#it’s on a cute little base I made so it’s super simplified but like. man. MAAAAAN

[iamdognow]

drawing out all my w/359 designs and I’m gonna explode why did I decide to do this….

[falsegoodnight]

this is part two of my december fic rec! this list encompasses the fics i’ve read from the 18th to the 28th!! it’s also my birthday today which makes it even more special! i can think of no better way to spend today than spreading positivity! :)

you can find part one of this month here

✰ there’s happiness because of you by @hadestyles | NR | 1k - (so soft, tender, and beautiful!! rori’s writing amazes me always! and this was written for my birthday because they’re an angel <3)

Thursday mornings have always been their favourite.

✰ and it gets colder and colder by @hadestyles | E | 2K - (another rori fic!! once again, beautiful prose! made me feel emotional!)

Harry wants to take care of Louis. Things take a turn.

✰ make my wish come true by @soldouthaz | M | 3k - (drabble from this series) (so cute, lovely, soft, amazing!!! made my heart so happy! this is also dedicated to me which :’) sarah angel chant)

The taste of Christmas cookies fresh out of the oven and peppermint hot chocolate is still heavy on his tongue. Harry’s sweater provides some warmth and it still smells of him from before he left for his internship two weeks ago, but it’s nowhere near the feeling of his arms wrapped around him. Louis shivers despite the blankets.

✰ spirit meets the bones by @hadestyles​ | E | 3k - (i had to edit to add this because rori wrote another beautiful little fic for me :’) beautiful prose, beautiful emotions, so so so beautiful, gosh. pure poetry!)

The action shouldn’t fill his eyes with tears but it does. These small gestures mean the world to him. A steady reminder that Harry does notice all the tiny, seemingly insignificant details that make Louis him.

✰ 29 Blows by @quelquesetoiles | E | 4k - (super hot but also so cute!! love the concept of the birthday tradition in this one!!!)

For over a decade now, Harry has had his little tradition. It wouldn't be a Louis Tomlinson birthday without his best friend finding new, ingenious ways to make his life more difficult.

It's cute, it's funny, it's theirs, until Harry takes it a step too far on Louis' 29th birthday.

✰ calm me down (before i sleep) by @erodiansunflower | E | 7k - (a pwp and super hot, but also super cute??)

Prompt 24: Harry is a sex shop owner that has a crush on Louis, the shy customer who flirts with him while buying cute buttplugs, lace panties, and collars. One day, Louis asked Harry to help him put on a corset (they end up fucking in the dressing room). Things escalate quickly from there, so they start seeing each other seriously while trying other sex stuff.

✰ You’re Never Alone With a Moon This Bright by @helloamhere | T | 8k - (part one of this series) (WOW this was incredible and i am ENTRANCED! this author is an all-time favorite and idk why it took me so long to get to this series but i’m here now!! and loving it!!)

Louis was a monster. But sometimes, even monsters get a Christmas.

✰ Be a Good Girl For Me by @sincetheywere16and18 | E | 9k - (really hot and cute!!!)

Based on this prompt: “AU where Harry is Louis’ older brother’s best friend. He catches Louis dancing around his room in panties and blackmails him, saying that louis has to do anything he says or else he’ll tell Louis’ family that he wears girly underwear. Secretly soft for him, Harry gives him easy tasks and uses the whole thing to spend more time with Louis. Eventually, the orders begin to escalate and Harry teases Lou about his secret, making Louis shy and embarrassed. Louis loves the attention though, and forms a crush on his brother’s best friend. Lots of feminization, secret relationship, and enemies to lovers. Thank you!”

✰ it’s hard to fight naked by @loustarlight | E | 11k - (LOVED this so much!!! a big fan of enemies/flatmates to lovers especially when there’s a walk-in involved!!)

Louis leaves dirty socks on the couch, Zayn does assignments while he's high, and Harry is hopelessly crushing on his roommate.

✰ Sweet Scary Creatures by @specklelouis | M | 13k - (jurassic park au!! so cute and fun!!! loved louis’ character growth in this in particular!)

They stare into each other's eyes for a while until Louis remembers this is too intimate and looks at Harry’s hands on his thigh. It spans a big portion of his thigh and Louis has always been insecure about how thick he is, so he loves that Harry has huge, dustbin hands that hold him and makes him feel smaller, safer.

✰ hereafter (ad infinitum) by @larryent | M | 13k - (this was absolutely beautiful!! the writing was incredible, the contrast between the old timeline and new one impeccable, and the letters!!! love them!! and vampire harry is always a win!)

