#it's just the general theme I've got down but i wanna write it. like i think it'd be a really cool (dr bald suffering compilation)

[masked-and-doomed]

Two fic ideas in the past few days? That's unfair,,, *opens a new WIP*

[aethelwyneleigh27]

Cod Characters General Dating Headcanons (part two)

+ Random and Some bits of Chubby Fem S/O Headcanons with mentions of different nationality S/O

+ What type of BF/GF they would be

Including Valeria Garza, Farah Karim, Kate Laswell, Alex Keller, Gary "Roach" Sanderson, Nikolai Belinski

+ Some Poly! Farah x Reader x Alex Headcanons

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Fem terms and pronouns like she/her are used for the reader

ꕥ HOPE YOU ENJOY! ꕥ

My rules for requests and characters I can write for

Please comment if you want to be added to the taglist, the next part or cod content alone. I also have content for TLOU and Resident Evil, so please specify.

Taglist: @marshmallowinamess

A/n: Hi lovelies! It's me again Lia, currently working on this one while I haven't even posted the other yet because I wanna post early and I love Valeria. Y'all don't got shit on me, I'm writing this shit while I'm in class AHAHAHA. Btw more Resident Evil content soon...

Disclaimers/warnings: Typical Cod things, OOC characters???, Unrealistic, Some suggestive themes and language, I'm so sorry but English is not my first language so please don't come after me. Most of the content I've seen are on TikTok and Tumblr I don't actually play the game but I love the characters so much, same with any other content I have for other video games.

Tiny sidenote: the reader in this has been describe to be shorter than the characters and has been mentioned to have a soft body rather than the muscular type.

Valeria Garza

ꕥ (Just saying, I'd let her step all over me)

ꕥ The El Sinombre falling in love? No shit she's... semi-normal??

ꕥ Black cat/Doberman girlfriend for sure. She's extremely protective and extremely terrifying when she wants to be. Scary dog privilege if you get it. (Occasionally it's funny to imagine her as a Chihuahua)

ꕥ Dates all kinds of women, body type and other things don't matter to her because she doesn't have a type. If you catch her attention then that's that.

ꕥ Loves spoiling you in everyway possible, just sit pretty for her and she'll take care of everything. Doesn't give a shit on the amount of money she spends on you, you want it? You got it.

ꕥ Loves it when you need her, it's one of the ways she feels loved and appreciated. Would never say it out loud but loves it whenever you show her your appreciation by doing manual labor.

ꕥ The idea of you being her pretty little housewife is sending her to heaven.

ꕥ Spanish pet names galore, culture is something of importance to her so will definitely teach you Spanish if she had the time.

ꕥ Would be interested learning about your culture as well because if you're gonna know about hers then she ought to know what to call you in your language. (Definitely not self-indulgent because I'm Filipina and I know she'd pronounce it somewhat correctly)

ꕥ Doesn't ever let you know about her cartel business. You can never know and she will never allow you to get ever get involved. You're too precious to her and god forbid anything will happen to you, she will destroy the world if she had to.

ꕥ She's more of a masc lesbian, she's the type who likes to be in charge in a "I'm the one who wears the pants in the relationship" way. She's very dominant.

ꕥ Doesn't ever even consider to be submissive, with the amount of shit she's been through. She can be vulnerable with you but in no way, shape or form could you ever top.

ꕥ You're an escape from the life she knew, it was peaceful with you. At first she wasn't used to it, definitely has reoccurring thoughts of something going wrong. You dying, getting kidnapped, falling into the hands of her enemies so constant reassurance.

ꕥ Would absolutely kill for you, no hesitation. The literally definitely of "I would burn this world for you", would absolutely deny it but you know otherwise.

Farah Karim

ꕥ Tabby cat coded girlfriend, she's down to earth and chill. She's that one neutral person everyone adores, she puts her best efforts into a relationship for sure.

ꕥ Has and will help you do your make-up all the time, doesn't matter whether you asked. She'll observe the specific way you do it and do it perfectly.

ꕥ Sweetest girlfriend ever, she has dominance tendencies but it's mainly because she's quite assertive and often makes the decisions. Can't help it, after all her field of work requires her to one up egotistic men.

ꕥ That being said, I think she's had some mild PTSD about how they treated her. Sure it made her tough and she didn't like to be bossed around (unlike angry Mexican man) but I like to think she keeps you out of it as much as possible.

ꕥ Chubby!Reader headcanon is that she literally would adore you, compliment anything and everything. Insecure? Not on her watch, she just makes you feel so loved.

ꕥ Most definitely has introduced you to Price (I feel like he's everyone's father figure except los vaqueros and characters he hasn't interacted with) and don't worry he's already looking after you as well.

ꕥ Poly! Farah x reader x Alex headcanons:

ꕥ You guys following whatever Farah says, towards relationship decisions anyway because you and Alex tend to be indecisive.

ꕥ Lot's of communication between the three of you even if it's just a small thing, consent is always key.

ꕥ Alex following his two wives around a lot, he's mostly behind you guys all the time.

ꕥ Farah is patient when it comes to a lot of things but especially you and Alex.

ꕥ You get head pats from both of them, Farah is in a more praising manner while Alex tends to be in a comforting manner.

ꕥ You cannot tell me these two won't be down to cuddle in any position because I know damn well they would be. More often it's just Alex wanting to be a little spoon.

Alex Keller

ꕥ Golden Retriever boyfriend FOR REAL. This man is the type of man to kneel down and clasp the strap of your shoe or heel when he notices it.

ꕥ You know when you pick up something near a corner of a table or underneath it? He's the type of boyfriend to subconsciously cover the edge or corner of that table so that if your head bumps into it then it wouldn't be as painful or even at all.

ꕥ Having said the first one, he also guides your head whenever getting into a vehicle because god forbid you actually hurt yourself. Not on his watch.

ꕥ Understands why you're insecure and definitely offers a lot of verbal reassurance.

ꕥ Is the type of boyfriend to say "Yes Ma'am" when you ask him to do something, doesn't matter whether it's a small thing or labor intensive. It's kinda become your guys' thing now since people take notice on it.

ꕥ Pouty kind of jealous? Not necessarily whiny but makes this sad upset face at you when jealous instead of something like Ghost or Valeria would do where they'd be glaring the person down jealous.

ꕥ Very thoughtful, he pays attention to what you want and what you need and knows the right timing.

ꕥ Forehead kiss giver, you cannot convince me this man doesn't love doing it. Especially when you're shorter than him, loves resting his chin on top of your head or burying his head in your neck.

ꕥ HATES seeing you uncomfortable, absolutely despises it. That's the last thing he wants you to feel when you're around him. Would understand if there's imminent danger around but it would literally being him back to life if you felt safe enough around him even if there was danger because you're confident in his capabilities to keep you safe.

Kate Laswell

ꕥ (LOVE THIS WOMAN, SHE'S FOR THE GIRLS BECAUSE IT'S CANON. ARGUE WITH THE WALL)

ꕥ She only ever let the TF141 and Nikolai meet you because of course she trusts them enough.

ꕥ They were like "So you're the infamous wife of Laswell huh?"

ꕥ Even before you were married, Kate called you her wife because she was ✨manifesting✨.

ꕥ She loves using it though, sometimes she'd be with coworkers and they'd invited her to go out to pub and drink but she'll refuse saying "Can't, my wife is waiting for me". She'd really rather just spend time with you anyway.

ꕥ Congrats, you made her quit smoking or at least she's trying to. She still does every once and a while when shit gets really bad but never around you because she knows that secondhand smoke is just as bad for you.

ꕥ She doesn't have a type when it comes to people so body is out of the question, if she feels a connection then she feels it.

ꕥ Anything and everything to keep you safe, if something were to happen to you, trust that she'll either get it down herself or if she can't then she'll turn to Price and Belinski for help.

ꕥ As much as possible, she keeps you away from everything. The job she has is just too dangerous and she can't risk you, not when you're one of the only good things in her life that keeps her happy.

ꕥ Definitely a workaholic, something as simple as asking her to eat or rest, maybe take a break. She'll do it, for you and because she knows you care for her.

ꕥ Doesn't half-ass anything, full effort when it comes to you especially when there's a special occasion between you two like holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.

ꕥ Also she loves making you laugh, more often with stories of her experiences with Price and also about how they met.

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

ꕥ (I CANNOT FIND A DECENT GIF OF THIS MAN FOR THE LIFE OF ME... Here's the credits to where I found the photo)

ꕥ Get this man a makeshift antenna, he would adore it. You made it for him because of his call sign.

ꕥ He sometimes wears it on missions but mostly keeps it so that it doesn't get damage because this man is definitely a horder, not in a bad way just anything you give to him is something worth keeping in his eyes.

ꕥ Gary definitely gives you handmade gifts back, when he knows you'll like something or even if it's at a random, he loves making them for you and he cried when he found out you kept those all in it's own box labeling it your treasures.

ꕥ Very shy and reluctant at first but once he's comfortable, he is tackling you for a hug when he gets the chance.

ꕥ Doesn't talk a lot, (it took me to Google when I saw that many people hc him communicating through BSL) but I like to think he does talk. It's just really selective, like a few words.

ꕥ The first time you heard his voice, you looked at him like "???". He looked at you confused at your reaction and he only realized it when you told him.

