#i'm never nice in video games because niceness in stories bores me. but in real life??

[crimeronan]

there's a secret world of beautiful human interaction that opens up when you're a delivery driver who's nice to restaurant workers. two days ago a lady at a donut shop gave me a free donut and coffee for breakfast because i was a doordasher picking up an enormous order at six in the morning. an old man in a hotel lobby at 2 AM fervently told me "be safe out there" as i was leaving. the same happened with a guy working at a 24-hour mexican place at 3 AM. (i imagine being a woman-thing doing deliveries in the middle of the night worries people.) sometimes i tell mcdonalds workers, "it's okay, take your time," and they'll wilt with relief like "girl. you will not BELIEVE the night we're having." i talked to another doordasher while we were waiting to pick up orders from a fast food chain and he showed me some ridiculous messages from his last customer like "can you Believe this lady. UNREAL." i feel like a character in a video game who knows all the secret thieves cant nonsense to speak to people in the criminal underworld, except it's just like. knowing all the words that suddenly turn off the customer service persona in the NPCs.

[britt-kageryuu]

Leo was a bit bored and rambling. Though the audience and chat were enjoying him talking. His model was dressed in a white shirt with a blue flannel overtop it, bluejeans, sneakers, and his mask with one gay tail, and one pride tail. His model is seated in a version of his train car.

"I don't really understand those ASMR videos, or those voice packs I heard other VTubers do. While I get that some of them are kinda like those audio dramas that are published for popular amime/manga, games and light novels, it's still just a bit weird." He pauses to grab something, which was apparently a book.

"Like in the back of this book is the scripts for a couple audio dramas for this one series. They're from the main girls fiance's pov, but when he talks to her, they didn't record her talking. You just have his thoughts on what she's saying. Actually give me a sec." Leo mutes his mic, and the audience can see he's doing something.

After a few minutes he turns the mic back on, and starts talking with a slightly different tone to his voice, "Hey, sorry if I kept you waiting! I got caught up in traffic... Oh you just got here? You're not just saying that to make me feel better are you?" Leo's model has a bit of a playful look, and he switches the background to a park with sakura trees in full bloom. "I hope you don't mind us having a picnic instead of going to that anime café. They were booked full. But hey the weather is nice, and I made us some lunch." His model holds up a big fancy stacked bento box.

"What?! You didn't think I could cook? Just because I don't do the fancy stuff like my brother, doesn't mean I can't cook. Trust me, you'll love this. But first let's find a place to set up our picnic... Oh you like this spot?" Leo pauses, and then switched back to his train car.

When he started talking again he was back to his usual tone, "Okay, that wasn't that bad, but it's got to be a pain in the butt to write this stuff out, or improve it in a way that sounds natural if a bit cliche. That was just me rehashing some popular romance story tropes, and I couldn't get very far before I started to kinda hit a road block." Leo pauses to take a drink of his tea, "Maybe I could get Dee to try reading some stuff like this. Maybe frame it as, 'I bet you can't read this in a non flat voice!' Or something." He starts to read over the chat, and scrolls back to about where he started to read off his quick script, just reading some of the reactions.

"While this will definitely not be a big thing, and we might never do this again, it would be interesting to see you guys reaction to us posting a couple videos like that. No Promises Though!! We may be creative, but we do have day jobs." Leo continues to read through the chat, before something catches his attention.

"What in the name of Pizza Supreme does that mean? Is that some new thing, or slang? I'm gonna look this up real quick." Leo then goes down a rabbit hole of searching, and kind of forgot he was streaming, and the audience if just listening to his random mumbling about whatever it was he looked up, and then got sidetracked by.

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

Masterpost

Really I personally don't fully understand ASMR. The closest I ever got, was listening to a song while reading, and the song just kinda resonated with how I was reading the story, and I got a shiver up my spine.

[hyouta]

Dream Drop Distance might be my favourite KH game overall (so far at least).

(I mainly made this post separate because I had a question about the next set of games/movies - at the end of the post)

I finished my replay this evening and I'm still heart eyes over this game. Besides my personal bias of it coming out around the time I was going through a medical scare, no one can convince me that it's a bad game (or a bad Kingdom Hearts game).

This is only my second playthrough but I've still NEVER had an issue with the drop mechanic. Maybe it's because I only play on standard, but it never got in the way of any boss fights.

I think the other arguments I see is regarding the time travel plot and honestly it doesn't bother me, especially after experiencing the series properly. I don't know how much was actually planned, what was retconned etcetera but it didn't feel that out of place in the series.

Then there was something about how you can exploit the dream eaters affinity links and brother I just do not care to consider exploits when considering if a game is good or not. Honestly how many people are even going to discover exploits naturally? Other Kingdom Hearts games had exploits too but that's never brought them down.

ANYWAY, some notes I made playing (I literally stopped tweeting and just opened up my notes up for these posts):

The 3DS version of the opening is surperior

I'm a short hair Riku truther (also on that note, a cyan blue eye colour truther, even though I hate that so many characters have blue eyes - I saw people colour Terra's eyes brown and Ven's eyes green and I like that a lot)

I had to get used the the command system d-pad again, but honestly it didn't take that long, I only get stressed when I need cure.

I do miss donald and goofy... it was nice when they helped in re:coded hollow bastion (though it kinda sucks that dream eaters as party members is limited to one game)

I swear I got dual audio in the first flowmotion tutorial because I don't think it was supposed to sound like that

Do people see the χ-blade subtitle in real life because I don't know how they make the distinction

I have ZERO memory of flick rush to the point where I don't think I played it (and didn't play it this time either oops, maybe if I'm trophy hunting later)

I actually understand Sora's connection to Tron now so the Tron world makes a tiny bit more sense... the movie story however... still clueless

I remember when I originally played DDD that Rinzler was more difficult for me than Gigabyte Mantis, but this time it was reversed... if only because I forgot to lock-on and kept triggering flowmotion

"Me at every line of dialogue: how can I make this about akusai" lol I mean, I don't think I realised the parallels until more recently (or I just forgot)

I accidentally played out of order and I realised they... don't actually account for this; DDD can have one flaw, as a treat

Tries not getting my hopes up re: seeing TWEWY (or Neo TWEWY) characters in KH4

Symphony of Sorcery is top 3 worlds for me... maybe even number one, I just wish it wasn't so short...

Translating the reality shifts (and dream eater mini games) from handheld to console is a bit awkward but they made it work I guess

"Pain" ah yes, the husbands reunited lol Not sure if I missed it or if it was talked about elsewhere but I hope they had the decency to make Saïx a nobody again when he was still unconscious... I wanna know about all these blank periods!! (or do I)

Finally I understand how Goofy and Donald got there to save the crew

Honestly playing the games in order has added so much clarity, where I had only a basic understanding. Kingdom Hearts definitely rising the ranks of my favourite video game series'.

I can't even hate the plot and how complex it is because I'm a fan of Tsubasa Chronicles lmao

I'll try and finish art or post wips for my next post so this isn't so boring to go through but I appreciate those who took the time to read my nothing rambles (again, none of my twitter mutuals play KH so it was kind of lonely). Maybe if anyone who got to the end wanna suggest a KH character to doodle? No promises but I'll see!!

And finally my question:

I'm going through a suggested play order and it counts χ (Chi) separate, but I was under the impression it was the original Union Cross? I tried googling it but it's not clear enough if it has story unique for its own viewing or not... (also it means I have 10.8 hours of cutscenes to watch before I get to 0.2, woof)

[verycharismaticdragon]

Okay, thanks to like 5 people enabling me, the interactive Let's Play of On Air Island is a go!

Before we begin, I feel I should include the list of trigger warnings the game provides on the starting screen:

In this game, there are scenes that some users may find psychologically uncomfortable. Triggering elements include cyberbullying, murder, suicide, emotional abuse, violence and blood, drugs, visual and auditory horror scenes, etc. Please keep this in mind while playing.

Of course, I will do my best to additionally warn for the scenes which contain these elements, and don't hesitate to tell me if you think I missed a warning. For our very very first episode, though, I don't think any of these apply.

[story so far] - [next]

Then, let's tune in!

(the transcript is available below the poll, under keep reading)

[ Legend ]

In-game text

Character speaking: dialogue line

in-game chat messages

available donation messages

———— ———— ————

Ready or not, here I come Ready or not, here I come

The eerie cry is getting closer and closer. Hiding or running far away is of no use.

Stomp stomp stomp stomp Growl growl growl growl

They will never let go of their prey I can't help but ▧▧

Is that really the best thing to do?

… … … …

???: What shall I do? I am sure that was not my imagination.

???: We'll be dragged away. It will wake up from its sleep and find me.

???: This can't be true. It can't happen like this. Could it be... I've really... come back?

… …

… … … …

Honari's Voice: Wow! We're finally here!

soofarrr: Hi, hi! MoeGuy: Why did they start already?

Honari: The weather is so nice! But, what are we doing today?

PD: We're going to take a break first, then we'll gather up.

SignIn: NICE! Kard: ONE look at your phone! Carat: LMAO

PD: We'll start the broadcast at the same time, so do not start it first!

Staff with a camera: Do not worry about the videos I am shooting, they will be used for the edited version that will be uploaded later!

LoveHim: *cries* *cries* HeIsKing: Oh no, Silly Hanse

Mr.Fact: Oh, I could have started earlier, but how much content have I missed?

Ezra: Mmm~ The air is nice. It's because it's an island in the middle of a vast ocean.

2-1is0: Aaah!

Jin: It looks gloomy to me.

Naoto: That's what I'm saying. There's something suspicious about it.

MyKitten: Are they going to film it here? SirNine: Maybe? But they really did great looking for this place

Alice: Eek...... I just saw a really big bug!

[people laughing and talking] [some noise]

DUCKACOON: Hanse, what are you doing there quack?

bechill: Oh...

Hanse: Ah…………… Nothing, the camera just turned on by itself! 

Rolling: What a shame lol FactOppa: Hi Hanse!

Hanse: I'll be right there!

�������: hi

<Please check your connection.>

Screen Writer: <Never stop Watching!> Day 1 Settlement Announcement. The last place to carry out the penalty goes to......

RaMe: Show us more! besafe: Keep it coming!

Screen Writer: Han · se————!

TrashMan: I knew it. Glimmer: Hahaha, I'm going for a real, realityshow. Bye! yesHan: But honestly, we should have started with a topic where Hanse won't be able to perform well. 2-1is0: They always say there's something else that Hanse is good at. MyBaby: Not fun at all, Boring. oc'mon: Is Cleanbot not working?

Hanse: Ugh......! Can't believe that I got last place......