"A legacy is every life you’ve touched. And you’ve touched mine twice."

On the coast of San Francisco in 2024 is when Harry falls in love all over again.

✰ Believe Me When I Say You Have It All by @helloamhere | T | 20k - (part two of this series) (loved this even more than it’s predecessor. not to be dramatic, but i’d die for the louis and harry in this series. this whole world has my heart)

Harry had never faced anything in this forest that had actually succeeded in scaring him. Louis was no exception.

✰ Yours to Lose by @loulicate-recs | M | 26k - (so cute and soft and sweet!!! louis and harry were both angels and IAN <3 little cutie!!! so proud of you hanis!)

Louis always gets distracted with his mummy duty and he eventually catches Harry's attention.

✰ But It’s Useless by @thinlinez | E | 26k - (this put such a big smile on my face!! so cute and lovely!! louis was a relatable and adorable menace and harry was a smitten idiot but they both got there in the end!!)

Omega Louis would never guess that he would be trying to hack into Alpha Harry's Wifi. That is until everything changes when he tries to get to know his enemy.

✰ Stuck On You by Writewhatiwant | E | 34k - (so so sweet! loved the aspect of stickers in this fic and how louis found joy in them!! really loved how both louis and harry (especially harry) grew throughout this story and how they found peace at the end!)

Louis’ life revolves around his stickers. Harry’s life revolves around his job. The universe has decided their worlds should revolve around each other.

✰ smoke between your teeth by @soldouthaz | E | 37k - (i think everyone knows how much i adore sarah and her fics but this one just might be a new favorite! loved all the psych stuff, the pining, the rom-com worthy confession <3 brilliant!)

Louis tries to stop his addiction to cigarettes and discovers he's been addicted to Harry for much, much longer.

✰ Your Life Worth Walking on a Bright Morning by @helloamhere | T | 38k - (part three of this series) (it just keeps getting better and better <3 so comforting and consistent and beautiful!)

For all its complexity, Louis sometimes reminded himself, life could always be simplified into a series of forks in the road. Even overwhelmingly big things were survivable when you broke them down to their choice. One path or the other, left or right.

✰ On The Edge by @zanniscaramouche | E | 47k - (so crazy good!! zanni is always amazing me!! loved the ice skating, the hockey, the misunderstandings, the multi-faced and beautiful characters and relationships - all so perfect!)

Figure skating is as vital to Louis’ identity as his DNA, so when his skates go missing right before the last Olympics of his career there may be a meltdown only vanilla bath salts can fix. Well, that and the stupidly charming hockey player he met on the plane.

Harry’s too old to be the wonder kid and too young to be taken seriously in the NHL. As an alternate thrown in at the last second, he fights to prove himself on the national team at the largest sporting event known to man. Or he will, once he gets off this flight and can focus on something other than the fussy figure skater and his stunningly blue eyes.

A baggage mix-up skews both of their perfectly laid plans for gold, forcing the two to work together as the clock clicks towards the minute they’re expected to shine on centre ice.

✰ made for lovin’ you by @cuddlerlouis | E | 53k - (loved this so much!! touch depri/accidental bonds are my favorite and this was no exception!!! the characterizations, the tension, the misunderstandings, the tenderness, the fluff!!! so good!)

A quick, horny decision ruins Louis’ summer plans, but may also lead to unexpected discoveries. Featuring the road trip of dreams, misunderstandings, and a bit of fate.

✰ social cues by @outropeace | E | 56k - (so fucking good!! the slow burn in this was impeccable!!! pair it with friends with benefits, mutual pining, angst, misunderstandings... amazing <3)

To Harry, Louis was becoming as tangible and essential as music in his life. He still was a mystery but at the same time, he was one of the most real things Harry had. He just hoped he could live up to the image Louis probably had in his mind of him.

He could play the part, after all, what was published of him wasn’t as detached from reality. He didn’t think of himself as a rockstar cliche, although he couldn't deny he did sleep around, partied a lot, and did some drugs. But then again, wasn’t that what the majority of his friends back in his hometown were doing at college?

Harry wanted to impress Louis, he didn’t want to disappoint or leave his expectations unfulfilled, so he’d give him the full rockstar experience.

It was a very simple plan, what could possibly go wrong?

