or less completes in Wizard's Holiday and Wizards At War. There is a secondary (and I assume, generally less obvious) arc that picks up material still unhandled in the "War Arc," and deals with it in A Wizard of Mars and Games Wizards Play. But plans for those stories' management were already nailed down in electrons as soon as 2001, because I had made some early choices about where I was going with the characters and their situations; and as new books came out, my editors agreed with me that the choices had been sound, and should remain.

I'll say this only because I've said it before: there is one piece of business planted in So You Want To Be A Wizard that has never been explicitly dealt with/followed up on in any of the books, and is at the core of YW #11. For the moment, it's safest merely to say that I do not willingly leave loose ends hanging. Beyond that, I'll leave you all to your own deductions.

...Now. How do I keep track of all this stuff? (The urge to mutter "With great difficulty" and run off into the wings is strong. But never mind.) :)

The question's fair, as there's a million-plus words' worth of it in the series at the moment. ...Mostly my guide remains the books themselves, in ebook form (in their NME versions. If I need to, I refer back to the traditionally published versions as necessary). I normally have a general memory of where a given event happens or where a given issue comes up for handling. I then pull that copy of the ebook(s) in question, and do a search on various useful target phrases until I find what I'm after, and where it leads.

For new work, or stuff not yet committed to what passes for canon, I do have lots of notes. Some of them are actually out in public, at the currently-being-revised Errantry Concordance (though they're not in any form that anyone but me will recognize). Others are tucked away in the notes sections of pertinent Scrivener files—this being one of the most valuable things about Scrivener, as far as I'm concerned: the ability to store project notes in the project itself as opposed to "all over the damn place." Others yet are in my iPad, as either typing or dictation, and get transferred to other files/formats as necessary.

But the very first thing that happens, when a new work comes into train, is an outline. Sometimes a hilariously simple one, sometimes one with more detail in the middle than at the beginning or the end. Doesn't matter what shape it starts in. All notes, scraps, prose chunks, random thoughts, and midnight cogitations, get slotted into place in this until it's ready to be organized and sent off to an editor. And this outline—no matter how fragmentary or how polished—remains ready to hand at all times until I've finished with correcting the book's ARC and am looking at the release date.

And then I zip it up and put it away where I can find it later if I need to... because some other plan, still in the building stages, may need something in that one that never happened, but now has its chance. Because in YW, as everywhere else in my work, it's so often about the things that have always almost happened... until they do.

...Anyway: HTH!

[astrea16]

Piers and Pirates

So I've never watched One Piece before the live action, and I was curious about the anime but wasn’t sure I’d be into it so I started with Skypiea right away. The interesting thing I’ve noted about the structure of the story is that it reads a lot like a DnD campaign: one big journey divided into story arcs with their own atmospheres and challenges, and of course the iconic “you want to go now?” that turns into a ten-episode prep before the sky islands. I’ve briefly mentioned them before, but some of the encounters are so creative. I’m thinking for example of the Swamp Priest with the body control of a toddler who can’t cross his arms on his chest and forgets to say things out loud; or the old lady at sky customs who will let you pass because she can’t do anything to stop you but then sends an entire squadron after you. It’s a shame the anime is so poorly paced because the worldbuilding is genuinely phenomenal—but then again, it’s like watching a really long DnD campaign.

You can tell that Oda put a lot of research into his manga because every piece of information feels believable, whether it be Robin’s knowledge on ancient civilizations—the fact that Skypiea itself was inspired by the Mysterious Cities of Gold makes so much sense—or Nami’s navigation skills. It feels like you could sail in any direction and find an island with incredibly rich lore and characters. I’m just in awe of how unique each of them feels. Character creation is HARD, and yet no two are the same in Oda’s world. I could only achieve this level of depth with consistent roleplay, and he did it with all of his characters. They speak for decades of reading stories and consuming art blooming into one personal mindscape.

But the most remarkable one is Luffy. As opposed to the typical hero on a journey, Luffy doesn’t stand out because of a major personal growth or anything of the kind. toraheart put it perfectly in their analysis by calling him a catalyst: the story isn’t about Luffy, it’s about how he changes the world around him. How he inspires people to break free from their chains, how he stands for an ideology. More than an actor, Luffy is a symbol. And you can see that as clear as day in One Piece Fan Letter (2024) where he receives less than a minute of screen time, yet his presence resonates throughout the entire episode. The Marine who was inspired to save his brother in a moment of crisis, finding his strength in the boy whose own brother had died before his very eyes. The little girl looking up to Nami as a beacon of hope and rebellion, the same woman who found the courage to ask for help so that she could free herself from a decade of child exploitation at last. The teenager who works at the bookstore, listening to Brook’s music to get through her day. All of these were informed in some ways by the unstoppable force that is Monkey D. Luffy. He quite literally jumped out of a fire in that episode, and we know that epic imagery is one of the most evocative means of inspiration. If the boy wasn’t an anarchist, he’d be the face of revolutionary propaganda.

Speaking of anarchy, some people have called him a terrorist and I think I can stand with that. Luffy is kind, yes, but he is also selfish and stubborn. Despite his desire to help people achieve their dreams, he is entirely unconcerned with casualties when he’s fighting. He has only one goal in mind and will do anything to see it to the end. What compels me isn’t his beastly strength or his extraordinary abilities, it’s the fact that he wants everyone to do the same. To find their one piece, and to add it to the puzzle. It may not fit the first time around, but there will be people riding the same wave as you. And if someone stands in your way, well then screw that! Why do you think Luffy was so happy to have his face on a wanted poster? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not because it confirms his power. It’s because he knows that the world finally sees him. Luffy doesn’t really care about the treasure, he wants to become King of the Pirates so that he can have a place in a world that doesn’t want him.

To finish up on Fan Letter because it’s a masterpiece and I need everyone to acknowledge it, you really get this sense of carelessness from the Strawhats making their escape out of Sabaody. Yeah, everybody knows what they’re up to and they’re not exactly subtle about it (see: Luffy), but since when do they give a damn? The whole world is watching and they’re not even looking back, they’re just feeling the wind in their backs and staring straight ahead. Doesn’t that make you want to go on a grand adventure yourself?

By the way, if you liked the feel of the animation I highly recommend checking out the Gobelins channel on YouTube. It features several shorts by aspiring filmmakers in art school and they’re all a freaking delight to watch.

[honeypawsart]

"BUTTERFINGERS" AU, EARTH-0164

"Hi, my name is Dr. Johnny B. Ohnn. No, not the Ohnn you're thinking of. I'm from an alternate dimension (EARTH-0164). If Johnathon Ohnn didn’t become The Spot because of the supercollider explosion, but rather just accidentally dropped the dark matter capsule. Causing a slow spread of dark matter to corrupt his body over time. That's me."

Dr. Johnny B. Ohnn is an ex-Alchemax lead scientist who designed and began the creation of the Supercollider. On the day of the funding ceremony for his project, he accidentally dropped a canister of dark matter he extracted from a mini-collider test model, which he was to use as a demonstration for the presentation. The dark matter painfully spread to several portions of his body. However, instead of support after his accident, he was ridiculed by his respected friends and coworkers for being so clumsy and unprofessional. "Butterfingers" was a common yet silly thrown at him afterward. Johnny quit his job out of frustration, turning on the Alchemax company to make them pay for his deformities... using them to his advantage.

Johnny is generally very grumpy. This is due to his dark matter deformities being very uncomfortable. It feels like burning, itching, and chronically painful to deal with daily. The black spots feel void of sensation however, it's the white areas that hurt him the most. He uses cold water showers and drinks to help soothe the pain. The dark matter corruption on his body feels like jello, memory foam, or oobleck to the touch; it's solid at first but things can sink into the nothingness void.

The corruption is relatively slow, and by the time he's 41 years old, he's 80% corrupted. At this point in time, although he's still clumsy as ever, he's more confident in his ability to use his powers to his advantage. He adopts the nickname "Milky Way" then (based on another popular chocolate bar candy).

Johnny also has a pet shrimp named Shrimptin Beck. Later on in his isolation, he builds a functional Mysterio robot suit for Shrimptin to move around and help with his crimes. They sort of have a "Megamind & Minion" relationship haha

Johnny B. Ohnn is not a huge fan of his dimension's rendition of Spiderman. Her name is Lucky Charm, and is the exact polar opposite of Butterfingers. But you know what they say about "opposites attract" ;)

Earth-0164 Spider-Man, aka Lucky Charm! Works at the Trophy Bugle casino part-time! The rest of her time is spent saving their city using their very luck-driven superpowers! On their off days, Gwen Amber (lol yes that is my actual first and middle name, cringe is free) works as a regular employee at the Trophy Bugle Casino, owned and run by J. Jameson who HATES Lucky Charm for potentially ruining his business. Butterfingers ended up hitting up a casino after his accident- he always loses and gets frustrated with the hosts and that’s how he and Lucky Charm meet the first time, but she INSISTS on trying to make him better outside of work so they sort of get close as they teach him ya know?? Meanwhile, he doesn’t even realize that out of all the hosts at the casino, the one he happens to bump into is the hero he should hate for being against his motivations.

✮ ✮ ✮ That's all I have for now in the Earth-0164 canon!! I hope you guys enjoy this sort of long, info-dumpy post! He also has an official Spotify Playlist! Fan art is 100% welcome of Butterfingers. I also don't mind if you draw yourself/oc with him. Just please realize some boundaries with him. I will not tolerate any sort of "proship" art of him with any underage characters, since he is an old man (36-41 years old). He's very special to me, so please be respectful about that!

