#immediately had to draw this after seeing the dlc

[thatonesoso]

SOFT ECLIPSE REAL💓

[nucleos]

Lucanis post locking in the romance quest/date idea

I really liked lucanis as a romantic character who isn't particularly good at romantic gestures but is way better when he just follows his instincts anyway sooo heres my idea for a post locking in the romance quest for Lucanis before his final act quest that would improve the romance a lot, bioware steal this idea for a dlc or update you have my permission.

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Lucanis finds Rook in the kitchen as they come in, strides up to them very proud talking about a date. He's planned a date! Well, Bellara planned a date, he apprehensively admits, but he's excited and he's sure it'll be perfect and he'll meet Rook at the restaurant in Treviso whenever they are ready. He's got that cool confidence you see him with all the time.

When you get to the date, the camera pans you into the scene from above, and you are in the most gaudy romantic restaurant imaginable, I'm talking candles all around the area, rose petals on the floor and bouquets littering the room, it's A LOT. Rook and Lucanis are sat across from each other but between them is a massive food center piece that completely blocks them from seeing each other. Next to the table is a loud obnoxious music troupe serenading the couple before them much to both their dismay. Rook is befuddled trying to make small talk but can't see or hear past the things around them, whilst Lucanis is rubbing his brow frustrated and embarrassed. Amidst the madness, their entrees arrive and they look awful, they question what it is for a second, before Lucanis lets out a long sad sigh, Rook asks if he's okay and he waves his hand before looking down, making a comment to himself about how he really just wanted this date to be special. Rook hears this even though they aren't meant to, and tries to reassure him but alternatively decided to take initiative and suggest they ditch, making up an excuse, and exiting this wild scene and go for a walk around Treviso. He quickly agrees and they run out of the resteraunt ducking away from the loudness. The energy outside the restaurant is immediately less tense if still a bit awkward at first. They just small talk, laughing about it being Bellara's idea, talking about Lucanis's previous underwhelming attempts at romance he's had with others. He brings up the story about giving a knife to a person he tried to romance prior and being rejected, not really trusting his sense of romance. Rook reassures him and they both begin to ease. They go through the market, commenting on the things around them, Lucanis talking about his childhood in Treviso, Rook commenting similarly about her upbringing (faction/race character dialogue). They get to the flower stand and Lucanis picks one out after asking what Rook's favorite is. As they continue to get more invested in conversation, talking about his previous attempts at romancing Rook, mentioning his locking in scene being told it was underwhelming by the other teammates, what it's like dealing with Spite, maybe Spite throwing some insults at Lucanis for how terribly the date went at the beginning, commenting on what Rook smells like or something similar. As they begin to get past the market, the conversation begins to almost draw to an end, mentioning how late it is, with Rook looking up, saying how they think the skyline in Treviso is so beautiful. Lucanis clearly thinks to himself for a moment and then says he knows all the best viewing spots if they want to see? offering his hand and Rook agrees. He leads them to the spot, up spiral staircases across flat roofs, small moments of tripping and giggling, mentioning Rooks surprising lack of dexterity, until they end up in a secluded rooftop balcony area, with little flowers hang down from the tiles above it, dimly lit against the glittering Treviso skyline. Rook is taken aback, amazed by what they see before them, Lucanis starts pointing out some of the things he mentioned earlier in the market. This moment lingers until they realize they haven't stopped holding hands, a little stuttering, an awkward shuffle between the two until the moment silence is broken by a violin and guitar player playing on the street below. Lucanis asks if Rook would like to dance, they accept. It's a bit clumsy at first, little chuckles and misstep but they steady into it, a steady swaying (big ol obvious metaphor for the date). Lucanis mentions learning to dance for seduction and assassin reasons, Rook asking if that's what he'd been doing all evening (sarcastic mask dialogue). Moment is rosie, warm, and Lucanis asks if he could be honest for a moment.

He begins to talk about how since he was young he wasn't the charmer like his cousin, he was only ever sure of the dagger in his hand, the hand of someone else feeling too delicate, and it being proven to him time and time again as something he could break, that feeling intensifying even more so since acquiring Spite, with these moments being too fragile and too beautiful for him to be allowed to hold. So, afraid to break them, he denied them, drowned them, thought that after the ossuary he would remain sunk under the ocean, that he would go down with these burdens, and let himself be enveloped by the water. But in these moments in front of Rook, someone who actively is striving to make the world around them better, faces the world every day, unafraid to find the good in it whilst against all the bad, he wonders... what it would feel like. Wonders what? Rook asks. To just... give in, he replies in whispers. He is inches away from their face at this point in time, his forehead against theirs. Rook makes a close whispered remark, like an I'm here. You're safe. I've got you, type line (I'm not a writer). He moves forward, leans into a soft but long kiss between them. The warmth of the moment swelling as the music plays around them. He pulls away slowly, his eyes meeting theirs, hazy and full of warmth. Rook smiles at him coyly, ''and how does it feel?", they ask. Lucanis releases a deep breath smiling back at Rook.

"Like coming up for air".

The camera floats up towards the skyline as the couple continues to dance and the scene fades to black.

---

yeah. im not a writer idk how to fancy this up at all, or make it less cheesy but thats my idea

[fruitysewerrat]

Delving into Pearl and Marina’s relationship

After seeing the new trailer for Splatoon 3’s DLC, Side Order, which seems to focus on Off the Hook, I wanted to make a quick recap of their relationship up until now.

The idol duo Off the Hook consists of its two members, Pearl and Marina. Pearl being the more outgoing inkling rapper of the group and Marina being a clever octoling DJ.

Firstly, their base designs make it clear that they are supposed to be opposites. Marina being tall and having big ears and Pearl being shorter than the average inkling and having small ears, would be one example of this. Another would be their clothing. Whereas Pearl wears a white dress with golden accents, Marina mainly wears black clothing with silver details. Unlike the Squid Sisters, Off the Hook’s idol outfits only match in certain aspects, like their boots and zippers, yet they still look like a cohesive duo despite that. The most prominent opposite would be the fact that Pearl is an inkling and Marina is an octoling, however. Also keep in mind that Marina was one of the first octolings coming to the surface after she heard the Calamari Inkantation.

You first encounter Off the Hook in game during their stage announcements*, where you learn small bits about their personality. Here you see how they mock each other in a playful way, but are still supportive of one another as friends. It also highlights how close they are, as they know a lot about each other and seem to spend a lot of time together.

Though Off the Hook doesn’t play a major role in the base game, they really have a chance to shine in the Octo Expansion DLC. Most of their characterization here is done through chat rooms* that add a lot of personality as well as some more information regarding their relationship. While still joking and mocking each other, they also frequently compliment and show admiration for the other. For instance, when Marina calls Pearl “srsly the coolest” (Session 3), as well as Pearl considering Marina “one of the best people [she knows]” (Session 6). On some occasions, their close bond is even displayed through pictures, like when Pearl shares a photo of Marina napping on a Pearl pillow. But even in more serious moments like when Pearl learns of Marina’s past, she still decides to trust her and even goes as far as to threaten Craig Cuttlefish. Marina is also incredibly grateful to Pearl and thanks her when she assures Marina that she will still be accepted in Inkopolis.

Off the Hooks’ admiration for each other is also clearly displayed in their backstory. Though Pearl probably was the first inkling she encountered on the surface, Marina had a “feeling about [her]” (session 8) and asked her to form a band after only meeting a few times prior on Mount Nantai. She even went as far as to go to the Mountain for a whole week in hopes of seeing Pearl again. Later on, Pearl taught Marina “everything [she] needed to know” (Session 8) and is still extremely thankful to her.

