#it did some great storytelling in a limited run

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

reigen spin-off thoughts, pt 3: underrated things i want to see animated

1. hey, it’s serizawa!

entirely because i want to put a sitcommy “the fan favorite character just walked in!” cheers & applause track behind this panel. i’m a parody of myself at this point, i know.

2. the most enraged reigen has ever been.

love angry reigen, especially side-by-side with that neutral dimple face.

3. the most disturbed reigen has ever been.

why would you bring a popular boy on a date… here???

4. an archetypal on-the-job story.

i want to seeeeee ittttt

5. reigen’s middle-schooler tier list.

mostly i want to know how many more stars reigen gave mob than everyone else. teru’s got seven, so he must have at least eight, but i’m personally betting on nine. (i think that's the usual number of stars for a gacha game's rarest pull?)

[trekmupf]

Introducing Disco Gorn 🪩🐊

Pro

Everyone's close up's look so sharp and good; Sulu's eyeshadow and McCoy's eyeliner in the second half of the ep are the winners

McCoy's smile in the opening scene thinking he's going to get some nice food could light up an entire room (so could Kirk fondly smiling at his and Spock's antics)

The banter between Spock and McCoy really feels like they're getting to know each other better and find their dynamic

Kirk worrying about the Enterprise – not because he doesn't trust Sulu or the crew, but because he feels responsible, and he's always putting her and the crew first

Me, while Kirk is running across the exploding field: Mr Spock, is that worry I spot in your face, sir?

There's so much crawling and rolling around the dirt in this episode

Kirk's and Spock's conversation about how to proceed and the storytelling until the Metrons arrive is interesting

usually Kirk is more rational in decisions - in the past we've had plenty of scenes of him contemplating all angles and possible consequences before deciding, but here it's clear that the survivors story generated heavy emotion, especially anger, and he's deciding based on that, which is really rare

it's also a great decision to focus on Spock's face while Kirk takes action

Also the way Spock approaches Kirk again afterwards – and calling him Jim, pointing out their actual mission (and ethics) to preserve sentient life

Yet Kirk, fueled by anger and righteousness (we are the only police around) sticks to his destructive decision

Even when the pursuit actively endangers the ship due to continuous warp

Even when the other ship is dead in space

the narrative gives Kirk several opportunities to turn away, but he doesn't

The Metrons really caught Kirk on his one irrational murder day didn't they

This marks also the episode were Spock and Kirk are the furthest apart from each - Spock cannot reach Jim at all, and it has consequences

I mean the Gorn is one of the most iconic aliens in TOS; the glitter outfit, the disco eyes, the dinosaur design

also love giving Kirk a voice over to explain how advanced and dangerous the Gorn is because they knew the costume … did not radiate these qualities

I love the way Kirk deals with the situation: he's so resourceful

The way McCoy and Spock worry about Kirk together; Also Bones standing behind Spock in the captains chair again!

The way the crew is glued to the screen while Spock is narrating Kirk building the weapon feels like a tense moment in Attenboroughs nature documentarys

The Metrons as the second powerful race to test humanity; direct contrast to Kirk being his very best from start to finish in the Corbomite Maneuver and showing humanities great qualities (ingenuity, intelligence, compassion, respect for life) compared to this episode: giving into baser human emotions like anger and vengeance – which is still part of the human experience

Kirk's behaviour also contrasts his reactions in Balance of Terror, which had an almost identical set up, yet his reactions were thought through, rational and calm. Kirk is just a very human character with flaws.

Despite this ending up as a test for humanity this is an interesting idea of a more powerful and philosophically advanced species fucking up due to their own arrogance:

they judge an entire species based on a single decision by one being, which a) cannot represent the species and b) cant even represent the being (Kirk is a good man, we know this)

they then make a decision based on very limited information (they don't even know why they pursuit the Gorn and why there's a fight)

The arrogance in the end when their “pet” shows good behaviour

(there's probably more but you get the idea)

Kirk finding his way back to his morals and ethics when directly confronted with the injured and helpless Gorn is, once again, so Kirk of him

Kirk's booty in this scene deserves it's own Pro Point friends

Con

Not technically a watch con, but I can't not think about Shatner and Nimoy having hearing issues later in life due to the close explosives during the shelling scenes; Early TV show filming truly was wild

The pacing is off: the first half of the episode, in hindsight, feels really short because the fight scenes with Gorn drag and feel a lot longer

Even for 60's sci fi and Star Trek the Gorn is not a very believable physical foe

Us watching Kirk through the viewscreen with the crew feels strange; It's like they knew how long and boring the fight is so they brought in the crew to comment to keep us interested (a bit like mystery science theatre 3000)

The arena area itself is boring compared to the earlier sets

Counter

Powerful Beings test humanity

Brains over brawl

Quote: "We're a most promising species, Mister Spock, as predators go. Did you know that?"- Kirk "I've frequently had my doubts" - Spock "I don't. Not anymore. And, maybe in a thousand years or so, we'll be able to prove it" - Kirk

Moment: reveal of the evil dangerous Disco Gorn! Summary: A famous episode with a famous alien-enemy, Arena combines an action heavy beginning with interesting character work regarding Spock's and Kirk's relationship and Kirk's darker side without him loosing any appeal as the leading character. Even though the second half has less ideal pacing Kirk's emotional journey carries the viewer through the episode and leaves us with a richer and fuller picture of our captain.

Bones smiling at Kirk. That's all.

Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS reviews

[hecckyeah]

Listen. I know, I KNOW we all have mixed feelings about the finale. Just in the last hour, I’ve read at least five posts on each side, some saying it was the best thing filoni’s ever created, and some literally cursing his guts. As I watched it, I was leaning much more to the how dare you, I waited two years for this and this sucks side, but I had a good night of sleep and some thought, and. I think everyone is overreacting.

Some thoughts.

First, I do think it should have been an animated Rebels season 5. I am partial to live action in general and I’m so glad we got such fantastic casting. But Filoni really shines in the animated world. Live action has limits that animation laughs at, and with all of Dave’s creativity and parallels and callbacks and history in animation, it would have suited this show better. Granted, the viewership might have been worse than it already was, but who’s to say?

Secondly, of course the whole thing was a setup for future movies/shows. It would have been near impossible for this to be a standalone series, with only 8 episodes and so much at stake. I still have absolutely zero idea how this fits in with the s*quels, but I hope it’s all part of the plan to safely extract our (Filoni’s) favorite characters before all hell breaks loose on the narrative.

BUT. Just because it was a setup doesn’t make the story any less meaningful. Dave is the master of arcs within arcs within arcs within arcs. There was the mini arc of Ahsoka and Anakin, reconciling very (very very) complicated feelings and Ahsoka coming to grips with her past as a child soldier and forgiving Anakin for the choices and mistakes he made. There was the mini arc of Hera in the New Republic and how she has to balance her loyalty to the government that she helped to establish with her loyalty to her family (something I don’t think we’ve seen the last of). There was the mini arc of (obviously) finding Ezra!!!! HE’S HOME, YOU GUYS. Sabine did the selfless thing and sent him home after a decade to have a fighting chance to reunite with his family. And to meet Kanan’s son and to see the beauty that Lothal has turned into and to hug his adoptive mom. And she has full faith in him that he will be back to get her, or that she’ll find a way to go back. Because she now has knowledge that he didn’t before, and with Ahsoka’s help and probably Shin and Baylan too, there’s no way they won’t Jedi their way out of this. (*cough* world between worlds *cough*) Also seeing Morai was a HUGE plot twist. I, for one, can’t WAIT to see what’s up with that.

FINALLY. and I think this is something that Star Wars fans (dare I call them fans anymore?) seem to always forget is that Star Wars……. Kinda sucks. It always has. No one in their right mind would say that Star Wars is a literary masterpiece or anything close to that. Star Wars is great because you are literally required to take it all with a grain of salt. Nothing goes at face value. You have to overlook things for the rest to make sense. You cherry pick your favorite parts and ignore the rest. Do I know absolutely anything about mandalore and their political history?? Not one single thing. But could I explain to you the nuances of the aptly-named Disaster Lineage and how generation trauma comes in more ways than by blood?? I could write PAGES. There’s so much history and lore and side characters and branches of story and nuance that no one can ever fit it all together perfectly, no matter how good of a storyteller they are. You have to pick a niche and run with it, and that’s exactly what Dave Filoni is doing. AND that’s what we as fans need to do. If you’re mad that he didn’t address the chiss as a whole or delve into the mysteries of the nightsisters or expand on what happened between Ahsoka and Sabine in depth, then I’m sorry, but you’ve come to the wrong place. Put on a pair of rose colored glasses and cry at Ezra’s reunions with the rest of us.

I’ve stopped expecting perfection from any major franchise (haven’t watched a marvel show or movie since TF&TWS) because the bigger they get, the less they’re going to appeal to the general fan base. And Ahsoka was no different. But it did accomplish one thing: bringing Ezra Bridger home after 10 years, and I think that is all we actually need to worry about for now.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[sapphia]

so recently, scar has gotten good at minecraft. like, really good. if you watch his old stuff, it doesn't take much to see that scar's strengths generally used to lie outside of the actual, run-around-without-dying-especially-on-a-pvp-server level of play. and that's fine, it wasn't his jig, and the people he's playing with really are very good and very experienced at this sort of play. so it never needed to be something that scar was good at because his fanbase mostly watched him for other reasons, so that just wasn't something he needed to be able to do.

but for a while now, especially noticeable over the life series, he's been rapidly improving at the sorts of particular skills that the life smp server values (and also certain skillsets involved in MCC, too). The water bucket clutches spring to mind, as well as the hot-guy stuff that make him such a lethal force with a bow. (It's honestly a shame that life smp doesn't have elytra -- he regularly one-shots people from the air on hermitcraft, and it's a fantastic bit.)

And it's just so good to see because like... he didn't have to go and do that! he went and practiced those skills, and got good at them, and then came and showed them off. and it was awesome, but also he made it so creative and entertaining, and he really didn't have to do any of it at all if he hadn't wanted to. people don't play on life smp because they're good at the technical elements of the game. more than anyone else, scar's particular shenanigans and the energy he brings to the server are what make him a great fit for the series. there are plenty of players on life smp who aren't great PVPers but who get by on politicking, or scheming, or storytelling, or just generally being a good time to be around, and each of them makes the smp tick and are valuable in their own way.

not to mention that life smp is made up of such a wonderful group of human beings that they'll do whatever it takes for you to fit in. to make your thing, and your particular energy and abilities, a part of of the series. to make it that you aren't hampered by your abilities and handicaps, whatever they may be. when skizz dies early on to some early misfortune in limited life, people are pretty clearly aware that he's one of the weaker players and it might impede his ability to have a full series. but don't worry, because half the server are tripping over themselves to give him their time and lives and totems and to swear undying oaths of fealty to protect him at all costs. grian, martyn, tango, literally every one of the ties - not to mention everyone who stood around and watched as skizz killed tango - all are working together and giving up things, valuable things, to make sure this one player gets to keep time on the server, and therefore time on the series, just because that's who they are. that's what the server is. friends, playing together.

i'm sure that's also why grain stuck with scar in the first series: to make it fair. they want everyone to have a good time. To be able to do their own thing, whatever that thing is you bring to the server, be it your insane PVP skills or trying to scam players by selling them magic crystals.

which is a long way of saying: scar was under no obligation whatsoever to get good at these player-skill-based elements of minecraft. but it's wonderful that he did! he really said, "look, i know you all think i'm a walking disaster, but i need you to know, it's not because i'm bad at the game. it's because i'm me." and then he went and got crazy good at archery (well, okay, crazy good at one very specific archery move, but also pretty damn good at shooting things overall! and at flying!) and he started parkouring around a bunch and now he's mastered waterbucket clutches (and what a fucking display he got to show off in double life, too) and just all around Got Good at the things that he wasn't previously that good at.

and the best thing was that he's still such an irreverent force of chaos that it hasn't even mattered. he's still just as lethal to himself through his own terrible decisions and random lack of awareness or foresight. or even just his own desire to fun, no matter what. the man really went into a hardcore server and said alright, i'm gonna build my base up high enough to definitely kill me, and also make it out of trap doors, and oh grians here, oops i'm sure that won't go wrong. and then he went and died to his elytra failing. that's just the most scar thing I've ever seen. you can't even fault him because grain also died on that server. only joel properly made 100 hours and there's no surprises there, joel is insanely good. so its no mark against scar that he died. but how he plays it, it's just so him.

and you wouldn't have it any other way because this is why we watch him. he's entertaining because he's totally unpredictable and also predictable and good and bad and competent and incompetent all at the same time. he will waterbucket-clutch INTO an impossible situation to save a bunch of useless pandas that were almost definitely going to die and he'll get away with it. and then also he will die by setting off a trap he's trying to very obviously lure others into. yes also he fell into a pit of zombies, what of it? it's just scar and his wacky hijinks. will he die? lets find out!

scar really said the only thing holding me back is me, and then proved it.