He's also my OC, so please tag me in any posts of him as well! He has a tag on all socials as #butterfingersohnn as well! All fan art is uploaded to his toyhou.se page.

That's the end!! Thanks for reading :D

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Update 7/October/2023

It was weird getting back to coding this week, hehe! I’ve been only doing the writing for the planning for so long that getting back to the shift of how to code was a bit of an eye-opener once again!

But it didn’t take long to get back in the flow.

Though first up this week were social media days, and I had some serious fun with that!

It was the Autumnal/Halloween scenarios to write up for the Patreon specials this month, and you guys decided on some good choices in the poll for the AU romance scenes, hehe! 

So the dates of those will be:

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice (Haley Autumnal Scenario Special) 4th October

Can the sweetness of a new relationship beat the yumminess of the bakery’s tasty goods?...Both Haley and the MC seem to think so!

--

Jump Scare (Maaka Halloween Scenario Special) 11th October

For a first date, though maybe technically third, nothing seems better than dinner and a movie. Unless of course it’s a scary movie, and your werewolf boyfriend gets freaked out about anything that goes bumps!

--

Bittersweet (Sin Autumnal Scenario Special) 25th October

The change in seasons brings more than just a chill to the air—it also brings the return of someone who the MC hadn’t realized they’d been missing quite so much. And it seems Sin feels the same way…

--

Are you scared? (Alima Halloween Scenario Special) 31st October

Building a new friendship is hard enough, it’s even more difficult when traversing a haunted house together and realizing the tingle that’s running down both your spines is likely from more than shock of the plastic skeleton leaping out of the walls.

-

It was SO much fun writing these romances as they were all really different! Alima especially was a difficult one to write for but turned out even better than I’d hoped.

But after that, I finally opened up a brand new Notepad++ document and got to save it as ‘TWC Book Four’!!! I had a little bit of an excited and panicky screech at that point, hehe! :D

I’ve been working on all the stuff that needs to go into the background first: coding the character creation for people who jump in with new characters, writing a brief summary of Book Three, etc. I also need to add in a section now for those who want to jump through all the choices in order to create a new character, so I need to make sure I get in all the important ones from Book Three so that it works.

It’s taking a loooong time. And normally I would get all this stuff done before even considering writing anything towards the book, but it was a pretty heavy week of coding so I think next week I might actually jump into the writing and then chop back again when I finish a scene!

Got to find the balance between the fun and the necessary, right? :D

I’m already buzzing at the idea of writing the opening! I’ve actually got it rough written out already, so turning it into the ACTUAL opening is going to be such a major moment! The start of the next chapter within The Wayhaven Chronicles and where the romances are gonna lead!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! We’ll be offline as usual, so I’ll update you all again next Friday as I dive into Book Four <3

[cecil-marethyu]

My Totally Unserious Thoughts on the Mass Effect Trilogy (after playing it for the first time in 2024)

Mass Effect 1

Ma’am- Ma’am please- Ma’am, I need you to look to the left for me please.

Holy shit, I think I actually look pretty good.

Me during the Citadel View conversation: Okay Kaidan, I see you. I'm picking up what you are putting down.

But we’re trying to romance Garrus. Everyone’s up his ass, so I got to see what that’s about.

It has come to my attention that neither Garrus nor Tali are romanceable in the first game… Kaidan, I choose you.

NPC: It’s terrible what happened on Akuze.

Me: Oh yeah, Akuze, the Akuze where something happened, that Akuze (what the fuck happened on Akuze?)

…

THRESHERMAWS!?!?!

If I have to drive up one more steep-ass mountain to get to some minerals, I will lose it.

Kaidan: It seems you have quite a connection with Liara.

Me: I do????? I’ve talked to her one time. Like many things in this game about myself, that is news to me.

Ashley: something, something, something, scuttlebutt

Me: Who the fuck is scuttlebutt?

My brother: Kaidan (neither of us actually understand what scuttlebutt means)

I miss Nomad conversations.

Don’t mind me, I’ll just casually bypass this door on Noveria–

YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE ANY OTHER MISSIONS HERE

Andromeda Interlude: I went to go read my emotional support Jaal/Ryder fic, glanced at the author’s bookmarks, saw FemShep/Zaeed. This detour has taken an unforeseen turn and will take much longer than expected.

Okay, I’m back.

Time to go to Virmire, I know what’s coming

What the hell is that loud-ass noi- It’s Wrex. He is shooting his loud as hell shotgun at the water.

HOLD THE LINE

If I some how get Kirrahe killed, I will be very upset.

Oh, I guess I’ll take Kaidan and Liara with me to Ilos…. What do you mean I can’t change my party when we get to the Citadel? Wrex and Garrus want to shoot Saren in the face. They deserve it.

Here's my first Shepard for the hell of it

Mass Effect 2

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY EYEBROWS?????

I.. I can live with it. I don’t want to go through the whole character creation again (the concept of writing down a face ID has not yet registered)

Cue two hours of me being appalled by those eyebrows

She could not live with it

Okay, let’s try this again

Time to save Archangel…

The pyro vorcha has killed me three times, maybe even four. I’m making a terrible first impression on Zaeed.

I like talking to Jack, but she doesn’t like talking to me. (I like talking to everyone, but I yap too much, so they don’t want to talk to me anymore.)

We’re on Horizon. Kaidan is very salty, which is valid, I just like to be dramatic about it. My brother and I compare the reactions of Ashley and Kaidan.

LOYALTY MISSION TIME

Do you even remember that night before Ilos?

I accidentally talked to Jack one too many times and hit on her. I am so sorry

Kelly, I want you to feed my fish. Why don’t you want to feed my fish? (Apparently I was supposed to say “I’d embrace you” at the beginning)

Shepard’s dancing is terrible.

The Illusive Man wants to talk to me, I guess I’ll go do that– WE’RE IMMEDIATELY GOING TO THE SHIP. WHAT THE FUCK?? I haven’t even picked up Thane yet T_T

Jane “where my hug at” Shepard has entered the chat

Thane apparently has the probe upgrade, that would have been greatly appreciated several hours ago.

I deserved to get a long dress out of Kasumi’s loyalty mission.

I had reach, she had flexibility

Thane actually wants to talk to me >_<

Nevermind, he called me siha and decided to never speak to me again

Time to go fistfight a yahg.

I have once again yapped too much, an no one wants to talk to me anymore.

I brought Mordin and Miranda with me to the derelict Reaper. Good conversation choices, not exactly good husk destroyers. How many times did I use shockwave, you ask? Yes. The answer is yes.

Yaay, we finally got Legion.

I rewrote the heretics. I sense this may bite me in the ass.

Time to go through the Omega 4 Relay.

Mentally writing a fic where Shepard leaves a video message for Kaidan/tries to call, but he doesn’t answer

I know I have all the ship upgrades, and everyone is loyal, but I am stressed.

We made it.

I finally went back to the Shadow Broker base and talked to Feron. I’m in love…

There are only six fanfics for those who are curious.

I only recalled this because of a video I was watching, but… the cuntiness of Garrus in his recruitment mission. Like sir, what the fuck?

Second/Partial Third Playthrough

Already?! You may be asking yourself. The answer is yes apparently. I finished Inquisition, and my brother started his second playthrough of Mass Effect, and suddenly I’m here again.

I have spent a ridiculous amount of time debating whether I’m going to romance Thane or Garrus. I know I’ll romance the other eventually, but who will I pick first. Do I want to hurt my feelings or have fun?

I picked Thane. I have another save for when I get around to romancing Garrus.

I miss Kaidan, but not in a “damnit, Ashley’s here” kind of way. I just miss my man.

Mass Effect 3

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY FACE

I tried to fix it. I think I made it worst.

What the fuck is up with Shepard’s arms?

The entire Mars mission: Kaidan staring at Shepard when she isn’t looking. Shepard staring at Kaidan when he is halfway across the room. This is great.

I had to restart. I fucked up her face too much. She still doesn’t look like herself to me, but I’ll push through it (fucking weirdass mouth shapes)

Once again, what the fuck is up with Shepard’s arms.. And chest, and run?

I really should visit the council, but baby girl is in the hospital with his tits out. I gotta go

Shepard finally has her hoodie again, the weirdness is less noticeable now.

Saved the Primarch, so it’s time to see baby girl again.

Thane’s here too (don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry)

They actually go me , I thought I got Kasumi killed for a second.

They go me with Grunt too. I am stressed

The Primarch sure like to get in Shepard’s space

We have now lost Mordin and Thane.

Also, Kaidan during the coup stand-off “Don’t make me regret this” Bro, don’t make me fucking fight you.

Cortez, Jack, Joker, and EDI were all at the bar at the same time. Time to get lit

…

Got blackout drunk. Woke up on Aria’s couch

Kaidan has rejoined the Normandy. Shepard checked out his ass to an absurd degree

Everybody wants to come up to my cabin. I am constantly worried I’m going to accidentally hit on someone.

Kaidan is leaning

Me while Kaidan talked about EDI: 0_0 This is Jaal all over again

Had the Apollo lunch. I am constantly surprised by how horny Shepard is.

You weren’t there when I woke up this morning. Y’all fucking? Without my permission?

 Tali on Thessia was honestly kind of funny. I’m pretty sure that is a Prothean, Liara. Hey Liara, don’t you think that is a Prothean. PROTHEANS. I’ll bring Javik next time.

Citadel DLC was fun. Still wish Shepard had a fancy dress like everyone else, but that’s what daydreaming and writing fanfic that will never see the light of day is for.