✰ dripping like spider milk by @raspberryoatss | E | 64k - (pip amazing me with her talent? a common occurrence. this was so wonderfully written and so well done!! loved the characterizations, the dynamic, the angst, the miscommunication, the pining, the HUMOR!!! it was all so amazing!!)

When he sees the alpha, his brown hair curling around the top of his neck and his broad back that’s filled out over the past couple of years, Louis freezes for a moment. The alpha turns around, Louis’ surprised expression mirrored on his own for a fraction of a second before he schools it into a big, yet shy grin and a wave of his huge hand. With his nostrils flared, Louis knows that he can smell him, too.

They never hired alphas, except for—

“Harry.”

✰ a taste of freedom and sweetened passion by @tomlinvelvetfics | M | 74k - (okay technically haven’t finished reading this one yet but i want to get this up early and i already know this is amazing because it’s LATE and she’s incredible!!! and, i mean, anne of green gables?? abo?? best birthday gift ever!! will be spending the day reading this in bliss <3)

“Are you mad?” he explodes, throwing his hands up, groaning. “I was so, so close to reaching my goal, and your stupid, stalking ass had to creep up on me, hm?”

Harry is trying to keep his laughter in, walking closer to him, eyes soft. He doesn’t like the way those eyes make him feel, an odd, dangerous mix of nervous and flustered, so he bends down to pick up the books, raising an eyebrow when Harry growls in protest.

“I wanted to pick them up for you,” the alpha pouts, and Louis glares at him, getting into position and lowering the pile of yellowed pages over the top of his head.

“I’m a functional human being, thank you very much,” he grits out as he begins to walk and mentally count the amount of steps he takes. One, two, three, for heaven’s sake Harry fuck off!, four, five. He doesn’t let himself be distracted as the alpha walks along with him despite the slow pace, green eyes focused on him in a way that would, in any other cases, compelled him to throw a book in the alpha’s face.

He doesn’t know why he doesn’t do it and certainly doesn’t want to think about the reason, whatever it might be.

If you read any of these lovely fics, remember to leave kudos and comment to show your appreciation!

*if i made any errors, please let me know :)

enjoy!

[dlamp-dictator]

Quick Thoughts of Strive Beta

Messed around on the beta for about 3 hours between last night and this morning and just wanted to give my thoughts on it so far.

General Things

For those wanting to download the Beta I believe you have to go onto the PSN website itself and search it up. It took all of yesterday to realize this and I’m still mad no instructions actually said this... I pre-order this game dammit.

From what I’ve played the netcode is very good. I think there were only 2 moments the game wouldn’t let me connect with someone. All of my games have been smooth so far with little if any lag.

The look, aesthetics, and animations all look very nice and are done very well. The action feels very fast-paced and bombastic. The explosion and fire effects are stellar and give some very nice feedback to your stronger attacks. Heavier counters have a nice zoom and slow down effect for maximum impact. This game wants to really sell you on that hype dear Lord am I buying it.

I know I was negative on the music of Strive in my last essay, but hearing it within the game itself has me warming up to it. On its own the songs feel a little out of place, but now that I’ve got the game’s beta in my hand and started playing it the music works. It kind of like moving and fighting along to a rock album. I’ve got a particular fondness for Giovanna’s theme now. The chill vibes I get from her theme combined with her personality sell me on her character a bit more now.

General Gameplay Things

I know the devs were saying that they wanted to make this game simpler, or at least more approached, but boy is this game a little more bare compared to Rev2. Just to give a quick rundown, you can only cancel Slash into Heavy Slash, Punch and Kick are more poking tools that can’t cancel into much aside from Specials, but you can also mash out 3 Punches in a row. Punch cannot be canceled into Kick, Slash, or Heavy Slash, nor can Kick cancel into Punch, Slash, or Heavy Slash unless in a Dust combo, not with the characters I was using at least (Ram, Zato, Chip, and Gio). 

However, this is offset by the HUGE damage Slash and Heavy Slash can do, especially if you combo it properly with specials. Ram in particular has some evil stuff she can do with her Dauro loops. It’s a bit more like a more combo-based SamSho where you can be dead in just three or four short combos... just... without the teeth-grinding slowness of Samsho.

I’m a bit torn on this. While I think this kind of gameplay actually works pretty well for what it is, it’s such a different approach to Rev2 and even Accent Core Plus that I wouldn’t blame folks for being dismissive of it. There could be an honest argument for this being flash over substance given the lack of complexity on the surface. Not one I would make given my mixed opinion of Guilty Gear as a whole, but I could see that argument being made.