[angelmichelangelo]

for da prompts: “hey, don't do that, you'll hurt yourself" with 2012 or rise b-team?

can't stop thinking about 2012 mikey stimming by chewing on his comic book in that one season 1 episode.. enjoy some neurodivergent broskis !! :)

x

It’s like pure liquid eclectic running through his body. Like he’s been struck by lightening on the top of his head, running fast through to the tips of his toes, making him buzz at a million miles an hour. He can’t believe it. He can’t actually BELIEVE he has it. In his hands. In his hold. In his grasp. The comic book issue he’s been searching high and low for – these things didn’t just come to fall into one’s possession; no this here was a very limited, very special, very rare edition of a Wingnut run that he was sure he was to miss out on. But by pure luck, he has it. He has it in his possession and he can’t quite expel all of the leftover excitement, even hours after each re-read, he’s waltzing about the pit in fast paced circles as he clutches at it to his chest. Raph emerges from the dojo with a sheen of sweat visible across his brow, Leo following suit as he tucks his katanas into their holsters, smiling at their brother. “You’re still reading that?” Raph asks with a heavy breath, no doubt exhausted from the sparring session that’d gone on a little too long on the account of both his brother’s rather competitive personalities. Mikey hums. “Yep. For like the billionth time.” He tells them with wide grins. “Leo. Leoleoleoleo you have to read it. It’s sosososo good.” Leo chuckles warmly, stretching out his calf and giving his brother a soft, gentle look. “I will, Mike.” He tells him. “After you’ve stopped drooling over it, that is.”

The pure excitement of being able to share such a find with his brothers causes another sharp, burst of energy through him. They say lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same place, but here MIkey was, burning through it a second time over. He dashes off towards the lab where he knows he’ll find Donnie. Donnie who didn’t quite share his love for comics or Wingnut or much of the same things Mikey did, really, but rather had an appreciation for his love for such things. Or maybe it was just Mikey he appreciated. His brother is perched at his desk, tapping away at his keyboard with an air of concentration when Mikey rushes to him, bumping the table with his hip, startling his brother slightly. “Don. Don. This comic. It’s sososo good, do you wanna read it?” Donnie, pulling his gaze away from his screen blinks tiredly at his brother, his focus pulled towards the comic book Mikey was grasping tightly. His mouth quirks into a small smile. “Uh. Not exactly. But why don’t you tell me about it? I’m getting square eyes from this computer anyway.” Mikey nearly bursts with excitement. He goes into a full tangent about the story and the plot and all of the foreshadowing he’d picked up on in pervious volumes. He even talks in great detail about the color pallets the artists had used and how they help propel the storytelling when it all becomes a little bit too much and he’s wedging his wrist between his teeth and chomping hard. “Ow.” He says plainly, all the electric suddenly zapped from him, and Donnie frowns, leaning across the desk to inspect his poor limb that now was blessed with little half crescent teeth marks across his scales. “Stimmed a little too close to the sun there, huh?” Donnie says with a smirk, giving him his arm back after concluding he hadn’t hurt himself too seriously. Mikey rubs his wrist and pouts. “Yeah.” Then he smiles, his brain firing off more conversation about the comic, he’s flipping through the pages to show his brother when it happens again, and he’s chewing hard on his wrist until Donnie has to pry it from his mouth. “Hey,” he says with a slight laugh catching onto his voice. “Don’t do that, you’ll hurt yourself.” Mikey whines, but rocks back and forth on his feet instead, shaking out some of that left over lightening in his system. 

“Wait,” Mikey says, stopping his thoughts harshly. “Did I tell you about the crossover arc that connects to this one?” Donnie shakes his head and leisurely relaxes back in his chair, like he knew he wasn’t going anywhere for sometime. “Nope,” he says. “But you can. Just don’t eat your arm off this time, kay?” Mikey laughs, true and loud and fires off once again, like electric, he’s unstoppable. 

[sneverussape]

For the character ask game!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Severus, Lily, Tobias, and Eileen (and Tuney if you want to!) each for 5, 6, 12, 24, and, if it isn't too much, 44!

EHEHEHE <3

5. Best personality trait

tobias: at his best, tobias snape was painfully selfless. he was the type of person who would give someone the shirt off his back if they needed it and wouldn't take no for an answer. he also didn't need any fanfare, an audience, or even permission to do what he did, which sometimes drove eileen to the brink after she discovered toby had spent the last of their money buying bread and milk for someone else again. but toby always justified it by saying "leenie luv, they need it more than we do."

(not that it helped their own needs in any case, but this wasn't something that concerned toby as he just went out and turned on the charm so that he could earn a crown or two off of the older neighbors by doing odd jobs for them)

eileen: eileen prince was one of the cleverest pupils hogwarts ever had, not because she was book-smart but because she knew how to find practical applications for even the most basic spells they learned, even as a first-year. she had a knack for knowing which spells to combine to come up with an entirely new charm or hex, and never ran out of questions. flitwick was deeply impressed with her, but also borderline wary of her skill. eileen didn't fear unknown magics and spent many nights experimenting within the four curtained walls of her bed (reinforced with shielding charms), hours after lights-out. this boldness earned the attention of several of her housemates, namely one abraxas malfoy and one tom riddle...not that she noticed, at least not right away.

severus: much like his da, severus had a soft spot for people in need. he was especially compassionate to muggles, moreso than towards wizards, although he would never admit it. all his cokeworth neighbors still called him "toby and leen's boy" or "russ" and he spent much of his time discreetly helping them out with housework or errands. he would be gruff and recalcitrant with them on the outside, but one day they would wake up and their roof would have been patched up or their fences fixed so that no foxes could get through, and severus would find some freshly baked irish soda bread or some shortbread on his front porch with a note to return the plate 'next time you come round'.

lily: lily was a survivor, much like how all cokeworth residents learned to be. she lied, cheated, and stole her way through childhood to make sure her and her loved ones' needs were met, and often shared her spoils with severus (sometimes tuney). she knew how to reframe unpleasant situations into something that would make them far more palatable, and which helped ease the mind of everyone else around her. lily was a gifted storyteller and her talent of spinning much happier realities was a boon to anyone who would hear them. she could convince anyone of anything if she was in the right mood, and the wielded her words with great care (until...she didn't).

petunia: petunia had a great capacity for love and loved her family, especially her sister, deeply. she also loved the grimy little boy who tailed her like a shadow and whom she also often got stuck with watching. she gave them both a lot of leeway and covered a lot of their tracks for them. she couldn't count how many times she had to make up excuses for both lily's and severus' boisterous behavior whenever they got in the mood to create trouble. she was naturally protective of them, and deep inside felt a sense of relief that they both had a chance of making something better of their lives due to the both of them being magical. was she jealous? yes. but was she glad at least lily had a chance? also yes.

6. Worst personality trait

tobias: he never did anything in moderation, and never really knew when to stop. this resulted in him running himself ragged a lot of the time and also testing the limits of everyone around him. only eileen could somehow rein him in, but a lot of the time he was bullheaded about whatever it was he was doing. toby always believed that what he was doing was best, and could rarely be swayed from his path.

eileen: easily lost patience when things didn't meet her standards (which was often, at least in the wizarding world; in the muggle world she was a bit more withdrawn, but her ire appeared in other ways) and had a beast of a temper. the scorch marks she had left in the slytherin dungeons were so intense, even the elves couldn't scrub them out.

severus: forget voldemort, severus was his own worst enemy. he thought everyone but himself deserved better. he would fight for anyone whose rights were being trampled, but would draw the line when it was him needing the assistance. he would fix everyone else's crumbling roofs and sagging porches and leave his own to wither and rot. the amount of self-flagellation he would give himself could have made him a mid-century martyr.

lily: quite vindictive and could think up and execute the nastiest revenge plots if she thought they deserved it. the bowles boy who had pushed severus to the ground and had nearly wrenched his arm out of his socket? the gossip was the branch he had been standing on as he was climbing the massive oak tree by the river had suddenly cracked and split and had thrown him arse over teakettle into the water. he had nearly drowned. but he had been up there because he'd been spying on lily and severus who had been playing by the banks. so who was the one in the wrong, really? she had told him to stay away.

petunia: that saying "pride goeth before the fall" is the embodiment of petunia. petunia never admitted she was wrong, and never apologized for anything. for her they were acts of extreme vulnerability and that was something she couldn't bear. cokeworth was not a place that was kind on people who allowed themselves to be vulnerable, and she carried that into adulthood. she preferred burying everything in denial.

12. Crack headcanon

tobias: had an unwavering and almost childlike belief in father christmas that he had tried to instill in his son, but severus was his mother's child in many ways and even as a young lad, vehemently refused to believe in the existence of a man who flew all over the world and visited other people's houses "like a common thief". (he didn't bring up the notion that maybe father christmas was actually a wizard and so he was likely apparating in and out of places; mam had already warned him that da didn't know of those things and they had to keep it secret a little bit longer).

eileen: more than once had tried to experiment with making draught of the living death (on the sly) out of her husband's unwashed socks. she figured if something smelt that bad it was worthy enough to be used as an ingredient for a restricted-class potion.

severus: had the loudest and most bombastic sneezes and rarely covered his mouth for them.

lily: stole clothes from her sister to bring to hogwarts because she was embarrassed by her limited wardrobe. the girls in gryffindor already made fun of her for her accent and how she didn't know certain wizarding things (why on earth would she have known that talking mirrors actually existed in the wizarding world?), she didn't need to give them more fodder.

petunia: had a really good singing voice and that's what got vernon's attention and how they first met. (she was singing at a pub he was at and was utterly enthralled by her)

24. Most annoying habit

tobias: talking to the priest after mass to provoke him into a theological debate or hash out the finer points of his homily when severus only wanted to go home.

eileen: reverting to silence when she meant to praise. toby was more open with his affections, and made sure he voiced them. eileen voiced criticisms more.

severus: shed his clothes like a snake all over his private quarters, especially when he was deep in thought. lucius malfoy tried his best to break him off the habit during his first year, but the other boys thought it more amusing to bet on where snape would leave his next article of clothing as he paced around the room muttering about that day's lessons. the fascinating thing was snape never left something in the same place twice!

lily: ate off of other people's plates despite having food of her own. somehow everyone else's food always looked more appetizing.

petunia: sucked at her teeth to clean them.