What the hell is going on?

I just came but what's with this mess;;

Come on, Hanse, I'm rooting for you!

[vince-linder]

Christmas/New Year Exchange 2024

Another year gone in the cyberpunk fandom, and its time again for this little gift bringing :D

Worte a little christmas story for @kharonion and I hope you like it choom <3

We Need A Little Christmas - Quenmon - Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]

Full story also under the cut :D

It was already time again, for the annual christmas party hosted at the Afterlife. Invites going out to every more known Merc, to any good fixer, and may a few well known clients. Aside from of course bringing your +1, making it a really big, loud party usually. Sometimes even some rockerboys join in and gave them some nice live music. Emmerick, as he always did, stood in front of the big doors of the afterlife and was the bouncer. Controlling if anyone who wanted in, was allowed to go in, helping too drunk people getting a delamain to get home, and interfere whenever someone was fully acting up. But in the end, he was standing outside, and wasn't part of the party at all. He sighed silently, as he heard especially loud laughing and yelling, clearly the party was going very well. Emmerick had to take a step aside as one of the Merc stumbled outside through the door, drunk as shit, of course Emmerick guided him outside so he wouldn't barf right in front of him. But aside from little moments like this, he didn't have much to do with the party. Well a few way too drunk Mercs tried to flirt him up, but he politely declined it all, he wouldn't start rumors about him and any Merc. Slowly it was getting late, the party was going full force, and Emmerick was feeling more and more restless. It was boring, and it was leaving such a bleak feeling, that he never was fully part of the fun.

Until one guy appeared, who always had a feelingly better connection to him. As usual in a bit flashier clothes, his red and black hair styles in a wild manner, and the trademark more or less stoic expression on his face, as he came down the corridor to the doors of the afterlife. He was still on his phone, talking to someone and making plans for the next few days, so he stayed in the corridor for quite some while, finishing his smoke while he was wrapping up the call. Emmerick crossed his arms in front of his chest, a small smirk appearing on his lips. Usually that guy, called Vikt by most, was always up for a bit of smalltalk, but it seems he was still quite busy even on christmas eve. “Told you, you could have joined me, Kerry. Not a big thing, but at least I'm gonna be present for a bit. You know how Rogue can be.” A small pause, he was clearly listening to his partner, but that wasn’t audible for Emmerick, but it made him smile just even more. Vikt didn't even look annoyed, just like he had that talk already, several times. “Kerry- Yes I know. And I told you before that I would go, and you are free to come with me. Yeah, sure. I know, cya soon.” With that he ended the call, a small sigh left him, before he looked at Emmerick.

“Hey choom, why you standing outside like that, thought the party already started?” “Mhm, party started hours ago, but you know, my job is bouncing, not partying.” Emmerick looked at the Merc with a small smile, but he really couldn't hide his real emotions that easily, especially not because V knew him quite a bit by now. “Oh come now, you should be inside. You are part of the afterlife, aren't you?” “Sure am, but not part of the Merc biz, Vikt.” The Merc placed an arm around Emmericks shoulders, nudging him carefully in the side. “Bullshit. You know us all better than any fixer. Knows exactly how any of us ticks.” “Well, maybe, but-” “No buts, Emmerick. You are-”, he poked Emmerick soft against the chest “-part of us. If you like it or not. And now let's head inside. First round is on me.” Emmerick wanted to protest some more, but V just softly pushed him inside. And surprisingly people were cheering, not only to see V but also Emmerick joining the party. They headed towards the bar and got some drinks, clinking glasses with each other and with the other people around. Fastly Emmerick felt welcome and good between the Mercs and Fixers, had nice talks with everyone and for once really felt like he belonged in between them.

And hell, did Emmerick had fun, drinking young Mercs under the table, getting paid rounds one after another, but his tolerance was quite high so he just got a bit tipsy from it all, but not fully drunk in the end. Despite having fun, he kept watching the scene, aiding when people started a too serious fight, and just keeping an eye out for everyone. In the end that was his job, and by now almost also his profession. It was just what he enjoyed to do. Still it made him smile in pure content happiness, to just see everyone mingle and party like that. Rogue sitting together with the other Fixers, surely not only talking private shit but also biz, but still cracking jokes and just being in a good mood. The famous rockerboys being a bit too flirty for their own good, but also giving the audience more than preem live music whenever someone asks for it.

Hours went by, and slowly most people faded from the party, headed home or just fell asleep in one of the couches. Emmerick helped a few of them out, ordering AVs or delamain for whoever it needed. After a while he got out himself, just to witness a far too cute moment, fully involuntary. But he also didn't want to interrupt just to say goodbye.

“Told you it's gonna be nice, really glad you could make it, Kerry.” Vikt had his arm around Kerry's waist, leaning against the smaller rockerboy and taking a deep inhale of his cigarette right now, looking just in the distance. “Mmmh, was a preem party. But you know me, I like it far more to spend time one on one with you, my love.”, the voice of the rockerboy was slurry, but somehow still got a sultry touch to it. His hands wander over the chest of his partner, making his intentions far too clear. “Gonna head home soon, and continue with a private party, what do you say?” “Sounds like a good idea. But bet you are far too drunk to not fall into bed once we are home.”, a small laugh left Vikt, amused by how much his partner wanted to still get some action despite being already fully drunk. “I am not that drunk!” Kerry protested, placing his arm around his partner's waist now and softly pulling him closer. He let himself be pulled in by the smaller man, looking down at him with a small smile. “And what's that supposed to prove? Just shows how drunk you are, when you wanna make out in public that badly. Or you trying to hide that you cannot stand straight anymore.” Kerry was dumbfounded for a moment, just looking up at his partner, before he leaned his head against his chest and let out a deep laugh “Yeah, maybe you are right, babe. Am maybe a little bit drunk.” “Oh yeah, I know.” Vikt placed a hand on Kerry's head and just caressed his hair softly, a small smile still on his lips.

In the end, Emmerick just decided to leave through the backdoor, he didn't want to interrupt such a cute moment between Vikt and his partner. Though he was very thankful that Vikt talked him into joining the party and got him out of his dark thoughts. This was for once really a nice Christmas evening.

[babayagabarbie]

Things that make me happy:

My family

My best friend

My cat

My sibling's laugh

The way that plants move in the wind

Childhood online mmo's being rewritten

Pokémon games

The peace of early morning

Layered vocal harmonies in songs

Acoustic guitar that reminds me of when my dad would play for me when I was a baby

Cozy blankets

The tasty gluten free pizza that my dad keeps us stocked up on

Complimenting strangers

Hearing people's life stories

Dreams that you want to keep sleeping for to find out how the story goes

Good hair days

Getting to go on walks during my favorite season 🍂

Ponds and their respective ducks

Being able to do something small for someone just because I can

Getting a little treat

Watching makeup videos to see all the creative things people are doing with the medium

Looking through a basement of old junk that hasn't been touched in a while to find a random treasure someone forgot about

Finding good clothes at the thrift store

Showing my favorite shows to my best friend

Making playlists for different moods

My big overalls that never fail to make me feel cute

The people I see less frequently that are still silently supporting me from afar

The memes my brother sends me

The way my baby niece says my name

Girly games like Style Savvy and the myriad of iconic girly flash games from childhood

Barbie movies

Rewatching my favorite shows

When I have enough energy to do my laundry and clean my space/person

Press on nails

Watching people read reddit stories on YouTube with my sibling

Going to the theater to see a movie

Listening to Aespa and watching their videos

Mountains

Morning fog

Laying on the ground

Being invited to things even though I likely won't be able to go

Giving people gifts!!!!!!!

When my dad puts on a movie or show he thinks I'll like to lure me out of my room

Being in charge of music in the car

When my pillowcase is nice and cool

Doing my makeup when I'm bored

Making someone laugh

Watching someone earnestly try their best

The way my grandpa is so unintentionally adorable

Getting to joke with my cousins during the holidays

When my mom listens to my ramblings to let me get it all out

The knowledge that people have good and love and light within them despite it all

When I make a cat friend on my walk

Learning about other cultures

Finding an interesting nonfiction book with lots of pictures and lists

Blooper videos from TV and movies

Potatoes

Chill videos like Liziqi and similarly chill shows like Hyori's Bed and Breakfast

Listening to my dad talk about comics from when he was in that scene more prominently

My webkinz account that's still active from 2007

Riding on airplanes to go somewhere new

Web comics

Getting a real email that isn't an ad for something

Editing a niche meme to reply to someone's text

When my cat just really wants in my room so he can be on my yoga mat and receive many pets and much love

And more that I can't think of right now but consider this image my last point because if this image doesn't make me happy idk what will

[bahamutgames]

ZELDA : AFTERTHOUGHTS PRINCESS

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (November 19, 2006)

Console: Gamecube

Fellas... There comes a time in every gamer's life when they should play a game that's wildly out of their comfort zone. And try a game series that they've only ever clowned on and not given the time of day previously. And in 2024, that day has come for me.

This is my first time EVER beating a Legend of Zelda game. I've played some when I was younger, but got bored or stuck and would put them down pretty quickly. But no, this time I did it and actually beat one for real. And now, for the first time ever. You'll get my true genuine thoughts on a Zelda game. Are you ready?

You know the drill, this isn't a review. Just my general thoughts for you to read. Please play anything I talk about that interests you!

SPOILERS FOR TWILIGHT PRINCESS AHEAD!!

Opening

So, as previously stated, I've had an odd history with this series. I thought it was cool as a kid because back then just being a video game kinda meant I adored you, regardless of if I played it or not (maybe not such a bad mentality to have sometimes lol). But I could never bring myself to beat any of them. Sometimes, I thought they were too boring. Too confusing. Too hard. Or just not my type of gameplay. Except one, and that one was Twilight Princess. I LOVED this game, and I wanted to beat it SO bad. But I got stuck during the teardrop collecting scene in Gerudo Valley, and never managed to beat it.

Years went on. And I started to just kinda lose all interest in Zelda unless it was in Smash Bros. I thought the series was massively overhyped, and just didn't have any interest in it. But I knew... One day, I'd have to come back and put my money where my mouth is. I knew one day I'd have to come back and finish Twilight Princess. If not for me, then for my tiny child self being so upset they got stuck in it. And maybe fix the timeline where I may have become a huge Zelda fan.

And so here we are! I finally finished Twilight Princess! Something just came over me and I decided, yeah, I wanna do that. So let's see what I thought about this game and my true renewed introduction to The Legend of Zelda!