ꕥ Think that he'll try to learn sign language within your mother tongue you know, it's too cute not to think about.

ꕥ He gives off soft lover vibes, definitely far more on the gentle side compared to his comrades.

ꕥ Something in me tells me this man rambles but only and I mean only when he's already extremely comfortable around you, not used to using his voice much so expect a bit of stutter. Which by the way, he does this without knowing he's rambling and will profusely apologize with his tone of voice slowly getting more quiet. (This is your sign, comfort this man)

ꕥ Likes to crawl around and climb things for fun, another one of the reasons his call sign was formed. The first time Ghost genuinely screamed was when Roach was stuck on the side of the wall and Ghost saw him there. Kinda like when you see a roach climbing up a wall and it flies straight for you in your direction. (Happened to me by experience when I was taking a shower)

ꕥ He also likes crawling around, like this I mean. Hacker!Reader seeing this on the enemy's security camera while she tries to shut them off is just funny to me idk why.

ꕥ Chubby!Reader? Sign him the fuck up. You once sat down near him and he saw how you thought spread a bit and it was so close to his that he was just resisting the urge to touch. The voice in his head shamelessly thinking of what it would be like if you suffocated him with them.

ꕥ He loves peppering kisses, doesn't matter whether it's receiving or giving this man would straight up take your hands and use them to cup his face, his hands still being over yours and would with wait for you to kiss him or kiss you himself.

Nikolai Belinski

ꕥ (I have no clue how to write for nik but I'll try my best)

ꕥ We all know him and his jokes about his "wives" which by the way is not true and you know it.

ꕥ He's husband material however he is quite busy, not that he'd barely spend time with you but he is away a lot. There's an upside to this, he constantly calls you (Let's be real, he prefers calls over texts) just to check on how you're doing and he tells you when he's going to come home.

ꕥ Despite all his jokes, he'd never actually make fun of you. Sure he's sarcastic and talks to himself a lot but he'd never go as low as actually making an offensive joke to his lover.

ꕥ Speaking of joking, your laugh is music to this man's ears. Don't matter if you sound like a dying cat, he's still gonna make you laugh.

ꕥ Surprisingly really sweet, people are often surprised to see that man with a lover. He's very thoughtful in a sense that he's observant, sure he's quite absentminded when around you because that's the only space he's comfortable enough to do so but also because he likes listening to you.

ꕥ Does every safety measure in a helicopter possible if he knew you or Gaz would be in that helicopter, he also makes improvements to it and calls it Gaz-proofing because we all know how Garrick fell off a damn helicopter TWICE. (Idk how he does it, Gaz has some serious plot armor)

[befuddled-calico-whump]

✨Content Tagging Guide✨

disclaimer: this is not directed at anyone, nor was it sparked because I've seen anyone mistagging anything. I just like lists and I'm going to make it everyone's problem :)

So you wanna write a story with darker themes, but are mayhaps a little uncertain about all the different content warnings you've seen.

Not to worry! Hopefully this quick guide will clear things up. To illustrate each level, I'm going to use macaroni and cheese as the content example. Without further ado...

cw: macaroni and cheese

^^this warning is very general. It tells the reader the content will show up at some point within the text, but doesn't specify the detail, use, or extent.

cw: macaroni and cheese (mentioned)

They drove through town, past the busy main street, and the factory where the local brand of macaroni and cheese got its packaging.

This warning tells readers the content will be mentioned; maybe in dialogue, or in a description, but not explored in detail.

cw: macaroni and cheese (discussed)

"I'm lactose intolerant," he said. "So I can't---well, I shouldn't eat stuff like that."

"But you did anyway?" they pressed. "I'm sorry, just... How did it feel? After?"

"Awful. I really should've listened to my common sense and ordered something besides mac and cheese."

As you'd expect, this warning tells the reader that the content will be discussed, either in conversation, or through a character's thoughts. Discussions can involve the moral implications of the content, how the content fits within the world, philosophies relating to the content, and the emotional or lasting effects of the content on a character.

cw: macaroni and cheese (referenced)

He tapped her shoulder. "Hey, I didn't see you after work yesterday, you okay?"

"Fine now," she said, shrugging. "I just had a bad batch of mac and cheese for lunch."

Very similar to "mentioned", this warning often implies a non-explicit, non-graphic mention of the content.

cw: macaroni and cheese (implied)

He frowned down at the bowl, then averted his eyes, appetite lost by the gooey yellow mass inside, and the heavy, creamy smell wafting off it.

This warning tells readers that the content is not outright stated, but the character's reactions and actions imply what's going on. If you could remove the context from the scene/paragraph in question and make it look like something else is happening, you probably have implied content. Note that there is a difference between simply "implied", and "heavily implied".

cw: macaroni and cheese (fade to black)

She took her seat at the table, queasiness building in her stomach. Her least-favorite food was to be served, and while she knew it would be rude to decline it, she wasn't looking forward to lunch. As the dreaded bowl was placed before her, she picked up the fork, and plunged it in.

Similar to implied, but instead of carrying on through the scene the content takes place in, fade to black builds up to the moment, and stops, often transitioning to the next scene before the content is given any kind of detail.

cw: macaroni and cheese (non-explicit)

For lunch, he was served a bowl of mac and cheese, one of his least favorite meals. He choked it down anyway, and hoped he wouldn't get an upset stomach.

This tells the reader the content will be present in some form, but not described in detail. It may have some active bearing on the character or plot, but won't be particularly graphic. While the character may be emotionally affected after the fact, the content itself is glossed over.

cw: macaroni and cheese (explicit)

The bowl was placed in front of him, steam still rising from the substance inside. He knew what it was before he looked. Mac and cheese. And he'd have to devour the entire bowl of it. He lifted the first forkful, strands of yellow cheese trailing from squishy curved noodles, all the way back into the bowl, even as he raised it to his mouth. Damn, it was extra cheesy. He knew his lactose intolerance just wouldn't hold up.

This is often used as the heaviest warning, telling readers that the content and the characters' reactions to it will be described in detail.

Again, this was something I mostly just wrote for fun, and to dramatize mac and cheese but I do hope someone out there finds it helpful. Let me know if there's a type I missed! :)

[lixiesfreckless]

below is my general reaction/review of part one of because even then, I knew by @catboyieejeno . contains SPOILERS

not to mention I did betaread/edit this fic, so it may not have all of my first reactions(and I reread this on call with carina LOL)

"When he was 7 he fell in love."

sorry this is just the most endearing and relatable thing I've ever read. I had my first crush at five years old, pretty much the second I entered elementary school, and the concept of loving someone in a way that differed from how I felt about my parents was so all encompassing and overwhelming, that when my best friend spilled the beans to him, I had never felt more rage towards a person than I had towards her in my entire(albeit, short-lived) life. crazy how things become magnified before you reach adulthood lmaoooooo

"Why can't he stop looking at you?"

I can't get over how insanely human this feels. It's such a humbling feeling, having your apprehensions about something and nevertheless veing drawn to it all the same. Especially when that "thing" is a person. The juxtaposition between "I swore I'd never" and "why do I keep running into this" stirs some kind of critical thinking in all of us that I CANNOT get enough of ughhhhhh

"Seokmin found himself looking forward to seeing you every single night from then on"

not much to say here my heart just hurt a little bit remembering what that felt like. it feels so innocent, and you try to find other reasons for your selfish actions, but sooner or later you admit to yourself the real reason why you do what you do and it's so. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that part where seokmin dreams about how you'll thank him for returning your phone and also readying himself to stand "he didn't forget, he just wanted to sound nonchalant"

painfully human. I have to applaud you for how relatable all of these emotions are. and it makes me kind of happy how obvious it is that in this story, I'm seokmin instead of y/n YIKES

"And stop moping. You're making the flowers sad. They feel these kinds of things"

LITERALLY JUST READ A MINGHAO FLOWERSHOP AU WHERE A SIMILAR THEME WAS PRESENTED UGH I LOVEEEEEE

"Are you still sulking over the pretty girl from the bus?"

ngl I would die of embarrassment here lmao there is no way he just got outed like that lmao

"Simply put: you were not her."

ahhhh subtle but appreciated emotional maturity. that's hot

"he starts counting down the hours until he can see you again."

TOOOOOO REAL I WANNA BE IN LOVE AGAIN AHHHHH

"I wanted to."

THIS. why is it casual honesty that feels the most attractive to me? my ex's close friend had told me that honesty is intimacy and I think she might be right. the vulnerability has to be somewhat attractive to me but MANNNNNN it's always gonna get to me isn't it?

"This is me"

never ever EVER getting over this double entendre. "this is me" meaning that that is your bus stop, but also that that song was just the embodiment of you. and seokmin not only accepting but LIKING that part of you is more than wholesome IT MAKES ME WANT TO RIP MY HAIR OUT

"You don't have to, even if you brought it all the way out here. It's up to you."

as someone who plays guitar, this is so reassuring. a lot of time the pressure/nerves of playing in front of someone gets to you and it feels too daunting of a task, so the reminder that it's up to us is genuinely so kind

"Have you always been this lovely, or am I just starting to see it now?"

stood up from my bed and clapped(in my head)

"A little embarrassed but somehow happy to be caught."