By the time the player reaches the final boss of Octo Expansion, they finally meet Off the Hook in person. Though the player’s time with them is cut short due to the looming battle, their characteristics still shine through. Marina clearly idolizes Pearl, as seen in her drawing during the explanation of the fight. After defeating the NILS statue, Marina immediately rushes to hug Pearl, which clearly indicates how important Pearl is to her.

Furthermore, the Final Splatfest really illustrates their bond well. The new special shifty station “MC. Princess Diaries” or also known as “Dear Senpai” in the Japanese version depicts Marina’s admiration for Pearl again. Senpai describes an upperclassman mentoring an underclassman in Japan. As Pearl taught Marina everything about Inkopolis, she can be considered an upperclassman to Marina. Additionally, Marina is the one responsible for building the shifty station, which in this case is in the image of the Octo Expansions final boss, so we can assume the title reflects her standpoint. Marina clearly has a deep affection towards Pearl and cherishes her. I’d also like to add that the title almost sounds like the beginning of a letter, like Marina having learned everything there is to know and now saying farewell, which might have something to do with Side Order (I might be reading too much into this, though). Perhaps it could also reflect a love letter written for Pearl. In addition, Pearl could also consider Marina an upperclassman to her, as she taught Pearl a lot about music, such as meter and rhythm.

During the Final Splatfests announcement, Marina voices her concerns about Off the Hook breaking apart. Lines such as “Off the Hook means everything to me! It's all I have in this world...” show clearly how grateful she is to have met Pearl. Yet, Pearl also reassures her by stating that Marina has “WAAAY more going for [her] than just Off the Hook.”, displaying Pearl’s trust in her.

After the Final Fest reached its conclusion, the results were announced. Pearl begins by describing the time she has spent with Marina as “the best years of [her] life” which worries Marina, as she believes Off the Hook is going to break up. But to everyone’s relieve, Pearl just wants the duo to break into new genres of music as they “take over the world” together. After promising that they are going to stay together, Pearl reassures Marina, that she loves her, really conveying the close bond they have. This part of the dialogue wouldn’t have changed if Team Order had won, highlighting its importance. Besides, we can still see them making music together with the band Damp Socks in Splatoon 3.

Lastly, I want to talk about some media outside the games. In an Octotune interview with Pearl, she states that meeting Marina is the best gift she has ever received, signaling how she cherishes Marina and how much the time they have spent together means to her. Furthermore, the Splatoon manga includes a short shōjo manga (a type of manga targeted towards teen girls) addressed to Pearl called “Dear Pearl” where Pearl is drawn in a very idolized style, similar to shōjo love interests, as well. The last panel of the manga depicts a love letter addressed to Pearl. In the Japanese version, the manga ends with Marina dreaming about shouting out "these feelings [for Pearl]" through a megaphone. Similarly, the relationship between Pearl and Marina is described as ”Marina, let's make the whole world ours!" - "Yes, Pearl-senpai!”  in the official Splatoon 2 character chart. In another official relationship chart, Marina is described as a “maiden in love” with Pearl’s description stating “it is me”, implying Marina has romantic feelings for Pearl.

Whether you ship them or not, you cannot deny that they don’t have a lot of respect and adoration for each other. Their relationship is really sweet, and I can’t wait to see how Side Order will develop it further. Their ink colors really became something special after being mixed together.

Stay fresh and thank you for reading!

“It's you and me against the universe, 'Rina!”

(Also, I tried to keep this as neutral as possible, but those two are definitely in a relationship)

*Here’s some stage announcements as examples:

Port Mackerel:

   Pearl : Marina! What's the appeal of using a brella on this stage?

   Marina : Protecting my precious Pearlie at all costs!

Wahoo World:

   Pearl : Remember when we rode the roller coaster for six hours straight?

   Marina : That was nothing compared to the eight hours we spent on the Death Drop!

   Pearl : Yo, at night, the Ferris wheel's all... like...sparkly and junk.

   Marina : You're so adorable, Pearl.

The Reef:

   Pearl : Look at me! I'm Marina! BLAH BLAH BLAH!

   Marina : Ahaha! Yeah, that's so me!

   Pearl : My best friend took me to this amazing cake shop in The Reef the other day!

   Marina : But I don't remember going to a cake shop...

Snapper Canal:

   Pearl : I've been here before. A boy from school brought me when I was a kid...

   Marina : REALLY?! Was it a date? A battle? Spill it, Pearlie!

Kelp Dome:

   Pearl : I bet you looooove all the weird machinery here, don't you, Marina?

   Marina : Is it that obvious?!

   Pearl : Yo, I'll splat a dude with attitude, I don't carrot all like rabbit food!

   Marina : OHHHHHHHHHHHH! Best rapper alive.

New Albacore Hotel:

   Pearl : Remember that time you tried to drown me here? Good times.

   Marina : For the last time, I was trying to help you get to the floating stage!

Manta Maria:

   Pearl : Let's sail across the seas and make our debut in the new world!

   Marina : OK, but only if you learn how to at least say hi in another language first.

   Pearl : The ocean is breathtaking, yo... I wonder if there are any little fishies around.

   Marina : Fishies? Aww! Pearl, you're so cute...

Moray Towers:

   Pearl : Hey! How come I always have to talk first when we announce the stages?

   Marina : To set up the punch line, of course! How else am I supposed to poke fun at you?

Arowana Mall:

   Pearl : The shops here sell different stuff than the ones in The Reef. I love it!

   Marina : I know! It's so cool you found a place that carries XXXS-size shirts!

*Some examples from the chat rooms:

Session 3:

MC.Princess > Yo how do I make the chat window full screen? DJ_Hyperfresh > Alt-F4 ■Webmaster■ > MC.Princess has left the chatroom. DJ_Hyperfresh > Can't believe that actually worked...

DJ_Hyperfresh > Don't tell her I said this, but Pearl is srsly the coolest.

Session 6:

MC.Princess > So you probably can't tell but just between you and me, Marina's kind of a weirdo. She's like freakishly tall and way to smart for her own good MC.Princess > just the other day she built an entire battle stage all by herself. It had huge floating rocks and everything. Crazy right?

MC.Princess > WHAT. Nah, Marina would never design something like that CraigCuttlefish > its right there in the file MC.Princess > now that you mention it, Marina IS totally obsessed with machines. And she's definitely the hardest working person i know

MC.Princess > Right?! She might have some skeletons in her closet, but who doesn't am i right? Marina is one of the best people i know. CraigCuttlefish > i guess shes okay for an octo MC.Princess > I swear, cuttlefish. If you try to splat Marina I WILL CUT A FISH. U GOT THAT?

Session 7:

DJ_Hyperfresh > Do you think I'll still be welcome in Inkopolis? Once everyone knows I'm an Octoling? MC.Princess > ARE YOU KIDDING? Of course you will! everyone loves you! DJ_Hyperfresh > Thanks, Pearlie. ;__;

Session 8:

DJ_Hyperfresh > That makes sense. You've got a knack for teaching. ♪

DJ_Hyperfresh > Haha, remember when we first met, Pearl? I had just come to the surface, and I didn't understand Inkopolis at all. You taught me everything I needed to know.

DJ_Hyperfresh > I went to Mount Nantai every day for a week, just hoping you would show up again.

MC.Princess > LOL Marina I just remembered you made that entire demo using that half-busted keyboard you had. But somehow the hook was still dope

DJ_Hyperfresh > I was shocked the first time I heard you rap. I thought for sure you were gonna be wack tbh, but once you started spittin I was like, "dang, this munchkin got bars."

DJ_Hyperfresh > Anyway, I know we talk a lot of smack on the show and all, but I just wanted to say thanks. For everything.

Octotune interview:

Q17: What is the best gift you have ever received? Pearl: The chance to meet Marina.