44. Their happiest memory

tobias: severus' birth and meeting his son for the first time, after having expected it to be another miscarriage.

eileen: when severus questioned a charm she was teaching him for the first time and she was stunned into silence at how insightful and sensible his question actually was. the relief that her son wasn't only magical but also not an idiot was one that made her feel strangely warm inside.

severus: when lily tossed the little wanker iain bowles into the river with what he knew was not accidental but untrained magic. the thrill that had come with knowing it had been her (although she had lied about it) and that she had done it for him because he was her friend was seared into his memory like a scar.

lily: i realize harry's birth or something related to him would be a logical choice, but i also choose to believe that one of her happiest memories was likely something that involved severus in the years before hogwarts, before they were driven apart. perhaps sharing a single creme egg on a hilltop on an easter afternoon, relishing all the good things they had at that moment and just enjoying each other's company. the peaceful quiet of a life that they knew well enough of, despite not having much.

petunia: saving all the money she had earned singing at the pubs and gifting lily with a set of new clothes to wear at school one christmas. the look on her sister's face was priceless and one she would never forget for the rest of her life.

[deputyrook]

Would you recommend greedfall?? I had it on my wishlist for AGES and some of the reviews throw me off, bc it seems like it isnt that much fun gameplay-wise?

I had a lot of fun playing it, personally I would definitely recommend it.

It’s a AA game for sure instead of an AAA, and I would say there is some noticeable jank in places. But imo the combat doesn’t feel bad at all. It does get a bit tedious near the end, and there isn’t a lot of enemy variety, but I really like the way you can upgrade your gear and mix your classes by specializing into any skills you want. I also found the boss fights pretty fun (if repetitive.)

Where the game really shined for me was in how it handled its story and sidequests. I was very impressed by how interesting and tied into the main story the sidequests are- they are each related to a main faction, and there’s not a single sidequest IMO that feels like a waste of time. There are very limited fetch quests. They’re usually a great mix of diplomacy, investigation, sneaking around, and combat, where you really feel like you’re uncovering a conspiracy. And things can go wrong, depending on the choices you make! If there’s any downside, it’s that there tends to be a lot of running around, but setting up camps and the fast travel makes that less annoying as you go on.

The companions are great too- again, each one is tied into a main faction, and some of them are directly at odds with one another. The companion quests are largely fantastic and span multiple missions (like the sidequests in general). I will say that the romances… well, I only attempted one, and it wasn’t great (to the point that I reloaded and was like, nevermind.) So I wouldn’t go in expecting a BioWare or Owlcat-level romance, lol.

Also, the game is beautiful, and the cinematic direction in particular is incredibly well done. The “camera” work in cutscenes is gorgeous. I don’t know who blocked them out/directed them, but it was something that stood out to me.

I ended up at about 40 hours after doing a lot of the sidequests, though I did play on easy. For me, anywhere the gameplay became tedious, my interest in the story and the great storytelling carried me through.

[bridgeportbritt]

Storytelling Poll Results

Hi! So recently I did a couples polls to see how we feel about the new way I'm telling my story which is basically storytelling vs. gameplay or some kind of mix.

This is a long post and I'm sure not that relevant to everyone so my thoughts are under the cut!

Poll #1: I love how the winning option was that you don't mind either.

I just appreciate the support from you all! It warms my heart and keeps me going. Okay back to the poll. From my perspective, while I love both styles. It's been a lot more fun and easygoing to do gameplay. With storytelling, I felt a lot more structured and limited to posing (which I don't love to do). My story started as a gameplay so it's felt good to get to my roots.

But, I of course, want to acknowledge the few folks who prefer the storytelling way which was the second highest voted option.

I also got an awesome ask that affirmed that my storytelling is appreciated which made my day. I definitely don't plan to abandon my story in anyway.

Poll #2: I asked a second question to dig deeper. Pretty much everyone picked, the story flow is better with storytelling.

I will also say to the few folks that voted for more frequent updates. I understand! I was definitely more consistent with storytelling. But, you know life has been lifing so I haven't quite been able to keep up. I definitely think posting daily like I used to just isn't realistic for me. But, I think as we get into fall/winter, I'll be able to be more consistent so yay! I will also add that gameplay is much easier for me so it's helped me post even through my hectic schedule whereas if I were storytelling, I probably would have just taken a hiatus.

So, back to the winner of the second poll. I honestly wasn't sure how or why the story is feeling like it doesn't have as good of a flow as it did before.

But, I did get a great ask that clarified some of this for me. I definitely do not want my story to lose it's flow. I think a large part was just me figuring things out. But, I think you'll find in the coming days that things are getting more structured as the plots continue to come through. I've even done a bit of outlining that is manageable but not restrictive. So, thank you for your feedback!

Overall, I think my story will be a mix of both. My storyline and plots are not going away. We have to see what happens with Ella's love triangle, what happens to KBE, and how Diana deals with the genetic defect issue running through her family!

But, I also want to incorporate the fun things that happen in gameplay and use it to help me plan things out and rely less on posing. So, I hope you guys enjoy where it's headed! I may ask this question later on to get more feedback! But I will say I'm very jazzed about my story again and excited for what's to come! And I really do appreciate you for sticking with me! <3

[m1d-45]

hello!! i’ve been lingering on your blog for a while, but i’ve been too scared to request/reach out until now jfnfksk. before i do, i wanted to say that you’re one of my favorite writing blogs. all of the works i’ve read from you are beautiful and profound and, in my opinion, you have a great way of words and storytelling. your blog was one of my introductions to sagau in general, so thank you for that, too.

i’ve been having a lot of thoughts about sagau and fontaine recently, particularly revolving around the 4.1 archon quest. lyney and freminet are both amongst some of my favorite characters, and i have pulled for/have them both, and i use them both often. i personally disagreed with many of the traveler’s (which i’m assuming was the creator’s main vessel during it all?) actions, how we dealt with lyney and wriothesley and how we seemed to be neutral with both of them after. i definitely did not, and do not, like wriothesley after everything that happened, and i wished we were a bit more hostile/cold towards him at least. he put lyney and freminet especially in states of extreme distress and had no qualms about it, even if he never intended to hurt them physically.

how the traveler went about it all just felt very wrong to me. i would not have been so docile and friendly towards wriothesley afterwards, and quite frankly, i would’ve been way more worried about lyney and freminet than we were. i, personally, am on lyney’s side 100%, and i wish we weren’t forced to be in a weird state of limbo between our “loyalties.” i have none to wriothesley, and i wish i could’ve made that known.

in the event that we’re going with the creator being more omnipotent and a third party (such as in your piece “wandering”) rather than isekai’d, do you think that the characters would be able to feel/tell/hear the creator’s frustrations? considering that the creator’s vessels are supposed to be controlled by them, how do you think that would work — the creator mostly disagreeing with the actions their vessel have chosen, but basically being helpless against them? would that align/be possible with how you view sagau and its dynamics?

this could be viewed as a more formal request or just a rambling ask, depending on if you find it interesting/agree with it/wish to write for it or not; i don’t mind! my apologies as well — this got a bit longer than i intended. (also, could i be added to the taglist if that’s not too much trouble?)

oooh this is an interesting point!

now, from a gameplay standpoint, while it makes sense to have two kinds of dialogue when interacting with npcs—sort of like a nice and rude option to give players some room—a canonical single storyline for the traveller is much simpler and far easier in the long run, especially for the kind of story mhy wants to tell. this being said, i do agree we should have more flexibility in dialogue.

i do believe that even if you don’t verbally say something, they can still feel your emotions, such as frustration. the extent changes—i think too much about this game good lord—but the point is that they could tell that you’re dissatisfied with the actions you’re taking. the end conclusion could be anything from “the device they use to connect with this world isn’t perfect. they must not have regained enough power to fully control it.” to “still being kind even through their anger…. our lord truly is gracious” depending on the situation, character, etc. that being said if you out loud disagreed with something you’re doing, it would be pretty universally accepted that the limits of your influence are a Bad Thing. this serves as motivation to find a way to restore your full power; whether that means “we gotta motivate them from afar! how far can we push these boundaries?” or “ok. we have to bring them here.” depends on your flavor of sagau.

that should cover everything i wanted to say. thank you for the compliments, and i’m glad that you liked my writing. feel free to send another ask if you want to clarify or add on, and have a good day!

[thesinglesjukebox]

BEYONCÉ - "16 CARRIAGES"

You guessed it! (...did you?) It's B'Day! Let's end it off strong...

[7.44]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: An exponentially stronger B-side to the paint-by-numbers honky-tonk of "Texas Hold 'Em," "16 Carriages" is reminiscent of the widescreen ballads that Beyoncé hasn’t made in some time. There have been slow songs and Quiet Storm tributes, but few all-ages Bold Metaphor jams to flick your lighters up to. Usually, this isn’t my favourite of Knowles’ modes (give it up for a day-one "Halo" sceptic), but the frayed-family narrative and arena-size swell are moving. Compared to "Break My Soul" and its eye-rolling lyrics about quitting dead-end jobs, "16 Carriages" doesn’t make me balk at one of the world’s richest women singing about being “underpaid and overwhelmed." In its earnest hugeness, you can feel the artist reach for the mythic, or a theatrical archetype at the least. It’s strong character work. [7]

Rachel Saywitz: After an album bereft of slow-churning, sob-inducing ballads, it’s very satisfying to hear Beyoncé back in her element with “16 Carriages.” There’s a gorgeous tension to it, a slow buildup rich with narrative interiors—regardless of whether the track is pulled directly from Beyoncé’s life, its story shows in blistered verses frantic with stormy memories and repeated affirmations. I can sense, in her melodies and vocal runs, that there’s a rush to race ahead of the track’s patient lap steel and slow percussion thumps. Her voice grows in power so gradually that when the anticipation finally reaches its peak in that final chorus, it’s hard to feel relief. I want to keep living in the epic fantasy of the song’s tale, where strife is rewarded and fear begets a legacy.  [9]

Hannah Jocelyn: "16 Carriages" is billed as country, but it reminds me more of maximalist chamber pop like Perfume Genius’ No Shape with its drastic dynamic shifts and off-kilter orchestration. Beyoncé’s performance is virtuosic in its relative restraint, letting the crashing horns and strings do the heavy lifting. (Good singing =/= belting everything!) She recasts her history as an underdog story and sells it -- and for what it's worth, getting famous at an early age actually sounds pretty traumatizing! The oddly lo-fi production grounds the narrative. This obviously isn't a truly unpolished Beyoncé -- this is more self-mythologizing -- but it's great storytelling and worldbuilding. "Carriages" can't be narrowed down, always eluding any easy genre tag or even any easy answers in the lyrics. It's been a while since a pop star released something this weird, and even longer since they pulled it off. [10]

Jeffrey Brister: This one feels more in line with my expectations. "16 Carriages" isn't perfect—it has a repetitive melody, doesn't do nearly enough with the bluesy vocal, and feels a lot longer than its 3:53—but there’s enough to make it a distinctively country song. It also makes some smart choices with arrangements and productions -- the slight crunch and airy decay on the drums giving it an off-kilter feel, smartly knowing when to crash into climaxes and pull away to the spare beauty that shows off Bey’s voice. [7]

Dorian Sinclair: Releasing “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” simultaneously was smart. Where the former is gleefully cluttered, “16 Carriages” is stripped-back and stately, letting the lead vocal line carry the track almost entirely on its own. It’s a risky gambit; the melody is repetitive, and without a commanding performance the song could easily feel stagnant. But we know Beyoncé can deliver a commanding performance, and she does so here, with a precise understanding of how to execute on all those little flutters, and how to make the moments when the melody does break out of its limited range and climb a little higher really feel exciting. It all works right up until the last 45 seconds or so — introducing a new melodic idea so late in the song makes the whole thing feel kind of formless and unstructured and the ending feel notably untidy. This might make more sense on the album, but for now it’s unresolved. [7]

Aaron Bergstrom: It's been almost fifteen years since 30 Rock taught us that "going country" is a totally legitimate career move, and yet I confess that abrupt genre-hopping still makes me question an artist's motives. It's easy to see the commercial justification for Beyoncé finding new worlds to conquer, and I do love that a Black woman succeeding in country music makes some of the worst people in the world tie themselves in knots trying to explain why they're (a) mad about it but (b) somehow not racist. Still, if all we're doing is running it back with banjo instead of house piano, then I can't say I'm all that invested. Luckily, "16 Carriages" shows that there's also an artistic justification: country music can be such a compelling medium for storytelling. This is a song that needs to shake off the dust before it gets going, a song that needs to unfurl itself, unhurried in its presentation. It evokes weatherbeaten grandeur and the way that an unbroken horizon can signify both freedom and isolation, both possibility and emptiness. It drags in places and never reaches a real emotional climax, both of which could be seen as purposeful artistic choices. But ultimately it's undaunted, or at least as undaunted as you can be when it feels like your dreams are escaping.  [7]