Stuff I liked

So, to start. There's a lot of stuff in this series that even as a little bit of a Zelda hater, I couldn't deny. For one, the music. Yeah, even as someone who only consumes Zelda content through smash, it's no secret Zelda has GREAT music. And there's a lot of fantastic songs in this. I'm relisting to the ost as I write this and the opening theme is still pretty chill inducing. And Ordon Village is SUCH a nice song. Then there's the characters, they could never make me hate the Zelda characters. They are really good. Obviously you have Link, Zelda, and Ganon. Who are all at their BEST in this game specifically, sporting their best designs and all 3 of them being sword users which kinda owns. But the non-triforce characters are all fantastic. Agitha, the Yetis (my favorites probably lol), and Telma. From humans to Zora to cat. Everyone has a lot of personality and they're all great. I genuinely don't know if there's any characters off the top of my head that I didn't like.

And a lot of them are super fucking sexy and let's cut to the chase here: It's Midna. She's so fucking fine. Like, I always knew she was hot, but you don't really understand how INSANE her imp form is until you play the game. Why is one of her first shots on screen a close up of her ass? Why does she moan a little when you dash as Wolf Link? WHAT WERE THEY ON?? Her human form is sexy too. It's crazy-

But, let's get a little more serious here. Zelda, I feel like, is pretty well known for its stories? Or at least they're some of the more traditionally story and lore heavy games put out by Nintendo I think. And I did actually enjoy this game's plot a lot. I liked the invasion of Twilight into the world, it's a nice visual that isn't really scary. But more depressing, which is neat. I thought Zant was cool, the whole plot with the Fused Shadow, and finding out who Midna is, and everything in general was neat. Maybe not the most earth shattering story ever told, but like, it's good. And I'd say that matters more, it never felt like it was stagnating or getting weak. I think the pace of the plot keeps up pretty nicely. Even the reveal of Ganondorf as the true antagonist, a reveal that SHOULD piss me off. Because I usually hate when a new villain is killed for the same guy as always. And even though they kind of butcher Zant by the end, I think the Ganondorf reveal is cool and works, like, it doesn't feel like they said "oh we have to shoe-horn in ganon" it felt a little more like they were saving Ganon? if that makes any sense? And I have to give the game SO MUCH PROPS for not making Link and Zelda fall in love by the end. In fact, it's kind of cool Zelda is barely in it, just like Ganon. I was worried they'd force a romance between them but they don't. Link honestly seems to care more about Midna which makes sense because they work together the entire game. When the two of them smirk at eachother in the final boss, I loved that for them.

The visuals are also NICE in this game. I think Gamecube graphics are still really good, but especially for something trying to be hyper realistic. Twilight Princess' graphics have aged GOOD!! In particular, the fountains where the Light Gaurdians sleep all kind of blew me away lol

But even stuff like seeing the twilight over the Bridge of Eldin, or the mossy overgrown remnants of the Temple of Time. And even faces and characters and animals who are all realistic so they should look gross, just don't! The faces in particular are NICE and really stood out to me. They have some delightful facial expressions that I was really impressed by. I was reminded of how good animations and faces were in KH2, which actually predates this game by a year I believe.

And then there's the gameplay, which is typically my biggest gripe with these games. It's not bad gameplay. But it is kinda slow and tedious in my opinion. And while I certainly wouldn't say I was wrong, it is slow and tedious. When the game throws a GOOD dungeon your way, man, it clicks. Sometimes it'd be a drag, but sometimes you'd be just feeling so awesome putting everything in your arsenal to use. If I had to highlight one temple that I think is TP's shining star, it's the Temple of Time! THIS DUNGEON RULED! It's easily and favorite and the most compelling and fun one to do. Going through the first time, it's very standard. Using your tools in ways you'd expect. But by the end, you get a staff that lets you control statues, and that's where the fun starts. Having to figure out where to place statues and having the big ones slam things with their hammer is SO fun. And the pay off with the boss battle is WONDERFUL! Everything comes together when you realize the statues at the four corners have huge hammers, and you immediately know you gotta squish that spider! Bosses in particular were a highlight with some fantastic designs and neat ideas among even the worst of them. Not every dungeon is perfect, and some boss fights left a lot to be desired, but again when it clicked it really did click. I think the Monkey Temple was nice, the Twili Realm temple with the wall master hand thing was stressful but SO cool, Magnet gimmicks in the volcano were fantastic, and the ice temple mansion was such a cute idea even though I thought it was a huge chore until you get the ball and chain.

Which, is maybe my final point here, the weapons are fantastic! I actually enjoyed using the bow, double claw shots were SO cool, obviously I adored the statue wand. And had a surprising amount of fun with even simple things like... iron boots. But yeah the crown jewel was the Ball and Chain. That shit was SOOOOO cool and fun to use.

Stuff I didn't like

And that's actually a wonderful segue into my issues with this game. For starters, man, you barely use some of these tools, huh? The ENTIRE game I would see fans and junk and think "OH I can FINALLY use the Gale boomerang again!" And eventually I was right, when I was in the FINAL DUNGEON OF THE GAME! The spinning top thing, which is maybe the most out of place but coolest thing in your arsenal, is used like 2 times outside of the dungeon it's introduced in. And the poor ball and chain... Why didn't they let me kill Ganondorf with this thing? Come on. It's such a shame.

Which segues into my next issue. Wolf Link. Potentially the coolest concept in this game, with a WONDERFUL design. And potentially the most underused thing in the whole game. When it's put to it's full potential, it's so cute. I love that you can talk to animals and dig stuff up, and having to use wolf sense to find the Poes in the tomb was FANTASTIC and it's why it's one of the best dungeons. But like, the wolf only exists for that one dungeon and so you can do the tedious as fuck tear sections. In later dungeons it's almost a full on punishment, getting caught in dark clouds makes you turn into the wolf, which makes you have to go through the whole process of talking to Midna to untransform, it's odd.

Yeah man some of those dungeons and bosses did not hit. I thought the Yeti mansion was a TEDIOUS piece of shit. Requiring you to fight annoying ass wolves in snow you can't walk in and tediously carry canonballs around. Yes, the dungeon becomes AMAZING when you get the Ball and Chain and suddenly everything opens up and it all comes together and ends with another great boss. But god what a chore leading up to that. The water temple was insanely confusing, and I'm not just saying that as a meme I really did not understand the staircase thing in the main chamber. Some of them just have odd moments. Like the tomb, which is also a really good dungeon. But they have a weird gimmick where you are attacked by invisible ghost mice?? It's really weird. And bosses like the dragon, which SHOULD be cool, are kind of a chore if you don't realize you can lock on with pretty much every item in the game (I'll admit, I didn't realize this until way too late). Or the giant skeleton dragon which I actually thought was kind of confusing honestly. And a lot of enemies are kinda like this. A lot of enemies are MASSIVE chores to take down, and sometimes you'll have to take down a lot of them at once. Dragalfos, Darknauts, those weird worms under floor tiles. Every enemy can be a HUGE chore and I shudder to imagine fighting them without getting all the secret sword skills.

Speaking of Tedious, that's probably the biggest issue with this game over all. It can be REALLY tedious. Having to run all around hyrule, especially later into the game and before you can teleport, is tedious. The tears of light sections are so long and boring and kind of not fun except the boss with the giant dark bug. And like, the entirety of Lake Hylia is SO FUCKING TEDIOUS. Running around the lake, having to talk to the canon guy 50 billion times. The giant bird boss there. The story does not meander, but it sure felt like the game was meandering at that part. Why was there a fucking on rails gliding section that was MANDATORY to do multiple times. Oh my goooooood. And it's just a lot of little stuff can explode into HUGE things really quickly or get kinda ruined when you have to spend so much extra effort getting through it. Fighting Skull Kid can be a bit of a chore, especially when you do it TWICE. Having to blast off into the desert multiple times before you can teleport to it. Being stopped every 5 seconds to fight those weird big twili that have to be killed all at once which is neat the first 10 or so times but wears thin REAL quick. It's a lot.

But my final complaint, and maybe this is a bit more a nitpick. Would be the final boss. I think fighting Zelda is neat. But it's a shame we don't see her ACTUALLY use her sword a single time in the game. And then I thought Beast Ganon was SO cool for the first phase. Having to aim while he charges you. But then the second phase... Oh boy. Did you like the stupid goat grappling mini game? What if that came back as a main part of the final boss instead of... idk... any of your old tools that barely get used? No, you get to do shitty horse combat AGAIN! I HATE THE HORSE COMBAT SO MUCH! Albeit the final boss version is the best of the 3 times you do it, and it's an honestly kick ass set piece. But I could probably do without it lmao. And then the final phase. A 1-on-1 sword fight between Link and Ganondorf. This is SO BAD ASS! And it should be the best part of the whole game. Except I unlocked all the secret sword techniques so he basically couldn't hit me as long as I spammed Helm Splitter and stuff. Being too easy isn't inherently a bad thing, but like... Did you REALLY have to make him a carbon copy of the Darknauts?

Final Thoughts

So... what do I think about Zelda now? I've finally given it a shot, and honestly gave it a fair chance and saw it through to the end for the first time. What do I think?

I get it now. I don't know if this is for me, I'll be honest. But I get it. Where I see "slow and tedious" I can see where Zelda fans see "methodical and epic". It's got great characters, and music, and concepts, and even if I do still think it's maybe a touch overrated, I do understand WHY it gets that praise. It's nice to maybe be able to justify why the series doesn't click with me the way it does with everyone else now that I've actually played it for real. That's why there's not really much to lose with trying stuff, even with something you dislike.

But honestly, I wouldn't say I disliked it. Yes, it's maybe not for me. But from my understanding, Breath of the Wild is GREAT for people who aren't Zelda fans. And there's the whole world of 2D Zeldas to try. I think this is a game that in a few years I won't be able to help but look back on it extremely fondly. From its edgelord aesthetics to midna's insanely hot body, there really is something here I can't help but feel like... Yeah, okay that was cool. I get a feeling my time with Zelda isn't over just yet. But we'll have to see what I tackle next. For now, I think I'm done.

===

And that's that. I'm sure some people were interested in seeing what I thought about this game, and I hope this messy garble of words gives you a good idea into what I'm thinking. This was certainly an interesting experience and even though it pissed me off a good bit, I feel better for having gone through it.

As always, feel free to follow me on twitter where I now unashamedly will retweet all the hot Midna fanart I see. I'm a Zelda fan now, guys. I can retweet it and it's not horny, I'm just such a huge fan!!

That's all I have for now, go out and play a game you normally wouldn't give a chance!

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tags, @martsonmars, @artsyunderstudy, @cutestkilla, @bookish-bogwitch, @sailorblossoms, and @hushed-chorus!!!