"happy to be caught" THE WAY I COULD WRITE A WHOLE E S S A Y ON THIS

"What's this doing all the way out here?"

no bc an american penny all the way in seoul is kind of magical. like it was meant for them. ughghgshghsjdhsdgjs

"your hands anchoring each other"

the way this is phrased is so beautiful but I honestly just needed a minute to rant about the entire karaoke/kiss scene. as someone who has lived through that kind of love-drunkenness, it is insanely well written and accurate. the unexplainable gravity between the two of you, the not wanting to be far from each other, the inability to find reasons to leave each other, the reluctance to look away, everything. that kind of stumbling down the street with stars in your eyes love is something that I hope everyone who reads this fic experiences one day. it almost hurt a little bit to relive that, knowing that my heart is similar to dk's in the sense that it's apprehensive towards feeling it again, KNOWING where it leads if everything goes wrong. ITS SO COMPLEX but the scene is so sweet I just wanna lie down and cry

I'll post a separate one for part two <3

[saturns-cryptid]

Got some HFR headcanons coming your way!

-Kale is addicted to coffee because he thinks he performs better while sleep deprived. Maybe the postgame vlogs were mostly jokey but I wanna take that one about staying up for the weird ideas and run with it

-Hibiki is a fashion brand themed after music. Nothing in the game really says anything for or against, but there's few reasons to have that on shoes

-Korsica's ponytail started pointing upwards with age. The power of anime hair grows with experience. One day I'll draw that.

HAIII i don't see many kale headcanons!! thank you for submitting this i love seeing headcanons on the bosses. there's so few in comparison AND in general sobs

(1) NSKFDNFKJSNG i honestly think that despite his whole Final Boss I Am Evil Bleh Bleh-Bleh thing, he has the potential so be so fucking funny and it's just that he has a role to fulfill as per the game. i remember reading the first three and they REEK sleep deprivation and 3am cortados LOL it was really funny to envision him just writing all this down like trying to document your dream in the notes app but you pass out before you can finish or it just straight up makes zero sense.

(2) I'VE SEEN THIS ONE (i've. combed through the hi fi rush tag a lot LOL) and honestly, as much as I liked the hc that the hibiki merch Chai wears is actually merch of his favourite band, this one is the one i've personally adopted. shoes tend to be... more specific? like, for merch for bands or video games, you most often see shirts, hoodies, jackets, keychains, stickers, etc., but i do not see shoes be made for these things very often.

(3) this implies that if someone were to give Korsica a bunch of pony tails, they would all stand up like Zanzo Wire Hair. do you have anything to say about that, asker (hands you the mic)

[swifty-fox]

Hello I’m here to say that I love KFAK so much that I had to come follow you on tumblr (I’m the reader that re-read the whole series on my lunch break yesterday LMAO). And I am once again reading on my lunch break and I wanted to tell you how much I love your use of the dog motif for Gale. It’s really giving Mitski’s “I’m your Man” and also is breaking my heart. There’s so many layers to Gale as a dog both in his yearning for his John and in the way he’s been beaten yet loyal. So fitting.

Also I just wanted to say that it was really nice coming to your tumblr and seeing that you’re also a lesbian like OF COURSE only a lesbian could have the third eye opened vision to write such a good WW2 homosexuals fic. I was just joking with my good friend (who hasn’t watched MOTA but who has heard all about John and Gale) that even though MOTA is a “dad show” that I know there are fellow lesbians out there who have watched it and been blessed with sight to see the romance between the lines—and I was right!

Thanks so much again for writing and sharing KFAK it’s probably my fave fic in the fandom (followed closely by “in our bedroom after the war” by sterobone if you’ve also read that) and I have now read all 500+ fics in English so I’ve been able to discern real quality here.

All the best! If I come back with more KFAK analysis/thoughts, well, I apologize in advance 😅

omg yesss hi!! I hope you enjoyed the reread. I post snippets here all the time if you wanna read the 'kingdom for a kiss' tag or my swiftywrites tag! you'll find some stuff that hasn't been posted yet there :)

I just love dog motifs in general, I think there's something so intriguing about them!!! I think about my dog who will bite someone for trying to move her and then with me I can shove my hands down her mouth, hold her upside down, do whatever and she accepts it. Thats Gale to me <3 He's just such a fascinating character to play with

LMAO theres so many gays in the HBOwar fandom frrr. I've been into these shows since I was a teenager but never really got involved in the fandom until now! Something about the yearning of the time period just hits in the lesbian feels idk.

haha @stereobone and I are friends :)) I also think their fic is amazingggggg and one of my faves! i feel like we explored similar themes between the two fics (though mine takes an opposite direction in the fixing up a house motif) it happened independently which was pretty fun to be like oh! same hat!

please come back with more thoughts and analysis I love it!!

[empty-dream]

I wanna talk about the MV of Frieren 2nd OP song Haru (which surprisingly doesn't mean Spring (春) but Sunny (晴る)) Almost missing out this MV because it's not done with original Frieren AMV just like the first OP. But someone recommended to watch it anyway and I did. And DAMN IT'S SAD. AND HEAVY.

The story itself is pretty straightforward and easy to understand once you finish the entire MV. The fun part comes from the Youtube comments. There are several interesting insights about the MV, the song itself, and the relationship with Frieren series. After digging and crosschecking here and there plus some thinking, few points I'd like to bring up are:

Relation to Sousou no Frieren

This. Enough said.

On more detailed note, 晴れる (Hareru) means to clear up, to stop raining, to be sunny. Himmel in German means heaven. So it's basically turning into "clear heaven/sky"

You know Himmel's presence was so big and brought hope wherever he and his party was. Even in the Demon King era, his heroism and kindness brought light the people's life. Even now, long after he's gone, Frieren keeps meeting people who are directly or indirectly impacted by his actions, even for the smallest things like helping around the village. It was enough to cheer everyone he comes across.

I was thinking of how Serie and Frieren could end up so different despite being the same race as elves with unprecedented talent for magic and similar rather cold distant personality. Perhaps I'll talk in another post about it but for me, I feel like one of the biggest differences is that Frieren got to meet Himmel. Long after Flamme died, Serie is basically still alone at the top despite having more disciples, while Frieren meets Himmel and through him meet the others and then she walks the same path as them. Even after the two people she ever cares about die, Frieren's sky becomes clear as she learns about her own feelings and what should really be treasured in human limited time versus her own limitless one. Or at least that's how I interpret the anime.

The song itself

The lyrics often mention of how beyond the rain pouring down from the clouds, the sky up above is sunny. Beyond pain, there is peace. It's fitting the whole "clear (up the) sky" theme.

I've listened to a few Yorushika's songs before Haru, and while their songs are kinda hit and miss for my taste, I enjoy Haru a lot. And I didn't know that wordplay is Yorushika's specialty. After looking at some of their songs, I found out they like switching kanji of the titles so that the titles hold double meanings.

And honestly, whenever I picture "spring", I always pair it with "clear sky." Even though rains do fall in spring too, I always go with sunny. This whole kanji switch is genius, ngl.

Once I knew that one of the member, n-buna, is a Vocaloid composer, I was like "Huh. No wonder." Sometimes wildest profound lines do come out from Vocaloid songs.

The MV in general

The MV itself is straightfoward. The father is unaware he's dead. The son has been alone all these times. But still, the wish to live in a world of sunny days free of war and loss just like back in the day goes on.

An interesting top comment theorizes the wall here resembles the Western Wall in Jerusalem, while the tree with flowers shown in the last seconds looks like the olive tree. Olive tree means peace and reconciliation. The metaphor "offer an olive branch" means "wanting to end the quarrel and disagreement." Olive branch is present in the emblem of Israel while olive tree is considered as a national symbol for Palestinians. As of this writing I haven't found any official confirmation for those theories. But either way, this is clearly about living in war state-something that is unfortunately ever-present in the world.

I personally think that the release timing, the choice of story and certain elements in it like the wall, the plant and the sea, all make the MV extremely relevant to the genocide and occupation of Gaza now, whether it's actually intentional or not.

The director of the MV, Kohta Morie, tweeted something along the line of 'I present this work to those who did not have the chance to be "sunny."' Incredibly sad, when you think about it.

[symphonic-scream]

Okay. I'm getting back into writing. Fics. So, I've got ten aus up for the chopping block. Which one would y'all rather see me try?

DESCRIPTION OF EACH AU UNDER THE CUT TO SAVE SPACE

So. Details below! Vote, spread the word, I don't care. Just wanna write someone people are interested in

Persona 5 Magic Au:

Follows the plot of Persona 5 Royal but, instead of personas, each member is either a monster or has magic. Action focused, with darker themes and violence.

The Phantom Queers:

The Phantom Thieves are all adults, all very queer. Hifumi is a newly out trans woman and Joker introduces her to his Gay Friends to help mentor her on her queer journey. Mostly fluff, talks about some bad stuff, but about accepting who you are

Persona 5 Inaba Au:

Joker has just moved to Inaba and suddenly his ordinary year in a small turn has been turned into a mad search for a murderer. Aka, It's Persona 4, but with the Persona 5 characters. Regular warnings for death and Persona themes, but with some fluffier and lighthearted group moments.

