#is a trip sometimes

[tinyowlthoughts]

Emotional Level Today: Crying over video game cutscenes

I've been playing Palia for a while now - started two years ago, took a break a year ago, restarted my game a few months ago, and just reached the Acceptance Ceremony. (And I am kicking myself for not recording it!!! There's no way to rewatch it!)

Anyway basically, in-game (it's an MMO, with Stardew Valley & Animal Crossing vibes IMO), humans were previously wiped out from the planet due to Flow (wibbly-wobbly magic-wagic stuff) and now for some reason, thousand(s) of years later, humans are remerging! The Majiri (purple/pink-skinned bipedal race who have taken over) are very confused. You wind up in a little village called Kilima and, over the course of the beginning plot, are invited to become an official member of the village by choosing one of the characters as a Shepp - basically a mentor who will help you continue on your path of growth.

I chose Zeki:

Spoiler Alert: His species, Grimalkin, are literally ALIENS who to the planet in between the great human extinction and the Majiri race taking over. They stuck around and FORGOT THEIR WAY HOME TO THEIR PLANET.

Tell me that isn't orange-cat-one-brain-cell energy.

There was also some kind of trade war in the past between Grimalkin and Majiri, and it was decided that Grimalkin don't have the same restrictions concerning Flow that the Majiri have. Flow is seen as 'dangerous' and is not to be messed with - only the Order can use it. (Kinda dystopian, but humanity managed to wipe themselves out with it so also kinda makes sense from a 'lets keep our species alive' standpoint?)

Zeki runs the general store, AND the underground black market, where he sells special furniture, runs a Hot Pot minigame, and traffics in illegal Flow devices and other magic odds-and-ends. There is this whole background of the cartels and illegal trade routes and such, which I'm certain are going to be hugely important to the plot going forward (they just now released the end of the prologue, so there's a TON of game left to explore!).

So, like, he should be this gruff, rude, 'mind your own business kid' kinda guy, right? Running an illegal business and already being suspected of it by the towns magistrate?

Nope. Zeki is a generally nice dude. He regrets getting another village member tangled up in the illegal mess. His inventions, which are to benefit him, would also benefit Majiri kind as a whole. He's funny, charming, not above some jabs and teasing, but overall a swell guy. I LOVE him so much, so I chose him to be my Shepp.

(Which the magistrate looked horrified at! The character designs and modeling in this game are pretty amazing, especially the beautiful cutscenes!)

So today I finished the acceptance quest, and got to have my special Welcome Home cutscene, and I'm kicking myself for not recording because I cried.

It's one of those things where like, yeah, it's just a game, but the characters are well written and interesting and I've spent time with them - getting to this point takes a LOT of in-game time. You've got to work at building relationships. You can't choose a Shepp until you're at a level 4 relationship, and that's weeks of daily chats and gifts and such! Seeing all these characters celebrating my character becoming a permanent part of their village, of their lives - it made me so happy I cried.

I only grabbed a screenshot at the beginning of the scene - my character starting the walk towards the dias where Zeki was waiting for me. The integration of player avatars into cutscenes is really well done too - it feels like you, specifically, are part of the story, not just puppeting a doll through conversations.

I don't know why I'm rambling about this today - I just wanted to share. if you need a community-focused MMO that is FREE (funded through their cosmetic store, which is pricy but SO worth it!!!), I highly recommend it. The whole game gives you a sense of community, belonging, of being seen and valued.

I guess that's just what I really needed this morning.

[anima89]

A Wayne family trip to Metropolis <3

Of course, they will wear their own merch ^^

Inspired by this! V

Heheheheh.

[curioscurio]

I'm rewatching Steven Universe and I will never forgive Fandom for what it did to her

[artist-rat]

return of the shenanigang! 🎪 no feature to let karlach win plushies at arcade games? shh it's canon anyways 💯🧸🧸 (wyll is being told bad puns to distract him from dribbles' fate. astarion has stolen back the entirety of their coin which they lost spinning the wheel too many times)

[onnahu]

Bats on the road

Clark: Bruce that's illegal!

Bruce: there's no one else on the road, what do you want?

Hal: how is it that he doesn't have powers and yet drive like a suicidal maniac!

Oliver: Well bold of you to assume he's not a suicidal maniac.

Diana: that was reassuring.

Donna: oh for the love of gods, Grayson, stop that!

Dick *sprawled over 3 different titans eating the batburger and making a mess*: stop what?

Titans: Ughhhh...

Dinah: i'm gonna puke. If you don't stop this,i'm gonna puke right on your lap and i won't even apologise because it'll be your fault.

Barbara:

Barbara: you know what? Fuck you too. And i can puke on call, so don't think i won't get back.