Sources:

[alittlehatboi]

So, now that The Lake House DLC for AW2 has come out and threw some lore our way, I want to put my thoughts out there for the definition of Art per The Dark Place's/Presence's logic and what kind of Art affects reality (and how it affects reality) near Cauldron Lake.

Spoilers for AW2 and it's DLC and Control ahead.

So, firstly, the artform of the Art itself may not be as important as I (I do not want to imply that my opinion was the consensus) had assumed. As the Lake House implies through one of Diana Marmont's recordings, the emotions (in the case of Rudolph Lane and Alan Wake, distress/misery) of the artist has correlation with the amount of power an art piece has. An example within the DLC is Rudolph Lane.

The capital-P Painting that's the catalyst for the events of The Lake House is created after the painter (Rudolph Lane) had experienced years of abuse in the captivity of the Marmonts. He made a 'self-portrait' with his blood, literally pouring himself and the hatred for the Marmonts, the misery and pain that he had experienced up to that point into it. Rudolph dies immediately after creating this Painting from blood loss. This emotional act of creation resulted in reality changing.

This stands in contrast to the previous attempts by the Marmonts to reverse-engineer Art by having an AI replicate Wake's writing. This AI-Wake was not recognized by Cauldron Lake as Art.

We can reason that the lack of emotion in the AI's Art was the leading cause of failure in this endeavour.

So, we could draw a conclusion that it is not the artform that makes the Art, but the Artist, the raw emotion put into the work (Rudolph Lane, Alan Wake). The overwhelmingly negative emotions of the Artists (Rudolph's distress in captivity, Alan's 13 years in The Dark Place/Alice falling into the lake) should not be excluded as a factor here too, as it seems the Dark Presence latches onto dark and grim subjects and subject matters more often than not. (Night Springs DLC all being Alan's attempts to write, all having a much more light-hearted tone, all failing to come true.)

Though there is the outlier of The Old Gods Of Asgard, who seem to put positive emotion into their Art and still make it come true. But that being a part of Alan's/Scratch's story might be a variable. But then again, Control (at least, not entirely) isnt written by Wake, and an OGOA song has power there.

So Art, as per The Dark Place, is any (not sure about 'any') creation that the Artist has put considerable amounts of emotion into.

Now that we know what Art is, let's discuss it's effects.

Even before Rudolph Lane made The Painting, his art seemed to have prophetic ability. The FBC couldn't confirm the accuracy of this future-sight because they just couldn't know the events depicted won't happen, but we know at least 40% of these paintings came true. This poses the question: Is Art created near Cauldron Lake changing reality or merely predicting it? While we know it to be the former in the case of Alan Wake, literally changing the history and relationships of multiple characters during Return, but with Rudolph, it is a lot more ambiguous, as we don't have Saga, who can see through the story to confirm a reality shift. Same with the OGOA. Are they predicting that the AWE in Ordinary will happen, or are they making it happen? And while Alan does change reality in AW2, there are some cases in which he seems to predict or recap something that he shouldn't be able to (inner thoughts, FBC History), not outright change it. Diana Marmont raises this exact question when a page of Return concerns her history in the FBC and relationship with Jules Marmont. What came first? Alan's story or their own choices? While it is not confirmed that Alan didn't change reality to instigate conflict between the Marmonts, Diana herself seems to believe that her deteriorating relationship is her own/Jules' fault/responsibility.

So, the question is: would have the events at The Lake House happened if Alan hadn't written the story, or would they have still happened, just without Estevez (or in the case of the main story, Saga) to put an end to it?

[bloomburnweepwilt]

Disco Elysium Patricia Taxxon Concepts (finished)

For context- one day I drew @patricia-taxxon with Rene and Martin playing boules together and now we're here-

I kinda had a hyperfixation crossover moment where a bunch of things kinda fit in perfectly

(also mild spoilers for DE)

So there are three main concepts here- 1: Contained to the human form Patricia, Avery the boule playing dog, and the recently introduced Amber as a friend Cuno found

Humanoid Patricia aka "The music friend" was a member of the failed game studio and is a close confidant of Loona and came with her to research the hole in reality. They we're actively researching how to put audio into radiocomputer technology and were composing music for the radio computer game that ultimately went bust after the data loss. In game you would probably find their fursuit head and thats how you would see the fursuit portrait.

Avery "the doggie of boules" would be Martin's doggie and would play boule with him and Rene. (like the og doodle that inspired this). Over the course of conversating with Rene, Avery would chime in for emphasis emboldening Rene as he talks about his war stories. Avery would also be an alternate means to getting Martins Sandwhich, where if you were able to telepathically connect with the dog you can convince her to have Martin give you the sandwhich.

And Amber is Cuno's pal essentially, Cuno was hanging out by the whriling in rags trashcan and fell in love immediately. There would probably be a reoccuring gag of Cuno hyping up Amber to absurd degrees then Amber doing something very very silly and Cuno and Cunoesse being like "NOOOOOOO- THE PIGS AREN'T GONNA BELIEVE US ABOUT HOW COOL YOU ARE"

Anyways- crossover over- this was a fun mini project to do. My drawing instincts are still rusty but trying to emulate the DE style a bit was fun!!! Also these do not represent the real flesh and blood patricia taxxon at all- these were more using the aesthetic ideas of patricia taxxon's online presence to make dlc characters essentially.

But uh- everyone have a good night!!!! Sleep a solid 8+ hours and play your comfort game because you deserve it.

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 2 replay, Arrival:

Aratoht

-The moon in the skybox is gorgeous.

-Why does Shepard assume that the presence of varren mean that prisoners are sent there to die?

They could be feral varren, or there to chase down escaped prisoners.

-As you go through the mission, you overhear guards speaking about humans planning to destroy the relay. You probably assume it’s propaganda. The twist is that it’s true.

-The guards are correct. Dr. Kenson is a terrorist. One with very good reasons, but still a terrorist.

-Logs say that interrogation only produced frenzied rambling. Probably because they’re indoctrinated.

-This isn’t all that different from what the Alliance would do if they learned a batarian cell planned to destroy a Mass Relay in a human system. Capture them, imprison them, interrogate them.

Hopefully not as severely as the batarians are doing, but they’d definitely be questioned.

-As many have pointed out, the Reaper drawing in a deceased prisoner’s cell is a clue they’re indoctrinated.

-Dr. Kenson doesn’t even ask about the others captured with her. Does she assume or know they’re already dead?

-The conversation in the shuttle with Dr. Kenson is a reversal of the normal scenario. Dr. Kenson in the one insisting on a fantastical scenario, and Shepard is the skeptic.

-Shepard raises that mass effect relays are supposed to be indestructible. Dr. Kenson replies that it’s more that no one’s wanted to find out what would happen if one was destroyed.

At least Bioware addresses the change. I’m still skeptical a large asteroid can destroy one – the Reapers want to reset organic life, not destroy it completely. If mass relays can destroy a system when they’re hit with an asteroid, that’s a rather large oversight. Surely they could be shielded or the like?

-Dr. Kenson: Even a Reaper thousand of years dead contains power. Their artifacts are worthy of study, regardless of their purpose.

How does Dr. Kenson know that dead Reapers contain power?

(She’s indoctrinated. That’s the Reaper speaking. They like to praise themselves.)

-Shepard asks how they avoided indoctrination. Dr. Kenson insists they were careful.

Later we see Object Rho out in the open. Was it always so, or did they move it after the indoctrination kicked in?

-When Shepard sees the countdown, they immediately say that the Reapers could be at Earth in two days.

So the whole “save Earth” angle of ME3 had already started in this DLC. Never mind that Shepard may have no connection to it; it’s good marketing, damn it.

Just saying, they could have said the Reapers will start their harvest in two days.

-I repeatedly reloaded the fight in the Object Rho room and again and again ran into an issue where I couldn’t target anyone. How the hell can a vanguard charge if they can’t target?