I unfortunately didn't dress up before going to dinner with Joker, so when Kaidan was like, "Nice outfit." Shepard was standing there in her hoodie like, "... Whatever you say man."

James terrified me when he took his shirt off, but it was fine. And I beat his pull-up record.

Shepard and Kaidan obviously got it on. I don’t think I really need to say anymore on that.

I wish Thane’s picture stayed on the piano.

I obviously invited everyone to the party even though I wanted Zaeed to call me beautiful. Apparently that only happens if Javik isn’t there.

As much as I wanted to enjoy the moment with Kaidan before the Cerberus base, I could not because I am very self conscious and had an audience of three people in the room with me.

Me the entire time I was talking to hologram Zaeed: Why are we so up in each other’s grills?

I should have had Kaidan with me for the race toward the beam to experience the full drama of that. I had Javik instead, which was pretty dramatic anyways. I never expected you to reach for me like that bro

My brother chose synthesis when he played, so I went with destroy to see what that was like. I didn’t want to do that to EDI and the geth, but I did want to see Zaeed drinking beer on a beach.

I’ll preface this by saying, I didn’t go into this blind in any way, so I knew in the final scene Joker would be followed out by two “favored” squad mates, your love interest and second favored squad mate. I was expecting Garrus or James, so I was very bamboozled when Javik walked out.

Second Playthrough

Shepard is so much more defensive with Ashley, and accusative in a way. “Can I trust you to have my back?” What? Why is this even a conversation?

Ashley feels very underutilized in general. Like, her Normandy comments after bigger missions feel more vague and generalized compared to others. She only has one thing to say while others have three or four before they are done talking to you.

Talking to James during the Citadel DLC is a lot scarier when you don’t have a current romance. I don’t want to accidentally seriously come onto him. He doesn’t need that.

Also, why couldn't James have been an option to swoop in after Shepard's fall through the fish tank. Why is Liara the only option if you don't have a squadmate romance? Like, he already has that unserious flirting thing going with femshep. He would totally say, "Nice outfit"

I did want James to be the person I had my beam run moment with though. It was Ashley instead, which didn't make the most sense, but I was cool with it going that way too. And Garrus was the one holding Shepard's name placard, and Javik was the one who exited the Normandy after Joker and EDI, so really have no idea who my true ride or die was. I wonder if armax matches count as missions in the counter.

Speaking of armax arena, it makes no logical sense, but I wish Feron was a potential squadmate, or Bailey

The Thane romance has definitely hurt my feelings on several occasions. It’s great. I got to talk to him after the party too, so that was nice.

WHY AM I FIGHTING ALL THESE SHEPARDS? THIS FUCKING SUCKS

Because trophies, that’s why

There was probably something else, but tumblr decided to not save my edits, so I'm beyond the point of caring anymore

[niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian]

Alright, alright, alright! New story drop time! After working on this for several months, it's finally time.

This little beauty is a part of the awesome Sonic the Hedgehog Big Bang 2024 event that was ran by the mods over on the discord. ( @sthbigbang ).

Another huge thanks goes to the absolutely wonderful artists for their collaboration art pieces for this fic.

@vanlikespaintingclouds (X), @kkomsed (X), and @mmollymercury (X). Links will be updated!

I See Your Monsters, I’ll Chase Them All Away.

Central Characters: Shadow the Hedgehog, Maria Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik.

Summary:

In the grand scheme of things, Shadow's existence in this world was so short, so inexperienced, yet for Shadow himself, it feels like he's been here as long as everyone else.

Even keeping his best friend, Maria, happy each time they see each other and hang out started to come so naturally that he didn't question how to improve on it, he just did it and the results were better each time.

He wanted to help her, he wanted to save her from this illness, to let her visit that planet that was filled with so much wonder and beauty, something they could experience together.

He wanted to keep her safe.

But just like a fire trying its hardest to burn its last spark of embers in the darkest night to share its glow and warmth, that hope doesn't always last forever.

It's a story about the values of trust, the strength of friendship and the power of love, a story of Shadow the Hedgehog and how he was able to be the last burning ember in the darkness that fell over the entire colony. He will be the light that chases the monsters away.

——————————————————————

Chapter 1. I see you…

✧⋄⋄✧⋄⋄✧

He doesn’t tend to look back on the past too often, mostly because of what is available for him to look back on, which wasn't much.

His memories are usually hazy, out of order and hard to comprehend at times, and that was before he was aware that his own memories were altered after he was woken up.

Whenever he tries to remember those days of his past, the early days of his creation, he could never clearly remember the time where he first opened his eyes or heard sounds for the first time, only things that happened soon afterwards.

His first memories upon his creation were always a blur of images, incomprehensible to his newly born mind.

The lukewarm feeling of the water surrounding his entire body as he floated in the capsule.

The tight yet secure feeling of the mask wrapped around his muzzle that allowed him to get air that never seemed to run out.

It was a whirlwind of emotions and sensations that was overwhelming to him even though he didn’t feel scared.

The various, tall, unrecognizable figures that passed by in his field of view, staring at him with either wonder or bewilderment. Sometimes standing close up to where they talked among themselves while looking at him as if he was a bomb that was getting ready to blow if they got too close.

Humans.

They are called Humans.

Somehow he already knew that; he didn’t know how he knew this answer, but it seemed to match with how he saw them and accepted the notion.

He would tend to imagine what they were actually talking about, since all he could hear was the muffled sounds of their voices. Some were higher in pitch than others, a lot of them were deeper, which made it harder to understand them other than hearing the noise.

The duration of time was unfamiliar, he didn’t know how long a day or a week was while he was in there, only knowing that once the lights had been turned off, it was quite a long time before anyone else came back into the room.

Eventually, he did see one person that caught his eye during one of the dark periods of the day. Somebody he'd never even seen before.

A smaller human?

A child. It is a child.

Again, he already knew despite him never meeting said child before.

He saw her walk into the room, stepping in slow, careful steps; her head glancing around at the endless equipment that towered over her. Eventually her line of sight finally landed on his incubation chamber. At first he thought he was imagining things, with how still she was standing in the near pitch black darkness of the lab until she finally moved closer.

She was smaller than he originally thought, much smaller than any of the humans. She was taking small slow steps towards the capsule, staring at him with wide eyes, tilting her head as he stared back.

Her eyes were a color that he didn't recognize, they were…bright and luminated against the dim, thick liquid of his capsule. The same color was seen on her attire, covering her entire torso to her feet from what he could see.

They were hidden behind some odd, rectangular shapes resting on her face, the light from the capsule reflected off of them each time her head moved.

The one color that stood out was the even brighter color that was seen on the top of her head and was trailing over her shoulders. He couldn’t explain it but as soon as he saw it, he felt… ease. Like the color of this oddly looking mane from this tiny human suddenly made him feel comfort and didn't know the answer why.

If there even was an answer.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the human walking even closer to his capsule and started to knock lightly against the glass. His eyes locked directly onto her's, making her jump from the direct eye contact and take a step back, but not too much where he could still point out the distinct details on her face. Like the light dusting of tiny dots that was around her nose and cheeks or how the square objects on her face were constantly slipping down her nose so she kept having to push them back up towards her eyes.

She brought her balled up fists close to her chin and mouth, shrinking back and stepping backwards away from the capsule and into the shadows.

Why was she backing away? Was she apprehensive?

Or was she scared?

Or was she scared of him? He wouldn't be able to harm her from where he was, not with the thick glass separating them from each other.

Maybe she didn't know that, maybe the smaller human was scared due to how he appeared to her. He still didn’t know how his full appearance looked other than the brief times he was awake and was able to see his reflection and take note of how dark his own body looked, a stark comparison to the human’s light clothing and hair.

It was only when she started to back up more away from his capsule was when his hand began to reach out to her, he didn’t realize until his hand came in his line of focus.

The human paused, eyeing his outstretched hand and hesitating, finally stepping forward into the light once more. She stared curiously, giving a small, timid wave at him.

Raising his hand slowly, he copied her wave, earning him a smile from her and watched her cautiously when she came up close and placed both her hands against the glass.

She studied his face, tilting her head from side to side, making him unconsciously do the same. She then tilted her head to the other side, with Shadow following closely.

This brought an even wider smile from her, she continued to rock her head back and forth while he followed every move. He noticed as she was doing this, her shoulders were moving up and down, while her stomach moved in and out in a manner that looked like she was breathing rather rapidly, but she was still beaming at him in a way that didn't seem like she was in distress.

She even pressed her face up against the glass, crossing her eyes and puffing up her cheeks, creating a small fog with her mouth.

He didn't know much about humans, but they were already so confusing to understand.

The girl's head suddenly whips around, almost in alarm towards the door, making him see where she was looking right as the doors slid open to reveal another human, his silhouette was immediately recognized by the overtaking detail of the long and giant length of the hair follicles that protruded from under his nose.

It was the human that he had seen the most the moment he first opened his eyes. He still didn’t know why he always felt at ease whenever he was around; perhaps it was the way he didn't react to him in a manner the other humans did, more-so bringing a calmer, comforting aura to him whenever he approached the chamber during each visit.

The same aura this child was carrying as well.

The taller human walked over to where she was, taking a quick glance at him through the glass before kneeling down next to the smaller human, saying something to her that he wasn’t able to pick up due to how softly he was talking.

A few moments passed, where the girl nodded her head, her shoulders slumping down and looking at the floor. The man's face softened as he gave her a gentle head pat, got up to his full height and reached out his hand to her.