Once more, I bring shitpost energy to WIP Wednesday! I’ve been having Way Too Much Fun playing with Canva lately, so I mocked up some clothes from my ongoing WIP, Jelly Babies. Behold the shirt that Gregory stole from Simon: 

Hello tags, more clothes, stories about clothes, and a bonus pic of The Artist as a Victorian Baby (XD) under the cut!

And here is Sophie's sweatshirt, a Christmas present from Tyr:

I’m honestly furious that Canva doesn’t give me the option to make this entire sweatshirt tie-dye. COWARDS. The text is based on Lizzo’s Tiny Desk. 

Here is the shirt that Tyr is wearing at dinner:

This is a real shirt, and a shout out to my spouse's friend Tim, who will never read this or my fic. Hi Tim!!!! The first time I met Tim, he went on a long, intense monologue about Desert Bus (which New York Times called The Very Worst Video Game Ever Created) and the very cool charity event Desert Bus for Hope. Tim actually did design some art for DBfH, which is insanely awesome.

He's a very nice dude and the most wonderful DM; he did a one-off Christmas campaign for us a few years ago where he let me be Genji, a fuckboi YT influencer geisha/bard whose winter outfit was a red knitted thong, a cropped jacket, and no shirt (my nips were always tastefully covered).

I will always remember how, on the afternoon of his wedding, Tim said, "I feel like I'm DM'ing right now. I've set the context, gathered the players, and I'm just here to see this unfold."

Sadly, I don’t have a graphic yet of the God’s Gym shirt:

Gregory borrowed some of Simon’s clothes to sleep in, so he’s in old basketball shorts and a very soft, faded t-shirt that says “GOD’S GYM” and has a picture of Jacob wrestling with an angel. It’s extremely gay. 

This is A REAL SHIRT, owned by a professor of one of my high school English teachers. I’ve never seen the shirt with my own human eyes; it exists in the sacred homoerotic theatre of my mind. At some point, I think I need to actually draw it / design it so I can wear it on my bod.

And lastly, as a bonus, here is a (very blurry, low-res picture of a) picture of The Artist as a Victorian Baby that inspired the photo of Baby!Swithin.

“He just,” Gregory chokes, “he somehow looks SO BORED and yet SO SERIOUS?? He’s just a baby and yet his eyes look a HUNDRED YEARS OLD?? Why does this photo look like it was taken in the Victorian era? How is he so adorable?” 

I wish I could share the entire photo, because part of what makes it hilarious is that the rest of my family looks perfectly normal and happy and very 90s. And then. There’s me. The Grim Spectre. But like, a baby.

TRUE STORY: My best friend did lose her tiny mind over this photo, and she did save it as her lock screen. Every once in a while, she’d catch people doing a double take at her phone. She’s white, and I’m sure people assumed she had adopted an Asian baby. Whenever anyone asked, she would just say, nonchalantly, “Oh yeah, that’s my best friend,” and refuse to explain any further.

As always, pressure-free hello tags! @captain-aralias, @excalisbury, @facewithoutheart, @fatalfangirl, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @johnwgrey, @larkral, @moodandmist, @nightimedreamersworld, @raenestee, @thewholelemon,  @whogaveyoupermission, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe  

[sukifoof]

Your tags about Asriel in DT being a nice guy but also Kinda A Jerk got me thinking. Like. If he were a nice guy and beloved but also got bored of people and sick of them So Fast, especially when they only know the perfect amazing guy surface level.

Like, we know he's had romantic encounters with both Catty and Bratty, we know even Pizzapants considers him a close friend. I'm picturing him like, picking one person to be his datemate or best friend, being the sweetest and nicest guy to them, seeing what their likes and interests are... and slowly getting bored, distancing himself, finding someone more entertaining. He's never rude to them as he leaves, he's still polite and kind and wonderful, but surely now that he knows what they're like there's something better to be doing. (And maybe a part of him is a bit entertained by all the drama Bratty and Catty are starting up now)

After all, Flowey initially kinda acted like that. He says he gave everyone their best possible endings and talked to them until conversation topics were exhausted, he didn't start doing No Mercy runs until he got bored of being nice, until he'd 'read every book, [and] burned every book'

So perhaps Asriel's a little similar, in that there are only so many people in this small town, and college is Big and New and Exciting and Far Away-- something I think Toriel foreshadows in the first chapter. In that opening montage with driving through Hometown, Toriel briefly wonders if after the excitement of college, Asriel will really want to return home.

I do think he does care for people. Since he lacks the trauma of Flowey, I think he's a lot more open with his emotions, still feels guilt over things, and still feels like he can return emotions of love. We know he definitely could as a kid, even when it was just about video games. I like to imagine caring for Kris really is genuine, that like Chara, Kris is the one he feels understands him best. Because they live together and Kris sees how Asriel isn't perfect, he gets bored with people, he needs alone time or entertainment or sometimes he wants to discuss 'hey it'd be fucked up if this happened in this book instead of what really happened, that'd be interesting to see'. And since Kris knows those imperfect impulses, and perhaps sometimes explores them for him(like rambling about what they think would happen in such a situation), Asriel has more to explore and talk about with Kris, meaning he doesn't get bored of them...

I feel like Chara and Asriel in UT had a habit of mutually idolizing each other, with Asriel believing Chara was the only person who really understands him, his best friend, and Chara being harder to determine but they chose to painfully kill themself and entrust Asriel with seven souls and create a happy world FOR MONSTERS, rather than just take power for themself and destroy everything right off the bat. I think it would be fun if a similar mutual idolization is explored with Kris and Asriel, although with less. Suicide and murder. If like Asriel felt Kris was the only person who knew the real 'Asriel' while Kris thought Asriel was the best brother ever and deserved all his adoration, and how do they get to know him so well? Out of all the people who adore him in Hometown how are they his best friend?

...Yeah as it turns out I had A Great Many Thoughts hope you enjoyed my immense rambling.

AAA THANK YOU FOR THIS (and sorry for taking so long to answer i needed to gather my Asriel Thoughts) i think deltarune asriel is such an Interesting Guy. we know so little about him besides Really Good Guy Who Is Loved but then theres that. story where he was sobbing while confessing to his Video Games Sins Despite Sin Not Being A Thing In His Religion. would Love to know what That was about......

ok i ended up having many thoughts so i will put this under read more <3

based on ut asriel i wouldnt be surprised if dr asriel acted that way out of fear. i think the idea of charas thoughts on Being Above Consequences really comes into play here... flowey was so disconnected from receiving long term consequences that he was terrified of chara at the end of no mercy and didnt really. register it as fear at first. and thats not surprising, of Course he would have a hard time being afraid of anything at that point cuz hes so used to being in control and not having to care about anyone. but he Does care about chara and hes so scared of them hating him or leaving him or at the very worst killing him for good,,, and in both no mercy and true pacifist he has a hard time owning up to his actions until losing chara is a real possibility... like hes scared of permanence you know?? and i dont think its very different from when he was still alive either,, asriel just wanted to do what was best for everyone. on top of it there was the stress of being the prince which ive talked about a few times i think.....

but anyway considering how he first tried to help everyone as flowey and only started acting that way when he knew he could get away with it is pretty telling. especially with how he REALLY doesnt want toriel and asgore to know who he is based on "i dont want to break their hearts all over again"..... like hes just so scared of them not loving asriel anymore because they know that hes Actually A Bad Murder Flower. of course i could just be looking too far into it and maybe he Does really want to spare their feelings but,, idk. to me i feel like toriels feelings towards asgore and how she tells frisk to Be Good would really influence the way flowey thinks about things as toriel is obviously really important to him,,, he already sees himself as unforgivable and he probably cant imagine toriel forgiving him and he just. cant deal with that. especially if he thinks that we're done resetting and This Is It. he already struggles with thinking its his fault chara died and if his mom hated him for his actions as flowey he would probably be So upset.

so when it comes to deltarune asriel, i think it would be really interesting if hes such a nice and good guy cuz hes so scared of being unwanted, but also he has a hard time really truly caring for people. not in the exact same way flowey struggles to care for people (u know his whole If You're Nice To Anyone You Will Get Hurt), but like, in a way where he feels he cant be himself to them because hes trying to keep up his Perfect Guy Thing. flowey says that the only people he could truly be friends with or care about is someone Just Like Him. like you said with him getting bored and distancing himself, i wouldnt be surprised if he became "friends" with someone and after a bit decided it could never work out because he just doesnt Understand them and gets bored or because hes scared he'll mess something up and Never Be Forgiven Ever. in undertale forgiveness was kind of a Big Thing for asriel in particular,,, he needed to learn to forgive himself without someone else validating it.... I Think About This A Lot.

the idea of kris and asriel mutually idolizing each other like chara and asriel would also be really interesting.... kris looks up to asriel because hes. Well. You Know. but asriel would probably really look up to kris as well for just being themself. theyre able to Be Weird and they were comfortable enough to play pranks on people without feeling like they needed to...... Beg Forgiveness From A Priest?? he probably wants to be able to feel that kind of freedom. and given how ralsei says darkners are there to "assist lightners"... and everything going on with the concept of freedom................. idk i just Think About It............ i would elaborate but its 5:30 am and i Will start to ramble and just Say Things

i think i was going. Somewhere. with all of this but im kind of losing my train of thought and just going into Analysis Zone..... i had this whole paragraph analyzing the other deltarune kids but it went on for a little too long cuz i like to ramble BUT BASICALLY i think its really interesting that most characters in deltarune struggle with lack of control (which is why susie is very important but if i start talking about that i will Never Stop)....... i love undertale and deltarune very much everyone is so well written and i think about them all so much

as a side note i think whatever happened to dess is probably also a pretty big part of. whatevers going on with him. theres not really much to talk about here cuz we know so little about dess but i get the feeling shes gonna be Really Important and if i will cry so hard if its like another hero and mari thing i will be So Sad All The Time. omori my beloved very good game. but anyway it would be Very interesting if asriel being at college was also kind of an escape from whatever happened. like if he struggles to be there cuz everything stresses him out or something......... its Way too early to guess but it Is fun to think about :):) cannot wait for toby to release the Asriel Lore

to wrap this up yes i think it would be very great if asriel was secretly kind of a jerk or had many issues i think it would add a lot of depth to his character. here is a drawing i did of dr asriel doing the Shintaro Kisaragi Grin. imagining asriel being like shintaro is the funniest thing in the world to me

[rogue-of-broken-time]

JSE Community Greet

Saw @archivefullofyoutubers start this, think it's a neat idea ^^

Preferred name: Rogue, or Kelly if you wanna use my irl name.