Persona 5 Pirate Au:

A young boy with a ship sets out to gather the greatest pirate crew of all. Their goal? To take down corruption coast to coast, getting back at the corrupt societies that threw them aside. Very actiony, got some more mature themes. But also. Boat.

Niijima Twins Au:

Okay this one's quick to lay out. It's Persona 5 Royal but Akechi Goro is the twin brother of Makoto Niijima. That's it. Changes things. Has the same themes as Persona 5. But. Lots of heavy emotional conversations and unhealthy sibling relationships

Persona 5 Heroes Au:

Too young to be members of the formal hero league, the Phantom Thieves are instead a team of Youth Heroes, their nemesis being a serial killer for. Some reason. Heavy focus on Makoto x Haru. Like. They're the main plot in this one it's a gay au

Persona 5 Age Swap Au:

So the adult confidants are now teens and the teens are the adult confidants. Sojiro got arrested and now has been sent to Tokyo to serve his parole for a year. What adventures will he have? Again, just general Persona type themes

Persona 5 Pokemon Au:

Uhm. Yeah they're all Pokemon Trainers traveling in the same general directions, who all witnessed something that made them all agree to stop corruption in the region. Lighter than the others since it's Pokemon

Persona 4 Tokyo Au:

Yu Narukami has been arrested and now has to spend a year in Tokyo for his parole. However, staying out of trouble is impossible when the Metaverse gets involved. Aka, it's P5 but with the P4 characters. Will be Persona level themes again

Persona 4 Apocalypse Au:

Inaba has been covered in a dense fog, inky shadows lurking around every corner. While the survivors are holed up in Yasogami High, some can't help but feel like they could be doing more. One of the darkest ones on the list. Death and shit. It's an apocalypse au what do you expect?

[vallitemaiden]

the, I-just-wanted-to-write-an-hc-about-Mikoto's-birth-name-and-it-got-too-long post [warning: some fates spoilers below]

Valla is a kingdom based off of a lost Chinese kingdom, and in JP is actually named Loulan, the name of the lost kingdom itself. If you wanna read more on that I'd suggest here and here (and Loulan was also an oasis city, tying in Valla's water theme). Arete's JP name is also シェンメイ 'Shenmei', which is a Chinese name too. I've always known that I wanted Mikoto to be a name that she chose after coming to Hoshido (even though her JP name is also Mikoto) in order to better hide her identity.

So of course this led me down a rabbit hole (and 30+ tabs of research) as I decided on Mikoto's birth name.

After awhile I realized I'd have to understand how Chinese names are formatted. Like JP names, they're last name-first name format, so I feel relatively sure that Shen is their family name and Mei is Arete's first name (of course, if we get an Arete (prayer circle everyone pls), I'll defer to them on that, but for the purposes of picking Mikoto's name I'm going with it (and will adjust later as needed)). My examples/explanations below are also working off of this logic.

Unfortunately they don't give Chinese characters for the names. I think Shen might be 沈 which has many meanings but among them I found sink, submerge, liquid, etc. which for me relates strongly to Valla's theme and the fact that talking about the kingdom (after Anankos takes over) can cause the person to dissolve into water.

The other route to go with this is that Shen is actually the generational name between the sisters (when siblings share a character in their personal name, so if Arete's personal name was "Shenmei" and Mikoto's was, for example, "Shenlian". and Shen wasn't their surname). But given the meaning of Shen and the ties to water, I'd like to keep it as the family name (though I do think it's just as likely this could be a generational name).

For the first name, it's actually more common to pick a given name based on a parent's hope for their child's future. Mei, for example, can be written with a few different characters that mean beautiful, Chinese plum tree, or light/bright. The plum blossom itself is a symbol for resilience and perseverance in adversity. As the oldest child poised to rule the kingdom, I can see this apt for Arete. It's also worth noting, I think, that Mikoto's dress features a flower that looks a bit like a plum blossom, so that could be in remembrance of her sister.

And finally, for Mikoto, I chose the name 玲 (Ling) which means a few things related to clever, nimble, and tinkling of jade. Jade is actually highly valued in Chinese culture and the sound itself is said to symbolize harmony and balance and, apparently, poets have compared the sound of jade to the voice of a loved one. There's really so much symbolism around jade in Chinese culture that I could draw parallels to so much of Mikoto's story with it tbh (and that is a ramble for a different day).

So yeah this is all to say that Mikoto's birth name is Shen Ling.

I've also read that it's common to those that are close to you to use your full name, so Shen Ling would be what family/a loved one would call her. Other people would likely refer to her with a title and her family name (I don't know enough Chinese to search up what that title would be). Using just her given name would be very situational and someone very close with her (so her parents or arete or a close female friend)

[yudgefudge]

My Eras Tour Fits, One For Each Era!

also pls bear with me on this, I am boring and dont rly know how to dress, so these may not be that cool

obligatory tagging the people who asked for it + swiftie mutuals: @dybalaispretty, @lonely-salamander, @rainingmbappe, @liverpool-enjoyer, @purefractals, @tam-is-blogging, @charlesluvr !!!!

General Swiftie Fit: I could only put 10 images in this post so I just wanted to describe my general swiftie concert outfit, which would be the iconic 22 outfit, except with full length sweats not tiny shorts because like. I do not have beautiful slender legs like Mrs. Swift.

Now, onto the Eras:

I just wanted to go for a simple country look. In Swiftiedom, green is the official color of debut, so I went for some supercute green cowboy boots and a simple cowboy outfit! Underneath the plaid shirt I'd imagine I'm wearing one of those "Who's Taylor Swift Anyways? Ew." shirts. I know that's from 22 but I don't care lol.

Yeah don't judge me. I would pull up with the notepad as well, I would write the chants on it cuz I don't like shouting. I wouldn't wear the hoodie unless it got super cold, but I still made sure the hoodie was on theme! Also I'm aware that's not the pajama bottoms she wore in the vid, I wanted them to be fearless-colored (golden yellow)!

Since I couldn't wear the iconic Speak Now dress (way too impractical to wear to a concert LOL) so I went for like, a groom's look? I just realized I forgot to put trousers in this. Well they would be a dark purple, much darker than the shirt, almost black. I went for white gloves because it just gives me bridal vibes idk? Like a groomsman. This fit would look perfect beside the Speak Now dress, which is what I was going for.

Yeah I won't waste y'all's time. I would wear that exact fit. It is the best costume I've ever seen. I just wouldn't wear leggings like she does because once again I don't have legs for days.

I wanted something that would BLIND ANYONE WHO LOOKED AT ME!! BECAUSE THAT'S THE VIBES OF 1989!!! Keep dancing and don't let ANYONE tell you you're too much! Be goofy and silly who gives an F!!!

Yeah don't judge me. Reputation is my favorite album. I would 100% go ham and go full bad boy biker with this one! The shirt says "and in the death of her reputation, she felt truly alive" which is the quote I live by. I think I would slay this fit. Too bad I have zero (0) money.

This isn't exactly what I'd wear. 1) the shirt would have even BOLDER colors. As well as the jacket. This is basically a You Need To Calm Down fit... I love that song so much it makes me wanna dance. Also, my jacket would say "The Man" on the back. I would also do that lover makeup thing with the eye heart.

"who brings headphones to a concert" well DUH i'm not wearing them. Sometimes we sacrifice logic for the sake of the serve! Also, my stuffed husky, Dustin, is part of this fit, but I can't get a good enough pic of him. Just know he is part of this, I wanted this to give "I'm still in bed" vibes, cuz that's what folklore is to me as an album? Idk, it just gives me that, "I wrote this while nestled under the covers" feel.

This is just meant to replicate what Taylor already wears on the album cover. Also, I would have a champagne glass.

And last but DEFINITELY not the least, my Midnights fit! I also designed this as a general Eras fit, because tbh the Eras aesthetic is kind of the Midnights one too, if that makes sensee? I wanted this one to give the vibes of that You're Losing Me line, "I'm the best thing at this party, I wouldn't marry me either". Clearly stylish, but meant to be in the back of the party, not the center.

[catastrophicgay]

Dorothea x Augustine Theory!!!

Something has been bugging me about the resolution to the folklore love triangle.

We know that Augustine doesn't end up with James, but that Taylor does think she deserves to find love in the end. What if she does?

We also don't know who Dorothea's narrator/lover is, and it seems strange to me that Taylor would leave this character completely unnamed, a complete mystery.

But who is the only other character implied to have a happy ending but who's future is left mysteriously open-ended? Augustine.

Disclaimer, I'm aware that evermore is a collection of stories independent from folklore. However, since Taylor has confirmed Dorothea and Augustine attend the same school, I'm assuming they must have known each other somehow. I'll also be explaining how Dorothea's songs from evermore and the love triangle songs from folklore are intertwined.

Buckle up because this is a long one. But it is color coded! And gay! So there's that.

Here's the evidence I've compiled for each song:

Dorothea

damn, Dorothea They all wanna be ya But are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers?

We know that this song is about a high school relationship (and likely ongoing after graduation), meaning it's fully possible for it to be from Augustine's perspective, as her fling with James only lasted for one summer.

