#it isn't lost on me that the inclusion of what these characters look like is likely important

[ceaselessims]

oh people are theorizing that jon and martin are the /direct/ cause of the dimension hopping??? for why??? 👀 why would they send this man to another universe ?? i assumed it was just a version of them that wasn't connected to tma but now this theory that they're also dimension hopping is 👀

[carlyraejepsans]

UTY!Flowey, "lore" and how to criticize a fan prequel without being an insufferable pedantic, a guide by Biscia.

(for my muskless fellows, here's a transcript of my thread on Undertale Yellow that I posted on Twitter. enjoy!)

There's this really frustrating attitude in fan spaces i like to call "lorepilling" where people are substantially more concerned with encyclopedic knowledge of details & minutiae (so called "lore") in place of full-text thematic/narrative analysis as if the two are mutually interchangeable.

It's especially common in large franchises and story heavy videogames, and it's like... Are You Treating This Piece Of Art Like A Trivia Battle Or Are You Treating It Like A Story

This is coming from a person who is also deeply autistic about UTDR trivia btw, I'm just saying that when it comes to transformative *stories*, depending on the impact it has on character, themes, and narrative structure... lore is expendable.

Ultimately this is why most of the UTY criticism i see (on twitter specifically) falls flat. What does it matter if "lore" means Flowey couldn't chronologically be there when the justice human fell, as long as the game narratively justified his presence in the story in a compelling way?

The real criticism, in the end, is that it didn't.

He's a plot central, main cast character from the canon returning in a cast of mostly OCs and what does he have to show for it? An admittedly sick boss battle in 1/3 endings, sure but... not much else. He has no significant "presence" in the story, no tie, interaction, or even just... an opinion on the rest of the cast. Which is a huge miss when Flowey's meta role is to be Thee completionist player mirror. He's the OG lorepilled UT fan! He's an opinionated little shit!

This isn't to say that UTY *didn't* engage w/ his metanarrative. When me and @a-town-called-hometown first started playing the game (we were both skeptical of Flowey's inclusion), he immediately said "It would be really cool if they made it so this has been going on for a while and Clover has no idea". Which is precisely what the game did in the neutral ending, and what I will openly say was the most well written & well executed part of this game's story...

...a part we almost didn't see, because the pacifist ending disappointed us so much we lost all will to replay.

To put it in the words of my friend Mel @clowwwnbytes, there's a deafening hollowness to UTY Flowey's motivations & core principles where his guilt towards Chara—and resulting black and white thinking—should be. You're telling me Mr Kill-or-be-killed, "sacrificing yourself to do the right thing is stupid", would stand there after 1000s of failed attempts to make Clover survive, look on as they make the same mistake Asriel he did, and fondly call them friend? Cue the guitar, roll the credits?

He would lose it. Oh my god he would lose his goddamn mind, he would throw the nastiest temper tantrum in the world. Are you serious? How dare you. How DARE you. All this effort, all my patience, and you just let yourself DIE for a few worthless idiots? I should've let you ROT!

*clears throat* sorry got a bit too into character. as i was saying.

I can understand a UT prequel wanting to distance itself from the canon Chara storyline in order to form its own identity, but then turning around and choosing Insane About Chara The Character™ for a sidekick is... far from optimal. In the end, Flowey comes across as underutilized and inconsistent, with a whole lot of wasted potential.

This is an issue I have with UTY's character writing (original AND returning) and story structure as a whole. Lots of inconsistent character arcs, tonal dissonance, overuse of situational sadness... it's an amateurish work, after all, and you can feel it. There's no shame in that.

(Though, there ARE some issues that i take more seriously with its writing, especially when it comes to its two main female characters—Ceroba's lack of narrative agency and depth borders on misogynistic writing imo. But that's a topic for another day)

Over all, UTY was an incredible piece of collaborative transformative work, with gorgeous art and a genuinely incredible OST, which... would have benefited from more experienced writers. But hey, you can only ever learn by trying!

For all it could've been a better story, it certainly did not fail to entertain: both when my friend was playing it, and after in our many discussions of its writing, its faults and how it could've been improved (royal scientist!ceroba character fix you will always be famous. to ME!)

I'm sure this project served as an incredible source of experience for the developers: as individual creators AND as a team. I look forward to their future projects!

but also if i have to see another person say UTY is better than Undertale i might turn into The Jonker.

end of the essay! really couldn't stand any of the pedantic ""criticism"" I'd seen of this fangame so far, so i had to say my piece as someone more versed in analysis. happy to elaborate on anything in the replies or in my inbox!

[bl33df0rm3]

✎"So that's what you're into? I see." Afab!reader x Genshin men's favorite kinks (Smut, 2nd Pov)

-‘๑’-Note; This is meant to be inclusive for all readers including black readers so things like "Easy to bruise skin." and "You feel your face turn red (As a black person my face does feel hot but I don't get red). Along with easy to go through hair won't be added, if you need those details in fanfic's then this blog is not for you<3. This can be the same for Chubby readers<3

✎Author's note; I'm not doing this in any order these are just what came to mind, if you have any character you want me to cover (Max of 5 at a time), I gotcha. Also this is afab reader but the readers gender isn't specified. If you wish to translate my works please dm me&lt;3 (MDNI BANNER CREDIT CLICK HERE)

Tighnari ;Breeding.

Imagine Just being out in the forest with just a field of flowers around you, the not so silent sounds of Tighnari pounding into you just as he has for the last few minutes every thrust having him drag deeper into you by the moment his groans escaping his lips as moans poor from yours. He can't help it it he really can't just the slight teasing that you did Earlier and the suggestive remarks about having a family, that was what tipped him over the edge. He wanted to fill you to the brim it made his cock twitch just thinking about it, with your consent before hand he knew just how he wanted it to go, His ears twitched with anticipation feeling you clench around him the little whimper from you letting him know you were so close, just begging him to let you reach your high. He smiled as he picked up the speed as you lost control of your arms your face now just brushing against the flowers as you reached your peak, feeling his warm substance begin to fill you as he groaned in pleasure watching some trickle out and fall onto a petal under you.

He wasn't lying you did get to smell the flowers that day.

Childe/ Tartaglia;

At this point you were at a loss, your breathing was ragged and delayed looking up at the piercing blue eyes that had a lovely smirk accompany them he looked completely fine yet here you were under him with your legs spread nails digging into Tartaglia's back. The look on your face was amazing to him one minute you were trying to actually trying to get him to stay home with you instead of going out doing Archon's knows what. Then here you were nails embed into his back while your legs quacked under his touch from the pure over stimulation he was glazing along them. It probably wasn't that long but your mind seemed to magically gain time blindness over just this simple motion over and over. His eyes looked over your body again it was tailored for him, it could take this much in such a short time and it brought a feeling of pride along with lust that decided to keep you around. Deciding that he had his fun for the night he increased the pressure on your puffy nub as his fingers curled just a bit more to hit that special spot inside of instead of just brushing along it.

Sure he was going to let you finish now, but that doesn't mean the night was over.

Pantalone; Cock warming

All that could be heard was the sounds of papers shuffling as he reached over you occasionally humming as you stayed almost perfectly still, with that gentle unfazed smile that never left Pantalone's face looming over you. At first it felt weird you needed some type of friction not for your to just be sitting there with you underwear pushed to the side taking all of him in. I mean he was completely bottoming out of you but then again it felt nice after a little bit, besides you were promised a reward if you could stay still for just long enough for him to finish a few things. This was the best he could do to tend to your needs at this time well that was what he told you but that was far from the truth, it was just the feeing of you wrapped around him that brought pleasure to him. Along with the fact that it felt like he was just pleased feeling you have to occasionally move too readjust yourself with him to help. Your insides felt so warm, tender it honestly was relaxing pair that with the fact that it stimulating and brought extra anticipation to when he could ruin you, perhaps in the confines of his office?

He was already turned on, a few thrusts wouldn't hurt right?