The girl took it and the two started towards the door. Shadow could feel a sudden wave wash over his body, growing more and more each second as they got farther away.

He didn't want them to leave, he didn't want to be alone. He wanted to follow them outside this tank, to move his legs and arms and not have them be bumped against the glass. To hear their voices clearly and remember the words that they say and hold onto each one in his memory.

The girl waved her hand at him again, her eyes locking once again with his and her mouth moving as if she was saying something to him.

Even though it was during the moment right as the doors closed behind them, he had been able to distinguish certain words that they would repeat around him.

“Bye.”

Though, he could only hope that this was less of a “bye”, but more of a “see you again”.

For the first time, he really hopes that he will be able to see her again.

All he can do now is wait.

———————————

Read the rest of the story here!

[canyoufucksoniccharacters]

I am DEEPLY sorry about making you dive down this rat’s nest of a lore hole, but I’m back with another question that should be cleared up: Can You Fuck Shadow the Hedgehog?

I have a feeling this is gonna get complicated real fast…

I've had this one in mind for a while, so this shouldn't be all that hard to write.

CAN YOU FUCK: SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG?

...

YOU FELL FOR IT! YOU ALL FELL FOR IT!

To any reasonable person, Shadow should have been included in the Sonic post, alongside Surge, Mighty, etc. But you want to know why I didn't? Because if I did, it wouldn't give me the proper opportunity to rant about something.

SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG IS NOT 50 YEARS OLD. HE NEVER WAS, HE NEVER HAS BEEN, AND HE WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE.

This is a misconception that has permeated through the fanbase for Chaos knows how long, being repeated over and over and over again, ad nauseam.

Why do people even say this? Well, Project Shadow started 50 years before the event of Sonic Adventure 2. Which means Shadow's creation happened 50 years ago.

So, people take this as "Oh, Shadow was created 50 years ago, this must mean he's 50 years old!"

DO YOU PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHAT THE WORD "STASIS" MEANS.

During Sonic Adventure 2, Eggman breaks into a military base to unleash a "top secret military weapon" for his plans. This weapon, is, of course, shadow. The screenshot above is from the scene where Shadow is released.

What does this look like those particles are? What do they look like to you? Usually, thick white air particles like these are a result of the use of cold to pause biological processes. On top of that, the shot right before it displays the object atop the machinery pretty well, although with some distance.

This is a pod. Like, this is very obviously a pod. Shadow is even standing on top of it once he's revealed.

And what does he say when he's revealed?

Note how he says "Awakening". This is taken from a re-translation of the Japanese script, since the official translation makes him refer to being released as opposed to being awakened. Remember, translations for these games in this era were... Less than stellar.

(seriously, don't go there yet? to the guy telling you he shouldn't have ever been born? like maybe you're right maybe you shouldn't have been born but we don't know enough to say that for sure. ok, buddy)

So, yeah, Shadow isn't 50. I've been saving this for a standalone post, because it is baffling to me how people still keep spouting that "Fact" over and over, even though it makes no sense. He was frozen. He didn't develop mentally or physically. I'm not a Marvel fan by any means, but this is like if you added 66 years to Captain America's age because that's how long he was frozen. For these characters, if you just knocked them unconscious and then sent them to the future, it literally would not make even a bit of a difference.

He's not 50. Moving on.

Oh yeah, uh. That whole immortality thing.

(Source: Japanese dub, translated.)

Here and there, official material will mention Shadow as being "Immortal" or "Ageless". While never stated in the 2005 game, it makes complete sense, as Shadow was made with Black Doom's own genetic material. Black Doom is immortal, Black Doom's genes are in Shadow, thus, Shadow cannot die of old age.

There is, however, no implication that he does not mentally mature. In fact, it would make sense for him to start out quite young to then become more mature as time goes on, since part of the reason he was made was to accompany Maria, in a sibling-like relationship. Although it's unlikely that the Sonic Channel artwork is canon, most of it at least, it does convey a situation akin to this, which would be horribly out of character otherwise.

Look at em! They're doing their homework together! And then a few years later, after Maria's death...

Look at him! Using a minigun for the first time!

His maturity in SA2 also seems just about on par with Sonic's, so it's safe to assume that when that game happened, they were about even in terms of mental development. In general, Shadow is a Sonic counterpart. A very, very close counterpart.

... Very... Very... Ah screw it, let's just bite the bullet.

This happened! An entire Bumblekast episode dedicated to Sonic, Shadow, and mostly Sonadow. It's pretty recent, too! From 8 months ago! In fact, it was made for Pride Month 2023; after Frontiers released. So, Ian Flynn by then became not just a comic writer, but a writer for the games.

I'm not saying Sonadow is canon, obviously, but if the current writer of the games is willing to entertain it for an entire episode and even go as far as saying it's actually really easy to make happen and you don't need to do too much work for it to happen, then it's probably safe to assume the characters are on even ground in terms of maturity.

So, if Shadow can hypothetically, in a fully canon-compatible way, make out with Sonic, and Sonic is fuckable, then Shadow is, by extension, fuckable.

Honestly this is entirely longer than necessary. I could have brought this one up earlier and saved myself the work. Where's the fun in that, though?

Either way, verdict is;

You can, in fact, fuck Shadow The Hedgehog.

[topaziraphale]

Hi I still haven't gotten out of bed but I'm already fully armed and ready to shoot down anyone that tries to say Aziraphale doesn't care about Crowley anymore or WORSE, never loved him THAT much in the first place.

Crowley is quite literally his top priority, he made that very clear with how distraught he is when Crowley leaves. Why would he shout "Don't go!" "Crowley, come back!" and "I NEED YOU!" if Crowley wasn't always at the forefront of his mind? Why is he so visibly striken and upset when he gives him that last, longing look, begging for Crowley to come with him and be with him forever, before deciding to step into that elevator? When he gets in there, his entire purpose shifts. He IS going to make everything better, and he IS going to make Crowley see the error of his ways.

I can promise you all Aziraphale is going to stop at NOTHING to get Crowley to come be with him forever, as an angel. He is going to do WHATEVER it takes, now that he is the acting Supreme Archangel. It's Crowley he wants first, Heaven he wants second, and, sadly, due to the Mettatron making this offer, a life on Earth he wants last. And that sets up such a FANTASTIC conflict for S3!!!!!

Aziraphale, our beloved, fussy, STUBBORN Aziraphale, is now compromised. He is compromised with POWER. Power as the LITERAL, SUPREME ARCHANGEL. Is this NOT SUCH AN EXCITING AND HEARTBREAKING PROMISE FOR A WILD S3 EXPERIENCE??

Guys, we ALL know Aziraphale let Crowley down, but you have to see that Crowley let Aziraphale down in his eyes. Just as much. That's what makes this scene so tragic. We know Aziraphale isn't thinking the way we and Crowley thought he would, or HOPED he would despite how the world Didn't End. How despite everything in how S1 ended, he was still left with an uncontested sense of superiority that we were all too elated to see was something Left Behind within him.

This season brought all that stuff out:

"We will win of course. Obviously. Heaven will triumph over Hell. It's all going to be rather lovely."

"You were an angel once..."

"Why, yes, I am a great deal holier than thou, that's the whole point."

(after gabriel/beelzebub leave in s1) "See, Crowley, it's as I said--" (back to what he said in the Bentley in S1E2, how Evil always plants the seeds of its own destruction and Good will always win out in the end)

These types of thoughts, and him spending all of the 6,000 years he knew Crowley separating them as one inherently good and one inherently wicked.... guys, that won't just go away after only 4 years of being on their Own Side. We hoped it would. We wanted it to. But it doesn't make sense. Yes, even if the earthshattering realization Aziraphale had that Heaven never truly cared about what was Good did change his character and essentially complete his arc in S1... it didn't change everything.

His arc in S1 was completed when he learned that Heaven wasn't for him. That they never cared. That only he and Crowley could save this world. But this is where the show deviates from the book - Aziraphale in the book is angry. Bitter. Scorned. Aziraphale in the show is just heartbroken. He mourns for the only ever family he knew. He mourns what he always saw himself to be. That mourning isn't just going to go away after 4 years. What is 4 years to a creature that has lived for a possible billion before the Creation? 4 years on earth to 6,000? That terrible wound he suffered that day is still VERY much fresh. It's an open wound he didn't properly take care of. And the Mettatron noticed, didn't he? Yes, you can understand that someone or Something isn't FOR you, and know all the reasons why, yet still wish you could go back... it's how abusive relationships work. You confuse nostalgia with remorse. You confuse nostalgia for real love.

Of COURSE he would seize the opportunity to get what he felt he lost back. And HE could do it. HE has the power. He can make it ALL RIGHT again, everything he's ever wanted...

...and this is why he completely breaks down when Crowley doesn't want to be beside him to do it. Rewatch it. Look at him. Look in his eyes. The way he winces when Crowley kisses him. His internal conflict (Heaven/Crowley vs. Our Side/Crowley) is externalized through Sheen's brilliant acting. His arms coming up to embrace him, but they never fully commit, they just graze him and hover around his body. The way he launches himself backward, away from the kiss, but his body is still slightly leaning forward. When he brings up his shaky hand to touch his lips, and not crying. Never crying. Because he is an Angel, and Angels don't cry. Not like a Demon would. Crowley is all he wants, but now, Crowley doesn't want him. Not like this. Not anymore.

Because, well, Aziraphale said it, didn't he?

Nothing lasts forever.