Barbara: *speeds up on a switchback*

Jason: you stupid bitch, don't you see we have right of way?!?!

---

Jason: we're on a fucking highway! Stop driving like you're next to a kindergarden, you fucker!

---

Jason: what a dick! We should just hit him. This baby can take that!

Artemis: SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Roy: i hate to do that, but I agree with her

Tim: oh my god it's a... (insert a rant about a very specific model of a car that Tim dreamed of having as a 13 years old)

Bart: ...what?

Cassie: yeah, i have no idea what's going on too, buddy...

[serpentineshine]

When I was a kid, and there basically was no Okami merchandise (at least not that I could find or afford back then), I got my own Ammy, a webkinz husky. Her markings were needle felted onto her by my mom, I made recreations of her weapons out of cardboard and markers, and she came with me everywhere. I’ve had her for probably over 15 years, and I have lots more Okami merch now, but she will always be the most special piece of Okami merch I own.

Congrats on your return Ammy! I look forward to new adventures together.❤️

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt in Memes 5

Once more, have a prompt entirely in memes because I'm too lazy to properly write one right now lol.

[martyrbat]

ok sure you don't believe in god or the church anymore but what are you doing to unlearn the propaganda you wre taught? what are you doing to educate yourself about marginalized groups that the church attacked and that you absorbed subconsciously? how are you challenging your viewpoints on things such as addiction, sexuality, poverty, other religions, disabilities, illness, race, and more without it being through a christian lens? are you careful to not spread propaganda or harmful ideologies? youre ‘reclaiming’ shit for your poetry and healing and thats great i guess, i wish you the best, but what have you actually renounced?

[lygma-nygma]

Being a batfam fan is funny because people will make a post like “here’s my headcanon-“ and it’s just something that’s directly canon to the story then post about major canon events and get everything wrong.

[daily-odile]

sorry i was gone for a while i just got back from the mountains

[lesliemeyers]

stan, who had a tool-themed herosona thus thinks he's qualified to handle any of his dad's tools in the garage: oh i have a GREAT idea

anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!!!

[erinwantstowrite]

the haters are trying to get me to care about canon. they're trying to get me to only fuck with canon. newsflash you stupid bitch if you are in a fandom space you are consuming fanon. i don't CARE that it's canon that bruce wayne has hit his kids in canon. i make my own world where it's common fucking sense that heroes are good people who would not be abusers. "human flaw" this my ass that motherfucker drives a Batmobile and wears a Batsuit and throws around Batarangs. live in a suspended belief and have fun before you dry up and die a sad raisin of a being

[egophiliac]

hold your children

I'm just exploding in slow motion until the rest of episode 7 comes out

[cxlandine]

canon is ayda mopily wandering great planes and jungles witnessing the dawning of time itself trying desperately to pickpocket her father's watch so she can sneak off to see her gf. canon is also arthur aguefort conveniently spotting a diplodocus and swinging his hips in excitement just as her mage hand is about to grab it.

[dapandabanda]

fwoo

[nelkcats]

Family Trip

Danny loved her, like a sister, a daughter or something in between, but Ellie was happy as long as he was there to take care of her. She felt protected but couldn't stay forever.

She had already explored the whole world, and as interesting as the Infinite Realms seemed in reality they didn't interest her that much. Ellie was sure she needed to go further, but she didn't know how to let Danny know. So she simply told him straight out, that the universe they were in was no longer enough for her.

Danny accepted it, and told her that there were many other universes that she could explore, he told her that Clockwork had told him about some of them. Ellie was excited, she could travel more, but for the first time she hesitated, and realized that she didn't want to travel alone.

She asked Danny if he wanted to travel with her and he gave her the flattest look in existence.

"Obviously I'm going to travel with you" he said. And that was that. No discussion, no questions asked.

They both packed a couple of backpacks as if they were going hiking and asked Clockwork. He just tossed them Dan's thermos before offering them a method of travel. Danny frowned but opened the thermos anyway and dragged Dan with them as he yelled about injustices and upset families.

They ended up in Gotham, in front of a man with a helmet and a guy dressed as a stoplight. Danny waved and asked them for a chat (he probably wanted to ask for directions) while Dan sulked in the back. Ellie looked at the architecture curiously.

Unfortunately for Danny, the stoplight guy pulled out a sword and the helmet guy pulled out a gun. They both looked tense as they looked between the three of them. Danny frowned (his green eyes glinting with annoyance) before nodding towards Ellie and Dan and disappearing.

Thus began their vacation in a world where everyone wanted to shoot them; Danny felt at home, Dan wanted to steal an exotic candy called crypto-something and Ellie was happy to explore.

Their family trip had officially begun.