Itto; Oral (giving)

As he's stated before Itto always wins all his food or more on point his snacks, though a full course meal was much more filling he adored a challenge and whenever you lost he was able to demand anything he wanted. That's how you ended up here with your legs draped over his shoulders as he lapped at your folds looking up to smile with his eyes over at your expression. It was the way you tasted it was amazing paired with how the moans that fell off your tongue rolled into his ears. Your juices pouring down his chin and onto your shared bed sheets being strained by your nails digging into them, the very slight twitching of your legs when he teased your clit. The pussy drunk look in his eyes as his tongue bullied his way deeper and deeper until he hit that spot making your insides clench in pleasure. It was a beautiful sight, after your hands went from the sheets to his horns in a matter of minutes making him gasp slightly, making him close his eyes as you pushed him into you. His hips brushing along the side of the bed in need of friction causing a groan to pour out the strain on his pants was unbearable at this point, but he knew that if he cut you off now and lost control he would only focus on his pleasure.

Besides it was rude to leave in the middle of dinner right?

Dliuc; Bondage

The feeling of rope grazing your skin was a new one though Dliuc pounding into you wasn't one at all, he seemed focused as he held you close to his chest his arm tucked around your waist holding you upright the small sounds that came every time after you two connected. The slight groans that escaped from him as he pulled on your restraints, it was a little fantasy of his that he finally got to fufill even if it took an ungodly amount of courage to bring to you. His normal blunt nature seemly have disappeared as he danced along the question. Then the blunt nature brought itself to your attention to you as he whispered into your ears, it wasn't degrading but it was still like he was shaming you for enjoying yourself even if it was his idea. The slight whispers you barley could make out like 'You're really enjoying this? maybe i should have brought this up to you earlier.' It wasn't just you being tied up that excited him well it was a huge part of it, but it was the amount of trust you were putting into him, you were tied up at his mercy barley being able to move. Yet you never seemed to second guess whatever he wanted from you, not even the possibility of rope burn (That he made sure he prevented), besides being a little sore from the ropes after you were completely safe.

It made his mind wander what other ways he could tie you up?

——————✧◦♚◦✧——————⋆

-‘๑’-Note; To be contuined….,If you have any characters you want me to cover in my next post(Or any request for that matter) please lmk via question bar (Renamed Q&R), Comments or my Inbox

pt.2 right here

[ravenlking]

𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄

𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 (𝐓𝐑��𝐘, 𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄, 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋, 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊, 𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀) Darling, what is, oh my, you're learning a new/my language? Of course I will help, now see here...

gender-neutral warnings: - does duolingo count? - in jamil's, the reader is implied to have a crush on him. also, to make it as inclusive as possible, i mentioned how the reader flushes dark. i researched and for POC (Edit: I changed it from colored people bc from feedback, it isn't the appropriate term, sorry if I had hurt anyone!), that's apparently the equivalent of blushing red (?) i hope it makes sense and doesnt hurt anyone's feelings! - a bit of fighting in lilia's, but not too gory. just self-defense. also be prepared for a lot of swearing in his. the reader is also implied to be in a relationship with him :) genre: fluff a/n: - pictures don't belong to me, they go to their original owners! - btw, can y'all tell me where and how do you get your banners for the characters? trying (and failing) to do so as you can tell. - watch me panic as i publish this because i know there might be some people out there who will bully me over this. i'm just gonna say that this is a work of fiction meant to bring smiles to people's faces, not to mock any languages - please give me feedback :)

Let me know if you'd like more!

𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 + 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐄

Trey was busy baking for the Unbirthday party, measuring with professional precision and practicing ease. He's been doing this for years so he considers himself beyond average (honey, stop being modest, you're doing great)

Enter you. Swinging your seat around the Heartslabyul kitchen island chair, you rotated yourself with glee, glued to your phone. Trey could faintly make out your disgruntled mutters and curses as he worked.

When he set the tarts into the oven, pressing the appropriate buttons, curiosity got the better of him. What had you so frustrated and upset? As the vice dorm leader of Heartslabyul, Trey should help you out! He propped his head in the crook of your collarbone, earning a squeak and causing you to almost fall off the chair. He quickly caught you, grabbing your wrists and pulling you back into your seat.

"Really Trey?" You deadpanned.

Trey only shrugged sheepishly, a dust of red crawling up his neck. He had only wanted a peek at what had ensnared your attention for the past few hours.

"Congratulations on passing this level, Y/N!"

Huh?

Trey looked so helplessly confused that you laughed.

“It's Duolingo!" You explained, showing him the app. Trey's eyes widened at the progress you have made.

"I've been wanting to learn a language, but unfortunately," You pouted. "I chose one of the hardest. Chinese."

Trey snickered, drawing out a seat and sitting next to you. He didn't notice the way your cheeks flushed from your close proximity and his warm breathes caressing your skin.

"I've learned it before," Trey admitted, watching your eyes widen before laughing. "Let me help. So here, you're missing this stroke..."

a/n: before y'all start to bully me, i've been learning chinese since i was born. i know how hard the language is, so watch me self-project in trey's short fic. bro- if trey was teaching me, you can bet that i'll be more focused on trey than chinese lmaoo

𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐂𝐇 + 𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐍

Jade noticed you coming to the Mostro Lounge very often these days. He was on shift most of the time (no thanks to Floyd's spontaneous disappearances) so he got the perfect chance to observe you at your table. The other customers were boring to look at as he cleaned the bar's glasses but you drew his attention.

You periodically took a sip from your drink before scribbling in that notebook of yours, the green glow from your phone illuminating your face in the dimness of the lounge.

Jade was naturally curious of course. You had been there for more than three hours, what would have consumed your attention for so long?

"Jade?"

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice your eyes on him, raising a hand to get his attention. He put on a smile and came over, menu in hand.

"What would you like to order-"

"Congratulations on passing this level, Y/N!"

Jade's eyes narrowed upon your phone, staring at the obxonious bright green owl that interrupted him. Jade hated being interrupted. For your sake, he kept his polite facade.

"What would you like-"

"Would you like to move onto the next level?"

Again?

The urge to break your phone and throw it into the nearest body of water was growing stronger.

Jade heaved out a heavy sigh and you chuckled.

"I'm learning a new language," You slid over your book as Jade eyed it. "It's called Korean."

"Oh?" Jade raised an eyebrow. "What are these little squiggles? They remind me of ocean waves or mushroom patterns."

You shrugged helplessly. "Mind helping if you could?"

Jade laughed. Most people would be afraid to get tangled up in a deal with Azul...but you? You were fearless. And Jade was delighted with it.

"I shall do my best."

a/n: any koreans reading this, pls don't kill me. kill her instead! *holds sign with directions to riddle's mother*

but on a serious note, i did not mean to offend anyone, it's just for comedy purposes!

𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋 𝐕𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 + 𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐂

Jamil was tired from school and taking care of Kalim, so when he stumbled into the Scarabia lounge, the last thing he wanted was you two together, with bright grins on your faces.

It only spelled out trouble for him.

With a sigh, Jamil approached the duo quietly, a mischievous plan to spook them before Kalim's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Now, you say it!"

"أحبك [Uhibuk]," You said slowly, pronouncing the words with your accent twisting it slightly. Kalim grinned and clapped his hands excitedly.

"Perfect! Now, say everything together!" The dorm leader encouraged you as you blushed bright red/dark.

"Shh," You hissed. "Not so loud, Kalim!"

Kalim chuckled before gesturing for you to speak. You took a deep breath in before saying the entire phrase.

"أحبك [Uhibuk] Jamil," You muttered, your entire face flushing red/dark.

"Perfect! The pronunciation is amazing!" Kalim grinned brightly at you. "Now all you need to do is say it to Jamil! He'll love the confession!"

"Kalim, keep your voice down!" You spluttered. "What if he's nearby?"

From behind the pillar, Jamil's face was practically burning. The Perfect, aka you, had a crush on him? You didn't fall for Kalim's charm, but his nonexistent charm? Oh, Prefect, you've managed to ensnare Jamil's heart just fine.

"انا احبك ايضا [Ana ahibuk aydan]," Jamil murmured into your ear as you jumped from the couch, flopping onto the floor before wincing. You were about to shout at the attacker before realizing it was your crush and your face was burning.