Skipping the prom Just to piss off your mom And her pageant schemes

This line implies some sort of disapproval from Dorothea's mom of their relationship, as well as the fact that they couldn't or didn't want to go to prom together. These lines along with the meeting "under the bleachers" adds to the forbidden romance themes that definitely have queer undertones to me. This is also one of the only described relationships that walks the line between romance and friendship, adding to the queercoding.

The 1

Roaring 20s, tossing pennies in the pool And if my wishes came true It would've been you

I feel that the general consensus is that this song is about James. However, couldn't be about Betty and James, since Taylor has explained that they do stay together.

What's more, the "roaring 20's" seems incredibly inconsistent with this theory. It could mean time period, but the phrase refers to the 1920s, which doesn't make sense considering lyrics like "meet some woman on the internet." If it refers to age, it has to be about Dorothea and Augustine, since James and Augustine got together and broke up as teenagers.

Since the tone perfectly matches the mournful longing tone of the previously mentioned song, dorothea; the 1 could be a role reversal. A perspective switch of a jaded Dorothea singing about Augustine after having to leave. Here are some lyrical parallels that drive me insane:

The 1: I guess you never know, you never know

Dorothea: Oh, I guess I'll never know

The 1: I have this dream you're doing cool shit Having adventures on your own

Dorothea: You got shiny friends since you left town A tiny screen's the only place I see you now

'Tis the Damn Season

We could call it even You could call me babe for the weekend

There's so much gay in this song I'm not even sure where to start.

First off, he idea of calling their friend "babe" for the weekend has undeniably sapphic undertones to me. I mean, think about it. Straight crushes doing something like that would be seen as undeniably romantic, with none of the ambiguity and tension from the first Dorothea song. Girl friends calling each other by pet names is something that has probably been the bane of every sapphic's existence at some point. Myself included, obviously.

'Tis the damn season Write this down I'm stayin' at my parents' house

Something about taking very traditional values like the holidays, and cursing them, keeps so well with the theme of small town gays.

As for the following two lines, I don't see these being relevant to the song if not as a warning. We've already unpacked how it's very likely Dorothea's parents don't approve of her close relationship with Augustine. Later in the song, these lines add to that theme:

The holidays linger like bad perfume You can run, but only so far I escaped it too, remember how you watched me leave

Back to the chrous, this interpretation is only exacerbated with the next line:

And the road not taken looks real good now

This is line of the biggest clues to me, and for a couple of reasons. I think it's fairly apparent that the road not taken is an analogy used to describe unconventionality, and it is very often used to reference queerness in that sense. This coincides perfectly with Augustine and Dorothea's secret relationship and how others disapprove.

But this line also serves as more evidence that Augustine and Dorotheas songs are intrinsically linked. This song is very clearly sung from Dorothea's perspective. And in a song very clearly sung from Augustine's perspective, this line shows up.

Illicit Affairs: Take the road less traveled by

To me, this shows the contrast between Augustine leaving her relationship with James to entering (and re-entering) her relationship with Dorothea. James casts Augustine off to take the road by herself, to hide from society's disapproving glare. But Dorothea chooses takes that road with Augustine. Their relationship has Augustine hiding her love once again, but this time she's not alone.

There's an ache in you put there by the ache in me

The central theme in their relationship I've just explained is also very present in this line, as it is in the following song.

Exile

You're not my homeland anymore So what am I defending now? You were my town Now I'm in exile, seein' you out

This song is about Dorothea and Augustine's relationship coming to an end when Dorothea has to leave their town to pursue her dreams. While this song is sung from the perspective of two characters, assumedly representing Dorothea and Augustine, I'll focus mainly on one. From Augustine's perspective, we see her suffer through the same heartbreak that she did when her secret relationship with James came to an end, hence the lines:

I think I've seen this film before And I didn't like the ending

This song proves to me that Dorothea and the folklore love triangle must be connected, there's no denying that the lyrical parallels between Dorothea's songs and exile are unmistakable.

Exile: To pack us up and leave me with it

'Tis the Damn Season: To leave the warmest bed I've ever known

Exile: You're not my homeland anymore / You were my town

'Tis the Damn Season: It always leads to you in my hometown

Exile: Like he's just your understudy

Dorothea: And you'll go on with the show

Exile: Second, third, and hundredth chances

Dorothea: It's never too late to come back to my side

Exile: Those eyes add insult to injury

Dorothea: The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo

Exile: You didn't even hear me out

'Tis the Damn Season: Now I'm missing your smile, hear me out

Since dorothea and 'tis the damn season take place after exile, this song is here to establish the cracks that broke down their relationship in the past and how they are mended in later songs.

Gold Rush

What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? With your hair falling into place like dominoes My mind turns your life into folklore I can't dare to dream about you anymore

I'll say it, this might be the most queercoded song on the album. The theme of envious attraction, being unable to tell if you want someone or want to be them, and having to hide from your feelings all the while because you know you can never truly have a future with them... I cannot be the only one who sees it.

To me, this is about when Augustine first starts developing feelings for Dorothea. I've seen people argue that if this is connected to the folklore love triangle, that it must be Augustine singing about James. However, the only connection the evermore songs have to folklore Taylor has specified is the character of Dorothea, so it doesn't make sense for there to be an evermore track about two characters from folklore.

I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch Everybody wants you Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you

The love interest being this attractive character that everyone is drawn to makes perfect sense for Dorothea, as we know she eventually moves to Los Angeles and becomes a star.

Not only must this song be about Dorothea, but being the only song that directly references folklore heavily implies that is must be connected to one of its characters in some way, namely Augustine.

I see me padding 'cross your wooden floors With my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door At dinner parties I call you out on your contrarian shit And the coastal town we wandered 'round had never seen a love as pure as it And then it fades into the gray of my day old tea 'Cause you know it could never be

The most curious part of the song is that when the narrator finally allows herself to imagine a future with the person she loves, she quickly remind herself that "it could never be," and that the object of her affections knows this as well.

All that the narrator, Augustine, wants is to have a comfortable and happy future with Dorothea, but she cannot bring herself to imagine the two of them ever finding this coastal town that sees their love as "pure." This hopeless and resigned tone about her assumedly unrequited love and unattainable dreams is exacerbated in the final chorus when the lyrics change to "the coastal town we never found will never see a love as pure as it."

Also, I feel the need to point out a few lyrical parallels because:

Gold Rush: Walk past, quick brush

'Tis the Damn Season: It's the kind of cold, fogs up windshield glass But I felt it when I passed you

Gold Rush: My mind turns your life into folklore I can't dare to dream about you anymore

Dorothea: I have this dream you're doing cool shit Having adventures on your own

Gold Rush: And the coastal town we wandered 'round 

'Tis the Damn Season: And it always leads to you in my hometown

Invisible String

Green was the color of the grass Where I used to read at Centennial Park I used to think I would meet somebody there

Anddd we're at the final song! Fittingly, I believe this song is from the perspective of Dorothea after she and Augustine reunite, wrapping up their story with a happy ending.

And in true full-circle Taylor Swift fashion, their story ends the same way it starts, with Centennial Park. If you don't recall, dorothea starts with these lines:

Dorothea: Hey Dorothea, do you ever stop and think about me? When we were younger, down in the park

And this isn't the only recall to Dorothea's evermore songs. Almost every line in this song references a line in one of the previous songs that I've analyzed!

Teal was the color of your shirt When you were sixteen at the yogurt shop

Remember the "eagles t-shirt" from gold rush? Taylor confirmed this was a deliberate reference to the Philadelphia eagles, who's team color is teal. Again, this song could only be about dorothea's narrator, Augustine, as gold rush is from evermore while invisible string is from folklore, and Dorothea is the sole connection between the two albums.

Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs Were there clues I didn't see?

This is a direct parallel to exile, where Dorothea laments over how Augustine "never gave a warning sign." But now the tone has shifted, and she readily admits that maybe she had missed the signs all along, and looks back on the nature of their relationship as fateful rather than chaotic.

All along there was some Invisible string Tying you to me

Sound familiar? Even though Dorothea has tried to leave in the past, time and time again, it always leads back to Augustine and their hometown.

On your first trip to LA You ate at my favorite spot for dinner

In the end, it seems like Dorothea does end up leaving back to LA, like she says at the end of 'tis the damn season. But this line implies that the leaving wasn't necessarily marking a bad ending to their relationship. It implies that Augustine comes with her, and they finally get that coastal town they had always wanted but never thought they could have. Outside of the pressure of their small town, they can finally host their dinner parties and voice their contrarian bullshit.

Bold was the waitress on our three year trip Getting lunch down by the lakes She said I looked like an American singer

To me, this line solidifies the idea that this folklore song is about Dorothea. No other character in either of the albums is implied to be famous and have a performance career, which narrows the possibilities to just about one person. And this "three year trip" makes perfect sense for Dorothea, who Augustine says never liked the stuffiness of their hometown.

Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons One single thread of gold tied me to you

"Wool to brave the seasons" seems to me like a reference to not only 'tis the damn season, but the album cover of evermore as well.

The color of the invisible string that ties the two together being gold also seems to be a reference to gold rush. The East Asian folk myth the song is based off of describes a red string, not a gold one. So if the color were to be changed, it would have to have been very deliberate. And this theory is only reinforced with the next line:

Gold was the color of the leaves When I showed you around Centennial Park Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven

Another reference to gold, and another reference to Centennial Park. The description paints a picture of the so called gold rush that Augustine had been trying to avoid, being finally embraced by the two of them.