[theadventurerslog]

Quest For Glory II: Trial by Fire | Part 1

The Adventurer's Log

Release Date: 1990

Here we go! Spielburg was saved and Cinder Win was whisked off to Shapeir, the homeland of the Kattas--Shema and Shameen--and Abdulla Doo. Like the first game, I've watched this game played so overall it won't be a blind play, however the wizard-specific parts and puzzle solutions will be mostly new to me.

The intro opened with a djinn watching our crew riding Abdulla's magic carpet...

And he laughed at me. Rude. At the end of the first game there was a dragon. Hints at more to come? Just cool stuff?

After some swooping around and credits we landed in Shapeir where it was time to look the part of a desert hero because the previous outfit just wouldn't do according to Shema.

New game, new kingdom, new outfit! A hero should look the part!

With the intro complete it was time to get started with character creation or character import. Thankfully, importing your character is a very smooth easy experience at now. I suspect less so originally. You can rename your character, but Cinder Win is eternal.

We opened in the Katta's Tail Inn, chatting with Abdulla. The inn was only just set up but has become the centre of Shapeir's entertainment. "Where else can you watch Shema dance?"

This'll be my base. Free food and room! No more sleeping in the flowers for old Cinder.

And I got a bit of bad news hinting at the main plot point to come.

The Emir of Raseir, Arus Al-Din has gone missing...

I asked about the Emir. He said Arus 'was the kindest of men, quick to hug you and call you brother" but not very brave. Aw.

I also asked Abdulla about Shapeir to which he said the land of Shapeir may be plagued by Elementals and Djinns but would always stand as long as there are heroes. Like me!

And I asked about money and found out I'd need to find the money changer.

I checked out my character sheet and new portrait! Look at Cinder being all magic-y!

Ah yes the game introduces the communication skill which can be used for things like bargaining. I wonder how the stat is determined on import... That looks like a pretty darn good starting score to me.

Otherwise, it was time to check out Shapeir and enjoy the sights. Which means it was time to talk to everyone and look at all the things before setting out to explore and getting lost.

I asked Shameen about the Emir and the city of Raseir. Those who were driven from Raseir spoke highly of the Emir, but of his brother Ali Hasan (Sierra really really likes using the name Ali in Arab themed places...), they merely spit. Raseir was a city much like Shapeir "a mirror". Now it's said it's foreshadowing of what's to come.

Then I exited out into the plaza! And was immediately thrown sales pitches.

Map! Compass! Souvenirs!

I can't buy anything until I convert my money. I asked Alichica for directions to the money changer... he gave me directions. So many directions. Spoiler alert: they didn't help, though that was more my fault.

I went down first which is the city exit. There are riding-sauruses! Sauruses to ride! But the seller won't be here until tomorrow.

I went back up into the many alleyways of the city. So many...

I want that map.

I got very lost and confused. I lost track of my directions immediately so Alichica's were not helpful. After a lot of wandering hopelessly I stumbled out into another plaza though, the fountain plaza.

Baskets, lamps aaand magic shop!

The magic shop is owned by Keapon Laffin who is a gnome, so he is quite the character full of ridiculous wordplay, rhymes and puns down to his name as seems to be the gnomish way in QFG. I approve. He's great.

He has spells to sell but some of them I already have. The ones I need to get are Force Bolt and Levitate. He sells Erasmus' Razzle Dazzle, so if I had given up on Erasmus' game at least I could have gotten it here. I'm glad I didn't give up, but nice to know anyway.

I asked him about magic and learned of Aziza who lives off the east end of Shmali Tarik... if I can find that... And he talked about WIT -- the Wizard's Institute of Technocery. I learned of that in the first game, and now it's somewhere here in Shapeir. I'll need magic to find it.

There were plenty of silly things to examine. And a Rosella puppet!

(She was sort of being made into a puppet for Lolotte...)

With the map in the game manual I attempted to find my way to the money changer again... I still got confused and ended up going in a circle and landed back here at the fountain plaza. The map in relation to the game corridors is confusing! And I'm not very good at directions! And aaaa!

It took a few tries, but I made it! I looked up an image of the in-game map I don't have yet and found it a bit easier to follow.

I met Dinarzad (what a name... I'm guessing a play off of Scheherazade?). There was also her guard, Franc, full of money puns.

Clap clap clap. He's certainly not gonna Buck the pun trend in this game.

I had a 172 gold. I got 113 dinars in return... because of her fees. I got curious and looked that up which I don't want to do too much, but again, curiosity and I'd rather have fewer money woes this time around. Her rate is based on much you give at a time and is apparently best to do 50. So I tried that and ended up with 154 dinars by the end. Yay!

Then I made my way back to the fountain plaza which I discovered seems to be split into two screens? I was very confused for a moment. The second half has food sellers--Scoree and Sloree--named after Corey and Lori Ann Cole, the creators of Quest for Glory. There was also the apothecary. I avoided it all for the moment to keep going onward to the starting plaza because I wanted that map before anything else.

I successfully bargained for the map and compass bringing each down from one dinar to 50 centimes! Half-off!

Map and compass!

The really nice thing about the map is once you've found a location you can just click to go it automatically.

I went back to Keapon Laffin and bought my two spells. Bargained successfully there too knocking 10 dinars off each!

While I was there I remembered to try asking him about Erasmus and happily got an actual answer.

Fenrus too!

And I asked about Katta for an unsurprising pun.

I bought a brass lamp in the fountain plaza. I'm sure I'll want it at some point.

"The shiny brass lamp is engraved on the bottom: 'Aladdin Lamp Co.'"

Evening fell so I went back to the inn to eat.

I went back outside to practice some magic. I was successful for a time until a guard came and told me off for casting in town. He warned me. I thought he was gone, and tried again, or maybe I was hooped regardless after that initial warning, but I got arrested and agame over... And I forgot to save beforehand so I had to buy my lamp and eat again. Oops!

I tried dipping my toes into the desert and fired off a few force bolts and a fire bolt, but then a pack of jackalmen showed up... I ran and fled back to town. It also wouldn't let me use levitate out there.

Turns out run isn't the command to use here. It's escape. So I had a bit of a panicky moment thinking I couldn't run away at all.

It is pretty at night though. Look at that sky!

But this screen right outside town wouldn't let me use my spells at all. So, I took the risk and back to practicing carefully back in town until I ran out of MP.

Levitate!

I realized I didn't talk to Shameen all that much before so I did again. It turns out when the katta had been driven from Raseir, the Sultan here welcomed them in here. Raseir is just in a bad way.

Then while the night was young, I still decided to get Cinder to bed.

A productive first day for getting stuff. And I even managed to already flee from something.

Onward to Day 2 next time. I'd like to find Aziza and the Adventurer's Guild. Actually enter the apothecary. Maybe get a saurus? Generally explore more and gather more information. I want to get my map filled in with as many locations as possible. The less I have to wander those street corridors the better...

[dracoangel]

DA: The Veilguard Review

Finally finished the game, so here is my review of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Full of spoilers so it will be under the cut!

But overall score: 6/10

For me, the game didn't get good until the end. At the Battle with Ghilan'nain and after. Before that it had it's good moments, but they were few and far between.

Graphics/Art Style & Character Creation

Truth be told, I'm still not a fan of the style but I got used to it. I've already made my opinion on this matter known in various posts, so here I'll simply put: too cartoony, not a fan.

Character Creation was pretty decent. Some high points: Saving your character as a preset so that can be imported (so long as you keep that character). Down side: they should have done the same with the Inquisitor. And HAIR PHYSICS and they were great! At least for the hairs I tried out. I didn't have any issues with them going wild, which was very nice. Down side: need more ponytail options.

Combat

I played as a mage, and the combat took a lot to get used to. It's vastly different from any of the previous DA games. But I did come to really enjoy it, especially using the dagger/orb combo even if it had a much shorter range. Sometimes it gets tedious to switch constantly during fights depending on what was best for the moment.

Writing, Dialogue and Choice

Overall the game has mediocre writing at best, and poor Taash just got butchered with their writing; which is a shame, because they are a good character. The dialogue is far too modern. And the dialogue felt very condescending, as if the writers think we're idiots and have to be forcefully spoon fed. There are ways of writing characters like Taash and they failed.

Party dialogue was actually not bad for the most part. I found most of it to be quite entertaining.

Unfortunately Rook got shafted as well. They are 3 flavors of nice, you can't be mean or really disagree with anyone.

The game just didn't feel like an RPG, they only gave the illusion of choice in dialogue and with missions except 2 instances: choosing between Tevinter and Antiva, and the choice of who was leading the distraction team against Ghilan'nain. Everything else, they gave you the illusion of choices but in the end it doesn't really change anything.

Companions

I was actually very surprised. I like all the companions, which is a first for me in a Dragon Age game. There is always at least 1 companion I'm not a fan of, which isn't a bad thing either; just like the real world some personalities just don't jive together. I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like Bellara, but she grew on me. And as stated previously, Taash got butchered with her writing.

Romance

For my romance I chose Lucanis. I don't know if all romances are the same in regards to pacing, but Lucanis' romance was a SLOOOOOW burn. So slow that until the scene after you make it out of Solas' trap I didn't feel like I was in a romance with anyone. If it hadn't been for the hearts in Lucanis' character screen I wouldn't have known we were in a romance; I was starting the think that a few minor flirts were all that Bioware was going to give me, which would have left me with a big bad taste in my mouth. Especially since it seemed that members of my team were having better romances than I was 🤣 Certain party members were getting their freak on and/or going on all night dates long before I got my first kiss. So, needless to say, I think they need to add more to romances to make them actually feel like you're in a romance. At least in Lucanis' case, like I said I don't know how the rest are. 1 real romance scene and at the tail end just isn't enough.