"He says 'I love you too'," Kalim helpfully translated before laughing. "I better leave you two alone!"

With that, the boy dashed away, leaving you two alone in the Scarabia lounge. Jamil managed a smirk and leaned in, closing the proximity between you two.

"Next time, you can ask me for help. I'll certainly do my best."

a/n: anyone who speaks arabic, please don't kill me again. i genuinely don't know if it's the correct words (glares at google translate) so i'm sorry if my small oneshot offends anyone!!

𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓 + 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇

"Bonjour, ma cherie!"

Rook practically skipped towards you, a bright grin on his face and sparkles emitting from his aura. As expected of Pomefiore students.

"Bonjour, comment ca va?" You stumbled over the words, making mental notes to make your 'j' sound more like a 'zh' in the future.

The blond hunter was frozen in his steps before tentatively replying. Could this be his dreams coming to life? His heart fluttered at the thought of it.

"Ca va bien, merci. Et toi?"

"Ca va bien."

You replied awkwardly, trying your best to keep the same pace as Rook's fluency in French. Fortunately, Rook was quick to drop the language upon seeing your tentativeness and hesitance in replying.

"Oh ma cherie, you made this poor hunter's heart burst with joy! Why, this day must have been blessed by the Sevens, because it has been a wonderful morning!" Rook exclaimed, grinning at you. "Your accent and pronunciation were perfect!"

"Really?" You muttered in disbelief. "I literally only started a month ago."

Rook laughed before nodding eagerly. "Mon amor, let me hear those divine words again!"

"Bonjour?" You muttered in confusion before Rook dramatically fluttered his eyes, a hand pressed to his forehead as he practically collapsed in your arms. You were quick to catch him, although Rook was sure to put the least amount of his body weight in your arms.

"Rook!"

Rook smiled at you, patting your arm before straightening up. He grinned brighter, his sparkling white teeth blinding you. "If you are eager to learn, then this hunter would gladly take on the role as your teacher!"

"Please do," You nodded frantically. "French has been nothing but words in cursive. It's a world of pain for me."

The vice dorm leader of Pomefiore laughed.

a/n: all my french knowledge comes from duolingo guys, please don't come after me. btw, i know 'ca va' has that squiggling thingy in the C but idk how to type it on my device so *shrugging helplessly*

𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐕𝐀𝐍��𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐄 + 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍

"Ma che cazzo?!"

Lilia certainly did not expect such foul words to leave your mouth. It's too early in the morning, it's still 7:55 Y/N! Curse them out later in six minutes okay? Otherwise, the old fae might wash your mouth out with water.

"Chiudi il becco, idiota."

Lilia chuckled, drawing attention from Malleus, Silver, and Sebek. He simply told them that he was going to check on you before he mysteriously teleported away, following the echo of your voice. He reappeared in the courtyard, watching amusingly as you swore and cursed at the Savanaclaw beastmen who decided to pick on you today. The one time Leona wasn't napping away here, his own followers decided to bully you.

"Miserabili pezzi di merda, I have seen more personality in a rusty hoe handle," You spat out, growling at them. They laughed back but you held your ground.

"What does this little prey trying to do?" One roared out in a fit of laughter. "Trying to fight back?"

His hoarde snickered. "Pathetic!"

"Lurido porco," You shook your head before calming yourself. "Just let me pass through."

The beastmen took one look at look before scoffing.

"Why would we listen to you? You just a twig we can snap in half!"

"Merda," You swore. You had completely forgotten them in your rage the fact you were outnumbered by three to one. The beastmen were stupid, but not that stupid. They completely knew that they could beat you in both a physical and a magical fight.

"So what is it going to be?" A panther beastman punched his fists togehter, growling. "A fight?"

You lunged at him, growling. Despite the odds against you, you weren't going to go down with a fight. Your arms stinged as you punched his rock-solid face.

"Fottiti!" You screamed, before being punched in the stomach. You groaned on the ground as they came closer. Pitifully, you inched backwards before your savior stepped in.

"Ma che?" Lilia scowled, a dark shadow covering his face as he stepped out from the darkness.

"Mia colombia [my dove]," Lilia crounched near you, hands fluttering over your wounds. You withhold a painful scream as he mended your wounds. "Carissima, are you hurt anywhere else?"

You whispered out a painful 'No' before Lilia gently smiled at you.

"When we get back, I'll teach you better words than just swears," Lilia promised you before standing up, smirking menacingly at the cowardly bullies. "No one touches what's mine, and you're going to learn that the hard way."

a/n: i'm just using translations from the assassin's creeds books lol. btw, i did my best to search but does anybody know why i can't find any lilia vanrouge dorm uniform card images?

[damnfandomproblems]

This is the person who wrote fandom problem 3657 about gn!readers

Love how everyone assumed I hate gn/nb!reader fics rather then taking five seconds to think and realize that I hate the fact no one tags them -_-

I'm not mad that people are making gn!reader fics--make them all you want, if if makes you happy then hell yeah keep doing it--I'm mad that they won't show and ounce of consideration and just tag the fucking thing as a gn or nb!reader! I have to fight every goddamn day to get people use she/her for me because people will constantly undermine my gender and use they/them instead as a way to advoid fully calling me a women, so yeah, they/them pronouns being used to refer to me in any way is triggering because they are used to constantly to misgender me!

I am not asking people to stop making gn!readers, I am asking people to tag them! How the hell does me complaining about people not tagging their shit correctly in anyway make me a bad guy?

"Oh you're a loser!" HOW!? I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO READ X READERS WITHOUT GETTING SUICIDAL BECAUSE NO ONE WARNED THAT THIS WAS OR TAGGED IT AS A GN!READER!!!

WORSE YET SOME PEOPLE WILL PURPOSEFULLY TAG IT AS A FEM AND/OR MASC READER BECAUSE IT CAN "be read either way" or "it's gn so it's technically both"!!! How the hell am I suppose to avoids those!?!?! Why should I be expected to magical know and avoid those fics rather then the writers being expected to just tag it as a gn!reader???

"Oh but how do you keep reading so far in if it causes you dysphoria" a causally use of they or them is fine, but once I realize that's all that is being used, I feel like stupid idiot who just been misgendered for the past X minutes that I was reading and was too fucking dumb to realize it, and that is what makes me dysphoric! It's the realization itself that cause the dysphoria, not the actually reading of it!

I lost count of how many times i went into a fem!reader x fem character tag only to realize that it's actually a gn/nb!reader x fem character fic and get so upset (because y'know dysphoria is inherently a nonsense but extreme uncontrollable feeling but go off on how I'm over reacting, it really helps /tone tag:fuck you), and have to go on a walk so I don't hurt myself because I despite looking into the fem!reader tag, blacklisting nb/gn!reader tags, I still got some prick decided to post their gn!reader fic untagged and unwarned in the fem!reader tags because its "inclusive"

Guess transfems who have dysphoria over being misgendered with they/them pronouns constantly shouldn't be reading x readers though, my fucking bad. how dare I want people to just tag their shit correctly though, so lame and selfish and weak of me. So fucking lame and childish of me for not feeling included in these 100% amazing "inclusive" fics and wanting them to be tagged

Fuck all the pricks who help confirmed my beliefs on how fandom refuses to accept "undesirable" queers. God forbid not every trans person is comfortable with they/them

Just fucking tag your gn/nb!readers, I'm not a bad person for wanting that

And in advance, double fuck you to anyone who still wants to agrue about how inclusive gn!readers are and that it isn't a big deal when they're untagged because they're so super duper inclusive even though they are often dysphoria inducing and unavoidable when not tagged. shit in your hand and swallow it asshole

Posting since this is a response to a previous problem.