-Why do the Reapers want Shepard alive?

They stopped the plan to turn the Citadel into a relay. The player is expected to play this DLC after they’ve destroyed (or collected) the Collectors base.

The Reapers should want Shepard dead. They’re too dangerous to live. There’s no gain to keeping them alive, except maybe to indoctrinate them and use them as an agent against the galaxy.

Which would have been a fantastic twist in ME3, but ME3 prefers to pretend ME2 doesn’t exist so nothing came of that. In fact, ME3 drops the “take Shepard alive” angle entirely for no known in-universe reason.

Maybe the other Reapers held a vote and told Harbinger to shut up.

-Hmm. I’ve wondered why Kenson tells Shepard about the Project and takes them back to the base – that seems counter intuitive since Shepard will of course try to finish the job and Kenson doesn’t actually want that.

I had mostly settled on Kenson telling Shepard as an attempt to fight off the indoctrination, but once in the room with Object Rho the indoctrination took over.

However, it makes more sense as an attempt to lure Shepard into a trap and capture them. Everyone knows that Shepard will go anywhere if the word “Reaper” is mentioned. That’s how Hackett convinced Shepard to go after Kenson in the first place.

And if Shepard hadn’t been able to shake of the drugs it would have worked. The Reapers would have arrived, picked up Shepard for whatever purpose, and carried on with the harvest.

-Why was Shepard able to shake off the drugs, anyway? Side effect of the cybernetics? Built up tolerance after being kept under for two years?

-The worst part of this mission is that it puts me back in the Cerberus uniform. My Shepard burned that the moment they got their hands on other clothes.

-Shitty security returns! The door out of the med bay only has three locks.

-I loathe pyros. Once they hit you with fire you’re dead, and Shepard can’t move in ME2 so good luck avoiding them.

-How is Harbringer communicating with Shepard? They’re not even in the galaxy yet. What, did they hack the comms tower from dark space?

Just saying, you could interpret this as Shepard hallucinating Harbringer as an early sign of indoctrination. They did just spend two days sleeping next to a Reaper artifact.

Normandy

-Back on the Normandy and in Cerberus clothing again. While meeting an Alliance admiral. Who thought this was appropriate?

-Hackett about Cerberus: I don’t like Cerberus or the way they do things, but they brought you back to life and they’re actually doing something about the state of the galaxy.

Ah, the renegade to Anderson’s paragon. Let’s not forget that “actually doing something about the state of the galaxy” does not necessarily mean good things. Cerberus is doing plenty – shame it’s all evil.

-Batarians have wanted war with the Alliance for a long time.

The batarian leadership have also been indoctrinated since shortly after they discovered the Leviathan of Dis in 2163 CE. ME1 start in 2183 CE.

Do the batarians want war with the Alliance, or do the Reapers want the organics fighting each other so they don’t team up and make the harvest harder?

-Hackett should have kept Shepard’s report. Sure, it’s a grand gesture of trust to say it’s not necessary. It’s also idiotic. Hackett needs to prepare for the Reapers and Shepard’s report is the most up to date intel on their movements and plans.

Also, it might make defending Shepard easier if he knows what the hell happened.

Codex

-The Alpha Relay can be “powered by an unprecedented amount of dark energy” to connect to multiple other relays or the Citadel.

Once again, an allusion to the dark energy plot that ME3 will abandon.

-The Hegemony knows about the relay’s abilities but keeps quiet about it to avoid hostility from other species that would be concerned about it.

Unusual for the Hegemony. They normally try to provoke everyone over everything.

-Object Rho is believed to be powered by dark matter.

If Bioware had put half as much effort into foreshadowing synthesis in ME3 as they did dark energy in ME2…

And with that, I’m finally finished ME2! On to ME3!

[junowritings]

Im not as familiar with Fallout New Vegas, but your courier oc looks so cool! Id love to see you talk about them if youd like :DD 🍒

Anon literally your ask sent me on the deep end of doodles and ideas sdfghj forgive the little ramble that I'm about to go on

Bentley's an oc I keep coming back to every couple of months bc A) I love the game so much and B) I love my lil courier who's just jinglin janglin their way through the Mojave with their lil robo buddies ED-E and Rex.

In terms of a backstory Bentley's past prior to the run in with Benny is spotty at best - the Doc did a great job patching their skull back together but there's a lot of patches in their memory. They're not too fussed by that for the most part (can't miss what you don't remember right?) but it does become a more prominent issue for them later down the line both in the main game and in terms of the DLC.

They do remember most things though! Mostly surrounding their work and the skills at their disposal - they've been a jack of all trades taking up any kind of job that'll let them travel and explore what's left of the world. Bentley had actually been at the courier gig for a good couple years! Not to mention they've picked up a fair bit of useful info in their travels - people sure love to talk loosely around people they never think they'll see again after all.

Bentley's a bit too laise faire for their own good - they'll shrug off grudges and downplay situations when they really shouldn't so long as they come out of the situation in one piece. Probably the only one out of all my couriers who wouldn't actively throttle Benny immediately on sight if only because they're too invested in the why of the whole picture rather than their own mortality.

Fun fact in their initial design they actually had a pet radroach called Spit! But I suck at drawing animals so I hardly draw em lmao. Maybe someday who knows.

Literally got this and got so excited I had to doodle proper looks for each of the DLCs - they've got a bunch more outfits than this but their coat is too much of a look for them to be caught dead without.

I actually have a couple couriers! One for each of the endings - Bentley's the one that I play the most often but I have fun doodling the others from time to time!

Thank you so much for the ask I had way too much fun rambling and I'm honestly super stoked that you think that they look cool!!! Hope you don't mind if I call you Cherry anon - I hope you have a wonderful day hun! :D

[randomrabbidramblings]

Random Phantom Ramble

Ok starting writing this just a couple of hours after the news of Phantom's return.

I wasn't really prepared and I still have some brain fog from the not so great week, and my brain isn't yet in the "Total Chaos" mode, so I'll write my thoughts now.

I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say the reveal was really unexpected. The DLC Is supposed to come out by the end of the year, but I guess at Ubisoft they couldn't help themselves. When they said "late 2023" I immediately tought they'll release it around Christmas, but at this point, I think it will be sooner. Since there are already rumors of a new Nintendo Direct in September, some people speculate they will pull a Luigi's Mansion 3 and the setting will be an haunted hotel, maybe it's going to relaese in late October/November? May be fitting!

Phantom as a main villain is something a lot of people expected since his dedicated trailer back in Kingdom Battle. To think this has a chance to be true is something my brain has not yet fully grasped. The fact that he might show up with Cursa's broken mask is just *chef's kiss*.

Finishing writing this as I'm feeling way better and the announcement is starting to dawn on me. I've been staring at the Instagram post grinning like an idiot for a bit too much, lol.

I know I may sound like a broken record and really biased on this take, but Phantom has been one heck of a character for me. I think he might be the character I had an acitve fixation on for the longest time (maybe on par with GlaDOS and Wheatley from Portal back then). I've always loved hammy, full of themselves, hypocrite villains and Phantom has all that plus a musical number? And he's based on the Phantom of the Opera? A literal theater ghost? A melodramatic, capricious, vain, fancy dressed cartoony theater ghost with a remarkable ego, singing about another character's supposed flaws while not seeing (or not aknowledging) his own? All of this offering plenty of character development to play with in the fandom? Canonically he'll gladly kick Mario's ass if he had legs and in fandom his selfish, vain persona is just the tip of the iceberg? 100/10 fits all my checks for being my favourite.