TA Inskeep: First of all, this ain't country just because it has some acoustic finger picking in it. This sounds more Lumineers-core to my ears, especially the way it gets stompy as the arrangement gets bigger and swells with strings near its end. The lyric could be more effective with better music and a less sweet vocal. Maybe bring it back for that purported "rock" album and let Jack White go loose, encourage Beyoncé to go full Tina Turner -- that'd work. [5]

Brad Shoup: Genius is calling this a "classic country anthem," which may be true if your classic country stops at "An American Trilogy". When the symphony blares down the steel, it feels like the song taking its true intended form. She's going asking it to hold up so much, so quickly: origin story and present-day triumph and private burdens. That may be the most classic country thing about it, actually. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: "16 Carriages" is a songwriting case study in the power of selective ambiguity. Why carriages, and why 16 of them, when Beyoncé gives 15 as the age by which her innocence had "gone astray"? Part of it could be the centrality of the "sweet sixteen" in American girlhood, but that hardly seems like the whole story, especially when the song is bent on depicting the precise opposite of a normal American adolescence. The subsequent use of "umpteen," an ungainly word that Beyoncé seems to roll her eyes through, confirms that this is not about a specific moment of lost innocence but a larger, hazier sense of loss that weaves its way through the cracks in one's life, lying dormant and then springing back up at unexpected moments. A long train of carriages riding off into the sunset is a dream image, some mirage-like melding of Wild West and rock 'n' roll mythology that hits at something primal and almost beyond naming. The passing of childhood, yes, but more specifically the closing off of a universe of choices that were once available to us and no longer are. This being a Beyoncé single, the mourning is laced with the requisite triumphalism, but this doesn't negate the message that every worldly gain is built upon worldly loss but strengthens it. Those bone-rattling surges of guitar and percussion, at once funereal and propulsive, provide the ideal frame for this balancing act, jolting us back and forth between reality and the reverie. We never find out exactly what dreams are being carried away by the carriages, but that's fine -- all the better to universalize this inherently exceptional case of the self-sacrificing celebrity. [8]

Jackie Powell: Ever since Beyoncé released “Formation” and subsequently Lemonade, a common criticism emerged about what her brand stands for, and a question was posed: can she currently relate to the stories about being a Black person in America? Ernest Owens’ column from eight years ago makes points that remain relevant. “Just know that Beyoncé is making bank off of a variation of blackness that she isn't currently living in or experiencing,” he wrote. With Renaissance, released six years later, there were questions about how Beyoncé could earnestly lean into the plight and earn profit from the Black queer folks that Renaissance pays tribute to. And with “16 Carriages,” a track written like a modern day “work song,” how does that factor into that discourse? Putting it simply, Beyoncé has struggled with being relatable, but “16 Carriages” challenges that. What was her life like before the millions of dollars and even before Destiny’s Child? I didn’t really know until now. She writes of sacrifice, something that is a part of everyday life for all. And she also writes of the struggles that people who choose a life of creative work are accustomed to. “Goin' so hard, gotta choose myself/Underpaid and overwhelmed.” That’s so real. “Sixteen dollars, workin' all day/Ain't got time to waste, I got art to make.” That’s also so real. “16 Carriages” is written like a poem in couplets, with Beyoncé placing accents after each clause or phrase. The most important words that she wants you to take away are what she accents. It’s intentional, just like a lot of the recent Beyoncé story. Could this be Beyoncé’s “Jenny from the Block?” It might be, but it’s a bit more sincere and much less silly. Beyoncé knows she’s not that professional teenager anymore. [8]

Nortey Dowuona: Atia Boggs once wrote the hook "oh, I don't recall, all the tears of them all, the children of men, children of men." She also wrote: "baby, I might let you go, baby, baby no matter what, and like I switch the other side of me, baby gotta lotta ride on me." She has been writing songs that take all sorts of shapes, but she is credited on this song, and those two feel close to it. The first is a Trae the Truth record where he and J. Cole tell sad stories of young black men being sucked into the prison system, and the hook memorializes their lives. The second is a trippy Childish Gambino acid trip with a girl with a cat who looks at him sideways and has a little ride on her -- which Boggs sings about before her words are once again cut up and scattered to the winds. "It's been umpteen summers, and I'm not in my bed, on the back of the bus in a bunk with the band." I figure that a longtime songwriter like Boggs and Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter can both resonate with this lyric: both of them have lost umpteen summers to the reality of being musicians, and both are still in the chase and still have dreams left to achieve, still remember the dulling ache of being young and chasing and fearing not keeping up with the elders who are ahead. "It's been 38 summers, and I'm not in my bed, on the back of the bus on a bunk with the band." Now they are the elders, the ones the younger singers and songwriters are keeping pace with, seeing the road begin to shorten, time running out. "Going so hard, now I miss my kids, overworked and overwhelmed." It's easy to forget that both Boggs and Beyoncé are human beings, especially when one is a longtime songwriting veteran with dozens of credits and one is the most revered people in black music -- in music, period, which is why you make songs like this. Not everyone is free to sincerely indulge, but everyone is free to grieve the shortening of the runway, afraid of running and coming up short, losing time with your children, wondering whether the overwhelming grind will actually end. For Ms Knowles Carter, hopefully soon. For Mx Boggs, the future is far more uncertain. [10]

Katherine St. Asaph: Authenticity arguments are generally boring. But I would be lying if I claimed it didn't lend some gravitas to "16 Carriages" that Beyoncé wrote it with a songwriter for Renaissance and not a songwriter for Fletcher. The song is a showcase of vocal interpretation -- which it has to be, because it's essentially one short melody -- and genuinely strange, a power ballad that Beyoncé's verses keep prodding and dodging until it sounds less inspirational than destabilized. More than anything she's released in a while, this reminds me of 4, a sadly-but-unsurprisingly underrated casualty of the album it preceded. [8]

Ian Mathers: Much more so than "Texas Hold 'Em," this feels like one of the high-drama Lemonade or Beyoncé tracks transposed to a more country backing -- not in a bad way, if anything in the "this is a real song because it works even if you do it real stripped down" sense. (Not that this is particularly stripped down; the bombast really works for me, actually.) The fit isn't quite as smooth as "Texas Hold 'Em," but that just means that one feels like an all-timer while this just feels strong. I suspect it'll work great on the album -- sequencing being yet another thing Beyoncé is generally great at. [8]

Will Adams: The "country" designation for "16 Carriages" doesn't really connect with me. Rather, the song stands as the ideal version of what Beyoncé was going for with the adult contemporary half of I Am... Sasha Fierce that ended up quite bland. With heaps more production value and maturity, she's finally sold it. [7]

Isabel Cole: I thought it was the melody that I didn’t quite like, but then I couldn’t get it out of my head for a week, and found I didn’t mind it there. The plodding beat makes sense conceptually -- evoking the drag of horses’ hooves, or perhaps the crack of a whip driving them on as they pull -- but it’s a little grating. The way the arrangement veers between sparseness and bombast feels like the song can’t make up its mind about whether it’s a vulnerable confession or a statement of pride. And, again, that’s the point, I know; and, again, it just doesn’t land for me. [5]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Bombast can in its own right become a virtue – if this were any smaller of a song I'd note the flaws in its construction more closely, spend more time trying to piece together where the core metaphor goes. In practice, "16 Carriages" leaves me with no time or resistance to consider such petty concerns; in every giant, resounding organ chord and wail of the steel guitar I am simply awed, bearing witness to Beyoncé at her most ideal form, a force of grace and power embodied. [8]

Michael Hong: Authenticity is wholly unimportant when it's this well-acted. With every shaky line reading and teetering run, she evokes the rickety journey of a carriage, bumping through the clunk of the guitar. It doesn't matter whether the lyrics are true to Beyoncé or any of the songwriters; you hear the lift when she looks upward.  [7]

Leah Isobel: I wonder whether the Renaissance project is about refraction - funneling Beyoncé's mythmaking through different genre prisms, seeing what aspects of her art and her life story are emphasized in each new mode. "16 Carriages" suggests as much. The Act 1 material felt like she had time-warped back into her youth, its energy libidinous and present-focused, its references rooted in the various forms of dance-pop that carried the early stages of her mainstream crossover. (Like, there are two Beyoncé songs that sample Donna Summer: one off Dangerously in Love, and one off Renaissance. Seems like a purposeful choice!) Here, though, her mode is more reflective, more "adult." The previous record's shifts in tempo and syncopation could evoke the time-shifting qualities of a great dancefloor, the way that the past and present and future blur into meaninglessness, but "16 Carriages" delineates clearly between what has passed and what is to come. Its instrumentation is built on harsh, regimented blasts of instrumentation that corral her vocal into measured units: you can hear her pacing out exactly how much melody she can fit in between each beat. It's like the ticking of a clock, or a step forward into the future. But it feels limited, somehow, by that regimentation. "For legacy/ If it's the last thing I do/ You'll remember me," she sings on the bridge, as if it's a self-evident value. Perhaps it's a peek inside what it takes to be an unbelievably famous and successful superstar after nearly 30 years: you cannot ever let yourself run out of steps forward. There is only the body and the road, pushing forward. I just wonder what it might sound like if she stopped. [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[allycatcreatethings]

The Acceptance of Adulthood

Chapter 1: Old Memories 

What happened during the time with Finn with his perspective?

I missed the good old memories...

[First - Next - Chapter Index] [Word Count: 1327]

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

Do you know what it’s like to grow up with hyper imagination? I knew that since I was young. It was a wonderful gift to tell stories without getting dispassionate about them. However, real life got in the way, and I had to leave that magical world behind for the night, only to return in the morning.

Some kids played with cars or dolls, but for me, it was Lego. Lego could be anything when you build and create, and you can get the best ideas out there to see them flourish and move. I played with my sets for a long while, creating a cute and delightful world without many rules. 

One time during the night, I sneaked into the basement to see what my father had constructed with his Lego sets downstairs. I felt in awe as I saw another world better than mine. There were flaws and order, but it made it much more fun! The different sets were various locations I could visit and wish to be in. I decided to dedicate myself to making the best story to enjoy and then one day tell it to the rest of the world. 

But my dad never let me play with his sets and told me to play with mine, but after playing the same thing repeatedly, I wanted more.  

I was able to create great storytelling by starting with a villain. Dad always told me not to touch the sets. But my Dad’s rules were too limiting, so he divided the world to never interact with each other again; imagine how the Lego figurines feel about this. 

[It was horrible.]

When I noticed the Lego figurines for the first time, I loved each and made some with some bricks alone, like Princess Unikitty. I wanted my old world to be where she ruled over and called it Cloud Cuckoo Land, but I knew if I wanted to improve the story, I had to eliminate my old world to create a new, better one. 

I feel like they are alive while playing with the Lego figurines. They are real people in their world, but they can’t interact or see me.

Each of their personalities was easy to make, and the narrative usually took off without me.

The Lego figurine drawn towards me the most was a construction worker. He already had a name on his printed leg piece, and his name was Emmet. There was nothing about Emmet that made him stand out from his other workers. I thought of the last name Brickowski because I thought it was clever, with the word brick in it.

But he was special to me. I put myself into the little guy, but even the worker became his own Lego person. I also did that with my Dad with Lord/President Business, but I have yet to tell him. He may not like it if I put him in the villain role.

One day during play, when Emmet fell onto the floor, I thought he was alive. I didn’t realize at first he was there; I think I stepped on him by mistake.