[worflesbian]

things i liked about strange new worlds:

the costumes (aside from the starfleet uniform) were so intricate and cool!

the alien designs, especially the practical effects and makeup, were inventive but not overdone

it tried to take a lighter tone than the prevailing edginess of current sci fi, there were some fun moments and genuinely good character stuff bc of that

things i disliked about strange new worlds:

okay i've got to give the context of the journey i went on with this one. i didn't initially like how chapel, uhura and t'pring were written bc the first two were basically brand new characters and t'pring's inclusion messes with continuity so badly, but i found myself being won over by the seemingly honest intention to give more screentime and depth to the otherwise underutilised women of 60s trek. that's an admirable goal! i didn't like how they had to rewrite uhura and chapel's personalities to achieve it but i still respected the intention. until several things became clear to me: firstly, the writers of snw are far better at lighthearted writing than serious drama, and secondly, they cover up that deficit by taking their cues from soap operas. i think other people have mentioned that giving every single character a tragic backstory is not a shortcut for writing realistic sympathetic people (this was the main problem they had with uhura), and that relationship drama and love triangles is not a solution to not knowing what to do with your female characters (the main problem with chapel and t'pring), but it stands to be said again because it's so fucking frustrating! why bring in uhura only to kill off her loved ones and make her suffer needlessly? why bring in t'pring under the guise of developing her relationship with spock only to have him leave her for chapel? why bring in chapel and rewrite her as a hashtag girlboss looking to advance her career if she's theoretically going to end up still a nurse on the enterprise pining for spock by tos? there's no reason or purpose to the plotlines so they just feel aimless

m'benga, una and la'an also suffered from needless tragedies, as well as the writers' difficulty tackling serious subject matter. i liked the plotline with m'benga's daughter and the pre-holodeck holodeck episode that concluded it, but the man got no time to grieve or adjust to the loss before they threw him into a war trauma plotline. una's main character moment was a weaker version of several stronger trial episodes in past trek that came very close to saying something slightly challenging (to the average trek viewer) about race but apparently forgot the real reason that eugenics are bad, and have been bad long before fictional warlord khan noonien-singh was on the scene. la'an's gorn trauma plotline was, like many of snw's "serious" episodes, ripped directly from better sci fi. like i could've been watching aliens. aliens is a good film. ortegas got very little to do and pike isn't really worth talking about as i think the writers know he's not that interesting and tend to sideline him anyway, so aside from hemmer (rip) and spock (it's all been said) that's the full cast and it's all pretty disappointing!

i'll also say that while i enjoyed the lighthearted episodes more, the only one that i felt was actually warranted or contributed meaningfully the overall season was the body swap episode in s1, but then in s2 they repeated the same formula with a far weaker episode so even that's lost its shine for me. politically the show is a mess as many others have explained (the whole gorn thing...) and when it comes close to making a point it always seems to flinch away into a marketing-approved federation optimism that feels way more sinister than it ever did in tng for the fact that it's obviously Trying to keep you from thinking too deeply about anything. the number of gimmick episodes they've already done in two short seasons is indicative of a fundamental lack of substance that they're trying to cover up with whimsy but it just feels unearned and imbalanced. shallow hijinks or vapid angst, void of meaning.

so yeah now that discovery's concluded with its fifth season, stp is dead and gone, and prodigy is cancelled it's only strange new worlds and lower decks left and although i believe lower decks relies a lot on references to older trek (i've not seen it) it's not inserted itself awkwardly into some past era of the timeline, nor is it bogged down with legacy characters, meaning strange new worlds is the last remaining pillar of the reboot remake rehash industrial complex in current trek and i hope you'll join me in wishing for its downfall 🤞

[muffinrecord]

Honestly Mikage is a great character the more I think about it. I think something important to note is that her obsession with getting older isn't about gaining maturity, but gaining respect.

I took a quick glance and her Mikage Training event is a really good example of this:

Mikage and Sudachi are hoping that makeup will make them look more adult-- but look at specifically what they are hoping for:

Mikage wants to be seen. She wants to be noticed, gain respect, and gain a little power out of it. Nothing wrong with that! Girl's allowed to dream big. But it's not just about becoming mature, but being seen as mature.

But no one seems to notice, and even worse, the attention she gets isn't what she was looking for at all.

She wants to look more adult to gain respect, but instead she's treated like a troublesome child who needs to be disciplined and looked at with a close eye. The gap between herself and the adults around her has only widened. If she wanted to be seen and given respect, all that's happened is that she's being treated as inherently suspicious for being a kid-- and a kid from the East.

In essence, her desire to look older all stems from her background.

Mikage wants to get older is really about wanting to gain respect from the adults around her, despite her circumstances. Mitama tells Mikage that she can't be around other magical girls (because Mitama is afraid of Mikage getting hurt in the Kimochi war), Mikage struggles to make friends due to Mitama's notoriety (correct me if I'm wrong on that one)-- Mikage spends a lot of time looking at magazines and daydreaming about buying expensive things from them. She's very powerless.

She tries to take back power by mooching off of people often. It's something that she can really only take advantage of while she's seen as a kid though. But I bet that's not really what she wants-- the girl is a go-getter. When she puts her mind to something, she's stubborn! I think she wants to be respected so that she can do whatever she puts her mind to, with nothing holding her back. Mooching still depends on getting other people to do what you want.

With that in mind, Mitama being Mikage's role model is very interesting. Mitama wants to protect Mikage and let her keep her childlike innocence, something that Mitama lost early on with all of the school issues she faced. She doesn't want Mikage to go through that. But Mikage wants to grow up and be the one who protects Mitama, not the one who is protected.

I think she's a really good character and I love her inclusion in act two. I'm not sure how she shakes out later on in the arc, but hopefully it's good.

[nerdyadoptee]

Mask of the Rose: The NerdyAdoptee Review

PUBLISH DATE: June 8, 2023 PLATFORMS: Windows, macOS, SteamOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch (launch); PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S (unspecified later, post-launch)

This is the game I've been waiting for.

Mask of the Rose is a visual novel from UK-based Failbetter Games, developers of Sunless Skies, Sunless Sea, and Fallen London. I've long followed Failbetter's work because of their commitment to worldbuilding. All of their games share a common universe, an alternate Victorian vision of the 19th century world, with generous helpings of the unexplained, the supernatural, and even dashes of Cthulhu-esque cosmic horror. London has sunk underground, and the residents of London have lost contact with the surface. In this dark world (nicknamed "the Neath"), we encounter things that are familiar (the Queen is still around, although she's become curiously reclusive) along with the less familiar (what exactly are the "Clay Men?").

This world has been built by Failbetter over three games and thirteen years, but Mask of the Rose doesn’t require any previous knowledge or experience with their games. A character creator allows you to choose your character's background, silhouetted portrait, and how others address your character, from "Captain" to "My Lady" to "Citizen." In addition to the gender inclusivity of the character creator, it's wonderful to see Failbetter give the player the option to specify the kind of romance they're looking for in this visual novel. You can pursue friendships only, seek romantic relationships, physical relationships, or both--and choosing any of those options doesn't prevent you from seeing certain endings or lore, it just gives the player agency in this quite personal choice.

From there, we're introduced to the world and its wide and diverse cast of characters. Going into almost any detail risks ruining the discovery that is such a beautiful part of Mask of the Rose, but I'll at least say that the characters in Mask of the Rose feel complex and unique, each with their own voice and desires. The gameplay loop revolves around choosing how to spend your time--like with other time-management-style games, you can't have conversations with everyone. In each conversation, you're making dialogue choices that have an impact on the people you speak with and on the character you're building over time. The choices are well-written, and show an insight into the complexity of conversation and tone that is often missing from less thoughtful visual novels.

Each day in Mask of the Rose is split up into a Morning and Afternoon time, adding weight and stakes to each playthrough: do I try to get the exhausted pastor to spend more time with a mutual friend, or do I cozy up to the streetwise merchant who seems to know what's going on behind the scenes? More importantly, WHOM DO I WANT TO SMOOCH?

Ahem. Excuse me.

Mask of the Rose has so much story to uncover that one playthrough isn't sufficient. You're trying to solve a mystery, you're trying to uncover more about London's peculiar new surroundings, and you're trying to matchmake your friends, and you might be looking for romance for yourself. A playthrough generally takes me about 3-4 hours, and although I've done multiple playthroughs, there's still more to discover. I'm excited to learn more about each one of the fascinating characters, and I'm further drawn in because Mask of the Rose weaves a tale that touches upon so many elements of 19th century English society, from British global imperialism and colonialism to class struggles and privilege.