Edit: from what I learned, all romances are slow burns and get the same treatment. Which is baffling. Especially with characters like Taash.

Story

The bones of the main story were pretty good, though the writing nearly ruins it. But I'm not too proud to not admit that the the Battle with Ghilan'nain and the scene in the Fade trap did have me bawling. Davrin was the one to sacrifice himself to help take her down and poor Assan went into the pool of blight with him (so I'm assuming Assan died too 😭😭) and then finding out that Varric had been dead the whole time... that one wrecked me a bit. I thought they were going to kill him off, but I thought it was going to be one of those "noble sacrifices at the end" type deals. Only to find out he died at the beginning and you've basically been hallucinating him this entire time (makes me feel slightly bad ribbing him about not actually helping, other than being that listening ear 😂).

Unfortunately the relationship between Rook and Varric felt off, seeing as we came in a year after they've already established their partnership. So the tears I shed were not for what Rook lost, but who the Inquisitor, Hawke and myself as a player lost. Our man Varric has been with us for 13 years, we've watched his character change so much since that first introduction at the Gallows and it's sad to see him go, even if I did foresee it.

Truthfully, the game didn't feel much like it was part of the Dragon Age universe. Not having our past choices as part of the world for that flavor really hurt the game. Sure there were small instances from previous games, like at Weisshaupt there were little flavor texts; like the chalice that was recovered from Ostagar, which was the chalice our Grey Warden drank from. A letter mentioning Kristoff, who was a Grey Warden in Dragon Age Awakening who died and the spirit of Justice (the same spirit who would end up possessing Anders in DA2) possessed his body to fight alongside us. But it's not enough. There was one instance I was kind of irked by, after meeting Morrigan in the Fade and finding out she now housed a shard of Mythal, Harding makes mention of Morrigan helping the Inquisition by turning into a dragon. They made that into a world canon event, when in fact that only happens if you allow Morrigan to drink from the Well of Sorrows instead of letting the Inquisitor do it. I chose to have the Inquisitor drink from the Well and thus we had to go fight a dragon and basically temporarily tame it. So that was very irksome to me that they basically changed my world state.

I'm not sure why who the Inquisitor romanced in Inquisition really mattered to the story and was one of the 3 options that actually did carry over. My Inquisitor romanced Dorian and their romanced was only ever referred to at the tail end of the game right before the final fight against Elgar'nan; wasn't even brought up in like the few letters the Inquisitor sent or by Harding, nothing. Dorian showing up in the story (as brief as it was) at least makes sense since the story partly taking place in Tevinter. Do the other romance options show up at some point or at the end battle?

Edit: From what I have now learned, no the other romances don't show up. Dorian only did because he was part of the Shadow Dragons. In the end the real question shouldn't have been who the Inquisitor romanced, but did they romance Solas or not. That would have been more accurate and wouldn't give us non-solasmancers false hope

I think I covered everything. I'll add more in edits if I think of something I missed.

So overall, the game was a 6/10. It was decent enough that I'm definitely going to be playing again. I have at least 2 play throughs I want to do. Could it have been better? Most definitely, there were some very glaring flaws. But it wasn't the trash heap I thought it was going to be. But it's definitely not as good as Baldur's Gate 3, which I've seen people say it is (it's not even in the same league, sorry).

If you are new to the franchise this game would probably be closer to an 8/10 because you don't have that connection to the rest of the Dragon Age world. Though the writing is still atrocious no matter what, the game is a decent action game.

[thysanniia]

Tell me about your godzilla stories I want information dumped in my brain like a horrifying Medieval medicine

Ok so this has sat in my inbox for a couple days now and I've just been mentally preparing myself for writing this obscenely long post, but I think I'm ready.

You wanna know about all of my Godzilla stories? You're sure? In way too much detail for anyone to sit through?? Ok, if you insist. Strap in, it's gonna be a long one.

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

Ok so all but one of these are my major overhaul of the MonsterVerse, and seeing as the standalone one is my most recent creation, I'll save that for last. So we start with Godzilla (2014). This was always my favourite MV film, so it was always going to stay relatively similar in my version, but more recently I've been developing thoughts about restructuring the narrative to be more framed around keeping Joe Brody alive and having the film focus on his relationship with Ford as the events unfold. Ford feels guilty for dismissing his father all these years, and Joe becomes painfully aware of just how badly he's neglected their relationship too - especially now that Ford is tied up in this whole mess, and his job as a soldier puts him in serious danger when shit goes down. I haven't quite figured out the details of how this all unfolds and develops (I struggle a lot with character writing and figuring out relationship arcs, my brain isn't exactly wired that way even though my neurodivergent brain loves compelling characters). But I have a feeling it will still end in Joe sacrificing himself - or perhaps at least attempting to? Yeah, this is still fairly new and also not my primary focus at the moment so it'll be brewing for a little while longer. Obviously all the stuff with Godzilla and the MUTOs stays more or less the same, save for perhaps a little more fun lore courtesy of Monarch as they interact with Joe more.

I am going to bring up Kong: Skull Island, even though it's not Godzilla, because it's still a part of the MV. Jokes on you though - I'm only bringing it up to tell you I'm not changing it! I think it's fine how it is, it's kinda stand-alone anyway so I feel no need to tweak anything. Maybe I'd make Kong a little bigger, idk.

So then there's Godzilla Vs Kong. Yeah, plot twist, that one's next, and it's pretty substantially overhauled. The general idea is to have it mostly focus on Kong and Jia's relationship, in a doomed-by-the-narrative sort of way, because this is Kong after all. It starts off on Skull Island, which thanks to climate change affecting the storm conditions is slowly dying. It also doesn't help that westerners have introduced diseases that are harming the Iwi. But anyway, out from beneath the island emerges Camazotz, digging up through the passageways from the Hollow Earth. Naturally, it fights Kong, and some human intervention accidentally causes it to fly away and off the island. Having a loose flying kaiju is obviously not great, but it gets even worse when its return brings Godzilla in tow. Alarmed by suddenly discovering there's been a giant ape here this whole time, Godzilla gets aggressive and Kong gets defensive, resulting in a full on fight that ultimately ends in tragedy when Godzilla inadvetently decimates the last remaining Iwi. Kong is understandably not ok and retreats into the Hollow Earth down Camazotz' tunnel. Ilene and Jia go in after him, accompanied by others from Monarch, and while they are eventually reunited with Kong, things aren't really smooth from there. I haven't developed this part fully yet, but essentially through various Hollow Earth experiences it becomes clear that this is a place where he is safer and more at home, but his guilt, refusal to leave Jia, and fear of this new place leads him to flee up a new Camazotz tunnel that leads to Hong Kong. Predictably, now back on the map he is immediately greeted by Godzilla and shit goes down. They have their fight, and Kong actually does well, motivated by his desire to protect Jia, but it becomes clear that Godzilla will just keep getting back up. He can't stay here. So, in the end, Kong lays down his axe and submits to Godzilla, and leaves for the Hollow Earth alone. It's kinda bittersweet - he and Jia both survive, and they get to say goodbye on their own terms. Plus there are hints that there might be more like him in the Hollow Earth. But, ultimately, they do still have to say goodbye and go their separate paths.

Ok so when I started writing this I didn't plan to write out a full synopsis or anything, but because that one is more of a step-by-step story I felt I couldn't properly explain it without just dumping everything. I'll not do that for the rest because their plots aren't quite as fully organised yet (and also that would make this post excessively long).

So, finally (kinda) there's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Or, well, something vaguely based on it. I'm not even sure what I'm calling this one yet, but the main point is that it's the one with Mothra, Rodan and Ghidorah (plus Anguirus and Hedorah now too!). This one is much more preachy and focused on showing a clear message, although hopefully still with a compelling central character arc too. It's focused around how, in times like ours when the people in charge refuse to do the right things and our elders don't do enough to challenge them, it's up to us as the youth to take real, drastic action to fight for our futures. Each kaiju is related to something: Anguirus is ecocide, Rodan is war, Nozuki (lol yeah) is greed, Hedorah is pollution, and Ghidorah is climate change. Godzilla retains his general theme of being a force to restore balance - not necessarily on one side or another, but when governments fight back against him we lose our only chance of winning, and the only way we can get him back is through Mothra, who symbolises our hope and will to do right. So... yeah, it's pretty in-your-face and obviously a representation of my own feelings (did I mention that the main character is a trans girl?) but I don't think that's a bad thing. I am a little worried about whether it's possible to get everything I feel needs to be included into a respectable film runtime, I've considered cutting one or two kaiju but I feel they're important enough to keep? I don't wanna cut the kaiju that's the embodiment of capitalism's consequences (although perhaps I can just demonstrate the same thing through other kaiju?), nor do I wanna cut Hedorah because she kicks ass and I love her. But I might restructure it a little, again hence why I'm not going into the beat-by-beat plot quite yet. I'm still happy with the broad strokes of how it's shaping up though, and hopefully I'll have something more final to share soon. This idea is kinda what shaped everything else, I'm very attached to it.

Speaking of everything else, that's not all! Even though that's supposed to be the big film conclusion, at least for now, I was also inspired by Monarch: Legacy of Monsters to do a spin-off show that ties into the events, because I think it's a really interesting concept and I wanna show more perspectives than just those inside Monarch. Currently I'm titling it Monarch: Monster Hunters although that's subject to change. The idea is that it follows some people who come together to search for the truth about what's going on behind the scenes, propelled by creating the ORCA. Simultaneously, it follows someone inside Monarch trying to track down MUTOs such as Camazotz as it leaves Skull Island. Their paths converge, and the group are let into Monarch thanks to their invention, teaming up to search for MUTOs together. However, the more they learn the less they like the organisation, and in the end they rebel against it in order to protect the kaiju. You might have noticed a pattern of Monarch not really being the good guys in these lol. Very excited to include more original kaiju in this one too, which I won't spoil quite yet...