To think about it now, after the reveal, it makes a lot of sense. The hints, the shoutouts, the cameos, the foreshadowing (the dreams, lol, stil not over the fact that a lot of us dreamed about a supposed return). I didn't have a lot of faith for them to bring him back, at least not in Sparks of Hope, in my mind there was no concrete reason within the lore to do so. I really like how the devs love the character too. Between the cameos and averything else, the reveal really does feel like they're so excited to have gotten that Rabbid on a stage again. Wonder if Phantom willingly came back or he played hard to get again and the devs had to bribe him somehow, lol.

[By the way, if Phantom shows up wearing makeup I'll start to believe the devs listen to their fans (or at least aknowledge our fanarts, lol) as a lot of us has been drawing him with it.]

*A cathartic experience*

[tobiasdrake]

So Rain Code has DLC to zero in on each of the non-Yuma detectives. Gonna play through these in order of release. Who do we start with? Let's see, that would be....

Goddammit. Desuhiko.

Okay, well. At least we can get him out of the way and then move on to the characters I like. Wonder if these take place before, after, or during the main game?

Well, we're opening at the Scary Zombie Rex Museum so that eliminates "before" as an option. Either the Secret of Kanai Ward investigation is currently ongoing or this is between Makoto's defeat and the Master Detectives leaving town.

Ooh, classic cat burglar mystery going on. So it looks like we'll have to stop this notorious thief from stealing the precious jewels. Okay, we can--

Nope, never mind, we failed. That was a short DLC. Alright, who's next on the list?

Alright, shouldn't be too hard to identify the Nine-Tailed Cat. As we can clearly see from this silhouette, our target is a naked man. Bizarre choice of aesthetic for a cat burglar, but I'm not going to judge.

Go, Nudist Thief, go!

...where do you think he stashed the jewel? Probably best not to think about that.

Again!? How often do naked men steal things on your watch!?

Desuhiko's over here proving my firmly-held belief that the word "again" is the funniest word in the English language.

Will you, though? Your skillset is in intelligence gathering. You're pretty much my last choice in fisticuffs, so I'm pretty sure anyone else on the team is better suited to apprehending our streaker.

Makoto agrees. When he was faking everyone's deaths, he had you die first. He knew there'd be no doubt about that.

I wouldn't call what Desuhiko has charisma. If he were charismatic, people would be willing to buy what he's selling. Instead, his role is one of constantly embarrassing himself for comic relief but with zero self-awareness of how cringe everyone else finds him. His behavior routinely makes him the butt of the joke.

Enthusiasm is how I'd describe Desuhiko. He has enthusiasm. Despite rejection after rejection after rejection, despite constantly failing to convince anyone or even himself that he's cool, Desuhiko never stops putting out a positive façade and trying again.

Oh hey, Yakou's sapient! That places us pretty firmly in the "during" timespan. We're somewhere between Desuhiko's arrival in town and Chapter 4.

The museum must be taking this pretty seriously. Amaterasu's isolation would make it difficult to procure new art pieces for display. Pretty much whatever they already had here plus anything new that the residents create, that's it.

So far as new gems go? Amaterasu doesn't do business within the city; People were talking about that in the epilogue. That's a problem because Amaterasu may have international reach, but they're the only part of Kanai Ward that does.

So good fucking luck getting gemstones here. It's not like Makoto's going to let anyone go out and open a mine somewhere.

That being said, our naked man has to be stealing for his own private collection, right? It's not like he can take the gems to a fence. I can't imagine Kanai Ward has a thriving black market. Why would someone even become a notorious serial burglar in an isolated city-state?

Unless this is a human burglar from outside the rain cage. In which case, WHOA HO HO did he come to the wrong city.

Okay, so their reputation extends to before the Blank Week. That makes a bit more sense. It's possible Kanai Ward had a black market before the isolation. Either way, the possibility of an aristocrat stealing for their own private collection remains as well.

That doesn't sound so bad, honestly. I'm glad Yuma's not on this case. A cat burglar who robs from museums hardly warrants a death feral regeneration sentence.

That's where the nudity comes in. It draws the eye away from the face, and that's if you don't look away immediately out of embarrassment. Brilliant, really.

Sorry, Desuhiko, but I think I'm on Team Kitsune. Robbing a megacorporation barely even constitutes a crime.

I AM 100% ON TEAM KITSUNE. Why would we even want to thwart these robberies? Desuhiko's pride? That and a dozen coins is worth 12 shien.

Oh, it is Desuhiko's pride at stake. I thought I was being dismissive.

Wow, I aggressively do not care about the stakes of this conflict. Let the Nine-Tailed Cat keep pissing in Yomi's corn flakes. It's not like they're hurting anyone.

Oh no, you're mentioned on the seventh paragraph here. "Yellow stranger spotted shaking fist impotently at the burglar."

Hey, I'm all for bagging on Yakou for being a shit detective. But this sounds a hell of a lot like Yomi's problem, not ours.

Yuma does enough of that shit as it is. Do you have any idea how frequently he nearly gets shot? The answer may surprise you.

This was all about impressing a girl. That makes sense. I am now even less invested in the stakes than I was before.

Sound advice, Yakou.

It's amazing how much less irritating his dismissive reluctance to do anything becomes when it's Desuhiko on the receiving end instead of Yuma.

Alas, as with Yuma and Kurumi, Yakou's greatest weakness in reining in his Detectives shows itself once again: His stern disapproval is no match for a brisk jogging pace.

At least we can be sure that didn't change when he turned feral. Yakou's speed has always maxed out at a shamble, so his zombie's barely changed in that regard.

[satoshi-mochida]

Persona 5 Tactica details Yoshiki Kingdom, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, battle techniques, enemies, difficulty settings, Persona fusion, and day one DLC

Gematsu Source

ATLUS has released new information and screenshots for Persona 5 Tactica introducing more about the Yoshiki Kingdom; characters Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura, and Haru Okumura; battle techniques, enemies, and difficulty settings; Persona fusion and Lavenza; and day one downloadable content featuring Goro Akechi and Kasumi Yoshizawa.

Get the details below.

■ Yoshiki Kingdom

A stark contrast from the French Revolution vibe of Marie’s Kingdom, The Phantom Thieves and Erina now find themselves in a Kingdom reminiscent of mid-1800s Japan.

Before they can even catch their breath, the Phantom Thieves see a woman in crisis. While they successfully save her, they become wanted criminals in the process. According to Yuki, the woman they saved, the Kingdom’s ruler, Yoshiki, is seen as a moral and loving leader, but she claims this is only a façade.

In truth, Kingdom citizens are subject to constant surveillance, excused by a need to watch over the citizens. Anyone who shows a whiff of dissent towards Yoshiki is captured immediately and taken away to perform labor under force.

Joker and the team decide to stand up to Yoshiki. To do so, they must free the imprisoned citizens in military posts throughout the Kingdom.

To avoid the watchful eye of Yoshiki’s Legionnaires, who he calls the Aizen Squad, the Phantom Thieves are led by Yuki to a local kimono shop.

After disguising as samurai, geisha, and other citizens, the team decides to enact Toshiro’s diversionary strategy so as to escape with the imprisoned citizens unharmed.

While the team’s plan is successful, their joy is short-lived. Yoshiki descends from the sky, his serene demeanor now replaced with a terrifying rage. Now the Phantom Thieves and friends will face the full might of this Kingdom’s ruler.

■ Characters

Yusuke Kitagawa (voiced by Matthew Mercer in English, Tomokazu Sugita in Japanese)

A second-year art student from Kosei High School, well known for his artwork. Although his trusted mentor used to take advantage of those skills, once Yusuke met the Phantom Thieves, he finds the strength to stand up to his mentor. In the process he awakens to his Persona and joins the Phantom Thieves. Although his good looks often draw the attention of others, because of his artistic inclinations, his behavior is eccentric enough to be off-putting to some people. His Persona is Goemon.