Preferred pronouns: she/her

When did you start watching JSE?

Well, uh, funny story about that… once upon a time in 2017 over the summer, I discovered his channel (I'd pop in to watch some videos now and then, but didn't "officially" sub and start watching a lot til September). One day, I was bored. Decided to check on his channel to see if anything good/new was there to watch. Saw a weird video– a thumbnail with glitches all over it and the title being "KILL JACKSEPTICEYE". Watched it for about 10 seconds, saw it was a medical game, noped outta there real hard, and never bothered to follow up on that until a couple of months later… so uh, yeah, I'd say late summer of 2017 xD

Why did you start watching JSE?

Frankly, it was because I'd seen this funny YouTube guy named Markiplier do some fun stuff with his friends Bob, Wade, and Jack, and I wanted more of Jack specifically. I had NO idea that it was even a thing they were so interconnected at the time. And now one could argue that I like Jack more. xD

What's your favorite things about the channel?

A lot of things, really, but overall I just really like how connected the community is. We've had our ups and downs (boy do I know it) but every little nook and cranny I've nestled into over the years here has felt like home, at least for a while. And I'm so glad to be part of a force for good in the world.

Do you have a fave ego?

Back in the day, JJ was my favorite. He's still up there, but now I can say with a degree of certainty that it's Marvin. I don't know why exactly, he's just SO appealing and I can't wait to know more about him.

What type of community member are you?

Theorist, baby! Oh, and I write from time to time. And edit as inspiration strikes. It really varies xD but I'd say most people probably know me for my theories. Those are a lot of fun to make ^^

What else do you enjoy?

Videogames of various sorts, D&D, talking with friends I've made through the community and sharing ideas. I'm always down to make things spicier than they need to be xD

Are you open to nice messages and new friends?

Hell yeah! I may be a theorist, but I am also a dumbass who has no clue what she's doing a lot of the time. As such, I may forget to respond in a timely manner (or at all), so if that does happen, I apologize profusely in advance– but please don't let this stop you from interacting! I really do love the interactivity that Tumblr offers and I'd love to share thoughts with you ^^

(Original JSE Greet prompt post here!)

[echthr0s]

I complained about the seemingly tedious and small nature of questing in FFXIV (in ARR, mostly, but some parts of expansions too) along with everyone else, but while it might have been boring to play through at the time, none of it was pointless and none of it was small. not to me, not anymore.

the DRK story has already touched upon the negative effects of doing so much for so many random people, but the positive effects are present so much in FFXIV's story as a whole that it's impossible to ignore. there are NPCs you help that you never see again, sure, but ultimately the effect that the Warrior of Light has on the world is so palpable and so rewarding that I could never complain about running around collecting eggs or wine bottles or whatever for these people. all these people are my people, my friends, my allies, the people I'm striving so hard to save in the first place. getting to know even the smallest of them has made this otherwise-trite mission, Saving the World(tm), have meaning.

there's a scene in late Endwalker where the Scions put out a call for some hard-to-gather material and the response is staggering. there's so many ships in the harbour and crates being offloaded onto the docks that no one even knows what to do with it all at first. we made one call, and that call spread to every end of the earth, because we've impacted so many lives that they leap at the chance to be of some small help to us in turn. we have fostered relationships of great richness and joy amongst many different and disparate groups of people, and in the midst of this extremely bleak time in the world's history (like, it's literally the apocalypse rn. literally), those people all come together for us. because they believe in us, because once we believed in them.

to quote our Goth Lord and Saviour Eric Draven, nothing is trivial. video games tend to make you do a lot of trivial shit, and in many of them, the payoff is equally trivial, if it exists at all. FFXIV is ultimately a game that makes one feel like the things they do have meaning, have resonance. whether it's killing god or helping some sky pirates do crazy piratical shit or just listening to someone talk for a while.

it's nice to feel that way, for once. I live in a world where it feels like nothing an individual with no money and no power does can possibly have any effect on anything. I live an existence where loneliness is a most common denominator, where my most stalwart companion is despair. this expansion hit hard on the despair front, obviously, but the sheer joy of seeing all those familiar faces amassed on the harbour -- my friends! -- feels immensely real. there's always a payoff here, always a dawn. the deep darkness does exist, suffering does exist, none of these things are going away and it's futile to try and wish them away... but Fourchenault Leveilleur hugged his children today, and that moment was brighter than the brightest Sun.

[ambivalent-anarchy]

Peter Parker - SFW Alphabet

Masterlist

This is for MCU Peter (cuz some of the answers would be different if they were for others lol)

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Peter loves affection, but he's got to work through all his nerves first. Just the idea of touching you sometimes is enough to make him start blushing and hiding into himself. But once he finally works through it, affection is always. He likes to receive it, but he LOVES to give it. He basically has all the love languages, but his major two are words of affirmation and physical touch.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Peter Parker is a good best friend...when he's there. He pays attention to all the little things and he always does right when it really counts. He'll geek out with you, help you no matter what, and try his best to make you happy no matter what. However if you don't know about him being Spiderman, it can be a real stress on the friendship, because he'll always seem distant. Once you know, it will be like everything falls into place. You finally understand why he does the things he does. Overall though, he's a stellar friend.

You'd probably become his friend because you sat next to each other in class, or you were already at the Avengers compound, and for whatever reason, the two of you immediately clicked.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

PETER LOVES CUDDLES. And when Peter wants to cuddle, he wants to CUDDLE. He wants to squeeze you and never ever let go. Ngl he'll probably fall asleep while cuddling you because when he's cuddling he's in PEAK zen mode. It's probably the most relaxed that he can be.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Yeah he definitely wants to settle down, but he's scared to. It's not that he has commitment issues, it's just that he's so afraid and aware of the dangers of being with him. But if given the chance, he'd probably settle.

He's not completely terrible at cooking, May has definitely taught him a few things. But he's no chef. Let's be real he's probably had a bunch of moments of forgetting that something was in the oven. There will be lots of disasters. When it comes to cleaning, if pressed, he will clean. But don't be surprised when every room in the house is messed up again because of things that he'll "come back for later" that he never comes back for.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Oh he'd hate every bit of it, he'd dread over it for days and days. If Peter were to break it off, he'd do it face to face. He'd feel so bad about it, and if you start to cry he actually might comfort you in the midst of breaking up with you.

Best outcome, it was mutual and you guys end like friends. Worst outcome, he gets cold feet and actually just leaves you a note.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He's surprisingly cool about commitment, given the dangers of his life. Of course, he's hesitant, but when this dude falls, he falls HARD. So hard to where he'll commit and not think twice about it.

He'd wanna get married whenever it hits him I guess. Not right away, but it's not like he'd have you waiting forever.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically- As gentle as the average teenage boy I suppose lol. Well a little bonus because of how anxious he is of hurting you. 5/10

Emotionally- Peter's more anxious boi than soft crybaby. He wouldn't need comfort on everything 24/7, because he can actually handle way more than people give him credit for, but it's when he's going through something really personal or really traumatic when he needs that reassurance that everything will be alright. 6/10

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Peter doesn't mind hugs, but he's gotta be in the mood for one to really enjoy it, otherwise he's just going through the motions with it. Like if he's in the mood his brain is "oh my gosh you're hugging me this is beautiful you've graced me with your touch you wonderful specimen" but if he's not it's just like "oh... this is unexpected." I don't think he's super into hugs because I kind of like the headcanon that he's a bit of a germaphobe but I don't think he's super against them either. He's more in the middle where if it hits him, it hits him and if it doesn't, he doesn't want them.

He gets in the mood to hug like 20 times a day. You'll be beside him doing work and like out of nowhere. BOOM. Hugged. And then he just goes back to doing whatever he's doing except now he's blushing really hard while doing it.

Peter's hugs are really soft and quick (unless he's cuddling you, then it's really long). He just wants to feel your presence until he's satisfied. He's always really warm so that's a major plus.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Not right away. It'll be whenever it feels right. And I picture the first l-word drop going one of three ways:

1) Quirky - you guys will be chilling/making out/watching a movie and he'll find himself feeling really sentimental and emotional for no reason and he'll just turn and be like, "hey, I love you". And it sort of catches you off-guard and he sees your expression (whatever it may be) and he immediately starts blushing and stammering and he's like "I-i mean- no I don't!..I-i mean I do!... but like- not unless you want me too! I-in fact I'll hate you if you want me-" and you have to cut him off with a kiss before he gets too wound up and you softly smile back like "I love you too, weirdo."

2) Sweet - he's thought about this for a long time (and even maybe told May and Ned about it) and he really wants to tell you but he doesn't know how and you notice that's he's been weird around you and always looks like he has something else on his mind (like more than usual) and you're getting pretty worried and after awhile you can't take it anymore and you confront him about it probably at the lunch table or in the hallways after school or at his apartment (is there some mission you don't know about? Is he breaking up with you? Is he okay?) and he's stuttering alot and he finally has to pause and compose himself before pulling you aside and softly telling you how we feels.

3) Angsty - after a particularly intense night at patrol (definitely with a casualty) he's perched on the top of a building, staring out at New York, feeling like the biggest failure alive. He's run down with guilt and the tears just won't stop. Hands shaking, he dials your number and you pick up and immediately start asking if he's okay once you hear his trembling voice. "I messed up," he mumbles before he breaks down and sobs out the entire story to you. You try your best to comfort him as best you can through the phone, trying to tell him (with no avail) that it's not his fault and that he can't save everyone. It takes a while, but he finally calms down enough to clearly take a swing, but not before he says, "look..I want you to know that I love you... and I'll do everything I can to always protect you...I promise you that...I can't lose you," he sobs. Given the situation, neither one of you really registers that this is his first time saying it, but it makes it a dozen times easier to start saying it more often from now on.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Peter's jealousy is probably the average amount for a guy. He doesn't do much with it though. He'll just get really quiet and maybe freak out to Ned about it later. Very subtle looks and jaw clenches but other than that, he's fine. Unless you're really attentive, you probably wouldn't notice.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

When he first started getting into the hang of first dates and stuff, his kisses were pretty fast and more like little pecks on the lips and stuff because he was always so nervous about messing up. But now that's he's gotten the hang of it, Peter's kisses (when he's not in a rush) are usually slow and sensual. He wants to do nothing but focus on you in that moment.

Well mostly on the lips of course. He'll lay his head on your shoulder alot when he's bored so every now and then when he's doing that he'll turn his head and give you a little kiss on your shoulder. If he's whispering in your ear in lunch he'll give a kiss on the cheek. Really though, once he gets the all his jitters out about it, he'll kiss you anywhere.