The song offers one final parallel to close this analysis off:

'Tis the Damn Season: But if it's okay with you, it's okay with me

Invisible String: And it's cool, baby, with me

Thank you so much for sticking with me for this whole analysis! I would love to hear what theories or criticisms you guys have as well.

I did make the songs out of chronological order for a smoother analysis, but if you're confused about the timeline, here's a playlist I made of all the songs I find to be part of their story, including some that I have not analyzed here. It starts with James and Augustine's relationship in mirrorball, and continues from there in chronological order.

[bahamutgames]

ZELDA : AFTERTHOUGHTS PRINCESS

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (November 19, 2006)

Console: Gamecube

Fellas... There comes a time in every gamer's life when they should play a game that's wildly out of their comfort zone. And try a game series that they've only ever clowned on and not given the time of day previously. And in 2024, that day has come for me.

This is my first time EVER beating a Legend of Zelda game. I've played some when I was younger, but got bored or stuck and would put them down pretty quickly. But no, this time I did it and actually beat one for real. And now, for the first time ever. You'll get my true genuine thoughts on a Zelda game. Are you ready?

You know the drill, this isn't a review. Just my general thoughts for you to read. Please play anything I talk about that interests you!

SPOILERS FOR TWILIGHT PRINCESS AHEAD!!

Opening

So, as previously stated, I've had an odd history with this series. I thought it was cool as a kid because back then just being a video game kinda meant I adored you, regardless of if I played it or not (maybe not such a bad mentality to have sometimes lol). But I could never bring myself to beat any of them. Sometimes, I thought they were too boring. Too confusing. Too hard. Or just not my type of gameplay. Except one, and that one was Twilight Princess. I LOVED this game, and I wanted to beat it SO bad. But I got stuck during the teardrop collecting scene in Gerudo Valley, and never managed to beat it.

Years went on. And I started to just kinda lose all interest in Zelda unless it was in Smash Bros. I thought the series was massively overhyped, and just didn't have any interest in it. But I knew... One day, I'd have to come back and put my money where my mouth is. I knew one day I'd have to come back and finish Twilight Princess. If not for me, then for my tiny child self being so upset they got stuck in it. And maybe fix the timeline where I may have become a huge Zelda fan.

And so here we are! I finally finished Twilight Princess! Something just came over me and I decided, yeah, I wanna do that. So let's see what I thought about this game and my true renewed introduction to The Legend of Zelda!

Stuff I liked

So, to start. There's a lot of stuff in this series that even as a little bit of a Zelda hater, I couldn't deny. For one, the music. Yeah, even as someone who only consumes Zelda content through smash, it's no secret Zelda has GREAT music. And there's a lot of fantastic songs in this. I'm relisting to the ost as I write this and the opening theme is still pretty chill inducing. And Ordon Village is SUCH a nice song. Then there's the characters, they could never make me hate the Zelda characters. They are really good. Obviously you have Link, Zelda, and Ganon. Who are all at their BEST in this game specifically, sporting their best designs and all 3 of them being sword users which kinda owns. But the non-triforce characters are all fantastic. Agitha, the Yetis (my favorites probably lol), and Telma. From humans to Zora to cat. Everyone has a lot of personality and they're all great. I genuinely don't know if there's any characters off the top of my head that I didn't like.

And a lot of them are super fucking sexy and let's cut to the chase here: It's Midna. She's so fucking fine. Like, I always knew she was hot, but you don't really understand how INSANE her imp form is until you play the game. Why is one of her first shots on screen a close up of her ass? Why does she moan a little when you dash as Wolf Link? WHAT WERE THEY ON?? Her human form is sexy too. It's crazy-

But, let's get a little more serious here. Zelda, I feel like, is pretty well known for its stories? Or at least they're some of the more traditionally story and lore heavy games put out by Nintendo I think. And I did actually enjoy this game's plot a lot. I liked the invasion of Twilight into the world, it's a nice visual that isn't really scary. But more depressing, which is neat. I thought Zant was cool, the whole plot with the Fused Shadow, and finding out who Midna is, and everything in general was neat. Maybe not the most earth shattering story ever told, but like, it's good. And I'd say that matters more, it never felt like it was stagnating or getting weak. I think the pace of the plot keeps up pretty nicely. Even the reveal of Ganondorf as the true antagonist, a reveal that SHOULD piss me off. Because I usually hate when a new villain is killed for the same guy as always. And even though they kind of butcher Zant by the end, I think the Ganondorf reveal is cool and works, like, it doesn't feel like they said "oh we have to shoe-horn in ganon" it felt a little more like they were saving Ganon? if that makes any sense? And I have to give the game SO MUCH PROPS for not making Link and Zelda fall in love by the end. In fact, it's kind of cool Zelda is barely in it, just like Ganon. I was worried they'd force a romance between them but they don't. Link honestly seems to care more about Midna which makes sense because they work together the entire game. When the two of them smirk at eachother in the final boss, I loved that for them.

The visuals are also NICE in this game. I think Gamecube graphics are still really good, but especially for something trying to be hyper realistic. Twilight Princess' graphics have aged GOOD!! In particular, the fountains where the Light Gaurdians sleep all kind of blew me away lol

But even stuff like seeing the twilight over the Bridge of Eldin, or the mossy overgrown remnants of the Temple of Time. And even faces and characters and animals who are all realistic so they should look gross, just don't! The faces in particular are NICE and really stood out to me. They have some delightful facial expressions that I was really impressed by. I was reminded of how good animations and faces were in KH2, which actually predates this game by a year I believe.

And then there's the gameplay, which is typically my biggest gripe with these games. It's not bad gameplay. But it is kinda slow and tedious in my opinion. And while I certainly wouldn't say I was wrong, it is slow and tedious. When the game throws a GOOD dungeon your way, man, it clicks. Sometimes it'd be a drag, but sometimes you'd be just feeling so awesome putting everything in your arsenal to use. If I had to highlight one temple that I think is TP's shining star, it's the Temple of Time! THIS DUNGEON RULED! It's easily and favorite and the most compelling and fun one to do. Going through the first time, it's very standard. Using your tools in ways you'd expect. But by the end, you get a staff that lets you control statues, and that's where the fun starts. Having to figure out where to place statues and having the big ones slam things with their hammer is SO fun. And the pay off with the boss battle is WONDERFUL! Everything comes together when you realize the statues at the four corners have huge hammers, and you immediately know you gotta squish that spider! Bosses in particular were a highlight with some fantastic designs and neat ideas among even the worst of them. Not every dungeon is perfect, and some boss fights left a lot to be desired, but again when it clicked it really did click. I think the Monkey Temple was nice, the Twili Realm temple with the wall master hand thing was stressful but SO cool, Magnet gimmicks in the volcano were fantastic, and the ice temple mansion was such a cute idea even though I thought it was a huge chore until you get the ball and chain.

Which, is maybe my final point here, the weapons are fantastic! I actually enjoyed using the bow, double claw shots were SO cool, obviously I adored the statue wand. And had a surprising amount of fun with even simple things like... iron boots. But yeah the crown jewel was the Ball and Chain. That shit was SOOOOO cool and fun to use.

Stuff I didn't like

And that's actually a wonderful segue into my issues with this game. For starters, man, you barely use some of these tools, huh? The ENTIRE game I would see fans and junk and think "OH I can FINALLY use the Gale boomerang again!" And eventually I was right, when I was in the FINAL DUNGEON OF THE GAME! The spinning top thing, which is maybe the most out of place but coolest thing in your arsenal, is used like 2 times outside of the dungeon it's introduced in. And the poor ball and chain... Why didn't they let me kill Ganondorf with this thing? Come on. It's such a shame.

Which segues into my next issue. Wolf Link. Potentially the coolest concept in this game, with a WONDERFUL design. And potentially the most underused thing in the whole game. When it's put to it's full potential, it's so cute. I love that you can talk to animals and dig stuff up, and having to use wolf sense to find the Poes in the tomb was FANTASTIC and it's why it's one of the best dungeons. But like, the wolf only exists for that one dungeon and so you can do the tedious as fuck tear sections. In later dungeons it's almost a full on punishment, getting caught in dark clouds makes you turn into the wolf, which makes you have to go through the whole process of talking to Midna to untransform, it's odd.

Yeah man some of those dungeons and bosses did not hit. I thought the Yeti mansion was a TEDIOUS piece of shit. Requiring you to fight annoying ass wolves in snow you can't walk in and tediously carry canonballs around. Yes, the dungeon becomes AMAZING when you get the Ball and Chain and suddenly everything opens up and it all comes together and ends with another great boss. But god what a chore leading up to that. The water temple was insanely confusing, and I'm not just saying that as a meme I really did not understand the staircase thing in the main chamber. Some of them just have odd moments. Like the tomb, which is also a really good dungeon. But they have a weird gimmick where you are attacked by invisible ghost mice?? It's really weird. And bosses like the dragon, which SHOULD be cool, are kind of a chore if you don't realize you can lock on with pretty much every item in the game (I'll admit, I didn't realize this until way too late). Or the giant skeleton dragon which I actually thought was kind of confusing honestly. And a lot of enemies are kinda like this. A lot of enemies are MASSIVE chores to take down, and sometimes you'll have to take down a lot of them at once. Dragalfos, Darknauts, those weird worms under floor tiles. Every enemy can be a HUGE chore and I shudder to imagine fighting them without getting all the secret sword skills.