Makoto Niijima (voiced by Cherami Leigh in English, Rina Sato in Japanese)

A third-year student and the class president of Shujin Academy. Influenced by her strict sister, she always felt she had to be a responsible student. She used to be a floormat to the staff at her school, but after breaking out of her shell, she awakens her Persona and joins the Phantom Thieves. She assumes the role of the reliable, older sister in the group, and is a physical brawler who uses her fists to fight in battle, which can make her scary sometimes. Her Persona is Johanna.

Futaba Sakura (voiced by Erica Lindbeck in English, Aoi Yuuki in Japanese)

A genius hacker who, at one point, grabbed the attention of the world. She initially lived a life of recluse, as adults around her made her believe she caused her own mother’s death. Although she initially struggled with social interactions and talking to people face-to-face, by regaining her true memories, she awakens her Persona. In the Phantom Thieves, she provides a navigator role, supporting her teammates from the sidelines. Her Persona is Necronomicon.

Haru Okumura (voiced by Xanthe Huynh in English, Haruka Tomatsu in Japanese)

The daughter of the CEO of Okumura Foods, a large fast-food chain. At one point, she was forced into an arranged marriage agreement from her father, and she wasn’t free to live as she chose. After awakening to her Persona, she finds the courage to stand up to her father. In the process, she loses him, but continues the fight after overcoming her grief. Although she is gentle and well-mannered, she’s can also be a bit scary at times. Her Persona is Milady.

■ Character Swapping

During your turn, you can switch between the three active party members whenever you desire.

Until you finalize your actions, you can switch between characters and experiment with their positions, so take your time making your decisions.

Switching between characters is vital to setting up the all-out attack called a Triple Threat!

This can turn the tide of battle in your favor, or even finish it in one fell swoop!

��� Strike Down Enemies

In this title, standing at a higher level yields certain advantages. Strike down enemies with melee attacks to knock them down!

In addition, if you knock an enemy toward a party member, you can trigger follow-up attacks! Aside from additional damage, these can even provide extra turns. Keep these in mind when strategizing!

Before you knock down an enemy, try to position a party member nearby! Keep an eye out for the FOLLOW! icon! This will allow you to trigger a follow up attack! And CRITICAL score! An Extra Turn is activated!

■ A Diverse Range of Enemies

Aside from the standard ranks of Marie’s Legionnaires known as Musketeers, enemies like Grenadiers, who strike back immediately when attacked, and Drummers, who use buffs and healing skills, also await you.

Charge into battle without a plan and they’ll make you regret it!

—Musketeers specialize in ranged fire.

—Grenadiers excel in melee, and leap at any attackers.

—Drummers aren’t a threat alone, but with their healing and buffing skills, they make for challenging groups.

■ Difficulty Settings

If your party member’s HP reaches 0 during a battle, don’t lose hope—you can immediately Baton Pass to someone else in your reserves!

There are also five difficulty settings that can be changed at any time. If you’re struggling with a certain fight, or if the battles feel too easy, try changing the difficulty!

Even when your HP is 0, you can swap between non-active party members. Always keep an eye out for Baton Passes!

Difficulty levels include Safety, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Risky.

■ Persona Fusions

The Velvet Room resident of this game is Lavenza, now dressed as a blacksmith! Experiment with Persona fusion in an all-new industrial setting!

Fuse Personas obtained in battle to power them up!

Lavenza (voiced by Carrie Keranen in English, Aki Toyosaki in Japanese)

A resident of the Velvet Room in the form of a young girl. She possesses the role of assisting and watching over the protagonist. She is polite, a hard worker, and sometimes eccentric. In the story of Persona 5 Tactica, she wears a blacksmith outfit and is in charge of Persona fusion in the smithy-esque Velvet Room.

■ Downloadable Content

◆ Repaint Your Heart Challenge Pack

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Price: 1,690 yen (western pricing to be announced)

▲ Story

Goro Akechi and Kasumi Yoshizawa appear in the downloadable content! Uncover the truth behind the strange Arsene graffiti and the mysterious artist Guernica!

Guernica, a pseudonymous street artist, somehow creates enormous murals without being spotted, let alone caught.

As the world buzzes about this bold artistic activity, strange graffiti begin appearing in the city. Among those is a concerning rendition of Arsene, something only Persona users would know…

Joker heads to the scene after receiving a call from Kasumi, which leads to a chance encounter with Akechi Goro. Joker then hears a strange voice call out:

“Phantom Thieves of Hearts… I need your help…”

▲ Characters

Goro Akechi (voiced by Robbie Daymond in English, Souichirou Hoshi in Japanese)

A third-year high school student and detective. He has solved numerous cases and has built a reputation even among professional investigators. With his sharp intellect, amiable personality, and good looks, it’s no wonder people pay attention to what he does. With frequent media appearances, his fans tout him as the second coming of the Detective Prince. In his pursuit of the Phantom Thieves, a certain incident triggers him to cooperate with them. His Persona is Robin Hood.

Kasumi Yoshizawa (voiced by Laura Post in English, Sora Amamiyain Japanese)

A beautiful junior student, admitted to Shujin Academy the same year the Protagonist transfers. With an excellent track record in gymnastics since middle school, the Academy has high hopes for her athletic career. Her Persona is Cendrillon.

◆ Summons Pack: Picaro Personas and Raoul

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Price: 1,390 yen (western pricing to be announced)

The set includes:

Persona: Thanatos Picaro

Persona: Orpheus (f) Picaro

Persona: Athena Picaro

Persona: Messiah Picaro

Persona: Izanagi-no-Okami Picaro

Persona: Magatsu-Izanagi Picaro

Persona: Kaguya Hime Picaro

Persona: Ariadne Picaro

Persona: Asterius Picaro

Persona: Tsukuyomi Picaro

Persona: Raoul

◆ Weapons Pack: Enemy Series

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Price: 990 yen (western pricing to be announced)

The set includes:

Enemy’s Sand Hawk

Enemy’s Levinson M31

Enemy’s Slingbow

Enemy’s Machine Gun

Enemy’s AR

Enemy’s Revolver

Enemy’s G-Launcher

Enemy’s Machine Pistol

Enemy’s Mevius

Enemy’s Roosevelt

◆ Downloadable Content All-In-One Pack

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Price: 3,960 yen (western pricing to be announced)

The set includes:

Episode: Repaint Your Heart Challenge Pack

Summons Pack: Picaro Personas and Raoul

Weapons Pack: Enemy Series

Persona 5 Tactica is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam on November 17 worldwide. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. Read more about the game here and here.

View the screenshots at the gallery.

[salty-dracon]

rain code vivia and yakou dlc reactions

Vivia DLC

Of course Vivia immediately starts pulling some poetry. Unlike the FE Engage characters in that game's DLC, he seems like the kind of guy who would actually do it. Fuck it, he did! All game!

And here I thought he discovered a corpse. Nope, he's just trapped in an elevator with a generic Aetheria schoolgirl.

Someone in my building was trapped in the elevator a few months ago. I went out for a grocery run while hearing a man talking, then realized he was talking on the phone. When I got back, I saw the same guy, with a bunch of firefighters. When I asked them what had happened, they said that someone had been trapped in the elevator! And the elevator in this building is particularly small, cramped, and unsafe. I felt so bad for him.

Vivia you are NOT helping.

We put two emo asses in a room with no one else around. Stick around to see how it goes.

Emo to emo communication. They are actively making each other worse.

Wow, Vivia really did not like being a detective. He came here for no reason.

A building from which many suicides have happened.

goofy naruto run

Let's greentext this.

A woman in a red raincoat is a famous Japanese premise for a ghost story.

She was almost hit by a speeding car, yet didn't die.

No one lives in the building, yet the woman says she lives there.