I think having Throw be 4/6D was probably the smartest move in this game. Now we don’t have to worry about having our 4/6HS command normals accidentally turn into throws and ruin a potential combo.

“Allen, why would you use 4/6HS up close raw? It’s typically very unsafe and can make you eat tons of damage.” 

Hey... shut up.

Speaking of Dust, if it wasn’t a universal overhead before, making it one now gives it a lot more utility. 

Ramlethal Things

I played mostly with Ram in my three hours with the game, so I’ve got the best grasp on how she plays out of the other three characters I messed with.

Ram’s very different from her Rev2 days. She no long has her Tekken-esque combos and a lot of her gameplay is now even more focused around her swords. She’d best at midrange, but can do a few things from close up and far away.

I don’t really like how you can’t call your swords back, but given the damage output when she has them equipped I think it’s a fair enough trade off.

Her Dauro loops are still a thing and boy can you do some mean things with them. 

I don’t really like how a lot of her combos feels like they need a sweep or 2HS to do real damage, this is apparently the case for a lot of characters, but with Ram... I dunno’, I haven’t play around with her enough to be sure but it just feels kinda’ weird.

Mortobato is actually a pretty nice super in terms of utility, but I really miss having Explode. It was the coolest looking super in Ram’s kit back in Xrd.

Her new rekka special is pretty sweet, makes for a nice combo ender after a sweep.

Giovanna Things

I think this is the character I’m going to main in earnest. Ram is fun, but I can actually win matches with Giovanna with some competency since her damage is constant unlike Ram who needs her swords.

Like Chipp, she’s a rushdown character, but with less tools for mobility and is more about nailing people hard and fast with her kicks and staying close with her surprisingly far-reaching specials that can close the gap, at least that’s what I got from her after a few runs in training mode.

Her 6HS rekka looks really cool and I wish I could combo into better.

Apparently she turns all green and gets possessed by her ghost dog when she’s a max Tension, but the game doesn’t explain anything about this.I’m curious, but also annoyed that what looks like a gameplay function is hidden for the beta players. I understand wanting to keep things a surprise, but I’d rather that part of her be removed if it isn’t going to be discussed.

I heard a lot of talk about Giovanna being un-Guilty Gear and boring as a character. I’ve got a lot of negative opinions about these people, but I’ll at least say that after playing her I don’t believe this to be the case. She admitted has few tools, but her playstyle, animations, and character do feel like a Guilty Gear character. Her simplicity is what makes her stand out among all the nuttiness of Guilty Gear. 

Think of it this way, a snarky, deadpanned, straightforward government worker being forced to deal with half-dragon bounty hunters and kings, assassins, sky pirates, ninja presidents, and Faust with only basic martial arts and a ghost dog to keep her on equal footing with the monsters of the cast stands out a lot more if she was quirky. She seems to be the straight man to all the craziness and I think she’ll have a lot of comedic moments with the cast if down well. 

Zato Things

THE TRAILERS FUCKING LIED TO ME THIS IS STILL ZATO -FUCKING- 1

To keep this simple and to keep me from raging, Zato and Eddie still attack in tandem outside of the player’s influence. 5K with Zato will still make Eddie do ”That’s A Lot!”. Doing 5S will still have Eddie do Leap. This is gonna’ need an actual essay to explain in detail, but basically, Eddie is unwieldy in his movement speed and positioning, so properly doing combos with him is very difficult due to how hard it is to position him in your favor.

To be fair, Eddie can only do about two attacks when he’s summoned, and his animations are much clearer to read and react off of for both you and your opponent, but... it feels like all the playing Relius Clover if Ignis moved without your full input. Again, more detail in a proper essay.  

Outside of that, you can actually do some really dirty stuff with Zato with you time things right. They did try to simplify Eddie but... it’s stil Zato-1 man.

Lobby Things

Yeah... this lobby kind of sucks. The aesthetic just looks very cheap compared to how nice the game looks. The blocky avatars don’t have the charming cuteness of Xrd’s avatar designs, and while I do think the method of getting matches is pretty simple, the overall way you do it feels sluggish and unneeded. I really wish Japanese fighting game developers didn’t try to make the lobbies as... immersive as they try to. This stuff peaked with Continuum Shift lobbies and have honestly gone downhill since then.

Overall, I’ve been liking what I’ve played of the beta, but I’m gonna’ need another day or two with it before having a full opinion. But so far so good, I’ve been either liking or appreciating most of the changes and things made, barring a few nitpicks and actual problems.