Speaking of Tedious, that's probably the biggest issue with this game over all. It can be REALLY tedious. Having to run all around hyrule, especially later into the game and before you can teleport, is tedious. The tears of light sections are so long and boring and kind of not fun except the boss with the giant dark bug. And like, the entirety of Lake Hylia is SO FUCKING TEDIOUS. Running around the lake, having to talk to the canon guy 50 billion times. The giant bird boss there. The story does not meander, but it sure felt like the game was meandering at that part. Why was there a fucking on rails gliding section that was MANDATORY to do multiple times. Oh my goooooood. And it's just a lot of little stuff can explode into HUGE things really quickly or get kinda ruined when you have to spend so much extra effort getting through it. Fighting Skull Kid can be a bit of a chore, especially when you do it TWICE. Having to blast off into the desert multiple times before you can teleport to it. Being stopped every 5 seconds to fight those weird big twili that have to be killed all at once which is neat the first 10 or so times but wears thin REAL quick. It's a lot.

But my final complaint, and maybe this is a bit more a nitpick. Would be the final boss. I think fighting Zelda is neat. But it's a shame we don't see her ACTUALLY use her sword a single time in the game. And then I thought Beast Ganon was SO cool for the first phase. Having to aim while he charges you. But then the second phase... Oh boy. Did you like the stupid goat grappling mini game? What if that came back as a main part of the final boss instead of... idk... any of your old tools that barely get used? No, you get to do shitty horse combat AGAIN! I HATE THE HORSE COMBAT SO MUCH! Albeit the final boss version is the best of the 3 times you do it, and it's an honestly kick ass set piece. But I could probably do without it lmao. And then the final phase. A 1-on-1 sword fight between Link and Ganondorf. This is SO BAD ASS! And it should be the best part of the whole game. Except I unlocked all the secret sword techniques so he basically couldn't hit me as long as I spammed Helm Splitter and stuff. Being too easy isn't inherently a bad thing, but like... Did you REALLY have to make him a carbon copy of the Darknauts?

Final Thoughts

So... what do I think about Zelda now? I've finally given it a shot, and honestly gave it a fair chance and saw it through to the end for the first time. What do I think?

I get it now. I don't know if this is for me, I'll be honest. But I get it. Where I see "slow and tedious" I can see where Zelda fans see "methodical and epic". It's got great characters, and music, and concepts, and even if I do still think it's maybe a touch overrated, I do understand WHY it gets that praise. It's nice to maybe be able to justify why the series doesn't click with me the way it does with everyone else now that I've actually played it for real. That's why there's not really much to lose with trying stuff, even with something you dislike.

But honestly, I wouldn't say I disliked it. Yes, it's maybe not for me. But from my understanding, Breath of the Wild is GREAT for people who aren't Zelda fans. And there's the whole world of 2D Zeldas to try. I think this is a game that in a few years I won't be able to help but look back on it extremely fondly. From its edgelord aesthetics to midna's insanely hot body, there really is something here I can't help but feel like... Yeah, okay that was cool. I get a feeling my time with Zelda isn't over just yet. But we'll have to see what I tackle next. For now, I think I'm done.

===

And that's that. I'm sure some people were interested in seeing what I thought about this game, and I hope this messy garble of words gives you a good idea into what I'm thinking. This was certainly an interesting experience and even though it pissed me off a good bit, I feel better for having gone through it.

As always, feel free to follow me on twitter where I now unashamedly will retweet all the hot Midna fanart I see. I'm a Zelda fan now, guys. I can retweet it and it's not horny, I'm just such a huge fan!!

That's all I have for now, go out and play a game you normally wouldn't give a chance!

[waitmyturtles]

In your honest opinion, is it worth continuing to watch Step By Step? I've got to about episode 8 and am rewatching the first episodes again because I want (or perhaps wanted at this point) to write an analysis on the show's theme of "work/life - business/pleasure" which is something I've really enjoyed and which has been really well done up until where I am, despite any other flaws the show may have.

That being said, ep. 11 sounds like a complete mess and I don't know if I can be bothered to watch something that's dropped the ball just to watch for a single theme I love and even though I think the analysis could be interesting.

Should I go with my emotions and go and watch something that doesn't seem to be biting of more than it can chew or should I let my academic braincell see if it can hold itself until the end?

Feel free to ignore this I'm just trying to work things out and I know you do analysis so I thought it'd be worth an ask 😋

Ahhhhh. I feel like I’m not the right person to ask about this specifically for SBS.

Generally speaking, I am on Team Drop-It-If-You-Hate-It. I don’t believe in hate-watching. There’s TOO MUCH great stuff to watch or rewatch out there.

I don’t think I hate SBS, per se. I do believe yesterday’s episode 11 dropped a LOT of narrative balls. But it happens to be that MANY people whose taste I trust are still watching AND loving this show, so I want to put in every iota of effort to see what they’re seeing — but unfortunately, I haven’t caught it yet. (I am still relatively new to fandoms — this is my first time seeing the Tumblr world SO divided on a show.)

Here’s my understanding of how the show’s writing has gone down. Up until episode 10, the show’s script hewed closely to the original SBS novel. After episode 10, I understand Tee Bundit and the screenwriters went off-novel to include more themes of macro commentary on queer acceptance and workplace culture. If I were you, wanting to do an analysis on work-life balance, I really think the early episodes alone capture those conflicts VERY well, particularly with Jeng literally working two executive-level jobs to relieve his filial stress of being pressured to take over his dad’s company. This itself is GREAT material for a standalone analysis.

Now — if you wanted your analysis to include issues of queer acceptance in the workplace, then I would continue watching the later episodes, and @bengiyo and @respectthepetty have written FABULOUS meta on this for episode 11, which I think you will find very helpful (here and here and here and here — RTP Senpai in particular is hard in the paint for this show, for which I have mad respect).

So — it ultimately depends on what your priorities are. I’m a busy mom, so I haven’t been happy with the long episodes to nowhere, but I do wanna see what my friends are seeing and give this show my best shot. At least I’m learning more about what I myself prioritize from narrative structures, or a lack thereof! I am an EVER-optimist and will be watching the finale, and would like to recant ANYTHING I’m clearly wrong on with this show. I have no shame to edit and correct myself. I want to be proven wrong that this show’s not broken from a structural perspective—we are all valuing different things about this show.

[actualbird]

Hi zak! I've been a longtime reader of your original works. Do you have any tips on what pieces to put in your writing folio?

hi anon !!! im very sorry it took me forever to get back to this ask, and doubly sorry if you are no longer in need of tips OTL. still, thank u for reading my original works, thats a pleasant surprise to know!! i havent posted my original writing website here in......a long while, since im the (very slow) process revamping the site HAHA,

but yeah, tips on what put in a writing portfolio!! if ever you still need em or if ever anybody out there can make use of this. all of these based completely on my personal experience of applying to writing workshops and writing jobs, so feel free to take what you think applies to you/would help you, and leave the rest behind

-

1 ) in general, put your Best Works. but take into consideration that You are usually your own worst critic, so you definitely could benefit from a second opinion (or many)

so, obviously, you wanna be putting in your best stuff. and thats still the general method that i'd choose, but with the added reminder that a lot of the time, writers can be blind to certain works that they themselves made that other people really liked or found immensely compelling.

this for lots of reasons: writerly self-esteem problems, that odd experience of mostly remembering the arduous Process of writing the thing and less the actual finished product, general blindness to stuff in your own work since you Wrote That (and probably revised it 76439754985 times) so it's just hard now for you to realize the level of skill thats apparent to many others

the opposite effect is also very possible, where you can be Incredibly attached to a work (maybe for sentimental reasons, maybe because the you learned a lot along the way, etc) but other people kinda found the whole work meh.

bottom line: by this point, you know youve got skill in writing. but the skill OF seeing and evaluating your own skill is a whole different animal

reach out to your friends, writing peers, or reading peers and ask them what they think some of your best works are. personally, i think it's good both to ask people who are Also in the practice/study/career of writing, and people who arent, simply because a more diverse set of information is always better than a lesser diverse one. if you want, you can ask follow up questions like "why?", or you can just stick to getting a general pulse check of what is resonating to the people who read your work. because [tv commercial voice] The Answer May Surprise You!

and once you know what resonates with others, you can start chopping down the list with armed with that new knowledge

-

2 ) "Best" should not be a catch-all term, cut it up into specific categories and showcase your Best in top categories you want to focus on. this way, you get a folio that's showing a wide range of your capabilities

if i were picking between two applicants, both of which submitted portfolios of their Best fiction works (and theyre both Very good), i would ultimately choose the applicant who gave a portfolio that showed a wider range of what Bests theyre capable of rather than the applicant who submitted 5 really great stories but they all still employed the same techniques/concepts/themes

......if that makes sense?

like, okay, let's assume the portfolio is a fiction portfolio. no specific lit genre limitations or whatever, just, fiction in general.