While I love the writing and Mask of the Rose's visual novel gameplay (and unique "storycrafting" mechanic/minigame, which is another gameplay pillar), I did run into a few frustrations. I would've appreciated an option to fast-forward text I've already seen. Mask of the Rose helpfully provides a fast-forward option, but it's too easy to accidentally skip past new dialogue and lore. In a game that demands multiple playthroughs, a smarter fast-forwarding option is a really unfortunate omission. I also felt like the time management aspect felt very constraining; it could be my own lack of intuition and understanding, but I sometimes found progression dense or unforgiving. The subtlety of Mask of the Rose is a strength, so I’d love if hints or some kind of help could be an option that players choose to turn on. More days and levels of signposting to clues would go a long way to making me even more excited about future playthroughs.

Overall, I'm smitten by Mask of the Rose. It's the game I've been waiting for because I've wanted to explore this world for a long time, but have struggled with the gameplay and difficulty of Sunless Sea and Sunless Skies. If you share a love for evocative writing and thoughtful worldbuilding, you've got to get Mask of the Rose.

Be sure to tell me whom you smooch!

[phightinghottakes]

Uhm, here I have some thingies to say on Scythe.

I think she's well designed, and her colord are nice BUT:

-- I don't think that her skin color matches the palate. And no, I'm not being racist, as a mixed person, I don't tend to be biased in either direction. If she was made to be black originally, then I wouldn't say anything, as that would be kinda weird. But, because she was made with a skin color that fit her palate perfectly well, only to be made darker, which doesn't match, bothers me a bit. There are many other characters that would've been better to make darkskinned, if they just wanted to be inclusive (Banhammer, Skateboard, Boombox, etc.). Also, I feel like when creators try and be inclusive, they forget that there are more colors than just 'black'and 'white', they could've just kept her light-skinned, or made her look more mixed, but no, there are only two races. Other than that, I don't have much to say, she's basically perfect, and it's not like her skin color ruins the design, it just bothers me a little bit.

2. Personality is a bit off

-- In all homesty, she's a new character, so it's a bit odd how people expect her to already be fully fleshed out, however, she feels like a predator, ehoch makes sense, seeing that she's a serial killer, bit there's something else that triggers me a little, but maybe I'm just sensitive

-- (This is going to get me argued with, so let me put a disclaimer: Scythestaff is a perfectly fine ship, this os my personal opinion and why I don't PERSONALLY like it, do not argue with me, because there is nothing to argue about, I am allowed to share my opinion as you are yours. I would also like to very quickly mention that I have been involved in these sorts of 'being flirted with unwantedly by a much older person' relationships, so that makes me biased and 'sensitive' to this sort of stuff)

-- I don't like the way she talks to Vinestaff. It feels like she's flirting, but not in the healthy way, and Vinestaff doesn't seem to like it based off of her responses. Scythe is, fundamentally (in my mind and from what I have read), cat-calling a much younger woman who is communicating that she is uncomfortable with that. And for me, that makes me like her character much less, not that I'm saying I liked the fact that she was a killer, but there's something about being a creep that's... more uncomfortable for me.

3. TRUE EYE

-- One thing I will say is that i like the fact that there isn't much about the True Eye, it gives us room to theorize, to be involved, to IMAGINE! Maybe it's just cause I grew up with Matpat and like writing, but I enjoy having to come up with own ideas and digging for information. We have a basic idea of some of the relations and statuses, as well as information on Lost Temples itself, and I feel like that's all I need.

-- I guess it's resonable to rather be handed lore, but i like being able to form ideas as a fandom, through creative writing and posts, not being spoon-fed information.

4. Fanart and stuff

-- I like most of the fanart where she had a more 'masculine' build (less curves, flatter chest, muscular), over where she's incredibly feminine. I don't think there's anything wrong with making he feminine, but I just imagine her being a lean woman, so she wouldn't have much shape or fat on her

-- This links to the fact that I don't think that she looks too old. For one part, in this day and age, not a lot of 40 years old, specifically not the rich ones (which Scythe definitely is, have wrinkles and that sort of stuff. I think she has SOME wrinkles, but it's not very noticeable. Also, she's probably really fit, seeing as she's a serial killer, the weapon she uses, and just her overall character. I do get why people would rather her look older, though, I just think that she would look closer to 30 than anything else.

-- I also don't like her being used for fan service. She is a strong, independent, powerful, dangerous woman, not someone you can 'fix' or should make to solely be simped on, not to say that she should be unattractive, just keep her other factors in, not just the fact that she's 'sexy'.

That's all I really have to say on her. I'll talk about someone else later!!

-- 🌒 : D

.

[danglovely]

Is there any rhyme or reason to how the deaths are portrayed in the Future Arc opening? I have theories.

Kyoko being hung seems like a reference to her leaning into her NG code. Most hangings aren't voluntary and her "death" wasn't either. She did choose Makoto over herself. Why all the extra blood though? ALSO YOUR BLOOD IS SUPPOSED TO BE PURPLE.

Asahina's stab to the belly is foreshadowing Monaca's trick. It wants you to believe it's real. That one is easy.

Sonosuke dies by NG Code in a betrayal to Ruruka. He appears to be getting set on fire in the opening. I've seen speculation to this referencing Jesus's and Joan of Arc's martyrdoms. This one is tenuous other than being crucified on a giant metal cross because, blacksmith.

Seiko is impaled by a lot of hypodermic needles. She's the Ultimate Pharmacist. Moving on.

Sakakura is cut in half and there isn't any blood. Really clear: he's being killed by Munakata's katana. Less clear: maybe there's some foreshadowing to his impending amputation.

Tengan is wrapped up in wiring and appears to be getting electrocuted. I dunno Mr. Mastermind, is that a hint that you're pulling Monokuma's strings? I doubt it.

Ruruka is frozen and shattered to pieces. She's kind of a complicated character and she ends up choosing her own life over those of her best friend and the person she loves. She dies trying to convince herself that she's going to be fine and that it's going to be easy to replace what she has lost. The poet in me wants to make some connections to the coldness of her actions or how she has to break herself by the end of the game, but it could equally just be random.

Bandai appears to be covered in blood, though my first instinct was it's actually indicating blood poisoning because he's the first one to go out via NG Code. I really do think that's what it was aiming for.

Gekkogahara is cut in half vertically. There is no blood and she appears to be hollow. I've always assumed this is to foreshadow that Monaca is posing as her.

Yasuhiro is wrapped in thorny vines. He's an interesting inclusion because he's the only one that doesn't actually participate in Monokuma Hunter despite being included in the opener.

Chisa looks like her wrist is cut and there are boxcutters in the background. Obviously this indicates her suicide and it isn't surprising as the dark realization of DR3 is that she was lost a long time before anybody ever knew she was. The interesting thing is that her blood looks like it's coming from the bangle, which could be because her actions aren't really her fault.

Gozu is wrapped in chains. I think this is meant to invoke his actual death, despite it being chains instead of cables.

Mitarai is impaled by arrows. He survives the series, so this one is curious. The only reference to arrows through the rest of Danganronpa is in Mukuro's trial in Trigger Happy Havoc. Byakuya speculates that they were tied together with duct tape and used as a blunt object to knock her out. I've seen it posed that this is a reference to Tengan's chuusen and shows that he's being targeted. I heavily doubt it.

Koichi is wrapped up at his wrists, thighs, and ankles. A bandage is covering his eyes and mouth. He sacrifices himself to save Kyoko by triggering his NG Code. It seems like his hat, tie, shoes, and flask are bagged up. I like to think that's because Kyoko is present for his death, as she would be the only one focused on preserving evidence.

Last off we get Munakata and Makoto shooting themselves in the head. They're paired because they represent the directions the Future Foundation can go and their suicides are an obvious clue to the true nature of the killer in Monokuma Hunter.

[hopeshoodie]

Ok yall finally talked me into it and I downloaded Too Hot To Handle the game... and I love it. I'll echo what everyone's saying that it feels like what I loved about season 2 LITG is all here.