I think Emmet can see me. But he could move, but minimal. I guess my imagination was running wild. That was also when Dad finally saw my story and almost destroyed it. I can hear Emmet screaming for help or in pain, seeing his friend almost losing. I felt the same way; I was only a kid then. That’s what I imagined, at least. 

[But you are blind to seeing reality, Finn.]

I encountered a problem: What happens if a Lego person falls onto the floor? I can not place them back; you must cross a barrier to return them home like another world. I thought of many ways but came back to a portal. It was manageable; I had tested it and hoped it worked. That is what I believe in, like that cat poster on the wall.

To get my story back on track, I distracted my dad and saved Emmet with the lid of the Kragle. I gave him one last goodbye and placed him back into his world. I felt like I had lost a friend, and they moved away, but it has to be that way.

After that, something clicked in my Dad to change, and he allowed me to play with his sets. It felt like magic, like the special one did it. I was delighted that my story could continue until Dad told me my sister could play. Everything went into a nightmare pretty quickly as my sister threw my story off course; everything changed in my real life and reflected in the new narrative I created. Well, except Emmet. I changed, but he did not. Nothing in my power could change him, no matter how much I tried. 

Then, when my sister took his friends away, I wanted to get them back, and in the process, I lost Emmet. I had lost myself in the story.

I created the character Rex, and he felt it was me similarly, but I modified it to be more like the older me rather than a younger, naive version of my past. But I felt my anger come in, and I had enough of everything. I destroyed Bianca’s palace, but the consequence was Mom coming in and telling us to put Legos away forever, for real, this time.

I was heartbroken; my story was gone, and for the first time, I only saw my sister hurt without the narrative, and it hit me like Lego bricks crashing down. Somehow, I became a monster of my creation and didn’t know what to do. I comforted my sister, and she and I felt compelled to open the box again to rebuild the relationship. I heard the Lego figurines singing, but my sister couldn’t listen. I just thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. 

[But you listen anyway. They are just toys; why are you so attached to the plastics?]

I search for the Lego pieces for the heart and build them together again. I wanted to restart everything again with my sister and make an even better world for them!

But then, I realized I had to rescue Emmet from the true villain.

[You always need your main character. Hmm, who is the real villain?]

I picked up Wyldstyle and started to locate them. I felt horrible, but Rex had to go; I couldn’t be him anymore, so I let him disappear from the story. He was not dead; however, Vitruvius’ death was already hard to handle, and Emmet could even see his ghost occasionally. Killing a character removes the story they want to tell and the ideas they have with them.

Emmet became a monster he should not be, but I tried to let Emmet one last goodbye. Rex was an adult I never wanted to grow up as, and I had to get rid of him peacefully; that made sense in the story. 

[And yet you regret removing him from the story anyway.]

It’s been about five years since the last big adventure the Lego Figures had, but I still consider them for their story—my narrative. I had tried to grow up and learn to drive, cook, and be responsible like most adults. Why is it so hard to do sometimes?

[So tedious, so exhausting.]

I still hate the idea of adulthood. Why did you have to discard your childhood self before becoming an adult? 

[Because you are afraid of change, let go of the past.]

But things are about to change, I know it. Maybe for the better, but I hope not for the worse. After all, it’s just a story. I keep asking questions, and the answers are in play or games. I wish they were genuine and weren’t in my head. I just want my hero I can look up to, Emmet Brickowski.

[OUR HERO]

*~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~*

[carminavulcana]

RRR Fics Masterlist

(listed from oldest to newest)

1. Shahadat - Shahadat. To Witness. Shahadat. Martyrdom. Why is a mother helpless in the face of both. (Akhtar's ammi's POV during Komuram Bheemudo) (1,077 words)

2. A Matter Of Mercy - Bheem actually managed to run away with Malli on the day of his hanging. But he is only human. Who healed him just enough to give him another chance at freedom? A missing scene between guilt-ridden Ram and unconscious Bheem in the aftermath of the flogging. (1,813 words)

3. An Afternoon In London - What became of Jenny and Bheem eventually? What became of their great love? A story set in 1982. (3,478 words)

4. Too Much Mugwort - Ram and Bheem have a quiet moment after the dust settles, in the aftermath of their fight against Scott's forces. Bheem is consumed with guilt over Ram's condition after his imprisonment. He intends to make amends. And the first thing on his mind is getting some food into his dear friend. (3,180 words)

5. A Pattern Cast Twice - Can Jenny learn to love again? Will the memory of Bheem chase her like a ghost for the rest of her life? A companion piece to my story An Afternoon In London. (1,944 words)

6. A Different Kind Of Love - What if Bheem is unable to save Ram? What becomes of him? Of Ram's promise to bring guns to his village? And most importantly, What becomes of Seetha? (5,516 words)

7. Testimony - Poetry speaks where prose falls short of words. My small tribute to the countless heroes of the revolution who made untold sacrifices to bring an end to the colonial occupation of my country. (97 words)

8. The Date From Hell - Bheem was very lucky that Ram agreed to come with him to the party at the Gymkhana Club. However, what would have happened had he gone there alone? (4,626 words)

9. The Road To My Home - Ram's thoughts and yearning to someday return to his home. But Home is not such a simple concept for a living martyr like him. (182 words)

10. Parallel Lines - The love between Bheem and Jenny may have begun with simple human attraction and appreciation of each other's kindness and gentleness. However, something fundamentally changed after Bheem's flogging. To him, she would forever be a goddess that he wouldn't bring down to his level where only suffering and injustice exist. To her, he is no less than the God that suffers and dies for the sins of those who call him their savior and redeemer. (309 words)

11. A Son Called Akhtar - Bheem found a beautiful family in Delhi who took him in as their own and loved him with all their heart. How did he become so important to them? How did Komaram Bheem, a child of the Gond tribe, become Akhtar, the cherished son of a Muslim family in Delhi? (5,225 words)

12. A Ballad Of Few Words - A poem about the revolutionary ideals and stories of Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetha Rama Raju. And of course, their epic friendship as imagined by the movie. (174 words)

13. Twelve Hours - Written for the prompt Bheem/Jenny X Rain (Bheem and Jenny spend some time together in Hyderabad while he is there for some errands) (3,009 words)

14. I Will Bring You Home (Work in Progress)- Bheem may have suffered a setback with his arrest and his flogging. But he is not one to give up. He will get Malli home. However, the process of going home is long. The road to home is dangerous. The risk of failure is great. A story in which Bheem pushes the limits of human endurance to bring Malli home. Along the way, he becomes her emotional rock, her teacher, and a storyteller. Along the way, he saves Ram and exorcizes his demons. Along the way, he gives so much of himself that one day, his reserves of strength finally run out. (9,367+ words)

15. The Friend (Work in Progress)- Lacchu's injuries, while less severe than Bheem's, end up getting infected. And because they are on the run, they are unable to save him. Bheem is unaware that the man who tortured and hurt Lacchu is Ram himself. When Bheem reveals that he feels broken because Lacchu died on his watch, Ram admits that he was the one responsible for Lacchu's death. Bheem feels no anger for what Ram did to him. But the thought of what happened to Lacchu is too much for him. Can he forgive Ram? Can their friendship survive the bitterness of this truth? (9,589+ words)

16. The Promise Of Eternity - Jenny and Bheem live together in Adilabad. Bheem does everything in his power to keep Jenny happy. Why, then, won't he allow her to do the same for him? (3,894 words)

17. How To Kill A Poet - Bheem may not know the English language. But that does not stop him from being a poet. What fate do poets meet in a world not built for them? Or Ram takes Bheem to the house of a courtesan. (6,683 words)

18. The Scholar - What if Ram decided to not give Bheem a chance to run away? What if Malli was actually forced to witness the execution of her anna? Would she still find her way home? A story in which Malli struggles with loss and living in the absence of Bheem's protective aura. And Ram cannot run from the consequences of his actions forever. (7,536 words)

19. Tales Of The Tigerrr Celebrrration Fic in collaboration with @stars-in-the-distance - In April and May 2023 we held an event on Tumblr and challenged creators to create many new artworks, fanfics, poetry and other works celebrating Bheem. To thank all the creators, we have written a celebratory fic with references (and links) to ALL the created works. It's a romantic fic about Bheem growing old and looking back on his life and remembering all the good and bad memories that have been part of it (Part 1). An alternate universe in which everything turned out alright. Since Bheem is shipped with either Jenny or Ram, the fic has two different endings (Part 2). A big thank you to all the creators, this one is for you! (10,551 words)

20. Sanctuary - Bheem and Jenny finally get to enjoy their relationship. Having dealt with so many ups and downs, it is only fair that they get a chance to experience the beauty and blessings of life as well. There is one last remaining obstacle in their path. In this story, they will overcome that as well. But like all things in their lives, it won't be without its own unique challenges. Warning- The second chapter deals with Bheem's time in police custody, between his arrest and the flogging. That section is heavy and angsty. Approach with caution. But, the ending of the fic is happy. Not bittersweet like my usual. It is happy! (13, 823 words)

Tumblr-Only Works

21. On Treachery - Bheem's POV on Ram's betrayal. A poem.

22. Some Days - Ram and his relationship with Delhi. For the prompt Ram X Rain.

23. The Toy - Catherine Buxton's thoughts on a variety of things including Bheem and a prized possession that she is proud of. For the prompt Catherine Buxton X Toy.

24. Saccharine - Jenny's mettle as she settles into her new life in Bheem's village. Written for the prompt Bheem/Jenny X Saccharine.

25. Fire and Water (Moodboard + ficlet)- Prompt: Don't tell me about how a fire met another fire. Tell me about how a fire met the water and how they didn't end up destroying each other.

26. A Song Of Seetha - Love as devotion when time carries nothing but the message of its own passing. A poem. For the prompt Ram/Seetha X Rain.

[echogekkos-writes]

💚 🤍 💔 🏳️‍🌈 💀

(Sorry im sending so many 😭 i just really want to hear your opinion on a lot of things)

Long answers so putting them under 'keep reading' for the sake of yall's dashboards.

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

Mmmmm. I'm gonna pick two and cheat cause I have feelings on how both are written.

First, Mipha. Like you and other mutuals, when it comes to Mipha, we all are on the same page of just how bland and weak she is written or seen by others in the fandom.

That her crush on Link gets in the way (it doesn't. Yes she loves him, but her love of him never overtakes her duties). That she only cares about Link (no she cares for all the people in the Domain and Link and is selfless to a fault, one of her intended flaws). That she is not partially adept (her spearmanship is described being a league of her own). It just culminates into all of these weird mix of Mipha becoming a bland side character when she really is not. Yes is some of her canon writing a bit shallow? Absolutely. But that's true for all of the Champions. And yet Urbosa and Revali get more love and deserved writing in the fandom, leaving Mipha and Daruk in the dust.

As for the other character? Garrus Vakarian. I love my boy. I love me one space dino. but PLEASE fandom you all need to course correct how you write him. Garrus is Shepard's best friend, no matter if they are in a relationship or not. Also, Garrus is protective of Shepard, but not overprotective to the point of smothering. Yeah the party shenanigans with him and Zaeed talking about defensive parameters for Shepard is great and funny, but some have him way overprotective of Shepard to the point of getting in her way. Shepard can take care of herself. Garrus knows this. And he steps in only when he knows he should. Also....Garrus isn't as suave as you think he is. All that bravado is to hide his self-depreciation and yall gotta remember that. Temper that badassery with some good old depression and PTSD cause that's Garrus for you.

🤍: Which character is not as morally bad as everyone else seems to think?

That's a hard one. Rhoam? Yeah he's a shit father and yeah could he have treated Zelda better? Absolutely. Pretentious to think all the races will drop everything to give their best people, or in the case of Urbosa and Mipha, ruler/heir? No doubt. There's no if and or buts there.