The woman is surprisingly emo, saying she likes to "observe life" and that Vivia has "the smell of death".

We can conclude that the woman is a ghost.

The real twist of this DLC was that the evil scary ghost was actually very kind after all! She just wanted to save people from committing suicide! That's so kind of her.

I was wondering what "they" would look like. And "they" is just legitimately a ton of evil grabby hands. Someone get the cat nun in here, she'll kill their asses in the name of God.

The real real twist of this DLC is that Vivia can turn into a ghost! Wait, we already knew that.

There's something funny about what's going on here being legitimately a very emo sort of story about life and death, and the only thing keeping the emo guy from going full emo is a sopping wet dog of a dad.

This was a real Bungou Stray Dogs episode of a DLC. The only thing missing is a multimillionaire.

Yakou DLC

I theorized before that the reason they asked you to finish the game before you picked up this DLC was that this one directly referenced Raincode's endgame twists, which were that every citizen in Kanai Ward had a homunculus made from their body, but those homunculi went berserk and murdered the original residents, before unknowingly replacing them, over the course of a week. My theory was that since this DLC features a young, beardless Yakou, that he somehow survived the onslaught. There's a scene in Chapter 4 where Yakou's spirit talks to Yuma and Vivia, but both reason that it couldn't have happened since Yakou was not technically dead at that point, so they weren't sure who it was. I wonder, given this information, if the voice could have been the original human Yakou, who was hiding in the ceiling of the lab of his wife's murderer and who could tell, based on how the other detectives were acting, that all of them deeply cared about his homunculus version.

Anyway, we'll see if my crack theory is true or not! Because I suspect it might be!

... Or it could be that the DLC starts out with the deteriorated homunculus Yakou in the emaciated Restricted Area lab after his death in Chapter 4.

Oh, he's trudging. Oh, he's trudging!

Aww, this is after he gives the disc to Yuma. Awwwwww.

Weird that they used some 2D drawings traced over the other detectives' 3D models instead of just taking screenshots of the 3D models.

*FALLS DOWN THE STAIRS EXTREMELY VIOLENTLY*

oh my god, his wife has the fucking goku drip jacket

fuck being a zombie. return to wife

I did the math and Yakou's paying less in rent for his office than I'm paying for my apartment.

Everything that goes down in this town always happens at Golden Path cafe. Or the hotel cafe.

This is surprisingly deep lore about Chapter 5.

It's fun to see these two on a date. Golden Path Cafe is literally my favorite building in the whole game, and that's because it's pretty. (I should go drink some coffee at my local plant cafe...)

You could literally see Yakou going SHITFUCKDAMMIT the moment his client walked into the room

Literally what's with detective games and giving their main characters, grown adults, child badges that they got when they were kids and still wear as adults???

OH. OH WELL THAT CHANGES THINGS...

I still don't get the full context of the ending. Yeah, that medicine means that there's hope for Kanai Ward's zombified homunculi, but does that make Yakou's wife in this scene a zombie who regenerated, a ghost, a human who escaped the onslaught, a living homunculus of his dead human wife, or even his own wife who survived her assassination?

I think I get it. Maybe. That medicine could regenerate the zombified Yakou. Then he could take over her research and create enough to save all of Kanai Ward's zombies. But that still doesn't explain who his wife is in that scene. I think it's a ghost.

[masschase]

1, 4, 9, and 21 for the ask meme🎄

Christmas Boss ask meme

1. What was Christmas like for your Boss growing up? Do they miss it?

In all honesty Casey probably had some OK Christmases when she was very young, particularly when her Nonna was still alive. Deeply religious but they also would have worked at bringing a little magic to it. But obviously once her mom became neglectful, that kind of overtook the good ones. Her sister would try and make Christmas a little better when she was old enough to do so but Casey's memory of them is overall pretty bleak. She's kind of naive about a lot of Christmas "stuff" until 2020 when I set the DLC, some of it she didn't learn until 2021.

4. How would your Boss react to their partner or love interest (or one of them) walking up to them with mistletoe?

We know Casey pretends she doesn't like "romantic crap" and until 2021 she didn't actually know much about mistletoe because of her general avoidance of Christmas. However she has a significant moment that same year with Matt and mistletoe which was the first moment she kind of let herself realise he was beautiful(she'd been falling for him more subconsciously for a while by this point though).

For that reason alone, if Matt walked up to her with some from the following year when they are dating, she'd probably get an unusually soft smile on her face as he walked up to her. If he took his time she'd probably kiss him before he even got it over her head. Her reactions may not be as immediately passionate as the years go on, but it would always make her smile. 😊

9. What would be the ideal Christmas for your Boss?

Before the events of Christmas 2020 it would have been laying in bed drinking a bottle of scotch from the moment anyone even utters the word "holiday". Cookies optional. Fuck buddy optional. Not that her Saints would necessarily let her have that, but given how secretive she is about her past, she probably managed to sneak away to a hotel room for a few days under the guise of seeing family and do that.

After the events of the DLC she took an interest in learning more about Christmas traditions and in 2021 she asked the Zin to help get everything her Saints might want (with the promise the Saints would do the same for whenever the Zin's next holiday was) to enjoy it. It was obviously a small gathering aboard the ship, a few drinks and movies on Christmas eve and then dinner and presents on Christmas day. There was obviously some chaos going on while Casey was in the simulation getting her pony from "Santa"; when Casey asks Matt if it resembles a British Christmas his thoughts are "No snow, too much booze and a fight." and he's inclined to agree.

The Saints still have a small gathering on Christmas Day for the next few years because they're kind of having to make new traditions after the loss of the Earth. As they grow older with their own homes, partners, families, new friends etc. they do tend to keep some sort of gathering, just not always with everyone and not on Christmas Day.

21. Anything else you want to talk about regarding your Boss and this time of year?

It won't let me upload the damn video but this was one of the moments that made me decide like yeah, why not say she's into Nyte Blayde by this point?

(Her lipstick always glitches off on the ship for some reason. Also Matt is not at all terrifying in that first one.)

But also something I probably won't get around to drawing but in "real time" she is coming up to around 16 weeks pregnant right now, so I'm picturing part of Christmas 2023 being the Saints setting up a camera on a timer to take a few photos and for the second one she and Matt just pull out this long concertina of sonogram photos to capture everyone's reactions. Some of them already kind of suspected something but she didn't have a noticeable bump yet and for some this was the first indication so... yeah. Probably a very funny photo!

[sonic7ischaos]

Wait. Hold on. HOLD THE FUCK ON. HOOOOOOOOLLLLD UP. WAIT. WAAAIIIT. WAIT...

So as of Sonic Frontiers, "everything is canon", even characters that originate with different canon timelines with different contexts like Sticks. So like...is Cosmo canon? Did canon Tails kill his first girlfriend to save the universe? Just like Sticks, it wouldn't be the same exact version of the character, Sonic Boom doesn't make sense as a canon event after all and there's no way (or good reason) for Chris Thorndyke to exist in the main canon considering that he literally stands in for Amy and Rouge in conversations with Shadow during the last bit of the SA2 arc, but like...it's not unfeasible some version of those events happened in retrospect right? Like, Sonic X season 3 has some game universe equivalent story that doesn't involve Chris or the whole fused universe isekai thing. Like the reverse of what happened to the Adventure games, there's some untold version of Cosmo's story that theoretically got translated into a season of Sonic X but there wasn't a game for it to coincide with. Even beyond that, what's Sticks' deal? The events of Sonic Boom can't have happened the same way in game canon, just physically cannot have happened, those were entirely separate characters in an entirely separate context and universe, the Shadow and Eggman of Boom are not the same as their game counterparts, in terms of motivations and goals, or personalities. Did Sticks just 4th wall break her way into the game canon...I mean, yeah I guess that'd be in character. The IDW stuff makes sense, it was already drawing directly from events and lore from game canon, it follows immediately after Forces and deals with the aftermath, it uses game events to justify character behavior and story events, it just makes sense for it to be canon to the games now, not a huge leap.