[inikavulpixelreviews]

Let’s Talk About Pokemon - Meltan and Melmetal

808: Meltan

God, can you believe I was this close, THIIIIIS close to saying Gen 7 as a whole just HAD to end on a note as sour as Zeraora. Well, in the middle of just last year, this surprise just fell on our heads in the form of a Pokemon Go datamine of all things! Not only that, but then showed up in the aftermath of that weekend's Community Day where a ton of Ditto disguised as this weird little slimy metal thing appeared for a while afterward. And then a few days where they acted like nothing strange happened. This had to be the WEIRDEST and most fun way to introduce a new Pokemon to date.

Of course, eventually, we got formally introduced to this Pokemon that was the real Mystery-Pokemon teased at the end of Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee's first trailer. The mono-Steel type Meltan!

AND LOOK. AT HOW. ADORABLE THIS LITTLE THING IS. These little Mythic critters are yet another concept I had wanted a while, that being of a molten metal creature as a pitch for the Steel type. While it's more of a liquid metal than a molten metal, it's easily the same thing in my book. And I am not at all disappointed with this little fella. I love love LOVE the visual of the eyeball it forms out of an oversized nut-head with a big black ball of liquid metal making a “pupil”. Even complete with a tiny wire for a tail. Just precious!

And the amount of charm and expressiveness they managed to ooze out of such a simplified design is absolutely commendable. With the pupil cartoonishly changing shape to formulate expressions.

Their little eyes even pop out of their socket when they're surprised! THATS'S SO CUTE I CAN'T. JUST. HHHHRGH.

They're even rather simple in their story. All they want to do is eat metal, loving the taste as it consumes said metal to become larger. Though supposedly its body is primarily made of mercury. Which would make sense, given that's a metal that is in liquid form even at room temperature. But it's also a good electrical conductor, giving Meltan some of its electric-based abilities as well!

Wait, is it EATING a Magnemite!?! Nooo!!!!!

I also think it’s super neat how, as stated in an interview with Junichi Masuda and Kensaku Nabana that Meltan was deliberately designed to look like a Gen 1 Pokemon since its first appearance was to be in a remake of Yellow version. And I think they totally nailed it, especially with how it STILL manages to look like its own thing that isn’t ripping off any Gen 1 line in particular. You could fully expect this thing to be running around the abandoned Power Plant back in the day!

I do understand the complaints saying it doesn't really fit in with the status of “Mythical Pokemon.” And I'd agree, it looks just a bit more like a Generation's obligatory industrial object-mon more than it does a status you'd expect to be reserved for Pokemon's equivalent of cryptids. But whatever man. I'll take Gen 7 ending on such an adorable note as this and not with a design as unimpressive as Zeraora. It's hilarious how quickly this thing has ascended to become one of my favorite Steel types, and one of my favorite Mythic Pokemon.

Personal Score: 10/10

THEY ARE MY SONS AND I LOVE THEM.

809: Melmetal

And here it is. Number Eight Hundred and Nine. The actual, for really real as real can be realsies this time, at the time of writing this, final Pokemon, at least until Gen 8 comes out later this year.

In yet another surprise, Meltan is our first-ever Mythical Pokemon to evolve! Though, the impact of that can't help but be lessened a bit after remembering Mythicals like Shaymin or Hoopa have “alternate forms” that would basically work as evolutions all the same. But it's the thought that counts, I suppose.

While I do like Meltan just a little bit better than Melmetal here, Melmetal is no disappointment either. The only thing that's really missed is the adorable charm and how less expressive it is. Though maybe that can be chalked up with it trying to present itself as cool. At least it keeps the nut-head with little-ball eyeball look going. If it kept any one thing it should've been that.

Portrayed as many Meltan merged together into one huge, hulking body, this is a good way to pull off the bulky but elastic fighter type with the molten metal look. It also apparently can make iron out of nothing, providing an ancient civilization with metal for years before somehow falling asleep.

It's also said to have pretty nasty punches. Understandable, given the huge nuts on the ends of its arms like brass knuckles. Even when it's pulling off its signature move, Double Iron Bash, its arms spin around on the nut it uses as a torso to deliver repeated metal punches.

Personal Score: 10/10

Still a very good friend!!

Overall:

And with that we're actually done without being ironic this time. It's finally time to have our, for now, final Generation recap.

[Archive]