"fiction in general" is a ridiculously huge field! theres the genres of course, so many damn genres. but what im more focused on is Technique. there are so many ways to structure your plot and pacing, there are so many ways to create your cadence and tone, there are so many kinds of characters and so many ways you can make them clash, so many dang ways to make your story's themes come to light. theres a Lot

so take a portfolio as a chance to show the widest possible range of what you can do, and what you can do Well

let's say you did Tip 1 and coming from that, youve got a list of 15 stories you think would be good for a portfolio. your next step then is to identify which stories are doing the same Thing (whether that be in its genre, structure, themes, etc) and then decide which of those stories showcases your ability to Do that Thing best.

if ive got 3 different stories that are all magical realism pieces using a very subdued tone to communicate the plot's conflict and emotion, then im gonna need to pick just one to put in my folio, the one that did it Best. and then you can go back to Tip 1 and get a second opinion on that if you want, and THEN i repeat with the other stories, this time picking a different Thing-Technique-Structure-Theme-Etc to focus on

basically my point is that a portfolio, ideally, should show different Kinds of Bests. because that is much much more appealing than only seeing One kind of Best

-

3 ) you can make as many portfolios as you want, tailor-made specifically for what youre using that portfolio for

this is something i learned after college and when i was applying for various writing jobs. for context, i dual wielded fiction and nonfiction in college. though my degree ultimately/officially went into the nonfiction track, i still wrote a whole lotta original fiction, and when i was applying for jobs, my personal list of Bests included a lot of fiction pieces, as well as nonfiction pieces

but i was applying to all different kinds of jobs, and it would be slightly off-course to submit a fiction piece to a job like Feature Writer For Magazine. additionally, it would be slightly off-course to submit a nonfiction piece to a job like Romance Game Writer

(.....both of those real jobs i applied for and man, sidenote, can you believe i almost became a romance game writer? like, how ironic that is now that im into the fandom i am Currently into. guys. guys i got to the second interview stage of that job. Guys. jdhvfhvfkshd)

anyway, remember how Tip 2 is about showing off a diverse array of what youre capable of? well, dont get Too diverse. always remember the people/organization/etc that you will be submitting this portfolio to, and keep in mind what They are looking for

if youre applying for a sci-fi fiction workshop, submit your Best pieces that do different techniques or things BUT are still within the parameters sci-fi fiction, so they are relevant. if youre applying for a feature writing job, maybe fiction might work, but read the works that the magazine puts out, maybe. get a feel for their style, what they like. like idk , if theyre super into that Anthony Bourdain-esque kinda description of gritty details, then maybe a fiction piece that shows off that kind of descriptive skill can still be relevant.

make a new portfolio whenever the need arises to best adapt to whatever it is youre gunning for

-

in summary :

tip 1: Best works but cast a wider net and ask other people because us writers can get tunnel vision sometimes

tip 2: whittle down your list to show different kinds of Bests that you can do, avoid redundancy

tip 3: keep your Bests relevant to whatever the task at hand may be

well....thats all i can think of. i hope some part of this can be helpful to anybody out there. hope youre doing well, anon :")

[americanrecord]

how do you plan your stories?

great question.

tbh, i don't really have an answer for this one! i don't wanna say it just sorta happens, but it just...sorta happens. on one hand, i send my friends 500 texts a day each about various things and then just stack thoughts and musings in my notes in the early stages, and then on the other, i make detailed outlines and go from there.

take the priest novel i just planned to start as of literally yesterday. it's been an idea in my head since november 2022, but it's taken so many forms since then, it's quite different now. as of right now, i'm just sending my aforementioned 500 texts a day—starting very small. character names, basic appearances, basic dynamics, and later on i'll move to bigger stones like character histories, overarching plots and arcs, and then into the building blocks of scenes, chapters, and The Novel.

so while i flip through baby books and shuffle through pinterest for inspiration, i also just have sporadic things that jump out to me and i hurry to pin it down. with the suicide blonde series (not the name, i just don't have a series name yet), i had a template of a series to jump off of and just changed and culled where needed. i hardly remember planning the original, but having a band timeline to base my arcs and general plot lines off of made things infinitely easier. i always knew, sorta, what i was working toward.

with the untitled priest story, i got nothing. this story is dust in my brain right now. i have an opening scene, i have an almost ending scene, i have the emotional climax, and i have various other visions in wisps that are out of order and literally just visions in my head. a lot of walks in the park (literally), an emphasis on meals and conversation as keys to the heart (body and soul), a phone call or two with an older sister, a fair deal of loveless sex. the works. i have three folded up sticky notes on my nightstand right now about the main characters' personal theory on grief being a bus that will never come that i scribbled while at work yesterday and makes sense to nobody but me. there are so many holes, so many stretches of nothing. granted, this will be an intense character study, single pov, lots of depressed monologue set beside lengthy conversations shared between the two mains, and a very small cast (my speciality and many others' personal hell), so plot isn't at the top of my list, but there still needs to be something. i haven't found it yet, but i'm only on day two out here!

when i do sort of establish all the major beats of the book, however, i will outline. so when people ask how i plan my books, i first say that i leave notes in places all over. i'm in a researching stage right now, so i write and sticky-tab and make notes in my notes app or amass everything on a doc, but i will also just have long notes in my notes app about scene ideas, themes, random bits of dialogue, etc. the second thing i will tell people is that i plan. i am a planner! always have been, always will be. if you are a pantser, i'm afraid none of my writing advice will be helpful. i've never been one to write something and say "oh, i'll see where it goes." no, i need to know. outlining may also save you re-reading a pantsed first draft and having to throw half of it out, because at least with an outline, however terribly written draft 1 ends up being, there is much more likely to be a coherent structure. but it's just personal preference. the type of outline i use depends on the book. with the SB series, i have a very, very large one that puts the chapter summaries (long) in boxes and also includes timelines, date stamps, locations (for touring), and personal timelines for character arcs, relationship arcs, band arcs, etc. so i don't lose track of anybody in my ensemble cast. they look a little something like this:

the outline is divided into three acts, each act 3 beats, each beat like 4 chapters, i believe. the standard set up is the 3 act, 27 chapter outline (3 acts, 3 beats per act, 3 chapters per beat). i just adjusted it for my 36 chapter deal (do not do this unless you want to meet publishable word counts, take it from me :|)

with this priest deal, however, it's much more minimalist. very ambitious in how smart it will have to be—how deep and thought-provoking, i guess—which is the big battle for me (the challenge), but very minimalist in setting, scenes, and expansiveness to make up for the intensity of the characters and their emotions. so the outline will probably reflect that and will probably be much smaller. it might still generally have the acts going on, the general beats, but because its not really a romance (it is, but it isn't (but it is)) and it doesn't have a big plot, the structure is looser. it's literary fiction in place of genre fiction, which isn't bound to as rigid of expectations such as where your inciting incident, climax, and resolution should be, etc. but i don't know yet, exactly, how this book will pan out. i'm excited to find out, of course, but i'm not certain.

i will just say that, for me, it depends on the needs of the story. some need more intensity than others and some appear in my head more vividly than others. i will never advise against outlining, obsessive note-taking, and productive research, however.

[kairiscorner]

hi ate !! 😣❤️ i wanna start writing soon but i still need to set up my theme and stuff, but when i do start do you have any like tips or stuff like that because i dont know where to start and you’re my favorite writer so i’m jus asking you HELP. thank you po !!

HI DEARIE !! omg ... FOR REAL???????? /dead kairi NAWH BUT THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY AND GIDDY RRRRRRGHHHHH LABYU PO PLATONICALLY, SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT OMG <333 and as for tips, i've posted some tips before for another aspiring author who approached me here! but for blog tips, here's what i've got from being on the platform for two months :'DD (not the most reliable, but i hope it helps !!)

it's your space, design it how you want to! i know my blog's design is pretty basic compared to others, but that's okay, because that's how i wanna do it. if you wanna make yours simple or minimalistic, go ahead! if you wanna make it full of colors, popping into view at every corner the pupils go about, go right ahead! it's your space, and as your interests and styles change, so will your blog at some point, most probably. don't feel embarrassed if you wanna change your theme often, i get tempted to do so too, dw :')) your blog is yours, never feel compelled to change it for anyone else if you don't want to.

set boundaries! if you ever wanna take on requests or just open asks and submissions in general, the best thing to do first would be to set rules and boundaries. sure, some people will forget to look at them or blatantly ignore them, but block and report them if they do but having rules is still good to let the people who visit your blog know what you're comfortable with doing and not comfortable with doing. steal their kneecaps if they disrespect you or your rules, never take others' bullshit <3

get as creative as you want! it's your blog, so go and do whatever style or aesthetic you want! seems that you've got that down already though, I LOVE YOUR BLOG'S THEME, JOJOWAIN Q !! /hj but if you wanna keep experimenting, gora !!

try, try, and try. not all your fics will get as much reach as you expect them to, the saddest part is that sometimes, the fics you work the hardest on will sometimes go unnoticed, but that's okay! write what you want, and even if it doesn't get too popular, that's fine !! just as long as you enjoy what you're doing is the only thing that matters, because you won't ever have 0 supporters, ate kairi is here to support uuu <33

I HOPE THESE TIPS HELP BHIE, GOOD LUCK SAYOOOOO !!