There's been Sonic Channel art featuring her potted plant form in Tails' workshop:

in the back, left hand side. On the table. If ANY of the Sonic Channel art is considered canon, most if not all should be right? Like, not telling it's own story or anything but existing theoretically within the universe established as canon, right?

Maybe a reach, and I'm not one of those fans chanting for Cosmo to make a return (though I WOULD NOT complain if she did, cool character design, cool story , wasted on a less than stellar overall show, and I KNOW that's controversial but Sonic X had serious issues) but Sticks' presence and the general "everything is canon" approach they're taking now has me wondering, IS Cosmo canon? How so? What happened in game lore and what didn't?

Makes me want to see game Sticks to see what their approach is with her, maybe when the DLC that adds playable characters comes out Amy's bit has her interact a little with Sticks.

[my-dumb-obsessions]

I just saw your tags about Cariane Amell's quest for an untainted Old God and that is *fascinating.* What else is Carie up to? What is she like?

Hoo, boy! Cariane's post-Awakening life has many twists and turns, and a good amount of involvement in DA2 Act 3 and Legacy timelines.

What is she like? Compassionate within certain limits, curious and resourceful. She will frequently make decisions with incomplete information because "someone has to." Give her a little bit of command and she'll run with it. She may not know best, but will listen to people she trusts and course correct. But if she's got an agenda and really believes in it, she will stick to her guns.

For this particular project, it started during the Blight. In the years after discovering Soldier's Peak she spent a lot of time working with Avernus, who'd used blood magic to hold off his own Calling and extend his life by 200 years. She also got him a solid number of Warden test subjects after a group of Orlesian Wardens failed to oust her from command (these were the same Wardens who, under their acting Commander, drove off half her mages - including Anders - while she and Nathaniel answered a summons from Weisshaupt). There was a week-long battle over Vigil's Keep, and after reclaiming it from the rebels, she captured and sent them to Avernus rather than executing them.

Carie is also an unapologetic supporter of mage freedom and an active thorn in the Chantry's side, so years later when Leliana informed her that the Chantry wanted her help, she didn't trust it. She took it as a warning and gradually moved Warden operations from Amaranthine to Soldier's Peak, away from public attention.

"In my dreams, I see the Black City, and I am drawn towards it. There is something there, an answer to what this taint is, this taint that we share with the darkspawn..." —From the notes of Avernus (DAO Warden's Keep DLC)

"Naturally, of course, we cut into the cyst. The flesh within was blighted. We immediately examined all other cysts found in the other dragon carcasses. Each time, we found the blight. The only conclusion we can draw is that dragons can stem the spread of the blight within their own bodies." —Excerpt of Frederic of Serault's Report (DAI)

Cariane killed the Architect, because to her, the only good darkspawn is a dead darkspawn. But his research had merit, and she's fine with shady experiments if she's the one doing them 😅. Combined with the work she did with Avernus and the "relevant to your interests" report Leliana sent her about dragon autopsies, she put together this theory. She also got access to old records that implied Wardens who specialized as Reavers tended to live longer before hearing their Calling than other Wardens.

After Avernus died, this became her goal, to see if dragon blood could stem the taint indefinitely - not just any dragon, but the most powerful, near-divine creatures on the planet, of which there were only 2 left. Like a darkspawn, she could follow the sound of the song. And if she could get there before the darkspawn tainted it, maybe she could unlock the power of its blood.

So yeah it's not too different from what Clarel's Wardens were working on, taking the fight to the archdemons before they rose. She just had different plans for what to do when she found one. Does it make her a hypocrite for killing the Architect? Yeah, kind of. Is it completely misguided and doomed to fail? Maybe. I guess we'll find out.

—

Guys I love talking about Cariane, she's got so much lore, I could talk about her for days. Ask all the questions, I'm game! ❤️

[possessionisamyth]

I agree so much with everything you said. I dislike how many people advocate for Ada to have her own storyline without Leon’s intervention or romance subplot, and now that we finally get that, after so fucking long, they immediately draw her actions and motivations to another man. Whether it be Luis, Wesker, etc. Can we not just appreciate Ada as a character without talking about who she is apparently fucking?

Due to the nature of Ada's character being attached to who she's apparently fucking until 2023, it's going to be hard to shed the habits this fandom has had a little over two decades to form. Especially not in a year.

The DLC did a very good thing with her story. It's a story that fans of Ada would've never thought they could get without her giving a nip slip to cover for writing her effectively into the main game's plot. They weren't anymore tasteful with all the shots of her ass, so these fans still weren't wrong, but you know how it is. If they cover her in dirt, grime, and blood the next time we see her then we'll really start winning!

[eosofspades]

oh GIRL

GHOST VS THE WITNESS AND HE FUCKING WON

MY BOYYY!!! MY SWEET LITTLE BOY HE DID IT

like that was visceral and terrifying ofc but ohhhhh my god he DID IT he fought off the witness trying to possess him !!! HELLO

i didnt even fucking see the cracks on his shell though until after the guardian and crow were out of the cave and im so serious i gasped and clapped a hand over my mouth irl. that is so scary i will cry AGAIN

and HIM INSISTING ITS OK,,,, THATS WHAT WE DO, WE TAKE HITS AND GET BACK UP AGAIN, DONT WE, GUARDIAN.....? GHOST BABY AAAAGH

he is so brave

literally all this is is me loving ghost more than anything. i would die for him

also !!! him talking about life and how dynamic and wonderful it is because it's imperfect and that's why the witness is wrong, bc purpose isn't one still object and you can't bottle the subtleties of life.................crying for one million years

yall ..... ikora and cayde's reunion. i dont think i breathed throughout this whole thing

"it's too. much." "ikora cmon look at me-" "I SEE YOU" (AND TH SOFT LITTLE "i'm gonna make it up to you" WHAT IF I CRAWL INTO THE EARTH AND WAIL)

the hug. he finally got that hug he asked for like 8 years ago

side note. fuck the glyphs and wardens btw i had to do that like three times over that was ROUGH

house salvation being here was a shock to me one thing i have to say is that i know they probably will but i desperately hope they don't make this like a crucible map or even a copy of it a crucible map, i don't want all the standard enemies here, i don't want the pale heart to really interact with the rest of the universe i want it to stay ethereal and otherworldly and really feel like a whole different plane completely separate from sol

zavala's cutscene was done soooooo well OUGH

"soon, safi" sir. sir. sir please dont scare me like that, pl

BUT IT WAS SO OMINOUS. the garbled warped "help me" the tension build up the jumpscare + immediate relief of ikora's hand on his shoulder. the door shutting behind ikora, closing one last time before he leaves, like trying just once more to urge him to give in - he can't just follow ikora out; he has to physically make the choice to open that door and walk out of it

also, targe speaks !!! i love him

i love ghosts so much

THE ZAVALA CAYDE REUNION........ IM BAWLING LIKE A BABY RN

THE HUG. HE FINALLY GOT THAT HUG HE WAS ASKING FOR LIKE 8 YEARS AGO

everyone sitting around the campfire together is soooo. what a scene. i want to draw this

this isn't a big deal i wasn't sure it would go anywhere BUT the rest of the party leaving cayde and the guardian alone together after his little speech about moving on. idk i almost expected them to then have a little one on one talk but i appreciate that it's like, left up to player interpretation/projection

this dlc is wrecking me. i have to go to bed now bc its like 2am but i will be back and even more unhinged tomorrow ok gn

oh girl one mission in and im already fucking sobbing