Oh, also it's gay. At least one of these was bound to have lesbians in it, come on.

I'm also toying with a second season taking place after (not)KotM. The first season would bridge the time gap between GvK and KotM, tying in quite closely to both. But the post-KotM world does leave lots of interesting opportunities, even if i initially wanted the world-ending threat of Ghidorah to be the big finale. Toying with ideas of parasites, Shimo, and even Battra... I might have to wait for Godzilla X Kong to see if any ideas for it spring from that.

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Ok, so that's everything for the MonsterVerse, but then there's also my original Godzilla story. This kinda sprung out of thinking about Mechagodzilla, and the best way I can describe it is "Cyberpunk Pacific Rim except we're the bad guys". It centres on a Mechagodzilla pilot slowly realising that their endless battle with Godzilla is little more than a war for war's sake, a corrupt government covering for their own mistakes by trying to win a battle of their own creation despite all of the lives it costs. It's their nukes that created Godzilla, their attacks that instigate the destruction he causes, and their own war that they try to win to retain the public's support, even though it becomes clear that no blood would have been spilled if not for their actions. The pilot themselves have to confront everything they believed, come to terms with the part they played in all this, and atone for the lives lost by instead fighting the people that did this. Oh, and Ghidorah is thrown in there as a third party just to complicate things. It's fun, and I'm looking forward to developing the plot more. Currently resisting the urge to include my beloved Mothra, she'd make absolutely no sense to include but also I love her so much...

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Anyway, if you somehow actually read all of that then you're absolutely gorgeous and I wanna kiss you on the lips (mwah!). If you have any questions or anything by all means go ahead and ask, I'm more than happy to talk more about anything you're interested in.

I might update this with future developments if they're significant enough, who knows, we'll see.

And, finally, thank you unfortunatefloweryfool for asking me to write all this out. It took, uh, way too fucking long and I should not be awake right now but it's fun to have an excuse to dump all of this. You're the best, thank you for enabling me.

And with that, thank you and goodnight :3

[tonydaddingham]

LWA: That conspiracist "magic trick" document is...that's why I rarely interact with fandom spaces. S2 does indeed have a bunch of problems, a lot of which have to do with the material conditions of production and some of which are endemic to the source material. S1 was not a well-plotted or well-paced show, because the /novel/ is not well-plotted or well-paced. S2 didn't have enough material to justify six episodes, and only the Job minisode justified its length in terms of either character's characterization. Etc. Both seasons are flawed scripts saved by the leads.

The other problem here is that Gaiman has transformed a single season into a trilogy, and if there are going to be narrative payoffs we don't see them yet; it's as if PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ended with Lizzie Bennet rejecting Darcy's first proposal (which is, after all, what we got, except that Aziraphale and Crowley are both Darcy and Lizzie simultaneously). In an incomplete trilogy, there just isn't sufficient evidence to understand whether the author has missed a trick or if they're setting up a third-act resolution. For example, take Crowley's proposal, which insists that he and Aziraphale have spent their "existence" denying that they're a team. I know everyone got hung up on Tennant's intense delivery, which is great, but Crowley's narrative of their friendship in S1 ("How long have we been friends? Six thousand years!") doesn't track with anything dramatized for us on the screen, and neither does this. Is this another "Crowley is an unreliable narrator" problem, as Gaiman has confirmed he is about the Fall, retroactively constructing an emotional bond that neither character felt? OK, if so, what's the underlying narrative argument motivating this behavior? Or do Gaiman and Finnemore think that that's what the series is actually dramatizing?

Here's what I mean. In S1, there's nothing to indicate (in the script, the actors' performances, or even the score) that they have a genuine, mutual emotional connection until 1601, some centuries post-Arrangement, which is the first time that Aziraphale expresses concern for Crowley's safety and also the first time we see him successfully break out the puppy eyes. (Post S2, it's now "expresses concern for Crowley's safety as a demon.") Before that, they have unequal and fleeting moments of connection: Aziraphale is more interested in Crowley during Creation than vice-versa. Crowley is charmed by Aziraphale in Eden and pleased to see him again at the Flood, but he is guarded or hostile when they meet at the Crucifixion and again in Rome. S2 now adds that he isn't all that excited to see Aziraphale again during Job, either, although Aziraphale comes across as quite chipper about the run-in. Aziraphale is equally guarded at the Crucifixion, excited to see Crowley in Rome, and then mildly annoyed about running into him during the Arthurian period (and it's apparently still canon that the Arrangement won't begin until a few centuries later). In 1793, they've become attached enough that they've started the damsel-in-distress game, and in 1827 Crowley invites Aziraphale to Edinburgh for fun, suggesting that they are now actual friends and not just doing transactional job swaps. But in 1862 Aziraphale is cold again for reasons not explained by the 1827 minisode. (As an aside, S2 Aziraphale is just mirroring S1 Crowley in asking for big things--Crowley requests collaboration, a celestial nuke, treason, and child murder, all but one of which he gets, and the last not for lack of trying--and /Aziraphale/ is the only character making inappropriate requests for help?!) 1862 is the first time we see them seriously miscommunicating, as opposed to arguing--Crowley's approach to his request is bad and Aziraphale overreacts equally badly. And then we are shown that the emotional stakes of their relationship intensify after they reunite in 1941, when all the gazing and romantic music tell us that Aziraphale has fallen in love. Given that the script makes clear that Aziraphale and Crowley are having the same conversation in 1967 that they were in 1862, and Aziraphale still believes he's handing Crowley a suicide pill, Aziraphale's decision to yeet himself out of the car immediately when Crowley tries to ramp things up again is probably the /least/ codependent thing either character manages post-1941 in the first two seasons.

The fanon narrative in which they've been mutually pining for six millennia uncritically tracks Crowley's story, but it doesn't track the script. They /aren't/ a team or even especially attached until the Arrangement kicks in, and the first in-script signs of the codependency that will cause them to implode in S2 don't show up until the end of the eighteenth century. (In the novel, Aziraphale doesn't even understand that he genuinely /likes/ Crowley until they're thwarting Armageddon!) These are two characters who canonically get along just fine without seeing each other for years, decades, centuries, or millennia! But without the third part of the trilogy, there's no final evidence about how we should view Crowley's approach to relationship story-telling, let alone how we should judge whatever Gaiman (and Finnemore) are doing.

HI LWA✨!!!!!!

i mean first off, in general response to the entire thing:

i joke, but what you've said does really highlight, i think, a key detail that the fandom (including myself) get carried away with; that if we were to watch the show specifically with brand new eyes, without any influence of a surrounding fandom that has existed for the last six years (or 33, paying the book due consideration), the relationship between crowley and aziraphale would be regarded very differently.

but first re: Magic Trick Theory. i felt really bad for saying it at the time, but i was so full-body convinced that eps 1 and 2 were fake following the screening because they felt weird. i genuinely couldn't understand why people were saying what they were (obviously there were great moments, no questioning that), because all i could feel was a sense of unease. and that's not even because it didn't follow the tone of s1 (which i loved for its delicate balance of being the most ludicrous, dry-funny story with undertones of serious philosophy and subtle complexity), but because it felt like someone had taken a section of the story and stretched it out so forcefully across a frame that was too big for it.

i won't list off any particular issues i had for fear of causing offense, because my rather insignificant opinion is genuinely not intended as a means to shit on s2, but once i let go of the notion that this season was meant to do anything other than set up s3, have a couple of silly (but still potentially Important for s3) subplots, and just be a fun and wild ride in developing aziraphale and crowley as characters, i began to enjoy it. that was entirely to do with me and my expectations, because neil never really told us to expect otherwise. in any case, for me, this feeling kicked in around ten minutes into ep3; let go of expectations and just went along for the ride.

with the benefits of hindsight, i don't think that s2 was badly written; it was still subtly nuanced and clever, but just in a very different way to s1. it still asked questions. it still questioned the black, white, and in-between. it still had the undertones of a fairly cohesive plot. production quality, given the state the industry was in when filmed, was really commendable and honestly astounded me given the limitations that were in place at the time. david and michael's respective performances were amazing, there's no doubt, but i don't think they necessarily saved it, because in many respects i don't think it needed saving.

yes, there were flaws, but altogether it was a very enjoyable season. and whilst i realise that some people understandably watch shows for plot and thematic intricacy, artistic direction, particular acting set pieces, or anything that gives Depth (myself included on some shows), i just liked it simply because it entertained me. it made me laugh, cry, angry, bemused - whatever emotion you can think of, i can probably tell you a time during that fateful Friday morning (clutching my fourth coffee that night, having driven the m5 for a horrendously inappropriate amount of time, and in my 16-22nd hour of being awake - just setting the scene) where i felt it. i just enjoyed the ride.