Here's some other live blog thoughts about how good it is lmao

The animation is leagues ahead of what LITG tried to do for matchmaker/s4. It's smooth, it's not static characters uncomfortably blinking and breathing at you. There are really smoothly animated cutscenes, but generally the characters are static with expressions changing similar to LITG s1 and s2

I didnt think I was going to like the artstyle- it's realistic similar to Choices or Episode LimeLight- but all the characters look really good and the backgrounds are what you'd expect. It's not an iconic artstyle like LITG, but it gets you attracted to/invested in the characters.

The customization is insane. You can be man/woman/nonbinary, and choose from thin curvy or muscular for both genders. Unfortunately there isn't a fat option or a visibly transmasc option, but that's a pipedream lol. There's SO many different skin tones and just as many hairstyle options for textured hair as there are for straight/thin hair. You can have your physically male body wearing a bikini, there's tons of tattoo locations and styles to choose from, the jewelry isn't locked to female styles, and all the outfits look good on all the body shapes.

I really like that they have you choose from preset faces instead of customizing each feature individually. Your character ends up looking more cohesive than LITGs uncanny MC, and I'm sure it's easier for the artists and programmers to change MC's expression. There are like 10 face options for both genders, and they prioritized racial inclusiveness so you'll definitely find one that works for your character.

The LIs are hot. My biggest complaint with S3 onwards was that LITG just gave the boys way too many muscles and lost touch with proportion. THTH's characters look like real people. Not to mention there's. LI with vitiligo (Sarah you're so hot plz marry me) and an nonbinary LI (Alex you're also so hot please marry me, it'll be much healthier than Sarah and I's relationship)

There's no clunky opting in to be attracted to the same sex, you decide on a LI by LI basis if you're interested then their attraction to you is based on an accumulating meter of your interactions. That seems WAY more inclusive than the way LITG ever did it.

At the end of every chapter you get to see the percentages of how you chose versus how the rest of the players chose and I'm OBSESSED with that. It feeds my individuality complex for sure because the rest of the player base doesn't have good taste 💅

[cosmics-beings]

I was reading that essay that talked about misogyny in bay verse and the live action movies. Yeah it hit some amazing points like the lack of fembots on screen and how bay was really only looking for models to portray the women in his films and how they were heavily sexualized. I agree with that. The one part I take issue with is their takes on rotb. It is arguable the Steven could've done better with airazor and Arcee regarding character.

What I didn't agree with was how the article glossed over Elena and her importance as a human woman, a black human woman at that. If the author of the essay has no issue critiquing rightfully so, bays shitty take on human women then I wish they spent time praising rotbs inclusions on Elena. Having a black woman who doesn't have the conventionally skinny build and isn't a model but is still beautiful and exists outside of misogyny is also important to mention. Bays films also were anti black af so having Elena be a black woman and respected is something worth mentioning.

Like even in her own damn series Dot Malto is kinda ignored by the fandom or heavily mischaracterized.

Op just did not go into detail and I hate that. And I get op isn't black but at the same time you shouldn't have to be black to talk about how important and revolutionary it is in a live action tf movie for the main female lead to not be unhealthily skinny, caked in makeup and sexualized.

Also it's not lost on me how she's completely ignored by fandom but if we are being real tf fandom doesn't really do good with hyping up black women.

But you know oh well. I think the essay even mentioned charlie from the bumblebee movie which makes it more insidious that they didn't go into depth about Elena

[mdhwrites]

Are there any characters in toh that you felt they should have never been created?

Or characters that you think would had better the plot, or move the plot forward if they had more focus?

Personally, I think Vee is just there and her existence didn't serve much, her screen time could've been used for smth else.

So the first part of this is… interesting to me. It's incredibly hard to ever say a character should never have been created unless A: them simply existence causes problems with the rest of the canon and the story itself or B: you know their inclusion was doomed from the start. This second one is really hard to be able to clarify though unless you have behind the scenes information and the like because unless they were made to be fridged or be offensive, etc. like that, there are few concepts that are bad from the get go.

With that said, The Collector easily should not have been in the show. There just wasn't time for him or the human realm and S3 has been very clearly struggling with those facts. Since he was also introduced in S2B, it's known that he was made after the shortening was very clear to the crew and they should have cut him and focused on Belos, especially since Belos is the big bad anyways.

The second question just gets responded to with: Raine. Raine and Darius. Honestly, just the coven head rebels in general should have probably gotten an entire episode actually dedicated to them that could have helped sell the threat, give them more personality as an organization rather than feeling like they exist to get around tropes or/and Raeda angst, etc. like that. Then again, quite frankly, with how little they've actually done with Raine outside of "ISN'T IT TRAGIC HOW EDA CAN'T BE WITH HER LONG LOST, TRUE LOVE!?", Raine as a character and their plotline probably could have been cut but it was something Dana wanted from the start of the show and S2A would have mostly not been affected by the shortening so they could have possibly had more of a role. Then again, they were also made to be Eda's long lost love so…

And finally Vee. Vee is… complicated. Honestly, it's hard to talk about Vee without talking about her episode, Yesterday's Lie. After all, maybe there were plans to do more properly with her (and she easily would have had the most interesting part of a season on Earth because of having to give up the identity that made her friends and have a place in the world back to Luz, if that was actually discussed of course) but as is… She's mostly just the one episode and looking cute. Worse yet, almost all the narrative goals are tied to Vee so their triumphs and successes are also tied to her.

Now let me get this out of the way: I like Vee. I think she's incredibly likable, cute, etc. like that. She (and the ClarVee ship) was probably the only reason I wrote anything immediately after Yesterday's Lie's ending left a bad taste in my mouth because it rubbed me the wrong way even on first watch. Her backstory is compelling, explains how she can be shy but also have a backbone when the chips are down and her limited interactions with her friends is incredibly charming, even before the MashVee ship existed.

And I'm not going to argue she shouldn't have existed. Character built for a single episode are fine. TOH actually has a paradox going on that while some characters desperately needed more exploration, like Amity, others very clearly should have been cut sooner rather than later. I mean, what could have been done had they just not spent two episodes of S2 on Gus when Gus isn't important to the narrative in any way and Hexide stopped being relevant to the show after S1? How much did we have to have Huntlow if it meant that Luz, who is one there for Hunter's biggest character moments, literally never speaks to him between Hunting Palisman and Hollow Mind?

But Vee was built for specific narrative purposes and does them well. Quite frankly… Too well. To the point where it creates problems. But that has to do with the narrative goals of Yesterday's Lie rather than Vee herself. The two just interlinked because when you make a character for a single episode, you know their narrative goals and how organically and well they function with those goals is part of evaluating the character.

And the narrative goals of Yesterday's Lie seems to be to have:

A: Given an answer to why no one was freaking out about a child going missing for MONTHS and it does this one quite well just by Vee being a shapeshifter.

B: Criticize Luz and whether or not she actually had any reason to leave which is the one Vee interacts with the most and is also the biggest problem to.

C: To build Camila's character, establish her unending well of understanding since she never judges Vee for even a second, nor Luz's story about the Isles, and then end on a mid-season cliffhanger I have SEVERE issues with but is outside the scope of this blog.

Vee's goals thus are to be able to fill Luz's shoes, which she does naturally, be able to scold Luz about her life and to be able to contrast hard enough against the norm as to make Camila's sympathy shine through. Her slug form and her ability to shapeshift honestly fit two of these three really well by themselves. It was a genuinely elegant and clever concept/implementation that was good for what they wanted.

But then there's Vee's actual character and actions that play into B. And B is… A lot.

Because this is the episode that caused me to turn on Luz in my heart.

It wasn't immediate but there's one line from Luz that really sums up the fact that you have to trust Luz in order to not entirely agree with Vee in this episode. That you have to go off of only Luz's words and not her actions for what her backstory was like. To be able to believe Gus and Willow were the first chances at having friends. That no one ever understood her. That school was always a nightmare for her.