Peter probably likes to be kissed on the cheek and on the lips more than anywhere else

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Peter is amazing with kids. He'll always find a way to get along with them, and they usually warm up to his easy-going nature. He's a bit of a pushover when it comes to really nice kids so they usually love him because he'll give them anything. I'm not really one of talking about having kids, but he'd be a great father in the future. (But we're not in any rush for him to do that okay😂🤭)

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings are spent, well first of all waking up (obviously), cuddling, finishing whatever movie you were watching the night before, Peter probably rambling a bunch about whatever he finds himself wondering about, playing video games, and basically just relaxing before May tells you it's time for school.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights are spent goofing around with Peter and Ned at Peter's home or chilling with Peter which can literally be doing just about anything (making out, relaxing, deep talks, watching movies, doing homework, etc.). You can do practically anything with this guy.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Peter isn't the best about opening up, not because he wants to hide things, but because he isn't on the same wavelength as everyone else when it comes to "important" things to share. Like out of nowhere he'll find himself telling you something and you'll be like "woah I wish I you would've told me that earlier" and he'll just shrug and be like "oh I didn't know that was really important enough to tell". He doesn't tell anything slower or faster it's more like whenever it's on his mind or convenient for him to tell.

But for the most part, if you're important enough for you to know he's spiderman secret, he'll tell you pretty much anything.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Not easily angered at all. If anything he's more easily confused then angered. Like if you were trying to make him angry, he'd be more "why are you doing this🥺🤨?!" than "why are you doing this😡?!"

He'd only get angry easily if he'd been going through alot and a bunch of things have been building up, other than that, normally he's a pretty chill guy when it comes to losing his temper.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Oh he remembers practically everything you tell him. Even crap that you've probably forgotten about yourself, he knows. He notices every tiny thing, though he forgets the big stuff sometimes.

Ex: one day May asks him what he wants her to buy at the supermarket for breakfast and he says poptarts because he remembers that you like poptarts from that one time you briefly mentioned how much you liked them and he gets the kind that you like even though he doesn't really like it so that on the days you come over to his house you'll have something to eat...but like legit that same day he forgets that it's your anniversary😬

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He has many favorite moments, one of them being your first date. He was so nervous, and he showed up late, and he'd regretted letting May choose his outfit, and he hated himself for not choosing the restaurant because it'd show that he wasn't assertive enough, and he was pretty sure he stepped in dog crap while he was running to the restaurant and he just knew that he was the worst date ever until finally he got there and you were totally just fine about it. You told him to relax and that everything was fine and you were just glad to have him there, which in turn made him relax. He looked into your eyes and knew there was absolutely nothing to worry about and he had an amazing time.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He's protective, but not suffocating. Like if he sees something happening to you from afar, he's not gonna step in unless you make it clear that you want him to. For the most part, he'll let you handle things yourself.

Peter's more like a "protect you from the unknown" kind of guy. He's gonna protect you from threats that you don't know are there, and that are probably much bigger than the two of you. Things like death or heartbreak. He'll probably break up with you to "protect" you, which, let's be honest, is complete stupid, albeit noble. Overall, he'll do anything in his power to keep you happy.

Peter doesn't really need protection more so... comfort. He knows the world he lives in. He can defend himself and all that, but at the end of the day, he just wants someone to tell him that everything's gonna be okay🥺

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

With Peter it's either extremely last minute but a little thoughtful (because he probably forgot) or extremely thought through with unbelievable effort. No in between. Truly a go big or go home type deal. Like for your birthday he's either getting you something he's researched on for months that he knew you'd love or you're getting a card that he bought from a Walmart on the way to school with a sloppily written love letter inside that he came up with off the top of his head. At the end of the day it's the thought that counts when it comes to Peter.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He thinks literally everything is his fault🙄. If something bad happens, and he feels that he could've done even the slightest thing to change it, he's gonna beat himself up about it no matter what what you try to say.

Also he's a really busy guy. So if you're one of those girls that needs to be kept or need your boyfriend there all hours of the day, Peter's probably not for you.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Not too concerned. Like of course he wants to look good or cool or whatever, but he's also learned to be pretty comfortable with himself (at least as far as looks go). He gets pretty insecure sometimes but for the most part he's okay with his looks. He'll totally do himself up if he's trying to impress someone though.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Depends on how close you've become. If he only liked you, he'll be okay. If he loved you, yeah, he'll feel incomplete without you. But only if you break up or if you're hurt or lost or something. If the two of you just haven't seen each other for a while he'll be fine. He's not that sentimental.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Peter has a skirt kink. Skirts. They make him weak. He found this out about himself when he started dating Gwen Stacy. He will practically break his neck to see you in a skirt.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone who has extremely poor hygiene. Peter's not the best at hygiene. He's definitely skipped brushing his teeth from time to time, but someone who's a complete slob? It'll just make him feel bad for you. It's a turn off for him. You won't get his affection but you will get his pity.

Someone obnoxious or aggressive. Peter, although anxious, is overall a pretty chill guy. If someone was just on 100 every time he saw them, ngl they'd probably weird him out. Like of course he wants someone with their own personality, but he wants someone with a level of coolness and obnoxious and aggressive people just aren't cool.

Z = Zzz (What are some sleep habits of theirs?)

Peter wants to hold something when he sleeps. When he was little, he used to sleep with a stuffed animal, and once he got older he broke out of it. But when he slept with you for the first time (sexually/nonsexually, doesn't matter) all that came rushing back. He'll hold you tightly in his sleep and won't let go unless you make him.

Hope you liked it!!😁😁😁

Tagging mutuals: @allegra-writes, @angelsparkers, @hey-its-grey, @spideyyeet, @sunkissedspidey, @underoosjae, @chaoticpete, @spidey-reids-2003, @thesherlockianavenger, @bubblebucky

[kickassfu]

k so I binged the series and my tldr thoughts are that I would have enjoyed the series more if it were better written.

It's way to short to carry all the emotional beats it tries to put in and the relationship dynamics between Geralt and Yennefer falls completely flat and they are among the most forced ship dynamics Ive ever seen in any show. Theres zero indication why Geralt is suddenly so obsessed with her or why she is so into him.

I don't ship them but jaskier and Geralt have an unambiguously better build up and dynamic even though it was also very rushed and could have used more development given how close they seem. Other than that I love Ciri and Yennefer and I wish they had more screen time.

Ciri in particular isn't given enough development given how essential she is to the overarching plot and political struggle. I kinda wish that instead of the back and forth time skips which just leave me confused and not knowing what's happening they just wrote a linear narrative with flashbacks. given that Geralt actually doesn't do much in most of the series besides B plot monster hunting quests I think his character would have been enriched by sticking to a linear narrative instead of the back and forth.

If I (a person who has never written anything elaborate in my life) were to have written the show I would have filmed one season separated into 3 parts, one following Ciri, one following Yennefer and one following Geralt that you can watch side by side or after the other and they all end end with Ciri and Geralt meeting and Yennefer mysterious fate.

within the series there would be connections and Easter eggs that you can put together once you watch the other series. it wouldn't have only helped build the overarching plot as well as the character and relationship development and felt more like a video game adaption.

Apparently the series also cost 10 mill per episode which I assume must have gone mostly to Henry Cavill because it's simultaneously the cheapest and most expensive show I've ever seen. Some scenes look really good but others look like a fanmade film. Not that those films are bad and I don't know how to explain it but they have a quality to them that makes them not look real even if the costuming and video quality is good. Like that scene in the cave with that goatman and the elder.

I'll see how the second season is reviewed once it comes out and I'll think about checking it out. I know I complained a lot lol but I didn't hate it.

oh i'm actually really happy that you decided to come tell me your thoughts. and i don't disagree with most of them honestly haha

in a better written show maybe i'd ship geralt and yennefer (i don't hate them together btw, and also they're hot so they make a nice picture xD) but the show doesn't give me anything, they meet and suddenly??? geralt is just tying himself to her in such an intrinsic way? i just don't buy it. it's weird, and the writing does not pay off what they show us.

i do ship geraskier, but i get it if you don't! they do have more of a buildup than yennefer and geralt. it seems more natural, and gradual. but again you're right, they could have shown us more of their development.

i like Ciri as a character, but i was bored watching most of her scenes, they just don't do her justice, and the show seems to slow down whenever she shows up (to me). and i also love yennefer, she's a very interesting character!

i actually kinda enjoyed how the show isn't technically very linear, but at the same time it is. because geralt's, yennerfer's and ciri's stories are indeed linear, and yes we're seeing them at the same time as if they were going on at the same time but they aren't. and it was neat when their stories finally aligned. and i enjoyed looking for context clues to see when something has come to be in one of the other one's stories. it was another way to keep me focused in the show when i so often have a hard time to focus on the thing i'm watching lol so in this we kinda disagree. i do understand that it might be complicated and boring to other ppl tho.

having it be three different stories could work better to develop the characters more i agree. but it'd be boring for me, and i'd probably not be able to get through the 3 different shows/parts of a show like that. but again its a matter of preference and i understand where you're coming from.

oh def....some of the cgi is BAD lol and it does come off cheap at times for sure, even if other scenes are amazingly well done. but it's a first season and they were finding their footing so i forgive them to a certain extent.

i am going to watch s02 no matter what the reviews say. not because i love this show but because i love Jaskier LOL he just makes the show so fucking fun for me, you have no idea. and i am interested in what's gonna happen as well. i'm glad you got some enjoyment out of it!

also i'm sorry that my thoughts are also too long akjsdhsdfjhsd sorry

[natromanxoff]

Queen live at Colston Hall in Bristol, UK - November 18, 1975

x

The photos could be from either night.

This article from the November 29 issue of Sounds chronicles the second night in Bristol.

Queen triumphant

QUEEN ARE the type of group that make a man want to abandon rock writing. They pose questions and never provide answers. They exist in their own space-time continuum, visible and audible but keeping their secrets to themselves.

On the surface they couldn't be a nicer bunch of people, but they carry English reticence to an epitome. It isn't, as Geoff Barton said two weeks ago, that they're boring, it's just that they're reserved. Or in writer parlance, they don't automatically provide colourful copy. All my instincts as a writer tell me that there is a great story in that band, but after two nights with them I'm hardly any the wiser.

Skin tight

That their insularity has a lot to do with them being one of the most amazing heavy-metal and/or rock bands in Britain - with all the signs that they'll end up monsters on the order of Zep - is fairly obvious, but just how much bearing it has on the matter is hard to say. The enigmas they might pose mightn't even have answers.