(and by the by, still personally think the screenings were a mistake - fun, exciting, and communal in spirit, but a mistake)

but this brings me to the Theory. im sure this comes to noones surprise, but i love speculating. it's fun, it's self-rewarding, and frankly just helps my head Quieten Down a little. a form of self-care, if you like. i like that it's possible to look at the same scene, episode, season, and interpret it differently. to think that a character does something for one reason, but also for another, or that the plot could go this way, or it could go that way. ive personally tried to stay away from speculating based on anything but what the story has shown to us so far. yes, sometimes i joke that "haha, neil would definitely bait and switch us" etc etc., but ultimately im not the authority on what he will and won't do, and i don't try to assume that i have spotted an ulterior motive other than what has been shown to us in the show/book.

so when it came to the Theory, i loved the parts that referenced the show itself; because the interpretation and presentation of such was really well speculated. it has references, clearly had a lot of knowledge and research behind it, was eloquent and well-reasoned (however inaccurate it may turn out to be), and honestly was intimidating - in a good, awe-inspiring, jealous-of-their-intelligence way - in the depth of dedication the author had to writing it. but as i remarked in an ask from someone (@swansdreaming shout out!✨) that asked for my thoughts on it, the only real reaction i could give as to how valid i found it was that it was "A Lot".

s2 ended narratively on a problem (well, a couple of them), so it's not bold to assume that they will be largely resolved in s3. what i think was bold however is to be embroiled in how odd s2 was that there has to be a higher purpose for it narratively. i think a season can be written perhaps a smidge weaker just because it was, with no lofty reason as to why. it's entirely possible - as i got over myself - to just sit back and enjoy it for what is put in front of you, and not think much more than that in terms of the technicality of the show... just relax and trust that the loopholes, or the armoury chock-full of chekhov's guns will be explained. speculate about the future of the plot in terms of the material itself put in front of you? yes, cool. but justify the plot by way of "there's no possible way that the script/writing could be flawed?" - whilst a commendable notion and likely rooted in admiration, i think that's potentially a little audacious and even a little bit of unnecessary glorification.

but let's talk about the relationship itself. again, controversial and brave, and yet so inescapably true. i definitely think there is Something There right from the beginning, but my god, it is not love. curiosity and fascination, absolutely (to varying degrees). attraction and tension (in any form), i daresay so. but it's not love, not even friendship - frankly it's barely even respect. we see flashes of potential friendship and respect:

crowley's reaction to aziraphale giving away his sword and aziraphale being grateful for his platitude on his choice to do so

aziraphale lying to the archangels in job, and aziraphale's reaction to crowley's constant attempts to show job and his family mercy

aziraphale offering crowley dinner in rome, and crowley's stunned/amused reaction to "let me tempt you"

their mutual bemoaning about their respective roles during arthurian albion, and agreement that the weather is pretty miserable (incidentally but irrelevant - my favourite funny line from s1 is michael's damp comment, gets me each time).

but even then, all of these are rooted in other things too, if not in actual fact; the main one that immediately springs to my mind is self-interest. the overall tones of these scenes are not very warm, barely even tepid; they are just two supernatural beings, alone in their experience of being so and being on earth amongst humans (who do many problematic things that seem to confound them slightly which - fair), and relating to each other as a result. but there's not much else to it, to their relationship, when you step back and look at it as the big picture. as i said, other than a couple of lines, there's little if any genuine connection beyond relatability - and even then that's questionable.

edit bc important: reexamining crowley's line in the coffee shop re: "you only ever call me for three reasons...", this indicates that he's aware that aziraphale only contacts him out of self-interest which... whilst i think is slightly derivative to suggest at this point, it is also true and aziraphale doesn't negate it. whether crowley says this as a reflection on himself for not being worth aziraphale's time, or as a reflection on aziraphale himself (both?) is almost immaterial - but he is able to admit to himself that their relationship might not be as rooted in love and partnership as he would otherwise like to think.

the one thing i do think is correct is that they have been in a six-millennia-long dance, circling each other and mirroring each other, a constant give and take.. and aside from its overt parallels to jane austen/regency aesthetic, that's why i particularly like that the dancing in s2 was the dance it was - a quadrille (?) instead of any 1-1 dancing in the time period like a waltz was such a great reflection of this... mirroring each other in their sways and swings, circling each other, drawing together and retreating, and the occasional brush with each other (hands)... it was just so symbolically appropriate to represent this symbiosis they have been cultivating for millennia, rather than them be represented as fully cohesive together in the form of a partnered ballroom dance... incredible. and completely - once again - set up the dilemma for the Feral Domestic in ep6.

i realised this earlier today (i don't want to admit what number rewatch im on but i feel like i could get s3 greenlit singlehandedly at this point), but when i ruminated what feels like eons ago on aziraphale's tendency to place crowley on a pedestal? yeah, once again the mirroring theme continues. these two have such idealistic images of each other built in their heads, and to me (without going off for the thousandth time in Detail) it's aziraphale that starts to re-examine that image in s1 and 2.

to me, he starts to consider that actually his image of crowley was not true to reality, but still found that he loved the Real Crowley even more. but crowley ends up destroying that image entirely by the end of ep6 with his 'i love you but not that part/s, and so fuck it, "no nightingales""... i don't know if that was the intention of the script/narrative, but it's certainly how it looked to me - that aziraphale was almost fully accepting of who crowley was (bearing in he doesn't have the facts - *sideeye*).

crowley's image of aziraphale however is so inaccurate and, as with just about everything that is crowley and his story, he doesn't like or want to hear or accept the truth if it doesn't suit him. run away together? aziraphale is practically the shaking-chihuahua antithesis of running away from things. reject heaven because they're toxic? yes, but it won't change unless they perhaps try to change it themselves. we could have been us? aziraphale was literally offering this to you, and a chance (as aziraphale genuinely believes at that time, naivety notwithstanding) to actually be free and safe in being so. whether crowley clings to this narrative out of loneliness, a hope of true redemption, stubborn pig-headedness, or a combination of these and others besides, he really set himself up for disaster.

aziraphale has his hand in the issue too, there's no doubt - he's pretty incompetent about seeing things truly outside of his own comfy little world (bookshop or in his head, either works), and doesn't make any overt measures to try to infer and understand the things that are left Unsaid. whilst crowley is keeping things from him and hiding behind a mask, aziraphale by all accounts is a smart guy, and even without the full facts you'd think he'd at least be able to surmise why crowley cannot say yes to restoration... or maybe he does, but by the point that he's caught up enough to understand, crowley already lit the touchpaper and aziraphale retreats in his own hurt and sense of rejection.

the fact of the matter is that these characters, for having known each other for so long (in varying degrees of intimacy, granted), just do not know the first thing about what their respective cores are. it's very easy to focus on the star-crossed lovers element of the story (including myself in that number) and hyper-romanticise that aspect, than actually recognise the constant, problematic miscommunication and subsequent misunderstanding that - the way it's currently going - is going to lead them straight to their demise.

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1124 review

Egghead lingers on for one last coda, but it's worth staying for, closing those last few emotional openings that we'd all been wondering about. But there's kind of not a lot to say about it. The things that happen pay off the arc's buildup in ways that make sense, and they all work well in those functions. To try and overanalyse what makes them work would just sound like 'this is a good ending because it follows up on this, this and this happening earlier,' and at that point I'm just recapping the arc. But we don't need to go too deep to know this is a good chapter. It just has to be read for the feeling that it works to come across.

The Vivi and Morgans dynamic has proved unexpectedly fun since they got paired up, although I don't think Wapol contributes quite as much to it. Morgans is still such an enjoyable character on the whole, chasing only the money, whether that means defying the Government to tell the truth, or defying the truth to put a dramatic spin. His attitude toward the world sinking is the ultimate show of how it's all about him. Big fan of Vivi's 'don't expect to live through it anyway' attitude here. That's a girl with nothing left to lose. It makes me very excited to see what her role is going to be in the upcoming arcs and the series' finale.

I'm happy to see Sentomaru making it out, even if it's rough how left in the lurch the guy must be now. Too bad for him he couldn't make it to the giants' ship. But if Sentomaru is escaping alone, what will come of Stussy and (maybe) Edison? I'm still betting on a cover story.

Borsalino's breakdown absolutely steals the show this week. It hits home the subtext that's been building through the arc to make him a much more nuanced figure than I think anyone would have guessed from his introduction at Sabaody. Maybe more surprising is Sakazuki's acknowledgement of his own insensitivity. Makes you wonder what kind of conversation went down between him and Garp post-Marineford…

It's good seeing the crew acknowledge their failure to save Vegapunk and process it in different ways. Even with a way to soften the blow and move on almost immediately, there's good characterisation in Zoro's harshness, Franky and Jinbei's rationalising, and Luffy's despondentness. On the pick-up, I speculated last week that the links between Vegapunks would be a justification - they clearly share the stella's memories from before their creation. Lilith is obviously taking on traits and functions from the fallen satellites, but it's not clear how much of their minds and memories are coming with that data. And how is it being transferred with the connection to Punk Hazard severed? Hopefully she stays in the limelight through Elbaf so we can see the actual capacity at which the others are alive through her.

I'm a big fan of the art showing how small everyone is compared to giant furniture as well. That makes me excited for the Elbaf setting.

The last party scene makes for a beautiful spread, especially finally seeing Jinbei as a part of one of these. The new outfits so soon is an interesting touch as well. Are these the Elbaf fits, or will we get new, viking-inspired ones after making landfall?

And the final stinger might just be the guy drinking with Crocus from that one cover story! I've waited so long, please don't let it be a fakeout. What's with the 'war-land' epithet and ominous rumble on the Elbaf establishing shot though? Not sure we've seen those before. A somewhat ominous lead-in to the new adventure.

The short pagecount and another break are definitely unfortunate, but with a new island on the horizon, I'm more excited than upset. Oda's obviously been waiting to draw this one for a very long time, so I'm keep to see what he's got in store.

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