And that line is "Oh no, highschoolers," because that is the second time Luz quite literally ever has that response to ANYONE. In the ENTIRE show. She didn't have any worries about meeting kids in Hexide. She never had worries about trying to hang out with Amity despite Amity clearly hating her. She didn't worry about Amity's siblings, the various villains she met, Eda, King, etc. In general, Luz shows NO signs of social anxiety or any sort of manifestation of trauma in regards to bullying, rejection, etc. like that.

Worse yet is who these people are. They are quickly characterized as atypical people with nerdy interests and chill personalities. They'd be in the anime club or the role playing club or the video game club at school. They are by all intents and purposes, people like Luz. Nerds. Outcasts. Etc. like that. People Luz could have easily befriended. I mean, Vee did and she knows nothing about human society.

Yes, the two also have drastically different personalities but also Masha likes giving tarot readings to her friends. I feel like Luz's passion would just mix and amplify Masha's own passion and the two would literally go hunt monsters together while Vee makes sure they don't do anything stupid. Luz could go on a rant about her philosophies on magic and the faux stoner dude would be enraptured by how wild and imaginative Luz could be.

And this all begs the question of WHY didn't Luz have friends?

Well… Her opening montage, the first real introduction to the character, kind of explains it but not kindle. After all, two of the three events we're shown, and VERY much so her presentations and projects, are about getting attention. About making sure she does something big enough that people consider her contribution the best, regardless of those around her. So she can't match a cheerleader physically? Call that nothing and show a weird trick you know. Wants to make sure people talk about her performance in the play? Opening night, do something that you didn't clear with your director and catches everyone off guard, even if it means going off script and possibly ruining the play.

Even worse is the clubs she IS joining there. After all, why isn't Luz a part of the anime club or something? Or a part of a book club back home? Well… Cheerleaders and actors are more popular. They get more attention. They're special. Nerds, outcasts, etc. I mean… Who wants to interact with those when it means people might look down on you?

And the final nail is that she does finally accept outcasts… So long as they have magic. And the closer she gets to Amity, the less she interacts with Willow or Gus, to the point where they spend close to zero time in Season 2. And why wouldn't Luz want to be with the popular witch instead of people who were only special by having magic in general?

Do I think this interpretation is intentional? No. Vee's friendships were merely to try and add a bit of gray into what was black and white. However, how Luz was introduced wasn't given enough thought to make such pointed questions work. Not when you're forcing the audience to ask these questions with Vee shouting "YOU HAD IT GOOD!"

So how good did Luz have it? Well, there were fellow outcasts in her own town, which appears to be pretty small, so she could have had friends and her mom is a literal saint. S3 would only reinforce this. And she still abandoned it all for three months so she could become a witch.

So… Sorry, but the statement of "If everyone you meet is an asshole, the asshole might be you," does fit sometimes. And it fits for Luz here.

And it's also the worst part of Vee because if Vee didn't exist… I might not have considered these problems. Not so quickly. But Vee being able to contrast Luz, to be successful in the human realm simply because she's willing to actually accept those around her and bend a little, not entirely, to what will make them like her, was one of her narrative goals. One of the reasons she is as she is.

And another time where TOH thinks it's being clever when it's really just shooting itself in the foot because it has never been smart enough to ask the questions it proposes. And it sucks that that's tied to a character who is so wonderfully likable otherwise.

[kimberlyannharts]

misc thoughts on Issue #117 -

= Hi, Alien Rangers. Bye, Alien Rangers

= With this basically being the lead-in to the third act I think you can really start to feel the "we have to drag this out for a full year" vibe. I'm not sure why we're doing the "Rangers get corrupted when they morph!!!!" conversation like it's a huge reveal when we've known it for. many issues at this point. I feel like we didn't need five issues to break open the Power Eggs and discover they have Morphin Grid crystals inside of them, no matter how many times in previous issues they went THESE EGGS ARE SO DANGEROUS IF WE EVEN BREATHE NEAR THEM WE'LL ALL BLOW UP. Also yet another monster fight my GOD we did not NEED THREE MONSTER FIGHTS IN THIS ONE EVENT

= I think the redundancy is especially noticeable because they're filling time with that stuff when actual follow-up isn't addressed. We've moved past the Safehaven thing like nothing happened. No one talks about how Drakkon's gone, no one talks about how Kiya's gone, no one's upset with Kim about how her idea to retake Safehaven led to people getting captured. The loss of characters like Scorpina and the Omegas will mostly get summed up in a "man, it sucks that we lost them :(" sort of way. We all just moved on, and I think that's an other reason this event feels like nothing's happening despite things clearly happening

= When this issue first dropped I saw people give the most praise to the Jason/Taylor scene which.....I feel is a little overhyped. I'd been comparing Taylor's inclusion to how Shattered Grid had Jen but here this just made me think of Jason/Lauren and how their first bonding scene felt a lot more natural and personal. But I guess I can't totally blame people for liking this scene as it's the only other real instance of an MMPR getting one-on-one bonding with a non-MMPR character outside of Billy, who gets to hang out with Kendall AND Phantom Ranger while the others mostly just stick with their love interests. (Though Trini will get a scene with Coinless Trini next issue, at the very least.) I think I'd also like it better if Taylor actually had more of her abrasive and angry personality from the show, to give her a more interesting dynamic with Jason. She's pretty.....generic here. Honestly even Kendall doesn't really feel like Kendall from the show outside of being smart. Basically they're both not mean enough

= Speaking of "don't feel like they're from the show" The Billy/Phantom Ranger scene is pretty good, though it's what I mean by BOOM's Phantom Ranger basically being an comic OC by this point

= Astronema gets namedropped here which, along with Darkonda's appearance in #104, really makes you wonder why Dark Specter's actual show generals aren't part of this event. Also I can't look at that Psycho Ranger scene without thinking of one tweet where someone was like "wait, corrupt the PSYCHO RANGERS?"

= And....yeah. The montage of Hyperforce collecting all the rangers. I'm assuming they'll get some kind of big triumphant 11th-hour save in the finale (since we know from DH #1 previews that Hyperforce didn't get caught and corrupted - or at the very least Chloe didn't) but I forgot that the actual sequence of them getting recruited happened this early. This really won't get followed up on for another five or six issues? damn. At least it'll be a nice reprieve from Hyperforce

= Dark Specter kills Alpha-Xi in this issue, something I do actually understand since Alpha-1 was urging Rita to stage a coup, compared to how I think destroying Death Ranger was just stupid from a strategic standpoint. Do you think the books will acknowledge that Xi is dead now too

= The whole "hey, Dark Specter is abusive" thing is brought to a head in this issue and.....that's definitely going to have to be talked about on its own. It's........something.

[beevean]

What's your opinion on clip from bumblekast from Flynn the "lord and savior of sonic shit"

https://twitter.com/candyypirate/status/1699456415008539130?s=20

https://twitter.com/candyypirate/status/1699462944440889623?s=20

I don't think the tweets embedded well, so here's the script:

What is up with Shadow's bio on the Fast Friends Forever website? According to the bio, Shadow is fighting to protect the planet, but only for the sake of Maria's memory while having no personal investment on the planet itself. I don't know how important these are to the series or characterization, but wouldn't making this aspect of his character the main reason for his protection of the planet be a regression and a contradiction to his development during Shadow the Hedgehog's final story? I know he still thinks about Maria due to the Sonic Channel stories, but we also know he decided to stand up for humanity himself while Black Doom was manipulating and pelting him with only bad memories. Assuming these bios aren't just oversimplified for marketing reasons, how come he's going back to doing everything for Maria's wish, if he already did all that without those memories, learned to move on from his past and her promise, and was written in 06 to show himself as a hero on his own terms?

F: That is a very good question, it is very valid... and I cannot talk about it right now. That is not a hand wave: there is other stuff that plays into this that I cannot get into just yet. So... hold your horses.

K Is this a... Is this a "#KnowingLook moment", like, maybe not a smile...

F: This is a "#KnowingSmile" combo :)

The implication here is that Shadow will have a major role in a future game? I... I honestly don't even care about keeping up with the FFF bios because the whole thing looks like a very simple show for kids lol. It is a little tiring to chain Shadow to Maria, but him having no investment on the planet itself kinda reminds me of the Sonic Channel story that this person is referencing.