But keep in mind. Hyrule's fate was residing on him. On Zelda's sealing powers. On him excavating the entire regions, finding the divine beasts, organizing the Sheikah with the Guardians, raising an army, diplomatically asking for help from the other races...all while trying to run a kingdom. The stress got to him, and he did what he did because partly he thought he was right, but mostly he was, I feel, nervous and scared. Everything was riding on his and his daughter's success, and he took his frustration out on his failure. Does that make him morally bad? Yeah. But it doesn't make him an outright villain or asshole as everyone likes to dunk on him for.

Rhoam to me is more of an anti-hero. His ultimate end goal is the salvation of Hyrule, but his methods to get there, while noble, are questionable when dealing with people themselves.

💔: If you had to remove one major character from the series, who would you choose?

Ganondorf. I'm sorry, I love him, but I actually think his repeated presence in Legend of Zelda severely limits the creativity and storytelling behind the LoZ franchise. I could even throw in the argument of Link and Zelda as well. The one thing I will never forgive SS for was the Curse of Demise. That shit right there? Ruined the series to come. We can no longer get a new BBEG without Ganondorf either being directly or indirectly involved in the story. Like look, I love games that took either a different take on Ganon before the whole Demise curse, or after by distancing it in some way. Look at TP, BoTW, and MM. Zant being controlled by Ganondorf, a Calamity born of his hatred, and no Ganon involved.

Now granted, WW is probably one of my favorite takes on Ganondorf, but that's because he was given a little bit more humanity alongside his evilness. That he is a 'person' and despite that, still evil.

And even still, I would argue, by having Gandondorf as the same villain over and over you are just re-hashing the same story with the same characters, the same old Good vs Evil plot of Hylia vs Demise just in a different era. And while the gameplay may be great for future games,. at some point, there will be a breaking point for the story. ToTk a prime example.

🏳️‍🌈: Which character who is commonly headcanoned as queer doesn't seem queer to you?

Sidon? And yeah I'm gonna toss in Revali there too. I just don't see them as queer. And that's not cause I'm straight either.

I just..I don't know I don't even see Sidon as being romantically involved with anyone (I am still choosing to completely ignore any and all ToTK Canon). And if he is? I don't know who I'd ship him with or who his partner would be? Am I currently in the middle of writing a Sidbazz wip as part of my miphlink modern AU? Yeah. Still, I don't really headcanon him myself as queer. It's a fluid concept for me...whatever fits the story I'm writing best.

As for Revali, I ship him with his own ego.

💀: If you had to choose one major character to die, who would you choose?

BoTW Zelda. She should have died at the end of BoTW. Here's my reasoning.

She should have died alongside the other Champions. The last relics of the past, leaving an amnesiac Link with barely any memories to make a new life in a land he has come to slowly recognize as the world he lives in now, and not the past. It's how I initially hoped BoTW was going to do. That we encounter Zelda's spirit at the end of the story, her last act to hold the Calamity back in enough time for Link to finish the job.

Now I know Nintendo would never even fathom something like this. Can't kill off your precious Zelda and piss off all the Zelda/Zelink fans. but narratively I think it would have made for a great bittersweet ending. And would have made for a better sequel as well.

[matrioshka]

I played through the pixel remasters! Here’s my ranking

A little prelude - while I have some interest in RPG systems and have tried to get into JRPGs many times, I’ve rarely finished these games start to finish. I get annoyed pretty easily by a lot of the things I’m sure you’ve heard brought up before and I’m easily overwhelmed by progression systems.

This list might seem a bit weird but it’s purely based on my subjective experience with the games - I probably didn’t appreciate story moments much if I was feeling generally frustrated with game, and I might feel differently if I ever go back and play them again.

2 > 1 > 6 > 5 > 3 > 4

FF1 

I ended up enjoying this game a lot. You get a really good sense of progression (probably because the PR plays a lot faster than the famicom version? 30 hours of gametime cut down to 10 hours makes the game feel pretty tight!). So many different modes of transportation, and you unlock them at a pretty steady pace. I like how the world opens up, and getting a boat or creating a new canal to sail out of feels a lot cooler than finding a key or something. Some things were a bit rough starting out - I don’t really like how debuffs work in these games, and when you use them and they don’t work it’s not really clear why, whether you got unlucky or the target is immune. I don’t think the combat is ever really engaging on its own, and the dungeon crawling is this odd mix of being grueling and also kind of trivial with quick saves. It’s mostly overarching progression that’s fun. 

The story was something I ended up enjoying a lot - it feels really creative and ambitious. A lot of the story beats I can imagine being little D&D adventures, you know, but there are some moments that really stood out to me. A kid in a town says they saw a meteor land in a waterfall. You go to cave behind the waterfall and find a broken down robot. Later, you go to the hidden city in the sky and realize this is where it fell from! It’s really cool foreshadowing while being evocative. This one moment and revelation has stood out to me more than any other moment in these 6 games and I’m not completely sure why. Maybe I ended up getting a lot out of the storytelling with this game because I chose to view everything through the lens of it being an NES game, but that’s me!

FF2 

This game has really stuck with me. It’s been a year since I started playing these games and I still like thinking about it, and when I finished the game I wanted to talk about it with everyone I could. The story landed with me like none of the games after really did - you get this really profound sense of sacrifice and loss running through the whole game. Every tragic moment is executed really well, especially considering that this being made for the same system as 1. I think it’s partially because of the text limitation that gives the game a sense of restraint and focus, but talking to a child who was waiting for their town hero to come back and seeing them realize that he never will hit me really hard. The rotating party member mechanic ended up working great throughout the game and I like how the designers were intentional with how each party member was designed - Minwu is a great character to have at the beginning, as a powerful support character that will make fighting a lot easier without killing everything for you. Gordon, however, as a character struggling with his courage and living up to his brother, is kind of dead weight when you first get him. 

Like the first game, I might have enjoyed this game’s story more because of how I engaged with it. The gameplay, battle to battle, is not any more fun than FF1, but I enjoyed the sense of customization and growth. Casting spells feels better because even when they miss you know you’re getting better with them and it doesn’t seem like a wasted turn. When I ended the game I had a lot of ideas about how I might have set up the characters differently, which is a good feeling. Also, there was a moment in the game I found really funny - you find these random, empty ‘trap’ rooms throughout a bunch of the game’s dungeons. Late into the game, you go to the dragoon castle, which has no random encounters, and it also has these random empty rooms. It feels like a gag? I don’t know.

FF3

I really enjoyed the scale of this game. The sense of progression is great, and I loved exploring all of the initial island bit by bit before revealing the wider world. This game has fun story moments, and the cutscenes are definitely more animated. The overarching adventure didn’t end up really sticking with me - maybe I would appreciate it more if I revisited the game, but not many of the emotional beats landed. (One of my favorite moments was finding the retired Dark Knight town, which is really sad and kind of sweet in concept and is a really good example of Final Fantasy’s charm).

The class system is neat, but my favorite thing about it is that the class designs are visually very cute. I don’t know if I actually enjoyed playing around with it all that much in practice - I would get used to it as the games went on but I didn’t like rearranging my characters over and over again and I didn’t feel a desire to experiment more than necessary. This is a weird case where I think I enjoyed the previous games’ gameplay more because I had to think about it less, which doesn’t seem like a good trait for a game to have!

FF4 

I really don’t like the ATB system, and this kind of spoils the rest of the SNES games. My experience with it is harshest in 4 because it was my first time with it, which is probably unfair to this particular game. But it gave combat a really odd and unsatisfying feeling, where there are moments where the system rushes you and moments where you’re waiting for things to happen, and the way the system interacts with the combat animations gives everything a start-and-stop pacing. The thing I like the least about the combat in these games is the general combat speed (how long it takes to go through a turn of combat, the animation speed for each character, etc) and 4 makes it a lot worse.

This game has some great setpieces and story moments. The way characters move around gives all of the cutscenes a lot of energy, it’s very fun. The story didn’t end up resonating with me very much - the storyline you have with Cecil, as well as similar arcs in 6, feel to me like the most simple version of this kind of “morally complex” character arc. There’s a feeling I get when I play certain games or watch certain shows where I think, this would seem really deep and revelatory if I was a teenager. Sometimes that feeling is endearing, sometimes it’s not! I enjoyed the presentation a lot, there was a lot of fun spectacle, but it didn’t leave any kind of impression on me.

FF5 

I liked the story in this one more. There seems to be a pretty big benefit to the restrained party size - lots of variety in gameplay, but characters get more time to develop interconnected bonds over the course of the entire game rather than have that development spread out. And each character gets a lot of their own emotional beats. (The moment where Faris’ dragon dies really hits hard. Really good presentation, it keeps getting better!) I don’t think any of the characters are all that complex but I liked spending so much time with them. None of the funny moments did anything for me but I think this game more or less strikes a pretty good tone. The overarching story gets less interesting to me as it goes along, though.

A big problem I had with these games, particular 4 onward, is that the process of trial and error is kind of broken. I don’t necessarily think it’s bad to have to try things out in order to discover what works, but these games are kind of bad at making it clear when you’ve made an error and when you’ve done something that works. Did I miss or is the boss immune to this? Does the boss just attack a lot or is it counterattacking, and if so, does that mean I’m meant to find some other way to hurt it or do I just push through the damage? The liquid flame boss was super egregious to me because I repeatedly came to the wrong conclusion about how the boss works due to the shifting mechanic. In most of these fights there is *a* logic to how the boss works, you only feel that logic in retrospect - it’s not like acting on your intuition or trying to apply real-world logic is going to work in most cases, so the moments where it’s necessary feel more like point & click puzzles than creative combat challenges. 

This is really weird, right? I enjoyed the gameplay in 1 & 2 way more than this game even though they’re infinitely less complex, and in retrospect the reason why I enjoyed them more than this game is that it was much harder to get confused by bosses with no mechanics.

The class mechanics were fun. I played around with it a lot more than I did with 3.

FF6

Really good presentation! I’d played a bit of chrono trigger before starting this one and so I couldn’t help but compare, and this is not nearly as well put together visually or in terms of spectacle, but it’s still fun. The first half of the game feels almost like a (kind of random?) collection of fun scenarios and set pieces connected by cave crawls. The humor still didn’t do anything for me but the story has a nice mix of goofy stuff and serious plot - out of all of these games it feels like the first game to successfully emulate the feeling of a fun adventure comic or cartoon aimed at teens, and it reminds me a lot of the kind of games that I got really into as a teenager.

By this point I’d come to terms a bit more with ATB. After 6 games though I can’t say I’ve come to a point where I enjoy the combat - it’s mostly something I push through in stride. The progression is fun - I don’t know how I feel about espers and I’m kind of glad I only realized how the stat boosts worked until the second half of the game because I would have wasted a lot of time on it earlier if I knew I could have been optimizing it. My biggest revelation by far though was that, rather than me not understanding how the class mechanics work, most of them are actually just useless and I can just ignore them. It’s odd because there are definitely times where the game definitely, definitely does want you to use them (like with Celes’ runic ability), and it seems to make sense that if there’s a unique action to a character that must be key to how you use them, right? I don’t know.

Overall, I feel good having played these games. I’ve heard a lot about them over the years - I can’t say I’ve gone into them blind, even though I tried to take each game on their own terms. As much as I’ve complained here, I have to say that I’ve played a bit of 7, 9, 10, 13, and 15, and I even mentioned Chrono Trigger - but I haven’t beaten any of those games! There’s something about these ones that made me want to see them through. They're special!

[monkeydluffy19920]

Reasons to love Mugiwaras: Usopp

It’s been ages but here we are again, back with the series  where I share thoughts about why I think a certain (main) character is popular in One Piece.

This series is mainly focused on the canon material but there might be bit about fillers/movies as well to make references on and since it’s impossible to include every single detail here, I try to pinpoint certain things but feel free to add stuff if something is missing :) 

The very first time talked about Sanji and then I wrote about Nami.  This part is inspired by  Luffy vs Usopp amv  (when I realized I  haven’t pondered Luffy vs Usopp much in past).  Now let’s continue the  journey and talk  about  what makes Usopp popular and lovable character (in my opinion).