Is there any logical reason why they present an image and persona straight out of the Beatles school of interlocking chemistry?

John is reserved, almost nonchalant on stage, as if it's all in a small, personal joke. When asked how he saw himself within the framework of the band he replied, with a small smile, "I'm the bassist".

Roger is his opposite, the cheeky sidekick in a Clint Eastwood movie, and attracting a lot of cheesecake attention in America and Japan.

Freddie is an original - one of the most dynamic singers to tread the boards in quite a few years. His attraction is obvious.

Brian is perhaps the biggest enigma of all. What is this seemingly frail, gaunt astronomer doing on that stage, striding purposefully and blasting diamond-hard rock? They're all equally strong personalities - like the Beatles there's no one major focal point. Ask four fans who their dream Queen is and you'll get four different answers.

Queen have been busy lads these past few months. Having disassociated themselves from their former management and joined with John Reid, the fourth album was seen to. Reid decided that a tight schedule wouldn't cause them undue harm, and figured on two months to record before embarking on this current tour.

Only Queen are driven to better each previous album - which at this stage of the game is obviously producing some excellent results - and 'A Night At The Opera' turned into a saga - culminating in 36-hour mixing sessions in an effort to allow at least a few days for rehearsal. In the end they managed three and a half days at Elstree with four hours off to videotape the promotional film for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

Their first few dates had not been without errors and the quartet were still not feeling totally comfortable their second night in Bristol, fourth night of the tour. You'd never know it, though.

Like all other aspects of the group, the stage is sophisticated. A black scrim provides a backdrop bounded by a proscenium of lights both front and rear. At each side the p.a. rises like a mutant marriage of Mammon and Robby the Robot. Amp power is readily evident but the most extraordinary is Brian May's subtle set up: nine Vox boxes stepping back in rows of three. The only packing crate visible is holding a tray of drinks, and you may rest assured that no roadie will rush, crawl or lurk across the stage while the show is in progress unless it's to rescue Freddie's mike from the clawing crowd.

As the auditorium darkens the sound of an orchestra tuning up is heard over the p.a. The conductor taps his baton on the music stand and a slightly effete voice welcomes the audience to A Night At The Opera. The Gilbert & Sullivan portion of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' follows, a brief glimpse of Freddie is allowed, and then in a blast of flares and white smoke the blitzkrieg begins.

Roger is barely visible behind his kit, just his eyes and tousled locks. John is wearing a white suit and playing the-man-who-must-stand-still-or-it-will-all-blow-away. Brian is slightly medieval in his green and white Zandra Rhodes top, while Freddie is...

Around his ankles his satin white pants flare like wings - fleet footed Hermes. Everything north of the knee is skin tight - tighter than skin tight - with a zip-up front open to AA rating. But further south, definitely in X territory, lurks a bulge not unlike the Sunday Telegraph.

There have been sex objects and sex bombs, superstar potency and the arrogant presentation of this all-important area, but never has a man's weaponry been so flagrantly showcased. Fred could jump up on the drum stand and shake his cute arse, leap about and perform all manner of amazing acrobatics, but there it was, this rope in repose, barely leashed tumescence, the Queen's sceptre. Oh to be that hot costume, writhing across the mighty Fred!

Phallic

Freddie is not pretty in the conventional sense of the word; like Mick Jagger of '64, he is his own convention. Also like the Jagger of the time, his stage persona and action is unlike anything else. Although it borrows - like most of the group's plagiarisms - slightly from Zeppelin, in tandem with Freddie's supreme assurance and belief in himself - he always refers to himself as a star - it explodes into something that is a constant delight to watch.

He reacts to his audience almost like an over-emotional actress - Gloria Swanson, say, or perhaps Holly Woodlawn playing Bette Davis. At the climax of the second night in Bristol he paused at the top of the drum stand, looked back over the crowd and with complete, heartfelt emotion placed his delicate fingers to lips and blew a kiss. Any person who can consume themselves so completely in such a clichéd showbiz contrivance deserves to be called a star.

Freddie's real talent, though, is with his mike stand. No Rod Stewart mike stand callisthenics here, just a shortee stick that doubles as a cock, machine gun, ambiguous phallic symbol, and for a fleeting moment an imaginary guitar. He has a neat trick of standing quite still in particularly frantic moments and holding the stand vertically from his crotch up, draw a fragile finger along its length, ever closer to the taunting eyes that survey his audience.

Their show contains lots of bombs and smoke, lots of lights, lots of noise. They fulfil the function of supremely good heavy metal - i.e. you don't get a second to think about what's going on. When they do let up for a few minutes, it's only so you can focus in on the bright blue electric charge crackling between your ears.

Bulldozer

Dominating the sound is Roger's drumming, a bulldozer echo that bounces like an elastic membrane, meshing with your solar plexus so that your body pulses in synch with the thunder. Tuned into that, everything else is just supremely nice icing.

For three days rehearsal, after eight months off the road Bristol was extremely impressive. In speculative mood I quizzed people on how long they thought it would take to headline Madison Square Garden. I was thought a radical at a year and a half. John Reid smilingly assured me it would take a year.

That Queen should end up with John Reid is an entirely logical proceeding. Everything about Queen demands that the world eventually kowtows at their feet in complete acquiescence - so big that bodyguards have to accompany them at every step. Well, no - they found that an annoyance in Japan, but, you know, huge.

Such status demands a Reid or a Peter Grant, and whatever the causes for their leaving Jack Nelson and Trident, an elegant group like Queen is going to look for a man with class. Reid found the idea of managing a group interesting, and having to deal with four strong personalities a challenge. He only concerns himself with their business and ensuring that the year ahead is mapped out. In January they begin a jaunt through the Orient, Australia and America, by which time it's March and they begin preparations for the next album.

Reid's prediction of a year was proven highly credible the next evening in Cardiff. The band had still not paused from the rush up to the tour and spent most of the day relaxing and sleeping - no doubt a factor in their near recumbent profile. Also, unlike most groups, they were keeping their dissatisfaction with the show to themselves.

They stopped off at Harlech TV on the way to see a cassette of the video for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The general consensus was quite good for four hours, with much laughter during the operetta. Brian finds film of the group educational - the first time he saw himself was a Mike Mansfield opus for 'Keep Yourself Alive' - "It was 'All right fellows, give it everything you've got but don't move off that spot.' It was terrible." You don't like Mansfield, eh? "Oh, I hate him - we all do... I was horrified when I saw it - I couldn't believe we looked that bad. I looked very static - seeing myself has taught me a lot about stage movement. Some of the things I do are planned for effect, but it's mostly just feeling the audience and communicating that back to them."

Arriving at the motel - several miles out of town - Freddie immediately fell asleep, John held court of a sort, joined later by Brian, while Roger went jogging, a daily event when touring. Tuning in to rock via Bill Haley and Tommy Steele, he became a drummer because he was better at it than guitar. All through school he was in bands; he only went to dental school out of "middle class conditioning, and it was a good way to stay in London without having to work". His mother thought it a bit strange when he opted for a career as a rock star, but she doesn't worry too much now.

The concert starts in much the same manner as the previous night, but there are signs that tonight is work, with posing an afterthought. The endings to most of their songs are magnificent and majestic, especially 'Flick Of The Wrist' and the rapid harmonies of 'Bad Boy Leroy Brown'.

Maniacal

The audience, seeing their faces in town for the first time, are vociferous in their appreciation. Guys know all the words to every song, yelling enthusiastically at every effect and solo. The band picks up, Freddie receiving the crowd beneficently, telling them they’re beautiful.

As the show builds it is obvious that things are gelling more. The previous night Brian had seemed totally out of place, not moving too much, taking solos with the weirdest half blank half possessed stare, talking to himself; cocking ear towards guitar. He was the proverbial stranger in a strange land, one step removed from the plane inhabited by you and me.

Tonight he moves fluidly, the gonzo lead guitarist of a gonzo band. His expressions are just as maniacal, but it only makes him look more demonic. His solo in 'Brighton Rock', an exposition in riffing and echo, is a treat because of his physical response to both music and audience, complete with ham acting. Freddie gets into the same game on 'The Prophet's Song', where he conducts an acapella madrigal with himself. It's a pretty commanding moment.

It’s soon after this that Madison Square seems reasonable. About a minute into 'Stone Cold Crazy' it becomes very obvious that Queen have suddenly Plugged In. Found the metal music machine and Connected. Freddie's movements explode in perfect unison with the music, the lights and surroundings go crazy, and the audience goes berserk.

Freddie asks for requests and receives a roar out of which one can vaguely make 'Liar'. Fred walks along the stage, nodding, agreeing he will do this one and that one while the kids roar on. "I'll tell you what - we'll do them all!"

'Doing Alright' opens slow and portentously. Queen's variation of light and shade is one of the major factors in their popularity, but even so the quiet sections frequently find the audience's mind wandering. One kid starts getting a joint together, totally forgetting it when everything blasts off again; guys talk among themselves, only to instantly leap to their feet, fists flying to the beat.

'Doing Alright' changes into a cha-cha beat, Freddie snapping his fingers, the coolest hipster in town, and then instantly drops into faster-than-light drive - the whole row next to me leaps to their feet as a man, rocking back and forth as Brian roars into a blinding solo.

Two songs later, in 'Seven Seas of Rye', the kids break - very fast - and in five seconds half the audience is a seething mass in front of the stage, climbing on each other in pyramids, sudden openings appearing as a splintering seat sends a few bodies to the floor.

The rest of the show is equally intense, especially for a couple of minutes during 'Liar; where Fred and Brian merge into a tight little triangle with Roger while John stands in front of the bass drum, staring out with his small smile.

Freddie has treated his encores - 'Big Spender' and 'Jailhouse Rock' - differently on successive nights, once appearing in a kimono and in Bristol with rather rude tight white shorts, giving the song title new emphasis. In Cardiff, though, he doesn't bother to change at all. Later it transpired that Brian had twisted his ankle during 'Liar'. While he’s attended to, kids out front pick up chair slivers to keep as mementos.

On the bus back to the hotel Brian sits quietly at the back, chatting with two girls. John sits at the front, as always. Freddie stares out of the window, lost in his own world. Roger bounces around, starts a pillow fight with Brian - which stops as soon as Brian scores a direct hit to the face - then discovers an eight track of 'Sheer Heart Attack', punching it through the channels as he conducts the group. The two hours towards which they have channelled the day's energies are spent.