As someone who just likes the games, barely read the first IDW issues and isn't interested in going further, what kind of potential impact on the games can I expect from the inclusion of IDW/Prime as official canon? I dread having elements from the comics/Prime directly coming into the games, thus alienating game-only fans who don't/can't read the comics. Given that comics seem to have much more going on than the games in terms of events, dialogue, character moments due to their structure, including IDW comics as canon make it seem like the canon medium where most stuff happens since Forces, thus a bit alienating to game-only fans. Especially when games nowadays don't release as often as they used to and aren't as "narratively intense" as a comic series, while the IDW comics have been releasing for 5 years and counting.

F: A fair concern, and I think to a degree it's new territory for everybody that's largely untested, because since IDW started we've had one Mainline game - that's really hard to gauge by...

K: And we still don't know when the game takes place in relation to the comics! You might, Ian but we don't, largely as an audience...

F: But I think everyone involved is aware of just that concern. So if Tangle were to show up in Frontiers 2 or whatever (that is not a #KnowingSmile, that's not me dropping a hint, that's just me giving an example), she would still need to be introduced as a new character.

Using Sonic Frontiers as the example by itself, if this was your first game with Sonic, there is a lot of deep character interaction between Sonic, Amy, Knuckles and Tails that, if you haven't played the Sonic series or kept track with 30 years of miscellaneous lore bits, you could potentially be a bit lost. But, so long as you understand the core relationships between them, the greater details aren't necessarily necessary for understanding the game. Like, you understand that Sonic and Knuckles are kind of friendly rivals, you don't necessarily need to know that they first met on Angel Island resolving the Death Egg crisis, you don't have to know that Knuckles discovered his history through a flying pink talking orb, that's irrelevant! It's that they are kinda at odds and, you know, despite that they still look out for each other.

K: And you can cut the tension between them with a butter knife!

F: You know Sonic and Amy have a very, uh, deep relationship, you don't need to understand the roller coaster of Amy's characterization from Adventure onward: you just need to know that they mutually trust and respect each other a great deal.

So, same thing if there's any crossover with the IDW material, then it needs to be presented in a context that is accessible, and that would come from in the Sonic and Tangle example, you know, they would encounter each other, and they would greet each other, there'd be like a little bit of expository dialogue to make you understand that, okay, they're friends, and she's kind of, uh, bouncing off the walls fun, and go from there. We don't necessarily have to reference that, you know, she sacrificed herself to help Sonic in the Metal Virus Plague. Is that relevant to the story that's going on? Probably not. Is it something neat for you to read later on if you want to? Sure! But I honestly do not foresee us directly referencing IDW events in the games, because I don't see that being a continuation.

Like, case in point, as of this recording... the Japanese Market is just now getting the end of Metal Virus. They haven't even been introduced to Belle, or any of Starline's personal arc. If we released a game within the next couple of years that relied on those, they'd be in the dark, never mind the rest of the global community! So, the events of the games do matter to the comics, and the comics will introduce elements that I imagine can cross-pollinate, but they will hopefully be handled in a way that is accessible to the largest audience of Sonic fans.

K: And would you say the same pretty much applies to Prime as well? There's some concern about that. I know you can't talk...

F: Prime is kind of a special case and I can't get into it without spoiling the end of Season 1 so... *disgusted tone* and none of this Season 1, 2, 3 nonsense, it's Season 1, Netflix is just chopping up into pieces.

K: Thanks Netflix for nothing.

I agree with the asker's point but not their reasoning lol

God there is so much going on here. This is why I hate the Bumblekasts lol, Flynn jumps from topic to topic and I have even less attention span than apparently he does.

So Flynn knows where the comics take place in canon, but we don't? Uh. That's a little concerning. Kyle makes it sound like they're going to drop a lore bomb soon...

"deep character interaction" just call them callbacks. That's the only thing that would confuse a newcomer, the sheer amount of pointless callbacks. Without them, you can more or less get their personalities just fine... Tails is the only one whose arc hinges on you knowing that Forces made the fandom explode lol

When he said "she would still need to be introduced as a new character", I thought he meant that Tangle will be a different version of herself in the games. I'm sorry, no, it would be so weird if I played a new Sonic game and Tangle showed up and Sonic was like "hey my good bud Tangle! Long time no see! Still chilling with Whisper?", like ??? whomst the fuck are you?

Nice dig at Amy, by the way :) thank you :) that was totally relevant to the point :)

... I completely forgot that Tangle sacrificed herself for Sonic. lol. lmao. You know she's a great character when you forget about her most heroic moment because IDW reduced her to a cute quirky ADHD babygirl.

Good point about the global marketing. Kudos to Flynn for remembering that the world doesn't begin and end with the US.

Basically his point is that it's possible that the games will reference the comics, but not in a way that will require your average fan to pick up the whole IDW series. Obviously this is just hypothetical at this point, but... I mean, I said it above. Introducing new characters as if they already belong to Sonic's friend circle feels weird to me, I would feel as if I missed something important. And if I want to understand who Tangle is, I'd still have to read IDW to get the idea, and get lost in all that mess.

Sidenote, it irks me that he says stuff like "if we released games". You're not a dev.

[miloscat]

[Review] Rez Infinite (PS4)

Style over substance.

Next on my rail-shooters list is this remaster of Sega's 2001 Dreamcast/PS2 cult classic. The updated rerelease brings the game into HD but also adds VR support (not applicable to me) and a substantial new level.

Part of the original development team on Rez had previously created Panzer Dragoon, and there's a similar lock-on mechanic in play here (the shifting camera angle is also familiar). Rez is stripped-back for a shooter though; the lock-on is your only input aside from a limited smart bomb, the health system is simple... you can't even move! It's more about the sensory experience than deep gameplay.

Everything about Rez's story and setting is abstract. Supposedly you're in cyberspace infiltrating an advanced AI or something, but it's not really important. The point is flying through a dazzling dreamscape surrounded by glowing, low-poly wireframes while trance music plays. It's like an interactive planetarium show. Part of the pitch is that your actions affect the audiovisual experience; for example, blowing up an enemy results in a beat that contributes to the soundscape. I found this didn't really work for me in creating a pleasing, cohesive aesthetic, though.

Worse, the game can become so visually busy that it affects the gameplay experience: I would sometimes be caught off guard by an attack that was lost in the noise. The health system corresponds to the "evolution" of your character from a sphere to a humanoid wireframe to a shiny person, but it's slow to build up between forms and one hit instantly reverts you. There is a mode that eliminates game overs though, which is nice.

With only five levels, the game is over quickly, but it's meant to be replayed for better scores or just to re-experience the light show. The extras menu has a boss rush and a couple of bonus levels, but I couldn't get a good enough score in the first to unlock the second... bummer. However, a headline feature of this release is Area X, a new level of similar size to the others which adds movement mechanics and a new visual style reminiscent of Tetris Effect (the remaster devs' next game) with myriad dancing particles, and new music that ends up landing on a nice techno-pop track.

Area X is an odd inclusion, as its new look feels very next-gen and shows the age of the original included game, technologically speaking. Adding in freedom of movement too felt like it really opened things up, and I enjoyed this a lot. The new doesn't sit comfortably with the old, making the package feel disjointed; maybe they could have let Monstars and Resonair just make a whole new full-length game in this style? Why limit this to just one level? To bring it back to the series that spawned Rez, maybe an expanded Area X should have been the main point of this release and the remaster a bonus, the way Panzer Dragoon Orta had OG PD as an extra.

So much for what might have been. As for what we have, it's a decent update of a landmark experimental game for its time, toying with rhythm-action dynamics and a nice abstract cyberspace feel. Rez does feel dated to me though since we now have games like Thumper and Sayonara Wild Hearts, and the gameplay isn't as crunchy as my favourite rail shooters. The aim was to create a sense of synaesthesia but it didn't really get there for me. Supposedly Area X takes some inspiration from Rez's sequel/successor Child of Eden, so I'll play that next and see how they upped their game.