This  long post might include some unorganized thoughts, repeat and perhaps spoilers, so you’ve been warned!:D

So first thing first about Usopp, in general. He is a great storyteller, a little cowardish but a great friend. Main reason I like in his character is that Usopp is very human. He isn’t the strongest one in the crew, has lots of things he is afraid of but he has a big heart and isn’t afraid to show his emotions.

Like other Straw Hats, he has a sad past too. There isn’t much told but we learnt that Yasopp has been in Shanks’ crew for a long time and Usopp’s  mother died of a illness when he was a kid. Hard to imagine this poor guy had to grow up all alone (basically) and he started lying at a early age.

It’s very heartbreaking to realize that reasons behind his "Pirates are coming”-thing was that deep down the little boy just wanted that his father could return back and he just tried to cheer his sick mom. He could’ve stopped after his mom passed away but maybe it was his way to handle the loss of both parents.

But I think it was really adorable that even though the villagers did seem annoyed by Usopp’s “prank”, then eventually when he didn’t do his daily basis (after beating Kuro) the villagers kept wondering where the sniper was, so this became sort of a “tradition” in his village. It’s great though that his friends a.k.a other members from the Usopp Pirate group decided to keep the traditions alive.

Oda’s way to write characters is amazing and Usopp isn’t an exception. It is clear that Usopp has had a very steady development. Whereas lying and cowardness is partly used as comical reliefs and “running gags” of his, at the same there is much deeper meaning behind his behavior. Lying and storytelling is important part of what makes Usopp who he is and someone would say it’s not healthy but it’s probably where how tends to mask his flaws. We learn later in that deep down Usopp has lack of self-worth and fear of getting abandoned which results that especially before Time Skip he was afraid of unknown and saw himself as a burden due to his physical weakness

Further thoughts are written in “More thoughts about Luffy vs. Usopp-post” but his pride was one of the reason why things escalated with Luffy so badly back then but also the constant fear of not being enough fed all these decisions and he in burst of emotions decided the crew will be better without him. 

Another reason for Luffy vs Usopp fight was his dream.  When entering the Grand Line Usopp told that his dream is to become a  brave sea warrior since he idolizes his father Yasopp a lot. However,  after his real journey on the seas begins so begins his inner crises  because what stands on his way are the limits.  So, before the Time Skip  he wanted to be something he wasn’t.

Usopp knows that brave  warriors are incredibly strong and fearless (like Dorry and Brogy, the  giants from Little Garden who greatly inspire him) and back then he was well aware of the reality (that he isn’t yet ready to be one) and that hurt him and fed his fears and self-esteem problems even more. 

This theme has been going along with Usopp throughout the story. So, although Usopp had learnt slowly to push back his fear and stand up for his nakama in tight situations (for example in Alabasta he was beaten to pulp and still refused to give up and stayed with Nami in Skypiea although Enel was a threat), at the same time they were adventuring, the inner doubts kept stacking, until it exploded badly in Water 7 arc. It’s because he tends to compare himself to the others, especially the Monster Trio (who literally have the monstrous powers).

The robbery of the Skypiea money and the suggestion of replacing Going Merry were definitely the final straws for Usopp and things escalated. Luffy apologized in middle of the bickering but Usopp wasn’t ready to give up on the argument and then challenged him to a 1 vs 1 (perhaps partly to test his strength but mostly because he really wanted to fight for Merry’s future).

Despite being already heavily wounded Usopp didn’t fled from the duel although he could’ve easily trolled them and escape. He still stood up for his policies. Deep down, he didn’t want to back off although he probably knew that Luffy would win eventually. The loss put his remains of self worth into zero point but then on the other hand, later he wanted to help to get Robin back (but was too ashamed to face his captain after the loss and the arguments) so he became an ally as Sogeking

This disguise made him braver but again he was put face to face with his fears and limits when he got almost killed by Jabra. Sanji comes to save him but instead of scolding, the cook motivated him to realize that they need Usopp to trust himself instead of hiding behind the alter ego he created and this is the moment when Usopp started to realize he has unique strengths too.

So, it’s after Enies Lobby that opened Usopp’s eyes for good. After it he starts to see also his strengths (of course sometimes he still gets surprised by his skills but now he is even more skilled). He already proved to be very fast as a battler, very intelligent (good with gadgets, Nami’s weapon is great example of this) and a  very talented sniper. Then after Time Skip Usopp became a source of inspiration in Dressrosa and on top of that he has always been admired by Chopper (who believes his stories). These are some positive influences that has made good for Usopp’s self-esteem. 

That’s not the only character growth though, Usopp has had in my opinion quite steady development throughout the series. First one is in his very own arc. There are more thoughts about it in  Emotional slaps in One Piece-post but shortly said Usopp tries to tell Kaya the truth about her butler but gets an emotional slap instead.  Lying has been a silly entertainment for him but now backfired him, after all it’s hard to be taken seriously if you tell stories all the time and suddenly burst out “the truth”.

Well the slap may have been a “wake up call” so after Syrup Village he gathered his bravery to stand up against Kuro in order to protect his loved ones but then later Usopp’s next big step was in Arlong Park when fools Chuu with his ketchup trick and plans a story how he barely survived and then realizes (when comparing himself to others) that no, he is now a pirate and he needs to do something, literally since his nakamas fight in the frontline too. So he faces his fears, challenges Chuu and wins and this is the first fight he survived all alone! (a great achievement especially when coming to the fact that his equipments were at that time still “rookie level”)¨

Perhaps his interest in building gadgets roots partly from his poor self-esteem. He wants to become stronger too and knows how to build things so why not using the skills for it (let’s not forget that he offered to help Nami to build her a better weapon). 

Another of Usopp’s time was to shine in Thriller Bark when he turned out to be immune to Perona’s ghosts whereas even the Monster Trio (whom he idolizes and compares himself to) couldn’t.  Then when they were separated by Kuma and after Ace died, Usopp became very determined to find a way to help his captain and rejoin and did show lack of fear when meeting scary obstacles. 

After the Time Skip he has changed a lot in a good way. He is now stronger and more confident. He still likes to lie every once in a while but it’s not always to feed his self-esteem, more like force of habit and to entertain (and for comical reliefs). In other words the matured Usopp doesn’t lie just to feel good about himself (now he knows he is a important piece of the Strawhat crew and knows he has abilities to fight off even scary enemies) like he used to.

As a crewmember point of view, Usopp has always been a good handyman in the ship but not only that, he has also been good with mechanics and therefore has had potential even before Enies Lobby.  He can be the responsible adult but also there is this kid-hearted side of his where Usopp puts up with shenanigans.

Luffy and Usopp are definitely best buddies and  and sometimes they have these moments when they share one same braincell *laughs* They also share one common goal: to reunite with Red Hair Pirates crew.  Despite the good and close bond, Usopp took a long time before he started to see Luffy more as his actual captain than a close friend. 

It is mostly because in some ways they are complete opposite: Luffy is physically strong and has an impulsive and carefree nature whereas Usopp tends to hesitate more and has more knowledge and agility instead of muscles. Like written earlier, Usopp had difficulties to keep up with Luffy’s spontaneous and carefree nature.

One of my favorite panels from the whole series is when Usopp takes off his mask and reveals himself to Luffy. He tries to act cool and denies he didn’t come for Luffy’s sake (although he partly did, because he wanted to help too with Robin’s retrieval and didn’t want his captain to give up, since they were so close to their goal). What probably made this whole scenario more powerful was that Usopp  knew how to get Luffy back to the fight and he didn’t hesitate with the motivating, even though they were separated and even offered himself to face Lucci to spare Luffy although he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance. That’s loyalty and bravery, just like when Usopp was beaten into pulp in Alabasta and still stood against Baroque Works once they mocked Luffy. 

What probably makes their nakamaship even more unique is that their arguments lead to the breaking point but they later both understood what to do in order to fix it. 

Zoro and Usopp, when it comes down to this duo, Usopp admires Zoro’s strength and skills (and at the beginning probably is a bit scared of him) and usually seeks protection from the swordsman who seems sometimes to get a little annoyed by this. However, Zoro already showed his loyalty to Usopp in Arlong Park arc where he was ready to slice Nami after hearing she killed Usopp. 

Zoro constantly keeps encouraging Usopp to face his fears and for example doesn’t let him off the hook when they decide by random who is joining Luffy’s shenanigans and also in general probably Usopp sees Zoro as the big brother and the voice of reason too.

Zoro is almost like a mentor to Usopp. Even though the swordsman isn’t that kind of guy who’d show outside the feelings but one can see that he was concerned when Usopp left. Obviously he also wanted the sniper to rejoin but first he demanded a proper apology from the Usopp because of disrespecting their captain (so Usopp could undersrand the consequences of their duel). It sounded ridiculous for some of their crewmates first and even Luffy was ready to welcome Usopp back without bigger fuss but it was very important moment for Usopp to realize this is now the real deal and made him set his pride aside. 

Interesting detail between these two was that Oda made this “role swap” in Sabaody Archipelago. There Usopp (who usually seeks protection from Zoro) is now the one who protects the swordsman and even tried to reason him not to go on the battle (when Zoro was badly wounded), basically it could’ve been anyone who carries Zoro but Oda chose Usopp which is great in my opinion. 

Nami and Usopp get well along together although sometimes the sniper is afraid when the navigator gets angry  but aside of the comical reliefs, Nami is like a big sister to Usopp and they share lot in common: both lost their moms, both are easily afraid of the unknown and both use gadgets in combat.  On the other hand they  both have been great peer support to each other and determined to quit being so dependent on other crewmates and become stronger. 

It is clear that Nami greatly respects Usopp’s skills with mechanics otherwise she wouldn’t have trusted him to build her a weapon so she could battle for Vivi’s sake in Alabasta.  They are often showed as together they are preventing Luffy from doing stupid things by beating him up but on the other hand they are also an efficient duo ending up into various problems in the field (like fighting Enel or when they ended up to explore Thriller Bark with Chopper, “the coward trio” and the latest, when they fought together in Wano against that headbutt-character).  

More importantly, both are very human in their nature (for example when Ace died both were very concerned about how Luffy will cope with an emotional trauma) and for example understand how hard it is to keep up with the rest of the crew.  Both of them also show openly emotions in good and bad. 

Usopp also is aware of Nami’s past (since he and Sanji were the only ones who listened to Nojiko’s story) so for example he got upset to Brook in Mermaid Island arc where Brook dropped unknowingly an insensitive joke about Arlong

So, they do share a special bond and therefore if someone then it’s Nami who understands Usopp’s struggles especially when it comes down to keeping up with the other stronger crewmates and that’s probably why she felt so emotional because of Luffy vs Usopp events (she could definitely feel his pain when he felt the guilt of not being able to protect the money that got robbed by Franky Family but there she proved that money isn’t her priority number 1 and showed much more concern in Usopp’s wellbeing).

Sanji and Usopp, when they first met they ended up arguing (because Usopp didn’t think Sanji treated them equally) but things change in time and they too start to see each others’ good sides.  

Oda makes an interesting way to portray their nakamaship: Usually Sanji acts like he cares only a little for Usopp, but then on the other hand the cook has sacrificed himself in Skypiea for the sniper’s and Nami’s sake and back in Enies Lobby Sanji saved Usopp from Jabra. Sanji was even willing to stand up for his captain and kicked Luffy and told him not to say anything reckless.

Maybe is another running gag it’s seen often that the cook will fearlessly rush into battle while dragging a terrified Usopp with him.  Eventually, in Enies Lobby Sanji was the one to ultimately inspire Usopp to see the value inside himself saying that while he (Sanji) was physically stronger and could do what Usopp could not do, Usopp possessed skill to save Robin and could do what he "couldn't do".