Ambition

That Queen have become a top attraction through a fair degree of plagiarism is amusing. Stealing is nothing new in rock (or any art for that matter) and mostly Queen use the borrowed material better than the originals. That they would be big I don't think anybody really doubted. All four have immense desire to be successful, and that kind of ambition will keep them slogging until they achieve it.

But there are popular heavy metal bands and there are popular h-m bands. From watching Queen's audience it is apparent that Queen speak for them in a way that bands such as the Who and the Stones and the Beatles spoke (and continue to speak) to their audience. Uriah Heep may be great at what they do, but five years after their demise who'll remember them? Creedence Clearwater Revival demonstrate the same thing - who remembers them? And yet five years ago they were the largest band in the world.

Queen will probably always be remembered, because as their tour is beginning to demonstrate, they have the ability to actualise and encompass the outer limits of their sense of self-importance. Queen and their music, presentation, production - everything about them says that they are more important than any other band you've every heard, and who has there been, so far, who has objected? Certainly not the 150,000 people (plus 20,000 a day) who bought 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the first 20 days of its release. Certainly not me.

See you at Madison Square Garden.

[text © J. Ingham 2007; photos © Kate Simon]

~ You can see the photos which was mentioned on the article, from the link on the title. ~

[recurring-polynya]

I was reading your response to that anon about renji's character - very nice response by the way! - and saw your tag about "infinite jest." I own that book and i'm curious on your thoughts on it? i find it a bit daunting (my paperback is in size 9 font, single space [!!!]) and i have plans to read it this summer. How did you feel about the story? Would you reread it? Did you take notes? (I read a review where someone had a notebook on the book so they could keep track of the story). If you answer, thank you for doing so!

WOW I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me for my Infinite Jest wisdom! I feel so honored!

So, I read Infinite Jest twice, about 7 years ago. I am constantly threatening to read it again. The first time took me six months, I do not remember how long the second time took. I did not do this for a class or anything, I just did it because I am insufferable.

My first tip to reading Infinite Jest is to think of it as a project, not like reading a book. Reading Infinite Jest is not very much at all like reading a book. It is not a story. It is the negative space where a story should be. It is weird and boring and confusing and insufferable, and reading it changed my entire perspective on what stories are and formed a new lens through which I perceive all media. I habitually read before bed, and there were some nights I was not able to make it through an entire page. This is not to say I read it and gave up--the text is very rich and chewy and sometimes I was just “full” after just a few paragraphs.

I am not sure if taking notes would help. The problem with Infinite Jest is that it presents you with a fantastic volume of information, most of which is only tangential related to the “story”. I feel like trying to keep track of what’s happening might make things harder. A lot of the information is arranged in appendixes at the end for easy reference. I think I read The Filmography of J. O. Incandenza about eleventy-thousand times, and the very serious descriptions of made up movies featuring an anthology-style cast has stuck with me more than an other aspect of the book (Blood Sister: One Tough Nun and Medusa vs. the Odalisque in particular). I feel like color sticky tabs might be more helpful, if you’re looking for an organizational scheme? I had two book marks, one to mark my regular place and one to mark my place in the appendixes.

You should probably be passingly familiar with Hamlet before you read it. For some reason, the entire first time I read it, it never occurred to me that it was a retelling of Hamlet, but it is, in fact, a weird, tennis and drug-themed re-telling of Hamlet. That’s why it’s called Infinite Jest, you see. I am a moron.

I did not take notes. I just let it wash over me. The first thing I did when I finished reading it, was to pick up my phone and google “what happened at the end of Infinite Jest”. I read a few blog posts and learned some things. I also felt reassured that no one really knows what happened at the end of Infinite Jest. The second read was much, much more satisfying, now that I knew what the hell was happening.

If you are not enjoying your Infinite Jest experience, you should stop. It was a very rewarding project for me, but it was also a lot of work. There is a certain kind of person who will tell you “everyone should read Infinite Jest!” and I heartily disagree. It is definitely Not for Everyone and there is no shame in giving it a shot and then giving up or taking a pass entirely.

It takes place in the not-so-distant future. Half of the book is extremely prescient, and half of it misses the mark in a hilarious way. DFW completely predicted Netflix streaming and Zoom backgrounds, but he also thought that people would get obsessed with live events and would go to see ice melt on a duck pond. A significant portion of the novel details an amateur documentary made with puppets detailing an idiot president coming to power, taking over Mexico and Canada, and turning Vermont into a nuclear waste dump and I am honestly afraid to reread the book because of how it’s just going to be an extremely accurate depiction of the Trump presidency.

I do want to point out that DFW was both a problematic and deeply troubled man. He is not very good at writing anyone who is not a cis white man. I think he meant well, but we all know what that’s worth. When I read the book, I was not as discerning about these things as I am now, but I definitely recall some cringing, and I suspect I would be cringing even harder if I re-read it now. To me, DFW was an incredibly interesting writer. His descriptions of depression are unparalleled. He thought very deeply about what it means to be human, as is evident in his This is Water speech (a friend of mine happened to graduate from Kenyon when he gave that speech and said it was amazing in person). I often wonder what sort of person he would be if he had lived, what his opinion would be on things like the Black Lives Matter movement. I am not a DFW scholar, I cannot say. He is not with us anymore, though, and my philosophy is take his writings with the grain of salt that he was who he was. Infinite Jest is not a happy book about well-adjusted people.

Michael Schur, one of the creators of Parks and Rec, B99, and The Good Place is a huge Infinite Jest fan and wrote his thesis on it and owns the film rights to the book. Parks and Rec contains a number of Infinite Jest references, but they are mostly just names, they aren’t anything very clever. The Good Place is full of rich Infinite Jest vibes. Schur also directed the music video for the Decemberist’s Calamity Song, which is a scene from the book where the tennis kids play a weird game about nuclear brinksmanship. I did not know this the first time I saw the music video and I wish there was footage of me watching it and losing my shit in real time as it slowly dawned on me what was happening. If you have read my fanfic Call Me Back When the War is Over, the scene where they watch the Brawl is loosely based on this scene.

I wish you luck in your quest! One thing that may happen to you is that you may feel the need to talk about Infinite Jest, and if so I am here, please feel free to message me if you need.

[uwu-boll]

Recently, the 2 year anniversary of my engagement passed. I forget the exact date; it doesn't matter to me much anymore. But it did get me thinking about how much of a bad decision it was. I predicated it on the acknowledgement of a love and passion shared between two 18 year olds who got a little too drunk at their first party together and said they wanted to marry each other. To think I was blind to that reality, but it was romance in my eyes; star crossed lovers, high school sweethearts.

The love was real, sure, and we shared many memories together, plenty of which I will never forget. But we were ultimately incompatible. I was overwhelmed by her mental illness, and her absolute dependence on me, and when I couldn't support her emotionally anymore, it destroyed her. When she couldn't handle to see me with other people - platonically - and it affected our relationship in a way that she would lash out at me and blame me, or even herself, and cause huge issues simply over me talking to other girls - platonically.

I had no friends of my own for nearly 5 years. Every time I brought it up she would blame herself but do nothing to change how she felt. She would get mad at me for not having friends and upset at herself whenever I would tell her why I didnt. It was an emotional rollercoaster.

I'm not here to lay down my dirty laundry with keala, nor am I to say she is entirely to blame for the collapse of our relationship. Going long distance definitely was not helping the situation, and my insistence to make it work was probably the wrong move. There were times where I was cruel and intentionally petty to her because of the way she treated me. Does that justify how I was treated? No, but it doesn't mean I'm blameless.

Regardless, the breakup was intense, chronic, and extremely dull. Imagine being bored all of the time. Colors are dull, and boring, and conversations are surreally uninteresting. Video games were the only stimulation that mattered to me, and I buried myself in both games and work to get my mind off of everything. I was spiraling downward, every day was worse than the last and honestly I didnt really care if I lived or not at that point. I had no drive, ambition, or any real sense of purpose. I felt like I was in a rut. I started drinking a lot more that I used to. I picked up drinking casually with Marisol because it was something to do and I didnt want to smoke, but that developed into a borderline addiction. There were weeks where I would go out with friends and get shitfaced every day. I was the friend who liked alcohol. I'm not proud of it, to be frank, but that's how it was.

My point is, losing keala was devastating, but I grew a flock of friends that loved me, genuinely, but unknowingly enabled me. But that flock grew and grew and then it grew to include the person I came to write this post about:

Katie is my best friend, and has probably been my best friend since the moment we met. She and I met through Norms, the restaurant I worked at before I quit a month ago. We met in passing a few times through work, but really clicked that Halloween, where we both got off work at 9pm and spent the next 12 hours talking to each other and driving around. At the time, she was dating this skinny kid named Harrison. He seemed like a nice enough and genuine enough kind of person at the time

Katie and I immediately became very close and became closer and closer as time went on. I had no intention of getting between Katie and Harrison, but, ironically enough, jealousy consumed Harrison as well, as he also grew dependent on alcohol and then lashed out, culminating in his assaulting of Katie, and her uncle. That's a whole story in and of itself, and I'm not gonna get into it. What you need to know out of it is that they aren't together anymore.

As of now, Katie and I are "dating". I say that in quotes because that's the official story. We're trying to downplay things a bit, because everyone "expects us" to take it slow, which is understandable. But we're both very intense and passionate people, and it's hard for that kind of love to burn dimly. But I cant get my mind off of this girl. We are beyond compatible in so many different ways: I cant help but compare her to keala, and I'm pleased to say that Katie and I are so much more compatible than keala and I ever were. Keala was too quiet and contributed nothing. She was shy and introverted and would rather sit and do nothing than be in a production relationship. We were chaotic forces, living in anarchy. We didnt support each other in any way that mattered. Our love was selfish. We had ambitious plans but no means or drive to move forward and grow to achieve them. I needed her to help me move forward, and she was too stagnant in her mental health to grow. Our lack of growth suffocated us.

Katie and I have known each other for almost a year now, but we've spent almost every day of that year together. We have worked together and know how our minds work. We have the same tastes in a lot of things - movies, music, TV shows, literature - we love writing, animals, smoking. We're both open minded and she is extroverted and gives me the boost I need to be more social. She makes me want to be a better person and she genuinely makes me happy.

She took this picture of me (left) and Mario (right) and was blown away by my smile. She had not ever seen me smile like that, and I agreed: I have never been as happy as i am since she and I have been together. I dont even remember being this happy in nearly the past 3 years.

Ultimately, the point of this point is this: I saw that my 2 year had past and thought of how I could still be in that mistake, and I'm glad that I'm not. Instead, I'm in a completely different lifestyle, with a completely different style and a completely different taste, and most importantly I have a girl at my side who has shown me what I have been missing this whole time.