Re-reading Water 7 and Enies Lobby after WCI arc made me understand that Sanji and Usopp have actually much more in common that we thought: both had very isolated childhood without parents, both have had difficulties to keep up with others’ pace (Sanji in past, Usopp in the present).  

Who knows maybe seeing Usopp fighting with his insecurities and especially using in the mask reminded Sanji of his own “iron mask” and the pain behind wearing it. Perhaps this was the reason Oda first made Sanji to convince the others to not to reveal Sogeking’s real identiity (although probably most of them knew who he was) and later choose presicely Sanji to be the one with the speech in Enies Lobby. 

Interesting detail in this setting was that this became a parallel to Arlong Park where Luffy told that he can’t do all things, and now there is Sanji who openly admitted he wasn’t able to win Kalifa (and got bailed out by Nami), only for her and Usopp to be bailed out by Sanji in turn when the wolf man was way too strong for them. It’s just still amazing the way Sanji puts all his trust in Usopp to help them free Robin by telling the sniper: strength comes in many different forms and that even the strongest crewmembers are depending on one another to survive.

Chopper and Usopp also have their special bond and they too adore each other’s skills. Chopper keeps buying Usopp’s tales but also sees him as his hero.  Both of them are openly showing their emotions and are human in that side.

Because Chopper idolizes Usopp, it was hard to him to get rejected by the sniper when Usopp left the crew and Chopper later caught up and tried to talk him back there without good results.  After the Luffy vs Usopp fight Chopper had really hard time because he was forced to choose between his job and friends (when Sanji told him not show pity on a fallen man but later Chopper decided to go with his heart leave Usopp some first aid kit so he eventually chose friendship kindness and what  he thought was right at that moment.  

Sogeking was basically the embodiment of Usopp’s tales and probably he didn’t realize who was behind the mask. Chopper loved Usopp’s alter-ego too though. 

Usopp and Chopper are easily terrified (along with Nami) but even though they are usually scared, the sniper and the doctor make a great fighting team. A great example was that They defeated   Miss Merry Christmas  and Mr. 4 in Alabasta.  

Usopp and Chopper form the “Coward Trio” with Nami and although it’s partly a running gag, there again is some things that combine them and it’s their human nature and (outside chopper) their pretty human strength.

Usopp and Robin needed a little time for their nakamaship to develope. Probably because of Alabasta he was a bit afraid of her and her devil fruit powers (especially when she joked about her speciality to be assasinations). So Enies Lobby arc did also good for their nakamaship. 

Usopp was always willing to help Robin in Water 7 but since the circumstances were a bit difficult he had to do it in a disguise and didn’t even hesitate although he was facing Blueno who is powerful.  By that time Robin wasn’t aware of the crew being split up but despite that Usopp still told her to “have faith in Luffy”.

Just like written earlier, I think it was crucial for Usopp’s character development that Oda made him to be the final piece to the puzzle to help Robin escape from Spandam.  This strengthened their bond for good and it’s not the only time, also in Dressrosa Usopp saved her from being a toy.

What I like the most in their nakamaship is that although Robin loves to tease Usopp with her dark jokes, she also treats him with a big heart, like motherly. It’s headcanonish but I think for example that Robin helps Usopp and the rest of the “Dork Trio” collecting bugs and stuff.

Usopp and Franky had a very  rocky start since the cyborg’s family stole Strawhat Pirates’ money and beat the sniper’s butt. Then Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Chopper caused a ruckus on Franky House so Franky decided to return the favor by kidnapping Usopp (who at that point had left the group.

Suddenly they started to bond, mostly because they started to talk about ships and it was Franky who managed to make Usopp realize that Going Merry was way beyond repair despite the sniper tried to repair the ship. Despite they didn’t know each other for a long time, Franky was definitely impressed by Usopp’s skills since the cyborg later asked him to join the Franky family.

After Franky joined the Strawhats these two began to bond even more. They both love mechanic stuff (i.e both love to build stuff and Usopp is usually the tester when it comes down to Franky’s inventions) and they enjoy maintaining the Thousand Sunny together and Franky for sure has taught Usopp a lot about shipwrighting since he heard Usopp took mainly care about Going Merry.  

It’s probably just another running gag but Franky compares his bounty towards Usopp’s a lot and frankly spoken he should have at least a bit better bounty in general compared to the fact that he has loads of knowledge (previously held Pluton blueprints) but that’s another story to tell later. 

Brook and Usopp didn’t have it easy too since Usopp was terrified of Brook when they first met. He was openly against the musician to join the crew but once he heard that Brook and Laboon had a connection and after events in Thriller Bark in general, Brook gain Usopp’s trust.

Although they get well along, a couple of times Usopp has become annoyed by Brook’s careless behavior: in Punk Hazard when he was eyeing Nami’s body (when Sanji was swapped into her)  and when Brook accidentally made that joke about Arlong in Mermaid Island.

Jinbe and Usopp, the sniper was understandably hesistant about Jinbe at the first time since Jinbe is not only a former warlord but also was part of Arlong’s Pirate crew. Despite all that the sniper ended up supporting his captain's decision about Jinbe joining their crew and after they’ve known for more, Usopp has  admired Jinbe's attitude and strength and eventually encouraged him to join the crew while calling him Boss Jinbe.

I think from after the Syrup Village and Enies Lobby, one of the most crucial arc for Usopp’s development has been Dressrosa because there he managed to unleash his Kenbunshoku Haki. It was literally a crucial shot because Luffy and Law were in edge of becoming toys. 

Let’s not forget that chapters ago he shot one of the Merry's cannons and perfectly hit his target and the crew managed to escape from Alabasta because he landed a shot on a marine ship which made it crash into another giving them an escape route.  So as said earlier, Usopp has always been very skillful with gadgets and incredible speed. At the first glance slingshot as a weapon doesn’t sound powerful but now to think about it: to land a shot perfectly you needs to be able to lock the position of your target, calculate the exact angle and force and usually you are also put into pressure.  So, Usopp is one of the best examples of underestimated power and indeed deserved all the praise in Dressrosa.

His character history still has room for questions that could have answers such as what disease did Usopp’s mom have? (like could it be cured in future if Chopper’s dream about being able to cure all diseases became true?) or how it will be when Usopp meets his Yasopp for the very first time after a long break? It seems like his dad left when he was very young so probably he mostly knows him based on what his mother Banchina told about him.

Aside from sharpshooting, lying skills and being good at engineering (especially with handheld weapons) Usopp has other talents too such as being a skilled artist and according to sbs he has also is good with hairdressing.  He is also good with gardening because he learnt in that island to cultivate pop greens.

I think one of the funniest running gag is that Usopp is a scaredy cat but one thing he is not afraid is bugs especially spiders. When Nami and Sanji screamed their lungs out because of the tarantellas (while they were looking for South Bird) Usopp casually took that 8 legged thingy to his hands. Hard to say whether his skills in arachnology has come in handy in general but I do like the headcanon that him and Luffy (and Chopper) love to collect bugs together and play with them when they have some spare time. 

All in all, if one should sum up this huge post (that again got carried away *laughs*) it’s that Usopp has made a long journey to the point where he is now standing. He started as a hesistant youngster and has grown now to a strong and (almost) fearless pirate and one day he’ll definitely become the brave warrior of the seas (although he already is one). 

[herrscherofmagic]

IMO, the current story arc in HI3rd might just be my favorite one so far. i've got a lot of thoughts to share on it, so I present to you this post! But first, a preamble :)

This is a really long post, I think I used the right tags for this? idk

I'm basically just copying over a post that I made for Reddit, so idk if this is way too long for tumblr or what. I've got a habit of writing pointlessly-long things on Reddit and idk if the Tumblr folks appreciate this or not x-x

but without further ado! my thoughts on the whole "city of salt and sand" story we've got going on right now.

P.S., this is mostly spoiler-free; I don't make any specific references to events in the story, except for Susannah's feelings but even that is really vague so it shouldn't reveal any plot twists or anything like that.

I remember how confusing and awkward it was when I first started playing HI3rd.

I didn't have a clue who any of these characters were, some parts of the story seemed weird, or convoluted, or had no explanation. Over time I caught up through reading the manga and catching up with the story; I looked through past events to figure out the story of the Captainverse; and I've been thinking plenty about the story of HI3rd and the other Hoyo games, trying to piece together different ideas and themes.

With all that in mind, I feel like this story arc has been probably one of the strongest pieces of storytelling in all of HI3rd, and maybe even across all the Hoyo games (that I've played, at least).

I'll make the obligatory disclaimer that yes, sometimes the technobabble gets a bit confusing. Thankfully I can understand a fair bit of it because of some exposure I've had to math and science, but I can't pretend to be at Schrodinger's level.

But I think this chapter did a great job at presenting some of these ideas in a way that felt natural to the progression of the story, while also making it understandable. We might get a statement that makes 0 sense, but you can usually figure out what's going on through context clues, as well as the analogies that some characters have been making.

I think the cast chosen for this arc has also been a huge help. This is probably the single most diverse cast we've had, in terms of personality, behavior, and mindset. Whether it's Kira repressing her "dislike" of Misteln, or the banter between Senti and Seele, there's been a lot of fun moments where these characters aren't all thinking on the same wavelength. Instead they need to find ways to understand each other. It really feels like there's an effort being made by these people to understand the situation they're in, and every step forward or misstep backwards feels meaningful. It's that variety in beliefs and personality that really spices things up and makes it feel so much more lively to me!

Building on that, I've also really enjoyed some of the themes being presented here.

Especially Susannah... oh boy do I have a lot to say here!

I think Susannah's development has been phenomenal (though it's absolutely criminal that a lot of it is limited-time events... THREE events now). In fact, while this isn't quite as serious of a situation, I'd go so far as to say that it's vaguely comparable to Kiana's experience in Arc City.

Yes, the severity is different.

But the thing that made me love Honkai was how we saw Kiana grow very slowly. It was an imperfect journey and it took tremendous effort on her part, but she was able to keep moving forward. Sometimes it felt like Kiana made progress (such as her training with Fu Hua), but this progress masked deeper problems that she couldn't run from (her sacrificial nature). This led to that emotional back-and-forth, where Kiana had real victories and real defeats over time. It wasn't just "The power of friendship!" saving the day in one fell swoop, but instead it felt like a much more realistic take on how difficult it can be to recover from trauma.

Susannah doesn't have to deal with the freakin' Herrscher of the Void inside of her, but her own mind puts up a big fight nonetheless. The more I see Susannah move forward and stumble back time and again, the more I feel a stronger connection with her as a character. For crying out loud, just in the last week or two I've lost count of how many times I've felt like I've been making great strides in my art one day while being a complete emotional train-wreck the next day.

Seeing Susannah breaking down but picking herself back up and moving forward nonetheless... That is why I put so much of my energy towards the idea of storytelling. It's why I play games and obsess over stories and analyze characters and dissect settings and come up with theories and headcanons and fanon and more. Being able to see these characters go through these struggles and seeing how that can relate to my own experience in life is something that has genuinely made me a better person over the years, and might have even saved my life in a way. I want nothing more than to be able to tell stories just like this someday, so that perhaps others might be able to learn and grow from my own stories that I conjure up.

While Susannah is the one I personally relate to the most, I've still been able to appreciate the rest of the cast, too. It's enjoyable to see the way they interact with each other, but I also feel invested in every single person here. There's even a particular someone I've especially grown to love here, but there's leaks and spoilers a-plenty out here in the internet right now so I don't really want to push that subject.

For the sake of keeping this spoiler-free I've been avoiding specifics, but honestly there's just too much for me to talk about even if I wanted to dive right into it. From the setting and stage design, to the character interactions, the development of the plot, the conflicts and resolutions we've had so far, it all just feels so satisfying to me.

I guarantee that there are some objective flaws somewhere in this story arc, and I wouldn't be surprised if others were to start pointing out those flaws. But I'm still enjoying the story, so even if I can't say "This is an objectively great story", I can still say "This is a story I love", and that's good enough for me~ ^_^